June 13th, 767
By breakfast time, a zap sound attracted Dr Brief's attention. The Bulma from the future had made sure the object would appear somewhere her father often was; the balcony. The little drone, clearly one made with the similar engineering style as the car his grandson from the future had, carried instructions: 'Connect me to a TV.'
A pre-filmed video of 784-Bulma briefly explained she was certain the drone would find them. She was 'Bulma fucking Brief', after all. She hoped there was enough fuel on the Time Machine to maintain the connection long enough to see Trunks's final success. 'Oh and Cell's already dead, no waiting around for that to kill my baby.' 784-Bulma had sternly added.
They couldn't communicate through this system, but hopefully the stream would catch enough details. The video was filmed a couple of weeks prior, but the stream indicated the date, place and exact time. March 15th, 784, 14:27.
Initially, the older scientist had planned to send a simple message claiming success, but with the research and encouragement from her 767 and 787 versions, she worked hard to get something better going. The prototype had mostly been ready for a month.
Dr Brief fetched his entire family, Sixteen, Gohan and Chichi to watch as the TV started showing a sort of stream of sorts. The first thing they saw was Trunks looking straight at the camera, removing the hair tie. Gohan and Vegeta recognized the gesture as a sign of the power Trunks intended on using. Everyone also could hear pieces of the radio broadcast, which warned of an emergency of sorts, most certainly a Cyborg attack.
"Ok, but I won't wait," the teenager said, and ran off without waiting for an answer.
The Drone flew after Trunks, but Bulma's parting words were also recorded.
"Get them, tiger!.. Be safe, Trunksie."
Trunks' silhouette was out of sight from the Drone the moment it left the compound, but a flash of light caught their attention; Trunks transformed right outside of the city to fly faster. Everyone in 767 could see the landscapes of a world similar to theirs, but also different. A devastated world, as Gohan recognized from 787, but without any of the reconstruction efforts he had seen. A warzone version of the world they all knew.
The drone was following a signal, clearly, and its camera showed parts of West City, then part of the surrounding suburbs, until it reached what looked like a semi-destroyed Indigo town. They all knew the tiny town, as one of those small towns between West City and Central City, but not in this state.
What struck the audience, including Vegeta who watched from the threshold of the door instead of sitting in the couches like everyone else, was the absolute desolation of the world. The destructive power and the consequences had been far from trivial, and Vegeta was reminded of his past purges, and compared them silently. No, the destruction he saw on screen was not methodical, it was sadistic, childish, out of boredom and twisted pleasure. If anything, it was the physical embodiment of what Freeza did to him on a personal level. Keeping him around as a pet, torturing him and letting him live for further entertainment. The Cyborgs did that on a planetary level.
'I faced them and only survived because they found me entertaining.'
Vegeta vividly remembered how his heir spoke of the Cyborgs the first time they met. He deeply understood, and cursed quietly… How strong had Trunks been, to let him go against Bulma's idea of preventing it all with the Dragon Balls? Had he been given a similar chance, go to the past and get rid of Freeza...
Gunshots brought him back to the screen. The drone transmitted decent enough sound, and had been transmitting the emergency messages calling for help in Indigo town. People begged for the Golden Warrior to show up soon, to salvage what could be salvaged. Dr Brief commented the 'camera' must have been able to pick up radio signals, when Gohan asked how come they heard these calls.
The weather didn't stay overcast for long as a column of golden light erupted in the distance, parting the clouds.
"Tora-san!" Gohan recognized the Ascended super Saiyan energy.
Vegeta didn't feel the need to confirm, but everyone else finally got to see it in action. A transformation like that was nothing an Earthling should be nearby. 'The brat is going all out and not savoring the sweet taste of vengeance to end the torment of that world...' Vegeta was conflicted, he wasn't sure whether to be happy about it, his heir showing no mercy, or to lament the lack of enjoyment in the challenge. Considering his past mistakes, Trunks had taken the wisest approach.
The baby pointed at the TV with a certain enthusiasm, trying to wiggle his way out of his grandmother's arms and saying 'To'a!'. The yellow outbursts were recognizable to the baby, who had witnessed it prior, when Trunks diverted Cell's attack to Central City.
The Drone was still far off, Trunks had arrived much faster than the tech. No waiting, today was the day.
Everyone in the living room saw a couple of ki blasts reach the atmosphere, and the Briefs and Chichi were on the edge of their seats. Sixteen, Gohan and Vegeta had no doubts about the outcome, however, and Vegeta only stayed for a strange and eerie need to see his heir avenge him .
A large yellow cone of ki energy followed by an explosion lifted dust, and finally the Drone reached the battlefield. Trunks had engaged the Cyborgs without waiting at all, expelling them from the town to obliterate them without further casualties.
What the spectators saw was Trunks surrounded by electricity, sword in one hand, the other extended, and from the looks of it, one Cyborg had just met its demise.
