I also have two sidestories up on my page, now, at:
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Island/3226/fanfics.htm

Disclaimer: The characters portrayed within are not mine, but the
property of Akira Toriyama and a whole lot of other people who are not

me, but who have a lot more money than me, so please don't sue me!

What Friends Are For - Part 6
By Rhionae


<That's impossible!>  Goten stared into Trunks' aquamarine eyes.  They
were cold and hard, almost identical to Vegeta's in Super Saiyajin
form - as was the ki signature he was emitting.  <I don't believe it!
I *can't* believe it!  Why would he pretend to be his father?  And to
kill all those people...>

Trunks ignored him, his attention focused on Goku.  He smirked.  "So,
you are alive, after all."

<He even *sounds* like Vegeta!  But what does he mean 'you're alive
after all'?  He knew that Tousan was here - it was his own idea to
bring him!>

"What the hell are you talking about?"  Vegeta lifted himself up to
join them, his narrowed eyes fixed on Trunks - who could almost have
been his mirror image in super Saiyajin form.

<He doesn't seem too surprised - he almost looks as if he was
*expecting* it to be Trunks...>  Goten's hands were shaking, whether
with fear or anger he did not know.

"Why, Otousan," Trunks exclaimed with exaggerated geniality.  "How
*nice* to see you again."  His smile was devoid of any trace of true
joy, a twisted mockery of what Goten knew it could be...  "I always
wanted another chance to kill you.  That first time was just too
short."

<He killed his father?!  Oh gods!  Why didn't I see it?>

"I'm a fair bit stronger than you, these days."  Vegeta spoke calmly,
ignoring the reactions of his companions.  "Think you could still do
it?"

Trunks laughed.  It was not a pleasant sound.  Goten winced.

"Only one way to find out."  He blurred out of sight, only to reappear
as his foot contacted Vegeta's face.

Vegeta grunted as he took the blow, but did not move to attack.  He
simply waited as Trunks drove his fists into his gut, his knee into
his groin.

Goku and Gohan looked on in horror.

"What's the matter, Vegeta?"  Trunks called out maliciously.  "Too
scared to fight back against your son?"

Vegeta smiled.  "I told you I would never hurt you, no matter what."

Trunks scowled.  "And what if I make you want to?"

"You could never make me want to hurt you."

"Don't speak too soon."  Trunks was smiling again - at least, the
corners of his mouth were turned up.

<His eyes look dead...  Or like he wants to be dead...>  Goten
shuddered, a chill of premonition touching him.  <No!  I won't let
that happen!  He's still my friend!  Even if he *is* a little
crazy...>

"Trunks, talk to me," he pleaded.  "What do you want?"

Trunks ignored him.

"Trunks, you're not well," Gohan attempted.  "Let us help you!"

Cold eyes froze him through.  "My name is *Vegeta*!  You'd best teach
your son some manners, Kakarotto.  Or shall I do it for you?"  A flare
of ki accompanied his query, as he blasted the unprepared Gohan at
point-blank range.

"Gohan!"  Goku vanished, reappearing some distance below them to catch
his son's unconscious body.

"*Trunks!*"  Goten cried out.  "That was *Gohan*!  He wouldn't have
hurt you!"

No response.  His gaze had returned to Vegeta.

<He's acting like I don't even exist!>  Goten realized, in shock.

Trunks' gaze had returned to Vegeta.  Specifically, to the dimensional
transporter wrapped around his wrist.

"You're from another dimension, aren't you?"  Trunks - <No, *Vegeta*>
- inquired in a conversational tone.  "That's a useful little toy you
have there."  He smiled, secretively.  "Want to know something?  I
have one, too."  He held up his wrist, to display his own
transporter.  "And they're delicate little things, aren't they?"  He
laughed again, as Vegeta's exploded.

"Nani!?"

"Is there anyone you care for in that dimension of yours, Otousan?  If
there is - you'd better start praying for their souls."

A flash of green, and he was gone.

"Shit!  I wasn't expecting him to do that!"  Vegeta cursed.

"And just what *were* you expecting him to do?"  Goten demanded,
furious with Vegeta for keeping secrets.  "How did you know that it
would be *him* and not *Vegeta*?"

"I can hardly believe you didn't see it," Vegeta snarled.  "I guess
idiocy *does* run in the family!  Didn't you *feel* his ki when he was
defending you the other day?  It was very close to what mine is!  It
wouldn't take much for him to alter it slightly, to make it an even
closer match!"

"But he was right there with us when that city was attacked, the first
day you were here!  How do you explain that?"

"I don't know!  But if he can make ki-*shields* he can probably make
ki-*bombs*, too!  We're wasting time!  There's no telling what he'll
do in my dimension!  Give me your transporter!"

"No!  I'm going too!  There are spares back in the workshop."

They flew back to Capsule Corp at top speed, Goten leading the way to
Trunks' workshop.  Goku materialized next to them with a slowly
recovering Gohan, who demanded to know what was going on.  Vegeta
filled them in briefly while Goten searched out the remaining
transporters Trunks had shown him a week ago.  Goku discovered that
his had also been destroyed.

"Absolutely not!"  Goten was forced to pause as his brother ripped the
transporter from his wrist.

"Niichan!" He protested.  "I *have* to go!"

"Goten, Trunks is out of his mind!  He could kill you without meaning
to!"  Gohan's face was pale, still recovering from his own encounter
with Trunks, and not willing to risk his younger brother's safety.
"It's too dangerous for you to go."

"He would *never* hurt me!  I *know* he wouldn't!"

