"The Other World?" Beerus repeated in disbelief.

"Indeed," the Supreme Kai smiled, "there may not be many saiyans left alive, but there are certainly plenty dead. All we have to do is find one and bring them here briefly; I'm sure King Yemma will understand."

"Even so," Beerus conceded, "most saiyans, even in the past, were nowhere near righteous. It could take ages to find one, and as I'm sure you've realized, I'm not the most patient deity around."

"Not to worry, Lord Beerus," the Kai assured, "I promise I will not disappoint."

With a sigh, Beerus waved Shin off. "Well, I will hold you to that. Off you go."

Giving the god of destruction a quick nod, Shin made his way towards his attendant, readying himself to leave for the Other World. However, he was stopped in his tracks by a bowing, elderly Namekian.

"Thank you, Oh benevolent Grand Kai, for saving our planet. We are forever in your debt," Kami said.

Kibito flashed a look of irritation, while Shin merely let out a soft chuckle—perhaps the most relaxed he had shown himself since arriving on Earth.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Guardian of Earth," the Supreme Kai replied, "but you are mistaken, for I am not the Grand Kai, but the Supreme Kai."

The guardian's eyes widened in shock.

"My sincerest apologies, your greatness!" Kami frantically apologized.

"No need for apologies," Shin said with a smile, "besides, I have my own incentives for protecting this planet," he finished cryptically. He then joined hands with Kibito before bidding farewell, and the two disappeared as quickly as they had come.

"Supreme Kai, huh? He seemed really strong," Goku considered thoughtfully, before asking Kami, "any relation to King Kai?"

"The King Kai whom you know watches over the North quadrant of our universe, while three other Kais oversee the rest," Kami explained, "The Grand Kai presides over all of them. I had always suspected that there must be a level higher than him, but my suspicions were never confirmed… until today."

The explanation gained an impressed whistle from Yamcha. "Man, I had no idea the ladder went up that high," the bandit remarked, "we're learning a lot about how the universe really works today, huh?"

"No kidding," Tien agreed. Everyone was more than a little tired and confused at all the information being thrown at them over the course of a single day. However, a certain lavender haired boy seemed to be processing all this worse than anybody.

Noticing the older boy's mood, the young Gohan spoke up.

"Uh, mister," he said to Trunks, "is everything ok? You seem kinda down."

Trunks gave a small smile towards the younger version of his late master. Even at such a tender age, the boy was just as perceptive and caring as he remembered. He considered brushing the child's worries off, but quickly realized Gohan wouldn't buy it. He knew, Gohan always knew.

"Well Gohan, I've just been thinking," Trunks admitted, "today the Earth has seen the two highest gods in the universe, whose powers vastly outclass anyone I've ever met—even the androids."

"I just wonder… why haven't any of these gods come to Earth in my time? With their help, the androids would be a complete nonissue."

Gohan gave him a small understanding nod; he didn't really know what to say to that, but luckily someone else spoke up.

"Look kid, I understand where you're coming from, though it might not seem like it, I really do," Beerus said, "But sometimes, in the long run, mortal life thrives best without the intervention of the gods."

"That didn't seem to stop you now," Bulma cut in, ever the defiant one.

Beerus shrugged. "Time travel is serious business, I don't know what else to tell you. When something threatens the very integrity of reality, yeah, I'm going to intervene. All I'm saying is that too much intervention on our part sometimes only makes things worse. That's why I like to keep to myself most of the time."

"What he's really saying," Whis teased, "is that he prefers his naps to his duties."

"WHIS!" Beerus growled at his attendant, who merely chuckled softly in response. After a moment of hesitation, everyone joined in with hysterical laughter, even the saiyans. They all needed a moment like this after everything they'd gone through today.

"Well, speaking of resting," Beerus said after things had calmed down, "Kami! Get me a reclining chair, would you? I've been standing for long enough."

From a distance, Trunks watched the antics of the Guardian of Earth scrambling to materialize a comfortable reclining chair for the god of destruction. Everyone was laughing, joking, even in the face of a fearsome foe who had not ten minutes ago threatened to destroy their entire planet. He couldn't remember the last time he'd seen anyone so… happy.

And he couldn't help but smile along with them.

"Is he back yet, Whis?" Beerus asked lazily from his reclining chair.

"No Lord Beerus."

"But it's been forever!" the cat whined, "I'm so bored!"

"It's been five minutes, Lord Beerus."

"Like I said, forever!" Beerus pouted, before turning idly towards the Z warriors, to see how they would pass the time.

Gohan, Krillin, Trunks, Bulma, and Tarble were all playing cards together, while Goku watched them excitedly; though it looked like fun, the goofy saiyan knew he wouldn't be nearly smart enough to even grasp the rules. It was remarkable how well Trunks and Tarble were integrating into the group despite having been around for less than a day. These people really were something else.

As the group played, Krillin's curiosity about the younger saiyan prince reminded him of something he had said.

"So Tarble," the bald monk questioned, "what exactly do you need Vegeta's help for? You mentioned it earlier, and Beerus said something about you wanting to save your planet."

Tarble nodded, with a clear hint of sadness in his face. "Indeed, my home planet is in grave danger. Since the rumor of Frieza's demise on Namek spread, many different warlords and elites from the Frieza Force have been fighting over the scraps of his empire. My planet was under the jurisdiction of two elites named Abo and Cado—in the state of disarray, they've only tightened their oppressive hold on my world, practically enslaving us."

"That's awful; I'm so sorry you've had to go through that," Krillin said with a sympathetic look, "have you been fighting them all on your own?"

Tarble looked away slightly. "Though I'm the strongest warrior on my own planet, as far as saiyans go… I'm actually pretty weak," he admitted, "while Abo and Cado are each on the level of the Ginyu Force, and growing stronger every day. I know I'd be no match for them."

Krillin and Gohan shuddered, recalling their own terrifying battle with the Ginyu Force on Namek, not too long ago.

"The Ginyu Force were horrifyingly strong," Gohan offered, "I still have nightmares of Recoome snapping my neck."

Tarble reeled in surprise.

"You mean you fought the Ginyu Force?!" he exclaimed.

"Yeah, well I wasn't alone," Gohan chuckled, his demeanor lightening, "right Vegeta?" The aforementioned prince merely ignored the child, though his irritation was rising.

"Even still, a child in a battle against the Ginyu Force," Tarble marveled, "how is such a thing even possible?"

