We all stared down at Gohan.

Gohan stared back up at all of us.

Most of the Z fighters glowered.

Gohan shuffled uneasily.

I… blinked.

"Okay, what the hell am I missing because it's a cute baby dragon." I reached out and scratched Icarus under the chin, the drake (which was barely bigger than a toaster) letting out a crooning cry of delight and leaning into my touch.

Chichi shot a dark glare at me. "Kayos, be serious."

"I am being very serious!" I exclaimed continuing to scratch Icarus. Gohan, realizing he might have an ally in me, edged closer to where I sat. "I don't get why we are treating a dragon like it's the end of the world."

"Oh, it isn't the end of the world," Tien said gruffly. "Just a massive headache and problem."

We were gathered on the beach near the south end of the island. Senza had gotten us when Gohan had revealed the baby dragon to him. I had been rather surprised when Bulma had refused to allow him near the facility and Chichi had flat out demanded the dragon not be brought to our temporary camp. Even Goku had oddly suggested we keep him away from our training areas, leaving the beach the only spot where we could meet. And it wasn't even a part of the beach we normally went to!

"I swear if this is some Garlic Jr. arriving early bullshit," I muttered before looking at the others. "Okay, for the obvious slow kid in the class someone mind explaining, in little words, what is the massive fucking deal?"

"Kayos!" Chichi snapped. "Do not make light of this."

I blinked.

I'd cursed in front of Gohan.

And Chichi… only cared about the dragon.

"What the fuck?"

Krillin let out a huff. "You seriously don't know? Or is this another one of those times where you do know but don't want to admit it?"

"I seriously don't know and take the sarcasm out of your tone, Krillin," I demanded, having reached my end with him and his lip; I thought we'd moved past that. "It is a little baby dragon. And yes, admittedly it is going to grow up to be a rather big dragon-"

"Actually?" Bulma said, having been quiet for most of the conversation. "I looked it up and this dragon is only going to grow to reach about 8 feet."

"Okay, even better!" I exclaimed. "Small dragon! And he obviously cares for Gohan! So what is the big deal? Are there… dragon diseases?"

"Of course not!" Yamcha said with a laugh, several of the other Z Fighters snickering at that. "Dragon diseases. That is just insane, Kayos! You taking stupid pills today?"

I narrowed my eyes before looking to the sky. "Hey King Kai? I think Yamcha would love to see some of your vacation slides?"

"What are you-"

'Well, I'm not sure if this will work but I will try! This is when I went to the Otherworld Arlord Beach!"

"Wait, wha-"

Yamcha then fell to the ground and began to scream.

"Huh…" I said slowly, watching him writhe. "Krillin would too."

"You bas-" Krillin went down hard, clutching his head. "The thong… the thong!"

"Anyone else feel like insulting me?" I snarled, the others holding up their hands, anger dissipating a bit in the face of my new power. "I thought so. Now someone please explain why it is such a big deal that Gohan has a pet dragon."

"His name is Icarus and I am helping him grow big and strong!" the boy declared.

"Dragons are a nuisance," Chichi said, still casting nervous glances at Yamcha and Krillin as they dealt with King Kai's slide show. "They eat a lot."

"Like Goku," I pointed out.

"They might appear cute and sweet but they can be quite dangerous."

"Like Goku."

"No, you don't understand! It is common for them to pick fights with stronger opponents and then rush back to where ever they have made their home and eat everything in sight-"

"Like Goku!" Goku chirped happily. Chichi turned to stare at him and he shrugged. "I mean its true. Why not own up to it?"

"I'm with the mage," Raditz declared, arms folded over his chest. "While it would have been better if the dragon was large enough to cause some serious destruction to his enemies it still works that he is a powerful creature. Or… will be."

"Thank you!" I exclaimed, gesturing at Raditz. "For that when I figure out how to turn air into gold you are getting the first few bricks."

Raditz raised an eyebrow at that but said nothing; maybe he had no idea what gold was or its value but he was smart enough to realize that if someone was giving you something they claimed was important it was wise not to reject it right out of hand.

"Well, I don't like it," Chichi said.

"Don't like it as much as you want," I said with a shrug. "Either the kid keeps the dragon and you know right where it is… or…"

"Or?" Chichi said slowly, dangerously.

