Chapter Thirty-Three: Another Way to Die
"The indulgence of our lives
Has cast a shadow on our world.
Our devotion to our appetites betrayed us all.
An apocalyptic plight.
More destruction will unfold.
There can be no other reason why.
You know we should have seen it coming.
Consequences we cannot deny
Will be revealed in time."
Another Way to Die-Disturbed
DBZ
Crushing weight made it difficult to breathe. The weakness she felt didn't help her situation, either.
She felt like she remained motionless for an eternity, her mind swimming in and out of consciousness. She was aware of silence, punctuated occasionally by a whistling wind. The weight she felt never relented, as she hoped it might when next she woke.
She did not open her eyes, preferring instead to remain in darkness.
Pain made itself known to her, and she welcomed the darkness as it took her over.
What happened to her?
Why even care…?
The fight…
Coola…
Doesn't matter now…You're obviously dead.
Accept it.
DBZ
"MUWAHAHAHAHA!"
What?
Screams…
What is this?
Explosions…
What the hell is going on?
That maniacal laughter…
A devastated city, the streets littered with the bodies of the dead.
More screams, terror-stricken cries for mercy…
Is this a vision? Is this the future?
"It is, Bardock."
"Kanassan…What's happened? I don't remember this from my other visions."
"Of course not. This, my Saiyan friend, is your new future."
"What? But…there's still death…"
"There always will be. Frieza and his family are not the only threats in this wide universe."
Fires raged as images of death and destruction passed before Bardock's eyes: destroyed cities, bodies lying scattered all across the ground (some splattered across the ground and buildings,) geysers of molten lava erupting from cervices in the ground.
"W-what planet am I seeing?" Bardock asked quietly. "This…this isn't Earth, is it?"
Bardock knew the answer before the Kanassan said, "Yes, it is."
Bardock was silent as he absorbed the information forcing its way into his brain.
"My son…He should be there preventing all of that. Isn't he destined to become a Super Saiyan, regardless of whether or not he fights Frieza?"
"Yes. Your son should be there. And he is and will be."
"Wha-?" Bardock fell immediately silent as the image of his son's lifeless face flashed through his consciousness. Bloodied, beaten, his eyes wide open in eternal shock and pain…
"Who?"
The image of a tall shadowed figure flashed all around him, the maniacal laughter from before filling his head. A steady shifting in the shadows revealed the vague silhouette of a massive tail.
"What is that thing?" Bardock whispered quietly, his voice echoing suddenly as he was standing in the midst of a devastated city facing the creature. His eyes widened as it turned to look in his direction, its eyes narrowing and a sinister smile stretching across its massive, flat green face. Light glinted off of perfect, giant green horns as it turned around completely.
Its tail listed lazily behind it as its malevolent gaze surveyed the destruction all around it.
"Gods…" Bardock said quietly. "What the hell is it?"
"Your son's killer."
"That…thing is going to kill my son?" he demanded angrily. "Like hell!"
"This is the future that is being born from your interference, Bardock. This is the future you are creating."
Bardock watched in silence as a man, whom he could only assume to be Prince Vegeta based off of his uncanny resemblance to the late king, dropped from the sky and attacked the creature head on. He noted that the prince had golden hair and green eyes as the creature easily dodged every one of his punches.
"So the king's brat will become a Super Saiyan, too?"
"Yes, but you'll be pleased to know that your son transforms first."
Bardock had to smirk at that, his eyes following the movements of Vegeta and the monstrous creature. "I guess these visions adjust for me. I shouldn't be able to follow a fight like this."
"You guess right."
He nodded, his eyes narrowing as the creature's tail suddenly pierced through the prince's chest. He scowled as Vegeta reverted to his base form, the creature tossing him aside like garbage.
"Does this creature kill every-?" The city was gone, images of the lifeless bodies of everyone he knew flashing around him. He saw himself, Turles, Amotto, Zether, Falmer, Leta, Surah, Seripa-
"No!" He said angrily, the images vanishing to be replaced with a vast white emptiness. He looked up, shaking his head. "I won't allow it!" he growled, his eyes narrowing.
