27.0

Broly sat Rhuda back down.

The girl caught her breath. She couldn't help but see Shallot in a new light--one that was both confusing and bittersweet. They had known each other after all. And what's more, Shallot had remembered her lost bracelet, even going so far as to ask about it.

Rhuda held her hand to her chest and exhaled softly.

"Sister. Don't fall for him," Broly said.

"I-I'm not. What makes you think that?"

"That look on your face. It's the one you give Trunks." Broly said.

She was quick to change the subject back to getting Equipment. Her time patrol outfit had been destroyed, and as she began to go through all the different choices the robot offered, Rhuda selected a white long sleeve shirt. It appeared to be made of plastic, shining as she turned around. There were thumbholes and it ended just below her breasts.

For bottoms she chose dark grey leggings that had a stripe going down one side in pink.

The outfit was complete with black boots, one buckle on the side.

[System: Change into new Equipment now? Yes / No]

"Yes." She said.

Broly nodded. "Now you match the others."

"Does it look okay?"

"It...is fine. Maybe would be better if the top was longer." He poked her flat abs. "Too much skin."

"Hya! B-Brother, it's just a shirt, nothing like a swimsuit." She said.

As if thinking of her in a swimsuit he said, "Never wear that."

"B-But--what if I want to swim?"

"...No." He said, turning around. "I sense Kakarot."

She looked up and saw a dot approaching. It came down and bright orange blurred past, before tapping down in front of them. "Hi! Broly, there you are! Psst, hey, you heard about the tournament coming up haven't you?" Goku asked.

"No, I have not." Broly said.

Rhuda hadn't heard of it either. "Tournament?"

Goku nodded. "Yep! I'm super pumped for this! We haven't had one since the T.O.P, and this time its just for fun, so I can really go all out!"

"For fun?" Broly asked.

"Yeah. See, me and Vegeta went over to Beerus' world for a bit. Ya know, cause he was getting cranky from being bored. And Whis had this idea that we could have a martial arts tournament with another universe. He went and asked Grandpriest, and they said okay!"

Rhuda had a bad feeling.

"And...who all is supposed to join?" She asked Goku.

"It's a littttttle bit different from before. The battles will be two versus two, and a KO or ringout end the matches."

He hadn't answered her question. Rhuda tugged his shirt top with a pout. "...And who all has to join?"

"Err...w-well, ah ha...everyone?"

"Everyone!" Rhuda shouted. Her tail drooped. With her low level, she'd be out matched in no time. At least the fight wouldn't end in death.

"Yep. Everyone. SKOT said it would be great, since Trunks is busy fixing the simulator. It'll gives us all a chance to train and fight new people." Goku said.

Broly stepped closer to Goku and asked, "Who are these people?"

"Nobody knows yet! Whis is still working that part out."

Rhuda was clearly fretting. Goku and Broly saw how worried she became. Goku pet her head, "Hey. It's not a big deal."

"B-But, you don't get it. You all are super strong, and I'm...not." She said.

"I'll train you! The preliminaries don't start until tomorrow," Goku replied. He gave her a thumbs up. "I'll teach ya the Kamehameha wave. How 'bout it? You in?"

"...O-Ok."

Broly asked Rhuda to fight with him, but Goku butt in. "I-I was actually wanting to see if ya wanted to fight with me. It'd make it super fun!"

Her brother pouted. "Who will battle with Rhuda?"

"Uhh...well, how about Vegeta?" Goku asked.

Broly sighed.

Goku and Broly both looked up and saw Vegeta descend. He wore a scowl on his face and said, "Of course. I should have known. You're already trying to rope him in."

Goku giggled. "Two great minds think alike."

"Tch!" Vegeta grabbed Brolys arm and said, "He's going to fight with me. You've had your turn!"

"Aww..." Goku pouted childishly. "But that's not fair! I'm his Instructor!"

"I don't care."

Broly and Rhuda looked at one another, then to the fighting saiyans. Goku and Vegeta argued back and forth until her brother put one hand on Gokus head, the other on Vegetas. "I...will decide." He said.

"Fine." Vegeta said.

"Alrighhhht," Goku added.

Broly pointed to Rhuda. "I'm going to be with Rhuda."

Goku and Vegeta fell over.

The girl tucked to her brother and giggled. "I think they want you on their side."

"But who will fight with you?" He asked.

