Trunks dreamt about his final moments in his universe before he was transported away. Black had his mother by the throat, but that was impossible, she was already dead.
The twisted form of Goku smiled at him as he powered up a blast that first disintegrated his mother and next the entirety of the dream, leaving a haunting laugh that resonated throughout the dark void.
"You survived." Black's voice was piercing and seemed to be coming from everywhere. "This new universe will serve as an excellent proving ground. When I break free of this prison, I will sharpen my blade on the necks of the countless mortals this realm offers and leave you as its final victim."
Even as Trunks shot awake, he could hear the horrible laughter echoing in his mind.
For a brief second, he forgot where he was until he saw the alien man, J'onn J'onzz, in the corner. He appeared to be in some sort of meditation with his arms crossed and his eyes closed, however he addressed the Saiyan as if he could sense his consciousness. "Hello Trunks."
Trunks sat up and pushed himself to the edge of the bed, doing his best to shake the nightmare from his mind. His head felt like it had been put in a vice grip. The thought of ever sleeping again churned his stomach, he'd had enough sleep to last a lifetime.
"J'onn J'onzz." Trunks remembered, "What happened?"
J'onn opened his eyes, revealing their pure red color. "It appears my memory reading was too emotionally overwhelming. Perhaps the intensity of reliving such traumatic events sent you into a state of shock."
"I think extreme was an understatement." He said humorlessly before finally realizing that he was dressed in an uncomfortably breezy medical gown. "Where are my clothes?" J'onn looked across the room to a shelf in the wall where Trunks' clothes looked to be freshly cleaned and folded.
"Your mother's machine and sword are in the Research and Development laboratory." J'onn explained, answering Trunks' unasked questions, "But there is a more pressing matter we must attend to first. I will wait for you outside after you change." And with that he exited the room leaving Trunks to gaze out of the space station's window at the image of Earth and its sun starting to peek out over the horizon.
"If you could see me now mom." He said to himself. Taking in his surroundings he saw the medical room was themed like the rest of the space station. Metal flooring and walls with grand open windows. They certainly stuck to the sci-fi theme.
Quickly, he changed out of the medical gown and into his usual black tank top, pants, and jacket before meeting Martian Manhunter outside his room. "So, what's this important matter we have to attend to?"
"I think it would be better to let Batman explain when we get there."
"Bat… Man? And where exactly is there?"
J'onn said nothing as he led Trunks back through the Watchtower's maze-like corridors until they finally arrived at their destination. There he saw Superman, Green Lantern, and two figures he recognized from his interrogation, but hadn't learned the names of. One was a tall woman in a golden brassiere, star spangled leotard, and a lasso which looked like it was made out of gold. The other was a man in a black and gray costume bearing a bat symbol on his chest. He guessed this was the "batman" J'onn was referring to.
Most surprisingly were the power levels he felt as he focused on the two. The woman had a power level that was greater than any he had come across so far in this universe, second to Superman. But Batman radiated nothing. If Trunks weren't looking directly at him, he never would have known he was there.
"Hello Trunks," Batman greeted, his voice calm but firm. "J'onn has already told us what you're capable of, but we need to understand your full range of abilities. If this Goku Black is as powerful as you claim, then we can use you to measure what kind of force we're up against."
"I'm not comfortable playing guinea pig." Trunks countered, perhaps a little too quickly. "As a Saiyan I can channel immense power, but that kind of power isn't meant to be taken lightly." His thoughts flashed briefly of the saiyan's primal ability to transform into Great Apes, and the thought of such ferocious beasts brought back the memory of Gohan's transformation against Cell. The younger warrior's emotions and rage had blinded him, and if that could happen to such a reluctant fighter like Gohan…
"There are moments when even the most disciplined Saiyan warriors can lose control. What happens if I lose control? I could be endangering everyone on this station."
Superman was the first to speak up, as if he had anticipated this reaction,"We understand your concern, but there's nothing to worry about. The simulation can handle it. Besides, you won't be alone. Wonder Woman will be sparring with you."
The woman in question stepped forward and adjusted the silver bracelets on her forearms. "I've fought gods before. You don't need to hold back." The pride and confidence she spoke with reminded Trunks of the past version of his father, and in a strange way that similarity put him at ease.
"Your fears are not unfounded." J'onn said, "But remember, Trunks, we do not ask you to unleash your power recklessly. What we are asking is for you to understand the extent of your abilities and in doing so perhaps the League could help you learn control." The martian's wisdom was enough to push Trunks to agree to the exercise, and not for the last time he thought how similar J'onn and Piccolo were.
"Okay, but if I say to end the match then we end it." Trunks said meeting Batman's gaze who only narrowed his eyes in response.
As Trunks and Wonder Woman entered the simulation room hard-light constructions turned the large, bare room into a small urban environment. Trunks bowed to his opponent before the two took up fighting stances across from each other.
