The ship flew through a sea of blackness, heading in one direction. As he looked out the side window, there was no glistening stars or spectacles of nearby planets, only a peacefully quiet darkness. From being this close to the window, he felt the soft hum of the ship's engine reverberate across the glass, and was so use to it at this point that it soothed him. From what Trunks told him, the lack of stars meant that light was blocking out the view, which meant they were near a star, and one star in particular. As the beams of light emanating from the Sun came round the edge of the ship into view, he saw it. Floating in solitude, he was almost feeling like it was calling out to him to return.
"Look, I see it!" Goku called out. His joy was interrupted at his Granddaughter pushing his head out the way to see for herself.
"We made it!" she shouted, overjoyed at seeing the earth. "I can't wait to get home and tell everyone all about this great trip!"
Goku's shouting and Pan's excitement caught the attention of Trunks as he looked up from the astronomy book he had, their enthusiasm about being so close to Earth becoming contagious.
"It's almost unbelievable that we managed to find them all and be back again with nearly three months to spare. I could have sworn when this started we'd be cutting it by the skin of our teeth," Trunks said with a growing smile.
"I know!" Pan responded. "It's almost as impressive as how I got back the Dragon Balls that General Rildo stole, and then rescued you after he and Doctor Myuu turned you into metal!" she bragged out loud, not caring about the inaccuracy of what she was saying.
"Yeah, right," he said, speaking back sarcastically. "And should I impress everyone more by telling them how many times you started crying?" His wit was met with a solid chestnut striking between the eyes.
Goku turned back from Earth to the two younger Saiyans. "Alright, how about we get these Dragon Balls back to Dende safe and sound," he said.
"Sounds good," Trunks replied, closing up his book and standing up.
As they bundled into the cockpit to take their seats, the noticed a certain robot pressed up against the window, staring intensely at the planet.
"That's you're new home, Giru," Pan spoke. "I gotta good feeling you'll like it a lot more than M2." The robot didn't respond, as if he didn't hear her. "Giru?" she spoke again, getting an eerie reminiscence of when they first came across his birth planet. This time, the robot turned round to look at her, before quickly plugging into his own 'seat' as the ship began to enter the atmosphere without a word.
"You're probably just nervous about all the new people you'll meet. But trust me, they'll welcome you with open arms, you shouldn't be scared of them," Trunks reassured him.
"Except maybe you're Dad," Goku playfully remarked, earning a laugh from the two Saiyans.
Euphoria rushed over the three Saiyans as the familiar sight of Dende's Lookout came into view. After months of journeying and facing danger, it hit that they truly were home. Upon touchdown they headed straight for its exit, the Dragon Balls in Pan's hand. As the ship's door opened with a metallic slide, a fresh wind from the sky came through and washed over them, as if the planet itself was embracing them on their return. They stood for a moment and breathed the air of home into their lungs.
Goku didn't bother waiting for the ladder to extend, jumping straight onto the lookout, throwing himself back into Earth. Looking around, he was glad to see nothing was different, besides the damage from his last training session with Uub being cleared up. The faint sound of the wind was the only thing he heard as he took it all in.
'It's great to be back,' he thought to himself with a happy sigh, feeling lighter with all that traveling behind him.
"Seems a bit empty...they should have sensed us coming," Trunks observed as he climbed down the ladder, expecting at least the guardian of Earth to be waiting for them. But it didn't dampen the comfort he felt at being home again.
Goku looked around. The place did seem more quiet than even he was used to. As if on cue, out of the silence a soft noise cut through to them. The sound of footsteps came from the entrance of the main building, moderately paced and calm. The source of them appeared as the realm's two residents came into view, walking towards them.
"Hey, Dende! Popo!" Goku called out to them.
"Hello, Goku," replied Dende as he continued walking, carrying a formality in his voice.
"It's been a while, since we've seen you. Have things here on Earth been okay?" the Saiyan replied.
