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Android Saga - Part 4: Modus Operandi
His arms stretched straight forward, Krillin flew in the rear next to Trunks, whose presence was overshadowed by Goku and Vegeta and allowed him to slip into the background. Despite being one of the weakest Z fighters, he still took the threat of the androids seriously. He intended to use the opportunity flying to Bulma's to be the first to individually discuss things with the time traveling half Saiyan.
"So, Trunks, do you really think that if you team up with Goku and Vegeta that the three of you will be able to take on these androids? Not that I'm doubting you, man, I just realize that my own contributions to the team are pretty small. You Super Saiyans raise the bar to a place I just can't go."
Trunks' long silvery hair rippled violently in the wind. He had heard Krillin's question, but he was still somewhat distracted by inward reflection. Today was the day he had looked forward to for so long, a day in which he could experience hope for the first time in his life. He had gotten to meet his father, his young mother, Goku, Piccolo, Krillin, and Tien. He had even gotten to see Gohan again. His warning had been delivered and received; the plan he once considered to be a long shot had actually succeeded, at least in stage one. Now, the future was going to depend on how hard everyone trained.
"Well, Krillin, I honestly don't know if we can win. In our current state, I highly doubt it. Which is why I've decided to stay and train with you guys. Seeing Goku and Vegeta fight Cold made me realize that I have a lot to learn about battles. If, and from what Mom told me it's a big IF, but if my dad will agree to teach me then I definitely think it will help. The androids have mind-blowing power, yet Gohan was always able to strategize against them. I guess that's how we both managed to survive as long as we did; maybe honing more than just my strength will be able to make the difference. I guess we'll have to wait and see."
"Hmm. I think I understand. If all the great masters of martial arts are dead in your time, there was only Gohan left to train you. And I don't imagine that you could focus all that well or practice consistently because of the continuous threat from the androids."
"Yeah, well to be honest, Krillin, I'm not the most disciplined warrior either. I was constantly distracted by the death I could sense. As lives around me faded, I would become too emotional to continue training and would foolishly rush off to try and save who I could. Most of the time I was too late anyway, but I had to try. Now, without the worry that I'll be letting innocent people die, maybe I can set my mind straight and learn from the best…my father."
"Well, don't you worry about a thing while you're here, man. You can finally get a haircut, a shave, and even a home cooked meal; not to mention some clean clothes that aren't so beat up. It's been a while since you had any of those I bet!"
"Thanks, Krillin. It has; in fact I can't remember the last time I ate a meal in peace. And thanks for trying to be my friend. I haven't had one in a while, and seeing all of you today has meant more to me than you can imagine. Mom always said you guys were the happiest group of people she ever knew, and now I see exactly what she meant."
The pair swooped downwards, rotating their feet from behind them to proper landing position beneath. Vegeta led the way, as he wanted to be certain he was first. Everyone else followed, heading in unison for a landing in Bulma's back yard.
"And Krillin, you DO have a part to play in this. We'll all do our best to train, plus when the time comes you should know that you provide strength to this group in more ways than just one."
"Thanks, Trunks. Together I believe we can do this."
As the group of Earth's protectors dropped out of the sky onto Bulma's lawn, Gohan suddenly began to worry. He had left his mom in a huff, dashing out the door to investigate the threat to Earth earlier in the day. Before, while fighting Cold, they had been safely in the middle of nowhere, but Chi Chi was bound to check for him at Bulma's sooner or later. At least his dad was back now; surely that would make everything ok. The thought didn't prevent Gohan from searching out his mom's energy to see if he was safe from her for the moment.
"MMMMMHHHMMMMM. That smells delicious, Bulma!" Goku shouted as he made for the door, his instincts leading the way to the smorgasbord that had been prepared.
"Out of the way, Kakarott! You shall not deny me my right as prince!"
"What right?" Goku asked, quickening his pace.
"Your ignorance as to Saiyan protocol is astounding. On our home world, royalty is always served before the common rabble. I would think it's a tradition even you could understand, Kakarott!"
"Aww, come on, aren't there exceptions to the rule, Vegeta? I haven't eaten in, like, a month!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Kakarott! I thought you were intending to embrace more of your Saiyan side now! Or did you already forget? Besides, you scarfed down that turkey leg a mere fifteen minutes ago!"
At this point ,Bulma had stood all that she could take. Everyone but Piccolo had piled into her kitchen and there was clearly not enough room. "UH, EXCUSE ME! Here in this house we serve ladies first! And I want everyone outside on the porch NOW! It's WAY too crowded. And as for you, Mr. Saiyan protocol, quit your bickering with Goku or neither of you are getting anything!"
Vegeta had once again been directly called out by Bulma, and in front of everyone. She was always this way, but it bothered him so much more having everyone see it. If he allowed her to go unchecked, the others might begin to disrespect him as well. Narrowing his eyes, Vegeta raised his voice to threatening levels. "THE ONLY REASON I PUT UP WITH YOUR INCESSANT NAGGING, WOMAN, IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE NICE TITS!"
The Prince of Saiyans immediately realized his mistake, even as those around him instantly froze. Before he had time to attempt a recovery, Bulma had taken an entire tray of fried rice and hurled it at his head. She then stomped out onto the porch alone, mumbling inaudible curses.
'I'm not sure if I just won an argument with that woman, for once, or what just happened.' Vegeta thought. "The females on this planet…such an enigma!" Slowly, everyone else regained their composure and began filling their plates, though the first to head onto the patio did so very cautiously.
As everyone made their way onto the back porch, none but Trunks were brave enough to approach Bulma, who sat alone at one end of the table. Vegeta sat at the opposite end, with Goku to his right. Piccolo was leaning against a shade tree in the hard, his eyes closed, but the others had all been seated, mainly in the middle of the table. Setting a large tray down in front of him, the boy sat in the seat to Bulma's left.
"Hello, mother. This must be pretty bizarre for you. It is ok if I call your mother, right?"
"Sure, son. It shouldn't be weird at all. You probably know me very well, it's just that I don't know you at all yet. So tell me, do I look much different than I do twenty years from now?"
Trunks chuckled, trying to cover how awkward he felt. "Nah, mom. You look about the same to me, though you may have mellowed out some by then…hehe."
Bulma smiled at his response. She was well aware of her bossiness, coupled with her talent for throwing the occasional temper tantrum, as she had moments ago. 'Well, at least I didn't pass on all my bad habits to my son,' she inwardly admitted.
"So, what you're saying is that I'll still have my cute girly looks when I'm middle aged?"
Trunks blushed. "I'm not sure how to answer that, mom."
Bulma put her arm around her boy and smiled. "I'm sorry, son. I'm totally new to the whole parenthood thing, though I do know parents are supposed to embarrass their kids whenever possible."
'Don't worry, mother. You're gonna be great. You were the one person who I could always rely on, the only one who kept hope through it all.'
"Before I left the future, mom, you made me promise to give this to you." Trunks handed a small flash drive to his mother.
"What's this? Some research of mine?"
The boy's face hardened. "Shhhhh. That is the technology used to develop the time machine you built. If anything goes wrong in this timeline, it will be up to you to make another one. Before I came back, we tried our hardest to think through every possible scenario and mom suggested that we pass on the secrets of time travel to you. I think it's mainly a time saver, since you would eventually have discovered it anyway."
"Oh, wow. Well I really can't wait to take a look at this! Thanks so much."
"Wait, mom. I don't think you should mess with it unless things turn really bad. Time travel is a huge responsibility and can be very dangerous, as you yourself warned me many times. Promise me you won't even look at it unless you absolutely have to."
Bulma understood the charge, and though she knew the temptation would be difficult to resist, she could see that the precaution was justified. After all, the boy was just following her own orders. "Don't you worry, Trunks. You can count on me!"
'I know, mother. I know.' As the others at the table continued gorging themselves, Trunks noticed his father glancing across the table at his mother. It was a uniquely embarrassing moment for him, but it got him thinking. 'I wonder how my involvement in this timeline will affect my parent's relationship. Surely some things will change for the better. I mean, Mom didn't have anything to do with father after he killed Goku. She said he took his ship, stole one of the dragonballs, and disappeared in space for a few years. But now, maybe they will get a chance to see if things might have actually worked out. I just hope I don't get in the way of it.'
"What's on your mind, Trunks?" Goku asked between mouthfuls.
"Oh, nothing important, Goku. It's just that I haven't ever eaten a meal with so many friends before. This is…nice."
'My son the sentimental,' Vegeta thought. "Quit your sappy drama and eat your food, son. The dinner table is for stuffing your face, not talking."
The boy grinned inwardly, but quickly obeyed and began eating again. When everyone had been sufficiently stuffed, announced by Goku belching loudly and Vegeta shooting him a disapproving glance, Gohan spoke up.
"So, dad, what happened to the people on Xylon-38? That's where Trunks said you beat up King Cold, but since he came here instead, what happened to all the people there? Did you save them?"
Goku wiped his mouth on his sleeve, smiling at the boy, and began his story. "Well, son…"
Three months earlier, before the timelines diverged…
It had been over two months since the Delta Tokusentai had attacked Yardrat and been destroyed by Goku's Super Saiyan transformation. Although he had wanted to revive his friends right away, King Kai reminded him that Earth's dragonballs would remain inert for another half a year. Namek's dragonballs would be ready sooner, but with hundreds of Yardrats dead, the limitations of Porunga would make the process much longer in the end. Goku resolved to use the Earth's dragonballs the first chance he had.
The Saiyan still spent time with the Yardrats who had survived – especially around dinner – but he was deeply sobered now. He spent most days far from anyone else, training alone in the few barren wastelands on Planet Yardrat.
Battling a feeling of guilt for his failure to protect Somen and the others, he was determined to gain control of his new powers. Initially, it was difficult; not only did the transformation require incredible emotional upheaval, but it drained his strength quickly. He suspected that the depletion of vigor had more to do with being mentally exhausted than any actual loss of physical stamina.
At first, he practiced the transformation by focusing on injustice – the pain of the murders inflicted by monsters like Frieza. He also focused on his need for the power and the horror of what would happen if he was unable to prevail against Vegeta. Deep down, he understood that the Saiyan prince was only following what he had always known: trying to fill his instinctive desire for honor, power, and control. But if Vegeta won, surely the Earth would be doomed.
