Chapter 110 - No Time
One full day. Twenty four hours had elapsed in the outside world. Erasa, yawning, walked over to Piccolo and Dende, who were watching the door to the Room of Spirit and Time with some anticipation. Most everyone had left now; Goten and Trunks had gone home, Goten having a class that morning, and Trunks having to work. Videl left with Trunks. Erasa, however, had stayed. She and Pen were awaiting Gohan's return from the Room, though the little one was still fast asleep. For her husband, it had been a full year away.
She wondered what he would be like.
"We should be thankful for the blessing of this room," said Dende, gripping his staff. He didn't want to imagine what state his planet would be in - if it would even exist - without the convenience of the Room of Spirit and Time.
"Is ours unique?" Erasa found herself asking, half out of genuine curiosity, another out of a way to pass the early morning hours.
"No," came the answer, but it wasn't Dende, or even Piccolo, who answered. It was Mr. Popo. "What we call the Room of Spirit and Time is more properly called a Concentrated Temporal Ley Line. They exist on every planet, spaces where time passes faster, or slower. Only on planets whose gods discover these locations, and seek to use them, will you find Rooms of Spirit and Time. One such as ours - fitted for human use - are rare, but not unique."
Erasa nodded, following along fairly well. "Then it's more fortunate to us that this room was created." She wondered internally if Shangdi had been responsible for its creation, and assumed with almost certainty that he had. Before she could ask this, footsteps- four sets, alternating to create a different echoing arrangement- sounded from the interior of the Palace.
Gohan was the first to step out, his hair mussed, clothing tattered, but grinning to himself. He waved at his wife and the others, utterly jubilant. Following close behind was Bulma, whose Combat Jacket was shattered in various places. Her hair was untied, and worn long over her face. She was resting on the shoulder of Trunks, who was similarly battered in attire, and walking behind them was Qirka.
Dende immediately rushed over to the group, asking them to huddle together as he raised his hands above the quartet. Magic, cool and refreshing, poured over all of them, pulsating in waves of light.
"How did it go in there?" inquired Piccolo. "The Room wasn't made for the long term stay of four people. Especially three Saiyans."
"We managed," replies Gohan, feeling his wounds stitch themselves together in a way he associated with Dende's abilities. "Trunks is a natural- I think it comes with hybrids like hs - a d we had a hiccup here or there, but it all worked out."
"I'm also not such a bad chef when need be," Bulma puffed out her chest proudly. "It isn't difficult to scrounge up something good from the rations in there."
"So the training went well?"" asked Erasa, kneeling at Gohan's side while Pen climbed o to his head and shoulders. "A year is quite a bit of time, especially in that hellish place."
Pen tugged at her father's hair, grinning playfully. Gohan let himself bask in that feeling of simple peace. He knew, in but a few short minutes, the decision to go forward with more fighting was going to be made. He wanted to enjoy simply being a father again, if only for a moment. Sighing, Gohan picked the girl up from under his arms and placed her on his lap. Dende had finally finished healing all of their wounds, and even their clothes had been patched - the beauty of magic. "We're going to have to go."
Trunks nodded. "I was going to suggest the same thing. The sooner we arrive back in the future, the less damage Black can cause. I want to end this nightmare."
"I suppose I'll have to get supplies," said Bulma, standing up and dusting herself off. "If we're going to a desolate future, I'm sure the people there would be grateful for even a quarter of a He-Tap can."
"We?" repeated Trunks, suddenly sounding alarmed. "Mother, you can't come with us! Black is dangerous, he's more terrifying than—"
"—than I can imagine?" Bulma huffed, looking into the eyes of her future son. "Trunks, I've been in this game longer than you have, and even if I've never really seen a proper fight before, I am very aware of what these sorts of monsters can do." Jabbing Trunks in the chest, she narrowly missed the buckle keeping his sword tied to his body. "You don't think I went in to train with Gohan for the fun of it, did you? Besides, what if something happens to the Time Machine when we get there, You'll need someone to fix it! I'm coming."
Trunks deflated, relenting. "A-Alright," he said quietly. "Then what are you doing to get? I'll come with you."
"Good," said Bulma. "Let's head back to the Capsule Towers. We'll get medical supplies, rations, and the works. Qirka, lend us a hand?
The mother-son duo ignited their ki, white flames engulfing their human forms, and the two took off from the surface of the Palace. Qirka followed behind, darting silently after her mistress. Piccolo, Dende, Mr. Popo, Erasa, Gohan, and Pen remained on the Palace.
"I'm going to stay here this time," said Erasa. "I can't stand the thought of someone using Father's face for nefarious purposes, but if we both go, it would leave Pen alone again. If there's a chance for one of us to stay with her, I feel it ought to be me. This man...you need to help Trunks defeat him, don't you?"
