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.

104. Chapter 104: Rock, Paper, Scissors

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 104: Rock, Paper, Scissors.

Son Gohan:

It'd been terrible.

He'd been sensing all of the powers fluctuate over the days since he'd come here. His uncles, the time travelers, Piccolo, Vegeta, Tien, Krillin, and now these new things that had emerged in the north. He didn't know fully what was happening, but he did know that it wasn't going well. Their power levels were falling faster more often then not, with the exception of Piccolo for the most part. Now there were the two big-flair-ups and he didn't know what to think. It was hard to even tell who was dead and who was alive.

They were far enough away, and the news coverage was poor enough, that it at least shielded his mother from the level of concern she'd normally be going through. Outside of looking after his father though, she was glued to Turles's television. And outside of being glued to Turles's television, she was almost scared of damaging anything around the home, especially criticizing his grandpa. The Ox King looked nervous to move from the space on the floor she'd assigned him to, for fears that he'd damage Turles's couch further.

"Dad! Goku and I don't have the money to replace this couch! What are you doing!?... Oh my god!"

Gohan had learned to stay exceptionally quiet in all of this. When he looked out from the balcony, he didn't look at Orange-Star City or the surrounding landscape, as beautiful as it was from the luxury condo, but he'd looked out towards the powers he sensed from afar, trying to narrow down exactly what he was sensing.

But even away from there, Gohan sensed Vegeta's power collapse in a second, and he sensed Turels's spark from the low point it'd been at.

Looking towards the door leading to Turles's bedroom, he signed. Truly, more than anything, he wished his dad could get up. He knew his father could help the situation, not just from being a strong fighter, but because despite his simpler nature he was the one who kept everyone together. Even if he wasn't afraid of Vegeta at times, perhaps he even hated him, Gohan knew that the main thing keeping even his uncles in line as well as the Prince, was his father. If Piccolo wasn't the strongest warrior on the planet right now, the Androids might have killed everybody, if only because Vegeta and his uncles would have turned on one another already.

Dad, you need to get up. We need you. But we need you to be clear eyed about what's going on. This is about more than just a new challenge for you to just fight. These things could get everyone killed. It's worse than Frieza or Slug ever were and-

In the middle of his thoughts, there was almost a moment where he came to a perfect freeze. The sound of a door handle turning filled his ears while his eyes locked onto the twisting lever that was the door's handle. They darted to his mother, as if to confirm she was in fact on the couch, before darting back towards the door as it slipped open. When the light broke through from behind it, leaving only a familiar silhouette behind, he felt his throat clench before he even heard the voice from the figure standing there.

"Hey, you guys seem stunned to see me, did I miss much?"

It felt like his voice would break while he stuttered to speak. It was just like on Namek, the day his father appeared and saved everyone from the Ginyu Force, and then from Frieza. Even years later, even as Gohan had grown into the still young boy he was, he couldn't help but feel that same sensation. It felt like despite his father not having been there when he'd needed him at times, it felt like he was coming to save not just him, but everyone.

"Goku!" his mother cried out, running towards him, lifting off the couch like a missile being shot from its tube. She crashed into his father, wrapping her arms around him. In response his father let her tackle him backwards, letting her legs lift off the ground as he held onto her back, a genuine smile emerging across his father's lips.

Taking steady steps forward himself, Gohan rushed over next, grabbing his father's leg before feeling his hand atop his head.

"Hey, I'm feeling better now, I swear," Goku urged, though Gohan couldn't see him smiling down at him yet as he held firm.

"We were so worried, we-" his mother stopped herself. "Don't tell me you're… no, no you don't get to do this right now."

Looking up, Gohan could see his father now looking at Chi-Chi with a deadly serious look, though he was still smiling.

"You know I have to. I could sense what was going on out there. A lot of people just died and if I'm not out there, even more are going to. Everyone tried their best, and I'm really proud of what they're doing, but everyone has to be here for this. It's even worse than it appeared before. Don't worry Chi, I'll be sure to make it back. I always do."

Gohan remained silent, choosing not to mention that Raditz had helped kill him a few years ago. He'd even been there for the day his uncle had defeated and killed his father. Given what Gohan had sensed, with powers fluctuating and people dying as cities were torn apart, he knew that things were just as bad as his dad was saying. Whatever those 3 things were that he sensed in the North fighting Piccolo were what his dad was talking about too.

Letting go of his family a second later, Goku stepped back.

