An airship took a sharp swerve above the God's Temple and balanced out itself horizontally above the flat surface. It wasn't often that aircraft landed on the God's Temple and so the structure wasn't really designed with ideal landing conditions in mind. It took Bulma a good couple of minutes to position her airship just right so that she didn't knock the tail at any trees by accident and landed just right. Mr. Popo and Upa stood by the entryway deeper into the temple while observing the landing craft.
Piccolo, who stood on the edge of the temple, observing the events down below, turned around with a grumpy look. After Bulma snuffed out the engine, the Super Namekian slowly approached the spacecraft to join in on the conversation about the events plaguing the Earth at the moment.
"Wow, seriously, thanks for opening up your magical wards and letting us through…" Bulma beamed a smile Upa's way with a thumb up and wiped the sweat off her face. Little Trunks leaned out from behind his mother's lap to peek at Mr. Popo and Upa. After the first few looks and getting used to their unnatural appearance for a city boy, Trunks became bolder and separated from his mother. The boy went as far as to wander off on his own and begin exploring the new place.
"They are in place to allow only the worthy to reach God's Temple. You've long since proven your worth. From what I understand, you need something from us to help us with the current crisis?" Upa approached Bulma. The once native guardian of the Land of Korin had grown even more in size and bulk since Chayote had last seen him. He wasn't yet as beefy as his father, but nothing in what Chayote saw of him suggested he couldn't get there given a few more years.
"I take it you're here to help?" Piccolo approached Future Trunks from behind.
"Yes," Future Trunks turned around and bowed his head. This was about as much respect as he was willing to give at the moment. "I am Trunks, I come from the future. Technically, I've come here to help my own timeline, but I seem to have gotten entangled in saving this one as well. My mother has altered the course of history and the outcome is quite interesting and useful to my timeline as well."
"I see…" Piccolo closed his eyes. "Most of us started as self-serving people, but eventually we became guardians looking out for the Earth. I can't say that I'm used to people from the future or Artificial Humans though, that is new for us."
"Piccolo-san, whenever my mother recalled you, she said that you had the abilities of a Kami, including being able to see all over the world from this temple like you were everywhere at once." Future Trunks brought it up.
"That's not entirely true. The Foresight ability merely exponentially enhances my perception. It requires perfect sync between my ordinary senses, telepathy, Ki sensory and the unique properties of this place and its connection with the higher realms." Piccolo explained with his arms crossed, wondering what this was all about.
"Do you think you could locate Frieza for me from here?" Future Trunks wondered.
"Frieza? True, it seems that he is here on Earth. Or, at least, the Artificial Humans we fought and King Cold suggested he was." Piccolo closed his eyes and turned around to approach the edge of God's Temple. "I'll try to see if I can find him. I must admit, with everything going on around the world at this moment, I didn't really have time and focus to spare in order to look into it."
"Wow, Chayote, you've changed a lot!" Kami Upa exclaimed while scanning his old friend head-to-toe. "You almost look like a civilized outsider woman now…"
"Well, I gave this whole peaceful life thing a shot. It ain't all bad, you know. Having a simple job protecting the world from many lowlifes and managing my own security force actually makes me feel like I have the most control over my own life than I've ever had. That's how I kept my wrath under control so well all these years." Chayote admitted. She caught herself rubbing the back of her neck and felt the dry coarseness of her untidy bed hair rubbing against the back of her hand. With a sly smirk, she tied her hair so tight that it almost felt like it was about to peel her forehead off. Given how surprised Upa was by Chayote's restraint while she was still groggy after being drained, the Saiyan could only wonder how weird she'll look to him now.
"Wha! You're like a completely different person! I still can't get used to how your size keeps changing depending on your mood. Right now you're way shorter than me!" Upa pointed it out while Bulma gently approached the key deity of the planet and bowed to interject into their conversation.
"I'm sorry to interrupt, Kami-sama, but we have little time. The Earth is being ravaged by a heart virus as we speak. If we don't do something quickly, many people will lose their lives and we'll be unable to undo those deaths because they will be entirely natural." Bulma pointed out.
