Hooooooooly crap I'm posting something. To be honest? Kinda super nervous about this ._. I haven't posted anything in awhile. To any followers of my other stories wanting an explanation, I'll have one on the profile. I'm really sorry for lack of updates guys, but hopefully you'll enjoy this. The premise of the story is heavily inspired by Cosmic Cannon's Misadventures series, and Frozen Heart story. Both great reads, and WAY better than this story will turn out to be.
One would have expected to feel something. Pity, sadness, mourning, some semblance that they had lost something important. Cooler only stared at the planet Earth with a hint of disgust in his scarlet eyes.
It was a miserable ball of dirt. The site that marked the end of Frieza's horrid reign over the Planetary Trade Organization. Cooler refused to call it by its new name when their father passed leadership over to Frieza. When his family's ship was destroyed on Earth, certain, treasonous officers in the PTO kept the information to themselves. With the Frieza, their father, and the King's Generals gone, nearly eighty percent of the PTO banded together under a select few officers to regain their freedom, and to end the Cold lineage once and for all. They believed that King Cold and Frieza were the most powerful beings in the universe, and they believed Frieza's claims of being the mightiest in the universe.
They were wrong.
Unfortunately, those officers leading the rebellion underestimated the wrath of Cooler. Although the rebels were larger in number, and eager to break free from the tyrannical grip of the Cold Clan, none could match the power of Cooler, his elite Armored Squadron, or the last of the King's General's, Suika. They often spear headed the assaults against many rebellions on hundreds of planets, while the loyalists mopped up the rest and restored order in their wake. After witnessing the destructive power Cooler wielded, many rebels quickly changed sides to keeps themselves alive. Unfortunately for many, Cooler was not in the business of mercy, and slaughtered more than he spared to make an example. If ruthlessness and violence was all the 'Frieza Force' understood, then that's all they would get.
Cooler ruled now, and his first order of business as Emperor of the Universe was to wipe out the planet where Frieza and King Cold were killed by the alleged Super Saiyan.
Frieza losing was one thing. The fool never trained a day in his entire life, and because of it his power never grew. However, King Cold's death was impossible to imagine. Even with Frieza's unnaturally high power level, his final form never exceeded their father's. Being spoiled by the King did little to give Frieza any motivation to do so either.
"Sire, we are getting reports back from zhe planet Earth," Salza announced.
Cooler turned in his hover chair towards the main viewing screen as his top lieutenant brought him out of his thoughts. "What have we learned?"
"Zhe data is coming in now." Salza's fingers worked their magic over the keyboards. "Neiz, magnify zhe image!"
"On it!" The tallest of Cooler's Armored Squadron on his console and brought up the ball of dirt known as Earth so that it took up the entire screen. Here, Cooler could get a closer look at the blue planet wrapped with white clouds. "It's a Class M planet sire. According to reports salvaged from King Cold's flagship...this planet's total population now is seventy seven percent lower than it was when Frieza and your father arrived ten years ago!"
"Ha! Maybe King Cold put them on the fast track to genocide before the monkey took him down," Dore exclaimed.
"No," Cooler responded. The monarch's scarlet eyes stared at the planet carefully, feeling his men all watching him in return. "According to reports on Namek, there was a half breed Saiyan. Apparently he was a native of this planet, which of course means..."
"Zhese humans share similar biology wizh zhe Saiyan pigs," Salza concluded. "Even if Frieza and King Cold managed to wipe out most of zhe population, if zhey bred like Saiyans, zhere population would not be so low still."
"Exactly Salza. Furthermore, from what we gathered of those treacherous rebels, Frieza and my father weren't on this planet for more than an hour before their transmission stopped. Even with a platoon of my father's finest soldiers, there's no way that they could plummet the population so drastically before they were confronted by Earth's defenders." Cooler scowled and tensed his shoulders. Something was very wrong on this dirtball. "Salza, report."
"Coming in now sire!" Salza worked diligently. It seemed that Earth only had one network on the whole planet, with primitive security that the genius Brench had no problems hacking into. "Zhis seems to be zhe planet's military power sire. Pulling it up on zhe main view."
