Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z.

Chapter 51

Age 738, Jade empire: Jade palace, capital planet.

A celebration was in full swing in the giant ballroom. Government officials and nobles from all over the empire were dancing, drinking, and mingling without a care in the world. It was a grand party, and all in attendance were enjoying the chance to make merry. All but one young Saiyan, trying unsuccessfully to hide in a corner.

The boy was very uncomfortable in his stiff dress green uniform. He wasn't used to events like this, but the emperor had told him he should be here, so here he was. What added to his discomfort was that the chief weapons engineer for the empire was drunkenly trying to talk to him.

"You know, when old Jade told me he'd picked up a monkey on Vampa, I would never have believed that you would have turned out to be a regular harbinger of destruction." The man laughed boisterously, not paying any mind to the boys growing discomfort. "Tearing through ten legions of those squid headed Sephalloids singlehanded? Why, even one of my particle canons couldn't cause such a glorious display of death. One day, you'll certainly be the greatest weapon in Jade's arsenal. Even Adamantia won't be a match for you."

"You called?" The man spun around to see the beautiful dark-skinned woman in a blue silk dress standing behind him. She was holding a glass of wine and had a look of mild contempt on her face.

"Adamantia!" the man leered at the general's curvaceous figure. "I was just complimenting young Broly here on his wonderful slaughter. Such a fine killing in the name of our glorious empire, wouldn't you say?"

The woman looked past the man at Broly, who looked completely miserable, then back to the red-faced man. "You know Mr. Faris, I think Sapphire was looking for you. Something about polishing your sword?"

The man looked around excitedly for the blue maiden. "Why didn't you say so! I'm coming Sapphire my dear!"

Adamantia smirked as he left and Broly looked relieved, though he still seemed miserable. "Don't worry about him." The warrior woman said to her protégé. "Sapphire will take care of that idiot. Especially if he mentions polishing his sword. Maybe she'll even kill him." She laughed while ruffling Broly's hair, but the Saiyan's expression remained depressed. "Cheer up kid. Not many six-year-olds have a party like this held in their honor. Then again, not many kids, or adults for that matter, could singlehandedly force the Sephalloid kingdom to surrender."

"I was just trying to save the prince." Broly said dejectedly. "I didn't want to kill them, but they wouldn't let him go. I wanted to be a champion of peace, not a harbinger of death."

Adamantia felt awkward. Sometimes she didn't know how to deal with Broly when he was like this. Unlike him, she didn't mind killing. In fact, she even liked it sometimes. She sighed. "Well, for what it's worth, you saved the emperor from having to pay a hefty ransom." Not that she thought the old man would have paid it either way. "I'm sure Perdito appreciates you saving him too."

"But if you hadn't come at the last minute, the prince and I might both be dead. This party should be for you." Broly replied earnestly.

The girl waved him off. "Don't sweat it kid. You did the heavy lifting. I just did some last-minute cleanup. Besides, it's my job to look out for you when you decide to be stupid and brave."

Broly finally brightened somewhat at this comment. "Thanks Tia. I've got your six too."

Adamantia raised an eyebrow. "Where'd you learn that phrase?"

Broly blushed slightly. "From Rubio. I… I said it right, didn't I?"

Adamantia smiled. So, the kid thought he could watch her back, did he? "Yeah, you said it right. But just remember one thing." She kneeled down and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You might have my six, but I've got your whole damn clock."

The Saiyan looked at her in awe, then he smiled, and nodded. "Right!"

She stood up and finished her drink in one gulp then tossed the glass on the ground. "Come on. You want to ditch this place with me so we can train?"

"Yeah!" Broly responded enthusiastically and the pair left the ballroom to have their own fun.

Break

Cereal: Present day

Several hours before the sunrise on planet Cereal, Broly could be found standing outside the cave with his arms folded. He had volunteered to stand guard that night, as he thought everyone else would need to rest. Between himself, Gohan and Zangya, he had done the least in terms of fighting, so he thought this was only fair. According to his comrades, the robots only appeared after sunrise, but his past campaigns taught him that you could never be too careful in these matters.

The planet was peaceful, in a desolate sort of way. Much of the nature of the planet had been trampled or destroyed, but there were a few forests that had survived, far from where the fighting had taken place, but still within his view. If he had stayed with the empire, would he have been able to preserve this planet? To save those of the empire who died fighting the robots? Maybe protect the lives of its inhabitants? He shook his head. The only reason he was as strong as he was now was because of the experiences he had on earth. His intense training in the time chamber was unlike anything he could have experienced while traveling with the empire. The important thing was that he was able to help now. He was more than a little happy to see them all again. While he did feel much more at home on Earth than he ever had before, he also missed his old comrades. He thought about them often. Especially his oldest one.

"Need a break?"

Broly looked over his shoulder to see Adamantia walking toward him. "I'm ok. You should get some more rest though. Sounds like you guys have had a rough week."

The girl smiled. "I've definitely had better." Rather than going back inside the cave, she continued walking until they were side by side. The two veterans stood in silence, looking out over the scarred landscape.

"It's funny." Adamantia finally spoke. "That the elite forces of the Jade empire would have to resort to sheltering in a cave. Kind of reminds you of that time I took you for survival training as a kid."

Broly smiled at the memory. "Yes. I thought it was pointless at first. I didn't think I had anything to learn after living on Vampa, but I guess I was wrong. Remember when I ate the poison bonedye plant?"

"Yeah, your tongue swelled up like a balloon." She smiled as well.

"Yeah, that was not very fun. Poisoning aside, I had a lot of fun with you that month." Broly let out a chuckle at the memories.

"Like when you tried to bring that giant garm beast home as a pet? Even though it wouldn't stop biting you."

