Cooler hissed a long sigh and for once it wasn't one of irritation, anger, or even annoyance. For the first time in a long time, Cooler breathed a sigh filled with tranquility, a peaceful release that only further soothed his mind as he gazed across the landscape of the city of Arcos from his balcony. The tyrant looked across the long expanse of homes and buildings hundreds of feet below him, watching as the citizens – people of his very own race – began rising for their early morning duties. Alas, Cooler hadn't known he missed home as much until this very moment.
"…and for once I'm not burdened with the presence of a certain annoyance either," he muttered to himself, a lazy smile on his face as he leaned over the railing. "I couldn't be happier."
It had been three days since his return to Arcos. A return that he'd never thought of after being stuck out in space for almost twenty-four hours before finally finding one of Frieza's planets. And of course he'd spent two whole days being treated for his injuries, all the while enduring very scrutinizing eyes. A very small handful of the planet's inhabitants had even had the nerve to ask Cooler what had happened to him. Quite naturally, they were answered with a debilitating death beam for their insolence.
From there, Cooler had acquired a space pod and started the excruciatingly long journey back to Arcos. Unsurprisingly, he hadn't gotten the warmest of welcomes though. He'd hardly gotten comfortable before being called to his father's throne room and questioned over what had happened to him, his ship, and the Armored Squadron. Of course Cooler had already planned an answer for each question, but when the call between him and Frieza was brought up, Cooler could hardly reign in his happiness in relaying the information.
"I'm afraid I have terrible news, father," Cooler stated, bowing his head ever-so-slightly out of respect as he addressed King Cold, the older tyrant sitting on his throne with rather critical eyes. "It seems that Frieza has perished."
The calm, stony expression that Cold had been offering since meeting with Cooler dropped instantly to one of shock. "Frieza? Surely you're mistaken Cooler!" he barked, disgusted with the thought.
Cooler lifted his gaze directly to meet his father's as he replied. "That mission of Frieza's proved to be too much for even him. I don't know how, but those wretched Namekians must've found some way to overpower him." King Cold looked ready to leap out of his seat and knock the words back to Cooler's mouth, but he remained seated and Cooler pressed on. "I'm sure that you know that Frieza called in the Ginyu Force, a top-notch squad reserved for missions of the upmost import. It wasn't long after requesting them that Frieza called me as well. Brother relayed the events of his mission so far. Apparently, that dog of a Saiyan, Vegeta, rallied some troops in the form of some surviving Saiyans and made an attempt on the very dragon balls that Frieza was vying for. I don't know what exactly happened; by the time I had arrived on Namek, there was a terrible crash of power and before I'd known what happened, the entire planet was ripping apart."
"Are you saying Frieza destroyed the planet?" Cooler nodded and Cold grouched a chilling laugh. "So you mean to tell me that Frieza went to this dirt clump of a planet, was overwhelmed by some Namekians and Saiyans, and in a last ditch effort, blew up the planet and unfortunately himself as well?" The disbelief and malice rolling off King Cold was palpable as he stood, looming further over Cooler.
The PTO prince held strong though. "There's no other explanation for it though, father!" he beseeched, offering the best concern he could at the moment. "After the planet's explosion, there was nothing and no one left. I landed beside Frieza's cruiser so I know that he couldn't have escaped with that."
King Cold stepped away from the throne, and for a moment, Cooler cringed inwardly when he thought that his father would attack. Instead, Cold walked past his son with a flourish of his cape, heading for the exit.
"W-where are you going?" Cooler asked in confusion.
Cold halted and merely turned his horned head to leer. "To find my son! He's obviously out there somewhere. Nothing can kill Frieza, you imbecile!"
That was three days ago, and Cooler hadn't heard a thing from his father since. That wasn't too bad though. It was certainly less tense for Cooler without his father there, but unfortunately, that meant he had to hold off his plans on attacking Earth. See, King Cold had this policy regarding Arcos's safety: At all times, there had to be at least one person of nobility on the planet. Whether it was Cooler, Frieza, or King Cold, someone had to be on Arcos at all times in the event of an attack.
