Chapter 37: The Nightmare Begins
"Well boys were here." Turles called over the intercom to his stir crazy new crew. They had been in space a long time, almost 4 months.
Raditz breathed a sigh of relief when the message came through. He was beginning to get nervous that they would run out of food before they reached their intended destination, wherever that was. The supply deck had been buckling under the combined appetites of 3 Saiyan warriors.
"So we're finally here, how do we plant the Tree of Might?" Pyros asked the second he was off the ship.
"Who said anything about planting the tree here?" Turles asked "This is Taris one of the largest cities in the whole galaxy. Look around you, not a lot of life here besides the civilians." Turles responded as he indicated to the city that seemed to stretch out endlessly in all directions.
"So why did we come all the way out here, is this your base or something?" Raditz asked looking around. Gohan was having to resist the urge to go exploring if they weren't going to destroy the planet.
"No because of your organization's resistance movement in that star cluster any sort of attacks in that entire sector would've brought the Ginyu Force down on our heads." Turles responded. "Were here for 2 reasons to find a suitable target in this sector and to restock our supplies. Any other questions?" Turles explained adding a challenge more than a question at the end.
"No sir." They all said in unison.
"Diaz take Cacao and get our supplies. Oh and don't forget I have a fond spot for the Tarisian ale so get a few crates of that. I'll take the rookies and get them used to things." Turles continued. With that they split up each to their own mission.
"You have some nerve telling me my son is dead!" Chi Chi shrieked at Vegeta and Nappa as she powered up her Kaioken to support herself from the intense gravity the duo had been training in.
"Silence woman. Your son is dead get over it." Vegeta responded coldly truly believing his words.
"How did you even come to that conclusion huh? Did you see his actual body?" He paused for a minute at the terrible thought. "Cause according to Goku he hasn't passed through the check in station yet." Chi Chi responded her voice full of venom. Secretly she was hoping the lack of warning from otherworld wasn't retribution for her previous coup.
"What?" Vegeta looked at her actually confused. "No he should be dead. The entire base was a wasteland." Vegeta thought out loud. "That's the only rebel base it would've made sense for them to go to...unless..." Vegeta trailed off realizing he might have been blinded by wanting to learn the secret to his destiny.
Nappa was about to join the conversation when both he and Vegeta felt something far in the distance and closing rapidly.
"No..." Vegeta said as a look of terror across his face.
"How..." Nappa added, losing his balance in the high gravity.
"What are you two going on about now?" Chi Chi snarled still angry with their deceit. That was when she felt it. "Who...No...It can't be…" Her concentration laxed and her Kaioken fell, allowing the gravity to drag her to the ground.
Vegeta rushed over to the gravity control and shut it off, his face pale. "Move it Nappa." Vegeta ordered before rushing towards capsule corps to locate his Saiyan Armour, Nappa right behind him.
Chi Chi quickly shook off her shock and took to the air hoping to meet up with one of the warriors who had actually met King Kai and so could contact Goku, knowing he was their only hope for survival.
"Krillin!" Chi Chi shouted over the rushing wind as she finally caught up with the bald monk.
"Hey Chi Chi…it's him isn't it...Frieza is coming right?" Krillin responded a mixed look of fear and determination on his face.
"Yes it is that monster." Chi Chi responded feeling equally uneasy. "We need Goku hear, can you contact King Kai for me?" She asked over the rushing wind.
"Sure thing, I was actually thinking of doing that myself already." Krillin responded with a nervous laugh.
With that the pair travelled in silence as they approached the projected landing site.
"He's not here either King Kai. What's the next planet on the list?" Goku asked, his voice weary from the endless searching, he had never realized just how vast the galaxy was.
"Hmm… planet Tarlia is no good either huh?" King Kai rubbed his forehead, they had been at this for months and even he was beginning to tire of the task, but he soldiered on since Goku had been the hero who had saved the galaxy from Frieza. "Well let's see...next would be Taris a trading world- huh hold on Goku I'm getting another call." King Kai said as he focused his attention away from Goku for the first times in months. "Hello Krillin what's up?" the blue deity asked happy to talk to someone besides Goku.