"Will you do this for the rest of your life? The more you fight it, the more the future changes."
"That's the point!"
"So far you have made the future worse. What if that is the case the more you fight against it?"
"So be it. I'll fight it 'til the day I die." His fists trembled at his sides. "I'll become a Super Saiyan, too. I'll become the most powerful being in the universe!"
"I admire your dedication. It is such a radical shift from the way you used to be, though."
"I won't stand this shit anymore, Kanassan. I've done nothin' but kill and destroy my entire life! So far its lookin' like I'm destined to mess up the future, too." He shook his head, growling low in his throat. "Not anymore. If I have to push my body to impossible extremes, I'll do it. If I have to become a fuckin' god, I'll fuckin' do that, too! I'll do whatever it takes!"
"You will become a god…" The Kanassan laughed. "Bardock, you have already changed the future. To my people that has been deemed impossible for thousands of years. And yet, within but a year, you have managed to not only gain a measure of control over your visions, but you have also changed your future. If you were to become a god, I honestly would not be surprised."
"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Bardock fell silent, his eyes narrowed as he stared down at the white floor. "How much longer until I wake up?" he suddenly asked.
"I do not know. The drugs that keep you under are starting to fade from your system, so it should not be much longer."
"The sooner the better," Bardock growled. "I've got shit to do."
DBZ
Frieza, sporting a rather impressive bruise on his cheek, glared sourly at a holographic projection of a tiny blue planet. His father had not taken too kindly to the revelation of Zarbon being the leader of that thorn in their sides the Galactic Band. In hindsight it had been obvious, which was why Cold had been so irate.
Now Frieza was irate as he stared at the tiny planet. He couldn't understand the significance of the mudball.
"What is so special about this planet Earth? Why does Aurah want to go there?"
Cold looked coldly down at his son. "This seems to be a popular planet, Frieza. A Saiyan infant slipped under your radar and was sent here. You will be pleased to know that the infant is the child of those nuisances, Bardock and Seripa."
Frieza looked up at his father and frowned. "An infant monkey is no threat to us."
"Not yet," Cold said coolly as he narrowed his eyes at his son. "You forget that they do grow up."
"I have not forgotten that!" Frieza said in a huff. He looked at the projection again. "I will simply destroy this planet. It is too small to profit off of anyway, so we may as well just do away with it."
"You cannot always resort to destruction, Frieza. Use the planet as bait for your prey and lure them to their deaths. Destroy them all in one fell swoop." Cold smiled as he lifted a clear glass to his lips and took a sip of a crimson liquid. "It would also be the perfect opportunity to finish what you started."
"And what does that mean, Father?" the diminutive tyrant asked sourly, rolling his eyes.
"Oh, nothing much. Save for the fact that Bardock and Seripa survived their encounter with you on Jynn-jin 13." He took another sip.
"That is impossible!" Frieza exclaimed, his eyes narrowing. "I turned them to dust with my own hands!"
"Auguinti, pull up the image file immediately," Cold said with a quick glance to a blue alien with a massive elongated head.
"Yes, Sire."
Frieza frowned as the image of Earth was replaced with a still image of four Saiyans, two of whom looked extremely familiar. "Impossible!" Frieza gasped out as his eyes widened. "There is no way they could have survived!"
"Oh, but survive they did. You were careless, Frieza," Cold said as he looked down his sharp nose at his son. "Your arrogance has blinded you to the fact that you are creating your own worst enemy. The Saiyans I faced in my day were pathetically soft. The Saiyans from your ranks are hardened, seasoned warriors. The stronger they become, the more dangerous they become." Cold stepped away from the projection, moving to stand before his viewing screen.
