Hello all. Welcome again to another chapter of my story. Shepard and some concepts are all that I own.
I have been uploading one chapter a month. I wish I could go faster but I don't want to rush myself and wind up having to edit this in the future. I have no beta readers or writers to bounce stuff off with. Thanks for your continued patience. Today we see Shepard has gotten caught up with some Patrollers. How will he react? Find out next, on DragonBall: BtG
Location: Unknown
Age: 760
"I won't be going anywhere with you or your team. Maybe you should stand down instead, Trunks."
A pin could be heard being dropped. The two warriors, each with their weapons out pointed to one another. One a stoic calm, the other slowly beginning to falter.
"Ho-How could you know my name? It's impossible. If you will not stand down willingly, then we will have to take you by force. Larinet, Shewca, Matato, capture only. Do NOT kill."
The three charged at the Rogue. Slamming his hammer down and leaving a crater, he prepared as the Saiyan and Namekian reached him first, slamming into him with forearms to his own. The clash between the 3 sent rocks and dust everywhere. Barely moving beneath the pressure of the 2, Shepard pushed out even more Ki, matching the charge. Punches and kicks started flying towards him from every conceivable angle. 'These warriors are damn solid.'
Catching ahold of the Namekian's kick and the Saiyan's elbow, he spun, throwing them away a few dozen feet. The Saiyan, Matato, started powering up.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH," as electricity started surrounding the Patroller, Shepard moved back a step. As his foot touched the ground, he felt the ground start to buckle beneath his feet. "What the-" cut off from the massive explosion erupting beneath him.
'Forgot about the human female.'
"GOTCHA!" Shewca yelled in approval. Hearing a WOOSH behind her, the whisper in her ear however sent chills.
"Nice try little Girl."
Before Shewca could react, Shepard had his hand cupped behind her on her back, channeling a bit of Ki into his palm.
'BOOM!' sending the young woman careening wildly from the ensuing explosion.
"AGHHHHHH, I won't let that st-stop me." Flipping over after finally righting her flight, Shewca charged back in. Throwing a right hook, it was dodged. Following up with a kick, the Rogue grabbed Shewca's foot, throwing her into the ground without pause, cracking the earthen ground. Diving towards her, Shepard straightened his hand out, summoning a shining azure ki blade. As he prepared to slice down the recovering human, Matato, finally recovering from transforming to ssj 3 jumped back into the fight, gripping Shepard's arm and keeping him from killing his coworker/friend.
"SO.. you don't wanna fight? You would rather kill and run? You COWARD!" The ssj 3 charged up Ki into his fist, not giving the Rogue a chance to retort. Dodging to avoid the fist, Shepard grabbed the still extended hand, looking to toss Matato. He was however surprised to find that the saiyan had not only blocked the attempt, but as he was about to pull away, the ssj3 wrapped his arm around the Rogue's neck, followed by wrapping his legs around him.
"NOW LARINET!" Sensing the incoming attack, a massive beam of green Ki came streaking towards the pair. Backing up with the powered up Matato still on his back, Shepard's eyes widened at the power behind the attack.
'Capture? This thing has enough energy to blow up a continent!' Slamming the saiyan back first into a boulder, he was hoping Matato would release a bit of the pressure. But he only tightened up. 'Damn it kid.'
Realizing it was time to take off the kid gloves, Shepard channeled energy within himself. The wind had started picking up, rocks levitating in the air.
"AHHHHHHHHHH!" the gold that emitted from him was tremendous. Putting his hand into the blast, he instantly dissipated it.
Watching the battle from a distance, Trunks was caught off guard. He couldn't tell exactly what kind of species this stranger was before. But now he had his answer.
'I would've thought I was aware of all of the saiyans, but this one's power feels completely unfamiliar.'
Matato, not expecting a saiyan under the disguise, nor the power that erupted from the Rogue, was thrown completely sideways. Shewca and Larinet to their credit, held firm in the unyielding pressure.
"Ughhhhh, this power is insane. We'll need our full power if we hope to stand a chance." The big Namekian was doing all he could to stand his ground, but the wind was getting even more fierce. Looking down at his human friend a few moments later, she was starting to not fair as well. Grabbing her arm and keeping her as still as he could, he turned back, looking into the golden inferno.
Walking out, Shepard had started smiling. Slowly the wind began to dissipate. Once it had settled down, Matato found his way back to the other 2 patrollers.
"Well this sure is something, I thought that the ssj 3 was unbeatable as far as fighters without divine ki was concerned. This fucking guy feels incredibly powerful." Matato was mad to be trumped so easily, but he was also starting to get excited, saiyan blood pumping through his veins.
"Darn it, it would seem so. we don't stand a chance like this." Adopting the traditional stance to power up, Larinet let out as much power as he could. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH."
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHH," following the Namekians stance, Shewca started powering up. She didn't really look any different, but the ample amount of power coming out of her was a joyous thing to see from Shepard.
'So... Humans can get pretty strong indeed. She is as strong as that Larinet fellow. The Elder Kai must have helped her tap into the deep reserves of power within.'
Focusing on Larinet, Shepard could tell that the Namekian had tapped into his full power as well, judging by the veins protruding from the 7ft plus giant.
"STOP!" All 4 warriors looked to see Trunks jump in between them, facing the Rogue. "It is clear that you are far more powerful then the Patrollers I have brought with me. Let them go, and I will deal with you myself."
"TRUNKS!!"
"BUT WHY?"
"FOR FUCK SAKES!"
3 simultaneous voices started chattering, demanding to know why they couldn't fight this stranger. They were powered up, surely together they could stop him right?
"I am sorry the 3 of you, but it seems that I have grossly underestimated this man. And your training is not adequate enough to fight a being of this caliber. As the Leader of the Time Patrollers, I am apologizing on behalf of my skills as a leader. And I order you to power down, head back to the Time Nest, and inform the Supreme Kai of Time of what is going on. If I cannot convince our friend here to come with us willingly, I do not want you on this planet in case him and I have to fight. The collateral damage could be...disastrous. And I do not want to see any of you hurt if it can be prevented. And it definitely can be in this case."
Shepard decided to add 2 cents as well, figuring that the 3 of them could have given him a decent warm up.
"You should listen to Trunks. He is much wiser then he gives himself credit for. I can't take the 3 of you seriously without accidentally killing you. Perhaps someday, you'll eat your spinach and get a bit stronger."
Eying the saiyan Matato specifically with his last sentence. He got a sneer in return.
"Well you should be thankful that our leader spared you from me. Next time I see you, I'll make sure to put YOU in the ground." Pointing at the Rogue, Matato powered down. Followed by the other 2, they started to walk back to the time machine. As Shewca floated in, Larinet slowed down. Looking down to his leader, he spoke to Trunks.
"Are you sure about this Sir? Maybe we should stay on standby."
Trunks had made up his mind already. He wanted to know what the stranger's deal was. How could he know his name? Why did he feel so unfamiliar? It started 2 days ago, a random scroll started to go haywire, indicating a massive shift in the universe.
2 Days Ago
Location: Time Nest
Age: 850
Trunks was heading to The Supreme Kai of Time's Time Nest. An urgent message had popped up on his Watch.
"Trunks, head to the Time Nest as fast as possible, there is something going on with one of the Time scrolls. Whatever this is, it could be a Multiverse level Threat."
"But-But we haven't had one of those since Mira nearly broke Time. Has he come back somehow?" If that was the case, he needed to recruit the strongest trio of warriors he could get ahold of on short notice.
"I don't think so. It's very strange. Even Toki Toki is acting a bit...off. Get here as soon as possible."
