OPENING THEME:
Episode 33:
EPISODE SPECIAL: FROM FRIEZA TO HEART VIRUS TO ANDROIDS
After seconds of deliberation, the group erupted again but with another argument added to the mix.
"It was Trunks!"
"No, it wasn't!"
"Cell did it!"
"It's magic!"
The vicious back and forth carried on for some time but was silenced upon a sure response.
"You're all wrong," Goku stated firmly as he stood before the group. They eyed him with expectation, hoping against hope that this suggestion would be the definite answer but there was no way that they could have been prepared for what was said next. "It wasn't Trunks or even Cell that caused the time crack. It was Dr. Gero."
"What do you mean by Dr. Gero?" asked Bulma.
"It has been confirmed by the Supreme Kai that he was the one to not only cause the time crack but he also created two timelines."
"Whoa! Two!" Krillin exclaimed, "But how the hell could he? I mean are time machines that much in style now!"
"That we need to figure out."
"We had just agreed to use the dragonballs to see what happened originally," Tien said calmly, "That way maybe we can figure out a missing link and go from there."
"Whoa!" Goku said, his eyes widening, "What happened originally! We get to know?"
"Close your mouth, Kakarot. You might catch flies," Vegeta said before turning to his wife, "Go ahead. I think now is as good a time to know exactly how things worked out for us."
"Yeah, OK." Bulma nodded, "OK, dragon, for our second wish I want you to tell us what happened that caused Trunks to come from the future in the first place. "
"As you wish," the dragon's voice boomed, "It may not answer why but I will cover the events of your original fates but use your imagination to visualise the details. But first, let me go grab some popcorn - it's gonna be a long one."
The stunned expressions on everyone's faces spelt how ill-received the dragon's comment was but they were even more taken aback when a giant bag of popcorn appeared out of nowhere and into the clawed hands of the creature.
"Haven't had a good story to tell in ages!" the dragon said gleefully as he wolfed down a kernel, "And now on with the show!"
"Frieza's ship is going to be landing any minute now," Vegeta said as he alighted on the mountainous terrain. He looked down and grimaced at his attire; he should have been adorned in his battle gear not out and about like a delicate flower in a pink shirt and too-tight trousers.
"Oh, yeah! How do you know?" asked Yamcha, his derisive tone was not to be missed and the response came with added fuel.
"Do you question me you half wit? I actually fought him. Can you say the same?" shouted Vegeta.
A gush of air alerted them to the approaching plane. Bulma greeted them with wild waving as she manoeuvred to a landing. Wearing a broad grin, she jumped out, with Puar tagging along.
"Why are you both doing here? Are you crazy?" Yamcha could not quite fathom why Bulma of all people would have trekked all the way out there. For one, she was clearly not a warrior. And two, she did know about how ruthless this Frieza was, right?
With the perkiness and confidence of a politician before adoring fans, she revealed her intentions. "I want to see Frieza in action! Heck, I went all the way to Namek and never even caught a glimpse of the guy."
"Do you know how dangerous he is?"
"Duh! He could pop this planet like a water balloon if he wanted to. I might as well have a front row seat. I want to see if Frieza lives up to the fight!"
Vegeta turned away, disguising a quick smirk, 'She's bold and impossibly cunning but the woman sure has guts! I need a spirit like that around now, I must admit, but she still shouldn't be here.'
Sensing oncoming visitors, Yamcha and Vegeta acknowledged the arrival of Tien and Chiaotzu. However, Chiaotzu immediately backed away, trembling.
"So Vegeta, you've decided to show your face on Earth again?" asked Tien callously.
"That's all you have to say," he responded in jest.
"Hardly. But I always thought actions spoke louder than words. How can you stand the sight of him, Yamcha!" he said bitterly, already preparing himself in a battle-ready stance.
"Bring it on!" Vegeta followed suit and the two eyed each other, waiting to pounce.
"Hey! Cool it. This isn't the time, Tien. Come on," Yamcha said, hoping against hope that his friend would listen.
"I can feel it," Tien said, now relieving himself from his fury, "Do you think it's him?"
"Yeah, that's how it's looking. It's pretty sick how we can sense him and he hasn't even touched base on Earth as yet."
