Author's Note: Minor delay in this chapter brought to you courtesy of DBZ: Kakarot.

"In today's top story, the government of Earth has unanimously passed the widely anticipated Sovereign Earth Act," the anchorwoman said. Behind her was a projection containing a list of bullet points. She turned to the screen and began gesturing. "For those of you not already familiar, the main provisions of the Act are as follows. First, the newest residents of our planet have finally been granted legal status. The Saiyans of New Sadala are considered full citizens of Earth, and have the same rights and protections as any other citizen. This decision has been considered the most controversial, as fringe groups and conspiracy theorists have already emerged to posit that the Saiyans plan to eventually overthrow the government of Earth. This was discounted yesterday in an interview with the interim leader of New Sadala."

The camera abruptly cut to outdoor footage of Taroa, in loose-fitting practice clothing, standing in front of a group of Saiyan civilians carefully carrying out basic combat maneuvers. A caption gave her name and occupation.

"Take over the planet? How? Why? We've got a good thing going here," she said, wearing an amused expression. "Most of my people are waiting for their families and friends to be brought back. They're also enjoying things like sunlight and fresh air, some of them for the first time in their lives."

The view cut once more to an irate looking old man in blue overalls, standing in front of a field of half-grown vegetables. The caption read 'A. Emous' and 'Farmer'.

"Despite the reassurances of the settlement authorities, some Human residents remain unconvinced," the voice of the anchorwoman said. The sound of the farmer's interview abruptly turned on, starting with the sound of a cow distantly lowing in the distance.

"Those Saiyans are no good. Nobody believes it, but I was here when the very first one showed up!" the old farmer said, shaking his fist at the camera. "Right off the bat, he was talking about exterminating us Humans. They're friendly now, but it's only a matter of time!"

Another cut showed a massive building under construction offshore from the dock of New Sadala. The voice of the anchorwoman began to speak over the sight.

"The second provision of the Act allows for the creation of defense forces for Earth, to supplement the existing Royal Army. The building shown below will house the Saiyan-Human Defense Institute. The SHDI will train defenders of both races in the exciting new field of what the Royal Army is referring to as 'personal energy combat', although a spokesperson for the palace was quick to mention that they will also have access to conventional weaponry. The instructors for the SHDI have so-far looked like a who's who list of top-tier martial artists on Earth."

This time, the camera showed two odd looking men standing in front of a wall of bamboo paper. One was wizened and bearing a walking stick, dressed in a Hawaiian shirt. The second was even shorter, possessed of spiky black hair shot through with streaks of red.

"The Turtle Hermit himself has been confirmed to have signed on as a top-level instructor. Master Roshi gave a brief statement earlier, where he…" the anchorwoman trailed off, a mildly disgusted look on her face. "…encouraged any attractive female audience members to contact him personally. Hired as head of the Institute's internal security is the being known as Krion, whose dual-nature came to public light after the events of the Invasion. A loose coalition of famed martial arts schools have agreed to send instructors to the Institute on a rotating basis. Two notables from this list are Tien-shinhan of the New Crane School and, showing how popular this effort has become, Mr. Satan himself."

The Royal Palace of Earth, abuzz with flying cars and diplomatic traffic, was brought in from a live feed. As they watched, an organic-looking green spacecraft began to descend to the pad below.

"The third and most expansive provision of the act regards Earth's diplomatic status in the galaxy. For the present, Earth has decided to remain a perpetual neutral power in all galactic and intergalactic conflicts. A sizable expansion of the diplomatic corps is underway, with plans to establish embassies on every sovereign planet in the Milky Way eventually. So far, Earth has only received reciprocal diplomatic recognition from New Namek and the House of Free Traders, a successor faction to the now splintered Planet Trade Organization."

A calloused finger tapped lightly on the remote control. The picture turned off. Goku put down the remote and grinned, settling back on the couch. He could hear Chi-chi in the kitchen and Goten at his desk. What he wasn't hearing were shouts, or explosions, or news about incoming threats. As bad as things could have gotten, I think Earth did really well for itself. But with everything so peaceful, I'm getting bored.

I wonder where Vegeta is? Twelve can put up a good fight, but it's just not the same.

