A/N: Looks like I'm not the only one who things Cooler deserved more face-time in the series, if the many reviews, PMs, favs and follows are anything to go by.
Because of the early success of this story, I started rewatching the DBZ series and reading the appropriate lore needed to make sure that I was as accurate as possible with the details. The real trouble I had was when in the timeline I should introduce Cooler/SI into the series. And as I watched...it came to me.
So I decided on a small Saga within the series that many may not have thought of. And given this knowledge, I figured this part of the series could use a little...fan-tune up. But I'll let you all be the judge in the end.
(Disclaimer: I still own nothing.)
"My Lord." One of the scientists groveled, kneeling before the intimidating being. "He was birthed moments ago, our readings show his power to be beyond our expectations. He should grow into a fine heir."
A blade-like smile stretched across the 'King's' face as he approached, looking down at my small form with piercing red eyes.
"What will you name him, Lord Cold?" asked one of the other beings in the room.
His red eyes met mine, most likely thinking over the question before he spoke in a deep baritone filled with both power and arrogance;
"Cooler."
X Age 763 - Many Years Later X
Deep within the vastness of space, among the many stars and planets, a lone space pod in the shape of a sphere could be seen flying through the vaccum. A single round window facing the direction it was heading that the sole occupant would be able to see the many views they passed by.
But they weren't concerned with the sights.
Within the pod, a lone figure reclined in the only seat. A tattered cloak shrouding their form and arms crossed over their chest, eyes closed and mind centered as they waited for their trip to come to an end.
An untold amount of time had passed since he was reborn in this universe, and it took him less than a day to completely figure out where he had ended up and who had sent him here. And when he did...he realized that his life had been completely turned on its head.
He'd been a big fan of Dragonball while growing up, and had started getting into the Super-saga before the accident that ended up killing him. And now he was part of the same universe that had once been a dream to him as a child...but he wasn't prepared for exactly 'WHO' he would end up being reborn as.
Growing up again by itself was a challenge, but growing up as part of a powerful alien dynasty that pretty much owned most of the galaxy was a whole new ball game.
He'd come close to death more times than he cared to remember. The training he had to undergo bordering on sadistic. But through sheer will, dedication and a little luck, he'd managed to thrive. He learned everything he needed to in order to survive in this new universe, he became stronger, and all the while handling things HIS way whenever the opportunity presented itself.
Even though he still remembered his old life fondly, this was his life now. And with everything he knew was going to happen within the next two decades he had many plans set in place to ensure that this universe and the trillions of innocent lives that inhabit it aren't extinguished.
The first few steps had already been taken, and he was now on his way to the one place where many of the future events would reach their peak.
"Destination closing. Estimated time of arrival...1 hour." the onboard computer reported.
Red eyes snapped open beneath the hood hiding his face and gazed out the window before him as the green and blue planet came into view and was drawing ever closer.
"Earth...can't remember the last time I saw it up close." he spoke with a deep voice. A long, dark-purple tail slithered out of the cloak and hit a couple of switches on the pod's controls in preparation for entry. A smirk spreading across his face.
"Time to make an entrance."
X
Enroute to Kami's lookout, both Gohan and Krillin froze mid-flight. The half-saiyan child and former monk turning their attention above them.
"Gohan...you feel that?" asked Krillin, sweat dripping down from his forehead.
"Y-Yeah. What is it?" Gohan wondered, sensing a power level neither of them had felt before getting closer.
"I don't know. But I doubt it's anything good. First the Black Mist affecting everyone, now this...We better get our hands on that Sacred Water and fast." said the former monk as they charged up and flew faster.
X
He'd expected many things when he reached the planet's surface. But to see the locals going completely crazy and attacking each other wasn't one of them.
From the top of a tall building, beneath his cloak, he watched with critical eyes as the people of Earth acted like a strange combination of zombie and vampire. He could also feel a heavily negative miasma in the air, something airborne was affecting them.
It took him a few seconds before he was able to remember what was happening and who was responsible.
Closing his eyes, he stretched his senses outward. Locating a cluster of descent sized power levels on the far side of the planet.
