Chapter 28
It wasn’t long before Bulma had decided that perching atop a building wasn’t what she wanted. She could barely see the heads of the people walking by below her, much less their faces. She wanted to be able to scrutinize everyone. She was supposed to be looking for anything out of the ordinary. All she would be able to see up here was any kind of conflict that might occur below. And common sense told her that it would be way too late by then. She wanted to be able to prevent any casualties before they happened. She didn’t like the idea of having to wait until she saw a massacre for her to notice the Jinzouningen.
So she stopped time and flew down to the street level. She walked over to the sidewalk and put herself in a place where she was sure no one was looking, and then she let time flow again.
Now, down to business. She walked the entire length of her assigned area, scrutinizing the faces of everyone she saw, looking for something-anything-unusual. After an exhaustive search, she ended back up where she started, and had found nothing to arouse her suspicion. She glanced down at her watch. It was ten minutes past time already. She wondered if anyone else had seen the Jinzouningen but had never gotten to call for help. She hoped not. Gritting her teeth, she began another search of her area. It was all she could do.
As she walked warily down the sidewalk in front of a large department building, Bulma suddenly had the most peculiar sense of foreboding. All the little hairs on the back of her neck were standing on end, and her muscles tensed as she recognized the peculiar feeling she got when she felt she was being watched.
Bulma stopped walking and slowly turned around. As it turned out, she had been right. She was being watched. And apparently she was being followed too. Because standing right there behind her, no less than ten feet away, were two of the strangest-looking (not to mention strangely-dressed) people she’d ever seen! Both were dressed in odd, circus-like costumes with vests and baggy pants. The one on the left was a large, portly man with white skin and sharp, slanted eyes. The other was more ordinary-looking: an old man with long white hair. His eyes weren’t as slanted, but they were sharp and most definitely shrewd. He had an air of confidence and malice about his expression, and Bulma realized almost immediately that she recognized him. It was Dr. Gero! Yes, she was sure of it. That face was unmistakable. She looked him over a bit, and it was then that she noticed his hat. On the black felt was sewn the notorious symbol of the Red Ribbon Army. That cinched it. But why was Gero here? He should be dead by now, she thought anxiously, darting her eyes back and forth at the two of them, stepping backward defensively. Why was it that there was only one artificial human and Gero instead of two artificial humans? It didn’t make sense. She took another step backwards and looked around for possible routes of escape. Damn. She had been backed into a corner. There was nothing around her but buildings and people. If she had to fight him here there’d be a lot of damage and inevitable loss of life.
“What’s the matter, Ms. Briefs?” Gero asked with a hint of a smirk tugging at his mustache. “Do my companion and I frighten you?”
Bulma glared at him. “I’m more surprised than I am frightened,” she snorted disdainfully. “It’s not often you get to meet someone who’s risen from the grave. Why aren’t you dead, Dr. Gero?”
“Ah!” He exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. “So you do recognize me! Very good, young Ms. Briefs! I suspect your father must have told you about me after all.”
“Only what he could tell me,” she said, crossing her arms and shrugging. “I know a considerable bit more about you than he ever did, though. And a great deal more than even you may realize. Although,” she said, glaring at the smug grin on the fat white one’s face, “I am indeed surprised by what I see. I was expecting two Jinzouningen, Doctor. Not you and this one here.”
“Jinzouningen?” Gero asked, looking very surprised indeed. “What do you know of Jinzouningen? How did you find out about my pet project?”
“I know only what I was told,” she answered, shaking her head. “And that was that today, you were going to awaken two Jinzouningen; two of the most powerful creatures imaginable, and that they were going to kill you and begin wreaking havoc upon the world. Starting,” she said, pointing at the ground, “with Metro South. So why is it that I don’t find two Jinzouningen, Doctor? Perhaps you can enlighten me. Why do I find you instead?”
“Well, I don’t how you managed to dig up this little secret of mine,” he chuckled sinisterly, “but since you won’t live to warn anyone about it, I guess it won’t hurt to fill you in on another. You see, my dear, you actually ARE looking at two Jinzouningen. This is Jinzouningen Juukuugou,” he said, motioning to the one standing next to him, who gave a polite bow. “And I am Jinzouningen Nijuugou. We are both artificial humans, as you can see.” He removed his hat and bowed gracefully, and it was then that Bulma could see the glassy, transparent dome atop his head. Inside it was a blue fluid surrounding a very human-looking brain. “What you see up here is the actual brain of Dr. Henry Gero,” he said, pointing up at his head and smirking at her. “He and I are really one and the same, but this body has more merits than the one in which this brain previously resided. In all respects, I am a stronger, much faster Dr. Gero than I was as a normal human. So I suppose you could say that the old Dr. Gero IS now dead,” he concluded with a courteous nod, returning his cap to its former position.
“I see,” Bulma said, nodding as she finally understood. “Well, this is indeed a surprise. The others aren’t going to believe it. Oh well,” she said with a shrug. “It was a grand plan, Doctor, but unfortunately for you, it lost its secrecy three entire years ago. My friends and I already knew what you were up to, and we’ve been making preparations accordingly. I’m afraid that you lost long before you began.”
“Bluffing doesn’t work with me, Ms. Briefs,” Gero laughed, crossing his arms and shaking his head at her. “Besides, I don’t care how much you think you’re prepared for Nineteen and myself. I’ve taken measures to ensure that both I and my creation are stronger than all of you.”
