Trunks crashed into the ground with the force of an artillery strike. The earth cracked and cratered inward. Rock shrapnel and dust went everywhere.

If I wasn't hurting after that scuffle with Goku…well I'm definitely in pain now.

The youth coughed out blood as he tried to sit up. His back and left side felt like they were on fire. His eyes were watering from the dust.

"Trunks! Are you alright?" The voice had come from Goku – the real Goku. At least he wouldn't get the two mixed up. All he had to do was attack the Goku who wasn't wearing an orange gi.

"Y-yeah!" Trunks shouted back as he got to his feet. He slowly rose up into the air to rejoin Goku and Piccolo. He felt nauseous – probably a concussion. He hadn't had a chance to put up an energy barrier before he got up close and personal with the dirt. "You know," he said. "I am really sick of getting shot at while my guard is down…"

The clone Goku cracked an eyebrow at the remark, but then he just laughed. It was scary to hear such a vile sound in a voice that was exactly like the real Goku's. His tail whipped behind him. "Please forgive me," he said. "I really wanted to see the look of total surprise on Son Goku's face when we would first meet. But you just had to go and spoil it for me, and I had a hard time containing my disappointment."

Goku smiled. "If it's any small comfort, this is extremely unnerving from my point of view."

"I guess that will have to do," the clone said with a shrug.

"Why did you come here?" asked Piccolo. "What could possibly exist for you in this timeline?"

The clone held up an arm and extended his index finger. He pointed at Goku.

"Figures," Goku muttered.

"You did all of this just so you could kill Goku?" asked Trunks. "Was Dr. Gero so obsessed that he had to kill every Goku in existence?"

"Not quite," the clone said. "Dr. Gero might have set the basic parameters for my creation, but my purpose is my own." He extended both of his arms. "I was born into this world without a reason to exist so I created one.

"I don't just want to kill Son Goku. I want to become Son Goku." He looked Goku straight in the eye. "When I kill you, I will be able to take your name and reputation. However, I have different priorities than you do. I will ensure that all living beings fear the name 'Son Goku.' Your name will be vilified throughout all planes of existence.

"I easily could have done as much in my own timeline," the clone added. "However, I can not take your reputation in good conscious while you still exist in another dimension. I needed to prove to myself that I am worthy of the name Son Goku, and the best way to do that is to kill you."

"How honorable of you," Goku deadpanned. "Your personality is pretty warped considering you're a clone of me."

"From my point of view, your personality is the warped one," the clone countered. "The computer that handled my conception was sure to make my Saiyan tendencies the most dominate. Just like yours once were."

Goku sighed. "My genes gave you life, and this is what you want to do with them?"

"I represent everything you could be," the clone said. "You have incredible power that could give you everything you want, yet you refuse to use it. For that reason alone, you don't deserve it. On the other hand, I don't have such reservations."

Trunks was stunned. I really thought that this guy was just another one of Gero's abominations. But there's no way Gero could give one of his creations this kind of ambition. This clone truly has evolved beyond his original programming. Just like Goku evolved beyond his Saiyan instincts.

The clone focused on something that the three warriors couldn't see. "It seems that Son Gohan is on his way," he said with quiet concern. "Four on one…and I don't know the full capabilities of any of you."

His eyes turned to Piccolo. "For now, Goku is my only target," he said. "I'd rather not take any unnecessary risks…"

The clone disappeared and reappeared right in front of Piccolo. Trunks gasped. He knows how to use the Instantaneous Movement technique!

Piccolo tried to put up a defense stance, but was too slow. The clone struck him in the solar plexus with ease. Piccolo heaved as the wind left his lungs. While he was dazed, the clone grabbed Piccolo's arm and spun around with all of his might.

The rapid change in motion was too much for Piccolo's body to take. His arm was torn right out of its socket. Purple-pigmented blood squirted out from the shredded arteries.

"P-Piccolo!" Goku shouted. Piccolo screamed in pain as he clutched at his right shoulder.

The clone released his grip on Piccolo's severed arm. He hovered above him and struck Piccolo again in the solar plexus, this time with a kick. Piccolo spiraled to the ground, striking with similar force as Trunks had.

"Damn you!" Goku shouted and dropped into an attack stance. Trunks did the same.

The clone turned to face them. "Only your death matters," he said looking at Goku. "At least for right now." Then he blasted away leaving Goku and Trunks caught in his sonic boom. The shockwaves slowly dissipated.

"Okay," Trunks said. "Now you have an idea of what I've had to deal with."

"You were right," Goku said. "He looked just like me. Even the tail." He gestured towards the ground. "We've got to tend to Piccolo."

