Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Note: If you discover any typos in this chapter, please let me know. I did not proofread it as thoroughly as I have other chapters. I just said "Screw it!" and posted it. Unfortunately due to my job I have too little time to read the entire thing out loud to myself. I hope everyone enjoys the continuation of the struggle between Goku and King Cold. It was fun (and challenging) to write!
Now, let the bloodbath begin. *evil grin*
CHAPTER SEVEN: ONE TO GO
GOKU
"One Saiyan down," the Arcosian sneered cruelly, "and one to go."
The alien smiled down at Goku, with a flash of white teeth and unmasked malice. The lone Saiyan warrior remained still, once again the only thing between this villain and the planet's certain destruction. King Cold raised his hand again, and Goku instinctively sprang into a defensive stance. He felt the familiar rush of adrenaline surge through his veins, the anger flaring in his chest as he thought of what the Arcosian had just done. Somewhere deep inside him, a wicked presence stirred, awoken by the sudden rush of rage.
"You monster," Goku shouted hatefully. "He was just a kid!"
King Cold only smirked again in response. "Monstrous as I may be, at least I'm not as weak as your pathetic race," he chuckled. "You see how effortlessly I finished your friend there? He was lucky. Your death will be much slower."
Goku's breath hitched in his throat as the alien's words fell upon his ears. He'd witnessed the unimaginable cruelty of which Frieza was capable on Namek; it was only to be expected that his father were the same, or worse, if it were even possible. He said nothing more.
The Arcosian continued gleefully. "What—no last words? Well then, it appears that it is finally time to avenge my son."
The Saiyan's only reply was to grit his teeth together, his entire body tightening and tensing in preparation for the impending attack.
He didn't have to wait for much longer.
In a rapid flash, the sleek, well-muscled body of King Cold suddenly disappeared, and then reappeared mere inches away from the startled Saiyan. In the fraction of an instant it took for the alien king to draw back a tightly clenched fist, Goku managed to sidestep the bone-crunching blow that followed. He felt a powerful rush of wind when the Arcosian's fist blew past his face, grazing his cheek by the smallest margin.
The Saiyan warrior flipped backwards away from his attacker, and then crouched again. He saw King Cold's mouth slid into another evil smirk, and then watched as the alien's white teeth parted as he laughed at the Saiyan's retreat. Goku clenched his jaw and felt a familiar darkness begin to seep into his skull, followed by a powerful surge of panic.
King Cold stood in front of him and pouted. "Oh, come now. It's not nearly as pleasurable if you don't at the very least attempt to fight back. I'd rather not play another dull game of cat and mouse. If you are truly the Saiyan that slayed my son, you must be more formidable than this. Why not show me the extent of your power?"
Goku said nothing; his mind was locked in a terrifying replay of the happenings that had taken place on Planet Namek. This dire situation was beginning to resemble those events with a disturbing similarity: Once again, Goku was pitted against a seemingly undefeatable adversary, defending a planet from what appeared to be inevitable destruction. He'd watched helplessly as yet another ally had been violently struck down by his alien enemy, and had felt the horrifying resurgence of rage stir inside him once again, awakening the beast within. The Saiyan knew it would only be minutes before the monster would steal control of his body and mind away from him, just like it had on Planet Namek.
"Silent once more, I see," King Cold continued when his taunting did not prompt a response from his foe. "Well, I've given you a chance to die with dignity, but if you'd rather be quashed underfoot like an insect I can certainly oblige."
Goku's eyes focused once again on his enemy, his muscles flooding with tension in anticipation of the alien's next move. He felt another tug on his consciousness, and another small piece of him surrendered to the monster within. The warrior drew in a slow, labored breath in an attempt to force the wickedness back into dormancy, but his mental efforts were interrupted when King Cold erupted from the ground and hurled towards him.
"Take this, Saiyan!" the alien monarch shouted.
PICCOLO
Seconds ticked wildly inside his head, and Piccolo couldn't believe his senses.
The Namek's spirits had reached an all-time high when he felt Goku's unique energy signature flicker to life in the distance, close to where the epic beam-battle was taking place between Frieza's father and the unnamed Super Saiyan. Gohan had immediately tried to get up and rush towards the ensuing clash, desperate to assist his father, but his mentor had held him back, much to the young boy's chagrin.
