Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon ball Z.
Chapter 57
Planet slug
"What do you mean the Saiyans are gone?" Slug asked his servant with a terrifying expression. If the Saiyans were gone, did that mean that Turles was starting his coup? They never left their base unless it was for a mission. Not all at once anyway. It didn't seem likely that they were trying to grow a new tree, as there were no viable planets that were not guarded by Cooler. Even the planet that the elites had tried to take when they met Gohan was already swarming with Coolers drones according to his intel. If Turles was trying to go head-to-head with Cooler without Slug, he was more foolish than the Namekian had given him credit for. Did this have to do with the appearance of this new Saiyan? He did make for a perfect distraction. Gazing over at the young warrior, his apparent rage and fluctuating power level lowered his suspicion, though it didn't allay it completely.
"Where?" Gohan seethed. "Where are they?" He glowered at the servant while inwardly cursing himself for not ensuring he was taken directly to the Saiyans. He may have lost his one chance to find Goten and Trunks.
"I-I don't know where they went." The servant cowered under the stares of Gohan and Slug. "We could not track their ship. I don't know what happened."
"We'll see about that." Slug growled at the incompetence of his servants. He started walking to a rear exit. "How long have they been gone?"
"I… We don't know that either Lord Slug." The hooded creature prostrated himself, hoping to appease his master with groveling, or maybe just to make himself a smaller target. "Days. Maybe a week."
""WHAT!"" Slug and Gohan bellowed in unison before they started running to the door. They barged into a room with a giant computer screen. Several servants that looked like the first one were all typing furiously, then cowered when their boss came in.
"Lord slug! forgive us! We are trying to find the-"
"Out of my way!" Slug grabbed him by the head and tossed him over his shoulder before starting to work on the computer. "You're all useless! I give you one job, watch the Saiyans' every move, and you can't even do that right! I should kill every last one of you."
He stopped typing and closed his eyes, trying to feel the energy of the Saiyans. Rather than their ki, he sensed something else unexpected. "Ah!" Understanding dawned on the Namekian. "So, they used a spell of their own." An angry grin spread over his features. "Some amateur is trying to hide from me with magic?" He looked at Gohan. Given is aptitude for manipulating Kili, the use of magic made him suspect the boy again. The rage on his face could all be an act, and while the evidence pointed to it being more likely that Gohan was an agent of Cooler, he still couldn't be sure. Either way, the boy was of no consequence. The Saiyan's power was impressive, but it paled when compared to his own. Either he would join him, or he would die. Right now, Turles was trying to hide from him and that took priority.
"Not a chance you stupid monkey." Slug started typing again, but this time with closed eyes and he started a low chant. It didn't even take a minute to dispel the darkness that shrouded his treacherous partner. The rest was simply tracking down their ship, and that was child's play for him.
Had Gohan been any less angry, he would have admired Slug's skill. However, any admiration was drowned out by his increased rage and anxiety. He looked eagerly at the screen to find out where they were. His patience was wearing thin, but he was unable to do anything until Slug located the Saiyan ship. Wherever they had taken his brothers, he could get there in an instant. He didn't care if they were Saiyan or not. If they had done anything to hurt the boys, he would destroy them.
"There you are. Now we'll see what you're up to…" The image that appeared on screen stunned both Gohan and Slug. They stared with wide eyes at the green orb on display.
'Oh no.' Gohan thought. 'Goten, Trunks, you didn't.'
Break
In the midst of a blue field on Namek, the green inhabitants were gathered around their Grand Elder. Wind rolled gently over the grassy plain while Moori muttered a chant with his head bowed in unbreakable concentration. His goal was no easy one, but if he could pull it off, then their planet would be changed forever. The only sound made was Moori's chanting, no one daring to distract their leader from such an important task. The chanting stopped, giving way to absolute silence.
*Tap* *roll* *Clunkclunk*
Moori walked forward, bent over, and pulled a white ball out of the hole, holding it high in the air as the audience erupted into cheers.
"Hurray Elder Moori!"
"He did it! 52! That's a new planet-wide record!"
"Well done elder." Another old Namekian with golf clubs walked over and patted his opponent on the back. "I almost had you on the eleventh hole. But it was a good game."
"Yes, it was indeed, my friend." Moori nodded with a smile.
Peace had been good for the people of Namek. The Ajisa trees were planted for the season, the young ones were progressing well in their studies, and he had just played the best round of his life. Truly, it was a wonderful time to be alive.
"May I carry your clubs, Elder?" A young Namekian offered, eager to assist their patriarch.
"Thank you, my child, but I can manage." He took his putter over to his bag of clubs and lifted it to slide it into place. Suddenly, he released his hold and the club clattered to the ground. His eyes were wide, and his mouth hung open. Sweat started to drip down his face and his entire frame shook. Moori wasn't the only one that had been stricken by some invisible force. Each and every Namekian wore identical expressions of fear and alert.
"E-elder Moori? What is that?" One of the children asked in terror.
"I… don't know, my child." He replied. All of Namek trembled at the power they felt approaching. It was massive, dwarfing Frieza, and even the warriors who defeated him, by an inconceivable amount. What was worse, there seemed to be more than one, though he could not tell how many.
"What are we to do, Elder?" The panic started to set in, the invasion of Frieza was still fresh in their people's memory. Such an enormous power did not bode well for them.
Moori closed his eyes and attempted to calm himself. The approaching power was truly horrifying, but now was not the time to panic. He opened his eyes and faced his people with resolve.
"Do not be afraid, my children. We are not as unprepared as we once were." He gave a nod to each of the elder Namekians. Returning his nod, they ushered their charges away while Moori turned his back on them. With narrowed eyes, he glared toward the source of the foreign energy.
