Dragonball Z

Legacies

Speed Bump

(Two weeks later)

(Satan City)

"I've been to a lot of concerts and performances in my time at school, but I don't think I've ever been to a fashion show before. This is a really interesting change of pace," Videl spoke up above the clamor of the crowd gathered in the rows of seats behind her. Wearing a trendy yellow sweater, white skirt and brown shin-high boots, the short-haired girl then glanced across at her escort for the morning and smiled pleasantly at him. "So what's it like living with a world famous super model under your roof?"

"Well, if my years of eating at the table and sparring with her every single day are anything to go by, it's pretty mundane, actually," Gohan replied, the spiky haired young adult glancing back at his companion with a bright smile in play. Dressed in a black turtleneck with figure-hugging jeans and blue converses, the smartly dressed half-Saiyan allowed an amused chuckle to escape his lips. "Zangya is like a member of our family. In all honesty, even though she's now this world famous fashion icon, I don't treat her any differently than I do Piccolo or Goten. She's an awesome friend and a great person to have around the house."

"I'm really glad you think that way," Videl stated with a smile, giving the boy a warm gaze as she reached forward and pressed her hands against her legs eagerly. "A lot of the guys I know usually gush over figureheads like me and my dad. It's really hard to have a normal conversation with someone when they're constantly acting nervous around you and don't know what to say. That's why I'm happy that I have people like you and Erasa to hang out with. I can act like an ordinary girl and not have to stop for an exclusive interview every five feet."

"I admit… you are a little bit different from all of the other people I know," Gohan said, giving the raven haired fighter a grin.

Finding intrigue in the half-Saiyan's words, Videl threw him a curious stare, "Oh? How so?"

"For one you're incredibly talented. You're a martial arts prodigy who can master even the most advanced techniques in only a few short lessons," the hybrid answered while raising a finger. "Secondly, you're headstrong and fiercely determined, always pushing ahead even when the odds seem stacked against you. You're also incredibly independent, smart… and I dare say a little bit feisty as well."

Videl, feeling a little flutter in her chest, chuckled at the last part, "You're damn right, buster." She then playfully jabbed him in the arm, before looking back towards the stage with her arms folded and her legs crossed. By this point in time, the main speaker had already moved over to the plinth to address the audience, opening up the show with the usual jargon and saying how pleased she was to see such an enormous turnout. "I didn't get where I am today by being introverted and shy. If you want to succeed in life, you have to keep moving forward with your head held high and your fist leading you every step of the way."

Beaming at the girl's confidence, Gohan then looked ahead of him as well and allowed his next words to leave his lips clearly and concisely. "You're also the most amazing person I've ever met." Sensing the girl's eyes cut back to him in surprise, the demi-Saiyan crossed his arms and continued to speak. "Even though I've met a lot of incredible people in my life, you're by far the most outstanding girl I've ever had the pleasure of running into. If I hadn't met you back at the Intergalactic Martial Arts Tournament… well… I have no idea what the last seven years of my life would've been like." The teen nodded assuredly in response. "It wouldn't have been as fun as it has been so far, I can tell you that."

Staring up at the teen with a look of bewilderment written across her face, Videl felt her heart thump sharply against her chest as her gaze started to get pulled towards the demi-Saiyan's little by little. Her cheeks warming as all of her attention fixed upon his kind smile and cool visage, the cheer of the crowd suddenly roused her from her daze and forced her to break away prematurely. Turning from her trance with her face extremely red, the tomboy spent the next few seconds trying to calm down and catch her breath. Once she did, the announcer's voice rang out throughout the wide open hall.

"We hope you're ready ladies, gentlemen and esteemed members of the community, because it's time to open the catwalk with our first entry for the day!" the woman up on the stand exclaimed, drawing an excited cheer from the crowd and a series of flashes from the camera crews at the front. Upon raising her hand towards the side curtains, the speaker in the black cocktail dress and blonde hair then called up the first contestant in the lineup. "Let's see what our designers have in store for us."

The platform was immediately washed with a wave of applause as the first girl stepped into the spotlight. Gohan and Videl, both of whom were seated in the front row right at the end of the stage nearest to the judges, gave a loud cheer and a whistle when they spotted Zangya's silhouette appear before the crowd. Thrilled to see that she was opening today's ceremony, they then settled down so that they could hear the rest of the announcer's introduction.

"Our opening number is a specially made product from Daeko designer Trisha Pivovarova, worn by celebrity model Zangya from Mount Paozu," the announcer exclaimed, watching the lights along the walkway switch on and illuminate the woman standing by the white screen. The audience was immediately captivated by the sight of the blue-skinned woman with orange hair, and they all greeted her with praise and applause. "Sporting an elegant summer dress, this sheik blue and white design consists of a low-cut front and no back with a leather belt, accentuating a trim waistline with white, buckle down high heels and a golden chain necklace provided by Myrtle. This stunning number is ideal for hot nights on the town or a day out to the beach."

