Disclaimer, in case it wasn't obvious. I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or really any other property. Thank you.
The Long Road
Chapter 54: Influence
Videl:
Noise blared through the room, sending a vile repeated screech into everything. It was overwhelming. Each blare of the alarm sent angry tremors through her ears until finally she reached over the bed, slamming her hand down on the alarm. There was a familiar crunch as the clock was shattered. Wincing, she managed to pull herself closer to the edge of the bed, before trying to move. Everything was still stiff, even though she'd been out of any casts for almost two weeks. Despite it all, she felt her eyes slowly, painfully open. The first thing that came into view was the utterly smashed alarm.
This was why she never used her phone as an alarm, because it was cheaper to replace a clock, than a phone.
Groaning, she managed to pitifully pull herself from the bed, before almost stumbling forward. Immediately she almost lost her balance as her head already started swimming. It almost felt like she was falling, but everything came to a break for her as her hands rested on the dresser next to the door. Breathing in heavily, she tried to get everything to stop spinning by just holding on as best she could. Closing her eyes roughly several times, Videl started to to breathe evenly and the world finally seemed to stop its spin.
I... I need to keep everything together.
Suddenly, nausea kicked in as she felt her entire stomach wrench. Unable to hold back, she felt herself hunch forward, spilling a mixture of shamefully consumed pain pills, bile, and remnants of her dinner onto the top of the fine wood. The stench was enough to make her stomach flip again, and more followed in rapid succession, before she finally coughed the last of it up. Groaning, she took several weak steps towards the bathroom, before nearly collapsing next to the toilet.
Everything was a mess. Even when she woke up in the hospital, what? Two months ago? Broken and laying in another bed in the same hospital she was just in, she was left without anything. The thing she realized she cared about most in the world, her daughter, was ripped away from her. A green monster came out of nowhere and just stole her. It wasn't fair that after everything she'd been through, after all the hard lessons she'd learned, and after having her daughter stolen from her, someone could just appear and take everything from her. It showed her just how powerless she was.
First, the tiny demon and his monsters ripped Pan from her, destroyed her home, crucified and mutilated her. Then, not minutes after she somehow got better, after her daughter came home, after Gohan was... removed as any kind of buffer, she was back where she started. But this time she knew there wasn't anyone coming to just fix it. Not that she wanted Gohan to fix it. But, because she couldn't, she needed him to.
And he's dead.
Right now the last thing she wanted to do was think about Gohan of all people. That was a complicated place, but bitter all the same. Even now, she could say she wished she never met him. More pain came from that thing, man, alien, Saiyan, monster, whatever you could call him, than anything else she could have imagined. Right now she didn't need to revisit that at all.
Idly, she felt her arm resting on the toilet seat. There was a big mess to clean up, and this wasn't even her house. Ma junior's attack had permanently damaged her left elbow and shoulder, which could easily become inflamed. It meant that her training regiment had collapsed, and the only way to get past it at all was through trying to get pain meds down. The ache never fully went away, but being higher than a kite always helped her before going to bed.
When footsteps came up the stairs, she closed her eyes, letting her head fall back lazily, wishing she had the willpower to get up. If anything she at least wanted to look presentable, and not like a complete washout. As soon as Erasa got upstairs, she looked into the guestroom and just winced, seeing the vomit obviously, before turning back towards her.
"Shit, are you alright?" she asked, slowly approaching her, moving her hands up.
Videl could only give the look in response that said the full story. Of course she wasn't alright.
With an exasperated sigh, her friend took her arm, beginning to help her up.
"That's not what I meant," she sighed. "I mean you've been throwing up-"
There was already an obvious answer as to why. It was just another thing on her plate. And to be honest something she wasn't willing to deal with a second time. Pan had been hard for her to deal with, and she was a lot younger and dumber at the time. What the Hell was she going to do this time? What could she do in anything right now? The injuries she sustained halted her training almost indefinitely. Pan was missing, and in the hands of an infinitely powerful monster, who she'd had no chance of finding. Even with her father pitching in millions to help find her daughter, she'd just vanished off the face of the Earth.
Swallowing hard, Videl just shook her head.
"I don't want to talk about it," she responded. "... I just want Pan to be back."
The look on Erasa's face of course, said it all. Videl knew just as well as Erasa that she was never going to find Pan. Of course, her friend thought it was just some abduction that happened months ago, where as Videl knew more in depth why it wouldn't happen. A demon snatched her daughter to turn her into some kind of weapon. Videl had seen first hand what a creature like Gohan was capable of, without even revealing his true efforts. That was what the green monster wanted for Pan.
And it was what Videl had wanted, for herself. But the idea of losing Pan, and then having her changed over time was terrifying. How much time was she going to miss? How much time had she already missed? She'd been a terrible mother, she already knew that. Now she wasn't a mother at all. It'd just been stripped from her and she'd been utterly helpless. Now here she was, living with old friends, in pain, and finding herself exactly where she was before. It was all playing out the same way again, and this time...
This time it was going to be different. She didn't want to be a mom. She didn't want anything other than finding Pan, but even then, what could she do against that green freak? An army couldn't stop him, let alone her. It was all fucked. No, this time was going to be different, because she needed to break with the past. Whatever her past had been, she needed to bury it. If she couldn't find Pan, and she couldn't save her, then what could she do? With Gohan dead... it meant what? What did it mean to her? It meant she needed to tackle her own problems without his shadow looming over her.
And right now, she had another problem.
"We're worried too," Erasa said quickly, still holding her shoulder with support. "But when things get sorted out-"
"They're not going to get sorted out," Videl deadpanned, before just stepping back, resting her butt against the bathroom's cabinets, before resting her hands on the edge of it. "You don't understand what happened. No one but me, and the doctors who were there, saw what happened. I lived through it. I know exactly what the thing that took Pan was... I know... I know that she's gone."
It was almost like she was regurgitating fire as she spoke. Her lungs almost seemed to seize up with each word.
"And I'm not going to do this again. I'm done. I don't know what I'll do, but being a mother isn't one of them."
There was a few brief, tense seconds as Erasa seemed to want to say something, anything. There were tears in her eyes upon hearing what happened to Pan, and Videl knew why. How many months had Sharpener and her taken care of her daughter? They'd almost raised her as their own.
"You don't know-"
"I do," Videl cut off. "She's gone. I'm not doing this again."
"... But you don't know about Pan. And if Pan is gone, don't you-?"
"I do know about Pan. And I don't want this."