"I thought he was just being friendly. Looking back, I think you only agreed so you could see it wreak havoc in the capital. Jade was furious." The two laughed softly in the starlit night.

"See, it wasn't all bad with us, was it?" Adamantia asked, half rhetorical, half hopeful.

"No." Broly replied. "Not all bad." silence regained its footing. After a few moments, Broly spoke again. "Tia, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

"Why did you kill Corporal Cole?"

Adamantia was silent, a grave expression on her face.

"Do you even remember him?" Broly clenched his fists in frustration. "He was the soldier who-"

"I remember him." She said softly.

"So?"

"I don't need a reason to kill." she sneered. "I'm evil, remember?"

"No, you're not." Broly corrected her firmly. "You love fighting, and you have no qualms about killing the enemy, but you've always looked after us. You always advocated for leniency from the emperor on behalf of your subordinates, even if he hardly listened. You've never left a comrade behind, so why?"

"Tch. That low level trash wasn't a comrade."

"Just because he was a lower rank, doesn't make him trash." Broly responded with some heat.

"Maybe not." Adamantia conceded. "But that scumbag could have been as strong as you and I'd still call him trash. He brown-nosed his superiors while abusing his subordinates. At least when I torment my soldiers, it's for training purposes. He was just trying to make himself feel powerful. He kept volunteering to run messages, hoping to rub shoulders with the big dogs and land a promotion to an easier assignment. But whenever we hit combat, he was as far from the front lines as possible. He even harassed the female warriors who did fight and mocked them when they came back injured. I don't care what a person's background is when they join us, but I can't stand his kind of soldier. It's true that I 'advocated' for good soldiers who did their job. But that man was a coward. He was no comrade of mine."

Broly sighed as he heard her reasons. He hadn't known that stuff about Corporal Cole. Tia was directly in charge of the military, while he never really dealt with the lower ranks. Even so, as bad a soldier as he may have been, he still didn't think that justified killing him. However, he decided to let that one go so he could move onto the death that was really bothering him.

"Then what about Aquamarine?" Broly asked and Adamantia visibly stiffened. "I know you two didn't always see eye to eye, but she was a valiant warrior, and an honorable comrade."

"She was." Adamantia agreed solemnly.

"Then why?"

"Sometimes I forget how little you know about your own race. Long before I met you, I've had to deal with my fair share of Saiyans. I know exactly what they do to their victims. Especially the females." She said darkly. "I killed her out of mercy."

"Gohan's not like those Saiyans." Broly tried to defend his young friend.

"He was torturing her Broly!" She snapped at him. "He sadistically broke her down until she was begging for death, and he still refused to give it to her. I didn't know what else he had planned, so I put her out of her misery."

"You could have gotten her out of there first." Broly argued. "We could have gotten her back to the ship or had others get her a safe distance away."

"Maybe you could have." The woman pointed an accusing finger at Broly. "I'm not the legendary super Saiyan, Broly. Aside from you, we'd never seen his kind of power before, and I knew I wouldn't be able to protect a crippled ally while fighting against him. You know what he did the moment more of our allies showed up? He tore Patzo in half! He put a hole in Opal's chest! That was just for showing up. Aquamarine killed his friend. I knew he wouldn't leave her alone till she was dead, so I killed her. I knew he had more raw power than me, but I thought my abilities would at least even the playing field. I thought his youth would make him inexperienced, so I tried to throw him off with taunts, but look how that turned out!" She pointed angrily at her armless shoulder and the Saiyan gave her a sorrowful look.

"Tia, I-"

"Where were you, Broly? Why didn't you jump in and save Aqua? or Opal, or Patzo? Or me for that matter!?"

Broly was at a loss, and he hung his head. Hearing all of this, he felt that he had failed his comrades. Tia continued. "You were at the emperor's side, like the good little doggy you were. You were just following orders to protect him, right? Well, my orders were to take care of the brat, so that's what I tried to do. I don't condemn you for not jumping to the aid of every single soldier in trouble, so you have no right to judge me for doing what I thought was right at the time in the face of a monster like him!" The diamond fighter took a deep breath before exhaling in frustration. "I'm done trying to justify myself to you. Like you said, I should get some more rest. Who knows what the day will bring."

"Tia, wait." Broly started, and the woman stopped while letting out a sigh. She looked back at him over her shoulder.

"You've still got my six, right?"

Broly smiled and nodded.

"Then I've still got your whole damn clock." The pair shared one last smile before she quickly made her way back to the cave, leaving Broly back to his guard duty. In the silence, he contemplated her words. How many mistakes had he made in the name of following the emperor's orders? How many friends could he have saved?

"That was almost cute."

Broly turned in surprise to see Zangya standing behind him. "What are you doing out here?" He hadn't seen her leave the cave. Then again, he could have just missed her. she was a lot faster than him now.

The Hera held up a basket of eggs varying in size, and an animal that vaguely resembled an earth pig. "Just getting some stuff for breakfast." She replied. "Chichi always says that it's the most important meal of the day, even if you're facing a hostile invasion. Kind of a weird thing to tac on, but I guess it makes sense if you think about it."

"Especially considering who her son is." Broly pointed out while attempting a smile.

"Oh yeah, I guess you're right." Zangya nodded, not thinking too much about it before. To her it was just sound advice. "So, that's the diamond girl you're always telling me about. Were you and her… You know?"

Broly tried to keep his expression blank but ended up turning away. "What made you think something like that?"

"Just a hunch. It's none of my business, I just was curious about your type." Zangya replied with a teasing smile and Broly fought to hide the growing red in his cheeks. Then she turned serious. "I really didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I did hear some of the stuff she was saying. Do you want to talk about it?"