He scowled. "But no, you do not see it. You are blinded by your own arrogance, high on the thrill of having power." He took a sip of his drink and glanced at Frieza. "You let yourself believe that the Ice-jins are the mightiest race in the universe."
"Well, are we not?"
Cold nodded his head slightly. "Right now we are, but there have always been tales of beings with power beyond even our comprehension. Power that dwarfs even my power in my final form."
Frieza frowned. "That is impossible. What race can possibly match that kind of power?"
Cold grinned, his eyes narrowing as he returned his gaze to the view screen. "You have not seen the things I have seen, Frieza. You do not believe what I tell you, but I tell you now that I have faced a Super Saiyan with power comparable to mine. He was young, inexperienced, reckless, and careless. Those attributes of his were the only things that saved me that day. Arrogance overcame him and he dropped his guard, allowing for me to achieve victory."
The massive Ice-jin turned with a whisk of his cape to glare at Frieza. "I can see from the look of disbelief on your face that you do not believe me. That does not matter. What matters is that you heed my warnings and destroy the rest of these Saiyans before the problem gets out of hand. You are treading on thin ice with them already, and drawing dangerously close to pushing them over the edge."
"King Cold, sir," said Auguinti suddenly.
Cold looked at the alien with a frown. "What is it?"
"Lord Coola is on the line, sir. He says it is urgent," he said, a hardness in his tone. Auguinti lifted his gaze to regard the tyrant evenly and extended his hand, holding a headset. "He says it is a private matter."
Cold narrowed his eyes and strode over to take the headset from Auguinti. The blue alien held his gaze as the Ice-jin placed it on his head.
"What is it, Coola?"
"Greetings, Father," Coola said, his voice deeper than normal.
Cold frowned. "You are transformed. What is going on?"
"I must admit that until yesterday I did not believe your tales of Super Saiyans. I believe them now, however. I just killed two of them."
Cold scowled and cast a dark glance to Frieza, who blanched in surprise. "Who were they?"
"Turpin and Priest."
"The Priest was a Saiyan?"
"Yes. Did you not know, Father? Frieza knew."
Cold narrowed his eyes at his youngest. "No, I did not know that."
Frieza gulped and looked away.
"I assumed as much. They are dead now, though. But there is one small problem."
"And what might that be?" Cold's irritation was evident in his angered tone.
"There was a third, much more powerful, Super Saiyan. She did the most damage to me, I am ashamed to admit. She was even able to overpower my Supernova." Cold heard the scowl in his son's tone. "Unfortunately she vanished while I was unconscious."
"The third one was a female? She rendered you unconscious? And she vanished?" Cold frowned, his gaze lowering to the floor. "This is not good."
"I am inclined to agree, Father. I also have half a mind to bash in Frieza's skull. If not for Turpin and the Priest's extreme ages, I am not sure I would have prevailed."
"You were outnumbered. One on one you would have crushed them."
"I believed that before the female obliterated my Supernova," Coola said sourly. "Her power ripped through it like paper. I have never seen anything like it. It should not be possible…"
"That is the power I warned you and your brother about!" Cold hissed under his breath. "Neither of you take anything seriously! You have never seen war so you know nothing of the powers that can exist. But now you know. Now you know why the Saiyans are to be feared and respected! They are more than mere monkeys as you and your brother are so fond of saying. Where are you?" he suddenly demanded.
"Stranded on a worthless planet in the middle of nowhere. Priest damaged my ship beyond repair, the bastard. A dead bastard now…"
"Damn you and Frieza," Cold sighed, lifting a hand to grip the bridge of his nose. He shook his head. "Transmit your coordinates. We will come and get you and all three of us will go finish this before it gets any worse."
"Yes, Father."
Cold ripped the headset from his ear and handed it to Auguinti. He turned and glared at Frieza as he stalked over to him. He stooped down, his eyes locked with his son's.
"W-what d-did he s-say, Father?" Frieza asked, his voice trembling as he struggled to maintain eye contact with his much larger, and more powerful father.
