30: The Final Showdown!
Basil watched the stars drift past as they powered through the infinite darkness. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen. Back when Planet Vegeta was whole, she had always stayed up late staring at the sky. She was easily in awe at the smallest things, but space was something she knew she'd never grow bored of.
Piccolo steered the ship, his eyes glued to the never-ending blanket of stars and planets before them. "Anyone got a plan for when we board the ship?"
"I thought we'd just fight 'em all." Yamcha said, stretching his arm across his chest.
"We need an actual strategy." Vegeta grumbled. "A plan, not just a thought."
"Oh, I know!" Basil said cheerfully, bounding over. Her golden hair, in its blinding glory, still remained. In a short 5 minute lesson, Goku had taught her how to maintain the form to allow her body to get used to it. Of course, Basil didn't argue. Going Super Saiyan and being able to hold it was her dream come true. "How about we sneak on board and take Bulla, then sneak back to our ship and head back home?"
Goku rubbed his chin, then shook his head. "I don't think that'll work. Besides, Turles needs to pay for what he's done.'
"I'm not going back to Earth until Turles isn't breathing." Vegeta said in a low, threatening voice.
The group returned to silence, the only sound being the roar of the ships' throaty engine. It wasn't an awkward silence, but a silence of deep thought. As the ship flew forward with immense speed, the group realized just how drastic the situation had become. Earth wasn't exactly in imminent danger anymore, as Turles had gotten half of what he wanted, but the fighters knew he would return. Goku stared out the large window, thinking of the happy child that had never done anything wrong. The child that was now held captive by people she didn't know. That made Goku's chest tighten. He loved Bulla. They had made up a game where she would hide and he would pretend he couldn't find her, when really she was just hiding behind a lamp or under a table. She was a bright spirit that loved kittens and playing and eating. The idea that anyone would want to hurt her was beyond Goku.
Vegeta was more angry than anyone else, which was understood. It was his daughter, after all. Vegeta had noticeable gotten soft after settling down with a family, and even though he'd never admit it, he loved Bulla and Trunks and Bulma more than anything. He wasn't the typical family man, that much was obvious. But everyone knew he'd destroy any force that messed with his family. That was admirable.
The current situation made Gohan think back to Pan. He always played with her and kept her safe, but if something like this could happen to Vegeta, of all people, then there was no doubt it could happen to him. Videl was due back any day now, and he would make sure nothing bad came to them. Videl and Pan were the most important things in his life, so their safety was at the top of his list. Right behind saving the entire world.
Basil sat down in a seat beside Piccolo, drumming her fingers on the console. "Hey, Mister Piccolo?"
"What?" Piccolo asked, barely glancing at her. "I'm a little busy."
"How come Mister Lord Beerus and Mister Whis didn't come with us?"
"They don't assist fights unless they have to. Unless it's a dire emergency." Piccolo explained.
"Is this not an emergency?" Basil asked, tilting her head to the side.
"To them, no. To us, yes. They don't help mortals with little problems." Piccolo sighed. "We're taking care of it ourselves."
"They should help," Basil said. "Mister Lord Beerus is super strong. I bet he'd beat Turles with one punch!"
Piccolo chuckled. "I'm sure."
"How close are we?" Vegeta asked, leaning over Piccolo's shoulder to see at the console, where a GPS system showed their location and the location of nearby ships and planets.
"We're getting close," Piccolo answered. He pointed to a red dot on the map not far from their own green dot. "That should be them."
"Uh...shouldn't we be getting closer to the dot, not the dot getting closer to us?" Krillin asked with a worried look on his face.
"Huh?" Yamcha peered at the navigation system and frowned. "It looks like they're coming this way."
"Uh oh." Goku said. "So they know we're coming after them."
"Big deal." Vegeta snapped. "Let them come."
"We can't let them damage the ship, or we'll kinda be stuck out here." Krillin said.
