An Unburdened Fury

Chapter 51: Deceiver

"What the hell does that mean?"

"If I tell you..." Bardock grabbed at his head with a hiss. "Never mind, I gotta go."

Sprout shook his head at the cryptic words as Bardock took his leave. The end? End of what? That bastard never liked telling the full story; it was why he wasn't allowed near the village. That and the fact he was low class despite his power. Having someone like that around a bunch of Elites ruffled feathers to say the least.

Sprout floated up to where Broly had parked himself. "You ready?"

Broly gave him a side eye. "Someone's approaching. Strong for this place at least."

"Wha-how do you know?"

"That comes later. They should be here about..." He focused on a pink spot on the horizon that was quickly growing bigger. "Now."

Their visitor stopped and the winds that followed nearly bowled Sprout over. Broly's brows shot up when he immediately recognized their visitor. He was noticeably more weathered and his formerly vibrant pink skin had dulled but the Saiyan'd never forget that face.

"South Kai?"

"B-Broly?!" The dead Kai half-shouted at the sight of his former nightmare. His terror was short-lived as he quickly spotted the halo above the man's head. From there, he regained his composure though the anger still simmered behind his upturned lips. "Whew, for a second there, I forgot everyone down here is dead."

Sprout looked between the two of them before settling on Broly. "You know the Warden?"

"Know me?" The 'Warden' answered with an angry scoff. "He killed me."

Sprout stared at him in disbelief and he shrugged. As much as the deity had annoyed him when he was alive, he didn't really ever think of him since he killed him. It wasn't like it was , he didn't expect the guy down here. You'd think being a god gave you more benefits than just being some glorified guard after you die.

"Yep, just kinda-" Broly mimicked how he killed the diety. The Kai looked ready to pop a blood vessel. "Did that."

The Kai put his arms behind his back as he tried, and failed, to keep cool. "What are you two doing here? Sprout, I know you know these zones are expressly forbidden to the inmates."

Sprout crossed his arms. "Well, remember our deal? I'd watch the Saiyans for you and I get access to these zones."

"That was just for you!"

"With one exception."

The Warden paused for the moment it took for him to connect the dots. "You expect me to let you train that thing?" The Kai pointed at the scarred Saiyan before he sliced through the air with his hand. "It's not happening."

Sprout growled, the first sign of anger Broly'd seen since he was here, and accosted the Kai with a finger to the chest. "We had an agreement."

South Kai pushed back with his chest and easily sent the Saiyan back. "That was before I realized you would waste both of our times on that. Tens of thousands of Saiyans and he's your 'plus one'? You'd have better luck casting a shadow on a star than getting anything into that abomination's head."

Now it was Broly's turn to get angry. "I'm right here, Kai. Remember that."

The deity stared him down unafraid. "And you would do well to remember that I have the power here."

Sprout got between the two to get ahead of any altercation. While he was confident in the Super Saiyan's power, the Warden disappeared Cold.

"Regardless of your thoughts, it's my time to waste."

The Kai stared at him flabbergasted. "Why do you even need this? You can't increase your power and you're stuck down here until your souls are cleansed; there's no point."

Broly glanced at the back of Sprout's head. The man clearly tensed at that line of questioning. And, loathe for him to think it, it was a good question from the South Kai. There was that spiel regarding his missing son but that nagged at him. It felt sincere but...incomplete. Like that wasn't the whole story.

"Aren't I allowed some discretion as your spy?"

South Kai barked a laugh before his face became severe once more. "Fine, I'll let you access the warp for your training but not because you've convinced me. Quite the opposite. I'm convinced every moment spent on him is a waste of time and effort. He'll tear you asunder at the slightest provocation like the beast he is; Torture yourself against that inevitability."

South Kai's blackened aura exploded out as he flew away. Broly followed the deity with his gaze. Now he wanted to be civil just to spite the fucker. 'Wanted' was worlds away from 'would' however. That would be up to ragged Saiyan next to him.

