The Bardock Effect
Chapter Ten: Three Painful Years
"Raditz, Kakarot!" Bardock barked at his sons. "Take this seriously, damn it! Gohan's more serious than the two of you, and he's a kid!"
It had been a frustrating eighteen months for the Saiyan Veteran. His sons were, at times, half-assing their training. Not all the time, in fact, most of the time, they were doing their best to keep up, but it happened enough that it nettled him. It didn't help that Vegeta had mysteriously disappeared last night, likely venturing into space with the help of Dr. Briefs. Bardock wouldn't miss the arrogant moron, but he knew better than to let his guard down. The Saiyan Prince was many things, few of them pleasant, but he had a drive that, at times, frightened him.
"We are being serious!" Goku cried. "Raditz is the one horsing around!"
"Don't you dare, Kakarot!" Raditz warned. "You're the one that made that ridiculous bet in the first place!"
"You still took me up on it, didn't you?" Goku said slyly.
"I did," Raditz groused. "And I now regret it. Giving you half my dessert because you were half a second faster around the world than me does not sit well."
"And you two want to become Super Saiyans," Bardock groaned. "Gohan, you are the last sane member of my line, I'm afraid."
"Its a coping mechanism," Gohan said flippantly, with a small grin giving away his highly amused state.
"Aww, c'mon," Goku said, pleading. "Don't be like that! We'll train harder! Right, Raditz?"
"You're a full-grown man, Kakarot," Raditz replied testily. "And yet, I swear that, sometimes, you sound more like simpering teenager. Of course we'll train hard. We always do."
"Are you do-" Bardock began before Chi Chi arrived, waving at Bardock.
"Bardock!" Chi Chi called. "You have a call from Bulma! I don't know what's wrong, but she sounds really upset."
"I guess we can take a break," Bardock said with a sigh before walking behind Chi Chi. "Lead the way."
With a hint of trepidation, Bardock picked up the phone. The sniffling on the other end immediately set his nerves on fire. Bulma never cried. Not like this.
"Bulma," Bardock began gently. "What's wrong?"
"I c-c-can't..." Bulma began, her breath hitching raggedly. "Not over the phone. Can you come by?"
"Of course," Bardock replied. "I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Hey, what's up?" Goku asked as Bardock put the receiver down, his face grim.
"Something's got Bulma really messed up," Bardock said, heading out the door. "I'll go see her...its been a while, anyway."
Without another word, Bardock flew into the air, his worry driving him far faster than he'd expected. Before he realized it, he was standing at the front door of the Briefs household, his mind a mixture of anxiety and fear as he knocked hesitantly on the door.
"Aah, Bardock," Dr. Briefs said, opening the door. "Come in. Bulma's in the sitting room. Please, do what you can for her."
"Of course," Bardock said, nodding before making his way to the sitting room.
Hearing the footsteps, Bulma looked up at the doorway, seeing the face of her friend, his forehead creased with worry. Bulma knew she looked like a trainwreck, but she couldn't help it. It had all come crashing down so fast...
"What's wrong?" Bardock asked, sitting next to her.
"Bardock," Bulma began, making a visible effort to steady herself. "I'm...I'm pregnant."
"What happened?" Bardock asked, his eyes wide with shock.
"It was all so stupid," Bulma replied, shaking her head. "It was a party, last month, for Capsule Corp employees. There was food and drinks and everybody was having a good time. I guess I had a little too much, and..." Bulma's breath hitched as she recalled the rest. "The next thing I remember, I'm standing, completely drunk with half a bottle of wine in my hand, in Vegeta's room..."
"He didn't," Bardock growled, his anger flaring at the thought of the Prince taking advantage of someone in that state.
"He didn't," Bulma said after a moment. "I did. He was so dark and mysterious and...I offered myself to him. When...when my period didn't come, this month, I got worried, and I found out last night. I...I confronted him about it, and he just...he left. He took the ship daddy built for him to train in and just left, and I don't know if he's going to come back!"
"That," Bardock began, shaking in fury. "Low-down. Shit-stained, worthless, dickless, feckless excuse for a god damned COWARD!" Bardock looked at Bulma, and his rage immediately subsided. This wasn't what she needed. "I'm sorry," he began, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Its just...I never got the be there for my children, and now that Vegeta gets one, he runs off. Just...its just...Bulma, is there anything I can do to help?"
"Help?" Bulma repeated, looking confused. "I...I don't know. I mean, its not like I can ask you to be a father when Vegeta is clearly unwilling to be one."
"You don't have to," Bardock said seriously. "Vegeta might not want to do what's right, but I do. If you want, Bulma, I'll help...however I can. I couldn't help see to it that my sons were raised properly, but I can at least do that with this child."