Break
"-And all the people of Chapuchino are really tiny because they're built for agility, which is why she's one of the fastest among us." Nazz finished explaining something to Goten as they exited the ship.
"So that's why she's so much shorter than everyone?" Goten asked.
Nazz tried to suppress a chuckle while looking back at a sour faced Chokly. "She's not short, just compact."
Chokly, who was convinced that she was neither short nor compact, and simply hadn't hit her growth spurt yet was about to express her indignation. So, what if she was from Chapuchino? She was the tallest one on that planet, and she would soon outgrow all the other Saiyans... Eventually. Her attention was diverted by the sight of the lush blue vegetation below.
"Oh, man!" Chokly jumped off the side of the ramp and onto the ground. "This planet is beautiful! And the air smells so sweet." She put her nose and sniffed the fresh air. "Aah." She sighed before falling flat to her back onto the grass with a joyful expression. "When was the last time we found a planet with grass this soft?"
"This does seem like a nice place." Kress, a young dark skinned Saiyan nodded in agreement. "Beats planet Turles anyway. You think we could make this our new base?"
"Don't count on it, kid." A bald Saiyan by the name of Bukha smiled. "This planet's energy is too good to not plant a seed."
"Shut up." Sage, the ponytail Saiyan, jabbed Bukha with his elbow. He nodded to Goten. "Not around them."
"Why not?" Bukha shrugged, lowering his voice. "They'll have to learn the business at some point, right?"
"Even if it weren't an order from Lord Turles, I suggest you shut your mouth." Kalif gave both men an annoyed look. "Your babbling is distracting us from our mission. First, we must find these dragon balls."
"Tch, yeah. If they even exist." Gowry, a Saiyan with spikey hair and a widow's peak, scoffed.
"Of course, they exist!" Trunks came down the ramp with a cheeky grin. "Anyway," he turned his head to address three Saiyans who wore expressions of varying disgruntlement. "Don't be so upset about losing. That's just what happens when you try and hustle the prince of all Saiyans."
"Listen brat, don't get cocky. It was just a card game, and it was just beginner's luck. Besides, you're as stupid as your haircut if you really think you're the prince of me." Soga, a teenage Saiyan with a mohawk chided the kid.
"Sorry to break it to you, mohawko-man, but that's just how royalty works." Trunks shrugged his shoulders. "My dad was the prince, so that means I am too. Or maybe I'm a duke?"
"Ha! That's not how it works at all. Only the strongest Saiyan gets to be the king. We only bow to Lord Turles."
"Oh yeah!?" Trunks challenged the older boy. "Just wait till my dad shows up."
"Right." Soga rolled his eyes. "The legendary 'super Saiyan', prince Vegeta will definitely defeat the low- class Turles."
"So now I'm low-class? That almost sounded like you're looking down on me, Soga." The smooth, casual tone struck fear into Soga's heart. He turned around to see Turles starting to descend the ramp. "I suppose that's the thanks I get for all I've done for you."
"Lord Turles!" Soga screamed. "I wasn't being serious! I-I-I-I-"
"Really." Turles sneered, though he may have been going for a reassuring grin. "That's too bad. I guess I'll have to wait for the super Saiyans to get here before I get a real challenge. Right, 'little prince'?" He turned to Trunks who nodded emphatically. He thought it was so cool that this guy was able to shut everyone up with a look. Not to mention that he actually seemed to recognize Trunks and his father as true Saiyans.
"Ok then." Turles continued. "Like Rhubub said, we came here for the dragon balls. You kids managed to lead us to Namek. How do we find these balls?"
Trunks shrugged his shoulders and smiled casually. "Easy. We're practically professionals." He looked sideways at Turles, hoping he was impressed. Then he reached into his pocket. "All you need is a…" he rummaged in his pocket and his face became puzzled. He checked his other pocket. "… A… A… Uh…" He started furiously patting his pants and shirt, his face becoming more panicked as he did so.
Noticing that the others were giving him confused looks, Trunks stopped and coughed in his hand.
"Ahem." He held out his hand to Goten. "Goten, the radar."
Goten tilted his head to the side. "I don't have it."
"Come on Goten, stop joking." Trunks started to sweat. "You grabbed the radar before we left, didn't you?"
The younger Saiyan shook his head. "Nuh-uh. I thought you were getting it, so I grabbed the food capsules." A sudden fear crossed Goten's features. "Oh no! Trunks, we left the food on the ship!"
"WHO CARES ABOUT THE FOOD YOU DUMMY!" Trunks shouted. "Without the Radar, how are we supposed to find the…" he paused and looked up at the annoyed, almost angry faces of the Saiyans. "Dragon… balls."
"Let me get this straight." Gowry glared at the children. "It sounds like you had a tracker for the dragon balls, and you just forgot it?"
"We didn't forget it! We-"
"You useless little brats!" Goyan yelled while advancing on the boys. "Your saying we came all this way, and we can't even find these stupid balls! When I get my hands on you-"
"Hey, back off!" Nazz yelled as she and Chokly stood between Goyan and the kids. "Their just little kids, what else can you expect. They got us here, didn't they? Besides, I thought you didn't believe in the dragon balls."
As the heated argument continued, Trunks looked down in shame. He couldn't believe he had forgotten the radar. Nazz's comment hurt more than anything else. He wasn't just some little kid. He was a Saiyan. A prince. He could almost feel the disappointed gaze of Turles bearing down on him, and he didn't dare to look up to confirm it.
"Listen sweetheart, It doesn't matter if they're 'little kids' or not." Growled Jagamo. "I know you half breeds stick together, but these brats need to pay. They brought us out in the open for nothing."
"Aw, don't tell me you pure blooded Saiyans are afraid of big bad Cooler coming to get you?"