"Uhm...Shallot, then?" Rhuda suggested. Her brother didn't like that answer. He growled and frowned down at her, "No."

Rhuda had been hoping it would be Shallot who would fight with her, as he was a real life player and also had MAX stats. But seeing how adamant Broly was against it, she said, "Ok, then. I'll...choose Trunks."

"He can't enter." Vegeta said.

"Eh?"

"He's leader of the Time Patrol. Someone has to oversee Conton in case of attack." Vegeta told her.

"Oh..."

"I know! Whoever wins Rock Paper Scissors can fight with Broly," Goku said. They all agreed. So Vegeta, Goku and Rhuda began round one of Rock Paper Scissors. It ended with a tie.

"Y-You!" Vegeta shook his fist, "You saw what I was going to do and changed it!"

"No, no, you've got it all wrong," Goku replied.

"I was just guessing myself," Rhuda said to them.

Another round began. This time, Rhuda lost with her Paper, covered by Vegeta and Gokus' Rock.

The last round commenced. Goku and Vegeta slowly threw their fingers, Goku choosing Scissors, and Vegeta choosing Paper.

"Argh! Dammit! I was so close!" Vegeta said.

Goku hopped up and down on his boots. "Yes! Woohoo! Eat it, Vegeta! I won fair and square!"

In response Vegeta chased him around Conton.

Broly sighed in defeat, watching his two friends having a good time. He appeared to be downtrodden about the results. "It's okay, brother, you can fight with them. I'll find someone strong." Rhuda told him.

"Shallot is strong, but..."

"But what?"

"He likes you too much."

They were back to square one.

***

***

***

***

Trunks wiped sweat from his brow. He was hard at work demantling the simulator, and there were parts of it scattered around everywhere. Despite being quite bulky one could barely see his leather back stooping over it, carefully placing each part aside. "Almost to the main core," he said.

His mother poked her head in the LAB, seeing her genius son working hard. "Hey, son, how is it coming along?" Bulma asked.

"Oh, mom. I'm just finishing getting these parts sorted. Are you taking a break?"

Bulma nodded. "Yeah. Funny thing happened, Piccolo came by."

Trunks stopped what he was doing and gave Bulma his full attention. "Piccolo?"

"Yeah. He had something important to say and wanted to talk with you, but I told him how busy you are, so he told me instead." Bulma took a big breath and added, "I don't know how to tell you this. But promise you won't be upset."

"...That bad, huh." Trunks said.

"I'm afraid so. It seems that your...girlfriend was caught last night at the Nest with Zamasu, of all people."

"She what?"

Chisato and Zamasu? Together? Trunks swallowed a lump.

"Did he say what they were doing there? Maybe she got lost," Trunks said.

Bulma shook her head. "...Sorry, son, but according to Piccolo she was trying to go off and find the Super Dragon Balls with him."

That couldn't be right. Chisato wouldn't do such a thing. She was too sweet and innocent to get mixed up with Zamasu. There had to be an explanation.

Trunks nodded slowly and said, "Thanks...for telling me. I'll talk with her, see what I can find out. She's not the type to do something like that. It doesn't make sense."

"Well, with her dorm partner being Zamasu, I'm not suprised he's talked her into something crazy." Bulma sighed and walked out, looking over at her ashen faced son with a sad smile. "I'm sure it's not as bad as it seems."

"Yeah. I hope so."

After she left, Trunks stood motionless. He shut his eyes as a tight knot grew in his belly. Why would Rhuda be partnered with Zamasu? Everyone knew how insane he was, how all he wanted to do was kill mortals. Just how had he convinced Rhuda to go along with it? Force? Coercion? Some unknown Kai ability? Trunks didn't know, but intended to find out.

The simulator would have to wait.

***

***

***

"One more time! Give it allll you got!" Goku cheered.

Rhuda bent down and did the stance Goku had shown her for the Kamehameha wave, and grit her teeth. "Okay. I...can do this. I can do this!"

"That's the spirit!"

Vegeta and Broly watched in their present day Earth as Goku trained Rhuda just outside his small home. Already the trees had been split downward with her past attempts, but handling energy like that was hard. She had to really focus to form a ball, and even more to keep it going.

With a slow exhale she pushed her energy from her body and towards Goku. A blue beam shot out, scattered, and formed again, heading for the dark haired saiyan. He caught it in his hands and was skid back in the dirt. There was a look of surprise on his face. "Huh. It was better than the last time, but I wonder why it's going all over the place."

