Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty
By Feraligreater328
Chapter 59: The Last Bit of Calm
Mt. Paozu, Goku and Chi-Chi's house (3 months until the Android Attack)…
It was a chilly February on Mt. Paozu. The last driving snow of the season was hitting the area hard, not that any of the inhabitants of the mountain minded in the slightest. Chi-Chi sat in her rocking chair, next to a crackling fire. She was nearly six months pregnant and the feeling filled her with a peaceful serenity that she so rarely ever felt. Chi-Chi held her stomach, humming a gentle tune as she rocked the chair back and forth. Behind her, Ox-King gave his daughter a gentle shoulder massage. In a little over 3 months, she would be welcoming this brand-new little surprise into the world. Chi-Chi sighed. "I would love if it was a little girl..."
Launch chuckled. "Be careful. You might jinx yourself."
Chi-Chi glanced over to the doorway and smiled as Launch walked in, her blue hair powdered white with snow. The woman opened the bundled blanket close to her chest and a little tail came out, followed by the chubby face of a darling, half-Saiyan infant with bluish-black hair: Raditz and Launch's daughter, Ranch.
Launch sat in the chair next to Chi-Chi and smiled as she looked out the window, briefly observing the training session going on in the front yard between Goku, Krillin, and Gohan. "They're all working so hard."
Chi-Chi nodded, closing her eyes. "Mhm."
Launch's smile faded. She lifted her shirt and pressed Ranch close to her chest, allowing her child to nurse. "I'm worried, ya know? So is Blonde me. We're both concerned about these scary Androids that are supposed to show up...do you think everything will be okay?"
Chi-Chi sighed. "We can only hope so at this point. Everyone is training to face the attack and Goku has been taking his medicine. The instructions from the Bulma of the Future said to save one dosage, just in case the effects of the virus still hit Goku in some way. So, all we can do is wait and see I guess..."
She glanced over at Launch. "So, where's Raditz anyway? I thought he'd be out there training with everyone else, seeing as the big day is so close."
Launch shrugged. "When I woke up this morning, Ranch had a fresh diaper and Raditz was already gone. I guess he must have woken up pretty early. I thought he'd be training with Goku, but I don't know."
"I do~"
The door to the kitchen opened and Gine came out, a cheery smile on her face. She was carrying a tray with a teapot and three cups on it. Dotingly, Gine poured a cup for Launch and Chi-Chi both and then one for herself. She took a sip and sighed. "Raditz came knocking at our door early this morning. He asked Bardock to come out and be hard on him, to make up for all of the slacking he's done."
Launch's brow furrowed. "He's still on this whole slacking thing? I've tried to tell him so many times that he hasn't been slacking, he's just been being a good father and husband and..."
Gine placed her hand atop Launch's. "Launch. He's a male Saiyan. There's nothing you can do, that's just his natural mindset. It's best to let him work out those sorts of feelings on his own and wait for him to come to you to try to change his mind."
Launch nodded. "R-Right..."
Ranch finished her nursing with a small burp. She glanced up at her grandmother, her eyes shimmering. Gine smiled wide and made a silly face. "Oh Ranch~! Oh, Grandma's big, baby girl~! Oh, Ranchy Ranch~!"
Ranch giggled and reached out, allowing Gine to pick her up and cradle her. Launch and Chi-Chi both smiled and took sips of their tea, preparing for a nice, peaceful day in the warm indoors.
Out in the fields, the Son Family Farm...
The various farmhands of the Son Family Farms all stood there, knee-deep in snow and watched in awe as two of their bosses brawled directly in front of them. Raditz threw a heavy punch which was swiftly dodged and responded to with a kick to his head. Raditz bounced against the ground and skidded to a halt right in front of the workers. He glared up at them and growled. "What are you are looking at?! Get to work! We only have one winter season worth of crops left, so get growing goddammit!"
Bardock landed foot-first on Raditz's back. "Don't yell at our employees just because you're pissed off!"
