"Only the strong will survive that trip to Earth, and I am stronger than you!"
Scarlet eyes were fixed onto mirror pools of red. Calm yet fully defiant, Cooler was watching his father expectantly. King Cold was in an obvious state of shock, but slowly, rage was etching its way onto his face. Cooler could see it in real-time and was fully prepared for what came next.
The king's aura suddenly exploded around him, ripping at the floor and blowing the tables and chairs away as it did so. Cooler instinctively moved away from the explosive wave and was quick to put up a guard as Cold crossed the distance between them and swung out with a fist that launched the prince out of the room.
Cooler speared through several walls and rooms before he was pushed outside. Easily enough, he flipped through his perilous flight and caught himself mid-air. He turned back to the hole he had made and on cue, King Cold was barreling through with his aura wrapped around him like a chaotic fire.
Releasing a maddening yell, Cold rushed his son. Cooler dodged the attack with ease, but the king spun back around with a kiai that sent Cooler smacking against the side of the building. He didn't have any time to shake off the attack before King Cold speared him back through the structure. The king's crazed yell followed the two through several floors before they smashed into the ground floor.
King Cold pulled just far enough away from Cooler to hammer down a set of thunderous punches, but Cooler managed to squirm out of the way of three before firing up with his own uppercut that sent his father rushing into the ceiling. Cold shook off the strike with ease and rushed down again, only to meet rubble as he smashed into ground.
Cooler did a few quick handsprings out of the way before looking back to his father and catching a set of eye beams that carried him out of the building and out into the courtyard. He rolled through the dirt a bit, eventually launching himself off of the ground and back to his feet.
Cooler took a quick moment to prepare for what would come next, and as he did so, he noticed the small crowd that was being drawn.
"What's going on, Lord Cooler?" a soldier had asked and had moved to come closer, only to take several steps back as King Cold began stomping out of the building.
"All of you go elsewhere! Stay far back!" Cooler proclaimed.
Cold scoffed. "Look at you giving commands! Who do you think you are, Cooler? These are my soldiers. They do as I command!" Cold took his eyes off of his traitorous son and put them on a random soldier. "You! Attack him!"
The soldier looked quickly between the two royals in confusion. He opened his mouth to speak and promptly took a death beam to the skull.
"Father!" Cooler barked. "Leave them out of this!"
"You!" Cold yelled and pointed at another soldier. "Attack this traitor who attacks your leader!"
When the soldier didn't immediately leap to action, another death beam was fired off. This time, Cooler quickly darted in the way and slapped the beam out into the distance. By that point, everyone else suddenly began running away, much to Cold's disgust.
"You are all traitors!" the king screamed before his hand began zipping around, death beams pouring out by the plenty.
Cooler did his best to block the beams, but for every one that he deflected another got past him. Realizing he had to stop his father's attack before the body count broke double digits, Cooler suddenly rushed the king. Cooler managed to rock Cold with a solid punch to the jaw, but the king quickly answered with a backhand that sent Cooler carving a minor trench into the dirt.
When Cooler looked up again, he found Cold looming over him and before he could move, the king's massive foot was pressing on top of his chest. "Why do you want to go back to Earth? Tell me!" Cold snarled.
"I already told you," Cooler replied and tried to force his father's foot off of him.
"You speak lies! There is something you want. I know it! Tell the truth, Cooler!" King Cold pointed a hand down to his son that suddenly came alight as an orange orb formed.
Just before Cold could fire off the blast at point blank range, Cooler quickly rolled over to take his father off balance. The blast fired off into the distance, taking off the side of a building, and in a fluid motion, Cooler spun up with a kick that sent Cold across the courtyard.
While Cold collected himself, Cooler pushed himself off of the ground and took in the damage they'd caused so far. Cries of help were heard in the distance while alarms were beginning to blare. More people would come to tend to those in need, and more would be caught in his father's fury. With that thought in mind, Cooler sprinted across the area and took his father by surprise with a tackle that took them skyward. Cooler's aura sparked to life and took them off into the distance in the blink of an eye.
Cooler was the first to strike the ground, falling out of the air with enough force to form a small crater. While the prince stood back upright proudly, Cold took a place atop a small rock formation, standing regally as he looked down upon his son.
"I didn't take you for someone that cared about the grunts," Cold spat.
"You're angry at me. No need to kill everyone else on that base. They'll be needed for the invasion when this is done," Cooler replied.
Cold scoffed. "As if I would want those cowards at my side when I save my son. They can't even follow a simple command. But you don't have that problem, do you, Cooler?"
Cooler lifted a brow in confusion.
"Don't act like you haven't been meeting with my men in the evenings for sparring matches. I hear you've gained a good rapport with many of them. Isn't that interesting? I seem to remember clearly instructing you to stay far away from my invasion plans. What was your plan, my son? Were you going to try to usurp me once we got to Earth?"