And when was the last time Arcos was attacked? Probably when King Cold was in diapers.
Nevertheless, Cooler was rooted to the spot until his father returned from the waste of time mission. Unless the king was going to be spot checking every sun around Namek, he'd never find any remains of Frieza. Cooler laughed at that thought.
"Lord Cooler?"
Cooler was startled ever-so-slightly as he turned to look over his shoulder at the voice. He softened, if only by a little, when he saw Onen standing in the doorway. His Saiyan pet was clad in black battle spandex, grey boots, and a matching grey utility belt. His black hair was spike up and swayed slightly to the side where his blue scouter rested over his eye. On his chest was the bold insignia of Cooler that all of his subordinates wore. Almost no one was allowed to be in Cooler's personal quarters, but for certain soldiers – as in the late Armored Squadron and his personal servant – there were exceptions.
"What is it, Onen?" he asked, turning back to the scenic view.
"Sir, your Seeker Brigade has arrived and they've managed to acquire a few soldiers as well," the servant explained, not daring to move beyond the threshold.
"Is there anything else?" Cooler asked, and Onen answered in the negative. "Fine. Let the commander know that I expect a full description of each skill and he is to interrogate each captive. I will be down to receive reports at a later date. Also, go to the observation room and let them know that I will be stopping by sometime later today to check on father's progress. I want charts, routes, and explanations ready when I arrive otherwise there will be an injury for every second I have to wait. That will be all, Onen." Cooler shooed the servant away with a dismissive wave.
Onen left with a respectful salute and the tyrant was alone once again. There were so many things to do now that Frieza was out of the picture, Cooler didn't even know where to begin.
With another calming sigh, he pushed away from the railing. "Father will undoubtedly be gone for quite some time. No point in lounging around with Goku still out there, I suppose." A nearly skin-piercing fist formed in his right hand as the memory of the Saiyan came flooding back. "Now that he knows that I'm coming, he'll be getting ready. We may've been on equal ground before, but I refuse to allow that to happen again." A growl rolling past his lips, Cooler turned to leave the balcony, expression set with determination. "I will train!"
+++1 month later+++
Cooler ducked, weaved, and leapt around the metallic chamber with astounding speed. Yet, with every move he made, a pair of buzz saws chased right behind him. The Arcosian prince was even sweating profusely as he backflipped onto the concave surface of a wall before springing out of the way of one of the saws, leaving it to cut into the wall and remain stuck. But he could hardly call that a victory, as the second he decided to smile at his evasive skill, the second saw sliced right across his back.
"Gah!" he called out angrily and dropped back to the floor. The prince was even forced to take a knee as he reached back to grab at the oozing wound. "Dammit! I dropped my guard!" he yelled out in anger before twitching at the pain of the cut.
"Lord Cooler, sir, are you okay?!" Onen's voice suddenly called out, flooding the training room.
All of a sudden, the room became a great deal brighter and Onen appeared at a tall window in the chamber as he stared down at his master with shock. Cooler looked up at the Saiyan before briefly looking back at the two buzz saws that remained floating in the air to await the orders of their controller.
"I will get the nurse immediately!" Onen declared and turned on a heel to rush out, but was stopped as Cooler's voice snapped out at him.
"YOU WERE HOLDING BACK!" the frost demon demanded from the floor as he glared up at the window and the Saiyan soldier behind it. Onen's head dropped in dismay before he turned back to the window to take the chastising in store for him. "That saw should've taken my head off, but you redirected it at the last second, Onen! Don't even try to deny it!"
"You're right, sir. I can't deny it," Onen replied as he stood behind the glass, his head still dropped in shame. But then he lifted it to yell, "But how could I have lived with myself if I'd seriously hurt you, sir! What if I'd killed you? What if I'd…wh…why are you laughing?"
