Disclaimer: Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and Dragon Ball Super, along with their characters, belong to ToeiAnimation, Fuji TV, Shueisha, and Akira Toriyama.
Apologies in advance for my poor English grammar and spelling.
For centuries, a wonderful world with a green sky and lush vegetation enjoyed its peaceful time. Its native tribe, although primitive, abandoned the violent ways of the old and began to look toward the future. The reptile species steadily evolved. However, on a grim day, their happiness and peace abruptly ceased. A spaceship containing six people descended on their planet, ruthlessly slaughtering everyone. Despite being peaceful, the tribe fought back against the invading alien force. The primitive side of their ancestors resurfaced from within them, and the native people of the world gave their all to protect their tribes.
Unfortunately, their valiant efforts bore no fruit. Their brave warriors fell in battle, and with no means to travel through space, the tribe perished in six days. Once, a world filled with joy and laughter was reduced to a gloomy place filled with sorrow and death. However, few survived and sought vengeance against the invaders. The remaining survivors numbered twenty and fought bravely against two.
The remaining survivors surrounded the two invaders and slowly approached them. While they closed the distance, the invader with short black hair and a deep scar across his head smirked. The skinny man lifted his arm and fired ki blasts at the survivors. He wore a prideful grin as the opponents fell to the ground. However, to the man's surprise, they arose as the flames engulfed their battered bodies.
"Bardock, sir! It seems these guys won't go down so easily!"
The addressed warrior paid no attention to his companion but was well aware of the situation. "Hmph. What's the situation with Toma and the others?" He blocked a punch and countered with a devastating kick. The wild-haired man wiped the blood from his scarred cheek as he glared at the enemies.
"Um. If you recall, Toma and the others left yesterday for Planet Vegeta—something about taking an Elite-Class mission and going to Planet Kanassa. You let them go and said we'd regroup on Kanassa!"
The warrior Bardock halted momentarily and gazed at his companion, who had trouble fighting three opponents. "Hmph. Then let's finish this!" The man frowned and suddenly disappeared.
Bardock moved with great speed. He struck like lightning and took out the remaining warriors with ease. The man spun in the air and fired two ki blasts, thus killing his partner's enemies. As he descended to the ground, his skinny comrade laughed.
"D-Damn! You're really something else, sir! Ever since coming back from Planet Cereal, you're much stronger! I never saw a Saiyan from our class grow so powerful so fast!"
The wild-haired Saiyan didn't comment on it. Instead, he walked past his companion. "Come, Leek! Let's regroup with Toma and the rest of the squad on Kanassa." The man wore a permanent scowl as he entered into a deep thought.
Memories of his time on Planet Cereal surfaced. The encounter with specific individuals caused a stir inside of him. Their spoken words constantly echoed within his head. He clenched his teeth and sealed both fists tightly as he sat into the pod left behind by his comrades. The voices grew louder as the hatch closed and the round vessels soared high into the sky.
"You could flee now, but the Saiyans aren't fated to last much longer."
The warrior's tail shifted beside him while the pod flew through the endless, cold void. He rested his head upon the palm and thought of the ruthless tyrant. "Just like King Cold, Freeza can't be trusted! That slimy, cruel bastard's planning to do something with us, but what!?" Bardock slammed his fist against the seat as he tried to figure things out.
Bardock pondered about it more and eventually shut his eyes. Worn out from the fights for the past few days, the warrior fell asleep. The pod, engulfed in a luminous glow, flew by countless worlds and stars to planet Kanassa. It took the little vessel no more than eleven days to reach the new world. The pod breached the planet's atmosphere and crashed against the solid ground. Once the dust settled, the hatch lowered on the floor, and the wild-haired male emerged.
"Hmph. So, this is the rumored Elite-Class mission even Freeza's strongest soldiers couldn't conquer..."
The warrior floated in the air as he observed the modern-looking cities built upon the rocky ground. While his hair swayed on the wind, Leek joined and flew alongside Bardock as he inspected the landscape.
