Chapter 9 – That which was unexpected
Cheelai walked into the darkened room where Broly slept. A single source of light from the outside illuminated the room enough to see where she was going.
As she approached him, she could see his arms around himself. His fingers dug so deep into his skin that they were drawing blood. His body twitched as he grunted, his head shaking slightly, and Cheelai's face sank as she watched him.
"Another nightmare," she whispered. She took Broly's hands, trying to pry his fingers out of his skin to stop drawing blood. She gasped suddenly when the hands grabbed her. They tightened around her arms as she found herself pulled towards him. She struggled in vain to escape, but his grip worsened.
"Broly! Let me go!" she yelled, but her voice wasn't reaching him. He pulled her into a tight embrace, crushing her against him and her eyes widened. She wanted to yell again and scream at him to release her, but no sound could escape her mouth.
She felt her lungs collapse against the weight of her ribs as they crushed and punctured them. Broly's grip was vice-like, like a boa constrictor wrapping itself around its prey. Her eyes rolled upward as her face turned a shade of purplish-blue. Broly's growls were becoming louder, and he let out a massive roar as his hair flared up and changed color from black to yellow-green.
"Cheelai!" Broly screamed as he suddenly woke up. Sweat drenched his face, matting his hair as he sat up. He looked around in a panic, searching for Cheelai, yet there was no sign of her. Nothing but the same empty hospital room he woke up to for the last few days.
He looked down at his hands. They wouldn't stop shaking. He gripped them tightly and began to grind his teeth. His throat rumbled with his growing anger as he threw the blanket off of him. Clutching his head, he pulled at his hair and shook his head from side to side, howling.
Clutching the bed, he lifted it off the floor and threw it so hard at the far wall that the frame shattered into several pieces, the coils from the mattress piercing through the fabric.
Broly kept howling and yelling, clenching his fists as the power welled up inside him. Waves of energy gushed out from his aura, creating a dome. It began to warp and dent the room as he screamed up at the heavens, bursting out of the room to fly to the air.
"CHEELAI!"
The commotion woke the compound as lights immediately switched on in several rooms. The first to be alerted was Vegeta.
"Dammit, Broly! Not now!" he growled and opened up the window to fly out. He could easily sense Broly's massive accelerated energy fluctuations and flew over to engage him.
"CHEELAI!" Broly screamed again, and his hair shifted from black to gold. Vegeta gasped in surprise.
"He's transforming! I have to stop him quickly!"
Vegeta needed to transform as well. Transforming into Super Saiyan Blue, he flew towards Broly and stopped with his arms extended outward.
"Broly! Calm yourself! This isn't the time to be fighting!"
"WHERE IS SHE?!" Broly yelled. Vegeta scoffed and took up a fighting stance.
"He's lost in his rage again that he can't think straight," Vegeta noted to himself, and he flickered his body in rapid movements to catch Broly off-guard and threw a punch, hoping that it was strong enough to knock Broly out. He didn't want to drag this fight and level the city around him. He needed to lure Broly as far away from the city as possible.
He didn't realize how ineffective his punch was until he connected with Broly's face. It rocked his head, yet Broly pushed it back with a look of pure fury, his eyes glazed over white and unfocused.
"What the-?"
Broly batted Vegeta's arm away and went in for a heavy blow to the midsection, but Vegeta quickly flew to avoid it. Broly followed with several energy blasts from his mouth, shooting sickly-looking green energy balls that forced Vegeta to fly back and bat away with the back of his hands.
"Dammit, Broly! You need to control your anger! This is exactly what happened last time!" Vegeta yelled, but Broly flew in a quick burst to lay into him. He blocked several heavy blows from Broly, but each one was pushing him down towards the ground.
"His strength was already ridiculous in his base form! Now I have to deal with him as a Super Saiyan again!"
Vegeta countered several of Broly's punches, but they weren't connecting hard enough. Broly screamed again as more energy exploded from his aura and the prevailing winds blew Vegeta back, shielding his face with his arms.
"Dammit, I don't have time for this!" Vegeta growled and let out a massive roar. His hair shifted again, shimmering with a darker blue color, and his muscular structure increased slightly. He had previously used this form when he fought in the Tournament of Power against Jiren the Gray from the Eleventh Universe's Pride Trooper group, a power Vegeta never realized he could achieve.
The fight rocked Metro West as citizens migrated to the streets to get in a better look at what woke them up. Everyone gazed upon the shimmering colors, one a sinister-looking green, the other a dark blue with energy particles floating up from its aura. Each blow from the two rocked the area with so much energy that it shook the ground below. People toppled over each other, tripping and falling with cries of panic coming from all directions as everyone scrambled to safety.
Lemo ran outside to the back yard of the main Capsule Corporation building. He stared up at the two Saiyans.
"CHEELAI!" Broly screamed again. A look of fear came over Lemo's face as he stared up at him.
"This is the worst-case scenario! He's completely lost in his anger, and Cheelai's not back from her vacation to talk some sense in him!"
Another howl from Broly rocked the buildings, shattering windows.
Scowling at Broly, Vegeta moved backward. "I need to take this out of the city."
With a burst, he flew fast out of the city. Broly, despite his blinding rage, was focused on Vegeta.
"GIVE ME MY CHEELAI!" Broly screamed as he chased after Vegeta. The Saiyan Prince smirked, glancing behind him. That's it, Broly. Focus on me.
Vegeta flew far enough to spin around and rock Broly with a hard right hook to the face. The collision caused an energy explosion that leveled the terrain below them. Rocks and trees were blown away from their foundation as Broly shook his head, disoriented.
"You still haven't fully recovered from your injury. A few more blows should suffice to knock some sense back into you," Vegeta said and powered up into a high speed burst to land several more blows into Broly. He followed it up with an energy blast from his open palm, his Big Bang attack that sent Broly screaming to the earth below. He crashed into the ground as Vegeta lowered his hand. Stay down.
Shaking his head again, Broly slowly rose back to his feet. Power erupted again from all around him as his energy fluctuated, causing visible distortions of color and formation to alter Vegeta's perspective, and Broly fired back with a massive energy beam from his mouth that flew out like a flamethrower.
