"You feel that you guys?" said Krillin nervously.
Piccolo dug his nails into the meat of his arm as he clasped them across his chest.
"That power. I—can hardly describe it."
The Z fighters were gathered at Capsule on the lawn, after Piccolo picked up the signal early that morning. Aria and Trunks were noticeably absent.
"Where are those two?" Bulma growled. "The guy we've been training for this whole year shows up on our doorstep, and Trunks and that Aria are nowhere to be found!"
"Wherever they are, there's no way they'd miss a power level this massive. They should be back here any time now, unless they're stupid enough to go after him alone," said Piccolo.
Vegeta paced back and forth on the grass, mumbling curses to himself. He kicked at a rock, sending it flying.
"Bah! Why do we even bother? To think I spent a whole year on that insolent…"
He stopped as he felt two power levels coming from the west.
"Oh, now they decide to show!"
Aria and Trunks appeared on the horizon, speeding hastily toward the warriors.
They touched down when they reached the lawn.
"You all felt it then," said Aria, swiping her dampened hair behind her ears as she prepared to pull it up into a ponytail.
"It's about time!" Vegeta snarled. "Where have you two been, playing in the lake I suppose?"
Out of nowhere, Trunks stepped forward between them.
"That is none of your business," Trunks snapped.
That remark took both Vegeta and Aria by surprise. His eyes flashed dangerously.
"What was that, boy?"
Trunks growled; he detested the degrading term. Aria laid a hand on Trunks' shoulder.
"Now is not the time or the place," she said, her eyes darting between the father and son.
Vegeta glared at her, and then at his son. Something was off with both of them, but he couldn't quite place it.
Suddenly, a thundering boom shook the earth, causing everyone to gasp at once. The sky turned darker as a flash of light appeared over the cliffs in the southwest. Shockwaves radiated through the ground, causing the rocks on the nearby cliffs to crumble off the sides.
"Holy cow!" Krillin exclaimed, nearly dropping to his knees from the quake.
The waves continued for sometime before eventually subsiding. The dark power pulsed greater than ever.
Piccolo clenched his fists, his face turning into scowl.
"He hit South City!"
They all turned to Piccolo in shock.
"He's not even out of his ship yet and he's likely already killed thousands of innocent people!" he snarled.
Aria suddenly grew very calm. She was exercising a technique she acquired in her mental sessions to control her seething rage. The Saiyan chanted a mantra in her head, instantly soothing her surge of anger.
She turned to face the group, laden with stoicism.
"This will likely be the greatest warrior you will have ever faced," she said, "I need to know if you all can handle it."
Vegeta scoffed, but an odd trepidation gripped him as he searched the dark power level. It reminded him unnervingly of Frieza.
The others nodded, surprised by her placidity.
"Right," she nodded once in return, and gulped. "Let's go."
Aria, Piccolo and Trunks led the group, followed by Goku and Gohan. Goten and Krillin hung back, and Vegeta flew a few yards behind them. As they flew towards the crash site, they worked out their strategy.
"The power level is getting stronger and stronger as we approach. He's far too powerful for Goten, Krillin or myself to fight," said Piccolo, looking to Aria. "It looks like Jeiden's vision is going to come true after all."
Aria gazed fixedly ahead, hardly listening. Trunks' lips tightened into a thin line as he saw the anger etched across her face.
"Should we even bother fighting one on one? Why not come down hard in a group?"
"We can't risk that," Piccolo warned, "This guy is not one to be trifled with. He'll likely take that opportunity to kill us off quicker, using shock and confusion as weapons against us. But we can't allow him to fully separate us either."
Aria's somber expression twisted into a grimace.
"I will fight him alone," she snapped, "I refuse to put anyone's lives at risk when I'm the one he's looking for. If by some twist of fate he manages to get past me…"
She paused.
"No, he won't get past me."
No one spoke to challenge her.
"Goku, do you have the Sensu Beans?" asked Piccolo.
Goku nodded, pulling out a small, leather pouch from his pocket.
Aria's brow furrowed. She'd learned about the restorative powers of the Sensu bean in her training with Vegeta. Today, she hoped that they wouldn't have to use them.
"We're almost there," said Gohan.
They glided over the tops of the mountains, and wheeled down the side to the valley.
"Ah!" he gasped.
A gigantic crater three hundred meters wide gaped in front of them. The debris from South City sprawled miles away from the crater's impact. Where there were once tall buildings, only rubble remained. Dust and smoke from the fires created an eerie fog around the wreckage. As they got closer, they could only stare in horror as they saw the full extent of the chaos. Shattered glass littered the streets; cars had been blown into tenth story windows, and bodies were mangled and strewn across the pavement. Teams of surviving fireman were already attempting to put out the flames engulfing buildings around the city. Even Vegeta was awestruck by the destruction. He himself had created harrowing scenes like this one before. But as he took in the barbarity inflicted on these people, his guilt tugged at him like a rabid dog.
"This—is too much," Krillin sputtered, squeezing his eyes shut as he turned his head away.
Aria fought back the tears behind her eyes. That demon had annihilated this city, and there was nothing she could have done to stop it. Vengeance surged through her as she thought of all of the lives that were taken by this monstrosity, along with the lives of her parents.
"You will pay for this," she spat.
In the center of the crater sat the V shaped invader, stuck into the ground like a spear.
They touched down on the lip of the depression, scowling at the metallic ship in the middle.
