DISCLAIMER:
Vetyga: For a story plot refresher/summary please read the Disclaimer from Chapter 40. (This will summarize the events from Chapters 1-39)
Rath: It's been a while, but we hope you enjoy the chapter nonetheless!
IN THE PAST WORLD:
The air became increasingly dense as Trunks progressed deeper into the moonlit cavern.
Trunks's heart pounded rapidly in his chest.
'I-I'm all alone here,' Trunks thought with dismay, however, even as the thought crossed his mind, he knew it was a false statement.
Yes, it was a lie. Someone or some thing was lurking nearby. Something watching his every move waiting for an opportune moment to strike him down. Something dangerous.
Perhaps it was the shadows that unnerved him most...
Several elongated shadows radiated from his center. At first glance, they seemed normal enough. The shadows moved as he did, mirroring his every action. One had to be extra attentive to even notice, but whenever he made sudden stops, some of the shadows would continue moving for an almost imperceptible amount of time afterwards. Not all were in sync with his motions.
But if the shadows were not his own, whose were they?
"Drinn?" Trunks called out nervously.
To his annoyance, there was still no response.
"What's the point of telling me to follow you, only to abandon me afterwards?" Trunks shouted. His voice echoed angrily around him. He was beginning to think Drinn had tricked him. He was mistaken to trust him.
'What would Dad do?' Trunks thought of his father back home. 'He'd tell me to assess the situation and act accordingly.'
He cautiously made his way towards the large corridor located at the end of the rocky cavern. Wherever he was, this place was massive. The large scale of the rocks and crevices gave off the appearance of being in an underground canyon. He could hear water drops trickling from somewhere in the distance. Water was a good sign. If he followed it to its source, maybe he'd find the exit.
Trunks glanced up at the gaping hole above. It looked just big enough for him to fit through if he flew up, but he hesitated. Flying out in the open would surely draw attention, maybe even from things that were yet unaware of his presence. He decided to play it safe. He could always return later should his explorations prove unfruitful.
Besides, Trunks knew Drinn was likely to be somewhere in this cavern. He planned to confront the man for deceiving him and demand to be returned back to the Present. Somehow Drinn was the key to all of this.
As he progressed through the cave, Trunks's worst fears were confirmed. It hadn't been his imagination. The shadows themselves were definitely stalking him.
They blended in almost perfectly with the natural shadows created by the moonlight breaking against the various rock formations. Under closer scrutiny, the darkest shadows seemed detached somehow. True shadows would touch the base of the objects that cast them, but these didn't always follow that rule.
The more Trunks sought them out, the more obvious it became. There were too many things out of place. It freaked him out.
'Perhaps it's some well-camouflaged creature casting them from above?' Trunks rationalized.
He tested this theory by shooting a small beam of energy where one of the creatures should have been in relation to its unnatural-looking shadow, but nothing happened.
The shadow mimic remained exactly as it was, which was telling in itself. The normal shadows all flickered in response to the light caused by the small explosion of ki. The mimic didn't. Instead, it slinked closer and closer.
If these things had any sort of intelligence, now they knew Trunks was aware of their existence.
How many of them were there?
Trunks wasn't sure, but he estimated there were at least five mimics trailing him.
"You were warned…" the same feminine voice rasped.
The voice was so soft that it only registered within Trunks's subconscious mind. It was like the wind itself was speaking to him.
'I must keep going,' Trunks thought.
He continued forward, one step at a time. It wasn't like he had any other alternatives.
Small rocks tumbled loose from the cavern ceiling, followed by the sound of skittering critters scampering in all directions. Then there was silence.
"Dr-Drinn?" Trunks called out again.
The endless echoing of his voice seemed to laughed back at him in response.
Several large pairs of glowing red eyes glowered at Trunks as he passed them by.
'It's j-just a trick of the light,' Trunks reassured himself. 'There's nothing to be afraid of… In fact, they are probably more afraid of me than I am of them!'
The alien critters were afraid of something alright, but it wasn't of Trunks. They feared the shadowy beings that surrounded him.
As soon as any of the mimics approached too close, the critters hissed, baring long fangs in warning before fleeing away. It wasn't until a particularly fearless creature stood its ground that Trunks became aware just how dangerous his unknown enemy truly was.
