Hello everyone! Welcome back as we progress to get the boys (and our lovely scientist!) to planet Namek. Still in a bit of a filler state but we're working our way towards some development, including a surprise at the near end of the chapter ;). As I stated previously, the chapters will start to shorten a bit by around chapter 30 or so, so this is a big chapter. I am sorry if that doesn't suit you guys, but I am trying to get better at streamlining this stuff.
The Z Fighters are ready to head to Namek! Will their training have paid off? And what of our resident Saiyans out in space, recovering from their wounds? Will they be able to make it to Namek as well? So much is coming together, but the only way to discover everything, is to find out on the next chapter of Dragon Ball: BtG!
Review(s)
Whomie: Please drop it. I don't need or have time to be ridiculed by someone who reads Animal Crossing and Five Nights at Freddy's stories. This 'shit' plot is for people who want blood, guts, and fights, along with a plot. So please, you have nothing to offer to make it better? Then by all means, bye (and good riddance!)
Age: November 2, 762
Location: Capsule Corp
"Alright Angie, go ahead."
"Yes, Ms. Brief."
The employees at Capsule Corp were working around the clock, fixing up Kami's old spaceship and fitting it with a proper training room with gravity for the guys going with her. Upon returning from her namekian language lessons with Mr. Popo and Kami, Bulma returned to see that her father and the other scientists and employees were hard at work deconstructing the ship and the pod. Using some of the Kachi Katchin, Doctor Brief was able to construct a stronger shell around the namekian ship and was able to get the readouts set up in English dialogue. They had together agreed to enlist their employees' help upon each signing a confidentiality agreement and being paid double their normal salary for the remainder of the year. Each would be given a permanent raise at the start of the next year. Trying to insert the gravity room itself was the hard part, but most of that work was now done. Bulma watched as Angie used the Ki Torch to cut another slab of the material down. There was still an untold amount of it, but already other properties and items were being considered for re-creation. They had also discovered that Goku's Space Pods engine would run far faster than the namekian ship itself, nearly 5-6 times faster in fact! The space pod itself had been built up with Capsule Corp material, and with a better understanding of the propulsion systems, they would be able to create a much bigger rocket system for the Capsule Pod, as Bulma coined it.
"Miss Brief, a call from your father across the hall."
"Uhhh why now?" Bulma walked to the table, grabbing the phone.
"Yeah Daddy, what's going on?"
"Bulma dear, your mother wants you upstairs for lunch, she brokered no room for argument."
"Dad we need to get these done. I promised the guys we would be in space by the first week of November. I'm not going back on my word for lunch!" She slammed the phone down, getting back to the namekian spaceship.
"This is just so insane. I mean I'm about to be in space soon! I better fix my hair! Angie, you're in charge down here until I get back."
"Of course Miss Brief."
Mount Paozu was truly a beautiful place, but its beauty was ignored by the Saiyan, sleeping on the ground. Raditz was exhausted. Another 6-hour session in the Gravity Room last night with his brother had put him in a delirious state. Thinking about it now, after that first night of intensive training, he kind of deserved his situation.
October 20, 762
Shepard, Raditz, and Goku were beyond flushed and exhausted. All 3 had passed out in the Gravity Room, the dial reading 20. At some point, Goku had increased the gravity, making their training become a trek just to make it through the night. Goku's and Shepard's Gi's were both ripped up, and both were bloodied. Raditz's armored top was destroyed, with a massive shiner on his eye, the Golden Staff having caught him full force across the face earlier. Shepard's arm was bloodied and battered, trying to block the Golden Staff one too many times, while Goku's mouth had blood coming out of it. Shepard and Raditz had performed far better in their teamwork after getting over the initial shock of Goku having a new weapon. After Shepard used his ki rope trick to pull the staff away, they all charged in together, each fighting each other. The result was what Chi Chi, who was beyond tired after flying for hours straight, and Gohan, who was so tired that he nearly passed out in the sky, walked into. Chi Chi had screamed bloody murder, fearing the worst. When she first walked in, she was stunned at seeing the BanHammer, with baby Axel snoring next to it, a thin, ethereal aura surrounding the baby and weapon. It wasn't until she walked through the 2nd set of doors that she got the shock of her life.
"Goku? GOKU? Gohan see if you can find any senzu beans in here NOW!"
"Ok, Mom!" Gohan quickly replied. Chi Chi nearly tripped over Shepard, who was lying on his stomach, unconscious. Reaching Goku, she kneeled next to him. He was also unconscious, but alive.
"Goku what did you do? Damn it! GOHAN!"
"Ch-Chi?"
Cupping his face, Chi Chi looked at her husband's face, opening his mouth where a smattering of blood fell out.
"GOKU! Come on Goku don't do this to me. Please! Not after I just got you back!
"I-it's..it's ok Chi...Chi.."
"No, it's not! How is this ok? Nearly killing yourself while you're training like this? It's not right! GOHAN!"
"Zen...Kai."
"Wh-what?"
"Saiyans...Zenkai...Stronger after..."
She heard a groan off to the far left, near the wall where an unconscious Raditz lay. Looking at the man for a few moments, she watched as he groaned again, but differently. She realized it must have been a groan of relief when Raditz turned his head the other way, almost as if falling back asleep.
"I'm here Mommy!" Gohan landed next to Chi Chi, a senzu bean in hand.
"Thank you, Gohan! Here, chew it down!"
Goku did as he was told, before his power started to come back, his aches and pains soothing until completely gone. His eyes opened wide before he stood up.
"Whoa! What the heck happened?"
"Are-are you ok Goku?"
"Thank you so much, Chi Chi. We mighta been in trouble if you didn't show up hehehehehe."
"Cut the crap Goku! What the hell happened to you three?"
"You're ok Daddy!" Gohan said before he jumped into his father's arms. Goku caught him and held him, sniffing his hair.
"Well, Shepard had this idea to try to exploit this thing called the Zenkai. I thought it was stupid, but Raditz agreed, so I went with it. I'm fine Chi Chi, honest."
"Hmph. You stay right there. If you even think of going anywhere right now, you can forget about breakfast."
"Aww come on Ch-" with a look from his wife, Goku instantly shut up.
Chi Chi and Gohan both walked over to Shepard's unconscious form. His face looked serene as if he enjoyed what had happened.
"Always a glutton for punishment." Chi Chi pulled another senzu bean out, slapping Shepard in the back of the head. He groaned, clearly still in a dazed pain of sorts.
"Flip yourself onto your back and you can have breakfast." The effect was instantaneous, Shepard rolled over onto his back, grimacing in pain.
"My back...my back! Holy...dog turds."
"Ewwww! Here, open up and chew down."
Shepard felt his aching bones instantly give up the pain for soothing relief. His body instantly began to feel better before his eyes opened wide, vitality clear for all to see.
"Woooow, not doing that again!"
He stood up, flexing his hands. The Ki Restrictor Gauntlets remained undamaged and unaffected, the dial still set down at 25%.
"Huh? What are those things on your and Goku's wrists? Is that why your energy feels lower than it should?"
Shepard had chuckled at that, thinking that Chi Chi was far smarter than she looked.
"Yeah. Yeah, they're called Ki Restricting Gauntlets. They're made to reduce one's ability to use their energy. I have another pair if you wanna give them to Gohan."
"Uh uh. I don't think so. Gohan is NOT getting involved with your death battles."
"It wasn't...it's not a death battle. It's strategy."
"Strategy? STRATEGY? So laying face down in a room made to flatten you is strategy? Try again."
"Everything's alright Chi Chi, I promise."
"Didn't I say don't talk Goku?"
"No, you said don't move."
"DON'T TALK EITHER!" She shouted behind her. Goku audibly gulped, standing still.
"Now. Shepard, care to run that by me one more time?" Chi Chi said sweetly, making Shepard grab at his collar and pull it.
"Uhh, well, we have this thing in us called the Zenkai. Basically, when a Saiyan fights to a near-death state and can recover, we grow leaps and bounds in power. And we need it, Chi Chi. That's the truth."
"Why? I've heard about this 'Frieza' guy. Is he that dangerous?"
Shepard looked away for a moment, thinking of how to answer. He didn't want to completely reveal the threat of Frieza in front of Chi Chi, but she asked. So now he had to find a way to convince her to allow Gohan to go to Namek.
"He's...he's the emperor of the Universe for a reason Chi Chi. The one directly responsible for destroying Goku and Raditz's home planet. And Vegeta. He's...corrupted Vegeta in a way that I don't know if I can turn him back. But I have to try. Both Raditz and Vegeta can be great allies in the future. But it starts on Namek."
"I see. And you want Gohan to go to Namek don't you?" She crossed her arms, tapping her bicep impatiently.
"He..kinda..has to?"
BAM
"OWWWWW! Sonuva...What the hell is that thing made of?" Shepard had fallen on his ass, holding his head. Chi Chi's frying pan disappeared before she pulled Shepard up by his tattered Gi.
"You listen here Shepard and listen well. Gohan is NOT going to Namek. I'm not going to bury my son before he buries me! You hear that?"
Shepard tried his best to ignore the irony of that statement, knowing full well about the Red Ribbon Army and Gohan's subsequent death that followed.
