Pshhhh
Raditz could faintly make out the sound of tea being poured out of a kettle as he sat on the ground, back resting against the hut's wall. Kakarot drowsily nodded off to sleep in his lap, oblivious to the tension in the air.
After his father had flown off to fight, the family and Gohan were holed up in the hut when the knocking had occurred. Opening the door, Gohan found two strange individuals. One, in a large overcoat and wide-brimmed hat, introduced himself as a police officer. The second was unlike anything even the Saiyans had seen before. A small rodent-like being in a fancy suit with beady black eyes brimming with intelligence, so small that he sat upon the other human's shoulder.
They introduced themselves as Detective Tsukauchi and Nezu, two residents of Musutafu who held positions of high, or extremely high in Nezu's case, power. Tsukauchi began a series of questions, aimed mainly towards Gohan, at the legitimacy of his residence in the Mount Pazou Forest, but Nezu quickly interrupted him with a dire declaration spoken in the most cheerful, high-pitched squeak.
Nezu asked them to move to 'All Might's' location before one of the two fighters ended up dead.
Gine stayed with her sons in the hut as the two humans hurried off with their rodent acquaintance riding once more on the Detective's shoulder. It only took half an hour for Gohan to return, with Nezu hitching a ride and Bardock in tow. Raditz saw that his father had won the fight, judging from the few bruises on his skin and blood stains on his armor. But his expression was stormy; full of frustration and confusion. The Detective had yet to return, but Bardock was not in the mood to wait. Gine gently pushed her boys out of the hut, asking them to remain outside until the talk had concluded.
So that was where Raditz sat, with his baby brother slowly drifting to sleep in his lap and scanning the forest below. He didn't know what to expect, everything was happening so fast. Just a few hours ago they were having a normal day, well, as normal as a hidden family of aliens secretly living in the mountains could have.
Movement caught the young Saiyans' eye. Sitting up straighter, Raditz saw the familiar shape of the Detective trudging up the mountain slope. This time he was helping another up, their arm slung around the Detective's shoulders. As the pair approached the hut, Raditz flared his senses, using the training Gohan put them through to gauge the new stranger's strength as well as assessing his form with his eyes. What he saw surprised him.
The man needed the support badly, Radtiz didn't know if he could even stand on his own, that was how bad he looked. Thin strands of blond hair framed a pale, sunken face, with pale eyes peering out. His body was little more than a skeleton, with even small clothes hanging baggily off his non-existent frame. His ki did little better, flickering and sputtering like a dying flame. Even Kakarot, in his infancy, had a more consistent level of energy than this man who seemed seconds from death's door.
"Oh... are these young men the folks you mentioned Naomasa?" The skeleton could speak? Well, that was good. Probably.
"Yup. Sorry about the commotion kids, I hope this whole situation can be settled peacefully." The Detective managed a small smile. But it was obvious that he was under tremendous amounts of stress.
"..." Neither Saiyan said anything. Kakarot was too sleepy to do anything more than swipe the air between them. Raditz eyed the two of them before craning his neck to look down the slope again.
"Where is the other guy?" He was obviously looking for someone besides the two in front of him. The humans exchanged a glance before turning back to him.
"Who?" Tsukauchi tentatively asked. Were there more people he needed to know about out here?
"The guy with the incredible power level." Raditz nonchalantly responded. "The person father fought. He's really strong if he managed to bruise father. But Detective guy was here during the fight and there's no way the skeleton guy could put up a fight. Where'd he come from by the way?"
"Oh... well, don't worry about that. Just stay here and keep an eye out, would you kid? Me and my friend here have some business to talk about with your parents and Gohan." Tsukauchi's smile was significantly more strained, but he somehow kept it on his face.
The skeleton guy closed his eyes, and his eyelids were so thin and weak that Radtiz wondered if they even helped protect his eyes. In fact, the man shouldn't even be alive, with how his ki fluctuates with his breathing. It was as if his body should be dead, but only sheer determination kept him standing. Well, it wasn't Raditz's business. Mother, father and Gohan would take care of this. That or father would just kill them.
"'Kay." Raditz shimmied away from the door and without a second glance, the two humans ducked inside.
The hut was intense, with a sense of impending doom hanging in the air. Bardock sat with legs and arms crossed, his brows furrowed and eyes alight with anger. His body was tense, as if his fight hadn't ended and he refused all food and drink offered. Gine sat on her knees, with her hands clutching a cup of tea. Her large eyes were full of worry as they darted from her husband beside her, to the pair at the door, to the conversing duo across the table.
On the other side of the dining table, Gohan and Nezu were chatting as if nothing was amiss. It was really just Nezu, with Gohan politely responding. The old human was just like Gine, nervously eyeing Bardock and the new pair at the door. Nezu was the oddball, acting as if this was just some normal business meeting.
"Ah, you two finally arrived!" The well-dressed rodent squeaked, waving cheerfully to them. "Why don't you take a seat and we'll get things started?"
