ratsoftobruk | Call Me Out!

[ He still doesn't believe this is really happening.

It's been a week or so since the fight -- since the radical transformation occurred, and he gained more power in moments than he ever had in all his years of fighting with his people. It's mind-bggling; even now, he isn't entirely sure how it happened, and trying to tap and control has been a challenge to say the least.

He doesn't understand why he's here, though. None of this makes sense -- the time travel, the past of planet Vegeta, Frieza's supposed ancestor -- it all feels like a weird dream that he'll wake up from at any moment and find himself in Hell.

He tries to keep something of a routine, however. He eats, he trains, he sleeps. Berry comes to visit him, and he tolerates the boy's presence because it's grounding. He thinks about the tales of the legendary Super Saiyan, how he went mad and destroyed himself, and Bardock wonders if that will happen to him too.

His entire life is gone. His people, his comrade, his wife and sons... Some days, it feels like his sanity hangs on the edge of a knife blade, just waiting to shatter into pieces. The mundane keeps him occupied, but it may also drive him crazy if he has to live with it for any length of time. ]

[It's been a hell of a week. Two weeks, actually. Gi-ne had been having a rather pleasant afternoon at the meat dispensary on that fateful day, wondering how Kakarrot's trip was going and when Raditz would be returning home with the prince. Everyone had been a little curious as to why Frieza's ship was hovering over the planet so menacingly and it had been the subject of a lot of gossip in the kitchens, until rumours of Bardock running around like a lunatic talking about how they were all about to die had replaced them.

Those rumours had actually been a bit more concerning than the ones about Frieza.

She'd been outside looking for him when she'd felt the searing heat. Heard the screams start, seen all the warriors nearby caught off guard instinctively fire off their own ki blasts trying to force back the mass of energy heading towards them, screamed herself as the worst pain she'd ever felt had begun. It hadn't lasted long.

Then she'd woken up on the other side of the planet, badly injured but alive. Alive and very alone. It had taken several days to recover to the point that she could fly and longer still to travel far enough to find any signs of life. This had been especially difficult without a scouter and the familiar-yet-not terrain. But, eventually, she had come across a small village of strange aliens (confirming that despite the superficial similarities, this was not actually Planet Vegeta. These creatures would have been eaten by now if there were any saiyans living there). They had been surprisingly friendly, especially after seeing her tail and armour (another odd thing considering the usual reaction), and pointed her in the direction of someone who looked "like her". Another saiyan. And so she flew off again, ready to be happy at the sight of any other saiyan and keen to figure out what the hell was going on.

When she finally comes across Bardock doing push ups outside some cave, like they're not currently going through the wierdest shit ever, she'd like to say that she's surprised but honestly she's too exhausted to lie.]

... Bardock, what the fuck?

[Surprise, it's your wife hovering in the air nearby?]

[ It shouldn't surprise her at all, really. Bardock has never been one to show much whenever things have bothered him, and at the moment, he's doing the best he can not to think about anything. His own wounds have mostly healed from the last battle he was in so he's mostly just stretching and working out to make sure everything is, in fact, in proper working order.

Shock is a rare enough expression on his face (or used to be), but something in him snaps when he hears her voice.

Bardock jerks his head around, eyes wide as he leaps to his feet. He must be seeing things, in fact he's certain that he is, for a moment. Except the visions were never like this, never quite so real, but he doesn't quite dare to hope.

Not just yet. ]

Gi-ne...?

Edited 2015-04-08 20:12 (UTC)

[Gi-ne snaps too, but in the form of a flying kick to the jaw as she descends quickly. It's been a rough two weeks. How real does that feel, Bardock?]

Where the hell have you been? Bardock, I've been looking everywhere for you for weeks! [Or well, twenty minutes. Then the planet blew up and "Bardock" rapidly extended to "anyone at all". Even seeing those alien villagers (because that was surely what they were) had been a relief, just to know that she wasn't alone on the planet or in Hell or something.

