AN: I forgot there was so much left to the Trunks special. Anyway, I have been trying to write this for a last few days, but all my sister's wanted to do is watch One Piece. (I'm not kidding we have watched 70 episodes in 4 days).
Trunks stared down at the devastation in horror. He had seen destruction like this numerous times. He had even seen bodies spew in massive heaps, but this affected him stronger than anything he had previously seen. On the ground lay the body of the one he cared about most: Gohan. His body was a crumpled mess, clothes ripped, dirt-caked. The ground around him appeared to have faced an earthquake, though Trunks knew better. The androids. Feelings boiled to the surface which he could no longer hold in.
"Gohan, why did you have to leave me?" But he knew the answer. It was because he was too weak. The androids had taken him away, and it was Trunks' fault. If he had only gotten here sooner. If only he were stronger. His heart ached from loss and self-hatred. He had never deserved Gohan's love.
"What did they do to you, Gohan? This just isn't fair!" Rain mixed with his tears as he screamed. His power surged with his voice mingling with nearby thunder.
He was a helpless weakling who was unable to protect those close to him. The only one left he cared about was his mother. His even weaker mother. His mother who needed him. Yet he didn't feel worthy to look at her again. He had let Gohan die. Him. How would she look at him? With that fake smile saying that everything was fine, when inside she scorned him? She had to right?
He couldn't help wishing that he had died in his father place. He may have been a scum bag, but at least he could protect his mother and Earth better than he could. Now only he was left to protect Earth right? How could he possibly stop these androids when Gohan couldn't? When they hadn't been able to when they were together? Dejected, he resolved himself to return home. He had to see if his mother could think of any options. She may hate him now, but that should be the least of his worries. The earth was what was important. He needed to save the earth, somehow. He also needed to burry Gohan. For a moment he thought about burying him here, but he knew that his mother would never forgive him for it. She deserved to see him one last time.
His mother appeared less bothered by his death than he had expected. Not that she wasn't upset, but she didn't seem to be hiding scorn for him as he had thought. She just smiled sadly, as if she had grown immune to the agony of death years ago. She was most upset over the hopeless state of earth's rebellion against the androids. Only he was left, and neither of them deluded themselves into thinking that he could win. She contemplated what course of action to take for a few days before genius struck. She set herself upon developing a time machine.
Three years passed in a blur. Bulma worked endlessly on the time machine as Trunks focused on helping refugees. As much promise as the time machine held, he still wished to kill the androids before using it. If he left, then Bulma would be defenseless. It had taken immense self-control to not take them on again. As much as he wanted to charge right in, he knew that dying would be pointless. He had to wait until their "hope" was complete. That way if he did fall in battle, hope would still shine.
Trunks returned home to see his mother still working on the invention. "I see you're still playing with your toy."
"You may think this is crazy, darling, but I know it will work. People thought your grandpa was crazy, and he became the greatest inventor in the world.
"Yeah, but grandpa wasn't trying to travel back in time."
Bulma laughed thoughtfully. "Your grandpa didn't have a good grasp of time anyhow. When he was working days seemed like minutes to him. Don't you want to help Goku defeat the androids?"
"Of course I do. But this is our problem, and I will not leave you unprotected. Even if you can send me back, it will be to help them, not us."
"You're still going on about that? You may think you can handle this since you're a Super Saiyan, but so was Gohan. Obviously that wasn't enough. Go and get yourself killed if you want to. I'll take the antidote to Goku. But if you think throwing your life away senseless is going to make Gohan happy you are wrong."
"Don't talk to me about Gohan! He was my master and my friend. What do you know?"
Just as anger and regret filled Trunks, the radio cut in gravely. "Attention, we interrupt this broadcast to bring you the latest news on android activities. Bridgetown is currently under attack. The south pad interstate is the only route out of the city that hasn't been destroyed. I repeat, Bridgetown is under attack."
"That's pretty close."
"I know, but you're not thinking of going are you?" She asked nervously.
"I have to. I can't turn my back on those people. Besides, they might come here anyway."
"There's another way, Trunks. We could use the time machine. It should be finished in about an hour."
"Good. That means I don't have to hold back anymore," he said with determination.
"Trunks!" She cried as he took off out of their home and into the sky.
"This is it. Time for revenge. You're death won't be in vain, Gohan," he told the air as he flew toward Bridgetown.
