Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ/GT

Chapter 9
Trunks walked around aimlessly on the fighting platform with his eyes closed, getting a feel for how the artificial gravity field worked. It was set to fifty times normal gravity, but Trunks barely noticed. The field was uneven, however, with some spots being stronger than others. It's kinda like the currents in a swimming pool. He consciously tried to map out the effects in his mind. He was sure his dad used his spar with Pan the previous day to do the same.

Vegeta was waiting impatiently on the sidelines, muttering about how long Trunks was taking. Trunks opened one of his eyes. "Why don't you do something useful, like finding us a referee?" Trunks asked dryly.

The Saiyan Prince glared at him. "Like who?"

Trunks mock sighed. "I don't know, maybe 18 or Marron? Or possibly Goten? Or would you prefer Mr. Satan?" He asked sarcastically.

"Fine! I'll go find 18! You'd better be ready by time I get back." Vegeta stormed off after that.

Bulma chuckled when Vegeta was out of hearing range. "Why'd you bait him like that, Trunks?"

"Because I'm almost ready right now."

"And...?"

"And I don't want him to see this." Trunks powered up and flew through the twisting gravity field, trying to flow through the patterns he visualized earlier. He ran into a few pockets of dead air, and a few strains of hyper-gravity that he hadn't expected, but his approach was working No wonder Dad was pacing Pan move for move yesterday. He was taking advantage of the uneven gravity.

"End gravity simulation" Trunks ordered the voice console. The gravity shut off.

"Wow, Trunks, that was amazing!"

"Thanks." Trunks tapped the platform thoughtfully with his toe. "How high did you test the gravity?" Trunks asked absently.

Bulma frowned. "I designed it to reach 5000x, but I think the highest it's been used so far was two-hundred and fifty."

Hmm...I guess dad could have pushed it higher when she wasn't around, but he has the indoor one already. Trunks had a good idea what it was going to take to beat his Dad, but there were no guarantees that it would work. My dad probably has five times the experience I do...I'm sure I'm as good as he is mentally, but he's knows so much more and he trains regularly. The best I can hope for is eighty percent of his ability at a given power level.

That was a wide margin. Too wide when dealing with Vegeta.

Either I can do this, or I can't. If I can't, then he and Bra were right. No shame in that. Even Goku had his bad days.

Vegeta returned with 18 in tow. The news must have spread that they were going to spar though, because Goten, Krillin, Marron and most of the people who stayed over after the party were making their way to the fighting platform.

Trunks was feeling whimsical, so he bowed formally to 18. "You honor us with your presence," He said with mock formality.

"Likewise, I'm sure." She said, frowning at Vegeta. "What are we doing?"

"I've challenged him to a fight," Trunks explained to 18, pointing to Vegeta. "We'd like you to play referee. I suggest that Super Saiyan 4 is off limits, deliberately targeting the gravity platform or the Earth itself is also a no-no and involving the crowd is of course not legal. What do you think, Father?"

Vegeta shrugged. "Are you sure you don't want to make any other rules?" He asked as he cracked his knuckles suggestively.

"Nope, that's all I can think of."

18 sized both of them up with her icy blue eyes. "What are you idiots doing?" She whispered.

Trunks leaned in confidentially. "Father and I have a difference of opinion on something important. Strangely enough, this is the most logical way to settle the argument."

18 eyed him suspiciously. "I'm not doing this if it's a simple matter of ego."

Trunks smiled innocently. "Would we need a referee, in that case?"

18's lips quirked in a smile. "I suppose not. What determines the winner?"

"Last one standing, surrender or foul."

Vegeta choked for a moment. "Are you serious!"

Trunks stared directly into his Father's dark eyes. "Weren't you, earlier?"

Vegeta's face hardened into a mask. "If this is what it takes to keep you from killing yourself, then so be it."

Trunks was rocked to his core. He's doing this to protect me... Trunks was suddenly sick to his stomach. Two pressures collided in him. The first was the desire to help the people of the alternate dimension, and the second was the desperate wish not to hurt his dad. It figures that he choose now to be a real father to me.

"Don't mind Vegeta. This is the only way he can express himself anyway. Do your best!"

Trunks kept his face smooth, but was startled by Goku's mental communication. I guess he wouldn't want to miss a fight this big. He had a mental image of the little Saiyan with a bucket of popcorn watching the upcoming fight with glee.

"Yep. I'm watching! This is going to be a real fight!"

Trunks sighed. "I'm sorry, Father. I know you think you're doing the right thing, but if it takes this to prove to you that I can take care of myself, then I have no choice."

18 nodded. "The terms are agreed upon. A foul, surrender by either of you, or incapacity will determine the winner. Take your places."

