Chapter Thirteen

Evil Trunks stood at the top of Satan Towers, his lavender hair whipping about his face. His sharp blue eyes scanned the horizon and he let out a chuckle at how empty the city had become since he'd arrived. Like the others worlds he'd destroyed, this new one was slowly becoming a wasteland, its people gone to places unknown. Usually, he and Evil Gohan sought them out, making sport of it. His mouth twisted at the thought of his dead companion.

After I dispose of those pathetic warriors, I'm gonna head out of here. Let these people do whatever the hell they want...I want nothing else to do with this damned place.

He glanced behind him at the time machine. Most likely, Future Pan had given birth to the child. After leaving his mother's body, the child would grow at a regular rate, and Evil Trunks smiled at the idea of raising a quasi-son in the image of himself.

Gohan was a good partner...but this child will be even better.

Excitement built up inside him and he rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

Then, he felt a chill run down his spine and he looked up in time to see a blade slicing down towards him. He barely had time to roll out of the way and it caught him in the arm, slicing away chunk of flesh. He moved to get his sword, but found the tip of his opponent's blade touching his throat. He looked up, lip twitching with scorn. A face identical to his looked back down, and from behind him, another man came into view.

Vegeta knelt down without a word, and removed Evil Trunks' boot. He took the energy shield and crushed it in his hand.

"So much for that," Vegeta said, a corner of his mouth tilting upward.

"So, you've found my little secret," Evil Trunks sneered.

Future Trunks smirked. "How did you guess?" he drawled, but he also noted that this Trunks had sensed something was wrong in time to get out of the way of his sword. It was another indication of his high skill level.

"I'm a smart guy," Evil Trunks remarked. "So I also know that you're not going to kill me."

Future Trunks pressed the tip of his sword harder into Evil Trunks' throat. "What makes you say that? I know where your time machine is. I'll be able to get Pan back."

Evil Trunks let out a laugh. "You actually think that I would leave the settings like that?"

The hand gripping his sword stilled and Future Trunks stared at Evil Trunks. "You're smart, but you're not that smart," he baited.

The other Saiyan only smiled mysteriously. He had seen the indecision in Future Trunks' face and used it to his advantage. Vegeta watched him closely, arms dangling loosely at his sides, ready to fire an energy blast.

"She's probably giving birth right now," Evil Trunks said. "All alone on a world long dead...thanks to me. You know, when you think about, your son won't be a citizen of this country because he wasn't born here."

Future Trunks sucked in a breath. "I have a son?"

Evil Trunks looked up and saw the other warriors circling. "Yes. Actually, when this will be over, he'll be my son."

Rage lit Future Trunks' eyes and his sword wavered. It was all Evil Trunks needed. He put two fingers to his chest and disappeared.

"Dammit it all to hell!" Future Trunks cursed.

"Focus," Vegeta said roughly. "He got away because you weren't focused! How are we supposed to get your son if you're off in dreamland?"

Future Trunks threw Vegeta dirty look but kept his mouth shut. The older Saiyan was right. He gripped his sword with both hands, knuckles white.

"Where did he go?" Pan demanded as she landed next to them, looking around. "You should have destroyed his teleporter while he had the chance."

"We were getting to it," Vegeta retorted.

Future Trunks waited for Vegeta to say something about his losing concentration, but when he heard nothing, he glanced at his father. Vegeta only looked at him.

"We know the signal on the teleporter," Gohan said, hovering about them. "Let's find that son of a bitch."

Vegeta and Pan took off after Gohan and Goku. Future Trunks sheathed his sword and followed Vegeta and Pan.

How the hell did they find me? Evil Trunks wondered frantically. And how did I not sense them coming?

He gritted his teeth against the harsh bite of the wind against his cheeks. He flew at an incredible speed, not knowing where he was headed, but just trying to get away from the other warriors. His biggest advantage was that they could not sense him and he could sense them. Now that the tables were turned, he knew he was in big trouble. He knew he was good--he could take any one of them in a one-on-one battle and win--but five of them at once and not being able to sense them would ensure his defeat.

Without warning, he felt a weight on his back and he gasped as an arm wrapped around his neck, choking him.

"How does this feel, asshole?" Pan hissed in his ear. "This is for Trunks."

A sharp blow to the back of the head knocked him out cleanly. Pan was tempted to let him drop but they still had to find the other Pan and the baby. She gripped him by one wrist as she flew back to the others.

