Chapter III: Z Fighters Prepare

Trunks was flying at his top speed to meet Gohan. With Vegeta off to who knows where and Majuub making his way for Frieza Planet 150, Trunks needed to marshal the troops in case there was a credible threat to the Earth. Gohan was eating a snack with his wife Videl and his granddaughter Kinuwa. "Finish your quinoa rolls! " Gohan smiled with his bespectacled face.

Suddenly, he heard Trunks' boots hit the ground. "What could it be?" He thought as he stood up. Videl got worried when she saw Gohan's face with grave concern.

Videl inquired, "Is everything okay? I didn't know Trunks was coming today."

"I don't know," said Gohan, putting his glasses on the table. "He didn't call ahead, so he's not here just to say hello." Gohan then walked outside to meet Trunks. As he saw the worried look on Trunks' face he asked, "Something happened, are we prepared?"

"I don't know." Trunks responded, "So many things happened yesterday. Frieza's brother came to the Capsule complex and gets dad freaked out about another Saiyan that's even stronger than him. To make things worse, Vegeta flies off with the thing's son and Majuub left the planet with Frieza's brother. I think only Goten, Pan, and yourself are left to protect the world right now."

"Leave my daughter out of it," Gohan responded defensively, "Krillin, 18. Tien, Yamcha, Chatzou, and Roshi have continued their training."

"Their abilities are of little value if we're facing a legitimate threat." Trunks disagreed.

"How about Bulla? As if Vegeta did not teach her to protect herself?"

"My sister is hardly responsible for protecting the planet." Now they were back at square one. "We have three warriors right who can protect the Earth with Vegeta and Majuub gone; maybe only two after the fusion. If we cannot achieve the numbers to fight, then we are in big trouble."

Gohan breathed deeply, "We're going to have to go to the lookout and train. Dende will be able to get us to respond before the planet is under attack. Let me say good-bye to my family; I'll tell them everything."

Gohan walked back into his house and Trunks looked through the window. Gohan put Videl into his arms as she cried, Kinuwa started tugging at her grandmother's shirt, not understanding the situation. Trunks walked inside and asked, "Gohan, should I give you a little longer?"

Gohan looked into his wife's eyes then nodded, "Give us the night. I'll meet you at the lookout. We'll train non-stop until we understand what we are up against. It's better to be safe than sorry."

Trunks said his good-byes and departed. Videl looked worried at Gohan after Trunks left and asked, "Without your father around anymore, we are always going to be afraid. I thought it would all be over after Goku merged with the Dragon. That maybe all of the Earth's problems were due to the use of the dragon balls. However, it seems like someone or something is attacking the Earth every four years. Not that we didn't handle it, but what if someone is stronger than you? We don't have the dragon balls to reverse the damage."

"There's another set of dragon balls, on Planet Namek!" Gohan said with just a little excitement, "It takes six days to get there, but if something were to happen to myself, or Vegeta, we would have to use their dragon balls."

Little Kinuwa spoke up, probably drawing her idea at random, "Grandpa? If you had a wish, could you wish to live forever to see my children, my grandchildren, and my grandchildren's grandchildren?" The idea hit Gohan and Videl at the same time.

"Videl," Gohan smirked, "How good are you at keeping secrets?"

"The best Gohan," she smiled "we would have no reason to be afraid anymore."

"Trunks thinks I have the night, but I don't have a moment to spare. Videl, get one of my teaching assistants to cover my classes." He then kissed Kinuwa's head in a hurry, "Thanks for everything my little peanut, you may have saved the world!" Gohan ran outside and blasted off into the sky.

Kinuwa ran behind Gohan's dust, "Grandpa! I want to play superhero too!"

Gohan flew to the lookout where he saw Dende and Mr. Popo. Dende was surprised to see Gohan respond this quickly, while Mr. Popo continued to smile. Gohan yelled out to Mr. Popo, "Mr. Popo! I need you to transport me to Planet Namek, now!"

"You're not the one to give the marching orders around here." Mr. Popo scoffed.

