Chapter 16

The cold of space is often seen as terrifying, a mystery that is bound to kill anyone not strong enough to withstand it. It's for this reason that Zamasu watches from afar, his mind's eye hard at work in exploring the universe.

Zamasu was originally from Universe 11, somewhere that has a completely different cosmic layout. He had originally memorized all of his universe's planet locations, stars, and even those populated with sentient life, although the last one had an ulterior motive to it.

Now though, Zamasu has to explore the universe once more, and he doesn't have millennia to memorize the exact location of each celestial body. For now, he's simply observing, taking in points of interest, his vision spanding as far as he can across the cosmos.

Only two planets took his interest, beyond Namek, of which their ship is quickly approaching. The first point of interest is a small planet relatively close to Namek, on a universal scale of course. The planet looks similar to the large planet Jupiter in Earth's solar system and he can feel some decently sized power levels on the planet. Despite their size though, he can feel something potent about the energy. It's almost as if their spirits are so powerful that the foreign energy is leaking into the living world...

Another planet is a nameless planet on the corner of a faraway galaxy. He should've passed over it, given that only basic creatures, albeit strong, inhabited the world. However, when a sudden spike of power that rivaled Frieza's came from the planet, his interest piqued. When the energy nearly vanished, he decided to keep the planet in mind for later. It would require some investigation later on…

A sudden intrusion in his local senses makes Zamasu swerve his attention to the immediate space around himself and his approaching destination. He frowns as he feels five powerful entities enter the atmosphere of Namek, all of them holding an energy of malice.

Zamasu's eyes open and he stands up, walking out of the room. He enters the main chamber and sees Goku practicing with a small ki blade, various slashes and thrusts added to his normal Turtle Style.

"Goku." Said saiyan pauses mid-thrust and turns to Zamasu with wide, confused eyes. Zamasu returns the look with complete seriousness and says, "Rest up. We will be entering Namek soon. Along with that, five new powers just landed, and none of them are good. While we certainly can take them on, do not underestimate their abilities, especially Frieza."

Shortly after Zamasu's… conversation with Chronoa and King Kai, the hybrid kai decided to inform Goku of the situation on Namek. At first, Goku was excited to fight someone as strong as Frieza. A quick, one-sided sparring match shut that idea up very quickly. Or, at least, it diminished it to where Goku could focus on the more precise elements of his training.

The ki around Goku's hand dissipates and he raises two fingers to his forehead. He suddenly phases out of existence, instantly reappearing a few feet from Zamasu. The earth-raised saiyan groans as he sees himself miss his mark. "I tried to land in front of you, not to the side!"

Alongside the ki blade training, Zamasu also taught Goku how to do the instant transmission. The technique is simply too good to pass up on when the coming battle is so against them, even if Zamasu loathed the idea of giving Goku more techniques to play with.

Zamasu doesn't respond initially. Then, he turns around and states, "Get some rest. We will be arriving shortly. Do not transmit there. We will lose the ship if we do." Goku nods, reluctantly accepting the advice. With that, the two warriors go to get some sleep.

Vegeta can only watch in rage as the Ginyu Force laughs at his meager attempts of rebellion against Frieza. The prince grits his teeth in anger as Guldo hands off the giant Dragon Ball to Ginyu. The captain smirks at the prince as he places the ball with the others. "Oh, I'm sorry Vegeta, did we strike a nerve?"

Jeice laughs loudly. "He just can't handle our poses! We are the best in the galaxy!"

Recoome frowns. "Are you sure it isn't our power? That could make him angry since we all can beat him."

The alien with an oddly heavy Australian accent waves the big guy off. "No way. Our poses instill fear and awe in everyone we meet!"

"Now now, no need to fight." Ginyu grins as he steps back from the group to the Dragon Balls. "I need to bring these to Lord Frieza. Play nice while I'm gone, alright?"

A chorus of "Yes, Captain!" emits from the remaining group as Ginyu takes off with the Dragon Balls. Vegeta stares in rage and yells as he sends a blast at the retreating captain. Suddenly, an orange blue appears in front of the ki blast and slaps it away with ease.