Getting there within 5 mins and calling in 3 Off Duty Patrollers. Trunks was fortunate that Matato, Shewca, and Larinet were available. They were probably the strongest that have yet to be trained by Whis or Beerus. Matato had a flash course training with Vegeta, but after only 2 of those sessions, it wouldn't be enough to push him over the edge towards being able to utilize divine energy. The warriors with divine ki were accepting only the toughest of assignments, and even though this was one, Trunk just didn't have the time to acquire them.
"Patrollers Larinet, Shewca, Matato, good morning."
"Yo"
"Hi Trunks"
"Hmph"
"Well let's find out what has the Supreme Kai's so worked up." Heading into the Nest, followed by the 3 Patrollers. They saw Toki-Toki flying around, though when normally there was a malevolent scroll he was squawking in earnest. Today however, he was much more calm. Almost relaxed.
Hurrying in from the other room, a scroll in hand, the Supreme Kai of Time, Chronoa to those closest to her, stopped on a dime when she seen the Patrollers.
"TRUNKS! Good. You brought Patrollers. Listen, I don't know how this is going to go. You need to see this for yourself."
Handing the scroll over, Trunks knew that something was immediately wrong the instant he seen it...
Current Time
"Yes Larinet. I am sure. I will use the spare that's on me to get back. Thank you for putting up a good effort. I'll see to it that you are rewarded."
Larinet's eyes widened a bit. "Trunks, we failed in our task, why should we be rewarded?" Trunks looked over at the stranger, still a bit tense, noticing he stil had the golden glow around him. Looking back up at the tall Namekian, he smirked.
"Because you would have fought this man if I had let you, and you would have died. As well as the other 2. You would have honored the highest of traditions and standards of the type of Patrollers that are worthy of remembrance. Unlike you, I can sense the deep swell of power within this guy. He is only just getting started. Now, get going."
Looking at his leader for a couple more seconds, Larinet turned around and headed to the time machine where his 2 other occupants were waiting.
Matato had been scowling at the Rogue, he really wanted another piece of him. As Larinet climbed in and began to set the Time machine to go back to Conton City, Matato didn't know that Shepard had been paying attention to him. Until he yelled over.
"DRINK YOUR ORANGE JUICE AS WELL."
"FU-!" Shewca had clamped her hand over the saiyan's mouth, fully expecting the outburst. Smiling innocently over at the Rogue, she felt the saiyan still yelling under her hand.
"MM GN FN RP RRR TRT OUU THMTHFKE O PC O SH!" As Matato continued to rant, holding his hands out wanting to get out of the pod, Larinet closed the door, but not before Matato fired out a blue ball of energy the size of a basketball aiming for the Rogue's face...
"WATCH OUT!" The Rogue Super Saiyan was waiting for the slow (in his mind) blast to come his way. Once it got to him, he heard Trunks yell for him but he wasn't worried. He simply caught it, holding it in his hands.
'The boy has so much anger still. I could sense that with time, and calm, he will indeed be a much more dangerous force. Such a shame I won't be here to truly see it for myself.'
Squeezing the ball until it was the size of a marble, Shepard peeked over to the trio in the now started up time machine. All 3 were gawking at him. Smirking, he held the now tiny blue ball of ki between his middle finger and thumb, squishing it with a POP. Now that that fiasco was done, he looked back to the leader.
"Quite the employment you keep, he he he. If I didn't know any better I would say you put a chain on the puppy and gave him enough length to almost hang himself." As the Time machine vanished, Trunks looked back where his team were, making sure they were gone. He didn't know why, but the last 30 seconds, watching the stranger crush the ball of ki was fascinating. And also had elicited a series of memories he could never recall having.
'My time in the past, with Father, and Goku, as well as the others. But. But then this figure starts showing up, first in flashes. I catch glimpses of him. He is definitely stronger then my Father. He fought Android 17, crushing a ball of energy that had been aimed right at me, saving me from being injured, or worse. He is as strong as Goku. No doubt about it. He gave me pointers about how to deal with Dad in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber.'
"Trunks, your Father is set in his ways. The only way to impress him, is with STRENGTH. But it isn't always physical strength. There are many kinds of strength, nephew."
'Wait. Nephew? But him and Vegeta aren't..They aren't brothers are they? No. No something about that doesn't sound right. No. Wait. My mother had a sister! Her name? Darn. If I remember, I think her name was Panty? No. No it... it was Tights! Wait. A little boy with spiky black hair running around. He was a couple years or so older then the baby version of myself. Aunt Tights, trying to hold the growing toddler, but him almost effortlessly breaking her hold. Only to be scooped up by the unknown man.
"Trunks, I know we only have 4 days left until the Tournament with Cell, but the next time you go into the Time Chamber for a year by yourself, which I know you plan on doing, I want you to focus on a similar path to how myself, Goku and Gohan mastered the Super Saiyan Transformation. Stay in Super Saiyan, as long as you can. Hell, sleep in it if possible. You'll notice a major change in how it feels. Trust me."
"Thanks, Uncle Shepard."
"SHEPARD!"
Snapping his eyes open with fury, he looked upon his newly recognized Uncle.
"Shepard! How...How could you do this?!? Do you not know that you are damaging time on a level that is already unfixable. If you continue down this path, you'll let Demigra go free again. I will NOT allow that!"
Screaming to the top of his lungs, Trunks started powering up. The wind was blowing fiercely, trying to topple the Rogue. Standing firm, Shepard watched with rapt fascination, eager to see how far the young man had come.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The density of the bio-electricity coming off of the hybrid Saiyan was destroying the ground out and around the 2 warriors, leaving massive fissures carved throughout the landscape of the planetoid. Trunks was gritting his teeth as his power continued steadily climbing. But then all of a sudden, his ki went off of Shepard's normal scope. Focusing intently, Shepard picked it up again moments later, awe on his face.
'He has definitely been trained by Whis, no doubt about it.'
The wind that had surrounded the Hybrid was near deafening, but Shepard held firm, arms crossed over his chest, mouth steadily growing wider in awe and respect.
"YAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" Letting out one final roar to the heavens, Trunks became encased in a beautiful blue shell. The light and the winds which were already incredible, began to push out amongst the smaller planetoids, most splintering and breaking away into bits. As the shell started to crumble, azure colored fire, which surrounded an ethereal golden glow could be seen surrounding the hybrid, as Trunk's eyes and hair became the same vibrant color. The now Super Saiyan Blue Trunks was as bright as a blue sun. Shepard walked into the shine, sizing his nephew up.
"My my, you look great with that shade of blue Trunks. Vegeta would most certainly be proud."
"This isn't time for fun and games Shepard, I'm not holding back!" Charging forward, Shepard had one final thought.
'I would expect nothing less, nephew.'
Crashing into the older, bigger Saiyan, Trunks started throwing punches by the dozens. Blocking them all with mild difficulty, Shepard, as a Super Saiyan was overjoyed at the prospect of fending off the young, powerful divine hybrid. Phasing all over the barren rock, the 2's clashes were shaking the very planetoid to its core. Punching Trunks in the gut, he heard a pained gasp, but then he caught a knee to the face, sending him back a few feet.
"Well Trunks, you've certainly built up some power over the years, that knee actually jarred my jaw a bit."
Shepard worked his mouth out. He was very thankful he was channeling divine ki through the Super Saiyan transformation. It was a feat that himself, Goku and Vegeta had worked to near death on multiple occasions when they went into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber for 3 years straight.
