Disclaimer: I don't own a great portion of this dialogue. That belongs to Funimation, who translated all the Japanese. All the rest, the thoughts, the fillers, the motives… those are all mine.

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CHAPTER 30:
One Down

After docking the ship in the launching bay, Trunks jumped from the ship, not even bothering with the ladder, he was so excited to be home. Landing on the metal flooring, he stood and looked around in wonder. Hearing Giru come down behind him, he turned around and blinked at the robot, cocking his head to the side as he looked around again, half expecting a surprise party to jump out from behind the machinery, and being slightly disappointed that nobody was there to welcome him.

"Well, I wonder where the big homecoming is celebrating our return?" Trunks smirked a bit and shook his head in mild confusion. "I can understand my father not being able to make it, but I figured at least mom and Bra would come say hi." He looked to the robot and his head gestured to the stairs that would lead him to one of the lobbies of Capsule Corp. "Come on, Giru! Let's go find my family."

Giru chirped happily, "-giru…giru…giru-!" But as his bleeping continued, it began to raise in pitch, as if the robot were sensing something intense within the perimeter. "-giru giru giru- -danger danger-! Danger DANGER!" The robot began to tremble and wave its limbs frantically was Trunks tried to grab him and silence him, "Danger danger DANGER!"

"What's wrong with you Giru?!" Trunks frowned and grabbed Giru, inspecting him closely, "This is a really safe place." He turned the robot upside down and looked Giru in the lens. "Don't tell me your danger sensor is broken again?" Suddenly, a thought came to Trunks, and he released Giru with a smile as he realized Giru must be sensing an incredibly high power level, but misinterpreting it, "Ahhh, I get it! This is your first time meeting my father!" He chuckled at Giru for being so silly and began walking toward the stairs.

Trunks' ease did not qualm the robot, however. Giru was becoming more frantic than ever, waving in front of Trunks, desperately trying to get him to stop. "Danger! Danger! Trunks in danger!"

Trunks halted his steps and put his hands on his side, wondering whatever could have come over Giru. Even by sensing a high power level, there was no need for Giru to get so upset about meeting his family. That is, unless his father and mother were in the middle of one of their usual quarrels. Perhaps Giru was sensing his father's anger or something along those lines. A fight would probably explain why his mother wasn't out to greet him upon arrival.

Trunks chuckled, mostly to himself, realizing Giru was more terrified over the wrong person. "You are right, Giru, my dad can be kind of intimidating, but you really shouldn't worry about it." He grinned, "My mom can be even more dangerous, but I didn't tell you that."

"Danger… danger danger danger!!!!"

He frowned at the robot. Everything and everyone was acting a little strange ever since they returned to Earth. Even Giru was malfunctioning because of something. He wondered if Pan and Goku may have found out any information about what was going on. He'd be sure to ask his father later.

"You're late."

Trunks looked away from Giru, toward the top of the stairs. His father was leaning on the railing, looking serious and stoic. Trunks saw him and a wave of joy passed over him, finally seeing his father again. He had missed him so much while he was away. It was good to see that he was healthy and acting the same.

He smiled as he ascended the stairs, "Hey Dad! How have you been?"

His father just looked at him with a nonchalant stare. He didn't even care to huff a response. He gave off a vibe as if he were angry with Trunks for some reason, but that would be impossible. Trunks figured he was upset because they had returned so late. It was only two days to go before the world would have exploded. He smiled sheepishly and scratched his head as he continued to climb the stairs, "Things took longer than we expected, but the dragonballs have been–"

"–sealed up and hidden in Kami's Lookout, I hear."

Trunks stopped in mid-step and stared at his father. There was no way that he could have known that. Not unless Goku or Pan stopped by Capsule Corp. on the way back to their homes… but why would they do that? Something just didn't seem right. "Yeah… that's right." He glanced over to Giru and began to wonder if something really was dangerous around here. "Dende took good care of them…"

There was a large pause that settled in the launching bay. Trunks was trying to make out how his father knew about the dragonballs already while Vegeta just stared at him.

Vegeta broke the silence with a nonchalant, "Ah okay, then come in." He turned and walked through the door leading to the lobby.

Trunks figured that his father had sensed Goku having returned when they were at the park. His father was intelligent. He most likely had figured out they'd deliver the balls to Dende first thing. After reaching this conclusion, Trunks sighed in relief. That probably explained his father's comment before. Trunks smiled over to Giru. The robot was really keeping him on edge today. He'd have to tinker with his danger sensors again.