"Sir! I finally managed to make contact with Toma! The Kanassans are pretty powerful and pushing our guys back!
Bardock let out a scoff as he heard that. "Those lazy bums. They'd be vastly stronger if they trained as much as they waste their free time having fun." The warrior increased his speed, and Leek tried to keep up.
"I guess. But it's also good to have some fun here and there, sir."
While Leek laughed, Bardock smirked and gazed below. The path of destruction came into view. He and his companion followed the trail and eventually saw the explosions in the distance. A wicked grin surfaced on Bardock's face as he again increased the speed, eager to fight. The Saiyan wasn't even aware that he left Leek far behind.
The wild-haired warrior crashed into the ground and rose while the dust spread over the place. He glanced at the natives and immediately dashed at them. The scar-faced Saiyan took down four of them and rushed at the other group when a sudden ki blast forced him to jump away.
"You accursed invaders! We shall stop you from slaughtering our people! We shall overcome the prophecy!"
Bardock spat on the ground, instantly raised his arm, and vaporized the talking fish-looking native to dust. "Prophecy? What are you babbling about, you fool?" The Saiyan ducked and countered with a uppercut.
"Oi! Bardock!"
The Saiyan looked to the right while he dodged an attack. "Toma! Stop slacking and start fighting seriously!" Bardock delivered a solid knee to the gut, sending his opponent flying into a building.
Meanwhile, his long-time companion Toma landed only a few meters away from Bardock. "Well, sorry to break it to you, boss, but unfortunately, we'd been fighting seriously against these freaks!" Bardock moved to the side and elbowed the enemy in the head while Toma continued to speak.
"It's humiliating, but we looked forward to your arrival. Now I get why this mission was "left in the pool" by Freeza's elites!"
Bardock let out a displeasing grunt upon hearing that. The warrior dodged the attacks and stepped back to fire a strong energy blast. "Then stop fooling around and grow stronger!" The Saiyan shouted as he pierced his opponent's guts.
Toma shut his eyes and released a sigh. "Heh. Right, boss. However, even as strong as you are, you'll find it difficult to defeat all of them." Toma pointed at the night sky and the horde of incoming warriors.
A drop of sweat slid down Bardock's temple as he stared at the flying armada. "Maybe, but you know I'll never retreat from a difficult situation." A smirk surfaced on his bloodstained face as he gazed at his long-time companion.
The spiky-haired man laughed as the white bandana tied around his arm wavered. "True! However, we have another option!" Toma pointed at the big, shiny, full moon floating in the night sky.
Bardock's smirk grew as he stared at the full moon. "Tell others to do it! Let's wreak some havoc!" His pupils disappeared as his eyes turned crimson while his body grew. A thunderous roar escaped his throat while his tail lashed violently behind him.
.
A new day was on the horizon. The sun's warm rays illuminated the wrecked land. Countless corpses lay scattered across the destroyed cities. The meek wind howled as it blew over the desolate area. Meanwhile, smoke soared into the sky from a crater. After the rough night and going berserk in their ape forms, the Saiyans rested near the bonfire. Laughter resonated as the warriors recalled bits of the previous night.
"You got yourself a nice little scar there, Panbukin. A bit to the right, and you might've been a goner."
Toma snickered while the burly Saiyan named Panbukin scowled. "You're one to talk, Toma. You ran to Bardock with your tail between the legs." The warriors bickered back and forth while the others tried to rest.
"Tch! Can you idiots be quiet for more than a minute!? Don't you think those two are annoying, Toteppo?"
The largest warrior in the group remained silent and continued to eat, while the only woman in the group even wondered why she tried to speak with the giant. "Whatever. Just shut up, you two! I want to rest properly before we hurl into another mission." She leaned against the wall and shut her eyes, hoping for peace.
Both Toma and Panbukin chuckled and decided to go along this time. "Anyway, those fish-looking Kanassans truly proved to be of admirable strength. Taking that into consideration, Freeza might reward us big time!" Toma smirked as he picked up a piece of meat from the fire.
"Hmph. I'm not sure about that."