I liked Chichi. I really did. Especially the changes she'd made in herself over the last 14 or so months. Working to better herself, to manage her temper, to loosen her grip on her family and understand she didn't need to cling to them but rather run beside them. But… she still had her anger and her steel-strong opinions on things. And that caused her to believe that if one challenged her then the answer was to fight right back.

I liked Chichi.

But that didn't mean I was going to give in.

Or play fair.

"Or I take the dragon," I said with a dark smile. "Gohan will still see him all the time only now I'll have an excuse to… experiment." I tilted my head to the side. "I wonder if I teach Icarus magic he'll become another Shenron."

THAT made all the Z Fighters suddenly rather nervous.

"Raditz could teach Icarus how to fight… and Isco show him morals and values!"

The drone let out a huff at that. "Am I allowed to select my own testing subjects."

"As long as doing so doesn't hurt you, morally."

"That wouldn't be a problem, sir."

"Fine!" Chichi declared, throwing her hands up in the air. "Gohan can keep the dangerous dragon that will probably kill us all and eat us!"

Icarus let out a happy coo and nuzzled my hand before latching onto my finger and giving it a gummy suck.

"Oh no, he's developed a taste for humans," I said dryly… only to feel a flare up in my other arm. I frowned, lifting my hand… and my eyes went wide as a surge of Evil Magic grew within me. "Uh… I'm sure that's nothing at all."

~MC~MC~MC~

"Well, it looks like you have nearly everything ready," Bulma's father said as he looked over the ship, cigarette dangling from his lips. "And this was Kami's old ship?"

"Yes and no," Bulma informed him. When he raised an eyebrow at that she said, "What I mean is that I used Kami's old ship but I took it completely apart. Would have been far too small for all of us that are going. But I used every piece…"

"Ah, the old Ship of Theseus question," Dr. Brief said, rubbing his chin. "When did it stop being Kami's ship if every piece was used to make THIS ship."

"Exactly!" Bulma said, glancing over at Raditz who was deep in the control panel of the ship, muttering about the wiring and how Nameks were 'shit when it came to guidance systems'. Kami's Ship had run more on magic than anything else, being almost grown from what Kayos and Baba could determine, but Bulma didn't trust anything that didn't have backups and as such had recruited Raditz to assist in getting everything up to snuff. The Saiyan had repaired his own pod MANY times and even brought it over to Capsule Corps so they could study its layout and systems.

The ship, which Bulma was still debating the name of, was rather large compared to what it had started as. Kami's ship had been roughly the size of a small apartment. The new ship was the size of an entire complex. Raditz had told her that it was nearly the size of a Frieza Force Saucer, whatever that was. While it did have rooms for everyone they were rather small but that was fine, as everyone had stated they didn't need much space. Just a place to sleep would work for them. She had been debating making a place for them to train, knowing how Goku was, but Raditz had informed her that there were 'Battle Trances' that he could teach them all that would allow them to master their skills in their minds without needing to actually move. She just needed a room that was reinforced to deal with the Ki that they would be naturally generating that might cause the ship some issues.

"Have you decided who will be going with you, sweetie?"

Bulma sighed at that. "Kayos and Senza are figuring it out but it sounds like it might be everyone. They went off with Mr. Popo to try and learn everything they can about Namek… Senza believes there might be some records he left behind during his youth hidden away… he had dreams of Namek, though he didn't know what they were."

Dr. Brief shook his head at that. "I simply can't understand it. How does one send off a child like that, all alone?"

"Senza wonders about that too. Why his family sent him off? He doesn't know what his parents were thinking… if he even has parents."

Raditz let out a huff at that.

"Oh?" Bulma said, turning towards him with a raised eyebrow and folding her arms over her chest. "Do you have something to add?" She could hear the mockery that was about to come. How parents made you weak. How it was stupid to care about them. How-

"If they abandoned him then he shouldn't care," Raditz said, barely glancing at her before going back to the wiring. "Bad parents aren't worth the time."

'Okay… not quite what I expected,' Bulma mentally admitted before finding herself saying aloud, "So what about your parents then?"

"They were shit," Raditz admitted. "But that was also the culture we grew up in. Child were tossed into the wild quick and expected to just… live. If you didn't then you died. Plain and simple." He gave a shrug. "They were better than most. My mother actually saw me off before I joined my first raiding party and my father helped me forge my first armor… most Saiyans have to do all that on their own, without any help from their parents." He shook his head. "Stupid. All of them."