"There." he thought, eyes opening before to took to the air and shot off in that direction. Energy flowing around his form as he traveled faster than any man-made construction in existence and reaching his destination in a matter of minutes.
Finding a large tower that stretched into the sky above, he adjusted his flight and followed it. Passing the peak of the structure and continuing toward the signatures he had picked up until he caught sight of a large platform shaped like a half-sphere floating high above the planet.
His energy flowed brighter as he flew even faster, objective in sight as he cleared the island-like structure and landed a foot from the edge. His sudden arrival stopping all activity that had been going on moments before.
X
Garlic Jr. looked upon the new arrival curiously from his newly made throne within Kami's old temple. A tattered cloak shrouding them from his gaze.
Mustard and Salt had stopped their pummeling of Goku's son and friend as their attention turned to the unwanted guest. Spice and Vinegar, the former who was still holding Piccolo who had a moment ago acted like a rabid animal was now strangely docile, also blinked in surprise.
"Well, well. Now who might this be?" wondered the Immortal villain as he rose from his throne. "A weary traveler who lost his way?"
His henchmen chuckled at the joke, "Dunno, boss. Maybe we should show him the correct direction." Vinegar replied, cracking his large knuckles.
Piccolo was frozen in place, body shaking a bit as he felt the power radiating off the unknown being. It was bigger than his own my a wide margin, and felt very familiar but at the same time different. Neither he, nor Gohan or Krillin could take them on and hope to survive.
Despite his earlier plans in fooling Garlic Jr. and his lackeys, if this was another enemy they had to face, then they were as good as dead.
The stranger said nothing as he observed the ruined Lookout, taking in their surroundings almost casually.
"Hey! You stupid or somethin'?" Mustard bellowed, the goblin-like being taking his foot off Gohan's chest and approaching them. "Unless you wanna have a go at us, you better get lost before-"
Whatever he was about to say next was cut off when a beam of orange ki shot through the air and pierced right through the center of his forehead. The attack originating from the stranger's outstretched finger.
The air became very still. Then Mustard fell face-first to the ground. Dead.
"MUSTARD!" Salt roared, charging across the lookout like a raging bull. "YOU BASTARD! YOU'RE GONNA PAY!"
He swung at the stranger, only for his fist to pass through empty air. Shocked, he spun around only to be met with a purple colored palm aimed up at his face. A brief second passed before a blast of energy was fired, the disciple of Garlic Jr. was thrown backwards, his head vaporized from his shoulders as his body toppled off the edge of the Lookout and fell through the clouds below.
"He...He killed them..." Spice muttered in shock, seeing his comrades' demise.
"Vinegar, kill him!" Garlic Jr. ordered. His larger disciple roared and fired a barrage of ki blasts, each one hitting their target and kicking up a cloud of dust and smoke. Vinegar launched forward, stopping right infront of where the stranger had been and fired an energy beam right through the cloud.
"That's for Salt and..." the large being trailed off when the smoke cleared and his supposed victim was nowhere to be seen. "W-WHAT?! Where did they-" a foot connected with the back of his head sending him smashing to the tiled floor beneath him.
Spice threw Piccolo aside as he rushed in to help, trying to get the stranger from behind only to receive an elbow to the stomach followed by an uppercut that launched him into the air.
The pale man tried to regain himself only for the stranger to appear above him and slam both knees into his chest sending him crashing to the ground.
Both men struggled to their feet while their enemy landed a couple meters away from them. "Spice, what the hell is this guy?!" said Vinegar.
"I don't know. But if we work together we should be able to put him down!" Spice said back as they both charged their ki and focused it on a joint attack.
The stranger remained where he was, seemingly not threatened by what was coming as his opponents charged their attack.
"EAT THIS!" both disciples shouted as a powerful blast was sent his way. The attack closing distance fast while their target remained immobile.
At the last second, the stranger swung his right arm. Swatting the attack aside and sending it harmlessly off into the air behind him.
Spice and Vinegar froze in shock at their attack being easily deflected. But couldn't think on it long as the stranger vanished from sight.
"Where'd he go?!" Vinegar demanded, he and Spice standing back to back to avoid getting caught by surprise.