Jagamo and Goyan grew red at this taunt, but Rhubub came in before they could retort.
"Everyone shut up." He ordered before turning to Goyan and Jagamo. "The brats didn't force you to come, Turles did. If you want to take out your anger, try it on him. But before you commit suicide, just remember that this planet has more than dragon balls to offer us." He turned to Nazz. "And them being children doesn't negate the fact that we are out in the open for Cooler to find us, with no way of finding what we came here for."
Nazz reluctantly agreed. "I guess. But there's gotta be another way to find them, right? Why don't we all spread out and search?"
"That would take too long." Kalif answered. "For all we know, these things are buried. Not to mention if these things don't exist, then we'll be wasting our time."
"I guess that's true…" Nazz admitted. "But we came all this way. There's gotta be something."
"We could ask the Namekians."
Everyone turned to Goten, who had his hands over his mouth.
"What was that kid?" Rhubub raised an eyebrow at the Mini Turles.
Goten took his hands from his mouth and tried to avoid eye contact with the others. He hadn't meant to blurt his thoughts out. He still didn't trust the Saiyans and didn't want to help them with anything. At the same time, he wanted to wish his dad back. When he remembered what Gohan had told him about the Namekians keeping the balls in their villages, he couldn't help but let his thoughts out.
Nazz saw the little boy hesitating and knelt to look him in the eye. "C'mon, Goten, don't be shy. What was that about the Namekians?"
Something about the look in the female Saiyan's eyes made Goten relax. Maybe he could trust her at least.
"Well… According to the stories, the Namekians kept the dragon balls with the elders of the villages."
"Hey, that's right!" Trunks added. "My mom said the same thing. If we find the Namekians, we can just ask them for the dragon balls."
"Only one problem." An old Saiyan with a wrinkled face said. "There aren't any Namekians on this planet."
"What?" Trunks' face fell and Goten's expression matched his friend's.
"Lomen's right." Rhubub said after a moment. "I can't sense any lifeforms. This planet's uninhabited."
"No way!" Trunks cried. "They're probably just hiding, because you're all so strong. They don't know that we're friendly."
Rhubub's smile held more than a hint of irony. "Sorry kid, but I doubt they'd be able to push their power so low."
"But it wouldn't be impossible." Lomen stroked his chin as he considered what the child said. "Isn't it strange that a planet with so much vegetation has no lifeforms? Namekians are one thing, but no animals? Slug created the dark cloud, and his race does have some strange abilities, from what I remember. If the Dragon balls are real, I'm sure such magic would be an invaluable skill for them to develop."
"I suppose it's possible for them to be hiding behind a spell. I could try to unravel it, but my senses are not that refined. We may be here a while." Yashimo said.
"Or we could just cut out the middleman and scour the planet." Chokly suggested. "I could find those balls in no time flat, even if they are buried."
"Unless the orbs are with the Namekians, like the children said." Yashimo commented. "If they are anything like Slug, it would be impossible to find them if they don't want to be found."
"So what? We came her for nothing?" Sesamy, one of the female Saiyans groused. The Saiyan's all looked to their leader with questioning stares.
Turles had been engrossed in his own thoughts, trying to suppress his anger and annoyance at the situation.
'Half breed brats. I thought for sure they would have had a better way to find the dragon balls. Turns out the little 'prince' is just as useless as his ancestors. I should have interrogated them more fully before allowing us to come here. Now we have to find the Namekians, and it's only a matter of time before Slug realizes what's going on. Cooler too for that matter. The last thing I need is to fight both of them for my wish.'
The Saiyan leader looked at the children and made his decision. "How do you propose we find the Namekians? Or did you leave the radar for that at home too?"
Several Saiyans chuckled at the snide remark and Trunks' cheeks grew red.
"I bet we'd find them if you weren't here." Goten muttered under his breath.
"What?" Turles snapped at the child.
Goten flinched at the harsh tone, but then he shook it off and met the older Saiyan's eyes with defiance.
While many of the group were either stunned or annoyed by the child's boldness, Lomen stared at the boy with a curious expression. Memories of another Saiyan, just as bold and defiant, came flooding into his mind. Half a smile formed on his wrinkled features before he spoke.
"The boy's right, Turles." The old Saiyan's words surprised everyone, and Turles shot him a fearsome look of warning. Undeterred, Lomen elaborated. "Our combined energy, and your power especially, must be the reason these Namekians are in hiding. We will never find them so long as such power is seen as a threat to them. The children, on the other hand, may not register as a danger at all."
Turles thought about this for a moment and, to his chagrin, Lomen was probably right. The best course of action would likely be to let the brats conduct the search. Unfortunately, he didn't trust them. The white-haired runt would never think of betraying his 'subjects', but the other one? He didn't have the same blind faith in the Saiyan's as Trunks did.
"Fine." He relented with a forced smile. "Let's give our new recruits a chance to show us what they can do. Find the Namekians and get the dragon balls from them. Nazz, you stay and watch over our little brothers. Everyone else, back on the ship. Yashimo can try to undo the magic, if that's what it is."
A collective groan sounded from the Saiyans, followed by a fair bit of complaining. All of which was silenced by the menacing glare of Turles.
"Um… Boss?" Nazz spoke up. "I know I'm not that strong compared to you, but won't my power still keep the Namekians in hiding?"
"You're one of the few here who can suppress your power to a satisfactory level." Turles explained.
"Yeah, but I thought you said that was a useless ability." She still remembered the lecture she got from him on how Saiyans needed to show their power, not hide it. Such tactics were for the weak and cowardly.
"Apparently not." Turles replied. "Seems like the only way to find the cowards, is to use their tactics. Besides, the littler one seems to like you. Keep an eye on him."
