Chapter 10: Origins
Vegetto stood motionless with his arms crossed, his eyes turning upwards. Standing with Whis, the pair traveled through the open vastness of space with the stars shooting above and beneath the small green ball housing them. Whis glanced down, however, once the green ball came to a sudden halt in its travel. Beneath their feet, a similar planet designed like Earth floated in place. Vegetto's eyes narrowed, studying the world and the clouds slowly floating around the orb while he spoke.
"You couldn't have just put us here in the first place?"
Whis stifled a small chuckle.
"Forgive me, I had forgotten where exactly the planet was located. I might have mixed up a couple of memories here and there."
Vegetto grunted in response, his eyes still on the planet.
"I thought you said you knew the full history of these two."
Whis nodded once.
"In the time you spent nearly tearing apart your own family, I did manage to piece together the parts of history you have yet to see on them both but I can't be expected to full memorize small details such as the planet's location. In any case, welcome to the world known as Kryndyn. This is where their rather...long story begins."
Vegetto kept narrowed eyes, ignoring the pointed jab in Whis' response.
"I've never heard of this world. The Saiyans never sent pods to this sector of the galaxy, it's too far away from Planet Vegeta."
Whis turned his head to Vegetto.
"That's because these two were not apart of the Saiyan program Vegeta's father implemented towards the waning years of his rule under Frieza. Their story starts a few years before the Saiyans began the siege for what eventually became Planet Vegeta. The father, whose name escapes me at the moment, was killed in a grudge match against a stronger warrior, and the mother did not wish to join with that warrior. Branded a traitor and a coward, she escaped to this world of Kryndyn while pregnant with Kassava and Genn to live a peaceful life."
Vegetto frowned.
"I take it this didn't end well for her."
Whis bowed his head slightly, his expression flat.
"No."
Vegetto sighed as the green ball slowly descended down towards the planet, soon entering into the atmosphere. The fusion twitched slightly at the breeze hitting his arms, caught off guard by the energy allowing the planet's summer atmosphere to flow through. Landing in between a pair of skyscrapers in the middle of an open plaza, the two stood side by side amidst the busy crowds of pedestrians hustling to and from their destinations.
"We're currently in the year 752, around a decade before Vegeta landed on Earth. The pair you're interested in are currently in their teens, twelve and fifteen respectively. However, today, their lives separated when their mother was killed."
Vegetto raised an eyebrow.
"By who?"
Whis gestured towards the east with his head, nodding to a group of male warriors walking together. Clad in the signature battle armor of the Saiyans, the warriors walked side by side until coming to a halt in front of a nearby food stand. The apparent leader of the group smirked devishly, crossing his arms and leaning on the side of the stand with his eyes firmly locked on the shorter woman with long black hair studying the food, who let out a small gasp once she noticed the four new arrivals.
"You're a hard woman to find, Turmera."
The woman addressed as Turmera took a step back instinctively, quickly turning to the smaller teenage boy standing next to her. She lightly pushed him back, her wide eyes still locked on the man.
"Genn...go get your sister."
The younger Genn blinked, stumbling a bit from the pat.
"Huh? Why?"
The woman narrowed her eyes, turning her head to the boy.
"Just go get her and run honey. Mommy will be alright on her own."
The man chuckled darkly.
"We don't care for your children Turmera."
Turmera only glared at the man despite the reassurance.
"You always clung to the old ways, Suan. How do I know you won't kill them, like tradition demands?"
Suan shook his head.
"Haven't you heard the news? The Saiyans are no more, Turmera; Planet Vegeta was destroyed by Frieza sometime ago. No one is hunting you anymore."
Turmera twitched uneasily, watching Suan push off the wall he leaned on and slowly approach her in taking two small steps forward.
"My squad managed to survive the destruction, as I've spent the last decade wandering this universe in hopes of finding you. And here at last, seeing you've aged so gracefully, I feel a great deal of mercy for the last survivors of our race. So I've come to make a deal with you: I'll spare your children, who should've died with that weakling of a father I killed all those years ago..."
