Chapter 9 – A Banquet for Beerus
The room was so dark that the only sounds Broly could distinguish were footsteps approaching the doorway.
He rocked back and forth, arms wrapped around himself so tight his fingernails dug into his skin. Those footsteps were getting louder, closer, as though in response to the blood seeping down his arms like a predator catching the scent of its prey. He searched for a light source that could help him see who those footsteps belonged to.
Hoping that it was someone familiar.
Hoping that it was Cheelai.
"Broly…?"
There was no mistaking it. Broly could hear Cheelai call out his name, but there was no way of discerning where she was calling him from. What was thought to be the doorway was now replaced by a solid wall.
"Cheelai?" Broly asked. His arms relaxed, releasing his grip. The punctured marks left by his fingernails were still bleeding. He searched frantically. "Cheelai?!"
"Up here!" Cheelai shouted. Broly looked up and saw her gloved hand reach out for him from a crack in the opening. "Broly, I can't reach you! You need to climb out!"
Climb out. Climb out of what? Broly touched the wall in front of him again. It was smooth, with no discernable foot or handhold to grab onto. He kept feeling the wall until he realized it circled him, trapping him in the middle.
"Broly! You fell into a well! Find a way out!" Cheelai called out to him. She pushed as hard as she could to move the lid so more light could spill through.
A well.
Why was that so familiar to Broly? All Cheelai could manage with her effort was to shove the lid another inch. At least Broly could see half of her face.
"Cheelai!" Broly shouted. "Why am I down here?"
"You killed them, Broly," Cheelai said ominously. Broly's eyes widened. "They're all dead."
"I…? Killed…?"
Broly dug around once more for a foothold but saw that his hands were caked with blood. He wasn't sure whether it was his or someone else's. It disturbed Broly to see the light focused on his bloodied hands. He wanted to ask her what happened, but she was no longer there.
"They're dead, Broly," her voice whispered again into the darkened well, only it gradually sounded less like hers.
"It's us or them, my son," came another voice. "Father…?" Broly said, looking back up in a panic.
"Yes, my son. You are the strongest of all Saiyans, Broly. Prove it again!" his father shouted.
"No!" Broly shouted back. "They are friends! Not enemies! They are not dead!"
"Yes, they are," his father said. "See for yourself. See for yourself! The power of your anger!"
Panicking, Broly dug his fingers into the wall, piercing the concrete. Each movement of his hands dug new holes to help him climb out of the well. As he drew closer to the top, the lid began to close again.
It was getting worse. The darkness obscured everything once more. The faster he moved to the lid, the faster it closed to cut him off from the outside.
Something grabbed onto his ankle and began pulling him down. Broly held onto the holes he created, shaking whatever grabbed him off. Glancing down a few times revealed an arm, with the hand clutched firmly on his leg. A pair of glowing red eyes opened before him from the bottom as the hand and arm looked more distinct.
"Cheelai! Father!" Broly shouted, calling out to the voices. No response.
He shouted again.
No response.
It pulled him closer to the bottom, where he could feel his strength building. It made him stronger the closer he reached the bottom, yet he couldn't understand why. It did, however, allow him to free himself from what was pulling him down.
The red eyes narrowed into slits as they closed in on him, revealing a fur-lined simian face with large fangs and breath that steamed from its nostrils. It growled menacingly at Broly.
Broly's eyes widened again as the same hand reached out, only it was bigger. It seized his whole body within its digits, wrapping itself around him. Broly fought to free himself, only to force the hand to clamp down even more.
The face unleashed a howl, matched only by Broly's panicked scream. He drew in enough power to allow his aura to explode, making the hand retract and whip back as if seared by flames.
He burst through the lid, flying out of the well. What befell him once he adjusted to the light was destruction.
Landing, he scanned the devastation. Bodies stained the ground with their blood, as far as Broly could distinguish. Familiar faces covered in blood marred the field. He looked desperately for Cheelai and Lemo, but they were nowhere to be found.
"You killed them all, Broly," said a booming voice from behind him. Broly spun to face the image from the bottom of the well. It looked familiar, too familiar. The creature's mouth curled into a smile. "My power resides in you, Broly. You've used it once before."
Broly growled in return. "What are you…?"
"I am you. I am your power. I am your anger. I am…."
The creature faded into mist, reforming itself into people who have angered him before. Freeza, Vegeta, Paragus, until it finally morphed as Broly himself. "I am Saiyan, true Saiyan made real. They are below us."
"No!" Broly shouted back. He gritted his teeth, closing his hands into fists. He was prepared to fight this image, ready to tear it apart. It was saying things that he didn't like, making him angry.
"They are below us. We have power. We ARE power," the Broly doppelganger said before it faded into mist again. Broly lunged forward to attack, but all he did was disperse the incorporeal substance. It started to move again, dodging Broly's attacks. Punches continued to slice through the mist without any effect, making it toy with Broly some more.
Broly unleashed another growl, heightening his power. The more power he drew to himself, the more active the darkened well became. Shadow-like tendrils slithered from inside, gliding across the ground until it wrapped itself around Broly's arms and legs, freezing him in place. The more Broly fought against it, the tighter the tendrils gripped. The mist floated before him like a cloud with glowing eyes and a sadistic grin. "Your anger is unsatiable. Your power is unstoppable. Consume until nothing is left," it said to him before it became mist again, shifting to a darkened color. It then flew into Broly's mouth, forcing him to swallow it. It continued until it was completely inside him. The tendrils released him and slithered back into the well.
Broly grabbed his head, shaking. His growls and snarls echoed across the landscape, amplified by his power that flared out of his body in an eerie dark green aura. His muscles bulged and throbbed while the pupils vanished from his eyes. Once his hair changed from black to lime-green, Broly continued screaming as his aura consumed everything around him…
"Cheelai…!"
Broly thrashed on the bed, flailing until his eyes opened.
"Cheelai!" he shouted again.
Sweat matted some of his hair to his face while the sheets were soaked beneath him. He breathed heavily. "Cheelai…," he whispered repeatedly. "Where did you go…?"
The room was still the same. Machines hooked to his body were still there. Ba's ear was still tied around his waist. But Cheelai was still absent.
He wanted to hear her voice say that everything was okay. Even the hand gesture she made sometimes would've been enough as it complimented those purple eyes of hers.
The dream was still vivid in his mind. He had found himself in the well, that which he imagined as the source of his power but also the source of his anger. The lid was gone as if erased, leaving a bottomless abyss staring back at him.
Leaving the bed, he stomped around the room. The I.V. line tugged at his hand, forcing Broly to rip it out, tearing his skin. He didn't care if he bled. Cheelai wasn't in the room with him, making him furious.
His hands clutched the bed. With one throw, he launched it to the wall, shattering it. Pieces of the bed frame flipped over several times while the coils of the mattress pierced the fabric. Images faded into shadowy silhouettes before him once more. More of those shapes that bothered him. He wanted those gone.
Grabbing the first items he could lay his hands on, he either crushed them or threw them across the room. He split the other bed in half with one fist, slamming it down in the center.
The commotion eventually drew others to him, most notably Vegeta. He arrived with several nurses, fully dressed in his battle gear. Broly could still make out the shape of Vegeta's body via his hair. His head titled in that direction, glaring menacingly at the Saiyan prince.
