X Chapter 13 X
Warning: Language, Very Heavy Violence,
Icy winds cut across the plains... The massive crater filled with lava, illuminating the saiyans who stood dumbfounded by Cooler's decree…
Komatsuna looked at Tarro... then at the saiyan children, all of whom were terrified except for a few eldest. Iseber raised his head and stared daggers at her. The long-haired saiyaness turned to Pinach, who looked up at her with contempt, his eyes wet. Another shout from Tarro cut through the air. "Well?!" She snapped her gaze to him. "...Of course... As you command." Her hand raised towards a little boy standing upfront. He cowered behind an older girl's legs; the older girl took a defensive stance. Komatsuna's hand shook. I'm getting way too soft...
Tarro, satisfied with her display, turned away and prepared his own attack for the children. He let his fist fly forward. It never released the attack. Tarro was struck in the back of the head by a powerful blast. The children, Been, Iseber, Cooler, and Pinach looked on in shock. When the smoke cleared, Tarro lay knocked out on his stomach. The back of his head was scorched and a great deal of his hair was singed off. Been stammered. "W-why Komatsuna?!"
She flashed a cold glare at the pudgy saiyan. He was too surprised to defend; her boot struck him in the temple, rendering him unconscious on the ground. Everyone spectated this turn of events with a serene stillness. Iseber's jaw dropped when he witnessed her prowess in sneak attacks. The saiyaness turned to him and screamed. "WHAT ARE YOU MORONS DOING?! SCATTER BEFORE HE-" Cooler's beam pierced her from behind, continuing out through her breastplate. She hacked up blood and fell to the ground.
The end of the tyrant's finger smoked like a discharged firearm. "Perhaps Salza was trying to do me a favor by sending you alone... No matter." Pinach stopped gawking at her and went for Cooler's leg. He was met with a bone crushing kick to the chest. He tried to get up, but the tyrant stomped hard on his chest, pinning him down. "I didn't forget about you, super saiyan. You're the first to go... then, those brats." Pinach remembered his promise to Ginge. I can't die. I'm the only one that can stop him!
With a boost from his resolve, Pinach grabbed Cooler's leg with both hands and lifted it off, shoving him. Cooler stumbled back and growled. "Seems you have some fight left in you. Fine, let's end this!" The pair charged forward and collided, grappling.
Iseber and the children watched in awe as the two titans clashed in the air. The speed of their battle was so great that most couldn't follow what was happening. Only Iseber could sense energy, thus enabling him to watch the melee beyond seeing the shockwaves in the air. A faint cough broke his concentration. His eyes opened and he looked towards Komatsuna, who propped herself up on her forearms. The tall saiyan stared for a while as Pinach battled Cooler in the background.
Finally with a sigh, he calmly made his way to her. The saiyaness heard footsteps coming closer and struggled to look at the approacher. Iseber took a knee next to her and tried to help her up. Instead of accepting his gesture, she grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close. The woman's face twisted into a snarl. "You idiot! Forget about me! Find Cooler's ship and get off this rock!" Iseber was stunned. "Go now!" He paused for a time. "...Alright. But you're coming too!"
Komatsuna flailed her limbs as she was hoisted onto his shoulder. "What do you think you're doing?!" A sharp reply came from Iseber's lips. "Saving your ass." Her balled fist repeatedly slammed against his back. "Put me down! Let me have a warrior's death!" He started walking. She continued to make a fuss. The saiyan came to a stop in front of the children. "Listen up! We're gonna find that asshole's ship and get the hell away from here! Follow me!" He took off into the air but hesitated when he noticed no one had moved. "Guys! We have to go now!"
An older girl stepped forward; Celle. "Not without Pinach and Ginge!" A visible grimace appeared on Iseber's face and he turned away. His gaze returned to her. "Ginge's gone. She... She sacrificed herself." Tears welled up in Celle's eyes, as they did in her sister, Veeda's. The rest of the children began to sniffle. Iseber snapped at them. "There's no time for this! We have to leave!" Through tears, Celle shot back. "What about Pinach?!" Once again, Iseber turned away. "...We have to forget about him... Listen! Ginge made her sacrifice for us! If we stay here and die, it was all for nothing!"
