Whis hummed as he watered the flowers in the garden of Beerus' palace. It was another quiet few decades as usual when Lord Beerus was taking a nap with nothing exceptional happening.
"Hmm?"
And suddenly it was not.
Whis put aside the watering jar, and held his staff while examining this new god ki he was suddenly sensing.
"Remarkable." Whis noted with neutral interest, as one would examine a particularly clever feline that learned to walk on it's hind legs all on it's own. "To think that a mortal would manage to attain God Ki. I wonder who was the incredible tutor that he had? One of the Kais, maybe? This would be an interest endeavor to look into."
Whis nodded to himself on his new self-appointed task. Beerus didn't need him for a decade and a bit thought. He had time.
Of course, for now he just observed. Mortals tended to be skiddish when they are greeted by an unknown higher power after all.
The one whom the god ki belonged to was a Saiyan as well, even though there are only a handful of them now, after Planet Vegeta's destruction. Remarkable indeed.
Paragus was hiding in fear as usual, as his son was going on another rampage.
One of the Vampa Beast, a new one to this territory didn't get the message that this place belonged to them, and kept trying to kill them.
However, it was of the variety that was strong and sneaky, thus got the drop on Paragus and Broly, injuring Broly in the process.
And in doing so enraged him.
Broly kept fighting the Vampa Beast till he finally killed the blasted thing.
But now, while he was victorious, he had been injured and in pain, thus rampaged around anything, to take out any perceived threat he may find.
Paragus kept hidden, holding the shock collar remote for dear life. He didn't want to use it if he could help it, and it was best not to let his son run his rage out. Also, it is possible there might still be a threat around. Many times Paragus and Broly thought they were safe, only for a hidden monster to come out of the woodworks, thinking they let their guard down.
So for now, Paragus just kept an eye on Broly, while quietly...
Wait, where did Broly go?
Paragus' eyes widened as his instincts kicked in. He jumped away from the wall he was against, only for it to break an instant later.
Spoiler: SURPRISE!

Paragus' finger quickly came down on his remote pointed at Broly--
Only for a sudden redheaded figure to appear between them grabbing Broly's fist, halting the berserker Saiyan in his tracks.
"Woah, you're an angry boy, aren't yeah?" Said the Red Stranger.
Paragus didn't know what's happening, but didn't let this chance go, and pressed the remote.
The shock collar activated, zapping his son, making him scream in fear and pain. It pained Paragus to have to do this, but he had no choice.
"Huh, I think I see what the problem is." Said the Red Stranger with a contemplative look.
Paragus' eyes widened as he tried to shout.
"No! STOP!"
Only for his cries to fall on deaf ears, as the Red Stranger grabbed the electric shock collar, and crashed it off of Broly's neck.
"See, nothing to zap you anymore. All better right?" Said the naïve Red Stranger.
Broly roared louder, his green aura exploded tenfold with more power, and ferocity now that there is now thing hold him back.
"You fool! That collar was meant to contain him. Now his rampage will be unstoppable! We're all going to die!" Cried out Paragus.
"Aaww, relax~." The Red Stranger gave him a placating smile, while slapping away Broly's attacks like they were nothing.
Paragus blinked and reassessed that what he was seeing was really happening. He was wonder if he had died, or just gone insane.
"Big guy here, just needs to play till he's all tuckered out." The Red Stranger slapped on of Broly's punched upwards, with the back of his hand, before spinning and throwing a tailslap that launched Broly into a nearby mountain.
"W-What?" Said Paragus wide-eyed.
"I'll come back once he's calmed down, okay?" The Red Stranger, who now that Paragus really looked at him, might be a Saiyan? said.
Before the elder Saiyan could say anything, the Red Stranger flew at Broly who broke free, ripping his way out of the rock and stone launching himself at the Red Saiyan mid-air.
For the next hour Paragus was treated to an impossible sight for him.
The Red Saiyan was actually fighting equally with Broly. No, playing with him almost. Broly's power and rage naturally kept rising as his opponent wouldn't fall down, and even Paragus warned the other Saiyan about this, and yet the Red Saiyan wasn't worried.
Then it finally happened.
Broly's power plateaued, going as high as it could, with no possible victory over the Red Saiyan in sight.
And eventually, inevitably Broly tired out and lost consciousness.
"Phew," said the Red Saiyan. "He was really stubborn to keep fighting even at the end." Paragus noted the Red Saiyan didn't seem to look winded or have even broken a sweat. "So, I only came here because I sensed his rampaging ki. Do you two live here?"
"'Came here'? This is Vampa a desolate world. We aren't living here, we're trapped here." Paragus then looked desperate, his wish to just leave this hell of a world, overcoming any pride he used to have. "Please, can you take us with you on your ship?"
