Chapter 8
Universe 7
Yes - the day was not turning out like Piccolo had expected, not at all.
He had believed he would spend it alone on Seventeen´s Island, meditating. Maybe interrupted by stopping a few poachers.
Instead he and the other remaining fighters were faced with yet another Alien Invasion. And it´s leader seemed to be nobody else than Freeza´s long lost brother.
"I see you are here as well," Piccolo said to the Demon Buu, who had just arrived.
"Now let us start," Cooler said. "Lets test them a bit first. Salza, Dore, Neiz - you wait," he told his three Elite-Warriors. "The rest of you - … attack."
He lifted his right hand and fired a blast straight at Piccolo. Who easily stopped it with is arm an send it harmlessly up into the sky. It was not a particular strong attack.
At the same time however, it seemed to have been some kind of signal for the rest of Cooler´s men, who now charged forward to them.
Tien was being attacked by two of them from both sides. Yamcha next to him by another one.
Three more - one humanoid man, a red skinned alien and a female warrior with greenish skin and pointed ears - were charging at Piccolo...
… and the remaining two fighters at Buu.
The outcome was more or less decided right from the start.
Tien avoided a line of punches from two of his opponents, who he then knocked out with well aimed chops to their necks. The third had stood back and now fired a blast at him, which Tien however backhanded away from him.
Yamcha had dealt with his attacker - an alien with a face ressembling a toad - in a similar quick manner. The creature had run at him, while forming ki blasts in both his hands.
Before he however could even begann whatever attack he had planned, Yamcha had already leaped forward and blown his off his feet, using his Wolf Fist and left him unconscious.
Then he saw the warrior who was just now charging up an attack against Tien, moved and took him out as well with a hard punch in the gut.
"Good work Yamcha," Tien commented.
"You know, I have actually started training again after the Tournament of Power," he said, grinning a bit awkwardly.
xxx
Buu on his part just let his opponents shoot him and reign punches down on him for a few moments. While he was just standing there.
None of it had any effect of course.
As the two aliens landed two especially hard punches, that left deep dents in his flubber-like body, he suddenly let it instantly snap back into shape with so much force that it send them flying backwards with loud shouts of surprise.
"That is fun," Buu called out.
Before he finally moved and punched both of them out instantly.
xxx
Piccolo did not even bother with things like this. In the moment his opponents reached him, he just powered up for a split-second and took them down with hit too fast for them to even see.
xxx
"Just as expected," Cooler stated.
"They had not killed any of them, just like this guy had told us," Neiz commented.
"We don´t if we don´t have to," Piccolo stated. "So you should better not force us."
"I see," Cooler replied. "Oh - don´t worry. Like I said, I just want to test myself against you," he stated.
"Now let us truly start. Neiz, you take the triclops. Dore, you that other guy. Salza, you the pink one."
"Is that truly the legendary Demon Buu?" Salza questioned.
"That should not be a problem for the captain of my Elite Squad, right?" Cooler stated. "Especially not now."
"Of course not My Lord," he replied.
… and then instantly attacked.
Less than a second later Cooler himself moved forward as well, closely followed by his two remaining subordinates.
He flew right at Piccolo. But instead of tackling him and reigning down an onlaught of punches, as it first looked, he stopped just one meter in front of him, lifted his finger… and nearly blew off Piccolo´s head with a Death Beam, if the Namek had not moved in time.
Piccolo however reacted nearly instinctively and placed a hard kick in Cooler´s now open side.
The blow send the alien a few meters back. But he responded by raising both arms and sending an entire volley of blasts at him, that Piccolo could not longer dodge. So the Namek used all his power to shield himself.
xxx
Salza meanwhile had formed a long ki blade with his right hand slashed the still unmoving Buu from several sides, leaving deep gashes. With one last move, he even cut off once of his arms.
But Buu regenerated just as fast as before and then fought back.
Yamcha and Tien were now struggling with their own opponents.
Tien had created a double of himself and was firing at Neiz from two directions. Dore and Yamcha were right now wrestling on close distance, each trying to overpower the other.
xxx
"Really not bad," Cooler commented, as he saw that Piccolo had come out from his barrage unharmed.
"Yes? Maybe you should see me at full power then?" Piccolo remarked.
