Savior of Demons Chapter 22: Deartuation, a dragon ball z fanfic

Chapter 22: Deartuation

Author: Rocket (a.k.a. Roketto/RyunoOhi); Continuity Wizard: Saucemonkey; Editors: devilman337, Elbadj

Be sure to check out & add to the Savior of Demons TVTropes page; & please visit the SoD Special Forum on & my DeviantArt page for even more SoD! I'm also accepting fanart for Savior of Demons, particularly chapter covers & specific scenes. PM me for details!

I don't own DBZ or its associated franchises. That's Akira Toriyama's product & pride. I only tenuously own my own O.C.s created for this fandom, & my speculative theories on Arcosians & other things DBZ never delved into. If you would like to use either, feel free, as long as you give me credit & a link back! I'd love to see my ideas become accepted fanon. So with that, welcome back to the action!

Tap tap tap. The metallic drumming had started up again, prompting the blue-haired human to cast a sideways glare of annoyance at the perpetrator. Tap tap tap— "Will you stop that?" Bulma finally snapped.

At her remark, tired scarlet eyes met hers with an equal amount of annoyance. "Stop what?" Frieza huffed.

She gestured to his metal hand, the fingers still repetitively drumming. She was almost worried he'd put a hole in the marble countertop, but kept that thought to herself. "That," she sighed, "It's driving me crazy."

"Well, in that case, at least it's a short trip," Frieza snarked, repositioning the prosthetic to cover his mouth as he laughed. He snickered at the amusing shade of angered red washing over the human's face.

"Why you..!" Bulma growled through clenched teeth, "You're one to talk! You're lucky a beautiful, influential woman like me even associates with a psychopath like you!"

"Now now Bulma dear, if you're cranky for lack of sleep, don't take it out on Frieza — honestly, I don't think the two of you combined get more than four hours a night...and then you're up so early!" Mrs. Briefs chided, sliding a steaming cup of coffee over to her daughter.

"Oh, I'm sure an all-nighter here and there are fine, dear," Doctor Briefs commented from behind a newspaper, "We're all a bit tense right now with all the guests, I suppose." He flipped a page with a rustle. "Speaking of which, if you don't mind my asking, how long until this Haabu fellow makes his decision, Frieza?" In the pause waiting for the Arcosian's response, he added, "Not that we mind the company...but we're more concerned about you."

Frieza sat silently, blankly staring at the newspaper obscuring Dr. Briefs' face, trying to discern the old human's reason for saying that. "...Soon, I hope," he muttered, his tail coiling around the legs of his chair.

"Well, it'd better be soon," Bulma said, "I think he's just about worn out his welcome." She crossed her arms over her chest, fixing Frieza with a pointed stare. "Oh and by the way, the reason I was up late? You know Mirtiro, the one who looks like a bird, right? Well, I found him going through my lab last night, trying to set his hand in a splint. Haabu broke it, he finally told me." She pointed aggressively at the Arcosian. "Do me a favor and let Haabu know that sort of thing doesn't fly around here, will you?"

"What sort of thing?" Frieza asked, unconcerned, "It sounds to me like one of his soldiers got out of line, and Haabu reprimanded him. That's all." He paused to drink from his cup of tea, not flinching as Bulma slammed her hands onto the table, the plates and silverware rattling.

"That's all?! You're just going to brush it off, just like that?" she accused, "Listen, I don't know what Mirtiro did, but it can't have been bad enough to warrant Haabu hurting him like that, and then telling him to go fend for himself! You should have seen him, he was terrified!"

"As well he should be," Frieza coldly replied, setting his cup down, "A lenient master often finds himself undermined by the mistakes and disrespect of a relaxed crew. In fact...I would say that Haabu is rather soft. If it were my soldier..." He brought the cup to his lips, smirking, "...he'd be dead. Insubordination, of even the smallest degree, is an invitation to greater insurrection."

The blue-haired woman's mouth slackened, her face utterly shocked. Then, her brows drew down into a scowl, as her jaw clenched with anger. "...Unbelievable. After all this time, and all it took was one of your old cronies showing up out of the blue to make you into a monster again." She shoved her chair out, the legs scraping the floor with a screech of protest, and stormed out of the kitchen.

"Oh dear..." Mrs. Briefs frowned, putting aside the plate of toast and eggs that had been meant for Bulma. She gave Frieza a reproachful look, somehow managing to look intimidating, despite her frilly apron. "That was uncalled for. Dear, would you take this to her?" she asked, holding out the plate. Dr. Briefs nodded and folded his newspaper, moving to take it. Frieza sighed, moving to also leave. To his surprise, Pansy blocked his way, arms crossed and unflinching.

Frieza blinked, trying to figure out the best way to handle this unexpected roadblock. 'Hm. She's actually serious...at any rate, I can clearly see the resemblance,' he thought, comparing the blonde woman's look of disapproval to her daughter's. It was hard to imagine Bulma getting her stubbornness from Mrs. Briefs, but her current demeanor left no doubt in his mind. He couldn't help letting a small chuckle escape.

"Something amusing?" Mrs. Briefs asked in her airy tone, though it was overlaid with something else — some emotion he'd never heard in the woman's voice. "You know, it's very interesting," she said, gently putting a slim hand on his shoulder. The slight pressure told Frieza that she wanted him to sit down. As absurd as it was, he humored her, settling back into the chair. "If Goku were here, I'm sure he'd have intervened, and you'd be lashing out, what with your rivalry," Mrs. Briefs said, as if talking to herself, not to Frieza, "But the thing is, I don't fear you." She gave a little laugh, not condescending, but all the same disarming. "When you first came to our home, I was a little worried, but that was because all of Goku's friends had already said that you were a bad person."

"And? Just where are you going with this?" Frieza interrupted, his tone bordering on rude, "If you're trying to tell me that you've changed your mind, I can easily remind you of how I gained that reputation."

Again, Pansy's face took on a frighteningly angry quality, made all the more unsettling by its rarity. "Stop that dear, you're not fooling me with that act." As the Arcosian spluttered in disbelief, she spoke again. "I know how I must look to you...and to everyone else who meets me, I'm sure. Just a pretty face, a bubbly personality, but not too bright, right? Oh, but I'm far from daft, dear. I can spot a liar from across the room, and I'm very good at reading people. And you..." she smiled, the fearsome look melting away, "...don't have the heart to 'remind' me of anything." Seeing his reaction to that, emotions warring for dominance in his face, she added, "I'm not trying to undermine you, dear; you haven't lost your touch, if that's what you're worried about. No, I think you might have gained something, these past few years, and that's the part that scares you."

Through clenched teeth, Frieza asked, "What have I gained, then? It feels like weakness."

Pansy laughed good-naturedly, patting his shoulder reassuringly. "Not weakness, oh no. Think of it as temperance, as balance. Part of having a heart is feeling conflicted sometimes. But you can still be ruthless, take my word for it."

Frieza laughed, genuinely, at that. "Take your word for it? Now I know you're taking me for a fool!" Still, it was so ridiculous that he felt more tickled by the thought of this demure woman being ruthless in any way than he felt annoyed at her presumption.

She giggled along with him, before asking, "Just how do you think my husband and I maintained our company? On the surface, it's hard to tell, but he isn't much of a people person. Just likes to invent, tinker, and improve things in his lab, that man. He's brilliant, but has no sense for people. Which is where I come in."

Frieza raised a bony brow at her in disbelief. "So you are the liaison for maintaining business here? How could you commit to being ruthless without anyone..." His eyes widened, as it clicked. "I see. So then, you're the type to hide behind a mask, pulling at strings? I'm surprised I didn't see it sooner."

The woman's blonde curls bounced as she tilted her head and grinned, giving her an innocuously coquettish look. "You didn't know to look, dearie. Though it's not entirely a mask. That's the beauty of it. I can care for my family and friends, show them love and affection...and I can also ferret out someone's deepest, darkest secrets at a cocktail party, and use those to absolutely ruin a potential competitor. There's no conflict at all. Having a heart doesn't mean that you are weak or incompetent, it just makes you strong in a different way."

The Arcosian's tail wagged back and forth in amusement as he laughed. "Is that so? Had I any semblance of my empire back, I might have offered you a position where your talents would be more appreciated — I can't help but feel they are wasted here."

"No, no, I could never leave Earth," Mrs. Briefs declined, "But thank you for the vote of confidence, dear. However, I'm afraid that I'm still a bit miffed at you. What you said to Bulma was very rude, and you need to go and apologize. I know you think a certain way, and disregard some of what we humans do and think as silly, but there's never any excuse to bite the hand that feeds you, so to speak." She gave him an impish grin. "Remember, having a heart doesn't mean weakness, it can be an opportunity. With that arm of yours, you'll need all the opportunities you can get to get back into my daughter's good graces."

Frieza averted his eyes with a huff. "If it weren't for my arm, I'm positive you people would find another excuse to force me to comply. One way or another..." he grumbled.

"Well, I can always quit making breakfast for you, Frieza dear," Mrs. Briefs suggested, "Though it's not as strong a motivator for you as it would be for Goku..."

The Arcosian rolled his eyes. "Hmph. I could do without," he defended, albeit unconvincingly, "You've convinced me, though. I'll go talk to Bulma later, provided her considerable stubbornness does not drive me away." As Pansy smiled in response, he thought, 'How bizarre. I should be the one reprimanding her for disrespecting me so, instead of the other way around. These humans...they're so strangely confident, despite their weakness. I wonder why that is?' He smiled, amused by the thought that a human, and a weak one at that, had gained a modicum of his respect. 'No, she's not truly weak,' he corrected himself, 'I suppose I admire that ruthless quality. It's been a long time since I've seen such a thing, outside of my own ambition.' That she had waited until they were alone to talk to him as an equal earned Mrs. Briefs some points in his book as well. 'The woman certainly operates with discretion...even if her normal simpleton act can be off-putting,' he concluded, accepting a plate from the blonde with a nod of approval. 'What strange company I've come to keep on Earth...'

Goku, drawn by powerful smell of breakfast, made his way down the stairs and spotted Bulma sitting on the sofa, angrily spearing pieces of toast into egg yolk and munching on them. The TV was on, but she didn't appear to be really watching it.

"Morning!" the Saiyan said, waving cheerfully. Bulma glared up at him and Goku's descent faltered as he flinched. "Uh…I take it this isn't a 'good' morning then?"

"No," Bulma grumbled, "That irritating Arcosian is driving me up the wall."

Goku was silent a moment. "Which one?" he asked innocently.

"The short one. In there." She jabbed her finger at the kitchen door.

"Ah," Goku nodded knowingly.

"And the tall one too, now that I think about it. I could just strangle both of them," the blue-haired woman growled, scraping up a smear of yellow on her plate with the toast crust.

"Oh…um, what's happened?" Goku cautiously asked. He sat on the sofa beside Bulma, inwardly worried.

She sighed and set the plate down on the armrest. "It's difficult to say…well, to say to you. You promise you won't go off and do anything rash?"

"Promise," Goku grinned, "Now what is it?"

Bulma paused a moment. "It's Haabu," she began, "Last night he…he broke Mirtiro's hand, you know, his assistant?"

"What?" Goku said, looking appalled. Bulma could already see the concern manifesting in the rigid way he leaned forward, his knuckles white as he balled his hands into fists. "Why?" he asked simply.

Bulma nodded. "Apparently he really flipped out. Mirtiro said this is something that's never happened before and…I believe him. The shock he seemed to be in over it was too convincing." She paused and sighed. "It would appear that it's more than one Arcosian who's feeling a mental strain. And unfortunately when that happens, other people tend to suffer."

"Well, what can we do?" Goku asked earnestly, "I mean, I can get Haabu to back off, real easy, but it'll make him mad, an' if he's mad, he might hurt somebody else, isn't that right?"

"Yeah," Bulma affirmed, "That's more or less exactly what Mirtiro said, too. He doesn't think we should say anything, but I figured, if we don't, maybe Frieza could, since Haabu respects him...only that class-act jerk told me in no uncertain terms that he saw no issue with the whole thing." She puffed out her cheeks in frustration, setting the plate down on the coffee table with a careless clatter. "I dunno, I just thought, maybe he changed, after all this time here on Earth."

"He has," Goku pointed out, "Maybe not a lot, but he's not tryin' to kill us anymore. He coulda given me a hard time last time we fought, an' tried to fight dirty...but he didn't. That, more than anything, makes me think he's changed."

"Goku..." Bulma sighed in exasperation, "He was probably just playing you, you know. He wanted to look good in front of Haabu, and cooperating with you was the only way to it. So, he swallowed his pride for once and played nice, because he got something out of it."

"Hehe, yeah, I thought of that," Goku admitted, hand on the back of his head, "Still though, I think he's changing for the better. Haabu though...I'm not sure Frieza's on board with whatever he wants to do, so I think if he has to choose between him and us, he'll pick us." He gave Bulma a sympathetic smile. "In the meantime, don't be so hard on him. I know it's tough, but...you gotta understand, Bulma, that he's afraid of changing, 'cause he only knows how to be one way."

"Yeah, okay," Bulma conceded with a grumble, "but the next time he gets up in my face with his twisted morality, you'll have to stop me from smacking him, alright?"

"Right," Goku laughed, a sweatdrop running down his head at the thought of Bulma actually doing such a reckless thing. 'She's really bent out of shape about this. I know I said I wouldn't, but maybe if I'm careful, Haabu won't be able to hurt anybody else,' he thought with determination. "Well, I'm gonna go grab some breakfast too," he said, rubbing his now-growling stomach. As he pushed open the door to the kitchen, Frieza caught his eye momentarily, before averting his gaze again. "Good morning Frieza," Goku greeted politely.

Through the opposite door, Haabu sauntered, momentarily glaring challengingly at Goku before taking a seat next to the Arcosian prince. "Early as always, my lord. I take it you slept well?" he asked.

With an apathetic "hmph," Frieza stood up. "I haven't had nearly enough rest to begin dealing with you two so early. He gave Goku a look of disdain. "Why don't you two entertain each other? Surely you can both go without jockeying for my attention for a short while."

"Um...okay..." Goku said uncertainly, taking note of how quickly Frieza seemed to want to escape the taller Arcosian. He glanced at Haabu across the table, watching his light-brown face turn steadily darker with concealed anger as his ki rose. 'Uh-oh...' The Saiyan scratched the back of his head nervously, thinking fast about how to defuse this situation. "Gee, is Frieza always this cranky in the morning?" he blurted, "Haabu, you've known 'im longer than I have, right? How long have you guys known each other, anyway?"

The huge Arcosian, sufficiently distracted, took on a disdainful air as he answered, "Longer than you've been alive, I'll wager." Haabu let out a hissing breath between his teeth, weighing the situation. 'The prince obviously wants to be alone...given his behavior yesterday, he likely needs some time to process just how versatile a servant I am to him. Perhaps he is testing me, setting this cretin in direct opposition to me.' He eyed the Saiyan with thinly-veiled disgust, before schooling his face into an easy, relaxed smile. "You'll have to forgive Lord Frieza — though his esteemed father went to great lengths to instill manners, he does not abide inferior beings well, especially Saiyans."

"Naw, it's okay, I'm used to it by now," Goku joked, snagging a plate of pancakes Mrs. Briefs set on the table. He shoved one pancake into his mouth, chewed, and swallowed before addressing Haabu again. "So, uh, how 'bout you? One thing I noticed is how both you an' Frieza don't have other Arcosians on your ships. Is that like a rule or something? Why surround yourself with other people you don't get along with?"

Haabu chuckled, as though Goku had told him a risible joke. "Hardly. It's not a rule so much as a matter of supply and demand. There is a demand for competent, strong leaders, like myself and the prince. However, warriors of our caliber are in low supply, owing to our prowess." He made a dismissive gesture, smirking. "The rabble that comprises our crews are the supposed elite of their races, brought together by our operations for a greater goal they could never realize on their own. Their inferiority chains them to mediocrity, but with someone like myself to direct them, they can surpass their species. We just make do with what we have."

'Man, this guy really has no regard for anyone, does he?' Goku thought as he stared at him, fork halfway to his mouth for a moment before he snapped back to reality. "Huh...so you Arcosians really think you're just...better? I mean, you an' Frieza maybe...but you just said that warriors like you are rare, right?"

Haabu made a face, shaking his head in denial of Goku's summation. "No, you misunderstand. Of course a monkey like you would simplify things so broadly... Unlike you brutes, Arcosians find merit in more than just strength. We," he looked down his nose at Goku, "have superiority over other beings, because as a whole, we're older than any other so-called civilized race." He gestured to the room around him. "All that this planet has is the culmination of its advancements, and so it is on other planets, myriads and myriads of them." He sneered, "Your Earth is nothing special, in the scheme of things. Your achievements are the tottering, feeble steps of a child just learning to stand on its own. Compared to that, Arcos is a fully-fledged adult, able to manipulate and command the world around them at will...and more than mighty enough to knock over a mere child that does not know its place." As he drove his final point, Haabu narrowed his red eyes at Goku.

"Why would you knock down someone weaker than you?" the messy-haired Saiyan asked, "Especially if it's a child, then they're no threat at all. So why would you tear down other people in the universe, just 'cause they're not as far along as you guys are? If you're so much smarter and better, you oughtta help 'em. I may be a Super Saiyan, but I don't use my strength to make people cower — I use it to help my friends succeed."

"Ah well, weakness begets weakness," Haabu said, brushing off Goku's idealism, "the weak do tend, in my experience, to huddle together to invoke strength in numbers. Though that doesn't often save them — more commonly, it makes them a much easier target."

"Maybe," Goku said, challenge rising in his voice, "Or sometimes, a lot o' weak people band together and defeat someone strong. My friends and I have done that a few times, and it always worked out in the end for us. It worked against all the Saiyans who came here with evil intentions, and it worked when I fought Frieza." He grinned around a mouthful of pancakes at Haabu's flustered face.

"Just what are you insinuating, Saiyan?" Haabu growled, "We wouldn't be having this farce of a conversation unless Frieza ordered you to occupy my time frivolously, so get to the point."

Goku frowned in confusion. "Frieza didn't tell me to do anything. But, while I've got you listening to me, I just wanna make sure that those guys you brought here with you aren't being pushed around. That's all."

Haabu grit his teeth, black lips lifting to reveal the white of his canines. "That wretch Mirtiro cannot keep personal business personal, it seems. I will have to make him keenly aware of the meaning of discretion."

"No," Goku flatly ordered, "He didn't say a word. He didn't have to, 'cause my friends and I can all sense ki, so we can keep tabs on you and your men. All I'm asking is that you leave them alone, and unharmed. That shouldn't be difficult for such a great warrior, right? I mean, if you're as strong as you claim, then you've gotta have a lot of control over your power. Or am I wrong on that?"

Haabu snarled across the table at Goku, his tail smacking the hardwood floor threateningly. "I see your ploy, Saiyan...very clever, for an ape. You take me for a fool, but know this: I take orders from my Lord alone. Even if I deigned to listen to any lower creature, you Saiyans are the lowest of beasts, to whom I will never answer."

Sensing the potential danger, Pansy Briefs muttered something about collecting Bulma's plate, as she should be done by now, and slipped out of the kitchen, leaving Arcosian and Saiyan in a stand-off.

Frieza stared at the back of Bulma's head, watching as she absently flipped through the television channels. 'I may as well get it over with sooner rather than later,' he told himself. Before he could make his presence known, the blue-haired woman tossed the remote onto the couch and stood with a flustered breath.

As she turned around, she caught sight of him and jumped. "What the—? Don't sneak up on me like that!" Bulma said, "Anyway, what do you want? I'm not in the mood to verbally spar with someone as bull-headed as you are, which is why I got up and left my kitchen to get away."

Assessing her fuming tone, Frieza replied, "Actually, if it bothers you that much, I thought I might make amends for my thoughtlessness." He smirked at her shocked expression. "Not what you were expecting, hm? If you'd rather continue to verbally spar with me instead, I'm happy to oblige, of course."

"No, I just..." Bulma trailed off, before narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "Why are you apologizing? Did Goku put you up to it?"

'Not Goku, no,' Frieza thought with a glimmer of a smile. "No, he did not. I'm more than capable of making my own decisions to preserve the peace, so to speak."

"Oh really?" Bulma questioned, "I do think you're up to something, but right now I'm so pleasantly surprised, I'm gonna let it slide. Hmm? Oh, hey Mom, what's up?"

"Bulma dear, are you done yet?" her mother asked rhetorically as she came in, picking up the plate from the coffee table. "Oh, Frieza, you should go back in there...I believe you might want to mediate those two before they break something in my kitchen."

"Right..." Frieza responded, his flat tone indicating his displeasure. "As per our earlier conversation, Bulma, I'm glad that we've put this dispute behind us," the Arcosian responded neutrally. He cocked his head to the side at a rumbling growl emanating from the kitchen. "In return, I should go and quell whatever destructive impulses Haabu seems about to engage in..."

"On my honor, I'm barred from engaging with you or any of these humans," Haabu snarled, "But my own men do not fall under that order."

"So, you'd hurt them out of spite? Doesn't sound like a good leader to me," Goku said, his tone becoming more unfriendly with each word. The Arcosian was doing a good job of riling him up, and despite his promise to Bulma, he was highly considering an action she wouldn't approve of.

"You have no idea who you're talking to, you worthless Saiyan," Haabu hissed, "You would do well to know your pla—"

"What is the meaning of this?" Frieza interrupted, pushing open the door and glaring at Haabu and Goku in turn. "Really, Haabu, I can't leave you unsupervised for even a moment." He smirked at Goku's clear anger. 'Whatever Haabu has said to him, it certainly hit a nerve. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to see him truly incensed,' he thought. "What is going on here, Goku?" he addressed the Saiyan contemptuously.

"You've gotta talk some sense into—" Goku started.

"My Lord, cease this act at once!" Haabu bellowed, thumping his tail emphatically, "This...this Saiyan has the gall to order me around, as though I am beholden to him!" He growled deep in his throat, shaking his horned head. "It is absurd that you have not disciplined this ape yourself, but under your authority, I would be more than happy to teach him some respect. Well?"

"And what," Frieza spoke coolly, "was the initial disagreement about? Goku?"

Eyes shifting from the fuming Haabu to Frieza's calm facade, the spiky-haired Saiyan frowned and said, "I just don't want him to hurt anybody while he's here. He has some very twisted ideas of what his men's lives are worth, and I can't stand by and let him bully them, or hurt them. I understand that it's different out there, but here on Earth, he's gonna have to find another channel for his frustration." He met Frieza's eyes. "I'm willing to be it, but I don't think that'll be a good outcome for either of us."

The shorter Arcosian quickly composed himself, upon seeing the fire in the black depths of Goku's eyes. 'He's dead serious,' Frieza thought, 'Though I hate to lose face in front of Haabu, my hand is forced. Damn your sentimentality, Son Goku..!' Giving the Saiyan a near-imperceptible nod coupled with a sneer of mild disgust, he replied, "No, I don't think that will do at all. Haabu, you are to refrain from harming any of your subordinates while you are on-planet, is that understood?"

"Yes, of course my Lord, I'll— What?!" Haabu looked gobsmacked, eyes wide and uncomprehending, his tail twisting across the floor. "I... I don't understand, my prince...why are you taking his side in this?"

"Are you questioning a direct order, Haabu?" Frieza said in a steely tone.

At this, the reddish-brown Arcosian's face changed abruptly from disbelief to rage. "Yes! I'm questioning why, as an Arcosian, you value my will less than this juudzu trash!" He thrust an accusing finger at Goku. "Was he not the one who hurt you, who scarred your body so?! By his own...fallacious...account, he defeated and nearly killed you!" Haabu screamed. A moment later, he flinched, his cheek stinging in the wake of a vicious open-palmed slap from the prince. "Ah—! Y-you..."

"Silence! None of that bothers me nearly as much as your insubordination right now," Frieza growled in a warning tone, effectively silencing him. He twitched his tail in annoyance burgeoning on anger and bared his teeth slightly. "You have a talent, shall we say, for barging into situations where you are unwelcome, expecting that everyone is eager to accept your 'will' with open arms. If you make a habit of stepping out of line like this, then I will be happy to teach you some respect, Admiral. Get out of my sight before I change my mind and execute you where you stand for treason."

Haabu stood, a silent monolith of shock, before replying in a calm, low voice, "...Of course, my prince. Thank you for showing mercy; I was out of line. I hope that you will forgive my impudence." Rubbing his cheek, he made a swift retreat from the kitchen battleground.

Watching him go, Goku turned to Frieza. "Wow, I didn't actually think you'd side with me on this one. ...Thanks for that, by the way." Despite the lingering concern and tension in his face, he smiled at the alien.

Not acknowledging the friendly gesture, Frieza sighed, pressing his hand to his head to massage his temple. "I didn't do it for you; there are other factors at play in my decision. That you were the one to push Haabu to snap is mere coincidence, or maybe not, considering how you've gotten along thus far... At any rate, I am concerned at his continued disobedience and hostility, so this was an apt opportunity to remind him of his place." Still, he felt uneasy at Haabu's outburst — it was unlike him, blowhard as he was, to challenge anyone above his station.

"Yeah well, thanks anyway!" Goku laughed, "For a minute there, I thought I was gonna have to fight 'im!"

Snarling at the humans just outside the kitchen, Haabu stomped off down one of the curving halls, tail lashing. 'Just what is going on?' he thought, 'Having that ingrate try to order me around was one thing, but for Lord Frieza to lend him support—! It doesn't make any sense..! To treat one as loyal as I like that, to actually slap me as if I were a child in need of chastisement! Has the house of Kold truly fallen so far?!'

He paused, breathing harshly. Lost in his own mind he had taken a wrong turn somewhere and no longer recognized where he was. Again. He let out a low growl that built to a strangled cry as he put the back of his fist through the wall to his right. 'Damn this wretched maze! Damnit all! That crew of mine…I knew that squawker wouldn't be able to keep his beak shut. Why is how I treat my men any of their business anyway?! They have no right to infringe on my property..!' As he brushed the concrete dust off of his hand with annoyance, he briefly considered retaliating. Yes, he would stalk the Saiyan until he was alone, then kill him...strangulation should do nicely; it would certainly shut his mouth, oh yes indeed... Haabu frowned at his reverie. "Grr...no, I cannot act, not yet. There may still be hope of convincing Frieza, and I should rather take him from here willingly than not..." he mused, "But still...that impetuous Saiyan monkey...what is he to Lord Frieza? Why would he be able to curry favor, when I cannot? Something is very wrong here..."

Throughout the day, the sense of wrongness Haabu perceived grew, as did Frieza's unease. Sensing the animosity between them, Goku stayed on alert, and watched with some guilt the way that Mirtiro, Balkin, and Baderma skirted around their master, giving him the slip in the corridors and a wide berth in open areas. When he acknowledged them, it was with unmistakable anger, but as long as they stayed close to Dr. Briefs or the other humans in the complex, they seemed safe. For now.

"Hey, uh, Frieza?" Goku caught the Arcosian's attention.

"Yes, what is it now?" Frieza answered exasperatedly, "For the last time, yes, I'm watching Haabu. If he so much as looks at anyone the wrong way, I will deal with it."

"No, no, it's not that. It's the other problem," the Saiyan prompted, "You sure you can't talk about it to me?"

Frieza growled, raising his upper lip. "No. My planet is my business." From the depths of his mind, a vision of a burning city skyline floated up. He clutched his head, palm over his eyes, and gritted his teeth. "I'll deal with it myself. It's my duty, not yours."

"I understand, but..." Goku started to say, before noticing the pained look on Frieza's face. He frowned with concern, recognizing the faraway look in the alien's eyes. "...never mind. Maybe later, we can talk." Walking away, he thought back to the conversation he'd had at Master Roshi's place. 'I just need him to open up...just a little!'

"Well, well, well," Pui-pui said, smirking, arms crossed, "I didn't expect you all to be merrily waiting for us. I thought we'd at least have a little fun playing hide-and-seek." The three dropped down from the sky and landed a few meters away from Vegeta, Sauza, Doore, and Neizu. The two groups stared at one another.

"So how are we dividing up this contest?" Pui-pui asked casually.

"You are fighting me," Vegeta replied, "and the others can sort themselves out."

Pui-pui laughed. "Really? So confident? Even with your species' ability to gain power after defeat, you will not have the increase necessary to beat me. Or is your plan to keep getting beaten and run away until you do? Because if so I assure you, you will not get away this time."

"Let me reassure you, the only one doing any running will be you," Vegeta sneered.

Pui-pui cocked his head and smirked. "Oh? Come then, let us see what you can do, Super Saiyan." He glanced at Alak and Simsara. "You two, take care of the other three. The Saiyan is mine."

Simsara grinned. "With pleasure, Master Pui-pui."

"The pleasure will be ours," Doore said, grinning.

"Kooler Special Forces, go!" Sauza shouted.

Immediately they leapt into action. Neizu flicked a kick and a punch out before leaning to his left and declared, "Neizu!"

Doore made a balletic movement, twirling on one leg, whilst spinning his hands over one another and announced, "Doore!"

Sauza made a series of lightning quick martial arts moves before finishing in a confrontational pose and shouted, "Sauza!"

The three then flipped overhead, jumping over Pui-pui, Alack, and Simsara, before landing and breaking into a series of three distinct poses, with Sauza at the front, his hands crossed in front of him, Doore on one leg, a fist punched towards the sky, and Neizu leaning away from them one fist projected out towards their opponents. A tumbleweed-like clump of vegetation rolled past. Slowly Pui-pui, Alak, and Simsara looked over their shoulders at Vegeta, sweatdrops on all of their faces. The prince blushed, coughed, and turned his head away. "...I have nothing to do with those people," he muttered.

Pui-pui rolled his pupiless eyes and glanced at his compatriots. "Kill them," he said flatly. In response, Alak and Simsara let out a roar and fired up their purple auras, charging at the Kooler Special Forces.

"Oh come on it, wasn't that bad!" Sauza shouted as he leapt out of the way of Simsara's fist, which disintegrated the ground where he'd stood.

Pui-pui stepped towards Vegeta, who smirked and transformed into a Super Saiyan. "So, remind me," Pui-pui began, "Exactly how are you going to defeat me?"

"Like this," Vegeta said simply. He drew his body in and his face contorted as he concentrated. His aura flared up, wild, spilling out in all directions like an uncontrolled fire. He clenched his teeth and let out a low growl as he focused on the power, trying to draw it in. Sweat broke out on his body. It was escaping from him, he had to bring it under control!

Pui-pui snorted. "This is your plan? Burn out all your energy? What, are you hoping to detonate yourself and take me with you? Like I'd let you..." He raised a glowing hand.

Crickets chirped in the gloam, as the streetlights winked on in the city below. Frieza looked away from the mechanical lights, up to the natural ones overhead, just now starting to overcome the last rays of the sun, which had long since sunk over the horizon. 'The stars here are so different, but even so...' He traced a path from one bright asterism of stars to another lone light, remembering Tenshinhan's lesson one starry night. 'I've come to recognize these stars too,' he thought, 'almost as well as the skies of home.' That parallel unsettled him, just a little. To be so familiar with an alien world's sky meant that he'd been here far too long. Long enough, perhaps, to lose his sense of place? Before he could answer the internal question, his ears caught the distinctive clink of glass. As he turned, Goku met his gaze with a smile, which morphed into a mischievous grin as he held two glasses and a bottle aloft.

"Evenin'! Figured I'd find you up here...wow! The stars are nice tonight, aren't they?"