Broly looked down at his caring friend. He seemed to be contemplating something. Finally, he said "You might want to check on Pearl. She has a habit of sleepwalking and usually ends up in someone else's bed. Especially the beds of young, handsome warriors."

Zangya growled. "That little hussy!" She sped into the cave with her groceries in tow.

Broly watched her go with a real smile this time, amused at the ease with which she was sidetracked. He turned his gaze back on the horizon to keep an eye out for enemies, with nothing but the silence and the regrets of the past to keep him company.

Break.

"Omnomnom, this is delicious! Thank you Zangya, omnomnom." Gohan said between mouthfuls.

"Yeah, I've never eaten eggs so yummy before!" Esmerelda nodded.

"And this little piggy is perfect! It's cut thick enough to where it's still a little chewy." Turk started.

"But it's still got a good crispiness to it." Alex finished the thought.

The group was sitting in a circle, eating the eggs and bacon that Zangya had prepared. Even Granolah was partaking of the meal. The only exception was Pearl, who was tied up in a corner.

"Guys, this really isn't fair." She whined. "Zangya, I'm sorry. It was an accident. Sleep walking is a medical condition." The Hera just ignored her excuses.

"Guys, come on, it smells really good." The prisoner begged.

"Tastes good too." Alex said cheerfully. "Ooh! Does this have paprika in it?"

"That's what you get for trying to steal another woman's man, Pearl." Esmerelda stated calmly.

"I wasn't stealing him." She defended herself. "I just thought we could share him. They do it all the time in anime. Guys, please? You wouldn't let me starve, would you Esme?" she zeroed in on the easiest target. The green woman hesitated and may have caved. Unfortunately, Gohan chimed in.

"The bean we gave you is a special kind of food." The hybrid explained. "You won't starve for a while. It should keep you going for a few days at least."

"But it's not the sahahame!" She wailed.

"Here." Zangya handed her a plate with a smile. "You can try the one that Esmerelda made. She wanted me to teach her."

"Oh, thank you!" Pearl exclaimed with shining eyes of gratitude. "I'll never forget your kind…" her expression of gratitude was cut short when she saw the meal before her. The meat was unidentifiable, but she was sure she'd seen something similar on the battlefield. The eggs looked soggy and undercooked. A bird foot was sticking out of it, and she swore she saw an eyeball. "On second thought, I think I'm still full from the bean."

"Nonsense." Zangya lifted up the spoon with a cheerful expression. "Esme worked really hard on this. Just taste it." She forced the food into the prisoner's mouth, and Pearl was helpless against the stronger female. Zangya continued to stuff food in the crying girl's face with a smile, until the plate was completely empty. The result was that Pearl was lying on the ground with what appeared to be her soul attempting to leave through her mouth.

"A decent first attempt, Esme. She ate the whole thing." The Blue girl looked down in satisfaction at her broken foe. Zangya made her way back to the circle and looked at Adamantia. "I'm glad you don't see eating breakfast as undisciplined."

"On the contrary." The woman replied while keeping her eyes on her food. "Maintaining one's energy is paramount in my line of work. Especially right before a battle."

"Gohan's mom says something similar."

"Good for her."

This cut the conversation off, so Zangya tried again. "You're from Carbona, aren't you?"

"That's correct." She replied indifferently.

"I went there once. It was an interesting place."

Adamantia stopped eating and looked at Zangya with confusion. "Why would you ever go to that hell hole?"

"I was curious about volcanoes. Hera had some, but they were small. Your planet is basically one big one. Hera used to be in a neighboring solar system, so I snuck out one night to check it out. It took forever to get back though. I was gon for almost a month. My parents were furious. I couldn't go anywhere for like a year."

"Wait, I don't remember this. When did that happen?" Turk questioned.

"It was before you were born." Zangya waved her hand. "I was only around four at the time."

"You're telling me that as a four-year-old, you willingly went to the planet of gravity and heat? A planet where the air is thick with ash, and the rivers are molten lava?" Adamantia asked incredulously.

"Well, I wouldn't recommend it for a vacation." Zangya admitted. "I mean, the locals weren't too friendly, but the volcano eruptions were pretty cool."

"You met my tribesmen and actually got away?" Adamantia was stunned. While none of her race were as strong as herself, seeing as she was a type of mutant, they were still pretty powerful. They even rivaled the Saiyans. To think that a child could survive an encounter with them. She knew Turk was strong in his own right, but his sister seemed to be something else. "Are the females of your species the more powerful ones?"

Zangya laughed. "That's what my dad always said. Though I think he was just using that line to get out of trouble with my mom. This one time, dad was rounding up this gang…"

As Zangya told her story, Gohan beamed at his girlfriend. She always seemed to get people to loosen up around her. He stood up and left the group to check on Broly. He knew that sunrise was approaching, and he wanted to be ready for anything.

Outside, Broly was still perfectly alert, his empty breakfast plate sitting on the ground. "So, any sign of them?" Gohan asked.

"None." Broly replied. "They did say the robots didn't usually show up until sunrise."

"True." Gohan nodded. "Don't you think that's a little strange? What's the point for robots to wait for the sun to come up?"

"Maybe they're solar powered? Or maybe they need to recharge." Broly reasoned.

"I suppose it's possible, but I didn't notice any photovoltaic cells on them, did you?" Broly shook his head. "As for recharging, that would only make sense if there were surviving robots. According to Turk, they had destroyed all of them each day."

"What's your theory then?" This had been bothering Broly as well, and he was interested to hear Gohan's opinion.