It seemed insensitive, especially given that Erasa had let her stay at her home, but this discussion was something she didn't want to have. It wasn't Erasa's business when it came to if she was going to carry the child to term or not. Firstly, it was Gohan's child. Not only was he dead, but on top of that she didn't like or love him. She appreciated what he tried to do for Pan, but how much more toxic could anything resembling a relationship be between the two of them? Even if he were alive, she wouldn't want this. If he were alive, she'd never want to see him, not only because of painful memories, but also because he was an asshole.
His death meant two things. Pan couldn't be saved... and that she didn't need to see him. It was ironic, that getting what she wanted, lead to the collapse of the thing she cared about most. It was something which never stopped grinding behind her eyes. Fuck, it made her want to have a drink, as at least she could black out if she drank enough and forget for a while.
But the dismal face which Erasa was giving her, told her she'd been too blunt. If only because she always spoke without thinking. Maybe for Erasa, she was living through her, as strangely as that sounded. It was a grim irony, that Videl understood the second she thought of it, that she could have children, and didn't want them, let alone with who had given them to her, but Erasa couldn't have that anymore. It wasn't because she had a problem, it was because of Sharpener.
Everyone remembered when Satan City was assaulted by the Saiyan. The towering mass of muscle had destroyed block after block, before being stopped by Gohan in a massive confrontation that destroyed much of the rest of the city. Hundreds of thousands died, but somehow came back within hours. The city itself seeming knit itself back together out of thin air. But the people who died, despite having mental health issues after they came back, got it easy. For those who survived, but were maimed? Their bodies didn't knit themselves back together. They were left crippled and broken, and the hospitals were filled with the injured, both with life threatening injuries and not.
Sharpener, had seen the monster first hand. The friend she'd had for most of her life was caught in a blast while he battled Gohan. It'd taken off his left leg below the knee, sterilized him, and paralysed him from the waist down. It'd destroyed the entire dream and plan Erasa and Sharpener had made for starting a family of their own. Immediately, Videl wanted to just wish she'd refused to talk about this at all.
"Wanna give me a hand, cleaning that up?" Erasa asked, sounding more sad than anything.
Reaching beneath the sink a few moments later, Videl pulled out a roll of paper towel, preparing herself for the rather revolting affair of cleaning up her own vomit. It was ironic that Erasa was probably envious of the fact that she was the one stuck with this morning sickness, and she wasn't.
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Piccolo:
The sky broke with a thundering boom, as if crying out that lightning had struck the Earth below.
He'd never felt more powerful, he'd never trained harder, than he had over the last two months. It was obvious that the monsters coming were going to be an intense challenge. Everything described so far gave the image of a twisted parody of the world they knew. These monsters were the ultimate Saiyans, not by virtue of who they were, but by virtue of what they embodied. When Piccolo had first met Raditz, he found out about the piracy the Saiyans participated in. The pillaging and destruction of whole worlds for their own benefit, and to the detriment of all others.
Now? These three Saiyans had just taken it to the next extreme, and reality itself was in a state of complete chaos.
The problem wasn't that he'd never felt more powerful, the problem was that he'd never felt more helpless.
Despite every bit of power he'd gained in battle since Cell, from his training, from stealing power from Babidi, to merging with Nail and then reuniting with Kami, it was all empty compared to what he was looking at now. Estimating his own strength was always something which felt presumptuous, every fighter was different and had different limits. It was hard to 'guess' where he stood, but if you measured ki, the answer was obvious. The place he held was now near the back of the line. Before Gohan arrived, he, Goku, and Vegeta were all near evenly matched.
This was what had driven him to accept power from Babidi in the first place. He hated the fact he was becoming irrelevant. It wasn't just that he wasn't among the strongest, it was that he was declining in his ability to defend the Earth itself... an Earth and a universe coming under increasing siege. Even after Gohan was wished back, which was as far as Piccolo was concerned was a foregone conclusion, where did that leave them? It was a numbers game. Even with Gohan, Vegeta, and Goku all working together, how would they stop threats greater than Broly? Because as far as Piccolo was concerned, the threat described him to so far by this alternate Trunks, was of something far far worse. These things could show up at any moment, or they may show up in years.
The worst part, was how unpredictable it all was.
But inside all of these thoughts, his eyes traced to where the thunder had struck.
Laying on the ground a dozen metres away, Piccolo's eyes traced to where Trunks lay on his back. The exchange had taken dozens of seconds and hundreds of strikes moving faster than any human's eyes could see, but Goku came out on top of it all. The other problem with all this, was despite this Trunks being an impressive warrior... he was inferior to Goku and Vegeta in their current forms. Another strike against them was apparently Goku needed to find a way to achieve a form which Trunks hadn't mastered, but that they'd never seen before.
"Super Saiyan Three"
It was a frightening idea.
"Did you see how Goku let Trunks' own momentum work against him?" Piccolo asked, turning his head to the side to the boy who would as far as he was concerned, soon be well beyond any of them. "Make sure that you're always aware of how balanced your opponent is, and if they've overstretched themselves, and make sure you keep your own position in balance."
Even now, standing there next to Goten, he needed to pass on the message of what needed to be taught. Every second of this engagement was a moment for his young mind to still be shaped with the right motions of battle. Even in the coming battle, Goten may be a vital asset. Another Super Saiyan "two", even if not as impressive as the others, could be the difference between them surviving or dying when these monsters finally appeared.
And in so many ways, Goten had benefited from being his father's son. Goku's constant training always around him and with him had created a sharp mind, perhaps just as sharp as his father's, when regarding fighting techniques and a fundamental understanding of ki. Of course, Goten also benefited from his own frequent training exercises with the boy. Fortune smiled on all of them that he'd found his next transformation within himself so young. Goku had been in his thirties when he became the same form, and Goten was barely a teenager.
Even as the two figures blurred out of existence again, and the thunder resumed all around them, there was one other thing left trending behind Piccolo's eyes.
I'm going to need to check on Pan again soon. She's almost ready to start real training.
That was going to be an entirely more complicated thing than he'd wanted. Within a few months, it would become obvious that he was training a new protege. The fact that she was obviously a Saiyan didn't help, and the fact she was Gohan's daughter would help even less. Once Goku found out, it was very likely the girl would be taken on as a ward of Goku, which may stunt he training. What it really meant, of course, was that he needed to get the most fundamental points in place before he handed her off.