He powered up to his full power bare God Ki and went into the offensive. He stretched out one of his arms to grab the surprised Cooler and send several punches at him with the other one.
Not longer able to dodge, he took a number of hits. Cooler powered up as well. But as it looked, he was still a level below Piccolo.
"You are not bad yourself," the Namek stated.
The fight was now a bit more even, but Piccolo was still overpowering him.
"But it seems it is not enough. Give up and leave this planet now."
But Cooler only smiled.
"How generous of you," he said. "But you underestimate me."
Cooler´s entire body started to glow. Piccolo knew instantly what he was doing.
Horn like sharp apandages were forming at the sides of his head, long spikes were growing out of his back and some kind of mask was materializing over his face. Cooler had transformed.
Damn it, Piccolo thought. He had not expected him to have another form as well, just like Freeza. Of course this here looked nothing like Golden Freeza. It was something completely different. He would have to see how dangerous this form was.
Before he had even fully realized it, the new Cooler had powered up, moved right in front of him and landed a blow that let him fly far over the island and over the open sea.
Piccolo spat out purple blood as he had regained control of himself. His opponent was now at least a few times stronger than before.
Cooler appeared right next to him once again and before Piccolo could do anything else, he landed another blow that send him down into the ocean.
He knew he had no choice now. As Piccolo rose up from the water, he was being surrounded by a red colored aura.
And without any other word he counter-attacked. The tables had turned again, in the truest sense of the word. Now it was Piccolo who sent his opponent flying with a single punch.
In some distance away his subordinates had similar problems. Buu was now finally getting serious and quickly overwhelming Salza.
Tien had reunited himself and was still fighting his opponent, who however already had visible damage.
Yamcha and Dore were still holding each other in a deadlock. But then Yamcha broke free for a moment. He used the chance to use a Solar Flare and then threw a line of punches at his now blinded opponent. Until he finally brought him down with a large uppercut.
xxxxxxx
Universe 2
The two Androids and their families had spend the greatest part of the last day with the different members of the Universe 2 Team... for better or worse.
Now however they were suddenly being interrupted.
They all heard an explosion outside, quite close to the palace. None of them sensed any ki signatures - none that they were able to sense. But it was clear that they were being attacked.
There were however three exceptions. Brianne, Sanka and Su all looked White as sheets and terrified to their bones.
"It - it is God Ki," Su stammered. "As Lady Heles personal warriors, we have been thought to sense it."
"Even if we can not use it ourselves," Sanka added.
"God Ki - you mean your goddess?" 18 asked.
"No - someone else," Brianne said nervously, "and there are two of them. And they are clearly attacking the town."
"Two?" 17 stated.
"Yes - both are unknown," Brianne replied.
"What should we do?" Vikal asked obviously terrified.
"We have no chance," Rabanra called out.
"Let us go outside," 17 announced, seemingly unfaced.
"What?" Jemeze said.
"Your town is under attack," Seventeen said. "If we just stay here, they might just destroy the palace and we would put everyone inside here in even greater danger."
He looked at Ruby, at his children and at Marron as he said this.
"Trust me, I have already dealt with opponents like that during the Tournament. We don´t need to defeat them, just to keep them occupied as long until your goddess arrives to assist us."
"Okay," Brianne replied, now more confident.
"Let us do it," Sanka said.
"By the way, if you want to transform, do it here," 18 commented. "We don´t know if this guys out there respect or even know your customs."
"Of course, you are right," Brianne replied.
A moment later she, Sanka and Su started their typical, flashy (and overly long) transformation ritual.
"Are you not doing the same thing?" 17 asked their three male counterparts.
"Aehm - well, it is actually Lady Ribrianne, Kakunsa and Roasie´s power," Zarbuto replied.
"And? This is a matter of life and death," Krillin stated.
"You see," Zirloin responded a bit insecurely, "there are a few things about this magic we themselves are not sure of. If two people are using the powers at the same time, it might actually make out Ladies weaker.
And they have more experience with these powers than us and grown even stronger since the Tournament," he declared, now full of confidence.
"Okay," 17 replied.
"You better stay here with Marron and Seventeen´s family," 18 said to Krillin. "Take care of them."
xxx
As they stepped outside a few minutes later, they already saw the two strangers levitating before them in the air.
It were a very beautiful blue skinned and white haired woman in a red skintight bodysuit and a male creature.