Upon hearing Bardock's voice, the group gazed at the laying warrior. "We took this assignment without consulting with any of Freeza's officers. I'm sure he won't be pleased once he finds out a group of Low-Class Saiyans managed to conquer Kanassa." The Saiyan lifted himself and sat as he glared into the weak flames.
"What makes you say that? Shouldn't he be thrilled that we're growing stronger and conquering more worlds for him?"
Bardock shot a glare at Leek and spoke firmly. "Take your scouter off. They can hear everything." Once his skinny companion did that, Bardock continued. "Freeza's plotting something, but I can't tell what exactly! It's no secret that he and his men don't like us, and vice versa. A control freak such as Freeza won't let some pesky Saiyans roam as they please." Bardock frowned as he got up.
"Wait a second, Bardock! Are you really suggesting what I think you are!? Sorry, but you're a bit paranoid. Half Freeza's army consists of us Saiyans, and cutting off such a large portion would be ludicrous!"
Bardock gazed at Toma, who was nervous and sweating. The scar-faced warrior smirked as he stared at his companion. "You're right, Toma. But this is Freeza we're talking about, and it won't take long to gain back what he loses at the rate his empire's growing. Maybe he already has some backup army somewhere." The warrior looked away as certain words kept repeating in his head.
"Speaking of your kind, doesn't even know what Freeza's really planning?"
The Saiyan closed his fist tightly as he recalled the words from the battle on Planet Cereal. He shook his head and tried not to think about it. His attention shifted to a pile of rubble. Out of the ruins, a sole survivor of the Kanassan tribe emerged with tattered robes and life-threatening wounds. While Bardock stared at the survivor, the man pointed at the scarred Saiyan and rushed at him.
"H-Huh?"
Caught off guard, Bardock received a strike in the back of the head. The warrior stumbled forward but refrained himself from falling to the ground. While the wild-haired warrior held the back of his head, Panbukin kicked the survivor away. As the creature slammed against the ground, Toma pointed his palm at the enemy and fired a blast. However, to everyone's surprise, the Kanassan arose and kept walking toward them despite being devoured by a bluish flame.
"Tch! Looks like I dropped my guard. You lousy rat! I'll finish you off!"
Before the angered Bardock could do so, the Kanassan suddenly shouted. "L-Listen to me, Saiyan! I just struck you using a technique giving you knowledge of the future through visions!" While the survivor slowly moved forward, Bardock sweated as he stared at the warrior.
"You will see the future fate of your people. And I shall warn you now that you can't save your cursed future! As with my people, there will also be destruction for yours!"
A troubling feeling arose within the Saiyan more than ever, which was visible on his face. "While you're in a daze playing catch-up, don't be surprised if a meteor drops on your head." Sweat slid down his bruised cheek as the words of a certain individual echoed within his head.
The Kanassan smirked upon seeing the warrior's reaction. "Yes, it's as you think! I condemn you to see your future and agonize over its form!" The survivor began to laugh, which annoyed the Saiyan.
"Enough!"
Bardock fired a ki blast and vaporized the Kanassan to dust. The wild-haired warrior quivered and breathed heavily as his thoughts began to rush. Suddenly, he felt cold, and the darkness consumed his eyesight. While Panbukin rambled about something, Bardock lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
.
A blue world exploded to nothing but dust while maniacal laughter from a shadowy figure echoed over the place. Its form resembles a demonic one with two horns on its head. The creature played with the dust and laughed joyfully while its long tail moved. Suddenly, everything changed. A bloodstained Toma appeared. The rest of his squad scattered over the rocky ground like corpses. Once again, the demonic creature laughed as it played with Toma and another figure, almost like puppets. The play ended with Toma lying bloodied on the ground and the constant sound of an exploding world in the background.
"You will see the future fate of your people. And I shall warn you now that you can't save your cursed future! As with my people, there will also be destruction for yours!"
