Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ or the characters
Trunks didn't know what to feel as he trudged up to the precinct. He'd taken a couple of days off of work since the evening he told his family about Zamasu and Black. It didn't unburden his conscience. At least he spent some time with Mai and his parents. In fact, it was a good thing he took this time. He had a deep heart to heart with his parents, one he never expected.
"We need to talk," Vegeta declared when Trunks came over to the apartment for dinner.
Trunks was surprised by the serious tone and hardened gaze of his father. He had no idea why his father's demeanor was so strict and adamant, but in that moment, he felt like a child about to be scolded by his parents together. A small part of his boyish heart relished this. His parents were together, on the same page, and it somehow had to do with him.
"Are you two about to take away my allowance?" Trunks teased, amused.
"Trunks, this is serious," Bulma sighed. "Please sit down. We need to have a family discussion, about everything."
Trunks wilted a bit. "You mean about Black and Zamasu?"
"Yes and no," Vegeta replied. "About—as your mother said—everything. Even us. We don't want there to be any secrets between us, and we sure as hell don't want you to act and pretend like you're okay."
Trunks nodded. He knew the day at the precinct when he offered to go undercover would come up at some point. "I wasn't trying to lie to you. I'm just so used to hiding it, it just came out like that. Even I didn't know what I was saying or doing at that moment."
Vegeta and Bulma exchanged worried glances. Bulma reached across the table and took Trunks's hand. "Son, I understand. Our family has hidden a lot over the years, and you've sort of learned this from the both of us. But we need you to be honest with us. And…we both think it would be a good idea if you saw a therapist."
"I… You aren't wrong," Trunks agreed. "I should talk to someone. Just, I didn't know what I could say."
"Ask Gowasu," Vegeta suggested. "He told us that he only redacted the report to protect you from reading over your file."
"Oh," Trunks whispered. "Maybe I should have talked to a therapist already then…"
"It's never too late to start," Bulma assured him, "and if you want help, maybe we can look together. I think I'm ready to face my own trauma."
Trunks seemed confused. "Yours, Mom? What do you mean?"
Vegeta nodded at Bulma, and the woman began her childhood tale of how two young teenagers raised a little boy in place of his mother, how close they grew together. "Your father couldn't handle raising a child on his own, and his father couldn't be bothered enough to care about either boy."
"My father was a selfish bastard," Vegeta agreed. "And he had a one-track mind for his business. He wanted me to be a part of it, like I told you before. Because of that, he targeted the one person who could pull me away from it. He went after your mother."
Trunks was stunned, not completely given the fact that his father killed the man who threatened his mother's life when pregnant. "Went after her how?"
"He sent a worker of his to watch me and get information," Bulma explained. "A lot happened during that time. Your father stopped responding to my letters, my mother passed away. I felt lost and depressed with my grief, and I got into an incredibly abusive relationship."
"What does that have to do with Dad's father?" Trunks skeptically and nervously questioned.
"My father ordered me to stop communication with your mother," Vegeta explained. "He threatened her life, so for the time being, I gave in. He sent someone to spy on your mother to make sure I wasn't sneaking around to see her or write to her."
"The guy convinced me to date him, and I had no idea who he was," Bulma explained. "He…" She looked at Vegeta, seeing his jaw tick. With her free hand, she placed it on his. "He hurt me, and I felt alone. I couldn't contact your father, and my mother was gone. My own father was pressuring me to change my major to take over his business, and I was so ashamed of the fact that I actually let him, I stopped speaking to Tights. Then someone else approached me, a guy from high school. His name was Yamcha, and we were engaged around the time your father and I met again."
"You were engaged?" Trunks asked, his eyes sad. "You never told me any of this. I… I always thought you were happy."
Bulma smiled, tears in her eyes. "I was, for the most part. I had you, and I had your father again. Even if we weren't together, we exchanged letters again, like back when I was in college. I was worried about him, and about you of course, but don't think I ever wasn't happy. Aren't you happy, even though you're still haunted by the past?"
Trunks's eyes widened as his mother put some of his emotions into words. "Yeah. Honestly, how could I not be? I was able to help my friend and my father with my last case. We're all together. I'm dating Mai. I am happy. I'm just…scared. I don't like feeling that way."