"Yes," Frieza answered, taking the glasses from him, a tacit acceptance of his invitation, "they certainly are stunning."

"Not as nice as at my house, though," Goku remarked, "Bulma said it's 'cause of the city lights."

"Mm, she is correct," Frieza said, taking a sip of wine, "even the most remote location on most planets still obscures some starlight. Space is the best place to truly appreciate the stars, I find."

"Oh yeah, when I was on the way to Namek, I'd look out the windows when I took a break from training...I was amazed at how many stars were out there!" Goku reflected with a laugh. "Say...did you mostly just live on that ship of yours, or..?"

Frieza took another purposeful drink, passing the Saiyan his own glass. "I had a variety of accommodations on all the inhabited worlds in my empire, but my ship was where I spent most of my time."

"Oh, uh," the Saiyan said, making a face as he took a tentative sip, "in that case, I'm sorry it got destroyed. You must have had a lot of memories on it."

The Arcosian shrugged. "Ships are not secure places to keep either valuables or memories. I had neither of any worth on that vessel."

Goku nodded, taking another drink from the wineglass. 'Yeah...that box he had wasn't on his ship, it was on his father's. Guess he figured it was safer there.' He smiled. "Well, if you leave with Haabu, you can see the stars clearly again, at least."

Frieza made a sour face. "I'm afraid I might strangle him before we reached Arcos," he quipped, before clarifying, "...you understand, that would be a long, very involved process to actually kill him in that manner." Goku laughed like it was the most hysterical joke he'd ever heard. Frieza gave him a peculiar look, then noticed that his glass was almost empty. 'What a lightweight...but at least he's better company this way.'

Goku stopped giggling, and without prompting, refilled his glass as Frieza looked on in amusement. "Hehe, I dunno if he'd sit still enough to let ya, but it'd be really funny..."

Frieza allowed himself an unguarded smile. "I thought you would be opposed to torture, but Haabu has a knack for changing people's opinions in that regard...after all, it is torture to listen to his bloviating."

Goku chuckled. "Yeah, he really gives Vegeta a run for his money in terms of declarations and denunciations." Frieza smirked at his use of such words, and took another sip of his drink. The Saiyan raised a finger, wagging it mischievously. "Mind, if you are going to strangle him with your tail make sure you catch him around the throat." As Frieza gave him a puzzled look, he grinned. "From personal experience, I think Arcosian teeth are much sharper than mine."

Frieza recalled the moment. And, before he could stop himself, he burst out laughing, his tail wagging merrily. Without malice, without formality. His face creased and relaxed, and he laughed for a good while before it slowly tailed away and he wiped at his eyes. He gave a small cough and sat up straight again when he spotted Goku looking at him with a lopsided smile. "What?" Frieza snapped, turning his face away.

"Nothin'," Goku said, shaking his head. "Just that I think that's the first time I've ever seen you laugh when you were, you know, happy... I'm not going to lie, it was...kind of unsettling."

At the small, teasing smile on the Saiyan's face, Frieza huffed and thumped his tail, taking another sip from his glass. "Don't get used to it," he deadpanned.

They sat in a comfortable silence for a moment, Goku looking up at the stars. "It seems like Haabu is really getting to you," he said at last.

Frieza nodded. He rubbed his temples. "It is…difficult," he said at length, "It's not just Haabu himself per se. It's the baggage that he carries. He's a reminder of my past, of..." He swirled the glass and saw the red liquid turn violent and seep from the egg beneath the stamped foot. Blood that ran from those who opposed him, staining his hands. He heard his own laughter as he looked upon the massacre, and then another planet, another battle, so many of them flashing before his eyes. He flinched and shook his head. "...I've witnessed things," he whispered, "and done things. But I've made my peace with them. Long, long ago. Long before you were born. Buried them. But with Haabu here…with his request for me to go home, and fight once more… They start to rise again..." Frieza stared at the wine and then hastily gulped it down, and forced himself to swallow. He told himself that the coppery taste was just his imagination, despite the rising feel of sickness in his throat.

Goku observed him. "In some ways we're maybe not so different," Goku said.

Frieza chuckled self-consciously. "Truly? I, the self-proclaimed demon who has massacred billions, and you, the pacifist who couldn't bring yourself to kill one as stained as I? We're similar?"

"Sure," Goku nodded, "You forget I was s'posed to be one of your soldiers. I was originally sent to this planet to kill the inhabitants on it. If I hadn't bumped my head then I might well have been just like all th' other Saiyans." He rubbed his head and gave Frieza a smile. "Silly as it sounds, maybe the only difference between us is that I hit my head and you didn't."

Frieza smirked. "Yes. That's the only difference...though I'll warrant that with the beating you gave me, I may well have suffered some damage that has changed my perspective." He tapped the scar on his temple, and looked up at the stars. "Still, it amuses me to think that somewhere out there Fate dictated that there be a time where our roles are reversed."

"Sure. Maybe there's even a time when I kill you," Goku said, then added with less levity, "I was really close, you know. You were...well, you don't remember it, but when you were bein' shocked, everyone urged me to just...put you out of your misery. I almost did."

Frieza snorted. "Oh yes, it figures that the only time you would consider ending my life would be under the guise of a coup de grace...that, I can almost believe. Any other time? Ha, there's more chance of my obtaining a gold aura and some new transformation where I turn purple." He barked a laugh and poured himself another glass with an amused flick of his tail.

Goku snickered, "Yeah, that does sound pretty silly! What would you even call something like that..? Super Sai...Arcosian?" Frieza made a face. "Uh...shiny...Frieza?" The Arcosian looked even more annoyed. "I got it...Golden Frieza!" the spiky-haired Saiyan giggled drunkenly.

"Remind me to never let you name anything or anyone," Frieza quipped with a wry smirk, "Especially inebriated. I'm not even sure how you function sober."

After their laughter tailed off, they sat in silence. Goku looked over and again saw Frieza's tail curling and uncurling itself, juddering with tension and then relaxing briefly. His face would similarly twitch with each contortion. "Maybe your trouble is that you're thinking too much about it," he said.

"How can I not think about it?" Frieza retorted. He shook his head. "It's on my mind all the time, constantly eating away at me. This sense of…sense of…things piling up, growing, and biting at me..." The Arcosian refilled his glass, gulping a mouthful of wine in an effort to calm himself.

Goku glanced up at the sky, glass to his lips. "Hmm... Well, when I was small, I used to have the four-star Dragonball, a memento from my grandfather. Whenever I felt bad I'd always look at it, and it would help calm me, and take my mind off of things. It made me feel safe, like everything was gonna work out. Maybe there's something similar for you, something you can look at, in that box?"

Frieza stiffened. "The box?" he said, voice low.

'Oh crap..!' Goku, suddenly realizing what he'd let slip, took in a breath. "Uh, yeah…it was…there was that box you were carrying, I saw you take it from Kold's, your father's ship," he said, speaking quickly, "I…I just guessed from the way you were holding it that it must have something of value to you in it."

Frieza frowned and studied him, suddenly feeling more awake, and on alert. "Yes… Yes, I suppose..." He shook his head and smiled. "I'm afraid that this wine is starting to make me sleepy, so I'm going to retire." He stood up and stretched. "Thank you for the drink...and your company."

"No problem," Goku replied, sitting up, his face brightening, "I'm glad I could help." Inwardly, he felt a wave of relief. 'I'm finally getting through to him; I'd hate to have to explain all that now...'

"Yes…yes..." Frieza muttered, as he turned away and walked back inside.

Once his ki felt far enough away, Goku let out a sigh of relief and lay back in the lounge chair, and looked up at the stars. 'Nearly… He nearly caught me… But I think I just barely got away with it.' He regarded the empty glass beside him on the table, and sighed. "Boy, that was close..."

'There has to be a way…I need to focus the power in me as if it were a…' Vegeta's eyes flickered in recognition. Suddenly he knew how to do it. He just had to treat the principle the same as if he were a ball of energy. He looked at it that way, saw himself as the conduit of energy, focused it, channeled it, and suddenly…it happened. The aura began to get less wild, began to focus inwards, concentrated. His joints cracked under the new strain. His muscles began to bulge, growing outwards. He roared with pain and the exertion, bringing the power in and pumping it through himself as his body mass increased and his power began to rise exponentially.

Pui-pui stared, his eyes widening, seeing what was happening and finding himself paralyzed. "What the...but...you were so weak before... So inferior to me!"

With a final scream the aura burst outwards like a shockwave, kicking up dust on the field and bowling over the other fighters, Pui-pui putting up an arm to shield himself. Everyone stopped and stared at the dust cloud, Neizu tapping at his scouter. The earthen smog cleared. In the center of a small crater stood Vegeta, his body bulging, his hair extended and sharper than before, the Super Saiyan aura flared and crackling around him. He looked up at Pui-pui and grinned. Then he kicked off of the ground and charged forward, slamming his fist into the shocked Pui-pui's stomach, knocking him backwards with a grunt of pain.

"Sauza!" Neizu said, eyes wide, body shaking, "I can't get a direct read, but... The scouter is saying Vegeta has a power of 50 x 10^7!"

"What?!" Sauza shouted, "That's insane!" He looked over at Vegeta, who was now slowly flexing his body as Pui-pui recovered from the initial punch. 'What could have possessed Frieza to think he could control such monsters?!' the Brench thought in awe.

Pui-pui staggered up, clutching his stomach. Blood dribbled from his mouth. The force of the blow had been incredible. He stared across at Vegeta and narrowed his eyes. "Why?" he asked, "Why did you not follow up with your attack?" Vegeta lowered his arms and, smirking, walked towards Pui-pui, the ground cracking underfoot. "Just admiring your power were you? Or..?"

Vegeta shot forward and slammed another punch into Pui-pui's head, snapping him sideways. The alien rolled with the punch and spun out of it before kicking off of the ground and into the air. He stared down at Vegeta and a grin broke across his face. "I get it now!" he declared with a laugh, "Your new power, your increased mass…of course! Your power has increased astronomically but your speed has not increased as much with it!"

Vegeta snarled, narrowing his eyes. 'Damn it! He noticed!' Vegeta had spotted the problem on his first attack, not to mention the fact that he was consuming energy fast. Although his power had risen, his speed, as Pui-pui had pointed out, had not matched it. In addition, he needed more energy in order to move his body. 'I'll have to finish this fast, but that might now be problematic…'

Pui-pui grinned. "Let's see then, Super Saiyan, which wins this contest; my speed, or your power. And I wonder which one of us will run out of juice first?"

Vegeta whipped his hand up and fired off an energy blast at the same time as Pui-pui did. The two energy blasts struck one another and detonated, blasting a shockwave across the area, that sent the other combatants spinning through the air. Vegeta flared his aura and flew up, slashing a punch at where he sensed Pui-pui. The alien dodged out of the way and fired a fist at Vegeta, slamming it across his face. The Saiyan growled and struck back, but Pui-pui darted out of the way again and delivered a kick to the prince's back. With a roar, Vegeta fired an energy beam at the ground, the force of it propelling him backwards. He slammed his elbow into Pui-pui, who was caught off guard by the maneuver, and followed it up with a vicious punch to the face, which knocked Pui-pui out of range and gave him enough time to get a safe distance away, shaking his head to keep concentration.

Sauza observed this, his face contorted in a mix of shock and panic. "Damn it!" he muttered, "That fight is a lot closer than I wanted it to be…not to mention the fact that if they're not careful this whole place is going to go up in smoke!"

"Hey!" a shout came out. Sauza whipped his head to the source in time to see a silver fist smack into his chest, cracking his armor and knocking him backwards with a grunt of pain. "Pay attention to your own fight!" Simsara grinned, his wings fluttering as he flew in for the next attack.

Sauza raised his leg and blocked the alien's kick and followed up with a punch of his own that Simsara caught. The two traded punches, kicks, and blocks in a furious struggle with neither one gaining an upper hand. A little way across the sky from them, Alak fended off the attacks of both Neizu and Doore, who danced around him, trying to find an opening.

Alak flicked up his foot and caught Doore on the knee. Doore hissed in pain as his leg bent, and Alak swivelled and slammed his elbow into the brute's cheek, knocking him sideways. Neizu flew in to strike, but Alak slammed his leg into his stomach and knocked him backwards. Neizu clutched his midsection and looked up in time to see Alak fly at him, grinning, pulling back a fist to strike—

With a gasp, Neizu pulled his head into his body and Alak's fist flew through empty air. Caught off guard, he lost his balance and overshot, with Neizu shooting his head out and slamming it into the blue-haired alien's chin, sending him flipping backwards. Neizu followed up with a punch to the chest and Doore then shot in, kneeing Alak in the back, sending him crashing to the ground. They shot towards him, looking to continue their attack, but Alak, enraged, leapt up and flared his aura, knocking them both back.

"Enough!" he shouted and pushed up both of his hands, palms flat. From his palms a flat plane of energy gathered and then swirled, looking like a hurricane whirl, up above their heads, spreading out until it covered a significant area. Alak grinned and dropped his hands. "Now this is over." He pointed a finger up and then brought it down. Suddenly a beam of energy shot down from the spiral above, over Doore's head. He swore and dove out of the way, the beam of energy crashing into the ground and detonating.

"Damn it!" Neizu shouted, "But this is no problem. We just have to fly out!" Neizu shot towards the end of the spiral. Alak smirked and whirled both of his hands. An array of beams shot down from the energy above, all along the edge of the spiral, and touched the ground, Neizu pulling up short with a yell. The beams did not dissipate, but held position and continued to swirl like towering tornadoes.

Alak spread his hands. "This is my cage," he announced, "And you are the prey that are trapped in it!" He laughed as both Neizu and Doore grimaced, staring at him.

Sauza took the briefest of moments to glance in their direction, before turning his attention back to Simsara, as his opponent buzzed in and struck with his right fist, Sauza dodging out of the way. 'Damn! Neizu and Doore are stuck! I have to find a way of finishing this and getting them out of there! I won't lose them, I won't!' He paused, hovering in midair, and then pushed out his right arm to full length. He put his fingers together and a purple beam of energy formed around them, stretched off his fingers and then settled into a sword. The energy hummed violently as Sauza brought the purple blade in front of his face. "Time to finish this," he said.

Simsara grinned. "My thoughts exactly. If we're getting serious..." Simsara slammed his hand onto his left shoulder. He dug in his claws and, grimacing, pulled out what appeared to be a long bone, sharpened at both ends. He pointed it at the surprised Sauza like a sword. "My species has a very strange biology," Simsara said, "We're very prone to mutations, so we often look strange and different from one another. Most mutations are bad, of course, but some of us get ones that benefit." He grinned, all sharp teeth and malice. "Mine was for combat."

Sauza smirked, eyeing the disturbing blade of bone that still dripped blood. "Good for you, freak. Hate to break it to you, but bone won't match against my energy blade."

"Shall we test that?!" Simsara shouted, charging forward. Sauza swung his blade and Simsara brought his bone-sword down and parried it. Sauza's eyes widened.

"Impossible!" he shouted, "Nothing can block my blade!"

"Well that's not true anymore is it?" Simsara sneered, striking again with his weapon, cutting through Sauza's armor and slicing his shoulder. Blood spurted out and Sauza yelled, flying backwards out of range of Simsara's attack, who pursued him, slashing at the air.

Kooler, or rather, a fifty-foot tall creature of smoke and flame that roared in his voice, pursued his brother, his feet thudding deafeningly as he closed in. "Frieza! I won't rest until I catch you! I will not cease until you've paid your due!"

Frieza, a child, ran, crying out, sobbing in sheer terror. "Kooler!" he cried, "Leave me alone!"

"Alone, dear brother?" Kooler laughed, his voice crackling with fire. His tail shot out, catching Frieza's feet, sending the small Arcosian flying. Frieza rolled to a stop, then immediately scrambled up again. Kooler stooped down and easily snatched him up, holding him tightly in his grip in front of his face, his hellish eyes glowing with flame. "But you are already alone, aren't you? You've always been alone."

"Father!" Frieza cried in desperation, squirming in the vice-like grip of the demon.

"Father can't help you! Father never cared for you beyond using you as a tool, as a weapon!" the hate-filled ghost's voice boomed. Frieza turned himself away, tears stinging his eyes, as Kooler brought him forward so that he was framed by one enormous, blazing eye. "It's just you and me, brother dear. Now do you have something to say to me?"

"I-I duh-don't, Kuh-Kooler—" Frieza stammered, his heart thundering.

Kooler snarled, making Frieza flinch. "You think of me as Haabu does? As a worthless prince. As someone undeserving. As a weakling."

The smaller Arcosian rapidly shook his head. "No–! I-I don't, I—"

"Then why did you say nothing?!" Kooler hissed. "Why?!" He squeezed and Frieza screamed.

"Kooler stop! I'm sorry! I-I'm sorry! Please!" Frieza pleaded.

"Weakling!" Kooler threw him, and Frieza crashed and bounced along the ground until he came to halt on something solid, obsidian, mirrored in some way. "Who's weak now? Who's the weakling now?!" Kooler stepped forward, the smoke morphing around him, taking on the appearance of his Fifth Form. "Did I not beat you last we fought? Did I not crush you? You always delude yourself, forgetting your mistakes! Your failures! Look at them, Frieza! Just look at yourself, and see that you are not infallible!"

Frieza howled, unwilling to look at his distorted reflection in the black glass. He reached out blindly, and his hands found something. The box. The simple metal box. He drew it towards himself, holding it tight, sobbing over it. Suddenly there was a blaze of light, intense, white like the sun, bursting out of Kooler as he screamed, his voice now Goku's, "You fool! That cannot save you! Look at your mistakes!"

Frieza raised one arm to shield his eyes, only it was a stump, and blood was pumping out of it. He looked down. His body was bisected, cut away, with only one arm left, gripping the box. He screamed in horror, looking up to see within the light's advance, washing over him with a roar—

Frieza screamed and crashed out of the bed. His body was bathed in sweat as he gripped his forehead and breathed deeply, panting in long ragged breaths. He looked around him. There was nothing there. The bureau was opposite the bed, on which the sheets were tangled. The blinds were drawn over the window. Everything was normal. No angry ghosts screamed vengeance in his ear. The Arcosian clutched his head and curled up on the floor, tail tucking up under his body and curling around him protectively, taking deep sobbing breaths. He kneaded his head, trying to force the images that were there out, trying to push them away. Slowly they began to recede, to go from his mind to his subconscious, and his breathing began to calm. He shivered, cold now with the sweat coating his body. But one image stayed: the image of the box.

'How did he know… How did he know… How the hell did he know..?'

The next morning, Frieza was suspiciously absent at the Briefs' breakfast table. "Huh...that's weird," Bulma mused, eying his empty seat next to Haabu, "Usually he's down by now."

"Maybe he doesn't feel good," Goku said, holding a hand to his temple, kneading his knuckles in, "I know I don't." He groaned to punctuate his discomfort.

"Goku, you aren't serious right now...you have a hangover?" the blue-haired woman laughed incredulously, "I don't believe it! No wait, more importantly, why were you and Frieza drinking together?"

"Uh..." Goku mumbled, "No reason, really. He's been stressed out, an' I thought it'd help. I might've overdone it though..."

Haabu chuckled at the miserable look on the Saiyan's face. "While I'm a bit hurt that my prince did not see fit to include me in his company, seeing an amateur's aftereffects almost makes up for the snub."

Frowning at Haabu's gleeful expression, Mrs. Briefs placed a tall glass of water before the Saiyan. "Here, drink this. It'll help, trust me."

"Thanks," Goku smiled weakly, gratefully accepting the glass. He winced, taking a long draught from it. "I just hope it did some good for Frieza...'cause this really feels awful." He set his head on the table, clutching the glass of water and groaning again.

"Trust me, no good will ever come of anyone trying to outdrink an Arcosian," Haabu said proudly, "It can't be done. Even in that respect, we have a leg up on lesser species, it would seem."

"Betcha I can outfight any Arcosian, even if I can't outdrink 'em..." Goku muttered miserably, "Could probably eat more, too." He eyed Haabu blearily, lifting the hand not wrapped around his water glass to point at the alien. "No way you can eat more than me, so hah."

"That, I will gracefully concede," Haabu said with disdain, "We aren't gluttons like you Saiyans."

"You don't always have to have the last word, you know," Bulma sighed, "Besides, both of you are chumps when it comes to some of the stuff humans can do. I'll bet I could beat you both when it comes to disassembling and reassembling one of your space pods. How's that?"

"But Bulma, only you can do smart stuff like that," Goku pointed out.

"Yeah, but the point still stands...I'm the smartest human, you're the strongest Saiyan, Haabu's...well, no offense, but I think Frieza's stronger...but anyway, we've all got something we're good at, right?" She smiled at Haabu triumphantly.

The Arcosian looked away, and muttered, "Pah, with that logic, you can twist anything any way you want..."

"And I'm undoubtedly the best cook, or so I hear," Mrs. Briefs chimed in, setting down a breakfast platter of assorted foods, "though your wife might give me a run for my money, Goku."

Goku laughed, "Yeah, you're top-notch, but I like Chi-chi's cooking just as much. You guys just make different stuff..but I like it all, hehe!" He reached for a quiche on the platter, popping it in his mouth and washing it down with more water.

'The Super Saiyan has a partner?' Haabu thought, shocked, 'Well, there is the brat, but... Hmm, he is full of unmentioned surprises, this one.' Besides his disrespect towards the Prince and himself, this Saiyan was...peculiar. He was a gluttonous, oafish simpleton, like other Saiyans, but he lacked the petty viciousness Haabu recalled in the others. He glanced sidelong at the spiky-haired man as he stuffed his face, while he busied himself choosing a variety of delicacies for his own plate. 'He's an anomaly, to be sure.'

"How did he know?" Frieza whispered angrily to himself again, turning the dull metal box this way and that in his hands. It rattled softly against the metal of his palm every time he passed it to his left hand, the sound aggravating him. With a sigh, he set it on the bed beside him, and stood. Again, he levitated beside the bureau opposite the bed, scrutinizing the dust-coated top panel for fingerprints, a trail in the thick dust, some indication that a clumsy Saiyan hand had disturbed it since he had secreted it there. Still, he saw only the stark rectangle marking where the box had sat, undisturbed for years before he'd snatched it up this morning. He gritted his teeth, massaging his temples as he floated back down to the floor.

Collapsing on the bed with an enervated sigh, he picked up the box again. He hadn't opened it, afraid of what he might find, or what might be missing. Still, he steeled himself, lifting the latch, then the lid. 'Nothing amiss,' Frieza thought cautiously, gingerly lifting out the yellowed scraps of paper, setting them gently on the bedspread. His fingers twitched and drew back as he reached the last sheaf of paper, suddenly unwilling to uncover what was under it. He set the box in his lap, tears suddenly stinging his eyes. "What am I afraid for?" he growled, not acknowledging the other emotion gripping him, blurring his vision, "It's not...it wasn't my fault!" The Arcosian blinked the tears away angrily, practically ripping the last leaf of paper aside. They seemed smaller than he had remembered them, two deep blue spheres that rang faintly like bells as they rolled back and forth at the bottom of fabric-lined box. With trembling fingers, he plucked them from the cold metal receptacle. As soon as he did that, his vision blurred again, as tears freely slipped down his cheeks. "What is wrong with me..?" he said in a trembling voice, "I... I feel so lost. Torn between...my loyalty, and...this safe haven I've hidden myself in." His tail twisted restlessly on the bed, as he bowed his head, slumping down under the weight of his conflict. "I don't have any options that will...that will preserve my peace of mind, and banish the nightmares. I thought I had driven them away, but in the end...I was just running away from my fate, wasn't I?" He cradled the two baubles in his shaking hands, listening to the soothing, clear sound they made, despite his turmoil.

"Mother..." he breathed, "What would you do? What would Father do? Would you sacrifice yourselves for your subjects?" A flash of his mother's face, eyes wide and unseeing as she lay still and lifeless on the balcony, made him shiver. Frieza shook his head. Another memory took its place. He was a child, cowering beneath his father's cape as his sire roared at a group of older men and woman, seated in a semicircle above where they stood.

"I will not let you decide his fate!" Kold screamed, his whole body tense and shaking with anger, "He is a child, but above that, he is mine! I'll not let you touch him!"

"We understand that you are grieving," an older female Arcosian said in a condescending tone, "but surely you see the danger, Kold. He is an abomination," she stated, meeting Frieza's eyes unflinchingly as he burrowed further into the dark red folds of fabric with a soft whimper. The lady turned her eyes back to those of the monarch. They were wide with desperation, a stubborn, clinging need to protect his blood, demon or not. "Rest assured, it will be taken care of discreetly, and humanely. He will not suffer."

"I will take full responsibility for his actions," Kold said quickly, "He will not be allowed to threaten any but our enemies, I swear it! If... If you go so far as to demand his execution, I will gladly take his place, for he is more valuable to me than my own life...and he is certainly more of an asset to Arcos' future, even you should be able to see that!" The king looked down, faltering, then knelt, gently embracing the tiny Arcosian child, who still sported a splint on one arm and numerous other bandages over his body. Frieza flinched at his touch, sobbing, then bursting into tears. "Please..!" Kold said forcefully over the child's wails, "Please spare him, and I vow to control the demon within him, at all costs!"

The Council looked unmoved, whispering amongst themselves. Finally, the councilwoman stood, and looked dispassionately at the two, the crying child who hid a demon's fury, and the king who shamelessly crouched on the floor to try to comfort him. "Very well, then. He will be allowed to live, but only so long as he remains beholden to our will — not yours. Do you understand and accept this, Kold?"

Frieza looked up, sensing the tension go out of his father's body. He was praising the Council, gushing thanks for their mercy, feverishly affirming that no, he would never allow Frieza to run amok as long as he lived. "Papa," the child whispered, "Am I still in trouble for...f-for the bad thing I did?" With a relieved smile, the monarch stroked his head and reassured him that no, he was never in trouble, it was all just a mistake. Frieza gave a small smile, but the possessive look on his father's face as he caressed his casque still unnerved him.

"No..." Frieza said, recalling the look in his father's eyes, "Both of you were...selfish. Sacrifice was a duty for others to fulfill, but you... You both selfishly clung to what you valued, over others, even over your own lives! Nothing mattered, as long as you had what you wanted! Damn everyone else's consequences!" He squeezed the baubles, threatening to break them, then threw them back into the box with a clang, and started pacing the room, his tail angrily lashing. "Why should I be any different than you were?" he asked, covering his face with his hands, "Why should I be any better? Any more noble?! Is it because I have nothing, and no one, to lose anymore?!" He let out a cry of frustration, and sat back down on the rumpled bed. "Do I really have nothing and no one to lose?" Frieza's mind went once again to Bulma, to Tenshinhan, to Dr. Briefs, to everyone on Earth he had never thought to feel fondness for. What were they to him? What were they worth? Frieza put his head in his hands, curling his tail around himself as he weighed his painful options.

Haabu looked at his scouter, assessing the time. By his reckoning, it was past midday, and he still had yet to see Lord Frieza. 'Strange...' he thought, clicking the button to scan for high power levels. There was the pesky Saiyan, the Namekian who had kept his distance still lurked around the outskirts of the compound, the half-breed... "Ah..there you are," Haabu muttered, the device at his ear chirping as it focused on Frieza's unmistakably high energy signature. The Arcosian frowned at the location. 'He's still in his quarters...he has not left since yesterday evening, after he socialized with the Super Saiyan...' Something was amiss, he decided. "Hmm..." he hummed in thought, beginning to follow the scouter's signature through the halls and up the stairs. "I wonder if something the ape said to him has somehow...discouraged him from pursuing his duty," Haabu mused, "No, nothing a Saiyan said could ever dissuade my Lord, what am I thinking? There must be something else, some other explanation..." Reaching the door to his prince's quarters, he stared through the green glass of the scouter at the ki reading, just beyond the door. 'What's gotten into you lately? This planet? The so-called Super Saiyan? Whatever it is, I will not be denied your assistance any longer!'

Frieza unconsciously jumped at the sudden banging on his door, clenching his jaw to muffle his cry of surprise. "Grrhk—! Who's there?!" he barked, tail automatically lashing as his body tensed.

"It is I, your loyal servant," Haabu's voice replied through the door, "May I enter, and speak with you?"

The short Arcosian looked around his surroundings in a mild panic; the ragged clippings and scraps of paper were scattered about the bed, his box lay open with his most secret and precious treasure out in the open... "...No!" he ordered. He had meant to say it firmly, with authority, but it somehow came out as a desperate shout. He cursed his haste in replying, scrambling to gently gather up the tattered memories, should Haabu somehow let himself in. 'He'll pay dearly if he barges in here,' he thought, 'I'd kill him in a heartbeat if he saw—'

"My Prince, please, be reasonable...I haven't come for any reason other than concern for your well-being," the larger Arcosian sighed. Frieza's outburst was out of character, but taken in conjunction with his strange behavior since Haabu had found him, it was disturbingly predictable. "My Lord, forgive me for saying this, but I fear that your time on this primitive planet may have...skewed your priorities, perhaps, or at least clouded your mind to reason," he intoned carefully, wary of saying anything outright accusatory.

"...Go away, Haabu. That's an order," Frieza's muffled voice growled from behind the door.

"With all due respect, but I refuse to heed such an absurd, and frankly puerile, order," Haabu said, his tone testy, impatient, "I have come to this backwater planet to retrieve you, and in the face of my charity, you have rebuked and abused me at every turn! I have to wonder what's so great about this little mudball that you would choose to rot in obscurity here, rather than claim your rightful place as leader of the Planetary Trade!"

On the other side of the door, Frieza paused in putting away the fragile scraps of paper, a shiver running down his spine, followed by a wave of hot anger at Haabu's dangerously insubordinate tone of voice. "...I do not need to justify myself to you, Haabu," he growled, "And contrary to what you may think, I don't have to come along as soon as you recall me, like a slave being herded onto a ship." He clenched his fists, anger coursing through him. 'I shouldn't even have to make that connection clear to him, but if he continues to badger me so, then he deserves to be reminded that I am not merely a weapon to be aimed at every problem that comes down the pike!' He listened for Haabu's response, wondering if the oaf had finally gotten the point. To his irritation, Haabu sounded more angry than accepting, audibly huffing and growling from behind the door.

"A slave? Is that what you think of my efforts to retrieve you?" Haabu asked, "My Prince, you are deluded in your thinking...to say it plainly, I wondered if you had been held captive here when first I laid eyes on you. The way you consorted with those juudzu and abided the Super Saiyan...I would be forgiven for thinking—"

"For thinking what?!" Frieza's enraged voice interrupted, "That I have stayed here against my will? You of all people should know — my will is absolute!" Despite the fire in his words, he doubted himself. Flashes of memory, of a time when he carefully picked his way through Capsule Corporation's halls, expecting at any moment to be halted by some invisible barrier, came to him. The look of pity — he realized now, that's what it was — on the faces of Son Goku and his allies as they reassured him that he was not a prisoner, but just the same, they bid him to stay where he could be monitored. "Grr..! You...have no idea..! You can't understand why I decided to stay here..." Inwardly, he added, 'I don't even know, myself. Is it to surpass Son Goku? For my own peace? Is it...because here, I am not thought of as a demon?'

