Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty
By Feraligreater328
A/N: Hey everybody! Quick note! I have posted this Chapter and Chapter 41 back-to-back. So, if you have not read Chapter 41, make sure you read it too. Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy! :)
Chapter 42: A History of Evil
Castle Cold – Soldier Medical Facility #12...
Cranberry, an Elite Lieutenant in the Cold Force, stared down at the little terrarium he had been handed so long ago. Ever since that advanced scouting vessel had returned with Captain Ginyu in it, in his brother Raspberry's body no less, both Cranberry and his new "pet" had been in a funk.
The frog, his brother Raspberry, laid in the little pool of water that kept his skin moist with his eyes closed. He was utterly depressed at his current situation. Cranberry stood there, his blood simmering beneath his skin. Suddenly, a hand clamped down on Cranberry's shoulder. He turned to see the freshly restored, purple gaze of Captain Ginyu. Ginyu chuckled. "So, how's he doing?"
Cranberry was subtly sarcastic in his response. "Oh, you know, he's hopping~"
Cranberry looked his brother's former body up and down. The facial structure, the muscle, even the height...all that once was his brother had been totally overhauled from this physical form. Cranberry gritted his teeth. "I'm sure it would make Raspberry happy to know that you've, more or less, deleted him from existence."
Ginyu frowned and sighed. "Look, I'm sorry. Okay? But desperate times called for desperate measures. I needed a body to get to the nearest outpost fast enough to get an express ride here so that I could inform King Cold of the problem. And now, now that we're going to invade the home planet of that Saiyan filth and wipe them out, I need a body to participate! I have to avenge Lord Frieza!"
As Ginyu rambled on it the background about pride and honor and youth and all of that hokey crap, Cranberry typed a few chemical formulas into a synthesizer and watched as the machine began to construct amphibian health supplements.
Ginyu gave Cranberry a hearty slap on the back and shouted. "AND THE BEST PART IS, I HAVE MADE THIS BODY STRONGER THAN RASPBERRY COULD EVER HAVE HOPED TO! I'VE REACHED DEEP DOWN AND FOUND A LEVEL OF POTENTIAL THAT YOUR BROTHER WAS TOO LAZY TO REALIZE!"
Cranberry turned to him with a tired sneer on his face. "That's great, Ginyu. Just...just great."
Ginyu struck a pose and laughed out loud. "You're damn right it is! Now, I must go train more! The invasion is nigh and I will not allow those Saiyans to go without a lashing from the great Captain Ginyu!"
Ginyu ran from the medical bay, shouting with true excitement. "Vengeance for Lord Frieza and the Ginyu Force is nigh!"
Once the door sealed shut, Cranberry shook his head. "Asshole."
He grabbed the newly constructed bottle of amphibian supplements and then hefted up the terrarium. "Come on Raspberry. Let's go and get you fed before I start my shift."
Cranberry and his frog-brother went out of the other door, towards the soldier barracks. After a few moments, all fell silent in the medical bay. And then, a thin ki blade began to saw out the floor under the nearby shower stalls.
The floor fell in, with a massive splash, and then Bardock, Vegeta, Goku, and Raditz all climbed out. Raditz was practically gagging as he struggled out of the hole into the sewer. "Thanks, Vegeta...such...such a fantastic smell you've helped us discover..."
Vegeta rolled his eyes and walked over to the nearby chemical cleansing stall. "You act like we were crawling through someone's intestines. Like that would ever happen..."
Vegeta took his turn in the chemical cleanser, deleting the smell of the sewer from his clothes. Goku and Bardock did the same, and then so did Raditz. As Raditz took his chemical cleansing, Bardock went to the nearby desktop module and searched around for a map of the castle. He nodded. "Okay...it looks like the main hall, where the gala is being held, connects directly to this hallway and the unlabeled room. Probably our best bet to sneak in..."
Once Raditz exited the shower, Bardock motioned for the three of them to follow him. They all exited out the same door that Ginyu had.
Further into the castle...