"I had no ulterior motives, aside from helping you. The men needed training and I was seeing to it that it got done right," Cooler answered.
Cold could just shake his head. "More lies. You've never looked more like your grandfather than you do right now."
That struck Cooler hard and he opened his mouth to ask what Cold meant, but the king was already removing the cape flowing from his backside.
"You obviously have something that you want to prove. Let's have it then, boy," Cold snapped and tossed his cape aside. "But don't expect me to hold back."
The air around Cooler suddenly became extremely hot. With a start, Cooler suddenly bolted upward. In an instant, a large, orange orb of energy had formed where he once stood. Realizing he had almost been ensnared by his father, Cooler gave a momentary sigh of relief, but that didn't last long as Cold rushed in and smacked Cooler clear through the air with a resounding punch.
Cooler flew for several meters before he did a flip and landed harshly in the dirt. Before he could get his bearings, Cold was dropping out of the sky. Cooler leapt back in just enough time to dodge the punch, leaving where he stood to ignite in a mighty explosion. Out of the smoke and dirt, Cold launched again, and again, and again – igniting the wasteland in a series of ground-ripping strikes.
Out of the cloud of debris, Cooler rushed back again and his father was hot on his trail. Cooler landed back on the ground was immediately put on the defensive as Cold struck outward. The king hammered punch after brutal punch at his son, ripping the area asunder with each swing. For his part, Cooler managed to dodge the strikes effortlessly.
After dodging the fifth or sixth furious punch, Cooler moved in with a punch of his own, only to have it caught effortlessly in Cold's hand. Cooler had half a second to be alarmed before he was suddenly hammered with a shot to the ribs. The prince curled in on the blow and proceeded to take two more blows to the skull, another body shot, and a final jab to the jaw that made him stumble backward in a daze.
Before the prince could regain his bearings, Cold had formed a massive ball of energy between them and sent Cooler hurtling off into the distance, where it ignited in a grand explosion.
In the cloud of smoke and destruction left by the explosion, Cooler found himself hiding behind a mass of debris. He gingerly massaged his jaw and even did a few stretches of his mouth to check the damage. "I forgot how strong he was," the prince noted. His eyes were drawn upward as he caught the sense of his father hovering overhead and outside of the smoke. "It's been a while, but Frieza learned the best and the worst from him."
Cold loomed above the cloud and watched it expectantly. His eyes jolted in alarm as a beam of energy shot out from the haze, but the king dodged the blast easily – leaving him wide open as Cooler appeared at his side. The prince sent a quick jab at his father's jaw, but Cold narrowly dodged the strike. Cooler sent out two more punches that Cold evaded expertly and just as the younger tyrant charged with another strike, Cold's aura erupted in a small explosive wave that blew Cooler back.
In a flash, Cold crossed the distance between him and Cooler and swung out with another of his thunderous punches, but when he struck he was left in awe as his fist crashed ineffectively against Cooler's forearm. Stunned into stillness, the king could only watch as Cooler's own aura surged. The prince slapped away Cold's fist and pressed a knee to his father's chin, whipping his head back. Cooler landed two fierce body shots on Cold before slapping his father away with a spinning heel kick. He was quick to give chase and when he caught up, Cooler took his father by the horns on his head and violently slung him to the ground, leaving Cold to crash violently below.
The king didn't stay down long, though, and was quick to fire a massive wave of energy into the sky. Cooler dodged it easily enough, but they came to a pause as they stared each other down.
Cold took a moment to rub his cheek and seethe at the blood that collected on the side of his mouth. Cooler watched passively, but when his father looked back up at him, he was quick to form a snarky smile. Cold's rage said more than words.
The king's aura exploded outward again as he charged from the ground. Cooler moved out of the way of the rage-fueled charge and watched as Cold circled back around to bear down on him again. This time, the two met in a resounding boom as they clashed fist to fist. Cold's aura was raging around him like a chaotic fire while Cooler fought back with minimal effort.
Seething, Cold pulled away and snapped a kick up at Cooler. That was dodged, so Cold fired off two punches that Cooler easily dodged as well. Anger building, Cold began sending out a flurry of strikes, forcing Cooler on the defensive as he dodged around the rapid attack with ease. A battle cry built up behind Cold's assault, growing louder with each dodged attack, until he was positively yelling, but Cooler brought the cry to a sudden end when he rushed past his father's wild attack with an elbow that slammed into Cold's sternum.
Aura petering out, Cold sputtered upon the impact and could do nothing as Cooler crashed another fist against his skull that sent him flying back through the air. The king didn't go too far, though. He brought himself to a stop and looked back to his son, teeth barred in anger. He aimed to charge Cooler again, but, on a second thought, paused.