Fortunately for Turles, Nazz misinterpreted the meaning behind her boss's words, and she asked no further questions.
The Saiyan leader turned to head back into the ship and looked over his shoulder at the two young Saiyans. "You have 3 hours. Don't disappoint me."
Break
The Spaghetti Star
Zangya pressed her hand against the cool glass of the space station window. Her eyes were closed in concentration, reaching out to sense any trace of Gohan, Goten, or Trunks. She knew it was probably useless. That if the boys could have been found that way, then Gohan would have done it. Still, she couldn't just sit here and do nothing. She couldn't let some pirate scum corrupt Goten, or worse. Her mind pushed out further as she sifted through the energy of the universe, searching desperately for any sign of them.
So absorbed was she in her task, that she didn't notice the approaching footsteps. Neither did she hear the blonde cyborg clearing her throat. 18 looked at her friend, unsure if Zangya was ignoring her on purpose, or if she really had not noticed her. She decided to assume the latter and tapped the blue girl on the shoulder.
The sudden contact made the Hera jump, breaking her out of her trance. She turned to face whoever had disrupted her search, ready to tell them off. However, when she saw that it was 18, her eyes narrowed, and she turned her back on the cyborg.
"Go away 18. I'm busy."
"Zangya, please." 18 spoke with a meekness that was foreign to her. "I know you're mad, and you have every right to be. But can we please just talk?"
The Hera shut her eyes as tight as she could, trying to ignore 18 until she went away. Unfortunately for her, 18 showed no signs of moving.
"Z… Please."
Zangya tried again to focus on searching for her loved ones, but no matter how hard she focused, she couldn't drown out the presence behind her. She sighed in resignation and spun around.
"Talk? You avoid me for months, didn't bother telling me how bad you were hurting, or even that you were pregnant, and now, after you lost two children in space, you want to have a little chat?" Despite her calm tone, each word was dripping with bitter anger. "Alright, fine. You finally feel like talking? Then go ahead. Talk."
Zangya folded her arms and leaned back against the window with an indifferent expression.
18 wasn't too surprised by this reaction, but was shaken, nonetheless. She nervously pushed a stray hair behind her ear before she too folded her arms. Silence permeated the corridor as neither female spoke. After several minutes, Zangya just rolled her eyes. She was about to turn away, when 18 finally spoke.
"Zangya, I am so sorry." She said while trying to suppress a sob. "I never should have taken the kids with me. I honestly had no idea that any of this would happen. I know that's no excuse. I know I should have known better, but I just wasn't thinking straight. Krillin…" she paused to try and restrain the tears that were starting to form, but her efforts were in vain.
"It was hard enough losing him. I wasn't strong enough to protect him and when I came back to life without him, I…" She paused as she wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I needed him back. But then, he said he wanted to stay in the otherworld. I didn't know what to think. I was angry at him, at Goku, Gohan, at myself. I was heartbroken and confused, but I thought I could deal with it. But the more time passed, the worse I felt. I was alone. Lapis has his girlfriend, and you have Gohan. You were so happy, I didn't think you'd understand, so I stayed away. I thought that would make it easier to wait if I didn't have to be reminded of what I lost. But then…" 18 placed a hand on her stomach. "I found out I was pregnant. I was terrified. I knew I couldn't be a good mother. Not without Krillin. What if the dragon balls didn't work and he never came back? I don't know how they work. I couldn't wait any longer. Maybe the hormones weren't letting me think straight, but I had to get to Namek."
"Then I found out that Goten and Trunks had the same idea. I understood how they felt. They just wanted to see their dads, and I didn't think there was any harm in them coming with me. I didn't know all this crazy stuff would happen. I did everything I could to keep them safe. I couldn't protect them. I can't protect anyone. I'm sorry." She finished hanging her head. "I am so, so sorry."
The two women stood in silence again while the tears fell to the metal floor. Zangya kept a stoic expression, quietly processing all that the blonde had said. Finally, she asked a question.
"Why didn't you ask for help? Or ask Gohan how the dragon balls worked? Why didn't you talk to me, or Chichi, or even your brother?"
18 looked up. "I-I don't know. I wasn't thinking straight. I'm not really used to having friends, and I didn't think you'd understand what I-"
"You didn't think I'd understand?" Zangya cut her off with fire in her eyes. "Let's leave aside the fact that we're supposed to be best friends and think about what you just said. You didn't think that I'd understand? I may never have been pregnant before, so maybe I don't understand that, but you're an absolute moron if you don't think I understand about losing someone I care about."
18's eyes widened as she realized what she must have implied. "Zangya, I didn't mean it like that."
"You know what, maybe I don't understand. I don't understand why you would endanger the lives of two children, and even your own unborn child! You lost your boyfriend, or baby daddy, or fiancé for all I know, and you were upset. I get that. But you know what? You had 6 months, just six months to wait and he would have been back in your arms. Hell, if you had just said the word, Gohan would have gone to Namek and wished him back right away."
18 felt her temper rise despite guilt.
"You don't get it. You wouldn't be able to logic pain away if it was Gohan-"
"MY ENTIRE RACE, 18!" Zangya bellowed. "My mom, my dad, my aunts, and uncles! My neighbors, every single person I ever knew or cared about is dead! Koti only survived by a miracle, and it took me years to find that out. I couldn't protect them. You lost Krillin, even if only for 6 months, but you still have people who care about you. You have your brother! You have me! You even have Gohan and Chichi! You're going to get your loved one back in a few months. I had nobody! Nobody but a group of sadistic psychopaths that wanted me to be as twisted as they were, and tried to blow me up the minute I lost a fight! I will never see my people again and not even the dragon balls can bring them back now!"
