Though the answer to his question wasn't quite what he expected, Gero couldn't have been more pleased. What better reason was there to bring him back and help restore the planet he had once wielded as a universal power?
"I cannot tell you how much it delights me that the people of Earth would go to these lengths to bring me back," the old man said. "You honor me very much."
"I wouldn't say that," Coten chuckled.
That had been unexpected. "What ever do you mean? You did bring me back so I could guide humanity back to its former glory, correct?"
"Oh yes, but not in the role you believe," the man answered. "While you did do a splendid job on bringing power to the human race, me and my fellow colleague weren't too impressed. Many a night we dreamt of what humans could achieve with us in power."
Gero narrowed his eyes. "And who is this colleague you speak of?"
"Why Dr. Wheelo of course."
"You believe some low level scientist that most of the world hasn't heard of would do a better job than I? Your thinking, I find, is that of a two year old," Gero said, teed off slightly.
"How dare you speak of Dr. Wheelo in such a matter?! I should deactivate you and toss you into the scrapheap!"
"Is that a threat?" Gero spoke calmly.
"You must have a few loose screws Former Twentieth Chair if you couldn't figure that one out; ones I'll have to tighten immediately."
"I think you've misspoken Coten," Gero replied. "You see, I am in perfect, functioning order; and thanks to your operation, I now have the power to dispose of you quite easily."
Fear suddenly appeared in the man's eyes. "You wouldn't!"
"Wouldn't I?"
"Coten," a deep, booming voice called out through an intercom that hung over the door. "Bring our guest to the main room. I believe that he needs some convincing."
Staring at the voice box, a look of disbelief was clearly written on Coten's face. "I believe Dr. Wheelo would like to meet you Gero."
"Is that so?"
Looking at the recently created android, the scientist moved towards the door, opening it, and walking through, leaving the door open. Taking that as a cue, Gero preceded to the door, following Coten.
After walking down a short hallway, the two entered a very large, very dark room. Must've been electrical problems, Gero surmised. If this was his laboratory, such a thing wouldn't have occurred.
The booming voice, once again, was heard. "Turn on the lights Coten."
"But sir!" the scientist cried. "This android doesn't deserve to gaze upon your glorious being! He—"
"I said turn on the lights."
That seemed to defeat any protest that Coten held. With a glare at Gero, the old man disappeared into the darkness, leaving the android alone.
Suddenly, the sound of electricity running into stadium lights was heard, lighting them up on the ceiling of the room. Taking quick notice of this, Gero scanned the room and found it mostly empty except for some pipes running along the walls and a podium towards the far end of the place.
However, there was something on the wall closest to the podium, and when Gero got a look at it, he gasped in shock. A large glass container hung in the middle of the wall, a bluish, possible tealish, liquid being held in it. And within that liquid was a human brain; an oversized human brain.
"What is that?!" Gero cried out.
The sound of Coten's laughter echoed throughout the room. "That is the brilliant Dr. Wheelo!"
"That can't be Wheelo!" the android shouted. "His brain, most definitely, but not him personally! So where's the rest of him?!"
The deep voice once again rang out, sounding amused. "A brain I most definitely am, Former Twentieth Chair. Unfortunately, an accident in a mountain range ruined my body, so that is why I am the way you see before you."
"And though his body was destroyed," Coten added, "his genius was able to construct this containment facility, allowing him the ability to survive."
Not at all perturb by the display of admiration, Wheelo continued "And if I'm not mistaken, it was the same process that has allowed you to exist as of now."
Gero's hands immediately went to his skull. So that's how he was able to be here. This Dr. Wheelo had developed a medical technique that salvaged the brain and put it into a different receptacle. Perhaps this man was smart.
Yet there was a nagging thought in his head. If this man had allowed him to regain his body, albeit an artificial one; than how was it that Wheelo wasn't in one himself?
"Interesting, truly," the government chair commended. "But I must know why that I'm in a body similar to my previous one and you are not?"
A silence fell upon the two. Coten was the one to break it later, though a bit embarrassed. "Well, the design for such a body wasn't in our possession until recent. We also didn't know if we could try a transfer from Dr. Wheelo's current position into an artificial body successfully. That's why you're here now."
Gero's eyes narrowed once more. So he was merely a guinea pig at the moment. But if the analysis his body's computer was correct, his android body was that of a design he had created.
"So tell me, how was it you were able to come across a blueprint design of the body I now inhabit?" Surely you didn't come up with it."