Onen was stumped into silence as he looked down to the training room floor, watching as Cooler nearly collapsed from laughter. The tyrant swayed, holding his stomach as he chortled from Onen's concern, and only after a full minute of uncontrollable laughter did he sober up enough to say, "Onen, you really are a fool if you think that you could kill me! Hahaha! The mere thought is so unbelievably humorous!"
And for his part, Onen could only stand there slack jawed as he watched his master laugh. "I…um…well fine," he mumbled before looking away.
"Come now," Cooler called out, stopping his laughing just long enough to placate the Saiyan. "Don't look upset, Onen. All that I'm saying is that your concern for my life is not necessary. I won't ever die, Onen. Not by your hands or anyone else's."
Onen still looked unsure, but stepped back over to the controls nonetheless. "I certainly hope so, Lord Cooler. You've been my master since I was old enough to walk. I'd hate for anything bad to happen to you," replied the soldier modestly.
"Is that so?" Cooler crooned with a contemplative smile as he looked up at Onen. "Well then, Onen, you're in for a treat this day." The Saiyan's eyebrows rose as he looked back to his master, making Cooler's smile grow wider at the interest. "There's a reason why I only allow you to aid me in my training, Onen; and a reason why I demanded all scouters turned off during this session of training today."
"Really?" Onen squeaked leaning into the window as if he expected to get a better view of whatever Cooler was speaking about. "What is it, sir?"
"This is only for your eyes, Onen," Cooler demanded as his purple aura flared to life around his body and his voice grew tense from the exertion. "You are to never tell anyone else about this or I'll kill you and tie you down to the bumper of my spaceship as a trophy. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, sir!" Onen declared happily, leaping out the chair as he watched Cooler's aura expand and brighten within the training chamber. "I'll never tell a soul!"
"Good," was all that Cooler replied before he allowed his energy to explode within the chamber, his aura splaying in all directions as his body contorted and expanded to accommodate his new form. When the flashing of his power was all done, Cooler didn't have to look up to see the shock and awe on Onen's face. He could feel the Saiyan's admiration as he stood in the chamber, now in his fifth form. "This right here is why I'll never die, Onen. I'll crush anything that ever opposes me with this power."
"Cooler, sir…you are incredible!" Onen acclaimed with a glimmering smile down to his master.
"As if I didn't already know that," Cooler replied with his own smile glued to his face. "Now then, let us begin Stage 13. I want to give this body the ultimate test, and don't you dare hold back!"
"Yes sir!" the Saiyan saluted before falling back into the chair and tapping an array of buttons.
Back in the chamber, Cooler watched patiently as six more buzz saws appeared from the ceiling, five cannon-firing robots erupted from the floor, and ten flame blowers spawned from various spots on the wall. In addition to it all, the lighting in the room suddenly changed to a daunting red hue as the gravity of the room rose 100x Arcos's normal gravity.
Faced with the challenge, the tyrant could only smile wide before the bone mask clamped over his mouth. "Begin!" he roared before leaping into the fray.
+++3 months later+++
Cooler stepped out of the changing area, still covered in a fine sheen of moisture from his shower. He stopped in the hallway and paused to rub at the fatigued and sore muscles in his arm. The smile on his face only stretched further as the muscles ached upon the pressure. It had been yet another fine training session indeed.
"It's been a long time since I've felt this kind of pain," Cooler whispered to himself. "I have to admit it. I actually kind of missed this feeling. I suppose because I know that the power bred from this pain will only make me that much more dominating." The tyrant traced down his right arm and stopped at the wrist before extending his index finger and allowing a small bead of orange energy to form at the tip. "If only I'd had this energy when on Namek, then Goku wouldn't have lasted ten good minutes against me. Alas," the bead faded and Cooler dropped his arms to the side before smiling deviously, "it'll only make our reunion that much more fun when I get to trample him with my new power."
"Well if it isn't the little prince that could."