The pale cat-like creature arched its back and aggressively lashed out with its scorpion-like tail. Like the other cave-dwellers, its eyes glowed red, but once one the mimics enveloped it, its eyes turned yellow. The creature screeched in pain for several agonizing moments before falling silent. Its eyes blackened and its body soon withered away into nothingness.
Trunks stared in horror. The mimic now displayed faint an outline of fangs— eerily similar to the creature it had just killed.
Trunks immediately attacked the mimic with a large bolt of energy.
The shadows darkened behind him as the light temporarily illuminated the area. Once darkness returned, the mimic's fangs grew even longer. It seemed to mock the futility of his efforts.
"So desperate…" the feminine voice purred in his ear.
Trunks flailed his arms wildly, but no one was there. At least, no one tangible.
His heart pounded rapidly in his chest. There was but one thing left to do… Run!
"Such fear…" the voice whispered after him. "Delicious!"
Trunks barely registered the words. Only the sound of his hastened footsteps and heavy breathing clamored in his ears.
"The perfect host…" a new voice spoke.
This new voice was masculine, but it had undertones of something else Trunks couldn't quite identify. It was more like an amalgamation of voices speaking in unison.
One of the mimics suddenly lunged out to attack him…
MEANWHILE, IN THE PRESENT WORLD:
Shortly after Gohan, Goten, and Vegge had departed from the Briefs' residence, Vegge's ki wavered irregularly. Vegge tried to hide the fact, but he was having problems sustaining flight.
The brothers had been busy discussing the first places they should take him, but Vegge only half paid attention. It didn't matter anyways. He was just happy to be away from his older self.
"We could go get ice cream," Goten suggested. "I bet Vegge would like that, wouldn't he?"
"He might," Gohan agreed.
"Vegge, you like ice cream, right?" Goten asked, glancing behind him.
Vegge did not answer. It took every bit of energy he had to maintain flight.
Gohan frowned, noting Vegge was lagging further and further behind. He changed to a slower pace. He hadn't thought to consider Vegge's capabilities or lack thereof at this age. Perhaps Vegge didn't yet have the stamina for long distance flight?
Vegge's frame shuddered. He slightly dropped down before regaining control.
"Hey, you guys mind if I stop to rest a moment?" Gohan called out. "I think the flight over to Bulma's wore me out more than I realized."
"But we barely got anywhere..." Vegge made a show of impatience, even as his body trembled again.
"Ya, I know," Gohan exaggerated a shrug.
Goten raised an eyebrow. "You okay, brother?" he looked concerned. "You never get tired like this."
"Not usually," Gohan agreed. "Guess the recent events really did a number on me."
"Awwww!" Goten empathized. He indicated a spot directly below them. "Okay, how about near those cliffs there?"
"That works," Gohan laughed. "Thanks for understanding."
Vegge muttered something to himself before following after the other two boys.
Gohan carefully observed Vegge. Like his older counterpart, he was hard to read, but Gohan knew something was off.
"Gohan, are you sure you…?" Goten started once they landed on ground, but he was interrupted by the sound of violent heaving. "Oh..."
Vegge hunched over the cliff edge violently vomiting up all he had eaten since that morning.
Gohan rested his hand against Vegge's back.
"Poisoned?" Vegge gasped in between heaves.
"I reckon you ate more than your body could tolerate," Gohan replied. "Especially, if you have a history of being... malnourished."
"I'm not some weakling!" Vegge spat.
"It's not about weakness," Gohan replied. "Your body isn't used to eating so much is all. That and you probably aren't used to Earthling food."
Vegge's face flushed red with embarrassment.
"You think I can't take care of myself?" Vegge accused. "I'm not some helpless child. I'm the Saiyan Prince."
Gohan held up his hands defensively. "Oh I know. I'd be the last to tell you otherwise."
"I'm fine!" Vegge uttered before going into another heaving fit.
Gohan sighed. Vegge had to know how unconvincing he sounded while emptying out his stomach to the ground.
"Should I go get Dad?" Goten looked to Gohan for advice.
"No, I don't need any help," Vegge choked out.
Gohan shook his head. He had almost forgotten about how stubbornly prideful Vegeta could be.