DRAGON BALL EXODUS

Universe 15 Saga VII: The Three-Sided Coin

VEGETA

The huge display screen showed a picture of the Milky Way galaxy, or at least the version of it that existed in the corrupted Universe Fifteen. The control room was filled with analysts and technicians, working assiduously and with their heads down now that the Emperor had entered the room. The officer in charge, who had been almost falling asleep, was now very awake and conspicuously poring over lists of numbers that did not look meaningful. The Emperor ignored all of them.

"You said that this would show the political map of the galaxy," Vegeta said. "I see nothing but a red background and a few stars."

"That's because I control the entire galaxy already," the Emperor said mildly. He reached forward, past a technician suddenly paralyzed by fright, and tapped a few buttons on the console nearby. The view zoomed out to include five galaxies. Only the Milky Way was painted entirely red, but the same color existed on the periphery of the four other galaxies as well. "Only in the past two years have we begun intergalactic expansion. I'm estimating that subjugating all five of them will be a task that Garter will have to finish."

"Garter?" Bulma asked, standing close by Vegeta.

"My daughter and heir," the Emperor said. Bulma's eyes widened. Vegeta could hear her excitement through her breathing.

"A girl Trunks?" Bulma whispered to Vegeta. "I kind of want to see her."

"It's not important," Vegeta whispered back. Bulma scowled at him.

"It's important to me!" she retorted quietly. They both heard the sound of a throat clearing, and looked up to see the Emperor glaring at them, and the rest of the Saiyans in the room deliberately not looking in their direction.

"I suspect that your universe has only recently discovered decorum," the Emperor chided. "Now, you see what I have accomplished, what the Saiyan race has accomplished. Do you still believe that we are some figment of a corrupted universe? This is absolute garbage."

"You didn't exist three weeks ago," Vegeta said. Several of the technicians gasped. The Emperor did not appear perturbed.

"Perhaps a drink is a good idea. Not to soften the blow of your ridiculous story, but to allow me to put up with your obvious fabrications," the Emperor said. He began to walk back toward the exit, and his two guests followed. "It is good for both of you that I find your tales entertaining, although I suspect that will soon wear thin."

The next room in which they found themselves was a tall and cozy room of polished dark wood and velvet cushions. A full bar took up almost one entire side of the room, staffed by a four-armed alien that was simultaneously stocking glasses and wiping down part of the serving area. As they crossed the threshold, Vegeta heard Bulma gasp and felt her grab at his arm. He turned to look at her, and found himself staring at bones. A skeleton, immaculately preserved, stood in a corner of the room. Mounted on wood and lit from above, it felt macabre and out of place. At least, it felt out of place until Vegeta realized that four other skeletons were also on display in the room, each bearing a plaque commemorating the skeleton's former owner.

"That's Frieza," the Emperor said, grinning. "Or what is left of him. He was the first to be finished by one of my special techniques, an attack designed to do only one thing."

"Strip every last bit of flesh from bone," Vegeta said, staring at the skeleton. Even the tail is attached, every last vertebra. I will admit, I have taken trophies in the past. But… specifically designing an attack just to destroy flesh? There is a level of sadism here far beyond anything I've ever felt the need for. He felt heat on his arm and shoulder as Bulma leaned against him. She's afraid. I don't blame her. After seeing all of this, I'm almost afraid. I know what I used to be capable of, and this man is worse.

"We have to get out of here," Bulma whispered to him. "This place isn't right. He… he isn't right. We need to leave. Now."

With an effort, Vegeta ignored her. She's right, but I have to try this.

"So… the mirror?" Vegeta asked. "Neither of us know what it is or what it really does, and it's nothing but a curiosity to you. If you will only allow us to take it, all of us will leave you in peace."

"No," the Emperor said. From the hallway behind, Vegeta suddenly heard footsteps. The door to the study opened once again, showing several squads of elites standing shoulder to shoulder. "You are to stay here, as my honored guests. Your presence will allow me to further my consort's research – research that will bring me closer to my true destiny."

The elites began to enter the room and fan out. A servant, apparently standing frozen in fright out in the hallway, caught Vegeta's eye. Blue skin? That's Ganos, and that's one of Bulma's distraction grenades. The elfin agent gave an almost imperceptible nod to the former prince.