Yet focusing on injustice wasn't enough. Goku found himself more and more drained after each transformation. Without an opponent to direct his passion toward, maintaining his Super Saiyan form was driving him almost insane.
How had Vegeta been able to fight Frieza so effortlessly, so easily? Goku remembered how the prince had burst into the Super Saiyan form with almost no difficulty whatever. Was it Vegeta's need to transform that gave him the advantage? No, Goku knew he had just as much need – and more. Vegeta had been fighting for himself and his honor alone; Goku had to fight for everyone he loved. What, then, was the difference?
As Goku fought within his mind to transform again, he recalled the way that Vegeta had executed Frieza. It was so ruthless, so unrefined…it was identical to how he had felt when he killed those two warriors from Cold's Tokusentai. The realization came over him suddenly: being a Super Saiyan wasn't just about added power. It depended on his Saiyan instincts – his willingness to become angry. Indignation wasn't enough; rage was the key to the transformation.
Once he accepted the feeling of unchecked rage he had always instinctively suppressed, the transformation became second nature. It was a nature that he wasn't entirely comfortable with accepting, but he had no choice.
"It was the same way for me, Goku." Trunks added. "Gohan preached to me over and over that I needed to embrace that anger, but for years I didn't fully understand. In my case, also, it took a huge feeling of loss and desperation to get me mad enough, even if it was myself I was furious with."
Though no one asked, everyone was curious about Trunk's story as well, especially Gohan, who perked up at the mention of his future self. He couldn't wait to be a grown up. Not only would he be free from having to do homework all day, but he wouldn't have to be under his mother's thumb in every area of his life. It wasn't as though he didn't appreciate her, she was just extremely overbearing. He mainly wanted the ability to choose his own path rather than having it forced on him…that's if he could help save the future from being destroyed in the first place.
"I think you're oversimplifying it somewhat, Kakarott. Pure and uncontrolled rage in and of itself is not the key to the Super Saiyan transformation. I speak with confidence when I say that if that were true, many more Saiyans would have achieved it. In fact, becoming an Ozaru is very similar to what you're describing. No, the legendary power of our race can only be achieved by someone who can combine that rage with control. Only when properly channeled does one's power flow freely enough to become a Super Saiyan. I, myself, found that initially against Frieza I was too inwardly conflicted, held back by uncertainty. Once I determined in my mind to not give up, to hang on desperately to my pride with all that I had within me, even in the face of the overwhelming power Frieza possessed, that's when it happened. The experience was so uniquely freeing that I can't properly describe it after that, except to say that I felt more alive than ever before."
Goku thought for a moment, leaning back in his chair and glancing blankly into the sky. "I know the feeling, Vegeta. I think the difference between the two of us is that, for you, tapping into the rage was easy. Finding that inward resolve you described was the key in your circumstance. For me, it was the opposite. I've always fought for my friends, to protect others, and sure, for the fun of testing myself in battle and becoming stronger. But I've never been able to freely embrace that rage like you are able to, which is why for me that seemed to be the catalyst."
"Hmmm. That actually makes perfect sense, Goku." Trunks replied. 'I wish I knew myself well enough to figure out exactly what it was that pushed me over, but I guess I was too young when it happened.'
"Yeah whatever, Kakarott. I guess so."
The Saiyan from Earth took this as a sign to go back to the story. Smiling, he continued his tale.
One evening when Goku had been training non-stop for hours, the light of his Super Saiyan transformation illuminating the entire landscape, one of the Yardrats suddenly teleported to the ground below him. "Mr. Goku – your ship! It's flashing. I think you should come!"
Sure enough, the ship was pulsing with red light, a siren sounding from the interior. Goku approached and bent down inside.
"URGENT BULLETIN: Calling all available warriors and strike forces. You are hereby ordered to abort your current missions and report immediately to the Xylon system. Your assistance is required to put down a slave revolt that local troops are unable to contain.
Goku tapped the screen to acknowledge the transmission.
"Once the revolt has been ended, your services will be required for detention control as the King executes the inhabitants of Xylon-38. You can expect to return to your previous missions as soon as this task is complete. A heading for the Xylon system will be displayed by your computer now."
The screen beeped twice, and then displayed a set of coordinates: 822+78XX.
Throughout the message Goku grimaced in anger. 'Does it never end? These monsters should have stopped coming with Frieza, but this King that's leading them seems just as terrible!' Goku punched the ground. "They just won't stop!"
A few other Yardrats had gathered around to investigate the commotion. Their reaction to the message mirrored Goku's.
"Mr. Goku, you must go and assist these people. These murderers must be stopped before even more life is lost."
"I agree," said Somen's father. "We would never wish the kind of destruction we have been dealt on anyone else. You may be their only hope."
The good-hearted Saiyan stood, tall and focused. For the past few weeks he had been desperately wishing he had another chance to save the people of Yardrat; if only he had been there he could have certainly protected everyone. Now, he had another chance, an opportunity to potentially defend the lives of an entire planet. It excited him that he might be able to help these Xylons, but not to the point that he wasn't still incensed at those responsible.
"I must go, my friends. If I could sense this planet I would instant transmit to it right now, but it seems that time is against me." Goku leaned over and climbed into his already opened pod. "You've all been very kind to me and I give you my word I will undo the damage that has been done to you. I will return, I promise!" Smiling, the hero shut the hatch and raised his hand to say goodbye.
After he quickly punched in the coordinates, the pod announced it could make the trip in around two months. Goku hoped he wouldn't be too late. His new friends waved back as the hatch closed and the pod lifted off, clearing the atmosphere in seconds.
"Now reaching Xylon-38." Goku's stomach was growling; he had consumed most of his stores of food within the first few days. The pod's life support systems provided sparse sustenance at best; for unknown reasons, the computer provided nothing but samples of aged cheese in addition to its vapor IV.
THUMMMM! The landing platform on the moon of Xylon-38 reverberated with the shock of Goku's pod arriving.
"Commander, your nephew's pod has arrived, but he appears to be alone. We have not received any transmission from the rest of the Ginyu Force." The lackey snapped to attention after delivering his message.
Guoda rose, his short stature still surprisingly menacing. His long, thick hair fell down around the shoulder guards of his armor. "It's not like Jeice to leave his team," he said, concern showing in his voice. "Call Desann - and Compte as well. The boy will no doubt want to see his mother."
Desann, a tall, angry-looking saurian, was facilitating the ongoing executions left over after King Cold had departed. At least, "facilitating" was the nice way of putting it. The massive reptilian inhabitants of Xylon were far too large and powerful for ordinary soldiers to execute; Desann was personally seeing to that.
Though he was only a tenth their size, Desann ripped the captured slaves apart like paper mâché. This was the kind of assignment he relished.
Within minutes, the three members of the Alpha Tokusentai had gathered just outside the still-ruined Great Hall to greet the newcomer. Compte, a slender, pink-skinned humanoid who greatly resembled her older brother Guoda, was eager to see her son again. The past few days had been wild; they'd missed the Super Saiyan by only a few hours while on the planet surface.
Goku climbed out of his pod, unsure what to expect.
"Hey, you're not Master Jeice!" one of the half-dozen soldiers on the landing platform exclaimed, raising his blaster threateningly. The others followed suit. "Who are you? You better start talking, quick!"
Frowning, Goku lifted his left hand and released a gentle kiai that immediately sent the entire group catapulting backward, senseless. "Well, they didn't last long. I guess I should have held back." Shrugging, he made his way to where he sensed a cluster of high power levels.
"That's odd," Guoda muttered as he checked his scouter. "I'm not picking up Jeice, and the soldiers on the landing platform just blinked off the screen. Something's not right."
Goku sped around the corner at full tilt in his characteristic lope, coming to a stop suddenly when he saw the three warriors standing in front of him. "Hey, who's in charge here?" He could tell that they were on edge. It wasn't like he was coming here on a diplomatic mission, after all.
The leader stepped forward, glowering. "Where is Jeice? How did you get his pod?"
"Oh, are you a friend of his? Bad news there, then. Jeice ran into Vegeta back on Namek a few months ago. It didn't go very well for him."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Compte stepped forward, suddenly livid. "Where is Jeice?"
Goku cocked his head. Hadn't they heard him? He scratched the back of his neck. "Well, uh, I mean to say – he didn't make it. He never really stood a chance against Vegeta."
"You're lying!" screamed the woman, raising one hand behind her head. "CRUSHER CANNON!"
Desann and Guoda both assumed defensive positions as the woman fired a deep red beam of energy at Goku. Surprised by the beam's intensity, but not at all alarmed, the Saiyan leapt upward and out of the way. "Hey, watch it! You could really hurt someone with an attack like that."
Shocked, Compte lowered her hand. "How did you—"
Goku cut her off. "Listen, I don't really have time for this. I heard there was some kind of slave revolt here, and that a bunch of innocent people were going to be killed. I'm here to stop you!"
Guoda scowled. "I don't know who you think you are, but the execution order came straight from King Cold. You would do well to tread lightly, Saiyan."
"So the order came from King Cold, huh? Who is that, and where is he? I'll teach him not to hurt innocent people!"
Desann snarled, his voice dripping with malice. "Fortunately for you, the King departed yesterday for a planet called Earth. We were told that a Super Saiyan appeared unexpectedly and issued a challenge from the former Prince Vegeta. Unfortunately for you, we were left with the task of finishing the job, and we're not about to let anyone get in our way."
Goku was suddenly alarmed. "Wait, Vegeta was here? Where is he now? Is this Cold guy really headed to Earth?"
Guoda interrupted. "Apparently it was a different Super Saiyan. But that's none of your concern. Right now, you've been found in possession of a Ginyu pod. I suggest you explain yourself if you want to live."
'A different Super Saiyan?' Goku was confused. 'Who else could have been here? I thought Vegeta and I were the only Saiyans left, but maybe there was one I didn't know about.' He pulled his shoulders back. "I don't owe any explanation to monsters like you! I'm going to make sure these innocent people go free, and then I'm going after Cold. Earth is my home and I will protect it!"
Compte, still furious, spat back at him. "You overestimate your chances, monkey. Desann and I have power levels over six million units. Commander Guoda has a fighting power of eight million. The Alpha Tokusentai is Cold's personal strike force, a power unparalleled across the universe!"
