A Lighter Slice of Broccoli (Re-Upload)

by edgarmash79

(re-mastered version) Nothing is more important than the bonds of friendship, which are put to the test after the events of Dragonball Super: Broly. The lone Saiyan must cope without his father as events take place that put his threshold of rage to the test. Can his new friends find a way to control his temper? What of the growing feelings developing between Broly and Cheelai?

5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Vampa Gone

Hands in his pockets, Lemo strolled down the hall. Recent events weighed on his mind after leaving Cheelai in the room to watch over Broly once she was allowed to go back in.

His face was too focused on the floor to realize he had bumped into one of the staff members, mumbling an apology before he moved on. His mind wandered, thinking about when he'd be able to go back to Vampa to retrieve everything. Unfortunately, it was clear that being back on Earth would eat up a lot of their time while the cerulean-haired woman named Bulma worked on crafting an anti-virus.

He found the entrance to an open balcony along the back of the main building. It overlooked an extensive enough concourse that had a welcoming change of scenery from Vampa. He couldn't remember the last time he saw actual trees and grass that he needed to pause his train of thought to soak in the view. Seeing this scenery was comforting.

"…can't believe you'd go there to fight Broly again without discussing it with me first, Kakarrot!" came Vegeta's loud voice as the two Earth Saiyans walked out onto the balcony.

"I'm sorry, Vegeta! I couldn't wait any longer to try out Broly's power again!" Goku said. He paused to see Lemo before he could protest any further and waved at him. "Hey, there!"

Lemo looked back at him and frowned, not saying anything. He wasn't in the mood to engage in conversation with Goku of all people, knowing how livid Cheelai was. It was the first time he had ever met Vegeta properly, who clearly looked the more rational of the two.

"Bulma," Lemo wondered as he stared at the new face. "Is she a good doctor?"

"I expect nothing less from her," Vegeta said. "If she dedicates herself to a task, she won't stop until it's finished."

"That's reassuring," Lemo said. He turned to Goku with a sigh. He was never one to hold a grudge, and the last thing he needed while a stranger on this planet was for conflict to arise again. "I guess I owe you thanks for bringing us here."

"Anytime," Goku said. "He's in good hands when it comes to Bulma," he added, giving Vegeta a confident look. The other Saiyan only rolled his eyes.

The unsettling feeling in his stomach from teleporting to Earth was still floating around. "Ugh, I need to lie down. Once I know Broly's out of immediate danger, I'll come and find you since you've got that strange ability to go from one place to the next instantaneously so I can get our things back," Lemo said to Goku. He stifled a yawn. "I need coffee. You know where I can find some?" he asked both Saiyans.

"There's a vending machine by the reception desk," Vegeta informed him.

After thanking Vegeta, Lemo headed back in to find the vending machine. While examining it, an older gentleman with a cigarette in his mouth stopped to marvel at it with him.

"Fascinating technology, these vending machines," the old man said. Lemo glanced to see a small black cat perched on his shoulder and a graying head of lavender hair. They both glossed over the machine. Lemo pushed one of the buttons, but nothing happened.

"We never had anything like this in the Freeza Force," Lemo sighed. The blinking display of how much money was needed to buy a can of coffee mocked him. "You pay for these things? We've always had replicators where I came from."

"Lessee here," the old man muttered, reaching into his pockets. Amid a clump of lint and packs of sugar, he was able to retrieve a few coins for the machine. "Here you are."

"Canned coffee, huh?" Lemo said, shaking his head. "What will they come up with next? Canned ramen?"

After making his selection, he popped open the tab and took a sip from the hot liquid. The taste made him grimace. "Disgusting."

He glanced at the old man. "You look scientific. Maybe you can help me craft something that tastes better. There's gotta be some sort of technology you've made here that brews delicious coffee."

An idea hit him. "Even better! Mr. Science Man! Could you direct me to your kitchens? I'm eager to dabble in some culinary science," Lemo said with a mischievous grin.

"Why certainly," the old man said. "Have you met my daughter, Bulma, yet?" he asked as they began walking.

Far away at Galactic Patrol HQ, Abbalo poured a cup of coffee from a pot she had rested on a tray. "Coffee, Mister Jaco?" she asked. "I brewed it myself."

There were additional food items along with the freshly brewed beverage that looked to perk Jaco up from his mopiness.

The scent danced its way to Jaco's nose. Seeing the breakfast items made his mouth water as he straightened himself on his chair.

"You went out of your way to serve me breakfast, Abbalo? My goodness!" Jaco said. He lifted the cup of coffee to his mouth, taking a sip. "Superb texture, bold rich flavor, not overpowering on the bitterness factor. Indeed! You have brewed a well-balanced blend, Miss Abbalo!"

"Oh, thank you, Mister Jaco!" Abbalo gushed. Each time she hopped with excitement forced Jaco to look away from her chest. Thankfully they found a more form-fitting uniform for her to wear that doesn't make those melons stand out. Jaco eyed the rest of the food. "Are these also for me?" he asked her.

"Yes. I took the liberty to research everything you need to make your morning the most productive!" Abbalo explained. "All the essential vitamins and minerals to help you through the day!"

Jaco occasionally nibbled on a piece of exotic fruit while sipping from his cup. He paced back and forth, not taking his eyes off the projection of Cheelai on his desk. Each time he looked closer, the angrier his sips were until the whole cup was empty.

Abbalo waited with her digital pad, hugging it closely. She patiently watched Jaco assess the image before tossing another piece of fruit in his mouth. "Right, then!" Jaco yelled, pointing at Abbalo. "Take note!"

"Ready, Mister Jaco!" Abbalo said with a determined smile, hand at the ready to type away.

"Study this woman well, Abbalo," Jaco said, stabbing a finger at Cheelai's projection. "Commit that sniveling thief's face to memory! She may have given us the slip before, but I assure you, she is not without her weaknesses!"

Abbalo finished typing, whispering, "finding a weakness. Got it!"

"What have you deduced from our encounter at the space bar, Abbalo?" Jaco asked. Abbalo paused her data entry to study the projection. "I like her eyes. They're pretty."

"Pretty enough to deceive you as she steals your wallet, I'll bet," Jaco scoffed. "What else?"

"Um," Abbalo hummed, looking over her notes. "Oh, she was armed with what looked like a standard-issue Type 2 plasma pistol, commonly issued firearms that Freeza Force soldiers use."

"That battle armor was also a dead giveaway. But she was by herself, though," Jaco informed her. "Freeza Force soldiers usually never travel alone. My ill-timed discussion with Salamand alluded to him throwing one of them out into space after that man and his friends insulted one of their own for joining the long-forgotten Ginyu Force."

"Does that mean she's not a part of the Freeza Force, Mister Jaco?" Abbalo asked.

"Unknown at this time," Jaco said. He leered at the projection with his arms crossed, pointing her out to Abbalo. "She could be retrieving information for her superiors, or possibly Lord Freeza himself. Unless we know for sure she is an active member, Cheelai is still ours for the taking."

"She did wear a hooded coat, Mister Jaco," Abbalo said. "I believe she was acting discreetly when she saw our ship parked near the barrier."

Jaco nodded even more. "Yes. Clever thieves always sneak under my nose," he said, poking the projection.