As if on cue, a hissing sound came from the ship. Steam whistled through the cracks in the angular door as the hydraulics lowered it to the ground. A shadow appeared in the entrance, backed by a dim, red glow. Thin, blue, humanoid appendages emerged, wrapping around the edges of the doorway. The creature stepped into the light, revealing itself.
"Marcus," Aria murmured.
Pure evil chilled the air as the Galaton stepped out of his ship. The nostril slits in the middle of his face flared as he caught smell of burning buildings and charred rubble. As he breathed in the havoc and stretched his limbs after the long journey, he noticed a peculiar scent in the air. It was so familiar. His fin-like ears twitched a bit as he picked up a pack of strong energy signals, just to his left.
Aria shuddered when she saw him.
He was tall, close to seven feet in height. His limbs appeared longer than on the feed, and sharper. Gold protrusions, almost like football pads, lined his shoulders and elbows, and thick metal cuffs fit on his wrists. Two demonic onyx eyes marked his smooth face, and sharp teeth peeked out from under his venomous smirk. The creature scanned the area, and saw the shapes on the edge above. Five had enormous power levels, while the other three were considerably lacking. The scent grew stronger as he sniffed in their direction. Without a thought, he began to levitate towards them.
"He's coming up!" Aria shouted, and dropped into a battle stance.
Marcus' ears pricked up as he heard the voice.
A female.
As he came closer, he was able to distinguish her features. His lips twisted into a roguish smile. The screeching cackle cut through the valley, making the Z fighters wince. Marcus shot toward the edge, and stopped not five feet in front of Aria. His long tail twitched as he touched the ground.
"Well, well, well. It looks like I've found you at last."
Aria scowled in disgust. She remembered how hideous he looked on the tape, but he seemed considerably more revolting in person. Marcus chuckled wickedly.
"I've been searching the whole galaxy for the last seventeen years. Permit me, if you will, to have a good look at you and your little group."
The warriors felt an odd prickle on their scalps as he surveyed them. He gave Aria a onceover, slightly bemused.
"Yes, yes, you're exactly as I pictured… You've grown to be quite the warrior I see."
"Piss off," she spat.
"Now, now, is that a way to treat the merciful Emperor who spared your life all those years ago?"
"Perhaps not. But I can't say the same for the rest of the lives you've destroyed."
"How quaint, the Saiyan's got a sense of justice. And what of you, then? The Saiyans wreaked as much havoc as I have over the years. Isn't that right, Vegeta?"
Vegeta's eyes widened, along with everyone else's.
"How do you know my name?" he demanded.
"I know quite a bit about you. Your mind is an open book, and a very interesting one at that."
Vegeta snarled.
"Vermin!"
"So you are the Prince of all Saiyans," he cocked his head as he looked at Vegeta, "What a delightful occasion this is! My destined opponent and her race's prince, all in one day."
"Your delight is about to end, cretin!"
Vegeta shot forward, only to be stopped by Aria's outstretched arm.
"This is my fight," she said icily. "Don't interfere."
"How dare you! Out of my way!"
Aria ignored him.
"Lets take this to more suitable terrain," she said to Marcus, rather coldly.
"Do lets," he replied. "Will your little friends be joining us?"
Aria looked at the sky, visualizing her parents in front of her. Her Saiyan pride refused to falter now. She sighed, her eyes darting to the warriors beside her.
"No, they will not."
"Speak for yourself!" Vegeta retorted.
"What are you doing?" Piccolo exclaimed, "Your father predicted that you would fight him together. This creature wants to separate you!"
Marcus pulled a hand to his chest in mock surprise.
"I beg to differ! I would love to have him tag along, but it seems Katal is content to fight by herself."
Aria looked towards the mountains. She knew every rock and crevice in those hills from her independent sessions. It would give her an advantage, however small, for their fight.
While Marcus hadn't actually breached her mental barriers, he did notice her magnetism to the hills behind them.
"You are fond of those mountains," he mused, "Let that be our stage then."
She nodded curtly.
"Feel free to pick out a place. I'll be along shortly."
Marcus sniggered.
"I'll leave you to it then. I suppose I can wait just a bit longer."
He jetted off toward the mountains, cackling as he went.
As soon as he was out of earshot, Vegeta glared at Aria.
"You're mad if you think I will be subdued by my own pupil!
She turned to face him, her pride filling her chest.
"I have to face him alone," she said.
Trunks stepped toward her and clutched her hand in his. Vegeta's eyes narrowed at the gesture.
"No, you don't. A lot of things have changed, this can be one of them," Trunks murmured.
She looked up into his familiar periwinkle eyes.
"I need to avenge my parents, Trunks," she said softly, "I will defeat him myself. You must understand."
Vegeta averted his eyes downward. He knew what it felt like to lose everything to a monster.
"Have it your way. But if and when you fail, you'll have no sympathy from me."
She smirked. That was the closest she'd ever get to a word of encouragement from Vegeta.
Trunks sighed in resignation, and pulled her close into a warm embrace.
"Then be careful."
She rested her head on his shoulder.
"I will."
Vegeta raised an eyebrow.
Aria pulled away, and said her goodbyes to the other Z fighters.
"If your power level drops, we're coming in," said Piccolo.
Aria nodded.
One last time, she looked at Vegeta. They exchanged a rather familiar two-fingered wave.
With that, she rocketed into the air towards the mountains.
I'm coming now, Marcus. There's nothing holding me back.
She extended her senses, cleared her mind and prepared for battle. She felt everything around her. Everything, that is, save for two small, suppressed power levels speeding on the ground behind her.