"Broly! Control your anger!" Vegeta shouted.
"WHERE IS SHE?!" Broly howled. "WHERE IS CHEELAI?!"
He grabbed one half of the bed he wrecked to fling it at Vegeta, who shot it down with an energy blast. "Go!" he ordered the nurses. They didn't hesitate as they fled the medical building.
He stared back at Broly, scoffing. "Make things difficult, will you?"
Broly lunged forward. Vegeta caught Broly's fist yet was pushed through the walls to the outside.
Once free of the confines of the building, Vegeta led Broly up to the sky. Broly's screams echoed across the city, where only several lights had still been left on in the middle of the night. Now, more lights were switched on in response to the outburst.
Maneuvering to avoid Broly's power-driven attacks, Vegeta had to think fast. First, subdue Broly while avoiding the injured shoulder. Then, strike enough blows to weaken him enough so that he could no longer maintain his rage-induced state and power down. It was challenging but doable, Vegeta thought.
"I need to end this quickly," Vegeta said to himself. With one shout, he drew power until his hair changed. He set aside the gradual need to increase his power, instead deciding that the best course of action would be to utilize his Divine energy to contain Broly. Once the blue color had settled in his hair, the divine aura flowed like water along the riverbank.
Broly's fighting style involved heavy strikes and fast-adjusting movements in compensating for Vegeta's experience. He was still fast and ridiculously strong, but there wasn't much else to how the Saiyan fought that Vegeta could remember. All he needed to do was avoid those haymakers and energy blasts.
His blue form gave him enough momentum to avoid what Broly was throwing at him, dodging enough to counter with heavy blows to Broly's gut and face. He took careful liberty to avoid attacking the injured shoulder, yet Broly was so engulfed in his fury that he moved both arms as if uninjured, filled to the brim with adrenaline and rage.
Each blow Vegeta countered with was supposed to weaken Broly, yet the Saiyan continued to take hit after hit, increasing his power as a reflex. "Dammit, all I'm doing is making him stronger!" Vegeta shouted.
The more they fought across the ocean waters past Metro West's port, the more Broly's power grew until his hair began to shift in color. Vegeta's eyes widened slightly, noting the impending danger.
They fought until Vegeta connected with a heavy right hook to Broly's face, followed by a series of energy blasts once he opened his hand. It whipped the Saiyan's head back, but only for a moment before Broly's head rocked forward.
Power erupted from Broly's body again, blowing Vegeta back. He brought his arms up to defend himself as Broly transformed. His hair eventually settled into the golden shade of a Super Saiyan's hair, power gushing out in waves from his body. Piercing green-blue eyes glared back at Vegeta.
"Tch, you're forcing my hand with this. You'll regret not having listened to us," Vegeta said. He belted another shout, accelerating his power. Broly opened fire with an energy blast from his mouth, building energy into a sickly-green sphere. Vegeta bent his leg and positioned his hands at his side, building energy for his signature Galick Gun. Just as Broly released his mouth blast, Vegeta shoved his hands forward, firing a large beam of purple energy that connected.
The impact caused a massive explosion over the water, forcing Vegeta to defend himself. Broly was immediately on the offensive again, flying through the smoke to connect an uppercut to Vegeta's chin, sending him skyrocketing upward.
Vegeta grunted, shaking his head. Broly was on the move again not a moment too soon after he struck Vegeta, ready for another series of hits. His enlarged body was hovering over Vegeta, inches away from another punch that would've sent the Saiyan prince free-falling into the city's metro complex. Vegeta had no time to defend himself, unable to avoid what was coming.
Right as Broly was about to connect, Goku appeared to catch the fist with his hands. His hair had already changed to match Vegeta's blue color.
"It's about time you showed up, Kakarrot!" Vegeta shouted. Broly freed himself from Goku's hand, forcing both Saiyans to fight him off.
"I didn't think we'd have to fight him again like this so soon!" Goku said, blocking Broly's attacks. Both Saiyans took hits defending themselves while drawing Broly further away from the city.
"I hope you came with a strategy!" Vegeta said. He avoided a punch to counter with one to Broly's face. It connected, yet Broly kept coming back. No matter how many times the big Saiyan was hit, it only spurred him to continue fighting.
"No, I didn't! I only had enough time to sense his power before I got here!" Goku said. Broly handled them both skillfully, much to their surprise. Echoes of their first fight mirrored a lot of what they had to endure, forcing Goku to expel more power to keep up. "I might need to use Kaioken at this point!"
"I don't care what you need to do as long as we don't have to involve that stupid fusion dance again!" Vegeta shouted. He landed a heavy blow to Broly's stomach again. The Saiyan shook it off and howled back at them with an energy blast from his mouth.
Both Saiyans swiftly avoided the beam as it steamrolled between them to hit a mountain range far away, causing a large explosion. Goku and Vegeta flew in together to attack Broly from both sides, trying their best to avoid striking the injured shoulder. Even that was starting to prove difficult as the fight wore on.
"We might need to hit the injured shoulder if we have to wear him down enough!" Goku was the first to note. Vegeta scoffed. "Fine!"
Rounding his right side, Goku fired consecutive energy blasts into Broly's back, focusing on the wound. Broly screamed in response, spinning to face Goku with a flurry of his own energy blasts he fired in a cluster from his hand. Goku quickly defended himself to absorb most of the impact as the rest flew past him.
Vegeta used the opening to land a heavy blow to the back of the shoulder, following up with energy blasts. Whatever the Saiyans were up to, it only served to aggravate Broly.
"It's not working!" Vegeta shouted. He dismissed Goku's look with one of his own, knowing that Goku was about to suggest fusing again.
"I have an idea!" Goku shouted. "It better be a good one!" Vegeta shouted back.
"Trust me!" Goku said. His aura flared again. Moving his hands, Goku brought them close together, surrounding both himself and Broly with a binding aura that impeded Broly's movements. Red energy surrounded Broly, slowing him until he was locked in place.
"Now Vegeta! Get behind him and grab his head!" Goku shouted. Vegeta had an idea what Goku was talking about since he was securing Broly. He reached up to wrap his arm around Broly's neck, locking his head down with his other arm. "That's it, Vegeta! Let's hope this knocks him out!"
"Don't you think I'm trying that?!" Vegeta yelled, clamping down as tightly as he can. He hoped a standard sleeper hold would be enough to subdue Broly and not cause another outburst.
Broly shook his body, trying to force Vegeta off of him. The combination of his thrashing against Goku's energy with Vegeta's constrictor-like hold pushed Broly's energy threshold until it began to wear him down.
"It's working! Keep it up, Vegeta!" Goku said. "I know! Stop reminding me!" Vegeta shouted back. He could sense Broly's power waning now, decreasing under his grip. His wild mane of golden hair gradually shifted back to his natural charcoal color while his arms and legs were no longer flailing against Goku's binds. Once his hands dropped to his side, Goku released his hold, causing Broly's weight to slump in Vegeta's arms, pulling him down to the ocean.
The pair then carried Broly back to the concourse behind Capsule Corporation. Onlookers rushed to surround the three as they laid Broly onto the ground while Lemo caught up to them with panic on his face.
