The Long Road

by Drakthul

AU: Abducted at the age of three and a half, taken through thirteen years of bloodshed and strife, Gohan finds his way back to Earth... to finish a backlogged contract. On Earth, he will either overcome what he is, or be destroyed by it. Rated M.

25. Chapter 25: Past and Future

Disclaimer, in case it wasn't obvious. I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or really any other property. Thank you.

Author's Note:

I apologize for the length of this chapter. But hey, you get the entire battle in one update instead of three.

The Long Road

Chapter 25: Past and Future

Trunks:

It was all show. It was all flash. When Trunks looked at the man standing across from him in the ring, he felt his stomach wrench with disgust at who was standing there, showboating. It was the same arrogant nature he saw in his own time. It was the same threads of his character. The Saiyan he'd hated so much for killing countless innocent people, millions who were already terrified of the androids. The Saiyan who ruthlessly tortured and killed his mentor. The Saiyan who had nearly killed him.

Even now as they'd approached one another in the ring, all Trunks could think about was beating his opponent's skull into the stone floor. It was even worse when Trunks found out that Gohan had been just as much a butcher in this world until he arrived on the Earth. Billions of lives just snuffed out, or oppressed, by a monster working for another monster. His father had painted a good picture for exactly how selfish and beastly Gohan was, but even worse, his complete lack of honour. It was all familiar to him.

"Tell you what kid, if you beg for his life, I'll spare him."

The words echoed through Trunks' mind as he stood in front of his foe. There was nothing Gohan could do in that moment to intimidate him. All that power he was purported to have didn't mean a damn thing to Trunks, not anymore. The entire frame on his enemy seemed so unchanged from their encounter in his time.

Trunks wasn't standing in a ring with his adversary, at some tournament. He was standing in the ruins of West City, preparing to fight a desperate battle to save the lives of its people, including his mentor and friend Tien, and his mother Bulma. Only the cheers and calls of the crowd around them was enough to keep Trunks grounded enough to live in the moment, and not in his memories. Bracing himself, the battle hardened son of Prince Vegeta took his stance, his legs shifting apart and his arms locking into place, his left hanging to his left, the right raised to intercept any attack. It was the same stance Tien had taught him.

Opposite him, Gohan's stance slid down, getting lower to the ground, their eyes locked together seriously. The first, and biggest difference Trunks saw in that moment was the fact that Gohan was standing almost like Piccolo. The entire frame of his defence seemed almost unapproachable. It was like peering into the future for Trunks. Every attack he imagined himself making, had a perfect counter to it. With his mind racing at a thousand miles per second, all the Time Traveller could hope for was a break in the guard, a weakness of some kind showing through. Then he'd start the battle as he knew he must, with a decisive strike.

As the two stood there, examining best how to engage one another, it was Trunks' whose mind drifted. This was Goku's son. The great Goku, saviour of the Earth, created one of its worst villains.

"Hey, punk, you've been standing there like an idiot for at least two minutes," Gohan told him, relaxing his stance for a moment, a sinister smile creeping across his lips. "I thought Vegeta was an idiot who charged into battle. Clearly you don't take much after him. Too bad, I was hoping to have a practice round against you before I crushed him."

The words were like pouring a small drop of gasoline on a fire. Trunks' rage flared in that moment and he almost lunged forward.

"I hope Vegeta enjoys the show. I know I will."

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Five Years into the Future, Trunks' Timeline...

Life had never been easy for Trunks. From the turbulent relationship that had conceived him forward, the world had seemingly judged he needed to go through strife. Watching people being torn apart by androids, and killed for their sick amusement. The world around him was crippled and nearly without any kind of joy. Everyone lived in constant fear of the monsters coming out from behind any corner. Those who would have protected them, including his father, had died at the hands of the monsters.

Androids 17 and 18.

The only salvation he had from the outside world was his mother, and his mentor, Tien. It goes without saying his mother had suffered along with him, but had done all she could to try and give him any idea of a normal childhood. But that was something he could never have.

Tienshinhan was the only survivor of the warriors who had tried to stop the Androids. It was the man who had trained under Master Roshi, the Crane Master, and King Kai, who would be there to allow Trunks to inherit knowledge from the fallen. It was from Tien he heard about his father, even if it was often very unflattering. It wasn't hard to understand what his father had been. At one time, before his defeat on Earth, his father had been a Saiyan Warrior, set on destroying the Earth.

But in his dreams, and in his private moments, Trunks wished he was the strong Saiyan his father had been. Romantic fantasies of the Saiyans coming to Earth, to stop the Androids, floated through his mind. It was a the silly dreams of a child.

It was silly because as Trunks sat atop a building in Ginger Town, a wrecked old apartment block, he felt something. For the first time in his life, he sensed a strong fighting power, much stronger then Tiens, coming towards the city. It caused his heart to race, wandering who the power was. Today, he was supposed to meet Tien near here before they headed into the mountains to train, but this changed everything.

Excitement ran through Trunks' veins as he popped himself up from the side of the building, floating in the air. The racing of his heart only increased when he saw the purple aura trailing through the air. Who could it be? How was it possible someone could have been this strong and not been seen before? It didn't matter, all that mattered was they were finally going to get some help. Maybe whoever this was could save them from the Androids themselves.

With an excited noise escaping his throat, Trunks took off in the air, approaching the purple aura. Urging himself forward, a white aura burst around Trunks himself as he rocketed through the sky, the youth could barely contain himself, just in sensing someone other then Tien. Water vapour trails followed him with each bank he made through the air, trying to get closer to the figure. It was a moment of shock when he did.

The figure was armoured in the same way he'd seen his father in pictures, and bore spiky black hair. Everything seemed to almost scream in Trunks' mind at what it was. With one last burst of strength, Trunks finally caught up to the figure just as he stopped above the city which Trunks had been waiting patiently in.

Approaching from below, a smile stretching across his face, Trunks finally called out.

"Hey!"

Turning to look down at him, a red tinted glass on the left side of his face, there was an impassive face looking back down at him. It twisted into an annoyed scowl, before he opened his hand and pointed it down towards Trunks.

"Looks like this planet does have insects," the figure said, just loud enough for Trunks to hear. It was only at those words that Trunks felt the instinct to move, just enough.

A purple orb shot past him a second later, before crashing into Ginger Town below. Trunks' entire body felt the heat and almost burned from the massive explosion of energy below. It was only a second before the young man was blinded almost entirely. The force of the blast followed the heat, the shockwave so powerful it felt like his entire body was being crushed, before the force threw him away as if he were a leaf in the wind.

The last conscious memory he had, was when he landed in the forest miles away, his body breaking through the canopy, smashing through branches and trees, before finding himself slamming into the muddy earth below.

That was not the Saiyan Trunks had wanted to meet.

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Present Time: Gohan

If the purple haired scum in front of him could look any more hate filled, Gohan would be surprised. Even after lowering his guard, his foe was still waiting for him to make the first move. Well, he certainly was disciplined, Gohan would give him that. But part of any battle was psychology, everyone who trained him had taught how to fight had shown him that. Turles, Piccolo, and Goku all utilized it, and so did he. Thus far he'd not been able to drive Trunks into doing what he wanted. The truth was, he needed Trunks to make the first move if he wasn't going to brute force his way through his battle.

While just powering up as far as he could was an option, it still destroyed the pacing of any battle, especially one where he wanted Trunks to understand how hopeless his situation was. Of course, he would have to temper his battle somewhat. Piccolo, Goku, and his mother were in the crowd, and though he usually didn't care much for the opinions of others, their opinions did matter to him somewhat. Trunks would need to suffer more psychologically than physically.

But the question was, how to drive him over the edge?

It was then that Gohan was reminded of the fact that Trunks hated him because of something he did in the future. Killing the bald three eyed fool was apparently the great crime. It was easy to summarize that Trunks must have felt helpless during the encounter, especially given his radical reaction and attitude at their first meeting in this time. Crossing his arms, Gohan smirked. This was going to be like the good old days. Days where he saw Turles, or Lord Cooler toy with a weaker enemy. It'd been far too long since he could sink his teeth into a vulnerable opponent.

"So tell me kid, just how did I kill that friend of yours?" Gohan asked. "I've got to know if I was sloppy in your time. It'd be a real shame."

That got a reaction. The already angry Prince in front of him looked livid. Which meant it was time to continue.

"You know, in this time when I burned down a world, my tutor always taught me to kill my opponents in front of their friends and family to destroy moral. Did I kill him in front of you? And was he the only one? I hope I didn't pick off that blue haired witch that pushed you out. It'd be a tragedy if I killed Vegeta's woman in your time."

Everything about Gohan's stance screamed arrogance, and his words dripped with amusement and delight. Most of it was for show of course, as Gohan was hardly overly proud of the slaughter he performed. But when it came to battle, he was still proud of the real fights he'd participated in. How could he not be? He was still a Saiyan.

But now was hardly the time to continue to reflect, especially given it looked like he'd finally gotten through to Trunks. With his eyes flaring at him, Trunks disappeared in a blur of blinding speed. The world around them began to slow as Gohan traced Trunks movement through the air around them. It was more then just sight of course. Every splinter of a moment, he felt the essence of his opponent, which then let him see what was there. It was at the last moment that Gohan reapplied his defensive stance. Throwing his arm up, and locking it in place, he felt the shin of the young Prince's leg slam into it. Blurring out of his speed and back into the real world, the purple haired warrior appeared in front of him.

Angry, hate filled eyes stared into his, and all Gohan could do was smirk arrogant in response.

"That was fast," Gohan mocked. "Any faster and I may not have been able to manage a defence. I am impressed."

Then again, I'm impressed you can tie your own shoes, you spoiled brat.

Shifting his weight and shoving Trunks foot aside, Gohan spun around, throwing his left arm out in a vicious backhand. With the speed of light seemingly, his knuckles found their target, cracking into Trunks' cheek. Violently the impact sent the target back, his one foot on the ground sliding across the stone floor, leaving a trail of dust behind it. Staggering and trying to regain his balance as his other foot looked to find its place on the ground, Trunks winced in pain.

It was Gohan's turn to show his enemy what speed was. With a burst of speed, Gohan shot through the air around them, appearing behind Trunks and driving his elbow down at Trunks' shoulder. With a perfect impact, he drove his enemy to his knees in a single blow. A painful cry escaped the brat, before Gohan decided to up the scale of the battle, spinning about once more and this time throwing his leg out, catching Trunks in the back of the head. Quickly his less then worthy enemy went sliding forward across the stone, his body painfully leaving skid marks behind on the man-made battlefield.