"What brings you here," asked Dende, as if Gohan came to approach him about a sensitive subject. "Is it your father?"

"What do you mean my father?" Gohan looked a Dende seriously, "Trunks told me that someone associated with Frieza has Majuub and Vegeta flew off to who knows where with this thing's son."

"Gohan, I don't know how to tell you." Dende ignored what Gohan told him completely, he was about to cry, "You're father came back."

Gohan's heart swelled up, he missed his father his entire life, and with Piccolo in hell he always felt lonely. "Father, he's back?"

Mr. Popo smiled while Dende continued with his serious tone, "He came back, Gohan. He arrived on Planet Namek with Shenron." Gohan had to know what happened next, did someone use the dragon balls? "Someone summoned Porunga on Namek but Goku stopped him." Gohan knew better than to ask if the dragon balls were still potent, "but he was not as powerful as the opponent he faced. It seemed like it took seconds for him to… die." Gohan was about to break down as Dende continued, "It seems as if Planet Namek, and your father disappeared in an instant. Whoever did it was able to overwhelm your father's power and destroy him with the planet, yet somehow himself lived."

Gohan walked off to the edge of the lookout, using all of his strength to hold himself back from crying. He yelped a yell loud enough for the whole Earth to hear. The sheer power of his Super Saiyan transformation illuminated the planet in a golden flash.

"That power…" Freon said surprised while flying next to Vegeta, "It is amazing. Is there another Saiyan left alive?"

"That must be Gohan, he's Kakarot's son." Vegeta responded as if Freon was somehow familiar with that name. "He has continued in his training. It's about time he stopped slacking off."

Back at the lookout, Gohan finally summoned the energy to speak, though he really roared in a rage, "I don't know who you are and what you want, but when I meet you, I won't just fight you, I will kill you!"

Mr. Popo walked over, brazen as usual, "We have rebuilt the Room of Spirit and Time. The hyperbolic time chamber is now new, and improved."

Still fueled with rage, Gohan muttered, "How?"

"The environment has become much more difficult to survive in and the gravity, much, much, more intense." Mr. Popo smiled, "Majuub has spent much time there; it has greatly improved his abilities."

"If something is happening to the Earth," Gohan inquired, "Would I be able to find out and leave?"

Mr. Popo was honest, "No. You do not know what is happening in the outside world. And, you may only enter once though there is no limit of time." Gohan knew better than to ask why, so he let Mr. Popo continue to explain, "Think wisely before you decide to start your training. Think about who, if anyone, you want to train with. Also consider whether you would be able to survive the trip."

"It's a risk I'm going to have to take." Gohan knew this was a road he's been down before. Ever since the Elder Kai let him reach his complete potential he let go of his fear, for a short while. After his defeat from Gotenks-Buu, Gohan's fear came back, disabling him from accessing his complete potential. After the incidents with the gods of destruction, Gohan became serious about his training again even though he was still outclassed by his opponents. He now considered himself again at that elite level, but he was still paralyzed by the fear that without his father around that the planet would always truly be in danger. Gohan never felt Vegeta or Majuub were up to the task of taking his father's place. He knew that he would have to challenge his very limits to let go of his fear, and ascend to his pinnacle level.

"This is something I'm going to have to do alone." Gohan said, "If I cannot ascend back to the level I know I am capable of, I am of little use in defending the Earth anyway. Show me to the hyperbolic time chamber."

"This way," Mr. Popo invited.

"Gohan! Gohan!" Dende pleaded, "You cannot just walk in there, like it's a walk in the park! Majuub survived because he's a magical being. He can breathe without oxygen, regenerate his ki and limbs, and even create food if necessary. You don't have any of those abilities! You will die!"