"There's no shame in receiving help," Gohan commented.
"Don't tell them," Vegge suddenly blurted out.
"No one is going to judge you for not feeling well," Gohan said. "Even the strongest warriors have sick days, you know."
Vegge wanted to respond, but his body wouldn't let him until at last there was nothing left to vomit up. His shoulders slumped over from the exertion.
'Now Vegeta will have more reasons to punish me,' Vegge thought with dismay. He looked away.
"Whatever," he muttered. "It's not like I can stop you."
Vegge didn't need to check a scouter to know Gohan was powerful. Gohan wouldn't have been allowed to take charge over him if he wasn't.
"Talk to me, Vegge," Gohan urged. "What is bothering you?"
"It doesn't matter," Vegge shrugged. He used the back of his wrist to wipe drops of vomit off his chin.
Gohan recalled how frightened Vegge had seemed after Vegeta grabbed him. At that moment, he had known he wouldn't be returning Vegge by sunset. In fact, he wouldn't be returning him at all.
"Should we take him back home?" Goten asked.
"No," Gohan and Vegge blurted simultaneously.
"I'm fine," Vegge insisted, glancing curiously at Gohan. "It's not a big deal. I have until sunset."
"Lets continue for now," Gohan agreed after making brief eye contact with Vegge.
Later...
The three Saiyan boys sat with their feet dangling over the edge of the cliff basking in the majestic scenery. It was magnificent gazing out at the colorful array of sand patterns adorning the cliff sides.
Goten had one arm wrapped around Vegge's thin shoulders as though they were the best of buds.
"I'm glad you're here," Goten was saying. "When Trunks gets back, it's gonna be sweeeeet! There's this fishing place we always go to… Actually, my brother showed it to us, right, Gohan?"
Gohan grinned, "Best spot around!"
"Ya, biggest fish ever!" Goten emphasized the size by tracing his free hand in a giant arc midair. "The lake is huuuuge! Or is it an ocean? Gohan?"
Gohan laughed, "It's a lake, but it certainly could be mistaken for an ocean with how big the creatures get there."
"Ya," Goten agreed. "You like fish, right, Vegge?"
Vegge shrugged. A million images sorted through his mind as he imagined what fish might be like on this planet. He supposed he liked fish, though truthfully, he never really thought about it. What he liked was rarely ever a consideration. It was always about what he needed.
"I think you'd like them," Goten went on. "Right, Gohan? He'd like them, wouldn't he? We should go there."
Gohan listened to his brother go on about this for several minutes. Vegge had barely spoken a word, but Gohan knew he was paying attention by how he'd sometimes shrug or shake his head in response to Goten's ramblings.
Goten had hyped it up so much, so Gohan ended up taking the boys to Lake Ocho next.
The lake spanned further than the eye could see and the waves glistened brightly in the sun while rolling ashore. It was a sunny day with few clouds in the sky.
Goten immediately tossed his shoes and shirt off to the side. He wanted to feel the wet sand and between his toes and the cool breeze on his skin whilst they strolled side-by-side along the beach. He encouraged Vegge to do the same, but Vegge declined.
Vegge simply stared ahead, lost in thought.
'It's different from Planet Vegeta,' Vegge thought to himself. 'At least, it wasn't so blue...'
His memories of that time were vague at best. The few he had were tainted from the moment he had learned he was to be given away to Frieza.
'What did I do wrong?' Vegge lamented. Thoughts of his home planet filled him with both a sense of longing and resentment. 'Why didn't anyone…'
Vegge's thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a strong tap on the back of his shoulder.
"Tag! You're it!" Goten shouted at him before darting off.
Vegge stared in confusion. 'What was a tag?'
"Well, now you have to go catch him," Gohan smirked down at Vegge. "It's an Earth game. You have to chase after him and tap him back. Flying is fine, but no attacks. It's a test of your natural speed and agility."
"Simple enough," Vegge remarked, dashing after Goten not even a split second later.
"Can't catch me!" Goten taunted. He waited until Vegge was just barely in range before dancing off to the side a split second before Vegge could tag him.
Vegge noted the change in directions and immediately followed suit. His small frame and quick reflexes worked in his favor. Goten just barely managed to dodge Vegge's outstretched hand.