"Bardock," Bulma said, embracing her friend. "You don't know what that means to me. I just don't want you to feel like I put you on the spot. If you don't want to..."
"None of that," Bardock assured. "I do want to. But, you do need to know something..."
"What's that?" Bulma asked with a small sniffle.
"If I ever see Vegeta again," Bardock ground out angrily. "You may have to call Kakarot, Raditz, and Cooler to keep me from killing him."
"I'll keep that in mind," Bulma replied with a weak laugh, before her head perked up slightly a moment later. "Bardock?"
"Yes, Bulma?" Bardock asked, intrigued by her change in disposition.
"Could you..." Bulma began hesitantly. "Could you keep this between us for now? I'll...I'll tell everyone soon, but its something I want to do myself."
"Of course," Bardock assured. "Take whatever time you need."
"Thank you," Bulma said, hugging her best friend. "I really don't know how I'll ever repay you for this."
"So long as you're happy," Bardock began quietly. "You don't need to pay me a thing."
"Now I see where Goku got it," Bulma replied, laughing a little.
"Actually," Bardock corrected with a small smile. "I got it from him. I don't know what it is about him and this planet, but its really helped me...calm down, I guess. I still want to be as strong as I can be, but I also...well, I want to be a man like what Kakarot grew into. He's strong, and he might not be the sharpest person around, but he's a good one. Its infectious."
"That sounds like Goku," Bulma said happily. "Always trying to get stronger and help everyone he comes across. Its just how he is. I still remember the first time we met..."
"How did you two meet?" Bardock asked. "I don't think I ever got the full story on that."
And so, Bulma began relating the story of how she met Goku. Bardock listened intently as Bulma described finding the dragon ball in the Capsule Corp basement, listening to her dad tell her the legend about the mystical stones that could supposedly grant wishes. She'd studied the dragon ball she had, hoping to unlock its secret so she could wish for the man of her dreams. Eventually, she'd isolated the unique radiation signature emanated by the dragon ball and made the Dragon Radar to track them. It was during that search that she came across a little boy living alone on Mount Paozu. A strange little boy with a tail and incredible strength.
"So, let me get this straight," Bardock said, barely able to contain his laughter. "You accidentally ran my son over, and he just picks up your car and throws it, thinking its a monster?"
"That's the long and short of it, yeah," Bulma replied, laughing. "I swear, it felt like it'd taken him hours to figure out that I was human. He hadn't even met a girl, or even another person aside from his grandfather, until then."
"And just how old was he?" Bardock asked with a laugh.
"Twelve, I think," Bulma said, a finger on her chin.
"Twelve years-old," Bardock said, shaking his head. "And never even seen a girl. And here I was, thinking my grandson was sheltered."
"I don't think he'd even met a girl his own age until we ran into Chi-Chi," Bulma stated mirthfully. "That kid...I've worn some skimpy clothes in my lifetime, but when I first saw Chi-Chi, I honestly thought she could've done well with a pair of shorts."
"Really?" Bardock asked, shocked. "Its hard to imagine her in something other than a dress."
"When I first met her," Bulma began, laughing. "She had this weird mixture of a metal...swimsuit, I guess, pink gloves and boots, a blue cape, and this absolutely ridiculous pink helmet with a blade on the top."
"What. The. Hell?" Bardock asked, his jaw hanging down. "The hell was the Ox King thinking, dressing his daughter like that?"
"To this day," Bulma began with a shrug. "I have no idea. Thankfully, she's since switched to a much more tasteful and less laughable wardrobe."
"That's good," Bardock replied with a comical sigh. "I really don't want to see my daughter-in-law parading about in a metal bikini. That would just be weird."
"Yeah," Bulma responded with a laugh. "I think even Goku would have something to say about that. You know," she continued with a wistful sigh. "Talking like this...makes me think about Yamcha when we first started going out."
"How's that?"
"We could just spend hours talking," Bulma began. "Talking about all the crazy adventures we went on, how weird it is seeing Goku all grown up, even silly things like what it'd be like to swim in a pool filled with pudding."
"What changed?" Bardock asked in a quiet tone.
"He did," Bulma replied sadly. "I don't know what happened, but...its like whatever made us friends stopped after we'd been dating for a while. I didn't mind the occasional serious talk, I know they're necessary, but we just stopped laughing, and we started to grate against eachother. It became less helping eachother out as individuals and more about just maintaining the relationship. Eventually, I just couldn't take any more and broke up with him. He...didn't take it very well."
"Massive fight?"