Haabu flinched at the sound of Frieza striking the door between them, hearing the younger Arcosian cursing in a hissed breath. 'He's acting so erratically...I just don't understand at all! It's as though he's mentally fragile, throwing tantrums as though he's a child again!' Haabu remembered well the fits of anger, the destruction in their wake. He was smart enough to keep his distance, but other, more foolish people... Being killed by the Demon Prince was a terrifyingly common occurrence, at least early on. 'Until Kold was able to control him, at his own level of power and brutality...' he remembered, frowning. Listening to the muffled growls and threats from Frieza, he considered his position. 'He will not be dissuaded from his insane attachment to this worthless planet. That much is becoming disturbingly clear. Furthermore, in his current state, he would be a liability as much as an asset...he's in no condition to command, much less function as a king!' His lip curled in disgust, the reddish-brown Arcosian challenged, "If you're so intent on leaving your subjects to die, perhaps you should formally abdicate, my lord. That would at least save me further embarrassment when I have to explain why you did not heed their plea for salvation."

There was silence for a moment, made eerie and chilling by the sudden weight of the charged air. Then, the door slammed open, the hinges popping free. Frieza glowered in the doorway, growling with his teeth fully bared. "Say those treasonous words again, Haabu...I dare you." To punctuate the spat words, his tail struck the floor.

Suddenly, Haabu remembered why Frieza was so dangerous, so unpredictable and vicious. An abrupt turn in events, a near-imperceptible shift in mood, and a valued soldier would be reduced to ash, or worse, painted from floor and ceiling in a ghoulish scene of unbridled violence. Now, Haabu found himself staring down the demon. "I am..." he paused, mouth dry, trying to come up with some platitudes to save himself. He swallowed, not daring to make eye contact. "...I was just trying to elicit a reaction. To test your allegiance. I apologize for my words, but I had to confirm your loyalties. It was the only way I could think to— Ghrrrk!" He clawed at his throat, suddenly constricted by Frieza's tail as he floated aloft, his aura beginning to visibly flicker around him.

"I've...had...enough...of...your...mind games..!" Frieza hissed through clenched teeth, his red eyes boring into Haabu's. He squeezed tighter, feeling strangely detached as Haabu struggled, eyes bulging. 'This used to be fun,' he mused, 'It used to be cathartic, for me to see another being squirm, completely at my mercy.' As for mind games... He thought angrily of Goku, how he'd always relentlessly chided him for being "evil," as though it were any choice of his. Sadism was simple, fun, and had zero consequences beyond a cursory scolding from his father. Until Son Goku. Until he had been punished for his thoughtless indulgence at the expense of others. Until he'd been forced to find other outlets for his rage. He looked at his current victim, now barely scrabbling at his tail, his red eyes unfocused and glazed over. 'Pathetic...' he thought as he hurled Haabu halfway down the hall with a sneer of disgust. "Get out of my sight, worm. You're not worth the bother," he dismissed, stalking down the hall in the opposite direction of where Haabu lay sprawled, coughing and choking. He clenched his fists, fighting the warring emotions jockeying for dominance in his mind.

Still lying panting on the carpeted floor, Haabu dazedly watched Frieza leave, as he rubbed his bruised throat. 'That brat..! That insane, self-righteous, dismissive brat!' Despite his state, he thumped the floor angrily, lips raised to show his teeth. 'That's it. I have my answer now, and it is clear what path I must now take...the heir is unwilling, no, incapable of ruling! He is mad, utterly incapacitated, insane beyond cure. He is not fit to rule...' Shakily rising to his knees, then his feet, the tall Arcosian growled deep in his throat. Slowly, his face relaxed, and he smiled to himself, mentally rehearsing what he would say, to the Council, to the people of Arcos, yes, surely they would accept his right to the monarchy. He uttered a low laugh, slightly scratchy and distorted by his sore throat. A mad grin spread across his face. "...After all, what is a king defined by, if not blood and ambition?"

"I hope Goku's wrong," Tenshinhan said as he landed on the lawn of Capsule Corporation, "After all, Frieza's practically one of us now, isn't he? He can't really be regressing back to his old self..."

"Well, Goku said Haabu's been worrying him lately," Chiaotzu replied, "You remember how manipulative he was, right off the bat, right?" The small jianshi recalled the huge Arcosian's impatience and pushiness towards Frieza, urging him to act before he had a clear picture of the situation. 'I won't forgive him,' he thought, 'He's just like my old advisors, self-serving and manipulative. I will never forgive him if something he said or did hurt Frieza, made him like his old self again. He deserves a chance to be better than what and who he was before.'

"Yeah, I remember..." Tenshinhan said gravely, "For Goku to show up out of the blue last night, telling us about how Frieza and Haabu got into it...and the fact that he didn't intervene... Seems like he's worried he'll do more harm than good if he tries to talk to Frieza. At least he's finally getting to know his limits." Giving a nod to the receptionist, the bald man continued back to the Briefs' personal part of the compound, noting where everyone's energies were within the buildings. 'Hmm...like Goku said, those guys who came here with Haabu are avoiding him...and Frieza is too, from the look of it. Well isn't he just a pariah?' He didn't like Haabu, from the first look he'd had of the alien. He was too self-assured, too cocky, and everything about his personality screamed danger to the seasoned warrior. Worse, it seemed that he had a knack for silver-tongued manipulation. The way he'd talked his way into Bulma letting him stay at Capsule Corporation was too slick, and his subsequent behavior suggested that he was a man used to getting his way, without question. Tenshinhan frowned at the implications.

"It feels like Frieza is in the atrium," Chiaotzu said, leading the way, "He feels...his ki is roiling. It's not as bad as when he first came to Earth, but I'm sensing a lot more chaos from him than normal." Coming through the greenery, he laid eyes on the Arcosian, quietly probing his surface thoughts.

"Well?" Tenshinhan whispered, "How is he?"

Chiaotzu shook his head. "Not good. I can't make out any words or thoughts, but the overwhelming emotions are all negative. He's in a bad way, just like Goku said."

At that moment, Frieza turned his head, finally noticing the pair. "Tenshinhan... Chiaotzu... What brings you here?" The greeting was calm, but his face, with a smile that barely resembled happiness, betrayed his mental state. "I'm afraid that, at least until Haabu leaves, I'll not be much in the mood for training."

"We gathered that," Tenshinhan said, "Something's definitely eating at you, and Haabu's the cause, isn't he?"

The Arcosian looked momentarily as though he'd been slapped across the face. Then, blank and unreadable, he chuckled, "Oh yes, he annoys me greatly. Other than that, you needn't be concerned. He'll eventually give up, and things will be back to normal, I'm sure."

Chiaotzu noticed that Frieza kept his tail behind himself, out of sight, the better to hide its nervous twitch. He frowned deeply with concern. "We're not so sure. If you end up leaving with him, it definitely won't be back to normal for us — we'd miss you." For a moment, the small human thought Frieza looked...guilty? 'That's unlike him,' he thought. Something else was going on, he decided. "So, what's this thing with Haabu, anyway? Did you learn more from him, or is he still keeping secrets?"

"He's wanting me to reprise my position as a prince of Arcos...and as the leader of the Planet Trade Organization," Frieza said, "There are other reasons, ones he hasn't enlightened me on just yet, but I think his primary objective is to reinstall me as a ruler, for whatever reasons the Council and others need me for."

"Shouldn't that be your decision, though?" Tenshinhan asked, "Unless I'm mistaken, you outrank all those other people, don't you?"

Frieza sighed, recalling a time when Son Goku had asked him that exact question. "You are, sadly, mistaken, Tenshinhan. I have power, but there are greater forces that keep me in check, and I am beholden to them. The bargain was made long ago, and it is not my place to renege on it."

Scanning his surface thoughts, Chiaotzu pointedly said, "So...you're a slave to them, then? You have the illusion of freedom, but they can recall you at any time?" He regretted his choice of words as soon as Frieza tensed uncomfortably, his mind clouding over, unreadable.

"No," the Arcosian said quickly, "That's not it, and if you continue to pry at my thoughts like that, I'll..." He trailed off with a sharp breath, waving his hand dismissively as he got up. "Just stay out of this. You're getting to be rather like Goku, with your incessant need to know everything about my weaknesses." He stopped, thinking. "...Is that why you're here? Did he tell you to talk to me?" Paranoia welled up in his brain again, as he looked upon his friends in a new, more suspicious light.

"I respect you enough not to lie to you," Tenshinhan prefaced cautiously, "so the answer to that is 'yes.' But he didn't tell us to try to influence you one way or the other; all he wants is for you to not feel pressured, because it's obvious that the stress of your decision is not an optimal state for you to be in. He's concerned about keeping things peaceful around here, but Chiaotzu and I are more worried about you. That's why we came."

"I knew it..." Frieza said, sounding slightly dejected, "Sentimentality aside, I haven't lost sight of your original intent in training me. I respect you two enough to wish you no ill will, one way or the other. But..." He paused, tail flicking nervously. 'Son Goku has had me like a puppet on a string this whole time... I don't know how he knew about the box, but it's undeniable that he has manipulated me in some way. Now, he is surely pitting them against me, I know it!' He sighed and said, "I know my place, as well as I know my fate in this world. It was only a matter of time before it all caught up with me... I know well what will happen if I lose myself to rage. Son Goku knows as well. You both know. I've suppressed my demons, but only because I denied myself. My true nature, as a harbinger of destruction and death. Haabu wants that avatar of conquest back, and if I'm being truthful..." Frieza smiled slightly, his eyes looking alight with the embers of suppressed malice. Chiaotzu shivered visibly, and Tenshinhan unconsciously readied himself to defend. "...I rather miss being a demon," the short Arcosian finished matter-of-factly.

"...You can't mean that," Chiaotzu breathed, "I know you're full of doubts right now, but you don't have to push us all away! You don't have to go back to an existence marked only by destruction! You might think that'll ease your pain, and...and make you unaccountable for all the suffering, but trust me, being a living tool for others is...is...it's horrible!" He looked at the Arcosian pleadingly, throwing his hands up. "What about when you told us that 'Arcos' fate is not my own,' huh?! You're just going to give up on all of us, and run away, back to what's familiar, even though you were absolutely alone?!"

"...Yeah...that's pretty heartless and cowardly, in my book," Tenshinhan said with a glare, all three eyes boring into Frieza's with an accusatory look. "To have a duty to fulfill is one thing, but the way you're talking, it's like you'd martyr yourself, rather than face reality."

"And what reality is that?" Frieza snapped, "That I was brought here against my will, molded and trained to be docile, under the false pretense of something so cheap and useless as friendship?! You're the one who has yet to face reality, the reality that I am a demon, not an ally, and definitely not your friend! You can't save me, Tenshinhan, by shielding me from the painful truth of my nature, and you are a fool in persisting to try!"

"You're making excuses," Chiaotzu said, glowering at the alien, his balled-up fists shaking, "Your 'nature' is only what you've been led to believe by others. You never once tried to define it for yourself, did you?" Not waiting for an answer, the small human spun on his heel midair, flying out of the atrium.

Tenshinhan turned to follow his friend, who was clearly upset, but turned back to address Frieza. "He has a point, you know. It's not just your own self-doubt we're dealing with here; Chiaotzu was really hopeful, back when you lived and trained with us, that you'd change. He used to think of himself as a monster too, because that's all anyone ever told him. I didn't just agree to train you because Goku asked me for a favor... I'm just disappointed that after all we've been through, you still don't think of us as friends."

Frieza silently watched the three-eyed man leave, turning the words over in his head. 'He's...disappointed?' The Arcosian wasn't sure how to feel in the wake of that response. He felt confused, lost, his emotions either numb or racing, such that he didn't feel like himself. "What am I supposed to do?" he said to himself, "No matter what path I choose...someone will suffer. Either the people here on Earth, my own people...or myself." He knew that Tenshinhan was right, that if he returned to his old existence, became a demon again, he'd be sacrificing something too. Frieza pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes, shutting out the reality around him, trying to remember what it had been like. 'I thought that I remembered my life prior to Earth fondly, but...' He struggled, trying to come up with one truly happy memory to compare to his experiences on this planet. No use. All of them were blood-soaked, the underlying emotion not joy, but relief, or a petty feeling of triumph over pitiful opponents who were not even threats. "It was all a lie, wasn't it?" he sighed sadly.

Ruminating on just why there was such a disconnect between his past and his present, he thought back, going through every relevant, recallable memory. One thing that struck him was a single contradictory concept: power. 'I had power, almost limitless strength, but still...' His entire existence hung in the balance, the proverbial strings pulled taut by his position, his father...and by the Council. The latter's intervention was a rare occasion, but always served to remind him of how precarious his situation was. 'That was the reason why...' he thought, struck by the sudden realization, 'The only time I ever had power, real power, was when I exercised my might over my soldiers. The life and death of others was the only thing that I could reliably control...and not even their lives were within my grasp, were they? That was why I relished their deaths with such enthusiasm... That control was all I knew, the one thing that was truly mine to command. Even now, I haven't changed.' Frieza thought of the battles since he had come to this planet. How powerless and hateful he felt, in the face of the Super Saiyan. How his blood had rushed, exuberant in his veins, as he drew his sword across that android's throat, emptying 17's veins, reveling in how alive he himself felt. It was a defiant, vindictive act, a way of proving his own existence, while nullifying others' existences that threatened to steal his autonomy.

"Son Goku...Tenshinhan...everyone... They at least give me options, decisions to make...at least on the surface..." he rationalized, tail twisting restlessly, "But still..!" He growled, remembering again the box, and the Saiyan's inexplicable knowledge of it. "How could he have known?! What invisible strings did he pull...or is still pulling..? Grr, he's manipulating me somehow, I'm sure of it!" In a fervor again, he smacked his tail on the ground to punctuate his anger. "And yet..!" he hissed, tortured by yet another nagging rationale, one that spoke of the periodic strange looks on the faces of those he'd come to know on Earth. Times when he'd been vulnerable, beaten, and demoralized. Rather than being tempted by his weakness, the humans...they showed concern. 'In their own stifling way, they seemed to really care about my...well-being...' he puzzled.

In his old empire, such a show of vulnerability would be capitalized on quickly, assassins sent, and he would inevitably lose sleep not only to the initial problem, but the resulting paranoia. Months, or even years might pass, before he slept soundly again. On Earth, it was different. The paranoia he instinctively felt was met by kindness, and by accommodation, until he had calmed. 'Old habits meant that it took years, but... I feel at peace, here, where the enemies I had somehow became...' He shook his head, not willing to continue the thought. It was ridiculous, the old paranoia chided him. They all had their own reasons for keeping him calm and under control...under their control. 'No, no!' he gritted his teeth, trying to quiet the maddening suspicion, 'Maybe at first, but not now. I've proven myself, haven't I? Besides...' As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, some tiny part of his soul cried out for this. The camaraderie, the caring, the sense of belonging, of not being a means to an end, but a member of a team, a fami— He let out a hiss, building to a moan of misery, as he sank to his knees, wrapping his tail around himself as tears found their way to his eyes. Long suppressed memories played in his mind, fuzzy, indistinct recollections. He couldn't begin to remember their significance, save for the emotions that ran through them. 'I remember now,' he thought, blinking back the weakness on his face, 'Back then, before I was a demon...I was...loved, wasn't I?'

As the day passed, Frieza tried to interact with the others. They seemed colder towards him, more cautious, although he told himself that he was imagining things. 'But what if Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu told them what I said? About being a demon again? I should never have said such a thing!' he inwardly cursed. He'd tried to locate the duo to offer an apology, an explanation, something, but Pansy Briefs mentioned that they'd left — in a tizzy, as she put it. 'I've alienated myself, and with Haabu around, I don't dare leave to seek them out. Speaking of...' The reddish-brown Arcosian had finally found him outside on a patio bench, despite his best attempts at avoiding the older man. "What do you want, Haabu?" he asked exasperatedly.

Haabu smirked, taking in Frieza's haggard appearance. 'I was right, he's hardly a royal anymore...no, his spirit is broken, his resolve to fulfill his duties shattered. I should have no trouble filling his position, and then some!' Smile widening as he daydreamed of his coronation, Haabu took a seat beside the shorter Arcosian. "Well, I thought I might meet you halfway with this business of not wanting to leave Earth," he said, hiding the condescension in his voice at the mention of the backwater planet.

"Oh?" Frieza replied guardedly, "And here I thought you had finally resolved to leave me alone."

The bigger Arcosian tried his hardest to lower himself, to look submissive in the face of his diminutive lord. After all, his throat still ached from their last disagreement — and if Frieza decided to get rough again, he risked the Earth scum seeing him in a compromisingly weak position...again. "Now now, if you'll hear me out, you may be inclined to agree with me, my prince." Frieza glared at him, but made no move to silence him. Haabu smiled disarmingly, out of habit. "Even if you are...hesitant...to take the throne, you should at the very least talk to the Council about what has transpired since your disappearance. At the very least, they might like to hear of what happened on Namek, so that Arcos isn't totally in the dark." He thought he saw a flash of anger on Frieza's face at the mention of the planet, and hesitated.

"It is of no consequence," Frieza replied tonelessly, his anger masked again, "I dealt with the problem there, and it will never be a threat to Arcos, I assure you." He frowned slightly, considering that this was not a lie, in truth. 'Son Goku, whatever else he may be, is not a particularly vengeful man. Plus, I highly doubt he would leave this world unless he had reason to. As I understand it, he only traveled to Namek for his allies' sake. Were it not for the Planet Trade, he might never have had cause to ever leave this isolated world. How ironic, that our paths met in that place...'

"If I may be so bold...why were you in that system, anyway?" Haabu interrupted Frieza's train of thought. 'King Kold intercepted a distress call from Frieza's ship, that much I know...but beyond that, there was no information, nothing at all. It must have been something serious, for Frieza's ship to not have survived the planet's destruction...that's not like him to be quite so careless. Regardless, it is more curious still that the king retrieved him in blackout mode, and maintained that covertness for an entire year...all the way up to coming to this planet, where I'm led to believe he died...'

"What are you getting at, Haabu? And what does any of this have to do with the Council, or with the current situation?" Frieza said, his tone begging caution.

"What I'm getting at," Haabu pressed, "is that a leader, any leader, of Arcos, must be held accountable. They can't go rushing off, leaving their people in a lurch...like your brother did."

Frieza cocked a brow at this. "Kooler? Whenever was he in a position to lead our people?" Not a moment after the words left his mouth, his eyes widened, realizing what Haabu was referring to. "Now I follow...after my father's death and my disappearance, he took it upon himself to unite our portions of the empire under PTO rule, didn't he? I shouldn't be surprised; he always was the ambitious one."

"Ambitious, perhaps, but scatterbrained, not to mention disrespectful to a fault," Haabu said with a hmph, "As soon as we lost contact with your father's ship, the Council immediately summoned him, to request that he immediately make a show of support, as the new king. To nobody's surprise, that zikajidu rushed off despite the Council's request, and it has been chaos ever since!" The sienna-skinned alien threw his hands up and lashed his tail in frustration. "That is why you would do well to—" He was cut off by a low growl.

Frieza curled his lips back, eyes narrowed. "...You will not speak of my brother with such words again, Haabu. Ever." In his mind's eye, Frieza saw his brother, in that horrible dream, torturing him for failing to defend his honor. That might have been why he answered Haabu's insult so quickly, but reasoning aside, something else about Haabu's little ploy didn't sit well with him. "I fail to see how a simple show of support would have mattered then, at any rate, just as I cannot possibly fathom why I would need to seek support from the Council now. You have not given me anything more than vague threats of danger, all while constantly disrespecting not only me, but my family." He was standing now, staring dominantly at the bigger man with a look that said, in no uncertain terms, that the next words out of his mouth had better be carefully chosen.

To Frieza's surprise, Haabu did not back down, nor did he cower. "I will speak my mind, if it is in regards to a worthless spare prince who let his people down!" he growled, "When his people needed him, your dear brother left without so much as a word! At the time, nobody had any idea where he'd run off to! They still don't! I am the only one who knows the truth, that Kooler came here, and was killed." He returned Frieza's fiery glare. "Come to think of it, you are reminding me more and more of him, the more I strive to reason with you." His tail began weaving agitated loops in the air, as he too stood. "You and he both shirked your duties. It is unconscionable that you would endanger so much for...I don't even know what!" He pointed an accusing finger at the white-skinned Arcosian, baring his teeth as he spoke. "You are acting just like your worthless zikajidu brother, Frieza!"

Frieza was too stunned at Haabu's failure to use his title to react, simply standing in front of the larger man, quietly fuming at his words. 'He wasn't worthless!' he thought, in light of what he now knew, the fierce determination, the trust his brother showed him, despite all that he'd done, at the end... He shook his head to disperse the bloody memory of that day, as Haabu continued his tirade.

"...Really though, I suppose it makes sense that you would be tainted by the same capricious laziness as Kooler," Haabu ranted, "After all, that kind of thing is passed down in the blood, from your zikajidu mo—"

A change came over Frieza suddenly, his head snapping up, seething rage on his features. Before Haabu could even react, he'd been laid out on the ground, his face throbbing as stars danced in front of his blurry eyes. "Uugh..!" he groaned in pain, "Heh...hehe...such a temper... Now where was all that fire when I asked you, on behalf of your people and planet, to aid us?"

"You...shut up..." Frieza growled low in his throat, advancing on the fallen Arcosian.

SHHFFT!

"Frieza! What's going on here?" Goku asked, trying not to look overly concerned at the murderous look on the shorter alien's face. He glanced at Haabu out of the corner of his eye. 'He's still alive...good. Though whatever he said to Frieza, it really pushed him over the edge! I wish I'd gotten here sooner!'

"None of your business," Frieza hissed sharply, "If you would kindly stay out of this, I promise I won't leave a mess, but I do need to deal with this immediately." He slammed his tail on the ground. Haabu flinched, seeming to suddenly realize the position he was in.

"Sorry, no can do," Goku hazarded a thin smile, "Look, I dunno what happened, but you've gotta calm down. I don't want to have to do something we'll both regret, and nobody needs to die today, okay?"

Frieza made a truly frightening sound, a sort of roar of frustration and bloodlust, his aura popping around him as he forced it back down. "You and your worthless mercy," he growled, "Even towards the most irredeemable scum. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't kill him." He met the Saiyan's dark eyes, challenging him.

"Well, for one thing..." Goku thumbed his hand behind him, where Pansy Briefs, along with Bulma and Haabu's men, had gathered, drawn by the commotion, "...D'ya really want to do this here?" At Frieza's answering growl, Goku frowned. 'Not good! He's not thinking straight, that won't work... Think, Goku, think!' As the sweat dripped down the back of his neck, Goku took a few steps closer to Frieza, keeping Haabu behind him. "Well, um...he's not really worth it, is he? I mean, he's nothing to you, right? He can't do anything to make you go anywhere or do anything you don't want, and anything he says that you don't like, you can just ignore, okay? That's the same as killing him, really. Isn't it?"

Frieza stood stiffly, silently turning the Saiyan's words over in his mind. Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu would tell him when he was angry to step back from the situation, and take a deep breath. He attempted the latter, consciously feeling his muscles relax slightly with the exhalation. 'The last time he angered me, I let him go. The revelation that torturing and killing no longer brought me any sense of pleasure...' He couldn't meet Haabu's eyes, as Goku had smartly positioned himself directly between them, but he didn't have to see the Arcosian to know that he was rightfully terrified. "Hmph, you've convinced me. You're right, his life is meaningless to me, in the scheme of things. However, if he speaks ill of my family just once more...I will kill him."

Goku relaxed, letting out a relieved sigh. "Okay, deal. Haabu, maybe you should apologize. I mean, I don't know what you said, but it couldn't hurt your chances."

"Don't bother," Frieza said, "The only thing I require from you now, Haabu, is your complete absence. You are hereby ordered to leave this planet, and never return in any capacity." He smirked cruelly. "One way or the other, I get what I want, and if you refuse to go this way, I can always just kill you to rid myself of you once and for all." He noted Goku stiffening again at that remark, flicking his tail at the Saiyan. "That," he clarified, "was a warning, in case the Admiral doesn't get the picture. You and he are alike in that you're both hopelessly dense, I must say."

"...Oh Frieza, how far you've fallen," Haabu croaked, grinning wide through a mouth full of blood, "I think I see the circumstances now. Your resistance to leave this mudball of a planet, your subservience to this monkey trash...perhaps instead of you, I should ask him to defend Arcos. Seems he has more of a spine than you do, at this point." He spat a gob of blood to the side, his tail coiling in agitation.

Frieza growled, teeth bared to the gums, but Goku held his gaze, nodding "no." The Saiyan looked from one Arcosian to the other, saying, "C'mon Frieza, he's not worth getting worked up over. Just let him leave, and this will all be over with, okay?"

Haabu watched tensely, but when Frieza made no move to attack, a smirk snaked its way onto his bloodied face. "Oh yes, it will all be over, my prince," he said with a calm malice, "For Arcos, that is. Though I suppose that doesn't concern you now does it?" He broke eye contact with the furious scarlet eyes glaring hatefully, bellowing, "Mirtiro! Baderma! Balkin! To the ship, it is time for us to depart!"

The minions cowered as he called their names, with Mirtiro making the first move to step towards him. A tug on his armor halted him, and he looked behind him to see Bulma, blue eyes full of concern. "Don't go," she said forcefully, "You don't have to go with him."

The blue-feathered alien looked helplessly between the human and his master, who was now fuming, his large tail thumping the ground impatiently. "I...I c-can't..." He flinched visibly when Haabu called him again, gently trying to pry Bulma's slim fingers off his armor. "L-let me go, I have to go, or else he'll—"

"Screw Haabu!" Bulma hissed under her breath at him, "You don't think he'll just let you calmly fly back to wherever it is you came from, do you? He's gonna hurt you again!" Baderma and Balkin shifted from foot to foot uncomfortably, lagging behind with their Captain, their facial expressions begging him to do something.

"I-I...I can't refuse him...he won't honor a request to stay, you don't understa—"

"Hey Goku!" Bulma shouted through cupped hands, "As part of the deal, these three are staying put, okay?"

Across the yard, Goku narrowed his eyes and gave her a nod of knowing. "Right. You heard her Haabu, you get to leave with your life, but these guys aren't going with you. I'd say that's more than fair, wouldn't you?"

Haabu ground his teeth, growling and glaring daggers at his captain. "You...insolent, mutinous—!" He raised his hand, a glowing pink ball of ki forming in an instant.

Mirtiro gave a frightened squawk, shoving Bulma and Mrs. Briefs behind himself and lifting his arms to block, though he knew it would do little good. A loud bang! sounded as the two women yelped, and Mirtiro flinched, then opened his eyes. He stared at the white circle on an orange background, the black strokes of alien writing in the middle so close he could see the individual stitches.

Goku was in front of the group, hand outstretched and smoking slightly. "You should leave, Haabu," he said, in a dangerously low voice, "because just now, you managed to make me angry." Wordlessly, he built up his ki, giving in just a little to the old rage that he had mastered, finally letting forth a growl as his bangs lifted away from his forehead, glowing gold. Turquoise eyes glared into scarlet, as he repeated, "Get out of here. Now."

Haabu sneered at the golden warrior, slightly unnerved, but more annoyed than anything. 'How dare they! Taking my soldiers, my property! Tch, insurrectious cowards; I can replace them easily anyway...yes, the Super Saiyan is doing me a service by claiming those back-stabbers!' His tail beat the ground intermittently, as he let out a short bark of a laugh. "Fine, keep them. They don't deserve to be in my presence anyway...I'll just replace them with more loyal servants. They're your burden now, monkey. I'm sure you'll whip them into shape, just as you've done with my former lord." Before Frieza could react to his final insult, Haabu flared his ki, blasting off the ground with such force that Capsule Corporation's windows rattled.

"Is...is he gone?" Balkin squeaked, cowering behind Goku, "I didn't really think he'd let us stay..."

"Yeah, he's gone," Goku said in a grave voice. When he turned and saw the aliens staring at him with barely-disguised fear, he powered down and smiled. "Hey, thanks for shielding Bulma and her mom, by the way. That was real brave o' you guys."

"We... I mean...what else could we have done?" Baderma shrugged, "If you hadn't gotten in between Haabu and us, we'd all be ashes right now, so, uh, thanks to you too, I guess."

"I'm sorry Goku, I didn't think he'd try to kill them like that," Bulma apologized, "Guess it's a good thing we didn't let them go, otherwise he might've killed them anyway, just out of spite."

"No, it's okay, you did the right thing," Goku reassured her, "You're right, he's spiteful. I sensed that about him early on, but I'm just glad nobody got hurt too bad because of it. Hey...you okay, Mirtiro?"

The birdlike alien's crest rose as he spluttered, "No! I m-mean, yes! I-i'm f-fine!" Despite his words, they could see he was shaking badly. "I-I'm okay," he affirmed, "Please, don't worry about me. I'm just glad I didn't get any of you killed. Thank you, Bulma, for saving us, and thank you too, Goku."

The spiky-haired Saiyan gave him a wide grin. "No problem. You guys can stay here as long as you like, right Bulma?" The genius nodded with a wink and a smile. "See? Everything's worked out, and nobody had to die!"

"Hmph. Someone should have died," Frieza said in a low voice as he passed the group, rolling his eyes at how Mirtiro and the other two minions looked ready to die of panic at being so close to him. He flexed his tail behind him, thinking of how, yet again, Son Goku had defused him. A nagging sense of wrongness at the situation made him growl, remembering Haabu's insults and insinuations. As Goku moved towards him, a sickeningly cheerful grin on his stupid face, the Arcosian quickly outpaced him, disappearing into the building angrily.

"Mutiny..! That's what this is, mutiny!" Haabu hissed to himself, ascending back up to the ship. As the transport beam faded, he stormed off the platform, immediately coming upon the officer in charge of the orbiting craft.

"Ah! We were not expecting you back so suddenly, Admiral sir. Uh...where is Captain Mirtiro? What about the others you went planetside with? Are they remaining on the surface with Lord Frieza until he makes preparations to embark with us?" The officer, orange-skinned, with two horns poking up through a shock of white hair, clasped his hands together expectantly.

"Grr..! They've gone against me..." Haabu growled, "Captain Mirtiro and his associates have mutinied..."

"Uh... Sorry?" the officer gaped, his tone confused and worried at Haabu's foul mood as he backed away.

"No, I don't think you are sorry," Haabu said, his eye twitching, "In fact, I don't believe that any of you are loyal. Not with corruption and treachery in your ranks. You're all against me, aren't you? I should have seen this coming, the need to purge my ship of dissenters..."

"What?! No, no sir, you have it all wrong!" the creature waved his hands placatingly as he backed away, "We are all undyingly loyal to you, Admiral! All of us would gladly follow you until our deaths, sir, I swear it!"

Haabu's stern face morphed into a sickening grin. "Then you shall. If you are all as loyal as you say, then you will have no qualms with dying like faithful soldiers." As the petrified officer opened his mouth to protest, or beg, whichever, Haabu released a pink spear of energy, cutting him off with a gurgle. Calmly, Haabu stepped over the leaking body, making his way to the bridge. Once there, he hit the comm button. 'No use being inefficient about it,' he thought with a chuckle. "Attention all personnel," his smooth voice rang out throughout the ship, "Report to the bridge immediately for a...loyalty assessment exercise." As the first few soldiers filed in, he shot neat holes through their regulation helmets, then swept the bodies away from the door with his tail, leaving a smear of blood. 'All the traitors will come willingly to their execution,' he thought darkly, 'and the rest of the cowards, I will simply have to scour the ship for. Tedious, yes, but necessary...'