Gohan nodded slowly. Reaching his hand out for Erasa's, their digits intertwined. "I wouldn't ask you to stay behind, but I agree; we've been training so often that I'd be worried if we both simply left Pen again." Black's face swam to the front of his mind, the twisted features of his father filling him with a sort of righteous fury. The earrings on his ears seemed to burn white-hot, and for a moment, he was possessed by the urge to remove them. Controlling himself, Gohan ruffled Pen's hair with his free hand, the way his father always used to make his own hair messy.
"Papa, Mama, I'm not alone. I have my Grandpas and Grandmas!" chimed in Pen innocently, confused as to why her parents thought she was lonely.
"We know, sweetie," said Erasa, placing a thin finger under the girl's chin, and moving her thumb along the shape of her face. "But there are times when a parent need to be parents, and Mama and Papa are going to do that in different ways this time around. And when Papa comes back..."
"...we'll take a trip, all three of us," said Gohan, grinning.
"Can we find some strong people?" Pen grinned back, in perfect mimicry of Gokū. "Some really strong guys!"
An hour passed, and Bulma, Trunks, and Qirka all returned. In her hand, Bulma carried a case of Capsules. "We're ready! Let's go!"
Trunks took out the Capsule for the Time Machine, tossing it forward. It exploded with a BOMF!, materialising the Time Machine in a burst of smoke. Gohan took one look at the machine, glancing into the cockpit by floating upwards. He knew that this machine was not made for multiple people.
"Are we all going to fit?" asked Bulma.
"No," replied Trunks shortly. "The Time Machine was only made with the idea of holding the pilot in mind; you didn't make it intending to send back anyone other than one single person. I don't suppose Capsules can hold people at this point, can they?"
Bulma flinched. "We had corporate competition a few years ago, where someone had invented a Capsule which could encapsulate a living organism. The blueprints had already leaked, and individuals were attempting to use those Capsules to traffic living creatures. I disposed of them all myself, and wiped the schematics off the face of the planet. Those Capsules are illegal."
Trunks swallowed. "Then we squeeze in." He suggested. Popping the glass cover off with a hiss, he slid behind the steering wheel. Bulma, Qirka, and Gohan all levitated upwards, sliding into most certainly unallotted places within the Time Machine. When Trunks finally closed the seal over the cockpit, the term "squeeze" actively described how they all fit in. Bulma was perched behind her son, awkwardly clinging to his shoulders. Gohan and Quirka were trying to adjust themselves on either side, barely enough room to stand, and having to contort themselves against the glass.
Heaving a sigh, Trunks' activated the machine, which began to rise into the air. Glowing, it hovered for a moment...and vanished in the blink of an eye, returning to its proper time.
Erasa watched the machine vanish, her face wistful.
"Do you wish you could have gone?" asked Piccolo. "You know the young one is safe with us."
"It's never an issue of safety," said Erasa, picking up her daughter, who continued to stare off into the space the Time Machine had vanished into. "If one of us can stay with her, I feel we should. I do love martial arts, but Pen needs some time with family too."
Piccolo smiled. It wasn't his Piccolo persona that found this touching - no, that Nameccian had no proper concept of family, and neither did the former God, though he knew how strong human bonds were.
No, it was Nail smiling though, remembering the dedication and love of Nameccian family units.
"Perhaps you're right," he said.
Kaiōshin Realm, Seventh Universe
Shin sighed heavily as he returned to his own domain. The Teleportation ability of his kind made this sort of travel tireless, but it wasn't the trip that had sapped him of strength. It was the encounter with Zamasu and Gowasu. The Kaiōshin, as he mulled over these thoughts, did not entirely notice Whis, who still stood on their planet.
"Oh, Whis!" Shin gasped, surprised. "I had expected you to return to Lord Beerus' world!"
"Oh no," said Whis cheerfully. "When Lord Beerus returns, it will likely be right to this spot. I figured I'd make it easier on him."
Kibito blanched. They had, most inconsiderately, left a being of such high station alone on their world. The height of their rudeness was comparable to their mortal friends. The attendant glances, horrified, at his master.
"Kibito, can you fetch us refreshment? If Whis shall remain here, we'll...what is the mortal phrase... put him up?"
"Y-Yes, Lord!"
A table had been conjured, and Kibito had quickly and efficiently prepared an assortment of tea and cakes for the small gathering. Shin explained everything he'd seen to Whis, leaving out no details.
"Hm," Whis placed a finger to his chin. "That Zamasu character is very interesting indeed. I do not believe, based your report, that this Zamasu is our culprit."