That caused Dr. Brief to speak up. "You believe it better if a parent helps their child?"

"Of course," Raditz said as he began to work on getting two wires connected together. He reached for a small knife and set about cutting off the protective cover on each of them.

Bulma blinked.

"Surprised?" Raditz asked. "I've had a lot of time to think about it. Going from planet to planet, razing them to the ground… its bursts of action followed by utter tedium as you wait for the next assignment. And that gives you plenty of time to think. Vegeta used to come to me early on and talk about how there were so many things he would have done different if he had been allowed to became King Vegeta, Lord and Master of All Saiyans. What he would change. What he would bring back. What he would he would keep but still find a way to put his thumbprint on. At first I thought it was stupid… just a way to torture himself. Think about things that would never come to be.

"But as the years began to stretch on and I found myself with nothing to do during the months I spent in space, waiting to arrive on a new planet, I began to think about it too. What I would have changed. What I would have done different. Not as a king… Vegeta would have had my head if I ever slipped up like that. But I thought about what I would have done if I had… I don't know… been able to actually change how the Saiyans were." He waved his hand about dismissively.

Bulma wasn't surprised when her father walked over to Raditz, already reaching and getting him the electrical tape he'd need. Raditz glanced at the man and after a moment gave a sharp nod; for the Saiyan Warrior that was like a pleading thanks.

"And what would you have done?" Dr. Brief asked.

Raditiz let out a huff once more; Bulma got the sense that was his go-to sound when he needed to think of some way to say something and wanted to buy a bit of time.

"For one get us to stop being so pig headed and thinking we have to go it alone." He shook his head. "Kayos… when he talked about my armor… he was right. I still think that Kakarot should have been able to defeat me on his own but I'm willing to try my brother's way. Because the mage is right… we aren't ever alone. Except the Saiyans think they can do everything and actively try to push all others away. That's why Vegeta was stupid enough to kill Nappa. Though that wasn't a great loss." She could hear the slight amusement in his tone. "But if I could snap my fingers and change the Saiyan Race I would have made them actually try harder to work together. There were plenty who did in the lower levels of society… had to in order to survive… but as they rose up they became convinced that they could do all on their own. Or that others should be able to do all on their own.

"We had teachers, yes… but much of how I learned to fight came from figuring it out on my own. No one corrected my mistakes they just let me get injured and then mocked me for the mistakes. 'It should be have been obvious!' they'd declare even though I'd never fought three people at once who used slug slingers and had holes punched in my arms and legs. They claimed it was ensuring the strong survived… but it also made sure that we lost so much." He shook his head, words turning bitter. "How much did we lose because a father didn't teach their son their secrets?"

"That's why Goku is teaching Gohan," Bulma said softly.

Raditz nodded, not looking at her yet it clear from his body language that he was focused on her. "Yeah… I'm hoping he and Chichi let me show the brat a few things." Bulma didn't bristle at him calling Gohan a 'brat' as there was just enough mock annoyance in his tone to make it clear to her that he was being playful. It reminded her of Piccolo and how he had talked about people; being dismissive but at the same time clearly caring. "He's going to be better than all of us… have a leg up."

He pushed himself out from under the console.

"Or, at least, that's what I think."

"And it's a smart way to think," Dr. Brief stated. Raditz merely looked away, gave a final huff, and walked out of the ship. Bulma didn't bother to ask WHAT he was off doing; sometimes people needed their privacy. "So interesting how people can have far more depth than we ever might have considered."

Bulma found herself nodding. 'I spent so long thinking Raditz was just some horrible brute that had come to destroy everything on Earth. But there is more to him than that… just like my friends. Goku isn't just some happy idiot that loves to fight. Chichi isn't just the housewife. Kayos isn't just the Ki-less wimp.'

"Speaking of families… how is Goku handling his brother?"

Bulma couldn't help but smile fondly at that. "Surprisingly well. It was shocking for him to realize he has a brother but he's eager to hear about his family. His mother and his father… Raditz knows nothing of their grandparents as apparently they both died before he was born or at least that's what Vegeta told him…" She trailed off. "Of course we can't be for sure if Vegeta was lying or not. Can't trust a thing he says, honestly." She shook her head, banishing the thought. "But the point is that Goku has been excited to learn about his family. But… not upset either, which is good. He never knew them and while I get the sense he would love to have known them he wouldn't trade Grandpa Gohan for the world."