“What measures?” Bulma asked, looking at him with a kind of distrustful curiosity in her eyes.
“You see, I’ve been watching all of you,” he said with a sinister grin. “Ever since the twenty-third Tenkaichi budokai, I’ve had my little mechanical camera robots keeping track of your movements and your developing strength. I collected data on all of you for many years. It wasn’t until after your fight with the Saiyans that I decided that I had collected enough to determine all of your rates of progression, and therefore could determine how strong you would have become by the time I would be able to finish my project. I have monitored all of you, but none so closely as Son Goku. You see, you’re all picayune in comparison to him. None of you others would have been any real threat to me, and I knew that. So I simply created these artificial bodies to be stronger than Son Goku would be today. So naturally, there’s nothing you or any of your friends can do about us now.”
Bulma couldn’t restrain the grin that was tugging at one corner of her mouth. “You mean… you stopped monitoring us… right after the fight with Vegita and Nappa? That’s it? You stopped all your data collection right after that?”
“Yes; by then it was unnecessary to worry about future data,” he replied, nodding smugly at her. “You were all progressing at a very steady rate, and I set my estimates to take into consideration many possible spurts. I’m ready for whatever your pitiful group has to offer.”
Bulma began to chuckle. Then she began to laugh. “Oh!” She gasped, holding her side and laughing so hard she could hardly stand it. “I can’t believe it! What incredible luck!”
“What are you talking about now?” Gero asked, smirking mockingly. “Don’t tell me you’re trying to pull another bluff on me.”
“It’s no bluff,” Bulma said, chuckling and grinning obnoxiously at him. “I just can’t believe that you rested the fate of your whole plan on a simple extrapolation so many years ago! It’s perfectly ridiculous! You have absolutely no idea what’s HAPPENED in the last four years, do you?! What we were capable of back when you stopped monitoring us is NOTHING compared to what we can do now! Good God, Doctor! The trip to Namek alone made Son-kun so powerful that no form of extrapolation could have predicted it! You are aware, of course, that Goku isn’t human. He’s a Saiyan. And as a Saiyan, he has access to all the benefits of his species. Of course, you didn’t know about that, though. All you knew was what you observed. Well, it’s my turn to let YOU in on a little secret, good Doctor. Goku is a Super Saiyan. And that isn’t some kind of corny term you’d hear out of a comic book, either. It’s the golden fleece of the entire Saiyan race! You’re in for a little more than you bargained for, I’m afraid.”
Gero shook his head and chuckled at her. “I can see now what you’re up to, Ms. Briefs,” he said, looking up at her with sharp, bright eyes. “You’re trying to buy yourself time. You’re hoping you can delay the inevitable long enough for your companions to come and save you. Well, I’m afraid that you won’t succeed there. I’ve already said too much to you. It’s a great shame indeed,” he said, poising to attack. “I had so wanted your father to witness your death. I suppose I’ll have to settle for telling him all about it… after I destroy your mother before his very eyes, that is,” he added, chuckling sinisterly.
Bulma’s eyes glittered with rage, but she resisted the urge to attack. She knew better. And he was right about one thing: she needed to buy some time. So she laughed at him and crossed her arms.
“And Son Goku isn’t the only one who’s gotten stronger either,” she said with a confident smirk. “I’ve been training nonstop for the past three years. Would you care to see for yourself just how on the mark your calculations about ME were? We’ve got a little time left, after all. My friends will most likely come to see what’s going on when I increase my battle power, but if you’re so sure that we aren’t any threat to you, then I could give you a demonstration if you’d like.”
That achieved the desired effect. Attacking men’s egos was the best way to go, Bulma thought with a smile as Gero smirked at her and relaxed his stance. He stepped back and waved his hand for her to go ahead.
Bulma bowed in polite appreciation, and then she began to gather her strength. At first, no one would have noticed anything, but it didn’t take long for the atmosphere around Bulma to change dramatically. As her ki level began to soar, the air around her began to swirl and rise, but she was careful to keep the visual signs of her powerup to a minumum, so as not to attract gawkers. She watched Gero’s face for any sign of surprise as she approached her maximum, and she wasn’t disappointed. She was only halfway there and already his eyes had begun to bug out a little. She sped up the process a bit, and within a half a minute, she had gone as far as she cared to without attracting any undo attention. Just the same, the waves of energy radiating from her body were clearly visible, and already she had attracted the attention of several passersby.
“There,” she said at last, assuming a defensive stance. “How close am I to your calculations, Doctor? In all fairness to myself, I didn’t exactly go as far as I could, but this is far enough.”
“Indeed,” Gero replied, nodding impressively. “I must say, you have indeed gone farther with your training than I had predicted. You must be very proud of yourself.”
Bulma could detect the trace of resentment in his voice, and she frowned. “I’m nothing compared to the others,” she said coldly. “Don’t be a fool, Gero. Don’t throw your life and Nineteen’s away in a battle with us. You won’t win.”
Gero sneered. “Your concern for our well-being is very flattering, my dear,” he said caustically. “But I’m afraid that you flatter yourself too much. Even if you did surpass my expectations, you can rest assured that it isn’t enough to make you a threat to me or Nineteen. Now,” he said, uncrossing his arms. “Your friends are on their way. I think I’ll give them a nice picture to walk in on when they get here. Enjoy the afterlife, little fool.”
