Unexpected Fate: Version 2.0
Chapter 36-Undesired Circumstances
The remaining days went by in a blur and soon, it was the night before the tournament. Bardock slipped the fighting clothes his daughter-in-law made on the back of the chair and looked in the mirror at his reflection. He had come a long way since he had started training again and admired his muscular body in the mirror. The warrior was currently wearing nothing but a pair of black sweatpants and had a towel draped on his neck. His bare chest glistened with the soft light from the lamp.
'Had I lived on Vegeta-sei, I wouldn't have seen this same strength…' Bardock mused. Concentrating, he transformed as his golden hair wavered in the air and his body became more defined. The towel that had been draped on his shoulders fluttered to the ground. He did not mind it in the slightest—instead, he was silently approving the power he had gained over the past few months. The fact that he stood there in his transcended state spoke volumes and he took a very good look at his body before releasing the form. 'I have a feeling tomorrow that this tournament's going to be a trial run for me since Kakarrot's death…'
The thought saddened him slightly, but he had come to accept his son's death albeit it being hard to grasp after seven years.
The sunlight was shining brightly and Bardock found himself looking around the area with the others who he traveled to the tournament with. People from all over seemed excited about the tournament and he wondered if he was going to have to fight all of the humans that have come for the occasion. The idea seemed ridiculous though since there were many who were not in any appropriate fighting attire or seem physically fit. He figured that they might be hiding it somewhere unless they were merely spectators of the competition.
'I wonder who our opponents are going to be…' Bardock stretched his senses around, but realized that any decent challengers were few and far in between compared to those he was surrounded by. He was hoping to face off against someone besides the friends that his son had, knowing that they were weaker and could hurt them critically if he unleashed a fraction of his power.
"I wonder when he's going to show up," Krillin wondered out loud. This jarred the cursed warrior from his own musings.
"You know dad, he shows up whenever he wants," Gohan smiled at the thought.
"We should go ahead and see if he's going to meet us somewhere else," Bulma suggested. Everyone began to move when Bardock suddenly felt a familiar energy materialize right behind him. There, standing almost as though he were once more alive, was his youngest son and some strange midget-like woman on some odd ball that he never seen in his life. She wore a pointed black hat, a matching robe and pink hair, which he found quite odd on such an old-looking woman.
'Kakarrot…' Bardock thought to himself.
"Hey there," Goku cheerfully smiled. "Why is everyone standing there?" At once, Bardock saw Krillin, Gohan and Yamcha crowd around the Earth-raised Saiya-jin. He didn't move and neither did Goten—the child ended up stayed back behind his mother's legs. Bardock couldn't blame the child being afraid of a man he never met before and only heard stories about.
"I missed you dad," Gohan hugged his father with affection.
"I missed you as well," Goku glanced over at Chi-chi and noticed Goten peek out until his father had his attention on the boy. Slowly, he parted those gathered around him and stepped forward. "Goten… don't be shy…"
"You already know our youngest son's name?" Chi-chi asked with surprise on her face.
"Of course," Goku knelt down and looked at the boy who peeked out again when he heard the sweet, kind voice speak. "It's alright Goten, it's me…"
"Taristo?" Goten tried the word that he recalled saying a year ago to his grandfather. Goku nodded and a few seconds later, the boy ran out from behind his mother towards the man whose grin only widened seeing his youngest son. "Daddy!"
"Whoa! You're rather strong," Goku picked Goten up and gently leaned his forehead against his youngest son with affection. Bardock watched his son interact with such devotion that he seemed surprised how much he had learned in the past seven years. He knew Turnipa had taught him well and perhaps shown him more than what he had.
"Goku, remember that you only have twenty-four hours," the old woman stated.
"I will, thank you Baba," Goku acknowledged the pink-haired woman before she left. Goku soon set his youngest son down and looked over at Bardock. All eyes were on them as the Earth-raised Saiya-jin started his stride towards the cursed warrior; wondering what words both father and son would exchange.
"…" Bardock didn't know how to respond. He hadn't had a chance to think about what he was going to say to his son when they were reunited. Then again, he hadn't taken into account that his son was going to return for a day. It seemed so surreal to him and it had not sunk in as of yet.
"What's wrong taristo?" Goku tilted his head in confusion. "Aren't you happy to see me?"
"I am, but I know it's only temporary," Bardock admitted.
"It's only for twenty-four hours, so yeah…" Goku attempted to reason with his father.
"It doesn't seem long enough." It was a blunt and to the point. "I was hoping we could catch up or something."
"We'll do it later after the tournament, okay?" Goku told his father in a rather elated mood.
"I'm counting on it," Bardock nodded. Moments later, the haloed warrior moved closer and leaned his forehead against his father's in devotion; the lukewarm skin touching his. Pride be damned—Bardock hadn't seen his son in seven years and he wasn't going to waste the time they had together. After a few moments, they pulled away and it took a bit for the cursed warrior had to recompose himself.
"We should go register before it closes," Krillin stated.
"Oh yeah, how many of us are fighting this time?" Goku questioned while looking around at all of his friends and family.
