Chapter 6: The Universe's strongest
Taking a deep breath, Vegeta crossed his arms "we need sixteen members for this tournament, right? Who would be a good pick for a team marching into a seemingly unwinnable battle?" Vegeta asked, looking back at 17 when he clapped his hands "I'm sure that my sister would help, as long as there's some monetary reward involved that is." He admitted, as Vegeta nodded "what about Broly? He was really strong when we fought him, I'm sure he would help out." Goku stated, pointing at Vegeta "I would usually advise against it since he has yet to control his power… But, I agree that his strength would be useful in a hopeless situation like this. We're going to need all the help we can get." Berrus agreed, shaking his head "that's eight, what about your son, Kakarot?" Vegeta asked, looking at Goku "Gohan's already here." He replied, pointing at him "you have another son, you idiot! Goten and Trunks aren't children anymore, they should be able to take a battle like this seriously. Besides, their fusion skill might come in handy." Vegeta explained, raising an eyebrow when Goku scratched his head nervously "well, I'm not so sure about that." He admitted, shaking his head "how so?" Vegeta asked, deepening his gaze "well, Goten hasn't been training recently. He's to busy spending all day with his new girlfriend, whatever that is." Goku explained, crossing his arms "look's like the same problem I have with Trunks… We have a week before the tournament, and I think we can beat some sense into them in that amount of time." Vegeta stated, sighing.
Clapping his hands, Whis smiled "that makes nine members already, you two are doing wonderfully. See, I told you, you two could work together." Whis stated, tapping his staff "what about Master Roshi?" Gohan asked, shrugging his shoulders "he's to old. That old fool almost got himself killed the last time. He's earned his rest, have some respect for your elders, dammit!" Vegeta ordered, shaking his head in disgust "what about Pan and Bulla!?" Goku yelled, smiling "Dad, their only nine years old." Gohan argued, stepping forward "what does age have to do with anything. I defeated the red ribbon army when I was twelve." Goku admitted, shrugging his shoulders "and if memory serves me correctly, you were only ten years old when you killed Cell." Vegeta agreed, glaring at him." They've got a point Gohan. If Universe thirteen is this powerful, we're going to need as many strong fighters as we can get." Piccolo agreed, placing his hand on Gohan's shoulder "then that's eleven. If you don't mind, could you hurry up with the other five? I would like to be finished before lunch." Berrus commanded, yawning "Tien is always willing to help." Goku stated, looking at Vegeta.
Shrugging his shoulders, Vegeta tilted his head in thought "he can hold his own, I'll give him that. His techniques might come in handy if there used correctly." Vegeta agreed, nodding his head "what about Krillin?" Goku asked, crossing his arms "he was helpful last time." He admitted, tilting his head when Piccolo shook his head "Krillin can't fight anymore remember. If he fight's in another battle he might not live to see the end." Piccolo explained, sighing "well, if we don't win; were all dead anyway." Berrus argued, crossing his arms sternly "that's true, but it wont be helpful if he dies in the middle of the tournament, will it?" Gohan asked, shaking his head "then we'll take Yamcha." Goku stated, shrugging his shoulders "are you serious? Him, why?" Vegeta asked, shaking his head in confusion "he's stronger then before. He's been training like crazy; Master Roshi even taught him the evil containment wave." Goku explained, smiling when Vegeta nodded "that could definitely be useful." He admitted, gritting his teeth as he clenched his fists in anger "I can't believe I'm saying this… But… What about Frieza?" he asked, causing everyone to gasp "he's strong and… Honestly he's… Dammit, he's the only reason we won last time." He stated, his left eye twitching in rage "he has a point, Frieza is a valuable member of this Universe, but that still leaves two empty spots." Whis stated, tapping his chin.
Everyone jumped in fright when Goku gasped "what about Merus!? He's a part of our Universe and he's really strong." he asked, looking around at the others, shaking in pure excitement. Crossing his arms, Berrus shook his head "he can't." He swiftly stated "why not? He's not an Angel anymore. When the Grand Priest resurrected him he was made a mortal. All of his Angel power were stripped from him. I don't see why he couldn't participate." Piccolo stated, crossing his arms sternly "you do have a point, since Merus is now a mortal; he is able to participate in such an event. He no longer has to worry about vanishing. The Angel law's no longer hold any sway over him. But you must understand; it is his choice, he may not feel comfortable about participating." Whis stated, twirling his staff "alright then, that just leaves one more. And can you make it quick? I want to get a snack in before nap time." Berrus ordered, yawning "don't worry about that Lord Berrus, I know someone." Goku stated, smiling "who?" Piccolo asked, tilting his head "that's a secret. He won't let me down, he owes me big time." Goku stated, placing his fingers to his head before vanishing. Leaving the other's to wonder who it would be.
Crossing his arms, Gohan shook his head "what is the matter?" Whis asked, walking towards him "it didn't hit me until now, but why sixteen members? Why not fifteen? Last time it was ten, why jump all the way to sixteen? It doesn't make any sense." "actually, it makes a lot of sense if you think about it. You see; Lord Zeno makes the rules of the tournament and chooses when it happens. The Grand Priest simply chooses the amount of fighters, along with the time limit. Just like a lot of people around the Multiverse; the Grand Priest has a deep hatred for uneven numbers. He believes that they are unlucky. Just as he gave everyone seven days from sunrise tomorrow to prepare… Meaning?" Whis asked, looking around "meaning that we have eight days instead of seven." 17 answered, causing everyone's mouths to fall open in shock "your telling us that the Grand Priest is superstitious?" 17 asked, brushing his hair away when a gust of wind blew it into his face "is it that strange? Many people are superstitious about a lot of things, we divine beings are no different. To be honest, even though I know that it's not true; there is a part of me that still believes that if you do not say "bless you." To someone that has just sneezed; evil will snake in through their unguarded nostrils." "that's ridiculous." Vegeta replied, laughing "just as ridiculous as believing to this day that you shot down Santa Claus as a child?" Berrus asked, causing Vegeta to sweat nervously "well. Uh, Kakarot's gone to recruit his secret fighter. So, I'll go and ask Merus." Vegeta stated, placing his fingers to his forehead "we'll help out." Gohan stated, cracking his knuckles "exactly. If all five of us recruit someone, we'll be done faster." 17 agreed, pulling on his glove "then we'll have more time to train." Piccolo agreed, nodding "good, then get to work!" Berrus ordered as Vegeta vanished.