So there they were, around the tiny dining table in a small hut in the forest far from the city. On one side, Bardock and Gine. Across from them, Gohan and Nezu. And just sitting down, the Detective and his patient.
"Where is he?" Bardock spoke for the first time since coming back.
"Who may you be referring to?" Nezu sipped his tea without a care.
"The hero I battled. The one called 'All Might.' Don't tell me he ran away!" Bardock growled and the tension in the room grew to new heights. Even Nezu's calm exterior was affected, with his hair standing on end. Then the Saiyan's eyes fell onto the blonde skeleton. "And who is this? This ain't a morgue, and I certainly didn't kill anyone worth reviving from the dead. Who's the zombie?"
"Well, you see..." Tsukauchi coughed, unsure how to explain this.
"Oh, that is All Might! In fact, this is his true form! What you fought an hour ago was his powered-up form. This is what he looks like normally." Nezu dramatically called out, setting his tea cup down.
Rumblerumblerumblerumble
Eyes widened and fear developed as the very ground shook with anger!
"I refuse to believe it." Bardock stood and marched over, ignoring Gine's soft protests. All Might stared emotionlessly at the enraged Saiyan looming over him, the fire of battle reigniting in his eyes.
"I knew you had a bad wound, your fighting style made that too obvious. But this? This lifeless flimsy wisp of a man? You were supposed to be my good fight, to push me to the edge! Why would you even fight if you're in such a condition? I should have ended you-"
"Bardock, don't bring your selfish desires into this!" Gine cried out, pulling back her husband. She knew she had to diffuse the situation before Bardock's fighting spirit got roused any further.
"Look, this is important to our future here on this planet. Gohan told us that much. Please, at least hear them out." She gestured to the elderly human and the rodent sitting across from them.
"Hrmmm." Bardock huffed, but his power flare dissipated and he returned to his sitting position. Gine sat beside him, a hand gripping his knee.
"Well, now that we got all our emotions out of the way, I think it's time to move onto bigger and more important things!" Nezu clapped his paws together.
"Yes, I have something that must be addressed." All Might rasped, his weak voice drawing more ire from Bardock which earned him a glare from Gine in turn. "Nezu, you said something about aliens back at the battle site, but what did you mean exactly?"
"I mean every word I say All Might, and this is no exception. These two before you are not from our planet!" A few seconds passed with that new bombshell being absorbed.
"You serious?" Tsukauchi rubbed his eyes. Such a far fetched claim would normally get a chuckle out of him. However, this was coming from Nezu, whose intelligence had no equal in Japan.
"But they look human..." All Might chanced a look, only to see Bardock's burning glare. It was as if he was issuing another challenge. Gine looked down, her grip on Bardock's knee tightening.
"Hmm... this isn't good. An uneven distribution of knowledge will no doubt set one party on edge. How about this? We will share what we know, so that either party holds anything over the other. I will start on how I know your origins, and then you can tell us how you ended up here." Nezu suggested, seeing the two Saiyans in distress.
"Fine by me." Bardock fixed his glare onto the rat, whose shifting pupil less eyes gave nothing away. Gine curtly nodded in agreement.
"Very well. As you have no doubt realized by now, my name is Nezu. The blonde is the number one hero All Might and the man in the hat and cloak is Detective Tsukauchi." Nezu took a long sip of tea. Then he cleared his throat. Then he spoke.
"A few months ago, an alert sounded in Japan's satellite base. Unidentified objects were approaching the planet, on a collision course. Three small spherical objects, whose estimated time of arrival was one day. It determined that they were too small and going too slow to deal significant damage, but an alert was sounded regardless."
'Humans may not have space travel, but they do have an intricate satellite network.' Bardock noted.
"The day came and the three objects made landfall somewhere outside Musutafu. They were so small and fast that the general public remained blissfully unaware. I was instructed by the Japanese government to investigate with my staff of elite and veteran heroes. Working with the police investigation, we came across the landing zone, only to find it empty. We did notice three orb-shaped indentations in the ground, as well as smoldering pieces of foliage, but nothing major. I reported my findings, and nothing much happened."
"The first villain incident was not associated with the unidentified objects. Villain attacks happen too often for association to be made right away. But when a week went by and cases continued piling up, that was when the government started getting worried. What if something intelligent landed on our planet? Something that knew to hide itself on landfall? And even worse, something that had violent intentions. I was then given an order to do a full investigation and uncover the truth behind what was happening. When I caught wind of All Might aiding the investigation, I knew this was my best chance to find the whole truth."
"Looks like they already knew we were here." Bardock grunted. "Maybe not us specifically, but the humans definitely were more aware than we gave them credit for."
"And that is my side of the story. Why I am here, what I hope to accomplish and what I hope to do after this is over." All Might and Tsukauchi stared at him, jaws agape. Nezu paid them no mind. He raised his mug for another sip, not breaking eye contact with Bardock.
"So, what is your story?"