"I-If he doesn't go, then he won't b-be able to make a new friend. A friend that may h-help us in the future."
"What is it with you and this future talk? If...if something happens to Gohan...I..you can't begin to understand how hard it was for me to get over what happened to Goku, but Gohan? No...I refuse to allow him to be hurt by some maniacal...space pirate."
"Mom I-"
"QUIET!"
"But Mom-"
"Gohan, please be quiet."
"What about Uncle Raditz?" Chi Chi scoffed at that, looking over at the still knocked-out Saiyan.
"What about him? He looks better that way!"
"Aww come on Chi-" a yellow blast hit Goku in the face, covering it in smoke.
"Chi".
"One. More. Word, and you can find your breakfast AND LUNCH!" Goku shut up instantly, coughing some smoke out of his mouth.
Chi Chi let go of Shepard, who got back to his feet and phased over to Goku.
"That bitch is nuts! I'm doing my own training at my house. Hit me up when you can get out."
"Uh uh, Shepard! Tights already knows what's happened. She expects you home IMMEDIATELY!"
"...Agh shit!" Shepard had rushed out of the Gravity Room, grabbing the hammer and baby and quickly taking off.
Chi Chi walked over to Raditz, kicking him in the side, eliciting a pained groan from the tall Saiyan.
"Here! You can take your own bean." Chi Chi said, throwing the bean down next to Raditz where he could see it. He weakly grabbed it, biting into it and swallowing. His stomach instantly felt better, as did his face.
"Ughhhh those beans. What a relief."
"Get up."
"Huh?" Raditz slowly got to his feet. Looking down at the small woman, he instantly tried to put on an intimidating face, but she wasn't falling into it.
"Now. As for the both of you. Do you want to beat yourselves up so much? Fiiiiiine! But you'll be the one cleaning up the blood and fixing your messes from here on out! I will not allow you both to kill yourselves for the sake of this...Zenkai or whatever it's called. So, Goku, you're going to continue to shut up, go inside and sit at the table and wait for your breakfast."
"Bu-"
"Did I sound confused Goku? NOW!" Goku quickly darted out of the Time Chamber through the exit connected to the long hallway leading to their house.
"Now, as for you. I'm NOT letting you into my home. I don't care if you're Goku's brother or not. After what you did, you're lucky I don't just throw you off this planet! So, you want to continue to train, well guess what? You can live in here. Goku will bring you food, assuming he doesn't eat it all. You are to stay away from my son, is that understood?"
"Hmph. Whatever. Can't wait until we fucking leave this dreary, miserable ball of mud anyway. I'll be sure to happily stay in space."
"Do what you like, I don't care either way. Just stay away from Gohan!" Chi Chi said before she exited the chamber, leaving Raditz alone.
"Stupid bitch. Like I care. It just means I get to train more than Kakarot. Shame on you brother, being whipped up and all. No wonder you were so weak when I first got here."...
Raditz had slept outside in the beautiful, star-filled sky, listening to the animal sounds, for once not being cooped up in that metallic room. It was chilly, but Raditz had hunted one of the many bears in the forest, killing it and skinning the animal. Using its fur for a cover, Raditz was snoring without a care in the world, until the smell of some kind of meat assaulted his nose. Wiggling it around, the smell got stronger until it became overwhelming. Opening his eyes slowly, he was surprised to find Gohan outside, a big tray of food in hand.
"U-Uncle Raditz? Uncle Raditz? Daddy said that Mommy hid this food away from him for you to eat."
"H..huh? Brat? Why couldn't I sense your energy?" Raditz said, removing the bear fur and sitting up.
"W-well my Daddy gave me these things to put on my wrists. Since Mommy let me train with you guys sometimes, I decided to try something...different."
The little boy held his wrist up while balancing the tray of food. 10% read on the dial.
"Hmph. I see. Well, you best get going brat. Don't want your banshee of a mother hitting me with that blasted frying pan again."
"O-ok. See ya, Uncle Raditz." Raditz watched as the little boy ran back towards the house. This had been the routine for nearly 2 weeks. The first couple of days, Raditz didn't get so much as a morsel of food, only being able to eat when his brother noticed how weak his punches were in a sparring session. Since then, Gohan would somehow sneak a plate away from Goku or Goku would give a plate to Gohan to give to the Saiyan. It wasn't much but it would do. It was why Raditz started hunting more in the wilderness. The bear meat he cooked last night was very good if only a little gamey. He had also gone to take showers in the lake. Hygiene wasn't much of a big deal to the former planet trader, but he'd do what he needed to do to keep himself semi-clean. He was biding his time. The woman had truly pissed him off, and he was fed up. Once they got to Namek and dealt with that mess, he was done. He'd find his own ship, and sail the cosmos, looking for great warriors to test himself against. It was natural Saiyan behavior to do something like this, and Raditz refused to ever work for the PTO again. He had heard there were possible openings with the Galactic Patrol, but their weak asses couldn't so much as take down the Ginyu Force, let alone Frieza. And he would no longer be a tool for ANYONE, even these warriors here on Earth.
However, his mind had often drifted back to the young redhead at the hospital. Suno, her name was. Thinking about her left Raditz in extreme conflict. He wanted off this planet, absolutely, but he didn't know what to do about her. Oh well, he'd likely never see her again, with him going back to space living soon, so he blocked her out of his mind and got started with his day...
"4,995...4,996...4,997...4,998...4,999...5... THOUSAND!" Shepard fell, landing on his feet. In his gravity room, he was limited. Only able to do calisthenics and katas. It was big, but not nearly as durable as Goku's. After the mess with Namek, he would take the Gravity Room to Bulma and the Doctor in a capsule and have it upgraded.
Tights had laid into him hard when he had gotten home with Axel 2 weeks ago...
"Crap crap crap crap crap crap!" Shepard was blitzing across the ocean, Axel in hand and the BanHammer on his back flying as fast as he could. He could feel his girlfriend's energy, and it was in a chaotic state, clearly emotional.
He landed on the main island, bursting through the door.
"TIGHTS! Me and the baby are home!"
Axel had woken up mid-flight and was crying nonstop the whole time. Shepard heard something fall from the kitchen area before footsteps were heard racing around the corner.
"SHEPARD!" He didn't see it coming.
WHONK
"YOWWWWW!" Instinctively dropping the baby, Shepard held his head in intense pain. Looking up, he saw his girlfriend, looking incredibly angry with Axel in her left arm, and a rolling pin in her right.
"When you said you would be taking Axel on a flight, I had assumed you meant a simple flight. NOT A SPARRING MATCH!"
"Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow Jesus fu-"
"SHUT.."
"Fu"-
"Don't." Tights was shaking her head, all hint of her playful nature gone. This was a Brief, tried and true. And she was showing it in full force.
"A simple flight Shep. I left you a backpack for Axel and you didn't even bring it back. If all it's going to take for you to be distracted from your fatherly duties is a fight with rivals, then maybe you don't deserve to be in Axel's life."
"Whoa whoa whoa whoa. THAT. Is not necessary Tights." Shepard was trying to say, before Tights turned around, diaper in hand.
"Oh, Axey! My big Axey! Do you miss your Momma? Big bad Dadda had you out all night. I'm so sorry baby." Tights said as she took her time, changing her son's diaper. After wrapping Axel up, the baby began laughing, flailing his arms around.
Shepard looked on before he put his head down in utter shame. He neglected his son, and it showed as Axel looked to be very happy again. He had remembered the baby falling asleep next to his BanHammer and becoming so consumed with the fight with Goku and Raditz that he shamefully forgot about his flesh and blood.
"I fucked up so bad Marc. Why didn't you tell me?"
"Dude you never really listen to me when you're fighting. You get so caught up in these things that you become nearsighted. How can you be a great fighter if you don't mind your surroundings or the people you care about? I said nothing because I can't always bail you out. You must show growth yourself. Axel is a good-looking boy, and we in time will be great men for him to inspire to be. So grow up Shep."
"Dammit Mar...you're right. Thanks. I'm going to start doing better man. Talk soon."
The conversation in his head was over by the time Tights picked Axel back up and walked back to Shepard.
"So, you screwed up, which means you have a punishment. No leaving the Islands!"
"WHAT? THAT'S BULLSH-!"
WHONK
Axel was giggling as Shepard lay on the ground, holding his head again.
"No. Leaving. The. Islands. You'll do your training here before you go off into space. You have your gravity room. SO USE THAT!"
"Bu-bu-" Tights held up the rolling pin again, causing Shepard to shut up instantly, shaking in confused terror as he watched her put it back down.
"I'm not repeating myself. In a couple of weeks, you get to see your rivals again. But until then, I'll give you 6 hours a day to train. The rest of that time will be for you to sleep, eat, or help me with Axel. Do you want to be in his life? You were out of it the first few months. You're only going to be here for a couple of weeks at most before you're gone again for who knows how long. So you're creating memories with us, NO EXCEPTIONS!"
There were none. Tights had been no-nonsense with Shepard, keeping him on a 6-hour-a-day limit for training. He knew he was probably a bit behind Goku and Raditz, depending on how much Chi Chi cracked the whip on them. He was currently at 50 Times Earth's gravity, pushing himself harder than he did on King Kai's planet. Pushing through his second set of 5,000 push-ups, he bitterly thought about his failure at looking after his son. It was so...unlike him to just forget those kinds of things. Was his Saiyan side asserting far more dominance than it should have? He didn't think so. But as he continued to exercise, he began to realize something dreadful. He was willingly feeding into those urges!