"Bulma, close your eyes and cover your ears. Now," Vegeta whispered, and then quickly followed his own advice. The Emperor watched them, confusion plain on his face. Suddenly, the room lit up as bright as the sun, and a sound like thunder assaulted every ear within distance. The Saiyans were reduced to crying out, rubbing at their faces and cursing. Ignoring her startled yelp, Vegeta picked Bulma up, threw her over one shoulder, and charged for the exit. The first fumbling elite trying to guard the entrance suddenly found himself without an airway and fell choking to the floor. The second found it hard to stand on legs that suddenly bent sideways. As the other elites stumbled out of the way of the violence they could barely see, a third fell screaming and smoking with half of his body vaporized. With Ganos close behind, Vegeta escaped through the hallway.

"After them!" roared the Emperor. Golden light filled the lounge, and a pulse of energy shattered the stained glass windows. Tiny shards of color rained on the battlements below.

TRUNKS

"So, what kind of experiments does your mom do?" Trunks asked. The hallway they were walking in was utilitarian, marked with service portals and safety warnings. After the initial conversation, the two had become chilly toward each other. I don't trust her at all. It feels like there is something missing in her… the human part that makes me want to use my power to protect people, not hurt them. And I can tell she doesn't trust me. I don't think she understands me, and… I'm kind of glad I don't understand her.

"First off, refer to her as 'Mother'," Garter said. "I called her 'Mom' only once. The punishment was not pleasant."

"Why would she punish you for that?" Trunks asked. He tried to keep his expression calm, but he felt his heart rate start to rise. This is just so… wrong. This whole family is the most evil version of mine that I could think of. There's no way it can get any worse.

"Informality in our culture marks treatment of a subordinate," Garter said. She stopped in front of a secure-looking door, and held her hand in front of a scanner attached to the alloy wall. It beeped, and the door slid open. "The way you have been addressing me is actually very disrespectful. If I thought that you knew better, I would have already challenged you to a duel. Probably killed you as well."

"Thanks…" Trunks trailed off, cautiously stepping through the door. What he saw took any further words out of his mouth. The entire room was almost antiseptically clean, with gleaming metal and tiles overlaid with trays filled with high quality surgical instruments. Eight large tanks, lit from within with glowing green liquid, stood throughout the room. In each except for one was a male Saiyan, naked and apparently unconscious. Trunks' throat went dry, and he had to look away from the tanks. He shivered with barely suppressed disgust. I was wrong. It just got worse. Way worse. This is human experimentation. Well, Saiyan experimentation. Either way, no. This is not okay. "Garter, what in the hell is this?"

"Mother's work," she said, smiling. "Those two over there, the big ones? Brought them in myself. Low-class warriors, but very strong. A satisfying achievement."

"But… what are they doing? Are you making them stronger?" Trunks asked. He made himself observe the floating warriors again, although it sickened him to do so.

"Why would we do that? These are powerful men, but they are also low status trash," Garter said, waving a hand dismissively. "Mother has developed a way of draining their power, and is working on a way to distill it. Father has an interesting objective in mind, one that I would not mind replicating."

"What objective would that be?" Trunks asked. Please don't say...

"Father's desire is to become a Super Saiyan God," Garter said. Shit. For a moment, her eyes lit up and he could tell that she was entertaining a vision of the future. "A Super Saiyan can rule galaxies. A Super Saiyan God could rule an entire universe."

"Why are you telling me all of this?" Trunks asked. As soon as he asked, part of him regretted the question. Her eyes met his, and what he saw made his skin turn to ice.

"To gloat. I do not get to do that very often," she said. A small golden ball of ki formed in her palm. Her fingers closed around it, and suddenly she was bearing a wickedly curved golden knife. She smiled at her analogue, a strange mixture of pity, malice, and anticipation. "And because you'll never have a chance to tell another soul."

A flurry of knife blows had Trunks scrambling backward in the unfamiliar environment, sending a tray of instruments flying across the room. He felt the wall against his back, and threw himself to the side just as the ki-knife buried itself where he had just been standing. He lashed out with one leg, trying to sweep one of her ankles. Smirking, she leapt into the air and threw the knife down at him. Time slowed to a crawl as adrenaline pumped through his veins, the knife slowly growing larger in his sight. Suddenly, a vision of his father came into his head.

