Whis tapped his staff against the ground after watching Miss Bulma and a few other of her friends leave the party in a ship to chase after Lord Beerus and Goku. He caught the attention of the remaining group, causing them to tense up. "Oh, don't worry about me!" he smiled, and caused a projector to come out of his staff. "I'm just here to bring you guys the show. The others left before I could tell them."

The attendant nodded when Bardock's shoulders lowered. That red head-banded Saiyan had appeared in his orb more times than anyone, and the poor monkey man had no idea how much he really knew about him. "You know, they say stress kills."

"Tch."

"Why didn't you follow your son?" Whis looked around while holding his staff perfectly in place for them all to watch the fight. Bardock, Vegeta, Chi-Chi, Gine, Tarble, Gure, Videl, Buu, and Mr. Satan had all opted to stay. "Or any of you, for that matter? Did you know about my staff?"

"Uh, no, Mr. Alien, sir!" Hercule spoke first, noticing that everyone else was too shy or too nervous to say something. "I can't stand the way Bulma drives. Uh... No offense, Vegeta buddy."

The prince ignored the afro-haired man, keeping a keen eye on the screen as Kakarot and Lord Beerus collided. Whis chuckled softly and smiled at the loud-mouthed human. "Ah, yes. Hercule Satan, the man who saved the world from Cell!"

"Oh my gosh," Videl groaned, but her dad was already flexing his biceps. "No! Don't get him started!"

The white-haired humanoid turned his attention to the daughter next. "Videl Satan, wife of Son Gohan and mother of Pan. You were pretty impressive in that fight against Babidi's minion. Ugh, I always hated that mole. Glad he's in hell."

Videl blinked, not sure what to think while Bardock glared at him through his peripherals once he mentioned Babidi. "Uhm...thanks?"

"How in the hell do you know all this!?" Bardock stepped in front of Videl, blocking her from Beerus' attendant. "Does that stick tell you everything!? Or can you read minds?"

"Actually, my staff does contain any and all information I'll ever need," Whis spoke proudly, but gave Bardock a glare when he called his prized possession a stick. "For example, I know that you were the lone Saiyan that faced Freiza. Embarrassing loss, I know, but at least you were brave right? Or, what about that Super Saiyan transformation you keep hidden from everyone? I haven't even informed Lord Beerus about that one, yet."

"Alright," Bardock whispered harshly, noticing that Vegeta was glaring at him through his peripherals. "You can stop now."

Whis shrugged, nodding politely at Bardock's wife for having to put up with him and the same with Chi-Chi. "Tarble, I think it's very kind of Bardock to have taken you in. I see you Saiyans really love to stick together."

I have no clue as to why. Too much ego in one place.

The younger brother of Vegeta fiddled his hands nervously, not expecting to get noticed by the alien. He was still far too young to remember when Beerus and himself visited Planet Vegeta. "Uh, th-thank you."

Having the sense that they trusted him know, Whis let his staff remain where it was and took a seat on a lawn chair to munch on his sushi. As he chewed, he noticed Prince Vegeta wasn't looking at the screen but rather trying to sense the ki of the gods. That kind of determination would be very interesting to mold as a student, but the poor guy needed to learn how to relax first.

"Chef! More, please!"


A god.

That very title on its own would make one believe he had reached the top tier. The world's strongest warrior was encircled in a raging inferno, one that burned so strong and bright that his even stronger opponent was smirking. The Super Saiyan God's silhouette revealed his muscle mass had decreased, yet this was the most powerful state he had ever been in.

His ruby eyes flickered against the flames, searching the eyes of his enemy. His family and friends were a safe distance away now, after getting over the amazement of the new transformation. The battle field of Bulma's large backyard had grown completely silent, save for the birds chirping madly as they escaped the scene before it was too late.

A wind had arrived among the silence, brushing flowers against a pair of navy boots. Goku drew his fist back, and flew across the ground to the God of Destruction. His flaming aura expanded as his shout grew. Beerus' yellow orbs widened as the Super Saiyan God's fist connected with his hand.

...His hand?

Goku blinked at the purple fingers wrapped around his alabaster knuckles. Through his peripherals, he was silently amazed that the small attack had caused them to be inside a crater.

But if it were a 'small attack', it wouldn't have done that. Yet Beerus had caught it.