"Marc I think I know what the problem is."
"Oh really? Do tell."
"What if...what if there's something else inside me? Something more...dangerous than I can anticipate?"
The silence on the other end was beyond annoying, but troublesome. After about 3 more minutes of it, Marc finally contacted him back.
"I can tell you that there's nothing more than just you and me. You need to set yourself, straight man. Remember your priorities. Frieza will someday find Earth on his own. If we don't stop him on Namek, he will find a way, and he will KILL what is ours if we let him. So let's get stronger, bring the pain to his ass."
"That's all I needed to hear. Talk soon, dude."
Shepard continued to push himself, ratcheting up his kata work. He needed to hit harder, to be faster, to push himself beyond the limits mortality would dare set for him. Another hour later, he saw he had 30 minutes left. Deciding to shut down the training early, he shut the gravity down, grabbing a towel that Tights had placed outside the door. Walking through the tunnel, Shepard contemplated just what he was about to endure. There was a reason that Frieza was one of, if not the most iconic of villains! His strength was far away and above the realm of normality, truly a terrifying prospect. But Shepard smiled to himself, enjoying the idea of wrecking Frieza's pride much like he had Vegeta's.
Walking through the metallic door into his house, he smelled food cooking, bringing a nice wide smile to his face. He entered the kitchen, seeing his girlfriend cooking an unholy amount of food, most being for him, and baby Axel seated in his high chair, Saiyan proof of course. The baby was already able to support his neck and sit in it properly, despite being only 3 months old. He was smacking his hands on the top, babbling until he saw his father, then he began to scoot around in his seat, holding his little hands out towards Shepard. The Saiyan smiled, walking over and picking up his son, who started giggling.
"Man you're getting so so big! Do you know you're gonna be the biggest one in the household? Don't ya don't ya don't ya!"
"Shep! You're early for dinner. First time for everything." Tights turned, smiling at her boyfriend. He had shown improvement. Vast improvement in taking better care of his son. Holding his hand out, Shepard looked at the dial that read 20 percent. He decided to keep them on until he got to Namek. He had a goal, and he was gonna see it through, one way or another!
"Yeah! Yeah, I just decided to cut training a little early. See my beautiful woman, my beautiful baby boy. I think I needed this Babe. I know I don't often say it, but thanks for kicking my ass hm hm hm hm hm."
Tights looked at him for a few seconds, face unreadable before she began to chuckle.
"You're so funny when you're in the doghouse. Sit down hon. Dinner will be done shortly." Shepard sat, thinking about the upcoming trip. The humans and likely Piccolo were set to leave any day now. The way Chi Chi blew up a couple of weeks ago, it was likely that Gohan wouldn't be coming to Namek in this Timeline. It was a bummer, which meant he would have to find another way to get Dende's help in the future. Without Gohan's sheer impulsiveness to protect innocent lives, the young namekian would likely be killed. 'If he's not dead already. How do I know Frieza didn't just bolt for Namek as soon as the words Dragon Balls were shouted over the scouter?'
There was much to consider. And much to plan for. Shepard did have a plan. He knew they needed the Super Saiyan to beat Frieza. But there was just no viable way for them to achieve it at this time. Shepard tried, once. It definitely wasn't about raising your power. That 'tingle' in the back thing didn't mean shit to him! The transformation was just beyond him at the moment. Raw anger was something he had yet to truly experience. Sure, he had been pretty pissed when Raditz killed him. He had been hoping to survive that encounter. Things were spiraling out of control as far as Dragon Ball Z went. This was truly going off the script. It wouldn't be a surprise, however bit of a dickish thing to do if his older self had polluted the timeline so far as Frieza was concerned. What if that bastard trained Frieza a bit? Made him a tougher fight than needed for whoever did fight him? The logic seemed to run through him incredibly so. So much that when Shepard first met him, it was like meeting a whole different person. The eyes had changed. Old man Shepard had seemed...lost, without direction.
"And here ya goooo!!" Tights cheered, bringing over a big steaming plate of pork buns and rice rolls, and biscuits. Shepard dug in quickly, enjoying his food as he scarfed. Tights sat her seat next to Axel and began feeding him as well. The baby was a vacuum! He ate any and everything!
"Kami you're gonna be a big boy someday the way you eat!" It was just then that the phone rang. Tights looked up, watching her boyfriend continue to destroy his food with no care in the world, so she got up and went to the phone.
"Hey, Sis! What's up? Uh-huh!.. oh wow! Tomorrow? That's great news! I'll let Shep know. Buh bye."
"So, Shepard. You've done good in helping me with Axel these last couple of weeks. Bulma and the others are leaving for Namek first thing tomorrow morning. So you can say goodbye to them, they're launching over at Master Roshi's."
"Noice!" Shepard said, wolfing down the last of his dinner. Tights had gotten cooking down to a science. She hadn't needed to use any of Shepard's Saiyan Meals since he got back.
"Alright, I'm gonna hit the sheets early Babe. Love you."
Shepard came up behind the small woman, wrapping his arms around her small frame, inhaling her scent. She smelled of oranges and metal. Strange, but the Saiyan would not complain whatsoever. Tights smiled, holding her head back and inhaling her boyfriend, who smelled like a gym.
"You need to take a shower. You smell like your feet."
"Straight damn. Cold-blooded hahahahahaha good point. Alright little buddy, love you kiddo." Shepard said, walking up and gently kissing the baby on the forehead as he kept eating.
"Damn that kid's gonna be a monster of a man someday." Shepard chuckled as he walked away from the kitchen area. Heading towards the shower, he thought about the upcoming day. If Bulma and the others were leaving tomorrow, that meant that his, Goku, and Raditz's Space pod should be available within the next 2-3 weeks. They may get there to Namek a little bit earlier than Goku did. But with the humans having trained fervently lately, they would be better off. If the Ginyu Force showed up, he would be a little concerned and would hope Tien and Vegeta could put their differences aside until their main enemies were destroyed. He just couldn't account for all the variables. Turning on the hot water, Shepard waited for it to steam up. Thinking about the whole Namek mess was fraying his nerves. Stepping into the now hot shower, Shepard let the water cascade down his body as his mind was racked with continuous possibilities.
"Sooooo many different variables. God I could use some Time Patrol wisdom right now."...
The little boy had planned every step accordingly. Tricking his mother would be difficult with her ability to sense energy, but not improbable. It was his father that he was worried about. Goku was always a light sleeper, but not for traumatic reasons. He had always slept lightly for however long the little boy could remember. He looked on the dial, which now read 1%. He was going to get on that ship to help his friends, even if it defied his mother's wishes! He had only gotten to experience 15 Times Gravity a small handful of times, and training with his father and uncle had started to rub Chi Chi wrong. He charged a small yellow ball of energy in his hand, thanking the Desert Bandit for teaching him this technique. Setting it under his bed, it would go off when he was hopefully already out into space. There was no way his mom could fly out there and get him, or so he hopefully believed. Packing his gi, his emergency clothes, and some of his study books, he stored it all in an all-blue capsule that his mother had sitting around. He could've flown out the window, but he knew his parents would probably hear. So he would do the unlikely. Walking back as silently and quickly as he could, Gohan opened the back door leading into the Gravity Room walkway. He knew his mother was going to kill him when he got back, but maybe if he got some of his studies done while he was gone, he could at least nullify some of the damage. Opening the main door, he stepped into the Gravity Room, quickly heading towards the other end, where the back door was leading outside. He was almost free. Only steps away...
"Brat."
Gohan stood ramrod straight, slowly looking to his right. "U-U-Unc-Uncle Ra-Raditz?"
"Who else? So. Let me guess. Do you plan on going on that old slug's space pod later on? Is that it?"
Gohan's face scrunched up, not knowing what to say. Raditz chuckled, standing up and walking towards the frightened boy.
"Relax boy! If I wanted to attack you, I surely would have, hmm? So, you and I are going to step outside and have a talk? Understood?"
The boy shakily nodded his head, following his Uncle out the back door.
It was a quiet night, full of beautiful stars, but Raditz, who had somewhat lost his passion for this planet, really wasn't set on enjoying the scenery. He stood against the side of the dome building housing his temporary home. Looking down at the boy, Raditz looked next to himself, then the boy again. Gohan got the silent message, standing next to the tall Saiyan.
"As your uncle, I should be telling you the full truth of what you may encounter out there. As a Saiyan, and a half-breed like yourself no less, I can most certainly tell you that there are beings out there who far exceed our strength. And that is the ultimate glory of a Saiyan warrior. To always seek opponents greater than us! To always seek those who believe themselves superior to us, challenge them, and break their spirits! That is the Saiyan way. But as your uncle, I'm... well I'm...concerned."
Gohan's eyes shot up to the Saiyan, his stoic demeanor crumbling ever so slightly.