Gero moved faster than Bulma could follow. He rushed forward and grabbed her left arm with one hand, and then he clamped his other hand over her mouth. He then lifted her into the air with the hand that was gripping her face. Bulma didn’t know what he was up to, but she didn’t care to find out, either. She immediately stopped time and wrenched herself free of his hands. Then, stepping back a good distance, she raised her arm again and shot a warning blast into the air. She let it hover high in the air, about as high as the tallest building, and then she allowed time to resume its course. As she did so, she let her ki ball explode, sending a shower of sparks down on top of them. The vapor trails would lead her companions straight to her.
“For your information, I’ve been there already,” Bulma said coldly, rubbing away the sting his grip had left in her jaw. “And I can say with a great deal of certainty that you don’t have anything pleasant waiting for you there. But have it your way, Gero. We can do this the hard way if you like. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
Gero just gaped at her in surprise. Even his fat friend seemed flabbergasted. He looked over at Gero in amazement.
“I did not detect her movement,” he said incredulously.
“Neither did I,” Gero said, just as incredulously. “How did you do that?” He demanded of Bulma.
“There are some things that are best left unexplained,” she said coldly. “Besides, I very much doubt you would believe me if I told you, considering that it defies the very laws of physics as you know them.”
They didn’t have time to say anything further to each other, as Kuririn and Gohan arrived almost at the same time. They landed on either side of Bulma and stared in surprise at the two ridiculous-looking figures before them.
“We sensed your energy skyrocket and we just saw your signal, Bulma,” Gohan said. “Are you all right?”
“Are THESE guys the Jinzouningen?!” Kuririn asked incredulously.
“My answer is yes to both of you,” she said curtly. “I have a little bit of introducing to do. But let’s wait until the rest of us get here. It’ll only be a few more seconds,” she said, and her eyes shot upward briefly, as Goku, Piccolo, Tenshinhan, Chouzu and Yamucha arrived almost all at once.
“Are you all right, Bulma?” Goku asked when they landed. “That was your signal, wasn’t it?”
“Yes, Goku,” Bulma replied. “I’d like you to meet someone. This is Jinzouningen Juukuugou, Artificial human Nineteen,” she said, motioning to the pale, fat man next to Gero. “And this,” she said, pointing at Gero, “Is Nijuugou. Artificial human Twenty. Although he is known by another name,” she added, baring her teeth at him. “He is also known as Dr. Henry Gero.”
“Dr. Gero?!” Goku cried. “But he’s supposed to be dead!”
“Yeah, turns out that boy from the future had his facts mixed up,” Bulma said, chuckling and shaking her head. “But this IS Gero. He transplanted his brain into an artificial body. So we do have two artificial humans here. It just so happens that one of them is also Dr. Gero.”
Goku frowned at Gero. “Old man,” he said sternly. “Do you intend to continue your plan of destruction and take the lives of the innocent?”
Gero smirked evilly. “Well well,” he said cajolingly. “How the boy has grown up. It’s nice to see that you still have your health, young man. I will really enjoy destroying you and your friends.”
“There’s no talking to him about reform, Goku,” Bulma said, shaking her head in disgust. “He’s already tried to kill me once. At least, I assume that’s what he was trying to do,” she added, glaring at him. “He never got a chance to do what he set out to do. I saw to that.”
“There’s still time,” Gero said with a sneer. “Don’t think that just because you have your little band of misfits with you that you’re safe from me. I can kill you just as easily now as I could have a few moments ago.”
“All right then,” Goku said, his face very grave. “If you still intend to fight, then we have no choice. But we will take this battle elsewhere. There are too many innocent people here to get in the way.”
“There’s a simpler solution to it than moving ourselves,” Gero said with a sadistic grin. And without so much as another word, he began shooting red beams out of his eyes at everything around them, causing everything they touched to explode and burn up in a cloud of smoke and flames. Bulma stared in horror at the devastation and destruction that this was causing to the inhabitants of this peaceful city. It was hellish and terrible. How could he do such a thing?
“NOOO!!!!” Goku yelled in anguish. His scream jerked Bulma back into fight mode. Screaming in anger, she stopped time and rushed at Gero. She punched him squarely in the face, and clasping her hands together in a tight ball, slammed him into the ground. She then let time flow again and jumped back.
“Damn you, you old fool!” She growled, glaring at him as he scrambled to his feet. “Do that again, and I swear I’ll rip your head right off your shoulders!”
“What the hell did you do?!” Gero cried, raising a hand to his face in consternation. “What just happened?”
“That was nothing compared to what you have in store for you,” she growled in reply. “Now Goku suggested we take this fight elsewhere. I suggest for your sake that we do so. Do I make myself clear?!” She added, walking forward until she was right in his face, glaring angrily into his cold, blue eyes.
“You will be the last,” he said in a quiet voice that the others couldn’t hear. “I’m going to make your death a very long, painful one too. I promise you that.”
“Save it for the battlefield, old man,” she replied quietly.
“Bulma,” Goku called to her. “That’s enough. Let’s go.”
“Right,” she said, shooting Gero one more quick glare. “After you, Dr. Gero.”
