“Bra, what have you done?” her grandfather said, voice steely. His posture promised violence if he didn’t get the right answer.

  “Yeah, explain,” her father-as-Piccolo said, arms crossed like his mentor’s trademark posturen. But Goku only frowned, giving Libra a hard, disapproving stare. Somehow, he had guessed something like this might happen.

  “I can’t believe how powerful she is,” Uub said, fist trembling.

  “I don’t have to explain anything. And the name is Libra,” the accused replied. “Gast chose his bed and suffered the consequences for it.”

  “And that consequence must be death? Just for disagreeing with you?” East Supreme Kai said, his mouth in a hard frown. “We’re meant to protect the innocent, Libra.”

  “Typical self-righteous fool talk. They preach about wanting to protect everyone, but they’re even greater monsters than the ones they vanquish,” Buu said, giving a mournful shake of the head. This earned a glare from East Supreme Kai.

  “Gast is hardly innocent. Besides, why are you so concerned? The Dragonballs will wish him back soon enough,” Libra said.

  “You’ve gone too far, Bra!” Her grandfathers got in his daughter’s face, towering over her.

  Unlike Bra, Libra didn’t cringe under the great Vegito’s scrutiny. Instead, her smug smile daring him to try something. “I’m not the helpless child you once made me, Father. I’ve grown into something you can’t control. Vegito, I’ve outgrown you.” She pushed past her father like he was a wayward pedestrian getting in her way, never giving her father a second thought after the incident.

  “That girl…” Her grandfathers’ temper exploded, lifting a hand to strike his disobedient child. But he thought better of it, turning in disgust.

  “What is wrong with her?” Pan’s remaining hand clenched into a fist, furious at her aunt. Gast had been nothing but kind to everyone, and Libra had executed him.

  “And that’s it for today. The semifinals will begin tomorrow morning. In the meantime, please enjoy our resort’s restaurants and casinos! We have a 10-percent deal off everything tonight, so please invite a friend!”

  The announcer’s voice sounded desperate, like his life depended on how much his visitors spent. Considering how few of the audience members remained, the Vargas were desperate to recoup any losses.

  “In the meantime, tournament fighters, please enjoy the feast we’ve laid out for you—though there will be a small fee for using the banquet going forward.”

  “What? They’re charging us now?” Goku said, baffled.

  “We didn’t bring any money with us!” Vegeta from Universe 13 said, furious.

  “Yeah, you didn’t charge us before!” Nappa said, getting in a Vargas’ face. He looked ready to snap the bird alien’s neck.

  “I’m sorry, sir, but with recent difficulties, we’ve been sadly forced to rescind our free banquet policy. But fear not—we’re more than happy to give you a loan to pay later,” the Vargas replied, tone apologetic.

  When Pan floated over Universe 13’s shoulder to see the terms of the loan the Vargas had given them, she gasped in shock. That interest rate was downright predatory, forcing the poor sod tricked into signing it to pay almost double the cost of the loan. Were the Vargas interdimensional loan sharks now?

  “You have got to be kidding me.” Vegeta of Universe 13 clenched the paperwork hard enough to cause deep creases, almost tearing the paper. “This is outrageous!”

  “We aren’t running a charity, sir,” the Vargas replied. “I’m afraid it’s the best we can do.”

  “You’re even charging for water?” Uncle Piccolo said, his voice tight. The Vargas he spoke to gave a halfhearted, insincere apology.

  “Gee, they really want their money back,” Little Pan said.

  “Apparently.” At least show some shame about it.

  “It’s times like this I’m glad I don’t need to eat,” Yamcha said, walking up to them.

  “I suppose.” Though, it brought up an interesting point—would Pan rather eat and get charged through the nose for it, or stay unable to eat? It was a depressing point to consider.

  “Poor little Vargas, still trying to maintain their control,” Buu said, amused.

  Buu extended his hands. “Fear not! I will provide the food for the banquet. It would be a pity if someone went hungry.”

