Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ

Chapter 27: From the Start

Bulma waited anxiously for the King to respond. He looked at her and then narrowed his eyes slightly. Bulma inwardly groaned as she recognized that facial expression with her own husband. He was choosing his words selectively instead of just spitting out what she needed to know. But she knew that this was not her husband and had to approach him in a different manner. "Sire any information you give me will only help your cause."

The King smirked slightly at her and responded with, "I know it will help but you are asking…intimate information. Information that I have not shared with anyone."

Bulma hated it but she knew some ego stroking was in order. "Well let's start with your training methods, I know that they were superior to everyone else's."

"Of course they were." The King boasted as Bulma had to keep from rolling her eyes. "I was training, pushing myself to the limits, fighting everyone that I could to prepare myself for the upcoming battle."

"You mean with the Cold Empire?"

"Yes. They had crossed the line too many times. Believing us to be their property and showing us nothing but disrespect." He spat out.

"Well it has to be more than training. If it was simply pushing ones limits, then there would be more super saiyans on the planet."

"No one pushed as much as I did…the cost was too great." The King closed picked up a goblet and starred at the red liquid inside.

Bulma saw a display of emotions run across his face and got an idea. "Sire, at which moment did you go Super Saiyan for the first time?"

He frowned as if he didn't want to say, but remembered his deal with his new daughter and decided to tell her. "It was after I found my son. Frieza had…he lied to me!" He said slamming his fist upon the table. "He told me he wanted to educate him on the cold empire, to show him how things are done on his side…I was against it at first, but I needed time. I didn't have the forces needed to take on the Colds. It was a method to stall them you see and I thought, no I knew my son would be strong enough." He recalled as he balled up his fist in forgotten anger.

Bulma was bracing herself as she listened. The King was looking like he was about to flip the table over. She had only spoken to the King a dozen times and in those times she had realized where her husband received his anger.

"…When I led a team onto Frieza's ship to rescue my son…I was furious when I saw him. He…he was bruised, bloodied, broken, and barely alive. They had been torturing him and didn't even have the decency to put him in a tank!" The King growled out. "I felt rage…like no other…how could I…"

The King suddenly stopped talking and sat back and closed his eyes. He was looking straight ahead but had that look on his face again.

Bulma who had kept her distance got up and knelt down close to the king and placed a comforting hand on his arm. "Please don't hold back."

The King narrowed his eyes at her. Normally he would have snatched his arm away or broken someone's hand for touching him in such a way. But she wasn't looking at him with pity or with curiosity, but there was something encouraging about her eyes that he found comforting.

The King feeling vulnerable allowed her touch but looked forward not wanting to look at her any longer. "I was angry with myself. For not being able to protect him and for making a foolish decision. I was so angry that I was in that situation…I had to fight to save my empire, to save my family and to save…myself. There were so many…so many…"

"Emotions?" Bulma guessed.

The King sneered a bit but nodded. He hated that word but it was the best description. "Something just snapped. I remember powering up and not being able to stop. I went straight to Frieza and demolished him."

Bulma stood up and began to pace. "Your majesty has Bardock ever discussed with you his transformation?"

"Yes."

"Did he have an emotional response as well?"

The King looked at her suspiciously. "I am unaware. What are you saying?"

Bulma raised her hands in defense. "Sire I know that you don't like the word, but I think you have to consider that it was your emotional response that helped you trigger your physical one."

"So you are saying my strength had nothing to do with it?" He said in a mocking tone.

"Of course it does but what I'm saying is that your emotional response caused you to express, or release a certain amount of pressure that could have been holding your physical power back. It's like having a clogged pipe and then using the right tool to release it. Your emotional release caused your physical one."

The King stroked his goatee and then raised an eyebrow. "So you're saying if I hadn't have found my son first I would have not have turned Super Saiyan?"

Bulma raised her hands again. "It's only a theory sire. All I know is that Vegeta is pushing himself to his physical limit. As I know a lot of Sayians are, but I also know that there is one thing that you all always try to suppress and ignore which are"

"Emotions." The King stood up and ran his hand through his hair in frustration. "Speak to Bardock. Then report back to me." He said right before he left out the room.

Bulma was relieved that went so well. 'If I got the King to open then Bardock should be easy.'

Later…

"No it's none of your business." Bardock said overlooking maps of the planet.

Bulma couldn't believe it. Here she was standing in Bardock's home lab trying to get him to talk to her and he was giving her the cold shoulder. "Come on, the King told me his story, and he is way more uptight than you are."