The small audience that had gathered wasn't quite sure what to expect, and the mood was eerie. Trunks heard Krillin say to Marron that he had "had a bad feeling about this." For his own part, Trunks' stomach was knotted in cold fear of what was coming. If I stick to the plan, there's a good chance I'll win. Trunks just hoped that his Dad would concede, and that he himself wouldn't be forced into a position of surrender.

Trunks and Vegeta hopped up onto the platform. "Warm-ups?" Trunks politely asked his Father.

"I'll pass." For the first time Trunks had ever witnessed, Vegeta looked decidedly unhappy to be fighting.

"Ok, no warm-ups. How much gravity?" The Saiyan prince glanced at him suspiciously. It all hangs on this, Trunks thought to himself. Will he figure me out, or will he walk into my trap?

"I can take as much as you can!" Vegeta boosted.

Got you! Trunks thought triumphantly. His victory was by no means assured, but he had a better chance by using the gravity platform to his advantage. "Then lets start at five hundred...and if either of us want to, we can order it higher. Ordering a shut-off would be the same as surrendering, agreed?"

Vegeta looked stymied for a moment. I'm sure he knows I'm up to something, but hopefully he won't catch on until it's too late. Trunks worked hard to looked nonchalant. After a tense moment, his Father gave in.

"Unusual, but I don't see why not. Are you ready to start, or not!"

"I think that about covers it. 18, are you ready?"

18 nodded sharply. She looked over at Bulma, who was obviously agitated by the situation. "Will you set it up the way they want it?"

Bulma flinched, seeming to come out of her thoughts with a jolt. "Yeah, I can do it." She said without enthusiasm. She sat down at the console, and started typing. After a moment she looked up. "It's set so that either of you can order the computer to set the gravity higher. It will start at five hundred when 18 calls the start. It will shut off if either of you are knocked down for more than five seconds." Her expression dared either of them to object.

Trunks smiled at his mom reassuringly, trying to convey that things would be all right. He wished he could believe that himself.

"Ready...BEGIN!"

Trunks was waiting until the last second, but as he heard 18 begin to call the start, he quickly powered up to Super Saiyan 2. A golden aura flared around his body and his hair was suddenly sticking straight up with the excess energy his body was giving off. Vegeta looked surprised by his son's move, but quickly followed suit.

As both of them were powering up, the artificial gravity field come online, and Trunks felt his power greatly reduced by the awesome force pulling him down. Alright. I'm about as strong as a normal Super Saiyan right now. If I can force the gravity higher, my Dad will be forced higher, and he'll tire out. I never got to test how draining Super Saiyan 3 is for me, but Goku could only hold it for about twenty minutes, and that was our limit, too, when Goten and I fused.

Trunks was sure that he could hold it with less effort than his dad. Everything about the transformations seemed to be harder for Vegeta than anyone else, and Trunks was going to have to take advantage of that if he wanted to win today.

Vegeta flew at him with amazing speed to start, but Trunks was waiting for it, and darted away up in the air. Power for power, I'm no match for him. I've got to wear him down. Trunks thought about the wild way that Goten used to fight, taking huge chances on unorthodox techniques. That might work, to start with.

Vegeta was already in mid-turn, bracing to fire a ki blast at him, but Trunks flew straight at him, catching him completely off guard. There was a collective gasp from the crowd as Trunks attacked with both fists and Vegeta blocked with crossed arms, and a shockwave rippled out from the impact.

Trunks tapped the platform lightly as he danced away from Vegeta, but the Saiyan prince went on the offensive, gaining on him every step. He's every bit as sharp as I thought. I won't get away with a straight offense again. It still felt like they were warming up, though, so he decided to gamble. He stopped abruptly and began trading blows with his dad. As fast as he was currently, Vegeta blocked his blows easily, and Trunks knew that he was in big trouble. Stick to the plan, stick to the plan...

Vegeta jumped back and sneered. "I said no warm-ups!"

Trunks grinned. "Ok, lets up the odds a bit then. Seven-hundred and fifty!"

As the gravity adjusted, Vegeta and Trunks struggled against an enormous weight- their bodies. Both of them weighted approximately seventy tons within the Gravity field. Although Vegeta was shorter than Trunks, he was bulkier and more muscular. Trunks make a quick mental calculation, and realized that they were only at about eight times normal gravity for their normal forms. It's not enough! Dad was born on a Planet with more gravity than this! How is mom's invention going to give enough to give me an advantage!

Vegeta made a sound of displeasure. "If you're going to do something, do it right! Two-thousand!"

Trunks felt it a bit more this time, but surprisingly he was still able to handle it. He mentally calculated that they were only at twenty times normal gravity for their normal forms. Both of them had routinely trained to three hundred times normal without using their Super Saiyan powers when Trunks was younger. I'll have to max it out, and use my Super Saiyan 3.

"Why don't we just take the gloves off?" Trunks asked slyly. "Five thousand!"

