“No! It can’t be!” Bardock said, his hand clenched against his head. His other hand supported him against the hallway wall.
He stood transfixed in terror, shaking his head. Too terrible. Was that the future? Babidi’s curse ordered him to chase after his great-granddaughter from another time, but Bardock ignored it. It paled compared to what he’d seen. On trembling legs, he headed back the way he’d come. Bardock hoped he wasn’t too late. If what he’d seen came to pass, they were all doomed.
---
“Mom!” Little Pan said, quivering. “L-let her go!”
“I shall! If you entertain me enough. See, it ticks me off that you robbed me of a good fight. Your father begged and whined about giving you a fair fight, only for you to quit for no reason! You’re meant to be my granddaughter. I expect big things from you, girl. Entertain me! Become a Super Saiyan. Show me your true potential!”
“I…” Little Pan floundered, lost what to do. She’d already failed to transform, even when her life had been on the line. But Little Pan clenched a fist, ready to show her stuff. She’d become a Super Saiyan and knock this guy’s clock.
“Pan, no! Just run, please!” her mom howled before a fist collided with her neck. Her eyes closed and didn’t reopen.
“Mom!” Little Pan said, horrified.
“Don’t worry, she’s still alive,” Kakarot said, his tone condescending. “But she’ll get worse in one minute if you don’t transform. Unless you’re a terrible daughter who doesn’t care about her dear mother?”
“How can you do this?! In a way, we’re blood!” Little Pan glared at Kakarot, tears welling in her eyes.
“I didn’t raise you or your father,” the evil Goku said with a shrug.
Rage burned in her chest as she gathered her power. She’d show this jerk her true power. Her mind focused on a single image: her mother slumped in this heartless villain’s hands. Her ki burned brighter and faster, raging like an inferno. Gold sparked in her hair as she screamed, channeling all her anger to rise to the next level.
Kakarot watched her intently, curious about what would happen next. Her mother lay slumped in his grip, her breath faint as a whisper. He’d hurt her to make her angry. Well, he’d reap the folly of such an action!
A roar escaped her lips as her power flared even brighter, rising to heights she’d never realized were possible. Something in her chest tugged at her, pressing her to push even harder. Inside was a light, begging for Little Pan to reach toward it. A little further and she’d have it!
But her power failed, and Little Pan collapsed in a heap, heaving labored breaths. Tears leaked from her eyelids, frustrated with herself. How? Even with her mother in danger, she still failed? A sob escaped her lips, ugly and raw.
“Is that it?” Kakarot gave a derisive snort. “And you’re meant to be my blood? Or even a Saiyan? Pathetic. What a waste of time.”
But then the villain paused, considering. Little Pan didn’t like the grin he was giving her.
“But…” Kakarot dragged out the word. “But maybe there’s another way. More stimuli, you might call it. Yes, that should work!”
Little Pan watched in horrified dread as the evil version of her grandfather drove a killing blow at her mother. Frozen, she watched helplessly in terror. But someone appeared from nowhere, tackling Kakarot from behind.
“You?” Little Pan blinked in confusion. Her unconscious mother dropped to the stone floor with an audible thud.
“Stop this right now, brother!” A battered Raditz said, arms around Kakarot’s middle.
“Tsk. Really? You’re getting in my way again?” An elbow pounded into Raditz’s head, causing the other Saiyan to howl in pain. “And what’s with you, anyway? We slaughter innocents all the time. Why quibble here?”
“Because this is wrong. Cruel. She’s our kin, in a way. It doesn’t sit well with me,” Raditz replied, rubbing his bruised head. “Snap out of it. You aren’t acting like yourself. You’re stronger than what is controlling you.”
“Resist this?” Kakarot spread out his hands. “Never. I feel free, alive! Like I can do anything! And with my immortality, I’m invincible! Nothing can stop me!”
Immortality? What did that mean?
“Take your mother and run, girl. I’ll hold him off,” Raditz grimaced as his brother turned Super Saiyan, but seemed ready to fight.
“Okay. Hold on, I’ll get help!” In a dash, she grabbed her mother and darted away. She only needed to find her father. He’d smash that so-called invincible, immortal warrior to a pulp.
“Hey! Come back here!” Kakarot said, annoyed. But Little Pan had already gone.
She sped past corner after corner, not daring to look back. Little Pan, recalling the layout, figured she’d be in the main arena after another right turn. She jerked back as she almost collided with someone.
“Whoa, careful!” a woman said. It was Phipsil the Heliorian. Her battle armor seemed battered, its wearer in terrible shape. She had lost an arm and was bleeding from multiple contusions. But worse was her expression—she seemed defeated.
“What happened?” Little Pan said, sympathetic.