"Look what I caught," she said wryly, holding him up.

"Let's go back to the Capsule Corp. tower," Gohan said. "We'll question him there."

"We have no time," Future Trunks muttered, frustrated.

"We have no choice," Pan told him. "How else are we going to find them?"

"Has anyone seen his time machine?" Goku questioned.

"We haven't looked," Vegeta said sharply.

"Well, we should," Goku said reasonably. "I know he said that he wouldn't leave the numbers on the control panel, but maybe he got sloppy."

"We'll go," Gohan said to his father. "You three stay with him."

Future Trunks nodded. With Pan and Vegeta, he headed towards the Capsule Corp. tower. Gohan and Goku floated in midair, looking around them.

"Where do we start?" Goku asked.

Gohan looked towards Satan Towers, the top of the building cutting through the clouds. "We go to the place where we found him. It's the most logical place to start."

Pan crouched in front of Evil Trunks, looking hard into his face as if she was trying to will him awake. Like he had done with her and Trunks, she and Future Trunks had tied him up using a steel girder, but she knew it wouldn't hold him. She only hoped that their presence would prevent him from trying anything. Vegeta stood behind her, leaning against a column, his arms crossed. Future Trunks paced back and forth, struggling to hold on to his temper.

"He's not going to tell us," Vegeta said, his eyes on Evil Trunks.

"No kidding," Future Trunks snorted. "I can only hope that he was sloppy enough to leave the alternate universe's frequency in the time machine."

"Keep praying," Evil Trunks muttered, struggling to open his eyes.

Pan's hand lashed out and clamped onto his neck. "Do one good thing in your sad life and tell us where she is," she demanded, shaking him.

"Now, this isn't the way to convince me," he said, his voice coming out strangled.

"Let him go," Future Trunks said quietly.

Pan let go, pushing his head back as she did it. The back of his head hit the wall behind him, and he glared at her. Then, he turned his gaze to Future Trunks.

"You'll never find her," he growled. "I would rather die than tell you where she is."

Future Trunks took out his sword and pointed it at Evil Trunks' face. "That may be what will happen here."

Evil Trunks met his eyes fearlessly. "Fine with me. I get my revenge no matter what happens."

"Revenge?" Pan exclaimed. "For what?"

"For capturing me. For killing Gohan. Just for being you," he replied with a shrug. "You pick."

"This is all so senseless," she cried. "I don't understand why you're doing this!"

"Just because he can," Vegeta said, seeing himself in this other son. "I was like him once."

Their eyes met and Vegeta shuddered inwardly at the unwavering hatred in Evil Trunks' eyes.

"I will find them," Future Trunks vowed. "Even if it'll take me the rest of my life, I will find Pan and my son."

"Believe me, that's how long it'll take," Evil Trunks retorted.

Then, he powered up, breaking the bonds that held him down, and slapping Future Trunks' sword to the side. Vegeta was behind Evil Trunks in the blink of an eye, and he shot an energy blast right through his torso. Evil Trunks laughed once, then fell to his knees.

"No," Future Trunks gasped, turning horrified eyes to Vegeta.

Vegeta stared at the fallen body, his lips twisting. He knew he acted without thinking and now, two people could be lost forever because of his decision. But he could not quite squash the small grain of satisfaction he felt at killing the evil Trunks.

Then, he frowned. He won, he thought.

"Oh no," Pan said, falling to her knees.

Future Trunks knelt next to his counterpart. Evil Trunks died with his eyes open and as Future Trunks looked at him, he could see the smugness glinting in the blue eyes identical to his own. He looked up and saw Vegeta staring at the body, dismay written all over his face and stance.

"I...I didn't think," Vegeta said hoarsely. "I'm sorry."

"He wouldn't have cracked," Future Trunks said calmly. "He was too set in his ways to give it up now. He knew he was done for and he didn't want to give us anymore victories."

Vegeta nodded and averted his eyes, but not before Future Trunks saw the relief in his eyes. He straightened.

"What do we do?" Pan asked.

"We find his time machine," Future Trunks answered. "Clock's ticking and I need to find my family."

They turned to leave, but Future Trunks paused. He turned to look at the dead body of his other self. He spat on the body and kicked at it with a booted foot.

"You tricky son of a bitch," he cursed under his breath.