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Trunks followed his father through the halls of Capsule Corp. and finally to the residential section, where his family lived. After walking through several halls, they finally reached the living room door. Entering, Trunks smiled and walked to the center of the large room, followed by Giru. It was really nice to be home. He had missed the house and his family so much.

A cool voice stated, "Welcome home, Trunks."

Hearing the familiar tone, Trunks whisked around to see his mother enter from the recreation room and walk toward the kitchen. "Mother!" Beaming with happiness, Trunks approached her with his arms outstretched as if expecting a hug.

She stopped him with a hand to his chest, and pushed him back with a sneer. Trunks stumbled backward with a confused frown. He couldn't understand why his mother just rejected him. He had been gone away for so long, he could have sworn she would have been at least slightly happy to see him.

She gave him a cold glare and licked her lips before baring her teeth. "You know, Trunks, you've been bad boy recently."

"Huh?" Trunks looked to her and to his father, with his arms loosely extended outward from his body, as if he had just been pushed backward.

Giru sprung to life, trembling slightly as if something were activating his danger sensors again. "-giru giru-?"

Bulma narrowed her eyes toward her son and gave a low menacing growl. "I'll let your father deal with your punishment."

Trunks scratched his head, not really understanding what she was talking about. Sure, he arrived later than the date they had anticipated their return, but this was no cause for a punishment. This just didn't make sense. Something wasn't adding up here. "What's going on here?" He looked toward his father again and shook his head in slight confusion, "I just got home and you guys are mad at me?"

Vegeta scowled and then gave a distorted grin while glaring at Trunks. "Hehehehe… It's been a long time, eh son?" He began to move closer to him, closing the distance between them.

"Danger! Danger! DANGER!" Giru hid behind Trunks and was trembling furiously.

Trunks frowned and fought the urge to step backward. He was beginning to feel very uncomfortable. His parents were acting strangely, the world was acting strangely, and Giru's danger sensors were going off the chart. Trunks looked to Giru and whispered, "Stop flipping out. You're just going to get my dad upset." The robot shut off and continued to shiver in silence, grasping Trunks' shoulder as if the world were about to end.

The way Vegeta was approaching Trunks was slightly intimidating. Trunks found his words caught in his throat as his father came within inches of him and pressed his face forward, causing Trunks to blink and lean back awkwardly.

Vegeta sneered, "Yes, the last time was on the planet Vidal…" Suddenly, Vegeta's hair turned silver as his eyes narrowed with a scowl, "Right, Saiyan?!"

Trunks' eyes widened and he took a sharp intake of breath. The ki that his father was emitting… something was different. Something was making his hair turn silver instead of gold. What was going on…?

His breath caught in his throat as he suddenly realized what was happening. He found himself struggling to make out words, "Y-You-You're not…" His eyes got even wider as he took a step back but tripped, landing on the ground, trying to back away in a panic, "Who are you?!"

Vegeta stood over him in a triumphant stance. His face altered as his skin began to form lines that ran across his forehead and chin. He began to laugh high and shrilly, leaning his head back to cackle with glee. He brought his face back to make another distorted grin. "I'm NOT your father."

A large explosion suddenly erupted on Vegeta's face. It wasn't large, but when the smoke cleared and Vegeta checked to see if any papercuts were caused by the menace, he turned to glare insanely toward the robot. Giru has just fired two missiles at him, and was screaming of danger the loudest his circuits could amplify it.

Vegeta narrowed his eyes and growled, "You're T20-06, aren't you? Stop acting like a fool, you rusty piece of trash!!!"

"-giru giru-!"

Trunks turned his head to see Giru and felt his heart pound against his chest in panic. He had just attacked his father, or whoever the impostor was. His eyes widened as he realized what would happen to the robot. "Oh my Gosh… Oh my Gosh!!! Giru, get out of here! Get out of here!!! It's not my dad!"

Instead of budging, the robot readied two more missles to fire. Trunks' breath caught in his throat as his heart was leaping through his chest. It was a mistake to install that weaponry inside Giru. A wave of fear swept over him as he realized what was in store for the robot if Giru were to stay any longer. "Giru, please! Go find Goku! NOW!!!" The wave of fear suddenly turned into something else… a suffocating pain that began to tear through his body.