"I saw her talk to Chili before angering those people behind her," Abbalo noted, and Jaco stabbed a finger in the air. "Aha! Of course! A very astute observation, my dear apprentice!" he shouted.

Abbalo couldn't hide the red in her cheeks. "Oh, thank you so much, Mister Jaco!"

"Now then! Let us be off to speak to Mr. Chili!" Jaco barked as he marched to the doors.

"Um, Mister Jaco, you still need to pass your simulation training," Abbalo informed him, which stopped him in his tracks. His legs began shaking as he glanced behind him. "But why…?!" he said, his voice suddenly hoarse and high pitched.

"Chief's orders," Abbalo said with that near-sadistic level of sunshine Jaco grew to find disturbing. "He says you need to pass the threshold before we leave H.Q."

She began directing him towards Simulation Room 3, despite Jaco's attempts to force himself away. "But, the thief!" he whined. "The more time we waste, the further away she'll be! I can't let her get away with it!"

Jaco fell to his knees, hands clasped together once they arrived at the door. "Please! You passed this with flying colors! I'll let you drive anywhere you want! I'll even have the radio re-programmed with your favorite music! Anything! Please don't let me go back in there!" Jaco pleaded. He began kissing Abbalo's boots.

"I understand your fear, Mister Jaco. But you're so close! Fifty-eight percent was your last score! Come on, Mister Jaco! I believe in you! Go in there and get those last two percentage points!"

Abbalo began shoving Jaco into the room. "You're so cruel, Abbalo! You're a sadist! A sadist, I tell you!" Jaco yelled. The doors slid shut between them. "You can do this, Mister Jaco!" Abbalo shouted through the intercom.

After several grueling sessions, Jaco wobbled out of the room. He was still delirious until he felt his head pressed against two soft mounds. A pair of arms were wrapped around him tightly. The sensation of these massive pillows of flesh made him chuckle nervously with his face going red, but it was short-lived as Abbalo grabbed his head to point him at the score.

"Sixty-two! You passed!" Abbalo squealed. Jaco stared long at the number, and his nervous chuckle increased. "I passed…?"

"You did, Mister Jaco! I'm so proud of you!" Abbalo said, hugging him again. "Tell me this is a dream," Jaco whispered as his head was stuffed between her breasts again. "I don't want to ever wake up."

She released her grip. Jaco stumbled forward, nearly crashing into the wall behind them. Confused passersby raised their eyebrows, but Jaco ignored them to compose himself. He asserted his victory pose, bending his knee and pointing with his two arms in the air at an angle. "Success! Determination and perseverance pay off every time!"

"You're amazing, Mister Jaco!" Abbalo said, clapping her hands.

"Now that I've aced this simulation, time to rub that score in Chief Krill's face!" Jaco laughed determinedly. Abbalo wanted to remind him that he barely passed but couldn't deny him his moment.

"Albeit low, you still passed the simulation, Jaco," Krill told him as he stood before the desk with Abbalo at his side. "Two days to improve your score by twenty percent is an impressive feat."

Jaco was relieved. "Thank you, Chief! So I can resume working on my own?"

"Hold on there, Jaco. Sixty-two percent is a passing score, but not enough to instill confidence to navigate the real thing," Krill informed him. Abbalo watched Jaco's face sink, breathing a sigh. "I knew it," Jaco muttered under his breath.

He straightened up immediately, clearing his throat. "Sorry, sir! I am humbled to have progressed this far!" Jaco said. "I look forward to continuing teaching young Abbalo here the pearls of wisdom of being a Galactic Patrolman!"

"Good," Krill said, lounging back on his chair. "Now, onto the matter of your thief. Is she as dangerous as you say she is?"

"She is, sir," Abbalo said. She entered a few keystrokes on her digital pad. "Multiple counts of arson and theft, threatening an officer of the Galactic Patrol and engaging in terroristic activity while holding an establishment hostage with a stolen power cell she swiped from our ship."

Jaco's jaw dropped. When Abbalo was in her "professional" mode, she became a completely different woman from the sickly-sweet bubbly one who sadistically shoved him in the simulation chamber. "Uh, yeah, what she said," Jaco told Krill, pointing at her.

Krill clicked his tongue. "I'd have believed the dangerous part if the power cells in question truly were unstable. But a standard power cell for each Patrol ship is protected enough to withstand a great deal of force before it's ruptured."

Abbalo blinked and rifled through her notes. "Oh!" she exclaimed, chuckling nervously. "I completely forgot about that! Sorry, sir!"

Jaco flinched from Abbalo's cry but felt dejected from the new tidbit of information. "She bluffed her way out?!" he yelled, dumbfounded.

"I hold myself accountable for my lapse in judgment, Mister Jaco. Sir," she added to the Chief.

"It's fine, agent Abbalo," Krill said. "Rookie mistakes are not uncommon in the Galactic Patrol. Just ask Jaco, here."

Krill chuckled, which made Jaco grumble under his breath. "Yes, sir," Jaco mumbled.

"Still, I'd advise the both of you to exercise caution around this criminal before apprehending her. Dismissed," Krill said, leaning forward.

Jaco's mood was still sour as he strapped himself into the pilot's chair of his ship. Abbalo was seated beside him. "Don't worry about it, Mister Jaco. You said you've gained a lot of experience working as a Patrolman. That's good enough for me," she told him, giving his shoulder a gentle caress.

"Ahem! Well, now that I'm back in my element, I shall neither allow some low-life criminal nor asteroid deter me!" Jaco exclaimed, composing himself. Abbalo's bubbly mode was back, smiling politely behind him. Jaco fired up the thrusters and entered hyperspace shortly afterward to Chili's Space Bar.

Off-hours made the bar nearly empty of patrons. Even the parking was simple for Jaco. There was little change to Chili's face when he watched the two approach him. "Welcome back, officers of the Galactic Patrol," he said with a short bow, welcoming them.

Cheelai's face appeared on Abbalo's digital pad for Chili to see. "We saw you engaged in conversation with this woman the other night," Jaco said, pointing at the image. "Can you tell us what was discussed between you two?"

"I was not aware of such a person in my bar," Chili told them.

"My eyes perceive a lot, mister," Jaco said, leering at him. "They're good at detecting who's telling the truth and who's lying."

"We have multiple witnesses who can corroborate our investigation, sir," Abbalo added. "Please be honest with your answers, so this may go by faster."

A small grin appeared under Chili's thin mustache. "My apologies, officer. The woman and I did engage in conversation."

"You have a reputation for remembering everything, Mister Chili," Abbalo said. "What were her exact words? Did she speak about us?"

"Yes, she did. She chose to remain incognito," Chili said. He began mixing a few drinks when he saw patrons enter the bar.

"Go on," Jaco said, rolling his hand. "What else did she say?"

"She sought information on relocating to a new planet with her associates. One of which happened to be a Saiyan," Chili explained. When he finished his drink concoctions, he signaled a server to bring it to the patrons who entered.

"A new planet to relocate? Where are they hiding now?" Jaco asked.

"I cannot say as even she was not certain what to look for. I gave her coordinates to a vessel that belonged to an infamous broker by the name of Paprika," Chili said. Jaco's face darkened, swallowing.