"Damn it all!" Vegeta yelled as he fired an energy blast of his own back at Broly, and the two energy beams collided to explode on impact. Vegeta shielded his face once more from the onset, while Broly burst forth from the ground to fly up to him. Through the smoke, Broly caught Vegeta by surprise and struck him with a right uppercut.
Just as Broly was about to follow up with another hard punch, Goku appeared, fingers to his forehead, and he caught the fist in his other hand. He immediately followed up by powering into his Super Saiyan Blue state and closed his hand on Broly's fist, holding it in place.
Regaining his senses, Vegeta held his head. Looking down at Goku, he scowled at him.
"It's about time you showed up, Kakarot!"
Broly breathed heavily, his breath misting in the air. Gritting his teeth, he moved in with his other hand to punch Goku. Goku let his hand go, and both he and Vegeta powered up to punch Broly simultaneously in the face, following it up with a team double-ax handle to knock him down.
"Just so we're clear, I'm not fusing this time," Vegeta said and used a burst of energy to fly down rapidly.
"I know, Vegeta! I wanna fight this guy again on my own!" Goku said with excitement in his voice. He yelled and built up more power and caught up with Vegeta using rapid bursts of speed.
They closed in on Broly in a pincer formation. Despite Vegeta's reluctance to work alongside his rival, subduing Broly took priority above everything else.
"He's a fast learner, so we have to be careful to watch his movements," Goku said. Vegeta understood that from their first encounter, and he could sense that Broly's energy, though still ridiculously high, wasn't rising any higher.
If we continue at this rate, we can wear out his strength and stamina, Vegeta thought and observed Broly's movements as he fought him with Goku at the other side. Broly took several hits but withstood just as much damage as before. It dawned on him that the blows from his right arm weren't connecting as strongly as those from his left, and he grinned.
"Kakarot! Focus on his injured shoulder!" Vegeta yelled, and Goku nodded. He flew around to distract Broly with several energy blasts aimed precisely at his injured shoulder, connecting each time. Broly screamed out from the painful impact and let out another roar. He flew up to punch Goku with rights and lefts, yet Goku could dodge them more successfully.
"He's wearing down, Vegeta!" Goku shouted as he blocked more punches, countering them with hits directly to the injured shoulder. The bandages were unraveling around it, exposing more of the nasty wound that Broly suffered at the hands of that titanic worm he and Goku encounter on Vampa.
Broly's breathing was heavy and labored, which relieved the other two Saiyans. They could sense through the fighting that Broly's punches were losing power behind them. It wasn't long now before he would fall out of his Super Saiyan state.
Vegeta and Goku circled Broly, punching him down. The yellow-green hair began to flicker and change until it shifted back to his natural black color, and the pupils of his eyes were visible again. He went for another punch at Vegeta, but his eyes rolled back, and he whiffed on the blow, falling forward.
Catching him in their hands before he crashed into the ground, they lowered him safely down.
"Whew, that was a close one!" Goku said and powered down to his base form. Vegeta did so as well and stared down at the unconscious Saiyan.
"You can see the problem we're facing here, Kakarot," he said, glancing up at Goku with his arms crossed.
"So how do we get him to fight at his full potential without going berserk?"
Goku leered down at him, hands on his hips. Vegeta lifted Broly off the ground and hoisted him upon his shoulders.
"We'll worry about that tomorrow," Vegeta said and flew back up away from the destroyed landscape. Goku flew up and waved at him.
"See ya, Vegeta!" Goku said and flew off with a white aura surrounding him to get back home as quickly as possible.
Vegeta landed in front of Lemo when he saw him stare up at the two as he returned to Capsule Corporation.
"Is he?" Lemo yelled, running up to him.
"He'll be fine," Vegeta told him and walked into the building, still holding onto the large Saiyan. He carried him to a different room in the medical wing and laid him down on top of the bed. Lemo ran off to retrieve another anti-viral injection and paused when he saw Broly's exposed shoulder. He examined it for a moment and nodded, looking satisfied.
"I think this injection will be the last one. Broly'll be free of that virus by the morning, but I'd wrap up that nasty wound again if I were you."
Vegeta gave him a look but didn't say anything. He summoned a nurse, which prompted several of them to show up instead. They bombarded Lemo with questions, and he stared back in a panic.
"Your guess is as good as mine, lady! Just re-wrap his injury already!" Lemo yelled and sank into the chair beside the bed. When the nurses finished looking him over and securing a fresh bandage around his shoulder, they all looked at Lemo.
"He's not running a fever, yet we have no explanation for the sudden bruises and scrapes," said one of the nurses, and Lemo chuckled to himself.
"You let me worry about that, ma'am," he said, dismissing them. He glanced over at Broly, who slowly opened his eyes.
"Hey, there."
Broly went to sit up but groaned. His hand went to his shoulder as a sharp pain shot up through his body, localized to the wound.
"Easy there, big guy. Don't move so suddenly."
Broly felt the bandages and glanced at the wound for a moment, then at Lemo. "What happened?"
"You flew into another rage, a big one this time. You kept screaming Cheelai's name as you fought Vegeta."
Broly's eyes widened. He let his hand fall back to his side as he stared up at the ceiling.
"I could've sworn I also heard you scream 'Give me my Cheelai!' at some point as well, but I might've misheard you."
Broly frowned, and Lemo stood up, wondering if there would be another outburst of anger. He was prepared for it this time.
"Relax! Don't lose it again, alright?" Lemo asked, and Broly was surprised to hear that. He looked over at Lemo anxiously.
"I, I don't want you to be afraid of me."
Lemo's grave expression as he leaned forward with his hands on the railing made Broly look more afraid than Lemo.
"Kid, I'd be a terrible friend if you ever scared me with a temper tantrum. We'll work it out. As long as it takes, we'll get that anger of yours under control."
Broly had enough strength to sit up this time. He stared at the bed. "I miss Cheelai."
"Get some sleep, Broly," Lemo said as he walked to the door.
"Lemo…don't go."
Lemo sighed, leaning on the door frame. He glanced behind him with a grin.
"I don't want to be alone," Broly said and wrapped his arms around himself. Lemo walked over to him and ruffled his hair. Broly closed his eyes, smiling. Lemo could hear a soft rumble coming from the Saiyan's throat but wondered if that was just his imagination. Was Broly purring?
