Disclaimer, in case it wasn't obvious. I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or really any other property. Thank you.

The Catalyst

Chapter 44: Inevitable

Frieza:

It was all so familiar, the same faces staring back at him that had been there on Namek all those months ago, before that wretched monkey, Goku, had defeated him. They were all prepared for combat, with those pitiful creatures Turles and Vegeta preparing to lead the charge. The two monkeys which wanted most to be Super Saiyans, but were really just pitiful. Of course, even Frieza had made the assumption they would have improved since their last encounter, even if only marginally. Even if Vegeta had doubled in strength, he'd still be a no count. The pirate on the other had, would still be a problem... he needed to be dealt with first.

Slowly, his eyes trained over the others as well. After Vegeta and Turles were finished, immediate priority shifted to three others. The Namekian, Piccolo, was undoubtedly the most dangerous in order of power, and showed tactical savvy. If he'd been luckier on Namek, he may have defeated him in his third stage, which was... unexpected. Still, his power was infinitesimally small even compared to Turles's, let alone his own. This all came together to make the Namekian more of a nuisance, then an actual threat.

The other two, were of course the third class rodent, Raditz, and the son of the wretched Super Saiyan, Goku. The older warrior was a threat if only peripherally, because of his more irritating attacks. The child however, perhaps was a bigger threat then the Namekian, under the right circumstances. He'd been on the receiving end of the boy's anger more then once, and the child was likely stronger then before.

The unknowns among the group, were hardly of any concern. With a sly smile, Frieza took the first steps towards his doomed adversaries. Behind him, the Super Saiyan battled with his brother, and whoever won, would be his next victim. Always strike when your opponent is at their weakest.

"So, my good friends," Frieza said, unfolding his arms and placing them on his hips. "Which one of you insignificant vermin want to be the first ones to face their inevitable fate?"

Scowls were all about his enemies as they slowly began raising their powers. It wasn't that Frieza could detect it, but he could see it. Auras slowly began to form around all of them. They were preparing to strike preemptively, and it was delightfully entertaining to watch them plot and scheme their fate, as if it made any difference. A fight with Lord Frieza could only mean one thing, death. Slowly, the tyrant raised his fighting strength within his body.

Seventy-five percent of his maximum was more then enough to deal with all of them at once. Floating in the air, he stared down at all of them with ever growing confidence, knowing full well that fear was running through their veins as much as blood was. Peering down with eyes colder then his name, Frieza smiled at Vegeta directly, knowing exactly what buttons to push even before speaking. The Saiyan Prince immediately took a backstep, trembling with a rage trying to disguise his terror as he glared up at him.

With one short, cruel laugh, the tyrant elegantly raised his right hand, moving it through the air in one fluid motion, curving his fingers and letting red energy dance across his fingers.

"Tell me, Vegeta, how does it feel to know you are going to die again, by my hand? Does the idea excite you as much as it does me? I'll always remember how wonderful it felt, beating the life out of you. The only disappointment I have is that I was too kind to you, letting you live long enough to shed those revolting tears."

With a brief snicker, Frieza let the energy in his hand spike, finally forming the deadly bolt of energy in his hand.

"What's wrong? Nothing to say, Vegeta?" Frieza further pushed, before his eyes shifted to Turles, who, unlike Vegeta, took a tentative step forward.

Well now, you've certainly grown a spine. All that power must be running to your head.

The air around them was almost static for a moment, before a brief movement of the wind told Frieza all he needed to know. They were buying time, likely to ambush him. His eyes didn't even need to follow his enemies as he felt them moving through the air. The two bigger targets were static, while the others tried to prepare their own positions. It only took him one curious glance to see the third class and Namekian were missing.

"How adorable," Frieza remarked, shifting his head to one side as a green fist shout past the idea of his head. A shocked noise escaped the Namekian before Frieza smiled down to his two bigger fish.

"Really? Letting the weaker ones die first? You Saiyans have certainly learned well from my kind teachings," Frieza chuckled, before in a lightning motion, twisting around and pointing his energy wave at Piccolo's chest.

When the beam fired, it blasted through his chest, searing through flesh and cloth. The green fool's purple blood jetted out of his mouth as he fell back, his eyes hollow. It was a delicious attack, but of course he needed to ensure that he finished him off. Nameks, in his experience, didn't simply die from blowing holes in them, at least not powerful ones. Now it was time to destroy the head and seal the deal.

Just as he prepared to dive after Piccolo, a leg shot past his head, moving only in time.

"That's my friend!" the bratty kid shouted, in another sweeping motion he followed through with an elbow, finding only air.