"Because unlike you, the filthy halfling isn't a complete coward," Vegeta cut in, "if you had any guts, or any real saiyan pride, you'd have faced them no matter the odds! We were completely outmatched and you know what happened?"

"I sent those bastards to hell myself," he declared, casting a proud thumb towards his chest.

"Well that's one way of putting it," Krillin snickered, "but the way I remember it, you only did all that after Goku knocked them silly."

Vegeta growled and turned away as the group shared a hearty chuckle.

"In any case, Mr. Tarble, you needn't worry," Gohan assured the prince, "you've got my Dad on your side now!"

A warm smile from Son Goku confirmed his son's sentiment and put Tarble at ease.

"You are very kind," Tarble said with gratitude, "Thank you. My world and I will be forever in your debt."

"I gotta say Tarble, you're a whole lot nicer than that mean older brother of yours," Bulma said.

"Yeah!" Krillin agreed, "it's kind of strange honestly, until today, we've never met a saiyan who hasn't immediately tried to kill us! Well, aside from Goku of course, but that's only because he hit his head as a kid."

"Well, I'm glad you think so highly of me," Tarble laughed with a small smile, "I suppose because of how weak I was born, and all the scorn the saiyans showed me for it, I learned some compassion. Of course, growing up on a planet of peaceful people who genuinely cared for me didn't hurt either; that's why, though my experiences have made me detest combat, I will do anything to protect my home."

"Man, are you really Vegeta's brother?" Bulma chuckled, "You couldn't be more different!"

"Well, now that you mention it, I do see some resemblance," Gohan piped up.

"Yeah, I see it too," Bulma mused, "they're both pretty cute, although I think I'd prefer the brother who's a real gentleman to pig-headed brute!" Bulma gave the younger prince a playful wink, to which he blushed profusely.

"Oh come on, I'm sure Vegeta's not all that bad, haha!" Trunks yelped quickly, almost frantically, "he is the stronger brother after all, that's got to be pretty uh, 'hot' right Bulma?"

Everyone was stunned speechless.

"N-no offense to you or anything Tarble!" Trunks quickly added, "you're great too!"

"O-oh, thank you, it's really no matter," Tarble responded to his nephew from the future, "after all, though I appreciate your sentiments Ms. Bulma, I'm already ah, spoken for, if you will."

"Well, whoever they are, they're certainly very lucky" Bulma smiled.

"And don't you seem quite interested in the grumpy old prince, hm?" Bulma pried, turning her attention towards Trunks, "I'll admit I thought you were pretty cute myself, but even so, I can't deny you two would be even cuter; I ship it."

"No no no no no!" Trunks shouted, quite alarmed and disgusted. He knew she didn't know that they were his parents, but still! First she tried to hit on him herself, now this?! He was only trying to make sure his mother got together with his father, but things just could not go smoothly, could they?

"It's not like that, I swear!" the lavender-haired time traveler continued, "I just… can appreciate when another man looks good, okay?!"

Bulma nodded, giving him a surprised, yet impressed look.

"It's great to see that even in a post-apocalyptic future, humanity is still making progress," the scientist said, placing a respectful hand on the young hybrid's shoulder, "I'm so proud that boys like you will be able grow up so secure in their masculinity. It's very heartwarming."

Well, at least this was better than unintentionally incestuous comments.

"Th-thanks Bulma, I guess you're right," Trunks replied, still feeling uncomfortable, though grateful for her change in demeanor, "anyways, let's get back to the game, shall we?"

Fascinated as he watched the group leave the whacky exchange behind and resume their game, the god of destruction considered joining in as well; it sure looked like fun, and Beerus loved a good friendly competition. Well, as long as he was the winner, of course. However, before he could march over there and demand they include him, something else caught his eye. He noticed the taciturn Broly also giving the group a curious look. The tall saiyan looked wistful, almost longing. Beerus was not the only one who noticed this however, as the youngest saiyan took a pause in the game and walked up to the larger one.

"Uh, hi mister Broly!" Gohan greeted cheerfully, "would you like to play with us too?"

Broly was clearly taken aback by the child's offer. "Play…?" he repeated, confusedly. It had been so long since he was last able to play, he barely remembered what it felt like.

"Yeah!" the young saiyan hybrid beamed, "it's really fun, you should come join us!"

Did he really want to play with Broly? The kid looked so happy and inviting, Broly desperately wanted to join him, but he couldn't fathom the idea that he would actually want his company. Before Broly could even generate another sound however, his father answered for him.

"Absolutely not!" Paragus barked at the young boy, "Broly doesn't need to distract himself with petty games, and certainly not with the likes of you, who consort with Prince Vegeta!" The elder saiyan, having been exposed by Beerus, was no longer trying to hide any of his anger or hatred.

"I wasn't asking you, you big meanie!" Gohan retorted, growing angry, "Broly's a grown-up! He doesn't need some grumpy old guy to tell him what to do, he can choose himself!"

"Don't talk like that, please," Broly said quietly, "he is my father. It's not right for you to say that about him." The response surprised the boy, but he quickly mumbled a polite apology and walked away dejectedly, returning to his friends. Broly watched Gohan leave with sad eyes.

"It seems like your hunch about the relationship between that father and son may have been correct Lord Beerus," Whis noted, as the pair watched the interaction from afar.

Beerus nodded in response. "Being stranded on that planet for so long with nothing but revenge on his mind really turned Paragus into something quite nasty," he remarked, "But also quite interesting…Whis, why don't we go over there? I have an idea which might prove entertaining."

Beerus and Whis walked casually up to Paragus and Broly, the former sporting a devious smirk on his face.

"My lord?" Paragus stammered tensely as the god approached him "how may I be of ser-"

"I have a question for you, saiyan," Beerus declared, not allowing him to finish, "I sense such hatred, such a lust for vengeance within you. And yet you haven't lifted so much as a finger against Prince Vegeta."

"I-I simply didn't want to upset your rest, my lord."

"Oh, can it with the bootlicking," Beerus retorted, "you already burned that bridge through your failure in the ritual."

Paragus merely gulped.

"Now that it won't affect my plans, I couldn't care less what you do about your little feud," Beerus continued, "and frankly, I could use some entertainment until the Supreme Kai returns. So—I suppose I should make myself clear—I'm not asking, but telling you: please, exact your 'revenge' or whatever before I die of boredom. Sound good?"