Shaking his head, Piccolo sighed "do you think Goku's mystery member is Majin Buu?" Gohan asked, looking up at Piccolo "no, Buu has been helping Dende up on the lookout recently and he fell into a deep sleep again. When I brought him back to Hercule; he said that he would probably be asleep for two months at least. It's only been three days." Piccolo replied, shaking his head "man, he's never there to help when he's needed, is he?" 17 asked, crossing his arms "we can worry about that later, we should spread out. I'll take Tien and Yamcha." Gohan stated, fixing his glasses "then I'll handle the kids." Piccolo agreed, nodding "then I guess I'll convince 18." 17 agreed, putting his hands in his pockets "I think it's best if we leave Frieza for Goku and Vegeta, I wouldn't even know where to look." Piccolo admitted, looking at them "right, and I don't even know who this; Broly is." 17 agreed, shrugging his shoulders "the only two that have met him is Dad and Vegeta anyway." Gohan agreed, crossing his arms "I was there during their fight as well you know." Whis stated, smirking when they flinched "do you know where to find him then?" 17 asked, leaning forward, inquisitively "no." Whis quickly replied, a childish smile across his face "besides, Goku is the only one he views as a friend. If any of us approached him he might just attack." Berrus admitted, looking at Whis "Whis, take me to another of those restaurants you told me about. I need a snack." Berrus ordered, stepping next to him "of course my lord, would you two care to join us?" Whis asked, looking at the Kai's "of course we would." Elder Kai stated, laughing "we would be honored." Shin politely agreed, stepping next to Whis; vanishing instantly. Sighing, the three warriors looked at each other and nodded before flying in opposite directions.
Arriving in a dark room, illuminated only by the flickering of candle light; Goku placed his hands on his hips "huh? That's strange, I'm sure I sensed his energy." He mumbled, as the room became illuminated in a dim red light "who dares trespass here!?" a deep voice asked, booming around him as it bounced from wall to wall.
Turning around, Goku was met by a large man with spiked red hair; his blue coat and pants, contrasting with his blood red hair and staff "state your name before I dispose of you." He ordered, pointing his staff at him "who are you?" Goku asked, leaning forward inquisitively "how dare you counter my question with one of your own. Do you take me for a fool!?" the man asked, glaring at him; forming a small red attack with his finger "begone." He ordered, shaking his head, freezing in place when two figures walked through a small door, one small and frail while the other so large it had to duck it's head to enter the still dimly lit room. Unable to see who they were, Goku took a fighting stance; ready to defend himself.
"Please Demigra, this is not how we deal with guests." The small figure stated, her proper voice carrying itself with pride "as you wish, my Queen." Demigra agreed, bowing as he backed away "please, calm yourself. Though, I do wonder. What reason do you have to come here?" she asked, stepping into view. Her light blue skin complementing her silver hair, the light from the candles causing her red and black jump suit to shimmer beautifully "I came here looking for-" "Goku!" Goku began to explain before being cut off by Dabura; pulling him into a bear hug "it's so nice to see you again." He cheered, placing him back on his feet "you know this man brother?" the girl asked, laughing as Dabura giggled like a child "yes, this is Goku. He is one of the fighters that I fought while under the control of Babidi. It's thanks to him that I am alive." He explained, shaking Goku's hand roughly "we'll, Vegeta was the one that made the wish. I only brought you back here." Goku admitted, scratching his head "be that as it may. You two defeated Majin Buu, and freed the Universe of it's greatest threat." Dabura replied, smiling "yeah, about that." Goku mumbled, tapping his foot nervously.
Hearing Goku's voice, Dabura crouched next to him "what is it Goku? What's happened?" He asked, looking down at him in concern "if there is something that we can do to help you, I would spare any resource to assist those that released my brother from that monster's hold." The girl stated, cupping her hands in front of her "of course, how rude of me. This is Towa; my younger sister and the new ruler of the demon realm." Looking up at Dabura, Goku rose an eyebrow "you're not king anymore?" he asked, crossing his arms "no, when I returned home. I found myself wishing only to spread the peace and happiness that I found for myself within the glorious fields of heaven. So, I handed over leadership to Towa. Who, might I add; has done an amazing job. Just don't tell her that, it'll go to her head." Dabura whispered, winking at Goku as he stood.
Shaking his head, Demigra cleared his throat "with the lack of an answer that you have previously given to lord Dabura, I can postulate that it is of the greatest of importance and extreme of danger. It would be wise to get straight to the source of the problem so that we may find a quick solution." he stated, tapping his staff on the ground "of course, what is it that troubles you Goku?" Towa asked, sitting on a large stone throne. Clenching his fist, Goku looked up at her. Determined to explain the dire situation that they found themselves in.
Arriving in a space ship, Vegeta opened his eyes, causing multiple people to jump to their feet, terrified by the trespasser "put your hands up!" One yelled at him as two others pulled their guns on him "what's all the commotion?" Jaco asked as he ran into the room, gasping when he saw the officers pointing there guns on Vegeta "Vegeta? Why are you here?" he asked, looking at the other Galactic patrol officers "hey, put your weapons down. Don't you know who this is? This is Vegeta! One of the only reasons that we defeated Morro." He announced, pointing at them. Looking from him to Vegeta they bowed respectfully and holstered their weapons, returning to what they were doing before his arrival.