'King Kai we're in big trouble. Frieza's coming to Earth!' Krillin mentally shouted.
"Frieza… no way, let me check.' King Kai responded, a nervous sweat breaking out of his forehead.
"No...no…" King Kai muttered shaking, it was true; it was actually true. Frieza had survived, and was heading towards the Earth.
'GOKU!' King Kai suddenly shouted at the confused Earthling Saiyan.
"What's wro-" Goku started to say before being cut off by his trainer.
'Frieza is landing on Earth!' King Kai shouted back.
"Frieza! No way how'd he survive?" Goku's eyes were wide in shock.
"I don't know, Goku quickly I have to guide you back to Earth. Turn 15 degrees left, roughly 4 light years, ok Jump." King Kai ordered as he began thinking of the fastest route across the 100,000 light year galaxy back to Earth.
It only took a few hours for the Earth's defenders, consisting of a wide range of strengths, to be alerted to the threat to begin coalescing towards the projected landing spot.
As the two Saiyan warriors began to close in Nappa began to feel doubt. "Vegeta, shouldn't we...uh…" Nappa's sentence trailed off under Vegeta's glare, the Prince was apparently in no mood for even the suggestion of cowardice. "Uh...never mind." He finally relented allowing Vegeta to return to his thoughts.
'He's alive...how did that fool leave him alive?' Vegeta asked himself, unsure whether he should be happy at having another chance to exact his revenge or angry at Kakarot for potentially getting him and this entire planet killed. There was also the complicating factor of the other massive power level with him. Vegeta could only assume it was some other member of Frieza's family brought along as backup.
The Saiyan Prince didn't have the answers he needed, nor did it appear he would be getting them until the Tyrant himself landed. 'Soon Frieza, I will show you my true might, I will show you that I too will become a Super Saiyan!'
As soon as word had reached Bulma she launched the new set of satellites so the world could see the battle unfold. Then she jumped in her jet-copter and immediately made her way towards the field everyone seemed to be gathering in leaving her father to help King Furry with the final preparations.
"Why does this keep happening?" King Furry asked himself as sweat built up on his brow, he had heard enough stories about the galactic emperor to know the planet was now in more danger than it had ever been in before.
'Please Kami let us survive this.' He prayed, as the satellites came into focus.
Most of the group had already gathered by the time Chi Chi and Krillin had arrived, her heart nearly pounding through his chest. 'How did that monster survive?' She asked herself for the hundredth time. It was like one of her worst nightmares coming to life.
"Took you long enough." Vegeta's harsh voice pulled her from her thoughts. "Is Kakarot on his way?" Vegeta asked seemingly with scorn in his voice.
"Yes Goku is on his way. I have no idea how long it will take him to get here though." Chi Chi responded her voice equally harsh.
"Hn." Vegeta grunted attempting to be indifferent to the news, but deep down he felt a mixture of relief and disgust for his relief. His pride gnawing on his insides that part of him actually was counting on someone else to be the one to avenge his race. His fist tightened as he pushed the doubt from his mind, he was the Prince of the Saiyan race, he would be the one to avenge his race and he would achieve the legend, he would achieve his destiny, he would become a Super Saiyan.
"We need a plan." Piccolo's tense voice cut in revealing he had been there the entire time without the humans noticing him.
"That much is obvious Namek." Nappa responded a nervous sweat on his brow.
Vegeta looked over the humans gathered before him, most of them were not even capable of taking on the low class soldiers in the planet trade. He mentally made note of who would and who would not be worth even staying around. "The Namekian, Kakarot's mate, three eyes, and Cat-man and the bald midget can stay because you might be able to survive a hit. Everyone else should leave now you would only get in our way." Vegeta ordered much to the shock of the human warriors. But what he said was true, only the strongest of the fighters that faced him over a year ago had any sort of chance of being useful in the fight against Frieza the rest wouldn't even be useful as cannon fodder.
"This is our world, and we wish to defend it too." Nam responded sounding more defiant than he usually did, his entire body on the verge of trembling by the sheer overwhelming pressure he felt heading their way.