Paragus nodded.

"Oh, and make sure none of the saiyans actually I need die, understood?"

"I understand."

"Good," Beerus smiled. This was going to be one hell of a show.

Paragus turned to his son. "The time has come for us to take our revenge, Broly," he said, "I've trained you your entire life for this moment."

"Go forth my son, destroy Prince Vegeta, and anyone who would try and stop you!"

"Anyone…?" Broly questioned, as opposed to heeding his father's commands, "But…"

Broly looked upon the group of Vegeta's comrades, who had played together peacefully and amicably, who even showed enough compassion to offer him the chance to be like one of them himself. Those same people who now, looked in horror at what was transpiring before them. Broly didn't want this.

"Father, I…" Broly stammered, but his hesitation was costly, as Paragus unclipped a small device from his belt.

With the push of a button, his father activated his collar, which sent a biting current of electricity through his entire body, shocking Broly to the bone. Falling to his knees and writhing in pain, Broly let out a wail which reverberated around the entire palace. The rest of the lookout watched in shock, wondering how someone could be so cruel to their own child.

"You do what your father says, you hear me?!" Paragus screamed at his son as he slowly released the button. After catching his breath, Broly got up and gave a somber nod towards his father. "Good." Paragus said, in a quiet and icy tone, before thrusting his arm out forward, towards his sworn enemy.

"DO IT BROLY!"

In an instant, the tall saiyan's power rose higher than anything anyone had sensed from him since he arrived. Before anyone could even react, or get some semblance of what was going on, Broly was already upon the prince, with his arm cocked backwards. Vegeta just barely blocked the blow in time, and the clash reverberated not only through his arm, but the entire lookout as well.

Trunks quickly rose to his feet and placed a tense hand on the hilt of his blade, readying himself to draw it and jump in the battle, but Goku stopped him.

"I know you're worried Trunks, but have some faith in your father," Goku said so only the two of them could hear, "Vegeta's one of the greatest fighters I've ever faced. He can handle himself." At this, the young man backed down, heeding Goku's words for now, though keeping a watchful eye on his father. The rest of the Z fighters followed their lead, opting to see how this would play out.

Broly's initial blow began to push Vegeta back, who barely stopped himself at the edge of the lookout. Broly followed up with a kick from the left, which Vegeta narrowly dodged. As the larger saiyan prepared another attack, the prince launched himself off of the lookout to gain some distance, buying himself enough time to power up, and assemble a retaliation.

As Broly hurtled himself toward Vegeta, the latter launched a quick blast at his opponent. The attack hit Broly head on, exploding on impact. A cloud of dust and smoke remained in his place, but by his energy, Vegeta knew the other saiyan was far from done.

Broly appeared abruptly out of the smoke, and though Vegeta threw his arms up in defense, the larger saiyan was to break through it for long enough to grab the prince by his head. Broly spun himself around furiously before throwing Vegeta into the lookout, forming a small crater and shaking the entire palace.

Just as the prince recovered, Broly resumed his assault, showering Vegeta in a volley of blows. Vegeta dodged them skillfully, as his opponent brutishly crushed the marble beneath him. Biding his time as he evaded the furious flurry of attacks, he noticed several holes and openings in the larger saiyan's fighting style. Finally making a move, Vegeta exploited one such opening as he thrust his yellow-clad legs forward, planting his leather shoes firmly into Broly's jaw with as much force as he could muster.

The well-timed move sent the son of Paragus flying into the clouds as Vegeta grounded himself back on the surface of the lookout with a quick flip.

"Broly clearly has an edge in raw power," noted Piccolo, as he watched the bout with the rest of the Z warriors, "but Vegeta vastly outmatches him when it comes to skill. If he plays it smart, he might actually win this."

Goku nodded in agreement. "But man, to think there was another saiyan around with this much power; it's outrageous!" the earth-raised saiyan praised, "if he'd been with us on Namek, we'd have been able to give Frieza a lot of trouble even before I transformed."

Their musings were interrupted by the primal roar of a fast approaching Broly. Deciding to finally go on the offensive, Vegeta launched himself at the other saiyan, his power blazing. As they met, the two warriors burst into a heated exchange of attacks, the prince keeping pace with the brute using his superior tactics. Even still, Vegeta found it increasingly difficult to keep this up as the fight continued; not only was his stamina draining, but Broly's brawler-like fighting style was slowly becoming more and more refined… it's like he was learning during the damn fight! If he had any hope of victory, he was going to have to end this soon.

"You dare…" Vegeta started, concentrating his ki towards his center as he continued fighting, "lay a hand on your PRINCE?!"

With a powerful yell, Vegeta extended his limbs outward and released his power in a shockwave, catching Broly off guard and knocking him back. Using this as an opportunity to gain some more distance, Vegeta flew away from the larger saiyan at top speed, all the while continuing to concentrate his ki even more. Once he felt Broly recover, he turned his head to face him, keeping the rest of his turned to the side as he raised his arms with his fists at his chest.

"GALICK GUN…!" the saiyan prince chanted as Broly rushed towards him. The taller saiyan opened his mouth wide and used it to form a blast of his own.

As Vegeta continued to charge his ki, Broly decided to make haste and fire as much power as he could with a deafening roar.

The blast hit Vegeta point blank.

"NO!" Trunks screamed from the lookout, in pure terror. But… as he looked around, no one else seemed to react.

"Use your senses, kid," Piccolo scoffed, "have you felt your precious Vegeta's ki drop one bit? In fact, it's only increased."

From the dust and smoke from the explosion cleared, a battered, bloody, and burned Vegeta emerged, his glorious pink shirt in tatters and his body illuminated by a pale, purple light.

"He… used his ki to defend against the attack while he took it head on!" Trunks gasped. He couldn't help but marvel at his father's fighting prowess; he really was a fighting genius.

"FIRE!"

Vegeta poured all his power into the Galick Gun, firing it at Broly. Like Trunks, Vegeta's opponent had made the folly of assuming his demise, and let his guard down because of it.

Broly screamed in agony as the blast knocked him back into the lookout in a blinding purple flash, taking a chunk of the palace out with him. The subsequent explosion left him motionless in a deep crater of marble.

"Looks like your brat's through, huh?" Beerus said to Paragus, who nodded solemnly in response.

"What a shame," the god of destruction mused, "All that impressive power and he barely lasted a few minutes. Just what have you been teaching him all these years?"