It turned out to be a wise decision, because despite Goku's miraculous appearance, the situation in the distance quickly spiraled downward towards disaster.
The second the Namekian felt the spike in King Cold's power level, he knew something horrific was about to transpire. Feeling his already frayed nerves begin to electrify with yet another intense wave of panic, Piccolo shot down to the ground from his vantage point upon a pillar of rock, pulling a protesting Gohan with him. The other warriors converged around him, expecting another colossal attack to careen towards the Earth. Sure enough, a millisecond later, the distant sky had lit up with a bright pink flash, but there was no violent shaking or reverberation in the air like there had been before. Instead, the outcome of the brilliant blast of light was for one of the massive energy signatures on the battlefield to all but disappear.
A chorus of shocked gasps filled the Namekian warrior's ears.
For Piccolo, and for nearly all those around him, the experience of feeling another fighter's life flicker out like a candle was not new. But it was not something he ever got used to, and he felt a sickening twist form in his gut when he felt the unknown warrior's energy suddenly sputter out of the his perception. Piccolo had to remind himself to breath as a horrific revelation hit him.
The mysterious young savior was gone.
The rhythmic pounding of small fists against his chest snapped the Namekian back to reality, and Piccolo glanced down at the tearful boy that he held firmly against his chest. Gohan was raising a riot, screaming and crying, desperately trying to pry himself from his mentor's grip.
"Let me go! I have to help my daddy!" the child shouted. "Piccolo! Let me go!"
The alien warrior held fast to the boy, glancing about at his comrades. Their faces were painted with various expressions of shock, and none of them seemed to notice the half-Saiyan child having a tantrum in his arms.
"Piccolo!" Gohan screamed again. "I have to help my dad!"
A few seconds passed, and the Namekian's iron grip on Goku's son didn't budge even a fraction of an inch. The boy continued to struggle, until finally he let out a scream of anguish and frustration that caught the attention of the Prince of Saiyans.
"Shut him up, will you?!" hissed Vegeta sharply. "We'll be spotted!"
The Saiyan's harsh words seemed to break most others in their group out of their stunned trance, and several eyes turned towards them. Krillin stepped forward towards the pair, placing a hand on the struggling Gohan's shoulder and giving it a hopeful squeeze.
"Hey Gohan, its okay—that wasn't your dad we felt get hit," the short warrior explained, though his voice was void of the comforting warmth it usually possessed. "It was—it was the other guy. Your dad's alright."
Gohan's struggled slowly ceased. "But—but my dad needs help. He's alone now. We have to help him!"
"Kakarot is as good as dead," Vegeta interjected, earning himself a series of angry, embittered looks from the rest of the group. "We all are."
Tien glared at Vegeta loathingly. "Hey, Vegeta—why don't you shut it? I'm sick of hearing your voice."
"All of you be quiet!" Piccolo shouted, and for the briefest moment he relinquished his steadfast grip on Gohan. "Regardless of the situation, we—"
A sudden burst of mild pain in his midsection forced Piccolo to double over, and he realized that Gohan had kicked him and slipped out of his grasp. Krillin's fingers entwined tightly around the boy's sleeve, attempting to rein him back inside the safety of the group, but the young Saiyan jerked away so roughly that the fabric ripped off and was left hanging loosely in the bald warrior's hands.
"Gohan!" Piccolo shouted, hearing his voice ring among a chorus of similar cries from the others around him. "Stop!"
Despite their pleading screams to stay, the boy didn't seem to hear them. As suddenly as a burst of lightning, Gohan sprung up out of the reach of his friends and rocketed towards the mêlée. A jagged ribbon of light arched behind the boy, until he was merely a speck in the distance.
"Gohan, come back!" Krillin called desperately after him.
Almost instantly, all eyes turned to Piccolo for some kind of clue as to what to do next.
The Namekian hardly registered their gazes, and he didn't even think about his next move. A fraction of a second after Gohan had streaked off, he too was in the air and jetting towards the battlefield. The flaring power levels behind him told Piccolo that despite their grim predicament, the others were following closely behind.