Vegeta said, "She's letting down her power right after releasing. Try again Rhuda, and this time imagine blowing his head off."

"Hey now," Goku pouted, "That's a little harsh. How about just scratching me."

"Okay." Rhuda sighed and focused again.

To the left of her eyesight was a [Ki] arrow. It was swinging upwards over and over, letting her know to push her hands out. Rhuda got into the stance and locked onto Goku and began charging her energy. Afterwards she yelled, "Kamehameha!!" And thrust at Goku. He smirked seeing that it was a direct hit at last, and wasn't going all over.

Goku caught it and aimed it to the sky. Then he clapped his hands. "Nice one! You did it, Rhuda! I knew you could."

A happy laugh came out of her mouth. It shocked everyone; for she had never laughed like that around them. Goku had a gentle smile as he said, "Feels good huh. Imagine how strong you can get when you try."

"Mhm!"

Vegeta walked over to Goku. "Now it REALLY begins. You're going to face both of us. If you hold back, I won't. Remember that!"

Rhuda gulped. The training had just been taken way, way higher in difficulty without any preperation. At least she had a Healing Aid equipped still.

Goku smirked, jumped a few feet away and got ready for whatever she was going to do. Vegeta simply stood waiting.

"O-Okay. H-Here goes!" She said.

As soon as she took off towards Vegeta, he vanished and punched her in the stomach. It wasn't as hard as he could do but still enough that she coughed, stunned.

Rhuda countered with a fist in his chin. He jumped back, waiting, as Goku bent and said, "Kamehameha!"

Shit!

She barely avoided the blast, and saw behind her that the trees were all gone. It could have been her.

"Keep your eyes...on your enemy!" Vegeta said and kicked her. She skid away, Goku closing in and throwing fast jabs. Her arms rose and deflected them but couldn't see any weakness.

Then she'd need to make one.

His face was close. She could see that Goku was fast, and would parry anything her limbs could do. So she headbutt him.

Goku backed away and held his forehead. "Ow! Hey, that hurt!"

She had made an opening.

Rhuda dove to his torso and rammed her fists over and over into his hard abs.

Vegeta appeared and yanked her ankle away and slung her off to the sky. She twirled around, and bumped into Goku, who had used Instant Transmission. He grabbed her shoulders and said, "I still like ya, you know. Don't take this personal!"

His kneed her spine.

Pain ran up it as she cried out, unable to move due to his crushing clamp on her shoulders. Goku stopped and leaned, "You have to fight back! Or else the enemy will keep doing--this!" Again he kneed her.

"Hya! I-It hurts!" She whimpered.

Goku let her go. "...Sorry. I'm just trying to toughen you up."

Rhuda began to cry.

"H-Hey now, er, aw man...maybe I went too far." Goku stroked her head. "It's alright."

Vegeta scowled from the ground. "Great. Kakarot went and made her cry."

Broly growled. He had about all he could take of letting them train, and said, "Enough."

"B-But--" Goku waved his arms, "I didn't do it super hard!"

A brothers glare could be frightening. Goku rubbed the back of his head and said, "Ok, ok. That's good for now I guess. Let's get you healed up, Rhuda."

He tugged her to him and teleported to Broly, who snatched her away like she was his favorite toy.

"Uuu..." the girl cried, clinging to her giant teddy bear. Broly nuzzled her comfortingly, like an animal, and gave her a sensu bean. After taking it however, she was still crying.

Goku, Vegeta and Broly looked at one another and then at tiny Rhuda. The first to speak was Broly who asked, "Why...are you sad?"

She shook her head and answered cutely: "I wanna be s-strong like you guys, but I don't think I'll ever be--hic--I wanna win--and, and fight too--but I'm not a great fighter..uuu.."

It was hard to hear that and not have ones heart strings pulled. Vegeta and Goku both shook their heads. "Listen." Vegeta said, "...You're already a great fighter. All you need is time."

Goku nodded. He rubbed the back of her head and chuckled. "He's right. You could totally take me if I was a kid again. You should be proud of how far you've come."

She looked at them with doe eyes, lip trembling. Giant crystal tears fell down her tan cheeks. She nodded. "...T-Thank you."

Vegeta and Goku smirked. " Well? How about it? Ready to try again?"