"I'm staying out of it this time," Yamcha laughed nervously. "If you, Vegeta, Gohan, your dad and Piccolo are going to fight, I'm not taking my chances…"
"I'll be fighting," 18 stated; causing Goku to freak out.
"What is she doing here?" Goku gawked at the android.
"It's obvious isn't it?" 18 looked at him with a dull stare.
"But…" Goku was too surprised at the idea that the former Red Ribbon experiment was among the living and not terrorizing the people.
"Kakarrot, the woman's not going to harm you, so calm down," Bardock stated.
"Well, it's kind of weird…" Goku admitted.
"She's also my wife," Krillin grinned.
"W-wife?" Goku's eyes widened in shock. "I never thought you'd settle down…"
"We thought the same with you for a while," Yamcha teased the Earth-raised Saiya-jin. Bardock had no idea what they were going on about and decided to ask his son later.
Bardock looked at the page where he was supposed to sign his name. Since he never became accustomed to signing anything of great importance, he looked at the various scribbles in an effort to try to make up something legible for his name.
"Taristo? Are you going to sign-in?" Goku questioned.
"I… I'm not sure if I could write anything down that people could read," Bardock admitted.
"Here, let me help you," Goku gently took the pen from his hand and signed in for his father.
"I really should have learned how to write in the Earthen language…" Bardock muttered.
"Don't beat yourself up over it," Goku signed in after his father and moved so Vegeta could do the same a moment later.
"So how are they going to find out who fights who?" Bardock asked.
"There's a machine here that will test our strength," Videl smiled happily.
"A machine?" Vegeta questioned. "A waste of time if you ask me."
"Let's just humor them and find out what this is about," Gohan reassured.
Eventually, they all took turns punching the machine. They restrained utilizing their full strength against the device. Bardock managed to get a score of 317 while the others managed scores that ranged from 200 to 600. When it was Vegeta's turn, he decided not to hold back and wrecked it with little effort.
"Piece of junk," Vegeta scoffed while walking away in disgust.
"Well, so much for restraint," Gohan spoke in utter shock while those who had yet to get their turn wondered if they were outclassed by the power displayed. Some ended up dropping out right then and there while there were others who thought it was a fluke of some kind.
"We should get something to eat before the junior division starts." Goku decided to brighten the mood a bit.
"Mmm…" Bardock was somewhat disappointed that his youngest grandson and Trunks were going to fight in the junior division. He was certain that they could have given the adults a run for their money if they were permitted to fight with them.
Following his son, they walked into a large dining hall where there was a buffet of food that seemed like it could feed an army of people. To the Saiya-jins though, this amount of food was merely enough to be considered a full-course meal for them and for once, Bardock couldn't deny that he was hungry. He only hoped that the cooks would make enough food so he could fight at full strength when it was their turn to fight.
The crowd was roaring around them as Bardock followed his son to the stands to watch the junior division. In a way, it was a total mockery and a waste of talent for the children to fight one another and later lose to Goten or Trunks. Needless to say, the cursed warrior was grateful the moment the finals started.
"So, how strong is Goten?" Goku asked his father.
"He's strong, but I think Trunks has the advantage when it comes to experience and training," Bardock reasoned. "He just recently transformed a few months ago, so he's inexperienced when it comes to controlling his power."
"Makes sense…" Goku observed. Not surprisingly, both boys technically tore through the ring faster than the human eye could see. At first, it seemed that Goten and Trunks were evenly matched, but it soon became more apparent that Goten was struggling and briefly transformed despite the lecture earlier on their way to the stadium.
"Should we even transform during the tournament?" Gohan questioned. The group seemed to have mixed feelings about the decision to include the Super Saiya-jin transformation in their fights. In a way, it would expose most of their identities since they were shown on television fighting at the Cell Games.
"We shouldn't change," Bardock reasoned. "Unless there's a good reason, we shouldn't bother since technically, it would probably freak everyone out."
"I agree with the seer," Vegeta stated.
"Seer?" Bardock repeated the nickname his prince decided to use to identify him,
"It suits you," Vegeta scoffed. Those who knew about Bardock's ability knew that he could see into the future; however, it had been several years since he last had a vision, so it felt almost though that nickname he was given did not apply to him at all.
"So it's agreed then," Piccolo brought the subject back to the issue at hand. "No one transforms during their fights."
Goten's cry was heard and he saw Trunks transform for a fleeting moment; sending the younger boy towards the stands. His feet touched the edge of the wall and Trunks grinned victoriously for defeating the child.
"And the winner of the Junior Division is Trunks Briefs!" the announcer stated.
"That's not fair!" Goten stammered and climbed back into the ring. "You cheated!"
"You cheated first Goten," Trunks scolded the younger child. "You weren't supposed to transform."
"Well you were too strong!" Goten complained.
"Tell you what, when this tournament's over, I'll let you have three of my toys," Trunks reasoned.
"Oh! I know just which ones I want!" Goten beamed happily.
"And now, our junior champion will go head-to-head with our champion himself, Mr. Satan," the announcer proclaimed.