What did it mean to be a warrior? What did it mean to be responsible for others? The creation of a warrior started young, and it was going to be important to install every virtue possible into her. Warriors like Vegeta or Gohan were flawed, because their first natures were not to protect the world itself. Vegeta's ego created much of his willingness to fight. How many times had he put the Earth at risk for his own selfish gain? Gohan was almost as bad, when he let Turles nearly kill all of them, his hook was his emotional bonds to a very small number of people. Even that was built in a way out of his own selfishness.
Pan, like Goten, had the potential to be something more than what they already had. If anything, she had the potential to be more than who her father was. Even though Gohan was his friend, Piccolo saw little reason in seeing him for what he wasn't. More than anything, at least he knew that by training Pan, and making sure she could take care of herself, he would be able to deal with Gohan naturally once he came back. If anything, once Gohan came back to life, the real training was going to be able to really be worked on.
"Hey, Piccolo?" Goten asked, cutting into his thoughts as they watched Trunks deliver a hard strike to Goku's chest.
"Yes, Goten?"
"When do you think Vegeta will really let Trunks come down to train with us too? It's insane that all they're doing is hanging out in that capsule ship..."
Once Trunks finally achieves the transformation you have.
Vegeta's pride would neverallow him to see Trunks as Goten's inferior. No, Trunks was going to find new opportunities to train, only once he'd satisfied Vegeta.
"Just pay attention to that Trunks right now. You'll be sparring me in a minute, and I expect to see an improvement from yesterday."
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Vegeta:
A level beyond where he was. That was what mattered more than anything right now. The idea that being an Ascended Super Saiyan wasn't the pinnacle of Saiyan power was infuriating to Vegeta. How long had he sweat and shed blood to find this form? How many times had he been near death? The very day he saw Bojack defeated by Kakarot, was the day he knew he'd seen the potential of his race finally fully demonstrated. A creature like Cell would have been crushed by it independently as well. It was the ultimate stage.
Even when he confronted Turles, it wasn't that Turles was some new form. Turles was simply an Ascended Saiyan with a higher power level than himself or Kakarot. Gohan then surpassed Turles. Then there was Broly, another Ascended Saiyan. None of them had passed that realm of strength, and now this alternate future Trunks arrived, telling them that they were all disappointing weaklings!
With a sneer, Vegeta lashed out inside the training room they were surrounded by. As soon as his knuckles landed on Trunks' cheek, the boy cried out in pain, flying back and bouncing off the side of the space ship's interior walls.
"Dad! What the heck? You're supposed to be going easy on-"
"Until you've managed to become half of what that boy Goten has achieved, there will be no going easy on you."
It'd been Goten, interestingly, that had really saved his family from Garlic's minions and there cheaply bought power. If Trunks couldn't keep up, then he'd be condemned to the same fate which he was. Constantly striving to achieve something Kakarot or his boy Gohan had already gained. Worse, Trunks could become lazy, as he constantly envisioned him thanks to his mother's enabling him to slack off.
"I'm trying," his son responded, starting to pull himself up from the floor.
That was how these humans always whined. They were 'trying'. Back on Planet Vegeta, back before Frieza had destroyed their entire world and most of their race, there was no 'trying'. How many Saiyans died in training? An immense number, but it weeded out the weak. They didn't "try" on his home world, they either achieved, or died. Even low level soldiers knew this was the truth, and if the monsters coming from this other world were coming, they would have the same approach to life. If his son just simply 'tried' to stop them, then he was going to be as cold a corpse as Gohan.
Walking over briskly to the teenager as he tried to pull himself up, his golden aura having already faded, Vegeta grabbed him by the back of his neck, hoisting him into the air before shoving him back against the wall.
"Do you want to give up then, boy?" he asked bluntly. "Run and hide behind your mother if you just want to try."
Despite Trunks being his son, his attitude constantly irritated him. Trunks always wanted to prove himself to him, and on more than one occasion he had, but other times he dared to simply call in a performance, like he was now. A casual disinterest could come about at almost any time, unless he felt immediately threatened.
"Dad, I don't know what you want. I don't know how to ascend. What do you want from me?"
I want you to ascend.
"I told you before, I want you to not settle for a miserable second place position. You're descended from Saiyan royalty, and you're letting yourself be overshadowed by a boy one year your inferior, and descended from a third class warrior. As if it wasn't bad enough that the other boy found the transformation first, you've done nothing to rectify it. I had to force you to train."
Suddenly, there was a look of real resentment on Trunks face.
Good. Use that anger to accomplish something.
"Like you're one to talk. You're always on about that. 'You're royalty', 'You're better than a third class.', well you know what dad? Maybe I'm not. Maybe Goten is my best friend, and he saved mom, Bulla and me when you weren't around. Who cares what bloodline he has? Look where it got 'your' race, caring about stuff like that."
The words cut as deeply as they were meant to. Realizing it, Vegeta breathed in regularly, trying to control how angry his weak son was making him.
"And you're one to tell me to get stronger than somebody. How many years have you spent trying to be better than, Goku? You're not even better than Goh-!"
Everything blacked out for a moment for Vegeta. Before it all cleared, he felt something deeper than an anger he'd felt in a long time. When his own son decried that he was inferior to his chief rival... it was almost unbearable. It wasn't about friendship, it was about pride. The destiny of he, Prince Vegeta, and his blood, was to become the strongest Saiyan in the history of the universe. It wasn't to be settling for second place behind people who were born in a lower status. He would not have his legacy surpassed by Kakarot's, Turles's, or Broly's.
It was only when a subtle breeze pushed past him, that he realized where he was standing. There shouldn't have been a breeze inside the ship. Blinking, the world opened back up for him. Half the ship was gone. Open air was there as far as the eye could see, with debris scattered across the battle scarred property which had once contained the Capsule Corp building. After the battle with Garlic, the building was still in a state of disrepair. Of course, it didn't help that there was a massive gash in the middle of all this.
But among the fresh debris, Trunks lay there, his hair having already faded back to purple. It didn't take a genius to figure out that he'd lost his temper, and the boy had been his immediate target.
Stupid child.
Trunks knew which buttons he'd pushed when he'd said them. Why? Because he'd been raised to do whatever he'd wanted without consequence. This was what happened when you had someone soft raising a child who needed to be trained. Of course, that didn't mean he blamed Bulma, it was his fault for not being more involved. If he'd not been so focused on his own training, perhaps the boy wouldn't have fallen behind so dramatically, and may have even been more motivated.
But now there was going to be an absolute mess to cleanup.