"Mister Jaco?" Abbalo said, seeing the unease on his face. Jaco backed away from the bar. "I-I see. Thank you for your time, sir."

"Mister Jaco?"Abbalo asked again, but Jaco was already on his way out. "Mister Jaco! Excuse us, sir," she told Chili, grabbing her digital pad. "Mister Jaco! Slow down, please!"

Jaco stopped by his ship, grumbling under his breath. "Damn that thief."

Abbalo caught up to him. "Mister Jaco, is there a problem?" she asked.

"Paprika's a slimy, crude, and loathsome creature who bogs the Galactic Patrol down in so much litigation the higher-ups don't want to bother with him. Besides, he knows better to avoid navigating secured locations under our jurisdiction."

"Then what are we to do, Mister Jaco?" Abbalo queried. "If we can't go to this Paprika, where can we go?"

Jaco crossed his arms, tapping his foot. "That bartender said Cheelai was with a Saiyan companion, yet I find it puzzling that neither Goku nor Vegeta would ever want to associate themselves with a criminal of her nature." He thought it over with a hand to his chin, then snapped his fingers. "Which means there must be a third Saiyan out there we never heard of before!"

"Goku and Vegeta, Mister Jaco?" Abbalo asked, confused. She began looking through her notes.

"Two Saiyans from Planet Earth. Miss Bulma just so happens to be Vegeta's wife," Jaco said, and Abbalo's eyes lit up.

"Ohh! The younger sister of your friend Tights with the saggy boobs?" Abbalo said, and Jaco quickly covered her mouth. "Shush! Bulma would give me a good whack on the head if you even dare comment on her age!" He cleared his throat. "But anyway! It seems our next destination is Planet Earth. If anyone knows about Saiyans, it would have to be the ones that reside on Earth. They must know something about this mysterious third Saiyan!"

"I will endeavor not to mention Miss Bulma's saggy boobs to her, Mister Jaco!" Abbalo said with a salute. Jaco swallowed. If Bulma won't kill me, Vegeta probably would, he thought.

Back on Earth, Bulma secluded herself in the virology lab, located in the third building of their medical wing. She worked with a pair of gloves through a layer of tempered glass that isolated everything on the other side from where she was working. She steadied her breathing as she handled a vial of Broly's infected blood, ready to place it on a small piece of glass to study it under a microscope.

The door suddenly burst open behind her. Bulma yelped and almost dropped the vial. Placing it back on a rack with other vials, she turned to glare at the intruder. It was not someone she expected to see barge in like that, however. She slid her hands out of the makeshift gloves to give the visitor her full attention.

"I'm in the middle of something important. Can't this wait?" Bulma said.

The visitor, a woman dressed in a chef's uniform, stormed towards Bulma, pointing at the doorway behind her. "There's a cruel and heartless man in my kitchen harassing my staff!" the woman started, and Bulma raised an eyebrow.

"Then kick him out. I don't see how this is my problem," Bulma said, directing the chef back to the door.

"He had the audacity!" the woman chef yelled. "The sheer audacity to insult our cooking and throw our dishes in the trash! Then he had the gall to take over while berating my staff in the process! You're the only person I know who can straighten such a person out since you do it so well with your husband!"

That caught Bulma off guard for a moment. It was no secret how often word spread around of Bulma's ability to straighten anyone out, no matter how unruly they become, with nothing more than a simple glare. She sighed when she stared at the vials of blood in the secured and sterile lab.

"Fine, but I need to be quick about this," Bulma said, following the chef outside. "A Saiyan's life is in jeopardy if I don't create an anti-viral agent as quickly as possible. Whatever we're administering is prolonging his life for now, but time is scarce."

The woman escorted Bulma to the kitchens, where she saw the man in question. The orange-tinted man with a toque on his head, the one who arrived with the other woman and Saiyan that teleported with Goku, was waving a plate under a whimpering staffer's nose.

"And this! Do you call this quality? I wouldn't even feed it to my worst enemy!" the man shouted and dumped it in the open garbage can to the shrieks of the whimpering sous chef.

Bulma tapped him on the shoulder. "Uh, hi. Is there a reason why you're bothering the kitchen staff?" she asked.

The toque-wearing man coughed into his fist a moment and stood tall, despite the fact he was even shorter than Vegeta.

"You call this a Kitchen staff? Hah! They'd be better suited as janitors on Lord Freeza's garbage ship with the crap they've been serving your people!"

"What did you say?!" the female head chef shouted, and Bulma waved her down. The chef sighed, moving her head back between the two. "Look, you hack! These are well-trained chefs I've selected the world over."

"The name's Lemo. Chef Lemo," Lemo said, shooting a glare at the head chef.

"Chef?" Bulma asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're damn right, lady! In the kitchen, I'm Chef Lemo. No matter who it is, friend or foe, if they don't acknowledge the proper vernacular in my kitchen, then they don't deserve to be fed!"

"But this isn't your kitchen!" the head chef yelled. Lemo barked a laugh.

"I don't know what second-rate culinary education you received, 'chef,' but I can't stand around watching people eat this garbage," Lemo said. The head chef looked even more livid, gradually moving her hand towards a knife from its block. "They deserve nothing but the best! Now stand aside, and watch a real chef at work. You there!" Lemo pointed to the whimpering female sous chef from a moment ago. "Y-yes?" she said, shaking.

"Fresh fish, pronto! Take those two along with you!" He pointed to two bewildered and frightened prep cooks beside her. "I don't want to see your faces back unless your hands are full of the fresh catch of the day!"

"Alright, that's enough!" Bulma shouted. "Stop it, all of you!" Lemo paused, narrowing his eyes.

"I'm not having people on company payroll abdicate the kitchen to some stranger! Not on my watch!" Bulma yelled at everyone. She rounded on Lemo. "I don't care if you're a chef or not, but you don't barge into someone else's kitchen like you own the place!"

"Hmph!" Lemo scoffed. "If this really was my kitchen, none of these amateurs would cook slop for my guests. They deserve to be taught a better way of cooking."

The head chef, knife now in her hand, pointed it at Lemo. "Fine, then! I'll make this simple: Either this clown goes, or I go!"

"How dare you?!" Lemo bellowed. The two stalked towards each other, growling.

Bulma sighed, hand to her face. "I don't have time for this."

"Wait!" the head chef said, blocking the exit as Bulma was ready to leave. "Let us prove to you we can cook a world-class dish that convinced you to hire us!"

"I don't dabble in 'world-class,'" Lemo informed the two. "I dabble in universe-class cuisine."

Bulma raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? I think I know a way to resolve this. Oh, Whis? Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Seconds of dead air was interrupted by a calm yet neutral voice. "Oh, hello there, Miss Bulma! I was not expecting you to contact me so soon!" Whis said. "Are you in the kitchen preparing a special treat for me? You shouldn't have!"

"Actually, I'd like to propose something," Bulma offered. "Would you like to be the judge of a cooking challenge?"

"A cooking challenge…?" Whis hummed. "Why, that sounds intriguing!"

"What's this I hear about a cooking challenge?" came another voice, gruffer than Whis's.

"Hey, Lord Beerus, glad you overheard that," Bulma said with just as much eagerness. "I'd love for the both of you to be judges."

