“Hmm. There’s nothing suspect in your system,” Phipsil of the Heliorians said as she consulted her datapad. She’d taken a sample of Pan’s blood and put it through several tests for any outside agents or pathogens. “As far as I can tell, you’re a perfectly healthy young lady.”
This earned a raised eyebrow from Pan. The tech warrior coughed into her fist and reworded her statement.
“I mean, I detect no agent that would cause a zombie outbreak. Your cells are acting oddly, but nothing from any pathogen,” Phipsil amended before sagging somewhat. “I’m uncertain why you returned to life. Your cell reproduction seems normal, but your organs aren’t working like they should. I don’t understand any of it.”
“It’s something, at least,” her father said, putting a comforting hand on Pan’s shoulder.
“So no zombie outbreak, that’s good!” Goten said, relaxing somewhat.
“It’s excellent news!” a Vargas said, his beaked face brightening with excitement. “We can finally restart the tournament! I’ll make the announcement.”
“Glad that’s your priority,” Pan said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“How are you holding up?” her father asked.
“I don’t know,” Pan sagged. “What did I do to deserve this? Have I become a monster?”
“Hey, now. Don’t talk like that.” Her father pulled her into an embrace. Despite herself, Pan cried into his shoulder. She didn’t want to admit how scared she was. “Whatever you’ve become, I don’t care.”
“Dad?”
Her father looked her in the eyes, his face full of compassion and love. “Just remember this, Pan, whatever happens, I will always love you. You’ll never be a monster to me.”
“Dad!” Pan hugged her father tight, eyes brimming with hope and love.
“Tsk.” Aunt Bra disturbed their happy moment with a dismissive snort. She scowled, restraining her anger with considerable effort. Her sour expression twisted into a contemptuous smile. “Don’t be so quick to embrace this monster, Gohan. Can we even be sure she’s really Pan? More likely, she’s a monster wearing her face. People don’t just return as a living corpse. Don’t let those fake tears fool you.”
“B-Bra.” Pan’s heart seized in her throat, both hurt and furious at her aunt’s accusations.
“That’s enough, Son Bra,” her father said, glaring at his half-sister. Pan’s other relatives weren’t happy either.
“Yeah, aren’t you overdoing it?” Trunks said. “You’re jumping to premature conclusions!”
But Bra only gave a dismissive shrug. “Someone needs to say it.”
Her grandfathers gave his youngest daughter a baleful glare. “You’ve gone too far, Bra. You better give Pan an apology right now.”
But Bra only walked away, disinterested in making amends with her niece.
“Impudent brat,” her grandfather muttered to himself. Pan saw where Bra got her ill temper from.
“Excuse me,” an unfamiliar voice said, breaking into the family squabble. To Pan’s surprise, it was Gast Carcolh, the super Namekian from Universe 19. “Perhaps I can give this mess some clarity.”
“How?” Pan asked, staring up at the towering cousin of Uncle Piccolo. Apparently, the Namekian was a fusion of hundreds of different Namekians. They’d done this to repel an invasion of Frieza and his forces.
“I have some understanding of magic. Let me try,” Gast said.
“So you can finally determine if she’s a monster,” Aunt Bra said snidely. Thankfully, everyone ignored her and focused on the super Namekian.
“Don’t worry, this won’t hurt,” Gast said, putting a firm hand on Pan’s head and closing his eyes. It brought back happy memories of when Uncle Piccolo had watched over her during her youth. Gast shared the same kind, powerful presence that told her everything would be okay and that nothing would ever hurt her. While not a child anymore, Pan embraced the Namekian’s kindness, taking comfort in his gentle strength.
“Well?” her dad asked, his voice pensive.
“There’s no evil magic, yet…” Gast’s voice trailed off, trying to gather his thoughts. “Her soul is torn. Something ripped her back from the afterlife.”
“What could do that?” Pan asked, suppressing a shudder. Whenever she thought back to when Bojack snapped her neck, only hazy memories returned. Yet, Pan sensed a hole in herself, a gaping chasm of emptiness. Something important had vanished.
“I’m not sure, I’m afraid.” But Gast’s smile was warm and reassuring. “But you’re not a monster, that I can tell you.”
That was a relief, at least. “What now? Can you restore me to normal?” Pan asked.
“No, I don’t believe so.” Gast frowned and shook his head. “I’m not even certain the Dragon Balls could restore you to normal.”
“What?” Pan said, alarmed.
“Dang it, that’s right,” her father uttered a curse. “They couldn’t Android 17 and 18 back into humans, either.”
“So I’m stuck this way?!” Pan said, panic entering her voice. She didn’t want to be a zombie forever! She’d barely experienced life! Heck, she hadn’t even learned to drive yet!
