"Asterion's Heaven"
By Son Rhandi
Chapter 11: "The Reprieve and Your Soul"
The workings of the Monster Plateau took a bit of time to figure out.
This place, which seemed to defy the very nature of being, was easily the strangest region Ginyu had ventured into since his journey began. At first, they thought they could just make up things to battle, but when the beast with a billion backs and the abominable snow cone man failed to make an appearance, they found this was clearly not the case. The monsters of their stories, however, showed up like clockwork. Whether it was the terrible sandworms of Planet Zebub or the cursed legion of dog-headed soldiers from the lost tribes of Brench, the things steeped in their individual histories were the ones that always came out to play.
Perhaps the mystic fog responded to those ideas with generations upon generations of cultural belief behind them. Energy was energy, and they supposed that extended to the energy of thought. Take that energy from countless thousands of believers over countless millenia, and one had a recipe for some truly horrifying creatures. Still, the Ginyus being who they were, the whole concept was a bit too high for them to ponder for very long, and so treated the appearance of said creatures as a game.
For all its marvels, the mystic fog couldn't produce monsters continuously, and so, most of their days were spent reviewing the basics- close-quarters combat, target practice, grappling, ki attacks and deflections, and most importantly, posing.
All things considered, afterlife was good at this point. The Ginyu Force was reunited at last, and it was only when they were all back together did Ginyu realize just how much he missed his men. Though the years spent as a frog were incredibly peaceful, they were also terribly frustrating. Being stuck in a body without a means for spoken word or opposable thumbs was a hell in itself. With so little ability to do much of anything, it had given him plenty of time to reflect.
Planet Brench had already been under control of the Kold clan for years by the time he was born. Brench was one of the lucky ones – rich in resources and already boasting a race with decent power levels and an ingrained warrior culture, the Planet Trade had more to gain in integrating them rather than destroying the Brenchians outright. Over time, the concept of being a soldier of the Trade became romanticized. Going into space to fight the good fight, having adventures across the galaxies, capturing glory as a Brench tribesman... It became a common staple in Brenchian literature, from the wordiest of novels to monthly comic books. As a child, when he first cracked open the pages of "Captain Brenchman: Warrior of Space and Time," he knew what he had to do.
Ginyu had always been a bit of a nerd, but first and foremost, he was an opportunist. When he first gained his bodyswapping abilities, the first thing he did was to switch bodies with that of a boy from a wealthy family. Years passed, and he enjoyed a life of privilege. When he came of age, his combat training began, as it did for all Brenchian males. When training was complete, Ginyu found himself at the start of a whirlwind career as a warrior of the tribe of Asterion. A stand-out with a power level that was nothing to sneeze at, he quickly ascended the ranks, and when the chance to work directly under a high-ranking officer came, Ginyu knew his time was coming.
The warrior tribesmen of Brench and its moon were largely reserve soldiers, called upon when things escalated beyond the capabilities of the main teams that worked under the sons of the Kold clan. Coupled with the fact that they had not be subject to the usual genocidal measures that were par for the course in the Trade, the Brenchian people were able to keep much of their culture intact. Many years passed and many battles passed, and through his stellar performance and upholding the values of his tribe, Ginyu was eventually made a captain.
Captain Ginyu. Captain Ginyu... It had a nice ring to it, but it just wasn't enough for him. He was made to be on the front lines, not to be banished to the moon to languish as a simple cavalryman. If nothing else, Ginyu was a calculating man, and knew it would only be a matter of time when an opportunity came along.
Not two months after becoming a captain, he had gotten word from a superior –the man who had been his captain, and who had since been promoted to commander—that Lord Frieza would be arriving on Brench for an inspection of his holdings. As a captain, his presence would be expected in greeting their ruler. This was it! The opportunity he had been waiting for!
Meeting Frieza had been everything he expected. Though many of their books spoke of the great ruler, none dared to show his face or even speak of his physical appearance. It could have simply been because there were very few (if any) that might ever had laid eyes on him, but what words and what drawings could capture his magnificence? The short, pink, almost frail-looking body may have fooled some, but he carried in him such presence that there was no question in Ginyu's mind that he was indeed the master of the universe.