The saiyan children all clenched their fists. One by one, they looked up at him with a face full of resolve. The crowd levitated off the ground towards him. Iseber's mouth formed a smirk, and he turned to fly away. As they had just begun to pick up speed, a huge green blast struck the saiyans. At least a dozen children fell from the sky, dead. Komatsuna watched in horror from Iseber's shoulder. Everyone turned around to look. Tarro was standing where she had shot him, panting heavily. "Where do you think you're going, you little bastards!"
Komatsuna screamed at him. "Tarro, you lapdog! How could you do that?! We're all that's left of Planet Vegeta!" A laughter came from Tarro, gradually getting louder and more depraved. "You really have gone soft, Komatsuna! To think you're the same woman that killed Arugu because she shorted you five credits, ha!" A sneer ripped across his face. "You've become a fool. There's no more saiyans, arcosians, or any race for that matter. There is only Lord Cooler, Freeza, and their father Lord Cold. Everything else is meaningless!" Tarro struck the saiyans with another green blast, killing six more children. Their bodies fell smoking to the ground.
Iseber simmered in his rage. His eyes locked with Tarro's. "Celle. Veeda. Take Komatsuna and the others. Get far away from here." Celle objected. "But we don't know where that ship is!" The tall saiyan snapped at her. "It doesn't matter! I'll come find you, just go!" Celle and Veeda took one of Komatsuna's arms each, propping her on their shoulders. The saiyaness stared at his back, the lava casting his shadow on her. "Kid. You don't know what you're getting yourself into. Tarro is no pushover... You'll die."
She saw the silhouette of his face. His answer rendered her awestruck. "I'm no coward. I won't stand by and let him hurt anyone else." Iseber descended away and towards Tarro. She watched him take a battle stance. I should have caught his name... It belongs to a true saiyan warrior. Komatsuna was taken off into the night along with the other saiyans.
Iseber stood ready against Tarro, who wore a smirk. "I'm impressed with your gumption, boy. I scanned your power level back at that camp. You're running a fool's errand trying to avenge those rats... So how about this? I'll give you a chance, a chance to be wiser than that cowardly wench, Komatsuna... Make the best decision of your life and turn on those welps. Riches beyond fathom could be yours if you would realize your inferiority and serve Lord Cooler!"
Iseber's eyes glinted in the dim light. "Are you even listening to yourself? Realize my inferiority? Is that what you've done? Have you really cast aside everything? Would you let yourself be a slave?!" Tarro sneered at his opponent. "A slave?! Tell me! Is it slavery when you get everything you want?!" The tone in Iseber's voice softened. "No. No it's not... But you're still a slave... because you're not getting everything you want!" This coaxed a chuckle from Tarro's lips. "Can you read minds or something?" Iseber charged forward and threw a punch, which Tarro narrowly blocked. "I can." The battle had begun. Beside them, a battle of much greater magnitude ravaged on.
Komatsuna and the others flew in the pitch darkness with only each others' aura to guide the way. The younger children complained about the cold wind. Celle shouted in intervals to rally everyone close. The pain in the saiyaness' chest was unbearable. She felt her strength leaking from her wound. I don't think I'm gonna make it... Voices from Celle, Veeda, and the others bounced around inside Komatsuna's mind. ...No... That's not an option. These fledglings need to leave this dirtball. She remembered her comrades' ships back at the battlefield. They had homing devices in them.
With all the strength she could muster, the saiyaness spoke to Celle. "We need to turn around." Celle looked at her as if she had completely lost her mind. "You have to trust me. I know a way we can find Cooler's ship." The crowd came to a stop gradually. "Why should we trust you?! It's your fault Ginge's dead! The only reason I'm carrying your ass is because Iseber asked me to!" Her word's clawed deep into Komatsuna's conscious. She growled. "You're just gonna have to trust me! Flying aimlessly in the dark isn't solving our problems!"
Celle's fist dug deep into the saiyaness' ribs. The force caused her to spit blood. Celle hissed in her ear. "Fuck you. I should leave you in the snow." Celle and Veeda resumed flying. Komatsuna struggled to stay awake. Her head bowed forward, eyelids becoming heavy. As her vision narrowed and she felt the last of her strength waning, she saw dozens of colorful lights approaching from below. ...Scouters!... The woman snapped awake. "Look out!"