Trunks spotted the androids idling within their newest work of destruction. Luckily, it didn't look like many people had been present during their rampage.
"Hey, are you ready to go?" 18 asked dully.
"I guess so" 17 replied facing her.
"Good. This is getting boring."
"You're getting harder and harder to please, you know that?" he complained, walking past her. In an attempt to catch them off-guard, Trunks landed silently while their backs are turned.
"Yeah, so?" 18 asked raising an eyebrow in annoyance.
"How about your own deaths androids? Would that thrill you?" 18 whipped her head around. "It will be your last joy ride."
"Us die? Very funny." She tilted her head down in amusement. "But," she snarled glaring. "This won't be." She zipped in front of him punching squarely at his chest, which sent him into a building.
Getting up, he sent an energy blast at her oncoming form, but she dodged easily. He lashed out at her, but she caught his hand with her own.
"You wouldn't hit a lady would you?" She knocked him in the cheek sending him flying. He tumbled to the ground but didn't take much damage. Unsheathing his sword, he jumped up and charged. Slashes commenced as 18 tucked her head dodging. Trunks continued slashing as she backed up before easily jumping upon the sword's tip.
"This isn't fair. I'm unarmed you know?" Pissed off at her attitude, Trunks powered up before slashing yet again. 18 jumped away, but a few strands of hair fell upon the ground. "My hair. It doesn't grow back you punk."
"Allow me to even it out." 17, who had been standing leisurely, charged in.
"17 look out!" She yelled in warning as Trunks stabbed downward. He caught the blade.
"I see you're…point." While Trunks stared in shock, 18 sped beside him.
"Hello," she said mildly. "Special delivery." Her energy blast sent him falling back. Both androids set upon blasting him repeatedly.
Charging again, Trunks punched both followed by his own energy blast. Their forms where covered in a thick mist of disturbed dirt and debris. Smiling in triumph he allowed himself to savor the victory. "I did it!" Immediately, the mist dissipated displaying the pair very much intact. Trunks cringed at his failure.
Both got up slowly pushing rumble off themselves.
"Did what? Did you see 18? What did he do?"
"Who knows. He did get my clothes dirty. Maybe that's what he was talking about." Damn it! I have to kill them, I have to! In desperation, Trunks sent blast after blast. But it was in vain, as they took absolutely no damage.
What am I up against? Whoa, this is insane, he thought. In further emphasis of how unfazed the androids were, 17 gestured for him to come at them. Trunks gasped in horror as he shot with all his might. Out of strength, he fell down on his knees huffing.
"I'm spent. That wasn't such a good idea."
The air filled with a creepy mantra of "We're in the cemetery. This is your cemetery." Fear crept up his spine. This really might be the end of him.
Out of nowhere 17 lunged at him. After crashing, 18 loomed over him leering. Her kick sent him crashing into a building. He desperately found a hiding place. As he stood trying to plan an escape route, 18 showed himself.
"Peek-a-boo, I see you." Knocking him 17 stated, "You could have taken the stairs you know? My gosh, human beings. Always doing things the hard way." His voice held disgust.
"Hey there." 18 smiled evilly, placing her hand on his shoulder. Trunks turned toward her. "You're a mess. We got under your skin somehow didn't we, kid? He's no fun anymore. What'd say we just kill him?"
"Sure," 17 answered throwing him through a wall. "Do you mind if I do the honors?"
"Um." 18 shrugged her shoulders in indifference. Taking that as an affirmative, 17 blasted with his index finger sending Trunks crashing into the river. Just as they were turning to leave, Trunks rose.
"Darn him. Incredible. He's tougher than I thought." 17 sent another blast knocking him face-first onto the ground. He moved in to inspect the victim. "Hm?" he questioned lifting the head with his foot.
"He's dead," 18 stated without a qualm. To her surprise Trunks opened his eyes even as blood continued to run from his mouth.
"Why? I don't get it. Why are you two doing this?" He spoke through gritted teeth.
"Dr. Gero created us with the purpose of world domination, but that doesn't really matter to us. Not at all," 17 answered.
"Whenever we see humans it angers us. We hate you humans," 18 explained.
"What? You monsters. You can't get away with this." Filled with new hatred, Trunks gathered the strength to get up. Lunging forward, his attack was again dodged. "All those people." A punch struck 17 in the face. "All those children." Another punch hits 18 this time. "I won't let you do this anymore."
