11.0

"Rhuda's energy..." Goku began, looking at his hairy self from another timeline, "...what do you make of it?"

"She's good."

"I know, but there's something there that isn't...right. Just can't put my finger on it." Goku plopped down on the grass of the Time Nest. His other self and the other Vegeta nodded. "It's almost like she's not all there," he added.

Vegeta's tail flitted. "She's supposed to be dead."

"Eh?!" Both Goku's jolted.

"When our home planet was destroyed, so was she." Vegeta explained. "It's true that we grew up together. Her mother was father's personal concubine. Freiza had his eyes on Rhuda when she was little, and in order to keep that bastard at bay Father...made a peace offering. When Rhuda grew up she'd go to Freiza and serve him. I don't know what was changed in your timeline to cause her to survive."

Goku frowned. "...Beats me. Oh! Vegeta, there you are."

Vegeta stood before SS4 Vegeta. Apparently he'd heard what was said. He answered, "I saved her."

"How?" His other self asked. Vegeta sighed in aggravation. "I found her on his ship. She was his personal--tch, thing. When I broke free of his chains I brought her along."

"Yeah...and from there she went off on her own," Goku nodded in remembrance. He'd never had to fight Rhuda, but she was there when Vegeta was his evil self and wanted to get his hands on the Dragon Balls. She'd helped him, but told them her debt had been served and she wasn't getting in their business. She'd just wanted freedom and since she had it, left in Nappa's ship to find her long lost brother. At the time both Vegeta and Goku thought she was going off to find planets to take over. But when they made it to Planet Vampa she was there.

"In other words none of us know what happened between the time she left for Planet Vampa and found Broly." Goku's other version said. All nodded.

"His planet should have been impossible to find," Vegeta replied. "Hell, I didn't even know of it's existence."

"Hey--wait a minute," Goku interrupted. He jumped up, "Doesn't that mean she's your--uh, hmm..." he crossed his arms in thought.

"We aren't related," Vegeta answered. "Her mother was a concubine. Nothing more. We merely grew up together." His eyes shut, not telling them the entire truth of it. It was the past now and should stay that way.

SKOT walked out from her home. "Oh, there you are. Wait, where's Trunks?"

"Beats me," his father replied. Goku shrugged, while the other versions looked at one another. "He mentioned finding some answers and left," said super saiyan four Goku.

"Tch. That boy..." Vegeta glanced over at Goku, who looked a bit sheepish. "Kakarot has started something. Well, I won't be cleaning up the mess." With that parting statement he left the Nest.

Goku grinned. "Ah ha ha...maybe I shouldn't have teased him so much."

He explained why he was pretending to be Rhuda's boyfriend, which made his other self sigh in disappointment and Vegeta smack his forehead. "Idiot. You do know he's my son," Vegeta replied. "You have no idea what his mind is capable of. If I know him, he's going to figure out your little ruse before the day is up."

"Well if he does that I have no choice but to tell him!" Goku nodded at himself. "By the way...Rhuda seems a bit scared to fight. Every time I even get close she thinks I'm gonna hurt her."

"You heard what my other self said," Vegeta replied. "Probably damaged from staying with Freiza so long. Hell, she isn't the only one." He scowled in recollection.

"Yeah you're probably right." Goku stood and stretched. "Well, I'm getting hungry. Catch you guys later!"

[Parallel Mission Selected: A Day With Divinity]

Rhuda spawned beside Shallot. Their surroundings were a destroyed modern day Earth city, buildings collapsed like pancakes and electric poles sparking against the ground. Before them was one enemy and an ally. Goku Black stood looking pleased, while a blue haired Trunks had his sword drawn not too far from a fallen Mai.

"Your reign of terror ends here, Black!" Trunks said.

Goku Black smirked, then saw the new additions. "It seems you've managed to find two warriors who haven't already been defeated. I look forward to killing them."

Shallot smirked, "Heard that before. Bring it on!"

Rhuda slid behind Shallot. Goku Black had several Health Bars instead of just one like her, and she didn't even have a Special Attack to use against them. "Shallot, this one's too hard," she complained.

"Nah. I'll get him. Just stay back there."

Trunks saw them over his shoulder. "I don't know who you are. But that's not important right now. Get out of here before he kills you, too. I've already lost Mai...I--I can't lose anyone else."

"Think I'll stay." Shallot said. "Looks like fun."

"Idiot!" Trunks jumped to him. "This isn't a game! And you--" he spotted Rhuda, and their tails swaying behind them "---wait, the two of you are saiyans? But how?"

Goku Black narrowed his eyes at them. "They're not supposed to be here. What's the meaning of this? Have the Kai's been made aware of my plan?"

At the incoming attack of Black, Trunks stepped in front of them. "Stay behind me! He's coming!"

