Dragon Ball Z: The Catalyst

by Drakthul

Catalyst: a person or thing that precipitates an event or change. A traditional encounter is changed, and begins a series of events which will alter the fate of millions. From the beginning of the Saiyan Saga forward. Rated T for violence and themes.

62. Chapter 62: Heart

Disclaimer, in case it wasn't obvious. I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or really any other property. Thank you.

The Cataylst

Act IV

Chapter 62: Heart.

Turles:

In the realm of bad ideas, this one takes the prize.

Standing in front of this giant Namekian, he wasn't seeing a lot of progress from Vegeta on wearing him down. This thing was a problem. Even with all the power he'd had before Kakarot humiliated him and tore his tail off, Turles would have had trouble with this monster. Which led to the direct question of why he was sticking his neck out for Vegeta of all people. Especially when his only backup might be Raditz if his brother could pull off a victory for once. And then they were supposed to go help Kakarot after this? Yea, he must have taken a blow to the head while he was suffering all that blood loss earlier today.

Still, he was stronger than the last time he fought this creature, at least.

"You're the one who killed my brother," Achatin almost snarled, beginning to ignore Vegeta as he started to walk towards him. "You of all of them. A pathetic worm of a warrior who strikes from shadows against weaker opponents."

"Your brother? That thing I killed back there was much weaker than you. Are you distant brothers?" he asked. "Because I don't see the resemblance."

There was a pause when Turles decided to double down.

"I bet you wished you'd finished the job the first time, don't you?"

When the green hulk stopped in front of him, his face becoming written with more rage than before, Turles knew he'd made a mistake, not in killing Shell, but in landing here. His best move should have been to fly to the other side of the planet and continued doing what he'd been doing before.

Dodging to the side, a huge swing shot through where he was standing, the motion of the arm sending cracks down the already destroyed street they were standing on. Focusing his energy, Turles raised his hand, opening fire with a half dozen ki blasts, each one blasting into the side of this thing. The smoke cleared within a second as the monster turned and was already on him. His ability to move aside was compromised immediately he was moving so far.

He's moving as fast as I remember Frieza-

The first blow that landed sent him reeling. Blood shot out of his mouth and nose as the huge green hand made its impact. Before he'd even gotten over that, his head still spinning, the giant he shoved his hand into his chest and the familiar winding sound of Namekian limb growth was whizzing through his ears. His body was sent flying back, smashing through the first building in his path. The hand still on his chest, the winding sound picked back up as he was dragged back through the ruins of the building he'd been put through before he met with a huge lariat. The impact on his neck and jaw sent him flipping through the air in pain before he landed face first on the asphalt.

Remind me the next time Vegeta needs help…

Looking up from where he was, Turles tried to pull himself up, before a hand grabbed him by the air, yanking him into the air before a fist slammed into his back. A hiccup of blood followed as Turles felt the arm coming back for another swing.

"I think I'll be finishing the job, as you put it," Achatin rumbled.

Warm energy was pressed against his back, as Turles felt himself hit a panic button. Grabbing the hand which had him up by the hair, Turles focused as he swung upwards, just as the beam aimed at his back fired into emptiness. It hurt like a bastard before his legs came around, kicking the big green dickhead in the face. It was enough for the thing to let him go. Landing on his feet, Turles slammed his fist into the monster's abdomen before it could recover. It hunched forward slightly, which was concerning in and of itself. Honing his power more closely, hoping to do more damage with the next blow, he swung his arm up, connecting with an uppercut on the gargantuan's jaw.

The blow came through, and all that happened was staggering the best. Turles was stunned. The giant stumbled back, leaving Turles to grit his teeth as Achatin moved to recover. Striking low again, he came through with a round house kick, finally taking the monster off his feet, sending him flying past Vegeta as he pointed both his hands forward. Dozens of energy waves emerged within a second, all twisting and swerving towards their intended target as he fired the Catastrophe Gun.

A series of explosions tore through the street as Turles was left breathing heavily. Power began to spike where he'd just attacked. Faster than he could follow, Turles felt and only at the last moment saw Achatin appear in front of him, his fists brandished to strike. Four strikes landed in quick succession, stomach, chest, face, and face. The last one connected with his temple and his world flashed to darkness for a moment before he felt an axe handle smash hit him in the head and shoulder. The ground beneath him cracked in the form of a giant spider's web with him at the centre.

Blood dripped from his mouth while he wheezed, looking up to see a hand glowing already.

Unlike Frieza, this one didn't play with his prey. Becoming prey again was something which hurt his own pride. Death itself was undesirable, but the real problem was going to be having to go through that damned line again.

Without any prior notice, a boot imprint appeared on the side of Achatin's head as the titan recoiled in pain. Vegeta's body appeared in the air before he lunged into their would-be killer. Immediately, Turles launched himself back up as well. Each one of them struck out, and the first thing he noticed was Vegeta got in the way. Still, he landed four blows and Vegeta landed three as they worked together as best they could.

"Get out of the way," Vegeta snapped.

"I didn't ask for help," Turles shot back as the pair of them

The pair of them finally connected with their last attacks, Turles an uppercut, and Vegeta a stabbing kick. The monster was sent flying back and up, his bulky body twisting and swinging in the air. He flipped around after only a short distant, breathing in angrily.