"Anything involving food from your world is bound to attract our attention, Miss Bulma," Whis told her. "When will this challenge take place?"
Bulma was about to answer but paused. "Um, let's see…," she pondered, tapping her temple. "A week from today?"

"Splendid!" Whis said excitedly. "I look forward to what you will be preparing for us!"

"It better be up to our standards," Beerus warned. "I needn't remind you the consequences of failing to satisfy my palate."

"But what would Bulla think if Uncle Beerus wanted to destroy her home because he didn't like the food?" Bulma mused. Beerus grumbled until his voice faded out of earshot. Whis chuckled to himself.

"He has taken quite a liking to your daughter, Miss Bulma," Whis said. "Make the best of your week! Ta-ta!"

"Was that Beerus the Destroyer?" Lemo asked, pointing up at the ceiling where he believed the voice came from.

"The one and only," Bulma said with a smirk. "If you're as universe-class as you say you are, I'm certain you can cook something that'll please him, right?"

Bulma looked as though she had the upper hand, but Lemo's grin only widened. "Cooking for the gods has been my life-long dream!" he shouted. "I'd love to rub this in my old man's face!"

Lemo barked a laugh, only to stop when he saw the faces of the kitchen staff, paler than flour. "Oh, chin up, you lot! This is a great honor, cooking for the God of Destruction! And I wasn't kidding about that fish. Hop to it!" he said to the prep cooks and sous chef.

"If you're going to be cooking, better do it at some other kitchen, chef," the head chef sneered. She turned to Bulma. "Right, Miss Bulma?"

"Let him use the kitchen," Bulma said. The head chef looked ready to faint. "It's big enough for everyone in here, anyway."

"Thank you kindly, Doctor Bulma," Lemo said with a small bow. "Now then, let's get started. Got a lot of experiments to try."

"You can't honestly allow this buffoon to mess my kitchen like this!" the head chef protested. "I won't stand for this! We slave day and night cooking for those 'Saiyans' you live with. We don't have time to allocate resources and ingredients to this grotesque man!"

"Well, this 'grotesque' man can also cook for a Saiyan," Lemo said, smirking. "And I'm damn good at it."

"Can I have your guarantee that you'll set aside your differences until this fiasco is over? The last thing I need is for Lord Beerus to be angered enough to destroy the planet," Bulma said to everyone in the room.

"I take my work very seriously, Bulma," Lemo said, arms crossed. "You'll never have a more dedicated professional in the kitchen than me."

The head chef glared at Lemo before looking away in a huff. "Fine. I'll tolerate your presence so long as you stay out of our way."

"Agreed," Lemo said. The two shook hands and went in separate areas. The kitchen was large enough to have at least a dozen staff members. Usually, the maximum number was active in the kitchen for larger gatherings whenever a large gathering along with Beerus and Whis stopped by to feast. Quieter times only required the four main staff members to prepare everything for Bulma's family and employees to eat daily.

Lemo took a knife and examined it, eyeing it carefully. "Not as sharp as I'd like it to be, but it'll do for now," he mumbled to himself. I'll need access to something I can use to sharpen these knives to my ideal quality.

Bulma returned to the virology lab, sulking. It was a long enough day with the sudden arrival of Goku holding a hulking Saiyan with a large hole in his shoulder. What was more heartbreaking was watching the younger-looking woman with them in a state of considerable distress on the verge of sobbing, trying her best to stop the bleeding with Bulma's lab coat. She knew the senzu beans would've worked if he hadn't been infected with a virus. But, unfortunately, it was all she could do to figure out what she was working with.

She affixed a "do not disturb, NO MATTER WHAT!" sign on the door before locking it, giving her all the isolation she needed to focus on her work.

Hours went by without a hitch. Stifling a yawn, Bulma shut down the equipment for the day and locked the door behind her.

She stopped by the room with the Saiyan lying on the bed. His whole upper body was wrapped in bandages, attached to an I.V. serum and a tube for blood transfer. Heavily sedated, he slept peacefully on the bed, no longer thrashing his body about.

It took her a moment to look at him before she remembered Vegeta saying his name was Broly. She had been so preoccupied with working on isolating the virus that she blurred everything else out of her memory. Having some time now before she retired to her room for the night, she wondered why only a nurse was present and not the woman with a similar hairstyle to her own.

"She said she needed to be alone. She didn't say where, though," the nurse told her. Bulma nodded.

She searched the balcony and concourse at the main building, but there was no sign of her other than Dr. Briefs feeding some of the animals he let out of the lab to stretch their legs. Where could she have disappeared to?

Bulma asked around back at the medical wing for any sign of the woman. Some say they saw her walk into the stairwell.

Making a brief stop along the way, she followed the trail to the top of Medical Building #2, accessing the roof.

"Hello? Is anyone up here?" Bulma asked after opening the door. She held a thermos in each hand, searching for her whereabouts. "Are you up here…?"

She almost missed her small frame seated next to a cooling tower. She shrank herself into a ball, wrapping her arms around her legs she had bent close to her chest. Her face was buried into her knees.

Bulma knelt to place one of the thermoses beside her and saw a pendant dangling from her hand. It was opened to reveal two pictures, one of the woman herself and the other of her with a handsome-looking gentleman, faces pressed together while smiling.

"I brought you something," Bulma said.

"Go away," the woman said in a low voice, muffled by her legs.

"Your friend Broly could use some company," Bulma assured her. "He might wonder where you and Lemo went off to once he wakes up."

The woman didn't answer, but that didn't stop Bulma from taking a seat beside her.

"Leave me alone," the woman said. "I don't want to talk to anyone."

Bulma uncapped her thermos and poured a hot and sweet liquid inside. She hummed happily after taking the first sip. "I brought you some hot chocolate. It helped me when I've had a traumatic experience."

She gathered her surroundings, blinking. "You know, I've never been up here before, yet knew it's always been here. Huh, who knew?" she said, trying to lighten the mood. The woman gradually looked up at her.

"What do you want?" the woman said, glaring at her.

"To help those in need," Bulma assured her, winking. She took another sip. "You sure you don't want some hot chocolate? I left one for you there."

The woman attached the pendant around her neck, snatching the thermos on the ground. She looked ready to throw it, yet the scent of cocoa seemed to have an effect, pausing her movement. Bulma helped serve a portion from the thermos to her.

"Thank you," the woman said quietly, taking another sip. Bulma recognized that particular face. She needn't remind herself how often she had experiences like that over the years when those she loved were lost. As much as she trusted Vegeta, the pain of losing him would always be unbearable.

"I have good news regarding Broly," Bulma said, going straight to the point. "I was able to determine what kind of virus we're working with. I'll send Vegeta first thing in the morning to fetch a few ingredients. Within a week, Broly should be completely cured of the virus so we can give him a senzu bean."

A fresh set of tears rolled down the woman's already emotionally drained face, eyes red and raw from what she had shed earlier. "He will…? Broly will be cured…?"

Bulma expected another emotional outburst, easing the cup out of the woman's hand before it began shaking. "Hey, it's okay! You're gonna get me started too," Bulma chuckled.

"I'm sorry," the woman said, wiping her face. "I look hideous like this."

"Eh?" Bulma's eyes widened. She pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at the woman's face. "Don't say that. Your Saiyan friend's got to be smitten with you by now."

