A/N: Okay, so full disclaimer: this is going to be a long chapter. Over 11,500 words. But the majority of it is a battle, so there's that. I originally wanted to do this as two chapters uploaded at the same time, but I decided it would better to just upload one mega-chapter instead to move the story along. Anyway, so the majority of the chapter is a flashback to the moment I've been building up to: the fight between Zuchino and Freeza.
But any who, I'll let you guys get to reading. Enjoy and thanks for reading!
Zuchino sat up in his bed, awoken from another nightmare yet again. The second one since he took off for the Southern Galaxy, no doubt spurred on by his earlier flashback. He rubbed his eyes and silently tried to steady his breathing. He looked over at the other two beds to his side and saw the two bodies lying it, seemingly undisturbed by his violent awakening. Good, didn't need any more questions after his earlier blow up that may or may not have given him away. He should apologize later, say it was the stress of being back in space for the first time in years.
With that, he slipped out of his bed. Wearing his black jumpsuit, he silently crept out of the sleeping area into the main quarters of the ship, a circular room that had multiple doors to the various rooms of the ship. First, he went into the cockpit to see if they had crossed over yet. Nope, still completely black void. He grabbed his scouter from the table, placed it on his ear, and activated it.
"Awaiting command."
"Show me a map of the Southern and Western Galaxies and our current location," Zuchino commanded.
"Instructions understood, generating map of the Southern and Western Galaxies." The computerized voice answered, quickly filling in a map of the two galaxies and showed that they were very close to the boundary. He estimated that they would be there at any second now ideally. He removed his scouter, dissipating the hologram, and placed his scouter back down.
Next, he crept into the kitchen. He wasn't particularly hungry (hadn't really been the entire trip) and just needed some water. He activated the selector (Stark decided it would be more efficient if they had a vending-machine type of automation system for their fluids). After receiving a chill bottle of water, he took a quick gulp before a feeling struck him.
He quickly turned, hand raised with a red ball of ki already formed, to find Stark and Bruce sitting at the table, looking at him. Sighing, he lowered his hand and threw the duo a glare, "What the hell are you both doing, besides sitting in the dark attempting startle me?"
"We were waiting for you. It's almost become clockwork at this point." Tony said, flipping the light switch. "Why don't you sit with us?"
"What?" He inquired, looking between the two with a suspicious glance. "What is this about?"
"We've been noticing what's been happening with you, Zuchino," Bruce answered, making Zuchino focus his glance on him.
"Okay, I'm leaving," Zuchino rolled his eyes, already walking towards the door before.
"Insomnia, the waking nightmares when you do fall asleep, the spacing out, the angry outbursts from heightened irritability." Bruce went on, making the Saiyan stop in his tracks. "And that's just what we've noticed...Fury didn't just want us on this journey to help with piloting, he also wanted us to come along to keep an eye on you."
"But why?"
"Because ET," Tony began, kicking the chair in front of him out in a gesture to have the Saiyan sit there, "Fury noticed some things as well, especially after the New York 'Incident'. He's also noticed that you began detaching yourself from Natasha and Steve, avoiding any conversation about Planet Vegeta or Freeza, it's not been hard to see. So, once again, care to tell us what's going on or do you want me to take a stab in the dark?"
Knowing he had no other choice, Zuchino sighed and sat down in the seat. Tony and Bruce sat forward with inquisitive looks.
"It was happening before the New York Incident, but it was much easier to hide. I was alone, didn't have anyone I talked to or really even cared for. But after seeing the devastation the Chitauri brought about on that city, it...whatever this is, it got worse. I thought I could continue to hide it but...obviously, it's gotten past the point where it would be normal."
"What has been happening, what has been running through your mind?" Bruce asked softly as Zuchino chuckled, took a swig of his water and pushed some stray hairs from his vision.
"Flashbacks, nightmares, all about what happened on Planet Vegeta that day."
"What day?" Tony asked, his brows furrowing. Zuchino sighed and looked down.
"The day I killed Freeza," Zuchino stated. "The battle, the time before then, it's been running through mind and I just can't seem to shake it. I hear or see something that reminds me of those times, suddenly I'm thrust back to that day until I can wrestle my mind out of it."
"I knew it," Stark muttered to himself, looking down and grabbing his left arm to massage. "I know what you have," Tony stated again, looking over to Bruce. The scientist looked at Tony with a "This is not the time" glare before he realized what Tony was saying and gave a simple nod.
"What, what are you talking about?"
"Zuchino, in your research into the culture of our planet, did you ever look into psychology?" Bruce asked.
"A little bit, just to make conversation when needed. Why?"
"There's something that we think describes what's been wrong with you. It's common on our planet, especially with veterans." Tony stated as he looked over at the Saiyan. "And I may have had about with it myself. It's called post-traumatic stress disorder."
"Post-traumatic stress disorder?"
"It's a condition that triggered by a traumatic and highly stressful event and anything can lead to those memories being brought back in horrifying detail," Tony stated, letting out a shaky breath. "It's difficult to explain. Sometimes it's the feeling that something bad is right behind you. Every car door that shuts at night is something bad. It's being afraid to go to sleep because you know the nightmares are waiting. And even when you wake up, it takes you a few seconds to realize whether you are actually awake or you're still asleep because those nightmares, they-they felt so real. Then certain places or a loud crash brings it all crashing back down on you. That's how this started, right? It's all happening right in front of your eyes over and over. Your body's here, but your mind is still there. There's a door and you want to go through it to get away from it, so you do and it leads you right back to that moment. And you see that door again and you know it won't work, but, hell, maybe it'll work. So you step through that door and you're right back in that horrible moment every time. You still feel it every time. So you just want to stop opening that door. So you just sit in it." Tony finished taking a breath before looking at the Zuchino, making his breath hitch for another time. He could see something forming his eyes, tears. He never thought he would see the day that happened.
"Wow..." Zuchino let out a sigh, trying to hold back the tears. "That...yep, that perfectly describes this. How did you get over it?"
Tony let out a small chuckle. "Truth be told, I don't think I have. It's not as bad as it was last year, but it's definitely still there. It takes time, a lot of patience, and support. However, I did do one thing that really seemed to mark the betterment..." Tony said as he looked the Saiyan in the eye. "I talked about it, told what happened. Just put everything out on the table."
"He did it with me," Bruce muttered as Tony shushed him.
"So, what? You want me to tell you all what happened that day?" Zuchino asked as Tony nodded. "I don't think that's a great idea."
"Because of the triggers? I understand but trust me, it will help. I mean, have you told anyone?" Bruce inquired as the Saiyan shook his head. "Trust us, just tell us about us, build up to it. Trust me, it'll help calm you."
"Oh…" Zuchino thought for a second and so many starting points came to his mind, "where do I even start?"
"Tell me about your parents," Tony suggested as Zuchino blinked and nodded. Okay, not one of those starting points, but it was one nonetheless.