Dende simply smiled. "Better than ever," he said.
"Outta the way, boys!" Pan shouted from behind as she barged her way in front of Goku and Trunks, before standing straight and proud.
"Ahem! Mr. Dende, Mr. Popo. You can relax knowing that Earth is safe. Thanks to the expedition I led with my assistants, I was personally able to acquire all seven Dragon Balls. Pretty cool, huh?" she boasted with a grin.
The Guardian looked neither amused or even fondly at the girl.
"You've done a great thing for everyone on this planet Goku," he said, trying to ignore Pan, to which the older Saiyan laughed at with a hint of humility.
"HEY, hold on you! Down here!" Pan shouted in response to the slight, throwing away all formality. "I'm the one you should be thanking! I did more work than him, I almost died getting these!"
Dende flinched back at the outburst, his face tensing up as if trying to not show disdain. "Then you can do even more work by handing them over," the Namekian rebuked with an uncharacteristic frustration. "Then they can be sealed up in their shrine and kept safe."
"Sounds good to me," Goku spoke up, "Then we can relax about Earth with things back to normal."
Pan snapped from the Lookout's inhabitants, turning behind to her grandfather. "Wait just a second," she interjected, approaching her Grandfather. "If you don't use the Dragon Balls, you can't return to your original body."
The Guardian began to scowl with impatience. "If you use them they'll again be scattered across the distant corners of space like before. And then we'll have to start all over again," he retorted from behind, with barely hidden contempt.
"I think Dende has a point, there's too great a risk in using them again," Trunks finally spoke up, trying to diffuse the tension.
"Nobody here, or back home, would prefer him staying the way he is," Pan spoke back. The older boy simply stayed silent, accepting that as true, but standing firm on not using them. She pressed further, "Come on, Trunks. All we have to do is go round the universe again, and we've just had plenty of practice, so it'll be even easier."
He recoiled back in response, "Count me out!"
"Giru want see Earth!" the robot anxiously said hiding behind his shoulder.
"Like you'll last a week cramped back up in that Capsule Corp office," she pettily remarked to him, sensing she was in a losing battle.
Goku stepped in to the fray, "Pan. It doesn't matter if I'm stuck like this if it means keeping the planet safe. Besides, if it's needed, I'm sure we'll find other ways to get become my old self again...or, older self. Right Dende?" giving a look at the Guardian and the realm's main building behind her.
The girl began to give up, knowing she was alone in her opinion.
"Fine then. Just don't come complaining to me when Grandma stops cooking for you anymore," she sulked, before handing the Balls to Mr. Popo. "Sorry for stressing you like that," she murmured, starting to feel embarrassed at her outburst as the Namekian's aggressive tone towards her became apparent in hindsight.
"What matters is that they're back with me now, and I can do the right thing with them," Dende said, not really showing a forgiveness, but speaking much more calmly.
There was a pause, and only the softness of the wind was the only thing to feel and hear as the Namekian's words solidified to the three Saiyans that their journey now really was over.
"Well then," Trunks said in relief at things being officially done before turning to the other Saiyans. "I think I'll take the ship and Giru back to Capsule Corp and show him around. His technology will be a marvel to mother and the engineers there."
"Actually..." Dende said, getting his attention. "A little bird may or may not have told me there's something waiting for all of you at Mount Paozu," he continued cryptically, giving an eerie wink. "It may or may not surprise you…"
"Really?" Trunks said, a bit surprised more at how quickly they could be ready this quickly.
"Oh..." Goku said, "I guess they really did decide to get a welcome home parade ready."
"I know I've certainly earned it," Pan remarked, now hovering towards the ship's door. "Come on, let's get on the ship and get going there."
"Let's hope that they still had enough time to prepare for an early return," Trunks commented.
The four quickly said their goodbyes to Dende, before getting back in the ship and taking off, heading for Goku and Pan's home. They didn't notice Dende and Popo simply stand there, as still as stone, staring blankly at the ship as it flew out of site. When it was finally gone, and the same silence returned to the look out, the guardian simply turned his head towards the cloth sack in Popo's hands, his face turning into a dark smile.