Cold took a moment to breathe out a deep sigh. When he looked back across to his son, the rage that had enraptured him a moment ago had suddenly disappeared. An eerie silence fell onto the monarchs as they stared each other down.
Then the king offered a smirk. Cold lifted one hand and fired off a column of purple energy. Easily, Cooler dodged the wave, only to be forced aside as a second wave rushed at him. Dodging that one too, he quickly found a third wave was already bearing down on him. This one, he had no choice except to meet it head on. With ease, the prince knocked the energy to the side and as soon as the energy was wiped out of his sight, King Cold was in its place. Alarmed, Cooler was left wide open as his father slammed a brutal fist into his face.
Cooler took two more jabs before Cold snapped his hand around the prince's throat. While Cooler struggled in the vice grip, Cold did a quick spin in the air and launched them both out of the sky, aiming to slam Cooler into the ground below. As they whipped through the air, Cooler summoned his energy and smashed an elbow into the side of his father's head. At the last possible second, Cooler ripped Cold's hand from around his throat.
The two crashed upright into the earth, their feet ripping into the soil as they held onto each other's arm. Cold quickly yanked Cooler closer, slamming a punch into his chest and then head before Cooler countered a third punch and struck a knee into his father's abdomen and a kick to his chin. While Cold stumbled back, Cooler spun and aimed to judo throw his father, but Cold fought against the pull.
Alarmed, Cooler was the one yanked into the air and slammed violently into the earth. Before he could get his bearings, he was back in the air and brought back into the ground. Again and again, Cold threw Cooler around like a sack of potatoes. On the final impact, Cooler opened his eyes to find a hand right in front of his face.
Just as Cold fired the attack, on instinct, Cooler put up his psycho barrier. The king's energy poured over the cocoon of protection and he sneered as Cooler looked up defiantly. Flaring his aura, Cold tried to fight through the barrier, pushing it across the ground with his energy, and as the barrier carved a trench in the soil, Cold charged after it with his energy pouring out relentlessly. After pushing Cooler for a few meters, Cold's aura flared brilliantly with an extra outpouring of energy. That was enough to send Cooler launching into the sky, his barrier shattering as he flipped through the air.
The prince landed on the ground rather gracefully and looked back across the battlefield, where Cold stood proudly with his purple energy roiling around his body.
"You're not going to goad me into rage, boy. If that's how you planned on beating me, then I suggest you give up now before I get really angry," Cold declared.
Cooler took in the regal form of his father and after a moment, he sighed. "I suppose so," he whispered to himself. In an instant, Cooler's own aura surged and ripped into the ground around him.
Cold scoffed and prepared to charge his son, but in the blink of an eye, Cooler was directly in front of him. Startled, Cold stumbled backward, only to catch an elbow to the abdomen. Curving in on the impact, the king was left wide open as Cooler rocked him with an uppercut and a spinning kick that sent him flying across the landscape.
He didn't fly too far before he slammed his foot into the ground to come to a grinding halt. Rage beginning to bubble up again, Cold looked back across to where Cooler stood, the boy's aura still radiating defiantly. "What the hell-,"
Cold was stopped in his tracks when Cooler disappeared again. Desperately, the king looked around the battlefield. Behind him, to the left, to the right, in the air, Cold whipped his head around in every direction to locate his son.
"I don't want this to go on any longer than it has to."
Cold was startled again as he looked to his left where Cooler had appeared. "Is this supposed to scare me?" he seethed. Quickly, Cold lunged at Cooler, but the prince disappeared.
"No. I just want you to understand me." Cooler reappeared right behind Cold, who once again turned to face him in shock. "I don't want to fight with you."
Cold sneered and suddenly launched another of his explosive punches at his son. The ground around them was ripped to shreds with the destructive impact, bathing them both in a cloud of smoke and debris. But when the smoke cleared, Cold was standing with his teeth barred and his fist easily caught in the palm of Cooler's hand.
For a second, Cold's anger seemed to reach a fever pitch, but then he offered a sick smile. "I guess I didn't give you enough credit, Cooler. You are my son, after all."
Before Cooler could form a retort, he was blown out of sight as Cold's energy spiked. Sent skyward, Cooler managed to bring himself to a stop, but he was forced to put up his barrier as the wind around him went wild. He looked down to the ground watching as his father's chaotic power leveled everything around him.
Cooler briefly considered rushing down to stop his father in his tracks and prevent the transformation, but that wouldn't get the point across that Cooler wanted to make. His father wasn't as strong as he thought he was and Cooler had to take charge. Right now, it was the only way to save him.
King Cold's purple energy bathed the area around them, darkening the skies and covering every surface for miles. His battle cry bounced around the area with a deafening ring. And his raw power was carving a crater deeper and deeper into the ground beneath him as he charged. Soon, his second form gave way to his third, monstrous form. Cooler had prepared for him to stop there, but to the prince's shock, Cold kept going. As quickly as the third form had come, dark red cracks were breaking away around its body; its eerie scream like nails on a chalk board. As its third form was about to give way, there was a moment when father and son locked eyes, and Cold offered a chilling laugh.