Despite his unrestrained hatred and landed hits, the siblings never ceased smiling smugly. 18 tripped him forcing his face back into the ground. Grabbing him she apologized, "Oops. You almost fell down." Punching, she threw him through a building to the ready 17 who kicked him back toward her. She knocked him downward then kneed him back upward before punching him yet again. When he fell upon the ground for the umpteenth time, his Super Saiyan form fizzled away returning his hair to black.
"Look he's not a natural blonde," 17 noticed.
"Oh, a faker huh. I don't like being deceived like that. Everyone's always trying to copy me." 18 shook her head in arrogance.
"Here say no more." 17 set upon grinding Trunks' head into the ground with his foot. "I'll take care of this little problem right now. How dare you. Be gone." He shot a blast from the palm of his hand.
"Wait!" 18 called blocking the blast. "Let me do this one." Energy swelled around Trunks overwhelming his senses. His ears shot as light blinded him, and agony surged through him. He could not hear his screams, but his aching throat implied it. The last conscious thought he had was an apology.
Days later his senses returned. He could feel soft covers upon him and hear a familiar voice say, "Trunks, I'm here sweetheart. It's your mommy. Everything's okay."
With some effort he opened his eyes. "Mom, it's really you."
"Of course, who else? Someone's gotta stay alive to take care of you."
"I'm sorry Mom. As always you were right. I shouldn't have tried to take them on. They were too strong."
"You're alive you goose. You know that's all that matters to me right now." "Mom, I think I'm ready to take a trip in the time machine if it's ready."
"Trunks, you don't even know if you have any arms and legs under that blanket, but you say you're ready to piolet the time machine? First things first okay? Why don't you focus on healing up the next couple of weeks, and then we'll worry about getting the antidote to Goku."
"Gohan's dad huh? You really think he's that strong? Strong enough to make a difference?"
"Oh yes. He can make a difference alright. But it's not just how strong he is, Trunks. Goku has this incredible feeling about him. When you're with him you just know everything is going to be fine. And it always is." Trunks closed his eyes trying to imagine the feeling. For his entire life he has been quaking with fear of the possibilities. Could life really be that peaceful?
His heart skipped a beat realizing that if he took went, he would see Gohan again. His stomach did little butterflies thinking how equally pleasant and unpleasant such an event would be. Of course he would love to see Gohan, be with him again, but this would not be his Gohan. He would be different and that would only drive the nail further in that that Gohan was gone forever. He would always miss him, and that could not be changed. But he steeled himself, reminding himself that this was not about him. This was about stopping the androids and saving earth. He needed to change the past, even if it was only in another reality. And if he really wanted to be optimistic, maybe this other him could find happiness with this other Gohan.
"Man sounds good. I can't believe I'll get to see Gohan again. I'll even get to meet my dad and see what he's like."
"Yeah, well I wouldn't expect too much out of your father dear," Bulma said with a bit of bitterness.
"Either way, it will be nice to finally know what he is really like."
"Just be careful, Trunks. I don't want you getting hurt." From her tone, he knew that she meant more than just the androids.
After weeks of diligent healing and studying about the past, Bulma deemed Trunks ready to depart. Bulma showed her worry by repeating the possible threats and demanding that he stay safe. To be honest, Trunks was a little nervous. He was going to change the future of a differing timeline, but he couldn't change too much. He would need to be careful, especially around Gohan.
"Gosh, you don't know how proud I am of you for doing this. You look so handsome Trunks Briefs. I am going to miss you son." She pulled a smile vile from her pocket.
"I guess this is the antidote for Goku?"
"Yeah. Do me a favor and don't drop it," she cautioned while passing him the precious substance.
"Right. Stay out of trouble while I'm gone."
"Sure. You know me."
"Yeah. That's why I'm worried." He took his seat within the one-man vessel and started at the many buttons. At first glance they were daunting, but his mother had explained things thoroughly as well as written out instructions in case he forgot anything.
"Trunks! I want you back!" He raised his hand in a half wave.
"I love you!" he called as the lid closed.
"I love you too, Trunks." The vehicle powered up before shooting into the sky and dissolving from sight.
"If you only knew how much. Oh dear. He's in your hands now Goku."