What If Bardock Convinced the Saiyans: Season 2, Chapter 18
Unconventional Alliances, The Truth Revealed
Back at the scene where Piccolo and 17 fought.
Piccolo lays there beaten, recovering from Kudza's puncturing. Despite the pain, he picks himself off the ground and begins to feel what is happening.
Piccolo can sense Kudza's final transformation.
For a moment, Piccolo is enthralled, horrified about what could have happened. Only to be broken out of his trace by a weak voice afew yards away.
It's 17.
Alive, though barely.
"…anyone? Please, someone—" 17 coughs up blood.
Piccolo stumbled over to the fallen android and flipped 17 on his back. All so he could get a look at his executioner.
17's eyes widen but go into a scowl at Piccolo. "You big green—" he winced in pain, his expression softening slightly. "Look, I may have gone a bit crazy there, but whatever happened to me died down. So, can you do me a solid and help me up?"
Piccolo considered ending 17 right there. After the hell he went through earlier? It only seems fitting to let this machine fester in its wounds. He turns to walk away.
17 begins to plead more with Piccolo, but he doesn't want to listen. There were much bigger problems to deal with.
17 flipped himself back over and started to crawl after Piccolo. "Wait! At least give a chance to get back at that organ harvesting freak!"
Hearing this, Piccolo paused and turned back to him. "And how exactly do you plan to do that? If you haven't noticed, you have a gaping hole in your body."
17 struggles forward, trying to look up at Piccolo. "If there's a will, there's—" He doubles over and collapses back to the ground. "A way."
Through the pain, 17 manages to make eye contact with Piccolo. "Just give me that chance, and I can make that bastard sorry he ever messed with my sister and me!"
When 17 began promising revenge against Kudza, Piccolo finally paid more attention and interest to this young man. But what could he possibly accomplish in his current state? There was no way he would be of any help to anyone with that wound. Plus, he was an Android. Piccolo didn't even know if his help was what he needed right now.
"But we know of another who could." A voice echoed from within Piccolo. "Bulma Briefs, she is capable of restoring him. But first, he must be stabilized. That much we can offer. Take him, Piccolo."
He can feel the mercy of Kami coming over him. That, plus the potential opportunities forged from such a team-up, began manifesting in Piccolo's mind.
Piccolo lingers on his thoughts for a moment more.
He walks back to 17, hoists him on his back, and begins flying off into the sky. "Don't make me regret this, boy."
Meanwhile, back over at West City, the blinding light subsides. As Kudza, now complete, stands (floats) before everyone. His hair shines, now an intense emerald green, and his eyesburn a sky blue. His bodywas now slimmer and more refined, starkly contrasting to the bulging and sparking body from before.
Vegeta couldn't help but crack a smile at this, while Bardock was both petrified and fuming. He cursed at himself. That vision he had on the Lookout was why he chose Vegeta. Yet all these visions do is lead him and those around himinto more hardship.
He should have relied on his sons, after all.
Kudza then began to study himself, performing some punches in the air (Much like Perfect Cell did when he transformed).
"Well, now! You weren't joking when you said you'd give me an experience!" spouted Vegeta.
Kudza stopped mid-punch, and his eyes trailed over and trained on the blustering prince.
Vegeta takes up a fighting pose. "Now show me—!"
Kudza did show him.
In that instant, Kudza wasted no time and rushed Vegeta, grabbing his face, dragging him across the sky, out of West City's limits, and slamming him into a mountainside. An earthquake was felt throughout the country.
Kudza lets go of Vegeta. His eyes roll to the back of his head as he goes unconscious. "As much as I'd like to humor your stupidity, Vegeta, I have grander designs to attend." Kudza takes back off to West City.
Bardock watched all of this, paralyzeduntil his attention was diverted to a disgruntled Potot returned and charging at him with Yukun and Russat following behind.
Preparing himself for another fight, Kudza appears between the two. Causing everyone to stop.
Kudza only looked at Bardock with a slight smile on his face.
"Potot, return to the ship. It's time for Phase 2."
Instead of listening, Potot begins arguing. "You—you promised me Bardock! I WON'T LET THIS CHANCE—"
Potot is quickly hushed as Kudza releases a torrent of energy from his body.
A sudden hurricane appeared and ran through the entire city.