The warrior screamed as the demonic figure tried to get a hold of him. He tried to fire a blast, but nothing came out. The scarred man raised his fist and tried to punch the incoming hand. However, it did nothing. Instead, he got grabbed by the massive figure and brought closer to its face. While he tried to break free, the horned creature opened its mouth.
"Yes, it's as you think! I condemn you to see your future and agonize over its form!"
Bardock opened his eyes and finally woke up from the nightmare. He breathed difficult while the green liquid disappeared down the drain. As the healing chamber unlocked, the Saiyan rose and walked out of it. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear the nearby doctor calling him until the breaded older man raised his voice.
"Bardock! Are you alright?"
The Saiyan snapped out of it and looked at the worried physician. "Yeah, I'm fine." He thought about telling the older male about the weird dream but did not. Instead, he gazed at the nearby table with battle attire on top of it.
"Hm. If you say so, I advise that even someone as tough as you take a day or two to rest."
Bardock sneered at that as he wore a new armor without shoulder guards. Instead of the usual blue-colored long wristbands, he wore red ones. While he adjusted his boots, the Saiyan spoke to the doctor, who kept an eye on him.
"How long was I out of commission? What of my team?"
The doctor coughed while his assistant cleaned the healing chamber. "Almost a weak. As for your comrades, they left for Planet Meat a few hours ago, all but Leek, as he sought medical help regarding the scar on his head." The older male kept his distance from Bardock, who turned toward him.
"Those guys dared to leave me behind, huh? I'll pay them back for that!"
Bardock grinned as he turned away and slowly walked away. "Planet Meat's not far away from here. I can catch up with them a bit later. First, I have to do something." The warrior's face turned serious as he suddenly started to run.
As he flew under the stars, Bardock couldn't stop thinking of everything that happened. Death was in the air, and he could smell it. The spoken stuff on Cereal, the crazy dreams after being struck by the Kanassan, and the looming doubts in his head pointed toward one thing—Freeza's betrayal. Before doing anything else, he had to head home and make arrangements.
The warrior landed on the ground, and just as he was about to rush to his house at the very end of the street, a familiar figure stopped him. "Oi, Bardock! Long time no see! I see you're still alive after that assault on Planet Cereal!" Bardock turned to the left and saw a bulky Saiyan walking toward him with short, spiky hair and a mustache.
"Taro! What are you doing here? Weren't you supposed to join some group as they sought new members?"
The shorter warrior snickered as he placed a hand over Bardock's shoulder. "Yeah, I did. But our mission's been put on hold. From what I heard, they will order all Saiyans to return to Vegeta." Taro crossed his muscular arms as he looked at Bardock, who seemed puzzled.
"Huh? Why? Is it on King Vegeta's orders or someone else's?"
While he waited for an answer, a single drop of sweat slid down Bardock's temple. "Freeza's orders, as far as I know. They will make it official tomorrow, so you better not leave the planet unless you want to get punished." His eyes widened while Taro laughed.
Without saying a word, Bardock rushed to his home while leaving the puzzled Taro behind. "What's wrong with him? I guess all those near-death fights finally messed up with his head." The bulky Saiyan turned away and walked into the nearby bar.
Meanwhile, Bardock finally reached his home and barged inside without a second thought. His eyes moved left and right until he finally saw his mate, who was quite surprised to see him home. The petit Saiyan uncoiled her tail and approached Bardock, who stood as still as a statue.
"Bardock! You finally decided to come home, for once!"
Her tail wrapped itself around Bardock's while she hugged him. "I was so worried about you! I feared for the worst when Leek told me what happened to you! Can't you just for once think how I or your children would feel if something happened to you!?" Consumed by anger, she punched the man's chest, but the Saiyan felt no pain.
Bardock finally snapped out of it and gazed at his mate. He touched her head and went through her thick, long hair. "Nothing's ever going to happen. Anyway, where's Raditz?" Usually, the little furball would make his presence known by its high-pitched voice and make demands to fight.
"Well, you'll be proud to know that your first-born son's a soldier now. Raditz's been partnered with Prince Vegeta and is off on a planet somewhere... Apparently, it is far away, and he has yet to return."