“I… he got us,” Phipsil replied, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I tried reasoning with him, but he won’t listen.”
“Hey. Let’s get you away from here,” Little Pan said. “It isn’t safe. We can talk there—”
Little Pan howled in fright as an explosion burst over her head, wincing as rubble rained on her. She glanced back in horror, already knowing who it was.
“I’m afraid it’s a little late for that, brat,” Kakarot said, his mouth extended into a sinister grin. “Far too late.”
---
Bra ducked and weaved, just keeping ahead of Cell’s attacks. Her opponent was tireless and relentless as he pursued her. Every second drained her waning strength as her lifeblood continued to seep out. She’d made a makeshift tourniquet from a torn piece of her pants, but she needed serious medical attention. Not that this stopped her, however.
Energy gathered in her palms, and she rushed Cell with a speed that caught him off guard. She pressed her fingers against his chest, and her ki tore him into bloody chunks. But Bra didn’t have the power to obliterate him completely, and her opponent laughed after regrowing his upper torso, hale as ever.
“Good, keep destroying me. I’ll just come back stronger every time!” Cell said, laughing. This was why he’d saved her from Dabura’s stone curse—so she’d push him hard and encourage his power to grow stronger.
“This is bad,” Bra thought. She was running on fumes, her power ebbing out into almost nothing. “I need to…” No, she couldn’t do that. Despite her dire situation, fear sparked in her heart, cold and terrible.
“I can’t! If I did…” Bra’s mind whirled, fear suffocating her. This happened whenever she thought about the other Super Saiyan form she’d gained at twelve. It’d be a disaster, causing destruction beyond anyone’s comprehension. It was why her father had labeled her a monster.
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If she transformed, she might lose total control and destroy everything in her path, just like Broly. Everyone on the tournament planet and beyond would die. Fear and uncertainty plagued her as she struggled to figure out what to do.
“Don’t tell me the daughter of Vegito is finished already?” Cell mocked, goading her on.
“Bra!”
Cell howled in pain as Gohan appeared from nowhere and elbowed him in the head. “You’re hurt! Get out of here. I’ll handle this one. There are some Senzu beans in our apartment. Dad took extra to help with his hunger.”
“I don’t need your help, Gohan,” Bra said, though without her usual venom. She’d hit an impassible wall, much to her frustration. How could she be this weak? She was the Multiverse’s greatest defender!
“Swapping out, are we?” Cell said, amused. “Well, this matchup suits me just fine. Run off and heal, girl. I’ll handle you later.”
“Asshole,” Bra muttered, darting away. Her flight, however, was unsteady, dizzy from blood loss.
In her flight, she surveyed the scene. Bra spotted Demon King Dabura collapsed in a heap, dead or unconscious. A Piccolo still fought with the Frost Demon brothers, Frieza and Cooler. Both had mutated into grotesque monster forms by Babidi’s vile magic, though Piccolo was wearing them down. Bra considered throwing a stray ki blast to help him, but she needed that power for her fight to their apartment. The other Gohan was nowhere in sight, and Bra couldn’t sense him anywhere. She wondered if he was fighting deeper in the apartments somewhere.
Many of the audience had already faced a terrible end, with only a few capable stragglers surviving the initial conflict. Some Heliorians were helping the surviving audience members get to safety, fending off any Maijin getting too close. She also spotted the other Piccolo facing a stray Cell Jr., who was putting up a tougher fight than she expected. Whatever. She ignored them and landed unsteadily at the entrance to the apartments. Throughout the halls, she heard distant fighting. Bra pressed a hand against the wall, using it to hobble her way through the halls. It’d save her precious energy.
A flash caught her eye, and she released the wall, just falling under a stream of light. Something sliced open the wall behind her, cutting through a decent chunk of the stadium seats.
“Lucky,” a man said, hand extended outward. It was the random Majinized Heliorian she’d seen earlier. “You won’t be so lucky next time.”
“I don’t have time for this.” Her limbs felt weak as she struggled to push herself up. In her weakened condition, even this goober was a threat.
“Cocky, but will you be so tough after this?” Another flash of light rushed at her, ripping through everything it touched. Unable to dodge in her condition, Bra howled in pain as the attack sliced off part of her shoulder. Bra made him pay for it, however, hurling a destructive ball of energy at him.
But she forgot about his protective shield, and it bounced off harmlessly. Warm lifeblood soaked down her chest as she collapsed on the ground, helpless. Her heart skipped a beat as the Heliorian stood over her, weapon aimed at her head. In her condition, Bra was helpless to stop her sudden and painful death. The Heliorian smirked, savoring his victory. It gave her just enough time to raise her fingers to her forehead.