"Keep your eyes open, he's gotta be here somewhere!" Spice said back as they looked in every direction. The wind picked up, blowing bits of debris around the Lookout and leaving a sense of foreboding around the duo.
They kept searching, trying to find any sign of the cloaked man but couldn't seem to locate him.
"Grrrrr...Come out you coward!" Vinegar bellowed.
As if on command, the stranger appeared between them. Both turned to attack only to get a hard kick to the stomach each, sending them stumbling back away from one another. Vinegar growled and fired ki blast after ki blast, each one being deflected with ease as the stranger got in his personal space and slammed a fist in his gut hard enough to double him over.
Spice charged the stranger from behind, only to have something long and purple strike him across the face hard enough to send him to the ground again.
Turning around to face his other opponent, the stranger's newly revealed tail came up and coiled around Vinegar's neck. Tightening hard and bringing the large man to his knees , grabbing the limb and tried to get free as it started to strangle him.
Spice looked on from the ground, unable to move as the stranger leered down at him. The shadow of his hood revealing nothing of the one beneath it while his comrade continued to wheeze and gag with the lack of oxygen.
A sudden shift from his tail and a loud crack was heard. Vinegar went limp, eyes rolling into the back of his head after having his neck broken. The tail uncoiled allowing his body to collapse to the ground.
It was enough for Spice as he scrambled to his feet, overcome by fear as he took to the air and blasted away.
He barely made it too far before the stranger appeared before him. Grabbing Spice by the face and shooting back downward where he slammed him into the ground with enough force to shake the entire Lookout.
When the dust settled, it showed the stranger standing over Spice who was laid out in a small crater made from his own body. His armor torn and cracked with several broken bones visible in his arms and legs.
Looking down at the battered and broken fighter. Through the pain wracking his body, Spice looked back, catching a glimpse of a pair of crimson colored orbs leering at him from beneath the cloak's hood.
"P-Please...mercy..." Spice wheezed, coughing up blood.
His answer was a finger pointed at him before another beam of energy lanced forth. Ending his life quickly.
On the other side of the Lookout. Gohan, Krillin and Piccolo were stalk-still, pale and sweating more than a little. The four men in service to Garlic Jr. that had been beating them had all been decimated by one being. And to their ever growing shock and fear, the stranger's power hadn't fluctuated once since he arrived, meaning that he was either suppressing his energy very well...or he was hardly trying.
None of them could tell which was scarier.
"Who...Who is he..." Krillin stuttered, forgetting the pain he had been in minutes ago. "I haven't felt something like this since..."
"Since Namek." Gohan finished, swallowing thickly.
Piccolo remained silent. Preparing himself in anyway he could incase this new arrival turned on them next.
From his throne, Garlic Jr. growled through tightly clenched teeth. All of his loyal followers, gone. Dispatched as though they were nothing by this one wretch!
Who did he think he was?! HE was Garlic Jr.! No one made a mockery of him and lived to tell about it!
"Seems I need to get a better batch of henchmen." he stated, rising from his throne and setting the glass bottle that held Kami down beside the one that held Mr. Popo. "I'd offer you a place in my new world, but I'm afraid you have pushed past the point of no return." he stepped out of the temple and approached the stranger, who had yet to move from Spice's corpse. "So it would seem I will have to deal with you and the other wretches myself!"
Garlic Jr. channeled energy to his hands and fired it at the stranger. But he simple vanished before the attack could hit home.
"Damn it! Now where are you?!" the tiny villain shouted.
The sound of shattered glass filled the air, all eyes shot to Garlic Jr.'s throne where the stranger stood with the prison bottles in hand. The tops broken off and sending out grey smoke as he tossed them to the ground where they exploded.
In moments, both Kami and Popo stood free and back to their original sizes.
"We're free Kami!" the Genie said jovially.
"Indeed we are, Popo." replied the Elder Namek before he looked upon their savior.
"No! What have you done!" Garlic Jr. shouted, taking to the air and launching toward them. The stranger turned his head at the coming threat and ducked, the Makyan leader flying over his head before snapping a hand out and grabbing Jr.'s cape.