A crimson ray shot through the sky above at the same moment as they all felt one of the major powers disappear. Another one down, at least.

The Namek looked around in almost confusion before he realized what had just happened.

"Staff? Staff too?" he asked in shock.

When his eyes turned back towards them, Turles saw a familiar sight. It was the sight of a furious relation. He'd seen it a million times, and he was sure Vegeta has a well. Normally it was funny, because it meant that you'd offended some weak creature, and it was going to try and go from prey to predator in the name of its fallen relation or comrade. However, when that being was much stronger than both Vegeta and himself, Turles suspected the outcome wasn't going to be as amusing as it usually was.

When Vegeta went shooting past him, and the giant grabbed him by the throat, Turles knew just how right he was to be concerned.

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Achatin:

Flinging the Saiyan by the throat after the other, Achatin opened his palm, unleashing an immense blast. The world rumbled as half the city was caught up in the wave. A golden light washed over the city as Achatin snarled. Buildings hissed with burning energy before the force and energy caused them to collapse in on themselves. The dying envied the dead as people caught fire in as the air around them became super heated. But Achatin saw only his vengeance for his fallen brethren. Shell and Staff hadn't been his brothers, in a literal sense, but they had come from the same clan as himself. They'd known each other for over 50 years. For them to be murdered by these… monkeys… was disgusting.

Even now as the city lay barren before him, and ruined behind him, Achatin was so furious that the ground rumbled with his every step, as if trembling at his approach and his power. In the distance he could sense Lord Slug and the being known as Goku still engaged in combat. In the midst of his blast, he sensed another explosion take place on the other side of the city, which was when he realized he was now alone… barring Lord Slug.

Colchico had been killed, and killed by one of their own species. Colchico always believed they would have eventually united the Namekian people, which they had never met, under their strength and ideals. Now, the last Namek they knew of beyond themselves and its treacherous father, had killed the idealist. One by one they'd all fallen, all of them warriors of renown with powers most warriors could have only dreamt of. This world, their new home, had become a tomb.

And it would become a tomb for not just his comrades, but the Saiyans themselves. Two of them were already… dealt…

Narrowing his eyes on movement in the distance, Achatin could see the two fighters staggering to their feet. The armour on the Prince had already been ruined prior, but what remained of his undersuit was tatters. Turles's clothing and attire were equally ruined by the attack, and both were covered in scuffs, bruises, and scrapes.

His comrades had always looked towards him to be their ultimate answer. He'd been the first Lord Slug had found, and had always protected his comrades as best he could no matter the circumstance. And he'd failed them all on this world. He couldn't protect them from these things… but he could avenge them. Staff, Shell… Colchico. They were just gone.

When his footsteps stopped in front of the two savaged warriors, Achatin felt his heart beating faster as his anger and rage combined with his grief. The one who'd killed Shell… the one who he'd beaten before, was glaring at him, while the Prince was raising his guard again.

There was nothing left to say to these vermin.

Blitzing forward in a display of speed he knew they couldn't hope to match, he blasted past them both before appearing behind them double clotheslining them from behind. Both of them went flipping into the air and before either could land, he'd already swung around, kicking the Prince in the side before he swung a straight punch into the mouthy one's chest. As Vegeta was sent off into the suburbs of the city from the strength of the hit, Achatin knew now was the time to finish the other one.

Before he could even hit the ground again, Achatin pushed forward. Striking Turles's head with a kick, spinning him upright in the air before he drove a punch into his gut. Snapping his head forward, Achatin smashed the Saiyan's face with his forehead as the Saiyan's body reeled back. A bloody gag was the only sound he'd made before Achatin followed up immediately with a huge knee to the gut as well. Blood splattered over his uniform before Achatin grabbed his arm, flipping him into the ground and smashing him, finally, into the surface of the Earth. Grabbing him by the face directly, his hand smearing the blood which had emerged from his blood and nose, Achatin began to suffocate the Saiyan.

It took only a few seconds for him to start to flail as Achatin let his claws dig into the flesh on the head, wanting to not only suffocate him, but crush his skull.

Much to his surprise, the monkey's leg clipped his own, tripping him. When his body fell forward, he lost the grip off the face. Hearing a deep inhale of breath, followed by coughing, Achatin started to bring himself up.

The Saiyan was barely able to get up, in fact, he got stuck on one knee. The body trembled as he seemed to try and command himself to rise but he couldn't stand any longer, that much was almost certainly clear. A grin stretched across Achatin's features, mirroring that of the man who'd raised him. Stepping forward, he pulled the Saiyan up before slamming his fist into his ribs. It was enough to immediately drop the Saiyan to his knees again.

Spitting up blood unto his boot, the Saiyan tried to stand up again, which lead to Achatin shoving his face with his other boot, knocking the Saiyan onto his side.

"Do you feel strong now?" Achatin scoffed. "You were strong enough to kill my brethren, but look at you now. You're pathetic. You're nothing."

Spiteful eyes stared back up at him as the Saiyan tried to rally himself once again. Shoving his boot into the Saiyan's chest, Achatin just grimaced with disgust at him, not even giving him the chance to rise up once more.

"If you are too weak to stand… then fall."

