NOTE: I couldn't help myself and wrote out the rest of the future timeline. I hope you guys enjoy the angst and bittersweetness.

NEW NOTE: I fixed the timeline. Ignore the mention about me screwing it up in the next chapter's author note.

Enjoy and Review!

Intermission (4): The Future Rules

"It's okay… It's okay…" Bulma whispered to her crying son. The single mother ignored the news channel of the horrific attack. She didn't fully understand what was going on, but she was aware enough to know that some new threat decided to make itself known again. But it should be fine, because Yamcha, Piccolo, and the others would take care of it.

Vegeta should be able to take care of it…if he wasn't being an ass.

"I mean, their fights can take a while, but should it really be this long?" Bulma stared back at the television. She'd be lying if she said that there wasn't a bit of fear bubbling up inside of her. The fear of the 'what if'. Goku wasn't around anymore, so there wasn't any guarantee that everything would turn out fine. But the others should be able to defeat whatever this threat is, like, Freeza was the biggest bad the universe has ever seen, even worse than devils or King Piccolo.

But, sure, Goku was a Super Saiyan when he defeated Freeza twice, however Vegeta had also achieved the transformation. At least, that's what he was bragging to her about before rushing off to face off this new threat. Everything would be fine…whatever was going on would be handled, Vegeta would probably barge back in here to brag about his victory (He needed someone who would at least listen to him), and they'd all be able to move on like nothing happened. And maybe she could try convincing him to at least stay in Trunks' life.

Maybe she should go visit Makima and Gohan, she was certain they could use some company. Gohan liked playing with Trunks, and Makima didn't mind her company…sometimes. Bulma nodded her head to herself and tried to relax herself in her seat. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea-"

CRASH!

Trunks immediately started screaming, forcing to try and calm him back down again. She scrambled to her feet, wondering just what could've crashed right into her house. Hurrying towards where the sound had been, Bulma kept Trunks close to her chest just in case. Could it have been Vegeta? She told that bastard about crashing through her walls just to…that's not Vegeta.

Bulma found herself staring down at a frantic young Super Saiyan, one that looked a lot like Gohan. Tears were streaming down the boy's face as he tried to get a handle on his emotions. Bulma's motherly instincts took over and she hurried over to the boy, concerned for her Godchild. "Gohan?! Y-you're a Super Saiyan! T-this is…what's going on?"

Gohan peered up at her, his breathing ragged. "B-Bulma…!" His eyes trailed over to Trunks, who was staring at him with fascination. Just the sight of the boy reminded him of everything that's happened in the last few hours. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Gohan repeated frantically.

"Y-you're sorry? Gohan, what's wrong?! Where's your mother and everyone else?!" She knew the boy long enough to know that he wouldn't be apologizing for no good reason. As an adult and Godparent, she needed to know what was going on and why he was suddenly a Super Saiyan. Makima nor Piccolo, the two who would constantly be with him were nowhere to be found either. She needed answers…

…And the moment Gohan started explaining she wished she had never asked.


Makima knew she had to find her son. She couldn't leave him alone, not when those cyborgs were out there going on a rampage. Any calls or alerts that had come through her phone had been ignored, fully aware that they were coming from the government and the Public Safety Commission. Clearly concerned about the twin menaces that were quickly tearing through society like butter, trying to understand if they were devils or not.

They weren't, but she didn't care if the government knew or not. She had no intention of trying to mobilize them against an unstoppable force that she stood no chance against. If the Public Safety Commission were to get wiped out, then so be it. Such a thing would've happened eventually regardless.

Her son was far more important.

Makima knew exactly where he'd go in his state of distress and made way for Capsule Corporation with utmost haste. Nothing was going to stop her from taking Gohan back home even if it caused him to hate her even more. His transformation into a Super Saiyan simply caught her off guard, which allowed him to get the upper hand against her. This time she was fully prepared for his power and would use a stronger means of putting him under control. Even if it meant completely wiping out his consciousness entirely. As long as he was safe…

…As long as he was back home with her and with Go…no she wouldn't think about him.

The Control Devil stormed her way through Capsule Corp, paying no mind to the fleeing employees, who were likely trying to escape before the cyborgs eventually made their way here to West City. Makima felt Gohan's signature, both his energy and devil nature blinking out at her like a beacon. He was stationed in one of the residential buildings, probably asleep from the looks of it. The redhead arrived at the room he was staying at with no issue at all, her hand mere inches from the door handle.

"And what do you think you're doing?"

Makima stopped herself, turning around to see Bulma glaring at her. The Control Devil wasn't intimidated in the slightest. "Getting my son."

"No, what you're going to do is get the hell out of my home."

"Excuse you?" Makima raised a brow at the disrespectful tone. Strange…Bulma knew better than to speak to her like that.

"No…! Excuse you ." Bulma hissed dangerously. The corporation owner boldly strolled up to Makima, glaring directly into her yellow orbs. Makima found this behavior uncharacteristic, because Bulma has never had the courage to get all uppity at her like this.

"Move, Bulma-"

"Shut up!" Bulma interrupted her. "You don't get to walk in here, and act like everything is okay! You don't get to waltz in here just to hurt him all over again!"

"I am simply trying to retrieve my son after he disobeyed me." Makima clarified. Her tone just pissed Bulma off even more.

"Disobeyed you? Is that how you see what you've done?!" Bulma yelled.

"How else am I supposed to view it?"

"How about you realize that he's still hurting from everything you said! From everything you did! And everything that's happened in the past few hours!" Bulma responded heatedly.

"You don't know-"

"I DON'T?!" Bulma interrupted her again. "You don't think he didn't explain to me how Piccolo, Vegeta, and everyone else were brutally killed by those cyborgs while you decided to abandon them all! How you decided it would be a good idea to leave the rest of us for dead?!" Tears were threatening to fall from Bulma's eyes, but the heiress didn't give a shit. The woman in front of her was pissing her off the more she looked at her.

"And what did you expect me to do?" Makima was growing annoyed by Bulma's behavior by the second. "Stay and fight a losing battle, leave my son all alone? Piccolo was even the one to suggest that I leave with Gohan. All I did was listen to his suggestion and take my son far away from there. Whatever happened afterwards was none of my concern."

Bulma stared at the devil woman in silence, disbelief written all over her face. For a moment, neither of them said anything to each other. When Makima felt that Bulma wasn't going to say anything else, she turned back towards the door-

"I wonder what Goku ever saw in you."