Zangya took a deep breath. "So yeah, I understand grief. I know you're hurting. In some ways, your life has been worse than mine. After Gohan explained it to me, I realized that for you, Krillin is like a ray of light in a life of pain, the same way Gohan and his family are for me. When it comes to them, it's hard to make rational decisions. I guess you should at least be given credit for not going on a genocidal rampage. Unfortunately, just because your mistake doesn't come close to what I did, it doesn't change the fact that Goten and Trunks are still lost, and all we have is this one in a trillion chance to find them."
"I know that." 18 said fervently. "I know I messed up. I can't undo the past. I don't expect you to forgive me. I just… needed you to know how sorry I am."
The Hera put her forehead in her hand as she calmed herself down. "18… I do forgive you."
18's eyes widened in surprise.
"Y-you do?"
"I can forgive you for not coming to me about this. I thought we were close enough for you to trust me, but clearly, I was wrong. That's my fault, not yours."
18 was about to object, but Zangya carried on. "You didn't have to tell me about your pregnancy, or that you were going to Namek. If you had, we wouldn't be in this situation, but endangering your life and the life of your baby is obviously none of my business. I understand not thinking straight when it comes to grief, because you were right. When it comes to Gohan and his family, I don't think logically. I lost everything, and they gave me a family again. So, like I said, I can forgive you for not coming to me with your problems or your pregnancy. I can forgive you for being impatient and making a mistake due to grief. But if anything happens to my new family, if anything happens to Goten… I don't know if I can forgive the people responsible."
18 didn't know what to say to this. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Then she turned her back on the Hera. "I understand."
The cyborg walked away dejectedly and Zangya turned back to face the window. For a moment, she couldn't help but stare at her reflection. The look she gave herself changed from sorrowful, to a snarl of rage. She pounded the glass with her fist, shaking the entire station. She pressed her forehead against the cracked glass and looked herself in the eye with disgust.
"Hypocrite."
Break
Namek
"Hey, kids?" Nazz called to Trunks and Goten as they sailed through the green sky.. "Don't get me wrong, I love flying, and this place is beautiful and all, but maybe wandering aimlessly isn't the best plan."
"We're not wandering aimlessly." Trunks growled. They had been flying for half an hour and covered half the planet, but still no sign of any Namekians. He didn't know what he was expecting, and truthfully, he didn't know what he was doing. But he needed to prove himself to the Saiyans.
"Well, it kinda feels like we are." Nazz shrugged. "Anyway, my senses aren't as sharp as Rhubub, but I still can't sense any Namekians. What makes you so sure they're here?"
"Because Gohan said so." Goten answered matter-of-factly.
"Gohan? Who's that? And how would he know?"
"Gohan's my big brother. He's friends with the Namekians."
Nazz nearly fell out of the sky from this revelation.
"Woah, woah, woah. You have a brother? A Saiyan brother?"
"Yup." Goten nodded. "He always tells me stories about Namek and stuff."
"I see…" Nazz muttered. "Hey, wait a minute! Why wasn't he with you when Daiz picked you up? What kind of bum lets his little brother just wander through space on his own?"
"Don't call my brother a bum!" Goten yelled. "He's the best big brother in the whole universe!"
"Then why isn't he with you?"
"Er… well, we sorta, kinda, left without telling him…" as Goten said this, he realized just how foolish he and Trunks had been. They'd never been to space before, let alone Namek. What made him think going without his big brother was a good idea? Now they were on the planet, but they had o idea what they were doing. They couldn't even find the Namekians.
"I see." Nazz nodded in understanding. "Well, that mighta been really dumb, but you kids shouldn't feel too bad about it. I used to run away from home on adventures all the time. I think it's a Saiyan thing, you know?"
Goten just nodded, still wishing that Gohan were with them.
"So, what's he like, anyway?" Nazz asked.
"Who, Gohan?" Goten asked.
"Yeah. I told you we don't have many hybrids, so I'm curious. He is a hybrid, right? How old is he? Is he strong? What's he look like?"
"Gohan is the strongest in the universe, right Trunks?" Goten replied with pride.
"Yeah, I guess." Trunks said distractedly. 'Dad will catch him though.'
"He's tall and has spikey hair, and he has a tail like you. He's really smart, and nice too." Goten continued. "He's a superhero, so he always helps people."
"Huh… Doesn't really sound like a Saiyan, does he? Apart from the tail I mean." Nazz muttered. "Well, I can't wait to meet him. We'll have to pick him up once we find these balls."
"If you two would stop chattering and help find the Namekians, maybe it wouldn't take so long." Trunks said in frustration.
"Oh, my apologies, prince Trunks." Nazz bowed her head in mock respect. "I shall attend to that immediately." She stopped flying forward and put her hands to mouth. "HEY NAMEKIANS! COME OUT AND SHOW US YOUR BALLS ALREADY!"
Trunks and Goten stopped and looked at the girl with mixed expressions. Trunks grew red in the face. "Will you take this seriously!"
"I am taking this seriously, but what else are we supposed to do?" She asked. "It's not like flying around for three hours is going to do anything."
"We're not just flying around, we're scouting!" Trunks corrected.
"I don't know Trunks, maybe yelling is a good idea." Goten scratched his head. "Mr. Piccolo and Dende have really good hearing. Maybe if we tell them we're friends then they'll come out."
"That's stupid Goten. They're hiding. It's not like they'll automatically come out if we yell 'Olly olly oxenfree'."
"Yeah, that never works on Mr. Piccolo." Goten admitted. "I think more like this. HEEEEY! I'M GOHAN'S LITTLE BROTHEER! I KNOW DENDE! COME OUT PLEASE!"
"Goten, this isn't going to work." Trunks insisted, but he kept yelling while flying forward.