Cooler's eyes involuntarily twitched at the sound of the voice and he snarled despite himself as if he looked over to the owner. Down the hallway, and heading right for the tyrant, were his two younger, estranged siblings: Frost and Sheer. Frost walked ahead of the other Cold child, her strides long and confident as she strolled right up to Cooler with that taunting smile on her lips.
"You've been back home for four months, Cooler, and this is the first time that I've even seen you!" Frost demanded as she and Sheer came to a halt right across the older Arcosian. Sheer pursed her lips and placed her hands on her hips as she leaned in a bit and said, "You wouldn't happen to be trying to hide from us in this big old castle now would you?"
The sneer that erupted from Cooler's mouth couldn't be helped. "I don't hide from anyone," he barked back with a scowl, watching with annoyance as Frost straightened up and folded her arms. "Least of all you two," he added before claiming the same condescending look that Frost was giving him. "I haven't seen either of you because I haven't wanted to. In fact, I say we continue that arrangement now." Cooler didn't bother to stand before them a second longer and took a step to walk past the duo, only to be stopped as Frost placed a halt hand across his chest.
The pink-skinned frost demon ignored the lethal glare Cooler gave her and assumed a feigned look of sadness. "Is that really all the kindness that you can show your brother and sister?" she pouted.
Cooler seriously considered vaporizing the both of them as they stood their looking at him, but decided against it. No use in exterminating three siblings in less than a year. That would look too suspicious, he thought. Instead, Cooler slapped away Frost's hand and said, "That is all the kindness I have for my bastard brother and sister, yes. Now, if that is all, I really have better things to do."
"Come on, Cooler. Do you have to be so mean?" Sheer whined from behind Frost, but immediately regretted the words as his eyes widened and he cautiously took a step back.
But the comment didn't go unnoticed.
"Did you just speak?!" Cooler barked and took a demanding step toward Sheer, about ready to forego his earlier thought to instead rip Sheer's throat out.
"Back off!" Frost suddenly announced, throwing up a hand to block Cooler from taking another step toward Sheer. Cooler followed the appendage up to the girl's face and for the first time, saw a sense of King Cold in the girl. Even without the red eyes, Sheer had the same ominous way of glaring ice into a person's soul as the rest of the Cold clan.
Cooler was actually proud for a brief moment.
"Say and do what you want to me, Cooler," she continued on, now putting herself directly between the two brothers so that she could look down on Cooler as much as possible. "But I won't allow you to mess with Sheer. He's easily the nicest out of all of us."
"And there lies his problem," Cooler sneered, but backed away all the same. He folded his arms once more, glared venom into Sheer for a moment, and then looked back to the glare that Frost was giving him. "Seriously, what do you want?"
The glare off between Frost and Cooler held for a moment longer before the girl rolled her eyes with an exasperated sigh. "I ran into the commander of your little Seeker Brigade earlier. He was looking for you because apparently there was an issue with one of your prisoners and he requires your assistance. I thought I'd deliver the news in hopes of actually having a conversation with you, but I see you're still the stubborn pain in the ass that you've always been," she answered. "When are you going to get off your high horse, Cooler. Even Frieza convened with us on occasion, but you? You always look down on us like you think we're competition for your affections with Dad. I could care less about whatever games you and Frieza play, but I can promise you that me, nor Sheer, are interested. We don't have to vie for Dad's affection. We already get plenty of it."
If everything else she said hadn't made Cooler's blood boil, that last part certainly did. "And while you two fools are busy lazing around the castle day in and day out, I'm out in space making a name for myself and crushing weakling while I'm at it. But I suppose you wouldn't know anything about that because Father doesn't want his bastard children out there on the frontlines. After all, we all know that you both are too weak to be anything else other than castle squatters. So yes, please do have Father's affection. I'll be satisfied with his empire instead!"
And with that, Cooler turned his back on them both and strolled down the hallway, determined not to look as angry as he felt before rounding and incinerating the first soldier that dared to walk within his vicinity.