The speed in which Bulma was slammed into the wall was unheard of, even for their standards. A certain amount of fear appeared in the heiress as Makima kept her locked in place, the devil's disturbing eyes burning holes into her soul. " Never utter those words again." Makima warned.

Even with her fear, Bulma knew that she couldn't just stop here. She couldn't let Makima hurt Gohan again, she had a duty as his Godmother, a duty as Goku's 'big sister'. "Y-you heard me…Makima! I've accepted you, especially when the others were all hesitant to do so, but I'd be lying to say that I never wondered why Goku would marry you! You don't care about humanity, you're incredibly selfish, and you have no issue forcing your will onto other people, including your own son!"

"Stop…" Makima warned.

"Sometimes I can't help but think that maybe you did something to Goku."

"Stop…" The warning got a bit louder.

"That you used your powers to force his actions."

"Stop…!" The warning came once more.

"That you took control -"

"STOP!" Makima's anger reached its boiling point. Her powers made their way into Bulma's brain. She no longer cared about holding herself back with the heiress out of consideration for her late husband. The woman crossed a line and will pay with her life. "Don't you EVER assume that you know me! That you know HIM! Out of everyone in this godforsaken universe he's the one person I would never dream of hurting!"

But you're willing to hurt your son?

The words went unsaid, but they both heard them clear as day.

Makima would've utterly erased Bulma's will if the door behind her hadn't smashed open. A smaller fist burying itself into her back, throwing the Control Devil through the wall, allowing Bulma to be released from her hold. Makima recovered quickly from the hit and turned around to stare at the furious gaze of her son. "You dare…you dare strike your mother a second time?"

Gohan's eyes were burning a teal color, but his hair hadn't changed. Maybe he was trying to keep himself under control. As if he was afraid of what he could do to her if he allowed himself to truly lose it. "My mother…my mother is a kind person."

Bulma and Makima stared at him.

"My mother gives me warm hugs when I'm scared. My mother gives me little kisses on the head after solving a difficult problem. My mother cooks amazing food for me to enjoy. My mother always showed love and compassion to me and my father." Gohan continued as softly as he could. "But you…" He stared her in the eyes without fear. "You are not my mother."

Makima felt the only piece of her heart crack like glass. The words spoken from her son had stolen all of the energy from her body. And she couldn't help but feel like she's made a grievous mistake somewhere. But for some reason she couldn't tell why…she…she…

"Makima."

She slowly looked at Bulma, who was slowly getting back to her feet. "Gohan is your son, this is true. But he's also Goku's son."

Makima stared at her. Then vanished from Capsule Corp before either could've stopped her.

That was the last time either Gohan or Bulma would see Makima for years.


14 years…for 14 long years the Earth suffered under the tyrannical power of the Android duo. Within the first year of the rampage Earth's special forces, the Z-Fighters, were completely wiped out in a desperate struggle. A month later the governments of the world would unite their forces alongside the Devil Hunters to mount a massive attack against the cyborgs. Such efforts would prove futile as the cyborgs effortlessly dismantled their forces within minutes. Faced with such unstoppable opposition both humanity and devils alike learned quickly that the world that they knew would never be the same again.

Currently, a young boy with short purple hair, dressed in a white shirt and grey sweats, flew over the quiet forest of Mt. Paozu. This young man is Trunks Briefs the son of Bulma and Vegeta. His dark blue eyes scanned the lustful green with fascination. Due to the actions of the Androids, it was rare to see such beauty in the world, but it seemed like this mountain had rarely been touched by their ruthlessness. As if someone or something has been protecting it all this time.

"Where is it? It should be around here somewhere." Trunks muttered to himself. He knew his mother and mentor wouldn't be happy to learn of what he's doing, but the boy couldn't help his curiosity. He's heard very brief and few stories about his master's mom which was a huge contrast to how much he's heard stories about Son Goku. After managing to get Gohan to talk about his old home he had learned of where he could likely find her.

This is definitely a big risk he was taking, but Trunks was just too curious about the subject of Son Makima. He wondered why they didn't want to talk about her or why he's never seen her before or why she hasn't helped them in their fight against those cyborgs. Gohan was doing everything in his power to fight the cyborgs (And training him in the process), so it confused him why his own mother wasn't helping him. Trunks has seen his mom do everything she can to help them and other survivors in only the ways she can do. So, it doesn't make sense that a mother wouldn't want to help her own son.

Trunks eventually found a small house sitting in a clearing and smiled. "Wait, is that it?! It has to be!" He descended down towards the house as quickly as he could. Ignoring the bit of nervousness in his stomach, Trunks took careful steps towards the front door of the house. He really didn't know what to expect, so he kept his guard up just in case. Knocking on the door, Trunks waited with bated breath for someone to respond.

Much to his relief(?) the door slowly opened to reveal someone who didn't match the description of Makima. She appeared to be a young woman with short, pink colored hair with several moles on her face. She has multiple piercings and spiral pink eyes. She's dressed in a dark blue short sleeved dress with a pink vest over the top. This mystery woman stared down at him with mild curiosity, slightly creeping out the hybrid. "What do you want, Trunks?" She asked.

"U-uh…how do you know my name?" Trunks asked.

"That's not important." She replied calmly. "What's important is your reason for coming here knowing that your mother and mentor wouldn't approve of it."

Deciding it would be best to move on and hopefully get past this weird lady, Trunks stepped forward a bit. "I-I'm here to see Mrs. Makima! My mentor, Gohan's mom."

The woman just stared at him, making him squirm a bit. "Okay."

"Wait really?!" Trunks perks up. He was honestly expecting to get denied or be told that she wasn't here.

"Yup." She moved back to welcome him into the household. Trunks entered the old home, examining his new surroundings. The place felt…cold as if nobody bothered to live here for several years. He saw several stacks of plates sitting on the table, which reminded him of how the dinner table would usually look after he and Gohan finished eating. But that was really it, there wasn't anything else in the house that stood out.

So focused on the house that Trunks missed the redheaded woman that had appeared behind him. Her yellow eyes illuminating the darkness of the living room. "Why are you here?"

"GYAH?!" Trunks jumped in fright. Scrambling away from Makima and wondering just how she had managed to go completely undetected. Now that he had his target right in front of him, Trunks examined her appearance. He was honestly surprised by the disheveled devil standing in the middle of the living room.

