An elderly humanoid sat with his legs crossed, hovering above a field of red glass spheres in a dark chamber surrounded by steel walls that were covered with cybernetic circuit patterns. Dr. Lychee had a misshapen, partly swollen side of the head while the other side still fostered patches of grey hair. On the back of his scalp, hair was plentiful, and the cybernetically augmented Tsufurian had a thick grey beard, suggesting that he hadn't been spending anywhere near the same amount of time tending to his personal hygiene as he was upgrading himself and working on his master plan.
The hovering Tsufurian scientist was facing a colossal machine with a pink skin-like substance and red armor that covered his legs and the upper parts of his body and transitioned into a tall helmet that stretched over the machine's oval-shaped head and held a massive green jewel embedded onto its forehead. The appearance of the armor was solid, yet it looked as if it had solidified in a droopy-like state, giving the monstrous automaton the appearance as if someone had poured his armor down in a molten state on it and solidified after already being applied. His skin had similar problems as, around its waist, it failed to wrap around the entire body and hung connected on slim grafts over darker, fleshy patches of the body of the cybernetic organism.
One of Dr. Lychee's eyes was red, whereas the other one was whited out. The red eye lit up and shot out a ray of light that it cast on the slumbering mechanical marvel in front of the Tsufurian scientist. Reacting to the signal, Dr. Lychee turned around and cast the light from his eye onto the many red orbs scattered on the floor that gave the laboratory a major ball pit vibe. The cast light cast upward in a humanoid shape of a blue-skinned scientist with orange hair and mustache and night-blue lenses for eyes.
"Dr. Myuu, I have continued my transmission of Destron Gas on a Planet called Earth. I have accumulated some highly sensitive data. One of the Destron Gas monsters believed that these seven orange marbles with red stars on them located on that planet have the ability to grant one their wish. Upon studying the energy signature these artifacts emit, I have come to the conclusion that while I cannot confirm their wish-granting properties, they possess some capabilities of bending reality to their whim individually. If by coming together they amplify that signature exponentially, maybe granting one their wish is indeed possible," Dr. Lychee reported to the Machine Mutant scientist.
"That is brilliant news, Dr. Lychee!" Dr. Myuu exploded with vigor. "Then by collecting these Earthling artifacts, we could, in theory, resurrect your long-lost Tsufurian race!"
"I do not intend to resurrect the Tsufurian race. It would be a pointless waste of the boundless potential of these artifacts," Dr. Lychee shook his head slowly.
"B-But… Dr. Lychee… Wasn't resurrecting the Tsufurian race the entire point of the Four-Star Plan?" Dr. Myuu scratched the golden plating on his scalp looking baffled by the ruthlessness of the creator of him and the entire Machine Mutant race.
"The point of the Four-Star Plan is to carry on the Tsufurian legacy into the future and showcase the boundless potential of our intelligence to the universe. I have given up on that stubborn race of impotent diplomats when they exiled me from their planet and labeled my work "a perversion of the natural order". If they had accepted my proposal of cybernetically enhancing their bodies, as I have done, they too would have lived on to this day and not gotten crushed by the Saiyans. In fact, Dr. Myuu, I can hardly blame the Saiyans for snuffing out the Tsufurians. They are, after all, a primitive and violent race of thrashing apes. Flinging turds and junk and breaking things is the entire potential of their race. It is just, as my foolish peers have called it… "Natural order"…" Dr. Lychee looked down, almost appearing as if he longed for those days when he worked alongside the brightest of Tsufurian minds before his exile but then he turned his dichromatic eyes back up.
"Then do you intend to leave those artifacts on Earth? Seems like a waste of their grand potential, just like when the Tsufurians have dismissed your research into cybernetics…" Dr. Myuu noted with a curious look.
"Indeed, it would be. The reason I contacted you is to inquire about your progress with Baby," Dr. Lychee said. "The last we spoke, you said that the project is nearing completion, and no longer requires active input. Is that correct?"
