Took a short break from writing but then school extended that break, then the chapter ended being very long. Rewatched the show for for reference, ended up with, Exposition the chapter.
"Thanks for that Mai, we would've been goners if you hadn't shown up." Things went badly, real bad, my body hasn't felt this beat since I fought Beerus. Trunks was stacked on top of me on the back of Mai's bike, I would've asked her why she didn't have a bigger bike but I couldn't really complain.
"Mai, you shouldn't be here it's too dangerous." Trunks groaned, he was one to talk after Vegeta told him not get involved in this fight.
"Sorry but you guys looked like you were having a pretty bad time. Just thought I'd give you guys a ride out of there."
"Hey you won't hear me complaining." Black was strong and he just keeps getting stronger. Me and Vegeta almost had him beat but we couldn't put him down. Next thing we knew he was tossing the two of us around.
"Mai did you see father before grabbing us?" Vegeta, he was the only reason we the had a chance to get away.
After Black had plowed me into that building I thought Black would find Trunks, but then I see Vegeta tossing the guy around. Next thing I know I find Zamasu and Trunks fighting that other Zamasu. Speaking of Zamasu. "Hey and Zamasu, our Zamasu, did you see him?"
"Yeah I saw them, Vegeta looked like he was going to keep fighting them, but he was hurt. Zamasu, after you gave him a toss Goku he looked pretty banged up. I couldn't make it in time to save them too so I had to settle with you two." Mai stopped for a bit and turned to the back seat. "Are you sure we can trust him?"
I looked down at the road, man my head really hurt. I thought when we came to the future to fight Black everything would get a lot simpler. Now another evil Zamasu shows up, our Zamasu is still helping us, and now I have no idea who Black could be. I want to trust Zamasu considering he's helped us out this far, it was one thing when it was just his Ki was similar to Black's, but now another evil version of him shows up. I gotta think this one through.
"We're coming close to tunnel's entrance just hold on a little longer." Next thing I know we're skidding to a stop flinging me and Trunks off into a pile!
"Ow! What was that for!" I look at Mai before I notice Vegeta sitting with one of his knees up and Zamasu laying on the ground.
"Father you made it!" Trunks got off the bike and walked over to Vegeta, before he noticed Zamasu. "I-is he ok?" Vegeta just got huffy, telling us that Zamasu had grabbed him and teleported them here before collapsing.
"I sugget you give him a Senzu bean before he dies. We have some things we need him to explain." So Zamasu saved Vegeta? Well that's a point to trusting him, but Vegeta is right we gotta ask what he knows about Black and that other Zamasu. He's got to know something.
Still sore, I pull out the Senzu beans and rush over to Zamasu the best I can. Flipping him over I get a good look at the wound on him, it's pretty bad a big scar across his upper body, he probably would've bleed out if the Ki didn't burn the wound. He doesn't look like he's consciousness either.
"Zamasu! Listen I need you to try eat this bean ok?" Zamasu just lets out a grunt so I guess he heard me, so I place the bean against his mouth and push it. After a few seconds I he starts chewing and I hear that old Senzu crunch.
After a few seconds Zamasu's eyes pop open as all the Senzu goodness goes through his body and he starts shaking abit. Then in a few moments the wound heals up and he sits up like a rocket. He starts patting himself down where the scar was, breathing heavy like he just caught his breath again.
"I'm... alive?" Zamasu breathed before looking up at me.
"Yep! Gotta love Senzu beans right?"
"For the time being at least." Vegeta walked up to us with his arms crossed. "The last hour has been very enlightening to say the least and I'm sure you have something to add to it." Vegeta locked eyes with Zamasu and I did so too, he had to know about what was going on.
Zamasu looked up from the ground and looked at our eyes, looking between me, Vegeta, Trunks and Mai, before looking down. "Of course, I've come to some conclusions after that fighting them. I'll share what I know with you." Whatever he found out he sounded down about it.
