What-If Bardock Convinced the Sayains: Season 2, Chapter 10
A Fusion For The Ages, The Man Behind The Curtain
"Rejoin...with you?"
What was before a warm place up on the Lookout suddenly grew colder. Kami's words hung above them in the air, as did the dire situation of the coming android. Those familiar with Kami and Piccolo were stunned at this sudden proposal. From Piccolo of all people!
However, the less informed did not see the full picture at that moment. The Prince being one of them.
"What kind of tripe is that?" Vegeta stepped towards Piccolo, demanding an answer. "Become one again? What does that even mean?"
Cassava stepped up and put a hand on her son's undamaged shoulder. "In a nutshell? Greens used to be one. Now they're two." She looks at Kami. "But will that even be enough?"
"It's not that simple." Kami, looking uncomfortable, tried to explain. "From our time on Namek, we learned of our kind's ability to fuse into one. Fusions that defeat the notion of just powers being added on top of each other and instead magnifying it to unfathomable levels."
Piccolo pushes Vegeta aside. "We don't have time for explanations, Kami! It's either yes or no, right now!"
"But that act is forbidden by our people," Kami says, discomfort now evident across his face.
Piccolo's expression twists in contempt. "To them, yes. But we were once one. So I don't think they'll bat an eye if we fuse!" he said fiercely.
Kami clenched his jaw tight. "I—no!" He turned away.
Piccolo storms up to Kami, grabbing him by the shoulder, and spins him around in an exasperated grunt.
"Why not?!" Piccolo yells.
"I DON'T WANT TO GO AWAY!"
Dead silence ensues.
Kami grits his teeth. "For the first time in centuries, new vigor that I have long since thought gone has reawakened—pushing me to heights that I could've never conceived if I hadn't returned to my youth. And after three years of discovering our people's legacy? I realize that I can go much, MUCH further…on my own." He looks back up at Piccolo. Kami tries to continue.
"To sacrifice my individuality is… is…."
Piccolo's eyes were still stern and resolute.
For a moment, Kami had wished that Piccolo would reconcile right now and give some measure of sympathy. However, the longer he looks at Piccolo, the more he begins to realize the harsh truth. No pleasantries were being tossed around to ease the tension, no snarky remarks or snide comments. Piccolo wouldn't be proposing this unless it was absolutely necessary, and his silence spoke volumes.
It seems that Piccolo was acting like the mature one in the short time he'd been alive, while Kami was displaying something that he had thought was stripped away when his evil half had manifested. And it was selfish pride.
Kami finally acquiesces. "...Necessary," Kami loosened his body as his building stress began to let go. "You're right, Piccolo. Before anything else, the Earth's safety comes first. Regardless of personal values."
Piccolo finally breaks his stare, letting out a scoff. "Let's just get this over with."
"If fusing is an issue for you," Bardock interjects. "then I can probably make it easier."
Kami raises an eyebrow at Bardock. "How's that?"
He walks up to the pair next to Cassava. It took a moment before Bardock answered. "The ins- instant transmission isn't the only trick I learned. Forced Spirit Fission, an advanced Yardratian technique that gives me—" Bardock takes in a breath. Cassava took a glance at him as he continued. "—the ability to manipulate and separate energy from a chosen target. It should be able to undo Fusions, according to Master Pybara."
As Bardock continued, though it wasn't noticeable to everyone, the longer Cassava observed the warrior, the more she noticed that his breathing was off.
Cassava began to narrow her eyes at Bardock with slight concern.
"If—when this is all over, I can unfuse the both of you. How's that for a compromise?"
Amid this discussion, Vegeta was getting more and more impatient.
In his restlessness, Vegeta noticed that Krillin was still holding the bag of Senzu Beans. The Prince will have what is owed to him and take down this "Super Andriod" once and for all.
Vegeta dashed over at Krillin, pushed him to the floor, and snatched the bag from his hand. Before anyone had realized it, Vegeta had popped a bean in his mouth.
A second later and he let his ki flare, transforming himself back into Super Saiyan form.
"You all can stand here and keep talking about fusions or whatever, but I am ending this, NOW!" Vegeta leaps into the air and makes his way towards the direction his mother was watching earlier.
The Prince disappears out of sight into the horizon.
Bardock looks on with fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. "Not even a half-hour, and he's out to make a fool of himself again."
Sure the Prince had recovered from the Senzu Bean; however, due to his training in preparation against Nappa back then, Vegeta had essentially worn out his Zenkai Boost. To the point where near-death comebacks wouldn't do that much for him anymore.
Bardock realizes this for Vegeta and turns back to the Namekians. "If you want to watch a prince die, I suggest you two keep this solution of yours simmering for the next hour. But if you want to get out there now, I suggest you hurry up!"
Kami nodded. "Of course. Piccolo, to make this easier, I'll let you use your body as the recipient for the union."
