What-If Bardock Convinced the Sayains: Season 2, Chapter 6
The Times Gone, Welcome Back… Everyone?
The time of the Android's arrival has come at last.
Three years had passed, and everyone had made use of their training in fullness.
Inside a dark room, three screens on the wall light up as they began to display footage of a few familiar faces.
A figure wandered about the room in the light of the screens until finally sitting down to watch the show playing with a bottle of scotch on one side and a refined glass on the other.
Raditz achieved Super Saiyan, although it was one year after his brother had. And they did not waste time refining the form, making it so that Super Saiyan wouldn't cost as much stamina when transforming. However, they were still far from completely mastering Super Saiyan, focusing the last year of training on Gohan and Vitella. This idea was Goku's, of course. He figured that those two should be fit and ready, but secretly he just wanted to see how strong they could become.
The sitting figure was rolling the glass of scotch in his hand in contemplation. They looked to the next screen.
For our disgruntled Prince, having one Super Saiyan on Earth was something he could barely tolerate, but upon learning that Raditz had achieved it… Well, that was just one Giant Ape of a punch to his pride. Vegeta couldn't stand being on earth anymore, so he took a brand new Capsule Ship headed off into the stars so he could train away from his problems, leaving behind a pregnant Bulma as well.
The figure let out a laugh and took a shot of the scotch at the sight of Vegeta's struggle. They looked to the next screen.
For our Uncle and Nephew duo, the arrival on Namek was something of a revelation to them and the local Namekians. Having heard of their origins and reasons for coming, the Namekians welcomed them with open arms. Assuring them that they'd do all they could to prepare them for their future threat. The potency of the training they endured had their power levels increase exponentially!
The figure set down the glass. They leaned forward, hands brought up with fingers laced, focused on the next person on the next screen.
Finally, as for Bardock, his training on Yardrat had helped open his mind. Of course, upon Bardocks arrival on Yardrat, the locals were very wary of the Super Saiyan in their midst. However, after explaining his story to the Yardratians, tensions began to subside, and they were a little more willing to teach Bardock of their ways. Despite of his rude tendencies from time to time.
With the teachings from the Yardrat Elder, Pybara, Bardock was able to master Spirit Control. Gaining the abilities of Instant Transmission, Healing, and Forced Spirit Fission. With the first being one of Bardock's favorites. Along with this mastery, Bardock could now control his future vision. No more would it be happening at random and inopportune times.
In fact, Bardock could now utilize it as a sort of sixth sense for himself in battle. Making it so that he could see a few moments into the future, but even its use in this manner could have drawbacks. Like most senses, future vision can be overwhelmed, causing severe migraines as a result. A thing that Bardock discovered the hard way. So the reliance on this power was tedious at best.
The figure brought its hand up to its chin with amusement and anticipation.
A door from behind opened, filling the room with light. A man stood in the doorway.
"Doing your homework?" He asked the figure.
"Oh yes. Everyone had used their time wisely, haven't they? But will it be enough, I wonder? I guess we'll just let my little game play out and see. Right, Potot?"
The date is May 12th, Age 767.
On a cliffside overlooking the island city of Papaya Town, our Z-Fighters gather together, awaiting the coming storm. Well… most of the Z-Fighters, anyway.
All of the Earthling fighters had gathered and were waiting on Goku, Raditz, and Bardock to arrive.
Yamcha was getting restless. "Mmmmmm… What's taking those guys?" He turns to Krillin, who's sitting on the cliffside, hands cupped around his face. "Do you think they forget the date?" Yamcha asks Krillin.
"Goku? Probably. But that's why he's got his brother to remember for him. They'll be here soon, don't worry about it!" Krillin reassured.
Tien began to pipe up. "Though you have to admit, it is getting pretty late." He was leaning against a wall in the back. "Hmph! Wonder if Lions-Mane got sidetracked on the way here," Tien said. A sly smile began to creep on his face. "Maybe by Launch no less." He then chuckled.