Before Frieza could response, another attack swept towards him, forcing him to slide back, seeing the long haired Saiyan trying to land a blow. A flurry of assaults followed, kicks, punches, knees, elbows, each one was moving at intense speeds, but to Frieza? They were moving at negligible speeds. Another fighter, this one he didn't recognize, a male with a scar across his face, dived in next. He was even slower then Raditz. Every time they moved into him to assault, Frieza's body moved as if it were water, sliding around every motion, every curve. The bald human from before, Krillin, one of his victims, now attacked with ferocity.

The sprawling mass of limbs struck towards him, each one of the four fighters trying to land a blow, even while fighting all together. The battle surrounded him in a chaotic melee, but the simple truth was not a single one was fast enough. Soon, he'd find his own position to attack, and then they would be finished.

Finally, a blow came in with such speed Frieza almost couldn't avoid it. It was Vegeta, finally entering the fray. The Prince was the only one there who could even comprehend the very basic movements he was making as the others flailed about helplessly. It was simple procedure to still move around Vegeta's every strike, the Saiyan Prince's eyes alive with fury. It was typical, and pitiful.

It was time to teach these monkeys and their Earthling friends a lesson. Energy fluctuated around his body before Frieza came to a stand still. The sheer energy of it froze all his attackers in place as the field of power shocked all of them from its simple existence. A smile slowly grew on Frieza's face, before turning his gaze first to the human.

Slamming his fist into the chest of the scarred human male, followed by snapped his tail, thrashing it across the bald one's head, the two fighter's dropped from the sky helplessly. In a quick motion, both of his feet shot in both directions, hitting both Goku's son, and his elder brother, from the sky in one fluid spinning motion. For Vegeta, he had a special present. Bringing up his index finger, he thrashed it in front of the prince from side to side, slashing through skin and muscle mercilessly as micro-energy beams slashed into his flesh, each slash lead to a pained gasp or cry. Blood seeped into his human attire, before Frieza turned all five of his fingers into almost burning knives.

"This time, Vegeta, don't come back."

Lifting his hand to strike, he then felt light coming from behind him. Turning his head slowly, letting Vegeta fall away, Frieza spotted the Namekian, as alive as ever of course. It was the same attack he'd used before, the Beam Cannon. Golden and purple energy arced across the Namekian's body, as his two fingers burned while placed against his forehead. His face didn't speak volumes about his confidence however, if anything Frieza could almost smell his anxiety.

"Oh? You want to try this trick again, Namek? Well, I can promise you that this time I lovingly show you my appreciation for your efforts," Frieza chuckled.

"We'll see," Piccolo hissed, before shoving his right arm forward. Energy surged over his arm into his fingers, and Frieza knew what was coming as he just allowed his grin to grow, this time crossing his arms.

"Special Beam Cannon!"

The light around them seemed to be sucked into the corkscrew beam emerging from the Namek's fingers, the sky turned black and the air around it seemed to almost burst into flame. When the tip of the drilling energy wave connected with Frieza this time, he felt it try to burrow into his skin. Instead, the beam helplessly deflected off off, shifting and shooting straight into the air. It spiralled brilliantly in the sky, before finally exploding in the atmosphere. A deadly golden glow covered all of them before massive force waves rolled out across the desolate landscape all around them. The world rumbled itself seemingly for a moment and Frieza just turned his head cheekily.

The terrified look on the green one's face was priceless.

"So, I'm still waiting to see you stop me, Namek," the tyrant remarked, unmoving as his red eyes almost glowed with anticipation. "All of your friends are already defeated, and it didn't take much."

"Well, that's not entirely true-" Piccolo admitted, raising his head slightly.

"Oh? Well who- Turles and the three eyed one," Frieza said, his eyes widening. Turning around quickly he looked to where Turles had been, and noted his disappearance, looking up, he saw the three eyed one in the sky, his hands clasped together, and then when he turned about again, he saw only the Namek.

With a sneer slowly edging across his face, Frieza fumed as he glared at Piccolo. Well, he'd deal with three eyes after the Namek next, and then he'd crush that pathetic pirate. With full force, Frieza burst forward, crashing his knee into Piccolo's guts. Grabbing his head roughly with his right head, the Arcosian thrust Piccolo's form back, holding his head and beginning to squeeze.

"Die."

Pain suddenly exploded in the side of his head as Frieza felt a thundering explosion of energy contact the side of his head. Shutting his eyes in pain from the hit, Frieza felt his hand lose its grip before he was shoved back by the sheer force. Stopping a few metres away, still hovering in the sky, Frieza felt his features relax back into place, before his eyes opened, staring down at the only one of the little group who posed any real threat.