"Kinda, yeah," Bulma responded, her head down. "He yelled, saying I didn't appreciate everything he did for me, saying he went to fight Vegeta to protect me and just...I snapped at him. I told him that I was perfectly capable of taking care of myself, told him I'd proven that while we were on Namek. After that, he stormed off...we're talking a little again, but its awkward, I just don't know how to talk to him normally. When he finds out about the baby...I'm afraid of how he'll react."
"Are you afraid he'll go off the handle and hurt you?" Bardock asked seriously.
"No," Bulma replied, heaving a sigh. "More that he'll do something reckless and end up getting himself hurt. He doesn't let it show, but I can tell that he's having a hard time adjusting. Kinda like me, I guess..."
"He and Kakarot are fairly close, are they not?" Bardock asked, an idea forming in his mind.
"Yeah," Bulma said, perking up a little. "He gets along with Krillin and Tien pretty well, too. What did you have in mind?"
"When you do tell him," Bardock began. "Have at least one of them there. Having a friend in a situation like that can make all the difference. I don't know him well enough to help, but I'm sure Kakarot or the others would be more than willing to help."
"Hmm," Bulma said thoughtfully. "I have an idea, actually. I could have a get-together here, invite everyone. That way, I can get it done quickly and Yamcha can have someone there for him."
"Doesn't sound like a bad plan," Bardock replied before changing tack, a question tickling the back of his mind. "How have Cooler and his men been?"
"Still having a hard time seeing them as our allies?" Bulma asked seriously.
"A little, yeah," Bardock replied, nodding. "He did keep his word, but I'm just worried that, now that his father and Frieza are gone, that he'll take up the family business."
"Well," Bulma began, a finger on her chin as she thought. "Aside from Cooler strutting more than usual, I can't say he's been too much of a hassle. Salza is turning out to be an excellent cook, mom loves him, and Dore...I don't know, he's a hard one to pin down, honestly. I think, when he's not training, that he spends most of his days wandering. I dunno, its like he's lost or something."
"Dore's acting like a lot of other soldiers I knew," Bardock replied. "When they come home, they just don't know what to do. Being a soldier was simple: you had an enemy, you fought, you ate, you slept. Civilian life is a lot less strict."
"The Saiyans had soldiers?" Bulma asked, now genuinely curious.
"We are a warrior race," Bardock responded, a measure of pride creeping into his voice. "And, occasionally, people would...take umbrage with our ways. Unlike being a warrior, you had to earn being a soldier, at least, that's what the king commanded."
"That makes sense, I guess," Bulma said, nodding.
"I don't think Dore will be a problem," Bardock continued. "Its probably best to just give him some space to figure things out on his own. I'm sure Salza, at least, will help him out if he needs it."
"Bardock," Bulma began, looking at her friend. "I'm glad you're here."
"Me, too," Bardock replied simply.
The day after the revelation of Bulma's...situation, Bardock once again found himself training his sons, as well as his grandson. Surprisingly, Kakarot was advancing faster than he'd anticipated, definitely faster than Raditz, and only just edging out Gohan. After a particularly intense sparring session, during which, Gohan nearly broke one of Bardock's ribs, much to the Saiyan Veteran's pride, Bardock called a halt to the training. He'd begun to understand his Super Saiyan power and where it came from. It was time to teach Kakarot and Raditz, to bring them to the next level.
"Gohan," Bardock began, looking at his sweating grandson. "You might not be able to do what I'm about to teach your dad and Raditz, but you're welcome to join us. Just know that, even if you can't do it now, you'll be able to do it in the future."
"Are you finally going to teach us to be Super Saiyans?" Raditz asked, glee seeping into his voice.
"That I am," Bardock replied, nodding. "I think I understand where this power comes from, now. It isn't just anger. Not just hurt. There's something more to it...a need."
"A need?" Goku asked, raising an eyebrow.
"A need," Bardock confirmed. "Mere desire won't cut it. A lot of Saiyans wanted the power, but they never achieved it because they weren't strong enough...didn't need it badly enough."
"That makes sense," Raditz temporized. "If all it took was a desire for power, every Saiyan alive would be a Super Saiyan."
"And why, despite all his training," Goku added. "Vegeta can't seem to achieve the form. He wants it plenty bad enough, but he can't create a need for it."
With that Goku, as well as his brother and son, began trying to call upon the power of their Saiyan heritage. Goku didn't have to search his memories long for a time when he needed a vast amount of power, beyond that which he already possessed. Thinking about Krillin, lying dead after the 22nd Martial Arts Tournament...King Piccolo's reign of terror afterward. He could feel that old hurt welling up inside him. He could feel something stirring inside him, and so he added something more recent: seeing his brother, whom he'd just begun to accept as family, be killed by Nappa. He could feel it, something was changing. The need for yet greater power filled him, but just as the dam seemed ready to burst, Goku fell, gasping, to the ground, his face glistening with sweat. He'd been so close...