"I didn't come here with a ship, it's a personal teleportation technique." Before Paragus could lose hope, he continued. "I'm good enough with it to bring others. It's not that difficult for me. Come on, let's go pack up whatever you wish to take. I know a place you guys would appreciate that's a bit nicer."
The Red Saiyan carried Broly on his back, and flew with Paragus.
"Say, I forgot to ask your name?" Said Paragus.
"Ah, right. It's Dive." Dive smiled.
Paragus blinked in surprise. "...Your parents named you after the Derserter?"
Dive had a playful grin. "I am the Deserter."
He said, leaving a gobsmacked Paragus flying after him.
The first thing that Broly saw when he woke up was a different sky.
A different sky than the one he had seen all his life on Vampa.
He sat up in a panic, wondering what's happening.
"Woah, woah, calm down, buddy." A familiar voice called out, it was the red guy he was fighting.
"It's alright Broly, we're in no danger." His father spoke from next to him, actually putting him at ease.
"The sky..." Broly muttered.
"Yeah, you're not on Vampa anymore." Said the red guy.
"Not...on Vampa?" Broly wasn't sure how to take this information. Vampa was a violent, hostile, terrible place, but it was his home for all his life. His father desperately wished to leave it, and Broly did wish to see other places, but he wasn't opposed to living on Vampa mostly.
He had to process his emotions on all of this.
Then to his horror he noticed something missing.
"T-The collar." Broly said with wide-eyes as his hands went to his empty neck.
"Yes, the Deserter here broke it while fighting you." Paragus growled, now feeling less worried as he had interacted with Dive and saw what he was like.
"Deserter?" Broly asked.
"S'up, name's Dive." Dive grinned as he extended a hand, and Broly hesitantly shook it. "Yep, the one from that Deserter story." He chuckled, before sitting in front of Broly with a somewhat serious expression. "Look Broly, this is something I talked with your father about, but there is a way for you to never have to worry about going berserk again."
"Broly won't go berserk?" Broly said, his way of talking showing his subpar mental development.
Dive's eyes went to Paragus for a moment, before coming back to Broly.
"We're on a a planet name Yardrat, same name for the people, or Yardratians." Dive said with a nod. "They are a people who are extremely versed in ki, or if you're not familiar with the term, energy and spiritual practices. They can help you gain control of your anger, so it can never be aimless and harm those you don't intend to."
"Can you just give us a ship and let us go on our way?" Paragus grumbled.
"Don't have a ship, don't need one." Dive shrugged. "You can try and get yours fixed from the random body parts of other ships that landed here, and were abandoned, or crash landed here. Other than that, you're on your own." He looked at the two with a smirk. "Of course, you can just learn Instant Transmission here, and just not need your own ship."
"So Broly and Father can go...to Vegeta without a ship?" Broly spoke up.
At his words, Paragus looked conflicted between happy and sad, while Dive just sighed.
"Yeah, Planet Vegeta doesn't exist anymore, it was destroyed by Frieza a long time ago." Dive then smile. "On the other hand, Frieza is dead, so you don't need to worry about him."
"I supposed that's something." Paragus muttered.
He looked then conflicted for a while. Despite how he acts, he does care for his son, and even if he was angry at King Vegeta and the rest of his bloodline, his son's needs are more important than his petty ones. He at least took comfort that it was Frieza that killed King Vegeta and made him suffer.
Still, the chance for Broly to have his anger under control would be a boon for his son, and would even help his stunted mental growth, that Planet Vampa ripped into him.
"Broly," he finally spoke. "What do you wish to do?" Paragus ultimately decided to leave the choice to his son.
"Broly doesn't..." the giant Saiyan looked down. "Broly doesn't want to get mad and hurt people anymore."
"Alrighty then!" Dive jumped up to standing using his tail, and smiling widely. "Come on, I know the place around. Let's go meet Elder Pybara."
The father and son followed after Dive, their battle instincts and wariness still up, as they were used to environment being a threat to them. Yet the wildlife that they encounter, if any, were hardly a threat. They got some good meals out of it.
"Mr. Dive?" Broly suddenly spoke up.
"Yeah, Broly?"
"What are you?" He asked. "You look like Broly and father, but are you Saiyan? Broly thought Saiyans only have black hair? Why do you have fur?"
Dive smiled kindly as he began to regal Broly with stories about his life after leaving Vegeta, while embellishing some parts (only to say he did afterwards), and yet leave things vague in a way that Paragus can't use that information to become a Super Saiyan or the like. The old Saiyan general wasn't a bad person, but he wasn't trustworthy either, and his desire for revenge can rear it's ugly head again.
Yet for now, Broly and Paragus knew tranquility.
Gohan put down his pencil and closed his textbooks. He strained his ears to listen for his mother, waiting to see if she was in the kitchen or somewhere else. He didn't want to open his room's door to check. Her hearing was like a bat's and would hear it.
