Part Three: Revelations

Chapter Twenty-two - The World at the Center of the Universe

Eve rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands to try and help her focus better. Tracking down information on Tinto, information that wasn't publicly displayed at least, was a lot more complicated than finding the birth records had been. She had to sort through reports, logs, and numerous data feeds from around that time to try and narrow down the field to something that was actually useful.

Looking at the screen again she scrolled through some more of the data and stopped. "Oh, hey, hey!" she cried out. "This could be something!"

"What is it?" Xeno asked walking over.

"A hidden directory burried deep inside Cooler's top level restricted area." she replied as she clicked on it. "Ok, this is definately something. I'm already in a maximum security sector and this directory is hidden and it's still asking for a password."

"Can you crack it?" Everfrost asked.

"Let's find out..." she said as she pulled up a program and ran a few checks. "Oh, wow, it uses ZZ6-3Z encryption. That'd take an eternity to crack. Damn. Hmm... maybe..." Her fingers flew over the keys as she tried something else. A moment later she smirked. "Ah, perfect!" she declared happily. "Just as I thought. The directory uses ZZ6-3Z encryption and an SI5 decryptor but the password database file is only in D1-2A encryption. I can crack that easily."

A moment later she had proven her statement true and was looking at the decrypted password file. Taking that information she had access to the hidden directory a moment later. "Let's see here..." she said as she scanned over the contents and then suddenly smiled. "Jackpot. These have to be the files I've been searching for. There's a number of scouter transmission recordings stored here and a number of other files..." she stopped as one of the file names caught her eye. "There's a file here on that Constant Zenkai thing."

"What's it say?" Storm asked as she and the others walked over.

"One second." replied the Nezorf as she opend the file and then scanned it. It was entirely in Sai-jin and it took her moment. "Ok, it's a research report from Dr. Gero dated about five years ago. Odd though, it's directed at Master Vegeta."

"Master Cooler may have copied it." Storm suggested.

"Possible. Anyway, apparently Master Vegeta was looking into a way to induce the Constant Zenkai condition that Brolly and Master Kakkarotto had."

Rain snorted. "Of course. Anything to make himself even stronger."

Eve nodded. "Seems Dr. Gero voided the idea though. He said it was too dangerous." she scanned the file a bit more and whistled. "Here's something left out of the records. The actual levels of the chemical that causes the Zenkai. Normal levels at recovery are 5 per million for a span of a few seconds. Two to five at most. Master Kakkarotto's got a consant level of 2 per million. Brolly's level was... 10 per million."

"10!?" Storm asked surprised.

"I guess Brolly being over 3,000,000 at six isn't so absurd after all." Everfrost said, equally shocked.

Eve nodded again. "Gero even notes it. He says it's the reason why Brolly's power was... wait, what?"

Xeno looked at the screen trying to see what Eve did but to no avail. "What is it? Don't leave us in the dark."

"According to this Brolly's power was only one and a half million." she said. "But that doesn't match up to Bardock's..." She scanned some more. "What!?" she cried a second later. "Holy shit!" she leaned back and swallowed. "Apparently... apparently Brolly was a Super Sai-jin as well!"

"Are you serious?" asked Rain.

"That's what this says." replied Eve. She took a breath and then looked at the file again. "Let's see... yeah, he's mentioning how he can see the appeal of the Constant Zenkai effect citing Brolly and Master Kakkarotto's powers but says it's unwise due to..." she blinked. "Due to the increased risk of mental problems developing, including complete insanity..." The group all looked up and over at the cryostasis chamber at the same time. None of them liked the thought of someone as powerful as Master Kakkarotto running around insane.

"What about the other files? Anything on Tinto itself?" asked Everfrost.

"Hold on." said Eve, closing that file. She scanned over the listed files again and then opened another one. "Based on the tags for this it's a scouter transmission recording from Bardock's scouter." Eve moved up and clicked the play button.