"Damn it," Goku said angrily, hitting the ground with his fist. "I was so close!"
Raditz had an altogether more difficult time than his brother, largely due to the brutal life he led with Vegeta and Nappa. He remembered watching helplessly, so soon after being returned to life, as Frieza decapitated his little brother. His body slumping to the ground with a wet splash. His nephew, covered in blood, wailing in agony over his father's remains. The ground started to shake, he could feel his power climbing, but he soon hit a wall, his stamina depleting rapidly as he, too, fell to the ground, just a moment after Kakarot. That's when they looked to their left, watching Gohan.
Gohan was peripherally aware of his grandfather egging him on, encouraging him even as it felt like his heart was going to burst from his bad memories. He'd been so weak when Vegeta came to Earth, so frightened. Even now, he hated himself for not doing something to stop his uncle from dying at the hands of that overgrown brute, Nappa. That was nothing compared to what flooded his mind next. Shortly before his grandfather transformed into the legendary warrior, Gohan looked at Frieza, saw that smug grin, and he felt an intense hate burning within him. He needed to be stronger, then. Strong enough to kill the evil monster that murdered his father. The ground beneath him buckled, and he felt his hair stand on end. His power was surging, and it felt good. A savage beast within him growled with delight.
"Gohan," Bardock gasped. "Calm down!"
"Gohan," Goku said gently, wrapping his son in his arms. "Please, calm down. You'll destroy the world if you keep going like this."
"The boy," Raditz said, awestruck. "The boy's power...its phenomenal!"
Gohan thought, just for a moment, of striking his father, of further feeding the beast within him. The the idea even crossed his mind disturbed him, disrupting his control and, a moment later, he fell limp in his father's arms, feeling drained of all energy.
"I'm," Gohan forced out through his shame. "I'm sorry dad."
"Sorry about what, Gohan?" Goku asked his son. "You got further than me and Raditz put together! I'm proud of you, son."
"But!" Gohan protested. "I couldn't control it!"
"I barely could," Bardock said calmly. "When I transformed against Frieza. On all that whole world, there was just me and him, in my mind. The mere fact you managed it, where two grown men failed, just goes to show how strong you are. Honestly," Bardock added with a chuckle. "I'm afraid you'll be stronger than all of us, when you're grown."
Gohan was amazed. His dad was an easy-going man, but he was afraid that he'd be mad if he beat him to the punch. But, no...he was proud, Gohan could see that. Uncle Raditz was staring at him, his eyes like saucers and his mouth hanging to the ground, unabashedly amazed at what he'd accomplished. Grandpa Bardock...Gohan had seen him smile before, but this one was different. The Saiyan Veteran was practically beaming at his grandson, his grin stretching from ear to ear. That was when Gohan understood: he'd done something good, something amazing, he'd proven his grandfather's words all those years ago right. He was strong.
My grandson, the legend, Bardock though with a small, happy laugh in his head. Bardock knew the boy had immense potential, he felt it come to the fore during training, at times, especially when he was feeling particularly strong emotions, most notably anger. Thinking on it, it made sense: Gohan didn't have as much life experience as the three men in his life, he had less perspective, so it didn't take as much to get a rise out of the boy. His reactions were stronger than other, older warriors. Going through what he did fighting Vegeta and Frieza, it made sense. As they settled back into training, working on gaining yet more strength, as well as replenishing their stamina, Bardock paired off with his grandson and noted a drastic change in his demeanor. The boy had always been a bit timid and prone to flinching. Now, though, Gohan was attacking his grandfather with confidence and determination. Whether that would last was up for debate, but for now, it did Bardock's heart good to see his grandson becoming stronger. Deep inside, it stung a little, though, because Bardock realized that maybe his grandson was starting to grow into a man.
Their next attempts proved much more fruitful. The day after Gohan's achievement, Goku managed, for a moment, to transform into a Super Saiyan. Raditz seemed to struggle with creating the need in his mind. He'd gotten close several times, but each attempt brought him, cursing, to his knees. Though neither Goku nor Gohan had yet repeated their feats, Bardock knew that it stung his eldest son that he'd fallen behind his kid brother and his preteen nephew. His failure didn't stop him, though. If anything, Raditz was pushing himself viciously to reach the same level. Without realizing it, two weeks had passed, and Bulma had announced the get-together she'd planned with Bardock earlier. Knowing they could all use a break from training to relax, the four of them, as well as Chi Chi and Ox King, found themselves at a somewhat more sedate party than they'd expected from the heiress of Capsule Corp.
