Chapter 5
Goku: Supreme Kai of Time, why'd you call us here at 5 in the morning?
Supreme Kai: Is that what time it is? Sorry, it's hard to tell in the Time Nest, despite the name.
Vegeta: Didn't you just take a nap the other day?
Supreme Kai: Just because the passage of time doesn't tire me doesn't mean you can't. Anyways, my fears were correct. This time around, there are two anomalies in one place in time, so I'm sending in twice as many of you. Trunks, Vegeta, I need you two to locate and destroy the Big Gete Star. As for Goten and Goku, I want you two to find and defeat the Masked Saiyan that's shown up.
Goten: Hey, look at you! You have been reading that thesaurus I bought you.
Supreme Kai: Yeah, and I have a lot more reading to get through, so let's make this quick, okay? Oh, and you'll need this.
The Supreme Kai of Time hands Trunks and Goten cards of their own, and instructs them to put them on the machine the same way Goku and Vegeta always do. The four Saiyans disappear from the Time Nest, and reappear in…
Age 762
Scene: Dying Planet Namek
Goten: Aw man, what? We don't get our tails back?
Trunks: Saiyan tails regenerate faster for younger Saiyans. Our tails probably have regrown from the time travel, but not by any significant amount.
Goten: Well, I'm definitely not having the Supreme Kai pull mine out.
Vegeta: Alright, focus. The Supreme Kai said we need to find a Big Gete Star and a Masked Saiyan. And I feel bad for you guys, because our target is clearly that massive lump over there. You two might have to put some actual effort into-
Vegeta is interrupted as a Masked Saiyan flies past him, crashing into the ground.
Goku: You were saying?
Vegeta: Hmph. Beginner's luck.
Vegeta's family takes off towards the Big Gete Star, leaving Goku's family to clean up the mess at the arrival point. But the mess cleans itself up as the Saiyan takes off just as quickly as he landed, followed by Goku and Goten's eyes. As far as they can tell, he's trying to butt in on the fight between Goku and Frieza, though the Time Patrollers can't tell whose side he's fighting on.
Goten: Guess I'm gonna have to call you Jr, huh?
Goku Jr: Darn it, why'd I even bother trying to get rid of the suffix?
Meanwhile, Trunks and Vegeta Jr approach the Big Gete Star, but are stopped by three figures in armor.
Salza: Stop right there! You're entering the domain of Lord Cooler. Offer your complete surrender or scurry off with your tail between your legs! Else you'll face the wrath of…COOLER'S
Dore: ARMORED
Neiz: SQUADRON!
Trunks and Vegeta Jr look at each other in silence for a few seconds before powering up to Super Saiyan and destroying the Armored Squadron with a joint blast.
Cooler: You monkeys just love making a racket, don't you?
Salza: Lord Cooler…forgive me…
Cooler: No.
Cooler shoots Salza with a Death Beam, killing him.
Cooler: Ugh, I can't stand when people interrupt like that.
Vegeta Jr: I don't know, I thought it was justif-
Cooler interrupts Vegeta Jr with an extremely fast punch, sending him flying. Cooler then moves where he knows Vegeta Jr is going to land, knocking him around and repeating the process a few more times before charging a Death Ball. With Vegeta Jr caught in it, he throws it to the ground at Trunks. Trunks jumps up to dodge it, but Cooler sledgehammers him to the ground.
Cooler: Pathetic. Neither of you maggots are worth my time any more than Frieza.
Cooler turns to find his brother, but Vegeta Jr manages to grab his leg before he can fly away. In response, Cooler smacks him across the face with his tail. He does this a few more times until Trunks swoops in to cut it off.
Vegeta Jr: Hey, I'm really good at getting peoples' tails cut off, huh?
Almost as if in response to this statement, Cooler's tail regenerates, and begins to choke Vegeta Jr. Cooler raises his fist to attack, but is held back by Trunks, who then throws him to the floor. Trunks fires a Burning Attack to finish him off, but Cooler charges another Death Ball to counter it. The two energy blasts explode, and Cooler goes flying, sliding across the ground as he lands. Trunks lands in concert, and the two stare each other down until Trunks draws his sword in the brink of an eye, slicing Cooler in two. Trunks breathes a sigh of relief, but that relief doesn't last long as another Metal Cooler grabs him from behind.
Cooler: Don't tell me you're tired already! That was just the warm up.
Vegeta Jr rushes over to Trunks, but he gets grabbed by yet another Metal Cooler. The two watch in horror as an army of Metal Coolers descends upon them.
Goku Jr: What are we supposed to do?
Goten: We defeat the anomaly, simple as that.