"Somehow, I think it's done on purpose, if you ask me. He's calling us out for sure."
"So like, he knows we know he's here. Yikes! Then how do we even hide!"
"You fools," Vegeta ordered, "Lower your power levels. Frieza's men will use their scouters to track us down. Even the Namekian has to keep a low profile."
Yamcha and Tien were both stunned by Piccolo's presence behind them, floating casually above the rocks in a meditation pose.
"You were so close! I didn't sense a thing!" Yamcha exclaimed.
After a few minutes, Krillin and Gohan managed a sighting of the group as they flew towards them.
"Woo hoo!" called Bulma, waving anxiously, "Hey guys - we're over here!"
Following her lead, they alighted.
"Gohan! Is Goku back?" asked Yamcha in desperation.
Gohan shook his head; he was too in awe of what was to come to utter a word.
"If he's still gone when Frieza gets here..."
"He's here!" Piccolo alerted.
They looked up with terror in their eyes as the expanse of the spaceship sauntered above them. It kicked up a storm of dirt and debris about them as it disappeared in the distance.
Bulma, having lost her resolve, grabbed hold of Puar. Even tears trickled down her cheek. There was no denying that things were about to get serious from here on out.
"There's someone with him who's even more powerful!" Krillin said.
Seething now, Vegeta knew he had to take the lead, "Listen up! No one's allowed to fly. We're going in on foot to keep our power levels hidden."
"What's the point of sneaking up to him then? We're pests to him. And this time he's bringing friends! How are we going to defeat this guy?"
"Would you quit whining!" snapped Piccolo, "Would you prefer to hide but we already know what's in store for us."
"Are you catching on?" Vegeta followed Piccolo's sentiments, "Your backwater planet is doomed."
"What's the point of wishing me back to life if I'm just going to die again!" wailed Yamcha, "Bulma and I only got back together like a few weeks ago! Oh man! I had really planned on some alone time with her and everything." His last statement caught Bulma off guard and her face was aglow in a bright red.
Krillin jumped up and ready to lift off but he was caught by the hand.
"They will just shoot you out of the sky. But you better damn well walk," Vegeta said venomously and without hesitation threw him down with force.
Krillin grimaced more so from his over eagerness than the pain of the experience. He turned to the little boy and pleaded with him for the answer he already knew, "Oh come on, Gohan! There's gotta be a way to reach your dad, right!"
Gohan shook his head.
"He's going to come back here and wonder why there's a bunch of rocks where the Earth used to be!" Krillin said in despair. He slammed a fist into the thick of the rocks.
"Even if Goku's running late, we've still got Vegeta right!" Bulma said, winning back her optimism.
"Be quiet! Unless you want to die with the rest of these fools, go home now!" he demanded in response, "You managed to find your way back from Namek after all, so I guess you can't be a total imbecile."
Bulma found this quite laughable but Yamcha was quick to come to her defense.
"Where do you get off talking to her like that!"
"You tell him, Yamcha!"
"Um...sure," he said, fighting back the butterflies swarming in the pit of his stomach as he looked into the menacing glare of the man before him, "I mean, yeah, she can be nosy and bossy but she's also really smart."
Bulma grabbed him by the ear. "Bossy, huh!" she yelled, "You're supposed to be defending me!"
"Bossy in a good way," Yamcha said, quick to cover his tracks and with this Gohan, Chiaotzu and Krillin laughed.
"I guess this is the last time we all have a good laugh together, huh!" Krillin admitted as the atmosphere died down.
"And what's up with you, Vegeta!" asked Bulma, her curiosity at its peak, "Why would you think that all of a sudden that I'm stupid? You were praising my genius when last I saw you."
With a growl, Vegeta answered, "Genius - as in science, technology. As a person, you're a stupid -"
"Hey, come on, man!" yelled Yamcha.
"Humph. Whatever." Vegeta withdrew from them and took off in a run towards the direction that Frieza's ship landed. The others followed suit up until they faced a ridge that required strenuous climbing. After several minutes of deafening silence, Gohan figured he would break the ice.
