Among the most feared beings in the universe was an organization known as 'Freeza's Army'. Led by the cruel space tyrant known as Freeza, this empire — though more of a glorified mafia organization than a bona fide 'army' — was involved in what could only be described as planet trafficking. They would attack planets, kill all of the native inhabitants, priming the planet for use by the highest bidder. The Galactic Freeza Army enslaved various races to employ as mercenaries; the Miyabitans of planet Miyabita, the Ankokians from the planet of Darkness, and the Saiyans, from planet Vegeta, to simply name a few.
However, races that Freeza found to be worthless were exterminated, members of the species murdered, their homes and planets razed to the ground. There were rarely any survivors, and those who survived the initial attack were either killed when discovered by the Army, killed by the new inhabitants of their planet, or enslaved by Freeza's Army.
And yet some races manage to flee the ensuing destruction, some survivors make it off of their home planet and fly off into the abyss, praying to their gods for safety. The Komuians, from the planet Komu, are one such race. Their planet was attacked by the ruthless Saiyans; many of their number brutally killed. However, the Komuians were an intelligent species with a well developed society. The survivors, no more than five, had managed to take what remained of their spaceships and flee from their planet, easily outstripping the Attack Pods used by the Army.
During their escape, the Komuians were overcome by a desire for revenge; they had been a peaceful race before the attack on their homeworld, and the injustice of it sparked a desire to get even, to make things right. And they wanted something that quite a few races in the galaxy would have wanted as well.
Revenge on the Saiyans for the atrocities they committed.
And so the Komuians delved into research; they wanted to know their enemy, and managed to procure files from Freeza's Army — some time after Freeza's defeat on Earth for the first time — and discovered something shocking. The Saiyan race was nearly all but extinct. Freeza himself, the tyrant they had worked for, had all but exterminated the species, and those that remained had holed up on Planet 877, better known to the inhabitants as 'Earth'. But soon something else even more intriguing to the survivors of planet Komu came to light.
The emergence of a 'Super Saiyan', a technique often spoken about in ancient Saiyan folklore, and the Dragon Balls that were active on planet Earth. It was these two factors that the Komuians were eager to factor into their revenge. And so, in haste, they finally set out for Planet Earth.
Planet Earth, Age 780; Diablo Desert
"He's late..." A hooded figured stood in the cool night air of the Diablo Desert, his voice, gravelly and deep, was the only audible sound. His face and body were invisible, masked by the darkness of the night and the shadow cast over his face by the hood of his cloak. The only noticeable thing about him was his height; he stood at the height of an average human, and with the cloak, could have passed for one. Breathing in deeply, the figure wondered how long it had been since he'd breathed in such crisp air; fleeing to backwater planet after backwater planet, Earth was quite literally a breath of fresh air.
A rustling sound finally got his attention.
"Venga, sir!" A lighter voice, hinting at a younger individual, called out to him. Another cloaked individual, shorter, landed next to him, holding a large sack over his back. He knelt before his superior, holding the pack out to him. The one called Venga stepped forward, taking the satchel from the younger arrival, revealing a light blue hand with sharp nails.
"You're late, Pacul," He said coolly, and turned the bag upside down. Tumbling out of it were seven small spheres, orange in colour with a varying number of glowing red stars floating in the center. "So these are the Dragon Balls..." Picking one up, he turned it over in his hand; it felt like spun glass. They didn't seem remarkable. From a distance, one could even mistake them for just ordinary glass balls. Though he supposed there was some merit to a disguise like that.
"I-I'm terribly sorry...!" Pacul replied apologetically. "These orbs themselves, despite being easy to find on a Radar, weren't quite so easy to acquire. At least three were resting at the bottom of the ocean across the planet. We had to construct craft that could withstand the pressure of the waters. I'm sorry, sir, I should have brought them to you sooner!"
"No matter, we have what we need now," Venga stood up to his full height, and extended his hands out over the Dragon Balls. Clearing his throat, he spoke clearly, "Dragon God! By your name, I summon you forth! Shénlóng!"