The numbers didn't mean much to Goku, but he doubted that these warriors were anywhere near as strong as Frieza. Guru's power-up had greatly accelerated his training; his base power had risen rapidly over the months since he achieved the Super Saiyan transformation. If his senses were correct, he wouldn't even need kaioken to defeat all three of these enemies. Still, it wouldn't do to be taken off-guard; he shifted into a fighting stance. "Bring it on!"
"I'll deal with this scum myself." Guoda dashed forward, surprisingly fast for his stocky frame, and fired a series of dark red energy blasts at Goku. "Chew on that, Saiyan!"
Without moving from his stance, Goku deflected the series of blasts with one hand. They stung a bit, but it was nothing like fighting Frieza. The hero blasted off the ground and flew forward, throwing a spinning kick at the surprised warrior. It connected solidly with the side of his head, sending him crashing to the ground. Despite Guoda being nearly 200 times as strong as his nephew, that one dominating blow from Goku was so powerful that he immediately lost consciousness.
"Uh – I was expecting you to dodge that! You remind me of Jeice. He wasn't very good at dodging either."
"DON'T SPEAK ABOUT MY SON LIKE THAT!" Compte launched upward, firing a quick flurry of punches at Goku. Though her blows were powerful and precise, showing surprising skill, they didn't do anything but knock Goku back a few feet as he blocked them easily. "So you're his mom, huh? Well, I'm sorry—" duck "—for your loss—" dodge "—but if you had taught him how to fight like this—" block "—he might have done a little better."
Livid, the woman placed both her hands in front of her and began firing continuous orange blasts from point-blank range. "TAKE THAT BACK YOU MONKEY!"
The blasts weren't individually dangerous, but their continuous nature was making it difficult for Goku to maintain his stance. Gritting his teeth, he flashed into a basic kaioken, his red aura flaring up instantly and completely shielding him from the attack. He teleported forward and tapped Compte on the back of the neck while she was still firing; she dropped to the ground like a sandbag.
Goku landed back on the ground, his gaze sternly engaging the last remaining Alpha. "Look – Desann, right? – you need to give up. If you're no stronger than either of them, surely you can see that you don't stand a chance. I'm willing to let you go if you promise not to hurt anyone else."
Desann began laughing, his voice twisted and bitter. "You think you're something awfully special, don't you? Maybe you're one of these Super Saiyans. Well, you don't scare me! I've got a secret, something about me that even commander Guoda didn't know."
Goku folded his arms. "I'm warning you. Give up now. You won't like what happens if you make angry."
Ignoring him, the saurian raised both his clawed hands and extended them toward the prone bodies of Guoda and Compte. "I can drain the life force out of anyone I choose! You should be very afraid, as I'm about to rip you to shreds. I don't care who you are, nobody is as strong as I'm about to become."
He clenched both his fists, and red energy began seeping from their bodies and flowing toward him. He threw his head back, drinking in the power.
"But wait! You're killing them!" Goku had never seen anything like this. "They're your partners!"
Now glowing with red energy, Desann glared daggers at Goku. "Such pitiful mercy is unbecoming to a true warrior. They would have gladly given me their strength in order to defeat you anyway." He quickly teleported forward, his speed also skyrocketing by the power boost, and struck Goku hard in the center of his chest.
The Saiyan went flying back, shocked by the intensity of the blow. It was like Desann's power had tripled or even quadrupled. The saurian followed up his advantage by landing a series of kicks and punches that overwhelmed Goku and hurled him face-first into the ground.
The hero leapt to his feet, taken aback by Desann's sudden burst of power but mostly unhurt. "And how long does this evil power last, reptile?" His own red aura exploded around him from the kaioken and he quickly went on the offensive, knocking his enemy into the air and then slamming him down.
The burst of stolen energy clearly not enough, Desann hissed angrily. 'How can this Saiyan be so powerful that even the combined strength of the Alphas is a joke to him? I have only one option left, though it may be more than I can handle. I've never tried it on someone so powerful before.' The blue saurian tensed himself and let out a beastly roar. "I didn't think I'd have to do this, but you leave me no choice!" Extending both arms toward Goku, he began shaking. "Now I'll drain your life and take your power for myself!"
Goku immediately felt sick, as though something was pulling at his gut. His kaioken evaporated and he felt himself growing weak. "YESSSS – so much power! I've never felt…this much…energy!" The lizard was exultant. "Good try, Saiyan, but I win! I guess you're not one of those Super Saiyans after all!"
Goku's vision grew dim as he desperately tried to remain conscious. He couldn't lose, yet he was mere moments from death. Earth was in trouble – if this Cold fellow was on his way there to face Vegeta, everyone he loved might be at risk. He couldn't allow the reptile to keep stealing his energy! He couldn't abandon everyone he cared about!
"ACTUALLY…I…AM!" Golden light erupted around Goku, his hair flashing with fire. Flaming tendrils of energy snaked up the red path of draining energy and into Desann's body. The saurian's form shook violently as light erupted from his eye sockets, the Super Saiyan power far too much for him to control. It seemed his entire insides were being roasted from within. He hung transfixed for a single fleeting instant, then exploded in a brilliant flash of light.
Goku relaxed, his Super Saiyan transformation complete. "Whew, that was too close. Now, to free everyone…"
"Well, that's about it." Goku said, yawning. "After I freed the slaves on Xylon, I took the fastest ship they had and set a course for Earth. I hoped to get here before Cold, but he had too much of a head start. Once I was close enough to sense Earth, I paid special attention to the battle. I didn't want to use instant transmission unless I had to – I didn't know whether I would be able to make the jump – so I waited until the last possible moment. And here I am!"
"Why didn't you just teleport to King Kai's planet and then go to Earth from there?" Piccolo asked, his arms folded.
Goku scratched the back of his head. "Gosh, I didn't think of that. Would that even work? I'll definitely have to try it when I have the chance. Anyway, I didn't want to lose King Cold. If he stopped somewhere along the way, I wanted to be there."
Bulma quickly spoke up. "Hey, Trunks, I've been wondering how you knew where to go. I mean, this Xylon-38 could have been anywhere, so how did you find it?"
"That's simple, mother. In my time, Goku arrived back on Earth with the original Ginyu pod. You took the ship's computer and used it to find the coordinates. From there, it was a simple matter of using star maps and good calculations."
"Ah, I see. So once again it's Bulma to the rescue, haha!" The blue haired woman seemed to be in a better mood now, though she still hadn't said anything to Vegeta. "But wait, did you take your time machine there or a ship? How did that work?"
"About fifteen years from now, you solve a major problem in physics – something about boson-fermion drag. That's how the time machine is able to slip outside of normal space. Because I was going to have to go to another place in the universe beside Earth, you also added a spatial regulator to the engines; the ship teleports and time travels simultaneously."
Bulma loved it when she was the only one in the room smart enough to understand something. It was the one way she could make the strongest beings in the universe seem ignorant, and this was such an instance. 'Hmm, so to figure that out I would have to detangle all the gauge bosons from their associated fields while artificially suppressing fermion superposition resistance…or I could just look at that flash drive Trunks gave me. Hehe.'
Dinner conversation had begun to slowy die out, signified by a few seconds of sighs, stretching, and awkward silence. Vegeta suddenly stood, wiping his hands with a napkin, and abruptly left the room. As he walked, he was somewhat infuriated that no one, not even his own son, stood when he retired. The lack of respect he received was a constant reminder of how ridiculous a choice it was to remain on Earth. He had intended to leave the planet the second he had defeated Kakarott, but now it seemed as though fate had predetermined that he was to stay. He currently had a son on the way, not to mention his honor was to be put to the test in three years against the androids—a challenge he would not dare ignore.
'Why is it that I feel so overwhelmingly miniscule every time I'm around those pathetic weaklings? It's as if they intentionally disregard even the most evident indignities they commit against me. Don't they realize I'm the Prince of all Saiyans? I could destroy them all with a single thought.' Suddenly Vegeta wanted to immediately get back to his ship and take off far into space where he would be feared again. He could board the Bringer of Death with his crew, and, with his ship's new capabilities, be on the other side of the galaxy within no time.
Vegeta grunted, frowning at the streetlights above his head. 'I've become too accustomed to the reverence I earned through my years of service in the Empire, and without it I feel like my authority is constantly being questioned. Sure, I've been disrespected from time to time while in the service of Frieza, but I always take great satisfaction in brutalizing anyone foolish enough to do so. Cui, Zarbon, the Ginyu Force—they've all been violently obliterated by my own two hands. And now, am I to just simply play nice with all these Earthlings? Even my son has no respect!'
Vegeta hadn't been walking anywhere in particular, yet his feet had led him down the streets several blocks. He suddenly sensed someone approaching from behind, walking quickly enough to catch up to him.
"Father, wait. I need to talk to you about something." The prince's son had put his blue capsule corporation jacket back on because of the chill in the night air.
"What is it, boy?"
"Uh, well...watching your battle with King Cold today made me realize just how much I've missed out on by not having you around. I was hoping, er, well I was wondering if you could help me train some. I've never really been able to hone my skills to the level you or Goku showed today, but now that I have the time and someone who could teach me…I was just wondering if…"
"What do you mean me AND 'Goku'? His name is Kakarott! As my son, the offspring of Saiyan royalty, I would've expected you to refer to him by his REAL name. No doubt your mother is to blame for your ignorant behavior."
Trunks lowered his head, immediately regretting that he had mentioned Goku at all. His mom had warned him beforehand that the two had the type of rivalry between them that was borderline obsessive. Any mention of Goku would make Vegeta lose his train of thought completely. "Sorry, Father."
"Don't apologize to me, boy. Just man up and show me."
"Right. Well, what do you say, dad? To prepare for these androids, I'm going to need to do more than just raise my power level."
Vegeta had been tossing the idea over in his head. Despite the boy's bravery in the fight with Cold, he had not shown very much of his skill besides swinging his sword around. Still, Vegeta himself was a self-made warrior. His own father had not taken precious time out of ruling the Saiyans to train him, though once a year they did have practice matches; his father wanted to annually gauge his progress. This was different though, as his son had already become a Super Saiyan. That at least merited some credit.
"Hmmph. I train alone, son." Vegeta began to walk way, his son hanging his head in failure. "However, I often demonstrate proper technique during my training. Someone extremely skilled might be able to observe and replicate me if were they capable of following and dissecting my moves."