Makima's hair was incredibly long, reaching down to her knees, the bangs almost completely covered her eyes. The Control Devil was dressed in a simple black dress that fell all the way down to her ankles.

If Trunks was being honest, the woman looked completely dead. As if she hasn't had a reason to live in the last 10 years. It confused him that someone like this could be related to his master, who even in this war-torn-world, was completely full of life.

"Why are you here?" Makima repeated in the same dead tone.

"I-I came to see you-"

"I know that." Makima interrupted him. "I'm asking you why ."

Gulping a bit at the way she seemingly stared into his soul, Trunks fought to keep himself from shaking too much. "I-I came here to ask for your help! I know you're really strong, right?! Then that means you can help us fight the cyborgs-"

"No."

"W-what?!" Trunks gasped.

"Leave my home." Makima didn't repeat herself this time. She walked past Trunks to head for the staircase.

"W-wait!" Trunks called out to her. "What do you mean 'no'?! Don't you feel angry for what they're doing to the world?!"

Makima stopped but didn't turn to face him. "They took everything from me."

"Then you should fight-"

"That's why I won't fight. I don't want to lose anymore… I don't want to feel pain anymore." Makima responded, voice void of emotion.

Trunks clenched his fist, not understanding Makima's reasons. "But Gohan's still fighting!"

Makima didn't say anything else for a moment as if several thoughts were running through her head. "How is he?" She asked.

"Huh?"

"Gohan. How is he?"

With his master as the topic Trunks felt more confident. "He's strong! Really strong! A-and even if we're still not close enough to stopping the cyborgs! He's training me, so that I can help him fight too! Gohan hasn't given up yet! He still has hope!" The boy's eyes were filled with determination. A look that reminded Makima of her son and husband.

"I see." She muttered, but her feelings on the matter still hadn't changed. "In that case, Trunks. Promise me one thing."

"U-uh…yeah, sure!"

"Protect him for me."

Trunks blinked at her.

"Do not let his light go out. That light that shines as strongly as his father's did…don't let them take that light away. Promise me." Makima sounded desperate as if she was clinging onto something.

Trunks clenched his fists, straightened his back, and stared Makima in the eyes. "I promise, Mrs. Makima! I'll always fight by Gohan's side to protect him!" He declared with strong conviction.

"Thank you." That was all Makima said before retreating back upstairs into the darkness.

CRUNCH!

"Eh?" Trunks turned around to see the woman from before sitting at the table. She was biting into a crunchy piece of pizza. "Uh…"

"Want some?" She pointed at her box. Where she even got the box of pizza from Trunks wasn't certain.

"I… I think I should just go." Trunks hurried out of the door.

"Suit yourself." The woman shrugged before continuing with her food.


"YOU WENT WHERE?!" Trunks winced from the sheer volume of his mother's voice. Unfortunately, he hadn't been as sneaky as he thought when he came back home. Both his mother and Gohan were waiting for him neither looking pleased with his actions. It didn't take long for him to spill the beans when his mother gave him her usual strict glare.

"I-I'm sorry, mom, but I had to go! I needed to ask her to help us! To help Gohan!" Trunks defended his actions.

"Trunks…" Bulma stressed out, pinching the bridge of her nose. Sometimes this kid was too much like her…filled to the brim with nosy curiosity. "There's a reason we never told you where that house was and so little about Makima."

"I know…! B-but, because of me Gohan lost his arm, I still can't turn into a Super Saiyan, and we're still nowhere near close to stopping the cyborgs! Even if it wasn't me I just wanted someone to be able to help Gohan fight them!" The young boy's desperation caused the adults a certain amount of pain.

Gohan stepped forward. "Trunks, what happened to my arm wasn't your fault-"

"IT WAS! If I hadn't been so reckless and listened to you, then that never would've happened!" Trunks argued. "I can't keep being a burden to you, Gohan! I just want to see the world like you guys did! A world without the cyborgs, a world filled with hope!" Before either one could say anything else, Trunks ran out of the house.

"Trunks!" Bulma moved to follow him, but Gohan stopped her. "Gohan…?"

"Let's give him some space, Bulma. There's a lot going through his head right now and I can't exactly blame him." Gohan said.

She nodded her head, but still frowned. "But he still went to see her even after I warned him against doing so. Maybe I should've been more explicit in why we don't talk about Makima much."

Gohan stared out the window in the direction that his old home was located. "Honestly… I can't say I blame him."

"What?" Bulma turns to him.

"I-I hate to admit it, but even after all these years I can't seem to find any ground against those two. No weakness, no way to close the gap, and no end in sight. Sometimes it feels like I'm fighting a pointless war…that maybe…maybe she was right to try and keep me from them." Gohan said, subconsciously reaching for the arm that was no longer there.

"Don't say that, Gohan!" Bulma exclaimed. "Not now…not when I'm still trying to figure out this time travel business. Sure, the cyborgs are exceptionally powerful but you're still fighting! You're still helping people and giving them hope when the world needs it the most! You're the last hope this world has!"

Gohan listened to her words, understanding her point. But he felt that there was one part of that where she was wrong. "You're wrong, Bulma. I'm not this world's last hope…we still have Trunks." Both turned to the window to see the boy venting out his frustrations against some rocks.

Bulma frowned at this, gripping her arm. "You know… I really don't like the idea of him being anywhere near those things."

"You're starting to sound a lot like her." Gohan chuckled.

The scientist didn't find that comparison so funny. "I'm not as controlling as she is or as ruthless. And he's my son, so I just want to keep him safe."

Gohan felt a sense of deja vu coursing through the air. "True, Trunks is your son, but he's also Vegeta's son." He walked away to go check on Trunks, leaving Bulma to stew on those words. The scientist just stared at his back…an uncomfortable feeling of deja vu just smacked her in the face like a punch from Freeza.

Bulma decided to ignore it and get back to work.


A few days later, after an intense training session with Trunks once again failing to transform into a Super Saiyan, the two hybrids were relaxing in a wasteland. The younger hybrid turned to his teacher with a curious gaze. "Hey, Gohan?"

"Yeah, Trunks?"

"Do you ever think about your mom?" Trunks asked the question. He was a bit afraid that his teacher would be offended or triggered, but the older hybrid didn't physically react at all.