Gero smirked annoyingly at her, and then he and Nineteen flew up into the air. They all followed them up, and then, with Goku leading the way, they flew off to find a more suitable spot for their battle. Bulma eyed the Jinzouningen warily as she flew along behind them, and she motioned for Kuririn to come closer to her so that she could tell him something.
“There’s something weird about those two,” she whispered quietly to him. “Look at them. They’re flying, just like we are, but they’re giving off no energy signature at all. It’s as if there’s nothing there. They have no ki trails either. It’s really weird. And I don’t like it. It makes it awfully hard to sense their movements.”
“I agree,” Kuririn whispered back. “I noticed that too, when Gero was blasting the city. It was as if he had no ki power at all. I guess that artificial humans don’t give off ki signatures.”
“Well, in any event,” she said with a frustrated shrug, “keep your eyes peeled. If they try to pull a fast one on us, we’re going to have to rely more on our eyes and ears than our ki senses.”
“Right,” Kuririn said, nodding. He looked on ahead of them at Goku, and it was then that he noticed how strange he looked. Goku was perspiring and breathing heavily. It looked as though he had just gone through a heavy workout, but they’d only been flying a short way. What was going on?
“Hey Bulma,” he said quietly. “Look at Goku. What do you make of that?”
Bulma did as he asked, and she noticed what he had. “I don’t know,” she said, sounding very surprised. “He didn’t do anything strenuous yet. I wonder why he’d be so worn out right now?”
“I don’t get it either,” Kuririn said, his expression darkening, “but I don’t like it. Something’s wrong with Goku. And I don’t want to admit it, but it looks like he may not be able to fight at full strength today.”
“I hope you’re wrong, Kuririn,” Bulma sighed. “I really do.”
They flew on for another twenty miles or so, and then finally, Gero was beginning to look like he was losing his patience. He glared at Goku and pointed to the deserted, rocky ground below them.
But Goku shook his head and pointed farther ahead. That was apparently not the answer that Gero was looking for.
“We are stopping here,” he said with an obstinate finality in his voice. “We can begin the fight down there or right here. Either way, I intend to start now.”
“It’s okay, Goku,” Bulma called up to him. “We’re far enough away from the city now that it’s safe to begin.”
“All right then,” he agreed. “We’ll stop here.”
They all flew down to the ground and landed in two groups-the Jinzouningen in one, and the rest in another.
“We are ready,” Gero said with a confident smirk. “Choose who will fight first. I’m feeling generous today. You will only have to fight one of us at a time.”
Bulma bared her teeth at him. “I’ll go first, Goku,” she said, glaring at Gero.
“No, Bulma,” Goku said sharply. “I’m going first. I don’t want you to get involved in this unless we really need you. There are other people depending on you, you know.”
“Okay,” she said, looking up at him questioningly. Goku looked very strained right now. Something was definitely wrong. “If you insist, Goku, then I’ll wait.”
“May I fight him, Twenty?” Nineteen asked eagerly. Gero smirked at him.
“Go ahead, Nineteen,” he agreed. “Let’s have a good show!”
“Heehee!” Nineteen giggled excitedly. “I’ll make short work of him for you, Twenty!”
He and Goku got into position, and everyone else backed off a little to give them more room. Bulma just couldn’t get over Goku’s fatigue. She edged over closer to Gohan and Piccolo.
“Hey, what do you make of your father, Gohan?” She asked. “He looks really worn out over there.”
“I know,” Gohan said quietly. “I don’t understand it.”
Bulma thought for a few moments, and then a horrified expression spread across her face. “D- did he ever take that heart medicine that boy from the future gave him?” She asked anxiously.
“No, I don’t think he did,” Gohan replied. “He never got sick, so he just figured he had beaten the disease from training so much.”
“I think he may have figured wrong,” Bulma said, gulping nervously and looking back at Goku, who was making his very best effort to focus all of his waning strength on this battle. “It doesn’t look to me like he’s well at all.”
“Gohan,” Piccolo said, frowning grimly as Goku and Nineteen began to fight. “I want you to go home and fetch that medicine. I think Bulma’s right. And we can’t risk losing your father this early in the battle.”
“Wait a minute,” Bulma said, holding her hand up. “Let me go. I can teleport there; it’s much faster. And I’ll get Chichi to show me where that medicine is. I don’t want to leave, but if we need that medicine, we’ll need to get it fast.”
“All right,” Piccolo agreed. “Then get going. We may not have much time to spare.”
Bulma nodded, and instantly, she was gone. Gohan looked up at Piccolo nervously. “Do you think that stuff will make my dad himself again, Piccolo?” He asked him.
“I don’t know,” Piccolo admitted. “But we have no choice but to count on it. Your dad seems to be losing strength fast.”
Bulma flew to the Son homestead at a quick but comfortable pace, being careful not to use too much energy as she teleported. Just the same, her anxiety caused her to fly a little more quickly than she had intended. She didn’t want to believe it, but she was really beginning to worry that Goku was actually coming down with that heart disease late in the game. She wondered what it would do to him before the medicine could take effect. She didn’t want to think about it. And she knew that whatever it was, it wouldn’t help his fighting abilities at all.