Cold growled and whispered, "Three Super Saiyans. Your brother fought three Super Saiyans, managing to kill only two. The third escaped, and she was the most powerful of them. This is a result of your careless actions, Frieza. Do you understand now? Your brother had to transform to fight against them!"
Frieza's eyes were wide. "B-but…that's im-"
"Take care of what you say, Frieza. Because I swear to you, if you say that it is impossible one more time, a Super Saiyan will be the least of your worries. Do you understand me?!" Cold finished in a roar.
Frieza cringed, looking away quickly. He was silent as he slowly nodded his head.
"You better, Frieza. And you better be ready to transform. I know you have been slacking in your training. I highly suggest you get as comfortable as you can in your higher transformations before we face any Super Saiyans, because you are far too soft to fight one." Cold straightened up, glancing around the silent bridge. All eyes, save for Auguinti's, were carefully avoiding his intense gaze.
Cold looked at Auguinti suddenly. "What is it, Auguinti?"
The blue alien smiled slightly. "I have more bad news for you, Sire."
The tyrant scowled. "You take great delight in delivering bad news."
"Of course, Sire." Frieza looked at Auguinti in shock, his eyes wide.
Cold smirked and looked down at his son again. "If it were not for the fact that you have more guts than either of my sons, I would have killed you years ago, Auguinti." He returned his gaze to the alien. "What is this news?"
"I received an urgent report from General Anarica regarding Ice 7. It seems the Galactic Band has left the shadows and taken up arms with the Flazerian Empire as an ally. A squadron of ships arrived at Ice 7 as many from within our own ranks rose up and revealed themselves as rebels just a few hours ago. The base is in shambles, and the whole planet is at war." Auguinti's smile stretched in a grin. "In fact, it seems the entire empire is in a state of unrest. More soldiers are rebelling as we speak, killing their peers and their commanding officers. And more Flazerian squadrons are arriving to back them up."
Cold's smirk was gone by the time he finished speaking. He frowned and glanced towards his view screen. His Regime was shaken at the foundation with the actions carried out by Frieza. For the first time in decades there was an active rebellion going on.
There was fighting…
There was killing…
Battles…
Blood and death…
Cold grinned, his eyes narrowing coldly. "A war has begun."
DBZ
Zether yawned, leaning way back in his seat as he stretched his arms out wide. "Ugh!" he said as his arms dropped down into his lap. "Gods this is boring. How much longer until we reach S.S.T.G. 5?"
Falmer glanced as his freshly shaven brother. He frowned, not for the first time, as he regarded his brother's long hair. It was making him miss his own long hair. "We are still 7 hours away. Be patient, Zether."
"Patience ain't ever been a virtue of mine, brother." The golden haired man grinned.
Falmer rolled his luminescent red eyes. "But of course. You take after father in that aspect."
"Yep, sure do." Zether chuckled. He leaned forward in his seat, suddenly frowning. "It just occurred to me…I wonder how Aurah is handling Tettuce's death?" He glanced at his brother, arching an eyebrow.
Diamond suddenly swiveled around in her chair, her eyes wide. "That's right! You two don't know, yet."
Falmer and Zether both looked at her in confusion. "Know what, dear?" Falmer asked.
She frowned, looking down. After a few seconds she looked up and told them what had happened to Aurah.
Zether was silent as he stared at her, his expression stoic. Falmer had a somber expression on his face as he stared down at his computer console.
"I remember the day they were fused together…Aurah's birth. I never imagined it could be reversed, and so easily."
"A symbolic death," Zether said quietly, his brow creasing together slightly. He looked at Falmer. "Tettuce dies, so Aurah commits 'suicide.'"
Falmer met his brother's gaze and nodded. "Yes," he murmured. "She dies so that Leta and Surah may have a second chance."
"Second chance…" Zether repeated, his eyes widening slightly.
Falmer gave him a questioning look. Understanding dawned on him after a moment and he frowned. "Still, Zether?"