There was a flash of light and a clap of sound like thunder. The orange Dragon Balls flashed with a blinding yellow light, which shot upwards into the sky like lightning. It began to coil in the air, wounding itself in the sky as it took form, solidifying into the imposing shape of Shénlóng, the Dragon God. The force of his arrival created a giant gust of wind, the likes of which caused the cloaks and hoods of the two strangers to billow. The hoods were blown off, revealing nearly identical pale blue-faces, the only difference being age. The aliens had sharp eyes with slits for pupils, pointed ears, and ridges that began from the forehead down their skull and neck. On their cheeks were singular whisker-like antennae.
Despite having summoned such a figure, neither Pacul no Venga showed any signs of shock. They had prepared for this, staked the honour of their race on this moment.
Shénlóng spoke, and when he did, his voiced boomed across the desert; the very vibrations felt like they would shake the dunes of sand that peppered the arid location. "You, who have gathered the seven Dragon Balls. Reflect upon your desires; I will grant you three!"
"Three wishes..." Venga mused, moving a hand along his chin. "That may be more than we need. Now how to phrase this...?"
"Hadn't we decided on the wish before we arrived, sir?" Pacul inquired.
"We had...until something else came to light in our research," Venga explained. "You see...there's more to the Super Saiyan than we originally thought. There's a way to push it a step further, a way to push yourself beyond the mortal limit; to become a Super Saiyan God! Two of the surviving Saiyans, Son Goku and the prince Vegeta, have acquired this state of being already. I believe, if we are to kill them, we will need to revive not just a Saiyan with the potential to master that form, but additional Saiyans, to push our focal Saiyan into that dimension."
It was clear that Venga had researched deep into the Super Saiyan legend. He had also observed the comings and goings of Earth in the past few years, and the methods of creating a Super Saiyan God were known to him. They were going to need more than one Saiyan; they would need to revive six.
"So much speaking and yet no wishes!" Shénlóng growled from deep within his throat, irritated. "You try my patience. Speak your wishes!"
"Right, right," Venga replied casually; the threat of the Dragon God did not faze him in the slightest. "Shénlóng! My first wish is for you to revive five Saiyans, and transport them here! I do not particularly care from which Age; we merely need five Saiyans alive and well! Can you do this!?"
There was a moment of silence, and then the Dragon God spoke again. "I can. I will bring forth five Saiyans who fell in battle, and bring them here." The Shénlóng's eyes began to glow a vibrant crimson, and within moments, five unconscious bodies, dressed in the Battle Jacket's of Freeza's Army, fell to Earth, landing on the desert sands. The Saiyans looked dazed and confused, but even moreso when they saw the towering Dragon that floated above their heads. "Your first wish is granted! You have one wish remaining!"
"Reviving multiple people must drain his energy more than other wishes," Venga concluded. But he knew what his next wish would be. They had decided on it long ago, when they heard that the Saiyan Son Goku, otherwise known as Kakarot, had defeated the tyrant Freeza. The Komuians had come to a conclusion; that his family might have the potential to become some of the strongest in the universe, if used correctly.
"With our final wish...revive Raditz, brother of Son Goku!"
"..." Shénlóng was silent for another moment, before speaking again. "That wish is ill-advised. That person's physical body was left with a gaping hole in his abdomen. Reviving him to a body such as that would only lead to his death once more."
"That is a nonissue." Venga waved it off. "Komuian technology has rejuvenation tanks that rival; nay, surpass, that of Freeza's Army. We will be more than capable of restoring that body to its full strength. Shénlóng, that is my final wish! Grant it!"
With his eyes glowing a final time, the Dragon granted Venga's wish. Materializing in front of them was the wounded form of the Saiyan Raditz; he seemed unconcious, being revived directly from the Afterlife into a body with a gaping hole in it was a huge mental shock. The hole, a leftover from the Makankōsappō from the Namekian Piccolo, was already bleeding out again. As soon as Raditz had appeared, Shénlóng's eyes ceased to glow.
"Your wish has been granted! Fare thee well!" Shénlóng vanished in a flash of the light, and the light engulfed the Dragon Balls, which began to rise. They hovered high above the desert, and with the sound of an exploding firecracker, the orbs split off in seven directions, covering the globe.
"And phase one is complete," Venga breathed a sigh of satisfaction. "Pacul! Conduct a stabilization process on Raditz! We can't let him die on us just yet! As for the other Saiyans, let's return to the ship with them. We'll proceed with the beginnings of phase two!"