He would need time, yes. Time to regroup, to plan his revenge against the greatest coward and failure of all...Frieza. As a high-ranking officer entered the bridge, slipping on the slick of blood, Haabu casually fired a shot through the man's chest. 'He humiliated me,' Haabu thought, anger rising, making his blood boil. In his mind, he saw the smirking face of Kooler, mocking him outright. In the next moment, Kooler's face became Frieza's, wearing the same expression. The next minion who appeared in the doorway did not even take a single step before Haabu pounced upon him with a roar of anger, and bodily ripped the screaming man in half, tossing the ragged corpse aside like a discarded food wrapper. 'He will pay,' Haabu thought, impaling another alien on his tail before flicking the body free, 'Not just Frieza, though. That Saiyan ape...I will make him beg for mercy and forgiveness! Perhaps I will even take him, alive, just to amuse myself...and those humans too, they could prove useful as slaves, though not as fighters...' Distractedly, he grabbed a fleeing crewman's head in one massive hand, and squeezed until the aggravatingly high-pitched scream cut out with a squelch.

"No one will know of the humiliation I suffered at your hands, Frieza. And when I return, sorrowful at the loss of the true heir...no, mournful of the loss of the illustrious Kold lineage, I will swear loyalty and fealty to Arcos! I will become their Sword and Shield! Haha...hahaha... Ahahahahaha!" As blood soaked through the bottom of his cape, Haabu stalked down the hall, a new spring in his step as he went room to room, committing himself to the wholesale purge as panicked screams began to echo through the halls ahead.

"So...this is normal?" Balkin asked, "You all just...kinda live with him around the corner?"

"Yeah," Bulma replied nonchalantly, "He's not pissed off all the time, though. Most of the time, I even forget he's an alien. Besides that, he mostly hangs out with Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu...hmm, you know, if it weren't for us, Frieza'd be essentially homeless..." The blue-haired genius giggled at that realization, while the humanoid alien just gaped at her incredulously.

"It's official — you humans are nuts," Baderma quipped, "Pissed or not, I'd hightail it off the entire planet if Frieza were on it, you know? Double time, if he's angry."

"Oh stop," Bulma pouted, "He's not that bad, and besides, between Goku and everyone else, we've got him covered, even when he's grumpy like this...which is fairly rare now, except apparently when space invaders like your former boss come here to bug him."

Dr. Briefs straightened his glasses, looking through the magnifier at Balkin's armor, which he had removed. "So...you say that this is all standard issue, eh? I'm amazed at the quality, if this is all mass-produced like you say!" He looked positively gleeful, examining the structure at magnification.

"Yeah," Balkin replied, "I mean, it's not quite one size fits all, but close enough that any species in the known galaxy can put it on without much effort. For the weird ones, like this guy I knew with wings, they just cut that back panel out. Little mods and additions like that are common, and if soldiers don't like the equipment they've got, it isn't hard to tweak it a bit."

"Heck, as long as you've got some kind of chest armor, nobody cares much about the 'regulation uniform,' I've noticed," Baderma said, "The only time I ever saw someone get in trouble over something was this upstart new recruit on a base I worked at. Stupid kid came in with a cape he'd probably sewn himself, and the captain of the base told him to take it off — only the bigshot high-ranking people ever wear capes. He didn't, and we all got to watch his punk ass get beat by all the superior officers. Other than the cape thing, nobody cares." He shrugged. "Jewelry, tattoos, little accessories, I've seen all kinds of stuff that ain't 'regulation,' and nobody even blinks at that stuff, unless you're impersonating a higher rank than what you've earned."

"So...high-ranked people wear capes?" Bulma asked, curiously tapping her fingernails on her chin, "Because I remember, when I went to Namek, there was this guy...and he had a white cape. He also had the whole thing going too like you said; cape, earrings, jewelry on his forehead, these weird leg and arm warmer things...but he was really handsome, so that's more what I was looking at, until suddenly, he, er, didn't look like such a hot prospect." She cringed, remembering the sickening sound his body had made as it puffed up, into a horrible, warty beast with a snout full of fangs. 'Boy, was my first impression off...' she thought.

Balkin and Baderma had sweat drops on their heads, and a near-identical expression of disbelief. "Don't tell me lady...you were hitting on General Zarbon? Now I know you're mental," Baderma deadpanned.

"Oh yeah! That's what Vegeta called him!" Bulma affirmed, "Right before he, y'know, killed him. It was too bad, I guess; it sounds like he was a pretty important guy, from what you said."

Balkin shrugged, "We never met him. Grunts like us didn't interact much with Frieza's men, if at all. Reputations are how you know people in the PTO, and it always seemed like Frieza went out of his way to collect every warrior who was scary-strong, and so crazy they'd kill you for looking at them funny."

Bulma gave a slight smile, though her eyes reflected the realization she'd made. "Yeah...I guess it takes one to know one? Between Frieza and Vegeta, I'm sure they could make some lucky shrink a lot of money, if we could strap them down and force them into therapy." Joking aside, she wondered where the wayward prince was now. 'Sure hope that ship's holding up, and he hasn't stranded himself on a deserted planet, or something stupid like that,' she thought, 'I wouldn't mind seeing him again, at any rate. Unlike that Zarbon guy, his looks are the real deal...though his stuck-up personality might be a deal-breaker. Oh well, with any luck, maybe space has mellowed him out. A girl can dream...'

"Gee, what's that say about us then, eh?" Balkin laughed, elbowing Baderma playfully.

Baderma smirked. "Well, with the way you constantly mess with that fuzz you call hair, perhaps you really do love yourself as much as Haabu loves himself, Balkin. Me? I'm a simple, uncomplicated guy. I like machines, and that's enough obsession and complexity for me."

"You'll fit in just fine here, then," Dr. Briefs chuckled, still examining the armor.

Bulma sighed. "You know, the one thing I'm really disappointed about is that I never got to go on your ship. Man, if it was anything like the ship Frieza came in, I'd have had a field day!" She groaned melodramatically, as the two aliens once again looked at her with amused expressions. "Wait, where's Mirtiro?" she asked, "I haven't seen him this morning."

"Said he was exhausted by the whole ordeal yesterday," Baderma replied, "For once, the early bird is sleeping in! I couldn't believe it myself, but it makes sense he'd be beat after all that."

"Huh. Well, as long as he's not ripping all his feathers out, I'm happy for him," Bulma said, "Besides, after yesterday, he's not the only one taking time off to sleep in — Frieza's been moping in his room since last night. Wanna take a bet on who comes out into the light of day first?" She gave a playful wink.

Chin cradled in his right hand, Frieza stared out the window at the sunset sky. Every time his mind returned to Haabu's insults, he wanted to throw the damn window open, and fly screaming to the edge of the atmosphere where Haabu's ship probably still loitered, and blow it to smithereens. 'Too obvious,' he thought bitterly, 'I'd be chastised for certain if I did that... On the other hand, a well-aimed meteor could cause some beautiful havoc on a ship of that class...even with shielding, the acceleration would punch a hole in it. Ah, and then that fool would be robbed of the air it takes to produce such poisonous words...' Though poetic, that karmic revenge scenario was highly unlikely. He sighed, thinking back to the words Haabu had hurled so easily at him, with such audacity. The only one he had not directly insulted was his father — and that was in keeping with his practical worship of the man. Everyone else, Royal or not, paled in comparison. 'The sycophant...if Father were still alive, I guarantee that Haabu would be clinging to his tail!'

At least, as Goku said, this would all be over soon. 'Until the next crisis, the next call for help from Arcos,' the intrusive, nagging voice whispered. Frieza shook his head with a growl. "No. If the situation were serious, why would they send Haabu? They must truly believe that I am dead, and sent the bastard on a fool's errand to occupy his time." He sighed, "Perhaps Haabu's presence clouded my judgement. Goku has been a thorn in my side, but after everything I've seen, he's certainly not into skullduggery and the like...plus I very much doubt he has the mental capacity to pull off manipulating me. Even at my worst, I'm still sharper than a guileless Saiyan, certainly..." He looked around the guestroom, eyes drawn to the top of the bureau, and the box. There was no evidence that Goku had seen it, or its contents. When would he have had the chance? He might have been careless, leaving it on top of a piece of furniture — and Bulma had clearly seen him place it there — but though they were close, he somehow doubted she would share what she saw with the Saiyan, if she truly had disturbed the box, and his privacy. 'The woman has some boundary issues,' he thought with a cringe and a smirk, 'but that isn't one of them.' The question then remained: how and when had Son Goku gotten a look at it?

The Arcosian shook his head. "No use trying to figure it out," he decided, "I don't know why he brought it up...maybe he just guessed?" A silent, still moment passed. "Not a chance," Frieza admitted to himself, "His intuition is powerful, not omnipotent!" He took the box down again, lifting the clasp and the lid. He'd forgotten before opening the box the other day, but there were pictures in here, as well. Photographs, aged and worn, of varying qualities, that showed him as a child, his father and mother, and of course Kooler. He smiled faintly, flipping through them one by one, recalling the strange epiphany he'd had. 'I was loved, once,' he thought, running his thumb over his mother's face, 'I wonder if I will ever feel like that again? Is that why Earth holds me fast, despite there being a multitude of reasons for me not to stay?' Secretly, he hoped that he was wrong. About Goku's manipulation of him, about the crisis he feared might grip Arcos, about his inescapable fate as a demon. The paranoid voice, however, warned him that not everything was as it seemed, and Earth was too good to be true, if people like Haabu could seek him out still. Looking at a group picture of his parents, his brother, and himself, all of them smiling, happy, Frieza pushed the intrusive thoughts to the back of his mind.

Humming to himself cheerfully, Haabu finished applying wax to his casque, smiling at his impeccable reflection. Alone in his lavish personal quarters aboard the ship, he could almost pretend that he was already coronated king. 'No, not just yet,' he thought with giddy anticipation, 'First, I have to take care of all the little loose ends...I've only gotten rid of the common trash. Now, I have to ensure that Frieza himself will never be able to threaten my claim to Arcos. And the Super Saiyan, as well...' He chuckled, thinking of the power he'd seen from the orange-clad Saiyan, standing with hand outstretched, a look of rage apparent despite his calm stance. 'He thought himself clever, not showing his full power from the start... Oh, but two can play at that game, little monkey. And I'm afraid that I have a far better poker face than either you or Frieza.'

He straightened his armor, then strode out into the hallway, lifting the hem of his cape above the gore-covered floor. Haabu wrinkled his nose at the mess, looking up at the sound of dripping to see what remained of a PTO soldier adhered to the ceiling, the blood lazily dropping down from the barely-recognizable alien. The sienna-skinned Arcosian sighed heavily as he edged around the corpse, making sure it didn't spill anything on his armor or cape, distraught at the thought that he would have to deal with this later. 'Ah, that's right,' he remembered, perking up, 'I had planned on taking some of the more useful humans with me. That will be a good starting task for the lot of them to prove their loyalty to their new master.' Decision made, and his spirits high, Haabu grinned as he punched in the coordinates for beam transport on the bridge's center console.

"Hm?" Pansy Briefs looked out the window curiously.

"What's up, Mom?" Bulma asked, "Oh hey, did you want help with dinn—"

"Shh!" the blonde woman hissed, pausing in her daughter's confused silence. Then, "Do you hear that humming? It sounds like one of our hovercars, but bigger..."

"What, like a spacesh— Oh shit!" the blue-haired scientist swore, finally seeing the saucer-shaped craft dropping below the cloud cover, "It's Haabu! Where's Frieza? Call me crazy, but I don't think Haabu came back to apologize!" she worried, running down the hall and taking the stairs two at a time up to the guest wing's second floor.

Mrs. Briefs' thin eyebrows knit together in an uncharacteristic look of concern. "Oh dear..."

BANG BANG BANG!

Frieza started at the sound of someone trying to, from the sound of it, break down his door. "What the..?! Who's there?" he called, annoyed at being disturbed as he began carefully stacking the photos from his box.

"Open up, Haabu's back!" Bulma shouted through the door, "We need to figure out a way to get a hold of Goku, but meanwhile, you need to get out there and stall him!"

'See, you knew this would happen...' the nagging, insidious inner voice taunted. Frieza growled, interpreting the human's words. 'I am merely a distraction, until the Super Saiyan gets here to clean up my mess!" he thought indignantly.

"What are you doing, you've gotta get out here now!" Bulma yelled.

He heard her cursing under her breath, then the sound of something sliding, and an electronic beep as she bypassed the security lock and burst into the room. 'Damn her!' he thought, scrambling to return the pictures to the metal box.

"Frieza, did you even hear...me? What is all that?" the woman asked, intrigued, "Hey, it's that box!"

"Grr, it's none of your business!" the Arcosian snapped, "This is private...you were not supposed to just barge in here and see it!" His tail beat against the bed, dislodging a fluttering photo. The picture glided to a stop at Bulma's feet. As the impetuous woman knelt, fingers outstretched, he felt an irrational urge to backhand her out of reach of the precious photo. "Don't touch that!" he shouted, making her flinch.

"I'm...I'm sorry..." she said softly, as he snatched up the faded picture, shoving it in the metal box and practically throwing it on top of the bureau out of her reach, "That picture...are those your—"

"It's none of your business," Frieza hissed defensively, "As I said before, I thought I had privacy...not that such a thing matters to you." She looked for all the world as if he had actually backhanded her, and he momentarily felt a sinking, twisting sensation in his gut. "...Never mind. If Haabu is here, I will kill him, as I promised him I would. Not even the Super Saiyan will try to stop me, if he has any sense in that empty head of his." With a guttural growl, he stepped past her, tail switching in anger.

Still kneeling on the floor, Bulma wanted to say something. To yell down the hall that he was a rude, tactless jerk, or demand that he was out of line and needed to apologize, but... 'I was the one out of line,' she considered, thinking of the startled, fearful look he'd had when she'd opened that door. A square corner peeked out from under the bed, and she gingerly pulled a yellowed photo out. 'It must have gotten under here when he panicked, trying to put everything away before I saw it,' she realized. Looking at the brittle picture, her jaw slackened. What had to be Frieza as a small child, held by a taller being with a soft, clearly feminine face, took up one half of the picture, while Kold — at least she thought that had to be him, even without the curved horns — stood with his hand on the shoulder of another, older child. 'This is...it has to be. It's his family. I guess that they're all dead, now,' she thought sadly, 'No wonder he wanted some privacy. He was grieving them! And I just came in here, oblivious to everything, and barked orders at him!' She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut, cursing her brashness. "I've spent my whole life building and fixing things," she said to herself, "but when it comes to people...I just do more damage to the ones who need fixing the most..! Goddamnit Bulma, how can you be a literal genius and still be so stupid..?"

Frieza eyed the ship's cannon warily, as it hovered above Capsule Corporation's grounds. 'It doesn't seem as though he has plans for using that thing...but I'd best be on my guard if he decides it might close the gap between us. Even at my full power, that would do some damage,' he surmised. From the stationary ship, Haabu appeared above the center hatch, and leapt down, slowing his descent with his ki to gracefully touch down. Even from where he stood, Frieza curled his lip at the gaudiness of Haabu's armor and cape. 'He looks like he's about to strut in some parade, rather than fight,' Frieza thought, 'What the hell is he planning to do?'

With a self-confident grin, Haabu strode towards the younger Arcosian, tail held high behind him. "Ah, I'm so glad that I managed to catch your attention, Frieza," he said, voice dripping with sarcasm, "Don't worry though, I won't require much of your time. After all, I know how...dismissive you can be of me, so I'll make this short and simple enough for even you to understand." He leaned slightly towards the white-skinned Arcosian, looking down his nose at him as his tail waved stiffly. "As of today, I will be ruling Arcos, and I will no longer bow to you, Frieza. Since you have made it abundantly clear that you are not fit to lead your people, I will humbly take on your burden. I had thought you to be the spitting image of your father, but I confess that I was mistaken." He narrowed his scarlet eyes, his grin turning to a sneer. "You're nothing more than a broken failure, and when I tell the Council that you are just as weak and disloyal as your brother, they will have no choice but to—"

CRACK! Haabu slowly turned his face from the impact of Frieza's tail, a trickle of blood staining the corner of his dark lips. "...Ah, I'd forgotten. You said you would kill me if I deigned to disrespect your pathetic family again, didn't you?" He spread his arms to his sides, mockingly inviting an attack. "Well then, just try to defend their worthless honor, Frieza!"

The white-skinned Arcosian met his crazed eyes, anger welling up within him. 'He's insane, but I didn't think he was suicidal,' he thought, hesitating, 'No! He is nothing more than a puffed-up fool. He's certainly not as strong as my father, and even if he was...I've grown stronger as well.' He forced his rage down, hiding it under a coolly smirking facade. "I never pegged you as particularly intelligent," he insulted, smiling at the face Haabu made in response, "but this? You truly are a hapless fool, Haabu. Do you not recall what happens to those who challenge a Demon? Just what do you think will happen, now that you've taken the extra step of insulting one?, hmm?" He cracked his knuckles, lashing his tail behind him, as he said in a low voice, "Take heed of my words and despair, Haabu, for I, Prince Frieza Kold of Arcos, shall bury you."

A bead of sweat slipped down Haabu's face, his confident expression momentarily faltering. "Oh, is that a promise? In that case, I'll be sure to return the insult, should I win. But I wouldn't count on winning, if I were you." He began to laugh ominously, finally prompting Frieza to make a move, as he jetted forward in a burst of ki, cocking back a punch. Haabu responded, surprisingly, by parrying the move, gripping Frieza's outstretched arm and tossing him away. "I told you," he snickered, "I will no longer bow to you, Frieza. Oh, you have no idea how exquisite this feels, to not have to hide my awesome power from you any longer!"

Frieza cocked his brow at that. "What are you prattling on about, you delusional oaf? If this is your power, then I'm far from impressed. I intend to break you completely, and wipe that smirk off your face!" His tail cracked the ground as it lashed, before the small Arcosian disappeared in an instant, swiftly reappearing at Haabu's side to backhand him. Again, Haabu's hand came up, catching his fist easily, and the reddish-brown Arcosian hurled him away.

"Now now, I know you're a particularly impatient brat, but do try to sit still for once," Haabu teased maliciously, "After all, once I get started, you'll be wishing you'd saved your stamina. I at least want you to keep enough energy to be able to beg, otherwise this will be dreadfully boring." With a rumbling growl, he began to power up. Small stones rattled on the ground at his feet, before rising into the air around him as his pink aura hummed and pulsed energetically.

Undeterred, Frieza followed suit, his own energy roaring to life in a violent blaze of crimson. 'No matter,' he thought, 'There's still no way he could possibly challenge me!' A strange sensation washed over him, as he suddenly realized why Haabu was so confident. 'No...it's impossible...' he thought with horror, the familiar sensation of an energy greater than his drowning out his senses. 'He's... It's just like with Father...and Kooler!' he realized, 'Shit! I didn't take into account the possibility that he might be hiding his true strength!'

Haabu laughed, his body distending steadily. "You should be honored, Frieza. After all, you're the only one who has seen this side of me...you're the only one who has ever prompted me to take such extreme measures!" His armor creaked in protest, but held together as the admiral's body grew up and out, as he growled, "Nrrrgh...though this form certainly detracts from my looks, I'm confident that it will be sufficient to crush you." He leered at Frieza, standing with a slight hunch despite his great height, the distended cranium of his Third Form making him seem unbalanced. Massive spikes had punched through the back of his armor and ripped through his cape, but it was mostly intact, expanding to accommodate his significantly larger chest and shoulders.

Frieza gaped at him, unable to say anything, fixated on the pulsing wave of power that drowned out his senses, and made him feel light-headed. 'His ki...it's enormous!' he thought, staring wide-eyed at the hulking monster Haabu had turned into, the reddish-brown Arcosian's distended face bearing a disturbing grin.

"Shall we?" Haabu mock-bowed with a flick of his tail, before disappearing. Frieza didn't have time to react, doubling over completely at the fist embedded in his midsection, his mouth wide open and eyes bulging.

'He's so fast!' the Arcosian prince thought, trying desperately to force air back into his lungs, 'I didn't even see him move!' He couldn't consider his predicament further, as Haabu drove an elbow into the back of his head. "Aaghack!" he coughed, crumpled in a small impact crater, "H-how..?" he rasped, looking up at the towering mass of muscle and spikes, "How are you even this strong in your Third Form?"

Haabu smiled, clearly proud of himself. "Isn't it obvious? I told you, didn't I? Your father's potential was transferred to me, unspoiled by your zikajidu mother's blood! They all thought that you were the one with the potential, but that wasn't the case at all — your father held all the raw power, power that I now command and control!" He punted Frieza across the field, racing to the opposite end to use his tail to swat him upwards. He flashed into sight above Frieza, clubbing him back down to earth viciously.

"Oh my god...he's gonna kill him if we don't do something!" Bulma exclaimed. Upon hearing what sounded like an explosion, she had come outside to see the spectacle, expecting to see Frieza disciplining Haabu... It had been too fast for her to see, but what she couldn't deny was the fact that Frieza was in a crater...and Haabu wasn't even breaking a sweat, from the look of it. 'He could break a mirror with that transformation,' she thought in disgust, 'but it looks like Frieza can't win this, and he knows it. Guess he figured looking like the monster he really is trumps his self-image.' She turned to Haabu's three speechless former subordinates, who looked absolutely terrified, having rushed outside and seen the tide of the battle. "Hey, you guys gotta keep it together, okay? Don't worry, Goku'll be here soon, and I'm sure he can beat him!"

"Then why isn't he here yet?"

The voice slightly behind them made Bulma jump a mile, as she screamed and whirled around. "Piccolo? When did you get here? More importantly, why aren't you out there? Frieza's getting beat to a pulp!"

Piccolo glared at her. "If he's not able to keep up with Haabu, what good do you think I would do?" He grimaced. "As much as I hate to admit it, Frieza and I are just about even in power; if I stepped in, there's no guarantee either of us would have a chance. But more importantly, Goku should be here, and he isn't. He should have been here a long time ago, in fact. Grr! What's he thinking, letting this go on?"

Bulma opened her mouth to offer an explanation, when suddenly, a light as bright as the sun illuminated the ground as if it were daylight. Above them, Frieza had mustered enough of a counteroffensive to fire a blast at Haabu. The monstrous Arcosian answered with his own ki blast of equal size, the two striking each other with a burst of light. As she blinked away the afterimage, Bulma gasped. A smaller fireball, deflected from the main body of the explosion, was arcing towards them. "Piccolo! Do someth—" she screamed, the blast drowning her words out.

"Wolf Fang Fist!" a voice shouted above the din. Even before the light faded, the silhouette left no doubt as to the identity of their savior.

"Yamcha!" Bulma cried, "When did you get here?"

"Just now, actually," the scar-faced bandit offered with a crooked grin, floating down to where they stood. He was cradling his right arm awkwardly. It looked burnt. "I didn't think, I just, uh, intercepted. Good thing too, or you'd be chewing me out from Otherworld, huh?"

Bulma didn't take her eyes off his arm. "Yeah yeah, now let me see that arm of yours — that was so reckless! Piccolo would've gotten it, wouldn't you, Piccolo?"

The tall Namek crossed his arms and smirked. "Maybe. At any rate, it's good to see you humans taking care of yourselves for once."

The blue-haired woman stuck her tongue out at him. "Jerk! You're a pretty bad liar, I mean, who wouldn't go out of their way to save a damsel in distress? Especially someone as beautiful and valuable to your cause as me?"

As Piccolo rolled his eyes and grumbled, the other aliens crowded around Yamcha and Bulma. "That was damn amazing," Baderma complimented, "We thought we were toast for sure, especially without the Super Saiyan around. Guess all of you guys had the wool pulled over our eyes, huh? How strong are you all?"

"I'm not that strong," Yamcha admitted with a wince as Bulma probed his arm, "but we humans are good at ki control so...as long as that big guy doesn't decide to come down here and punch me, I can at least make sure everyone on the sidelines is safe from the shrapnel." He looked up at the ongoing fight, concerned. "I'm just worried that it might come down to us if Frieza doesn't find a way to beat Haabu...hey Piccolo, do you sense where Goku and Gohan are? It feels like they're at their house, and haven't even noticed any of this yet."

"Of course!" Piccolo shouted, "He said he and Gohan had plans to train today!"

"So...why would that make him less likely to respond?" Yamcha asked, confused.

"The idiot is asleep, and I wouldn't be surprised if Gohan was as well," Piccolo explained with a growl, "I always tried to teach that boy to keep his guard up, even while sleeping! Grrrr...now I know where he gets it from!"

"That's right! Goku sleeps like a rock," Bulma recalled, "He slept through explosions and stuff when we were younger, so it doesn't surprise me that he's out like a light after training all day." She pulled her mobile phone from her jacket pocket. "I'll call Chi-chi, she'll probably answer the phone, and she can alert them."

"Good thinking, Bulma," Yamcha said, nodding at her momentarily before turning his attention back to the aerial battle. "Just hurry it up, okay? Frieza's slowing down a lot."

Frieza spat blood to the side, rubbing the side of his aching mouth. 'This is like fighting Kooler, all over again!' he thought angrily, 'I underestimated him! I didn't even consider that he could ever be this strong...and he took advantage of my dismissiveness!'

"Come on," Haabu called tauntingly, "Surely you have more to offer me than this pathetic display. The only thing that separates you from the pitiful, traitorous weaklings I disposed of on my ship is that you're still breathing...and I guarantee, that alone will not save you." He chuckled darkly. "Oh no, not even begging will save you now...though it will make your submission much more amusing, hahahaha..." He whipped up his arm, spearing a thick beam past Frieza's head. The smaller Arcosian jerked away from the obvious feint, right into Haabu's waiting fist. As he teetered away from the impact, Haabu grabbed him around the throat with his tail, bringing him level with his monstrous face. He brought his hand up, and delivered an open-palmed slap to the younger Arcosian. Then another, and another, relishing in the deep purple bruises blooming on the white skin as Frieza's head snapped back and forth. "Face it, Frieza. You may be a legend, but I, as an artificial demon, have you beat. How do you like that prospect, hm?"

Frieza opened his swollen eyes slightly, teeth gritted as he struggled against Haabu's tightening grip. "...You'll...you'll never...get out from under...my shadow, you...two-bit pretender..!" As Haabu's grin turned into an unamused scowl, he forced himself to smile condescendingly through the pain. "You know something? You remind me...of Kooler. He...said the same thing to me...and you're nothing, compared...to...him!" Haabu's face contorted with rage, as Frieza summoned all the energy he dared to his right hand, readying his left.

"You! Shut up!" Haabu hissed, squeezing tightly, constricting the prince's throat to cut off the lies he spewed. "I am all-powerful, and you still have the mindset that you are my superior?! That I am less even than the weak, failure of a prince?! Now I know you are mad, Frieza! You deny reality!"

Frieza froze suddenly, the words of Kooler in his nightmare rushing back to him. 'Yes, he's right. I shut out reality, if only to protect myself in the short run...and I run from responsibility and blame, hiding behind my demon's mask, while everyone around me pays the price! But now... I'm done running!' He brought up his right hand, ki blast at the ready, and shoved it into Haabu's face. As the Arcosian reeled backwards Frieza snapped out his sword and slashed upwards.

"Gaaaaaah—! You brat! I'll snap your neck for that, you little bastard! I'll— Aaaaargh!" He reeled back, screaming as he clutched at the stump of his tail. "My tail! You dare to mutilate my perfect body?!"

Frieza shrugged off the limply twitching coil of Haabu's tail, flicking his sword to the side. "Perfect? Listen to yourself Haabu, if you were perfect, why would you even need artificial transformations?" He smirked at Haabu's flustered, enraged face. "Even if you were naturally as gifted as my father and I...and yes, my brother, too...you'd still be held back by that travesty of a personality. Do you wish to know what others think of you, Haabu?" He paused, taking in the almost comical sight of Haabu's eyes bulging, the blood vessels standing out as he shook with uncontrollable anger. It dawned on him that by angering Haabu, he was about to invite a more brutal beating upon himself, where Haabu had clearly been only playing earlier. He smiled inwardly, thinking, 'Either that, or he'll slip up because he's so angry. Tenshinhan always goaded me to get the upper hand, and I think I see why. Not only is it easy, but at least I'll get some catharsis before he comes at me swinging again.' He hazarded leaving himself open to rest his sword casually across his shoulder, putting his other hand on his hip. "I suspect...that you are a no-talent buffoon, only promoted to the position of admiral to shut you up, and minimize your ability to damage my uncle's reputation."

"Shut your mouth, liar!" Haabu roared, telegraphing a punch as he rushed in. Frieza ducked under it, but Haabu bodily slammed into him instead, knocking him across the dark sky.

"Khh..! Even when he barely makes contact, he does damage!" Frieza breathed. "Ah well...it's better than being hit directly... Haabu!" he shouted, "I wasn't quite finished. Your demonstrable rudeness is yet another unsavory quality, second only to your annoyingly inflated opinion of yourself!"

"You lie, Demon!" Haabu yelled, barrelling at him again, "I'm superior to all the other trash, by merit of my talents! Pitiful worms who spread gossip are only jealous of my achievements!" Frieza readied his sword this time, but Haabu narrowed his eyes and disappeared in a flash. Reappearing behind the smaller Arcosian, he axe-kicked him straight down, with Frieza vanishing in a cloud of dust as he hit the ground. "Ha! You see?! Try as you might, you can't even touch me, unless you use cheap, cowardly tactics like that sword of yours!"

The harsh ring carried through the small house, as Chi-chi sleepily shuffled over to the corded phone's cradle. "...Mm, hello?" she murmured, rubbing her eyes.

[Chi-chi! It's Bulma! Are Goku and Gohan there?] the voice on the other end demanded.

"Yes, but they're asleep; they had a really exhausting training session earlier today...why? What's the matter?"

[Can you get them up? Now?] Bulma urged, [We need Goku over here immediately. Haabu turned into this big monster-alien thing, and Frieza can't handle him alone.]

Chi-chi frowned, suddenly awake and annoyed at the memory of the condescending alien, whose head she'd broken her favorite frying pan over. "Serves him right! I still haven't forgiven him for what he did to Gohan! But..." she sighed, putting her hand to her forehead, "...I guess that Haabu's the bigger threat, right?"

[Right now, definitely,] Bulma said, a huge crackle traveling through the phone line, [Shit, he just backhanded Frieza into a crater again...look, if you want, I'll make him apologize when this is all said and done, just get Goku and Gohan out of bed, and over here, quick!]

Chi-chi listened as the connection crackled more, obscuring Bulma's next words in static. It sounded like she'd said something about Frieza not getting back up. The dark-haired woman's brow creased, her mouth pressed into a thin line. "He'll be there in a minute, Bulma," she promised, "and don't worry about the apology. If he's fighting on our side now...well, I don't have the right to demand that anymore, I suppose." Without waiting for an answer, she replaced the phone on the hook, and marched into Goku's bedroom to rouse him.

Krillin sped as fast as he could towards Capsule Corp, cringing at the horrible energy he felt between the clashing Arcosians. 'These guys... They're mutants of raw power! There's not going to be anything left of Capsule Corporation at this rate!' he thought to himself, racing towards the Briefs' building. Reaching the area, he spotted Bulma, Piccolo, and Yamcha outside the main building, and flew towards them. Suddenly, a white blur sped past him, clashing with a reddish-brown blur. "Gah!" he involuntarily cried, sidestepping across the sky and quickly dropping to the ground, "Geez! Okay guys, fill me in here, what's with Haabu and Frieza?"