Mai suprised us when she just walked up to us. "We have to hurry! Black is probably looking for us right now we need to get to the tunnels before he finds us!" Mai was right most of us had seen better days as is.
We made a run for the tunnel entrance before we stopped after the stairs. "Alright we should be safe for now." Mai popped her motorcycle back into a capsule. "We should be safe for now, but I need to get everyone moving before Black finds us."
"You go on ahead, we'll catch up with you soon Mai." Trunks told Mai before she ran off into the tunnel, after we were alone we all turned to Zamasu, he was just standing there with his eyes closed like he was trying to figure out what to say.
Vegeta asked the first question. "Let's get on with it what do you know about that other Zamasu?"
Zamasu opened his eyes but kept looking down. "You heard him didn't you? He's an another version of me from another timeline."
"I understand that much Kai, what i'm asking is what makes you different from him and why shouldn't I just destroy you now?" Zamasu finally looked up glaring back at Vegeta, I was gonna have to step in.
"Calm down you two we don't want to draw any attention to ourselves." I stepped in between them and turned to Zamasu. "Are you sure that other you we saw was actually you? I mean Black is at least the third guy that I've met that looks like me that wasn't me." I put my hand up to my chin trying to think of another way to explain it but Zamasu shook his head.
"You have a strange life Goku, but no as much as I wished that were the case that Zamasu I faced is the very much the same as me. I prayed he was a demon or some kind of creature using trickery but I only fooled myself. His Ki, his technique, his very being, they are very much the same as my own." Zamasu dropped his arms to his side and looked up. "He knew of things that no other being aside from myself should know."
I cross my arms I could feel something big coming. "You mean when he was talking about that plan of his?" Zamasu just nodded. "Well what plan were they talking about?"
Zamasu sighed before looking at me with a sad look I didn't expect to see from him. "I called Project Zero Mortals."
The room got real quite after that then it got tense. Project Zero Mortals? Well that didn't exactly need explaining but what was Zamasu thinking with a plan like that?
"So your saying Black and that other Zamasu are planning to kill every mortal in this universe? Why would they do that? Is that their idea justice!" Trunks clenched his fist in his ki rising as he got angrier.
"So then Kai this was your plan all along?" Vegeta raised his hand towards Zamasu. "Buddy up with Kakarot then meet up with Black and your future self."
"I would hardly call it a plan, it was a concept in a sea of ideas. The passing thoughts of young Kai, gone and replaced by another thought. I admit that the idea still weighed in my mind, but any thought to act on it had been far removed from my mind."
"Evidently not far enough because there's another you that was more then willing to act on it and now a planet is on the brink of extinction." Vegeta's hand started lighting up with energy. "How do we know your not a step away from the same?"
Zamasu's eyes narrowed again like he was about yell at Vegeta, but then his whole body dropped like he didn't have anything to say. "Unfortunately I'm unable prove anything to you. I will assure you however that I cannot allow the atrocities those two have committed." Zamasu straightened up and his face got determined. "Even if the sinner is myself I must personally see to it that they pay for their crimes."
I smiled to myself. "Welp you got me convinced, alright Vegeta you can stop trying to scare him now." I pushed Vegeta's hand down but he just pulled away and turned to me.
"Kakarot you can't be seriously be that stupid! Your willing to trust the Kai on some pretty words alone?"
"Nah, but it's like I told you Vegeta I fought the guy. I got good feeling from him when we fought, so I'm gonna trust him." I gave Zamasu a thumbs up and a big smile but he looked like something was wrong. "What is something on my face?" I started rubbing my face to get it off, before Vegeta could start again Trunks vouched for Zamasu too.
"Father I trust Zamasu as well, I fought with him against that other Zamasu, he doesn't have anything but contempt for them. Plus that's not mentioning that Zamasu has saved you twice now." Ha! That got Vegeta turning red and grinding his teeth.