Komuian Spaceship, Orbiting Earth; Rejuvenation Room
Placed directly in the center of the medical room was a very large tank. Strapped to large wires and cords, the tank was receiving large amounts of electrical power to fuel its regenerative processes. Within the tank was a blue-green liquid, similar to the rejuvenation tanks used by Freeza's Army. The Komuians had obtained the blueprints from the Galatic Freeza Army while garnering information on the Saiyans, and using their superior technological prowess, constructed and upgraded the tanks to fit their own specifications.
And floating within this singular tank was Raditz, deprived of his armor, and strapped to a breathing apparatus. Unconscious though he was, the liquid within the tank was already beginning to make repairs to the Saiyan's body, the hole that had been left in his abdomen was beginning to close. One of the Komuians present, named Jōn, was monitoring the formerly deceased Saiyan's vitals.
"It's a good thing we were able to apply basic first-aid in the field and stabilize him," The physician muttered to himself, his hands moving along a floating, holographic keyboard. "We very well could have lost him otherwise. Whatever technique did this to him had to be remarkable."
There was a whirring sound as one of the electronic metal doors that led to the Rejuvenation Room opened, and Venga stepped through, his dark cloak billowing ominously behind him, giving him the appearance of an overgrown bat. His slit eyes swept over the Rejuvenation Tank, examining the being inside. The liquid within the tank was doing wonders for restoring his body back to its former pristine state; the Komuian couldn't help but grin. So long as the body didn't show any side-effects, phase two was well underway.
"I'm glad to see the body's recuperation is coming along nicely," said Venga, moving his hand along the glass of the tank. "To be honest, when he was revived with this horrific wound, part of me feared for his life."
"Venga, sir, I may be speaking out of turn, but I have to ask," Jōn approached the man tentatively. "Our goal, in the end, is the destruction of the Saiyan race! Why are we relying on the power of the bastards who killed our people!? If we were going to use the Dragon Balls, wouldn't it have been more prudent to revive a threat that wasn't quite so close to home? There are dozens of species out there who loathe the Saiyans! The people of planet Acheron, for example, would have been more than pleased to lend their support to our cause! I implore you to reconsider, sir!"
"You're still young, Jōn," Venga replied, and this was true. The Komuian race had a lifespan of around three centuries; Jōn, at the age of 80, was practically a teenager to them. "You don't know the Saiyans like I do. The Saiyan race are natural-born fighters; thousands of years of evolution have primed them for a life of battle. They revel in killing and bathe in blood. Even in the midst of battle, they can grow stronger, adapt, and surpass their opponent when they should be inches away from death. There is no other species alive with this kind of raw combat potential."
"I'm sorry, sir, I don't understand what you're implying," said Jōn, who had to admit, that simply made reviving this particular Saiyan all the more dangerous.
"The only proper way to counter a Saiyan, is with another Saiyan," Venga gently tapped the glass dome of the Rejuvenation Chamber once more. "After analyzing the data on the history of Son Goku's family, I can conclude that both he and Vegeta share a similar amount of latent potential. My own logic follows that their family members are not far behind. Look at the eldest child, or the two younger ones. Remarkable potential at such young ages. So then the idea came to me; if I could revive a member of the Son family, our dreams of revenge would finally come to fruition."
"But why him?" Jōn gestured to Raditz. "Son Goku had a father, didn't he?" For emphasis, the younger Komuian drew up a holographic screen, showing profiles from the databases of Freeza's Army's databases; on the screen was an image of a man with spiky black hair, a serious expression, and a jagged scar. The words were written in, not in the common language, but the language used by the Freeza Army. "Burdock, wasn't it? Remarkable for a low-class warrior, and certainly stronger than his oldest son!"
"And yet he was blinded by his own love for his family," Venga waved this off irritably. "Both he and Son Goku's mother sent the boy off Vegeta out of concern for his safety; they could never be convinced to fight and kill him, much less the remaining Saiyan scourge."
"Why not attempt to control him?" Jōn interjected. "We have the technology!"
"Mind control can be broken with a sufficiently strong will, and Burdock was anything but mentally weak," Venga replied. "But Raditz...he has every reason to want to avenge himself. He was killed by his own brother, and disregarded by his comrade, Vegeta. With that singular goal in mind, he will be a tool we can use very well."
Jōn frowned, his whiskers drooping with his mood. As if keen to find some hole in the plan, he frantically racked his brain for another point of contention. "...What about the other Saiyans? The ones you revived? Are they content go along with the plan?"