"Alright, oh, hey, can you do me a favour when you get the chance? Find out of Turles keeps any good food around here and start putting something together for me for dinner. He's a softy deep down, he'll not mind if you make something great for dinner."

"Uhm, dad?" Gohan responded. "I'm pretty sure Turles didn't want us touching anything we weren't supposed to. He's really, really not into people messing his stuff."

"Nah, it'll be fine," Goku responded. "Trust me. Anyway, I'll be back for dinner! Oh, and I think our house might be a bit completely destroyed right now. So uhm, you might wanna call the insurance company."

"What?!"

"Bye!"

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Son Goku:

Let's see. Mysterious killer monsters in the north. Super killing machines with no power signatures somewhere around here. Raditz's power runs off to chase the androids, not sure why yet, suicide? Maybe a suicide thing, he's been acting weird. Everyone's mad at Vegeta, that seems normal though… hmmm… what else am I forgetting. Guy's from the future are here. Couple cities are destroyed. I think we've got everyone if I factor in Raditz and Gohan. One. Two. Three… oh wait a second. Shoot! They killed Yamcha. Oh man, that sucks!

Quietly Goku placed all the pieces on the table he was aware of, but was already factoring in the worse news. It wasn't because he was trying to be negative, but in all honesty, these things he tended to stumble into always had worse news. He already guessed there were more than two androids, despite more power not presenting itself, and he already put together that more and more people were dying.

The reception as soon as he appeared also wasn't the worst either. Everyone seemed excited, older-Gohan, Trunks, Krillin, and Tien all seemed relieved and excited. Turles was half-glaring at him, and Vegeta was completely glaring at him, which might have seemed bad, but all considering they weren't attacking him so that was a plus. Then Piccolo had the look of someone who'd been left to baby-sit for several hours with no help. In truth, he probably felt the worse for him, but he couldn't feel that bad because Piccolo was crazy stronger, and he was just excited to train with him at full power once this was all over.

That's gonna be great! I can't wait. I'll need to let everyone else have a turn too of course, I don't want Turles and Vegeta feeling left out, but man, I can't wait to see just how crazy Piccolo can get now.

"Soooooo," Goku started, looking over at all of them. "It looks like I came in at the wrong time. You guys seemed like you were busy. Or at least Piccolo, Turles, and Vegeta were-"

"They are having a dispute over Raditz," Tien said. "We don't know what, but they all seem to be in the know."

It just took a look over to the 3 for Goku to figure it out. Raditz had gone off the rails again over Vegeta? He doubted it, given that Raditz was alive. So, that complicated things more than a little. So, what could they all be mad at him over? Well, it was hard to quantify it, but he would have guessed that Vegeta drove Raditz out somehow? It wouldn't be the end of the world, given that he knew first-hand what Raditz had planned for Bulma. Did he try to make another move like that during the fight? If so, Goku probably would kill him himself, but even then, he didn't think so.

"It's none of their business," Vegeta responded coolly.

"Vegeta's past caused us more problems than necessary," Turles responded bluntly. "He and I were actually about to have a fight to the death, until the Namek got involved."

"You mean you were about to kill yourself," Vegeta shot back.

C'mon Vegeta, you can't tell me you don't see it…

"Probably not, actually," Goku almost laughed. "Man, you're lucky Piccolo stepped in Vegeta. Turles is way more likely to win that. He's not only stronger than you are, but I'm pretty sure he's got a few extra things working in his favour. Can't you sense it? Especially after that last fight you guys just had? He's definitely got the edge."

There was a silence that fell over them all as Vegeta's eye twitched as Goku saw him clearly snarling at him, though silently. Why should he be mad at him? He was just pointing out the obvious. Turles's power was growing faster than Vegeta's, and by this point, even if they were close, especially after Turles had time to properly heal from the fight too, his power was going to end up being larger than Vegeta's. And not only that, he could sense some other oddities about his power signature, he was definitely stronger and more capable than Vegeta right now. He'd like to say he was happy about that, but Turles was an asshole.

"Now," Goku started. "Is everyone mad because Vegeta killed someone close to Raditz? I kinda already knew that, but it's really no excuse for Raditz to try and kill Bulma. I think people need to learn to move past certain things, and I really think Raditz-"

"The woman Raditz apparently cared about is alive again," Turles pointed out.

"Oh, wow! The Dragon Balls brought her back-"

"She's an android," Piccolo clarified. "She's nearly killed Vegeta, twice, and Raditz went after her on his own after the others left."