Shaking his head, Jaco laughed "how can I help you?" he asked, sitting in a large chair "I didn't come here for you I came for Merus." Vegeta replied, crossing his arms "yeesh, didn't have to be so harsh." Jaco replied, chuckling "he's down below." One of the other patrolmen answered, pointing to the floor "below?" Vegeta asked, looking back at him "yeah, the cells are in the lower deck. He's down there doing some questioning. We just took a large group of traffickers into custody. They would travel from planet to planet and kidnap children. Selling them on the black market as slaves to the highest bidder." Jaco explained, shaking his head in disgust "really? People actually do that?" Vegeta asked, the shock and disgust in his voice easy to hear "they do, and it's absolutely unacceptable. Children should be kept far away from strife like this." Merus agreed, walking through the door, smiling when he saw Vegeta.
Handing Jaco a clipboard, he stretched "nice to see you again Vegeta, I assume you're not here on personal business, are you?" He asked, crossing his arms "no, there's a tournament in eight days and we need you for the team." Vegeta stated, walking up to him "me? Do you think Whis would be happy with that decision?" He asked, shaking his head "Whis said that it was your choice. You don't have to join if you don't want to, but fighting Universe thirteen would be a lot easier with your help." Vegeta explained, crossing his arms and scowling when Merus gasped "the thirteenth!? They're back?" he asked, fear filling his face "I thought they were gone for good." He stated, clenching his fist "they're back, and they're incredibly powerful "one of them. Named; Shougen, defeated Kakarot like he was a child." Vegeta explained, shaking his head "no way!" Jaco gasped, flinching in shock "and there's someone named Zagraeus that's supposed to be even stronger then him." Vegeta stated, sighing "wait, you didn't know? Whis said that all of the Angel's knew." Vegeta asked, looking at him skeptically "I'm not an Angel anymore Vegeta. I don't get told anything like Whis and the others. I'm just like you now and if we're going up against Universe thirteen, I'm in." Merus stated, nodding "the tournament is in eight days, we're getting everyone together so that we can spend the next week training before the tournament starts." Vegeta explained, holding out his hand as he touched his forehead "that's a good idea, if our enemy is indeed the thirteenth, we're going to need as much time as we can get." Merus stated, taking Vegeta's hand "Jaco, I've listed the name of the planet's, village's, and family member's of all of the children. Can you take them home and reunite them with their families for me?" Merus asked, looking back at him "you can count on me, we all have a part to play, even if some are more impressive than the others." Jaco replied, smiling at them as they vanished.
Landing in front of Krillin and 18's house, 17 took a deep breath and rang the doorbell, smiling when Marron's voice echoed from within "coming!" she cried, her footsteps echoing as she ran throughout the house.
Opening the door, Marron gasped "uncle? What are you doing here?" she asked, tilting her head "I came here to talk with my sister, is she home?" he asked, putting his hands in his pockets "no, mom went to the doctor with dad. They should be back soon though, come in and we can wait together." She offered, motioning for him to enter "you're sure it's okay?" he asked, looking down at her "of course, it's been a long time since we've seen each other. Besides, it must be important. You hardly ever leave your island, so I think it would be best to just wait here." Marron explained, grabbing his arm and pulling him inside.
Arriving back on Kame island, Vegeta and Merus flinched when Berrus laughed "look at that Vegeta, you're the first one back." He applauded, laying on top of the house "big brother." Merus gasped as Whis descended "Merus, so you've chosen to fight?" Whis asked, tapping his staff on his shoe "of course, if Universe thirteen is involved; I didn't really have that much of a choice. Our Universe needs as many powerful fighters as we can find." He explained, crossing his arms "what confuses me, is why wait so long?" he asked, looking at Whis "that I do not know, all the Grand Priest told us is that Universe thirteen was finally ready to be judged." Whis stated, closing his eyes solemnly "ready to be judged. Wait, does that mean?" Merus began to ask before Whis silenced him by placing his finger over his mouth "right, sorry." Merus apologized as Berrus cleared his throat "Vegeta, since you're back before Goku. Could you go and recruit Frieza?" he asked, leaping to the ground "Frieza!? Why me!?" Vegeta yelled, glaring at him "because, you and Goku can both use instant transmission. Don't worry, when Goku finally gets back. I'm sending him to recruit Broly. Unless you want to do it." Berrus ordered, pointing at him.
Clenching his fist tightly, Vegeta placed his fingers to his head "fine, but if that bastard tries anything; he's dead." he stated, closing his eyes and gritting his teeth "that's fine, then you'll just have to find someone to replace him." Berrus ordered, smiling when Vegeta vanished.
Shaking her head, Marron blinked rapidly "wow, Shougen really beat uncle Goku?" she asked, her disbelief easy to hear "without even trying. All of the Universe thirteen fighters are incredibly strong. The one named Fleur was smaller than you and she used a bow that transformed into an axe that Goku and Vegeta could only lift by using their super Saiyan forms and lifting together." 17 explained, holding a light blue cup as he took a bite of a small flower shaped cookie "that's crazy, and there was a guy that had a blindfold, right?" Marron asked, pouring some tea into her cup "yeah, he won his match without even trying. You could tell just by watching it that they were all toying with their opponents. The worst part is, is that there's supposed to be someone even stronger then them. Someone named; Zagraeus." He stated, sighing as the front door opened. Smiling when Krillin and 18 turned the corner. Seeing him sitting with Marron and drinking tea, Krillin smiled as 18 crossed her arms sternly.
Sitting down next to Marron, 18 crossed her legs sternly "why are you here?" she asked, her serious tone caused Krillin to laugh nervously "maybe he just came to say hello. Family drops by unannounced sometimes." Krillin stated, trying his hardest to quell the tension "I hate to admit it, but you know that's not why I'm here." 17 admitted, placing his cup on a small plate "what is it this time?" Krillin asked, taking one of the cookies from the table.
