A/N: Here I am back with the next chapter of Ascent. Sorry I couldn't update last week; my laptop is currently unable to charge properly, making it hard for me to type up these chapters. Anyway, I am very appreciative of the reviews, favorites, and follows as always and I hope you continue to enjoy the story. So onwards with the next chapter!
"Speech" – Talking
"Speech" – Thoughts
Chapter 2
Appearance of New Enemies!
The Saiyans and Frieza's Army Arrive on Earth
Frieza frowned disapprovingly as the burst of light gradually faded from his view. In most occasions, he would be more than thrilled to see destruction caused either by his hands or those of his subordinates, but not in this particular moment. He had a highly desired goal to fulfill and such destruction would only probe to make this trip to Earth pointless. He growled to himself as his tail harshly slammed against the exterior of the ship, "Those blasted monkeys had better hope they didn't destroy the Dragon Balls! If so, then their punishment will be all the more excruciating."
While his generals Zarbon and Dodoria were handling on assigned tasks, he was above the ship, analyzing the land around his ship, until he had been rudely interrupted by the shockwaves felt as a result of the saiyan's attack. At least now, he could continue on without another abrupt happenstance.
On the left side, splitting the land down the middle was a paved road leading to the city ahead. Grass stretched for miles on end, decorated by lightly colored flowers. Behind the cruiser and to the right were trees gathered together. Edging the borders of the street were lush green bushes rustling a bit in the wind. Animals could be seen procuring the area. They remained a distance away, sensing the danger emitting from the large space craft. Many swiftly evacuated the area for security of their lives, possibly send warnings to others of their species of the impending doom lurking upon them.
From time to time, he noticed hover-vehicles passing by with haste or gradual speed. Those who rapidly passed the cruiser were sure to avoid any attempts of socializing with the maniacal tyrant. On the other hand, those who moved slowly used majority of their time to analyze the ship without coming to an absolute halt. He even noted a few onlookers sticking hands from the window with devices in their hands or simply waving, in the case of a young child. Besides that, there was absolute peace.
The fact it was positively tranquil did not bother him in the least, not yet of course. He preferred the current silence over the usual activity among the station and the ship during travel. However, it confirmed his belief that Earthlings were unsuspecting of his presence, meaning securing the planet in his name would require very little effort once he obtained the items he was searching for.
"Lord Frieza," said Zarbon from behind.
"What do you have to report?" Frieza questioned as he turned around.
The green-haired warrior had long since grown accustomed to his boss's no nonsense demeanor when it came to business even if he behaved in such a fashion in all occasions. "The men are finalizing preparations for departure, on your command."
The tyrant chuckled sinisterly at the pleasing news, "Excellent. The puny worms of this planet shall know of my name very soon if they do not already."
"I'm surprised no one has even so much thought of attempting to attack yet," Dodoria stated, somewhat shocked by the lack of action. During most of his assignments to the various planets, the inhabitants were usually waiting in the general landing zone of their pods or stood on defense in the villages if unsuspecting of their arrival.
Zarbon brushed a stray piece of hair from his face as a gentle breeze brushed against his face, "You must remember Dodoria, not every planet believes in the existence of other life forms besides their own; believe me, I know. In addition, they are isolated from the remainder of those conquered by Lord Frieza.
A sadistic grin appeared on the large Spikariant's lips, "So I suppose with the exception of a select few, they're totally defenseless. This will be too easy."
"Purging will come after we complete our task," the tyrant reminded, stressing the importance of the matter.
"Of course Lord Frieza," Dodoria responded never missing the edge in his voice. A small drop of perspiration appeared on the side of his face as he knew of the dire consequences that would follow if he were to anger the Arcosian. His nervous expression was soon replaced by a dark grin, "But are we allowed to have a bit of fun along the way?"
A gleam twinkled in Frieza's eyes at his lackey's request, "Why of course. However, you must do so in a fashion that does not jeopardize the mission or we will be in need of a little chat afterwards."
The Reptorian male had stopped paying attention to the conversation at hand, only to stare off into the distance as something caught his focus. Heading in their direction was a line of vehicles moving at a pretty slow pace and if it were possible, they seemed to start slowing down even further as they came closer to the ship. He presumed it had to be some of the inhabitants curious of their presence and chose to come take a peek at the unusual space craft. "Lord Frieza, I don't mean to interrupt you, but you might want to take a look at this."