Upon hearing that, Bardock was shocked. "Partnered with Prince Vegeta? He's been partnered with quite the troublemaker." Despite feeling prideful for his son's accomplishment, he knew being paired with Prince Vegeta would bring problems.
However, he was pleased Raditz was off-world and on a far-away planet. "What of Kakarot? Is he still in the incubator?" Bardock's serious expression never left as he followed Gine through the house.
"Yes. It's been three years, and I considered bringing the little guy out. Come!"
Bardock was right behind Gine, who couldn't hide her excitement. As they walked into another room, the scar-faced Saiyan stared at this youngest son floating inside the incubator. The boy shared the same hair and face as him, as his mate would put it; they were the spitting image of each other, except he was meaner-looking and had a scar. While Gine rambled, Bardock focused solely on his son and thought of the next course of action. He knew his mate would protest, but it was for the boy's safety.
"Gine. I'm going to steal a pod. We're sending Kakarot to a planet with a race and resources that are weak."
Once Gine heard that, she yelled at Bardock. "What!? What would make you do such a thing!? Why would you want to do such a thing to Kakarot!?" She closed her fist tightly and, with a fierce look in her eyes, approached Bardock.
"Listen to me, Gine, it's for Kakarot's own good. Some things are going on that I don't have time to explain, so I will need you to trust me. Freeza's plotting something vicious, and all of us are in danger!"
Gine blinked in confusion as she stared at her mate. "W-What? What do you mean, Bardock?" Her pupils followed Bardock, who approached the incubator and pressed a button on the dashboard.
While the liquid slowly went down the drain, Bardock started talking. "Get Kakarot ready for departure. I will steal a pod and find a frontier planet where he'll be out of Freeza's reach." Without anything else to add, the warrior walked out of the house while Gine decided to trust her mate and prepare their son for travel.
After successfully stealing the space pod and putting Kakarot inside, Bardock carried the object deep into the wasteland. Gine followed behind and tried to talk Bardock out of doing this. However, the scarred Saiyan wouldn't have it.
Once he shipped his youngest son to a safe place, he needed to head to Planet Meat. His squad was in danger, and they weren't even aware of it. Part of him still doubted the vision, but if it weren't for the spoken words on Cereal, he would dismiss everything. However, he knew better. Freeza was coming for them; that was evident to him now. Freeza grew tired of them and decided to end the Saiyan race.
"Bardock! Bardock! Talk to me! To what planet are we sending Kakarot!?"
The Saiyan landed and walked over the rocky ground while his son grew louder inside the pod. "A frontier planet called Earth. Its native race and resources are weak. Such a world holds no value to Freeza, and he won't ever think of taking it. Chances of Kakarot surviving there are high, don't worry." Bardock halted and dropped the pod on the ground.
"Even so, you're the last person I'd expect to worry about their child. It's not very Saiyan-like. Something really must be going on to make you act like this."
Bardock took a deep breath as he stared at his crying son. "Hmph. Partially, it is your fault. Your coddling ways have rubbed off on me a little bit." The warrior placed his palm on the glass and firmly spoke to his child.
"Kakarot, survive no matter the odds!"
Upon hearing his stern voice, little Kakarot stopped crying and stared at the older Saiyan. "If all of this ends up being just Bardock going crazy, we'll come pick you up, Kakarot!" The wild-haired child gazed at the crying woman to the left and wanted to reach her. However, it was impossible as the pod suddenly blasted into space.
Once the vessel was out of sight, Gine fell to the ground and cried. Meanwhile, Bardock stared at the stars and spoke. "I'm leaving for Planet Meat. Toma and the others are in grave danger, and I must be there!" The warrior stepped forward while his mate confusingly gazed at his muscular back. "In the next few days, steal a pod and leave the planet!" Bardock stared at Gine for one last time before flying off.
.
A lone space pod penetrated the world's atmosphere and crashed against the ground. Once the hatch lowered on the floor, the scarred Saiyan emerged and flew out of the crater. He adjusted the scouter and immediately searched for higher power levels. Sweat trailed down his face as he hoped he made it in time. After a few seconds, the scouter came to life.