Salza opened what he assumed was a video folder, which the system quickly broke down and reformatted to their advanced systems. What they saw was not what any of them expected to see. The video was of thousands, possibly millions of identical soldiers wearing dark blue uniforms emblazoned with the same symbol on their breast, marching across the planet, invading cities, slaughtering civilians and conquering territories. It wasn't all that different from what many of them were use to when conquering planets, but the sheer numbers that this Earth army had didn't seem to fit with the information they had collected so far.
"Salza..."
"Zh-zhis is older footage sire, from..." Salza's fingers clacked away on a few buttons, "Almost zhree years after your family's murder!?"
The video footage continued of the armies marching through a metropolis on Earth. It wasn't long before a group of flying warriors came in and bombarded the army with energy blasts. Cooler focused on the warriors, two of which were wearing identical orange outfits, and the other was wearing some sort of ceremonial looking garb. A few of Earth's defenders most likely.
"Sire, look..." Cooler took his gaze off the saviors of the city and to the smoking piles of machinery that they reduced the attacking army too. "They were just robots," Neiz said.
"It appears so..." The three warriors charged in and attacked the robots, wiping them out with ease. Cooler could tell through their fighting style that the three warriors had power that exceeded even Frieza's Elite soldiers. "Salza, find a newer video. These fighters had no problem with an army, I very much doubt that the Super Saiyan would let them destroy the planet's population that he loved so much."
"Computer, analyze and bring up all relative information on 'heroes of zhe Earth' out of zhe data banks!"
Dozens of files popped up from Earth's data banks about the 'heroes.' A group of their strongest warriors known as the Z Fighters opposed the military superpower known as the Red Ribbon Army. Many of the files included their previous battle with the Saiyans, Vegeta and Nappa, as well as the long struggle with the Red Ribbons. There were bios for each of them as well. Cooler recognized three of them from the video clip. The warriors Yamcha, Tien, and Krillin. Their bios listed them as killed in action. The same could be said of every last one of the Z Fighters, including Cooler's prize.
"No..." The bio for Son Goku, the man who defeated Frieza on Namek, and who killed Cooler's family on Earth was labeled as killed in action. Cooler could feel every muscle in his body tense up with rage. "Salza..."
The lieutenant only needed to be told once before he pulled up video files with anything on Son Goku. The first of many videos had him fighting alongside his allies against the armies of robots. It wasn't long before the Z Fighters were attacked by seven rather particular fighters belonging to the Red Ribbon Army. Unlike the legions of identical foot soldiers, these seven warriors were each unique, different from each other, and stood out like a sore thumb compared to the masses. The only thing that showed their ties to the robot army was that peculiar red symbol somewhere on their person.
When the fighting broke out, the seven new arrivals managed to put the Z Fighters through their paces. In some cases, the new fighters even managed to hold an edge over the weaker heroes. It wasn't until the Saiyans, Goku and Vegeta both turned into what Cooler could only assume were Super Saiyan forms, and the Namekian removed his weighted clothing. Only then did the tides seem to turn in the Z Fighters' favor.
Cooler scowled furiously before Salza started pulling up more clips of the same thing. The Androids would attack, the Z Fighters would stop them, but fail to destroy their seven leaders time and time again as they escaped from every last skirmish.
"How did these blasted things kill that monkey," Cooler wondered with a vicious snarl.
"M-maybe these reports are wrong," Dore said.
Cooler was about to snap at the brute when something new came on the screen. "Salza!" At the cry of his master, Salza played the video instead of just speeding through it. Cooler's focus was entirely on the screen now, staring at what he assumed were two new Androids that had appeared.
Goku, Vegeta, and Piccolo floated across from the pair of Androids. "Well, you're both definitely some kind of new model," Goku said.
"Don't lump us together with those hunks of garbage," the black haired one said with a smirk. "We were designed specifically to kill you by our creator, Doctor Gero."
"We're the ultimate models," the blonde female added with an identical look on her face. "I am Android 18, and this is my brother 17."
"Your names are mud as far as I'm concerned," Piccolo said. "You're just like the others, hunks of junk waiting for the scrap heap."
"Big words coming from a bipedal slug," 18 responded. "If you'd like to put your money where your mouth is, then bring it on. Or do you need to hide behind your Super Saiyan buddies for that?"