"Frieza is unlike anything you will ever face. His power, it's..it's maddening. Shepard and your father are keen to tackle Frieza head-on. It's insanity, but, as a Saiyan warrior, it is what I feel I have to do. So I will do it. As your uncle, I should be telling you to stay behind and study in those paper books. You're not a warrior, as much as you believe yourself to be. You're still only a child, and no child should ever..ever have to face down a monster like Frieza. But as a Saiyan warrior, on my honor, I won't tell your mother that you've left, but I won't stop her from going after you if she wants to."
"Why?" Gohan could only ask, completely not expecting such a long speech from his near silent Uncle.
"You and Kakarot both remind me of our mother. In many ways, you share her heart. She hated killing and being forced to. Hated the suffering of others. So she quit. And when it came time to save her, she was saved. She is out there, somewhere. Maybe I'll see her again someday, but I don't count on it. But your father also reminds me very much of our father, and he would settle for no less than what I've told you here tonight. So, you best get going. Whatever you've done, it seems to be working. I can sense what feels like two of you." Gohan nodded, walking backward and looking up at his uncle before he ran and took off in the sky.
He looked up at the stars for several moments, before he looked over to the left, where a figure came around the corner.
Goku looked up in the sky, where he could see his son's aura peeling away, fast. Smiling up before he looked over at his brother, he approached the Saiyan. He was already in his Gi.
"I thought I sensed something off. Lucky I kept Chi Chi sleep."
"I thought you would've stopped him."
"Well, he's got to grow, with his own experiences. Don't remember starting so young though hehehehe."
"Hmph. I'm thinking that after Namek, I may stay out in space brother. At least out there, I know who the threats are. I feel as if I went to sleep for too long one of these blasted banshees may try to kill me in my sleep."
"Hahahahahaha! Chi Chi has a mean streak! But, her heart is in the right place. You can't fault her for being a loving mom to her son."
"Hmph. Whatever softie. So, should I beat you to a pulp out here or head inside for more 60 Times Earth gravity?"...
The next morning, Bulma had arrived with the Namekian ship, setting down on Master Roshi's small island. It took up much of the front of the house, but it was relatively private out here. The ship looked pristine as if it never touched the ground. Piccolo, Yamcha, and Tien all arrived via flight. Yamcha had visited with Puar the last couple of nights of their training, having apologized for missing the transformer. Piccolo and Tien had both achieved mastery of 20 Times Gravity and were looking to get more in before arriving at Namek. Krillin had also trained under 20 Times but focused more on his quickness with the Destructo Disk. He could now fire it far faster and give it much more velocity and torque than before.
"Master Roshi?"
Roshi was looking up at the ship in weariness, but veiled excitement as well. With Krillin leaving, he could finally start to implement his plans.
"What is it, son?"
Krillin blushed under the affirmation. "I'm all packed. Uhh...well, how many humans get to go to space huh? Heh heh heh heh...uhh."
"It's ok to be nervous Krillin. But remember the ways of the Turtle, and they'll see you through. You have been a tremendous student to me, and I know you'll make me proud."
"I will Master. I promise." Krillin said, heading outside.
"It's a beaut isn't she guys?" Bulma shouted out, smiling wide. The ship itself appeared to have been made bigger, with the Katchintite shell as extra protection.
"As long as it gets us to Namek safely, I don't really care about the look of the ship," Tien said. For some reason, the statement made Piccolo kind of bristle. His senses had been off since the night before. His pupil had been using some sort of device to lower his energy, disturbingly. He could barely sense his pupil now, back at home, probably forced to study under his mother's tyrannical thumb. But he also sensed something else, but it was impossible. He chose to set the matter aside from now, looking upon the ship his alternate/father came to Earth on. Turning around, as did the rest of the warriors, they saw Shepard land, holding Tights, who held Axel, in a bridal fashion before setting her down gently.
"Hey, guys! We just wanted to see you off. Shep said Goku should be here shortly. You guys are gonna love space! It is amazing for a first-time experience!"
"I prefer my feet on solid ground, to be honest. In a ship, all it takes is one object."
"Oh relax Tien! This thing is made of the hardest stuff around! Daddy and I are going to be doing great things with it in the coming years. Just you watch!" Bulma was in a good mood today, and it rubbed off on most of the people on the island.
"Neat!" Goku said, landing on the island. "Ya know, I wish I was going with you guys now, but I don't know what I would do on a ship for a whole month!" Goku scratched his head in wonder. He thought his senses were right...
"The ship we're going on is gonna be much faster dude. Plus if what I've heard from the convos between the sisters is right, our gravity chamber is gonna go past 100 Times Gravity." Shepard couldn't believe his eyes! The ship was much bigger than he anticipated. It had to be nearly twice as tall as the ship on the show.
"Something feels...off..."
"Yeah, no shit! Why does it feel like I'm getting a whiff of Gohan's power around here?"
"It's like he's everywhere and nowhere at the same time. Be careful Shep."
"It's true! Daddy has been working hard in tuning that Gravity Generator to go past 100 Times Gravity. The one in here only will go about 25 Times. But with our limited time and schedule, I'd say be lucky we were even able to get one in there."
"As long as there's viable space to train, we'll make it work." Piccolo was ready to get going. His eagerness was so not to go to see his home planet.
"Take this," Shepard said, tossing an orange capsule to Piccolo.
"What's in it, Shep?" Krillin asked.
"Extra food. Always carry around a spare capsule with extras. Just...just take it with you guys."
"Good luck you guys!"
"Relax Sis! It's not like anything is gonna happen! We're just gonna go, use Namek's Dragon Balls, and BAM! We'll be back before ya know it." Bulma smacked a fist into her palm, eager to get going. Shepard and Tights looked at each other for a moment, each knowing after Shepard told her what may happen, that it would be anything but simple, but they chose not to ruin the good mood, instead chuckling at Bulma's enthusiasm.
"Do we have enough Senzu Beans for our training?"
"Oh! Thanks for reminding me." Tights said, handing the baby over to Shepard while she dug through her bag. "Here ya go, Tien!" Tights said, tossing a brown satchel over to Tien, who caught it with a raised eye, opening it and seeing more Senzu beans.
"Wow! Thank you Tights. These won't go to waste!"
"I should hope not. I know you'll work hard to get Chiaotzu back. I hope that you guys succeed. It's the least we can do to help." Shepard handed Axel back to Tights before walking up to Tien, looking him in the eye.
"Tien, dude I can't begin to imagine what you're going through. But I know we'll do everything in our power to get Chiaotzu back. I owe you guys, for taking the time to train me when you didn't have to." Shepard held his hand out for Tien, who took it instantly.
"And Yamcha! You better keep up on that Kaioken training! You and I have a rematch scheduled." Shepard said, releasing Tien's hand and shaking Yamcha's.
"Oh, you're tellin' me! Damn straight we have some unfinished business hm hm hm hm!"
"And Krillin! Don't think I didn't forget about that defeat you handed me so long ago!"
"Wouldn't dream of it," Krillin said, taking Shepard's hand and shaking.
"And Piccolo?"
"I'll punch you in the face if you think I'll shake your hand."
"Oh, I wasn't gonna hold my hand out for you anyways, mean green. I was just gonna say, enjoy the scenery."
"Hmph."
"Well if that's all, you guys better get going?" Master Roshi said. Oolong ran outside just then.
"Uhh Roshi, Chi Chi just called over here and said she's on her way!"
"Oh crap! You guys better get going now!" Goku said.
"Yeah go ahead. We'll cover you!" Shepard said, motioning for the warriors and scientist to get on board. Within 2 minutes, the ship was smoking, getting ready to lift off. Shepard, Goku, and the others watched as it exploded off the ground, taking off into space within seconds.
"Holy shit! Still unbelievable." Shepard said, holding his hand over his eyes and looking sky high.
"STOP THAT SHIP!" Chi Chi blitzed in, huffing and puffing.
"Huh? Chi Chi, what's wrong?" Tights asked as Chi Chi landed.
"GOHAN!" She screamed. "DAMMIT! I thought I sensed him around here. Where is he?" The others all used their senses, no longer sensing the boys' presence.
"Yup! Definitely on the ship!" Shepard said, scratching his head.
"Wow. He gets to go on an adventure in space! I'm so proud of him."
"GOKU! Tights, get on that phone now and call that ship and bring my baby back here!"
"I... can't? They won't be clear of interference for a little while. He'll be fine Chi Chi!"
"I DON'T CARE! I hardly get to see my baby boy for months. For months! Why is he becoming a hoodlum wahhhhhhhhhhh!" Chi Chi wailed, and to Shepard, he started to feel bad. Lightly grabbing the woman by the shoulder, Chi Chi dug her body into Shepard, balling her eyes out. Shepard looked over to Goku, who looked confused before he pulled Chi Chi by the shoulders and turned her towards Goku, who took her crying form with sadness.
"I'm sorry Chi Chi. We're gonna do all the training we can do when we go to leave, we'll be ready for whatever threats. I promise."
"St-stop promising me Goku. Ju-Ju-just stop!" Chi Chi said, letting go of her husband.
"That's all you do is train! Train train train! You never have time for us anymore! Ever since that old, crusty bastard came here, it's all you do! I don't know how much longer I can take this!"
"Hey!" Shepard said, stepping up to Chi Chi. Tights rocked the baby, trying her best to keep them both out of this argument.