"I was terrified and furious when my father tried to hurt you both," Vegeta interjected. "I was scared to let your mother go, even if it meant protecting you both. All that time I was without her, I too felt alone, like your mother did when she went through her ordeal and how you must have felt carrying the burden of your time with Zamasu by yourself. Like you just said, we are together now. We are no longer alone. You can lean on us, and if you have any questions about our past, we will answer them honestly, just like we expect you to do when we ask you how you're really feeling about all of this."
Trunks was so moved by his father's words and concern. It seemed his parents were truly worried about his psychological wellbeing. They wanted him to know he could confide in them and that they would help him through his trauma. The fact that his mother opened herself up to her own past she was trying to forget or that his father expressed his own fears… His parents really understood. They both knew him so well, even when one of them wasn't in his life until now.
"I just have one question," Trunks murmured. "Why is our family so dysfunctional?"
Bulma and Vegeta were stumped by the question, and even more so by Trunks's playful smirk. The parents couldn't help but laugh as they thought of the ridiculousness that was their familial past. As dark and gloomy as the past was, it showed them all how much light they had presently. Their families may have been dysfunctional due to grief, loss, and crime, but now, the three of them could work together to heal, and at the same time finally do the groundwork to heal with the extended family.
"Maybe we can find the answer together at a weekly family dinner," Vegeta suggested, turning to his stunned girlfriend. "It might be nice to have a leisurely dinner with our siblings for once. And I'm sure your father and I have some things to discuss, if you're comfortable that is."
"I think it's a wonderful idea," Bulma smiled and squeezed both their hands. "My two boys, I love you."
Trunks was grabbed from behind, pulled from his memory, unexpectedly. He had no idea who would be so bold to attack him in front of the police station, but it didn't matter. He was ready to fight whoever it was, even if it did turn out to be Black. Instead, Trunks saw a young Black lookalike. "Goten? What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk," the youth indicated.
Trunks was surprised, but he nodded. "Of course. We can go to interrogation and—"
"No," Goten rejected. "Not here, not now. My apartment, later."
Goten ran off after leaving Trunks with that cryptic request. Trunks's brow raised in confusion, and he shook his head. From how Goten spoke, it seemed the topic was urgent, yet he wanted to wait to discuss whatever it was.
Trunks knew it was going to bother him all day, but he really couldn't put off more work. He shook off his nerves for now and went inside the precinct. When he went to the morning meeting to get his next assignment, he was put on a murder case instead.
Once again, Trunks was reminded of his parents' worry as he entered the crime scene and paled. The victim was in a pool of their own blood, the familiar slashes reminiscent of Goku Black's vicious handiwork. It was that same pattern, a backwards "Z" carved from the heart, cutting deep through all the vital organs. Trunks felt the bile roil in his stomach as his lungs constricted. He swallowed down his nerves despite the oncoming panic attack and quickly went to his chief.
"Can we talk?"
Piccolo looked down at Trunks, his eyes unmoving and emotionless voids. "Sure, kid." He turned back to another man. "Have forensics do a broad spiral search and make sure they photograph everything. Have the coroner do an initial examination."
"Let the coroner know to examine the slash pattern thoroughly," Trunks interjected earning both men's attention. "The wounds are similar to past murders committed by a man named Goku Black."
Piccolo's eyes widened a small fraction, and he sent the forensic leader away. His attention was solely on Trunks. He noticed the tense posture, the shallow breathing. It wasn't too long ago that Gowasu approached Piccolo and informed him about the details of Trunks's undercover work on the federal case. They kept Trunks's mental state under wraps so that Trunks would be able to take on the one case he truly wanted—the Cold case. Now that it was over, Gowasu warned Piccolo that Trunks may experience some traumatic episodes, especially if it had to do with the late Zamasu and Goku Black.
"I spoke with Gowasu," was all Piccolo said. "Do you think you can handle this, officer?"
"I'll be fine," Trunks gritted out. "I just need a moment."
