First, I want to thank all of the people that reviewed.
Omegadramon: Thanks for your kind suggestions. I was sort of going in a different direction with that subplot of the story. However, I will keep it in mind for the future.
King of Games: Thanks for the spelling correction. I will make the changes soon.
Happy-Fox-Girl: Thank you for your well wishes concerning my Nephew. We got a telegram from him yesterday. He says that he took a bit of shrapnel in the shoulder, a "minor flesh wound" as he called it, so he is currently convalescing in the military hospital back in Kuwait for the next couple of weeks. It is an unfortunate mix of feelings to be sad that a loved one has been hurt, but also happy that he is no longer on the front lines and is out of harms way. Perhaps the brunt of the fighting will be over in two weeks. That is, if they can keep him in the hospital for that long, my Nephew has always been a stubborn kid. :c) I remember when he was young and would hurt himself playing. Injuries that would send the average kid crying to their mommies would barely phase him at all.
Okay, enough of that. On with the story!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Kirillin landed after flying for quite some time. He had thought about taking a commercial flight, but decided that flying himself would be quite a bit faster. He was very anxious to see his daughter after all this time. So anxious, in fact, that he forgot to take care not to be detected while flying here.
[Begin flashback]
N.O.R.A.D: "General Hollander! Radar has detected a small object heading into U.S. air space at an incredible velocity. Tracking indicates that it originated from Japan!" A young corporal stated excitedly.
"Japan? They're our allies.... I think." The general thought. "Is it a missile?"
"We're not sure sir, if it is a missile, it's very small." The corporal stated.
"It's not another one of those damned ultralights is it? We don't need any more bad press about shooting down civilians!" The general stated. "Hehe, I wish I could have seen the look on that guys face when he saw that sidewinder coming at him...."
"No general, it's even too small for that." The corporal answered.
"Okay, well scramble three of the alert fighters and let's get up there and see what it is." General Hollander ordered, chewing on the bit of his pipe.
"Will do sir!" The corporal said turning to his console to issue the appropriate commands.
Kirillin had just spotted the Californian coast when a loud roar caused him to cover his ears. Three F-18 Hornets had just buzzed by at mach two.
"Crap! What do these guys want?" Kirillin thought to himself. He turned his head to see that the aircraft were turning for another run.
"Well, did you get a look at it Bravo One?" General Hollander spoke into his mike.
"Umm... Yes sir." The lead pilot answered.
"Well? What is it man!" General Hollander asked impatiently.
"I-It appears to be a flying man sir." The pilot answered.
"Come again Bravo One? Did I hear you say that the object is a flying man?" General Hollander asked in disbelief.
"Yes sir. A flying man"
"Bravo Two, do you confirm?" General Hollander asked.
"Yes sir. It is a flying man. We have him in visual sight right now." Bravo Two answered.
"A flying man?" The General thought.
"Is he a U.S. Citizen?" The General asked.
"We don't know sir. Do you want us to ask?" Bravo one asked with sarcasm dripping off every word.
"Watch your tone Captain!" General Hollander ordered.
"Yes sir." Bravo One replied.
"Does he look dangerous?" The General wanted to know.
"No, not really. He's really fast though. We're going mach 2.5 and we are barely catching up." Bravo One answered.
Kirillin watched as the two planes crept closer and closer. He had purposefully allowed them to catch up. Just as they got to within 20 yards of him, he phased out.
"What? Where did he go?" Bravo one exclaimed.
"Above you sir!" Bravo Two exclaimed.
Bravo One looked up and saw Kirillin sitting on his cockpit bubble smiling a wide cheesy smile.
"Ulp! How'd he do that?" Bravo One thought as Kirillin suddenly disappeared to sit on the other plane's cockpit.
"Hey! Cut that out!" Bravo Two yelled. Kirillin just smiled and disappeared again only to reappear in front of the planes, flying backwards.
Kirillin waved and phased out, reappearing miles away and at a much lower altitude.
"I guess I'll have to fly low to keep from being spotted on their radar again. I'll stick to the countryside as much as possible." Kirillin continued his journey.
[end flashback]
Kirillin smiled as he remembered the looks on the pilot's faces. He then looked around, he sensed that his daughter's ki was very close. Down the street and on the left he spied a Capsule Corporation logo on a large building.
"Ah... This must be the place!" Kirillin said as he walked the two blocks to the building.