"Sometimes. Why do you ask?" Gohan looked down at him.

"I-it's just that when I went to see her…she looked lifeless. Like, she was barely hanging on by a thread." Trunks explained. He didn't see the way Gohan's fist tightened or the way his brows furrowed. "What was she like when you were younger?"

Gohan calmed himself down, staring off at the city in the far distance. "My mother was strange. She didn't like people much and tended to treat them all like they were below her. But there was a sense of compassion or trust she held for certain people, my father and I especially." Memories long forgotten surfaced through his mind. "When my father passed away…she changed. It was like a flip had switched in her mind."

"A change? Like…she started abusing you?" Trunks assumed.

"No! No!" Gohan shook his head to clear the confusion. "She didn't abuse me or anything like that…really. She just became distant and much more…controlling. The woman who I knew as my mother just wasn't there anymore."

Trunks couldn't imagine his mother ever acting like that towards him. Sure, his dad died when he was just a baby, but she never acted like that with him. She always gave him kisses, hugs, and so much more. Trunks felt like he'd never be able to repay his mother for all that she's done for him in his life. Which is why he couldn't help but feel pity for Gohan and Makima, their relationship essentially fell apart 14 years ago.

"Maybe you should go see her?" Trunks' suggestion caught his teacher off guard.

"H-huh?!" Gohan flinched.

"I kinda understand that things went terribly for the two of you, but she's still your mom, right? I couldn't imagine living in a world where I didn't have my mom with me, and I bet it's the same for you."

Gohan shook his head. "It's not that simple, Trunks-"

"She asked about you!" The boy interrupted him. "After she refused to fight the cyborgs, she asked me about you! I-I couldn't really see it well, but when I told her that you were still alive and fighting it looked like she was happy. That some part of her wants to reach out to you-"

"Protect him for me."

"-That she wants nothing more than to see you again. But…but maybe because of whatever happened 14 years ago she's afraid of hurting you again." Trunks exclaimed boldly.

Gohan stared at his apprentice, several thoughts swarming through his head. It was true that he hadn't seen his mother in 14 years, not after she tried to erase his will and not after she almost turned Bulma into a vegetable. His long war against the cyborgs and preparing Trunks had served as a distraction, an excuse to never go see her again. And it was likely the same for her.

Maybe Trunks was right. He doesn't know what might happen, but he should at least try and see his mother again-

BOOM!

The older hybrid was forced out of his thoughts by the loud explosions coming from the city in the distance. Both he and Trunks didn't need to guess who the ones were causing all of the trouble. They felt the horrific sensation of power levels vanishing, the cyborgs' endless massacre taking even more lives. Gohan transformed into a Super Saiyan in preparation to face off against his long-time adversaries. "Trunks, stay here!"

"No way, I'm going with you!" Trunks argued.

Gohan growled at the boy. " I may not be able to keep you safe this time. I can't let you die… " He didn't want to waste time arguing with Trunks. "You'll just get in the way!"

"No! I can't let you go by yourself, Gohan! You're missing one arm, and you haven't fully recovered yet! You'll die!" Trunks tried to talk sense into his teacher.

"Those two will continue taking more lives if I don't get down there and stop them!"

"Protect him for me." Trunks once again remembered Makima's words. He made a promise, and he wasn't going to break it. "Gohan, I promise that I won't drag you down this time! Even if I can't turn into a Super Saiyan, I'm still much stronger than last time! PLEASE!"

Gohan and Trunks stared each other down for a moment before the older hybrid sighed. He smiled at his student and nodded his head. "Alright, Trunks, let's go."

"Okay! Let's-guh!" Before he could finish, a sharp pain nailed the back of his neck. Trunks lost consciousness and fell to the ground.

Gohan stood over his body, frowning at the boy. "Trunks…you're the world's last hope. If both of us died, then there wouldn't be anyone left to defend the world. You have to become stronger…stronger than anyone who came before you."

Gohan took off towards the city, his anger fueling his determination to fight this upcoming battle.


C18 watched her brother destroy some buildings, killing whoever was left inside of them. "Give it a rest, 17. We've already killed almost everyone here. We should head somewhere where tons and tons of people are hiding. It would be way more fun."

C17 saw her point, but still waved her off. "Why are you in such a rush? Let's just try to enjoy ourselves. If we wipe out all of humanity now, then the fun ends and we've got nothing left to do, right-"

POW!

Gohan's foot smashed against C17's face, knocking him into the opposite building. The hybrid touched down on the street, waiting as C17 stepped out of the building unharmed. The male cyborg smirked at his favorite plaything. "So, Gohan, back for more, huh? Could've at least given me a warning before kicking me like that. Didn't your mother teach you any manners?"

The hybrid glared daggers at the enemy of humanity, refusing to banter back with him. C18 touched down from the building she was perched on, standing next to her brother. "Where's the kid? Decided to come by yourself today?" She taunted.

"Your target is me, nobody else! Your rampage ends today, do you hear me?!" Gohan declared.

The two cyborgs stopped smiling, having long since gotten sick and tired of Gohan's usual heroic spills. C18 rolled her eyes at the hybrid, crossing her arms. "It's been fun, but I'm sick of him, 17. Let's kill him this time."

C17 shrugged. "Sure, the first one to kill him doesn't have to grab dinner tonight."

"Deal."

Even after all these years they were still treating everything like a game! Every wound, every drop of blood, every tear, and ever lost life meant nothing to them! They treated him like a plaything, something they could get rid of any time they wanted! "It's no use! Even if my body breaks, another will rise in my place!"

His thoughts drifted to Trunks, silently apologizing for having to leave everything to him.

"Not one death will go unaccounted for…!"

Piccolo, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, Chiaotzu, Vegeta, and every life taken by them in the last 14 years.

"NOT ONE!" Gohan's power surged violently with rage. Golden energy splitting the ground apart, but the cyborgs stood unbothered by his display of power. They charged at him simultaneously, clashing against his aura for a brief moment before plowing right through it.

Gohan could feel it as he blocked their strikes with his one arm. The twins weren't holding back anymore, they fully planned to kill him this night. His body shook, his blood spilled, and his bones creaked against their combined tandem.

But he wouldn't waver.

He wouldn't fall. Not without a fight.