"Oh, hello there, I was wondering when you'd strike," Frieza chuckled, seeing the Namekian falling in the air before looking back towards Turles. "It was very foolish to step in and save that one, you know the only threats here are you and Vegeta."

"Just the same as how no one was a threat to you on Namek, Frieza?" Turles reminded. "Then Kakarot became a Legend, and you became a nothing."

Something snapped behind his eyes. For a brief moment, it wasn't the pirate standing in front of him, but his double. Without any control, Frieza's lip curled into a trembling sneer, and his brows lowered as his eyes locked on in a deadly fashion. Energy began to spark over his body as he started to quake as well. How dare this monkey even think to mention that? As if somehow he was going to be the next one to stop him, or any of them where?!

Blasting off from where he was, the Arcosian struck out, his right arm aiming for a deadly strike, intending on killing the Saiyan in a single blow, when it was blocked, if only barely by the Saiyan, it only fuelled Frieza's rage further. He roared in frustration, even at the minor hindrance to his wrath. Immediately his knee slid up, intending to crash into Turles's midsection, instead finding that blocked as well. Before he could strike back once more, the Saiyan lunged his head fore, smashing his forehead into his own. Pain spiked in Frieza's head Unable to hold his head forward, Frieza felt himself lose balance and stumble in the air, falling backward. What happened next, was a disgrace.

Immediately he felt the Saiyan's fist plant into his stomach, making his gasp once, before an uppercut rocked him further back, sending him veering up into the air. Suddenly, pain spiked in his midsection once more as Turles dived into him with his legs first, smashing into his stomach with both feet, sending him helplessly flying back. When the Arcosian hit the ground, the Earth around him exploded before collapsing in on him. Stone and dirt collapsed all around him, burying him. Laying in the rock, Frieza breathed in and out furiously, his red eyes staring ahead with an intense rage. What had just happened? Worse, what had just happened in front of his father?

Cooler was fighting a Super Saiyan across the sky in a massive confrontation, and here he was, losing to a black haired Saiyan, worse, one much weaker then he was!? HOW?!

The ground around Frieza vapourized as his muscles bulged outward, lightning wrapping around him and his aura bursting forward. Stepping forward onto the ground, Frieza cracked his neck from one side, then to the other, his features becoming dead serious. Staring ahead, he saw Turles slowly landing onto the ground several metres away, staring back at him just like Goku had. Where did this monkey get such smug confidence? He'd followed all of his movements, he'd barely been able to block him? How did he achieve any kind of minor victory in that scuffle?

"Frieza, would you please get this over with?" his father called after him. "I should most certainly not need to babysit you at this age."

In the background, Frieza saw warriors slowly and painfully beginning to rise. The humans were trembling as they stood, unable to absorb the damage they'd been given in a single blow. Vegeta himself, and that fool Raditz, both looked utterly exhausted. This was his power when he wasn't holding anything back, this wasn't some game anymore. When he looked back at Turles, he could almost rewind their encounter back in his head.

He's manipulating his own energy.

Slowly, the realization dawned on Frieza. He was pushing all of his energy into speed, then all of it into defence, then all of it into attack. Masking his weaknesses while maximizing his opportunities. It was just like what the other monkey had done on Namek, before he became a Super Saiyan, only worse, he had more raw power then he had. It was an example of a rare fighter, and one Frieza now knew he would have to overwhelm, now.

"Very clever," Frieza remarked, ignoring his father's comment as he stared back at Turles. "I must say, that even impresses me, swinging your power into whatever you need in the moment. The amount of control that requires is phenomenal in and of itself."

Slowly, Frieza began gathering energy into his right palm, internally smirking as he did. For all of his talent in melee, it was just going to be irrelevant when facing such overwhelming power, especially when using the entirety of his power.

"Unlike you, Frieza, some of us learn," Turles remarked back, before smirking himself. "And after you're gone, as well as that foolish father of yours, you're looking at the new ruler of the universe. My power will continue to grow, and unlike you, I'll never allow it to stagnate."

That same arrogance was what allowed him to die before, and it served Frieza well.

"Oh, well, allow me to step aside for you... Lord... Turles!"

Throwing his right arm forward, red energy suddenly exposed itself in his hand, before what he'd been powering for the whole time, made itself appear. The Death Wave burst into view before sundering the ground around him, fragmenting it in a thousand directions.