They sat in silence for this last short journey, all wrapped up in their own thoughts about returning to their normal lives. Goku sat and thought about explaining to Chi-Chi that he wouldn't be returning to his adult body immediately, and tried to think of something that could cheer her up even slightly. Since he recalled his two sons weren't nearly as bothered by that at the start—even suggesting he simply grow up again—he hoped that he could rely on them for help with that task. After assessing everything that happened on the Lookout though, the realization struck him, and he began to worry.
'What if Chi-Chi does stop cooking for me?' he wondered with a growing panic.
While piloting the ship, Trunks thought towards seeing his family again. He wondered if his father would think he became acceptably stronger from his time in space. Giru on his own would definitely be a great welcome-home gift for his mother. And the thought of his sister Bulla filling him in on the mundane day-to-day things he missed was surprisingly an exciting thought for the first time ever. The half-Saiyan also hoped he'd be able to properly catch up with Goten after he was unceremoniously left behind. Pan substituting herself in her Uncle's place on this trip was no longer a bad thing for him, but with how little he saw of his friend in recent years, he knew that was probably his best chance to catch up. A small part also attempted to suppress a small but growing dread he felt about going back to being a CEO, the rest of him tried to counter that he'd been away for so many months that it would be a good thing to return to, al he needed was to organise more free time for himself.
'It's just a 60 hour work week. When it's calm.' he repeated to himself. 'Besides, they don't try to kill you...except the Head of P.R.'
As the ship approached the Son residence, Pan started to feel much more emotional at seeing her family again. Her parents, her Grandmother, her Grandpa Hercule Satan, even Piccolo. She did have some worries that they'd still be angry at her for sneaking onto the ship, especially her parents. But with what Dende suggested to them, those worries dissipated. She didn't expect that she would go completely without punishment, but she would gladly endure one if it meant that she would start to be treated less like a helpless child by everyone. She recalled how small and useless that made her feel, how it was why she made sure she went with her Grandfather into space.
She then thought back to how it all turned around for her at her lowest point, when they were on planet Rudeeze. She would have died had it not been for Giru, and mulling over in the oasis she felt like everyone was right, that she really was just a burden. It was there she was had earned Trunks' trust enough that he chose to let her stay on the mission in place of his own best friend. She recalled how moved she felt at finally being seen as an equal by him. 'You're just as much apart of this team as everyone else,' played back in her mind.
The emotional memory gave way to even more, of peaceful times with her family, and the last one she recalled, as her home was now right in front of her through the ship's window, made her leap straight for the door as quickly as she could move: the feeling from the warm embrace of her mother. She burst through the front door of the house, trying to restrain herself enough to not smash its mere wood.
"MOMMA! PAPA! I'M BA—..." her excitement fell to confusion as she stopped in her tracks.
As she looked across the front room, it was the same as she last recalled months ago. There was clearly no sign of preparations to celebrate. No characteristics that were different from any other ordinary day. Except nobody was there; not Trunks' family, not her Grandparents, nor even her own parents from what she could see.
"Huh, they must be really goin' all out on surprising us if they're even suppressing their energy," Goku said as he followed in behind her, not sensing any familiar Ki signatures.
"I don't think anyone's been here for a while," Trunks guessed as they walked to the center of the room, observing the visible layer of dust over the furniture and tables that even he knew Chi-Chi would never tolerate.
As their concern began to grow, the sound of footsteps came to them, approaching from the back of the house. Pan felt relief at seeing her father enter the room, not paying heed to the cold and distant demeanor in both his body language and face that Goku and Trunks picked up on.
"PAPA!" she cried, running towards him in a near-blind joy at seeing him again.
"QUIET!" he shouted, stopping her on the spot.