"You can't win, just give up and make this easy on yourself." a voice said. The five gathered around the computer looked at each other. They knew that voice. It was Master Cooler.

"Sorry, I don't know how to give up." replied Bardock's voice.

Cooler snorted. "This little insurrection of yours is dead. Even Brolly couldn't stand up to your Prince. Face it, you've failed!"

"Maybe." said Bardock, a smug tone to his voice. "But you're wrong about something. This isn't an insurrection. I know. I know what you're planning Cooler! That's why I'm here. I'm here to stop you."

"You? Stop me? That's a laugh Sai-jin. Your kind wouldn't even exist anymore if my father had any sense to him. But I'll correct that eventually. Once I have the needed items and can find the Ancient's Homeworld I will become the ruler of this universe!"

"Over my dead body!"

Then a new voice spoke. One that they didn't recognize. "That can be arranged, brother."

"Turles!?" Bardock cried in shock. "You..."

"Yes. I joined with Cooler. I'm sick of living under the shadow of the royals. Being looked down on all the time. At least the Changelings show respect for my power!"

Eve hit pause on the playback, her eyes wide in complete disbelief as she tried to absorb what she'd just heard. "That's... Holy shit." was all she could manage to say. "Do... do you think that... Turles is still working for Cooler?" she asked the others, glancing back at them.

"I don't know..." Xeno said softly. "Is he really working for Slug or is he spying on Slug? Or... is Slug secretly working for Cooler as well? Start it up again."

Eve nodded and clicked play once more. "You're delusional Turles!" Bardock growled. "You're just being used! How could you turn on your own people like this?"

"They never gave me any reason not to." he replied. "So, what's it going to be brother. Give up now and join us or die here? You barely have the strength left to stand, you couldn't even scratch me now, let alone Cooler. Face it, you're finished."

Bardock growled. "You're forgetting something, I am a Sai-jin! I do not give up, I do not surrender, and I do not lose. You're right, I'm finished, I'm not leaving this world alive. I know that, even if you left me here I'd be dead in a couple of hours. But when I go I plan on taking you with me!" And then his screams sounded over through the speakers.

"Gah, damn it!" Turles cried. "He's insane!"

"What's he doing?" demanded Cooler.

"He's going to blow himself up! He'll destroy the entire planet!"

Cooler growled. "Not on my watch. Good-bye Sai-jin! Death Beam!" Suddenly the screams ended. They heard a few foot steps approaching and then the file went dead.

"What the hell?" Everfrost muttered taking a seat. "That's... not right. Bardock's speech is the same but everything else. And... if Cooler killed Bardock then who destroyed Tinto?"

"I'll see if I can find anything..." Eve said softly before setting to work.

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Tien swallowed as he took his hand off of North Kai's back. "That was... unbelievable." he said, still absorbing it. The battle between Kakkarotto and Buu had just ended and his mind was still having trouble grasping it all. "Unfortunately it looks like it only made our jobs harder. The Supreme Kai was hoping Buu would take out some of the Masters before going down. Instead he made Kakkarotto transform again and gave them another new member."

"Perhaps." North Kai said. "However, the Buu that remains is not pure evil like the small one was. He has goodness in him. After spending time with the Masters he may decide that they are no better than his evil half."

"But if he doesn't we'll have to fight him." Enzeru said, crossing her arms. "I still don't see how we'll ever be that poweful."

"We wont get there at all if we just stand around here all day." Mitsuki said. "I want to take another crack at that monkey." She turned and faced Bubbles and then shot off toward him. The monkey screeched in shock at the short warning of the pursuit and then bolted in a blur of brown. Mitsuki redirected her course and a moment later they all heard another screech and Bubbles came running back up from the way he'd gone.

Bubbles came to a stop a few feet away, screeched again, and then bolted to the left. A second later a purple aura zipped toward them and then hooked to the opposite direction Bubbles had gone. "That's... look at her go!" Yamcha cried, wide-eyed. He couldn't believe how quickly she was moving. "That... doesn't make sense, how is she going so fast?"