"Ahh, the others," Venga mused, smiling dryly. "Well, you know Saiyans. Independent as they are. But their leader was surprisingly easy to convince. It turns out the Dragon revived a squad of Saiyans that had known each other in life. Their squad leader, Sera, is as battle hungry as any Saiyan. I merely convinced that I would be able to provide her with strong opponents. It didn't take much doing."
Jōn opened his mouth as if to argue, but whatever he intended to say was drowned out by a blaring beeping noise. The two Komuians looked at the machine; the red bulb at the peak of the curved metal dome was flashing red. This was a good sign, contrary to how Earthling's would perceive a flashing red light accompanied by a large siren.
"He's ready!" Venga crowed, and the physician at his side pressed a holographic switch; the breathing apparatus inside Raditz's mouth disconnected as the liquid begin to drain, returning to a recycling tank for future re-usage. As the last drops of liquid drained to the bottom, the bare form of Raditz, still drenched in the healing liquid, was left sitting in the machine as the glass bubble began to open.
The silence was palpable. Had the healing process gone off without a hitch — and there was no reason it shouldn't have, with Komuian technology — Raditz would be awakening at any moment. Neither Venga nor Jōn moved; would Raditz moved, or was he a corpse? A full two minutes had elapsed before they noticed any results. The Saiyan within the tank began to stir, as if awakening from a long sleep, and his eyes opened.
The first immediate thought was where he was? This wasn't Hell, that couldn't be it. Hell was quite different; this was mechanical, almost as if he was back on the spaceship of Freeza's Army, or perhaps one of their bases. Was that it? He lifted a hand, and clenched his fist.
"This sensation..." He thought to himself, his eyes narrowing. "It's flesh...my flesh and blood. Not a soul, but a real, physical body!" Excitement coursed through him. He had no idea how it had happened, but he had returned to life, reanimated from his cold oblivion that his own younger brother and that Namekian had thrown him into. "A-Alive!" The Saiyan breathed, speaking aloud for the first time in decades. "I'M ALIVE!"
"Welcome back to the World of the Living," Venga said conversationally, smiling a cold smile that did not reach his eyes. "You have been revived, Raditz, by a combination of the Dragon Balls of Earth and Komuian technology. I'm sure you've noticed it by now; you haven't had a living body for several years now."
"Dragon Balls?" Raditz repeated. The words seemed to register with him. Hadn't he heard it before? Then he remembered. The Namekian had told him.
"Son Goku won't remain dead for long. On this planet, we have things called Dragon Balls. Once gathered, they can grant any single wish; even reviving the dead is a trifle matter for their powers."
That had been what he'd said, and Raditz had been thrilled to find out this information. He was sure his Saiyan comrades — Nappa and Vegeta — would arrive on Earth and revive him with the Dragon Balls, either before or after exterminating all life on that planet. It would appear he'd misjudged them.
"Yes, the Dragon Balls," continued the Komuian leader. "And yet we haven't revived you merely to show we could. We have a task for you, Raditz. It has been well over twenty years since your death, and you've been all but forgotten to allies and enemies alike. We offer you a second chance to take revenge on your transgressors and ours. Assist us."
"And what makes you think I'll assist you?" The Saiyan replied, as he lifted himself out of the healing tank, finally having collected himself. Stepping gingerly onto the metal floor, his tail wrapped around his waist akin to a belt; a Saiyan habit to keep their tails out of reach of potential aggressors.
"Because we can give you power," Venga replied simply. With a flourish of his cloak, he spread his arms dramatically. "Your potential is far from yet fully realized, Raditz, son of Burdock. Take our olive branch, and we can show you the power of a god the likes of which you can't scarcely imagine!"
The long-haired Saiyan was mulling it over in his head. If he sided with this lot, he didn't have anything to lose. He'd been dead for far too long; everything had changed. And as much as he hated to admit it, the offer of power, even from the assistance of these lower beings, was tempting to say the least. Grunting, he nodded.
"Excellent! Then we have an accord!" Venga clapped his hands. "Jōn. Raditz. Come. Let us commence with phase three. Within one year, we will return to Earth. Until then, we have much work to do!"