Gohan exploded a ball of KI in their faces to blind them. Taking advantage of this to fly higher into the air to gain some distance. However, C18 appeared above him within a second and unleashed two blasts upon him. Gohan dodged the attacks only to get kicked through several buildings by C17. The twins chased after him, refusing to give Gohan the chance to recover his breath.

Not that he needed it as he used this small window to create a barrier to block their attacks. It only withstood the two for a moment, but that was more than enough for him to strike against the two. C17 crashed against one of the crumpled buildings while Gohan swung his sister around by her foot. He threw the female cyborg into the ruined pavement before pushing his hand against her back and unloaded a barrage of point-blank KI blasts.

Gohan knew better than to continue standing there as C17 was on him in an instant, forcing Gohan to block the on-coming kick. C18 recovered quickly, clearly pissed off by his attack, and backhanded Gohan in the nose. She and her brother unleashed a destructive combined melee upon Gohan before slamming him through another set of buildings.

Gohan forced his body to ignore the pain, regaining his balance to vanish from their sight. He reappeared behind them both and kicked them away, then took to the skies. With his hand to his head, Gohan charged up as much energy as he could for one ultimate attack. "MASENKO-HAAAA!" The golden beam barreled down at the downed cyborgs, exploding in a brilliant flash of colors.

Gohan heaved heavily, floating back down to the ground as rain started to fall. As if the world was crying out at him to stop, to run from this impossible fight. But wouldn't listen, he couldn't listen. As long as he still drew breath, he'd never stop fighting.

"Well, Gohan, I'd have to say that was a pretty impressive attack." C17 complimented as he and his sister emerged from the smoke. Both cyborgs were unharmed except for their damaged clothing. "But still, not enough."

Gohan grits his teeth, his eyes glaring hatefully at his tormentors. He had put almost everything he had into that blast, but it hadn't done a damn thing. Even after all these years his power still wasn't enough to hurt them-to kill them! His friends, his mentor, his student, and the world had put their faith into him to put an end to this nightmare, but his power just wasn't enough!

"Seems like he's got nothing left in the tank, 17." C18 scoffed, obviously bored.

"Heh, perfect then. At least this rain will be the perfect backdrop to the end of your story, Gohan." C17 mocked.

His body shook from rage, hating the sounds of their voices. "No end…! I HAVE NO END!" Gohan roared.

C17 and C18 moved in tandem, pounding his body with their unparalleled strength. Gohan continued to try and hold his own against them.

"Are you gonna give up or what?!"

"C'mon, you gotta have more in you than that!"

Their fists shattered his ribs. Their blasts burned his skin. Their laughter echoed in his ears.

But he still fought back.

"It's cute you're trying so hard!"

"This is your last chance to stand up to us! Come on, Gohan!"

His body had no strength left. His consciousness was fading in and out with each strike they landed.

But he still fought back.

"I think it's time to put him out of his misery, 17!"

"Hmph, okay. Show's over, I guess."

Gohan could see them coming, he could hear their movements, and he could feel their might.

He failed.

Even knowing the outcome from the beginning, the stinging pain of failure hurt more than their attacks ever could. He let everyone down.

He let Piccolo down.

He let Bulma down.

He let Trunks down.

He let his father down.

And his mother…

As C18 blasted him into the street, his Super Saiyan form fading away, Gohan found himself thinking back to his mother. She would be all alone…his father was long dead and he failed to be the son she needed. Gohan watched the endless rain of KI get closer to him, the end of his fight was coming…

" What are you doing, kid? I never taught you to give up! "

"M-Mr. Piccolo…"

" Come on, Gohan! You haven't used all your power yet! Bring peace back to the world! "

"F-father…"

Before he even realized what he was doing, Gohan charged up one last final attack. "Ka…! Me…! Ha…! Me…!"

" What a brave son I have. My own little hero in the making. "

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Gohan's final Kamehameha clashed against the KI storm from the cyborgs. He pushed and pushed and pushed against them with everything he had left…even with his body broken, his spirit remained unbroken.

He may die, but his will still lives on. It'll live on in Trunks, who will no doubt be the warrior of hope the world needs.

As his attack failed to stop the cyborgs, as their KI tore his body apart. Gohan smiled and closed his eyes forever.


SHATTER!

Fami looked up from her plate of chicken to see her big sister standing over a broken picture frame. Neither woman said a word, but they both had a similar feeling coursing through their being.

Makima slowly picked up the picture frame, staring at the shattered glass that used to protect the image inside. It was the photo that she and Goku took the day Gohan was born. A single tear crawled down Makima's cheek as if her body knew that something had happened.

But she wanted to confirm it. She needed to see it with her own eyes.


Bulma wiped the sweat from her brow as she finished the finishing touches on her last project. This little baby should make it easier for them to find supplies, since a time machine can't exactly build itself. She's gonna need all the parts she can find to put that thing together and even create the fuel necessary for it to travel. Feeling her stomach grumble, the scientist decided to take a break to get herself a snack.

As she walked towards the kitchen, she found her thoughts drifting off towards her son and Gohan. The two had gone out earlier in the day to train Trunks in becoming a Super Saiyan, since Gohan was gonna need all the help, he could get in facing the cyborgs.

Rain pelted against the window, making Bulma frown even more. She would hope that Gohan wouldn't leave Trunks out in the rain too long. Saiyan biology may be tough, but they weren't impervious to getting sick.

Goku certainly proved that 10 years ago.

Her heart still aches whenever she thinks about her dead 'little brother'. He was the best of them all, and always saved the day when they needed it the most. Gohan's been trying his best to live up to that mantle that Goku left behind. It's been hard…incredibly hard for him, but she knows that Gohan can do it. And even if he couldn't do it now, once she's gotten the time machine working, he could go into the past to save his father, then train with him. Maybe…maybe then he'll finally be able to win.

Maybe then this nightmare can end.

Bulma sighed, finishing her thoughts as she made herself a sandwich. There was no point in thinking so much about this stuff. They had more than enough time to properly think everything out. She took a bite of her sandwich then turned around…

…Coming face to face with a yellow spiral pair of eyes.

"BWAAGH!" Bulma threw up her sandwich in surprise, almost choking on some of it. She fell back onto the counter, coughing roughly until she managed to spit everything out. The scientist looked over to glare heatedly at Makima. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Makima ignored her shout completely. "Where is he?"

"W-what?"

"Where is Gohan?"