"I thought you were at least going to give me a warm up," Gohan scoffed in disgust.

He'd not even been driven to transform. In fact, he wasn't even using his full power yet.

Trembling at first, Trunks slowly started to rise.

"You're not different at all," Trunks said, his voice calm.

The remark was hardly harmful, especially given the source. Crossing his arms in response, Gohan just smirked, wanting to dig further underneath Trunks' skin. The kid was making this too easy. Little did Gohan realize of course, was that it was literally too easy. Across the stone ring, power swept over it as dust and scraps of rock started to life into the air, and blasted about in a cyclone. Quickly, black eyes followed the debris for a moment, before the realization dawned on him. Trunks power was growing rapidly, and with little sign of transformation.

Turning his eyes towards the purple haired warrior, Gohan just saw energy flaring around him.

Well, isn't this a surprise?

Before Gohan could bring himself back to a proper defence, he felt his attacker moving on him. Raising his guard just in time for a sloppy block at best, Gohan staggered as he forearm deflected an incoming kick, from a Trunks who appeared before him in less then a blink of an eye. With a quick motion, but not a full recovery of his stance, Gohan lashed out with his right arm, throwing a punch towards his attacker. When Trunks disappeared in a blur, Gohan felt him appear behind him a second later, smashing him in the back of the head with a vicious kick. Flying forward, the black haired Saiyan bounced off the stone floor once before he flipped in the air. Skidding across the ground as he brought his feet and hand against it, Gohan breathed in furiously.

It was an insult. Of all the warriors on this planet to dare lay a hand on him, this one was the least deserving at this exact moment. The cocky brat thought he was going to beat him of all people? What right did he have to challenge him even? This was supposed to be some squash match! Closing his fists furiously as he stared back down his enemy.

"Do you think you stand a chance? No matter how strong you think you are, I'm much stronger," Gohan snapped. "I didn't even meet you until today, and I can tell you're nothing but a complete pain in my ass. You arrogant little shit!"

Across from him, Trunks just braced himself, standing there with anticipation. The look that Gohan saw was someone who was confident of victory, a confidence born only in the last few moments. It took Gohan only a few moments to realize why. Likely, despite everything Vegeta told him, this brat thought him the same as when he first arrived on the planet? That had to be it. Either that, or he was grossly overestimating his own abilities.

The rage Gohan felt turned into amusement. Over the last years, he'd felt so stronger that fighting didn't resolve his problems. It wasn't entirely true, but it'd been true enough. It had kept him out of trouble. Right now, Gohan wanted trouble. It didn't matter to him if beating this punk until he could barely breath had any consequences, because right now it'd feel good. It would remind him of a time where he didn't have to worry about his own problems. It reminded him of when he was doing what he was trained to do, and didn't feel bad for doing it.

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Seven Years Ago, Planet Fern

Every moment was tense, because any mistake would be a final one. Fern had been a beautiful, lush world, and now it was burning. The reconstruction teams would arrive soon and prepare the planet for sale of course, but for now it was a warzone. Once beautiful forests burned, illuminating the normally blue sky with a terrible burning flame. For some reason, green planets were always the ones Gohan hated destroying the most, they felt oddly familiar. The time to reminiscence was limited however, as within seconds the Saiyan warrior, the second strongest being in the universe, was called to attention.

To his right, floating in the air with a set of cold red eyes, Lord Cooler, his only superior, stared down one of the last of this planet's foolish defenders. The scouter red his power level at a pitiful 13,000. This would be... quick, unless Lord Cooler thought it should be otherwise. The alien took on a Saiyanoid shape, but with bright blue skin, and was completely hairless. It's features weren't exactly the most attractive either, not that it mattered. Quite frankly, Gohan wished he could slaughter the creature and just get it over with.

"You five think you can just destroy this world! Well you've got another thing coming!"

The smirk that Gohan gave, was emulated by all the others almost immediately. The youngest of them, Gohan himself, looked towards the new master of this world, the one who would choose its fate. The look Cooler had in his eyes told him exactly what was about to happen.

"Well, I certainly am impressed by your power, simpleton. However I will admit, you aren't really worth the time of me bothering with you," Cooler said rather bluntly. "Salza? Gohan? Kill this insect wouldn't you?"

With a ferocious snarl, their enemy charged. In the blink of an eye, and a blur of blue and tan, Gohan and Salza had already intercepted their adversary. Gohan's knee had shattered his ribs and caused unimaginable damage to the abdomen. Salza's strike towards the neck had crushed the wind pipe, leaving the Saiyanoid to begin falling to the planet below, his body broken and damaged beyond repair, a terrible stream of gore beginning to leak from bruises which had seemingly burst from the impact.

Before Gohan and Salza could make another move, a purple beam punctured the fool, a single ray fired from Lord Cooler himself.

Only a fool challenged his betters.

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Present Time: Trunks

Energy swirled around Trunks as the fighter prepared himself to end the duel they'd started. Already things were looking in his favour, and he wasn't going to back down from his aggressive stance. This was it his chance to win, and Trunks intended to take it. Gohan was all talk, contrary to what his father had warned him of. So far Gohan hardly seemed to be among the most powerful on the planet, so far he just seemed to be ever the arrogant wind bag.

Trunks did more then just stand a chance, he was going to win.

Launching himself ahead, blue aura trailing behind him, the battle hardened fighter already knew his venue of attack. The first thing to do was aim for the joints, and wear down Gohan quickly so he couldn't fight back. Perhaps if he did enough damage now, the fight would be cut short enough he could conserve his energy for the next round. The monster in front of him didn't even deserve a chance to win the fight.

When Trunks found his leg caught in mid air by Gohan, who just stared back at him with ever colder eyes, the son of Vegeta felt something chill inside him. Power was rising, and rising rapidly. Suddenly the purple aura around Gohan intensified and his leg, still being held by Gohan's hand, felt like it was on fire. The pain in his leg distracted Trunks for a moment long enough to begin to feel exactly what Gohan had been hiding behind it all.

There was a brief moment of disbelief, before with a twist of his frame, Gohan pulled him in by his leg, and crashed his elbow into his face. It was impossible to stay afloat in the air, or to land gracefully. Instead, Trunks felt spit shoot from his own mouth before his body hit the ground like a wet towel. His own strength had felt so superior only seconds earlier, and now he was immediately back in the inferior.

Before he could fully collect himself, Gohan had already tossed him across the ring by the very leg he still held. Unable to control his flight, Trunks skid across the ring twice before finally coming to a stop. The ringing in his head from the elbow was still present when he started to pull himself together to stand up. When he looked up, he just saw the black haired beast walking towards him, purple energy licking off his form. The confident look on his face said it all.

He knew just how much more powerful he was. It was exactly like what happened in his own time, there were no differences anymore. It was like reliving the chilling moments in his own time, when this monster had killed Tien. Emotions flooded forward as he saw the swagger of his step, and Trunks felt himself humiliated. Even after all this time, and all his training, in his base form he was still weaker then this... this... thing.

"Surprised? You shouldn't be," Gohan remarked bluntly, stopping in front of him before crossing his arms. "I'd suggest pushing up your game kid, because there is no way you'll be able to fight me like this."

"Hey kid, don't worry, I'll let you keep the skull as a souvenir."

Closing his eyes in a pain not born from bodily injury, Trunks felt himself tremble a moment at the gruesome memories Gohan had left him with. Anger boiled to the surface as he turned his eyes upward, flashing blue a moment later. He wanted him to 'step up his game'? Fine, but he was going to pay for all the pain and suffering he'd caused others, in this time and his own.

It took only a moment for his hair to arch upward, and his aura to go from blue, to gold. Energy swirled around Trunks in a bright ball before the transformation reached completion, his hair spiking and turning gold. The sound of the Super Saiyan aura shrieked across the arena for a moment as Trunks stood there, his stance hardened and his eyes blazing with purpose.

Across from him, he saw no fear in Gohan's visage. That was the break for Trunks. In his own world, when he transformed for the first time, it'd been quickly shocking, then terrifying, for Gohan to view. The beast finally met his match, but right now he looked on as if nothing had changed. Vegeta had told him Gohan had become a Super Saiyan, but it was something he needed to see for himself. It seemed hard to believe.

The purple aura across from him, slowly began to shift in colour, as Gohan's eyes shifted from black, to blue-green. Black hair straightened further as a devilish smirk appeared across Gohan's face before his transformation was completed. Golden hair burst to life before him and his aura pulsed into a golden series of waves surrounding his form. Dust picked up off the ring again as the pulsing field of golden energy rippled around him. His own stance was calm, and in front of Trunks was something he often had nightmares of.

If this monster in front of him had achieved this in his own time, he'd have died horribly, or worse, been brought with him and warped into a wicked beast like himself. Across from him, Trunks just saw everything wrong with the monster he'd faced in his own time, only amplified. It was almost like looking at Cell, but everyone else didn't want see this beast for what he was. Cell only killed everyone on Earth in his own time, and killed hundreds of thousands in this time. Gohan, the nameless Saiyan from his own time, had killed billions, maybe hundreds of billions. But worse, he let those who died in front of him suffer for his own twisted pleasure.

A smirk crossed Gohan's face when they didn't clash, as if reading Trunks' thoughts.

"Don't think you can win? If you won't attack, then I guess it falls to me, doesn't it?" the two unfeeling eyes flashed brighter for a moment, and Trunks felt his body naturally boost its own adrenaline.

In a blink, Gohan disappeared in a blurred motion.

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Five Years Into the Future: Trunks

Slowly, Trunks' felt himself stir, his entire body protesting as he did. Everything seemed so calm, so quiet. The forest was silent, beyond the gentle rustling of the trees from the wind. Barely able to sit at first, he just felt himself hunch over. It took only a moment for him to realize what had just happened. All those people. All of those innocent people killed, and for what? In the stories Tien had told him over the years, the Saiyans cleansed planets of all life to sell them.

Eyes widened a moment later, as Trunks realized that was exactly what was going on.

It was only at that realization that the young prince felt a wave of force blast through the forest around him, the gentle rustle becoming a wave of chaotic noise all around him. Inside the wave itself, as Trunks raised his hands to guard himself from the twigs and rocks scattering through the air, the energy signature of two warriors was there. It was the first time other then when he trained with Tien that he'd felt anything like it. It wasn't a battle with Androids, but a battle between living, breathing warriors. It took him less then a second as he thought through the fog, to realize one was Tien. Which meant the other was... The Saiyan!