Planet Earth, Age 781, East District 439
"Thanks for inviting us over, Chi-Chi," Bulma said, smiling as she entered the Son household. She was holding a young girl, barely a toddler, in her arms. Despite her young age, the girl had a shock of lavender hair that matched her mother's, and when the older woman had stepped into the threshold, she cooed happily.
"Oh don't mention it, Bulma," Chi-Chi waved off her friend's gratitude with a return smile. "You've invited us to the Western Capital enough that I figured I ought to go and return the favour. Besides," She walked over and bent forward, her onyx eyes surveying the child with great interest. "I haven't gotten a chance to meet little Bra here since you told me you had another child."
"I guess now's as good a time as any, isn't it?" The lavender haired mother replied as she took a seat. "I noticed a house on my way up; is that...?"
"Gohan and Videl's house, that's the one!" Chi-Chi said proudly. "Given the fact that they're married and they've got Pan now, Gohan said he couldn't live at our house forever. But I didn't want him moving too far away, so we reached a compromise! Daddy paid for the construction of their new little house right next to this one. Mr. Satan actually wanted to do it, but Daddy insisted."
"Oh, how is Pan?" Bulma asked eagerly. She hadn't forgotten how fortunate they were that Videl had been pregnant with the quarter-Saiyan child; she was instrumental in transforming Goku into a Super Saiyan God. Even if she didn't know it, the young girl was a hero.
"Why don't you ask her yourself?" A female voice caught Bulma's attention. Standing in the doorway was a woman with ebony hair, cut to frame her face, and vivid sapphire eyes. Standing at her feet was a young girl with a shock of untidy black hair, already dressed in martial arts gi despite her young age. "Pan, go on and say hi to Miss Bulma."
"Videl!" The lavender-tressed older woman smiled brightly. "You're doing well!" Bulma placed her daughter gently on the ground, and the young girl tentatively approached Pan. Despite only being a year old, it was quite clear Bra was more aware than most infants. Unable to form true sentences yet, she merely walked curiously around Pan, who looked equally as curiously back.
"Momma! Baby!" The one year old said simply in a high pitched voice, gesturing eagerly towards Pan. The older Saiyan hybrid looked at Bra with equally curious eyes, inclining her head.
"Momma, who this?" Pan pointed at Bra, looking at her mother.
"She's a friend, sweetie," Videl knelt down, nudging Pan forward. "Why don't you go play?"
As if eager to take the invitation, Pan tugged on Bra's hand, pulling her towards another corner of the kitchen.
All three women laughed, before excitedly striking up conversation. It had been nearly a full year since they'd all started a gathering like this, and even without the rest, starting a catch-up session was always fun.
"So where's Gohan?" Bulma asked, looking over Videl's shoulder for her husband. "I know he can't possibly be away on some training trip."
"Oh no, nothing like that," Videl replied. "He's just finishing up a few papers for his next research conference; he said he'll be over in a few minutes, he only had to add the finishing touches to one of his research papers. Judging by how you phrased it, am I safe in assuming neither Goku nor Vegeta have returned?"
"As if!" Both wives snapped dangerously before Bulma continued. "I'm not surprised, to be honest, Vegeta and Goku have always been more interested in training than people, but this is ridiculous. Vegeta hasn't even seen our baby girl yet; she only knows her Papa from pictures."
"I know how you feel," Videl sighed. "We've shown Pan a few pictures of Goku here and there, so she knows what Grandpa looks like; but beyond that, she doesn't really know he exists. Gohan's not too happy about it either, but we know there's not much point in forcing Goku back before he's ready."
"I guess that's just how he is," Chi-Chi shrugged irritably. She was far from happy that her husband was taking an extended leave to train on an alien planet — God of Destruction or not, she liked to believe that she, as Goku's wife, and the rest of their family ranked a little higher on the totem pole than a temperamental cat god. She let out another dramatic sigh, before pushing herself up from the table. "Come on, everyone else should be getting here soon. We're not going to let our husbands ruin today, right girls?"
"Right!" The two other mothers replied in unison.
After having left the Son household to go outside, the fun was starting to begin. Chi-Chi had decided, after Bulma had thrown so many parties for them, it would be her turn to show everyone how the people of Mount Paozu had fun. Outside, the wilderness of the mountain had been completely tamed by Chi-Chi's aesthetic whim. Set on the cool grass were long, wooden tables, draped in orange cloth. Alongside one of the many tables was laden with food that Chi-Chi had cooked herself, having stayed up all night to cook; the aroma was filling the area, creating a mouthwatering atmosphere that would probably attract Goku from Beerus' planet if the food stayed out long enough.