"That's good… that's very good." Dr. Brief fell silent.

"Dad… you know I need to go with them, right?" Bulma let out a soft sigh. "I know its going to be dangerous but the ship-"

"Isco might be the only one I trust to repair it and he is likely to jettison everyone but himself just to make better time," her father said, only half joking.

"Yeah."

"Doesn't mean I won't worry about you, sweetie. You are going to another planet…"

"I'll be fine, I swear." She pressed her lips together in thought. "Though I do need to take some time and work on new Power Armor… I can't bring my original set, that is too big to get on the ship. But something smaller? More streamlined?"

"Unless you put it in a capsule."

At once Bulma slapped her head. "Of course! Why didn't I think of that?"

"That doesn't matter," her father assured her. "What does is that I'm here to remind you." He rose up and motioned for Bulma to follow him; the young woman didn't even hesitate. "Now then, I have been thinking about your armor and I think we need to look at variety. If we use the capsule technology we could build them directly into the arms and legs of the arm that would allow you to easily switch to a different payload if you run into trouble. Different weapons."

"Not just types of ammo, either," Bulma said. "Swords. Chainsaws. Drills. Guns for long distance attacks and ones for short range. Powerful blasts and more concentrated bursts."

"Very good!" her father declared. "It would also be smart to have some things that are very low tech… sometimes we forget that while its nice to be advanced and flashy its also good to have a firm foot on the standards."

"Yeah, you're right," Bulma admitted. "Master Roshi is… was…" She winced at the reminder that the old man was gone. As much as he was a disgusting pervert… he had still been one of them. 'And he will be again once we get to Namek,' she thought before revising herself again. "Master Roshi is always warning Goku and the rest of the fighters that battles might be won with a showy Ki blast… but they are always lost by shoddy footwork or lazy punches. Same is true for me."

Her father nodded at that. "Now, I am thinking that we should look into multiple sets of full armor, just in case one gets damaged. And I have a few ideas of making it quicker to get it on…"

~MC~MC~MC~

"This feels like a joke," I muttered as I held open the door of the dojo. While the others were dressed normal I had gone with a suit (Bulma paying for it) to help better present the image I wanted to world to see. "A mage, an alien, a robot, and a d'jinn walk into a bar."

"We aren't entering a bar though," Senza said. I stared at him for several long moments and at once his face fell. "Ah… you were being clever."

"Not that clever, I admit," I said.

"Oh good, I don't have to say it," Mr. Popo said.

It was… honestly surprising how well I got along with Mr. Popo. Maybe it was thanks to the internet but I had been a touch leery meeting up with Kami's attendant. While it had started as a joke the fact still remained that he had been able to fight Goten and Trunks without really breaking a sweat. Mr. Popo WAS powerful… and more importantly he was raw magic. I was still learning how to master my powers and there was Mr. Popo, born from magic itself as far as I could tell.

And yet for all my worries the two of us got along rather well. Mr. Popo was polite but did know how to tease and the two of us fell into an easy repoire.

"Are you sure about this, Kayos?" Mr. Popo asked as we walked through the gym, not paying attention to the stares we were getting from those that were working out. Honestly it was strange to realize that I had already reached a level in my training where the fighters and warriors around me were… nothing.

'I could destroy them all with a wave of my hand,' I suddenly thought. 'Wouldn't even need to use one of my named spells… just a magical blast would kill them.' It was a heady thing to realize that all the muscle heads that were currently punching sandbags and pumping iron were little more than insects I could crush. 'Swap their blood with the sand in those punching bags, so that their heart locks up as their blood drips from the bags. Turn the very air in their lungs into iron so that they can't even take a breath. Twist them inside out or make their muscles blow up like balloons until their arms and legs explode…'

I shook my head. The recent increase in evil magic had begun to affect me and until I stabilized I needed to keep people around me that would make sure I didn't do anything mad.

"We could kill them all, sir," Isco informed me. "Slaughter them and bury their bodies in the rubble before turning this patch of land into a park dedicated to my greatness. I would, naturally, allow you to have a statue of your own…"

…surround myself with people that were already evil and insane so I would feel the need to go the opposite route from them.