"Turles!" a young voice shouted, before the brat of Goku's ran to his side, as well as the other older Saiyan. It was no matter however.

The wave slammed into the three of them, before something surprising happened. Vegeta of all people, and the Namekian rushed to their side. Slowly, the five figures were pushed further and further back, all of them pushing against the wave. All of them together couldn't reach half of his power however, all they were doing were coming together to die all at once. He could feel them all slipping, all of them bending and breaking to his power.

"Ha! This is what happens when you challenge the power of Lord Frieza! This is what- huh?"

Looking up into the air, Frieza could feel something. It was a sense he'd never developed, but the ground around him seemed to almost come alive with a strange energy. It was as if he could smell it. The human warrior from earlier, the one hanging in the sky. What was he doing? Resistance on the end of his Death Wave was dying, it would only take a few more short moments and then they'd all be gone. He felt the last of the humans join the foolish venture to resist his beam, knowing full well that their failure was already complete.

Pathetic, these Earthlings are-

Suddenly, there was something very real happening all around him. A scorching line carved into the ground around him, orange energy bursting metres around him, making a perfect triangle. The world seemed to start to slow, and instinctively Frieza ceased his attack, the wave dying from his palm as he braced himself against the ground. Debris, rock, sand, and dirt started to pull into the air around him as orange light began to burn all around him, making the random rock and earth catch fire in the air.

"What do you think you're doing!?" Frieza shouted up towards the three eyed warrior, his features locked into a sneer.

It was then that Frieza felt his body almost lock in place. Pressure raised almost a thousand times around him. The heat in the air wasn't even just caused by the energy, it was caused by friction as everything began to lock together. It felt almost as if his body was being crushed, and gently cooked. Focusing his energy, his formerly thought to be near infinite energy, Frieza thrust his hand upward, focusing his energy into his palm once more.

I'll vaporize this Earth-Scum.

"Stopping you," finally the human declared.

"TRI BEAM!... HA!"

It wasn't just some capture field? The sky exploded into a magnificent light above him. Suddenly the pressure increased a thousand fold, the ground beneath him breaking apart. Unable to hold on anymore, Frieza's arm collapsed to his side, and then his knees buckled under him. All he could do was roar, the gas escaping his lungs as he did, caught fire outside of his mouth, before the beam crashed into him. Pain exploded over his entire body as he felt every fibre, every atom, burn. The pressure almost collapsed every bone in his body. Were he not an Arcosian, he'd have already died in the pressure induced Hell created by this human. The ground for kilometres shattered like glass, and his body plunged down into the crust of the Earth itself. All around him he could hear and smell the shattering and burning rock. The light around him blasting him further and further down.

Finally, darkness overcame the light, and the ground collapsed over him. Trembling, this time in pain, Frieza gasped from nearly burnt lungs.

Stopped, halted... by a human. Anger swelled in his core at his humiliation. It was worse then being defeated by a Super Saiyan. It was worse then being stalled by some monkey, or some pathetic Namekian slug. The most pathetic creatures in the galaxy were Earthlings, and now he, Lord Frieza... lay buried under thousands of tons of Rock, after having been broken into the ground itself by... by...

By a pitiful human.

Forcing both of his hands forward, Frieza blasted forward with all his energy. Burnt and scorched rock split and shattered in his path, before he exploded from the ground, flying straight towards the human with fury in his eyes. Disappearing in a blinding motion, he appeared behind him, driving his knee into the head of the human in one vicious motion.

The reaction was immediate, blood spat out of his mouth, and his eyes, before he was sent spiralling down into the Earth at lightning speed, crashing into a pit near the others. The wave of destruction he'd left behind with his Death Wave was evident, and all of the other warriors could barely stand. They were kneeling down, or half standing, looking up at him defiantly.

FINE! No more games! No more rebellions! They will know the wrath of Frieza!

Raising his hand above him, his lungs labouring furiously, Frieza focused his energy into one source, the Super Nova. Suddenly a sun like orb appeared in his muscular hand, black lightning crackling around it. Focusing an unnatural amount of energy into it. It ballooned in the sky behind him, it's light blaring out across the planet itself. Looking down at Turles, he grinned darkly, knowing full well he knew exactly what was coming, given what had happened before.

"As you burn,I want you all to remember something! I am the ruler of this universe! I am the one who chooses the fate of worlds! And I chose for all of you to die!"

With that, the tyrant pushed the orb even further, making it swell further in size as he started to cackle madly. There would be no stopping-

Suddenly, his heart froze as he looked down among his victims, standing between Vegeta and Turles was... No... No it couldn't be! How did he- But!