The Namekian warrior frown as he raced towards his pupil and Goku's unmistakable but uncharacteristically weak energy signature. He understood the boy's frantic need to help his father, but Gohan should have known better than to rush into combat without a plan or the power to take on his opponent. Only, none of them had a plan, and even with their energies combined, they didn't have the power to pose even a mild threat to King Cold's titanic power. Either way he thought about it, the situation looked irrefutably grave.
Unless Goku can pull the same trick he had on Namek, that is, Piccolo thought, a twinge of uncertain hope springing up among his fearful doubts.
However, as the seconds ticked by and he drew closer to the combatants, the less that thought comforted the Namekian. As he gazed wide-eyed into the distance, he saw not only the small form of Gohan racing ahead of him, but the tiny figures of Goku and King Cold facing off on the ground below.
Something didn't feel right, Piccolo decided, and another pang of fear gripped his insides. Goku's energy signature suddenly began to fluctuate wildly, but not in terms of the Saiyan warrior's power level. The nature of Goku's usually unshakable pure spirit began to shift and distort. The Namekian realized with frightening clarity that he'd witnessed this scenario once before—almost a year ago, when he'd been hovering on the brink of death on Namek. Despite the memories of that day being hazy because of his injuries, Piccolo vividly remembered sensing the disturbing transformation Goku had undergone.
It was happening again, and now Gohan was jumping into the fray, unaware of the internal struggle occurring within his father's spirit. Another prick of fear stung him, and the Namekian warrior let loose another burst of energy from his green skin, speeding his flight through the sky. He had to be there when Gohan arrived at the scene of the battle, so he could protect the boy from whatever threats awaited there.
Whether the most fearsome threat was the invading Arcosian, or the Gohan's own father, Piccolo didn't yet know.
GOKU
King Cold surged forward, lashing out a leg and attempting to knock Goku's head clear off of his shoulders. The Saiyan anticipated the move, ducked, and responded with a sweeping kick of his own, but despite making contact with the Arcosian's ribs, the blow seemed neither to hurt nor slow down his enemy. The flurry of lightning-quick blows that he landed next had a similar effect—or lack of effect—on the attacking alien overlord. King Cold's massive fist rocketed towards the Saiyan's face once again, and the Arcosian's newly-transformed body wasn't far behind. Goku sprung up from the ground and flipped above the charging tyrant's head, another leg lashing back and attempting to connect with the back of King Cold's neck. However, the monstrous alien sensed the attack and spun around, catching the smaller warrior's foot in his palm. The Saiyan let out a cry as he was mercilessly whipped in a rapid semi-circle, before King Cold released his grip on his boot and sent him tumbling through the air. Acting quickly, Goku allowed a burst of energy to erupt from his skin, halting his midair summersaulting instantly. Panting, he looked back down at the Arcosian monarch with widened eyes.
He's fast…there's no way I'll last long against him, he thought dismally.
This clash would be over quickly, regardless of the victor, and the odds were not in his favor. But for now, as he hovered in the air above the massively powerful alien tyrant, he had the high ground. Once again shaking off the dreaded feeling of impending doom, Goku curled his body inward, cupping his hands behind him and once again calling out the name of the most powerful attack he had in his arsenal for a second time.
"Kaaaa…."
A crackling burst of blue energy sizzled to life in the Saiyan warrior's hands, and he fed it with every ounce of energy he could muster.
"…meeeeeee…"
The wicked smirk that creased King Cold's face wavered slightly and he began to look mildly irritated. Goku felt a tiny twinge of hope spring into his heart.
"…haaaaa…"
Even when he felt his power stores begin to hit bottom, Goku dug deeper. His previous attack that had helped save the Earth from King Cold's massive death ball had drained much of his energy already, but he needed this attack to be bigger, stronger, more powerful. It had to be if it had any hope of destroying the threat below him.