"NO!" Bulma screamed. "We've never gone that high with any of the gravity units!" Her husband and son ignored her outburst.

Goten and Bra shared a look. They both scrambled up as fast as they could. "Everyone, get back! You too, 18!" Goten shouted.

Vegeta looked his son over as the hyper-gravity bubble intensified. He smiled a deadly smile. "So, feeling it, yet?"

"Not really," Trunks said slowly, smirking at him. "Remember this, Father?" He asked as he jumped high into the air several times.

Vegeta frowned at the memory of his son becoming a Super Saiyan at age seven. "So, are you ready to stop playing around?" He snapped back irritably.

"So nice of you to ask," Trunks watched his Father closely, in case of a surprise attack, as he tapped deeper into his power. "Aaahhhh!" Trunks screamed as his body twisted and his hair lengthened. After a moment, the transformation was complete. Trunks paused to feel the drain caused by his higher level. The stamina drain is minimal, He thought with relief. He began to feel a bit more optimistic about his chances of winning.

Vegeta laughed coldly. "Is that all you're capable of?" Vegeta also powered up, and the Earth started shaking, even though both of them were within the gravity field. Vegeta's hair also lengthened, and his muscles bulged absurdly.

Trunks absently noted that Goten and Bra had evacuated the area around the platform. Good thinking. He felt Vegeta's power soar above his own, but paradoxically, Trunks knew that his Father was digging his own grave. This couldn't be more perfect. Dad's going to push himself to his limits, and if I can survive even five minutes, he'll be exhausted. Hopefully I can get him to surrender without hurting him too badly...but if not, I guess there's always Coran.

The strange cat Coran cultivated Senzu beans, miraculous items that healed even a mortally injured person within seconds. Coran was also a skilled fighter and had been Goku's mentor, once. The only thing Senzu beans couldn't heal was sickness.

Trunks shook off his musing as his father finished powering up. I can do this! Trunks shouted mentally as he also raised his power to it's maximum. He fell just short of Vegeta's power. This will have to do. Vegeta smirked at him and invited him to attack first. Well, here goes nothing!

Two minutes into the battle, Trunks was losing badly.

The young Demi-Saiyan wasn't used to fighting at the kinds of speeds they were moving at, and his balance was off. Vegeta was taking full advantage, and had dealt several serious blows to Trunks as a result. On the other hand, Trunks had been prepared to take a lot of hits early on, and had moved with most of the attacks so that the force was greatly reduced. One of Vegeta's wicked punches had caught him squarely in the side, however, and the force had almost broken the ribs under his right arm.

Trunks had gotten a few good hits in during the exchanges, making sure to take advantage when his father committed himself to an attack. Unfortunately, he was only getting a clear hit about once every three attacks, and he knew he couldn't take much more. He noticed something odd, though. Vegeta seemed surprised that Trunks was connecting with his counter attacks. It's almost like he thinks I shouldn't be fast enough...

Trunks tried to center himself, but Vegeta seemed to be everywhere, and Trunks couldn't keep up with the other Saiyan's movements. Tactics 101. Push your opponent off balance and don't let him recover. Trunks thought he had an answer, however.

Trunks picked three random positions, and finally a random place on the gravity platform. He moved so fast through the first three points that he left an after-image there. I hope he doesn't see right through this...

When he reached the final spot, he looked up, trying to figure out what Vegeta was doing. Luck was with him as Vegeta reflexively threw a ki blast behind him. Thank you, Goten. Goten's unpredictable tactics from when they both were younger were fouling Vegeta's usually perfect strategies up.

The usual use of greater speed or the after-image technique was to sneak up behind someone, and Vegeta had reacted accordingly. The other usual place to go was up, because you never wanted to be lower than your opponent. Vegeta was busy searching the skies, while Trunks was taking a needed moment to get his mental balance.

Trunks knew that he had mere seconds before his Father would figure out where he was. He's not as off as I am, but something is definitely wrong with him. Trunks couldn't figure out why Vegeta was leaving himself open to all of the attacks he'd launched so far. He only toys with his opponents when he's got at least a thirty percent power advantage. What's making him so sloppy? He dismissed out of hand that Vegeta was letting him do it. Not only does that go entirely against what I know about him, he...

Trunks suddenly knew what was going on, and he moved with that knowledge. The primal, savage part of himself that had awakened earlier during his first transformation pounced with lethal intent at the Saiyan Prince.

Trunks knew he made a mistake as soon as his fist flew through the ghost image. Figures that he'd counter with the same technique. Ok, up, or down?

"Big Bang Attack!"

A massive blue energy ball flew toward him from above. Trunks shuddered at the thought of how much extra force it was going to have with the gravity enhancing it. Goku said once that a ki attack wasn't entirely about the force, that it had two components: the energy you're attacking with and the energy that gets it there. Trunks drifted downward toward the platform, throwing a minor ki blast of his own. The blast slowed Vegeta's finishing move enough that he could put his hands up to catch it. Goku showed me how to do this...let's hope it works.