Oh. OHHHhhhh. That's why the city's destroyed. She attacked him here because of that. Wow, whoever this girl was she must have been pretty strong to do this much damage and fight Vegeta. I guess Turles must how found out, and was challenging him over it… Man! I miss all the big moments? I guess Turles actually was looking out for Raditz? No way! I don't even believe that.

Turning his sharpened gaze at his brother, Goku tried to measure how true he thought that was. Things seemed to hold up as he realized just from Turles's state that's what had just went down. That was actually really unexpected. It was strange, he was actually kinda happy to hear that. Even a part of him felt like maybe… if he'd been looking out for Raditz like that, maybe things wouldn't have gotten to the point where they did. He might have been too blind at the time to fully realize it. Even when Raditz had tried to tell him about it, he'd just told him to drop it and look forward, which was still the right thing. But maybe he should have instead of doing that, tried to be more there for him.

Maybe, things only got this bad because no one had tried to be there for his older brother, at least not in the way he needed. He was still mad at him for trying to kill Bulma however. Despite how others might have been able to help, a lot of people got hurt and killed, and Bulma was nearly murdered to satisfy his revenge, it spoke of the kind of person Raditz was, and it just wasn't acceptable. He had come to expect more from him, but at least he could see that even he had a role in all of it.

Maybe more of a role than he thought he had before. It was more depressing when he realized of course, it'd been what had partially endangered his oldest friend, someone he barely saw or spoke with anymore.

Well, that mess keeps getting bigger.

"Is all that true, Vegeta?"

"Yes," he answered through grit teeth. "Not that it matters anymore. I'll kill it the next time we see it, and if Raditz gets in my way I'll kill him as well, if it doesn't kill him first."

Gee, I wonder why everyone wanted to kick the crap out of you this time Vegeta? Some people really need to learn to like, I dunno, be chill or something.

"Goku," Trunks' voice peaked. "I don't know if this is the time to get into that, but we've got much bigger problems. Two of the Androids are way stronger than the others, and they seem to have the power to take in parts from others to get stronger."

Oh, WOW. They're able to get stronger? That's actually kind of exciting. But that also is a big problem. Can we even really compete at that level right now? I think Piccolo can, but that's about it. This is a big problem. These things are really stacking up.

"It's worse than it appears," Gohan then added. "There is another set of Androids, they are all from different times, like Trunks and me. They've come back in time to absorb Android's 17 and 18. They've said once they do, they'll become the most powerful being alive."

Goku put his hands up, putting them into the shape of a "T", looking for a timeout.

"More Androids, you really can't be serious," Vegeta almost snapped.

"More," Tien confirmed. "And each is even more powerful. They used Piccolo, Vegeta, Goku, and even my moves. And they look like something out of a horror movie. Beak, carapace, and green speckled skin. I couldn't have nightmares worse than how those things look and act."

Well, that's what the three strange powers in the top were then? That's a big problem. They also seem to be killing people, I can sense that, how or why I'm still not sure. Damn, this is really not good.

"Okay," Goku said, his mind already beginning to turn, trying to put a plan together.

Admittedly, Turles and Piccolo were usually the ones kind of better at making up overall plans, but even before this got to this point, he'd already been teasing one plan in his head. What they needed, especially after he sensed the crushing defeat most of them had before Piccolo stepped in during their first battle, was time. They needed time to expand on everything they were learning, and all the power they had available to them. He knew at least one person who had more potential than all of them as well.

"What we need, is time," Goku started, before giving everyone a knowing smile. "Anyone wanna hear me idea? Because I think we've got this."

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Vegeta:

Stronger than me. Turles is already stronger than me? But how? How is that third class fool surpassed me again? I can't even feel it. But I know Kakarot is right. It was why his brother was so confident to face me. Look at the two of them and their smug certainty. Even now Kakarot sees me as little more than a bit-player in all of this, doesn't he?! Is he stronger than me now as well?

The way he was speaking led Vegeta to the conclusion even before he looked under the surface, that it was more than likely that Kakarot had surpassed him. To be humiliated again was infuriating. Kakarot wasn't political enough of an animal unlike his wretched brother to simply tell Turles he was stronger unless it was true. His anger wasn't subsiding. Behind all the ruins of this city was Bulma somewhere. Beyond the city were his enemies. Right here were his would-be allies, but in truth barring the time travelers, they were his enemies as well. Rivals to be overcome, or threats to be neutralized. His disdain for the other powerful Saiyans superseded the Namekian, if only because despite his power, he knew he was going to be the stronger of the two of them as time passed.