"...Papa?..." she weakly asked, taken aback by the cold sneering in his command. She expected some anger, but had never heard him speak to anyone like this in her life. Goku and Trunks likewise were surprised at hearing such emotion from from him, especially towards his daughter of all people.
"I am beyond disappointed in your disgraceful behavior," he spoke with a lower voice that made his words sharp and icy.
She tried to speak, only to be cut off by him, "I—"
"You've always had an attitude problem, wanting to be the center of attention, thinking of yourself and never anyone else. And we tolerated it. But going off into space, abandoning your family, leaving us with nothing to do but worry for months as you put yourself—and everyone on this planet—in danger..." his words seemed designed to elicit as much guilt in the girl as possible.
They elicited with great success, as Pan only stood there in silence trembling, her eyes becoming wetter with each word. The heartless ranting was cut off with Goku stepping into the verbal fray.
"GOHAN!" he shouted, more determined and angry compared to Trunks' appalled and confused look. "How could you say something like that to her?" he asked rhetorically.
"STAY OUT OF THIS!" Gohan answered, raising his voice again. "You don't get to tell others how to care for their children. Especially with how you always abandoned yours."
"What's gotten into you?" Trunks shouted, his Ki rising on its own.
"Don't act like you're not blameless," came another voice off to the side of them.
Looking over, they saw Goten standing at the bottom of the stairs, his face with the same cold glare.
"Danger! Danger! Giru—Giru" the bot began repeating.
"You," Goten said, pointing straight to Trunks, "should have known to turn the ship around at the first chance, to stand up to his inability to care for his family," he gestured to Goku. "Instead, you decided to let her tag along, too weak to help in any way, and not come back to your own friend for real help."
Buried under the confusion in Trunks came a desire to punch his friend in the face, and not just from the accusations he threw at him or the things he said about his own family. There was something wrong with both of them, this wasn't the frustration of a concerned family, this was something else entirely.
"That's enough from both of you!" came another familiar gruff voice behind them.
"DANGER! DANGER!" Giru shouted louder than ever, hiding behind Trunks again for safety.
"Father?" said Trunks.
Turning around, they saw Vegeta, standing in the doorway. There was no vitriolic look on him compared to the Son brothers, merely the same unchanging half-scowl they were all used to. The only difference was an absence of the mustache he had spent so long growing.
"Vegeta?" Goku asked, unsure if he would deliver a usual moody remark or something more vitriolic.
"Where are the Dragon Balls?" was all he said, determined but calmly.
It put the Saiyan slightly at ease, though Trunks and him kept their Kis high.
"We found all seven. Dende has them on the lookout, safe and sound," Goku spoke, partly hoping it would calm down his two children. Vegeta only stood there for a moment in silence.
"Good..." he nodded in response. It gave Goku enough confidence to nod back if the Prince was acting very much like himself.
"Look..." Goku started, attempting to talk sense into his children, "we managed to gather the Balls and bring them back with months before the Earth exploded, and Pan was a big help in finding them, Gohan. Please, just let this go already and start acting like yourselves again?"
"I for one prefer their new selves," Vegeta said, earning the trio's attention with a small but sly grin.
"Lemme guess, because they're acting more like how you used to think Saiyans should act?" Trunks remarked, partly hoping his attempt at humor would lighten the mood.
Vegeta smirked at his quip, but none of them noticed the similar smirks appearing on Gohan and Goten's faces behind them. He directly stared into his son's eyes, looking harder at him than the boy had ever seen before. Trunks instantly noticed from just the look in his father's eyes; something was off. Something was up with him as well.
"Actually, they're not Saiyans..." he responded. Before any of them could process the response, his hair immediately turned from black to silver, with red lines appearing across his face that fed directly into the whites of his eyes. A different voice then came from the Prince's mouth. "...Not anymore."
It was a voice none of them had heard since planet Pital. A voice that filled them with horror. Through all the confusion of the moment, all four knew one thing for certain. It wasn't Vegeta standing and speaking to them anymore.