His brother looked at him sharply before frowning. He glanced away. "Always, Falmer. I grew up with her…I always loved her." He sighed and shook his head. "I doubt she'll ever see me in that light, though. I'll probably always be like a brother to her. Besides, she and I are far too different."
"Only in race," said Falmer. "You are both stubborn fools, assuming Leta's personality has not changed as a result of the fusion."
Zether grinned. "Do you remember how stubborn Aurah was?"
Falmer laughed. "I suppose she is still just as stubborn then."
"Yeah." Zether sighed and looked down, smiling. "Even so I think it's too soon after Tettuce's death to be entertaining such thoughts. It wouldn't be respectful. Tettuce was too good of a friend." His smile turned grim as he looked at his brother. "A best friend."
"Yes, Tettuce was a good man." Falmer sighed, looking down at his console. "I remember the day Lord Vogan appointed him as an officer in our military. My commanding officer at that!" He chuckled, shaking his head. "It was difficult to imagine what our good leader was thinking, appointing a bloodthirsty killer like him to a commanding rank. A former officer of Frieza's military…Needless to say, Tettuce was not well received."
Zether grinned. "Yeah, dad told me how everyone avoided him like a plague. How even you were too intimidated to approach him."
"I was not intimidated. I was frightened." Falmer laughed. "The Harbinger of Doom, the Hand of Fate…Imagine hearing those nicknames applied to him, and hearing of the atrocities he committed. And then to suddenly have him as a commanding officer. How would you have reacted?"
"Oh, wait," Falmer said, frowning. "You attacked him the first time you met him." He glanced at his brother again.
Zether's grin was wider. "Hell yeah, I did. And he immediately knocked me on my ass. Dad thought he was going to kill me. But nope…he helped me to my feet, gave me some pointers, and told me to attack him again. I landed a punch on his chin and he knocked me across the room. Then went back to his business, telling dad I had potential." He laughed. "Man…good times."
Falmer smiled. "Yes. Tettuce…he will be missed."
"Oh!" Falmer and Zether both looked at Diamond suddenly.
"What is it?" Falmer asked, frowning.
"Oh, no! With everything that has happened I completely forgot!" She looked at them, clearly concerned. "Seluri told me earlier that Bardock contacted Leta and Surah and told them that they would meet them today to retrieve Turles and the traitor, Blythe-"
"Blythe's a traitor?" Zether suddenly demanded, standing up. "What'd that idiot do?!"
"He tried to kill Broco and destroy the ship. But Turles was able to overpower him," said Diamond quickly. "But I must contact them and let them know what's been going on!" She looked to her console and quickly set to work.
Falmer glanced at Zether. "Blythe was your protégé, was he not?"
Zether frowned, nodding slowly. "Yeah. But I don't understand…why did he betray us?"
Falmer shrugged. "This is the first I have heard of it." He frowned, too. "I always believed him to be an honorable man. What could he have been thinking?"
"Eh, knowing him," Zether said with a sigh, "he probably wasn't. That's easily his biggest flaw."
"Princess Leta!" Diamond suddenly said.
The view screen at the front of the bridge lit up, showing a very irate Leta.
"Where are Bardock and Seripa?! Have you heard from?!" she demanded, her tone flustered. "We're about to meet with Jeice at any minute and they aren't here, yet!" She stopped, her eyes widening when she saw Zether. "Zether! You're alive! Falmer! You're awake!" She blinked in surprise and Surah was suddenly at her side looking at the two men in surprise.
"General Zether! Colonel Falmer! It is great to see both of you!" She smiled pleasantly, obviously more at ease than her sister. "How are you?"
"Surah, this is no time for pleasantries!" Leta said in irritation. She looked at them again. "Where are you?" she asked again.
"Far away, Princess," said Falmer grimly. He quickly told them everything that had happened since his awakening.
Leta cursed when he finished. "So much continues to go wrong. Bardock and Seripa are with you now, then?"