"Hey, Mr. Piccolo," Gohan asked shyly, "Why didn't you go with the Namekians when they wished to go to a new home planet? I mean they are your people, aren't they?"
"There's no mystery to it. A peaceful life with my brethren would have bored me out of my skull - besides I was born here, the Earth is pretty much home to me anyways."
"So that's why you trained so hard - to keep from being bored?"
"Pretty much," he said coolly.
"That's what Vegeta does all day too. To the point where I had to scold him for it - he near damn starved himself to death one too many times. That man!"
"Sounds like you care a lot for him," Krillin said.
"Doesn't it?" Yamcha said, jealousy evident in his tone.
"I mean, duh, we're friends. He's a poophead and would never admit it but we're cool."
"Why'd you ever allowed him to stay over in the first place? Weren't you scared he would have hurt you or something?"
"Seriously - invite the big bad killing machine to my house? Nah! Don't be so dramatic! Vegeta's a sweetheart under all that thunder, trust me," Bulma said proudly.
"Would you blithering baboons hush now, can't you see we're here!" Vegeta's roar interrupted the moment and thus prompted a very doubtful Krillin.
"If you say so."
There were now seated high above the massive ship. They gasped as the mechanics burst into song and the hinges flew open. Soon, several alien men decked in identical armour were dismounting.
"Who're all those guys?" asked Bulma, quivering.
"Frieza's men," Vegeta answered.
"You mean he's gay," she whimpered.
"No, you retard! What the hell - how did you get to that conclusion?" snapped Vegeta, "Frieza is the head of a gigantic army. Let's be grateful he only showed up with a handful of his finest."
"It seems we might be able to defeat them one on one but we would have a hard time if all joined in,," Piccolo said, "Especially Frieza and...who is that?"
They marvelled at the gigantic replica of Frieza who wore long horns on either side of its head.
"Oh man! Seeing that brings back bad memories," Krillin exclaimed, trying to shake away the memory of Namek. He shuddered at the possibility of such a painful strike once more.
"Yikes!" Bulma exclaimed, "Who would have ever thought they had such creepy creatures in existence."
"That's his father," Vegeta informed, "Rumour has it, that he's even stronger than Frieza. It seems he keeps this form but he's still much more powerful than Frieza's final form."
"Final form?" asked Bulma, "What does that mean?"
"It means that Frieza can transform again and again, each time getting stronger," Piccolo explained.
"But look at him now!" Vegeta snapped, "He's a machine now! You don't understand just how truly terrifying their technology is!"
Without warning, Vegeta lurched over the edge of the cliff much to everyone's panic. His aura surged about him as he lingered in the sky. Frieza and his men looked up at once but as they did each one of the scouters they wore exploded.
"Now!" yelled Vegeta, "Divide and conquer."
Piccolo took a while before he caught on but when he saw Vegeta in blinding speed picking up one of the soldiers and withdrawing in the distance, he knew what they had to do.
"You heard him, guys," Piccolo said, "Pick your match and spread out."
"Right." They nodded in unison.
Growling, Frieza was quick to show his displeasure, "Daddy! Why must these pests always break such expensive devices? This is the second upgrade in a year!"
"Now now, son!" cooed his father, "Let them go have their play. The soldiers would have been itching for some action too, you know? Besides, it is this Goku that you want, right?"
"Yes, daddy. This primate requires discipline for what he did to me. But, still! They broke my scouters!"
"And the best of our men will handle the matter, I'm sure. You brought them along for a reason after all, right?" he said, grinning from ear to ear.
"Fine, then - but if any of them survives, they're going to have to pay me back so I can continue business with the Igmites. We're running low on finances after my little fix up."
With immense speed, Vegeta managed to avoid a blast from the weapon adorned on the alien's hand. He gasped as he noticed a massive boulder in the distance reduced to rubble.
"It wasn't just Frieza with an upgrade," the alien said, his thick lips stretched into a smile. The whirring sound of the machine droned on as he kept his hand on the trigger.
