~~~ Ch 3 - Three of my Father ~~~

12/1-2/2022; 12/14/2022 ~ DBZ Ep 131: More Androids?! ~ DBZ Ep 132: Follow Dr. Gero ~ Cell by Cell: Ch 6-7

As the time machine reappeared three years into the future, I was so unbelievably glad that I didn't drink more than I did. My stomach was not happy with the effects of warping through space… Future Father slammed a fist into the button that released the hatch and he escaped as soon as the click sounded that it was unlocked. My body instantly shifted to fill the space he left as I took a deep breath of fresh air. Perhaps I was claustrophobic? I wasn't this affected the first time I traveled.

The man peered over my shoulder, keeping distance but close enough to get a good look at the dash which read out the time and date we landed in. It was 11:25 AM on May 12th, age 767. I climbed out of the chamber, finally feeling better as I floated in the air. We were still in the desert, but the sun wasn't at its peak yet. I discreetly whipped the sweat off my forehead, making it seem as though I was just grabbing the capsule box in my pocket.

Vegeta complained, "You're late. Do you make a habit out of being unreliable?"

My brow scrunched as I capsulized my time machine and put it away back in its case and stored it away in my jacket. What did he mean by that?! I've not even done anything yet! The only thing I did do was kill Freeza, which I did efficiently might I add! So we were an hour late… They shouldn't need my help anyways!

"I didn't try to be! I typed in the coordinates like Mom said to! Grah! And I don't have enough energy to go back further or else I won't be able to make it back to my time…"

"Tch, well come on. They're this way," Father guided, taking flight and I had no choice but to follow him. He kept to a fast pace, but it wasn't at a super saiyan level of flight so I was able to catch up and stick to his side.

Curiosity got the better of me as I stumbled over my words, "I… You didn't explain… I mean… Why are you here? Did I fail or something?" The only thing that made sense was that he had to be a Vegeta from this timeline, not my own. But that would mean I'd have failed… That'd be the only reason for him to say I was unreliable, right?

He replied, "Hmph, no. Your meddling was dangerous, but we pulled through." His posture was almost relaxed… Well, the most relaxed I've seen of him so far… "I'm not here for a purpose. It's been years since I've had a challenge and my ship just so happened to get bumped off course. My being here is probably screwing with time, but if anything it's the woman's fault, not mine."

I blinked my eyes as the information sunk in, "Wait, you mean you're here just for leisure?! What are you, crazy?! Mom said you were proud and hot headed, but this is just asinine!"

Father instantly tensed again and bared his teeth at the accusation, "Tch, you don't know anything about me, boy."

The reaction made me gulp, and inch away from him just in case he decided to lash out at me for what I said that had offended him. I couldn't figure this guy out! Could he really be so arrogant as to mess with the timeline just because he could? Or was there a deeper meaning behind it? I couldn't imagine my father wanting to be here saving the Earth. Mom had reminded me plenty of times that Dad was not a hero by any means. But then again maybe he would? Mom also said that somewhere deep down she saw something in Vegeta… Maybe time can change him?

I didn't know how long into the future he'd be from. It had to be by a lot considering the condition of him. He was lean and his face just looked tired. Something I could never imagine my father to ever be able to become from the stories Gohan told of the man. He was in a state that only years of stress could give a person. I drew the connection between my own mother of my time. But yet, this Vegeta knew peace time for him to drop his guard for that second when he confirmed to me that he was from another future.

Well, he had to have known peace time if his reason for being here was because there weren't any enemies to fight… "What's it like? The future for you, I mean. You said we pulled through."

"You're happy," came the simple answer.

I waited for more, but more never came. I encouraged, "That's all you're going to say?"

The man said calmly, "I don't know what you want me to say. You need me to spill the details? Gods, you're just like your mother." The words he said would have been in annoyance if he was the younger version I met earlier, but his tone was different. It was like he didn't actually mean what he said. Like it was a joke… And the silence remained, to my disappointment. With a sigh, Father continued on his own, "I don't know what kind of impact my presence will have on this universe. If I tell you things, they might not happen. Hell they might not happen even if I don't tell you. So you're just going to have to suck it up until we end this and go to your time."

His tone changed to be harsh and serious, making me gulp. His answers also made me confused. This Vegeta actually seemed to care about his affect on the timeline, so he wasn't here to screw things up on purpose. It wasn't Father's intention to ruin what I was trying to do, so he had to have a heart or at least a less stubborn one than I'd given him credit for. But, then what? And what did he mean by… "We?"