"Broly!" Lemo shouted, stopping short of crashing into Goku. He knelt to check on Broly, shaking his face. "Broly! Speak to me, buddy!"
"He's fine. He's only knocked out," Goku told him. Lemo hung his head, expelling a breath. "Oh, thank goodness," he breathed. He examined Broly's wound, glancing back at the Saiyans. "How long will he be out for?"
"We can't say for sure. We should carry him back to the medical building in the meantime," Vegeta suggested. Hoisting Broly over his shoulder, he carried him back to Medical building #2. Since one room had been wrecked due to Broly's outburst, he was brought into the next one.
Broly stirred while unconscious while the nurses changed his bandages, examining the wound for any additional damage. The Saiyan's eyes then fluttered open.
"Woah! Easy there!" Lemo shouted in response to Broly suddenly sitting upright on the bed. "You alright there, big guy?"
"What happened?" Broly asked. His face sank once he noticed the grim expressions on everyone's faces. Nurses were there in the room, along with Lemo, Goku, and Vegeta. While the women were still professional in their regard, Lemo could still detect apprehension on their faces. Broly's time spent here with his numerous outbursts was quite stressful for the medical staff, to say the least.
Another nurse entered the room with a vial of Bulma's anti-virus, ready to be injected into Broly's arm. Since he was no longer attached to an I.V., the nurse injected it directly into his upper arm. Goku backed as far away from the sight of the needle as he could without leaving the room entirely, which made Lemo snicker.
"Your temperature reads normal, Mister Broly," the nurse told him. "This should be the last injection. Please get some sleep," she ordered. He felt his arm at the injection point, frowning.
"I want everyone out of this room so Mister Broly can get some rest, understand?" the nurse told everyone before she left. She waited by the door.
Goku waved at Broly. "I'll stop by with a couple of senzu beans for ya tomorrow! Hope it works this time! Night!" he said enthusiastically.
Vegeta and Broly stared at each other with the larger Saiyan frowning. "Once you're at full strength again, we can begin training properly," Vegeta said.
Lemo was the last to leave. Broly took his hand. "Don't go," he said.
"I won't be far from here, big guy. That building over there is where Cheelai and I have been staying," Lemo said, pointing out the window. Broly's grip began to tighten.
"Hey, easy on the hand, Broly, I need it for tomorrow," Lemo warned him. "Sorry," Broly whispered.
With a sigh, Lemo turned to the nurse. "He wants me to stay. Is that alright?" he asked. She only gave him a quick nod before leaving the two alone. Lemo leaned against the adjacent bed, removing his toque to rub his head.
"What is the word you use when you want to avoid something?" Broly asked. Lemo paused, looking lost in thought. The sight of Broly wrapping his arms around himself was a little unnerving.
"Are you saying you're scared?" Lemo asked. Broly nodded quickly. "You're not the only one, big guy."
"I don't like it when the room changes. I don't like seeing things that look different," Broly said. "When I am angry, everything in front of me looks different. I want to hit those things to make them go away. They are…scary, as you say it."
"Is that what it's like for you all the time?" Lemo asked. Broly nodded again just as quickly. "I am scared when I am angry," he said.
Lemo was never one to hug anyone, yet even he couldn't bring himself to let Broly look so rattled without at least some measure of comfort. He gave him a quick hug, releasing him. "It'll work out in the end. I ain't one of those emotion doctors, psychologists I think they're called, but it takes time to undo a lot of the damage your old man probably did to you with that shock collar. One day at a time. We'll help you find something that works in your favor without punishing you."
Broly reached for his neck. He slid his hand down to the shoulder and poked at the fresh set of bandages, which still felt hollow to the touch due to the gaping hole. More than anything, he wanted the pain gone.
"Let's heed the nurse's advice and get some sleep," Lemo said, climbing onto the bed behind him. Broly touched his chest. "I miss Cheelai," he whispered.
"I know you do," Lemo said. "Just tough it out for two more days."
"'Tough it out?'" Broly asked. "You know, endure it," Lemo replied. "It means waiting with a lot of restraint."
Broly tapped his chest again. "Something happens here when I see Cheelai. It is a good feeling," Broly explained. I gotta start teaching this fella more words after Cheelai comes back. Once I get this banquet out of the way, I'll do just that, Lemo thought to himself. He tried lying down, but it seemed as if Broly still had much more he wanted to say.
"I don't care much for the romantic stuff," Lemo said. "Only good company. It's not often that that company involves a young woman with purple eyes, though."
"I like seeing them," Broly said, grinning. "I want to tell Cheelai I like seeing her eyes, but I do not know what to say."
"Just say they're beautiful," Lemo said matter-of-factly. "Beautiful," Broly repeated. "Cheelai's eyes are beautiful."
"There ya go," Lemo said. "We'll worry more about that tomorrow. I'll be up and out of here early, though, so you might not see me when you wake up. I got a whole lot of cooking to get done, especially since you've got quite the appetite on you."
Broly's eyes lowered. "You won't be here tomorrow," he said flatly. Lemo sighed. "Broly, a lot of us have things of our own that need to be done. I get that you don't like to be alone, but it's not a good idea to hold us back. Relax and breathe, remember? Deep breaths?"
"Deep breaths," Broly echoed, nodding. "I will breathe deep breaths."
"Go to sleep, big guy," Lemo said. "I'll see you later in the morning."
The early morning sun had yet to peek over the horizon when Lemo was already on his feet, exiting Medical building #2. He made his way to the kitchens to draft a list of items he'd need to acquire for the day. The Capsule Corporation kitchen staff walked in several minutes later, stifling yawns behind the backs of their hands. Seeing the entire staff, and not just the four he trained to improve their culinary skills, was a welcome sight.
"Early risers," Lemo said enthusiastically. "Excellent. We've got a lot of work cut out for us today, so I'll need a pair of volunteers to accompany me to the fish market."
He gave instructions to the team before they all scrambled to get a move on as quickly as possible. The day had many challenges ahead for Lemo to engage in.
While "Chef Lemo" was working away, Broly eventually opened his eyes once the sunlight bathed the inside of the room. He rubbed them with the back of his hand as he sat up, searching the room.
No sign of Lemo anywhere was frustrating, leaving him alone again. He remembered Lemo's advice to breathe and relax, yet he would've liked to hear it come out of the man's mouth again. He would've liked to hear that come out of Cheelai's mouth even more.
It was harder for him to leave the bed this time. Aches and pains all over his body were something new he hadn't noticed before. Everything from the time he slept the night before to when he woke up on the ground surrounded by people was completely blank from his memory. His arms and legs were sore, the hole in his shoulder throbbed, and all he could think about was to find a familiar face to talk to. Thankfully, Ba's ear was still tied around his waist when he reached down to touch it.
He wanted to leave the building under his own power. He steadied his footing after a few steps, only to bump into one of the nurses who had been on her way to check on him.
"Oh, good morning, Mister Broly," she said. "How are you feeling?"
"I want to see Lemo," Broly said but was stopped by the nurse before he could walk any further.
"I'm sorry, Mister Broly, but you still need to stay here under our care until you're completely healed. We can't have you roam around with that hole in your shoulder," she advised, but it wasn't sitting well with Broly, whose hands were gripping the doorframe.