He focused his gaze to the road that contained about ten vehicles that began to turn off onto the grass in the direction of his ship. The trio watched as they vehicles stopped and hit the ground before the occupants exited by ones and twos. They proceeded to approach the ship even closer and raised their phones in the air to snap pictures and take videos, but in a slightly cautious manner.
"Wow, just at the size of that thing," a woman stated in wonder.
"I wonder if this could be a production for a new sci-fi movie," commented a geeky teenage male.
"Barbara, I don't think we should be here," a young man said nervously to his wife.
"Who are those people standing up there?" a little girl questioned.
Zarbon examined the features of the humans from where he stood, "So, these are the Earthlings. They look somewhat similar to those awful monkeys with the exception of hair colors and lack of tail."
"True, but I doubt they hold the same power," Dodoria questioned. He pressed the button on his scouter. As he watched the scouter lock onto a few individuals, the alien figures displayed their power readings. "Hahaha, this is a too much. At most, they all seem to have a power level of at most five. These fools must want to die, especially if they keep standing there like targets."
"Well then, I saw we give them a proper greeting," Frieza stated deviously. He eased closer to the edge of the ship, shocking the humans a bit further. He raised his hand slightly to be parallel to the side of his face and extended his index finger to allow a purple ball of ki to form. He would surely leave a great first impression on the Earthlings, "I see that my arrival has not gone unnoticed. Allow me to introduce myself; I am the great Lord Frieza, ruler of the universe. I have come to make your planet mine and you will all soon bow down to me."
The group of humans grew a tad frightened at his introduction. Most of them believed their minds were playing tricks on them or a reality show was playing some sort joke on them. They began backing away from the ship so they could make their leave without harm.
"Are they really aliens?" questioned the little girl.
"Barbara! We need to get out of here now!" the young man said, pulling his wife towards the vehicle.
"It's totally obvious that these aliens are just fakes," announced the geeky teenager as he repositioned his glasses. "I mean everyone knows that aliens can't speak our language."
Frieza's eyes revealed an evil glint at the ignorant teenager's comment. He raised his index finger into the air ever so slightly, forming a medium sized ball of ki over it. A delighted chuckle escaped his lips as he watched the humans begin to cower at the sight. "Oh, you think we're not real do you? Alright, I shall give you insignificant little worms an example of how much a reality I am. While I am feeling somewhat generous, you will be allowed ten seconds to escape with your lives, otherwise you shall pay the consequences. I detest those who expect to delve into my business or who wish to anger me in the slightest."
Before anything else could be said, the group of humans sprinted to their vehicles at full speed. Those who managed to ease away from the group beforehand made it to their vehicles by the end of the Arcosian's statement and readied their cars to leave. Unfortunately for the rest of them, they were not as lucky. By the time the tenth second arrived, they had only reached the doors of heir hover cars and before they knew it, a red hover car exploded into tiny little pieces and in its place a fire blazed.
As the people attempted to escape, the blasts continued to come, destroying every last one in sight. When it was all said and done, the once lovely field was filled with burning fires. Frieza stared at his work with a grin on his lips, pleased with the sight of destruction. He looked up into the distance, watching as those who managed to escape soared down the streets to the city ahead. "Such fools these humans are. Unless proven otherwise, I doubt I will find any further use of this planet once I obtain the Dragon Balls. At least this lesson will teach them to avoid the unknown. However, if a few attempt to pique their interest again, I will have a form of entertainment by killing them."
"I find it unreasonable on their part for even thinking of such actions in the first," Zarbon stated in a matter of fact tone. "At least they will now have news of your arrival and a small extent of your power. If they are the cowards I think they are, they will bow to your will in a matter of moments. Finding these Dragon Balls will go all that much easier if they know about them."
"Yes, that is quite true," Frieza said as he proceeded to float towards the hole leading to his chambers. "We will see what they know if this planet's warriors choose to be uncooperative. Now let us prepare to capture these little worms." The Arcosian tyrant descended into his quarters, followed by only Dodoria.
On the other hand, Zarbon remained in his spot, staring at another particular area that caught his attention.