"And you!" Chi Chi pointed to the Rogue, fury on her face. "This is all YOUR FAULT!"
"My fault? Fuck you and your Ox Kingdom! Let's not get it twisted. Space is dangerous, I know that. But the danger will be HERE, sooner than you think. So you can continue to bitch and whine all you freakin want, or you can drink a cup of concrete and HARDEN THE FUCK UP!" Shepard yelled, getting into the woman's face. Goku phased in between the two, lightly pushing Shepard back.
"That's enough! Chi Chi means well. She's just concerned about Gohan. Wouldn't you feel the same way for your son?" Shepard's eyes widened before he got angry.
"Ya know what? Screw this. I'm just gonna tell you now, the only thing stopping me from kicking your ass is that baby right now. Chi Chi is gonna get that kid killed because all she wants him to do is study. Study study study! Well, guess what? STUDYING DOESN'T SAVE THE PLANET! STUDYING DOESN'T SAVE THE PEOPLE! All you want him to be is a scholar, and I get that. I respect it, greatly. But if you think for one second I'm gonna let you hold him in a room and practically put Katchin bars around his windows and make him study until his eyes bleed and potential falls, then YOU'RE DEAD WRONG!" Shepard yelled out, before he turned back, leaving the sputtering woman to her own devices. Shepard was already not much of a big fan of Chi Chi when he watched the show. He understood where she came from, but to say things like his studies being more important than the planet he's studying on itself, was bullshit. And Shepard had had enough of his fill of the woman for a while.
"Shepard that was cold, and you know it." Tights said before Shepard picked her and Axel up.
"YEAH JUST RUN AWAY ASSHOLE! HOW DARE YOU TELL ME WHAT I CAN OR CAN NOT DO WITH MY SON!!!!" Chi Chi yelled out, before Goku wrapped his arms around her waist, face contorted with effort. Goku tried to stop her as she gathered a ball of energy and fired it at Shepard, who quickly turned, grabbing the ball. His face was a mask of pure enraged hardness. He squeezed the ball into nothingness, looking at Chi Chi and ready to turn her to ash on the spot.
"If you so much as fire another blast like that at my son, or my girlfriend, who are not capable of defending themselves, Goku won't be able to save you from me. Fire them at me all you want, but leave them out of it! If you want to leave Gohan motherless, you'll fire another one. TRY IT!" It was then that the baby started crying, Tights bouncing Axel and trying to calm him.
"SHEP!" Shepard didn't turn at Tight's demand, not taking his eyes off of the feral mother.
"Chi Chi that's enough! No more! We'll get Gohan back, but you need to go home."
"You-you're taking their side Goku? SERIOUSLY?"
"I SAID ENOUGH!" Goku yelled, silencing Chi Chi.
"There will be no more fighting between you two. Shep, I'll see you later. I'm gonna take Chi Chi home. Sorry about this guys." Goku said, grabbing Chi Chi by the arm and floating away.
"I can fly myself Goku!"
"I don't trust you right now Chi Chi. If Shepard wasn't already prepared to stop that blast, you could have seriously hurt Tights and that baby. Maybe even worse. You have issues, and we're gonna work them out. Now." Goku said, leaving Chi Chi stunned silent as they flew away.
Shepard didn't stop looking at the sky for a few seconds before his anger began to dissipate. Shaking his head and looking down, he let out a huff. He was not expecting that of all people, Chi Chi would be a threat to him. She wasn't, but just the very thought of having to deal with her antics made him cringe.
"Are you ok Babe?" Tights said, cooing the now silent, observant baby. Shepard looked down at the both of them, smiling at his 2 favorite people.
"I'll be better when we get home."
"I would not have expected Chi Chi to just openly attack you, Shepard. This is a dire situation."
"What are you gonna do Master Roshi?" Shepard asked the hermit.
"It's time to enact my plans, son. I won't be left behind by my students any longer." Master Roshi was cryptic, but Shepard had an inkling he knew what might happen.
"Good luck old man."
Master Roshi and King Kai had hashed out many of the details of their upcoming meeting. Deciding to wait until his students left, he was now ready to begin his quest. This journey would be one he never thought possible, with having eternal life. Nonetheless, it was time.
Shepard lifted off with Tights and Axel in hand.
"If I was Chi Chi and Axel just disappeared I would probably react the same way."
"Maybe. But that doesn't justify attacking all 3 of us. She'll get over her issues once Gohan gets back." Shepard ended the conversation. Blitzing across the water didn't give him much time to think. He wanted to punch something. Needed to.
"I'm gonna drop you guys off back at the house. I need to let off some steam. And I don't feel like doing that on the Islands. Is that alright Babe?"
"Better to let it out somewhere not around the baby. You've done good Shep. I permit thee to run amongst the wolves and howl hehehe." Tights giggled at Shepard, who looked at her with a twisted, amused expression, before he began to laugh as well, breaking the tension.
They made it to the Islands in record time, Shepard's flight improving vastly since he first took off over 2 years ago.
"Love you Babe, and you, you little monster," Shepard said, running his hand through Axel's long, spiky locks. The baby giggled before Shepard went and kissed Tights. The mother went and opened the door, allowing the BanHammer to escape through and meet its owner's outstretched hand. She had made sure to be out of the way, turning and smirking. "I just knew you were gonna do that. Love you too Shep. Have fun."
He smiled and waved at the pair, before running and taking a leap off of the island, letting himself fall for 20 feet before he sonic boomed away...
Space
"Man this is so wild!" Krillin almost shouted. They had passed through the Oort Cloud that surrounded their solar system only a short few minutes ago. Bulma herself was amazed at the speed of the ship. She could only imagine how much faster the Capsule Pod would be!
"So this is what it was like eh Tights?" Bulma questioned herself.
"I don't know about you guys, but I can't wait to start this training." Tien had increased his strength quite a bit since he began training with Yamcha and Piccolo. He knew he had to get even stronger. For Chiaotzu, and to help support the others.
"We got 33 full days and enough senzu beans for the trip Tien. Don't worry buddy, you'll have the Kaioken down before you know it." Yamcha said, giving him a thumbs up.
Piccolo didn't say anything. Something just seemed..off. He had been feeling it the moment he stepped on the ship. A wave of nostalgia passed through him. A fleeting wave of memories, going far too fast for even him to properly process. He had been strangely silent the whole trip. But something else piqued his curiosity.
'Something...something is strange...I feel as if Gohan is on the ship, but it's so faint. It can't be. Unless...'
"Does anyone feel anything strange coming from that direction?" Piccolo suddenly said, pointing over to where the storage units were placed for supplies. Everyone except for Bulma closed their eyes briefly.
"I...I think so.. it's..it's like I'm feeling a small trace of Goku here."
"No...not Goku...BOOOOOY!" Piccolo roared.
"What?"
"No..no way! How could he get by Chi Chi?"
The others focused far more intently before they felt it. The energy inside the storage unit began to rise, strangely it felt like it was raising unnaturally.
"Wh-what's going on guys?" Bulma almost shouted behind her.
"Ye-yeah man? Chi chi is pretty on the button with that kid Piccolo." However, the Bandit could scarcely believe what his senses were telling him.
It was then the storage unit door began to slowly wiggle before it was kicked open, nearly sending the door off the durable hinges.
"GOHAN?!?!"
"Wh..fuck." Bulma said, realizing she was bound to be killed by Chi Chi when she got back. She turned around as a pair of little legs scooted out, followed by the small body of the familiar little boy, who wore the Gi Piccolo gifted him. He breathed a small breath out, before smiling and putting his hand behind his head, scratching his head very much like his father before him.
"H-hey guys...he..he he..?"
"Cut the crap kid. How the hell did you get on the ship?" Piccolo walked up to the boy, towering over him. "Explain yourself boy! No more games! Your power has been completely off-kilter for the last few days! So talk!"
"C'mon Piccolo! He's just a kid!" Krillin said.
"I-I-I just wanted to help! I felt so bad about Mister Tien's friend Chiaotzu." The boy shamefully put his head down, nearly tearing up.
"Gohan, your mom is scared for your safety little man. This isn't just a trip to save Chiaotzu. We may be going after the worst guy around who wants the Dragon Balls! This isn't a training exercise. It's for real. If you really, really want to help, then you'll need to train when we train. I don't know if you'll be able to learn the Kaioken with your body being so small, but I know you'll get stronger."
"Not all of you will just fit in there at once you know?"
"That's ok Bulma, we have a plan in mind to counter that problem. Yamcha is right Gohan. I do appreciate you wanting to help, but this is not going to be some planet we're going to train ourselves. We're training ourselves now. Because we may be going into a life or death battle."
"STOP TREATING ME LIKE I'M A LITTLE CHILD!"
Gohan's scream echoed throughout the small area. Piccolo took a step back, fully aware of the explosion of power the boy was very much capable of.
"I was trained by Mister Piccolo. I just fought for my life with you. I hate fighting for my life. I hate life-or-death fights. I wish I could be rid of it. But I have this power inside me. And all of you are my Daddy's friends. I ju-just want to help. Daddy would want me to get as strong as I can so I can show him I can fight too!" Gohan was pleading his case. The warriors all respected the boy's strength. And they realized he was right.