"This ought to be good," Vegeta spoke with arrogance. "We might as well enjoy this mockery."
The fight against Mr. Satan was literally a cop-out for those who were hoping for a more challenging battle between the junior champion and the fraud. Bardock only laughed when he saw the false hero put in his place.
"It's not all that funny taristo," Goku attempted to stop the heckling, but Bardock wouldn't hear of it.
"He got what's coming to him," Bardock glowered angrily. "He's the reason he pretty much decided to take credit over our victory over Cell."
"It'll be worth it if one of us gets to fight him," Vegeta commented. The smirk on Bardock's face broadened by the thought of facing the false hero.
"Father! Are you seriously going to fight him and win?" Goku spoke in Saiya-go. Bardock noted his son's fluency in the language has improved since he had died seven years prior. He assumed that Turnipa had helped corrected his pronunciation issues.
"What do you think?" Bardock smirked confidently. "There is a reason why I want to win and that is because he pretty much said our abilities were all 'smoke and mirrors' to the audience."
"That does not mean you should startle everyone," Goku attempted to reason with his father.
"Kakarrot, you can do whatever the hell you want if you end up fighting against him," Vegeta joined in on the conversation; surprising the Earth-raised Saiya-jin. Bardock only smirked by his son's startled expression. "If either I or the seer ends up with him, we are going to practically humiliate his ass in front of every one of these people."
"Not to interrupt your conversation, but we need to head down to the arena," Gohan hinted. The three Saiya-jins noticed that all of the others who were planning to fight had already left. They quickly ran to catch up to everyone.
"About time you three caught up," Krillin chuckled.
"Yeah, yeah, we ended up talking a lot more than needed," Bardock mused.
Right before they reached the arena gates, two foreign-looking men stood in their way. One was a tall, pink-skinned male with long white hair while the shorter one had lavender skin and a white Mohawk. Both wore some foreign-looking clothes that did not seem like anything found on Earth in the slightest. For a brief moment, Bardock sent a cold glare at the lavender-skinned male almost though he suspected that he would do something sinister at a moment's notice.
"Are you Goku by chance?" the lavender-skinned man asked.
"Yes," Goku replied. Bardock did not trust whoever this was and growled. "Taristo?"
"I do not trust him," Bardock felt nervous for his son; even speaking in Saiya-go in order to keep the strange man from understanding their conversation.
"Calm down, he does not seem to be threating Earth…" Goku reassured his father and turned his gaze back to the strange duo. "Sorry about that. Is there something I can do to help you?"
"I only wish to shake your hand," the man spoke with a calm demeanor. Bardock saw his son move forward and extend his hand to the one who requested it. For a moment, he almost thought he was going to do something, but they merely shook hands. "You are as brave as they say." With that, he turned around and began to walk away. The larger man followed silently.
"Kakarrot, how can you be so trusting? He could have done something to you!" Bardock angrily yelled at his son.
"He didn't though dad," Goku looked at his father with a confused expression on his face. "Why are you so worried about me?"
"I… the last tournament we fought in, you…" Bardock stammered.
"Taristo, do you still carry guilt over what happened years ago?" Goku looked at his father with concern.
"Kakarrot, you know I can't let that go…" Bardock confessed. He glanced down at the ground feeling bad for what happened and the fact that he still carried the guilt this long. Goku started to walk away, but the cursed warrior touched his son's shoulders. For a fleeting moment, he wanted to tell his son about the vision he had seen years ago, but he couldn't understand what it was about.
"Taristo, I'll be fine," Goku tried to reassure the elder Saiya-jin, but he knew that he had to wary.
"You're not going to be fine!" Bardock growled. "Something bad is going to happen to you again! I might not be able to…"
Bardock suddenly felt his head ache and gently clutched it.
"Taristo?" Goku was concerned. He knew his father was stressed about something.
'Why can't I see the future?' Bardock felt helpless. He wanted to know what was coming for once and he felt like he could not even see the danger that the God of Strength warned him about.
"Come on taristo," Goku gently pulled his arm. "We have to hurry or we'll be disqualified!"
Bardock let his son lead him to the arena while he struggled to fight the headache that plagued him. He had no idea why he was having these headaches, but he knew that in due time, the vision he had seen was going to happen soon. He only prayed that nothing horrible happened to his son and the vision he had was only a possible future that could happen.
They all stood on the ground as each fighter went up on the platform and drew a ball out of the box. He reached in and grabbed one and saw some strange writing on it.
"Ah, so you have the number five ball, you will be up against our returning champion during the third match," the announcer chirped happily.
Bardock noticed Mr. Satan across the arena showing off his fighting skills. To a seasoned veteran, it seemed horribly flashy and unrefined. In a way, he was looking forward to his battle with the false hero.
"Oh great, Goku and Vegeta are going to be going at it during the sixth match," Krillin muttered.
"So what?" Bardock knew his prince had a bone to pick with his son, but figured this rematch between them was something they were both looking forward to for a long time.