In a brilliant flash, the third form was practically blown off of Cold's body, and in the wake of that monster, the king stood proudly in his final form.
The king took a moment to give his body a once over, reveling in his true form and the power it granted. Meanwhile, Cooler floated above, a pit suddenly carved in his stomach as he took in the power before him. It had been a very long time since he last saw his father at full power, and this was the very first time he'd done so since he acquired the ability to sense energy. Cooler had faced many a creature before, some especially powerful, but not once had he ever felt this overwhelming sense of foreboding in one's power. He used to think that Frieza's was the coldest energy he'd ever detected, but that held no candle to what he was feeling right then. Cold was the most chilling power he'd ever sensed in his life.
"I'll give you one last chance to back down, Cooler. We both know I have a hard time controlling myself once I've gone all out," Cold said his eyes raking up to lock with Cooler's.
Cooler couldn't help gulping in front of his father's might and he suddenly had the harsh realization that he might have made a mistake.
"I'll take that as your answer." In an instant, Cold was directly in front of his son. Cooler hardly had a second to look upon his father before a kick whipped across his face and sent him flying.
Cooler was darting across the ground, blinking in and out of sight, as bomb after bomb detonated around him. As the prince ran for his life, high in the sky, Cold was flying, eye lasers zipping out every other second to strike at his son. The king finally – narrowly – hit his target. Just before Cooler could move, the beam caught him at his side, throwing him off balance.
Before the prince could recover, Cold was already next to him. A knee slammed into Cooler's side, making him hack up sputum. Cold took his son by the head and forced it into ground – not once, not twice, but three times. On the final slam, the king lifted up Cooler's dazed body and slammed an energy ball into his face that sent him flying.
Cold offered an evil laugh as he zipped out of sight.
Meanwhile, Cooler was coming to a rumbling halt in the dirt, breathing deeply before he pushed back up.
"He's fast," he hissed. His head whipped to the side just as Cold appeared.
Instinctively, Cooler rolled aside and dodged the kick aimed for his ribs. With a handspring, he was back on his feet and dodging a set of punches from Cold as the king rushed him. Narrowly, the younger tyrant dodged the onslaught before his aura surged and he took to the air. Cold was quick to chase.
Two beams were launched out at Cooler that he managed to narrowly dodge. He turned around and sent out a blast of his own, but Cold crashed through it, undeterred. Cooler sent out two more beams that Cold rushed through effortlessly. Panicked, Cooler sent out a few more and Cold's aura flared, spearing through them to catch up to his son. Before Cooler could try to speed up, Cold stopped him with a brutal kick to the side.
In the momentary cease fire, Cold snatched Cooler up in a painful full nelson, pinning him in place.
"Are you satisfied yet, my son?" said King Cold. "You've gotten the fight you so desperately wanted."
"I didn't want this," Cooler cried and groaned as Cold tightened his grip.
Cold scoffed and wrapped his legs around Cooler's torso. Between both vice grips, Cold began pulling in different directions and smirking at the pained yelp Cooler gave. "You defied me. You worked against me. You attacked me. What part of this fight did you not want?" Cold gave a sharp tug and Cooler's yelp turned to a scream.
"Stop!" Cooler cried to which Cold laughed.
"Does this pain you? Does it hurt? What do you think those animals are doing to my son right now?" Cold's voice turned to a growl as he yanked harder. "You waste my time with this useless fight while my son is tortured and my kingdom crumbles! Your pain doesn't stop here, Cooler. I've only just begun!"
Cold yanked just a bit harder. A series of gruesome pops came from the prince's body as he threatened to be ripped in half. With a defiant cry, Cooler summoned his aura and took him and his father straight toward the ground, angling the king to take the inevitable impact. Cold didn't give up his violent stretching of Cooler's body, though. Not until just before striking the ground did Cold let up. In a fluid motion, the king released Cooler and moved to throw him into the dirt, ripping the earth apart with the violent crash.
Out of the plume of dirt, father and son rushed. Cooler was on the defensive as Cold was throwing out punches by the plenty. The younger tyrant managed to block two fierce jabs before being rocked by the third. Cold pressed on with a hefty kick at his son's side that launched Cooler across the battlefield like a rocket.
Cooler tumbled violently through his perilous flight before he summoned the strength to slam his feet into the ground and come to a stop. He began to kneel to console the piercing pain in his torso, but just before he could do so, his eyes jolted upward and a hue of purple filled his vision.
XXXXXXXX
Cooler's eyes were squeezed so tight as every muscle fiber in his body tensed up. He was concentrating so furiously that he began groaning and then absolutely yelling.