Getting into his adoptive turtle stance, he waved the young man forward. Trunks most certainly didn't disappoint, throwing a kick. Catching it, Shepard held onto Trunks' leg, turning him over and attempting to slam him hard. Trunks slammed into the ground hands first, catching himself and leaving cracks in the rock. Kicking the Rogue's hand off of his leg with his other foot, Trunks slammed both feet into the Rogue's stomach.
"Gahhhh," flying back several hundred feet from the kick, Shepard's back slammed into the ground, sliding across and cratering it as he went, flipping out with deft quickness that only came with decades of training, he was already ready for the hybrid's next offensive. Coming in fast, Trunks started hurling blasts towards the Rogue.
Jumping high to avoid them, twisting and turning to dodge the ones that missed by at most 6 inches, Shepard saw Trunks coming in behind one of his blasts. Throwing his right hand forward to catch the hybrid, he was caught off guard by the after image.
'WHAM'
Shepard was smashed by a punch to the face, making him slide back. Trunks threw a left hand, which Shepard blocked with his right forearm. Trunks twisted, throwing a hard kick towards Shepard's stomach, which he also blocked. Before Trunks could react, Shepard palmed Trunks in the sternum, sending him wildly away. Shepard pursued the hybrid, phasing in behind him and preparing to smash him into the ground. However, he was surprised to see Trunks right himself before he got there, charging an abnormal amount of energy between his 2 hands. When he was a mere 50 feet away, he fired.
"FINAL FLASH!" The massive yellow beam rocketed towards Shepard. The Rogue looked on, gritting his teeth as he held his hands out. A moment later, the blast slammed into Shepard, but Shepard held strong, only moving back a foot. Trying to push it back, Shepard's feet dug into the barren ground, hoping to outlast the torrent of energy. As the blast began die down, Shepard let out a small gasp, seeing a silhouette rocket through the remnants of the blast. Ducking below the punch that Trunks came through with, Shepard dug his hand into the ground, kicking Trunks hard in the stomach, making the hybrid spit up as he flew upwards. Flying up after him, Shepard sent a kick into Trunks' back, sending him away. Phasing again, he went ahead of where Trunks would be. Double axing Trunks hard into the ground, sending up rocks and fissuring the planetoid. Lifting his hand, he started charging a blue blast. Closing his hand, he condensed the sphere into the size of a golf ball.
"PEREGRINE BULLET!" Throwing the fast little blue ball towards the recovering Time Patroller leader, Trunks barely saw it. Dodging as quick as he could, the explosion as it hit the ground threw up smoke and ash, leaving a mushroom cloud behind. 'I barely got away from that.' Trunks was dismayed. Whether this was his supposed Uncle or not, he could not help but notice that Shepard had not transformed further. 'He's been toying with me.'
WOOSH
Turning quickly, Trunks went to punch Shepard, only for it to smack his unmoving palm. "Just back off Trunks, this isn't worth your demise. I have to do this. I have to." The saddened eyes that was expressed through the cloth that the Rogue wore did not deter the leader of the Time Patrollers. "It doesn't matter Shepard, what you are doing is tearing the fundamentals of Time itself apart. We CAN'T allow that."
"So be it." Letting go of Trunks hand, Shepard used Instantaneous Movement, electing to distance himself from the hybrid. "I hope you live through this nephew." Cratering the ground, he flew towards Trunks, went for a kick which Trunks blocked, but the force of it made the hybrid's arm twinge in discomfort. Corkscrewing around, Shepard threw another kick, catching Trunks on the chin, making him fly back. Unleashing heavy punches and kicks, Shepard was relentless. Trunks recovered quickly enough to block a lot of the exchange, albeit with difficulty. Summoning his ki blade, Shepard went to cut Trunks in half, only for the sound of metal to block it. Trunks managed to pull his sword out at the last second when he saw the blade. Dissipating the blade, Shepard spun and kicked the sword out of the hybrid's hands, sending it skidding. Before Trunks could block, Shepard delivered a massive uppercut to Trunks chin, chipping a tooth and sending the hybrid skyward. In the air, the son of Vegeta had recovered, blood running down his chin.
'This has been enjoyable, but it is time to end this. Sorry my nephew.' Shepard, with a smile, blasted up towards the long haired hybrid.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Attempting to kick Shepard out of the sky to try to finish the fight, Trunks was unprepared for the WOOSH.
"What the-where the? Where'd he go?" He said to no one. Keeping his focus on his senses at all times, Trunks slowly looked around. Not trusting his eyes, he fired a quick blast out to the far right, seeing a shade disappear. 'Shit, his ability to hide his ki is exemplary. It makes Frieza seem like an amateur.'
Firing another blast behind him and missing, the Super Saiyan Blue stayed calm. Watching it explode, he realized when he heard the WOOSH that he had reacted too late, looking back in front of him. Shepard had prepared a ball of extremely dense blue ki in his hand. Releasing it into the leader of the Patrollers' stomach, he watched as Trunks tried turning away from it, but it was too late.
"AHHHHHHH." Letting the blast hurl Trunks somewhere way in the distance, the explosion was enough to send quakes and cracks farther out then even Shepard was. He knew the Hybrid would live. He was the son of the most durable saiyan perhaps in all of history. Feeling Trunks Ki drop back down to unconscious levels, he himself dropped out of Super Saiyan. It had been quite a while since he had that much exercise. Trunks' attacks were certainly stronger then what the Rogue was prepared for, but he wasn't overwhelmed. He could've powered up to Super Saiyan 2, but he wanted a good warmup. He could also tell that Trunks had only recently been training in divine energy.
'If he had fought Goku the day Frieza had came back, it would've been a spectacle to watch. I still think Goku would take him, but Trunks would certainly make him earn it. A couple more years of training and refining yourself, and you will be unstoppable. I'm sorry I had to cut this short Trunks.'
Using Instantaneous Movement, he appeared in the crater, looking at the injured hybrid. Despite taking the brunt of the explosion head on, Trunks didn't appear to have too many injuries, aside from the burnt hands, and the utter exhaustion the young man was feeling. He would most certainly live to fight again. Likely within a few minutes if Chronoa had her way with him.
Bending down to check on his nephew more thoroughly, he could see that his breathing was steady, long hair had lost its straightness, now a mess everywhere. Trunks was very lucky he was as strong as he had been. Had he let it fully hit him in the stomach, and not his hands. He would most certainly be much closer to death. He had scrapes and blood running down one side of his forehead, his arm looked like he may be suffering from a separation of the shoulder. Pulling out a small healing elixir that Bulma had helped to create alongside Dende's magic after the shadow dragons were destroyed, he held Trunks' head up, tilting it back.
"You gotta drink Kiddo. Come on. It's not poison. You have my word." He was speaking to no one. The elixir would not fully heal Trunks, but it would help the road to recovery go a lot smoother. After he had gotten it down, Trunks slowly started coming to.
Gritting his teeth and wincing as he opened his eyes, he saw his Uncle, smiling down on him. As the fight had progressed, memories of sparring with Shepard in the past had surfaced, as well as the fight with Cell. Shepard had saved Trunks life again, after Goku had sacrificed his. Shepard had came in, using his body to help knock the blast that surely would've killed the young man away, the Rogue nearly giving his life in the process so the boy could continue to live without the need of the dragon balls. Remembering this, Trunks started to let the tension that was still in his body go. This man was not here to threaten to Universe.
"Wh-why...did yo-you save the Saiyans?" Trunks was still hurting, and a bit exhausted from giving up so much energy to tank Shepard's blast. "The-they are murderers. It is what they did before. They wi-will just do it again." The Rogue looked at him, sighing, a sad smile on his face.
"Trunks, just think about some of your very own Patrollers. They are saiyans, correct? Some hybrids, some full blooded, but nonetheless. They are there. Am I correct?" At Trunks nod, he continued.