Piccolo gave him a calculating smirk. "That was reckless of you to approach and fly right through the battle itself," he said, "but you recovered well, I'll admit. Maybe you humans have been taking my advice about training seriously. To answer your question, it appears that Haabu decided to stage a one-man coup...and Frieza isn't about to die without a fight just so Haabu can lay claim to Arcos."

Krillin frowned at Piccolo's dismissive attitude. "Yeah well, I just sensed their powers shooting up, and got here as fast as I could. I didn't think they'd nearly run me over midair, they're just so fast!" He crossed his arms with a hmph. "Anyway, you're right that I've been training...you don't even know the half of it." A small, cocky smile spread across his face, as he closed his eyes.

"Well, I'm glad you're here," Yamcha said, "Goku's not here yet, so if either Haabu or Frieza take any shots at the buildings around here, or start moving towards the city, we've got to be proactive about protecting everyone, right?" He looked around, meeting everyone's eyes, as they nodded in agreement — even Haabu's men.

"I don't know how much help we can be," Balkin said, "but we owe you our lives. If you want the city defended, I'm sure we can manage something, right Captain?"

Mirtiro nodded, "Right. As long as it isn't a direct blast, the three of us combined can surely stop it."

Frieza swung his sword with all his might at the imposing brown-skinned Arcosian, screaming with unbridled rage in every swing. Haabu easily evaded Frieza's attacks, then delivered a kick to his abdomen. The sword went spinning out of his hand and landed in the dirt a few feet behind him. Frieza himself rolled backwards a few times before finally falling flat on his face. 'Gghh…' the former tyrant sputtered, taking a huge amount of effort getting up. 'Damn that Haabu...he has been toying with me from the start, treating me, me, of all people, like a child's plaything. I will end his miserable life, even if I have to die with him!' Shakily, he rose to his feet, eying Haabu as he descended to the ground.

"Hmm...I do believe that you've given me all the entertainment I could hope to squeeze from you," the hulking Arcosian observed, "And now, I'm getting bored with this little game." A nasty grin split his face. "Goodbye, Frieza. At least you will rest easily, knowing that Arcos is in good hands...as is your precious Earth. It will make a fine colony world for the Planet Trade's market."

Frieza gritted his teeth in rage, clenching his fists. "No..!" he growled, "I won't allow it! I won't let you!" A new resolve in his eyes, he burst forward, enveloped in ki, raising his power to its maximum despite the risks.

"Oho...what's this..?" Haabu chuckled, readying himself, his tail held high with confidence.

"Reverse Imprisonment Ball!" the white-skinned Arcosian screamed, his aura billowing around him in an opaque swirl of purple and red. Already, he felt the strain, the ache in his muscles from expending this much ki at once. 'Got to hold out, just a little longer! I have to do some damage to this juggernaut! I cannot allow him to win!' He crashed into Haabu with an electric CRACK, as their auras clashed and threw off sparks.

"Hehehehe..." Haabu chuckled, smirking at Frieza through the veil of swirling energy, "It's useless...your pitiful power can't touch me!" Flaring his pink aura, he knocked Frieza away, and in a single moment, zoomed forward, burying his fist deep in the younger Arcosian's gut again.

"Aaa...gaaah..!" Frieza croaked, hanging limply over Haabu's massive fist, eyes bulging.

"Pathetic. And boring, as I said," Haabu scoffed, letting Frieza fall to the ground, "I'm done with this charade." He pointed two fingers at the fallen prince, a pink glow emerging from the tips. "What was yours...is now mine," he sneered in triumph, meeting Frieza's dazed, defeated eyes, "and now, I'm going to bury you, Frieza."

Frieza stared up, pain clouding his vision, as he struggled to put on a defiant face, to get up and move, something to help his situation... He suddenly realized that Haabu had not fired his killing blast yet. What's more, he looked as though he was...struggling? 'What? It's as though he can't move!' Frieza realized.

"Frieza, get out of the way; I can't hold him long!" a familiar voice cried from above. The Arcosian obeyed, clambering to his feet and limping away from where Haabu stood, statue-like and twitching, as his face twisted into a snarl of annoyance at having been denied his prey.

"Kikohou!" As Frieza continued to stumble away, he heard, and then felt, a massive explosion. Enervated, he couldn't help falling forward, crouching as dust blew past him in plumes, the ground shaking with a roar.

A small being tapped down onto the ground in front of him, as he wearily raised his head. "Why...did you intervene?" the Arcosian asked in a gruff voice, "I thought..."

"Apologies can come later," Chiaotzu nodded seriously, "But don't worry; we've got your back. It's not like we could just stand by and watch Haabu kill you, after all, right Ten?"

The three-eyed man landed beside them, breathing heavily from exertion. "Yeah... After all the time and effort we put into training you, it'd be a shame to waste it all on a grudge, right?" He extended his hand to Frieza.

After a moment's blank-faced hesitation, Frieza grabbed Tenshinhan's arm and hoisted himself up. "Thank you," he said quietly, with the hint of a smile, "For what it's worth, I'm..." He sighed, trying to force the words out. "I apologize," he said quickly, the weak words still distasteful to him, "You're right though, Chiaotzu, we can work this out later. Right now, Haabu is priority number one. He's not dead, just stunned."

True to his warning, a rumble came from the gaping square indentation in the earth, and an irate, roaring voice soon followed, as a caped blur rocketed out. "How...dare...you!" Haabu panted, shaking all over, his shortened tail violently thrashing in the air behind him, "Worms! Insects! You cowardly weaklings dare to touch me?!" He slammed his tail to the ground, laying open a fissure. "Unforgivable...I am king now, and you shall be executed for daring to lay a hand on me!"

"Look out, Ten!" Chiaotzu shouted, watching in almost slow-motion as Haabu raised his hand to attack, Tenshinhan square in his path. The blast shot forwards, capturing Tenshinhan in shock as he stood frozen.

Chiaotzu squeezed his eyes shut with a cry as the blast connected. "No! Ten—!" He opened his eyes to see his best friend standing in shock, mouth open, staring at the ground at his feet. 'Oh no...he didn't...' His eyes traveled down to the crumpled white body in front of Tenshinhan. "F-frieza? No..." He rushed to the Arcosian's side, as Tenshinhan knelt down as well, both of them trading shocked expressions.

Frieza groaned as they rolled him over, his chest burned nearly black, blood oozing from smaller cuts radiating out from the wound. "Uuungh... D-damn Haabu...I used all my strength trying to...put a dent in him earlier...he left me no choice... I couldn't...block it all." He smiled up at the concerned humans, blood trickling from his mouth as he coughed. "What are you goggling at? Just...get to safety...stay alive...until that idiot Saiyan comes to...save the day," he said between labored breaths.

"You're crazy if you think we're going to just leave you here," Tenshinhan finally said, giving a wan smile, "Actually, you might just be crazy, period, based on that little stunt." Before Frieza could protest, the human hoisted him over his shoulder, when a chilling laugh stopped him in his tracks.

"Oh, how cute," Haabu said, voice laced with venomous disdain, "the Demon Prince thinks he's made friends of these inferiors. I should have seen this disturbing behavior for what it was earlier...no wonder you're so weak, and so easy to crush now, Frieza." He laughed again. "Still, you make my task much easier...after all, hitting two...no, three targets with one shot means I waste less energy! I'll still have plenty left to kill the so-called Super Saiyan with! Ahahahaha!" He stopped laughing abruptly, raising his hand, palm out, with a sadistic grin on his face. "Try to dodge this, if you dare, you vermin!" All three warriors looked on helplessly at the massive pink orb Haabu gathered, easily powerful enough to kill them several times over. His grin widened at their hopeless expressions, as he released the deadly blast.

'This is the end,' Frieza thought grimly, as time seemed to slow, bathed in a pink light. Oddly, he wasn't as frightened by the prospect of death as he thought he would have been. 'I always thought...that I would die in battle, but not like this. Not surrounded by people who want to protect me, not...not surrounded by friends...' The thought made him regretful, and he thought of his box, the memories he had locked away, but never truly destroyed. 'Even as a demon, I just didn't have the heart to expunge everything. Some part of me still remained, that was worth saving. How these people saw through to it, I'll never know.' Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu were huddled over him, as useless a gesture as that was, trying to protect him, at their own expense. 'Why?' he thought desperately, 'Why sacrifice, for a demon like me? After what I said to drive them away?' He squeezed his eyes shut, as the light washed over them. 'I deserve this. They don't, but they aren't hesitating to sacrifice their lives, for me.'

SHHFFT!

Frieza felt the searing heat of Haabu's blast getting dangerously close...then, after the sound of energy striking, clashing against something, he felt it start to recede away. He opened his eyes to see a glowing figure with one hand up, silhouetted by the darkness, standing over them as the pinkish glow faded. A sudden flash of cold fear in the pit of his stomach made him flinch at the figure crowned with golden hair, before realizing who it was. 'Goku! But...just now...something about his appearance—'

"Haabu," Goku said flatly, anger clear in his tone as he lowered his arm from deflecting the blast, "I warned you not to come back here, and especially not to harm my friends, ever again. You don't listen, do you?"

Though his face held some disappointment at having been denied his kill yet again, the sienna-skinned Arcosian put on a guarded smile. "Ah, the Super Saiyan appears at last...and I must say, the way that you appear out of nowhere is admittedly most impressive...I can see how it would unnerve your enemies quite well. Speaking of," he said, glancing over Goku's shoulder at Frieza, supported between Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu as they made the effort to stand, "I was surprised that you did not swoop in earlier to save Frieza, hapless fool that he is. I get the impression that you're the one who's really in charge, aren't you?"

Goku narrowed his eyes and set his jaw, glaring at Haabu. "I'll ask you one more time: leave here, and don't come back. I'm not looking for a fight, and unlike you, I'm honorable enough to not shoot someone in the back when they're retreating."

Haabu growled. 'Didn't take the bait, hm? No matter...' He gave a polite-sounding laugh. "Oh, you wound me so, Saiyan! Honor has no place in the succession of a king, not that you would know of such things...but it stands to reason that I cannot leave even a single member of the Kold bloodline alive, if I am to attain legitimacy. Even with you keeping Frieza on such an admirably short leash, no, I'm afraid I cannot let him live." He met Frieza's eyes. "Isn't that right, Frieza? He has you so scared as to be submissive to him, from my perspective. You fear him...because he is stronger than you. Am I wrong?" he challenged.

Frieza stayed silent, glaring daggers at Haabu, inwardly feeling the anger welling up, not at Haabu, but at Son Goku. His tail twisted nervously, something Haabu observed with glee.

"Ah...I am right, aren't I?" he snickered, "The truth finally comes to light, regarding the fall of Prince Frieza of Arcos, once all-powerful, but now..." He smirked devilishly, his tail flicking upwards in amusement, "...I will regretfully report to the Council that their Sword and Shield spent his last days as a Saiyan monkey's pet and plaything. I imagine that little scandal will leave no doubt that you were unfit to rule, that the experience broke you so thoroughly that you lost what little sanity you had left. Ah, the poor prince...you were a captive when I found you, and there was little I could do. How could I refuse to honor your last request, for a painless death?"

"You're...you're insane!" Frieza hissed, goaded into responding. The words stung, dislodging the uncertainties and doubts he had shoved to the back of his mind. 'He's just making up a narrative, a lie to tell the Council to validate his coup!' he told himself. 'What he says though...you yourself can agree with the humiliation, the imprisonment on this planet, can't you? After all, that was exactly how you saw yourself, at first. Have you merely gotten used to captivity? Have you given up on escaping the Super Saiyan's rule?'

"Am I?" Haabu chuckled, turning to Goku, "With that technique of yours, you must have had a fair amount of fun, suddenly appearing without warning, startling Frieza into submission until he learned to yield to you completely. Or was there more to it? Was it more of a game to you, randomly appearing and vanishing, making him question whether he was ever alone?" He laughed loudly, fixing scarlet eyes that glittered with malice on Frieza again. "Honestly, I imagine that with the Super Saiyan around, you have no privacy at all, do you? No wonder you're so submissive to him! Do you trade a small measure of solitude for your pride? Beg him to leave you be, and meekly submit to his rules so as not to incur his wrath? Well?!"

'The box,' Frieza thought, 'When did he have that Shunkan Idou technique? It wasn't on Namek; he was fast then, but not in that way...no, he learned it after, after...' A chill went down his spine, the memory unfolding...

His eyelids twitched at a slight sound, probably some minion trying to scuttle around him unobtrusively. "I can hear you there, I'm not deaf! You'd better speak up, or I'll —" He opened his eyes to glare at the supposed staff or other flunkie on his father's ship, only to see...gold. 'What the—?' he thought, as his eyes focused more clearly on the figure standing at the foot of the table. Fear shot through his heart in a rush of adrenaline, as he thrashed against his bindings. "...No. N-no, it c-can't be..! You! You're...alive? No! You're j-just a ghost!" he heard himself say. The Super Saiyan merely smirked, as if to say, "I know, and now, like all the other ghosts, I'm here to keep you company, Frieza."

"...Frieza? Are you okay?" Chiaotzu asked with trepidation, suddenly seeing the glazed-over look in the Arcosian's eyes. "Hey! Answer me!" The small human waved his hand in front of the blank red eyes, to no avail. Frieza looked empty, hollow with the shock of some great and terrible revelation. "Tenshinhan! Something's wrong with him!"

The taller human, still supporting Frieza's weight over his shoulder, concurred, "Yeah...I don't know what, but something Haabu said really got to him... I'm gonna lay him down; he might be in pain like this." Laying the alien out on the ground, Tenshinhan flinched as one white hand gripped his wrist, and Frieza pulled himself up, teeth gritted in pain, but still with those unnervingly blank, faraway eyes. "Frieza..?" the human warrior intoned cautiously as the Arcosian knelt, panting in exertion, then forced himself onto his feet.

"I...remember...now..." Frieza huffed, "It...was...real..."

He turned around, the world slowing to a crawl at the terrifying sight that stalked out from behind a machine to greet him. He could almost hear the taunting voice. "Hello Frieza, miss me?" the cocky expression seemed to say. Frieza backed up, clutching at his left shoulder as a spasm of pain traveled up it. "Y-you..!" he choked out, "W-what do you w-want from me?!" Mesmerized by the fearsome turquoise eyes, Frieza crashed into a metal tray on a stand, falling backwards, losing sight of the Super Saiyan...and then, he was there, close enough for the Arcosian to feel the ghost of his hot breath. He couldn't help but scream in terror, panickingly firing a Death Beam at the phantasm. But of course, that didn't work; the ghost merely dodged, and with a smile, left him sprawled on the floor as he vanished behind a wall of machinery, as quickly as he had appeared. After that, guards had rushed in, as always, reassuring him that he was merely stressed, just seeing things. After killing the closest one and scattering the others, he sat, still shaking with rage and fear, on the cold floor. He looked at the very real hole he'd put in the wall with his attack, and his eyes traveled down...to the very real wisps of stiff, black hair, curling up from the metal floor.

"Frieza, answer me! What was real? Snap out of it! Tell us what's going on, please!" Tenshinhan shouted, starting to wonder if maybe, this time, Frieza had snapped. 'It was something we discussed, a long time ago,' he recalled, thinking of Goku and Piccolo's serious facial expressions, as they asked him to train the Arcosian, 'I never thought that this would come up again! He was making so much progress!' A part of him wondered if the assassin in him could still overtake the trainer, the mentor, the friend he had become to Frieza.

"Ten...get away from him..." Chiaotzu said calmly. Tenshinhan could tell from his friend's tone that he too was concerned, and quickly complied. "I don't like this," the white-skinned human said, "I can't get through to him. His mind is completely blocked, and all I can sense is despair, but I don't know why! Goku's here now, so there's no way we can lose, so why is he... Why is he acting like something terrible just happened?"

"I have no idea," Tenshinhan confessed, "I just hope that he doesn't get caught in the crossfire, if Goku and Haabu start fighting...I know Goku doesn't like to finish a battle quickly unless it's dire...but I hope he picks up on the situation." He gazed at Frieza, standing stiffly, hand pressed over his injured chest, motionless but for the ragged breaths he took, as he stared into nothingness, seeing, as Chiaotzu had said, something terrible.

"No, no no!" It was here, damnit!" Where is it?!" The diminutive minion flinched as Frieza's metal tail lashed haphazardly in his furor, knocking over a tray table of instruments with a crash. 'It's gone, vanished!' he thought in a panic, his fingers shaking as he rifled through the box's contents again. He had the evidence, he was sure of it. A small pinch of jet-black hair, stiff in texture, singed in smell, but with an underlying scent that he knew, from his darkest recollections, was Saiyan. It couldn't be anything else, and now, it wasn't there. 'How could this have happened?' he despaired, shouting at the minion, who impotently tried to beg for his life. Frieza ended his existence without a single thought, his mind singularly focused only on the hair sample, the evidence he'd sworn to show his father, so that he could finally, finally rest at night, with a proper contingency of guards. Now, he knew his father would refuse, maybe even punish him with further isolation, until his childish fear was suppressed. Frieza sank painfully to the floor, overwhelmed by the situation. 'I'm not insane,' he protested, 'I'm not! I know what I saw...didn't I see it? It couldn't have been a dream, no...' The more he thought though, the harder he considered the evidence — or lack thereof — the more his mind came to a sick conclusion, that he was seeing things, feeling and hearing and experiencing ghosts and demons only he perceived. His phantom arm throbbed insistently, and he dug his fingers into his shoulder, willing, begging it to be silent and not pain him so. He drew his knees up to his chest as best he could in his condition, and sat, back to the wall, in the lonely ship where he felt like a prisoner of his own mind, shaking with fear and misery.

"It wasn't a dream," he hoarsely rasped, talking to himself, "Nor was it a hallucination. I was not delusional then, and now...now I know the truth. Yes, it all makes sense, now..." He gave a broken laugh, barely feeling the pain in his chest as he did so. He felt numb, the only thing he felt strongly now was the conviction of his revelation. "It was you," he whispered, staring at Goku's back, "It was you, every time, making me feel as though I was going insane...that's why, even with the treatments, you still, still appeared to try to torment me!"

He dozed fitfully, sometimes thinking he heard a small, intrusive noise, but always when he cracked his eyes open, there was nothing. Eventually, he gave in to the drugs coursing through the machine that gave him life, at night, while everyone slept. He wasn't sure how long he'd been sleeping, but something pulled him back to consciousness. Groggy with sleep and the medicine, Frieza slowly opened his eyes, raising his head from the bare chest clad in ragged orange scraps, to the hated face, its blue-green eyes glowing in the gloomy half-light. "...You again." he spoke, his voice sounding hollow, and his eyes looking strangely unfocused and dull. 'The drugs must be wearing off,' he thought dimly, 'and I must be still asleep. Yes, that's it...nothing to worry about...' Staring at the Saiyan though, he looked so real... "Go...away... L-leave me...alone...stupid monkey..." he bid the ghost, in the same monotone as before. He hated these mind games the ghost played. 'Maybe,' he thought, 'when I kill him...this will stop. It'll all go away, it has to!' The Arcosian closed his eyes, weakly gritting his teeth before slumping his head forward again. 'No,' his rational mind told him, even through the haze of drugs, 'It won't go away. You will. You know what fate lies in store, once the Super Saiyan is defeated.' Frieza sighed, almost thinking he heard a strange sound again, and opened his eyes. Nothing in the empty, darkened room moved. No electric-blue eyes, glowing and glowering. No golden hair. Nothing. The thought nagged at him, and he restlessly strained against the straps, twisting to try to get comfortable in the contraption. 'I'm going to die,' he thought morbidly, 'and I'll never rest easily; I won't even have the chance to sleep, after the deed is done. I'll never know whether or not I... Whether I'm...' He couldn't complete the thought, the drugs made certain of that. No strong emotions, they'd told him. No tantrums would be allowed, nor tears, nor panicked hysterics over imaginary ghosts. Not even the thought of impending death consumed him with overwhelming fear. He sighed flatly, and closed his eyes again, his mind completely numb.

Haabu was the first to notice, slowly trailing off in his monologuing attempts to intimidate the Saiyan, looking curiously over the man's shoulder. "Ah...getting up again, Frieza?" he said, laughing haughtily, "You should have stayed down...you were already in the optimal position for groveling before me... I must commend your astonishing resilience, but the Super Saiyan has my attention at the moment — you'll have to wait your turn."

Goku turned, following Haabu's gaze to where Frieza stood, wavering slightly on his feet, but standing on his own. The Saiyan's eyes widened, as he felt Frieza's power. 'It felt like he was all out of ki when I got here, but...it's rising, and even growing! Oh no...' Spinning around, he turned just in time to catch Haabu's knee, inches from his face. "Listen to me!" he yelled, "Frieza's about to transform again, and he'll kill us all! I don't want to fight you right now!"

Haabu disengaged from his foe, smirking. "Don't joke, monkey," he scoffed, "Frieza has no higher transformations, and I know a bad bluff when I see one!" He charged again, clashing against the Super Saiyan's block. 'What kind of a gullible fool does he take me for?' Haabu thought, snaking the remaining length of his tail around to try to strike the side of his opponent's head. The ape blocked him deftly, but he neglected his flank, allowing Haabu to slam a massive fist into the side of his ribcage, flinging him away across the field. "You're all out of tricks, and I intend to end your legend today as well, Super Saiyan!" he yelled triumphantly, "When I bring back your head — I'll be more than a king, I'll be a savior, a god, worshipped by all!"

"Tenshinhan, what's going on?" Krillin asked hurriedly, as the other man made his way over to where the group of warriors had gathered to watch, "Why's Frieza just standing there? I thought he couldn't fight!"

"It's bad," Chiaotzu blurted, "He's...I don't know what's wrong with him! He was saying something about it 'being real,' or that it 'wasn't a dream,' and I just—" He stopped, his doll-like eyes flashing with sudden realization. "...Goku. He figured out that Goku was using those scare tactics on him, before he came here to Earth." The tiny human floated to the ground, suddenly enervated. "He thought he was crazy, but now..."

"...Now, he knows that Goku deceived him," Tenshinhan finished, "Damnit. After all of our best efforts to keep it hidden, this could jeopardize everything!"

Piccolo stood silently, scowling at the reaction the two were having. 'We knew this would happen, inevitably,' he thought, 'I warned them that this day would come, that we would have to kill Frieza or face his wrath once he figured out we betrayed his trust...' Haabu's minions looked lost, Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu sat resolutely, fists clenched, and Bulma looked ready to burst into tears as Krillin and Yamcha tried to reassure her that it would all work out. 'I suppose I'm the only one who seriously considered that this day would come...these poor fools are as soft as Goku, agonizing over the prospect of killing Frieza.' Still, Kami's influence in him whispered that Frieza had changed, and was far from the psychotic, evil enemy he had come to Earth as. In hindsight, maybe if Goku hadn't done what he'd done, this would have been a non-issue. "Damnit all..." he muttered.

Frieza balled his fists, looking down at the ground. His vision slowly started to distort as he clenched his teeth together. He felt his rage swelling inside, a rage unparalleled by any other event in his life. 'I was lied to!' his mind screamed, 'Made to feel as though I was going mad! And they all knew! They have to have known, and kept it from me! All this time, they lied!" His scarlet ki flashed, then flared into a maelstrom as he felt his body bulking up. His body started to swell with muscle mass as he started to grow, his metal arm screeching. Frieza screamed in pain, clutching at his left shoulder, as the attachment points embedded in his bone were shredded apart by the deformation of their holdings. His right shoulder formed a circular pad that separated from his upper arm, and a sharp spike erupted from his wrist, curving and hooking back into a deadly sickle. Along his back, sharp, thorny spikes burst forth from his scapulae. A crown of spikes rose from his casque, and the red irises of his eyes melted away into an endless sea of crimson red rage. Finally, a bone mask whizzed in front of his now-fanged mouth, completing the transformation.

Earth's fighters looked on with shock and horror as Frieza transcended his former limits into a creature straight out of the nightmare realm. "Holy shit..." Krillin said, eyes bulging, "Do you feel that power?"

Tenshinhan's three eyes were wide with horror, as he murmured, "There's no way we can touch him. Any of us. Not even Goku can keep up with a monster like that..."

"Seriously?" Bulma squeaked, her hands over her mouth, "Not even Goku can...so that means..."

"That means that we're all dead, unless he either holds onto his sanity, or Goku gets lucky and takes him down somehow," Piccolo said, "But that seems unlikely, given his behavior, and look — his wounds are fully healed, just like when his brother transformed! Grah, I knew this was a bad idea from the start; we'd have been better off killing him while he was still weak!"

Haabu took an involuntary step back, noticeably shaking at Frieza's monstrous new visage. "...What's this?" he stammered, cocking his long head to the side, "What did you do, Frieza? I was told there were no further transformations...obviously, I will have to have a word with Ratsura, seems he was withholding information..."

Frieza looked impassively at Haabu, his prey in clear sight. The mouthguard retracted to reveal dark lips framing a crazed grin. "Die," Frieza mouthed under his breath as he blinked out of sight. The next moment, he was in front of Haabu, driving his fist into his torso, mirroring what the bigger Arcosian had done to him earlier. Haabu's eyes bulged out as he received the full brunt of Frieza's attack. He tried to counterattack with a hook to his jaw, only to be intercepted by a tail lashing to his face. Haabu's body slammed into the ground and bounced up briefly, before being kicked by Frieza into the air. Haabu cried out in pain, but the cry was cut short as Frieza reappeared behind Haabu and kneed him into the dirt, creating a huge crater.

Haabu coughed in pain, spattering a gob of red blood on the ground beneath him. 'Impossible! How could this zikajidu-born bastard have yet another form? And how could he have surpassed me, the perfect Arcosian?!' Haabu tried to get up, but was barreled over by Frieza slamming into his side. His ribs cracked on impact and he fell to the ground, rolling over onto his back, tangled in the tatters of his long cape. Before he could scramble up, Frieza appeared in the air on top of him. "W-wait! I yield, my lord, I yield!"

The transformed Arcosian merely grinned a fanged smile, sharp and deadly, leaving Haabu to briefly wonder whether he was in the thrall of madness, or had simply decided to ignore his plea. Frieza stomped down on his right leg, the sickening crunch leaving no doubt that he'd broken it in one strike. Haabu screamed in pain, trying to throw a punch with his left arm at Frieza. The monstrous Arcosian blocked it with a single finger, then grabbed Haabu's hand at the wrist, turning it slowly, agonizingly as the bigger man whimpered in pain. "Weakling," Frieza finally spoke, in a harsh beast's growl compared to his normally calm, refined voice.

Stunned, Haabu again tried to reason with him. "Please, m-my lord, stop this! You are...argh! Y-you are free now, d-don't you see that? The Super Saiyan cannot hold you; your power now surely surpasses his! Let me go, and I will be your loyal servant once again, I swe—" Frieza's armor-tipped tail whipped around, cutting him off as it left an angry lash across his face, droplets of blood seeping from its path. As the blood ran into his eyes, he chanced meeting the demon's eyes. 'Gods above...his eyes!' He only now noticed the glowing red curtain of bloodlust over Frieza's vision, and couldn't help making a small sound of fright. That proved to be a mistake, as Frieza's smile grew, as he proceeded to slowly tug on Haabu's arm, the excruciating pain threatening to rob Haabu of consciousness as he screamed and screamed. Finally, it separated from his shoulder with a sickening, wet pop. Above Haabu's screaming, Frieza's laughter rang out, harsh and cruel, utterly void of any sanity.

Goku had felt the spike in power that now pulsed, raging in his mind as it assaulted his ki sense with raw power. 'This isn't good,' he thought, clutching his ribs as he flew back from where Haabu had flung him, 'Frieza's power can only mean one thing...he did it, he transformed!' He grimly remembered the day he had come back to Earth, fighting Frieza to the brink of death, and far past exhaustion. 'But when he saw his father, dead...it triggered something in him, a terrible power,' he remembered, 'It was like the energy came out of nowhere... If he hadn't been in as bad shape as he was, I have no doubt he would have killed me. But now, he has most of his body, so that's not holding him back. Oh man, I hope I'm not too late!' Flying at top speed, he finally caught sight of the battlefield — and Frieza.

The transformed Arcosian stood straddling Haabu's Third Form, his tail arched high over his head in an aggressive pose, holding his prize. The reddish-brown fingers still twitched, as he licked the spurting blood from Haabu's arm. "Hehehehe... The weak...hehehe...become the food... Ahahaha! ...of the strong," he rumbled, grinning crazily, and then, with a giggle, " I am free." A fuzzy memory floated to the top of his mind, a vision of himself, sobbing over a dusty box of ancient memories, and a decision. He growled at the intrusive, weak thought, a sound that petrified everyone witness to this spectacle. Frieza held his finger out and aimed it at Haabu's broken leg, firing a laser attack that hit just above the knee. The beam seared through flesh, muscle, and bone with equal ease as Frieza guided it from one side of his leg to the other, severing it in a horrendous spectacle of animalistic brutality, the gore splashing up to fleck his face. His tongue flicked out, smearing the blood across his face as he licked his lips, and then he broke into that horrendous laughter again.

Goku stared at the sight, horrified, and feeling sick to his stomach. 'His power is so great now...and he has no inhibitions left, either!' Haabu's squeals of protest caught his ear again, as he floated, transfixed by the brutality of Frieza's torture. 'Frieza, is this what you were like, before?' he wondered sadly.

Haabu pleaded and begged for Frieza to stop, tears welling up in his eyes as he squirmed, still trying to escape. He succeeded in crawling a few feet backwards, before Frieza, laughing at his pathetic scrabbling, speared a Death Beam through his lavish armor. It was a calculated shot, missing all vital organs, but Haabu screeched as though mortally wounded as he collapsed in a blubbering ball. He shuddered, his body shrinking back to his Second Form. "P-please! D-don't kill me! Please, I-I'll do anything! Anything! Have mercy!"

Frieza's face went dark, his smoldering eyes seeming to flare brighter with hellfire. "No mercy...for...traitors!" Frieza roared as he fired another energy beam, putting another hole into the terrified Arcosian. Frieza lifted Haabu by his neck, wrapping his tail around the older man's throat, squeezing hard enough to make Haabu hack and choke. With his free hand, he slapped Haabu several times in a row, chuckling darkly at the squeaks of pain and fear this elicited with each bruising strike.

When Haabu stopped making the noise he had found so amusing, Frieza changed tactics, grabbing the alien's curved, bull-like horn. Haabu started to struggle against him again, terror written on his features. "No! No, no, please, not that! Not tha— Aaaaargh!" He howled in pain as Frieza ripped the horn free of its base, blood pulsing from the gaping wound. "P-please, stop it," he begged in a small voice, voice hoarse from screaming in agony, "Please, stop!" He started sobbing, feeling faint from blood loss as his head throbbed, obscuring his eyesight in a flood of red that spilled over his brow.

"Frieza, no! Stop it!" Goku cried, "He can't fight back, you've won!" Super Saiyan aura flaring protectively around him to guard from the crackling envelope of ki around Frieza, he landed, approaching the Arcosian.

"You..." Frieza hissed animalistically, baring his teeth, before tearing his rutilant eyes away from Goku's turquoise gaze. He pulled Haabu in, with mere inches separating their faces. "I will see you in hell!" Frieza roared, drawing back his hand, a massive amount of energy swirling in his palm.

"S-save me!" Haabu pleaded, all pretenses gone, the only thing remaining a desperate will to survive. His wild eyes met Goku's, his face drenched in blood, only interrupted by the smeared path of tears trickling down his cheeks. "Help me, please, Saiyan! I swear, I'll leave you and this planet, I'll go—"

"Shut up," Goku ordered, "Come on Frieza, let him go. You don't have to do this."