A storm of camera flashes and music lit up the catwalk as Zangya began strolling down it filled with pride and self-assurance, her heels clapping against the hardwood stage and echoing throughout the entire auditorium. It was a miracle she was able to stay on course what with all the lights blinding her way, but having obviously done this many times before, the Hera warrior knew exactly where to go and what to do.

Appearing prim and proper, the woman with her orange hair done up into a bun marched to the end of the stage and posed with her hands on her hips. Rotating a couple of times in front of her spellbound audience, she then spotted Gohan and Videl sitting at the very front, both of whom were staring up at her with wide eyes and expressions filled with awe.

"Wow. She looks amazing," Videl murmured quietly.

Grinning, Gohan then gave his friend a thumbs-up, "Way to go, Zangya. You rock!"

Blushing at the teen's compliment and sparing the pair an enchanting yet subtle smile, the Hera then did an about face and marched back down the aisle. Under the flashes of the cameras, the clamor of the audience, and the voice of the main speaker in the background, Zangya made a couple more walks of the stage. Upon which she then returned to the back end and allowed the next line of models to follow.

It was one hell of a show. But little did Gohan and Videl know was that their little day out to the city to see their friend's stunning performance was about to be rudely interrupted…

OOO

(Elsewhere)

"Ahh… now this is what I call a bath," Paprika sighed, her body becoming completely immersed in the bubbling hot water of a spring she'd found in the northernmost region of Mount Paozu a few weeks ago. Concealed within a thick patch of forest at the base of a volcanic mountain, the Makyan had very little to fear from any peeping toms or eyes that happened to be wandering around in her area, as she allowed herself to become completely at ease in the steaming pond of water and herbs.

This pretty much meant that all of her clothes, her scarf, cowl and boots included, had been folded up and set aside for the time being; all of which were currently sitting a couple feet away from her.

"Man. I can't believe I never thought about doing this in the first place. After all those times I wasted taking a dip in the lake and the hot tub at home. This is way better."

All things considered, she could've just as easily taken a bath back at her place. But with such a nice day out, with the sun shining high above and the birds singing all around her, there was no way she was going to waste an opportunity like this cooped up indoors. She wanted to fill her lungs with fresh country air and allow her skin to absorb the incredible rays of light from the sun above.

This… right now… this was heaven.

"Maybe I can try moving my house up here. Claim this spot as my territory," Paprika thought, tilting her head as she glanced off to the side of the pool. "Might be a bit of hassle lugging that stone castle, but I think I can manage it." That was the beauty of Capsule Corp technology; you could always count on it to carry your extra heavy loads.

Running her hand up and down her silky smooth skin, the eighteen year old Makyan allowed another sigh to escape her lips as she felt the herbs of the natural spring work their magic. In that same instant, she felt all her woes and pains wash away with every second she spent in there. After dunking her head into the pool so that she became completely enveloped in the mixture, all sense of awareness and time soon left her as well.

Hell, she became so caught up in her moment of self-indulgence and bliss that she completely missed the blip of a familiar ki signature appearing on her radar.

As Paprika was lying back against the stone edge surrounding the pool and was in the process of closing her lids, a voice of a young boy spoke up, startling her out of her moment of peace and tranquility.

"Hey, Paprika!"

Eyes widening, the Makyan looked up to see the silhouette of a small dragon and a youngster riding atop of it float down from the sky above. When they descended to a low enough height, just several feet above the ground, the two figures revealed themselves to be none other than Goten and Icarus.

"I spent the last half hour looking for you, Paprika. Where have you been hiding this entire time? Oh, wow! Is that a hot spring? Awesome!" the child exclaimed happily. "How the heck did you manage to find one all the way out here?!"

While the sight of the dragon didn't bother Paprika in the slightest, it was the fact that the demi-Saiyan was with him that immediately caught the white haired demon's attention.

Looking down when she realized the boy could see her outline clearly through the water, the teenager blushed and crossed her legs. Upon which she then threw a glare up at her cheerful visitor, "Oi, you little pervert! Can't you see that I'm bathing here?"

"Yeah. I can see," the boy chirped, before tilting his head innocently in her direction, "Is the water nice?"

"Yes. It's nice. But that's not what I'm… ugh…" Paprika then gave an exasperated sigh and shot the child another glare, "Look… just… turn around, okay. I'm not exactly in the most decent of appearances right now."

"Huh? Decent of appearances? What does that me-… oooh," Goten murmured in realization before, leaning over Icarus's head, he whispered discreetly to her, "Are you nakey?"