Recoome grins sadistically as Vegeta stares in shock. "Hey now Vegeta, I can't have you hurt the captain! He's too busy to deal with you right now!"

The prince growls but doesn't move. Recoome floats down and lands next to Jeice and Burter. Guldo steps forward with a grin. "Finally, I get to fight now! It's been a while since I could fight first!"

The small, green alien's eyes widen immensely with sick glee as he stands in front of the three warriors in front of him. He eyes the bald one and the kid with horrible satisfaction as they tremble in fear.

Krillin gulps in horror at the strength of the group in front of him. They are so powerful! How could any of them hope to beat them?! They're just too weak!

"Krillin!" The monk snaps out of his fearful stupor at Gohan's call. He turns and sees Gohan staring at him with a fire in his eyes. Krillin can only watch in awe at Gohan's resolve. The kid nods, and suddenly, realization dawns inside Krillin's mind. The monk's eyes narrow into a determined glare and he smirks with a nod.

The two pint-sized fighters turn to Guldo with renewed fire. "Stay out of this, Vegeta," Krillin orders. "We need to show your worth." Vegeta nearly retorts on instinct at being ordered by a low life, then pauses at the last statement.

Saiyans have always respected the ways of battle, almost to a glaring fault. Some cheat, others trick, and many more fight with brute force. But no matter the saiyan, a good fight and the chance to prove your worth in battle is always extremely respectable. To remove that chance willingly is a sin of the greatest caliber within a saiyan's mind. With that thought, Vegeta reluctantly backs down. If the need arises, then honor can be forgone. He will step in, if only to keep the punks alive and help his own agenda a little longer.

Guldo grins wickedly as the two warriors prepare themselves to move. "So eager, ey? Well, don't keep me waiting! I want a good fight!"

The remaining members present at the battlefield chuckle amongst themselves. "Those twerps have no idea what's coming," Jeice snickers.

Burter smirks widely. "It'll be over in a flash."

Suddenly, Gohan and Krillin's powers spike immensely. White energy rockets into the air, nearly reaching 10 feet upwards. The two fighters yell as they release their energy. Then, they blast forwards.

Guldo smirks and raises his hands to his forehead. Gohan's eyes widen as his sharp mind realizes something is up. Thinking fast, the boy shoots a ki blast downwards, shooting up into the air at immense speeds. As this happens, Guldo screams, "KYAA!"

The air ripples with unnatural energy as Krillin's body freezes in place. The monk's eyes widen as he tries fruitlessly to move. "What?! W-Why can't I move?!"

Guldo grins in satisfaction. "My psychic powers are unmatched! As long as you are within my sights, you are defenseless against me!"

"Thanks for the tip," shouts a young voice from above. Guldo's eyes widen, his two upper eyeballs looking upwards, forgoing psychic power for surveillance.

Gohan grins widely, similar to his father, as he floats above Guldo. "If an opponent does something strange, get out of the way! It's often a weird attack. Also, always find your opponent's weakness if you can! Thanks, Mr. Piccolo, you really helped me here!"

Unable to move his head, lest he lose his power over the bald one, Guldo grits his teeth in frustration. "Damn it! How did you avoid me?!"

The young hybrid saiyan continues to grin as the remaining Ginyu force look on in curiosity. "Why would I tell you that? You'd just counter it if I did!"

Guldo tsks in frustration. "Smart kid, I'll give him that," the alien mutters to himself. His upper eyes watch the kid carefully as he floats down behind himself. Suddenly left blind to the kid's position, Guldo is left with a choice. Free the bald monk and avoid the kid, or let the kid attempt his plan?

Gohan throws a punch forward with a yell, only for Guldo to move out of the way. Krillin yelps as he suddenly finds himself moving again, only to fall onto the ground with a thud.

Guldo grins as he sees the monk fall, but his eyes widen as the small kid rushes at him. Guldo throws up a hasty defense, grimacing at the power of the blows the kid is able to produce.