"…meeeee…"
King Cold's smile had now turned completely upside down, but he crouched low and clasped his hands together, palm to palm. His body suddenly became enflamed in a blood-red, luminous glow. Goku's blood froze in his veins. He recognized this gesture, and another sequence of vivid flashbacks of fighting Frieza on Namek blindsided him. As if stirred by the memory, another piece of the person he was fell away, engulfed in the darkness that was quickly overcoming him. The Saiyan closed his eyes, clenched his teeth, and sucked in a hot breath, ignoring the wicked presence and focusing once again on his attack. He was desperately scraping the bottom of the barrel for the last bits of energy that he could feed it, and when he resolved there was no more he could spare, his eyes sprung open, focused intensely on his enemy below—and a massive scream tore through his throat from his core.
"…HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
Goku plunged his hands forward, a tremendous wave of blue energy exploding from them as he continued to cry out. The river of energy tore through the air towards King Cold, who was waiting, having charged his own attack. Now the Arcosian monarch threw up his hands, hurling a dark, crackling sphere upward to meet the Saiyan's bombardment. Although much smaller than his last attack, Goku knew that this blackened ball of energy that emitted red streaks of lightning was abundantly more destructive. He let out another scream as he propelled his own attack forward, and in a brilliant burst of light and fire, the two collided.
The colossal explosion was paired with an equally large shock wave and cloud of smoke, the former of which knocked Goku back several meters into the air before he was able to steady himself again. Despite the massive nature of the collision, he was left unharmed, his formidable Kamehameha Wave having nullified the Arcosian's powerful death ball. While the Saiyan was thankful to be in one piece, he felt the crushing disappointment of knowing that King Cold was undoubtedly left unscathed as well.
Goku reached out with his senses, hoping to perceive the alien tyrant's position through the hazy, twisted tendrils of smoke that surrounded him. Panic sunk into him like the pointed end of a cold, steely knife. The Arcosian's energy signature was nowhere to be found.
Where is he? the warrior thought in desperation. I couldn't have possibly hit him with the Kamehameha; I didn't feel it make contact—
The Saiyan's thought was abruptly interrupted when a blurry, white figure violently burst through the veil of smoke in front of him with impossible speed. King Cold's characteristic sneer was disturbingly close, his tail coiled around his own body like a tightened spring. Goku barely had a chance to gasp in surprise before the Arcosian rapidly whirled in an elegant, mid-air pirouette while simultaneously unraveling his tail. The heavily-muscled appendage whipped towards the Saiyan's vulnerable form at unbelievable speed, and it collided with Goku's unprotected torso with terrible force.
Pain exploded throughout the warrior's entire body, and he was hurled violently downward—the world an agonized blur around him. He impacted the rocky ground with a massive crash, the sheer force causing giant, jagged cracks to snake across the Earth's crust. Groaning in anguish, Goku picked himself up and glanced towards the sky just in time to see the Arcosian's form rocketing towards him, one of his fists cocked back and ready to strike. The Saiyan tucked and rolled to avoid the massive blow, and instead King Cold's punch drilled a gigantic hole into the Earth, causing the ground below both combatants to buckle. Goku stumbled to his feet clumsily on the uneven ground.
The Saiyan warrior swallowed, holding up his hands in a defensive stance. His mouth hung open and he panted, already feeling exhausted from the few failed exertions he'd tried to exact on his foe. He felt felt the malevolent presences within him gain yet another foothold on his mind. Some distance away, King Cold's red eyes flicked up and regarded him with a sick, sadistic satisfaction. Goku's stomach churned—it was that same predatory look that Frieza had granted him before he'd undergone his first violent, destructive Super Saiyan transformation.
The Arcosian king stood up straight, brushing the dust off of his shoulders with a few fingers on each hand. A cruel smile creased his face, and he stuck out his chin arrogantly as he spoke.
"Your efforts are valiant, Saiyan," King Cold chuckled darkly. "But they are also futile."
Goku's anger flared once more, the blooming, red burst of heat in his chest spurring another dark, dreadful whisper from the monster within him. He clenched his fists, feeling tendons and muscles all over his body tighten and adrenaline flood his veins. His lips pressed together to form a thin, red line as he resisted spitting out an insult at the villainous alien. When he didn't offer any response, King Cold's wicked smile grew wider and he continued.