But then, he shot a sour look to the dozen farmhands in front of him. "But, seriously, you've all been standing around gawking for nearly an hour now. Get to work!"
One of them nodded. "Y-Yessir Mr. Bardock!"
He quickly motioned to the rest of his co-workers that they needed to move out. As they did that, Bardock glared down at his eldest son, who was struggling to even push himself up off the ground. He flipped over and glared at Bardock. Bardock sighed. "Right. Five-minute break."
The older Saiyan sat crossed legged in the snow, picking up a handful and melting it with his ki before drinking it. Raditz groaned. Bardock shook his head. "You've gotten so damned soft."
Raditz sneered at Bardock. It wasn't like he could help it. The past months had been some of the most dynamic of his entire life. Gone were the carefree days of space-pirating, now Raditz had so many other responsibilities: he was the manager of this farm, he was a devoted husband, and now he was a brand-new father. All of the time he had wanted to give to training had slipped through his fingers like sand.
Raditz growled and pushed himself to his feet, in spite of the aches and pains. "Look...don't taunt me. I know I'm soft. That's why I asked you to give me a crash course!"
He gripped his fists tight. "Now, are you going to sit there on your ass all day, or are we going to continue?!"
Bardock shrugged. "Whatever you want, son."
Raditz lunged forward with more killing intent than he had before. He knew that he couldn't actually kill his father, with Bardock being so much stronger than him, but he could at least give his absolute best against his unimpressed father.
And that did seem to work.
For the briefest moment, to his surprise, Bardock was actually put on the heavy defensive. Raditz's strikes were aimed at weak points. He was accurate and surprisingly quicker than Bardock remembered. Bardock tried to punch, but Raditz used his Instant Warp to appear behind Bardock and suplex the older Saiyan into the snow. Raditz leapt into the air and charged a blast. "SHINING FRIDAY!"
Bardock was impacted into the ground. He couldn't move as the attack came at him. He chuckled. "Not bad, Raditz."
But then, the tide was turned right back as a golden light flashed across Bardock and he went Super Saiyan. The sheer heat of the transformation melted snow for meters around and Bardock kicked the blast away with his foot. He leapt up and smirked at Raditz.
Raditz looked utterly disheartened. "Are you kidding me?! Are you KIDDING me?! That damned form! That damned, accursed, unreachable form!"
Raditz screamed and pounded his fists against his forehead. "Dammit! It's not fair! Damn it all! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn! Damn!"
A bead of sweat dripped down the side of Bardock's face as he watched his 36-year-old son rampage midair. "Oh Raditz..."
Bardock sighed and shook his head, mumbling to himself. "Don't be discouraged, son. You can do this. I know you can..."
He gripped his fists and squatted down. "But, if I start pitying you, you'll just end up stagnating. So I hope you can forgive me for this."
Bardock leapt up into the air and smashed the top of his head into Raditz's gut. Raditz sputtered and coughed and Bardock smacked him out of the air, back to the ground. As Raditz laid there in pain, Bardock landed a few feet from him. He shouted at his son. "Raditz! Come on now! You've gotta get your head into the game! The Androids are right around the corner, man!"
Raditz pushed himself up and coughed. Bardock glared down at him. "We worked our asses off for this life on Earth, Raditz! Not just me, not just your mother, not just Kakarot! All of us, including you! We have to work together to protect everything we've made here!"
Bardock crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you have time to be throwing tantrums when some damned robots might come after Launch or Ranch?!"
Raditz's eyes snapped open. Utilizing his Instant Warp, he popped right into Bardock's face. Father and son clashed with visible sparks between them. Bardock chuckled and repelled his son back. "See?! There's that spark! Keep that energy up and come at me, Raditz! There has to be some Super Saiyan power in there somewhere!"
In West City...
Yamcha walked through the busy streets, a chilly wind blowing through the crowds and sending scarves fluttering in the breeze. The former desert bandit was in a terrible mood as he went along, tossing a Capsule up and down in his hand.