"Well, my father, now that I think about it, was exactly like you: hardheaded, sarcastic, and can't tell a good joke without mocking someone else. But, he was my dear old dad and I loved him. My mother was a perfect counterbalance to him; where he was mocking, she was compassionate; something almost foreign to the Saiyan race. They loved each other to death, having been joined for thirteen cycles…then the battle of Galen came." Zuchino stated as he thought back to that day. "My parents were drafted to the planet due to the massive amount of power their race possessed. But they didn't know they going right into a setup. Long story short, they were all killed upon arriving because the planet was rigged to detonate when they reached it. They didn't even have the time to notice." Zuchino stated as he looked down in sadness before letting out a sigh.
Tony looked over to him with a rare look of compassion before the Saiyan continued, "My sister and I were then placed under the care of King Vegeta, being as he was a good friend of our parents and he lost his son in the invasion as well."
"You have a sister?"
"Yeah, Corma," Zuchino said as he chuckled. "My older sister, but you couldn't tell; I somehow became more mature than her. But I loved her to death; she was my best friend. We stayed underneath his care and not only grew more powerful, but more resentful of the tyrant who ruled over us."
"Freeza?"
"Turns out that he rigged the planet to blow because he thought the Saiyans were reproducing fast. The worst part? He had a hand in raising us, but he favored me in particular. He taught me many things and I quickly moved up the ranks; there were many resentful of my rising, but it never bothered me. Because while I was rising through the ranks, I was coordinating with different races to create a rebellion. The entire Saiyan race was in on it, as well as other races that Freeza enslaved. Surprising given the Saiyan reputation."
"What about it?" Bruce asked as Zuchino froze and looked at them. "What?"
"Do...do you both know what I did before I was marooned on Earth?" Zuchino asked as both the scientists looked at each other and shook their heads.
"I know you were a space pirate," Bruce added, Tony nodding.
Zuchino muttered, "it's much more than that," before walking over to the window on the ship to gaze upon the random planet they were blasting past. They'd finally reached the Southern Galaxy given the planet they could see in the distance. It was a large red planet with a ring that wrapped horizontally around the planet. Squinting, he could see the swirling white clouds.
"This planet here, I remember it. I remember it because I exterminated all life on it." He could practically feel the horrified glances behind him. "The Planet Trade Organization's main goal was to eradicate the populations of profitable planets and sell them off as land."
"Who...who would buy planets?" Bruce asked as Zuchino chuckled.
"Well, it depended on the circumstance; some planets had very profitable resources that certain organizations would love to get their hands on. Planets that contained large quantities of Katchin ore, for example, still is one of the biggest reasons one would order the extermination of life on the planet, to ensure that the locals wouldn't be a problem while they mined away the resources. Others just wanted them for the beauty of the planet, others wanted home bases for their organizations, the list went on and on. And the Cold Empire reigned over it."
"How many?" Tony asked as Zuchino sighed and placed an arm on the glass while he leaned against it.
"I'm sure it was in the tens of millions. I never kept count because..." Zuchino took a second to sigh. "All of my life before Earth, I was raised to believe that nothing mattered in this universe more than my strength. Weakness would not be tolerated in any form or else you faced exile. Emotions? Who needs them? Hell, even King Vegeta exiled his own son for being too emotional. I've killed hundreds of people across this universe, but I did it while pushing my emotions back so I could do it. The sad part? The Saiyans weren't even repentant. We only wanted to remake the universe in the Saiyan's image, not to free those races. And we would've gotten away with it if Freeza hadn't found out and..." Zuchino trailed off, a memory flashing in his mind.
"He found out you knew?" Bruce asked, bringing the Saiyan back to reality.
"Yea. Tortured me for information and then told me, as a way to quell any talks of rebellion, he was going to exterminate us and blow up our planet. I tried to stop him, but he just laughed in my face...then he cut off my tail." Zuchino's fist tightened at the memory, giving Tony the sign to step in.
"So, tell us about that day," Tony recommended as the Saiyan looked over before peering back through the window, leaning against the ship's wall.
"I'd just woken up from the chamber…
Appule watched the Saiyan closely, watching for any sudden movements or signs of awakening while he sat in the healing chamber. After Freeza brought him in to keep him from dying on the torture chamber floor but wanted him to stay weak enough to make sure he isn't much of a threat. After all, didn't want him detonating the entirety of the ship once he woke up. Appule looked down to monitor the Saiyan's vitals. Everything seemed to go back to being stable, indicating his return to consciousness at any moment. Placing the tablet against side pocket, he walked back to his chair before there was a large increase in bubble sounds, indicating movement. Quickly turning around, his eyes found the Saiyan, still seemingly unconscious. He continued back to his chair before the sound caught his attention again. He turned this time to see that the breathing apparatus had come off the Saiyan's face. The bubble noises made a lot of sense now. He pressed a button to drain the liquid partly, leaving it to pool underneath the window.
With his subject free, he opened the window and grabbed the face mask. Just as he managed to fish it out of the water, a large sound caught his attention, followed by a sharp pain in his abdomen. He looked slowly down, confirming his trail of thought: an arm emerged from the tank's metal door and was piercing his stomach. He looked up to see the Saiyan glaring at him before he ripping his hand out. Appule backed away, grasping his stomach while Zuchino ripped all the wires from him and kicked open the door, splashing the green liquid everywhere.
"Please, please have mercy." Appule sputtered out, purple blood dripping from his lips. Zuchino didn't even give the alien another look before he fired a beam forward, popping the alien's head like an overripe melon and sending brain matter across the room. He quickly gathered his things, changing back into the armor left there. No doubt Freeza was planning on taking him to a public execution after…after-DAMNIT!
Quickly throwing the red and black armor over his head, he bolted out of the room into the hallway. He was definitely on Freeza's flagship now. Thankfully, being on this ship for so long during his childhood years taught him exactly where everything was, including where Freeza's throne room was. He was going to find the bastard and figure everything.
Running through the ship, he realized just how empty the ship was. There was not another living soul left on this ship. Not a good sign, especially since the invasion of Planet Vegeta on Freeza's agenda and he had no clue how much time had elapsed since he lost consciousness and now. Finally, he reached the throne room and saw what he dreaded: the ground of Planet Vegeta. There was no doubt about it. But what led to his sureness was the amount of destruction he saw on the planetary floor.
Large craters covered the planet's surface, followed by large swaths of destroyed grasslands. Any building looked to have been exploded and crumbled. But none of that mattered to the number of bodies he saw. He had failed his people. It was because of him they were all dead. If only he had been stronger, if only he had been smarter. It was his idea to go with those Irkens and Furons and now his entire race had suffered the cost of his mistakes. He floated up to see at the forefront of the battles King Vegeta standing before Freeza and his goons. He looked he was at death's doorstep, standing with one arm hanging down bleeding profusely. That's when Freeza lifted up his hand, a bead of red light gathering at it.
"FREEZA DON'T!" Zuchino screamed in vain. That's when the beam pierced Vegeta's chest. It happened in slow motion for the Saiyan warrior as he watched his king fall to the ground. The world was silent for him…until he both heard and felt a snap.