Goku gritted his teeth, bringing his attention back to the face of his opponent. He could see the cat-like god was twitching in random places while holding him back, but when he spoke his voice remained as calm as ever.

"So, how does it feel to be a god?"

There was something bothering Goku that he couldn't quite place his finger on at the moment, so instead told him what he was feeling now. "It's incredible..."

Beerus' smirk grew wider, and released the fist he was holding back. The Super Saiyan God brought himself back down on his feet, at an equidistant apart. Beerus knew the look on his face all too well. It was that same burning curiosity and determination he experienced when he finally became the God of Destruction. "But you're still trying to fathom what you can do with it."

The two ascended upwards, away from the gawking eyes of the former party-goers until they were high above West City. Beerus didn't waste any time going in for the kill, and sent quick jabs to Goku's neck with the side of his strong hand. The red-haired god couldn't dodge it, but unlike what happened on the Kai's planet, he was able to withstand the pain. He hadn't realized just how frightening Beerus looked up close, with the sharpness of his teeth looking like they could tear him apart.

Still, the hits and the looks didn't faze him. He could feel the power, begin to understand the power, with each passing second. He was able to block a knee to the face, but was too proud of himself for doing so he hadn't noticed Beerus' head until it collided with his.

The God of Destruction shook his head while following the falling body into the busy city, but nodded in approval when said body quickly whipped around to punch him in the chest. Beerus flicked his wrist out of the way, and held onto it while roundhousing the Saiyan's neck. Goku surprised him by kicking his leg straight out in his abdomen, sending him towards a skyscraper. The graceful fighter moved out of the way before colliding into it, and led the Saiyan out of the city.

"You're finally getting it," Beerus mused, and then cocked his head to the side when he noticed his opponent didn't look too happy. "What's the matter? You seem disappointed."

Goku looked at his still flame-encircled hand, clenching it twice and furrowing his red brows. "Honestly, yeah. I spent my whole life trying to get stronger and stronger, and now... the strength I have comes from something I can't achieve on my own, and it's really...bothering me!"

The anger of this realization caused the Super Saiyan God to connect fists with Beerus once again, causing giant circles in the sky as they collided over and over again. The purple-skinned deity growled, and revealed his teeth while holding onto Goku. "Why'd you agree to it, then?" His foot pressed hard against Goku's chest, causing him to whimper slightly and fly backwards. "If you can't even be happy that you have a little family willing to help you become a god!"

Goku lowered his fists to his sides, and looked Beerus dead in the eyes. "Even if it's not my own strength, I have a chance to beat you."

The deity smirked. "You seem to be addicted to battle."

The Saiyan returned it. "I get that a lo-"

He didn't have a chance to finish. Beerus shook his head at the vulnerability caused by his cockiness, and dug his fist right into Goku's torso. The messy-haired hero spit out blood, and then received a blow to the top of his head from Beerus' clasped hands. The God of Destruction once more had to follow the flaming body deep into a wooded area, and shook his head all the while.

If this Super Saiyan God ever wanted to stand a chance against him, he was going to have to learn to stop being so relaxed. A certain attendant of his reminded him of this centuries ago...


"Oh, where the hell are they going now!?" a pregnant Bulma demanded, pounding her fist against her steering wheel. The fighting gods sent her through West City, a forest, above a cave, into a canyon, and now they had disappeared underground. "Can't they just duke it out in one place!?"

Roshi adjusted his glasses as he looked out the window shield of Capsule Corporations patented flying vehicles. "I can't feel it, but I know there's an outstanding power down in those rocks. If only I could keep up with those crazy guys..." The old man felt a tugging on his shirt sleeve and looked down to see a young girl tilting her head.

"Master Roshi, how come we can't feel their power!? I can sense the ki of everybody expect them! Not even Grandpa now!"

The turtle hermit's eyes widened, and he let out a chuckle. "My gosh! Look at you talking about like one of these bums. Your father must be teaching you well!" the old man wriggled his white brows up at a smiling Gohan, who placed his hand on Pan's shoulder.

"It's a god thing, honey. Only they know each other's power... I think."

"Ohhh!" the girl nodded happily, and like the child she is her attention turned to something else. She pointed to the green man standing on the wing of the vehicle. "Why is Uncle Piccolo doing that?"