The small hybrid keeps throwing punches relentlessly. "You need to keep us in sight to paralyze us! Also, that weird thing with your hands, that helps you focus! If I keep attacking, you can't paralyze me!"

Guldo's eyes widen immensely in shock. "He figured out my paralysis that quickly?! Damn it!"

The green alien yells in defiance and bats away one of Gohan's blows. He takes a deep breath, then stops. Everything around himself freezes, including one of Gohan's fists, inches away from Guldo's face.

The alien steps back, his lungs straining to keep his breath in. Guldo turns and flies away from Gohan, trying to get as far as he can without letting time restart. Then, right as he disappears behind a rock, he takes a deep, shaky breath.

Gohan swirls a bit in the air as Guldo suddenly disappears. He looks around in confusion, wondering what happened, but then remembers Guldo saying earlier that he could stop time. That must've been what happened here too. The hybrid saiyan looks around, his senses on alert to find Guldo. He stares at a rock on a cliff, then turns to Krillin. The monk flies up to him, looks at the rock, and nods. He raises his hand, and the sound of whirring ki can be heard.

Guldo takes deep breaths as he tries to calm himself down. He grits his teeth in anger. "Damn, that kid is smarter than he looks! I can't use my paralysis if he knows how to counter it, and my breath is too short to keep the time stop up for longer than a few seconds right now!"

Suddenly, Guldo hears a noise behind the rock. His stomach dropping, he takes a deep breath, pausing time once more. He stands up, sweating, and turns around.

A massive ki disc, dozens of blades protruding from the ends, is inches from his face. Guldo gasps in surprise, not expecting something to be that close. That gasp is the last thing he would ever do.

Startled by how close the Destructo Disc is, Guldo's breath comes out in a rush. The disc, no longer held back by Guldo's powers, flies forwards at incredible speeds. No resistance is made, even with Guldo's body right in its path.

The small, green alien can only gape as his mind registers a sheering pain, one far greater than he's ever experienced. Then, darkness. Guldo's head falls off of his shoulders, his eyes wide and unmoving, as his body tumbles to the ground in a heap.

Krillin pants in exertion as he tries to calm himself down. He grins nervously. "About time that worked."

Gohan grins, despite the queasiness in his stomach from seeing someone get decapitated. "We did it!"

Vegeta, despite himself, smirks ever-so-slightly. "Not half bad brat. You would make a fine strategist. Too bad we're on opposite sides. I do hope you'll continue to be useful."

The other Ginyu Force members stare in surprise at Guldo's untimely demise. Burter grunts dismissively. "He was always weak. But damn, he was a riot at parties."

Jeice puts a hand over his heart. "We will miss you, buddy. You went down in battle. That's the best we could hope for."

Recoome just grins widely. "Oh! It's my turn now, right?!" When Burter and Jeice give him a nod, smirks plastered onto their faces, Recoome jumps up in excitement. "Alright!"

The man suddenly does some strange poses. "Now! Feel the power of… Recoome!"

Gohan and Krillin stare with confusion, not sure how to react. However, Vegeta tsks in annoyance. "Damn it, take this seriously!"

Recoome pauses and looks at Vegeta, still in his ridiculous pose. "I am taking this seriously! All fights need a fighting pose before they start!"

Silence fills the battlefield. Vegeta's eye twitches rampantly, his mind swirling with one, continuous thought. "I'm surrounded by idiots."

Recoome grins widely, beckoning Vegeta to come. The prince growls audibly, then screams in rage at Recoome's mocking. The giant man pauses in surprise at Vegeta's speed, not expecting that much.

Vegeta roars as he charges his powers mid-flight. Burter's scouter begins beeping rapidly as Vegeta's power climbs ever higher. The blue man pauses in interest. "Well now, this is intriguing."

Jeice watches the number rise with slight worry. "Woah. He's reaching 40,000! He's nearly as strong as Recoome!"