Bardock, Vegeta, Raditz, and Goku sneaked further and further into the castle with very little effort. With Bardock leading the way and Raditz and Vegeta keeping watch for soldiers, it was easy for the four Saiyans to make their way deeper and deeper into the heart of Castle Cold.
Soon enough, they came upon the door that Bardock had discovered on the digital map. It was an ornate number, nothing too grand or too flashy, just a subtle but charming metal door with a simple, but ornate design carved into it. The four Saiyans, hidden behind tapestries that hung down from the ceiling above, stared at the door. Raditz commented. "So, that's it huh? For an unlabeled room...that is a much fancier door than any we've seen so far..."
Bardock nodded. "Yeah, we're definitely getting closer to the heart of this place, alright..."
Vegeta smirked. "We could sneak in there and lay in wait. I bet that's where Cold retreats to when he's tired of hosting. We could catch him off-guard and kill him if we hide in there."
Goku frowned, scratching his cheek with his tail. "I dunno. That doesn't sound like it would be very fair..."
Vegeta, Raditz, and Bardock all whisper yelled at the exact same time. "Shut up, Kakarot."
Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Seriously, who gives a damn about a fair fight when it comes to a member of Frieza's race..."
The four Saiyans continued their sneaking march towards the door, using the tapestries as cover from the guards on the other end of the hall. However...
On the other end of the hall...
The two guards on the other end of the hall looked tired. Both of them were in one of the most boring points in all of Castle Cold. The one on the left, Cherry, could barely keep her eyes open and the one on the right, Mato, let loose a massive yawn.
As the two of them both fought against the urge to sleep on their post, however, a very familiar and annoying voice met their ears. "What's with those sleepy looks?! Look alive, you mooks!"
Cherry's eyes rolled back and she let loose a silent groan. Mato sighed and scratched his feathered head. The two of them both prepared for the worst as Captain Ginyu came marching up to them from a side corridor. Ever since this purple nuisance had returned to Planet Cold, things had been like this. All of their peaceful jobs had been made so much more annoying because the overly pepped-up and excitable Ginyu was constantly on their asses. He was on them for lunches and smoke breaks and rest hours and down time. He never, EVER stopped.
And, honestly the only reason he was able to get away with it because he could kick all of their asses and King Cold liked him so much.
Cherry sighed and scratched the back of her head. "S-Sorry Captain!"
Mato held up his hands in defense. "It's just...this isn't an area that anyone comes through. We're really bored!"
Ginyu struck a pose. "If you're bored, then you aren't working hard enough! Do some exercises! Go over some reports on your Scouters! Learn to strike an epic pose! You have to keep busy, no matter what! Because you are part of the army that will avenge Lord Frieza's death!"
Cherry and Mato both slumped over. They couldn't admit this, because Captain Ginyu would kill both of them on the spot, but neither of them cared about Frieza. Neither of them had even met Frieza before. Ginyu turned, tears in his eyes, and began to talk about how much Lord Frieza meant to him and to all of the Frieza Force. As he did that, Cherry looked at the time on her Scouter and then silently nudged Mato. Lunch was in 10 minutes, so once Ginyu was done and gone, they could sneak off.
Ginyu continued his ranting however. The poor guy did seem truly distraught at what had happened to his Lord. "Lord Frieza was always so caring of the needs of me and my men! He valued us! We were going to help him take control of this entire Universe, help him achieve his dreams, and then...and... then..."
Ginyu's near-sobbing tone was quickly replaced with one of analytical wonder. He stared down the hall, at the tapestries that hung from the ceiling. And he saw...no...it couldn't be...
Ginyu pointed back to the other two and whispered. "Cherry, Mato...call in a support squad at once..."
Mato cocked his head in confusion. "S-Sir...?"
But, Ginyu was already tip-toeing down the hall towards a very familiar, hairy object sticking out from behind a tapestry.
Back on the other end of the hall...
The four Saiyans made their way closer and closer to the door. They were totally out of sight from the guards on the other end of the hall and they were right there. They just had to open the door and slip in unnoticed and then they would be home free. But right as they were all about to exit cover, a mighty groan shocked Raditz, Vegeta, and Bardock.