It was Baby.
Goku felt like he was struck by lightning. The Saiyan knew he'd see him again, that he would fight him again. But this was a scenario, a fear, that even he didn't comprehend happening. He knew that the Tuffle would be out there, getting stronger, but he never thought he would be out-maneuvered this severely.
The Saiyan's mind give way to his instincts. He didn't think about an answer to how Baby had made it to Earth, how he had taken Vegeta's body, why his two Sons were suddenly so aggressive, or even the safety of Trunks and Pan. He went straight on the attack, launching straight for Baby. He didn't think about hurting the body of his friend, he only felt the desire to make the Tuffle pay for everything he did.
Baby raised his arms across his face, the defense shielding him from the strikes. The shock wave from the impact shattered everything nearby, sending a wave of shattering fractures rippling across the house.
The collision's effect was cut off when the Saiyans felt Gohan and Goten power up. It was apparent that the difference in personality seemed to affect their Ki, as a corrupt evil emanated from them as their energy grew. Trunks turned round to see both of them letting loose their power, and the same dark grins on their faces made the pieces fall into place. He realized why they weren't phased by the change in his father's appearance, why Gohan was so hostile even to Pan, and why they acted like they were always sworn enemies.
"YOU CAN'T HAVE..." he shouted turning back to the parasite as the rising power levels created storm-like wind inside the front room, his eyes wide with fear and disbelief.
Baby only gave a larger grin in response.
The Tuffle then let out a battle cry, increasing his power in a display of strength even greater than the two Son brothers, knocking Goku back towards the other two in the center. The foundations of the building began to shake, and it was clear that any more power would make the house crumble. The next thing they knew was three powerful magenta blasts heading straight for them from each of their family members.
Avoiding the impact, all three flew straight up, breaking through the upper floor and ceiling to escape. The damage they did to the building as they escaped was nothing compared to the attack they dodged, as the blast wave destroyed every aspect of the building. Pan could only look down once for a short moment, and through the near-blinding light saw it—the only home she knew her whole life, the place where almost every treasured memory she had was made, her own corner of Earth that she spent months working to save—reduced to ash in an instant, erased from existence.
As the near-blinding light and physical pain caused by the attack faded from her body, the next thing she was aware of was Goku and Trunks behind her, the latter staring down Goten, while she found herself facing her father who hovered adjacent to her uncle. With the same cold glare, he raised his right arm, preparing an attack. The dread flowing through Pan froze her in place. She couldn't comprehend that her father would sincerely try to attack her.
Gohan then flinched before he could fire, as a green light flashed out around him. He looked down in confusion, followed by shock, as his arm turned to metal before his eyes, stopping at his shoulder. He tried with all his strength to move the limb, but no amount of effort could even flex his fingers. Pan looked down to the source of the beam, almost wondering if General Rildo wasn't dead either, for a short moment. She saw emerging from the debris, scratched and covered in ash, but still very much alive, was Giru, holding in one hand the same device from within him that reverted everything back from metal on Planet M2.
The robot looked up to Pan with a mechanical thumbs up, before flailing in a panic as a Ki blast was sent his way by Goten. He dodged it at the last moment, but the explosion knocked the device out of his hand as he spiraled through the air, trying to correct his course and head for the safety of his friends. As Giru reached them and buried away inside Pan's backpack, the girl's eyes went back to the device, seeing it land in the hand of what use to be Trunks' father.
"A factory recall like you will pay dearly for your continuous betrayals, T-2006," threatened the hauntingly familiar voice of the Tuffle, no trace of Vegeta's own voice present. The parasite rose to the same height as the Saiyans, flanked on either side by Gohan and Goten.
Immediately Goku went to Super Saiyan. His mind became set on both overpowering the Tuffle and figuring out if he could reach Vegeta inside to resist being controlled. The Saiyan knew first-hand Vegeta could overpower being used as a puppet, so was sure that if he himself could resist Baby, then so could the Prince. Preparing himself, he wanted more than anything to avoid making the mistake of letting Baby escape a third time.