Paprika sighed once again. "Yes, Goten. I am naked."

Thank goodness the kid was so innocent. Bless his heart.

Goten then nodded to his friend in understanding while Icarus gave a very bird-like chirp in response, "Okay, Paprika. I'll make sure to turn around when you get out." After all the interactions he'd had with girls in the past, the boy at least had an idea of when courtesy and manners in this regard were required. Obviously he possessed the common sense to know that it was bad being naked in front of people and would always point this out whenever a situation like this arose. However, like all other children his age, he still had a couple other things to learn about proper social etiquette.

Chief among which was what he said next.

"This hot spring is very big, Paprika. Can I join you?" Goten asked cheerfully, wanting to take a dip and try out the water for himself.

The Makyan, blinking a couple of times, then frowned up at the youngster, "Really? You want to jump into a pool of hot, boiling water in the middle of nowhere with a naked demon girl sitting right next to you?"

Staring at her quietly for several seconds, as if seriously analyzing her question, the spiky haired boy's face strained for a moment before he uttered the only answer he could come up with.

"Yes?"

Closing her eyes and smiling in amusement, the white haired fighter was about to offer a counter to the boy's answer, until a ding in her senses promptly disrupted her train of thought.

Gasping, Paprika leapt to her feet. Not caring that she was in the buff and dripping from head to toe, the shapely female fighter fixed her gaze squarely on the sky above her, at the exact same time Goten picked up the disturbance as well. The boy and his family's dragon spun towards the clouds with an exclamation of surprise and a narrowed gaze, the young Saiyan's expression becoming as bewildered and intense as his friend's.

"Whoa. What is that?" the hybrid asked in astonishment.

"I don't know," Paprika replied, a snarl escaping her lips shortly afterwards and beads of sweat starting to bleed out of her temple. "That power level is massive. What the hell is that?"

Whatever it was, it was big… and it was coming towards the planet.

OOO

(Meanwhile)

Many miles to the north, in a house surrounded by fields of wild flowers and long grass, a young couple was just waking to the start of a brand new day. Inside the wooden home, in a dining room filled with all the latest installments and baring a very contemporary design, an adult male with silky, shoulder-length black hair, sharp blue eyes, and wearing a short-sleeved black shirt, a long-sleeved white undershirt, blue jeans, boots, a brown trench coat and an orange bandana around his neck, could be seen sitting at the table eating from a bowl of oatmeal. Gripping the cup of coffee he had sitting beside him as well, the young adult took a quick sip of it before then turning his attention towards the kitchen counter.

It was there he saw a woman with dark brown skin, long brown hair tied into a bun, soft blue eyes, and wearing a blue kimono with cheery blossom flowers patterning it, walk towards the table with a plate of eggs and bacon for the both of them. Setting one down in front of him, she too took up a seat on the other side of the desk and beamed across at the young man with love and warmth reflected in her eyes.

Android 17 chuckled, "You're spoiling me, dear."

"Only because you're worth the trouble," the young girl replied with a cheeky smile. "You've got a long day of work ahead of you and I don't want you going hungry out there, so eat up."

"Sure. I wasn't planning on leaving behind a single crumb anyway," the raven haired male stated, quickly turning back to his oatmeal and stirring it. With only a little bit left, the young adult quickly got to work finishing it, while at the same time regarding the woman across from him with kindness and affection. "After all the effort you put into our food, Ami, there's no way I could possibly leave any of it untouched. Even though it's physically impossible, I'm pretty sure I would starve without having one of your special omelets every night."

"Well then, buster, you'd better give it your all out there in the park. Because if you don't, I might just have to send you to bed without any supper," Ami informed cheerfully, tilting her head at the young male. "Hopefully you'll have a good shift today and you won't have to deal with any troublesome poachers looking to make a quick zeni."

"Don't worry. I will," Seventeen replied with a nod, cutting one of the sunny-sides with the edge of his fork and plucking up some bacon with it. Popping it into his mouth and chewing, the android then stopped when a sudden thought crossed his mind and he set his utensils down.

His sudden actions and change in expression prompted his wife to look up at him in surprise, "What's wrong, honey?"

"I'm just wondering whether or not I should go out and see my sister," Android 17 spoke, staring down at the table for a few seconds before then looking back at the woman across from him. "I know she's been hanging out with Goku's group these past seven years, but I haven't even taken the time to set aside a day to go say hello to her. After all the crap we had to go through with Cell and everything, well... I think we've had more than enough time to relax and find out feet."

Ami tilted her head and gave her lover a sincere smile, "I knew it would take you a while to figure these things out. That was a really rough period for everyone… for you and your sister especially ." She then reached forward and placed a hand on top of his, rubbing her thumb against his skin comfortingly. "Everyone needs a little bit of time out to heal and rejuvenate their senses after experiencing such terrible pain and hardship. Perhaps now you've finally come to terms with all that and you're ready to go out and face the world again."