"Look, I already gave Gohan here the whole rundown, so I ain't gonna go that in-depth. Ask the old man if you want the full run down." Gine didn't chide him this time. She trusted Bardock to handle this. "So, here's the abridged version."
"I'm Bardock and this is my wife, Gine. The two boys outside are Raditz and Kakarot. We're Saiyans. A warrior race uplifted to serve as planetary exterminators. Eventually we got noticed by the galactic ruler, King Cold, who brought us into his army. Then we got handed off to his son, Frieza, who used up to further his business of exterminating planets of their inhabitants and then selling the worlds to the highest bidder."
"Wait!" All Might roared, his weak frame bursting back into his muscular form. His face was contorted with pure anger, his arms quivering in rage. "You-you exterminated entire planets? You fiend!"
"Oh lord, not again." Bardock drawled, idly rolling his head back. "I already went through this with Gohan. Not in the mood to do it again."
In a flash, Bardock's laziness was gone and replaced by his roaring warrior's spirit.
"Listen here All Might. Yes, I've killed innocents. Millions have fallen by my hand, and millions probably will in the future. I've cleansed entire worlds of life, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat."
The tension grew suffocatingly thick, with Earth's mightiest hero and the Saiyan warrior squaring off.
"So if you want to do something about that, then let's go for round two." Bardock jerked his head towards the door in an obvious challenge. All Might grit his teeth, wisps of smoke rising from his body as he struggled to maintain his power. Bardock noticed the hero's struggle.
"Well?"
"Rrrrg!" All Might deflated, but his glare had not lost its bite. "To think a whole race of you villains existed! How can you live with yourself?"
"Well, when your worth as a Saiyan is purely determined by your power level and killing is all you are expected to do, then it's pretty easy actually." Bardock then exhaled, and a forlorn look crossed his features, catching All Might off guard. "But it doesn't really matter what you think about us Saiyans. We're almost all gone at this point."
"Huh?" All Might shuddered at that thought. Did Bardock mean that...?
"Yup. Frieza backstabbed us. Countless Saiyan lives dedicated to serving him and he repays us by trying to exterminate us. Well, he always hated us. We should have seen it sooner. And that's why me and my family are here on Earth. Thanks to an early warning by our leader, King Vegeta, some Saiyans managed to escape. But you don't need to worry about a Saiyan invasion All Might. No one else ever will."
All Might and Tsukauchi sat in stunned silence. They felt confusion, tension, then burning anger, and now some semblance of pity towards the Saiyan. It was too much dropped on them in less than 10 minutes, and they struggled to process it all.
However, one person at the table took it all in without a word.
"I see. So that's your story. Can't say I approve of having a killer of your magnitude on our planet, but it sounds like this Frieza person is a far greater threat." Nezu carefully analyzed the situation, picking apart Bardock's tale.
"You got that right."
"So tell me, Bardock, how do you stand against other Saiyans, when your race was still functioning? Were you particularly strong? Weak?" Nezu probed further, his own curiosity overriding his self-preservation senses.
"Pheh!" Bardock scowled and looked down, but talked. "I'm what you would consider a low class warrior. I was born from a common family, and raised as a common soldier. I clawed my way up to a squadron leader through my own hard work."
"A low class? Were Saiyans divided at birth?" Nezu probbed even further.
"Lot about Saiyans are determined at birth. Estimated power level, ranking, social status, you name it. I'm one of the most powerful of the lower class, but I'll admit there were Saiyans I wouldn't stand a chance at beating one-on-one." Bardock grit his teeth as he told the truth he himself knew all too well.
"Dear Kami... even stronger than Bardock?" Tsukauchi muttered in disbelief. All Might was a hero without equal on Earth, yet Bardock took him out without much effort. Granted, All Might was grievously wounded, but still, even in that state he was leagues above even the number two hero.
"Indeed." Nezu grimly knew what this meant, making logical jumps. "And this Frieza, he had the capacity to exterminate your entire race? Does he have a large army? Some sort of death machine?"
"No." Bardock's single word chilled the air. "Frieza does have his army, the Frieza Force, but they were inconsequential all things considered. Frieza destroyed us himself, with his own power."
Silence.
"Well then, that's why you ran away. Even for a fighter of your caliber, Frieza seems to be an insurmountable opponent." Nezu's cheer faded away as grim reality settled in.
It was Tsukauchi who spoke next. "Are there other survivors?"
"Not many. Some Saiyans weren't on the planet that day. The royal family escaped. Several were like us, and escaped death. However, we are all scattered. On the run and being hunted down. I doubt Frieza will leave a job half finished." Gine responded, her tone despondent.
"Hunted?" Tsukauchi shot upright in alarm. "So there's a chance this Frieza Force could arrive here? On Earth?"
"As long as we Saiyans are here, there is always going to be a possibility."
"Do we..." All Might hesitantly spoke up. "Do we have a chance against them?"