"Look, a ship!" Basil jumped from her seat, pointing out the main window. Everyone followed her gaze, and indeed spotted a large grey ship that towered over their own. The lights of their ship illuminated the hulking surface, which was strikingly familiar to the three Saiyans.
"It's Turles." Goku said, gritting his teeth. "He must have seen us coming and left Frieza's ship."
"Which means that Bulla is all alone with Frieza." Vegeta said, then growled. "Dammit."
"What's the plan?" Tien asked.
"We fight." Broly said plainly, as if it were obvious.
"I'll be totally honest, I forgot you were here." Krillin said with a nervous chuckle, side-stepping to stand beside Goku.
The ship came closer, casting a shadow over the smaller craft. The fighters prepared themselves, seeing as how Turles wasn't going to just let them pass to get to Frieza. They knew Turles and Frieza weren't buddy-buddy, but were both working together for the time being to achieve a common goal. Frieza was never one to hold a truthful bargain, and Turles was as greedy as they come. Not having actually fought a real battle, Basil held her breath and prayed all her training would help her. Only Goku and his friends knew how powerful Turles could get. She had no idea what she was really up against. Staring at the ship that inched closer to their own, she felt a tinge of fear. She knew Turles was strong, that was obvious. He was a powerful opponent, and Basil wasn't sure she'd be able to keep up with Goku and the others. They all had more fighting experience than she had, which meant that they would have to keep protecting her while fighting.
With those fears and worries placed firmly in her mind, her Super Saiyan form popped away, leaving her with her base form black hair cascading down her shoulders, but without the glory of the beautiful gold color.
Goku stared at her, eyes wide. "What happened?"
"Where'd the form go?" Gohan asked. "You should still have it."
"I'm scared!" Basil cried, hurrying to pull her immensely long hair into a messy and lopsided bun. "He's super strong and I don't know how to fight and all this scares me!"
"You can't possibly be serious!" Vegeta hollered. "You go on and on about how you're ready to fight him, but now you're chickening out?"
"Don't yell at me!" Basil shouted back. "I'm allowed to be scared!"
"Guys, now is not the best time to be arguing." Tien said. "Their ship is getting closer."
"Oh, gods." Basil said, placing a hand on her chest. "I'm hyperventilating."
"Calm down." Piccolo said, removing himself from steering the ship to put his hands on Basil's shoulders. "Don't be scared. You're not fighting him alone. You have all of us right beside you."
"But what if you guys get hurt and I'm the only one left?" Basil asked with a quivering bottom lip.
"Unrealistic." Vegeta grumbled.
"You'll do fine, Basil." Goku said, giving her a thumbs up. "We'll all be just fine! We're the good guys! Good guys never really lose."
Basil slowly smiled, though her look of fear embedded in her eyes didn't vanish. "Really?"
"Really." Goku repeated with a firm nod.
A violent jolt of their ship sent all of them stumbling around. It was as if an earthquake had been unleashed on the grounds of their small vessel. Basil shrieked and toppled over, landing on top of Broly and Krillin. Goku managed to hold onto a chair, glaring at Turles's ship before them. A long chain had been shot from the underbelly of Turles's ship, which had a grappling hook fastened to the end. The sharp hook was now stuck in the wing on their small ship, effectively holding them in place.
He must be trying to keep us here so Frieza can get farther away, Goku thought. Clever.
The hook, firmly in place, now held their ship back, preventing it from even backing away or plowing forward. Piccolo pressed a number of buttons, but nothing broke them free. "Looks like we're fighting here." He said with a heavy sigh.
"Fine with me." Vegeta said, getting to his feet. "If Turles wants a fight, we'll give him one."
Basil jumped up, her heart racing. "We're fighting!? Right now? Here?"
"Yes, right now." Gohan said. "But you'll do fine. Just think about what you've been taught and utilize it."
"Okay...okay, I can do that." Basil nodded, shaking her hands out.
