-X- Disclaimer: I don't own Dragon Ball, Z, Super, or GT. All characters belong to ToeiAnimation, FujiTv, Shueisha, and Akira Toriyama. -X-
-x-
In the cold and infinite space, a planet was under attack. Flickering lights shone across the purple gem caused by massive explosions. Whoever tried to flee quickly met their demise as an armada of ships surrounded the beautiful planet. An enormous spaceship floated behind the fleet. The gleaming lights reflected against the big, round window on the vessel. Standing behind the window was a short man who thoroughly observed the situation below. The crimson cape attached to a black armor with golden shoulder pads swayed slightly. Underneath the armor, a royal blue tight suit covered his entire body. His dark orbs remained locked on the planet until a voice seized his attention.
"Your majesty! We just received a report from our leading forces. The remaining rebels yielded and sought mercy."
As he closed his eyes, he scoffed. "Humph, get rid of them." He turned around and moved away from the window. "Tell the squad leaders to kill all rebels on sight." His black, flame-like hair swayed as he walked up the stairs.
The tan-skinned woman nodded and informed the troops while he approached a large desk. His eyes drifted to a flickering orange dot on a hologram. He lifted his hand and touched the insignificant speck so that it would expend. While he stared at a planet surrounded by a disc, he crossed his arms. He wanted to know the orange world's current status, but the man never had time to ask because his attention shifted elsewhere.
A tall, burly man walked inside once the doors slid open. "What's the situation? Don't tell me those low-level clowns haven't finished yet? Talk about pathetic!" He stroked his mustache and released a chuckle.
"Let me go down there, Vegeta. I'll only need an hour to force those bastards to give up!" The man punched his left palm, eager to have some fun.
He stared at the bald warrior for two seconds before averting his eyes elsewhere. "There's no need for you to head down there, Nappa. Our forces are dealing with the remaining rebels as we speak. It shouldn't take more than half an hour until this mess is over." His ears picked up the disappointing sigh from the towering Nappa, but he didn't care.
The flame-haired Saiyan set his concentration on a different matter. "Any reports regarding the current status on planet Kabocha?" A young, fragile-looking man instantly reacted to his voice.
A nervous, scarred man handed over the tablet to his lord. "Y-Yes, sir! Commander Raditz and his squad eradicated the entire population in just one day! Several cities got destroyed; however, that shouldn't cause any trouble for our buyers, sir!" The short-haired informant bowed after he finished talking.
While Nappa snickered at the man's fragile physique and lack of courage, the report pleased Vegeta. "Good." After learning all the essential things he needed to know, the Saiyan returned the tablet.
"Is there anything else? If not, I will retire to my chambers." The red cape swung behind him as he slowly advanced to the doors.
Just as he was about to walk out, a turbulent voice forced him to halt. "My lord! I just received a distress call from prince Tarble's entourage! From what I could gather, the negotiations broke down, and they took the young prince hostage!" A throbbing vein surfaced on his forehead upon hearing that.
"Useless little..."
He closed his eyes and tried to calm himself. Just when he wanted to take a rest from everything, this had to happen. "Tch! Set the course for the planet! Tell the remaining forces to stay here until further notice!" Annoyed, he returned inside and sat on a throne while the scout nodded.
The older warrior could quickly tell in what kind of mood the royal Saiyan was at the moment. Knowing him better than almost anyone, Nappa remained quiet. There was something he needed to tell him, but that could wait. He would take the consequences if necessary after they solved this situation.
-x-
"Gah!"
A groan escaped from his mouth after a punch struck his gut. He immediately dropped to the knees. While he held the abdomen, the short man tried to catch some air. It hurt, but he pushed himself and slowly lifted his head. Blood dripped from his chin while he glared at the aliens in front. Sweat slid down his neck as he tried to get up. However, the alien on the left side suddenly kicked him in the face.
"Ahh!"
The slim-looking man slammed with his back on the ground and bellowed. While the blood poured out of his nose like a waterfall, he struggled to lift his head.
"W-Why are you doing this? C-Can't you see this is pointless? You will only bring demise upon yourself by doing this..." The young prince couldn't finish his sentence because a heavy boot crashed into his back and pinned him on the ground.
"Shut up, you weakling!"
Another painful cry escaped the prince's mouth as the large-headed creature struck again. "You dare threaten us!? Haha, fool! As if we'll ever submit ourselves to you, Saiyan!" The flame-haired monarch gasped for air after the alien lifted the heavy boot from his spine.
"Heh, you stupid monkeys got over your heads! You bunch are acting as if you're the strongest race in the whole damn universe! Just look at you! A little monkey prince, weaker than our most pathetic warriors!"