"I'm going with you. After all, this is a pleasure trip. Might as well stop by and say hello. Your mother is available…" the older saiyan smirked evilly… He didn't actually mean… He was older so maybe they'd be the same age, but… Oh Kami, why?!

"What?! Eww! Gross! I did not need that image in my head!" I coughed and wiped my eyes with my hands to get rid of the mental image I'd been given. It was one thing to explain to Goku the very basics that I'd been told by Mom about their 'getting together' but it was another for my father to tell me his intentions with my mother!

The man laughed a full blown genuine laugh at my reaction. Great, he has a twisted sense of humor… Mom said he was never the laughing type, though. And honestly, the sound erased my complete embarrassment the original comment gave me. Vegeta calmed his laughter and suggested, "Maybe it'll teach you to keep your questions to yourself, then."

I nervously nodded, not wanting to get on his bad side by asking anything more. I didn't really know how to interact with him. Mom said he wasn't someone to get close to, but I think she always said that so she could get over the grief in her own way. It wasn't often, but I knew she wept some nights thinking of everyone she'd lost. We'd lost. Including Dad. She'd tell stories about him sometimes, usually making him out to be a loner and heartless. But she still loved him, so I just needed to learn for myself.

My eyes wandered over to him again. His hair was cut and one of his sleeves was rolled up, showing he was lean. His hands were calloused, but comparable to my own. Fighter's hands. He didn't blink when he sped up the pace of our flight. Testing my abilities. Flight was the first thing Gohan taught me, so I didn't disappoint him.

We flew around the glode, passing by the southern islands, heading north to the mainland. I could sent it then: the power of two super saiyans in battle. The power coming from them was insane! I could match the one of my young Father compared to the older one next to me. He was stronger than I was! Those androids didn't stand a chance!

A flash of white passed us by and I blinked confused when I sensed the energy nearby, "Wait a second, was that Mom?!"

Vegeta confirmed, "Yes. The woman's got a death wish."

Panic filled me instantly. What was Mom doing out here?! Father and Goku were still super saiyan meaning the fight wasn't over yet! "Shouldn't we stop her?! The androids are still out there!"

The old man sighed, "Trying to convince that woman of anything is a waste of time."

Before I was able to chastise him, he stopped flight on a dime, making me put on the breaks. "You stopped…" He was supposed to not care. Mom said he didn't care. Did she lie, or was this Vegeta different? Why else would he have…

When I looked down, I suppose I got my answer. We were above a battlefield. Most likely where the battle started after leaving the island city. I looked around, expecting some sort of evidence… And found a white head of an android I didn't know laying ominously in the dust by a crater caused by a powerful ki blast.

I panicked, "Wh-what? What is this? What does it mean?! This isn't one of the androids I know! Father, did you know about this?!"

An explosion went off in the distance and I cursed aloud. Vegeta rushed, "Make up your mind already, brat. Are you stopping the androids or the woman?"

Damn, he had a point! There was only enough time to either stop Young Mother from getting too close to the battlefield, or to join the battle and prevent anything bad from happening… The androids were more important. Mom can make her own decisions. The others need to stay safe!

So I burst off into flight again towards the fight that lay ahead. Father matched my speed instantly, keeping up with the increased speed. I asked, "Is it possible that the androids' appearances changed?! Or are there more androids?!" Father never replied, only giving a low grumble of words I couldn't hear over the wind.

As we both joined the Z Fighters of the past in the sky, Piccolo announced, "Trunks is back!"

I looked down to what I presumed would be the androids, but I saw something different instead… An old man in baggy pants and black vest. His hair was stark white and long, including his mustache. His brain showcased from a polycarbonate dome. There was no doubt that this was an android, but I'd never imagined one to look like this. He was human, and had a brain apparently, but he was also a machine as showcased by his missing right hand.

"I see it, but I don't believe it. This one's different too," I informed the others. "Yeah. Even though I've never seen him before, I can tell that he's one of Dr. Gero's creations."

"Say what?! What do you mean you haven't seen him before?! Isn't he one of the androids you warned us about?!" Vegeta of the present yelled at me.

"You don't mean this is a different android, do you?!" Goku asked.

"Yes. This one's different," I answered.

Krillin and Tien complained, "Man, that's not good. It can't be."

Father -the one beside me- blinked, "Kakarot… What are you doing here?"

The younger saiyan questioned, "Hm? What do you mean? I'm here to fight the androids like everyone else."

"I can see that, but…" the future Vegeta stammered.

I turned to him. He was confused why Goku was here? Did that mean that Goku was supposed to have died after all? Even with my prevention? Did that mean it worked this time and not the first time? Could Father's influence have changed it that much? I mean, he was spending time with Goku before I came. Maybe Goku never got the virus in the first place then? This was good, right?

