| �Let the woman go.� �Trunks- yes that�s your name. Do you know how many humans wailed your name as they died?� �Let her go!� His cry brought on a bout of coughing that sent a dangerous amount of blood into his mouth. The sword hand been driven straight through his lung. �No, I believe I like that human.� He tilted his head toward Bulma in a bird-like motion. �Human females are most entertaining. Particularly how they scream when my men take them-� With an inhuman snarl, Trunks tackled the creature. It merely jarred the sword hilt to send him to the ground. When his golden hair returned to it�s normal color, the creature tore the sword from Trunk�s body. His collarbone gave a sickening snap and the leader gave a bored shrug. �We shall return to our camp. Take the female.� Bulma cried out, pounding on the monster�s arms and scratching at his rough face when he drug her to her feet. *** Sitting up was such a feat, Trunks was breathing heavily and tears threatened to spill from his eyes by the time he managed. His right arm had given out on him as had his right lung. They had taken his mother yesterday, killed her it she was lucky and if not� This time Trunks did cry, for his mother. After that short loss of control the fighter straightened, painful as it was, and made his way over to a shattered computer desk. Brushing away the rubble with his good hand he found a small white box. Choosing one of the capsules, he clicked it open and tossed it to the floor. Hope. He didn�t bother to think of it as the time capsule anymore. With little luck Hope would get his mother to one of the other, safer timelines. Trunks carefully programmed the computer, pausing as he remembered how his mother had shown him the inner workings of Hope and how to program the machine. �Damnit!� Trunks growled. The faster things went, the better. Finally, he returned the machine to its capsule and stowed it in the computer desk. Silently, Trunks raised his ki to super saiya-jin and rose into the air, searching with his mind to find the creatures and his mother. He found them and blasted in that direction, only half relived his mother was still alive. Trunks slowed, staring down at the city below him in horrified disgust. Bodies littered the ground, most bloody and carved at like beef. He landed silently and suppressed his ki before entering the boundaries of the city. Somehow he was able to walk through the carnage without having to look at any of the bodies. His focus was firmly locked on finding his mother. A glint abruptly caught his attention long enough for him to stop, anger swarming in his eyes. His sword. It had carelessly been shoved through the belly of a boy who looked to be only six. Horrified green eyes stared up at Trunks an a never ending wail had been cut off when his throat had been brutally torn open. Carefully, the man brought his sword from the child�s middle. Sadly and gently, he crossed tiny hands over the cold chest and brushed his eyes shut. Finally, he lifted the boy�s jaw and shut his mouth, leaving a peaceful, sleeping expression on the child�s pale face. Trunks closed his eyes for a moment then rose. *** �Mom?� Bulma weakly opened her eyes. Agony and relief washed over her son�s face when he saw her awaken. She was already dead. There was no shine in her eyes, no tone to her skin. She had only waited for him to come to they could say goodbye. Trunks brought her small, frail frame to his chest, ignoring the pain it caused his body. He buried his face in her neck, his soul was hurt far more heavily. �Trunks.� Her whisper was a mere breath of air. �Go, go to the others.� �I�m having Hope send you there. I�ll fight for this planet, even if it kills me.� �Damn this planet,� she breathed. �Go back to their time. Let me die here, where my friends and family are.� �Mother.� Trunks squeezed his eyes shut. �Take my locket. So they know what happened. Trunks, I�m so proud of you my boy. I love you.� Tears ran down his face as she closed her eyes. She gasped in pain, shuddering as her life bled away. Slowly, Trunks felt her heart, fluttering in a futile attempt to live, pound against his chest. He extended the beat of her heart into his mind and envisioned it slowing until it finally stopped. �Let go, Mom. I�m here with you. Let go�� At last, a final breath left her lungs and she lay still. Relief washed over Trunks. Her suffering was now over for he had willed her a peaceful death. He gently lowered her to the ground and carefully remove a tiny golden locket from her throat. Years ago, a very short time before his father had been killed, he had given it to her. It was the only gift he had ever given her and the only affection he had ever shown. Silently, Trunks placed a soft kiss on his mother�s forehead, he allowed only one tear to fall. Time for mourning would come later. It was now time, he thought as he rose in fury, the locket gripped tightly in his fist. It was time to fight and time to die. *** A hoarse scream tore free of Trunk�s chest as his own sword was turned to rip straight through his heart. Blood oozed around the blade as the man stumbled backward, then tore the weapon from his chest. The creatures nodded to one another. This human was most entertaining. With a sigh, the leader walked to Trunks. The man was doubled over his sword, legs splayed in the manner of a broken doll. Carefully moving around the small rivers of crimson flowing over the charred soil, he grabbed Trunk�s hair and pulled his head up. �Tell us human, before we kill you-- where did you learn to fight in such a manner?� Smirking past his broken jaw and cracked, bleeding lips, Trunks replied, �I am the last of my Blood. A human you call me? Ha!� He coughed. �I am a saiya- jin, a fighter, a killer. Kill me now creature, let me haunt you in my death.� �That wasn�t-� �Master Gohan. Son of Gokou, brother to Radditsu and son to Bardock. Cyborgs 17 and 18, as well as Cell. Prince Vegeta, son of King Vegeta, high ruler to the saiya-jin home world Planet Vegeta. They are the ones who taught me. With me dies a long line of warriors, of kings thought of as gods. Do you know fear, Beast? You should by now. I am power bred for war. What are you? A cowardly thing that cannot last.� �That�s enough.� The leader brought his hand up for a finishing attack. I forgot to tell you� A saiya-jin is forbidden to let his enemies go. Your greatest weakness is that you can�t feel my power. In the time we have spoken I contain the power gathered from my spirit to destroy this planet.� �What?!� Trunks straightened and laughed, �Farewell you bastards.� He directed his hand to the ground. Planet Earth, here�s to you. �Kill him!� �Gallic Gun�� He met eyes with the creature before him. �Fire!� They were surrounded by hot white light and a deafening silence. The leader looked at him. �How can you fight like this, saiya- jin? You have no cause.� �I my strength is my fury, creature. But I fight to be forgiven.� *** |