"Alright. I'll stay tonight, but promise me you'll get to sleep."
Broly nodded and lied back down on the pillow.
Lemo stood beside the bed. The new room had a window that overlooked the yard below, giving Lemo a nice view of the central domed building of Capsule Corporation from the back. He walked over to the window with a hand to his chest.
I pray tomorrow goes well with Lord Beerus. If things take a turn for the worse, this might end up being my last night on Earth.
The early morning sunlight peeked over the horizon and shone light through the window in the hospital room. It woke Lemo from his sleep on a chair by the door. Watching Broly fall into a deep slumber eventually put him to sleep.
He stood up and took a deep breath. "It's time."
After leaving the room as quietly as possible, Lemo headed for the market to purchase the fresh catches of the day. Bulma was gracious enough to leave him an envelope of money to buy all the ingredients he would need. With one of the capsule vehicles lent to him by a staff member, he had the means to travel downtown Metro West and return with enough time to prepare everything.
Time was of the essence since he wasn't entirely sure when Lord Beerus and Whis would show up, and punctuality was something he desperately needed on top of preparing everything. He spent the last few days working the kitchen staff to the bone, grinding them into a well-oiled machine that even the former head chef was impressed to see.
He was never without his signature toque on his head, leaving it on overnight as he slept. If he was going to do this right, he wanted to keep it on his head and do everything correctly. He felt more confident wearing his toque than anything else, yet the seriousness on his face hadn't indicated it.
When he returned to Capsule Corporation, some of the kitchen staff were awake and setting things up. He was pleased to see the early risers ready to go, and they waved and bowed at him as he entered with bags of produce in his hands.
"Help me unload the car, would you?" he asked one of them, and they all decided to join him instead.
The team worked tirelessly throughout the morning, preparing everything Lemo had written down. He wanted Lord Beerus to sample cuisine from across the globe, with Bulma even suggesting that he prepare a dessert called "pudding" as the final dish, something she said would leave the God of Destruction overwhelmed with joy. Lemo cocked an eyebrow but shrugged. He had a couple of ideas for pudding flavors he could work on and decided to incorporate three different chocolate flavors into one pudding dish.
Broly woke up later in the morning and frowned when he didn't see Lemo in the room. He took in his surroundings and sat up. He was still quite sore from the battle, and he vaguely remembered Goku leaving one of those strange green beans on the table. He searched around, but the bean wasn't there.
It took some effort to stand up, and he wobbled on his feet. Still weakened from both the injury to his shoulder and the added bruises he suffered last night, there was very little he could remember. After he woke up, he noticed that the room looked different, with a window allowing sunlight to cast a shadow on the floor.
Taking a few steps forward, he regained his sense of motion and walked out of the room. His hand fell to his pelt and was relieved that it remained tied to his waist. At least the people on this planet were kind enough to leave him with Ba's ear.
He closed his eyes and felt for either Goku's or Vegeta's energy but couldn't sense anything. He steadied himself with the help of the wall beside him. Strangers greeted him with a friendly smile as he walked down the hall, but there were so many faces he never saw that he grew uncomfortable looking at everyone.
"Ah, there you are," said one of the nurses as she approached him from behind. "You shouldn't be out of your room so soon, not until you've fully recovered from your injury."
Broly glanced behind him, but he couldn't remember the nurse's face. He began picking up the pace and hobbled along the wall, scanning the halls again for a familiar face. He needed to see someone he knew, someone he remembered. Even those two boys who stopped by the other day will suffice.
"I can't," he whispered. "I can't get angry…"
Yet the more he struggled to look away, the more attention he drew from the staff. He staggered forward a few steps, nearly crashing into a table out in the lobby with chairs for guests waiting to be escorted into the building by senior board members. Those seated together let out a yell as Broly nearly toppled them over. He rose and backed away, his face full of panic.
"Mister Broly, please, let me help you back to your room!" the nurse called out to him. Broly swatted her away with his injured arm flailing in front of him.
"Go away!"
He breathed heavily, eyes wide with terror. "Cheelai!" he called out again and moved to leave the lobby to the front walkway.
"Cheelai!" he yelled again. He searched around—still no sign of her. It was maddening for him, unable to see her face, her snow-white hair, and those beautiful purple eyes looking at him with the gentleness he never knew could exist. His father's fierce gaze was all he ever saw for decades. His voice was drilling into him the way of the Saiyan warrior, the pride of the Saiyan warrior, the intensity of Saiyan anger roaring like the great apes they become at the sight of the full moon.
Broly had become the first Saiyan to harness the great ape's power without the need to transform, a power that had been unleashed against Goku and Vegeta when he fought them for the first time. That power was creeping up again as his panic melted and blended itself with his anger.
"Cheelai!" Another call to her; only it was full of pain, fear, and anger. He sounded desperate to those who were within earshot of his frantic behavior, and he collapsed on his hands and knees, screaming her name into the ground.
Trunks and Goten were nearby, engaged in a light spar above the backyard when they could see Broly on the ground at the other side of the building.
"Hey, why's uncle Broly on the ground?" Goten asked.
"Beats me," Trunks replied, then they heard Cheelai's name coming from Broly's mouth.
"Hey Goten, wasn't that the woman with mom's hairstyle? The one wearing Freeza's armor?"
Goten crossed his arms, puzzled. "Why does he keep screaming her name, though?"
"We should go ask him," Trunks said and sped off down to the front of the building. Goten followed, and the two boys landed near Broly.
Clenching his fists, Broly shook. His hand went to his head, and he began growling. Last night's events were repeating themselves, and Broly was taking a turn for the worse. His sanity was slipping away, giving in to his rage. Lemo told him that Cheelai was coming back, but the memory was fading.
"Hey, Mister Broly? Are you okay?" Trunks asked, putting his hands on Broly's back to comfort him. Broly slammed his fists on the ground, creating large cracks around the impact, and Trunks backed away quickly.
"Whoa!"
"Uncle? What's wrong?" Goten asked, and Broly roared, holding his head. The ground began to shake around everyone, and people ran away in a panic.
"Hey, he's not gonna wreck the place, is he?" Trunks asked nervously, and Goten had the instinct to transform into his Super Saiyan state. Trunks nodded and transformed as well, the boys taking up a fighting stance.