Shin shook his head. "I thought the same. That Zamasu may indeed not be a suspect. This only raises further questions, rather than answers." If Zamasu was not responsible, who could it be? Shin would tale his next five million years that Gowasu was innocent. Was it a Kaiōshin from another Universe? Beerus had pointed them to the Tenth, but could he simply be wrong?
Hey! Whis! Kaiōshin!
Shin blinked, and shuddered. That had been Beerus' voice. The creator deity was horrified; he'd just been thinking casually about the destruction god and suddenly his voice had sounded. That was impossible!
"Go ahead, Lord Beerus," said Whis casually. "I'll bring you into clearer focus." A wave of jks staff, and the image of Beerus was projected before them all. Hazy, flickering, and semisolid.
I almost didn't think this would work! Whis, have the Earthlings left Earth yet?!
Whis peered into his staff, and affirmed the positive. "Yes, my Lord, quite recently. They have returned to the future."
Beerus growled in frustration, the sound it filling the planet. Kibito, hesitating, asked a question. "How is Lord Beerus projecting himself like this?"
"He is in the Time Abyss," Whis said. "Technically, as that dimension is the source of time's very flow, anyone who is there is both everywhere and nowhere. The past, future, and present simultaneously. A god such as Lord Beerus can use that for communication."
The Hakaishin seemed incredibly irritated, and a vein throbbed in his forehead.
He has quite a bit to answer for, that time traveling brat.
"Trunks does?" asked Shin "What do you mean?"
My inspection in the Time Abyss proved it. The projection of Beerus said. His entire existence is an anomaly.
His first instance of time travel disrupted the original flow of time;
It could even be said that this entire Gokū Black situation is his fault.
It didn't take any further explanation for Shin to understand precisely what was going on. While he scarcely dabbled in the use of the Time Rings himself, he knew that time travel creates ripples. Likely, while his subsequent trips here have done little, as Trunks' time machine is locked to this timeline's coordinates, the very moment he traveled here the first time opened proverbial floodgates. Shin nodded slowly. He didn't want to irritate Beerus further, but he couldn't deny the Hakaishin was correct. "I don't think we've had an instance of time travel quite as damaging as his."
I desperately want to destroy him. But I gave my word to let it slide, and a god is only as good as his words. Besides, she seems to have permitted it herself.
"She?" inquired Kibito.
"The Kaiōshin of Time," answered Shin. "She is among the oldest of our species, and she governs the ebb and flow of time, in the same way we govern creation."
Whis smiled. "Indeed. She could in fact be stated to outrank the typical Kaiōshin Even Hakaishin are subject to the Kaiōshin of Time, as we pull our candidates original ally from the mortal realm."
The projection of Beerus reluctantly nodded along. So we will let it slide...but if I see a hint of that Time Machine after this, I will not hesitate to destroy that planet.
Beerus' tone was cold as ice. It was clear that, regardless of any deals, of another deity's stance on the matter, the Hakaishin loathed feeling complicit in this.
Earth, Western Capital, The Future
The Time Machine broke through the space-time warp and into Trunks' altogether familiar hellscape. Its clawed appendages touched down onto the concrete, and the cockpit opened with a hiss!. The four of them clambered out, touching down onto the demolished city. Trunks' face was grim.
He'd seen it all before, so of course there were no surprises for him here.
Bulma was shaken. This was a version of home for her, and it was nearly annihilated. Buildings lay in crumpled piles, smoke wafted from fires that refused to die, likely burning on chemicals originally meant for progressing the world forward. She blinked away the shock.
"I know," muttered Gohan tersely. His jaw clenched. Seeing the destruction wrought upon place so close to what he recognised- and knowing it was by a man who wore the face of his father - hurt more than any wound. He placed a hand on Bulma's shoulder, and forced himself to smile. "We can start making this better by finding the survivors."
Bulma nodded, and turned to Qirka. "Your scanners may work better than ki sensing here...are you locking onto any traces of humans?"
"Yes," said Qirka. "They're coming our way."
This procedure a confusing statement, though everything became clearer when Gohan looked towards the direction Qirka was pointing. He saw a group of tattered, but heavily uniformed, individuals, carrying different manner of heavy artillery, rushing in their direction. He didn't need to see the KG emblazoned on their attire to know who these people were.
The royal military.
In their timeline, the organisation had been fully dissolved when the King of Nations abdicated everything to Capsule Towers. Those who remained served Bulma and her family - even though Bulma had argued against employing an army to start with - and were essentially a glorified security force. Though Gohan had heard rumours of a splinter faction intention reinstating the former Monarch, they'd more or less not registered to any of his group as a problem.