The three Saiyans turned to see that Goku was slumping over, one of his eyes squeezed shut in pain. The Saiyan from Earth fell to his knees and groaned. "D-Dammit...I'm still not used to...people grabbing it like that..."
The fluttering tapestry eventually settled back to the wall and revealed Goku's assailant, a mighty pissed off looking Captain Ginyu. The Captain glared at the four Saiyans, a vein bulging from his forehead. "You! The four of you! How dare..."
Ginyu's rage was quickly joined by nearly 50 troops rushing in from the side hallway, led by Cherry and Mato. The two door guards both flinched back in shock. Cherry shouted. "Wh-Whoa! Saiyans?! There are still living Saiyans?!"
Mato's beak dropped open. "Holy shit!"
Ginyu snapped at the Saiyans. "How dare the four of you show your faces here after what you've done?!"
Ginyu dropped Goku's tail and then booted him at Bardock, Vegeta, and Raditz. He struck a pose and then he shouted. "Lord Frieza shall be avenged! I will do so now; with the power I have trained to achieve in the months since his death!"
Ginyu shouted and motioned the squad of soldiers behind him. "MEN! ATTACK!"
As the guards all rushed towards them, Goku regained his bearings. He looked to Raditz, Vegeta, and Bardock with a nervous smile and chuckled. "W-Wow...that's a lot of guards, huh?"
Goku's tail nervously waved around and his allies all shot him a look that said they were getting really tired of his shit.
Within the Castle Cold Study...
The door blew open with a massive explosion and a rain of dead soldiers came flying in. They all landed in a heap across the rich carpet, one of them even smashing into the bookshelves and knocking over what appeared to be quite the old vase.
Captain Ginyu was not dead, but he was quite severely beaten. Cherry and Mato were both somehow still alive as well, but they were in no condition to fight.
Their opponents quickly made their way into the room, totally undamaged and seemingly distracted by another matter entirely. Vegeta was practically frothing at the mouth as he forcibly wrapped Goku's tail around his waist, even going so far as to tie a loose knot in it. "You and this damned tail! Learn to control it or I'll tear it off myself!"
Raditz was visibly horrified, scared that they might have alerted a much bigger threat to their presence. "Guys! Come on! Quiet down!"
Bardock, meanwhile, was exasperated. As Vegeta yelled at Kakarot and Raditz yelled at Vegeta, the older Saiyan looked around at the splendor of the room before him. "This is... a lot of books..."
Goku, standing between the bickering Raditz and Vegeta, nodded in agreement with his Dad. "Yeah! They have places like this on Earth. Chi-Chi made me take Gohan to one once...it's uh...you borrow books from it and... uh...what's it called again...?"
Bardock glanced from the books and down at Cherry and Mato, both of whom were frozen with utter fear. "What are you losers looking at?"
Suddenly, a very deep voice spoke from behind the four Saiyans. "To answer your questions in order: the place you are thinking of is a library. This, however, is a study. A place of quiet reflection and a storage of a private collection. And, I suppose, those two would be looking at me."
The deep voice made all of the Saiyans jump, their eyes wide. The four of them slowly turned and, to their horror, the saw who was speaking. A truly massive individual sat in a grand, leather chair behind them. Clad in a rich robe, a woodsy cigar in hand, and a book in the other, a being that looked very much like Frieza sat. His horns raised high into the air, the fire from his fireplace reflecting off of their ebony shine.
Raditz was visibly trembling. Vegeta and Bardock both took a serious fighting stance. Goku, however, posed a question in an innocent, and curious tone of voice. "Oh! I guess you're Frieza's dad, huh?"
The being chuckled, taking one last puff of his cigar before throwing the rest of it into the fireplace. He breath the smoke through his nose and took a sip of a nearby chalice of wine. "Indeed, young man. I am King Cold."
He stood, making Vegeta, Bardock, and Raditz flinch. King Cold stood at, at least, twenty feet tall. He towered over the Saiyans. "So, I see that you gentlemen were desperate enough for an audience with me to kill a rather large contingent of my men."
