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.

96. Chapter 96: Politics

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 VI

Chapter 96: Politics.

Raditz:

"Secret's out," Raditz commented to his nephew as they took through the air, his voice calling out over the wind, smiling as he did. "To be as strong as you are now, I'm very proud."

Everyone had laid the compliments at the feat of his nephew, but so far, he'd been the last one to do so. He got allocated to the group with Piccolo and Gohan. The others, namely Tien, Trunks, Turles, and Krillin, were scouting out their own half of the world. Any signs of the Androids in the air, any signs of something abnormal, they were going to check it out.

There was a complete lack of a response, leaving Raditz to look ahead again. It appeared that his reputation preceded him again. The humans he understood being judgemental and petty. The Namek and he had an understanding, but his own nephew? Right now, one of the only people in the world who cared if he lived or died, was his nephew. The question was to him, what had he done? Was his future self such a monster?

There was a clarity, if only for a second, that Raditz realized he'd lost the plot. He was a monster. What Violet had told him all those years ago was true. He killed people. He killed their families, their friends, and their worlds. He even threw everything away, and killed more people, for a chance at revenge. That clarity held firm long enough for him to suppose enough, why his nephew didn't seem to want to talk with him. Especially after his recent encounter with his other uncle.

"Piccolo," Gohan spoke up, looking towards the Namekian seriously. "So, we're heading to my dad's house first?"

"I want to sweep over the surrounding area first," Piccolo urged. "Then we'll see if they've made it to Goku's house."

"After the thrashing you gave them, I don't think some of them will be in the condition to look to fight Kakarot this soon," Raditz pointed out. "They don't have Senzu Beans, or magical healing, as far as I am aware."

There was a moment of regard from Piccolo before he gestured for them to stop in the air. His feet turned groundward as Raditz halted his flight, along with the other Saiyan amongst them.

"If they're really doing what you suggest, they might be hiding under the surface for days or weeks," Piccolo responded bluntly. "Without the ability to detect them, we're going to need to find an alternative. Gohan, in your time, how did you track the Androids?"

An uncomfortable pause came from the other fighter as he let his eyes avert. This immediately told Raditz what he was going to say before he spoke. Whether this iteration of his nephew, or the one from this time, he could tell there was something disappointing to be said. It was all triage, wasn't it? Waiting for the strike to happen, and then dealing with it as it unfolded.

"In the future, we don't have any special technique to track them. When there is an attack, we responded as quickly as we could to get there. Most of the time, the city was already devastated by the time we got there. People would be dead, a lot of them would be maimed. There just wasn't much you could do for them. But… but we can stop them here. Piccolo, I know you can do it."

The Namek was this boy's hero. He could see the hope in him when he said it, it was almost religious. This was the Piccolo that hadn't disappointed him, as he was sure that the people in his own time had. He knew the story already, everyone was dead. Kakarot, the Namek, all of his friends. Hell, he knew he was dead, but he was guessing it wasn't revolving around the Androids in that world. The cold reception he'd received so far from his nephew told him that they didn't have any kind of close proximity in terms of their relations with one another.

Another disappointment to tack on.

The Namek didn't seem as certain as Gohan, however.

"Maybe, but they're not going to be caught unaware again," Piccolo pointed out. "I'm not invincible."

"We'll isolate them, take them out one by one," Gohan offered.

"Easier said than done. Once they see the Namek, they'll close ranks, and that would be very difficult to overcome," Raditz chimed in. "Even with the others helping. Vegeta, Turles, Trunks, and yourself aren't particularly effective against them. Which means it all comes down to the Namek. He will perform worse if they're working together properly, and if the other Androids get involved."

It was just honesty, why bother deluding themselves?

The other Saiyan became quiet before sighing. That was definitely the same look of defeat he knew all too well.

"It's happening again, and I thought I could stop it."

"You still might," Piccolo said, turning his attention to the horizon. "But we need to find a better way of tracking their movements, or narrowing in on their location."

"You also need to get a handle on Turles. He's playing you all for fools," Gohan said, concern clearly ebbing in his voice. "He's trying to manipulate all of you. He's trying to guide me, and my younger self. He's spreading a web like a spider to control everyone."

"We know," Piccolo responded bluntly. "But right now, especially, we need him. Believe it or not, he's better than he used to be."

"I find that hard to believe."

"He's tried to kill everyone at least twice."

"Twice? Really? Dad gave that guy multiple chances?"