The saw now that they had blown up one of the neighboring buildings. The remains were on fire and some people could be seen running, with some of them helping the injured.
"You four," 17 addressed Zirloin, Zarbuto, Rabanra and Vikal, "you should go and help." He pointed to the fire. "There is not much you can do here."
"He is right," Ribrianne agreed. "Do it."
"You can count on us My Lady," Zirloin said.
"There you are," the woman greeted them.
"We are the Warriors of Universe 2," Ribrianne declared. "Who are you and why do you attack this town?"
"And where are Lady Heles, Lord Pell and Sour?" Kakunsa asked.
"Don´t worry - you cute little goddess, your Kaioshin and their Angel are just occupied with other things right now," the woman said. "My name is Towa and my friend here is called Mira. We are here because we wanted to meet someone."
She looked to the two Androids.
"Seventeen, right? And Eighteen - we have heard of you."
xxxxxxx
Goku and Vegeta meanwhile had arrived at Zeno´s Palace, together with Vados and Champa. The rest of them had staid behind in Universe 6.
As it turned out, the High Priest and the two Zenos themselves, along with Beerus and Whiz and the two Kaioshin of Universe 7 and their bodyguard Kibito were already waiting for them.
"Goku - it is great to see you again," one of the Zenos called out as they entered the throne room.
"Goku," the other one simply repeated.
"Father - we need to talk with you," Vados said.
"Is it about what we have heart about Demigra´s followers getting active again?" the High Priest asked seemingly calmly.
"We have already told them about this," Whiz stated.
"It aren´t just his followers," Vados pointed out. "Demigra himself had appeared."
"Well not really he himself," Goku explained, "more like a double of him."
"It wasn´t his real body, but some kind of apparation of him," Vegeta clarified.
"I see - that are unsettling developments," the High Priest commented. "And you said he had wiped out Freeza´s troops, after trying to recruit him?"
"What do you think we should do?" one of the Zenos asked him.
"For now My Lord, me and my children should stay vigilant and cautious. And we should warn the other Kais and Gods of Destruction," he said. "But we should not overreact either. Demigra´s followers have always been around after all, in the background."
"You don´t think they are planning his return?" Whiz questioned.
"Son - Demigra had been banished before the start of our current history. I am sure they have been planning his return for billions of years. But they are still far from achieving it. Whatever they are planning could still be years away - or centuries."
"Ahm excuse me - who is this Demigra anyway?" Goku asked.
"That´s what I want to know too," the Kaioshin stated.
"Yes - me as well," Vegeta just remarked.
"Demigra had been a legend even when I was young," the old Kaioshin stated. "He was said to be the first and most powerful Demon Lord and the proginator of all of them. And that he once fought a war against the earliest gods and was banished from all known universes."
"That is partly true, but it is not all of the story," the High Priest said. "Myself and he, we were once the first Angels. You see - at the beginning, after the first universe had formed, the eternal forces of creation and destruction that had created reality itself, incarnated and took physical shape.
The outcome was the first and most powerful god - Zeno-sama here."
"That is right," Zeno said.
"This is me - aeh us," Future Zeno added, with a side-look to his other self.
"A short time later Demigra and me were created together as Xeno-sama´s advisors and adjutants. Together we helped him to divide the first world into different planes and create the 18 universes. Demigra - or Meadhon as he was originally known - is, as you mortals would call it, my twin brother.
At this time the first Kaios appeared and the first Gods of Destruction had been chosen.
But then, after many thousand years of loyal service and standing by Xeno-sama´s side, Meadhon begann to change.
One day he confronted me. He told me that he believed Zeno-sama was an immature uncontrolled child that was a danger to everything and everybody and that instead we should rule. And that many of the other Angels thought the same way."
"You know, he might have had a point here," Vegeta commented.
Beerus and Champa looked both visibly shocked at the saiyans words.
"H-hey!" that was all what Champa was getting out.
"Vegeta - by all in the universes, shut up before you get us into another disaster," Beerus said.
"It s okay," the High Priest said. "While I admit that Zeno-sama is not without his faults."
Both Zeno´s were just Looking at him curiously as he said this.
"But as you should know he has good intentions. With Meadhon however, I had my doubts. Especially since he had basically admitted that he had already drawn several of the other Angels - our older children - to his side before he even talked to me about it.