“What, another useless beam attack? Just try, I dare you.” The Heliorian presented his chest, arms wide open. But the fool hadn’t a clue what she had planned. He gasped as Bra suddenly disappeared.
Her years of trying to master her father’s Instant Transmission had paid off. She collapsed in a bloody heap next to a surprised Piccolo and Cell Jr. Of everyone in the arena, he seemed her best bet to stay alive.
“Bra! Are you okay?” the Namekian asked in alarm.
“Damn you! Where’d you disappear to, brat?” the Heliorian yelled.
“I sure as hell am not,” Bra replied. “Cut your fight short and help me. I don’t think I can last much longer.”
Much to her confusion, the Cell Jr. gave her a strange look before smiling in victory.
“Well, this simplifies things! Change!” Bra gasped in surprise as a beam shot from the Cell Jr.’s mouth into Piccolo’s. Her uncle’s demeanor changed drastically, turning cruel and sinister.
“What the?!” the Cell Jr. said, staring at his body in stunned horror. His bearing had changed as well, becoming strikingly familiar.
“That’s better. That distraction you gave me was just what I needed, Bra.” the changed Piccolo said, flexing his arms. “It’s nice being tall again. Can’t say I like the green, but at least I don’t have stumps for limbs anymore.”
“What?! You stole my body?!” the Cell Jr. said.
“They changed bodies?” Bra stared in shock, unable to believe her eyes. Where the hell did that Cell Jr. learn that trick?
“That’s right.” The Piccolo gave an evil grin. “But I suppose you don’t recognize me, do you?” Much to Bra’s bewilderment, Piccolo started posing, each one more ridiculous than the last. It made Bra wonder if her massive blood loss was causing her to suffer hallucinations.
“I am Captain Ginyu!” Piccolo declared, raising an arm high while holding the same-side leg against his back.
“Sorry, who?” Bra said, completely lost.
The Cell Jr. uttered a curse. “I assumed he was dead. He wasn’t with the other Ginyu Force members.”
“Exactly what I wanted everyone else to think. But I was here the entire time—someone you’re all familiar with. Especially you, Bra.” The fake Piccolo gave Bra a look that chilled her to the bone. It was full of hatred and a desire for vengeance.
Her mind raced, trying to put the pieces together. Then it all clicked into place. “Wait, you’re not talking about King Cold, are you?” The Frost Demon lord had been strangely chummy with the other Ginyu Force members.
“That’s right! And now some payback for that body you destroyed!” Ginyu-as-Piccolo said.
“Oh crap,” Bra muttered. She realized she’d only made her situation worse. In her condition, she couldn’t face a Piccolo. But she used her ki to rise shakily to her remaining foot. She refused to die like a helpless dog!
“We haven’t lost yet,” Piccolo-as-Cell Jr. said, his tiny fist clenched.
“Will you now?” Ginyu-as-Piccolo replied, arms crossed. “Show me what you’ve got, then!”
They fought together to subdue Ginyu, but his movements were devilishly quick. Her one leg hampered her ability to fight on the ground, but she pushed him for everything he was worth. She even landed some solid hits, surprising her opponent with her hidden, reserved strength.
Piccolo-as-Cell Jr. did his best, but he wasn’t used to fighting in such a strange, small body. Worse, Ginyu-as-Piccolo was adapting fast, each movement growing more adept with his new body. Bra’s world became pain as Ginyu struck a blow to her wounded shoulder. But she paid him back for it, channeling her rage into a deadly body blow. Ginyu-as-Piccolo grimaced as her fist connected with his stomach.
Abandoning any attempt to fight with fists and limbs alien to him, Piccolo stuck to beam attacks, pestering Ginyu-as-Piccolo as he fought off Bra.
“Enough!” Ginyu-as-Piccolo extended both arms and blew his opponents away. Bra did a somersault, and her back exploded in pain as she landed hard. She coughed blood as Ginyu-as-Piccolo landed a blow to her ribs, cracking several.
Piccolo-as-Ginyu tried rushing to her aid, but an energy beam blasted into his face. It left Piccolo-as-Ginyu’s face a real mess, almost unrecognizable.
“Better. This Namekian body is pretty good. I wanted your body, Bra, as revenge for the one you destroyed. But in your condition, it’s worthless to me. Still, there's another body that’ll serve me even better!” Ginyu-as-Piccolo eyed her half-brother Gohan, who was still battling Cell. The two fought evenly, with Cell showing a surprising amount of strength.
“You’re much stronger than when you faced Pan,” Gohan said, his breath heavy. He was still tired from his fight with Dabura.