Yamcha's Capsule Stove had chosen to give out on him the previous night. Puar had suggested that he take it to the shop he purchased it from for repairs. However, when he did, he was quickly informed that his warranty had expired. And then he was scolded for not paying for the extended warranty when he bought it.
It was all Yamcha could do to control his temper and leave the store in a civil manner as life threw yet another piece of misfortune directly in his face. As Yamcha walked on, he thought back over his entire life and wondered where this landslide of bad luck originated? What came into his life to make everything so awful?
Even his job hadn't been treating him well lately. Yamcha was a star player, for sure. But, the group of rookies that the Taitans had signed weren't doing well on the Big Leagues. Their most recent loss against the Scouts had made the entire team look like idiots and now the prospects of Yamcha even being successfully traded looked bleak. And his paycheck was suffering as a result.
Where did it all go wrong?!
And then, as he walked, Yamcha heard a familiar voice carried through the air. He looked up and saw her on the giant, jumbo screen attached to the massive building in the center of the West City Shopping Plaza. Bulma was sitting in a television studio, surrounding by the hottest, upcoming Capsule Products for the spring season. And nestled snuggly into her cradling arms was a baby with a waving, Saiyan tail.
Bulma chuckled as she and the host talked back and forth. The host had a tacky, constructed smile on her face as she asked about the new products in the studio. "So, what inspired this new line of Capsule products? What spurred the entry into this new market?"
Bulma smiled. 'Well, ya see...ever since I became a Mom, I've noticed the lack of free agency I've suffered from all of the needs of my wonderful son, Trunks. Busy Moms just don't have the time to enjoy certain things anymore. No time to deal with the hassle of putting together complicated appliances or give themselves the 'me time' that they need to maintain a healthy state of mind."
She motioned to the products. "Until today. Because, starting this spring, Capsule Corp is releasing the Capsule: Mother's On The Go collection. A new series of products dedicated to the hardworking mother figure out there that wants to reach out and take back a piece of their lives!"
Bulma kissed Trunks on the forehead and the baby giggled. "Motherhood is a blessing, Charlene. We shouldn't feel like we're being punished for wanting to have a baby~"
Yamcha stared in shock and hurt and disbelief. He had known that Bulma was pregnant for the longest time. But he had yet to actually see the results of that pregnancy. Seeing baby Trunks nestled in her arms made Yamcha's spirit sink to an even lower level than before.
The host maintained her creepy, forced smile. "Oh yes, that new baby of yours! We've all heard the gossip around here. You and your new, mystery husband. Sneaking away from the public eye and having a private marriage ceremony! Quite the feat for a local celebrity like you, keeping such a thing from the public eye."
Bulma chuckled. "Yeah. My husband isn't the most personable person in the world. He wouldn't be caught dead in an interview like this..."
The host cocked her head. "It's so bizarre though. Last I had heard, you were dating a semi-famous baseball player, right?"
Bulma sighed. "I'd prefer not to discuss that on live television. Some things just don't work out. Let's leave it at that, shall we?"
She smiled. "The only thing that matters is that I've ended up with somebody who, despite being rough around the edges, makes me happy. He's a jerk, but I want to spend the rest of my life with him. Ya know what I mean?"
The host nodded. "For sure."
Her head snapped to the camera. "Okay! That's all the time we have today folks! This has been Charlene Meadows! Make sure to tune in tomorrow for another exciting episode of Good Morning West City!"
As the credits started to roll on the screen, Yamcha trembled in place. The warrior's eyes were cast in shadow as he thought hard about his predicament. And, in that thought, he realized when the biggest problems in his life started. They had started and continued on with the same person constantly hanging around. Yamcha growled to himself as he continued to walk, his fists trembling. "Vegeta..."
On the icy peaks of Yunzabit Heights...