Yamcha then turned to Tien. "Seriously, what is up with you two, anyway?" Yamcha asked.
"What? Me and Launch? She kept following me around, ever since the last World Martial Arts Tournament. That is until Raditz showed up! Honestly, I think those two complement each other. Only a Saiyan could handle her anyway."
"No, dude!" Yamcha interjected. "I'm talking about you and Raditz. There's some kind of weird rivalry going on between you two. I mean, when did that happen?"
Tien clicked his tongue, then shrugged. "Don't know," He answered. "I guess it's just some little fun we like to have, or something."
Krillin was glancing back at the two of them and sighed to himself. Then the glare of the sun hit his face. He looked up in the sky and saw that a hovercar was approaching them.
Krillin narrowed his eyes at it and realized who it was. "Hey! It's Bulma!" Krillin announced.
Both Yamcha and Tien look over to the sky, slightly surprised and confused. Although Yamcha then crossed his arms and flared his nose when the hovercar came down.
Once settled, out came Bulma and in her arms the baby that we know as Trunks.
Meanwhile, closing in on Papaya Town flew Goku, Raditz, Gohan, and Vitella. However, Raditz was slightly unnerved by the current situation.
Gohan takes notice of this as he flies next to him. "Uncle Raditz?"
Instead of answering, Raditz turns his attention to Goku. "Something isn't right here, brother. He should have at least notified us if something was wrong."
Goku looks at his brother. "Oh, don't worry! You know dad can handle himself," he reassures. "Besides, he wouldn't just abandon us!"
"That's not my point!" Raditz chided. "Kakarot, the only people to come back on the ship were those two Namekians, and the only thing that they told us about our father is that he wanted more time finishing up his training. That was over a week ago, and even with a Saiyan pod, it would've taken him at least four days to get back to Earth!"
"You worry too much, Raditz! He could be closing in on Earth any minute now."
"Hmph! The aforementioned 'could,' we need assurance rather than ifs, might's, and maybe's!" Raditz complained.
While listening to all of this, Vitella flew close by Gohan. "You know, for a Super Saiyan, your unc's being a tad paranoid, bookworm," she said.
"Well, neither of them are wrong to be like this right now," Gohan said with empathy. "Although," Gohan then looked at his father. "Dad's has been a bit over-confident lately."
Vitella raised her eyebrows. "You're starting to doubt him?" she asked, surprised.
"No, of course not!" Gohan remarked. "My dad can handle anything, but I do think we should take all of this more seriously."
"Why? Even with Bardock not around right now, we still have your Super Saiyan dad and uncle to pound these robo-freaks into the dirt!" Vitella boasted with a big smile.
Gohan wanted to believe that, to say that his friend was right, but there was one thing that she was forgetting. "V, those two time-travelers came back as Super Saiyans to warn us about Androids that were tearing the galaxy apart in their future. What do you think that tells you about their strength?"
Vitella's face freezes for a moment. "W-well…" She turns away from Gohan.
Looking ahead, Vitella quickly changes the subject, hiding the sudden concern on her face. "Uh… O-oh, hey! We're coming up on the island!" she exclaimed.
Sure enough, coming up over the horizon was their destination.
It didn't take long for our four Saiyans to find Krillin and the others. After introductions and the lauding over baby Trunks by Gohan and Vitella, the obvious question was asked by Yamcha.
Looking around, Yamcha couldn't help but notice a major contender missing in action. He turned to Goku. "So, where's Bardock?" Yamcha asked bluntly.
"Huh? Oh, he'll be here," Goku assured.
Suddenly, all fighters tensed up as they sensed an immense power heading in their direction.
A stunned Yamcha looked around frantically. "Wha-Is that him?" He said nervously.
A more composed Tien answered Yamcha. "No… It feels different compared to a Saiyan's."
Even Raditz was unnerved. "Triclops is right. The way this feels, its…" Raditz's eyes go wide. "There's two of them!"
"The Androids?!" Krillin squealed.