"Toma and the others cleared the whole planet while I was gone... There! They're fighting a high power level!"
Bardock clenched his fists and roared as he blasted into the sky. The warrior flew with top speed. He covered lots of ground while the familiar power levels dropped to zero. The Saiyan screamed, unleashing a fiery aura in the process. As he gazed down, he saw five figures standing around his squad.
"Dodoria, sir! Seems we have a visitor!"
The large, pink creature tossed Toma on the ground and glanced at the sky. "Well, well, if it isn't the famous Bardock! Almost too late to the party!" The spiky-headed warrior chuckled as he crossed his massive arms.
Bardock ignored the man and gazed at his companions. "N-No... I took too long!" The warrior closed his fist so tightly it quivered. "Dodoria! You're going to pay for this!" He was about to charge but halted once he noticed Toma was still breathing.
"B-B-Bardock? Heh, sorry, boss, but we screwed up. We were no match for these guys!"
The scar-faced warrior snapped and yelled. "Don't waste your energy, fool! Just stay where you are; I'll deal with these traitors!" Without wasting time, Bardock launched himself at Dodoria and his subordinates.
"Heh! Go, kill that impudent monkey!"
Dodoria's men nodded and charged at Bardock. The soldiers laughed as they surrounded the Saiyan. They shot ki blasts at the warrior, but Bardock vanished. He reappeared behind a green-skinned soldier and slammed his fist into the man's back. While the opponent cried out of intense pain, Bardock pulled the hand back and kicked the alien into a nearby boulder. The Saiyan's ferocious eyes shifted to a large-headed soldier. Bardock dashed forward but got forced to halt and slide to the side, thus avoiding a strike. The scarred warrior back-flipped and leaped into the air. He placed a hand forward and shot an energy blast toward the red-headed soldier.
"Dodge it, you moron!"
However, the red-headed soldier caught the blast and tried to push it away. Unfortunately for him, it was too much and consumed the foolish soldier. The remaining two floated in the air and glared at Bardock, who stood on the ground without breaking a sweat.
"Tch! This guy's different from other Saiyans! What are we going to do!?"
The soldier with two horns and long hair ignored his companion and clenched his teeth. His quivering eyes drifted to Dodoria, who had fun watching them lose teammates. The soldier shook his head and let out a scream.
"We're one of Lord Freeza's Elite Platoons! And we won't be defeated by a filthy Saiyan!"
Bardock stood his ground while the enemy closed the distance. The warrior frowned and raised his guard when the other opponent fired a barrage of ki blasts. He dodged all of them and suddenly moved forward. While the explosions caused strong tremors, Bardock brought both hands together and caved the large-headed alien's skull. The Saiyan instantly ducked and avoided a kick from the long-haired opponent. Bardock grabbed the enemy by the leg and pulled him closer, only to deliver a devastating punch to the gut.
"Gyahhh!"
While the long-haired soldier cried out and coughed blood, Bardock released the hold. The Saiyan released a grunt and fired a close-range ki blast, thus vaporizing the enemy to dust. While his wild hair swayed on the wind, Bardock turned his attention to Dodoria, who kept smirking. The Saiyan immediately descended to the ground and glared at the pink creature with tightly sealed fists out of anger.
"Dodoria! Before I kill you for what you did, you will tell me why Freeza's so adamant about getting rid of us!"
The ground shattered as Bardock charged at Dodoria. "Speak, you ugly bastard!" As he closed the distance, the Saiyan fired a ki blast, but it got easily deflected by the large creature.
Despite the failed attempt, Bardock kept going forward. The Saiyan appeared behind Dodoria and swung his leg, but Freeza's trusted officer jumped out of the way. Bardock clenched his teeth and went after Dodoria, who laughed. The Saiyan tried to land a hit, but his opponent easily dodged all the attempts. As time went on, Bardock's frustration grew. The scarred Saiyan struck a boulder instead of Dodoria, who leaped over him and kicked him in the head.