It seemed to be a poor choice of words, Bulma realized. The woman looked ready to sob again. "Don't cry! Please!" Bulma pleaded, holding the woman's hands. She reached down to grab the cup of hot chocolate, passing it up to her mouth. "Here, drink. You'll feel better."

"O-okay…," the woman replied. Finally, after several awkward near-missed sob moments, the woman did look like she had calmed down enough to relax her body, stretching her legs out. Bulma could see more of the Freeza Force uniform on her and pursed her lips but knew this wasn't the time to point fingers. She needed a change of subject.

"Who's the cutie in the picture?" Bulma asked, pointing to the heart-shaped pendant. The woman's eyes widened as her hand immediately went to grab the pendant, hiding it. "M-my first love," the woman said quietly.

"You certainly lucked out with a handsome guy like that," Bulma said. The woman blushed, grinning. "Thanks."

"I'm Bulma. Doctor Bulma if you prefer," Bulma told her, offering her hand. "Cheelai," the woman said, shaking it.

"I was there with Goku and Vegeta as they were fighting Broly," Bulma narrated. "We needed to get the Dragonballs back after a couple of Freeza's goons stole them from my lab along with my Dragon radar."

Cheelai blinked. "Wait…Bulma…?" she said, pausing her mid-narration. "You're the one who gave us the Capsule house."

"Yep! Goku explained everything, and I wanted to be sure you three would survive for a while on that planet before you decided to travel elsewhere. I can't imagine it was somewhere you'd want to settle down."

Cheelai shook her head. "I never want to go back there for as long as I live. Lemo can fetch our stuff, but I'm staying here. I've seen enough horrors that make scary movies look tame in comparison." She grinned, adding, "I got a kick out of some of the movies you left us in there. Mad Butcher? Excellent slasher series."

Cheelai made an "OK" sign with her hand. Bulma could see some of Cheelai's normality gradually coming back. "Glad you liked them!" she gushed.

There was a moment of tranquility as the two women sipped from their hot chocolate. "So," Bulma leered, smirking while breaking the silence. "You gonna tell me about your first love?" Bulma pointed to the pendant through Cheelai's uniform top.

"Oh," Cheelai chuckled. "His name was Durien. I met him when I first joined the Thief's Guild."

"A Thief's Guild?" Bulma wondered. If Yamcha could've traveled the galaxy, he'd have joined something like that back in the day.

"The universe is full of guilds," Cheelai explained. "Most of the time, guilds avoid involving themselves in affairs that draw the attention of either the Freeza Force or the Galactic Patrol. We steal enough to keep our reputation on the down-low. Guild members steal for a variety of reasons. Some need to avenge themselves, while others do it to build a reputation so they can move up the ranks to be a guild leader. Everyone needs to steal something valuable as initiation before they become official members.

"I was assigned to work with Durien to help me obtain my membership. We found a prime location full of Sky Gold, ripe for the taking. Durien never saw anyone with the talent for stealing that I had. I guess that's how our relationship started because he was smitten with me ever since. That picture was from our first anniversary."

"Yamcha would've been a perfect fit for that guild years ago," Bulma said, giggling to herself. Cheelai raised an eyebrow. "Yamcha…?" she asked.

Bulma smirked. "My first love," she told her.

"Oh…!"

Cheelai stared at the picture fondly. "They're strange yet cool experiences. First loves, I mean," she said.

Bulma poured another cup full of hot chocolate, adding one for Cheelai from the other thermos. "Not Yamcha. He was terrified of being close to women. I dunno whether overcoming his fear was a blessing or a curse because the man wouldn't stop getting his grubby hands on the first woman he laid eyes on after some time had passed."

Bulma grew increasingly upset the more she explained it, which made Cheelai hide behind her cup. "I, I see…," she mumbled, quietly taking another sip.

"But that's ancient history," Bulma said. "I've got my Saiyan, along with two beautiful children that I love immensely. I wouldn't trade them for all the technology in the world."

"You're with one of those two Saiyans?" Cheelai asked, then her face darkened. "It's not Goku, is it?"

Bulma chuckled. "Goodness, no! A life spent with Goku would drive me crazy!" Her laugh helped Cheelai feel more at ease sitting beside her and held her cup comfortably in her hands.

"So you're with the grumpy one, then?" Cheelai said, alluding to Vegeta.

"He's not always grumpy once you get to know him," Bulma said, bathing in the scent of cocoa as she brought her cup to her mouth. "He's rather secretive about his gentler nature but would give anyone hell if they ever found out." She chuckled again. "Just don't tell him I said that."

"I don't care enough about those two to bother with them," Cheelai said. "I only want Broly to survive."

"You love him, don't you?" Bulma asked. It couldn't have happened at a more accurate moment. Cheelai spat out her drink, gawking at Bulma. "N-no! I can't love someone like Broly! I barely know him!" she stammered. Bulma kept smiling despite the embarrassment.

"I barely knew Vegeta, but I never gave up on him. As troubling as he was, there was something about his nature as a Saiyan that drew me closer. I fought against it, knowing what he had done to my friends, to my life-long friend, Goku. But, I began fighting less and less against it. He could destroy planets and threaten my friends as many times as he saw fit, but somehow I was no longer afraid of him. Once a Saiyan enters your life, it's nearly impossible to get rid of them."

Cheelai finished her cup and placed it back on the thermos. "You were able to look past their violent nature…?"

"In a way, yeah," Bulma said, brushing her hair back. "For the longest time, I wanted Yamcha to be with me as a doting husband while we ran Capsule Corporation. But there was something of Vegeta that I couldn't ignore. It wasn't about how strong he was, but the way he kept making me ask this one question: 'Why can't I see Vegeta committing infidelity despite every cruel thing he's done to us before?'" Bulma shook her head. "I'm rambling, now. But enough about me. Are you sure you're not falling in love with Broly?" she asked Cheelai.

Cheelai touched her pendant. "I'm not ready. I'm not ready for closure regarding Durien. Quite frankly, I'm so terrified of falling in love again that if something happened to Broly, my soul would be shattered. If I give up on Durien to fall for someone I've only known for less than a month and he dies from this or fighting some fierce opponent…." Cheelai moved her hand to mimic pointing a blaster to her head, sighing.

"Oh," Bulma said. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pressed you on like that."

"What I want is for Broly to be back on his feet. I want to find a less hostile planet and look into exploring the galaxy with new friends. The universe is our oyster. Let nothing stand in our way," Cheelai said with a determined grin.

"I understand," Bulma said. She finished the rest of the hot chocolate and placed the cap back on her thermos. "You want your heart to be free and not confined to another at the same time."

Cheelai nodded. "Don't get me wrong. I care deeply for the big guy. He's got a lot to learn about interacting with people, on top of trying to control that temper of his. But I'm not ready to fall in love again, not until I'm ready to let this go," she said, pulling out her pendant to dangle it in front of Bulma.

"What happened to him?" Bulma asked. Cheelai grinned. "I was wondering when you'd ask me that," she replied. "It happened some time ago before I joined the Freeza Force."

Cheelai closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Bulma could see how difficult this was for her to narrate, knowing this would open old wounds she'd rather have closed permanently. Seems what Broly went through inadvertently opened them up instead.

