Lace rushed back into the bunker and called for her family members. They began to emerge cautiously, led by Caulifla, but Bra stayed behind. Lace then realized that Brie was actually in the bunker in the back room Bra had emerged from earlier. She closed her eyes and looked away, trying her best to stay sane.
Once Caulifla gave the all clear, Bulma's family came to realize that everything they had built in their new country was lost. Goten and Bra's home was leveled and burning. Their neighbors' homes were destroyed. People were screaming and crying. Bodies were laying in the street. Even the emergency workers couldn't seem to help everyone, though they sure were trying as they scurried about frantically. Lace felt sick to her stomach watching them and looked away.
"My God…" Bulma whispered, clutching Gin's shoulder and pulling him close to her.
Up ahead, Vegeta and Goku led the group of tattered saiyan warriors to the bunker door. Lace admired their bravery. The two looked like they'd barely taken a hit aside from their ripped clothing, yet they'd battled and killed the majority of the alien invaders compared to the others. Lace took a few steps forward and choked on the air as she tried to inhale. It was too thick with smoke to see very far, but outlines of people were still heading towards them.
"Dad?" Lace whispered.
Finally, Goten appeared. His head was bleeding and he was holding one of his arms protectively. Keiko was walking just behind him, beside Trunks. She was helping her father stand. Marron quickly rushed past Lace to his side and grabbed them both into a hug. The twins joined their family's embrace, but they too looked as though they'd both taken a massive beating.
Lace couldn't wait another second. She ran forward and wrapped her arms around her father's waist. He kissed the top of her head and squeezed her lovingly, clearly relieved that she was alive.
"D-dad…W-what are we gonna do…about Brie?" Lace cried quietly.
Goten only squeezed Lace harder. He was silent. Vegeta took a few steps towards them and cleared his throat.
"Stop crying and gather your strength, Lace." Vegeta said firmly, "We are not done here."
"I c-can't stop crying! How c-could this h-happen?" Lace sobbed, "This is all my fault!"
Goten looked as though he'd been struck by a bullet to the heart. Tears welled up in his eyes and he had to quickly step away, afraid to cry in front of the group. Lace saw Trunks leave his family and rush over to Goten to console him. She couldn't bear to watch the pain her very existence was causing her family.
Vegeta walked forward with the swagger of a mighty king and grabbed both of her shoulders. He looked into her eyes with the sincerest face of sympathy she'd ever seen him muster.
"This is not your fault. We will always find a way to defeat those who challenge us. We never give up. You are the heir to our royal saiyan thrown. You are the one who would rule our people…you were destined for this life of chaos, no matter how difficult it gets." Vegeta lowered his gaze, "It is time…to teach these saiyans, wherever they have come from, what power the king and his royal family of universe seven's planet Earth possess. We will kill them. We will kill them all."
Cabba perked up from staring at the ground and took a few steps towards them.
"Are you saying that you think those saiyans could've come from universe six?"
Caulifla looked shocked that he would suggest such a thing, but Tarble shrugged in their direction.
"Perhaps they did. We should keep our minds open to all possibilities...we know nothing of your universe."
Caulifla looked like she wanted to punch Tarble in the face, which was fairly normal, until Goku stepped in between them and frowned.
"Look, we gotta act fast. They haven't gotten very far. With both Vegeta and me using instant transmission…I'll bet we could catch them on the run!"
Tarble laughed ironically.
"Excuse me, Kakarott, but we can't just march our way into a ship full of unknown saiyans without a carefully structured and thought-out plan."
They stared at each other. Everyone was at a loss for words. Bulma suddenly pointed upwards as though she'd thought of her most brilliant idea yet.
"Hey! I have a ship you could use! It's kinda small, but it'll hold enough of you to fight and it can travel at light speed! The coolest part about it though is the invisibility feature…I built it a few years back. Would that work?"
The group seemed to perk up a bit. Tarble crossed his arms hesitantly.