This could not be the limits of his power, or the limits of the power of a Super Saiyan. He'd already known that, but to be humiliated again with only a few words was more than infuriating.

"What, what is this wretched idea then, Kakarot?" Vegeta demanded. "Because you've done nothing to deal with these andriods, I doubt you have any ideas or plans worth anything."

"Hey, mind shutting up, Vegeta?" the elder Gohan asked. "First, we don't need that attitude. Second, my dad has done a lot more for everyone than you ever have, and I don't even need to know the last three years entirely to know that."

He'd not yet untransformed, but he knew every of his moves was being monitored by everyone. It was enough to make him almost flinch again with anger. When he looked past Gohan, he saw just a stare of disappointment from the boy, the one he'd promised Bulma he'd protect. It wasn't that it hurt, it was that he felt pity for the child. Being raised by fools like Kakarot's brat, and being denied the opportunity of his birth. A true Saiyan Warrior of Saiyan noble blood would understand his anger at Kakarot for being so presumptive, when he was yet to bleed on this battlefield. His presumed stance of superiority was unwelcome, and unearned.

Even if Vegeta knew that Kakarot had already surpassed him, again, without even lifting a finger in battle. The freakish caricature of a warrior was a disgrace, and did nothing but damage his pride. How much harder had he worked, only for Kakarot to surpass him, now simply from his bed? How much more fighting had he done only for his reject of a brother, Turles to do the same?

"Hey, easy everyone," Kakarot said, raising his hands defensively. "I think that everyone is really tense. Look, even Piccolo's going to agree. Right Piccolo?"

"Agree about what? You've not even given us an explanation yet, Goku," The Namek pointed out.

His stupidity is absurd. The fact he's this moronic and he still steps above me is ridiculous!

"Oh, yea! Sorry guys, I totally forgot. The Hyperbolic Time Change! It's a room about spirit and time. It's really harsh, but if we use it, we can get an entire year of training out in a single day. And even better yet, it's got 10 times Earth's gravity. OH! And it's got different temperatures the further in you go, the room get's hotter and colder and it can even drive you mad! Well, the last part's not great, but the other stuff's really great for training and-"

"So, we get an entire year of training in a day?" Turles asked bluntly. "Why didn't we use this before?"

"Well, we didn't really need it," Kakarot remarked.

They'd kept this a secret this whole time because they didn't need it, and it could have been utilized long ago? Of course, they did.

"Well, you can only use it two days," Goku remarked. "That's the most anyone can ever be in there before things go a bit sideways. Like, the entrance disappears."

It wasn't just Vegeta who was annoyed for once.

"Are you being serious right now? Do you have any idea how stupid you are for not bringing this up during the years we prepared for these ridiculous killing machines?" Turles demanded.

"Well, I don't know about you, but I consider stuff like this a crutch. I'd only use something like this if everyone's lives were at stake," Goku reasoned.

"Uhm, Goku?" the bald fool remarked. "Uhm, you know, we were warned that the Androids might kill everyone…"

"Oh, oh sure, but hey, we had 3 years to prepare guys. Do you know how much time that is? That's like 800 days," Kakarot reasoned. "That's a lot of time."

"Dad," Gohan said from the side. "Uhm, it's actually 1095 days…"

"Is it? I mean, 300, plus 300…"

"First, 300 times 3, is 900. Second, an Earth year has 365 days in it," Turles snapped. "You know what, never mind, you're too stupid to get it. Where is the damn Time Chamber?"

Finally, the Namekian spoke up, and even if Vegeta was far from his greatest fan he began…

"The chamber can have two occupants at one time. It exists on Kami's Lookout," Piccolo said. "But the problem is, we don't have days to wait for everyone to get through. With the Androids and those monsters that we fought; the only solution is for there to be rotating teams of two. The strongest should go first, barring myself."

"Agreed," Kakarot remarked.

"No, not agreed," Vegeta spat. "You will not deny me this, Kakarot, so you and your wretched brother can go in first and unlock the room's power for yourself. We go in pairs. I will be first, and I will choose-"

"You first?" Gohan scoffed. "Like Hell, with what I've seen so far, you can't be trusted to go first."

A stiff stance moved up Vegeta's spine before he looked past the brat and looked towards where he knew the Capsule Corporation Building was. It was likely that Bulma was fine, but he still needed to check before departing with these fools, but he needed assurances first that he was going to get what he wanted.