Vegeta turned from Trunks, to me then back to Zamasu. "Fine then Kai. I'll allow you to continue accompanying us, but the moment I sense you'll betray us I will personally wipe you from existence."
Zamasu had his eyes closed for a moment before he looked up with a smile on his face. "Very well if there is a chance I could fall into darkness like that failure of Kai then I'd happily allow you to destroy me." Then he looked at me and Trunks. "I thank you two for putting your trust into me, as a god I will gladly reward your faith." Reward our faith? Well that's a weird way to say he's thankful. "However I must say you are quite the bizarre mortal Son Goku, putting your faith in me after a single battle with me?"
"Hmm? What's so weird about it? You were cool enough to fight me after I asked." I mean I was pretty insistent but he went along with it. "And after you lost you were a good sport about it. I wish Vegeta took a loss as well as you did." I crossed my arms just thinking about the last time when Vegeta and I lost our spar with Whis. I could still hear Vegeta grumbling wait nope he's grumbling at me right now.
Zamasu kept looking at me like he was trying to figure me out before he smiled. "Well it seems I've missed judged you Goku! I can see now how you've endeared yourself to the gods." I remember Beerus calling me a free loader, then Zamasu extends his had. "Clearly our meeting was fated in a strange way."
I look at Zamasu, grabbing his hand and shake. "Glad to have met a guy like you Zamasu."
"Hey guys we really need to catch up to Mai this probably isn't the best spot to be just hanging around." Trunks reminds us about Mai and that we need to catch up to her and the others. "We're going to need a plan if we're going to face Black and that other Zamasu again."
Trunks was right, just running right at them again wouldn't do any good, Vegeta probably knew it too. "Well no use standing around here let's get going."
I'm sure I would think of something.
"I'm not sensing those cretins anywhere, it would seem we where too thorough with our thrashing of them." I turn to my partner who is surveying the area. "Though I suppose it matters not, we will find all those who defy our divine will eventually."
"We would've destroyed one of them already if not for that black sheep." He turned to me, a slight annoyance etched on his face. I was aware of who he was referring too. "I had hoped that he would eagerly join our cause when we presented it. However it seems he would rather stand by the mortals and allow them to simply fester."
I frowned at recent event. "I was thinking the same, the thought that there exists a version of myself too weak willed to accomplish what clearly needs to be done." It sickened me to no end that such a Zamasu could exist, as I sneered my partner called out.
"Now, now you shouldn't be so hard on yourself, after all he is a past version of ourselves." My partner from this timeline motioned one hand to himself and the other me. "He may simply still be naive enough to believe the mortals have some worth. But I doubt he is beyond convincing, we know him, regardless of our separate presents we share our pasts. All there is to do is remind him."
I calmed down logic partner. "Of course, we simply have to remind our new friend why our actions are just. Make him remember the utter folly of the mortals from the past, and the inevitably of their future."
"However even the greatest of laid plans require a point of genesis." I watched myself search around for a moment. "And unless we find them we won't be convincing our friend or destroying those Saiyans."
"There is no rush, we hold a insurmountable advantage." I raised my hand and allowed my power to flow. "This body's power makes for the sharpest blades, and your immortality the grandest of shields!" The energy at my finger tips exploded surrounding my body. "We showed those Sayians firsthand the difference between true godly power compared to counterfeit."
My comrade chuckles to himself. "Indeed, the only reason they continue to exist is due to the divine intervention from our new friend."
I laugh along with the humor of the situation not lost on me. Suddenly I sense it a small rise in a minuscule life force. I turn my head down to see the creatures, a few of those armed mortals who vainly attempted to halt the inevitable before. They appeared to have been watching the two us as upon being noticed they scatter like mice, my partner begins to raise his arm to smite the fools but I stop him grabbing his arm.
He turns to me in confusion but I simply smirk. "If you wish to find the Sayians let us follow these vermin back to their nest."