"It may. I would need to inspect it first."
"Oh, leave it to the genius." Caulifla scoffed.
"So…obvious question…how do we decide who goes? This is a seriously dangerous mission, but we need strong people here on Earth, too…what if they come back?" Trunks added cautiously, returning to the group with Goten.
Lace took to opportunity to insert herself into the conversation and stood up straight.
"I'll fight. I'll avenge my sister. I'll tear them to pieces."
Behind her, Cabba and Caulifla began arguing like crazy. It only took a few moments until Caulifla pushed him aside and stepped back up to the group.
"I'll go. We just bought a damn house down the street and they blew it up…hell no…I'll kill those bastards with my bare hands!" Caulifla growled, punching a fist into her open hand.
"You're moving here?" Lace gasped, spinning around to face Kole.
Kole smirked, "Yeah, it was supposed to be a surprise…"
Cabba sighed and place a hand on Caulifla's shoulder. He looked terribly worried and pale in the face.
"Caulifla, please. I'll go, you stay. It's just safer here…"
Caulifla crossed her arms defiantly.
"Unlike you, I haven't had the…pleasure…of meeting these crazy universe seven saiyans." She turned towards Goku, "For the record, the saiyans Cabba and I grew up with would have never done these things…it's just not the way things are on Sadala. These have to be saiyans from your universe that you didn't know existed."
Goku and Vegeta looked at each other warily, but Tarble was having none of it and began walking away.
"Can we please just go to Bulma's ship? I want to look over the parameters. We haven't any more time to waste!" Tarble demanded.
The group began to head back into the bunker one-by-one, but before they could disappear from the burning rubble, Lace heard a voice shouting. She could see two figures running in the distance, covered up by the smoke still billowing from the burning homes.
"Lace! Keiko!"
The voices were familiar. Lace and Keiko stopped dead in their tracks and waited for the figures to get close enough to see.
"What the…" Keiko frowned, squinting through the smoke.
"Chai? Hakosu?" Lace gasped.
Chai stopped just in front of them. Her mascara was running down her face. She'd been crying. Hakosu leaned over to catch his breath. Lace noticed that both of them had a considerable amount of blood on them and their clothes were tattered and ripped.
"What happened to you guys?" Keiko demanded, "I can't believe you tried to take on those…uh…aliens!"
Hakosu peered up at her. He slowly stood up and frowned.
"You mean saiyans?"
The entire group froze and gasped. Vegeta quickly turned away from the bunker door and grabbed Hakosu by the shirt.
"What did you just say, boy?" Vegeta growled.
"I fought them. I protected Chai…but I couldn't save everyone…"
"How do you know of the saiyan race?" Tarble growled from behind Vegeta.
"S-Seth…he's my best friend. I've known about saiyans since we were little kids!"
Chai looked utterly terrified. Keiko had an arm around her and was helping her stand. Lace couldn't believe what she was hearing and decided to add her own questions.
"Hak…were you with Brie when…she…" Lace faded to a whisper.
Hakosu sighed. Chai began to tear up again.
"We were in Rez's truck downtown. We picked up Brie from here earlier…Chris and Bibii were with us, too. We got stuck in traffic and while we were waiting to find out what happened, fire just started raining from the sky. Rez turned around and tried to drive over some grass, but the truck was hit. We flew out of the truck's bed…I was lucky enough to miss the tree the truck slammed into."
Lace gasped. The group looked around at each other in shock.
"There was this one saiyan there. It's like he appeared from nowhere. He had really long, spikey hair…he was super tall…he said his name was Raditz. He was looking for Lace."
Chai wiped away some tears while Vegeta and Goku began talking furiously back and forth. Goten seemed outraged and looked like he might explode.
"He thought Brie was Lace…he fought her. She barely stood her ground. I tried to help, but then he grabbed Bibii. She was unconscious…Brie took off after him and got hit with a direct energy blast. I saw her hit the ground, but I…I was paralyzed. That's when you showed up…that's when you found her."