"We were right all along about that woman, Goten! She's a soldier working for Freeza, and this guy's gotta be her secret weapon she planned to unleash!"
"We'll hold him off until our dads show up!" Goten shouted.
"Trunks! Goten! Back away!" Vegeta shouted from above as he landed behind them, holding Bra in his arms. He passed her to Trunks.
"Look after her. I'll handle this," Vegeta said and walked calmly towards Broly.
"Wait, papa! He looks ready to fight everyone around him!" Trunks called out, but Vegeta shot him a look that held him at bay.
"Take your sister back to her room, Trunks. Stay there with Goten," he said. "Go!"
Bra reached out for her father with her arms, but Trunks flew up. She began crying, forcing him to calm her down.
"There, there. Papa's got this under control," Trunks told her, and she continued reaching out for him.
"Papa doesn't like hearing Bra cry, so hopefully this won't distract him," Trunks alluded to Goten as they flew back to the window to Bra's room in the residential building.
When they were out of sight, Vegeta stood over Broly with his arms crossed. "Broly!"
The large Saiyan growled and snarled, his fingers digging into the ground.
"Broly! Control your anger!" Vegeta barked. He didn't power up nor transform.
"A Saiyan's anger can be harnessed! Becoming angry is nothing if you cannot bring it under control!"
"I want Cheelai!" Broly managed to speak through his outburst.
"Your woman will return soon with Bulma. Focus! Bring your anger under control!"
"I can't…"
"What was that?" Vegeta said. He could barely hear what Broly had said.
"I can't control it! I don't know how!"
"Tch. Blame your father for his incompetent teaching. He treated your anger as a weapon to use against me to seek revenge against my father. Am I wrong?"
Broly glared at Vegeta, his eyes flickering from black to yellow. "Don't speak badly about Father!"
Vegeta remained calm. "The noble blood of a Saiyan warrior flows through you, Broly. A Saiyan prides himself on using their potential to break through their limits, but they can't achieve that with poor training! Kakarot and I can help you focus your anger, but it won't do us any good if you destroy everything around you!"
It seemed to reach Broly as his anger subsided, but the fear on his face was still evident for Vegeta to see.
"Cheelai helps me. She helps me calm down. I need her!"
Vegeta wanted to punch him. "Idiot! A Saiyan warrior relies on no one but themselves! Your woman can't always be there to talk you down. I never expect Bulma around me every day, yet I know she doesn't expect that of me either!"
Broly stared at the ground. He brought his hands out from the ground and stared at the damage he caused, bringing them to hold himself. The gesture began to vex Vegeta as he clenched his fists.
"Dammit, Broly! Never be afraid of your power! You are the Saiyan of legend! My bloodline often spoke of them appearing once every millennium. Why turn away from it?"
"Saiyan of Legend?" Broly asked, looking up at Vegeta.
"The moment I saw you transform into a Super Saiyan, your true power burst forth. I couldn't believe it; it left me shaking. Not with fear, but with excitement."
Vegeta began to smile down at him. "The Saiyan of Legend stands before me once more. I want to see that power again, but under the right circumstances. Power born from anger is what broke our limits to become etched in legend, Broly."
Vegeta transformed into his Super Saiyan state, and Broly's eyes widened. "Do you remember becoming this form?"
Broly rose to his feet slowly and stared down at his hands again. "No. I don't remember," he finally said after a few seconds, and Vegeta reverted to his base form.
"Then we'll work on your memory of that form. You need to transform and remember the feeling of anger without giving in completely to it. If you can do that, you will become far more powerful than you currently are."
Vegeta remembered seeing that happen before, during the Tournament of Power. Those Saiyans from the other universe were able to achieve the Super Saiyan form themselves. Broly's power reminded him of Kale when she went berserk, yet if she could manage to get her power under control, Vegeta was confident it would work with Broly in time.
"I don't want to hurt Lemo and Cheelai," Broly said. He clenched his teeth together along with his fists, and Vegeta scoffed at him again.
"That's precisely why you need proper training to control your power! I train for three reasons: One, to keep up with Kakarot. Two, to protect this planet and those who live on it, especially my family. And three, to surpass my limits. Kakarot has his reasons to train and become strong. You must find yours, as well."
"Find my reason," Broly repeated. Vegeta crossed his arms again and stared up at him.
"Ask yourself: what do you want the most out of your life right now?"
"I want to keep Lemo and Cheelai safe," Broly said.
"Then follow me to the gravity room and prove to me you're able to keep them safe as you claim."
He began walking back inside, and Broly calmly followed behind him.
The commotion from the yelling and screaming of the central building alerted Lemo as he worked with his team, but he glanced at each of them.
"Focus on your prep work, everyone. We have a lot of dishes to prepare," he told everyone in the room. They nodded and resumed their work, while Lemo taste-tested a few things, offering suggestions to his team on what to add and what to measure while he went over the list of dishes with the former head chef, which he dubbed his second-in-command.
"These should hit all the peaks and valleys needed to keep Lord Beerus enticed throughout until we reach the grand finale," he said, tracing his finger down the page of a notebook.
In the gravity room, Vegeta sparred with Broly. Vegeta blocked several of Broly's hits, yet he winced from a few of the heavier ones.
"Restrain your energy, Broly. Control your anger," Vegeta reminded him. Broly momentarily ignored him and charged forward with another blow, which Vegeta caught in his hand. Broly heightened his aggressiveness as he freed his fist.
The reader on the gravity machine read 150 Gs. Broly's never trained under intense gravity, yet Vegeta was confident that it wouldn't wear him down. Despite the wound, Broly maintained a steady composure, yet the gravity did reduce his speed considerably.
He's elevating his aggressiveness to maintain his movement speed while under intense gravity. It's the perfect opportunity for him to work on his control.
Vegeta's thoughts danced through his head on the right kind of method he would need to help Broly. Teaching others was never his style, yet after his experience with Cabba some time ago, he couldn't dismiss the opportunity to help another Saiyan improve and become stronger so he could become a better fighter.
"Again!" Vegeta shouted, and Broly flew forward. His punches were blocked and dodged once more, yet he was adapting to Vegeta's style quickly.
"Good! Use your adaptability to your advantage!"