From Turles's ship, a large door opened up downwards, steam pouring out. A large figure emerged, and everyone knew who it was without needing to guess. Turles, with his long white cape and Goku hairstyle, floated out, turning to face them with a large grin. Behind him, his lackeys followed. Diaz, Lakasei, Rasin, Amond, Cacao. All of them floating beside Turles like a wall, each sporting a smile as if they had already won the battle that had yet to be had.
Vegeta slammed his fist down on the console, opening up their own door. Tien, Krillin, and Yamcha were each given a special holographic suit by Bulma that would allow them to fly and fight in space, which they quickly put on. Goku flew out, followed by the others. Each evoked nervous energy, but knowing what had to be done, they shoved those nervous bundles down.
Now only a few feet apart, Goku and Turles yet again met face to face.
Turles chuckled as he took in the assembled crew. "What a team, Kakarot. You really know how to give a man a challenge."
"Where the hell is Bulla!?" Vegeta roared across the distance.
"She's safe, you needn't worry, Vegeta." Turles said in a calming voice that was rather unsettling. "Frieza has been keeping an eye on her."
"We're not here to chat." Piccolo said, crossing his arms. "You know that. You're stalling."
"Am I?" Turles cocked his head to the side. "Or am I merely preventing an unnecessary battle?"
"Unnecessary!?" Vegeta snapped. "You take my child and say that a fight is unnecessary?"
"Just give us Bulla." Goku said. He didn't want to kill unless he had to, so if there was a way to talk Turles out of this, he would go for it. "You're right, we don't need to fight. But you can't keep Bulla. You know we can't allow that."
"Fine." Turles said with a wave of his hand. "I'll happily hand over Bulla...if Basil comes with me."
Basil stiffened, clenching her hands into fists. "No! I'm staying with Goku! He's nice and you're not!"
"This is pointless, can we just kill them now and get this over with?" Diaz asked with a note of annoyance in his voice.
Turles sighed. He had hoped that they wouldn't have to fight, but it appeared to be the only option. "Very well. But do not kill Basil. She's mine."
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Lakasei said, cracking his knuckles. "No promises."
...
The fight escalated rather quickly. It was just a bundle of flying arms and legs and bright bursts of Ki-based attacks. Even though the ships remained, for the most part, untouched, everything else was blasted into oblivion.
Basil fought hard against Cacao, though he was bigger than her by at least three feet. She swerved back and forth, left and right, narrowly avoiding all his punches. Fully restored in her Super Saiyan form, she felt reinvigorated to fight with the boys. She knew she wasn't as strong as them, but she figured as long as she put up a good fight, she'd last.
Using one of the new super moves Gohan had taught her, she powered up a large ball of energy and set it forward. It went around Cacao, moving in a full circle to get his attention. While distracted, she jumped forward, caught the ball, and plunged in straight at his mechanical chest. He gave a loud grunt of pain and tumbled downward head-over-heels due to the lack of gravity.
"I think I'll call that move Distracto-Ball." Basil said, tapping her chin in thought.
While Yamcha, Tien, and Krillin fought Lakasei and Rasin, Goku and Piccolo teamed up to fight Turles.
Goku threw a hard punch, which hit Turles square in the jaw. While stunned, Piccolo took the open opportunity to kick him in the side.
Turles gave a low growl and fired a barrage of blasts at the two, who leapt this way and that to avoid them. "Can't you see, Kakarot? I'm trying to rebuild a race stolen from us!"
"At the cost of another life!" Goku drew back his fist and hit Turles in the stomach, causing him to double over.
"One single life in the universe can't possibly matter this much!" Turles grabbed Goku by his bright blue hair and jerked his head backwards harshly so their eyes met. "All these forms you have, all this strength and power, yet you're still so stupid."
Piccolo grabbed Turles's cape and threw him back, sending him tumbling several feet away. "You underestimate Goku. He's stronger than you think."