"Well, hehehehe your mom is most certainly gonna kill us when we get back. I don't see why not. What about you guys?" Krillin asked.
Yamcha and Tien smiled at the boy's enthusiasm, but the namekian was far more guarded.
"Boy...very well. I expect you to give me 200 percent in this training, do you hear me?"
"Ye-ye-yes, sir!" Gohan stood ramrod straight for a few more seconds, his spiky hair a nostalgic reminder to the others about their friend back home.
Bzzt
Bzzzt
Bzzt
"DON'T ANSWER IT!" Everyone but Piccolo and the boy shouted, but it was too late. Bulma hit the receiver, looking on as a screen popped up, with a very, very angry woman on the other end.
"GOHAN! YOU GET BACK HERE THIS INSTANT! TURN THE DAMN SHIP AROUND!!" Chi Chi screamed into the receiver, nearly shorting it out.
"I-I can't Chi Chi! We got to get there as soon as possible!"
"I DON'T CARE! I JUST WANT MY SON BACK THEN YOU CAN GO WHEREVER!"
"Mommy I-"
"SHUT IT GOHAN! You, young man, are already in a lot of trouble! And as for ALL OF YOU! HOW COULD YOU GO AGAINST MY WISHES!"
"We didn't exactly have a choice."
"Yeah, he was already on the ship before us Chi Chi, speaking of, how the heck did you even get on the ship before us in the first place?" Krillin asked curiously.
"Well...hehehehe... it was all thanks to this!" Gohan smiled proudly, holding up one of his wrists, where the Ki Restricting Gauntlet rested. "And it was thanks to Mister Yamcha!"
"H-h-hey I don't wanna die when we get back!" Yamcha said annoyingly.
"What. Did. You. Do? YOU DIRTY BANDIT I SWEAR IF YOU HAD A HAND IN THIS YOU WON'T BE COMING BACK-"
"STOP IT!" Gohan yelled, his power bursting through. The KRGs now read 25 Percent on his wrists, but if that was only 25 percent...
The warriors took a step back, Chi Chi herself wide-eyed and open-mouthed.
"I ha-have to help Mom. Mister Chiaotzu helped train me just as much as the others. I would want to go if any of you had been hurt, or worse. I feel this thing inside me, that just needs to be let out! And what better way than to help stop bad people from hurting innocent ones."
"Gohan... I just want you to be safe Baby. Please. Please come home safe. You're so much like your father, it scares me." Chi Chi started to tear up, looking at her little boy, who was quickly maturing into the young man she had seen in that past vision with Goku.
"I promise I will study as well as train Mom," Gohan said, giving his mother a thumbs up and winking. The image nearly sent the woman to the floor, because it was almost exactly how Goku would promise things. He always had a smile on his face, ready to take on anyone or thing that would harm innocents. She realized what Kami had said not too long ago. At that very moment, she had to step out of her son's way, even if he was only 5 years of age. He was already leagues stronger than her, and if he stayed on course, he would be the strongest member of the family. But her motherly instincts were fighting her extremely hard on this stance.
"Pl...please..guys..please keep him safe. Your father and...and your uncle and Shepard will be on their way. Piccolo..."
"I'll do what I can Chi Chi."
"We all got his back Chi Chi."
Interference began to seep through, making the screen static.
"I love you Gohan. Use your training! And study! Make sure he studies!"
"Love you too Mommy. I promise I'll be back, and smarter than ever!"
"You betcha. See ya Cheech." Bulma said, hitting the end call button.
"Well...we're probably gonna die by frying pan when we get back hehehe."
"How did you get on the ship before us Gohan?" Piccolo turned back to his pupil, demanding answers."
"We-we-well... I turned these gauntlets down to 1 percent, then used a delayed Spirit Ball that would explode automatically after a certain period of time. I flew to Capsule Corp, used my speed, and was able to get on the ship. It was in a big building that was pretty open. I mentioned that I wanted to meet Bulma, and I was left alone. The ship was right there. I took my chance." Gohan said, clenching his fist as he ended his explanation.
"So that explains why you were thanking me. Hm hm hm hm man you probably just got us killed by your mother." Yamcha palmed the little boy's head, laughing.
"That's...that's pretty ingenious." Krillin thought.
"Not so fast! I never got any kind of message for anyone to see me!" Bulma snapped around, angrily looking down at Gohan.
"Be..because I knocked the guard out when he turned around. He's f-fine, just a chop to his neck. He was the only one there for security." Gohan said, frightfully taking a step back.
"Well then, I guess that means we'll have to up the security measures when I get back. But it was still a bad thing you did. Your mother is worried sick!" Bulma chided the child.
"I-I know. I ju-just wanted to help."
"Look. What's happened has happened. But if you truly are serious, then we better get started." Piccolo left no room for discussion, being tailed by the other warriors as they headed to the makeshift Gravity Room...
4 Days Later...
Frieza Planet 79
There was a lot of talk going around the station that a pod was incoming. One warrior was eagerly awaiting said pod. Nappa had since recovered, receiving a massive Zenkai. His power had to be nearly double what it was before! After arriving on FP 79, Nappa had been essentially carried to a Healing Pod, where it had taken many hours to recover, but he did. And he felt better than ever. The days waiting to see if Vegeta would even make it here we're grating for the giant, bald Saiyan. He was pissed on one end because Vegeta had thrown him away, though he was also grateful that Vegeta didn't outright kill him for his failure. He still had a hard time coming to grips with his defeat from the namekian warrior, who he hoped to see again really soon to avenge that defeat, as well as the loss of his tail. Unfortunately, the doctors told him it was impossible to recover.
Doctor Malaka had informed him a short while ago that a pod was on the scanner, coming in hot. Nappa wanted to be the first one there. Running towards the landing zones, the technology capable of bringing Saiyan Space Pods in without any excessive damage, he looked up, another Planet Trade member beside him. Cui had been given strict orders to keep an eye on Vegeta, but with Nappa also alive, he figured the orders went for both, and he wasn't letting Nappa out of sight!
"You think you can just outrun me here Monkey? The orders were very specific. Lord Frieza is very upset with Vegeta, so you're both to be brought to him."
"Shut it Fishface, if I really wanna deal with that mess right now, I would, but I'll wait for Vegeta to get here." Nappa wasn't in the mood for games, especially not from someone who had made much mockery and sport of them throughout the years. Lately, though, Cui had been leaving them alone more often than not, likely because Vegeta had already amassed more overall power than him. But with the backing of Frieza, he was nigh untouchable, at least for now...
"One Pod inbound! 2 minutes! Life signs: Critical?"
"Critical?" Nappa looked at the alien officer, who in turn looked at him with a shrug. "Well, shit!" Nappa ran outside, towards the landing zones. If Vegeta's life signs were critical, it could only mean he actually must have lost!
"H-how? Dammit Vegeta, what did you do?" Nappa ran hard, Cui on his tail.
"Not so fast! Wh-when Vegeta is healed, he is immediately gonna be put under lock and key and sent right to Lord Frieza!"
Nappa didn't give a glance but did hear the alien behind him. 'Whatever! Dammit Vegeta, what's going on?'
Nappa made it out to the zone where Vegeta's pod, coming in under automatic control, came down fast and hit the pad, stopping all impact for which it was created to do. Nappa and Cui, along with several doctors, were there waiting. When the pod didn't open, Nappa went up to it, hitting the manual door. It slowly opened, and the sight greeting everyone, was one of horror.
"F..fuck. V-v-Vegeta? Wh-what the?" Nappa ran up, getting a closer look at his Prince. His armor was completely gone. There were many holes in his blue one-piece undersuit. His knee appeared to have a hole in it, where Nappa could almost see the seat underneath. One of his hands looked to be nearly mutilated, with many small holes riding down towards his wrist. There was blood everywhere in the pod, from where the General couldn't see a definable wound. The Prince's face was cut massively around his nose area, swollen in places where it appeared to have been hit by a force too great to take. His right arm was bent at an awkward angle at the elbow. Nappa could still see the Prince's tail, but it hung limply between his legs, literally. All this, the General had taken in in a handful of seconds, before his training had kicked in. He immediately, as gently as he could, grabbed Vegeta's apparent non-injured left arm and heaved him out, and Nappa saw where the blood had now come from, a cut that went across Vegeta's back. It was deep enough that Nappa could see that it had been sliced cleanly.
"To think that a bunch of damn humans coulda done this. STEP ASIDE!" Nappa yelled at the incompetent soldiers next to him, putting Vegeta's body on the hover gurney, where the doctors hovered the severely injured Prince away.
"Hmm, so whatever did that to Vegeta is still out there?" Cui asked. Nappa ignored him once again, keeping pace with the hover gurney, which the doctors placed Vegeta's face under an oxygen mask.
"He needs the full powered solution, recommended heal time...unknown. Dammit boy, what have you done to yourself this time?" Doctor Malaka said. He didn't much care for many under his care, but he cared enough to at least be approximate.
"So what's the verdict Doc?" Nappa demanded. The rest of the doctors were getting the healing pod ready as Doctor Malaka looked over his patient quickly.