As Vegeta nears Recoome, the saiyan thinks to himself, "I have to thank those idiots on Earth, and that fake saiyan, for giving me two zenkais. I'm more powerful than ever!"

The prince reaches Recoome and roars, sending a powerful punch towards the brute's face. Recoome only watches with curiosity, then yells in pain as he is sent flying backward from Vegeta's blow.

Vegeta wastes no time as he begins charging his energy for a massive blast. His arms fly out to the side, energy gathering on his open palms. He grits his teeth in exertion and rage, feeling his energy skyrocket in power.

Meanwhile, Jeice begins to sweat as his scouter reads the prince's power. "Woah! He's reaching 50k! Shouldn't we help Recoome?!"

Burter frowns as Vegeta's power breaks 50,000, officially greater than Recoome. "Yes. Recoome may hate it, but we can't let another member die." Jeice grins wickedly in response.

The prince continues charging, not realizing the peril he is in. Vegeta brings his arms forward, the energy building even more, as a massive ball of blue energy forms in front of Vegeta's hands. He grits his teeth, pushing his power to the limit. He opens his mouth-

CRACK

And promptly gapes in horror as Burter slams his foot against Vegeta's back. The saiyan's mind is overrun with pain as he registers two ribs broken at the core, but thankfully, not his spine. However, that's the least of his worries.

When energy builds to dangerous levels, such as a chargeable ki blast, disrupting that ki blast can cause a serious backlash. This backlash not only damages the user but also anyone and anything nearby.

As such, Vegeta's screams in pain as all of his built-up energy within the orb explodes violently. Burter's eyes widen immensely in shock as the energy hits his body and screams, just like Vegeta. The two warriors are sent careening backward, their bodies tumbling across the ground at high speeds.

Vegeta slams stomach-first into a rock formation, while Burter is caught by Jeice. The red man tsks in annoyance. "I told ya to use ki, but ya didn't listen! Now look at ya! You're all burnt!"

Burter growls in irritation and begins floating. "Whatever. I did what needed to be done."

As Gohan and Krillin run over to Vegeta, a loud "HEY!" comes from Recoome's direction. Said man flies back to the group, landing next to Burter and Jeice, and looking extremely annoyed. "Vegeta is mine! You guys promised!"

Jeice frowns a bit. "Oi! That blast he was gonna send was over 60k in power! It would've annihilated you!"

This makes Recoome pause, then nod. "Alright, I understand." A sadistic grin forms on his face. "But I get the runts, alright?" The blue and red duo nod, not willing to argue. They did break their promise after all…

Recoome cheers loudly, turning his lumbering form toward the three warriors slowly. Gohan lifts Vegeta by his back and hands him a senzu, the prince eating it without hesitation. Recoome grins as Vegeta stands, the prince grimacing. "Hey, hey! I get to fight all three of you now!"

Krillin gulps as he stares at Recoome with fearful determination. "H-Hey Vegeta? Did you get one of those power boosts you talked about before?"

Vegeta growls in annoyance. "No, damn it. It wasn't enough damage to do anything worthwhile. We're back to square one, and this bumbling oaf is no joke, even if his demeanor says otherwise."

The youngest there doesn't respond, his eyes analytical as he tries to find Recoome's weaknesses. Inside though, he is terrified beyond reason. He's a kid for crying out loud! He shouldn't be doing this just yet! He wants to help his dad fight, but not this early!

Gohan's rant is cut off as Recoome charges at them with a maniacal laugh. "Alright! I hope you all can keep up! It won't be fun otherwise!" The three step back, all dropping into fighting stances, ready for the battle of their lives. Recoome laughs loudly, throwing a punch as he approaches Vegeta

Suddenly, the strange sound of mechanical whirring and wind fills the air as a hand grabs Recoome's with ease. Recoome pauses in surprise as the three warriors stare in shock.

"It's brutes like you I despise the most out of all mortals." Zamasu frowns as he lowers the two fingers from his forehead. Another sound, more akin to air parting quickly, and Goku appears next to Gohan.