"Because he's weird," Bulma answered for her. "Just like Goten, Trunks, Tien, and whoever else is standing on my ship!"

When Pan laughed, the blue-haired woman looked at her adoringly and rubbed her pregnant belly. Thanks to that bastard Beerus, she could have lost little Bulla today. She was extremely lucky to have Vegeta and Dende there.

Vegeta...

She squealed to herself remembering the anger on his face when he came to her protection. She was so caught up in her own moment that Krillin had to snort, and nudge Gohan while he was at it.

"Check her out, huh?" he laughed. "Pregnancy sure does strange things to women."

Yamcha, who had been mostly silent during the whole ordeal, joined in. "To be fair, Bulma's always been a little strange."

"I HEARD THAT!"

Gohan, Krillin, and Pan all laughed at the site of Bulma chasing Yamcha around the large area of the ship. Still, their laughter wasn't enough to block out the sounds of two gods screaming loudly. Gohan gently pushed Krillin out of the way to get a glimpse of it, and clenched his teeth when he noticed Beerus was squeezing Goku's neck tightly. When they passed Bulma's vehicle, they took out the wing that nobody was standing on.

"Those idiots!" Bulma seethed, and rushed to her control panel while the emergency light flashed throughout the entire ship. "We're going to crash!"

While everyone began rushing to Bulma's side, Gohan's worries were on something else. It didn't matter that the ship was crashing, somebody would grab it before anything happened. He was more concerned about his father.

During their passing, his hair was golden instead of red.


"...I don't care about pride. That's Vegeta. He's obsessed with it."

The battle of gods had brought them to a hidden lake underground. Their feet rested gracefully on top of the crystal clear water, and the only light in the dark cave was coming from the Saiyan on fire.

Beerus lowered his head slightly. "Oh, really? Then why did he make a fool of himself with that little song and dance routine?"

Goku smiled, remembering that embarrassing moment from the tree top. "Yeah, and that was really hard for him to swallow. But he did it for the sake of his loved ones, and I respect him for that."

The deity scratched at his neck. "Hm. Just like you gave up your pride to become a Super Saiyan God?"

The hero chuckled and placed his hands on his hips. "I guess you can say that!"

The scratching of the neck had ceased and now the cracking of it began. Beerus' tail swished behind him, occasionally dipping into the cool water. Sure he was having a bit of fun, but there was something bothering immensely. "Well, I can understand. I'm sort of disappointed myself. I'm not even using my full power and you're already losing."

Goku rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled nervously. "Hey, hey, who's losing here!? I'm only going about eighty percent, myself!"

"WHAT!? YOU'VE BEEN HOLDING BACK ON ME!?" Beerus snapped, insulted by what the goofy god had just said. His veins protruded from his forehead as he raised his fist. "LET'S SEE HOW YOU DO AT THIS SPEED!" the deity ran across the water, his teeth out on full display. As he came close to his oppponent, he elbowed him in the face harshly and immediately kicked him in the neck.

The god on fire took a few step backs but retaliated with a punch to the throat. Beerus backflipped his way to return to Goku, and the two became exchanging even blows.

Then suddenly, the cave had lost its light.

Shrugging it off, Goku used instant transmission twice to advert his enemy but missed his attack from behind. Angered that the Saiyan had tricked him, Beerus started blasting madly.

"Oh, come on!" an equally pissed off hero yelled, backing away from all the deadly ki blasts. "You didn't tell me it was going to be that kind of fight!"

Beerus' evil chuckle echoed throughout the dark cave, causing the body of water to tremble. "You fool, you're fighting for your life! This isn't a game!"

For a reason the Saiyan couldn't explain, he managed to get to Beerus without getting hit and punched him hard in the ribs. The sight of spit coming out of his mouth actually relieved Goku but knew he had to back the hell away as soon as possible. More angered than ever, Beerus erupted into a rage of blasts coming from each and every direction.

Wow, I can't believe this power at all... It's so incredible! I was actually able to hit him that hard that it caused some pain.

Goku shook his head, reminding himself that there was a fight going on and he could think about the power later. Due to his own self-distraction, he was finding himself trapped under rocks caused by Beerus to the point that not one inch of his body could move. A familiar rush became flowing through his veins, while his mouth opened widely to release it all.