Considering her words for a moment, Seventeen smiled, "These last seven years have been fun… and I've had plenty of time to experience a lot of things this life has to give me. I mean… I met you, didn't I?" Giving the young woman his most genuine smile, he then exhaled slowly and nodded his head in understanding. "I'll take you to visit them this weekend. I think it's high time you and I had a little family reunion."

The brown haired zoologist beamed brightly, "I'll be sure to pack my swimsuit."

While looking across at one another, basking in the peace and silence the moment brought to them, a sudden surge in Seventeen's head suddenly caused him to straighten up and look towards the ceiling. Rising out of his seat so quickly that he literally knocked it over, the android startled his wife when he fixed a terrified glare towards the roof of their building…

Only… it wasn't the roof that was the problem.

"Seventeen… what's wrong?"

Sweat breaking out on his face, the raven haired man clenched his fists tightly. "Something's coming."

He knew this much because his optical sensors were going haywire.

OOO

(Back in Satan City)

With the fashion show reaching its closing stages, Gohan and Videl remained planted in their seats as they watched the last of the models enter and exit the catwalk. In the past hour or so, the pair had seen Zangya come in and out of the backrooms many times wearing a couple of incredibly stunning dresses. Even though the woman was not from their planet, it was clear to both of them that she was absolutely breathtaking and wore those outfits like a goddess. This probably explained why she was given the spotlight at these events and was so popular with the community, and it was also why the main company she worked for valued her so much.

She was truly the highlight for that morning.

Now, with the main event over and done with, and the speaker announcing the final minutes of the show, the two Z-fighters in the crowd looked on as Zangya came down the catwalk one last time with a completely new look and accessory piece. Sporting a blue tube dress that accentuated her ever curve with a couple of bits cutout showing off her stomach and sides, high heels and diamond earrings for that finishing touch, the woman approached the end of the runway where the judges sat with pride and confidence reflected in her posture.

Her friends applauded her when she stopped at the end and posed for the cameras, head up and back straight. She looked so natural up there and a shooing for a spectacular finish.

However, just when the audience had finished giving her a standing ovation, a sharp pang struck Gohan, Videl and Zangya, startling the three of them and causing the group to direct all of their attention towards the ceiling. At first the judges and the audience thought nothing of it, believing the orange haired woman was merely posing for the media.

But when Gohan and Videl shot out of their seats and nearly knocked their chairs over, the front rows of the auditorium started to stir.

A bead of sweat breaking out on her face, the raven haired fighter gasped, "G-Gohan… do you…?"

Gulping, the half-Saiyan nodded to her half-asked question, "Yes." His gaze then shot towards the alien standing on the catwalk in front of him. "Zangya?"

"I sense it too," the Hera replied quickly, her own face reflecting her bewilderment and fear as she focused all of her senses on whatever the hell had just entered her radar. "Damn. I haven't sensed so much energy in one place before. What the heck is that?"

OOO

(Outside Central City)

Several kilometers out of earth's capital, in the middle of a wide open desert with enormous radar and telescopic dishes dotting the landscape, an enormous military installation was currently on full alert. Alarms blazing and soldiers rushing about from building to building, gathering equipment and readying their jets for combat, it almost looked as though they were preparing for an invasion. Though there wasn't an enemy in sight or a country near their position, the commanders of the base were still directing their forces as they had been instructed to, and were making one hell of a show of it.

Amidst the chaos on the grounds and the noise of aircraft being prepared for launch, inside the main tower on ground zero, preparations for an attack were currently underway. Surrounding a massive holographic projector in the middle of a dark war room, a collection of officers and officials could be seen gathered around the center table, while a platoon of airmen and staff were working diligently at the computers and monitors making up the rest of the chamber.

It was an impressive setup and it had to be. After all the trouble they'd encountered in the past seven years involving extraterrestrial objects heading towards their planet, this one had to be their biggest problem yet.

Staring up at the three-dimensional projection of the earth and moon, a dark-skinned man in a blue uniform with five stars on his decorated uniform narrowed his eyes, "How far is it?"

"It's not far now, sir," an officer operating the main computer answered as he typed in a new set of numbers, allowing the hologram of the planet to zoom in on the object heading towards them. "It hooked past the moon's orbit not too long ago and should be entering satellite space in the next ten minutes."

"Whatever it is, it's moving faster than any meteorite we've ever recorded," the Colonel, an anthropomorphic fox in a similarly colored uniform standing beside the general spoke with a troubled expression on his face. "We've shot down a lot of space debris in the past year, but all of those objects came straight out of our area. This one came from another system entirely."