Trunks recognized this as about the closest his father would ever go towards meeting someone halfway. It was more than a compromise, it was the perfect opportunity for him to watch his father, the greatest warrior to have ever lived, and learn.
"Sure thing, father." Trunks grinned with excitement. 'I can't wait.'
When Vegeta finally returned home the other Z fighters had long since left. He could care less where they went, so long as they were out of his way and he could resume his training first thing in the morning. Now, more than ever, he would have to push himself to new heights.
Walking up the stairs to his bedroom, the prince continued contemplating. 'I have to surpass my current limitations as a Super Saiyan. There must be a way to take the powers of the legend and push them further, and if there is I must be the one to do it.' He quickly shed his clothes and stepped into the shower. It had been an incredibly long day.
Warm water poured down on his face, his ebony eyes staring blindly into the stream. 'It's hard to believe that just this morning Cold was arriving. To my great shame…had Kakarott and Trunks not intervened, I surely would have lost. Once again, I find myself overconfident in my Super Saiyan abilities as I did against Frieza.' Vegeta's frustration with his apparent failure that day had caused a ki barrier to be thrown up around him, deflecting the water in an arc away from his body. Realizing that he was responsible for the sudden cold of the shower, he relaxed and let the steamy vapors sooth his body once more. 'Curse you, Kakarott. You just keep coming, don't you? Every time I achieve a new level of power, certain that I have placed an insuperable distance between us, you continue to get stronger; first with your Kaioken technique and now by becoming a Super Saiyan yourself. I will not allow you to surpass me again!'
Vegeta shut off the water, briefly flashing his Super Saiyan aura to instantly dry himself; vaporizing the water molecules still clinging to his toned Saiyan form. He walked into the room and collapsed onto his bed.
"I will ascend, Kakarott. Once I have discovered the secret, my powers will far exceed those of even King Cold. Then I will crush these mechanic foes to nothing, proving once again that I am without equal in the universe." The prince closed his eyes, exhausted from the day's adventures. His mind quickly began to trail off, eager for much deserved rest. "Goodnight, woman," he mumbled, though he was alone.
That concludes the flashbacks and storytelling for now. Finally, right? David and I have known all this stuff for a very long time, so we are way ready to get started on writing the android saga. I hope all of the many questions you all had regarding just how the two timelines differed have been answered. I'm sure there are still some that still need asking, so go right ahead and ask. We believe we created a scenario that was not only possible, but was the most logical sequence of possible events that would have occurred if Vegeta had been the first Super Saiyan. There still remain some secrets to be told about the events of the BoD Original Timeline, but we shall hold those in reserve for the time being.
As for the Vegeta/Bulma interactions in this chapter, despite things being very tense between them, this is a much better place for their relationship than in the OT. However, they still have a really long way to go. First off, Vegeta won't be magically good at communicating his feelings, nor will she. They have kind of been together for a month or so, but recent events have thrown them headlong into chaos. Most people's defense mechanism is to back off, so we saw a little bit of that from both of them. However, with all the training Vegeta is about to do, plus the fact that Trunks is hanging around, it's likely that their relationship may take even longer to develop as it should. We shall see.
Also, a shout out to the Star Wars game Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast. Desann, the reptilian member of the Alpha squad, was based off a Dark Jedi of the same name from that game. Now, I'll take a few minutes to answer some questions from reviews.
Q: I really like how Goku has changed, just a bit, and has acknowledged his Sayian heritage. Not enough to make him a killer like Vegeta was, but enough to have him fight and kill his enemies... I like that!
A: I think in DBZ Canon, Goku had been desperately trying to hang on to his sanity. But his fight with Frieza was just the bout he needed to gain some control over the transformation. When the time came and Frieza begged for mercy, he was in his right mind enough to grant it; true to his character. Here, though, we find that Goku has to embrace that angry side of himself even more. There are several factors involved really, but in the end we find that Goku is slightly more capable of getting the job done. He might be willing to cross that line now when he feels it is justified, though he is still soft hearted and basically the same person. Question is, how will that affect the events to come?
Q: The only problem I see is Vegeta's pride... which is why he's not my favorite character. His pride just get in the way of things, I swear. That dude have issues.
A: It defines him, yes. Everything in his life is guided by his sense of honor, seemingly even moreso since he lost his race. However, the critical difference in our story is that his pride is much more intact. He becomes the first SSJ and he defeats the frost demons. That alone is enough to grant him an inward satisfaction that he never got in DBZ. It's only natural his character growth will be different in BoD because of this.
Q: Great handling of Goku's ascension.
A: Thanks, Captain Tiencha! It was difficult to plan out a transformation for Goku that would seem legit, but in the end I think this one is believable. Nobody would really argue that Goku couldn't become a SSJ on his own though, as he was the first in DBZ and clearly just needed a proper stimulus. As always, we just wanted something of a high quality.
Q: Did Trunks tactically lie to his father about Goku dying at his hands to satiate his vengeance even a little?
A: Interesting theory, but then how would Goku have died?
Q: I'm just curious, but can BoD's King Cold defeat canon androids? It seems like King Cold is quite powerful, and I'd put this version of him as able to defeat either Android Seventeen or Android Eighteen. Is that fairly reasonable?
A: Well I can assuredly say that his actual strength was higher than *some* of the androids. Remember though that he didn't have full control and that the android's strength is constant—they don't weaken by taking battle damage. All factors considered, let's just say it would be an interesting bout.
Q: This was a superb tale of how Goku develops IT, accepts his Saiyajin nature, and becomes SSJ himself. Having Goku both mimicking Piccolo and visiting Other world was very credible too. Also it was a nice touch that despite it being a naturally Goku centric chapter we get some Vegeta development as well. BoD!Goku's transformation seemed fueled by his (failures) in ability to help his friends much like canon Vegeta's (failures) in ability to help himself.
A: That's a great summation. I always want Vegeta to have an appearance in each chapter, so although these past few have had a lot of storytelling in them, it was important that the Bringer of Death get to weigh in. That's something I will continue to do whenever possible. Obviously at times the focus of this story will be elsewhere naturally, but as this is a story about Vegeta it is essential we include him
Q: now about that KingCold trio...Delta Tokusentai's Name Pun
Yogurt (or Occult) is the leader and brother to Ginyu's last body
Ice-soda is the shocking yellow mutant alien
Cream-shake (or milk-shake) is four-arms from Ben10
A: Very Good! We have a winner: ! All of the Delta Tokusentai have names that are based around dairy products, like the Ginyu Force, but also something cold, like the frost demons. We didn't stick to the exact same naming conventions with the Alpha Tokusentai, but there are still a couple of puns there…
Q: Great chapter, Goku's relationship with Somen deeply reminded me of the 2011 Bardock Special. As soon as I knew about Somen, it was clear he'd be the trigger for the transformation. Also, Vegeta is willing to teach Goku about their people? Friendship on the horizon much? Also, I hope you guys completely show what happened in Future Trunk's timeline from the time Goku got to Earth to the time the Z fighters were ultimately killed, mostly because I find it illogical that the other Z fighters couldn't finish off Vegeta even though he must have been extremely weakened by his battle with SSJ Goku, I'm sure Gohan's rage would've transformed him into a SSJ, though everyone could have been knocked out before Goku started fighting thus granting Vegeta the ultimate victory and not a shameful repeat of his original battle with Goku on Earth.
A: Yeah, Somen was obvious. We admit that, as well as his similarities to the boy from the Bardock Special, though they weren't based off one another. And yes, it is surprising that Vegeta would offer to teach Goku a few things about the Saiyans. However, consider all the differences in Vegeta. He is not a wounded, offended, soul; not nearly so much as canon. He thinks of himself as the premier expert on Super Saiyans, the strongest of the fighters on Earth, and the one with all the power. I wouldn't say that friendship is on the horizon really, though in DBZ they achieved it by the end, but you could say that their relationship will have a different dynamic.
Now, as to the part of your question about finishing off Vegeta…everything in BoD will have an explanation. I was conflicted about answering this, as it will probably be told later on in flashback or something, but think about this. Even weakened, Vegeta is still way more powerful than all the Z fighters combined. Seeing him kill Goku with the final flash probably stunned them to silence. They might attack him, but they would know off the bat it was futile. However, Goku made it clear through the fight that it was between him and Vegeta only…that was the deal. So true to his word, after winning, Vegeta ups and leaves the Earth. To be sure they woulnd't try to revive Goku he takes a dragonball. Additionally he says something like "Oh, and if any of you weaklings are foolish enough to try some other way to bring Kakarott back to life, I will not only return and kill him again but also destroy whoever is responsible in the most horrible way I can imagine." As for Gohan going SSJ, it didn't happen. If it had, the Z fighters might have stood a better chance, but still Vegeta would have won.
Q: You want to know how well you portrayed Goku? I had shivers and goosebumps running through my body reading the details, that is how good you portrayed Goku. This transformation in BoD seemed even more carnal than canon DBZ... I love it. Incredible detail from the both of you. My favorite bit of this story was Yakults death, being baked alive from the release of the sheer amount of raw energy of Goku's transformation was awesome, I love the originality you both are putting in this story.
A: We really appreciate your compliments. David and I were both surprised you thought it was that good. I'm glad we presented it so well. As to the Yakult death, yeah I think that the Super Saiyan power, particularly at the first transformation, is so violent and uncontrolled that the surrounding area is quite dangerous. It also had a lot to do with the huge difference in their power levels that Yakult had little to no shielding from the effects.
Q: Back in chapter 21, you mentioned that Bulma didn't like to talk about Vegeta, is it because he was killed by the Androids? Or is it, and I'm leaning towards this point, was the fact that he killed Goku that their 'relationship' soured? Bulma was after all Goku's first friend and he possibly could have been Bulma's.
A: Yeah I'm sure this chapter answered your question pretty thoroughly, but to give a direct response… yes. She didn't discuss him often because deep down Future Bulma believed that he could have been so much more.
Q: Please expand on Gohan and Goku's relationship! (The rest of your question has been answered in this chapter and in other places above)
A: I will try to cover some things that Goku and Gohan do together in upcoming chapters. While the main character is Vegeta, everyone else will have their part to play…some very important.