Taking a deep breath, 17 finished his cookie "another tournament, this time the stakes are even higher then the last." 17 explained, taking a deep breath "how so?" 18 asked, crossing her arms "it's every Universe against Universe thirteen." 17 stated, sighing when 18 and Krillin rose an eyebrow "I thought there was only twelve Universe's." 18 stated as Krillin nodded in agreement "so did we, but there are Thirteen. This tournament is to find out if the other eight Universe's are stronger than the thirteenth." 17 explained, crossing his arms "eight?" Krillin asked, leaning forward "yes, Zeno destroyed Universe's One, Five, Eight and Twelve when they refused to compete." 17 replied, pulling on his glove "will you help?" he asked, looking at 18 "guess I really don't have a choice." She admitted "when do we leave?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders "eight days. But we're getting everyone together today so we can train." Hearing his words, 18 rose an eyebrow "really?" She asked, skeptical "yes, you didn't see them fight. They weren't even trying and they beat everyone like it was nothing. I think her name was Ruby… She beat Toppo in mere minutes and Shougen defeated Goku without even breaking a sweat. And this, Zagraeus guy is supposed to be stronger than all of them." He explained, staring straight at her to enforce that he was not joking.
Sighing, 18 shook her head "fine, I'll help." She agreed, standing up "good, lets go." 17 ordered, walking towards the door "we might end up being the first ones there so we can get in a sparing match." 17 announced, leaving the house "were are we going?" 18 asked, kissing Krillin and Marron when they followed them out of the house "Roshi's house, but I'm sure Goku and Vegeta have a better training location in mind." He explained, patting Marron on the head "good luck mom." "stay safe." Krillin and Marron stated, waving them off as they flew away.
Arriving on the capsule corp. Balcony, Piccolo cracked his neck before entering and taking a deep breath "Trunks!" he yelled, crossing his arms as Bulla and Pan ran from a room to his right "Mr. Piccolo?" Bulla asked, pulling her hair into a ponytail "what are you here for?" Pan asked, pulling her bandana tight "Bulla, where's Trunks?" Piccolo asked, his stern demeanor remaining "I don't know. He's around here somewhere." She replied, pulling a phone out of her pocket and placing it to her ear "yeah, big bro. Mr. Piccolo is here, he's looking for you… Yeah, ok. Bye bye." She spoke as Pan and Piccolo waited for her explanation "he's on his way. Oh, and Goten is with him." She explained, walking out onto the balcony "good, I need to speak with the four of you anyway." Piccolo replied, following the girls outside.
Arriving in Frieza's ship, Vegeta sighed, grumbling when twenty soldier's leapt to their feet "Vegeta, what a wonderful surprise to find you here. Have you finally realized your faults and have come to beg for forgiveness? If you preform a magnificent dance for us, I may just find a place for you among the Frieza force." Frieza mocked, placing his finger next to his chin, laughing "screw you." Vegeta snapped, crossing his arms "then if you didn't come to entertain me Vegeta, what did you come for?" Frieza asked, shaking his head "There's another tournament in eight days." Vegeta began to explain, stopping when Frieza hummed loudly "and you want me to fight in it with you?" he asked, floating towards him in his chair "yes, but this time it's different." Vegeta stated, pointing at him "how so?" Frieza asked inquisitively, rubbing his chin "it's all eight Universe's against Universe thirteen; their a hidden Universe that only the Angel's and God's knew about until today." Hearing Vegeta's words, Frieza squinted "I thought that there were twelve Universe's. Or are the four exempt once more?" he asked as his tail flicked "no, they spoke out against the tournament and Zeno destroyed them." Hearing Vegeta's explanation, Frieza chuckled "interesting. Tell me Vegeta, what do you know of this Universe thirteen. If no one knew that they existed until today, I'm sure they must have some secrets. Besides, let's just say I do join your team; I prefer to know what I'm getting myself into before hand." Frieza explained, flicking his hand toward him to speak. Sighing, Vegeta shook his head before glaring at him, realizing that he had no alternative.
The second Trunks and Goten landed, they tensed up when Piccolo stood "about time." Piccolo stated, swiping his cape out of the way "what are you here for Piccolo?" Trunks asked, scratching his head "for the four of you." Piccolo quickly replied, crossing his arms "there's a Universal tournament in eight days where we have to face Universe thirteen and we need more members for the team." He stated, glaring at the boys "oh yeah, let's do this!" "yeah, can we fight Mr. Piccolo?" Pan and Bulla asked, running up to him "of course, that's why I came here. Goku and Vegeta were the ones that had the idea for you four to participate." Piccolo replied, smiling when the two girls were excited to fight "wait, like the tournament you guys fought all those years ago?" Trunks asked, crossing his arms "worse, the power of Universe thirteen is unlike anything we've faced before." Piccolo replied, shaking his head "not to be rude. But, I'm sure that Mom would like me going off to fight in a tournament." Goten stated, shrugging his shoulders "don't worry about that. I already explained everything to Bulma. She said that this might help you learn to take some responsibility in your lives. She said that she would take care of Chi-Chi." Piccolo explained, stepping forward "wait, we're gonna spend the next week doing nothing but training? I have a date in two days." Trunks complained, shaking his head "Vegeta did say that you had stopped training, but don't worry; you'll be ready in time for the tournament." He explained, grabbing them both by the back of there shirts, dragging them off the balcony "hey, wait for us Mr. Piccolo! We're coming!" "yeah, we're Saiyan's too. We're gonna win this thing!" Pan cried, laughing as they followed Piccolo.
Landing within the temple, Gohan looked around; chuckling and rubbing his head when he realized that he had interrupted a training session between Tien and his students "Gohan, what a nice surprise." Tien stated, smiling "nice to see you too Tien. Hey, can we talk. It's important." Gohan asked, his serious demeanor quickly causing Tien to nod "of course. Everyone, that's enough for today. Please, take the rest of today to relax." He ordered, watching as his students left, smiling when Yamcha walked out of the door behind him.
Placing his hands behind his back, Tien took a deep breath "it's strange to find anyone but Yamcha or Master Roshi up here, so I assume that whatever brought you here isn't good." Tien assumed, closing his eyes "no, it isn't." Gohan admitted, hanging his head "what is it this time?" Yamcha asked, stepping down the stairs towards him "another tournament." Gohan stated, clenching his fist "another tournament? I didn't expect that." Tien admitted, shaking his head "this one is different." Gohan quickly replied, placing his fists on his hips "how so?" Yamcha asked, crossing his arms "it's the Universe's that are left, against Universe thirteen. The Zeno's already destroyed four Universe's that refused to fight. So now it's just eight Universe's against Universe thirteen."