Slowly, Vegeta hopped down from the half destroyed space craft, landing on the dead grass beneath his feet. From what he gathered he must have grabbed Trunks and thrown him, violently. Still, the sight of Bulma running from one of the temporary capsule homes they'd setup on the periphery of the property already made him internally cringe.
The ship is broken, which means no more gravity training until the woman fixes it. And the boy is even less likely to train with me now.
"Trunks! Oh my god!"
"He'll be fine, woman, he's a Saiyan-"
"What the HELL, Vegeta?!" Bulma snapped, already kneeling over their unconscious boy.
"We were training," Vegeta commented bluntly. "The boy is lagging behind and-"
"You do not destroy the space ship I have to constantly maintain for you, Vegeta. And you do NOT knock out son out!"
Only one person was ever really allowed to speak to him that way without repercussion, and that was Bulma. Of course, she was increasingly furious by the second, and he had no intention of answering her right now. Instead, he just turned his head away, his mouth forming into a set of grit teeth as he placed his hands on his hips.
"I'll come back once you've calmed down, and ceased coddling the boy."
Walking to the side, he slowly started to move towards the wreckage of the ship.
"Vegeta, don't you think you can just up and leave! You're going to apologize to Trunks when he-... Vegeta! Vegeta get back here!"
Already the air had become a sea around him as he propelled himself through it. With the ship half destroyed, he needed to find somewhere else to train, if only because he knew what was coming. He could still see the eyes of the illusion built for him months earlier, but it was like staring into a void. A void compromised of his own ambitions.
Gritting his teeth as his aura rippled around him, Vegeta threw himself further and faster through the sky as he scanned for a temporary training ground. It was ridiculous that he'd denied himself a training space because of his own foolish temper.
The boy will need t o solve his own weakness.
The only place he could find more training even remotely worthy of him, was with Kakarot and his friends. But there was one thing that would prevent that, his pride. Slowing his form down as he descended from above, his body immediately felt the change in temperature, from the moderate weather of West City, to the harsh, hot weather of the badlands. This was where he'd confronted Kakarot for the first time on the Earth. The rocks themselves still bore the scars of their battles over twenty years ago.
"This will have to do," he grumbled.
The only thing which halted his training, was a brief shimmer in the air around him, and the sensation of to very potent energy sources. Turning his head left, his blue-green eyes traced to the figures which had decided to reveal themselves.
There was a light, feminine chuckle drifting through the air, before a blue skinned face slowly turned into a smile.
"Mira, do you not find this Vegeta absolutely adorable? So filled with anger and uncertainty," she mused aloud, much to Vegeta's distaste. "How unfortunate that he's the only warrior we can truly use in this engagement. Especially since he is the one who is going to slay Junia."
The larger demon just seemed to remain quiet, staring ahead coldly, which made Vegeta almost spit before he shifted his body to look at them.
"Well, if it isn't the she-demon and her brutish bodyguard. You certainly have managed to frighten me. Just allow me to turn my back and quiver in fear in your presence. After I'm done, I'll be sure to unleash the full power of a Super Saiyan against you, and then we'll see how much you laugh and scheme."
The comment was as well received as he intended, as Mira, the bigger, more idiotic of the demons, closed his fists and slammed them together, as if to imply that he may have decided to fight him, foolishly at that.
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Goku:
Geeze, Goten's improved so much.
As the green figure and his orange clad counterpart scattered through the air around them all while dipping into the forest around them, Goku could only look on in amazement. If he'd been that powerful when he was only thirteen, it would have been incredible. Barely a teenager, his son had achieved something he struggled to find for decades. It was amazing to watch, of course, as he followed Piccolo in combat, truly testing out his new form.
"He's very good," Trunks remarked from the side.
"Yea," Goku responded. "For a teenager, he's amazing. I don't think I've ever seen someone that strong so young."
The awkward pause Goku felt in the air was immediate and almost overwhelming. Trunks didn't say a word, and seemed to shift uncomfortably.
"You've seen someone stronger? Well that's no big deal," Goku remarked with a grin. "I mean, you've got to have seen just about everything."
"It's really, really weird being here, Goku," Trunks admitted. "Normally, if I'm in an alternate timeline, it's only for a small window of time. But normally even then, that timeline isn't this... off."
Of course, he knew what he meant by off. They'd spoken briefly over a few major differences. The first, in his time, Gohan had been trained by him, and was never stolen by Raditz. That boy had grown up to be the greatest person Trunks ever knew. It was such a stark contrast to... well, it didn't matter. He'd dwelt on it long enough.
"Even how you describe what happened with Babidi and Buu. None of it is right. I'm amazed you guys managed to stop Cell without Gohan too."
"Really?" Goku asked, looking over as a boom blasted out in the distance as Goten and Piccolo made direct contact with one another. "We managed alright. I mean, between you, me, Piccolo, and Vegeta, we managed to get it done. Man it was a crazy fight though, especially with those mini-Cell's he shot out. Vegeta took a few of them out, it was crazy-"
"In the world where I was around for Cell's defeat... kind of, Gohan did it all. He killed Cell, and all of his offspring. His power when he confronted Cell was overwhelming, insane even. The fact you guys actually beat Cell, without Gohan, is absolutely crazy to me. It's another reason I'm surprised you're so far behind. I mean... you're still stronger than me, but that's not what I mean."
It wasn't meant to be insulting, and even if it was, Goku could shrug off just about anything. To him, he was as surprised as Trunks was, only in the opposite. Gohan, as what? A twelve year old? Managed to defeat Cell? That was crazy to him. It was as crazy as Goten getting as strong as he was right now. Of course, for the moment Piccolo seemed to hold the edge, but that was going to fade with time, a short time. How long before he surpassed Gohan, Vegeta, or himself? It wasn't going to take long if things kept up as they were, and that was great.
It wasn't just great because Goten was going to be the strongest, but because it was going to give him something to strive for once this was all settled. Keeping ahead of his own kid was going to be a fun challenge!
If this all gets settled. No matter how much I train, I don't feel any closer to making some new transformation.
"How come you're not a Super Saiyan III yet?" Goku asked, as innocently as ever. It wasn't a barbed comment in the slightest, but Trunks seemed to tense.
"Well, a Super Saiyan III is more than just an emotional barrier, it's more than just training, it's a kind of... I don't even know. The only Super Saiyan III's I've met are you, and merged people. The fusions I told you about before."
Fusion, now that seemed like a crazy thing. Combining your body and soul with another person of equal power, to become an even more powerful warrior. That seemed like an absolute trip, and he had no idea where that could take any of them. The big problem? All their powers were out of wack, and of course.