"HEY NAMEKIANS! I DON'T KNOW GOHAN OR DENDE BUT I'M STILL PRETTY COOL!" Nazz said with a big grin. "I KNOW LOT'S OF JOKES TOO! WHY DO CHICKEN'S NEVER PAY FOR THEIR DINNER!?"
"GRAH! Fine, do whatever you want!" Trunks followed his friend, refusing to participate in this nonsense. This was no way for a true Saiyan to act.
Nazz and Goten continued to call out to the Namekians while keeping their eyes peeled for any sign of them. Trunks was sure that this wouldn't work, but he was proven wrong, as not even 10 minutes later, he spotted something on top of a mountainous pillar.
"Guys! Look!" He pointed, drawing their attention to a lone figure, standing with his hands behind his back.
"Wow. That actually worked." Nazz said with genuine surprise. The trio sped to the figure, who eyed their approach with caution.
Moori had sensed when the massive source of energy had left the planet. At first, he thought that it was possible the power source was just passing through. Of course, he thought it equally likely that it may be a trap. He could sense three power levels, much smaller than the first, still on the planet. Perhaps it was a scouting party. He decided it was best to keep himself and his people hidden until they left. The magic passed down from the ancient Namekians would last as long as he needed it to. Then, something unexpected happened. His tremendous hearing picked up the names of Dende and Gohan. What was more, at least one of the voices seemed to be that of a child. One of them even seemed vaguely familiar to him.
Despite all this, something felt off to Moori. He would not bring his people out of hiding until he was sure that there was no danger. However, if it was truly a friend of Dende, then he ought to investigate. As the three Saiyans landed in front of him, he relaxed slightly, not sensing any ill will from the party.
"We found you!" Goten cried excitedly.
"So, it would seem." Moori couldn't help but smile. "My name is Moori. You are friends of Dende?"
"Yes sir." Goten bowed. "My name is Goten. My big brother Gohan and Dende have known each other a long time."
"I see." The elder nodded. "How is young Dende? Does he enjoy being the guardian of your planet?"
"I think so. Gohan says that they'd be all screwy if he wasn't around."
Moori looked puzzled at this sentence. "And screwy is bad?"
"Uhuh." Goten nodded.
"Look, we'd love to catch up Moori." Trunks interrupted. "But we really need to find the dragon balls. Can we have them?"
The Namekian stared at the boys intently. If they knew Dende, then why did they need to come all this way for a different set of dragon balls? And why were these children the only ones that came? Perhaps this really was some trick by the source of that awful power. There was only one way to see if their intentions were pure.
"If the dragon balls are what you seek, then I'm afraid I cannot help you."
"What!? Why not?" Trunks blurted out.
"Please, Mr. Moori. We just want to make one little, tiny wish." Goten begged.
"Regardless of how big or small the wish is, I cannot help you find what you seek."
"Hey, come on old man." Nazz said with hands on her hips. "These kids came all this way, and they just want to bring back their dads. Can't you just lighten up and help them out?"
Moori's eyes widened. "Bring back… Has something happened to Goku?"
Goten nodded sadly. "And Krillin too."
Moori considered this. "My people owe your father a great debt, young Goten. Unfortunately, I truly cannot give you the dragon balls."
"But-"
Moori held up a hand. "I cannot give them to you because I do not have them. We do not keep them in our villages anymore. After the monster, Frieza, slaughtered our people, we believed it was better to let them stay hidden. Even we do not know where they are."
The three half Saiyans looked devastated by this news. If they were hidden, and they didn't have the radar, then there was no way they were going to find them.
"So, we really did come here for nothing." Nazz sighed. 'Turles is gonna be pissed.'
"Not exactly." Moori corrected. "In ancient times, our people used the search for the dragon balls as a rite of passage. They would train themselves to sense the energy of the sleeping dragon in order to gather them. I believe Bulma created her 'dragon radar' to search for this energy. Though, she likely did not fully understand what it was."
"But we don't have the radar!" Trunks exclaimed.
"Perhaps not. However, if you are pure in heart, you will not need one."
"Pure in heart? What does that even mean?" Nazz asked.
"If you wish to summon the dragon, then that is something you must find for yourself." He looked directly at Goten. "Our hearts give us great power. Trust in yours, and you will find what you seek."
Turning his back on the trio, he sat down on the grass and started to meditate.
"So… Which one of you has the purest heart?" Nazz asked the children.
Goten shrugged, while Trunks stared at the ground with clenched fists. The older boy couldn't have been more frustrated by the situation. "We don't have time for this 'pure in heart' sissy stuff." He growled. "We need to find these as fast as possible." He looked at Goten and Nazz. "Ok, here's the plan. We'll split up. I'll go east, you go west."
"What about using our hearts?" Goten asked.
"I told you, Goten, it's just a waste of time. These Namekians probably just don't want to share the wish."
"But-"
"Fine! Just do what you want! I'll get our dad's back myself! I don't need you clowns holding me back!" Trunks took off full speed away from his friend.
"Geez." Nazz looked down at Goten. "Is he always like this?"
Goten nodded sadly. "Yeah, sometimes he can be pretty mean. Come on, Miss Nazz. We should probably get going."
Break
Planet Slug
"How?" Slug asked quietly. "How could they have found it? I made sure to wipe it from the database." Staring at the planet of his people, he couldn't comprehend how Turles had found it. When Namek had been destroyed, only for a new planet to appear out of nowhere a year later, Slug knew it was not a coincidence. He knew the power of the dragon balls, and he could sense that his people had created a new home world. He thought at first to go there and use the dragon for himself, but something stopped him. Finding himself unable, or unwilling to go, he decided on a whim to hide the planet. Even he didn't know why he did it, but he told himself it was out of selfishness. One day he would return, and until then, he wouldn't let anyone else find his people, or use the dragon balls, before he did.
