Dragon Ball Z: The Space Train
By Feraligreater328 and usuallycat
A/N: Please take note, for anyone who reads this, I still plan to continue Dynasty. It's been a hard couple of months, so me and my friend are trying to write something together just for fun. Reviews are much appreciated and I look forward to seeing what everyone makes of this different take.
Chapter 1: The Grand Galactic Locomotive
-Earth: The Martial Artists-
"Whooo!" Goku leapt up and landed back on his feet, clenching his arms to his side and then throwing a few shadow punches into the air in front of him. "I'm so excited! I'm so freakin' excited! We get to go to a martial arts tournament in space, guys! Ain't it excitin'?!"
Behind Goku, his fellow Earthling martial artists watched on with amusement. Tenshinhan sighed. "I want to say he's being too bombastic, but I must admit that I'm quite excited too..."
Chiaotzu plodded along next to his partner, marching in step without missing a beat. "I wonder what sorts of fighters there are in the wider universe..."
Yamcha smirked, a shining sparkle gleaming from his perfect teeth. "I wonder what sort of babes we'll get to meet out there~"
Krillin cocked his head. "Really, man? You and Bulma just broke up last week and you're already looking to score with someone new?"
Yamcha's smirk faded and he grumbled, crossing his arms. "She left me at the altar, man...I deserve to try and be happy..."
Chi-Chi cut in. "I agree with Yamcha, surprisingly enough! If Bulma didn't realize that it was true love before she marched down that aisle, it's not Yamcha's fault! He should be allowed to find happiness just like I have! Right...Goku~"
Goku was in his own little world. "So, excitin'! So, excitin'! So, excitin'!"
Tenshinhan felt a bead of sweat run down his brow. "I... don't think he heard you..."
Chi-Chi giggled. "That's the beauty of true love, Ten! I don't need him to respond. I know how he feels deep down~"
Following behind the group of martial artists were their entourage of accompanying friends. Master Roshi coddled along, his walking stick tapping against the ground every other step. "My word...when I first started trainin' these kids, I never expected it to lead to anythin' like this. A tournament in space..."
Oolong shuddered. "Well, I don't like it. Pigs are meant to stay on Earth. Not galivant through space!"
Puar rolled her eyes. "Don't be such a wuss, Oolong..."
Launch smirked, blowing a strand of blonde hair from her face and rubbing the top of her pistol in anticipation. "I just wanna see if there's any big scores out there. What about you, Bulms? Wanna go wild together~?"
Bulma was uncharacteristically silent, her arms crossed over her chest. Ever since the utter failure of her wedding day, the young scientist hadn't had much to say at all. She simply followed along with everyone else as she wondering just what she was going to do next. Now that...it was really over...
And so, the group quickly boarded onto the newly established Grand Galactic Locomotive. Oolong swallowed as he read a sticker firmly pressed to the side of the train. "Proudly sponsored by the Frieza Force. What the hell kinda name is that? Sounds evil!"
Puar quickly scolded her piggy counterpart. "Don't be culturally insensitive, pig! You can't just say that people you've never met sound evil!"
Oolong grumbled back. "Well, excuse me for being scared of the unknown!"
The bickering between cat and pig continued until the air-tight sliding doors sealed close behind them. Little did this part of peppy fighters know just what this train ride was going to entail, just how far away this tournament they planned to attend was, or...just who might be following them as a mysterious white shroud fluttered into the next train car down.
-Earth: The Scientist-
Her heels clicking against the metal grating on the floor beneath her, a certain Earthling scientist made several wide berthed strides towards the train car that would take her to a brand-new destiny. No longer would this brilliant bombshell be tied down by the constraints of Earth, by the constraints of the Red Ribbon Army, by the constraints of the no-good husband of hers!
She was free as a bird! Ass out, crimson hair cascading down her back, earrings sparkling in the afternoon sunshine, intelligence on full display, and a freshly made boba tea gripped tightly in her hand. Vomi, no, DOCTOR Vomi was living her life as she saw fit for the first time in years. "Ah~! Doesn't this feel great~? I love a new horizon! Don't you, kids~?"
Behind Vomi, her four children walked in a casual herd. That wretched husband of hers would have had these poor babies believe they were slaves, but Dr. Vomi was bound and determined to be a good mother. She wasn't going to let what happened before happen again. Not a chance.
Gebo II, a fully robotic specimen with the designation #16 embroidered onto the breast pocket of his suit, smiled. His hands were full, carrying a rather important carry-on, but he was still able to nod his head in approval. "Indeed, Dr. Vomi. You have my gratitude for allowing me to accompany you on this grand excursion of yours."