North Kai clasped his hands behind his back as the light glinted off his sunglasses. He hadn't expected this to occur so soon. But there it was. He could feel Mitsuki's power increasing right along with her speed. He wasn't the only one. "H-hey, her power!" Krillin cried, eyes widening.

"What's going on?" Enzeru wonded.

Suddenly Bubbles pulled to a stop directly in front of them and started looking around him franticly. "Got you!" Mitsuki cried coming up around again. Bubbles shrieked and went to run off the other way and froze as he saw Mitsuki there as well. And then the one behind him grabbed him and the one in the front vanished.

"How... how did you do that?" Tien asked shocked. He could feel that her power was still higher than it had been before. A lot higher.

Mitsuki blinked, not sure what they meant at first, and then felt it herself. "I... I don't know..."

"I do." said the North Kai. "Dr. Gero called it Adaptive Zenkai. It's one of the modifications he made to Mitsuki's DNA. Under the proper conditions she experiences a condition similar to the Sai-jin Battle Zenkai, the one that can activate during a firece battle, which will increase her power to match the situation she is in." he explained "There are dangers, however. If it boosts her power by too much at any one time it could kill her."

North Kai looked over to Mitsuki who was still holding Bubbles. "I had not anticpated it to occur during this training, however. Dr. Gero had ruled it a failed experiment since he could never get it to activate. I believed it would require an intense and strenous situation similar to that which can trigger the Sai-jins Super Sai-jin transoformations. Apparently not..."

Mituski looked to the short Kai as she set Bubbles down, and then down at her own hands. "I didn't even know about that..."

"Yes, well, we can't rely on it." North Kaid sternly. "It seems even more unpredictable than I had first thought. Not only that but the dangers that acompany it are far too high to risk. You will train and fight as though it does not exist." Mitsuki nodded in agreement. "Alright then, Krillin, Yamcha, you still have to catch Bubbles. Get to it!"

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Trunks frowned as he set the box of documents down on the counter with the rest of them. He still couldn't figure out how Videl had roped him into doing what was, technically, her job. But here he was moving all the old paper documents from storage and into the lab to have them transfered to the computer. Fortunately they'd found a more efficent means of doing that part than having someone type them in by hand. 19 was scanning the pages and converting the data on them into files in his databanks and then sending them into Gero's central computer.

Admittedly, however, his task was far more fun than the one Videl had undertaken. He'd heard the scream about four minutes ago now. Something along the lines of "You want to do what to my baby!?", though he wasn't entirely sure since Chi-Chi was on the opposite side of the palace. Letting out a sigh he rubbed his arm across his brow. "That's the last box." he said.

"Good. 19 should have all of this converted within the next couple hours." Gero said from where he stood going over some other data.

Trunks nodded and walked over to the tank were Tenshi was floating. He'd only seen her a few times before and it always kind of creeped him out. Hearing the door open he glanced back and saw Videl enter the room. "Well, I've got good news and great news." she said. "The good news is that Chi-Chi agreed to it after I mentioned that it was to help Gohan with his condition. The great news is that Gohan and Master Kakkarotto are on their way back as we speak. Buu, at least one of them, is dead."

"One of them?" Trunks asked confused.

Videl nodded. "Apparently the fat one we saw on the video was still alive after all." she said. "And it was trapped inside the other one. During the battle, though, he managed to get out and helped to defeat the small guy."

"Interesting..." Gero said pursing his lips.

"Oh, and Gohan wanted me to let you know he had three attacks while he was out there, and one of them actually gave him back power after he was out."

"Gave him back..." Trunks repeated. "That's a new one."

"Indeed." concured Gero. "Definately worth investigating."

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Marron definately felt better now that she'd had a shower and changed. Though her mind was still spinning from earlier. While she was in the shower she had found herself wondering exactly how she'd gotten to where she was. A month ago she was just an average person leading an average life. Now she was the daughter of a Master and... the mate of another. Her mind was still having some trouble with that. More the fact that Bra was a Master than that she was female. The more she thought about the girl the happier she seemed to get.