Gohan blinks in complete surprise and confusion. "D-Dad?!"

Goku grins as he lowers his fingers from his forehead. "Hey Gohan! Glad I got here in time!"

The other two warriors want to ask more questions, like how Goku and Zamasu appeared out of thin fucking air, but then Recoome laughs. "Oh! I like you! You seem like more fun than Vegeta!"

This only makes Zamasu frown in annoyance. "I have nothing to say to that idiocy. I am, in no way, fun."

"You got that right Zamie!" Only that twitch of Zamasu's eye shows his irritation at Chronoa's comment. Then, without warning, Zamasu throws Recoome away.

The massive man yells as he rockets through the air, plowing through a mountain and slamming against the next one. Zamasu wastes no time flying after him.

Recoome picks himself up from the rubble, his clothes torn. He groans as his head spins. Then, pain replaces the dizziness as Zamasu hammers him into the ground. The brute lays there, motionless, as Zamasu picks up Recoome and throws him into the air.

The giant yells as he is thrown, then stops himself midair. He turns to Zamasu, ready to fight, but sees no one.

"I can finally start." Recoome's eyes widen as he registers a presence behind himself. However, before he can fully react, he is sent flying to the ground again.

Jeice grimaces as he sees Recoome flying towards the ground. "Hey! Shouldn't we?"

Burter nods with a wave. "Yeah yeah, on it." The blue alien flies forward, but an orange and blue streak intercepts him.

Goku stares at Burter impassively, his eyes hard. "No interfering, alright?"

Burter growls in annoyance, then smirks. "And why can you tell me what to do? I'm the fastest in the universe! You can't stop me!" The alien blasts forward, easily moving around Goku's form in a blur.

"Sorry, but you aren't faster than me." Burter's eyes widen and he stops moving, Goku floating in front of him once more. Goku smirks ever so slightly. "Your fight is with me."

Meanwhile, Recoome is reduced to nothing more than a pinball. The massive man yells in pain as Zamasu knees him toward the ground. He tries to right himself, but then he is launched upwards again by Zamasu's kick. He watches with wide eyes as Zamasu intercepts his flying form once more and slams him into the ground.

A massive plume of dust erupts from the ground, obscuring vision of the area. Burter and Jeice stare at the dust cloud in shock as Goku turns with a smile. "It's over."

The dust recedes, showing Zamasu with one hand raised, palm pressed against Recoome's obviously broken back. However, the purple ki surrounding Zamasu's hand, pulsating dangerously, impales the man's spine.

Goku's eyes widen in shock as he sees Recoome's dead eyes. "Zamasu! You didn't need to kill him!"

Zamasu doesn't respond initially, simply throwing Recoome off to the side. Then, Zamasu turns to Goku with a stern glare. "He was too unstable to keep alive Goku. Do not forget that there are some enemies that must be put down."

The earth-raised saiyan's hands shake in anger as he reluctantly remembers the lesson Zamasu taught him. "Gh. Fine!"

Goku turns, obviously unable to continue looking at Recoome's dead form. Zamasu doesn't respond, simply turning to Burter and raising his hand. Burter raises a non-existent eyebrow in confusion.

Then, without warning, a ki blade erupts from Zamasu's hand. The blade reaches Burter's form nearly instantly, much too fast for the blue alien to react. Burter gasps in pain, then spits out blood. He looks down, seeing the blade piercing his chest, right next to his heart. Jeice can only watch in horror as his friend is impaled so easily.

"If you value your life, you will leave this planet." Burter looks up shakily, staring into Zamasu's cold, stern gaze. "I am mere inches away from your heart. One small twitch and your existence will come to an untimely end, just like your comrades."

Jeice stumbles a bit as Burter can only gape in shock and horror. "W-W-Wait now," Jeice stutters fearfully. "N-No need to get antsy with u-us!"

Zamasu gives Jeice a look that freezes him in his tracks. Eyes colder than the void of space, harder than diamonds. Those aren't the eyes of a typical warrior. Those are the eyes of a legend. A legend that is offering him and his buddy a way out.