“But I only said I was uncertain,” Gast said, reading Pan’s sudden panic attack. “The Vargas’s Dragon Balls might differ from the ones I remember on Namek.”
“It’s something,” her father said, suppressing a sigh. But then he grabbed Pan’s shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze. “We’ll fix this somehow. You have my word.”
Pan sniffed and nodded. But Bra gave a dismissive snort, ruining the mood. It raised Pan’s hackles, but she forced herself to ignore her aunt’s rudeness.
“Good news, everyone,” the announcer said. “The Heliorians have done extensive medical scans and found Pan of Universe 16 free of contagion. The tournament will resume in fifteen minutes. Please, everyone, return to your seats. There’s nothing to fear.”
“That’s a relief. Still, that girl freaks me the heck out!” Jeice of the Ginyu Force said, watching Pan with a wary eye.
“Don’t worry, Jeice, I got your back.” King Cold put a supportive hand on the Ginyu Force member’s shoulder. “But you can’t let fear rule you! Take courage! You’re a member of the Ginyu Force, the most elite, invincible warriors in the multiverse!”
“Yeah, that zombies got nothing on us!” Burter said.
“We’ll smash her to pulp!” Recoome’s chest rumbled a low, cruel chuckle.
“Yeah, we’ll show her.” Guldo added.
“Guys.” Jeice teared up, happy his teammates had his back now and always. “The Ginyu Force fears nothing!”
“Now, show then a pose that fill strike fear in the heart of Frieza’s enemies!” King Cold said.
“Right!” Jeice unleashed a scream that would make a rock star proud. “I am Juice of the Ginyu Force!” He struck a pose that equal part ballerina and combat pose. Jeice pointed a finger at Pan. “Listen here, Zombie! I might be out of the tournament, but you better watch your back! Lord Frieza and Lord Cold are gonna obliterate you into dust! They’ll make you regret ever going against the Frieza Force!”
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
“But I haven’t done anything,” Pan replied, sighing.
“That’s the spirit!” King Cold gave the Ginyu Force member a hearty slap on the back, his smile one of a proud parent. He stiffened when he noticed his son giving him a strange look. “Just keeping the men in good spirits. That way, they’ll always be in fighting shape!”
To this, Frieza only shrugged. “Do what you wish. If it works, I suppose I can’t argue against success.”
“We’re also officially declaring Pan of Universe 16 the victor in her fight against Bojack from Universe 6.” The announcer hesitated. “We’ve re-contextualized what it means to be dead.”
“And what the heck is that supposed to mean?” Aunt Bra said, flicking her hair.
“Bull!” the female space pirate Zangya said. She stomped over to the nearest Vargas and glared daggers at him. “You cheated us! Pan died, so Bojack is the winner!”
The Vargas raised his hands in a placating gesture. “Hey, it’s the committee’s ruling. If you want to file a complaint, we have a form to…” But the birdlike alien didn’t get to finish, gagging as a limping Bojack grabbed him by the throat, threatening to break his neck like he’d done to Pan.
“That’s not good enough,” Bojack said, his voice low and threatening.
“Hey! Stop being a sore loser,” Pan rushed to the Vargas’s defense, ready to knock the space pirate into next week. “You lost fair and square.”
“Please.” But Bojack ignored the Vargas’s pleas and squeezed tighter. Pan feared the man’s eyes would pop out from his eye sockets.
“Do you think I’m afraid of you, little girl?” Despite his injuries, Bojack was a frightening, towering foe. His cronies stood behind him, ready to cause some mayhem. “You only won through a fluke. It won’t happen again.”
“That’s enough.” Her grandfather appeared at astonishing speed, grabbing the poor Vargas’s neck with his tree trunk arms. Bojack hissed as the great Vegito applied tight pressure to his arm. “You lost. Accept your loss and go in peace. Or else, I’ll make you.”
“Is that right?” But Bojack grimaced as her grandfathers’ grip tightened to an uncomfortable level. His gang rushed to his defense but flinched as Vegito glared at them.
“Fine.” Bojack released the Vargas. The bird man gasped, sucking in grateful breaths of air.
“Thanks,” the Vargas said gratefully. He glared up at the towering Bojack, his courage rekindled. “For that, Universe 6 is disqualified.”
“What?” Zangya said, outraged.
The Vargas adjusted his robe. “This tournament has rules, and you’re expected to follow them. Leave quietly, or there’ll be trouble.”
“Pity,” Pan said, her smirk triumphant.
“It doesn’t matter. We’re done here,” Bojack said, turning to leave. His posse followed with a silent command, each sneering and outraged.
“This isn’t over,” Zangya whispered as she passed. “Next time I see you, you’re dead, brat!”
But Pan only stared before her mouth quirked into an amused smirk. “But I’m already dead.”
