Divergent Path
Chapter Six: Invasion
Disclaimer: Characters and premise are the property of Akira Toriyama, I'm just borrowing them for a little non-profit fun.
Note: Sorry for the delay. I was traveling most of the last month. Plenty of time to write (between planes, trains and subways), but only limited access to a computer. Now I'm getting over the jetlag and getting caught up on the typing.
Plum saw them first. As she and Gohan explored the woods near his home she caught his sleeve then pointed up to the sky. After a moment Gohan spotted the large space-ship trailed by five sphere-ships. "Bad people," Plum warned.
Gohan nodded. "We better get home to our mommies," he said.
The two children split-up. Gohan hurried home to Mount Paouz while Plum turned south toward the grotto where her parents' ship was secreted.
In West Metro alarms were ringing across the Capsule Corps campus.
"A group of ships just entered Earth's atmosphere," Bulma reported nervously. "Vegeta, are we ready for this?"
'Geta's answering smile was nothing more than a predatory baring of fangs. "We'll find out shortly," he said.
"I've gone ahead and activated my ki-mimics," Bulma said. "There were a number of ships."
'Geta nodded. //Raditz, Goku get off your butts. They're here,// he projected then flared his ki to alert the rest of the Z-Fighters.
The Earth's defenders broke into teams and scattered to remote spots across the globe. Then one member of each squad raised their ki to a level that was on the higher end of average for a Saiyan Elite, to the level Frieza would have anticipated that Vegeta would have attained as an adult.
'Geta grinned to himself at how pathetic that level seemed to him now. He and Goku hadn't found the key to becoming Super Saiyans, yet they'd come so far. A year ago Nappa's power had been comparable to 'Geta's, but 'Geta hadn't needed to make himself into a monster for his power. Since then he and Goku had doubled and redoubled their powers. 'Geta knew what his counterpart had said but surely Frieza couldn't be stronger than they were now.
Goku met up with 'Geta and the two of them set out for Frieza's landing site with their powers carefully suppressed.
"If it comes to that, we still haven't tried letting go of our power," Goku remarked.
'Geta nodded.
"So, how are we taking care of our part?" Goku asked after another few minutes.
The plan was simple in it's essence. The others would use their ki-signatures to draw out Frieza's men. To separate them. Then they'd spring the ambush and kill them using whatever means necessary. With a small bit of luck that would give 'Geta and Goku a clean shot at Frieza. It was their job to ensure that he ended up dead.
"I go first, don't help unless I ask for it," 'Geta said.
Goku frowned but 'Geta wouldn't relent.
"The Ginyu Force," 'Geta grunted as he recognized the fighters Frieza had supporting him. "Raditz will be pleased, they carried out the better part of the off-world Saiyan purge."
"You don't want them?" Goku asked.
'Geta shrugged. "They killed maybe a three hundred Saiyans. Frieza blew-up my home planet and killed several billion of us. Raditz can have his fun. I'll be satisfied with Frieza's blood."
The hatch to the large ship opened and several being exited: an emerald-haired being who carried himself with pride, a blobby pink creature and a pale lizard-like being in a hover chair.
Goku didn't have to ask which one was Frieza. If the air of evil hadn't given it away the differential behavior of the two flunkies would have.
"Zarbon and Dodoria," 'Geta identified the pair.
A moment later a blue being with mustache-like tentacles left the ships and took a potion flanking Frieza. "Kiwi," 'Geta remarked.
Goku grinned as the group 'Geta had called the Ginyu Force assumed an elaborate pose before Frieza, cheerleaders couldn't have done it better. The tyrant eyed them with bemusement.
"The Ginyu Force," they paused to switch to a second choreographed pose, "is here to serve!"
"Find Vegeta, bring him to my alive. Beyond that this planet means nothing to me," Frieza instructed. "But the pleasure of ending Vegeta's life is mine and mine alone."