The disrespect his brother was receiving wasn't entirely unwarranted, but Raditz didn't exactly want to hear it. At least one of them here considered his brother a problem, and even if Raditz understood that, they were only alive, even right now, because of the actions Turles took against the other Android. As far as Raditz was concerned, Turles was a team player, even if he understood himself that he was only doing it to benefit himself.

"He also saved your life, Gohan, or at least your younger self's, life. You were there for it too, Namek," Raditz pointed out coolly.

"I also remember Turles being a tyrant until Goku showed back up," Piccolo pointed out seriously. "But yea. I remember it."

His nephew looked between the two of them, before looking over to him.

"Everything that guy does is calculated," he offered up. "Everything has an alternative motive. He told me himself. He was trying to give me advice on how to do it."

It was ironic. Not that Raditz was privy to what Turles had spoken with Gohan about, but he suspected that he was trying to help him, in his own way. His older brother's nature however, was very much different from Kakarot's, and Gohan was very much Kakarot's son. If he didn't grow up around it, he'd not really understand.

"Because you're his nephew," Raditz pointed out, crossing his arms as he did. "The fate of our Gohan has been a concern for both Turles and myself. The Namek as well, has an interest in the fate of Kakarot's son. If he's telling you anything that resembles his true motives, then he's trying to help you."

"Yea, he can keep his help," Gohan immediately said back. "Anything that guy does has a high price attached to it, and the sooner you guys deal with him, the better off you'll be."

The tension in the air noticeably increased as Raditz felt himself ball his fist.

"I think you'll all have bigger problems then that, if I'm going to be honest," a new voice emerged. "Though perhaps I can be of some help."

The hairs on Raditz's neck immediately raised when he realized it wasn't Gohan or Piccolo, and it certainly wasn't belonging to any of Kakarot's other friends. While turning his head, he saw a confused Gohan, and a livid Piccolo. When his eyes fixed on the small figure floating in the air, his cloak gently brushed by the winds around them, Raditz tried to look for some sign of recognition. He really didn't recognize him. There was something uncomfortable about him though, a kind of sickness almost, or uncertainty. The pale, turquoise colouration was noteworthy, but it was his eyes.

Red eyes that stared back at him like pools of blood, mixed with swirling agony. He could almost hear screams when he looked right at him. This was a devil, that much he was sure.

"Who the Hell are you?"

The figure smiled, looking towards Piccolo, before looking back at the rest of them.

"You may call me Garlic, Garlic Junior."

As soon as he spoke again, Raditz could hear Piccolo growl. Though the midget didn't seem to focus his gaze on him, or even on Raditz himself… he was staring at Gohan of all people.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Garlic Junior: The Dead Zone

Being left in the dark, ironically, wasn't something Garlic enjoyed in the slightest. Right now, he could see events unfolding that were more than unexpected. There were too many Androids, and too quickly. Even in the branching timelines they'd witnessed, they'd not seen this volume before. Their interference was leading to increasingly complicated issues that they were running out of ability to control, and worst yet, the one at the head of their organization, having slowly wormed his way into the role as far as Garlic was concerned, King Piccolo, was not being helpful.

None of the plans were getting explained. His own proposals were being shot down, not even by Cold and his son, but by Piccolo at every turn. The 'demon' lord was becoming increasingly difficult to manage, and he was beginning to understand that he found himself no longer in the role as a partner, but in the role of a servant. His use of the Dead Zone had become King Piccolo's private get-away, and even now, as he floated towards the castle built now at the very core of the darkness around him, he felt as though this was increasingly not his domain, or the domain of his father.

Worse, he'd stolen Kami. King Piccolo wasn't a spirit anymore, or some detached consciousness. The soulless monster that his ally had been, had devoured the soul he once was, it seemed. Garlic had been there when he'd seen his enemy, one of those he'd desired revenge upon tormented before eventually being absorbed into the great demon king. The only issue was, with his halo gone, Garlic had seen Piccolo disappear from the Dead Zone repeatedly, disappearing for days at a time and returning changed, different somehow. He suspected he'd been acquiring more power, more strength. How strong was he now? He didn't even know.

But he knew that his power was being stunted by the actions of his ally, not green-lighting any of his plans. The Colds were being left out in the wings as well, and so Garlic knew now was the time for change. It was time to confront his ally, even if not openly, in order to better understand what was happening.

Because even if King Piccolo was stronger, and even if the Earth's Warriors were all killed, including Son Goku, Piccolo, and Son Gohan, that still left what was to be the world they inherited. There were still other problems, like Majin Buu. The Destroyer hadn't turned his gaze to this world yet. Escalation would continue to happen and they had to account for it. Even with King Piccolo trying to increase his power, there was a matter of just reality. They had a window to act, and that window would close if someone like Gohan achieved his new level of power.

