"Gotu!" Trunks yelled and quickly pulled her away before Vegito's fist made contact with her face.

Trunks turned to her as they landed a few feet away from Vegito. "Are you crazy?!"

"Our Vegito is still left in there somewhere, Trunks. I know it. I saw it back when he tried to kill Bulma."

"Gotu, I don't know what you saw, but he clearly has no qualms about pounding your face in. I know you want him back, but I'm not sure that's an option anymore." Trunks turned back to his son as anger began boiling inside of him. "Tell her. Tell her you're gone!" He commanded.

Vegito chucked. "No, she is right. The old Vegito is still here, but even that part of me knows that these sacrifices are worth the power. I hadn't planned on killing any of you, but if it needs to be that way, then I will do it."

Trunks began to walk toward his son as anger pushed his super Saiyan transformation upon him. "Trunks!" Gotu yelled. "You can't kill him!" Vegeta stepped next to her, staring as his son and grandson prepared to lock themselves in a fierce confrontation.

"Gotu, I can assure you that not a single person here wants to kill Vegito, but what else would you have us do if he refuses to stop this tirade on the universe? Your son may still be in there, or he might not, but if we have to sacrifice this timeline, this planet, to find out, we may as well just go home now."

Gotu looked down at her feet, contemplating Vegeta's words. "I won't stop trying to bring him back. Not until we have absolutely no other option. But I think you and Trunks need to have a little more faith in him…"

Vegeta nodded. "Perhaps, but I've never led my life based on faith. The only thing that matters to me is what is right in front of me. Currently, that includes your son about to kill mine."

Gotu turned back to Trunks and Vegito. Both were standing in front of one another, auras powerful and glowing. One enveloped in yellow; the other, in red. Vegeta was right. It was clear that Vegito's power far outmatched that of Trunks'. "We need to fight together." She whispered.

"I know that. I'm still not confident we have a chance. Are you prepared to kill him if need be? If not, you will need to stay on the side or you'll just be a nuisance to us."

Gotu's heart pounded at Vegeta's words. If she stayed on the side, they would certainly have no chance, but if she was going to help, she needed to accept that she might need to wipe her son from this world. "I will help."

Gotu and Vegeta powered up to super Saiyan 2 and walked beside Trunks. No further words were spoken as the battle began. Trunks lunged forward and let his fist meet the left side of Vegito's face. Barely struggling at the blow, Vegito turned his face back to meet Trunks and smiled. "You'll need a lot more power than that to scratch me."

Vegeta and Gotu flew at Vegito next, and the three began pummeling him with punches and kicks. Their speed was incredible. The brawl slowly rose into the air with the blows continuing to come too quickly for the average human eye to catch. None of their hits seemed to affect Vegito more than being a minor annoyance, however, and he grew bored with their attempts.

He spread his arms and legs out in a flash, sending a wave of power around him and knocking the three off of him.

"Nothing we're doing is even having an effect on him!" Trunks yelled. "He's more powerful than I ever could have imagined…" Coming up behind Trunks, Gotu wrapped his hand in hers and leaned some of her weight on his side.

"I don't think we can win." She whispered by his ear. "I love you." The words sent lightening through Trunks' body. They had been together for almost two decades, and he heard her say it many times before, but this was different. She believed they would die today. Gotu, someone who had always embodied optimism and life, so much like her father, had accepted her fate in those few short moments of battle.

Vegito saw his mother gently take his father's hand. He watched as they stole a quick moment from the battle to love one another. He felt ill to the very pit of his stomach as an image that sat on his father's desk at home came to his mind. The picture was in a small silver frame and held a photo of his parents sitting on a towel at the beach, holding each other close as they looked down at their young son, playing with a crab. Suddenly, the blood red color of his hair faltered for a moment, turning the yellow of a super Saiyan's.

"What was that?!" Trunks exclaimed as he noticed the quick change. The hair returned to its red hue.

"I told you! He might still be in there! But what's triggering the change?" Gotu wondered aloud.

Vegeta looked at the couple's hands intertwined. "It's seeing you both together like that." He flicked his head toward their hands.

"You think so?" Trunks mumbled in astonishment, looking down.

"We have to try to bring the good in him back to the surface. We won't be able to beat him like this. It's the only way." Gotu said, hope growing within her.

Vegito held his head and drifted down to the ground as more memories of his parents began to flow through him.

"VEGITO!" Gotu desperately called out to her son, who was clearly battling within himself. He raised his head slightly and met her eyes with his own.

"You have to listen to me carefully. You are not this person, Vegito. No matter what you think, you aren't! I know you've made mistakes, son. The man you nearly killed at the World Tournament, the way you destroyed Freeza, or coming back here to begin with. I know you've struggled with a part of yourself you didn't understand, but I never knew how serious it might be. I'm sorry, Vegito, for not seeing how needed us to help you choose good. You have no idea how much we missed you while you've been gone. Waiting for Bulma to finish the second time machine was like torture for us, but I never dreamed I would come here and find you so lost. You are better than this, son. Let us help you." As Gotu finished, Trunks wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close to him.

Vegito's head began to ache with a pain that was beyond his imagination. His heart seemed to pump with every word his mother spoke. It was strange the power her voice had over him, but she had no idea the power he now possessed. He had barely scratched the surface in their battle so far. Giving into her words would mean he may never be able to tap into the well of power again.

"No, mother. I refuse to give up this power, and this life I am creating for myself here!" He found that choosing to refuse her words gave him clarity.

"So you believe this power to be more important than anything? The lives and happiness of those who have given everything to care for you? Have I, your grandfather, and Kakarot taught you nothing in all of your years? Power can be achieved in many ways. Yes, you can choose to gain it through means of killing everyone who opposes you. Freeza, the tyrant you were so hell bent on destroying accomplished that quite well in his years. However, if you choose to be like that creature and roam the galaxy killing anything and everything in your wake, destroying Bulma and Kakarot just to rid yourself of haunting memories, then you are no grandson of mine. I have enjoyed the years that you and I spent in each other's company, and that could never have happened if it weren't for the timeline of events. You have destroyed everything that created a life you enjoyed. And to go after your young, defenseless grandmother here? It's repulsive." Vegeta spat at the ground as he finished.

Anger swelled inside of Vegito, but he still couldn't fight the images now appearing of his time with his grandfather. His grandfather Vegeta had always been his favorite person. Somehow, having the approval of this timeline's Prince Vegeta made him feel like his grandfather had approved of what he was doing here. But now, with his true grandfather standing in front of him, it was clear that he hated what Vegito had become. Vegito remembered the times they spent training. No one could push him like his grandfather for they shared an intensity and complexity that no one else understood. Yet, the choices Vegeta had made in his life always confused Vegito. One of the strongest royal men in the universe had chosen to settle down with an average woman instead of collecting the dragon balls and bringing back his planet or gaining immortality and ruling everything. Seeing both the Vegeta of the past and the current Vegeta had helped Vegito to realize that the darkness in Vegeta's soul never truly left; it was part of who he was. He had, however, chosen to follow the good within him. He made a choice. Vegito had the same choice to make.

Vegito's face softened, looking once again like the innocent young man that had left the future, and he stepped slowly forward to meet Trunks. "Father." He said warmly and held out his hand, as though for a handshake.

Trunks smiled and stepped away from Gotu and Vegeta to meet his son's hand. "Vegito."

Almost too quickly for even a Saiyan's eyes to see, Vegito conjured up a small, incredibly powerful blast and shot it through his father's heart.

Just like that, in one fleeting moment, Trunks, son of Vegeta, was gone.