Vegeta was about to respond to the fool's argument when Nappa spoke up instead. "Most of you are completely useless but I guess some of you could deal with the grunts he'll have with him if your bloods boiling for a fight that badly." Nappa understood the desire to fight, it was something he approved of; it reminded him of his soldiers during his days as the head of the Saiyan army.
"Someone's coming." Piccolo suddenly interrupted the mostly useless conversation as he looked to a jet-copter closing in from the south.
Everyone turned to watch the rapidly expanding shape, trying to get a feel for just who was coming their way. Their wait was short though as a yellow jet-copter landed off to the side.
"Bulma! What are you doing here?" Yamcha shouted suddenly instead of having to worry about being killed himself but now he had to worry about his girlfriend too.
"I came to see Frieza. I never got the chance too on Namek." Bulma said as she began to look around.
"Woman I just got done ordering the useless humans to leave! That includes you!" Vegeta snarled.
"If I can't stay then I guess you need to find someplace else to stay if we survive this!" Bulma shrieked back much to Yamcha's Dismay
Vegeta was about to respond when Piccolo turned around his eyes wide, "He's here!" He shouted as a ship came into view.
A look of shock filled each of their faces as the ship was on them within a second, passing directly over them all and continuing on a short way further the nearest rock formations and landing in the next valley over.
"Keep your powers down. If you give away our positions I will kill you myself." Vegeta ordered his planning suddenly having to be much more rushed than he originally had hoped. "Namek when I and the humans begin our assault on Frieza begin charging the attack you used against Raditz. Nappa I want you behind that mountain to the east. When you hear the fighting began throw a moon ball and prepare your own ambush understood?" Vegeta's voice left no room for arguing, it was his way or the highway.
After verifying no one was challenging his plan he decided it was time to go. "Let's get a move on while we still have the element of surprise." He ordered before beginning to jog towards the mountains separating them.
5 minutes later everyone was in position just in time to see 2 columns of planet trade soldiers forming up. In the middle of the columns stood two figures that sent chills down everyone's spines.
"It's...it's...really him..." Yamcha stuttered, his eyes wide with terror as he thought back to his last meeting with the tyrant, a meeting that ended in his own self destruction.
"Pull yourself together you don't have to beat him, just buy a few minutes." Vegeta whispered trying to keep his voice as quiet as possible and still display his displeasure at Yamcha's supposed cowardice.
"So how are we supposed to distract him?" Tien asked, a bead of sweat running down his cheek.
"He'll expect us to have prepared an ambush for him, so we'll give him one." Vegeta replied his tone more confident than his body language let on. "Each of you will on my order power up your greatest attack, after he dodges said attack we will charge in. That will be the signal for the real ambush to begin." Vegeta explained as the planet trade soldiers began to disperse.
"Weaklings prepare to attack the grunts. The rest of you now!" He whispered as loudly as he could realizing just how close his plan was to falling apart already.
"Galick Gun!" "Tri-beam!" "Kamehameha!" The group of Vegeta, Tien, Yamcha, Krillin, and Chi Chi shouted in unison as their best attacks combined into a multicolored waterfall of destruction.
Across the battlefield Frieza's eyes slanted as he watched the massive attack cut through the air. Without any sort of warning to his father Frieza shot into the air.
King Cold's eyes widened in surprise as he registered the attack closing in and launched upwards with all of his might, and barely managed to get out of way of the attack before it plowed into his ship vaporizing it in an instant.
"No Warning for your dear father who came all the way to help you with you battle, how ruthless." King Cold seemingly scolded Frieza.
"I learned from the best father." Frieza replied with a wry smile.
"That you did son; that you did." King Cold responded with a light chuckle and a proud smile.
"Damn it..." Vegeta growled knowing what had to come next. Quickly he flashed his aura and shot from his hiding place, the other chosen fighters quickly following his lead.
"Ah good, they seem to be as big a hurry to see you as you are to see them." King Cold said with a smile knowing how much time their foolishness would save them. "Which one is the Super Saiyan you were telling me about?" He calmly asked trying to gauge who was the real threat.