Perhaps Cooler could mirror his brother's power at some point, but even he seemed weaker than Frieza. What was fascinating to note how indifferent Cooler seemed to the idea of his brother's resurrection, while his father seemed upset that Frieza, in their knowledge of the future, opted to never resurrect his father, on purpose.

To know the future… the future without them in it, was as much a curse, as it was an asset. They could all see their failures, or their lack of existence, in the futures they had spied. Their eyes remained on the present from oblivion, within the Dead Zone, and Garlic was more than concerned with how things were going now.

Stepping through the threshold, the red-light from orbs of ki illuminating his every step as he approached the throne the King of Demons sat upon, Garlic did him no courtesy, such as bowing, he wasn't his King, after all.

The green figure stared down at him, his attention turning towards him within moments as he could see the change within his partner. He could sense the changes in his energy and he wasn't sure what to think now. How powerful was he, and what was his plan? That was the important questions being left in the space between them now. There was a subtle hum in the air as Garlic felt the energy between them, realizing his own power now paled in comparison to the other's. Cooler and King Cold would be his inferiors now… perhaps even Piccolo on Earth, at the moment.

And perhaps its even more. Is this such the tip of his real power? I know he's hiding it. What has he been doing?

"What?" King Piccolo asked, his tone cold and disinterested. "Have you come to disturb me again? I'm uninterested in the fate of your plan, Garlic."

No, he'd not come on behalf of his plan, not this time.

"No, I've come to see what your plan has been. You've not been here. You've not been informative ever since your combining with Kami…"

"And what do you need to know, Garlic?"

"What have you been doing? What are the plans to acquire our revenge? Slug failed, and the Androids have been spiraling out of control. King Cold would like to know if we could locate Planet Namek in order to Resurrect Frieza."

"That failure? Why bother. He'll fail in the future as well. He's not necessary."

"But we know that Frieza, with minimal effort, could train and exact his revenge. So, you're pinning our hopes on the Androids, who we might not be able to control afterwards? Cell is far from trustworthy if you're hoping to make a deal…"

"Cell? Deal? There is no need. We'll allow things to play out and see what happens. They don't even know what's been happening on the Earth, Piccolo has no foreknowledge. After these machines and the humans degrade one another, then we'll decide what to do."

"The boymight achieve a power beyond our control," Garlic growled. "There are too many vectors that could be a problem. We should be playing a role in deciding the outcome that best positions us to achieve our revenge."

By the time he finished speaking, King Piccolo had already risen from his throne, beginning to take steps towards him. An anxious tremor invisibly moved through his body as the large Namek stood before him, his yellow-black eyes piercing him as the cold, brutal demeanour on his face didn't flinch. He wasn't interested, clearly, in what Garlic had to say.

"And what did you have in mind, Garlic?" the tone was more than uncomfortable to hear as the two Catalysts met one another, face to face. "Especially when our previous interventions have not had the desired effects?"

He was immortal, but that didn't mean he could win this fight, not now, not anymore. He'd given the King reign over the Dead Zone, as Piccolo could at least control it enough to open ports in and out of the dimension. Now that Piccolo was stronger than him, perhaps he thought he was no longer required. He'd already had his suspicions, but they were rapidly being confirmed.

"We should ensure that whichever side wins, they are weakened. If Gero's Androids are successful, that they aren't too strong. Or if Son Goku and his friends overcome them, they are weakened. Perhaps we could arrange for more than just Son Goku to die at the hands of Cell. Or we could…"

"You think so small, you know that Garlic?" Piccolo cut him off. "Thinking of revenge on only that scale. That is why you are where you are, and I have become something more. My revenge would only be the beginning of allowing a universe to be ruled by anarchy and violence. You, like the Colds, want to simply be at the top and reigning down upon all others."

There were a few moments where he thought to bark back, but Garlic kept his composure, feeling himself repress a growl at being talked down to.

"And what would you propose, King Piccolo?" Garlic offered in turn, daring him to actually tell him what he wanted, for once.

"I propose letting the dog savage one another, and that the strongest will emerge between them. It won't matter anyway. My plans supersede all of that. My revenge will be realized either way, and then my vision can be enacted."