"It's difficult to say for sure. We know the enemy seems to have an unlimited supply of these drones, considering the fact that they increase exponentially each day. We also know that wherever they are coming from is within a night's journey, since they never arrive earlier than the next sunrise. Also, they must be transmitting a signal to document their activity, or at least communicate their destruction. Otherwise, the replacements wouldn't know to come. All that being said, I think there are three possibilities. First, and personally I think this is unlikely, they're coming from a type of hive that just tries to harvest or destroy whatever they encounter."

"Then why keep sending drones just to be destroyed for a planet like this? Seems counterintuitive."

"Exactly." Gohan agreed. "The second possibility is that they are being controlled by a person, rather than a hive mind, and they are on a mission of conquest. Seeing this planet as unimportant, they kill the inhabitants and strip it of resources, but when our friends fought back so successfully, whoever controls the droids saw them as a threat to his plan and decides to wipe them out. However, the person doesn't want to risk more resources than he has to, so he uses the minimum number of robots possible, increasing them by degrees until they can overwhelm the fighters, or they succumb to stress and fatigue."

"That seems plausible enough. What's your third theory?"

"Revenge." Gohan stated simply. "The empire must have made a lot of enemies. It's possible that one of them sent these drones after our friends specifically. They were in a weakened state after they came to earth, so the timing is convenient for such a plot. Maybe the person is trying to wipe them out and is increasing the numbers based on the results of the previous battles. Maybe he's trying to torment them by playing mind games. Or..." Gohan paused to look at Broly. "Maybe they were only trying to make them desperate enough to draw out the legendary super Saiyan."

Broly frowned. It was true that he had given many people a cause to hate him. Revenge definitely seemed like a possibility, on the empire, and on himself. Either way, he agreed with Gohan that the second two scenarios were more likely. "Let's say it's a person controlling these things, whether for revenge or just because we're in his way. It's going to be difficult to put a stop to this if we can't find them. I doubt they'll come out themselves. We need a plan to draw them out. Failing that, we need to find their base of operations. Like you said, it's got to be relatively close by."

The younger Saiyan nodded his agreement. "Yeah, I'd rather get this over with as soon as possible. If we could keep one drone functioning, maybe we can trace the signal, or even send a message."

"Do you think you could do that?"

"Maybe. Bulma's been teaching me a few things. I'm not as good as her, but as long as their circuitry abides by the basic laws of physics, I think I'll manage. Just in case, let's keep an eye on where they come from. Maybe we'll be able to at least narrow down the direction of their base."

Broly smiled. "Did anyone ever tell you that you'd make a great general?" he was genuinely impressed by the boy's tactical mind.

Gohan chuckled. "Thanks, but I'd rather stick to the path of a scholar."

The two remained vigilant, scanning the skies for any sign of metal. Soon the others came outside to join them, anxious for what the day would bring. Broly briefed the team on Gohan's plan and while they found it logical, there was at least one person with a negative outlook.

"I doubt we'll have trouble ensuring one robot survives." Adamantia said. "If the pattern continues, there will be so many that even the two of you may be overwhelmed."

"That would be unlikely." Gohan smiled while keeping his gaze to the sky. Tia was about to call Gohan out on his cocky attitude, but Zangya put a hand on her shoulder.

"I hate to tell you this, but me and Gohan were just playing around yesterday."

"What!?" everyone cried.

"Yeah, sorry. Now that I say that out loud, I kind of feel like a jerk. I know you guys were in trouble and all. We did prioritize protecting you though. We wouldn't have let any of you get hurt." Zangya offered her apology while pressing her fingers together. "Anyway, we're not gonna mess around today. We promise. Right Gohan?"

"Yeah. This'll be over before you know it." Gohan assured the group.

The sun had just peaked up over a mountain range when the first sight of the enemy appeared. "There." Granolah was the first to spot the approach.

"Wow, Good eyes." Gohan complimented the Cerealian, receiving only a scowl in return. The hybrid shrugged. "You ready babe?" he turned to his girlfriend who was now passing out sunglasses to the confused group. She put on her own and gave him the thumbs up. She disappeared, only to reappear moments later with a very disoriented robot drone. "All you, Riceball."

Gohan jumped into the air and put himself in the path of the approaching army. "Atomic…" The yellow and blue energy swirled in his palms like a giant atom. "Kameehamee…HAAA!" The beam erupted and spread out, the indescribable brightness overtaking the tens of millions of cyclopean warriors and rendering them mere particles. The power of the attack shook the planet, and even with the sunglasses, the warriors below were looking away. Once Gohan was certain that the last of the enemy had been demolished, he cut his attack, and the light slowly died away.

Zangya took her sunglasses off and Gohan appeared next to her. "Talk about overkill." The Hera said while rubbing her eyes. "A normal Kamehameha wave would have probably done the same thing."

"A wise man once said: Sometimes it is entirely appropriate to kill a fly with a sledgehammer."

"Yeah, a sledgehammer, not a nuclear ki blast."

"I always get those two mixed up." Gohan grinned cheekily before turning to the robot prisoner. "Now, lets see what makes this fly tick."

It was odd to see this lone robot struggle against Zangya's grip. These machines had displayed no emotion during the entirety of their assault, but now, as Gohan drew near it, its frantic movements almost made it seem like it was afraid. Zangya held the robot firm as the young Saiyan used his ki to cut open a hole in its back to reveal the most complex design Gohan had ever seen.

"Wow!"

"What's up?" Zangya questioned. "Everything ok?"

"I've just never seen anything like this before!" the teen sounded like he was happy about it. "Even capsule corps robots don't have anything on this!"

"Maybe we should grab Dr. Graph to figure this out?" Broly offered.

"No way, I'm not losing out on this opportunity! I gotta take this home and show Bulma."

"Alright, chop chop nerd boy." Despite the name calling, Zangya always found this side of Gohan oddly attractive.