Trunks nodded. The two warriors dropped to earth below where Piccolo lay, still clutching his ruined limb. "Are you going to be alright?" Goku asked.

"Once I can gather enough energy, I'll be able to regenerate," Piccolo muttered.

A small shockwave brushed against them from behind. Goku and Trunks turned around and saw Gohan coming towards them. "What happened?" he asked when he saw Piccolo.

"Long story," Goku said. He noticed Gohan was wearing his Great Saiyaman costume, which was torn to shreds. "Did I do that?"

"Only if you have a tail," Gohan replied. Then he saw Trunks. "I knew I recognized that other power level!"

Trunks smiled. "It's really good to see you Gohan."

"We don't have time for this!" Piccolo urged. "The clone's getting away! I'll be fine, so go after him! I'll catch up once I've recovered."

"That thing's a clone?" Gohan asked.

"I'm going alone," Goku said.

This produced a simultaneous "What?" from everyone else present.

"He's only after me," Goku said. "And he's not going to fight me unless it's one on one. Besides, he wants me to follow him."

"How do you know?" asked Gohan.

"He knows how to use the Instantaneous Movement technique," Goku said. "He easily could've teleported away while hiding his power level. But instead, he flew outta here at high speed, which requires energy to do."

Trunks caught on to Goku's line of logic. "Like a trail of breadcrumbs…"

"I don't like this," Piccolo said. "He's made it very clear that he wants to kill you. This is obviously a trap."

Goku shrugged. "I'm sure I can count on you guys to get me out of there if things turn bad."

"How about this?" Trunks asked. "That clone was willing to take on three of us. I don't think he'll run if only one of us backs up Goku."

"Are you volunteering?" asked Goku.

"No," Trunks said. "I actually need to make a little side trip – to Gero's lab."

"Why there?" asked Gohan. "Isn't that place just a crater now?"

Trunks reached into his coat and pulled out a capsule case. He picked one out and opened it. A PDA appeared in his hand. "I'm sure it is," he said. "In my timeline, however, I found a file about the clone while I was at the lab. I wasn't able to take it with me, because I didn't have a device to store it in. Chances are, that the computer was destroyed when Krillin blasted the lab, but if there is an off chance that it survived then I want to get my hands on that file. It may give us a weakness, or at the very least, more information."

Goku nodded. "Gohan, you go with him. You two know more about computers than we do. I'll go deal with the clone. Piccolo, when you're ready to fight again, come back me up."

"Very well then," Piccolo said.

Trunks brought Gohan up to speed on the situation as the two headed for Metro North. From the theft of the Time Machine to the clone's mission, he explained in as much detail as possible. "Any questions?" he asked.

"Is your mother going to be alright?"

Trunks blew out a breath. "Thankfully yes. I'm not sure how I would be able to go on without her. She's all I have left."

Gohan wasn't sure what to say. During the battle with Super Buu, he had lost everyone as well, but he had the Dragon Balls to cling to. Trunks had no such hope. His timeline represented the worst-case scenario that could happen.

Changing the subject, Gohan asked, "So how did you get here?"

Trunks looked confused. "What do you mean?"

"You said that the clone stole your Time Machine and came here. So how were you able to get here without one?"

"I did have a Time Machine," Trunks said with a smirk. "There are two, remember?"

Gohan didn't for a moment, but then it came it him. "You used the Time Machine that Cell came in."

Nine years ago when the Z-Warriors fought the Artificial Humans, a second Time Machine was discovered. They later learned that Cell had killed Trunks in a third timeline and used the Time Machine to come to the past to absorb #17 and #18. During his investigation, Trunks had sealed the Time Machine back in its capsule and took it with him back to the future.

"Over the last three years, my mother worked on and off to get it back in working condition," Trunks said. "I never thought that I would have to use it though."

Another thought occurred to Gohan. "How were either of you able to come to this timeline anyway? If you traveled back in time, wouldn't you just end up in the past of your timeline?"

"The Time Machine uses an anchor system," Trunks said. "When I came to this timeline the first time, the Time Machine deployed a 'memory anchor' so that I would be able to return to this dimension. There's a similar one in my time too. I had to configure the second Time Machine to lock onto it in case the first one has been destroyed."

"So that's how you were able to come back to our time again three years after your initial visit," Gohan said.

"And it's also how the clone was able to come here right now," Trunks finished.

The wind had become much colder. They were getting closer.

"You're way stronger than when you fought Cell," Trunks said. "I didn't think it was possible for you to get much more powerful than you were."

"Yeah," Gohan said. "It's one hell of a story. If we get through this I'll be sure to fill you in on it."