Zangya floundered, her cheeks reddening when she realized she’d said something stupid. The pirate stomped away, fuming, sending Pan death glares as she left. Pan, in return, pulled down her bottom eyelid with a finger and stuck out her tongue. Served her right.
Her father frowned as he watched the space pirates leave. “They’ll be trouble.”
“Let them try. Sounds fun,” Her grandfathers bristled at the prospect of battle.
“If Pan can beat their leader, what trouble will they be?” Bra said, rolling her eyes.
“There won’t be any,” the Vargas said, his tone confident. “We have safeguards in place in case the tournament’s more rowdy guests cause trouble. With our supreme technology and the Gods behind us. Nothing can go wrong.”
“If you say so,” Pan said, forcing a smile. Things had already gone awry with her becoming a zombie.
“Sounds dull,” her grandfather said, turning away. “I was hoping for a little mayhem.”
“Dad, please don’t jinx it,” her father said, his smile pained.
A cough over the loudspeaker caught their attention. “Sorry for the delay, folks, but the next battle is about to begin! Since Universe 10 left the tournament, Tapion from Universe 3 wins by default. So the next match will be Sauza from Universe 8 and Krillin from Universe 9!”
But Pan wandered away, not interested. With her next match against the terrible Cell, she needed to prepare for it. Besides, after the zombie drama, Pan needed some alone time. After waving her family goodbye, she left for the back area.
“Hey, bro, do you think Pan will be okay?” Goten whispered.
“Pan’s strong,” her father said. “Just give her some alone time. I know she can sort it out. She’s my girl, after all.”
“What should I get?” Pan’s hand wavered as she inserted money into the vending machine. This was a moment of truth, and she dreaded learning the answer. “Come on, Pan. You faced Bojack. You can do this!”
Since her fight had ended, uncomfortable truths had struck like a ton of bricks. Not only couldn’t she feel pain, but she had no other sensations either. When she’d cried on her father’s shoulder, none of his loving warmth had touched her.
“Tomato juice?” a voice said. “People actually drink that?”
“Hey, it’s healthy!” Pan replied with a huff. Her uncles had always gotten on her case for drinking it, too. The can landed with an audible clang as it hit the dispenser slot. The can hissed open as she tore open the pull tab.
Her nose picked up no scent. It wasn’t a good sign. Her hand quavered as it moved the can to her lips. But her hesitation turned to resignation, the can dropping to her side untouched. She sniffled, hating her weakness.
“Hey, it’s okay.” Arms wrapped around her, comforting and kind.
“Thanks,” Pan said, regaining some of her composure. She turned around, searching her memory for the girl in question’s name. “Mary Sue?”
“It’s not a problem,” the girl’s dazzling smile brought unexpected warmth to Pan’s heart. She seemed to radiate kindness and beauty, her flowing hair like a river of gold. Mary Sue picked her own drink, a jasmine peach soda, sipping it with relish. “I’m always ready to help a hurting soul.”
“Is it that obvious?” Pan said dejectedly.
“Do you want to talk about it?” Mary Sue asked.
“What’s to say? I’m a zombie now, and everyone thinks I’m a freak. I’ve seen how everyone looks at me. When I was walking down the corridor, people avoided me.” Despite being told otherwise, people still treated her like a plague carrier.
“That’s rough,” Mary Sue said after a moment’s pause. “I can’t say my home treated me any better.”
“What happened?” Pan said, her interest piqued.
The other girl released a mournful sigh. “My father hated me. He blamed me for my mother’s death. She died during childbirth under some grisly circumstances. He put me through hell during my childhood. It wasn’t what you’d call typical.” She refused to go into further details, pain written across her face.
“Oh.”
“It hurt not being loved. My father worked as a mercenary, so I never had any childhood friends. For the longest time, I thought I didn’t need anyone. I had no one, not even friends. But that changed. I met people who looked past my rough, bitter exterior and loved me for who I am.” Mary Sue scuffed Pan’s hair. “You’ll find some too.”
“Thanks. I needed that.” It reminded her her situation wasn’t as bad. She marveled at Mary Sue’s inner strength to withstand such a hardship yet still smile. Pan sipped her drink and grimaced as she tasted nothing but ash. “Seems I can’t eat either.”
“Are you sure it isn’t just the drink?”
“Hey, tomato juice is good!” But she laughed, taking odd comfort from the other girl’s teasing.
“We have finished the first half of the 32nd finales. Let’s begin a lunch break.” The announcer said, his voice echoing through the halls.
“Lunch break, joy,” Was the universe itself mocking her? No doubt, Pan’s family was stuffing their faces to the brim.
“Want to do something? It might be awhile until we’re needed again,” Mary Sue said, catching her new friend’s dark mood. “How about we borrow the universe transporter to go shopping? I know this cute place back in my universe.”
“But isn’t your fight coming up soon?”