(Previous Chapter) Original: September 4, 2012 (Next Chapter)
Android Saga - Part 4: Modus Operandi
His arms stretched straight forward, Krillin flew in the rear next to Trunks, whose presence was overshadowed by Goku and Vegeta and allowed him to slip into the background. Despite being one of the weakest Z fighters, he still took the threat of the androids seriously. He intended to use the opportunity flying to Bulma's to be the first to individually discuss things with the time traveling half Saiyan.
"So, Trunks, do you really think that if you team up with Goku and Vegeta that the three of you will be able to take on these androids? Not that I'm doubting you, man, I just realize that my own contributions to the team are pretty small. You Super Saiyans raise the bar to a place I just can't go."
Trunks' long silvery hair rippled violently in the wind. He had heard Krillin's question, but he was still somewhat distracted by inward reflection. Today was the day he had looked forward to for so long, a day in which he could experience hope for the first time in his life. He had gotten to meet his father, his young mother, Goku, Piccolo, Krillin, and Tien. He had even gotten to see Gohan again. His warning had been delivered and received; the plan he once considered to be a long shot had actually succeeded, at least in stage one. Now, the future was going to depend on how hard everyone trained.
"Well, Krillin, I honestly don't know if we can win. In our current state, I highly doubt it. Which is why I've decided to stay and train with you guys. Seeing Goku and Vegeta fight Cold made me realize that I have a lot to learn about battles. If, and from what Mom told me it's a big IF, but if my dad will agree to teach me then I definitely think it will help. The androids have mind-blowing power, yet Gohan was always able to strategize against them. I guess that's how we both managed to survive as long as we did; maybe honing more than just my strength will be able to make the difference. I guess we'll have to wait and see."
"Hmm. I think I understand. If all the great masters of martial arts are dead in your time, there was only Gohan left to train you. And I don't imagine that you could focus all that well or practice consistently because of the continuous threat from the androids."
"Yeah, well to be honest, Krillin, I'm not the most disciplined warrior either. I was constantly distracted by the death I could sense. As lives around me faded, I would become too emotional to continue training and would foolishly rush off to try and save who I could. Most of the time I was too late anyway, but I had to try. Now, without the worry that I'll be letting innocent people die, maybe I can set my mind straight and learn from the best…my father."
"Well, don't you worry about a thing while you're here, man. You can finally get a haircut, a shave, and even a home cooked meal; not to mention some clean clothes that aren't so beat up. It's been a while since you had any of those I bet!"
"Thanks, Krillin. It has; in fact I can't remember the last time I ate a meal in peace. And thanks for trying to be my friend. I haven't had one in a while, and seeing all of you today has meant more to me than you can imagine. Mom always said you guys were the happiest group of people she ever knew, and now I see exactly what she meant."
The pair swooped downwards, rotating their feet from behind them to proper landing position beneath. Vegeta led the way, as he wanted to be certain he was first. Everyone else followed, heading in unison for a landing in Bulma's back yard.
"And Krillin, you DO have a part to play in this. We'll all do our best to train, plus when the time comes you should know that you provide strength to this group in more ways than just one."
"Thanks, Trunks. Together I believe we can do this."
As the group of Earth's protectors dropped out of the sky onto Bulma's lawn, Gohan suddenly began to worry. He had left his mom in a huff, dashing out the door to investigate the threat to Earth earlier in the day. Before, while fighting Cold, they had been safely in the middle of nowhere, but Chi Chi was bound to check for him at Bulma's sooner or later. At least his dad was back now; surely that would make everything ok. The thought didn't prevent Gohan from searching out his mom's energy to see if he was safe from her for the moment.
"MMMMMHHHMMMMM. That smells delicious, Bulma!" Goku shouted as he made for the door, his instincts leading the way to the smorgasbord that had been prepared.
"Out of the way, Kakarott! You shall not deny me my right as prince!"
"What right?" Goku asked, quickening his pace.
"Your ignorance as to Saiyan protocol is astounding. On our home world, royalty is always served before the common rabble. I would think it's a tradition even you could understand, Kakarott!"
"Aww, come on, aren't there exceptions to the rule, Vegeta? I haven't eaten in, like, a month!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, Kakarott! I thought you were intending to embrace more of your Saiyan side now! Or did you already forget? Besides, you scarfed down that turkey leg a mere fifteen minutes ago!"
At this point ,Bulma had stood all that she could take. Everyone but Piccolo had piled into her kitchen and there was clearly not enough room. "UH, EXCUSE ME! Here in this house we serve ladies first! And I want everyone outside on the porch NOW! It's WAY too crowded. And as for you, Mr. Saiyan protocol, quit your bickering with Goku or neither of you are getting anything!"
Vegeta had once again been directly called out by Bulma, and in front of everyone. She was always this way, but it bothered him so much more having everyone see it. If he allowed her to go unchecked, the others might begin to disrespect him as well. Narrowing his eyes, Vegeta raised his voice to threatening levels. "THE ONLY REASON I PUT UP WITH YOUR INCESSANT NAGGING, WOMAN, IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE NICE TITS!"
The Prince of Saiyans immediately realized his mistake, even as those around him instantly froze. Before he had time to attempt a recovery, Bulma had taken an entire tray of fried rice and hurled it at his head. She then stomped out onto the porch alone, mumbling inaudible curses.
'I'm not sure if I just won an argument with that woman, for once, or what just happened.' Vegeta thought. "The females on this planet…such an enigma!" Slowly, everyone else regained their composure and began filling their plates, though the first to head onto the patio did so very cautiously.
As everyone made their way onto the back porch, none but Trunks were brave enough to approach Bulma, who sat alone at one end of the table. Vegeta sat at the opposite end, with Goku to his right. Piccolo was leaning against a shade tree in the hard, his eyes closed, but the others had all been seated, mainly in the middle of the table. Setting a large tray down in front of him, the boy sat in the seat to Bulma's left.
"Hello, mother. This must be pretty bizarre for you. It is ok if I call your mother, right?"
"Sure, son. It shouldn't be weird at all. You probably know me very well, it's just that I don't know you at all yet. So tell me, do I look much different than I do twenty years from now?"
Trunks chuckled, trying to cover how awkward he felt. "Nah, mom. You look about the same to me, though you may have mellowed out some by then…hehe."
Bulma smiled at his response. She was well aware of her bossiness, coupled with her talent for throwing the occasional temper tantrum, as she had moments ago. 'Well, at least I didn't pass on all my bad habits to my son,' she inwardly admitted.
"So, what you're saying is that I'll still have my cute girly looks when I'm middle aged?"
Trunks blushed. "I'm not sure how to answer that, mom."
Bulma put her arm around her boy and smiled. "I'm sorry, son. I'm totally new to the whole parenthood thing, though I do know parents are supposed to embarrass their kids whenever possible."
'Don't worry, mother. You're gonna be great. You were the one person who I could always rely on, the only one who kept hope through it all.'
"Before I left the future, mom, you made me promise to give this to you." Trunks handed a small flash drive to his mother.
"What's this? Some research of mine?"
The boy's face hardened. "Shhhhh. That is the technology used to develop the time machine you built. If anything goes wrong in this timeline, it will be up to you to make another one. Before I came back, we tried our hardest to think through every possible scenario and mom suggested that we pass on the secrets of time travel to you. I think it's mainly a time saver, since you would eventually have discovered it anyway."
"Oh, wow. Well I really can't wait to take a look at this! Thanks so much."
"Wait, mom. I don't think you should mess with it unless things turn really bad. Time travel is a huge responsibility and can be very dangerous, as you yourself warned me many times. Promise me you won't even look at it unless you absolutely have to."
Bulma understood the charge, and though she knew the temptation would be difficult to resist, she could see that the precaution was justified. After all, the boy was just following her own orders. "Don't you worry, Trunks. You can count on me!"
'I know, mother. I know.' As the others at the table continued gorging themselves, Trunks noticed his father glancing across the table at his mother. It was a uniquely embarrassing moment for him, but it got him thinking. 'I wonder how my involvement in this timeline will affect my parent's relationship. Surely some things will change for the better. I mean, Mom didn't have anything to do with father after he killed Goku. She said he took his ship, stole one of the dragonballs, and disappeared in space for a few years. But now, maybe they will get a chance to see if things might have actually worked out. I just hope I don't get in the way of it.'
"What's on your mind, Trunks?" Goku asked between mouthfuls.
"Oh, nothing important, Goku. It's just that I haven't ever eaten a meal with so many friends before. This is…nice."
'My son the sentimental,' Vegeta thought. "Quit your sappy drama and eat your food, son. The dinner table is for stuffing your face, not talking."
The boy grinned inwardly, but quickly obeyed and began eating again. When everyone had been sufficiently stuffed, announced by Goku belching loudly and Vegeta shooting him a disapproving glance, Gohan spoke up.
"So, dad, what happened to the people on Xylon-38? That's where Trunks said you beat up King Cold, but since he came here instead, what happened to all the people there? Did you save them?"
Goku wiped his mouth on his sleeve, smiling at the boy, and began his story. "Well, son…"
Three months earlier, before the timelines diverged…
It had been over two months since the Delta Tokusentai had attacked Yardrat and been destroyed by Goku's Super Saiyan transformation. Although he had wanted to revive his friends right away, King Kai reminded him that Earth's dragonballs would remain inert for another half a year. Namek's dragonballs would be ready sooner, but with hundreds of Yardrats dead, the limitations of Porunga would make the process much longer in the end. Goku resolved to use the Earth's dragonballs the first chance he had.
The Saiyan still spent time with the Yardrats who had survived – especially around dinner – but he was deeply sobered now. He spent most days far from anyone else, training alone in the few barren wastelands on Planet Yardrat.
Battling a feeling of guilt for his failure to protect Somen and the others, he was determined to gain control of his new powers. Initially, it was difficult; not only did the transformation require incredible emotional upheaval, but it drained his strength quickly. He suspected that the depletion of vigor had more to do with being mentally exhausted than any actual loss of physical stamina.
At first, he practiced the transformation by focusing on injustice – the pain of the murders inflicted by monsters like Frieza. He also focused on his need for the power and the horror of what would happen if he was unable to prevail against Vegeta. Deep down, he understood that the Saiyan prince was only following what he had always known: trying to fill his instinctive desire for honor, power, and control. But if Vegeta won, surely the Earth would be doomed.
Yet focusing on injustice wasn't enough. Goku found himself more and more drained after each transformation. Without an opponent to direct his passion toward, maintaining his Super Saiyan form was driving him almost insane.