Yanking back, he slammed Garlic Jr. onto the ground before spinning and throwing him though a wall and back out onto the Lookout's courtyard. Skidding along the tiles before he managed to stop himself and levitate back to his feet.
"I don't know who you think you are, but you won't get in the way of my revenge!" the Makyan shouted, his small body vibrating in fury.
Just as quickly, his anger subsided and a vicious grin appeared. "You don't even understand the forces at work. Allow me to show you." Garlic Jr. pointed upward, drawing everyone's attention to a glowing red light in the sky. "The Makyo Star! My home, and the source of my power! It's warm glow revives me and fills me with incredible strength! And after 5,000 years it's made it here to Earth!"
"That's how he escaped the Deadzone!" Kami said in alarm. "I should have seen this coming...should have known."
"You should have, old man." Garlic Jr. continued, "Because now that the Makyo Star has come, I will be ten times more powerful than I ever was before! There's nothing any of you can do to stop me from making this planet my own!"
Holding out his arms, the Makyan began to channel energy within himself while at the same time absorbing the power emitting from the red star above. The ground beneath him caved inward from the output of power, the Lookout began to shake violently, lightning flashing as Garlic Jr. began to change. His clothing save for his pants tore away as he grew bigger and bigger, until he was roughly ten feet tall and looking like a wall of muscle.
When it was over, the now full strength Garlic Jr. skulked out of the small crater his powerup had created. "Do you see now?" the villain spoke, his voice deep and demonic after changing with the rest of his body. "You're efforts are for naught, this is where you all will die!"
"P-Piccolo...what do we do?" asked Gohan, the unbelievable power from Garlic Jr. spreading all over the Lookout like a dense fog.
Piccolo grit his teeth, fists clenched as he prepared to do whatever it took to put this monster down for good.
The only one seemingly unfazed by the transformation was the cloaked stranger. He stepped calmly out of the temple and made his way across the courtyard with no rush in his movements.
Holding out his hand, a sphere of orange ki was formed above his palm. Arcs of red electricity crackling along its surface.
"Fool! Do you really think that you can defeat ME?! I AM GARLIC JR.! NO ONE CAN HOPE TO SURPASS MY POWER!"
The stranger continued his walk, the sphere of energy in his hand glowing brighter with each step before he stopped a good enough distance from the villain. And with a flick of his wrist, sent the ball of ki flying.
Only it didn't go for Garlic Jr...Instead it shot straight into the air, toward the Makyo Star.
"WHAT?!" Garlic Jr. roared as the attack vanished from sight. Seconds later, a massive explosion erupted in the sky where the source of his power had been. "NOOOOOOOOO! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!?"
With the dark energy emitting from the star cut off, the Makyan leader started to shrink until he was brought back to his original size and collapsed to his hands and knees.
"...This...This can't be...How could this have happened?!" Garlic Jr. muttered in sorrow. A shadow cast over his small frame and he looked up to see the one who had destroyed his carefully laid plans with little effort. The stranger looked down at him as if he were a whimpering child, mocking him!
"You..." Garlic Jr. hissed, energy gathering to his hands. "DIE!" he screamed, firing with everything he had. The attack striking home and created an explosion that kicked up a large cloud of debris.
Everyone who had been watching tensed when the sneak attack hit the stranger, dead on. All of them thinking the worst.
The dust began to settle, all in attendance were in for a shock when they saw their mysterious guest not only still standing and unharmed...but with his cloak mostly destroyed revealing the one who had been under it.
Gohan, Piccolo and Krillin turned sickly pale, eyes wide and shaking in place as they took in the being before them. Standing as tall as the Namekian with dark purple skin with a tail nearly as long as his body waving behind him. His forearms and shins were covered in white bio-armor along with his upper body from his shoulders to below his sternum.
His head was also encased in bio-armor like a helmet with a long, dark-blue bio-gem in the center. A pair of red eyes leered down at the tiny villain that had fired at him, his angular face having a smirk spreading over it as he took in Garlic Jr.'s now terrified form.
"Well, so much for the surprise." the stranger finally spoke with a deep tone, grabbing the burnt remains of his cloak and throwing it aside. "But I guess it couldn't be avoided."