"We're going to do this until you can deflect without thinking," Vegeta said, holding a blazing ball of golden ki. Trunks stood in front of him, transformed. Half of his clothing had already been burned away, and several purpling bruises showed the impact of his previous attempts. "You've had enough of a break. Get ready!"

Between one heartbeat and the next, Trunks ascended to Super Saiyan Two and caught the knife between two fingers. He considered it briefly and then flung it back at the hovering royal. As he scrambled to his feet, he heard her cry out in pain. Something warm and wet dripped onto his arm.

"I was only going to kill you before," Garter said quietly. The shadows hid her eyes, but Trunks could see her trembling with fury. She pulled her own knife from her shoulder without flinching, sending glittering drops of crimson falling to the floor below. A golden aura blazed to life around her and her power shot upward to nearly match his own. "Now I will make you suffer. Trunks Briefs – mark my words! You will beg me to die!"

By the time she had finished her proclaimation, Trunks had dropped his transformation and hurtled back out of the door and into the hallway. Without bothering to think about direction, he ran through the darkened and almost deserted subterranean halls. I can't hear her. I can't sense her. Where is she? He stumbled on a loose cobblestone, and felt something whistle by his ear. A dirk of golden ki quivered as it stood out from a nearby wall. I can't run, she'll catch me. I can't fight her, she's literally a killer! I need a third option! Garter suddenly entered his peripheral vision, slowly walking toward him from down a darkened hallway lit by only a few flickering lights.

"You're in a dead end, you know," she said, suddenly grinning. She manifested another knife, and wagged it at him in provocation. "Get it? 'Dead' end?"

His response was to crook his arms just so and fall on one side. As he had hoped, she stopped and stared at him. It gave him just enough time to finish charging up.

"GALLIC GUN!" Trunks shouted. The beam shot upward. The ceiling crumbled instantly, and the soldiers in the barracks above screamed as they were incinerated by the powerful blast. The next two ceilings gave as well, with more screams and even an explosion as a barrel of fuel touched off. When the beam finally dissipated, through all of the smoke and dust, Trunks could see daylight. He tried to leap into the air, only to be rewarded by a horrible pain in his foot. He looked down to see another golden dirk, pinning his suddenly blood-soaked boot to the floor. Garter started to laugh. He looked up to see her tossing the knife idly from hand to hand, slowly sauntering toward him. She's enjoying this. She… likes to kill people. I'm dead. I'm… actually going to die.

"Hey, little girl. Want some candy?" a reedy, rough voice said from above them. Garter looked up, squinting at the sudden glare of daylight. A glob of green liquid struck her face-first, and completely enveloped her head in a mass of ooze. She silently screamed, blazing with golden light and pulling frantically at the disgusting mess. "Oh, my bad. I meant poison."

With its owner completely distracted, the golden dirk pinning Trunks' foot disappeared. He wasted no time flying into the air, where a grinning Lavender was waiting on the ragged edge of the first palace floor. The coyote-man looked no worse for wear and, given the crumbs on his fur, had found ways to make the assignment more pleasant.

"We gotta get out, now. Your parents already bailed along with Ganos, the Emperor is going after them," Lavender said. Below them, Garter screamed in rage and the last of the poison ooze burned away in a cloud of foul smoke. Her face was burned, and her eyes glittered black with murderous rage. Trunks and Lavender shared a look of mutual dread, and then bolted down the hallway at top speed. A blazing ball of golden energy slowly rose behind them, at its heart a living weapon in the form of a little girl.

GANOS

The birdlike alien and the Saiyan were taking turns downing nearly everything that got into their path. Saiyans and aliens alike were sent to the floor below as soon as either saw them. There was no thought to mercy; no hesitation, and no remorse. The guards that tried to stop them were mostly killed outright. Fierce ki blasts incinerated vital organs or heads, while vicious kicks tipped with talons had literally left several unfortunates disemboweled. A trail of blood and bodies stained the hallways behind them, with the ever present shouts of the Emperor and his elites always growing nearer. When they reached the entrance, the token guard was quickly overwhelmed.

"Go," Ganos said. "If I die, they'll probably resurrect me. If you die, we're all screwed."

Vegeta stared at him for a second, and then nodded grimly.