Before Coten could lash out against the claim, Wheelo stepped in. "You're very perceptive Former Twentieth Chair; the body design is one you created. As Coten mentioned previously, one was brought to our possession. Seems a member of your government didn't have much trust in you."
Gero felt cold. "What was his name?"
Coten answered this time. "A Jericho Sedici."
"Jericho!" Gero cried out. "So that's how he did it; that traitor."
"What is this?" Coten asked, curious. "You ran into the body I made for him?"
Clinching his fists in anger, the old man replied "Yes, I did. I had the man killed before the saiyan attack on Earth. I'm assuming he had you create a body for him in the off chance that I did so. He appeared right before a saiyan blew me apart."
"That explains some things," the scientist murmured. "I was curious why he wanted that body made. Obviously in the off chance that he was killed so that he could exact revenge. I had only taken him as an oversized dimwit."
"Well then, it seems we have a common interest Gero," Wheelo said. "We both want to bring the Earth back to its glory, not to mention knowing who helped bring it to its current predicament. Let's join forces to undo that man's efforts."
"And how do you propose we do this?" the government official questioned.
"By rewriting time of course," the brain answered. "And I know exactly how to do it."
The idea itself was ludicrous, at least to Gero. Rewrite time? Absurd. No one held the power to do that.
Skeptically, the man asked "And if I were to agree to this, would it be me doing all the labor?"
"Oh no, my friend. You're not the only one I've had my assistant bring back. Bring them out Coten."
"Yes sir," the old man replied before pressing a hidden button on his cane.
Somewhere to Gero's left, a few doors opened. Shortly after that, three people walked through the openings and approached him, stopping when he could see them better.
On the far right, a green insect-like man stood. Black spots covered every green part of him as a white face with purple markings on it and pink eyes looked back at him. A purplish pair of insect wings hung from his back.
In the center was a very tall man with long black hair and piercing blue eyes. Blue jeans covered his lower half as a skin tight, sleeveless wool shirt with brown straps covering his top. Arm coverings with gloves attached covered his arms and reached the top of his biceps; a familiar orange bandana tied around his neck as well.
Finally, the far left of them was a very large, very bulky blue man with spiky orange hair. White plates covered his pecs and abs, green pants covering his legs as well as brown gloves on his hands.
A very unusual group Gero noted.
"I hope you enjoy your reunion," Wheelo spoke up. "Please be reacquainted with Tretton Gero, Angie Zeventien, and Cell, Android Twenty One."
Two weeks had gone by since they had discovered their planet's remains. Two weeks of mourning and uselessness that no one of their group had felt, nor liked. But there wasn't much any of them could do.
With Gohan locking himself in his room, Goten and Trunks were effectively left in charge. After pondering their next course of action for awhile, the two decided to go stay at a friend's place until they could figure out their next move.
And who was Bibidi to say no?
After spending a very uneventful week traveling in space, the group of saiyans and humans arrived at the desert-like planet of Majiventa. Suppressing a memorable line of thought, especially after catch sight of some wreckage floating by, Trunks and Goten flew their ship through the atmosphere and landed safely a small distance from Bibidi's house.
At least that was one thing different than all their other experiences with landing ships.
The reunion with the Majin wizard was nearly what they had expected; one full of reluctance on the part of the small alien. Though they'd admit later that the first things they said to him were along the lines of staying at his place for an indefinite length of time, at least he warmed up to them when they informed him of their homelessness. He was even hospitable to their human counterparts, though he seemed a bit wary of Sixteen.
Unfortunately, the conditions that reigned on their ship continued in Bibidi's house as well. Gohan had elected to stay in his room with little contact outside of Videl and that left the younger saiyans in charge for the time being.
Fortunately, though, their idol had come out of his room at week's end and the first thing he wanted to do was to talk to Bibidi.
Things were looking up even more now.
"Alright Bibidi, tell me how we can go about getting a new home," the saiyan inquired.
"Well, I was starting to wonder when you'd get into that frame of mind," Bibidi replied.
Gohan gave him a look. "Are you going to help or just make snide remarks?"
"While the snide remarks are a tempting choice, I think I'll help you out. That way you won't be complaining about being stuck here again."
"I had a valid reason that time and you know it."
"Ahh, can we just get on with this? Trunks interrupted. "You two can banter later."
"Well, I guess we can work on finding you a home huh?" Bibidi said, a thoughtful look on his face. "Okay, what kind of place are you looking for? I know a few good places that aren't that far away."
"Ehh, you mean on this planet?" Gohan asked.