"Isn't everybody?" Turles snapped. "Everyone always has some untapped strength within them, don't they?"
"You bet." Gohan said from behind him. When Turles turned, Gohan fired his signature Masenko, which hit him directly in the chest. Turles gave a shout of pain as he was shot backwards, crashing into the side of his own ship with a thunderous bang.
"Gohan!" Goku said with a smile. "Great timing."
"Where's Vegeta and Broly?" Piccolo asked, looking around.
"Over there. They're fighting Diaz." Gohan said, pointing to a blur of bodies not too far away. "Basil's fighting Cacao, and she's actually doing a good job."
"Gohan, I want you to come with me. We're going to go ahead and look for Frieza's ship. It can't be too far from here." Piccolo said, then turned to Goku. "Can you handle things from here?"
"Yeah, I think we got things." Goku said, then reached over and ruffled Gohan's hair. "Don't get yourself killed, okay?"
"Okay, I won't." Gohan nodded, then flew off with Piccolo right beside him.
Vegeta sent a large blast towards Diaz, fueled by raw anger. "Did you really think we wouldn't come after you? That you would get off scott free?"
Diaz dodged the blast and kicked Vegeta in the leg, causing the short Saiyan to bend to the side. He grabbed him by his upright hair and punched him in the face, sending him flying backwards. "Nah, I knew you would come running to rescue your little brat."
Vegeta shouted angrily and powered up into Super Saiyan Blue, a sharp wind whipping around him. "I'll kill you!"
Before he could charge and deliver his death blow, however, a large Broly came up behind Diaz, landing a forceful punch to the back of his head. Diaz gave a stiff shout before falling unconscious. His body fell downward, falling into the abyss of black space.
Vegeta watched him fall before looking up to glare at Broly. "What the hell!? I had him!"
"We need to hurry." Broly said. "Frieza might get too far ahead."
Vegeta groaned and flew off away from him, leaving the much bigger Saiyan hovering there.
...
Gohan and Piccolo arrived at Frieza's ship at last. The crab-shaped ship was all too familiar and a feeling of dread awakened in Gohan. It had been quite some time since he had seen it, but memories of his past flared up, and he had to swallow hard to keep himself focused.
Piccolo flew forward slowly, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of Frieza's soldiers. "Move slowly, Gohan. Let's try not to alert him."
"Right." Gohan nodded and flew tightly beside the Namekian.
Upon entering Frieza's ship, the two found it to be quite...empty. No soldiers charged at the. No alarms went off. Gohan and Piccolo remained frozen in place for several seconds before ultimately deciding it was relatively safe.
"You think Bulla's okay?" Gohan whispered, his eyes tracing over every inch of the hallway they crept through.
"I don't know." Piccolo replied honestly. "Frieza is unpredictable."
"But would he really kill a child?" Gohan asked.
"Are you really asking me that?" Piccolo cast a sideways glance at Gohan.
"Oh...right. Sorry." Gohan kicked himself for thinking that Frieza would actually have mercy on anything. It was pretty much in his nature to kill anything that didn't bow before him.
The hallways were bright, and all the doors were locked. Piccolo figured as much, since Frieza knew they were coming and had plenty of time to form a plan. He's hiding somewhere. He doesn't want to fight because he knows he'll lose. With all our numbers stacked against him, including Broly, he knows he doesn't stand much of a chance. I don't hear Bulla, which means she must be with him. I don't think he'd hurt her, seeing as how Turles wants her. If Frieza did hurt her, Turles would no doubt be angry. Frieza no doubt has a plan. Otherwise, this place would be filled with Frieza Force Soldiers.
What are you planning, Frieza?
The two made their way down the long, winding hallways, none of them seeing either Frieza or his soldiers. Gohan was starting to feel a wave of uneasy tension swim through him. "Piccolo, does it seem a little too quiet?"
"Yes," Piccolo answered.
