The mood was still a bit tense on the plane as they made their way back home. Bulma sat beside Goku with Trunks, as Chi-Chi sat on the other side of him with Gohan in her arms.
As Trunks looked down, he still felt somewhat guilty about the battle, their dad had been forced to fight because they weren't strong enough to defend themselves, and it was still bothering the young boy. Krillin was piloting the plane, they hadn't talked much since they left the battlefield, but the atmosphere of dread still lingered, mixed with the sense of clouded victory. Goku was lying on a small frame bed from a capsule, passed out or sleeping, it was hard to tell. However, now and then, he would let out groans of pain from his wounds. Piccolo sat in a corner, his arm having regrown mostly, although he remained in a quiet meditative state, quietly keeping watch over the others.
Meanwhile, Trunks looked on beside his father, then glanced towards his brother Gohan and their mothers. He felt conflicted, he was relieved that they were safe, but something had been bothering him ever since the fight. While everyone had contributed something to the battle, he felt like he hadn't done anything at all.
He understood that he was young, but he had seen his brother charge towards their uncle and push him back, even though he didn't win, he had done something. And that bothered him because he felt like he hadn't been anything but another person to be saved. He clenched his fists slightly as he looked down at his injured and bruised father. He believed he could have done more and could have been a greater help. Seeing his dad show his strength made it clear that Trunks could be strong too, he just needed to try. He knew what he wanted to do. Even though he was young, he wanted to train and become strong, just like his dad on those adventures he spoke about going on with his mom. When they got back, he planned to ask his dad if he could train him.
So, he quietly sat down, feeling constrained in his thoughts. Bulma seemed to notice the change in the boy who was usually loud and ecstatic, now he sat quietly on the side. She thought it must have been because of the recent attack, because as normal as it was for her and Goku since they were kids, it wasn't for these two, but that wasn't entirely the case. She sat down next to Trunks, softly patting his head, reassuring him that everything would be fine as they flew towards the lookout.
As they arrived, Kami was waiting for them with Mr. Popo, Goku was immediately taken by Mr. Popo and rushed inside the lookout for better care. Piccolo stood watchfully from a distance as he watched him being told by the others about what had happened. Although Kami had seen it for himself from the lookout, hearing it from the horse's mouth had its advantages, and some seemed eager to share. Trunks stood in the background, watching closely. This was one of the guys who had trained his dad, what made him so strong? He looked like an old man, but if he was the one who helped his dad become so strong, then Trunks wanted to train with him too.
What he didn't know was that Piccolo had been watching Gohan closely. He had observed the boy's actions and the momentary power spike he displayed. he sensed his potential, and with enough training, he thought, he could become someone who could rival or even surpass Goku. It was rather odd, but he wanted to nurture this power, so that it could possibly be turned against Goku when the time came. Would he succeed?
Goku was rushed into a room by Mr Popo, and they immediately began the healing process. It was quiet, and as he started recovering, Goku thought about the events that had happened. He wished he could have been better prepared. He let himself become too careless, realizing that his mistakes and arrogance had almost got everyone killed. It was something he would have to revisit.
Deep somewhere in the Galaxy, Vegeta stood by, pondering. He stood by the door to Lord Frieza's chamber. He didn't know why he was there, wanting to ask for assistance? Or for protection?
He was more logical than the others, and his pride wouldn't get in the way, or so he hoped. But perhaps they needed something more. He had never trained a day in his life, opting instead for easy approaches and relying on his natural prowess as a Saiyan elite to gain experience in combat. He had witnessed others engage in what they called training, but he had never bothered with it. After all, he was an elite. However, what he saw on that planet shook him to his core. A low-class Saiyan displayed power he had never seen before, enough power to go against the Great Ape. It was eye-opening, and the situation proved to be dangerous.
Despite the teasing and slander he and Nappa had thrown at Raditz after he fell, this was no laughing matter. He knew that even his strength in the Great Ape form was not to be scoffed at. Yet, he had been defeated alone. Now, with how long it would take them to get there, he knew that low-class Saiyan would be preparing. He wasn't keen on running towards his slaughter, the prince of all Saiyan's defeated by some low born trash on a back water planet.
So, he wanted to train a little, to see what he could do. The idea disgusted him, as he considered training to be something only for those undeserving of power to not have been born with it , those lacking knowledge and conviction. But he had no other choice. If he didn't turn to train, he would lose himself, and this lineage would end with him being slaughtered by nothing more than a low-class Saiyan.