G-G-Goku!

Terror ran over the tyrants features as he held the orb in the sky, looking back down at the man who'd humiliated him more then anyone. He'd been the one to break him, and to overwhelm him. He'd bee the one who nearly killed him, blasting him nearly into oblivion in a horrific wave of blue light. Down there was a monster far more terrifying then anything he'd ever faced. In that moment, Frieza choked, trying to hold himself together as he held on to his planet killing attack.

"Frieza!"

It was his father's voice, and... Cooler's?

A blue light penetrated the burning orange of his Super Nova. Turning his head at the last moment, an orb of pure blue light rolled towards him in the air, cutting through the sky at break neck speeds. Shock ran through his veins as he saw the source of the attack... The one Cooler called Gohan.

Eyes widened with shock, and in a desperate bid, he tossed the Super Nova down towards the attack. Descending towards it slowly, Frieza's heart stopped when the blast impacted the orb, and without any resistance, blasted it back towards him. Looking down at the burning object of his own power blasting towards him the tyrant's eyes widened with shock.

Impossible!

The orb hit him straight on, sending him rocketing higher and higher into the atmosphere. Even with all his remaining strength pushing against the energy blast, there was no hope in halting it, and it pushed back far too fast for him to get off the beam. Frieza then felt everything beginning to destabilize. Desperately the tyrant tried to hold it back, despite the futility of it.

As soon as his back hit the coldness of space, he felt it. From his finger tips, he felt the two energy blasts, his own and that of "Gohan's", expand rapidly, and discharge. The last thing the tyrant saw, was a blinding painful light.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Cooler:

It was impossible to stop the blow from landing across the side of his already fractured mask, breaking off the cybernetic component and sending it falling to the Earth below. When the next blow landed, the large Arcosian was sent further back, sending him rolling backwards in the air before an elbow dropped him into the ground.

Slamming into the ground on all fours, the dirt below him cratered for metres from the force of the impact. This Saiyan was an incredible warrior, every time he'd made a move to overwhelm him, he was not only stopped, but countered. The main thing to do was avoid becoming overwhelmed by his rage. Fighting blind would be a quick way to defeat. For now he knew their energy levels still had parity, which meant that the fight could continue until one of them made a serious mistake. The key would finding a way to make Gohan make a mistake.

Still, the main factor behind winning this battle would be experience, something which Cooler had decades more of, he didn't care if this pitiful warrior fought the Androids, they were pointless in the grand scale of things. The first thing he'd do after killing these Saiyans, was kill Doctor Gero, before purging this planet of the rest of its sentient life.

Feeling the air around him moving, the eldest son of King Cold was quick to move, thrusting both of his arms up, catching and incoming kick on his forearms, leaving the Super Saiyan hanging in the air with a strained look on his face, his teeth grit. Such a follow through was necessary in all combat, but always had risk. Momentum shifted in battles in split moments, especially between powerful adversaries. Now Cooler knew it was his window to assault. Grabbing the ankle, he immediately flipped the Saiyan into the air, slamming him face first into the ground, before ripping him up into the air. Before his prey could respond in turn, he kicked him in the shoulder, hard. Flipping through the air, the golden warrior landed finally on his feet, skidding against the sand and dirt. Centralizing a portion of energy into his right hand, Cooler pointed his palm towards the Saiyan, unleashing a massive wave of black and purple energy.

The wall of energy crashed over Gohan's form, burning through the ground all around him as well. The intensity of the energy caused peaks to crumble all around them, as standing structures of rock collapsed into the ground into ruin. Dust blasted up from the ground in all directions as well, before the beam pushed into the side of a plateau. When it made contact with the rock, Cooler detonated the core of the blast itself. What followed was a massive mushroom cloud. The sound of rocks landing across miles and miles of land could be heard as it began to rain the remnants of the rock formations all around them.

That had hardly finished the Saiyan and he knew it. Slowly taking the air, he felt the energy of the monkey moving quickly around him, undoubtedly looking for an opportunity to attack. Looking up, feeling Gohan's energy remaining in one place finally, he saw him in the air, hanging above him, powering his own energy wave. His clothing was in tatters, and his body had dozens of small cuts and burns. The Arcosian smirked at the sight, keeping his gaze firmly locked onto him. This one was... familiar, the same one that killed him in one timeline. It was enough to make the eldest son of King Cold sneer.

"Kaaaaaa-"

Bracing himself, Cooler calculated his best avenue of approach. Taking such a beam on directly was foolish at best, and stupid at worst. What was best was to give the perception that he was going to take the blast head on. Raising his power to the surface, dark energy rolled off of his frame.

