Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Bulma sighed, glancing out the window at the gravity chamber her father had made for Bardock. At least this way he wouldn't have to keep going back and forth between Capsule Corp and the Other World. Despite this welcome change, he had been distant ever since the tournament. She shook her head, going back to her work on improving the dragon radar. She had started calling it that not too long ago, since it was easier than saying 'dragon ball locator'. She frowned when she saw two of the seven blips next to each other. Someone was gathering the dragon balls, and while that was cause for concern, her mind was focused on something else. More specifically why Bardock had been so cold to her recently.
They had been getting along swimmingly until now and she couldn't figure out why he suddenly seemed to revert back to how he was when they first met. Even then he was willing to humor her. But now... he was like a completely different person. She sighed again, forgetting once more that he was an alien. The only thing different about him that she had seen was his tail. She wasn't sure if he knew she had seen it. It definitely seemed like he was trying to hide it. Why? Sure, it was a little strange, but not completely unheard of. Maybe it had something to do with where he came from... She wondered if he had a family before this. It wasn't unlikely. He wasn't bad looking and protective of who he cared about. She blushed slightly, shaking her head.
Maybe it was something she had done. Nothing stood out in her mind. She had gone through her memories time and again, searching for the moment when Bardock changed, but couldn't narrow it down any more than the week after the tournament. It was driving her crazy. She had tried talking to him about it, but he just ignored her. That hurt more than she was willing to admit. She huffed, flinging the radar against the wall in frustration.
"Shit..." She sighed, taking a deep breath and running her hands through her hair. "I hope I didn't just undo all my hard work."
She stood and walked over, picking up the device and turning it over in her hands. There was hardly a scratch on it. She sighed in relief, looking back to the window. She pondered for a moment, slipping the radar into her pocket and making her way outside. The red light was blinking on the door of the gravity chamber, signaling it was in use. She hesitated slightly before rapping her knuckles three times on the door.
"Bardock! Someone is gathering the dragon balls." She called out.
"Why should I care?" Came the callous reply.
She frowned.
"Because we have no idea if their intentions are good! It could be Pilaf again!"
"That little imp? Yeah right. I scared him pretty good last time, I don't think he'll be showing up any time soon. Besides, I can stop him easily."
"And what if it's someone else?" She argued.
"Then I'll stop them, too. Now go away. I'm busy."
She was silent for several moments.
"Bardock, I'm... Did I do something? Say something? Why are you acting like this?"
"I told you, I don't want to talk about it."
"Well tough shit! If you don't talk then I'm kicking you out of my house!" She shouted.
There was only faint whirring for a full minute, before she heard the pressing of buttons and the light changed from red to green. The door slid open a moment later, revealing Bardock in just a pair of exercise shorts, his tail flicking around irritably behind him. He crossed his arms, giving her a cold stare. She swallowed, feeling afraid of him for the first time in a while.
"Please... I just want to understand." She practically whispered.
He held her gaze for what felt like an eternity, but in reality was only a minute or two. He looked away and sighed.
"If it will get you to stop pestering me then fine. Sit down." He gestured to the bench inside the chamber.
"Uh... you're not going to turn up the gravity while I'm in there, right?" She chuckled nervously.
"Of course not. But I'm going to keep working while I talk." He turned on his heel and went back into the chamber, dead-lifting 500 pounds like it was a stack of paper.
She simply nodded, trying not to stare as she carefully made her way inside and sat on the bench with her hands clasped in her lap. He didn't look at her, so she figured she should just start talking.
"Tell me about your life before you came here." She started.
He grunted and let the weights crash to the floor, looking over at her. She barely managed not to look away from his intense gaze.
"Saiyans are... were... a bloodthirsty race, born and bred to fight and kill and conquer. But a tyrant enslaved us, passing it off as a favor. We got armor and space ships that allowed us to travel to other planets and destroy whatever lived there. All for Frieza's glorious empire." He scowled.
"I had a wife... and a son. Gine and Raditz. They were pretty much the only ones I cared about. Well, except maybe my team. Tora was the closest thing I ever had to a friend... Anyway, we were attacking a planet of apparent psychics and wiped them out pretty easily. But one survived our assault and got the jump on us. He knocked me out with a single blow to the back of the neck... He was destroyed not a second later, but ever since then I've had... visions. Of places I haven't been and people I haven't met." He explained.
She tilted her head, curious at this revelation, and oddly feeling disappointed.
"They mostly come in dreams now... Dreams I can't remember. It's all fuzzy and jumbled, like looking through fog. But that doesn't matter... My biggest secret is that I can transform into a monster 50 feet tall, just by looking at the full moon. When saiyans transform into that, they're called an Oozaru." He revealed.
Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.
"A g-giant monster?" She stuttered. "Th-that's impossible! Why haven't I seen it, then?"
"Because I always leave the night of a full moon and go into the mountains so I don't crush anyone." He replied.
She held her head in her hands, trying to process all this information.
"I always knew there was something different about you... But I never would have expected this." She raised her eyes to look at him. "So... your wife and son?"
He gritted his teeth.
"Gone. Along with the rest of my planet."
She took a moment to gather her thoughts.
"Wait, you said you had spaceships. Is it possible any saiyans got off planet before it blew up?" She asked.
He shrugged.
"I guess it's possible. We go out on missions pretty frequently. But last I checked, Gine and Raditz were still there... I couldn't find them in time." He clenched his hands into fists.
"What about the dragon balls? You could wish them back to life!" She suggested.
It almost pained her to say it, but it was true. What kind of person would she be to stop him from wishing his family back?
"No." He said bluntly.
"What? Why?" She asked, obviously confused.
"I'm sure Gine is much happier in the Other World than she ever was on Vegeta. And if our son is gone, then he is most certainly there with her." He replied.
"But... you're not. Have you tried searching for them?" She asked.
He lowered his head.
"No... I'm afraid to face them. I failed them. I can't show my face until I've gotten revenge for their deaths. I have to kill Frieza." He said, determination shining in his eyes.
She paled slightly as something popped into her head.
"Is... is it possible Frieza could come here?" She asked.
"I guess it's possible, but he usually sends out saiyans to do his dirty work. But if he does, I'll be waiting." He grinned slightly.
"But are you strong enough to beat him?" Her voice wavered slightly.
"I don't know. That's why I'm training constantly. Until I'm sure I can beat him. Now, what did you say about the dragon balls?"
She blinked and fished the radar out of her pocket.
"Oh yeah, someone is collecting them... And they have three now." She frowned.
"Well, let's go and pay them a visit shall we?" He offered a hand to her.
She was surprised by his offer, but gently grabbed his hand and he helped her up. Her cheeks reddened slightly and she released his hand.
"Yeah, let me just go and get ready." She said.
He nodded.
"I'll be waiting for you out front."
She smiled at him.
"Bardock... thank you for trusting me."
He studied her for a moment before waving a hand dismissively.
"Whatever, no big deal. I'm gonna eat before we go."
He disappeared down the hall, walking towards the kitchen. She laughed and shook her head, hurrying to her room. She had a lot to prepare for their journey. Although, she felt much better now that Bardock had shared his story with her. It must have been hard for him to go through it, let alone remember it every day. He had a wife and child... She wondered, after Frieza was finally killed, if Bardock would wish them back.
A pang of sadness stuck her heart and she tried to shake it off. It wasn't right for her to think like this, to hope that he would move on and maybe... Just maybe be interested in her. But she could never get between him and the woman he loved. She sniffled, wiping the single tear the streaked down her cheek and got to packing, trying to suppress her feelings.