"I'm only using a fraction of my energy in this form. Your chance of surviving this encounter with me is completely nonexistent, and we both know it," the Arcosian monarch explained matter-of-factly.
Goku could no longer hold back his own voice.
"You know, Frieza said something similar to me before he died," he snapped angrily before he bit back his tongue.
The confident Arcosian's grin immediately vanished, and was quickly replaced with a deepening, hateful scowl.
"Did he now? Tell me, Saiyan—was my son's death quick…painless…merciful?" King Cold replied after a tense moment, his voice dripping with unmasked malice.
Sheens of nervous sweat had formed on Goku's brow and the back of his neck, and he felt a single bead of liquid drip from his temple and flow down his tightly-clenched jaw. Hazy images of a broken, beaten Frieza flashed through his mind, and the acid in his stomach churned. His breath hitched in his throat as he heard the Arcosian's pointed, purposeful words echo in his head. For a moment, Goku marveled at the cleverness of the alien's approach to unnerving his opponent. He knew the Arcosian was waging a psychological attack on him—as well as a physical one. Frieza had done the same on Planet Namek. Each and every syllable was carefully chosen and deliberately precise, cutting the Saiyan deeply, like a set of blades. Just like on Namek, the Arcosian's words made the rage swirling inside Goku's chest swell ever greater, and gave the beast inside yet another chance to advance its assault on his mind.
"Frieza deserved what he got," the Saiyan finally replied, his eyes blazing towards his enemy. "He was a tyrant—he slaughtered millions, destroyed whole civilizations, and murdered my friends."
King Cold's grimace intensified, though his words were spoken with a quiet indifference. "I thought you might say as much. Well, my dear Saiyan—you got your revenge, and I believe it's time I exacted my own."
In a sudden flash, the Arcosian raced towards Goku and unleashed a flurry of blows aimed at his most vulnerable areas. The Saiyan warrior desperately bent and contorted his body to avoid the punches and kicks sent towards him with incredible celerity, but he felt his muscles strain with the beginnings of fatigue. Fighting past the dreadful lethargy, he attempted to strike with his own burst of rapid kicks and jabs. When King Cold easily dodged the blows, Goku's temper flare wildly and he felt the familiar wicked force begin to surface from the dark pool of his subconscious. Again, he sucked in a hot breath, dedicating a considerable amount of concentration to keeping the beast within from establishing dominance over his mind and body. The sacrifice of focus cost him dearly, for a millisecond later he felt one of King Cold's powerful fists make contact with his cheek. His head snapped back painfully, the blow opening a deep, red gash in his face that grotesquely grinned like a second mouth, before beginning to pour a steady stream of blood. King Cold laughed with evil glee as the Saiyan cried out in pain and clutched a hand to his face.
"Face it, Saiyan!" the Arcosian gloated, his trademark smirk returning once again. "You have no chance against me—no chance at all!"
Goku gritted his teeth in pain and frustration, feeling another sharp tug on his conscience from the dark, destructive force within him. He released his grip on his wounded face, forming a bloodied fist, and shot forward at terrible speed. A furious howl escaped his lips and he swung his arm back, aiming his punch at King Cold's detestable smirk. But the arch of his hand was blocked by the massive forearm of the monstrous alien. The Arcosian's laugh echoed out from behind the limb, and then he twisted his wrist and grasped Goku's own, pulling the startled Saiyan closer.
King Cold's domed head jutted forward, colliding with the Saiyan's skull with a sickening crack. Goku's vision filled with stars, the strike electrifying his senses and setting nerves all over his body afire with pain. A millisecond later, new bursts of agony exploded in his chest as he felt a powerful kick impact his torso. There was a nauseating crunch as he felt his ribs snap and his sternum shatter from the sheer force. The Saiyan was sent tumbling backwards, somersaulting violently across the rocky ground. Finally, his body slammed against the foot of an enormous monolith of rock, opening massive cracks in its surface and causing the entire structure to shake unsteadily. Waves of pain gripped him, washing over him with every agonizing breath. Gasping in agony and spitting up copious amounts of blood, Goku struggled to lift his head and look back towards his enemy.