Now, somehow, Turles had found it. Not only that, but he knew about the dragon balls. If he could figure out how to use them, he could become the most powerful being in the universe. Then, this new Namek would be destroyed to feed the tree of might. This thought brought on a surge of rage.
While Slug was working through his shock, Gohan had already gotten over his. It didn't matter that the boys had told the Saiyans about Namek, and it didn't matter that the dragon balls were in danger. He knew where they were now. Without another thought, Gohan raised his arm straight up, fired a blast through the palace roof, and started flying up at full speed. The shock wave from the take-off destroyed the computer room, along with a good portion of the palace, but he couldn't care less. He was just about to break through the planet's atmosphere when…
*SLAM*
The next thing he knew, the Saiyan teen found himself lying in a crater and covered in rubble. He pushed the rubble off him and shook himself out of a daze. While he was recovering, a green hand seized him by the face and forced him through wall after wall of the palace buildings. Gohan fired a blast from his mouth, and the hand loosened enough for him to free himself.
"You!" Slug growled as he advanced on the teen. "You treacherous Saiyan BASTARD!"
"What the hell are you talking about!?" Gohan shouted. "We don't have time for this righ-" he was silenced by a back hand from Slug that sent him flying again.
"Don't play dumb you little whelp!" Slug appeared above Gohan and stomped him into the ground, creating another massive crater. "You said you were trained by a Namekian." He ground his foot into the hybrid's chest, eliciting a grunt of pain. "Nobody else could have told the Saiyan's where to find it. It was a mistake to offer you an alliance." He raised his foot and kicked his victim in the ribs, launching him into the air. "All you Saiyan's deserve…" He vanished and appeared in line with Gohan's trajectory. "IS DEATH!"
Deadly lasers shot out of the Namekian's eyes at the Saiyan. Gohan couldn't get himself to move. Slug's assault had been far more powerful than anything he had encountered before. Before the attack impacted, Slug saw a flash of gold and the eye beams sailed under the boy.
Gohan was breathing heavily. He was sure that the beams were going to hit him and wasn't sure how he had managed to evade them. His surprise was shared by his opponent. Slug looked at the new form his enemy had taken. Spikey blonde hair, electric golden aura, and a sudden incredible jump in power.
"So, it seems like you've realized at least one of the Saiyan legends." Slug sneered. "But it doesn't matter. Even a super Saiyan can't match a super Namekian like me!"
Gohan raised his eyebrows before looking down at his hands. 'When did I transform?' He hadn't meant to do so. Not that he wasn't grateful, as the form had saved his life. Still, after experiencing Slugs power firsthand, he knew he would need more than what even super Saiyan 2 could offer. Unfortunately, even with his newest form, he knew it would be a longer fight than what he had time for.
"Listen, Slug. I didn't betray your people." He tried to explain, but Slug just scowled. "You don't have to believe me, but we both know Namek is in trouble. We can either fight each other here while your partner steals the dragon balls, or we can go there now and stop them."
"HA!" Slug scoffed. "Oh, don't worry, I'll stop him. But after I kill his little spy. Don't worry, it won't take too long. Even with your super Saiyan power, you're barely a flea to me."
"Oh yeah?" Gohan realized talking was pointless. He dropped to his stance and prepared to transform. "You haven't seen anything yet. Haaaaaaaa-hak!" Gohan's eyes widened as the air left him. Slug's fist had lodged itself deep in his abdomen.
The Namekian looked down at him with contempt. "Did you really think I'd give you a chance to powerup?"
"W-well…" Gohan groaned. "You're the first who hasn't."
Slug replied to this comment with a knee in the gut, followed by an elbow to his back, sending Gohan smashing to the ground once more.
"No more transformations from you."
If Gohan was not in such excruciating pain, he may have detected relief and just a touch of fear in his opponent's voice. He hadn't even recovered when he forced himself out of the way, just in time to avoid a barrage of ki. He ran from the blasts, narrowly avoiding each ki bomb, only to be met with a lariat from Slug that sent him right back into the blasts he had just escaped.
Super Saiyan two may have given him enough to save his life before, but it wasn't anywhere near what he needed right now. The only way he was going to win was with his demon form. Unfortunately, his new transformation hadn't yet become second nature like super Saiyan had. He needed time to transform, but that was something he didn't have. Slug was not allowing him to even breath, much less power up. As he felt the blasts scorch his skin, he wished that he had transformed right from the start. He needed a plan to get the Namekian to back off. Fortunately, the teen knew exactly how to do that.
The blasts dissipated, leaving a battered and burnt Gohan standing in the midst of the destruction. It was everything he could do to not fall to a knee right there. Slug growled at the stubbornness of this Saiyan.
"Well, you're tougher than I gave you credit for." He grudgingly admitted. "I guess I was holding back a little too much. I'll make sure to not make that mistake this time." Slug charged his opponent with his fist cocked back. "DIE NOW!"
*Fweeeet*
"Gah!" The green fighter stumbled in his approach long enough for Gohan to jump out of the way. The fist hit nothing, resulting in a blast of air pressure destroying the landscape. He rounded on Gohan and charged a blast in his hand, thrusting it toward the Saiyan.
*Fweeeet*
Slug winced and Gohan ducked under the blast and into his opponent's guard. With all his might he launched an uppercut that landed square on the enemy's green chin. However, all this served to do was tilt Slugs head upward.
The Namekian forced his head down and looked at the younger fighter with rage. "You. DAMNED MONKEY!" He brought both fists down.
*Fweet*
The enemy grimaced, and again, Gohan just barely dodged, stepping back to make space.
"You!" backhand.
