Everyone stared at Gine, awestruck by her arrival. The Z warriors had never met a female saiyan, much less one who was so serene. Even compared to relatively gentle saiyans like Goku or Gohan, this woman seemed so much more peaceful; they couldn't sense a shred of violence in her.

"Gine…" Vegeta thought to himself, "Why does that name sound familiar?" The woman looked pitifully low-class, judging by her attire, probably not even a warrior–surely, not a saiyan that the prince would have ever met. And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that he had heard her name somewhere before.

"So saiyan," Beerus asked Gine, "has the Supreme Kai briefed you on why we have brought you here?"

"Yes Lord Beerus," she answered respectfully.

"Perfect. Whis, would you be so kind as to fix up our battle-damaged saiyans?"

Waving his staff yet again, Whis healed the wounds of Goku, Trunks, Tarble, Vegeta, and Broly. However, the angel opted to leave the latter unconscious for the time being, lest he fly into another fit of rage before they were ready for the ritual.

Trunks and Goku rose to their feet, stretching their newly restored muscles. Trunks walked over to Whis, who had graciously held on to his jacket and sword after he discarded them, thanking the angel as he threw them back on and refastened his weapon. Goku on the other hand, decided to go ahead and greet their new friend, excited to meet yet another saiyan today.

"Hi there!" the cheerful saiyan man extended his hand, "my name's Goku!"

However, the woman did not take his hand, simply staring at him, shell shocked.

"Ah, was it something I said?" frowned Goku.

Gine ignored him as her eyes began to water, and moved her hand towards the man's face.

"K..Kakarot," she gasped, "it's really you!"

Goku scratched his head, confused.

"Uh, do I know you?" he asked, "and how do you know my saiyan name?"

Gine retrached slightly, frowning at his confusion, before showing a sad smile as she held his cheek.

"In the end, I guess you really did forget us," Gine whispered somberly, "but no matter… What's important is that you survived, Kakarot. You're here."

The saiyan woman then crushed Goku in a hug, her grip tighter than any foe he had faced before.

"My baby is alive!"

"BABY?!" Everyone exclaimed.

At that comment, something clicked with Prince Vegeta: a distant memory, from only a few years back, yet it felt like a lifetime ago.

"Vegeta, have you taken a look at our next assignment from Lord Frieza?" asked Nappa, as he, Raditz, and the aforementioned prince walked through the base on Frieza Planet 419.

"I have," answered Vegeta.

"And… aren't you the least bit worried?" chimed in Raditz, feeling the same unease as Nappa, "the planet has a powerful military with elite warriors and weapons beyond even what the Frieza Force is capable of producing-it's practically a suicide mission!"

"For a weakling like you, maybe," Vegeta responded, with surprisingly little care or scorn given the scalding comment.

"I dunno Vegeta, I'd hate to say it, but I'm with the weakling on this one," Nappa continued, "even if the three of us went all out as Ozaru, there'd still be a high chance of failure. Why don't we ask for reinforcements?"

Vegeta stopped in his tracks, before turning and grabbing Nappa by the collar of his armor.

"If you think I'm going to give Frieza another reason to have me groveling at his feet, you can forget it. I'm not about to sacrifice my pride to beg for that lizard's help!"

Nappa nodded, frightened, before the prince released him.

"Wait… What if there was another way for us to get more manpower, without asking Frieza?" mused Raditz, deep in thought.

"What are you blabbering about?" Vegeta questioned, with an eyebrow raised.

"It's a longshot," the long-haired saiyan conceded, "but I think I know of another saiyan who might have survived the destruction of Planet Vegeta."

Nappa gasped in surprise, while Vegeta wore an expression of calm, yet intrigue, beckoning his underling to continue.

"Shortly before our home's demise, my mother told me that she sent my little brother, Kakarot, away in an attack pod to a remote planet called 'Earth," Raditz explained, "he was only meant to be a disgraceful low-class, but should he have survived and completed his mission, he could prove to be an asset to us."

Vegeta moved his hand to his chin and considered this.

"Better one of our own than one of his," he finally decided, "Raditz, you may leave to retrieve your lost brother at once."

"A backwater planet huh?" Nappa said, "sounds befitting of a low-class alright. But for your mother to send him all on her own, without prompt from Planet Vegeta's military or the Frieza Force… never would've thought her the type for that. What with her being all sentimental and all that; she wasn't even a warrior! I guess Gine just wanted something more prideful for her kid."

"You're Kakarot and Raditz's mother!" exclaimed Vegeta. Everyone simply stared in shock, Goku especially.

"Th-that would mean," Gohan piped up, "that she's my Grandma!"

Gine smiled, walking over to the young boy, bending down to pinch his cheek.

"I didn't know Kakarot had a child," she said, "what's this little munchkin's name?"

"I-It's Gohan," answered the boy shyly.

