Perhaps it was because of what Bulma had said, but Ling An felt a little strange when she looked at Son Gohan afterward. However, this state didn't last long. After the energy of the gravity training room was completely used up, Trunks and Son Gohan officially announced their exit!
Although they could continue to use the gravity training room as long as there was energy, Son Gohan understood the principle of moderation. Now that he had the power to suppress the Androids, he could wait until after eliminating them to continue his training. There was no need to be greedy for this little bit of time.
The sooner they dealt with the Androids, the sooner Earth could return to normal.
"Rest well for a day, get some sleep, have a good meal, and we'll set off tomorrow to eliminate the Androids!"
Looking at Son Gohan and Trunks as they emerged from the gravity training room, Ling An smiled at them and said.
Hearing this, they both nodded.
They could withstand the endless training, but their spirits were greatly depleted. Therefore, they really needed a good day of rest. They weren't in a hurry for this one day, and setting off tomorrow meant searching for the Androids' whereabouts, not immediately eliminating them.
They couldn't sense the Androids' ki, and as long as the Androids didn't cause any destruction, and they didn't sense the disappearance of a large number of humans' ki, they basically wouldn't know where the Androids were.
Ling An helped Bulma prepare a delicious dinner. Her cooking wasn't exceptional, but it was decent. Plus, Son Gohan and the others weren't picky, so they all enjoyed the meal immensely.
After dinner, night fell.
Earth seemed especially quiet at night. Because of the Androids' rampage, even the most perfect cities dared not be too lively at night, fearing they'd be targeted. The bustling, sleepless cities of the past were now a rare sight on Earth.
Without the dazzling neon lights, the stars shone even brighter. Ling An went to the roof and saw Trunks lying there, gazing at the stars. She glanced at Son Gohan, who stood beside him like a sturdy pine tree, and asked, "Aren't you two going to sleep? Or can't you?"
"I'm helping Trunks relax," Son Gohan said softly. "After all, we'll face the Androids tomorrow. This is a crucial battle, and it's Trunks's first real fight against them. He's feeling some pressure and needs to relax."
"It's my fault, Ling An-jie," Trunks added before Ling An could respond.
"I'm scared of the Androids, but I'm Vegeta's son. I don't care much about fear," Trunks said. "What worries me is... that I won't be able to help Gohan-gege effectively. If... if the plan fails because of me, and we still can't eliminate the Androids, what will we do?"
So that's what it is...
Ling An suddenly understood. The pressure Trunks was feeling was indeed difficult to avoid. Fear was one thing, but the greatest worry was the inability to complete the plan. After all, Trunks was a very necessary assistant in this plan. Although Son Gohan was the main force, without Trunks' help, Gohan would struggle to handle the two Androids working together.
Therefore, Trunks' task was also very important. It wasn't just a matter of assisting and slacking off. It was equivalent to shouldering a third of the responsibility for saving Earth. If he made a mistake that led to the mission's failure, he probably wouldn't forgive himself.
Thinking of this, Ling An felt a bit of emotion.
This was Trunks in the apocalypse. Different worlds would ultimately produce different individuals. Whether it was Son Gohan or Trunks, they were vastly different from their counterparts in the main timeline.
The Trunks from the main timeline, because his parents were alive and his family conditions were good, had always lived in an environment of being pampered. This also caused him to be more like a little brat, a young master, rather than a warrior. This could be seen from what he and Son Goten did together at the World Martial Arts Tournament. However, the Trunks of this world, although still young, was already very mature in mind.
He felt pressure when facing the Androids, but the fear was a small part of it. More than that, he was worried that he wouldn't be able to shoulder the responsibility of saving Earth, and he was even more afraid that he would be the cause of the plan to save Earth and humanity failing.
Ling An took out a candy and threw it to Son Gohan, who was next to him. The latter was stunned for a moment, then smiled slightly and put the candy in his mouth. A hint of sweetness slowly seeped into his mouth.
Ling An came to Trunks' side, looked at him, and said, "Trunks, although you're still very young, you have indeed grown up, even more so than your father!"
"My father?!" Trunks was stunned. Son Gohan, standing beside him, also glanced at Ling An in surprise. "Sister Ling An, do you know my father?!"
Trunks was a little excited. For him, the word "father" was both unfamiliar and familiar. Unfamiliar because his father had been killed by the Androids before he could understand things, and familiar because Son Gohan often mentioned Vegeta and Son Goku.