"They are in recovery, yes."
"What about Broco?" she asked, her tone lower than before.
Falmer looked down and shook his head. "Both he and Amotto are gone now. We were forced to leave Amotto behind, I'm ashamed to admit."
Leta frowned and looked down, biting her bottom lip. "That…is unfortunate." She suddenly looked up. "Do you all know that Zarbon has revealed himself as the leader of the Galactic Band?"
All three of them flashed her startled looks. "No, we hadn't heard that," Zether said with a frown. "Is it true?"
"I don't know. But we're supposed to be meeting with a member of his ranks within the hour. They are supposedly bringing us Prince Vegeta and two other Saiyans, one of them Bardock's eldest son, Raditz." She grimaced. "But this is Zarbon we're talking about. I don't know if we can fully trust him. I was counting on Bardock and Seripa being around just in case this ended up being a trap."
"You worry too much, Sister," Surah said with a grin. "I am unsure of what to make of this, as well; however I believe we should give Zarbon the benefit of the doubt."
"I'm sorry, Surah, but I can't afford to do that." Leta shook her head. "Not when our own people are ready to sell us out to Frieza."
"I'm guessing you're referring to Blythe, Princess?" asked Zether with a frown. "Where is that bastard?"
She gestured dismissively. "He's contained. Even if he wasn't, Turles temporarily rendered him harmless so he's not a danger at the moment."
"I'd kinda like a chance to deal with him myself," Zether said coldly. "I'll make him regret his mistake."
"Turles did that sufficiently enough," Leta said dryly. "My point is I can't bring myself to fully trust Zarbon."
"We are more than 36 hours away from your position, Princess," said Falmer slowly. "We would never make it in time."
"Well, any suggestions then?"
"Actually, I have one," said Zether brightly, grinning suddenly. "Cloak your ship and hide it where it can't be seen visually. Then just wait it out and see what happens. If it's a trap, they're probably expecting you to not show anyway. They sure as hell won't expect you to be hiding. If things look sketchy, blast your way out of there and into hyper space."
Leta arched an eyebrow. "Seriously? If they come in force that plan is suicide."
Zether shrugged. "If they come in force, then just stay hidden until they leave. Some may stay behind, but they'll have landing parties. Standard military procedure. You bail while they're off their ships, they'll never catch you. You gotta wait for the enemy to drop their pants sometimes."
Leta frowned, chewing idly on her bottom lip. The action accentuated her resemblance to Seripa. "It's crazy…"
"Yes, it is."
Leta looked up and immediately scowled when she saw Seluri standing at the back of the bridge.
Zether and the others looked at her and then glanced at Leta in confusion.
"Uh, did we miss something?" Zether asked with a frown.
"Nothing of importance," Leta all-but spat out.
Seluri sighed and walked forward until she was standing behind the others. "The Gylderian's idea is crazy, but it also has a high chance for success."
"What do you know about it?"
Seluri eyed her daughter sternly. "You know I was a Cleric, girl. I am trained in multiple forms of strategy, and this is a good strategy. It is unorthodox, but that is why it will work. If this turns out to be a trap, then as the Gylderian said they will not be expecting you to even be there. They may arrive prepared for you to be there, but they certainly will not be expecting you there, let alone hiding there."
Leta frowned and looked at Surah. She her met gaze and they stared at each other for a moment, a wordless conversation being exchanged. Surah gave a slight shrug before smiling and Leta's tense shoulders visibly relaxed.
She sighed and looked at them again. "Yeah, you're right. That probably will work. I don't like it, but I'm not much of a fighter anyway. I certainly wouldn't consider a move like this."
"Oh, bull shit," said Zether with a grin. Leta looked at him sharply, her eyebrows rising quickly. "You always used to beat stomp me during hide and attack when we were kids. You were good at it."
"This is a little different, Zether," Leta said as she rolled her eyes.
"No it ain't. You're hiding and attacking either way. You might be in a Cruiser that you're hiding and might be attacking with, but the premise is still the same."
