AN: Yet again, only wording changes and grammatical errors fixed. I have some more written and I am debating if I should upload it as chapter 4 (even though it's only about a page).
Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ or its characters.
Trunks awoke with a groan. He was sore all over and his head was reeling. What had happened? He couldn't remember. He opened his eyes slowly taking in the dying light that still seemed excessively bright thanks to his pounding headache. He took in the shocking scenery. The once overcrowded and lively amusement park was deserted and left in ruin. There were pieces of debris littered everywhere. Cars left abandoned were half sunk in the dirt as were fragments of other edifices. It all came back in a flash; Gohan's urgency, their flight there in pursuit of the androids, the android's attacks on Gohan, his own impetuous actions, the flash of energy coming straight at him. That was where it went blank. He must have been knocked out. Then what of the androids? And of Gohan?
"Gohan?" he called out apprehensively. There he was flat on his stomach, beat up but intact except for the missing arm. Sighing in relief Trunks examined himself. His skin was unscathed with a somewhat luminous sheen to it. Had Gohan given up his last senzu bean for him? What an idiot! he thought. Risking his own life to protect me. Trunks could feel a familiar tug in his heart. Maybe his feelings were reciprocated even if only in a small way. Better get him to Mom. He needs a safe and warm place to rest up. His arm needs checked out, and he should probably eat something as well. He grasped under Gohan's armpits lifting him as gently as possible trying not to wake the man. He held onto him keeping him close to his chest as he flew. Trunks couldn't help but smile at this reticent contact.
Bulma was startled out of her work when she heard grunts coming from behind her. Agape she turned to find Trunks carrying an unconscious Gohan.
"Huh? Oh, my gosh! What happened Trunks?" she shrieked.
"To be blunt, we got beat up."
"Oh, no! His arm! Get him to a bed, Trunks, hurry!" Her tone was stern.
An hour later Gohan began to stir, filling the room with painful moans. Trunks started at the object of his affection with guilt heavy on his heart. If he had eaten the senzu bean instead would his arm have grown back? He was unsure. He had not known of anyone regaining limbs with the help of senzu beans, but none of his immediate friends had ever lost a limb before. At least not lost a limb and survived long enough to miss it. Trunks would have offered to give up his own arm for Gohan if it would have helped. He knew that Gohan would never accepted it even if it could have been transplanted.
"Now, Gohan, this is going to hurt," Bulma warned. She wished she had some anesthesia, but with the androids havoc medicine had grown scarce. "Just hold still." She began her work of stitching up his arm. The needle plunged into his skin causing a violent scream to fill the otherwise silent night. Trunks covered his ears, sliding his way down the floor to a sitting position. He rocked back and forth trying to drown out the cries of agony that he felt responsible for. He tried, but failed to keep from crying.
Hours later, Gohan had passed out from the pain, and Trunks had reentered the room. He sat beside the bed, staring down at his love and praying with all his might that he would recover soon. Gohan's upper body was almost entirely covered in bandages. He could not help but stare at the stub of his arm in sadness.
"Isn't it a strange coincidence that you happened to run into Gohan while he was on his way to fight the androids at Super World?"
"Life's funny like that sometimes."
"So you say, Trunks dear. I know what you're up to. I wasn't born yesterday you know? Why is it that teenagers think their parents are so stupid?" Just then Gohan stirred groaning. Both Bulma and Trunks stared at him anxiously.
"The doctor said he'd be out for a week," Bulma exclaimed.
"Where are those…darn…androids." Pure determination drove Gohan. He would not lie in this bed passed out wasting entire days. Instead he put his full strength into recuperating. He rested, drank fluids, ate heartily, and slowly began to exercise his muscles. Within only three days he was back on his feet training Trunks.
This thrilled Trunks beyond belief, yet he felt the weight of his own insufficiency more than ever before. If he was only stronger this might never have happened to Gohan. How could he admit his love for this man now? After he had caused him to lose an arm. He was unworthy. Trunks threw himself into training. He needed to go Super Saiyan. He needed to be able to fight equally with Gohan. He wanted nothing more than to be able to protect him and the rest of the world as well. He needed this. This was his main priority now. Once the androids were gone, then he could worry about his love life.
A few days passed, and Trunks tried to harvest his anger. Anger at the androids, anger at himself, and most of all, anger at the situation itself.
"That's it, Trunks. You're doing it. Let go. You're not what you think." Trunks wondered what Gohan meant by that. Did he know that he had been blaming himself? Did he know how powerless he felt?
"The androids, they're killers, Trunks. They're destroy me, your mother, you. Everything you hold sacred is nothing more than a pile of trash to them." He knew that already, damn it!
"Don't be ashamed of your anger. Killing innocent children is wrong. It's okay to hurt. It's okay to feel the rage. Harness it. Use it as a tool. You're doing it, Trunks. Don't be afraid. Let go! Let it all go!" I hate being powerless! I hate having to watch innocents in pain! I hate letting those androids get away with whatever the hell they want! Trunks felt his rage spreading through his body, becoming visible as golden light.
"Ahhh!" The power surged filling him with energy beyond his wildest dreams. The air rippled with the energy shooting across the open plain. Am I actually this strong? Can I really help someone? But at this the power faded. Trunks fell to his knees panting from exhaustion.
Gohan had coaxed Trunks into taking a break. The two had retired to their usual rocky-skyview retreat. The sky was a beautiful shade of blue, but Trunks couldn't calm down enough to enjoy it. What the hell is wrong with me?
"Man, I can't even believe myself! What a joke."
"Hey, relax. Let's just forget about becoming a Super Saiyan for a while, huh?"
"What am I doing wrong? You're my master, Gohan, you can tell me. Why can't I do it?"
"You can. Sure, Trunks. You just need to find the right motivation that's all. Yeah, for me it's simple. All I have to do is think about how the androids killed Piccolo and Krillin1. Then I feel a horrible hurt, and the pain from that turns into rage. It's maddening. I don't ever want it to happen again, something that unfair. And suddenly the damn breaks." Isn't this what he had been trying to do though? Holding onto his need to protect Gohan and the world? Was it his own fear of failure holding him back? His own self-loathing?
A ball of yellow light radiated in the distance growing in size, spreading in all directions. Another followed. The blasts had fallen upon West City leaving it in shambles.
"What? You gotta be kidding me. Gaw! Darn those two!"
"This is ridiculous. They never even had a chance." Gohan's anger emanated from his body. A sizzling came out through his teeth, and then he had gone Super Saiyan.
"Gohan, you can't go" No! No, not like this! I can't do anything right now. Gohan's abilities would be decreased thanks to the missing arm as well.
"Look, Trunks, no matter what happens stay here."
"What? Are you crazy? No way! I can't let you fight those two alone."
"Listen! I'm a lot more vulnerable when you're there with me." That really stung. God, damn it! He does blame me!
"But I'm much stronger this time." It wasn't entirely a lie. He had held unto the Super Saiyan for a longer span of time, even though he still had no confidence. "Come on! I cannot let you go alone with your injury. Please, Gohan, take me with you."
"Alright, Trunks, you win. Let's go get em."
"Right. Cool." Relief spread through Trunks. This way he could do something. If it came down to it he could always sacrifice himself for Gohan. At least then he would accomplish something with his worthless life. Preparing to fly, he felt a blow to his neck. Darkness swept over his eyes and he felt himself hit the ground.
OMG I didn't think about this line the first time I watched the Trunks special or while first writing this. This line implies that (this) Gohan cares more about Piccolo and Krillin than Goku. Every time I look I find more and more signs that Goku is not a good father.