Welcome back to the story! Another short-ish chapter again because human interaction, but also because I just banged out a story in ~German~ before this and I'm slightly burnt out with writing. But I promised a chapter within the week, so I gotta deliver.

Also, a friendly reminder that this is Dragon Ball Minus Bardock. So some things (like the father of bardock special) are not included as part of his character/powerset.

Enjoy the chapter, and feel free to critique!

Ten minutes later, Trunks was back.

He led Bardock through the doorway, then to his annoyance, stopped him before they could pass the foyer.

"Aren't you gonna take off your shoes?" Trunks glanced down at Bardock's boots.

"Huh? Why would I do that?" Bardock scratched at the back of his head as he looked down at the boy.

Trunks gave him a horrified look. "W-what do you mean 'why would I do that,' you don't wanna track dirt in the house!"

This is the last of our race? Bardock thought as he bent down to take off his boots. There was no use arguing with the boy when he was so close to getting some answers.

"Anything else?"

Trunks sighed. "No, let's go," Trunks replied as he began to walk. "Gohan's still out, but mother said she'd talk to you."

Bardock grunted. It was better than nothing.

The pair walked through the house in silence. They passed through the living room, then the kitchen. Bardock took note of how bare they looked. Eventually, they reached a closed door. Faint light crept out from the gap at the bottom.

"She's in there," Trunks said as he made to leave.

"You're not going to stay?" Bardock had no intentions of harming anyone on this planet, but he found it hard to believe that anyone would be fine leaving a loved one alone with a Saiyan. Was Trunks an idiot?

"I," Trunks hesitated, "I need to see Gohan."

"Suit yourself," Bardock said as he reached for the handle.

"And I trust you," Trunks said. "I don't know what exactly it is about you, maybe your energy. But it reminds me of Gohan's. I… I think I can trust you."

Bardock honestly didn't know what to say, and so he said nothing. He glanced at Trunks's retreating form, then put his attention back to the door in front of him. He pushed it open.

Inside, a blue-haired woman was leaning against a metallic table. She was surrounded by various monitors, tools, and other implements that Bardock didn't even know how to categorize. Was this a lab of some kind?

Upon seeing him, the woman took a shaky intake of air. "Wow, he wasn't kidding," the woman took a step towards Bardock, squinting as she inspected him, "you really do look like Goku."

"And as I told your son, I am not Goku," he said before reaching out his hand. "My name is Bardock."

"Bulma," she replied, taking the extra steps needed before accepting the handshake, but she didn't let go. "I thought it could have been some grief-induced hallucination, but you really are real."

"I'm glad we established that."

Bulma chuckled as she let his hand go, and returned to the table. "Me too. So, Bardock, how'd you end up here?"

Bardock glanced at one of the monitors. "I… I think I should be dead. Your son told me about the Saiyan homeworld being destroyed, so you probably know too. I was there when it was happening. I got hit by the attack that must have blown it up. But next thing I know, I'm here."

"But that happened over thirty years ago," Bulma said. "Are you saying that-"

"I traveled through time, yes."

"I-ignoring the implications of that for a second, let's move on," Bulma said as she rubbed at her temples. "Do you have any questions for me?"

"A few," Bardock admitted. There were tons of things he wanted to know. What exactly the Androids were. How Vegeta ended up on Earth. Where Raditz was. The questions were never ending, but one burned in his mind.

"Who is Goku?"

Bulma took a deep breath. "Goku is- was my best friend. He was the strongest man I knew, maybe the strongest in the universe. I don't mean just strength either, he wasn't infallible, but you could always put your trust in him, for anything."

What does infallible mean? Bardock hummed as he digested Bulma's words. Goku was undoubtedly his son, the chances of a Saiyan who looked like him, who also grew up on Earth, not being his son were close to impossible. Goku was Kakarot.

And he wanted to know more about him.

So, he asked.

"Well," she said. "It all started when I shot him in the head."

Queue the fun and happy Dragon Ball montage!

Sorry for those of you who were banking on a Bardock and Gohan meeting this chapter. You will have to wait a lil longer.

Anyway, thanks for the reviews and other things, much appreciated.

Until next time!