"You know-"

"-Meeeeeee-"

"-That foolish attack won't work-"

"-Haaaaaaa-"

"On me at all," Cooler finished gloating, just staring confidently back at Gohan.

"MEEEEEEEE!"

Bracing himself, Cooler blasted off towards the other warrior, the ground behind him exploding in all directions from the force he used.

"HAAAAA!"

Blue light burst out from the Saiyan's hands as he thrust his palms towards the Arcosian. In a blur of motion, Cooler shifted his body only by a few degrees. As he did, the massive wave of energy and light burst past him, shooting straight towards the Earth below, but leaving the monster unscathed. Grinning directly at Gohan, he saw the the eyes on the Saiyan widen with surprise. Lunging at him in the air, Cooler buried his fist into the cheek on his opponent. Blood shot out of his nose, and the beam stopped immediately. Before he could manage a defence, Cooler slammed his giant knee into his chest, causing a wheezing sound to escape the other warrior. Finally, with one swift motion, his tail swung down and cracked itself against the entire torso of the younger warrior, sending him flying down into the ground with a tremendous crash.

"Do you see what it's like now, fighting a real warrior, rather then some machine?" Cooler asked, smiling confidently as he did. "It must be painful for you to realize that being a Super Saiyan means so little."

The golden aura from below intensified, making the larger in stature of the two of them slowly grin further.

Rising to his feet below, Gohan just seemed to focus on him. Slowly, he'd chip away at the Saiyan.

"Even if you beat me, Cooler," Gohan then said, before smiling up at him. "You'll never defeat my father."

The mind games turned, without Cooler even realizing it. His fanged grin turned into a sneer, feeling his own fist trembling with a hidden fury. It was not his fate to die by Goku's hands. He was to be the master of the universe. Everything would change to his will, and he would destroy every trace of the Saiyans and the Humans from the face of the universe.

"Your father is nothing compared to me, not now," Cooler hissed. "In fact, I am willing to bet the only reason he hasn't instantly appeared here with that technique of his, is because he knows I will kill him."

There was a moment of shock that displayed itself on Gohan's face before Cooler started to laugh. The future warrior had no idea that he knew everything. Well, at least he knew everything important. Instant Transmission, the Androids, Cell, and others. Their fates, their battles, were all things he'd researched. They were just images, he couldn't feel what they were... yet, but he could crush any regular "Super Saiyan" which confronted him.

As Cooler was prepared to demonstrate once again.

"I see that I hit a nerve, Gohan," Cooler chuckled.

"How do you know all this? How did you know who Trunks was? How did you know this was all going to happen?" Gohan demanded angrily.

"It's a secret," Cooler chuckled, before stretching his arms briefly, letting his aura flare. "And I think I'm done talking."

"Well, one thing then Cooler," Gohan said, smirking himself. "Goku isn't here, not because he thinks he'll lose, but because he thinks I'm going to beat you, and your entire family."

Red eyes narrowed. Talk was most certainly cheap, and he intended to invest in action over it. Feeling his energy surge again, Cooler blasted downward, just as the Saiyan took off towards him. The two forces collided in an amazing display of light. Black energy swirled into Gold, and their fists crashed into one another. Explosive waves of force rumbled across the wasteland as they lashed out at one another. Throwing blow after blow, all either found was air, or the other's fist. Finally amid the frantic encounter, Cooler's fist landed in Gohan's stomach, just as the Saiyan's found its was to the side of his own face place. The resulting explosions of energy shattered another wave of rock, and cracked the rocks below them.

Staggering back, Cooler could sense his opponent's power beginning to wane, if only slightly. His own body's resilience would hold out. Diverting the Kamehameha wave had been the best move he'd made in the battle, a massive and needless expenditure on the Saiyan's part, for no pay off. He could almost hear how tired he was.

In the distance, a fantastic explosion burst outward, powerful enough to even catch his attention.

Tien's Tri-Beam, is the attack he used on Cell.

Turning his head, Cooler looked on to see the orange display of energy assault Frieza, seeing the entire landscape shift in a moment of extreme violence. It was as if the entire wasteland rumbled like the waves in an ocean, before all the scattered earth sunk back in on itself. From that attack, he could feel Frieza's power wax for but a moment. From a human, it was a supremely impressive attack.

Turning his head back towards the Saiyan, he smirked.

"And now Frieza will likely kill everyone you know," Cooler remarked simply. "Then you'll be all alone... I would be very surprised if you can beat me, let alone Frieza and my Father as well."