"Nurture..versus Nature, Trunks. These saiyan children have Elders with them. I don't give a damn what Beerus says. He made a lousy call in letting Frieza erase the saiyans completely. If he had talked with Shin, and had went to the future, he would have seen that without Frieza's rule, the saiyans, though brutish, would have lived quite a simple lifestyle. If given the right planets to thrive on, with proper sustainable food and nutrients, as well as someone, or someone's to properly guide them in what it truly means to be a saiyan, those children could grow to be strong. Much stronger then their ancestors. If they understand that destroying everything doesn't solve anything, the Mortal Level of this Universe will rise within a generation, maybe even 2. The Grand Zenos wish to destroy Universe 7, Trunks."
Trunks looked at Shepard, fear in his widened eyes. "BU-BUT UNIVERSE 7 WON TH-THE TOURNA-" grabbing ahold of Trunks' still good shoulder, Shepard stopped Trunks in his tracks.
"They do NOT care Trunks. He was set to do away with Universe 9 as well. Zeno had planned on downsizing to the 4 Universes left that didn't fight in the tournament plus the winner of the Tournament of Power and their adjoining twin Universe. In our case, Universe 6. But In the Grand Zeno's eyes, he doesn't see us worth keeping around. No matter how much he may like Goku."
Releasing Trunks, Shepard stood up, walking away. Taking off the Scouter Blocker he had used on the planet Uelea, he stretched the arm out he had it on. Feeling the knuckles pop, he was satisfied.
Shepard had a couple of Frieza's planet's that he wanted to visited. Including one that had been rumored to have high quality space marijuana.
'If Frieza is holding onto the best bud in the galaxy, then it is high time I take it from him.'
Grinning at this thought, he looked back at Trunks, who was slowly getting to one knee. Still breathing heavily, he looked up at Shepard, who he couldn't understand why was smiling. "Is Chronoa listening in Nephew?"
Stunned that he had figured it out, Trunks couldn't do anything but nod. Turning fully to look at the leader of the Patrollers, he said one last thing.
"Tell her to stay the fuck out of my business. Her magic has no hold over me. I would obliterate Demigra 10 times over. I am NOT a threat. The Mortal Level must be nurtured and must rise naturally. If she, or you, interfere in the Plan.."
Summoning a sphere of destruction the size of a basketball, he showed it to the now trembling hybrid. Little did Trunks know, however, was that this wasn't just a barren rock. It was amongst many barren asteroids and comets that were part of a planet's ring system. Pointing over Trunks' shoulder, Trunks slowly turned around, eyes nearly bulging when he finally seen it. A planet. Easily bigger then Earth. He had been so distracted from trying to stop his uncle that he failed to notice it.
"I chose these asteroids hoping that you Patrollers would come looking for me. That planet right there, is Frieza Planet number 319. The natural species that once resided there is long gone. If you focus your senses down to the planet, you will see why."
Doing as the older saiyan beckoned, Trunks begin to focus his senses. Within 5 seconds, he could feel it. And it left him cold. There was hopelessness, savagery, the feeling of lost. There had to be millions of slaves down there. He could feel the Frieza Force Soldiers in full swing. Some felt bored. Some enjoyed the feeling of using the little power they had over these slaves. What these unfortunate folks were doing was unknown, he couldn't feel that far in. But he definitely could feel that there was a feeling of sheer despair throughout the entire planet. It hurt Trunks down to his core to feel this. But at the end of the day he had a job to do, and it didn't involve these beings down there. Standing up on his feet fully now, he looked back to the Rogue.
"Shepard, I...I understand why you're doing this. Going back like this. I felt exactly the same way you do, but-"
"But, you have a job to do. Well I am telling you now. Interfere with the Plan in any way that doesn't help to further the agenda, and this will happen to you." Summoning forth more power, Shepard yelled.
"HAKAI!" sending it towards the planet. Trunks watched in shock, afraid to even try to stop the incredibly powerful sphere of pure destruction. Aghast, he snapped his attention back to Shepard.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Powering up in pure anger, Trunks turned SSJ2 immediately, charging towards Shepard. Sighing, The Rogue watched the slow charge. Sidestepping the hybrid, Shepard chopped down on the back of Trunks' neck, knocking him out cold, sending him sliding on his front.
"I'm so sorry Trunks. Someday you will understand that these people had NO hope. None. They were set to be destroyed by your Father in a number of years when he came out to space to look for myself and Goku, after the fight on Namek. I know you are listening Chronoa. Stay out of my business. This has to be done, or all of YOUR work will be for nothing. Someone must make that sacrifice, and that someone... will be ME. Not you, not Trunks, not any of your other Patrollers. ME!"
Watching the Hakai slowly dissolve the Planet, he knew that Frieza would not find out for a number of days. He had to make Frieza believe he had competition. He knew he couldn't turn Cooler and Frieza against each other with their Father around to cool them down, but he could make Frieza feel desperate. Going to Frieza Planet 420 was next on his agenda. He wouldn't destroy that one, but he would be covert.
"So long, Trunks." Holding his hand out, listening as the sound of metal came rushing in, within 2 seconds, the BanHammer came back to his hand, handle first. Snapping it to his back, Shepard vanished.
"Trunks! TRUNKS! WAKE UP TRUNKS!"
Location: Frieza Planet 420
The once lush, purple skied planet that was now Frieza Planet 420 had smoke billowing up in many places, due to heavy machinery pounding into the planet. The resources on the planet had steadily been sucked clean, leaving behind a now lowly purple tinted sky. In one of the many markets down below the fog, there were marijuana growers and sellers, as well as a 'premium' goods store, a lone grocer of some sorts with items that were questionably acquired and resold. The growers of the marijuana had cultivated much of what they could from the still few places on the planet with good, clean soil. There were not many left, so the quantity had been slowly drying out over the last 13 years. The sellers who had acquired much of this marijuana from the growers would, for a profit, find a profitable market in which to sell their quality marijuana. It was regarded as some of the best in the galaxy. Planet Trade soldiers would frequent the markets, and on a monthly occasion, it was said that even King Cold would make a request to have a package of the finely made weed delivered to his planet. Rumors were that Frieza had acquired this planet strictly to keep his retired Father high and happy in the climaxes of his life. But rumors were only rumors.
On one such random day, an unknown seller was setting up shop for the day, expecting lots of customers. He was humming a little tune, spliff hanging out of his mouth. The alien was barely a meter tall, had white hair going down past his haunched shoulders, and a white beard that went down to his knees. A red skinned alien, he was unprepared for a WOOSH, followed by a bit of wind. Turning around, he saw a GIANT. Big like those guys that wear the armor. However this guy wasn't wearing any armor. Wearing a black cloth on his face, the Seller couldn't tell what kind of species the man was.
"Uhhh, is there somethin I can help ya with fella?" He eyed the giant as he had looked up and down at the many strains that were hanging by small hooks on the walls, he had the...King Cold level stuff in the back room, locked away. He watched as the large man grabbed what looked like something shiny out of his pocket, putting it down on the counter.
"Excuse me" looking down at the tag on the seller's vest, "Izeth, I require a...sizable amount of some of your finest buds." Izeth was having a hard time gauging this guy.
"Well fella I have some of the world renowned stuff right here that yur lookin at. Arcosian Ice, Brutian Slam, Arlian Choke, Space Howitzer, Soul Stealer, Hera Crunch, Farscape Funk, the Galactic Spice, as well as the Backwater SuperSkunk. Last but not least I have some stuff called Norwood Brown. That's the low of the low. I also ha-"
At the tap of the glass from the large man's finger, he looked up, seeing a chuckling face.
