Round 4: Goku, Vegeta, and Freezer vs. Saiyan

The air glistens and sizzles with intensity, the mountain range being barely recognizable. A sizable chunk of the island continent has been in one fell swoop burnt to a cinder. Magma, now lava, flows over the landscape and scorches the skin of the warriors.

Vegeta and Freezer stand off, watching the howling barbarian in the sky. They gawk, kneeling from having been knocked to the ground; sparks fly off the monkey prince as he clutches his arm. His energy barriers barely withstood that blast! The Emperor of the Universe was not so lucky: his survival is due entirely to his absurd physical resilience, and it was not pleasant in the slightest.

Goku touches down between them, unnoticed.

"My god... w-was Vegeta telling the truth?!"

Goku nods, startling the others. "Yep! This guy... hooo, boy! Legendary Super Saiyans ain't nothing to sneeze at!"

"Kaka... Goku. What. Are your thoughts...?"

The other two give Vegeta an odd look. "Vegeta...?" Goku asks with a tentative smirk. "Did you just call me by... my name?" Vegeta's face flushes with rage and embarrassment. Damn it, Kakarotto! GOD DAMN IT! YOU KNOW IF THEY WERE FIGHTING ANYBODY ELSE...!

" u. . ." he responds, the words creaking out as though each letter hurts him.

Freezer just lets his jaw hang open as he glances at his two unexpected comrades. He shies back; the two Super Saiyans are fools, but powerful, dangerous fools.

"Well... you feel that, Vegeta? The amount of power crammed in his body has gone down after that attack. I think that the release might actually let off enough pressure on his mind to get him lucid (for a bit at least)! Look at those convulsions!"

"What."

"Those convulsions... are the convulsions of someone coming to his senses!"

It is the turn of the two space tyrants to look at him in incredulity. Vegeta glances up at the enemy, slowly coming to his senses as the power releases its weight on his strained mind... hm... if he is a saiyan, that may be for the better. His tail's tip whips nervously. Broly... if he truly is an amnesiac, perhaps he can be reasoned with. Perhaps.

...

Saiyan touches down in front of the trio, heaving with unstable battlelust. All three look at him wearily: the brute is intimidating, regardless of the fact that he is not currently trying to smash their heads in.

"Goku... Vegeta... Freezer... I have decided... to give you a brief respite," the giant pants out, clearly barely resisting the mental strain his uncontrolled power is exerting on his psyche. His mind definitely won't last too much longer... this respite probably will not be much more than brief.

Freezer chuckles nervously. "M-me, Monkey...? I have no idea-"

"Silence!" he roars, cowing the emperor into quietude. "I know... my memories... they are knocked loose, coming back." Freezer's face pales as the implications are made clear. "You... it was no asteroid. I remember now... You are no better than they!" the saiyan screams. The sky goes black, ash and dust from the clash of physical gods blotting out the sun over the mountains.

"Ahaha..." the emperor slowly backs off, standing behind the two true warriors. Vegeta snorts and rolls his eyes, before speaking up.

"So, Saiyan. You remember who you are? What you are?"

"Yes... no... YES! I... am..."

He lurches over, pain wracking his body as power starts to build up once again and screw with his unstable mind: he roars before pumping the excess out into his aura, buffeting the three away. They raise their arms to block the wind and sonic waves, wincing. The saiyan slowly raises his head.

"I... am the messiah of my race! The ultimate warrior...! The LEGENDARY SUPER SAIYAN!" he shouts before he raises a finger to the trio, his eyes glinting with a bizarre mixture of giddiness and fury. "Who are you three?! Who are you, who dare to challenge me?! What titles grant your power, your right to resist?"

The finger shifts to Freezer, who stands stock still. A noblewoman's laugh emanates from behind a shakily raised palm. "I... I am the Emperor of the Universe! Lord Freezer, chair of the Planet Trade Organization ("Oh that's what PTO stands for...!")!"

His finger shifts to his left. Vegeta's eyes narrow, before he rises up tall as he can. His pride overrides his caution.

"I... am PRINCE VEGETA! Sovereign of All Saiyans! Including you, whelp!"