Garlic Jr. screamed as he started firing ki blasts. Each one carelessly swatted aside with one hand as the stranger approached the Makyan. Grabbing the small creature by his throat and bringing him up to eye level.
"You made three mistakes. The first was trying to take over this world." a fist was driven into Garlic Jr.'s stomach, sending spit and blood flying from his mouth. "The second was bragging about the source of your power." another punch, this one joined by the sound of bones breaking.
"And three, showing that ugly mug of yours in broad daylight." the stranger uppercut the villain into the air, leaping after him and smashing him back to the ground where he landed hard and made a crater on impact.
Landing at the edge, he held out a finger and charged ki to the tip preparing to fire.
Despite the pain of his injuries, Garlic Jr. laughed. "F-Fool...I a made myself immortal! Y-You can't kill me no matter what you-"
A second finger was raised and two beams of energy launched forth. Hitting both of the Makyan's eyes and causing him to scream in agony. "MY EYES!"
"You're the fool." the stranger said with contempt. "Only the weak choose immortality over strength. The fact you made yourself this way only proves how weak you truly are." He put a three-toed foot on the still screaming Garlic Jr.'s head. "Now, take a nice long nap, cabbage patch."
He slammed the Makyan's skull into the ground with tremendous force. His immortality keeping him from death, but the impact had knocked the tiny villain out cold.
When he was sure that Garlic Jr. was out, the stranger turned his attention to the others on the Lookout who all flinched back from his gaze.
"F-Frieza..." Krillin stuttered in fear, "But...how? Goku killed him. Didn't he?"
"I am not Frieza." the stranger said, crossing his arms, "The name's Cooler...Frieza's older brother. Though I use the term very lightly."
"B-Brother?" asked Gohan.
Cooler rolled his eyes at their misplaced fear, "Relax, if I wanted you all dead I wouldn't have stepped in to help."
"You expect us to believe that?!" Piccolo shouted, "We know what Frieza's capable of! If you expect us to simply trust you because you dealt with Garlic Jr. and his lackeys, you got another thing coming!"
"And yet, I'm not standing here bragging about my 'superior power' while slowly beating you around to make you fell weak and helpless." Cooler replied with a deadpan tone, "Believe it or not, I'm not my ego-maniacal little brother."
"Enough, all of you." said Kami as he and Mr. Popo came out of the temple, the Genie holding a strange bottle that he carried over to the edge of the Lookout and opened, spilling its contents over the world below. "He is no threat to any of us."
Piccolo looked at Earth's guardian bewildered, "Have you completely lost it, old man!"
The older Namekian turned his attention to Cooler, "I felt your energy approaching long before Garlic Jr. came. I was concerned at first, but I sensed no malevolence in your aura."
"I purposely raised my power to be detected." replied Cooler, "I figured it would be polite to announce myself before arriving. But I wasn't expecing the whole world to be in the middle of a riot."
Kami nodded, "I thank you for the help, the Earth would have been lost in darkness had it not been for your intervention." Mr. Popo came up to his side with a now empty bottle.
"The Sacred Water has been spread across the Earth, Kami. The effects of the Black Water Mist has ended."
"As grateful as we are for your assistance, it still leaves the question of why you are here." said the Earth's Guardian.
Cooler was silent for a moment, "Before I go into any details, I think its best if the Earth's defenders are all here. I'd prefer not to repeat myself too much, to be honest."
"And what is so important that everyone has to be here?" asked Piccolo skeptically and still untrusting of their guest.
The oldest son of the Cold family turned to the Namekian fighter with a serious expression. "How about information that my revenge-fueled little brother is still alive?" That statement caused all the air to vanish in the immediate area for those who had fought the tyrant. "I take it that fits the meaning of 'important'?" he added rhetorically.
X
A/N: And the 'Garlic Jr. Saga' comes to a quicker, more brutal, end. With 'Cooler' being classified as an Anti-Hero, I made damn sure he fit the part while using what I know about Punisher, Venom and Deadpool. So expect more kickass finishers and maybe a few wisecracks in the near future.
Next time, the rest of the Z-Fighters meet our protagonist. And they will learn far more than they could hope from what he has to tell them.
Keep reading and reviewing folks. Next installment already in the works.