"Hold onto my shoulder. Who knows how much time will pass if we enter separately."

They passed through the veil of the warp with little issue but he couldn't ignore the way the barrier seemed to just stick and slide passed him. Like a big wall of gelatin. The feeling continued even after they passed through to the other side but it waned quickly as the seconds went by. He lifted his hand to look at it. He looked fine, felt fine, but there was a weight to his movement that wasn't there before.

"You'll get used to that. Just how time affects us down here. Now..." Sprout turned with a ball as white as the purest snow. "Are you familiar with Blutz Waves?"

Tien stared at the horizon with a furrowed brow as everyone else made accommodations on the planet. No one knew how long this search would take; both Bulmas were unsure if their radar would work on Namekian Dragon Balls.

The planet's population was low but he could tell they were peaceful. There were some notable powers here and there, a couple far outstripped the Saiyans when they first arrived on Earth, yet their ki was calm and it remained steady like water without wind.

So it was hard to miss the other visitors on Namek. He could feel them so they weren't Androids but that didn't calm his nerves at all. Three of the powers were weak, the Namekians could defend themselves against them just fine, but the fourth was significantly higher. Whoever that was would make short work of everyone other than the Androids as far as he can tell. Not as strong as a Super Saiyan but that was enough to be extremely dangerous.

"You feel them too?" Krillin asked as he set down a bag.

"Yeah." He answered. "Do you think they're here for the same reason?"

The monk shrugged. "Does it matter? I don't like the feel of any of them. The big guy feels worse than Raditz and Nappa did when they first showed up. A lot stronger too."

Thing weren't looking great already without factoring in the two big question marks on the trip with them. Tien eyed the Androids nearby. The woman, Eighteen, sat on a suitcase nearby as 16 helped out with the heavy lifting. "What's the over under on them betraying us?"

"What do you mean?" Krillin asked with a raised brow.

He should've expected the man's lack of suspicion. It was hard to ignore the obvious attraction to the blond woman. "Don't tell me you haven't had second thoughts about having them along? It'd be easy for them to just kill all of us and take the wish for themselves." Tien sighed. "I told Goku we needed at least one of the Saiyans with us." He added quietly.

"Bulma...s, they both said they've taken care of Gero's programming; they'd have no reason to do that. Plus, I've got a good feeling about them."

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "That just means they're free to kill us of their own volition." Tien felt a pang of guilt when Krillin looked away ashamed. "I'm sorry, Krillin. This whole situation has me on edge and it feels like no one else seems to think things will go wrong."

The monk shook his head. "You know that isn't true. Both Eighteen and 16 are as strong as a Super Saiyan and we're stronger than the Saiyans when they first showed. We might not be Goku but we're packing enough heat to take care of anyone out there."

Some of the tension left Tien's shoulders. The man's optimism had a way of getting to him. "I guess."

"Hey you two! We got a meeting to do!" Present Bulma yelled with her hands cupped to her face.

The two men made their way to the crude half circle that had formed. Krillin managed to stand next to Eighteen who perked up a bit when he did though her head remained in her hands. Next to her stood 16, ever vigilant, with an excited Gohan speaking his mechanical ears off. The massive robot had a soft smile on as he seemingly listened intently to Gohan talking about some of his studies. It didn't assuage Tien fully but it felt good seeing the kid so alive.

"Good news!" The young Bulma started. "It looks like the radar works on Namek's Dragon Balls. The closest one is about a mile away."

"Right in the middle of a settlement from what we were able to determine." Future Bulma spoke as she looked up from the radar. "I wouldn't count on their ignorance of the Dragon Balls for this one. They're most likely protecting it."

"First, we'll finish setting up camp." Present Bulma picked up once more. "We'll need some volunteers to go find the first ball and talk with the locals."

Krillin leaned over to Eighteen. "Is this thing of theirs creeping you out to or is it just me?" She snorted but otherwise didn't say anything.