A world of total anarchy? Not that Garlic minded, but that hardly left them with any control. Though he suspected King Piccolo cared not for the plight of his allies. They were all self interested of course, but the King was now bold faced about it. They were indeed Catalysts, but they were not the same any longer. The only commonality they had remaining was even at its barest level, being that of a desire to extract revenge on Son Goku and his compatriots.

"And how is that going to be realized?"

Behind King Piccolo, Garlic noticed movement, and the rattling of chains.

"All in due time, Garlic."

There was something deeply wrong here, as the smaller frame of the two backed away, seeing the silhouette of a Saiyan… and looking back at King Piccolo who was smiling darkly at him. Energy rippled off of his body, but only for a moment before his grin continued to grow.

"It's already starting. Even."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Turles:

The familiarity of the building was not comforting at the moment for him. An annoyed glance turned to his side, glancing at the band of rejects he'd been given to captain. Of course, they were all equals, but there was very much an understanding of who was in charge. Piccolo was in charge of Raditz and Gohan on their quest to find the Androids, and he was in charge of the humans and the bastard. He was going to play nice, at least for the moment, given that he didn't need his apartment annihilated in an altercation over the fact that he was being saddled with these incompetents and invalids.

"I thought Piccolo said we were avoiding going here," Krillin remarked as they touched down on the roof of his condo.

"Keep your power down, I'm just coming to change into my armour and get out of these wretched clothes. I'd rather not cosplay as Kakarot anymore than I have to."

"Well, can we come inside at least?" Krillin asked.

"Absolutely not," Turles almost spat. "It's bad enough that you're even here."

"Team player all the way with you, isn't it?" Tien asked, his gaze dim and unimpressed.

He didn't need to impress any of these insects.

"You must be great at family dinners," Trunks remarked, rolling his eyes.

Rolling his eyes, Turles started to walk towards the entrance before smirking at the teenager behind him.

"Probably not, but at least I've had, family dinners," he offered, closing the door behind him as the bastard glared with a real, genuine hatred. It seemed Vegeta's beating had tamed the teenager enough for him not to fly off the handle.

Good.

The thought applied to both the other Saiyan's derision, and Vegeta's beating teaching him a thing or two.

Walking the halls of the building which lead to his space which was called his 'home', Turles managed to reflect on his surroundings, if only briefly. How preposterous it all seemed. Well kept human halls and primitive artificial lights covered his waltz. His previous homes had been the halls of great star ships, designed to travel the void. They were built by skilled machines and hyper intelligent minds. The surface of the ships hull and interiors were built to a perfect shape and durability. This place was covered with drywall, a human invention designed to be replaceable. The luxuries on this world were quant, ranging from the idle to the primitively decadent. He indulged it all, because he needed to blend in, but truth be told it all felt hollow.

Because it was.

His door slid open as he inserted his key and twisted. Pushing past the wooden shape, he closed it behind him before striding through to his living room and kitchen. Before even acknowledging his nephew or his brother's father-in-law, Turles spied for any changes. He didn't like it when people disrupted his surroundings. It was one reason why when he'd put Raditz up, he was irritated most of the time. Not to say that his brother was a slob, but his brother didn't put things back the way he wanted them. Already he could see that his kitchen was out of place, though it seemed for cooking. He didn't have an excuse to be irritated about that yet.

Yet, being the key term.

When he spied Gohan, he saw his nephew sitting next to his grandfather, and clearly wasn't exuberant to see him. This meant he expected that something was out of place. It dawned on him a second later that he expected Kakarot to be on some make-shift couch-bed. He'd already prepared himself for that, he'd accepted it while Raditz was here, and would have accepted it now. Meaning either Kakarot wasn't here, or that he was in his bed.

The look his nephew gave him, confirmed it, who just seemed to be very quiet, like he didn't want to be involved, at all.

Rounding the corner with a stiff stride, Turles opened his bedroom door to see his room, with its hard wood flooring, and well placed, comfortable bed, being utilized as a triage for Kakarot's dead weight. He felt his jaw tightening as he held his tongue while Chi-Chi stayed at his brother's side. His eyes scanned the room rapidly, seeing his next day's attire already out of place, moved to the other side of the room, and he could see that his side table have been moved from where he liked it, to support a chair for her to sit on next to his dear brother.

He quietly hoped the virus took Kakarot for this defilement of his surroundings.

"Oh," Chi-Chi remarked, turning to look at him. "Thank you so much for letting your brother stay here. We didn't know where to put him, so it just made sense to put him in the only bed here. The rest of us are going to sleep in the living room."