Reveling in victory, Vegeta touched back down on the now battle-damaged lookout. Tearing off what remained of his shirt, the bloodied saiyan prince approached Beerus and Paragus, outstretching an open palm towards the latter. With a scowl, he charged a small ki blast in his hand.

"Now that you can't hide behind your son, you have two options, you waste of saiyan blood" Vegeta told the elder saiyan gravely, "either face me yourself like a true warrior, or beg for mercy like the coward you are."

Paragus trembled with fear, fumbling to maintain any semblance of composure. "L-lord Beetus?" he pleaded, hoping for any sign of support from the god.

"Don't look at me," Beerus shrugged, "This is your fight. The prince was kind enough to spare your son, and I don't need either of you, so what happens from here on out is of no concern to me."

"So in the end, you only choose cowardice," Vegeta said with a smirk, readying an attack to end Paragus, who shook in cold sweat.

Before he could make another move however, a loud, familiar roar echoed across the skies. In a flash of sickeningly green light, Broly emerged… but he was changing, his power rising. His muscles expanded, doubling in size; his hair spiked outward in all directions. Finally, as his power reached new heights and his screams grew more animalistic—almost apelike, Broly's eyes took on a wild yellow hue.

Before anyone could react, the rabid saiyan barreled towards Vegeta and struck him square in the jaw with his new power. The prince was knocked back, collapsing to the floor on the other side of the lookout. Broly pursued his body, forming a ki blast in his hand and launching it at Vegeta. However, before the blast could hit its intended target, it was split in two and detonated prematurely.

Between Broly and Vegeta stood a certain lavender-haired time traveler, sword drawn at his side. Trunks immediately flashed into super saiyan and took a defensive stance. It was clear to him that his father would stand no chance against the brute now, and he wasn't about to let him die. With a new target in sight, Broly launched himself at Trunks, and the two began to clash at a level the Z warriors had never seen before.

"Would you look at that," Beerus regarded a panicking Paragus, intrigued by this development, "it seems your son may have some fight left in him after all. Tell me, what is this… transformation? It has increased his power dramatically, yet it appears quite different to the 'super saiyan' transformation the other two have displayed."

"Y-yes my lord, it is something else entirely," the mustache-clad saiyan answered, "I'm sure you've heard of the saiyans' ability to transform into a mighty Ozaru, should they look upon a full moon and have their tail?"

The god of destruction nodded.

"Well, as you must have noticed by now, my son no longer possess a tail; as an Ozaru, he was simply too difficult to contain, so I deemed it safer to cut him off from that beastly power," Paragus continued, "and yet it still found a way to persist. Even without his tail, Broly has discovered a way to call on that power; this… is the Ozaru's wrath.

Broly screamed bloody murder as he relently assaulted Trunks, furious as none of his blows were landing. He may have powered up, but his enraged state made it hard for him to focus and employ what little skill he had. On the other hand, Trunks was completely on the defensive; he knew that for a fighter like Broly, he needed to end things quickly, but worried that releasing too much power right here would endanger those he was protecting. He needed to get Broly away from the lookout.

"Broly's new power-up is so strong!" marveled Gohan, watching from a safe distance, "have you ever seen a saiyan do anything like that, Dad?"

"I can't say I have, son," answered Goku, who had decided to remain an observer for the time being, "this new power of his is really something. But I don't think you should count out the super saiyan transformation just yet either."

"That's right," Piccolo agreed, "in fact, it would seem that our new friend from the future still holds a sizable lead on Broly when it comes to power. Although…"

"His power, as sporadic as it is, shows a clear positive trend. Broly has done nothing but improve since he started fighting, both in power and skill."

Goku nodded. "That's why Vegeta tried to end it as quick as he did. Let's just hope the kid shares that sensibility."

I can't keep this up forever. Trunks grit his teeth, having made the same observation as his spectators. He needed to turn this fight airborne, fast. Lashing out with his blade, the young super saiyan finally began to go on the offensive, barely missing Broly by a millimeter with each swipe. With one particularly striking, two-handed swing, Trunks sliced a tuft of hair off of the taller saiyan, narrowly avoiding his face. The move created the opening the saiyan swordsman needed, and he capitalized on it by delivering a powerful kick to Broly's midsection, which sent him flying off of the lookout and into the sky.

Sheathing his sword for the time being, Trunks took off after Broly, ready to strike. However, his opponent regained his bearings quicker than he had anticipated; Broly countered the boy's attack with one of his own, sending the latter flying. Though knocked back and hurtling through the air, Trunks had taken little to no damage. You learned to take your beatings in stride where he came from, and this was nothing compared to the brutality of the androids. As he continued to hurtle backwards, he thrust his arms forth in all directions, gathering ki in a blur. Broly, none the wiser, began pursuing his target with his now signature animalistic roar. In one final motion, Trunks outstretched his palms towards Broly.

"BURNING ATTACK!"

The wrathful saiyan threw his arms up in defense as the blast barrelled towards him and detonated. Despite coming out of it visibly damaged, Broly continued trudging forward like a tank. Trunks too began to hurtle towards the other combatant, seemingly preparing for another direct clash. Broly clenched his fist in a punch, launching it at the younger saiyan as they came together.

But rather than the firm sensation of his fist connecting with Trunk's body, Broly felt only the cloth of his jacket and sheath-strap. Removing his fist from the attire, which pulled by the weight of the sword, fell gracefully back down to the lookout, the long-haired saiyan's eyes darted around in confusion. Where was he? His opponent couldn't have just disappeared.

His saiyan instincts kicking in, Broly snapped his head upwards, but it was too late. He looked just in time to see a yellow boot collide forcefully with his face, putting him in a daze as he rocketed back towards the lookout. Before he could reach it however, Trunks intercepted him yet again, kicking Broly directly upwards.

As the son of Paragus tried to regain his bearings, the son of Vegeta lifted his arms to the sky, preparing another attack. A dome of heated energy began to form around Trunks, and using his arms as a guide, Trunks funneled the energy upwards in a brilliant golden beam. Having not completely recovered from the earlier onslaught, Broly found himself taking the blast head on.

"That was an impressive feint," remarked Piccolo, "I've got to admit, I didn't expect someone with such little practical martial arts training to pull that off."

"Haha, well I guess Gohan must've taught him more than we gave him credit for, huh?" Goku smiled with pride.