"You're in no position to bargain," Piccolo shot down. "Alright, let's get moving-"

"Hey, you know what, I actually have a plan. Vegeta, Turles, and me are the strongest. How about we decide who's going in between ourselves, and pick partners to go in with," Kakarot reasoned. "And we can do it fairly too. It's totally unbiased and fair in how we'll pick it."

Looking over to Turles, he saw the other Saiyan look back at him suspiciously, clearly of both Kakarot and him, before a smirk appeared on his lips.

"Please, go on Kakarot."

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Turles:

"Rock, Paper, Scissors," Kakarot said as they'd collected into a small circle. "Whoever wins, gets to choose the order they go in."

So, this is what decides the fate of those involved? A series of hand-gestures? This? This was Kakarot's grand plan?

It was hard to keep the smirk off his face however. In the last fight he'd found himself in, Turles had honed some of Bardock's gift to him to the point of narrowing down the seconds before an attack arrived. He could choose to win or lose any hand of this he wanted. He knew the outcomes before they happened. Which meant before they even got started, he needed to decide who he wanted to go in with, and when he wanted to go in with them. It meant weighing his options, and quite clearly, he only had a few. If Kakarot, Vegeta, and himself were going in separately, that narrowed the field to a very limited roster as far as he could tell. Trunks and Gohan were the only two worth taking when his turn came in, and he had no intention of waiting for the Namek. If Raditz was available it'd be a waste of time, and limit his own potential, as his brother was not worth training with for the most part. It wasn't a criticism per say, it was just the truth.

The choice was obvious, he would choose Gohan. Which meant no matter what, he needed to win the first hand… unless Vegeta did.

Which also meant that he could screw his dear brother over by simply leaving him without a reliable partner. Either Raditz, or someone else equally unqualified. Now, he certainly didn't want to die, but he knew already from his own calculations, one more full year of training from where he was, in advanced gravity, with a suitable partner? His own power would grow exponentially. It was all about playing the game to climb his way to the top.

"Alright, you guys set?" Kakarot asked.

"Of course," Vegeta said, rolling his eyes, before Turles just gave a half smile of his own, putting himself in place.

Draw, Draw, Draw, Draw, victory.

Though he allowed this victory to go through, their hands all moving at lightning quick speed to determine the winner. He allowed Vegeta to win first, and the Prince stood tall, trying to magically grow over the two of them.

"Perfect," he said, his arrogance returning to the fore, lording over Kakarot and himself. "It is as it should be, I, Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans will take my privilege and be first in the chamber. When I emerge-"

"You'll be the strongest in the universe," Kakarot said, sounding almost bored. "I mean, you're definitely going to be on top Vegeta. But that power's going to be needed, here, on Earth. Besides, you've gotta pick someone to go in with."

"Trunks," Vegeta said, hinting his head upwards towards the now surprised teen.

"Me?" Trunks asked, sounding confused before scowling. "Why? So, you can try to kill me again? Why the Hell would I want to go in there with you of all people?"

This was going to be even more delicious wasn't it? Perhaps it was Vegeta who would enter without a partner. Only, even Turles was surprised at what came next.

"No," the prince answered shortly, but he was already looking over the others.

At the edge of his thoughts, Turles could sense an impulse, especially as he was not in the midst of battle. He could sense his apprehension, and nervously. A sense of not wanting to appear weak, though it was mixed with something he suspected was genuine regret. That was something Turles himself never really felt very often, but he could recognize it. It was his pride that was preventing him from saying much more, but Turles could hear it in a way.

"That was a mistake," the Prince followed up, looking at the boy seriously. "A mistake which I will correct, if you follow me into the Time Chamber, Trunks."

Well, aren't you full of surprises today, Vegeta?

This was an unexpected surprise, everyone else seemed just as surprised as he was, but had it written more on their faces than himself. Even the ones who reviled him, like Piccolo and Gohan, were surprised. The most surprised look of all was on the face of the boy he'd half beaten to death. Turles hadn't been there, but it wasn't hard to figure out what had happened, but he knew whatever killed the boy's hero worship had to have been severe. He didn't doubt that the boy didn't understand the significance of Vegeta making such a comment, even Kakarot seemed to, not saying something inane.

"A-alright," Trunks answered, finding his voice. "Yea, we can go in."

Shocking, even a wretch like Vegeta can regret something. The irony isn't lost on me.

Turning his attention back to Kakarot, he gave a sly smile.

"You pick next, Turles," Kakarot said to him as they exchanged glances.

He knew something. Turles was no fool, he knew when he was being played. Kakarot expected him to pick next because he knew that he was going to win the next round of the 'game' he'd chosen. Which meant that he at least had an idea of something, and that was more than irritating.

