Planet Vampa

"S-saiyan!"

"?!"

Broly… from the back of his little cave, turns around. He's back in base form, but. He knows exactly who he is... Or rather, he thought he did: the entire concept of Broly is thrown into doubt when he realizes he has a pair of arms wrapped around his waist. He stares at the little green woman, his face scrunching up in confusion (and pain, due to his wounds).

"Ch… Cheelai…?!"

"S-saiyan! I was so worried I thought you were going to die and we used the Dragon Balls and–"

His face scrunches up as she stammers on, words streaming out of her mouth the same way tears are streaming down her face. Her arms tighten around his waist: it's only now that he notices the other one there, Lemo.

"…"

"… S… S-saiyan…?"

"… I… am Broly."

"'Broly'…? You… you got your memory back…?"

"… Yes."

Cheelai frowns and sniffs. He… he sounds different. Not on the surface, but his manner of speaking is twisted, from the simple-sounding savage she found here.

"S-Bro—"

"Leave."

She gasps. Lemo cringes, flinching away from the scene as Broly's eyes harden. "I… I know who I am, Cheelai. I am… not someone you should associate with. LEAVE."

"NO!"

"Cheelai. Do you have any idea what I've done?! What I am?! You… YOU…!"

"I what?! What about me?!"

"… I don't want to hurt you. Get out of here."

"NO! NO NO NO! I! Don't! Want! To! You are my only friend! I don't care what you've done, or what you might ever do! I ain't fucking leaving you alone here!"

Ah. Broly's heart appears to have skipped a beat.

…

BROLY has learned Love! But he already knows four moves…!

…!

BROLY forgot Vengeance…!

Three days after the Battle with Broly: Freezer's Ship

"S-sure enough, mi'lord," Kikono mumbles, "it appears that the Justiciars and the Galactic Patrol have made contact and are working in unison to oppose us… in other news, it seems that both the traitors are with, er, Broly."

Freezer growls, clenching his tail like a fist. What had happened… did not go according to plan at all. He gazes out of the window of his ship as the planet beneath him is torn apart by his military's attack. "Then let us leave them alone for the time being. I… will allow them to domesticate the brute and bring him under control. Once he can release that power without losing his senses… perhaps a deal of some sort could be brokered. And… I shall come back to deliver punishment to those two traitors…!"

"D-do you think that will work, Lord Freezer?"

"I certainly hope that it does for all of our sakes. That Broly… is a monster the likes of which I've never seen. Without something to keep a leash on him… I do not think this universe will survive for long."

Kikono gulps, as he turns back to his own monitor. If this Broly fellow is truly able to terrify Lord Freezer, he doesn't even want to think about it…!

"By the way, milord... have you gotten taller?"

Planet Vampa

"You're kidding, aren't you?! This is what you've been surviving on…? Bleh! It's sour, but I guess it's better than starving to death… you tried it yet?"

"Heeeell no! Count me out, I ain't putting no bug juice in my mouth!"

"You won't be saying that for loooong…"

The Legendary Super Saiyan… smiles. It's been so long, it feels like he'd almost forgotten how. His life's just been one shitty situation after another, hasn't it?

King Vegeta…

Paragus's experimentation and mind manipulation…

The butchering of the Southern Quadrant…

The fiascos on New Vegeta and Earth… and his long exile to this planet.

… He'd almost forgotten the meaning of the word friend. But as he looks at the two aliens bickering in front of him, he genuinely smiles. This… this is nice. Maybe… maybe Kakarotto isn't worth it, you know? He's always been very dangerous to fight… he's never gone down easy. Or at all, actually. After all, if he died chasing a mere representation of his shitty childhood… who would protect Cheelai, and Lemo…?

"Huh? Broly, what is it…?"

"… Nothing."

"ACK! Broly, Broly!"

"… I am sorry, Cheelai."

She wheezes before grinning, giving the saiyan a light punch on the arm. "Hey, it's fine man! Just be a bit more gentle next time: nothing's wrong with a little hug!"

"… Somebody else just got here."

"Hawuh?!"

Broly tenses up, clenching his fists as a silhouette appears in the mouth of the cave. Cheelai backs up a step, while Lemo curses and draws his gun to point.

The silhouette speaks.

"… Broly."

"… Kakarotto."

Cheelai gasps under her breath, glaring at the newly arrived saiyan. "Y-you! You're the saiyan he fought on Earth – you know each other?!"

Lemo tosses in his own two cents ("Yeah! W-what're you doing on Vampa?!").

"Huh…? Oh! You're the guys who… who did all the stuff!" He thinks, turning to the snarling Legendary Saiyan. "So, these are the friends you made…?"

"Don't patronize me, Kakarotto. You… you bastard. Finish me off, then."

"Geez, no need to assume the worst! I mean – OW!" he screams, rubbing a new sore on his forehead. Broly blinks, looking back. Lemo just shot Goku with his raygun! "Come on guys, I'm not here to fight, I swear! I mean, maybe if it was Vegeta…"

Cheelai screams at him: "Then start TALKING!" He scratches his head nervously.

"Er… can I talk to you in private, Broly?"

"What?! No! Get out of here: I'm not gonna let you trick him!" Her ranting is, however, cut short by the sound of a limping step and the feeling of a hand on her shoulder. She turns her head and looks up at the beaten saiyan, staring her in the eyes.

"Cheelai. It's fine. I'll handle this."

She and Lemo look at each other, before nodding: she sniffs.

"Be careful, okay?"

"… Okay."

…

"Ah, geez, this is the place you spent the last few years? No wonder you're so grumpy…!"

Broly grunts, limping after Kakarotto. He… doesn't know what to say, now that he's out here. Cheelai and Lemo are waiting for him back at the cave, but… Kakarotto has been such a central figure in his life, for so long.

"Huh…? You okay, Broly? You haven't been this quiet since… since your dad had that thing on your head."

"… Why are you doing this…? You of all people know what I've done. … You know that as soon as I recover, I'll be gunning for you. For the universe, after."

"Heh," he snorts, grinning. "Well Broly… you remember how back on Earth, I said that I didn't think you were that bad of a person? On the inside?"

"… What of it, you naive buffoon."

Goku just points, back to the cave they came from. Broly's eyes widen after a second: does he think… that those two have made him soft?! He quickly raises a finger.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Kakarotto. I'm not done with you. Not by a long shot. They… they are just tools?"

"Eheheh! Remember when Gogeta said I was empathic, man?" Broly quietly blushes as he realizes that Goku just absolutely shredded his half-hearted fib without a second thought. "Don't worry man, you know me! I'll try to keep Vegeta and Freezer off your back as you get… acclimated. Just don't cause any more trouble, okay? If you're good I might even spar with you, teach you a few tricks…?"

"Hmph." Broly crosses his arms, glaring. "I will defeat you, Kakarotto. Don't you ever forget it."

His old enemy just laughs before flickering out of existence ("See ya!"). Broly looks up, into the stars: a distant dot, the new center of the universe.

"Kakarotto…"

Hmph! Who does the guy think he is?! He can have all the Earth and shit he wants. Broly is still strongest! Broly is the biggest, baddest guy in the galaxy! Broly… doesn't want anything in life. Other than… being with his friends.

With a sigh and a wry smile, the Legendary Super Saiyan turns tail and walks back towards his abode. He looks up at the sky, swearing to god that he could hear that insufferably forgiving idiot's chuckle.

"Mph. I suppose… We'll see you around.