After the obligatory salute and asking to honor him with the Dance of the VIP Guest (Frieza politely declined), his commander presented the fresh Captain Ginyu. The Lord seemed genuinely intrigued. Ginyu bowed deeply. His heart beating loudly in in his chest, he humbly asked permission to show the lord a demonstration of his power. His commander chided him, but Frieza simply waved his hand non-chalantly. "Please, Commander. Allow this man to prove his worth to me," he pulled back his lips, mildly amused. Ginyu bowed again, thanking his master.
Ginyu's body change technique was a well-kept secret. Only one other knew of his talent, the boy whose identity he stole. Once, on a whim, he checked the database for other Brenchian warriors registered under 'his' childhood name, and sure enough, he found him, now serving under Lord Cooler. His old, blue body had become rather handsome as an adult, Ginyu noted with a pang of regret.
Any regrets he had, though, had all but disappeared. His gambit had played out well. Imagine his poor commander's surprise, suddenly finding himself being stared in the face... by his own face. The 'commander' turned to Lord Frieza and bowed deeply.
"I, Captain Ginyu, humbly thank you for the opportunity, my lord."
After the initial shock wore off, Frieza, being Frieza, thought about killing Ginyu outright. How or why he was able to swap bodies didn't matter, only that he could. What was to stop him from stealing his own body? But then, if that was his aim, he would have done so at this first opportunity, when Frieza would not have known to expect it. And now that he had seen what this Ginyu was capable of, he would have to know that there was no way he could ever get away with trying such a thing at this point. Assured in his own mind, the tiny lord slumped back a bit in his hoverchair, smiling slyly.
"Surely it would be a considerable waste for one with such a unique ability to remain in this remote little outpost. I see grand possibilities for you, Captain."
"You honor me, Lord Frieza."
Just as planned, Ginyu became Frieza's best-kept secret. While the poor commander had to be disposed of to preserve said secrecy, the Captain's opportunities for adventure rocketed up to the stars like a space pod. In the Kold clan's seemingly endless expansion of their empire, some ridiculously strong types had been popping up, stronger than the average soldier, stronger than Frieza's right-hand men. Yes, the opportunities for new bodies were abound, and he had quite a few models he could boast as time went on. His latest was a rather beastly mammal body with a luxurious mane that he took pride in styling, but took even greater pride in its power level, a whopping 80,000. It was around this time that news from home came that a young Alastor tribesman with extraordinary ki concentration had surfaced. He was rumored to have a power level of 35,000, hefty by Brenchian standards. He simply had to meet this person. With permission, he returned to Brench's moon to meet with the young prodigy.
'Young soldier' was the understatement of the century. The red-skinned boy looked like he had barely entered puberty in his ill-fitting leotard and faint freckles dotting his cheeks. With his heavy head of hair, Ginyu had to wonder how this waif was even standing. Still, the waif called Jeice was nothing if not enthusiastic. Ginyu never made any mention of being a Brench moon tribesman at that point –with his distinctly non-Brenchian appearance, who would believe him? That much hardly mattered, though. What mattered was an opportunity to mold the youngster with his unique talent and power. After all, in later issues, Captain Brenchman did gain a sidekick...
But it left Ginyu to wonder. Was there a chance that other exceptional fighters existed in the darkness of the universe, ones eager and willing to do Frieza's bidding? Or at least, scared enough for their own lives to do so? In an interesting proposition, he suggested to his lord and master than a special task force be created to deal with particularly challenging missions, with Ginyu as their leader. It wasn't enough for the team to be exceedingly powerful. No, this team would have abilities beyond the typical elite (After all, who would buy their comics if they were just everyday soldiers?). A collection of these hypothetical unique fighters, the names of whom would shake even the rowdiest of races to their core. An elite fighting squad, a terror the universe had never known, a force the likes of which the universe had never seen, and would never see again. A force led by Ginyu. The Ginyu Force.
Convinced, Frieza ordered Ginyu to seek out these fighters wherever they may hide.
The first addition had obviously been Jeice, but the second, surprisingly, they found practically hiding in their own backyard. In a solar system neighboring the one of their home planet, and like Brench, long since conquered, rumors of a nigh invulnerable behemoth began to make the rounds. They found him on the super oxygenated planet Kyokutair, where everything was huge, including the people.
Though a miserably ugly fellow, he was heavily trained in close-quarters combat and his tolerance for pain was unlike anything they had ever seen. But even moreso, his sense of style was off the charts. They wondered offhandedly if he was somehow a descendant of the lost tribes of Brench. His face didn't technically look like a dog's, but... And when asked by an unsuspecting Jeice just how it was he could take such punishment?
