Chapter 7: The Monster in the Cradle
The hospital had become unusually crowded.
It wasn't supposed to be like this.
Family members had arrived first—Capsule Corporation staff, relatives, and those who had come simply out of curiosity or obligation. Word traveled fast whenever something happened in Bulma Brief's life.
And now… even more people were here.
Because of him.
Inside the private ward, the atmosphere was tense in a subtle way.
Not fear.
Not panic.
Just expectation.
Bulma sat on the hospital bed with calm patience, already recovered enough to be sitting upright. The newborn child rested in a special crib beside her, surrounded by monitoring devices that blinked softly.
Vegeta stood near the window, arms crossed as always, silent as stone.
But his eyes didn't leave the crib.
Not even once.
---
Outside the room, voices gathered.
"They're all here…"
"Even the Z Fighters came?"
"Is it really that serious?"
And then they entered.
Goku was the first to step inside, scratching the back of his head with his usual relaxed expression.
"Hey! Bulma! Heard you had the baby!"
Behind him came Piccolo, silent and observant as always. Gohan followed, slightly hesitant but curious. Krillin, Tien, and others filled the room in smaller groups, each sensing something unusual even before anyone spoke.
Even they didn't fully understand why they had come.
But something had called them here.
Something faint.
Something heavy.
---
Bulma gave a small wave.
"Yeah, yeah… everyone calm down. It's just a baby."
Krillin blinked.
"Just a baby…? Then why does it feel like—"
He stopped mid-sentence.
Piccolo's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Strange energy," he muttered.
Vegeta clicked his tongue softly.
"Tch. Don't crowd the room."
As always, his presence alone made the atmosphere tighter.
But no one left.
Because they all felt it.
Something was wrong.
Or rather… something was not normal.
---
Inside the crib, I observed everything.
New faces.
Familiar signatures from the memories I had inherited from this world.
Saiyans.
Humans.
Namekian.
Energy patterns layered across the room like invisible pressure waves.
Interesting.
So this is the group known as the Z Fighters.
Not important right now.
But useful to observe.
My attention shifted slightly.
Bulma stood up from her seat and walked closer to the crib.
She looked down at me casually, almost like a scientist preparing a test.
"I've been thinking," she said lightly. "Let's do a quick scan."
Vegeta's eyes shifted slightly.
"…Hmph."
Goku leaned forward with interest.
"A scan?"
Bulma waved a small device in her hand.
"It's a modified energy reader. Just to check basic readings."
Piccolo immediately narrowed his eyes.
"That's unnecessary for a newborn."
Bulma shrugged.
"Maybe. But I'm curious."
Curiosity.
That word was enough.
---
I understood immediately what she intended.
A measurement device.
Something to read energy output.
Scouters in this world were limited.
They could not understand true abnormality.
Perfect.
I decided something simple.
I would let them see something.
Just enough.
Not everything.
---
I relaxed my body.
And released a controlled fraction of energy.
Not power.
Not force.
Just presence.
A single ripple.
A pulse.
Silent.
Contained.
But precise.
---
The device in Bulma's hand flickered instantly.
"Okay… let's see—"
A beep.
Then another.
Then—
A sharp distortion filled the screen.
"W-What?!"
The numbers jumped uncontrollably.
0…
1,000…
10,000…
100,000…
Then it stopped.
For half a second.
Then exploded upward again.
1,000,000…
50,000,000…
100,000,000…
300,000,000.
And then—
ERROR
SYSTEM OVERLOAD
The device sparked violently and shut down completely.
Bulma froze.
"…What?"
The room went silent.
Even Goku stopped smiling.
"…Huh?"
Krillin blinked rapidly.
"That… that can't be right."
Piccolo's expression darkened slightly.
"…Impossible."
Vegeta didn't move.
But his eyes sharpened instantly.
---
Bulma stared at the broken device.
"…It overloaded?"
She turned slowly toward the crib.
Then at me.
Silence stretched.
Not dramatic.
Not loud.
Just heavy.
Finally, she exhaled.
"…Okay. That's new."
Goku scratched his head awkwardly.
"Maybe the machine is broken?"
Piccolo responded immediately.
"No."
Simple.
Direct.
Final.
That wasn't malfunction.
That was beyond measurement.
---
Vegeta finally spoke.
His voice was low.
Controlled.
But sharper than before.
"…Hmph."
He stepped forward slightly.
Just one step.
But it changed the atmosphere completely.
"This brat…"
He didn't finish the sentence.
But he didn't need to.
Everyone understood.
---
Bulma looked at me again.
This time differently.
Not like a baby.
Not like a project.
But like something she didn't fully categorize anymore.
"…You really are mine, huh?" she muttered.
Not fear.
Not shock.
Just acceptance of something unusual.
---
Inside my mind, I observed their reactions.
Interesting.
So this is what "fear of unknown potential" looks like.
Not rejection.
Not panic.
Just recalibration.
The system interface flickered once more.
---
[NOTICE]
[EXTERNAL ENTITIES: MULTIPLE DETECTED]
[OBSERVATION LEVEL: HIGH]
[USER ENERGY EXPRESSION: CONTROLLED OUTPUT DETECTED]
---
Good.
They understood something was wrong.
But not everything.
That was enough.
Vegeta continued staring.
Not at the device.
At me.
For the first time…
His expression wasn't dismissive.
It was serious.
"…Tch."
He turned slightly away.
But his attention never left.
---
I closed my eyes slowly.
The room slowly returned to normal noise.
Voices.
Confusion.
Discussion.
But one thing had changed.
The foundation of perception.
I was no longer "just a baby" in their minds.
Not anymore.
Something had already begun.
And now…
It could not be reversed.