"I don't like this room. I want to be outside with Lemo and Kakarrot," Broly said.
There it was again. The lid budged itself off the top of the well.
"We'll arrange for visitors as soon as we can, Mister Broly. But we need you to stay here so we can replace those bandages and dressings," the nurse said. Broly's grip tightened on the doorframe enough to tear through it. "No!" he yelled.
The nurse backed away with a yell. Broly's eyes widened when he began to notice her image began to fade into a dull color that had no shape. He shook his head, pressing a hand to it. "No. No more anger…!"
The frustration at controlling his anger only fed into it, loosening the lid on the well even more until its power leaked out. His aura bent the door frame, forcing the poor woman to back away quickly. "Mister Broly!" she shouted, concerned. More nurses ran to join her, keeping their distance from Broly as he struggled to maintain their shapes in his eyes.
"Is there anything we can give you to help you relax?" the same nurse suggested.
Broly shooed them all away with his arm. "GO AWAY!" The swipe of his arm blew a gust of air that knocked them back, toppling over each other while sliding along the floor.
"Lemo…! Help me…! Cheelai…! CHEELAI!" Broly screamed, panic in his voice. He drove his fist into the wall several times, growling. The lid was halfway open, ready to be blown completely off.
The halls leading to the entrance of the building shifted. People in front of him looked less recognizable. He growled at them, forcing them to flee. The shapes then faded out of his sight.
"Cheelai!" he yelled again. He searched for her energy. He sniffed the air for any sign of her scent—still no sign of her. "Cheelai!"
His voice was strained with a mixture of emotions. Pain, sorrow, loneliness, rage, and desperation. It was maddening not seeing her once his anger got the better of him. His hands pulled at his hair, scrubbing his head vigorously, all while he continued screaming her name.
The first two to find him outside were Goten and Trunks, the former who had flown over to Capsule Corporation to visit "Uncle Broly." He didn't expect to see him in such a state of distress, however.
"Hey, Trunks, what's wrong with Uncle Broly?" Goten asked. "I don't know. He looks really angry," Trunks replied.
Another scream of Cheelai's name made them back away suddenly. "Who's Cheelai?" Goten asked.
"Dummy, that's the woman we saw the other day with mom's hair, only it was white," Trunks said.
"Uncle Broly…?" Goten asked Broly before the Saiyan repeatedly slammed his fists on the ground. The boys nearly tripped and fell backward.
"Hey, Mister Broly! Maybe you should calm down?" Trunks asked. He was hoping for an answer but was shoved back by Vegeta. "Trunks! Goten! Go back inside, now!" he shouted at them.
"But something's wrong with Uncle!" Goten protested but gulped at the glare he was getting.
"I'll handle it! Go and keep Bulla safe, both of you!" Vegeta shouted.
Broly's face responded to Vegeta's voice. Someone familiar was standing before him. "Ve…ge…ta…!" Broly growled.
"Broly! Control your anger!" Vegeta ordered. Broly dug his hands into the ground. Each time he glared at Vegeta, his eyes shifted rapidly between black and yellow. "Control it!" Vegeta repeated more firmly.
Broly shook his head. "I can't…!"
Vegeta scoffed. "Don't give me that nonsense! You're a Saiyan! Anger is your greatest asset! Control it!"
"How?!" Broly screamed. His screams continued to echo throughout the area, causing onlookers to stop and watch. Vegeta sighed, glaring at them out of the corner of his eye.
"Tch. Blame your father for his incompetent teaching. He treated your anger as a weapon to use against me to seek revenge against my father, the King."
"Don't say bad things about Father!" Broly said. His eyes were drawing closer to yellow than they were black. Vegeta stayed calm despite the added outburst.
"We are Saiyans, Broly! The most powerful race in the universe! Anger is not our enemy! You wield a power that rivals the gods! Be proud of that power!" he said, crossing his arms.
The anger in Broly hadn't subsided yet, but it did stabilize once he stopped shaking, retracting his hands from the ground. He continued staring at Vegeta, teeth bared, ready to strike at any moment once again.
"There is a tale passed down throughout Saiyan history," Vegeta said. "It speaks of a legendary warrior born once every few hundred generations. The Legendary Super Saiyan."
Broly's eyes widened. "Le…gen…dary…?"
Vegeta nodded. Gritting his teeth, he flared up his energy until a golden aura surrounded his body. His hair, eyebrows, and eyes all changed color. Broly looked back, surprised.
"Do you remember this form when you saw me transform the first time?" Vegeta asked.
"I…don't know…," Broly said. The abject curiosity began creeping in his mind now that he saw Vegeta's Super Saiyan form in front of him again. It seemed to effectively subdue his anger now that Vegeta's shape was clearing up in his eyes. "Think back to the first time you fought against us," Vegeta said. He let his aura fade, changing back to his base form.
Broly stared at the ground before realization hit. "I remember. I remember your shape. Most of everything else, I don't remember."
"My father, the King, spoke many times about a Super Saiyan born among us. The power of a Super Saiyan comes from our anger," Vegeta explained. "It is necessary to help break through our limits and become stronger."
He continued. "But there were tales of one Super Saiyan that stood above all of us. The Legendary Super Saiyan."
He then pointed at Broly. "I have no reason to doubt that you are that very Saiyan. Though shamefully discarded by the King, he underestimated what you would eventually become."
His hand opened up for Broly to take, helping him to his feet. "It frustrated me at first. Unable to understand how resilient you were during our fight. Even when I transformed into a Super Saiyan God, your ability to absorb damage was unlike anything I had ever seen."
Broly looked at his hands. "The Legendary Super Saiyan," he said in a low voice.
"We Saiyans strive to surpass our limits to prove to ourselves that we must be better than what we were before. I underestimated Kakarrot's stubbornness at first, but I have come to consider him the ideal rival for me to improve myself," Vegeta said of Goku but wasn't thrilled to heap so much praise onto him. "Training to control your power is the best way to approach this."
Broly looked away. "I don't want to. When I get angry, I hurt people. I don't want to hurt people." This mantra Broly keeps telling himself was making Vegeta angry now.
"Stop insulting me with that pointless drivel! It sickens me to hear someone speak so little of their pride! You're a Saiyan warrior! You do not shun or run away from your power, ever!"
"Admirably said," came a gruff voice from behind Vegeta. He spun to face the source, only for his eyes to widen. "Lord Beerus!" Vegeta shouted.
Broly raised his eyebrows, curious at the sight of the new arrivals. "Who are they?"
"Broly!" Vegeta kept his voice low, glaring at him. "That's the God of Destruction, Lord Beerus. Show your proper respect."
Beerus, accompanied by his attendant, Whis, both approached the Saiyan pair. "So this is the Saiyan exile?" the Destroyer commented, staring Broly in the eye. Broly gulped for the first time in response to someone approaching him. There was something about Beerus that exuded a great deal of pressure in the air.
"So, what happened here?" Beerus asked, pointing at Broly's bandaged shoulder. Broly couldn't shake how intimidating that look Beerus kept giving him.
"He's recovering from an attack that pierced his shoulder, my Lord," Vegeta said.
"Is that so?" Beerus said.