A sudden booming from behind them made them both nearly jump out of their skin. They whirled around, ready to strike when a slew of very familiar faces lay scrambled on the ground in a messy heap. After a series of grunts and twisting, Goku popped his head out of the pile.
"Dad?" Gohan questioned, eyebrows raised. "What are you doing here?"
"Oh...were we not supposed to follow you?" Goku asked, struggling to get up. Atop him was a tangled blob of bodies, most of which Piccolo was able to spot as Vegeta, Broly, Basil, Krillin, and so on.
"No, you were supposed to stay and keep Turles and the others busy!" Piccolo whisper-shouted. "Did you Instant Transmission here?"
"Maybe," Goku said quietly.
Basil wriggled herself out of the pile, looking around. "This is Frieza's ship? It's so small."
Vegeta jumped up from the ground and slapped Goku clean across the face. "NEVER DO THAT AGAIN!"
"What? I was just helping us get here faster!" Goku said, running to hide behind Broly. "It's not like I held your hand."
"DOESN'T MATTER!" Vegeta roared. "DON'T TOUCH ME!"
"Don't be so loud!" Krillin hissed. "Frieza might-"
The loud laughter of a child erupted throughout the hallway, jerking the fighters from their argument. Basil looked in the direction of the sound, eyes wide, for it was a sound she'd never heard before. "What was that?"
Vegeta shoved Goku out of the way and darted down the hallway, forcing the others to follow after him.
Basil hurried to catch up, her hair dragging along the floor as she ran.
I swear to the Gods, Frieza will die if he touches my Bulla, Vegeta thought. He slid to a halt as two doors slid open, which he darted into. The room was bare and dark, with no furniture or windows. But in the center of the room sat a tiny child in blue, chewing on a red scouter as if it were her job. Upon hearing the doors open, she turned, blue eyes fixed with curiosity.
"Hey, it's Bulla!" Yamcha said, emitting a sigh of relief.
Vegeta came towards her, an arm outstretched. Bulla took one look at his face and broke into a smile, dropping the scouter to run into his arms. He held her tightly, as if letting go would result in death. Bulla garbled out half sentences, chewing on the yellow strap of his armor.
"See? I told you it'll all be fine, Basil." Goku said, placing his hands on his hips.
"Uh...Basil isn't here." Tien said, looking behind them. "Did she fall behind?"
"Oh, crap." Gohan said.
...
Basil stood in the large room bright with white lights, staring at a hover chair that was placed in the center of the room. Her tail wrapped itself tightly around her waist as her hair slowly faded back to her base form color and length. She didn't blink, for fear that she would miss something. Her heart beat fast against her rib cage, overwhelming her ears.
She knew who sat in that chair, but her feet wouldn't move. She wanted to confront him for destroying her planet, but fear rooted her place. She was breathing quickly, racking her brain for a plan but coming up empty. While she had never seen Frieza in person before, she had some idea of what he looked like based on what her parents told her. A white body with spots of purple, and a long, slim tail that could strangle you in seconds.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, she slowly managed to take a small step forward. "You're...y-you're Lord Frieza, right?"
Silence, then a slight chuckle from the hover chair. Basil flinched and crouched low, her eyes trained on the seat, watching for his tail to come swinging towards her. "Ah, so instead of me coming to you, you've now come to me?"
His voice was somewhat high pitched and girly, and it threw Basil off. I thought he had a deep, scary voice. Why does he sound so much like a girl? Is Frieza a girl?
Frieza stepped from his chair and turned to face her, a wide grin on his face. His tail flicked back and forth along the ground, like a cat distracting its prey. Basil refused to look at it and kept her eyes glued to his face.
He smiled at her, his arms behind his back. "Hello, Basil. I've been wanting to meet you for some time now."
"Why?" Basil asked, slowly standing up. "Why did you destroy Planet Vegeta?"
She noticed he tensed, which meant she caught him off guard. Clearly, he wasn't expecting her to bring up such an old topic.