  With a snap of his fingers, the tournament arena morphed into a little fair area, filled with dozens of different booths. A Buu manned each stall, cooking all sorts of different foods from dozens of cultures—some Pan didn’t recognize. Despite being unable to smell or eat, it made Pan’s mouth water, cruelly tempting her with something she couldn’t have.

  “What?! You can’t do that!” a Vargas said, outraged.

  “Thank goodness, I’m starving!” Goku said, running over to the nearest stall. It provided all sorts of dumplings, dozens in flavor.

  “Uh, are we sure we can trust this, Grandpa?” Little Pan said, giving Buu the stink eye. But her words didn’t even cause Goku to falter a single step.

  “Like I would poison you,” Buu said. “Please, enjoy!”

  “I suppose he won’t,” her father from Universe 18 said before rushing over.

  “Seems we don’t need this then.” Vegeta from Universe 13 tore the loan contract to pieces, much to the Vargas’ obvious dismay, and joined the fair. To add insult, Nappa purposely trampled the torn contract with his dirty boots.

  “No! Come back! We can renegotiate the terms of the loan!” But the Vargas’ pleas fell on deaf ears. This earned an amused smirk from Pan. Served them right.

  Soon, the fair arena bustled with activity as the tournament-goers enjoyed the facilities Buu had provided. Pan wished she’d brought her yukata—a cute pink thing with floral print. Though, as only an arm and a severed head, wearing it would be difficult.

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  From what her alternate self described, it was some of the best food she’d ever had. There were even carnival games to play. Pan herself won a cute giant teddy bear, almost twice her size, at a ring toss game. She enjoyed herself despite being unable to eat. Even the Kais enjoyed the festivities, despite their initial suspicions of Buu.

  “Ha! I win, Kakarot!” Vegeta said, beaming as he defeated Goku at a shooting game. From his tone, he treated it like his rival had suffered a crushing defeat he’d never recover from. Goku, naturally, took this in stride, his lack of caring irritating Vegeta to no end.

  “Ha! Take this!” Anpan said, taking delight in shooting every of the little moving duck in her line of sight, acting as if she was enacting some terrible massacre. People gave her nightmare counterpart a wide birth, but Buu only stared fondly at her like a proud parent.

  “Dang it!” Pan frowned as the goldfish broke through her net, flopping back into the water.

  “Too bad!” the Buu manning the stall said. “Would you like to try again?”

  “Yes!” Pan said, frustrated. She scowled as the fish broke through her paper net again. It shouldn’t be this hard.

  “Try again,” a familiar voice said. It was her alternate grandfather, Goku. “This time, don’t overthink it. Use your instincts to sense the fish’s location, then gently scoop it out. Not too quick.”

  “Okay.” Pan followed Goku’s advice, beaming as the goldfish dropped into the bowl. “I did it!”

  “Good work! That was amazing, Pan!” Goku said, beaming like a proud parent.

  “I got so many!” Pan said, presenting her bowl swarming with goldfish.

  “Me too!” Little Pan showed her bowl, hers filled with even more. She was astonishingly lucky at this game.

  “I don’t believe this! I haven’t caught a single one!” Vegeta said, holding his empty bowl.

  “You need to be more patient, Vegeta,” Goku replied.

  “I know what I’m doing, Kakarot! I don’t need your advice!” Vegeta snapped back.

  “Good work! You deserve a prize!” Buu gestured to the various toys, stuffed animals, and masks on display.

  “I want this one!” Pan used her remaining arm to put the mask of a grasshopper-like superhero on her face.

  “This one!” Little Pan picked a tengu mask. They laughed as they looked at how ridiculous their counterpart looked.

  “Thanks for the advice, um… Grandpa.” Pan was always unsure how to address her grandfathers’ fusion component.

  “That was an impressive fight you had with Vegeta,” Goku replied, beaming. “You’ve really grown since your fight with Bojack. You too, Pan.”

  This earned a blush from both Pans, embarrassed by the praise. Still, Pan’s undead heart fluttered with excitement. When she’d entered this tournament, she’d never thought she’d end up in the semifinals.