"Hmph! Wouldn't allow it any other way." Piccolo raised his arm and put his hand on Kami's chest.
Kami took a deep breath and chuckled as he let out an amused sigh. "Heh. Figured as much."
Then without warning, Kami let out a bellowing roar as the two were then enveloped in light. Everyone watches on in astonishment and uncertainty as the light blinds them.
Finally, the glow begins to subside. Everyone's senses begin to clear, and where once stood two beings now stands one. An unknown Namekian with the face of Piccolo stands before them, with a ki that felt unknown and yet all-too familiar for our Z-fighters.
The Namekian is silent. He looks down at his hands, examining this new existence and form of his. He forms two fists.
Finally, he looks forward at Cassava and asks. "Which direction was the Android coming from?"
Cassava blinks, feeling like a stranger to this new being. "Um, from that direction." She pointed eastward.
The Namekian nods in thanks. He walks over to the edge of the Lookout and lets his ki explode outward from his body—absolutely flooring everyone as they look on with wide-eyed expressions. As far as they knew, the being in front of them was the strongest thing on the planet.
He leaps off and rockets forward towards Vegeta's direction.
In the background of all of this, in the shadows of the temple, stands a silently weeping Mr. Popo.
Miles away, a shock goes up Vegeta's spine as he looks back, aghast.
"WHA—what is this power!?" He gasped.
Vegeta couldn't believe it. He thought that fusing thing was a distraction, a spout of ridiculous grandeur! How could those two weaklings become this powerful from just joining?
"No, NO. This is just a show!" Vegeta thought. "Expending that much energy in an instant has got to take a—"
Vegeta was cut short. As he looked on, he could see Piccolo rushing towards him with unbelievable speed. Much sooner than Vegeta anticipated with how far away he was already from the Lookout.
Without as much as a glance, the Namekian barrels past Vegeta.
Vegeta, being thrown aside violently, regains himself. "HUH? No, this metal freak is mine!" He promptly begins his chase behind him.
The Namekian knows that he can't sense the Android, but given his short experience, he knows that it has a one-track prerogative. And that is to kill Goku. So if it took off straight in the Lookout's direction, then any second now, Piccolo would…
He tenses up as just ahead of him, he could see movement.
Just as he thought, cutting straight through the sky was Android 13, hellbent on completing his mission.
And from the looks of it, he shows no sign of stopping even with The Namekian on fast approach.
"Perfect." He thinks.
He flies to the side just a few feet and holds his arm out high and firm. Then with a burst of speed, The Namekian rushes right up on the Android and slams his arm into his midsection for a classic lariat!
In the instant that followed, The Namekian came through to the other side with nuts and bolts flying forwards. His right arm was now dripping in oil and other fluids and behind him hurtled down the two halves of an Android that didn't have the capacity or time to process what just happened.
The same feelings could be shared with Vegeta, who had just caught up behind him to witness it all.
In his next and last few seconds, Android 13 would only remember the feeling of falling before being snuffed out in a sudden flash.
The Namekian looks down to the dust cloud he just created in the sky, then to his hand that committed the deed. "Amazing." He thought.
Back on the Lookout, Cassava gasped. She witnessed the whole thing.
Bardock stood beside her. "What is it?"
"It's over," She simply said aloud.
Sitting in the background was Gohan, who straightened up in uncertainty. "...You mean?"
"Piccolo, or Kami, he…." Cassava had to take a moment to collect herself. "Cut the Android clean in half!"
Everyone now bolted up to attention.
"W-Wait! Piccolo left a few minutes ago, and it's over? Just like that?!" asked a frantic Yamcha.
"Yes. I guess Namekians are a lot tougher than we thought." Cassava let out a low chuckle.
It took a few moments before our Z-Fighters began to smile once more. All let out a sigh of relief.
Chiaotzu floated up and gave a hug to Tien from behind. Yamcha fell to his knees, absolutely exhausted from this whole experience. And Vitella brings in Gohan at her side for a playful noogie.
Even our two time travelers were relieved, but not for long. They're still aware of the situation, and to bring it back to everyone's attention, Kholba elbowed Trunks to remind everyone instead of herself.
"Ow! Oh, um. I hate to break everyone's celebration, but we've got three more Androids to deal with, down below." Trunks pointed out.
Cassava blinks out of her daze. "Oh, yes. Of course." She then brings her attention back to Piccolo, who stood still in the sky.
Piccolo, or Kami, had known that their reformation would bring about a radical power increase, but to experience it all in one shot? It felt phenomenal! His arm went numb from the impact. That android's durability was no joke. He had never expected this new form to be so powerful. It almost disturbed him in a way.
"Kami— er, I mean Piccolo?" Cassava's voice now rang through in Piccolo's mind.
Piccolo shakes the androids' entrails off his arm. "Naming doesn't matter to me. Address me with whatever's comfortable for you."