Finding his feet a second later, the teen pushed himself forward with all his power, energy swirling around him as he took off from the surface of the forest floor, trying to find the origin of the battle. It didn't take more then a few more seconds as he honed into it, only as another blast of force blew through the trees all around him, this time uprooting several old trees from their homes in the ground, sending them crashing down into the muddy floor.

When Trunks cleared the canopy, looking ahead into the sky, he saw two arcs of lightning trailing across the day lit sky. Each clash between the two resulting in a explosive boom across the heavens. Pride swelled in Trunks' heart when he felt just how strong his master and friend was. Tien was incredible right now, it was amazing to realize that anyone could achieve that much power. It was even more amazing when he realized that according to Tien, he was significantly weaker then a Super Saiyan, something he pushed for Trunks to become.

Focusing in his eyes as another boom exploded over the forested landscape, Trunks realized it was Tien who was following the other figure, desperate to keep up. The power centred from the Saiyan was even larger then Tien's? How was that possible? After all the training they did, after how strong Tien was, how could it be that he was being outdone by just some... random Saiyan? Even then however, the Saiyan's power wasn't that much greater then his masters. Tien was a master tactician, he'd be able to-

Having only watched the battle for perhaps 20 seconds, Trunks hadn't seen what had come before. Suddenly, there was an amused laugh, before one final boom blasted out. This time, it was the Saiyan striking Tien. The thundering clap of the sound burst past Trunks ears, just as Tien slammed into the muddy floor of the forest below them, his body sliding through the wed muck before stopping roughly up against a tree. Looking up, Trunks could see the black haired figure slowly descending, completely calm, his arms crossed. The devilish smile still across his lips and his eyes focused on the man who'd trained Trunks for years.

Surging his power forward, Trunks knew what he had to do. Blasting off from his place in the sky, focusing all his energy into one blow, Trunks through his arm out as he came at the Saiyan. Whoever it was, clearly was distracted with Tien. It was only at the last moment as white light glowing from his hand shined upon the warrior's face, did he look up to realize he was under assault. The blow landed on his cheek at full force, violently shifting his head before sending him rocketing into the distance. Trunks watched as the figure sailed through the air, before slamming into the forest in the distance, a massive dust cloud following him as the sound of his body impacting the ground exploded out.

Immediately, Trunks looked down towards his master, descending towards him.

"Tien!" he shouted, running towards him as quickly as he could.

It was easy to see Tien looked rattled. His frame was covered in scrapes and bruises, and his body was not just covered in mud, but a sheen of sweat. With his three eyes appearing tired, they turned towards Trunks, making the boy realize he'd missed much more then the opening stages of the battle.

"Trunks," his master breathed, barely able to rise.

There was an odd silence between the two of them once the tall human male reached his full height. To Trunks, it told him just how bad all this was. Whoever that monster was, he was going to come back in a complete rage, and he was going to try and kill them.

"Trunks, I need you to get out of here as fast as you can. I'll try and stop this monster before he can do any more damage to the Earth," Tien said quickly. "So get out of here now, before it's too late."

"But Tien!' the young prince immediate shouted. "I can help! Together we can beat him, I know it!"

Before Tien could respond, there was a shadow rising over the two of them. Behind Trunks, the cape-clad figure of the Saiyan slowly came into view, the battle-scarred beast of a man floated there, his arms crossed. The smirk plastered across his face was dark, and empty. There was no joy in it, it was built up as nothing more then a kind of torment on his victims, it wasn't a smile, it was a vicious snarl. It was unlike even what the Androids plastered across their faces.

The Androids had dead eyes, but they took pleasure and joy in what kind misery they inflicted on others. The eyes on this man were... worse, filled with hate and contempt, instead of lifelessness, and he lacked any of the sick, yet playful nature of the Androids. Whatever was behind those eyes, Trunks could never understand, but he knew what was on their surface.

Death.

"Power level 28,000,000. You've been delightfully entertaining to fight against, Earthling. But you seem to realize just how outmatched you are. I told you before, three eyes, that I am only skimming the edge of my power, and I know we've started to reach the limits of yours," the dark eyes of the monster then turned to Trunks. "Maybe we should see about killing you in front of the boy. That way, we can see if he'll beg for your life. I always find it hard to guess who will beg, and who will put their friends out of their misery."

Stepping back, Trunks bumped into Tien, who stared up at his new found enemy with a serious gaze.

"Goku, I'm sorry," Tien whispered to himself, floating into the air. "I'm not going to let you hurt anyone else," he then addressed his enemy, this Saiyan.

Without his arms uncrossing, and the predatory smirk staying in place, the caped Saiyan just floated there, utterly unfazed by his adversary. It was unnerving to watch for Trunks, how felt every impulse to jump into the air and try to do anything. Whoever this was, they needed to be bluffing about their power! Tien had been so close!

And... the world started to shake.

Terror filled eyes looked past his master, towards the purple energy waves rolling off of this monster that had come to confront them.

"No way," Trunks whispered.

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Present Time: Gohan

It was embarrassing to think that this pitiful excuse for a Saiyan could find it within himself to transform into a Super Saiyan. When he thought of a Super Saiyan, he thought of Turles, Kakar- Goku, or Vegeta. These were powerful men, even if dramatically different from one another, they all embodied something of their race. For Gohan himself, being among the fabled ranks of Super Saiyans was more then an honour, it was one of the few things in his life he could look back on with pride. In front of him, when he saw Trunks, Vegeta's bastard son, achieving the same thing, it sickened him.

Well, there was more to being a warrior then achieving being a Super Saiyan, and he aimed to prove that in the next few moments. In the blurring speed burst he'd pushed himself into, Gohan picked out his venue of attack, coming in through Trunks' left side. It was impossible to describe how eager he felt, for the first time in years. It was an eagerness for battle, something he thought he'd lost when he'd killed Turles. What reawakened his battle lust?

Was it the little girl? Her crazed mother? Or was in his disdain for the boy he was to fight in this ring, and his hatred of Vegeta?

As soon as his leg launched out towards his victim, Trunks, in truth, the cause for his reawakening didn't matter, only the battle did. When his leg connected with the hardened Super Saiyan muscle and bone on Vegeta's brat's side, he almost expected him to break in two. The blow caused a resounding boom around them, the impact so hard it threw rock chips into the air, which shattered a moment later. Spectators in the crown felt their drinks burst from their cups. Lifting off the ground, Trunks was sent flying on an angle into the air, his body flipping almost helplessly for meters on end.

With a pulse of energy and a thoom bursting through the air itself, the time traveller stopped his motion in the air, holding still. But that had been something Gohan had expected of course. It was hardly as if Trunks would spiral helplessly into the void of space. Following in another blurring motion, it was as if Gohan appeared out of thin air behind Trunks, already striking down as he did. Both his hands locked together in a mighty axe handle, before driving down viciously into the back of Trunks, battering him violently back towards the ring.

Blasting towards the surface of the ring, Trunks twisted once in the air, so to allow him to land on his feet. In a blur for the third time, Gohan appeared next to his prey once again, intent to strike the next blow. With blinding motion, his hand struck out in a punch towards Trunks' cheek. It was only at the last moment that his enemy shot his forearm up, deflecting the blow, and in turn delivered a mighty blow to his stomach, driving his fist into Gohan's waist. It took a moment to even register the blow as Gohan felt the air suck out of his lungs.

Stepping back, one hand holding his abdomen, Gohan breathed in and out for a moment, staring Trunks down, who was breathing himself. A confident smile found itself onto Gohan's lips once again. So, the kid wouldn't be a complete pushover. That was good of course, because he was hardly finished with him. By the time this was all over, Gohan was going to make Trunks wish he ended it the moment the match started.

"You know, I-"

Gohan couldn't even finish his mocking remarks as Trunks launched himself towards him in a quickened fury. Slipping his head to the side, he barely dodged the punch that the other Saiyan threw at him. Scowling, he batted the arm of the way, preparing to strike back, only to find his own knee rising to block another strike, this one coming from Trunk's leg. The kick slammed into his shin, and pain shot through his leg, but it was certainly better then taking the blow to his chest or abdomen. Old scars and worn down synthetic muscles complained in his back, but Gohan pushed himself forward all the same, ignoring the pain.

Because he'd sooner let himself fall apart then lose to this... little shit.

All the same, it was clear that he'd not only underestimated Trunks, but his resolve. Something he'd have to be careful not to do so again.

In a blurred motion, both sides began their assault, trying to push past the others' defence. In a quick motion, Gohan threw five punches, each one Trunks found his way to slip around in dodging motions, his head shifting just in time, and his body manoeuvring, Shifting to the left, Trunks saw the hole Gohan had accidentally left open in his defence. Grabbing Gohan by his top, he pulled back and with all his strength, pulled Gohan with him, tossing him through the air. It was a moment of shock for Gohan when he realized what just happened.

Before he could recover, agony exploded in Gohan's back in mid flight, as he felt Trunks' foot collide with his back, between his shoulder blades. Snarling at the blow, he turned about in the air, swinging at where he felt Trunks should be, only to find empty air. Suddenly, Trunks was behind him again, this time with his hands at his back.

"Burning Attack!"

Turning just in time, Gohan saw only a blinding flash of light. The beam collided with him just as he got his hands up to defend himself at the last moment. The massive bolt of golden energy throwing him towards the ring. The attack was named appropriately, he felt his hands screaming from the heat of the attack. Suddenly he felt his body coming near the ring itself, below, waves of force blasted what little dust there was off the surface of the ring.

This was humiliating, and all because he was too busy playing with his food. Finally, he halted his descent towards the ring. Floating only a meter above it, the Super Saiyan aura around him pulsing and flowing as it began to intensify. There was no need to ascend to deal with this attack, or Trunks. What there was, was the need to stop playing games and show everyone what he was really capable of. Intensifying his power, Gohan felt his muscles energize as they hadn't in months of spars. This was more then just a contest to keep himself sharp. With every second, his power increased, until the orb itself started to be forced away from his hands from the sheer power being released.

