The battlefield was scarred and silent, save for the crackling of broken rocks still glowing faintly from the recent clash of energies. Dust hung in the air like a veil, carrying the heavy weight of exhaustion and unspoken doubts. Goku stood upright, bruised but alive, his orange gi torn in several places. Beside him, Rudra rested on a large boulder, arms folded, his face calm yet unreadable. Vegeta and Nappa lingered at a distance, their pride wounded but their spirits unbroken, glaring daggers at the Earth warriors they once swore to annihilate.
Suddenly, a low humming sound broke through the silence. Everyone's eyes turned to the horizon. A Capsule Corp. aircraft streaked toward the field, the sunlight bouncing off its metal surface. Inside, Bulma clutched the controls nervously.
"Master Roshi… are you sure this is the place? This looks… terrifying!" she said, her voice trembling.
Roshi adjusted his sunglasses, his aged face calm. "Don't doubt an old martial artist's senses, Bulma. I can feel the lingering Ki from the battles. Powerful ones… some of them frightfully dark. This is where your friends are."
Bulma swallowed hard. "Tch… why couldn't you just let me use the radar?!"
"Machines don't understand the flow of life," Roshi replied. "But Ki… that never lies."
The plane descended, blowing dust into a storm as it landed near the fighters.
The ship door swung open, and out came Bulma and Roshi—Bulma in her usual stylish outfit, Roshi leaning on his staff. Behind them, another familiar figure appeared: Chi-Chi. She barely glanced at anyone else before her eyes landed on Gohan.
"GOHAN!" she screamed, sprinting forward. Goku opened his mouth, a grin spreading on his face.
"Chi-Chi! You came! I was—"
But before he could finish, Chi-Chi shoved him aside with surprising strength and scooped Gohan into her arms. Tears welled in her eyes as she hugged him tightly.
"My baby! What have they done to you?! Look at you—cuts, bruises! And you—" her sharp gaze flicked to Goku, "—how could you let this happen?!"
Goku rubbed the back of his head, sheepishly. "Heh… sorry, Chi-Chi. We were kinda… fighting for the planet."
Chi-Chi ignored him, fussing over Gohan, who looked more embarrassed than hurt.
Bulma, meanwhile, stepped forward and froze as her eyes fell on Vegeta and Nappa. "W-W-WHAT THE HELL ARE THOSE?!" she shrieked, pointing a trembling finger.
Her panic wasn't unwarranted—the two towering Saiyans looked every bit the monsters they were reputed to be. Vegeta smirked at her reaction while Nappa let out a low growl.
"Relax, woman," Vegeta said coldly. "If I wanted you dead, you wouldn't have survived to scream."
Bulma staggered backward, nearly falling until Roshi steadied her with his staff. "Careful," Roshi said, his tone grim. "These aren't simple men… they reek of slaughter."
The tension was thick. Everyone had gathered now: Krillin, Piccolo, Rudra, Goku, Vegeta, Nappa, Bulma, Roshi, Chi-Chi, and Gohan. A strange, uneasy alliance, standing on a field of broken earth.
Bulma's eyes darted between them. "Wait, wait, wait—why are these Saiyans still ALIVE?! Aren't they the ones who tried to wipe out the planet?!"
Her question pierced the silence like a blade. All eyes turned toward Rudra.
Krillin shifted uncomfortably. "Y-Yeah, I was kinda wondering the same thing…"
Piccolo's expression darkened. He stepped forward, his cape fluttering in the wind. His voice was low but sharp as steel.
"Rudra."
Rudra tilted his head slightly, his calm gaze meeting Piccolo's fury.
"I've been patient long enough," Piccolo growled. "But now I demand answers."
Krillin blinked. "Answers? About what?"
Piccolo pointed at Rudra, his finger trembling with restrained anger. "About HIM. About everything."
The air grew heavier. Even Vegeta folded his arms, interested.
Piccolo continued, his words like venom.
"First of all—how did you know about Vegeta? Raditz never once mentioned him. Not his name, not his existence. And yet, you spoke of him as if you knew."
A murmur spread through the group. Bulma frowned, Roshi raised an eyebrow, and Krillin looked between them nervously.
Piccolo's voice grew harsher. "Second—how do you know so much about the Dragon Balls? About Kami, the Otherworld, and even King Kai?! You spoke of things only we learned through death itself. Things you shouldn't even know."
Bulma's jaw dropped. "W-Wait, he knows about Otherworld and gods and stuff?!"
Piccolo ignored her, his glare unwavering. "And third…" His eyes narrowed. "When we were all drained, beaten, with no will left to fight, you stood there. You claimed to be exhausted too. And yet, when Dodoria arrived—you crushed him. Crushed him like he was nothing. Even Vegeta admits Dodoria was stronger than him."
Everyone's gaze shifted to Vegeta, who smirked bitterly.
"Hmph. Dodoria was a brute," Vegeta admitted. "But yes… stronger than me, at least in raw power. Yet you destroyed him with frightening ease, Rudra. You were holding back."
Roshi's face grew tense. Even the old master could feel the truth in Vegeta's words.
Piccolo pressed on, his voice cracking with anger. "If you had the strength to defeat someone like Dodoria, why didn't you fight Vegeta when it mattered? Why let Yamcha, Tien, Chiaotzu—why let them die?"
Krillin flinched at the reminder, guilt flashing across his face. "Yeah… Rudra… why didn't you? You could've saved them…"
The question hung in the air, suffocating.
Goku finally stepped in, raising a hand. "Hold on. Rudra did help. When I was on the ground, broken, he gave me his Ki. All of it. That's the only reason I could stand again. Without him, I would've died."
That revelation shocked the group. Even Vegeta's eyes widened a little.
Krillin stammered, "W-Wait… he gave you all his Ki? But… then how did he still have enough left to power Vegeta for the fight after that? That doesn't make sense!"
Bulma's eyes sharpened. She crossed her arms and stepped closer, her voice filled with suspicion. "And there's one more thing. Rudra came to Capsule Corp long before this… talking about extraterrestrial life. He was asking questions, looking for information. How could he already know the Saiyans were coming?!"
The group turned as one, their suspicions piling up like storm clouds.
Piccolo's words cut through the air, sharp and final. "You're not telling us everything, Rudra. You never have. And I'm done watching you play this game of silence while others die."
The silence that followed was unbearable. Even Gohan clutched Chi-Chi tighter, sensing the tension.
Vegeta chuckled darkly. "Hmph. It seems I'm not the only one doubting you, Rudra. You hide something dangerous. Something even I can't see."
Rudra didn't move. His arms still folded, his face calm. His eyes, however, glinted with something unreadable—like a man holding back the weight of a thousand truths.
Everyone waited. The battlefield had grown colder, the air heavy with suspicion.