Turmera twitched slightly at the mention of the death, angrily watching Suan approach and lightly caress her right cheek with his hand.
"But only if you finally become the loyal pet that I deserve."
Turmera rapidly slapped Suan's hand away, the man chuckling at her agitated tone.
"Get away from me! It was a no back then and it's still a no now!"
Suan shook his head once.
"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, your defiance has always been your most appealing trait. But now, with no where to run or hide, it's time I finally broke you."
Turmera blinked, yelping at the sudden hand launching at her throat and slinging her rapidly down face first onto the food stand. She quickly turned her head to the younger Genn, her voice breaking in her shouts.
"Run Genn! Run!"
The sudden outburst generated the attention of passerbys, a small crowd beginning to form. A few uniformed men quickly ran past Vegetto and Whis, drawing weapons and pointing them at the group.
"Cambrone Police! Let the woman go now!"
Suan kept his smirk, nodding to the three warriors all tensing at the sight of the police.
"Alright boys, you know what to do. Make sure the cameramen can film you in action, so they know their planet is now ours."
His attention turned back slowly to the pinned Turmera on the stand, his grin rising.
"Do try to struggle more; this won't be as fun if you don't plan on screaming."
The Saiyan warriors bolted forward at the policemen, the weapons discharging energy shots in the first few seconds until the entire scene before them froze suddenly. Vegetto narrowed his eyes, turning towards Whis.
"Did you freeze the play back?"
Whis nodded curtly.
"There's no need to see more. This Saiyan, Suan, and his warriors murdered the entire marketplace while their mother ended up dying during the apparent...well...I'm sure you're aware of what happened. The Saiyans had progressed far past most of their barbaric tendencies, but until King Vegeta implemented strict laws on the new Planet Vegeta, there were certain customs towards mating that were...problematic."
Vegetto frowned.
"I'm well aware of the conqueror mentality, Whis. Vegeta was often taught at an early age to take what he wanted, and I can see how it played a role here."
Whis nodded.
"One of your more barbaric customs involved warriors who fought among themselves, in combat that led to one's death. The female would then be at the mercy of the winner, and it was customary for that winner to slaughter the offspring of the loser to prevent weakness from staining the Saiyan bloodline. As for the female, some Saiyans found wives through this practice. While others simply killed the female as well."
His head turned slightly towards Suan.
"Then you have Saiyans such as Suan, who would seek to satisfy their primal desires before killing the female. Their mother died during the whole ordeal, and Suan's outfit soon took over the planet to establish the first Empire."
Vegetto's eyes turned to the frozen image of the younger Genn, his tone darkening.
"And what of Genn? Did he join them?"
Whis nodded, the entire scene before them suddenly turning black.
"Yes, although Suan never trained him as a fighter. He kept their heritage a secret from him just as Turmera did, and often times, wanted to kill Genn for his weakness."
Vegetto narrowed his eyes into slits, turning back to Whis.
"But why? He watched them kill his own mother right in front of him. Why wouldn't he try and fight them?"
Whis turned his gaze towards the boy.
"Just look at him, how scared he is. Up until now, he had lived a quiet normal life and knew nothing about the Saiyans or where he came from. Then suddenly, one hour he's out helping his mother shop for supplies for the week and the next, she's dead. Most importantly, however, is seeing her in that compromising position firsthand. All of her attempts to teach him about hope, love, and goodwill: undone. Today was the day he witnessed those barbaric and evil tendencies win out above it all, and being an impressionable child with his world torn apart in front of him, it was easy for Suan to mold him in the mentality of a conqueror. Teaching him that power was the way to live, to take what he wanted and morality was a means to weaken him.
Vegetto sighed, turning his gaze away.
"So what happened to them after all this?"
Whis kept a flat tone.
"There's not much worth repeating at this point in Genn's story; he eventually grows up to take over the empire Suan builds here on Kryndyn by tactical power plays instead of defeating him in open combat. So, we turn our attention to Kassava, who was not present for this whole ordeal."