When she arrived at the Son house, she found Chichi inside, working in the kitchen. Bulma let herself in, and she resumed time again as she walked into the living room. “Chichi,” she called, heading for the kitchen. “Chichi, it’s me, Bulma. I need to talk to you, and it’s really important that we hurry!”
“Bulma?!” She cried, rushing out of the kitchen and nearly running into her. “How the heck did you end up in my house? And what are you doing here?”
“Don’t worry about how I got here,” Bulma said quickly, waving it away. “That’s not important, especially considering why I’m here. I need the medicine Goku had,” she said. “Did he give it to you?”
“Yes, he did,” Chichi said, pointing to one of the cupboards in the kitchen and leading Bulma there. “I put it in here. But he never asked me for it again.”
“He needs it now,” Bulma explained. “We think he’s getting that heart disease now. He’s way overexerted, and all he’s been doing is flying. We need to get that medicine to him right away.”
“Well, here you go then,” Chichi said, putting it into Bulma’s hand and pushing her toward the door. “Take it to him quickly. And let me know as soon as you can whether it did the trick or not. Oh, and is Gohan all right?”
“He’s fine,” Bulma said, smiling at her. “He hasn’t even had a chance to fight yet. And he may not. I’ll fight before him, if I have my way. And if Gero, er… the Jinzouningen have to tangle with me, they won’t fare well enough to worry themselves with Gohan.”
“You’d better be right,” Chichi said threateningly. “Now get going!”
“Right!” Bulma said. “We’ll see you later, Chichi!” She stopped time again and flew for the battlefield. So far so good. She hoped the medicine she was bringing him would do Goku some good!
When Bulma arrived where the others were, she wasn’t pleased with what she saw. Goku had gone Super Saiyan already, but he looked really pale and drained. Jinzouningen Nineteen had strange dark marks all over his face. Bulma assumed that they were the results of hits from Goku. She landed next to Gohan and Piccolo, and she resumed time’s flow.
“I’m back,” she said, looking at Piccolo and frowning. “What did I miss?”
“Did you get that medicine?” Yamucha asked anxiously. “I think we’re going to need it, Bulma. Goku’s really not doing well at all.”
“We may not have much time, so I’ll make this short,” Piccolo said quickly. “Goku and the Jinzouningen fought for a little while, and neither one gained much ground on the other. Then Goku went Super Saiyan, and we thought he had the upper hand. But he’s been rapidly losing strength ever since. You can sense him as well as we can now. He’s barely stronger than he was as a normal Saiyan now. Whatever it is that’s eating him, it’s sapping him fast.”
“We learned something about the Jinzouningen too,” Tenshinhan said quietly. “Goku fired a Kamehameha at him, and Nineteen raised his hand and just absorbed the ki energy into it. Gero told us that they store energy that way. They suck it in through their hands and use it as their energy source. So now we know that energy blasts are useless.”
“So that’s what he was up to,” Bulma said, realizing something.
“What was that?” Kuririn asked.
“Before you guys came to help me,” Bulma began, “Gero tried something weird. He grabbed my face with his right hand and lifted me into the air. I stopped time and broke free before he had a chance to do anything else, but I’ll bet he was going to drain my energy. If they can absorb it directly, then they can probably tap into it while it’s still inside us too. Don’t let them get a hold on you,” she said, baring her teeth at Gero, who smirked at her from the opposite end of the field. “Or that might just happen to you.”
“What about my dad?” Gohan said frantically. “We can’t let them do that to him! Look at him! He can barely keep that thing off of him!”
He was right. If Goku had looked tired before, it was nothing compared to the fatigue they could see in him now. It was painful to watch. Nineteen was really giving him a beating. And Goku was so worn down that he no longer seemed able to even defend himself, let alone fight back. As Bulma found herself thinking that the next hit might send Goku to unconsciousness, she saw Nineteen deliver a devastating blow to Goku’s chest. Goku was knocked backward, and landed on his back. His hair immediately changed from gold to its usual black, and he didn’t move again. He had been knocked out cold.
Bulma’s eye moved from Goku back to Jinzouningen Nineteen. It was over. Goku had been beaten. There was nothing left for them to do but to retrieve him from the battlefield and take over the fight. On a signal from Gero, Nineteen walked over to Goku and picked him up by the front of his gi. Bulma knew that whatever was coming was not going to be in Goku’s best interests. She tensed her muscles and with a silent growl, began making a beeline for Nineteen and Goku. Whatever that thing had in mind, he wasn’t going to get to do it!
When Bulma had gotten only halfway there, the scene before her changed so suddenly and abruptly, that she found herself screeching to a halt, just so that she could figure out what had happened. Jinzouningen Nineteen was no longer standing where he had been only a moment before. Goku had fallen to the ground and landed on his stomach, and there was a new figure standing over him, his fist still extended from the punch he had delivered to Goku’s aggressor. Bulma’s eyes opened wide as she realized who it was that had saved Goku’s skin.
“Vegita,” she mouthed silently, staring in awe at him, not quite daring to believe her eyes.
“No one shall kill Kakarrot while I am here,” he said coldly, glaring at Jinzouningen Nineteen, who had been knocked a full twenty feet away, and was just now beginning to pick himself up off the ground. “That is a pleasure that I have reserved for myself.”
“Vegita!” Kuririn gasped. “He’s back!”