"Forgive our early arrival, Vegeta. Beerus has grown impatient since we were told about this cooking competition. He could no longer wait until tomorrow," Whis explained. Even he was looking at Broly's shoulder. "Curious. Someone must have been quite powerful to give you such an injury," he added.
"An Underdweller attacked me as I was saving Cheelai from falling," Broly explained, rising to his feet. He touched his shoulder through the bandages. "It gave me something very bad in my body."
"Oh, is that was injured you?" Whis noted. His grin hadn't changed. "I find it remarkable that you survived the venom of a Titan Burrower."
"Titan Burrower?" Broly asked. "Father called it an Underdweller."
"A suitable pseudonym for the burrower since they do live mostly underground," Whis explained. "They're scattered across the universe, searching for planets to settle on while they grow from their larval state until maturity. They're one of very few species able to reproduce asexually, so their progeny can migrate to other worlds and repeat the cycle. A single touch from their mandibles infects the prey with a virus that kills them within several hours if they managed to escape. Otherwise, they are swallowed whole."
"A woman made something to take it out of my body," Broly said.
"He means Bulma created an anti-virus to cure him," Vegeta added to Whis.
"That's enough," Beerus interjected. "I'm here for food, not a nature lesson."
"Of course, my Lord. Would you kindly inform the chefs in your kitchens of our arrival, Vegeta?" Whis asked. The pair then took off to land on the balcony at the back of the building.
Broly could see that Goten and Trunks were poking their heads from the entrance. Trunks had Bulla in his arms. Both faces hid back inside once Vegeta shooed them away.
"Goten!" came Goku's shout seconds later. "Goten! Your mom's not happy you left so early! She's going to give me trouble if I don't find you soon!"
Broly flagged Goku with his hand to get his attention. "Ah, Broly! Good timing!" Goku said, landing. He fished something out of his pants pocket, tossing it to Broly. "Catch!"
Broly looked at the item, a small green-colored bean. "Do you still remember the senzu beans I gave ya?" Goku asked. Broly's eyes widened. He immediately tossed the bean to the ground by Goku's feet.
"Huh? What's wrong? You should be cured of the virus by now," Goku said, picking it back up off the ground.
"It hurt when I ate it," Broly said.
"It'll be fine, this time! Trust me!" Goku said. He dropped the bean in his hand again.
Broly hesitantly brought it to his mouth. He kept glancing back and forth between the bean and Goku before he began eating it. After chewing it down, he swallowed it.
Seconds later, a surge of power coursed through his body. The pain in his body wiped away completely, leaving him rejuvenated. His eyes widened at this new sensation, which was accentuated by what he felt in his shoulder.
He touched the area under the bandages. It felt solid again. Ripping the bandages off, Broly noticed that his shoulder looked whole again, unblemished save for a round scar where the Underdweller's fang had punctured him.
He closed his hands a few times, testing his resistance. The pain was finally gone, all from the effects of one small green bean. He could see Goku staring back proudly, grinning ear to ear with a chuckle. "Are ya glad to be back to normal again, Broly?" he asked.
"I like it," Broly said with a grin. It was the first good thing he experienced since he woke up. While neither Cheelai nor Lemo were there to witness it, Broly was still relieved that the agony in his body was finally gone.
"Now we can start training again properly," Goku said with a confident look, which was immediately interrupted by a simultaneous rumbling of stomachs from himself and Broly. Broly embarrassingly touched his stomach while Goku belted a laugh. It was enough to make Broly laugh, too.
"What was that?!" Lemo screamed. He paced back and forth, frantically removing his toque to put it back on his head. "It's too soon for this! Too soon, dammit!"
"What you do with Lord Beerus is not my problem. However, you better be sure he enjoys what you plan on making for him," Vegeta warned.
Lemo needed a moment to keep his legs from buckling under him, using the prep table for leverage. "Alright, Chef Lemo. Calm your keister and get your act together. So they've come early."
He swallowed. "I hope they're patient enough."
Leading his staff around the kitchen, he took a gander at everything they had in stock. "Hm," Lemo hummed repeatedly after he took a mental inventory of each item.
"Is this going to be a problem, Chef Lemo?" asked his co-head chef. Lemo shook his head, dismissing her with a wave of his hand. "No talking, please. I need to think."
One his eyes stopped at a clipboard with blank sheets of paper, he snatched it off its hook. He then slammed it down in front of the crew, causing the pencil to flip over onto the floor. "Write like your life depended on it!" he said, pointing at the co-head chef.
"Wh-what would you need me to write?" she asked.
"Every single thing you've ever made for Lord Beerus," Lemo ordered. The stress would've boiled him faster than a cooked lobster. "I'll go have a word with them."
Securing the toque on his head, he marched straight to the balcony where the employees have said Beerus and Whis were seated.
He gulped once he saw the purple ears of the Destroyer. The one next to him, which he believed was Whis, spotted him approaching both of them.
Beerus the Destroyer tilted his head to look behind him, lounging on a long chair. "Pardon the interruption, Lord Beerus," Lemo said, bowing to him and Whis. "My name is Lemo. I will be your chef for this banquet."
"A banquet?" Whis asked, tapping his chin with a finger. "Was it not a cooking competition?"
"The chefs and I have come to an agreement and are working together to present a banquet in your honor. We did not expect your arrival until tomorrow."
"I don't care what you guys decide. I was promised food, and I'd hate to be disappointed," Beerus said, waving him off.
"I can assure you, Lord Beerus. I endeavor to present you with nothing but universe-class cuisine of the finest quality. If you would permit us the necessary time to prepare everything, I guarantee it will meet your expectations," Lemo said. If his legs weren't shaking so much, he'd sound more confident. He forced his tone to remain steady and professional as he addressed them.
"Oh my, that is quite the vote of confidence!" Whis said. Beerus was on his feet, hovering over Lemo with a malicious grin on his face.
"This planet has provided quite a lot of succulent dishes since our first visit. What makes you so sure you could improve them?" Beerus asked.
"I have my team drafting a list of every dish you and Whis have eaten so far," Lemo said. "Every dish shall be upgraded along with an original creation of mine."
The grin never left Beerus's mouth. "Very well. But if I am not blown away by every single dish, including this mysterious new dish I've never tried before, I might consider paying your homeworld a visit in the near future."
Lemo gulped. Beerus laid back down on the long chair. He glanced at Whis to see whether the threat affected him in any way, but his face was as neutral as it ever was.
He expected his hands to be shaking, but somehow being in the physical presence of the gods he dreamt of cooking for gradually eased the tension in his body. He closed his hand into a fist, nodding. "It's time," he whispered confidently.
Vegeta strolled out of the main building, arms crossed. He wasn't thrilled to see Beerus arrive so early, expecting the Destroyer to appear tomorrow instead. He was even less enthusiastic about the fact the fate of the planet might be in jeopardy if Broly's friend doesn't satiate Beerus's palate. Nevertheless, there was much satisfaction to what Lemo had cooked so far. He only hoped that Lemo wouldn't crack under pressure and make a fatal mistake.
The only relief came at the sight of Broly, completely healed of his injuries. Seeing Goku walk beside him as they met halfway obviously had something to do with his sudden recovery.
The three stared at each other for a moment without saying a word.