How had Vegeta been able to fight Frieza so effortlessly, so easily? Goku remembered how the prince had burst into the Super Saiyan form with almost no difficulty whatever. Was it Vegeta's need to transform that gave him the advantage? No, Goku knew he had just as much need – and more. Vegeta had been fighting for himself and his honor alone; Goku had to fight for everyone he loved. What, then, was the difference?
As Goku fought within his mind to transform again, he recalled the way that Vegeta had executed Frieza. It was so ruthless, so unrefined…it was identical to how he had felt when he killed those two warriors from Cold's Tokusentai. The realization came over him suddenly: being a Super Saiyan wasn't just about added power. It depended on his Saiyan instincts – his willingness to become angry. Indignation wasn't enough; rage was the key to the transformation.
Once he accepted the feeling of unchecked rage he had always instinctively suppressed, the transformation became second nature. It was a nature that he wasn't entirely comfortable with accepting, but he had no choice.
"It was the same way for me, Goku." Trunks added. "Gohan preached to me over and over that I needed to embrace that anger, but for years I didn't fully understand. In my case, also, it took a huge feeling of loss and desperation to get me mad enough, even if it was myself I was furious with."
Though no one asked, everyone was curious about Trunk's story as well, especially Gohan, who perked up at the mention of his future self. He couldn't wait to be a grown up. Not only would he be free from having to do homework all day, but he wouldn't have to be under his mother's thumb in every area of his life. It wasn't as though he didn't appreciate her, she was just extremely overbearing. He mainly wanted the ability to choose his own path rather than having it forced on him…that's if he could help save the future from being destroyed in the first place.
"I think you're oversimplifying it somewhat, Kakarott. Pure and uncontrolled rage in and of itself is not the key to the Super Saiyan transformation. I speak with confidence when I say that if that were true, many more Saiyans would have achieved it. In fact, becoming an Ozaru is very similar to what you're describing. No, the legendary power of our race can only be achieved by someone who can combine that rage with control. Only when properly channeled does one's power flow freely enough to become a Super Saiyan. I, myself, found that initially against Frieza I was too inwardly conflicted, held back by uncertainty. Once I determined in my mind to not give up, to hang on desperately to my pride with all that I had within me, even in the face of the overwhelming power Frieza possessed, that's when it happened. The experience was so uniquely freeing that I can't properly describe it after that, except to say that I felt more alive than ever before."
Goku thought for a moment, leaning back in his chair and glancing blankly into the sky. "I know the feeling, Vegeta. I think the difference between the two of us is that, for you, tapping into the rage was easy. Finding that inward resolve you described was the key in your circumstance. For me, it was the opposite. I've always fought for my friends, to protect others, and sure, for the fun of testing myself in battle and becoming stronger. But I've never been able to freely embrace that rage like you are able to, which is why for me that seemed to be the catalyst."
"Hmmm. That actually makes perfect sense, Goku." Trunks replied. 'I wish I knew myself well enough to figure out exactly what it was that pushed me over, but I guess I was too young when it happened.'
"Yeah whatever, Kakarott. I guess so."
The Saiyan from Earth took this as a sign to go back to the story. Smiling, he continued his tale.
One evening when Goku had been training non-stop for hours, the light of his Super Saiyan transformation illuminating the entire landscape, one of the Yardrats suddenly teleported to the ground below him. "Mr. Goku – your ship! It's flashing. I think you should come!"
Sure enough, the ship was pulsing with red light, a siren sounding from the interior. Goku approached and bent down inside.
"URGENT BULLETIN: Calling all available warriors and strike forces. You are hereby ordered to abort your current missions and report immediately to the Xylon system. Your assistance is required to put down a slave revolt that local troops are unable to contain.
Goku tapped the screen to acknowledge the transmission.
"Once the revolt has been ended, your services will be required for detention control as the King executes the inhabitants of Xylon-38. You can expect to return to your previous missions as soon as this task is complete. A heading for the Xylon system will be displayed by your computer now."
The screen beeped twice, and then displayed a set of coordinates: 822+78XX.
Throughout the message Goku grimaced in anger. 'Does it never end? These monsters should have stopped coming with Frieza, but this King that's leading them seems just as terrible!' Goku punched the ground. "They just won't stop!"
A few other Yardrats had gathered around to investigate the commotion. Their reaction to the message mirrored Goku's.
"Mr. Goku, you must go and assist these people. These murderers must be stopped before even more life is lost."
"I agree," said Somen's father. "We would never wish the kind of destruction we have been dealt on anyone else. You may be their only hope."
The good-hearted Saiyan stood, tall and focused. For the past few weeks he had been desperately wishing he had another chance to save the people of Yardrat; if only he had been there he could have certainly protected everyone. Now, he had another chance, an opportunity to potentially defend the lives of an entire planet. It excited him that he might be able to help these Xylons, but not to the point that he wasn't still incensed at those responsible.
"I must go, my friends. If I could sense this planet I would instant transmit to it right now, but it seems that time is against me." Goku leaned over and climbed into his already opened pod. "You've all been very kind to me and I give you my word I will undo the damage that has been done to you. I will return, I promise!" Smiling, the hero shut the hatch and raised his hand to say goodbye.
After he quickly punched in the coordinates, the pod announced it could make the trip in around two months. Goku hoped he wouldn't be too late. His new friends waved back as the hatch closed and the pod lifted off, clearing the atmosphere in seconds.
"Now reaching Xylon-38." Goku's stomach was growling; he had consumed most of his stores of food within the first few days. The pod's life support systems provided sparse sustenance at best; for unknown reasons, the computer provided nothing but samples of aged cheese in addition to its vapor IV.
THUMMMM! The landing platform on the moon of Xylon-38 reverberated with the shock of Goku's pod arriving.
"Commander, your nephew's pod has arrived, but he appears to be alone. We have not received any transmission from the rest of the Ginyu Force." The lackey snapped to attention after delivering his message.
Guoda rose, his short stature still surprisingly menacing. His long, thick hair fell down around the shoulder guards of his armor. "It's not like Jeice to leave his team," he said, concern showing in his voice. "Call Desann - and Compte as well. The boy will no doubt want to see his mother."
Desann, a tall, angry-looking saurian, was facilitating the ongoing executions left over after King Cold had departed. At least, "facilitating" was the nice way of putting it. The massive reptilian inhabitants of Xylon were far too large and powerful for ordinary soldiers to execute; Desann was personally seeing to that.
Though he was only a tenth their size, Desann ripped the captured slaves apart like paper mâché. This was the kind of assignment he relished.
Within minutes, the three members of the Alpha Tokusentai had gathered just outside the still-ruined Great Hall to greet the newcomer. Compte, a slender, pink-skinned humanoid who greatly resembled her older brother Guoda, was eager to see her son again. The past few days had been wild; they'd missed the Super Saiyan by only a few hours while on the planet surface.
Goku climbed out of his pod, unsure what to expect.
"Hey, you're not Master Jeice!" one of the half-dozen soldiers on the landing platform exclaimed, raising his blaster threateningly. The others followed suit. "Who are you? You better start talking, quick!"
Frowning, Goku lifted his left hand and released a gentle kiai that immediately sent the entire group catapulting backward, senseless. "Well, they didn't last long. I guess I should have held back." Shrugging, he made his way to where he sensed a cluster of high power levels.
"That's odd," Guoda muttered as he checked his scouter. "I'm not picking up Jeice, and the soldiers on the landing platform just blinked off the screen. Something's not right."
Goku sped around the corner at full tilt in his characteristic lope, coming to a stop suddenly when he saw the three warriors standing in front of him. "Hey, who's in charge here?" He could tell that they were on edge. It wasn't like he was coming here on a diplomatic mission, after all.
The leader stepped forward, glowering. "Where is Jeice? How did you get his pod?"
"Oh, are you a friend of his? Bad news there, then. Jeice ran into Vegeta back on Namek a few months ago. It didn't go very well for him."
"WHAT DID YOU SAY!?" Compte stepped forward, suddenly livid. "Where is Jeice?"
Goku cocked his head. Hadn't they heard him? He scratched the back of his neck. "Well, uh, I mean to say – he didn't make it. He never really stood a chance against Vegeta."
"You're lying!" screamed the woman, raising one hand behind her head. "CRUSHER CANNON!"
Desann and Guoda both assumed defensive positions as the woman fired a deep red beam of energy at Goku. Surprised by the beam's intensity, but not at all alarmed, the Saiyan leapt upward and out of the way. "Hey, watch it! You could really hurt someone with an attack like that."
Shocked, Compte lowered her hand. "How did you—"
Goku cut her off. "Listen, I don't really have time for this. I heard there was some kind of slave revolt here, and that a bunch of innocent people were going to be killed. I'm here to stop you!"
Guoda scowled. "I don't know who you think you are, but the execution order came straight from King Cold. You would do well to tread lightly, Saiyan."
"So the order came from King Cold, huh? Who is that, and where is he? I'll teach him not to hurt innocent people!"
Desann snarled, his voice dripping with malice. "Fortunately for you, the King departed yesterday for a planet called Earth. We were told that a Super Saiyan appeared unexpectedly and issued a challenge from the former Prince Vegeta. Unfortunately for you, we were left with the task of finishing the job, and we're not about to let anyone get in our way."
Goku was suddenly alarmed. "Wait, Vegeta was here? Where is he now? Is this Cold guy really headed to Earth?"
Guoda interrupted. "Apparently it was a different Super Saiyan. But that's none of your concern. Right now, you've been found in possession of a Ginyu pod. I suggest you explain yourself if you want to live."
'A different Super Saiyan?' Goku was confused. 'Who else could have been here? I thought Vegeta and I were the only Saiyans left, but maybe there was one I didn't know about.' He pulled his shoulders back. "I don't owe any explanation to monsters like you! I'm going to make sure these innocent people go free, and then I'm going after Cold. Earth is my home and I will protect it!"
Compte, still furious, spat back at him. "You overestimate your chances, monkey. Desann and I have power levels over six million units. Commander Guoda has a fighting power of eight million. The Alpha Tokusentai is Cold's personal strike force, a power unparalleled across the universe!"
The numbers didn't mean much to Goku, but he doubted that these warriors were anywhere near as strong as Frieza. Guru's power-up had greatly accelerated his training; his base power had risen rapidly over the months since he achieved the Super Saiyan transformation. If his senses were correct, he wouldn't even need kaioken to defeat all three of these enemies. Still, it wouldn't do to be taken off-guard; he shifted into a fighting stance. "Bring it on!"