"My body is a body made for the art of the dance!" He proclaimed proudly, twirling and leaping with grace not meant for behemoths. "What pain? What punishment? My love, my anger, and like, all of my sorrow are in these steps!" He stopped mid-pirouette and chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, and a power level of 40,000 also helps."
As it turned out, he and Sauza went to the same dance academy and Ginyu had a good laugh at that one.
A few years passed before anyone new came along. Jeice had filled out nicely, and almost looked like a real soldier. Through rigorous training under Ginyu's tutelage, and many hard-won battles, his power level eventually exceeded Recoome's. The behemoth in question had calmed down considerably, but his enthusiasm for the art of the dance was channeled into his posing routine, a telling tale of the group's prevailing Brenchian culture. Ginyu himself had found a new body. He rather missed having hair, but the new color was lovely, and those horns! He'd twirl a little twirl in his private chamber, so happy to have horns that resembled Frieza's. Not to mention a power level of 120,000! Ginyu had long since been second in strength only to his lord and master, but this striking new rating cemented it. Things were becoming quieter than Ginyu would have liked when they received dispatch orders to the freshly conquered Planet Bas, where Frieza himself was. The report detailed an esper that had offered his services willingly, and commanded his Force should and meet this little Bas-jin.
Brother, was he ever a sight...
The Bas-Jin themselves were of low standing in the power level department, clocking in anywhere from 3,000-7,000 on average. What they lacked in power, they made up for in psychokinetic ability. It made them dangerous. Frieza didn't like dangerous. The planet itself had nothing to offer, and with proposal for a bloodless acquisition off the table, the usual dregs of the 'cleaning crew' came in to take care of business.
This Guldo, though, he was a bit different from the others. His power level of 10,000 was nothing to sneeze at by Bas-jin standards, but not nearly enough for Ginyu to be impressed. In fact, it was almost laughable. He was also a tad overweight but nothing anyone could call chunky.
The Bas-jin in question strolled to the front of the group and cleared his throat. "As you know, us Bas-jin know our way around the block when it comes to psychokinesis. But," he held up a pudgy finger. "I've got something up my sleeve that no other Bas-jin has. I... wait for it... have the ability to stop time."
As expected, he was met with blank stares.
Frieza hid a quiet laugh behind his hand. "Ah, Mister Guldo, was it? A demonstration, please."
"As you command, Lord Frieza." He bowed as cordially as someone like him could, then turned to Ginyu, smiling politely but tinged with deceit. Ginyu knew his type well. Then, in an instant, he was gone. Before he even had time to turn around, the sound of a throat clearing came from behind him, and there Guldo was, perched on Recoome's shoulder guard like he belonged there to begin with.
"Heh heh, despite your looks, you're a slick one, ain'tcha?" Recoome chuckled.
"Hey, there's nothing wrong with using the talents you have, friend," the toady shrugged, half-smiling as though the answer should have been obvious. "But actually... Oh, uh... " He paused, then gestured toward the floor. The behemoth picked up on it surprisingly quickly and set Guldo with care on the floor. Ginyu raised an eyebrow. This guy wasn't even an official Planet Trade officer at this point, and yet he dared command a member of the Ginyu Force? Worse yet, his subordinate actually obliged? This Guldo either had some hefty balls or he was just plain stupid. But he had to admit, such an attitude was worth admiring. Just a little.
"Ok, so the way I see it, I've got a good little thing going here, this stoppin' time business. Seein' as it is such a good little business, and I'd rather not see it end, if you catch my drift, I humbly ask to join your ranks, Captain Ginyu."
The lavendar man crossed his arms. "So you know of us already? Well, that saves us a bit of time, at least." He paused to stroke his chiseled chin. That time-stopping thing you do would be a real asset to us. However, the real question is..." Ginyu's hand shot forth, pointing an accusing finger at the toady. "What makes you think you have what it takes to be a part of the Ginyu Force?"
"Lord Frieza, may I have permission to reassure the good captain?"
Frieza waved his hand dismissively. "You may do as you please."
Guldo nodded curtly, then turned back to Ginyu. "Captain Ginyu," he squared his stance. "I was told that you are a very... unique man... with a unique way of doing things. If psychic powers or even the ability to stop time is not enough for you, then maybe you'll appreciate this!"