Piccolo floated atop the frigid peak of Yunzabit Heights, his mind clear and his focus pointed inward. His training with Goku's family had helped the Namekian gain a stronger body, but such a thing would only take him so far. Piccolo wanted to be the strongest out of everyone on this planet. And, to do that, he had to get his mind and spirit under the tightest of control.
Breaking his Lotus Position, Piccolo held out his left hand and summoned the demonic power of King Piccolo. He held out his right hand and summoned the righteous power of Grand Elder Guru, as shared with him by Nail. Piccolo's body trembled as his spirit surged, churning the two sources of power together and forcing them to mix with his own. He was still missing something to make the utilization of the power complete, an element of focus.
In the back of his mind, Piccolo knew what he was missing, but he refused to acknowledge it. He would just have to make do with what he had.
Piccolo's power swelled as he forced the other two powers inward. He took a deep breath, holding out his hands in front of him. And then, his eyes snapped open and he screamed at the top of his lungs. Three beams of unique energy shot from his palms and twisted into one singular blast, flying towards a far-off mountain and crashing into it.
Piccolo let his arms drop to his sides and viewed the results of his new attack with a smile on his face. A massive, gaping hole had been drilled straight through the mountain, from one face to the opposite face on the other side. Piccolo chuckled. "Excellent..."
He gripped his fists. "Like the Special Beam Cannon, but utilizing the energy of both demon and man...what should I call it...?"
Piccolo took a deep breath and, with a snarl, summoned several clones of himself to spar against. He chuckled as they all came at him. "Perhaps I'll think of a name as I vanquish you fools!"
Piccolo took great pleasure in dismantling his clones. The recent advancements that he had made filled him with competitive vigor. He would be ready to face these so-called "Killer Androids". And once they were gone he would be equally as ready to face down Goku and Vegeta and any other challenges that stood in his way.
Piccolo had a solid goal in mind. And it wouldn't be long before he attained that goal and became the most powerful warrior in the Universe!
At Tien and Chiaotzu's private temple...
Chiaotzu propped his face onto his hand, watching on with subtle worry as Tien continued to train on the edge of the ground, overlooking a misty chasm. Tien threw punch after punch and kick after kick, each hit moving at the maximum speed that the human was capable of reaching. Sonic booms echoed out across the chasm and dispelled the frigid mist as they cut through it.
Each strike that Tien threw put an incredible strain on his body. A result of trying to maintain the maximum level of Kaioken he had reached thus far. Each strike was imbued with the power of the Kaioken Times 30. And once that was master, Tien would take it to the next level beyond. The sweat that poured down Tien's face stung like needles, but he shrugged off the pain and continued along.
Chiaotzu continued to watch, waiting for the breaking point to come. He knew it was going to happen and he had to be ready to go and save Tien once it did. Chiaotzu was unhappy. He had begged Tien to calm down, to take it easy. He didn't want to watch his friend cripple himself for the sake of getting stronger. But Tien was unwilling to listen. Falling behind the others would be the same as death to him. He couldn't allow himself to fall behind in this race. He wanted more power. He wanted to continue to be relevant in the conversation of who the strongest was!
Even if it killed him one day, Tien just wanted to be able to call himself the strongest. Just once!
And, with that lofty goal in his mind, Tien's power rose. Subconsciously, he had allowed himself to creep up to Kaioken Times 35! Tien's muscles all screamed; it was too much! He threw one last punch with enough force to cause the ground beneath him to crumble, and then his entire body gave out. Tien went falling with the rubble, towards the chasm below, and was only saved by the last second intervention of Chiaotzu. Chiaotzu shouted. "Now can we stop for the day?!"
Chiaotzu waited for a response and got none. For the moment, Tien was totally unconscious. Chiaotzu groaned. "Fine. Sleep. At least you aren't hurting yourself in your sleep..."
The little warrior flew himself and Tien back to their temple. He quickly took Tien to his room and laid the crippled martial artist in his bed. "Now please, stay put. Let me just have time to make us dinner and then take it easy for a couple of days."