He slowly pushed his chair back, not thinking on how that would be suspicious. He went to his window, looked down for anyone, then slowly got up to the opening and floated down.
So far so good.
"GOHAN!" His mother shouted.
He looked back to see her coming from where she was putting up laundry.
Damn. He didn't account that she would be outside the house.
"What are you doing? Shouldn't you be studying!?" Chi Chi cried out.
"I have!" Gohan argued back. "I did all my homework, I read all my required material, and I finish studying everything I'm assigned."
"Then you should review everything again." Chi Chi said as she stood in front of her son, hands on her waist in an angry authoritative manner.
"I did!" Gohan cried back. "I studied everything we're suppose to take this year."
"Then study everything for next year."
"Oh come on, mom! I just want a break!" Gohan's eyes watered.
Ever since he returned from Namek, his mother was on his case, watching him like a hawk, lest he "gets in trouble".
"Then why don't you read some of those fun books I brought you." Chi Chi said back.
"No! No more reading. I just wanna go out for a while. Just take a walk, play games, something!" Gohan shouted.
"You mean you want to go learn how to fight! Like your father!?" Chi Chi's eyes narrow.
"Well...maybe? Not really, but--" Gohan stumbled.
"But nothing!"
"Chi Chi, why are you being so harsh on Gohan now?" Goku approached the duo, hearing their shouting match from his farming field nearby.
"Goku!" Chi Chi turned on him. "We both agreed that Gohan doesn't have to do any fighting anymore, right? Then you agree with me that he shouldn't go bother with training or fighting, right!?"
"Um, I mean," Goku gave a nervous smile. "He did his studying, right?" He looked to his son.
"Yes!" Gohan nodded vigorously.
"Then come on, it should be fine to let him go out and have fun." Goku tried to argue.
"WHAT!?" This only had the effect of making Chi Chi explode, but turn her anger on the older Saiyan.
While Chi Chi was shouting and reprimanding Goku for being so lax, Goku gave his son a smile and a wink.
Gohan smiled in return, getting that his father is serving as a distraction, and quickly flew away.
He went to the closest familiar ki signatures first, reaching a house a bit of a run from his home, but relatively close, still within Mount Paozu.
"Heeey! Uncle Raditz, Ms. Nach!" Gohan shouted and waved. Gohan's eyes lit up at the third person there. "Ms. Launch!"
"Hey, Gohan! How've you been, kid?" Raditz shouted back.
The two Saiyans, Nach and Raditz halted their spar, and powered down to rest.
"S'up, brat." Nach gave a curt greeting, with a small smile.
"Hello, Gohan." Said the kind voice of blue Launch. "How have you been lately? Are you still a good boy doing your chores and everything?"
"Y-Yes, ma'am." Gohan said with a blush at the nice praise of the good Launch.
Raditz laughed at Gohan's bashfulness, while Nach smiled with a huff and rolled her eyes.
The four caught up for a bit, asking about what Gohan had been up to, and he asked the same of them.
Nach scoffed as she heard about Chi Chi's latest ban on Gohan's training for the sake of his "studying".
"I swear that--" Nach seeing Gohan look at her with a tilted head, as well as blue Launch looking at her in confusion, stopped herself and kept her insult of 'useless harpy' in her mind. "--Woman is just being a detriment at this point. Not wanting you to be in danger is delusional, but annoyingly can be somewhat, maybe understandable. This however is going too far." She growled.
"Wow, Nach, would you like to add a bit more adverbs to not agree with her on something?" Raditz chuckled.
"I'm surprised you even know what an 'adverb' is. What? Trying to impress the goodie-two-shoe here?" Nach gestured to Launch with her head.
"Hmm? Impress me?" Launch asked while looking at Raditz.
"Pfff-wha? Me? No. I'm not trying to do anything impressive." Raditz stuttered and looked away.
"Hmm? But you are impressive, Raditz." Launch said without shame, making Raditz flushed at the praise. A feeling he wasn't used so, but didn't dislike. "You are smart but strong too. Sometimes I wonder if I can be strong like that." She said looking down.
"Of course, you can!" Raditz said right away. "You just need to train, learn ki and you'd be golden." Raditz then chuckled at his own joke, which Launch also laughed at, having got the double reference.
Gohan politely smiled. Adults were weird sometimes.
"Anyways," Nach spoke, getting Gohan's attention again. "Your mother clearly lives in her own head, if she thinks you'll never be in danger, or will never fight again in your life."
"My mom is worried about me." He tried to argue and defend his mother, but he did feel a bit angry toward her at the moment. "And wants me to do well in school, so my future would be good." He said looking down, the excuses starting to lose their weight in his ear after intense studying for months now.
Before Nach could say anything else, Launch spoke up.