The first two battles were short-lived that Bardock didn't bother watching the escapade. During the second match, everyone was surprised when Piccolo forfeited, muttering something about the man being a god, but he honestly didn't care. He was more concerned about his revenge against the false hero. Deciding to forgo the whole idea of not transforming—since the children did so during their match—he ascended and began his stride towards the ring. The minute Mr. Satan saw him, the 'champ' stopped mocking the cursed warrior and his eyes widened in utter dread. He hadn't expected who he was taunting until Bardock drew closer, the smirk widening on his face as the afro-haired man trembled in fear.
"Oh! It's you…" Mr. Satan's voice stuttered. "I… I'm not feeling all that great… I need to take a five minute break and…"
"You know who I am don't you?" Bardock looked at the pitiful human with distaste. A part of him wanted to splatter his body against the wall while another wanted to throw him across the ring several times until he begged for mercy. If he had his tail, he would have done a whole lot more with it while he tortured the human. Yet, he knew reigned in those dark desires and knew he only needed to show a fraction of his strength to destroy this man's reputation. "You defiled my son's name, claimed credit for destroying Cell and for what?"
"I… I'm sorry!" Mr. Satan bowed before the Super Saiya-jin. "I didn't mean to take the credit! Honest!"
"Then why don't you confess?" Bardock growled. He cracked his knuckles in an intimidating manner while he smirked thought of him singing like a canary to all of those present.
"N-no! I won't lose to you!" Mr. Satan jumped up onto his feet. Apparently, he was either determined or very foolish; Bardock had no idea which and only chuckled with mild amusement.
"Have it you way then," Bardock walked towards him and in less than two strides, he threw a restrained punch to Mr. Satan's face; knocking the man out of the ring.
"Dad!" Videl's voice cried out when she saw her father knocked out of the ring easily. Hundreds of gasps were heard loudly clearly in unison while some of the hard core fans screamed their utter dismay.
"He's all talk," Bardock muttered. He walked passed the announcer who stared in mute horror while he stepped out of the ring and walked back to where the others were. "What a waste of time."
People were trying to wrap their minds around the fact that this golden-haired man knocked the champion out of the ring with one punch. The announcer attempted to defuse the situation to no avail as the crowd began to jeer at the false hero.
"Well folks, our former champion's been knocked out of the ring, but it can happen to anyone right?" the announcer cheerfully spoke, but it did little to relieve the shock that rang throughout the audience.
"What a crock!"
"He's a liar!"
"He probably didn't defeat Cell!"
"Dad?" Videl was concerned about his father to the point that she wondered why he was being so quiet.
"Videl," Mr. Satan looked up at his daughter for the first time since he was knocked out of the ring. Apparently, what the golden haired warrior had done in seconds broke what wall surrounded his ego.
"Dad! Are you alright?" Videl looked him over and noticed his left cheek was starting to bruise.
"I… I didn't defeat Cell, that man… he and a young boy did it…" Mr. Satan confessed. Videl's eyes widened in shock when she heard the truth.
"What? Why? Why did you lie dad? You lied to everyone! Even me!" Videl had a hurt expression on her face.
"I… I didn't mean to…" Mr. Satan saw his daughter storm off. The crowd was raining garbage on the field. Apparently, they heard every word of the confession since he had a microphone pinned to his lapel. There were some that were so angry that they tried to leave the stands onto the field, forcing security to stop them from causing a riot.
"What were you doing taristo?" Goku looked at him almost though he was insane.
"What do you think?" Bardock growled. "He stole your honor and smeared your name in mud!"
"I don't care about honor or anything, he could have had the fame if he wanted it that bad," Goku shrugged it off.
"On Vegeta-sei, honor meant everything," Bardock scolded his son's brash dismissal. "Our livelihood depended on the battles we fought and won."
"We're not even on Vegeta-sei though," Goku reminded his father. "Look, it might seem important to you, but I really don't care that much about it."
"Meh," Bardock decided to let the matter drop. He couldn't change his son's mind over the matter since he would never understand what it was like to be a Saiya-jin.
The person Videl was supposed to fight forfeited when he and another man left without a word for some odd reason, so after a minute, Videl won the match without contest. Soon, it was Gohan and Kibito's turn to fight and the crowd cheered when they saw the costumed man fighting. Mostly, Bardock tuned out the fight since there was so much cheering going on that it made his headache worse. He saw Gohan knock out Kibito with a strong uppercut that had the medical personnel pick him up on a stretcher and carry him out of the ring.
When it was his son and Vegeta's turn, Bardock watched his son Kakarrot head out to the ring eager and ready to fight against the Saiya-jin prince. He cared little about the announcer's persistent banter and was just watching both warriors stand on opposite sides of the ring. It almost looked like the calm before the storm the way they stood perfectly still. The moment they were permitted to fight one another, they lunged at each other without restraint.
Goku attempted to strike first, but Vegeta easily blocked the blow and attempted to throw his fist into the unprotected stomach. Almost anticipating the attack, Goku turned away and they continued attempting to trade blows against one another. Nothing seemed to hit the more punches and kicks they threw at each other.
'It's almost as though they are evenly matched,' Bardock watched in awe at his prince and youngest son go toe-to-toe against each other while showing some restraint.