"Our guild leader agreed to a business deal with a group known as the Heeters. They were looking to invest in something big, like Sky Gold big. Split the loot fifty-fifty between them and us, you know?

"I never met them personally, but I trusted our leader's word on their legitimacy. Unfortunately for us, there was a third party of mercenaries involved that made the mission go south.

"Durien and I were the Guild's best, but we needed extra muscle for this. We were four, ready with all the intel the Heeters provided us to steal a shipment of minerals that could be processed into fuel, located on one of Freeza's planets.

"Everything went as expected. We followed the transport to the drop-off point. I and one other provided cover while Durien worked on cracking the code to access the loot. We expected a firefight with the Freeza Force since they guarded the transport and safe zone, but a band of mercenaries ambushed us. There had to have been at least thirty of them."

Bulma swallowed. "Gosh, that must've been a horrible experience."

Cheelai nodded. "The night before the mission was spent as it usually was, in each other's arms. Durien confided that this mission was going to be his last before he wanted to quit the Guild. I only cared about him and would've easily dropped everything to sail the cosmos with my beloved forever. I entertained the idea that the two of us should find a quiet place and settle down to start raising a family.

"We took down half of those mercs before they closed in. We lost both Guild members, leaving Durien and me to complete the mission. Durien had explosives, ready to take out the transport once we secured the minerals, but instead decided to detonate the whole load along with the transport itself. If the Guild and the Heeters couldn't have it, why should the mercenaries, you know?

"Then he did something I never expected. He brushed my hair away, told me he loved me, kissed me on the lips, and then shoved me off the transport as it continued its course to the drop-off point. In my confusion, I sprained my ankle after landing on the ground. I only had enough time to process what happened before seeing the mercs close in on the transport. The only thing I could see from where I was was the transport exploding, taking out the mercenaries who had boarded it to attack Durien.

"I didn't have time to grieve. I found one of the cycles the mercenaries had to drive back to our camp alone. I broke the news to the Guild about our failure, yet I didn't care about failing the mission. Losing Durien left a void no amount of stolen loot could fill."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Bulma said. "He sacrificed himself for you to live on in his stead. He must've known how valuable you were to the Guild."

"If only it were that simple," Cheelai said, sighing. "Rather than grieve and mourn, I became cold, distant. I started making mistakes with each mission. Mistakes don't sit well within the Guild. I acted carelessly because there was nothing in it for me anymore. Without Durien, life as a thief had no purpose.

"It got so bad that the Guild was ready to exile me. The leader offered me one last chance to redeem myself. They wanted me to steal something from the Galactic Patrol. A rare gemstone with the same quality as a diamond, only purer.

"It's ironic that they wanted me to steal something from the Galactic Patrol because Durien and I always joked about it. We played a game, teasing the Patrolmen, with the loser buying a round of drinks at Chili's Space Bar."

"You're not still doing that, are you?" Bulma asked. "Messing around with the Galactic Patrol?"

"No, it's not as fun when you do it by yourself," Cheelai said but then smirked. "Except for Jaco."

Bulma blinked but began to stifle laughter against her hand. "Patrolman Jaco?" she said through her chuckling.

"It was simpler than I thought it would be because Jaco was the one guarding the gemstone at the time," Cheelai said, which made both women laugh.

"The Galactic Patrol seized some of our loot after their elites caught Guild members in the act. The gemstone in question served as a better power source than the standard power cells used for Freeza Force ships. Seems like the gemstone attracted their attention as well.

"Although they couldn't make a move, they waited for someone to take the gemstone out of their hands, so they don't involve themselves in any unfortunate entanglements. I don't know the gist of it, but it seems Freeza and the Galactic King have some cease-fire agreement as long as they don't mess in each other's affairs. Of course, these could just be idle gossip thrown around the Guild for all I cared.

"Jaco and some other Patrolman were supposed to guard the gemstone. I trailed them to an isolated planetoid where they were to stand guard until their elites came to retrieve them once they had our Guild members locked up.

"I made my move, taking the gemstone and Jaco's ship, hightailing it out of that planetoid while Jaco was busy building some stupid-looking rock sculpture, bragging to the other one the whole time. I flew as fast as the ship could take me. I would've made the jump to hyperspace if it weren't for the Freeza Force surrounding me, preventing my escape."

"So that's how you became part of the Freeza Force?" Bulma asked. The end of Cheelai's story made her hang her head. There was a great deal of shame in those eyes as she looked down.

"I didn't tell Lemo everything about how I joined. The only thing I told him was that I stole a Galactic Patrol ship. I didn't want him involved in any of my affairs, not when it came to something as complex as this. I played it cool so that I wouldn't arouse any suspicion on his part."

Cheelai got back to her feet and stretched. Opening her pendant again, she sighed. "Durien would've had a blast traveling with us. He'd probably showboat while bragging about Broly's strength if he were still alive."

Bulma dusted her pants off after she was back on her feet. Cheelai handed the other thermos back to Bulma. "Thank you for the hot chocolate," she told her.

"My pleasure," Bulma said with her friendly grin. "I hope it did the trick."

"Getting all of that off my chest helped," Cheelai said. "I can think more clearly without stuffing my head with so much worry."

"We'll have Broly back on his feet in no time," Bulma said. Cheelai wrapped her arms around her. "I'm sorry I snapped at you," Cheelai told her.

"Don't you think there's someone else you should apologize to?" Bulma asked, hoping that Cheelai knew she alluded to Goku. Cheelai pulled back. "Right, the Earth Saiyans."

"I don't expect you to trust Vegeta or Goku right away, but they do have the best intentions in mind when it comes to Broly. It's not every day you get to meet another survivor from your destroyed homeworld." Bulma led Cheelai back down to the outside of Broly's room. "Are you good to keep him company, now?"

The two looked inside to see Broly lying on the bed, sleeping peacefully. Cheelai breathed a heavy sigh, clutching the pendant in her hand. "I'll be fine," she said, walking to the bed.

"Call me if you need anything," Bulma said, writing her number on the back of a business card. "There's a phone on the wall if you need it and a button to call the nurse by the bed."

Cheelai smiled weakly but looked relieved. "Thank you, Bulma," she said, sliding a chair to the side of Broly's bed.

Far away in space, Freeza's vessel orbited Vampa. He lounged in his hovercar, staring out the viewscreen at the ugly-looking yellow and green planet.

"Multiple lifeforms detected on the planet surface, my Lord," said one of his soldiers. "We'll deploy a search party to the surface to locate the Saiyan and his companions."

"It can wait," Freeza told him. "I want that imp in my sights first before I decide anything."

"It has been some time since you were this eager to take matters into your own hands, Lord Freeza," said Berryblue, his closest advisor.

The tip of his tail tapped against his hovercar when a red light began blinking on the control panel. "My Lord, vessel coming out of hyperspace!" shouted another soldier.

"On screen," Berryblue ordered. The disdainful three-pronged black vessel of Paprika's was shown on the viewscreen, deepening Freeza's scowl, masked only by a grin.

"He's hailing us, my Lord," said the same soldier. Freeza simply nodded.

"How kind of you to wait for me, my friend!" Paprika's annoying voice announced. How could the Emperor of the universe ever forget a voice like two rusted metal gears grinding against each other? What was worse was that laugh of his. He couldn't wait to wrap his hand around that fat little neck and squeeze.