Understanding, Vegeta proceeded to charge up his own attack and in a brilliant display they released at once. The balls of fire wobbled back and forth as more pressure was added from either side but Vegeta decided upon a change of plans. He deviated from the battle and appeared behind the man and unleashed an impressive kick that sent him flying into not only his own attack but also Vegeta's. Vegeta smirked as he watched the burnt remains of the soldier fall to the ground. Sensing trouble, he sped off towards a fierce battle between Tien and two soldiers.
He was quick to shield his eyes from the intense glare from Tien's attack and he realised in the aftermath that it was a ruse used to advantageously strike.
"Kill them!" ordered Vegeta.
"How about I kill you," Tien said coolly and the two squared off once more but the moment was broken by a sailing Chiaotzu who Tien caught with ease.
"Hey, little guy, maybe you should bow this one out." Tien was concerned as he examined the telltale signs of abuse, "Maybe you could go reserve some strength and wait for us. Who knows, your mystical power could come in handy against Frieza."
"What can he do?" asked Vegeta.
"You'll see," Tien said. He retrieved a small bean from within the confines of his gi and fed it to Chiaotzu.
"You shouldn't be wasting those, dammit!" growled Vegeta.
"Is that your way of asking for some?"
"Just give me the rest."
"Krillin divided them up amongst us. I've got one more. You're welcome."
"Humph." Vegeta took the bean and shoved it beneath his inner shirt.
"Is everyone OK?" asked Gohan, relieved when he saw the now upbeat and unharmed Chiaotzu, "I dealt the guy that messed him up."
"Thank you, Gohan," Chiaotzu said.
"No problem!"
A shriek shattered the quiet and they raced towards it without thinking that it would have led right back to Frieza's ship. They were greeted to a quivering Bulma caught in the stronghold of one of the men. Piccolo, Yamcha and Krillin stood their ground, laying in wait for a chance to strike.
"That stupid woman!" yelled Vegeta.
"Well, hello, Vegeta," greeted Frieza with a wide grin, "Is she yours? You do remember how one of those died last time!"
Vegeta was more confused than bothered by the question. "I may not remember but the pain in my heart propels me to make you suffer nonetheless."
"Was it because you wiped your memories on that pathetic planet?"
"H-How would you know?" He was at a lost for words.
"When you think about it, isn't it a tad coincidental that I arrived on Earth a short time after you?" the creature asked, swinging his tail from side to side in glee.
"I don't think the monkeys are that smart, my dear son," said King Kold.
Vegeta stared on in disbelief. He studied the man responsible for enslaving him for the majority of his life, having only escaped by death on Planet Namek. He remembered every detail of the abuse he suffered at the hands of not only Frieza but his lackeys. So why was it that he could not for the life of him remember what happened to Mela and their son? But somehow that monster knew and it must have been such a terrible ordeal for him to go so far as to erase it from memory forever.
"You see, prince, I've been tracking you down for some time now. You were not the only one in search of the golden monkey, I can assure you. However, I decided to call it quits the same time you did. With a destroyed world, the fool would be sure to show his face soon enough - so I tagged along and wound up here."
"Damn you, Vegeta! You brought the monster here!" yelled Piccolo with disgust, "No one ever asked you to hang around anyways! Don't know why you didn't stay in hell where you belong!"
"Hey now, it's not his fault," Krillin reassured.
"Like damn it is," Tien said, "Your dealings with Frieza should have never come to Earth. Wasn't it you that sent Goku's brother and then the big guy that sliced off my arm? Because of you, I damn well never knew I had a son until being wished back!" The emotion in his rant was heartfelt and a thickness fell upon all of them, "Now I'm seen as some kind of bastard - how the hell do you explain that I wasn't there to support my child? Because I was dead? Humph."
"Aw! It seems you've hit a chord, now," Frieza said, in a singsong melody but the menace was obvious.
"Why I sent that miserable low life to this planet has nothing to do with what transpired," Vegeta answered, "He had one job and he chose to go against it!"
"Really now," Piccolo said, "One job, huh? To pick Goku up to join you on your evil excursions throughout space."
"Never once in my life have I ever travelled through space for fun," Vegeta admitted sternly, "And you should damn well listen for the truth before jumping to conclusions."
"And since when did the truth and evil ever go together," quipped Piccolo.