It took several seconds for him to compose his answer, wanting to assume the friendly brother persona he'd built for himself, but he couldn't bring it up, not at this moment.

Gohan would have told her to set the couches up, he knows full well I would never let someone else into my space.

In the face of the bold-faced lie, Turles could see the look of understanding cross Chi-Chi's face as she realized that he was upset. He'd unfortunately telegraphed it.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, fine," he answered shortly. "I'd expected Kakarot to be on the couches, that's all."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I just thought it was best that he was here. He needs to be comfortable."

"Yes, of course," he lied, knowing full well Kakarot was a Saiyan. He could sleep on jagged rocks and sleep fine, as far as he was concerned. Comfort was a luxury, and it was something he could afford, and clearly Kakarot could not.

"We… we can move him, if you want. I'm sure we can put the couches together…"

"No, it's fine," Turles cut her off, knowing she didn't expect him to take her up on her request. If he weren't so irritated, he'd be impressed. "I'm going to need a moment in here to get cleaned up and get changed."

"Of course, I'll be in the living room."

When she got up, she instinctively knew to keep her distance, more so than usual, side-stepping him as she kept her expression neutral, though there was an element of embarrassment. When the door closed, he could hear Gohan say in a whispered tone.

"I told you," he warned.

"I didn't think it'd be a big deal."

The brief, hushed argument continued, though Turles was no longer listening as he stalked past his bed, with his brother's near-corpse on it, stepping into his personal bathroom. He quickly looked over it, making sure nothing was out of place. The medical cabinet was open, and thankfully it was empty outside of a few bandages and disinfectant. He closed it, before going about the business of cleaning himself. Hot water from the shower, the sensation of his teeth being brushed, and drying himself off after the collection of minutes, didn't feel as refreshing as it normally did, given that his brother was intruding on his space.

Stepping out of the bathroom, he opened his wardrobe, pulling one of the valued pieces of Saiyan armour and its under-suit from it. It was time, unfortunately, to expend one of these valued sets. Slipping it on, he pulled back his gloves as he looked down at the currently peaceful face on Kakarot's exterior.

It'd have been so easy to smother him right now. A pillow over the face, there wouldn't be much of a struggle, really. Murdering Kakarot in his sleep however, despite being a pleasant fantasy, was just that. Clearly, the others in this condo trusted him enough to leave him, unattended, with Kakarot. It was touching, and it was a trust that could only be given up for a real gain. Killing Kakarot right now, under these circumstances, would be no gain for himself. Though he couldn't help but hate the serene face that matched his own, barring some minor tone changes to the skin.

"I'll need to throw this bed out once your corpse is done with it," Turles sounded to himself, sounding cold and irritated as his digits finished fitting into his glove perfectly.

"Man, you're so harsh."

Turles's eyes flashed with surprise, thinking for a brief second that it was his father speaking, when Kakarot's head stirred, every so slightly, his left eye barely breaking, and looking at him. The exhausted Saiyan barely was able to exert enough conscious influence to look at him, and Turles felt himself coil in anger at the sight.

"Yea, good to see you too," he heard, with an amused spark in the tone.

"So, you're on the cusp of recover then? I'm sure everyone will be overjoyed when you roll out of my bed. They'll be pleased to see you. I'll be pleased to be rid of you."

"Thanks, I love you too. This takes a lot out of me; we should cut to the chase."

"What?" Turles demanded. "I was having a perfectly good daydream of you dying."

"I sensed Piccolo's power, but it might not be enough. While I've been dreaming, I've seen it."

"Seen what?"

"What it is to go beyond. I can see it. We need to achieve a form beyond a Super Saiyan."

Whatever fever riddled visions Kakarot was having, Turles trusted them about as much as he trusted Bardock to tell him that Kakarot was the worse son between the two of them. There was a nagging sensation however, that there was some truth to it. Worse though, was that if he believed this, then he'd work as a fanatic to achieve it. Which meant Kakarot's power may expand exponentially if not checked, or if he didn't narrow his own focus in the same way. An irritated sneer crossed his face as he saw Kakarot's mouth twitch slightly into a smile.

"What? I'm telling you the truth. You can feel it too. I know Vegeta can as well, despite what's happening. You, Vegeta, and I will all strive to reach the goal first."

The goal. There it was again. The next plateau to reach, if there was such a thing to climb towards.