Vegetto blinked, watching the black dissipate into a rainy city line. The pair now stood on a nearly empty sidewalk, the grey clouds still bright from the sunlight hitting them from behind but covering the entire sky to create the gloomy atmosphere. The lettering of the sign above the smaller tower the two stood in front of was alien to Vegetto, who studied the lettering for a moment before giving up on attempting to decipher it. His eyes then turned to the nearby door opening, a young human looking woman emerging out into the street clad in only a navy blue sports bra and matching leggings for her outfit. She cringed slightly, her left hand shooting up and scratching the side of her longer black hair while she wrapped a small white towel around the back of her exposed neck. Vegetto stepped slightly to the side as she passed by him and Whis without a word, the fusion recognizing her face as a younger Kassava.
"After the murder, she ended up suffering the most for what happened. In her critical years of development, she lost her entire family without so much as a warning. Forced into an orphan home, she put the usual amenities of schooling aside to provide for herself. At around twenty five years old, she has learned to put the past behind her and focus solely on living in the present."
Vegetto rubbed his chin.
"That would explain why she's so apathetic to everything. She doesn't hate anyone or seek revenge?"
Whis shook his head.
"No, after spending the first few years in pain from the death of her mother and disappearance of her brother, she learned to focus on the attachment as the source of her suffering. Worrying about the future, stress about oncoming problems of being a single woman with no one in her life to call family, she soon discovered the best method of stopping the pain was to no longer care about them. Developing that habit you saw first hand in that sparring match with her."
The younger Kassava stopped a few feet away from the two, prompting both to turn and face towards her. She blinked, her eyes locked on a window sign and cocking an eyebrow.
"Learn martial arts from a different world? A whole year of classes for only three hundred suans? Huh...well this should be fun!"
Breaking out into a big grin, Kassava disappeared inside of the building as she entered, Whis turning back to Vegetto with a small smile.
"However, she inherently developed an interest in combat and pushing her physical capabilities, often spending hours at the gym before stumbling upon this martial arts studio. A rather interesting trait that flourished under her quick ability to disconnect from a situation too much for her to handle."
Vegetto frowned in response.
"How? She should've given up the second she faced a challenge too big for her."
Whis chuckled, turning his head forward.
"That is where your problem comes from: up until fighting against you, she naturally excelled in every class she studied and defeated every opponent she fought against without much effort. Her teacher from this small little academy was a staunch opponent to the planetary empire that now serves under an adult Genn, and introduced her to the notion of fighting that empire. Opposed to it at first, she was eventually convinced when that master offered to train her in the usage of ki if she would fight the battles he chose for her."
Vegetto's eyes turned back to the building, the rain having froze in place.
"This master...teaching foreign martial arts to this world and also knowing about ki. Was he from Earth?"
Whis mused quietly to himself, nodding in response.
"Yes, he was. Tell me, do you remember Goku's childhood memories?"
Vegetto stared back at Whis uneasily, his tone reflecting his skepticism.
"Yes...why?"
Whis' smile rose.
"Do you remember the promise Goku made to a certain rabbit after sending him to the moon?"
Vegetto raised an eyebrow.
"The Carrot Master?"
Whis nodded once.
"I'm sure you have completely forgotten about the details, but Goku promised to return that gangster back to Earth if he and his gang made treats for the world's children for an entire year. Of course, the rabbit had other plans, using the time his minions were allowed on Earth in delivering treats to follow Goku throughout his remaining adventures. Before it's destruction, his followers managed to steal a few scrolls from local stores on combat such as jujitsu and kendo after witnessing Goku training under Master Roshi. He decided to learn martial arts as well, in order to match Goku upon his return to Earth. However, Master Roshi destroyed the moon before he returned, killing his followers and sending him into the depths of space with only those scrolls to preoccupy his mind."
Vegetto let out a small scoff in amusement, shaking his head.
"So I take it he eventually entered this planet's atmosphere?"