"We don't need the Namekian to destroy you," Vegeta snapped. "If your little friends would stop running away, they would see the might of a true Saiyan warrior!"
17 and 18 both chuckled at the Prince's arrogance, then floated apart to gain some distance from one another. They spared no more words, and instead welcomed the challenge the strongest of the Z Fighters offered.
Vegeta powered up to a Super Saiyan and charged towards 17. Piccolo went after 18, followed by a Super Saiyan Goku.
Cooler watched carefully as the fight erupted. It was clear from the beginning that the Namekian stood no chance against the Androids, but the combined might of two Super Saiyans working together managed to keep up. For all their boasting about being superior, they only seemed roughly equal to the combined might of Vegeta and Goku.
While the fight astonished his men, Cooler stared on in silence. He noticed that while the Saiyans were beginning to grow winded, the Androids never seemed to tire. A benefit of being an artificial construct to be sure. In comparison though, Goku and Vegeta were clearly more experienced and well trained fighters. Even with lesser energy, it would be dangerous to assume that the Saiyans weren't a threat.
But there was something about Goku in particular. He had been struggling against the Androids harder than Vegeta. Had the prince the stronger of the two after Namek?
"Something is effecting him," Cooler murmured with realization as he saw Goku clutch his chest.
Goku's fatigue caught up to him when both 17 and 18 each landed a boot on his chest. The Super Saiyan crashed into the street and howled in agony, clutching his gi in pain.
Vegeta stopped and stared down at Goku, "Kakarot, what the hell are you doing?!" The Saiyan prince had no time to wait for an answer, as both Androids started assaulting him on two fronts, leaving him to defend himself.
"Goku, what's wrong," Piccolo shouted.
Before any of the Z Fighters could react, a mass of chrome gunk dove onto Goku's body. The pressure crushing down on his chest only made him cry out louder, before a hand made of the substance silenced him.
"Then...it's finally happened...Doctor Gero's plans are finally realized..." Android 1 chuckled deeply as his body was covered with bursts of lightning flowing around his form as he began to drain the Super Saiyan of his vast reservoirs of energy.
"Goku," Krillin shouted and charged forward with the others. The Z Fighters were abruptly stopped by the other Androids under 1's command, which was more than enough to keep them occupied while he sucked Goku of all his power.
"You may be weakened, but this power will bring me closer to perfection," 1 stated with delight. His burning red eyes stared into Goku's. The hero of Earth began to lose his strength, his body fighting against him with whatever energy he had left. "I shall become the ultimate Android! Nothing will be able to stop me now that you're dea—,"
The transmission stopped abruptly. Cooler just stared at the blank screen as Salza frantically tried to bring it back. The galactic monarch leaned back in his hover chair and scowled. "Don't bother Salza. I've seen all I need to know." His men turned to him for clarity. Cooler was still putting the pieces together, but it was clear that after losing Son Goku, the Androids would have no problem taking over the planet. "These Androids are a threat...the two strongest ones will be avoided at all costs by you three. The rest...it's difficult to gauge the power level of those lesser warriors with your own, but any and all Androids will be treated as a serious threat. Understood?"
"Yes sire!"
"Get ready to scan the planet. Once we find the location of those mechanical monsters, we're heading down there to obliterate each and every last one of them." Cooler gently pulled himself above his throne. The monitor showed the Androids responsible for robbing the tyrant of his prize, of clearing his family's shame. Androids 17, 18, and the band of misfits that fought Earth's protectors at every turn. "These things...these Androids have unknowingly sewed the seeds to their own demise."
The Arcosian ruler stared at the smug faces of 17 and 18, funneling all of his hatred and anger towards the pair. "Once I get my hands on these insufferable things, I'm going to make them rue the day they were taken off the assembly line. If I can't have the blood of the man who destroyed my family, who sent my empire into a civil war for the last decade, then his murders will pay his price with their lives!" Cooler's power exploded around him, overloading several systems that crumbled under the pressure. Even his elite squadron became unbalance by the burst.
"Find them," Cooler snarled. "Find these Androids."