Bulma gathered herself back together, standing back up to her full height. She would be lying if she said she wasn't still slightly intimidated by the woman, but it's been 14 years since they've last seen each other. And it seemed like the Control Devil still hadn't changed at all. "What? No 'hello' or 'how has it been'?"

"I do not care. Where is my son?" Makima sounded desperate. And now that Bulma got a good look at the woman, Makima looked nothing like she did 14 years ago. She looked unkempt, unprofessional, and depressed. A far cry from the devil woman that seemed like she had everything always under control.

"Look, Makima, if this is just another desperate attempt to force him to come back to you after all these years, then forget it! He's an adult now! Someone fully capable of making his own decisions in life and doesn't need his mother trying to control him-" Bulma stumbled back as Makima took a step forward.

"I. DO. NOT. CARE." She declared. "WHERE. IS. MY. SON?" The building shook with each step, with each word, and now Makima was mere inches from Bulma's face. A sense of deja vu coursing through the blue-haired woman.

"H-he's out training with Trunks…" Bulma begrudgingly answered. "But look I don't care how strong you are, you have no right to try and intrude on his life anymore! He already has his plate full with the cyborgs and doesn't need you-" Whatever she was going to say next was stopped by the sounds of the door slamming open. Both women looked over to see Trunks enter the house with Gohan slung over his back.

Trunks…the boy was completely drenched and looked awful. But there wasn't a scratch on him. Gohan on the other hand…

"Oh my god… Trunks?! Gohan?!" Bulma reacted quickly. Makima stood still as a statue, her eyes never leaving the sight of her son. Bulma rushed over towards her son. "Trunks, quick! We need to get him to the infirmary-"

"It's too late…"

THAT made Bulma's blood run cold. Her body robotically turned to look back at her son, who was barely keeping his emotions in check. "What?"

"He's dead, mom…! They killed him! They brutalized him, killed him, and left him out to rot in the rain! They…they…!" Trunks' emotions were threatening to spill, his eyes flickering between blue and teal.

"No…" Bulma's body shook, her hand flying towards her mouth as she stared at Gohan's corpse. "Not him… not Gohan…"

"I'll never forgive them…! I'll never EVER forgive them…!" Trunks' hair began to ascend upwards, swaying as gold sparks started to dance in the air.

Without them realizing it, Gohan's body vanished from Trunks' back. The mother-son duo turned to see Makima holding the dead body of her son in her arms. The devil's face was completely emotionless as she stared down at his beaten form.

Bulma felt such a heavy wave of guilt slam into her stomach, almost making her want to throw up. Just moments ago, she was berating this woman for wanting to see her son, a son she hadn't seen in 14 years, and when she finally got to see him again… Bulma couldn't even finish the thought. Why…why did things have to go like this?

Trunks felt like a failure. He had promised Makima that he would protect Gohan, that he would stand by his side and fight. Guilt and anger swirled like a raging vortex inside of him, just waiting to explode outward. His hatred for the cyborgs exploded to new heights within milliseconds. "Mrs. Makima…"

Makima didn't make any sign to have heard him.

"I swear… I swear on my life… on my honor…! I'll kill them both! I'll make them pay! I'LL MAKE THEM PAY FOR THIS!" Trunks' energy exploded into a bright burst of gold. His hair turned blonde and his eyes now teal, he had become a Super Saiyan, but at a great cost. Bulma stared at her son in amazement and distress.

Makima just walked forward with her son in her arms. She walked past the Briefs but stopped at the exit. She stood there for a few short moments before finally opening her mouth. "Keep this one."

She vanished along with Gohan's corpse.

This would be the last time Bulma and Trunks would ever see Makima again.


A few days later, Bulma and Trunks would arrive at the Son household, hoping to pay their respects to Gohan. However, when they arrived there was nobody home, the place was even more barren than the last time Trunks had been there. The two searched all over the house for Makima, but she was nowhere to be seen. They were utterly confused until they heard a crunching noise coming from the kitchen. Sitting at the kitchen table, stuffing her face was Fami. Trunks and Bulma both recognized her instantly.

"You're the woman who was here before!" Trunks exclaimed.

"Fami?! Why are you here?!" Bulma asked.

"Wait, how do you know her, mom?" Trunks asked.

"She's Makima's sister." Bulma answered, shocking her son.

"Eh?! She has a sister?!"

"There are two others." Fami spoke up, gaining their attention. "One of them is kept in that small house that Goku's grandfather owned, and the other is somewhere far away. But I'm sure that's not why you two are here."

"Y-yeah, we're here to pay our respects to Gohan. For everything he's done for us, for this world." Trunks responded.

"And where's Makima?" Bulma asked, wishing to apologize to the Control Devil for everything.

Fami stared at them both, her eyes reminding them of Makima. "Are you sure you want to know?" She asked them.

"Yes!" Trunks answered for them both.

Fami stood up from the table, but still kept the bowl of ramen in her hands. "Okay. Follow me, then."

She led the two out of the house and towards the further ends of the forest behind the Son household. Bulma recognized this path, it led to where Goku's grave was kept. It made sense that Gohan would end up being buried next to his father, so what Bulma expected to see when they arrived in the clearing was two graves.

But there were three graves.

HERE LIES SON GOKU: A HUSBAND, A FATHER, A FRIEND, A WARRIOR

HERE LIES SON GOHAN: A SON, A FRIEND, A MENTOR, THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD

HERE LIES SON MAKIMA: A WIFE, A MOTHER, A DEVIL

Bulma fell to her knees in front of the graves, the tears wasted no time in pouring out of her eyes. The once high-class heiress released all of her anger, regrets, and pain in one strong cry. A sight that shocked Trunks, who had never seen his mother react in such a violent way. He dropped down to her and did his best to try and comfort his mother.

Fami, unbothered by Bulma's reaction, slurped some more of her noodles. "She asked me to do it." Bulma kept crying, but Fami knew that she was listening. "When she came back with Gohan's dead body, the first thing she did was ask me to kill her."

"What?! Why?!" Trunks asked.

Fami took another slurp of the ramen, frowning slightly at the lack of noodles in the bowl. "Makima always wanted to know what it was like to have a family, to know what it meant to love. Something that was always out of her control, but then she met Goku. They fell in love, got married, and had Gohan. She was happy, content with her life. Any ambitions of dominating the human race vanished. She had everything she could ever want…"

"...But then Goku died from that virus." Fami sighed. "Her heart broke that day, but she continued to live on for their son. As long as she still had him, then she could keep living in this world, her heart can last a bit longer…"

"...But then Gohan died too, along with the rest of her heart. A world without either of them is a world Makima didn't want to live in."