"We have a problem," said Bulma. "They're heavily armed."
"They have to be," said Trunks. "We're working on firearms that can combat people of our level, but at the moment, high end artillery is their best choice if I'm occupied elsewhere and Black arrives."
The military practically stampeded, as one, towards them all. Trunks placed himself in front of the group, from and centre where the army would see him first. A man with an impressive mustache stopped, standing at attention.
"Commander Trunks, sir!"
"Hage," Trunks nodded. "I'm sorry for leaving so abruptly, but it was part of mother's plan. I brought reinforcements!" He left out the necessary details, including who they were, and where they came from. They wouldn't have believed it anyway.
"Reinfor—" Hage peered over Trunks' shoulder, his hand gripping his rifle on sight of Gohan. "You there! Why are you dressed like that?"
Gohan pointed at himself, dazed. Then he understood. His clothing, though it differed in colour, was identical to Black's outfit. "I...uh..." How would he explain away the clothes, and, if this group were eagle-eyed, the physical resemblance he had with the man who terrorised their city?
"Its coincidental fashion," interjected Trunks quickly. "This man is on our side. He's my Master, Son Gohan."
Hage hesitated, relaxing his grip on the firearm with caution. "I trust you, Commander Trunks. Who are these people?" He cast an aside at the youngest with them - a girl who resembled Trunks immensely. He could have sworn it was Bulma, but reports of her death against the Black menace had already been confirmed.
"Can you take us to the compound?" inquired the Saiyan-half commander. "We have supplies for the survivors."
At this, Hage snapped to attention immediately. "Yes, sir!"
"Quick thinking," muttered Gohan in Trunks' ear as they began to follow the military unit.
Trunks chuckled. "It isn't wholly untrue, after all."
The group followed the Royal Military through the ruins of the Western Capital, Hage filling Trunks in on then situation as they walked. According to the soldier, after Trunka' sudden departure, it had been relatively quiet. Attacks from Black had all but stopped, allowing the soldiers to lead the Western Capital survivors into the hidden compound. It was cramped, but they'd manage to get everyone in.
"...and then the refugees arrived," said Hage, sounding well and truly exhausted. With Black's constant assaults on the Western Capital, they hadn't truly known how the other Cardinal Capitals had been fairing. There had been early new reports, however, after Black arrived and launched his initial assault, everything had gone dark. "Survivors from North, East, and Southern Capitals all began to flood into our city. We couldn't just...turn them away."
So the compound had been expanded to accommodate the influx, but space was the only thing they could make more of. Food and water were becoming far more scarce, and the method of producing meat without sending out a hunting party had been lost with Bulma.
Trunks expression was stony. He knew Black had been making rounds - in fact, he'd tried to rend him off several cities and towns before - but it had never ended well. To make matters more sinister, Black seemed to reserve a special amount of time for the Western Capital. Trunks had long since given up trying to figure out why.
Hage turned the group into an alleyway, and opened the door to what was originally for a waste management facility. He motioned everyone in single file. Gohan had expected q rancid smell, but to his surprise, his sharp senses only picked up exhaustion and fatigue, coupled with hundreds of very faint ki signatures.
This was the compound.
"I am detecting a multitude of life readings," said Qirka, gesturing inwards through the tunnel they found themselves. "The compound is this way."
Trunks nodded. "Let's go. Hage, when we arrive, Mother will hand you the capsules. And you can distribute the resources. Favour no one, and distribute equally."
Hage's voice reflected his confusion when Trunks mentioned his mother, but the soldier saluted regardless, glancing again at Bulma. The woman grinned. "The less curious you are, the easier everything will be to understand, Hage." She pulled a case out of her pocket, and tossed it to the soldier. In the darkness, it was difficult to see, yet the man managed to grab it before it clattered to the ground. Walking deeper into the tunnel, the group reached the compound; an underground area which had been entirely hallowed out and expanded - largely with the efforts of Trunks' incredible abilities.
Within this compound, Gohan, who had never seen a refugee camp outside of history books. He saw scattered groups of people, each surviving in barely adequate shelters. Many seemed as if they'd not had a descent meal for days, nor had they managed to properly wash off any of the dirt or grime. Weakness and frailty prevailed throughout the encampment, so that it was a surprise Gohan or Qirka had been able to detect any trace of these people. Subconsciously, Gohan clenched his hand, intending to grasp Erasa's - the sort of thing he'd have done if she were here - but found only air. Breathing steadily, the Saiyan-half remembered he was alone here.