The children looked down, but it was too late. They were ambushed by Cooler's army. A furious melee ensued; the sky was filled with fighting as if rival hornet nests had collided. One of Cooler's goons appeared in front of Komatsuna and her two bearers. Celle and Veeda panickingly dropped her. The long-haired saiyaness fell through the air, witnessing the colorful tempest of blasting and scouters. "No…" After several seconds, she landed hard on her back. She was expecting snow but instead banged hard against metal. She looked around. There were lights everywhere. They had unwittingly flown right over Cooler's ship.
Komatsuna tried in vain to get up. The woman was barely able to sit up, let alone stand. This act by itself left her out of breath. A loud thud next to her made her jump. She snapped her head to look at the source. A Cooler soldier had fallen dead. Another thud scared her. It too was caused by a falling soldier. Her eyes became saucers when she looked up. A hail of Cooler's goons was beginning to pelt the ship. Ho-ly shit.
Despite being seasoned murderers, the Cooler force was being utterly decimated by the angry swarm of saiyan children. They were out for blood on behalf of their fallen brethren. A grin crept across Komatsuna's face as she witnessed three small saiyans triple-team a big red alien. The little boy she had tossed earlier that day was among them. He sank his fangs into the alien's neck and ripped a huge chunk out. Her smile became toothy as the memory of her and Ginge's fight came to mind. He's an observant little bastard...
Screams of terror rang out and the Cooler force was on the retreat. Down they flew, chased by the children. They landed at the big metal ramp-door and began pounding on it and yelling to be let in. Komatsuna crawled to the side of the ship and rolled off the edge to the snow. She fell hard, but propped herself up once more to see. The saiyaness watched with glee as the remaining soldiers were killed or driven off into the dark.
Once the fighting came to an end, the children rallied together in front of the ship, hollering war cries. Komatsuna began crawling towards them. But ten seconds into crawling, the ramp on the ship started to open. It creaked and screamed as hydraulic pumps pried the big metal thing open. Her heart sank. Salza and his armored squadron stood at the opening. A smug grin occupied all three of their faces. No... She tried to scream but alas, the woman was finally at her limit. She cursed her powerlessness as consciousness slipped away from her.
Before the long-haired saiyaness went under, a large hand pressed firmly into her back. She felt a surge of energy wash over her. The pain in her chest dissolved, and it felt as if her entire body was being filled with warmth. Without a moment's notice, she leapt to her feet and spun to face her rescuer. To her shock, a man completely cloaked in black stood before her. His face was entirely concealed. "Who are you?! What did you do?!" The man's hooded head turned to Salza and the armored squadron walking down the ramp. "Me? I'm a friend. As for what I did: Let's focus on saving our mutual friends."
Though she was unsure of him, he had a point. "Alright. Let's go!" The saiyaness dashed towards the impending massacre. Her zenkai boost made her faster than ever. Hell yeah! Salza never saw her fist coming. It slammed into his skull, knocking the scouter off from his other side and sending him tumbling off the ramp. The big green giant behind her tried to throw a punch, but it was caught by an unseen force. He turned around to see a black shadow-man holding his fist with a resemblance to a certain dark knight.
"Your name's Dore, hmm? Shame about your dad." The green man started sweating. "Excuse you, have we met?!" The shadow-man chuckled. "No. But it's already time to say goodbye." He placed his hand on the green man's rib cage, who screamed. A purple wave pierced Dore, killing him. The skinny, brown frog-man that was standing nearby shook with fear. When the shadowy man turned to him, he flew off. It was too little, too late. The frog-man looked back to see a massive golden ki ball following him. In an instant, he evaporated.
Salza leapt up from the snow. He scanned around; the blue pretty-boy was surrounded on all angles by saiyans and a shadow-man. "What ze... Dore! Neiz! I could use some fucking help!" He spotted Dore's smoking corpse on the ramp and noticed Neiz's absence, putting two and two together. "Motherfucker! To hell vith you monkeys! You hear me?! Fuck you all!" Komatsuna stepped forward and placed her hands on her hips. "You know... I was angry at first when I found out what you intended by sending me here alone. But now, I'm glad. You reunited me with my people and restored my saiyan pride, so I thank you for that."
The blue man seethed. "Oh you zhank me?! You scum... Well if zhat's ze case, here's another gift!" His hand cocked back and he started to make a chopping motion towards her, but was thwarted. The shadowy figure pulled the same move twice, grabbing Salza's hand from behind. He looked back in terror just in time for the shadow-man's hand to decapitate him. His head and body fell in the snow, staining it purple with blood.