"Well I got absolutely nothing." Goku spoke loudly as he tore in to a piece of meat on bone. The 4 of us sat around a small cloth on the floor with some of the food Bulma had prepared. After I had healed them Goku insisted they ate some food to regain their strength. While I could heal wounds and bodies, I couldn't restore energy or stamina.
"Of course you don't you could barely pass a written exam! I wouldn't expect you to be able to figure a plan out." Vegeta imitated Goku tearing into an animals baked leg. "If we try to fight them again without a plan the result will be the same. It'd be insanity."
I sat with a plate of rice, gravy and a meat of sorts mostly untouched. I had lost some vigor after meeting myself and learning that I could play a twisted role in this conflict. Trunks put down his spoon and turned to me.
"Zamasu the Zero Mortal Plan, is there anything more you can tell us about? We know that other Zamasu used the Dragon Balls to gain immortality but we still don't know much about Black."I shook my head.
"As I stated prior, I never had any idea past a universe without mortal life. How I would achieved that goal I never planned that far, truth be told I had gotten farther along with my Mortal Zoo plan before Gowasu reprimanded me."
Thus far we had come to the conclusion that this time line's version of myself had used the 7 magical orbs called the Dragon Balls to grant himself immortality, specifically Super Dragon balls. Though I found the idea absurd it would explain my counterparts invulnerability. Perhaps we could use the orbs to our advantage?
Trunks continued to think on the matter of how our opponents even existed. "I get how Zamasu became immortal, but where does Black fit in all this?"
"I thought it simple, my counterpart had simply used those Dragon Balls to create a duplicate of Goku to serve him." Son Goku was the strongest mortal I was aware of. If he had attempted to replicate a Destroyer to serve him it would've surely attracted to much attention.
"No way, super or not the Dragon Balls still need a year to recharge between wishes." Goku paused from his feasting to ponder the thought, before Vegeta spoke once again.
"It wouldn't he hard if you have a means to travel through time." At those words I knew what he was going to say next. "That Time Ring you keep going on about, if it allowed him to travel into the future then he wouldn't need to wait. The only real question here is why does he have one? It was a question that I've been asking since I heard of Black, but now the answer was obvious. Grimly so, even Goku could put it together.
"Zamasu, Black and that other you both had the same earrings Gowasu had." I slowly reach up to my own ears the truth I've known creeping to my view. "They probably got the Time Ring from Gowasu too." I knew what he was thinking even if he didn't say it. Gowasu would never have promoted me to Supreme Kai if I had such thoughts in my head. Nor would he have simply stood by if I decided to commit to such a heinous act, no there would be only one result.
"So then... he, that other Zamasu struck down Gowasu, took the Potara earrings, the Time Ring, and gathered the Dragon Balls for his wishes." I had noticed the Potara earrings on Black earlier but assumed they were from the Kai of Universe 7, it wasn't until I noticed them on my duplicate that I realized who they formerly belonged to. I clenched my fist disgust with duplicate and unavoidably myself growing, does there truly exist a version of myself that would kill Gowasu simply to accomplish their goals? What dark thoughts must have gone through my mind to lead to this? Even in my most angered moments when I choose to question Gowasu I never held such animosity to him.
Setting aside my flurry thoughts and feelings I looked at the task at hand in frustration. "Even if we understand how they exist it does nothing to hasten their defeat, we still require a plan."
"The other Zamasu isn't as strong as Black I know that much from fighting him, but with him being immortal I can't think of a way to beat him, and with Black as strong as he is even Goku and father weren't able able to beat him before he got stronger." Trunks crossed his arms in thought.
"I hate to admit this but we don't have a choice. " Vegeta stood up leaving multiple bones and plates on the floor. "We have to face Black and Zamasu head on and destroy Black before he gains anymore strength, I refuse to run away while he continues to believe his superiority as a false Saiyan!"
"Well that settles it! That's the plan!" Goku clapped his hands together satisfied by the rudimentary plan. "I'm full of food, pumped up, and ready for round two!" Vegeta scowled at Goku's over enthusiasm.