"Me..?" the young Gohan asked, in an understandable confusion.

"Oh uh," Goku stammered before scratching his head and laughing in his typical fashion, "don't mind me, I'm just talking nonsense haha!"

Piccolo sighed and placed his face in his hand.

From the smoke of Trunks' attack emerged a badly beaten Broly, covered in bruises and burns, his hair singed. Between two beatdowns from the saiyan prince and his spawn from the future, Broly had taken a lot of damage. But he wasn't done yet.

Trunks was surprised. He'd never fought someone so close in power to himself before; only foes he could one-shot like Frieza or his father, and beings that far outclassed him, like the androids or Gohan. His whole life he had only known combat for survival and yet this battle was starting to feel… exhilarating. Against all rational judgement, he was happy to see that Broly still had some fight left in him. Maybe it was his saiyan blood, or just the catharsis of a real fight as opposed to a clobbering, but Trunks was almost starting to enjoy this.

Wordlessly, the two fighters propelled themselves towards each other to continue their bout. Unbeknownst to even himself, a faint smirk—not unlike that of a certain prince—could be seen on Trunks' face.

This was bad. Paragus watched the two continue to duke it out with nervous eyes. Sure, Broly's energy was still climbing; it always did. But after that last attack, he could tell better than anyone else that his son was fast approaching his body's limit; not to mention that thus far, no matter how powerful Broly got, the boy still managed to keep pace with him. The super saiyan power certainly held up to the legend. At this rate, there was no way Paragus would have his revenge.

Almost as if answering the saiyan's qualms, something began to twitch in the corner of Paragus' eye. The prince was stirring. Of course! Why wait for Broly when his target was weakened and ripe for the picking? With a conniving smile on his face, Paragus silently slipped away, and made for the awakening Vegeta.

Vision gradually returned to Prince Vegeta as he regained his consciousness. Suddenly remembering all that had happened, he snapped awake and attempted to get back on his feet, but lifting himself onto his arms was the best he could do. He looked around frantically to see what had become of his opponent, only to see him locked in an awesome brawl with the boy from the future. To have to be saved by that imposter of a saiyan… How could he be so weak?! Vegeta didn't have any longer to lament his wounded pride however, as a figure loomed over him, hand outstretched.

"Why hello there, my prince," Paragus mocked, "you look like you could use a hand." The elder saiyan charged a ki blast in his palm.

Vegeta spat blood into his assailant's face.

"Trying to end a weakened foe?" Vegeta shot back defiantly, "your cowardice knows no bounds… truly unbefitting of a saiyan."

"Don't you talk of cowardice!" Paragus exclaimed, "when your own father exiled Broly out of fear and jealousy of his power!"

"Your grudge with him is not my business," Vegeta retorted, "I am not my father."

"I would beg to differ dear prince," laughed Paragus, "in both appearance and disposition, what you have shown me today is that you very much are." The prince grit his teeth, growling. To this, Paragus merely smirked and charged his blast further, preparing to unleash it.

However, the attack was swatted away before it could leave his hand, by a small white boot.

"Leave him alone!" yelled Tarble, who upon his intervention, positioned himself in a fighting stance between his elder brother and Paragus.

"You..!" Paragus spat in irritation, "Don't throw away your life like this. Despite your heritage, I was going to spare you; you're just as much a victim of your bastard father as I."

Tarble held his ground. "It's true—my father hurt me greatly, exiling me, his own son, out of shame for my power level. But my brother is different!"

"Oh?" asked Paragus, narrowing his eyes in skepticism, "and how did your dear brother greet you after years apart?"

The younger prince simply clenched his fists tight.

"He showed you the same shame! He called you a coward just for seeking his help!"

"And just how can you get off on judging my family?!" Tarble hollered, gesturing his hands towards the battle raging in the skies, "when you've turned your own son into a living weapon!"

Glancing up at his son, who was fighting Trunks in a barbaric frenzy, Paragus' eyes widened in shock. However, this soon turned to seething rage.

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT US, YOU LITTLE BRAT!" he screamed, throwing a vengeful fist at the smaller saiyan.

Luckily, his anger made the attack sloppy, allowing Tarble to narrowly dodge it, and exploit the newfound opening with an assault of his own: a barrage of kicks to Paragus' face. The maneuver pushed him back, distancing the skirmish from Vegeta. Flipping off of the elder saiyan's face, Tarble regained his footing on the ground before launching himself back at Paragus. With that, the two weakest saiyans clashed.

The young prince fought valiantly, using his small stature to his advantage by attacking nimbly from all sides. Even still, Paragus followed him blow for blow, dodging or parrying every strike expertly; it was painfully clear to Tarble that he was sorely outmatched.

Finally, Paragus countered a kick aimed at his side by grasping Tarble's leg.

"I offered you a way out, but if you'd prefer to die for those who scorn you, then so be it!" he declared as he smashed his adversary's small body into the ground. Then he lifted the prince, before bringing him down again. And again. The father of Broly repeatedly slammed the younger saiyan into the marble floor of the lookout, with deadly intent. Finally, he held Tarble up in front of himself, face to face, charging a blast in his free hand to finish the job.

"Now just what do you think you're doing, saiyan?" an ice cold voice spoke out.

Turning in surprise, Paragus found none other than Beerus the destroyer accosting him, a viciously stoic look on his face.

"L-lord Beerus!"

"I thought I told you specifically not to let any of the saiyans I need die," Beerus seethed, "and funny enough, I find you actively trying to kill one of them."

"M-my apologies great destroy-" Paragus was cut short as the aforementioned god grasped his wrist tightly, forcing him to drop Tarble.

"Save it."

Paragus shook with fear. How could he have been so stupid?! He had let that little imp of a saiyan get under his skin, let his anger get the better of him… and now he would never get his revenge.

"P-please Lord Beerus, have mercy!"

"I said, SAVE IT!" Beerus yelled, snapping the saiyan's arm like a twig. Paragus screamed out in agony.

"Y'know, you've been irking me since the moment you got here, saiyan," Beerus said, his voice dangerously low, "and I've been just rearing to destroy something since I woke up this morning, only to be denied that satisfaction time and time again."

"But I think this time I won't be," the destroyer decreed, placing his hand upon the trembling Paragus, before uttering a single word.

"Hakai."

The word reverberated around the entire palace, and beyond, capturing the attention of the Z warriors, and even Trunks and Broly.