Leta frowned, arching an eyebrow as she regarded Zether. "You always make a weird kind of sense."
"You know you love me," Zether said with a grin.
"I wouldn't go so far to say that, but I do admire your cunning. We'll give that maneuver a shot. Hopefully it won't be necessary and I'm just being paranoid, but I don't want to take any chances. The universe is in chaos right now and I have no idea what's going to happen from here on out." She suddenly frowned and looked away from the screen and at someone off camera. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell open.
Falmer and Zether exchanged glances before looking back at her. "What is it, Princess?" Falmer asked.
She looked at them, closing her mouth slowly. "War…war has broken out. The Flazerian Empire and the Galactic Band are attacking Ice-jin occupied planets and bases." She glanced at Surah, who was smiling. She frowned. "Just as Zarbon said." She looked at them again. "He said that he had allied himself with Maseselyo to combat the Cold Regime."
"Huh. Maybe Zarbon really is the leader of the Galactic Band. Stranger things have happened. I am alive, after all." Zether laughed as he back down in his chair. "Maybe it wouldn't hurt to try trusting him."
Leta shook her head. "I won't take any chances. I'm going to stick with your plan."
Seluri nodded slightly, her gaze locked on her daughter.
Leta glanced at her and frowned again. "What?"
"You are as stubborn as your father was."
"Funny. He always said I was as stubborn as you," Leta said, her eyes narrowing. "I always hated when he was right."
Seluri smiled slightly. "Yes, he had annoying knack for being right. How are you doing, Leta?"
The Princess scowled and looked away. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm doing great."
Seluri nodded. "I see. That is good to hear. When you are ready to speak with me, my daughter, you can contact me whenever you desire." She smiled again and left the bridge.
All eyes turned to Leta in confusion as the Princess watched her mother walk away. She sighed and looked down, shaking her head.
DBZ
Crushing weight made it difficult to breathe. The weakness she felt didn't help her situation, either.
She felt like she remained motionless for an eternity, her mind swimming in and out of consciousness. She was aware of silence, punctuated occasionally by a whistling wind. The weight she felt never relented, as she hoped it might when next she woke.
She did not open her eyes, preferring instead to remain in darkness.
Pain made itself known to her, and she welcomed the darkness as it took her over.
What happened to her?
Why even care…?
The fight…
Coola…
Doesn't matter now…You're obviously dead.
Accept it.
The faint whistling gradually began to grow into a howl. Everything began to shake.
You're not dead…You can't be. What are these sensations? Amotto…wake up.
I am awake.
Open your eyes…
It took every ounce of her willpower to force her heavy lids open, and several minutes before she was able to comprehend what she was seeing.
She was sitting in the darkness of a space pod, hooked to its life support system. Rain was thudding violently against the metallic alloy of the pod, winds buffeting the ship like hammer blows. She narrowed her eyes slowly as she tried to see beyond the water streaks on the tiny window of the pod. Lightning flashed, revealing the vague silhouettes of craggy formations.
She frowned and struggled to lean forward. It took every ounce of her strength to push herself forward. Her body felt like it weighed a ton. The strain took everything out of her. She let out a breath as she rested her forehead against the glass, looking down at the tiny console inlaid into the hatch.
"C-com…pu…ter…" she gasped out, her voice barely rising above a whisper. "Wh-where…am I?"
The console suddenly lit up.
"Girl, if you are alive…I hope you are alive…"
She blinked in surprise, recognizing Ka'bijj's voice.
"You are a very stubborn young woman, Amotto, but right now I need you to forget about that. Considering what I am doing to ensure your survival, I believe you owe that much to me."
She frowned softly, wincing slightly as a sharp pain shot through both cheeks.
"I recognized great potential in you as I fought first against you, and then with you. You faced down Coola admirably and made him think twice, but do not let your anger get the best of you now. I am giving you an opportunity to become greater than you ever thought possible."