He chuckled. "Respectable."
The King walked behind a changing screen and quickly removed his robe. "You two. I cannot be bothered to remember your names..."
Cherry and Mato, in spite of the beating that they just took, as well as Mato's broken leg, stood up straight and saluted, speaking in unison. "YES SIR, KING COLD?!"
King Cold spoke from behind the screen, his shadow appearing to be putting on a suit of armor. "Dear Ginyu appears to have been injured in his outstanding service to me once again. Pick him up and take him to a healing chamber, post haste. If he dies, I cannot imagine your futures will be too bright..."
Cherry and Mato both swallowed hard and immediately got to work. They grabbed Captain Ginyu and both of them limped out of the room as fast as their beaten bodies would carry them.
Once they were gone, King Cold stepped out from behind the changing screen, clasping his flowing cape onto his armor. "Well...I suppose I have a few more minutes before the gala is to begin. Might I offer you gents a tour of my castle?"
The Saiyans were confused at this perplexingly civil behavior. But Cold maintained his demeanor. He motioned to them with his left hand. "Come along now. Do keep up. I do not wish to have to repeat myself to any stragglers within the tour group..."
The four Saiyans looked at each other, all of them stunned. Goku shrugged and the other three did not have any response. None of them saw this coming. So, with a bit of hesitation, the four of them simply followed King Cold's lead.
Within the Grand Golden Historical Hall...
After a short walk, King Cold came to a stop. He pointed to a massive portrait hanging on the wall. It was a simplistic, oil painting in the vague shape of a person, with a rich, golden frame covered in jewels. "This, gentlemen, is a painting of the First King."
Goku cocked his head in confusion. "W-Wait...what?"
Cold gently pressed his hand on the frame. "The First King. The first king of my race. No one remembers his name or even what he looked like all that well. This painting was actually made from the single historical text that we have describing him! But his existence is an important moment in the history of my glorious species~"
Goku, Vegeta, Raditz, and Bardock all stared up at the painting: a red and purple being, vaguely human shaped, with a pair of curved horns sticking from the top of his head.
Cold quickly motioned them along. "Come now! Don't dawdle! We have many more interesting portraits to view~"
The Saiyans all took one more, long look at the vague portrait, and then they followed along. A bit more walking eventually led the tour group to a portrait five spaces down. Cold stopped again with a sigh, rolling his eyes, and rapped his knuckle against the frame. "This one is the Sixth King. Unlike the first, we do know his name. He was known as Arcos..."
Goku cocked his head again. "Arcos, eh? He doesn't look that strong..."
The Saiyans stared up at the portrait of a lanky Frieza clad in robes, his 18 horns forming a crown of thorns around his head. Cold nodded. "That's a fair deduction. By all historical record, King Arcos was exceptionally weak. But he made up for this by starting a cult in his name that still worships him as a Messiah to this day. You might have heard of them? The...Arcosians..."
That word alone summoned a mixture of annoyed and angry groans from Bardock, Vegeta, and Raditz. Raditz snarled. "Damned lying bastards!"
Vegeta sneered. "Skittering vermin."
Bardock grunted under his breath. "I hate the goddamned Arcosians. Always trying to act like they represented the Cold Force, getting us in trouble. After the Gamma IX incident, King Vegeta thought you were gonna kill him over what they did, at least those are the rumors I was hearing at the time..."
King Cold shook his head. "No no. Trust me, I understand. I disdain the Arcosians. And yet, every time I think they're all dead, more of them crop up out from the festering depths..."
With that matter thoroughly discussed, King Cold motioned for the Saiyans to follow him again. The eventually arrived at the portrait of King Arcturus. "This man is King Arcturus, the Regent. He did very little of importance, but we must recognize him as the first man to have established a monarchy. Thereby, from a certain point-of-view, making him the actual 'first king', as it were."
The Saiyans looked up at the portrait, a green Frieza with purple chest armor. His single horn sticking from the front of his forehead like a unicorn. King Cold spoke again. "Oh, another interesting fact, the Arcturus star-cluster is named after him! He was the one who discovered it in the night sky!"