He sensed himself as if weighing his options. Just as he was about to knock on the door, a voice called out from behind him. "Ohhh wow, if it isn't Vegeta. What have you come looking for over here?" He turned around to see Zarbon standing there, towering over him with a smirk that seemed to belittle him. "Have you come knocking for your emperor, requesting a favour, my little Prince?" Zarbon's disrespectful tone irked him, but he suppressed his anger, he knew the man was trying to get under his skin. He needed the training, to become stronger quickly to surpass Kakarot when he went to Earth. He was going to Earth, Raditz was nothing more than a pawn, but killing a Saiyan, no matter how pathetic they may have been, still required retribution.
"It's none of your concern, It was a mistake coming here. I'll handle things on my own. I don't need you or your services," Vegeta retorted. Zarbon seemed to laugh at his statement. "As I said, it doesn't matter, you'll come crawling back. You always do, you little monkeys."
Zarbon turned around and walked away, leaving Vegeta with the urge to charge after him and kill him where he stood. But he knew it would be suicide. He had witnessed what Zarbon was capable of, and he was aware of his limitations. Charging into a fight he knew he couldn't win would be foolish, and he wasn't going to make the same mistake as Raditz. He clenched his fist, then decided to walk away. He would figure things out on his own. And he was determined to make that Saiyan pay, to make them all pay, and curse the day they crossed his path.
Back on Earth, Bulma was engrossed in examining the data she had obtained from the pod. Learning and delving deeper into it was her way of distracting herself from the fact that Goku was still unconscious, and they had no Senzu beans to wake him up sooner. So she allowed herself to get lost in the research.
Chi-chi, on the other hand, was more insistent on staying with Gohan, even though the boy had woken up with a few scratches but seemed to be fine. She didn't want to leave his side. As Trunks stood nervously behind her, tapping his foot, Bulma continued to sift through the data. Her research revealed more about the race that Goku was apparently part of, and the more she learned, the more it made sense and the more horrified she became.
The data held information about things that Goku was supposed to have done by now, but he hadn't fulfilled those expectations.
It was indeed rather odd. The data even included instructions on how to make their armour, something she believed could be useful in the future. There were also details about various locations, bases, destinations, and earlier claims reports that seemed to matter before. As she went through the data, she could see the path of destruction that Raditz and the other Saiyans had woven across the Galaxy. Having never left the planet before, seeing all of this was both mind-boggling and terrifying, yet there was an underlying excitement.
She realized that the threat was imminent, Raditz had mentioned it before he died that others would be coming. So, she had to prepare. Bulma continued to extract as much information as possible from the pods, learning more about the enemy they were going to face. She refused to be caught off guard again and was determined not to let her family be harmed. Winning just one battle didn't mean the war was over, she knew they couldn't rest on their laurels. There was much more to be done to ensure their safety and protect their world.
It was tempting to try and forget that all of this had ever happened. But an earlier experience had taught them that a battle was never far away, it was only postponed. All their years of peace had made them forget that. As Bulma continued to look through the data, she felt a sense of unease. She called out to Trunks, and started searching the room as she couldn't find him, but he had already left ... searching for someone at the Lookout.
As he walked towards the old man, the Guardian looked over the sky, it was quiet. The old man seemed to anticipate Trunks's arrival. "Trunks, my boy, I've been expecting you, I was wondering how long it would take for you to come here," the Guardian of Earth, Kami, greeted him. Trunks was taken aback for a moment. He didn't know much about this old man, except that his dad had taken them to visit him a couple of times in the past. Now, however, he felt a pull to seek his guidance.
"Uh, hi Kami. Yeah, I came because I want you to train me. I want to be more useful," Trunks said earnestly. Kami turned his gaze back to the sky, taking a deep breath.
"Right," Kami responded, contemplating what would happen next. He could sense something unfolding on the other side of the Lookout. A still-battered Piccolo approached young Gohan, whose mother had momentarily left the room to get something for him to eat. Piccolo stood in the corner and spoke with a sly tone laced with determination, "I can offer you training, to become strong enough to protect your father, to protect your mothers. Are you willing to do it?" He was direct, not caring about sugarcoating.
At that moment, everything changed. A new path was about to unfold for Trunks and Gohan, and they were both poised to embrace it, or be destroyed by it.