Vegita lifted Goku by the back of his gi and tossed him rather carelessly to Gohan and the others. “I suggest you take him elsewhere,” he said coldly, without looking at them. “He’s in my way.”
Bulma thought that was a very good idea. “Yamucha,” she called back at him. “Here!” She tossed the pill bottle to him, which he caught in his left hand. “Give Goku a couple of those and fly him home! Then come back when you can!”
“Right Bulma!” Yamucha called back, nodding and rushing over to Goku’s side, opening the bottle as he went.
“No one is taking him anywhere!” Gero said sternly. “He will finish his fight with Nineteen right here and now!”
“He already has finished his fight,” Bulma retorted, her voice calm and collected, but her eyes flashing dangerously. “And anyone who says otherwise is welcome to dispute the matter with me.”
Gero sneered at her. “Is that a challenge, my dear?” He said, his voice giving proof to his hope that it was. “I would dearly love a chance to finish what I started with you earlier. You may have slipped out of my grasp before, but make no mistake; I’ll have my satisfaction yet. Your little friends can’t save you forever. And when all of them are out of my way, I’ll give you the same death I’ve reserved for your father-a slow, excruciating, humiliating torture that will leave you begging me to kill you and put you out of your misery.”
Bulma glanced at Vegita, and noticed the way he had screwed up his face as he tried to restrain the terrible rage that Gero’s words had stirred in him. She shot Gero a crafty smile and shook her head.
“I have a feeling you may never get that chance,” she said silkily. “Much as I’d like to give you the good, sound beating you deserve, it appears that I’m not your opponent just yet, Doctor. You see, Son-kun was at a disadvantage. The only reason he didn’t pulverize Jinzouningen Nineteen was the fact that he has contracted a debilitating heart disease that has steadily been sapping his strength. But I’ve got news for you. Goku isn’t the only pure-blooded Saiyan you have to deal with. And unlike Goku, Vegita doesn’t have a heart disease.”
Gero sneered at her, and after shooting a nonchalant glance at Vegita, resumed sneering at her. “So you’ve resorted to hiding behind yet another one of your little flunkies, eh?” He chuckled. “I don’t give a damn about some alien race, you little fool! I have designed Nineteen and myself to be stronger than anything any of you could ever dream of! And I saw that whole ‘Super Saiyan’ farce you built up so much. Feh. It was nothing but a showy display of color. Son Goku was still defeated by Nineteen, even after he did ‘transform.’”
“You vastly underestimate the true power of a Saiyan,” Vegita growled at him, “if you dare claim that the pitiful way Kakarrot fought your little toy is indicative of my race’s greatest potential. With or without that ridiculous disease, Kakarrot is no longer the strongest. I have at last surpassed him. Behold, Jinzouningen bastards! Behold the harbinger of your destruction!”
He began to power up dramatically, and as he hunched over and the growling rumble in his throat gave way to a solid yell, his ki aura swelled and began to dig a sizeable crater in the ground around him. Soon the sound of this massive geological disruption had progressed to a fine roar, and Bulma, as well as all of the others, began to notice that Vegita’s ki aura had turned quite yellow in color. His hair bristled and began to flicker, and finally, as his ki aura flashed an electric gold, his hair changed color to match, and the transformation was complete. Vegita stood fully erect again, and, glaring impressively at his adversary, began to slowly scale the steep slope of the crater he was in.
“H- he’s become one too!” Bulma heard Kuririn say. “I can’t believe it! I thought you had to be pure of heart to become a Super Saiyan!”
“Oh, rest assured,” Vegita said, without even dignifying him with so much as a glance. “My heart IS pure. Pure evil.” He stood at the edge of the crater and glared defiantly at Gero. Then he turned and did the same to Nineteen, who hadn’t advanced an inch from where he’d fallen.
“How did it happen?” Bulma asked quietly, staring at him with her breath all but taken away. She couldn’t believe the sheer waves of power bombarding her senses.
“My theory had been correct,” Vegita replied, turning briefly to glance at her and nod-the first time he’d acknowledged her since his arrival. “The training I had undergone in this environment was not sufficient to produce the initial transformation. It was only when I once again discovered the taste of mortal danger that it became possible for me to achieve my ultimate goal. But all that time spent training here was not wasted either. For I am much more powerful than Kakarrot ever was; I had to go much farther to transform, because I had gone so far beforehand. Kakarrot first transformed when he was barely powerful enough to bring it about. I didn’t undergo the necessary trial until I had already built up a tremendous amount of strength without it. Kakarrot’s transformation occurred because Freeza had the unfortunate luck to trigger the only action that would bring it about. The fool only allowed himself to get sufficiently angry after Freeza killed you. Thus he was the first. There are but three requirements to becoming a Super Saiyan. I have discovered all three, through my own efforts. The first is that you must have a minimum level of power for it to occur at all. My guess is that it should be somewhere around one hundred thousand or so, since that was my estimate of Kakarrot on Namek-just before I died. That was the first requirement. The second is that you must have a calm heart. There is only room for one focus of your existence. Anything else will only distract you and hinder the transformation. Third, and most important, is your anger. There must be a tremendous amount of anger. It has to be great enough to consume your very mind, and all but drive you mad.”
“What could make you so angry?” Bulma asked, her voice so soft that it was barely audible.