Future Bulma crossed her arms as Gohan raised his hand. "And, by volunteers, she means Tien, Krillin, and Yamcha."

The half Saiyan slumped at the news while Yamcha gawked. "Wait, why me?! 16 and Eighteen are super strong!"

Present Bulma held up three fingers and brought them down as she listed her reasons. "Because you three can handle yourselves just fine, Gohan's a kid, and they're best suited to defending us just in case."

The former bandit slumped at the news. Tien smirked as he slapped the man's back. "Cheer up, pal. It'll be just like old times."

Yamcha waved him off. "Yeah, yeah."

"Let's go guys! Time's a wasting!" Krillin said as he ran to the edge of their camp and blasted off. Both Yamcha and Tien followed right behind.

It took them less than a minute of leisurely flight to reach the village. It was a simple affair with dome buildings spotting a relatively small area. Hardly a place you'd think would hold such a powerful magical artifact as a Dragon Ball. They landed a good distance away. Close enough to be noticed but not inside the village by any means. There was a stir among the residents at their arrival.

"Hello there!" A Namekian, old but not quite Kami's age and noticeably wider, greeted them moments later with a couple children alongside though others maintained their distance. "Forgive the lack of accommodations, it's rare we have visitors! I am Elder Moori; what are your names?"

"Hi!" Krillin replied as he strode in front and held out a hand. As Moori shook it, the diminutive fighter introduced them to the Elder. Some of the children crowded around Yamcha as the bandit cut a unique look with his scar and hair and Tien out of curiosity regarding his third eye. The two men were initially offput but after some moments and additional greetings from other members of the village, they relented to the hospitality.

Krillin found himself distracted by the oddly heartwarming sight until a tap on his shoulder brought him back to Moori. "Now, friend, if I may, what brings you to our humble village? As I said, visits are rare." The question was asked out of pure curiosity, he noted, as he couldn't feel an ounce of malice in any of these Namekians. How'd they get Piccolo out of this?

The monk shook his had. "We had a Namekian on our world named Kami. Real nice. A teacher of mine actually." He scratched at his cheek as he remembered some of the less than pleasant training sessions. The nostalgia was swept away immediately after. "He's been murdered and now we've lost our Dragon Balls. We were hoping you can help us out. If we revive him, we get our set back."

"Murdered? I am sorry to hear that." Moori put a hand on the monk's shoulder and muttered a quick prayer in the Namekian tongue. "My people and I are always willing to help in times of need but for artifacts as powerful as the Dragon Balls, you'll need to speak with Lord Guru first."

Krillin tilted his head. "Lord Guru?"

Moori nodded. "He's the eldest and wisest among us. He'll see into your hearts and, if he deems your intentions pure, he'll allow you to use them. His tower is to the West. You can't miss it if you fly there."

Zangya stared hard at the back of Cooler's head. The Arcosian tyrant was standing at their ship's window to watch their approach of Namek. How she wanted to strangle him with his own tail. The metal of the table creaked under her hand.

Bujin put a hand on hers and she relaxed. She was letting her anger get the better of her. She nodded at him and he let go. Kogu, with his arms crossed, tapped his finger on his bicep anxiously.

"You really think this'll work?" He whispered for the umpteenth time since they forced her into coming up with a plan.

"It'll have to." She quietly answered once again.

She was confident they could kill Cooler if push came to shove but the last thing they needed was to throw around their powers like it was no one's business. Genome was keeping an eye out if his last- she closed her eyes as the pit in her stomach welled up. It still hurt to think about it. Genome's transmission was clear. He had eyes and ears looking for any excuse to come and ruin them.

That meant no fights.

Which meant they'll have to steal the wish with Cooler none the wiser.

"And if it doesn't?" Bujin shifted his eyes to Cooler who showed no signs of hearing them.