He nodded towards Goten. Lace couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"After you took Brie, the ambulances started showing up to help people. Christopher was taken right away…we don't know if he survived. There was…so much blood…"
"What about Rez? Was he okay?" Keiko asked, rubbing Chai's shoulder.
Hakosu turned to her, "By the time we were finished helping with Christopher…we came back to the truck to help them get Rez out, but he was gone."
"Why would they take humans?" Caulifla asked, "This doesn't make any sense…"
"They took Seth, too. And my cousin, Cody." Lace added to Hakosu.
The crackle of the burning debris around them stung Lace's nose with the scent of ash. Time was wasting, but she had to know what he knew.
"But…There's something else…" Hakosu added, looking anxious.
"God, what else could their possibly be?" Goten groaned, rubbing his forehead.
"When Chai and I started heading this way to find you, we had to hide from a few of the soldiers. We overheard them talking. They were looking for someone."
"Yeah, yeah…they are always looking for Lace!" Keiko sighed.
"No, it wasn't her. They kept referring to "it" and that since it escaped from them, they were positive it was here on Earth."
Tarble stepped forward and examined Hakosu. He frowned.
"You're saying that something that they want is still here on Earth?"
Hakosu shrugged, "It sure seemed like they couldn't find it. Whatever it is."
"We should move swiftly. Who knows what is lurking around the corner for us here…defeating the enemy that has shown themselves is our first task at hand."
The group agreed. As they headed into the bunker, Bulma quickly illuminated a key pad that Lace hadn't seen earlier. She pressed a few keys and then placed her hand upon the reader, opening a large door seemingly from nowhere.
"It's just through here, guys. Follow me." Bulma said quickly.
While the family remained rather distracted, Hakosu and Chai were stunned by the sight. They looked like they'd both seen a ghost.
Just ahead on the wall was a large red button. Bulma pressed the button with force and stepped back a bit. The ground began to shake. Soon the floor opened up and slowly, an impressive spacecraft rose from below the depths of the bunker.
"Wow!" Keiko exclaimed.
"You…you have spaceships…under your house…" Chai said with wide eyes.
Goku stepped forward confidently and began strolling towards the ship.
"Let's go!" He said happily.
Vegeta grabbed him by the back of the shirt.
"Wait just a minute, Kakarott!" Vegeta snarled.
"What?" He asked, cocking his head to the side and whining.
"You have to stay here! One of us goes, the other stays…we agreed upon that! Do you honestly think that I would leave Bulma here unprotected? We can't risk both you and I dying out there!"
"Aw, then you stay, Vegeta! I wanna fight them again!" Goku pleaded like a small child.
"This is my family's business, Kakarott! You don't get to decide everything all the time!" Vegeta shouted before turning and rushing towards the ship.
"She's my granddaughter, too, Vegeta!" Goku pointed, pouting.
"I am painfully aware of that, you buffoon." Vegeta grumbled without turning around.
Defeated, Goku slouched over and crossed his arms. Tarble patted Goku's arm and smiled as he followed his brother.
"It's okay, Kakarott. Maybe next time. Try to ignore his harsh words and focus on the fact that yet again, Earth is in your oh-so-capable hands."
Lace smirked. She knew Tarble secretly hated Goku, probably for the same reasons that Vegeta did, but she also knew it wasn't really avoidable. Goku was a pretty annoying person if you didn't already love him. Tarble was too formal to stoop to the insults that Vegeta spouted, but he definitely had enough spunk in him to use sarcasm to his advantage.
"So, how many people can go? Goku and Cabba stay here, Vegeta, Lace and I go…" Caulifla began.
"Pardon me, but I'll be going as well." Tarble declared, peeking out of the ship's door and quickly disappearing again.