Trunks used his ki to neutralize the ball. It started huge, but shrank and then disappeared just as his feet touched the platform. Whew! He almost got me that time. Time to give him something to think about. Trunks powered up and pointed two fingers at his astonished father.

"Triple shot!"

Three blasts were fired from Trunks' fingers. He moved to a new position in the air as his father nimbly dodged the three small but deadly balls.

Trunks watched his father carefully, trying to anticipate his dodge pattern. Hmm...I think...THERE! He made a triangle with his hands, and powered up again.

"Tri-beam…HA!"

The triangular red blast was racing toward dead air until Vegeta stopped right in its' path. He reflexively glanced toward Trunks' declaration of attack. His eyes widened, and he automatically countered with a sustained blast from his right arm.

The resulting collision between the two energy attacks made a shocking detonation. Trunks debated for a split second whether to continue to press the attack or break it off. He's stronger, but these big attacks of his must be tiring him out. I can keep this up all day, if I have to. He decided not to back off, just as Vegeta was stabilizing his own attack and pushing harder.

"You can't win!" Vegeta shouted as he threw even more power behind the attack.

"NO! You can't hold me back anymore!" Trunks shouted back as he pushed back just as hard.

The two blasts moved back and forth in the air as the two combatants sought to overpower each other. Trunks carefully noted how close he was to his maximum. He planned to break off at ninety percent.

Vegeta seemed fathom Trunks' plan, and suddenly threw everything he had at his son.

"FINAL FLASH!"

The young Saiyan watched in dread as his blast was forced backward and then simply overwhelmed by the awesome attack. Nowhere to go! No Time! Trunks wasted a moment frantically wracking his brain for an answer. This won't kill me, but I WILL lose if that hits me!

Just as the attack was about to explode in his face, the answer hit him, and he simply relaxed.

He fell like a lead weight.

The horrid attack flew past him, mere inches above his head, flying out of the gravity field and presumably into space, just as it had during the battle with Cell so many years ago. Trunks hit the platform so hard that the ground shook around it. Unbelievably, the surface held.

Three minutes, Trunks thought despairingly. Only three minutes, and he almost had me. He dragged himself to his feet, fully expecting to lose at that moment.

A sound intruded on Trunks' awareness.

He'd been aware of the constant buzz that the gravity platform emitted, but he started to hear exhausted breathing.

It was Vegeta.

YES! He must be tapped out! Trunks thought, elated. He still had a good amount of stamina. This battle is MINE!

"Hah hah hah..." Trunks shuddered in dread as Vegeta's familiar laughter echoed in the empty courtyard. "You're really something...a chip off the old block, so to speak." Vegeta took a deep breath. "But you didn't think that you'd get the best of me, did you?"

Trunks relaxed. This is the final play. Either he's bluffing, or I'm in big trouble. "Not this soon," he admitted.

Vegeta's eyes widened. "What do you mean, 'This soon?'" He demanded harshly.

Trunks started laughing. How he ever laughed that hard under so much gravity, he wasn't sure. He was sure of one thing, though.

This battle was his.

"Ten thousand times normal gravity!" Trunks shouted.

"NO!" Vegeta and Bulma screamed in unison.

The platform shuddered as the gravity field, already close to warping spacetime, doubled in intensity.

Vegeta fell like a stone, and the platform shattered from the impact. Trunks figured that his dad weighted virtually one million tons in the hyper-gravity bubble. The field shattered as the coils within the platform were destroyed. Not quite what I had in mind, but I'll take it. Trunks thought wryly as he flew over to his dad. He was greatly relieved when Vegeta hauled himself out of the wreckage, looking mostly unhurt, but he was no longer a Super Saiyan 3.

"You little Bastard!" The Saiyan Prince roared at his son.

"What?" Trunks asked, wearing false innocence like a regal cape.

"VEGETA!" Bulma screamed in fear. She threw herself at her husband. "Don't EVER do that again!" She turned a lethal glare on her son. "What do you think you were doing!"

18 casually walked up behind her. "I agree. Care to explain before I disqualify you?"

Trunks smiled. "You mean the thing about destroying the platform?" 18 nodded and Bulma's glare darkened even more, if that was even possible. "Dad and I are even about that. He would have destroyed the platform if I hadn't overcome his Big Bang." He smiled smugly at his father. Now that his mom was here, he wasn't afraid of Vegeta taking a cheap shot at him. He let his Super Saiyan power fade.

18 looked at him as if he were insane. "You Saiyans are unbelievable." She shook her head. "From my perspective, it was a draw. Let's leave it at that."

"Thank you, 18." Trunks sighed in relief. One battle down, and about a million to go.