"Did you just say you had stuff called...Norwood Brown?"
Confused at the strange question, Izeth answered. "Yeah, But ya really don't want it. It's garbage. The lowest. It tastes like dirt."
Chuckling at Izeth's response, the stranger started asking questions about the other strains. Picking up excessive quantities of the Space Howitzer and the Soul Stealer, and a sample amount of the Arcosian Ice in the process. Upon payment of the proper currency which the stranger carried. Izeth happily bagged up the necessary amounts. He rarely had a sale this big before, and the Planet Trade didn't buy anything. They usually came in and took. And giving the Arcosians an ample amount kept his planet in gravitational symmetry along with the rest of the Solar Systen, so he was NOT complaining about a proper paying customer. Feeling a little risky, he stopped the large stranger from leaving right away.
"Before ya go my boy, I have a little something in this back room that you may like."
After the stranger nodded, Izeth dropped down from the counter, walking over to a special door he had made that would keep strong smells in and keep it from escaping. Walking through one set of doors, they were both nearly knocked to their knees by the sheer intensity of the marijuana odor.
"Dude this st-stu-stuff smells like it was grown in a marijuana plant and left there for a decade." Chortling when he heard this, Izeth pulled out a specially rolled Spliff out of his pocket. This was Cold Level marijuana.
"That's just the 1st series of doors, got it locked all behind here to keep everything nice and stinky, besides. I've got a good feelin about ya. I normally save this stuff for the Colds an' those close to the family that partake in this here Bud."
Opening the next set of doors, they were hit by the full stench. The stranger walking in with a hazy glint to his eyes, smiling as he seen the bluish purple colored marijuana growing off the massive branches. "Awww yeah, I normally save this stuff for the family, but I could be willin to pardon with this here for saaaaay, 80,000." Lighting up the spliff he had in his mouth, he took a puff, nearly hacking away. "I guarantee ya won't find anythin better then this stuff friend."
Taking a couple more puffs, he handed it to the stranger. He watched the stranger smile, taking it from the little alien. "Now don't hit it to hard, yur not used to the stuff."
COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH
COUGH COUGH COUGH COUGH
"Whoaaaa, man...this stuff makes whatever I smoked in the past look like grass from a mud ball. 80,000 you say Izeth? Does that include the whole bundle or are you trying to short me?"
Giggling away, the old short alien loved this guy. "We-we-we-well I need to buy a ship of some kind to get off this rock, specially if I'm bout to sell ya King Cold's private stash."
Still laughing, Izeth watched as the stranger pulled out more currency. "You know Izeth, once you're off this rock, grab whatever seeds you have." Grabbing something to write with off of the seller's counter, he wrote on a piece of parchment.
Being given the piece of parchment, Izeth looked down at what looked like a set of coordinates. "And these are coordinates to where exactly fella?" The stranger sobered up instantly, all laughing ceased.
"That, my friend, I cannot tell you. What I can tell you is that that planet will have everything you need. And it's not oppressed. It does have a King, but he is generally fair. Whatever you do, if you find yourself followed, DO NOT go to that planet. I ask that you steer clear from it for at least another 3 years. Frieza is gonna come across hard times, as well as his family. Only when you start hearing rumors of legends of a golden warrior, are you to arrive at those coordinates. Because your energy is very distinct, it is likely you will be waited for upon landing."
Izeth had started to properly seal the marijuana. It had already been cured and was hanging for display purposes, or until the Cold's came to collect. Next time they came however, the seller would be long gone. Handing 12 different big sized bags to the large stranger, he was happy to see that the man wouldn't have a problem carrying them. However, he was unprepared for the POOF and the smoke build up. Within seconds, the smoke dispersed, leaving just the stranger behind.
"Wow, sure is some funky stuff you got there." Checking to make sure he was secure, the stranger looked down to Izeth, chuckling away. "He he hehe he, yeah they are called Capsules. You may see them someday if you can hold out long enough to utilize those coordinates. It is time that I go Izeth. Thank you for everything you've done for me. You do not know just how universally prepared I will be in the coming years."
Smiling up at the large man warmly, Izeth still had some years left to go. He hadn't survived for over 80 years by being careless. His species, though longer lived then most, usually lived to be about 150 give or take a decade either way. "Be seein ya stranger."
"Name is Shepard, take care" Waving to the old alien, he disappeared in a WOOSH.
'Dude, was that a ghost? I think I need to roll up and burn another one!'
Location: Earth
In the last 23 years, many things have happened on this beautiful planet. Recalling the many things the visitor, Shepard, had told him so many years ago. Kami had seen a meteor fall within a year of Shepard's departure. When Kami had sensed it out however, he was shocked to find that indeed there was a foreign energy. And it was violent. Kami could recall the many nights looking down, keeping an eye on the happenings of the child. He had requested his assistant, Mr. Popo, to go down to the ground and discover more about the alien.
Receiving the report that the little boy was indeed strong for his age, and was causing problems for the old man who had found him, Kami had begun to prepare to bring the boy to the Lookout. When it happened. When the boy's ki had disappeared, Kami had grown frantic, assuming the worst had happened to the old man who had found him as well, however he could still sense the old man, and he seemed quite distressed, worried even. It wasn't until nearly a week later, Kami could finally feel the boy's ki again. But it felt different. Very different. Before, there was an erratic aggressiveness. Always ready to mangle whatever he could get his hands on. Kami had truly feared for the planet's safety, enough to potentially call upon the warrior known as Master Roshi to use the same technique that his then Master Mutaito had perfected after several hard years of isolated training.
But now, the boy felt...happy. His ki had changed quite drastically. Kami was concerned at first about the sudden change. It could be temporary for all he knew. After the near genocide of Earth all those centuries ago, he really didn't dare to take a chance. But he waited. And waited. And waited.
As the years slowly went by, many happenings had occurred down below. Kami at times was quite happy with the way this 'Goku' child had taken to heart his training. The incident with him turning into a massive ape monster on a full moon had been controlled quite easily by the old man who had taken him in, Gohan. The old man had taken to studying the notes that had been left in the pod by the boy's parents as best as he could. Finding a way for them to be translated to basic had made things easier when Goku was old enough to recognize the language and try to help his Grandpa understand. By the time the fated day had come and Grandpa Gohan was supposed to die, because of his awareness, he had not only survived the Great Ape attack and cut Goku's tail off, he had lived to the ripe old age of 100. Passing away peacefully, the only witnesses being his grandson, his new bride, Chi Chi, and their baby boy, named after the man who had accepted Goku for what he was, and loved him regardless.
Kami had become frantic when King Piccolo had been released by Emperor Pilaf. However, the work that Goku had put in, reaching Mr. Popo and himself, going through his rigorous training, had given Kami much hope. He was ready for death, though was very much surprised when he had felt King Piccolo fade, but left behind something small. Shepard must have been right again, Kami had thought. His other half in sheer desperation had given one final birth with all of his essence and supposed hatred behind it.
As Kami continued to sense the essence behind the egg, it felt consumed in darkness, but there was something else. He couldn't quite place it. Kami would have to wait for the egg to hatch.
And hatch it did. As Kami had sensed the small 'Namekian' child, he felt a lot of confusion, the need to kill Goku, the desire to rule, the feeling of being alone and never having anyone to talk to. Kami had decided to summon Goku up for one more training session. This one would take a couple years, for the growing young man needed to learn everything he possibly could.