Piccolo nodded. "Take all the moments you need, Officer Brief. Whatever you need to be at the top of your game, I'll support. You're one of the best men we've got."
Trunks looked up at his boss, thankfulness shining in his eyes. "You won't…"
"What, fire you?" Piccolo challenged. "Of course not. We experience the worst of the worst this city has to offer. No one remains unscathed all the time. I wish you had told me before what you experienced instead of tackling it on your own. We have services and support for our officers."
"I was afraid you'd keep me off of the Frieza case," Trunks revealed. "I needed to see that case through."
Piccolo's expression hardened, but he understood where the youth was coming from. "You aren't the only officer that has experienced PTSD during their career, and you won't be the last. You might even become a police chief one day despite having combatted PTSD in your early career. I would know."
Trunks was astonished. If Chief Piccolo was implying what he thought he was. "I… I'm surprised. How?"
"The death of my father was a trigger," Piccolo explained. "Murder scenes reminded me of the way I found him as a kid. He was a criminal with a lot of enemies, so now it doesn't surprise me so much. Still, I walked on to every murder scene knowing I'd be affected, just like you walked into the lion's den of Frieza Cold with that same understanding. As long as we can still do the job, that's all that matters. I wouldn't have pulled you from the case you worked your whole life for. That would have made things worse."
Trunks breathed a sigh of relief and nodded. "I guess I was foolish then for not trusting my team," he remarked. "When we get back, I think I'd like to discuss the services we have."
A rarity, Piccolo smiled at his officer. "Sure, kid. When you're ready, get back in there. I think we can use your expertise on this."
Piccolo left Trunks alone outside of the dilapidated house, and the officer leaned against the outside fence. He reflected on what the chief told him and the conversation with his parents, even what Mai said to him. He could have told them. He could have explained it to everyone. Even with the file redacted, he could have discussed with Gowasu his need for treatment and see what he could and couldn't say, even see if there were therapists the federal agents recommended.
Why did I wait so long?
"I was terrified and furious when my father tried to hurt you both. I was scared to let your mother go, even if it meant protecting you both."
"I was worried about him, and about you of course, but don't think I ever wasn't happy. Aren't you happy, even though you're still haunted by the past?"
"I didn't want you to think less of me."
Trunks remembered the words he spoke to Mai as well as the words of his parents. He knew the reason why he tried to hide it. He felt ashamed, not just because of the murder he had to commit to protect himself and his family, but because he was affected at all. He went into this field thinking he could overcome any of the trauma with a flippant, dismissive attitude, or at least fake it. He didn't want his coworkers or family to think less of him, to think he couldn't cut it as an officer, but he knew that it was an empty fear. His family supported him, even his father who was a begrudging career criminal, and his mother who was constantly worried for both of their lives. Kuriza was thankful to him, and Mai loved him. They would never think less of him.
I think less of myself, Trunks acknowledged. That's why I didn't want to face it. I felt weak.
The officer kept putting off his mental health, seeking the medication to lessen the anxiety but not the treatment to actually process the trauma. It was because he was scared to open himself up to that horrific part of his past, afraid to accept that he'd taken an evil man's life, afraid to acknowledge that he was only human and unable to escape from traumatic responses.
"If you want help, maybe we can look together. I think I'm ready to face my own trauma."
His mother was so brave, living, working, and raising him while having so many demons she couldn't disclose. She was in hiding, but still made sure to raise him and make a name for herself in the writing world. Even before she went into hiding, she took on and assisted in running a business she wanted no part in. His mother probably related to him in the sense that she felt weakness for being affected and letting it nearly consume her, just like he hid the pain with anti-anxiety meds but pretended it wasn't there. But she was the strongest person Trunks knew, and she proved it by standing by his father even during the time they were apart. Likewise, his father was strong for making the best decisions he could despite his fear and the potential isolation he faced, running an organization he hated to keep the peace against an evil tyrant.
Maybe, just maybe, Trunks inherited their strength. With that and their support, Trunks knew he'd be able to come out on the other side of this. He didn't need to face it alone.
He was ready to face the day, ready to face his colleagues, ready to assist, and ready to use what he experienced to help his precinct stop this madman.