Lapis, a cyborg model with ebony hair and a cheery smile and the designation #17 embroidered onto the back of his t-shirt, chuckled. "I'm always one for sight-seeing~"
Lazuli, a cyborg model with blonde hair tied up into a ponytail and a #18 patch stuck to her jacket, simply stuck the straw to her boba tea between her lips and sipped without a word. Vomi sighed. "Teenagers can be so moody..."
The final member of Dr. Vomi's entourage, a rotund, porcelain white creature with #19 etched in black lettering on the back of his hand, quickly spoke up. "Doctor. Shall I correct #18's insubordinate behavior?"
Lazuli scowled at him. "Try it, fat-ass."
Dr. Vomi quickly got between the two. "Now, now. Come on! Lazuli! Marceau! There's no need for us to in-fight. This is a vacation, kids. We're supposed to be having a nice family time together! No strife, no disagreements, everything out in the open! I want the five of us to love each other~"
An intense bolt of sorrow struck across Dr. Vomi's face. "...we're all any of us have left...ya know? Just the five of us...and our friend in the casket..."
All of their gazes fell to the carry-on in Gebo II's hands. Even within the thick, padded duffel, an eerie green glow emanated from between the teeth of the zipper. Dr. Vomi sighed and sipped her boba. "So... can't we all just get along? I want to have a good relationship with my children..."
Gebo II nodded. "Yes, Dr. Vomi."
Lapis nodded as well. "Yes ma'am."
Lazuli nodded as well. "Kay."
Designation #19, Marceau, nodded as well. "Affirmative, Dr. Vomi."
Dr. Vomi smiled in relief, flashing the first-class tickets gripped in her hand to the boarder and ushering her beloved children in. "That's the spirit. I think this is going to be good for the five of us! You'll see~"
-Frieza Force: The Mercenaries-
The crisp sound of a page flipping echoed out through the otherwise quiet train car. The people within the car were smart enough to keep their heads down in the presence of these two. Both of them wore the crest of the Planet Trade Organization. They were Frieza's boys.
Nappa flipped through another page of his botany magazine, nodding thoughtfully as he read through the article. "Fascinating..."
Vegeta, downing another three fingers of cheap whiskey, growled out. "Oh, really? Is that the latest obsession? Botany?"
Nappa nodded at him. "Yeah. It's important to have hobbies, Vegeta. No life outside of work is no life at all, ya know?"
Vegeta roughly sighed. "Yeah. Sure."
Before the conversation could continue, the Frieza Force monitored Scouter on the tray table between the two began to chime. Vegeta let loose an even rougher sigh. "Fuck me..."
The shorter mercenary quickly gathered up the Scouter and pressed it over his ear. "Hello, hello. Vegeta and Nappa's delivery service. What the fuck do you want?!"
On the other end of the line, Dodoria sneered. "Watch your mouth, Saiyan Ape! I could-"
Vegeta taunted. "You could what, Dodoria? Waddle out into the field? With no source of snacks or a reliable place to sit? How would you ever survive?"
Dodoria sneered. "You..."
Vegeta crossed his arms. "But, to answer your inevitable question, status is the same as last time. The package hasn't moved an inch."
The thug on the other end growled. "Good. Now learn to watch your mouth, brat. Or I'll make sure you-"
Vegeta hung up the call and tossed the Scouter back to the tray table. "Annoying. It's like they think we need a baby sitter. Two of the most well-renowned mercenaries in the business, and we're stuck answering to an angry, pink durian..."
Nappa chuckled. "Heh. Durian. Dodoria does smell kinda bad~"
Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "Was that a botany joke?"
Nappa nodded with a smile. "Uh-huh~"
Vegeta rubbed his hand over his face and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I grow wearier by the minute..."
Nappa closed his magazine, marking his place with a quick dog-earring of a page, and turned to the rather large mass in the seat next to him. "Are we, uh...are we sure our friend here is still okay though?"
Vegeta lifted a foot. "Let's check..."
The mercenary slammed the sole of his shoe into the center mass of the large, black sack next to his partner. The bag groaned and squirmed just a bit. "Yeah. He's alive."
Nappa scratched the back of his head. "Those statis sacks are weird..."
Vegeta leaned back in his seat again. "Relax. Don't think about it too hard. He's fine. He doesn't need to eat, drink, urinate, or defecate. So, he can just stay put until we hand him over to Frieza's interrogators..."
Nappa shook his head, opening the magazine and going back to reading. "If you say so. This just feels so...un-Saiyan-like...ya know? Doesn't feel right. I mean, we're two of the best mercenaries in the Universe. And this has been the only type of work we've been assigned lately..."
Vegeta was silent for a minute, then he poured another three fingers from his bottle and knocked it back. "Just read your damn magazine, Nappa..."