The words were repeated, the same ones he'd heard all those decades ago when Lord Slug had liberated him from his shackles on another world. Before he could move in for the kill however, Achatin felt something touch his cheek. With a pace seemingly based on empathy, his face started to morph and contort before he was sent flying back for the first time, really. The world started to get further and further away from him as he felt his eyes dilate.

A single figure with long hair stood where he had once only a few seconds earlier. Briefly, Achatin imagined he was almost flying through the heavens. Right light appeared beneath him as the long haired Saiyan seemed to hone and focus his energy. Sound returned to his ears as Achatin as he started to return to reality from the severe and unexpected blow to the head.

"SATURDAY CRUSH!"

When the bolt was released, Achatin only just had time to raise his defences as the attack came into him. Throwing his arms up as a defense, the blastwave exploded around him, blasting in the direction it was fired. His armour tore free from his body as his gloves and suit were scorched. Skin singed along his arms and his body. Left floating, there, Achatin heard the sound of his own heart remind him he was alive as his body trembled twice.

The Saiyan below was breathing in and out heavily from the exertion as Achatin felt his power returning to him. The Prince landed next to him a moment later, he could sense the animosity between the two immediately.

Zipping to the surface, his feet tore into the burnt ground beneath him.

"We enter the last stage of the fight," Achatin told the pair as he started to walk towards them. "Neither of you have the strength needed to win. Do your best, die with dignity. I would hate for my brethren's killers to die in a lesser state."

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Raditz:

Even standing here next to Vegeta was almost enough to make his insides itch with disdain. This was the edge though, the edge of their lives. In front of them was the force of fate, trying to push them over that. As much as it shamed him to admit it, it reminded him of long forgotten battles on long dead worlds, standing next to the man he referred to at one time as his Prince. They only needed Nappa here to make it the good old days.

Perhaps that was the irony behind this, the full circle of his life. To die here, standing next to Vegeta on a world far from the home they were from. Even if he detested his former Prince with all of his being, he could see the irony in it all.

Dying with dignity sounded like a good plan, and he turned his eyes to Vegeta briefly, looking for any signs of cooperation, or a plan. This was as far forward he'd envisioned the plan realistically, outside of them having already killed this guy and gone on to help Kakarot. Turles being in a bloody heap on the ground behind them however was… concerning, considering he was stronger than both Vegeta and himself.

It'd been everything he had to focus his power and attack this monster. The Saturday Crush and his double kick looked to have made an impact, but he was almost out of energy, and he didn't sense the same fatigue from this monster.

The tension was building with every step the hulking thing took, and finally it was too much for Raditz. Blasting forward with all his strength remaining, he charged. His fist sailed right past the giant as he was left in surprise and alarm. Without any chance to correct his error, the giant had already kicked him in the side, sending him flying back. Pushing himself in the air to stop, it appeared behind him as soon as he stopped. Already an elbow hit him in the side of the head from behind before a fist collided with his stomach as he spun around and a palm strike connected with his nose. The giant's assault only ended as Vegeta dive kicked at him, only to be blocked and ruthlessly put down by a single lariat to the face. Sliding back himself, Raditz focused his energy, firing a Double Sunday at the giant, only to find both bolts batted away as if they were nothing. Winding filled the air as the titanic Namekian threw his arm at him, landing a vicious blow across his face sending the elder Saiyan flying back, skidding across the naked ground before hitting an outcropping of rubble.

The only problem with failing like this… was that when he failed, it was going to be the end of everything. It'd be the end of his new life here, it'd be the end of his brothers and his nephew. As strange as it sounded, for the first time he felt like he had so much to live for and there was nothing he could do to stop this from happening.

Vegeta's body was tossed side like a ragdoll a moment later, landing in front of him as the Namekian started to gather his energy. A huge wall of ki seemed to emerge in front of him as Raditz found the strength to pull himself to his feet.

I let everyone down. I tried my best.

The words in his head were painful as Raditz took a step forward, seeing the power beginning to glow as the Namekian prepared to unleash his final attack.

I'm sorry.

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Turles:

The darkness around him was almost inviting. It was an escape from the failure that'd just happened in the world of the awake. Death would be coming shortly there after, right now he wasn't even raging against his defeat. There was something almost peaceful in letting go of victory. The weight of responsibility was no longer in his hands. He'd spent his entire life trying to win, and win by any means necessary. Now that it was over… well, did that matter as much? The first time he'd been killed, he really hated the end, he hated his fate…

The entirety of his self-forged destiny had been overturned. He was no longer the Super Saiyan of legend. He was no longer the ruler, the soon to be most powerful being in the universe. He was no longer strong enough to lord over even those around him. He was beneath Kakarot, and he was beneath Slug, and this monster who'd broken him. The brash nature of confident victory did nothing for him when he was opposed.

And unlike Kakarot… Kakarot his twin, he couldn't reach the heights of a legend. Even over the last year as he'd trained and meditated almost every moment he could. He pushed himself as hard as he could, trying to let his power overwhelm him to transform himself into the form which he deserved. But instead, he was just… Turles. He used his power for his own gain at every turn, and had only expended anything for someone else when he'd sensed Gohan in danger.