+++++++++++++++++++
"So, what is it you want, Korlos?" Tien asked
"We, your people, want you to take your rightful place among us, as our King." Korlos stated flatly. "Your world needs you."
"From what I understand, you haven't had a king in 400 years. Why the sudden need now?" Tien asked.
"The fulfillment of prophecy, for one. Legend has it that our king would return and reunite our people. Legend aside, our people have become highly fragmented over the centuries. There have been numerous horrible wars that have cost many lives. There is no central authority. Numerous cults that believe in all manner of heretical and immoral things have formed. We need you to bring peace and unity together again within the boundaries of our ancient moral code." Korlos explained. "You must bring order back to our people!"
Korlos's explanation was quite impassioned. Tien's and Korlos's eyes locked for the briefest of moments, but it was long enough.
"This guy is quite mad!" Tien thought to himself.
"These cults you speak of, how do their beliefs differ from your own?" Tien asked.
"Many want independence. Some of them even believe that men and women are equal!" Korlos stated with disdain.
"You don't believe they are equal?" Tien said.
"OF COURSE NOT! HOW COULD THEY BE?" A red in the face Korlos yelled.
"He's insane!" Tien thought and decided not to antagonize the man further. Tien had run across this xenophobic type of person before and learned that no amount of debate would convince them they were wrong.
"I see what you mean." Tien said simply.
Korlos seemed satisfied and relaxed in his chair. "So that is what we want. We want you to come home and be our king." Korlos finished. "Will you agree?"
"I've given this considerable amount of thought, Korlos. I realize that I was born to be your king, but my life has taken a radically different path. I don't believe that I have what it takes to be a king. I've also come to the conclusion that I would never be happy in such a position. I have, therefore, decided to decline your generous offer." Tien tried to smile disarmingly.
Korlos's face grew redder and redder as he realized that his offer was about to be rejected.
"DO YOU REALIZE WHAT THIS MEANS?" Korlos screamed. "ENDLESS DIVISION AND WAR FOR YOUR PEOPLE!"
"I fail to see how the presence of an inept ruler will stop that." Tien said. "I'm afraid my answer stands. Please excuse me."
Tien got up from his chair and headed back towards his room leaving a livid Korlos to stew in his own juices.
"Damned him!" Korlos thought, then he smiled. "I hope you don't think this is all over my dear King Sarmen, because it's not! It's not over by a long shot! You will soon be on your home world, and once there, we will 'reorientate' your thinking."
Korlos smiled evilly.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Jessica wrapped her tail around her waist and floated in the nexus. "King Vegeta! I would like to speak to you for a second before you start."
"Sure kid, what is it?" Vegeta asked.
"Well, I was reading some minds of people on Earth." Jessica started.
"You know I hate it when you do that!" Vegeta smirked.
"I know." Jessica looked sheepish.
"Okay, go ahead." Vegeta said.
"As I said, I was reading minds, more specifically the minds of the people on your team and the people you brought with you. One of the male Kladeshians is totally insane. Probably violently so." Jessica explained. "His thoughts were extremely dark."
"I see. Do you know which one?" Vegeta said.
"No, but if I get close to him, I will be able to tell." Jessica said.
Vegeta momentarily thought about canceling testing Gerald's powers, having a crazed Kladeshian running around Capsule Corporation made him uncomfortable, but he wanted to get this over with, and it shouldn't take too long. Besides, Chi-Chi and Abigail was there in case things got out of hand, and even Tien was far stronger than the other Kladeshians.
"Alright Roger, let's get this over with and get back to Earth." Vegeta took up a position next to Roger.
"Okay Gerald. The Nexus is indestructible, so you don't have to worry about destroying anything. So don't hold anything back." Vegeta said.
"Okay, I'll try." Gerald smiled. Deep down the thought of letting that power go scared him a lot.
"Ready Roger?" Vegeta said. Roger nodded.
Both of them powered up to Super Saiyan Five. Roger released his mystical abilities fully and a bright white stripe formed up the middle of his hairline. It glowed like a star.
Vegeta smirked, as he had to lower his power a bit to match Roger's.
"But not by much!" Vegeta thought to himself.
"Fuuuuussion Ha!!" Twin voices called out.
After the bright flash subsided, an immensely powerful Rogeta stood in the place where Vegeta and Roger once stood. In Super Saiyan Six form.
Rogeta also sported the mystic stripe running through the navy blue hair.