"Normally I would say that we should not interfere and let nature run its course, but… There doesn't seem to be anything natural in this sickness. No life-ending plague should be born from the togetherness of species and a death toll of such a count cannot possibly be good for humankind." Upa nodded. "What is your proposition?"
"We must use the Ultimate Dragon Balls," Bulma said, continuing on only because she knew how mad this idea will sound at first. "I know it is dangerous, but I have the largest space tourism program in the entire galaxy. Given Vegeta's character, probably the only one permitted to operate within the Saiyan borders. We can send a bunch of people to look for the Ultimate Dragon Balls so gathering them again shouldn't be much trouble to us at all. Even last time, when Chayote first sought them all by herself, she still had over a week's time left to save the Earth. Now, with everyone joining up and being far stronger than Chayote was back then–I don't see how this mission can go wrong at all."
"I don't know…" Kami Upa turned his head up. "The higher galaxy business is not quite my affair, but I occasionally overhear the Kais talking about a dark shadow looming over the entire galaxy, if not the entire universe. Piccolo-san assures me it's nothing as vague as mere predictions. According to him, he can sense entire systems disappearing in a blink, all at once. Something's dangerous out there too. We can only hope that it doesn't find its way to us."
"Knowing our luck, we'll bump into that monster before we even leave the orbit…" Chayote crossed her arms and sunk her chin, speaking in a grungy tone.
"Hm…" Kami Upa looked down with a grim expression on his face. "Mr. Popo, what do you think I should do?"
"You are Kami-sama. The burden is all on your shoulders. Normally, Mr. Popo would never approve of the use of the Ultimate Dragon Balls because your predecessor was incredibly wary and ashamed of them. Though the last time we used them, things worked out in the end and now we have even more resources to offer to look for them. Also, the consequences of not using them can be even direr." Mr. Popo pressed his index to his plump, red lip. He wasn't asked for his input on such crucial decisions often so it was difficult for a mere djinn to provide his opinion though the fact he did so at all suggested to Chayote that this might not have been the first time that Upa consulted the magical being before deciding.
"I see, very well, Mr. Popo, bring the case with the Ultimate Dragon Balls. We shall use them to get Earth out of this predicament." Kami Upa nodded after a deep sigh.
A loud grumble picked up. Mr. Popo ran out into the center of the Kami Temple with a gaping mouth, alarmed by the appearance of another airship that carefully navigated around the obstacles and parked itself in the center, nearby Bulma's airship. Kami Upa looked distraught at first but, after seeing the tranquility in Bulma's face and the grumpy exterior of Piccolo, the Kami settled down and walked out to greet the new arrivals.
"This is God's Temple, you know, it's not your personal landing pad." Kami Upa observed, standing tall before the airship while its upper section tilted, depressurizing the aircraft in a few blinks, and then slid off the top revealing a whole myriad of familiar faces.
"Give the old geezer a break, will ya, Kami-sama? Will you really make me climb this tower every time?" Muten Roshi grumbled, scratching his back as he vaulted out from the airship. Upa approached and looked into it, hearing loud grunts and screams of pain inside. A pale and sweaty woman with messy, shoulder-length hair had been lying on the back with Gohan watching over her. Chi-Chi vaulted out of the aircraft, taking off bandages and tourniquets. The airship must have paid a visit to the Korin's Temple and gotten themselves some Senzu on the way here, which was why Chi-Chi had been ridding herself of her bandages so quickly.
"Upa… Sorry, I'm here… I think… I kinda got something…" Goku chuckled through physical strain as he carefully lifted one leg at a time over the craft and got out, only to collapse on his rear immediately and pant.
"You're sick with the virus!?" Mr. Popo gasped. "Why did you all come here, then? You can get Kami-sama himself infected!"
"That's why we didn't come here at first, but then Bulma-san called us and told us it's okay…" Gohan prodded two of his fingers shyly as he explained himself to the assistant of the planet's guardian deity himself. It was a bit of a leap up from explaining himself to teachers in school for the young boy.