Goku nodded with a smile. "Neat!"
The tour continued down to another portrait, a shorter Frieza, bluish-purple skin and a bright orange jumpsuit. King Cold spoke. "This is King Chilled. He is known as The Resurgence among our race. He was the first one known for doing quite a few things. He was the first to attempt expansion of the Empire, he was the first to come in contact with the Saiyan race..."
King Cold turned to the Saiyans and smiled. "Were it not for him, this conversation might not even be happening right now~"
Raditz's shoulders slumped. "Oh...well then, I guess we owe him a big thank you, huh?"
King Cold chuckled. "Dear boy, sarcasm is an ugly look..."
Cold pointed to Chilled's horns. "Interesting fact, the shape of Chilled's horns often made his detractors refer to him with an attempted derogitory: The Frost Demon. Chilled seemed to enjoy the epithet, however."
But, Cold continued on regardless of Raditz's attitude. He marched down a bit more until he reached a portrait of a tall, gaunt man. His skin and his armor were both bluish-white and he had piercing blue eyes. He was also surrounded by sixteen other members of his race and holding a small, seventeenth member in his hands. His short horns all shot upwards from his head like a crown.
Cold motioned to the painting. "This is my Father. King Winterfell – The Nightwalker. He was a man of power and presence. The founder of the Planet Trade Organization, which would eventually become my Cold Force. He was always a stern man, expecting the most from me, my fifteen brothers, and our sister..."
Goku looked up at the picture, seeing the benign smile on Cold's face, his arm around his King Winterfell's shoulder. Goku smiled. "You and your dad must have been really close if he picked you over everyone else to take over for him."
King Cold thought back, the sounds of panicked screaming echoing in his head. "YOU BASTARD! EVEN YOUR YOUNGEST BROTHER?! I SHOULD NEVER HAAAAAAAGGH!"
Cold opened his eyes and spoke to Goku. "Something like that, yes."
King Cold walked just a bit further down the hallway and eventually stopping at the final portrait in the hall. "And this is the end of lineage so far. Myself and my offspring~"
The Saiyans looked upon the massive portrait. Cold, sat in his chair, with a pink, baby Frieza sitting on his knee. In the background, partially obscurred by a curtain, was another purple-skinned individual. Cold chuckled. "My Frieza. My pride and joy. My overwhelmingly strong, youngest child..."
Goku cocked his head. "Oh...uh...yeah. Well...what about the other one? The guy in the back there?"
Cold nodded. "Yes. He exists as well."
And then, without another word, Cold moved on, finally reaching the massive chamber doors at the end of the hall. "And that is the tour! Thank you all so kindly for following along. It might seem...superfluous, but I do love giving a tour of this dusty, old hall~"
Cold reached into his armor, producing four sealed envelopes and handing them to each of the Saiyans. "Please, feel free to attend the gala. I am sure that you will enjoy yourselves, there is a banquet and entertainment for the whole evening. And I am positive that the main event of the evening will interest you as well."
And with that, and a friendly wave goodbye, King Cold exited the Saiyans presence, entering through the massive chamber doors and heading to his gala. With the King gone, the Saiyans were finally left to discuss their plans. Vegeta spoke up first. "This is a damned trap."
Raditz nodded. "I'm with Vegeta, this is a trap."
Goku scratched the back of his head. "I... I gotta agree. He seemed nice, but there's a lot of evil inside that guy."
Bardock fell silent, crossing his arms and drumming his finger against his bicep as he thought. "Trap or not...it's still a way in. Cold my try to pull a fast one, but it would be better for us to be facing it up front than turning our back on it..."
He looked to Goku, Vegeta, and Raditz individually. "So... we're gonna play this by ear. That sound good, boys?"
Goku, Vegeta, and Raditz each nodded, and then Bardock nodded as well. Then, the four Saiyans walked into the same door that King Cold had beforehand.
Castle Cold – Main Gala Hall...