"Right. So, the system is complex, but it still uses the basic principles of electronics. It looks like it communicates using radio waves too. Look, I think this here's the transceiver. I guess no matter how advanced the tech, physics is still physics. It seems to be programed to only transmit and receive basic signals. I'm not sure if I can trace it, but maybe if I…" Gohan's hands moved rapidly, taking the auxiliary parts and fashioned them into a microphone that led into the transceiver.

"Testing. Testing. Kamehameha?" he tapped the mic a few times before shrugging. "Listen, if you can hear this, Just know that no matter how many drones you send, we'll have no trouble destroying them. I wasted the latest batch in a matter of seconds. Let's stop wasting all our time and let's meet to try and talk this out."

"Yeah! Come on out whoever you are!" Pearl cheered. "You're no match for the super Saiyan hunk that is Son Gohan!" She ducked, but looked up at Zangya when no blow came. "Really? Nothing?

The Hera shrugged. "When you're right, you're right."

Gohan waited for a few moments, hoping that the message had gone through. He hadn't messed with the frequency, so he was fairly confident that it did, but still. The group stood around the robot and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

"Um, Gohan?" Esmerelda raised her hand. "How are we supposed to know if the person got the message?"

"And if he did, how are they supposed to respond?" Alex asked.

"Oh, well that's easy. They just…" he scratched his head. "Huh. I hadn't thought about that."

The group sweat dropped. 'This is the one who took down the Jade empire?' was a collective thought of the warriors of said empire.

"Sorry, This is my first time doing this sort of thing. Oh! I got it." He grabbed the microphone again. "Hi, it's me again. If you have received our message, could you make your robot's eye light up? Once means you will meet with us, two means no."

"That was your bright idea?" Adamantia growled in annoyance. "Of all the-"

*Beep*

The robot's eye lit up with a beep that silenced everyone. They looked at the cyclops to see if it would beep again.

*Beep*

"Aw man!" Alex snapped His fingers. "Guess we have to keep doing this the hard way."

"Nice going brat." Adamantia glared.

"Hey, back off." Zangya stared the diamond girl down. "Gohan's idea worked. It's not his fault that the robot's boss is a coward."

*Beep*

Again, the group froze.

"Um… What did three beeps mean?" Turk asked Gohan.

*Beep, Beep, BeepBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEPBEEEEEEEEEP*

"GET DOWN!"

*KABOOOOOOM!*

The explosion radius was wide, but the power was relatively week. All the warriors were able to block any damage with their Ki. The only person who looked affected was Gohan, who had a face full of the blast and was covered in soot.

"First the mummy, now this." He said sulkily. The robot was supposed to be his summer project. Now what was he supposed to do?

"Maybe that'll teach you to use enemies for your sinister projects." Zangya patted his back.

"I guess that means he doesn't want to negotiate." Esmerelda summed up. "What do we do now?"

"Now we start plan B." Broly replied.

"What's plan B?" Turk asked.

"One of us heads back to earth and grabs a spaceship so you guys can get home." Gohan explained.

"Then what about these robots?" Alex asked.

"The three of us will trace them to their origin and destroy them at the source." Gohan stated simply.

"Just because you saved us once doesn't mean the Jade empire needs you to fight it's battles." Adamantia stated proudly.

"If you're going to keep fighting, then we're coming with you." Esmerelda said with conviction.

"Yeah! No way are we letting you guys have all the fun." Turk grinned.

"This jerk wanted to mess with us. There's no way we're gonna let him off so easy." Alex pounded her fist.

Pearl sidled up to Gohan. "I don't mind sticking with you for a few more days." Zangya put the girl flat to her back and stood on top of her stomach while grinding her boot.

"If they want to come with us to look for the main source, then one of us still needs to go and get a ship." The blue girl looked at Gohan.

"That may not be necessary. It looks like he might have come to us after all." Granolah, who had been keeping his eye on the horizon, zoomed in with his eye to make out the form of an approaching figure. Even with his evolved eye, the person was too far away to distinguish.

"Really?" Gohan squinted with a hand shading his eyes. "I can't sense anyone. Is it another robot?"

"I can't tell. It's only one person. Possibly metallic based on the glare. He's got a tail… Wait. No, that's not possible." Granolah's face became deathly pale. "No, he's supposed to be dead."

"Granolah, calm down. Are you saying you recognize this guy?" Alex asked.

"How could I not recognize him." the color was quickly returning to the Cerealian's face as his blood rose in anger. "That bastard ordered the slaughter of my people."

The figure was now close enough for Gohan to make out, and he was shocked to see that the figure was familiar to him as well.

The figure touched down not 50 yards from the group. The creature had a lizard-like tail and three toes on each foot. His black lips were turned up in a smug smile, while his white skin transitioned into sleek metallic body parts. At the sight of the cyborg, Granolah growled with hatred the name of the most despicable tyrant his galaxy had ever known.

"Frieza."

Break.

Granolah was breathing deeply as he looked at the lizard like cyborg. He'd hoped and prayed that this day would come. A day when he could finally avenge his people. After all the pain he and Monaito had suffered, today he would finally avenge the fallen. Without another thought, he launched himself at the frost demon.

"FRIEZA!"

The cyborg looked surprised for a moment at the charge, but the smile returned, and he raised a finger at the attacker. When Granolah was halfway to his target, the cyborg shot a pink beam straight at the Cerealians chest. The green-haired man saw the attack coming, but there was nothing he could do to change his trajectory. Just before the blast reached him a body blocked his view, and Gohan swatted the beam away while halting Granolah's charge. Granolah looked up at Gohan and nodded his appreciation.

"Thanks, Saiyan. Now get out of my way!" Granolah pushed past Gohan, only for the half Saiyan to put him in a full nelson to arrest his progress.