She shook her head as she reached her destination and knocked on the door. "It's open." came Bulma's voice from the otherside. Taking a deep breath she reached out and opened the door. As she looked around the other woman's study she closed the door behind her. Bulma was, once again, hard at work on her equations. The woman didn't even slow in her work as Marron entered.

The blonde looked over the boards upon boards of math still in awe. She'd didn't know all of the advanced mathmatics required to make full sense of the equations but she knew enough to understand just how complex and powerful it was. If Bulma could work this out far enough she could even be able to predict the future to a limited extent. Nothing in exacts but she would be able to tell if the balance was off.

"Oh, hello Marron." Bulma said glancing back at the girl as she took a step back to look over her math.

"Hello Mistress Bulma."

"Please, just Bulma." the other woman said with a small frown. "I've never particularly cared for all of that formality."

"Alright, Bulma it is then. So, how are things comming along?"

Bulma smiled. "Slowly, but they're coming. I've had to split my math though. Since I can't determine the exact effect Buu had on the universe when he was created I have to do equations for each possibility... Though, I did learn something interesting."

"Oh?"

Bulma nodded and then walked over to her and leaned in so that her mouth was by the other's ear. "Keep this to yourself, tell only 18 next time you see her, but the Humans survived."

Marron blinked as Bulma leaned back again. "Wha-what? How?"

The other woman shook her head. "I don't know, but the math says that's what happened."

The blonde looked toward the boards in shock. "18 will be happy when she gets back." she said after a moment. Then she looked back over to Bulma. "Have you heard yet? About how the battle went with Buu?"

Bulma shook her head no. "I know they started fighting but that's it. Is it over?"

Marron nodded. "Yeah, it is. The small Buu is dead, the fat one is on its way here with Masters Gohan and Kakkarotto, and Master Kakkarotto transformed to the fourth level."

Bulma turned back to her boards and looked at each of the four she'd been working on. "Kakkarotto transformed again and there's still a Buu left..." she said softly. "Do you know how strong the fat one is?" she asked after a moment.

"According to Mistress Videl... a little stronger than Master Kakkarotto's third form. I don't know the exact level."

The blue haired woman nodded and moved over to one of her equations and started filling in information again. "Oh, by the way, I think Bra wanted to talk to you about something." she said as she worked. "Has she had the chance?"

Marron felt her face get warm and realized she was blushing. She hid this by looking toward the nearest chalkboard as she answered. "Yeah. She brought it up a little while ago, after her spar with Master Trunks." she said.

Bulma didn't bother to look at her and just kept working. She could hear in her voice anything she could have seen on her face. "So, what was your answer, or are you still thinking about it?"

Marron bit her lip and turned to face the other woman again. "I... said yes." she said at last. "I'm still not entirely sure if it'll work out but, as we talked, I realized that I wanted to find out too."

At this Bulma stopped in her work and looked over to the blonde again, smiling a little. "It's nice to know she's found someone again. I was kind of worried she'd crawl into her shell and ignore the world for months, if not years, after Goten died." She turned back to her work as she continued. "I kind of had the feeling she'd at least have a crush on you..."

"Y-you did?"

"Yeah. She's had one on 18 for years and you look a lot like your mother. And more than just looks, you act a lot like her too. The real her, anyway. Not the version she shows to the public. Even I don't see the real 18 that often. But Bra always could. I think she sees in you the same things she sees in 18."

"So... it's just because I'm like my mother?"

Bulma turned from her work and blinked before shaking her head. "Oh, no. No. I didn't mean that. She doesn't see you as a replacement to 18. You just share qualities with her that Bra likes. Even I've noticed that so I knew she would notice. It's not that 18 has those qualities, it's the qualities themselves." Bulma frowned suddenly. "I'm really no good at this sort of thing..."