Finally, Gohan felt himself start to laugh. The solid stone ring below him began to rumble violently. Were the stones not perfectly set, they would have slid in all different directions. Small cracks made in the ring from the battle, and battles prior, began to become apparent as the fractures grew in length. It was only a moment more, and Gohan had taken full control of the attack. With both his hands held in place, he shifted his body to point the attack upward, before flicking his wrists and sending it into the sky. A heartbeat later, there was a magnificent, burning ball of light that burst even brighter into an explosion.

Light and noise bombarded the crowd, who looked up in aw, all the while the two fighters landed on their feet in the ring once again. Their shadows directly below them, from the temporary light source above bombarding them, Gohan could see the nervous look on Trunks' face. He was beginning to understand how outclassed he was, which meant there was blood in the water as far as Gohan was concerned.

"Did you really expect that to outdo me Trunks?" Gohan said, narrowing his confident gaze. "You can now easily see that I've been holding back for the majority of our battle. You're finished. I'm even in a generous enough mood to let you concede."

The comment was designed to jab at Trunks, as almost everything he'd said so far was. The look of pure contempt he got in response, let him know it was working. Their next clash would define the difference in power and ability between the two. If this idiot thought transforming was saving him, he had another thing coming.

Pointing his hands forward, Trunks shot two golden blasts from them. Without even moving, Gohan just concentrated on the energy approaching him, grabbing hold of the energy ahead of him with his own. Those blasts were nothing. Before they could impact him, they exploded in the middle of the ring. They were hardly real attacks. Gohan already knew they were nothing but a diversion. The entire time, Trunks had been moving as quickly as he could, unable to be seen by the normal eye, trying to get to his right flank.

Too slow, kid.

Stepping to the right, and pulling back his left arm, Gohan took one more step, before locking his arm in place at his side and blurring with his own speed. Catching Trunks around the chest and throat with a brutal closeline before he could even assault Gohan. The two blurred back into existence seemingly, with Trunks flipping into the air once before landing hard on the stone floor. Grinding his teeth, the time traveller brought himself back up to his feet, glaring back at Gohan.

"Care to try again?"

"Shut up!" Trunks shouted finally, blasting off at him again.

Stupid kid.

His frustration was so apparent that Gohan revelled in it. There was no cunning plan, at least as far as Gohan could see in his charge. It was easy enough to bat aside the first punch, but what surprised Gohan was the furious lightning fast strikes that followed. Strike, strike, strike, each one bombarded Gohan's defence. Shoving aside fists and kicks, and blocking others directly all within a second seemingly. It was almost impossible to block everything coming his way, but for thirty blows Gohan managed it, until finally his head felt something collide with his cheek. A palm had struck upward, slamming into him before he could block it.

Spit ejected from Gohan's mouth as his head reeled back. Striking forward with another attack, Trunks sought to take advantage of his blow. Gohan would have none of it, immediately turning back in towards his enemy, slipping under the next blow and landing his knuckles into Trunks' stomach. The entire assault seemed to freeze in place for only a heartbeat, but it was a heartbeat that lasted an eternity for both fighters, and Gohan knew it. In that heartbeat, both of them plotted their next move. To Gohan it was simple, follow through with his attack, and drop Trunks back to the floor of the ring.

Within seconds, he found Trunks had other ideas.

Moving up to continue through with his assault, he found, Trunks leaped back, perhaps only a few feet, causing Gohan's follow through to die near its beginning. Before he could make another move, a kick came across his face. The hardened end of Trunks' foot and boot catching him, immediately jarring his head. It was Trunks turn to follow through, it seemed. Twisting in the air, Trunks landed another boot, and spun about and landed another. Each one rocked Gohan, but didn't send him flying or knocking him over. His head felt dizzy for a moment with each blow.

It was only when Gohan shook it off, just as another foot was coming in, that he violently resolved his problem. Ducking under the leg, Gohan used his superior speed to rise once again before another foot could come in, swinging his own leg high, aiming for Trunks' chest, who stood floated just above him. Focusing all his power into his foot, the aura around his leg brimmed brightly with raw power and golden energy. Just as Trunks' body finished turning for the final time, the foot found its place, landing flatly on his chest.

A stream of golden energy coursed through, the impact so severe that a boom echoed out once more, and the energy exerted from Gohan shot forward, shooting forward, the energy forcing Trunks back in a golden wave. This time, there was no stopping in the air to come around for another assault. This time, Trunks landed, across the ring in a heap.

For a moment, it looked as if he couldn't get up. The first struggling attempt ending in failure, before he finally recovered from the blow, bringing himself to his feet. Even then he looked worn. It demonstrated just how far they were apart. Gohan, for his part, had already recovered from the blows to his head, despite Trunks' best efforts. Right now, he knew he had this won. Energy waves were not a problem to deal with, he could just overpower them. Physical attacks, even when determined, could be shut down by one, perhaps two blows of his own. This was over. The only one who didn't seem to get it was Trunks.

Which was fine by him. He'd enjoy beating the Hell out of him even more.

"Hey Trunks, I think you managed to give me a bruise, almost. I almost fell over there. Nice effort though. Care to try that again?"

Instead of responding verbally, his enemy just braced himself, before moving his hands in a strange position. Narrowing his eyes, Gohan knew his 'powerful' adversary, was preparing himself for another attack.

"What's this one going to do? Are you going to fire some other energy blast at me? Or are you..." Gohan slowly trailed off a moment later, his eyes slowly drifting, as he saw Trunks form slowly shift into... two?

Then they became four.

Across from him, there were four Trunks. It had to be an illusion of some kind. The enjoyment on his own features disappeared, and was replaced by a serious and stubborn look, his own throat holding back a growl as he just looked across the four of them.

What kind of bullshit was this? Stepping back in hesitation, unsure of what he was getting himself into, the Planet Trade veteran just held himself steady. Narrowed eyes tried to keep track of all four at once, but that was easier said then done. Even now, he sensed Trunks strength hadn't changed, but he needed to figure out just what all these... other Trunks were. Taking another cautious step backward, Gohan shifted his stance to the defensive.

In a flash of motion, all four of "Trunks" moved forward, stopping only a few meters from him, each one assuming a different stance, each one preparing to strike out at him. With quick eye motion, Gohan tried to keep himself focused, looking to each one, trying to predict where the first assault would come from, if there were indeed four bodies in front of him. Curling his lip in anger and frustration, Gohan sneered at Trunks. This was the tactic of a coward! Now, of course, Gohan knew a thing or two of those kinds of tactics, but it was different when they were being used against you.

It was Trunks turn to smile, and it was a self confident smirk which disgusted Gohan upon its very sight.

"What's wrong, Gohan? You seem to be nervous," The Trunks on the far right said.

There you are, you little shit.

It seemed obvious to Gohan that the one speaking, was the "real" Trunks. Pointing his hand out and with a vicious motion, an energy wave was unleashed by Gohan a moment later. The golden wave of energy shot straight towards the smug little prince. When he jumped into the air, Gohan prepared to move forward to follow after him. Before he could get more then a foot, arms wrapped around his shoulders and neck from behind.

"Wha-!?"

Before he could break free, he felt himself pulled back with incredible force, slamming head and neck first into the hard ground. His body was rolled back further a moment later, the Trunks copy with him, pulling him back again and slamming his head and neck once again into the ground. Too stunned to stop the assault, he felt himself pulled back one more time, but this time Trunks jumped into the air, pulling him along with him. Spinning a second later, Gohan's dizziness only became worse at the rapid motion. He must have spun four times in the air before he was released, momentum carrying him directly towards the floor once more. This time, he hit hard enough to crack the ring's stone tile.

With his head and neck in stiff pain, Gohan slowly sat up, trying to get his bearings as to what just happened even. By the time he looked up, one of these things was attacking him again. Moving his arm up, while still sitting, Gohan blocked the first kick, before another hit him in the back. Letting out a pained noise, Gohan felt himself shift with the blow. Before he could react, another one descended on him. Another blow landed, this time on his chest, sending him skidding along the ring.

Thankfully, he used the momentum to flip his position, landing on his feet. It was clear he'd lost the initiative, and getting back would be vital. It would largely be vital in beating Vegeta's kid into the ground for using this bizarre and irrational attack. But he could still only sense the same amount of power, so how could there be four of them? It was then that Gohan began to catch on to exactly what this was-

Before he could finish his thought however, all four Trunks descended on him, attacking from all sides. It was impossible to track all of them with his eyes, but he did as he knew Piccolo, or Goku would, tracking them with their energy signatures more then his eyes. It'd been too long and he'd become sloppy, expecting to win this fight with brute force, and right now he recognized that more then anything. In the blur of motion, him dodging past the attacks as best he could, another found its mark in his back. Trunks' fist slammed into his kidneys and Gohan fell forward into a knee to the face, dropping him back again. The barrage that followed was agony taken real form.

Kicks, knees, punches, and elbows assailed him from all sides. Every motion was met by another painful blow, Gohan's body registering the hit and trying to respond, only to be knocked about again. There were no chances to block. Synthetic muscle complained and waxed and waned. With a punch to the head and a kick to the side, Gohan found himself rolling through the air without grace. Scraping along the edge of the ring for a moment, he landed without any fanfare in the middle of the ring. Sitting up and wiping the blood from his mouth, he took a moment, breathing in, trying to understand why the assault hadn't continued.

Floating above the four corners of the ring "Trunks" stayed there, each set of his bodies' locking their hands in a triangle in front of their faces. Slowly standing up, he felt their power swelling for a moment.

Shit.

It was when they spiked, that Gohan knew something was coming. With them covering every corner, there was no use trying to skip out. A golden aura sparked around him with intensity, as he looked around at the four of them, preparing himself for what he'd have to endure, and what he may need to do to overcome the odds.

The moments before the attack were agonizing, each second he wandered just how he could hold out, given the surge of energy he felt the four bodies he faced generating.

"Come on then!" Gohan finally shouted, looking up and around the four of them. "If you're going to do it, do it!"

With anger surfacing on their faces, Gohan saw all of them together unleash their attack.

"Tri-Beam HA!"

In a flash of burning yellow and orange energy, Gohan felt the world around him suddenly explode in heat and pressure. The very solid stone around him began to burn, leading to deadly vapour bursting from the edges of the stone's surface. Explosions of force blasted over Gohan's body as he struggled to even stand, let alone resist being blasted through the centre of the ring. The ground beneath him began to crack as he stood there, his entire body brimming with pain from the struggle against the attack.

In that moment though, he found the weakness of not only the Tri-Beam, but of multiform. This was not four Trunks's firing at him, this was his energy, split among four bodies. The element of surprise had served him well.