It wasn't a fight. It was taking the trash out. The Drone focused on the moving shape of Trunks, and entered slow mode so it could catch most of the remaining action, even at a certain distance. Bulma cheered, recognizing the technology she had given her future self to use, but also complained about having missed part of it.
Despite the slow mode, everything went fast. In a blink of an eye, they all saw Trunks use the sword as a shield against a ki-blast, and a male distorted voice shouted angrily about the destruction of his sister. Only Vegeta and Gohan had actually heard his voice before, but the others were quick to put two and two together: it was Seventeen, who wasn't able to finish his spoken thoughts.
The screen started showing 'low battery', which had Panchy and Bulma panic. Dr Brief went to look at how to connect the machine connected to the TV to the Compound's power supplies, but the creation just wasn't built like that.
Trunks had turned into a silent executioner, and the next image the audience was able to see was the Golden Warrior pouncing on prey, off frame often enough as the movements were hard for the piece of tech to follow. The Drone finally managed to catch up and transmit the rest. The sword was used to pin the artificial human in place before he could even react, and with a flash of a proud and predatory smile and no explanation whatsoever, the enemy was beheaded and then cut in half. Trunks jumped off, flew a little away, sheathed the sword, and with both hands extended forming a diamond between thumbs and indexes aiming at the remains, a ki attack obliterated them. The following explosion, which part of the audience knew was caused by the bomb the Cyborg had within him, lifted more dust.
It was over. The drone left slow mode as it didn't need it to track its target anymore (Trunks' speed wasn't supernatural anymore), but the audience saw 'low battery' flash more often and the signal starting to deteriorate. It approached Trunks whose aura lost its electricity, and suddenly remembering the camera, the teenager gave it a smile and a thumbs up. Mission success. Dr Brief didn't find the solution about the battery in time, as the screen shut down on that last image, and would later explain the little machine had a special one-use compartment, but pulled energy from elsewhere.
"Well that was fast," Chichi noted, somewhat puzzled. She couldn't comprehend how they had been such a threat.
"It was.. a little like Freeza, wasn't it?" Gohan asked, looking back at Vegeta who confirmed with a little grunt.
"Trunks is smart, waiting for them to power up or some other bull— nonsense could've endangered other people," Bulma rationalized. "The power gap was immense, right?"
"Affirmative." Sixteen finally chimed in. He couldn't analyze through video, but clearly Trunks was leagues above the Cyborgs who hadn't expected such a leap in power. Trunks was the kind of person to end it fast, before more damage could be done.
The signal hadn't been completely cut off, however, as sound from the radio in 784 echoed in bursts.
"The Golden Warr— .. —borgs are gone!— I repeat, the Cyborgs are dead!"
The spectacle was over, so Vegeta left.
Gohan realized Tora's last smile hadn't reached his eyes, there was something he couldn't quite put his finger on in that facial expression, and if he knew any better, he would have said his friend was crying inside. He was not certain he had seen it all correctly, as everyone celebrated their friend's victory without mentioning it.
March 15th, 784
Trunks remained in super Saiyan form, but the electricity left her body as she slowly relaxed. She still kept the golden flames and loose and free long hair, and she contemplated the results of her actions, floating over the battlefield. All of this for this, but a satisfied smile conveyed it was finally over. She owed the Cyborgs nothing, not her identity, not her gender (which is why she had chosen to remain on the quivive, with her binder and usual clothes), not her truth.
She silently thanked Tapion for lending her the strength (and his sword) to finally free her world. She could have fought without it, but it had been his wish the sword would bring her victory and it did.
Darkness whispered it would have been fulfilling to let them know precisely who killed them and why, but Trunks had refused heeding the desire to humiliate the monsters. She had indulged enough by telling Freeza just who she was, but she didn't want to risk it, and most importantly, contempt was the best kind of vengeance. What sick please would have she gotten by telling them about the life they could have had? Reminding them of Mika and Syowa? Or about how Gero had made them as 'spare parts' for Cell, Cell whom she had destroyed already?
They didn't deserve any of it. Right? Her body didn't ache for violence, she didn't crave nicotine, and yet, she wasn't at peace. It was too sudden, perhaps, so Trunks decided to push her worries away, stay grounded and give her mind time to finally realize the reality. It was over, finally.
.
The Drone slowly approached her, beeping its low battery, as it was firmly locked on her watch, and she glanced towards it and gave a thumbs up to show all was well, ignoring the tears of relief slowly forming in the corner of her eyes. She thought her mother would send the recording back with a miniature version of the Time Machine, and would only later find out it was live-streamed. She caught it before it fell, the low battery signal finally fulfilling its threat.
Something distracted her, as she heard shouts and cheers from underneath, a couple dozen people had come out to see why had the fight ended so quickly, suddenly, and the Cyborgs hadn't returned to finish the job with their little town. They realized their liberation and she waved a hand at them, indicating to the Earthlings that all was well too, and they had been heard.
