It did not take vast experience to know when you were beaten. The art was in continuing to fight after realizing that fact. To say that Lidivy had yet to master this art was dry understatement. Simply put, he was panicking.

It was one thing to maintain an air of cool superiority when one was clearly superior. Now, however, the shape-shifter was floundering, blocking instinctively, no longer even attempting to take the offensive. He'd made the grave error of assumption; whatever strange circumstance behind it, Trunks was not going down. He seemed in truth to be gaining in strength and force, each blow landing harder(or so it seemed to Lidivy)than the last. If Trunks was puzzled by his opponent's lack of direction, he gave no sign, pressing firmly ahead to the inevitable end. Only one thought, twisting in the back of his mind, provided the slightest distraction from his goal.

He could not recall when he had decided that Lidivy should die. It just…seemed so starkly logical, ridiculous to question. Implications he refused to contemplate; time for that later…he had a job to do. Part of him was disappointed that Lidivy would not last longer; thinking and fighting, to Trunks, were mutually exclusive, and at the moment he preferred to fight.

Goten didn't offer to help. Firstly, he had to hold up Gohan, if only to feel like he was doing something of use. Secondly, he rather suspected that interfering in Trunks' fight would get him blasted. In either case it seemed wiser to stay put. Wisdom had never been Goten's most driving force—he took the option least likely to result in physical harm.

Gohan, of course, was faring less than well; Juunanagou, however, was now hard-pressed to keep the half-Saiyajin under control. Damned distractions…he didn't know who Moreviv was and he didn't care. He wasn't even overly concerned with Takira's convulsion; he'd probably just hit her too hard. Weak female…

The voice in his mind—Lidivy's as well, which helped him little—finally ceased ranting, silent for a moment, assessing. Moreviv she knew, but who had—

'Takira,' she pronounced coldly. 'She is the source.' Juunana glanced at Takira distractedly. Sure, a source of annoyance, a source of distraction, a—

'She must die.'

Juunanagou and Lidivy paused simultaneously, which act landed Lidivy another shattering blow from Trunks. The Jinzouningen smiled briefly at that and regarded Takira; she didn't look so dangerous to him. He couldn't be certain if she were even conscious. Besides, he didn't much feel like killing her in front of the kid…not that Kabu seemed distraught by any of this. The child was currently occupied with nothing more than crawling after Cordec's waving tail. Juunana sighed and placed a hand at Takira's throat. Made no sense to him, but if the crazy bitch spoke he was compelled to listen and act, if only to shut her up.

He'd nearly prepared to deal the final blow when Takira was snatched from his hands by—well, this was interesting—a bloodied, beaten Lidivy. Juunanagou glared and blasted Trunks back, buying Lidivy a moment. This explanation had better be good…

"A chance," Lidivy gasped, stumbling back and clutching Takira to his chest like a totem or a doll. "If…if I absorb…"

"…then you can beat Trunks," Juunana filled in quickly, glancing over his shoulder; the subject of his statement was fast approaching. Lidivy was inconsequential, but if it took care of the purple-haired freak Juunana could hardly argue. "Go." Lidivy shambled away, dragging his now-thrashing burden as the android whirled to meet Trunks head-on.

The clash nearly shattered the room around them; the walls and ceiling wavered, floor buckling beneath Juunanagou's feet as Trunks landed his first strike. Kabu went so far as to be distracted from Cordec's tail, crouching in a small fuzzed ball, staring enthralled at a fight his young eyes were not yet able to follow.

Trunks attacked again, teeth bared. The fight, the cause, the consequences, all merged into a nameless force surging through him, driving him harder, faster; beyond the anger of injustice, of fear and pain, beyond rage to something Trunks had inherited and abhorred.

Not a lack of control, no; he had never felt this focused…the question was the source of control. Inexorably that was shifting, to the slow dark-burning anger Trunks had feared when he saw it in his father's eyes. Quiet, it seemed only to seethe with every hot breath a new way to die, to kill, to destroy. It couldn't be right, couldn't possibly—a sharp scream from Takira snapped Trunks back to attention and the darkness gained an inch.