Bardock rolled his eyes. "I am trying to find out where Gero is, and you are wasting my time. If the King wants you to waste his, then that's his problem."

"But-"

"No! These spineless cowards are running around on my planet under the surface and I am trying to stop them. I have been developing censors to measure the density in the planet to find the tunnels, and that freak show has managed to put up some type of barrier that's blocking the signal. So I need you here helping me not running around getting interviews!"

"Bardock please, I have a theory and I need you to confirm it! I want Vegeta to become a Super Saiyan as well as your sons! The more the better! We need them all to turn! You saw how hard it was to take down 18, what if there's more? We need our army's strength to expand or it won't matter when we find them!"

Bardock sighed annoyed. They were wasting time arguing and she obviously wasn't going to back down. He placed both of his palms on the table and exhaled as he recalled one of the most defining moments of his life…"I was with my comrades and we were fighting Frieza's men. We were supposed to go to a planet Kanassa when I was told by the King that he was going to storm Frieza's ship to get his son back. I was thrilled because ever since we started taking orders from those Cold freaks, I had seen less and less of a lab. So we joined the fight, and I lost…I lost my whole crew. I was the only one that survived. I remember wanting revenge so bad but not being strong enough to get up and finish the fight. Then I remembered that fat pink glob, Dodoria. He told me that Freiza was going to destroy my planet. That was my home where my mate was, where my children was. I couldn't let that go. I couldn't let that happen. I wasn't going to lose anyone else that day. I just-"

"Snapped!" Bulma said smiling.

Bardock narrowed his eyes. "I thought I was supposed to be telling this story."

Bulma squealed excitedly. "You are but I believe I figured it out. You had an emotional release that triggered your power! You Saiyans are so fascinating. What you consider to be your greatest weakness is also your greatest weapon! Brilliant!"

Bardock grunted not liking her theory. "Bulma I believe there has to be more to it than that-"

"I know, you're big and strong and trained and fought every day. I get it."

"Bulma I'm not the only Saiyan to lose someone or have an emotional response-"

"Release!"

"Whatever! Your theory is cute but it's not factual." He said in a condescending tone that Bulma did not like.

"Oh but you and the King are the strongest on the planet. Your strength and natural talent does count for something. All I'm saying is that your power is like the lock in a door and your emotions is the key to open the door to your potential! This is a sound theory!"

"That is yet to be proven." Bardock said shrugging his shoulders. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

Bulma was so annoyed that he just dismissed her. She knew this was the key. And if Bardock didn't want to help her, and Vegeta didn't want to listen then she would have to find another Saiyan to experiment on…"

Meanwhile…

18 followed 17 through a number of hidden tunnels underneath the city. She never knew that there were so many and realized that Gero must have been using his robots to dig before he sent them to attack the palace.

She was feeling uneasy which she usually did when it was time for their 'upgrades' but something made her stop.

"Why at the same time?"

17 stopped his movement and looked at his sister. "What?"

"Why at the same time? We always had to get upgrades at the same time. "

17 frowned and anxiously looked down the tunnel. "What difference does it make? Come on I want to get strong enough to take on the King." He said grabbing her hand.

18 snatched her arm away. "No! Listen to me! Something is wrong! It's always been at the same time because he can't have one of us remember. Don't you see?"

"See what?"

"He's been taking our memories away on purpose!" She yelled.

"Will you keep your voice down? We are almost there."

18 desperately grabbed her brother's hand. "Listen to me. I met with Bulma and she took me to her lab-"

"You what?"

"Just listen. She ran some tests-"

"You let those Saiyans experiment on you?"

"No! She just ran some scans."

"Are you insane? You could ruin everything!" 17 yelled and pushed her against the wall angrily.

"Calm down! I have to tell you what I saw!"

"Calm down? All I want is one more upgrade so that I can finally get us out and you are trying to slow me down because you trusted the words of a traitor."

18 wanted to smack some sense into her brother. "Shut up for 2 seconds! All she did was confirm what I already knew!"

"Which was what?"

"That Gero has been wiping our memories for a long time…possibly since we were children."

17 narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "How can you be sure? What if Bulma planted something in your brain to turn you from Gero?"

"You know there is something messed up going on. You have to feel it the way I feel it. She scanned my body and showed me how every cell in my body is regenerating and collecting energy and showing growth or whatever except for two parts of my brain."

"What parts are those?" 17 sounded curious.

"The part that controls my emotions and my memories."

"Hmm are you sure it wasn't your intelligence?"

18 scoffed at him. "17 come on! Why else does he not want us to go one at a time? It's always together."