"I'll deal with this scum myself." Guoda dashed forward, surprisingly fast for his stocky frame, and fired a series of dark red energy blasts at Goku. "Chew on that, Saiyan!"
Without moving from his stance, Goku deflected the series of blasts with one hand. They stung a bit, but it was nothing like fighting Frieza. The hero blasted off the ground and flew forward, throwing a spinning kick at the surprised warrior. It connected solidly with the side of his head, sending him crashing to the ground. Despite Guoda being nearly 200 times as strong as his nephew, that one dominating blow from Goku was so powerful that he immediately lost consciousness.
"Uh – I was expecting you to dodge that! You remind me of Jeice. He wasn't very good at dodging either."
"DON'T SPEAK ABOUT MY SON LIKE THAT!" Compte launched upward, firing a quick flurry of punches at Goku. Though her blows were powerful and precise, showing surprising skill, they didn't do anything but knock Goku back a few feet as he blocked them easily. "So you're his mom, huh? Well, I'm sorry—" duck "—for your loss—" dodge "—but if you had taught him how to fight like this—" block "—he might have done a little better."
Livid, the woman placed both her hands in front of her and began firing continuous orange blasts from point-blank range. "TAKE THAT BACK YOU MONKEY!"
The blasts weren't individually dangerous, but their continuous nature was making it difficult for Goku to maintain his stance. Gritting his teeth, he flashed into a basic kaioken, his red aura flaring up instantly and completely shielding him from the attack. He teleported forward and tapped Compte on the back of the neck while she was still firing; she dropped to the ground like a sandbag.
Goku landed back on the ground, his gaze sternly engaging the last remaining Alpha. "Look – Desann, right? – you need to give up. If you're no stronger than either of them, surely you can see that you don't stand a chance. I'm willing to let you go if you promise not to hurt anyone else."
Desann began laughing, his voice twisted and bitter. "You think you're something awfully special, don't you? Maybe you're one of these Super Saiyans. Well, you don't scare me! I've got a secret, something about me that even commander Guoda didn't know."
Goku folded his arms. "I'm warning you. Give up now. You won't like what happens if you make angry."
Ignoring him, the saurian raised both his clawed hands and extended them toward the prone bodies of Guoda and Compte. "I can drain the life force out of anyone I choose! You should be very afraid, as I'm about to rip you to shreds. I don't care who you are, nobody is as strong as I'm about to become."
He clenched both his fists, and red energy began seeping from their bodies and flowing toward him. He threw his head back, drinking in the power.
"But wait! You're killing them!" Goku had never seen anything like this. "They're your partners!"
Now glowing with red energy, Desann glared daggers at Goku. "Such pitiful mercy is unbecoming to a true warrior. They would have gladly given me their strength in order to defeat you anyway." He quickly teleported forward, his speed also skyrocketing by the power boost, and struck Goku hard in the center of his chest.
The Saiyan went flying back, shocked by the intensity of the blow. It was like Desann's power had tripled or even quadrupled. The saurian followed up his advantage by landing a series of kicks and punches that overwhelmed Goku and hurled him face-first into the ground.
The hero leapt to his feet, taken aback by Desann's sudden burst of power but mostly unhurt. "And how long does this evil power last, reptile?" His own red aura exploded around him from the kaioken and he quickly went on the offensive, knocking his enemy into the air and then slamming him down.
The burst of stolen energy clearly not enough, Desann hissed angrily. 'How can this Saiyan be so powerful that even the combined strength of the Alphas is a joke to him? I have only one option left, though it may be more than I can handle. I've never tried it on someone so powerful before.' The blue saurian tensed himself and let out a beastly roar. "I didn't think I'd have to do this, but you leave me no choice!" Extending both arms toward Goku, he began shaking. "Now I'll drain your life and take your power for myself!"
Goku immediately felt sick, as though something was pulling at his gut. His kaioken evaporated and he felt himself growing weak. "YESSSS – so much power! I've never felt…this much…energy!" The lizard was exultant. "Good try, Saiyan, but I win! I guess you're not one of those Super Saiyans after all!"
Goku's vision grew dim as he desperately tried to remain conscious. He couldn't lose, yet he was mere moments from death. Earth was in trouble – if this Cold fellow was on his way there to face Vegeta, everyone he loved might be at risk. He couldn't allow the reptile to keep stealing his energy! He couldn't abandon everyone he cared about!
"ACTUALLY…I…AM!" Golden light erupted around Goku, his hair flashing with fire. Flaming tendrils of energy snaked up the red path of draining energy and into Desann's body. The saurian's form shook violently as light erupted from his eye sockets, the Super Saiyan power far too much for him to control. It seemed his entire insides were being roasted from within. He hung transfixed for a single fleeting instant, then exploded in a brilliant flash of light.
Goku relaxed, his Super Saiyan transformation complete. "Whew, that was too close. Now, to free everyone…"
"Well, that's about it." Goku said, yawning. "After I freed the slaves on Xylon, I took the fastest ship they had and set a course for Earth. I hoped to get here before Cold, but he had too much of a head start. Once I was close enough to sense Earth, I paid special attention to the battle. I didn't want to use instant transmission unless I had to – I didn't know whether I would be able to make the jump – so I waited until the last possible moment. And here I am!"
"Why didn't you just teleport to King Kai's planet and then go to Earth from there?" Piccolo asked, his arms folded.
Goku scratched the back of his head. "Gosh, I didn't think of that. Would that even work? I'll definitely have to try it when I have the chance. Anyway, I didn't want to lose King Cold. If he stopped somewhere along the way, I wanted to be there."
Bulma quickly spoke up. "Hey, Trunks, I've been wondering how you knew where to go. I mean, this Xylon-38 could have been anywhere, so how did you find it?"
"That's simple, mother. In my time, Goku arrived back on Earth with the original Ginyu pod. You took the ship's computer and used it to find the coordinates. From there, it was a simple matter of using star maps and good calculations."
"Ah, I see. So once again it's Bulma to the rescue, haha!" The blue haired woman seemed to be in a better mood now, though she still hadn't said anything to Vegeta. "But wait, did you take your time machine there or a ship? How did that work?"
"About fifteen years from now, you solve a major problem in physics – something about boson-fermion drag. That's how the time machine is able to slip outside of normal space. Because I was going to have to go to another place in the universe beside Earth, you also added a spatial regulator to the engines; the ship teleports and time travels simultaneously."
Bulma loved it when she was the only one in the room smart enough to understand something. It was the one way she could make the strongest beings in the universe seem ignorant, and this was such an instance. 'Hmm, so to figure that out I would have to detangle all the gauge bosons from their associated fields while artificially suppressing fermion superposition resistance…or I could just look at that flash drive Trunks gave me. Hehe.'
Dinner conversation had begun to slowy die out, signified by a few seconds of sighs, stretching, and awkward silence. Vegeta suddenly stood, wiping his hands with a napkin, and abruptly left the room. As he walked, he was somewhat infuriated that no one, not even his own son, stood when he retired. The lack of respect he received was a constant reminder of how ridiculous a choice it was to remain on Earth. He had intended to leave the planet the second he had defeated Kakarott, but now it seemed as though fate had predetermined that he was to stay. He currently had a son on the way, not to mention his honor was to be put to the test in three years against the androids—a challenge he would not dare ignore.
'Why is it that I feel so overwhelmingly miniscule every time I'm around those pathetic weaklings? It's as if they intentionally disregard even the most evident indignities they commit against me. Don't they realize I'm the Prince of all Saiyans? I could destroy them all with a single thought.' Suddenly Vegeta wanted to immediately get back to his ship and take off far into space where he would be feared again. He could board the Bringer of Death with his crew, and, with his ship's new capabilities, be on the other side of the galaxy within no time.
Vegeta grunted, frowning at the streetlights above his head. 'I've become too accustomed to the reverence I earned through my years of service in the Empire, and without it I feel like my authority is constantly being questioned. Sure, I've been disrespected from time to time while in the service of Frieza, but I always take great satisfaction in brutalizing anyone foolish enough to do so. Cui, Zarbon, the Ginyu Force—they've all been violently obliterated by my own two hands. And now, am I to just simply play nice with all these Earthlings? Even my son has no respect!'
Vegeta hadn't been walking anywhere in particular, yet his feet had led him down the streets several blocks. He suddenly sensed someone approaching from behind, walking quickly enough to catch up to him.
"Father, wait. I need to talk to you about something." The prince's son had put his blue capsule corporation jacket back on because of the chill in the night air.
"What is it, boy?"
"Uh, well...watching your battle with King Cold today made me realize just how much I've missed out on by not having you around. I was hoping, er, well I was wondering if you could help me train some. I've never really been able to hone my skills to the level you or Goku showed today, but now that I have the time and someone who could teach me…I was just wondering if…"
"What do you mean me AND 'Goku'? His name is Kakarott! As my son, the offspring of Saiyan royalty, I would've expected you to refer to him by his REAL name. No doubt your mother is to blame for your ignorant behavior."
Trunks lowered his head, immediately regretting that he had mentioned Goku at all. His mom had warned him beforehand that the two had the type of rivalry between them that was borderline obsessive. Any mention of Goku would make Vegeta lose his train of thought completely. "Sorry, Father."
"Don't apologize to me, boy. Just man up and show me."
"Right. Well, what do you say, dad? To prepare for these androids, I'm going to need to do more than just raise my power level."
Vegeta had been tossing the idea over in his head. Despite the boy's bravery in the fight with Cold, he had not shown very much of his skill besides swinging his sword around. Still, Vegeta himself was a self-made warrior. His own father had not taken precious time out of ruling the Saiyans to train him, though once a year they did have practice matches; his father wanted to annually gauge his progress. This was different though, as his son had already become a Super Saiyan. That at least merited some credit.
"Hmmph. I train alone, son." Vegeta began to walk way, his son hanging his head in failure. "However, I often demonstrate proper technique during my training. Someone extremely skilled might be able to observe and replicate me if were they capable of following and dissecting my moves."
Trunks recognized this as about the closest his father would ever go towards meeting someone halfway. It was more than a compromise, it was the perfect opportunity for him to watch his father, the greatest warrior to have ever lived, and learn.