"What an excellent question, Basil." Frieza said, nodding. "You see, I had no choice. You Saiyans were getting too strong. Too much of a hassle. You were destroying anything you touched. Savages." He turned to face the large window overlooking the stars. "Your little friends, Goku and Vegeta? They're the most destructive Saiyans I know. Did they tell you how they've killed me?"
Basil cocked her head to the side. "Killed you? Then how are you alive right now?"
"Complications I don't want to get into," Frieza waved his hand at her. "Vegeta's son, Trunks, sent me to Hell. It was horrible! And what did I do to deserve that? All I'm trying to do it return the universe to a safe place."
"The universe isn't safe?" Basil asked, frowning.
Frieza smiled. I've already wrapped her up. Now to just put on the topping. "Yes. It is not safe. As long as Goku still lives, it never will be. He's dangerous. I've tried to eradicate him for years, but to no avail. He is a catastrophic casualty that lives on Earth, with all the vulnerable humans. He'll kill me the first chance he gets."
Basil took a step closer, still unsure. "Goku said you're a bad guy. You blew up my planet and killed my family. You're evil."
"Am I? Or is that just what you've been told?" Frieza asked, looking over his shoulder at her. "Goku has told you all the stories of how evil I am, but how about you hear a story from my point of view?"
Basil blinked, then shook her head. "No. I don't want to hear a story. I want to know what you want with me."
Frieza chuckled. "Right to the point. Well, I want you to join the Frieza Force."
At this, Basil laughed, which confused Frieza. "I'm not joining you. You hurt people on Earth, and Bulla! You took Bulla!"
"No harm came to Bulla while in my care." Frieza said, feeling a weight of annoyance come over him. "Listen, Basil. Those Saiyans and human pals you are with are the enemy. They have brainwashed you to believe their lies."
Basil shook her head back and forth quickly, backing away. "No. Piccolo wouldn't lie to me. He's nice to me." She looked Frieza in his pure red eyes, unblinking. "You're the bad guy. Goku said good guys always win."
"Not this time," A deep voice spoke from the doorway, and Basil flinched. Turning, she saw Turles enter with a slight limp, a large bruise on his chest where Gohan's blast had hit him. "Good guys and bad guys. That's what this universe has come to. How am I a bad guy when I simply want to remake my race?"
Basil glared at him. "I don't like you. Vegeta told me what you want to do with me, and I say no. If I'm going to create offspring with anyone, then I get to choose. Piccolo said when you love someone, then you will be able to make babies and stuff. I don't love you, evil Turles." She then turned to Frieza. "And I don't trust you, either, evil Frieza. I'm gonna stay on Earth with Goku and Vegeta and Piccolo. Not here. I don't like it here."
"How cute. You think you actually have a say in this?" Turles chuckled darkly. "You do realize that in this universe, you're the only female Saiyan left? You are needed to piece together a fractured race. How is that so bad?"
Basil stared at the floor, her mind running circles in her head. Turles doesn't sound like a bad guy, when he explains what he wants. But I know I can't trust him, same with Frieza. Piccolo said they're bad guys, and I trust him. But, when I think about it, all Turles wants to do is re-create the Saiyan race. That would be awesome! More Saiyans than just me, Goku, Vegeta, and Broly! But...Goku said he wants to hurt me. I don't want to get hurt. I do want more Saiyans, however. Goku said I can't trust Turles 'cause he'd just lie to me, same as Frieza. But...this doesn't seem like such a bad thing.
A heavy pounding from above sounded, and all three of them went on high alert. A large dent formed in the roof, until it burst open to reveal Gotenks. He fell through the now broken roof and crashed to the ground with an unceremonious thud.
With the gravity in the ship compromised, a great whoosh of air shot straight for the hole. Frieza shouted angrily as the small objects in the room flew from their spots and out the hole, doomed to be lost in space. Gotenks struggled to hold himself down as he reached for Basil, his arm stretched as far as it could go. "Basil, grab my hand! It's me, Gotenks. A Fusion of Goten and Trunks!"