Behind them, Frieza burst from the ground and dispatched Tien with a single blow, before beginning to form the Super Nova attack. It was predictable, his little spoiled brother would only take resistance and slights for so long. That would not only end his battle, of course, but this one as well. With no air to breath, Gohan would expire shortly.

His objectives would be met, as Son Goku would be easy enough to hunt down after all this.

"Hey Cooler?" Gohan breathed, before smirking. "How does it feel to be an only child?"

Turning his head sharply, Cooler narrowed his eyes. The light from the Super Nova gave everything an off orange hue, before he realized what the Saiyan meant. Sneering, the larger Arcosian appeared in front of Gohan as he put his hands together to attack.

"I think not," Cooler said plainly, raising his own fist to strike down the Saiyan. Instead, what he found was the energy wave blasting into his gut, sending him rapidly back. Breaking the bolt of energy with a flinch of his power, Cooler laughed.

"Please, that attack wouldn't even kill-"

Before he could finish, power exploded from Gohan in a magnificent display of blue light, sending an orb of deadly energy blasting towards Frieza, and it was already out of his interception range.

"FRIEZA!"

The next moment was watching the orb collide with the massive star Frieza had formed with his own power, before blasting it back towards him, and then colliding with Frieza himself. The large Arcosian was left in shock for a brief second, realizing what was about to occur.

Preparing to launch himself, Cooler knew he had to try to save his pitiful brother from his impending doom. Even if Frieza was a weakling and a fool,he may have been useful for other plans. Worse, his death from an outside would stain the family's honour. Before he could however, he felt two hands grab his tail.

"You," Cooler growled furiously, turning towards Gohan, who swung him back by his tail, sending him flipping in the air, before driving a foot into the large monster's back.

Hitting the rocks behind him, Cooler felt his body crash violently.

"This ends not just for him, but for you too!" the Saiyan shouted, focusing all of his power into a single point again.

He was desperately looking for the killing blow, and Cooler knew it. Grunting as he pulled himself up, Cooler watched from behind as the sky above them became nothing but fire. Frieza's power disappeared in the wave of destruction as well. Turning his attention ahead, Cooler curled his lip in disgust and anger.

"One down," Gohan breathed, before thrusting both of his hands forward.

"MASENKO!"

This time, Cooler left nothing to chance. Roaring with power, the ice named beast threw himself into the blast in a dive, his aura carving into it. Every moment drained him, pulling him back. Every second he challenged the wave, it threatened to overwhelm him. But he was investing his power now, and Gohan had simply put, invested his power prematurely. With one last great effort, Cooler broke through the blast itself. The shattered fragments of energy he tore through, scattered behind him, leaving only a shocked Saiyan on the other side.

Without mercy, Cooler tackled into the Saiyan. The two rolled across the ground for several moments before Cooler grabbed the other's chest and shoulder with his huge hand, twisting out of the roll, and press slamming the Saiyan into the ground. Before Gohan could even think to respond, Cooler was already over him and with tremendous force, slammed his fist into the Saiyan's face. Blood splattered out once again, and Cooler did so again.

"No one," Cooler seethed as he assaulted the Saiyan. "Disgraces!" the Arcosian shouted. "My Family!"

With the last vicious strike, his fist almost cracking the skull of his enemy, he saw the gold disappear from the head of the fighter.

Breathing heavily, his body depleted of much of its energy, Cooler dragged the Saiyan other with a disgusted look.

Behind him, he already knew his father was standing there, his arms crossed and his face carved of stone.

"This monkey just dispatched your brother," Cold remarked, his eyes burning hate filled holes in the unconscious Saiyan. "I want him to die. Painfully."

"Of course fath..." Cooler's voice slowly trailed off as he looked past his father, seeing a black haired Saiyan in a garment he knew all too well.

"Son Goku," he breathed.

As soon as he spoke the words, his father turned his head as well, staring down at the next Saiyan to come to them. But this one was different. Already Cooler realized just how powerful this monster was. Without having transformed, he must have been as strong as the monkey which Frieza had been fighting before his death. Which meant-

"Put him down," Goku ordered.

With a broad smile, his father stepped towards him.

"Oh really, monkey? I would much rather have his limbs pulled off one at a time, for daring to challenge our family," Cold snapped. "And it is not as if you have the power to stop us, you couldn't even stop Frieza."

What was he talking about? He'd not even seen him figh- Turles!