As the tense stare down continued, Goku's attention turned to his children, he didn't know why or how they were like this, except for a certainty Baby was responsible. The sight of them and their twisted Kis only burned his anger up even more.
"What have you done to my family?" he asked through clenched teeth.
"We were blessed as vassals for our lord, Baby," Gohan said with a dark ecstasy in tone. Hearing even a small sentence of praise for the parasite from his own son enraged Goku even further.
"And we've been reborn through him as Tuffles," Goten finished.
Goku immediately went back on the offensive, flying straight for Baby, barely able to care about hurting Vegeta. But the Tuffle's preparedness allowed him to successfully block each punch and kick. Trunks flew after him, trying to help his friend. But he stopped in his tracks as Gohan appeared between him and the fight, his free arm in position to fire at him, but hesitating. His body language clearly conveyed that he wanted the two remaining Saiyans to witness the battle.
Goku'a patience began to wear as all his efforts failed to land a single hit. He felt a rush of cathartic joy when one of his kicks slipped through an opening. But it fell away as his leg went straight through Baby as the image of him faded away. Nothing to stop his leg's momentum, coupled with a blow to his back, Goku went spinning across the sky. He felt the hands of his Granddaughter on his shoulders, steadying him in the air. As he looked back at her, they exchanged a reassuring smile. It boosted his confidence, but he was also now worried. Baby clearly was able to use Vegeta's abilities with that technique, and with Gohan and Goten on his side, he knew Trunks, Pan and himself were outmatched.
But he was also perplexed, as the blow he felt wasn't anywhere near that strong.
Baby cackled softly, "Oh you're quite the brash and trigger-happy one. That's something I'll enjoy using from you," Baby spoke, eyes closed and with a smile. It was clear to everyone that he wasn't taking this fight seriously.
Goku spoke as he moved more in front of Pan protectively, "I'm very trigger-happy when it means stopping you. You might have learned a few tricks from Vegeta, but with hits that weak you'll never be able to win against me." He backed up his claim by ascending to Super Saiyan Two.
Unfazed by the upsurge in power, Baby stood still, and a short silence fell over the battlefield. A tension grew until the Tuffle simply opened his eyes in response.
'You've already lost Goku,' came a voice inside the Saiyan's head.
The elder Son stopped in confusion. He was looking directly at Baby, he heard those words as clear as day, he knew it was the parasite's voice, but he never saw the Tuffle speak them. Baby simply looked directly at him, directly into him, completely still. The wind began to soften and the smell of smoke began to fade. For a moment, Goku wondered if it was just his mind making a mistake. But sensing his confusion, Baby's smile only grew wider.
'You lost all the way back on planet Pital,' came the voice again.
This time, he knew that it was no mistake, or his imagination. An icy wave of terror shot through him. Pan, having not caught on to the situation, was only confused and scared at the reactions she noticed in him. Trunks, however, knew something was wrong, catching the growing smile Baby gave Goku. His fears grew as Goku instantly dropped back to his base form and his hands started trembling.
At those exact words from the Tuffle, the memories Goku wanted to forget came back as vividly as when they happened. The sights, the sounds, the sensations of losing his body, bit by bit. But the fear he felt was worsened upon recalling what his two sons had just said to him.
'Blessed as vassals...reborn as Tuffles...' the words played over and over in his head.
"I see that you never forgot when I took over your body," Baby spoke, gloating at the barely hidden fear he saw in the Saiyan's face. "You may have been able to expel me from your body when I was weaker," he said, "but what you didn't know..." he paused, almost savoring what he was saying, "was that just before I was cast out I left something behind."
A wave of fear hit through Trunks at the realization of what Baby meant.