"J'onn says you're a great fighter, do not dishonor your past battles by holding back," Wonder Woman reiterated. "I want to see what you're truly capable of." Her posture was calm but there was a glimmer of excitement in her eyes.
"Are you ready?" She asked.
As he took a deep breath the saiyan attempted to steady himself. "I'm ready." And with that the fight began.
In the blink of an eye Wonder Woman cleared the distance between the two and unleashed a devastating blow. Trunks was taken aback. He knew she was powerful judging from her energy level, but he hadn't expected such speed.
As Trunks blocked her first strike with his forearm, the impact sent a shockwave through the room. The amazon pivoted, attacking his midsection with a kick but Trunks leapt back, his speed matching hers.
He shot forward with a rapid punch, aiming for her side, but Wonder Woman crossed her arms in a block. The force however was enough to cause her to skid back a few feet and her eyes flickered with interest. He quickly followed up with a series of energy blasts hoping to catch his opponent off guard, but Wonder Woman deflected them with her bracelets.
She charged forward again, equipping a door that had fallen off a damaged vehicle and used it as a shield against Trunks' barrage of ki blasts. She launched it at Trunks who narrowly dodged it but caught an uppercut to his chin sending him flying into the air.
Halting his ascent, Trunks charged up a Burning Attack. But before he could gather the energy to launch it his foot was ensnared in Wonder Woman's lasso. She whipped the saiyan back to the ground with enough force to shake the Watchtower.
"You're holding back, Trunks. I can tell," she said. Her tone was encouraging but he got the feeling she meant it more as a challenge. "Do not think. Act."
Trunks grit his teeth and with a surge of determination he powered up further. His aura exploded in a violent burst of energy and his hair began to flicker, changing from its usual violet to a golden hue.
Wonder Woman's eyes widened slightly at the sight, but she didn't hesitate. She charged again, this time faster, attacking with powerful strikes. Trunks met each one with his fists, blocking and countering in a flurry of movement. The ground beneath them cracked under the sheer force of their blows, and the air rippled with energy as their battle intensified.
Suddenly, Wonder Woman spun around and unraveled her lasso again. In a flash of gold, the Lasso of Truth wrapped around Trunks' arm, and she yanked him toward her with incredible strength. Trunks didn't resist. Instead, he allowed himself to be pulled in close, then unleashed a massive burst of ki from his body, sending her flying back.
"Is that all you've got?" she asked, her voice was teasing but garnered a hint of respect.
Trunks' eyes narrowed. "I'm just warming up."
With a shout, Trunks powered up fully to Super Saiyan, his hair and aura transforming into a fiery gold as his energy exploded outward. The sheer force of his transformation sent shockwaves throughout the environment and caused the walls of the simulation room to groan under the pressure. His eyes, now turquoise, locked onto Wonder Woman.
In an instant, he was gone.
Trunks moved faster than Wonder Woman could track. Reappearing behind her he aimed a punch at her blindside. Letting her reflexes take over the amazon barely had time to block the blow, the strength of which sent her flying across the battlefield. She flipped mid-air, gracefully halting her momentum, but the shock in her eyes was evident.
Trunks followed up with a flurry of attacks, his kicks and punches were almost too fast for even Wonder Woman to keep up with. She parried each of his blows, but for the first time, she was on the defensive.
As Trunks' power surged, so did his emotions. The memories of the Androids, the destruction of his world, the death of his mentor and mother… it became almost unbearable. Trunks felt the familiar sensation of losing control and his aura flared violently as his mind raced with thoughts of his past.
"Trunks!" Wonder Woman's voice called. "Stay focused!"
The words grounded him, pulling him back from the edge. He stopped his assault and slowly reeled in his power. Wonder Woman was breathing heavy, but dropped her guard as she saw Trunks power down.
"You're stronger than I thought," she said, her voice was calm but strained. "But you need to learn to control that power. If I were a weaker foe, you could've killed me."
Trunks caught his breath and nodded ruefully. "I… almost lost it."
"That's why we're here." Batman interjected. As he entered the room the hard-light environment deconstructed itself. "To help you learn control. Your strength is impressive, but you wield it without discipline. You're not fighting out for survival anymore."
Wonder Woman stepped forward and placed a reassuring hand on Trunks' shoulder, "You did well, Trunks. You're powerful, but more than that, you're a warrior with a good heart."
Trunks looked around as the Justice League gathered around him, their faces were a mixture of approval and concern. He had shown them a glimpse of his true power, but now he realized it wasn't just about strength. It was about control, discipline, and trust.
Wonder Woman gave him a small smile. "Let's call that round one."
Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts. I'm trying to improve my writing, so let me know if there are any issues with pacing, character dialogue or characteristics, grammar, or anything else of that sort. Thank you for reading.