"That depends." Bardock leaned back. "Against common Frieza Force grunts? Your Earth Heros could probably put up a good fight. However, the Frieza Force will aim to kill, and you heroes don't. Hard to say who'd come out on top. I don't know much about humanities 'quirks' but they do seem pretty powerful. But if they get Frieza himself? Absolutely not."
"But maybe together?" All Might weakly protested. "If you and I joined forces, surely the Earth could be saved?"
"An entire planet of Saiyans didn't stand a chance All Might, a good amount many times stronger than me. Trust me, I saw it first-hand. We wouldn't last a minute." Bardock drew his lips back in frustration. "That's considering the best case scenario, where he comes down to fight us himself."
"What is the worst-case?" Tsukauchi ventured.
Bardock responded by creating a ball of ki in his hand. All Might flinched at the sight of the power that sent him flying.
"I can create a blast of ki energy that can send a man flying." Bardock clenched his fist and the ball enveloped his hand in a glowing glove of energy. "But Frieza... he can create a ball of ki so large, so destructive, that it can destroy an entire planet."
"My word..." Tsukauchi was breathless at the possibility of such power.
"Wouldn't that kill him too?" All Might questioned.
"Frieza and his race don't need to breathe to live. That's another thing he could do, just attack us from space. And this planet doesn't have space technology to create ships to fight him out there."
"So, the circumstances if Frieza and his army find us are dire." Nezu summarized. "Then we must analyze how likely that situation will come to be. How likely is it that the Frieza Force will find you here on Earth?"
"Well, this system is out of the way and underdeveloped. Not a very good prospective neighborhood, so Frieza wouldn't usually venture here." Gine thought out loud. "However, that may be just what he's looking for. He'd definitely send at least a scouting ship to try to find Saiyans first, then send a larger combat force once located."
"Then we must prepare for that day. Which brings us the present, to the now." Nezu tapped his paws on the table. "What are we to do now?"
"Well, you obviously came here with a plan. You tell us." Bardock snarked.
"I am never without some sort of contingency Bardock, you are correct. Truth be told, my plan is very simple. I want you off our planet. At the earliest convenience." Nezu stated bluntly.
All Might and Tsukauchi eyed him in shock, then looked to the Saiyans to gauge their reactions.
"I expected as much." Bardock admitted, to their shock.
"The way I see it, if there are no Saiyans on our planet, then even if a Frieza Force scouting ship comes by, we are safe. From what Gine has told us, Earth is not in Frieza's eye, which means the only threat to our safety is you four." Nezu took another sip of tea, his mind processing the massive information dump that had been given.
"However, it is reasonable to assume you are stranded here on Earth. If you could leave, you would have. Staying in a single spot would make it easier to be discovered, and you wouldn't want to be caught without an escape plan. While I don't know what your vessel of transportation is exactly, I can assume it is linked to those three unidentified objects that fell through the atmosphere. The heat on atmospheric entry or the impact of landing may have damaged the systems beyond repair."
"Right on the money." Bardock was starting to realize that this rodent really was smart, a little too perceptive for his liking.
"In that case, then you'd want to blend in as much as possible. You look quite similar to humans, in fact with our quirks you'd fit right in. However, you did say you were among the strongest of the lower class Saiyans. That means you are recognizable. So you'd want to keep a low profile. Which is why you didn't exterminate humanity the moment you landed. That would have drawn too much attention."
Gine nudged Bardock's side at that, a weak smile on her face. She could find even a small nugget of humor in a dire conversation, lessening the tension somewhat. Bardock just rolled his eyes good-naturedly at the jab.
"So that's the dilemma we have. Neither side wants you to remain on Earth, but you don't have the means to leave. While Earth does have rockets to get to space, they are strictly for satellite maintenance and similar activities. We don't have ships for you to use, and even if we did it's not like we could just ask for it. That would involve explaining the whole situation, something I think we want to avoid."
"The less people who know about this the better." Gohan spoke for the first time. "It would do nothing but cause panic, shattering our perspective about the universe and our place in it. If people realized that we are not alone, and those out there are far more powerful than us and malicious on top of it all, who knows what could happen. I've known about this the longest and some days I still can't wrap my head around this whole situation."
"Agreed." Tsukauchi nodded. "Keeping this under wraps is imperative."
"But we can not just leave the situation as it is." Nezu interrupted, raising a paw.
"Why, what's wrong with what we got right now?" Bardock countered.
"You've caused quite a stir, too much to be ignored." Nezu turned to Tsukauchi. "Detective, I don't think it's too far of a claim to say Bardock here has made an impact in his few months on Earth, don't you?"
"That's a gross understatement." The Detective moaned. "Now with All Might on the case, I have to deliver something. We'd have a major problem if I didn't."
"It's clear something has to change. And with that, I have a proposition for your Bardock." Nezu folded his arms on the table.
Bardock raised an eyebrow. "Well, let's put the cards on the table. What are you suggesting?"
"An exchange. Both sides give something that the other needs in order to satisfy both parties. For you, it is a way off this planet. For us, it is a way to ensure you are not a danger to the planet." Nezu began, choosing his words very carefully.