"I WON'T LET YOU DESTROY MY WORLD!"

The rocks erupted into pieces, and at last the cave was lit again. Beerus snarled at the sight of a yellow aura emerging from the rubble and heading towards the sky, and quickly locked his arms around his neck. The deity himself was glowing a ghastly purple, and used their heads to knock off a part of an annoying ship that was in the way. "Have you not noticed it yet!?"

"Noticed what!?" Goku yelled clearly despite the tightness of the arms around his neck. Beerus released him once they were among the stars, floating way above the clouds of Earth. The Saiyan was too angered by what had happened in the cave to notice they were, in fact, in space. "Noticed how you were blasting me!? If you like blasts so much, here's one for you!"

The Saiyan was rapidly punching the cat-like god in the face while Beerus returned the favor, and the purple deity only grew angrier when one of the punches had hit him directly on the nose. He uppercut Goku's chin, but the Saiyan began performing his instant transmission diversion once more before the second hit. He appeared beneath Beerus, already having a kamehameha wave ready for him.

The cupped hands protruded out from his side and released a deadly blue wave that would have killed anyone except for the God of Destruction. Goku gritted his teeth when he realized that Beerus hadn't even moved out of the way. He let the attack go through him and disappear deep into space, not leaving a scratch on him anywhere.

"I bet you wished that killed me," he snickered, and raised his purple arms in the air. "Now it's my time!"

Not even needing a moment to charge the attack, his Sphere of Destruction began powering its way to the Saiyan who was blocking Earth. "OH NO!" he grunted, and used both hands to grab the burning ball of fire. "If this hits Earth, everyone will die!"

The Sphere of Destruction felt stronger than Beerus himself. Goku began trembling at the might of it, sweating profusely and grunting. It was weighing down on him, dragging him towards his home and already burning him up.

Dammit... I can't let this happen... Not after everything!

"Now have you noticed?" Beerus shouted against Goku's pained gasps.

"NOTICED WHAT!?"

"Your God power ran out back in the cave. Your body learned from the experience, and that was enough to push you to new heights. Your power is much greater and you don't even need the God form anymore. I can't believe it," his tail swished behind him, silently admiring the strong-willed Saiyan below him. How very interesting that such a power-hungry man only fought for good. "You're a true prodigy. I'll let Whis know."

"Well, that doesn't do me any good now!" Goku breathed out, his gi becoming sweat-drenched. Why the hell would Whis care about this, anyway? "This energy blast is too much for me! I can't stop it and my family is down there! You're too strong for me!"

Beerus' eyes flashed red, and he pointed a finger at the sphere. "Then you must accept your planet's fate!" The God of Destruction added fuel to the fire, causing it to expand and engulf Goku in its wild flames. Sweat dripped down his forehead and onto his mouth as his vision became blurred.

No... No...

His body was inside the sphere now, floating near lifelessly. His hands had finally dropped to the side, floating freely. For the first time in his life, he had lost a fight after giving it his absolute all.

I let you all down...

Trapped in a black void, he tried gasping for air that didn't come. His eyes closed tightly, searching for any answer at all.

GOKU!

Chi-Chi...?

His wife, in tears and standing right in between Bardock and Gine, was pleading with her eyes. Their sons were off to the side, all shouting his name. His daughter-in-law and granddaughter, crying. All seven of them, his little family, were all counting on him. Pan had just begun her life, his mother had just been brought back. They didn't deserve this.

They deserve everything this beautiful life has to offer.

The power of a god lived in him.

Goku screamed at the top of his lungs as he felt a surge rush through him, bringing him back to his senses. He was his own fire once more, inside of a weaker one. He spread his arms open widely and absorbed all of Beerus' sphere inside of him until he couldn't feel anymore. The flames had ceased to burn any brighter, and now rested inside him. His bulky shoulders heaved up and down, exhausted and beaten.

The Saiyan only looked up when he saw Beerus' shoes. The deity was staring at him with a giant sweatdrop on his face. "...How did you do that?"

Goku chuckled, but ended up coughing from the pain even that caused. "..I dunno."

"Hm..." he grinned. "You sure are strange."

The Saiyan returned a weak smile. "I guess you're going to kill me now, aren't you?"