They had to hope it did. There wasn't a worse scenario than if they fought Cooler. They'd light up every scanner from here to the edge of the galaxy and Cooler gave her the impression that if he couldn't have the wish, none of them could. Assuming the wish was real which they didn't know.

She got up as the ship hit the atmosphere. "We'll cross that bridge if we get there."

"You three." Cooler's voice boomed out and they collectively froze. He turned and his face was obscured by the shine of the planet behind. "Follow me."

They looked to her. Why did they do that? She wasn't cut out to be a leader. The one time she contributed a plan, they were all nearly killed. She'd be content to have Kogu as their defacto captain. He had a good head on his shoulders. Bujin...she wasn't as eager but he was smart.

Still, they waited. Cooler noticed. "Come on." Zangya said after a moment and they followed close behind. She spotted the clenching of his fists. With those two words, she'd put a target on her back. If there was even a hint of a power struggle, Cooler would kill her in a moment.

'Better me than them.'

"How do you plan on dealing with them?" She asked. Bujin took a look into the Namekians and, while the info was sparse, it painted them all as a primitive, pacifistic people. Easy pickings for the likes of them.

He looked at her with barely disguised contempt. "Unlike my brother, I'd normally negotiate first. However," The Arcosian's eyes held a slight glow. "We're on a time crunch."

Shit, if he just starts throwing power around, they'd be fucked. "I thought you were smarter than that, Cooler." The words left her mouth before she really thought them through and there was some regret as he looked like he looked ready to waste her right then and there.

"Excuse me?"

She hid her trembling hand behind her back. The tyrant seemed too angry to notice. "Don't you think Genome's on the lookout for something like that?" She blurted out. 'Great thinking, Zangya, state the blindingly obvious some more, why don't you?'

Cooler stopped and turned to bring the full breadth of his height into focus. Normally, something like this wouldn't be a blip on her radar but given the precariousness of this whole situation, she admitted that it left her a bit shaken. Kogu and Bujin seemed to stop breathing behind her,

"Do you believe that he doesn't know exactly where we are now?" He asked rhetorically, voice dripping with condescension. "He's got access to the near entirety of the Planet Trade's resources and he's a machine. He's probably coming as we speak."

"You don't know that." Kami, she felt stupid saying it. Why the fuck would that matter to Cooler? "He let us go."

He grabbed her collar and lifted her right off of her feet. Kogu and Bujin were halfway towards leaping at the tyrant before Zangya stopped them with a raised hand. "You think because you got a punch on me, you can just speak against me like this? That you can gamble our survival on that mad scientist's pet project not hunting us down? You're unbearably stupid." He tossed her onto her ass. "We will go down there, kill everyone we find, and make our wish before Genome has our heads. If you're lucky, you'll be alive to witness it."

Kogu and Bujin helped her up right away. Bujin leaned in. "We've looked for magic artifacts before, remember?" He whispered.

That was a light bulb moment for her and she practically crushed Bujin's cheeks and quietly mouthed a quick thanks. Bujin could only hold up a thumb.

"Fine," She said, confidence unreasonably high. "Go ahead, you slaughter them all and find the Dragon Balls." She shrugged and mostly succeeded at making the movement casual. "Time of celebration. The great and mighty Cooler gets to have a wish. How would you do it?"

He stopped mid-step. "What do you mean?"

"These things grant wishes. They probably have rules on how to do it, dumbass. Maybe a ritual or you need to speak it in an ancient language that only one of these slugs know or, Hell, wait for a blood red moon on a planet with three suns. You think they'll tell you that when you're dusting them?"

Bujin's smile quickly grew. "We've been pirates a long time." He started, almost smug, as he shifted his gaze from Zangya to Cooler. "We've pilfered a lot of magical items. There's a thin line between priceless and worthless and it's very easy to cross if you're not careful."

Kogu nodded along. He remembered getting Hell from Bojack whenever they screwed up with one of those things. Luckily, that was before the Kais got to them so he wasn't so murder-y with his anger. "Like it or not, Zangya's right. We need to get on their good side for now."