"Wow, after all these years, I'm finally meeting my mother!" Goku laughed and scratched his head, "neat!"

"AHEM!" the loud cough of a certain impatient god interrupted the joyous revelation.

"We didn't bring you here for some kind of sappy family reunion!" yelled Beerus, "are we going to get this ritual going, or not?"

"Yes of course, Lord Beerus" Gine answered respectfully, before turning back to her son, "we'll catch up later, Kakarot. I want to hear all about everything I've missed."

Gine, Trunks, Goku, Tarble, and Gohan gathered together with the unconscious Broly, while the rest of the Z warriors and their allies surrounded them to spectate.

"Are we ready to wake the slumbering beast?" asked Whis playfully.

Beerus nodded, while Goku and Trunks each braced themselves, ready to jump back into the fold with Broly, should the need arise. Whis waved his staff, and the limp body of Broly rose into the air, before springing to life. His eyes shot open as he looked around in utter confusion. Where was he? Who were these people? Broly's panicked eyes continued to dart around, until they fell on the god of destruction.

The memory of his father's demise flooded back to him in an instant.

Broly screamed in rage, powering up to his Wrath State immediately. Before he or anyone else could move however, Broly found himself confronted by a small child of all people.

"Please Mister Broly, stop!" he cried.

Broly held a powerfully clenched fist above the insect who dared to get between him and his vengeance. This elicited a collective wave of panic from the Z warriors.

"Gohan!" Trunks yelled, as he, Piccolo, and Goku took defensive stances, moving in between Gohan and his would-be assailant.

"Broly." Gohan walked forward steadfast, pushing past his protectors.

The large saiyan stopped, the boy's stubbornness beginning to put him in a confused daze.

"Gohan, no!" Piccolo called after the boy, but was stopped by his father. The Namekian whipped around furiously, looking Goku in the eye with rage and scrutiny, but he didn't budge.

"Search his feelings Piccolo," Goku said calmly, glancing at the troubled Broly, "Gohan's actually calming him down." Piccolo backed down, narrowing his eyes at Broly, ready to jump in at a moment's notice.

Broly slowly inched backward as the child approached him. Flashes of his blind rage, beating the three warriors before him to a pulp, and destroying the palace filled his head. He endangered these people who showed nothing but kindness to him, and failed to avenge his father. He really was dangerous... a monster who needed to be contained, just like his father always said. Just now, he was even about to attack this innocent little boy.

The same boy, with a long mane not unlike his own, was determined to reason with him in spite of his violent outbursts. How could anyone, let alone someone of Gohan's tender age, stand to face him? How could a monster like himself have the audacity to even try participating in a ritual of righteous saiyans?

The six year old saiyan halfling looked up at Broly with soft, yet serious eyes.

"I know how you feel, Broly."

That was the last thing the tall saiyan expected to hear.

"H-How could you possibly…" Broly muttered.

"Whenever one of my friends or family is hurt, I get really, really mad," Gohan explained, "and when that happens, my power explodes and all I can think about is causing as much pain to the person who did it as I can. I can't… control it. All I ever do is cause needless destruction or even get in the way," the boy stated sadly, "I feel like I'm just a useless monster."

Broly stood in silence, stunned by the child's words.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is… I know you can't help how you feel, and I understand what that does to you. But it doesn't make you a bad guy."

As he listened to Gohan's words, Broly began to calm, though not leaving his wrathful state. Gohan extended his small, glove-clad in solidarity with the larger saiyan, beckoning him to take it. Broly stared at Gohan's hand, outstretched mere inches in front of him. Yet, that short distance felt farther than the lightyears he had traveled from Vampa.

"Please Broly, let us help you. We can help you control your power, just like Mister Piccolo has helped me." The boy's face grew more determined with every word.

"Beerus took away my father," Broly protested, "why should I help give him what he wants?"

"Because if you help us in the ritual, we can all stand up to Beerus together," the boy answered, "with the power of the Super Saiyan God, maybe we'll have a chance! But we can't do this without you Broly!"

"But even if I agree to that, there's no way I could participate in the ritual!" the large saiyan continued weakly, "I'm too angry. I'm just a weapon. I'm not good enough."

"I don't believe that!" Gohan proclaimed with utmost certainty.

Mustering up leagues more strength than he had against Vegeta, Trunks, Goku, or even Beerus, Broly cautiously took Gohan's hand.

Gohan's face lit up into a bright smile. After a few moments, Broly fell out of his wrathful state, though still wearing a somber expression. Turning his smile towards his friends, Gohan led his new friend towards the rest of the group.

"We're ready!"

As the six righteous saiyans gathered in a circle, Beerus and Whis watched them expectantly.