"Hmmm, over 100 punctures in his left wrist, nearly severing the nerves on his hand. It's odd, however, despite the circumstances. Whatever did this was so precise, that it didn't permanently damage his hand in any way. His right arm looks to have been broken roughly, not sliced, indicating a clean, but jagged break. Let's see, a horizontal cut crossing the entire length of his back and nearly two hundred thousandths deep. That is nearly a quarter-inch brute. He is extremely lucky that didn't cut further. Multiple puncture wounds around his nose and mouth area. Likely from a bite of sorts. Were you fighting some kind of vampire race?" Malaka asked, not expecting any kind of answer.
Nappa growled, not giving one.
"Ahhh.. this is most curious. His left kneecap has endured some kind of forceful trauma. As if...yes...most interesting indeed. As if some kind of powerful sword...no..not a sword... like a..."
"A hammer."
"A..a hammer did this?"
"The fuck? Poor wittle Vegeta got mangled by a little hammer? Hahahahahahaha that's the best thing I've ever heard." Cui couldn't hold in his snickers.
"Quiet Fishy! You didn't see this...hammer in action. I didn't think much of it either. But it's the only thing other than a Ki blast that coulda done it. And believe me. I know what the fuck I'm talkin about!" Nappa ignited his energy, ready to kill Cui. Just thinking about the Saiyan that dared to humiliate the Prince made Nappa's blood simmer!
"All of you quiet!" The Doctor demanded. "I haven't seen Vegeta this damaged in a very long time. Even Lord Frieza is unusually...gentle with him after such beat..-spars. Regardless. Is the solution ready?" Doctor Malaka called back to his protégées and workers.
"Yes, Doctor. Whenever you are ready." One responded.
"Excellent. We are going to try a 1-week healing solution. That should get him up to speed."
"One freakin week? C'mon Doc!" Nappa has his hands up in angered confusion.
"I will broker no room for argument. There was also a lot of internal damage to his body. I counted at least 3 broken ribs on one side, an estimated 80 percent blood loss. How the Saiyan even survived is astonishing. 1 week." Nappa just growled his unwilling acceptance. Cui on the other hand walked up quickly to the Doctor.
"No funny business, Doctor. Remember, he is to be healed and sent to Lord Frieza. I would hate to be on the wrong end of an...unfortunate set of circumstances hm hm hm hm hm hmhmhmhm." Cui grabbed the Doctor's wrist, threatening to break it with a sneer. Before he could, however, Nappa had put his hand around Cui's wrist.
"Now now FishFace. We wouldn't wanna hurt the Doctor responsible for treating Vegeta and getting him to where ya want em. So tell ya what. You come back in a few days and check his progress. Or, I just cave your insides with this nice big fist of mine. How bout it buddy, whaddya say?" Nappa smiled, a nice big smile, still holding onto Cui's wrist, who began to sneer, before smirking quickly.
"Hmhmhmhm...very well monkey. But just remember, last I looked. Your power was barely touching 8,500 last we spoke hm hm hm hm hm..perhaps it may be me breaking you in half if you don't let go of your superior's wrist?" Nappa smirked one last time, before letting go of Cui's wrist, who in turn released the Doctor's wrist. Wiping his hands on his new, shiny armor and uniform, Nappa crossed his arms, watching as Vegeta was set into the Formula, the liquid surrounding him.
"Well Vegeta, guess it's up to you and the healing pod. Good luck." Nappa said, turning and smirking at Cui, who slowly backed away from the giant Saiyan. He watched as Nappa stood in front of Vegeta's healing pod, continuing to smirk at him.
"Don't think this is over Nappa hm hm hm hm hm." Nappa watched as the fish-like alien walked out of sight. Now it was up to the Prince when he would be fully healed. He realized at that moment, like all others, that he would have to wait for Vegeta to make his move...
Everyone assumed that Vegeta was completely in a coma. But the Prince, ever studious, had put himself in deep meditation. He had envisioned himself in the same battle with Shepard, Kakarot, and the human, the other humans, and Raditz. Many times over. Dozens...Hundreds...he had lost count. But he had finally been able to conquer his mind and come out victorious.
'Yes...yes it's working. My senses have completely opened! How could I have been so blind? All these years?'
He felt his body enter the cool, cool liquid. But his body also had barely any reaction. The pain amassed from the fights on Earth had affected his body in ways he dared not think, but would overcome if any such limitations would arise. He would make his revenge happen!
For now, however, he was enduring his own..training of sorts.
'I-if I am correct, then I think I am sensing Nappa in front of me. Impressive Nappa. Your Zenkai must have been marvelous! You've at least doubled your power, if not more! Hmmm, what's this? 2 others in the room currently? One is...hmmm could it be? Has Frieza lost all trust in me that he would send one of his prized lieutenants? Cui...when I get out of...hold on a moment...I am sensing nothing currently stronger. Then that means Frieza has likely made his move! Damn it all!'
Nearly a week later, Vegeta looked in far better shape. His senses had improved much since leaving Earth. Nappa had been back and forth with protecting the Prince's healing tank and holding off Cui's feral and hungry gaze. Cui had tried to overpower Nappa at one point, but the staunch General would have none of it, and it stunned the fish-like alien. Somehow, Nappa seemed to be in a realm of power similar to his own! So Cui had called for backup, realizing that if Nappa was this strong, then Vegeta would be much stronger than him. Vegeta could feel Cui's timidness and anxiety, internally laughing at his failed attempt to take Nappa out. He was also impressed with Nappa's loyalty. The General could have acquiesced to Cui's demands but remained loyal to Vegeta. It reassured the Prince of his future plans, that he wouldn't have to worry about which side Nappa would choose.
"Just another day in the funhouse. Whaddya say Doc? Is he about good to go?" Nappa said, pointing to the tank behind him.
Doctor Malaka's hands had been full, trying to keep a full-on war from brewing between the warriors. Dealing with warriors for many decades, of all shapes and sizes, escaping with his life intact by the skin of his teeth off of Planet Vegeta, he was tired. The green-skinned, aging doctor looked at the display, looking at his patient's vitals.
"Yes just about. His knee and his left wrist seemed to take a bit longer to heal, but they are at peak efficiency. The solution has done its job. Assistants! Drain the Medical Machine!" The 4 assistants did as commanded and within seconds, the Pod began to drain. Nappa looked on, curious about what Vegeta was going to say.
The Prince slowly opened his eyes, seeing Nappa with them for the first time in weeks.
"Nappa. What a surprise that you survived."
"Me survive? How the hell did you? Those injuries were terrifying!" Nappa said, stepping aside and letting Vegeta walk towards the set of armor his teammate had set for him.
"Whatever happened to your knee and wrist have been healed Vegeta. Do be careful next time, however. Those injuries were very...uncommon."
"You think? For a Doctor, you sure are an idiot Malaka. As for me surviving Nappa, we have a bigger threat than we thought. Those blasted humans and low-class clowns...they were prepared for us. And Raditz...Raditz is very much alive. And he was as strong as I was."
"Whaaaaat? But...but he's just a low-class warrior!"
"And you were beaten by a slug! So...we underestimated them. And they dared to let me live! But that's not the big problem. We will discuss that when there are less...insignificant gnats around." Vegeta said, turning back to the new undershirt and armor. Grabbing the gloves and making sure they were clean, Vegeta put them on. Making a quick fist, he was satisfied they were properly starched. His senses chimed a high alert, causing him to look at the door, where a familiar and unfortunate problem appeared.
"Excellent! Now that you are healed, you will hold out your hands and place these cuffs on your wrists. Hm hm hm hm hm taking you to Lord Frieza myself will probably net me my own planet ha ha ha!" Cui laughed, holding out a pair of durable cuffs.
"Grrr fucking Fishface. I've had about enough of you! Now that Vegeta is up and ready, we're leaving."
"Hold on a moment, Nappa. A question for you, Cui?"
"Wh-what?"
"My power level, what was it before? 22,000 if I'm correct, yes? Well, it just so happens I got the absolute shit beaten out of me a short time ago, so you can imagine the Zenkai I've probably received hm hm hm hm hm hm!"
Cui took a step back, hoping his backup would be here very, very shortly. Clicking the button on the side of his scouter, Cui tried to gauge the Prince's power level.
Vegeta however, was testing one final theory before he decided to make his escape.
"It-it still reads at 22,000! Hahahahahaha so much for that whole Zenkai theory hahahahahahaha! What a stupid monkey you are hm hm hm hm hm and to think, Lord Frieza saw promise in you? Hahahahahahaha don't make me laugh!"
Before Cui could say anything else, he was cut off, pain erupting in his stomach. Nappa had phased over to him faster than he could imagine, before nearly blowing his innards apart internally with one, single blow.
"Yeah, that's enough of that! And to think, I did get a pretty good Zenkai, eh Vegeta?"
Vegeta slowly smirked, before turning and looking at Doctor Malaka, who could only step back in fright.
Cui's blood left his mouth in an artful display, spraying near the machines and hacking even more over Nappa's fist.
"H-h-how?"
"Ehhh, you just don't pay attention that much. Sorry Fishy. Didn't wanna kill ya too early. So long!" Nappa said, pushing Cui back and hitting him with a concentrated energy blast, the pure focus of it dolling out far more punishment than the alien could handle. His body crisped and blacked from the damage, before falling into a smoking, ashy heap.