Making a murmuring sound of unease, the General of the Army turned towards the monitor staff surrounding him with a frown, "What exactly are we dealing with here? What kind of rock is it?"

"It's just as you heard over the transmissions, sir," a woman working over at another computer said as she jacked up the screen. The hologram then switched over from a picture of the earth to the picture of the object in question. "It's a Class 6 rogue meteorite, which we began tracking ever since it left the Mizar star system a few days ago. The object is roughly seven kilometers in diameter, that's around the size of a small village, and is currently clocking speeds over Mach 7. We calculate its impact should be in the next half hour around the west coast, fifty kilometers outside of West City."

Sweating nervously, the general got a good look at the extraterrestrial entity that had entered their midst. On first glance it certainly looked like a space rock from another world, for sure. But tracing its uneven, oval-like shape, it almost resembled a spacecraft or a casket with the outline of a person. Though the details on it were sketchy, it certainly did have that UFO appeal to it.

Upon inspecting it more carefully, the thing also had a pair of ribbon like appendages attached to its sides that were wiggling around like tentacles on a squid, which didn't seem like something an ordinary comet would possess. However, trusting the advice of his astronomical staff, the general immediately went with the first course of action he could think of and turned to look across at another one of the analysts nearby.

"What kind of damage can we expect from this thing making landfall?"

"Honestly, sir?" the airman in the glasses sitting next to the monitor spoke while turning towards the staff in the center of the room. "If this object should breach our atmosphere and hit the earth, it will cause an explosion a million times greater than our most powerful thermonuclear bomb. Everything within a hundred kilometers of it will be incinerated and the shockwave will be so powerful, there won't be a single building left standing anywhere. That's only in the first few minutes of impact."

Hearing all that he needed to, General Rin turned back to the hologram and narrowed his eyes, "Then we have no choice." He then pointed towards the men and women working at the various computers and monitors. "Contact the ground crews of Stations two, four and seven. Have them ready the surface-to-orbit cannons and fire on my command."

"Yes, sir!" Upon registering to the commander's orders, the staff immediately began running around and making contact with the people they needed to. All at once, the commotion inside of the room increased several times over, letting the officers in charge know that preparations for a counter attack were well and truly underway.

The hologram quickly switched from the object to the valleys and deserts outside of the base. Past the radar stations, General Rin and his staff of officers saw three enormous cannons of futuristic design appear in the hologram, rotate on the spot and then point towards the sky. From their posts, they watched the men on the ground get inside and begin setting up the weapons, the numbers jumping up onto the screen flickering through at an insane speed and logging in the coordinates of the objects.

In a matter of moments, the readings reached a hundred percent and the men working the radios of the large guns reported in. With the chatter reaching its climax, the men at the monitors turned to inform their superiors of their progress.

"All three Capsule Corp MAC V-150 Planetary cannons are online sir!"

"Lieutenant Spears of Station two reports they are ready to fire!"

"Station four is primed and ready!"

"Station seven has locked onto the target and is fully charged, sir!"

"All stations are waiting for your go sign."

Silence immediately fell in the room as all eyes turned towards the general. With the hologram breaking up and showing a view of the planet and the object fast-approaching it, everyone was given a full and unobstructed view of the events to come. Thanks to the eyes on the ground and the cameras provided by the satellites currently in orbit, the military was all set to witness and document the results.

Considering his options for several more seconds, General Rin soon reached his decision and exhaled sharply. Upon which he then directed his gaze to his staff and nodded. "Do it."

Receiving his order loud and clear, the same woman by the monitor placed her finger to her head-set and looked towards the screen. There, she had a clear view of all guns locked and pointing towards the sky. "Stand by firing crews… on my mark…" She waited for several seconds. Then, when the green light appeared on her monitor, she nodded. "FIRE!"

A split second later, the staff in the room watched as the three cannons on the hologram lit up and began firing powerful blasts of energy straight up into the sky, each round glowing a hot gold and traveling faster than any other projectile they had.

This was it…

OOO

High up above the planet, the highly compressed spheres of energy fired by all three cannons shot through the atmosphere at breakneck speeds and effortlessly entered the thermosphere. Continuing on at full speed beyond the planet's orbit, the barrage homed in on their target, which could be seen approaching the terra as a shadowy mass in the distance.

The fast-moving rounds capable of disintegrating rock lit up the meteorite they were aimed for like a flashlight. However, the instant the first barrage impacted the object, something unexpected took place.

In the past, the military had been a hundred percent successful in shooting down meteorites that came within range of their planet. A single shot from one of the cannons had been more than capable of wiping out an entire asteroid two kilometers wide in one go, turning it into harmless granite and space dust that burnt up in the planet's atmosphere. With so much power compressed into a single ball of energy, three shots seemed like a little bit overkill for only a single target.