Carefully hidden between the trees, avoiding the sight of the aliens, a camera crew recorded the entire ordeal to viewers. Their eyes had widened to the size of plates due to the merciless violence used to harm the innocent citizens who were only trying to view the large space craft. A woman of average height stood off to the side of the video camera sitting on a stand. She wore a burgundy suit that displayed her figure in the right places and black shoes. Her brown eyes displayed absolute fear topped with a bit of interest in the situation, forgetting the fact she had an audience to report to. The woman quickly shook her head to regain her composure and turned her gaze towards the camera lens, "As you can see here folks, our planet is being visited by an unknown guest capable of disastrous powers. You are urged to stay indoors until further notice or your very life may be at risk. Avoid the outskirts of Orange Star City at all cost because that is the base of their operations. If you must absolutely pass through the area, proceed with the utmost caution. Let's bring it back to you John."
"And we're clear," announced the blonde haired cameraman, Walt. He stood a foot higher as his coworker dressed in a simple button down white shirt along with khaki pants and brown loafers. The man released a tired sigh, "Cindy…I still don't understand why you found it necessary to take this job. We're really cutting it close as it is trying to film this stuff. If it weren't for these trees, I'm pretty sure we would've gotten killed just like the other people."
Cindy blew a stray hair from the front of her face, "I know, but no one else wanted to take the job and you know no one else delivers the news as quickly as I do. Besides, the people need to know about this. We can't just sit on the sidelines waiting for something to happen. Remember we hare hard hitting reporters."
Walt shook his head as he began to dismantle the equipment, "Honestly, you're just too good of a person. I just don't know what to say about you."
The news reporter shrugged her shoulders in response, "What can I say? It helps put food on the table. I hope the people don't cause too much of a panic and King Furry can dispatch the Royal Army to drive them off. They're the only ones capable of stopping these creatures."
"We'd better hope," commented the man in a depressed voice. "Because it looks like normal weapons won't have an effect on them."
"Yes, I couldn't agree more," responded the cool voice of Zarbon from behind. "Anything used will be treated as harmless insects against our forces."
The coworkers halted in their tracks at the newcomer's sudden comment. Chills ran up their backsides as they slowly turned around to meet the gaze of the general of Frieza's army. Beads of sweat appeared on their faces as they stared silently and fearfully at the hazel eye soldier who bore a small grin on his features.
Cindy began to chuckle nervously, a tad unsure of how to respond, "Hello there. I-I want to w-welcome to E-Earth. W-What b-brings you to o-our lovely planet?"
Zarbon closed his eyes as he coolly folded his arms over his chest, "My, there's no need to be frightened by me. However, you should know from that little display I am sure you have witnessed, it is not a wise idea to spy on Lord Frieza. Those who plan to do so receive a swift death sentence."
The anchor woman waved her hands u in defense, "I-I'm sorry. My partner and I were simply completing a job for our boss and the people. W-We don't mean any harm. W-we just wanted to let our viewers know of your arrival so they don't do anything stupid and bother you again. Honest!"
"Oh really now? What about tis Royal Army in which you spoke of? Aren't they going to try and stop us?"
Cindy grew speechless at the male's deduction and eavesdropping skills. They would indeed try to put a halt to any plans the invaders had on their list. She looked to her partner, only to realize he was no longer standing right behind her, but tiptoeing to the action news van instead. She returned her gaze to the Reptorian soldier and chuckled once more, "Yes, but they're our planet's first line of defense. They would c-come if we didn't e-even do the broadcast."
"I see, but know one thing," Zarbon stated as he replaced his smirk with a frown. "No matter what plan of action your so called army has up their sleeves, it will be nothing in comparison to even the weakest of our forces. In the end, Lord Frieza will obliterate those who oppose him and rule over this planet along with the numerous others already under his command."
The newswoman followed in her partner's footsteps and back away from the alien, horrified by the evil general. She knew he was not kidding in his statement as he spoke with great confidence. She now feared for her life as she realized the true danger of their presence and nothing would be able to stop them. They were screwed. Not a moment too soon, she broke out into a full sprint as well. "Walt! We need to get out of here now!"