The Bas-jin made a few extraneous movements, before dropping to one knee and putting his arms up in a V position. Ginyu stumbled back, as though he had been hit, and in a way, he had been. He had been knocked back by the sheer force of style.
The captain's red eyes bore into Guldo, his mouth drawn back to a thin line. Slowly, he held out his fist, and even more slowly, a callused thumb raised itself.
"You're in."
It turned out to be a good addition to the team, in the end. Within half a year, the Ginyus were called to far-off Hatchuru'un. While the serpentine people of Hatchuru'un were a somewhat powerful sort, powerful enough to send Zarbon and Dodoria out with the purging teams, their population was small and had little in the way of an organized military. It should have been a clean sweep, but strange, unexpected disturbances were being reported. On average, the Hatchuruen people's power levels were somewhere around 18,000 at best, but a few small units sent out were being killed wholesale, and no one with a power level under 21,000 had even been sent out. So what was the deal? They had a schedule they needed to adhere to, and this would not stand.
The Ginyu Force touched down on Hatchuru'un on time, as expected. After their obligatory rolecall and a briefing from Zarbon, they travelled to the coordinates of the most recent incident that occured earlier that day. It was a warm place, that part of Hatchuru'un. Really rather comfortable. Between the scorchmarks where battles had clearly taken place, the untamed cobalt grass of the countryside spread out over the horizon. What they could have guessed were houses at some point lay in piles of rubble, Hatchuruen corpses littered around them. Further out, bits of armor led to bits of bodies scattered on the ground. Unfazed, Ginyu flipped over a corpse of one of the Trade soldiers with his foot. He studied the wounds of one man, then meandered to another soldier, then another, then another... Whoever was doing the killing was an amateur. His attacks were absolutely sloppy, not the doing of a trained fighter.
Suddenly, their scouters picked up a high reading coming from the east. Each man turned in the direction their scouters pointed, but found themselves attacked from behind before they could even complete the turn. The Ginyus swatted at the clouds of dust kicked up from the assault. The subordinates crouched, ready to spring in the direction of where the blast had been fired, but the captain raised his hand, commanding them to halt. He then went through a series of other gestures: pointing to his scouter and then to his ear—wait and listen for the reading—then to Guldo, then raising a halting hand and pointing to his wrist—Guldo, be ready to stop time. The esper nodded, tensing in anticipation.
Several seconds passed in aching silence. Where? Where would the next attack come from? When would the scouters alert them? Finally breaking the silence, their scouters beeped, and on cue, Guldo held his breath, freezing time. He had to act quickly. His lung capacity wasn't the greatest, and there were only seconds to spare before he had to exhale. The toady scanned the area. There! The ki blast would have actually been barreling right to him. He felt himself break into a cold sweat, but didn't have time to dwell on how close to death he'd probably been. Running as fast as his short legs could manage, Guldo ran past the blast in the direction of its source, toward one of the houses, still mostly standing. Could the attacker be inside? No time to check. He could only hold his breath for a few more seconds. The toady ran around back, where he found a plume of dust trailing into the surrounding tall grass, and what was this? A suspicious foot in mid-run disappearing within said grass. With no time to waste, he, too, went into the grass, parking himself in the path of the blue-footed guerilla. This would hurt a bit when time started back up again, but it would make his capture easier.
Drawing out a sigh, time restarted, and the Hatchuruen tripped and took a rather rough tumble in the grass. From there, Guldo trapped the poor soul in a paralysis field and with that, put an end to his shenanigans.
"Captain! I've got him!"
Ginyu and the others rushed over. All having the same idea, the three with scouters measured their captive prey's power level, and were surprised to find the fiend was only a few thousand points lower than Jeice. Another exceptionally strong fellow appears... Ginyu stroked his chin. He could tell from the wounds inflicted on the lesser soldiers that he lacked battle experience, but surely such raw power could be shaped and molded, right?
"Guldo, get ready to release him. Recoome, get ready to drag him outta here."
Both men nodded, and the switch-off went without a hitch. In the behemoth's vice-like grip, the Hatchuruen found himself dragged out of the grasses and onto the scorched earth. Upon further inspection, the creature was actually quite tall. Not as tall as Recoome, but certainly taller than the captain. In the racial reports, the Hatchuruen were supposed to have carapaces with many ridges, but this one only had about five or six. He could only surmise that this one was a teenager or a young adult at best, perhaps around Jeice's age.