"The Golden Warrior finally won! They're dead! After almost two decades of terror, the Cyborgs are defeated, I repeat, the Cyborgs are gone! He is waving at us, from Indigo town! I repeat, the Cyborgs are dead!"
The radio voice echoed in her earbud, giving the good news to all that could hear them, as the Indigo spokesperson who had called for help was the one to announce the end of the nightmare. Unbeknownst to Trunks, the Drone transmitted the message across time and space before fully shutting down.
Trunks didn't go down to meet with Indigo's inhabitants. She flew back home with the Drone in her arms, unwilling to let her mother be alone any longer.
.
The radio announced it was all over, and Wax, the leader of that tiny community, the man who had called for help and now was claiming victory, complained that the Golden Warrior hadn't come down to meet them. Bulma smiled as she shut down the radio, she didn't need to hear more, her daughter had succeeded, and soon the whole planet would know.
The Drone she sent to the past and the one she sent after Trunks all shut down, unrest remained in Bulma's mind. Nothing was ever simple, nor easy, and perhaps it was just her paranoid mind speaking. Plans never worked out.
The Time Machine was used to fuel the communication, and despite having almost half a tank in an hour earlier, it was all empty now. Bulma shut everything down to let the Time Machine charge again while waiting for her daughter to come back.
It didn't take long. Trunks was soon back in with the drained Drone and the first thing she did was to remove her binder, hug her mother close and request her sing to her like she used to when she was a baby. It took some probing and humming from Trunks' part, as she had heard the young version of her mother sing to her baby through the baby monitor, for her mother to remember, and cradling her gently, she whispered the words she remembered. Trunks wasn't too proud to cry her worries and fears away in her mother's arms as she sang a comforting melody. Trunks couldn't help but laugh quietly at the praise of the lyrics, it was embarrassing but she willingly melted and accepted it all.
"I feel beautiful when I'm around you, I'm safe and comfortable.. 'cause you are wonderful. It feels natural to be around you, you've made it possible, you're wonderful..."
It was over, and the two of them could finally find some deserved rest. Bulma hoped her worries would ease as the reality of peace finally settled, but those worries never left her, and seeing Trunks' unrest didn't help. It would take time for them both to finally get out of urgency routines and actually heal and rebuild their world.
787-Bulma hadn't warned about such unrest, which was strange. Yes, a few nightmares still came to them after the destruction of the Cyborgs, both pairs had lived almost two decades under their horrors, but nothing like these worries. What she had warned her 767 and 784 counterparts about, concerning the state of the planet and their health, Bulma confirmed most of it didn't apply to their world. She was healthy despite being a smoker, and while the planet had sustained damage, her radio exchanges with other communities indicated the planet wasn't in the same horrible state as it was in 787.
Something felt wrong, both in herself, and in her daughter, and the impending doom didn't leave her heart. For the day, at least, she could put it on their freedom finally be tangible, but if the feeling remained despite peace and quiet, they would need to find solutions.
Especially as New Namek seemingly did not exist in their universe. The compass was not wrong, and further investigation with astronomical tools confirmed it to be true. The coordinates had no planet, not even a system. After the initial shock and pain, Trunks had dismissed it as 'another difference they could do nothing about'.
The gods truly had forsaken them, and they could never reach Baba or the Otherworld anymore. They hoped their version of New Namek was just somewhere else, for their sake, as Bulma saw no traces of destruction when investigating the region.
Clearly, Trunks wanted to act upon the world, do something, fight something, as she found herself purposeless now the threats were dealt with. The Golden Warrior was gone, and 'Tora', the threat and promise, wasn't needed anymore. Her daughter's only comforts were watching some old pictures, both from her trips and from her past with Gohan, with Tapion, and sleeping in her mother's arms, trying to stay grounded. She refused to mingle with the communities. Bulma was worried, she felt the distress in her daughter's needs, and her inability to enjoy the peace she had created.
March 15th, 784, 17h07
A pair of red and a pair of golden eyes, both unnoticed, saw everything happen in Indigo town, and had followed the 'Golden Warrior' to her home. They stayed outside, but they knew exactly what was going on inside.
"You did such a good job, Trunks," the one with pink skin and orange-ish hair whispered. The compliment was full of doubts, of hesitation, of empathetic pain.
Her companion, cloaked in black and with the same white and red mask put a gloved hand on her shoulder. The hood was down, the shoulder-length red hair flowing gently in the evening wind.
"The pain is worth it, Chronoa."
.
.
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Thank you everyone for following along! This is the last chapter of the Purpose arc. As I've mentioned prior, there are two whole arcs left ;)
The song is You by Tsutchie and Kazami, one of Samurai Champloo's endings, it was referenced prior. Highly recommend ;)
Please don't hesitate to review, give me your opinions and share the story around! I'd love to hear your thoughts!
You'll find a chart with all the timelines on my twitter and tumblr, they're absolutely necessary to keep in mind for the future arcs. Please check them out!