"Hey! Let me go you Saiyan filth! Oh wait, I get it now! You're working for Frieza, just like the rest of your low life species. Let me go and I'll tear you both apart!"

"A, I'd love to see you try it, and B, that's not Frieza." Gohan replied calmly.

"You must think I'm as dumb as your whole monkey species! Of course, it's Frieza, and you're just gonna lick his boots and do his bidding like you lowlife Saiyans have always done! Now let me go!"

"You need to calm down." Gohan ordered. "This isn't Frieza, and you don't know how much stronger he is than you. You're going to get yourself killed."

"I don't care! That man needs to pay! Let me go now!" The man continued to struggle and kick to try and escape Gohan's hold, but he remained firm.

The teen sighed and rolled his eyes at the stubbornness of this alien. "Alright, you asked for it. Catch!" the teen spun around and hurled the green haired man straight into Turk, knocking the large man clean off his feet.

Gohan dusted his hands and turned to the newcomer. "Alright, I know you're not Frieza, but you do look a lot like him. If it wasn't for that alfalfa sprout on your head, I'd say you were a dead ringer. So, who are you anyway?"

"Kukuku, I see that my father's reputation is wide sweeping even after his death. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised that a Saiyan would know who he is, but it is surprising that you would have seen him in his final form. As for myself, I am his son, Kuriza."

Gohan nodded. "Ah, I see. Your head does kinda look like a chestnut."

"Shutup!" Kuriza blushed angrily. "I don't want to hear the insults of someone from a race of vegetables!"

Gohan nodded. "You've got me there. So, tell me Kuriza. Have you come to negotiate? You got my message, right?"

Kuriza laughed. "Negotiate? What makes you think I'd negotiate with the likes of you? You may have killed a few of my drones, but that is nothing compared to the strength I possess."

Gohan quirked an eyebrow. If this guy wasn't just bragging, then things might start to get interesting. "If you didn't come to negotiate, then why are you here? What's the point of attacking these people and destroying the inhabitants of this planet."

"Well, if you must know, my orders are to crush the warriors of the Jade empire. It was a ridiculously easy task to be honest. A few million drones, and they crumbled like a cookies. Of course, I could have killed them at any time, but my other task meant that I had to keep them alive."

"And this other task would be?" Gohan asked.

"To capture the legendary super Saiyan. You see, my family has some bad history with your kind that we'd rather resolve face to face. Unfortunately, once I realized you were no longer with your party, I had to draw you out. I knew if they were desperate enough then they would call for their greatest warrior. And here you are."

Gohan nodded. Looks like his revenge theory was pretty on point. However, it seemed like Kuriza wasn't even acting of his own accord. Another thing that Kuriza said caught his attention. "What makes you think I'm the super Saiyan you're looking for?"

"Don't play dumb!" Kuriza pointed at him angrily. "I heard your transmission! 'I'm no match for the super Saiyan hunk Son Gohan' was it?"

Gohan scratched his head. "It's a little weird to hear another guy call me a hunk. I mean, I'm flattered, but I have a girlfriend."

Kuriza's white face went red. "I DIDN'T CALL YOU A HUNK! I JUST WAS QUOTING SOMEONE ELSE!" The son of Frieza took a deep breath to calm down. "Regardless, I can tell from your power level that you must be him. Now that you're here, I can take you back to base. That is, after I kill your little friends back there." He pointed a glowing finger at the group behind Gohan. Before he could fire a shot, Gohan warped directly in front of the finger to shield his friends. He smirked at a stunned Kuriza before flexing his muscles.

"HYAAAAH!" Gohan's kiai unleashed a wave of power that deflected the point-blank attack and sent Kuriza tumbling back. The frost cyborg quickly got to his feet with a mild look of surprise.

"You're even more powerful than I was told you'd be. Perhaps I should rough you up first before I take care of your friends."

"I suggest you don't hold back then." Gohan warned with a smile.

"So be it."

Kuriza vanished and reappeared behind Gohan. The teen's eyebrows rose in surprise at the cyborg's speed. He wasn't even able to turn around before he was smashed away by Kuriza's tail.

"Gohan!" Broly yelled and moved forward to aid the younger Saiyan, but Zangya stopped him with her hand on his shoulder.

"Let him handle this."

"What? But I can't just let Gohan fight in my place! It's me that this guy wants." After seeing their assailant in person, he had a hunch on why they were after him specifically. "I'm the legendary super Saiyan of the Jade empire. It's my fault that everyone is in this mess to begin with, so I should be fighting. At least let me help him."

"I'm sorry big guy, but you'd only be in the way." Zangya said apologetically and Broly hung his head, knowing that she was right. "Listen, I don't think it will come to this, but if Gohan is really in trouble, I'll help him, alright?" Broly clenched his fists in frustration at his own weakness, but nodded, nevertheless. Zangya patted his arm consolingly. "Don't worry about it. I'm pretty sure Gohan won't have any trouble with this guy."

Just as she said this, the Saiyan hybrid slammed into the ground in front of them, leaving a Gohan shape deep in the ground. The teen popped his head out of the hole and shook off some dirt. A smile could be seen briefly before he sped back to his opponent.

"I must admit, Saiyan, you certainly know how to take a beating!" Kuriza taunted the charging Gohan, then backhanded him away when he got close. He warped to where his opponent was speeding and kicked him up into the air, before warping again to intercept the super Saiyan. He brought both hands down on Gohan, but the attack just passed through him. Kuriza was surprised for a moment but recovered in time to block a fist from behind on his forearm. Gohan launched a kick at the cyborg, only to have a metallic tail intercept the blow. The appendage wrapped itself around the hybrid's ankle and Kuriza dove straight for the ground, dragging his catch behind him. At the last moment before impact, the cyborg flipped and released the Saiyan, flinging him into the dirt once more.

