(Somewhere on Earth)
Out in the country towards the North, in a diner along one of the main highways, the patrons of the small establishment currently had all of their attention glued to the one television set hanging from the corner of the dining room. While the group of three farmers, three truck drivers and two waitresses were staring at the screen in awe, listening to the reporter fill them in on the events taking place, they completely overlooked the sight of the two young teenagers sitting at the counter behind them.
Looking over the group's shoulders and up at the magic box, dressed in the same jackets and clothing they'd bought on their arrival several weeks ago, Pan and her sister Eva were also watching the broadcast, listening intently as they were given the full summary of the battles that'd taken place.
However, after watching the matches unfold for themselves as the feed switched between the various competitors, they were able to take in everything that they needed to. Though all of the Z-fighters had performed spectacularly and remarkably without fail, there was only one person that they'd wanted to see in action and that was there father, whom they'd just witnessed power through what would become known as the greatest fight of his life.
Eva, seeing the camera pan around Gohan's battered and bruised form, cracked a warm and adoring smile, "Mum always told us what an amazing man dad was."
"Now we finally get to see for ourselves that those stories were true," Pan said, her face reflecting the same look of adulation that her sister was also wearing. Gripping the bottle of grape soda in front of her, the raven haired girl beamed at the screen. "Wow. His strength is unlike anything I've ever seen before."
"He's even stronger than Trunks-kun and Paprika-san at full power," Eva chirped, watching her father move about on screen for a few more seconds before breathing a sigh of contentment. "I never thought we'd ever get to see him in action. We're so lucky."
"Mum said the match between him and Sandra was the hardest battle he'd ever fought on his own," Pan informed, smiling as she saw the cameras pan over the rest of the Z-fighters and the still unconscious Saiyan Empress. "If he was around when Sentinel returned, I bet we would've been able to beat that monster and stop our future from ever happening."
"Well… this is where we're going to set things right," Eva said, frowning as she looked back down at her drink. "We'll stop that freak and save our family and friends. Then afterwards… maybe we'll get the chance to go back to our time and see them again… mum, dad, Trunks-kun, Kaiser-san… everyone alive and well."
Seeing their dad and teammates fight Sandra's group filled the pair with a renewed sense of hope and confidence. It was like they could see a brighter light at the end of the tunnel, making the duo want to reach it no matter what.
Upon sharing one last smile, the pair went back to watching the television from their seats at the counter, their feet tapping with excitement and anticipation. Unbeknownst to young warriors however, as they continued to observe the events slowly unfold on screen, they completely overlooked the sight of a tiny little fly landing on a shelf next to the kitchen window.
Keeping to the shadows and staying out of sight, the minuscule creature focused its attention on the girls, finding an interest in both their appearance and conversation. It wasn't an ordinary bug either. Zooming in on its position, the insect was in fact a miniature, four-legged microbot, with optical sensors in place of eyes, little propellers in place of wings, and the Red Ribbon Armysymbol etched into its forehead.
Its lenses subtly locking onto the girls, its antenna picked up on their voices, matching them to records it contained in its memory while transmitting the information back to its receiver. Unfortunately for both Pan and Eva, the robot was able to pick u on every word they spoke…
OOO
(Thousands of Light Years Away)
Giving a big, tired yawn, the purple-feline deity Beerus rubbed his eye on the back of his paw and hopped off of the couch. Straightening out his nightgown, he then sluggishly made his way back towards his circular bed, scratching his behind for extra measure. "That was an interesting match. Though the power levels were pathetic, the performances were satisfyingly dramatic. The slugfest at the end was especially entertaining." Wagging his tail behind him, the yellow eyed God then smirked up at his bedroom ceiling, "Makes me think I should pay this Earth a visit next time I wake up and see what else this Gohan person has to offer."
"It certainly was invigorating, wasn't it?" Aphrodite chirped.
"Absolutely," Whis responded through a mouth full of food.
"It sure was," Beerus agreed, before then thumbing over his shoulder towards the open window. "Now get out. I'm going back to sleep."
While his rather blunt directive earned a raised eyebrow from Cleopatra, Aphrodite merely giggled at the man's harsh commands. "Oh, Beerus, you adorable little sloth, you. Would you like Auntie Venus to come over and give you a hot, sensuous kiss good night?" She asked this while striking an alluring pose with her leg sticking out.
The sight of the goddess's dress hiking up her delicious thigh had Bardock eye her skin with interest, as the woman was undeniably attractive.
For the God of Destruction however…
"Pass," Beerus grumbled, before leaping off of the floor with a comical spring and plopping down on top of his duvet. With one last yawn, the anthropomorphic cat was out like a light, snoring away with a bubble inflating and deflating from his nose.