Closing his eyes, Tien sighed "Universe thirteen… They must be new." He wondered, shaking his head subtly "no, apparently they were hidden from the other Universes until today. Berrus and Whis know who they are and they say that Universe thirteen is stronger than all the other Universe's. Whis told us earlier that if Universe thirteen had participated in the last Tournament; we would have all lost within seconds. Even Dad and Jiren wouldn't of been able to stand against them." Hearing Gohan's explanation, Tien's eyes shot open "their that strong?" Tien asked, his left eye twitching "yeah, there was a guy named Shougen at the expo earlier today and he beat dad without even trying. One of his friends said that he once lifted their planet's twin moons to stop them from colliding with the planet." Tien and Yamcha looked at each other, completely shocked "what's even crazier is that there's apparently someone stronger then him; named Zagraeus. Whis knows who he is and told us to be careful. Honestly, at this point I don't even know if it's possible to beat them with everything that Berrus, Whis and the Kai's have said… But like Dad always say's; we'll never know if we don't try." Gohan stated, hanging his head.
Taking a deep breath, Tien continued to stare at him "I don't even know what to say." Yamcha stated, sitting on the stone steps "anyone would refuse to fight after what you just said. But if you and Goku need my help, I'll help you." Tien admitted, looking down at him "really?" Gohan asked, looking up at him, smiling "of course, what kind of friend would I be if I let you guys fight for the survival of the Universe without me?" he asked, smiling "Tien's right. I may not be as strong as Goku or Vegeta, but I'll do what I can." Yamcha agreed, standing up "thanks Yamcha, Tien. The tournament is in eight day's. But, we're getting everyone together to train until then." Gohan explained as they both nodded in response "of course. If Universe thirteen is that much of a threat, we need to try and prepare." Tien agreed, looking into the sky.
Smiling, he looked behind him "Yurin, I leave both the Dojo and the student's in your care for the next two weeks." Tien stated, looking back to the door that Yamcha had exited, chuckling when he saw her peaking around the door "yes sir. Don't worry, I won't let you down. Chiaotzu, Puar and I will handle everything, right guy's?" Yurin asked, squeezing them tightly "stay safe Tien." Chiaotzu agreed as Puar flew out of her grasp "Yamcha, you're going to fight?" she asked, floating in front of him "yeah, I'm gonna prove my worth. I'm a fighter after all and I'm gonna do what I can to help our friends." He explained, smiling when Puar hugged him "stay safe." She stated before flying back to Yurin. Waving with Yurin and Chiaotzu as Tien, Yamcha and Gohan flew away.
Nodding, Towa crossed her arms "I see, this is a stressing situation indeed. How may we help?" she asked, looking straight at Goku, eager to lend a hand "well, I was hoping that you would join the team." He stated, looking up at Dabura "me? But Goku, I swore to never fight again." He argued, shaking his head "I know but this is different, your not fighting to kill like before. You're just fighting to help us protect our Universe. Didn't you also say that you would do anything to repay us for reviving you?" Goku asked, staring up at him.
Sighing, Dabura closed his eyes "if it is to protect my sister and the rest of the Universe, I will do my part." Dabura agreed, nodding "then you'll join?" Goku asked, smirking "yes, I will honor my word and help you defend our Universe. By helping protect what I had once helped to destroy; perhaps I may finally be able to cleanse myself of the sins of my past and truly start over." He lamented, crossing his arms "this tournament is in a full eight days, correct?" Towa asked, twirling a piece of her hair around her finger "yeah, we're getting everyone together today so we can train. Those Universe thirteen guys are no joke and Zagraeus is supposed to be the strongest of them all." Goku explained as Dabura cleared his throat "then I suggest we go, if they are as strong as you believe; we will need all the time that we can get to prepare." Dabura stated, looking down at Goku "right, take my hand. Just like when I brought you home." Goku agreed, holding his hand up towards him.
Taking Goku's hand, Towa ran up to Dabura and hugged him tightly "come home safely brother, and show them the power of the demon clan." She ordered, kissing him lovingly on the cheek "of course." Dabura replied as they vanished.
Arriving on Kame Island, Goku gasped when an energy blast scrapped past their heads "Goku, your back." 17 stated, landing with 18 "18, nice to see you. How's Krillin?" Goku asked, waving at her "he's well, Marron makes sure that he doesn't do anything to stressful. He took it hard for the first few weeks when he was told he couldn't work or fight anymore. He's started gardening now and it's doing wonders for him. I've haven't seen him this happy in a long time. I think he'd love it if you came to visit. Anyway, who's your friend?" she asked, pointing at Dabura; towering over him "this is Dabura; the demon king." Goku stated, patting his arm "demon king, huh?" 17 asked, scratching his head "not anymore, I handed over leadership to my younger sister. After my untimely death at the hands of Majin Buu, I traveled to the plains of heaven and experienced true peace. Vowing to never fight again. Though, I owe Goku and Vegeta much for resurrecting me and I have agreed to help you all defend our Universe." He explained, as Berrus walked around the house, yawning as Whis dutifully followed "Goku, took you long enough, who's your mystery…" Berrus began to ask before opening his eyes to see Dabura "Lord Berrus! What a pleasure!" Dabura quickly stated, bowing to him "you know Berrus?" Goku asked, shaking his head "we've met a few times, though the demon realm grew quiet after Babidi enslaved him." Berrus admitted, looking down at him "you can get up you know, I'm not here to destroy you or your realm. If Goku believes that you can help us Defeat Universe thirteen, than destroying you would only bring me more work." He admitted, looking at 17 when he walked towards him "if he was working with Majin Buu, why didn't you destroy the demon realm for punishment?" he asked, crossing his arms "you know, I'm glad you asked that, because this may end up being important information for the future." Berrus began to speak until Merus landed "Merus!" Goku cheered, high fiving him "it's nice to see you Goku. If I may brother, I would love to explain this." He stated, looking back at Whis who nodded.