Even Potot could take the hint. So, he reluctantly obliged. He flies off, taking Yukun and Russat away and out of West City.
And then there were two. Staring down this monster, Bardockattempts to Instant Transmission, only for Kudza to catch his arm.
"Not yet! I still need to discuss some things with you."
Bardock freed his arm and tried the Instant Transmission again, but Kudza had this to say before he could.
"Just wanted to tell you that you walk along traitorous snakes."
Bardock stops and gives a cautious eye at Kudza.
"Did you really think the Saiyans' future would run so smoothly after you killed Frieza?"
Cut back to the Lookout, Piccolo arrived carrying 17. Cassava is the first to greet him as he lands.
"Hello, Kami. I hope there's an explanation for your second guest."
"All in due time, Your Highness. Mr. Popo!" Piccolo calls out.
The Z-Fighters exit the building and see Piccoloalong with his surprise guest.
Half the party were already acquainted with 17, with two of them more so.
When Trunks and Kholba stepped out, they saw 17 lying there. Their immediate instinct was to charge, with Trunks taking the lead. They would've ended him there if Piccolo hadn't gotten in their path.
Without the chance to slow down, Trunks slams into Piccolo, and like a rubber band, Trunks rebounds back and slides across the floor.
Kholba stops and sneers. "What the hell are you doing, Piccolo!?"
"Preventing anyone here from doing anything rash. Now listen to me, I—"
"NO." Trunks quickly gets back on his feet. "There's nothing I need to listen to from a man protecting an Android!"
Trunks turns Super Saiyan and is about to charge when Cassava snaps at him. "TRUNKS!"
He flinches as he looks over to his grandmother. "Let him speak his piece; I think I would have taught you that in the future!"
Trunks grits his teeth but obliges. Kholba follows suit.
Piccolo sighs and addresses everyone. "Believe me, I wouldn't do this unless this were the world's end. But unfortunately for us all, I believe we're in that situation."
Everyone here was well aware after feeling what had transpired below.
Piccolo extends an arm towards 17. "This young man is willing to face the storm about to hit us all. And being in as dire straights as we are, we need every ally we can find and muster." He looks over at Cassava. "I know that Cassava was watching and seeing everything these things are capable of, and with them on our side—"
"Is it?" Interjected Trunks. "I've seen what this one is capable of in our future. It would use people for its own sick enjoyment! Making people do twisted things and horrible things to others and themselves, all with the promise of living… Only to be cut down in the end."
Trunks powers up. "These things should be killed and thrown into a scrapyard. They can't be trusted."
Piccolo looks at Trunks, seeing the pain clearly behind the façade he puts on. He steps towards him, going face-to-face with him.
"Then trust me, Trunks. If 17 turns on us, then I'll be the one to put him down."
Trunks balled his fists tightlyand tensed at Piccolo.
Piccolo remained steadfast.
Trunks powers down, turns, and storms off back inside the temple.
Kholba responds in an angry huff, crossing her arms. "I hope you know what you're doing." She goes to follow Trunks.
While Mr. Popo tends to 17's wound, Piccolo turns to Cassava. "Can you tell me what happened down there?"
"Well, I can assume you can piece the whole image together. The same thing happened with that other Android. However, if the one you've brought is alive, perhaps his sister might also be."
The two side-by-side look out to the world below.
Cassava brings her hand to her chin quizzically. "…Every ally we can muster, huh?" she mused. "…But still."
Cassava began to grip Kami's staff tightly. "Vegeta… That fool of a son… I cannot be trusted with a crown."
Amid silent chastising, Bardock suddenly returns holding Vegeta. He tosses him onto the floor.
Cassava went up to Bardock, deliberately ignoring Vegeta (because, at this point, she was utterly fed up with him), and asked him what took him so long.
Cassava could see what was happening down in West City. Bardock and Kudza were in what appeared to be a lengthy discussion.
"What were you talking about down there?"
Bardock had a thousand-yard stare and only said. "I need to talk to you and Kholba alone."
Bardock asking her this made her incredibly concerned. The three go within a spare room in the temple without any prying ears around.
Kholba is the first to speak. "Father, what is this about?"
Bardock addresses Kholba first. "What do you know of the Heart Virus in your future?"