There was no sound, other than Haabu's undignified sobbing and whimpering. Then, Frieza leered over his shoulder at Goku's tense, pleading face. "I don't," he stated, before being overcome with laughter again, "but I want to! Ahahahahaha!" Around his right hand, the ball of energy crackled and extended into the shape of a long, curved faishin sword.

"No, Frieza," Goku insisted, "If you kill him, you're no better than he is, don't you see? Calm down, let him go, and we'll help you. You don't have to be a demon, you can make the choice not to hurt people!" Instead of calming him, Goku's words had the opposite effect, as his aura spat and popped around him violently, the ki-sword around his hand solidifying into a glowing, opaque blade as he drew it back and over his head. 'No...Frieza, don't do this!' he silently begged the maddened Arcosian.

"Suffer," Frieza spat hatefully at Haabu, "and die!" In a flash, he brought he sword down, cleaving off Haabu's other arm. The bigger Arcosian, his sienna-colored skin dyed blood-red, howled and screamed as his blood spurted from the gaping wound, catching Frieza across the face in an arterial spray. Frieza grinned at Goku again, as if daring him to intervene, and sliced across Haabu's chest, spilling more of the deep scarlet liquid into a fast-growing puddle. The other leg plopped wetly into the pool of blood, as Frieza liberated it from Haabu with another swipe. The admiral had stopped screaming, now only making a soft whimper, a constant moan of dazed misery, as he twitched intermittently, eyes half-open and trickling tears.

"Frieza, please...please don't take this any further," Goku asked, Haabu's blood spattered across his face and gi, "I'm sorry, for everything, and I'm sorry that I pushed you to this." He clenched his fists, "It was wrong! Everything is all wrong! But you're not gonna make it right with more bloodshed!"

The transformed Arcosian seemed to pause, silently considering Goku's heartfelt plea. Then, still holding Haabu, he turned to face Goku. "Liar," he said simply, that accusing word piercing the kind-hearted Saiyan's heart deeper than any blade. His face contorted in rage, fangs bared to the gums, eyes blazing incarnadine in their fury. "Liar, liar, liar!" he raved, turning his rage on Haabu. The mutilated Arcosian shrieked and begged as Frieza fell upon him. Goku watched in mute horror as the transformed Frieza bodily tore him apart, until the last of his cries tailed off in a wet squelching sound. Smoothly, Frieza stood, his face, chest, and right arm coated in slick blood, a sickening grin on his blood-spattered face. "Never again," he laughed, "Never." He held his hand to the side of his head, continuing to laugh, hunched over slightly from the force. "Never!" he shrieked, rounding suddenly on Goku, snarling like a wild beast.

"Nggh..!" Goku gritted his teeth, raising his arms to block Frieza's first wild strike, feeling Haabu's sticky blood run down his forearms. He knew, in his heart, that Frieza was in there, behind those glowing eyes, that he was somewhere trapped deep within this monster. 'I just don't know if I can hold him off long enough to get him to come to his senses!' he thought with trepidation, blocking a snaking tail-strike from the demon. "Agh!" he cried out as Frieza caught his chin with an uppercut, stumbling back. "Frieza...I know you think I'm not your friend...that I'm not even your ally, but that's not true! I regret what I did; it was before I thought there was any chance for you! But now I know that I should have tried harder! Please, believe me!"

Frieza roared, "Liar!" and charged at him again, his metal arm loosely swinging uselessly by his side, the other charging a powerful ball of ki.

Ignored by the two warriors, Haabu stirred, groaning in pain. Though he was lying in a pool of his own blood, he growled, watching Goku and Frieza battle in the air above where he lay. 'How dare they!' he seethed, 'How dare they ignore me, leaving me like this!' Grievous wounds aside, there was one other thing he could do, to teach the monkey and the traitorous prince a lesson. 'They're ignoring me... They will pay the price for dismissing me so easily!' he thought, fuming at his weakened state. Both arms and legs were gone...but he still had his tail, or what was left of it. Slowly, agonizingly, he brought the raw end of the severed limb up, stretching to reach the scouter over his left eye. Blood smeared the lens as he clumsily maneuvered his less than dexterous tail stump to the comm button, turning it on. "Computer," he rasped, "ready the beam cannon, then lock onto the highest power levels! Fire when they are together...ahahahaha, this will show them to ignore me... Hahaha!" He chuckled despite the pain and increasing numbness, watching his ship, hovering above, begin to move into position. The cannon's barrel whirred into place, beginning to glow with energy at the tip. "Yes...yes..! I'll kill them both, victory is still within my grasp!" Haabu laughed madly, watching Goku and Frieza, both oblivious to the enormous weapon aimed straight at them...

With a loud hum, the cannon auto-aimed, and then, in a blinding flash of light, fired. Haabu shut his eyes against the wall of white that burned through his eyelids, but smiled, knowing that the cannon's aim had been true. As his vision cleared, he saw them — he'd gotten them both, in one shot! The Saiyan ape's golden hair blew slightly in the wind from the cannon's blast, but other than that, he lay motionless, facedown on the ground. And Frieza...he was nearly obliterated, only charred chunks of flesh remaining in a blackened blast radius, a testament to the cannon's might. Haabu laughed hysterically, his heart jumping for joy at his triumph.

Suddenly, he felt lighter, indefatigable, as a huge grin appeared on his face. 'It's as though my pain has faded away, despite my state — victory is more than enough to sustain me!' he thought gleefully, bracing with his tail as he used his ki to float above the ground, 'I'll be a war hero, with injuries like these, but I'm sure Ratsura has a solution for the inconvenience, a way to show off my scars, but still be able to function. Hmm, too bad Frieza's metal arm was blown to smithereens, it might have been a useful template...Ah, but wait...' He chuckled, remembering who built the prosthetic. 'Sometimes I amaze myself with my own genius,' he lauded himself, floating over to the scared gaggle of humans. There, he smiled widely at the blue-haired one, already imagining the sorts of things she would build in his new empire. "Victory goes to the last man standing," he laughed, "in a matter of speaking, at least. Now, all of you, kneel before your new master!"

They did not react. In fact, the terrified expressions on their face, he realized, were not aimed at him at all, but behind him. He turned to look, but found that he could not move...and why was the ground so close? 'Wait...' he dimly struggled to understand, as a blaze of gold flew overhead, looping and spinning midair to avoid another blazing red streak of light. The humans, he realized, were further away than he had thought. 'What's going...on..?' Haabu wondered, the numbness overtaking him. His vision was darkening, as he fought and struggled to move, to scream, anything to regain control, and that wonderful feeling of victory.

The pool of blood rippled slightly from the shockwaves overhead, some of the parts and pieces twitching reflexively. The severed head, clotted with blood, snapped its mouth shut in a grimace of frustration, again and again, but with each movement, slowing, until finally, Haabu was no more.

A series of blasts detonated. Pui-pui flew backwards, firing off a succession of ki blasts at Vegeta, who flew after him, knocking the attacks aside. Suddenly Pui-pui dove down and delivered a strong kick to Vegeta's head, knocking the Saiyan back. Pui-pui laughed. "You're beginning to tire!" he declared, "Your energy's draining too fast!" Suddenly Vegeta's hand flashed up and grabbed Pui-pui by the leg, spinning and then hurling him into the ground, the Saiyan following it up with an energy beam that detonated and ripped a huge explosion across the area.

"And you're getting a little too confident!" he spat. He paused, breathing deeply, sweat coating his forehead. Unfortunately the alien was correct. It was getting harder to sustain the power and he was running out of energy fast. If he could just find a way to catch him, to hit him with one truly powerful blow…

The smoke below cleared. Pui-pui was standing, staring up at Vegeta. He was battered, bloodied, and bruised, but smiling. "Need some time to catch your breath?" he taunted.

Vegeta growled and dropped to the ground. 'There has to be a way of catching him off-guard, there has to be!' He touched down and glared across at Pui-pui, focusing on him. Pui-pui crossed his arms. 'How… Even when I manage to get hits in, he just ducks out of the way again… I have to…' He paused, squinted at Pui-pui…and then he smirked. 'Got it…'

Vegeta whipped his hand up and fired off a series of blasts that detonated in front of Pui-pui, throwing up smoke. Pui-pui coughed and shook his head. "This is your tactic? Really?" he said with a note of weary disgust. Suddenly Vegeta shot out of the smoke behind Pui-pui, and the alien quickly leapt up out of the way of the attack. Vegeta cursed and followed up, launching another blast at Pui-pui that he easily dodged. "You're really not going to catch me with these kind of tactics!" Pui-pui shouted, "I sense more than a hint of desperation!"

Vegeta swore and continued to chase, firing blasts at Pui-pui, trying to slow him down and box him in somehow. "No!" Vegeta shouted as his body suddenly collapsed, the muscles reverting back to their normal size and his Super Saiyan state disappearing.

"Got you!" Pui-pui shouted, eyes gleaming as he shot down and slammed a kick into Vegeta's side, sending the Saiyan rocketing into the ground and then skidding into the water. Pui-pui laughed in triumph and grinned.

Sauza whipped his head round. He saw Pui-pui alone and no sign of Vegeta. "Merde!" he shouted, "Don't tell me that monkey has lost..."

"Looks that way doesn't it," Simsara leered, "But I wouldn't worry about him; you and your friends have more immediate problems to be concerning yourself with!" Simsara lunged forward and Sauza parried.

"Damn it, I don't have time for this!" Sauza snarled.

"Nor do I!" Simsara roared. He laughed at Sauza's desperation, surging forward to strike. Sauza brought his own blade up and parried back Simsara's bone sword, then he shoved his other hand forward, fingers flat and pointed. Another blade of energy appeared that pierced through Simsara's chest. The alien's eyes widened in shock as he looked down at the rush of blood. "How…how did..." he spluttered, crimson dribbling from his mouth.

"What?" Sauza asked with a hint of a grim grin, "Did you really think I could only make one sword?" Then, in a swift motion, he brought his right arm down, cutting to the left, and pushed his left hand through, cutting to the right. He scissored off Simsara's head and chest, blood spewing into the air, the sliced body toppling down to the ground.

"Simsara!" Alak shouted, catching sight of his comrade's mangled corpse falling, "You'll pay for this!"

"You have your own problems to worry about!" Doore said, as he dodged another tornado of energy.

"Shut up!" Alak screamed, "You vermin are nothing, I'll finish you in moments!"

"Really?" Neizu asked, darting around in the opposite direction to Doore, "You mean you didn't notice the obvious flaw in your cage?"

"My cage has no flaws, it's perfect!" Alak growled, clenching his fists.

"Not so," Doore smirked, now opposite Neizu with Alak and his protective energy between them, "Know why? 'Cause energy detonates when it encounters oppositional energy, 'least that's what Sauza said."

"What does that have to do with my..?" Alak's breath caught and his eyes widened. His body shook, as he realized. "Oh shit–!"

Doore and Neizu whipped up their hands and pumped two beams of energy into the bars surrounding Alak. The bars bent, held, but ultimately exploded, with the whole cage collapsing in a whoosh of energy, Alak's scream cutting off suddenly. An enormous cloud of dust swirled around the area.

Sauza dropped down in front of it and coughed. "Could you two really not think of a cleaner way of getting out of that?" the Brench said, wafting his hand in front of his face.

"Ha!" Neizu's voice called, "You're one to talk Sauza, we saw what you did...dual-wielding! Been a while since you pulled that little trick!"

Neizu and Doore emerged from the smoke, both hacking a little. "Stupid idiot," Doore muttered, "So impressed with coming up with that little trick he never stopped to assess it. It's the sort of thing some low-level goon would have thought was a neat idea."

Sauza nodded. "Mine too seemed overly impressed with his little trick. It's almost like they didn't learn anything from gaining their power...like it was just handed to them suddenly, and they didn't really know what to do with it."

"Well, you're along the right lines." Sauza, Doore, and Neizu looked over, fear gripping them. They'd momentarily forgot about Pui-pui. The alien was looking over his shoulder at them, standing in front of the river. "I wouldn't try running away. I'm in an entirely different class — none of your paltry tricks can touch me."

Sauza growled. "Vegeta...you prize cretin…" A bead of sweat rolled down his face. 'He left us in a lurch...even the three of us together can't beat him...'

Suddenly, with a splash, Vegeta waded, half-staggering, out of the water. He collapsed and pulled himself out of the river, panting, his left hand still trailing in the water. Pui-pui looked down at him and stepped forward a little. "I was beginning to think you had drowned," he said, "But I'm glad you didn't. It gives me the pleasure of finishing you off myself."

Vegeta looked up and snarled, though Sauza and the others could see his exhaustion. The Saiyan spat to the side, a spray of pink. He was badly hurt.

Pui-pui laughed. "Not even going to try and beg for your life, huh? No matter, I wouldn't have spared you anyway." He crouched and then pulled back his fist and launched it forward. "Goodbye, worthless Super Saiyan!"

At that cue, Vegeta suddenly ignited his Super Saiyan aura and whipped up his right hand, catching Pui-pui's fist. The alien's eyes widened. "What the–?! You shouldn't be able to..." he said, perplexed.

Vegeta chuckled and pulled Pui-pui's hand to the side so they could see each other's faces. "Looks like I was right about two things. Firstly, whatever it is the Phindols do, the healing properties seep into the water, just enough to get me some energy back. And secondly, the drop in your energy has brought you just about in line with me in this form."

"What the— w-what are you blathering about?!" Pui-pui stammered, struggling in Vegeta's iron grip.

"Your power," Vegeta calmly explained, oddly not gloating, "You were so busy focusing on me and keeping your distance you didn't notice that the few blows I'd landed and your own tactic of using energy blasts to keep me at a distance was draining your own energy dramatically. Now, even with just my Super Saiyan state we're of similar strength."

The long-skulled alien let out a short, relieved laugh. "Similar! Don't even joke, I'll still crush you!" Pui-pui screamed, pulling back his other fist.

"Not very observant are you?!" Vegeta grinned, "Didn't you notice that the water was boiling?"

"Wha–" Pui-pui paused and looked. His eyes widened. The water, just above where Vegeta's left hand was under the water, was bubbling, steam was rising off of it. "What are you..? No!"

Suddenly Vegeta leapt up, pulling his hand out of the water, on top of which sat an enormous, blue ball of energy. He slammed the ball into Pui-pui's chest. "Big Bang Attack!" he shouted. There was an enormous roar of light and thunder as the blast exploded. The shockwave caused Doore, Neizu, and Sauza to stagger. When they looked up, they saw Vegeta hovering over the middle of the lake. Pui-pui was nowhere to be seen.

"Wooo!" Doore shouted, pumping his fist in the air energetically, "He got him!"

"No…not quite..." Neizu replied, pointing. Some distance from the lake was the upper half of Pui-pui's body.

Vegeta floated over to the body and stepped up to it. Pui-pui groaned and cracked open an eye. "W-well done, Saiyan," he said, brokenly, "You got me good..."

"That was never under any doubt," Vegeta replied coolly.

Pui-pui let out a harsh laugh, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth, "So confident, hm? Well, we'll see how far that will get you. You may have beaten me, but I can see into you. You're not good, whatever you've done here. And one day...Master Babidi will recruit you to his cause as well, that I can see."

Vegeta smirked and raised his hand. "Sorry, but I've spent enough of my time doing other people's bidding. I don't plan on ever doing it again." The prince fired a small blast that eradicated the remains of Pui-pui. He stared down at the ruined ground where the body had been. 'That was a lot closer than I'd have liked. And that form…it was powerful, but I need to work on my speed for it to be of any use. And Kakarot…' he growled. Knowing that fool he would have almost certainly stumbled across it by now as well… He had to have.

He looked up. Doore, Neizu, and Sauza had flown in close. "Well done Vegeta," Sauza said, grinning, "I never doubted you for a moment."

Vegeta glared at them. The three swallowed. "Hey we're still friends right?" Doore asked tenuously. Vegeta growled. "Allies?" he ventured timorously. The Saiyan frowned. "Acquaintances?" the brute bargained, starting to back away.

Vegeta stared at them for a long moment. Then he dropped his Super Saiyan state and turned away. "I'm leaving now," he announced, "I trust you can all take care of whatever mess is left."

The Kooler Special Forces let out a long sigh. "Yeah, sure..." Doore said, clearly relieved.

'Shit, shit, shit!' Goku thought, as Frieza once again closed the gap between them, slashing the front of Goku's gi open with razor-sharp claws. 'He's not even trying!' the Saiyan observed, 'He's just attacking like an animal...guess that's the only reason I'm still here!' He gritted his teeth, firing off another blast at Frieza, who merely batted it away, and attacked again. Goku ducked under his wild swipe, delivering a straight punch to Frieza's midsection, underneath the natural armor. The Arcosian coughed, a few droplets of red leaking out from beneath the mask over his lower jaw. 'Okay, at least I made a den—' Goku thought, before a hammerfist dropped him. He rubbed the back of his head as he retreated, his hand coming away bloody. 'Damnit... I can't damage him from a distance, and when I get close, he just pounds me mercilessly!' He chambered his hands at his side, eyes on Frieza as he charged at him again. "Ka..." he chanted, as the demon roared, "Me..." Frieza sped up, "Ha..." he was close now, this would be point-blank, "Me..." Frieza disappeared, as Goku's eyes went wide with shock. 'No!' he thought, feeling Frieza above him. He readjusted, sighting the Arcosian with an angry ball of red and black ki pulsing in his hands. "Haaaaaa!" he yelled, pushing the blue beam forward.

The demon grinned under his mask, madly reveling in this prey's feistiness. Their ki blasts met head-on, blue against red, pulsing and jockeying for dominance in the sky. "You're weak!" he screamed above the blast, pouring more energy into the beam.

Sweat poured down his face as Goku held back the energy of Frieza's blast. His arms shook, as he determinedly pressed his hands against the swirling ki. Another pulse of fresh, roiling energy traveled down the shaft of the beam, and the Kamehameha shortened, pushing back towards Goku. "No..!" he growled in exertion, desperately reaching deep within himself for more power. In a single instant, he knew the Kamehameha was destined to fail, and took one hand off the destabilized blast to place two fingers to his forehead.

SHHFFT!

The blast was enormous, a sphere of destruction that blew his hair back, even at this height. Frieza, whom he'd transmitted behind, was laughing madly, reveling in the destruction. 'That's right! He still can't sense ki!' Goku remembered. He readied a small, but concentrated blast, hopefully nothing Frieza could sense over his own enormous power. "Here goes nothin'!" he said to himself, speeding into Frieza's blind spot and releasing the blast into the back of his head. The Arcosian reeled, howling in pain and anger, and Goku swept in, unleashing a rapid-fire barrage of punches and kicks to the unarmored sections of the Arcosian's body. Frieza let out an unearthly screech, releasing his energy in a giant bubble that shoved Goku back. Electricity played over the surface of the structure, as Frieza glowered at him with those hateful, glowing eyes.

"Frieza, please, stop this," Goku pleaded again, "I know you're in there, somewhere, and you can hear me. If you don't stop, you're going to destroy the planet! You don't want to do that, do you? You'll be alone again!" The transformed Arcosian cocked his crowned head to the side. 'Yes, that's it!' Goku thought elatedly, 'He heard me! I knew I could get through to him!' However, his celebration cut short when Frieza began laughing again. That chilling sound, the sound of someone so broken that reason could no longer reach...he knew then that Frieza might be beyond his help, this time. 'If I can't reason with him...then I'll have to take him down,' the kind-hearted Saiyan resolved solemnly. He clenched his fists, flaring his Super Saiyan aura. "Forgive me, Frieza," he said in a low voice.

"Liar!" Frieza shouted again, in that accusatory tone, before rocketing towards Goku, slamming his head into Goku's chest. As he sent the Saiyan flying, he whipped his hand up, and fired a barrage of Death Beams. Goku dodged most of them, but a few still found their way past his defenses. He cringed, rubbing the dime-sized burns through his tattered gi. Frieza snarled, shooting forward again, and viciously backhanded Goku to the ground. "Liaaaar!" he screamed, panting with exertion, spittle flying from his mouth. Shaking with rage, he released a huge blast at the crater where Goku lay dazed.

As the crimson ki blast bore down on him, Goku staggered to his feet. Mustering all his remaining energy, he pushed back, his bare hands sizzling in contact with the angry red ball of ki. He screamed, reaching deep within the well of Super Saiyan power for something more. 'I...have to...push it back!' he thought desperately, pumping more ki into his muscles unconsciously, 'I can't...let him destroy Earth!' In a final spasm of might, Goku reversed the ball's trajectory, breathing a sigh of relief as it shot up into the sky and out of sight. That relief didn't last long, as Frieza smashed into him with a kick that sent him flying, then elbowed him to the ground again. "Nrrrgh..." he groaned, kneeling on his hands and knees, "Think, Goku! I've gotta stop him...but how?" As Frieza stalked closer, taking his time, Goku scrutinized him. 'He's been using a lotta energy blasts...and he's breathing pretty hard, so maybe that's taxing him,' he reasoned, 'And, he's only got one arm to defend and attack with, so that's a weak spot. Okay then!' He stood, facing Frieza with a grim expression on his face.

Frieza, tail lashing, continued to walk towards the hated Saiyan, his blood thrumming through his temples, the rushing sound mingling with the onslaught of voices in his head. "Liar, liar, liar, liar!" he chanted, his face contorting into a snarl, "You lied to me...you lied!" Memories in a rush flew through his mind, unrelentingly showing him his folly. 'They were never friends, never allies at all! How could they have been?' the inner voice of paranoia now shouted, 'They used you. They feared you, and wanted to control you. They all lied to keep you in the dark, so you would think they were your friends!' He wanted to shake his head, to argue that it wasn't true, but it was so hard to resist the voice of the demon, and it was right, wasn't it? He clutched the side of his head, smearing blood down the side of his crest, laughing brokenly. It all hurt so much. The lies, the betrayal, but especially the loss of his friends, just liars who faked affiliation, even affection, to deceive him. His own hysterical laughter sounded grotesque in his own ears, but he couldn't seem to stop. 'Just make it all stop,' the inner voice urged him, 'Take away all the liars, and you're left with the truth.'

Goku tensed as a change came over Frieza. He had been hysterically laughing, holding the side of his head, but now, the laughter tailed off, and now he was screaming. The Saiyan's lips parted slightly, his eyes wide. 'What's wrong with him?!' Goku wondered, aghast at the Arcosian's erratic behavior. Then, Frieza was on him again, and the golden-haired warrior forced himself to react, weaving, ducking, dodging, and slipping around Frieza's furious attacks. 'He's got no rhyme or reason to his attacks!' Goku realized with a jolt of fear, 'I can't predict his movements!' He let out a grunt as Frieza's fist doubled him over, his vision blurring. He brought his head up abruptly, catching the mad Arcosian's jaw and cutting off the screaming sound he made. While Frieza reeled back, Goku grabbed his metal arm as an anchor in his right hand, and held on tightly while he set upon Frieza with his left, battering every exposed inch of skin, kicking furiously when the demon tried to disengage.

"Raaaaaargh!" Frieza roared, right arm flailing as the Saiyan pummeled him. His fingers twitched and tensed, and he raked them across his foe's face. Goku screamed in pain, letting go and clutching at his face. "Liar!" Frieza cried, every particle of his being committed to killing the Super Saiyan. He grabbed a fistful of blond hair, and repeatedly kneed Goku in the face as they descended. He let go and smashed his tail into the Saiyan, who hit the ground hard and bounced, rolling to a stop. "I'll...kill...you!" Frieza ground out, "For what...you did...to me!"

Rubbing the back of his hand across his bloodied face, Goku propped himself on one elbow, lying on his side. 'Man, he almost got my eyes,' he thought, blinking experimentally, 'That seals it, he's definitely not playing around. But at the same time...he's getting more and more desperate, I can sense it! His energy is unstable, now that he's used up so much.' He felt the burning eyes on him again, looking to see Frieza on the ground, clutching his head again and laughing softly to himself. 'I just have to get him tired out, and then, just maybe...'

The throbbing in his head was more intense, almost to the point of pain. 'I must kill the liar,' Frieza thought disjointedly, 'I'll extinguish the lies...nothing will remain but the truth...No! It's all a lie, all of it! I have to...to destroy it all to be truly free!' He cackled madly, coughing up blood between gasps of laughter. "No more... No more lies, ever again!" he said, shaking his head to try to dispel the whooshing of the blood through his temples, and the pressure that accompanied it. It hurt so badly. He glared at Son Goku, lying on the ground, but still alive. 'It's all his fault!' he seethed, breaking into a run towards the prone Saiyan with a cry of pain and rage.

'Here he comes—!' Goku thought, bracing himself as he quickly got up, taking a more stable stance. He had a vague idea of how he could win, but wasn't sure if it would work. He sidestepped Frieza's first punch, then swept his legs out from under him. The Arcosian fell forward, and Goku went to restrain him, but the long, muscular tail whipped back, keeping him at bay as Frieza scrambled up, whirling around and charging again. 'Damnit! I forgot that he uses his tail to guard his back!' Goku thought with a growl.

He met Frieza head-on, and threw him to the ground, clashing with his left hand gripping Frieza's right, and his right hand grabbing one of the prongs of bone extending from the Arcosian's head. With his tail trapped under them, Frieza thrashed and bucked wildly, trying to bring his legs up to kick Goku off, but the Saiyan pressed himself close to the alien's chest, denying him the leverage. "Frieza! I... urgh! I don't...want to do this! I still...want us both to survive this battle...but you're makin' it hard on me!" he strained through gritted teeth, searching the glowing eyes for some spark of the Frieza he knew, the quiet disdain, the haughty sense of superiority, anything that remained. All he saw was rage, pain, and a boiling hatred, as the demon snapped its jaws at him animalistically, screaming and growling as it struggled in his grip. As he watched, a trickle of dark red blood leaked from Frieza's nose, and one scarlet eye twitched erratically. A long string of bloody spittle flew off his face, as he lunged and snapped at Goku again. 'He's falling apart, just like I thought,' Goku surmised, 'He can't even handle that energy for this long, not at this level!' True to his instinct, Goku could already feel that Frieza's attempts to fight back were growing less energetic by the minute, though his screaming had neither stopped, nor decreased in volume.

Finally, after what felt like ages, Goku felt his Frieza's hand go slack against his burning, aching arms. The demon shuddered, his head lolling to the side, eyes half-lidded and seeming to glow a little less brightly. With a juddering breath, Frieza lay there panting, his chest heaving as his breath rattled in his throat. Goku was about to let go, when Frieza's eyes suddenly shot open, a choked scream erupting from his raw throat, and then he was thrashing, spasming with such intensity that the ground cracked in a spiderweb of fissures beneath them. The Saiyan warrior rode it out, listening to Frieza's now-pained cries as he held the alien down firmly with a look of concern on his face. "It's almost over, Frieza..." he tried to reassure, but his words were lost in another scream of agony. He held his breath as the Arcosian's body shrank and the spiked armor broke apart, leaving the familiar white and purple body of his Fourth Form. He had stopped screaming, and now lay, dead silent and dead still, eyes closed and mouth slightly parted. Goku smiled, exhausted, but happy that, for now, Frieza seemed to be breathing. "It's over, at last." Carefully, he picked Frieza up, slinging him over his shoulder.

As he limped into sight of Capsule Corporation's main building, Bulma ran over to them, stopping short when she saw Frieza. "Is he..?" she trailed off, as the others came up behind her.

"No, but he's in pretty bad shape," Goku replied, "He used up all his energy, so I figure he'll be out for a while. At the end, it looked like his own power was hurtin' him, so all I did was hold him down, and just waited for it to take its toll."

Piccolo pushed through the group, glaring accusingly at Goku. "Why is he still alive, Goku?!" he growled, "You promised you would take him out if he posed a threat! Just what do you think this constitutes, huh?" He sneered dismissively. "Never mind, just give him to me, and I'll take care of it."

"No!" Goku shouted, holding the unconscious Arcosian protectively, "Listen to me, Haabu's the one who was the threat, and he's dead now. If it weren't for him, Frieza wouldn't have—"

"That's not the issue, Goku," Piccolo snapped, "The issue is that you've put all of us in danger for too long! We all heard him screaming his head off, and what he kept repeating: liar. That's what he now knows you to be, and you think when he wakes up, he won't go straight off the deep end and transform again?"

Goku stood silently, head bowed. "...Yeah, you're right," he finally said, "but even then, if he does, I'll just hold him down until he stops, like I did today. I promise."

"That's not good enough, Goku," Piccolo countered, "You may be strong, but this was too close for comfort! Frieza's power is monstrous, and once he gets a hold on it, it's only a matter of time before he'll be able to control it fully, and use it against us."

"Piccolo..." Everyone looked at Tenshinhan, standing with a grim look on his face, "Are you planning to kill Frieza, when he can't even defend himself? I thought Kami had tempered your pragmatism for the better."

Piccolo faltered, baring his teeth in annoyance. "...I'm just saying that Frieza is, and has always been, a clear and present danger to Earth! You can make me out to be heartless and cruel, but I have our best interests in mind!"

"Except Frieza's," Chiaotzu said softly, "You didn't feel the emotions coming off of him, before he transformed. It felt like his heart was breaking, thinking that the only people he'd ever thought of as allies...had been lying to him, and had betrayed his trust." He resolutely curled his small fists. "I'm not excusing his behavior, but I think it'd be horrible for him to die, after all this, and be proven right in the end by your callousness at his existence."

"Grrrrr..! Fine!" Piccolo spat, his cape snapping as he quickly turned away from the group, "But you'll all know who to blame, when he destroys this planet, don't forget that!" With a growl, he took off in a burst of ki.

They were all silent for a moment, watching Piccolo fly off. "I can build something to restrain him," Bulma finally said, thinking out loud, "Just until he wakes up, and we're able to determine whether or not he's still a liability." She turned to Mirtiro, who was furtively looking at Frieza, as though afraid he might wake up. "Kind of an odd question, but when Haabu transformed... I mean, did he say anything about what he did to keep in control, when he changed forms?"

"Uh...I'm not sure," the blue-feathered alien spoke, "That was the one thing he never bragged incessantly about, come to think of it. We didn't even know he had another form."

"Wait, what about that weird drug?" Balkin chimed in, "I've been doing checks on that ship's cargo for years, and recently, there was a new prescription in the med bay's stores. I joked with the other crew at the time that they were Haabu's because we never saw anyone take them, and the doctors never used them, but I didn't think there was any truth to it... Do you think whatever it was helped him keep his sanity when he transformed?"

"I'd have to analyze it, but maybe," Bulma said, "Good thing we have an intact Arcosian ship this time around, unlike the last time, when someone blew it up." She pouted at Goku.

"That wasn't me, Bulma, honest!" Goku whined, "Vegeta was the one who really wrecked it!"

"Hmph, just don't go destroying this one, and I might forgive you both," Bulma winked.

"About that..." Baderma cut in, "You guys were really nice and all to us, but I think all three of us agree that we don't wanna be planetside when Frieza wakes up again." He looked at Mirtiro and Balkin for confirmation.

Mirtiro sighed and nodded. "He's right. You may be used to this, but we're admittedly, uh, not..." He raised and lowered his crest nervously, fidgeting with the feathers on his forearms. "Without Haabu, we're not technically a part of the Planet Trade, either."

"That's okay," Goku smiled, "Frieza does take some gettin' used to, and I don't blame you for thinking we're crazy for keepin' him around!" He put his free hand to the back of his head as he laughed. "Oh hey, if you guys don't have anywhere to go, I'll bet that Kooler's guys wouldn't say no to more allies..." he mused.