"There! From the East!" Gohan points.
In the far distance, our fighters begin to see two rapidly approaching figures. To small to make out at the moment, but that doesn't stop everyone from bracing themselves.
Yamcha has his priorities straight, turning straight to Bulma. "You need to get out of here!" He ordered.
Bulma felt a little offended. "I can han—" She never gets to finish her sentence as Yamcha cuts her off.
"I'm serious, Bulma!" Yamcha yelled.
The two figures are closing in, and everyone is about to pounce when suddenly Goku notices something about these power levels.
Vitella is raring to go as she's about to take off. "A bit strong, but I think I could wear them down—"
"No, wait!" Goku catches her arm just as she's about to take off.
Vitella looks down, shocked and irritated. "What?" she demands.
"They're not the Androids!"
They all look at Goku, confused for obvious reasons. The powers that they were feeling were close to Goku's in his base form. One would be very wary of this! However, as the two were finally getting into view, tensions dissipated.
Raditz, finally realizing, lets out a relieved sigh. "Oh… It's just those two."
The pair land, and it's Kami and Piccolo! "Sorry for arriving late! We got into a dispute on the Lookout with Cassava. We're not late, I presume?"
Krillin falls on his back, letting out an exhausted sigh. "The anticipation is killing me! When are those Androids going to show up anyway?"
Piccolo, reading the ground, stepped forward. "I guess not."
Goku looked at him and smirked. "You know, when you came back, it was hard to get a good read on you." Goku walked up into Piccolo's face. "But looking back, you must've been suppressing your energy. Any reason why?"
Piccolo grinned maliciously. "Make no mistake, Son Goku. When this is all over, we'll have a proper bout without any stadiums to get in our way."
Goku is undeterred and a bit fired up after that. "Wouldn't have it any other way."
"Piccolo…" Kami was looking over at this exchange with a raised eyebrow.
Piccolo flared his nostrils and turned back to Kami. "Another time, I know." he annoyingly said.
Piccolo then wandered off on the cliffside to overlook the city.
Goku chuckled at this exchange. "I knew he'd have potential, right Kami?"
Kami smiled at Goku's gesture. "We can only hope, yes?" His mood then changed, becoming more formal and serious. "I thought he'd be here by now."
"Dad'll be here!" Goku said, getting tired of people constantly pointing it out.
"Oh, I know he will. However, Bardock isn't who I was referring to, Goku."
This confused Goku; who could Kami be referring to then?
"The Prince wanted to show your Father up with his prowess on this day. But he's nowhere to be seen."
Raditz overhears Kami and scoffs. "Pfft! I bet he forgot the date and time!"
Kami looks over at Raditz, hands on both his sides. "Overconfident, aren't you?"
"Hardly!" Raditz remarks. Then with a yell, he powers up into a Super Saiyan. "Vegeta wants to become the Legendary Super Saiyan? Then he'll have to go through two more to call himself that."
Tien is standing at the side. "Assuming that he hasn't already achieved it after leaving Earth." He cleverly pointed out.
"Nng—!" Raditz jeered his head towards the three-eyed warrior, slightly annoyed. Powering back down in the process.
Piccolo, still on the cliffside, was peering back at want he considered nonsense. "All this jabbering and still no sign of"—Piccolo's ears twitch and eyes widen when he hears something whooshing past him at an unbelievable speed—"HUH?!"
He quickly turns around to see a muscley man wearing a yellow baseball cap, yellow-brown vest, and suspenders close in on Goku, readying a gut punch.
"FOUND YA', COUNTRY BOY!" he yells.
The man delivers a punch that no one here saw coming, knocking the breath out of Goku in an instant while also sending him hurtling down into the city below—causing major damage to some of the surrounding buildings. Everyone is at aghast; no one here felt him coming as if the man now standing here didn't exist at all!
All fighters are left paralyzed as the man turns to look at them.
With grey-blue eyes, he only says one thing to our group. "Best that ya'll keep outa our business. We're only here for Goku."