Vegeta remembered from their first encounter how accelerated Broly's learning curve was that he was able to adjust to fighting Vegeta and Goku in such a short amount of time. Training Broly's emotional control by pushing him outside of his comfort zone was a method Vegeta believed would help the most.
Vegeta connected with a few counterpunches, which rocked Broly back, but the big Saiyan shook it off and regained his momentum.
They continued until Broly was too exhausted to continue, and the intense gravity slowed him enough that he fell to the floor. Vegeta landed on the floor and shut off the gravity machine.
Broly was out of breath. Vegeta leered down at him. "You're expending too much energy while you move. You can take a great deal of punishment, but you'll deplete your stamina rapidly if you fight too aggressively. We'll work every day to bring this under control so you'll fight longer."
Broly sat up, and through his labored breathing, he did manage to grin. Vegeta grabbed a towel from the floor and tossed it to Broly. "Make sure you avoid infecting your wound."
The door slid open, and Vegeta left. Broly toweled himself off after he was back on his feet. He let out a groan when the pain in his shoulder seeped through once the adrenaline wore out.
When he stopped mid-way through drying his face, he remembered the Senzu bean that Goku left him and wondered whether it was still there. He wasn't sure how much of the room was still intact, but he felt compelled to investigate.
He could remember some of the buildings' layouts as Vegeta led him to the gravity room. It was located within the central domed building, with the medical wing a few steps away.
When he arrived at the medical wing, he searched for the one he leveled the night before and came across it down the hall. Scorch marks from his energy tarnished the walls that led inside, and when Broly peered inside, he sighed at the destruction he had caused.
Along the far wall, the bed laid in ruins. The frame was totaled, with coils piercing through the mattress fabric. He took all of it in with a sinking feeling in his stomach.
His first instinct was to punch the wall out of anger, but Vegeta's voice somehow kept nagging him. It reminded him of the need to control. Broly had raised his fist, ready to follow through.
Letting it fall to his side, he searched the room. The bean in question slid to a corner, buried under another bed that Broly's burst of energy knocked aside. He turned over objects, furniture, looking underneath each one until he came to the overturned bed. His depleted strength made it more challenging to lift clearly without an adrenaline boost, yet he managed to flip it over.
He spotted the bean among the debris and plucked it off the ground. He stared at it for a moment.
"Kakarot wants me to eat this. But it hurt me when it did," Broly reminded himself when he saw the bean again. "I must trust Kakarot's judgment."
Placing it in his mouth, he crunched it down and swallowed it, closing his eyes. He waited for the shock of pain to envelop his whole body, but a new sensation overwhelmed him.
A surge of energy flowed into him, lighting his face. It was incredible, whatever it was, and all of the physical pain he suffered through faded in one fell swoop. He grabbed his shoulder and was shocked to notice how easily he could move his arm. There was always a great deal of stiffness in how he moved his arm while dealing with that wound, yet it was no longer there.
"Incredible," Broly muttered to himself and tore the bandage off. There were scars from where the Under-Dweller's fang had punctured him, but the wound itself was completely closed and healed. He felt for bruises, nothing.
He closed his eyes again and had the biggest grin he ever made since the day Cheelai was able to make him laugh. He knew she would be thrilled to see him fully healed again and wanted to find her to deliver the good news. He could quickly leave the room through the giant hole he created, yet hesitated when he was about to fly.
"Lemo and Vegeta said to wait until Cheelai comes back. They want me to control my anger. I must wait for Cheelai to come back so I can tell her I'm better."
He could at least inform Lemo that he was back to one-hundred percent. That would put a smile on his face. Lemo had been acting serious for far longer than Broly had been accustomed to and wanted his friend to be happy again. He wanted Cheelai to be happy again too. Watching her cry so much made him upset. He'd do anything to rid himself of this surging fury if he could. But for now, he went to find Lemo.
He asked around, and some of the staff members weren't sure what he meant. It wasn't until after he spoke to at least a dozen staff that his stomach rumbled, and his hands went to suppress it, embarrassment crossing his face. Those surprised at the noise directed him quickly to the kitchen and cafeteria lounge if he wanted something to eat.
Lemo and his team were taking a break when Broly walked through the doors to the lounge. The team paused mid-conversation to stare up at him. Lemo's eyes widened when he saw Broly.
"Oh, bless my heart! Look at you!" Lemo shouted and ran up to wrap his arms around Broly in a hug. He turned to his team. "We've been burning the midnight oil preparing for Lord Beerus's arrival. Seeing you waltz in here unannounced gives me more motivation to succeed!"
He turned back to Broly and sized him up. "I can't believe it! How'd this happen?"
He searched for any signs of injury and stopped at the fully-healed wound. He grinned up at the shoulder with a satisfied grin.
"Of course, I get it now. It was one of them beans Goku gave ya, right?" Lemo asked.
"Kakarot was right. The bean would heal me if I was no longer sick."
Smirking, Lemo clapped his hands, turning back to his team. "All right, team! Break time's over! Back to work!" He touched Broly's arm. "Cheelai'll be stoked to see you back on your feet again."
"I am looking forward to seeing her again. I like her."
"I know you do, big guy," Lemo said. He tapped him on his chest with the back of his hand. "She feels the same way for you, though I doubt she'd say it outright."
That made Broly blush, which got a chuckle from Lemo as he walked back into the kitchen. Another rumble erupted from Broly's stomach, and Lemo glanced behind him. "Take a seat; we'll get ya fed while we're working!"
As Lemo attended to Broly with his team, Whis and Beerus arrived through a pillar of light on the balcony that overlooked the central domed building's backyard.
"Strange. No one is here to greet us?" Whis noted, finger to his cheek. Beerus let out a scowl. "Tch, how ungrateful. It's not like Bulma to ignore the welcome mat for us like this."
Vegeta took a break to spend time with Bra, holding her in his arms. His face nearly went pale when he saw Beerus and Whis.
"Dammit, they're already here?!" he tried to keep his calm and took a deep breath before greeting the Destroyer.
"Lord Beerus, Whis, we weren't expecting you so soon," Vegeta said as he knelt before the duo. Bra giggled when she saw Beerus and reached out for him. Beerus glanced at her for a moment before clearing his throat.