With that said, Chiaotzu floated out of the room and towards the kitchen. However, it did not take long for Tien to stir awake once his friend was gone. The three-eyed warrior groaned in agony, laying on his cot. Every inch of his being was on fire.
Tien shakily stood, nearly buckling under his own weight. He took a few, uneasy steps forward before gaining a stable enough stride, and then he started practicing his strikes on a nearby wooden training dummy.
Not too far away, in the kitchen, Chiaotzu heard the telltale thwacks of training and sighed. "He's never going to stop..."
The little warrior gripped his fist. "I... have to do something...maybe Master Korin might have some spare Senzu Beans to lend us..."
Later that night, at Capsule Corp...
The door to the gravity chamber popped open and Vegeta came out, a good sweat pouring down his brow. He reached onto the nearby shelf and pulled down a towel to wipe his face. With his evening workout out of the way, Vegeta had the rest of his evening set: eat dinner, spend some time with the baby, fool around with the woman, and then show back up for late night training. And then maybe get a bit of sleep if he felt like it.
Vegeta wiped the sweat from behind his ears, grimacing at the food presented to him yesterday. "Those chefs she hired had better make something I want this evening or I'll destroy them..."
The Prince tossed his towel aside and gripped his fist. "Androids? Pah! Little more than piles of junk needing to be taught their place. The me of that future timeline is an embarrassment to have died so easily."
The doors to the Capsule Corp main building slid open and Vegeta stepped out into the chilly, evening air. The cold wind felt bracing against his bare chest. Vegeta chuckled. "I would love to see anything be stupid enough to step up to me with the power I've achieved!"
But then, a rustle in the bushes immediately set Vegeta onto the defensive. He glared at them, seeing someone standing in the shadows next to his and Bulma's house. "You! Step into the light or be destroyed."
The figure began to step forward, eventually stepping out into the light cast from within the house and revealing himself to be Yamcha. Vegeta instantly dropped his guard and chuckled. "Oh! It's just one of Kakarot's worthless, weakling friends..."
Another chuckle, followed by a mocking, unserious tone. "Why are you in my yard?"
Yamcha gripped his fists, but didn't answer. Vegeta's smile faded. "Perhaps you didn't hear me. Why are you in my yard?"
The former desert bandit was furious. His fists were shaking. And then, without thinking first, he shouted at Vegeta. "FIGHT ME! WITH YOUR FULL POWER! COME ON!"
Yamcha struck a fighting stance. Instantly, the mocking smile returned to Vegeta's face and he laughed out loud. "Fight you?! With my full power?!"
Vegeta doubled over, holding his gut and laughing as loud as he could. "Oh, you delusional, weak, pathetic idiot. Is that why you're skulking around me house?"
More laughter. "If you want to be sent to a hospital that badly, just go jump in front of a truck. That would save us both time and effort."
Yamcha was livid. With a howling scream, he lunged at Vegeta. "Just shut your arrogant mouth for five seconds and fight!"
Vegeta couldn't make himself take this seriously. His smirk didn't budge as he deflected blow-after-blow from Yamcha. Vegeta leapt to dodge a kick and, with a small amount of his energy, he shoved Yamcha across the yard. The Prince landed and chuckled. "Is this it? This is what you're bringing to fight me at my best? Pathetic."
Each barbed word made Yamcha flinch in pain. His heart was aching like crazy. He lamented to himself as he fought, trying his best to hold back the tears that wanted to come forth. This guy. This guy who brought his killer to the Earth. This guy who initiated the landslide of awful luck that had befallen him. This guy who stole Bulma's heart! Yamcha wanted to beat this guy, this pompous bastard, into the ground as hard as he could!
Yamcha snarled. "You'll regret not taking me seriously! Kaioken Times 10!"