Initially wanting to use the dragon balls to wish for his youth and returning strength, the God would then hope to give guardianship to Goku, so that he may go down and personally deal with the child. However, Goku had turned him down. Goku was truly pure of heart, citing his reasoning as just wanting to grow stronger, fighting stronger opponents. He didn't feel like he could do that cooped up in the Lookout all of the time.
Getting involved and fighting with Piccolo Jr. was one of his deeper regrets. In the World Martial Arts Tournament, Goku had grown strong enough to edge by a much more powerful version of King Piccolo, in his offspring.
WOOSH
Kami had turned all of a sudden, seeing a figure he had not seen in well over 2 decades. Mr. Popo, who had been tending to the flowers he had recently planted, spilt his water jug he had been using.
"Oh my, it's you again, Shepard I believe." Mr. Popo, being a Being of Other Wordly origin, could sense the sheer volume of energy that the Rogue had within himself.
Taking his cloth off, he let his black spiky hair go free again. "Hey guys, it's been a couple of decades. Will you hold on a moment please? I need to do something."
Turning his back to the God and assistant, Shepard wanted to get a better feel of the planet. Tuning his senses outward, he could pick up nearly everything on the planet.
'This is really good. It definitely feels like 'Goku' and NOT Kakarot. I sense that he's only a little bit stronger then he was after the tournament. I will have to get him motivated to train more. If this means what I think it does...Yes... definitely Piccolo. I will have to visit him for a short while. Also make a trip to Goku and his family, and last but not least, Capsule Corp, to drop off the bulk of the stuff I have.'
Sending his senses skyward and beyond, he could feel the anger in the coming saiyan that was on his way.
'Good. I haven't altered enough to change his timing. He should still arrive on that same day. But he does feel like he is a bit stronger. I would put him no higher then 2,000 at best. He clearly did not take Bardock's words to heart. Or Frieza truly and thoroughly broke him, kept him from fighting stronger opponents, probably may not have even fed him to keep him healthy enough to keep working.'
Going further, he could sense the malevolence rolling off of the Prince, who unfortunately HAD taken his advice to heart. He did feel stronger. Maybe not quite as strong as when he showed up on Namek before, but certainly stronger then when he originally came to Earth. Feeling deeply within the Prince from so far away was taxing, but he could definitely feel that Frieza had gotten his hooks into Vegeta as well. However, what he also sensed shocked him.
'Is that...is that hope? Hope to survive long enough to see Frieza dead like he was told when he was a child? No..no. More like hope that he could grow strong enough to be respected as a future King.. Very strange. Ambitious even Geets. Frieza had obviously tried to break you into nothing more then HIS personal pet. It seems you have held firm, and still hold HOPE. The Lizard has not driven that out of you fully.'
Turning back to the God and his assistant, Shepard opened his eyes, smiling at the pair. "Hey, sorry about that. Just checking to make sure everything was in place."
Kami had taken on a serious look. "By 'in place', I assume you mean the other alien that is heading towards this very planet right now? He will surely be here within a year."
"14 months actually. I'm sure. Is there something you really want to ask Kami?" Kami started walking up to the Rogue, not bothering with pleasantries. "I sensed a massive erasure of life out there in the vast reaches of space. Like they all just...disappeared. I had been waiting to sense your ki when it came about just recently. But I suppose that could be explained with your 'technology'. Anyway, did you have something to do with what I sensed Shepard?"
Shepard should've felt like an abashed child, but he held firm. "I'm sorry that it had to be done, Kami. I really am. I had no way of going down to the planet, freeing all of the slaves, getting them to a safe planet where they would not be harmed. Not without Frieza finding them again."
With a thoughtful expression on his face, The Guardian of Earth looked upon the shorter Saiyan. "And this Frieza is the so called Emperor of the Galaxy?" The Rogue had to break this down gently to the Guardian, so he would gain a better perspective.
"Kami, he is the Emperor right now, unfortunately. He owns roughly 450 planets. To be fair, it is a surprise that Frieza has not made it this far up North. If he had, you would have been destroyed long ago. King Piccolo? Nothing more then an ant. Goku right now? Dead within 3 seconds. Piccolo Jr? Probably 2 seconds, maybe 3 if Frieza even gives him a chance to scream before the fatal strike. You misunderstand how easy it is for me to destroy a being of Frieza's caliber. You should not judge my strength based on what I tell you of Frieza being puny compared to me. He may as well be a God to you."
Letting the words slowly sink in to the Old Guardian, Mr. Popo had finally brought out a satchel that Shepard had not seen in a little while.
"Hey. Is that?" Pointing at it, he watched as the Genie prepared a small cup for the near trembling Guardian to sip from. "Indeed it is Shepard. Kami has been waiting patiently for your return, so that he would be able to share it with you."
Pouring the saiyan a small cup, Mr. Popo handed it to him. Waiting for Kami to fully stop trembling, the Genie released the cup. "I prepared the glacier water as you requested Kami."
"Th-tha-thank you Mr. Popo." Taking a sip, the God opened his eyes widely, tipping it back all the way, savoring every last morsel of the revitalizing liquid.
Shepard in turn had followed, sipping his glacier water. His teeth nearly cracked. It was so cooooooooooold! But as it went down his throat, it was easily the most refreshing thing he had ever drank. "Wow... this stuff.. this stuff is incredible. Did you really wait all these years for this moment?" Kami was smiling, eyes closed and savoring the taste of the glacier water. It was so so refreshing, easily a very acceptable gift from one Namekian to another.
"You know, Shepard. Since telling me of my heritage, I have gleamed small memories into my past. It is hard since the split to recall things vividly. But what I just remembered now, if only for a few short seconds, is of my father, Katas, giving me a drink of such cold refreshing water that I hadn't tasted since like this, until now."
Smiling and looking to his assistant. He handed the satchel back to Mr. Popo. "Mr. Popo, please put this near my chair in the main throne room." At once, the Genie acquiesced, heading away with the satchel to give the 2 Gods privacy.
"So, Shepard, it is time?" Kami had made sure when the dragon balls were used to revive those who had been killed by Piccolo and his henchmen, that Mr. Popo be aware of the ball's locations. Once they were activated, he summoned the Genie to gather them. He wanted to keep them available in the event that Shepard would likely show up again.
"It is, Kami. I need to go into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. I will be refitting certain parts, namely the shell of the entirety of the Chamber. You see, mortal ki as you very well know, is capable of ripping through a dimension if it is dense enough. However, divine ki is a whole other beast. If not fitted to properly handle the kind of training that will be needed in the future, I fear a tear of epic proportions is likely to happen. I will also require use of the dragon balls. It really is an innocent wish, but it is vastly important to the future of this planet and it's fighters that protect it. I know that you have been contemplating what I said about Piccolo. I believe that I can come up with a solution that will benefit everybody. Now, let me tell you a story about an evil scientist named Dr. Gero."
2 hours later
Shepard had been explaining much of what had happened in his timeline, from the very fight with Raditz that started everything, all the way to the subsequent Tournament of Power, the Saiyan Broly, and even a few tidbits that Kami was pretty sure the Rogue didn't want to speak of, but needed to for the sake of posterity.
"I suppose it is time I head into the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, I should only be in there shortly Kami, but go ahead and get the dragon balls please. I need to make the wish soon before He arrives. And when He does, I will need to get him somewhere as quick as I can away from the exposure outside." Heading towards the door, the Guardian of Earth right on his trail.
"Will I need to alter the magic of the Room in any way?" Kami had been thinking of ways he could improve the room if it was to be used. Perhaps a bit of scenery in a far off part of the Chamber? After a while, he decided against it. The monotonous feel of the special room was exactly what it was meant to be for. No distractions, nothing but whoever was in there, against a vast room with nothing but Time to break whoever dared to try and conquer it.