Saiyan crosses his arms, grunting. "Anything else?"

"... part-time President of Capsule Corporation?"

He snorts before turning to Goku, and narrowing his eyes. "I... know you." Goku tilts his head questioningly as Vegeta pales. He prays as the saiyan he knows as Broly continues to ramble: "I... these memories... you are in them... but who...? GAH!" The loose memories wreak havoc among the folds of his mind, playing with the excess power like mentos and Coca-Cola.

Goku scratches his head. "You know, now that we have the chance to talk, I think I recognize you too! But you still don't remember your name, huh?" Vegeta's face falls. "Damn it! Goku hasn't actually figured it out yet?! That fucking moron!"

"No... Goku. All I know... is that I hate you." He clenches a raised fist. "I barely know you, but I KNOW that you... are my enemy! Present me your titles so that my pounding of your bones into POWDER may be more glorious!"

"Ah... hmmmm... I used to go by the legendary super saiyan, but that's you, isn't it? This is a toughie!" Saiyan smirks as the other two stare at him incredulously. "Oh, I got it! I'm Honorary Justiciar Goku!" Freezer's eyes bug out as he glares at Goku. This... this moron is associated with the greatest faction of rebels so far?! What the hell has he gotten up to?

"Not good enough... Goku."

"Oh! Um..." the lesser saiyan's eyes drift over to Vegeta: his eyes beg for help. Shortstack shrugs.

"Uh... ah! I got it!" Saiyan steps back, raising one of his eyebrows as Goku gets into a pose. He stands tall, puffing out his chest.

"I! Am Son Goku! Prince of all Oxen!"

"WHAT?!"

"G-geez, Vegeta! Calm down; it's true!"

All stare at Vegeta's fury, the anger seething under his face, pulsing like a thousand nuclear suns. He fights it down, taking a deep breath. It appears as thought Saiyan's forbidding presence has become his lesser concern.

"Ten seconds. Explain. Now."

Saiyan's unhinged snickers turn into grumbles as his hated opponent frantically tries to explain himself to his partner. Freezer glances back and forth, back and forth between them, trying to wrap his head around how Vegeta's pride picks this moment to resurge. He catches Saiyan's eye... they stare at each other, with Saiyan making a throat-slit motion. Freezer gulps.

The discussion appears to end with a mighty huff as Vegeta turns away from Goku, clearing his throat with a snort. Something in the air changes. The three look at each other, before getting into stances. Their muscles tense as they group up before the bulky, heaving beast.

Goku takes point; Vegeta and Freezer take positions behind him.

"Son Goku... I know! I know I've seen you before...!" he screams, causing Vegeta to flinch. "Again, you stand before me!" Saiyan howls, his aura exploding in a flash of green around him. The earth shakes; the air quakes.

Vegeta blanches harder, clenching his fists. "A-an amazing amount of energy is gathering around him!" Goku is calmer, grinning nervously: "Oh man, this guy is amazing! He got this strong, all by himself?! He's like Black! Even all of us together might not be able to beat him."

"You... have got that right... you bastard!"

"Crap!"

Kami's Lookout

"OH MY ME."

"P-piccolo?! What's happening, can you sense them?!"

"Gohan... I really, really don't like the look of it. Broly continues to grow in strength and he's still in his base form. You can feel it... can't you?"

"Yeah... some of it, anyways. Freezer is as strong, or stronger than he was when he was back from the dead the first time... and Broly. He... he's unreal! It's nothing like Jiren was, not yet, but I wouldn't be surprised..."

"Goku and Vegeta are going hard at it as well. They're blue at this point," the namekian says with a frown. "I can only hope that we get to see the fruits of their training since then."

"Man... Broly being back. I'm not surprised to hear that Freezer switched sides in the middle of the fight."

"..."

"..."

"They're gonna die."

Freezer's Ship

Cheelai smacks the jury-rigged monitor, trying to get a better signal. Fuzzy images of the warriors outside manifest among the blobs of static. Her face pales.

"L-lemo?! Is that... is Freezer standing with the two saiyans?!"

The orange alien rubs his eyes, peering into the screen. "I... I think it is! What's he... oh."

"What?!"