Her injuries have mostly healed- she hasn't had the benefits of soft beds or healing spooge but she knows how to take care of herself. But the panic and confusion as she tried to make sense of what had felt like her very abrupt end had been... an experience. Part of her was sure that the blast that had enveloped her back then was in the process of destroying the whole planet. She may not have the power to destroy a planet on her own, but she's seen it done once before and it isn't something you forget. But the other part of her was sure that was impossible- she was alive, wasn't she?

Lost and alone for a time, she'd begun to doubt that.

Whether or not her kick makes contact she'll sink down onto the ground, facing Bardock with clear relief. Everything will be okay now that he's here.] Bardock...

[ The flying kick doesn't hurt nearly as bad as it might have, but it's enough to knock him on his back. The shock hasn't worn off, not enough to block, and it rattles him enough to assure him that, yes, this is really happening.

Sitting up, Bardock rubs his jaw and...stares, for all intents and purposes like he's seen a ghost. Everyone died on Planet Vegeta, or at least they should have, and he's as baffled about Gi-ne's apparent survival as he was (and still is) about his own. What could have happened, how did this happen...? He has no answer, not to any of his questions, and as grating as that is, the relief upon seeing her and realizing that it really is Gi-ne overtakes anything else.

He reaches out to touch her fare, gently, like he's afraid she'll disappear. ]

Gi-ne....

[ You really are here. ]

[Well, she wasn't trying to hurt him so much as release some of her frustration over the situation. It's a love tap, really. Plus, he looked like he needed it]

[Gi-ne sighs and rests her forehead against Bardock's chest, kneeling on the ground next to him and happy to let him touch whatever he wants.]

I thought I was the only one. [She should be dead. He should be dead. She barely knows what happened, can only guess, but everyone should be dead. ]

I'm so glad...

[ It isn't often that Bardock finds himself at a loss. He's always been decisive, on the battlefield and in every other aspect of his life. Right now, he feels none of that, only a sad uncertainty and reluctance to believe something good has really happened.

She rests against him, and after a moment, Bardock's reciprocates - holds her carefully like she might break.

He doesn't say much. In truth, he doesn't know what to say. He thought he was alone here, but instead, a light has brightened his world, a place that would otherwise be dark and grim. ]

I thought I lost you.

[ You and everyone else. ]

[For Gi-ne it's just pure relief. She's not alone. She's better than "not alone", she has Bardock. Bardock always knows what to do. Most of the time. ]

I thought I lost me for a while there. [Does that make sense?] One minute everything's normal, the next everything is on fire and then I wake up in the middle of nowhere on- on a shittier version of Vegeta or something.

[Pulls back a bit, a little concerned by how lightly Bardock is holding her, to put her hands on either side of his face and look into his eyes.] Are you okay?

[ It does make sense. Bardock thought he was a goner too, or that he'd somehow ended up in Hell when he woke up. He doesn't know how either of them survived the explosion and ended up here, but for the moment, he doesn't care.

He stares at her when her hands from his face, eyes far away before he focuses on her. There are far too many thing running through his mind that he doesn't want to think about now.

Again, he touches her cheek. ]

I'm fine.

[ Shaken, scarred by the events that consumed the last days of his life, but otherwise just fine. He blinks once, and his expression clears. ]

Gi-ne...do you know what happened?

[She can tell he's not fine, whatever he says but- well, so long as he's not actually injured she can sort that out later. He'll open up gradually, she knows. Besides, she can hardly blame him.]

[Gi-ne shakes her head, no she doesn't know. But she's had two weeks with nothing to do but put the pieces together in her head, what few she has.] ... Frieza?

[He's the only one who had enough power. The only one who would.]

[ Very gradually. He's not good at this thing called 'having feelings', and honestly, there's a whole lot he's suppressing right now for the sake of not having to deal with everything at once.

She mentions Frieza, and just like that, his body goes tight, like a bowstring fit to snap. Though he did savor his victory over the tyrant's supposed ancestor, it didn't change the fate of their planet.

His answer, when he manages it, is soft. ]

Yeah.