"Oh. Then Kami, real quick work you've made of the threat. Terrifying, to say the least, remind me never to pick a fight with you." Complimented Cassava.
"Hm." Piccolo replied.
On the side, amid Piccolo's conversation, was Vegeta. Once again, having the rug pulled out from under him. But, unfortunately, both his pride and ego took a serious hit in this whole endeavor. He had come back to this back-water world so that he could take back his title as a ruler in the eyes of his people. So that he could claim a throne that he believed was unfit for the waning prophet. To become what the Saiyan race needed in this time of galactic restructuring and shuffling.
All that and more, only to be washed away within two hours. Vegeta's strength falling flat to what he believed, a majority of his own followers reduced to ash in the moment of his basking and being outstripped in power within minutes because of two green aliens deciding to fuse.
If Vegeta's first failure back against Nappa three years ago didn't make him feel inadequate, this certainly did.
Vegeta hangs in the air, with what felt like a developing void in his stomach. Then, with a yell, he took off through the sky and into the distance.
"Should we be worried about him?" asked Piccolo, watching on.
"The pride that boy has is a crutch. But being shown up by others who prove to be stronger time and time again is something that, to warriors like him- well, it damages their fighting spirit. So we'll let him cool off for the time being. Right now, there's bigger fish to fry."
Piccolo crosses his arms. "Right, the other Androids. But where would we even start looking? We can't sense them."
"I already have a few ideas about that, but there's something else I need you to do for me first."
"Oh?"
"I thought it could wait until after the Androids were dealt with. But now, I think it requires attention."
"What are you talking about?" Asked Piccolo.
"Something is happening on the Earth below that doesn't make sense to me. I noticed it a few months ago but didn't think much of it. Considering that I was new to the job as Guardian, I thought these new senses of mine were fooling me. But just a few days ago, some…person let their energy spark for a moment. It didn't make sense because I knew for a fact that you were currently en-route back to Earth from Namek."
Piccolo hadn't fully realized what Cassava was saying at the moment. "Yes, and?"
"So then why did I feel your energy coming from the Earth rather than space?"
Piccolo raised an eyebrow. "What?" he said in confusion.
"I'm not sure what's going on, Kami. But it's leaving me unnerved. Can you check it out?"
Piccolo was more curious than concerned but understood Cassava's request. "Alright, where am I headed then?"
"North-East from your position in a town called Ginger Town. I'm sure that when you get closer, you'll start to feel the same thing I felt. We'll talk later."
Then with that, Piccolo takes off with a new thought on his mind. "Another me?"
Back on the Lookout, Cassava comes out of her mind and back to reality.
"Okay," She turns back to the Z-Fighters. "We've got our work cut out for us, so let's get our facts straight. The Androids were created to kill Kakarot here, so we'll have to assume that this is still their goal. Why they didn't just follow big blue to find him is anyone's guess. Right now, we need to be aware of places that these other three Androids might look. Does anyone have ideas?"
Krillin is the one to respond. "Well, besides here. The only places I can think of are Mt. Paozu and Kame House."
Bardock steps forward. "Then we'll stalk those areas—" the saiyan's breathing was now more heavy and apparent, "I'll Instant-Transmit some of you to both places and if—if any of them," Bardock began to wince, "show up I'll—I'll—" his face scrunches up in pain.
Suddenly, the warrior clutches his chest and falls to his hands and knees.
"Bardock?!" Cassava goes down to his side.
Everyone else goes into a confused panic as they begin to gather around Bardock.
Even Raditz is shocked out of his self-pity. "F-Father!" Raditz rushes over. "What's going on? What's wrong with him?!"
Cassava lays Bardock on his back. "I'm not sure, Raditz," she says, keeping her composure.
"Wait a minute." It wasn't until Kholba came over and began to recognize these symptoms. She takes a moment to examine her father, and her eyes go wide. "Dad, did you take the medicine?!" Kholba asked frantically.
Bardock looked at Kholba with almost confusion on his pained expression. "Of course, I took the medicine! Why wouldn't I—" Bardock froze. His face goes pale as if a realization punched him in the gut. "Nghh! Goddammit! Potot, the... bastard…" Bardock's voice drifts off as his body goes limp.
"Hey, HEY!" Kholba shouts. She shakes Bardock to be met with only slight movement.
Cassava holding Bardock grimaced. "Mr. Popo!" she shouted out. "Prepare a bed and wet some rags!"
Everyone is left stunned and at a loss on the Lookout.
Meanwhile, a highway stretches on for miles in the snow-covered tundra, with a single Lucky Foods van going by. Inside it? Our three androids. Driving along without a care in the world. Well, Android 18, however, doesn't share her brother's antics.
"Remind me again, why are we using a car when we could fly?" Complained 18.