The warrior's power shot up and Vegeta chuckled. "What are you-"
However, it was Yamcha's speed that managed to catch the Prince off-guard. Quick as a flash, Yamcha managed to circle around Vegeta and aim his attack. "RAGING NEO WOLF FANG FIST!"
And then, with a mighty swing, Yamcha actually managed to hit Vegeta. He buried his fist into the Prince's cheek and took Vegeta off of his feet, sending the Prince crashing into the bushes. Yamcha leapt up into the air and cheered. "Haha! Take that you arrogant prick!"
"What's going on out here?!"
Yamcha shivered as he heard a familiar voice. Nervously, he glanced upward and saw what he had feared: Bulma was standing on the outside balcony of her house, Trunks cradled in her arms. And she looked rather angry as she glared down. "Yamcha?! What the hell are you doing causing a scene and shouting in my yard so late in the evening?!"
Yamcha was dumbstruck. He didn't know what to say. He knew that if he admitted the real reason he was here, Bulma would be really mad at him. Wordlessly, Yamcha stammered as he tried to form an explanation. But then, another familiar voice spoke up. "Stupid human bastard!"
Yamcha turned and glared at Vegeta. The Prince wiped a trickle of blood from his busted lip and sneered. "That was a cheap shot, fool! But don't think you'll get one again! A worthless piece of trash like you shouldn't step onto any land I call my home unless your capable of doing more damage than that! Stupid trash!"
As Vegeta continued his tirade, Bulma sighed and squeezed her brow. "I think I see what's going on here. Let me guess, you tried to stop by and Vegeta started an argument on sight, right?"
Yamcha flinched. Did...he just get an out from all of this?
Vegeta spoke up again. "He said he came here to ask about some sort of Capsule contraption. But I don't allow the weak to step through my doorway!"
That caught Yamcha off-guard. He turned and stared at Vegeta. Did the Prince just...cover for him? Bulma groaned. "Vegeta. I own this house. You don't own a damn thing here. I decide who's allowed in or not."
She turned to Yamcha. "What did you want to talk about?"
Yamcha remembered the busted stove in his pocket and quickly stammered. "I... uh...my Capsule stove broke and they said I didn't have a warranty anymore. So, I... uh..."
Bulma nodded. "Okay. That should be an easy fix. Just...come on in and join us for dinner, I guess. I'll fix your stove after we've eaten."
Her attention snapped back to her husband. "And you, Vegeta. Get your ass in here and be a parent! Trunks's diaper is dirty and I'm trying to set the table!"
Vegeta snorted. "Kiss my ass, woman. I'll be in when I feel like it."
Bulma sneered and rolled her eyes, turning and walking back into the house. "You can kiss my ass, short-stuff..."
And so, Yamcha and Vegeta were left alone once more. The two of them stared at one another, awkwardly silent, for a few moments. Finally, Yamcha spoke up. "Th-Thank you...?"
Vegeta shrugged. "What can I say? You caught me off-guard. For a fool like you to strike me, it shows that I have to train even harder on my reflexes. So, I chose to pay you back in a way for giving me such an insight."
He glared. "But don't expect me to cover your ass again. And never just show up here like that again. I know you and Bulma used to have a thing, but she's my wife now. So, know your place and respect our boundaries..."
Yamcha furrowed his brow. "Now listen here-"
In a flash of gold, Vegeta went Super Saiyan. He closed the distance between himself and Yamcha in the blink of an eye and slammed his fist as hard as he could into Yamcha's gut. The warrior doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach. "That was my full power. You survived being hit by it, so good on you. But just remember how that feels for future reference."
Yamcha fell to his knees, quivering in pain. Vegeta snorted and released his Super Saiyan form. "Now, I have to go change my son's shitty diaper. Try to collect yourself and make it in for dinner on time."
Vegeta marched into his house without a care, leaving Yamcha to kneel on the ground and regret every choice he had made that day. Another loss on the card for the former desert bandit.
In the forest near Goku and Chi-Chi's house...