"Who would imagine we'd get to meet up like this again without fighting?" Goku said as he broke the silence.
Broly kept touching the area on his shoulder, marveled at the repair the senzu bean had done. He had no real way of expressing the kind of experience he felt as the bean took effect. Of course, Vegeta and Goku knew since they had their fair share of senzu beans in the past.
"Training to control your anger will take some time. It involves a lot of unlearning what had been instilled in you by your father before we can properly teach you how to use your power effectively," Vegeta explained to Broly. He pointed at his eyes. "I noticed that while in your base form, your eyes changed to a yellow color. Do you remember that experience?"
"Oh yeah, I noticed that too," Goku said. "Your power skyrocketed. Even Vegeta struggled as a Super Saiyan God against you."
Vegeta gave him a look. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say your power amplified the same way ours do when we transform into great apes," he noted.
"Great apes?" Goku asked, puzzled.
"You've seen me transform into one before, Kakarrot," Vegeta said, ignoring Goku's confused look. "I've no doubt Broly here can control the great ape's power without the need to transform. That could prove useful as long as he's able to control his emotional state while in that form."
"I don't know how I did it," Broly said. He rubbed his cheek with his finger. "I don't remember anything once everything around me goes fuzzy."
"That's what we're aiming to achieve. You've a great deal of power as it is, Broly. It can be even more effective once you're able to learn how to fight with higher levels of power without losing yourself in your anger. Follow me to the gravity room, and we'll begin."
"Aw, I'd love to go, but I promised Chichi I'd go back home with Goten. Don't hog all the fun, Vegeta!" Goku said, waving at the pair before he ran past them. "Goten! We have to go home!"
Goku's youngest son emerged from the entrance, dejected. "Can I say goodbye to Uncle Broly at least, dad?" he asked. The boy waved at Broly.
"It's great to see you look all better again, Uncle!" Goten said. "I wanna stop by later with Trunks and play with you if that's okay?"
Broly's mouth curled into a grin. The company of other Saiyans seemed to affect him. While hostile at first, the quieter nature of this get-together looked to put the Saiyan's mind at ease.
After sending off Goku and Goten, the two Saiyans made their way to the gravity room. Once inside, Broly had a look around before approaching the machine.
"The enhanced gravity will slow your movements at first until your body adjusts. I want to use that as a test of your emotional threshold," Vegeta said. He pushed a few buttons on the console, activating the machine. The panel above switched on to reveal "1G" on its display.
Once Vegeta finished programming the machine, the diagram read "150G." One push of the button began to increase the gravity in the room. Anything loose on the floor became wedged into the tiles.
The sudden change surprised Broly at first. Even this was enough to make him look unraveled as his body slumped forward.
Vegeta anticipated the shift since his training over the years allowed his body to adapt to the shift in gravity. One hundred fifty times was his ideal choice to train. Higher settings tended to put some strain on his stamina.
He observed Broly's condition under the adverse effects, waiting for that shift. The struggle was frustrating until Vegeta began to sense Broly's energy grow.
"Concentrate on that increase and remember it," Vegeta advised him. Broly's aura surged from his body. His growls increased until he was shouting.
"Broly! Never be afraid of your anger! Control it!" Vegeta said. He bared repeating himself until it became a mantra for the large Saiyan. "Do you want to hurt those closest to you?"
"No!" Broly yelled, pressing his hands to his head.
"Good," Vegeta said. "Remain in that state. Fight the urge to go higher until you control that state."
Another trickle of energy increased inside Broly. "Fight and suppress it! Never let your anger control you! It is an ally, not an opponent!" Vegeta repeated.
He could see Broly's eyes change. Yellow was replacing black the more power billowed to the surface. Vegeta's eyes narrowed. A fully recovered Broly would prove more difficult to handle if he couldn't control his power yet. He knew committing to training Broly would be harder than anything he's had to endure up to this point.
The King's stories of Super Saiyans and the anger that fueled their power were great motivators for the prince as he grew older and trained endlessly. He needed to remember his level of excitement when he first broke the Super Saiyan wall. He nearly lost himself in that power until he remembered why he needed to become a Super Saiyan in the first place.
Broly's case was different. Not only had he endured years of harsh training under his father, but the fact Broly was the Legendary Super Saiyan made flesh.
"The power of a Super Saiyan is driven by their anger," his father spoke from his memory. "But it has been said that the anger of the Legendary Super Saiyan is so destructive, he destroyed himself."
There was an opportunity now to help the Legendary Super Saiyan avoid destroying his body. He thought back to those tales again. I'm taking a great risk in this. While I am helping Broly control his power, I might have created a rival fiercer than Kakarrot.
He grinned. All the more reason to use this to my advantage to grow stronger so that Kakarrot no longer surpasses me.
"I know you learn quickly and adapt, Broly," Vegeta said. His hand was ready to shut the gravity machine off. "You've proven that to us before in our first battle. I desire nothing more than to have a proper fight, but not at the risk of involving the people around us."
Vegeta sensed Broly's power stabilizing. "Good, you're listening," Vegeta said. He stepped forward until he was within striking distance. "Now, try to restrain yourself without giving in. Distinguish between ally and adversary."
Given the circumstances of everyone he's ever fought and trained with in the past, Broly was the first special case where he'd have to treat this as more of a game of patience than another sparring session. He needed to bide his time until he was confident Broly could still be consciously aware of his emotional state while maintaining the increase in his power.
Broly's hand, closed into a fist, shook. It rose, ready to strike. Vegeta was ready for the inevitable, yet his posture hadn't changed. He needed to illustrate a calmer demeanor towards Broly rather than give off the sensation of an aggressor.
Broly's eyes stopped shifting colors, stabilizing themselves in the pupil's base color. He lowered his hand to his side, yet his face still had the intensity of a warrior ready to attack at a moment's notice.
Vegeta remarked at the level of progress. He walked back to the machine and shut the gravity off. Once the level was back to 1G, he could see Broly's body loosen up.
"We'll continue this until I'm certain you're able to control your power before we start fighting," Vegeta said. He reprogrammed the machine to the same level of gravity. "Your body rapidly responds to adverse conditions, which you'll need to work on while remembering your state of mind. Do that, and you won't put anyone at risk."
"I understand," Broly said. He studied his hands, gripping them into fists a few times. Vegeta wished he had a better idea of how Broly trained under his father, but it couldn't have been the most effective given how quick Broly's reactions were. The King might have been the focus of Paragus's training, but Vegeta knew he needed to prove to Broly that he was not the same as his lineage.
"Prepare yourself," Vegeta said, pushing the start button on the gravity machine.
"Do you regret asking me to take you so soon, my Lord?" Whis asked. Beerus had Bulla on his lap after Trunks and Goten visited them.
The Destroyer gave him a look. "Don't be absurd, Whis. I'm gracious enough to buy them enough time."
"It's curious to see one of his species dedicated to the culinary arts so passionately," Whis noted. "His confidence is remarkably astute."
"Indeed. I wouldn't be as patient if this Lemo wasn't so sure of his skill. Now all he needs to do is prove it," Beerus said. His eyes widened when Bulla grabbed his nose, giggling. Whis chuckled behind his hand. "Though there are a few things that have elected to test my patience right at this moment."
