Somewhere far, but not too far, from West City is a large desert. Very little lives there and very few travel there. It is a desolate place with scattered bushes and large rock formations. And its where the time machine appeared out of nowhere one sunny morning.
The time machine landed on a flat square of land and quickly, as if he had been trained to do so, the young man with the purple hair hopped out and pushed a button on the side of the vehicle. It immediately returned to its capsule form, whereupon it was placed into a small plastic holder and returned to the inside pocket of the young mans jacket.
The young man took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. He could sense his targets coming, he wasnt late. Confirmation that the machine worked. He checked his watch and started to rise into the air. He would have to make this quick.
The young man was called Trunks. 17 years into the future, his world has been devastated by the rise of two powerful beings simply known as The Androids. Most of the heroes of this world died to them in their first appearance, almost three years from now. The few that were left were in no shape to fight anymore and so the time machine was made. The last hope for humanity. An attempt to change the past to save the future and it was up to Trunks to make those changes.
He had purple hair, which was cut in a style that wouldnt be popular for almost twenty years, and carried a large sword strapped to the back of his crop-cut denim jacket. He clenched his fist and waited. He could feel other chis in the distance; they would be the heroes of this world. They would notice the power careening towards the planet and would send their best to stand against it. But without Goku, it would not end well.
“Do you feel that?” Krillin yelled.
“It feels so familiar,” Gohan said. “I dont know why.”
Vegeta came and joined the two of them on the balcony of the Capsule Corps building they had all gathered in. “We should have been expecting this,” he said. He sounded surprised, but not overly upset. “Its Freeza’s father. Calls himself King Cold.”
“That’s why its so familiar,” Gohan said.
“Yeah, the old man taught both his kids. They all feel the same. But Freeza was a cut above him in every way.”
“So we should be fine, then?” Krillin asked nervously.
“Oh no,” Vegeta chuckled. “You wouldnt stand a chance against him. None of you puny runts would. But luckily you dont have to. I will take care of this and I expect your praise and obedience when I return.”
“Freeza’s coming,” Piccolo said, flying in from somewhere. “But he feels strange.”
“Im not repeating myself,” Vegeta said. “You idiots tell the Namekian,” Vegeta shot off into the sky in a blast of energy.
“You know, we should follow him,” Gohan said.
“Why?” Piccolo and Krillin asked at the same time.
“Well, if he fails,” Gohan left the rest of that sentence hanging.
“No, he’s right,” Piccolo conceded and shot off after the Saiyan prince.
Krillin watched as Gohan started after the Namekian. “Good luck,” he called out.
“You arent coming?” Gohan said, turning and coming back down.
“Even if this isnt Freeza, Vegeta said we wouldnt last against him. I dont want to risk it.”
“Vegeta and Piccolo will handle it,” Gohan said.
“I just wish your dad was here instead, you know?” Krillin said sadly.
“So do I,” Gohan replied and the two of them flew off with the others.
Gohan and Krillin caught up to the others as they were landing in the desert, close to where Trunks had appeared. The young man was nowhere to be seen, but coming through the upper atmosphere was a ship that looked exactly like the one Freeza had on Namek.
“He’s here,” Vegeta said almost gleefully.
“What is he even doing here?” Piccolo asked.
“Freeza would have contacted him in his final moments,” this time there was no hiding Vegetas glee. “Begging his father to save him, or if that wasnt possible, to take revenge on Kakarrot.”
“So he’ll leave when he learns Goku isnt here?”
“Hardly,” the Saiyan prince scoffed. “What would you do in his place? Besides, he isnt going to get the chance to leave. Ill going to end his reign right here.”
“Be my guest,” Piccolo said, taking a seat on a nearby outcropping. “No one here is going to stop you.”
“No one here can stop me,” Vegeta scoffed.
“We can find out if you want,” Piccolo grinned.
“Not in your wildest dreams, Namekian,” Vegeta said, and meant, but he said it with a small grin.
The ship that carried King Cold made its landing a few hundred yards from where the heroes were gathered and offloaded its crew of soldiers and lackeys. Followed by a large, armoured being that looked just like Freeza’s second form.
“Deja vu,” Krillin said.
Over at the ship, King Cold surveyed the empty desert with nothing but contempt in his eyes. He took a deep breath and called out to his soldiers.