He offered me the rule over half of the universes, but I declined.
It came how it had to come. Meadhon and his followers. He gathered more allies and raised up an army. At the beginning it was simply a rebellion against Zeno-sama. But not long afterwards it escalated into a war against everything.
Medhon took the name Demigra and declared himself a Demon - a being of Darkness and Evil. At this time he had learned to use his abilities to awake dormant strength in others using dark powers. And to corrupt them at the same time.
He could not harm Zeno-sama directly, but he spread his influence over entire universes. He corrupted millions of beings, created demons and made world destroyers and caused chaos and destruction everywhere.
Every good intention he once had seemed to be long gone.
In the end he went as far to corrupt entire universes in a similar way like this Zamasu had done it in that other timeline. This was also the true reason why Xeno-sama had erased six of the once 18 universes from existence.
Not that there was still much of the early life that once existed on their worlds anyway... after a few of Demigra´s minions sucked their planets dry."
"What - I have been told he had just thrown a tantrum?" Champa exclaimed.
"Well - in a way he has, Zeno-sama had certainly been angry when he had found out about this. But mainly we didn´t want want the knowledge to spread that someone existed who could challenge Zeno-sama like that."
"Ahm - excuse me Zen-chan, but why have you not just erased him?" Goku asked him.
"I could not," Zeno answered.
"What?!" the two Kaioshins, Champa and Kibito called out nearly at the same time.
"How is that possible?" Beerus asked in shock.
"The reason is, all these time ago, Demigra had made a wish by the Super Dragon Balls, that had been created only a short time earlier," the High Priest explains. "The wish he made was to his essence to the one of the entire multiverse. In particular, the wish was formulated that, unless everything in existence is destroyed, he can always regenerate himself."
Everyone in the room froze, not quite believing what they had just heard.
xxxxxxx
Universe 7 - Earth
Cooler had caught himself once more up in the air, after the now God Ki using Piccolo had landed a few punches on him.
"So this is your true power?" he said. "I had been warned that you and your comrades have reached a power usually only belonging to the higher gods. And you are not even the strongest of them as I heard."
"Are you finished now?" Piccolo asked. While his opponent had been talking, he had used the chance to start charging up a Hell Spirale.
But Cooler just smiled.
"Demigra!" he suddenly called out. "I accept your offer."
Piccolo remembered that name from what Freeza had said.
And Cooler was suddenly being surrounded by some kind of black aura.
xxxxxxx
At the same time - not far from West City
A well known object was suddenly appearing in the air above the landscape. It was a time-machine.
As the device descended and landed on the ground, it opened and the two passengers - a young man and a girl - stepped outside.
"Did we make it?" the girl asked, looking around.
She had shoulder long blonde hair and blue eyes.
"We are at least not longer where we have been," her companion, who had a remarkable ressemblance to Son Goku, replied.
"Piccolo - he is fighting someone," he said.
"Can you sense who?" the girl asked.
"Cooler."
"Then we must have arrived a few weeks earlier than intended," she said. "But at least it seems 21 and her followers did not notice what we were doing. Trunks and Uub must have done a good job to distract them."
"You are right Marron," he replied.
He turned his gaze in the direction where he sensed the clashing energies.
"I think I should do something to help," he said.
"But Goten - if they are fighting Cooler and his men, then things will most likely turn out like the last time," the girl - a future version of Marron - argued.
"Yes - but, can you really guaranty that alone our presence here could not change anything? I mean - I don´t know - maybe they sensed our energies and gets distracted and hit by a deadly blast or something."
"I know what you mean," she said. "Okay - it are just a few kilometers to Capsule Corp. I will take care of myself. Go."
She placed a short kiss on his lips.
The future version of Son Goten rose up into the air. He powered up into SSj2 and flew with his full speed in the direction of the battle.
In opposite to what I first believed, I didn´t manage to end this Arc in the current chapter after all. The last part however is already kind of a prologue to the next one. And it is probably quite a surprise to the readers.
This chapter also got the basics of this reimagined version of Demigra´s backstory.
Cooler´s final form is identical to the one from the movie. He is however much stronger in all his forms. Now even more with the power up through Demigra´s power.
The regular Future Trunks will not appear for a while, will however definitely return later.