He was coming for us, and I tried to rally the others.

[ Keyword there being "tried". ]

I went to face him, but...

[ Well. She saw the conclusion for herself. ]

Edited 2015-04-09 23:16 (UTC)

[Gi-ne tries to stay impassive. The first part isn't really a surprise, she'd guessed that much. But then her grip on him tightens and she can't mask her concern.]

You fought Frieza?! [HONEY, NO!] Bardock, you could have been killed! [Well, he almost was... And it's not like he had any other options, she guesses, but-]

[She scrunches her eyes shut and shakes her head.] He tried to blow up the planet and wipe us out. I don't get it, why would he...

He killed my crew, Gi-ne.

[ The answer comes out sharper than he means it too, rage he still hasn't managed to tame or let go of bleeding into his voice and posture. His hands curl into fists, and he has to take a breath to reign himself back in. ]

His elites ambushed them on a mission before I got there. Killed them, after all our hard work.

[ He knows why now, too. Understands it as he didn't quite before. ]

That freak was scared of us, Gi-ne. Of how strong we might become.

[ Bardock grits his teeth, and those the words leave a bitter taste in his mouth, he can't help but say them. ]

He was right to be afraid.

He- [Gi-ne pulls back a bit, both in response to Bardock's "sudden" anger and her own grief. She hadn't been as close to the team as Bardock had, hadn't fought alongside them. But she'd known them and cared about them and considered them her friends. Her eyes dart up to Bardock's headband, the scent of blood suddenly seeming relevant.]

... W-well, obviously he was- [The usual saiyan bravado isn't quite as effective with a stammer.] ... Bardock, what do you mean?

[ It isn't as effective, no, but he doesn't really expect it from her. Gi-ne has always been soft, a fighter in her own right but unsuited to the grisly lifestyle of most other Saiyans. It grew on him after a while, and he wouldn't trade his mate for anyone or anything.

Some of the tension seems to leave him, and after a moment, Bardock lifts Gi-ne off himself quietly and stands. He can only hope she won't be afraid. ]

This is what I mean...Gi-ne.

[ It takes a moment for him to remember exactly what it was like. The pain, the rage that caused him to transform that first time. He can't maintain it for long now, not yet, but the when the surge of power comes, he grasps it and holds on.

The golden glow comes again, like fire, and envelops him. His hair and eyes change, and the transformation comes with a yell before he settles.

New-found power crackles around him, and he stares at his mate through the eyes of a changed man.

A Super Saiyan. ]

[She thinks she knows what's about to happen, as she sees Bardock begin to power up and she starts to stand as well. He had been injured, had nearly died, and now he's recovered and is stronger for it. She's about to gently remind him that not only will it not likely be enough to kill Frieza just yet (she's not risking losing him now), but that she doesn't have a scouter with her and will likely need a better demonstration than this.

But then the blast of golden energy knocks her back onto the ground and she's reduced to staring at her mate, shocked to the core and in awe of what she's seeing. She's a little frightened at first by the sudden change but that quickly fades when something inside her responds at an instinctual level to the sight before her. She can feel the energy emanating from Bardock in a way she never has before from anyone and every story she ever heard as a child echoes through her brain.]

[It takes a full minute for her to respond but when she does it's in a hush whisper:] Super Saiyan.

Edited 2015-04-10 01:34 (UTC)

[ It really is an awesome sight.

Bardock lets out a slow, easy breath and relaxes just slightly. The transformation came a bit easier this time, and more than likely, he will get better with practice.

He looks at Gi-ne, finally, and he can see it in her eyes that she understands. The legend that all of them knew, that they someday hoped they would achieve. For Bardock, it is at once an honor and a bitter-sweet accomplishment.

With this sort of power, he could have defeated Frieza, and he knows it. It just came much too late.

He closes his eyes briefly and nods. ]

That's right.

It's real... [Slowly, Gi-ne starts to smile, barely believing her eyes.] Bardock, it's you!