"NO!" Zuchino roared, losing control of his power that exploded around him. His eyes went fully white as a golden aura roared around him. He was going to ensure Freeza and his men would not leave Planet Vegeta alive. NOT TODAY!
The once proud Saiyan ruler stood in the middle of the battlefield, surrounded by the bodies of his once loyal subjects. The rebellion they had planned so meticulously had failed before it even began. Irkens and Furons sold them out in exchange for benefits. He should've known those tall bastards and that Pox coward were loyal to Freeza. All of the work they put into it, all the plans on how to reshape the universe around the Saiyan Empire, gone in one fell swoop.
"I have to give it to you, Vegeta. If I hadn't known of this little rebellion before now, you definitely could've stood a fighting chance against me. Well, against a greater part of my army, but of course not me." Freeza spoke in a calm voice, sitting in his hoverchair. To his right were Zarbon and Dodoria; to his left was the Ginyu Force. It was all Freeza needed to completely demolish the entire Saiyan resistance. "How does it feel? To work so hard for something only to have it swept out from underneath? Then, on top of it, losing the birthright? I can't help but imagine it's a feeling that makes you sick to your stomach, almost like a punch to the kidney. Because that's how I felt once I found out about your treachery. I did so much for you monkeys, forgave even the biggest trespasses, and even let you all keep your king and for what? Nothing. So any last words, my dear royal monkey?"
King Vegeta remained silent, standing still in front of the galactic emperor. He had no words for the sick son of a bitch and his bullshit tone.
"Words fail you at this hour, King Vegeta?" Freeza smirked, aiming a finger with a bead of energy at the end right at the regal Saiyan. "May Kami have mercy on your soul." Freeza chuckled before firing the beam; it traveled right through the Saiyan's heart. His shock was palpable before he fell to the ground, blood pooling around him.
Freeza opened his mouth to let out one last cackle before his scouter beeped. It was detecting a large power level growing by quadruple digits every second. Before it could get past six hundred thousand, it overloaded and exploded in Freeza's face. Same with his warriors. That's when an explosion in the sky knocked his focus away from the Saiyan. He looked up to see where his flagship was…it was just a large cloud of fire and smoke in the air.
"MY SHIP!" Freeza roared in fury, looking to see what caused the destruction. Whatever caused this massive power level was on his ship and destroyed it. However, the explosion was quickly faded away to show a glowing yellow form. "Who is that?"
The form then vanished, leaving the warriors in shock, before it reappeared before them. All of the warriors immediately recognized the glowing figure, it was Zuchino. It obvious from the black and red armor and his body features, but that was all that was recognizable of the Saiyan. The main thing that stood out to him was his hair, it went from straight black hair reaching down to standing on end and practically glowing yellow. His muscle mass seemed to have increased substantially and his skin was far brighter than before.
"Zuchino, what did you do to my ship?!" Freeza snarled. "You'll pay dearly for that."The tyrant looked over to Dodoria and nodded. The fat pink alien returned the action before dashing forward, knowing that he could still take the glowing monkey with little ease. Whatever Zenkai he may have gained from his brush with death and the torture was definitely not enough to take him on.
That's when Zuchino diverted his glare to Dodoria, who stopped in midair.
"Dodoria, what has gotten into you? Get him!" Freeza demanded before noticing just what was happening to his top-tier warrior: he was pulsing. His body was expanding with each second; they were small, pulse-like expansions until Dodoria's cries of terror and pain, that's when they became larger. In a few seconds time, he practically doubled in size. No one could find the mental capacity to figure out what they were going to do and just what the Saiyan was doing to him with just a glance?
That's when Zuchino raised a finger and fired a beam of ki, so thin it was almost unseeable. The second it reached Dodoria, he exploded…no, he popped like an overinflated balloon. Entrails and innards from the pink alien fell across the landscape while his allies stood in shock. The Saiyan turned his sights on the blue alien Zarbon. He blinked out an existence, giving the pretty alien no time to comprehend what was happening. He felt it though when his body was suddenly racked with indescribable agony from every side; the blows came from every plausible side so fast, it was like it happened simultaneously.
After five seconds of the brutal torture, the Saiyan reappeared next to Zarbon. The now eyeless alien began to fall before the enraged Saiyan grabbed his braid, halting his descent. Zuchino pulled the alien up to look him in the eye. Noticing the groans and labored coming from the alien, the Saiyan lowered him down a little before drawing his knee back. He slammed it directly in Zarbon's face, causing a sickening crack to echo across the battlefield as Zarbon's skull gave way under the pressure. Once he pulled his knee back, Zarbon's entire face had wrapped around the shape of the Saiyan's knee, dead at impact. He dropped the dead alien to the ground just as he disappeared, barely missing Recoome and Burter's flying grasps.
"Damn it, where did he go?!" Recoome cried, looking around for the missing Saiyan. He got his answer as he felt two thighs grab his head and violently wrench it to the side, snapping the giant's neck. Zuchino disappeared once again before Recoome's body even hit the floor; he let his presence be known by kicking Burter into the air. He reappeared above the speeding reptilian alien, a ball of red ki energy already prepared in his hand. Without even a blink, he fired the ball of ki and vanished again. The blast exploded against Burter, his scream of agony being his last sound before he was incinerated from existence.
"Guldo, freeze time!" Ginyu commanded the trembling green alien; he quickly emerged from his fear and puffed out his cheeks. For Guldo, the world went monochrome for a second. That's when he saw the Saiyan, standing before him and completely frozen. Guldo inwardly chuckled, planning his attack when he noticed something. Zuchino was moving! No, that was impossible; no one could move during his time freeze!
The Saiyan lifted his hand and aimed directly at the now horrified green alien. His eyes practically bulged his skull as his mouth opened to scream, time immediately resuming. Jeice, Ginyu, and Freeza then noticed the Saiyan blasting away the small green alien. With the three of them left, Freeza looked at Ginyu and Jeice.
"You two, distract him while I transform!" Freeza said before the Saiyan delivered a kiai that blasted the galactic emperor from his hoverpod and sending him skirting across the landscape like a ragdoll. With their emperor now down and the Saiyan hadn't even broken a sweat, the two remaining warriors of the Ginyu Force realized just how powerful Zuchino had grown in this new state.
"Jeice!"
"Yes, Captain!" Jeice said as he quickly formed a Crusher Ball in his hand. "Take this, monkey!" Jeice sent the ball hurtling towards the Saiyan with as much speed as he could muster. The Saiyan only raised his hand in defense. Once the ball touched it, it shattered like glass and the ki shards fell down to the ground. Jeice stood frozen, his attack was so easily destroyed. With great speed, the Saiyan appeared in front of Jeice, making him yelp as he fell backward. He began crawling away; he saw the Saiyan's new turquoise eyes…he didn't think such hate, such mate, such malice possible through one glare until now. The Saiyan raised his hand towards him, a red ball of energy quickly taking form in his hand.