While the aliens laughed, the Saiyan closed his hands firmly and attempted to cope with the pain. He was a fool. His advisors tried to tell him a diplomatic approach was useless with these people, but he didn't listen. He just aspired to be of some use to his older brother and the empire. Unlike his sibling, he was weak and lacked the drive for battle. But that wasn't the only thing he missed. He was just too soft.
A razor-sharp sting surged through his entire frame. He could barely turn his head to the side. Once he did, his eyes were wide open at sight. The aliens seized his brown tail and squeezed hard. It was too much, and he couldn't even let out a voice. He sprawled immobilized on the icy floor and could only think of what could happen next.
His mind sailed into darkness. He was nothing but a burden, not only to his brother but to their entire race and empire. Maybe it would be better if he met his end here. If he died right here and now, his sibling wouldn't have any weaknesses. A lone tear glided down his bruised cheek.
The young prince couldn't even hear the vile laughs anymore. His conscience slipped away. Realizing the Saiyan wasn't producing any noises, the aliens halted and backed away.
"Hm, I guess that's enough... I never thought there'd be a Saiyan this pitiful. He didn't even try to fight."
They lifted the unconscious Saiyan from the ground and attached the chains to his wrists. "True. At least those guards tried to put up a fight. They were far more interesting than this little thing." One of them smacked Tarble's head before they walked out.
While they waited for their friend to lock the dark cell, one of them gazed at the ceiling. "Hey, is it just my imagination, or something's going on upstairs? Look, why are there..." Their eyes widened upon seeing the ceiling crack and collapse.
The rocks buried them, but that wasn't nearly enough to kill them. "What the hell!? What's going on upstairs!?" They blew away the rocks and immediately rushed to the first floor.
As they bashed the door and set foot inside, a strong wind blew into their faces. Their bodies trembled when they noticed destroyed walls, scorching flames spreading across the room, and, most importantly, corpses on the floor. A massive eruption forced them to glance to the left. Their second strongest warrior landed near them. They stared at a lifeless companion until they heard someone laughing.
A giant emerged from the smoke, cracking his knuckles while arrogantly smirking at them. "Who's next? That was a decent warm-up, but now I'm ready for a real fight!" The man walked over the corpses of his fallen brethren without blinking an eye.
Cold sweat dripped from their chins as they stared at the colossal Saiyan. Consumed by fear, one of them shrieked. "Y-You damn ape! Just fire at him!" Following their friend, the others ignited their hands and launched a full-scale bombardment.
The ki blasts struck the approaching target. Loud and robust explosions caused tremors and smoke to rise. They continued to barrage the bald Saiyan with their energy attacks, but it was in vain. The man walked through all of that and just punched the target closest to him. While his incredible strength paralyzed them, he elbowed the second and kicked the third. Only one guy remained, which caused the sinister grin to surface.
"N-No! I don't want to die! Ahh!"
Nappa blinked in confusion. He thought the man would engage in close combat, but to his massive disappointment, the alien tried to run away. The old Saiyan released a sigh. He closed his left hand tightly, causing throbbing veins to appear across his muscular arm. Before the coward could escape, he raised his glowing hand and detonated an explosion.
The warrior dusted off his armor and turned away. "Eh, what a letdown... Just how could they allow a bunch of weaklings to beat them? Disgraceful!" Nappa frowned at the lifeless bodies of the fellow Saiyans with disappointment.
However, he quickly snapped out of it when an image of the young prince flashed before his eyes. Nappa rushed to the hole and jumped down. Upon landing, the whole place shook. With a simple motion of his right hand, he blew away the boulders.
"I hope he's still alive..."
Once the rocks were out of the way, Nappa saw the only closed prison cell. With fast pacing, he approached the cage and immediately tore the door from the foundation. His dark orbs quivered when he saw the state of the thin prince.
"Tarble!"
In just three steps, he was already near the unconscious Saiyan. He clenched his teeth out of pure fury as he stared at the injured prince. "Those bastards! I should've torn their limbs to make them suffer!" A growl escaped from his throat as he lifted the younger man. He broke the chains with ease and caused the wall to crumble by kicking it.
While Nappa carried the prince to the spaceship, the newly crowned King of Saiyans was in the middle of a battle. Heavy blows rang across the dark sky as the two warriors clashed. While he fought the strongest this planet could offer, the smirk never disappeared from his face. After he blocked the punch, he drew the warrior closer so he can bury his knee into the man's gut. The painful wail brought nothing but immense satisfaction. He pushed his knee deeper, knowing too well that made the ugly alien uncomfortable. However, he pulled back when he noticed an incoming punch from the left.