"No, Kami, the room is more then adequate gravity wise. To be fair, I've gone for what felt like a couple thousand miles away inside the room, only to look at the Gravimetric reader attached to my watch and see 8,500 times E. So, it is perfect in that regard. But add more quality food, and an easier way in which the food could be made. Perhaps I can look through my capsules I have brought and see if my wife from back home put one in there."
Kami's mind was bamboozled. This stranger had came in and within a span of a handful of hours, vastly improved the potential outlook of the future. Perhaps he truly was out of time. And he needed to find a successor sooner, rather then later. If only Goku had accepted...
Watching Shepard walk in, he expected the saiyan to come right out within a few seconds, however he waited. For 3 more minutes, nothing happened, until the door opened again.
Yawning, Shepard looked to see Kami, eyes wide at him. "Well Shepard, I expected to see you within seconds, you were in there the equivalent of 18 hours. Why may I ask?"
Still tired from the good nap he took, Shepard walked by the God, pulling out one of his capsules and pulling out one of the coveted Saiyan meals.
'Hmmmm, bison flavored'!' Opening it up and heating it slightly from underneath with his ki, he pulled the non flammable tray out, taking off the wrapper that had started bloating out due to steam. Grabbing utensils, the Rogue set into the meal, devouring it within 90 seconds. He was so filled up, that he belched out, pretty loudly. "Excuse me guys, whew man that was GOOOOD, I feel like a new man again."
The God, and his assistant, who had returned from his task with Kami, had watched with fascination, and even mild disgust at the saiyan inhaling his food.
"With Goku, you get used to watching someone eat just about anything, and everything, and half of it may make it to the floor in the process. How you managed to actually eat all of your meal that fast, without losing a morsel escapes me."
Laughing deeply at that, Shepard remembered the many times his stomach would demand faster then his hands could stuff his mouth with. It took quite a bit of practice, and watching Vegeta, which he would never admit to, to eat as efficiently as possible without losing anything. Goku was a poor example of proper food etiquette.
"Well, Kami it didn't happen overnight. Certainly took some years of practice. To answer your prior question, I've put a couple devices within the Hyperbolic Time Chamber that should help regulate the flow of power much better. I tested it out pretty thoroughly. Were there any quakes, or rips on this side?"
A shake of the head from the Guardian allowed him to continue. "A warrior with divine ki would have been capable of...well... powering up so much that if they wanted to leave, they could just blow the room up and walk out. That will not happen now. Upon testing the room, I went ahead and ate a light meal and took a nap. The hub is very good in regulating the normal gravity and normal household appliances. However, one thing I put in there is a Secondary hub. It sits out about 500 miles from the Main Hub itself. I've also installed a power source that will be capable of being tracked no matter how far one goes in, just inside the Main Hub so they can always find their way back. No matter how far away. It is Incredibly powerful. Anyway, the Secondary hub that is out there now is very capable of withstanding the near 3,200 times gravity that exists out there where it is. Within it, it holds to standard gravity. There is all manners of violent blizzards AND fire storms that exist within, the new hub is more then capable of withstanding that as well. I've also made sure to store a couple of emergency capsules. One of which holds a cooker, that is more easier to use then a conventional oven and stove."
Kami was not aware of just how much improvement could be made in the Room, partially because no one had completed the training within, Goku himself barely lasting a month. "If all of that is truly necessary to make training in there better for those involved, who am I to judge?"
Walking away from the door, Shepard made his way back outside, taking in the cloudless sky. Kami walked to stand beside the Rogue. "I have the dragon balls for you if you are ready to summon Shenron. Mr. Popo if you will."
"Right away Kami," turning and heading back into the central hub, the genie walked out with all 7 orbs within a couple mins.
Setting them on the ground, Mr. Popo backed away. "Kami made sure that they would be available upon your return Traveler. Do you know how to summon the dragon?"
Seeing the dragon balls again gave all nothing but nostalgia to Shepard. After the Shadow Dragons incident, the dragon balls were immediately put in the lookout, sealed away to only be used in the worst of situations. Dende was initially unaware of the negative build up of energy that had accumulated over the years. Upon speaking with the Elder Namekian Moori from Namek, he was able to use his power as a Guardian and a God. In doing this, he was able to properly drain the negative energy that still existed within the balls, leaving them with a positive glow and feel. Whenever they had been used in the future, Dende would take roughly about a day to focus his magic's and dispel the negative energy inside.
With Kami, the elder was unaware of this fact, and had never properly drained them, allowing them to build up with so much excess negative energy, that they cracked under the pressure. Shepard decided NOT to tell Kami about this. The dragon balls had definitely pulled the Z fighters out of some hellish scrapes in the past. If Kami sealed up the balls in fear of their use potentially bringing destruction to the planet, the warriors would have to get real creative really quick about survival. No. It was better this way. He could tell his younger self that at a certain point in time, perhaps after Majin Buu, that it would be best if Dende drained the dragon balls of the negative energy that resides. He would probably need some sort of conduit to channel the energy through him but not let it cling to him, especially the 1st time he attempted it. In Shepard's future, Dende had nearly became corrupted in the process of taking care of the dragon balls the first time. Thanks to Bulma, who was able to create a device that would let the energy out harmlessly, so long as it could be negated by positive energy immediately afterwards, which Shepard happily relinquished.
"I do Mr. Popo, thank you very much you two. I appreciate this." Shepard marveled at the wish orbs. He was glad he only needed 1 wish. Pulling out a magically handheld sized empty brown satchel, that could be tied with just about any kind of material and would be near impossible to destroy because of the enchanted material with which it was built. Shepard was now ready.
"ETERNAL DRAGON, BY YOUR NAME, I SUMMON YOU FORTH: SHENRON!"
The sky had immediately grown dark. Around the world, those that knew of the secret of the dragon balls were curious.
'It never gets old watching this wondrous spectacle.' Smiling as the dragon shot out, shooting high into the air, it's length easily wrapping around the Lookout several times over. With an eerie red glow, the massive dragon looked down.
"I AM SHENRON. I SHALL GRANT YOU ANY ONE WISH. NOW SPEAK!"
Letting out a heavy burst of his ki, enough for wind to pick up and nearly lift the other 2 witnesses off of the Lookout, Shepard looked up at the now narrow eyed dragon.
"YOUR POWER, YOUR ESSENCE IS OF THE VERY GODS. SPEAK YOUR WISH YOUNG GOD, SO THAT I MAY RETURN TO MY SLUMBER."
Holding the handheld satchel up, now opened and empty, he yelled up.
"SHENRON, INSIDE THIS SATCHEL, YOU CAN CONFIRM THAT THERE IS NOTHING INSIDE OF IT, CORRECT?"
"I CAN. I SENSE THAT THERE IS SOMETHING DIFFERENT ABOUT THE ITEM YOU HOLD. I DO NOT SENSE ANYTHING IN IT, HOWEVER."
'Sorry Korin. I know myself and Goku ran you quite ragged, especially in the early days. The fight with Vegeta ended in near disaster after he broke both of my legs when he stomped on them. I just wasn't strong enough to keep Goku from getting seriously injured. He was still crushed. It was only after Vegeta grabbed me and threw me so hard into the side of a rock formation that I went through it and then another 5. Or 6? I never counted. It just really fucking hurt, and it put me out of the fight. Master Roshi and Bulma couldn't find me for nearly 12 hours. Waking up from that was one of the worst experiences I have ever felt. I know Vegeta was quite joyous about it for years. I was told after I regained consciousness that I would be on the mend longer then even Goku. I was so happy when the Bean Daddy brought us those bland yummies. Well, you guys are gonna be able to relax, sit back, and enjoy the show. And grow your Senzu Beans at YOUR own pace.'