Late into the evening, the snowfall had stopped on Mt. Paozu, leaving the ground covered in nearly a foot of the white stuff. The air was chilly, the perfect weather for some intense training between friends. Goku was fielding attacks from both his best friend and his son, dodging strikes as fast as Gohan and Krillin could throw them. He could tell that they were both coming at him with everything they had, but his reflexes were well-enough sharpened to handle their onslaught.
Goku stroked his chin as he dodged a kick. Krillin had managed to get quite a bit stronger over the past months of training. His moves were stronger and sharper than they had ever been before. A sense of urgency came with every strike. This made Goku proud, although he had to admit that Krillin's improvements were not really his priority at the moment.
Goku closely observed his son, watching the invisible aura that surrounded Gohan and watching it flair up with each strike. Every now and again, Goku saw the faintest hints of a golden aura raging around his son and that made him very happy. At some point in the past, Gohan had managed to go Super Saiyan, if only briefly. And now, it was Goku's mission in life to try and draw that out!
The Saiyan from Earth leapt back and was set upon by two attacks. From the left, Krillin shot a Kamehameha. From the right, Gohan fired a Masenko. Both attacks raged towards Goku, but he smacked them both away. "Come on guys! You gotta try harder than that! Experiment a little!"
Krillin sighed. "I'm not exactly sure how this one will work yet, but..."
The monk charged an electric pulse into his hands and fired out another beam. "Electric Kamehameha!"
Gohan took a deep breath and fired another attack. "Fierce Masenko!"
Both beams came shooting towards Goku and he smirked. "Now that's what I'm talking about!"
Goku powered up, golden energy flashing around him and erupting as he became Super Saiyan. He charged two ki blasts in his hands and fired them, meeting Krillin and Gohan's attacks and causing a massive explosion. He smiled down at Krillin and Gohan, chuckling at the both of them as they fell to the ground. They were both exhausted.
Goku called down to them. "Okay! I think we're done for the evening. Chi-Chi probably has dinner ready by now anyhow~"
"Good, I'm starving."
Goku turned to see Bardock and Raditz flying up behind him. Bardock looked sort of banged up. Raditz looked utterly haggard. Goku smiled. "Have some good training today?"
Raditz groaned, everything aching and bruised. "Something like that. I imagine it'll be even worse tomorrow..."
Bardock smirked. "Wouldn't be training if it didn't get harder, son. But, let's not worry about that for now. It's dinner time and I bet your kid misses you."
Raditz warmly smiled, his shoulders slumping. "Ranch~"
The three of them landed and Goku bent over to help Krillin and Gohan to their feet. Once they were up, all five of the tired warriors settled into Goku's house for the evening to enjoy a nice family meal together. As they stepped into the house, Goku took a moment to observe his eldest child one last time. He smiled with pride and thought to himself. "You're going to be so great one day Gohan. I know it. I just have to find a way to draw that power out..."
Chi-Chi had prepared a nice, big meal for her entire family to enjoy and the all graciously thanked her before starting to eat. The time was drawing short for such niceties. It would not be much longer before the newest threat arrived on the Z-Fighter's doorstep. So, they settled together to enjoy as many more peaceful moments as they could muster.
Somewhere, in a secluded laboratory...
With an electric fizzle, the HUD of the newest Android came online. He could hear gears grinding and servos flexing as he tested his new movements. His eyes scanned around the room and observed his surroundings.
Yes, all seemed to be in order with this transition.
He stood and began to perform functionality checks on all vital areas. He made sure that his extremities were able to glide smoothly and that he was able to maintain both standing and advanced ranges of motion. Each one of these tests ended with success as well.
Finally, he turned to his counterpart standing off to the side: a rotund, pale being with a high-pitched, electronic voice. "Status report on current undertakings."
The fat one nodded. "Project S-Hunters is still three months from completion, just enough time to make any final adjustments to your intermediate frame, Android 20."
The new Android nodded. "Indeed. Status of other endeavors?"
