Chapter 4: A Hero Returns
Trunks looked behind him to see
a figure of a short, fat thing with three arms. Trunks almost broke down in laughter looking at this thing that
resembled a clown.
"Ahhhggg," the short clown
yelled, "I hate it when they do that. Well, you won't laugh for long, Trunks."
Trunks, convinced that a weak
energy blast would take care of the clown, fired at it. The alien started to dissipated, but it
reformed. It was not real.
"A hologram? Why don't you show yourself in person, you
coward?"
"Because," the hologram
responded, "I have to be here to protect you mother." Trunks was stiffened by shock as the hologram switched to his
unconscious mother in a chair with a ray gun pointed to her head.
"Now, listen up, Trunks," the
not-so-funny clown demanded, "I'm about thirty miles from your place to the
south. Your mom's ok for now. I want you to come to this location with you
energy level below ten. The ray gun is
attached to a scouter and is programmed to fire if it detects a power level
over ten in a fifty-mile radius. Moreover, you can't use super speed, because I've fitted my heart with a
sensor that is remotely connected to the gun as well. If I become scared or surprised, the gun will disintegrate your
mom. As soon as the boss gets here,
he'll do the unpleasant business of chopping off you head, but you had better
not make a fuss or your mom gets it. Do
I make myself clear?" Trunks nodded in
response.
"Good. Now get here quickly. The
boss will be here any minute."
Trunks could see that the clown
had used his ship to project the hologram, and that his mom was really under a
gun that, if the clown was right, would kill her if he did anything
suspicious.
"Well, Trunks," the clown said
next to his ship, "we haven't been properly introduced. My name is Turlet, and I'm going to be rich
any time now."
"Ok. Tell me," Trunks demanded, "who wants me decapitated? You boss' name."
"I'll tell you when he gets
here." Turlet looked at Trunks for
about a minute.
"You know, I actually admire
you. You're going to give up your life
to protect the one you love. You're
just like a knight going to save the damsel from the terrible monster, only
were not talking about real damsels and monsters, but a person you care about
and a cold tyrant who has control over some of the galaxy. You know, you might just be restored by the
Dragon Balls of New Namek."
"New Namek? But, no one knows were that is."
"Perhaps, but in my travels over
the past ten years, I've come across an earthling in a small space pod who was
looking for that planet for the Dragon Balls. He said to me, the day we meet, that he wanted to resurrect the people
killed by some things called 'androids.' He may reach it and restore the people killed in the past decade or so."
"So someone has heard about
Gohan and me. They must have left when
he was killed to find New Namek. But,
even mom couldn't find it, so what chance those that guy have?"
Something on Turlet's arm
started to blink. He pushed a button
and a small voice came to his ear saying the scouter was deactivated. At that moment, Trunks felt energy almost
equal to that of Frieza's when he went to the past. A large ship started to descend from the sky and scan the
area. It resembled the ship Frieza came
in when Trunks killed him in the past. Spider-like legs came from its lower portion and touched the
ground. Finally resting down, the ship
stopped humming, and a section of the top opened. A sphere of light blue rose and descended to the ground.
"Frieza?" Trunks asked under his
breath.
Its body was similar to Frieza's
in every way. It was tall, sleek, and
slender; the domed head, long tail, and almost featureless body were new to
Trunks.
"Maybe this is what Frieza
looked like before he became a cyborg. This must be some relative, a cousin or brother. That's it! He's his brother!"
"Hello, Trunks. Yes, I know your name. You're the son of Vegeta, right? The last of the Saiyan race, you will be the
perfect trophy. It was because of your
accursed friend, Goku, my brother is dead and that I have a stupid virus that
will kill me in about a year. I, the
mighty King Cooler, will have to have immortality to escape this fate."
"He's yours, master," Turlet
said, "to do with as you please."
"Yes, and your reward will be
paid to you. I trust you haven't found
any of the Dragon Balls."
"No, my lord. But, I'll find them if you wish."
"No, that won't be
necessary. I'll find them myself and
have the dragon grant me immortality."
"Good luck with that futile
quest," Trunks thought, "Ok, now I have to get mom out of this."
"Who's the female, Turlet?"
Cooler asked.
"This is his mother, according
to the files I have on him. I have her
ransomed here, and believe me, Trunks won't make a fuss."
"You trapped him here with his
own mother? Ingenious, Turlet."
"Speaking of her," Trunks
interrupted, "let her go. You have me
now. She's not important to you,
anymore." Cooler signaled Turlet near
him, and they started to whisper to each other, never once taking their eyes
off Trunks. After about half a minute, both aliens nodded and looked directly
at the demi-Saiyan.
"You would be free to unleash your
power then," Cooler said, "Tell you what, Trunks. Since Turlet has deactivated the scouter but kept on his heart
detector, I will cut you a deal. If you
go ahead and just stand there and let me do the messy business, I will let her
go and leave earth without harming it, after I get immortality, of course. If you don't," Cooler formed a small death
ball at his finger tips, "I'll destroy earth anyway."
Trunks almost put his hand in a
fist, only stopping because he might cause Turlet to activate the gun. If he let Cooler kill him now, there would
be no one left to stop him from doing anything else.
"If
I don't comply, he'll kill mom and destroy earth for sure. She right there, too. On his small ship, right beside a
window…with a weapon pointed right at her that will trigger if I do anything
stupid." He knew what he had to do.
"Ok. I won't resist."
"Good," Cooler responded, "I'm
not like my brother; I keep my word about things like this Trunks. Now, let's get this started, shall we." Trunks just nodded his head; knowing if a
miracle did not happen soon, he would not have a head with which to nod.
"Observe, Trunks," Cooler said
forming an energy disk in his other hand, "this is the attack my brother used
on Goku. It defeated Frieza, because Goku
tricked him. Now, it will be the last
attack you will ever see. If you keep
you defenses down, it will slice cleanly and painlessly though your neck. Now, get down on you knees and put you hands
on the ground in front of you." Trunks
did as he was commanded.
"Good."
"And you'll release my mom in
exchange for my head?"
"That's right, the moment your
head is severed from your body."
Trunks did not believe him, but
he had to; there was no other choice. At least if he died, there would be a chance the rest of earth would
survive.
Cooler was happier than he had
ever been.
"This is perfect. As soon as I kill Trunks, I will gather the
Dragon Balls and wish for immortality. I don't even have to destroy this mud ball. I have more important thing to do. Besides, the Dragon Balls are supposed to come back every year,
or so I have heard. I can continue to
wish for other things like invincibility or maybe even omnipotence. But, for now, there can only be one thing
for certain, my energy disk hitting its target, decapitating Trunks like the
monkey he his."
With his mind made up, Cooler
threw the disc where it started for its target. It took a ninety-degree turn and went to Trunks' side. Trunks closed his eyes and clenched his teeth,
not wanting to see the disc, so he would not raise his defenses. The disc, now lined with Trunks' neck,
accelerated.
"KAME-HAME-HAAAAA!!!"
A beam of energy shot though
Trulet's ship, blasted the gun that was aimed at Bulma, and hit the energy
disc, destroying it. Trunks,
recognizing the word, looked over to the source, as did Cooler and Turlet. Someone grabbed Bulma and started to walk
towards the others. With short, black
hair, a muscular figure made its way into the light, reveling an orange
uniform. Bulma woke up from her little
nap and looked at her rescuer.
"Goku?"
"You're right," the man said, "I
do look like my dad."