The alien general watched amused at the duo scrambling rapidly into the vehicle. In moments, the van was fully packed and the two drove off into the distance, leaving the Reptorian to his own musings. "These Earthlings are quite the interesting species. The second they are faced with death, they cowardly flee to the holes they crawled from. They will not have any possible use in Frieza's army.
A gust of wind blew into the alien soldier causing his cape to flap behind him wildly as he began to make his way back towards the ship. In minutes, he arrived at the personal chamber of Frieza where his cohorts and superior awaited his presence. He fell in line with the others, bowing before the Arcosian tyrant he was deeply loyal to. "I apologize for my tardiness, but I had to deal with a few nuisances."
"That is quite alright," the tyrant responded calmly. "Normally I would not allow tardiness in my presence, but I am in a very forgiving mood. Now that everyone has been gathered, we may begin." He turned his back towards the warriors, gazing deeply into the window as the dreams of immortality filled his calculating mind. "As you all know, the monkey Raditz was killed by one of the inhabitants of this planet. I want you all to find this planet's strongest warriors and return them to the ship. Should they choose to resist, do not hold back, but do not kill them either. To decrease any chances of escape, the necessary precautions have been taken and will be ready for use upon your arrivals. Do not fail me, or there shall be consequences."
"Yes Lord Frieza," chorused the five henchmen.
Above North City
"Ha Ha Ha! I don't think I left a big enough impression!" the brute laughed cruelly. "I think I may need to try again."
"That's enough Nappa!" the prince warned, his smirk had now vanished. "It's best that we leave it at that. The more damage we do that's less of a price we get when selling it."
The older saiyan warrior did not miss his younger charge's noticeable change in demeanor and quickly changed his tune, "Oh right! That's fine. We should start looking for those what-cha-ma-call-it balls anyway."
Sometimes, Vegeta wanted to obliterate Nappa for his single-minded stupidity, but he held out all this time since his usefulness proved worthy of his time. In the end, he growled in frustration and proceeded to correct Nappa's vocabulary, "They're called Dragon Balls and the first thing we need to do is find Raditz's killer and extract a little information from him. However, if they were being held in this vicinity, then our chance to wish for eternal life has gone up in smoke now wouldn't it." The saiyan prince directed an accusing glance at the man who had been by his side for decades, "All because you had to say hello."
For the first time, the bald saiyan appeared regretful of his actions, "Sorry Vegeta, I really forgot."
He sighed in response, "No matter, what's done is done. Now we should search for the highest power levels. This mystery man should be among the top."
The saiyans pushed the button on the scouters. Alien figures displayed on the small screens, circling around the individuals with above average energy signals. Nappa showed his obvious shock, though highly unworried, at the scanning his scouter showed him, "Wow, the scouters indicate several power levels over one thousand and they all seem to be heading to the same place as the highest reading."
"Do not be alarmed Nappa," the flame haired saiyan responded calmly. "Most likely they have been preparing for our arrival." The peculiar device beeped rapidly just as it locked onto the largest power on the planet. Their eyes widened in confusion and perhaps fear.
"22,000! This is preposterous!" the prince all but yelled. "How is there someone on this planet with such a high reading?!"
"Yeah, this doesn't make any sense," the bald saiyan added in. His eye twitched for a moment, but soon allowed a smirk to return. "Maybe it's just some kinda malfunction. There's no way any of these weaklings can be stronger than us."
Vegeta nodded his head in agreement, shaking off the spurt of anxiety, "You're right Nappa. That's how Raditz allowed himself to get killed; by becoming distracted by these blasted devices. Let us go."
Master Roshi's Island
"The cause of the large scale earthquake is still under investigation," reported the news anchor. "However, reports are flooding in of the attempts at reaching Outer North have been unavailable, which is causing concern for those citizens who have relatives residing in the area. The mysterious appearance of two odd space crafts seems to be the only leading point we have, but we shall continue to update as more information is discovered."
Bulma, Puar, Roshi, Oolong, and Turtle had all stared horridly at the television as the live news broadcast drew to a close.
"No! No, it's the saiyans!" Roshi announced angrily. "They've arrived!"
The blue haired genius swiftly jumped to her feet and pulled out the green scouter, covering it over the left side of her face. Despite the grave danger, she was determined to offer her assistance to aid the Earth's warriors, "Right! Then let's go! This thing will show us exactly where they are."