The surviving soldiers interrupted the moment. Frieza and his father shot them a nasty look as they approached.
"If you are so pathetic to lose to such weaklings...oh well," Frieza said coolly as he lifted a finger. In a flash of light, the men dropped to their fates and the group looked on in dread. Even Bulma felt it as she fell to all fours although she was grateful that her capture was no longer.
"Come at me, boys!"
"Um...not me. I already ate a senzu. Here!" Yamcha said in a hurry and threw his last bean to Krillin.
"Follow my lead," Vegeta ordered.
"Why should we?" asked Piccolo, "You don't always get the call."
"Stop being a fool and do as I say."
"Or what?"
"My, my, you boys even fight amongst yourselves. Well, that's not fun! I want to play too." Frieza lurched forward and embedded his knee deep within the confines of Krillin's stomach.
"It appears you can't take a horn, so I'll be faithful to torturing you the much longer way," he said as he followed up with a powerful arm which sent Krillin to the floor.
Gasping for breath as he rolled around, Krillin fought to speak, "I prefer the original way if you don't mind."
"Sorry." Frieza proceeded to raise his foot high up directly over Krillin's head but when he came down, he was shocked to not see the midget, his foot sinking into the depths of the dirt.
"What happened there?" asked King Kold, "All I saw was this blue light and he went over to the side, just like that."
"Told you Chiaotzu would come in handy," Tien said gleefully.
"Ah. Telekinetic abilities even amongst you earthlings. I'm impressed, " Vegeta said.
"Stop muttering amongst yourselves," Frieza said, "Who's next?"
"As I said before, follow my lead," Vegeta bellowed. Vegeta's muscles stiffened as he yelled as his aura surged. He was forming a much bigger blast than what he dealt the alien he killed. Piccolo gave Tien a nod and they joined in, raising their power levels and executing their most powerful blasts. The Special Beam Cannon, the Final Flash and the Tri-Beam hit their target simultaneously.
"Great, guys, you got him head on!" Gohan cheered from the sidelines.
"Don't join in," Piccolo warned.
"But why!" Gohan said.
"Stay ba-"
Before Piccolo could finish he was spitting up blood and saliva as he fell. Frieza's tail caught him on the side of his head and he was sent sailing in the distance into a boulder.
"Piccolo!" cried out Gohan as he started forward but he was held back by Bulma.
Tien and Vegeta eased off of their attacks; it was apparent that they were absolutely useless.
"Take my lead!" Frieza mocked, "Is that what the monkey prince has been reduced to? Being the leader of a worthless race?"
"Masenko!" yelled Gohan as he unleashed a powerful blast. As he did so, he was consumed by a flaring aura that intensified around him as he drew closer.
"You're the brat that actually did a thing or two to me on Namek," Frieza said, not even bothering to shield, "Too bad. I'm invinicible." He appeared suddenly before the boy and jabbed him with his knee.
"Oh, no, Gohan," Bulma said as she saw the boy fall. Frieza was about to make a grab for him when a clawed hand caught hold of his tail. He was flung into the distance at top speed and collided into a waiting fist.
"Good move, Namekian, now step back!" Vegeta declared, taking up the rear and slamming Frieza on the head. He followed up the move with incredible speed and strength. He managed to get Frieza caught in a swirling storm but it soon came to an end when he was struck. He looked down at a tail wriggling through his chest.
"Namek was fun but don't think I'm going to let you off that easy again. I made a promise as concerns Nappa and you disobeyed me. Aren't you happy for second chances, Vegeta? Now, I get to torture you mercilessly for as long as I like." He proceeded to engulf Vegeta in a terrifying onslaught, finishing it off by tightening his tail around his throat.
Piccolo and Tien collaborated in an effort to gain some ground but they too fell to their defeats.
"Leave Mr. Piccolo alone!" yelled Gohan, suddenly appearing with Krillin behind him. They both released powerful blasts.
"It's always the same trick with you insects, isn't it?"
With a spinning kick, he sent them falling as well. With another kick, Frieza sent Vegeta crashing into the window of the spaceship much to awakening Bulma's scream. He grabbed hold of Vegeta's head and lodged the fragments even deeper within his face.