Vegita, however, had Saiyan ears. “The thought that Kakarrot, that ridiculous bastard and insufferable idiot, could stumble into this, and that I, Vegita, prince of the proud Saiyan race, his superior in every respect, I, with all my unbelievable power, could not manage it. The thought that had before been unacceptable had eventually become my reality. And it brought me anger-it brought me such terrible, unforgiving, maddening fury that I just wanted it to explode within me and destroy me entirely. And it very nearly did. But instead of destroying me, it tapped into my greatest power and highest potential. At long last, I had become the Super Saiyan.
“And now,” he said at last, turning and facing Nineteen with deadly menace in his cold gaze. “I have finally returned. And all who stand in my way shall perish. You,” he said, pointing to Nineteen, “and you,” he added, pointing to Gero, “are both in my way. You will both die this day.”
Gero raised one end of his mouth in a derisive sneer. “Bold words, Saiyan,” he said caustically. “But they won’t save you. You’re no match for either of us.”
“The one called Yamucha is leaving with Son Goku,” Nineteen called to him. “Shall I stop them, Twenty?”
“No, we will go after them later,” Gero replied to him. “Take care of this one first, Nineteen. But be careful. He’s right about one thing. He is much stronger than Son Goku was.”
“Energy attacks won’t work, Vegita,” Bulma called to him. “They just absorb them and use them as a power source. You’ll have to destroy him with your bare hands.”
“A simple matter,” Vegita said coldly. “And perhaps even more satisfying.”
As Vegita and Jinzouningen Nineteen faced off, Bulma retreated quietly to the rest of her group. They could all see that, even though she was trying to hide it, she was terribly excited and happy to see Vegita back, and in such prime form.
“This is unbelievable!” Gohan breathed. “Not to mention a great stroke of luck! Do you think Vegita can win, Piccolo-san?”
Piccolo studied Vegita and Nineteen for a few moments, and he just grinned and shook his head. “Hell, I don’t know, Gohan,” he chuckled. “There’s just no telling when it comes to Super Saiyans. It seems that, even as a Super Saiyan, a Saiyan’s power can be considerably low. But Bulma was right about one thing. Vegita doesn’t have any heart disease to fight against. And you know what else? I’ve never sensed anything so incredible. Not even your father felt like this, Gohan. I don’t know if Vegita’s actually gotten stronger than him, or if your father simply hasn’t used his max before. But either way, our one hope may very well lie in Vegita. Let’s just hope that he can pull it off.”
“I think he can,” Bulma said excitedly, watching Vegita with eyes that shone. “No; I know he can!”
They all watched as Vegita and Nineteen began to fight, and it was obvious from the very beginning that Vegita had Nineteen outclassed, outmatched, and outdone in every way. And Vegita knew it too. That was one reason why he chose not to destroy his adversary right away. Instead, he toyed with him a little, and didn’t use his full strength while he faced him. Bulma knew he was doing this, and although there were no words to express the joy she felt at seeing him back, she did not approve of the way he was fighting. She frowned as she watched him block blow after blow from Nineteen, but never hit him with any serious kicks or punches of his own. It was really not very attractive in her eyes, but it did seem like just the thing Vegita would do.
“I wish he’d just go ahead and defeat the thing,” Bulma grumbled to the others. “He’s acting just like Freeza, toying with him like that. That’s one thing I just can’t stand about him.”
They all nodded. “Besides,” Piccolo said with a disapproving frown. “He still has Gero to deal with after this one. He should be reserving his strength.”
Gero must have heard him, because he laughed derisively. “He is, my friends, he is. And that’s all the better for Nineteen, as you shall soon see.”
In a matter of moments, they all saw what Gero must have been talking about. In a quick, neat little maneuver, Nineteen latched onto Vegita’s wrists when he raised his arms to block the next blow. And then he began to laugh gleefully at him.
“I have you now, Vegita!” He cackled. “Do you feel it? That’s me sapping your energy! Draining your strength! In a matter of minutes you won’t even be able to move!”
“Vegita!” Bulma cried, tensing as she prepared to lunge into the fray. But Piccolo grabbed her by the arm and held it firmly.
“Hold it,” he said quietly. “Didn’t you notice? Vegita let him do that. He’s up to something, Bulma. Let him try it.”
“That damn fool,” she said quietly through gritted teeth. “Sometimes I just can’t stand the cocky way he fights!”
Cocky was the correct term. Because the smirk on Vegita’s face was nothing less. “Oh, really?” He jeered at Nineteen. “Then perhaps I ought to make the meal a little more interesting for you!” He leapt upwards and, faster than any of them could see, planted his feet on either side of Nineteen’s face.
“What say we test your grip, Jinzouningen!” He cried, and he began to push on Nineteen’s face with his feet.
Suddenly Bulma cracked an angry grin. And laughing sardonically, she shook her head. “That cocky jerk!” She chuckled angrily. “He spent all of a minute testing Nineteen, and now he’s assumed that, even with his opponent draining his energy, he can simply push his pudgy little head off with his feet! Damn him!” She wasn’t grinning anymore. Now she was grinding her teeth, and furiously at that.
Kuririn backed away from her a little bit. Bulma was already giving off a good deal of anger energy. He had learned from past experience that being in her vicinity in that situation never brought him good fortune.
“But look at Nineteen,” Gohan gasped. “He looks like he’s really struggling!”