"Aren't you going to help him!" Pearl yelled at Zangya in a panic.

The Hera girl looked at her in confusion. "I mean, that sounds like it would be fun and all, but I don't think Gohan would appreciate it if I teamed up with the enemy."

"She means Gohan, not the cyborg you bimbo." Alex clarified.

"Oh, right." Zangya blushed. "I guess that makes more sense. But nah, he's good." Zangya waved their concerns away.

"But he's getting his tail handed to him out there. Why hasn't he gone super Saiyan yet?" Turk questioned.

"Maybe if you stopped behaving like an amateur and use your head, you'd realize what the brat is doing." Adamantia said. She hated the kid's guts, but she had to admit that the he had good battle sense.

"What do you mean Tia?" Pearl asked the more seasoned veteran.

"Gohan's playing a psychological game right now." Broly answered. "He knows that his opponent isn't the real boss. If we want to end this conflict, we need to find out whoever's really in charge and where they are. Once we do that, then we can either negotiate with the leader, or destroy them."

"I suppose that makes sense. But how is letting himself get beat up going to accomplish that?" Esmerelda asked.

"You'll see." Broly assured the group. He knew exactly what Gohan was doing. He'd done it himself on more than one occasion. Sometimes you had to let the opponent think they're superior to you in order to get the most psychological effect from turning the tables.

The group focused on the battle where Gohan had once again been knocked into a crater. The teen stood up and wiped some blood from his chin before dropping to his stance. "Wow, you really are strong."

"Kukuku, that's more than I can say for you. Your tough, but your no match for my full power." Kuriza bragged.

Gohan nodded. "So, this really is your 100%? Not 5, or 50 or even 92%?"

"What? No, this is my full power." Kuriza replied in confusion.

"Oh, well that's a bummer." Gohan sighed.

"Excuse me?"

"Well, It's just that as I am now, I don't stand a chance against you."

"Kukuku, that's right. I'm glad you finally realized it."

"I was just hoping to have a little more fun before I crushed you." The Saiyan said with a smirk.

Kuriza laughed. "Kukuku! Strong talk for a punching bag. Alright, you think you can crush me? Then come at me Saiyan."

"Don't say I didn't warn you. Ha!" Gohan charged and the grinning cyborg raised a hand to fire a blast. In the blink of an eye, Gohan's hair turned gold just before he vanished from sight. The next thing Kuriza knew, an elbow drove into his stomach. He staggered back while clutching his abdomen.

"Keheh!"

Gohan swept his legs from under him and chopped him to the ground. He followed up by grabbing his opponent's tail with one hand and swung him around in circles. The Saiyan then lit up a Masenko fist and brought it down, severing the extra appendage and sending the detached Kuriza up into the sky.

The cyborg forced himself to a stop and glared down at Gohan with unbridled rage. "Why you! Take THIIIIISSSSS!" A massive death beam shot down at the Saiyan.

"Alright, I'll take your attack." Gohan put two fingers to his forehead. "And put a spin on it. Special Beam Canon!" Gohan launched the spiraling energy, and it tore through his opponent's attack and pierced Kuriza's shoulder, taking his arm right off. The force of the energy was so great that it even knocked Kuriza out of the air, and he fell to the ground, smashing into a crater.

The cyborg lay still, too shocked to move. 'Is this what a super Saiyan is?' fear filled his thoughts. 'Uncle warned me, but I didn't think… So much power all at once. It's just too insane! Forget capturing him, I'll be lucky to leave here alive!'

Too distracted by his own terror to notice Gohan approaching, his eyes went wide when he saw the super Saiyan standing over him. He tried to jump away, but Gohan caught him by the neck without moving from his spot. Kuriza grabbed Gohan's hand and tried to force his grip loose. When his efforts failed, he launched a kick at his enemy's head. Gohan brought his arm up casually and after blocking the attack, brought his open hand across Kuriza's face with planet shaking force. The cyborg threw a punch, but before the blow landed, Gohan swatted the fist away and slapped him again, this time following up with a backhand. Then, to quell any further resistance, Gohan squeezed his opponent's throat.

"Now that we've established our respective positions, I'll ask again." Gohan's tone held a dangerous edge, and Kuriza shuddered. "Are you willing to negotiate?"

Gohan's grip was too tight around his throat for a verbal response, so the cyborg gave a small, but enthusiastic nod.

"Good." The Saiyan brought them both back to where his friends were waiting and dropped Kuriza to the ground. "We've reached an understanding." He informed the group happily. Adamantia and Broly nodded. Sometimes a little shock and fear were all that was needed to bend an opponent to your will. Crush their pride, otherwise they are more likely to fight back, even when outmatched. Gohan turned from his friends to the cyborg. "You said that you had orders to destroy the warriors of the jade empire and to bring the legendary super Saiyan to your boss. Is that right?"

Kuriza rubbed his throat while looking up at the Saiyan warrior. He may have stalled his death, but what was he supposed to do now. His orders were absolute. "Yes, that's right."

"If we were to kill you, what would your boss do?" Gohan asked.

Kuriza thought about it. "He'd probably send his lieutenant with an army that makes the drones from earlier look like canon fodder. He might even come himself."

Gohan nodded. "Alright, give us a minute." Gohan stepped away and pulled the others into a huddle. Kuriza looked on in puzzlement. This super Saiyan was far different from what he'd expected.

"Alright, what do you guys think?" Gohan asked the opinion of the others.

"What are you talking about!?" Granolah growled angrily. "We should just kill him now. What else is there to talk about?"