"I was expecting a banquet laid out before me when I arrived, Vegeta. Where on Earth did Bulma run off to? She never seems to leave this place."
"We've had some unexpected developments, my Lord," Vegeta said as he approached him. Bra insisted on being held by Beerus, and Vegeta casually passed her over. She reached up and grabbed one of his long ears, pulling his head down. He scowled at Vegeta, forcing the Saiyan to look elsewhere. He busied himself with Whis while Beerus took a seat under a parasol to shade himself from the sunlight, laying Bra on his lap.
"Your daughter has taken quite a liking to Lord Beerus," Whis stated with a friendly smile, and Vegeta swallowed.
Vegeta recounted what had transpired this past week involving Broly, Cheelai, and Lemo. Beerus and Whis listened until he finished.
"I'm fascinated at your dedication to take this Saiyan under your tutelage, Vegeta," Whis said while Vegeta glanced at the two with his arms crossed.
"I am curious about your reference to Broly as the Saiyan of Legend, Vegeta. Perhaps I should test his power to see for myself," Beerus said with a wicked grin but rolled his eyes back at the kitchen area. "But that can wait for some other time. I'm here for what I've been told is the best cuisine in the universe. Whoever this Lemo is better not disappoint me."
"He won't, Lord Beerus. I can attest to that, myself," Vegeta said. He couldn't bring himself to admit it to Bulma, but Lemo's cooking surpassed anything he's ever had in the past.
"You're honest to a fault, Vegeta," Whis said with a chuckle. "I simply must indulge in this myself!"
Beerus sighed at his attendant. "Fine, Whis. I'll let you sit with me. But I'm having the bulk of it, alright?"
"Of course, my Lord."
Seconds later, the doors opened to reveal Lemo, who looked surprised to see Beerus and Whis talking with Vegeta. He swallowed and approached the two, bowing at them.
"Lord Beerus, it is an honor to see you," he said, his head low to the ground. Whis tilted his head in curiosity, getting in a good look at Lemo.
"Curious," Whis noted.
"Oh, it's one of them," Beerus added nonchalantly.
"Forgive Lord Beerus. Your species does dabble in being what mortals call a 'jack-of-all-trades,' yet cooking is rarely a skill they often choose."
Lemo beamed with pride. "It has been a lifelong dream to become the best chef in the universe! This planet alone has added to my repertoire! I have a dedicated team with me to prepare perfection." He gestured to his team and nodded at them. "I look forward to showing you the fruits of my labor!"
"Workaholics to a default," Whis said, and Lemo dismissed himself back inside. Beerus sniffed the air and wrinkled his nose.
"Ugh, disgusting! Whis, she's emanating a foul odor!" Beerus said, and Vegeta rushed to retrieve Bra from his hands.
"Forgive me, Lord Beerus! I'll take her out of your hands!" Vegeta said with an air of panic. He left with Bra in his arms to clean her up and change her diaper.
"The feast will be ready shortly, Lord Beerus. My team will set everything up for you while you wait," Lemo said when he returned a moment later. Whis eyed him with a sly grin.
"I assume you've patched things up with their head chef?" he asked.
"Of course! Once I've asserted my superior cooking skills, she happily obliged to cooperate and aid me."
"Splendid, it'll give me one less target to destroy should you subvert my expectations. If you are the 'greatest chef in the universe,' as you boast, I may not have to pay a visit to your homeworld," Beerus said as he stared at Lemo. His smile was malicious but anticipatory to what the "best of the universe" cooking would entail.
Lemo gulped. He kept his posture steady, yet he was a bundle of nerves. This was do or die time for him.
When he returned to brief his team, Broly was busy eating. Some of the other staff came out with a plateful of food to set down in front of Broly.
"Eat 'til you're full, big guy. I got my work cut out for me now that Lord Beerus and Whis are here," Lemo said, and Broly stopped to swallow a piece of steak. He glanced outside and paused when he saw Whis standing with his back facing him. He narrowed his eyes.
"Something wrong?" Lemo asked, glancing behind him.
"He looks like someone I've seen before," Broly said. He took another bite from the steak, ignoring the utensils provided to him to cut it into smaller pieces. He tore into it with his teeth while holding it in his hand.
"I'd avoid him and Lord Beerus if I were you. They exist on a whole other level than we are. Relax and keep eating. I'll handle them."
Broly nodded slowly, yet he couldn't shake the nagging sensation tickling the back of his mind. When Whis turned around, he locked eyes with Broly for a moment and sent him a friendly grin, walking out of sight a moment later.
Each team member wheeled out a large cart with several food trays, each covered with a lid, out to the open area. Tables were then brought out with two chairs for Beerus and Whis to sit on, and Lemo draped a clean table cloth on top, decorating them with flowers and candles.
"Goodness," Whis noted. "You needn't do all this for us."
"I like it. At least this mortal knows how to treat gods with respect, unlike a certain Saiyan we know." Elsewhere, Goku let out a sneeze while tilling the plot of land he worked.
Lemo stood before them with his hands behind his back as each team member unloaded the carts to place the food trays in front of them. They lifted the lids off, and the initial looks on Whis and Beerus's faces were what Lemo hoped to see.
"Miss Bulma was gracious enough to list everything you have sampled throughout your visits to this planet, so I took the liberty of re-creating these dishes. They are my labor of love, done with absolute precision, and improved with my own personal spin. Bon Appetit!"
"I love how this looks, my Lord! I'm not sure if I want to eat this!" Whis said, his face lit up with euphoria. "It looks too gorgeous to eat!"
Beerus wiped the drool from his mouth with the back of his hand. He took one whiff of the seafood dishes, and his eyes almost bugged out of his skull.
"Remember your etiquette, Lord Beerus," Whis reminded him, netting a glare from Beerus before he placed his hands together.
"I know, I know. Thank you for this meal," he muttered and carefully took the pair of chopsticks in his hand. He admired the grilled fish's presentation so much he needed an extra bit of strength to maintain precision with his first bite. The moment it hit his tongue, he stopped, swallowing it after. His hand began to shake as he placed the chopsticks back down delicately and stood up. He then glared at Lemo.
"Tell me something," Beerus said. His tone was so cold he could generate ice from his breath alone.
Lemo and his team stood, faces almost as white as the tablecloth. Lemo felt the sweat drops trickle down his face as he hid his shaking hands behind his back, one leg about to give in.