Kholba blinked. "Huh? Well, we know that it attacks the heart, obviously. It usually takes out the strongest people first. Why do you ask?"
Bardock's eyes tightened, and the skin on his fists turned white as he clenched. "Are you absolutely sure you don't know where it came from?"
"The first case recorded was from Saiyan Outpost 626."
Bardock turned to Cassava. "Would that section of space be in proximity to Galactic Patrol territory?"
Cassava nodded, but then her eyes went wide, realizing what Bardock was implying.
Kholba looked back and forth between the two. "Hold on, I'm lost. How does this have anything to do with our problems right now?"
Bardock's face gets grim as his conversation with Kudza flashes to him.
"Did you really think the Saiyans' future would run smoothly after you killed Frieza?" Kudza asked. "There were celebrations, yes. But also an underlying sense of uncertainty for the future. The Saiyan race's history was well known throughout most of the Northern Quadrant. Some feared what you'd do next in the galaxy after your victory. So behind closed doors of the Galactic Patrol, behind the backs of the species that supported the Saiyans during the time, a splinter cell was formed. One that was starchy against Saiyans. Most of it was actually built up by victim species from the Saiyans' planet conquering past. While the few others were just paranoid wrecks, wanting a deterrence."
"And how would you know all of this?"
"Fun fact: I don't sleep. I don't need to, in fact! The restorative capabilities of the Namekian cells that run through my veins make so. That means the hours lost in sleep I gain back to my active life. And in all that time of following the trail of devastation left behind by my future's 17 and 18, I learned a great many things. One of which being the goals of this Galactic Splinter Cell. They called it their Saiyan Eradication Plan, its greatest and only success in its short history."
"It was the conception of a virus designed to target the abnormally strong while, at the same time, leaving the weak less likely to succumb to its high mortality rate. This virus, of course, being the same one that Trunks and Kholba traveled back in time to cure."
This information rattled Bardock. He's talking about the Heart Virus? It was engineered?!
No, no! That couldn't have been true. But, thinking back to when he first learned of it, Kholba had told him that in her timeline, they were unsure of the virus's origin. But still, to believe that it was created to eradicate the Saiyans? After everything they'd done for this wretched universe! Killing Frieza, setting suppressed species free across his controlled space?
"I'd understand if it's hard to believe, but come on, Bardock! It never occurred thatsome radicals out there wouldn't try to take out the Saiyans with all your history of violence? With your history of planet brokering? You'd have to expect something."
"But…that's—"
"Prideless? Cowardly? They know the levels of Saiyan strength. This is their only way to fight you. But I must wonder, with that cure for the virus out there now, in this timeline. What will they conjure up next?"
"...Why are you telling me all of this?"
Kudza grinned. "To throw you off your game. I want to show you how alone the Saiyan race really is in the grand scheme of things. And to give you a choice, to continue down this path of pain and death the universe has out for you or—" Kudza presents his hand. "To join forces with me and witness the birth of a new Saiyan species."
Back on the lookout, Kholba stumbles back shell-shocked after Bardock reveals this information to both her and Cassava.
"That can't be true—THAT CAN'T BE TRUE!" Kholba slams her fist into the wall with anger, breaking it down.
Everything that has happened in Kholba's timeline, all the fighting and death. All of that only to learn that the universe doesn't want them? It was unbelievable!
However, it was hard to deny as the coincidences and evidence started to paint themselves on the wall.
Cassava was rattled herself but shook it off. She was more disturbed by something else Kudza had said. "What does he mean, a new Saiyan species?"
Bardock shook his head. "I asked him the same thing. He only said to keep an eye on the news, whatever that means."
Cassava blinked and then moved past Bardock and out of the room. Both Bardock and Kholba looked at each other and followed her.
They then found Cassava rummaging through her belongings, looking for something as items were scattered across the floor.
"Where is—aha!" Cassava was holding a capsule in hand, then got up and pushed through the two again, this time out into the courtyard.
Everyone's eyes were on her as she tossed the capsule, and in a puff of smoke, a television set appeared.
Gohan approached. "Um Grandma Cassava? What's going on?"
Cassava started to flip through the channels. "When I moved up here, Bulma gave me this as a way to keep in touch with the world below. I stopped using it when I learned how to focuswith my Gaze on the Earth. But in our current situation, it'll be needed."