"You're pretty good!" Goten grinned. He launched up into the sky.
"Flying won't help you!" Vegge shouted after him.
The two boys dipped and dived through the clouds. They often zipped past one another in close encounters, but Vegge was always just barely out of reach.
Gohan watched from below. He noted how Goten was purposely maintaining a slow pace to keep the game more interesting. Even so, Gohan was surprised how well Vegge was doing. Vegge was weaker, but had clear control over his motions both on land and in the air. He seemed to understand how to use his small stature to his advantage.
'I wonder who trained Vegeta at this age,' Gohan thought to himself.
'He's too fast,' Vegge thought to himself when he missed tagging Goten for what felt like the hundredth time. 'And I won't be able to keep after him at this pace forever. I'll need to outsmart him.'
Vegge smirked as an idea came to him. He dived back down to the ground, landing in a low crouch. He quickly grabbed two large fistfuls of dirt before launching himself back up into the sky.
"Giving up yet?" Goten called.
"Never!" Vegge replied.
Goten flew straight up in the air, with Vegge once again close behind.
'Not yet…' Vegge told himself as they got higher and higher. 'Wait… Any second now...'
As predicted, Goten dived downwards at the last second just before Vegge could catch up. Instead of trying to tag Goten when he passed back downwards close in range, Vegge spun around releasing all the sand he had gathered out into the air.
A bunch of it got into Goten's eyes, throwing him off guard. This was the moment Vegge was looking for.
'Now!' Vegge thought. He immediately spun in the opposite direction and dived downwards after Goten.
Blinded by sand, Goten couldn't see anything, but he could sense Vegge's approach. Just before Vegge could make contact, Goten darted far away.
"What? How?!" Vegge growled in frustration. He panted from exhaustion. His body was soaked with sweat.
"That was cheating," Goten complained. He rubbed his eyes.
"It wasn't an attack," Vegge smirked. "It was a distraction."
"You play dirty," Goten commented.
"I play to win," Vegge countered.
"Well, you haven't won yet!" Goten replied.
'Yet,' Vegge repeated to himself. He ignored his body's protests. With determination etched on his face, he immediately resumed chase.
The game continued like this for an hour before Vegge finally collapsed to the ground, his energy spent. He had failed the game. He grit his teeth, angry at his weakness.
Goten landed nearby, offering a hand to Vegge.
"Good game, Vegge!" Goten said cheerfully.
Vegge glared up, desperately trying to catch his breath.
"Don't lie to me," Vegge snapped. "I failed to catch you."
"But you didn't fail," Goten shook his head in disagreement. "The whole point of it was to have fun. Next time, maybe you'll get even closer to catching me. Trunks and I do this all the time to push each other. We get better and better each time. It's like training, but it's a game too."
"Hn," Vegge remained unconvinced. Ignoring Goten's outstretched hand, he stood up using his own strength. His body was trembling. He never would have guessed a simple game could be so intensive. No one had ever trained with him in this manner before. He kinda liked it.
"You wanna go swimming?" Goten asked.
"Why?" Vegge raised an eyebrow.
"For fun, silly," Goten replied.
'He's not even winded,' Vegge noted.
"Come on!" Goten encouraged.
"Very well," Vegge agreed in spite of his body's protests.
Gohan was surprised how willing Vegge was to go along with playing with Goten.
The water was cold, but Vegge didn't complain. He simply followed Goten's lead.
As soon as they got a good distance away from shore, Goten playfully dunked Vegge's head under the water. He and Trunks goofed off like this all the time. He expected Vegge to retaliate, but instead, Vegge panicked. Goten noticed too late that Vegge was not playing back with him.
In a split moment, everything around Vegge seemed to change. No longer was he safe in the Present…
It was some time after Vegeta had finally made a full recovery from the tortures he'd been subjected to as consequence for his failed escape attempt. He was assigned another purge mission, but Frieza did not trust him, so he sent his precious Ginyu Force to accompany him.
Instead of focusing on the mission, the Ginyus goofed around the whole time and bullied him every chance they got.
It was apparent they weren't going to be of use for this mission, but the worst part was that they prevented him from doing it either.
"If you're not gonna help, at least stay out of my way," Vegeta had snapped at them, but that was a mistake.