Whis nodded.
"Precisely. He initially attempted to take over a small city, but was defeated by Genn's Saiyan forces fairly quickly in their usage of ki to strike him from range. He then moved to this capital city of Cambrone, opening up his martial arts studio in secret and training Kassava to fight against Genn's empire."
Vegetto cocked his right eyebrow.
"But why? Why did he want to fight against Genn's empire?"
Whis smiled.
"Kryndyn has a strict law forbidding the distribution and consumption of carrots across the planet. The Carrot Master sought to change that."
Vegetto blinked, deadpanning.
"...you can't be serious."
Whis nodded once.
"Why would I joke about history such as this? Is there something wrong with a planetary war for the right to consume and grow carrots freely?"
Vegetto sighed, bowing his head slightly and keeping his arms tightly crossed.
"I suppose not, considering you attend to a god that has destroyed planets for far less."
Whis stifled a small chuckle in response.
"I suppose that is a very true point. Anyway, back to the history, Kassava would eventually go on to destroy most of Genn's forces in key points that eventually led to the population seeing his weakness and organizing an army to fight against him. Backed into a corner, his poor decisions for countering Kassava led to his own commanders losing confidence in his ability to lead the empire."
The scene before them rapidly shifted to the top of a skyscraper, Vegetto glancing up at the changed scenary. The sun shined down on the platform, the time of day apparently being noon. His eyes soon found Genn panting heavily, on his backside and propping himself up with both arms while Kassava loomed over him a few feet away with clenched fists at her sides. Frozen in their stances shortly afterwards, Whis continued.
"After that night you witnessed, Genn attempted to attack Kassava directly, failing and retreating to his headquarters. Staging a coup, those commanders almost killed him upon his return, but were dispatched by Kassava, who had followed Genn in a bid to end the war once and for all. This is the point in history where the empire running the planet has been decimated of all its leadership, Genn being the last target on her list."
Vegetto turned his eys back to Kassava and Genn, the scene unfreezing with Genn spitting on the ground to his left before speaking.
"Stop looking at me like that. We both know how this has to end...just hurry up and do it already. You won't get any apologies out of me, no weeping for what might have been. I did what I did because no matter how hard you struggle against it, these people are meant to suffer. You can spend your life fighting to make this world a better place...but in the end, you can never remove the evil that is born into the hearts of all. And that is why you can never destroy what I truly am; someone even stronger will just rise up and take my place. Fight all you want...but you will always lose in the end."
Kassava rolled her eyes with a small groan.
"Can you just shut up for five minutes? I don't want to kill you Genn."
Genn scoffed.
"Then you're as stupid as I thought. You keep sparing me, and every time you do, someone dies. All you're doing is giving me another chance to kill you; you and I both know it's far too late for me."
Kassava grunted.
"Why?! All you have to do is just give up this life of crime and do good for these people. What's so hard about that?"
Genn narrowed his eyes.
"Didn't you just hear what I said? It's what we are meant for, I like seeing people hurt. I like seeing everyone suffer. It's what I am, and I won't pretend to be something else."
Kassava placed her hands on her hips, having unclenched her fists.
"Yeah, and how is that working out for you again? All of your trusted leaders tried to kill you, you have no friends, no empire, nothing left in this world. You talk so big about enjoying what you do, but after everything that's happened, I'm willing to bet you're not as happy with yourself as you think you are."
Genn's glare remained strong, watching on as Kassava shrugged her own shoulders and her voice weaken.
"And here I am on the other side, miserable in fighting for what's right and having nothing either even after giving these people hope again. No friends, a master that doesn't even care if I live or die, and no family. Now, when I finally figure out that my long lost brother is still alive and I have a chance to have something more than myself to rely on, I find out he's just some arrogant little punk that has some twisted view on the world."
Genn's expression softened slightly, Kassava angrily swinging her fist down.
"Your way got you nothing, my way got me nothing, we both have nothing Genn! Right or wrong, good and evil, why does any of that matter to you when all it's gotten you in life is misery and failure?! Why can't you just give something else a chance besides this evil crap and try being my brother?!"