"S-saiyan! He's gone totally crazy, look at that! I thought he would've calmed down by now... but..."

Her face droops, before hardening. "Lemo. We have to keep trying. We gotta get something."

"What?! What could possibly have any effect on this hell of a fight?!" he shouts, jamming a finger behind him as he swings around to face her. "Look at that monster! He's doubled in size! He's not evil... but he's a danger to the whole universe like that!"

"AND WHAT DO I CARE ABOUT A UNIVERSE WITHOUT MY TWO ONLY FRIENDS IN IT?!"

Lemo is taken aback. His eyebrow raises, before he wipes his brow.

"Not much, I guess."

"..."

"... Hey, if it means anything, I might feel the same way. That guy... and you, Cheelai. First really positive interaction since I've joined the damn force. I..."

"You'll help?!"

"Yes, goddamnit! I'll do everything I can to help him!" he throws his arms up into the air. "Treason it is, I fucking guess–!"

His rant is cut off by the sudden blow of Cheelai's embrace; he looks down, surprised as her arms wrap around him. She looks up and tears are welling.

"T-thank you...! Thank you, oh Supreme Kai Almighty, you h-have no idea how much this means to me!"

He blushes, patting her back. "N-no problem, kiddo. I gotcha. We're gonna get Saiyan outta here."

Tsurumaitsuburi Lava Pits

"HrreeaaaaaAAAAAAGH!"

A shockwave. It's barely visible to the most advanced eyes on the planet as the titans clash. Fists are thrown like bullets from a submachine gun. Energy and light explodes, causing evermore magma to be thrown up from the ground below. Vegeta... who appears to have stood behind, widens his stance. Electricity crackles between his raised palms.

"FINAL..."

"HIYAAGH!"

Goku lurches forwards, his subdued aura flickering for a moment as Saiyan's fist careens into his gut. His arms listlessly flounder before the pressure suddenly releases whence Freezer decks the enemy in the face with a sharp elbow-strike.

Saiyan is forced back, screaming as fury overtakes him once again. He charges forwards, barreling into the duo... which proceeds to immediately scatter, revealing a brilliant yellow shine.

"FLAAASH!"

The sudden wave of pure power rages towards Saiyan, who has a bare instant to say "GRREREAAAAAGH!" before being battered and thrown away by the wave of power. Freezer and Goku rush forwards, giving chase to the still-flying body while Vegeta starts to build up more power. Saiyan screeches in fury as he forces himself to a stop, almost surging back to meet his opponents before *BANG*, several components of a newly fired Die Die Missile Barrage smack into him. He staggers under the assault, the repeated blows knocking him back into one of the remaining mountains. He leans up, his face contorted with frustration as he frantically surveys the scene before him.

Said scene consists of Freezer and Goku bouncing around between the steaming rubble before plowing their respective feet and fists into him with a flying leap. Saiyan is forced into the rock, stunned by the force.

... For a good second or so before immediately lashing back out with a pair of massively powerful swings: Freezer and Goku are still in their flying kick positions and unable to deal with the lariats they now find themselves subject to.

"HREAGH!"

Goku gasps, the world going white as Saiyan's fist plows against his chest. It forces through and off him, severely damaging his arm as the brute blasts past them towards their supporter. Vegeta takes a step back, shooting a glance at the two whose momentum keeps them hurtling behind Saiyan. Freezer spins like a tipsy dreidel, barely maintaining his footing on the slope of the volcano while Goku slides down.

"BIG BANG A-*GACK*!"

Vegeta's attack is cut off as Saiyan's fist once again slams into his face, sending his head spinning. His aura flares up, power stressed by his distress. His aura sputters again as Saiyan proceeds to punch him in the gut, then slam the top of his head, rinse and repeat.

"Goku!"

"Ha-wuh?!"

"Throw me!"

"Got it!"

The divine warrior speeds down the slope, holding his hands together in a ball and holding his arms to his flank. Freezer hops into the air, clamping down on his fists with one three-toed foot. Despite their animosity, the two have always had surprising synergy in combat: this is not lost on the dark lord of the universe.