Taking a deep breath, Merus closed his eyes before smiling "the demon realm and the mortal realm are connected. To make it simple, think of the demon realm as a reverse to ours; as if looking in a mirror. It exists parallel to our own. Every Planet and Galaxy has a mirrored version in the demon realm. They exists in perfect tangent with the other. If a planet in one is destroyed, the other is destroyed as well. Keeping perfect balance between life and death. But, if one realm is destroyed." "the other dies with it." Piccolo finished, landing with the kids "exactly correct." Merus agreed, nodding "Uncle Goku!" "Grandpa!" the girls cheered, running up to him "hey girls, are your ready?" he asked, hugging them "they will be, even Goten and Trunks. I'll make sure their ready to fight whether they like it or not." Piccolo ordered, shaking his head when Goten and Trunks looked at their phones "sorry to interrupt this reunion but don't you have something more important to do right now?" Berrus asked, crossing his arms sternly "no, I don't think so. Since Merus is here I guess Vegeta's recruiting Frieza… Gohan, Yamcha and Tien are over there." Goku replied, pointing at them in the distance "that only leaves. Oh yeah, Broly!" Goku cheered, quickly using instant transmission.
As Thunder rolled and lightning crackled overhead, Cheelai sighed as she looked out the window "man, it's really coming down out there." She admitted, shivering as she turned A page in her book. Jumping and shrieking in fear when Broly crashed through her bedroom wall "what the heck Broly!?" she cried, pointing at him as she tried to catch her breath.
She rose an eyebrow when the large Saiyan leapt onto her bed, shaking in fear "Um… Broly, what's wrong?" she asked, patting his head as he wrapped his arms around her body, burying his head into her stomach; as if he was hiding from something "th-… There's bad things… Outside." He stated, shaking "bad things?" she asked, looking out the window as she continued to rub his head "the noise." He gasped as another flash of lightning crackled; causing him to shake even more, tightening his grasp on her, not willing to let her go "noise?" she wondered, her eyes shooting open when she remembered the device the Paragus had used to keep him calm "oh. You don't have to be scared, I won't let anyone hurt you. It's alright. I gotcha big guy." She explained, hugging his head, as he continued to shake in fear. Running her fingers through his hair, she began to hum as she closed her eyes.
Both Cheelai and Broly leapt to their feet when Goku arrived in the middle of the room "what the hell!?" she gasped, grabbing her gun from under her pillow and pointing it at his head "wait, you're Goku, right?" She asked, lowering her gun "yup, that's me." Goku replied, laughing when Broly smiled "Kakarot." He stated, flinching when thunder rolled "yeesh, that's some storm." Goku admitted, scratching his head "what did you come all the way here for?" Cheelai asked, stepping in front of Broly defensively "oh, right. I came here to ask if Broly would join our team." Goku's words caused Cheelai to raise an eyebrow "team? For what?" she asked, glaring up at him "for a tournament. We have to fight against Universe thirteen; their super strong. Oh, and if we loose; our Universe gets destroyed." Hearing his words, Cheelai leapt backward, hitting into Broly "destroyed!? Like… Everything?" She asked, her left eye twitching "yup, we had one against the other Universe's before you guys showed up but this time we have to all team up against Universe thirteen. I was kinda hoping that Broly would join the team." Shaking her head, Cheelai placed her hand on Broly's arm.
Scowling, she shook her head " I don't trust you enough for that, I don't want Broly getting caught up in anything he can't handle." She stated, still glaring at him "it's alright, were a team; I'll be there and so will Vegeta. Also, Whis said that he would train you to control your power." Hearing his words, Broly stepped forward "you can show me? How to… Stay calm?" he asked, causing Goku to laugh nervously "not me, but Whis can." He replied, looking down when Cheelai hummed "who's Whis?" she asked, touching Broly's arm "Whis is an Angel, he taught both me and Vegeta to reach super Saiyan blue." He explained, smiling when Broly touched his shoulder "wait, that weird guy that fought him before that other guy showed up? The one that almost killed him?" Cheelai asked, grumbling when Goku laughed "that's him, the other guy you're talking about was me and Vegeta, we fused together so we could beat him." Goku explained, flinching in fear when Cheelai threw her gun at his head "you idiot, you almost killed him and you have the nerve to come here and ask him to help you!?" she yelled, punching him.
Touching her shoulder, Broly looked down at her "Cheelai, I don't want to. Be afraid anymore." He stated, looking into her eyes "afraid? What is he talking about?" Goku asked, looking down at Cheelai "he's afraid of his power; it takes over and controls him. He may be strong but inside that…" "monster." Broly finished, staring at her "right, inside that monster; Broly is just a kind and gentle giant. He wouldn't hurt a fly." Cheelai explained, wrapping her arms around his "that's alright. Whis can help you, I promise." Goku promised, sighing when Cheelai shook her head "I don't know. I don't like letting Broly go off and fight while I stay all the way out here on Vampa." She stated, poking him in the chest "that's it? Why don't you just come back to Earth then?" Goku asked, shrugging her shoulders "why would we come back to your planet? The last time we were there you and your friend tried to kill him." She stated, glaring at him again "what? That's not true. We weren't gonna kill him. He's a Saiyan like us, we were only trying to knock him out so he would stop his rampage." Goku admitted, shaking his head "besides, it's not… Repugnant there, me and Vegeta live there so we can train all the time. Oh, and Broly, you should try the food." Goku stated, laughing when Broly's eyes lit up "do you think you can persuade us with leisure and food?" she asked as Broly placed his hand on Goku's shoulder "Kakarot? Are there… Bad things there?" he asked, staring intently into Goku's eyes.