"It is, Dr. Lychee," Dr. Myuu nodded. "Rest assured that the M-2 Star is in front of its schedule and ready to fulfill its part in the Four-Star Plan."
"Excellent, so you have ample free hands, correct?" Dr. Lychee inquired.
"Yes. My Machine Mutants are available if you have need of them," Dr. Myuu confirmed his maker's inquiry.
"I want you to send the Sigma Force and General Rilldo to Earth and secure these starry orbs. I shall send you the necessary data of the energy signature they emit, it will help you devise a radar to track their signal when your Machine Mutant military force lands on Planet Earth," Dr. Lychee instructed.
"Hmm…" Dr. Myuu crossed his arms and stroked his chin with a free hand.
"What is it, Dr. Myuu?" Dr. Lychee noted the hesitation in his creation's body language.
"You said that you do not intend to use these artifacts to resurrect the Tsufurian race. The reason you became so interested in Planet Earth is because of the Saiyan presence there. If I send my Machine Mutant finest there and risk them taking damage or being destroyed, it would better be for a good cause. I need to know that you have grand plans for these Earthling artifacts that make the sacrifice of even fine soldiers like General Rilldo worth it," Dr. Myuu observed.
"Do not question me again, Dr. Myuu. The purpose of General Rilldo and the rest of your Machine Mutant military goons was to serve as muscle and guard to the Baby Project. You stated that the project is nearing completion, so they have become expendable. If you must know, I intend to use these starry balls as a power source. Their ability to influence reality on the physical plane is remarkable, they show great potential for extreme chemical reactions to direct exposure to Destron Gas, which affects the ephemeral plane too. If my theories are correct, it is possible that the negative energy emitted by the Destron Gas affecting these Earthling marbles might power our entire cybernetic universe," Dr. Lychee spread his arms out, imagining his dream coming true and seeing it within his grasp.
"Hmm… That is the purpose of the Luud Star, is it not?" Dr. Myuu pondered. "Does that make Luud Star obsolete as well?"
"Perhaps…" Dr. Lychee shrugged. "However, as evidenced by the destruction of the Big Gete Star, it might prove perilous to entrust vital portions of the Four-Star Plan to a single object. I'd rather have backup plans or else we might take even more centuries to bring the Four-Star Plan to fruition. Your soldiers may be expendable, but they are not useless. The Ghost Warriors of the Destron Gas function on their basic, ephemeral impulses, so I cannot issue them commands to retrieve anything for me. I need something more stable and functional for such a task. Your Machine Mutants are still of great service to the plan, Dr. Myuu, you should be proud."
"I see, Dr. Lychee… Very well, I shall instruct that General Rilldo and the Sigma Force retrieve these starry Earthling artifacts for you," Dr. Myuu instructed before cutting the transmission and quickly mashing through a handful of buttons on the keyboard beside him. In just a few moments, the mechanical door behind Dr. Myuu on M-2 Star slid open, letting in a large Machine Mutant with a golden scalp and chiseled, humanoid features. A handful of colorful robots of differing shapes and sizes gathered behind their general.
"General Rilldo, Sigma Force, it appears you have completed your task of protecting the Baby Project. You are to head to Planet Earth and retrieve all the Earthling artifacts that radiate this energy signature," Dr. Myuu opened his hand, revealing a complex chart with chemical and wavelength data that only a Machine Mutant could process at once. "I've installed the data into T2006, so take him with you and use him as your radar."
"Very well," General Rilldo nodded and turned to a white Machine Mutant whose lower body was attached to Dr. Myuu's control panel. With a turn and a push, the round, white Machine Mutant detached himself from the control panel and hovered by General Rilldo's side.
"Oh, and one more thing, General Rilldo. When you find these Earthling starry artifacts, interrogate the Earthlings on how to use them, and don't bring them to the Dark Planet but bring them here to M-2," Dr. Myuu's lower face shifted in a devious smile.