"Stop," an amused voice said before a deep laugh followed.
Cooler opened his eyes, seeing spots for a moment, before his vision focused on his father. "What did I do?" he asked, innocently.
"You're about to give yourself an aneurysm," Cold said, only to release a hearty laugh at young Cooler's pout.
"Well, that's what you do when you transform," responded Cooler, folding his arms. His frustration only seemed to fuel his father's amusement. "It's not funny."
King Cold managed to reign in his laughter enough to be serious. But his serious expression lasted for only a few moments before he suddenly doubled over with laughter. "Your face! Your face!" he yelled.
Cooler grunted irritably and charged across the floor. "Stop laughing at me!" he demanded.
As soon as he reached his father, Cold straightened up. Cooler threw out a round of punches that the king easily deflected before wrapping his arms around his son and pulling him into a gentle bear hug. The young Arcosian tried to wiggle out of the hold, but Cold's grip was too firm.
"What now, little one?" King Cold asked with that amused tone still lingering.
With a sigh, Cooler stopped his futile attempts to escape. Cold chuckled again and loosened his grip. He had opened his mouth to speak, but that momentary break was all Cooler needed to rock back and send his forehead into his father's nose.
Cooler dropped back onto the floor with a proud smile while Cold nursed his face. "I told you to stop laughing at me," Cooler quipped, snarkily. But his lofty attitude didn't persist for long when his father finally fixed his eyes back on the youngling.
Knowing what was about to come next, Cooler quickly spun on his heel and ran back across the room, but his father was far too quick. Before the prince knew what was happening, he was hoisted into the air with his father's hands wrapped around him.
"Stop!" he screamed amongst his own fit of laughter as Cold tickled him relentlessly.
"I don't think so," Cold said as he deftly walked around the training room with a writhing Cooler lifted above his head.
"Dad! Stop!" Cooler cried again, only to be drowned out as Cold began laughing himself.
"Is this what you two call training?" Queen Chilla's voice suddenly cut in.
Cold stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look upon his wife with Cooler coiling around his father's hands to take a look as well. The sight drew a laugh from the queen.
"Hey, mom -," Cooler began, only to be cut off as Cold sat him back on the floor.
Before Cooler could say much else, Cold had crossed the room to Chilla. They spoke in hushed tones while Cooler watched curiously and then suddenly, Cold was lifting the queen up into the air as he cheered with a roar of happiness Cooler had never heard from his father. When Cold finally put the woman back on the ground they embraced lovingly before they finally turned back to Cooler.
With a radiant smile, Chilla proudly announced, "You're going have a little brother soon, Cooler."
XXXXXXXX
When Cooler opened his eyes, he was greeted by a plume of smoke and dirt surrounding him. He moved to sit up, only for a jolt up pain to shoot up his arm. He winced against the burning sensation and bit back a grunt of pain before forcing himself to sit up. That act alone had him struggling to breath.
He took a moment to take in his surroundings. First, it was his arm that had a brutal burn along the forearm. He must've instinctively brought up the appendage to take the brunt of the blast. Next, he looked around at the smoldering crater surrounding him. And finally, the haze of smoke bellowing into the sky.
The sight of it all etched a pit in his stomach.
"I don't want this," Cooler said before he forced himself to stand.
The prince slowly took to the air. It took a moment for his body to relax, but once it did so, Cooler flew out of the blast zone, following the undeniable signal of his father. In no time, he came upon the older Arcosian, who seemed to be expectantly waiting in the air.
"Any longer and I would've had to come in there after you," said King Cold with an air of nonchalance. Cooler watched as his father's eyes raked down to his damaged arm, and the king smiled. "That isn't pretty."
"I concede," Cooler said. "You are stronger than me. I was wrong to challenge you, father. I am sorry."
King Cold narrowed his eyes as he looked Cooler over, studying him for any form of deceit. "It's about time you learn your place," he eventually replied
Cooler sighed, casting his eyes down mournfully. "I will go prepare my things for my trip back home." He bowed his head in salutations and began turning to leave, but was halted as King Cold spoke.
"Do you think that is it, Cooler?"
Cooler turned back to his father, a question on the tip of his tongue, but it died out when Cold crossed the distance between them with an elbow smash into the prince's face. Cooler yelped in pain and moved backward as he grasped at his face.
"I said I give up!" he demanded.
Cold scoffed and warped right in front of Cooler before smashing a double axe handle onto the side of the younger tyrant's face. Cooler was sent spearing toward the ground, but summoned the strength to land upright, only to launch himself backwards as his father careened into the dirt.
"Father, I said I'm sorry. I concede!" Cooler cried once more.