"Kooler's Armored Squadron?" Balkin said incredulously, "They're still alive? I figured they were so loyal, they'd be dead, because didn't Kooler come here? Didn't you defeat him?"

"Yeah, we did," Goku responded nonchalantly, "But we told his men they could leave, after it was all settled. They seemed pretty unhappy about it, but last we saw, they were definitely still alive."

"Well damn..." Baderma said, "We just might survive as deserters, if we can catch up to them. They're some kinda strong, from what I've heard. Hope they'll let us join up with 'em..."

"Sauza definitely has a lot of skill and honor, from what he showed me," Tenshinhan said, "And the others aren't too shabby, either." He chuckled at the awestruck expressions on the aliens' faces.

"No wonder this little backwater planet's never bothered by anything... No offense, but the lot of you are terrifying..." Baderma deadpanned, "I imagine when the PTO came here to colonize, you just beat them back, and they decided it wasn't worth the trouble."

"Hehe...kinda," Goku grinned, "We did that with Raditz and Vegeta, at least. It ended up making a whole lot o' trouble for us in the long run, though. But we always find a way, and I'm sure you guys will, too."

"You're something else, Saiy— I mean, Son Goku," Baderma said, "Well, what do you say, Miss Bulma? We'll leave an extra scouter for you, if you ever want to keep in touch, and you're welcome to go through the ship for whatever you think might help your, er...friend." He glanced uneasily at Frieza.

"Sounds like a plan," Bulma replied, "I don't think Frieza will wake up anytime soon, so let's get him properly taken care of. That transformation might've undid a lot of damage, but I think Goku just redid most of it."

As they trekked back across the field littered with craters, Krillin and Yamcha met them outside the building. "Fight's over, huh?" Krillin asked, looking at the limp Arcosian over Goku's shoulder.

"Yup," Goku replied, "Thanks for lookin' out for Bulma's house, you guys."

"No problem," Yamcha replied, brandishing a bandage-covered fist, "I'm not at all jealous I didn't get to fight this round, I mean, look at this."

"Yeah, and that was just a little bit of power from Haabu," Balkin sighed, "Scrubs like us just aren't cut out for fighting monsters, are we?"

"Speak for yourself, I'm gonna get stronger," Yamcha sniffed indignantly, "Guarantee it! Hey Krillin, if you're free later, what say you and I step up our training game?"

"Sure," the former monk grinned, "You're gonna have to play more catch-up than baseball if you wanna beat me, though, man." He laughed as Yamcha playfully swung at him, as they traded insults about each other's slacking off. The eclectic group of humans and aliens made their way inside, as the stars sparkled overhead.

Vegeta, some of the green gels on his body, looked up from in front of the capsule and let out a long-suffering sigh. Sauza, Neizu, and Doore dropped out of the sky and landed near the pod. All three of them looked pale and sickly.

"What's got into you three?" he asked, knowing he wouldn't like their answer.

"We found their camp," Sauza said solemnly, "Everyone there was dead. There were no bodies. Just skin and organs…splattered all over the place... It's like they just exploded."

Neizu gagged and held a hand to his mouth. Doore looked away, trying to reign in his own nausea. Sauza looked utterly disturbed.

"Charming story," Vegeta replied, "And you came to tell me this because?"

Sauza shook his head. "Oh, no, that wasn't what I wanted to see you about. Just..." He thought a moment, then shook his head again. "I just wanted to say thank you, for what you did. Helping us out. Leaving us and the planet alive."

"Don't push it," Vegeta said, gruffly.

Sauza flinched, but straightened up, taking a sharp breath. "And…I wanted to ask you something. About Frieza."

Vegeta stiffened a little. "What about him?"

Sauza thought, treading carefully. "How is he? Is he still on-planet? Is he...well?" He flashed back to the last time he'd seen the former tyrant, the hauntingly blank look on his face as he held Kooler's lifeless body.

Vegeta turned away. "Yes, he's still on Earth. He's well enough I suppose."

Sauza shook his head free of memories. "But what is he like, is he..."

"He's…changing..." Vegeta glanced back and then turned away. "Does that answer your question?"

Sauza smiled wryly. "In a way. Goodbye Vegeta. May the souls of your ancestors guide you."

Vegeta said nothing and stepped onto the ship. The door closed and then, a moment later, it jetted up into the sky and out of the atmosphere.

"What was with those questions Sauza?" Doore asked.

"Nothing much," the Brench replied, "I think it might be time, though, to carry out the last of Lord Kooler's will. The message needs to be delivered, and, well...if Frieza has changed in the same way Vegeta has..." He shrugged, arms out, and laughed, a genuine sound of mirth. "I just don't like it hanging over me, that's all," he said quickly. Smiling, Sauza turned away. He'd already decided to walk back to their camp.

"Uhh, where're you going?" Doore asked, cocking his head to the side, "Aren't you flying back with us?"

"No, you two go on ahead. I won't be long," Sauza replied, though his voice sounded off.

Doore was prepared to offer to come along, until Neizu grabbed his shoulder, shaking his head. "Leave him alone, Doore," the tall alien whispered, "Come on, let's get the camp all cleaned up and start cooking..." The two soldiers lifted off the ground, leaving Sauza trudging in the same direction.

The air was clean and bracing, as the Brench took one step after the other, focusing on the crunch of gravel under his boots, rather than the tears brimming in his eyes. His spirit lifted with each step, as he smiled.

Three days passed, during which things returned to relative normalcy at the Briefs' home. Goku stopped by every day to check on Frieza, who was still unconscious following his transformation, and Bulma asked to see the technology and other alien items on Haabu's former ship. After hailing the ship and not receiving more than an automated response, Mirtiro took the other two crewmen to investigate, leaving Bulma behind despite her protests. When they returned, shaken and pale, saying they would have to clean things up before they'd let her onboard, she reluctantly agreed, not prying into why they needed to do such a thing. On the second day, they seemed withdrawn, but let her onto the ship, where she retrieved several promising pieces of equipment, as well as the medicine Balkin had mentioned. The third day, they'd seemed eager to leave, so everyone had gathered on Capsule Corporation's lawn to bid them farewell, waving as the round saucer-shaped ship left the atmosphere in moments.

"So, how's it coming, Bulma?" Yamcha asked, leaning on a workbench in Capsule Corp.'s lab section, "Find anything that'll keep Frieza in check?"

"Hopefully," she replied distractedly, head down in a microscope, "This is some heavy-duty stuff, whatever it is. I think it'd probably kill a human even in low doses, so I'm not even sure what effect it'll have on Frieza."

"Come on, the guy can survive a planet blowing up in his face, how would this hurt him?" the scar-faced man joked, "Besides, Haabu was a big guy, so you just need to lower the dosage or dilute it for someone Frieza's size, right?" He hoped he hadn't said something stupid, but judging from the look Bulma gave him, he had.

"That's not how it works, but thank you for the suggestion." Bulma politely responded. She sighed, "It's crazy, though, isn't it? These aliens are no different from us, really. They get illnesses and need treatment, they have experimental drugs, the whole thing's just so...familiar. Balkin gave me a rundown of how the PTO works, and everything more or less lines up with everything we humans do. Crazy, huh?"

Yamcha started to reply, when Krillin came skidding across the smooth-tiled hallway, grabbing the doorjamb to brake himself. "Hey guys!" he yelled, "Frieza's waking up!" Then he took off, back the way he came, Bulma and Yamcha hurrying behind.

Vegeta, arms crossed, stared at the console in front of him. 'To train…' he thought, 'I'd need to find somewhere where I can deploy this form and improve it. But where…' He searched in his mind, trying to wrack his memory for a planet that he'd found on his many travels where he could do so, where he'd be able to improve himself further without the atmosphere, the gravity, or both killing him. Only one floated up into his consciousness though, much as it irritated him. He tapped at the console keyboard and the ship corrected course. "Time to head for ho— for Earth," he corrected himself. Despite being alone, he let out an irritated hiss. "It's only for training," he angrily reassured himself, "After which, that rock is worth nothing to me..!"

The light. Dull, blurry. Blinking. It came into focus.

Frieza scrunched his eyes and opened them again. There was a hideous throbbing in his head. He put his hand to it and kneaded it. Then he twisted his head sharply and his neck cracked. He let out a soft sigh as the tension was relieved.

"Hey," a soft voice said.

He snapped his head to the side. Bulma was sitting by the bed, behind her stood a slightly nervous looking Krillin and Yamcha. Frieza tensed. "What are you doing here?" he asked, voice hoarse from disuse.

"We were worried about you. You've been out for four days," she shrugged.

He looked away. "That long…"

"So, uh... Do you…" Yamcha began.

"Remember what happened?" Frieza completed. He nodded. "Yes, I do. It's blurry, but I remember before the fight." His fists tightened. "Why? Were you hoping to be able to sweep your lies under the carpet again?"

"No, no!" Bulma said hastily, "It's just…well it'll either make this conversation easier or harder…"

"What conversation?" Frieza asked, furrowing his brows, then looking towards the doorway.

The three humans looked to the door. Son Goku stepped into the room. "Hi Frieza," he said.

Frieza's face contorted and his hands shook. "You…" he hissed.

Goku raised his hands, palms open. "I just want to talk," he said, "No, lies, just the truth, you have my word."

Frieza glared at him. But he took a deep breath and then nodded his assent.

Goku turned to the others. "Could you guys leave us for a moment?" he asked.

"Goku… are you sure?" Krillin asked. Goku nodded. The others exchanged a glance. Then Bulma stood and they left the room, Bulma patting Goku on the shoulder as she left. Now the room was empty and silent except for the two of them.

The Saiyan and the Arcosian, mortal enemies, then uneasy allies, and now...

"Can I sit?" Goku asked after a moment. Frieza gave a tight lipped nod. Goku stepped over and lowered himself onto the seat next to the bed. Frieza kept his gaze fixed firmly on the door. Goku drew in a deep breath. "I guess I'll start by saying I'm sorry. The trick I played on you…I was never comfortable with it. It was suggested by a mentor, the one who taught me Shunkan Idou after Namek, but before I came home."

Frieza tensed his jaw. 'I was right!' he thought. "Why?"

"To unsettle you. Make you unsure. I guess it worked, maybe too well." Goku gave a short laugh, though his face was anything but mirthful.

"But why?" Frieza asked, "You had your Super Saiyan transformation, why did you need that as well?"

"I didn't know how strong you'd gotten. Truth be told a part of me was hoping to frighten you off. Not," he added, raising a hand as Frieza began to sneer, "out of any sense of mercy, or wanting to protect you. But because this is my home. These are my friends. My family. I would do whatever I could to protect them."

Frieza was silent. "Family…friends…" he muttered, "What do they matter when you can't trust them? What do they matter when they…hurt you…" He fell silent.

"When your friends hurt you, you tell them," Goku said after a long moment, "And if they're really your friends they'll apologize. And if they really matter to you, then you forgive them."

"But that all really happened," Frieza said, raising his voice slightly, "You deceived me and hid the truth from me. You all colluded in it." He tightened his fists. "None of it was real."

"No. All of it was real." Frieza looked at him and blinked. Goku leaned forward. "I really was on your ship, not just a ghost, and I really was trying to mentally unsettle you. But then, after that, I was really trying to help you. And so was Bulma. So were Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu. And so was…well, no, maybe not Piccolo…and certainly not Vegeta... Well, anyway, the point is, we wouldn't have taken all of this time to help you if we didn't want to or wanted to just break you down. If we didn't see something worth helping, we wouldn't have spent so much time trying to be nice to you. You have proof of that; the arm Bulma built for you, the gi Tenshinhan gave you." Frieza's expression took on a curious, almost childlike look. "You asked me once if I wanted to be a savior of demons," Goku continued, "And I can honestly say I don't. But people, for them I'll always try to do everything in my power to help."

Frieza looked ahead, trying to process these...alien feelings. Hope, compassion, understanding, empathy...he had long abandoned what those feelings meant to him. For them to return felt strange, like a childhood friend you once grew up with, but had to leave unexpectedly, now returning after a long absence. He turned to Goku.

"I will give you this, Goku. The scare tactics you imposed on me, when I was at death's door...that would have been something I personally would have done to my enemy, given the opportunity. Maybe we aren't that far apart after all…" Frieza sighed. "Vegeta was right about you— you really are an irritatingly soft-hearted do-gooder."

"I sure am," Goku replied with a smile, "and I wouldn't want to be any other way. See, it's not an insult to me, it's a good thing!" He laughed, putting his hand to the back of his head. "Come on, it was a good thing for you, right? Otherwise, you might not be here!"

Frieza shot him a withering look and then turned his head away. He looked out of the window and up to the sky. 'He lied…but not without reason…and perhaps it was best to conceal it… I've been lied to before. If this one bothers me then maybe...'

'Maybe…'

"I forgive you."

It was softly spoken, almost inaudible, but Goku caught it. He blinked, jaw dropping comically. "Really?"

Frieza nodded. "I don't like it. And I won't just leap into trusting you. But I've done far worse things for pettier reasons. It would be a bit much to deny that you had a just cause for doing what you did...considering how we were back then."

"I wouldn't ask you to make a leap like that," Goku said seriously, "Though it's funny, when I first started appearing using Shunkan Idou to scare you...at first it felt wrong, but at the same time, it was..."

"Amusing?" Frieza offered with a smirk, "Ah, by the look on your face, I daresay it was, as much as you like to think you're above such things." He chuckled, hand over mouth. "As you said, we're more alike than you would ever like to admit...though it goes both ways, unfortunately for you." They sat in silence, reflecting on events that now seemed a very long time ago.

"Well..?" Bulma whispered impatiently.

"I don't hear them shouting at each other, and their ki's pretty stable," Krillin whispered back, "Do you think this means he's okay with everything, as it stands? Boy, that'd be nice, to not have to skirt that issue anymore..."

"Well, you two can stand out in the hall whispering, but if he hasn't exploded yet, I'm betting he's not gonna," Yamcha stated bravely, pushing the door open. Krillin and Bulma had expressions of doubt, but they were curious too, tiptoeing into the room after him. "We're not interrupting anymore, are we, Goku?" Yamcha asked.

"Nah, you guys can come on in, we're done talkin' about the heavy stuff, right Frieza?" Goku said.

"More or less," the Arcosian affirmed, rolling his eyes, "I still don't understand why humans don't seem to have any sense of privacy, but at this point, I'm afraid I'm used to it."

"Well, we wouldn't want you to be lonely," Bulma teased, "Now that you're sure we're all your friends, we're gonna treat you that way, right?"

"Right," Yamcha nodded, "No hard feelings, I mean, what's a broken arm between friends?"

"Eh, yeah, sure, within reason..." Krillin reluctantly answered, a drop of sweat decorating his forehead.

"Within reason," Frieza agreed, "And with a healthy measure of respect, if I'm to keep my sanity."

Everyone laughed at that, Frieza included. Yamcha snickered, nudging Krillin and whispering, "Just between you and me...why is it every Arcosian we've met so far has been batshit insane? I mean, is it a coincidence, or just bad luck on our part?"

Krillin shrugged, "Got me, man. Maybe this planet just attracts danger, you know, King Piccolo, the Red Ribbon Army, Raditz, Vegeta...Frieza's just one in a long line of 'em."

Frieza cocked his head at the scar-faced human. "Just one in a long line of what?"

Krillin looked more than a little worried, clamping his hand over Yamcha's mouth. "N-nothing! It's just, ah, you're one of a long line of warriors Goku's fought with us, that's all. O-other than Piccolo and Vegeta, you're the only one still around! Funny, huh?!"

Frieza smiled thinly, making both humans squirm. "Yes, funny, indeed. What was it you were saying before that, though? Something about being 'batshit insane,' if I remember your wording?"

Yamcha paled, but stammered, "W-well... Y-you're, uh, not the most stable guy around, from what I've gathered. A few days ago, we were wondering if you'd—"

"Yamcha! Shush!" Bulma said, smacking him.

"Ow! I'm just being honest, Bulma, come on..."

"He's right," Frieza sighed, still smiling as he laid a hand over his face, "The first time I access any of my higher forms, I'm rather...unstable, to put it lightly. I've come to terms with it, and that's just how it goes." Meeting Yamcha's eyes again, he said, "You'd be crazy too, if all of you humans were either survivors of a war that nearly wiped out your species, government-sponsored super soldier experiments, or both. And that's without the transformations."

Yamcha frowned deeply. "...I'm sorry. I...didn't know about all that. Guess that explains a lot."

"Hmph," Frieza huffed, "I'm not looking for charity from any of you, just clarifying things so your ignorance doesn't get the better of you. But you're technically correct; transforming always has some component of mental distress, what you'd call insanity, to it."

"Always? Wow," Yamcha said, genuinely intrigued, "So, do you all go through that? I mean, we all saw Haabu transform, and he was really psycho. How do you even control that?"

"Incrementally, and no, not all of us," Frieza said, sounding slightly annoyed, "The first time I transformed, I had no memory of it, zero. I still don't. The next time, there were...fuzzy recollections, like a dream. And so on, with each attempt, I woke up a little more, became more conscious of what I was doing. You go from living a nightmare to controlling one." He wasn't looking at the scar-faced human any longer, but staring blankly ahead into space. Finally, he blinked, refocusing on them. "Does that sufficiently answer your question?"

"Y-yeah..." Yamcha said quietly, "So...three days ago, you just...blanked out, huh?"

"Yes," Frieza said, "That reminds me...who defeated Haabu? I assume he is dead, or possibly driven away, knowing Goku's penchant for mercy."

"He's very definitely dead," Piccolo said, appearing in the doorway, Tenshinhan and Chiaotzu close behind him, "Goku, is he up to speed?" The Saiyan nodded no, prompting Piccolo to grit his teeth. "Alright, I'm not going to sugarcoat it for any of you, then. Frieza, you were out of control, not only single-handedly killing Haabu, but almost doing the same to Goku. If your power hadn't run out when it did, we wouldn't be having this conversation." Piccolo watched Frieza carefully for some satisfaction that he almost killed the Super Saiyan, but only saw shock and disgust, much to his surprise.

"Then I...went berserk," Frieza summarized, "And now you are worried I will be a threat."

"It wasn't your fault," Tenshinhan cut in harshly, "Haabu set you off and forced your hand, just as I said to Piccolo earlier when he wanted to ki—"

"He's right, Tenshinhan," Frieza said, loud enough to interrupt the human, "Don't try to be noble and defend me. It's plain to see that you're all walking on eggshells around me, and in your position, I'd be rightfully afraid too." He closed his eyes, massaging the space between them with his fingers. "Honestly...you all think I don't notice? I've spent my entire life watching people cower and sidestep around things that might set me off." He laughed mirthlessly, not noticing how Goku stiffened suddenly at the sound. "Pitiful. Either kill me, or accept me. I'll do my best not to run amok again, but I can make no promises. Just know that, from now until the foreseeable future, any damage I incur is merely collateral, not some personal grudge. Fair enough?" he said, meeting Piccolo's unblinking stare.

"We'll help you, Frieza," Chiaotzu said, "You'll get it under control, and nobody will get hurt," he said, directing the last remark to Piccolo.

"If you're so confident, and so willing to turn over a new leaf, fine," Piccolo sneered, "But I'm not taking responsibility, as I said before, for anything you do, from here on out, got it?" Frieza nodded. "Good, I'm glad we have an agreement...I'll be sure to hold you to it, especially if you go back on your word."

"Yes, yes, I understand that you will expend all of your energy, such as it is, to discipline me, should I act out of line," Frieza said dismissively, making Piccolo seethe, "Now then, you said I killed Haabu...what happened to his body, after the battle? I need to clean up that mess, as soon as I can afford to..." He grimaced inwardly, swallowing hard at the prospect.

"Uh...well, about that..." Krillin hedged, not meeting Frieza's eyes, "He's, uh...dead and buried very, very deep." He held out his hands defensively, quickly adding, "I figured...well, I mean, what you said before, about spirits in the dirt and all that... If you want, we'll dig him back up and do whatever you want...though, he is in a lot of pieces. You really did a number on him."

Frieza didn't react, asking, "Just one question. If he was...in pieces, like you said... Did you bury them all in one place?"

Krillin looked a little uncomfortable, and cautiously answered, "Yes? I mean, what else would I have done?" He tensed up, expecting a bad reaction from Frieza. 'Oh no, I forgot,' he thought, heart sinking past his knees, 'Arcosians scatter bodies, not bury them!'

Counter to Krillin's fear, Frieza smiled genuinely, and said, "Thank you. With any luck, that will be one ghost who won't haunt me." At Krillin's shocked expression, he added, "You've done me a great service, and relieved me of a burden I was...not looking forward to taking care of. Now, if you don't mind," he said, looking around the room, eyes landing pointedly on Goku, "My head's still pounding, so I would like to rest, if you'd all kindly resist your human need to be on top of me, and leave me alone."

Goku laughed, "Sure thing. Let us know if you need anything...friend." He smirked and waved, as everyone else dutifully filed out the door, shutting it behind himself.

Frieza sighed deeply. In truth, his head wasn't hurting quite as badly as when he'd first woken up. "Friend, huh?" he murmured to himself, a faint smile he'd been too ashamed to show them playing on his dark lips.

Hello my loyal SoD readers! Well, with that, the Haabu Arc is complete! Hope you enjoyed the first major original villain in Savior of Demons! A big thanks to my three editors, who all convened online the very last day so we could hammer out the last scenes & make everything suitably spectacular, especially Elbadj, who largely wrote Vegeta's adventures this chapter. In the real world, I am back in graduate school, so I feel it's fair to warn you that my schedule may affect my release date. I'm going to try to stick to bi-monthly releases, but if I miss a deadline, that will be why. I'm not giving up on SoD though, so don't worry! I just need sufficient time to turn out a quality product for you, the readers. In other news, I've incorporated fanfiction into not one, but both of my class projects this semester — proving that fanfiction can be academic, hehehe! In the future, I may even do a study on fanfic writers' literacy & I might need volunteers, hint hint. On to the Q&A!

Q: Well, the explanation as to how Haabu could transform is surely a shocking revelation and I'm actually as creeped out as Frieza. What are they gonna do next, clone the royal family? I really loved that this chapter provided us with more info on Frieza's past and how Kold and Kooler achieved their transformations. So Kold's and Kooler's transformations were artificially induced, how did they manage that? And why was the first transformation more dangerous for older Arcosians? So normal Arcosians can be made to transform by infusing them with royal DNA (and some other type of grafting procedure?) and making them chimeras, that's a scary thought. I wonder how many Arcosians have undergone this "procedure" so far and how their power compares with a true royal. Also would these "altered" Arcosians be able to pass on their mutations to any offspring they might have? If that's the case, then this "legendary" transformation will soon become commonplace. I think a can of worms has just been opened... Also, Ratsura *is* behind all this, I totally called it! Poor Frieza, he's so torn over whether or not he'll return to Arcos! I think he will eventually, whether by his own choice or not. I find myself worrying about him just as much as Goku and wondering what a return to Arcos to face all those horrible memories will do to him psychologically. I smell another mental breakdown coming. I don't have much to say about Vegeta's adventures so far, I just hope we see whether or not he gets majin'd in the next chapter. Mirtiro nooooo! Okay really starting to hate Haabu now. Not only does he have the "it's all about me" attitude that I loathe in real people, he's proven to be an abusive s-o-b and he hurt my birdie man! By the way nice touch on Mirtiro plucking his feathers out of stress; real parrots do that. Haabu's getting more dangerous and unstable the more things don't go his way, and I think that's going to lead to him snapping and doing something drastic soon which will be bad because I think he's stronger than everyone thinks he is. And now I have some questions and comments about the Q&A: I like the headcanon you have for 3rd form Frieza's giant xenomorph head, I always thought it was a threat display, but the idea that it could amplify his voice is interesting too. It would explain why his voice is so deep in 3rd form, but I would think a deeper louder voice would also serve to intimidate instead of attract mates, unless the transformations represent the Arcosian's more primitive, ancestral forms and that they actually did attract mates like that at some point in their evolution. I thought you said earlier that Kuriza wasn't going to show up in SOD, did you change your mind? So Frieza will be reaching his 5th transformation sometime soon? Something tells me he's going to have to find an organic replacement for that robot arm first 'cause I don't think that'll be able to transform with him. This chapter has definitely brought up more questions about Frieza's past, I hope the last part of that Arcos special is coming soon. Also, I'm still trying to find the time to draw Mirtiro. Don't expect much though, I haven't cracked open a sketch book in almost a year and I'm probably super rusty.

A: Well, the reaction from both Frieza & the readers is meant to be "Nope, nope, nope" the whole way, so I think that I did well if I creeped you out. As for cloning the Royals, don't give Ratsura any ideas! I can't go into all the details on how Kooler & King Kold transformed "artificially," but I can tell you why it was dangerous. Put simply, transforming puts a massive strain on the body, & in older individuals (as Frieza described), their bodies just give out, with nasty things like hemorrhaging & seizures preceding their deaths. Their ki bursts blood vessels, fries their brains, & generally does a lot of damage, because that kind of power just isn't stable. Children, however, are the exception, because they're more resilient, & don't know to try to hold their bursting power in, reflexively releasing it like Frieza did when he first went berserk. Even then, he wasn't unscathed, but children also have an easier time healing, so he managed to survive. Good question about the altered Arcosians with chimeric grafts. They could probably produce offspring with their traits, but a big hurdle to this is finding a partner who would accept them. Remember, to his people, Frieza is a demon. That's a significant stigma to be overcome in a highly stratified, tradition-based society. No points for implicating Ratsura; we all know he has his hand in a lot of things behind the scenes on Arcos. So, you foresee Frieza going home to Arcos soon, hm? We'll see... Vegeta is doing important stuff, even if he doesn't realize it right now. Poor Mirtiro; you're correct that IRL parrots & the like will pluck feathers if they're stressed - that's where I got it from! Cool that you caught it, & you're picking up on Haabu's dangerous change in temperament... I think of Arcosian transformations as bringing out the atavistic elements of the species, sometimes exaggerating them, hence the big head in Third Form. Kuriza may or may not show up in some form in SoD, & yes I'm being purposely vague, lol. You'll have to be patient regarding Frieza's Fifth Form, too. Aw, & thanks for offering to draw Mirtiro! I'm grateful for any art, regardless of quality, from my cherished reader. ❤

Q: Thanks for a great new chapter. Do you take donations? I feel guilty reading this for free. Vegeta with his energy orb reminds me of Naruto training to learn the Rasengan technique for some reason. Have you ever watched Naruto? I assume that Habu has had his bone marrow taken out(with a radiation treatment?) and replaced with King Cold's artificially cultured bone marrow? Also I assume that Ratsura and his associates have found a way to circumvent immune rejection? My theory on why the experimental transformations were a failure is because it is the specific mutation in the Cold family line that makes it so that their immune system mitigates the destructive effects of the transformation on the body. Perhaps excess cellular debris/toxic concentrations of metabolic waste accumulate in a non-Cold arcosian who transforms. (just trying to pull stuff out of my but so to speak, in actuality shifting form rapidly like Frieza is most likely a biological impossibility).

A: Haha, I wish I knew how to set up a donation pool for SoD. For now though, may I suggest you pay me in fanart? Or curating the TVTropes page? I can always use help on those fronts. I've seen much of Naruto, & I think I can see why Vegeta's training is reminiscent of his, hehe. It wasn't intentional, but it's an interesting parallel. Yep, Haabu has almost none of his natural body at this point. Everything under the skin is, in essence, Kold, except for his brain (blood-brain barrier means that can be left untouched). Yet, since he didn't originally have royal blood at birth, there's still a high chance of rejection & subsequent complications. He'd have to be taking immuno-suppressants to combat that outcome, but don't expect him to mention a weakness like that - he's ultimately very proud of his body, & anything to tarnish its perfection is a non-issue to him. The previous experimental transformation candidates died from simple stress, not just a failure of their immune system. The massive amount of ki they suddenly had access to burst them like a balloon from the inside out, while wreaking havoc on their brains with the electrical activity generated by it. They died from what amounts to a grand-mal seizure & massive internal bleeding.

Q: OMG, long, long, long time (since the first chapter) wanted to make a comment, but for some reason never did , as indeed I have many dudad, questions, and suggestions. De todas formas. I'm ITS follow history Number 1 Latin America (Iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii: 3), so my Inglés is not very good, so i had some complications to Understand concept or episodios- General Commentary Chapter 23: OMG, sincerely Haabu With His statement has left me so petrified as Frieza, a chill ran through me from behind When I've read That is the "royals" I gustario know what your motivations Habuu Because at first glance has a huge loyalty to the late King Kold, but if I remember correctly, in one of the espercial ARCOS, have a not very positive thoughts acerca Their King, and by the very "flattering "Contrary to the Queen Isa. xD. This chapter was somewhat shorter than the other, They will return monthly updates? If so, it would be immensely happy - .. Finally ... burning question: What is Your Opinion About DBS? What is Your Opinion About Frost? Viste chapter 33? To be honest, Having the same voice That Frieza in Japanese, almost had a heart attack xDDDD.

A: You're certainly my Number 1 Spanish-speaking reader, & thanks for taking the time to type out a review in English for me! That means a lot to me, truly. ≘◡≘~ Haabu has sufficiently freaked poor Frieza out, & you too, it sounds like! As you correctly assessed, Haabu did not like the late Queen, or Kooler for that matter. He saw them as inferior, in the same way different humans (nationalities, races, etc.) discriminate against each other. Frieza, it seemed, was worthy of loyalty because he was Kold's heir, but now...Haabu is having second thoughts. Perhaps he sees Frieza as tainted by his mother's blood? Unfortunately, I'm still doing bi-monthly chapters, because I am back in school again. Sorry! I haven't personally watched DBS, but...I don't like Frost's design at all. His personality seems cool, though.

Q: Well, Haabu showed some backbone! And it seems like he's getting very angry. It's pretty clear this is gonna come to a head soon. If he thinks he's capable of taking Frieza by force at all, he must be stronger than we know... I found his explanation how how he could transform at all very interesting- I hadn't thought it to be a genetic anomaly. I'd just assumed all of their species could do it. He loses points, though, for his explanation getting really creepy at the end about having Kold's blood in his veins and stuff. I would have thought he'd, you know, realized that doesn't come across well? But he does like to hear himself yap on, so maybe not. It also occurred to me, briefly, that he or Frieza might see him as something of a father figure- now he literally has Kold's blood and he would look pretty similar, being in the second form and all. But Frieza obviously doesn't see him in that light, and while he clearly thinks Frieza should listen to him, he wouldn't dare try to put himself in that spot either. And it seems Salza's words accidently helped Vegeta. I knew they would! It's kind of a cliche. Not a trope I don't think, or not one I heard of, but I've seen that trick before, yessss. In any case, definitely a good chapter, and I look forward to the next one. See you next review!