"Dr. Myuu?" General Rilldo appeared taken aback by this order.
"Don't forget that while it was Dr. Lychee that cybernetically enhanced me and turned me into the original Machine Mutant, I was the one that invented the rest of the Machine Mutant race. You heed my command, not his," Dr. Myuu objected to his subordinate's hesitation.
"Of course, Dr. Myuu, but…" General Rilldo became flustered and scratched behind his long and pointy blue ear. "Do you think it's right to betray Dr. Lychee? Of all the times, now, when the Four-Star Plan is close to completion?"
"Being the meathead that you are, you may not realize it, but Dr. Lychee sees us all as expendable. He is so obsessed with his own self-righteousness that he doesn't see the value in a wish-fulfilling artifact and intends to use it as a battery. I'm worried that Dr. Lychee might be going obsolete and may be behind in staying up-to-date with upgrades. He might be the greatest danger to the Four-Star Plan himself," Dr. Myuu explained himself to his confused subject, who just nodded and left alongside the Sigma Force lined up behind him.
Before too long, five space pods took and shot out into the heavens, heading toward Planet Earth from a faraway region.
"Hey, are you done sitting around yet!?" Trunks yelled out and pressed his knuckles to his hips, giving his companion a scolding stare. While lately Videl had been recovering from her injuries from the fight against the Destron Saiyan and her mood had drastically improved, Trunks wasn't the biggest fan of her tendency to sit around and hover in mid-air. Sometimes, her time wasting became so intense that the ground shook and Videl began glowing with a radiant outline. Trunks swore to himself that yesterday was the last cup of ramen he spilled because of that rubbish.
"Sorry, are we heading out already?" Videl wondered.
"If you're feeling better, there's no reason not to look for the Dragon Balls at the usual pace," Trunks explained. "We've almost got half of them already. The sooner we wrap this up, the sooner I can show dad my Super Saiyan transformation and the sooner you can go back to smooching with Gohan…" the kid seemed so disgusted by this notion that he stuck his tongue out. This earned Trunks a painful nudge from Videl.
"As if an immature brat like you could ever become a Super Saiyan. You may have the power necessary to achieve the transformation, but you should've listened to your father's words when he told you that you need to be a mature warrior and undergo immense growth as a person to trigger the transformation," Videl reprimanded her pupil. "Maybe if you listened to me and sat still to master Image Training, you would get one step closer to becoming the kind of Saiyan that's mature enough."
"Yeah, right… As if I'm sitting in place doing nothing… Aren't you too old to play make-believe? Now, who's being immature…?" Trunks crossed his arms when Videl looked up at the sky. Dark clouds began gathering over their heads and this was no rainstorm. Violet cracks of static riddled the black cumuli, suggesting to the pair that this was what they dreaded for a while now–another Destron Gas outbreak.
"Hmmm… No use tracking the Dragon Balls now…" Trunks looked at the Dragon Radar, which once again refused to show them any Dragon Ball signals.
"I wonder…" Videl scratched her chin and turned around to try to locate the epicenter of the spreading Destron Gas. Based on the electrified atmosphere, the gas had almost a full day to spread from its initial point of emergence. That didn't leave them with too much time to stop it, so stopping Destron Gas was the first item on their agenda. "Have you noticed how these Destron Gas monsters appear to show up in the general vicinity of a Dragon Ball? Maybe if we find the epicenter of this gas, we'll come closer to the Dragon Ball too?"
"Hmm… I guess…" Trunks made a long face, considering Videl's theory to be a bit of a stretch, but shrugging since he had no superior alternatives. "The first one showed up in Penguin Village and the Saiyan showed up in Central City, both places had a Dragon Ball but I didn't see any Destron monsters when I retrieved one from the bottom of the ocean. It would've been a real pain to find it if the Dragon Radar signal would've been jammed. It was pitch black in there…"
"Oh, well… It's not like we have time to do anything else but confront this monster. Ready?" Videl turned to Trunks and deployed Bulma's anti-Destron drone, sending it to seek out the nexus of Destron Gas.