"Yes sir!" the leader of the Ginyu Force exclaimed. He and his men activated their scouters. After a moment they gathered in a huddle.
"My Lord Frieza," Ginyu announced. "We're picking up multiple reading in the proper range for an Elite Saiyan."
"Find Vegeta!" Frieza repeated angrily. "I assume you remember what he looks like?"
The largest of the Force raised his hand, "Actually... Well, I remember a little bitty dude, but that's about it."
Two of his teammates smacked him on the back of the head. "Don't talk back to Frieza-sama," the red-skinned, silver-haired one hissed.
"He looks Saiyan," the other whispered. "That pretty much limits the choices now doesn't it?"
Ginyu turned back to his unit. "All right men, you heard him. Split up, find the Saiyan Prince. Kill the others."
"But our poses," the silver-haired member of the Force protested.
"I'll come up with individual poses for all of us if the situation arises again," Ginyu stated. "For now you'll just have to improvise."
The five fighters formed a circle, each put a hand in the center. "Ginyu Go!!" they exclaimed and flew off in different directions.
//Raditz, Jhesse is heading northeast from my position,// 'Geta projected. "Goku, have Kami relay that Gurd is traveling east. He has a time-stopping trick, Choatzu can best counter it."
Down below Frieza glared at his remaining flunkies. "What are you waiting for! Bring me Vegeta!"
"Tien, we need to trade with Piccolo and Raditz," Chaotzu reported.
"What are we trading?" Tien asked.
"A speed-specialist for someone with powers like mine," Chaotzu relaid.
"Lets move," Tien said.
Elsewhere Captain Ginyu stared down at an odd looking box. According to the reading from his scouter it was a warrior of some note. He tapped the side of his scouter. "They have some sort of device that mimics power readings," he reported.
Over his scouter he heard Frieza chuckle. "So Vegeta thinks he can hide himself from me."
Ginyu backed off to a safe distance and used a ki attack to blast the device out of existence.
Back at Capsule Corps Bulma glanced up from her equipment. //Kamisama?// she thought as loudly as possible.
//I am paying attention. Shouting isn't needed.//
//Let Vegeta know one of my mimics just went dead.//
After a moment Kamisama relaid 'Geta's response. //Blind them.//
Bulma flipped the red switch on her panel and each of her ki-mimics radiated a reading sufficient to blow-out any scouter focused on them.
Gurd frowned as the reading he'd been investigating began to move in the direction of one of the other reading. He picked up his pace in hopes of catching it before it could join up with it's ally.
He listened as Captain Ginyu reported his discovery of the ki mimicking device. 'Lucky me, mine's real,' he thought.
Then the numbers on his scouter suddenly shot upwards. He frowned at the obviously malfunctioning scouter and was about to turn it off when it exploded.
'How am I supposed to track him now?' Gurd wondered. With a shrug he continued on an intercept course. All he could do was hope that the reading he'd been chasing wouldn't change course.
He flew on for several minutes then found himself confronted by a three-eyed man. "So, you are the one I was chasing. You're not Vegeta. That means I get to kill you."
Tien glared at the squat, four-eyed alien. "We'll see," he said and attacked.
Gurd took a deep breath and stopped time. To his shock Tien's frozen form appeared almost on top of him. He fell over backwards in surprise and expelled his breath. As he rushed to stop time again Gurd found himself restrained by an invisible force. Panicked he struggled for a moment, until Tien's Dodonpa blew a hole through his chest.
As his life fled Gurd whined, "No fair."
"So you can dish it out, but you can't take it," Tien remarked without sympathy as Chaotzu joined him.
Chaotzu looked sad, "He's right, it wasn't a fair fight."
"You heard Vegeta's tale. This bunch of brigands have been slaughtering their way across the galaxy. We can't afford a fair fight, we have to put them down like the rabid filth they are. Without your help that time-stop trick of his could have been a real problem."
Jhesse cursed and tossed his broken scouter on the ground. He was still fuming about the scouter when Raditz arrived.