The fat one continued. "Project Lapis Lazuli is still in an unstable state and will require further adjustments before it could be considered safe to allow them out into the field. And Project Memoriam is-"
"Enough."
The new Android stepped forward, seeing his reflection in the mirror. What stared back was a twisted, skeletal form with glowing red eyes and an organic canister, containing a disembodied brain, sticking out from the top. He rubbed his new face. "Perhaps some adjustments are in order."
He glanced across the room, seeing a corpse on a gurney, covered by a white sheet. "Yes. Indeed. A more proper aesthetic is required for the purposes of vengeance."
17 years into the future...
The day had finally arrived. After two years of waiting in their timeline in order to ensure that they could return to the proper timeline and assist, the youths from the future were ready to go. Future Trunks took a deep breath and sighed. In spite of his hopes that giving Goku the medicine would cause their future to change, it would appear as if multiverse theory was the prevailing concept.
He stood there, the gravity of their situation weighing on him as it always did, only to be approach from behind by a friend. A pair of arms wrapped around Trunks from behind. He nearly jumped out of his skin. But then, he turned and saw her. His longtime allies, his girlfriend, the love of his life, and the daughter of Raditz: Ranch.
Ranch smiled and, without provocation, pressed her lips against Trunks's. The kiss lasted for only a brief moment, and then she pulled back. "Just relax, okay? We're going to make a difference. We'll be fine. And once we help them solve things in the past, we'll come here and fix our present."
"That's the plan, hopefully."
Future Trunks and Future Ranch both turned to see Future Bulma marching towards them. She looked tired, the bags under her eyes getting deeper and deeper by the day. Bulma stepped forward and grabbed her son and his girlfriend each by the shoulder, pulling them in close for a loving hug. "Just stay safe above all else, okay? I couldn't stand to lose any of the three of you."
Both of them nodded and eagerly hugged them back. Ranch chuckled. "Speaking of the three of us...where is he? How could he run late on a day like this?!"
Trunks held up his hands, trying to calm his fireball of a girlfriend. "Now now. I'm sure he's just-"
"I'm right here! Sorry to keep you waiting!"
Ranch glared at him as he ran up, crossing her arms over her chest. "Come on man. You chose now of all days to run behind?"
He sighed. "S-Sorry. I was going and paying respects to all of our fallen loved ones, one last time. It takes a minute to say that many blessings."
Trunks's shrugged, pressing the button to open the Time Capsule canopy. He gave his partner-in-crime a pat on the back. "It's fine. We're fine. We...we've got this..."
Both of Trunks's allies gave him a meaningful nod. The all gave Bulma one last solemn, but hopeful look. And then they climbed into their Time Capsule and began their trip 17 years into the past.
Once the Time Capsule was gone, Bulma sighed. She walked into the crumbling remains of the Capsule Corp building, into the atrium that her father used to love so much, and marched right up to the line of marked graves within. Bulma glanced down at the other visitor to this solemn place, Launch, and sighed. "So, he came and gave them each a blessing before he left, huh?"
Launch nodded, her graying blue hair bobbing as she did. Bulma reached into her lab coat, producing a pack of cigarettes, and lit one up. She took a deep drag and blew out the smoke, accidentally letting some of it trail over to Launch.
The mousy woman's allergies kicked in, instantly making her sneeze. But rather than change her hair color, Launch merely wiped her nose and went back to staring at the gravestone marked "Raditz". Bulma was quick to apologize. "S-Sorry..."
Launch didn't say a word. Bulma took a deep breath and then reached over, pulling her best friend into a close, tight hug. Launch laid her head onto Bulma's shoulder and began to silently weep, her body shaking like a leaf.
Bulma's tired gaze went from stone-to-stone, name-to-name. Finally, it fell on one of the more recent additions to the plot. Bulma pressed her hand onto the grass in front of the grave marked Gohan. "Let us just hope that the solution to this madness comes back with them..."
Proofreading: StevenBodner