Thus, an image of his father gradually formed in Trunks's mind, just like Son Goku, tall and brave, fighting the Androids for Earth and humanity and ultimately being killed. But now, Ling An said that his father was even more mature than his own father, which made him a little confused. Could it be that the father he imagined was different from reality?
"I haven't met your father, but I know something about him." Ling An gently shook her head. Trunks didn't know Vegeta's character, and Bulma rarely mentioned him because she was sad. As for Son Gohan, in order to take care of Bulma and Trunks's feelings, he hadn't told Trunks directly about Vegeta's character. Ling An felt that it was okay to hide things from Trunks, but it was also okay to tell him clearly about Vegeta's character.
After all, as long as the Androids were eliminated, Vegeta was very likely to be revived. Telling Trunks now would prevent him from being disappointed when he finally met Vegeta. Trunks had experienced the disillusionment of Vegeta in the original story, but later, because of Vegeta's performance, Trunks regained his confidence in Vegeta.
And the Vegeta of the future world, because he hadn't experienced Cell or Buu, his personality might be even more malicious. In this case, it was better to let Trunks be prepared than to hide it from him.
Under Ling An's description, Trunks realized a father who was completely different from the one he had constructed before. He had never imagined that his father was initially an evil Saiyan who attempted to destroy humanity. Although he improved later, his personality was still eccentric and arrogant.
In Ling An's opinion, Vegeta's personality didn't truly mellow until after Buu. In Dragon Ball Super, he could even take the initiative to attack the God of Destruction for Bulma. But before that, he would disregard the lives of Earth's people for a battle with Son Goku, and even willingly be controlled by the wizard Babidi for his own ideas. Of course, although Vegeta was also arrogant and conceited at this time, he actually understood love and protection in his heart.
But no matter what, this was Vegeta from the main timeline during the Buu saga. The Vegeta of this world hadn't experienced those things yet, and his arrogance and pride were still his main characteristics. However, this was the Vegeta before his death, she didn't know what he was like in the other world.
"Saiyan Prince, Vegeta..."
Although it didn't completely overturn his understanding, Trunks's emotions were inevitably affected when he heard about Vegeta from Ling An, a Vegeta that was very different from his imagination. Once upon a time, he also thought his father was a hero who fought against the Androids. Who knew that in some situations, Vegeta had done things even more heinous than the Androids...
"Gohan-gege, is my father really the kind of person Ling An-jiejie said he was?" Trunks still held some illusions and sought confirmation from Son Gohan. Facing his burning gaze, Son Gohan fell silent. After a long while, he said softly:
"Trunks, although your father has done a lot of evil things, when the Androids appeared, he also fought bravely against them, and like Uncle Piccolo and Uncle Krillin, he is a very great person. I hope you understand this!"
Son Gohan didn't know why Ling An had told Trunks about Vegeta, but since she had, he wouldn't deny it. However, he still praised Vegeta in a roundabout way.
"Trunks, I know you have a deep affection for your father, Vegeta, and it's hard to believe he's that kind of person, so don't you want to verify it yourself? As long as we defeat the Androids, we will have time to search for the Dragon Balls. As long as we have the Dragon Balls, we can revive those who were killed by the Androids... And now, you already have power that surpasses your father's. As long as you and Gohan work hard together to eliminate the Androids, all of this can be achieved."
Seeing Trunks's gradually dazed expression, the smile on Ling An's face gradually disappeared, and her face became serious: "And Trunks, now you can transform into a Super Saiyan, which is what your father once dreamed of. Don't you want to show him your achievements?"
"..."
After listening to her, Trunks was silent for a long time. Son Gohan and Ling An watched him, watching his expression slowly change from confusion to determination. He clenched his fists and looked at the two of them, firmly saying, "I understand, Sister Ling An, and Gohan. I will do my best to cooperate with Gohan to eliminate the Androids!"
Hearing this, Son Gohan and Ling An exchanged smiles.
This was Ling An's goal. Saving Earth and humanity was a fact, but it was too heavy and too abstract for a child like Trunks. However, if he was given a clear, small goal, he might be able to become determined.
She had told him about a Vegeta that was different from what he imagined, making him want to delve into this contrast and ignite his fighting spirit.
It seemed the effect was good.
....
Fully Completed English PDF of this fan-fic on my Patreon shop if you want to support and own the full fan-fic in one go. Just grab the PDF and binge the entire story from start to finish!
Patreon.com/AniFic