"...go on." Bardock leaned in on hearing about a way off Earth, something he hadn't been able to figure out.
"Put simply, it will be an exchange of services. You, Bardock, will work with us during your time here. Not under, not for, but with. Your strength will be of great use while All Might is in his current state."
"So you're just gonna be using me like a soldier?" Bardock clenched a fist.
"And how is that different from how you operated under Frieza?" Nezu rebuked.
"Fair point." Bardock smirked. "Continue."
"As for our side of the bargain, you will get me. Believe me or not, but I am one of the smartest beings on the planet, with a wealth of resources and personnel at my disposal. I can tell that you still have the ship or ships you arrived on Earth with you. I will work to repair them with what we have on Earth. That is the basics of the deal." Nezu finished.
No one said a word and all eyes were on Bardock.
"You bring up good points." Bardock's eyes then grew stormy. A sense of dread squirmed in the hearts of those in the room, even Gine. "But, there is one problem."
"Nothing you offered me is something I can not simply take by force."
"Bardock!" Gine recoiled at the declaration.
"Shit." Tsukauchi reached for his sidearm.
All Might tensed, ready for a fight.
"It's the truth, Gine. While I have grown to accept living on Earth, I can not change my nature. I am a Saiyan. King Vegeta needs us, to avenge our people! Playing nice will only get us so far. If using force expedites the process, then I'll do it!"
"Think Bardock!" Urged Nezu, tried desperately to salvage the situation. "Do you really think leaving as soon as possible is the best course of action?"
A pause. "Explain yourself, rat. You were the one who wanted us off Earth as soon as possible."
"Not as soon as possible, rather when the time is right." Nezu corrected, keeping his voice level and steady. "Just, think for a moment. You said it yourself, the Saiyans are scattered across the cosmos, being hunted down by a galactic tyrant. Do you really think your King Vegeta is in a position to fight back, mere months after his entire race was nearly wiped out? How long would it really take to generate the resources, manpower and everything else that is needed to strike back against such a foe like Frieza?"
Nezu took Bardock's silence as a gesture to continue, so he did, seeing that he was getting through to him.
"It would take many months, even years for such a feat! Recklessly blasting back off into space right now, while the Saiyans are still scattered would only draw attention to you. You ran away, you admitted that without embarrassment because that was all you could do. So, why would you run back in when you've only just barely escaped with your life a few months ago?"
Bardock looked at his hands. Then he looked back up to Nezu.
"Alright, that doesn't answer my question though. I could just wait before leaving, but in the meantime still take over this planet. I fought your apparent strongest hero and clearly bested him. You don't have much leverage over me. There's no one that can challenge me." Bardock didn't like that fact any more than the Earthlings, but it had to be stated.
All Might could take it no more! All this talk about an alien invader just running all over Earth, he'd let it stand no longer! Because Bardock was wrong! And All Might was going to tell him that straight up!
"There is one!" All Might bellowed, slamming his hands on the table, bringing all the attention to him. Nezu and Bardock were silenced, tea was spilled, Gohan and Gine were startled by the slam, and Tsukauchi looked at his friend with wide eyes.
"Toshinori!" He hissed, tugging on his friend's sleeve. All Might wasn't doing what the Detective was thinking, was he?
All Might ignored his best friend's desperate attempts to stop him. He stood tall, managing to look Bardock in the eye without wavering.
"There is a hero who can take you on! Not just that, but beat you!" All Might held out his hand, arching his fingers. "You said that you knew about quirks, did you not?"
Bardock nodded silently.
"My quirk is One for All!" All Might clenched his fist, a crackle of yellow energy bursting from it. The fist held, without wavering. "A quirk whose origins date back to the very beginning of quirk emergence! A quirk that is passed down from generation to generation, accumulating strength! It is wielded by a chosen few to stave off the greatest villains humanity has ever faced, to be the ultimate sword brandished against evil! My time is coming to an end, but that only means that my successor will rise up! To be greater and stronger than I ever was! My successor, he will be the one to beat you!"
Chest heaving, All Might kept his gaze leveled at Bardock. A second passed. Then two. Then 10. Then the Saiyan spoke.
"Well then. There's your leverage Nezu." Bardock stood up and shook himself out. The room watched as he stretched his limbs out, before crossing his arms and standing in front of All Might.
"Bring him here."
"Uh, what?"
"Your successor. The one you hyped up just now. Let's see just how strong this 'ultimate sword' of yours is." Bardock's predatory smile emerged again as his body fired up to answer All Might's challenge.
All Might grimaced. The truth was quite far from what he had just said. "He's... not ready yet."
"He doesn't have to be. This is just a test, to see if you're not just bullshitting. I won't kill him, if that's what you are worried about." Bardock's gaze hardened. "But you still owe me a fight. To us Saiyans, fighting is our lifeblood. It's who we are, for better or worse. Our fight ended prematurely. Your successor can finish it for you."