Hage got to work immediately, commanding his soldiers to great effect. With the materials within the Capsules, Bulma had prepared more than enough emergency rations to feed a group of this size several times over, meaning that, at least for the moment, their nutritional needs would be met. Organising lines of people, Hage priorities children, the sick, and the elderly before the healthy, yet ensured everyone was both fed and watered by the end of the procession.
Bulma joined Hage in the next step- she pulled a Capsule out of the case, and popped it open. It contained a wash closet from their timeline. In an orderly fashion, those who had seen the longest amount of time from a bath or other forms of washing were given first use, and so on.
Gohan exhaled slowly.
"It's not an easy sight, is it?" asked Trunks, coming over to stand at his teacher's side. "Even when you see it every day, it never gets easier. You and mother...thank you, so much. I just hate that once again, I couldn't do anything myself."
"We've helped you before," replied Gohan, smiling gently at Trunks. "And it is hardly like you came to the past and pointed me at Black. You trained hard with us in the Room of Spirit and Time. Now we're going to see what you can do."
"You're right," said Trunks. "I—"
"Trunks! You're back!"
A woman's voice shattered the student-teacher conversation. Gohan and Trunks searched for the sound, though they didn't have to for long. A jacketed figure threw herself into a surprised Trunks' arms. Staring into his eyes with eyes full of relief and happiness was Mai.
"M-Mai! I'm glad you're here with everyone!" The lavender-haired man had departed then future so abruptly - the two most important women in his life had practically forced him into the past - so he hadn't even been able to verify that she hadn't perished shortly after his mother. "How did you escape?!"
"Barely," said Mai. "Your mother had created an underground passageway when the Androids were causing chaos. I climbed through the entrance and keep crawling. Capsule Corporation is...entirely destroyed." Mai hung her head.
"Buildings can be rebuilt," Trunks embraced the woman. "Lost lives can't be restored. Not here. I'm so glad you're safe."
"T-Trunks..." Mai protested slightly, and Trunks pulled away. Both were beet red in the face.
Gohan found himself smiling knowingly. "I see you found someone too, Trunks."
"I—"
"—wait we—"
"—no one said anything—"
Trunks and Mai protested profusely, waving their hands defensively in front of themselves, but they crumbled under Gohan's persistent smile. "You didn't have to say anything, even I can see it." The Saiyan-half felt something welling up inside him. It was one thing for Trunks to save the world in the wake of his mother's death with nothing but duty to follow after. With this young woman, he had something else to fight for beyond just the safety of the planet. That could mean everything. "After we've helped everyone here, I don't want to waste time. We're going to stop Black."
Western Capital Outskirts
It was peaceful, away from the city. Even destroyed, reduced to bare rubble, a human settlement reeked of the stink of humanity. Here, in his own domain, surrounded by the expanse of forest, with a lake to the back of his dwelling - a log cabin constructed himself - the man who wore the face of Son Gokū was able to find peace. Standing on his balcony, he gazed off into the distance, where the sky turned dark, thick with smog and other pollutants.
There was a pounding in his chest. Blood thundered in his ears, the Saiyan trembling with excitement.
"The flesh and blood that once belonged to that man is beating so fiercely," said Black. His onyx-hued eyes gazed intently towards the Western Capital. It should have been the surge in ki, multiple new signatures arriving, which tipped him off. It wasn't, however, that. His body told him of the new arrivals. It recognised them, and called him to them. "Are you happy? Or perhaps sad?" The face of Son Gokū twisted into a malevolent grin, eager to bear witness to the coming carnage. "To see the man you used to be, come here to be destroyed by the man you have become."
A/N: Hello, everyone! This has been...one hell of a month, let me be honest with you. If any of this chapter feels scattered, please forgive me. My grandmother passed this month, and I'll be honest, I didn't feel like a whole lot of writing. At the same time, with three active fanfics, I did want to try and work on something. Sadly, I also saw Super Hero in cinemas, and anyone who follows this story's twitter account knows my opinion of the film. I will get it out of the way now, so no one needs to ask: You will not see Potential Released Piccolo or Orange Piccolo in this fanfic. He already has his own unique God form, and unlike in that film, he trained for this one. You will not see Son Gohan Beast in this fanfic. I loathe that form with every fiber of my being, and Gohan here already has his god forms. You will not see Hedo, Meganeta, Carmine, Gammas Ichigō, Nigō or Cell Max in this fanfic. All that film managed to be a was, ironically, a quicker, cliffnotes-version, and honestly poorer quality version of this very fanfic itself. To anyone who likes that movie, please don't expect to even see me reference it in this fanfic. Now, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I really am sorry for the delay, but I cannot wait to get to this next chapter. I'll see you all soon in the next exciting chapter of the Erased Chronicles!