  “Still, I’m almost certain I’ve hit my limit,” Pan said.

  “Why’s that?” Goku asked.

  “Uub won’t fall for the trick I used on Vegeta.” Pan’s comment earned a scowl from the person in question, who pretended he hadn’t heard her. Would she even get used to her new android body in time? And that wasn’t even considering Buu or Libra, whom she’d face in the finals if she won.

  “That’s a pickle,” Goku replied. “But that’s what makes it fun—seeing how far you’ll get despite the odds. I’ve faced many fights I was almost certain I wouldn’t win, but I gave it my all regardless. And who knows? The results might surprise you.”

  “I suppose so,” Pan said with a lighter heart. For whatever reason, Goku always made her feel warm—like she could accomplish anything if she put her mind to it. It amazed her how much he reminded her of her father. It was a far cry from Vegito. While welcoming enough, he’d always kept a cold distance from everyone else.

  “There you are,” Yamcha said, waving. Beside him stood Android 16 and Trunks from Universe 12. Yamcha winked at her. “We’d better get started. Hopefully this works out.”

  “I will offer my assistance as well. “I would be honored to help Goku’s granddaughter,” Android 16 said.

  “While I’m not my mom, I have some technical knowledge,” the future Trunks said.

  “I have the specifications of every android in my memory banks. It was a contingency plan if Doctor Gero ever got destroyed,” Android 16 added.

  “Well, there you go! It seems it will all work out,” Goku said.

  “You speak too soon, Kakarot. Let’s see if they can actually pull this off,” Vegeta said, arms crossed.

  A flash of annoyance appeared on Trunks’ face, but it quickly disappeared. “We’ll be sure not to disappoint you.”

  Little Pan’s aura flared, and she transformed into Super Saiyan 2. “And I’ll be there to help you train so you’re used to your new body!”

  “Thanks, guys,” Pan said, tears glistening in her undead eyes. It amazed her she had such friends to help her despite her curse.

  ///

  “Is everything okay, Uub? You seemed rather out of it,” Goku said, scooping some sushi into his mouth. Plates and plates sat before him, each that had once held dozens of different dishes. His sensei had visited every stall in Buu’s fair twice. Yet, somehow the stalls never ran out of food, despite having to feed several hungry Saiyans.

  In contrast, Uub had only a half-finished plate, barely touched. Unlike his mentor, he had little of an appetite.

  “You won’t have the energy to fight Pan tomorrow if you don’t eat,” Goku said, his concern apparent.

  “I’ve had a lot on my mind lately.” Uub shuddered, Gast’s gruesome death flashing in his mind unbidden. He knew Bra could be ruthless, but she’d been brutal in her last fight. A knot formed in his stomach, knowing that if he faced her, she’d do the same to him.

  “No, it’s fine. She won’t beat Buu. Everything will be okay,” Uub thought, but that reassurance rang false to him. More unpleasant memories returned—of being reduced to a bloody pulp by Buu of Universe 11 before dying as an afterthought. He’d been so powerless and pathetic. And if he faced Libra… Uub’s heart raced, terror immobilizing him.

  “Hey, you’ll do fine,” Goku said, somehow reading his thoughts. “You have your training. I taught you everything you need. You just need to trust yourself.”

  “Easier said than done.” Uub sighed. He was becoming painfully aware that, unlike his legendary sensei, he couldn’t thrive in this life-and-death madness.

  “I’m not asking you to be like me, Uub. You should be you. That’s all one can ask for. You’re tougher than you think.” Goku winked at him. “You beat me, didn’t you?”

  “Yeah.” Though, Uub had the sneaking suspicion that his sensei hadn’t given his all during their fight, holding a trick or two back. He suspected Vegeta wasn’t the only one capable of turning Super Saiyan Zero. Despite his victory, Goku still seemed like an impassable mountain to him.

  Goku gave him a slap on the back. “Even if you don’t win, you can still be proud you did your best. That’s all anyone can ask for.”