"Mr. Kayos?" Mr. Popo said, making me realize I hadn't answered him.

"Sorry. And yeah, I am. While the earth should be fine while we're gone I'd feel better if we had a back up plan, just in case. Dr. Brief can make weapons, sure, but he's too peaceful to use them."

"Tien is reaching out to Launch, asking her to come and assist," Senza pointed out.

"And that is good too. But we need another heavy hitter and this guy is the next strongest fighter in the world if we eliminate the Z Fighters."

"You want me to eliminate them, sir?" Isco asked, holding up a hand and converting it into a gun.

Sometimes I wished I could tell if he was joking or not.

"Plus it might solve some problems if we meet with him now," I said. "Get rid of some misunderstandings." I smiled as I walked up to a private training room and without a second thought opened the door and stepped inside.

"Hey!" the familiar gruff voice called out. Not because of any anger but rather just a growling rough voice that was well suited for the fighter the man was… but not the good person. "Can't ya read the sign? This is a private training area!"

"I did but I think someone like you, who understands the importance of a good deal, will want to talk to us." I said with a smile. "I'm Avo Kayos. This is my partner, Isco-" The droid had been… oddly pleased… when I'd told him that I wanted to begin introducing him as my equal partner so people didn't think he was just a robot that had to obey me, "-and my friends Senza and Mr. Popo. And I'd like to talk with you about a proposition... Mr. Satan."

~MC~MC~MC~

"Hey Tien," Launch said with a cocky little smirk as she descended down the ramp of the Capsule Corp private flight car that had been sent to pick her up. "And Chiaotzu. How are you two doing?" She looked over at Krillin, who raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Long time no see."

"Hi Launch!" Chiaotzu said with a huge grin. "You look really nice! I like your hair!"

"Aw, aren't you sweet." She reached up and ran her fingers through her locks, which were streaked with blue and yellow to the point that it was hard to tell which was the dominate color.

Krillin though kept staring at Launch in confusion. "Uh…"

When he'd been told that Launch would be flying in to work with Baba and the Mr. Satan guy that Kayos was recruiting in order to protect the Earth while they were gone he hadn't known what to think. On one hand when Launch was in her 'badass evil mode', as Yamcha had labeled it, she was a decent enough fighter and did love to pack plenty of guns to even up any fight. But she was also, well, evil. There was a good chance that she would side with whatever monster or despot came to try and take over the planet until they insulted her and then she would try and kill them. Her other self was kind and nice and sweet but far too gentle to fight.

He had naturally been worried it would be a disaster.

But Launch now?

"Heh," Launch snickered. "You never told him?" Tien shook his head and Launch punched Tien in the shoulder. "Jackass. And here I thought I was the bitch."

"Uh… what?" Krillin said.

Launch turned to face him. "A few months back Tien reached out to me and said a friend of yours had a solution for my… little problem." She shrugged. "Something about a Scroll of Info?"

"Scroll of Knowledge," Tien corrected her.

"Thanks," Launch said with a smile before looking back at Krillin once more. "So this Scroll said that if I went on this vision quest I could finally blend my two personalities together and get rid of my little condition that swapped between them." She gestured at her hair. "Completely worked."

"Oh… OH!" Krillin exclaimed, eyes going wide. "So then-"

"Evil Launch without the thirst for bloodshed, Good Launch with a spine," Launch said with a self-deprecating smirk. "The best of both worlds. Maybe not as fun as when I'm all big and bad but now I'm not angry all the time and actually think about my actions. Plenty of ways to get my adrenaline kicks without breaking the law." She shrugged and the four of them moved towards the airport's main terminal to get to the ride that Bulma had arranged for them. "I… I am sorry about Master Roshi."

"We'll be getting him back," Tien assured her.

"I wanted to see him, you know?" Her voice grew softer. "I wanted him to see the progress I had made. The person I've become."

'I can see it just fine.'

All four stopped short.

"UH… you heard that, right?" Launch said, looking about. "And I swear if this is a fucking prank…"

'Nah, no prank!' Master Roshi declared in their heads. 'King Kai lets me snoop.'

'Only to keep you quiet about what we did last night!' King Kai called out.

"Who is that?" Launch said, brow furrowing.

"King Kai. He taught Yamcha and I thought he was training with Master Roshi," Tien stated, eyes narrowed. "But I guess they've been up to some other things."