While the Goddess of Compassion slouched in disappointment, the quiet and previously stoic Bardock looked back at the television screen in front of them. When he saw Son Gohan standing over the defeated and unconscious Sandra, with the rest of his friends moving in to form a defensive perimeter around the scene, the man then tilted his head thoughtfully. "This may sound a little bit strange to you guys, but I have a feeling that I know that young Saiyan from somewhere." He then lifted his hand and rubbed his chin. "I just… can't quite put my finger on it."
Whis giggled as he took a bite out of something that resembled a hot dog, but was not a hot dog at all, as the stuffing was some kind of green paste. "Do you think he's a long-lost nephew or son of yours?"
"Perhaps," Bardock murmured, at the same time his forehead creased with seriousness. "There's no denying that he is an incredibly gifted warrior… with a personality and power level to match. He could be a member of my family."
"Hmm," Whis murmured while time taking another bite from the "hotdog" in his hand. A smile graced his lips after he chewed and swallowed, "Nevertheless, there's something very special about this one. I can tell just by looking at him."
As the television droned on in the foreground and the Gods continued to watch it, the ever-silent Cleopatra was unable to stop the warm smile from spreading over her lips as she gazed silently and adoringly at the screen. While the reporters went on photographing and documenting the scene under the watch of the Z-fighters and King Koku's forces, the raven haired goddess-in-training propped her cheek in her hand and sighed.
"He's just like how I remember him," the former ruler of Egypt thought, looking on quietly as the man from her past spoke with his friends and family.
Though her look of forlorn went on unnoticed by Bardock and Whis, Aphrodite's eyes suddenly cut across the couch to where the raven haired deity was sitting. Confusion racked the celestial being for a moment as the dark-skinned elf took in the expression on Cleopatra's face. When she sensed a strong feeling of love wafting off of the beautiful woman, Aphrodite then cracked a smile of her own and returned to her viewing.
OOO
(Back on Earth)
(Central City)
Up on the top floor of Talos Industries' main headquarters, which towered high above the sprawling metropolis that was the planet's capital, the head and founder of the second largest research and development company in the world was sitting in his large office chair, staring up at the hologram in the center of his room. With his office's drapes pulled all the way down, the boss was left completely in the dark, allowing him a clearer projection of the battles that were taking place.
Having locked onto the transmission being sent out by San and Kure, Kaiser had watched and recorded every single battle that'd been waged across the Earth and Solar System between the Z-fighters and the New Saiyan Empire. It was a broadcast that the billionaire entrepreneur was unable to ignore and had spent the last few hours reveling in the blood, sweat, tears, and fireworks that followed. He'd seen mountains fall and planets crumble, culminating in what was without a doubt the greatest and most exciting series of events he'd ever watched. The entire thing put a big smile on his face as the company owner leant back in his seat with his hands folded under his chin.
"So… now we have two more Saiyans on this planet?" the man whispered, pressing a few buttons on his desk and instructing the hologram to produce several more windows. The individual frames showed different angles of the other competitors, particularly Maya and Sandra, with a series of numbers and algorithms sitting alongside them. "Including Vegeta, Trunks, Goten and Gohan… that brings the total count of super-powered primates up to six." Wheeling about in his chair so that he was facing the drapes of his window, where he was barely able to see Central City peeking through from under the veil. "Interesting."
All things considered, this turn of events was presenting to him the perfect opportunity to collect more samples for his research. It wasn't everyday an entirely new planet with a habitable surface and life forms materialized out of nowhere directly alongside the Earth. If his understanding of the events were accurate, he expected this new group wouldn't be leaving anytime soon.
Kaiser's eyes shimmered with delight.
"It looks like I'm going to need to start planning and construction ahead of schedule," the entrepreneur muttered.
At first it seemed like he was speaking to no one in particular. But as he was staring at his window with his back turned to the hologram, two more figures that were also in the room made their presence known. Stepping into the light of the central projector, a raven haired young girl with an ox horn hairstyle and wearing a red qipao martial arts dress, and a purple haired woman in a black suit and skirt, appeared behind their boss.
Standing side by side and at attention, Chochi and Violet gave their employer their full and undivided attention.
"What are your orders, sir?" the former officer of the Red Ribbon Army asked.
Cracking a smirk, Kaiser then pressed his fingers together thoughtfully, "Head to East City and have the labs there begin prepping for the final stages of the fusion experiment." When he saw Violet nod through the reflection of his window, the man then turned his attention to his other asset. "As for you Chochi, I have a different mission for you…"