His nose wrinkled. Grabbing Bulla, he moved her away from his face, stretching his arms out. "Blech! Whis! She's emanating that disgusting smell again! Do something about it!"
"Of course," Whis said. With the tip of his staff, he showered Bulla in a light green glow. One split-second later, Bulla paused, blinking with her finger in her mouth.
Lemo's co-head chef stepped out with a tray, covered by a silver lid. She laid it on a small table by the pair.
"Compliments of Chef Lemo," she informed them. "He apologizes for the duration but desires nothing more than for the both of you to enjoy what he has made so far. By your leave, we will gradually present small quality dishes to snack on until the banquet. Please enjoy." She gave them a bow before returning to the kitchen.
Whis lifted the lid, revealing a tray full of baked chips. "Curious. An appetizer of sorts?" he wondered.
Both he and Beerus reached to take one of the chips in their hands. Beerus sniffed at it, raising an eyebrow. "I don't smell anything."
"Perhaps the lack of odor conceals something wonderous inside?" Whis asked. He took a bite. His face lit up as he took a few more bites to eat the rest, gushing at the flavor. "Oh! Such a delightful taste!"
Beerus eyed it suspiciously before putting the whole chip in his mouth. After a few bites, his eyes widened. "How is it possible to conceal deliciousness of this caliber in such a small piece of food?!" he yelled.
Bulla kept reaching for each chip that Beerus put in his mouth until he noticed that she wanted one as well. "Oh, very well. Here," Beerus said, giving Bulla the chip. She suckled on it before the filling squirted out. She giggled as some ended up more on her mouth than in it.
The next item was a fruit concoction in a glass with a spoon for each of them. All of Beerus's enjoyment of the food brought before him grew more difficult with how often the baby on his lap wanted a portion for herself.
After the third item was consumed, fish-flavored sausages that Lemo had enhanced with his own spin on the treat, Beerus had difficulty hiding his frustration.
"Isn't Vegeta done yet?" he asked, tilting his head back at the inside of the building. When the next small tray was brought before them, an elegantly crafted charcuterie board, he stopped the chef in her tracks.
"You there, go and fetch Vegeta," Beerus ordered. The chef gulped, which only made her anxiety worse when his eyes narrowed. "A-at once, Lord Beerus!" she stammered, running off.
"Though remarkably simple, these dishes pack an incredible amount of flavor in them," Whis noted after assembling a trio of meat, cheese, and fruit, all sandwiched together.
It only took a few seconds before Vegeta arrived with Broly behind him, bowing at Beerus.
"Finally," Beerus said, passing Bulla to him. "I'm done babysitting."
"Of course, Lord Beerus. I apologize if I took longer than anticipated," Vegeta said. Bulla happily wrapped her tiny arms around her father's neck when Vegeta took her. Beerus eyed Broly with a curious eye, but not before smirking.
"Had this been a different time, I'd be curious to see what it is about your power that forced those two idiots to fuse," Beerus said. Vegeta tensed in response, forcing the Destroyer to quickly glance in his direction. "Or would that be a problem?"
"No, Lord Beerus," Vegeta said. "We want to be certain that Broly is properly trained first."
"Is that an assertion that this Saiyan might give me trouble?" Beerus asked. If looks could destroy…
"No! Of course not, my Lord," Vegeta said. Knowing that Freeza was on his way, the last thing Vegeta needed was for a fight to break out between the God of Destruction and the Legendary Super Saiyan.
Beerus eyed Broly once more before turning his head, waving them off. "Bah. My mind's still on the banquet. Do whatever you want, you two. Just make sure you don't bother us later, got it?"
"Yes, Lord Beerus," Vegeta said, bowing. He nudged Broly, who awkwardly bowed before the Destroyer. "By your leave," he added.
"You've become more active as of late with these surviving Saiyans, my Lord," Whis said. "I've noticed a decrease in the frequency of your naps."
Beerus sulked in his chair. "If it means keeping their egos in check, then good." He then pointed at the sky. "It also helps that they're at least strong enough to keep Freeza from doing too much of my job. Planet Vegeta's destruction was my one and only courtesy because he wouldn't stop whining about his Saiyan problem."
"What of Planet Namek and Planet Vampa, my Lord?" Whis asked mischievously. Beerus looked away. "I was eventually going to take care of them. He merely beat me to it, that's all!" he said.
A pair of chefs approached them. "Your banquet will begin shortly. This way, please," they said.
"It's about time," Beerus said as he rose. He and Whis followed the pair of chefs to a table decorated with a white table cloth, candles, and floral arrangements.
"Chef Lemo has organized the order of dishes, prioritizing local delicacies within the city to start you off before branching out with dishes around the world. Bon appetit," said the co-head chef.
Bowls of ramen were the first brought out before them. Beerus and Whis both looked at the bowl with awe.
"Is this instant ramen, like the kind Bulma enjoys?" Whis asked.
"An upgraded version. Chef Lemo did enjoy the taste of instant ramen when we presented it to him, giving him the idea to improve on the flavor profile and quality of noodles chosen for this dish," the head chef explained. "Every dish that you have eaten since your first arrival has been improved under Chef Lemo's watchful eye. Enjoy!"
The celestial entities tasted the broth. Pairs of eyes then widened. "The taste brings me back to that first divine experience; only I'm able to ascend to an even higher plane!" Whis yelled.
"I could eat this and only this until the end of time and still not get bored of it!" Beerus said, equally excited. The noodles slurped into their mouths, allowing the silky texture to touch their tongues. Whis's ecstasy was all over his face as he bobbed his head at each taste while Beerus took his time to savor each time he tasted the noodles soaked through with the ramen's broth.
Each new dish with a different spin on something they've had before garnered the same reaction as the ramen. "It feels like we're eating these for the first time all over again!" Whis gushed.
"I can't even bring myself to eat these! They look so artistic!" Beerus said, stunned at how beautifully crafted the dishes were.
Once they finished the local cuisine, other dishes worldwide were presented to them, each as intricately crafted as the others. They then wheeled a fondue pot with pieces of freshly baked bread around it.
"Oh my!" Whis remarked. "Such stretchable cheese wrapped around a piece of bread! What a strong, majestic fragrance!"
Next came a pizza, something that the chefs said to Beerus that he enjoyed quite fondly. Beerus pulled the whole pie towards him, giving Whis a sadistic grin.
"We've made one for each," said one of the chefs as they brought another one with the same toppings on it before Whis.
"Oh, how thoughtful!" Whis said. "The crust looks remarkably thin."
Beerus was in the middle of his third slice when he eyed the one before Whis. He scoffed, stuffing the rest in his mouth. "Extra cheesy! Just the way I like it!" he said, licking his lips.
By the time Lemo finally emerged from the kitchen with a large cart, Beerus and Whis had gone through local cuisine, tropical-themed dishes, varying kinds of cheese and bread, pasta dishes, seafood delicacies, large slices of marinated steak, and desserts.
"My experience cooking for King Cold during his rule had me prepare similar dishes to the ones my team and I have prepared for you," said Lemo as he presented two covered dishes before them. "Allow me to bestow upon you an original creation of mine, one I guarantee will ignite the senses, unlike anything you've ever experienced before."