"Father! That's a different monk-"

Just as his warning was delivered, the Saiyan transformed. The response even from the environment was immediate. The force was enough to force Cooler to drop the monkey in his hand, and even make him slight back. His father raised his arms as his feet dug into the ground, forcing the elder back as well.

"What is this?!" Cold shouted, trying to even keep himself in place.

"My name is Goku, and you've hurt my friends! I won't forgive you, you're just like that monster Frieza!"

Before Cooler could say another word, his father's head snapped violently to one side from a single kick. The giant of the family sailed past him, before crashing into the ground in a lump of unconscious meat.

Turning his head to follow his path, Cooler felt his mind running for solutions. Turning his head forward, he saw Goku stepping towards him and immediately stepped back.

"Wait! There has been a misunderstand! You know, these things happen!"

The lack of response, and intense eyes, told him that things had not been misunderstood at all on his enemy's part. Before another word could escape his mouth, pain exploded through his whole body as Goku imbedded his fist into his stomach. It was immediate and overwhelming. The other monkey's he faced weren't like this one, this one's power was fantastic, overwhelming, terrifying, and now he was all but crippled... from a single blow.

Gasping before blood came up, the last son of King Cold staggered back, trying to even hold himself up.

"Wait-"

Kick.

As soon as the blow landed, Cooler felt ribs shift unnaturally, bending instead of breaking, but leaving him even further injured. A huge bruise began to form even before he hit the ground, landing unceremoniously on his ass.

"You're all the same, just like Frieza. You've taken the lives of billions of people, innocent people!"

"You're right," Cooler responded, raising his hands defensively, letting his body slowly regress back into his true form. Bones popped as they slowly set themselves back into place, and his muscle mass rolled back as well. "We only came here though, because of my brother's desire for revenge, it ends here."

The Saiyan stopped, pointing his hand down at him as his palm began to glow.

"Listen to me. This was all Frieza's idea. Frieza has met his fate, he's dead. I understand the error in judgement coming here. I had no idea your power was this... incredible! Mercy, Son Goku, I beg for my life and the life of my father."

"How many others have begged for their lives, and you killed them anyway?!" the Saiyan fired back.

Of course, retreating was his only option, and salvaging his father was the best he could hope for, if he could hope for anything at all.

"Thousands," Cooler responded, knowing honesty was his only real opportunity to procure what he wanted.

"Frieza killed my son right in front of me, and my best friend-"

"I'm not Frieza," Cooler countered. "I didn't destroy your race, I didn't kill your friends or your son, and I only tried to do so on the request of my little brother, someone you nearly killed yourself! I'm only here for his revenge, and now he's dead! I would rather save my father, then carry on with a fool's errand. I can already sense your great power, Goku. We are nothing compared to you. Please spare us."

Son Goku was an incredible warrior, more incredible then Cooler ever imagined, but he had one weakness, and it was a weakness Cooler knew well. He was afflicted with being merciful. Right now, neither he, nor his father, could ever hope to avenge their brother and their family's honour... but time was on their side.

"Do you promise that you and your father will never come back to the Earth?" Goku asked.

"Yes, I swear to you, we'll never return," Cooler breathed, sounding relieved, and truthfully being so.

After Frieza's actions on Namek, he was worried that he wouldn't be shown mercy.

"I never want to see you, or your father, or any of your kind again," Goku said coolly. "The next time, I won't show you any mercy for what you've done."

Slowly rising to his feet, from his knees, Cooler hobbled towards his father's fallen form.

"You'll never see us again," Cooler promised.

But your friends will.

With that, he pulled the giant form of his father over his shoulders, and hobbled back towards the craft... defeated for the moment, but revenge already being planned behind his eyes. There was much he had access to now... he was a Catalyst, after all.

()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()

Author's Notes:

I decided to write this from the villain's perspective for several reasons. The first one is it really is just easier from writing the battle, to limit the perspectives. I really wanted to write some masterful 50 page battle, but it's just not in the cards right now. What really matters is the next chapter anyway.

So, Frieza died, Trunks is mortally wounded, and Gohan is down for the count. Cooler and Cold are humiliated... for the moment, and the humans and other Saiyans are half cooked after Frieza nearly Death Waved them to death. What a complete mess.

The next chapter has tons of development, especially for... Vegeta! Yes, Vegeta's going to get some limelight next chapter. :)

Overall, I've got a bunch of big stuff planned, and just to give people some ideas, I am going to spoil the next "Saga" as it were.

The Next Saga is going to focus on... Lord Slug.

I'll be posting review responses next chapter, not this one, due to some time constraints, but I do promise some for next chapter! :)