An arc of purple energy slashed through the air that Cooler narrowly ducked under, but left him wide open as Cold crashed his knee into the prince's face. Cooler was knocked onto the ground and suddenly found himself crawling backward desperately as he looked upon the malice-filled eyes of his father.
"That's the thing, Cooler," King Cold spoke as he stalked over to his son. With a quick rush forward, Cold crossed the distance between them and stomped his foot down onto Cooler's tail, pinning him in place. A dark laugh bubbled up from the king as he looked upon the panic that set onto Cooler's face. Leaning forward, he said, "You no longer get to decide when this ends."
"Father, please –,"
Cooler's call was cut short as Cold suddenly slammed a wave of energy down onto the prince. The blast took Cooler beneath the surface. The energy ripped at the landscape as it began carving a tunnel out into the distance, arcs of light shooting upward from the many crevices formed. After pushing Cooler for a few dozen meters, the blast shot back up onto the surface and carried the prince into the air.
Cooler managed to muster enough strength to slam his hands into the blast and send it out into the distance, but was given only a moment to catch his breath before King Cold reappeared.
Practically materializing out of thin air, Cold slammed three thunderous punches into Cooler before snatching the prince up by his throat and squeezing violently. "Tell me, my son. How did you really expect this to go?" Cooler desperately clawed at his father's arm to pry off the vice grip and then Cold laughed.
The king applied a bit more pressure, reveling in the hack of pain Cooler released, but just as Cooler's vision was going blurry, he rapidly lifted both legs and slammed his feet into Cold's face. The strike was enough to break the hold around Cooler's throat and send his father back a few meters, but the pause was only momentary.
As quick as Cold was sent back, he launched forward again. Another punishing blow to Cooler's torso. "How could you have ever thought you were stronger than me?!" Two jabs across Cooler's face. "I don't see it, boy!" An uppercut to the chin that sent Cooler reeling. "You're not even stronger than Frieza!" Cold dove down on his son with another double axe handle, but just before impact, Cooler re-formed his psycho barrier.
The strike sent the prince rocketing out of the sky and slamming violently in the ground below. But, the barrier held and Cooler couldn't muster the will to drop it as he looked through the translucent energy as Cold slowly dropped out of the air.
Offering another dark chuckle, Cold stalked up to his son. Looming over Cooler's barrier like a titan, he and his son locked eyes once more, and he sneered at the fear. "Pathetic," he quipped, slamming a fist into the barrier and sending it bouncing across the terrain.
When it settled once more, and Cooler refused to drop it, Cold summoned his aura and charged forward like a raging-bull. Another mighty punch crashed against the orb, sending it skyward for the briefest moment before Cold met it once more with a kick that sent it savagely carving through the dirt.
"That won't save you from me, Cooler!" Cold yelled as he continued to bat the barrier around.
And as he was being lobbed around the battlefield like a toy, Cooler could only hold on for dear life. Every strike jostled him to his core, and eventually he closed his eyes, no longer able to observe the scene he had painted for himself.
I didn't want this. I didn't want this, he kept telling himself over and over.
"What is wrong, my little icling?"
"I messed up. I messed up and I'm so sorry!" Cooler cried.
"You can fix this."
"No, I can't."
"Yes, you can."
"I'm not strong enough."
"Are you crying?" King Cold said in an amused tone.
Cooler opened his eyes, seeing that his barrier had been firmly planted in the dirt with his father standing over him. Cold chuckled again at the site, and Cooler only then realized the tears that had begun to stain his cheeks. Humiliated, the prince wiped at his face, earning a hearty laugh from Cold.
"I tell you what, my son. Drop this damned barrier of yours and I'll make your punishment quick," said Cold. Cooler took a second to consider the option, but that was all he was given before Cold fired a blast right into the barrier that made Cooler recoil. "Remember, Cooler. You chose this," the king declared behind a malicious laugh as he slammed another blast into the barrier.
Bomb after bomb struck, leaving Cooler to look on in absolute terror as a crack began to form. With each passing second, the crack spread, and Cooler could only watch as time seemed to slow down. Between each bomb, his father cackled like a mad man, his joy overflowing with the thoughts of what would come once he could get his hands on his son.
As Cooler watched the scene, the paralyzing fear that was consuming him suddenly began to feel distant. All his life, Cooler had both feared and revered his father. But as he watched his father vehemently try to break through the barrier separating them so that he could brutalize his son, Cooler could only think of one thing: that sniveling brat, Frieza. Even in death he was the wedge that would always separate Cooler and his father.
It didn't matter how smart he was. It didn't matter how skilled he was. It didn't matter how much he excelled as a leader. In his father's eyes, Cooler would always be less than Frieza because he wasn't strong enough.
With one final bomb-strike, the barrier around Cooler gave way in a fierce explosion. Out of the haze, King Cold stood proudly, staring into the smoke covering the crater where Cooler had been nestled. The king offered one last evil chuckle as he stalked forward. "This has gone on long enough, Cooler. Take your punishment so we can both be on our way."