Raising his power, Vegeta transformed suddenly; taking Goku by surprise and knocking him down onto the ring. The announcer was about to do something, but moments later, the very ring shook and Goku emerged from the crater his body had made and floated back up into the sky where the transformed Saiya-jin was.
"Nice shot," Goku wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth.
"You could have dodged that one clown," Vegeta scoffed.
"Clown huh?" Goku laughed at the nickname the Saiya-jin prince gave him. "I guess I should raise the ante myself. He focused and transformed moments later; his now teal eyes falling on his rival with a hint of mischief.
What felt like seconds to those watching felt like minutes to the two warriors as they suddenly met in the middle and attempted to take advantage of one another. The power they put out seemed to electrify the air and the crowd's cheering seemed to egg both of them on. Bardock couldn't help but watch the battle with earnest and wonder who would win the fight between the two of them.
Eventually, both of them separated from the close barred fighting and prepared their strongest energy blasts in their hands.
"Ka… me… ha… me…" Goku chanted. The tight azure sphere of energy seemed to shimmer with an intense light that made the crowd watch with absolute awe.
"Final…" Vegeta called out his own attack. The blast formed at the base of both palms and seemed intimidating.
The volatile energy streaming from their hands seemed almost god-like and the fact that they hovered over the stadium holding such power made the event seem so surreal to everyone else. If they knew that the power they held could easily level a city, they would have ran away or taken cover by this point, but instead, the crowd watched transfixed by the power the two held in their palms aimed directly at one another.
"HA!"
"FLASH!"
Both blasts seem to meet in the middle; sending a shockwave booming across the stadium. The screams of people were either that of terror or excitement. At first, it did not seem like both sides were even, but soon, Bardock noticed Vegeta's blast advancing on his son without much effort.
Right when the blast was about to devour the Earth-raised Saiya-jin, he vanished; letting the energy beam soar right through the air without any restraints. Vegeta's eyes widened a second later when Goku appeared behind him and knocked him straight into the ground outside of the ring.
"And Vegeta's out of the ring folks! The winner is Goku!" the announcer cheerfully proclaimed. Goku landed on the ground moments later, releasing his transformation.
"Hey, you did a great job," Goku grinned. "You almost had me back there…"
Vegeta rose to his feet and walked off; not bothering to say anything to the naïve warrior. Perhaps his pride had been bruised and he was plotting revenge on the Earth-raised Saiya-jin at a later point in time.
The next couple of matches went by quickly and soon, Bardock was preparing to go against Videl of all people.
"Grandfather, before you step in the ring, you need to promise me that you won't hurt her," Gohan insisted.
"Fine, I won't hurt your future mate," Bardock waved off Gohan's concerns. A blush crossed his face.
"Oh no, don't tell me you think she's my girlfriend too!" Gohan growled pathetically at the idea that someone else saw his friend as a potential love interest.
Climbing into the ring, he saw the hurt expression on Videl's face. Apparently, she was still upset from what happened earlier.
"Hey Mr. Bardock?" Videl questioned.
"What is it?" The cursed warrior looked at her with a confused expression.
"Um… I forfeit…" Videl stammered.
"Forfeit, you mean you're not going to fight?" Bardock was perplexed.
"I don't really feel like it," Videl stated. "Besides, you'd probably win anyway…"
"Wait a minute," Bardock walked over to where she was and looked down at her. "First off, I want to apologize for hurting your father. Second, he was a big ass for taking credit for something he didn't actually do and smearing our names. I know you care about my grandson as well, so please don't hold it against him."
"I… I w-what?" Videl blushed at the thought of the man's suggestion. "I like Gohan as a friend!"
"Really?" Bardock chuckled at the thought. He knew she was denying it like his grandson and had a feeling that she felt the same way. "I thought you two were closer than that…"
"We're NOT in a relationship!" Videl's face grew redder by the minute. Bardock knew that she was in utter denial, but it seemed they were both not ready to admit it as of yet. "Ungh! Never mind, I'm out of here…"
"Grandfather!" Gohan yelled. "I told you we're not involved!"
"Uh-huh, and I'm the lord of the universe," Bardock rolled his eyes. "You two clearly seem like a couple no matter how much you deny it."
"Okay taristo, you need to leave the ring," Goku gently prodded his father off the stage. Both he and Gohan took their places on the stage in order to fight one another. Bardock didn't particularly care who won the match since he was feeling a bit sleepy. Closing his eyes, he decided to take a short nap.
Bardock found himself in front of a burning building with people screaming inside. A part of him feared what he would find inside while another needed to know what was happening. He ran in and saw a young man standing in there with blood on his body.
"None of you are going to live!" Kakarrot bellowed.
"Kakarrot!" Bardock yelled angrily. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Huh? Who the hell are you?" Kakarrot turned and saw him.
"I'm your father!" Bardock yelled at the man.
"Liar, my father died," Kakarrot growled at the cursed warrior.
"Died? I'm right here, what the hell's wrong with you?" Bardock yelled at his son again.