His men dutifully got to work without question. They understood their master's motivation. It was honor that drove him. Unlike Frieza, Cooler took pride in helping to build the PTO. He could never forget the shame, the humiliation, when King Cold named Frieza as the heir to the throne instead of Cooler. The little brat was always spoiled by father, due to the 'blessing' he turned out to be.
I count my blessings every day to know you didn't inherit your father's arrogance, my Icling...
Cooler was superior to Frieza. And he would prove it once and for all to the entire universe that had made him a laughingstock while Frieza's name was the one they feared. He would take second place to no one any longer.
But I see that drive in you...and it worries me, son...
He was the more worthy one. His thoughts of Frieza turned to bitter disgust. Never train a day in your life, and eventually someone is going to become stronger. The universe moves forward, and it seemed like things were going a bit too quickly on Earth. Super Saiyans and now Androids. Had they discovered this planet sooner and Frieza might as well have destroyed it like Planet Vegeta. Once Cooler destroyed Earth himself, he could finally be done cleaning up Frieza's messes, and then he could return to ruling his own empire in peace.
"Uh oh..."
"I don't like that sound, Salza." The lieutenant was quick to face his commander.
"Sir, zhere a-appears to be no trace of any truly strong power levels on zhe planet. Certainly none high enough to zhreaten your father." Cooler's piercing stare shifted over to Salza. He was not in the mood to hear, 'we don't know' from his most competent soldier. "However sire, I do have a lead! Several small power levels gazhered in one area, dropping off rapidly. It appears zhat whatever it is, zhey are fighting against a force our scanners cannot pick up. If I may be so bold, I believe zhis would be zhe best place to start our search."
The tyrant found himself smirking as Salza once again proved his competence. "Excellent work. Men, we're heading down to the planet. Prepare for landing."
"Sir, yes sir!"
Once his men got to work, Cooler stared out at Earth. He never thought anything in the universe could get his blood boiling like his brother. The planet itself was a hell of a contender for the title of 'biggest pain in the ass.' And soon, just like Frieza, it would be erased from existence.
"Get back! Get the hell back!"
"We're screwed! We are all so dead!"
Another explosion to her left, and three soldiers were sent flying through the air in front of Vi's eyes. "Shit!" She turned sharply and fired her sidearm into the drones chasing her. They fell, one-by-one, with each bullet she shot. Once the last one was down, she turned and ran away from the approaching armada.
Thousands of their enemies were ready for them. It was a setup, a trap, and the Resistance walked right into it.
Three squads were destroyed before the groups were even in their positions. It was supposed to be a simple ambush of the Red Ribbon's supply lines. Now they were the ones ambushed, outnumbered a hundred to one. Their drones, their heavy machines, even a couple of the Androids themselves. The Red Ribbons were ready to wipe out humanity's last standing army.
"If you're gonna go down, go down swingin'!" Even over the deafening sounds of war and death around her, Vi heard the Boss's voice barking out orders. She knew their luck would run out eventually. They all knew. But the least they could do was drag as many of those Androids into oblivion with them as they could.
The rest of Earth's defenders took their stand and threw whatever they could at the robots. Bullets, rocks, boots, knives, even fists. Some of the weaker robots fell. Others continued forward and killed any human in their way, while the heavy units in the back launched explosive shots down throughout their ranks.
Vi could feel a chilling grip around her as she shot into the mob of robots. Her blue eyes shifted skyward where four Androids loomed overhead. If there was any chance of surviving the Red Ribbon's armies, the last chance of hope for the Resistance died with the Androids' appearance.
It was over. Death was hovering just above her head to watch humanity's extinction.
A loud crash shook the ground. Whatever bomb went off, it did so a fair distance outside of the battle zone. When the Red Ribbons stopped attacking, that's when Vi felt Death's hands get colder against her skin.
"What the hell was that," someone whispered.
"Shut up," another person snapped.
Whatever happened, it had the Androids worried. Did Gohan show up? Or was it the other two, the Devil's Pair? There wasn't anything higher on the Red Ribbon's hit list than those two threats.
The tense pause in battle continued for minutes, but it felt like hours. At this point, all it took was one snap decision from the Androids for their army to tear the Resistance apart. But if they did, then it left them open to whatever the new threat was. And something told Vi it wasn't Gohan that was making an appearance.