A few minutes in, once everyone had gotten settled in, Bulma shot Bardock a furtive glance, Bardock merely looked at Bulma and smiled confidently, nodding. Bulma smiled back and sighed, tapping a spoon on a glass to get everyone's attention.
"Everyone, I...I have an announcement to make," Bulma said hesitantly. "I'm...I'm pregnant."
"Congratulations, Bulma!" Goku said happily. "Who's the father?"
"It can't be me," Yamcha said in a mirthless voice.
"It was," Bulma added, a look of self-loathing on her face. "It was...Vegeta."
"Vegeta?!" Yamcha cried in outrage. "What?! How?!"
"I'm not going to go into the details," Bulma said firmly. "But, to make a long story short, Vegeta has shown his complete lack of interest in raising our child."
"How could you?!" Yamcha yelled indignantly.
"Again," Bulma repeated with a hint of anger in her voice. "I will not go into details."
With that, Yamcha stormed out. Krillin followed him shortly thereafter, saying something about "making sure he doesn't make a fool out of himself." Bardock thought it could've gone a little better, but all in all, it could've gone far, far worse. Even Cooler seemed to be at least intrigued by the news, cold fish that he was.
"So, Bulma," Goku began, moving next to his old friend. "Who's going to help you take care of the little guy?"
"Implying I can't raise my child myself?" Bulma asked with mock irritation.
"Of course not!" Goku replied defensively. "I just know that its a lot to handle. I know Chi Chi needed a lot of help when Gohan was a baby!"
"I'll be helping," Bardock said, striding over. "I'm certain Bulma can handle herself, but a burden shared is a burden divided."
"Really, dad?" Goku asked, amazed. "Well...I guess I can't be too surprised, you guys are good friends and all. Honestly, I half-expected Bulma to say the kid was yours!"
"Don't have to be a kid's sire to be his father," Bardock replied seriously.
"Still," Goku continued, patting Bulma on the shoulder. "I'm happy for you, Bulma. I know it won't be easy, but if there's any way I can help, you know how to get a hold of me."
"Thank you, Goku," Bulma replied with a sniffle, hugging her friend.
Raditz watched the exchange silently. His father was so willing to help basically raise a child that wasn't even his, sired by a man who hated him. It made no sense. By all Saiyan traditions, that child would be an enemy of his family. That his father seemed so ready to abandon the traditions of his people shocked Raditz, until he thought on it in more depth. Stepping outside himself, outside his preconceived notions of what proper decorum was for a Saiyan warrior, Raditz realized that many of the Saiyan traditions simply didn't make sense. The idea that those born with the highest power levels were the most naturally gifted fighters had gone out the window when his father, who if he remembered correctly, had been born with a power level of only twenty, had easily caught up to Prince Vegeta and eclipsed Nappa after just a year of training...it'd been turned entirely on its head. That was further reinforced when it was his father, not Prince Vegeta, who'd achieved the legendary form and slew the person responsible for the destruction of their race. By all rights and customs he'd been taught, his father shouldn't have been able to match one of Frieza's regular grunts, much less surpass Frieza himself. Was it the abandonment of these notions that allowed his father, as well as his brother and nephew, that had allowed them to achieve what he had, so far, failed to do? Perhaps tradition was holding him back. Though it hurt, he had to admit that it made a strange kind of sense. As Raditz and his family flew home after the party died down, the Firstborn of Bardock considered a new path. If nothing else, it was worth a shot.
Author's Notes
And another chapter is online! Someone brought to my attention that I haven't really been covering much of the non-battle life in this fic. I won't try to make up excuses, because they're right. I will do my best to include more everyday life than I have been, but not so much that it makes the story drag. The last thing I want to do is drag out something to the effect of "Bardock got up, ate breakfast, took a shower, and went back to sleep" into its own chapter. Balance is key!
I hope I got some of you guys what that curveball I threw. For those wondering, Vegeta is more of an...well, more of an ass than in canon. This is for one very important reason: unlike Goku, Bardock isn't engaging with Vegeta. While Bardock views him as a potential threat and keep an eye on him, the Saiyan Veteran has done little more than ignore and/or mock the Saiyan Prince. In canon, when Goku was his rival, Goku at least engaged with Vegeta, unintentionally giving his ego at least something to work with. Bardock's not doing that, and its not doing the Prince any favours, psychologically speaking.
That's about it from me, so I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Eleven of The Bardock Effect, Cyborg Showdown! Take care!