"Lord Beerus, have I failed you…?" Lemo said as slowly and as carefully as possible.
Beerus pointed an accusatory finger at him. "Failed?! Don't insult me with that sheepish tone! How did you come across this talent?!"
All eyes were on him, puzzled.
"My Lord?" Lemo asked. Color returned to his face, a mix of confusion and relief.
"Never in my lifetime have I ever laid eyes on dishes of this quality! Did you make some wish on those Dragonballs or something?"
"No, my Lord. I only desire to create the best tasting cuisine in the universe. I've worked for years perfecting it."
Beerus sat down and ate the rest of the first dish. Whis sample a dish with squid on it and put a hand to his face, blushing.
"I think I'm in love with this one! No, wait, this one! Oh, it has to be this one!" he muttered after each plate he tasted.
They went through each dish, eating various fish and sea creatures, moving onto bowls of Ramen. They were delighted to try something far more authentic than instant noodle bowls, often labeled a guilty pleasure of Bulma's.
Lemo and his team became ecstatic as the looks on the gods' faces brightened. They wheeled fresh carts and showed them dishes from other regions of the world, and Beerus noted how perfect the steak was cooked. Whis sampled some tropical style cuisine and shared it with him. Both remarked at the sweet taste.
"I want to rub this in Champa's face when I see him next time," Beerus said, laughing out loud. "I want him to envy me because I found the perfect cook!"
Lemo almost dropped the plates he cleared from the table when he heard those words come out of Beerus's mouth. The God of Destruction himself, calling him the "perfect cook?" He needed a moment to set them down on the empty cart before his knees gave out. He fell backward and would've hit the floor had two of his team members not caught him at the last second.
Lemo was all smiles as they helped him to his feet. "The perfect cook…"
Beerus couldn't help himself and burst out laughing. He eased himself on his chair, sitting cross-legged as he continued eating.
After Lemo composed himself, he bowed deeply at the gods. "Forgive me, Lord Beerus! I was not expecting such praise!"
"Indeed!" Whis said. "It's rare to see Lord Beerus praise anyone. I know he's praised Goku's fighting but would never admit it openly!"
"Hey!" Beerus shouted, stabbing the air with his chopsticks in his direction. "Keep that to yourself, Whis!"
"Apologies, my Lord," Whis said with a chuckle.
Lemo and the kitchen's former head chef came out one more time, each holding a single tray in their hands. They laid them before Beerus and Whis.
"We took the liberty of saving the best for last. A dessert of the highest quality that Miss Bulma said you revere quite fondly."
"Revere?" Beerus said, cocking an eyebrow. His eyes then widened as his mouth dropped. "Wait, you don't mean…?"
Lemo lifted both lids, revealing a sizeable glass chalice full of chocolate pudding garnished with whipped cream and a mint leaf, a silver spoon laid beside it. Beerus's eyes sparkled when he gazed down at it. He wanted to cry if it weren't for Whis glancing in his direction, admiring Beerus's overwhelming expression of joy.
Composing himself, he cleared his throat and took the spoon, tapping the side of the glass.
"I almost don't want to eat this. I'd rather preserve this until the end of time," he said, using his best effort not to look visibly shaken by the spectacle of the dessert before him. Whis took the spoon and dug it in his pudding through the cream, the spoon sliding in like silk. He lifted a portion to his face to get in a good look.
"I can easily see the quality of effort put into this," he said. "Oh, I can't wait any longer!"
He placed it in his mouth and swallowed. The sudden moan that burst from his throat eclipsed that of the time he ate the bowl of instant Ramen Vegeta prepared for him so long ago when he needed to win him over to train him in how to channel divine energy.
"Mmph! I can't-mmph-get-mmph-enough!" He devoured the pudding, surprising Beerus and everyone else.
Eyeing Whis, Beerus carefully dipped his spoon in his pudding and put the portion of it in his mouth. When the taste of chocolate hit his tongue, his face went a shade of scarlet Whis hadn't seen before, his eyes so wide they almost fell out.
"Whis…"
"Mm…"
"Whis!"
"Huh? Oh! Sorry, my Lord," Whis said. He was still in the moment that he ignored everything else.
"Don't! Tell! Anyone! If word got out to the rest of the Destroyers, they'd bombard me with their jealous remarks for the rest of time!"
Whis laughed. "Of course! I wouldn't dream of divulging this to anyone. Except maybe Vados."
"Hey-!"
"Just kidding!"
Beerus took his time with the pudding until it was completely empty. And by completely, he licked the whole glass clean of any remnants of the pudding, swiping Whis's under his nose to clean it off as well.
"This is the best day ever!" Beerus shouted, overcome with pure adoration, eyes closed. He hadn't noticed Lemo and his team looking at him until he opened them again and concealed the embarrassed look on his face. He cleared his throat.
"To think I've spent a lifetime as a Destroyer searching for nothing but the absolute best in culinary delights and not once considered your people to satiate my palate!"
"It's a shame you couldn't have met my old man, Lord Beerus. My skills can't compare to his," Lemo said, and Beerus raised his eyebrows.
"Really? Whis! Bring his father back to life! I want him as my personal chef from now on!"
"You know I cannot do that, my Lord," Whis stated, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, it was worth a shot," Beerus said and stood with his hands behind his back, the most satisfied expression he's ever worn on his face.
"Well, then. Now that I've eaten what I would agree is universe-quality cuisine, I'll leave you to your devices. Come along, Whis."
"Of course," Whis said, then glanced at Lemo. "I should mention, though. There is a large ship on its way to Rendez-Vous with Earth momentarily."
Lemo dismissed his team to begin clearing the table, and he approached the pair. "Did you say a large ship?" He swallowed, clutching his apron tightly. "Does it look anything like a flat jellyfish?"
"That would be the one, yes," Whis said and projected an image from the tip of his staff. Lemo's face drained of color.
"No, not Freeza," Lemo said.
"I couldn't care less about what Freeza does, just as long as he didn't show up while I was enjoying your exquisite cooking. Besides, you've got that powerful Saiyan lugging around over there to handle it," Beerus said as he walked away, waving his hand in the air with a careless motion.