But as soon as the blasts impacted the object after only a few seconds of travel, not only did they fail in slowing it down, but all three rounds bounced off of it like they were beach balls. The second and third waves to follow had the exact same effect, the energy projectiles detonating harmlessly against the object's surface or ricocheting off of it and flying off to fade away into space.

As soon as the barrage ended, it was as if nothing had happened, and the meteorite continued on course…

OOO

"What?!" the fox Colonel shouted in disbelief.

"The photon cannons didn't work!" another general standing off to the side spoke up in astonishment. "How? They were right on the mark!"

As soon as the people in the room saw the barrage fired by the cannons fail in even chipping the meteor, a nervous clamor started up. Questions and exclamations flying this way and that, the airmen and staff began trying to figure out a solution to the problem at hand. Groups started getting together to figure out whether the timing was off and others began checking to see if their surface-to-orbital cannons were malfunctioning. But no matter where they looked, all everyone was able to come up with were blanks and dead ends.

After considering the hologram for several tense minutes, the Colonel with the frustrated expression turned back to his superior, "What do we do now?"

Clenching his fists at the sight of the meteor continuing to head towards their planet, General Rin made a thoughtful grunting noise before once again turning towards his anxious adjutants. "Order all stations to lock onto target and open fire. Ready the U2 missiles and M3 Halos to intercept the target, and have all naval and army units in the region surrounding West City on standby." Receiving a nod from the Colonel, the commander then watched him move off to complete his task.

When the chatter in the room started up again and all workmen began getting into contact with the people they were instructed to, the general then turned to the sergeant standing next to him and frowned, "Get me Bulma Briefs on the line…"

OOO

(Sometime later)

Needless to say, the commotion brought on by the meteorite heading towards the planet immediately kick started all of the Z-fighters into action. It was a good thing that they did too.

As soon as the members of the group started to move, word of the meteorite heading towards the planet got out through the media and alerted the public to the incoming danger. Much like the time of Lord Slug's arrival, the people of earth almost instantly descended into a panic. Riots broke out on the street, businesses closed down, and people started scrambling for the outskirts wanting to put as much distance as they could between themselves and civilization. Rule of thumb was that whenever an approaching disaster like this ever took place, the cities and the great landmarks of whatever nation they were associated with were targeted first.

At least that was what happened in the movies.

In here though, it was an immediate red light. Everyone started heading out of town and into the country to hide. But considering the size of the object heading towards them and the information they were able to get from the news, the damage this thing would have to the planet would be catastrophic.

It was an extinction level threat. That was how bad it was.

The signature on the object heading towards the earth was so big and so noticeable that it was almost impossible for any of the members of the group to miss it. Heck, even Android 18 picked up on the problem and she was usually impartial to these sorts of things. If it had her worried, then it had everybody else worried too. So upon sensing whatever it was that was heading towards the planet, Gohan, Krillin, Yamcha, and everybody else quickly flew over to Bulma's to get an accurate bead on the situation. When she informed them that her father had spotted a large asteroid of some sorts heading towards earth and that the military had also contacted her asking for a solution, she quickly turned to the people she knew she could count on most and instructed them to take action.

Being three of the first on the scene and the most willing to participate in a first strike on the meteor, Gohan, Zangya and Videl immediately took off. Still dressed in the clothes that they'd worn in the morning due to the massive hurry they'd been in to get to West City, the trio quickly flew across country and into the upper atmosphere. As soon as they broke through the white cloud cover drifting over the continent, they powered down and suspended themselves in the cold, windy milieu that was the upper stratosphere, glaring up into the cosmos they could see twinkling beyond their planet.

It was a familiar sight to all three of them, especially Gohan.

"So the plan here is the same as the one your dad and Krillin used before," Videl said, looking across at the half-Saiyan floating alongside her for confirmation. "We're going to fire a combined blast up at the meteorite and destroy it before it has a chance to hit the planet?"

"Yeah," Gohan nodded, fixing his gaze squarely on the blackness of earth's thermosphere. "By my count, a combined attack from all three of us should be more than enough to wipe this thing out for good. Any debris left over from the resulting explosion will simply scatter across the planet's surface and burn up in the mesosphere."

Nodding in understanding, the raven haired girl also turned her attention back to the celestial plain, "That sounds like a solid plan."

"Make sure you guys don't hold anything back, okay," Gohan said, taking a stance in midair and beginning to gather energy. "We'll either disintegrate it in one go or forcibly change its course. In all honesty, I'd prefer the first thing happening as opposed to the second thing. If we let this meteorite fly off in some random direction, there's a good chance it might end up hitting another planet with innocent people on it. That's something I wouldn't be able to live with."