"Well Doctor, since Cui is no longer..available to chat, then you will answer my question."
"Wh-Wh-wh-whatever you wish Prince Vegeta."
"Frieza...where is that bastard currently?" Vegeta walked towards the Doctor, making sure his other glove was nice and tight as well as he finished putting on his armor.
"L-l-last I heard, he was heading for a planet called Na-Namek."
"BLAST IT! We need to get going, now Nappa. There better be pods out there for us, or else!" Vegeta began to run to the exit, before stopping cold. A tremendous power had blown through his senses.
'What in the-? It feels strange...almost like...'
"What's the matter wit you Vegeta?" Nappa said from behind, nearly tripping over his shorter Prince.
"Someone's here."
"Wait!"
"What lizard face? We are in a hurry!" Vegeta snapped.
"Sc-scouter, on the table for you. Didn't wa-want you to leave wi-without one." Doctor Malaka said. Vegeta debated on not taking it. Nappa already had one. And two would make it twice as likely that they could be tracked. There were benefits and drawbacks to the Scouters, far more drawbacks as of late. Since teaching himself how to sense energy, he had also learned the process of suppressing his power. He didn't know if he could suppress it to 0 yet, but he could at least maintain a certain power. He was very satisfied with his...test with Cui.
"We have one already. But..." Vegeta walked up to it, picking it up before he crushed it in his hands.
"I have no use for it any longer. We're going, Nappa." Vegeta left the stunned Doctor and his fellow reeling Saiyan behind.
"Whaddya mean you have no use for the damn scouter Vegeta?" Nappa asked in confusion.
"I'll explain as soon as I can, but right now we have to get out of here. Someone strong is here, incredibly strong."
Nappa went to hit the button on the side of his scouter, but Vegeta held his hand out, shaking his head.
"No! No, don't turn it on. We will need it on the next planet we go to."
They ran out, heading quickly towards the space pods. Just as Vegeta saw them, he felt the power, before turning back, eyes wide.
"DUCK NAPPA!" He yelled, forcing the General to comply without hesitation, as a vibrant blue blast headed toward them. Vegeta himself, dodged to the side, turning and watching as the blast sailed by, blowing up a small line of ships opposite their assigned pods.
"Darn! And to think you would try to escape! Tsk tsk tsk, monkey prince." The person could be seen clear as day, and it sent a wintry chill up the Prince's spine.
"B-B-Bonyu?"
The Brench woman wore a v-neck battle armor, usually worn by the Ginyu Force, along with thigh protection. Her green scouter nestled in her ear, and she hit a button on it.
"Hmph, no surprise you could take Cui out. Guess he was justified in calling for backup." The busty woman walked down the steps, only a hundred feet away. Standing 5'7, she stood a bit taller than the Prince, but that wasn't the true threat. Vegeta had heard...things. Terrible things.
"Oh, and before you ask since Guldo was killed on their last mission, I've been partially reinstated to the Ginyu Force. Not on a permanent basis mind you. But, I have more than enough time to fulfill Cui's last mission. Maybe Lord Frieza will finally grant me my vacation."
"Guldo? Killed? Dammit!"
"Ve-Vegeta? What's the matter wit you?" Nappa asked again, trying to catch up with his Prince.
"I wanted to kill that little fucking toad myself dammit! To more pressing matters, Bonyu is the last person we needed interfering with our plans. We have to find a way to get off this station."
"Oh, we wouldn't be looking to escape poor little me ehh?" The Brench woman asked, slowly walking up to the Saiyan pair, smiling seductively. Vegeta had heard of this woman's terrible, magnificent exploits. She was a deadly serious combatant, one who would not fall for simple-minded tricks. The Prince was running Bonyu's power level through his mind, clearly angered that he was still completely outclassed. 'She has to be as strong as Ginyu, at least! It's mind-boggling!' Vegeta stamped down his fear quickly. If Bonyu was giving off these kinds of vibes, he dared imagine what Frieza would feel like up close.
"Nappa, I may have a plan to get us out of this mess. When I give the signal, turn around immediately and head for your pod."
"You sure we can't take her Vegeta?" Nappa was poised to test his newfound strength against a Ginyu Force member, but the look on his Prince's face turned that sour immediately.
"Not now. Not yet anyway."
"That's far enough big boy! I've heard of you. Nappa right? Why remain loyal to this little pointy-haired bastard?" Bonyu asked, taking another step towards the pair. She could phase over and instantly take them both out, but she wanted to mess with the pair for the moment. What she didn't know was that she was playing into Vegeta's hand.
"Well, to go through the whole history of my family and the Prince's...well..it's a long and boring story hm hm hm."
"Why keep serving that blasted Lizard Bonyu? With that strength, you could strike out on your own." Vegeta suggested, biding his time. He had a two-pronged plan, now it was just up to Bonyu to play her part...
"Oh, well of course I could. I've more than done my service for the Colds. I do this kind of work now because it pays well. Other than that, I don't care about the whole Ginyu Force. I could just kill the little shifter and take the group over. Now then, what will it be little Prince?" Bonyu took another step towards Vegeta, who took a slight step back.
"Retreating? You? Hahahahaha, don't make me laugh little man. Saiyans don't retreat. Unless that awful beating Cui described you taking wasn't an actual fluke and you were forced into it. Oh, dear." Bonyu was through playing games with these two.
"Oh, I wouldn't call it a retreat you red-bodied whore bag." Vegeta gave the quickest of looks to Nappa, who had been concentrating on him the whole time. It was a look the General knew well, so he turned his feet slightly towards the landing zones.
"Oh, I love it when you talk dirty. Hm hm hm hm a whore bag? That's new coming from you. But you've made your choice I see. No matter." Bonyu prepared to charge, but Vegeta was faster. Using his right hand, he fired an incredibly quick finger beam, blowing Bonyu's scouter right off of her face. She yelped back in surprise. Nappa took off running.
"AGHHH YOU BLOODY BAS-" Vegeta had phased in front of the woman, once again catching her off guard.
"Call it a relocation, blimp! SOLAR FLARE!" Vegeta threw his hands up, remembering the intense feeling of pain he had endured. He had closed his eyes, mimicking the movements, and prayed that it worked!
"AHHHHHHH MY EYES! YOU BLOODY FUCKING SPIKY-HAIRED PUNK! AGGGHHH WHEN I GET AHOLD OF YOU!"
"GALICK GUN FIREEEEE!" Vegeta wasted no time. He didn't have anywhere near the power to end the woman, but she was blasted back, destroying the stairs and going beyond, blindly shouting as a massive explosion occurred when she collided with one of the main control towers of the entire station. Not sticking around to admire his handiwork, Vegeta took off towards the landing zones. Heading towards his pod, he saw that Nappa was already waiting, antsy to move.
"Mark the coordinates I give you Nappa, hurry!" Vegeta said, opening his pod door and messing with the controls. He found the planet in the database, setting the autopilot. Nappa did much of the same and went to turn to let Vegeta know.
"VEGETAAAAAAAAAAA!" The woman's armor was singed, with a scrape on her face, but she was nonetheless unharmed. Flying back onto the landing zones, she was dismayed when she saw Vegeta give her the finger, smirking in her direction before he sealed his pod and shot into the sky. Nappa's pod followed only a second later.
"If I had just one more bloody second I would've done them proper! Blast it!" Bonyu was pissed. She walked over to one of the attendants who was on the ground, cowering and hoping to not be vaporized. She picked the man up by his collar, holding him at eye level with her.
"You're gonna be a sweetheart and tell me exactly where they went." Bonyu threw the attendant over to the relay station, where he quivered as he typed.
"M-m-m-Madam, it..it looks like they are heading to a pl-pl-planet called Namek." Bonyu hmphed, before grabbing another scouter and quickly heading to a spare space pod, where she opened it up, typing in the planet. It was in the database and would take several days to get to.
"Damn him! Like I want to go through suspended animation for no bloody reason. Fair enough Vegeta, you have earned my ire. When I see you again, you're dead!"
Bonyu set the coordinates and closed the space pod, feeling it take off. She would kill Vegeta for this betrayal!...
BONYU!
I played against Bonyu in Dragon BallZ: Kakarot and figured she would make a nice addition for right now to the story. As far as Guldo goes, I will explain about him in a later chapter. As for power levels, I guess we can take a stab at everyone's progress.
Power Levels:
Goku: 76,000
Shepard: 58,000 (lack of proper GR)
Raditz: 60,000 (lack of nutrients)
Piccolo: 11,000
Yamcha: 15,000
Krillin: 8,800
Tien: 8,400 (Emotional Grief)
Gohan: 9,800 (Calm)
Rage Boost: ?
Vegeta: 8 (Near Death)
Zenkai: 22,000 (Suppressed! Experiment!)
Full Power: ?
Nappa: 12 (Near Death)
Zenkai Full Power: 18,000
Cui: 18,000
Quick note with Nappa and Cui. I am willing to say that Nappa killed Cui because he caught him off guard, coupled with being at equal power, Cui would not have been able to stop it. Ehh, didn't like Fishface anyway lmao. Next chapter will focus on landfall! Have a good day peeps. See you all again soon :D