  “Thanks.” Uub felt somewhat better, laughing as a scent caught Goku’s attention, and he wandered off to see what it was. Did that guy never get full?

  Uub wandered away himself, wanting some time alone. Unlike his mentor, he enjoyed thinking. It gave him time to consider what he’d do next. Honestly, he had his doubts he could defeat Pan. She had her grandfather’s fighting spirit and was lucky to boot. Worse, she’d seen all his tricks in his fight against Goku. Compared to Pan’s ever-growing array of abilities, Uub felt like a one-trick pony, his Kaioken his only real weapon. It seemed stupid that he always needed to nearly kill himself to win. He needed a wider range of abilities.

  “Should I just invent something?” But Uub’s brain failed him, incapable of devising anything clever.

  “Ugh, this is pointless! What should I do?!” Uub growled in frustration. He froze, his heart skipping a beat as Libra came into view. He quickly hid away, just avoiding her gaze.

  “How did Frieza’s group escape? I thought the technology only worked with Vargas DNA,” Libra said.

  “It is, but the fast-return switch isn’t,” another, the South Supreme Kai, replied. “They installed it in case of an emergency.”

  “So Frieza’s group has gotten their hands on Vargas tech,” Libra said, scowling. “That might become a problem later.”

  “I don’t see how,” South Supreme Kai said. “The technology is too advanced for someone like the Frieza Force to crack. And we used the Dragonballs to safeguard their tech from working with anyone else.”

  Libra gave her cohort a hard stare that made him flinch. “We can’t allow complacency. You saw what happened with Broly. If we’d left him alive, he would have threatened our universe. What makes you so certain Frieza can’t become the same? That being is devilishly clever and ruthless.”

  “You’re right, West.” South Supreme Kai gave a pained expression. “My apologies. You know what’s best.”

  “Universe 8 can wait. Once I win this tournament, monsters like Frieza will never be a problem again.” Ice spiked through Uub’s blood as Libra gave an unpleasant smile. What did she have planned?

  “I hope so.” South Supreme Kai hesitated before finally speaking his mind. “I’m with you, always, West. But why kill Gast? He wasn’t a threat to our plans.”

  “But he is. His defiance might inspire the others to fight against us. I taught them the cost of defying us. With the stakes so high, some sacrifices are necessary. We can’t back down now. We’ve gone too far.”

  “I see.” South Supreme Kai closed his eyes, contemplating his cohort’s words. “You’re right, of course. With threats like Broly and Vegito around, we can’t afford to show weakness.”

  “Thank you, my friend,” Libra said, a slight smile on her face. “I’m glad at least you have my back. The others have lost their way.” With that, the two wandered off.

  “This is not good.” A pit of dread formed in Uub’s chest, growing blacker by the second. Whatever they were planning couldn’t be good. They preached about protecting everyone, but they were cruel and heartless.

  “What now though?” Uub knew he wouldn’t last five seconds against Libra if they faced each other in the ring. He shuddered, imagining himself turning to ice, helpless as his body broke into icy chunks.

  “I suppose there’s that.” A disturbing thought came to Uub. Impossible. It’d be like making a deal with the devil.

  “Ugh, who’s the worst devil, Libra or him?” Uub ruffled his hair in frustration, lost about what to do. What would his mentor do? Fight, he supposed. Uub hated himself for considering this.

  “Come in.” A cheerful voice spoke, pleased. Inside the chamber, Buu floated in midair, flipping the pages of a book. Classical music played from somewhere Uub couldn’t identify. “May I help you?” Though, from his tone, the Majin wizard knew exactly what his visitor wanted.

  “I need your help.” Uub fought back his dread, knowing this was necessary. If he wished to fight Pan and Libra, he needed to expand his abilities. And his past-incarnate counterpart was his best chance. He bowed his head respectfully.

  “I wish to learn magic from you.”

  ---

  Next time! Tournament Semi-finals! Pan vs Ubb! Pan’s cyborg body! It’s nuclear-powered? What other tricks does it hide? And multiclassed Uub! Can magic prevail over ki?