Shallot jumped to the air, taking Rhuda with him by the arm. "This will be easy."

As Black vanished and appeared before him, Shallot gave him a few punches that landed, and Black chuckled darkly. His first Health Bar had moved down a peg. "Is that all you pathetic mortals can do? You can't beat me. I am supreme!"

Trunks began an assault, but it wasn't nearly enough. He was easily thrown down time and time again, while Shallot remained on the offensive and didn't let up his attack. "Supreme my ass!" Shallot said, "Take this you sociopath!"

"Emperor's Death Beam!" Shallot roared, aiming his index finger out like a gun. Long red lasers shot out, hit Black, who's guard had broke and took severe damage. The beginning of a yellow bar of Health could be seen. Rhuda gawked; her partner's power was truly outstanding.

Trunks got up from the ground. "You fight well, whoever you are. Alright--help me take him down. I have to get to the past and fix this!"

"Yeah yeah." Shallot smirked over at Rhuda, who was still gawking.

Black began to charge a purple energy around his body. To Rhuda Shallot said, "He's gonna unleash that hand sword. Make sure you don't get hit. Not sure if you'd be one shot or not, and you won't get as much EXP if you go down."

"Right."

Goku Black sneered at them as he thrust his hand downward. Light purple and white energy swirled to create a blade of Ki. "There will be nothing to stop my plans. Divine Retribution will be mine!" He vanished, appearing behind Rhuda, who was hit with several blows.

Shallot began his assault to draw Black back to him, "Super Kamehameha!"

It was quite brutal--

Intense blue energy burst from Shallot's closed hands and hit Black. He was sent several feet away and fell to the ground. His Health Bar had gone to red, and he got up slowly.

"You okay, noodle head?" Shallot asked Rhuda, seeing her Health Bar had only a small dot left. She nodded. "..Ha..ha...yeah."

She quickly used a Healing Aid which brought her Health back up to Max.

Shallot waited for his opponent to regain his senses and said, "Be sure to hit him a time or two."

"I--I have to hit him?!"

Trunks appeared before both of them. "Good work. Your power is tremendous!"

Black was restored. He glared up at Shallot and Rhuda. "You'll pay for that!"

He vanished again--Rhuda, sensing danger, turned and threw her hands up to create a block. She'd been right. Black was there, slicing at her with his hand blade again. The anger in his dark eyes shocked her--how different he was from Goku, how evil his aura was. He pulled his arm back for a final blow when she blasted him with several ki blasts. Black stumbled a moment but wasn't going down without taking Rhuda too, and she prepared to face her maker. Her Health Bar was almost nonexistent.

Trunks appeared between the two of them. He held his blade up and said over his shoulder, "You've fought well. I'll take it from here."

With a slice of his blade arcing across Goku Black, he fell to the ground.

A cut scene began. Trunks bid them farewell and thanked them for everything, leaving in his Time Machine.

[System: Mission Clear!]

[Level Up! +15 Stat Points, +1 Accessory, +1 Sensu Bean Essence, +1 Divine Sword Ability]

Rhuda and Shallot spawned back into the Plaza of Conton. Rhuda was fully healed and breathed a sigh of relief, patting her chest. "I was almost a goner."

"But you weren't! Heh, told you it would be worth it." Shallot grinned widely. "I've done that one a million times."

She swallowed. Shallot didn't know her game rules, how the [System] wouldn't let her come back if she were to be defeated in game. "T-Thank you. I feel stronger now." She bowed properly, much to Shallot's embarrassment. His cheeks darkened and he crossed his arms over his blue armored chest. "Hey enough of that. I'm happy to help. We're friends now, okay?"

"...Friends?"

He nodded. "Yeah. Unless..." he almost nosed her, grinning, "you wanna date me after all?"

Rhuda backed up and turned so he couldn't see how red she was. Shallot was handsome in a boyish way, with thick brown brows and a youthful, tan face. She had visions of touching his body and said over her shoulder, "...I'll think about it."

Trunks couldn't figure out what he was missing. Goku was clearly messing around with him, he knew, and Rhuda didn't look love struck by him. In fact she looked horribly awkward and humiliated. Trunks sighed and ran a hand through his lilac bangs that always got into his eyes. "Why...would they pretend like that? It makes no sense."

He paced back and forth atop a transporter, mulling over what he knew. Rhuda was definetely not the same one he'd met before. Fu was after her, calling Rhuda the Ancient One's vessel. The term vessel implied that she was empty--hollow, or awaiting something else.

Then there was Goku. He'd never acted like that before, and wouldn't do anything to hurt Chichi, so Trunks knew it was all a bluff. But to what end? It was almost as if--as if--

"...Could it be...Goku was trying to make me...jealous?" His head tilted.

He needed more time to figure this out.