Trunks opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out. He tried to breathe, but he couldn't find the breaths. He lost his elbow support, and crashed fully to the ground, feeling dizzy and sick. Panting, he tried to relax, to calm down. He tried thinking of things he loved, of friends he cared for… of Goten and Pan, of… of his mother, when she… His mind began to get cloudy. He wasn't sure what he was trying to think anymore. He clutched his stomach and squeezed his eyes, trying to focus himself. Opening his eyes and looking up, he watched helplessly as his father advanced on Giru, looking possessed and wild.

Vegeta sneered, "No thanks to you, simple 'bot, my plans were postponed…" He snickered and looked to Trunks, who was writhing on the floor, "but due to your betrayal, you've led me straight to the remaining Saiyan trash on my list!"

He smirked and focused his power. With all his might, he thrust a great wave of ki toward Giru, blasting the wailing robot into a thousand pieces. As the parts fell, shreds of Pan's bandana fell with them, landing on the floor in a pile of rubble.

Trunks felt a shock of grief pass over him as his eyes widened. "Giru?!" The reality set in, as Trunks realized Giru was dead. His father had just killed Giru! "GIRU! GIRU!!!!" He outstretched his hand, trying to crawl on the ground toward the parts. "Giru… Gi… Gi…" He felt a sob come from his chest and tears form in his eyes. "Giru…"

Vegeta took several casual steps toward his grieving son and crossed his arms smugly, smirking with fire in his eyes. He cackled shrilly, "Hehehehe!" Crinkling his nose as if there were a stench in the air, he grinned manically. "Get ready, my son, we shall call this day your new birthday, because you'll never be the same again!"

Doing everything he could to hold back sobs, Trunks turned his head to watch his father, too weak to stand. He was panting heavily, feeling light-headed and dizzy. "Dad… Dad, what has come over you?!"

"Hehehehe!! Have you forgotten already?" He leaned over to bare his teeth at Trunks, "I've entered your body once before, and I'll do it again!!!"

Any breath that Trunks had been struggling to inhale suddenly completely caught in his throat. Trunks began to choke as his eyes went wide in terror. There was no way! How could this be?! HOW?! HOW?!?!?!?! "No!!!" He choked, "NO!" He tried to back away, but his muscles felt like rubber and any movement sent searing pain through his body. He suddenly felt so cold as he remembered what happened back on Vidal, and how he had been acting strangely ever since, going into those mood swings. It was all because of Baby. BABY! The one that snickered and sneered and grimaced like all those people in the park. Baby somehow had come to Earth… and he took over his father!

Trunks felt a full sob coming forth as he thought of all those people, under Baby's control. He felt his own body shudder as if icicles were piercing him from the inside out. "No… NO!!!!" He clutched his stomach and fell to the floor again, panting hard.

Vegeta-Baby snickered and smirked widely, "Ah, so I see you DO remember me." He leaned over to whisper to the demi-saiyan. "You never knew this, but in the short time I controlled your body, I managed to lay my egg inside of it." He watched as Trunks continued to struggle on the ground, trying to resist.

Baby cackled and stood up straight, watching Vegeta's son suffer on the floor. "You've given me trouble in the past, son. You'll find that this time, you won't be able to win the battle." Grinning coldly, he proceeded to kick Trunks in the side, causing him to scream out in pain. "Stop fighting it, you worthless trash. I am your master now."

Bulma walked forward proudly, "Yes, that's right, Trunks. We live only to serve Lord Baby."

"No…" He writhed on the ground, gripping his throat, trying to breathe. He opened his eyes and saw the world spin and his vision get blurry. Trembling, trying to focus on his friends, on his life, of who he was and always would be, he made out Giru's parts on the ground. "No… Giru…" He tried to focus on memories, of the tour, of Goku… of Pan… Pan…

He tried to picture her face, but everything was fading. It was slipping, on the edge of his tongue, in a shadow of his mind… He felt his life retreating. "No…" Looking at the parts, he saw a shred of orange. What was that… It was… It was Pan's bandana… Pan… He reached out his arm to her bandana. He needed something… Something to ground him… something… anything…

He felt his life slipping away. He was losing a part of himself. His memories were fading. His vision was failing. His body… He couldn't move. His fingers couldn't grasp. He couldn't breathe. He… couldn't think…

Who… Who was he thinking of…? Who… Who was Pan again? Pan No. Not Pan.

Lord Baby.

His master… Lord Baby.

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-12/1/04-