At these words, Goku recalled familiar needle like pain in the small of his back. But now it was real again, and the searing pain was traveling to the top of his brain stem. The sensation began to spread up and down, on this occasion taking its time, covering his whole back, heading inside his skull. He felt his whole body tremble, and immediately knew what was happening.
"Pan..." he said weakly to his Granddaughter behind him, putting his rapidly dropping strength into staying in control of his body. "...run."
"What?" she said, still partly confused.
"Run! Don't leave Trunks' side, don't trust anyone except him...Not even me," he reiterated, turning back to her, his fear more blatant as he raised his shaking voice, keeping his eyes focused on Baby.
Looking back at him, Pan was struck by how panicked Goku was. She had never seen him like this before. She tried to argue against him, "but—"
"BOTH OF YOU, RUN!" he screamed, grabbing her arms and pushing her across the air towards Trunks.
Pan pushed through her shock at the change in her Grandpa's demeanor. She tried to go back to him, to tell him she wouldn't leave him, but was stopped by Trunks pulling her back from behind.
"PAN, WE HAVE TO GET OUT OF HERE!" he shouted at her through a forceful voice also racked with obvious fear.
Looking back at Trunks, Pan's fear only skyrocketed, not understanding why both of them appeared more desperate to run away than she was. The girl then looked to her Grandfather, seeing him visibly shaking and straining. The Saiyan looked back at her Granddaughter, attempting to say goodbye with just the emotions in his eyes, she seemed to read them as her remaining confusion visibly turned to shock. Goku turned to the older Saiyan now beside her. One last memory played in his head before he was drawn back to the present. He looked straight in the boy's eyes, hoping that he didn't forget.
'You promised...' The elder Son tried to plead but could only think.
He then began to violently writhe about in the air has he fought a losing battle with himself. Goku grasped at his throat as his lungs once again failed and he felt himself drown in the open sky. It was all the same as what he experienced before, but going through it a second felt even worse. He then heard Baby give a twisted cackling in triumph. The noise came both from beside him and inside his head at the same time. The Saiyan turned towards him, with his two sons on either side, now right in front of him, all wearing the same malicious smile. It was as if Baby was taking his time, enjoying the pain he was causing the Saiyan. Goku could only look on at them and saw what he was about to become. And he sensed a worse fate would await Pan, Trunks and Giru.
This drew out his will just enough for one last act of defiance. He reached deep within, drawing all the remaining Ki of his true self. Goku knew this was the only thing left he could do, and he hoped it would be enough to save them. He stubbornly put his last strength into moving his hands to his face, unable to even naturally blink from being so focused. He spread his fingers out across his face. He saw Baby double-take at his actions, his smirk giving way to brief confusion. It made Goku smirk on the inside. Even though this was a major gamble that he didn't know would work, he hoped that Pan and Trunks could have a chance. With his last willpower, the elder Son defied his new master, sharply dropping all his defenses, hoping he himself would be just as vulnerable as them.
Then, he cried out in his final breath, "SOLAR FLARE!"
With those words, the last remaining part of Goku slipped away.
A blinding light overwhelmed the four of them. Its brightness so potent their heads filled with unbearable pain, their eyes felt like red hot metal was pressing against their retinas. The color white was all that could be seen. A metallic ringing was the only thing they could hear, drowning out all other noise. Baby attempted to push past his pain and regain his senses to no avail. He tried to focus on detecting the Kis of the remaining Saiyans, but the pain that Goku's powerful attack left in his skull stopped any effort to concentrate.
After what could have been minutes or seconds, the machine mutant slowly began to see a haze of green and blue, and the sounds of nature gradually returned. He looked ahead, and no longer wore any smile, only a vengeful glare. In silence, he stared at the now empty space where the last of the Saiyans used to be.
They had escaped.
Next time:
He was met with silence.
"Pan?" He asked, looking towards the girl, concerned at the lack of response.
The quarter-Saiyan appeared catatonic, staring both wide-eyed and blankly ahead. Her stillness stood in contrast to the storm raging inside her.