Paragus' entire body glowed in a ghostly white light. The saiyan watched in horror as his own body disintegrated to nothing in front of his very eyes. For the first time since they got there, the lookout was in complete silence. You could hear a pin drop.

A moment later, the sound of a shrill cry cut through the silence.

The wail was all too familiar, one of Broly's now characteristic screams. And yet, his roars seemed less animalistic or barbaric than before… more distressed, pained. Having watched the only man he ever knew fade from existence, he let out shierk after shriek, the sound reverberating through the sky like a grating wind.

All eyes turned to Broly as his cries were soon accompanied by a violent pulsation of his green aura. The mourning saiyan held his head in his hands as he thrashed about, his aura growing brighter, larger, denser—soon encompassing his entire body, while showing no signs of slowing down.

Trunks watched in a complete stupor as waves of energy from Broly forced their way outward, catching the son of Vegeta in their line of destruction. The agonizing screams grew louder still, and his eyes turned from yellow into a bloodshot red. Finally, Broly's highly concentrated aura of ki exploded outwards, engulfing himself and his opponent in a flash. For a few moments, there was a welcomed reprieve from the hollers, though everyone's ears still rang. However, what followed was equally as terrorizing to the onlookers' senses and hearts.

Surrounded by his thick green aura, Broly sported even further expanded muscles, bright red eyes which shone like stars, and a large mane of glowing gold locks.

Broly was a super saiyan.

"D-did he really do it, Dad?" Gohan asked, stunned as everyone else.

"He did son," answered Goku solemnly, "there's no mistaking that energy—Broly is a super saiyan."

"But he was holding his own against a super saiyan even before!" Krillin panicked, "Just how strong is this guy going to get?"

"The man from the future doesn't stand a chance anymore!" Gohan exclaimed, readying himself to jump in, "we have to help him!" The boy was stopped by a swift hand from his father.

"I've got this," Goku assured his son, placing the index and middle fingers of his other hand to his forehead.

"Wh-what are you doing, Dad?" asked Gohan in confusion. His father gave him no answer, but simply vanished into thin air.

Up in the sky, Trunks was not having the loveliest of times—even by his standards. The warrior from the future was covered in blood and burns, just barely hanging on to his super saiyan power, an entire side of his black top torn to shreds. He was glad he ditched the jacket earlier; he only had the one, and he knew his mom would kill him if anything happened to it.

Before he continued with such frivolous thoughts however, he couldn't help but notice the newly ordained super saiyan making a beeline towards him. Flaring up his ki, Trunks threw his arms up in defense, bracing himself for the impact. But it never came. Instead, the young super saiyan found himself ripped from reality in a disorienting haze, before resurfacing back on the lookout, with Son Goku by his side.

"What… was that?" Trunks asked, blinking in confusion.

"No way!" Gohan piped up, "are you really that fast Dad? I didn't even see you move!"

Goku shook his head. "Actually, it's a technique I picked up in space, from the Planet Yardrat: Instant Transmission. It allows me to instantaneously move relative to any ki I can sense! I'll tell you more about it later, but for now we have other things to worry about," the Earth-raised saiyan said, looking up to the sky. Broly was confused as to where his prey had disappeared to, searching around frantically.

This was only going to buy them a few more moments, Goku judged. Clenching his fists, he channeled his own ki, completing the legendary saiyan transformation himself. His power was still heightened from their earlier failed attempt at the ritual, but against the monstrous energy they were sensing off Broly...

"Goku, don't tell me you're going to fight him!" Krillin warned, "there's no way you could beat him yourself, you saw what he did to our other super saiyan just by transforming! Why don't we leave it to Beerus?"

"If you haven't noticed, Krillin, the god of destruction seems plenty content as a spectator for now," answered the deep voice of Piccolo. Sure enough, the cat could be seen idly watching the affair, quite bemused.

"Besides," the Namekian warrior continued, "he's not alone." To his point, Piccolo shed his weighted cloak and turban, readying himself to fight.

"I've still got enough energy to help out too," added Trunks, flaring up his golden aura.

"Me too!" Gohan chimed in, but the youngest saiyan was stopped by his master.

"No Gohan," Piccolo said, "you're not strong enough, at this level he could kill you without a second thought—you'd only get in the way."

"Besides, we need you to protect the weak and injured here… this battle's only going to get uglier, and I'd rather not be taken out of it prematurely because my weaker half got offed by some stray energy blast," Piccolo finished, shooting a pointed glance at Kami. Gohan gave his master an understanding nod.

"Alright, let's go!" Goku proclaimed, and the three warriors rocketed up towards the newest super saiyan.

Shockwaves could be felt, even from the lookout, as the four fighters clashed in succession, faster than the remaining Z warriors could follow. Finally, their champions blurred into view, but Broly was coming on them fast. Just before he got close enough, the three warriors grabbed hold of each other and faded from his vision. The saiyan howled in rage; he was getting real tired of this vanishing act. Lucky for him, he wouldn't have to wait long before three distinct voices filled his ears from behind.

"MASENKO HA!"

"BUSTER CANNON!"

"KAMEHAMEHA!"

Though fearsome, the combined attack did little to stop the juggernaut of a saiyan, who simply tanked it, then whipped around and barreled towards his assailants at full speed.

"Rush him—I'll cover you!" shouted Piccolo to his comrades, who shot towards Broly, readying their own attacks. Just before they reached their opponent, the Namekian kept his word using his species' unique anatomy, by outstretching his arms and wrapping them around the brute, restraining him with all his strength.

Taking advantage of Broly's temporary restraints, the pair of super saiyans raised their fists side by side, punching him square in the face. Their fists throbbed in pain at the sheer strength of his body, but still managed to budge his head upward. Goku and Trunks followed up with an equally well timed blast to his face from each of them. However, despite their expert execution, the assault had scarcely phased the saiyan. With a mighty roar, Broly returned the favor with his own blast straight from his mouth.

In a deafening explosion, Trunks and Goku were sent flying earthbound, while the ends of Piccolos arms had been completely incinerated, thus freeing Broly from his bonds. The singed Namekian attempted to retract what remained of his arms, but the saiyan brawler grabbed them, using the length and elasticity of the appendages as leverage to hurl Piccolo right into the heart of the already crumbling lookout.