"I won't let this go to waste, you have my word," Vegeta said. "We will-"

"Put me down!" Bulma demanded. Hastily, Vegeta did so. "About time. Look, is it clear? We can make a break for it?"

"For now," Ganos said, nervously glancing down the main hallway. "Get going!"

She opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it as Vegeta squeezed her hand. He gestured toward the outdoors with his chin. With a sigh, she nodded. She mouthed a final thank-you to their alien ally and then the two of them quickly departed. As soon as they were away, Ganos began to dig around in his satchel. After a quick search, he located the vial of corrosive spores he usually kept for more interesting situations. Using a bit of sticky wax, he stuck it just out of sight above the inner of the two great doorways. By the time the elites and other guards were filling the front hallway, the alien was near the top of the high ceiling, pressed between a support beam and a rather ugly gargoyle. Please don't look up. Please don't look up. Okay. Just wait until they get into the antechamber and…

The tiny ki blast Ganos fired had less energy than any of the candles burning in the front hallway of the palace, but it was enough to cause the volatile contain of spores to detonate. The elites beginning to file out of the entrance immediately felt their skin burn. They began to cry out and swat at their own bodies, some rolling on the ground. Many other spores attached to the twin doorways and began to erode them. With a groan, some of the masonry began to fall inward. A great chunk of brickwork fell, ending the suffering of one of the elites whose skin was beginning to liquefy. In the center of the hallway, the Emperor stood and stared at the damage, one eyebrow twitching uncontrollably. He cast around, and then suddenly Ganos found himself looking the enraged Saiyan dead in the eye.

"You!" the Emperor roared. He reached out one hand and fired a massive beam of ki up at the ceiling. Ganos swung down and flew across the room, managing to evade by only a tiny distance. The detonation was deafening, and sent debris flying out across the countryside. Most of the ceiling of the grand front hallway of the palace was gone, showing the blue sky above. Smoking debris showered the Saiyans, elites and nobles alike. Before they could take further action, Ganos flew out through the new hole, touched down in the courtyard, and began to sprint for freedom at the fastest pace his birdlike legs would allow. For a split second, he felt a shadow pass over him, and felt a shiver of dread. He ignored it and kept running. Past the treeline now, he dove directly into the deep forest. He doesn't have that crafty general any longer. I doubt he'll be able to find me. He leapt across a huge fallen tree, and then suddenly caught a glint of golden light from above. His gaze snapped upward, only to see a long sliver of gleaming energy shooting toward him. As it blew a circular hole through the clouds, it let off a sonic boom that made the tops of the trees wave.

"GALLIC LANCE!" the voice of the Emperor rang out from above. "Be pinned to the ground, insect!"

White-hot pain suddenly shot through Ganos, and he looked down to see himself impaled through the leg. The great, gleaming spear of gold had buried itself into the hard wood beneath. The tree shook as the Emperor touched down on it, sending a spasm of pain through the alien's body. He pulled at the shaft frantically, but it only burned his fingers and refused to budge. A sickeningly white light slowly dawned, and his gaze swung upward to see the Emperor holding out a ball of condensed energy, white on nacreous white.

"You are such an impressive specimen, my good agent. I would like to invite you to my study," the Emperor said. No. By all of the Gods, no. The Saiyan's fingers snapped open, and the ball shattered into billions of tiny, sharp shards of ki. Ganos stared at it in fascinated dread. "As ways to die at my hand go, this one is actually rather quick and… mostly painless. FLENSING WAVE!"

The last thing Ganos saw was a torrent of glittering energy. The last thing Ganos felt was the first million cuts of the Emperor's whim.

GARTER (?)

They better be there. If Mom's wrong about even one thing, this is all going to go south.

The portal behind her lay partially hidden in a thicket of trees. She perched above it on a thick branch. She said they're fleeing in this direction. We have to get them out of here. Her ki sense was little help – with so many powerful signatures on the planet, picking out two leaving the palace was almost impossible. Her mind started to wander until she caught a glimpse of motion out of the corner of her eye. There they are. Now, I just have to convince them of who I am.

"Hey there!" she called. Vegeta and Bulma, covered with streaks of sap and thorns, looked up sharply. "I know you don't know who I am, but you need to come with me. I can get you off planet quick."