"No, see..." All Might began.
"Now hold on All Might. Let me handle this." Nezu's voice broke through All Might's musings.
'Fighting is more than just a Saiyan's lifeblood. It is their purpose in life, based on everything I've heard. Perhaps Bardock's reason to fight Frieza isn't just to avenge his people, but rather to have an exhilarating battle to the death against a powerful foe? I can use this battlelust. Particularly Bardock's desire to fight All Might. Yes, I can!' Nezu knew he could reel Bardock in. He just had to hook him.
"I think we can accommodate this into our deal, Bardock. We've come to agree on the fact that you may be on Earth for a longer period of time than you initially thought, maybe even a few years. That works perfectly with the process All Might will put his successor through. So I think we can alter the deal to even further benefit both parties without cutting one off."
Bardock sat back down, eyeing Nezu who continued.
"My role in society is as a headmaster of a teaching institution for future heroes. All Might's successor will be enrolling in our heroics program, which lasts three years. During that time, he will be taught by the best of the business, the finest heroes Earth has, forging him into the hero that All Might spoke. One that can take you down."
Bardock scowled. "How can I be sure this isn't some ruse?"
"Why, you'll be right there, alongside the staff teaching him!" Nezu responded brightly, ignoring All Might and Tsukauchi's horrified expressions. "All Might is joining my staff this year to teach his successor, alongside a generation of aspiring heroes! You will be joining him! This way All Might has no chance of deceiving you."
"Hmmm." Bardock's brow furrowed.
"Oh, and you won't just have to watch on the sidelines. You could teach others students as well! And, if I find particularly nasty villains giving our heroes around the city a tough time, I can send you to them. You seem fond of knocking around villains, so I can give you tougher ones than the standard rabble you've been dealing with."
"Why the hell would I want to teach a bunch of brats playing heroes?" Bardock scoffed at the notion of him teaching Earthlings.
"You complain about no one on Earth being able to challenge you, so why not create your own challenge? I assure you, quirks come in all varieties, and their effectiveness in battle will shock you. This way you'll find a way to fill your days with something productive." Nezu's smile faded as he sucked in a breath.
"Also, it would benefit everyone on Earth, Earthling or Saiyan, to have a small group trained to fend off the Frieza Force. And who better to train them than the only person on Earth who has fought the Frieza Force off before?"
"Nezu!" Tsukauchi could barely breathe. "Are you suggesting we train our youth, your students, as soldiers?"
"It is not something I take pride in Detective, but it is the truth." Nezu responded softly. "We must remember the threat of a Frieza Force scouting ship, as Gine mentioned, finding Earth. If such an event occurs, we must be ready."
"But surely adult heroes would be better. Or the military!" All Might protested.
"That would mean revealing the truth to more people. Something we all agreed is what we should not do." Nezu sighed heavily. "Gentlemen, I do not want to prepare my students for war. But, as principal of UA, I have an obligation to prepare my students for anything the world may throw at them. Now that a potential invasion is looming, well, I will do my damndest to make sure my students are prepared."
"Still... dressing our children in war paint..." Tsukauchi wrung his hands in worry.
"Tsukauchi, All Might, this is not a final decision. I still have to run it by the other staff members of UA. We will come to a final decision then and there." Nezu then turned to address Bardock.
"At UA, you and your family will be well taken care of. We have the finest equipment in the world to exercise your body and powers. Food, water, housing, all your basic needs will be covered and more. What's more is our Support Laboratories. We have all the materials Earth has to offer there, and secluded enough to where I can get your space-traveling ship working without anyone the wiser."
"..." Bardock tilted his head, looking at Gine. She looked back, and nodded.
"Raditz and Kakarot will have a better life in such a location. I don't want Kakarot growing up as an outcast." Bardock nodded.
"Ah, and if it isn't too much of an issue, could I join them?"
"Gohan?" The entire room looked at the elderly man in confusion.
"I've grown quite fond of this family, alien or not. I wish to see this whole thing through to the end. Besides, I think I can serve as a very good cover story for the Saiyans when you have to introduce them to your staff." Gohan winked at the Saiyans.
"That would make things easier." Nezu agreed.
"You sure sir?" Tsukauchi cautiously advised him. "There's no telling what may happen from here on out."
"That's the point boy! Aliens, high school, secretive plots involving the number one hero, all culminating into a final battle, you can't find a story better than this!" Gohan's face broke out into a booming laugh. "I haven't been this entertained in ages! Who wouldn't want to see how this all ends up?"
"Looking over it all it is quite ridiculous." All Might let out a weak chuckle in agreement. "If I wasn't here, I wouldn't have given this story a second thought."
"Alright, for now I guess I can go along." Bardock frowned. "But I have a few demands."
"Name them and I'll see how I can accommodate them." Nezu calmly said.
"First, you have to prove to me that the pods work when you're done with them. Our ships are called and look like pods. Now you know." Bardock waved a finger. "You aren't getting away with giving me a faulty pod to kill me!"