Beerus tilted his head to the side, examining the beaten Saiyan up and down. "No. I'm not going to kill you. I just want you to admit your defeat, is all."

Goku shook his head, trying his best to look at Beerus with the same admiration although his eyelids were feeling heavy. "Yeah, yeah... I'm done, man. I gave you my all and you're still way too powerful. I give up. I definitely give up."

The deity shrugged his small shoulders. "Well, don't be too hard on yourself. I've lived longer than you could ever comprehend and you're the second strongest person I've ever fought."

That's a heartbreaker. Goku frowned. "Only the second strongest? Who's the first?"

"My attendant down there whom I'm sure is enjoying his sushi," Beerus gestured to the gorgeous blue and green planet down below, and ignored Goku's loud gasp. "He's stronger than me."

"Whoa..." Goku blinked. "..So, he's the strongest in the universe!?"

"In this universe, yes. There are many other universes besides this one, the seventh. Each of them spawn warriors stronger than you could ever-" Before he could finish, the big lug across from him had fainted and was heading back down to his home. Beerus shook his head, and grabbed Goku's arm to assist him on the way down. He led them back to Capsule Corporations where the fallen ship had been captured by Vegeta, who was currently shrugging off his wife's 'thank-you' hug with a red face. Beerus smirked and dropped his beaten opponent down by his father's feet.

Bardock stared uneasily at Beerus for a moment, clearly seeing he was the winner, before kneeling down to his son. "Hey, Kakarot. We watched the whole thing on Whis' staff...thing. I'm proud of you, kid. Dende will heal you right up."

"Wait a minute," Beerus cleared his throat, immediately bringing back the silence to those who were formerly celebrating their sorta-safe return of their hero. "Before the celebration begins, I need to destroy Earth."

"Aw, come on, man!" Goku wheezed out, trying to look at Beerus desperately behind the towel Chi-Chi was dabbing him with. "After what you said!?"

The God of Destruction raised his fist angrily in the air. "I said from the very beginning I was going to destroy Earth and that's exactly what I'm going to do." He opened his raised palm and pointed it squarely at Goku, who opened his arms wide and tried to hold all the family members he possible could from the ground. Trunks and Bulma were squeezing onto Vegeta tightly, with the pregnant wife crying into his arms. Pan was holding the hands of Hercule and Piccolo, not sure what was going on but knew it was serious when the Namek held her hand in public.

"There. You can open your eyes now."

When they did, they blinked at the sight of a crumbled rock falling from Beerus' hands onto the grass below. For good measure, he kicked in the direction of Whis who turned his nose up at him.

"Well, well. It looks like you destroyed Earth," Whis turned his back to his lord, who was putting his hand on his shoulder for transportation. "Oh, Miss Bulma? I'm sorry we ruined your party. The food was absolutely delectable!"

Bulma fumed, prepared to snap at the two but decided to let it all go. There was something else she had in mind that would benefit the both of them. She got up on her tippy toes and began whispering into Whis' ear, causing Vegeta to groan and Bardock to curse. "How about you come back from time to time for some of that delectable food and in return protect me from crazy guys like Beerus?"

Whis glanced over his shoulder to see the cat nearly falling asleep and nodded delightfully. "You got yourself a deal. Also, I would appreciate it if you had Bardock take better care of Lucy? Beerus needs a friend."

"SHUT UP!" Beerus removed his hand from Whis' shoulder once a realization kicked in. The Z fighters tensed up, hoping he hadn't changed his mind about Earth to abruptly. He pointed a clawed finger at a sweater-wearing hybrid. "...Gohan, isn't it?"

The young father sweatdropped, holding his daughter's hand tightly. "Y-Yes, Lord Beerus."

The deity shrugged and raised his hand in the air. Bits and pieces of Earth, including a full grown tree, came together in the sky. Pan shrieked watching it all circle around viciously at the movement of Beerus' wrist.

"Papa, is he going to throw that at you!?"

"I DON'T KNOW PAN!" Gohan screamed out, and earned a punch on his arm from his grandfather. "Ow... What the heck, Gramps? I have every right to be a little freaked out. There's a tree swirling in the air and the God of Destruction said my name!"