Paprika showed Freeza an open metal case full of Freeza's money. The Emperor didn't flinch but simply acknowledged the sight. The other item, the data chip that contained accurate information on planets and planetary systems Freeza boycotted as unsellable territory, was held in that imp's grubby little ringed hand.

Freeza grinned. "I'll gladly open my door for you to come on board to conduct our business," he said. Paprika only laughed, making him grit his teeth.

"No dice, Freeza. I would be a fool to walk onto your vessel," Paprika said, pocketing the data chip. It vexed Freeza to no end how Paprika treated him with such disrespect. "I want a neutral location, on Vampa. My associate will accompany me," he added, pointing downward.

"Intriguing," Freeza said, pressing his fingers together. One look at the associate made his face darken, glaring at Paprika. "Of course, you'd have one of them to assist you."

"Coriander is a contingency of mine in the event I'd ever have to deal with you, my friend," Paprika said, snickering. "Come alone."

The image disappeared on the view screen. Freeza raised an eyebrow, but rather than be angered by this ridiculous request, he shrugged his shoulders.

"Scan for large power signatures. I want confirmation that Broly has indeed been returned to the planet," he ordered, stepping off his hovercar. A short yellow-skinned amphibian-like alien nervously offered him a scouter.

"No need, Kikono. I want a scouting party deployed to the surface once I've met this ungrateful imp on the surface. Search everywhere for the Saiyan and his friends and report back to me directly," Freeza ordered to the soldiers below. They saluted and stood at attention.

Exiting the vessel, Freeza got a better look at Planet Vampa below. He spotted a smaller shuttle from the corner of his eye, leaving Paprika's vessel to descend to the planet's surface.

While observing the creatures roam around below, an immense body halted his movement.

"Now, what could that have been?" he wondered and flew in for a closer look. It resembled a giant worm, but pieces of it were scattered around the ground. He wasn't sure where its mouth was but figured that the large ripped and torn opening must've been a mouth at some point.

A smile crossed his face. A grand display of what that Saiyan has done. He will be mine to control soon.

While checking for Paprika's shuttle, he could see his scouting party enter the atmosphere. Flying up to meet them, he saw Paprika's shuttle docked near a cave entrance that had several items decorating it along with a domed house and another shuttle that belonged to those traitors. The soldiers activated their scouters, searching all around.

"No signs of high battle ratings, Lord Freeza. We've grouped readings based on two of the species indigenous to this planet below to help us locate the Saiyan more accurately," said one of the soldiers, pointing at the large-sized insects interacting with a furry green creature with red eyes and sharp, pointed teeth.

"Spread out to cover as much of the surface as possible. Two of you will remain here to examine this rock formation below," Freeza ordered, pointing at the butte with the cave where the house was erected.

The soldiers saluted and spread out, while two followed Freeza to meet Paprika and Coriander. When the two exited their shuttle, Paprika pointed at the two soldiers.

"I said to come alone!" the shrewd businessman whined. He clapped his hands twice. Coriander pressed a couple of buttons on a metal wristband. Several copies of him materialized in the air, floating above them.

Freeza chuckled. "Paranoid, aren't we?"

"I want your assurance no harm is to come, Freeza!" Paprika said, disdainful. He glared up at him, which managed to make the Emperor relieved that there was a pathetic individual in the universe shorter than him.

Freeza didn't say anything. He directed his soldiers to run into the cave, aiming their wrist blasters along the way. He strolled to the house.

"I have what you need in my shuttle. So let us exchange what is rightfully ours, and we will be on our way. I can assure you I do not want to be in your presence any more than you want to be in mine," Paprika said, but Freeza held his hand up.

"Once I'm assured the Saiyan is on this planet, you can have what's yours," Freeza told him as he glanced inside the house through the window.

"Lord Freeza," the soldier said once the pair returned. "No readings detected in the cave."

"This house seems empty, too," Freeza alluded. The other soldier nodded to confirm it when his scouter picked up nothing.

"Am I to expect an ambush on my soldiers from them?" Freeza asked Paprika, glancing at Coriander's clones. They flew in closer to surround them.

"Of course not," Coriander said. He displayed them before Freeza with a swipe of his hand. "They are programmed to be obedient only to Master Paprika and me."

Freeza could only smirk at this pathetic display of bravado. He had other intentions in mind, but so long as Broly was on this planet, he expected a smooth transaction.

"Lord Freeza, look," said the first soldier, pointing to the Healing Capsule. Freeza raised an eyebrow, his smirk unchanged.

"Well, well," he chuckled. "Seems they weren't just satisfied in stealing my wish but stealing from my supplies as well?"

He glanced behind at Paprika and Coriander. "So many thieves in my universe, so many bodies I need to pile up before me. But I am a fair businessman, Paprika. So long as my items are returned to me intact, I can overlook this past transgression as a minor inconvenience."

He marched to the edge of the plateau, staring outward. He didn't care about those creations of Coriander's. He knew they weren't a threat to him, despite the numbers. All that mattered was what needed to be done.

The scouting party returned, looking nervously at the numerous clones hovering above. "Lord Freeza, we've finished our search. No sign of the Saiyan anywhere."

Another eyebrow raised. "Curious. Are you certain you searched thoroughly?" Freeza asked.

"Yes, Lord Freeza," the soldier said, albeit a little anxious. Freeza glossed over the Healing Capsule before searching the inside of the house. He studied the ship from top to bottom, inside and out, yet not a single sign of them was showing up on the scouters.

"Well, this is disappointing," Freeza finally said, turning to face Paprika. "It would seem our guests of honor are nowhere to be seen on this planet."

"But, that can't be!" Paprika said, gulping. "I was certain the tracking device led me to this planet. How can they not be here?!"

Freeza stalked closer to him, but not before Coriander and his clones descended to wedge themselves between the two. "That's close enough," Coriander warned.

"Who are you to make threats?" Freeza fired back, his eyes narrowing.

"It is a simple matter of a misunderstanding, Lord Freeza," Coriander said. Freeza's dangerous crimson eyes made his soldiers even more apprehensive. They knew when Lord Freeza was at the peak of his patience. Coriander didn't seem phased by the way Freeza regarded him, on the other hand.

"If they are not on this planet, then we should coordinate a planet by planet search until they are discovered," the stoic assistant relayed. Freeza seemed intrigued by this Coriander. Clearly, this individual was useful to anyone eager to employ his services, but his mind had been made up once the search for Broly and his companions turned up empty.

Freeza's silence was such a frightful sight. The unexpectedness of what he might do next unnerved everyone, except for Coriander, it seemed. He faced his soldiers. "Very well, you may return to the ship," he ordered them.

"Yes, Lord Freeza," they said in unison. After they left, Paprika gritted his teeth, growling. "What a waste of my time! That slimy green female will not give me the slip, I swear it!" Paprika yelled, stamping his foot.

Freeza glanced behind him. "Hm?"

"What good is this deal if only one side is favored?!" Paprika shouted. "Come, Coriander. Our deal will have to wait until the woman is found."

Freeza raised his hand, pointing a finger at him. A small trickle of red energy began glowing from the tip. "And where do you think you're going?" he queried.