The kid had a lot going for him. He was the future, a future Turles wouldn't see, but he wanted something of what he was to be passed forward. The first time he'd met him on Namek, he'd tormented him. The next time they'd met, Raditz was so desperate to protect him from the Ginyu Force and Turles didn't understand why. But he'd stood over him to protect him from Recoome. When he'd seen him in the next life after his murder at the hands of Frieza, he began to see why Raditz cared so much. It wasn't really an emotional response… not really… it was an impulse, a response for him to try and help his nephew, and in turn his nephew tried to help him. In his entire life, it was the strangest thing that the first time someone really tried to help him or showed him even a spark of friendship was a kid he'd tried to kill only a few days earlier.

If anything, it'd been why he'd tried to impart the truth to the kid. Strength was all that mattered. You couldn't trust or rely on anyone. The only thing you could trust and rely on was your own power. To be strong was to be free, to be weak was to be prey for the strong. And Turles had found out that he was… just prey.

It didn't change anything.

"They're going to kill Raditz and Vegeta in a few minutes," a voice emerged from behind him.

It was almost enough to make him spit on the spot, a cold expression coming to his features as he looked ahead. Could he just be free from this? To be freed from the constant interference? To be freed from the constant criticism from someone he couldn't even KILL himself?

Walking over to him in his own head, Turles watched as Bardock just sat down across from him. It was strangely different then the normal stance of glaring at him while standing sternly, trying to portray himself as half the warrior he was. The posture the other Saiyan took on was casual, relaxed almost, or at least an attempt to be that thing. He didn't say anything else as Turles glared at him.

"What is it?" he snapped finally. "What has brought the most powerful and wise Bardock here?"

"Things are closing in on the end," Bardock told Turles in a strangely honest tone. "I thought I should be here."

The comment was off-putting. Not that he'd be dead soon, that Bardock had come here just to be with him while he died. The same way he'd been here for him when he'd gotten him killed, intentionally, on Namek? There had to be a game here, or something he was looking into manipulating him into doing. But instead he was just sitting there.

"Nothing more to say?" Turles managed to say. "Not disappointed? Or are you worried about Kakarot? I'm curious what criticisms you have for me now. Do you want to remind me that I lost?"

"Kakarot doesn't need my help, not anymore," Bardock said a moment later before smiling. "He'll find a way… and you only lose once you die. But that'll be a few minutes, as we both know. A stray energy blast, or the big guy coming and crushing your throat would probably be what's on the horizon."

Sitting there, Turles was breathing angrily now as this intruder into his life and mind was just sitting there, not deriding him, or even trying to poke and prod him into his own schemes. Why was he here if for any other reason? Ridiculous.

"So, you just thought you should be here," Turles scoffed. "Just for my end? Well I should feel honoured then. My own father thought it fitting to attend my death. And certainly, in a less involved way than my last death. What is the real reason you're here? I'm not an idiot. What are your motives behind doing this? The sudden change of heart doesn't fit you, dear father."

Honestly, he was angry just at this being something that constantly impacted his life. Death might actually make this finally end. What games or schemes could his father have for him to participate in in the afterlife? Bardock didn't even have visions of the future anymore, according to his own words. So, what was he contributing, beyond spying on his life and death? Was this about mitigating despair for Kakarot?

"I think I talked to your mother," Bardock said almost distantly while he looked away. "Or I finally saw her in the past. I've been wanting to see her since I died. I miss her. I didn't realize how much until after she was dead and gone."

That was awkward. Turles decided not to pry further. The last thing he needed was to hear his father lament his mother's death. He didn't know the woman, and he didn't know Bardock. Getting to know either at the moment were the furthest things from what he wanted. If this was how he spent his last moments, trapped in his own head, he didn't want to spend them this way.

"You killed her," Bardock's voice was tight as he said it. "She deserved better than to die the way she did. You killed a part of me, when you took her away from me."

Something, it all seemed fitting didn't it? Even Turles could see the irony in it. She died because she'd been weak. What did it matter? His father's accusation was however, something that clearly hurt him. It was like he'd just taken her away from him yesterday. Part of him wanted to laugh in Bardock's face, but even his callousness had its limits.

"What, do you want an apology? Is that why you're here?" Turles sneered, his own anger flaring up just enough. He'd never even met the woman, and was the one who killed her? Ridiculous.

"No… I've held that against you since it happened. I didn't want to get to know you or Kakarot when I was alive. When I saw Kakarot kill you in the future, when I saw you die in the tree, I felt happiness for the first time since Frieza killed me."

The words were surprisingly honest, and the confession real. The pain in his words were real enough that Turles wanted to relish in them, but honestly, he pitied Bardock. Even he understood how sad it was to relish in your own offspring's death when you didn't even know them. Now as Turles prepared to die, his father was telling him how he wished he'd died earlier. What more could he expect, really? This was typical. Perhaps he didn't want to hear it, or perhaps he didn't want Bardock to continue embarrassing both of them when he spoke.

"Enough of your rambling, old man," Turles snapped. "Are you trying to do what? Make me feel bad? For some woman who was weak? I don't care. Are you happy? Now shut up and let me die in peace."

The words came out as Turles scowled at the embarrassment who'd sired him. The greatest curse he'd been forced to carry was when he'd heard this idiot for the first time on Namek. He wished he had gotten in touch with Kakarot instead of him, if only because then Kakarot would be the one being driven mad by this nutcase.