[She scrambles to her feet and nearly rushes forward to touch him before she stops herself, a strange nervousness holding her back.] The Legendary Super Saiyan... Of course it'd be you!

[Right now she isn't thinking about the bad timing, of everything they've lost, completely distracted by her pride and amazement.]

... A real live Super Saiyan! [She might need a minute.]

[ Oh, it's real all right. He wasn't quite sure he believed it himself until it actually happened.

Bardock looks at Gi-ne, her enthusiasm, and wishes he could smile. The power of this transformation is awesome, but he wishes he'd had it sooner.

After a moment, he lowers his eyes. ]

I failed our people, Gi-ne.

[ The golden glow fades, and his hair settles in its regular black hue. He shakes his head. ]

It's the power we always looked for, but it didn't come when we needed it the most.

[ All he can think about is what they've lost, and it's starting to show. ]

I'm sorry.

[Gi-ne's excitement dies down a little at that and she watches him a little helplessly. Depressed Bardock is a little new.]

You don't know that. [It's the first thing she can think of saying and it just blurts out.] We're alive, aren't we? We can still fight and it can't just be us two.

[At least she hopes not. Yeah, they're definitely not! At the very least, she can think of three young saiyans specifically that might be worth looking for.]

You didn't fail anyone, Bardock, you did everything you could. [...] At least you actually fought back.

[ He doesn't like feeling like this. Like every step he takes is in a different direction, and he has no idea where he's going. They're both lost, if not in space, than in time. There's no way to get that he can think of, and the visions that he had so close to the end have gone oddly silent.

Bardock sits down on the ground again and looks...aggravated. Not at her, but with the circumstances in general. He's always been able to solve any problems they had; now, he doesn't think he can. ]

We're alive, but we shouldn't be.

[ It's a negative thing to say, but it's the truth, and he doesn't feel like sugar-coating it. ]

Do you know what the natives here call this planet, Gi-ne? They call it planet Plant. [ The old name of planet Vegeta. ] We're here, but everything is....wrong.

[ His hands clench, and he looks down. ]

I don't know what happened to us, but we can't just jump in a ship and get back to where we were.

[Gi-ne hesitates but then sits down next to him, side by side, and covers his hands with her own. Nothing makes sense and she's worried about a lot of things. However, only one of them is currently within reach so she'll just focus on trying to comfort that one while she makes sense of all this.]

Planet... Plant. [She hasn't heard their home be referred to by that name since she was a little girl. Not since King Vegeta had come into power.] ... Have they been living under a rock for the past few decades or something?

[She looks away from him to gaze out at their surroundings. Of course she'd recognised it, but it had seemed so different at the same time. Not to mention that there aren't any other intelligent species on Vegeta, not for years, and none as friendly and weak as those villagers in centuries. This is her home but it's- ]

... Like another time.

[ Bardock looks at the hands enveloping his own, and there is some comfort to be found in that. Heartbreak and sorrow are alien feelings to a race of warriors, and so most of what he does feel is tied to a deep-seated rage and sense of helplessness. He understands better than ever now why he was given psychic powers -- it was a punishment, not a gift, to see a future he couldn't change no matter how hard he tried.

He sits quietly, lets Gi-ne piece things together for herself before he finally says anything. ]

It is the past, Gi-ne. I don't know how or why, but it is.

I didn't believe it at first, but I ran into someone the other day who looked just like Frieza - his ancestor, I would guess.

[ He rests his forehead against their hands and just...stays like that for a while. ]

This isn't something I know how to fight.

The past? For real?

[OF ALL THE ASININE BULLSHIT no but seriously what the fuck. What a cheap plot device. It's not that she doubts Bardock, of course. She's always followed his lead and believed in him with only the occasional protest. Plus... Even if he had gone mad, would this really be the story he'd come up with?

But for real, what the fuck.] ... No wonder you're freaking out.

[Gi-ne leans her head on Bardock's shoulder, still holding his hands. Man, now she could use some comfort too.]

Call Me Out!

WAIFU!!!

HUSBANDO!!!!

flies to!!

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