"I'm not apt to trust some strange child in a tree," Vegeta said, glaring at her. "Give me your name."

"Garter. Garter Briefs," she replied, grinning. Their eyes widened, and both of them started to back away. Oh shit. They think I'm her! "No, wait a minute. I'm not the corrupted version. I'm the real version. It's kinda hard to explain."

"The 'real' version was erased along with the rest of Universe Fifteen," Bulma said. She tried to look dubious, but Garter could see the hope in her eyes. I will save you guys. This has to happen.

"No, I wasn't. Neither was Mom or Dad. It's complicated," Garter said, with a pleading look.

Something landed hard right in front of them, kicking up a cloud of dust. Vegeta backed away, putting Bulma behind him. Garter leapt from the tree branch and entered a fighting stance, staring warily. When the dust cleared, it revealed a familiar head of straight blue hair.

"We have to go, now! That cra…zy…" the blue-haired boy trailed off, staring at Garter. Why is he looking at me like that? Seriously, is the corrupted version of me that bad?

The treeline erupted with thick green smoke, and a lithe figure loped on all fours along the loam and rocks. Lavender disappeared into a thicket of roots and seemed to vanish. Seconds later, golden light shot through the green fog and an enraged half-Saiyan girl strode straight through. Trunks looked at her, blinked in astonishment, and then looked back to the other girl standing before him.

"As I was saying, I'm not her!" Garter shouted. She's covered in blood and carrying a knife. Classy. "Hey, you, Pure Evil! Why don't you pick on someone exactly your size?"

The corrupted Garter stopped in her tracks and stared, mouth hanging open. It was all of the opening that was needed. A furry shape leapt over the girl, spraying a thick cloud of grey-blue smoke. The girl started to cough immediately, swiped ineffectually with her knife a few times, and then stumbled and dropped to her knees. Lavender jumped the rest of the distance to the Saiyans and landed with a flourish.

"Knock-out poison. I don't care how tough she is, it's naptime," the coyote-alien said.

"Who are you?" Garter asked. She looked at the boy that she assumed was her analogue. "Is he okay? Can we trust him?"

"Lavender? Ordinarily, no," the boy said. The alien's head and tail both slowly drooped. "But we're on a mission together so right now, yes."

"Children shouldn't be this cynical, ya know," Lavender said, shaking his head.

"Enough. Garter, how do we get off of this planet?" Vegeta asked. She quickly led them to the portal, a swirling mass of blue light in the middle of a copse of trees.

"This portal," she said. "It will take you to the ISS Unsealed, Mom's ship and my home. It's also, I think, the last piece of the real Universe Fifteen in existence."

"You have no idea how glad I am," Trunks said, staring at her. Behind them, the formerly murderous version of Garter was laid out on the soft loam, snoring. "That you're different from the other you."

"I know, right?" Garter said, glancing at her other self. "I won't lie, that's pretty scary. I mean, Dad's an assassin and everything, but that doesn't make me a killer."

"Your father is an assassin?" Vegeta asked, eyes narrowed.

"Among other things," Garter said. "Go into the portal and you can ask him yourself."

"I'm going," said the boy. He turned to Garter and nodded. "I'm Trunks, by the way."

"Garter," she replied, grinning. "Go on through. Don't freak out if Mom gets aggressively affectionate."

"I already know," Trunks said in an aggrieved tone. This drew a bemused look from Bulma, who then cleared her throat.

"I'll be going through as well," she said, stepping forward. Vegeta made a disgusted noise, and then walked directly into the portal, leaving the rest of his family behind.

"Dad's pretty relaxed most of the time," Garter said, eying the portal. "Why's your Dad so worked up?"

"He's just like that," Trunks said. In the distance came the unmistakable sounds of ki flight coupled with what sounded like horns. "We better all get in there, now. Um… wait, Ganos!"

"Dead," Lavender said. He made an odd whining noise. "I don't know if I've ever smelled that much blood at once."

"You get in too," Garter said. Behind her, Bulma was the second to enter the portal. Garter gestured to Lavender. "We can sort things out later; let's not get killed right now."

"Trunks is right," Lavender said, favoring her with a canine grin. "You're much nicer."

By the time that the first of the Saiyan scouts arrived, only a few lost motes of blue remained where the portal had been.