A nearby explosion went off on the Red Ribbon's ranks. Vi felt in an instant that her life was over, but the robots turned away from her as if she were no longer there. There was a second crash, and another explosion went off, and another, and more one after another as something started tearing through the battlefield, turning the Red Ribbon Android's army into smoking hunks of junk.
It wasn't long before they started firing back at something. Vi and the others were too far from their apparent saviors to see what was going on. The final explosion was by far the largest of them all. The blast radius ended only a few feet away from Vi and the rest of the Resistance, but carried enough force and destructive energy that it took care of the majority of Red Ribbon's army. It was odd, but Vi thought she had heard laughter.
"These bucket of bolts are weaker than those mutant plants those Saiyans used," Neiz cheered. "What were they called?"
"Saiyamen, or something," Dore guessed.
"Zhey were called Saibamen," Salza corrected.
"Focus." The three soldiers turned to their master's command and stayed silent. Cooler stood at the head of his attack, floating in front of the Androids. Though their attired had changed, he recognized the distinct appearances of the Z Fighter's bane. Cooler's Armored Squadron stayed close to his flank as the leader of the Android squad drifted forward.
She was dressed as dark as the emptiest void of space. Her hair was jet black, short, and slicked back, eyes covered by a pair of dark sunglasses. Her tattered overcoat fluttered at her ebony boots as she stared down Cooler and his men. "What...exactly are you?"
"I am here for the Androids that killed Son Goku."
The female Android's head tilted slightly. "Son Goku? After all this time...would it be possible he still had allies?"
"I have no allegiance to this monkey. But he was mine to kill. This planet owes me blood. More specifically, your army, owes me blood."
The Android simply tilted her head to the opposite shoulder and drifted back. "Take them." She gave a gentle wave of her gloved hand, and the other three Androids charged.
Cooler quickly raised his arms to stop his men from meeting their assault. The only thing they knew for certain was that Cooler was the only one who stood a chance. Once he had a proper assessment of the Androids as a significant threat or not, then he could allow his men loose.
Two of the Androids, a woman and a male, rushed first. They were easy for Cooler to track, thanks to their rather flashy and colorful garb. Both of them were fast and precise, but they were leagues below the monarch's skill level as he evaded every strike, every punch and kick they threw at him. The Androids did surprise him however when Cooler finally countered, as they managed to successfully dodge his blows as well. Their tactic became very clear however.
The third Android sent to attack, wearing a more formal military uniform and less colorful than his counterparts, held a blinding orb of pink energy high above his head. Cooler felt a twinge of nostalgia as he thought of Frieza in that moment.
"Blockbuster Bomb!" The ball of energy was sent flying towards Cooler with incredible speed. The tyrant didn't bother to move out of the blast's direction. Despite the orb's size and speed, Cooler effortlessly backhanded the strike and sent it soaring behind him. The detonation echoed from beyond, forming a large blast radius, and a stunned Android before him. "I-Impossible!"
The tyrant's body floated up to rejoin his Armored Squadron, all of whom were grinning at their master's display. "Keep your guard up and you'll be just fine against those three," he informed his men. Cooler's scarlet eyes shifted to the darkly clad Android. "Their commander though, she's mine."
Cooler's forces wasted no time, and immediately raced forward. Their blood was pumping as the warriors spread the fighting out away from the main show.
The monarch floated across from the Android commander, staring daggers at one another. The woman calmly removed her tinted glasses off of her face, and tucked them on the inside of her overcoat. Her bare eyes were razor sharp, cold, and filled with rage. Something about her eyes reminded Cooler of something. Or someone.
"You look a lot like those invaders from ten years ago," she spoke. "Doctor Gero's database recorded the event. Frieza and Cold?"
"My family," Cooler snapped. He was in no mood to update the Red Ribbon's data banks. The trip to Earth gave him enough time to plot his revenge, and now he had to deal with Son Goku's death, that had already passed to the Androids' hands. "Now tell me, Android 17 and 18, where. Are. They!?"