"Oh ho ho…" Captain Ginyu had laughed. "Frieza's little pet thinks he can tell us what to do? You forget your place, boy."
He could still remember how horrible it felt when they then dragged him to some murky lake and took turns holding underwater until he was half-drowned.
They laughed, taking bets how long he could last before losing consciousness. They knew they were not allowed to kill or permanently maim him, but they figured they could still have their fun with him.
With Vegeta out of commission, they took their time completing the purge and then informed Frieza that he was to blame for the mission being delayed.
Of course, Frieza believed them over him. They were his most elite force. They never failed him and certainly they would never lie about such a thing...
Vegeta's own words were ignored as he alone was punished for the delay and then again for his attempt to 'lie' and shift the blame.
Gohan was observing the kids from the distance. He'd been sitting in the sand with his back resting against a large rock, but he stood up the moment he sensed the change in Vegge's energy. It had flared up without warning.
"Goten," Gohan called out, but it was too late.
Vegge had already launched a beam of ki directly into Goten's face in his attempt to get away.
Goten's eyes shifted up towards his now singed hair.
Gohan quickly placed himself between the two boys before the situation could escalate any further.
"That wasn't very nice!" Goten accused. "I was just messing around. You coulda' just told me to stop, you know!"
"Goten," Gohan shook his head in warning. "Let him be."
"Sorry, Gohan," Goten muttered.
"Vegge," Gohan said. "Follow me to shore. We need to talk."
Vegge silently obeyed.
Once they were far enough away, Gohan asked, "What happened?"
"I don't know," Vegge mumbled.
"You don't know?" Gohan repeated. "Or you don't feel comfortable talking to me about it?"
Vegge shrugged.
"Did he say or do something to make you angry?" Gohan prodded.
Gohan wanted to learn what triggered Vegge to lash out like that before bringing him home to those he really could hurt.
Vegge avoided eye contact.
"I won't do it again," Vegge replied.
"Sure, but that's not what I'm asking," Gohan said. "I'm asking what made you attack him?"
Vegge fidgeted uncomfortably.
"I don't know," Vegge repeated.
"So you had no reason behind it? You did it just to do it?" Gohan asked patiently.
Perhaps there was a time in the past when the older Vegeta would have done such things for the hell of it, but Gohan didn't believe that was the case here.
"So what if I didn't have a reason?" Vegge asked defiantly. "I don't need to have a reason. I can do what I want because I'm the Saiyan Prince!"
"I'm not upset over it," Gohan assured. "I just wanted to hear your reasoning. If you are telling me that you attacked him simply because you wanted to hurt him, then…"
"I thought he was someone else," Vegge muttered.
"Say again?" Gohan raised an eyebrow.
"I said I thought he was someone else," Vegge repeated, his voice barely audible.
"Who?" Gohan prodded.
Vegge kept quiet.
"Ok, did you think he was someone who had hurt you before?" Gohan guessed.
After some hesitation, Vegge nodded.
"Hey, I'm sorry, Vegge," Goten walked up. He'd been eavesdropping from nearby. "I didn't mean to hurt you."
Vegge shrugged. "I'm not hurt."
"I made you remember something bad," Goten shuffled his feet. "But we're supposed to be having fun..."
"How long until the sun sets on this planet?" Vegge changed the subject.
"A while," Gohan answered vaguely. He suspected Vegge was not going to take it very well when it was revealed that he wouldn't be returning.
Gohan decided to lead the boys back to his place. They found Chichi and Videl entertaining Pan in the front yard.
"Gohan!" Videl greeted back. "I thought you were off visiting the Briefs."
"We were, but then we decided to show Vegge around," Gohan replied.
"You brought the little monster here?!" Chichi exclaimed with no filter.
At that, Vegge gave her the most feral grin he could muster. He bared his teeth just enough that his long sharp canines glistened in the light. He did this on purpose to prove her point. He loved when others feared him. Those people left him alone.
"No, Gohan," Chichi doubled down in response "You have a young daughter and Vegeta is dangerous."
"We call the younger one Vegge," Gohan corrected. "Don't worry, I wouldn't have brought him here if I didn't think it would be okay."