"You don't need to tell them, but I know you're seeing things just before they happen."

"How?"

"Heh, you gave it away in how you made your selections in the rock, paper, scissor game. I've seen stuff like this before, but you can usually outdo the person if you're faster than they are. I knew after the first two games. How'd you pick up that little skill by the way?"

An irritated look had slowly reached up his face as he stared at Kakarot.

"Him," he said, pointing at Gohan, before letting his irritation wash away, knowing he'd taken Kakarot's prime choice.

"What the Hell?" Gohan almost snapped.

"Oh! Hey that's great, I'm glad Gohan's going to go in with someone experienced. So, me and Gohan, the one from this time, we're going to go in last."

So that's what he wanted.

"Would you say that my choosing is my choice then, Kakarot?"

His brother stopped, realizing there had been a small error in his calculus. Because in truth, he didn't want to be the second one in the Time Chamber. Much like Kakarot, he wanted to be last.

"We'll take last spot, you get second place," he commented, before taking several steps forward, looking his brother in the eyes squarely as he let him know this was what he wanted.

There was a disturbance to his left as Turles looked with a cool gaze. Ah, yes, his nephew still had a more than dim view of him it seemed.

"Hey, sorry dad, but I don't want to go in there with this asshole. I'll wait for Piccolo," he said bluntly. "Really, I can't say enough bad things about this guy. I feel bad even calling him that, he's a monster. Do you even know what he thinks of you? What he thinks of everyone? You're all just tools for him, this is a game for him to win, to outdo all of you and end up on top. He'll kill you if you get in the way. He shouldn't be going in at all."

Well, that mouth is going to get you in trouble, isn't it?

When Turles looked back at Kakarot however, he saw a reassuring look on his face, which made him even more frustrated.

"It'll be fine Gohan, besides, Piccolo's going to have his hands full while we're in there, or at least until Vegeta gets out. Some of us might not even get our turns, depending on how things go. This is just how it is for now. Do you trust me?"

"Yea, dad, of course. It's just…"

"Then trust me now, it'll be fine," Kakarot urged. "Besides, I already know that Turles is planning on outdoing and beating everyone. Heck, I even think he plans to kill me."

An eyebrow went up immediately as Turles almost felt an alarm go off. He almost took a step back, but felt any form of movement would be a sign of weakness, or worse, action. It wasn't that he was afraid of Kakarot, but there was a quantity here that his quality would not overcome. Now everyone's eyes had been drawn to him. They all must have known that, but when Kakarot said it openly it meant he'd not played the game very well.

"I don't know what you mean, brother, we've sorted out our-"

It was then that he received a serious look, just as deadly as his own. It was enough to let him drop any pretense, any act, and just level his gaze against his brother.

"And I know you care a great deal about my son, Gohan, and you're not as bad as you act. So, if anything were to happen in the time chamber, you'd pay for it. I also know that even if you're planning on killing me now, things change, just ask Piccolo, or Tien. So, I guess I'm hoping that there is more of me in you than it seems."

There didn't need to be another follow up, there was no need for a last word. Especially since he'd been exposed more or less red handed. If that was the case then his silence would say enough. Turning his head, he gave a brief and small nod to his sibling before just becoming quieter while he viewed the desolation around them. This planet hadn't finished its suffering, not yet. More would die, and more warriors would die, artificial or otherwise.

"Alright everyone, let's meet at the Lookout, alright?" Kakarot asked, before looking at Piccolo. "Well, except you, Tien, and Krillin."

"We'll try to keep the house from burning down," Piccolo said in response. "No promises though."

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Vegeta:

The streets were full of panic. Before he left, he needed to tell the woman where he was going. He also needed to make sure she was alright. The last thing he needed was for her to be harmed. They were survivors, she and him. That was one reason why he was sure she was alright. The only thing of note was their offspring, their future offspring, flying next to him again. They'd been flying in silence since they'd broken from the others on their quick journey here.

A day of battle, survival, victory, and shame. That was how he could look back on this mess. They'd stopped the Androids they needed to. They'd seen another several machines dead. He'd been exposed for his grievance with Raditz, but very few seemed to care beyond Kakarot's immediate friends and his wretched brother. Even Kakarot himself was light on caring, perhaps showing that he had something more Saiyan to him than he gave him credit for.

"Why?" Trunks' voice emerged from nearby as they closed with the building.

Good, he was at least learning to keep his questions short. It gave him the option to answer as much, or as little as he wanted. He'd give him the explanation he owed, and little else.