A brow arched upwards slowly. I'm listening…
"I have sent you to the last of the Clerics of the Old World Training Grounds, Super Saiyan Training Grounds 5. Now that you are paying close attention-"
Fuck you, old man…
"-I can assume that you are interested in where I have sent you and why. Willing or not I would have taken you on as a student if I had been able to survive today. I would have trained you in the ways of the Clerics so that the order may be rebuilt."
Ka'bijj's voice sighed. "The best I can offer you is S.S.T.G. 5, and a complex that should be about ten miles east of your current position. It is important that you verify beforehand, because you are not alone on that planet. There are…Well, technically speaking the beings that reside on that planet are essentially Saiyans. But they were genetically altered to be larger than us, and insanely powerful. They are very dangerous.
"And they have the home field advantage. The gravity on S.S.T.G. 5 is absurdly high, being exactly 65 times that of the galactic Standard-
Are you kidding me?
"Anyway the complex is an abandoned Cleric Sanctuary. There are recovery chambers there, food, supplies…Anything you will need. My single and final mission as your Master is for you to undertake a pilgrimage to that complex, and to download everything you can about the Clerics and take it with you when you leave. Train hard and study the history and our teachings where ever you are and where ever you may go. If you do this, then I officially name you a Master Cleric of the Old…" he paused.
"No." Amotto frowned. She recognized the smirk in the man's voice. "The Clerics of the Old World are dead and gone. So…I officially name you the Arch Cleric of Super Saiyans. Go forth from S.S.T.G. 5 and spread our teachings among the remaining Saiyans, and restore our race's true glory. I entrust in you the future of our race and our Order. As I said, I saw great potential in you.
"So you must survive whatever happens to you on S.S.T.G. 5. Survive...Become greater than you ever imagined through our teachings. This, Amotto the Super Saiyan, is my greatest test of you, my student.
"And destroy the gods damned Ice-jin that killed me." The message ended.
Amotto stared at the console in silence for a long time. Ka'bijj was dead. Turpin probably was, too. She frowned and eased back into her seat, cringing as the movement caused her whole body to ache. What had happened in those last few moments after the Supernova was launched? She couldn't remember anything after Coola dropping it on her.
Had it hit her?
Had Turpin taken the hit while Ka'bijj carried her away to safety?
How long had it been?
That last question was easy to answer. She estimated that only a day or two had passed based on how her body felt. That might have also been able to answer question number one, but she was pretty sure if it had hit her then she'd be dead.
Arch Cleric of Super Saiyans…She liked the sound of the title. But did she deserve it? She'd only been a Super Saiyan for a couple of days now. What right did she have to carry such a title?
Besides, she knew very little about the Clerics.
Which, of course, would be remedied if she made it to the Sanctuary. If she followed through with the mission, and survived it, then she would be able to call herself the Arch Cleric. Ka'bijj did task her with studying and learning about the Clerics…Was it up to her to decide whether or not to take the title?
Ka'bijj had been a Cleric. He had had the authority to decide whether or not she should become one. Her brow furrowed as she considered all of this.
She looked up and out the tiny window of the pod. Lightning lit up the rough terrain outside as she thought about the trek ahead of her.
Considering the gravity of the planet and her weakened condition, she'd be lucky if she made it to the complex alive.
There was a sudden tap against the window, making her jump. Which she immediately regretted.
She cringed and leaned forward a little bit to peer out the window…
A brutish, hairy face appeared pressed against the glass, hot breath fogging up the glass. Amotto pressed herself against the back of the seat, her eyes wide in sudden fear.
Uh oh…
The pod shifted and the face narrowed black eyes at her, baring its elongated fangs in a guttural roar. The eyes fixed on her, and the face spread into a gleeful smile.
An all-too familiar sexual hunger lighting up the creature's eyes. Amotto gripped the armrest of her seat as tremors shook her weak body.
"Oh, no…No…"
DBZ