Vegge hid his confusion. They were afraid of his older self too? He thought he had more reasons to fear Vegeta than they did. Vegeta seemed so protective over them and had even made a rule that no Earthlings come to harm. Vegge had no such protections. He got punished for even the slightest of infractions.
"Videl, can we talk for a moment… alone?" Gohan asked.
"Uh, sure," Videl replied, sparing a glance towards Vegge. He did look threatening...
"Hey, Gohan? Can I show Vegge around?" Goten spoke up.
"Please," Gohan said with a quick nod.
Once the boys were out of sight, he turned his attention back to his mom and wife.
"If this has to do with Vegeta…. Vegge, whatever you want to call the little demon, I have a right to know too," Chichi stated.
"Fair enough," Gohan conceded.
He lead them both into a small side room where he revealed, "So I plan for Vegge to stay here permanently."
"Absolutely not!" Chichi exclaimed.
"Isn't it better he remain with his older counterpart?" Videl commented.
"Vegeta's been abusing him," Gohan said in a low tone of voice. He didn't want anyone else to overhear.
"I don't see how that's our problem," Chichi said. "After what happened to Trunks, I say let Bulma handle it."
"I don't know how much Bulma is aware of what's going on," Gohan admitted. "I will talk to her about it, but until then, I can't to allow him to return. He's going to fight me over this too, but I promise I won't let it get out of hand."
"If he wants to be there, let him. Why force him to stay here with us?" Chichi said. "It sounds like him being there works best for everyone."
"Because he'd be basing that choice on fear," Gohan replied. "And given his age and bad history, I don't think he's capable of making good decisions in this matter. I will take full responsibility for him."
Chichi wasn't happy about it, but she conceded. "I still don't agree with it, but I suppose I'll have to cook extra for dinner tonight..."
Gohan grinned, "Thanks, Mom! Just make something that is extra light and easy on the stomach for him. He, uh, is still adjusting to Earth food."
"In that case, I'll prepare a room for him," Videl said. She gently squeezed Gohan's hand in reassurance. "We'll make sure he feels welcome."
"Thanks, Videl," Gohan said. "Oh and don't let him know yet. I don't want him overthinking things."
"Vegge!" Pan exclaimed happily. She giggled when her dad ruffled her hair in response.
"That's right!" Gohan grinned at her.
With arrangements set, Gohan went to check on what the kids were up to.
"And this is my room," Goten was saying. "Well, my other room... Mom says our real house got destroyed while we were in the Past, so Gohan is letting us stay with him. It's always been my room when I visit though. And I visit a lot, so I guess it's like my real room even though it's not in my real house."
Vegge barley paid attention to Goten's ramblings. He wondered what his own room was like—not the ones he stayed at on base or while onboard Frieza's ship, rather the one he stayed in when he still lived in the palace of Vegetasei. It was his at least. Under Frieza, it was made clear that he owned nothing, not even himself.
Outside the window, the sky was slowly shifting colors.
"How long until the sun fully sets?" Vegge asked.
Goten looked outside. "Hm, maybe like an hour from now?"
"How far are we from my older self's place?" Vegge asked.
"Not too far," Goten replied. "I forgot how long it took to get there, but we weren't rushing."
Vegge's heart raced. He couldn't remember which direction the Briefs' place was. If he didn't leave now, he might be late and then Vegeta would be angry and then…
"I'm sure Vegeta won't mind if you're a little late," Goten grinned. "Maybe you could stay for dinner too!"
"Is everything okay?" Gohan asked once he caught up to the two boys.
"I think Vegge is worried about being late," Goten replied. "Should we take him home now?"
"Ah, about that," Gohan mentally prepared himself for the worse. "You will be staying here for now, Vegge."
"I can't," Vegge replied.
"I'm not giving you a choice in the matter," Gohan said.
"You can't make me," Vegge refused. "If you won't take me, I will find my own way back."
"I'm sorry, but no," Gohan told him.
Vegge's eyes darkened. Blue energy slowly surged up and swirled around him. He directed the palm of his left hand towards Gohan. "You'll have to stop me by force then."
Gohan was shocked at how dangerous and evil Vegge looked in that moment. It was hard to imagine him as the same child they'd spent all day with. His demeanor became eerily reminiscent of the moment they had originally encountered his older counterpart.