"Sure thing, father." Trunks grinned with excitement. 'I can't wait.'
When Vegeta finally returned home the other Z fighters had long since left. He could care less where they went, so long as they were out of his way and he could resume his training first thing in the morning. Now, more than ever, he would have to push himself to new heights.
Walking up the stairs to his bedroom, the prince continued contemplating. 'I have to surpass my current limitations as a Super Saiyan. There must be a way to take the powers of the legend and push them further, and if there is I must be the one to do it.' He quickly shed his clothes and stepped into the shower. It had been an incredibly long day.
Warm water poured down on his face, his ebony eyes staring blindly into the stream. 'It's hard to believe that just this morning Cold was arriving. To my great shame…had Kakarott and Trunks not intervened, I surely would have lost. Once again, I find myself overconfident in my Super Saiyan abilities as I did against Frieza.' Vegeta's frustration with his apparent failure that day had caused a ki barrier to be thrown up around him, deflecting the water in an arc away from his body. Realizing that he was responsible for the sudden cold of the shower, he relaxed and let the steamy vapors sooth his body once more. 'Curse you, Kakarott. You just keep coming, don't you? Every time I achieve a new level of power, certain that I have placed an insuperable distance between us, you continue to get stronger; first with your Kaioken technique and now by becoming a Super Saiyan yourself. I will not allow you to surpass me again!'
Vegeta shut off the water, briefly flashing his Super Saiyan aura to instantly dry himself; vaporizing the water molecules still clinging to his toned Saiyan form. He walked into the room and collapsed onto his bed.
"I will ascend, Kakarott. Once I have discovered the secret, my powers will far exceed those of even King Cold. Then I will crush these mechanic foes to nothing, proving once again that I am without equal in the universe." The prince closed his eyes, exhausted from the day's adventures. His mind quickly began to trail off, eager for much deserved rest. "Goodnight, woman," he mumbled, though he was alone.
That concludes the flashbacks and storytelling for now. Finally, right? David and I have known all this stuff for a very long time, so we are way ready to get started on writing the android saga. I hope all of the many questions you all had regarding just how the two timelines differed have been answered. I'm sure there are still some that still need asking, so go right ahead and ask. We believe we created a scenario that was not only possible, but was the most logical sequence of possible events that would have occurred if Vegeta had been the first Super Saiyan. There still remain some secrets to be told about the events of the BoD Original Timeline, but we shall hold those in reserve for the time being.
As for the Vegeta/Bulma interactions in this chapter, despite things being very tense between them, this is a much better place for their relationship than in the OT. However, they still have a really long way to go. First off, Vegeta won't be magically good at communicating his feelings, nor will she. They have kind of been together for a month or so, but recent events have thrown them headlong into chaos. Most people's defense mechanism is to back off, so we saw a little bit of that from both of them. However, with all the training Vegeta is about to do, plus the fact that Trunks is hanging around, it's likely that their relationship may take even longer to develop as it should. We shall see.
Also, a shout out to the Star Wars game Jedi Knight: Jedi Outcast. Desann, the reptilian member of the Alpha squad, was based off a Dark Jedi of the same name from that game. Now, I'll take a few minutes to answer some questions from reviews.
Q: I really like how Goku has changed, just a bit, and has acknowledged his Sayian heritage. Not enough to make him a killer like Vegeta was, but enough to have him fight and kill his enemies... I like that!
A: I think in DBZ Canon, Goku had been desperately trying to hang on to his sanity. But his fight with Frieza was just the bout he needed to gain some control over the transformation. When the time came and Frieza begged for mercy, he was in his right mind enough to grant it; true to his character. Here, though, we find that Goku has to embrace that angry side of himself even more. There are several factors involved really, but in the end we find that Goku is slightly more capable of getting the job done. He might be willing to cross that line now when he feels it is justified, though he is still soft hearted and basically the same person. Question is, how will that affect the events to come?
Q: The only problem I see is Vegeta's pride... which is why he's not my favorite character. His pride just get in the way of things, I swear. That dude have issues.
A: It defines him, yes. Everything in his life is guided by his sense of honor, seemingly even moreso since he lost his race. However, the critical difference in our story is that his pride is much more intact. He becomes the first SSJ and he defeats the frost demons. That alone is enough to grant him an inward satisfaction that he never got in DBZ. It's only natural his character growth will be different in BoD because of this.
Q: Great handling of Goku's ascension.
A: Thanks, Captain Tiencha! It was difficult to plan out a transformation for Goku that would seem legit, but in the end I think this one is believable. Nobody would really argue that Goku couldn't become a SSJ on his own though, as he was the first in DBZ and clearly just needed a proper stimulus. As always, we just wanted something of a high quality.
Q: Did Trunks tactically lie to his father about Goku dying at his hands to satiate his vengeance even a little?
A: Interesting theory, but then how would Goku have died?
Q: I'm just curious, but can BoD's King Cold defeat canon androids? It seems like King Cold is quite powerful, and I'd put this version of him as able to defeat either Android Seventeen or Android Eighteen. Is that fairly reasonable?
A: Well I can assuredly say that his actual strength was higher than *some* of the androids. Remember though that he didn't have full control and that the android's strength is constant—they don't weaken by taking battle damage. All factors considered, let's just say it would be an interesting bout.
Q: This was a superb tale of how Goku develops IT, accepts his Saiyajin nature, and becomes SSJ himself. Having Goku both mimicking Piccolo and visiting Other world was very credible too. Also it was a nice touch that despite it being a naturally Goku centric chapter we get some Vegeta development as well. BoD!Goku's transformation seemed fueled by his (failures) in ability to help his friends much like canon Vegeta's (failures) in ability to help himself.
A: That's a great summation. I always want Vegeta to have an appearance in each chapter, so although these past few have had a lot of storytelling in them, it was important that the Bringer of Death get to weigh in. That's something I will continue to do whenever possible. Obviously at times the focus of this story will be elsewhere naturally, but as this is a story about Vegeta it is essential we include him
Q: now about that KingCold trio...Delta Tokusentai's Name Pun
Yogurt (or Occult) is the leader and brother to Ginyu's last body
Ice-soda is the shocking yellow mutant alien
Cream-shake (or milk-shake) is four-arms from Ben10
A: Very Good! We have a winner: ! All of the Delta Tokusentai have names that are based around dairy products, like the Ginyu Force, but also something cold, like the frost demons. We didn't stick to the exact same naming conventions with the Alpha Tokusentai, but there are still a couple of puns there…
Q: Great chapter, Goku's relationship with Somen deeply reminded me of the 2011 Bardock Special. As soon as I knew about Somen, it was clear he'd be the trigger for the transformation. Also, Vegeta is willing to teach Goku about their people? Friendship on the horizon much? Also, I hope you guys completely show what happened in Future Trunk's timeline from the time Goku got to Earth to the time the Z fighters were ultimately killed, mostly because I find it illogical that the other Z fighters couldn't finish off Vegeta even though he must have been extremely weakened by his battle with SSJ Goku, I'm sure Gohan's rage would've transformed him into a SSJ, though everyone could have been knocked out before Goku started fighting thus granting Vegeta the ultimate victory and not a shameful repeat of his original battle with Goku on Earth.
A: Yeah, Somen was obvious. We admit that, as well as his similarities to the boy from the Bardock Special, though they weren't based off one another. And yes, it is surprising that Vegeta would offer to teach Goku a few things about the Saiyans. However, consider all the differences in Vegeta. He is not a wounded, offended, soul; not nearly so much as canon. He thinks of himself as the premier expert on Super Saiyans, the strongest of the fighters on Earth, and the one with all the power. I wouldn't say that friendship is on the horizon really, though in DBZ they achieved it by the end, but you could say that their relationship will have a different dynamic.
Now, as to the part of your question about finishing off Vegeta…everything in BoD will have an explanation. I was conflicted about answering this, as it will probably be told later on in flashback or something, but think about this. Even weakened, Vegeta is still way more powerful than all the Z fighters combined. Seeing him kill Goku with the final flash probably stunned them to silence. They might attack him, but they would know off the bat it was futile. However, Goku made it clear through the fight that it was between him and Vegeta only…that was the deal. So true to his word, after winning, Vegeta ups and leaves the Earth. To be sure they woulnd't try to revive Goku he takes a dragonball. Additionally he says something like "Oh, and if any of you weaklings are foolish enough to try some other way to bring Kakarott back to life, I will not only return and kill him again but also destroy whoever is responsible in the most horrible way I can imagine." As for Gohan going SSJ, it didn't happen. If it had, the Z fighters might have stood a better chance, but still Vegeta would have won.
Q: You want to know how well you portrayed Goku? I had shivers and goosebumps running through my body reading the details, that is how good you portrayed Goku. This transformation in BoD seemed even more carnal than canon DBZ... I love it. Incredible detail from the both of you. My favorite bit of this story was Yakults death, being baked alive from the release of the sheer amount of raw energy of Goku's transformation was awesome, I love the originality you both are putting in this story.
A: We really appreciate your compliments. David and I were both surprised you thought it was that good. I'm glad we presented it so well. As to the Yakult death, yeah I think that the Super Saiyan power, particularly at the first transformation, is so violent and uncontrolled that the surrounding area is quite dangerous. It also had a lot to do with the huge difference in their power levels that Yakult had little to no shielding from the effects.
Q: Back in chapter 21, you mentioned that Bulma didn't like to talk about Vegeta, is it because he was killed by the Androids? Or is it, and I'm leaning towards this point, was the fact that he killed Goku that their 'relationship' soured? Bulma was after all Goku's first friend and he possibly could have been Bulma's.
A: Yeah I'm sure this chapter answered your question pretty thoroughly, but to give a direct response… yes. She didn't discuss him often because deep down Future Bulma believed that he could have been so much more.
Q: Please expand on Gohan and Goku's relationship! (The rest of your question has been answered in this chapter and in other places above)
A: I will try to cover some things that Goku and Gohan do together in upcoming chapters. While the main character is Vegeta, everyone else will have their part to play…some very important.
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Chapter 30 of the fanfic originally published on FanFiction.net.
Comments3
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I freaking love it! when will there be more? 
Seriously, as a writer, and a fellow DBZ fan, this is brilliant stuff 
Seriously, as a writer, and a fellow DBZ fan, this is brilliant stuff