"Captain!" Jeice screamed before Ginyu appeared before the Saiyan, his arms and legs spread out and a devious smile planted on his face.
"Change n-" Ginyu's foolproof plan didn't account for a beam of energy to pierce him through the neck. Ginyu's hand's shot towards his throat as he tried to gurgle out his special attack chant before he fell down to the ground, no longer moving. Jeice, seeing just how fucked he was, took off to the sky in hopes of escaping the Saiyan. Just as he thought he got away from the Saiyan, he looked back to see he was gone.
He looked forward only to fly face-first into the boot of the glowing Saiyan. Jeice cried out in pain, blood pouring from his nose like a faucet before he was double-ax handled from the air. Speeding towards the ground like a meteorite, he welcomed the death it would surely bring…until he stopped. Looking up, he saw Zuchino in front of him with his left hand pointed towards him.
"Please, Zuchino, just let me go," Jeice begged, spitting the blood and mucus from his mouth.
"How many…" Zuchino began as Jeice looked up towards the now speaking Saiyan. "How many of us did you slaughter after they begged for their lives?"
"I'm sorry!"
"How many?!"
"Have mercy!"
"You deserve no mercy," Zuchino growled as his golden aura reappeared around his body. His hands began to glow as he joined them together before ripping them apart in a violent fashion, telekinetically ripping Jeice's arms and legs from his body. Jeice cried in sheer agony before Zuchino joined his hands back together, crushing Jeice in between his own limbs. His screams didn't cease as Zuchino released the crimson alien, letting him fall to the ground. He raised a hand towards the dying Jeice, sparking a ki blast before his attention was drawn to a new figure approaching him.
It was Freeza, now in his final form. Zuchino never seen it himself, he'd only heard of the rumored form that everyone thought was a gigantic monster, given his first three forms. He was pure white with purple domes on the top of his head, his shoulders, wrists, and ankles. Truth be told, he had heard the rumor that Freeza could transform, but never expected it to be true.
"Like what you see, monkey? This is my true form; enjoy it while you can, no one other than my father has forced me to transform into this state. Now, feel fear that is worse than dea-UGGGHHHH!" A hard fist to Freeza's gut made him lose his words. He looked up to see the furious turquoise eyes of the remaining Saiyan glaring down at him.
"I am going to kill you," Zuchino growled as he knocked the Arcosian away with a devastating right hook. Freeza sailed backward, still frozen in shock before Zuchino grabbed hold of his tail; raising him into the sky, Zuchino brought the tyrant down onto his knee with spine-breaking force. Freeza screamed in pain as he flew upwards to regain his bearing. He was too slow as Zuchino grabbed his foot and threw him towards the ground, launching a red ki blast after him. Freeza managed to correct himself before hitting the ground but the ki blast slammed into him, exploding the area into a giant crater.
Freeza dashed out of the smoke and fired a purple blast at the glowing Saiyan with a screech of fury. The Saiyan zipped out of the way and reappeared in front of the shocked tyrant, delivering a savage headbutt. The impact turned the tyrant around and Zuchino grabbed him by the back of his neck before dashing down at great speeds. Freeza let out a panicked scream before his face slammed into Planet Vegeta's crust. Without giving a second, the Saiyan began dashing forward while dragging the tyrant against the ground, leaving a line of destroyed crust for miles. Once he tired of this, he let go and began floating upwards. Forming two balls of electrified red ki in his hands, he began firing blast after blast down at the unmoving tyrant. Zuchino rained fiery hell down on the tyrant, kicking up a plume of dust and smoke seen from miles away. Finally, he raised his hands into the air and instantly charged a plateau-sized ball of energy before hurling it down at Freeza. It exploded with planet-shaking force as the Saiyan glared down through the smoke plume. He finally lowered down to the edge of the crater. He knew that wasn't enough to kill Freeza and he didn't want it to. He wanted that bastard to suffer every second before he would die.
Almost on cue, the dust cloud was quickly blasted away by a purple aura of furious ki that larger than any Zuchino has ever seen. Freeza stood on his two legs, vibrating with rage. In fact, his anger was practically palpable. The tyrant's energy had dropped a great deal as he glared at the Saiyan through one bloodshot, glowing eye, the other closed in pain. The battle left his white skin with scuffs, deep gashes that oozed red blood, and the tip of his tail was disintegrated in the blast. His teeth were bared with rage and he was obviously on the last ends of his sanity from the beating just received from the Saiyan monkey HE HAD FUCKING RAISED!
"YOU FILTHY PIECE OF MONKEY SHIT!" Freeza roared, his aura exploding even bigger as he glared daggers towards the Saiyan. "I made the Saiyans who you are! Without me, you all would still be the cavemen you were when my father gave you over to me! And what do I get in return?! Mutiny, insubordination, and now I have to deal with this bullshit?! How dare you make me bleed, the mighty Lord Freeza!" With that, he blasted towards the Saiyan at a speed most being in the universe would be incapable of perceiving, but the Saiyan vanished before he could land a hit. Freeza, angered by this, began blasting around him. Once it was over, he began looking around, searching for the Saiyan.
"Cut the bullshit, Freeza." That voice cut into his ears like a knife, making him growl in anger. "You treated us like your toys, using us to carry missions you were too lazy to. You never cared about us, you never gave so much a minuscule portion of a shit about how you treated us. Instead, you kept us oppressed and downtrodden every chance you could get!"
Freeza saw the Saiyan appear in front of him and deliver a devastating blow to the tyrant's stomach. Freeza spat up blood before Zuchino delivered a roundhouse kick that sent the tyrant sailing through the air. Quickly catching up, he delivered a right hook kick to Freeza's face before delivering a punch to the tyrant's chin. Freeza floated backward before correcting himself.
"I REFUSE TO BE BEATEN BY YOU!" Freeza roared before he unleashed his own ki blast flurry at the Saiyan. Instead of dodging, he stood still and let the blasts hit. He fired dozens a blasts a second before raising his finger, channeling a basketball-sized ball of energy and throwing it directly at the cloud. The explosion held the power of multiple nuclear blasts, destroying up the ground for miles.
Freeza panted as he watched the smoke begin to sift away, hoping that did it. None of his blasts hit before, nothing would be capable of surviving such an energy volley from him in this form. That's when he saw it. First, he saw the yellow glow shining through the smoke. Then he saw the hair. Then the boots. Finally, the smoke fully cleared to show the Saiyan still floating in the air, not even a scratch lining his form. Freeza's sanity practically snapped in two.
"Why won't you die?!"
"Because," Zuchino spoke, giving a small smile, "I've finally realized. They said it was a legend, that it was just a myth."
"No," Freeza growled, it was not possible.
"I even thought it was just a fable, but now I see. I am a Super Saiyan."
"It's just a myth!"
"You seem a little scared, Freeza." Zuchino chuckled. "Scared to see your demise before you? And to think, it's going to be at the hands of a simple piece of monkey shit."