"I thought you were smart, kid," Bardock looked away from his grandson and smirked up at the soon-to-be creation in the sky. "Don't you see what he's doing for your little whiny ass?"

Gohan studied his grandfather's profile for a moment before returning his attention to Beerus. The tornado in the sky had ceased to exist, and in its place was his very own Z Sword being levitated towards him. He pointed at it with a trembling finger, trying to keep his cool and not embarrass himself in front of the god. "Oh... Wow...Is that for me?"

Beerus shrugged once more. "I recall you asked me for one back on that wretched planet. I don't really like giving, but this was the most enjoyment I've had in a million years. Too bad there's no Kai to stick in it, but just give me the word and I'll find one."

Gohan laughed nervously, and gripped the handle. His eyes nearly bulged out of his head when he felt himself back-bending from the weight of it. "T-Thanks, Lord Beerus!" he wheezed. How in the hell it could weigh this much, he had no idea.

It must have some godly powers inside of it.

After everyone had helped Bulma clean up the mess (and gotten Gohan's back straight again), the Son family said their goodbyes to the Briefs and actually had a nice flight home, with Chi-Chi resting in Goku's arms.

"I think this is a perfect way to end such a crazy day, don't cha think!?" the mother and new grandmother smiled to herself. "It reminds me of that time Bardock flew me into the city. I think I much prefer my husband's arms."

"Your husband nearly died today and now he has to carry extra weight, that's kinda fucked up don't cha think?"

"Gine, remind me to beat him with my broom when we get home."

"Deal."

Remembering what Gohan had asked of him before they departed, Goku held Chi-Chi close and gave her one of those kiss things on the forehead. She gasped loudly in surprise, letting the sneaky hero know his plan was working perfectly. "Say, hon...? Do you think since Gohan's students are out for the summer we could go try out his new sword on another... planet? Before you say no I'll come back every night! I swear!"

Goten snickered under his breath. "Aw, Dad, you beg more than I do."

Chi-Chi frowned, searching the eyes of her husband. "Do you really mean that?"

"Yeah," Bardock growled, causing his son to gulp. "Do you?"

I can't believe this! I almost died today and they give me the third degree! "Cheech, you were the first person I thought of when I was in a raging ball of fire. Doesn't that say something?"

When Bardock saw his daughter-in-law's eyes light up, he rolled his eyes. The fool was already kissing him face all over while he was confused by the action, but knew it meant things would go his way. "Unbelievable..."

Bardock!

"Dende?"

"Oh, Grandpa's talking to Dende everyone!" Goten announced, and gave him a thumbs up. "Don't worry, Grandpa! I won't let anyone believe you're crazy!"

I was having a talk with a few people today and you have an important...mission slash training session thing. Can you meet me here at the lookout in a week?

"Does it involve math or reading?"

Nope, just your brawn and no brain!

"Oh Bardock, that's just perfect for you!" Gine pipped up, nearly causing Bardock to drop her, while Goku howled loudly.

"I didn't know they all could hear you, Dende!" Bardock looked at Goten, who shrugged innocently. "Yeah, I'll come meet you in a week. If you lied to met, I'll rip your little green antenna off."

I wouldn't believe anything less, Bardock.


Vegeta, with a towel wrapped around his neck after an intense day of training, walked through the long hall between his gravity room and the kitchen. It had been a week since Lord Beerus left. A week of more intense training. A week of no sleep. A week of nightmares.

How long was he going to be in the shadow of that clown?

He was intent on finding the key to being a Super Saiyan God without the use of others, one that would beat Kakarot's transformation. One that would actually beat Beerus.

The prince pounded his fist against the counter top noticing that Bulma didn't leave him anything to eat once again. "That damn woman and her stomach are eating everything in the house and leaving me to starve!" He rubbed his temple in frustration, realizing that he was talking to himself again. He just need something to go right, something to get him ahead of Kakarot...

"OH, BULMA! I can't believe this! They actually make this here all the time!?"

That voice...

Vegeta ripped the blinds from the window blatantly, and stared in disbelief at the sight of his wife and Whis enjoying a meal outdoors. "What in the hell...is this?" Not the one to make a common entrance, Vegeta busted the window open and jumped out, scaring Bulma. Her pregnant belly almost knocked over the table as she stood up, causing Whis to freak out when his rice plate slid.