"I agree with Granolah." Turk added. "I mean, if they're that intent on killing us, then we might as well get them first, right? We'll deal with the next guy when and if he comes."

"We'll I don't agree." Adamantia stated firmly. "We're wasting time and if we draw this out longer, we'll endanger the empire. The brat can't protect us forever, and I for one want these two gone as soon as possible."

Zangya glared at the diamond girl. "To think, I gave you the crispy pork belly."

"What do you think Broly?" Esmerelda turned to the larger Saiyan.

Broly thought for a moment. "I think that we should leave that up to Gohan. Aside from him and Zangya, none of us could beat someone of that caliber. Me included."

They turned to the teen. "I think that the fastest way to resolve this is to at least try for peace." Gohan explained. "I'll kill them if it comes to that, but I honestly think you guys would be better off if we tried to negotiate."

"But how are we gonna do that?" Pearl asked. "Even with the smackdown, this guy seems pretty intent on following through with his orders. We don't know where, or even who his boss is."

"Simple. He can just take us to him." Gohan grinned.

The huddle broke, and Kuriza stiffened. "Kuriza." Gohan started "I'm willing to let you take me to your boss."

Kuriza looked stunned. "Wait, are you serious?" The cyborg couldn't believe his luck. Looks like he wasn't going to die after all.

"Sure. We'll see if we can work things out, and if it's a fight he wants, I'll be happy to give it to him."

"Ha! You? Give him a fight!? You're walking into your own grave, Saiyan." Kuriza taunted.

"Keep talking and I'll walk you into yours." Gohan smiled menacingly.

Kuriza gulped. "A-alright. Have it your way. I'll take you to my lord. It's what I came here for in the first place, after all."

"Oh yeah, one more thing." Gohan added. "These guys are to remain unharmed. They deserve a chance to sue for peace with whoever your boss is." He jerked a thumb to his friends.

Kuriza thought about this. His orders were to destroy the jade empires warriors, but perhaps 'capturing' them would suffice. After all, it seemed like the more important part of the mission was to bring back the super Saiyan, and he was practically begging to go with him. At last, Kuriza nodded. "I accept the conditions. If you are ready, then I will take you all back with me immediately."

"Great." Gohan nodded. "Where are we heading anyway?"

Kuriza gave Gohan a devilish smile. "We're going to the Big Gete Star."

End chapter

Omake

Towa never thought much of humans. They were inferior creatures who were born and died in the blink of an eye. Their realm of course, held some aspects of interest for her, mainly from a scientific perspective. She had made many trips to the realm of mortals, sometimes to conduct research, other times for official missions on behalf of her master. It was the latter reason that brought her to Earth this time, though this mission was one she dreaded more than any other.

The demon girl stood just behind the line of trees that bordered the home of Son Gohan. She wasn't entirely certain how she was supposed to curry the boys favor, like her master said, but she was certain that she needed to avoid his wrath at all costs. Her brother had already made the boy's list, and she was uncertain if that extended to her as well. As she pondered on methods to ingratiate herself to the new demon, she stared at his little country home. It struck her as odd that someone with such impressive power should live in such an unimpressive dwelling.

Suddenly, an idea struck her. She knew that the boy was not at home just now and had resolved to wait until he returned. However, if she used her magic to transform his house into a mansion, then perhaps that would win the boy's favor. He was part mortal after all, and mortals were incredibly materialistic. Having made her decision, she stepped out of the trees and made her way to the front door. She sensed one life force inside and knocked 3 times.

Chichi opened the door while wiping her hands on her apron. "Yes, may I help you?"

'Ah, the boy's mother. I must greet her with proper respect.' Towa bowed 90 degrees. "Greetings my lady."

Chichi looked confused at the strange girl. Her appearance was weirder than her behavior. She had blue skin and pointy ears like Zangya, but with white hair instead of orange. She was wearing a red and black skintight suit, while wielding a staff. Suddenly, something dawned on Chichi.

"Oh, I see. You must be here for the contest."

Towa stood up straight. "Contest?"

"That Lime, always coming up with crazy ideas. I don't know how she got so many people interested in a Red Z girl lookalike contest all the way out here. I had no idea Zangya was this popular."

"Um… I'm not-"

"I've gotta say, you nailed the blue skin, and the ears are pretty good too. I could even see her wearing a jumpsuit like that, what with the whole superhero thing, but what's with the hair?"

"I'm sorry?" Towa said defensively.

"Well, I can understand not wanting to dye it, those chemicals can ruin your hair. And wigs can be uncomfortable, but you could have at least styled it. Though, I suppose that voluminous cloud look is hard to get on your own. If you'd like, I suppose I can help you."

"Help me?" Towa was a super genius, but she was having difficulty understanding this whole conversation.

"Sure. I think it's so sweet how our darling Zangya has such devoted fans. I'd be happy to help one of them out. Come in. I can get your hair done in no time."

Towa offered no resistance as she was led into the Son home. An hour later, she emerged from the front door with a very Zangya-esque hairdo and a befuddled expression.

Chichi ushered her out and gave her a bag of chocolate chip cookies for the road. "Now remember, the contest is in Chazke village, just over those two hills. Good luck, I'm sure you'll do great." With that parting assurance, Chichi closed the door on Towa, who still wasn't quite sure what had just happened.

"I… Guess I should have studied humans more."

End Omake.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It did not have a lot of fighting, but I am trying to let the story breathe a little, if that makes sense. I also wanted to give a little more depth to Broly. Some of you may have guessed that it was the Big Gete star all along. I just want to make it clear that the cyclopean drones in this story, along with everything else associated with the Big Gete star, are a lot stronger than the movie version. As always, I appreciate your support of the story.