17 crossed his arms and shook his head. "Let's say your theory is right, and if it is, we will kill him. Problem solved." He ended with a smirk.

"And how are we going to prove the theory?"

"By having me go first. If he refuses then I will know and you will know the truth and will kill him. Ok?"

18 didn't like it but she knew she wouldn't be able to convince her brother otherwise. "Alright lead the way." She crossed her arms keeping her hand near her elbow where the tracker was taking comfort in the little piece of machinery that would be her insurance policy in case everything comes crashing down on her…

Elsewhere…

Kakarot was more than surprised to get a call from Bulma, and was shocked when she said to keep it a secret. Plus they were meeting in the middle of nowhere. The closest life form was miles away and he was very curious to know why she was casually leaning against an air bike happily awaiting his arrival.

"Uh Hi Bulma." He said awkwardly as he landed.

"Hello Kakarot. I have a proposition for you."

Kakarot shifted his feet a little nervously. There was no telling what Bulma was planning, and the fact that Vegeta wasn't present meant that he didn't know about it. And if Vegeta didn't know about something then that means someone was going to end up in a tank.

"What kind of proposition?"

Bulma took out a capsule and tossed it behind her. Kakarot was surprised to see a training room appear. "Bulma what's going on?"

Bulma clasped her hands together excitedly. "I want to turn you into a Super Saiyan!"

Kakarot looked at her then back to the training room then back to her. "Uh huh."

Bulma's smile dropped. "You don't believe me?"

Kakarot scratched the back of his head. "It's not that I don't believe that you want to do it, but…Bulma you don't know anything about fighting. So it's hard to believe that-"

Bulma held up her hand stopping him. "I have had it up to here with Saiyans telling me that I can't help! Of course I can help!"

Kakarot winced at her screeching. "Whose training room is this anyways?"

"It's one of Vegeta's old ones. Don't worry he won't miss it."

Kakarot finally seemed interested. "It's a gravity chamber? You're giving me a gravity chamber?"

"Yes but don't tell anyone. But you have to do what I say if you want to keep it."

Kakarot narrowed his eyes again. "Why doesn't Vegeta know about this?"

Bulma crossed her arms and held her chin out defiantly. "Because he turned me down before I can give him the solution to his problem."

"Which is becoming a Super Saiyan?"

"Exactly!"

"Bulma I don't know-"

"Kakarot just listen to me. I spoke with the King and your father and they explained to me how they transformed."

"I've heard my father's tale. It's not a secret."

"Ok but did you know that both your father and the king had an emotional release that unlocked their power!" She said spreading out her hands in hope that he would understand her.

Kakarot blinked at her then shook his head. "Bulma I think you should go back home. With everything that's going on with the robots and all…I just don't think it's a good time-"

"You're right there isn't any time! And I need all of you arrogant know-it-all Saiyans to listen to me for just once!" She screamed to the Heavens. "Look I have a theory and I can't test it out on Vegeta. He won't listen to me and even if he believed me he wouldn't want my help. I believe that a concentrated, deep, emotional response helps in triggering the Super Saiyan transformation. You are known for two things on this planet and that's your power and your emotions. You are the perfect candidate. No one expected you to be as strong as you were when you destroyed my planet."

Kakarot winced at that, but continued to listen.

"And I believe that your power and your emotions from destroying my planet is the thing that's going to save my people and my new planet now. Please Kakarot, I need you to do this."

Kakarot sighed. "Ok but you do know that Vegeta is going to be angry regardless. If your plan fails he'll be angry that you kept a secret from him. If you are successful he will be angry that I got to it first."

Bulma shrugged her shoulders and walked into the gravity room with Kakarot following her. "Desperate times calls for desperate measures. Come on we have work to do."

Kakarot sighed and followed her. "This is going to end badly."

Bulma cracked her knuckles ready to work. "Trust me this is going to work."

Kakarot thought about how jealous Vegeta was with Bulma. "That's what I'm worried about."

….

It wasn't long before 18 started to smell the scent of machinery and oil. Dr. Gero was very quick when it came to making robots. They were like worker ants that did whatever he commanded. With parts being scarce most of them had wires and chemicals spilling out all the time. Which is why Gero needed the humans to move for him on the surface world to get what he needed. But if she was able to smell them then that meant they were about to reach their destination. Without hesitation she grabbed her brother's arm but at the same time snapping the tracker with her other hand to drowned out the sound.

"What is it now?" 17 asked impatiently.

18 looked forward down the tunnel. "I've got a bad feeling about this 17. What if we just left right now? Stole a ship and left all of this behind. Gero, Saiyans…just leave it all."