"She told me when I saw her that you were missing your heart," Bardock followed almost a minute later. "I don't understand what she meant. But she told me… I don't know…"

The image of the visions he'd had before plagued his mind immediately. The woman holding the beating heart. Immediately something painful jabbed his stomach as Bardock spoke. The woman covered in blood. He could still hear the hum she was making while she held onto the beating heart in her hands. It was enough to make him stare at Bardock with a sense of fear, rather than a sense of pity. There was something more than unnerving about what he was saying.

The look he'd given him had stopped the words as Bardock half laughed at his response.

"Kid, I'm really bad at this stuff. I'm sure she'd be pissed if she knew I mentioned anything. Hell, she was just a figment of my imagination I'm pretty sure. She's been gone for a long time. I think its because I was finally able to see her in the past," he admitted, but Turles didn't believe it, which was even more horrifying. "But I think there was something there that was true."

"That you're an idiot?" Turles counted. "Or that you are wasting my time?"

"No…" Bardock's tone seemed to tense. "More that Kakarot never needed my help, and I was always a shitty dad. I wanted to tell you that… that I'm sorry. For getting you killed… and I'm sorry for everything else. I'm sorry I held everything against you and Raditz for the longest time. You won't have to worry about me bothering you after this. I'll leave you be. I thought we should talk one last time though before… well, before the end."

Something painful beat in his chest beat when Turles heard… well… heard his father apologize to him. It was something he could have never imagined, or even imagined he wanted. He still didn't want it even, it was more painful to hear it be said, then it was to have never heard it at all. Strangely, it was like listening to Bardock debase himself… and despite his feelings about the old ghost, it wasn't something he relished.

"Stop," Turles urged, raising his hand. "Don't apologize to me. I don't need to hear it."

The pause came and it was a welcome relief. His anger at it was the main thing he held onto, the main thing keeping him together. It was painful to hear this dead man shame himself in front of him, and for what? This was his chance to do what? Apologize to him? The only thing Turles ever truly craved was to gain revenge, or drive his "father" out. But now there was something pounding in his chest, and the only thing keeping this strange pain out, was his hatred for it, and for the man in front of him. The act was too much. Another cruel trick?

He was going to just leave after this, and stop harassing him?

Getting up, Turles almost breathed fire at his father as he sat there. Grabbing his head with one hand for a moment, he wanted to get this thing out of his head. In his ears he could hear his heart thumping louder and louder. What was more infuriating was he couldn't get away from the pain of hearing it. For a brief moment, he was reminded of when Gohan had taken his hand in the afterlife.

"What?" Turles asked, almost tempted to rip his hand away, but wanting to know why this child was acting so strange.

"Because I want you to remember me, and I want to remember how you tried to make me feel better," Gohan said, his sad smile almost growing in that moment. "Nobody should go anywhere without remembering the people they helped."

The boy offered him the kind of understanding he could never return or have for someone else. The woman he saw holding his head stared at him with a love he could never return or imagine receiving, and that hurt just as much. Even Raditz looming over him after he'd nearly gotten himself killed by Kakarot, displayed this again. Even as a Saiyan, he understood it. He understood the weakness behind it, and it not only grated him, it terrified him.

"I was wrong about you. You're a good person."

Why anyone would lie to him like that, he'd never understand. But he knew all of it just culminated in more pain. Because he knew it wasn't true, and for a splinter of a second… maybe he wanted it to be true. Most creatures in this world deceived themselves as to what they were. They believed themselves saints, when they were sinners. Turles didn't care about the difference between right and wrong, he only cared about strong and weak. But it didn't mean that he couldn't imagine himself as being something more than he was, and that was what the things which had slowly started to grow closer to him made him think about.

What a curse, to want that to be true.

Standing up in front of him, Bardock walked in front of him, placing a hand on his shoulder before beginning to move past, stopping only for the briefest moment.

"… I let you down. I was wrong, Turles."

When he walked away, Turles felt his father disappear. As he faded from his mind, he sensed their connection separate in the most definite way it ever had. As the tether snapped. It was gone. He could feel that it was gone entirely. He thought he'd be elated, but it felt… it felt empty. It all came to an end like this?

In his mind's eye, he could see a younger vision of himself reaching up, grabbing the hand of a father he knew wasn't there, and was now gone. Perhaps for the last moment of his life, he did see Bardock for who he should have been, and it reminded Turles who he himself wasn't. But the child seemed to tug on the arm, trying to stop him from leaving. A scene Turles knew never happened…

No.

Don't go.

The words that had haunted his vision before, sounding in his own voice in his head meant something to him, the tone, the inflection. When Bardock left, for the first time in over a year he felt… like he'd missed something, like something was… gone. For the briefest of seconds, he was that child, grabbing his father's hand. Perhaps a small part of him, the part of him that wanted to believe perhaps he was a good person, didn't want to be alone… alone with himself. Or worse, he'd wished Bardock was actually there.

I'm sorry.

The silence was deafening, only broken up by a thudding noise he could hear all around him. The palpitations in his chest didn't go away… it got worse. He could feel his lungs taking in air heavily as something started to open up. All of the pain he'd never seen, or ignored, and the pain of the other people who'd been in his life all came together. And for the first time in his life… Turles felt…

Awake.