"How dare you think you're better than me?! You think now that you're a Super Saiyan that you're better than me, Lord Freeza, the emperor of the universe?! Well, you're not! I OWN YOU! I OWN YOUR PLANET! IN FACT," Freeza roared as he raised his hands quickly with a ball of red ki in it, making Zuchino's eyes go wide, "FUCK THIS PLANET!" Freeza threw it to the ground, speeding fast enough to ensure Zuchino would not be able to stop it.
"FREEZA," Zuchino shouted, "WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?!"
On cue, there was a planet-trembling explosion that threw the warriors across the air. Such an explosion was felt even on the opposite side of the planet, destroying it and creating deep fissures across the planet, lava even shooting out. Once the light faded and the explosion was over, the Saiyan flew back to the site. There was a large hole tunneling down past he thought possible, it was clear what Freeza did: destroyed the core of the planet.
"Shit, that bastard tried to destroy the planet to try to win." Zuchino thought for a second before an energy spike struck his mind. He felt Freeza's ki…and it was rising faster than he thought possible. He flew off in the direction as fast as he could, he knew what the tyrant was attempting to do. And, judging by how fast he was going, he wouldn't be able to stop it. He also had to think about how he would make his exit from Planet Vegeta, he gave the planet a good ten minutes before it completely detonated.
Arriving at the scene, his shock stopped him dead in his tracks. Freeza's body had gone from slim and sleek to looking like a full-on muscle with arms and legs. But his power, it rose past what he thought possible. He cursed his earlier cockiness; of course, Freeza wasn't using all of his power, his pride wouldn't let him think that a Saiyan was worthy of it.
"100%!" Freeza finally roared, completing his power up. He looked over at the Saiyan and gave a deadly smile. "Now, time to show you your place."
Zuchino kneeled over from a hard fist to his gut, he didn't even see the tyrant zip in front of him. Freeza grabbed his head and brought him down on his knee, making the Saiyan fly up with a broken nose. He zipped up and unleashed a flurry of punches upon the Saiyan; each punch struck with enough strength to show off his rage. Zuchino's armor cracked and shatter underneath the constant punches, leaving him in just his bodysuit.
Halting his assault, he grabbed the Saiyan by both of his armpits and threw him down, launching a pink ball of ki towards the Saiyan. The ki ball connected with the Zuchino's stomach and sent him flying down faster before finally exploding in the umpteenth explosion of the day to rock the entire planet. Zuchino laid there, struggling to move after the assault. Gashes and scratches lined his body, all oozing blood. However, he pushed his body to stand and began searching the air for Freeza.
That's when the tyrant came dashing from the left, only allowing the Saiyan enough time to face him before he slammed his foot into his face. Using the momentum, he brought the Saiyan back down to the ground before hopping off and flying away again. He flew into the air before landing feet first into the Saiyan's gut, making him vomit out blood. Freeza smirked, looking down at the barely conscious Saiyan with sadistic glee.
"Ah, feels good for the natural balance to be reset." Freeza chuckled, before stomping onto the Saiyan's stomach and eliciting another scream of agony. "You should've just stayed on the ship! *Stomp* I was thinking about offering you a place. *Stomp!* But *stomp* not *stomp* any *stomp* more!"
That's when the Saiyan flared his aura, forcing Freeza off of him. Freeza flipped in the air before dodging a flying punch from Zuchino; he countered with a punch that rattled the Saiyan's world before kicking him away. The Saiyan flipped and delivered a heel kick to Freeza's temple, sending the tyrant flying. It didn't stun him for long before he zipped away, Zuchino following close behind. Clashes of fists between the two galactic titans reverberated around the destroyed countryside, visible from the shockwaves caused by said clashes. The two titans reappeared, locked in a flurry of blows on each other. They continued across the world before Freeza used his tail to grab Zuchino, shocking the Saiyan just long enough to be punched into a plateau on an island.
Freeza fired off another a volley of pink ki blasts at the rubble. Once he finished his volley, Freeze lifting his arm and forming a big ball of ki that practically filled the sky. Satisfied with the power it held, he fired it at the fallen Saiyan. The ball practically erupted when it touched the island. Once the dust cleared, a large hole where the island once was being claimed by the ocean.
Freeza geared up for his own cackle before he was dropkicked in the jaw, shooting the tyrant off into the sky. Zuchino appeared before him and stopped the tyrant's trek with a backward fist to the face. Freeza responded with a punch to the Saiyan jaw and double-ax handled him. The Saiyan halted his descent before dashing back upwards to headbutt Freeza in the stomach. The tyrant doubled over, his face frozen in a pained expression. Zuchino used his advantage to blast Freeza away. The galactic tyrant corrected himself before throwing a ki blast back. Zuchino swatted it away before he saw a volley of blasts heading towards him.
"Again with this?!" Zuchino roared as he powered up and deflected the ki blasts one by one with expert skill. He didn't seen see Freeza arise behind him or raise his finger, a bead of ki forming in it. Only when Zuchino realized that the blasts he was deflecting were just recycled blast, getting back into line. He was too late to turn before a beam pierced the center of his torso. Another hit pierced his shoulder, another pierced his right lung. He turned to see Freeza smiling before he zipped away and clocked Freeza in his temple with all of his power, sending the tyrant careening into a mountain.
With his opponent momentarily dealt with, he looked down to see the holes in his torso, all leaking blood. His breathing had also almost immediately taken a hit, making it harder to get air. He knew he had to finish this fight soon, he couldn't fight for much longer in this condition.
"Oops, did I hurt you really badly?" Freeza asked, hovering up to face the Saiyan. "Too bad you aren't like my race, who can survive even the most critical of injuries. Your fight is over, monkey, you should just let me put you out of your misery."
"You're one to talk, you're weakening very quickly." Zuchino shot back evenly, playing his hands carefully. It's obvious that he struck a nerve from Freeza's expression.
"What?"
"You haven't noticed?" Zuchino chuckled, spitting some blood off to the side. "At the beginning, you had me pinned, but then you began weakening rapidly. That's why I managed to begin fighting with you more evenly. In fact, I dare say in a few minutes, your advantage will be gone."
"You're bluffing, you're weakening!" Freeza shouted at the Saiyan. "Your body can't hold that little Super Saiyan transformation for too much longer and now you're want me to quit!"
"Prove it," Zuchino said as he powered up.
He dashed at Freeza and immediately kicked him through a mountain and blasted him out of the rubble. He quickly appeared in front of the flying tyrant and backhand slapped Freeza away. Zuchino powered up and sent a flurry of blasts after the downed tyrant, who dashed through it and palmed Zuchino in the face, flipping the Saiyan in the air. Freeza then kicked Zuchino further into the air before flying after him. He threw out a punch to strike the Saiyan's spine, but Zuchino spun out of the way and launching a blast into Freeza, which blasted him away. Freeza dissipated the blast only to be elbowed in the back of his head by the zipping Saiyan and double-ax handled him towards the ground. Freeza landed and flew back up, head-butting Zuchino. He grabbed the Saiyan's neck and flung him down to the ground. Zuchino landed and dodged the flying punch from Freeza and spin kicked him into a plateau. He was entrapped in the wall before he powered up, breaking down the rock formation. He put both his hands in front of him and fired a beam of ki so intense, it blasted the Saiyan away with its power.