Struggling to move his arms apart, Gohan shook as he looked ahead with deadly eyes.

So he thinks he's going to beat me with this cheap trick? He should have kept his real power hidden, the idiot.

Surging forward, Gohan unleashed his own power in a burst of energy. A tempest of raw energy formed around him in moments, swirling around him, golden power burning through the orange layers of power around him. In the middle of the ring itself, it felt incredible. All the force of the attack was forced back, pushing against a shield of ever expanding energy. Above him, he knew Trunks would struggle desperately to reacquire his advantage, but it was finished, and they both knew it.

Grinning to himself, his body aching still from the pain of the attack's initial gains, Gohan started to chuckle as the swirl of golden energy around him violently twisted and turned, growing ever stronger around him. The four beams blasting into it becoming weaker and weaker.

Finally, the Tri Beam ended, and the four Trunks flew higher into the air to avoid the storm of energy Gohan was emitting. Their next step would be obvious, and this time, Gohan knew he'd be ready for them. His body may have been worn, and broken from years of abuse and surgeries, but even he knew what Trunks' next move was, and he'd be ready for it.

The ground around him still steamed with vaporized stone. It leaked into the air all around the ring, but it was perfect for Gohan to use. When the four Trunks disappeared with a burst of speed, the gas around them parted way in all the directions they'd come from.

Just like that.

In a blur of speed of his own, Gohan disappeared, just as his four opponents appeared where he'd once been, each one preparing their attack. The four stopped looking all directions. From above, the world moving at a pace that seemed almost as if it wasn't moving, Gohan selected his prey. Dashing down from above, he reappeared almost exactly where he'd once stood, but appeared with his leg shooting out, his entire body hopping in the air as he drove his foot into one Trunks' face with a vicious kick.

The response was immediate.

Grabbing one Trunks' arm as he threw a punch, Gohan whipped the body about, throwing him into another. The last one left standing moved in to strike as well, only to find his fist caught. Pulling him in, Gohan backhanded him three times as Trunks tried to keep himself standing, before a hand round house punch came around. Not letting go of the arm, Trunks' body tried to break free from the force of the hit, but instead was pulled out violently by his arm. Before he could even cry out in pain, Gohan dragged him in once more, before burying his knee into the other Saiyan's gut. A pained and shocked expression was immediately adopted by the copy's features, before Gohan stepped aside, letting him fall to the ground helplessly.

Standing there as the other three paused for a moment before continuing their assault, Gohan looked ahead coolly.

"Games, you think you can beat me with... games," Gohan said, his voice laced with disgust.

It was true, all this was, was just a stupid trick. Separating himself into four just to get a short term surprise on him. Certainly, he'd gotten his hits in, but they didn't matter in the end. The difference in their power was dramatic, and he was hardly afraid of Trunks anymore, especially now that he confirmed that these copies were inferior to the original.

Scowling, and seeing the sweat on Trunks' brow, the former mercenary and captain felt satisfied. Every moment Trunks learned to fear him, was a good moment. It felt so good to be powerful again. Part of him had missed this kind of battle so much. By contrast, there was a small voice inside himself, terrified at how quickly he'd let himself go. How quickly he'd become a monster, wanting to see others suffer to fill the painful hole in his own life.

Angrily, he clenched his fist, hating the internal dialogue. So what if he enjoyed Vegeta's brats downfall? He'd enjoy Vegeta's as well. That didn't make him the same man he'd once been, not at all.

With a desperation to their motion, the three other Trunks charged. Any fighter watching would know what to come would be a massacre.

Shifting his weight to his right, Gohan turned right hard, driving himself hard into the first Trunks in his path, bashing him away with a hard shoulder tackle, before slipping under the next one's defence, slamming his fist into the other Saiyan's gut. The figure seemed to freeze in space before Gohan appeared behind him, elbowing him in the back, dropping him to the ground.

The last, he slid his foot hard into on an angle before he could even finish his attack, tripping him to fall sideways. Instead of letting him hit the ground, Gohan kicked him in the ribs, forcing him directly up in the air. With a jump behind him, and a flip in the air, Gohan flip kicked the 1/4th of his enemy down into the stone from 20 feet up. With a terrible wet slap, he hit the ground.

Landing next to the broken forms of his enemy, Gohan looked down at him with a sneer, before looking up at the one Trunks he tackled, instead of destroying. The last one stared back at him resentfully, and Gohan could only smile in response. This was exactly what the little shit deserved. Not just for thinking himself his equal, or thinking he could win, but for the slight against him when he first arrived at the tournament.

Eyes turned towards the crowd, as Gohan stared about, raising his arm as if to goad his enemy into making his final mistake. Instead, the bodies on the ground began to fade, their power along with them. All of that energy amassed back into the last remaining one, whose entire body seemed to stiffen and bolster with its reacquired power. It still wouldn't be enough, and he could see his opponent was desperate.

"I've picked you apart Trunks. You aren't able to beat me. You can barely keep up with me," Gohan announced, before stepping forward to prove his point.

As he thought, Trunks stepped back, his entire frame filled with tension. But it was then that Trunks looked towards the fighter's area, obviously looking at Vegeta. Was the boy looking for inspiration? Was he looking for some new source of strength of pride? Gohan felt his own confidence bolster.

"You're the strongest opponent I've fought since the Cell Games," Trunks admitted, looking back at him. "You're almost as strong as Cell was, but I've got a secret for you Gohan."

"My father warned me about how strong you were. He said you were easily as strong as he was, or Goku. My father would never give that kind of praise unless it was true. I knew coming here that you'd be a tough fight, and you've proven that to be true," Trunks explained, bracing himself as his Super Saiyan aura reemerged. "But in my own time, I've learned a lot about myself, and about my post. I know how to tap into wells of power I never dreamed possible the last time I stepped foot in this time."

That was interesting news to Gohan. Quietly, he braced himself again, but confidently. Whatever was coming he wanted to be ready. It clearly wasn't going to be breaking himself into multiple forms again, or some ridiculous energy attack. All the same, Gohan's smirk shrank as he looked ahead with blue-green eyes.

"Well then, let's see this power to believe it, kid."

The entire ring seemed to go silent for a moment, save for the humming of the two Super Saiyan aura's. The sky slowly went from a beautiful sky blue, to a darkened black. The clouds themselves began to swirl as the energy in front of Gohan began to grow. For a moment he thought it was another attack of some sort... until electricity sparked through the air around him.

It wasn't a power boost coming for an attack, Trunks was ascending. Hair spiked further upward, and his entire body seemed to bolster. In a heartbeat his power grew tremendously, easily outpacing Gohan's own current power. The intensity he saw in Trunks' eyes as his body relaxed said it all. Before him wasn't just a Super Saiyan, it was something more.

But it was exactly what Goku and Vegeta were, and exactly what Turles had been. Of course, it was what he was as well.

"I hope that's not the best you've got, kid," Gohan said, almost tasting the blood in the water.

This fool wanted to push things to the next level? He had no idea what he was getting into. Within seconds, Gohan's devilish grin returned. In front of him was an enemy confident of his own victory and power.

Gohan couldn't wait to allow reality to assert itself.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Cooler's Ship, Gohan, Age 5:

Light shed in through the window from outside, the first real abundance of star light in some time. They were orbiting around a blue star, the parent of Planet Gar, a world about to be purged by Lord Cooler. Thankfully, as far as the five year old was concerned, he wasn't being deployed along with his caring and understanding master, Paragus.

Instead, he found himself sitting, looking up at the old war torn idiot. The man who ranted and raved about-

"There will be a Super Saiyan again, and it will be sculpted by my careful hand," Paragus said, before looking towards Gohan. "You are inferior to what my son could have been, boy, but I can see the same potential in you."

Quietly, Gohan just pressed his own lips together and sat down. Another rant was hardly what he wanted to hear. More rambling about how through pain and fire, he would be the chosen one to be the Super Saiyan, and become the strongest being alive. A weapon of pure destruction and violence. It always ended with him just looking into the distance, and saying "Broly". Always being a sharp child, Gohan knew full well who Broly was.

Broly was the son that Lord Cooler killed. Supposedly his power was so great, Broly had saved Paragus from the destruction of their home planet. Gohan couldn't see how, even as a five year old, given he'd watched from the ship more then once Cooler deal with planets which were considered "low value".

Watching a planet die was a terrifying, yet beautiful sight.

Suddenly, pain erupted across Gohan's cheek, knocking him from his sitting position. In front of him, Paragus stood there, his arm still in place, trembling with anger as he looked down at him.

"You will not ignore me when I am speaking, child. Or your lessons will be much more painful."

Quietly, shaking as he slowly got up, Gohan slipped his scouter back on, before standing at attention and looking up to the man who was supposed to be his mentor.

"Now then, you must remember that rage, and hate, builds us into what we are. And no one could be a better Saiyan then my son had been. You will need many years to match his ferocity."

Looking out the window towards the blue star in the system, all Paragus did was mention a word that did follow Gohan later in his life.

"Broly, he was the true Super Saiyan."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Five Years Into the Future: Trunks

All Trunks could do was watch in horror as his mentor and friend was utterly destroyed. Every moment of the battle had been desperate, with Tien throwing his very soul into the battle, but it didn't matter. Every attack, every technique, it was all for nothing. No matter what was tried, this beast had some answer to it, often just raw power. The gloating was the worst, he was so smug and self absorbed. In front of Trunks was his best friend fighting for the world, and his own life.

And all this monster did was laugh at him.

Hanging in the air, Tien looked utterly crushed. Exhaustion had overtaken him, but it wasn't the exhaustion of his body that Trunks saw. Only a moment earlier, he'd unleashed his greatest attack, the Neo-Tri Beam. Below the battlefield was now a gaping, perfectly square crater in the Earth. But floating above it, his arms crossed in mild amusement, the Saiyan was just... unscathed. His power seemed like an endless pool.

Was he as strong as the Androids? Tien had told him that they were stronger then anything the world had ever seen before their arrival. But whoever this was, he was so far beyond Tien it was unimaginable.

What Trunks saw, was his master defeated.

"So, is it my turn, Three Eyes?" Gohan asked, his head tilting to one side.

In that moment, Trunks could see the kill being lined up, and he couldn't watch anymore. Tien was just breathing, barely able to fly, and he suspected, stand. Shifting his power, all of it, to his speed, Trunks took off, clearing the battle scarred forest below. Trees lay half in the mud, others were burnt, and huge swathes of the forest lay in ruins. The forest was the last thing he was concerned about however. Only a few hundred feet from Tien, he saw his master look at him, shaking his head.