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Raditz:

When the wave exploded from the Namekians mouth, Raditz mounted all of the power he had left. Behind him, Vegeta's body happened to lay. There wasn't a moment he didn't regret not leaving him in front of him. He honestly wanted to kill him himself, but it wouldn't matter anyway. If he moved out of the way, the Namek would just turn his facing towards him. If Vegeta regained consciousness, and this beam didn't kill him instantly.

Huge waves of sand had been kicked up from the destroyed wasteland that made up half of Coast City as the Namekian's full power was brought to bear. It was horrifying. Across from him was a power greater than the extent which he fought Frieza on Namek. Something neither he, or Vegeta would ever have a hope of stopping, even if they worked together. Part of him inside, hoped perhaps he'd somehow be as legendary as Kakarot. Increasingly though, he had come to realize that perhaps Kakarot would be the only Super Saiyan. No matter how much he, Vegeta, or Turles desired it, it would always be outside of their grasps.

When the monster opened it maw, Raditz saw Achatin's power on display. The light was blinding, and his hair immediately began to whip back violently. In front of him was the death he'd been concerned about only moments ago. The golden wall of energy coming towards him was something he could only hope to challenge in his wildest dreams. Focusing his energy ahead, Raditz however, assaulted the beam. A red wave of energy collided with the wave, before being washed away within seconds.

Raising his arms to guard himself in futility, he braced for impact as the wall of energy forked around him. It was hard to stop himself from trembling for a moment as he expected his own annihilation to shortly follow. Golden energy sparked around him, drenching the landscape. But he was fine… Looking down, he half expected to see he'd already died, before he looked up at the beam itself.

Turles?

Standing at the head of the blast, both of his hands shoved into the beam, Turles's body trembling as he exerted all of his energy just to hold the wave in place.

As he tried to approach, the force of the wave and confrontation of the energies involved sent him sprawling back. The wind picked up all around them as the purple energies at the core of the wave. Gradually, the purple was disappearing in the golden light however, flickering in a way he'd never seen before. The torrent of energy finally started to die off as the energy wave ceased after a dozen more seconds. The cascades of energy were still too much for him to stand. The sky seemed to darker as lightning trailed along the ground nearby. It was only then that Raditz began to realize what he was sensing.

"This is crazy," Raditz whispered almost in shock as a familiar anxiety overtook him.

Inside that energy, Raditz realized he sensed… pain… the ki was warped, riving almost, and it wouldn't stop expanding. The ground started to tremble as what was left of the ruins began to collapse in on themselves. Lightning struck again as Achatin stepped back nervously, his expression was filled with confusion as something happened which they both were shaken to the core with.

The screaming howl that escaped Turles's throat was insaiyan, inhuman, or whatever term he could think. It drew out for over a dozen seconds as the world started to tremble around them. The sky was black, if only for this sliver of time. The power was in the air, and Raditz could sense it, sending shivers up his body as he started to tremble at what he was witnessing.

Turles's body braced back finally as purple fire turned to gold. Hair flickered as a familiar hum drowned his eardrums. Unable to stop his heart from rapidly palpitating, Raditz was left stunned at what he was witnessing. It wasn't his first time seeing it with his own eyes. Gold and purple light blasted out in all directions as an immense power surged through the world around them. As the entire city quaked, the scream hadn't yet died as Turles's body hovered just above the ground.

"No," Vegeta gasped, the pain in his voice clearly born of his envy. "No not him too."

Turles's hair arched up finally, before the aura solidified around him as his pained cry intensified for but a few seconds before it died. As soon as it did the wave of energy rolled past them as a golden light blinded them both. Raditz couldn't turn away, even as his eyes burned, and he watched as his brother became a legend in front of him. As the light faded, mixed in with the sound of the aura, he could have sworn he heard a heartbeat.

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Achatin:

Alertness.

All Achatin could do was stare as this Saiyan defeated his beam, his power having gone completely erratic. It didn't make any sense, only a few minutes ago he'd not been strong enough to withstand a simple beating from him. Now he was defeating his greatest attack head on? When the golden glow appeared, he knew something was wrong. When the howl of agony escaped the creature in front of him like a birth scream, Achatin saw something he knew was a significant development. The planet itself seemed to respond to this awakening, casting lightning nearby.

What happened next, he couldn't believe. The hair transformed to gold, before arching up above his head. The same thrum which saturated Son Goku now covered this… this Saiyan. Taking a step back, Achatin felt the power in the air as it grew and grew.

"He… he was already beaten; how can this be?!" Achatin felt himself shout, rather than feeling the conscious command leaving his body.

When the scream ended from Turles, the Saiyan's feet landed back on the ground and he just stood there, looking over his hands, in disbelief himself.

He's glowing like the other one did.

"It doesn't matter, you've taken too much damage to be any threat to me," Achatin scoffed, telling himself more than anything.

Focusing his energies, Achatin knew now was the time to strike as the guard was down, pointing both his hands forward, an orb of black and golden energy formed between his hands. Firing the bolt as soon as it was ready, it rocketed towards his distracted target, going over the ruined ground from his mouth blast. When it hit, the explosive force sent a mushroom cloud into the air. Thousands of tons of debris carried into the air as the wasteland in the city turned into a crater in an apocalyptic blast.