“Eh, I wasn’t really interested in the tournament, anyway.” Mary Sue shrugged. “I’d probably just get in the way of true fighters like Goku. He’s the real star of this tournament.”
“You should fight! I want to see it. You look pretty tough!” Pan lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Truthfully, my grandfathers have complained about the lack of strong competition. It’d be nice to see him get surprised for once.” While she loved him, her grandfathers’ ego was mountainous. It’d be nice to see him get knocked down a peg.
“Well, okay,” Mary Sue’s mouth quirked into a smile. “If you want me to, I will!”
“The next fight will be Vegito from Universe 16 against the unknown participant of Universe 20!”
“Oh, it’s grandfathers’ turn to fight.” Pan furrowed her brow. “Unknown participant? What the heck does that mean?”
“Oh! Does that mean we might get a cool crossover?” Mary Sue said, brimming with excitement.
“Crossover?” She listened as Mary Sue rambled off random names she’d never heard of before. Her new friend seemed pretty knowledgeable about whatever she was talking about.
“Or how about Superman? That’s always been a classic matchup!”
“Suppaman?” Pan recognized the name. Her father had been a pretty heated rival with the caped superhero back in his Great Saiyaman days. Didn’t he get his powers from plums or something like that?
“No, Superman. He’s one of the greatest heroes in the multiverse!” Mary Sue practically gushed about the man, touting all his virtues. “He once reversed time by flying so fast that he reversed the Earth’s rotation!”
Before Pan could reply to this obvious absurdity, she gasped as a power beyond anything she’d ever sensed struck her like an anvil. Who could have this sort of power? She screamed in startled surprise as the wall behind her exploded.
---
“What were they thinking?” Lila said, batting away a wild energy attack. South, as usual, was his dependable self, keeping his fellow gods safe. Not that any of them were safe. Broly was nothing more than a wild animal, charged at people at random.
He cared little if they were an ally, bystander, or enemy. The juggernaut only cared about causing wanton destruction. She watched in impotent fury as the legendary Super Saiyan went on a rampage.
But Vegito rushed to meet this impeccable foe, matching the behemoth blow for blow. Despite Broly spiking power, the fused warrior kept him at bay. And the madman wore a grin the entire time. His Saiyan blood peaked at the possibility of a grueling battle.
“This shouldn’t be happening.” Since her universe’s Kais had sworn an oath to protect mortals, they’d stood at the peak, benevolent Gods with unmatched power. Now, she felt like a mewling child.
“Why haven’t they sent him back yet?” South yelled at the nearest Vargas. Despite the beating the fused warrior gave him, Broly’s ki only seemed to climb to greater heights. Was there no limit to his power?
“Apparently, there’s a short in the circuit. The darn thing’s refusing to work.” North said grimly but with some humor. “I should write a strongly worded complaint about their maintenance crew. Sloppy.”
“This isn’t time for jokes, North!” Lila snapped.
“There’s not much we can do. Best let the young Vegito handle this.” But North seemed pleased by this, gladdened that the fused warrior had such power.
But Lila only fumed. First, the outrage of Pan from Universe 16 turning into an undead abomination. Now this? They hadn’t even finished the first round of fights, and already this tournament was slipping through their fingers. They’d killed their Broly as a baby before he became a danger, only for another Broly to become this.
Something needed to be done before something else happened. Mortals need protecting. Not just here, but in all realities. But Lila needed power, power beyond the Gods. But did such a thing exist?
South muttered something about Broly and how they’d killed him as a child because they’d sensed the danger. Lila gave a pat response, but her mind was elsewhere. Thousands of schemes flowed through her head, most discarded seconds later. As Gods, she couldn’t afford any half-measures.
“What a monster family.” Vegito’s daughter entered the fray. Despite the discrepancy in power, she held her own. Wasn’t her name Bra? She was another abomination of sorts, the daughter of a fused mortal. Why had the Gods in her universe even allowed her existence? Like Broly, Lila sensed the instability in her ki. Worse, the girl was brash without any guidance on her behavior. She might become a threat just as dangerous as Broly, possibly even worse.
“Wait.” Her mouth quirked into a smile as an idea cemented in her head.
---
Author’s note.
If you want some more backstory about what’s going on, read chapters 7,8,and 9 of Multiverse. I did my best to explain what was happening behind the scenes, while not getting bogged down in too many unnecessary details. This is Pan’s story after it, and it should revolve around her. You’ll notice Mary Sue is taking a more prominent role in the story. I thought it’d be fun to further develop her character. I have some interesting ideas for her. Besides, I thought it’d be nice to have Pan have a female friend in the story. It wasn’t like Bra would step up to the role.
Next time: Pan vs Buu of Universe 4, can our heroine fight against such a fearsome foe alone? Mary Sue vs. Arale, the terrifying robotic girl. Can anyone match her power?