Goku proceeds to toss Freezer like he was serving a bloody volleyball. The tyrant blasts through the air: Saiyan hears his cry, turning away from his current punching bag just in time to receive an eyeful of "Nova Strike!"

Vegeta's body and concentration crumple, the force of the blow throwing him under the bus. His form fails down to standard Super Saiyan Blue as Saiyan's massive foot crunches his ribcage, before the bulky brute is forced up and carried off by Freezer's massive impact.

"Vegeta!"

Goku rushes by, snatching up the limp body of his rival and companion. Vegeta coughs as he's ripped off the crater his body has formed, staring into space as he's toted along.

"K-kakarotto...?" he mumbles as his transformation fully gives out, the crushing blow having hit more than a few of his vital organs.

"Yeah Getes. I gotcha," his eternal rival replies. He looks up, watching Freezer and Saiyan corkscrew into the air as a horrific mishmash of purple and green energies dance around them. "... We need you back in action quick, Vegeta."

Vegeta coughs, glaring at Goku. "I certainly hope you *COUGH*!"

"Ack! Uh... UH...! Don't worry Vegeta! I'lllllll... throw you over to the lookout!"

"A SENZU BEAN, DUMBASS!"

"R-right!"

He tosses a bean, letting Vegeta catch it with a shaky fist. The prince shoves it into his mouth, chewing hungrily as his wounds close and he rises to his feet. They keep an eye on the fight; a massive purple detonation appears to have occurred, blowing the two current fighters into the ground. They continue to struggle there, slugging it out. However... Saiyan seems to be slowing.

"Do you have any more...?"

"N-no, that was my last one. I only brought two..."

"Damn it," he mutters as he looks up at the not-so-distant current struggle. "I definitely hope that Broly..."

"BROLY?!"

...

It's as if the entire battlefield has screeched to a halt. Vegeta's hangs open in shock, while Freezer and Saiyan's confrontation slows to a crawl as their attention is called by the outburst. Goku grabs his head with his hands.

"Oh crap! Oh crap oh crap oh crap! You're right! It is him! I didn't recognize him in his base...!"

"GOKU!"

Saiyan's face freezes as he watches the two. His other foe is forgotten as his vision tunnels, his hearing sharpens like a ginsu knife. Something is causing his blood to fucking sublimate.

"It's really him! It's Broly! How?!"

"Ka- Goku! GOKU! SHUT! UP!"

Freezer's dumbstruck face pans back to his Monkey, and jumps back. That face... is the face of a destroyer. Something completely lacking in sense and a notion of anything beyond killing. He slooowly backs off, gingerly finding his way through the rocks...

"There is only one every thousand years! It's the same one! IT'S BROLY! IT–!"

"SHUT THE HELL UP, KAKAROTTOOO!"

The center of attention scrapes over to Vegeta, who after a moment of pause realizes what he has just down. His rage plummets into abject horror as he covers his mouth. Too little too late, my friend.

The entire world grinds to a somehow even heavier halt. Saiyan freezes, his heart pounding hard enough for all to hear. Goku realizes what has just happened and watches in terror as all color drops from his expression. Freezer frantically looks at the two saiyans and decides that it is time to be very worried. For as long as he has known them... Goku and Vegeta have never looked truly terrified.

Furious? Yes.

Desperate? Yes.

Grief-stricken? Definitely.

But scared? This... at least to him, was new. And he could feel the terror gnawing away at his own mental foundations as Saiyan started to lurch, shrieking his lungs off.

Saiyan, or rather, the saiyan now known as Broly, was in immense pain. The name rang throughout his mind, smacking its way across his brainscape like a ball. Increasing in force, volume, frequency as it tore down the psychological walls one by painful one, took down the barriers holding back his disgruntlement and memories...!

The sight of his King Vegeta's assassins standing over him, plunging a knife into his chest...

His head smacking into a table as his late father spirited him away, barely managing to rescue him from their pursuers...

The pain and confusion as Paragus stood above him, covered in an alien mask as he was experimented on...

...

And the trigger, the auditory cue for all the pain and confusion and misery his first day of life had caused him. The eternal, ever-present crying of his powerful neighbor named... named...!

"KAAAKAROTTOOOOOOO!"