Goku Jr and Goten, now Super Saiyans, have given chase to the Masked Saiyan, who is clearly fighting Frieza as the tyrant attempts to fight Goku. Naturally, complete havoc has followed, blows being thrown left and right with no idea who threw or recieved them. Goten extends the Power Pole towards the Masked Saiyan, pushing him away from Frieza. Goku Jr flies in the same direction, hoping to keep him away as long as he can. Similarly, Goten retracts and re-extends the pole against Frieza's back, propelling him towards the clashing Saiyans and slightly helping Goku in the process. Goten charges a one-handed Kamehameha as he flies, but is unable to dodge a direct punch to the face from the Masked Saiyan. However, Goku Jr follows suit, socking the Masked Saiyan right in the face, breaking part of his mask. A glowing red eye becomes visible, accompanied by a scar.
Goten: Wait, are you-?!
Masked Saiyan: I am NOT Bardock!
The Masked Saiyan launches a flurry of blasts, which Goten reflects by spinning the Power Pole. Several of these blasts, deflected or otherwise, rain down and hit the Metal Coolers approaching the other two Time Patrollers, as well as the ones choking them.
Trunks: That's Goten for you. Come on, let's finish this!
Vegeta Jr: How? There's still so many coming!
Trunks: If we do this right, we can take out the army and the Big Gete Star in one go, but we're only gonna get one chance.
Trunks starts charging a Galick Gun, and Vegeta Jr follows suit. The Metal Coolers get within firing range, but the two remain steadfast and unfazed.
Trunks: Now! GALICK GUN!
At the last second, the Saiyans launch their attacks, catching the Metal Coolers in the blast until it reaches the Big Gete Star, culminating in a massive explosion.
Masked Saiyan: Oh, like HELL that's happening to me!
The Masked Saiyan releases an explosion of his own ki. As Goten and Goku Jr recover, he makes a mad dash back to Frieza delivering a spinning kick to the emperor of the universe. He and Goku follow up with a combined rush of attacks, finishing with a dual ki wave. Frieza endures, but is left furious by the onslaught.
Goku: Thanks, but this is my fight. You need to get out of here.
Frieza: No you don't! I won't let a single one of you leave this planet alive!
Frieza charges a massive Supernova, but as he throws it towards the group, the Masked Saiyan launches a blast in a desperate attempt to push it back. The extreme heat slowly burns away the rest of his mask, his pupils returning to normal as all but the gem on his forehead is destroyed.
Bardock: FRIEZAAAAAAA!
Goten: I knew it! Come on, we have to help him!
Goku Jr: But he's part of the anomaly!
Goten: Forget the anomaly! If that thing hits us, we're all going up in smoke!
Goten, Goku Jr and Goku all launch Kamehamehas at the approaching Supernova. Goku's Family manages to push it back, dealing a decisive blow to Frieza. As the smoke clears, Goku turns to Goku Jr.
Goku: Thanks again. I don't know who you are, but you're a lifesaver. But please, you all have to get out of here, now.
Goku Jr nods and flies away with Goten, the two of them holding up Bardock. Bardock turns to face Goku Jr.
Bardock: You know him? You know Kakarot? You look just like him.
Goku Jr: Huh? Sorry, I don't know a Kakarot.
Goten: It's Goku. And he's an incredibly powerful warrior.
Bardock: Strong enough to defeat Frieza?
Goten: Stronger than you could ever know.
Bardock: Then leave me here.
Goku Jr: What?
Bardock: If Kakarot's really grown up to be that strong, to avenge our race, then I'm not needed here. In fact, I'm not even supposed to be alive, am I?
Goten: No, you're not. But you still deserve another chance. You can join us, in the Time Patrol.
Goku Jr: It doesn't work like that, Goten. We've never been able to leave without getting rid of the anomaly.
Bardock: Then I'll die with this planet. Kakarot told you to get out of here, so get out of here!
Goten nods and flies off to look for the rest of the Time Patrol. Goku Jr is about to follow, but is stopped by Bardock.
Bardock: You're Kakarot's descendant, aren't you? I'm trusting you with this.
Bardock unties his bandana and hands it to Goku Jr, who takes it ands puts it on himself.
Goku Jr: Thank you, Bardock.
Bardock: Don't mention it. Now go! Keep the new generation of Saiyans alive!
Goku Jr nods and finds everyone else rising into the atmosphere to buy a few extra seconds to escape. As Goku's pod flies off, the planet explodes, and Bardock dies a proud warrior's death, barely a second before the explosion of Namek can reach the disappearing Time Patrol.
Age 1000
Scene: Time Nest
The Time Patrollers barely have a moment to rematerialize before the Supreme Kai of Time rushes over to Goten.
Supreme Kai: That gem, please tell me you grabbed it!
Goten: The one on Bardock's mask? Sure, why?
The Supreme Kai of Time grabs the gem, her heart sinking a moment after she sees the insignia of infinity branded on it.
Supreme Kai: I don't believe it.
Trunks: Believe what?
Supreme Kai: I don't know how, but they finally found a way back. The Time Breakers.
Narrator: Who are these mysterious Time Breakers that have even the Supreme Kai of Time afraid? And are they a threat the Time Patrol can handle? Find out next time on Neo Dragon Ball Heroes!