Marron laughed. "It's ok. I think I get it."

"Good." she said going back to work again.

Marron stood there in silence for a moment wondering how to phrase the questions she had while also watching on in awe as the brilliant woman worked away doing really high level math in her mind as she went. "Ummm... Did... did Master Vegeta ever offer you a position as a Master?" she asked at last, slowly. "I mean, an actual title that would grant you the Eternal Youth that the others have."

Bulma kept working for a moment longer and then sighed and shook her head. "No. He didn't. Kakkarotto did offer Chi-Chi a position, though. But she turned it down. And... I think I would have too. Not that Vegeta would have ever suggested it. And if Chi-Chi had accepted I have no doubt he'd have been rather upset with Kakkarotto for a while about it. He's... pretty strict about who gets to join. To him... to him Human mates are good only for mates and nothing more. It's one of his rougher edges."

"Oh..."

"Why? Did Bra suggest it?"

Marron nodded. "Yeah, she did. And... I'm not really sure about it. I mean... I don't know if I'd like to live forever. You know?"

"I know the thought. Chi-Chi and I talked about it a lot ourselves years ago. There's an appeal there, to not aging anymore. No wrinkles is definately a big selling point." she said with a laugh. "But... I have a few friends around the palace, outside of the Masters, and I don't think I could take watching them all grow old and die and then making new ones just to watch it happen all over again."

"Yeah... those were my thoughts too. But... I know Bra wants it. I know she wont push for it either but..."

"Listen, don't do it because you think Bra would want you to." Bulma said shaking her head. "She wouldn't want you to be unhappy forever. If you choose it for her sake and regret it later she'll blame herself. I know she would. As long as you choose what you want she'll be happy with it."

"Alright. Thanks Bulma."

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Cold watched the montior as the blue and white lights began to appear in the empty black void infront of the ship. He was, once again, aboard Inferna's ship. Once he'd learned they'd determined they could create a Worm Hole in this location he had shuttled over to watch the process. He had to admit it was quite the sight. The pulsing light before him began to open in the middle and a swirling tunnel of light lead off into the distance. A moment later Inferna's ship, followed by his own, entered the gap in space.

"Lady Inferna!" one of the techs called from their terminal, only a few seconds after entering the Worm Hole, as they turned in their seat to look back at where she was. "I'm getting an odd reading from the Worm Hole system."

"How so?" she asked.

"It appears to be some sort of spatial gap." he said. "I've never seen a reading like this before. It's like the Worm Hole dead ends in the middle of nothing."

Inferna furrowed her brow and looked up at the monitor again. The Worm Hole stretched ahead of them for several hundred miles before making a sharp turn up and to the right. She couldn't see passed that bend. "Slow to half speed and continue to scan." she ordered. "It may be an echo but..."

"Understood." the tech replied. The ship slowed but the bend still came closer and closer. They were still a good distance away when the tech looked back again. "I'm getting ressonance readings now. I've never seen anything like this before, it shouldn't be possible... but according to these readings there's something big inside of the Worm Hole."

"Define big."

"By these readings... at least four light years in diameter."

"Four lightyears!?" Inferna asked in shock.

"Confirmed, ma'am." the tech said as he looked over his screens again. "The Worm Hole ends in two hunded seven miles but it doesn't enter real space. The object is located inside this... pocket of sorts."

Inferna and Cold shared glances of interest and then turned their eyes back to the monitor. They had reached the bend now. As the ship rounded the corner they caught sight of the tunnel's end. It emerged into the impossible. Blue skies with a few clouds. They continued on in silence until, at last, they emerged from the Worm Hole. Sure enough there were blue skies and whispy clouds above. Below was a grass field that stretched on for miles in all directions. As Cold's ship emerged into this place as well the Worm Hole closed behind them.