Lace turned to Keiko and felt guilty for what she was about to ask. She knew Keiko wouldn't like it, but she had to make sure that her mother and Brie's body were kept safe. The only person she trusted for that job was her best friend.
"Keiko…I need you to stay behind." Lace said softly.
"What? Hell no! I'm going!" Keiko growled.
"No…I need you to stay here and guard my mom…and…and…"
Lace trailed off. She stared at the floor and held back tears.
"Lace, we've got you. I'll stay behind with Keiko and protect Bra. I know you're worried sick about her…them…" Trunks said calmly, placing a hand on his daughter's shoulder.
Keiko pouted, but rolled her eyes and agreed. She hugged Lace tightly.
"I would like to go…" Hakosu said timidly.
"Like hell you will! I can't go, but you go?" Keiko complained.
"I already made it clear that I stood my ground once. I saved Chai's life. It's my duty to get Bibii and Rez back from that place. You all have other things to tend to up there, so let me handle rescuing our friends!"
Hakosu made a fair point. Lace had to agree with his logic.
"If you take a human, you'll need this…" Bulma said quickly, rushing over to a cabinet.
She pulled out an oxygen tank and a type of spacesuit. Hakosu frowned.
"Why wouldn't they need it?" He asked.
"We can breathe in space…not forever, but for a while." Lace shrugged.
While Bulma helped Hakosu suit up, Lace stepped up onto the ship. On board, Tarble was already seated in the pilot's seat. He quickly began calibrating the millions of buttons and knobs like a professional as the rest of them simply stood around in awe. They were surrounded by the most high-tech contraptions that Lace had ever laid eyes on.
Behind Lace, Goten stepped on board.
"Dad?" Lace asked, "You aren't staying with mom?"
Goten shook his head, "Trunks and Keiko can do that just fine. I need to make sure that you are safe…"
Lace understood his reasoning all too well.
With Hakosu trotting aboard in his spacesuit, Tarble pulled a lever sealing the door shut. Engines began to roar. Lace stood by her father and leaned on him slightly. The ship began to move forward. Lace looked out of the large window in front and saw the bunker wall open up to reveal the dark, night sky. She couldn't believe all of this was hidden below her own home without them ever knowing.
"Hold on." Tarble said sternly.
Lace felt the ship jolt forward and shoot into the sky. It headed straight upwards, breaking through the atmosphere at light speed and burning in the air around it. Before they knew it, they reached outer space. The blackness consumed literally everything. Lace couldn't believe her eyes. She'd seen pictures, but Goten wouldn't let her fly into space, regardless of the saiyan ability to breathe without oxygen. He continuously reminded her how dangerous it was, even though her aunt Pan was flying around the globe by her first birthday.
"Do you even know where we're going?" Vegeta grumbled, walking over to Tarble and leaning over him.
"Not yet. Hold on a moment. I need to activate the invisibility shield…" Tarble said, distracted.
He pulled up a screen that lit up in front of him in midair. He typed a few things and a red dot appeared on the vast map of space. Tarble pointed and smiled.
"Gotcha." He smiled deviously, "There's their ship…just as I suspected. We'll land on the outer wing…here…and then we'll be able to sneak inside. Bulma has capsulated this thing…I can keep it on me while we're inside or leave it invisible...what do you think, brother?"
"Let's leave it. Who knows how quickly we'll need to move…"
The group nodded in agreement with Vegeta as the ship sped towards its destination. Hakosu walked over to Lace and nudged her.
"I'm nervous…" Hakosu whispered.
Lace smirked, "The good thing is that as long as I'm there, they'll try to go after me before they even notice your energy."
Hakosu looked even more nervous. She supposed it was probably due to the fact that he was about to enter a bee hive of evil saiyans. Did he really think he could beat one? He was in fact a human. According to Lace's parents, who knew Keiko's human grandfather before he passed, Krillin was the strongest human on Earth. There hadn't been any humans close to his power level in ages.