The clones assumed a fighting stance. Paprika ignored them, signaling Coriander to follow. "Let them handle Freeza, Coriander. We'll track them elsewhere."

The first shot Freeza fired pierced Paprika in the leg, tripping him up. The imp screeched from the pain, tumbling forward. "That's as far as you go, imp," Freeza mused, deepening his smile.

"But, Lord Freeza! I intend on completing the deal! We do not need to escalate this any further!" Paprika said, dragging himself back towards his shuttle. The clones moved in to attack but were quickly felled by a single blast from Freeza's finger. The pinpoint accuracy of each shot dropped them all like flies, each one melting into a puddle of ooze from the impact. Coriander programmed his wristband to continue producing clones to attack Freeza, but those were immediately disposed of as quickly as they materialized. He scooped Paprika onto his shoulder. "Master Paprika, I can produce an infinite amount to distract him while we-"

He gasped as a thin beam pierced him through the heart, causing him to drop Paprika. The imp tumbled and rolled until he nearly fell off the edge while Freeza disposed of the newly made clones until only he was left.

"It was not supposed to be like this!" Paprika shrieked. He grabbed the nearest rock to throw. Unfortunately, it completely missed Freeza as the Emperor glanced at it landing a foot in front of him. Freeza could only laugh at this pathetic sight.

"I'm accustomed to business deals that failed abysmally. You tend to learn quite a lot from them," Freeza said, aiming another finger beam at Paprika.

"No! Please! Spare me, Lord Freeza! I beg you! I'll return your items!" Paprika bellowed, blubbering as he dragged his body to his shuttle. Reaching inside, he pulled out a metal case, opening it to reveal the credit sticks with the imperial logo emblazoned on them.

Dead silence wafted through the air as Freeza towered over this sniveling buffoon. Paprika reached into his inside pocket, tossing the data chip. "Here, as promised!"

Catching it, Freeza smirked. He glossed over it with a thumb, nonchalantly studying it. Paprika's face went another shade of pale when he saw Freeza crush the chip between his thumb and finger.

"The data chip! The blacklist! I gave it back to you! WHY?!" Paprika shrieked.

Freeza let the pieces fall to the ground. "What good is a list on a piece of worthless technology when a more accurate list is located within this head of mine?" he told him. He aimed an energy blast at the metal case and incinerated it, melting the credit sticks into a useless puddle. Paprika was hyperventilating at this point, watching all that money go to waste.

"I commend your bravery, Paprika. Engaging in a deal after squandering the last one," Freeza said. Paprika scurried as fast as his good leg could carry him into his shuttle but was snagged by the Emperor's tail, dragging him back. Freeza lifted him off the ground, holding him upsidedown. "Did you honestly believe I actually cared about what you stole from me? The act itself was more than enough to influence my decision. I never expected you to worm your way back to me," he said.

"Lord Freeza, I have many things on my vessel that are of use to you!" Paprika pleaded. "I can be your personal businessman! I can turn the tide of the Empire to your favor! I know people! Many people! They can help you find that Saiyan and ensure that he will be loyal only to you! You can kill the one with the stupid hat so that I can keep the female to myself!"

The voice of this imp was giving him a headache. His scowl only worsened as he blubbered on and on. Freeza raised his hand and shot an energy blast into the shuttle. The explosion caused Paprika to shriek even louder. "No!"

He released him from his tail. The imp dropped awkwardly to the ground. "Lord Freeza!" he yelled, his voice more hoarse than before. "Let me help you! Let me help you find them!"

"I know where they are," Freeza finally told him, glaring at him. "I would've considered bringing you along had you not grated my hearing with that annoying voice of yours."

He took off, distancing himself from Paprika. From his finger, a sphere of energy began to grow, increasing in size. The orange-colored sphere engulfed the planet in its brilliant light as he grinned maliciously.

"No! You can't! You can't do this to me!" Paprika shrieked. Each shriek added another nail to the coffin that was this waste of a planet. There was nothing of value here since Broly and his friends were nowhere to be found. He had an idea of where they had ended up. It was only a matter of deducing the information from what he had seen.

"Consider this as payment for your service, Paprika," Freeza said, his sadistic grin widening. The sphere was so large it nearly blocked the entire sky from Paprika's vision.

"LORD FREEZA!"

Those were Paprika's last words as Freeza launched the giant sphere of energy to the planet. He flew away to a safe distance but stopped to marvel at the fireworks once again. There was something about the light show of an exploding planet that gave him a wondrous feeling of bloodlust, watching with his hands behind his back.

Mulling over the decision to destroy Planet Vegeta was more a calculated one, influenced by concerns over those monkey stories about the Super Saiyan legend. But that was ancient history and no longer an issue of legends and myths since he had been defeated at the hands of one.

He will never forget that day, ever.

Destroying Namek was an act of desperation. There was little enjoyment to be had when the object of his disdain mocked him with his stubborn determination. Son Goku's eagerness to survive and find new ways to irk him was only worsened after he transformed.

But these fireworks were out of sheer satisfaction. There was no need to destroy Vampa. It could've easily been forgotten now that he had more information. He almost forgot that imp was still lurking around in the shadows conducting his sleazy black market transactions. The nerve of him showing his face again!

He will never forget this day, either.

From beyond his vessel, Paprika's was still floating like an eyesore. Aiming an energy blast, he easily destroyed it as he did Planet Vampa. It had no use for him. He dared not sully his universe with black market garbage.

Once he returned to the bridge of his vessel, he climbed into his hovercar where a fresh glass of his chilled crimson vintage awaited him, courtesy of Berryblue.

"The deal did not go as planned, Lord Freeza?" she asked.

"Not entirely, Berryblue," Freeza replied. His grin looked like it would be permanent. "Set a course for Planet Earth," he ordered to his soldiers.

"Planet Earth, my Lord?" came Kikono's voice from below. "We were there not long ago. Is this another attempt at gathering their Dragonballs?"

"Don't be absurd, Kikono," Freeza said. "So far, each attempt has made things considerably awkward for me."

"I suppose it has, my Lord," Kikono said, earning a questionable look from the Emperor. "I mean to say that according to my research, the Dragonballs cannot be used again until a full year has passed."

"So it would seem," Freeza said, shrugging his shoulders. "However, that is not my reason."

He watched the vessel enter hyperspace, expecting his other ships to follow. "I have the firm belief that Broly has returned to Earth with those traitors in tow."

"Are you certain, Lord Freeza?" Kikono asked, uttering a squeak when Freeza looked at him again.

"The scouting party found no signs of their whereabouts. However, their ship was still there, along with a stolen healing capsule. There can only be one explanation for their disappearance without using their ship to leave the planet," Freeza explained, his eyes narrowing. "They were teleported somewhere."

He then pressed his fingers together, grinning again. "There's only one person I know of with the knowledge to teleport from one location to the other, and he likely led them back to Earth for more of those Saiyan antics they seem eager to undertake."

"It will take a while for us to reach Earth from Vampa," Berryblue mentioned. "Are you certain this is a wise decision?"

"Now that I'm familiar with that Saiyan's power," Freeza told her with a sadistic tone, "I have the means to use it to my advantage to kill Vegeta. I still intend on destroying Goku with my own two hands."

It didn't matter how long the trip to Earth would take. It would only make killing those monkeys that much greater.