Cold took one final step before a blinding light rushed outward. The king offered up an arm to block the light, but was then instantly blown backward as a huge gust of wind struck him. Struggling against the rushing wind, Cold summoned his aura and rooted himself in place as he looked back into the maelstrom in shock.
Out of the hole, Cooler slowly lifted into sight, his pupil-less red eyes gazing across at his father dangerously. Wrapped in his own bright, purple aura, Cooler carefully floated forward and came to rest on the ground, his eyes never leaving the shocked expression of his father. When the chaotic wind finally died out and Cooler's aura receded, the battlefield drew eerily quiet as the two Arcosians studied one another.
Finally, the bone mask covering Cooler's mouth receded and he said, "I haven't been a child for a long time, father. You won't be punishing me today, or ever again."
King Cold struck the ground like a rock skipping across the water, bouncing off of the harsh surface six times before he crashed into a rock formation.
The king was buried for only a moment before he tore out of his confines like a blazing bullet. His crazed rush tore apart the soil beneath him as he charged Cooler, who was waiting expectantly.
Easily, Cooler dodged his father's charge. Cold turned on a dime and charged back at his son, only to blaze through an afterimage. With a snarl, he turned once more and caught a boot to the jaw. The king stumbled and took two brutal shots to the torso before he flared his aura with a grand explosion to blow Cooler back.
Out of the destructive chaos, Cold rushed Cooler once again with a punch aimed right at the prince's spiked head, but Cooler snatched the punched out of the air and yanked his father down for a knee to the chin before spinning to throw him clean across the battlefield.
The king tore through the air like a rocket, tumbling chaotically as he went. His flight took him out over an ocean before he summoned the strength to stop. The second he did, though, Cooler was right on him with a thunderous punch that sent him flying once more.
As Cold sped away, Cooler rushed him two more times, smacking his father across the ocean with increasing speed until the prince crashed into him one final time and with a flash of his aura, took them both across the sea in the blink of an eye, rushing them right into another island, and tearing the surface apart as they crashed.
Dirt and debris fell from the sky like rain as Cooler stalked across the wrecked terrain. Across from him, his father lied face down in the dirt. Walking upon the king's downed body, Cooler said, "Stay down."
While Cold lied there unmoving, his eyes opened with a flash of rage. In an instant, Cold launched from the ground and spun around with an arc of energy tearing through the dirt. Cooler dodged the attack effortlessly, leaving it to crash violently into the ocean, as he crossed the distance between him and Cold.
The two tyrants met fist to fist as the soil beneath them disintegrated. In the blink of an eye, they disappeared and began crashing across the sky, vicious claps of thunder ringing out as they came in and out of focus. After crashing against one another five times, on the last crash, Cooler was launched from the air with a storm of energy orbs quickly following behind him. The prince recovered long before striking the ground below and was quick to zip out of sight as a dozen blasts began crashing around him.
As Cold released the wild attack, Cooler rushed across the landscape with scattered explosions following where ever he went. The chaotic attack went on for a few seconds before Cold suddenly launched a beach ball sized bomb down to the island. Cooler offered a moment of shock, but quickly brought up both his arms to meet the energy head on. The prince took a moment to struggle against the energy, even being forced to the ground as it pressed against him. But, in an instant, Cooler suddenly disappeared, carrying the energy with him.
Cold floated in the air with a look of confusion on his face and began whipping his head around to find where his son could've gone. He didn't have long to wait as Cooler speared in out of nowhere with a boot to the back of Cold's head. The two royals were launched from the air and carried explosively into the ground below.
Out of the haze of the impact, Cooler stood proudly, looking down on where his father lied once again. "Stay down!" he demanded once again.
Cold snarled and rushed up at Cooler with an uppercut. The prince dodged easily and dodged the next round of punches launched at him. Cooler's movements were as fluid as air, moving around his father's strikes and every dodged attack only added fuel to the rage written on Cold's face. Before long, the two had dissolved into a blur of movement, Cold firing out strikes as fast as he could and Cooler dodging around each one.
The onslaught was brought to an end when Cooler hammered a thunderous punch into his father's stomach. Cold sputtered upon the impact, eyes bulging in pain while Cooler looked down on his father imposingly. With a snarl, Cold moved to punch Cooler again, but as quick as he moved, Cooler was quicker and slammed an elbow into Cold's face. The king stumbled back and moved to charge again. Cooler crossed the distance much quicker, though, landing another brutal punch to the face, then to the chest, and finally to the chin.
Cooler watched stoically as Cold staggered, his face an emotionless mask.
Cold eventually found steady footing and gasped for air as he studied Cooler. "Is that all you've got, boy? Well, I'm not done yet!"