*Fweet*
"Little!" Haymaker.
*Fweet*
"STOOOP!" Eye beams.
*Fweeeet*
Every blow that came at him, Gohan avoided with puckered lips. Whistling wasn't causing enough pain to completely cripple him like he'd hoped, but it was giving the teen enough time to dodge. His plan was working, and he decided to double down.
*A, C, F, A, B CBA G.* (These are notes)
Gohan started to whistle a tune and he moved in on his opponent. He punctuated each note by sending a blow to his audience/opponent. Punch, punch, punch, kick, jab jabjabjab, elbow. Sweat started pour down Slug's face as he tried and failed to counter the boy's assault. The attacks themselves were no more painful than a mosquito bite, but the whistling was unbearable. The boy was also taking advantage of Slug's disorientation to skillfully weave around his counterattacks. His attacks were annoying, but when combined with the frustration of not hitting his target, and the excruciating pain from that high pitched sound, Gohan was starting to chip away at Slug mentally.
The Namekian had to admit that he had never faced a warrior quite like this one. He could understand why such a Saiyan could have achieved the legend. What truly terrified him though, was the thought that he could go even further. He couldn't let this brat transform to a higher state, no matter what. He tried to block out the sound of the whistling so he could finally land the killing blow on this monkey, but it seemed to pierce his very soul. He couldn't concentrate on the fight. He couldn't do anything with that horrible din.
"No… More…"
*Fweet, Fweet, Fweet*
Gohan kept his tune going while doing his best to aggravate the enemy.
"NO MORE!" A massive energy wave erupted from Slug, canceling out the whistling and sending Gohan flying.
"Haa, haa… Haa." Slug breathed deeply to regain his composure. The damned noise was just too much for him. He shook his head in frustration. How could he, the great lord Slug, need respite from a Saiyan stripling?
"Haaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"NO!" Slug cried, breaking his brief repose. He looked wildly for Gohan and panicked when he saw the boy building his energy with a smile.
"Oh no you DOOOON'T!" Slug opened his mouth wide, and a giant yellow and purple beam shot out of it.
Gohan saw the incoming attack and cupped his hands at his side, all the while powering up at a steady pace.
'Almost there. Just need a jump start. If I mess the timing up on this, I'm dead.'
Glowing blue energy formed in his palms and his energy skyrocketed. The Purple and yellow energy was almost on him, and he grit his teeth.
'Just a little more.'
"HAAAAAAAAAA!" He thrust his hands out and released the Kamehameha wave. The beams met only a yard from where Gohan stood. Though his power was still rising, the blue attack was barely able to slow the oncoming destruction down. The struggle lasted only a moment and ceased when-
'NOW!'
Gohan dropped his hands and let the enemy attack wash over him, the beam becoming so intense that everything, including the young Saiyan, was engulfed by its destructive light.
Break
Slug breathed heavily as he surveyed the destruction his attack had caused. His palace, along with every other building, was either destroyed or crumbling to dust. Even though Gohan was far beneath him in power, their skirmish had decimated his entire base of operations. The Saiyan had almost managed to force Slug into using his full power just to ensure that the Saiyan stayed down. It was certainly overkill, but he couldn't risk that boy surviving. He wanted the boy dead for betraying his people to Turles of course, but if he really had obtained the secret to super Saiyan god…
Slug had to suppress a shudder at the thought. "No matter. Farewell Saiyan. One base was a fair price to pay for your destruction."
"You wish."
Slug's eyes widened when he heard a voice from the settling smoke. Out of the cloud appeared Gohan, walking calmly toward Slug.
"It'll cost you more than a base to take me down. In fact," Gohan flexed, and dark energy rippled through the air. "I'm afraid that my destruction isn't in your budget."
"H-how?" Slug asked in shock. He took in the youth's appearance and noticed the differences right away. Instead of gold, his hair was silvery white. His once seafoam green eyes now had blood red irises with pupils so black, they might as well have been black holes.
"You… You're different. But... But this isn't super Saiyan God." It was hard to tell which emotion was more prominent, fear or confusion.
Gohan stopped walking and adopted a curious expression. "I've never heard of super Saiyan god before."
"Then what!?" Slug shouted. "What are you!?"
Gohan started walking again and Slug dropped to his stance. "I still haven't settled on a name. for now, let's call it… Super Saimajin!"
Slug looked incredulous at hearing such a goofy name. "That… That's stupid."
With a frown, the demon disappeared and before Slug could even look for him, he felt the crushing power of Gohan's elbow in his lower back.
"GAAH!" He yelled as he staggered forward.
"Fine, Super Saiyan Demon then. Either way, I don't plan on spending much more time on you."
End chapter.
Ok, there we go. I hope everything in the chapter made sense. I wanted another interaction with Zangya and 18, and I think it worked well. It may seem like Zangya is too harsh and hypocritical, while 18 is too submissive, but I wanted to make it a realistic interaction, given the circumstances. Zangya wouldn't just say, 'oh, it's cool.' And 18 wouldn't be like 'tch, whatever'. The parts on Namek went longer than I meant for them to. Personally, I think that after a near genocidal event surrounding the dragon balls, it makes sense to me that there would be some contingencies made to prevent repeat occurrences. We don't know much about Namekian magic, but I don't think them using magic to hide is that farfetched. As for the Saiyans, I may have put too many in, but there's a reason for that which you will see later. I have backstories for all of them, based in part on their game data, but there isn't time in the story to go over them all right now. Lastly, I had debated whether to have Slug join Gohan, or fight him. I went with fight because I think it will be cool. Please review if you have questions or comments on what you think about the story. Follow and favorite if you want. Thanks for reading.
By the way, Gohan is whistling the tune of Hogan's heroes.