"Because I was wrong," he said, his tone straightening out with his posture. "You are a survivor. The fact that you even tolerated my misjudgement as long as you did is enough. There isn't a need to say anymore."

Zipping straight down, his body hit the grass before he began walking towards the entrance. The cameras on the property would have seen him arrive by now, which at the very least would have told the occupants it was safe enough to emerge. The boy landed behind him after he started walking as he stopped at the doors, watching as they slid open and the woman came other, wrapping her one free arm around him as she held onto their offspring. Her body was trembling almost.

He didn't need to say anything right now, instead he just held onto her as he noticed her parents emerging from an elevator behind them.

Her breathing was elevated, along with her heartrate, and he knew she was relieved to see him despite that. There was worry there, and understandably so.

"Is it over?"

"No," He answered. "But it will be soon."

When she looked past him, she saw the boy standing there, respectfully a few feet away. In totality there was little to say. These were in their own strange way, the only allies he could look towards. His lover, an infant, and a young man who barely trusted him. This was the empire he'd built for himself. The truth was however, he didn't need more than this, especially once he emerged from the Time Chamber. He'd come to his fullest form and crush anyone and anything that got in his way. This was going to be his moment, his triumph, and there was nothing the Androids, Kakarot, Turles, or Piccolo would be able to do about it. He'd let those fools have their moment in the chamber as well, but they would never be a match for him again.

He would strive further, farther, and faster than he ever had towards a level beyond this one. And the boy, the woman's son, his son, would be there to strive with him. He would take him on the same journey. It would be the first time he didn't take on such a take alone, and he strangely almost looked forward to it.

"We're going to need supplies," he told her. "Armour, and some training equipment. We're heading into a special location inside the Lookout. It will give us training for one year, in one day."

Her eyes lit up with the words before looking at Trunks, who nodded as she looked over, before looking back at him.

"Alright," she said, her tone sounding reluctant as she said it however. "But you have to tell me what's happening, or I'm not doing anything. Is everyone okay? Did you stop any of them?"

"Yea," Trunks spoke up. "We stopped a few, but it's not over, and things might be about to get a lot worse."

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

Raditz:

He'd lost sight of them an hour ago, but he wasn't done yet. He scoured every inch of land he shot through, looking for any signs of distress or distance. There were towns filled with empty clothes, just like Ginger Town and other cities, but he didn't care. Even if that thing was hiding in there it wasn't his concern. He had to find her. After everything that had happened, he needed to finally come through. It was her last words. Even if this wasn't her, even if she never loved him, and he didn't expect her to, it was what she'd said to him… what Violet said to him that was driving his frantic search now.

You were supposed to save me.

And now here he was, trying to fulfil it, even if it wasn't for her, at least not really. It was the thing which plagued him since the day it happened. It was the thing that kept him up at night. It was the betrayal that had changed his life. He saw her again, but it wasn't her. But he saw her suffer, again, and now was the chance to somehow fix it. He knew when she'd taken flight something was wrong and he couldn't just stand by, not again.

After hour passed, and he realized that he was searching for nothing. To find the Androids, any of them now, would take an effort he could not achieve. There was no power signature to achieve. What was he going to do? Find her with his instincts? Strangely, he might be the one person on the planet who knew Violet, but this machine wasn't Violet, it was just her body. Or, something that resembled her body, he wasn't sure.

If she is Violet, where would she go? South City? No. The Badlands? The Badlands were where I met her.

Where would she go after all this? She was dying, he could feel that. He knew that. That scream, it reminded him of the one that haunted his dreams. It was what he imagined she'd have sounded like if he heard her voice over the explosion when Nappa and Vegeta… killed her.

Pausing on the forest floor, Raditz remained in place as he attached to the one thing that came to his mind. It was what was bringing him back to that place time and time again. Only thing time, he might actually find something there. It was where he imagined he'd heard that scream the last time.

It was where he'd watched the world die. Or at least, it was where he watched his world die, in a fireball of flame, and an avalanche of rock. Now he realized that's where he'd suffered his first death. The death of who he was, even if he lingered on. It was the day he was betrayed, and the day he failed. He knew, somehow, at his core, that if he went to the broken mountain that he escaped to in his quiet moments of reflection and self-pity, he would find what he was looking for.