Meanwhile, the other two super saiyans regained their bearings, both rather worn from Broly's powerful attack. For the first time since Namek, Goku was sporting fresh wounds, with the sleeve on the side of his shoulder pad completely tattered. Trunks fared even worse, his wounds more severe as a result of his previous altercation with the brute. But these warriors were nothing if not resilient, as they launched themselves back into a heated exchange with the rampaging Broly.

With the others keeping their foe at bay for the time being, Piccolo freed himself from a pile of debris before heaving himself back onto the surface of the marred palace. Gasping, he took a moment to breathe before regenerating his arms. Peering at the brutal beatdown Broly was delivering to his allies, he realized their approach wasn't working—he needed to think of a plan.

Below the lookout, the bout between saiyans did not look good for the hero of Earth nor the hero of time, and like Piccolo, they could feel it all to well. With a particularly powerful punch, Broly sent Goku and Trunks hurtling downwards. From the sheer force of the blow, Goku knew that they had little chance of recovering before hitting the ground—as far away as it was—and causing immeasurable damage. As they fell, he noticed a streak of red next to him and instinctively grabbed for it.

Immediately, Goku's descent halted with a lurch. He then grabbed Trunks by the leg, stopping him as well. As the two regained their bearings, Goku smiled weakly at the familiar rod in his grasp, which had saved them from the fall.

"Is this..?" Trunks questioned, grasping onto it and supporting himself.

"Yeah," Goku answered, "my old power pole—it's used to connect the lookout to Korin's Tower. We're lucky the others left it here after they came up to train for the saiyan attack a couple years ago."

Nodding, Trunks looked up, returning his attention to the fight at hand. Broly had not quite yet located where they ended up after that last punch, granting them a moment to catch their breath and strategize. "So," he asked, "what's our next move?"

Before Goku could answer, a familiar voice entered the pair's heads.

"If you guys can keep him busy for a few minutes," said Piccolo telepathically, "I think I might have something to end this."

"Sounds as good a plan as any!" responded Goku as he hoisted his feet up onto the side of the pole. With a knowing smile he added, "try not to take me out with him this time, aye?"

"No promises."

"What the heck is he planning?!" Trunks asked.

"Don't worry, let's just hold him off like he said," Goku smiled back at Trunks, "keep clutching the pole, and on my signal, blast him like hell; I've got some tricks up my sleeve too."

Though visibly confused, Trunks nodded at Goku's instruction. These fighters had years of experience on him, he wasn't about to argue. At this sign of affirmation, Goku began to run up the power pole, gradually picking up speed.

"HEY, BROLY!" the Earth-raised saiyan yelled, grabbing the brute's attention. Broly flared his ki higher and flew down towards Goku.

"Power pole retract!" Goku chanted. As the pole dislodged itself from the lookout, he placed two fingers to his forehead.

A moment before Broly could collide with him, Goku disappeared, along with the power pole and Trunks. Broly growled in irritation. If his puny foes thought they could keep fooling him with that trick, they were solely mistaken. A flash of red briefly passed the corner or his eye, to which he turned to see the still enormous pole flying towards him. Grabbing for it to stop the attack, Broly was surprised to find that his hand passed right through it. Before he could properly get over his confusion, he saw the red weapon once more and attempted to block it, only to find it passed through him harmlessly yet again.

As Broly's frustration grew, so did the frequency in the appearance of these 'fake' power poles; he could not see them move from position to position, he had no idea where his foe really was. Before long, he found himself surrounded by the apparitions, leaving him completely befuddled, and utterly enraged. Broly screamed out in irritation, preparing to let his energy out in all directions, but was quickly stopped by the feeling of a very real pole smacking him across the stomach.

The blow sent Broly flying through the air—but he wasn't the only one. Trunks, who had still been holding onto the pole, was launched from it when it struck Broly, and followed a similar trajectory.

"NOW, TRUNKS!" Goku's voice echoed throughout the air.

Whipping around to see the young super saiyan, Broly found Trunks thrusting his arms quickly in all directions, gathering ki. Before he could block or dodge, Broly took a burning attack to the face.

Trunks followed up with a barrage of blows to the larger saiyan's chest, while Goku flew in with another whack from the power pole—which he had now retracted to a more reasonable length. Regaining his bearings at least partially, Broly tried to dodge and parry the blows, but the speed and finesse of the two warriors' movements proved a major hindrance.

Above the heated battle, Gohan had gathered the remaining Z warriors and allies in the least damaged section of the lookout. Whis had joined them as well, and the entire group watched what was transpiring just below them.

"Impressive," commented Tien, "he combined his new disappearing act with the afterimage technique to disorient Broly, giving them the opportunity to attack."

"Yeah, and he's still as good with that power pole as ever!" added Yamcha.

Gohan smiled in pride at his father's fighting genius. He really was the greatest. The young boy's admiration was interrupted however, as he noticed something, rather someone else towards the edge of the lookout. Gohan quickly realised that it was his master Piccolo, who was gathering energy, perhaps for some large-scale attack.

"Guys, look at Mister Piccolo!" Gohan said to his friends.

"Wow, that sure is a lot of power he's gathering up there," noted Krillin, "if he concentrates it, he might actually have a chance at doing some damage to Broly!"

"Exactly!" agreed Gohan cheerfully, before having an idea, "why don't we lend him a hand?"

"What do you mean?" asked Krillin.

"We can all send him some of our ki, to make his attack even stronger!" answered Gohan, already starting to do just that.

With a nod to each other, Krillin, Tien, Kami, Yamcha, and Chiaotzu all followed his lead, augmenting the energy the Namekian was gathering with their own.

Back with the super saiyans, the fight was as intense as ever.

Goku and Trunks showered Broly in a relentless spree of punches, kicks, and blows from the power pole, which they were passing to each other between attacks. Broly took many attacks head on, only managing to counter or retaliate very rarely. Yet, it was still unclear if the pair of super saiyans were actually making any headway.

Trunks, power pole in hand, slashed downward onto Broly's head with all his might, in a move not dissimilar to the one he pulled on Frieza. The pole bore down on the large saiyan's head, but he pushed right back at it. The strain it put on his neck proved too much however, as he was forced to grasp the power pole with his hands and use them to push it back. With his torso now exposed, Goku let loose a flurry of jabs upon it.

It was becoming increasingly clear, however, that their seemingly devastating assaults were doing little more than irking the tank of a super saiyan. Despite their crafty maneuvers, despite their sheer effort and determination, Broly took everything without virtually any harm. As a super saiyan, he found his adversaries to be nothing but a nuisance. One that he was not going to tolerate any longer.