“What? Did you think me content to stay weaker than some little girl?” Cell replied. “No, your daughter isn’t the only one determined to grow stronger. Since my defeat, I’ve been training even hard for just this moment. This tournament has invigorated me. Back in my universe, I’d grown bored. I fought and fought to reclaim the thrill of the Cell Games, but none could compete with me. But now I’ve found real challenges, and I plan to surpass them to become the true ultimate being of the universe!”
“And what if you win? Say you beat Vegito, then what? There’s no one left to challenge you anymore.”
“Then I will search the entire cosmos until I find a new one. The Vargas are fools. I doubt Vegito is the strongest in the multiverse. There must be someone stronger. I will find and defeat them.”
This earned a chuckle from Gohan. “Bold plan. But you have to defeat me first.” Bra marveled as Gohan revealed his true might, holding nothing back.
“Damn, you’ve been holding back on me in our training sessions, Gohan,” Bra thought.
“Yes, that body will suit me nicely,” Ginyu-as-Piccolo said, eying her half-brother with naked avarice.
“You’ll have to get past me first!” Bra unleashed her waning power in a frontal charge.
Ginyu-as-Piccolo howled in pain as her fist connected with his ribs. He staggered back, coughing blood. Even weak as a kitten, Bra knew how to throw a punch. Behind them, the fight between Cell and Gohan intensified. While Gohan had the lead, Cell was proving his match. The bio-warrior wouldn’t be easy to defeat. Much to her annoyance, she caught the Majin Heliorian lurking in the rubble. As she exchanged blows with her opponent, she kept a keen eye on him, ensuring he wouldn’t cause more trouble for her.
“You’re a tough one,” Ginyu-as-Piccolo said, a smirk on his face. “It’s a pity I can’t use your body.”
“Please, you’d spoil this beauty,” Bra replied, relaunching her assault.
With her injuries, holding back wasn’t an option before her body failed her. She weaved through a barrage of ki blasts and delivered a right hook to Ginyu-as-Piccolo’s jaw. But her opponent smirked, more amused than hurt. Pain blinded her as her opponent struck her shoulder wound. But Bra blasted him in the face, stunning him. Before he could recover, Piccolo-as-Ginyu joined the fray, hurling his body’s thief away with a flying kick.
“I think I’m getting used to this body,” Piccolo-as-Ginyu said. His face had recovered, sharing Cell’s unique ability to heal.
“Together, we might get him,” Bra said, heaving. The lightheadedness was getting worse. She wouldn’t last much longer.
After a snort of amusement, Ginyu-as-Piccolo engaged them. Despite being two-on-one, they weren’t able to do much to him. Bra watched in horror as their opponent gathered a ki blast in his hand and sent Piccolo-as-Ginyu flying. It exploded against some nearby stands, likely killing Piccolo outright. Dread gathered in her chest as he faced her, ki gathering in his palm for a repeat.
“This has been fun. But it’s time to say goodbye.” Before Ginyu-as-Piccolo could kill her, a flying knee struck the back of the skull. His eyes bulged, and the blow sent him flying well across the arena.
“Gohan!” Bra said in relief.
“You okay, Bra?” Gohan asked with a smile.
“I’ll survive, but thanks.” This time, she spoke without sarcasm, only gratitude.
“I saw what was happening. Piccolo wasn’t himself. What happened? Did Babidi’s magic take him over? Hard to believe Piccolo would fall prey to his magic so easily.”
“It’s Captain Ginyu! He somehow stole Piccolo’s body!” But to Bra’s surprise, this bizarre explanation made sense to her half-brother.
“I see. I thought it was strange he hadn’t appeared with Frieza and the other Ginyu Force members. Up to his old tricks again.”
“You’ve seen this before?” She needed to pay better attention to her father’s and half-brother’s old stories.
“When I was a kid. Ginyu stole Dad, sorry, Goku’s body. We almost didn’t survive.”
“You’ll have to tell me about it later.” Bra tensed as Cell flew toward them.
“If you’re done with this distraction, how about we continue our fight?” Cell asked, arms crossed.
“I’m all yours, Cell,” Gohan said. “I—”
“Gohan, look out!” Bra rushed forward, but her weakened body couldn’t push her half-brother hard enough. Without strong ki, they hadn’t sensed their attacker’s approach. She watched in horror as a beam of light sliced her half-brother in half.
“Ha! Got you!” the Majin Heliorian said, grinning in triumph.
---
Author’s Note:
Yeah, I wasn’t able to get to Pan vs Anpan in this chapter. The Bra and Little Pan fights plots took a bit longer than I expected. But don’t worry, the fight will continue in the next chapter.
Next time!
Little Pan unleashes her true power. Bra and Piccolo struggle to survive against Captain Ginyu, Gohan’s noble sacrifice. Pan vs Anpan, Buu makes a surprising move.