"I'll do a test voyage myself before handing them off." Nezu agreed. "I'll also agree to any other methods of confirmation you want to ensure the pods do not change from my test run to your launch."
"Second, no micromanaging me. You tell me which villain to punch, and I'll punch them as hard as I like. Gine forbade me from killing, so I won't. However, I'm not gonna stop sending anyone who crosses me to the hospital. And if you somehow convince your staff to let me teach, which I am hoping to whatever guardian watches over this planet that they refuse, I'll teach as I like."
"That is already how UA works. And I will accommodate your brutality, so long as you don't paint the walls and bathe the streets in blood." Nezu agreed again.
"And third!" Bardock stared at Gine. "I want guaranteed protection for my family. And the ability for them to stay on Earth should they want."
Nezu raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And not for you?"
"Gine isn't like me." Bardock tore his eyes away from Gine, who had her hand over her mouth. "She isn't a fighter. Her heart is too soft. She went on missions with me and my squad, but she could never kill anyone. She got reassigned to meat processing after. I'm a killer, I won't deny that. But Gine is innocent. Kakarot is just a child. He can't even talk or walk. Raditz has a chance to be something better. He has killed, he has, but he can change."
"Quite a request. Merely housing a Saiyan means Earth is always at risk of incurring the wrath of the Frieza Force." Nezu tapped his paws on his legs.
"Please." Bardock closed his eyes.
Nezu sighed. "Sounds like the final wish of a dying man. How about this? During your stay at UA, I will observe your family and how well your wife and sons integrate into Earth society. Should the results be favorable, I'll grant your request."
"Thank you." Bardock replied stiffly.
"Hmm. Well! Time has passed us by. It's time us Earthlings deal with the aftermath of today's events." Nezu hopped up and dusted himself off. He scampered up Tsukauchi's arm and rested on his shoulder. "I think we all need to sleep on this, but only for tonight! I'll send transportation to bring Bardock to the staff interview tomorrow morning! The only requirement is for your clothes not to have stains of blood!"
"I'll keep that in mind." Bardock rolled his eyes again.
"Well, let's be off! We can fit All Might back on the back seat of the vehicle you drove us here on." Nezu patted Tsukauchi to hurry him. The Detective quickly helped his friend up and with a tip of his hat, exited the hut.
Raditz and Kakarot were fast asleep, a blanket strewn over their slumbering forms. Gine followed them out and carefully scooped them into her arms. With a nod to the Earthings, she closed the door.
The evening air was cool as the trio rode back in silence. They carefully evaded the crime scene, with Tsukauchi radioing in that he needed to make a report back at the station.
"Ugh, this is gonna be a pain in my ass explaining this one." Tsukauchi shook his head, a migraine already forming from the intricate lies he'll have to spin together.
"Not to worry, I'll assist! We are all in this together after all." Nezu chirped as the trio departed the vehicle. A moment of silence passed before Tsukauchi turned on All Might.
"Alright, I can't hold it back any longer: what the hell were you thinking? You haven't even given your successor One for All, much less taught him how to use it! And now you've put the fate of the world on his back!"
"Well, with Him lurking in the shadows, the fate of the world would always be on the shoulders of the inheritor of One for All." All Might weakly retorted, rubbing his eyes.
"Oh great, how is the kid gonna react to that? He has to prepare to fight not only the greatest villain in human history, one that will seek him out because of the quirk he is going to inherit, but also a planet conquering alien warrior!" Tsukauchi's shoulder slumped with mental fatigue.
"I was going to tell Young Midoriya one thing at a time. He is still quirkless, and needs to work on his attitude before he is ready to accept the burdens of responsibility that come with One for All. Ah, but I will pass down One for All before the UA entrance exam. It's in a week? Two?" All Might sighed, dragging a hand down his face. He turned to Nezu. "Ah, Nezu, could you-?"
"Nope!" The cheerful rodent replied.
"But!" All Might sputtered. "If Young Midoriya doesn't pass the entrance exam, your plan is doomed from the start!"
"Well, first of all, Bardock doesn't know who your successor is. And for Midoriya's safety, don't make it obvious. And two, the entrance exam should serve as a good benchmark for Midoriya's progress. Three years is both an extremely long and short amount of time. If he can't make it at the entrance exam, three years won't make a hero strong enough to fight Bardock. If he does, then there's something to work with. Also, you've already signed the teaching contract All Might. Even if your chosen successor doesn't make it in, you're still teaching."
"Ah." All Might flinched at his oversight. It would be very awkward if he gave Young Midoriya One for All, but he failed the entrance exam, and All Might had to teach a class that didn't have his successor.
"Well, I'm turning into the station." Tsukauchi waved. "Unlike you two, I don't have to deal with an alien being interviewed by UA staff tomorrow, so I'm going to see how I'll deal with this whole fiasco."
"Thank you, Naomasa" All Might bowed his head.
"Don't mention it." And with that, Tsukauchi strode off.