"I think your mother is trying her best." Launch said in a calm patient manner. "Her son isn't only part-alien, but went to outer space, why you are now ahead of any astronaut in the achievement department. And you're also super strong, compared to kids your age." Gohan blushed at the compliment. "Maybe rather than train to fight or get stronger, you should try telling her you're training to have fun, or to make a version of it that's a game."
"That is a great idea, you really are a smart cookie!" Raditz chimed in.
"Aww, thanks." Launch smiled back.
"Training like a game, huh?" Gohan gave it some thought.
"Try Dive." Nach spoke up.
"Huh?" Gohan looked up.
"The guy's training tends to be soft, with meditation and image training and the like." She explained. "He had some ki control stuff where we threw ki balls at each other, so that's a thing. After a while, he just told us to train till our power was double Frieza's first form, before coming back to him to give a try at Super Saiyan." She then thought for a moment. "Also Piccolo is with him. They're meditation buddies or whatever."
"Alright!" Gohan's smiled as his eyes lit up. "Thank, Ms. Nach, I'll go and--"
"ACHOO!"
The trio of Saiyans flinched as they looked at the one human around.
"Oi, wharra'lookin at?" Said the blonde Launch.
"Hey, trigger bullet." Raditz waved with a grin.
"S'up, porcupine." bad Launch grin back, before the two chuckled at one another.
"Hey, Ms. Launch." Gohan said politely to the other Launch.
"Told'ya kid. Just Launch is fine." She said back. "Hmm, by the way, you're going to that extra monkey Saiyan guy, aight?"
"A...ight?" Gohan hastily nodded.
"Well, I'm bored of watching you two duking it out, without getting in on the action." She said to Raditz and Nach. "I'm going with ya." Turned to Gohan.
Gohan wasn't sure if this was a good thing or not.
"You know you could have went with them." Raditz said to Nach as they got in stance to resume their spar.
Nach grunted.
"Seriously, you can just meet up with Dive like we all do. You don't have to do this weird 'I'm not meeting you' thing, till your match."
Nach growled and launched herself at the smirking Raditz.
"Okay," Dive said as he heard each of Gohan's and Launch's issues. Piccolo was also sitting there, hearing this pausing his training with Dive on Ki Circulation that is suppose to aid his natural regeneration. "The solution to this is easy, but first..."
Dive pointed a hand on blonde Launch's shoulder, and before she could react, a ki body formed from her, powered by Dive, and blue Launch appeared.
"Holy smokes! You separated us!"
"Goodness me."
Bad Launch and Good Launch said in surprise.
"No, no," Dive waved them off. "You're literally a situation of one person, two sides. I just gave your other personality a temporary body so I can talk to...all of you." He explained, gesturing at them. "Both of you want to train, right? You want to generally become strong, or do you each want to work on something specific."
"Well, I feel like everyone is too extraordinary, that whatever aid or contribution I can provide is minimal. I'd like if I could help, or just support everyone." Said blue Launch.
"I wanna kick ass." The blonde Launch said plainly. "I mean, I wanna do it with my trusty sidekick," she patted her machinegun. "But if not that, know how deem 'Key boom' go. Besides I like da thought of being bulletproof." She had a sly smile. "Might make summ'aah...job opportunities more open."
Dive and Gohan looked a bit exasperated, while hiding it behind a smile. Piccolo just rolled his eyes.
"Alright general rule," Dive spoke up. "Don't hurt innocent people with what I teach you." He said with a deadpan.
"Ya, ya, sure, sure." Blonde Launch waved him off.
"Why, of course. Harming people is bad." Blue Launch said pointedly. Bad Launch clicked her tongue but seemed to relent.
"Hmm, so healing and weapon augmentation." Dive scrtached his head in thought. "First one is easy, second one is an interesting challenge. Might ask Bulma for a better weapon if you get too powerful for the machinegun." He paused for a moment. "Would Bulma even know anything about weapons?"
"Aw, hell yeah!" Blonde Launch shouted in excitement.
"Oh? Healing? Like a doctor, sounds lovely!" Blue Launch said with a wide smile.
"What about me, Mr. Dive?" Gohan asked.
"Well, first things first, you need to be able to go places to train," said Dive. "So I'm gonna teach you Instant Transmission."
It wasn't something she noticed at first.
There were moments when it felt like Gohan just wasn't in his room, or taking a break in the safety of his home, watching TV or something. Of course when she comes back, he's there and there's no problem.
Yet still the feeling that something was off lingered. Especially since it looked like Goku and the other fighters had some kind of a secret hidden from her. She assumed it was something fighting and training thing, yet seeing that "I know something you don't" look from that violent woman, Nach, infuriated her.
Honestly who does that woman think she is, telling her how to raise her son. Nach maybe a Saiyan, but Chi Chi was his mother, she knew what her son needed in his life, not some hooligan "reformed" space pirate.