As Vegeta leaned back to rest his eyes, he suddenly heard a clatter on the tray in front of him. He looked up and was a bit taken aback to see a ramekin of chestnut mousse sitting in front of him. Peering down the train aisle, the Saiyan barely managed to catch sight of a Kuriza, the costumed mascots of Frieza's trainline, fleeing into a different car. He shouted. "I didn't order this! You'd better not charge this to my account!"
-The Resistance: Liberators-
In the luggage storage compartment just above the car containing Nappa and Vegeta, two more shadowy figures lurked. They had both been laying there since the two targets of their attention had boarded and they were beginning to ache, but they couldn't afford to make a move. Not yet. They needed to make a quick beat of escape on a planet where they could successfully flee, and this strange backwater was definitely not the place.
The male lurker groaned and cracked his neck. "Agh. This is Hell. Why is this stupid train only stopping on Frieza-controlled hellholes and primitive backwaters?"
The female lurker responded. "It's possible that was planned out. Frieza does control this train. He must be expecting some form of rescue attempt..."
She gripped her fists. "He's been stuck in that sack for days..."
The male sighed. "He's tough. Tougher than any of us. Maybe the second toughest behind The Boss. He'll be fine a bit longer in there."
She nodded, adjusting her goggles over her balaclava and keeping both eyes tightly locked on the statis sack that Nappa was leaning against. "He's using him as a body pillow..."
The male shook his head. "Nappa was never really the brightest..."
The train whistle shrilly whined, a hot steam hissing from within the interstellar thrusters. The female sighed. "We'll be departing soon. I hope the next planet is more viable for us to flee..."
The male nodded. "Same. I have an entire corral of Charlie horses..."
She turned to him. "What planet is this, anyway? I've kind of lost track while we've been laying here..."
The male reached into his shirt and pulled out a small, galactic positioning system. "Ugh, we really are all the way in the boonies. Why would Frieza build a station for his train all the way out here?"
She cocked her head. "Where are we?"
He responded. "Earth."
A long, pregnant silence. He could feel the sudden tension in their dark, cramped quarters. He looked up at her. "What's wrong?"
She spoke back in an airy, almost reverent whisper. "E-Earth...?"
And then below, a voice cried out. "So, excitin'! So, excitin'! So, excitin'! So, excitin'!"
Her jaw dropped at she looked down. Passing right next to Vegeta and Nappa was a familiar face. A face she hadn't seen in decades. He was throwing miniature, shadow-boxing style punches, followed closely behind by a crowd that seemed no less than intimately familiar.
He was standing right there, right next to Vegeta and Nappa. And neither of them took any stock in him at all. Vegeta's head was thrown back, eyes closed. Nappa's face was buried in the damned botany magazine. He walked by the both of them, merrily chanting "So, excitin'!", none the wiser. And the only response he got from either of the mercenaries was an annoyed nose wrinkle from the half-asleep Vegeta. She was frozen, her now tear-filled eyes glued on him as he made his way down the train car.
Her partner spoke again, his voice wavering just a tad. "...Mom?"
She whispered in a voice so low that she was barely able to make her own words out. "Kakarot..."
-Frieza Force: The Conductors-
The two conductors of the Grand Galactic Locomotive stood in their lead car, promptly attending to their duties. One was making sure that the train was prepared for its next voyage, ensuring that their little stop on the Earth hadn't messed with any of the vehicle's finer systems.
The attendance to this duty only ceased when the Frieza Force monitored Scouter on the dashboard began to ring. Cui and Pui Pui gathered around the console, plugging a wire into the side of the Scouter and saluting as Zarbon showed up on the screen. As usual, their superior was immaculately dressed, clad in silk suit and other refinements denoting his position. Zarbon spoke in a buttery smooth voice. "Report."
Cui spoke up. "Yessir! We have been keeping a close watch. Neither Vegeta nor Nappa is any the wiser of the situation they are in. We have heard no rumblings through our close circuit microphones that they are aware..."
Pui Pui cackled. "When we arrive at the final stop, they'll never see it coming~ They don't even know that we've replaced the conductors on this train~"
Zarbon nodded curtly. "Maintain vigil. And do not reveal yourselves. This could all go south rather fast if you are discovered. I loathe that so-called 'Prince', but he certainly is a crafty one when roused..."
Cui and Pui Pui both nodded and sharply saluted. "Yes sir, Zarbon! And hail Lord Frieza!"
The screen turned back into its normal, clear self. The Earth sky was a rich blend of orange and pink. Pui Pui cackled. "It's a shame Vegeta doesn't know. I could dig out a rather decent life for himself here~"
Cui rolled his eyes. "Please. With whom would he ever be able to do that? What's going to happen is a mercy. Rotting in a ditch on a backwater planet like Namek is almost too good for him..."