"Goten and Trunks?" Basil shouted over the roaring of air leaving the room. "Oh, I know them!"
"Wonderful, now come on!" Goten shouted, waving his hand around.
Basil reached out to grab him when Turles tackled her from the side, sending them both tumbling across the floor. "You're not going anywhere!" Turles sneered, grabbing her tail from her waist and pulling it sharply. Basil gave a choked scream, and an overwhelming sense of fear coursed through her. She panicked and tried to kick him off of her, but his grip on her sensitive tail knocked the wind out of her. Memories of when Vegeta grabbed her tail on Planet Vegeta surfaced, and for some reason she felt as if Turles was Vegeta. Like she was simply reliving the event that took place that day. She remembered Goku talking to Vegeta, and Vegeta yelling back at him. But Turles was holding on much tighter than Vegeta had been, and she realized at that moment that when Vegeta grabbed her tail, he hadn't meant to hurt her. He was trying to protect Earth. Turles didn't want to protect anybody. He was hurting her because he could, while Vegeta had made sure not to hold her tail too tightly. Under his curse words and harsh tempers, Basil registered the large difference between good guy and bad guy. Vegeta, despite his attitude, was a good guy. Turles was not. The touch was the difference. When Vegeta touched her, it was almost gentle yet assertive. When Turles touched her, it was harsh and rough.
Turles is a bad guy like Goku said! I knew Goku wouldn't lie to me! Turles is a bad Saiyan!
"Basil, Basil, Basil," Turles said, his breathing heavy. He gripped her tail tigher, causing her to squeal. "Things didn't have to go this way. Everything could have been so easy."
"BASIL!" Gotenks shouted. Currently as odds with Frieza, he fired a half-aimed blast at Turles. It narrowly missed his head, crashing into the wall.
"You're friends will die, and you will stay here." Turles said, ignoring the shouts coming from Gotenks. "It's that simple. Think of it this way: you will be reviving a dead race. Isn't that wonderful?"
Basil dug her fingernails into the hard, cold metal ground, gritting her teeth. "I...don't...want to!" She managed to squeeze out. With her last hoorah, she drew her elbow back with as much force as she could muster. It connected with Turles's chin and sent him falling onto his back, his hands removing themselves from her tail. She quickly jumped to her feet, her strength renewed. She grabbed Turles by his own tail, sunk her teeth into it, and ripped it clean from his body in one swift motion. The scream of pain Turles emitted was almost deafening.
Gotenks kicked Frieza away from him and ran to Basil, grabbing her hand. "You okay?"
"I'm fine." Basil said, wiping fur and blood from her mouth.
Gotenks gulped, feeling sick to his stomach seeing the blood on the ground. Turles would live from the wound, but he didn't think his tail would ever grow back. "Come on, let's hurry and leave."
"Basil?" A voice asked, and the two turned to see Piccolo, along with the others, in the doorway. They were holding onto the edge of the wall to keep from falling through the unplanned hole from Gotenks.
"Piccolo!" Basil cried happily, and ran into his arms.
"Gotenks?" Goku said, tilting his head to the side. "When did you get here?"
Gotenks pointed to the hole in the ceiling. "That answer your question?"
"Let's get out of here," Vegeta said, tucking Bulla into his armor. "Before this thing explodes."
"Piccolo, look, I ripped Turles's tail off!" Basil said gleefully, holding up the limp tail.
Gohan stared at it and nearly fainted.
"You did a good job, but no more wandering off." Piccolo said, taking the broken tail from her and tossing it aside.
"Okay, Mister Piccolo." Basil said with a nod.
...