"He appears to be missing at the moment." Frieza responded a suspicious look cross his face before vanishing again as Vegeta and the others landed in front of him.
"Vegeta, long time no see my dear monkey Prince, and I see you brought a trio of Earthlings I killed on Namek, except the short one, I think I've yet to make your acquaintance." Frieza said with a sinisterly sweet smile. "But there will be plenty of time for acquaintances later, tell me, where is Goku?" Frieza continued his smile vanishing to a glare at the thought of the monkey who had humiliated him. Almost immediately red electrical bolts began to spark across his body.
"Not here, Frieza, don't worry though, I will be your opponent." Vegeta responded, his muscles involuntary tensing as Frieza's eyebrow raised in surprise.
Immediately Frieza's eyes began to scan the horizon, 'Where is he, that monkey, he is planning something.' He thought to himself.
'He's ignoring me...' Vegeta thought, his pride beginning to bubble to the surface through his fear. 'After all the years I've put up with his shit he is actually ignoring me?' Vegeta's fist tightened as his aura began to bubble forth involuntarily again. 'After all he's taken from me he is actually ignoring me!' Vegeta mentally shouted. "I WON'T STAND FOR THIS!" Vegeta shouted pulling Frieza's attention back to himself just before he lunged.
His fist connected with a thud that shook the Earth, but instead of launching his adversary back, Frieza only staggered backwards for a moment, before recovering. Frieza stood still a moment before rubbing the corner of his lip, wiping a small amount of blood that came from the corner of his mouth.
"You always were the impatient one weren't you Vegeta." Frieza said with a look of irritation.
Vegeta's body wanted to tremble but Vegeta wouldn't allow it to, he refused to let the tyrant get that victory.
In a flash Frieza lashed out, his mechanical tail slapping Vegeta into the air, followed by Frieza's fist slamming into his stomach, launching him back into a nearby mountain.
"My I'm surprised Vegeta actually managed to make you bleed son, though you always were too lenient with him. You let your pet get out of hand." King Cold playfully taunted his son.
"Father I-" Frieza's eyes slanted as he was phased out just as a Destructo disk cut through where he had been standing.
King Cold smirked at his son's near death experience. "You should probably keep an eye on the others." King Cold added.
"Of course Father." Frieza responded his tone indicating he was getting irritated with his father's taunting.
The four humans launched forward their Kaioken at their maximum and unleashed everything they had. Blow after blow lashed out but Frieza seemingly had no problems at all dealing with the attacks. Blocking all of their attacks with just one limb a piece.
After a minute of the human's fruitless attempts the tyrant transitioned from the defensive to the offensive by flaring his aura and sending the humans flying backwards.
"Tell me where Goku is now or I will start killing you one by one." The Frost Demon threatened.
Piccolo had been charging the attack from the moment Frieza's soldiers had engaged the weaker humans. Frieza was toying with them...again. It didn't matter how strong they had all gotten, in Frieza's eyes they were still nothing but playthings. 'He's going to regret forgetting me.' The Namekian thought to himself. 'One more second just give me one more.'
"If you think-" Tien started to say before Frieza blast cut through his shoulder.
"Come on now, that isn't what I wanted to hear." Frieza snickered, keeping his eyes on the rubble that Vegeta had fallen in, it was obvious the Saiyan Prince was planning something, the question was what.
Tien held his shoulder, a look of agony on his face as he looked up at his on time murderer, the other three human fighters stood still, unsure of what to do to stop one of their murders.
"What still have nothing to say? Well I guess-" Frieza said before a new voice sounded off.
"Special Beam Cannon!" The entire valley shook as he yelled, the deadly beam cut through the air like an arrow.
Frieza yelled out in pain as he staggered to his left and collapsed. His hands rushing to his wound. "You...you BASTARD!" Frieza shouted as he held his damaged tail. Piccolo's attack had come fast enough that the tip of tail had been caught in the attack severing the last foot from it.
Frieza began to spark as his power began to rise. "I guess I'll kill you first Namek!" Frieza shouted before shooting off the ground at nearly unfollow-able speeds.