Tilting his head, Goku looked down at Cheelai "bad things?" "the thunder and lightning. His father used to use a shock collar to control him; whenever there's a storm, he hears it and gets scared." She explained, rubbing Broly's arm lovingly "well, we get storms sometimes but Bulma said that she can "sound proof." A house so that you can't here it. Whatever that means" he admitted, shrugging his shoulders "No bad things?" Broly asked again, shaking him "no bad things, I promise." Goku assured him, smiling when Broly gasped "Cheelai?" Broly asked, looking down at her with wide eye's "fine." She agreed, smiling when Broly laughed. Grabbing Goku's arm, dragging him through the hole he made upon entry "where are we going?" Goku cried, running to keep up with him "to tell Lemo!" He cheered as he dragged Goku, causing Cheelai to laugh as she followed them.
Leaning back in his chair, Frieza began to chuckle "this is quite a fascinating turn of events." He admitted, flicking his tail "will you stop messing around! This is serious, sometimes I'm not sure who's worse; you or Kakarot." Hearing Vegeta's statement, Frieza glared at him "how dare you, I am nothing like you filthy monkeys!" he snapped, his eye twitching in rage "though your strength has proven quite useful in the past." Frieza admitted, tapping his chair in thought "will you fight or not? We don't have all day." Vegeta grumbled, crossing his arms "what about the spoils of victory?" Frieza asked, placing his finger on his chin "what?" Vegeta asked, shaking his head "if we win, what do I get?" Frieza asked, leaning forward "a wish." "so the same as the previous tournament then? How depressing. To be the one that eliminated Jiren, only to have my wish stolen from beneath me." He sighed, shaking his head "it's a good thing he made that wish, if he hadn't; we would all be dead." Vegeta argued, glaring at him "I suppose, but how can I be sure that my wish will not be stolen this time?" Frieza asked, looking at Vegeta with a slight smile "everyone that's left standing from the winning Universe's gets a wish. So if you and Kakarot win then you both get a wish. We also can't wish for the other Universe's to be revived this time." Vegeta explained, closing his eye's "interesting. This tournament is quite intriguing Vegeta, I think I will allow you to help me." He stated, looking down into his chair, his face drooping into a momentary sadness "when do we leave?" Frieza asked, floating out of his chair "now, were spending the next week training." Vegeta stated, holding out his hand reluctantly; flinching slightly when Frieza grasped it "a grand idea, those who walk beside me should be in peak physical condition for the most optimal of performances." Frieza stated, looking back at his chair as he clenched his fist. His gaze deepening in a strange seriousness as they vanished.
Arriving back on Kame island, Vegeta slapped Frieza's hand away "Frieza, how nice of you to join us." Berrus announced as everyone winced "Lord Berrus!" Frieza gasped as he tensed up "I suppose I should thank you for doing your part to prolong the existence of our Universe. But, I'm not going to, until we are victorious. Because if we don't, it's on your backs for not being strong enough." He stated, crossing his arms "jeez, how can you blame it all on us? Isn't it your job to make sure we're as strong As we can possibly be?" Trunks asked, crossing his arms "watch it kid! Just because your Vegeta's son doesn't mean your immune to my wrath." Berrus grumbled as Whis sighed "now all we're waiting for is Goku and Broly. Once they arrive we can continue to the next phase of our plan." He explained, looking down at Frieza when he gasped "Broly!? You mean you're recruiting that unstable brute? What if he snaps during the tournament?" He asked, crossing his arms "if he does, you can distract him by becoming his punching bag again." Berrus replied, smirking "very funny." Frieza quickly replied, turning away from everyone.
Shrugging his shoulders, Lemo sighed "if that's what you guys want to do I wont say no. As long as you're sure this is the right call." he admitted, standing from his seat "you're coming right?" Cheelai asked, tilting her head "did you think I was gonna let you kids go off without me?" He asked, laughing when Broly hugged him "alright, lets go." Goku announced, cheering "what about the house? We can't just go and leave everything we have here." Cheelai stated, crossing her arms " I didn't show you that before?" Goku asked, walking over to the door that lead out into the cave.
Following him outside, Broly, Cheelai and Lemo gasped when Goku pressed a small button on the green panel outside. The three stared in shock when their house burst into a cloud of smoke; returning to it's capsule form "how'd you do that?" Lemo asked, picking it up "that's how the capsules work, I guess I forgot to tell you about that last time. Sorry." He admitted, chuckling as he held out his hand "here Broly, take my hand." He stated, smiling when Broly walked toward him "you guys take Broly's hand, we need to be connected like this if you wanna come with us." He explained, watching as Cheelai and Lemo took Broly's large hand "alright, you might wanna close your eyes. The first time can make you dizzy." Goku stated, placing his fingers on his forehead. Smiling as he used instant transmission. Happy that he was taking Broly and his friends far away from Vampa.
Arriving on Kame island, Goku sighed "alright, you can open your eyes now." He stated, letting go of Broly's hand "Goku, you've finally returned." Berrus stated, yawning "yup, everyone's here now." Goku replied, seeing Frieza leaning against the house "so you're Broly? You don't look very special to me. Then again, you Saiyan's have taught me multiple times not to underestimate you." Berrus stated, examining Broly thoroughly "hey, Cheelai look." Lemo announced, pointing at Kame house "Frieza!? Why is he here!?" She squealed, stepping backward as Broly jumped in front of them; gritting his teeth in rage "well, well, well. If it isn't the traitors." Frieza mocked, placing his index finger on his chin "Frieza! Play nice." Berrus ordered, pointing at him "hey, it's alright. Frieza's not a bad guy." Goku stated, waving his hands in front of Broly "what do you mean, he's not a bad guy? Don't you remember what he did to Broly?" Cheelai asked, pointing at him "technically speaking, I did nothing. If memory serves me correctly; Paragus is the one that used Broly as a means to have his revenge. I simply used our coincidental meeting to my advantage. Your hands are no cleaner then mine you know. You two we're the ones that brought Broly and his father to me in the first place." Frieza explained, chuckling when Cheelai clenched her fist; realizing that he was right.