A: Of course Haabu has a backbone...even if it had to be surgically grafted into him, lol. That, incidentally, definitely affected how bold he became. Even the thought of just carrying Frieza off against his will speaks to how confident he is in his own power. Not all Arcosians can transform - in fact, that's why Frieza was seen as a demon. What the Arcosians of old knew as a demonic transformation is in fact a genetic mutation, & once they demystified it, scientists started pushing the natural boundaries. As for Haabu being creepy, keep in mind that he's a narcissist. He has no conception of inappropriate, because he cannot empathize with others. In his mind, he's just said something impressive, & Frieza should be in awe. There's also that parallel between Haabu & Kold, which is one reason Frieza is thoroughly squicked out by his little revelation. It's safe to say at this point that Frieza has something of an Oedipus complex. Meanwhile, Sauza & Vegeta feel like they should have their own spin-off comedy, don't they? xD

Q: Well the atmosphere definitely seems to be intensifying in this chapter! The way Haabu revealed the source of his power to transform was outright creepy. I pictured Haabu being an over-eager fan who doesn't understand that their attempt of flattery goes way too far. Besides his constant talking about being loyal makes me question how loyal he actually is. Though he does have the ulterior motive of getting praised for retrieving Frieza. Frieza should think twice before acting harshly towards Haabu. Many have their suspicions he is much more powerful what he seems to be and it's going to be a huge problem if he flips off completely. Confusing aliens with earth idioms will always be funny to me. :'D Also "5 minutes" *laughs* my favorite Frieza related canon joke. Poor Mirtiro! Gladly Bulma was there to help him. However, that was a new, sadistic side of Haabu that I believe we will see more in the future chapters. Though I find it cute that usually Mirtiro has been able to calm Haabu down. (Calming space-bird powers?) I do wonder about Polaris though. How's he holding up? I suppose you'll bring some light to that later. But I have some questions. Do you plan on giving Frieza a fully organic body once more in the future chapters? Also, a lot of things about Arcosians have been left unanswered by the canon. How would you feel if now, as example in DBS now that there is a new Arcosian character, these things would be answered and they differ from your theories? Would you take those into consideration or leave them unregarded?

A: Haabu is a creeper, & the sad thing is that he doesn't even realize it. He does seem a lot like an overly-loyal dog, doesn't he? The problem with dogs is if you kick them enough, they bite... Hehe, & yes, I love putting linguistic/cultural puns in SoD, so Haabu & Frieza can be befuddled by them. The idea behind taking something with a grain of salt comes from the fact that food is more easily swallowed if taken with a small amount of salt, with the suggestion is that injurious effects can be moderated by the taking of a grain of salt. In ancient times, a grain of salt was an ingredient in a potion you could make to protect against poison. Hehe, yeah, maybe Mirtiro has "calming space-bird powers," because I've always envisioned him as a mediator. You'll hear about Polaris sooner or later, don't worry... As for Frieza's arm, you'll have to wait & see! DBS, I'm pretty much ignoring, because it all seems too silly for my serious world-building.

Q: I've caught up and i gotta say, I was happy to see Frieza warming up to everyone, even after the lost of his swanky brother and Harsh father. I really don't like Haabu because he doesn't like Cooler and downplays his power and accomplishments. Petty, I Know but still. On a side note, how do you feel about the name differences with Frieza, Freeza and Cooler and Koola? Great chapter as well

A: You don't like Haabu either? Welcome to the club. His crew hates his guts, Frieza is less than enamored with him, & all the Earth warriors know he's not to be trusted, so I'd say you have good judgement. On name differences, I use the ones I do out of personal preference & to reduce confusion - they sound more like proper names than the objects they're puns of. If I want to search for Kooler (mostly DBZ character results), I'll have more accurate results than if I search for Cooler (mostly portable refrigeration device results).

Q: Decided not to do a running commentary for this one because it just felt tedious to do, no offense, and since I do running commentaries for fun, they shouldn't feel like a chore, anywho, onto the actual review. This was a pretty interesting chapter, Frieza's still paranoid, Goku is still Goku, Roshi proving yet again that he's more than just a Dirty Old Man. I mean, he IS a Dirty Old Man, but he's an immortal Dirty Old Man in the sense that he can't die from natural causes and has seen a lot in his time, he's surprisingly wise when he's not being silly. Also, Krillin. KRILLIN, just, Krillin, he KNOWS Goku, and while Goku is a bit oblivious, Krillin, a good deal less. Anyway, so THAT'S why Haabu is so strong, he got his blood replaced by King Kold's. Though, exsanguination and replacing the blood just like that, must have dealt with the heart and his veins directly, apart from the pain which he mentioned, I can't imagine it would have been an easy process. Worst part, anesthesia wouldn't work since it would flow through Haabu's blood which was being replaced. Also, Vegeta has a trick up his sleeve and Sauza swearing in French is ALWAYS amusing.

A: That's fine; though I do enjoy longer reviews, I'd never want it to become a chore for my readers! I feel like Roshi is usually downplayed in the importance department, despite his canonically having a lot of expertise...he's literally a wise old master, even if he has other more overt quirks that overshadow that. Krillin again proves to be my most human character, with his empathy & practical viewpoints. He should get a medal just for tolerating a drunken Haabu telling him stories, lol. Indeed, Haabu's "conversion" to a chimera was anything but a picnic in the pain department. I have a theory that Arcosians don't respond well to the type of anesthesia we humans are familiar with, since it's notoriously hard IRL to use it on reptiles (if you remember back in the chapter with Dr. Wheelo, it took a lot more of the knock-out gas than normal to subdue Frieza). That means that Arcosians either have their own method for knocking out patients, or perhaps they never invented it. Meanwhile, Vegeta gets his kicks by alternately annoying & bullying Sauza. Not surprising, really, but it makes for good entertainment.

Q: First of all, sorry this took me seven days to get to. It's been a busy week/weekend. I hope you're basset holiday was as fun for you as my weekend was for me. Secondly, I find myself at a loss for how to best review this chapter. I feel as though you must be getting bored with all of the praise for how solid your plotting and characterization are and for the pleasant flow of your writing style. I mean, I've certainly said it before; this story is simply amazing. In case you're not bored: The plot of this story is engaging. I find myself eager to know what comes next, both in regards to the series canon (with slight changes) and the state of the Arcosian Empire. Your characterization continues to be spot-on - they feel very real and like they belong in the comic/show. Haabu continues to entertain (albeit in a scarier way than in previous chapters), as do his minions. My only disappointment was that so little progress was made (plot wise) in the ongoing tale of Prince Vegeta, knight errant. I was hoping the fight you introduced would occur this chapter. But I suppose I can wait. Although you told me Alak comes from Alakazam, I still think he must have a twin sister named Alas somewhere. My brain will just not drop it. Keep up the excellent work, and hopefully we'll have time to hang out before the next chapter is published.

A: No worries; I like late reviews better than no reviews at all. I still get excited when a new reader posts their thoughts on an older chapter. Hazel & I had fun at the Basset Waddle - we made her a Basset Hound costume so she'd blend in...everyone thought it was the funniest thing, & the MC guy hosting the events & doing announcements kept joking with us, stuff like, "I think that Basset looks suspect," & "Not sure about this one, folks, but that tall Basset might be cheating," when we did the Basset race. Hazel crossed the finish line in three strides, meanwhile all the hounds just waddled along. xD Back on topic, I'm glad that all of my planning shows in the final product - plot continuity is my #1 concern. Haabu & his crew are interesting characters, none more so than the egomaniac himself, so I'm glad people like them (or like to hate Haabu). What do you mean, Vegeta's not making progress? He's made a huge leap of intuition in regards to how to make himself stronger...& in the impending fight with Pui-pui, that can be a lifesaver. Speaking of, don't worry, his fight will conclude in the next chapter. The nice thing is that his side-story is already written, making it easier to just insert scenes to juxtapose them with what's going on back on Earth. Hehe, I may just add a Majin Alas just for you, later on, since your heart's so set on that being a pun. ;^P We'll see.

Q: If I had to choose a word to describe this chapter, I would probably go with creepy. I found Haabu's bloody (literally) speech incredibly disquieting, not only because he mentions Ratsura, who would make anyone pretty nervous, but also because of the raving tone he carried it out with. I must say the Admiral is worrying me; I was not fond of him before, after his little episode with Mirtiro I just know things are going to end very badly. It struck me that Mirtiro himself was taken aback by the attack. So the Admiral used to be mercurial but quite harmless? Is it the stress of the situation getting to him? Freeza's unwillingness to help and his insults? Or something darker? I cannot help but feeling that his transforming has something to do with his change for the worse. On a different note, am I wrong in thinking that Polaris was not exactly hoping for the Admiral to survive the whole operation? XD Another particularly creepy appearance was ghost Cooler, but I must say I loved it! I spent a few minutes wondering whether Freeza had finally snapped for good before realising it was only a dream. Still, it was interesting to see what Freeza's inner voices sound like (poor guy...). I am really itching to know what is happening on Arcos, since our favourite tyrant seems to hint at knowing the nature of the threat. He is getting so riled up that my piece of advice is to grab Goku and bring him along for the ride - it tends to be a smart choice. And speaking of Goku, I had to laugh at how adorable he's been this whole chapter, especially when he was considering going after Vegeta just so he could get him to talk with Freeza! On that note, Freeza's considerations on Vegeta got me thinking: why did Frieza took him in in the first place? It is obvious he loathes Saiyans with a passion (and I find it difficult blaming him after reading your powerful Arcos Specials), so why keep him around? Besides, he was worried about them growing too powerful, yet decided to keep alive the most powerful one to his knowledge? I'd love for him to explain his reasoning, I really would. Finally, I cannot wait to see how Goku will go about getting the Arcosian drunk. Sneaky plan indeed, I just hope it does not backfire. I am also keeping my fingers crossed for Vegeta, Sauza, Doore and Neiz. I would love to say that Vegeta's revelation is going to work, but experience has taught me to wait and see before cheering when the Prince is involved. As for the rest... Go Armoured Squadron! Go! Lovely chapter as always, I particularly enjoyed how the scenes criss-cross each other and perspectives keep changing, it is very engaging for the reader! Keep up the good work!

A: Creepy is a valid interpretation of this chapter, especially Haabu's actions. Mirtiro was surprised because Haabu usually gets his way fairly easy, so he's rarely incited to anger. Now that Frieza is denying him, he's started to act out. Your hypothesis that his transformation has made him more violent is interesting, though. Haha, yes, Polaris views Haabu as a useful idiot, & figured that if he survived, he'd continue to be useful, whereas if he died, at least he'd provide still-useful data. The dream Frieza had was meant to be disorienting, so I'm glad it confused you to realize Frieza never left his bed! That was fun to write, hehe. I suppose if Kooler represented an inner voice of Frieza's, he'd be his superego/voice of reason. Haha, I seriously doubt Frieza would willingly ask for Goku's help, much less cart him along to Arcos with him. Goku tries to accommodate him, but despite his best attempts to be nice, Frieza still can't bring himself to trust him fully. As for why Frieza took Vegeta & essentially raised him, there are a few reasons. One, he wanted to have absolute control over a Saiyan, to allay his own fears & irrational phobias. Starting with a weak child that gradually got stronger was a smart way to ramp up his tolerance (though it eventually made him cocky & complacent). Second, Vegeta was a powerful, utilitarian pawn he could command & use to conquer. Third, he gained a lot of catharsis from what he did to Vegeta, even when it wasn't on the level he himself experienced. Part of petty revenge is having a punching bag, plain & simple. We'll see in the next chapter if Goku's plan is successful, though judging from his current stress, Frieza might welcome a drink or two. Plus, you'll see if Vegeta continues to get tenderized, or if he actually manages to squeeze out a victory with the help of the Armored Squadron.

Q: You could introduce Kuriza by having Frieza fused with Krillin XD

A: If there's one thing in the universe that those two could agree on, it'd be that they'd rather die than even attempt that. xD

Q: I think the reason everyone is so wary of Haabu is that the guy isn't quite stable in the head. I'm betting that having blood from the Kold family put into his body is messing with his mind; power in exchange for sanity, as seems to be the case with the Kold family and their transformations. As nice as things seem to be right now with Haabu and his crew, I'm getting a too good to be true vibe, especially with how thoughtful Haabu seemed to be at that remark Krillin made about replacing one ruler with another. I wonder just how many transformations Haabu has hidden up his sleeve, as you seem to be alluding to. Going by the flow of things with Vegeta, it seems to me like you're going the Ascended SSJ route with him for the moment, but I wonder if that will be enough to deal with Pui-pui.

A: Quite possibly, yes, that would a reason to not trust Haabu. Even if he wasn't crazy (which is only coming out now), he's still an insufferable egotist. To be clear, he already had megalomaniacal tendencies before his "conversion," but with Kold's influence, he not only has more of a push, he actually has the means to potentially carry out his grandiose ideas. Oho, & you took note of that line Haabu latched onto in Krillin's conversation...excellent, you're sharp! Ditto for the outcome of Vegeta's next battle, though it remains to be seen if & by what margin he'll win against Pui-pui.

Q: I loved the first scene, it made me remember my youth... the flesh and blood ... transfusion... hum... and then he was still bleeding after he bit himself... and the Z warriors say that there is something odd with his ki ... could it be related? like a non assimilation, ? You mentioned Polaris... great, is he going to be seen.. to appear? I would love to meet him... One ruler by another, ... A dangerous dangerous thought for someone with royal blood... 5 minutes... oh, When I read it, I laughed a lot... My favorite part was when he thought of friendship ... and Bulma Tenshinhan and the others... For the odd schedules... . yes, well, I have some problems with making a ... sorth of galactic standard time measurements... or time frame... any suggestions? though I am thinking on the mayan circles of 20x13 ... finally, about to feel ki.. when Goku is teaching him... Frieza says something like.. he thought it was like that just when... an ... is it related .. with ... a mate...? is that part of his involvement with Bulma and you saying it will have relevancy latter? yes this story always leave me thinking of a lot of things not only of the story itself. awesome chapter!

A: Hehe, yeah, I take inspiration from my own childhood as a homeschooled kid when I write Gohan. Glad it brought you some fond memories as well. Not sure what you mean by non-assimilation, but Haabu is a chimera, so his ki could conceivably feel "off" to seasoned fighters like those on Earth who are used to reading natural auras. You've already met Polaris, in the Arcos Specials, but yes, he will eventually feature in the future events of SoD. A few other readers like him a lot & want to meet him as well...makes me wonder what he'd think of his human fanclub, lol. Ooh, you're the second person to pick up on Haabu's dangerous ruminations on overthrowing the current royal "leader." We'll see if he acts on that thought. Lol, yes, I am not above making fun of Frieza's time miscalculations. Aww, I'm glad you liked Frieza's memories of friendship. It's such a small scene, but it's very important to me. The "odd schedules" comment refers to Arcosians' circadian rhythms, & how they're awake for a strange amount of time before conking out for more than a day, in Earth terms. While Haabu appears lazy because he sleeps in, it's really Frieza who's the weird one - living on a ship most of his life, he's more adjusted to the galactic standard time schedule, though I haven't worked out its specifics. When Goku was trying to teach Frieza to sense ki, Frieza is freaking out because he associates feeling ki with being overwhelmed & overpowered. To him, it's a very invasive feeling, because he is used to literally feeling nothing besides his own power. Having something foreign suddenly in your head will unsettle you.

Q: It may have taken me, oh, I would say three months to catch up with you fic, but I have finally done it! Huzzah, and all that fanfare. I must say, I am thoroughly enjoying the direction you are taking this story! I find that the most fascinating thing, to me at least, is your ability to weave your characters into the story effortlessly, as if they truly belong in the universe. And don't even get me started on your representation of Frieza's trepidation and hesitance, brilliantly executed! In my writing I have found his character to be a very chaotic one (I suppose that's why we all love him though) and you do an exemplary job at keeping him in check while also smoothly showing his change throughout the chapters! I've always pictured him as a character capable of change, but very stubborn to adhere to the consequences of said change, and in this chapter you did a wonderful job at showing his regression and hesitance to move forward with a decision. I'm very anxious to see what you do with Buu saga, as it has never been one of my favorites, but I hope that you will be able to put a believable twist on it, though of that I have no doubt, with your skills as a writer! And I am also quite happy to hear that I am not the only one on this site that thinks Frieza surpassing a god form in 4 months is ridiculous. I will have none of that in my story either, it totally defeats the purpose of training and going through hardships.

I anxiously await your update, and I do hope to review more in the future! Keep up the good work!

A: I take great pride in making my O.C.s either unobtrusive to canon, or actively adhering to it. If I need a character for a role, I always try to use an existing one, before making my own. I like to think I'm good at keeping canon characters in-character, so thank you for that compliment! Chaos is one of Frieza's traits in canon, so I pay attention to situations of stress where he's more likely to come unhinged. He's also very stubborn & resistant to admitting his mistakes, or even acknowledging them, so change for him has to be slow & gradual. The Buu Saga is my least favorite, but I do have a few things planned to keep it intriguing, hopefully. Haha, & if you think Golden Turd Frieza is ridiculous like I do, you'll get a kick out of a particular scene in the next chapter...

Q: How the tension rises. Haabu's starting to become a more nuanced and threatening character. Next time his ego gets bruised, his minions are going to get worse than bruised. I love chapters that utilize the supporting cast. Gives everyone much-needed character development and screen time. The long and the short of it, this chapter has everything I love about Savior of Demons.

A: Aw, thanks for the steady sentiments of positivity. This was another character-centric chapter, because not every chapter can have epic battles, lol. Aha, so you're noticing Haabu's personality shift, are you? Yes, as bumbling & innocuous as he might seem, he could easily do some damage. Glad you like the character development, especially for Haabu's crew. No need to apologize for reviewing later - I'm happier with a late, detailed review than a rushed "oh hey this was good" a few minutes after I post. Take your time.

Q: Chapter 21: Nonfeasance: If Haabu found out about the Dragon Balls, could we see a Revival of King Kold? His present jaded irritation with Frieza could make him very open to that alternative. And from what you've said about King Kold's other forms, he may even give Assj Goku or the reunited Son of Katas a run for their money.

A: Hmm, that's a scary thought. Hope nobody slips up & says something about magical orbs that can revive the dead... Kold wouldn't just give Goku & Piccolo a run for their money, he'd rob them blind, metaphorically. Remember that, in his Third Form, he effortlessly brutalized Kooler in his Fifth. That was child's play for him, & he indicates that he'd trained to keep ahead of even Frieza, so he surely he'd have at least one more form...

Q: Chapter 21: Nonfeasance: Awesome chapter as always,but there is one thing that i was you said this Cell will be different from the cannon one i was just wondering will his final form be the same,is he even gonna go to final form,i don't mind much his personality chafes if there will be any but i just really love his final form so i was just wondering (also love you #noticemesenpai).

A: Well, I can't give you any spoilers, sadly, but I promise that Cell will be an interesting character in SoD, regardless of whether he can achieve his Perfect Form or not. Also, #Inoticedyoukohai, lol. If you make an account, I can notice you even more in real-time, without the annoying barrier of anonymous reviewing!

Q: Chapter 21: Nonfeasance: Love the story so far, but it could do with more FriezaxBulma moments. Yes at first I thought that pairing was rather squicky, but the more I thought about it and the more I read this the more I began to like it. They're surprisingly cute together, and after chapter 9 I've been wanting to see more fluff. Its surprising that a hardcore VegeBul shipper would like this turn, but that just shows your skill as a writer.

A: Sorry to disappoint the shippers, but from here on out, they're platonic. Though it surprises me as well that someone usually for Bulma x Vegeta didn't NOPE right out of the story after that scene. xD I did try my best to write a tasteful scene though, & as you said, that's probably why it's tolerable. I'll admit that after so many readers telling me it was a cute ship, I can see it a bit myself, but if I ever do Bulma x Frieza seriously, it'll have to be a separate AU fic, as there are some important things in the plot of SoD that their relationship would affect otherwise.

Q: Chapter 21: Nonfeasance: As usual this was a very good chapter filled with many revelations. I now see the connection from "Piccolo's choice" when Haabu mentioned that their were many sacrifices before he attained his second form and technological advancements. Those poor death row prisoners... :(. Anyways before I begin my review, what are your thoughts on Frost from DB Super? I find him to be a very interesting counterpart for Frieza though his revelation of him being evil and using modified poison to defeat stronger foes is a bit disappointing. Nonetheless at least he remains good in the manga, though his characterization in the anime is a huge let down in terms of morals. With that out of the way, let's talk about this amazing chapter. I find it very intriguing that a specific mutation inside of the Cold lineage allows them to transform into ascended forms when put under stress. Kudos for such a amazing idea because this literally separates Frieza's clan from all of the other peasants who wish to be like him lol. My two questions is how did this mutation came about inside of Frieza's family and what inspired you Roketto to come up with such a fascinating idea? Did Frieza's ancestors unlocked a higher conscious of power that forever mutated their genes, or came into contact with a foreign object that ascended them, or one member performed a unholy ritualistic fusion with a demon to attain such powers that was inherited by his descendants [thus explaining why Frieza's forms have always consider him to be a demon]? If you are planning on addressing this question in the future, please don't spoil it then lol. But if you aren't, by all means share this information lol :). How boring that both Cooler and King Cold underwent their first form transformations during an experiment while being in induced trauma. No training, no crisis, just a simple experiment to bring out their unholy potential. Perhaps I am judging too harshly since we haven't exactly seen how the experiment went, but hopefully their other forms will be achieved through other unique methods instead of inside of a lab constructed by Ratsura :0. Well Haabu surprised us all on how he achieved his ascended forms. Due to him not being from the same clan as Frieza, it is literally impossible for him to transform until Ratsura from the science division of biology came up with the greatest plot device to fix that problem.. blood transfusions. Thus by infusing himself with the blood of Frieza and King cold (Haabu probably killed a few top scientists to prevent Coolers blood from being mixed in too lol) with permission from King Cold, Haabu efficiently became a "brother" to them both by becoming a 100% DNA Frieza clan member (wonder what they did to all of Haabu's original blood)? Nonetheless the surgery was very taxing and if it wasn't for Haabu's mental fortitude and elite strength, he surely would have perished just like those poor prisoners. Since Haabu is effectively the first non-Frieza clan member to attain the ascended forms, I wonder who else may go through the surgeries to attain those transformations (I bet my money on Fukaba, d***-head Ratsura, and hopefully Kaji)? I also wonder if Haabu may possess the higher forms (Third or even a Fourth) as well? With everything considered, hopefully Polaris went through the same experiment his brother and nephew went through to attain the same powers as his family. If not, I wonder why? No lie but I'm starting to find it quite old that Frieza STILL believes that Goku has him on leash despite living on Earth for years now, knowing full well that deep in his heart that the Z-Fighters (mainly Tien and Chiaotzu) now trust him to leave the Earth with confidence that he won't return to his old ways. Perhaps once his nightmares truly cease, more examples of Goku proving his worth, his fears from his "duty" for Arcos stop, and the entire crisis on Acros is vanquish that he will finally let go of those delusional beliefs. If not, then he may be a lost cause in terms of building a healthy relationship with Goku lol. If he does prevail against those delusions, hopefully Babadi won't appear and mess up all of Frieza's hard work, because that would such d***. Goku wanting to get Frieza drunk to fish out more information from him will be a hilarious read lol. Looking forward to that! I hated how Haabu treated Mirtiro like crap throughout this chapter. It made me want to deck him in his s***. Plus his s*** talking about Cooler was messed up too (though some of them were funny, I ain't gonna lie). Nonetheless, his beginning dislike for Frieza will be very interesting on how it unravels. If Haabu isn't careful, he will surely get himself killed by the Prince Of Arcos in no time. The second round between Vegeta and Majin Pui-Pui will be very interesting once the battle begins in the next chapter. Hopefully Salza's book about ki physics will give Vegeta the edge on how to defeat Pui-Pui. If not, then him and the Armored Squadron are gonna die along with that entire planet. Better win Vegeta for once in SOD! #RenegadeForLife... While this is probably unimportant, but why is Puar back into Shapeshifting School? Do you have plans for Puar in the future, or your doing this just for your personal entertainment purposes? It could be useful for espionage missions, but that's about it. Nonetheless it is interesting and at least she is doing something, unlike a perverted future piece of bacon a** that we all know XD. Gohan "tour" with Haabu was pretty entertaining to a degree along with Krillin "coaching" Haabu as he was getting drunk and babbling about his problems. Good work there.. The biggest highlight to me about this chapter was the beautiful return of Cooler, who has appeared in a pragmatic [then again, he always is :)] nightmarish version of himself to haunt Frieza even more in his dreams XD. Oh man if only Cooler was in his 5th form and made those bones turn into all of Frieza's victims to really scare the crap out of him in that demented cemetery, oh well maybe next time I suppose. Good job with that scene. #PhantomCoolerFTW... I have another theory on who could be this "horrifying" final villain in SOD. I think it going to be a sadistic clone of Frieza conjured up by both Dr. Gero and Ratsura to create the "Ultimate Life Form" since Cell has failed. If not then damn that would be a good idea nonetheless. Also I don't have the slightest idea on how to create or run a wiki lol. If I did I would create one for SOD in a heartbeat. Perhaps another reviewer or someone from DBM would be up for the challenge :). Last question! How many eggs do Arcosians usually give birth to per pregnancy? Anyways thanks for creating another fantastic chapter of SOD, and for answering my "R-Rated" questions from last chapter lol.

A: The only thing I like about Frost is his color palette. I hate his design & personality otherwise. I came up with the Kold lineage mutation as a parallel to Super Saiyan; where they transform from righteous anger, Arcosians need pain & fear: the very essence of madness & chaos. As for how Frieza's ancestors attained it, it's just a genetic abnormality. There's no magic or actual demons involved, lol. I'm sure Kooler & Kold didn't find their first transformations boring - naturally, they had to be terrified for the mutation to switch on the transformation gene. The manner in which they underwent Ratsura's process will be elucidated in a later chapter, though...& it certainly won't be boring, once you understand the ramifications of what was done, & what else Ratsura is capable of. The process didn't just replace Haabu's blood; he actually has grafts of muscle tissue & marrow from Kold as well, to better handle the strain of transforming. His own blood was probably discarded or donated to a hospital, incidentally. Nobody questions Ratsura giving copious quantities of blood anymore, & it's good for his PR. You're right to wonder who else might have been modified, but that's a spoiler, so I can't say if you're warm or cold. Frieza has an enormous mental hurdle when it comes to trusting Goku, & it's a testament to how far he's come that he no longer has near anxiety attacks around the guy. Goku's deeds in the near future will play a role in their relationship, though... Babidi's pretty far in the future, but you're right to fear for Frieza's sanity in the face of the Majin manipulation. In the meantime, I'm having fun writing the second scene wherein Frieza & Goku drink together. It amuses me how much of a lightweight Goku is, compared to Frieza. Funny how everyone went from thinking Haabu was mildly amusing & not threatening, to wanting to punch him, based on how he treats his subordinates. Vegeta's got a tough fight ahead of him, but Sauza's little insight may just save him yet. I think Puar was underutilized after Dragonball, & I love her abilities, so she may see some use in the future. Oolong is too lazy to be useful for anything, lol. While his interactions with Gohan & Krillin were definitely amusing, Haabu's insights, prompted by Krillin, gave him some rebellious ideas he hadn't entertained before...that could spell trouble! I loved writing Phantom Kooler, & I'm glad you liked him too! I left it open-ended as to whether it was actually his ghost, or Frieza's mind conjuring his darkest fears, but it was a compelling scene, nonetheless. Goooood guess on the final villain of SoD! Can't say if it's accurate, but it's a great guess. I've never made a Wiki, but if I had the time, I'd simply Google how to do so. It can't be that hard, since so many exist. For your last question, the answer's simple: Arcosians only have one egg at a time, an adaptation to being bipedal with more narrow hips than their primitive ancestors (who had clutches of multiple eggs). This makes them very slow reproducers who invest a lot of energy & time in their offspring.

Q: Chapter 21: Nonfeasance: Finally, now look at me while I'll try to put together a review without screwing English too much! (but If I say something so terrible that you can't even understand please tell me and I will rewrite in Italian since you or your mother can understand it). First, I need to say that the WHOLE fanfiction is written EXTREMELY good, the characters are all awesome portrait, beside Freezer, Cooler, Bulma and Cold are the ones that I liked the most. You have done a really good job even with the OCs, Haabu is my fave so far, even tho I really crave to know more about Polaris, speaking of Haabu, I loved the scenes between him and Freezer specially on this chapter, hell this chapter and the one before this are two of my favorites! But, BUT hands up, the Arcos specials are PURE gold, just for letting you know I'm still crying about those, like I've already said on Tumblr, I loved your Arcos!Cold such a nice daddy and husband *crying* and then Isa, I can't even think about that poor soul, but hooray for nice big bro Cooler… but then even him died…you know? I love you, but I hate you but I LOVE U. It was also nice to see Cooler with his Armored Squad and the respect that runs between them for their Lord and I hope we will see more of them in the future, also let's just pretend that I don't ship the hell out of Cooler and his captain…Bah, who am I kidding? I DO (even tho in every English fiction it still trouble me that Sauzer/Salza(?) speak with french accent because in our Italian dub he speak normal and I grew up with that XD) But regarding our protagonist, it was/is really nice to see how he reacted/react to others characters along the story, like Tien and Goku but my favorite moments will always been the ones with Bulma and her mom, gotta love the old lady. I'm really curious of how you will develop the relationship between Freezer and Vegeta, personally I can't stand his canon character after the Saiyan saga but I'm sure you will put up something cool. Also, after the last chapter I'm dying to know what is happening on Arcos, the fu** are you doing up there Ratsura? On final note: I need to throw more blocks of fan art at you.

A: I understand you perfectly; no need to worry! My favorite compliments are on my character writing, so thank you! I work very hard to keep everyone canon in character, & all of my O.C.s realistic & consistent. Haha, Polaris sure has a fanclub going, between you & the other readers who want to meet him! Haabu...not so much. ;P The Arcos Special is one of my favorite parts of the story, so I'm thrilled that you love it so much...even though I utterly destroyed perfectly nice characters, killed the best of them, & remolded the rest into horrible villains. I am an evil, sadistic writer towards my poor characters. Kooler & his men are their own brand of awesome, & I loved the aspect of respect that they seemed to have in canon, so I took that & ran with it. I know Sauza has no accent in most of the other dubs, but I confess it was a unique way of setting him apart, so for once I'll give kudos to FUNimation for not screwing something up. Oh, if you like Frieza interacting with Bulma & Mrs. Briefs, you're gonna love this next chapter... There will also be some clues pointing towards how Vegeta & Frieza view each other, & how they'll interact. Don't worry about Arcos, Ratsura says he's "got it under control," whatever that means... More fanart? ...You spoil me. I can't stop grinning with absolute joy.

Q: I love this story it's probably my number one DBZ fan fiction this site has to offer. the way you expand the lore of the frost demons and how you explain why Frieza doesn't like having allies or friends in general, but my favorite part was Frieza being electrocuted and the holographic message left behind by his father. you make me feel pity for one of the most sadistic characters in dbz. another moment i really enjoyed was the death of Kooler, because how Frieza reacted when he saw his brother paralyzed from the neck down and his nightmares after the ceremony Frieza did for Kooler really shows how weak and vulnerable Frieza really is on the inside.

A: Wow, thank you! I'm your number one, really? You have no idea how happy that makes me. ≧◡≦~ I'm a big (read: obsessive) fan of not only Frieza, but his entire species, which hasn't been satisfactorily explored in canon. I like looking at Frieza, specifically his personality traits & what might account for them, so you get these subtle reveals at first that maybe he has reasons for being evil, & then in some places (hello Arcos Specials) I illuminate more parts of his past that really hit you with a gut-punch of feels. Kooler too gets the psychoanalysis treatment, so you see what makes him tick, & his relationship with Frieza. I feel like in canon they would have been just as vitriolic if they met face-to-face, & I'd kill for an official special showing the whole family interacting.