Gohan looked over and started thinking about his doubts, "Was I ever good enough? Was the time that Mr. Piccolo and my father spent training me a waste? Was my victory against Cell an aberration, only accomplished by sheer transformation?" Gohan then spoke aloud, "You're right, you're right…" Then he looked back at Mr. Popo and remembered why he became irrelevant in the first place, "No! You're not right. I won't try, I won't die, I will succeed, then I will win!" Gohan then didn't say another word, or even get any provisions before stepping into the hyperbolic time chamber. Mr. Popo closed the door behind him and said, "Bye..."

Dende looked extremely worried, "Not only is it doubtful that Gohan will live, now others that may have helped him live themselves cannot make use of the Room of Spirit and Time. Time will only tell if this is a blunder."

Meanwhile a day later on another planet, an alien race was ineffectively trying to repulse Roman and two other Saiyans with ki attacks on their march to the throne room. Their attacks simply hit the Saiyans without effect; they didn't even flinch. They continued to walk as if nothing was happening. They reached the locked doors of the throne room, which one of the Saiyans simply pushed open. As the large doors crashed to the ground, the king's bodyguard pounced at the Saiyans. They had the same lack of effect as the king's army.

"Sire, I can't even make a scratch with my fiercest attack!" Said one of the birdlike creatures. The rest wrapped themselves around Roman and self-destructed. The room was full of smoke, but then the Saiyans emerged in front of the king as they walked through the smoke unaffected.

"Good king," Roman spoke, clearly shorter than the Saiyans to his right and left, "we did not come here for war. We have come to ask something of you."

The king, adorned with robes, with a tail wrapped around them like a belt, looked at the three Saiyans. He noticed that their appearance was like his own. Their black hair, their tails, their olive complexion, "It can't be!" He thought. He felt he was one of a kind ever since his first memory; he was king of a planet of beings that looked nothing like himself. He remembered having the greatest urge to destroy them all, but he remembered getting milk and food from his subjects as a toddler. He could never bring himself to kill his caretakers, though he thought nothing of controlling them, since after all, might makes right and he has by far the most might as far as he knew. "Are these… Aliens my brethren? It can't be, I am the only one of my kind."

"Good king," Roman reminded politely, "We request an audience."

"You three…" The king sneered, "Why have you come to Planet Nion. We do not come to harm anyone, we are happy here by ourselves. Now, go!"

Gus, a typical tall athletic Saiyan to Roman's left, was insulted, "You can't just tell us to leave." He snapped back.

Roman held his hand to Gus gesturing him to stop, then continued to speak with the king, "Excuse me King Nion… Do you remember how you got your name?"

The king looked at the Saiyan as if this was one of the most ridiculous moments of his life, "What… That's ridiculous! You come all the way from who knows where and massacre my army to ask me my life story?"

Aspari, a tall and skinny Saiyan, tugged a strand of her hair and laughed at the king, "We didn't kill a single thing. I don't know who died trying to kill us, but all we did is land our spacecraft and walk right over here."

Roman then looked more serious as he spoke with the king, "Do you remember how you got your name? Do you remember how you got here!"

"No!" The king yelled truthfully, "All I know was that I was told by my subjects that I saved this planet from the Oozaru, or the Great Ape. They said I called myself Nion so they named the planet in my honor. I used my innate power to destroy the moon, because as legend has it, the Oozaru lived there. So there you have it, go away, let us live in peace. We don't mean any harm to anyone."

"You are one of us," Roman started to explain.

The king was starting to deduce this, though it was still very shocking to him. He did not care if these aliens were his brethren, he was used to his life as king on his small planet. "So what if I am, I do not care!"

"You will care because the fate of the universe, the fate of this planet's existence hangs in the balance. Did you ever hear of Frieza?"

"The bogeyman?" The king laughed at what he considered a ridiculous question, "Like some sort of ice demon exists to destroy my planet? Please go away, let my subjects start to repair the damage they created… attacking you."

"You see, Frieza was once the lord of almost the whole universe, having an empire greater than can be comprehended. During his quest for immortality, a Saiyan, like you, put an end to him. But that still has not put an end to war in the universe."

"A Saiyan? What's that?" The king asked.