"So, you just killed her?! Isn't she your sister?! Weren't you two family?!" Trunks sneered at the devil.

The famine devil didn't flinch at his words. "The four of us never really cared about each other that way…at least that much. Besides, we Devils work differently, Trunks. Makima may have died physically, but she'll go through the process in hell to be reincarnated back here on Earth."

"So, she'll be back?!" Trunks gasped.

"The Control Devil will return one day, yes, but Makima is dead forever. When she returns, she'll be a completely different person with no memories of her previous incarnation. She'll never remember who these two were." Fami explained.

Trunks digested the information, while continuing to help his distraught mother. He hated it, everything about the situation was terrible. Gohan and his family didn't deserve the hand that fate dealt them, and he'd ensure that something like this won't happen again after his mother figures out time travel. And as for this future…

"I'll help her." Trunks said, gaining Fami's attention.

"One day, I'll find the Control Devil and I'll remind her of Son Goku and Son Gohan…and of Son Makima." Trunks declared.

"You'd want to put her through this pain again?"

"Pain or not, we all have to experience the things we never want to see come true. We all have to have our nightmares. Maybe the next Control Devil will be hurt by the information or maybe she won't, but regardless I'll stay by her side. I won't let her be alone…not in a world like this!" Trunks stood to his full height, which wasn't much since he was still a child, but Fami felt her eyes widen.

This kid felt different as if there were several powerful souls standing alongside him. Giving him their strength to finish the fight they couldn't. Fami gave a small smile and finished the ramen broth in her bowl. "Okay, Trunks, show me the future you can create."


Four years later, after the death of Gohan and Makima, Trunks would embark on a journey to the past with the use of Bulma's time machine. Here, Trunks would give Goku the medicine to ensure that he would survive the heart virus, meet and train with his father, battle against a threat even bigger than the cyborgs known as Cell. Thankfully, the young Gohan of that timeline would achieve great power thanks to his bond with his parents and defeat Cell in one final clash. With the past's future now secure, Trunks journeys back to his timeline to finally end his own nightmare.

Trunks arrived back home, greeted by his mother. The two would spend the next moments talking about Trunks' experience in the past, especially about his father. "And could you believe that? Dad got upset over Cell killing me! Flying at him in a blind rage, even if he knew that his attacks wouldn't do anything, dad still fought for me." Trunks couldn't stop the smile from forming on his face.

"See, didn't I tell you that your father can be a good guy?" Bulma laughed nervously as she drank her hot chocolate. " Woah… Vegeta did that? For our son…? Even I couldn't have expected that. " She sighed and wondered if her Vegeta could've reached that point. Well, no point in thinking about something that'll never happen. It was a shame about Goku still dying; it seems that his death was always supposed to happen no matter what. At least Gohan got to avenge his father instead of losing him in an irreversible situation.

"Mrs. Makima also seemed happier in that timeline too. Even after losing Goku, her eyes were much brighter." Trunks smiled.

"I guess different circumstances can have the biggest effects-"

"She's also pregnant in that one too."

"PFFT!" Bulma spat out her chocolate all over the floor. "HUH?! AND THAT IDIOT GOKU DECIDED TO STAY DEAD?!" Bulma hadn't screamed like this in years, but Goku also had a knack for bringing out this side of her. "OF COURSE, THAT IDIOT DID!"

Trunks laughed at his mother's anger, thinking back to how her alternate version was always yelling at Goku for doing or saying something nonsensical. Suddenly, the radio came on, alerting people of another attack by the cyborg duo.

Standing up from his seat, Trunks took off his jacket, and turned into a Super Saiyan. "That's my cue."

"Trunks!" His mother snapped out of her comical rage. "Are you sure you'll be, okay? Those two are strong."

"I know, but I'm much stronger than ever before. We have to bring peace to this timeline too." Trunks declared and took off towards the cyborg's attack. He was surprised to see how different the alternate versions of the cyborgs were, but it made him weirdly satisfied that they were much more human in that timeline.

His versions, however, deserved the worst of deaths.

Unlike the last few times that Trunks battled the cyborgs, he truly was ready to face them. They mocked him, they mocked his teacher, and mocked the lives they've taken since that fateful day 14 years ago. Usually, these two would be right about being unstoppable that Trunks' confidence was simply ignorant bravado.

But today would be different.

C18 pointed her hand at him, charging a blast. "Can I kill him now, 17? He's getting annoying!"

"It'll be one less toy to enjoy, but sure." C17 allowed.

"Heh!" C18 unleashed a KI blast at him to kill him. To their shock Trunks effortlessly deflected the beam, then appeared in front of C18 in the blink of an eye. She only had one moment to have her life flash before her eyes before Trunks eradicated her with his own blast. One down, one to go.

C17 shook from shock and fear from the sudden death of his twin sister. The male cyborg was on the defensive for the first time in his life. "Y-you! What did you just do?! You're going to pay for killing 18!"

Trunks frowned at C17's hypocritical attitude. "It's about time you finally learn what it's like to lose the ones you love. THAT was for the friends of mine you killed. And THIS IS FOR GOHAN!" Trunks charged at C17, landing a devastating kick against the cyborg's chin. With the cyborg still reeling from the hit, Trunks pointed his hand at the evil android. "BEGONE!" And in a brilliant final attack, C17 was no more.

As much as he wished that he could've made the two suffer for what they did, he didn't wish to risk them making a comeback. Hopefully, they'll burn in the darkest pits of hell.

Trunks relaxed his body, reverting back to his base form. "Finally…the nightmare ends…no." He shook his head, the nightmare isn't over just yet. "There's still one last thing."


Three years later when Trunks planned to go back to the past to inform everyone that he had defeated the cyborgs, a certain bug appeared in an attempt to kill him to steal his time machine. Unfortunately for the recently awoken Cell, Trunks was more than ready for him to appear. The warrior of hope blasted him out of the recovering West City, towards an empty wasteland.

Trunks transformed into a Super Saiyan. "I won't let you go back into the past!"