"Hah!" Freeza laughed. Zuchino reappeared at Freeza and delivered a punch that Freeza blocked with his forearm, shattering the ground around them. Freeza kicked, but only struck Zuchino's afterimage. Zuchino reappeared behind him and unleashed his own blast of red ki that flung Freeza forward. Freeza corrected himself in air and dashed back at his attacker. The Saiyan smirked and moved to the side to dodge the flying punch to karate chop Freeza in the neck before kicking him away. Freeza flipped in the air before dashing back at the Saiyan. He dodged the kick and slammed his fist into the tyrant's face before grabbing it in one hand. He began sprinting forward, throwing Freeza into the ground. Freeza created a crater and Zuchino fired energy rings at him, sealing him in place. Freeza struggled in his binds before the Saiyan delivered an anger-filled stomp to his gut.
"That's for my planet," Darkotsu said before he stomped him again, harder. "That was for my family," Darkotsu said before he backed up and aimed a red ki blast at him. "And this is for my sister!"
The resulting explosion sent Freeza deeper into the ground for a few seconds. Zuchino waited by the hole before the ground behind him burst open with purple energy. Freeza's fist found itself on Zuchino's face, knocking him away, before charging a large, black ball of ki and launching at him. Zuchino phased out and the ball flew toward the center of the ocean, detonating and emptying the entire ocean. Zuchino reappeared and backhanded Freeza away, through a plateau before Zuchino reappeared on the other side to kick him through again. Freeza grabbed the Saiyan's leg when he tried when tried to kick him again; Freeza couldn't help but crack a smile at his surprised expression. The tyrant spun around at extremely fast speeds before throwing Zuchino into the ground.
Zuchino struck the ground like a meteorite, causing a crater five times bigger than him. Zuchino looked up and dodged the flying kick that shattered the ground on side of him. He grabbed Freeza's leg and pulled, tripping the tyrant and making him hit the ground face first. He jumped up and extended his legs with all his force in Freeza's back, deepening the crater. His aura flared around him as he powering up his Xenoshock. Before he could launch it, Freeza unleashed a kiai around his body, knocking Zuchino off. Zuchino flipped in the air to regain his balance before Freeza punched him in the jaw, knocking him further up.
He teleported in front of Freeza and kneed in the jaw, sending him into the air before teleporting again and elbowing him in the stomach into the ground, making a huge crater. Zuchino flew into the crater and laughed as he watched the tyrant float out, angered.
"Tried to tell you." Zuchino shrugged as Freeza let out a frustrated growl before charging the Saiyan again. He moved out of the way of Freeza's punch before blocking his kick with his forearm. "I've been going slower for a bit, to try to see just how much you would empty yourself before going back full strength."
"Shut up!" Freeza screamed as he unleashed a flurry of blows, each one either blocked or dodged by the Super Saiyan warrior. After dodging another kick, he countered it with a furious punch directly aimed at the tyrant's nose, shattering it. Blood gushing out of it as Freeza raised it. Before he could notice anything else, the Saiyan planted a fierce elbowed to the tyrant's cranium; he hit the ground at invisible speeds.
Zuchino lowered down next to the tyrant, who struggled to get to his feet.
"I told you your body was weakening." He scoffed, walking forward with his hand glowing. "Should've just accepted your defeat before and tried to flee. I probably wouldn't have chased you, knowing your pride was destroyed is better than anything else I could do to you. Oh well, might as well test that theory."
"Curse you." Freeza hissed as the Saiyan drew ever closer, his hand becoming surrounded in golden energy. "I can't be defeated, not like! NOT BY A STUPID MONKEY WRETCH!"
"Tantrums won't help you now, Freeza. At least accept your death with some dignity." Zuchino growled as he reached the tyrant and raised his hand. "Goodby-" Curse his cockiness.
He should've known that the previous attack wasn't enough to finally subdue the overlord. He should've known that however weak Freeza is, he was like any wounded and cornered animal: he would do anything to ensure his victory. He should've known that Freeza's power level was weaker than his at this point by a hair. If he had taken all of this into consideration, he wouldn't have had three Death Beams shot through his gut.
He fell to the ground, slipping out of his Super Saiyan state before he even hit the floor. Freeza hopped to his feet and let out a victorious cackle. He walked over to the downed Saiyan and stomped his foot on the Saiyan's foot.
"You fucking dumbass monkey, I didn't even think that ploy would work!" Freeza cackled, stomping down again. "That's why I will always be better than you, my dear Zuchi. I am smarter, stronger, and better than you in every way. I knew your pride would be your downfall during this battle, now you've just proven it even more. You can change your hair and eye color all you want, but at the end of the day, two things always stay true. I am the greatest being to have ever lived and a Saiyan monkey is still merely a monkey." With that, he did one more stomp and dug his toes into the Saiyan's holes. Hearing the Saiyan cry out in pain after all the humiliation he wrought upon him was amazing. "You fought valiantly though, my dear Zuchi, easily the greatest warrior I've ever battled, but I'm afraid your story comes to an end here. But, let's finish out this legendary battle with some fireworks."
With that, he began rising into the air, an orange bead of ki forming at his fingertip.
Zuchino lied on the ground, tears forming his eyes. His pride blinded him to avenge his fallen family, his King, and his sister. It was all his fault...if he hadn't been so fucking cocky! He could've destroyed this damn tyrant. But now, here he was, awaiting Freeza's final blow to his planet.
NO!
His Saiyan blood began to boil again. He couldn't believe the thoughts running through his head! And he called himself a Saiyan?! Lying down on his face?! Letting the man who killed his entire race to go unpunished?! No! It was not going to end this way! He refused to go out like this! This bastard would pay for what he did! Even if he fought down to his last breath and lost, it would be better than surrendering to this bastard! Why?! Because he was the warrior of legend, he was the avenger of his fallen people, he was the terror that would haunt anyone who dared cross the Saiyan ever again, and HE was the one would finally rid this universe of that white, sadistic, evil wretch known as Freeza.
HE! WAS! A! SUPER! SAIYAN!
A pulse flashed around his body as he stood back to his feet, shocking the floating tyrant. Another pulse ran through his body. Finally, his body pulsed before his hair stood up once again and his eyes became an angry turquoise. He was a Super Saiyan this time. Freeza took a look before he let out another chuckle.
"But of course you can't just keel over and die already!" He raised his finger above his head, the orange bead expanding into what he liked to call the Supernova. The attack was the size of a small moon and capable of destroying both this wretched Saiyan and his homeworld once and for all; the power and mass of the energy created a vortex, sucking small rocks and other smaller matter into the heart of the energy ball.