"That voice…!" Future Trunks jumped up, the fearful reaction intrigued Piccolo and so the Super Namekian pulled out of his routine of observing over the Earth.
"Is everything okay?" Piccolo asked, knowing full well that it wasn't.
"Yes." Future Trunks breathed an entire chest full of air all at once, deflating at once. "I apologize, I failed to take into consideration that this is your Gohan, not mine."
"Son's brat? What about him?" Piccolo asked.
"Well… In our timeline… Bardock-san went to kill Android 21 for everything she did. He ended up captured and converted into a cyborg against his will. My mother theorized that 21 played on his fears and despair about the recent death of his wife. Once converted, Bardock went after his own family with the intention of fully converting them with relentless focus. Gohan became one of the earlier people converted into cyborgs as well." Trunks pointed out.
"Humph… Did you have this sort of nightmarish reaction with the rest of the crew? From what I know, they also became puppets of Android 21, right?" Piccolo asked for a clarification.
"No, Gohan was different. Alongside Bardock, he was one of 21's most trusted soldiers. They were the only pair that 21 treated the same as her Android elite in terms of how close she kept them to her. Gohan is the face of most of our nightmares. He's the absolute worst, he's got all the strength of his father but also incredibly sharp intelligence which makes him an unstoppable hunter that's almost impossible to shake off when he gets on your tail. Bardock may be a bit stronger than Gohan, but Gohan is infinitely more dangerous. Bardock is mindless, almost like a puppet waiting for orders, but Gohan kept enough of his humanity to adapt to any situation on the fly. At times, it's as if 21 doesn't even give him any orders and just revels in being surprised by the results of what he can accomplish when left to his own resourcefulness." Trunks explained.
"Heh, I never saw the kid like that." Piccolo cracked a grin. "I guess him having all the toughness of his old man with a noggin on his shoulders to boot can be pretty dangerous. He isn't a toddler anymore either. He can handle himself just fine in a fight too… It might not take brainwashing to make a kid like this crack. Just look at the poor shrimp now. His grandma's on the verge of death and his father's got the same sniffle. I'll make sure to take care of the kid in space. Let's not let this future scenario come to pass."
"Right," Future Trunks nodded. "It's just that… Recently, last time just a few minutes ago, I keep getting these cold chills… It's almost as if I can sense Future Gohan still after me or something."
"That'll happen when you spend so much time running away for your life." Piccolo closed his eyes and turned to focus on finding Frieza. Slowly, the Super Namekian opened his eyes. "Sorry, can't find him anywhere. You'd think someone as frightening as him would raise some more noise. Must be the beating that Goku put on him and the fear he instilled in that snake."
"It is entirely possible that the full conversion into Mecha Frieza is not yet complete and his nanites are still upgrading. From what I know, once he becomes fully converted, Mecha Frieza will return to his old and villainous self." Future Trunks noted.
"Good, then he'll make some noise and we'll be there to clip his wings." Piccolo turned around and began walking toward the ruckus of everyone circling the Ultimate Dragon Balls positioned on the ground in a six-ball circle, with one ball in the middle.
"I've already settled it with Bulma that I will remain on Earth. Even though my primary goal is to find Mecha Frieza, I'll make sure to help you defend the Earth against the Androids that 21 will send to convert the world fully." Future Trunks warned Piccolo so that the Super Namekian didn't get any wrong ideas about relying on Future Trunks' aid out in space.
"That's fine, we only need seven people at most out there," Piccolo replied without turning back at the young man. "Do whatever you want. I only met you now for the first time, so I won't shed any tears if I end up never seeing you again, either. The only thing I expect of you is that you don't get in our way."
"If you want to protect the Earth from the Androids, you're wasting your time already." A stern, masculine voice greeted Piccolo and Trunks while the two joined the massive group around the Ultimate Dragon Balls. "The Artificial Humans are already traveling around the world converting people. I am in no position to blame anyone, though, I failed to stop them from converting my new home, after all. I fell for their story of them working to save the world."