"Trunks, get back!-"

Before he could finish his words, and before Trunks could reach him, the monster already appeared in front of Tien. In a quick and brutal fashion, he drove his fist into the human's stomach. Hunching over the arm which lay in his stomach, Tien just gasped in unimaginable agony, trying to keep himself conscious.

"Stop it!" Trunks felt himself cry out, before sweeping in at full speed, driving both his knees into Gohan's side. The force of the impact was enough to make the Saiyan's body barely flinch.

Only its eyes turned towards him.

Suddenly, Trunks felt an overwhelming pressure on his body itself. The very energy this man possessed so much, just focusing on him was overwhelming his body, overwhelming his energy, and driving him back as though he were nothing.

"Now kid, that wasn't very smart. Let me show you how it's done."

"W-wait," Tien barely stuttered. "He... he's one of you."

That caused the Saiyan to pause, before looking down at the beaten human. Casting Tien back a moment later, he raised his hand, releasing a blue energy wave, blasting him in a bright beam down to Earth.

In another desperate assault, Trunks launched himself into the monster's flank, striking with fists and kicks. Each blow landed didn't even faze his adversary. Without even being able to follow it, Trunks felt him grab his throat.

"One of me, huh?" he asked, examining Trunks closely as the young Saiyan struggled desperately.

Descending to the Earth below, Trunks could only continue his resistance as the brutish thug dragged him to where Tien lay. Upon setting his eyes on him, Trunks knew how much trouble he was in. His heart pumped desperately as the boy raced to find a way to save his mentor.

"This boy doesn't look much like a Saiyan to me," the elder Saiyan remarked, still holding his iron grip around Trunks' neck.

"H... he's a Prince, the son of Vegeta," Tien managed to breath.

That was enough to catch the attention of the attacker, who looked at Trunks with widened eyes, examining his features. Changing the hair and colouration of his eyes, the younger Saiyan could almost see it for himself. Within seconds, his sinister smile seemed to elongate.

"And where is Vegeta?'

"Dead," Tien rasped, looking up at him with beaten, tired eyes. There was a spirit to resist still there, but there just wasn't enough left to fight.

"So you've trained the son of Vegeta, have you? He doesn't even know what it's like to be a Saiyan yet, does he? Well boy, you get the benefit of seeing a true Saiyan in action," he said, tossing Gohan to the ground next to Tien.

"The first thing you need to realize is, mercy is for the weak."

Pointing his hand up, and pointing out one finger towards Tien, he chuckled.

"You know what kid? The man who taught me what it was to be a Saiyan gave me a big piece of advice. Hands and feet first."

Hands and feet first? Trunks tried to grapple with what that meant. Right now his own hand was rubbing his throat from where this brute had grabbed him. Right now he just wanted to grab Tien and run, but how far would he get? What did you do when faced with something like this? It was just like the Androids, only he seemed to take even more delight in what he was doing.

But Trunks found out a second later, what this monster meant. A beam of blue energy emerged from his finger, slicing through Tien's ankle's. An agonized scream echoed through the forest a moment later as burnt flash seperated, leaving the two useless feet to fall from his legs. Reaching down his hands to grab the stumps, the beam cut through his wrists.

It was grizzly. The smell of burnt meant immediately hit the stunned boy's nose.

"TIEN!"

With all his strength, with everything he'd ever thought he could have, Trunks jumped to his feet, trying desperately to stop anymore from happening. All the time Tien had spent guarding him, training him, what did it all mean if he was just left on the sidelines to watch him die? It couldn't end like this, and worse, his friend couldn't just be fodder for this thing's sick amusement.

Before he could even land a blow however, he'd already been swiped across the face by a vicious backhand, knocking him away, landing near Tien. His master cringed in agony.

"Don't worry kid, I'll teach you what it is to be a Saiyan, just like my master did for me. We'll get the stink of weakness off you," he chuckled.

Looking to Tien for a moment, all three eyes looked back at Tien, as his pain seemed to wash away for a moment. For Trunks himself, he felt hot liquid brimming in his own eyes, seeing his master crippled, beaten, and finished. Trunks thought to grab his hand for a moment, before he realized it was just a burnt stub.

"I can see it," Tien said with a weak smile, looking back at Trunks. "You're the one, Trunks."

The one? What one was he?

"Tell you what kid, if you beg for his life, I'll spare him."

Glaring up through his tears, Trunks turned to the killer in front of him, who just smiled for a moment before looking at the mutilated human.

"Please, no more," Trunks started, looking up pleadingly. "I'll do anything, just stop it!"

Turning his head back to Tien, his master shook his head barely.

"Trunks, you have to-"

Then it happened. A beam of blue energy pierced his friend's heart. Tien's eyes immediately went hollow in shock and blood burst from the burnt wound in his chest. In that moment, Trunks felt time stop. Everything seemed to bleed away into the one moment in front of him. Scurrying over the ground on all fours for a moment, Trunks grabbed his mentor by the shoulder and head, trying to keep him with him. He couldn't be the last one left. He couldn't lose another person to something which just killed for its own amusement and pleasure.

But most of all, Trunks couldn't cope with being totally helpless. Tears spilled from his cheeks as he realized his master would never recover. The man who took him under his wing was just gone. Everything in his life meant nothing, and everyone else he cared about would die at the hands of this... creature. Even now those black eyes haunted him, even as Trunks shut his own, feeling the tears flowing.

"Hey kid, don't worry, I'll let you keep the skull as a souvenir. He's not worth your tears."

Something snapped.

Who was this to decide what was worth tears or not? Who was he to take his friend away? Who was he to kill all the people in cities across the Earth and God knows everywhere else?! In that moment, Trunks couldn't hold anything back anymore. It wasn't just being overwhelmed by emotion, it was being overwhelmed by the world. Everything became a haze of pain. In that pain something new was born.

Power exploded around him as he felt something lift out around him, transforming him. Above his dead friend, Trunks was reborn. Power burst in all directions as trees were blown away and the Earth rumbled in agony at the birth of the new power.

The birth of something Trunks barely understood.

A Super Saiyan.

"What the Hell is this?" was all he heard the monster say.

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Present Time: Trunks

For all the power at his fingertips, Trunks felt uneasy as his eyes locked onto Gohan's. He knew this beast much better then he'd care to. Even before they met in this time, without having even known his name until they'd finally met in this world, he could read him. Right now, the look in Gohan's eyes, and his words lead to Trunks taking a step back. Just what did he mean by not being impressed? He'd just superseded even the power Cell had possessed during his twisted tournament. This was the power of a fully ascended Saiyan. This was the same kind of power Goku had used to kill Bojack. Even when compared to that power, he was stronger.

Right now he didn't think anyone could reach this level beyond Goku. Even his father while they'd trained before the tournament, never pushed this this far, he didn't even know he could. This wasn't something that could just be taught, it had to be discovered within. In front of him was a man he doubted could ever achieve even the level of Super Saiyan, let alone ascending, so it just didn't seem possible.

"This is more then you can handle right now," Trunks told Gohan, rediscovering his confidence. "With the power I have, you're finished."

It was unnerving again when Gohan's stance relaxed, his smirk appearing across his face. He had to be bluffing, there was no way he could be this confident of his own power. The difference between the two of them was shocking right now. What chance was he going to have really? So far he'd not seen any techniques truly intimidating, or above what he'd experienced in his own time. Perhaps he was a bit sharper in terms of his skilled he was, but not so much that it would bridge the gap in their power.

Rebuilding himself up, Trunks prepared for battle, smiling to himself this time, showing Gohan his own lack of fear. It was time to demonstrate why he needed to just give up.

In a blur of intense speed, Trunks appeared next to Gohan, faster then the other Saiyan could respond. Grabbing him by his left arm, he flipped the traditionally black haired Saiyan over, slamming him into the hard ground. Before he could even react, he pulled him back up, and into the air by the same arm, before flipping him upside down. As Gohan fell the few feet down to earth, Trunks kicked him in the back with all his force. The blow sent a terrible boom out around the ring, sending the other Saiyan skidding for several moments.

Standing there, looking at the unmoving body of Gohan, Trunks scoffed.

"For all that talk, this is how you end up Gohan. Just like in my time! You gloated about how strong you were and attacked everyone you thought was weaker! Well you came across someone you couldn't stop and that was it for you! Just like before, I'm stopping you here!"

When the body, laying face first in the stone started to move, Trunks thought it was going to lead to him rising, and trying to throw everything at him, just as had happened in his own time. But from the body, even if it started quietly, Trunks could hear something. The way the body trembled for a moment, the son of Vegeta almost thought his opponent in too much pain to get up. But it was when he finally deciphered what he heard, that Trunks felt his own rage boil.

He was laughing at him.

He was laughing at him as if he wasn't even there!

When Gohan's face finally turned up, Trunks could see the laughter for himself. Every second it took him to rise to his feet, the entire time bellowing that foul, malicious laugh, Trunks felt himself harden his heart even more. Was he crazy? Was that the difference with his own time?

When his enemy reached his full height, Trunks decided it was time to end it. Blasting off towards him, bracing himself for the last stage of their battle, he prepared his arm to strike out against this... twisted creature. When his arm reached ahead of him, his whole body thrusting along with it. In the blurred milliseconds before contact, Trunks saw no movement on his enemy's part. When the Ascended Saiyan's entire body froze in mid air, his hand locked in the air, held by Gohan's. It was hard to believe his own eyes, or the feeling in his hand. Trembling in the air, his arm held in place. The very impact of the two hands coming together was enough to crack the ring below them.

It was heart stopping when he realized what had just happened. Beneath the surface of Gohan's already sizable power, he felt something else coming through. Pain shot through his hand as he felt the other Saiyan's fingers digging into the top of his hand. It was all too much to believe.

"Do you really think me so weak?" Gohan responded finally, looking up into his eyes. "I haven't used this form since I killed the man I called father. And he was much stronger then you, Trunks."

Ripping his hand away, Trunks looked in a panic ahead of him as electricity surged not only around himself, but around Gohan. In that moment, he understood the nature of Gohan's laugh only moments ago.

Putting both his hands forward, just as Gohan's aura intensified, Trunks desperately surged everything he could muster in a short period of time forward.

"Burning Attack!"

