The night was calm, and Son Gohan and Trunks lay on the roof, staring up at the starlit sky.
Bulma, having learned about Gohan's upcoming date with Videl, had eagerly called Chi-Chi, saying she wanted to keep Gohan overnight and give him a proper makeover. Chi-Chi agreed almost too enthusiastically.
So, Gohan had no choice but to stay over at Trunks' place.
"Trunks, why the urgency with the Hyperbolic Time Chamber tomorrow?" Gohan asked, his hands folded behind his head as he gazed at the constellations.
A soft breeze brushed against Trunks' face. His expression turned serious as images of Super Saiyan 3 flickered through his mind.
In the entire Dragon Ball universe, only two people had ever reached Super Saiyan 3.
The first was Son Goku. The second was Gotenks.
Goku had achieved it through relentless training in the Other World. Gotenks, on the other hand, reached the form during a brief fusion inside the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, despite having seen it only once.
No one else had attained it.
Some skipped the form altogether. Others followed different evolutionary paths.
Notably, neither Goku nor Gotenks achieved Super Saiyan 3 in a typical environment. Goku had the unique conditions of the afterlife, while Gotenks relied on the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.
That led Trunks to a theory: Super Saiyan 3 might require a special environment to unlock, either time dilation or spiritual separation from the physical world.
And since Gohan clearly wasn't going to die just to train in the Other World, the Time Chamber was the only viable choice.
Turning to Gohan with a smile, Trunks simply said, "To get stronger, of course."
He didn't mention the deeper reason, because he couldn't. His very existence had already stirred the flow of this timeline. With his presence, reality was shifting in unpredictable ways.
Cooler and Bojack had already made appearances during these last seven years. Who knew what other threats might be on the horizon?
Trunks vaguely remembered that Bojack's seal was only broken when South Kaiō died. But what exactly had happened in the Southern Galaxy remained unclear. What Trunks did know was this: the only way to ensure safety was to grow stronger, fast.
If Gohan could reach Super Saiyan 3 early, they'd be far better prepared for whatever came next.
His vague explanation left Gohan puzzled. He opened his mouth to ask more, but before he could, a high-pitched voice called out from below.
"Big Brother! Gohan! Come down! Mom says dinner's ready!"
Trunks leaned over the roof and saw Bulla waving her arms. But what truly caught him off guard were the three figures standing behind her.
(Wait... is that the Pilaf gang?! What the hell are they doing here?)
Trunks' eyes narrowed in disbelief as he stared at Pilaf, his round little face beaming with false friendliness.
Sensing his confusion, Pilaf quickly put on a cheerful smile.
"Hello! Bulla's older brother, right? We're her classmates!"
"Well, technically we're your classmates too, though... we've never seen you at school."
Trunks' mind reeled. He hadn't expected this, not these three of all people, and certainly not here.
His gaze lingered on Mai. The same Mai who, in another timeline, would one day become his girlfriend. But the thought that she was technically older than his own mother made his stomach twist.
"Uh... okay." Trunks barely managed a response before hopping down from the roof alongside Gohan.
As they walked, Trunks kept ahead, his brows furrowed in deep thought. The future of this timeline was getting harder and harder to read. Behind him, Gohan followed quietly, unsure why the cheerful Trunks from earlier had suddenly gone so quiet.
Bulla pouted, thinking to herself, 'What's up with my brother today? He's never this spaced out.'
"Um… Pilaf, Mai, Shu, I'm really sorry. My brother's probably just... lost in thought."
Pilaf and Shu exchanged awkward glances and chuckled politely. "It's fine, it's fine," they said in unison.
But Mai didn't speak. Her eyes stayed fixed on Trunks' back. Her cheeks reddened slightly as she thought to herself, So cool… and mysterious. I…
Before long, they reached the dining area.
To Trunks' surprise, there were two tables already set up. One table was laid out with a massive feast, and the other was stacked with empty plates and bowls.
Bulma waved a hand, and a squad of cleaning robots moved in to clear the used dishes in perfect formation.
With her hands on her hips, Bulma said apologetically, "Sorry! Vegeta had something urgent to take care of, so he left early."
Trunks extended his senses and, sure enough, Vegeta's ki was nowhere nearby.
But he'd gone without eating?
Trunks was already starving. Whatever curiosity he had vanished as he grabbed a seat. The table instantly turned into a battlefield, with food disappearing at lightning speed.
After dinner, Gohan found himself stuck in what felt like a fashion show. Bulma made him try on outfit after outfit until she finally settled on a brown suit.
In the mirror, Gohan looked himself over, not quite sure how to feel.
"By the way, Bulma Obasan," He asked, "when will my transformation suit be ready?"
Compared to the dress clothes, that was what he actually cared about. Bulma, being one of the greatest scientific minds on Earth, had already finished it, of course.
She handed him a sleek-looking wristwatch. "It's done, made to your specs. Press this button, and poof, you're in full gear."
Gohan slipped the watch on. In front of Bulma and Trunks, he pressed the button and transformed instantly into the Saiyan-style masked superhero he'd envisioned.
He checked himself out in the mirror, clearly satisfied. Then he struck a few ridiculous poses, dramatic, over-the-top, clearly inspired by the Ginyu Force he'd once seen as a kid.
"How do I look, Trunks? Awesome, right?! Shouldn't Bulma Obasan make one for you too?"
Trunks stood there, stunned. He'd known this was coming… but seeing it play out in person still made it hard to keep a straight face.
"Uh… You look great, Gohan," Trunks replied with a half-smile. "But I don't think that kind of thing fits me."
He paused, then added, "Why not ask Videl if she wants one when you see her tomorrow?"
At the mention of Videl, Gohan immediately snapped out of hero mode.
"Oh crap! I forgot to tell her not to come over tomorrow. Eh, it's fine, I'll just go pick her up early in the morning."
Just as he said that, a dark figure zipped past the window outside at incredible speed.
But both Trunks and Gohan had already sensed it.
It was Vegeta.
Trunks turned to look out the window, confused.
(What's Dad doing out so late…?)
(End of Chapter)
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