Genn chuckled darkly.
"This again? What, you really like getting stabbed in the back so much that you want to go for a fourth time? I guess you really do like it from behind."
Kassava nearly snarled, Vegetto's eyebrows instinctively narrowing into a glare at the retort.
"And how many times has that actually worked, huh? You keep trying to kill or rape me, but it never works. Why can't you just give up this little charade and give me a chance?!"
Genn frowned.
"I already told you, I'll never pretend to be something I'm not."
Kassava scoffed.
"Right, because you've never done that before. Pretending to be something that you're not got you into bedrooms and hero worshipers, even if you ended up killing them shortly after earning their trust. You already know how this 'true' lifestyle of yours ends; why don't you actually try believing in the lie you put on for everyone else at times and see what happens?!"
Genn glanced down in response, Kassava having extended out her hand towards him before both froze again. Vegetto turned his eyes back to Whis, his tone flat.
"Did Genn take her offer?"
Whis nodded once.
"Eventually, he did. This was her fourth attempt to get him to give up his life of crime, where she almost made it work now that his empire was in shambles. But Genn was persistent, and absolutely hated her enough to the point where the only reason he actually gave into her request was because he was tired of having her stop him at each turn to rebuild his empire. So he started off, hiding his face with a mask, and performing small acts of heroism. It ate away at his heart, seeing people happily expressing gratitude for saving them, enough to the point where he was about to commit another massacre in the city when Kassava wasn't watching over him."
Vegetto glanced forward, the scene having shifted once more. Back in the same marketplace from the start, his head turned up at to the sight of a stone statue now standing up in the center of the plaza. Simple robes clad the man as the focus of the statue itself, his face covered by a simple balaclava mask, and stood in a heroic posture with his fist raised to the sky. At the base, the subject of the statue was visible, his head turned up to the sight.
Whis began to stride forward, nodding to the masked man standing with a melancholy expression on the only visible portion of his face.
"Eventually, the new planetary government created a stone statue in the center of the market plaza in honor of Genn's little hero identity: the Masked Savior. Regarded as the most proficient hero that saved the world from the Saiyan empire, Genn was given credit of stopping his former organization by Kassava, who decided to retreat from public image. Normally, Genn hated to experience these acts of gratitude."
Whis turned his stare back to the statue.
"Yet, with a monument being erected in his honor, the benefits of being a hero finally broke past the wall of hate Genn had created in disdain for the innocent. For the first time in his life, he felt proud of himself for the work he had done in helping others, finding warmth in the affection the population showed to him in their appreciation. Along with the shame of the atrocities he committed in his past, leaving him conflicted as you see now."
Vegetto frowned, glancing down slightly.
"So he was telling the truth after all."
Whis nodded, still tightly clutching onto his staff.
"He slowly committed to being a better person, wanting to make that difference in the universe that would atone for his past sins and be the brother Kassava desperately searched for in him. They discovered your recruitment for the Time Patrol a few years after, but I can not pull history up on those events as they are not apart of the Scroll. You know the rest from here on out."
The black void surrounding soon dissipated into the interior of the Time Vault, the pair having fully exited the Scroll. Whis smiled warmly down at Vegetto, who stared at the table with a frown.
"Now that you know a little more about who these two really are, what do you think of them?"
Vegetto closed his eyes, letting out a deep sigh.
"I...I'm not sure. This is a lot to take in at once, Whis."
Whis nodded once.
"I'm sure it is. But now you should be able to figure out how to handle the training with Kassava, along with Genn's questionable motivations."
He then strode forward past Vegetto, heading towards the exit.
"While you mull over these new revelations, I must attend to Lord Beerus for the time being. I shall return, should Zamasu show up and present a problem with history, but I leave the handling of your Patrol in capable hands. Good luck!"
Vegetto turned his head slightly, watching Whis depart to leave him alone to his thoughts inside the Time Vault.