In the span of moments, Shepard had worded the wish right in his mind.
"SHENRON. I WISH THAT YOU FILL THIS SATCHEL, WITH A BOUNDLESS AMOUNT OF SENZU BEANS, THE VERY KIND THAT USE THE SAME MAGIC AS THE ONES THAT KORIN DOWN BELOW IN HIS TOWER UTILIZES. IF YOU CAN MANAGE THAT WISH, WITHOUT INCREASING THE WEIGHT OF THE SATCHEL TO AN UNRULY WEIGHT, OR STRETCHING THE MATERIAL BEYOND THE SIZE OF MY HAND, THAT IS THE WISH THAT I MUST HONORABLY ASK THAT YOU GRANT."
As the dragon's eyes began glowing, Shepard felt the satchel begin to slowly shift in his hand. It comically almost looked like a bag of popcorn. As it stretched, it finally stopped to about 6 inches high, and wide enough to fit in his hand, but there was no less space. Looking inside the now filled bag, he saw exactly what he wanted. It was FILLED. He was barely able to tie it up.
Looking up at the eternal dragon, Shenron looked down at him. As their eyes met, Shepard had slowly pushed his ki towards the massive dragon. Letting it touch the dragon's senses, Shenron had been filled with a few memories of a possible future in which he may be summoned more often. The dragon also felt the desire behind the wish. Realizing it was a selfless wish, seeing that this young being before him could have wished for most anything, instead only wishing for something that would benefit others, he made sure to take every single one of the God's words and benefit his wish to the best possible extent.
"I HAVE PLACED A POCKET DIMENSION WITHIN YOUR SATCHEL. WITHIN, THERE IS A BOUNDLESS AMOUNT OF SENZU BEANS THAT WILL NEVER AGE. THE SATCHEL ITSELF IS NEAR INDESTRUCTIBLE AS YOU SAY, AND CAN NEVER BE EMPTIED. YOUR WISH HAS BEEN GRANTED. GOOD LUCK, YOUNG GOD. FAREWELL KAMI."
As the dragon began to disappear, the balls shot upwards. Phasing up quickly, he grabbed the one which was the 4 star ball. He had kept a close eye on them as they had begun to spin. He definitely wanted to make sure he gave it to Goku to give to Gohan when it was activated again.
Dropping back down to the ground, he heard the footsteps of Kami and Mr. Popo.
"It is not everyday that Shenron is so...generous. I must ask though. Why a bag of something that is already available?"
Turning around and walking over to the Guardian, Shepard tried, failing to hold a quick yawn. That session in the Time Chamber really was something else! He pushed all the way and it actually held firm. Another Capsule Corp invention that no one is likely to know about. 'Unless He just doesn't learn to shut up.'
"Well Kami, you know of the stuff that will be happening in the coming years. Needless to say, Korin just doesn't have enough to go around. In the future, the warriors of this planet will have to go beyond strength. Their wills will be tested, even broken. You must understand, that you are going to have to open up the Hyperbolic Time Chamber to a handful of warriors within the next couple of years, maybe less. Senzu beans cure most physical ailments, but they also can restore one's WILL. Krillin from my point in the future once said "In a fight, sometimes the difference between life or death, is a Senzu." He wasn't wrong to often about that statement. Korin was ran near ragged because of us. He will be able to relax more this time."
Smiling, the Guardian could sense the purity behind the wish. "I applaud you for thinking of something that will greatly aid the future warriors of the planet. I must say. I am ashamed I never thought of something sooner."
As Shepard heard Kami, he was beginning to enact a technique, also mixed with his Capsule Watch. He truly loved this gadget. He could set the Watch to Full Assist, enacting the shielding he would need without his energy.
He was quite aware of the bugs that Dr. Gero would use to capture the DNA and footage of the fighters he wanted revenge upon, specifically Goku. If Shepard was to somehow be 'tagged' by Gero as threatening to his plans, he could alter the androids of the future, making them potentially far more hostile. This gadget, when infused with his ki, would enact a sort of technical ki shield, so thin that it couldn't be seen by naked eyes. It would keep the mad doctor from getting a full trace on his movements. He would always appear fuzzy, glitchy in the system and when Gero would see this, he would not be able to plan accordingly. It also reflected technology, such as the means that he had used to create Cell. Try all they want, they would NOT be able to get past the shield for his DNA. If HIS DNA got in the hands of Gero, the potential fallout would be Universally catastrophic. Cell had to remain here. It was Earth's problem. Earth will handle it in the future.
Once the shield had fully surrounded the Saiyan, Shepard started walking towards the Lookout edge. "Do not be ashamed, Kami. If I am being fair, I think you should have helped to train Master Mutaito, or even Master Roshi. The near 2nd genocide may have been wholly averted if you had stepped in before Pilaf got ahold of the rice cooker that had been used. But that is then, this is now. The trials that the Earth will go through, you will surely play your part in. I think it would be best if you and Piccolo start to mend your differences." Shepard looked at the now scowling Guardian. He expected resistance, but damn.
"I don't believe you understand the severity of the differences between myself and Piccolo. There is a true fission, down to the very raw emotion of anger vs peace. Where I had always seeked a peaceful solution to many of Earth's catastrophes, he had always claimed outright destruction. I've been keeping an eye on the young Namekian down there. He feels like King Piccolo, but to a lesser degree. NOT in strength mind you. Piccolo has already greatly surpassed his father in strength. He doesn't feel malevolent. He feels like solitude is the best thing he could ever need. He is teetering on the edge of seeking people to kill in his anger for his defeat from Goku. Yet, he feels that being alone is the best thing for himself."
Shepard was compassionate. He could understand fission in a way. He still could find his human emotions, but they were buried very, very deep. The marijuana he had smoked on FP 420 brought some of his old self out again. He had gotten lost in the mix. In his younger years, he let his human emotions fly so high, he became lazy. And being gifted with the Saiyan body that he had, he had failed it. It wasn't until Majin Buu had come. No. He would clarify later that it was when Majin Buu had killed Tights, Axel and Ragna, as well as everyone else on Earth. Something itself broke within Shepard. He buried who he truly used to be so deep, and dove headfirst into his Saiyan need for more power. The human side of him would have been horrified at the thought of himself capable of erasing a suffering planet with such a callous logic. He had nothing that could tie him down. Nothing that was able to truly balance him.
"I understand your concerns Kami. But rest assured, I will get to Piccolo. Even if I have to break his so called 'demonic' spirit, he will know who he is. And his confusion will start to break. I have plans for him and you. To fuse. Not merge. A full fusion of the two of you in the coming years will be the only thing that suffices. You may lose your identity, as well as he. But together. You likely will become the strongest Namekian in all of Universe 7. I have to go now guys. Watch and enjoy."
Looking back at the stunned pair, he fully faced them, giving them the classic 2 finger salute to the forehead, he fell back, falling off in a dive, letting the gravity take him down to the planet...
Power levels are a mysterious fig and died away after Frieza, but I will try to provide substantial estimates of power based on the story. It won't be perfect, but it won't be bull either. At least I hope.
Power Levels:
Matato- Base- 100,000,000/Ssj3- 80,000,000,000
Shewca- 120,000,000/Potential Released- 70,000,000,000
Larinet- 150,000,000/Full Power-74,000,000,000
Xeno Trunks- Base- 500,000,000/SSB- Divinity Scale- 5
Shepard- Heavily Suppressed/Super Saiyan with Divine Energy- Divinity Scale- 7