"Hello murderer," Raditz greeted him.
Jhesse flipped his long silver hair over his shoulder. "I know you. You were that other Saiyan that survived the purge, the worthless one."
Raditz grinned toothily. "And you're the son of a bitch who killed my squad leader."
Jhesse shrugged. "I wouldn't remember, I killed several dozen Saiyans when Frieza-sama gave the extermination order. None of them put up a decent fight."
"Try me," Raditz dared him.
"I was looking for your coward of a prince," Jhesse said. "But I suppose I could oblige you first. It's your funeral." Still he frowned a bit, the reading he'd been chasing was what he'd expected from an Elite Saiyan, it should have been beyond Raditz's grasp.
"I'm not impressed," a new voice remarked.
Jhesse spun around. "A Namek? There shouldn't be any of your kind here."
"I care little for what I should do," Piccolo replied. "This planet is mine to conquer."
"Assuming you can get past Vegeta-sama and Kakarrot," Raditz remarked.
"Yes, assuming that," Piccolo allowed. "This one is nothing next to them."
"True," Raditz agreed.
Jhesse made his move. Raditz had always prided himself on his speed, but he had to admit Jhesse was even faster. However the year he and Piccolo had spent sparring with each other had made them uniquely familiar with the other's fighting style.
As Raditz hurriedly threw up his arms to block Jhesse's attack Piccolo took advantage of the moment and nailed Jhesse with a blow to the small of his back.
Jhesse whirled to confront his attacker and Raditz sunk a fist into his kidney.
Jhesse and his teammate Butta normally fought as a pair. Alone Jhesse was stripped of the multitude of combination attacks which they had worked out. On a more basic level there was no one to watch his back, Piccolo and Raditz took merciless advantage of that fact.
Once Jhesse had been somewhat worn down Piccolo stepped back, allowing Raditz to take revenge for his lost teammate.
Badly battered and desperate Jhesse managed to wriggle free of Raditz's hold and made a break for it. His retreat was cut off by a malevolent beam of energy scorching past his nose.
Jhesse threw himself backwards to avoid the Masenko. Radtiz grabbed his shoulder. "Where do you think you're going?" he asked with a blood-thirsty grin.
Out over the ocean Jhesse's frequent partner seemed to have his opponent, a fighter with a distinctive scar on his cheek, on the ropes.
Butta's attacks seemed to come at Yamcha from every direction at once. Finally Yamcha managed to grab hold of Butta for a moment and landed a solid head-butt.
Butta reeled backwards, momentarily off balance.
"Distructo Disk!" A spinning disk of sharpened ki flew up from the waves and neatly bisected Butta.
Yamcha braced his hands on his thighs, his breath came in heavy gasps as he allowed himself to sink to the ocean surface. "Took you long enough," he complained.
Kuririn popped his head above the rolling swells. "I had to wait until you got clear didn't I?" he replied. "Didn't want to cut you in half along with him."
"Next time," Yamcha declared, "you get to be the bait."
As Gohan flew toward his home he sensed an unfamiliar ki coming toward him on an intercept course. Gohan quickly landed and suppressed his ki. "Oops," he said. He chewed his lip worriedly.
When the bad people from space came his daddy had told him that he was supposed to hide his ki and go to his mother. If the bad people came he was to protect her. Gohan had remembered to go home so he could protect Chichi, but in his haste he'd forgotten to hide his ki and had led one of the bad people straight to him.
Gohan considered the situation. He was quite near his home already, even if he stayed hidden the bad person would find the house, find his mommy. He was supposed to protect her.
Gohan considered the other fighter. He was a little surprised that the fighter hadn't reacted to the sudden disappearance of his ki, any of his Dad's friends would have gotten suspicious if a ki-signature vanished. But this person didn't react at all, it was like he didn't even sense ki. His father would have challenged the fighter. His Uncle Vegeta told him once that if he wasn't damn sure he could win the fight he should 'announce' himself with his strongest attack. And if the other fighter was still alive after that proceed from there. Gohan understood that what Vegeta had told him to do wasn't particularly nice. On the other hand, if he didn't win this fight the bad person might hurt his mom.