Hakosu took a few nervous steps towards the large window and peered out at the blackness.
"It's just that I've heard about and learned about saiyans from Seth for so long...I guess it's like dinosaurs, right? They're all so cool and awesome until you actually meet one and they eat you…" Hakosu chuckled nervously, "I don't know…I just want Bibii and Rez to be safe back on Earth. I'm so worried about them."
"What about Seth?" Lace interjected, looking offended.
"Seth can take care of himself. I know he can. I believe in him. You should, too."
Before Lace could respond, the ship gently landed on top of the massive spaceship belonging to the enemy. It appeared to be docked onto a station of sorts.
"This is it, everyone. Be prepared. Be vigilant…most of all, hide your energy like your life depends on it." Tarble said, parking the ship firmly in place.
When the door opened, Lace felt her heart beating out of her chest. This was the moment she'd been waiting for. She started down the ramp confidently and began to float along.
She expected it to be difficult to breathe, but somehow her lungs breathed on their own without any oxygen. She marveled at her own body and continued along.
"Enter there…I see a hatch." Caulifla said, pointing.
They floated towards it and stopped outside of it. Vegeta moved forward and yanked it open, revealing a room full of pipes and electronic equipment. No one was inside. They hurried Hakosu in first and then followed, closing the hatch quickly.
"Phew…" Hakosu said, pulling the oxygen mask off, "That was terrifying."
The saiyans shrugged, unaffected. They began to snake their way through the maze of pipes quietly, looking around every corner for potential threats. Now and then, Vegeta would stop and make them press flat against a pipe as he assessed a noise ahead. Lace felt her heart thumping. She couldn't contain her excitement.
"There's a door…" Caulifla said quietly, "Do you think they're behind that?"
Vegeta approached the door and closed his eyes. He pressed his ear firmly against the cold metal and placed his hand flat against it. Lace realized he wasn't listening; he was feeling the energy of the room. His ability to locate even the most disguised energies was unrivaled.
"There's someone…it seems like just one saiyan. We can take them out easily." Vegeta confirmed.
"Ladies first." Caulifla said confidently, cracking her knuckles and sauntering forward.
Tarble and Goten rolled their eyes and hung back slightly. It seemed they were planning on being overly cautious. Vegeta opened the door, revealing a larger room full of hallways turning in all different directions. Caulifla stepped out and began creeping forward. She stopped abruptly.
"There!" She mouthed silently, pointing around a corner.
Lace saw her leap into action and quietly take out what appeared to be a guard. He had saiyan armor, but it was black and gold with a strange symbol on the back plate. Vegeta paused to look at it and frowned.
"I've seen that symbol before…I can't recall where…"
Tarble nodded, "As have I."
Caulifla shrugged and kept moving. Lace felt a little streak of jealousy.
Caulifla was such a perfect saiyan woman. Powerful beyond belief yet cocky and proud, just like Vegeta. She was the true embodiment of what Lace wished her personality was like, but her human emotions made her weak. She hated that about herself.
As they moved down a long, white hallway, Lace suddenly felt a horrible pressure in her chest. She reached up and touched her skin, rubbing it gently. Then she began to cough. The pressure began to grow stronger, constricting her heart and pulling outwards.
"Lace, are you okay?" Hakosu gasped.
Lace fell to the ground clutching her chest. She gasped for air. She could hear footsteps rushing towards them. The others circled around her.
"I see you've found us. How clever of you." A voice declared.
A group of saiyan men stood in front of them, all dressed in black and gold. Their armor glistened under the harsh lights above. Lace could barely keep her eyes open through the pain and curled into a ball. She felt Hakosu leaning over her, trying his best to offer comfort.
"You think you can stop us?" Caulifla asked playfully.
"Take them into custody, men!" A commanding officer shouted.
Vegeta smirked. Goten growled angrily. Tarble took a few steps back to protect Lace and Hakosu.
The fight was on.