Oolong shook his head in disapproval, "Nuh uh! Didn't you see what just happened?! There's no way I'm going anywhere near those saiyans!"
"I-I'll go with you!" Puar said, ignoring the sense of dread that lied in the pit of his stomach. "Yamcha will be there and I'm sure he'll need all the help that he can get!"
"Hold on! There's no point in us going," Roshi said before any further reckless decisions could be made. While he was a force to be reckoned with in the prime of his youth and continued to train to some extent, those days were long gone. "Our powers are much too weak for us to be effective in this battle. We'll only be getting in their way."
The genius turned her back to the turtle hermit, "He's right. If we were to go charging in thinking we can be any sort of help, our lives will be as good as over! Why? Why did this have to happen? Oh Goku! We need you!"
Gohan's Training Grounds
"Be ready Gohan! They're approaching!" Piccolo warned as the two stared off into the distance. "So the day has finally arrived. Their power is unbelievable, but our strategies will prove strength doesn't always mean everything."
"Right," Gohan stated with a nod. Behind the half-breed's firm expression was a scared five year old who dreaded this day. Here he was, a normal child gone warrior, about to participate in a life or death battle against aliens from a strange world.. Sure his mentor literally beat everything he needed to know into his skull, the sparring sessions and the actual battle were on two different ends of the spectrum. "I'm really scared, but I can't fail Mr. Piccolo or the planet! I-I have to do my best!"
Piccolo removed the padded cape and turban from his body, dropping them on the ground. He looked back to his pupil once more with one final reminder left, "There is nothing to fear. Remember over the year, we have increased our power tenfold."
Suddenly, he sensed several alarming power levels, all within a close proximity, though he quickly calmed himself down. While the signatures he detected were highly above average, it was nothing compared to the two saiyans, who were not too far off as well. "I suppose these are Goku's friends I'm sensing."
A figure emerged into their view faster than their eyes could see at the top of the pillar, only to fade from view once more, landing a few feet away from the duo. The figure revealed to be none other than the former monk, who bore a confident smirk, "Long time no see…Piccolo."
The Namekian smirked, dropping his overall tense guard, "Oh, it's just you. I'm surprised you actually came, but I suppose you're not the only one who's coming, especially considering the new circumstances."
"Yeah, but I just happened to be a little closer than the others," Krillin stated as he looked to the distance. "We've all been doing our training for the year, so you don't have to worry about us slowly you down."
"I noticed," the Namekian responded.
"Hey, didn't I see you at Master Roshi's house," Gohan piped up after moments of observing the short man.
Krillin's eyes lit up at the sight of his best friend's son, "Yeah, the name is Krillin. Your name's Gohan, right? Man, you really buffed up since the last time I saw you. You really look a lot like your dad when he was younger."
The child quickly ran up to the former monk, "My dad use to tell me stories about his adventures. So you're the one who used to train all the time to make up for being short."
He gave the boy a skeptical glance, "Goku said what now?"
Before the young half breed could get another word out, he along with his mentor and Krillin sensed three more power levels approaching them quickly. From the west, Yamcha's figure swiftly came into view and landed beside Krillin, while from the south Tien and Chiaotzu made their presences known, descending to the ground next to Piccolo.
"Hey guys," Yamcha stated with a grin. "Looks like we all made it just in time."
"That's very fortunate," Tien nodded in agreement. "We need to be at full power the moment they arrive." He shot a glance at the young boy next to Krillin, who only stared back curiously, "So, that's Goku's kid?"
"Yeah, this is Gohan," Krillin introduced happily. "Piccolo has done a real good job of training him."
"Alright, that's enough small talk, they're here," the Namek announced.
Just as he announced their presence, the others sensed their arrival. Six pairs of eyes shot to the sky to see the two saiyans smirking deviously.
A/n: And that's it everyone. Not much action this chapter, but there will be some to look forward to in the next one so don't miss out. Once I again, I will appreciate any review that you send in; it helps give me the motivation needed to keep pushing forward and also to see where I need improvement. Somehow, I always tend to miss my mistakes no matter how many times I look over it =/. Anyway, that's all I have to say for now. I'll be back soon for the next chapter of Ascent.
Until Next Time!
Mystic Milli ~