The female vanished in a blink and reappeared in front of Cooler. The Arcosian hissed through his teeth at the superior Android's speed. He raised his arms in an 'X' as the Android spun and slammed her forearm into him. The strength of the attack was far beyond what Cooler measured the other three to be, as he was sent back a fair distance. He broke his stride and launched a blast of blue energy at the Android. She was gone long before the beam reached her location.
Cooler scowled as the Android seemed to have disappeared entirely. He couldn't sense her energy at all, but he knew she was still around. A punishing blow struck Cooler in the back of the neck. He spun around and launched another blast at the area he was attacked. The blast cut through the air, but hit nothing. Cooler growled in fury. "Where is that blasted thing?!"
"To your right!" Cooler looked down as one of the humans shouted at him. He decided to take a chance, and threw his foot up to the right side. He hit something solid, something invisible. No sooner then after the blow landed did the Android seem to materialize out of thin air.
"Got you!" Cooler smirked and raced towards the Android before she could prepare herself. He slammed a punishing knee into her stomach. The Android folded over Cooler's knee, followed up with a double-axe handle to her back. The woman crashed into the ground, raising heavy plates of solid earth up as cracks snaked out from the point of impact.
Cooler shifted his gaze over to the humans once more, noticing that one had a device worn over his eyes. Was the Android using some sort of cloaking device?
The humans cheered below at the alien's apparent victory over the murderous Androids. Cooler snapped his eyes down at them. Something in the pit of his stomach turned. He was more accustomed to the masses cursing his name, or praying for mercy. Cheering and praise were...different.
That was all silenced when the woman came bursting up from the ground, and snapped the neck of the soldier with the scanner over his eyes with a simple twitch of her wrist. The rest of the Resistance cried out in horror as she discarded the body behind her.
"Open fire on that bitch," the Boss shouted. Whatever soldier still had their guns began pulling the triggers. The Android didn't even blink as bullets bombarded her from all sides and bounced off her like kamikaze flies.
Before the Resistance ran out of bullets, the Android raced up back to the air, where Cooler waited for her. "Androids 17 and 18 are not apart of the Red Ribbon Army."
"That's cute," Cooler seethed. "I'm sure Salza could always extract the information by whatever computer runs your brain, once I rip it from your shoulders. I've seen the footage. Your forces working with those Androids responsible for destroying Son Goku. They all wore your symbol." Cooler pointed at the red symbol printed on the back of the Android's coat. "They both put Son Goku in a position to be killed by...whatever that silver creature was."
"You're very well informed," the Android stated. "I can only assume that you gained access to our archives somehow." She turned her body to face Cooler directly, then pulled her sunglasses out from her breast pocket. "If you viewed our more recent history, you would realize Androids 17 and 18 were not completed. They're renegades, who would sooner destroy everything left on this planet instead of conquering it. That is the goal of the Red Ribbon Army. Not wanton destruction."
"Suppose I believe any of that, do you expect me to believe that you have no means of tracking your fellow Androids?" The woman remained silent. Even behind her glasses, Cooler could steel feel that icy stare. And her silence was all the answer he needed. "As I said before...I could always sever your head from your body and extract all the information I want that way."
"You're more than welcome to try, though don't expect it to be easy by any means," the Android warned. She lifted her hand up to view, and her fingers began to twitch and shift erratically.
The message to retreat was sent to the other three, Androids 5, 6, and 7. Android 6 was less than pleased as he and the other two rejoined Android 2. The alien across from her didn't even bat an eye to their arrival. The nerve. "You can't be serious! You want us to retreat!? We can destroy these invaders!"
"If you used your scanners instead of your ego, you would realize that this one can't be taken down with brute force," 2 snapped. "We will regroup with the main force. Perhaps this monster can dispose of Gero's mistakes for us."
"And you think I'll just let you all walk away?" The alien was joined by his soldiers. Even 6 would never admit to struggling to beat the green skinned brute. If he had more time, he could have destroyed the monster.
"Android 5, provide us the means," 2 ordered.
The brightly dressed redhead chuckled as he threw his arms out in a flourish. "As you wish boss. I know I can be quite...flashy." Android 5 lifted his hands up towards the sun above.