"Listen, if that's not the android you warned us about, then who is it?!" Vegeta of the present screamed at me again.

This version of Father was more what I expected… Well, yeah I guess that'd make sense. Mom didn't have that much time with Dad before the androids showed up. Obviously the younger one would represent my real Dad better than the future one. But was that really a good thing? The stories Mom told me…

Krillin lightly interfered, "Hey, Vegeta, cut the kid a little slack, would ya? So a few of the things he told us changed. Maybe this did too. We found two androids just like he said we would. Does it really matter that they don't look the same?"

Tien conceded, "I hope you're right."

The bickering was interrupted by the sound of a jet in the distance. Krillin announced the distraction, "Hey Gohan, look! There's Bulma and Yajirobe!"

As the jet got closer to the group, we could hear my young mom call out, "Helloooooo!" as she waved at the group and circled the jet around them. Yajirobe complained loudly about the android being there and Mom looked curiously at the android on the ground.

"What are you doing?! Don't come down here!" I exclaimed protectively. I almost forgot that she was on her way! Damnit, I should have stopped her when I had the chance! It looked like this android didn't stand a chance by how damaged he already was!

"Enjoy the short lived victory while you are able! For soon I shall unleash androids 17 and 18 to destroy you all!" the android called from the ground, announcing his escape.

"17 and 18?" Piccolo and young Vegeta asked as the android released a powerful burst of energy which picked up dust and smoke and rock. The gusts of wind pulled Bulma and her jet out of the sky.

I reacted out of instinct, leaping out to catch the spiraling jet. Vegeta, the future one, also caught the jet, pulling Mom from the vehicle. I easily caught the baby that flew from her arms. As the smoke and dust settled, we all landed softly on the ground below. I released a sigh in relief that nothing bad happened. She gave me a heart attack!

"Aaah! Wow! I'm still alive!" Bulma cried out and let out a breath as Vegeta set her gently on her feet. "Ah! Where's my baby?!" she added as she looked around for her version of me in my arms. She snatched the child from my gasp and called, "Oh! There you are! Oh! Thank you! You saved Trunks!"

The irony was not lost on me. I had indeed just saved myself from what could have been a gruesome death… Goddamnit, Mom! Be more careful! My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to calm down. Although to be honest, with the fact that it was indeed myself that was alive and seemingly well from the solid cries, I couldn't help but sigh in relief. I existed in this timeline. It was oddly comforting.

"Impossible!" the loud burly voice of a young Vegeta screamed out among the rocky landscape, bringing my attention to him. He didn't even make the slightest attempt to save my mom. Since I existed that meant he had to care about her, right?

Goku's eyes turned from us on the ground back up to the landscape where the android used to be and he whined, "Ah, now where'd he go?! Aw man!"

Vegeta's voice complained loudly again, "The android! He vanished! Blast it!"

"Bulma!" Gohan's voice cut the bickering in the air as the young Son distended to the Earth's surface with Krillin right behind him calling, "Are you alright?!"

"We're okay guys! Thanks to these mystery men!" Bulma assured back, making Gohan and Krillin give their own words of gratitude.

Young Vegeta screamed out in defiance, "You'll never get away from me, android!"

A low growl sounded from deep in my throat. Why hadn't Goku or my dad made a move to do anything about the explosion? It could have easily killed my past/present self and mother! Mom praised Goku as a hero to me, but Goku didn't even try to save her… Well, at least Goku looked concerned, unlike my father.

Father didn't give our group even a glance. It made me so angry at his dismissal of us.. Them… How could he be so cruel and heartless to not even glance to see if Bulma was okay?! Mom said this might happen, but I refused to believe her. How could my own dad do that?!

"Hey! Why didn't you try to save them, Vegeta?!" I accused after taking to the sky and floating in front of the past version of what should have been my father.

Vegeta gave me an annoyed look and rolled his eyes, "Who?"

I further accused, "Who?! Bulma and your son!"

The saiyan scoffed, "Oh, them. I have more important things to worry about than that foolish woman and her blasted child. Now out of my way!"

With that, the man blasted off into the sky with a swirl of ki trailing behind. I couldn't help but sneer at his response. What the hell?! The androids are important, but the life of family is a bit more important, right?! Was a fight really more important than we were? Gohan told me a little bit about what Dad was like on the battlefield. Said Dad could get carried away. But this much?

"Hey! Wait up!" Goku called as he followed the slightly older saiyan through the air.

"Leave me alone, Kakarot! Look elsewhere, we'll cover more ground!" the man growled back.

"Right!" the younger replied and split off to continue their search for the hidden android in the rock formations.