"The kingdom pretty much declared you dead, you're nothing but a stranger to me," Kakarrot stated. "That's why you must die!'
"W-what?!" Bardock saw his son prepare a blast. He attempted to transform, but found that he couldn't even do it. 'W-why can't I transform? I was able to before…'
The blast came roaring towards him and everything vanished in a bright light.
Sitting up straight, Bardock was breathing hard when he realized that his son was right in front of him. For a moment, he was still in the nightmare he had and thought that the man was going to harm him, but then, he saw confusion on his face.
"Are you alright taristo?" Goku asked. "It's your turn to fight…"
"It is?" Bardock shook his head. "Oh yeah, I forgot, the tournament…" Rising to his feet, he stretched and walked outside. There on the platform was Shin standing there waiting. He decided that he was going to beat him right away before he had a chance to do anything.
"One moment," Shin stopped the announcer. He walked closer to Bardock and leaned forward, whispering in his ear. "You're afraid of me aren't you?"
"You're planning on doing something to Kakarrot, so I have every right to be concerned about my son's wellbeing," Bardock muttered lowly.
"He will be fine as long as you don't attempt to interfere," Shin stated. He backed away and looked at Bardock with a calm look on his face.
'Should I trust him and go with his plan or should I attempt to intervene?' Bardock thought to himself. He didn't know this 'Shin' and didn't really care if he asked him to jump off a bridge; he couldn't bring himself to follow a plan that was too risky. The announcer announced the start of the match and by that point; the cursed warrior had made up his mind. 'Fuck it…'
Lunging forward, Bardock didn't waste time delivering a strong punch to Shin's face. The lavender-skinned man hardly budged much to Bardock's surprise and he felt him gently push his fist backwards; forcing the cursed warrior to skid against the ring's tiled surface.
"Just give up and everything will go smoother," Shin promised. He seemed as though he knew Bardock personally, but that did not make any sense.
"I can't just give up," Bardock growled; his energy rising. He felt the wind generate around his form and moments later, he ascended into a Super Saiya-jin. Shin shook his head and met Bardock in the middle.
"You will only lose more if you stay on this path," Shin warned. The cursed warrior noted the calm energy around the deity's form and thought it was odd that he was easily parrying his attacks with little effort.
'I might have to take it to the next level…' Bardock summarized.
Sparks surrounded his form and he focused on reaching the next level. Bolts of lightning crackled in his aura before he roared loudly; the golden hue intensifying around his body. Moments later, he felt more confident in the form he was in and lunged at the proclaimed 'deity' in question. Shin started struggling and Bardock took advantage of the situation by delivering several blows in quick succession. Eventually, he drove a knee into the lavender-skinned man's gut; knocking him out.
He didn't bother to wait until the announcer reached the tenth number; he just walked out of the ring annoyed. He slowly released the energy and reverted to normal.
A short time later, Bardock climbed into the ring once more. The final challenger happened to be his son Kakarrot. For once, he was looking forward to fighting him.
"Kakarrot, is it alright that we skip the warm-up and get straight to the main event?" Bardock asked his son. A part of him was eager to see how powerful his son had become after so long that the sadness didn't seem as powerful. In a way, he wanted to engrave this memory of their battle in his mind for the rest of his life.
"If that's what you want," Goku answered and powered up. Bardock matched that power and they both ascended. He no longer cared about the agreement he had with the others prior to the tournament since he wanted nothing more than to fight his son with everything he had.
The moment they were permitted to fight, they both clashed against one another. Both father and son seemed to enjoy the thrill of fighting against one another without any reserves. Bardock ended up getting a little overzealous during their match and knocked his son backwards. Before the Earth-raised Saiya-jin could right his balance, he had landed right outside the ring in a sitting position. The cursed warrior released the transformation while the golden aura flickered around the younger Saiya-jin for a few seconds while the dust cleared.
"And this year's champion is Bardock!" the announcer exclaimed. The crowd roared in jubilation while the cursed warrior stared dumbfounded at his son. Goku reverted back to his base form while the elder warrior quizzically went to the edge of the ring where the younger fighter was sitting on the ground laughing. He put his hand behind his head rather embarrassedly, but he didn't seem to mind his position all that much.
"What?" Bardock had no idea what he had just done. Goku wasn't unconscious or even in pain, so how did the cursed warrior defeat his son?
"You won dad," Goku explained.
"I did? But you fell out of the ring…" Bardock was perplexed. He heard of it before, but was still confused about the whole concept.
"Yeah, so you won…"
"I still don't understand, what does you falling out of the ring mean with me winning?"
"Dad, a ring out is when someone is no longer in the ring and if you are still in the ring, then you win."
"Doesn't make sense, but I guess if you say so," Bardock offered a hand to pull his son back up in the ring. Without a word, the younger Saiya-jin wrapped his arms around him. In a way, he almost felt as though the world around him disappeared and they were the only ones in it. For once, the cursed warrior returned such an affection since he was proud of his youngest for achieving so much.
"I missed you taristo," Goku whispered softly. The cursed warrior felt saddened by the confession, but he felt the same way.