In an instant he had closed half the distance towards Piccolo, before he could go any further though a massive red attack broadsided him. Frieza completely vanished as the attack enveloped him, and cut its way through the surrounding mountain range.
Nappa let out a roar of victory as the smoke cleared, revealing Frieza was nowhere to be seen.
'The Super Saiyan?' King Cold thought to himself his eyes wide with shock at the most promising of his most promising son's sudden apparent demise.
Nappa made his way into the valley the others still stood, just as Vegeta pushed the rubble off of him. "Pretty good job acting there Vegeta, hahaha." Nappa boomed as the entire valley shook. "He was so busy thinking about what you had planned that he forgot all about me." He continued.
"This isn't over yet Nappa." Vegeta said with a smirk as he turned to King Cold who had just finished transforming into his third state. "Now then, I take it you are Frieza's father, the legendary King Cold?" Vegeta asked with a triumphant smirk as he wiped the blood from his lip.
"Yes I am King Cold... Prince Vegeta was it?" King Cold responded trying to hide his slight nervousness at the precarious situation he found himself in.
"Good I was hoping it was you. Nappa stay out of this, he's mine." Vegeta ordered as he stepped forward ready for combat.
"Tisk, tisk, tisk Vegeta, I thought you had your heart set in defeating me." Frieza's chilling voice came from just behind the Saiyan Prince.
Vegeta froze, a look of terror and disbelief was etched on his face as his mind tried desperately to get his body to move.
Nappa reacted first, forming his hand into a fist he slammed down at Frieza's damaged sparking form.
The terror of the galaxy vanished right before the Oozaru's attack could connect. Nappa's fist shattered the ground behind Vegeta causing the still shocked Prince to fall backwards into the rubble.
Nappa looked back and forth trying to locate the Frost Demon knowing he was the only one who could even hope to hurt the monster.
"Looking for me?" Frieza voice came from above him.
Just as Nappa looked up Frieza unleashed his attack, a massive purple wave washed over Nappa's face causing him to crash into the ground below. The attack left much of the fur burnt off of his head.
"With that out if the way, where were we Vegeta? Oh that's right you were about to be punished for your betrayal." Frieza's mocking voice ringing in Vegeta's head.
Vegeta shot upwards, he wouldn't go down without a fight, "Galick!" He shouted as he began to charge an attack again, he didn't know whether it would do any good or not but he had to try.
Frieza was in front of him again before he could finish his attack but he launched his unfinished attack anyway.
The smoke surrounded the Frost Demon for a moment, but Vegeta's shoulders had already slumped in defeat, he could still feel Frieza's power boiling within the debris.
"Defiant until the end I see." Frieza Smirked. "You know if your father had had a backbone to begin with you would've died with the rest of your miserable race Vegeta." Frieza chuckled.
Vegeta's body slumped seemingly in defeat, he wasn't strong enough; he wasn't a Super Saiyan.
"My, this is a rare sight. Have you finally realized fighting me is impossible? I'm glad I could teach you this one lesson before the end. Well this is goodbye Vegeta." Frieza said with what almost sounded like disappointment in his voice as he fired his death flash.
His attack was just about to hit Vegeta, Frieza could almost imagine Vegeta's final screams of pain that would echo through his mind forever, it was such a soothing noise. Then the inexplicable happened, his attack stopped. It didn't just stop but began to move backwards. 'Impossible...' Frieza thought before noticing the golden glow at the far end of his attack.
"GOKU!" Frieza shouted realizing what had happened; his body arching with red electricity.
The Z fighters looked to the sky, expecting to watch the end of Vegeta, instead a golden light appeared at the end of the attack.
"No way Goku really made it?" Krillin shouted triumphantly seeing the
"G-Goku!" Chi Chi shouted unable to believe her eyes or her ears, her husband had made it, and glowing just like she had been told he had.
Hey everyone sorry for the week-long delay on getting this chapter up, I had a bad case of writers block, which really sucks since I was so excited to write this chapter for so long. Other than me hoping you enjoyed the beginning of the arc I don't have a lot to say for this author's note so I will just jump straight to the reviews.
wheathermangohanssj4- Hmm okay dead is he...nope not buying it for a second.
good try though
Vegeta's statement doesn't make me question weather or not Gohan is alive or not but more what convinced Vegeta that he was dead.