"Ahh!"
Blood poured out of the Saiyan's mouth as he got sent flying. Bardock crashed into the boulder and coughed. "Crap! H-He's far stronger than I thought..." The warrior pulled himself out of the rubble and glared at Dodoria. "And that's good! It's always the best when fighting against heavy odds!" A grin surfaced on his bloodstained face as he charged the enemy.
Clad in a shining light, Bardock increased speed and appeared before Dodoria. The Saiyan unleashed a combination of punches and kicks. He and Dodoria moved across the land as their fight raged on. However, his opponent quickly grew bored. Bardock's eyes widened as his punch got caught by Dodoria. The Saiyan tried to break free, but the opponent sinisterly laughed.
"There's nowhere for you to escape, Saiyan. As you figured out, your precious planet will soon get destroyed."
Before Bardock could protest, a heavy knee collided deep into his abdomen. "Guhh!" The warrior lost all air as he stumbled back. Dodoria grabbed Bardock by the hair and punched the scarred man several times. Blood splattered over the nearby rocks as Dodoria gave Bardock a beating. The Saiyan gathered some energy and fired a small ki blast, only so the larger male could release him.
Bardock landed several meters from Dodoria, who brushed the dust off his armor. "I don't know how you figured Freeza's plans, but there's nothing you can do about it. For all we know, the Saiyans and planet Vegeta are all gone by now, turned to space dust!" Dodoria halted and observed the struggling warrior, who tried to get up.
Despite the tremendous pain, Bardock continued to fight. The warrior forced himself on his shaky legs and, with only an eye open, glared at the enemy. "S-Shut up! T-There's still time to change everything! I'm a Saiyan warrior and will keep trying until my dying breath!" His thunderous conviction echoed over the area as a blazing aura erupted from the warrior.
"Heh! This is where you'll meet your end, stupid monkey!"
Dodoria took a deep breath, only to bend forward and fire a mighty ki blast out of his mouth. The yellow energy beam moved toward the Saiyan at great speed. Bardock let out a shout as he fired a blast. The attacks collided, but only for a short second. Dodoria's blast was too much for Bardock, who lost all his energy and dropped on a knee. The Saiyan stared at the incoming doom when suddenly, a familiar figure jumped in the way.
"Y-You! W-What are you..."
Bardock hit his head as they fell to the ground. The Saiyan tried to push the wounded man off him, but he had no energy. "Y-You must survive and make Freeza pay! Y-You're the only one capable of doing so, Bardock!" Before he could shout at the stubborn warrior, the blast blew them away. Bardock screamed as he and his fallen companions got buried under rocks.
Once the smoke cleared away, Dodoria looked around and checked his scouter. "Heh. Complete annihilation. I hope I will return in time to see the fireworks!" Dodoria's laughter echoed as he blasted to the sky and returned to his space pod.
After the decemination of the advanced population, the animals and wild beasts roamed free across the ravaged land. The carnivores devoured the corpses scattered everywhere and enjoyed plenty of meat. The beasts howled triumphantly as they were the number one predator on the planet. Their sharp fangs dug deep into the flesh of the fallen warrior as they pulled the man out of the rubble. Just as they were about to feast on the man's corpse, the Saiyan opened his eyes and seized the beast by the throat. The man's sudden movement scared the rest, who immediately scattered away.
"I-I will not die... N-Not until..."
Bardock got on his legs and threw the beast to the side. While the frightened creature ran away, the Saiyan turned around and gazed at the bodies of his companions. He approached Toma, who died with a smile on his bruised face. The wild-haired Saiyan untied the bandana around the man's arm and wiped the blood off his face.
"Even when you were at the brink of death, you got in the way and saved my life... All of you guys did..."
The scarred warrior gazed at the bodies of his teammates who shielded him from Dodoria's attack. As he gripped his fist so tightly, it began to bleed, and the bandana got soaked in blood. He lifted the now blood-red bandana and tied it over his head.