"HEY! I gave you an entire gravity room for you to destroy!"

Ignoring her, Vegeta stood in front of Beerus' attendant and narrowed his eyes. "Alright, I've had enough of this. Tell me exactly who the hell you are, attendant! You've been outside my house this entire time and I never sensed your ki."

"Vegeta!"

"No, no, it's alright. He already ruined lunch," Whis dabbed his lips with a napkin and neatly folded it back. His piercing eyes settled on the prince, who suddenly tensed up. "You refer to me as Lord Beerus' attendant, and that's true. But that's not all that I am."

"Oh, really?" Vegeta replied sarcastically, arching a brow. "What else are you? A fortune teller?"

"I'm his teacher."


"What the hell am I looking at here?"

Dende cleared his throat nervously, trying to say the words that he rehearsed over and over. He nudged Mr. PoPo to help him out, and the genie nodded quickly. "Well, you see Mr. Bardock, your son Goku used this room when he was a little boy training with me."

"Wait a minute," Bardock squinted at the dark-skinned being trembling beside him. "You trained Kakarot? Damn, how many teachers has this kid had?"

Mr. PoPo chuckled nervously and continued. "It's called The Pendulum Room. It allows your mind to travel to any place at any point in time. You can interact with the people you find there, some you even know. You will feel pain, but it is impossible to die. It doesn't alter history, either. It's quite a remarkable training system."

Bardock's eyes searched the room slowly, looking at the pendulum swinging back and forth in the dark room over a ring. He bit his lower lip, wondering just what kind of fighters he'd meet. Still, it seemed strange to just spring this on him. "Alright, I don't want any bullshit. Why are you telling me about this?"

PoPo nudged Dende forward this time, and the softspoken guardian cleared his throat. "Well, Roshi was telling me at Bulma's party last week that you've been looking for a kung fu master by the name of Jackie Chun. He was a fighter of the past, though, and the only way to get to him is well... going into the past! But you also have another purpose, one that I can't tell you what it is or who wants you to find it until it happens."

Bardock crossed his arms over his chest and tapped his fingers against his bicep. Sure, the last part was strange but Roshi's training hadn't failed him yet. There was a very strong possibility that he could end back up at Planet Vegeta, and just for the fun of it try and kill Frieza. He hadn't realize he was smiling creepily at this thought until Dende cleared his throat.

"So..."

"So, what!?"

"Are you in?"

Bardock ran a hand through his messy black hair. "What about my family? How long will I be gone?"

Dende shrugged innocently. "I honestly can't tell you. The hours pass by like it does here. I could always bring you back whenever you want to leave. I'll be watching you the whole time, so just give me a holler."

"..Fair enough," the scarred warrior nodded. "Alright, fine. Whatever is going to help my ascension come faster. So... what? Do I just step on that ring thingy?"

"You got it, buddy!" Dende gave him a thumbs up. He had spent an entire week preparing the pendulum so it would sent him back to exactly where Roshi wanted him to go, and then where his secret mission was. "You're leaving now, Bardock! Remember, I'll be watching you!"

Bardock closed his eyes, suddenly feeling dizzy from head to toe. He could feel himself falling through a large tunnel, but was too nauseous to open his eyes. He could hear the damn ticking of the clock ringing throughout his ears until it was replaced by birds chirping, followed by a large clunk to the ground once his body interacted with it.

"Fuck..."

"Go... Ku?"

The groaning Saiyan opened his eyes slowly to look at who the voice belonged to, but all he could make out against the brightness of the sun was a pink helmet with a blade protruding from the top.


A/N: I went back and changed a couple of things in this story thanks to helpful reviewers! Bardock hasn't achieved Super Saiyan 2, I feel like that was so rushed and really shouldn't have been. I'm working on where he stands power-wise. Sorry for the long wait, but I hope someone out there is still reading! The next chapters will come rolling in now since I got through my least favorite part.

There will be more Super Saiyan Gods, by the way! I'm just going to work up to that part since this story is over after the Resurrection F arc finishes! So please don't be too upset! There's soo much to come.

Trunks and Goten will have something going on, and so will Roshi, Tien, Krillin, and Piccolo of course! I'll expand on that and what has happened here next chapter.

Thanks so much! :-)