"How long before he arrives?" Lemo asked Whis. The angel peered at the image for a brief moment.
"I'd say about an Earth hour from now."
"Dammit. That doesn't give me much time," Lemo muttered to himself. If there was ever an opportunity to gather information on a new planet to relocate to, this was it. It wasn't much to go on from what Lemo could gauge, but it was worth a shot. "Mister Whis, you know practically every planet that exists in this universe, right?"
Beerus cleared his throat, staring back at him. "You're asking a lot from us, mortal. Be thankful you came through on your boast."
"Oh, it's quite alright," Whis said. Rolling his eyes, Beerus crossed his arms and leaned against the table.
"T-Thank you, Mister Whis. We're looking to settle on a new planet that Freeza hasn't conquered or sold yet. Perhaps something out of the jurisdiction of the Galactic Patrol as well would help us immensely. If you know of one, we can get a ship here and leave before Freeza finds us."
"Hmm," Whis hummed. He expanded his staff's projection and cycled through thousands of planetary systems across the universe until he stopped at one planet in particular.
"Ah, here we are. Planet Bloss."
"Planet Bloss? I've never heard of it," Lemo said, looking at the image. It resembled Earth from his point-of-view. He studied the image as Whis explained the planet to him.
"Bloss is remarkably similar to Earth in every aspect. Beautiful landscapes, crystal clear water, plenty of faunae and florae, and the ground considerably more fertile than that of Earth's. If you ever wanted to grow a garden, Bloss would be the perfect planet to do so on. A Saiyan of Broly's caliber would have no difficulty living off the planet. Not to mention it is remarkably durable. You wouldn't have to worry about Broly's temper tantrums while on that planet!"
Lemo's jaw dropped. "Seriously?! How in the world has Freeza never touched this planet? He would make a fortune off of this!"
"Normally, yes, that would be the case," Whis noted, "except Bloss is contained within the eye of a plasma storm so dangerous that any ship passing through it would be torn apart."
"A beautiful trap to lure ships to their doom," Lemo stated with a sad grin.
"Precisely," Whis said. "However, once every hundred years or so, the storms become weak enough for a small ship to pass through. Even then, once you pass through, it's unlikely you would be able to leave."
Lemo gazed at the image, and his mind began to work fervently in his head. He'd have the garden he needed, and whatever animals lived on this planet would provide bountiful meat to feed Broly. He could settle and work with Cheelai to help Broly in whatever training he'd want to do and finally live the quiet life for the rest of his days. He nodded.
"When is this next window for the storms to subside?" he asked Whis. Beerus cleared his throat again, staring at his attendant. "Whis, I feel a food coma coming on!"
"Understood, my Lord!" Whis shouted back at Beerus before turning one last time to Lemo. "The storm should calm itself in about nine hundred Taks, which is approximately fifteen days. I trust you'll have the means to travel by that point?"
The color flushed from Lemo once more as he glanced at the image one last time before Whis shut it off.
"Getting a ship shouldn't be too difficult. It's dealing with Freeza that's going to be the problem," he said, breathing a heavy sigh.
"As I said: that big Saiyan Vegeta and Goku were fighting a while ago should handle someone like Freeza without a problem," Beerus chimed in. Whis walked over to him, waiting for Beerus to place his hand on his back.
"I look forward to the next time we sample your cooking. If you make it to Bloss, that is," Beerus said before the pair disappeared in a pillar of light that shot up to the sky. Lemo needed a moment to lean against the table, watching his team clear the empty dishes behind him. He walked back to the interior dining area, wearing a deep sunken expression on his face.
"Are you okay, Lemo?" Broly asked, looking up from his meal. Despite how much Beerus and Whis ate, Broly kept going until he finally stopped.
Lemo handed him a napkin. "Wipe yourself; you've got sauce all over your face and hands."
He forced a grin, looking at Broly, but paced back and forth in front, pondering how he was going to break the news. Would this set Broly off again in a rage, or would he be calm enough to handle this?
"I've got some…relatively good news," Lemo began. Whether he considered navigating dangerous terrain to reach a perfectly preserved planet was going to be a tough sell. "That Whis guy found us a planet we can go to but getting there will be difficult. We have to be there within fifteen days; otherwise, we'll be out of luck and forced to find a different planet."
"I would like that," Broly said as he wiped his face and hands. The color in Lemo's face hadn't returned quite yet.
"I wish this were the only source of news I could tell you, and I'd love to let Cheelai know when she comes back. But we've got a bigger problem on our hands coming to Earth shortly."
He stared at Broly with a grim expression. "Freeza's on his way here."
Broly's face darkened as he stood up. Lemo was immediately on his feet, knowing that this news would have an impact on Broly.
"Calm yourself, Broly. At least we know he's coming, so we'll be ready."
"I worry I will lose control and destroy everything around me," Broly said. His hands fell to the pelt around his waist and studied Ba's ear. "But I must avenge Ba."
As Vegeta rocked Bra to sleep in his arms, he laid her in her crib, sliding a blanket over her. He breathed a sigh, glad to see that she slept peacefully without any fuss, and his hand stopped before he could touch her head. His eyes widened as he stared out the window, gripping the side of the crib.
"Dammit, of all the times for Freeza to show up again," he said, keeping his voice low enough to not wake Bra. He walked to the window and opened it, floating outside to close it again before he flew to Broly.
Goku stopped tilling the land, glancing up at the sky. His hands gripped the handle of his farmer's hoe tightly. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.
"Heh. You don't know when to give up, don't you, Freeza?" Goku said. He let go of the hoe.
"Goku! I've brought your lunch!" came Chichi's voice as she made her way to him with a set of bento boxes secured inside a large red sheet tied at the top.
"Sorry, Chichi! I'll have to eat later!" Goku shouted as he took to the air, removing his shirt to reveal his fighting gi underneath. He quickly changed out of his farmer's clothes and flew down to retrieve his other pair of boots to slide them onto his feet. When he was ready, he used a burst of energy to propel himself forward, kicking up a gust of wind that almost blew the bag out of Chichi's hands, forcing her to kept herself steady on the ground.
"Goku! Get back here!" she called out to him, but he was long out of earshot within seconds. She set the bento boxes down with a sigh.
"I need a weight to keep that man grounded, I swear," she muttered under her breath.