Gradually rising through the air, the Saiyan launched himself towards the beacon he could always find. His power didn't burst to its entire strength, it was just propulsion as he pushed himself forward. He was afraid of where he was going. He was afraid of being wrong, just as much as he was afraid of being right. He imagined himself arriving as some hero, which was laughable already, when in reality he would get there and have no idea what to do. She might even kill him, depending on what had happened to her. Or, he might arrive just in time to be too late again. Whatever was happening to her, it might have meant her death.

A second death. A final death. Or even a new death. It didn't matter, it was worse for him to come and find her gone, than for her to kill him. If she was dead… it'd mean that his one chance to redeem himself, even in his own eyes, would slip through his fingers. It would be the end to his journey, perhaps either one. If she killed him, he'd not go on. If she was already dead? He could no longer compete with the others, his road as a warrior was coming to a close regardless.

In his mind's eyes, he could see a shack of a house on the beach, seeing the surf roll in and out as waves reformed on the surface of the water. He could smell the sea breeze, and he felt the warmth of the sun on his skin. He could see it, and it was somehow peaceful for him. It was the future he thought of, even if it was a future alone on an island somewhere. The future was what he tried to envision, as he flew towards his past.

When his feet landed on the site which he'd never forget, he slowly started to walk, his eyes scanning all around him. It was where he'd died, but perhaps in a way, it'd been where he'd been born again as well. The end of one life, and the beginning of another. A painful birth, as all of them were.

Having yet to see her, he felt his heart sinking. There was the other option, which was that he was a fool, and came here because he thought he knew more than he did. In reality he'd just fled back to this fortress of sorrow he'd built for himself. Moving to the rocks where he'd dug her up, he placed his hand on a fallen boulder, feeling the familiar texture beneath his fingers.

My best has never been good enough.

Staring down, he wished he'd been strong enough to confront them here. He wished he'd been strong enough in character to confront them here. Even if he'd died, perhaps she could have lived, even if she hadn't loved him. He could have died with the idea that he'd saved someone he loved, at least. Another lie, but a comforting one.

When his eyes turned up and looked over his shoulder, he felt his pupils almost dilate as they expanded. His breathing hitched as he looked at the corner of where the explosion had originated, opening a mouth in the side of the mountain's peak. There was a long figure sitting there, her eye flinching, her mouth quivering, and her hands trembling.

What the Hell was he supposed to do now?

The only answer that came to his mind offered him no solitude, but offered him purpose.

You were supposed to save me.

After a long pause, hearing her voice in his head, her dying words.

I… I will.

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

Author's Notes:

Any typos of small mistakes, you'll need to forgive me. I wanted to get this up for you guys. My work's been horrific, so I've had almost no time for writing. But I did manage to get this done. Chapter 105 will come in November (hopefully). We're on the march boys, just a few more chapters. If things ease up on me in December or January, I'm hoping to be able to provide 2-3 updates a month again.

Thank you everyone!

Reviewers:

BladesofFury: Answered by PM.

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MerryNana89: Thanks so much! I know it was a bit of a wait, but it's here.

Guest1: Raditz has some incredible stuff this saga. I really really can't wait to get there. I think chapter 109? Maybe 108 or 110, we'll see.

Guesst: It had to go on hold. Sadly, my work's become too stressful to even keep up with this minor commitment, let alone his. :(

NirvanaFrk97: Answered by PM.

Luke: Good, I got another one to cry. Your tears empower me, lol.

Guest2: I hope this chapter answered some of those questions, though the humans weren't that centric sadly. Just too many characters to juggle this chapter.

Mouse from Hell: Nope, Bulma and her family are fine, lol. Thanks for all the kind words :)

Thomas-The-TMC: Answered by PM.

HenrikLarssonB: Thank you!

Guest3: It was great writing last chapter. It was a real release valve for some of the things building for a while. This one is too. I loved writing Goku this chapter.

Itami Saiyan: Answered by PM.

Guest4: Thanks! I think it was a good breather as well. Next chapter we're gonna see mostly the Androids and Raditz I think as well. Setting things up for the big event…

SSJ1998: Answered by PM.

Guest5: Thank you! I appreciate it :)

AC 97: Answered by PM.

JCarrasco: Thanks! I'll try :)

Ki Ai Sky: Answered by PM.

T: I think my fight scenes and scaling speak for themselves. I'm just gonna tell you though, "Power Levels" are just a mechanism to deceive the reader into thinking there is some science behind the writing. I don't know what else to tell you on that front :\ . It's the same thing in like, professional wrestling.

AngryShadow04: No reveals on that friend! Sorry, I don't mix my hobbies that way, lol.

Guest6: Yup! ;) Someone caught it, lol.