I hated the thought of retreating back to the past and leaving our foes to continue their rampage, however I was also not excited by the prospect of simply throwing ourselves back at them. I look to Trunks while he appears slightly concerned about our lack of a true plan, his eyes still carry the same determination as the others. Trunks must have taken note of my disquiet aura as he looks back at me. "Well it's not much plan but if we all attack at once we can take Black out quick and then that other version of you, well even if we can't kill him there should be a way to stop him."
I simply give a nod in agreement. A true enough statement, if Black was dealt with my counterpart would not be so much a threat that we could not restrain him. However like a watching a race of mortals develop, the best laid plans on any occasion rarely go through way one would hope.
Any train of thought that we held in our conversation was abruptly as the sound of an blast shook the tunnel we rested in. Immediately the mortals around us began to panic and murmur to themselves. Further down the tunnels the sounds of yelling and weapon fire echoed loudly.
Trunks was the first to break into a spring towards the sounds of carnage. "It must be Black, but how did he find us! He couldn't have sensed any of us we all had our power suppressed!" The rest of our group followed shortly behind Trunks before we saw the end of the tunnel alighted by a fiery orange.
"You damn fool you doomed us all!" We immediately see the soldier that led us from earlier holding another by the collar of his coat. Upon seeing us he released the other man and immediately rushed to Trunks. "Commander Trunks! Thank goodness your here! It's Black he's found us! The monster followed this fool here!"
The second solider immediately drops to the floor bowing his entire body. "I'm so sorry commander! I panicked!" The pathetic mess appeared to be near tears, Trunks rightly ignored the apology more focused on the continued explosions and shouting just ahead. We rush down seeing the remains of a simple barricade in tatters, bodies strewn about some struggling to move, while others try to carry their comrades away, others fire at two silhouettes hidden in the flames. Whether by bravery or desperation they continue their fruitless struggle.
The soldiers remaining follow Mai in the forefront of the battle. "Don't give up! Keep fighting!" Mai carries one of those large weapons over her shoulder firing it at the two the flames surrounding them are blown away by the force of the explosion. The two shadows now completely hidden by the smoldering smoke. However I quickly ready myself as sense a rise in their energy. Several dozen bullet like ki blasts come flying towards us. Goku and Vegeta waste no time in countering with their own, the result a cascade of explosions between our groups. I quickly form a barrier at the entrance of the tunnel, ending the immediate threat as the small blasts bounced off. Trunks turns to Mai and the rest of her soldiers.
"Mai you need to pull back and get everyone somewhere safe!" Just as she's about to reply a wave of pink tinted energy shatters a hole through my barrier. The blast explodes on impact on the ceiling just above Mai and Trunks causing a large amounts of rubble to fall. Trunks quickly unsheathed his blade reducing the rubble to pebbles and dust.
I quietly curse myself for allowing the attack to get through, my barrier glows a darker purple as I reinforce my it and seal the hole. Mai simply looks Trunks in the eyes and nods. "Just make sure you guys be careful I might not be able to save you guys again." Mai orders her men to retreat, as they file out back into the tunnel.
As they leave I release my barrier as the four of us make our way out to meet Black and my duplicate. The two emerge from the thick smoke, fire still raging on the surrounding buildings, the area baked in orange and heat.
Vegeta's energy once again transforms into his blue form. "I must ask is it just hypocrisy that you aim to destroy all mortals in the name of justice or just utter stupidity?"
"It'd be fruitless to try to make you understand a gods mind or turmoil of a their heart." My doppelganger spoke condescendingly. "We already explained, a mortal like yourself could never understand, you are unenlightened."
"Well then perhaps you could describe your insanity to me." I step forward prepared for to defend myself in a moments notice. "How is it a god of creation, a Supreme Kai no less, can justify this destruction? You could very easily destroy this world in a stroke yet you choose to flaunt your strength. You two choose to terrorize these mortals who we gave our gifts, destroying thousands of years of work!" I turn to my doppelganger directly. "It utterly sickens me, the thought that you and are one and the same."