Rogeta briefly wondered why he didn't go to the Ultimate Saiyan form.
"Oh yeah, we don't have Piccolo and crew in here with us this time." Rogeta thought, answering his own question.
"Okay Gerald. Power up and don't hold anything back!" Rogeta called.
Gerald started powering up. He blew passed Saiyan Level Three in an instant and transcended into Super Saiyan Level Four. Gerald's body shifted from a ten year old, to that of an adult, perhaps 18 years of age or better. Then it seemed like he wasn't going any further.
"C'mon Gerald! Release it all!" Rogeta ordered.
"I-I can't!" Gerald called. "It's not working!"
Rogeta thought for a moment. "Well, I hate to do this, but..."
Rogeta flew in and kicked Gerald in the face hard enough to snap his head to the side. When his head turned back, his eyes were filled with liquid fire.
"W-Why y-y-you..." Gerald paused, then started screaming.
Rogeta was suddenly caught in a hurricane of power. He was swept back, along with Jessica for several hundred yards before he caught himself. There was a huge explosion, followed by a terrible flash, almost blinding flash of light. Rogeta reached out and caught Jessica who was caught like a leaf in a typhoon.
"Stay here." Rogeta ordered and flew off leaving Jessica behind a small planetoid. Rogeta flew back to where he left Gerald, and what he saw and felt shook him to the core.
Gerald floated in the Nexus as an Ultimate Saiyan. He was more powerful than Rogeta had been. His hair sported two glowing lines of mystic force. Gerald's body was in an adult form, and heavily muscled. His tail, as well as the bulk of his body hair was a glowing Navy Blue. His eyes held no pupil, just a glowing sea of navy blue. Those eyes slowly turned to look at Rogeta.
"Double Mystic Ultimate Saiyan." Rogeta whispered in awe.
Gerald's mind was whirling. The anger he felt a moment ago was gone. Like Rogeta, he was aware of every living being in the universe as he fought to block out the flood of thoughts and emotions. The power he was experiencing was overwhelming! It felt like he was going to explode! Gerald lacked the centuries of fighting experience that Rogeta had when he reached this level. He didn't know how to handle this power.
"Stop fighting yourself Gerald." A voice spoke softly in Gerald's head.
"Who is that?" Gerald answered
"It's The Ultimate Kai." Tao Kaioshin answered. "Relax, don't fight your own power. Let if flow like water. Breathe deeply.
Gerald took Ultimate Kai's advice. He began to relax.
"That's it Gerald! Relax your mind and body, one breath at a time. Good! Now feel your power. Calmly reach out and gather it to you. Control it, don't let it control you." Ultimate Kai said.
"Okay, I think it's working." Gerald said.
"Good. Now do you feel that?" The Ultimate Kai asked.
Suddenly all the random chatter in Gerald's mind went silent.
"Yes! What did you do?" Gerald asked.
"I've set up a mental barrier. You would have learned how by yourself eventually, but I thought you needed the help." Tao Kaioshin said. "Wouldn't want you going insane on us."
"Umm... Yeah, thanks." Gerald practiced taking the barrier away, then putting it back. "That would come in handy at this level."
Rogeta was watching Gerald closely. He seemed to be catatonic for the moment. Rogeta decided to give him a few minutes to adjust. After all, Rogeta himself was almost overwhelmed by that transformation.
"This is amazing! My son! A ten year old boy/brat is now the most powerful being in the universe!" Rogeta thought.
"Gerald, listen carefully. The only reason I've allowed you to stay in that plane of existence at your power level is because I sense no evil in your heart. I would hate to think I've misplaced my trust. Your power is great, greater than any of the lesser Kais has ever been. You hold the fate of the Universe in your hands, for better, or for worse. Do you understand?" Tao Kaioshin said.
"I believe so." Gerald said.
"Listen, you are so young, and the difference between good and evil is seldom clear. Before you use your powers, promise me that you will seek out your father, Vegeta, and/or Goku for advice. Promise?" Tao Kaioshin asked. "If no one else is around, call me, I will hear you."
"Yes sir." Gerald answered simply. He could feel The Ultimate Kai smiling in his mind.
Jessica had flown back to where Rogeta floated and studied Gerald for a few moments. "Is he okay?"
"Not sure. But if he doesn't snap out of it in a minute or two I want you to try reaching him telepathically. I tried, but your telepathic skills are far better." Rogeta admitted.