Golden energy appeared in his hands and released directly into Gohan's form, just as his body braced itself for the power it was amassing. The blast sent Trunks flaying back, exploding directly into the air more then anything. A massive black cloud of smoke billowed from the heart of the explosion which rocked into the air. Breathing heavily, Trunks could only look into the cloud, when from within golden light began to break through, and as the energy of his own attack faded, he felt what was rising beyond it.

Every inch of Gohan's body glowed a violent golden colour as electricity surged around him. The dust settled around him only briefly, before Trunks saw a storm of energy rising around him. Lightning struck down from the skies above, each one hitting his body as the entire arena began to rumble, if not the world itself. Waves of force blasted out across the ring from Gohan's body, blasting into the crowd as well. Spectators were bowled over in surprise as the winds of power blasted out like the great tides of the ocean rising.

The ocean before Trunks was overwhelming when he realized exactly what he was facing. Blinking, his face stuck in a moment of shock, the Saiyan Prince just tried to reevaluate his situation. Standing before him now, was an Ascended Saiyan. Not only had he ascended, but his power had grown in shocking amounts. The confidence brimming from his opponent now was unlike what he'd seen in the match so far, and Trunks knew why. It was because he was finished.

Pushing himself to the limit, Trunks knew he could resist, but he'd wear down, and quickly. If Gohan pushed himself to the limit, it'd be irresistible.

When Gohan finally moved, he just walked towards him, confident and without concern. It was enough to make Trunks stomach turn.

There was no way he'd go down without a fight. He may have been stronger, but Trunks knew some things to be true. Gohan was a coward, and a monster. But what he also knew was that he himself, was the son of Prince Vegeta, and he would not be overwhelmed by someone as undeserving as Gohan. With this in mind, Trunks ramped up his power as much as he could.

Muscles tightened, electricity rippled around him more quickly, and his aura flickered violently. It wasn't just for show, or to warn, it was to let Gohan know that this wasn't over, not by a long shot. He'd fight until he won, or until he couldn't fight anymore.

"You know Trunks," Gohan said, stopping in front of him, crossing his arms arrogantly. "If you kneel down in front of me and surrender, I may be tempted to spare you the beating which is to come."

Anger flushed through Trunks as he felt his fists tighten.

"I'd sooner die then just give up to you."

That was the response Gohan clearly wanted to hear, and Trunks knew it.

Before Trunks could even understand what was happening, Gohan's face turned serious, and was in front of him. Just in time, Trunks stepped back, avoiding a strong blow to the face. Immediately moving back, trying to capitalize, he threw a left punch hard into Gohan's exposed ribs, it was enough to jar the other Saiyan back, before he followed up, with a quick and powerful blow to the head. Knowing this was his chance to seize the initiate, Trunks swung his knee into Gohan's gut next, before throwing another violent punch into his face, knocking the other Saiyan back.

Pulling back his left arm, the underdog from moments early threw it forward as well landing the blow right between Gohan's eyes. Skidding back across the stone floor, the other Saiyan shook his head once, trying to get his bearings.

With his teeth grit with rage, Gohan returned to battle. Immediately their two forearms crossed as the first blow was blocked on Trunks' part. Before he could respond further, a blow landed on his chest, knocking the wind out of him instantly. With a jump and a swing, Gohan's leg shot high, catching Trunks in the face with a violent kick. It was enough to send a thunderclap around the arena. Staggering to the side, Trunks did his best to recover. Surging his power forward again, he managed another block, this time allowing him to counter. Sending a jab out, looking for a blow. It was shoved aside by the older Saiyan in seconds, before he felt his own cheek almost explode from the impact of Gohan landing a vicious right punch, straight into his head.

Sliding across the floor of the ring, nearly falling over, Trunks felt his entire world become hazy and woozy. The impact of the blow had been enough to bring blood out of the edge of his eye socket. The warm liquid trailed down his face, and Trunks knew the battle was to be joined again in seconds. By the time the blood dripped from his face, he saw Gohan moving towards him in blurs of motion. Spending more power, his body protesting, Trunks dashed forward to meet him.

When Trunks saw an opening, he even felt the opening, moving at speeds near the speed of light, he took it. With all his might he threw his punch, feeling Gohan ahead of him. It was only with Saiyan eyes, focusing on his energy, that Gohan could see what happened in response. It was like fighting Piccolo. Gracefully, Gohan had slipped around the left punch, striking at his wrist with his own, before twirling around him, carrying through all the momentum of the movement, and coming back around with an incredible amount of force, driving his own Super Saiyan power into his elbow. When the blow crashed into Trunks ribs, he felt one fracture immediately, as blood vessels burst into what would soon be a bruise.

Pain shot through his entire body before he was sent reeling back, feeling his entire left side protesting at his very standing. It was then that Trunks knew that Gohan would press his advantage. Hardly thinking about it, running on instinct alone seemingly, Trunks drove his head forward hard. Slamming his skull into Gohan's, the two of them immediately fore the blow. Trunks knew Gohan felt it from the sound of dismay that came from the Saiyan as he staggered back.

Taking his moment, shaking off his wooziness, Trunks leaped forward, sending his right leg out in deadly attack in the air, before lancing Gohan in the chest with the blow. The impact was enough to send the other Saiyan off his feet, crashing to the ground below.

Trunks, remember, keep your mind and your energy in the same place. Oneness with the world around you. If you master these, you will master any opponent.

Tien had told him that, and Trunks intended to prove it to be true.

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Five Years Into the Future: Trunks

Every moment of the battle had been gruelling. The world itself trembled and rocked as the two "Super Saiyans" confronted one another. The only true Super Saiyan, Trunks knew, was himself. But even then the battle had been intense. Blasts levelled whole mountains, what had been the forest was now a wasteland. A new sea was made with the collapse of an entire region of natural walls containing the ocean from a series of lowlands. Every blow each one threw to one another, sent shockwaves out through the air.

But it was the drive to survive, that now pushed both men forward. Energy was spent mercilessly by both sides. Energy waves having done most of the damage to the landscape, the battle dragged on for what seemed like an eternity, but was really an hour. But now, as both of them depleted what little energy they had left, the pendulum had finally swung for the last time between the two.

Both of them floated in the air, and Trunks was barely conscious. It was raining all around them, showing the two blood covered, sweaty combatants in chilling rain. A fourteen year old boy stared down one of the greatest killers in the universe, who was barely able to even float. He was finished, and they both knew it by now. For all his strength, for all his boasts, it was over for him.

"Do... do you think yourself better then me?" he breathed, his face twisting with pain.

Even when he'd tried to destroy the Earth only minutes ago, Trunks had stopped him.

"I am Captain of the Planet Trade, second only to Lord Cooler himself!"

"You're a monster," Trunks responded, breathing in shakily, trying to get control over his own ailing body. "And I'm going to stop you from hurting anyone else."

"All you supposed heroes always say that. Every time you build yourselves up," the Saiyan breathed. "But I always come out on top. I always survive. I am the embodiment of my race. You think to call yourself a Super Saiyan just because you transform, look at you! You can barely fight me, and I haven't changed! I am the real Super Saiyan!"

"All you are, is finished."

In that second, in that moment, Trunks could see his nemesis make the decision to make one more attempt to win. Raising his hands to his side, the younger combatant could see what appeared to be the Cataclysm Cannon forming again. The attack that had nearly destroyed the Earth itself.

Before the attack could even truly begin, Trunks already pointed his own hand up, and massing together as much energy as he could quickly. When he fired, everything all happened in under a second. The small blast tore into the body of the older Saiyan. It did even more then Trunks expected, clearing out the other side of his stomach. Immediately, his face twisted into one of agony and shock, all his energy disappearing from his hands, before he dropped out of the sky.

When the body hit the ground with a dull thud, slapping into the mud below, all Trunks did was breath a sigh of relief. Finally, it was all over. He avenged his mentor, and all the other people this monster had killed.

Descending himself, barely with enough power, he landed next to the body, seeing fingers moving, twitching as he tried desperately to survive. Looking down into the pale, scarred face of the creature, he could see real fear.

"N...n-n... not... not like this," he rasped, trying to pull himself forward. "I-I-I... w... w... was supposed... to..." gaping his mouth for more air desperately, Trunks just felt himself be more reviled by the monster, even in its final moments. "... b...be th... the strongest."

Rolling on his back, the shredded remains of his bloody armour and chest were exposed to the sun, as it broke through the rainclouds above. It seemed for that brief moment, the warm sun was enough for the Saiyan, he just stared into it for what seemed like an eternity. Trunks had no words for him, what could he say?

Everything that he needed to say, was said.

When the clouds rolled back over the gap which the sun poured through, the last Saiyan to invade the Earth, was already dead.

And there was no one who mourned him.

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Present Time: Gohan

It took Gohan a few moments to really try and break down just how badly the last few moments had gone. Certainly he'd done more damage then Trunks had to him. He was standing again, he barely felt the pain in his body from the attacks, and he was ready for another round. But it was the shock that Trunks hadn't folded yet, that really bothered Gohan.

It was still clear he was the superior. Right now, Trunks was barely holding together a defence, and yet was somehow putting up resistance at every turn. What it really meant of course, was that Trunks was defying him.

Wiping some of the blood from his bottom lip, Gohan felt himself scowl for a moment. It was time to finish this, and he knew how to end things on his term, and quickly. One nice thing about being in the superior position, was the glaring advantage in reserves of strength and power. Of course, he knew that Trunks would put up a fight, but he was counting on that.

"So kid," Gohan sounded off, bracing himself. "How much longer do you think you can hold on?"

Right now, he'd need to 'guide' Trunks into the air.

"Long enough to beat you."

That was it. Gohan had finally had it with the brat's smart mouth and arrogant attitude. It cemented his plan in place. With a burst of speed driving forward, Gohan went low, moving under a fist originally intended for him. Putting his hands up and in front of Trunks, he released a wave of force. The power burst ahead, sending Trunks flipping into the air violently and at high speeds.

"Let's see you beat this!"

Pointing one hand up after Trunks, Gohan unleashed an attack he'd not used in years, not since before Earth.

"Catastrophe Gun!"

Suddenly bolts of energy started to fire rapidly from his hand, purple explosives flying into the air, all chasing after Trunks' trajectory. All at once, each bolt broke apart into ten other bolts. Each one streaking across the sky. Dozens of bolts turned into hundreds, and suddenly a band of explosions blasted across the sky, competing for lighting the Earth with the sun. Following Trunks' energy, Gohan could see the other Saiyan had recovered. His body was thrown about by a few blasts, but overall he'd dodged them, as Gohan had expected.