He also brought a smaller covered plate that he kept concealed. "As well as this, which will be the final piece of this banquet in your honor. Enjoy."
Once he lifted the lids, Beerus and Whis studied the dish presented to them. "An original dish, you say?" Beerus said, taking the spoon beside the plate into his hand. "Looks a lot like one of those normal rice dishes I've had earlier."
"Appearances can be deceiving, my Lord," Whis said. His smile had never left the entire time they had been seated at the banquet table. Each taste accentuated that smile of his with an enthusiastic hum of appreciation.
Dipping the spoon into the dish, Beerus scooped a sizeable portion that he could fit into his mouth. A few bites left him shaking in his seat.
"Oh my," Whis noted. He could see how nervous Lemo was in response, clutching his apron tightly in his hands. He closed his eyes, unable to bring himself to watch how Beerus would react.
The Destroyer calmly raised his head and scooped another portion onto the spoon, not saying anything. The chefs were still a bundle of nerves. The silent response felt like a death sentence to them.
Whis didn't seem bothered by it. On the contrary, his demeanor had not wavered once except when he exclaimed his abundance of joy with each dish he ate. Yet, it was Lemo's original creation that took him by surprise the most. Once he scooped some into his mouth, a sparkle lit in his eye, causing him to belt out a moan even more pronounced than the first time he ever tried instant ramen.
"Wonderful! Amazing! Stupendous! I'm absolutely flabbergasted!" Whis said, devouring the rice concoction until the plate was completely and thoroughly empty. "I had no idea that such a dish could bring different flavors with each bite yet work so well together!"
Relief eased onto the faces of the chefs, eager to hear what Beerus had to say. They waited until his plate was clean before he wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"It was delicious," Beerus said calmly. Whis chuckled under his breath, pointing at the Destroyer's hand. "Yet your hands are shaking, my Lord."
Beerus glared at Whis, hiding his hands under his arms. "I'm trying not to embarrass myself in front of perfection, Whis!"
Lemo's face went pale. "P-Perfection…?!"
He composed himself, taking a few deep breaths, before presenting the final dish before them. "If you would, Lord Beerus, I have saved your favorite for last."
"Favorite?" Beerus said. He eyed the lid suspiciously. "Wait, you don't mean…?"
Lemo lifted the lids off, revealing a tall glass full of a creamy dessert. "I've been told you coveted this the most out of all the foods you have eaten."
Beerus nervously took the small spoon in his hand, dipping it into the glass filled with chocolate pudding. It had a dollop of whip cream on top, decorated with chocolate shavings, and a wafer cookie dipped in the side as a garnish. The spoon glided so easily into the smooth texture before he scooped a portion to bring to his mouth.
One taste made him burst into joyful laughter. "Yes! The pudding to end all puddings! The pudding of perfection made by perfection!"
There was that word again, socking Lemo in the gut. If the first utterance of the word hit him like a left hook, the next two were like a subsequent one-two punch combo. His eyes rolled back before he fainted into the arms of the sous chefs.
"Goodness!" Whis chuckled. "I can't imagine Lord Beerus ever referring to anything as perfection before. This must be quite the dessert!"
He put a portion of his own into his mouth. A shiver ran up through his body once the taste touched his tongue. He bobbed his head again so much the long tuft of hair on his head vibrated vigorously. "It is perfection!"
Beerus licked the remaining contents from the glass before setting it down, studying it frantically to see whether he had missed any of the dessert. He looked over the table at Lemo, still passed out onto the floor while the sous chefs were busy fanning him. "Chef, fetch the smelling salts!" said one of them to the co-head chef.
Beerus and Whis led the chefs back to the balcony, standing before them while waiting for Lemo to be woken up. After waving the smelling salts under his nose, Lemo's eyes fluttered open, shaking his head. "Huh? What?"
Beerus glanced behind him, which prompted Lemo back on his feet immediately, bowing deeply before them. "Forgive my embarrassing moment, Lord Beerus!"
"It's quite alright," Whis told him.
"You elevated my expectations with your boast, as you said you would," Beerus said. "I would've never imagined you had the ability to exceed them."
"Thank you, Lord Beerus," Lemo said. The team of chefs all bowed. "I am humbled that you were able to enjoy them all."
"I will certainly ask for that level of quality on our next visit," Beerus said. A tooth-like smirk curled from his mouth. "Especially that pudding."
Lemo went red in the face. "Of course!"
"Thank you for having us," Whis said. He raised his staff. "Until next time!"
Lemo raised a hand before Whis tapped it on the floor. "W-wait a moment!"
He approached them. "Forgive my intrusion. Before you go, I have a request."
"I suppose it would be courteous on our part to hear you out after a delectable feast," Beerus said.
"Y-yes, of course, Lord Beerus. Broly, Cheelai, and I are searching for a new planet to settle on. While I have enjoyed my time here on Earth, there is much to do out there. Do you know of a planet that Freeza hasn't captured yet that is capable of sustaining life and isn't as brutal as Planet Vampa?"
"I suppose it wouldn't be a problem," Beerus said. "Delicious food of that quality could be rewarded. Whis?"
Whis conjured a projection of the universe using the sphere on his staff, searching through galaxies and planetary systems until he stopped at one. The image showed a series of clouds with lightning flashing within them. He enhanced the image past the clouds to show a planet that looked much like Earth.
"What planet is that?" Lemo asked.
"Planet Seren," Whis said. "A virtual paradise planet located in the Eden cluster. Seren is one of six planets inhabited within the cluster orbiting a star the same size as the sun above us. Quite a beautiful sight to visit."
Lemo was shocked. "And neither Freeza nor King Cold has ever captured this planet?"
"No ship has ever been sturdy enough to endure the constant cosmic storms that surround the planetary system. Any ship that attempted to penetrate the storm clouds was torn apart by the electromagnetic currents and plasma tornadoes. The civilizations that inhabit the planets other than Seren have attempted interstellar travel, but none of their ships could leave the system. In a sense, none can enter, none can leave."
Lemo's face sank. "But if there's no way to get to Seren by ship, how can this be a viable option?" he asked.
"Pockets occasionally form in the cosmic storm that aren't as dangerous. A small enough ship can pass through, but only when the window is open long enough to travel safely," Whis said. He examined the storms again. "The next window will be open within ten days, but after that, you'll need to wait four years."
"So soon, huh?" Lemo said, sighing. "How long does it take to get there?"
"I can get there within two hours," Whis said. "But if you're looking for a fast enough ship, the fastest one Bulma has available would take you a month."
"Unless you want to wait four years, get those Dragonballs so you can wish yourselves there," Beerus said. "Make what you can with that information while you still have time." As he turned around, he added, "because you'll need to inform those Saiyans that Freeza's about to land."
"Freeza?!" Lemo said. The chefs were equally alarmed. "Can't you stay and help fight him off or something?"
Beerus gave him a look that silenced him immediately. "That's your problem, not ours. Until next time," the Destroyer said. The pair then left in a shining prismatic light that soared quickly out of sight, leaving Lemo with a sense of dread. While the revelation of a new planet was helpful, he wasn't sure how receptive Broly would be in terms of Freeza arriving so soon. He only hoped that history wouldn't repeat itself.