"We are Saiyans," Roman explained, "You are a Saiyan. Have you ever wondered why you had that tail?"

The king responded defensively while his tail became puffy, "To scratch that part of your back you can't reach I guess!"

Gus spoke up again, "Have you ever wondered why you have that urge to fight! That urge to get stronger! That urge to ascend to higher and higher levels of power?"

The king was now reacting as if he was frightened and in denial starting yelling back, "I have wondered but I do not care! Go away or I'll make you!"

"Make me!" Gus challenged while hitting his chest with one fist.

"Seismic punch!" The king yelled as he lunged his right fist into Gus' armor, actually causing it to crack. The Saiyans were surprised, even being any kind of a risk to a warrior of Gus' level was truly impressive.

"The guys are totally going to lay into you," Aspari joked to Gus, "you let some nobody crack your armor?"

The king was clearly overmatched, but he was not deterred. "I've got a lot more where that came from!"

"I didn't know there were any Saiyans left with this level of power," Roman was thinking, "Field Marshal Zerstorer will be very pleased. We can actually train him in time for Citadel."

Gus lunged back only to go through the king's afterimage, still hardly taking the battle seriously, he was a sitting duck. "Saw gun!" The king yelled from near the top of the vaulted ceiling, launching many small kienzans at Gus. The ki attacks sliced right through the floor and walls like a hot knife through butter before all of them emerged into a direct hit into Gus. Roman was very impressed while Aspari laughed. Gus was fuming as he had many cuts, even lacerations after the attack. He was about to be fueled into an extreme rage.

"He made you bleed!" Aspari started laughing hysterically.

Roman glared at her, "You should be more mortified than him with your conduct soldier." Aspari's face cleared up instantly.

"At least I can say this," the king laughed, like the Saiyan he never knew he was, "You'll live with this embarrassment for your entire life coward, while I die a hero's death!"

"Yearrrh!" Gus screamed as he instantly transformed into Super Saiyan 3. The king continued to smile and laugh, despite the fact he expected to be dead within seconds.

Gus appeared right in front of him, grabbing his left hand, and crushing it. All the bones broke instantly. The king could not help but yell in pain, while Roman interrupted, "Enough! Stand down solider! We have not come as conquerors but as friends."

Gus instantly reverted to the base as the king quipped, "Some friends!"

"As you see good king," Roman asserted, "we Saiyans are a powerful warrior race. You can assure the eternal protection of your world if you join us in uniting the universe under common leadership. In the Neo-Saiyan army, you'll be treated as an equal to these two soldiers you see beside me. After the universe is united, you can return to your world with the complete assurance of its safety."

"So, if I'm no slave, what makes of the Wirstians I look after?" The king inquired.

"We're not interested in having slaves." Roman assured him, "Only ensuring control of the universe."

"Before I agree to such a crazy proposal," the king snorted, "why would I be so useful to your plan? I'm not even a challenge for one of your men."

"Great fighters are made, not born." Said Roman confidently while crossing his arms, "You see, we have achieved the art of transformation which will increase your power substantially."

"I see." The king gasped, realizing that his opponents could quickly ascend to much higher levels of power.

"Second, we have the abilities to improve your DNA to its pinnacle potential. Your weaknesses will be less pronounced, your strengths will be even greater than your wildest fantasies. Aging can be reversed, lifespans can be extended. You see, I was a scrawny teenager during the great war of our people eighty years ago, yet I am still in my physical prime."

"If you Saiyans are so strong, then why do you need me?" The king questioned, "I'm just sayin'."

Roman boasted, "Imagine a universe controlled by great men and women like you. Saiyans were not just born to fight, we were born to rule! With our friends, the Tuffles, we will have rule over every single living thing. It will be a safer universe for your people, and you."

"If my subjects are safe," the king remarked, almost as if he realized he had little choice in the matter, "I'll join you. I hope to prove helpful to your cause."

"You can be put in peak physical shape in about a week." Aspari informed him, "After that, we'll not have that long to train you for combat, but it will do."