Of course she eventually found out when Goku and some of the other Z-Fighters were talking when they were visiting their home, and the words "Gohan" and "Instant Transmission" dropped in a conversation.
Chi Chi rounded on Goku later on and got him to confess.
Oooooh! That Dive! She's gonna give him a piece of her mind!
"So who do you think you are teaching my son to be a delinquent!? What do you have to say for yourself?" Chi Chi finished after finding Dive's house in the woods, and ranting at him for the past hour.
Dive waited for her to catch her breath, with a nervous Goku looking at both of them, and giving Dive an apologetic smile.
"Chi Chi, what do you know about Saiyans?" Dive asked, the question seemingly out of the blue.
"My husband is one. My son is half-one. They are alien and fighters." She said the basic answer that came to mind. "But that doesn't mean they must do all this fighting stuff."
"Actually it does." Came the sharp reply.
"W-What?" Chi Chi was thrown off by how serious Dive was at that moment.
"Look," Dive said with patience and a tone that emphasized the need for her to listen. "Saiyans. Are not human."
"I know that!"
"No I don't think you do." Again his blunt curl answer threw her off. "For Saiyans the need to fight, to push our bodies to the limit and see how we can grow."
"That's true." Goku said to which Chi Chi just glared at him.
"That doesn't mean Gohan has to be the same!"
Dive paused for a moment, as an idea came to mind. "Let me tell you a little story." He said, pivoting for a moment. "When I was a kid on Planet Vegeta, home of the Saiyans were being strong is the same as eating and breathing, my childhood...was a living hell." That made both Goku and Chi Chi blink, yet stay respectfully quiet. "I hated Saiyan society, because most of my problems stemmed from being weak.
"So I left. I went on my own journey, learned some techniques from the Yardrats and mostly meditation skills." He paused, making sure to keep his audience's attention, while accounting for both. Thus essential information for Chi Chi, and minimal or exciting information for Goku. "Then I went somewhere were I can train and grow strong alone, without interruptions, and without anyone finding me, so I can just focus on myself." Dive took a deep breath.
"And?" Chi Chi asked.
"I had a long time to meditate and introspect, and what I discovered it, well, the thing is because I hated Saiyans and their society, I found out I hated myself, since I was a Saiyan too." He said, throwing the pair off. "And that was a mess to work through. Eventually it all ended well, but I needed to confront that I am a Saiyan and what that actually meant." Dive said looking at Chi Chi specifically.
"So...what does it mean?" She said, feeling humbled from being told a personal story like that.
"That the need to fight and grow in integral to us. Humans are more likely to compromise, or find an alternative solution. Try and depend on external strength to aid your cause. That's not how it works with Saiyans." Dive said, trying to emphasis the importance of this. "Yes, we can work with ours. Yes, we can try to find peaceful solutions, but if it comes down to it, our favorite method of dealing with something is head on. Is to fight." He said again, to which even Goku nodded in understanding. "You want Gohan to be safe and I get that. None of us want him to be in danger, but danger will exist. If a day comes where Goku, I or any of the other fighters aren't here, he only has himself to depend on."
"He has me!" Shouted Chi Chi.
"He's not gonna be a child forever. At the very least if he trains now, he can do so in a safe environment, so when he's an adult he can look after himself." Dive said back. "And as I said, the need to fight, train and grow strong is always within us. If he grows up with no positive associations with training and fighting, a part of his psyche will always feel that something is wrong. Wrong with him."
Chi Chi look down, the winds taken out of her. "So what, my son is broken?"
"Chi Chi, don't say that!" Goku argued.
"I know about how strong he gets when he's angry, Goku!" She shouted. "I listen to when you, Raditz, or even that Nach talks. I worried that my son might grow up to be some violent thug, but now you're telling me there's something wrong with him, that is he isn't constantly putting himself in danger, he, he's... his mind will break or something."
"That's not what he's saying." Goku hugged his wife. "Gohan is just like any other kid. Yeah, the part of him that's Saiyan is telling him to fight, but he can choose not to, but it's bad for him to just be cooped up and held down doing nothing but reading all day."
"Honestly a strong intensive physical activity will work just as well." Dive chimed.
"But...but what about his future?" Chi Chi argued. "Okay, I'm fine with physical exercise. But he can't leave his studies! For you guys, it might not matter, but once the fighting is over, we have to continue living our lives. Fighting doesn't put food on the table, or help you raise a family."
"..."
"..."
Goku and Dive just stared silently at one another then at Chi Chi.
"World Martial Arts Tournament, honey." Said Goku.
"The last one was over 8 years, Goku! We don't know if there's gonna be another!" She argued.
"Yeah I suppose you're right, he does need a career and a job." Dive said standing up, to which Chi Chi was glad but feeling odd that he was agreeing with her. "That's why I taught Gohan how to clone himself so he can both study and train at the same time."