"After witnessing these saiyans' abilities firsthand, have you considered who you think should be elevated to the Super Saiyan God, Lord Beerus?" asked the angelic attendant, "perhaps you would prefer Broly? After all, his power outclasses the others' by a considerable margin."

"Nah," Beerus responded, "He may be stronger than everyone else, but only when he's a completely mindless ape. Not much skill, not much fun."

"Ah, so you would prefer Goku then, like the mortals had decided?"

Beerus pondered this for a moment, before shaking his head, to everyone's surprise.

"As a matter of fact, I think I would rather fight a different Super Saiyan God," the god of destruction decided, playfully wiggling his index finger before preparing to point, "and I think that Super Saiyan God is you."

The purple cat pointed his finger towards Trunks.

Nobody was more shocked than the time-traveling teen himself.

"Me?!" Trunks screamed, "but Goku is the obvious choice here!"

"It is true, he is the most capable fighter among you," Beerus conceded, "but you interest me, time-traveler. You're rough around the edges, not a brawler like Broly by any means, but not nearly as skilled as Goku either. And you clearly have something to prove."

Trunks simply stared in confusion and disbelief at the deity's remarks.

"Most importantly, I cannot ignore the audacity of a mortal who seeks to tamper with time. The guilty should take responsibility for their own crimes. Are you going to hide behind Son Goku and let him fight your battles for you? You're fighting for your chance to live, kid. Fail to impress me, you lose your life–simple as that. At least with the ritual you may have a chance."

The words cut through the lavender-haired saiyan harder than anything he could hope to achieve with his sword skills. Sensing the boy's uncertainty in himself, Goku placed a supportive hand on his denim-clad shoulder.

"Hey, you're stronger than you think you know," Goku encouraged before giving a small chuckle, "and besides, I'd rather get stronger through my own training, not a ritual." With the support from Goku and the rest of the Z-fighters, Trunks let out a heavy breath.

"Alright. As you wish, Lord Beerus," Trunks said caustically.

"That's the spirit," the god of destruction responded, baring a fanged grin.

With that, Gohan, Goku, Gine, Broly, and Tarble all joined hands with Trunks and began to channel their ki into him. At first, the massive influx of energy was too much for him to bear; the time traveler had never held this much power in his life. However, Trunks and Goku's super saiyan auras soon joined and enveloped the whole group, and their collective ki began to circle through them all.

The saiyans were completely connected, sharing their energy, their emotions, their souls. Gine's love for her newfound family, Broly's torment over the death of his father, Tarble's hope for the liberation of his home, Gohan's determination to help, Goku's excitement to witness the power of a saiyan god–Trunks could feel it all. Soon, Trunks detached from his allies and rose into the air, surrounded by a blue aura, carrying the weight of the entire saiyan race on his shoulders.

The entire Lookout was engulfed by the blinding blue light surrounding Trunks. As the light subsided, the now godly half-saiyan floated back to the floor. He stood tall, yet slightly leaner than before. The most notable change to his physical appearance however was his hair; while it did not spike up or change shape, it had a flaming red color.

"I.. can't feel his ki anymore!" Gohan commented.

"Just like Beerus and Whis," Goku smiled.

"So that means it worked," Piccolo finished.

"Well Lord Beerus, are you satisfied with the results of the ritual?" Whis asked.

The god of destruction did not respond, electing to silently study the newly christened saiyan god. Whether this power was truly worthy to rival him, remained to be seen.

"So, mortal, how does it feel to taste the power of a god?" Beerus finally asked.

Trunks took a moment to examine himself, to take in the new power which had been granted to him. He started into his hands as he began to flare a red-orange aura outward, then back inward.

"Totally strange, unlike anything I've ever felt before" Trunks began, "but I can tell I'm stronger–much stronger. I could destroy the androids like they were nothing now. I feel like I could take on any opponent."

Beerus stared at him with a hint of amusement, as though he was watching a child learning to walk for the first time. "Well then, shall we test that theory?"

Trunks gave a small nod before moving his hand to his sword, a familiar constant while in this strange new transformation. He unsheathed the blade and expanded his aura, engulfing and bolstering his weapon in a manner not dissimilar to his previous fight against Goku earlier that day. Only now, Trunks had the aura of a god.

"Show me what you're made of," Beerus beckoned, sensing the boy was ready.

Trunks readied himself and his sword in an offensive stance before disappearing from view completely.

The next thing the spectators knew, they were within a barrier generated by Whis' staff as dozens of shockwaves crashed into it all at once. Yet with their eyes, they only saw Trunks interlocking his blade with the cat's outstretched fingernail, with a newly formed purple aura adversarial to Trunks' red. Clearly, the two had swiftly exchanged several blows, imperceptible to all but the angel protecting the lookout and its current occupants.

Trunks and Beerus stared intensely into each other's eyes. Soon, Beerus's serious expression transformed into a toothy grin.

"This is going to be interesting."