Jeice turns to Burter quickly. "C-Come on buddy! Accept the offer!"

Burter hisses in pain, then croaks out, "What?! W-We can't abandon Lord Frieza and the Captain! Frieza will kill us, and the captain will be heartbroken!"

Jeice flinches guiltily, but decides to press on. "I know, but that guy is a bigger threat right now! If we both run, we'll at least have each other!"

Burter growls, then falls silent. A small, solemn nod comes from the big blue alien. Zamasu, recognizing the gesture, releases his technique. Burter wobbles in the air, Jeice quickly flying up to steady him. The two look at Zamasu, the latter's eyes cold and patient, and quickly turn away, flying slowly.

Vegeta growls as he sees Zamasu spare the two clowns. Deciding to finish the job himself, the prince raises his hand. Energy gathers quickly, forming a ball.

Then, a sudden pressure appears on his wrist. Vegeta turns, seeing Zamasu, somehow right next to him. His hand is firmly on Vegeta's wrist, and his eyes. His eyes promised something far worse than death should the prince go against the kai.

Vegeta pauses, silently staring at Zamasu. Then, he tsks in annoyance and lets the energy die down. Goku grins and flies over as Zamasu relinquishes his hold on Vegeta's wrist. "Wow! I didn't think you'd actually spare them, Zamasu! Not after what you did to the big guy over there."

Zamasu doesn't make a sound other than, "Those two are smarter than the brute. They could change, learn the beauty of the universe. I have given them a second chance, just as I have."

While Goku nods in understanding, the other three warriors look at Zamasu in confusion or curiosity, or even both. Vegeta, curious at first, shoves the feelings down with a rageful passion. The prince turns away and begins walking in a certain direction. "Whatever. What's important now is stopping Frieza from summoning the dragon."

The rest of the group nods in agreement. Even though the Namek dragon needs the Namekian language for wishes, who knows what Frieza could have done while the Ginyu Force was here. Frieza could've taken a Namekian hostage!

With that in place, the three earth-raised warriors fly up, cautiously and quickly flying towards Frieza and Ginyu's energy signatures. Zamasu gets ready to fly when he feels something on his wrist.

The kai looks down and sees Vegeta grabbing his wrist tightly. The prince's eyes narrow. "Do not believe for a second that I have accepted your help, faker. You are nothing compared to me."

Zamasu's eyes narrow in unhidden rage, something that makes Vegeta pause. The sheer intensity of that anger seemed too much for one encounter, especially one where the faker won the battle.

Zamasu rips his hand from Vegeta's grasp. He glowers at Vegeta. "Do not touch me, prince. You have yet to prove yourself even slightly needed. Watch your tongue around me, lest we have a repeat performance of Earth."

Vegeta scowls in irritation as Zamasu flies off. The prince crosses his arms and lifts himself off the ground, flying after the four warriors. Eventually, he will surprise that faker. That is one thing Vegeta can guarantee will happen.

The results of the coming battle? Even the prince couldn't confirm their victory. Only time will tell how the coming events will play out.

Chronoa closes the book with a satisfied smile. "You're getting closer and closer each day Zamasu. You really are a prodigy in every meaning of the word."

The Supreme Kai turns with a smile. "Spectre isn't here today, so instead, I have Trunks to give the news!"

Trunks smiles awkwardly, his face full of confusion. "U-Um, hi. I... I'm still not sure how to react to this situation, but I'll give it my best shot."

The time traveler looks at the page in front of him. "Um... it says that the author managed to get a better length to the story, and now that Zamasu and Goku are on Namek, the action can really begin. He also says that he hopes you all enjoyed and that you can understand the slowed update times, with him being in college and whatnot."

Trunks looks at Chronoa with a questioning glance. The kai nods, which causes the hybrid saiyan to breathe out a sigh of relief. Chronoa grins widely and waves as Trunks waves slowly. "Thanks for reading," the kai cheers. "And please leave a review! We always love to read them!"