A few hours passed, and we cut back to West City. The city was relatively unscathed, with damage resembling a small hurricane.
Bulma shifts through the rubble near Capsule Corp until she hears groans of pain to her left. After moving a few more stones, she discovers Android 18! Still alive but barely holding on. Bulma quickly gets her back inside her lab and begins to stabilize her.
We now cut back to the Lookout to have Cassava mindlessly flipping through channels. Suddenly, all the channels go to static.
A minute passes and Kudza's face appears on the screen.
"Everyone!" Cassava calls out.
They all gather around Cassava and watch this broadcast.
"Greetings, people of Earth! Apologies for this disruption of your regularly scheduled programs, but I have hijacked your airwaves to bring you all, high and low, a special announcement and opportunity! But where are my manners?"
Kudza takes a bow. "My name is Kudza—a bio-android created by the late and infamous Red Ribbon Army's head mad scientist, Dr. Gero. Now, in the past few days, you all must've heard about Amenbo Island's devastation. Unfortunately, that was perpetrated by lesser mechanical siblings, Androids 13 through 15. Now, that may come as a shock to most, but fret not! I do not come to you all bearing the same destruction. I came to offer a gift. One that can deliver you all from the bottom of the food chain and into the apex."
Yamcha, watching from behind, couldn't help but chortle in discomfort. "What is this guy on about?"
Everyone hushes him.
Kudza steps aside to show the young Russat dragging in and holding a brown-haired woman in an arm lock. She looked like she was from the streets with ragged and worn clothes.
There was terror on her face as she struggled to get free.
Kudza approaches with arms open. "At ease! At ease, miss. You're live on the air! Now, what's your name?"
"P-please just let me go, I don't—"
Kudza grabs her chin and cuts into her cheek. "It'd be best for you if you answered my questions."
"I—Futsu… My name is Futsu."
"Where are you from, Futsu?
"West City…"
"Ah, a city full of bright minds. Do you have any dreams? Any greater aspirations in your life?"
"I—what?"
"It's fine that you don't. Either way, I would've found what you say to be mundane. However, what I envision for you is something far greater for your future." Kudza cuts open his thumb, blood coming out before regenerating, and wipes it across Futsu's cut cheek.
Kudza takes a step away from her. "Now become the first of many for humanity's future, my future."
For a moment, she stands there, then suddenly stiffens up and starts convulsing. Russat lets go, and she falls to the floor, continuing to shake violently. She begins to scream out as her muscles begin to bulge. Her brown hair starts to changeinto jet black. Another moment passes, and a tail bursts out of her tailbone, which is covered in mucus.
Futsu is left on the floor, panting and exhausted from the whole ordeal. Everyone on the Lookout was horrified at this display, along with anybody else on Earth looking at a screen.
Although, Kudza may have expected this. "Now, by that display. You all will be having doubts and reservations about my gift, but I assure you—" He begins to levitate himself off the ground. "—The pain is worth the reward."
Kudza clapped his hands twice, and the wall behind him began to open up; sunlight flooded the room, momentarily blinding the scene and the broadcast.
The footage rebalanced itself; what was seen now was a mountainous valley behind Kudza. And he, still levitating, was now rolling a small energy ball atop his fingers like a coin.
"Becoming like me equates to power. More power than a common human can ever hope to achieve. But those promises are empty if I can't display them!"
Kudza grabs the energy ball and tosses it into the distance towards the nearest mountain. The next moment, it explodes in a blinding light, vaporizing it from its peak to ground level and leaving only a flat glassed surface behind.
Kudza turns back to the camera. "I will not force this onto you. As I've said, this is a gift! One that can be yours. Simply travel to 28 KS Point 5, and it can be all yours." He gets his face close to the camera. "Come! And walk with me!"
The TV goes back to static as regular programsresume.
Everyone present was at a loss.
Turning humans into Saiyans? It was madness! No. More than that. To Cassava and Bardock, it was inhuman. Or rather insaiyan. An affront to everything that makes them who they are.
Bardock ground his teeth. "The gall this freak has. He wants us to play nice, but then he goes on to create these—these abominations?!"
Cassava turns to him. "Well, if he wants us? He's going to get us, ALL of us, and then some."
"How?"
"First—" Cassava turns to Piccolo. "We need the Dragon Balls."