King Cold stood quietly now, still smiling, and clearly relishing in the Saiyan's discomfort to a disturbing degree. Through his pain-filled haze, Goku saw the Arcosian's gaze shift from him to the massive crag of rock that stood behind him, his white palm outstretched purposefully. There was a blinding flash, and Goku waited for the pain that should have followed the blast; however, when his vision cleared he realized that King Cold had clearly not been aiming for him. The delightfully wicked glint in the alien monarch's eye, and the terrifying, low rumble of disintegrating stone above him suddenly alerted him to his enemy's plot. The Saiyan didn't have the time to look up to grasp what the alien tyrant had done. Ignoring the searing pain in his lungs, Goku sprung up and flung himself to the side. A fraction of a second later, he heard a terrible reverberation and felt the ground beneath him tremble as tons of rocks and debris fell from the destroyed pillar, smashing into the ground mere inches away. A cloud of dust suddenly invaded his mouth and nostrils, making it even more difficult for him to breath. He choked, coughed, and sputtered up more blood, and gasped desperately as he attempted to rise.
The monstrous presence within him flared dangerously, granting him strength, but Goku once again used every mental trick he'd learned over the past months to beat it back down. The raging animal fought and clawed against his efforts, desperate to break free from the psychological bonds that the Saiyan heaped upon it. Despite his efforts, Goku knew his hold on the beast would weaken the longer he kept on the futile fight—just like what had happened when he had battled Frieza. Except this time, Goku had almost no chance of defeating his enemy even while in his Super Saiyan state. He'd just witnessed a fellow Super Saiyan—one who could remarkably control the malevolent tendencies of the transformation—be struck down with minimal effort by the King Cold. Even if he managed to gain an upper hand on the alien overlord, the unpredictably destructive nature of his change would almost guarantee that Earth would be destroyed in the ensuing battle. But if he didn't transform, Goku knew without a doubt that he would die, and afterward King Cold would usher in a spree of murder and mayhem upon the Earth. He ground his teeth and managed to struggle to his hands and knees. There was no way out, and no way to win.
Despite this grim presentiment, the Saiyan warrior staggered to his feet, one of his hands clutching his chest as if in a vain attempt to hold his bruised and broken body together. He felt the warmth of blood trickling from his mouth, down his chin, and onto his now ripped and tattered clothing. Goku couldn't stand completely upright any longer—to do so brought on a nauseating wave of pain that even a Saiyan warrior couldn't withstand. Instead, he stood in a shaky, half-hunched posture, reaching out with his senses to register where his enemy stood among the swirling dust. Above him, the wind let out a low, pain-filled howl.
His concentration interrupted by the constant pain, Goku's ability to sense the alien's energy took abundantly longer than it should have. Goku felt the next crushing series of blows against his spine before he actually felt his enemy's life force appear suddenly behind him. Again, the Saiyan warrior was sent careening violently across the rocky surface of the ground, opening new wounds as his clothing and flesh was torn away by the jagged debris that covered the dirt. Finally, Goku came to rest on his stomach, his body crumpled like that of a doll thrown across a room by a child at play. The fighter attempted to draw in a breath, but sucked in a thick veil of dust instead, and succumbed to a fit coughs. The blood brought up from his damaged lungs mingled with the dirt and formed a sticky, dark red mess around his face.
Another brutal kick to his ribs came next, filling Goku's chest with a searing pain and flipping him roughly onto his back. He cried out as he felt the fragments of his shattered ribcage dig themselves deeper into his insides. Inside his mind, the caged beast broke free of more of its bonds and roared in rage. Realization was slowly sinking in, along with the continued waves of pain. Attempting to fight on both fronts had proved too difficult for even Goku's steadfast determination and spirit.
Either death or the monstrous spirit of his transformation would take hold of him today; it was only a matter of which would come first.
I won't—I won't be able to stop it, Goku thought with certainty.
The understanding was more painful and frightening than any kind of torture the Arcosian could inflict upon him. He was reduced to a silent, desperate pleading to whatever gods would listen.
Please, not again…don't let me…
The Saiyan didn't have the chance to finish his thought, for at that moment he felt the chilling sensation of his enemy's long, heavily-muscled tail coil tightly around his neck.