"It's too bad we can't use it, but I know for a fact that there is no way I'd ever convince dad to fuse with you," Trunks said with a half laugh. "So we're going to have to bank on Super Saiyan III somehow."
And of course, he was right, the only thing was, how the Heck did he ever become it anywhere else?
"Hey, Trunks, how do I normally become a Super Saiyan III in most timelines?" Goku asked.
"Well, normally you learn it while training in the Other World after Cell's defeat-"
"Wow! That's a great idea! Thanks Trunks!"
Blinking, Trunks just seemed confused, but that was fine. He could help train Piccolo and Goten, and that would give him tons of time to try and train in the Otherworld and learn all that he needed to!
"HEY! King Kai! I need to do more training with you in the Other World. I've gotta become a Super Saiyan III, and apparently that's the best way to do it-"
"Goku, can you try back later? I'm in the middle of a very serious conversation right now with-"
"Neat!"
Putting his fingers to his forehead, Goku concentrated on King Kai and his planet, and in a blur, disappeared from where he was, the last thing he saw being Trunks just staring back at him with two raised eyebrows.
As soon as he appeared, he looked around, his black pupils staring about until he caught a glimpse of King Kai, staring at him, looking dismal as he did.
Why is he so glum? Oh neat, they're is a bunch of company here- Supreme Kai! Wow! I wonder if they knew each other before? Did Supreme Kai travel Snake's Way or something?
"Goku, I told you I was in the middle of a very serious conversation right now, you can't just show up uninvited, whenever you please. Now, come back when I give you the all clear-"
"No, it's perfectly alright," a new voice cut in, from behind Kibito and the Supreme Kai. "After all, this was one of the ones we were talking about, wasn't it?"
Talking about me? I must be more popular than I thought.
When this new figure walked out from behind King Kai's house, immediately there was something almost unsettling about him. It was enough to make Goku's intuition tell him outright that he didn't seem like the other three Kais in front of him. In fact, despite his similar appearance, the way he carried himself definitely seemed off.
"Goku," the Supreme Kai then chimed in, clearly his throat first before he did. "This is Daiokaio, the Grand Supreme Kai."
Wow, that sounds really important. I wonder how strong he is? Oh man! I bet he's crazy strong! I bet I can learn to be a Super Saiyan III from him! This is great luck!
Of course, even as he thought that, something tempered his thoughts in the last moment when he looked in his eyes.
Hm, normally people don't stare at me like they wanna kill me though. I guess this is just how this guy stares. Maybe he should get that looked at.
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Vegeta:
"Mira, don't be so overprotective. I must apologize, Vegeta, my Mira can overreact far too easily," the she-devil remarked as red ki flared violently one last time around the demon, before his aura ceased. "We're not even here to fight you. Instead, we're here to help you, Vegeta. Because you're integral to the destruction of our good dimension destroying friends."
Everything Vegeta knew, immediately told him to not trust these two for a second. No matter what they offered, it was in his mind to reject it.
"We've seen how the battle goes when these three arrive, and it can be best described as a blood soaked funeral. The Supreme Kai of Time and your time travelling son have no concept of how to look into the fabric of existence in the way we do."
"We have seen our defeat a thousand times," the bigger, very male, demon added. "The only way to achieve a full, final victory is for you to become more powerful, and soon."
I need to become more powerful? Not Kakarot? Not Gohan? Not some prophetic creature from beyond this world, but I, Vegeta? Well, it's about time. Finally, the Prince of all Saiyans will be recognized.
There was still an element of distrust, given the company in his keep were demons and he was fully aware of that. Enemies of the Kais didn't have to mean his enemies at the very least. He would need to be careful in any dealings with them however, for the obvious hazards which accompanied dealings with monsters like these.
"Well, I'm glad at least someone recognizes the obvious," Vegeta remarked, closing his eyes arrogantly as he folded his arms. "However, I don't need your help to become the strongest. Kakarot is-"
"It talks too much," Mira remarked.
"Now, Mira, there is no need to get pushy. Poor Vegeta here just thinks too much of himself," Towa added, before smiling gently towards him. "Vegeta, I don't want to indulge your ego, but you're not going to get anywhere on your own. The only way for you to achieve a real power boost before the battle, is for you to accept my gift."
That was enough to immediately make the Prince's eyes narrow as he just gave a cool gaze in turn. So, they were making the claim he couldn't gain strength on his own? Ridiculous.
"The good in you has weakened you for years now. The family and friends you have, have done nothing but hold you further and further back. You're ability to feel is what has made you forget who and what you are. I'll use an example," she started, before gesturing her hand into the open air, revealing the woman she'd masqueraded as herself only months earlier.
The image was almost like looking in some strange kind of mirror. Her black hair was in many ways like his own, save her hairline, given she still had spikes coming down from the front. The same ruthless gaze he always had was edged into her eyes, and a determination he liked to think he'd never lose. It was odd when he looked at her, because this girl was the strength he'd always envisioned what his people had been.
When he looked at his own children, who he would die for, they were very much their mother's creatures. Brief flashes of him would shine through, but more than anything they were the woman's.
"Even now while you look at this girl, a girl you've never met, you're thinking about what she could have been, aren't you Vegeta? Someone who looks like you, and fights like you. What every parent dreams of? Well she is everything you think you've ever wanted. The only problem? You're not like her anymore. You're weaker than she is now, in strength and in character," Towa commented, clearly amused. "The only way to stop her, is to revert to what you once were."
He already knew what the demon meant. It was a fantasy taken only from the outside. He was ruthless, and still was. He was willing to do anything he needed to, to win any battle.
"You're not nearly as formidable as you once were. Before, you would kill anyone around you, even someone such as Nappa, one of your companions which you'd lived with for decades," the blue skinned demon pointed out. "Now? Now you'd struggle to kill this woman. You'd struggle to kill you're own son as well. These bonds of family are pointless if they obscure you're own power."
That is weakness? I've never felt more powerful than when I've needed to defend my family. I've never been more enraged than when they were threatened.
"What a ridiculous claim," Vegeta sneered, before slowly unfolding his arms. "This request of yours, that I accept some gift of yours in exchange for what? My dignity? My pride? You're a pathetic creature if you believe I will fall into some trap. Do you take me for a fool? I will defeat, and kill this Junia, and her two friends. I will become the first Super Saiyan Three in this universe, and I will claim my titles as the most powerful Saiyan who has ever lived! Now unless you want me to demonstrate my magnificent power, I would suggest you leave. Now. Otherwise the warmup to my training is going to be a bloody one."