"Hey, you. You're a pretty fast dude!" Ginyu began. "But fast or not, mind tellin' me what you think you're doing, going around blastin' through Lord Frieza's troops?"
"Ich dich n'ch m'ch!"He spat in a gutteral language.
Ginyu crossed his arms. He knew this place was way out in the boonies, but there was no way they were so far out that no one around spoke Common. "We're gonna try this again, but this time, I won't be so pleasant. Recoome?"
With a smirk and a nod, the behemoth tightened his arms, putting the blue youth into a painful bear hug. "Aack... L-Let go..!" He hissed again.
"So you do speak Common!" Ginyu had a smirk of his own.
"A... A little..." The youth winced. He thought he heard his bones cracking.
Snorting through his nose, Ginyu gestured for Recoome to loosen the vice, to which he complied. The captive breathed a sigh of relief, but his relief was short-lived. He was still surrounded by five sets of killers' eyes, sights all set on him.
"Gotta say, you're pretty sloppy when it comes to killing opponents. You ever fight before?"
"I... I fight, no... No fight...What you do? You kill me?"
"Should I?"
His red eyes widened. "N-No, please!"
The Captain had a good laugh at that. "Well, I'm glad you feel that way! With your power and speed, it'd be a waste to off you like an everyday weakling. And seeing as you've killed a good number of our soldiers, the polite thing to do would be to offer your services to Lord Frieza. Isn't that right, boys?"
Low chuckles filled the air around him. "Hey, you no worry," Jeice spoke in broken Common, half to mock their captive. "You join us, you no die. What you name?"
He regarded the red man thoughtfully. "Me am... I am Burter."
"I am Jeice. He is Captain Ginyu. He leader, very strong." He gestured to the lavender bull, then flexed his arms to illustrate his point. "You join, be strong like us. We strongest in universe!"
"I want be... I want to be strong. If strong, beat bad guys like you." His eyes were brimming with resolve, but his words pricked Ginyu a bit. 'Bad guys'? The Ginyu Force? Hardly. They weren't bad guys. The real life Captain Brenchman wasn't a bad guy. He was a good soldier, upholding the values of the tribes of Brench, completing his missions with perfection, and all to expand the magnificence of the Imperium Friezanum. He refused to entertain such a thought.
"I challenge you," the Captain spoke in a low voice, pointing an accusing finger at the blue beast. "Join my ranks, become stronger. Let's see if you beat the 'bad guys,' or become one yourself."
And in a voice that was practically a growl, Burter replied:
"Challenge accepted."
It was a challenge he would lose outright. Amid the glory that came with his power and association with the Ginyu Force, as well as finding an unexpected camraderie with the other youngest on the team, the one called Burter eventually forgot about his resolution to fight the 'bad guys'. Towering over all, a massive beast with a proud many ridges and an ego bigger than himself, he had completely forgotten, and so, became the very thing he once loathed.
Ginyu hadn't forgotten, though. He would never forget being called a bad guy. Those that didn't submit to Frieza's will, they were the bad guys, right? The real life Captain Brenchman could never be a bad guy, right?
In retrospect, it was about at this time that he realized that maybe, just maybe, he had been wrong about everything.
Captain Ginyu drew his sword and studied it closely. Though it had seen its fair share of battles since his adventure across Hell began, it still retained a marvelous shine. In the blade, he could see his own reflection, as clearly as looking in a mirror. He looked so tired. He didn't remember ever looking so tired. He rubbed his rough hands over his face.
Ginyu decided that he'd done enough thinking for one day and meandered back to base to await the return of the others. In accordance with Brench tribesman principles, a warrior was to take one day a week to meditate upon himself and his place in the universe. They usually ended up just eating junk food and having dance battles (because sweet treats and a bit of boogaloo is kind of like meditating), but this time around, he decided they would observe the day properly.
Base 2.0 was another mesa like the one they stationed themselves in before the unexpected attack of the Skivbaku. Imagine his surprise to find his men already there waiting for him! Just how long had he been away? The captain breathed sharply through his nose and rubbed the back of his head.
"Heya, Captain. Welcome back." Recoome was the first to greet him, smiling genuinely.
"Excuse my tardiness, men. Keeping folks waiting is incredibly unstylish." He sat himself down, cross-legged.