He crossed his arms and allowed the warrior to recover while he slowly retreated. "Is this all you can offer? Humph, I'm very disappointed in you." His harsh voice and remark reached the man who scowled.
"When I heard Freeza wanted to make this rock as part of his empire, I admit I was interested... There were some rumors about great warriors from this world, but I guess those were nothing but lies." Vegeta spat on the ground while he monitored the enemy.
The creature's fists trembled with fury as he scowled at the Saiyan. "Grr! Silence!" His scream echoed across the sky as he violently swung his tightly closed fist.
"I'll kill you, Vegeta! I don't know how you're dealing with gravity, but that doesn't matter! I'm this world's most powerful warrior, and you'll feel my wrath!" Surrounded by the radiant aura, the man dashed at the Saiyan.
Vegeta frowned and stirred to the side. "Delusional fool... I'll show you the power you'll never be able to grasp." His cape oscillated in the wind while his opponent closed the distance.
"Die!"
The flame-haired warrior was about to duck the punch, but the tall creature noticed that. Acting fast, the man fired a ki blast at Vegeta. A grin appeared on his face when the Saiyan kicked away the shot. Just how he wanted. He took his chance and struck Vegeta's face with a massive knee. Seeing how the strike sent his enemy flying, the warrior released a laugh and followed. He appeared above the monarch and repeatedly punched the man as they continued to fall. Before they reached the ground, he withdrew his fist and delivered a mighty kick.
His laughter echoed over the wasteland when the Saiyan crashed on the ground. "Muahaha! There you have it, Vegeta! No one's stronger than me, Pui Pui!" The warrior, in a very triumphant and proud way, lifted both arms.
"Freeza!? I'll kill that bastard, too, and rule the entire universe! Everyone will know my name..." The creature's exclamation abruptly ended when Vegeta suddenly materialized right before his eyes and kicked him in the cranium.
The man's eyes almost popped out. "G-Gah!" He didn't feel right. His stomach twisted, and he wanted to throw up. However, he never got a chance because Vegeta used him as a punching bag. He could feel all the attacks and the intense force behind them. For a moment, the Saiyan paused. He wondered why, but the warm sensation against his chest made him realize what the prince intended to do.
The ki blast carried the creature to the rough terrain. A turbulent explosion erupted once the blast collided with the ground. While the smoke slowly faded, the Saiyan King landed. The stern-looking warrior walked toward the man, who was under the rocks. Vegeta narrowed his eyes when he saw a little stone fall from the rubble. His expression remained the same despite the massive creature emerging out of the ruins.
One of his spikes on the back broke, and the man was in severe pain. "V-Vegetaaa!" He screamed the Saiyan's name with pure hate. "I-I'm not g-gonna d-die!" With only an eye open, he ran toward the flame-haired warrior.
He had enough. "This farce is over!" With the next step, he vanished.
The world's most powerful and bravest warrior was forced to a halt when Vegeta closed the distance so quickly. Sweat collided with the purple blood and slid down his cheek as he stared with eyes wide open. The yellow light crept through his fingers as the Saiyan accumulated the needed energy. There was nothing he could do but curse the man's name as the heat from the blast turned him to nothing but dust.
Once there was nothing left from his opponent, Vegeta released an annoyed growl. "Tch! I wasted my time for nothing!" His tail swayed behind the back as he turned away, angry. "Without these weaklings, there's no profit... Maybe as a station, but I highly doubt it, and who'd want to buy this useless rock!?" He blasted into the sky and flew back to the ship, in a terrible mood.
-x-
The noise of the machine silently rang inside the room. While the young prince floated in the healing tank, Nappa observed the Saiyan's wounded frame. He frowned at the recent memory of finding him in that cold cage. His fist trembled out of rage. He wanted to kill someone, but he knew better. The giant warrior took a deep breath and held it for five seconds. After he exhaled, it somewhat calmed him down.
He knew this would not happen if the young prince were more assertive and willing to train under a true warrior. The older male wanted to teach and spar with him just how he did with Vegeta. Just how many times did he ask the slender prince to train under him but got rejected? He lost the count, but that didn't matter now. As a loyal warrior of the royal family, he would make the young monarch agree by force this time. It was a mockery to Vegeta and their entire race to have such a soft- and weak-hearted prince.
The older warrior snapped out of his thoughts when his ears picked up noise from behind. He saw Vegeta walk in with a ripped cape and cuts across the blue suit as he turned around. He remained silent and watched the current king throw away the bloodstained gloves.