As the last few bolts exploded, the son of Goku made his next move. Disappearing from the Ring with pure speed, he moved in to strike Trunks just as he dodged the last bolt, which exploded behind him. Before he could readjust to look for him, Gohan was already on him. A striking kick crashed into his ribcage, just where he'd elbowed it before. The scream of pain which escaped his lips was satisfying to hear, like the beginning of an end of a fantastic melody.

Shifting and twirling in the air as he took after Trunks' rapidly moving frame, he zipped above him, dropping his knees into his back. Twisting and spinning, Trunks fell down towards the ring.

It was all about waiting to see him hit the stone surface, and await the glory of claiming a knockout victory. Instead, Trunks landed on his hands and feet. Dust blew around him upon the landing, and the crowd gasped in shock.

For his part, Gohan scowled. Again? He was being defied again?

Descending down in a blur of motion, the former officer of the Planet Trade stood opposite the son of Prince Vegeta. The boy was a shambles. There couldn't be more of a fight left in him, and Gohan would prove that.

"You know," Gohan finally said curtly. "I will give you credit, you certainly don't know when to give up. But you are beginning to bore me. I'm looking for a real challenge, and you are no longer accommodating me."

Just breathing, Trunks readied himself for another confrontation. As he took on a defensive stance, Gohan saw his aura flicker violently one last time. It was all he had left in this moment. This was the last stand, the last confrontation.

Which was just fine.

The entire arena had gone quiet, people stood in the stands looking on in shock. Some were still trying to get over what they were seeing of course. It was of no matter to Gohan. After he won this battle, he would go on to defeat everyone in his path. There would be no more games, if anything he toyed with Trunks too long. Giving the idiot the hope of winning was fun however, as it gave him the joy of ripping it away. Perhaps after this battle, he could finally put this all behind him. He could leave the fighter's area for a moment to embrace his mother.

After that, he could talk with Piccolo about his next match, his council would be invaluable.

"I'm don't care if you're bored," Trunks breathed. "If you're so strong, then finish it."

Finish it.

For a brief second, Gohan was reminded of the last man to say that to him. His good mood soured almost immediately as he took on his own stance. Edging forward for a brief moment, Gohan sized up his approach, making his final calculations. With a burst of his own aura, he rushed forward, taking off towards his enemy for their last joust.

Throwing out a loose backhanded strike with his left arm, the immediate shock to the elder of the two Saiyan's, was Trunks willingness to keep moving. The block was quick, and decisive, even buying Trunks time to move, which would have caused his ribs agony. Striking out with a kick next, straight and brutal, Trunks kept out of range, somehow seeing ahead of where Gohan intended to strike. With one last backhanded swing, Gohan looked to at least land a strike, but instead got sloppy, even he knew it. Ducking under the swing, and now inside his defence, Trunks lashed out. A rising uppercut exploded into his nose and upper lip, sending Gohan's head back and up. Before he could even respond, the other Saiyan landed a brutal round house kick, before stepping forward and kicking out again, landing another. Both blows made their mark, the first hitting Gohan's gut, the next hitting his chest, sending him even more off his balance. Neither of them had the affect of drawing real damage to him, but it knocked him off his game.

Snarling and turning back in on him, before he could even get any offence going, another brutal punch landed on Gohan's face, slamming into his left cheek. Thinking himself finally ahead of the game, Trunks threw his own leg up again in another kick, but this time Gohan had enough. Shoving the foot out of the way without any fanfare, he left Trunks utterly exposed. Trunks' entire defence melted in light of his aggressive assault only a second early, which was now stopped dead. Moving in, Gohan returned the blows. His left arm swung in without anything holding it back, crashing into Trunks' face, sending blood flying and his head reeling. Before he could even begin to recover, Gohan followed up with a brutal and heavy punch to the abdomen, causing Trunks to bowl over his arm and vomit blood into the ring. Before he could even finish that, and in a beautiful motion of pure strength and speed, Gohan's left came back around, uppercutting Trunks back, sending the son of Vegeta into the air, with blood shooting up in the air with him.

When he landed on his back, things became... insane. For Gohan it was maddening, watching Trunks hit the ground with a dead thud, but to immediately spring to life, rolling back and jumping forward to attack once more. Blocking an incoming high kick with his arm, the former second in command continued his beating. This time driving his left back into Trunks' head, causing more blood to spit from his mouth and nose. The attack left Trunks reeling once again. To push the point home, he slammed his right into Trunks chest, hearing the entire rib cage rattle and protest, as his insides bruised from the assault. His left then moved in, striking as well, and striking while the iron was hot. With a jump and a quick swing of his leg, a vicious and striking kick then snapped across his target's face. It left his body to follow his head in a violent fast motion to the right.

Standing there dazed, completely finished, and ready for one last blow to finally end all this, Gohan pressed his advantage. He could almost hear Trunks' lungs struggling for air, and his body ready to collapse.

Dashing in, he threw his leg forward, attempting to lance Trunks with his leg, in a blur of motion, and likely Trunks last ditch attempt to save himself, the younger fighter side stepped him, before shifting around to his side. This time, with a confident smile, Gohan threw his backhand out one last time, soaring over Trunks head as he dodged it once more.

"What?!" Gohan asked, his voice sharp and angry at his miss. Before he could follow up however, his own body was jarred.

A right haymaker carried through and slammed into his head, sending spit and blood into the air. Wooziness followed as his entire balance was finally completely knocked off. Before he could respond, Trunks had done a full spin, backhanding him viciously, as he'd intended originally to backhand him. The carry through continued however as his right came back in again, landing a third blow on his head, destroying any last semblance of balance on Gohan's part. Before he could fall a surge of Trunks' aura burst out, so powerful even he could feel it. Suddenly, the younger warrior jumped into the air, before drop kicking both his feet into his chest, releasing a wave of immense power with it.

It was all of Trunks' remaining reserves.

The world felt weightless for that moment, and Gohan felt himself carried into the air. The world sped past him as he tried to understand where he was even. Momentum carried him forward as he fear the earth beneath him rip up from the velocity he was moving, before his back crashed into a solid stone wall. Cracks shot up and around it, spreading through the wall like a spider web as Gohan's body lay imbedded in the wall for a moment. Tired but not exhausted, Gohan fell forward and landed on his knees, grass beneath his feet, before pulling himself to his feet.

Spitting out the blood in his mouth, he seethed furiously, feeling his own strength returning and growing.

You little shit! You're dead.

Before he moved back to the ring however, he heard the announcer screaming over the speakers.

"What an incredible match! Truly one not to be forgotten! And your winner, by ring out, is Trunks Briefs!"

Looking into the ring, Gohan felt his heart skip.

What!? How?! The fight wasn't over yet?! How did he-

Looking down, Gohan saw where he was standing... on the grass.

"NO!"

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Author's Notes:

Well, that wasn't easy to write! I apologize for the delays guys, I poured days into this, but its just really hard to find time to write. As you can see from this 17,500 word battle however, I am not exactly leaving this story. I am continuing forward, and will be continuing to do so. I've only had time to proof this once, and I know I need to do so again, so I apologize if there are any errors. I am a terrible proof reader however.

So, there you have it. Chapter 25.

Now if you'll excuse me, after responding to feed back, I need to go find somewhere to collapse -.-

But I bet nobody saw Gohan losing this battle. XD

Also, I know Gohan appears to have regressed a bit as a character in the last chapter or two, but its due to stress and strain, as well as circumstance. Things'll work out. ;)

Reviewers:

Pyromania101:

I'd be lying if I said I was a huge Supreme Kai fan. But if anyone thinks this will follow the Buu Saga religiously, they've got another thing coming. Expect the unexpected. And then expect the expected! :O

ShadowLDrago:

I hope it ended up being up to standard. Not as many energy attacks as I'd like from Gohan honestly, but his attacks largely level too large of an area, so he couldn't really risk too many of them.

Guest1:
Thanks.

Lil dynamtic:

Happy delayed Birthday. Lol

Guest2:

Majin!? What's a Majin!? :P

Guest3:

I think this chapter answers that. Gohan was too cocky, and was beaten by a fighter inferior to him in raw power. Gohan's got plenty left in the tank at the end of this, and Trunks is on the verge of a coma, but Trunks still won, because Gohan let himself get too exposed. He's a sloppy fighter when he thinks he's destined to win.

Roxashadow:

Poor Pan. :(

xdevil-childx:

It's a while out before I get to the next chapter, but worry not, it'll be good.

Asweetlilpixie:

This was as soon as this giant could come out. But thanks for the review as always. Next chapter you'll see a lot of... interesting things happen.

Redhunter87:

Ah, but Raditz and Turles have a lot of fun coming up, especially after the Cooler Saga. But I can't say more for The Catalyst here XD

dbzfan the First:

I personally don't think so, but thanks!

Violet Ace:

It's not as brutal as I originally intended, but it's brutal enough. Trunks needs the senzu, ouch is he hurt. Fighting on with broken ribs sucks.

MasenkoX:

I hope it was worth the wait.

Skittymon:

I dunno if Gohan will ever get real friends XD

But thank you for the review. I appreciate it. :)

xxxpossessedforlifexxx:

You get Trunks thoughts now! :D

Eveline:

Thanks as always. Also, I think Pan and Gohan are obviously cute. Lol

She's also totally his weak spot right now. Other then arrogance -.-

Brelic:

Check next chapter out for the answer to that question.

Maesde:

Videl is very fucked up. If things go as I plan, everyone who reads this story is going to have a "WTF" moment when it comes to Videl and her long list of mental health issues.

Wild-Dog84:

You'll find Pan is a massive part of the story moving forward. Especially post-this saga. The next Saga when it gets rolling has a lot to do with Pan.

Gan:

Majin Videl would be lol

Xenez:

He's a creature of circumstance. The entire character's personality was sculpted by me imagining what Gohan would be like under the terrible circumstances I put him through.

Guest4:

I tried dawg.

Guest5:

Gohan didn't think he could impregnate humans, because he always thought of himself as a full Saiyan. Dogs can't get cats pregnant. Neither can an octopus get a human pregnant. He assumed there couldn't be cross fertilization. He was wrong.

The Third Saiyan From Earth:

I hope you can write something better then I can! I'm hardly that good of an author.