"Hey, no worries, Cap," Jeice piped up. "We ain't been here that long."
"Well, that just means I'm fashionably late." Ginyu chuckled, slicking back imaginary hair. "So, how did everyone do today, havin' to use your heads for a change?" He asked half-jokingly.
"Eh, it wasn't bad." Recoome once again nabbed the first comment. "I kinda missed dancin', though. I like dancin'."
"So I've noticed," Ginyu cut in, amused.
"Um... I actually had a lot to think about," said Burter with an aside glance. He scratched the back of his neck. Clearly he was feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Recoome and I were the first back, and we talked a while. About of lot of things, actually..."
"Wait, I thought Jeice said you all hadn't been here long?"
The Red Magma threw up his hands. "Aww, way to go, Burt. I was tryin' to make it so Cap didn't feel bad about being unstylishly tardy..."
Ginyu raised an eyebrow, smirking. "But isn't lying even more unstylish?"
"A-Ah..." Jeice lowered his head, feeling a little sheepish. The others had a little chuckle over that.
"Um... Like I was saying..." Burter sighed, searching for the words. "I guess... I owe everyone an apology. I really got out of line, and I feel rather ashamed of my poor behavior." He turned to the behemoth. "I'm especially sorry for causing you so much trouble, Recoome. You hadn't even done anything to me, and yet..."
Recoome shrugged, reminding himself of the puncture wounds in his flesh. "Well, I sorta goaded you into it, just a little... Anyway, I know part of that was due to you being in that desert as long as you had. It's all right."
The Blue Hurricane shook his head. "No, it really isn't. I really screwed up." Large blue paws covered large red eyes. He remained silent a few seconds, then, inexplicably, threw his head back and started to laugh.
"Oh, man... I was so angry, but all you were doing was telling the truth!" His laughter subsided to a rather forced smile. "I'm really not the fastest in the universe, am I?"
The others remained silent, but it really didn't matter. Everyone already knew the answer. "Really, it's okay. I'm okay with that now. I guess it was kind of silly to think I was to begin with..." His smile eased into something more genuine, but was tinged ever so slightly with sadness.
"Well, even if you're not, you're still the only you in the universe, right? That's somethin' special, I'd say." Jeice grinned.
Burter snorted a laugh. "Jeez, how do you live with being so corny?"
"What? Corny? Sheesh, how d'ya like that..." Jeice crossed his arms in a huff. "Recoome gets a heartfelt apology after knockin' you about the head, but after putting up with you being a Growly McGrumpypants, I get written off as corny?"
The saurian threw up his hands. "Because you are!"
"But whyyyyyyy?"
Burter was practically in stitches at this point. "Alright, alright... Jeice, I'm sorry for being a Growly McGrumpypants. You're a good partner, if a bit yellow-bellied..." He snickered.
"So now I'm yellow-bellied?" The Red Magma clenched his fists. "You'll see! I'm gonna be so reliable and brave, they'll add it to me name! They'll see me coming out of a space pod and ask 'I say, who is that dashing young fellow?'" He said with a distinguished accent. "And those in the know will answer, 'That's Jeice the Reliable and Brave! He never turns his back on his mates!' and then you won't be able to say such things about your good ol' partner!"
"Oh? Then I'll hold you to it. I challenge you," he pointed a large, thick finger at Jeice. "to become the brave, reliable person that won't turn tail and run when things start to look rough."
Jeice merely smirked. "Challenge accepted."
Ginyu blinked. Those words had an ironic echo, ones that stirred up memories of a missed turning point. He felt his chest tighten a little. The Purple Comet Pair, meanwhile, just shared a laugh. "Hey, Jeice. If you need some inspiration for bravery and reliability and all that, you can always look to me." Guldo puffed out his chest.
Jeice couldn't contain his laughter. "I'm sorry, what?"
"Hey, don't laugh! I've been doing really well!"
"You sure have, Guldo," came Recoome to his defense. "We wouldn't have been able to take down that Skivbaku if not for you, much less that Soul Ent."
"Soul Ent?"
"Eh, we hadn't yet found you when this happened, but we crossed through this nasty place called the Geyser Flats, blood shootin' out o' the ground—BLOOOSH! Like that—and all kinds of crap. We were almost eaten by a big ol' tree monster," the behemoth held his arms out wide. "but ol' Guldo really came through for us."