~~~Flashback~~~

"Hey, Gohan?" I asked, sitting next to the man I considered my master and big brother.

He turned to look at me and greeted, "Hey, kiddo. Sorry, was just thinking. It's easy to lose track of time out here."

I looked out across the devastated ruins that used to be a big city just north-east of West City. We moved between the two cities to best stay hidden from the androids. It was just past sunset and the sky was still purple with the last rays of sunlight. It was beautiful to look at, but I couldn't help but imagine just how pretty it would be if the buildings weren't destroyed.

"Can you tell me another story about my dad?" I sheepishly asked, breaking the silence between us as I dangled my feet off the edge of the building.

"You really like your dad, eh?" Gohan ruffled my hair. When I nodded, he looked out to the now blackening sky and towards the stars breaking the atmosphere. "He wasn't a great guy, Trunks. Not all the stories I have of your dad are good to tell."

"Mom says the same thing, but I can take it. I want to know all about him," I added.

Gohan sighed a breathy chuckle, "Alright. I told you a bit about Namek, right? I told you about that time your dad saved me and Krillin from the Ginyu Force last time? Well, it was a bit after that. We were able to steal the Dragon Balls from Freeza and Krillin and I took them away while your dad was preoccupied. We wished for Piccolo to come back to life and be brought to Namek. When your dad found out what we did, he was furious. He forced Dende to wish the dragon for immortality, but before the wish could be granted they stopped working. Your dad was never scarier than he was in that moment. But what was even more terrifying was the fact that he stopped when Freeza showed up. I didn't know just how scary that monster truly was until he made Vegeta scared for his life… But your dad… He doesn't stop at anything. He took on Freeza. Even knowing he didn't stand a chance. He asked Freeza to transform, even when he couldn't take the monster in the state he was in already. He had a lot to prove, and he let that get in the way. If he didn't provoke Freeza, maybe things would have gone differently. Maybe he could have taken Freeza just a little bit longer. But in the second form, he didn't stand a chance… And neither did we…"

I digested the story, commenting, "But he saved you. He corrected his mistake, right, Gohan?"

"Not that time, kid… He couldn't. He watched as Freeza nearly killed us both. He's not a hero. He didn't put his own life in danger for others. That's just who he was."

"But what other choice did he have?" I questioned. "If Freeza's as bad as he sounds, then that was the only thing he could do. It's all we can do against the androids!"

"Maybe you're right," Gohan nodded, but when his gaze remained on the stars I knew he wasn't so confident. It wasn't often that Gohan talked badly about my dad, but sometimes it was the things he didn't say that spoke louder.