-The Cult of M: The Devil-
In the first-class car, an imposing man with blistering red skin took a seat and pressed several of the buttons on the service pad on the back of the seat in front of him. He barely had time to set down his ornate silver cane before the kindly stewardess was at his beck-and-call. She set down his smoked glass containing a single ball of ice and the fine cigar that he had requested, starting a pour of his expensive scotch before even taking a breath. "Thank you for your patience, Mr. Dabura. Is our service meeting your expectations?"
Dabura took off his Stetson fedora, setting in the seat next to his cane, and indulged in a hearty laugh. "My dear, you make a rich man feel humble. My own servants are mere amateurs compared to you~"
The stewardess looked into the man's hellish, yellow eyes. She observed his features: slicked back, ebony hair, a finely trimmed goatee, a face and forehead clear of any blemishes or unsightly marks. He chuckled. "Do you see something you like, my dear?"
The stewardess gasped. "N-No. Forgive me. I... I don't mean to stare. I just...I..."
Dabura shook his head. "Fear not, my dear. You wouldn't be the first to fall under my thrall with but a glance. Do not worry, I do not bite. Not unless you cross me. I do have a devil of a temper for those who do not show the proper respect."
She flinched. "Oh...I..."
Dabura smiled. "But not you, my dear. You've been grand."
With a jerk of his thumb, the devilish man broke the end off of his fine cigar. He dipped his fingers into his glass of scotch and then snapped them at the other end, setting the tip of the fine smoke aflame. Dabura exhaled a ring of smoke and sighed. "All I ask is that you raise the power on the air circulator around my seat. I would have to cause discomfort to the other guests~"
The stewardess nodded. "Y-Yes, Master."
As she bolted in the other direction, her heels clicking all the way, Dabura wondered if the poor peon had even heard what she had just said. Yet another fully under his control. She was a nice one too. A shame about her unfortunate, future fate. A shame to be sure.
Dabura took a deep drag from his cigar, tapping the ashes into the silver ash tray provided to him. He took a sip of his scotch and closed his eyes. "They could certainly expedite the boarding process though. But perhaps that is simply a by-product of the inhabitants of this backwater being ill-prepared for the rigors of interstellar-"
The sound of heels clicking made Dabura's pointed ear twitch. His eyes snapped open and he slowly lifted his head. The power on the air circulator had not yet gone up around him, and surely a newly enslaved thrall could not disobey such a direct order.
Dabura leaned over, his pinstripe suit creasing as he looked to the source of the clicking heels. He was met by the sight of a woman in a lab coat approaching. She was not looking at him, instead speaking to others that were walking behind her. Dabura adjusted the red rose on his lapel and spoke with his rich, mahogany voice. "Well, hello my-"
The heels quickly clicked by. Dabura was left with his jaw hanging slack, totally blown off. All of the others following that woman quickly stomped by as well. All except for the one bringing up the rear, a girl with blonde hair tied into a ponytail.
Lazuli stopped for just a brief moment to look down on Dabura. On her face was a vicious, cat-like smirked. "Oh, were you blown off? That has to suck..."
She leaned in close, her hands shoved into her pockets. "Try creeping on Dr. Vomi, old man. I'll kick your ass..."
It took Dabura a moment, but he managed to regain his composure. "Please...do forgive an old man for an attempt at conversation. I was unaware that your party had requested privacy..."
Lazuli rolled her eyes. "Uh-huh..."
As the impudent girl's boots stomped away, carrying her to join the rest of her party a dozen seats down, the air circulator above Dabura roared to life. Not that he noticed. The devilish man picked up his glass of scotch and stared down at his reflection. "Dr. Vomi, eh?"
And the the scotch began to bubble and boil at Dabura's rage began to manifest. "You dare to talk down to the Demon King, child? I shall make you and those you love regret this slight..."
-Frieza Force: The Benefactor-
Watching from a safe distance, a glass of succulent red wafting a succulent bouquet just below his nose, the true conductor of this extraordinary train ride watched his live feed from every monitor, allowing him to view into every single car. "Yes~ This is perfect, wouldn't you say so?"
The benefactor's two man-servants, a teal-skinned fop wearing an elegant, ruffled shirt and a large pink beast wearing brutal battle armor, both nodded and spoke in unison. "Yes, Lord Frieza."
Sitting in his hover chair, Lord Frieza sipped his wine and then plucked a shrimp from a nearby glass, stroking gentle through the specially blended red sauce and popping it into his mouth. He chewed and smiled wide. "Oh, yes~! I do enjoy a good show~ Only three more stops until Planet Namek~"