While this was occurring Nach and Zerstorer were sparring in spandex clothing instead of their usual fatigues. They focused less and less on their fight and more on their conversation. It has now got to the point that both of them stopped fighting. Zerstorer did not let his mere officers speak their minds often, he preferred to run a dictatorship. However Nach continued training under his Tuffle master to not only get his word in but to measure up his opponent. He was questioning Zerstorer about getting new recruits this late into the game. They were standing in what seemed like a large grassy field. Green lights were on the tall ceilings while the walls were made of glass, making the nearly pitch-black ocean floor visible. Zerstorer was laughing at what seemed like Nach's legitimate questions and concerns.

Nach, whose black jumpsuit still had the angular "PS" did not quiver, but he was visibly holding back his disgust, "Why are you sending off your sister's boy toy off to get mere foot soldiers? Having a few more grunts on the ground isn't going to increase the chances of Citadel's success."

"You don't understand the fool proof strategy that I've implemented man!" Zerstorer laughed in his plain purple jumpsuit, "If it weren't for us training, I wouldn't allow for you to question my strategy. But since we're talking man to man, there are many things simple Saiyan minds cannot understand. Yes, you got substantially smarter since having your genes mated with those of the Tuffles, but you're still a Saiyan at heart. Like myself, still a Tuffle at heart. Just because I've used Saiyan genes to enhance my abilities, it doesn't stop me from thinking and acting like a Tuffle." Nach was absolutely vexed, his expression offered enough of a response. Zerstorer continued, "When Citadel succeeds, soon the whole universe will be mated with Tuffle DNA, thus subservient to my rule. I get to control the universe while Stuka will succeed in her project of bringing the Tuffles back from extinction."

"Why Citadel…" Nach started to reminisce, "That was the beginning of the end for your kind. It was the final crippling defeat when the Tuffles still had the initiative in the war."

"It was our last chance to win the war before inevitably losing to attrition, though the Tuffle defeat only sped up the process. I chose the name 'Citadel' because the misfortunes of the war will now be reversed. We'll get to know a new universe; a universe where peace reigns and is managed by the wisest of all, Tuffles of course. You should be happy, when Stuka and I pass away, one of your Tuffle descendants will probably be Field Marshal." Zerstorer smiled as if this thought made Nach happy, not realizing that the notion of his de-Saiyanized ancestors is something a Saiyan definitely did not desire.

Back at the lookout, Trunks arrived with Goten and saw a giant surprise. The geriatric Z-Fighter gang was in the midst of training with each other, absolutely stunned, he yelled at a smiling Mr. Popo and proud Dende, "What on green god's Earth is Tien doing here, and Krillin, and… 18—"

"I'm here too!" Master Roshi laughed, "Don't forget about me."

"And Yamcha, of course Yamcha!" Trunks continued to complain while looking at a grey smiling Yamcha, "I know there are going to be bodies on the battlefield, but I don't want to pick up the pieces if you know what I mean!"

"I take offense to that." A wrinkled Chatzou quipped.

"We're trying to prepare as much as possible for the threat we think is coming," said a proud Dende, "I recruited the Z-Fighters myself; an ounce can tip the scales!"

"I know my friends want to help," Trunks tried to empathize, "but their lives are hardly expendable. They'll only get in the way."

Tien, though considerably aged was still an imposing physical specimen, "We're putting our lives on the line to protect the Earth. If the threat is real, we probably won't survive." He put his hand on Trunks' shoulder, "You're welcome."

"You don't have to worry Trunks," Dende reassured him, "Yajirobe and Korin all growing all the senzu beans they can. If this threat is real, it will be a threat we are prepared for!"

Goten appeared not to be worried, as usual, "Hey, why not let them have in on the fun? You worry too much!"

Trunks turned his back on Goten and rolled his eyes, "You don't worry enough!"

"Stress will kill you faster than anyone left to pose a danger to the Earth. We all have something to contribute to the outcome of the battle here!"

The Z Fighters agreed in unison, "Yeah!"