"Whatever the bad guy is, they better be ready to face the Super Saiyan me!" Trunks punched his open palm with a smug expression and took off to follow the anti-Destron drone alongside Videl.
A bright energy beam ripped through the barren wasteland of the end of the Earth at Yunzabit Heights and demolished a mountain. A frail figure in a purple bodysuit and a yellow coat, held together by cross-shaped belts that connected at the center by a blue jewel and donning a spacefarer's hi-tech helmet levitated above the cold wasteland, inflicting random acts of destruction while the Destron Gas swirled with apocalyptic howl above the frail Destron Gas construct.
"Huh? This is the guy we're up against? Lame…!" Trunks struck a flashy pose with a smirk, waving his hand in dismissal of his opponent's frail appearance and withered-looking skin.
"Don't underestimate your opponent! Don't you know who this is? It's the alien subjugator that tried to take over the world a few years back and attacked South City–Lord Slug!" Videl criticized her companion's vanity before taking a wary fighting stance. The senile tyrant of the stars turned around with a pleased, toothless smirk. It appeared that the Destron Gas construct received sadistic satisfaction in killing someone as opposed to just destroying random mountains that barely served as a challenge to it.
"Man, even his name is lame!" Trunks rubbed the bottom of his nose with his index finger before waving his hand in dismissal of his opponent and lazily charging at Lord Slug. The space conqueror extended his hand, pulling Trunks into his grip and securing a tight lock around his head with his withered hand. The green-skinned Ghost Warrior closed his eyes as Trunks cried out. "What the… It's like… He's burrowing in my head… Get out!"
"Eagle Kick!" Videl flew in from the side with a knee shot to the side of Lord Slug's helmet, then transitioned into a right leg roundhouse kick that sent Lord Slug flying and forced him to release his captive. Trunks grabbed hold of his aching head and tried shaking the feeling of having someone burrow in his mind out. "Are you okay?" Videl asked.
"Yeah… Man, this guy seriously made me mad. You're going to get it!" Trunks pointed his finger at Lord Slug and put up his dukes while he hunched over and stiffened his body, transferring Ki up and down in a circulation that he thought would trigger a Super Saiyan transformation. The boy raised his voice, releasing a battle cry, but not even that tension helped him accomplish much more than fruitlessly burn through his stamina by burning up with an intense white aura. "Wh… What's going on?" Trunks gasped in terror, looking down at his shaking hands.
"I told you - you can't go Super Saiyan yet. Stop relying on that as a crutch and just fight the best you can," Videl said in a stern tone.
"I see…" Trunks' hands flopped and wobbled heavy by his sides while the boy turned a seething stare at the elderly alien tyrant. "So… You've meddled with my head and locked away my transformation! Undo it at once!"
"Jeez…" Videl deflated in disappointment at how thick her companion was.
In young Trunks' defense, his outrage at the alleged mental block that prevented him from becoming Super Saiyan made him a highly dangerous and explosive combatant on the battlefield. Using rapid movement, Trunks toyed around with his opponent just like Videl taught him by dashing around so fast he left afterimages behind and created an illusion that he teleported instantaneously. Evading Lord Slug's sudden eye beams, Trunks flew above his opponent and decked him in the face, then vanished and appeared behind Slug only to kick him away with a furious scowl on his face.
Seeing her pupil this effective when enraged, seamlessly incorporating her lessons into his fighting style and even adapting them for offense whereas Videl taught them to be used more on the defense, made the teenager wonder if she should continue to waste her breath explaining to Trunks he couldn't turn Super Saiyan at any point when he was this effective operating under the illusion that the Ghost Warrior was simply blocking his transformation.