Black seemed to contemplate my words before simply chuckling to himself. "It will all become clear in time my friend, however I do suppose I owe you explanation of how we brought our brilliant plan to life!"
"Don't bother we already figured it out ourselves! All the terrible things you've done!" Goku called Black out in disgust, the fiends actually seem mildly surprised by Goku's revelation. "We know you killed Gowasu and stole the Time Ring, then you got the Super Dragon Balls to wish for immortality and that stupid copy of me!"
My blood boiled at the mention of my master's death at my own hand. Just another crime for these two to pay for. The two smirked at each other before my duplicate spoke. "I must say Goku I'm almost impressed, you managed to deduce our plan. But sadly your mortality still shows, you fail to see the true brilliance of our plan." Confusion rang through our group before Black elaborated.
"Do you believe you we would settle on a mere of copy of your body Goku? No this body is yours, down to the very last molecule." Black seemed to enjoy the shocked confusion he caused us.
Not a copy of Goku? What could he be implying then? "Then what are you?"
Black looks me in the eyes, I shutter as I look into his, a flash of gray revealing the truth to me moments before he does. "You spoke it yourself Zamasu, I am a Kai, the Supreme Kai of Universe 10, Zamasu!"
I'm left in dumbfounded shock for second time since coming to the future. Any words I had stuck in my throat as I struggle to make sense of what was said. My allies confused as well are put on guard, with no response Black goes on.
"You see Zamasu, while my comrade is in fact you as well he is from another timeline. I am the Zamasu that existed in your timeline, you and I are the ones who are one and the same." He created a blade caressing it with his free hand. "After I came to the realization of what needed to be done, I struck down our useless master and claimed my title as Supreme Kai and the Time Ring." I come out of my initial shock at the reminder that Black did in fact kill Gowasu. I glare at Black, my Ki rising and forming my blade subconsciously.
He then turns to Goku "After that I used the Super Dragon Balls to switch bodies with you Goku. The perfect war machine created by the gods."
"So that means you stole my body? Then what?" Goku's body tensed though I could already put together the answer.
"Can't you guess? Then I killed you." The cruelty and glee on Black's face seemed completely foreign on Goku's face. "You see Goku after you defeated me with ease I realized what needed to be done. For such sinful mortals to surpass the gods, it was a travesty a sign of the folly of the gods that came before."
My duplicate carried on. "You died long ago in this timeline Goku so I lacked the catalyst my partner had, but righteous fury always burned inside me. So when I found my comrade standing over my dead mentor. Well I didn't hesitate to take to his side, ending my fruitless floundering. So I took to his side as the shield of righteousness to his blade of justice!" Just to reinforce his point of a shield he created a Ki blade and forced it into his chest. Unfazed he continued smiling as the wound quickly healed. "Then to ensure no one would undo our progress, after we were done with the Super Dragon balls we destroyed them." This earned some audible gasps from Goku and Vegeta.
"So that is it then? You strike down our master and desecrate this universe after a simple loss? How utterly asinine!" Such a childish cause for this much evil? "What must be done is perspicuous, a punishment from the gods is what needs to be carried out, we will strike you down!" Multiple energy signatures ignited around me along with my own. Goku joining Vegeta in his god forms Ki bursting forth, Trunks letting out a scream as he came to his Super Saiyan form, my godly Ki flowing around my body my anger causing it to spark around me.
My doppelganger does the same, the Ki the same as mine but tainted with a foul air, Black cutting the theatrics from before gives a simple shout as his Ki changing hue quickly to his Rosé form. "Yes a punishment from the gods for those who sin and those who refuse to comprehend our noble cause."
This chapter. Mostly exposition and set up but satisfied with how it came out. So much rewriting to make it reasonable and just a drag to write all before even looking it over. Happy for the small brake writing for Goku at the start.