Goku Black… I'm not going down without a fight. I promise us both, your days are numbered.
Kuriza entered a coffee shop near Trunks's apartment. The place was cozy with its rustic vibes and muted colors. Mai sat on a sofa nursing a cappuccino. She noticed Kuriza by the door and waved him over.
It wasn't often that Kuriza met with Mai, but occasionally, when Trunks was in the academy, they met up. Both of them bonded over their mutual worry for Trunks several times over. Kuriza wasn't surprised when Mai texted him to ask to meet up. After Trunks's confession about his past hell, everyone felt concern for Trunks. It was nice to be able to talk about it with someone who understood.
"It's good to see you," Mai greeted warmly. "It's been a while since we did this."
"I know," Kuriza responded. "Honestly, when we knew Trunks was going to going undercover, I pulled back. We both thought it would be a good idea if neither of us were seen with too many people. That way it would be more believable that Trunks and I didn't know each other well or that he had no attachments to anyone."
"Smart," Mai praised. "In any case, we couldn't really talk much in private when we were at the safe house with those two guys there. I never got to ask you how you're doing with everything."
Kuriza sighed forlornly, but he managed to put on a smile. "Honestly, I struggle. Where my coworkers like me, and the students adore me, there are still many who look at me with fear and whisper about me."
Mai frowned and set down her cup, her eyes burning at the injustice. "I'm so sorry. I really hoped…"
Kuriza shook his head, smiling sadly. "I'm used to it. If it weren't for Trunks's friendship, I would have been reviled by everyone at school. When Trunks approached me and befriended me, others treated me better, with more sympathy and compassion. I will always be Frieza Cold's son, and even though I brought him down, that is what most people will see."
The raven-haired woman scoffed derisively and crossed her arms to lean on the table. "If only everyone knew that you wanted to bring down your father all along."
"I'll be okay," Kuriza assured her. "I'm really worried about Trunks, though. Has he said anything to you?"
Mai sighed and nodded, her expression serious. "He tries not to talk about it, but I know it's all he can think about. We talked about him going to therapy after he had dinner with his parents last night. His anti-anxiety medication seems to help keep certain things at bay, but now that Goku Black is in the picture again, Trunks has been having violent nightmares. Sometimes, when he wakes, I pretend to be asleep. He goes out onto the balcony and just stays there. Sometimes, I join him. Sometimes, I try to get him to talk, but it's always the same thing."
Kuriza knowingly provided, "He says he's fine, and that you don't have to worry. When you try to push him to talk, he says he doesn't want us to see him any differently."
"You're right," Mai agreed with a concurrent nod. "I think he says that because he sees himself differently. Before the case with Zamasu, Trunks never got found out. He caught so many criminals without them ever discovering he was the officer who pinned them. But Zamasu found out. They tortured him, and it broke him. I think he feels weak, like he failed. And no matter what we say, he'll always be haunted by that."
The picture Mai painted sounded so incredibly like Trunks, and that's what frightened Kuriza. His best friend was an amazing man, strong and confident. He could walk the walk of a criminal while at the same time being the good man he was to stop them. He put his all into the academy and their childhood promise, mainly because he wanted to free Kuriza from his nightmarish life. He was selfless, a beacon of hope for others, and Trunks knew it too. That's why he always seemed to strive to do better, be better, when he was already the best. If he fell short, it never seemed to take a chunk of his confidence, but maybe it did. He was only human, after all.
"Trunks is too hard on himself," Kuriza complained. "It's probably because he always appeared to be cool and confident, was always popular at school. He always did effortlessly well on assignments and graduated top of the class."
"Trunks tries to be perfect, but he forgets he's only human like the rest of us," Mai teased fondly. She then frowned and glared at the table and the steam from her coffee cup. "It probably didn't help to learn Vegeta was his father. I think… I think the case with Frieza became more to Trunks once he learned that. I think in addition to helping you, he felt he needed to make Vegeta proud of him."