"Cover your eyes!" The humans knew 5's tricks, but all 2 cared about was escaping the new blood in front of her.
Android 5's palms took in the light from the sun, reflecting and magnifying it with the blinding force of a hundred flashbang grenade. One that could last several seconds long. The flashes nearly seared their foe's retinas. All four aliens howled in pain and covered their faces in their hands, throwing out a colorful string of curses.
Android 2 stared at the group, feeling the righteous fury to kill them all now. She could easily kill the weaker three aliens, but their master was another story. She would need the help of Android 1 in order to stand against such a monster. But for the time being, if he wanted to hunt Android 17 and 18 then she was more than happy to let them destroy each other.
"Let's go." While their foes were still blinded, Androids 2, 5, 6, and 7 sped off into the horizon.
"DAMN IT!" Cooler's entire being coursed with rage. If the Androids didn't take this opportunity to attack, then they were running away.
"D-damn it! Wh-what was zhat!?"
"Some kind of...flash bomb," Neiz stated as he tried to see through squinted lids. The Zaltian blinked rapidly as some of his blindness started to fade away. "I-I can't see them sire!"
"They ran away! Those wretched little...!" Dore was still busy swearing in his brutish, native tongue to contribute to the conversation. Cooler had very particular, savage thoughts about the Android 5 that caused the flash. Whether or not the woman Android was telling the truth, Cooler was going to take pleasure in dismantling the rest of those robots. Army or not, he would not be shamed by a group of second rate trash cans. "Back to the ship! We need a way to find those damn Androids!"
"I think we can help with that!" Cooler stared to the ground at the blackened, blurry figures below. "Take your time. We can help you find those Red Ribbon Androids."
"Zhe Earthlings?"
"Aren't we here to destroy them anyway," Neiz hissed with annoyance. "We don't need their help."
Cooler's vision began to clear, as did the blurry shapes of the people below. He did have a passing thought to just wipe them all out with a single stroke. They would all be dead sooner or later, after Cooler had his revenge anyway.
The galactic monarch floated down before the small rabble. The closer he was, the more he could tell about the Earthlings. They were scared of him, and rightfully so. Covered in dirt, blood, and filth, holding primitive weapons and firearms. It was no wonder that they were so eager to strike a bargain with the first person to show up who could fight the Androids.
One woman stepped forward to meet Cooler. The Arcosian was still squinting, but he could make out most of her features. A wild mane of light blonde hair, piercing green eyes, a scar running down her right cheek, and what he could assume was some sort of uniform so torn and covered with blood and dust that there was nothing noteworthy that could be mentioned about it.
"You can track the Androids?"
"We know where most of their bases are," the woman explained. "And we know where they're going to attack us next. You help save us, and we'll give you the locations so you can get all the revenge you want on those bastards."
Cooler couldn't fight the smirk on his face. There had been many times when a race would surrender to Cooler and his forces for their own survival, but seldom had a people ever sought him for help. "You have no idea what I'm capable of, do you?"
"I know you're cut from the same cloth as those scary ass aliens that showed up almost thirteen years ago, leading an army of other scary ass aliens. Call me crazy, but I'd say appearances run in the family."
It wasn't a direct comparison to Frieza, but it was enough to get a scowl out of Cooler. "My brother and father. The ones killed by the Super Saiyan?"
"There were two Super Saiyans at the time actually. But...yeah, that pair in particular stands out when I look at you."
"And you still want to help me?"
The Boss's features softened as her eyes turned to the ground. "Goku is dead and gone. We're pretty much all that's left defending Earth, and we're losing..." She snapped her gaze back up to meet the gaze of the ruthless tyrant across from her. "You could easily be the most evil, sadistic son of a bitch in the entire universe for all I care. If you want to destroy those Androids, you have the support of the Resistance."
"The enemy of my enemy? Just to clarify, we're not friends."
"Never crossed my mind for a second."
Cooler signaled for his men to join him. Even Dore had enough time for his eyes to readjust from the blinding flash Android 5 used for their escape, and descended with Neiz and Salza. "You said you had ways of tracking the Androids?"
Salza's boots touched the ground as he heard his master. "Zhat is impossible. Even our scouters could not pick zhe Androids up."