"...!" Chi Chi was shocked she froze in place.
"Honestly the only reason I taught him was because Gohan is such a good responsible kid. So I know he'll use my teachings well. See Chi Chi, martial arts solved all of your problems." Dive said with an 'innocent' grin.
"....ggrrrrrrr...."
"So, no need to thank me, and I'll see you both later." Dive disappeared in Instant Transmission.
Chi Chi's explosive scream can be heard from Dive's empty house.
"GRAAAAAAH! GET BACK HERE YOU DAMN EVIL TRICKSTER MONKEY MAN!"
"Chi Chi, calm down!"
"AFTER HIM!"
"I don't know how to do that technique."
"LEARN AND TEACH ME SO I CAN CATCH MY BABY BOY AND ALL HIS BROTHERS! NOW!"
"HEEEEK!"
And so Goku went Dive to ask him to teach him something else.
Learning Instant Transmission was good and all, but then Chi Chi realized she needed to sense Ki as well.
While a headache inducing experience for the Z-Fighters, dealing with a Chi Chi that can teleport and sense energy, thus able to chase after Gohan. It was a humbling one for her to learn how strong everyone is compared to her. How strong her son is compared to her.
And then realize there were greater threats out there, with power higher than even her friends. Vegeta alone, who was once their enemy, was still a monster compared to anything Chi Chi felt was "normal".
After that, she might have decided to be a bit lenient on Gohan.
"Hey, Dive?" Goku asked as he caught the iron ball with a ki orb over his hand, and kept moving it from ki orb to ki orb over his hands, before throwing the iron ball to Gohan, who did the same.
"Yeah?" Dive watched Gohan as the boy made sure not to decrease the iron ball's speed, according to the rules of their game, then suddenly threw it at Goku, rather than at Dive next, as they expected the order to go.
"Woah!" Goku used his ki orb to instantly deflect the iron ball to Dive, who caught it and started making the iron ball rotate around him. "Nice one, Gohan!"
"Thanks, dad!" Gohan grinned.
"You were saying?" Dive said, smiling at the interaction.
"Yeah, do you..." Goku paused and scratched his head for a moment. "Hate fighting? It's just, you never really want to spar with anyone. Just give us exercise to do, which is pretty cool, but I really wanna see how I measure up is all."
"Hmm?" Dive was contemplative for a second, before looking at Gohan and winking.
Gohan quickly got his ki orb to act as a deflecting spring board, as Dive let go of the iron ball from it's circular motion, the momentum making it move faster, and directly going for the kid Saiyan.
Only for the iron ball to hit Gohan's ki orb and angle toward Goku who reacted by catching it with his hand.
"Yes!" Gohan cheered.
Goku realized what happen, before he chuckled. "Oooh, sneaky." He grinned as the game paused with Goku losing a point, and Gohan gaining one.
"You know if we add two more players, we can make a dodge ball version of this, with one person in the middle, having to dodge, deflect or catch the ball, while the rest circle and try to hit him them." Dive noted.
"We should get Mr. Piccolo, Mr. Tien, Ms. Nach and Uncle Raditz to join in!" Gohan chimed.
"Huh, it would be fun to get everyone and organize a game." Goku said. "Well we are getting together to bring back Master Roshi with the Namekian Dragon Balls. Fortuneteller Baba kept pestering him till he agreed to come back."
"About what you were saying earlier," Dive spoke up. Goku turned to him, to see him looking from somewhere away, as if he was sensing someone. It's something Goku noticed Dive does on occasion, and when asked about it, said sometimes he feels like someone's is watching him but it's not important. "You know how if you spar with Gohan you limit yourself, while helping him get stronger and stronger, but can go more all out against Raditz or Nach?"
"Yeah?" Said Goku.
"You're all kids to me in the power department. I'm always fighting you in a teaching manner, I can't fight you in a sparring manner. It's fun to do from time to time, but it's not that stimulating. Kaio-ken is better but maybe you should develop it further, or teach the others so you can work together." Dive explained which Goku's eyes lit up at, getting Dive's feelings on the matter.
"Ooh! Yeah, gotcha." Goku looked thoughtful. "You think we're ready for Super Saiyan? That might make things more interesting." He said sincerely, not trying to be sly or anything.
"Yeah," Dive's crunched his eyebrows a bit. "You guys are actually way higher than Frieza 1st and 2nd forms now. I think you're already way past the requirement I gave you. Next time we meet up, we can immediately work on it."
"Y-Yeah, just a bit higher than the level you told us to be at, hahahaha." Goku didn't want to mention that he and the other used the improved gravity chamber Bulma made that can go up to thousand times Earth's gravity (not that the Saiyans can reach that yet), and had long since passed the 50 million power level mark. They were closer to a hundred give or take some point, but they wanted to surprise Dive with that.