Kuriza couldn't argue with that. When Trunks learned Vegeta was his father, things changed. He probably made more objective decisions in past cases, and at the beginning of the case with Frieza, he remained calm and objective. Once Vegeta's family was in the picture, Trunks started making decisions based on emotion. Good decisions like allowing Goten to leave instead of wounding him in an unfatal manner, but decisions that put him on the outs with Frieza and his men.
"Trunks has always been brave and someone I admire," Kuriza verbalized to his friend's girlfriend. "All of us just need to keep reminding him that we are proud of him. I'll try to talk to him more later."
"I will too. Anyway, did you want anything for breakfast? My treat."
Kuriza smiled but shook his head as he stood up. "I'll grab something to go. I have something else I need to take care of today."
As the day drew to a close, Trunks approached Goten's apartment. Mai contacted him at lunch and suggested they go out later. Trunks told his girlfriend that he was meeting with Goten first and would let her know when their talk was over. When Mai asked Trunks what Goten wanted to talk about, the officer could only reply, "I have no idea."
The wind blew fiercely, an impending storm. It almost looked like something out of a horror novel. Trunks snickered at the thought. Could his thoughts get any more ridiculous?
Trunks put his hands in his pockets to warm them and stepped inside the old apartment building. It wasn't a bad place, walls newly painted gray as indicated by the pungent chemical smell. The walls and common area were practically bare, most likely due to the recent paint job. At least the complex seemed to value its residents and the building, creating a new environment inside contrasting the antiquated outer appearance.
An elevator took Trunks up to the third floor. He found Goten's residence, apartment 301, and knocked on the door. The sound of the chained lock removal resonated in the empty hall. Goten opened the door a moment later, looked around the hallway, and then stepped aside to let Trunks in before he closed the door and locked it again.
The skittish way Goten behaved struck Trunks as odd. It was the same strange behavior he observed in the youth that morning on his way to work. Was he worried Trunks was followed? By who? Trunks shook off the traces of his paranoid thoughts and took a seat at Goten's kitchen counter. Goten sat across from him.
"What's this about?" Trunks questioned, his tone assuring.
Goten released the tension from his shoulders and sat up strait as he regarded the officer. "What is it like going undercover?"
Alarm bells rang in Trunks's head, especially as Goten used the present tense. "Why do you want to know that, Goten?"
Goten heard the hidden warning in Trunks's tone, but it didn't stop him from his line of questioning. Although he hesitated for just a moment, Goten pushed on. "I'm thinking of going undercover and want to know how it works."
The heart thumped hard in Trunks's chest. He could feel an oncoming attack and tried to focus on his breathing. He took several deep breaths and released them. There was no reason to feel fear, right? Goten couldn't be thinking about doing something crazy with the bastard who put the officer in such a state, right?
"With who, and for what?" Trunks asked a bit roughly. He needed to hear an answer he wasn't expecting. He needed to hear Goten wasn't thinking about putting himself into danger with a madman.
"My uncle approached me… Black."
It felt like the ground was swept out from underneath Trunks, his world on an angel with darkness around him. Black was trying to involve his own nephew in organized crime? Trunks was aware that Goten worked for the Ouji organization, but both Vegeta and Raditz weren't crazy with the idea in the first place. They never put Goten in the position where he had to commit heinous crimes. That would not be the case with Black. He would force Goten to do the unthinkable. If Goten refused, Black would threaten Goten's family…his own family…to force the kid into submission.
Unaware to Trunks's episode and pallor, Goten continued. "He offered me a job with him, and I figured we could use that to get information. I want to help bring him down."
"No," Trunks rejected. His voice left little room for argument, and his eyes were cast in shadow. "No, no, no. You're not going. Good God, Goten, do you know what he would do to you if he found out you were trying to end him? Black isn't your run-of-the-mill crook. Remember why you left the mafia in the first place?"
Goten, surprised by Trunks's adamant outburst, was stunned into silence as Trunks shot up off the bar stool, paced back and forth waving his arms, and unloaded. "He put mine and my mother's life in danger when he found out who I was. He didn't care about throwing an innocent woman he grew up with to the wolves. Do you really think he won't go after your parents or brother? Even if you accept his offer, he'll be watching you. Our families are close, Goten! He'll know something is up and watch you like a hawk. If he catches you with any of us, you're dead. And not a quick bullet like Frieza would have done. He'll make you wish you were never born. He learned from a monster!"