"Tenshinhan. Well, well… Planning to fight again?" Piccolo raised the ridge over his right eye, casting judgment on his old ally.
"It doesn't appear like I have any choice. I promised that I'd stop getting myself involved in the Dragon Team's business and just focus on practicing martial arts for the sake of the craft alone. Now… I have failed those people. I left them for the Androids and abandoned them when they needed me to stand for them and against the enemy. I cannot be proud of myself as a martial artist and true to oneself after something like this. If I am to ever practice martial arts again, I must correct this." Tenshinhan said with a defeated look that betrayed him to be disappointed in himself more than anything else.
"Do not let it crush your spirits, Tenshinhan-san." Future Trunks spoke up. "The Androids weren't entirely deceitful. Technically, the cybernetic conversion ended up saving humanity from the heart virus in the end."
"Still, Bulma-san told me it will hand humankind straight to Dr. Puri's control after. If they cannot act of their free will, then my students will never be true to themselves and flourish as martial artists. I will have ultimately failed them as their teacher. I cannot allow that to happen." Tenshinhan clenched his fist. The crew turned their heads toward the shimmering source of light as the skies turned gloomy.
Just as with the first time that the Ultimate Dragon Balls were used, they did not directly manifest the Ultimate Eternal Dragon like the ordinary Dragon Balls did, instead sprouting a handful of black smoke from them that then turned into an untamed bolt of pure energy and beamed off into the dark skies above. It was only when the burst of energy penetrated through the clouds and split them apart that the titanic visage of the red Ultimate Eternal Dragon came into view behind them.
"Now, state your wish!" the Ultimate Eternal Dragon rumbled with its voice. The booming volume of the divine entity spread far and wide, all across the Earth.
"Ultimate Eternal Dragon, eradicate the heart virus that plagues the Earth forever!" Bulma raised her fist up into the sky, outright demanding it of the colossal head of the dragon the majesty of which it was tough to imagine fitting on a single planet.
"Just a cinch…" the Ultimate Eternal Dragon gleamed with its eyes. Its power had been so awe-inspiring that the entire dragon's shape became outlined with a cerulean glow while it expanded its influence all throughout the planet.
"I have fulfilled your wish. Fare thee well!" the dragon grumbled while the Ultimate Dragon Balls rose beyond the heavens, one following another, before a surge of lightning scattered them away to opposite ends of the Universe to be brought together on Earth again in one year's time or the planet would meet a grim fate.
"Goku-sa! How are you feeling?" Chi-Chi leaned down to her panting husband, only to find that he was no longer struggling for every breath but was instead resting with his eyes closed. He had a tranquil expression on his face, so the woman gently guided her husband's heavy head down, where she slid her lap for him to rest on until he recovered.
"Everyone!" Gohan yelled out as he leaned over his grandma and began increasing the strength with which he tried inspiring signs of life in the woman that had gone silent ever since the fateful gleam of light eradicated the malady plaguing her body and ripping her heart asunder. "Something not right, she's not getting up!"
"Oh, no…" Future Trunks muttered. "I was afraid of something like this. Even if the virus no longer eats away at her body, some of the earlier victims might still be too far gone to recover. The virus is incredibly quick in claiming lives, sometimes doing so overnight."
Bulma gasped and placed her shaking hand over her lips. Chayote felt a bitter feeling eating away at her own heart despite having avoided the grim sickness that they'd just undone. They've worked so hard to reunite Son Goku's family, went through so much a few years ago and all of that ended up almost like they would have been better off just leaving Gine on Planet Vegeta. All this just for a few years of serene happiness, undone by a cruel twist of fate almost over a single night.
Restraining his wild power but tearing up, Gohan still kept pushing, yanking, and shoving, doing whatever he could to force his grandmother to wake up but she remained peacefully asleep, although, unlike her son resting in his wife's lap, Gine didn't breathe or show any signs that she'd ever wake up again.
"I'm sorry, Gohan…" Dende placed his hand on Gohan's shoulder, gently trying to guide his friend away from the dead body. "There's just nothing we can do anymore."