The four Saiyans that walked into the Main Gala Hall and were met by quite the sight. A rich ballroom covered in an abundance of wealth sat before them. Everything in the hall was draped in finery: gold and jewels and ivory and plush cloth covered everything as the various wealthy and aristocratic members of King Cold's court murmured amongst themselves.
Vegeta was visibly taken aback, looking at the abundance and the splendor that surrounded him. "All of this...it all...this makes the Saiyan Royal Palace..."
Bardock finished the sentence bluntly. "Look like crap. It makes the Saiyan Royal Palace look like a rickety shack in the middle of nowhere."
Vegeta's face soured. He glared at Bardock and Bardock shrugged. "What? I'm not telling you anything you didn't know, Vegeta. King Cold basically owned your Dad, of course his house is better than King Vegeta's."
As Bardock and Vegeta held their discussion, Raditz trailed behind Goku. The older brother was freaking out as his younger sibling rudely pushed past people to get at the food. "Kakarot! Will you please calm down? Please?!"
Goku seemed to blow Raditz off. Instead, he finally made it to the table and stared at all of the delicious food in front of him. "It all looks so tasty! I've never even some of this bef-"
"YOU!"
Goku turned to the source of the voice and saw, to his disgust, the same fat bastard from before. "What are you doing here?!"
Count Bologna sneered at Goku, his two slave girls cowering at the table behind him, alongside two other confused, older 4-armed aliens. Count Bologna evilly grinned. "Well, now you've sealed your fate you gutter scum hick!"
Bologna turned on his heel and went rushing through the crowd towards the center of the hall. In the center, King Cold sat in his throne. He held his chalice to his mouth and took a sip, before allowing Kikono to fill it to the brim once more. Bologna pushed past the guards, stepping up to Cold's throne without permission, and then he shouted. "KING COLD! I FEEL THE NEED TO INFORM YOU THAT A COMMONER HAS INFILTRATED YOUR GALA! YOU SHOULD EXECUTE THIS POST HASTE!"
Everyone in attendance paused to observe the audacity of Bologna daring to approach King Cold without permission. Bologna didn't seem to notice. He turned to glare at Goku, expecting the Saiyan to be instantly shot dead. Bologna was surprised, however, when a beam fired through his stomach. The rotund noble fell to the ground, sputtering blood, and King Cold, finger still smoking, simply took another sip of his wine.
Bologna's parents quickly ran up, their faces horrified. His father spoke. "K-King Cold! Please, Majesty, forgive my son's impertinence!"
They both fell to their knees and the mother spoke. "He is but a boy, Excellency! This is his first gala! He knows not of the etiquette required of him in your presence!"
Cold sipped his wine again...and then he executed all three of them, a beam through the forehead each, with no hesitation. Cold chuckled and raised his chalice into the air. "His first gala, and his last~"
The rest of the super-rich all burst into furious laughter. Cold watched as his men swept away the corpses and then sipped again. "Now, let the gala continue!"
The deaths of Count Bologna and his family were quickly forgotten. The Saiyans joined the rest of the attendees and found a table to sit at. Bardock and the others, their appetites being somewhat subdued, watched as Goku pigged out. Bardock grunted. "I had a thought..."
Vegeta turned to him. "And that would be?"
Bardock sighed. "It's stupid...but I do remember King Cold always being a respectful handshake type of guy. A bastard through-and-through...but still willing to do business. Maybe...we could find some sort of deal to make with him that would allow us to avoid an all-out fight."
Raditz sighed. "It's...a hope. That's for sure..."
Vegeta shook his head. "Seems like it's a bit too hopeful. We did end his "precious" son, after all. I don't imagine he'd just let that slide."
Bardock shrugged. "I mean, he still has Cool-"
Before Bardock could finish, two Cold Force soldiers walked up. In their custody were the two former slave girls that Count Bologna was pulling around with him. One of the soldiers spoke in a very formal tone. "King Cold has decreed that the property of the now deceased, nameless aristocrat shall henceforth be handed unto the custody of you, the good sir in orange."
Goku put his bowl down, speaking with his mouth full. "Whuh...?"
The soldier pressed the chain connected to the girls' collars into Goku's hand. "These things belong to you now."