The entire time he spoke, the friendly demeanour eroded from the face of the blue skinned bitch. As her features darkened, she let her smile slip away, her nose flaring angrily at several moments before she eyed Mira with a hard gaze, before looking back towards him, as if measuring if she wanted her pet brute to come at him. It was obvious that Mira thought enough of himself to engage in battle as well, but it was clear that she lost her nerve, and lost her faith in his ability to stop him, when she shook her head.
"Very well, Vegeta, you won't be acquiring power through me," she remarked stiffly. "Though it is sad, because you'll condemn all of us to a bloody death at their hands."
"I will acquire all the power I need to stop all of these Saiyans. They will kneel before their prince."
With a snide glance, she let her lip curl before looking back at him resentfully.
"You'll be the one at their knees, as you always are. The woman you're facing has killed you hundreds of times. She knows every one of your moves on an intimate level. Only you would be foolish enough to think yourself able to beat such a fighter. She will kill you, and you will have deserved it."
Hundreds of times?
Before he could ask anything more, the demons vanished in a swirl of magic.
If she knows me so well, then I am going to have to be different than all the other versions of me she's faced. I'm not going to lose to anyone. This Junia, Brass, and Taro, are all going to learn what it is to face the Prince of all Saiyans.
Immediately, Vegeta blasted off into the ruins, preparing his training regiment for the day as he zipped through the barren wasteland.
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Abaddon:
So, this is the one who defeated Frieza, Bojack, and then Garlic junior? This was the Saiyan I'd plotted and schemed against, to help Garlic trap into the Dead Zone? His victories are an impressive list of accomplishments, even I would have struggled to stop Bojack, or that foolish demon I unleashed. And now here he is, more powerful than ever in front of me. Another Saiyan pushing at the very limits of reality's power. It's absolute madness that these creatures were ever allowed. I share guilt in it, but I will see it rectified.
Of course, they'd been discussing a litany of important things regarding the Saiyans. First among them, was the message they'd received from the Supreme Kai of Time. Reality had been twisted and malformed beyond repair... by Saiyans of all things. The threat he'd feared for so many years had become a reality. The constant lust for more battle, for more power, had lead to another universe caving in on itself and had spawned these devils. Each reality they destroyed, lead to countless more, and countless more replicas of themselves travelling through space and time. The entire structure of the multiverse had collapsed, and they, the Kais, were helpless in every universe to do anything about it. The order of reality was defied, and destroyed, by monkeys.
So now they were planning to save their own universe from an assault from the 'original' trio of destructive Saiyans. They were planning for all of reality to come crashing down around them as they arrived as well. But worst of all, they were making contingencies for just how to solve the problem. The Saiyans on Earth were unlikely to be more than a buffer for their counterparts. Which means there would need to be direct intervention.
The Supreme Kai, Kibito, himself, and a selection of warriors from the Other World would need to be marshaled, and it disgusted him all the more. He was going to have to help the very things that caused this disease. What would happen in fifty years, when there were yet more Saiyans, who were potentially more powerful? Their own universe could descend into chaos, and then become a bleeding ulcer in the multiverse. It was not only a terrifying idea, but a sickening reality of all of this.
And now, before him, stood the route of all their problems. If only Frieza had killed this ape, and the others, they would be dealing with almost no problems at the moment. If they managed to survive what was to come, they would need to kill the remnants of these creatures as soon as they could. Of course, that would be difficult, but he already had a series of plans in mind. They would take time to nourish, but he would give them his full attention.
Looking towards his subordinate, someone with whom he'd met only a day, perhaps two earlier, Abaddon cleared his throat.
"Thank you for the introduction, but I prefer my more informal name, you may refer to me as Abaddon, it is a moniker I've found myself assuming much more often than anything else. It is good to finally meet you, Son Goku," he introduced, nodding his head. "You and your friends havebeen the source of a great deal of discussion between ourselves. Unfortunately the other, lesser Kais haven't been invited, because their galaxies aren't... the source of the Saiyans, it would seem."
Lying had felt unnatural to him, a long time ago, but now with every passing lie, it became increasingly easy. This was hardly his first, and hardly his worst.
"Yea, alright then. Hey, you're really big and important, do you wanna help me train to achieve the next level of Super Saiyan? Trunks says I learned it in the Other World, so I figured-"
I would never train you, you wretch.
It was impossible to hide how uncomfortable that comment had made him feel. Why would he train the Saiyan, when he could see to it that anyone else could be trained in his place? He'd sooner train Frieza than some... monkey. Quickly, he reassembled his composure, and just shifted uncomfortably one last time before looking back at "Goku".
"Unfortunately, I don't have the means of training you, Son Goku. You should look towards yourself first and foremost. I suspect you've learned all you can-"
"I'm never done learning," he quickly replied, looking somehow more determined to train with him. "Please, it's very important that I train in the other world, and if I can train with you, the Grand Supreme Kai, I know I can achieve a new form and stop these Saiyans when they get here."
It only took a moment for him to realize Kibito, North Kai, and the Supreme Kai were all staring at him expecting some kind of answer or justification from him as to disallow his training, especially when they were so desperate. Could the fools not see making this Saiyan stronger, would only lead to their destruction at a later date? His children would only grow in strength as they learned from their father. They were all blind to see it?
How?
The one known as Gohan had slaughtered billions and was already lounging about in Hell, and when he returned to life, would commit more acts of murder he was certain. Vegeta was another example of another blood soaked conqueror, just as bad if not worse than Gohan in his body count. Oh, he'd "reformed" as well. Abaddon knew the Saiyan mind all too well, reformed simply meant he was being pushed into place by someone else's power. The only thing restricting his true nature was Goku's power. But that was a double edged sword, because one day Goku would be dead, and all these Saiyans fed on one another to grow stronger.
Solving this one problem, by making Goku stronger, was madness.
Yet here I am, having to justify it with lies.
"Son Goku is the greatest fighter alive, and is much stronger than any of us, how could I train him?" he reasoned aloud. "Perhaps if any of you felt you had anything to teach him, including you, Shin, because you have much more experience than I do, then you would be able to do it?"
It was already enough to twist his stomach, as the Supreme Kai's training would likely be valuable to the Saiyan, but not nearly as valuable as his own.