Chunks of rock, and the underground infrastructure beneath the city kicked up, soaring past him as the shockwave carried the displaced materials in all directions. The gigantic smoke plum went a dozen kilometres into the sky as the gigantic crater sat in the heart of the blast.

All save a small pillar in the middle, seemingly unaffected in its entirety with the three Saiyans on it. The Prince was standing in frustration and disbelief, and the long haired one looked to be completely bewildered.

The one covered in gold was now staring directly at him, and all Achatin could see was hate in his eyes. The strange energy which appeared in the core of his previous blast, now assailed his senses. An energy level this huge…

No. This creature can't be this strong. He's as strong as the other one.

When he appeared in front of him, Achatin staggered back, feeling sweat forming across his head and face as he felt completely unable to follow his motions. Swinging out in a furious strike, his arm sailed through an empty space as the Saiyan seemed to dodge him without even moving. Only the faintest blur of motion gave anything away. Roaring with frustration, his mind still trying to keep up with what was happening, Achatin threw a dozen blows. His arms struck out, each time his fist striking clearly for Turles's face as the Saiyan's body just seemed displace itself with raw speed.

The winding noise his arms shooting out followed as he threw his arms forward again, this time extending out, whipping out to hit almost anything at all. Huge arms came wrapping around, tying to make contact with the figure who just blurred out of his view every time his arms swung through him. Retracting them rapidly, Achatin felt his eye twitch as the golden-haired figure appeared in front of him once more. Anger replaced every other emotion he felt in that moment.

"Is this a joke?!" Achatin snapped, seemingly asking the universe itself more than Turles before striking out once more before his fist was caught in the air.

The huge green hand was locked in place by a simple gesture from the other fighter. The reality of what was happening sunk to the bottom of his soul as he felt all of the force and energy from his blow evaporate, and this thing didn't seem fazed in the slightest. The Saiyan's arm hadn't even jerked back from the blow.

"W-wait," he was quick to say. "I-"

The resonating sound of the aura around the Super Saiyan left him trembling as he felt even the edges of the power in front of him.

Instead of heeding his request, Achatin felt a single blow punch through his abdomen. It was impossible for him not to gag as his spine and stomach were shredded, blood gagged out of his mouth before a single kick landed on his jaw, snapping it on both sides of his skull before he felt himself skid across the surface of the wasteland. When he landed on his front, he dragged to a halt over what seemed like a hundred metres. Even as the wounds on his body regenerated, he tried to get up, but the shock of the attack was too much.

I… I can't…. I can't get up.

When his eyes looked up, he saw the Saiyan looming over him, his eyes filled with a coldness he'd never seen.

Opening his hand as purple energies gathered into it, the Super Saiyan uttered the phrase he'd left a thousand warriors with before their deaths.

"Trouble standing?"

The energy grew brighter as Achatin desperately tried to get up once more, slipping as his body responded awkwardly.

… then fall.

His own words echoed in his mind as the world turned to brightness as his body started to burn, being washed away like sand in dumped into an ocean. Achatin only had time to scream before it was over.

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Vegeta:

Curse them both, another one.

The wave of purple light washed away the Namekian brute as if he'd been little more than one of Frieza's plebeian guards. The golden energy trailed into the sky before blasting off towards where they could all sense Kakarot. Where they could now clearly sense Kakarot playing a losing game against Lord Slug. Even now as he measured their powers… Turles was almost as strong as Kakarot at his peak power. If this Lord Slug could stop Kakarot so far, he didn't see what the two of them together, even with all their strength, could do…

But even if they won, it only opened up a worse fact. He'd been left behind, first by Kakarot, and now by Turles. He had the luxury of being in the same camp as Raditz… He was left to be a mere witness to the legend being reborn once again, this time from Kakarot's sibling. A greater fear traced the periphery in his mind…

What if its in their blood?

Staring with resentment at Raditz, Vegeta felt his fist tighten as much as it could given how badly injured his body was. How could he? Prince Vegeta? Descended from the royalty of the Saiyan Race, who were descended from one of the original Super Saiyan's lines… be beaten to the goal by these simpletons? This trash was overtaking him. Not only was it overtaking him, it was disgracing him in the eyes of his ancestors. Of the four of their species left alive in this time… he was behind two of them.

"Unbelievable," Vegeta snapped. "I've been denied… again…"

The only one who could hear him as they stood atop the tenuis pillar in the midst of the crater was Raditz, who was staring after his brother. He didn't even respond to his remark, which was for the better.

"It's more than power," was all the Saiyan said after a few moments.

Whatever that meant, Vegeta didn't understand. All Vegeta knew was watching another one of these third-class rejects turn into the thing he'd desired his whole life.

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Bardock:

Hell's landscape rolled with fire as a storm rolled through. It'd not be long now, not before he was killed down here again. Standing atop a mountain of spiked balls, his eyes looked at the others who had accepted their fate. It was pointless to run down here, death would find you again and again. It was apart of the suffering this place brought to everyone who was here. Behind the fire storm however, Bardock was able to see into the world where he'd severed his connection. He could see the world as if he were there, looking in both where he was, and where he'd been.