Komatsuna shouted at the figure. "Asshole! That was my kill!" He replied dryly. "No, you were about to be his kill. Your power is still pathetic compared to his, even with your full recovery. You're welcome by the way." She spun around and briskly started walking towards the ship. "Whatever. Come on guys! Let's go!" The figure called after her. "Bad idea! It's not any safer out in space!" The saiyaness turned to face him. "What?! Because of Freeza?! I'll take my chances!"
"If you leave on that ship, Freeza will track your every move. He'll find you and kill everyone. I guarantee it!" Komatsuna crossed her arms and scowled. "So then what do you propose we do?" Under his hood, Conch smirked. He turned to Celle and spoke in a gentle tone. "Take everyone back home and warm up by the fire. I promise to return with Pinach and Iseber." Celle stared hard at him. Finally, she smiled wide and nodded.
The girl beckoned to the others, and they followed her into the night without question. The long-haired saiyaness was impressed by how organized the children were, grinning. She's the alpha female when that other girl isn't around. Conch loomed over her. Her scowl returned. "Alright, so what's this plan of yours?" He pointed off into the distance. A dim, pulsing glow shone over the horizon. "I'll tell you on the way. Hurry!"
Iseber and Tarro were having a standoff next to the giant crater-pool of lava... Their bodies cast long shadows along the dirty snow... Meanwhile, the battle of the titans still raged overhead…
Lightning struck the ground between Iseber and Tarro; they clashed before it dissipated. A kick from Tarro and a punch from Iseber sent them both sliding away. They panted, bloody from wounds. Their armor was falling to pieces. The standoff resumed.
Tarro wiped the blood from his lip. "I'm pleasantly surprised, dog. This is the best fight I've had in a decade." Iseber stared while Tarro continued. "Alas, all things must come to an end. Your energy is dropping with every clash, and you know it." Iseber growled and tightened his stance. "Even if you somehow got past me, Lord Cooler would finish the job. Don't believe me? Just take a look at your friend over there. As powerful he may be, his energy is dropping like a stone as well."
Iseber glanced over at the battle between freaks of nature. The fight had turned very one-sided in favor of Cooler. Pinach was seldom able to even graze him anymore. Tarro spoke again when Iseber looked back. "You never really had a chance. You deceived yourselves." The good-hearted saiyan grinned and looked at the ground. "You might be right. But we're fighting for something greater. We're fighting to protect the ones we care about."
Tarro fakingly gagged. "Still on about the others are we? Forget them! Sentimental bullshit makes you weak." Iseber's black eyes peered deep into Tarro's. "You didn't always believe that. You used to care about others. When Cold came... You had a son." Tarro's smug facade cracked momentarily before he regained composure. "...I don't know how you know about that... but it's none of your business. You don't know the half of it!"
The righteous saiyan pressed. "Actually, I do. You were just being a smartass when you asked if I could read minds. But it's true. I can." Tarro's brow twitched. "And so what if you can? That was all in the past." Iseber smirked. "Then why does it still lurk in the back of your head?" Tarro said nothing, just seethed. "Why join the organization responsible? Your son wasn't a fighter. Tato was odd for a saiyan boy; he wanted to be an engineer. Yet, Cold had him shipped off to conquer a world that not even his own elites could take. Why serve him?!"
The conflicted one shouted in anger. "Shut up! That doesn't matter to me anymore! I joined the Cold force to get revenge on the fuckers that killed me son. That's all I wanted, to avenge my son. It's over and done with! My son died a warrior's death…" Tarro's lips resembled a genuine smile. "...I couldn't be more proud."
A grim seriousness befell Iseber. "You're wrong Tarro. Your son died bravely, no doubt. But it was no warrior's death. He was led to the slaughter, and it was by design." Tarro picked up on the nuance from Iseber. "What are you talking about? What design?" The good saiyan told him. "Freeza destroyed our world, Tarro. They always intended to get rid of us, Freeza and his father."
Tarro stumbled backwards. "Y-you're lying!" Nothing changed on Iseber's face. He stared Tarro down. "It's true. I saw everything." It was too much for Tarro. There's no way he's telling the truth! He saw everything?! That's impossible! "You're full of shit, kid! And I've had enough of it!" The old veteran lunged forward. He intended to end it in one strike. With a cloak of ki around his hand, he swiped at Iseber's head. Just when he was convinced of victory and the strike was making contact, his target disappeared and reappeared under him.