"Now, for some fun, shall we?" Frieza said as he raised his free hand towards Bulma.
Bulma stared on in disbelief as she saw a fire ball grow within the creature's palm.
"Quick. Pop quiz! Who's weak and defenseless?" Frieza said in jest.
"Ooh, ooh," started his father, "Let me guess - the prince?"
"Wrong, daddy!" Frieza said, "The girl!"
"No!" Vegeta said as he struggled out of Frieza's grasp and barely managing to hit the blast off course. However, the resulting devastation was still close enough to cause Bulma to fly off in the distance. Vegeta flew after her, but being weakened, only caught her in the nick of time.
"Stay here," Vegeta said as he laid a trembling Bulma down. And with that he was gone again.
She wasn't sure how long she had been out there but if felt like forever. And then the unthinkable happened and she knew her time was up for sure. Coming in for a landing was none other than a space pod and she knew enough to know that nothing good could come from it. She shielded herself from the upsurge of dirt and debris that swirled around her as the ship landed. She waited with bated breath; she wanted to run but her feet would not budge.
"1:15 p.m. on the dot," she said as she looked at her watch, " Yep. The exact time of my death. Goodbye cruel world!"
However, she was so transfixed by fear that she had not been aware of just how long she had been standing there until the moment she was taken hold of. She felt her body being carried away and she looked up into the familiar face of none other than Goku, only now sporting blond hair.
"I must be dead!" she said, "You look like an angel!"
"Oh, sorry," Goku said and he was donning black hair once more. "You're alive and well I promise you. I just wish I had gotten here sooner," Goku said as they took to the sky. He made his way over to his fallen comrades.
"Why? Why Kakarot?" asked a very weakened Vegeta who was drenched in blood, "Why did you let them go again?"
"I was raised on Earth but I do think it is universal for a warrior to actually want a fight. Frieza and his father are no match for me. I gave them a dose of what I could do and it scared them off like children. I'm only showing them etiquette."
"You fool!" Vegeta said but an upheaval of blood interrupted.
"Any more senzus on you guys?"
Vegeta directed Goku to the one he had stashed away. "Give it to the boy. I've seen worse."
"Thank you, Vegeta." Goku fed the bean to his son and in no time, Gohan was back on his feet again.
"Will you help me carry the guys to go get some help, Gohan?"
"Absolutely, Dad." Gohan held on tight to his father, wiping his tears into his clothes, "I've missed you so much."
"Me, too son. Me too."
"And after several months recovering in the hospital, another crop of senzu beans were reaped and you were all fully healed once more. About a year later, Frieza and King Kold returned alone. By this time, Vegeta had achieved his super saiyan form and he and Goku went off to kill the villains once and for all – King Kold having fallen to Goku and Frieza having fallen to Vegeta. Four months later, Goku mysteriously and suddenly comes down with the heart virus which ultimately takes his life. Three months after that, the androids appear."
The dragon stared on at the mesmerized faces of his audience, mischief shining in his eyes, "And you thought that was something? You're gonna love part two!"
END THEME:
PREVIEW OF NEXT EPISODE
"Shenron's here! Were you expecting someone else? He - he!"
"Hi. My name is Shenron. I'm not as popular as that other guy. But enough is enough! I grant wishes for crying out loud. He's just monkeying around all day. Seeing as this show is named Dragonball as in DRAGONball...I think that now I should have my time in the spotlight. They only want to call me out when it suits them. Well, they've got another thing coming! *whisper* Don't let any of those other two losers know, OK! Especially that one Chrissi B, who's not even a Dragonball character. Who is that anyways? Oh and...
See you NEXT TIME ON DRAGONBALL SUPER: EPISODE SPECIAL: FROM FRIEZA TO HEART VIRUS TO ANDROIDS PT2"
"Hey, Shenron! I wish to become a Dragonball character!"
"Oh, no! You're here. Um...can't right now. I'm in the middle of an important story."
*Sigh*
END CREDITS: Author/Creator of the DBZ series and characters: Akira Toriyama
Author/Creator of this Story/Series; Creator of an Episode Special Pt 1 and Pt2 : Chrissi B (c) 2023