Trunks's chest heaved as he tried to catch his breath. Goten's brow furrowed. He couldn't believe what the mere mention of his uncle did to the strong officer. This was a guy who got beaten badly by Zarbon, Dodoria, and Frieza, yet the mention of those vile cretins did nothing to him.
"Everything you're saying makes sense," Goten cautiously added, "but he's my uncle, and he's horrible. Whatever he did to you… He needs to be put away."
Calmer, Trunks met Goten's gaze. "No one is denying that, nor are we just looking the other way." He thought back to his workday, the murder and how Goku Black was a definite suspect, but how there was a lack of evidence. Forensics was going to get back to the officers if they found Black's DNA at the scene of the crime. They would build a case against him and get him put away. "But Goten…you can't do this. Please, don't do this. I didn't let you go so that you could get yourself killed."
Goten faltered. There was nothing but pure terror in Trunks's eyes as he pleaded with him. This entire time, Trunks behaved like a caged animal, pacing rapidly back and forth. "Trunks…" he called out in awe and disbelief.
Tears fell from Trunks's eyes. "Stay away from him. Far, far away from him."
Goten shirked back a little, his head dropped in guilt. "I already told him I was in." Trunks became more alarmed again, and Goten held out his hands, hoping to pacify him. "I mean I haven't promised him anything yet!" he exclaimed hurriedly afraid to cause Trunks to have even more of a breakdown. "Are…are you sure you want me to back out?"
"Yes." There was no iota of doubt in the officer's voice. "Black is not my father, and family clearly means nothing to him. He is like Frieza but worse. Black wouldn't hesitate to kill you if you crossed him, even if you are his nephew."
"Damn," Goten sighed. "And here I though I had this great idea."
Trunks huffed out a breath to center himself and sat back down. "No, Goten… It was a good idea, but the price is just too high now."
"You risked your life for Kuriza," Goten pointed out, "and for me too when you let me go. Why is it okay for you to risk your life and not the rest of us?"
Trunks didn't have a good answer for that question. Deep down, it was because he knew he could handle it. Somewhere along his journey, Trunks convinced himself he needed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. In a way, it was both selfless and selfish. He took on the role so that no one else would have to bear the burden or risk their lives. It made Trunks feel better that his was the only life on the line instead of those that he cared about or innocent kids like Goten.
"This is what I was trained to do," Trunks insisted instead. "I've done a lot of undercover assignments across the country since my days at the police academy. The only two times I ever got discovered were with Zamasu, and Frieza, as you know. When Zamasu found me out and sicked Black on me… It honestly felt like a fate worse than death. As much as I wanted to believe I'd put it behind me, that case messed me up badly."
Goten could understand that. From the confession the other night and how Trunks only glossed over the torture, Goten got a sense that if he saw Black in action, he would most likely be scarred for life. Still, he was able to numb himself from a lot of things in the world, and when he saw tragedy on TV it was concerning but it didn't upset him like it did his older brother and father. He knew he could handle more than the average person.
"Then is it possible you aren't looking at this objectively?"
"I'm not," Trunks admitted, "but after the havoc our families just endured with me, we can't put them through it again. Also, I'm pretty sure the Chief won't warrant any undercover assignment for this case, whether voluntary or not."
A sigh filled the room, but Goten reluctantly nodded and accepted his defeat on this. "Alright, then. When my uncle contacts me again, I'll tell him I rethought it. I haven't signed any contracts or sworn any oath. But Trunks… What are you guys going to do?"
"We don't know yet, Ten," Trunks answered. "But Gowasu is not going to let Black get away with anything else, and neither will I."
Trunks meant every word. The precinct was already aware of Black's ilk, and Gowasu would have every eye on him. The officer had no idea who their mystery victim was or how Black got to him, but Trunks's insider knowledge would help them catch Black. He wasn't invincible, and eventually, he would slip up. That's when the law would book him again, and this time, "time off for good behavior" wouldn't even be an option. Black's days were numbered.
Trunks needed to believe that for his own sanity.