"See? You could really learn a thing or two from me!" The toady squared his hands on his hips and held his head up, a proud grin plastered across his face.
"Heh, suppose I could, Mr. Hero." Jeice reached over and gave Guldo's shoulder a playful shove.
"Hah, no way. If you're gonna be Jeice the Reliable and Brave, then I'll be Guldo the Courageous and Mighty."
"And why not? It fits pretty well, I'd say," Recoome nodded in approval.
"Well, I guess if we're all picking titles, I'll be Burter the Resolute. I only need one name."
Jeice cocked his head. "What, nothin' tellin' about your wicked speed?"
The saurian shook his head. "I'm not gonna define myself by that anymore. I want to be the sort of person that won't lash out at his teammates, someone..." He paused for thought. "Someone determined to see us through even the worst of situations to the very end. I think I could live very well that way. Well, 'live,'" He made air quotes of his fingers.
"Mmmm..." Recoome had since busied himself drawing little chocolate parfaits in the dirt. "I'm actually just happy bein' plain ol' Recoome. I actually thought about that a lot today, what things might have been like had Cap never showed up." He caught himself. "I mean, I don't regret it or nothin', but it's like, 'Oh, maybe I coulda been a famous danseur,' or 'Oh, I wonder if I coulda made it with the Intergalactic Dance Company...' or 'Man, I really miss bein' on stage.' Y'know, that sort of stuff." He drew a cherry. "But all in all, I'm glad I could meet the Captain and all of you guys, too. I wouldn't ditch you for nothin', not even for a dance contract that paid me in parfaits."
They all had a good laugh at that. Ginyu, for the first time in a long while, was genuinely proud of his men. If Hell was place for punishment—and being honest, having to go through everything they did to find each other was a huge punishment—then it was also a place of realization. Circumstances aside, they each made the choice to behave cruelly in life, and so justly deserved their punishment. In being here, scared and powerless, as many of their victims had been, it dawned on Ginyu, slowly, that he had not become the Captain Brenchman he wanted to be. In his heart, all he ever wanted was to be a hero.
But what was a hero? He really had to think long and hard about it. Captain Brenchman was a Brench tribesman that upheld the values of the Brenchian people, values that expressed fairness as a warrior. Even though he killed in the name of Frieza, his blows were clean and he was never cruel toward his victims. But in the end, tinted rose-colored and decorated with pretty words, genocide was genocide, and the moment he made his first kill in Frieza's name, he forfeited his hero status.
Ginyu shook his head. He had been wrong. He had been entirely and utterly wrong. Though, for having molded his entire image on a big fat lie, Ginyu did not feel anything that could be described as sadness or regret. Somehow, after making the realization, he felt very free. No longer bogged down by the lies of a fake hero, he felt he could seek out the truth. He could be the sort of hero he'd always intended to be. And he would while he still had the luxury of a body. But if he was going to start over, then he was going to have to come clean.
Breathing deeply, Ginyu prepared himself. "Men," he began in a most formal tone. "I'm going to share an awful truth with you."
The other four snapped to attention. When the captain spoke, everyone took notice. "When I was young, I came into a very flawed way of thinking. I based the way I acted on what was essentially a lie, and was not able to recognize it for what it was. Even more unfortunately, I unwittingly thrust that lie upon you all. It's true, when I came up with the idea of an illustrious fighting force, it was for the purpose of expanding the glory of the Planet Trade. And we did, very well, actually..." He couldn't help but smile a bit. "But even though we were Trade soldiers, we had our own culture largely independent of that. Our culture is based on Brench culture. It is a culture of fairness as warriors and as men... and is entirely incompatible with Planet Trade culture." Ginyu paused, sighing. "...It's a very large failure on my part to not have recognized it sooner."