Yeah Vegeta more or less convinced himself Gohan and Raditz were dead because he wanted Goku to get back faster so he could interrogate him about how to become a Super Saiyan faster. Thanks again for the review, hope you enjoyed this chapter too :)
RKF22- Nice surprise now to see what Gohans been up to
As you saw most of what they have been up to has been traveling non-stop. During this arc Gohan will appear for more quick glimpses and then he'll have a chapter dedicated to him and Turles crew at the end of the arc.
super mystic gohan- nice and different ending to that arc and like cannon a child save the day basely but abit different thou aha and next up mech frezia should be good Im hopping to see piccolo and the human fighters actually want to fight freiza and his father and both sayiens that would go well with your story and a big change from cannon
Thanks for the review :) Glad you enjoyed the end of the arc of mini-arcs, I was hoping everyone would enjoy the irony of Garlic Jr. still losing to a child.
As for the Z-fighters being excited to fight Frieza there is still a pretty big power gap between Frieza and basically everyone else. His Father right now is much closer to their level of strength, right now Piccolo, Vegeta, or Nappa could defeat him fairly easily and if the humans had teamed up they probably could manage it.
BurningSaiyan- Great chapter as always, you did a surprisingly good job with this naturally boring arc, can't wait for focus to shift back to Gohan and Raditz though.
Thanks for the review :). Glad you enjoyed the last gasp of the mini-arc arc. I knew that the Garlic arc generally isn't that great so I decided to try and put my own spin on it, it's good it seems to have turned out well.
There will be some flashes to Gohan and Raditz the next few chapters but they won't be the main focus again for a little while longer.
anonymous- Well this was surprisingly quick
So videl got her chance to shine, huh? Nice to see her in action
So this chapter concludes this mini arc
So what is gonna be the next major arc? The cooler arc? Or maybe the hide and seek between goku and turles? Also on whom will the next arc be more focused on? Gohan or others?
Also well yeah I think what u said makes sense abt the ssj kaioken thing
So I guess kaioken and ssj can be combined but for not very long durations and not crazy multipliers like times 20 definitely but maybe a 2 or 3 for momentary boosts u know
Anyways enough wid the ranting it was a short but good chapter
Update soon
Thanks for the new review :)
Yeah I was doing good updating weekly for a few weeks, I hope I will be able to return to that kind of update pace for a little while longer.
Yup I wanted to give Videl a taste for being the hero, plus I loved the irony of Garlic Jr. not only losing to a child again but losing the the humans he looked down on so much.
The next major arc as you can see is a Mecha Frieza arc, i'm very excited about this arc so I hope I do it justice. Gohan and his crew will show up again as the main group at the conclusion of this arc.
If you tried to combine Ssj and Kaioken bad things are going to happen to your body. Your body is already straining under an insane power it isn't used to, if you multiply that power it could easily end up like the Yamcha bomb from the Namek arc.
Luke- This story has now become my favorite!
Thank you, that means a lot for me knowing that my story is enjoyed so much. I will do my best to live up to your expectations for the story :)
Kai Dragoon- Found this fic yesterday and now read all 36 chapters. All I can say is more please.
Wow, that is some major reading; I'm glad you enjoyed it enough to crank through it. I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter as well :).
Chi-Chi's FAN- Finally I was able to catch up! I really enjoyed reading everything! Actually I went back to the beginning to refresh my mind and it's really remarkable how each chapter adds something for the reader to want more and now I'm almost regretting reading this cause my mind is left with "what happens next?" Haha I'll be sure to read any chapter updates during one of my breaks to satisfy my curiosity.
Hey long time no see lol. I was hoping I hadn't done something in the story to make you lose interest. I'm glad you enjoyed all of the updates. I plan on trying to keep things as close to weekly updates for a while so hoping the suspense doesn't get too bad for a while. :)
Thanks again everyone for all the reviews this chapter! See you next chapter!