It was true. Nineteen’s face was being squashed farther and farther, but even though he was in obvious pain, he just refused to let go of Vegita’s wrists. A few seconds later, though, the point became moot. Vegita poured on an incredible surge of energy, and pushed nearly twice as hard as he had been. The result was indeed surprising. He didn’t knock Nineteen’s head off. Instead, he ripped both his hands off!
Nineteen fell back onto his back, crying out in agony. Vegita did a handspring and landed on his feet. He pried the mechanical hands from his wrists and flung them carelessly behind him.
“Feh,” he said. “I hope the other one isn’t this disappointing.” He smirked evilly at Jinzouningen Nineteen. “Are you prepared to meet whatever fate meets one of your kind when it dies?” He jeered at him.
Shrieking in terror, Nineteen scrambled to his feet and began to run. Vegita’s smirk widened. “So you DO feel fear! Well feel this!” He curled his lips up into a cruel sneer, and after pausing for only a moment to gather his energy, flung an extremely potent ki blast at Jinzouningen Nineteen.
“NO!!!!” Gero shouted, clenching his fists and bugging his eyes out.
But it was too late. Vegita’s aim had been true. In a brilliant flash of light, the ki blast hit Nineteen in the back and exploded, almost completely obliterating him-but not quite. One object sailed out of the dust cloud and landed on the ground at Gero’s feet. It was Nineteen’s head. It was all that remained of him.
Gero, now shaking with rage and fury, looked up at Vegita. “You….” He growled shakily. “You…”
Vegita smirked mildly at him and changed himself back to normal. “Well look at that,” he said nonchalantly. “Your little toy has left me weakened. Now’s your chance to destroy me; to avenge him. Care to try, old man? Far be it from me to deny you your revenge.”
Gero glared at Vegita with obvious hatred and revulsion. Apparently his plan had not taken the abilities of a healthy Super Saiyan into account. He must not have decided it wise to take advantage of Vegita’s offer, because instead of attacking, he shook his head and began to chuckle sinisterly.
“You are indeed quite an adversary,” he said, sounding genuinely impressed. “I had not anticipated one such as yourself. But fate has not counted me out yet. You see, Nineteen and I are not the only artificial humans in existence. And we are certainly not the most powerful. Listen well, all of you!” He called loudly. “Enjoy this brief reprieve while it lasts! Because when I awaken Juunana-gou and Juuhachi-gou, you will all die-even you, my Saiyan friend!” And with that he shot off for the mountains, and within seconds he was out of sight.
“Geez, he sure is fast,” Kuririn said, shading his eyes and trying to catch one more glimpse of Gero. “You don’t suppose he’s really serious, do you?”
“I wouldn’t count it out entirely,” Bulma said through gritted teeth. “It’s not a chance I want to give him, anyway.”
“Hey, runt!” Vegita yelled impatiently. “Give me one of those beans!”
“Wha? Why?!” Kuririn demanded, clutching the bag of Sensu beans a little tighter.
“Just do it, Kuririn,” Piccolo said calmly.
“Oh all right,” Kuririn grumbled, fishing around in the pouch. “Here. Take it.” He threw one to Vegita, who caught it and, after popping it into his mouth, immediately shot off in the direction Gero had gone.
“What do you suppose that was all about anyway?” Kuririn asked crossly. “He didn’t look hurt to me. Heck, the Jinzouningen didn’t even leave a mark on him!”
“No, but he needed one anyway,” Bulma said, frowning, and staring after Vegita, who was long out of sight by now. “Vegita was bluffing Gero out. Nineteen really had weakened him. He’d had a good hold on Vegita for a considerable amount of time. Vegita knew that he wasn’t strong enough to take on Gero, so he bluffed. And Gero didn’t call him on it. It was a darned smart tactic, I’ll give him that.”
“Yes, but now we have a slight problem,” Piccolo commented. “He’s gone off after Gero, but there’s no way of knowing where Gero is. Those Jinzouningen don’t give off ki signatures. We can follow Vegita, but we may not be able to find Gero before it’s too late.”
“Well, we could try to find where he’s going, anyway,” Bulma said matter-of-factly. “He was headed in the direction of the mountains. That may mean that his lab really is out there. If we can find it before he gets there, then we’ll stand a good chance of stopping him before he wakes the other two up.”
“Good idea,” Piccolo said, nodding. “Then let’s go. Everyone fly as fast as you can. We can’t afford to lose speed, since he already has such a high gain on us.”
“Right!” They all cried, springing off after Gero and Vegita. Bulma sped up alongside Piccolo and glanced at him. “I’m going to teleport on ahead and try to catch up to Gero that way,” she called to him. “Otherwise, there’s no way I’ll catch up to him, or even any of you guys. You’re all just too fast.”
“You do what you have to then,” Piccolo agreed, nodding back at her. “But be careful. You can’t expect to be able to fight him if you can’t even fly fast enough to catch up to him. Don’t try to take him on yourself, Bulma, understand?”
“What I lack in strength and speed I make up for in other areas,” she said with a frown. “Gero has already underestimated me. Don’t you do the same. But don’t worry; I’ll be careful!” And with that, she stopped time, and was no longer visible to anyone.
“I’ll find you, Gero,” she thought with a fierce scowl. “And I’ll stop you. You can count on it!”
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