"Of course, Daiokaio, but perhaps if you could-"
"Unfortunately, Supreme Kai, I have several other things I must do to prepare for when these Saiyans arrive. Training someone who is already my superior is far behind in my list of priorities. If you wish to take the burden on, you may, however I must take several other things into account."
For one, making plans to end this nightmare once and for all. The nightmare I created myself. I should have never listened to the others when they came up with the plan to stop Incarn. For all the destruction it stopped, it forever tainted the galaxy with an evil far greater.
His eyes were unable to stop staring at Son Goku in that moment, looking at the embodiment of his own faults. Every single one of these creatures were weapons, because they were built to be them. He knew their nature better than anyone ever could. Every life taken was only ever taken to fuel their misplaced aggression. All of the other, new, Supreme Kais had hatched the plan before he ever got involved, but it was his vote which decided it all.
If I could travel back, and not create another universe doing it, I would fix it all. I would save the universe, the multiverse, from my sins.
Inside his mind's eye, he could see the misery and death he'd helped create. Of course, he'd helped create it, because he'd helped create the Saiyans themselves.
Twenty thousand years ago, on a planet called Earth, the first Saiyans were forged, from a combination of the arcane and science.
And now that they have returned to their home, their blood will infect more of the humans, and create more monsters.
There were no such things as half Saiyans, not as far as their potential for destruction was concerned.
Bowing his head, he stepped back, his mind reaching out for his teleporation destination.
"I wish you the best of luck, Son Goku. I will be monitoring the situation, the moment they arrive, I will arrive to help turn these beastsback."
In a blink of an eye, he was gone, as if he popped out of existence. He hadn't, obviously, but what he had done was transport himself to one of the few creatures in this universe he knew he could use to help correct his mistake.
Standing on the bridge of an alien ship, he looked across a series of aliens at their computer consoles, all of them freezing in place as they saw him.
"Intruder!" one voice shouted out.
Two red eyes stared back at him, calm and as cold as space.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" the Arcosian asked.
"Someone interested in fostering a deal, Lord Cooler."
Opening his hand, he felt the five seeds appear seemingly out of nowhere.
The last seeds of the Tree of Might. The last chance this universe will have to rid itself of the disease.
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Pan:
Air.
The air was coming in and out of her lungs smoothly as the soaked mud beneath her feet, from the rain the preceding night, passed under her feet gently, despite the nature of the muck. With every passing footstep she felt like she was faster than the last, she felt almost like she was on air. Her arms were swinging back and forth as she moved. The air was cool, but it felt alive, and it fed every part of her body as she moved.
Across a ridge in the distance, a brilliant array of light poured over the edges, sending rays in all directions to wash over her and the trees all around the forest. Every day that passed took this place further from a nightmare, and closer to something deeper. It was all reflections of her life, and even as a child she could see it. In the trees, in the streams and rivers, and in the plains all around them. Every day she woke up, and every day she ran. What did she run for?
She ran to escape.
She ran to scavenge.
She ran to hunt.
But most of all, she ran to survive.
Her little feet had long since been liberated from any kind of boots. The soles of her feet had become thick, as if they were clad with leather. Even now as she dodged and weaved between trees in the warming afternoon air, she was alert and looking at every detail. Moving past a series of bushes, she already mentally picked out several safe berries for later. She was going to need it along with some meat. With any luck, she'd be able to find more fresh water for later, and try sticks for a fire. Eating food, especially meat, raw was always really hard on her.
But right now, even with all those other concerns, she almost felt free while she sprinted. Rushing towards the edge of the forest she found herself ducking, weaving, and jumping through, she followed a familiar scent. Today was going to be special because she'd taken some game the night before, and she had a gift she wanted to give some of her friends.
As soon as she cleared the last tree, she was met with a picture of blue and green. The sky carried on as far as she could see, with only a scattering of white clouds moving across it. Down, down towards the ground she found a see of forest past her. Even now as she stood on the edge of a cliff, she couldn't help but feel excited, as if she just wanted to run further and faster. But really, she wanted to run right now more than ever, because she wanted to find her friends. She'd never really had any friends before, at least not before coming here. Her mom was always reclusive and she was never around cities or towns unless she was visiting her grandfather or her dad had taken her out.
Looking back on it, she couldn't help but feel suffocated by all the people, by all the space being taken up. There was no freedom to move. Here? Here there was real freedom, and she had real friends. With a kick in her jump, she leaped from atop the ledge, falling dozens and dozens of metres before her tiny legs impacted softened soil below. Muscles, stronger than they'd ever been, and stronger than she could have dreamed of before coming here, absorbed the entire force with ease, before she took off in a full sprint, seeing signs of her prey.
The sounds of the trees rustling all around her picked up as a great wind carried through, just as she started to run. Every bit of creaking bark and gently moving leafs were like music to her ears as she grinned to herself, picking up an even faster pace as the trees all around her seemed to almost blur. Hopping thick brush and huge roots, her feet always found their mark as she almost glided through the forest's floor, sheltered by the canopy above as only bits of the sun's rays broke through.
She'd taken so much meat the other day, she knew it was going to go bad. There was no way she'd be able to eat it all. But, any excuse to see a friend was a good one, right? She just didn't want to be alone out here, even as she grew to know it and understand it. This place was beautiful, and she was glad it didn't have huge clusters of people, but for all its strengths, its weakness was how easily you could lose a friend, and just how few friends there were.
Jumping through another series of brushes, she finally heard the familiar labouring noise she'd been waiting for.
With the same intensity she ran at when she was being chased by a massive dinosaur or bear, Pan picked up her speed, almost laughing as she did, breathing with anticipation as she cleared a series of rocks without problem, only to find herself running alongside a familiar sight. Immediately the wolves turned their heads towards her as they rushed through the brush themselves. Immediately, once hostile eyes turned to something else as the canines continued to run ahead with her, as if enjoying their freedom in the same way she was. Every second more they ran, running towards something, running towards nothing, it didn't matter, Pan's strength felt like it doubled, even tripled.
Reaching into the leather bound satchel she'd luckily found, seemingly out of nowhere a couple weeks ago, she pulled a blood piece of meat, taken from a buck she'd managed to bring down with her sword the other day. All noises were immediately in the air as she prepared to throw it, and throw it hard, as far as she could ahead of them. She wanted to run and find it with them.
Today, she would run with her friends.
Today, she ran with the wolves.
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Author's Notes:
Oh man, I've had none of the time. My last overtime week is next week, and then I get a bit more flexibility. Car problems also stressed me out so badly I couldn't write, which is never helpful. On top of that, my Inuyasha chapter super flopped, which both amuses me and depresses me. But enough of my assortment of problems!