Gohan looked away innocently trying to appear inconspicuous, since he knew too. His dad and uncle tended to brag about their achievements at home, while trying to sound hush about it.
Just then the trio of Saiyans felt a giant energy arrive from the direction of some wastelands.
The Saiyans looked at each other, and decided to move and check it out. Along the way, they met the other Z-Fighters, who also sensed the sudden huge power.
When they arrived there, they found a teenager with lavender hair.
"Oh, sorry how spooking you all. I'm waiting for Go...ku?" The boy seemed polite and well-spoken, but looked confused upon seeing Goku whom he had been waiting for.
"Yeah, What do you want?" Goku asked neutrally, still not know if this person was a friend or foe.
"Damn, did I mess up the date?" The boy muttered to himself. "I'm sorry, this is gonna sound weird but, did you fight the robot Frieza and King Cold yet?" He asked Goku.
"'Robot Frieza'?" Goku tilted his head. "No, we fought normal Frieza, and who's this 'Cold' guy?"
"Is Cold related to Frieza?" Dive called out.
"Um, yes, who are you?" The mysterious boy asked feeling thrown off right now.
"Oh, that's Dive, the one who beat Frieza." Goku said cheerfully, feeling the newcomer wasn't someone bad.
"Wha!? Huh? But..." The boy then looked panicked muttered about messing up time and things.
"Sooo...what did you want with me?" Goku just pushed through and asked. "Who are you by the way? You feel like a Saiyan, kinda, but I've never heard of you before."
"I..." The boy looked at Dive in confusion, before shaking his head. "Who I am isn't important." He decided to just focus on his tasked. "I came from the future, I came here to deliver a warning about an evil threat that will arrive in three years time. Two Android will appear and destroy the world." Future Boy went on to explain his message in full, where the Androids will arrive and at what time, along with warning Goku of a diseases he will contract in the future, and giving him the medicine for it.
"Woah, this is...just a lot to process." Goku rubbed the back of his head.
"Sorry," Future Boy said back, before looking once more at the group. "Say, I wanted to ask but...who are those?" He said pointing at three Saiyans unknown to him.
"Oh, that's Nach, Dive and Raditz." Goku exclaimed.
"I haven't heard of the other two, but Raditz? You mean your brother?" Asked Future Boy.
"Yeah, isn't he there is in the future? Or wait, did he also get this Heart Virus?" Goku asked worried. "Shouldn't he also get this medicine?"
"N-No, that's the thing. I've never met him, I only remember my mo--I mean, I only remember hearing about him. That you fought him when you first met, and that was it." Explained Future Boy.
"Yeah, that was a tough fight." Goku chuckled. "The way it ended was a bit embarrassing since I died to Piccolo's attack, while Raditz got away. But it all ended okay, since I got to know my brother when I got back."
"Huh!?" Future Boy's eyes widened. "Wait, he..." He quickly covered his mouth as he muttered in a low voice. "He lived? But that's not what happened in the past, according to mom. What does this mean?"
"Hey, everything alright?" Goku asked.
"Y-Yeah," answered Future Boy. "And the other two?"
"Yeah, Nach was with Raditz when he arrived here the first time. Fought her too, now we're friends. As for the third one, that's Dive." Goku answered.
"Sorry if this sounds weird, but what is he?" Asked Future Boy.
"Just Saiyan." Said a voice behind the two.
"Woah!"
"Waaah!"
Goku and Future Boy were started by Dive suddenly being behind them.
"Sorry, got bored and came to talk." Said Dive, smiling in a carefree manner.
"Umm..." Future Boy wasn't sure what to do, but hide his anxiety with a stoic look.
"I have good hearing so I heard you. I got the jest of it. Evil robots in the future. Should be easy enough." Said Dive.
"This is serious!" Future Boy said with an intense look.
"I getcha, I getcha." Dive raised his hand placatingly. "Three years, right? Trust me that's way more than enough time, for these guys to prepare."
"That's right," Vegeta spoke up as he and the other approached once they saw the discussion carry on from Goku alone. "Which means, you've done your part, so now buzz off to your time, future boy."
"Wha...D...Vegeta!" Future Boy seemed stunned at Vegeta's callousness, but before he could say anything, the Saiyan Prince turned and flew away.
"Sorry about Vegeta." Gohan spoke up politely.
"He's...not all good with teamwork." Krillin was going to say something meaner, but held back.
"Right. I see." Future Boy slowly nodded.
"Hey," Nach spoke up. "If things are bad in the future, what the hell am I doing? Did I die already?" She said bluntly.
"Come on, don't say that." Raditz tried to sound optimistic. "Maybe we're there fighting the good fight."