"Well, actually... I've already tried." Jessica looked sheepish.
Rogeta smirked. "And?"
"I encountered some sort of barrier. Never ran into anything like it before. I couldn't read past it, but it seemed that Gerald was talking to someone." Jessica explained.
"Talking to someone? Do you know who?" Rogeta said.
"No, but whoever it is, they seem to be benevolent. They seem to be guiding him through this." Jessica said. "That's really the only impression I got."
Rogeta studied Gerald; his power was now much more stabilized than it was right after the transformation. Gerald didn't seem to be struggling trying to control it anymore. Rogeta could feel it as Gerald gently brought his mind, body, and spirit onto the same team, working as one. Rogeta was supremely proud of his son/friend at that moment. Instead of a mass of chaotic power, Gerald had become warrior.
Gerald's eyes suddenly fluttered open. "Hey! Did you miss me?"
Rogeta smiled.
"Well boy, it took you long enough!" Rogeta said.
"Just had a few issues to work out, with a little help from a friend." Gerald smiled. He vaguely wondered why his voice seemed so deep.
Rogeta figured he knew who that friend was.
Gerald began to look at his body.
"Whoa! I'm totally cut and buff!" Gerald said appreciatively.
"You sure are!" Jessica said just a little too excitedly, which did not pass Rogeta's notice.
Gerald suddenly dropped into a defensive posture. "Seems to me that you were having difficulty controlling your feet earlier. Care for a rematch?""
"I was just trying to get you into the spirit of things." Rogeta smirked.
"Looks like it worked." Gerald said just before he winked out of existence.
"What?" Rogeta said as Gerald appeared behind him; they were back to back.
"I d-didn't see you at a-all!" Rogeta said stunned that not even his eyes could detect Gerald's movements.
Gerald just smiled. Gerald threw a back fist strike at Rogeta. Rogeta used his powers to become ethereal thinking that Gerald's strike would pass through him.
Rogeta was slapped hard when it didn't.
"I phased shifted my molecular structure to match your ethereal frequency." Gerald smiled.
Rogeta rubbed his jaw, knowing that had been little more than a light tap compared to what Gerald was capable of.
Suddenly, Super Saiyan Three Jessica was between them. "I hate to rain on your parade guys, but every bit of my intuition and mental ability is screaming that we should go back now."
Gerald looked at his friend and nodded. One thing Gerald learned is never, ever underestimate the power of Jessica's intuition.
Gerald breathed in and released it, powering down to his normal form, that of a ten year-old boy. Jessica also powered down.
"Let's get back then." Rogeta said as he put two fingers to his head. Jessica and Gerald each placed a hand on Rogeta's shoulders and they all three disappeared.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++
While Gerald was transforming into the universe's most powerful warrior, night had fallen back on Earth. Everyone had either went home, or was preparing to turn in for the night.
All of the Kladeshians was fast asleep.
Except for Korlos. Korlos was waiting for the right moment. He had removed the knapsack from the closet shelf and took from it the transporter device, the Neutrino Warp Grenade, and a small device that looked like a tranquilizer syringe.
"Let these fools sleep as our world and culture is crumbling around our feet! I will be the savior of our people! I alone will save the Kladeshians!" Korlos raved to himself.
Korlos eyed the Neutrino Warp Grenade appreciatively. "Quite a feat of accidental engineering." He thought with a chuckle. The Neutrino Warp Grenade generates a null gravity field to launch itself into low planetary orbit around the target planet, or other celestial body. Once there, it starts to gather neutrinos that stars naturally emit through the process of fusion. Once the grenade has amassed enough neutrinos, it aims them at a single spot in space and fires them in a stream. This opens up a temporary warp field that sucks everything within half a parsec into it. When it was first tested its effects were believed to be much more localized. The test sucked an entire solar system out of existence. There was one populated, but primitive planet in the system, about a billion lives lost.
It takes about 30 minutes to amass the necessary neutrinos.
"Genius really. Don't know why they ever banned them." Korlos smiled as he put the transporter device and the Neutrino Warp Grenade back into the knapsack. He activated the invisibility field, then put the knapsack back on. Another adjustment of the knob and he disappeared along with the knapsack. He picked up the syringe.
"Alright King Sarmen. Time to take up your responsibilities!" Korlos left his room heading towards Tien's quarters.