"Come on, sis!" Persisted 17. "Where's your sense of adventure? You know, sometimes the journey outweighs the destination."
18 only rolls her eyes and turns her attention back to the rolling hills outside the window.
Sitting in the back was 16, his eyes closed. The android had been silent for some time, only talking when asked the occasional question by an insistent 17. In his silence, 16 had been monitoring the situation with Android 13, and it wasn't until now that his sensors had lost 13's signal entirely.
Two possibilities came to 16's mind. Either 13 had left the planet beyond 16's sensors, or 13 had been destroyed. The latter outcome did not make much logical sense, given 16's observation of power displayed by Son Goku and his allies. However, Bardock's sudden arrival into the battle was unforeseen. So perhaps anything is possible.
16 opens his eyes. "Android 13 has been eliminated." 16 announced.
Both 17 and 18 raise their eyes in surprise. "Huh?"
"During our travels, I had been monitoring Android 13's frequency. Then, at exactly 4:43, the frequency suddenly ceased."
There is a short silence.
"Huh. Welp 17, it looks like we gotta start watching our backs from now on." 18 leans back into her seat, hands behind her head in leisure.
"Hah!" 17 snickers but suddenly turns into a sneer. "They should be watching their backs. Took a perfectly good servant from me."
17 glances back to 16. "Big man, do we know who murked him? Was it Goku?"
"Unclear," said 16. "But, just before 13's dispatch, I detected an unknown power surge that dwarfed what was seen at Papaya Town." 16 looks towards 17. "I recommend extreme caution going forward."
"Pffft! I appreciate the concern 16 but," 17 turns his attention back to the road. "I'm all we need to stay online."
16 stares for a moment before resuming his silence.
Flying through the sky, Piccolo approaches Ginger Town.
From a distance, the city looked and felt no different from any other city would. However, upon a closer look, Piccolo could understand Cassava's concern about the energy from this place. Because now- it was almost like looking at his previous two halves.
Amidst this bustling city, there was a power that felt like it was showing off. Almost as if it wanted to be found. But that wasn't the strangest thing Piccolo was sensing- besides himself, he could feel all kinds of different energies!
Goku, Gohan, Krillin, Cassava, Vegeta, essentially all of Earth's strongest fighters, were gathered into one spot in the city. Piccolo was going to get to the bottom of this.
Down below, outside of a pub, a man sat at a table sipping from a glass of scotch. He wore a black suit with a dark green undercoat. Metal Cufflinks, rimmed with green letters R R inscribed on them, dotted each sleeve. His hair was black, like that of a Saiyan, yet shone a dark green undertone under the light. Slightly pointed ears, a sharp nose, and his eyes...the pupils were pitch black, but his irises were a light blue.
A barmaid comes out and approaches the man. "Would you like anything else from The Hetaps Tap, sir?"
The man smiled. "I'm quite curious about this menu item here, the Beer Battered Chicken. It's said to be your pub's specialty?"
"Oh yes, sir!" She leans to the man's ear. "And if I might recommend? Try our special homemade barbeque sauce with it. It was created with Ginger Town's local spices!" she whispered.
The man chuckled. "Are you trying to make a regular here? Why would I need sauce when I can just come here and enjoy your company?"
The barmaid pulls back with red on her face and chuckles. "Well, that could do." She shakes off her fluster and focuses back on her job. "Ehem, is that a yes then?"
The man leans back in his chair with his glass of scotch in hand. "Yes, that would be lovely." He begins to roll the glass in his hand and notices he's run low. "Oh, and can I get a refill, please?"
"Ain't it a little too early to be drinking, sir?" she asked with a smile.
"Well, it's five o'clock somewhere in the world, and I do love myself a nice cold glass of sco—" The man stops himself, and his face turns more serious.
The barmaid stands there for a moment and tilts her head. "Sir?"
The man closes his eyes and smiles. "You know what?" He turns to the barmaid. "In addition to the refill, could you prepare a cup of herbal tea? I have a guest coming in shortly."
"Oh yes, of course! It'll be out in a minute." The barmaid goes back inside the pub.
From the sky lands Piccolo right at the table of the pub. The man doesn't look but begins again to roll the glass in his hand.
"Who are you?" asked Piccolo with mild hostility.
The man still doesn't look, "I always wondered who'd I meet first in this time. I am glad it is you, Kami- or is it, Piccolo?" There was now a curiosity in his voice. "Could it be that you two fused? That would explain that sudden burst in power I felt a half-hour ago. Tell me, were you the one that destroyed Android 13?"
In an act of intimidation, Piccolo lets sparks race around his fist. "I'll repeat myself, who the hell are you?"
The man sighed. "Even with Kami, there's still a little bit of Piccolo that leaks out, huh?"
The man finally turns and looks up to this towering man next to him. "Well, Namekian, my name is Kudza, and I'm a Saiyan."
End of Act One