All Might sat beside Nezu, the realization of everything settling in.
"Young Midoriya will have a lot on his plate." All Might muttered.
"So shall we." Nezu aimed his gaze skyward.
Son Gohan's Residence-
Raditz and Kakarot were asleep inside the warmth of Gohan's hut. Gohan himself had retired as well, dozing off quickly. The two adult Saiyans, however, had one last thing to discuss.
Gine huddled against a tree on a cliff overlooking the forest. Bardock stood, watching the forest and the city behind it. The flashing lights. The faint sounds of city life.
"Why did you ask Nezu that Bardock?" Gine hugged her legs to her chest as she stared up at her husband.
"Did you plan on following me back out into space to fight Frieza?" He didn't turn around.
"Did you consider how cowardly your wife would feel if her husband flew off, fighting to avenge our people? While she hid away?" Now he did, his gaze just a fraction softer than usual.
"You ain't a fighter Gine. If King Vegeta is alive, and stays alive long enough to rally the remaining Saiyans, then it's gonna be a fight to the death. We'll either break Frieza's hold over the galaxy or die trying. Both of us know that the last place you'd want to die is a battlefield."
"Sigh." Gine stood, brushing off the dirt as she moved to stand beside Bardock.
"I know I'm not a fighter, but I'm still a Saiyan." She murmured. "My blood boils whenever I remember how he destroyed Planet Vegeta. All our kin still on the planet. I won't just stand by. Not again."
"Then come with me when the time comes." Bardock replied. "I'm making sure the option is available to you, but you don't have to take it. The rat said his nest has a bunch of fancy Earth equipment. Get yourself some training, strengthen up. We'll have time."
"Get strong, huh?" Gine looked up at the evening sky. "Haven't been told that since I was discharged from the Saiyan military."
"You are strong, Gine." Bardock interrupted softly. "You may not have fought anyone while on those missions with my squad, but you survived every one. You survived training, you survived the missions and you survived Planet Vegeta. Don't discredit yourself."
Gine giggled. "Aww, Bardock! Are you being nice?"
"Don't push your luck." Bardock smirked, but there was no malice behind it.
A wind kicked up, chilling the air. Seeing Gine start to shiver, Bardock wrapped his arms around her and sat down behind a tree, blocking the wind.
"Bardock?" Her soft voice called out.
"Mhm?"
"Remember what I said back when we were escaping Planet Vegeta?"
"A lot was said that day. Remind me."
"It isn't like a Saiyan male to care about his family this much. Why are you doing all this? You could have just ignored me, Raditz and Kakarot and no one would have expected anything different."
"...I guess it's because I've spent my whole life fighting. Killing. Destroying. I'd actually like to save something for once."
"Well, you've done a great job so far." Gine smiled as she curled closer.
"Heh. Well, don't thank me just yet. Our troubles aren't over."
"Don't think we have much to worry about. Earth doesn't seem like anything we can't handle. Raditz and Kakarot must have been blessed under a shooting star to have survived everything up until now."
"Shooting star? Wait... HAHAHAHA!"
Gine pushed herself off Bardock with jaw agape. Bardock, laughing?
"Ahhhh, oh, maybe I wasn't going crazy back then after all." Bardock smiled. Smiled!
"What?" Gine tilted her head.
"Well, the mission I was on before this whole chain of events started was a rough one." Bardock recalled, leaning back into the tree."
"Hm? Even more than usual?" Gine snuggled beside him.
"Yeah. There was this guy. I think his name was Gas? One of the Heeters, those brokers that work for Frieza. He was strong, really strong. Nearly killed me multiple times."
"Your mission on Planet Cereal? Why'd you end up fighting him? At the time, weren't you guys on the same side?" Gine questioned.
"Meh, long story involving a Namekian, and a Cerealian mother and son. Point is, during the fight I heard a voice in my head, calling himself Toronbo, a wish granting dragon. Tried to send me back to Planet Vegeta. I refused, so the Namekian told me to make another wish, for whatever reason. So I told him 'I'd wish that my sons end up thriving.'" Bardock snorted a laugh at the memory.
"Oh, like wishing on a shooting star? I heard rumors that Namekians had some sort of ability to grant wishes. Maybe this one tried to do so for you?"
"Probably not, considering I led the attack that wiped out his planet. Just, the thought that a wish in the heat of battle saved our skins seems too good to be true."
"Well, everything that has happened to our family seems like intervention of a higher power. Sometimes I feel like we escaped destiny that day."
A comfortable silence fell onto the pair, nestled together on that overlook. Gine fell asleep, Bardock's faint heartbeat through his armor helping her feel safe and comfortable. Bardock fell asleep as he always did on a hostile planet.
With one eye open.
AN: Sorry for the unannounced hiatus. I mentioned on my other, main, fic that I have been really busy. Well, I've worked to get my life in order, so I can finally move this story's plot forward. This chapter is the last exposition, so things should be moving faster now. Thanks for waiting and thanks for reading!