"We'd better get it right on the first shot then," Zangya spoke up, before feeling a cool gust of wind rush past her, causing her to curl up and shiver. Crossing her arms over her chest, the woman vigorously massaged her shoulders. "Damn. I should have brought a jumper with me. It's cold as tits up here." That's what she got for wearing summer clothing in near sub zero temperatures.

Gohan smiled back at her in response to her remark, "Well at least you look amazing. That's the important thing."

Staring back at the teen in the center for several seconds, the orange haired woman smirked, "Hey, spike… have you ever had your ass kicked by someone wearing high heels?"

"I don't recall, no," the demi-Saiyan replied with a sly grin.

Shaking her head at the pair, Videl took a stance of her own and directed her attention back towards the solar system above, "Could you two hens stop clucking for a couple of seconds so that we can deal with the problem?"

"Right. Right. Sorry," Gohan apologized, tensing up and allowing his golden aura to explode off of him as he transformed straight into Super Saiyan. "Alright. Let's get this done." As soon as he made the jump, both Zangya and Videl followed suit and powered up as well, green and white energy cloaks shrouding the two fighters respectively. All three of them then floated side by side, glowing brightly like candles against the backdrop of the mesosphere above and the planet earth far below.

It was while they were in the process of gathering energy for their combined attacks that the trio suddenly had their gazes drawn elsewhere when they saw eight large missiles rocket out of the clouds, pass through the atmosphere, and shoot up into space. Looking on for several seconds out of curiosity, the super powered fighters then flinched in surprise when simultaneous flashes of blinding light filled the sky, followed instantly by several enormous, fiery explosions. They didn't even bother to shield themselves with their hands when the thermonuclear warheads all detonated against the approaching meteorite at once, choosing to instead observe from behind their auras as the miniature super nova went off before slowly fading away into nothing.

While the shockwave was incredible and ruffled the trio's clothing when it hit them, it pretty much did nothing to wipe the expressions of seriousness from the group's faces.

Despite the awesome display of raw, destructive power, the attack by the military did nothing as Gohan and his friends could still sense the meteorite on fast approach.

"There's your nation's tax dollars hard at work," Videl commented, earning nods of agreement from her teammates. Breathing a heavy sigh, the girl then cupped her hands beside her and powered up even more. "Come on. Let's show these guys how it's really done."

"I'm with you, girl," Zangya replied, also taking a similar stance.

The pair's actions were mimicked by Gohan and in a matter of moments, all three of them were primed and ready to fire.

OOO

Back on the ground at Capsule Corp, standing on one of the structure's many balconies, Bulma, Doctor Briefs and Trunks were currently gathered together at the railing and staring up at the sky nervously. After witnessing the failed attack mounted by the King's military's attempt to shoot down the enormous meteorite, the group was then left waiting to see how Gohan and his companions would fair. Considering that all three of them were more than capable of wiping out a planet with a single blast, there was no way they could fail against a seven kilometer hunk of rock.

With the clouds drifting by overhead and the winds whipping wildly at the countryside, the stage was all set for the most awesome lightshow the planet had ever seen. The barrage from the ground-to-orbit cannons and the missile attacks from the planet's defense forces was simply the opening segment. Now it was time to get to the main act, and it was sure to be a blast.

"Hold on tight guys. This is it," Bulma spoke up, taking her son by the shoulders and making sure he was secure. Considering he was a thousand times stronger than her though it seemed like a practice in futility. But this was mostly for her benefit than anything else.

Blinking a couple of times in worry, Trunks then looked across at his grandfather, who he could see was standing there with an unchanging expression on his face. "Will they be able to destroy that meteorite, grandpa? The army tried to… but it didn't work."

The man with the glasses and mustache smiled back at him, "I'm sure those three will be able to handle it. Don't worry."

As they went back to watching, up on the dome building's rooftop overlooking the city, Piccolo, Krillin and Android 18 could be seen standing there with their arms folded, feet planted, and eyes glaring up into the sky above. They weren't just there for observations sake. In the unlikely event that Gohan, Zangya and Videl's attempt to shoot down the asteroid failed, then they were there to pick up the pieces and finish it off.

However, since the defense was being spearheaded by earth's most powerful fighter and a Super Hera, in all good conscience they didn't really have anything to worry about.

Krillin, having grown a head of hair over the last few months that was trimmed and cut stylishly, and sporting the turtle hermit's signature orange and blue gi, glanced across at his wife nervously, "Are you sure Marron is going to be okay?"

The blonde android nodded, "She's with Launch and Turtle back at Kame House. She'll be fine."

"Good," the man nodded, exhaling in relief and narrowing his eyes on the clouds drifting high above. "Man… the last time something like this happened me and Goku were knocked out and sent crash landing on the other side of the planet. But that was a long time ago."