"Uhh, yes? What else were you expecting?"
"Well, I was thinking about a habitable planet if you can think of any."
"And by habitable you mean something similar to your previous home?"
"Yep."
A sad look came across the wizard's face. "I'm sorry, but I can't help you there. There are only so many planet's similar to what you seek, yet none of them would be a good choice."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Goten asked.
"Many if not most of the planets have life that you wouldn't call friendly. You'd be living the rest of your days in constant battle, struggling to survive. After everything you've gone through, I couldn't consciously send you to any of them and hope you'll find some sort of peace there. About the only planet that could be of any use would be Earth but you'll find no friends there. I'm sorry."
That little speech put a damper on the saiyans, especially Trunks and Goten. Finally, after all the time the older saiyan had spent locked up, it was quite possible that he would do the same again. That was a sight neither wanted to see happen again.
"Isn't there something else? Anything that you could be forgetting?" Trunks nearly begged the wizard; anything to prevent that melancholy from returning.
"Yeah, even you could've made a mistake," Goten added.
"I'm sorry boys, I truly am," Bibidi said with resignation. "If there was something I could do to help, I would do it in a heartbeat."
With that, the younger saiyans gave in to hopelessness. It was practically inevitable now.
Yet, the warrior surprised them by saying "So there's no way we can get the world we want?"
The small Majin stared into space for a little bit. "Well, there's one," he mumbled.
All the saiyans acted as if they had been shocked by electricity. A ray of hope seemed to shine from their eyes. "Can you tell us what that would be?" Goten asked excitedly.
That shook Bibidi from his thoughts. "Tell you what? What did I say?"
"You said there could be a way for us to get the world we wanted," Trunks answered. "And we want to know what it is."
Bibidi's eyes widened as realization dawned on him. "No, you don't mean…you can't! You can't reasonably want to do that!"
"And what is it you're talking about?" Trunks pressed. "We can't tell you what we'll do unless you tell us what you're talking about."
The wizard gave him a glare. "By all rights, I shouldn't even discuss it with you. I've said too much already."
"But you haven't even told us what it is yet," Goten countered.
"And for good reason! If I were to tell you, you'd do it in a heartbeat!"
"How can you say that to us when you've known us for so long?" Gohan said. "As a friend, you have to tell us. We'd tell you if you were in our shoes."
That seemed to seal their case. A look of helplessness appeared on the wizard's face before he divulged his thoughts. "There's…there's a relic if you can call it that. It was created by a civilization long extinct. What they were trying to prove with this relic is beyond me and most people familiar with it. Anyways, this relic has the power to send people back into time, to a point that they desire above all others."
"So we could use this thing and go back in time to keep Vegeta from blowing up?" Gohan questioned.
"Provided you know what caused it and how to stop it, yes. But if Vegeta was meant to blow up, then you'd only be caught in a vicious cycle of trying to stop a natural event."
"Well, we have to try, don't we?"
Bibidi sighed. "How did I know you'd want to try it?"
"Wouldn't you?"
That caused the wizard to smile. "Yes I suppose I would."
Gohan smiled back. "Alright then, tell us what we need to know about this thing. Every single detail."
This time, however, the wizard didn't reply, at least with words. Instead he stood up and left the room, leaving the saiyans wondering what the little Majin was up to. The answer to that question came soon as the little alien returned, holding a small stone artifact. From what the oldest saiyan could see, it was a large pipe, hollow at its center, and various markings covering the surface of it. "According to my studies on the 'Time Milieu' relic, five 'keys' are need to reach and activate it. After much searching in my youthful days, I discovered that the keys are of similar mold to this; in fact, this is one of the keys."
"You mean we just have to find four more of these things and we can bring Vegeta back?" Trunks asked.
"More or less."
"Bibidi, there aren't enough words I can use to describe my thanks for this," Gohan said.
"Please don't. Time should never, under any circumstance, be manipulated. I've essentially given you a way to wipe out everyone from existence."
That stopped the saiyan from saying anything further. The weight of what they were about to do had finally fallen upon their shoulders. They were about to erase everything that had just happened, effectively killing whole races of people. Could they go out and truly condemn them to nonexistence?
They had to, there was no other choice. If they had a chance at living the rest of their lives without pain and suffering, they were gonna take it.
As they said, they had no other choice.
To DJ: You've been following that long? Wow, thanks. This whole is my brain child and I'm quite proud of it, so thanks for the complement. And you're starting to get on my case about errors too. Glad to have that in some form or fashion. Thanks again.