As he took off his torn armor, Vegeta snapped at the reptilian doctor. "What's his condition!? How long until he's healed!?" After removing his tight suit, Saiyan went into the shower.
The orange-haired reptile quickly approached the shower room. "I hate to say it, but Prince Tarble has received considerable beatings, my lord... Um, however! Thanks to the amazing Saiyan genes, he'll recover in four hours!"
A few minutes later, the royal warrior finally came out. Drops fell on the gray tiles as he approached the table with his new clothes. Before putting on his armor, Nappa tossed him a towel so he could wipe himself. While he dried himself, he knew something was bothering the old warrior.
"Spit it out, Nappa. I know there's something on your mind."
A slight smirk crept on his wrinkled face, but only for a moment. "Vegeta, I request to be Tarble's training partner... Those mid-class weaklings taught him nothing! He needs a firm hand, someone who's not afraid to kick his ass!" Nappa's voice was loud enough for the doctor to hear him and wonder how he could speak brazenly with the king.
Vegeta did not react at all. Saiyan just listened to Napp's ramblings. "It's a shame, and it's true! Your father thought that sending him to that planet as a two-year-old was the only way to strengthen him, and I agreed... But he came back in an even worse condition! If he stays that way..." The old warrior bit the flesh in his mouth and remained silent.
After properly fitting the gloves, the king lifted the gold necklace from the table and threaded it through his head. "Humph, do as you please." He glanced at his loyal warrior, who nodded weakly.
He stirred his black orbs to the doctor, who flinched. "Relay this message to him... I want him in my quarters as soon as he's out of the tank, am I clear?" His intense glare caused the lizard to gulp apprehensively. "Good. Anything else?" The flame-haired king glanced at Nappa.
"If there's nothing, I'll..."
Nappa scratched his head, nervous about what might come. "Well, you were supposed to report back to Freeza, but since we had to deal with all this I..." A heavy blow launched the massive Saiyan to the other side of the room.
"You imbecile!"
His mighty roar frightened the doctor, who fell on the floor. "Morons and weaklings surround me!" He snatched the red scouter from the floor and marched out of the room.
-x-
All the soldiers moved out of his way as he walked through the brightly illuminated hall. He mumbled something under his breath as he raced to the meeting; he was already late. The short Saiyan cursed the bald warrior's name as he passed around the corner. As if he wanted to be mocked by Freeza and his minions. Despite being stronger than most of Freeza's men, he couldn't do a thing to them because of the emperor. Not only that, but it would only show he lacked patience and discipline. As a king, he couldn't allow that. He gritted his teeth and attempted to control himself. However, when he saw a tall, green-haired warrior in front of Freeza's private chambers, he frowned.
The handsome warrior smirked when his golden eyes noticed the Saiyan. "Oh, my! If it isn't the king of monk... Ahm, excuse me, the King of Saiyans." He raised a hand and covered his mouth as he released a chuckle.
"You're late, Vegeta. I'm sure you're aware Lord Freeza isn't fond of such treatment. What could make you this late, hmm?"
A throbbing vein surfaced on his temple as the taller male leaned closer. "None of your business, Zarbon... Now, get out of my face and let me have an audience with Freeza." He glared at the warrior who got too close for his liking.
He obliged and moved two steps back. "Hm, of course." Zarbon tilted his head slightly to the right and forced his tied hair to fall from the shoulder pad. "However, watch your manners. That's Lord Freeza to you, or have you forgotten after you got crowned?" When he saw Vegeta look away, Zarbon smirked and approached the doors.
A minute before Zarbon brought Vegeta inside, a figure even smaller than the Saiyan king floated in the air. He held a glass in his left hand while his right was behind the back. The creature rotated the glass and caused the wine to produce ripples. His tail swayed behind the back as he stared at the being on the large screen.
"I still find it hard to believe you're relying on that restricted form. Don't tell me you haven't learned how to control your true form? My little brother, it's disappointing. I will gladly teach you how to do it..."
He tried his best to ignore the arrogant grin and laughter on the screen. "Worry not. Just because you're able to stay in your true form means nothing. After all, I'm still the superior brother." The two-horned creature opened his cold, red eyes and smirked.
"Besides your pointless attempt to rile me up, is there anything else you want?" He took a sip of fine wine while he waited for a reply.
"Those were never my intentions, little brother. You wrongly assumed my statement... Anyhow, I just wanted to hear from you since you haven't answered our father's call. He and even I are looking forward to our reunion. How many years has it been, nineteen?"
He lowered the hand and corrected the purple creature. "Twenty. It has been twenty years since our clan gathered in the same place... Tell father I will accept his invitation." A warm smile appeared on his pinkish face as he closed his eyes.