"I'm sorry," Future Boy said looking down. "But the future I'm from, neither of you are there." He then got a hard look in his eyes, as he worried if he meddled in the past too much. "Sorry but Vegeta is right, it's time for me to head back."
"Huh? But us not being there, what does that mean?" Raditz said, while Nach looked away, her eyes narrowed. She was expecting the worse of a future version of herself, imaging that Future Nach bailed when things got tough.
"It means Multiverse Theory is a bitch." Said Dive, too amused with himself.
"Huh?"
"What?"
Future Boy and Dive's eyes met, as to the Future Boy's worry there was understanding in Dive's eyes.
"It means things can change in the past or future, and the only time you have is your present." Dive nodded to Future Trunk to which he boy, hesitantly nodded back. Dive then look up to the sky. "About that 'Cold' guy you were talking about, he should be here in six months. That should be a good chance for everyone to show the results of their training."
"Wait," Future Trunks said suddenly worried, as he turned to Goku. "Goku, can you turn into a Super Saiyan?"
"Ah, that." Goku smiled sheepishly. "Haven't figured it out yet? And Dive said he'll show us later."
Before Future Trunk could turn to Dive, the Red Saiyan spoke up.
"Yeah, but I think this event is a good motivator." He looked down, looking at each Saiyan present. "Gather up Vegeta and come meet me all up tomorrow. I think you're definitely at the point where it would be easy for you to achieve it. After that you can train with the form for till Cold arrives."
"Alright!"
"Hell yeah!"
Goku and Raditz shouted, while Nach just smirked.
Seeing that there is nothing else for him to do, Future Trunks quickly made his goodbyes, and got back into his time machine.
"Hey kid!" Future Trunks looked back toward Dive who called out to him. "Training offer is open to you to if you need it."
"...Thanks," Future Trunks smile, feeling a bit more reassured, even after realizing that this isn't his past.
And with that the time traveler left for his time.
The mood was one of sober at the future threat, yet excitement for the fighters to face a new challenge.
Yet one of them was feeling thrown off by all this.
It was Raditz of all people.
"Hey, Raditz, why are you looking down?" Goku came to him. "We're going to train, and even finally be Super Saiyans, aren't you excited?"
"Yeah, yeah, I'm jazzed, it's just..." Raditz waved his brother off, but still looked down.
"We weren't in that kid's future." Nach spoke up, having caught on. "Not even in the sense that we died early on, but we were never there at all. According to that future kid, I wasn't even there with Raditz when he arrived on Earth, and Raditz died fighting you." She said looking at Goku. "So what? In his history, did I die on Vegeta, or did something else kill me before I ever got to Earth."
The group fell quiet at this revelation and melancholic mood.
"I mean," Raditz looked at his hands. "I...messed up. A lot after our planet was destroyed by Frieza. I wasn't a good guy at all but..." He clenched his fist in desperation. "Maybe I don't deserve redemption, but somehow, even though," he looked to Goku. "I killed you, you forgave me. I got a chance to build a real life here. I got to have a family," He turned from Goku, to Gohan who smile back, then to blue Launch who stood next to him, and held his hand. He smiled again, before that smile fell. "I got the chance...to be good. But what if...I was never meant to have that second chance. To just have died the first time I came to Earth. What if I am, my existence is..."
A mistake. For once, Nach didn't voice her blunt honest thoughts, yet she was also thinking the same.
Was she meant to die as that bitter, evil person who held onto Saiyan ideals that she didn't live up to?
"It means there is only you." Dive spoke up smiling, pushing his cheer and optimism into the somber mood.
"Huh?" Raditz echoed the sentiment of the group as they looked toward him.
"In the future, we're not there." Dive gestured to not just Raditz and Nach, but even himself. "Who knows what the past is if we can travel to it. At the end of the day, it just means, there's only you. Only this timeline, this present." He grinned at them with his fist extended. "So let's fight to make it a good one."
"Ha!" Raditz laughed. "What the hell am I getting mopey for! Fuck yeah, let's get ready to kick some android ass!" Raditz pumped his fist in the air, his cheer infectious as everyone's spirits went up. Raditz gave Dive a thumbs up, to which Dive turned his fist in to.
"Quite the inspiring speech even after saying, what was it? 'Multiverse Theory is a bitch'?"
Suddenly Raditz froze in his pose.
All the present Dragon Team froze. The world was so quiet. It was as if--
"No," Dive said to himself, frowning at this sudden development.
Time did stop.
He looked behind him at the person who spoke, only to see a pink skinned girl with red hair dressed as a kai, and...Future Trunks, the same one who had left, even his ki was the same but aged up, and more mature. He looked conflicted to be here.
"So," spoke up the Supreme Kai of Time. "Looks like I finally found the culprit for why this history is so different." She narrowed her eyes. "What do you have to say for yourself, Time Breaker?"
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