Piccolo frowned, "Don't worry. The kids can handle this. You can count on it."

With the wind picking up speed in response to the object nearing the planet's surface, the Z-fighters knew things were about to get hairy.

OOO

Up in the sky, the dynamic trio watched as a couple more missiles were launched from the planet's surface to intercept the meteorite. Just like before, the explosions had very little to no effect in changing the object's speed or course, and the massive intergalactic object blew through the detonating warheads like they were nothing. After the fiery blasts from the missiles going off receded, the trio floating above the clouds then watched the asteroid enter the thermosphere and fall within their firing range. Even though they could have hit the target from much further away, Gohan, Zangya and Videl wanted to make absolutely certain that they got all of it and that there wouldn't be any big chunks left over from the resulting strike.

The army had had their shot at trying to take it out. With the meteorite sitting squarely in their crosshairs, now it was their turn.

Blue spheres of energy forming between their palms, the three heroes finished charging and, taking aim, launched their attacks in one mighty bellow.

"Ka-me-ha-me-HAAAAAAA!" Crying out at the exact same time, the trio of fighters threw their hands forward and unleashed their blasts. Enormous beams of blue energy exploded from their hands and rocketed towards the comet at full speed, effortlessly passing the mesosphere and bearing down on the meteor like three celestial lances.

On their own, each of their blasts was more than capable of reducing an entire planet to a cloud of dust. But as their attacks traveled towards the approaching asteroid, they began to spin around each other and, converging on the center, melded together in midflight. The three blasts fused into one attack, forming a large comet-like mass of energy roughly the same size as their target, ready to intercept the extraterrestrial object and disintegrate it in a single blow.

The meteorite had no idea what was coming, its entire front lighting up under the glare of the approaching missile of ki.

Confident in their combined assault, the three watched on as their attack came within striking distance of the entity in a matter of seconds. But just when it seemed like they were about to watch the meteorite fracture and detonate in a glorious blue ball of fire above the earth's surface, they suddenly felt an enormous surge of energy. A split second later, just when their attacks were moments away from incinerating their target, the Kamehameha wave unexpectedly smacked against an invisible force field several yards away in front of the meteor and was effortlessly dissipated like a splash of water against a rock.

Upon seeing their attack fail, Gohan, Zangya and Videl's eyes widened in horror.

"WHAT?! OH NO!" the demi-Saiyan shouted. Even his Hera teammate couldn't believe what'd just happened.

"Oh, you've gotta be KIDDING ME!" Zangya yelled, mouth agape and sweat appearing on her face.

The meteorite breached the mesosphere in a matter of seconds and shot towards them at an unbelievable speed, generating a powerful gust of wind that struck the three fighters and nearly knocked them out of orbit.

It was at this point the trio saw exactly what they were up against.

As soon as the asteroid fell within sight, the group saw the very front of it unwrap itself and the face of an enormous alien emerge from the protective layer that was guarding it. The rocky camouflage it wore over it unfurled in mid-fall, revealing a fleshy, arthropod-like body over which a dark green cowl of prehensile ribbons was draped, two lengths of which were undulating on either side of it like elastic arms or tentacles. The cowl was folded up over it, giving it a mummy-like appearance, with no arms or legs to speak of. Its face however was the most striking, resembling a smooth white skull of an animal wedged into a thick collar with no neck and a flat beak-like jaw, and large, black, hollow eyes. The face resembled the Scream mask, only this one had a more defined shape and was far more menacing.

The entire seven kilometer wide creature looked like a monster from their worst nightmares.

The giant entity barreled towards the three at a fantastic momentum, its two ribbon-like appendages waving beside it. As soon as its shadow was on top of them, its black eyes suddenly flashed bright red and, with a deafening, owl-like screech, it unleashed a powerful shockwave that rocketed towards the three and hit them with the force of a thousand cyclone crosswinds traveling with a force capable of splitting a country in half.

"GOHAN!" Videl screamed, before the three of them were suddenly ripped out of the sky and sent hurling out of orbit.

The three warriors cried out in terror as they were sent tumbling around the enormous alien as it blew past them. In a matter of moments, Gohan was knocked out of Super Saiyan form and all of them were sent bouncing across the alien's back before being thrown thousands of miles across the planet's surface. With the winds smacking them this way and that like a hundred kiai blasts hitting them all at once, which sent the trio into a terrifying spin, the three fighters were unconscious before their bodies even hit cloud cover. Several seconds later, after a harrowing descent out of the upper stratosphere, the team of warriors was gone, disappearing to land in parts unknown.

Dispatching the three earthlings with ease, the titan of a creature, easily dwarfing the planet's largest mountain, then turned its attention towards the earth and the population far below…

(TO BE CONTINUED)