I decided to drop a few bit plot points this chapter, namely because I don't like filler. Generally, I wanna post things because they're relevant to plot progression, or character progression. So yes, Videl is currently in a state of pregnancy, but I'd be surprised if it advanced beyond that. Pan is becoming accustomed to the world around her, and of course the biggest one, Abaddon is one of the primary creator's of the Saiyans.
One thing that always bugged me about Dragon Ball, was how Saiyans could reproduce with humans. I know it's a fantasy story, so they can do whatever they want with it, but I always found the compatibility dubious. So, in all my stories, I've always assumed that Saiyans and humans would have diverged at some point, which kinda means that Saiyans at some point, come from the Earth. I was going to drop this later, but I actually really wanted to throw it out there, as it made sense as soon as I realized what Abaddon would be up to during his perspective.
And funnily enough, next chapter, we're going to get another special perspective. Taro's coming online next chapter, and I really want that scene to be a special kind of fucked in the head. So we'll see if I can make that happen.
I've been plotting out tons of stuff for this saga and beyond. Let's hope I avoid burnout, feedback always helps with that :D
*Quick edit. If you wanna see people amusingly allocate all of the different tropes my story has in it, check out the TVtropes page for The Long Road. I look at what people put every few weeks, always gives me a good chuckle. To the people to contribute to it? You guys are hilarious.
Apparently last chapter was my most viewed chapter, ever... yet also one of the least reviewed. Which is okay too, it just stings my fragile ego :P
But, enough of the notes, I'll be responding to teh peeps now.
Reviewers:
Ardee: That's a bit more complicated than that, but you're right in saying Turles is at the top of the foodchain. Broly in terms of raw power, is likely still past Gohan under normal conditions, but I'd put my money on Gohan beating him in a straight battle, after all, that's how Broly ended up in Hell ;)
DBZfantheFirst: I try to get stuff out, but lately my time has been far too strapped to write. Hopefully after next week, I can get some more writing crammed in.
Perfect Carnage: For Utopian Gohan (The universe which Turles and Vegeta run, I personally named "Utopia" as I was going to write a story about it...), he gets offed by Turles sadly. The last real 'good' guy in that story. He was forced to kill people, and one day stood on his principals and tried to stop it. He kinda puts TLR Gohan to shame :\
And even if Frieza and Cold are overshadowed now, they're by no means weak.
GohanFave: I do realize it, however Junia and Brass don't know that Taro's mother is Bulma, funnily enough. That was some information which has been kept from them for the most part. They just think Taro has lost his mind now. They're right, of course, but yea, he's still Junia's sibling.
DarkKnightShiva: Getting out? Gohan's got a lot bigger problems then that coming up in a chapter or two. He should be more concerned with not getting shivved in the mess hall. Lol
Aqua Roxas: Don't worry, I'll be doing all the intimidation soon, and then all will be well.
ShadowFFD: Babidi and Garlic are definitely the two masterminds you need to watch out for on the Hell side. Their scheme is quite vicious right now. :\
Brelic: Turles didn't drain any power. Super Saiyan III isn't an emotional barrier. He figured out how it 'worked' on his own, and achieved it. He's a real deal, Super Saiyan III. And there was no Dragon Fists here sir, that was just one mean right hook Broly wishes he could forget about XD
RaijuBlue: Trust me, next chapter you're going to think he levelled up four or five times in the crazy department. I really wanna get his piece out, because then I'll have one perspective piece from each of them. I'm thinking they'll get their own dedicated chapter, with flashbacks in it, soon.
Guest1: Whose he going to fuse with, exactly? You want me to make up random Namekian warriors for him to fuse with? It'd not bullshit, it's just sadly where he is right now. Piccolo is one of my favourites, but it's hard to keep that candle glowing brightly at this stage of power.
Also, it's really, really late to complain about Garlic junior being strong. Whining about it isn't going to change anything. I have gotten this feedback alot, it's noted. If you want to keep on leaving feedback more or less complaining about Garlic, feel free to do so, I just don't understand the constant hate, and how it never really goes away :\
BurningSaiyan: Responded by PM.
Guest2: I like to think of Super Saiyan III almost as a combination of Kaioken and a Super Saiyan transformation. It's a transformation, but it's also almost more a technique. And I've not watched Super yet. It looks like it's just going to redo the movies. I'll care about it once it gets past where the movies have already tread. Until then, it's literally "Meh, seen it."
Ronden Kiagre: Are you saying I need to start doing incestuous orgy porn? Will that improve my story? Lol.
Random Reader: * looks at review left hanging on top of the hat with a subtle gaze of disappointment and annoyance *. :P. Anyway, I've got a lot of stuff for Videl going forward. If people think her heartless for really starting to come to terms with Pan being gone, she's not an idiot. She knows Piccolo could kill her without moving a muscle, sadly. Videl's going to have a huge role in the next Saga as well. Also, I always find it interesting that people really like my Broly. I generally find him to be a blunt instrument to write, but apparently people like it.
Tomorrow4eva: Now if only Turles could escape Hell and kill everyone who dares oppose him? Lol
VuvuzelaHero: I'm glad you like my portrayal of Broly. The poor guy just can't hold a candle to SS III while dead, unfortunately. His power doesn't increase while dead, otherwise he might just escape and like, be alive for a few months to a few years and come back and fight Turles. Sadly, that option isn't there.. Of course, the fact he's also been cast into the next level of Hell doesn't help either.
Ardee2?: I decided I was going to bring in Brass, Junia, and Taro when I decided to not end the story with the Garlic junior saga. How I was going to use them has changed a bit, but yea, they're the ones which are kind of responsible for all my Dragon Ball stories. Every time they dimension hop, they split reality multiple times, changing multiple things in the timeline. So, in a way, they're really responsible for TLR. It's also what I'd use to justify really any other universe in Dragon Ball outside of the core few. As for a crossover? You might see TLR spill into The Catalyst, but that's only if I get that far in The Catalyst, and it'd be by the time TLR is finished anyway.
Aqua Roxas2?: Brass is going to be an epic character to write, especially on his own character development towards the climax of this Saga.
ACE Knighthawk OMEGA: Wow, thanks a bunch! I'm glad you're enjoying the ride.
JasonJustJason: And to think, there are two sagas which are going to run simultaneously after this one. Then there are the two or three remaining sagas after that. Then the story is over. For real, at that point.
Luke: I agree!