Clearing his throat, Vegeta stomped his foot on the step of Kame house "enough of this nonsense. We've got more important things to worry about." Vegeta spat, crossing his arms sternly "Vegeta is correct. If you all wish to survive the coming battle, you must prepare." Whis stated, as Goku crossed his arms "we should use the hyperbolic time chamber." Goku stated, looking around at everyone "we're going to spend seven days in there?" Tien asked, looking at Vegeta and Frieza in hesitation "are you sure that's a good idea Goku?" Yamcha asked, chuckling nervously when Frieza looked at him and laughed "it'll be fine, I promise." Goku promised, smiling "that's fine for all of you, but I can't. If you can remember Kakarot; Popo banned me for life." Vegeta stated, looking at Piccolo "is that so? Show me where this time chamber is and I'll handle it." Berrus stated, stepping forward "what's it for? This time chamber?" Cheelai asked, looking up at Goku "it's a place where we can go and train. One day outside is equal to one year inside." Piccolo explained, standing up "so you guys are gonna spend Seven years inside, training?" Lemo asked, shaking his head "that might end up still not being enough time." Whis admitted, crossing his arms "what about Broly? Is taking him inside really a good idea?" Cheelai asked, looking up at Whis with a worried expression "don't worry, he will be well taken care of. I will oversee his training myself. As will I supply all the food for our three glutinous Saiyan's." he explained, stepping near Goku as everyone crowded around.
Looking to Cheelai and Lemo, Vegeta sighed "come with me." He stated, holding out his hand to Cheelai and Lemo "why?" she asked, looking at him, scowling "if you're here, then you'll need a place to stay. Bulma's got at least ten empty houses around the city." Vegeta explained, closing his eyes "why should we trust you?" Lemo asked, causing Vegeta to sigh "because I'm a friend. Helping you like this… Maybe I can repay Broly for what my father did." Vegeta admitted, grunting when Cheelai took his hand "huh, looks like you and Goku are just as nice as Broly. Once you chip away at your defenses for long enough." Cheelai admitted as Vegeta looked back at Goku "Kakarot, I'm taking these two to Bulma; I'll meet you at the lookout later." He stated, placing his fingers on his forehead "just don't waste time Vegeta. We don't have all day." Berrus ordered, gritting his teeth when he vanished, sighing, he looked at Goku "now, where is this; Mr. Popo?" Berrus asked as they all vanished.
Arriving on the Capsule corp. Balcony, Cheelai gazed out at the city "wow, this is so much different than the other planets I've been on." She awed, looking in every direction "I know right, this is pretty cool." Lemo agreed, placing his hands on the railing "Bulma!" Vegeta roared, causing both Cheelai and Lemo to jump in fear "For the love of everyone's ears. How many times have I told you not to scream like… That?" Bulma ordered, walking through the door; stopping when she saw Lemo and Cheelai "these are Broly's friends, they're looking for a house." Vegeta stated, crossing his arms when Bulma pushed past him "I'm Cheelai, this is Lemo." Cheelai introduced, pointing at Lemo who bowed to her respectfully "Broly? That's the guy you and Goku fought a few years ago, right? The one's Goku made me make those Dina Capsules for?" she asked, tapping her chin "yes, Broly's helping us fight in the tournament and they decided to move here." Hearing his words, Bulma smiled "of course, come with me, I'll show you around the city." Bulma offered, waving for them to follow "why are you being so nice to us? We've never even met." Cheelai asked as Lemo followed Bulma without question "well, I guess it's because you guys are friends with Broly. He's a Saiyan like Vegeta and Goku so it's sort of like we're a family." She admitted, walking into the building, smiling when Cheelai followed her inside "don't worry about telling anyone about the tournament. When Piccolo showed up, he told me everything; I already told Chi-Chi and Videl that Goten, Gohan, Trunks and the girls would be gone for the week." Bulma explained, looking back at the balcony; smiling when she saw that Vegeta was already gone.
Arriving on the lookout, Dende and Mr. Popo walked over "Goku, why are all of you here?" Dende asked, freezing when Berrus stepped forward "Mr. Popo, was it?" he asked, walking up to him "yes. How can I help you Lord Berrus?" he asked, bowing respectfully "we need to use the time chamber for the next seven days so that we can prepare to fight against Universe thirteen. That means all of them; Vegeta included." He stated, leaning down to look into Popo's eyes "Is that clear?" Berrus asked, smiling slightly when Popo nodded "yes, of course Lord Berrus." He agreed, turning around "I shall prepare everything, though I'm not sure what you'll do for food for seven years." He stated, walking into the large building "oh, don't worry about that, I'll handle that." Whis replied, smiling as he twirled his staff "wait, seven years? I thought the tournament was in eight days?" Merus asked, tilting his head "we train for seven years inside the chamber. Using the final day to rest. A team weary from training will last a short time in combat." Whis explained, turning to look when Vegeta arrived "wait, how do you know Mr. Popo, Lord Berrus?" Goku asked, crossing his arms in thought. Raising an eyebrow when he followed Dende inside without answering "Lord Berrus and the one you call; Mr. Popo have known each other far longer than any of you have lived." Whis explained, sighing when Berrus called for him "Whis, watch your tongue. Come here for a moment." He called, glaring at him "yes my Lord." He stated, floating over.
Mr. Popo says that the chamber is ready for you." Dende stated, running over to them, motioning for them to follow.
Entering the room, Broly, Merus, Pan and Bulla turned in amazement at how expansive it was "this place is incredible." Pan stated, looking into the fully white sky "so this is the power?" Merus asked, looking at Whis who nodded "you're staying with us Whis?" Vegeta asked, looking at him as he walked inside with Broly "of course, I agreed to train Broly did I not? In the next Seven years, I intend to both train him to not only control his latent power but to dig into his own soul; allowing him to reach and maintain the form he used against your fusion while still remaining in control." he explained, looking back at Berrus "I'm sure that Lord Berrus will do a splendid job watching over the Universe in our stead." Whis stated, winking at him "as long as these earthlings give me food, you have my word that this planet will continue it's existence." He explained as the door closed behind him.