The young saiyan's fist dug hard into Tarro's gut, producing spit. The older saiyan stumbled back and fell on one knee. He looked up at his opponent, who lorded over him. "You made me mad… waited for me to get careless... tricky bastard." His opponent's reaction stunned him. Iseber held out his hand as if to lend aid. Tarro looked back and forth at the hand and its owner's face. Nothing happened for a time.
The sound of feet touching the ground nearby made the saiyans turn to look. Komatsuna and Conch had arrived. The saiyaness saw her old captain on his knee before Iseber. She smiled with pride at Iseber's apparent victory. Tarro stared coldly at her until he heard Iseber speak once more. "It doesn't have to be this way. Tato wouldn't have wanted this." The grizzled mercenary looked at the hand for a while longer. Slowly, he reached out and took it.
Komatsuna's smile turned into a snarl when she realized what Iseber was doing. That naive fool! She dashed forward as fast as she could, desperately trying to reach them. But it was too late. A sharp pain shot through Iseber's stomach. He looked into Tarro's cold eyes, then down at his stomach. Tarro's hand jerked back, letting the deep crimson spill out. His gaze once more rose to Tarro's face. It was devoid of emotion. It was the face of a seasoned killer. He fell over.
A harrowing scream came from the saiyaness as she charged straight for Tarro. He feebly tried to defend but was tackled. She relentlessly beat him in the face. The screaming didn't stop. Tarro's movements became faint until they stopped altogether. On and on, her fists came down on his head. Finally, she felt a hand on her shoulder. Her head whipped around to look. The long-haired saiyaness bared her teeth like a rabid animal. Conch was standing there. "Come on. That's enough." She looked back down at Tarro. His head was completely caved in, looking like a squashed tomato.
Iseber's sporadic movements caught her eye. She rushed to his side, holding him up. "I'm so sorry. I wasn't fast enough." The blood pouring from his mouth made it hard to speak. "T-this isn't your fault. It's mine." Tears started running down her cheeks. It was the first time in years. "You're damn right it is! You dumbass, why are you so naive?!" A brief chuckle passed his lips. "I wanted to believe that he could change. That he could choose to repent. Even as I lay here dying, my only regret... *cough*... is that he didn't."
The saiyaness clenched her teeth and wept. 'Why', she thought to herself. Why is he so pure? He's such a gifted fighter and yet he doesn't fight to kill. His gentleness and restraint... it's so un-saiyanlike, and yet... Why?! ...Why do I have to go through this again?! His croaking forced her eyes open. "Komatsuna, look at me... Don't think of this as just another pain to bear." Utter confusion befell her as he read out her thoughts. "If we never met, you wouldn't have reunited with your people or discovered the truth about Freeza... Don't be sad. Leeck, nor I want you to be."
The mention of her dead mate's name caused her to break down. She bent over Iseber, holding him tight. Conch was watching solemnly nearby. The woman snapped at him. "You! Why are you just standing there?! Do what you did for me and heal him!" The masked figure shook his head. "His wounds are too great. If I could help him, I would." She looked over Iseber's lower torso; it was a mangled mess.
The saiyan's breathing became strained and sporadic. Komatsuna held his hand tightly. "Please… Please don't go..." Her pleas went unanswered by the universe. Iseber went limp, his eyes glazed over, and the air left his lungs for the last time. She wept uncontrollably. Conch stood by with his head hung. The duel of freaks continued overhead; the bangs from their clashing saturated the air.
Several moments went by since Iseber's passing and a huge explosion lit up the clouds. Conch turned his attention away from Komatsuna to see Pinach falling through the air. The giant fell only several yards away, creating a small crater. Seconds passed and there was no sign of him getting up. Conch looked up and saw Cooler descending from the sky onto Pinach's location. He turned to Komatsuna. "Hey! I know you're hurting right now, but we have to help Pinach!"
The saiyaness was staring at Iseber's cold face. She said nothing. "I promise, we can bring him back, but only if we survive!" She snapped her gaze to him, looking just as perplexed as sad. What the hell is he talking about? Komatsuna stared a moment longer before looking back at Iseber. It doesn't matter. Whether it's true or not, I won't let your death be in vain. I'll protect them all! She took a white rag that was wrapped around her arm and wiped the blood from his mouth, staining the rag red. With the rag fastened around her arm once more, she stood up and glared vengefully at her old boss.