Zuchino cupped his hands on top of each other and pulled them to his side; fuchsia energy began crackling around his body. Years ago, the King of all Saiyans taught him his signature technique. Freeza let out one last chuckle as he felt his attack reach full power.
"And this is where you end!" Freeza roared as he launched his Supernova at Zuchino, who had finished charging his attack as well.
"Galick Gun FIRE!" Zuchino shouted as he threw his hands forward, firing off the powerful beam of ki towards the center of Freeza's attack. The two began approaching each other before they finally collided, locked in the ultimate and final struggle of power.
"I won't be defeated!" Freeza screamed as he fired a purple ball of energy into his attack, moving the Supernova closer down to the Saiyan. "Good, you're fighting through the agony and better than I would've expected of a wounded monkey!"
Zuchino gritted his teeth as he watched the Supernova edge closer to him. No, it wasn't going to end like this.
"This must be hard for you with all those wounds," Freeza shouted as he put more into his blast, "I'm sure this makes them burn!" The struggle inched more dangerously closer to the Saiyan. The ground around him began to split, even more, causing lava to spew out of the fissures.
"For the love of fucking Kami, Freeza; just shut the fuck up!" Zuchino roared as he powered more energy into the blast, evening the struggle back out.
"You foolish money, haven't you realized you're messing with the universe's ultimate warrior?!" Freeza roared, powering all of his might into the beam, pushing the Supernova far closer to the Saiyan than previously. The ground below the Saiyan's feet broke apart, leaving him over a cavern of darkness. Still, he refused to give in.
If this was his destiny, so be it. He'd rather go down fighting than letting that bastard skirt by.
"Hahaha, I can feel you slipping!" Freeza cackled as he began powering even more energy. He was sure that his victory was all but guaranteed and, with it, his place as the true emperor over this universe. No one would be able to challenge him again, now that the so-called "legendary warrior" was gone. He could taste his victory…before a ball of ki slammed into him, making him buckle in pain and lose focus.
Who could dare to harm him now, everyone was dead?! Freeza looked over to the side at the figure and nearly fell over; he could only scream in shock, "It can't be!"
Zuchino wasn't sure what happened above with Freeza, but the pressure he was feeling on the other side seemed to weaken enough that it gave him an opportunity. Now was his chance!
He powered every bit of his energy into one more push, sending a massive surge of energy through the Galick Gun into the Supernova. With the new amount of pressure, the giant ball of fiery ki popped like a balloon and the Galick Gun surged towards its creator. Freeza could only watch the fuchsia beam with a stupefied expression on his face.
"NO, I CAN'T DIE LIKE THIS! NOT LIKE THIS!" Freeza roared, trying to hold back the energy wave. "CURSE YOU, ZUCHINO!" Freeza screamed one last time before the beam of ki pushed past his defenses and fully engulfed him, turning his world into bright and hot fuchsia. He could scream in defiance and agony as every part of his body vaporized within the traveling beam before it collided with Planet Vegeta's moon. The explosion caused could be seen by planets hundreds of miles away. It was almost like the fireworks for the celebration that Freeza, the terror that held the universe in his iron fist for decades before now, was now officially gone.
Zuchino exhaled as he lowered his hands, watching the explosion finally subside. He did it. He had finally avenged his kin.
"King Vegeta, Corma, Cucumba, mother, father, all of you; may you rest in peace," Zuchino whispered to himself before the surge of pain finally hit him like a ton of bricks. The adrenaline rush that he acquired before his beam struggle had finally subsided and he was now feeling everything that the tyrant had put him through. While doubling over and clutching his still bleeding torso, he looked around the planet for a second. The fight with Freeza had definitely hastened the planet's destruction. If he wanted to live, he had to leave and he had to leave now.
But where could he go? Nearly every planet in the universe would either kill him due to their loyalty to Freeza or kill him for his previous loyalty for Freeza. He wasn't exactly in a state to fight off anyone at the moment. Then there also the issue of his injuries, he definitely wouldn't be able to fly through space like this. Freeza's ship was gone, any idea of using it died when he transformed on it.
That's when it struck him. Their fight never took them near the launching pad in the capital city! He had to try it. Pushing aside his pain once again, he took to the sky and dashed towards its direction. Along the way, he saw the devastation that was wrecking his homeworld thanks to Freeza. The once beautiful green and red landscapes were gone, lost to broken crust and oceans of lava coating the service. There were waterspouts of fire encircling the planet and the sky was now a foreboding black and red. If he hadn't memorized the planet by now, he surely would've been lost due to the now unrecognized landscape.
He arrived at the city, which had all but crumbled. The warriors during their genocide definitely did a lot of damage to it without a doubt, but thankfully (and very luckily for the Saiyan), the launching center was mostly intact from the battle and the earthquakes wracking the dying planet. He blasted down the doors and entered. There were two space pods left, one of which was definitely the most modern and fastest unit. But it needs the most modern scouter to operate. He looked around before he saw one on the table.
Quickly putting it on his ear, he pressed the button and the holographic spinning wheel appeared before him. It was synchronizing to his biometric reading before he could give any command. Another earthquake shook the planet, this time almost shaking the Saiyan from his feet. He caught onto the railing just as the scouter gave him a confirmation reading.
"Welcome, Master Zuchino. Please select your destination." A computerized voice asked as a holographic map of the universe appeared before him. He almost said anywhere before he realized that it would only take him to the nearest world registered with the Freeza Force…definitely not where he wanted to end up. Instead, he pressed the Western Galaxy. The Freeza Force had just begun to establish a foothold there, he would more likely to land on a planet that wasn't occupied by Freeza; there was a slightly favorable chance he'd land on a planet that wasn't affiliated with any anti-Freeza taskforce.
The scouter pinged with confirmation and the pod hissed open. He quickly hopped in and closed the door. Another far more powerful earthquake wracked the planet one last time before the roof began to open. It got caught almost immediately due to a malfunction, but the pod blasted through it anyway. Zuchino relaxed into his seat before he watched looked down on the Planet Vegeta one last time once he was in the outer atmosphere. Fiery explosions wracked the surface, bioelectricity surrounding them. Lava spewed out from vents in even bigger columns. Light began to encircle the planet and bio-electricity surrounded it. Then it exploded. Like a firework.
It wasn't any different from any planetary explosion that he'd seen, in fact, it was pretty standard. But it still was different. Far more different than he thought possible. His heart began to ache and tears flowed free from his eyes before the pod began spraying a pink gas around him. It was sleeping gas, something the pod was designed to do for warriors during trips that would last longer than the galactic standard day (1.45 day by Earthy standards).
Zuchino thought he saw another space pod blasting by him before he finally gave into the darkness, welcoming the sweet release of unconsciousness.
"And that's when I crashed on Earth," Zuchino concluded, wiping the tears from his cheeks. "Wow."
"Feel a bit better now, don't you?" Tony asked as Zuchino smirked and nodded.
"Yea, you guys were right. Who would've known opening up would help?" Bruce and Tony exchanged a look before they decided not to say anything.