17 smirked playfully. "Even your little guy?"

18 pushed away her laughing brother. "That's not funny. I'm serious."

17 held up his hands in defense. "Look, let's get the upgrades, kill who we need to, and then we can do whatever you want. Ok?"

18 nodded and continued to follow him. It wasn't long until she saw robots tunneling in another direction and some working on devices and placing them between rocks. Then the tunnels got wider and eventually she saw the remaining humans doing various tasks and two of the biggest ones guarding an entrance. With the hairs on the back of her neck going up she knew that Gero was behind the guards and close by. 17 smirked at the two guards and walked past them as 18 followed. "Everyone wants to get stronger." 17 laughed out. 18 was not amused. The other humans had no idea of the danger they were in. She couldn't describe it but knew that the biggest threat on the planet was not the Saiyans but the old scientist in front of them.

Gero was in the middle of filling up a syringe when they walked in.

"Ah you have returned. I see your brother has talked some sense into you. Soon I hope you will learn some respect."

18 flipped her hair and narrowed her eyes. "Let's be clear, 17 is my brother. I don't know who you are to me so therefore I don't need to give you any respect."

"Why you arrogant little-"

"Calm down." 17 said to the both of them. "Look we just want our upgrades. That's all."

Gero calmed a little and motioned for the both of them to sit down on two chairs. "Alright you two let's get this over with."

17 held up his hand. "Not so fast."

"What?"

"Well you see, my sister doesn't' trust you. Well I don't either but you are giving me what I want so I tolerate you. So here's what's going to happen. You are going to give me the upgrades first and then after my sister has seen that I'm ok, you will give them to her. Deal?"

Gero looked furious. "We are wasting time!"

"Then stop wasting it." 17 said sitting down in the chair. He held out his arm and smiled at him. "Have at it."

18 watched him warily as he took 1 of the 2 syringes on the tray and administered it into his arm. It wasn't long before he was knocked out.

"Now what happens?" She asked concerned.

Gero took a step forward and opened one of 17's eye lids. "I make sure he is asleep and the anesthesia is working. See you can tell that he is out by his retinas." He motioned for her to come over and look.

She walked closer to get a look at her brother. Then she felt a familiar yet somehow horrifying pinch in the back of her neck. She turned and uppercut Gero which sent him flying across the room. He had shoved the syringe in her neck but didn't give her the full dose. But it was enough to make her dizzy and start to swoon.

"What did-what are you?"

"Just give into it." Gero said as he got up. "You children were always so stubborn. I regret till this day killing your mother in front of you. That stubborn rebellion would never have set in otherwise."

18 felt herself getting weaker and held onto the wall for support. "You killed- you killed our mother!?"

Gero just chuckled. "Yes. And I look forward to killing the both of you for my ultimate creation. But that will still take some time." Gero laughed as 18 stumbled again. "It's powerful stuff. And hopefully this will be the last time that the two of you come up with this plan, I am really tired of having to have the same conversations again and again."

18 was trying her hardest to not fall but her legs were starting to give in. "Yes. Your memories are easy to erase but those emotions. They always cause the two of you to repeat the same mistakes. You getting paranoid, your brother wanting to get stronger to kill me, causing this silly plan of yours that never works because you don't remember that it didn't. And I am left to tell you once again that I killed your mother and kidnapped you as children. But don't worry all will be forgot-"

'BOOOM'

The ground shook thunderously as the ceiling started to collapse causing a cave in which instantly separated her from Gero and 17. 18 fell back and was able to pull the syringe out her neck that still had half its contents in it. Dust from the cave in surrounded her and filled her lungs at first so that the only thing she could do was cough for a minute. Finally, with shaking arms she was only able to pull herself up halfway. "17?" She tried to call out, but the drug was weakening her voice and your vision was starting to blur. She could hear what sounded like gun fire and people screaming and knew that the Saiyans were the cause of the chaos.

"You are all under arrest by Saiyan law! Surrender!"

She heard in the background. "17!?" She groaned out as loud as she could. She forced herself into a seated position but even that was too much and she was about to fall backwards when she fell into strong arms. She recognized Turles and grasped his arm in desperation.

"My brother…17…"

And with that she was lost to the darkness…

Author's note: I know it has been a long time! I literally have no excuse so I am not going to even attempt to give you guys one. So anyway I am going to try and finish this story. I went back to read it and I felt like this needs to be completed. So that's the goal and hopefully I can complete the task. Let me know what you guys think of the story and leave a review for me.