Looking towards the door, he then looked back at his prophetic brother, the irony of that thought wasn't lost on him. He'd seen nothing insinuating it to himself of course… but that didn't mean it was wrong. The vague notion his brother spoke of was something that he couldn't lie about being somewhat present. A Super Saiyan was the strongest being in existence, yet was being toppled by Namekians, and Androids. If the legends were true, if the new goal were real, then they wouldn't have been toppled so quickly or easily.

"And I know what you did in that fight with the Androids, Turles. Thank you, I know how you played on the team and worked with the others, even if they don't fully realize it yet."

"Nonsense, I just made the right play. Don't thank me for saving my own skin."

"But did you?"

Now Turles's sneer intensified before pulling the armoured plate over his chest.

"Go back to sleep, and don't bug me about this again when you wake up. I've got Androids to kill."

"There is something wrong out there, and it's not the Androids. I can feel it."

Briefly, in his mind's eye, Turles could see two slits staring back at him, before he heard the clicking of an animal, followed by a low growl and abnormal grin. The swishing of a tail, and the screams of the dying, faded into gurgling noises. More ravings from visions he didn't fully understand, of course. But he could feel it now, just as Kakarot spoke in his mind.

When his mind cleared, he remained staring at the door.

"Whatever."

Walking towards the door, he grasped the handle before turning his head slightly.

"How long until you get your ass up?"

"I can feel my body recovering… soon… a couple days."

A couple days. Great, he was going to need to play Kakarot for a few more days, even if he didn't carry his ridiculous moniker and attire.

"How's he doing?" Gohan asked, looking up at him as he opened the door.

"Terrible," Turles answered. "I don't know if he'll pull through."

"You're such a dick."

Thankfully, with the last of Kakarot's strength fading for now, Turles hid a smirk as Chi-Chi rushed past him, running to her ailing husband's side. Just in time, ironically, for him to leave.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Piccolo:

Garlic, how the Hell did he get out of the Dead Zone? And what's he doing here? Even if he's immortal, he has to know how weak he is by comparison. Even if he's hiding some new power, he can't be strong enough to beat anyone here.

When it rained, it poured. Kami disappears and his connection with him is completely severed. The Androids arrive in greater numbers and variety than ever expected, and now Garlic Junior was here, and he was the only one who understood at all what this thing was. Gohan likely didn't even remember him.

"Well, I'm glad at least my friend Piccolo remembers me well. Tell me, Piccolo, are you doing well? How is that power treating you? Bet you couldn't have imagined you'd be the one defeating the Androids, could you?"

What?

The others looked equally surprised by the words spoken, if only because there was no way that Garlic could have known about the Androids. They didn't even know who he is, but they knew this guy wasn't amongst their team.

"Do you know this guy?" Gohan whispered.

"I know all of you, actually. But two of you know me," Garlic remarked. "It hurts to know that I left such a small impression on you, Gohan. After all, I'm the first person you truly wounded. Don't you remember? Throwing me into a pit of eternal darkness for all eternity?"

The Saiyan just stared back at Garlic with bewilderment as Garlic revealed how he really felt, if only for a second. The seething hatred oozing off the tiny creature could be displayed, and for a second the mask slipped. There was some real power there, Piccolo could sense it bubbling beneath the surface. It wasn't on par with the Androids or himself, or the Super Saiyans, but his demonic counterpart had made progress in whatever Hell he'd been trapped away in.

He even knows this is Gohan. This is bad.

"Is this a fight that you're looking for, Garlic?" Piccolo asked openly. "Because right now, the only extra problem I can see here, is you."

"Well, aren't you testy, is that alien brain of yours still scrambled after poor Kami disappeared? Or should I say, once he was separated from you?"

Piccolo's eyes flashed open wide in surprise. He knew about that too. Worse, it was all starting to come together, Garlic knew who was involved, if he wasn't involved himself!? It was starting to make sense. His fists balled immediately as he realized the part of him that was Nail was well and truly gone.

Garlic could see how upset he was, and just smiled darkly in response.

"I almost am tempted not to tell you why I came now, if only because I so enjoy watching all of you bumble your way through your problems. Whether it be our compatriot Raditz here trying to murder Bulma, only to be humiliated by his rival. Or if it is the wayward, dead man from the future, who survives in a world he was meant to die in, only to stumble into the real survivor here, in this world."

Now Gohan's eyes lit up again as Raditz growled dangerous.

"Listen, midget," Raditz seethed. "If you think for think for one moment, I'm going to…"

Raising his hand, Piccolo felt a wave of power ripple off of it, coursing through the air. Raditz grunted before his body trembled against the energy, becoming even angrier.