“Find me something to kill. Preferably the Saiyan dirt that killed my boy.”
“Sir!” the soldiers said as one and lifted into the sky.
There was a flash of steel, a shock of purple and suddenly all the soldiers were laying, dead, on the ground in front of Cold.
Trunks landed and re-sheathed his sword, staring directly at Cold with angry, powerful eyes. “Youre next,” he said.
King Cold didnt hesitate and let loose with a barrage of chi attacks aimed squarely at Trunks. They exploded around the younger man, throwing up a cloud of flame and dirt. Trunks exploded out of the cloud, his hair was now blonde and his eyes were a greenish-blue and he was surrounded by a golden aura.
“What the devil?” Cold asked, shocked. He never got the answer to the question as the sword was drawn again and the last thing King Cold saw was its sharp edge.
As the former King Cold collapsed to the ground, Trunks yelled and destroyed what was left of his body, along with the soldiers and the ship they had all arrived in. The explosion was violent and immense and the wind it created blasted the other heroes back.
“What is that power?” Krillin said, struggling to stand.
“That feels like my dad,” Gohan said. “When he was fighting Freeza, right at the end, he felt like that.”
“Theres no way Kakarrot is that powerful,” Vegeta said through clenched teeth.
“Look!” Piccolo said, pointing to where Colds ship used to be.
Standing in the wreckage was a young man, surrounded by a bright gold flame and blonde hair. He sheathed the sword he was holding and turned to face the heroes.
“That is my dad!” Gohan shouted. “Thats what he looked like when he was fighting Freeza.”
“That is not Kakarrot,” Vegeta said. “Its someone else.”
“With the same power up as Goku?” Piccolo said skeptically.
“Maybe its another Saiyan?” Krillin suggested.
“Another as strong as Dad?” Gohan asked, also skeptically. “Is that possible?”
“Of course its possible,” Vegeta yelled, getting the attention of Trunks.
“Oh hey up there,” Trunks called, relaxing and letting himself change back out of his Super Saiyan form. “Im going to meet Goku,” he added pointing off into the distance. “He should be here in a few minutes.”
Trunks rose into the sky and flew off into the desert. Immediately Vegeta shot off after him, followed by the rest.
“He cant be,” Vegeta muttered.
Trunks landed between two large rock outcroppings and popped one of his capsules into a drinks fridge. As he was popping the first can, Vegeta and the others landed nearby.
“Answer me,” Vegeta growled. “Who are you and how do you have that power?”
“Ill answer all your questions when Goku arrives,” Trunks said.
“My dad is dead,” Gohan said landing. “We asked the dragon and everything.”
“What do you mean dead?” Trunks said. “He survived the destruction of Namek, didnt he?”
“Uh, no,” Piccolo said. “Him and Freeza were killed together in the explosion.”
“That. That cant be,” Trunks said, slumping to the ground. “He lived. He went to Yardrat, and then he came back. Thats how its meant to be.”
“What are you talking about?” Vegeta said, upset that his questions werent being answered.
“Tell me, how did the fight on Namek end? Did Goku become a Super Saiyan?”
“Yes,” Gohan said. “He decided to stay on Namek to ensure Freezas death.”
“What changed?” Trunks asked himself, terrified.
“Why did you think he was coming here?” Piccolo asked.
“In my time-” Trunks said before cutting himself off.
“In your time?” Vegeta and Piccolo asked simultaneously.
“Well, I guess things are already messed up, it cant hurt to tell you the rest.”
Trunks proceeded to tell them the story of the androids in the future and his mothers plan to send him back to the past to ensure Goku and the others were prepared for the fight. How Goku died to a heart virus before the androids even arrived. He pulled a small capsule from his jacket, one that wasnt in the case and held it tight in his hand.
“This was the medicine my mother gave me to treat Goku. How can he be dead?”
“He sacrificed himself to take Freeza out with him,” Vegeta said. “The Saiyan dream.”
“Not mine,” Trunks said, somewhat wistfully.
“Speaking of which,” Piccolo said, side eyeing Vegeta. “How are you a Super Saiyan?”
Vegeta spun and glared at the boy, waiting for the answer.
Trunks looked at each of them and sighed in frustration. “Everything is wrong. None of you are meant to find this out until much later. My name is Trunks, and I am your son, Vegeta. The son you have with Bulma.”