Vegeta appropriated the device from Gohan, and was gone in a second.
Goten frowned, finally digging out the box with the extra
transporters.  He opened the box, but his brother grabbed both the
spares before he could.  He gave one to his father, and they swiftly
followed Vegeta, leaving Goten to fume in anger.

<Damnit!  They're going to get themselves killed!  Or Trunks killed...
They wouldn't - would they?>

He slammed his fist on the desk in frustration.  Without another
transporter device...  He turned back to the box they had been kept
in.  Definitely empty.  He knocked it off the desk in anger,
accidentally sending the boxes next to it with it.  They crashed to
the floor in an untidy pile, and on top -

- on top was something that looked remarkably similar to the devices
the others had just made use of.  He blinked.  It was still there.  He
grabbed it, examining it frantically.  Slightly bigger and heavier,
obviously not meant to be worn on the wrist like the others, a lot
more buttons and dials...  But there were several features that
matched the transporter he had used.

The settings were blank.  He turned to the computer, calling up the
program he had seen Trunks use.  <Just because I'm not as good at this
kind of stuff as he is doesn't mean I *can't* use it!>  Within a
minute he had the settings for the world that the others had gone to.
<At least, I *hope* these are the settings.  If they're not, I'm going
to be in pretty serious trouble.  But it's worth the risk.  Trunks...>

He checked it over one final time.  <It's now or never.>

He pushed the button.

The room he appeared in was not much different from the one he had so
recently departed.  <The inventions piled up around the place are
slightly different shapes, but that's about it...>  He reached out
with his senses to locate the others...  <There!  And it doesn't look
good...>  He could sense *his* Trunks - still in Super Saiyajin form,
his ki a match for Vegeta's - not too far away.  That was all right.
What wasn't so good was the fact that there was a much smaller ki
right beside him - <Bra!> - and the fact that he was cornered by
Vegeta and Goku, with several other people.  <People like the other
Goten and Trunks.  Heavens know what *they're* going to make of this.
But I can't sense Niichan...>

He moved quietly, ki-shield in hand, towards Trunks' location.  He
stopped at the back door.  Trunks was in the backyard, underneath the
big old tree.  <At least *that* tree doesn't have Yamucha buried under
it...>   Goku and Vegeta were facing him, trying to get him to let go
of Bra.  Bulma was standing some distance behind them, demanding that
they tell her what was going on.  Beside the door -

He reached out quickly with one hand, and dragged his counterpart
inside from where he was standing next to *his* Trunks.

"Nani?"  Goten slammed his hand over the other Goten's mouth to
forestall any further questions.  He lifted one finger to his lips for
quiet.  He removed his hand slowly as the other Goten nodded.

"What happened?"

"Dunno."  He shrugged.  "Trunks and I were just messing around when
Trunks... umm, *your* Trunks, that is... He just turned up, saying
that he couldn't stand staying in your world while his father was
still acting crazy-like.  Bulma said he could stay here until Tousan
and Vegeta got back. He seemed happy about that; he started playing
out there with Bra.  The next thing Vegeta comes bursting out of the
house, and your Trunks grabs Bra and goes Super Saiyajin.  What's he
up to?  Tousan and Vegeta aren't talking - they just keep telling us
to stay away."

The short haired version of Trunks had caught his friend's soft-voiced
conversation; he ducked inside, looking for explanations.

"What the hell is wrong with him?"  Trunks demanded in a fierce
whisper.  "Why's he holding my sister hostage?"

Goten sighed.  <What do I say?  What *can* I say?>  "Living with his
father drove him a bit insane."

"*Nani?*"  The twin reply was incredulous.

"Or maybe it was killing his father..." Goten mused, only half-aware
of what he was saying.  Most of his attention was focused on Trunks.
*His* Trunks.  Who was currently threatening to kill a little girl.

"Pretty little thing, isn't she, Otousan?" Trunks' mocking laughter
grated on Goten's ears.  "Shall I kill her slowly, a piece at a time?
I'm sure she'd like to play a game with me, wouldn't you, Bra?"

Bra blinked in confusion.  She twisted in Trunks' grip, turning
towards her parents.  "Kaachan?  Touchan?"

"It's okay Bra," Bulma told her.  "Trunks just wants to play a game
with you."  Her voice faltered at the end, her blue eyes darkening as
she started to realize that Trunks wasn't joking...

"That's right!"  Trunks beamed at Bra.  "We're going to see how many
times I have to make you scream before your Touchan decides to fight
seriously."

Vegeta grimaced.  "Trunks, let her go."

A surge of anger flashed across his face.  "My name is *Vegeta*,
Otousan.  Surely you can remember *that*."

Inside, two boys gaped in shock.

"*Vegeta*?"

"He's nuts!"

"Shut up!" Goten hissed at them, dark eyes blazing.  They shrank away
from him.  <Probably wondering if *I'm* going to go nuts, too... Not
that I can blame them.>

A hint of movement behind *his* Trunks caught his eye.

<I can't sense any ki...  What - ?>

A figure became visible, moving ever so slowly towards Trunks.

<Niichan!  He must have a ki-shield with him!  But what's he going to
do?>

Gohan's face came into his field of view, his expression set and
determined.

<What's he - ?>

A glint of a tear shone in Gohan's eye, quickly wiped away...

<No!  He *can't!*>

Gohan leapt towards Trunks, preparing to deliver a blow that was meant
to kill.

******************


Rhionae
http://www.geocities.com/Tokyo/Island/3226/fanfics.htm