'Oh, we have been doing plenty of things. For example-'

'NO!' King Kai shouted, making everyone listening in wince. 'Do NOT tell them about that! I am letting you contact them, that was the deal!'

'Fine fine, hold your horses.' For some reason that made King Kai stammer. 'Now then, don't go worryin' 'bout me. I trust Tien and the rest of the group ta bring me back! You just worry 'bout protectin' the earth! And I know you can do it so don't go worryin' 'bout yourself either!'

Launch managed a smile at that. "Crazy old man," she said with utter fondness.

Tien felt the moment Master Roshi and King Kai disappeared from their minds. He looked over at Launch who wasn't even trying to hide her awe.

"I know these things are normal for you guys but… but that will never become normal for me."

"That's okay," Tien said, "it will never be normal for me either."

~MC~MC~MC~

Mr. Satan watched the footage intently.

That was the first victory we'd managed to get… to get him to let us show him the fight between all of us and the Saiyans.

I'd had Isco carefully cut things together so he wouldn't be able to instantly claim it was just a bunch of frauds using special effects to make it appear like we were throwing out laser beams and the like. I vaguely remembered that, thanks to an incident in his youth, Mr. Satan had come to see all Ki users as frauds. So it was important to get him to see this as a legit request and not a bunch of hucksters trying to make a quick buck.

'And the irony that so many in the DBZ fandom see Mr. Satan as a fraud…' I thought to myself, as he finally finished watching the footage and slid the tablet over to me.

"Well… some of the stances weren't that great but I can tell ya got some decent fighters," Mr. Satan said. He looked towards Senza. "You're… I'm gonna guess brother?" Senza didn't say a word… how did one describe in family terms a being that was now a part of you but was actually the reincarnation of what you saw as your darkness? "He was rather good. Definitely would give me a run for my money!" He let out a laugh at that.

"Yes…" Senza said, some of Piccolo shining through as he glanced in my direction.

"Ya lookin' ta recruit me then?" Mr. Satan asked.

"Yes and no," I said. "We do want to recruit you but not for the team we currently have. You see, we have learned of an issue that is going to be taking many of us halfway around the world for several months. We are recruiting a team of skilled fighters who can watch over Japan and make sure that it is protected while we are gone."

Mr. Satan nodded at that. "Guess that makes sense… and while I get why ya'd come ta me-" he beamed at that before continuing, "-I am wonderin' how ya learned about me?"

"Capsule Corp makes sure to learn of all up and coming fighters," Isco stated.

"Hmmm… maybe. But I don't like ya workin' with them fellas like this guy's brother or the orange wearin' guy. They use far too much trickery rather than martial arts!"

I hadn't expected that to be a sticking point but quickly countered, "People grow up and change. We've worked with them and I assure you that the fundamentals are now their goal."

Mr. Satan nodded at that. "Suppose you're right. And I know that Capsule Corp is a legit company and wouldn't be fooled by tricky trickers like them." We both shared a smile though for vastly different reasons. "Alright… so you want me to keep watch on things?"

"Along with a few other people. Your main partner will be Launch… I'll send over her info once you agree. But I suppose we should get into payment and perks." I brought up another file on the tablet. "Right now you would be given a flat fee per month for watching over Japan." I slid it over and saw Mr. Satan's eyes go wide at that. I knew it was quite a bit but apparently my conversation of Zeni from American Dollar was a bit off as Mr. Satan was practically drooling over the tablet.

"Right now… so ya mean there might be more?"

I nodded, deciding it was time to truly lock things in and fuck over canon. "Many of the fighters we represent aren't looking for the fame that comes from defeating threats such as these. We have been trying to keep things quiet but the way the world is that just won't last. As such, if you agree and prove yourself capable, we would be interested in making you the face of the Capsule Corp Z Fighter Program. You would talk with the press, do engagements, so on." I paused. "You would also be able to still compete in tournaments and gain other sponsorship deals, so long as both met the Ethics Clauses in your contract."

"Makes sense…" Mr. Satan said and I was struck by the fact that for all his bluster… Mr. Satan was a sharp businessman. He wasn't just signing on the dotted line; he was reading through the contract, making sure everything was legit, and considering just what we were offering. "How much time do I have ta consider?"

"Sooner would be preferred but you have about a week," Isco said.

"Right, right."