"Confronting the issue usually is one of the ways to help get out of it...in fact, do you know why I was adamant on coming on this trip? Do you know why I came on this trip? Y'know besides trying to find you a place to phone home?" Stark added, making the Saiyan let out a small chuckle. "I did it because I have this great fear of the unknown out there. Ever since the invasion, I've been thinking about those threats constantly; I stayed up nights in a row, tinkering with suits. And I wanted to get over it, badly. And I did, but it still was down there, deep in my soul. So, when Fury approached me with building this ship, I knew that coming on this trip would help me, so I came." Tony stated before shrugging. "It's been fun though...well, for the most part."
"Sta-Tony..." Zuchino said, looking back at the billionaire, "thank you...a lot." He smiled briefly as he wiped his tears.
"No problem, ET," Tony added, giving him a brief smile back as Bruce yawned. "All right, let's all get back to bed. I don't know about you all, but I'm beat."
"Do you think you can sleep tonight?" Bruce asked the Saiyan, who pondered the question.
"I don't know, but I'm willing to give it a try," Zuchino said, earning a smile and nod from Bruce. Their moment was cut short by the ship suddenly lurching forward. All the inhabitants fell to the ground, not knowing what was happening. Had they crashed or entered the atmosphere of another planet?
"What the hell?" Zuchino muttered as he stood and looked out the window. That's when he saw it, that damned bird shaped ship. It had a blue light emitting from it and covering the ship. It was the tractor beam emitting from standard issue vessel of the Nova Corps. How could he forget about them? They were a pain in his ass even before he killed Freeza.
"Occupants of this vessel," a voice cut through their audio system across the ship, "you've not only entered territory under the Nova Corps' protection without proper authorization, but our scanners are also detecting Saiyan material was used to construct your ship. You are hereby under arrest, prepare to be boarded."
"Zuchino," Bruce looked over at the glowering Saiyan, "who is that?"
"Fucking Nova Corps, forgot about them." He muttered, helping the scientist to his feet. "Long story short, they are an intergalactic police force dedicated to protecting the Southern Galaxy and...well, let's just say there is history between the Freeza Empire and the Nova Corps."
"What kind of history?" Bruce asked, feeling a bit stressed. "Good history or bad history?"
"Depends on whose side you were on; but for us, very bad," Zuchino said as the ship lurched to the side again, this one in the opposite direction of the opposing vessel. The Nova Corp ship had extended its ramp into the trio's ship. Tony began to press a button on his wrist before Zuchino stopped him. "No, I have an idea, but you both can't say anything I give you a signal," Zuchino stated. "Can you promise me that?"
"I'm sure-
"Tony, promise me!" Zuchino repeated; Tony looked the Saiyan in the eye and saw his desperation.
"Of course."
"Thank you." Zuchino sighed as he walked back into the main quarters and proceeded down the levels, his team following behind him closely. Finally, the lowest floor. It was a small compact area, the only thing of note being the exterior door. Zuchino quickly transformed into a Super Saiyan and aimed his hand at the beam, awaiting something to happen. The Nova Corps, despite most of them not possessing any noteworthy weaponry, definitely must have something that would aid them in their fight since they would dare not stop a Saiyan pod before.
That's when something shot through the door and attached to his neck; the shock kept the Saiyan from avoiding the object that immediately began glowing red. He didn't think anything of it before he felt his energy being drained at a very concerning rate. He dropped to his knee, his Super Saiyan state quickly fading away.
"Zuchino, are you okay?" Bruce asked, placing a hand on the panting Saiyan's shoulder.
"This thing, it's draining my energy. I...I can't do anything." Zuchino panted out. This was bad, very bad. That's when a loud bang echoed from the door. Another hit after a few moments, signifying they were attempting to break down their door.
"Okay, fuck this." Tony tried once again to push the button on his wrist before the Saiyan grabbed his hand, keeping it from his wrist. Tony looked down at bemusement at the Saiyan, who shook his head.
"No? They're literally sucking away your energy, this is the last choice-"
"Tony..." Bruce cut into his rant, "think about it: if they have the tech to do this to Zuchino, they are crazy prepared for anything at this point."
"Right." Zuchino panted, attempting to rip the device from his neck but it was useless at this point. Too much of his ki was already drained and it seemed to have stopped, but it left him entirely defenseless. "Just...wait for my signal."
Finally, the last bang forced to open the door to reveal six Nova Corps soldiers. The soldiers marched into the vessel and formed a small half-circle around them. They all wore a metallic helmet over their heads. They also wore a blue bodysuit that was less forming fitting than Zuchino's and gray armor with a yellow symbol engraved on them. The one in the center had a few more medals adorning his chest, possibly showing off his higher ranking than the others.
"Um, hel-" Whatever Bruce was going to attempt to reason out, it was immediately caught in his throat by the soldier aiming very wicked-looking rifles directly in his and his allies' faces.
"Hello." The commander said in a very monotone voice, looking at the three ship inhabitants. A soldier to his right lowered his rifle and withdrew out a small camera-like device. The soldier aimed it at the trio and a blue light surrounded them.
"Okay, hello gentlemen, how are you guys today?" Tony cut in. "Lovely weather, huh?"
"Very lovely weather." Zuchino panted out before the blue light cut off and the scanner let out a sound. The soldier's eyes widened at the results before handing it over to his commander.
"A Saiyan." Zuchino resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Thought Freeza killed all of you."
"Yeah, well Freeza was bad at making sure he exterminated races," Zuchino stated as the Nova Corp officer in front of him typed a few buttons into his wrist computer and a hologram of the Saiyan emerged from the device.
"Zuchino, the former lieutenant-general of the Freeza Force; by the authority of the Nova Corps, I place you under arrest for the destruction and illegal sale of various planets, genocide, and enslavement of several races." He red off the sheet before his glare left the Saiyan and focused on the two beings standing next to the Saiyan. "And who are they?"
"We are-"
"I kidnapped them." Zuchino panted out before Bruce could finish his explanation.
"What?" Tony and Bruce both uttered out in shock before the Saiyan gave them a glare, practically telling them to shut their mouths.
"Is that true? Why do they seem so shocked?"
"I told them they were my allies. I was taking them deep into the South Galaxy to slaughter them when I got the chance." Zuchino bowed his head. Tony and Bruce exchanged a look at each other, deducing that is why he told them to wait for his signal.
"Is what this Saiyan said true; were you kidnapped from your planet by him?" The leading officer asked the duo.
"Yes, it's all true." Tony quickly stated, earning a suspicious glance from the soldiers. After a few tense seconds and staring, the leading officer looked over at one of his regular soldiers.
"Add kidnapping to that list of charges." The leading officer ordered before he walked to Zuchino and cuffed his wrists. Once he was sure the cuffs and device were properly secured and the Saiyan was fully immobilized, the commanding officer picked him up and pushed him forward. The Saiyan stumbled forward a bit, letting out a small growl before he continued moving forward.
"Where are we going?"
"Your trial."