"Aw, Cap. You don't gotta-"
"Let me finish." Ginyu held up a halting hand. "Listen, I will never regret having the honor of leading you men. Let me be clear on that. However, I have absolutely failed myself as a Brench tribesman, and in doing so, failed all of you. And so, at my lowest point, I will share with you, the absolute awful truth…"
Ginyu rose to his feet, standing far too proudly for a man who just admitted his entire life was a lie. "All those years ago on Planet Namek, I did not die. I'll say again, I did not lose my life on Namek that day. I fought as I had not fought in many years, and when I found myself outmatched, I used the power granted to me and swapped bodies with the Saiyan, Goku. He warned that I wouldn't be able to tap his great power, but I refused to take heed. As it turned out, he was right. The depths of his power weren't meant for the likes of me…" Ginyu clenched his fists. "In a complex scuffle, I ended up in this body you see once again. Gravely wounded, I tried to swap bodies with Vegeta of all people in a last ditch effort to turn the battle around, but…"
The captain hung his head and scrunched his face, as though the words tasted bitter on his tongue. "I left that battle no longer a man, but a… a helpless beast. Though I had words, I could not speak. Though I had legs, I could not stride proudly. Though I wanted to die, I was shown mercy and my life was spared. In the end, I was completely humiliated…" He sighed. "And then, somehow, I came to find myself on another world, a peaceful place. There were no battles, and there was no glory. There were only reminders, reminders of what I had been. I lived as a lowly frog for years in that peaceful place. I loathed it… But for the first time, I really, really had to think about where I went wrong to end up in such a state."
The captain turned his back to them a while and tapped his foot, as if momentarily debating whether to continue. "And when I finally died…" He turned to them again, laughing a sad laugh. "I couldn't even do so with dignity! I was stepped on, squashed flat by a giant lizard that couldn't even be bothered to eat my remains. In the end, I died as an afterthought. The once great Captain Ginyu, leader of the most illustrious fighting force in the universe, died flat and alone, not even fit for a beast's snack."
His men remained silent, taking in his words. As he looked back at them, he could see the range of emotions forming across their faces. Confusion, contemplation, pity, and... was that... joy?
"Captain Ginyu..." Recoome rose to his great height and walked over to his leader, placing large, meaty paws on his shoulders. "Don't you see?"
"R-Recoome? Woah!" Ginyu found himself lifted off the ground, those same paws now tucked under his arms.
"You weren't knocked off by that lousy Vegeta! You survived!" The behemoth laughed and swung his captain around playfully.
"S-Stop it! Put me down, man!" He barked through a bluish blush.
"You said you wanted to die, but you kept on living. It takes more strength to live when life ain't worth livin', doesn't it? You kept on livin', and you learned some stuff, and you were better for it. You didn't fail at all!"
Ginyu's eyes widened. As the others began to gather around him, he tapped the behemoth's forearm, embarrassed to be seen held up like some giant lavender house cat. With a nod and an airy chuckle, Recoome set his captain down, smiling a goofy smile. The good captain looked around him. Smiles to his left, smiles to his right, and the biggest directly in front, all for him. His heart swelled.
"Ok, ok, gimme some room!" He shooed them a little. "Listen up and listen well," he raised his voice and began to pace. "All of us, every one of us, died like chumps, chumps that couldn't see what they had become before it was already too late. As leader, I shoulder that blame. But know this!" The captain stopped dead in his tracks and faced his men, stony-faced and shoulders rolled back. "The old Ginyu Force died with that broken little frog. From this moment on, we set out to be the Ginyu Force we should have been from the start! The most illustrious fighting force in the universe will shine brighter than it ever has before! Are we clear on that, you guys?"
Rousing cries filled the air in agreement. "And who are we!"
"We are the Ginyu For-"
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
A great and powerful sound filled the air, and all five men immediately doubled over, covering their ears and crying out. Ginyu tried to shake the ringing in his ears, but it was to no avail. And then, when the noise had died, and the ringing had subsided, the crushing darkness they had all felt upon entering the Monster Plateau doubled, tripled, quadrupled... It just kept growing and growing heavier and heavier upon them. The captain felt his chest and gripped his leotard. At least, that was his intent.
He couldn't feel it. Why couldn't he feel it? He brought his hand to his face, and his blood ran cold.
"No..."
His hand had begun to fade. As though looking through tissue paper held up to a light, he could see right through it. "Wh... What did I do?" He hadn't divulged the bet to them, right? None of them had done anything evil, right?
"Captain, what's happening?"
Ginyu looked beyond his own body to find that the others were beginning to rapidly fade as well. As they looked to him for guidance, Ginyu could only become filled with confusion and anger. Why? Why was this happening, after they had come so far? Guldo was the first to go, and Jeice shortly thereafter. Burter left next with an anguished roar, and Recoome could only remain silent, looking to his leader with pleading eyes as he faded to nothing. And as Ginyu himself faded away, he could only scream his rage.
The sound of that, too, faded with him.