Cold took one step and Cooler slammed a knee into his face, sending blood rushing out of the king's mouth. The prince spun, slapping two quick kicks across Cold's face and while the king stumbled back again, Cooler pounced. Slamming his father to the ground, Cooler proceeded to hammer punch after punch down on Cold. Each strike was like a clap of thunder, sending tremors over the island and knocking Cold deeper into the ground. After seven brutal strikes, Cooler yanked Cold out of the dirt with one hand and pulled the other back.
There was a brief moment where time slowed down. Cooler looked over the bloodied face of his father, his damaged body, and the lifeless way he lingered in the air. Cooler wanted to feel justified, he wanted to tell himself that this was what his father deserved for all the years that he'd been mistreated and denigrated. Instead, Cooler just found sorrow.
I'm sorry, he thought as his aura flared.
Cooler launched a fist into Cold's face with enough power to rip at the ground around them. The king rocketed across the island like a blazing meteor and struck with a violent impact, tearing across the soil and carving a deep trench as he slid for dozens of yards. When Cold finally came to rest, he was face down in the dirt, unmoving.
Cooler calmly descended from the air and stood by his father's side. He willed away his concern and said, "Stay down."
After several seconds, Cold finally began to move. Gingerly, the king pushed himself up and turned his head to stare up at Cooler. Father and son locked eyes for what felt like an eternity before Cold eventually sighed and broke sight.
"Fine," he said.
Cooler stood by and watched as Cold gingerly got back to his feet. He desperately wanted to move closer and help his father up, but fought off the urge. The king wasn't above dirty tricks and Cooler refused to give up the advantaged he'd solidified so far against his father.
Once King Cold was upright, he took a moment to regain his composure, obviously fighting off some waves of pain. Then, he turned to face Cooler head on and they locked eyes once again. Cooler tensed up, preparing for whatever underhanded trick his father had ready, but the prince was taken completely off guard when King Cold suddenly beamed with a smile.
"Look at you," the king said deliberately, eyes raking up and down Cooler's body. "I can't believe my eyes."
Cooler did his best to remain stoic and unmoved by his father's words. That sense of pride bubbling up inside of him was just another ploy, he knew it.
"It's been thousands of years since our people learned ways to compact our power into lower forms, but I would've never thought it possible to achieve a higher form. And to think my own son was the founder of it."
The pride in his father's voice made Cooler's resolve falter, and he was desperately happy that the bone mask was obscuring the smile pulling at his lips. Embarrassed, Cooler's eyes looked away.
"I am more than a little annoyed that you chose to bring out this power against me," Cold continued, feigning annoyance despite the playful smile on his face. "But it'll be a welcomed resource once we go to Earth to rescue your brother."
Of course. Cooler closed his eyes for a moment and then sighed. Everything always found its way back to Frieza. King Cold continued talking and Cooler had to force his envy back. He tried to focus on the praise Cold continued to rain on him and the plans he had for the two to train together. He focused his eyes on his father again, hardly listening to the man's words.
The ultimate goal for saving Frieza clearly hadn't changed, but at least Cold wasn't trying to go in alone. Cooler could still find a way to save his father and maybe even drop this whole damned invasion. He'd find a way, he told himself, and in the meantime, he would get to spend more time with his father. Cooler was powerful and now his father could see it. It would only be a matter of time before Cold realized that Cooler was the one, truly deserving son.
"And to think, my counsel thought I was crazy for allowing Chilla to bring you in," Cold said and began to turn away, aiming to leave the battlefield.
Cooler began following behind his father. Then, the words finally struck him. "What?" he asked. The king turned to look upon Cooler and the prince continued, "What do you mean by bring me in?"
Cold watched his son as if he was speaking another language. "Oh come on, now, Cooler," he said, only to realize that Cooler had no idea what he was talking about, or rather he didn't want to think that he did. Cold continued, "You really don't know. Chilla always wanted to keep the truth from you, but after all these years, I'd thought that you'd be smart enough to put two and two together by now."
Cooler just stood there, staring blankly at his father, inwardly begging for the words to not be said.
"Cooler, you're illegitimate. You're a bastard," Cold finally said.
The king said the words with such detachment. It was clinical. Cooler, though, took the news like a slap to the face. He stood there, rooted in place, as his mind suddenly became overcome with way too much information. So many questions were being answered, and yet so many more were being asked. The faint sound of Cold's words were breaking through Cooler's inner turmoil. He watched Cold's mouth move and studied the dance of humor on his face. Cooler's whole life was a lie – everything he'd ever known about himself was a lie.
And there in front of him, stood the root of it all. Cold's faint words were suddenly washed over with a deafening pounding in Cooler's ears. He tried desperately to focus on his father, to memorize the exact look of shock suddenly coming over the king's face, but before he could, his vision went red.