"Keep telling yourself that, boy!" Cell exclaimed. He believed himself strong enough to defeat Trunks, but his date was outdated. Trunks had fought not only a stronger version of the bug, but also trained alongside his father for a whole year. He possessed the strength necessary to protect his home once and for all.

Trunks spun Cell around by his tail and threw the bug into the air. Cell tried to use the Kamehameha to kill Trunks, but his attack would never leave his hands. Generating a powerful dome of KI, Trunks was ready to finish this. "THE NIGHTMARE IS OVER, CELL! DIE!" His attack instantly eradicated Cell, every last bit of the bio-android was wiped from existence.

Trunks dropped back down to his base form. "Finally…Gohan, Goku, Makima…the world is finally free."


Once this had truly calmed down for the better, Trunks used his free time to visit the graves of the Son Family. He still wished that things for them in this timeline had ended better, but at least their alternate selves got to be happy. He was sure that the three of them would be fine with that at least. He placed three sets of flowers down by their graves. "I'm sorry that it took me so long, but it's finally over. The cyborgs and Cell are dead for good, which means that our world can finally heal. We can finally have hope again."

"What are you doing?"

Trunks turned around, surprised by the voice that suddenly appeared. There shouldn't be anyone else who knew about this grave site other than himself, his mother, Fami, and the rest of their friends. He scanned the area until he saw a smaller figure standing behind a tree, clearly a young girl. "Hey…who are you?"

"I should be asking you that." She said, "Why are you here? And what's with those graves?" The young girl stepped out of the shadows of the tree, giving Trunks a good look at her. She had long black hair tied into a braid that went down her back. She's dressed in a black dress with white flat shoes. But the part that stuck out the most to him were the spiral yellow eyes that he'd recognize anywhere.

" Makima…! Then this girl must be… " Trunks gasped silently, realizing the identity of this young girl. "Hey, what's your name?"

"Nayuta. Now tell me yours, purple-guy."

"P-purple guy?" Trunks faltered from the nickname. "Whatever…my name's Trunks. And to answer your question, these three were some important people to me."

Nayuta stared at the graves, a weird feeling creeping in her head. Images of people she's never known flashed through her mind. " W-what's going on…? "

"Why did you come here, Nayuta?" Trunks' question snapped her out of her thoughts.

She crossed her arms, glaring at him. "I don't know… I just feel drawn to this place I suppose. Almost like it's supposed to mean something."

"I could explain it all to you." Trunks offered, but all he got in return was a suspicious glare.

"And how am I supposed to trust you, Trunks? I'm a devil and you're a human, we don't exactly see eye-to-eye." Nayuta scoffed.

"A lot of things have happened to this world for a long time now. Both humans and devils suffered at the hands of some nightmarish monsters. I think it's time that we put our natures aside and join hands and create a better future." Trunks walked closer to Nayuta. Once he was right in front of her, he held out his hand.

Instead of taking his hand, she shot a chain at his head, but the Saiyan dodged it. He didn't look offended and instead laughed it off. "Yup, Makima did say that you'd probably do something like this."

"Makima…?"

"Don't worry, she's just someone who has suffered a little too much, but now has a future she can enjoy. She has hope, and I think you could use some of that too." Trunks still kept his hand held out for her to take.

Nayuta frowned at him, then looked down at his hand. "Whatever…! I want answers and you apparently got them, so I'll listen to you. But I'll let you know now that I don't need your hope. Devils don't hope."

"I think you're wrong. Everyone could use some…and you deserve it more than anyone else." Trunks' words left her confused, but she shrugged it off and took his hand. For some reason his hands felt familiar and warm.

Like a blanket wrapping around her.


In the darkest pits of Hell, home to the foulest of devils known to mankind. C17 and C18 were chained up to the highest of polls. All around them were devils, devils that the two had spent the last decade and half killing over and over again along with the human race. The cyborgs didn't fear them not until they realized their abilities weren't working. The devils were screaming and raging, wishing to tear the two apart for everything they've done.

"Quiet down! Quiet down!" A feminine voice ordered. All of the devils lowered their voices to allow their mistress to make herself known. A very mature and queenly woman descended into the pit of Hell. She wore a pitch-black dress that hugged her curves perfectly, a pair of black high-heels, and had her dark hair flowing all the way down her back. The woman's eyes were the most enchanting aspect of her appearance, their spiral gray color glowed in the darkness. "I think it's time that we got this show on the road.

C17 struggled in his binds. "Who the hell are you, bitch?! Where the hell are we?!"

"Let us go if you know what's good for you!" C18 raged.

The woman rolled her eyes at the two, not intimidated by them at all. "To answer your question, you're in Hell. Or more specifically the Hell designed to produce and hold devils."

"To hold devils?" C18 repeated. "But we're not devils!"

"Oh, you definitely are…maybe not by nature, but you're just as terrible as any devil in existence. Normally, you two wouldn't have been brought down here, your souls would've gone to the hell meant for mortals. However, I decided to intervene and change that." She explained. Her eyes staring through their very beings.

"Changed that…?" C17 felt very uncomfortable. He wasn't the only one as C18 felt the same shiver going through her body. Fear was very new for them. "Why would you-"

"You not only upset the natural balance of the world for more than a decade, because of your reckless rampage, but you also put my little sister and nephew through utter hell. Then you killed him in cold blood without mercy. Trust me, I'll be ensuring that you two will be suffering an eternal punishment where you'll never be able to dream of seeing the light again!" She declared with malicious intent. Her declaration caused the rest of the devils to get excited again, screaming loudly like a gladiator audience.

C18 stared at the woman in fear, the woman's powers were such an opposing presence that it genuinely felt like she couldn't breathe. "W-who are you…?"

The woman smirked. "The Death Devil. Welcome to Hell."

Intermission End

NOTE: It's a bittersweet ending. I do think Trunks' story should've ended here instead of bringing him back for no reason in DBS.

Future Makima's story doesn't have a happy ending sadly.

The Nayuta here isn't the same as the main timeline Nayuta, since she's a direct reincarnation. The two just have similar face and name.

Makima can tolerate being around Fami. Do remember that she turned War brain dead in the last chapter. They keep her in Grandpa Gohan's hut, and Fami keeps an eye on her to ensure she doesn't do anything stupid if she ever gets her brain back.

Big sis Death cares for Makima and Gohan. 17 and 18 get exactly what they deserve in the end.

I hope you all enjoyed. Next chapter will be back to the main story, which will be much happier.