"I missed you as well… Kakarrot," Bardock choked briefly. It seemed surreal that father and son were reunited for this day and finally, the cursed warrior finally found the peace he had longed for and accepted his son's demise. However, this feeling quickly shattered when two figures entered the ring without warning. They were after him, but instead of confronting them head on, his son pushed him out of the way. Startled, he attempted to reach his son who was grabbed by the men.
"Kakarrot!" Bardock yelled. He suddenly realized that his body seemed to be paralyzed—almost though someone or something was interfering him from trying to save the younger Saiya-jin. He realized right then and there his worst nightmare was coming to life. "I can't move… what the hell's going on?"
"I'm sorry, but you can't intervene," Shin spoke while the two men held his son. One stuck something into Goku's side and Bardock felt his heart thundering in his chest when he heard his son let out a guttural and agonizing scream. It felt like an eternity until they released him as he fell to the stage almost completely lifeless. His form began to flicker before the cursed warrior's eyes.
A part of the cursed warrior wanted to pursue the men who did this to his son, but he knew the younger warrior's existence was fading fast. For once, Bardock was at a loss at what he needed to do in order to save his son.
"No… Kakarrot…" Bardock fell to his knees and pulled his son's listless form into his arms. "It should have been me…" Anger started to cloud his judgment and without considering anything else, he glared coldly at the man called 'Shin'. He had every right to murder the one who considered himself high and mighty, but knew it wouldn't do anything to help his son. "If he vanishes, so help me…"
'I could have stopped this from happening… instead, I just let it happen… but if I had tried to save him, the universe…'
"The fate of the universe is more important than one man's existence…" Shin stated in an uncaring voice.
"You know NOTHING!" Bardock roared angrily. Concentrating, his energy began to rise violently and the skies darkened around the arena. Holding his son tighter in his grasp, he became lost to the world as a maelstrom of power enveloped the stadium. The ground shook violently and lightning crashed in the heavens in a chaotic matter, forcing people to seek shelter from the freak storm that came out of nowhere. 'I won't lose Kakarrot again, even if…'
The cursed warrior's eyes widened when he finally realized what he had to do to save his son from vanishing forever.
'…it costs my life…'
The thought crossed his mind as the vision he had years ago finally made sense. Closing his eyes, Bardock focused on his own life force; willingly transferring it to his youngest son without holding anything back. A golden aura flickered around their forms and it was taking everything within the cursed warrior to pull his son back from the brink of the abyss. Reaching deep inside, he concentrated on what energy he could spare; feeling it slip away from him into the younger Saiya-jin's faint form to prevent him from vanishing forever.
Now he understood why he cried years ago as he felt the tears running shamelessly down his face: he knew for certain that this was the only way he could rescue his son. He looked down upon Goku for what felt like the final time in this lifetime; knowing that he would never see him again. Leaning his forehead against Goku's, the cursed warrior knew these would be his last moments he would be able to share with his youngest and knew that he would have to pay for the crimes he committed in the past.
"Kakarrot… sorry it has to be this way…" Bardock whispered his farewell in Saiya-go. He did not know if his son could even hear him anymore, but he said it anyway in hopes that his words reached him. Within seconds, the cursed warrior's vision darkened and he felt his body growing colder. He lost his grip from his son's shoulders and fell backwards just as the very last vestiges of life slipping out of his grasp.
36.5-A Soul's Judgment
Emptiness was the first thing Bardock felt when his eyes opened. He saw that he was standing alone in the darkness with a slight fog surrounding his form. The ground rippled beneath him, but for some odd reason, he felt nothing in the slightest. Whatever emotions he felt prior to him blacking out seemed moot and he noted that he now had a halo over his head. It signified that he had perished due to his selfless deed and he had no regrets for his actions.
'Is this what death is truly like?' Bardock thought silently to himself while taking in his limited surroundings. 'From what Kakarrot told me, it wasn't supposed to be like this…'
Idly, he began to walk through the darkness, but there was nothing else around him. His footsteps caused the water-like ground to ripple beneath his feet with every step, but he did not pay heed to it or the reflection that was distorted.
'Perhaps this isn't heaven or hell, but an eternal limbo,' Bardock realized. 'I guess it's what I deserve…'
Right when this thought crossed his mind, Raisan appeared before the cursed warrior. Bardock was taken back at the Goddess of Time and Rebirth coming to greet him when he was not expecting anyone else in his own personal hell.
"Why are you here?" Bardock questioned. "Am I supposed to be judged for what I had done in my life already?"
"I was given permission to intercept your soul so it would not be judged harshly for your sacrifice," Raisan explained. The cursed warrior had no idea what she was talking about and decided to humor her.
"Sacrificing my life for Kakarrot's existence won't change anything…" Bardock reasoned. He figured that his sacrifice was the least of his worries at this point and he would have done it again if he knew the circumstances.
"You did more than that…" Raisan waved her hand and Bardock saw the stadium appear. He saw his son shaking his lifeless body, but he seemed distraught for some reason.
"Why is Kakarrot so concerned over my death?" Bardock asked. For once, he had no idea what was going on and saw that the others gathered around his son and the fallen warrior's form.