Streamers, lamps, and other decorations were hung up by the trees and poles set around the party perimeter. The other guests were beginning to turn up in droves; Piccolo, Dende, Kuririn, 18, Marron, Tenshinhan, Chaozu, Yamcha, Oolong, Puar had made the trek up to the East District, either by Capsule vehicle or simply flying. Mr. Satan and Bulma's parents, due to prior engagements, hadn't been able to make it. Majin Bū, their former enemy turned comrade, was also unable to make an appearance; he had entered a long sleep a few years ago and was still unable to be awoken.
"I think this has to be a first," Kuririn remarked, looking casually around the refurbished East District. "All of us getting invited up here."
"Well, I figured it's only right," Chi-Chi said, laying out a few last minute touches to the table of food. "Bulma always invites us up to the Western Capital, but I've never been a hostess to anyone here. So, everyone, let's enjoy ourselves!"
There was a raucous cheering from a majority of the group, and without any further delay, began to let loose. With the exception of Piccolo and 18, the guests began to immediately perform a beeline towards the buffet table. With everyone stocking up on food, the fun and games began; talk turned to families, their recent accomplishments over the past year, and the atmosphere was rife with the joy of many.
"...and would you believe they actually made me the police chief?" Kuririn said, casually swigging from a glass. "I didn't even think I deserved it, but 18 sure is happy about it, aren't you honey?"
"Of course I am," replied the Cyborg coolly, though she was smiling, obviously proud of her husband's accomplishment. "A promotion means a pay raise."
"Heh heh..." The former monk started chuckling. He knew his wife was happy with his promotion, but ever since they'd been stuck living at his old teacher's house, she'd always been focused on money. Even when they used prize money she won from the Tenkaichi Budōkai — and the additional money she extorted from Mr. Satan — they were more than able to afford a better house, as well as multiple other luxuries.
Goten and Trunks were distractedly playing a surprisingly violent game of catch. Saiyan strength combined with a reinforced rubber ball made for a very dangerous projectile. It was only after several minutes of incessant, vigorous bouncing, both Bulma and Chi-Chi had enough, and angrily told their sons to take the ball a little further away from the immediate party area.
All in all, the party seemed to be progressing great. Chi-Chi, smiling contentedly, was already resolving to play hostess to a few more little soirées if this one proved successful.
However, unknown to the gathering of friends and family, danger was rapidly approaching.
A/N: So, here it is. the first 'chapter' of my new small story! This was originally intended to be a one-shot (and you'll notice it as you see the chapters come in), but the story wound up being 16,000+ words, so in the end, I had to split it up. I won't make this author's note too long a write (I have the real one ready for the final chapter), but since we're here, shall I explain the puns I'm using?
Komuian comes from the Japanese word for "innocent" (無辜 muko). Miyabita is the Japanese word for 'elegant' (雅びた). I'm using "Miyabitan" to refer to Zarbon's race specifically, but I didn't mention that in the story just in case Toriyama names the species something entirely out of left field. "Ankokians" comes from the word "Ankoku-seijin" (暗黒星人) the name for Yakon's race. (This came from Dragon Ball Wiki, which is notorious for their inaccuracies, so I can't state the truth of this name. HOWEVER, a member of Yakon's race was seen in Freeza's army in the RoF tie-in manga.)
"Venga" comes from the word "Venganza", Spanish for Vengeance. "Pacul" comes from "Culpa", Spanish for Guilt. "Jōn" is a pun on another Japanese word for "innocent", (淳良 junryō).
"Sera" comes from the Japanese pronunciation word for "Celery" (セロリ serori). "Rambu" comes from the "Rambutan" (ランブータン rambutan) fruit. "Aki" comes from the "Akee" fruit (アキー acki). Ramu comes from the Japanese pronunciation of the English word 'Plum' (プラム Puramu). 'Wara' comes from 'suikawari' (西瓜割り suikawari'), or watermelon splitting.
Got all that? Good ^^ As always, let's thank Demod20 for a fantastic job at proofreading and reviewing my stories before I release them to the public.