"Bring up a three sixty view." Inferna ordered. Instantly the six large montiors that took up the left and right sides and front of the command room switched to displaying a full three hundred and sixty degree view of the world around them. The image was slightly distorted, cramming three hundred and sixty degrees of video into only a hundred and eighty, but they could make out things well enough. They appeared to be on a massive planet and, about a hundred miles from their location, was a massive and ornate palace.

"Lady Inferna!" a new tech called out. "Spatial integrity is restoring. It's just passed 95 again, we can't open another Worm Hole."

"It appears we are stuck here." Cold said as he gazed at the monitors. "Wherever here is."

"Well, I'm open to suggestions." Inferna said crossing her arms and frowning slightly.

"May as well explore." Cold replied. "There may be people here who can tell us what is going on."

Inferna thought about it for a moment and then noded. "Alright. Pilot, take us over to that struture and set us down." The man at the ship's controls nodded and complied. As they approached they switched the screens to front view only and the palace filed the screen. It was a massive structure made of what looked like white marble.

Even Cold was amazed by its size. "This place is even larger than my palace and it's the largest in the whole empire." he said as they neared. "How large is it?"

"I would say almost... five hundred-thousand square miles." a tech said. "Ground cover wise. Highest point is about five miles. Easily has a volume of over 1.5 million cubic miles."

"One and a half million miles worth of space..." Inferna said in awe. A moment later they'd reached the palace and their ships were landing just beyond what appeared to be the front stairs. Cold watched as the top of the stairs went passed the monitor and the ground came up to meet them. The stairs alone, up to the front doors, were at least three floors. As the ship jostled slightly from the landing he and Inferna turned toward each other.

"Well then, shall we investigate?" he asked.

"Beats staying here." she replied before turning to another tech. "Arrange for an escort to meet us at port 8." she ordered. "No more than twenty people. If there are inhabitants here we don't want them thinking we're hostile. It'll make our stay that much smoother."

"Yes ma'am."

Inferna nodded and then turned. "Well then, shall we?" Cold nodded to her and the two made their way from the bridge and to the port 8 exit. The door hissed as it swung open, the wall becoming stairs leading down. As it clicked into place a small gathering of about fifteen soldiers joined them. Down on the ground Cold's own personal guard, the three man Fyuu Elite Guard, had already gathered and were waiting.

"I'm not picking up any powerlevels anywhere in range." Fyuu reported as Cold reached him. He was only about as tall as Inferna but still looked tall and lanky. Mainly due to the fact that he was so thin, looking more like a walking skeleton than the powerful fighter he was. His skin was an ice blue, his eyes white irises with black pupils set in black eyes, and he was bald. He had on a white body suit and white and blue armor.

As they walked the other two members of the team fell in place beside Cold. Yiku on the right and Rikoo on the left. Yiku was the only one of the three, and only member of any of the Changeling's elite teams, that was female. And she towered over those present, save Cold himself. At nine feet and eight inches, and with muscles as big as Cold, she was the reverse of the team commander. She had dark purple hair that reached halfway down her back, light blue eyes, and deep blue skin. She, too, had on a white body suit with white and blue armor but also had on white boots and gloves.

Rikoo was of the same race as Yiku, in fact they were brother and sister. And the differences between the men and women of their race stood out strongly in the two of them. Rikoo was only six foot two and his muscles were smaller. He also had two small white horns on his forhead that only extended a couple inches. His skin was a slightly lighter shade of blue but his eyes and hair, though it was only shoulder length, were the same color. He wore the same armor, boots, and gloves as his sister too.

The group of twenty made their way across the stone path their ships had landed beside and then began the ascent up the stairs to the entrance. "Any thoughts on where we are or how we got here?" Cold asked as they climbed. He'd noticed this world was like no other he'd ever seen. Beyond the size of the world, larger than any solar system he'd ever heard of, the world had, at least that he could see, thirteen different suns.

"No idea." Inferna said. "Nothing like this has ever occured before. But by now the science division on my ship is going full tilt to figure it out, and probably loving every second of it. No doubt the ones you brought for studying the South Galaxy feel the same."