After the two soldiers left, Goku looked down at the chain in his hand and then up at the two, frightened-looking girls. The two of them plastered on half-hearted smiles, and then they spoke. The taller one struck an attempted sexy pose and tried her best to sound seductive. "I am Genoa~"
The shorter one spoke next, her voice wavering. "A-And I am Salam~"
They both bowed. "How may we serve you, Master?"
Goku looked to Raditz, Bardock, and Vegeta. All three of them responded with confused shrugs. The Saiyan from Earth looked down at all of the food on the table and then up at the hungry look in Genoa and Salam's eyes. And then, gently, he reached up and snapped the collars from around their necks. The two of them looked confused, standing there as Goku finished with their collars and then removed their shackles as well. Once he was done, Goku smiled and motioned to for them to sit. "Why don't you both join me and we eat together?"
Genoa stammered, staring at Goku and his goofy smile. "A-Are you...?"
Raditz spoke up, smiling a little himself. "Yes, he's serious."
Vegeta sighed. "He's so annoying gentle..."
Genoa and Salam looked at one another, and then back to Goku. And then they both sat down. They each grabbed a small piece of food from Goku's pile, nibbling at it with politeness and decorum...and then hunger took over and they joined Goku in demolishing the heap of food as quickly as they could.
Genoa had tears in her eyes as she spoke. "Th-Thank you, Master!"
Salam was sobbing as she ate. "Thank you so much, Master!"
Goku nervously chuckled and shook his head. "Cut it out with that 'Master' stuff. My name is Goku, okay?"
The both nodded as they ate more and more, seemingly for the first time in ages. "Thank you so much, Master Goku!"
A few hours passed of eating and merriment. Various entertainers made their way into and out of the gala, doing their acts and providing spectacle to the crowd. The entire time, the Saiyans sat there in waiting and Cold sat bored in his throne. Soon though, the final entertainers cleared out and Cold spoke up. "Ladies and Gentlemen! Thank you all for so kindly attending my gala for the evening!"
Cold stood and raised his chalice in the air. "A toast to everyone in attendance!"
Everyone cheered and clinked their knives against their glasses. Cold spoke again. "I have heard the rumors being spread amongst you here, this evening, and I will now confirm some of your suspicions! Yes, this banquet was announced to declare the invasion of a certain, detestable planet of rebels in the Northern Galaxy!"
The Saiyans all tensed up at that. This was it; this was the moment they had all feared. Cold chuckled. "But first, one more piece of entertainment for you all!"
Cold clapped his hands and the main doors to the gala hall swung open. Three groups of soldiers marched in, and with them they had three groupings of prisoners, all chained and hooded. The attendants of the gala all cheered as they knew what was about to occur. Goku reacted in confusion. "What's going on?"
Cold turned to the short, yellow alien next to him. "Kikono, if you would kindly relay the first charges to the audience."
Kikono nodded and stood. "The first accused for the evening are a contingent of soldiers that dared to commit a grave offense. They allowed the Flag of the Cold Force to fall into the mud and the symbol of King Cold himself was besmirched as a result."
A rumble made its way through the crowd. The hooded soldiers cowered as King Cold sinisterly chuckled. Kikono spoke again. "King Cold has gone over this incident and has come to a decision. Their fate has been decided to be..."
King Cold raised his finger. "Death."
And then, he fired a beam through each of the twenty soldiers' chests, killing them one at a time as the others screamed. Their bodies dropped to the ground and they were quickly swept away. Goku gasped at the brutality. Vegeta, Bardock, Raditz, Genoa, and Salam did not seem surprised. They merely looked grim as the bodies were brutishly swept away to be disposed of.
Next, a similarly hooded grouping of three was brought forth: a man, a woman, and a child. Kikono spoke. "This man is a teacher at a small university on a border planet. He and his family stand accused of spreading anti-Cold rhetoric to his students. The students have all already been sent to a re-education center, but these three now face the judgment of His Majesty, King Cold."