* * * * *

'Disaster, my child…not your fault. You couldn't help what you were, what he was…is…

'I must right it, daughter. So many mistakes I've made, I can no longer fulfill only my own wishes in this; too much at stake now that I did not see before. Immortals never really understand the concept of the End…or the Eternal; we're not designed for it. What faith can one rest in something never seen? Not mere concepts, child. You told me yourself that only fools seek comfort in ideas.

'The other, she seeks only to further the cause; her death will mark the end of this. So much could fall now…why can you not hear me? Child, I cannot protect both you and yours. You leave me such a wretched choice, but my duty remains with the trinity. We each must lose so much, so much that can't be returned. You never believed in happy endings…perhaps you are better prepared for this than I. Do not hate me, my mortal child; I do this through no will of my own. The time is upon us…your prince must come to me.

'…and you, dying princess, must bring him.'

* * * * *

Silent, Goten watched, feeling useless. Gohan groaned and shifted again, knees buckling as Goten braced against him. Goten had hoped his brother's condition would improve as Juunanagou became otherwise involved; no such luck. At least he wasn't getting any worse…

Bits of rock ricocheted off the ki shield Goten held around Gohan and himself. There was no doubt that Trunks was winning, but Juunana was doing everything in his power to prolong the fight, making Trunks chase after him, attempting distractions. Trunks was, judging by his expression, beginning to get frustrated with that. The fact that Takira's cries had stilled didn't help. Goten looked at the corridor where Lidivy had taken her, and shifted his grip on Gohan. Maybe if he went after her…

As though in response to his thought, a dim panting figure appeared in the doorway, dripping blood but in one piece, at least. She paused for a moment, wavering, then scuttled past the fight, meeting Goten with a weary half-smile.

"One down," she said grimly, resting a hand on Goten's shoulder. "I…I'm not in any condition to help, but…" She peered back at Trunks and Juunanagou. "Why don't I take Gohan. You…help with the robot."

"Are you sure?" Goten glanced uneasily at the fight. "I don't think Trunks really needs the help."

"Doesn't need it, no…but there's no need to drag this out any longer," she coughed, wiping blood from her chin, "any longer than necessary."

Goten nodded slowly, still watching Trunks. Well, it made sense…he blinked as Takira deftly pulled Gohan from his grasp, giving Goten an encouraging smile.

"Go on. Gohan will get better as soon as the android's out of the way. Let's finish this."

With a nod and a hesitant smile, Goten turned away from her, taking a few steps closer to the action, searching for an opening that wouldn't get him blasted from both sides. If he could just get Trunks' attention…they knew how to fight together. Just at the moment, though, Trunks was fighting very much alone.

Through the general cacophony of blasts and crashes from the battle, Goten heard an odd squeal. Kabu was now clutched in Cordec's thick clawed hands, struggling mightily, tail fuzzed and angry. Cordec merely held him, keeping a wary eye on Trunks and Juunanagou as though waiting for some signal. Kabu shrieked again, arms and legs waving. Goten looked back to Takira. There was no way she would tolerate this…

Takira wasn't paying attention to the child. Her bloodied face bore an odd fixed smile as her hand crept up Gohan's chest to his throat. Her tail drooped behind her, tip twitching in anticipation as her fingers closed on his neck. Yes, time to end this…

Goten's sharp cry gave her just enough time to prepare for impact; she braced her legs as he plowed into her, skidding over the rock-strewn tile. Goten struck and she yanked Gohan into the path of the blow. Goten managed to miss but barely, stumbling off-balance. Tossing Gohan aside, Takira slammed her doubled-up fists into the base of Goten's skull; Goten slumped forward to his knees. He recovered an instant too late to dodge Takira's kick. He rolled to a halt, gasping wetly, one side of his ribcage unnaturally dented and flexing painfully with each breath. Takira stalked over and stood above him, tail swishing slowly.

"Shouldn't have interfered, boy. Just when I thought you could actually prove useful…no matter. I've permission to eliminate you as well."

Goten saw the blast as it left her hand; his last thought was that it had to be too weak, not possible for it to—