For all his years down here, he'd wanted nothing more than to talk to Kakarot. The image of his son standing tall over Frieza's defeated form was the thing that gave him a reason to endure the nightmares he suffered. This world was a desert, an infinity filled with monsters from the beginning of time. It was the end of all things, and it was suffering.

The day he'd made contact with the outside world, his mind desperately reaching for Kakarot, something he could never touch, all the time wanting to warn him of what had yet to come, or to just talk to someone he knew he was proud of, it was a relief he couldn't describe.

Just like everything in Hell though, it was a mirage. It was like drinking sand instead of water when he realized exactly what he'd found. Disrespectful, duplicitous, dishonourable, and violent, those were the words he used to describe what he'd found. It was the universe's last cruel joke to play on him. He'd found exactly what he didn't want to find. And worse, his only true escape from this world was seeing the world through its eyes.

Visions of the future and past were no escape from here. The present was. And he got to see the present for all of its lacking. Perhaps it was Turles that let him finally see into the past though, where he was always too afraid to peer. After over twenty years of possessing the sight, the psychic powers blessed to him, he knew his limitations. Looking into his own past was almost impossible. Even if by mistake though, he knew now he'd looked into Turles's past directly, their connection allowed that. It was a painful gift, but really the greatest one he'd received since he'd died.

In the torrent of destruction edging ever closer, Bardock felt himself smile at its warmth, even if remorsefully. It was good to see her again. For all the pain it brought him, it gave him a moment more precious than he'd ever admit to anyone. It let him see himself, and it let him see the parts of his own life he'd not wanted to see. Even if only for a few minutes of his eternity of suffering, Bardock felt content.

In the fire, he could see Turles standing in front of Raditz. A golden aura saturated him as his hair turned to gold. For all his flaws, Bardock saw something he'd never have admitted a year ago.

For the first time in his life, Bardock did the thing he'd been afraid of since Raditz had been sent to planet Siren.

"Be his father and you'll find a way."

And part of that meant letting go. It meant letting go of the past. He'd been holding everything back, all of his own pain and fears kept him dwelling on the things he could never be. He could never be alive again, and he could never speak to Kakarot. But when he saw the golden warrior emerging in front of his very eyes in another world, Bardock knew he'd done the right thing. The worst thing was, when he left, he felt himself clinging on until the very last second.

He used to be afraid of letting go because of a fear for Kakarot, or for fear that he'd lose his one chance to speak to the Son who'd inspired him to challenge Frieza. When he finally broke the connection, he was afraid of something else. He was afraid that he'd done the wrong thing. When Yasa asked him… when he thought she asked him in his head, to be a father… he didn't know what that meant.

And only when he cut the connection, only after he'd told Turles the truth after all the months they'd spent together, did he understand what that meant.

It felt like someone took his hand a second later. Turning his eyes to the right, and slowly moving his head, he saw Yasa standing next to him, smiling. Their fingers intertwined a moment later, even if he knew it wasn't real. It was real enough. The way she smiled at him made it not matter, even as the flames and wind from the storm encroached on him.

When he looked back to the firestorm, all he was met with was the vision of the present. He stared into it, seeing his son.

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Author's Notes:

My Friday nights have been busy lately. So that means another release at the end of Thursday. Also, I go on vacation... soon! So hopefully that will be the window for me to finish the 80% of the Janemba Chapter I've been picking away at for the last few weeks -.-

What a chapter to write. Where to even start? I knew Achatin had to run over Turles, Vegeta, and Raditz before things got to the point where Turles got to have his moment with Bardock. I also really enjoyed writing the transformation. Achatin was a brief warmup for Turles in his new form, even if he didn't think of it that way. So that's the second Super Saiyan to join the club. I've rewritten and edited the part between Bardock and Turles like a dozen times, tweaking it to try and really help it work as a piece. I hope it came across as good.

Also, when Turles confronts Achatin's blast, before transforming, that whole scene all the way through to his transformation and his defeat of Achatin, I wrote while listening to KMFDM's "Juke Joint Jezebel", even if it seems out of place (Given the subject of the song), for whatever reason it felt perfect while writing Turles's big moment. Lol

Please review! It's a pretty big chapter. And next chapter, we get to have the final outing in Chapter 63.

"Chapter 63: The Super Namek"

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Reviewers:

KagariAsuha: When I get a chance, I'll probably edit that.

AquarianKing: I think I answered by PM. But expect Vegeta to diverge from his canon counterpart here. Doesn't mean he won't find his way to something nicer than he currently is, but nefarious Vegeta is probably going to be around for a while. The other Saiyans and competition are a bad influence on him, lol.

Super Mystic Gohan: Filler? But that chapter is vital to this chapter :P

Perfect Carnage: Lobo! LOOOOOBOOOOO! lol

Warga: Yea, I'll probably be changing it when I get a chance to do edits.

Luke: It meant a lot it looks like :P

Michael Stone: Thanks for letting me know. :)

Thomas-The-TMC: I think I answered by PM.

DarkFalconZ: Yea, most of the Saiyans are war criminals. They're all kinda dickheads. lol

OuterSpaceHooker: It's a major part of his pain, it's something he can't forget. So it's gotta be there :)