"They use some kind of power source," Cooler noted in an impatient tone. "We just need to find a different frequency."
"You won't need to worry about it. We know where the others are headed, and we know exactly where the main Red Ribbon fortress is at." The Boss pulled a small device out from her pocket and pressed a button. A holographic projection of the continent was shown. Over half of the area was covered in red, with the symbol for the Red Ribbon stamped throughout the red zone.
"Impressive," Cooler admitted. Even with all the knowledge on their enemies, the Earthlings clearly would never stand a chance in hell against the Androids. But the knowledge helped Cooler immensely. "Salza."
"Already transmitted to zhe ship, sire!"
Their scouters had already scanned the Earthling's map and transmitted the data back to the ship. But Cooler had other uses for the humans. "You said there were other Androids?"
The Boss nodded her head, "One through nine, plus the Devil's Pair, 17 and 18. If you want to get at the ones who killed Goku, you're looking at those two, and Android 1."
The chrome monster. The thing going on about perfection. "Which one dealt the killing blow to Son Goku?"
"The Devil's Pair. But Android 1, the commander of the Red Ribbon Army, put Goku in a position where he couldn't defend himself. These Androids, even if they don't work together, they all had one thing in common. They were created by a man named Doctor Gero, who was hellbent on killing Goku. Every last Android has that programing inside of them. With Goku gone...it seems like they turned their eyes to killing off humanity."
Gero. It was another name Cooler had heard several times over since arriving to Earth. "Seems as if that monkey had a long list of enemies..." Goku's life was still Cooler's to claim. If he couldn't see his family's killer die by his hand, then he would settle for the things that robbed him of his prize. First the Androids, then Cooler would destroy the rest of the planet to wipe out the last traces of his family's ultimate failure. "Where are these other Androids then?"
"If their goal was to wipe out the Resistance for good...I would assume that they're headed towards our base." The Boss pointed towards an area untouched by the red that covered most of the map. Their base was symbolized with a fist, wrapped in a golden flame. "Jingle Outpost. The last base we have. It's a fortress really, but...we've been low on supplies. We tried to ambush what we thought was a Red Ribbon caravan, but...when Android 2 was here, we knew that they were done with us."
"So they drew you out with false information." It was a clever tactic in war. Cooler himself used similar strategies in his younger days, when leading an army of his own. Bait a trap, and if the enemy comes out of their hole then they reveal their weakness. It was obvious at a glance that the Earthlings were desperate. "Salza, lock in the coordinates to that outpost. We're heading there."
"Sir!"
"And make a supply drop from the ship at...these coordinates." Cooler pointed to a small area just past the mountains leading to Jingle Outpost. "Have the ship's computers prepare any and all blasters and armor load in the ship's pods for the humans."
"S-sir, of course!"
He sensed the doubt in Salza's voice, but the knowledge and years of experience the humans had fighting these Androids was a valuable weapon that he couldn't afford to lose. Cooler turned back to the Boss and flashed a smirk her way, "The enemy of my enemy."
"But we're still not friends," she finished, without missing a beat. "We'll meet you there then." Cooler and his men didn't spare another second before they turned and took off towards Jingle Outpost. "Alright everyone, we've got some new toys waiting for us on the way back home! Let's pick them up and take the fight to the Ribbons!"
The Resistance cheered. They were all lucky to be alive, and they were really damn grateful for it. The Boss stared down at her remaining lot. Soldiers, warriors, and most importantly, survivors. And every last one of them wanted the Androids dead and gone. Even if their salvation came from an alien lizard who might be grateful enough, or simply pity what remained of Earth's populace, not to destroy them all once his revenge was complete.
One problem at a time.
So, I know this is a bit late (damn you editing) but a year ago yesterday on Febuary 1st, the universe lost a creative force, better known as Monty Oum. So...yeah, whole big cheesy speech, but the man is an inspiration to me personally. So...this is for all the aspiring creators out there. I'm nervous as crap posting something for the first time in almost eight months, but sometimes you just gotta say screw it and do it anyway.
So, this story I dedicate to Monty, and to all the aspiring creators like myself out there. Go live your dreams damn it. And also leave a review. Those are nice =3