"Vegge, what are…" Goten started, but Gohan interrupted him.
"No, I've got this, Goten," Gohan reassured. He slowly held up his hands to indicate he meant no harm. Taking a small step forward, he reminded himself that Vegge was only making these threats out of fear.
"Stay away from me," Vegge warned. "I won't say it again."
"I'm not going to let anyone hurt you," Gohan said slowly.
"I'm not afraid of being hurt," Vegge snapped.
"Well, I still won't let anything bad happen to you," Gohan reassured.
When Gohan took another step towards him, Vegge immediately launched his ki.
"I don't need to be protected. I told you I can take care of myself," Vegge repeated.
Gohan sprung into action, easily dissipating Vegge's attack. He grabbed Vegge's outstretched arm and pulled him forward, denying him the chance to attack again.
Vegge struggled trying to get away, wildly kicking and punching, biting and scratching at Gohan the whole time. His tail lashed angrily behind him.
In his childish rage, Vegge had forgotten to protect his weak-point.
Gohan noticed, but did not take advantage. The Vegeta of his time had been immune to the debilitating pain typically caused by grabbing a Saiyan's tail, so he wasn't sure Vegge would have that particular weakness, but it didn't matter. Gohan refused to inflict any sort of pain upon him.
Instead, Gohan firmly held Vegge in place, until the child finally gave up.
By then the room had grown dark and sunset had long since passed.
"If you truly wanted to protect me, you wouldn't interfere," Vegge whispered.
IN THE PAST WORLD:
Trunks barely managed to dodge out of reach of the mimic's shadowy tendrils shooting towards him. He knew he mustn't let it touch him.
"You fight the inevitable," whispered the masculine voice.
"For this is our domain," the feminine one finished.
Trunks desperately ran through the winding tunnels of the cave system. The mimics were never far behind, but he dared not stop to check exactly how close they were. Even the slightest hesitation could mean his death.
'I should have tried to fly out when I had the chance,' Trunks regretted.
It was too late to turn back now though. The mimics already blocked the pathway back to the original cavern. His only choice was to continue forward following the stream of water and hope it lead him to safety.
The cave grew darker the further Trunks progressed. The shadows were no longer distinguishable from their surroundings. Trunks shot several small glowing balls of energy ahead of him to help light the way.
Ahead the cave opened up into yet another large cavern. This one was far larger than the first, but it lacked any source of light. There were no gaping holes to the outside. No eerie beams of red moonlight. Only darkness. The small amounts of energy he used to illuminate his path was not enough to see the cavern in its entirety and the mimics themselves emited no detectable amounts of ki.
As much as Trunks hesitated to go out blindly into the unknown, the creatures trailing behind gave him little choice...
[END OF CHAPTER]
Rath: And thus ends this chapter for TTWV. This story has been bugging me lately. I started it like a million years ago and still haven't finished. Slowly but surely, I suppose... Even if no one is reading this anymore, I shall still attempt to finish.
I will also go back and slowly edit/re-edit some of the earlier chapters. Mostly to flesh out some scenes, correct grammar mistakes, and diminish the use of exclamation points/caps, etc as I notice them. It would seem I had a serious love for exclamations and caps, but that ENDS NOW! (What? I had to get my fix in.)
Also, I really need to fix Bulma's mother's name. It's Panchy? I had no idea, but that'll get fixed as I complete the first round or so of edits.
To jplaya2023: Your suggestion has been noted.
To Jonnie Joke: It's been a while, but glad you enjoyed the chapter.
To Mitsuru6: So you see… I was aiming for the land of updates, but ended up missing that and instead jumped into the familiar watery abyss of irregularities. There was a bit more progress in this chapter on Trunks's side at least. Maybe one day I will actually reach the fabled land of regular updates...
To WildVegeta: Forgive me for making you wait so long yet again… If you are still reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter nonetheless.
To mandy: It's a dilemma for sure...
To Over8000: Since it's been a while, I tried to make this chapter longer than the last one. Hopefully, its was to your liking. The Sons will definitely give Vegge a new perspective of things. He really needs more positive influences in his life.
To 101Asa: Glad you've enjoyed the story thus far.