Letting out a primal scream, Broly forced Goku and Trunks back with a wave of energy pouring out from his body. Then, he systematically picked them off, delivering an uncontrolled, but very effective beat-down to them both. Gathering their heads in each of his hands, Broly smashed them together violently and repeatedly.

When he felt content with the brain damage he caused them, he let out another roar before proceeding to fly upwards and through a section of the lookout, smashing his victims through the hard marble, taking off a large chunk of the palace. As he emerged to the surface, Broly prepared to continue pummeling his opponents, but was met with something unexpected.

Sporting a fanged, devilish grin, and two fingers at his antenna-bearing forehead, Piccolo crackled with burning energy.

"MAKANKOSAPPO!"

Piccolo thrust his hand forward, out from which a drill of yellow and purple energy soared towards Broly before exploding in a brilliant flash of light, kicking dust and debris all across the ruined palace.

When his vision cleared, the son of the Demon King saw not an impaled and defeated Broly, but everyone's favorite purple cat having intercepted the attack.

"Lord Beerus?!" exclaimed Goku, lying on the disheveled floor.

"I figured I'd put a stop to this before anyone got too roughed up; after all, I do still need you," explained Beerus, before addressing Broly.

"Saiyan, your fight is with me now—leave the others," proclaimed the god of destruction, "or did you forget? I'm the one who took away your dear father!"

Broly's ki doubled in an instant.

In an explosive wave of green energy, the son of Paragus rushed the god in a futile attempt to avenge his father. Every punch, every kick each failed to connect, driving Broly's rage—and his power—farther up exponentially. Though his power was higher than anything the Z warriors had ever sensed, he still held nothing to Lord Beerus.

One of Broly's brutal punches finally connected—not with Beerus, but the ground, shaking and breaking what little remained of the lookout. Luckily, Whis quickly gathered up Trunks, Goku, and the spectators, bringing them to a broken off chunk of the palace just large enough for them all. With a tap of his staff, he generated a barrier to shelter them from Broly's fury.

"The palace…" Mr. Popo quietly lamented, shooting a sad exchange of an equally disheartened Kami. The guardian of Earth sighed.

"Yes, this will take quite the cleanup effort," muttered Kami.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry too much about that," chirped Whis, "I can repair the damage myself quite easily once they're through." The angel turned his head towards the enraged brute's fruitless attempts to battle the god of destruction.

"And it's looking like that will be very soon."

Broly, despite his ever-growing power, was losing more and more ground as he attacked Beerus in a blind range. He had lost what little skillfulness he had, damning himself to fight as a simple brawler. After an embarrassingly choreographed blow which Beerus dodged without a thought, the god stood himself casually on top of the saiyan's head.

He was getting bored of toying with the brute. Before Broly could even let out another boarish roar and retaliate, Beerus quickly hopped off of him and delivered a brutal but elegant chop to his neck. In an instant, Broly fell out of his transformation, and crumpled into a heap.

With his master victorious, Whis kept to his word and waved his staff. Immediately, floating chunks of marble began to reform and fly into place, until the entire lookout was restored.

Beerus walked leisurely towards the group, an unconscious Broly in hand. Tossing the saiyan to his attendant, the cat stretched with a smile and finally spoke.

"Well I must say, you lot certainly do provide your fair share of entertainment!" grinned Beerus.

The Z warriors eyed the god cautiously. After everything that had just happened, they were more scared and uncertain about this being's powers than ever.

"What's the matter?" he prodded snidely, cocking his head to the side. Surprisingly, the youngest among them was the bravest to speak up.

"We did just see you murder Broly's father, and then beat him down, Lord Beerus," Gohan said quietly.

Beerus chuckled.

"Murder?" the god mused, "of course not, my naive young friend—he isn't dead, but erased."

The group blinked in confusion.

"The soul Paragus has not traveled to the Other World, as is the procedure for mortals when they die," explained Whis as he laid Broly down to rest, "rather, his very existence—body, soul and all—has simply ceased."

The revelation sent a chill down everyone's spine. Whenever any of their comrades died, there had always been the consolation of peace in the Other World, and even resurrection, but erasure? Complete nonexistence? That was a level of existential dread they were not prepared for.

"But wait, what about the Dragon Balls?" asked Gohan, the gears already turning in his head, "could they undo an erasure?"

Whis put his finger to his chin. "That's an interesting thought," the angel pondered, "the Dragon Balls here on Earth, doubtful… however…"

"Could the ones on Namek?" Bulma chimed in.

Whis shook his head. "I've already said too much, in all honesty. The fact of the matter is, even if you could, crossing the work of a god would surely incur their wrath."

"I can personally confirm that," Beerus agreed, "besides, why would you want to bring back that bastard? Frankly, I did you a favor by getting rid of him."

"That's not fair Lord Beerus!" Goku interjected, "everyone deserves a second chance. Maybe he was a big jerk, but he could've changed for the better!"

"That line of thinking served you real well with Frieza," remarked Piccolo.

"Aw c'mon Piccolo, whose side are you on?!"

"The Namekian is right," chuckled Beerus, "besides, Broly going berserk gave you quite the exciting battle—isn't that all you saiyans care about?"

Goku simply pouted.

"I must say though," the god of destruction continued, "even if I barely even got to stretch my legs, Broly did serve as a nice appetizer. Now I'm even more excited for my main course."

"Well then, it seems we arrived just in time," called a voice from behind them.

Beerus turned to see Shin and Kibito, the former bearing a confident smile on his face. The two seemed to be standing in front of someone.

"I take it your mission was successful?" inquired Beerus.

"Of course, Lord Beerus," responded the Supreme Kai, before he and Kibito each stepped aside to reveal their companion.

The new figure was definitely saiyan, sporting a furry brown tail and Frieza Force armor. However, unlike any saiyans the Z warriors of Earth had met before, this one appeared female. Furthermore, her blue and yellow armor took the style of traditional female clothing, including a skirt-like extension. She also sported a halo which floated a few inches above her head, confirming that she was indeed from Other World. Finally, the saiyan woman displayed a shaggy mess of black hair, and soft, solemn eyes.

"I am honored to be of service, Lord Beerus, Angel Whis, Guardian of Earth," she spoke, bowing for the deities before her, "my name is Gine. It's a pleasure to meet you all."