I decided to go for the killing blow. "Mr. Satan… Capsule Corp is willing to give this to you, free of charge, no strings attached, as a show of good faith." I pulled out a small vile.

"What's that?" Mr. Satan said, frowning as he leaned forward. "Two beans?"

He had no idea how right he was about one of them.

"This, Mr. Satan, is the cure for your wife's heart condition."

I saw as the ramifications of what I'd just told him slowly dawn on him.

I had been startled when Isco had informed me that Mr. Satan's wife was still alive. I had been under the impression she had died shortly after Videl was born but then again the manga and anime had never really talked about her. So when he'd looked into Mr. Satan and found his wife was alive but fighting a horrific heart condition, similar to the Heart Virus that would have killed Goku in Future Trunks' timeline, I knew we had to do something.

I knew what it was like to have a mother stolen away.

Dr. Brief and Chichi had helped me with the secondary pill, the one that would fight the virus. While in the timeline Bulma had been the one to create the medicine Dr. Brief had been interested in the challenge and Chichi had assisted in what she'd learned about healing. The Senzu Bean would get her back on her feet after the Heart Cure did its work.

"You… you…"

"No strings attached. Nothing needed. It's the right thing to do." I handed him the Senzu bean. "Give her this and she will be cured. The blue pill first then the green pill 1 day later."

"I…"

I smiled. "Just look over the contract."

"Think he'll sign?" Mr. Popo asked as we left.

"He'd have signed now if he could prove I was right," I stated. "NEVER underestimate the power of love."

~Nine Days Later…~

Goku chuckled as he looked Krillin over. "Hey, you going on vacation or something?" His best friend was wearing a jacket, a baseball cap, and had a camera slung around his neck. He also had a duffle back with him which was a touch better than Chichi who had wanted to bring three suitcases each for all of them. Which Goku thought was silly because 1) he usually only wore a few Gis anyway, why did he need so many clothes and 2) he didn't have a second reason the first reason was good enough!

"Well, none of us have been to an alien planet before so I want to make sure I document it!"

"Technically," Kayos called out, "Goku is currently ON an alien planet for him."

That caused Goku to laugh, tail swishing back and forth. "Huh, that's right! I never thought of it like that!"

Raditz huffed as he walked by with a small rump sack. It had taken a few days but he'd finally agreed to try out a GI. Of course he'd flat out refused to go with orange so he was now wearing a black Gi with white trim which, Goku had to admit, looked rather good on him.

"Only bring what is absolutely necessary… that way if you have to leave it behind you aren't regretting it."

"I'm good then," Kayos said as he walked up with… nothing.

"Really?" Krillin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Really really."

"That's a nice coat, Kayos!" Goku said. Kayos was wearing his normal jeans and plaid button up shirt but had swapped out his sneakers for hiking boots and had on a long gray jacket.

"Thanks… gift from Baba. That I had to pay for so not really sure it counts as a gift…" he shrugged at that. "Point is that it has all sorts of secrets and goodies to get me through this trip. Ton of pockets." Goku tilted his head, deciding that it really wasn't worth asking what he was getting at as if it were something important than Kayos would explain it. "So… everyone ready?"

"You are the last to arrive," he said.

The mage sighed, jerking his thumb towards Isco… both versions of him. "He's sulking."

"I still believe it would be best for me to remain on Earth!"

"Isco, you are coming!" Kayos called out.

"You don't trust me!"

"…no, I don't! You'll take over the planet in a week!"

The droid considered that. "I suppose that might be the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

Kayos sighed and wiggled his fingers as he moved his hand in the air and suddenly both iscos were dragged towards him. "We don't know the range of your connection either so you need to come with us."

"This is entirely unfair!" Isco whined. Which Goku found very amusing as it was in stereo.

"Well… I think we're ready," Goku said as he looked at Krillin, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Ready to get Master Roshi back?"

"Born ready."

Goku nodded, the very last one to climb the ramp (once Kayos shoved Isco aboard). Tien, Yamacha, Chiaotzu, Chichi, Gohan, Senza, Krillin, Kayos, Isco, and Bulma were all inside, leaving him the last.

'Don't worry Earth… we'll all be back. And we'll bring Master Roshi home.'

He stared out one final time before boarding.

And within 10 minutes, for the second time in his life, Goku found himself rocketing away from the only planet he had ever called home.