"Piccolo, can't you keep all of these fools under control? It's so humiliating. To have underlings who don't understand your directives, it's so sad. Turles kept everyone in line better than you have so far. I guess only Son Goku is really cut out for that kind of thing…"

The little imp even closed his eyes arrogantly.

Piccolo needed to make a decision. Push for information about Kami? No, that wouldn't make any sense. So far Garlic was just delighting in trying to prove he knew so much about all of them, however he did, that was a problem for later. Right now, revealing Garlic's real intention for coming here was what was on the agenda. And doing it while playing nice wasn't on Piccolo's radar.

"If you know so much, then why are you here, Garlic? Because I know someone as pathetic as you would never even bother coming here unless you came here to get something. Whatever you think you know about us, I don't care. So just tell us now." Piccolo demanded. "Or did you just come here to spit out some hot air and pretend to be relevant? Just like you did before you got thrown into the Dead Zone."

It was Garlic's turn to open his eyes in surprise, before he saw the little creature trembling with a genuine, real anger. Teeth remained locked together as a small growl of frustration edged out of his throat. Piccolo could tell Garlic was imagining getting his revenge, at that time, even for the smallest slight. He'd not changed at all. He was just as petty as when they'd met before. The wish for immortality itself was born of his insecurities, and it still showed.

Even now, he was nothing more than a side-show, trying to be important.

Slowly, the demon composed himself as Garlic closed his eyes carefully, this time to calm down and breathe in.

"How the Hell does he know all this?" Raditz asked, turning to look at him.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Garlic finally spoke, his face coming back to the delighted fiend before staring coldly back at Piccolo, exerting any power at all must have been what brought him some modicum of joy.

Piccolo's patience was wearing thin as he began to gather ki.

"Uh uh uh, I wouldn't do that if I were you, Piccolo, otherwise you'll not hear the answer you wanted from me just a few moments earlier," Garlic warned, raising his hand again, though this time not sending a wave of force along with it. "Circumstances would have it, that all of you have altered the flow of events very much. So much so, that you're not getting the information necessary to deal with a very large threat to the Earth."

"We know about the Androids," Gohan shot back right away. "And what do you mean the flow of events?"

"It's obvious isn't it? You're here, aren't you? As well as Trunks. Time has changed. You can't tell me you didn't figure that out for yourselves…" Garlic informed, his smile growing with satisfaction with every word. "Ah, but do you know about all, the Androids, Gohan? You only knew about 17 and 18 before you came here. Such a shame. What if I were to tell you there is one more Android here, that followed you back in time?"

"… Wh…what?" Gohan choked.

Something in Piccolo's gut told him this was true. If Garlic knew all this… how else did he know? And if he did know all this… was he taking advantage of events. How many times had it occurred? With everything he was saying, he was implying even Gohan was somehow influenced by events beyond their knowledge.

"So, there is another Android," Piccolo concluded aloud. "This one from the future. That's great to know, but why tell us? We've dealt with the Androids already. We know how strong they are."

"Oh, but you don't. And this one is very different. Even I would say it's of a particularly nefarious design. It was so troubling that it even would have driven Kami mad, were he here. Such a level of suffering… Dr. Gero is truly a malicious entity. I couldn't have thought such a nightmare up myself."

Tightening his gaze, Piccolo looked in every direction, instinctively trying to sense anything, even though it was an Android. When it fell back onto Garlic, a darkness was shrouding him. It almost looked like the dead zone. He growled again, this time wanting to start choking this imp again.

"I'll leave you with a gift… if you could call it that. For our old time's sake. Even if you don't believe me, you can look into it yourself. There is a city known as Gingertown. You can see the handiwork for yourself, you might even get a chance to spy the monster, but I warn you… it's not very tame."

It's not very tame?

When the imp vanished, Piccolo was left with a cold sneer, knowing they weren't getting anymore answers. Worse, he also had no idea what Garlic himself wanted from all this, beyond wanting to guide them to confront some Android. Was this a game? Was this something they were being manipulated into? How much had they been manipulated already?

Raditz seemed to freeze up as he looked at the other two.

"What is it?" Piccolo asked, his tone stiff as the Saiyan seemed to have an epiphany.

"How did he know all of that?" Raditz almost whispered. "It's… like when he came to me, before my fight with you and Kakarot. The… green one…"

Looking at him directly now, Raditz's eyes were filled with a mixture of fear and wonder.

"Who?" Gohan asked. "Who visited you before you fought my father and Piccolo? Did you die during that battle? In my time, you were killed when that happened."