Keeping his ki low Gohan dashed to a point where the other fighter would fly over him and waited.
The other fighter was a big man, his blobby, pink flesh practically squished out of his armor. There were scorch marks on his face, near his left eye as if something had exploded there.
Gohan braced himself, he brought his hands together as if he were cupping an invisible ball. He counted to three, forcing himself to time the attack for the moment when the other fighter was directly overhead. Then he brought up his ki in a rush, concentrated it between his hands. "Kame-Hame-Ha!" he shouted.
An intense beam of pure power shot out and struck Dodoria high up on the shoulder. It burned straight through his armor and left a smoking cavity in his flesh.
Dodoria came to an abrupt halt as he searched for the source of the attack.
Gohan flew up to face him. "You're one of the bad people who came to hurt us. You're the ones who made Cousin Plum scared all the time. The ones who made Uncle Vegeta so he's not happy inside," the boy accused.
Dodoria's jaw dropped. He looked from his injured shoulder to Gohan with disbelief. His stare lingered on the tail wrapped around Gohan's waist. "Just a brat Saiyan. What are you kid? Not even Vegeta himself could have mustered that sort of a power as a brat."
"I'm Son Gohan." He glared darkly at Dodoria. The other fighter's familiarity with Vegeta's abilities as a child told Gohan that this wasn't just some random person in Frieza's army but one of the vary people who'd made 'Geta miserable until he'd found his way to Earth. "And you're a very bad person."
Made cautious by Gohan's earlier success Dodoria dodged the boy's attack. He frowned as he fought, there was something about the boy that nagged at his brain.
Dodoria put some distance between the two of them. Then he fired a ki-blast. Gohan tried to dodge but failed to clear it completely. He took a glazing blow that sent him tumbling across the sky, out of control.
Dodoria followed up on his success with a double-fisted blow that smashed Gohan to the ground. He sneered down at Gohan. "You've got something of Bardock's look to you boy."
In the previous year Raditz had told Goku and Gohan about his father. "You know my Grandpa?" Gohan said in surprise.
"You're Grandfather huh?" Dodoria smirked. "Oh yeah, I slaughtered his unit and left him for dead. But the bastard was too stubborn to die, embarrassed me in front of Frieza, that one did. You know kid, I ought to take you alive. Once Frieza's done with Vegeta he'll be needing a new pet monkey."
Gohan felt his power soaring upwards as Dodoria fed his righteous anger. 'This person wasn't just bad,' Gohan decided. 'It was that he liked hurting people. Remembering the bad things he'd done made him happy. He was evil.'
Gohan flew at Dodoria like a cannonball. He slammed his shoulder deep into the larger warrior's gut, driving the air out of his lungs. "Kame-Hame-Ha!" Gohan roared. This time the blast caught Dodoria in his chest, scorching another cavity into his torso but not wounding him deeply enough to incapacitate.
Gohan readied himself for another blast. He aimed at the hole in Dodoria's armor but hesitated at the realization that he meant the attack to prove fatal.
Desperately Dodoria took advantage of Gohan's hesitation. This time Gohan's inexperience told, he simply couldn't collect himself while under such a determined and relentless attack.
Dodoria knocked the boy to the ground then ruthlessly stomped on him, breaking Gohan's ribs, then his upper leg. Then he kicked Gohan in the head.
Dizzily Gohan tried to curl into a ball to protect himself. Dodoria grinned triumphantly.
Note: Yes, cliffhangers are evil. But the battles against Frieza's forces is too long for one chapter and I had to break things off somewhere didn't I? :Whistles innocently: Rough drafts are done for the remainder of the story, so there won't be any delays.