"Toma, Panbukin, Celipa, Toteppo... I won't rest until the day I make Freeza and his henchmen pay for what they did! Nothing will stand in my way!"
With little energy left, Bardock floated in the air and went to the pod. The Saiyan didn't know how long he was out, but he hoped planet Vegeta still existed. As he slowly flew over the ground, his thoughts shifted to his mate. A dreadful feeling brewed deep inside him as he thought of Gine, and the Saiyan didn't like it. The warrior coped with the pain and hurried to the pod.
Once the vessel was within sight, Bardock dropped to the ground and dragged his wounded body to the pod. "A-Almost there! I-I can make it!" Blood and sweat left a trail behind the Saiyan as he pulled himself onto the object. He sat inside, punched the button, and initiated the emergency protocol.
The pod blasted into space, traveling through the dark void at top speed. Bardock couldn't keep his eyes open and let his consciousness fade away while mumbling unrecognizable words.
An image of the galactic overlord Freeza appeared out of nowhere. The creature's cold, crimson eyes stared deep into his soul, and he couldn't move, no matter how much he tried. He shouted and fought to break free but abruptly stopped when Freeza lifted an index finger. His dark pupils quivered as an energy orb grew massive within seconds. He stared at it, wondering what the ruthless creature would do when a cry from behind caught his attention.
As he turned around, he saw her, Gine. She stood there in front of their house together with other Saiyans. He screamed at them to run, but they didn't budge. Suddenly, a shiny light accompanied by Freeza's laughter forced him to look elsewhere. He stared at the thrown energy ball heading toward planet Vegeta. His eyes and mouth were wide open as he watched the massive death ball sink into the planet and destroy it. The warrior cried out as the darkness consumed him.
"Gine!"
He floated in the darkness until the scenery changed. The scarred warrior gazed to the right and saw a boy dressed in red robes with wild black hair and a monkey tail fighting countless people. His eyes remained locked on the child who, despite the odds, kept fighting and smiling. Somehow, the boy turned his foes into allies and kept improving himself and those around him. He wanted to reach the boy who suddenly grew and enjoyed peace with a family.
"K-Kakarot..."
Once again, everything changed. The Saiyan found himself in a world unfamiliar to him. He wondered why he was seeing the world torn by war when a boy with long, black hair covered in bruises appeared before him. The boy had a broken arm and tried to fight, but the little one got beaten. The same result continued as the boy grew older. The boy's companions shunned him and deemed him a weakling. He watched the boy turn from a talented warrior to a coward who only fought those weaker than himself and sought refuge behind his strong companions.
"Raditz!"
The Saiyan shouted at his son, but it was in vain. He clenched his teeth and rushed toward his older child, who got pummeled by a flame-haired figure. However, no matter how much he tried, he could never reach him. Suddenly, he got blown away and swallowed by darkness.
Bardock opened his eyes as sweat slid down his bloodstained face. He looked around and realized he was in the pod. "Ugh! My head feels like it's going to burst!" The man touched his forehead and tried to surpass the pain.
"Destination: Planet Vegeta Completed! Destination: Planet Vegeta Completed!"
Upon hearing the robotic voice from the speaker, Bardock gazed through the small, round window and couldn't believe it. "N-No, I-I was too late... There's nothing left!" The man's pupils quivered while his voice grew weaker.
He leaned back into the seat and helplessly stared at the debris scattered where once planet Vegeta, home of the mighty Saiyan race, stood. He thought of Gine, which brought out emotions he didn't know he could have. The agonizing feeling quickly shifted into one of pure anger. Bardock's tail lashed beside him as he bit the flesh inside his mouth so much it started to bleed. He closed both fists tightly and released a mighty roar.
"Freeza! Even if it takes forever, I will hunt you down and rip you to shreds!"
Consumed by rage and driven by the desire for revenge, the warrior typed new coordinates into the pod. The pain from the battle was gone, numbed by anger. The Saiyan punched the dashboard before his knees, on which the vessel flew through the remains of planet Vegeta and traveled to a new world.