"Look closer," Raisan suggested. The cursed warrior noted that he could not hear anything, but noticed his son's complexion had a much healthier glow. Then his eyes widened in realization when he saw the expression on everyone's faces turn to shock, some even realizing the extent of the warrior's sacrifice.
Is… is Kakarrot… alive?" Bardock stared at his son quizzically. It had taken him a few seconds to realize that the Earth-raised Saiya-jin no longer had a halo over his head. "How did he return to life?"
"In the last moments of life, you ascended," Raisan explained.
"I… I don't remember ascending…" Bardock scratched his head.
"You would not remember since it happened very briefly. In that moment, you restored his soul where it was stable, but you were consumed by so much guilt that you kept pouring your life force into him until you died."
"Show me…" Bardock demanded. He carried doubts about his latest transformation and knew it was impossible…
…but he ended up being proven wrong.
Bardock saw himself from the other side holding Kakarrot while glaring icily at Shin for his heartlessness. He saw the golden aura gathered around his form and his hair beginning to spill down his back. Tears were running unchecked down his face while everyone was screaming at him to stop, but he was ignorant to the world that threatened to collapse around him while he poured everything into his son's form. The only thing that mattered was the life that would vanish from his grasp if he stopped transferring his energy into the younger Saiya-jin.
'I… I transcended…? But how…?'
Bardock saw his son fading before the strong pulse of energy stabilized his soul and it solidified when he fully reached for the power he had seen for fleeting moments in his older visions. The halo over his son's head began to fade the more Bardock focused his life into Kakarrot and he soon saw the energy beginning to die down from his form.
Bardock saw his eyes open and the lifeless teal orbs shimmered briefly before his grip began to slacken. He saw him lean his forehead against his in a gesture of pure devotion and heard himself whisper the final words to Kakarrot. At that moment, the halo that was above Kakarrot's head faded away entirely and he saw himself fall backwards. The transformation fled his body altogether and he struck the ground motionless.
Shortly after he fell, Kakarrot awakened confused and sat up before taking in his father's lifeless form lying still on the ground.
"Taristo? Taristo! Wake up!" Kakarrot lifted him in his arms. "Come on! Answer me taristo…"
"He's alive…" Bardock muttered. "I knew he would return to life one day, but…"
"It ended up costing your own life." Raisan walked closer to Bardock. The cursed warrior looked down at his distorted reflection in the inky surface of the ground and wondered where he was this time.
"Since I died, am I going to be judged?" Bardock decided to cut to the chase. It was the reason she came for him in the first place and knew it would be pointless to keep her waiting.
"Judged for what you have done in your past or for your sacrifice?" Raisan questioned.
"Both." Bardock spoke in a tired voice. In truth, he didn't care if he was going to hell since he had committed a number of sins that he could never repent for in the past. His actions during the past ten years would not erase what he had done decades ago nor was it enough to atone for his all of the lives he had extinguished under Frieza's barbaric reign.
"I will leave that to Infr," Raisan grasped Bardock's shoulder before the scenery around them changed.
The familiar stone walls and throne room that Infr occupied came into view. Bardock noticed the Lord of Gods sat upon the throne almost though he had been expecting the cursed warrior for quite some time. The hand gently released his shoulder just as soon as he gained his bearings and he noted that Raisan had left the fallen warrior to be judged alone.
Not once had Bardock been alone with Infr like this and he felt intimidated to be in his presence. The Lord of Gods did not respond in the slightest and only rose from his throne to descend the path that divided them by merely a few strides. Bowing down low, Bardock knew better than to disrespect Infr like he had in the past; especially since he had no idea what his fate would be anymore. Ever since he was robbed of the ability to see into the future, he now knew nothing of his fate now and knew it would be futile to ask for mercy.
"It seems we meet again under grave circumstances," Infr confided in Bardock.
"What do you mean?" Bardock looked up at the Lord of Gods in question and thought better of it. He lowered his gaze back down to the floor and felt the humility wash over him for speaking to the deity so bluntly. He mentally chided himself for being disrespectful. "I… I am no longer alive and…"
"You died in order to save Kakarrot from disappearing from existence," Infr confirmed.
"Any father would give everything to save their son," Bardock's voice seemed distant. "I mean I might not have when I met him… my devotion for him has grown…"
"Indeed it has," Infr agreed. "You have changed a great deal within a single decade."
Yet, it did not undo everything that Bardock had done earlier in his life. Even now, he thought back to the lives he took without mercy. He felt that his actions were not enough to outweigh the good things he had done. Something in him felt unworthy and Bardock seemed like he deserved whatever punishment he was meant to face. If not, it would only worsen the guilt he carried on his soul.
"Infr, if you are going to punish me, then I am ready to accept it," Bardock spoke in such a soft tone that it betrayed his demeanor. He knew he was condemning his soul to the Lord of Gods and was prepared to accept whatever punishment he deserved.
Instead, what he heard next would stun the cursed warrior.
"Your death, like Kakarrot's, is not final."
To Be Continued…