TRUNKS
The pain was paralyzing.
The agonizing waves rippled across his body with every second that passed, but to the young Saiyan warrior, it was the most powerful reminder that he wasn't dead yet. Trunks wasn't sure what had happened: One moment he'd been screaming at Goku to transform, and the next he'd seen a brilliant pink flash—and then came the burning, searing pain in his chest. Now he was face down in the dirt, fighting to stay conscious even as he felt his blood beginning to pour from the hole that had been punched neatly through his midsection. With considerable effort and an additional stab of pain, Trunks lifted his mangled body with one arm, pressed firmly against the wound in his chest with the other, and flipped himself onto his back. He lay gasping desperately, feeling the front of his clothing seep through with warm, slick blood.
How had it come to this?
Trunks was at a loss; one moment he'd been on top of the world, seemingly invincible for the first time in his short life, and the next he'd been struck down by the creature he'd come back in time to help Goku destroy. Now it seemed that all was lost, and it was entirely his own fault. Anger and frustration bloomed in his chest, mingling with the bloody mess that covered him. The young man fought the urge to scream.
He had failed in his mission, and now he was helplessly forced to watch as Goku's demise would play out in front of him.
If I don't die first… the young man thought as another wave of anguish took hold of him.
Still gasping, and feeling even more of his lifeblood slipping out from between his tightly clenched fingers, Trunks tilted back his head in hopes that he would see clash between the legendary Saiyan and King Cold. However, what met his eyes made his stomach turn violently. Goku was being held aloft by the Arcosian's powerful tail, and he was struggling in a futile attempt to break free. Trunks squinted his eyes, and through the haze of dust, realized that the older warrior's physical condition was no better than his own. Gushes of blood spilt from Goku's chin down the front of his chest, his clothing hung in shreds around his waist, and angry, red abrasions covered his exposed flesh.
Panic gripped the teenager, and his breath hitched painfully in his throat. The way his mother had spoken about Son Goku, Trunks had never expected their carefully-wrought plan to go so dreadfully wrong. The older Saiyan warrior had been built up as some kind of god-like figure in the young man's mind: This was the man who had raised Gohan and whose teachings had been passed on to Trunks, who was described as the ultimate pillar of morality and goodness, and whose bravery in the face of pure evil was supposedly unshakable.
Yet when Trunks had looked into Goku's eyes just seconds before he'd been hit by King Cold's attack, all he'd gleaned from the other warrior's expression was a deeply entrenched fear. Now it looked as though Goku was mere seconds away from meeting his end. Only King Cold's sadistic nature kept him from snapping Goku's neck and killing him instantly. It was obvious that the Arcosian was intent on enjoying his time torturing the older Saiyan before he finally killed him. Trunks watched until the colors and shapes in front of him begin to swim together. Another stab of dread—and sheer, blinding pain—tore through the teenager. The entire front of his outfit was stained dark now, and he felt the puddle of blood underneath him growing larger. He ripped his eyes away from the horrible scene unfolding just meters away, beginning to feel himself slip into the beginnings of a state of hemorrhagic shock. Trunks allowed his head to drop to the side, his cheek pressing against the dirt, and his eyes beginning to glaze over. Faith had failed him, and now he was sinking slowly into the dark abyss.
Then he saw the glint of metal catch the sunlight through the whirling billows of dust, and his hopes sprung back to life.
A short distance away, half-covered with debris, was his sword. With an immense amount of effort, Trunks forced himself to keep his eyes open and focused intensely on the precious object, fighting off the seductive pull of unconsciousness. He'd been forced to discard the blade in the massive power struggle prior to Goku's sudden arrival, and had been too distracted to see or pick it up again afterward. But if he could only reach his weapon now, then perhaps he could still salvage this day and save Goku's life.
With a pain-filled grunt, the teenage Saiyan stretched out a desperate, pale, and quivering hand in the direction of his blade. His other hand remained flat against his still-bleeding wound. He dug his fingernails into the dirt and pulled, feebly attempting to drag his broken body towards his weapon. He only managed to move himself a few inches.