Cold raised his finger. But, before he could speak, the man fell to his knees and shouted. "P-Please! King Cold! I... I know what it about to happen but, please...my wife and child are innocent in this situation. Please...do not make them listen to my death..."
Kikono frowned. "How dare you speak without permission you-"
King Cold waved his hand and Kikono fell silent. The King chuckled and spoke. "Dear sir, I am afraid that a lesson must be taught here. Your defiance of my regime is something that I can just not allow. You must realize that..."
The man trembled. "P-Please..."
But then, something truly horrific occurred. As the man started to beg, a feminine scream cried out directly behind him. A body fell to the ground right next to him and he screamed. "No! M-My wife! No! No, King Cold! Please!"
Another scream, this time of the young boy standing next to the man. As the smaller body fell to the ground, King Cold chuckled. "I hope this has been a lesson learned, dear sir."
Cold waved to the guards surrounding him. "He is now to be taken to Labor Colony 85. Work him until he dies."
The guards nodded and seized the hysterically weeping man, forcing him to his feet and making him walk away from his, now deceased, family. The rest of the crowd laughed out loud at this miserable display, finding enjoyment in the man's pain. Goku, meanwhile, was totally enraged by all of this. Raditz tried his best to get his brother to remain calm, grabbing his tail and giving it a squeeze. But Goku just didn't seem to care. His rage was flaring. He looked down at the bodies as they were swept away and instantly his mind went to Gohan and Chi-Chi. He couldn't just sit by and let that monster get away with this.
Finally, the final prisoner was forced to step forward. It was a single person, a hooded and chained woman with blue-furred skin and a rather professional attire. Kikono spoke. "This is Faline Phars. She is a rather troublesome investigative journalist from the Southern Galaxy who dared to try and meddle in the affairs of King Cold himself. Her sentence will now be carried out."
King Cold raised his finger and smirked. "I disappeared from the public eye for a reason, young lady. And, just because you come from a galaxy my lesser son controls does not mean you are free to poke around in my private business. Your punishment is... Death!"
King Cold fired his Death Beam forward, right at the center of the journalist's chest. However, before the beam could hit, it was swiftly deflected right back at Cold. The King caught the attack, with a moderate chuckle, and dispelled it with his grip.
Standing there, in front of the journalist, surrounded by confused guards, was Goku. The Saiyan from Earth looked angry, and he stared defiantly right at King Cold. Cold chuckled in dark amusement. From the sidelines, a gruff voice called out. "Damn it, Kakarot!"
Bardock leapt from the crowd and landed next to his son. "Can you stow the damned altruism for five minutes?!"
Goku and Bardock were quickly joined by Vegeta, a fearful Raditz, and Genoa and Salam, both of whom were trembling. Kikono shouted at the lot of them. "Who the devil are you people... Prince Vegeta?!"
Vegeta smirked. "Do I know you, insect?"
King Cold smiled wide, his power suddenly raging and his silver energy flaring out. Using his telekinetic power, King Cold reached out and pulled a sword from a nearby wall into his hand. "Ladies and gents, I suppose now is the time for my main announcement. The reason for this invasion. You see, we will be undertaking a mission of vengeance against a planet to the North: Planet Earth!"
Cold swung his sword to the ground, splitting the stone in front of his feet. "And the reason for this invasion? Because creatures from that planet, the very creatures currently standing defiantly before you..."
Cold raised his sword and pointed it at the center of Goku's chest. "These interlopers are responsible for the death of my successor! My son! Your once future Lord! These beasts are responsible for the death of Frieza!"
As shocked, desperate gasp filled the room. Standing behind Raditz, Genoa and Salam's jaws dropped. And the reporter, Faline Phars, cried out from underneath her hood. "EXCUSE ME?! DID I JUST HEAR THAT RIGHT?!"
King Cold chuckled. "Yes. It is quite unfortunate. But...this invasion will make up for that. The main problem has presented itself to me, so it shall be dealt with immediately. And then, the planet that I had once planned to destroy shall instead become a slave colony in honor of my fallen son!"
King Cold's silver energy flared again and he smiled. "Your execution shall be done by my own hand, Saiyan scum!"