Instead of following Frost's information exactly and heading right over to his commanding center of the compound, Cooler stopped by the observation room to check on his father's progress as per the weekly routine that he'd developed since his return. As soon as the Arcosian lord entered the area, all of the soldiers were on their feet in a heartbeat with their hands at salute while Cooler strolled by. It only took ten seconds of walking into the room before one of the soldiers ran up to the tyrant with a stack of papers charting King Cold's progress since the last time Cooler had checked on it.
They certainly didn't want another bloodbath like they'd gotten the very first time Cooler had arrived to check on his father's progress.
"I see Father finally reached Namek yesterday…or what's left of it anyway," Cooler mused as he looked through the papers. But then his brow furrowed and he looked back to the soldier. "Now that he's seen what's left of the planet, shouldn't he be on his way back now?"
"Er…uh…well, Lord Cooler, King Cold has begun an in-depth search of the debris of the planet, thinking that he will possibly find a comatose form of your brother," the little reptilian soldier squeaked in reply. "I believe he's even expanding the search for miles outside of the debris in the off chance that our lord could've drifted."
"Comatose? Pfft!" Cooler denounced as he looked through the papers a second time. "I don't know why Father wastes time on this silly pursuit. Frieza's dead now. It's time to move on."
"Yes. Yes, sir, indeed. You are right," the creature parroted, nodding in kind to Cooler's words.
"Are you saying you're glad my brother's dead?!" Cooler suddenly barked, dropping the papers onto the floor as he took the soldier by surprise.
"WHAT!"
"I say it's time to move on and you have the nerve to agree with me! Have you no heart? That was my brother!" Cooler yelled out in outrage.
"N-n-n-no, sir. I-I-I was just agreeing with you!"
"Soldier!" Cooler demanded and pointed over to the nearest soldier he could find, who promptly saluted harder (if that was even possible). "Is that not how the conversation went? Speak the truth!"
"Y-y-y-yes sir!" the other soldier answered readily.
"WHAT!" the reptile squeaked once more.
But Cooler was done. "I thought so," the Arcosian smirked before lifting his index finger. And while the reptile cried out for mercy, Cooler blew the soldier into cinders with a single blast. The observation room fell silent as the remains of the reptilian soldier fell to the floor and Cooler chuckled just a bit before announcing, "Now back to work, you maggots! And get someone to replace whatever job that snake in the grass had!"
"Yes sir, Lord Cooler!" the entire room announced in unison before Cooler walked out.
However, the tyrant had hardly reached the entryway before a buzz of static rushed throughout the speakers of the room. The various computers began flashing in and out of focus, and a small alarm even went off as their network froze.
"What's going on?!" Cooler suddenly announced and walked back into the room.
It only took a second for one of the soldiers to dive into the controls of his monitor, typing out something with speed of light, and in no time, the large display monitor in the front of the room displayed a humongous metal orb drifting past Arcos.
"This is the cause of the issue, sir!" the soldier announced and typed in a few more codes to zoom in a bit closer on the orb, showing all of the various satellite dishes and compartments around the planet-sized ball. "It appears to be some kind of large satellite, if I'm not mistaken, and it's giving off a radio wave that disturbed our network."
"Hmm…"Cooler mused as he looked over the large mechanized ball. "Well it doesn't seem to be coming toward us. Any idea where it is going?"
"We haven't detected any kind of directional software aboard the vessel, sir. Seems to simply be drifting right now. Almost as if nothing's controlling it, but if it continued its drifting pattern, it would end up somewhere in the solar system of the former Planet Namek," another soldier answered. "Would you like us to take it down?"
Cooler took a moment to ponder the question before shaking his head in the negative. "A satellite with no controller is hardly worth our time," the tyrant answered. "And if it isn't posing any imminent threat to me or Arcos, I don't care about it. So, let it be." Cooler then turned for the door once more, hissing just beneath his breath with a conniving smile, "It's not like it can revive the dead or anything."