The Saiyan seemed to look like he'd just walked over his own grave.

"The green one. He was hooded. But he said his name was The Catalyst."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Author's notes:

We've got a chapter dedicated to the Androids next the chapter. Keeping the plot moving along! Right now, is development time, but there are gonna be battles on the horizon, as far as I know right now, I don't think any are going to be based off the canon. I won't spoil, of course, but expect a lot to go down when it does. The build is real!

On an Important Note: I updated an Inuyasha story, Being Alive.

On a side note. One reason for my outrage the other update about how they're handing Inuyasha's sequel, is I'd been low-key assembling chapters for one of my old Inuyasha stories, it never really got traction (I mentioned it before, Being Alive), so my urgency to post them was always really low. Given how things are going with that particular realm, I decided to start posting updates to the story again. Though if there isn't any traction, it'll probably go back into obscurity again. Which means it directly incentivizes you, my loyal Dragon Ball Fans, not to review it!

… Huh, I probably shouldn't have made that logical step for everyone there. Ignore that last sentence above damn it!

Anyway! As I was saying, if you are interested in that franchise, which I think is probably closer to more unlikely than not given I don't think there is much overlap, I'd recommend taking a look at it. It can be found in my profile. It's just called Being Alive. Sadly, I actually think it's my best story in terms of the start of the story. It's got the same action I've always aimed for in my stories (probably why people over there don't like it as much, lol). Either way, just a Public Service Announcement for those who like my story-telling. So far I can see people reading it, but not many people erm, reviewing it, at least since its update.

If anyone wants more information about the story before starting, just in the instance that they're not willing to make a blind leap of faith on it, feel free to either ask in the reviews area, or PM me directly.

Back to Dragon Ball:

Halfway finished Chapter 100 boys! This week was really busy. So that means that we're not gonna see the 2 updates a week for this coming week. Next update will come next Saturday/Sunday. I love chapter 97, even though there are some bits I need to edit on it still. But updates will be weekly for at least one month. Chapter's 100-105 are gonna be a bit harder to write, so I'm logistically trying to make that work at the moment, as I don't want the story getting too caught up on itself. Where as I also don't want to reduce character development.

So, it comin'!

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Reviewers:

Perfect Carnage: Answered by PM.

Trusen: Answered by PM.

Blades of Fury: Answered by PM.

Silas: I was on the edge of my seat writing it, lmao.

Red Power: Android 13's not canon. Fusion Reborn also isn't canon.

FabDuwangIsFab: Answered by PM.

ILiekFishes: Answered by PM I think.

Kacarrot: Answered by PM.

Guest1: I really wanted to build the dynamic where 16 is the most human of all of them. He's not only a great character, but he's a great 'person'. His interactions with the other Androids helps to humanize them, and in turn, their actions amongst one another builds up their humanity as well, creating discord, unity, friendship, strife. It's a group of people finding themselves. I've really loved writing them, and I'm genuinely really sad knowing at some point that comes to an end. I give Gero brief, but serious moments, as it helps humanize him as well. As unlike the others, he really is a man who just forgot what it was to be human. I don't think Gero won in the future though, honestly. I think Cell is kind of his revenge weapon, victory would have meant something else.

Thomas-The-TMC: Answered by PM.

Proman1398: Answered by PM (gave a short answered, followed by a real answer today)

Anon: I'm glad it was unnerving. I was aiming for unnerving. You should see Chapter 97, lmao. Yep, 16's arc in the canon is, with that hindsight in mind, one of the most incredible in the series, and it's so sad and tragic.

RedHunter87: I think I answered by PM.

Cell: Sadly, the spoiling is gonna slow down a little this week, but hopefully I'll be able to continue the mutli-updates again starting in a week or 2. And I'm hoping for The Long Road Chapter 80 to be able to be worked on and completed in June or July.

LittleGoat: That's a controversial thing to say! Gohan's a piece of shit in The Long Road. Not saying he doesn't try to get better, but honestly, he's the worst protagonist in any story I've ever written. I love the character and his struggle to be a better person, as well as when he falls behind, don't get me wrong, but he and Videl are not a pairing. I don't think Gohan in The Long Road, will ever have a satisfying love-life, he's just too damaged for that, and has made too many mistakes. Ironically, I think the characters in this story will be luckier with their love lives then TLR Gohan, lmao.

TheItchyCocoon: I think I answered by PM.

Guesstt: You're going to love Chapter 98.

Super Mystic Gohan: Answered by PM.

Uraqt393: Answered by PM.