Trunks reached and pulled again, an anguished groan escaping his lips as another surge of agony ripped through him. He blinked away the haziness that invaded his eyesight, bit his lip, and repeated the motion. Some distance away, he heard Goku's labored, sputtering cries of pain, followed closely by King Cold's evil chuckle. The sounds gave him a rush of motivation.
Before I die today, I'm going to give that goddamned alien bastard a taste of my blade, Trunks thought determinedly. Even if it's the last thing I do.
GOKU
The moment he'd felt the Arcosian tyrant's tail slither around his throat, Goku had instinctually thrown up his hands to protect his most vital area from being crushed by the immense force being applied by King Cold's extra appendage. However, he had been too slow, and now was reduced to frantically clawing at the tail as it firmly wrapped itself around his throat. The alien monarch smiled gleefully as he jerked the body of the Saiyan warrior off the ground and squeezed, cutting off Goku's air supply completely.
"You aren't even trying to resist me, are you?" the Arcosian marveled, crossing his arms as the Saiyan in his grasp writhed in anguish. "You must want to die."
Goku could only reply in a series of choked, sputtering sounds. He was tearing at the alien's constricting tail like a rabid animal now, his mouth a wide, gaping hole as he unsuccessfully tried to inhale. As the pressure on the vertebrae in his neck increased, he heard a series of loud cracks, and felt various parts of his body explode with fiery pain. The malevolent presence that he had tried for so long to subdue was bursting forth into his consciousness, filling his mind with darkness and turning his vision red.
And yet, despite his hopelessness and the undeniable threat of death that faced him if he didn't transform, Goku indomitably resisted the change. If he died today, he resolved determinedly that he would not perish under the guise of a cruel, remorseless beast that had arisen from his subconscious mind. He would remain in control until the very jaws of death consumed him.
The tail around his neck loosened just enough to allow him to draw in a heaving, horrifically painful breath. At the same moment, the Arcosian jabbed forward a carefully aimed fist and dug his knuckles deep into Goku's unprotected stomach. Goku's exhalation exited his mouth in the form of an anguished scream, and King Cold laughed wickedly.
"Music to my ears," the alien monarch mused to himself, before repeating the action.
The injured Saiyan struggled to hold on to his sanity as the evil tyrant continued to systematically work his fist up and down his torso, slamming his knuckles into the areas he believed would produce the most agony for the Saiyan. With each blow, Goku spurted out another thick glob of blood and felt the monster within him twist its claws more deeply into his conscience. His resolve to remain in control was quickly slipping out of his reach. The malevolent presence had a powerful instinct for self-preservation, and undoubtedly it would seize him before King Cold would let him die.
Goku watched in dread as the Arcosian drew his powerful fist back again, clenching his jaw so tightly he thought he might shatter his teeth. The tyrant's face cracked in half with a crazed grin, and then he drove his knuckles forward mercilessly into the battered warrior's flesh. Another stab of sheer agony tore through the Saiyan, and King Cold did not stop there.
One blow was followed by another…
... and another…
…and another…
…over and over again, until Goku's entire body was engulfed in a wildfire of pain. With each new blaze of anguish, the wicked whispers grew ever louder in Goku's head.
His resolve had been shattered along with his body. The gravely injured Saiyan slowly felt himself begin to give up, his determination dissolving with each new fistful of pain that struck him. Darkness began to flood his mind, forcing his conscious thoughts aside and replacing them with a thirst for destruction and revenge. Within a few more blows, Goku would become the monster he so feared once again.
But then King Cold abruptly paused, the expression on his face transforming from a gleefully evil grin to an irritated, confused grimace. The assault on Goku's mind momentarily halted as well, and the Saiyan followed the alien tyrant's eyes as he gazed off to the side.
A small, screaming figure clad in blue rocketed towards them, its leg outstretched and its heel aimed directly for King Cold's face. Goku's eyes widened, and he vainly tried to cry out the person's name. His voice came out a strangled, choked whisper, the word fluttering weakly from his bloodied lips.
"Go…Gohan?"
Additional Author's Note: Well, I hope that I did a decent job at creating some kind of suspense. And YAY! Trunks is alive! For now...XD