The group of warriors left Frieza's ship then, leaving the Changeling and the bloody Turles on the smoking and collapsing vessel. Frieza, along with a selected few members of his soldiers, Berryblue included, managed to escape in a small pod, jetting off into the cosmos, soon to return in the later future. Turles and his Crusher Corps were lost in the explosion of Frieza's ship. As they left, Vegeta made sure not a single scrap of the Crusher Corp ship remained. Bulla wasn't the least bit concerned of the events that took place both on Earth and on Frieza's ship. She was just happy to see familiar faces that would play with her.
Basil knew she had lots of thinking to do. From what Turles had told her to what Frieza had tried to make her believe.
Vegeta held Bulla close to him, his grip tight and fatherly. He even told Trunks that he was proud of him, which was the highlight of Trunks's day.
Goku commended Gohan and Goten's bravery, patting them on the back for how well they had fought and had taken matters into their own hands on occasion.
Piccolo was undoubtedly impressed with how much Basil had achieved and how well she had handled herself when no one was able to help her.
Krillin was grateful that the problem was solved, and Yamcha and Tien were just excited to get back to Earth.
Broly, while he knew he'd have to go back to Vampa to Cheelai and Lemo, told Basil that he found her very interesting and hoped they could spar together in the future.
Basil had never thought this much would happen in just a few weeks. Meeting an angel and a God, more Saiyans, humans, and tiny humans. She thought about what Piccolo had told her. How humans were a complicated species. After everything she had seen and been through, she guessed that was true enough. Humans had complex emotions and words for so many things. Saiyans were roughly straightforward when it came to connections. But humans had so many expressions that represented so many things. She adored them, and she understood why Goku dedicated his life to protecting them. Everything she had missed out on was becoming clear. She had missed out on not just the villains and the Saiyan forms.
She had missed out on life.
As Gohan steered the ship back to Earth and everyone relaxed, Basil told herself that she would be just like Goku. Loyal, brave, strong, courageous, kind. Everything he was, Basil wanted to be. She knew she still had a long way to go before being Earth's protector, and Goku wasn't about to let that title slip just yet, but she vowed to train just as hard as the boys around her. Being a girl, she was already far behind in their strength. Keeping up would prove to be a real challenge. But, she figured, as long as she tried as hard as she could and did all the same training routines that they did, she'd be able to match them in no time.
Her raw base form strength was nothing compared to Goku and Vegeta, but a newfound desire to be just like them fired up inside her. Sitting in the co-piloting seat beside Gohan, she drummed her fingers on her legs. Her mind was full of new things, and the process for going through them was lengthy. Emitting a quiet sigh, she closed her eyes and thought of Earth. Of the bright blue waters and the rolling green hills. The towering buildings and adorable little tiny humans. She was eternally grateful for Goku and his friends for saving her, and she figured a great way to repay their outward kindness would be to help protect the planet they resided on.
She turned and looked over at Piccolo, who stood with his back leaned against the wall of the ship. His cape was ripped in several places, and scuff marks littered his arms. Otherwise, he was untouched. His arms were crossed over his chest, his dark eyes turned towards the ground, as if he, too, were thinking very hard about something, very much like Basil herself. She recalled the worried look on his face when he had seen her with Turles. He was concerned about her, as was obvious by his constant check-ups and him always being around her. He was like an extra shadow, but Basil didn't mind. Ever since she had arrived on Earth, Piccolo had been by her side. Teaching her to fish, to fight, to think, to act. In a way, Basil was what she was because of him. Well, him and Goku.
He must have sensed that she was looking at him, as he now turned his gaze upward to meet her own. They stared at each other for a few seconds, until Basil gave a wide grin, her tail wagging loosely.
Piccolo blinked, then gave her his own tight smile, tilting his head in her direction, which Basil took as a sign of approval. She chuckled lightly, nodding her head the same way he had.
Piccolo was right when he said I don't know emotions very well, but...I think I might like Mister Piccolo.
To be continued in Dragon Ball: Disaster Strike: Bridge of Worlds