There was a short pause. "Hm, of course. I look forward to our reunion, Freeza." The screen turned black once the connection got cut.
A loud noise echoed across the room. "Damn you, Cooler! You dare to mock me!?" He lifted his tail from the floor and revealed a hole on the bottom. "Fool, you think I'm not aware of what you are doing!?" The leader of the illustrious Freeza Force paused when he heard the doors open.
"Lord Freeza, Vegeta has arrived."
The short creature slowly descended and turned his gaze to the Saiyan. "Zarbon, where are your manners. That's King Vegeta IV, don't forget that." His loyal guard immediately bowed and apologized.
Vegeta didn't bother with it at all. Instead, he knelt and lowered his head. "Lord Freeza, I apologize for my lateness. Some urgent matters required my presence." His golden necklace dangled above the black armor as he tried to apologize.
Now that made the pink creature curious. "Oh? Could you elaborate on that for a minute? I'm curious to hear what could hold you back from meeting me at a regular hour." He rotated the glass and took a sip.
The flame-haired warrior knew Freeza long enough to decipher his mood. "Naturally, my lord! After we dealt with the rebel forces on the planet Banna and received a report that Kabocha fell to our might, I obtained an urgent transmission from planet Saute." There was nothing he could do but tell the truth.
"My younger brother Tarble, who is in charge of diplomacy, was taken hostage, and I flew there to deal with it." He went silent and wondered what would Freeza's response be.
"By dealing with it, I'm free to assume you killed all of them, right?"
His tail shifted around the waist for a moment until he stopped it. "Yes. They left me no other choice but to engage in battle. If I may..." He paused and glanced at Freeza, who gestured him to continue.
"The rumor of them being strong and capable warriors was false. Their second strongest fell after fighting Nappa, and their most powerful warrior was nothing but a joke. They were unfit to serve under you, my lord." Vegeta hoped that would gain him some favor.
Freeza narrowed his eyes and observed the Saiyan for a moment. "Hm, is that so? Well, I suppose I shall take your word, Vegeta." The tone of his voice was menacing enough for Vegeta to acknowledge it. "Humph, brothers... Nothing but a bother and a heavy burden, wouldn't you say so?" He turned around after the warrior weakly nodded.
He slowly walked toward the desk in the middle of the room and placed his hand above it. "Vegeta, please come here... I have something that might interest you." Freeza lowered his right hand and put the glass on the edge of the desk.
After he rose from the floor and approached the desk, a hologram came to life. "As you can see, this beautiful pink territory is under my Freeza Force." Vegeta nodded, but he already knew that. The Saiyan could feel something was amiss. "However, right over there, to the right side, that's my brother's part of the galaxy." His orbs shifted to the yellow part of the hologram.
"My dear brother thinks I'm blind and unaware of what he is trying to do, but he's wrong... If you would take a look here, he is dangerously moving closer to the border established by my father."
Vegeta followed the trajectory of Cooler's newest conquest. As his dark orbs drifted along the line, Freeza continued to talk. "And, if by any chance he continues moving in the same pattern... Would you like to guess what planet is right on the border?" His eyes were wide open when he saw a shining blue dot and its name.
Sweat slid down his cheek as he uttered the name. "Planet Vegeta..." It took him a second to regain his composure. "But wait! You think he would dare breach the treaty and attack planet Vegeta?" Vegeta closed his hand tightly and frowned.
Freeza amusingly glanced at a disturbed Saiyan and smirked. "I would not put it past my brother. He is only a few planets away from yours, and I would pay extra attention to it." He picked up the glass and walked from the desk.
"His call earlier wasn't for nothing. He is trying to test me and see if there are any weaknesses." His voice changed, filled with malice as he stared through the window.
The last thing he needed was to deal with Freeza's brother. It was one nuisance after another. He released a faint growl as he thought about the purple lizard. His brain already formed ideas and precautions against Cooler's possible invasion. He needed to grow stronger. Of course, he never stopped doing so, but his responsibility was to breach his current limitations with this threat looming. He just needed to change his present type of training. However, it was easier said than done. His workout regime was already on a level different from any Saiyan. Just what did he need to do? Not to mention, but his followers are also required to grow stronger, somehow.
However, his thoughts came to an abrupt end when he heard Freeza's voice. "My dear Vegeta. Can I confidently put my trust in you and your mighty warriors?" He wanted to throw up when he heard that, but Vegeta immediately dropped on his knee.
"Excellent! I always knew I could count on you." The Saiyan King didn't respond at all. His only thoughts were how to prevent a possible disaster.