Cooler stood still for a few moments before he straightened up and took a deep breath.

"Fine. We'll play along with the Namekian's for now."

They were on Namek's surface within moments. Up ahead was a Namekian village and there were already a couple dozen natives waiting for them. Zangya hurried so she walked alongside Cooler.

"So who's-"

"Quiet. You've done enough talking."

As an older looking Namekian approached them, Cooler's body language shifted entirely and he adopted an almost friendly air to him.

"Greetings there, strangers!" The elder said as he held out his hand, the other occupied with holding a wooden cane.

"Oh come now," Cooler responded as he took his hands and shook them gently. "Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet."

The Galaxy Soldiers had a hard time keeping their heads from spinning at the hard shift in Cooler's demeanor. It was like the cruel tyrant they had just spoke with minutes ago had been instantly replaced. They looked between each other as if to confirm this wasn't some individual illusion.

"Ha, I'll need to save that one for the next guests!" The old Namekian chortled jovially. "I am Elder Tsuno. What shall we call you, friends?"

"Pleasure to make your acquaintance, Elder. I am Cooler and my compatriots here are Kogu, Bujin, and Zangya." He pointed to each respective Heran. "We have journeyed far and through a great many Hells to visit this world."

"Oh?" Tsuno answered as some skepticism crept in. "Why would you do that to visit little old Namek?"

"As much as I want to say it was to enjoy your hospitality, that would be a lie. We are refugees on a mission!" Cooler's voice rose to a near shout which drew the attention of the other Namekians. "There's a great evil that has cast a shadow on our worlds! For ages, it has stood unchallenged until a champion like no other rose up! Broly!"

Their collective jaws dropped at the performance. Zangya's quickly shut to grit her teeth as a seething fury exploded in her chest. But, she remained quiet. She saw the Arcosian's plan and, were she clearer of mind, she would have agreed with it wholeheartedly but the wounds, and his words, were too fresh in her mind.

Cooler's arms danced around in a grand sweeping gesture. "It was only he who could halt the tide and only he could reverse it! Unfortunately, far too quickly, we grew...complacent in his power. There was an ambush and he, in a noble gesture, sacrificed himself to save us. We wish to right this wrong. We believe you have items capable of doing so."

Tsuno bowed his head in sympathy. "I am sorry to hear of your plight, my friends, were it my decision, I'd summon Porunga right now! But...only Lord Guru can choose upon who we bestow our Dragon Ball. You will have to share your story with him. Once he sees your heart, I'm sure he'll agree."

The former emperor put a gentle hand on the Namekian's shoulder. "I understand. Something as powerful as a wish cannot be simply given away. Where might we find Lord Guru?"

"If you travel East for some time, you'll see Lord Guru's tower. It's the highest point on Namek."

Author's Notes!

The Z-Fighters will meet Cooler and the gang next chapter! Can't wait to write those interactions! And Broly will be tapping into the Great Ape form! That'll be interesting.

Help me keep this update pace/momentum going and drop a review below. Hearing from you guys really keeps me motivated and we're inching ever slowly to 700 reviews! Let's try and hit that!

Ent out.

Review Response!

Jutten: Glad to hear it wasn't too obvious, haha. The GT vibes are definitely on purpose but I'm not gonna do a straight rip. You'll see what I mean in time.

DeadGrease: Fuckin' impressive there, mate. Glad to hear the kind words!

SuperSaiyajin4Vegeta: You'll soon see the (kinda obvious) answer to the question of Bardock's vision!

fightingchampion: Reject divinity; return to monke.

AxDevilman: That'd be the case if it wasn't for Sprout being completely covered up but it was a good guess nonetheless! And the second guess is even better! ;)

twisterblake2015: Thanks for the kinds words. As for the question, now that would be telling, wouldn't it?

Jadangle: It's certainly a possibility!