Hey there guys, sorry about the late update. I promised weekly updates, but I just moved into my college dorm this last week and the flashdrive containing the chapters get sort of lost in the move in. No worries now though as I've gotten it back and should be able to actually fulfill my promise now! Sorry about the delay but here it is…
Chapter 35
Edited by: Ness Frost
A loud humming sound echoed throughout the decimated landscape as the hurricane force winds caused by the massive eruption of golden ki finally began to die out. Smoke now obscured the ground and surrounding rock formations from the sight of the Saiyan from Earth, who still remained lodged in the face of a gigantic mountain. There was only one thing that Goku could see clearly, and a feeling of unbridled joy sprung up inside of him as he said his name.
"Tien Shinhan," croaked the wild haired man, every syllable a struggle thanks to his many wounds.
Shifting his gaze away from the debris where he knew their enemy lay, Tien surveyed his friend's condition. The man's body was in shambles, with his right hand hanging limply in the wrong direction after clearly being broken, and numerous cuts, scrapes, and bruises littering his entire figure. Dried blood had caked into several spots on his skin and signature fighting gi, not to mention the man didn't even possess the strength to lift his head. It saddened the three-eyed fighter to see his proud, strong friend reduced to such shambles, and he clenched his fists in anger at the sight. Just another victim to the monstrosity that was Frieza, and another sin that Tien would force him to pay for.
"Don't talk, Goku," stated Tien bluntly. "You need to rest and recover some of your strength. Don't worry; I'll take care of Frieza from here."
"But… Tien, he's gotten so much stronger," said Goku in an attempt to warn his friend about the newest plateau of strength that the Arcosian had reached, fits of coughing up blood interrupting his speech. "He… went through some sort… of transformation."
"A metamorphosis huh?" mumbled the former assassin as his gaze shifted back to the dissipating smoke clouds. "So that's how he's been increasing his power by such great degrees. Regardless, doesn't matter much now. Just stay here and recuperate, Goku. Like I said, I'll handle Frieza."
A curt nod of his friend's head was all the approval that Tien needed before flying down into the smoke and leaving his ally behind. He didn't feel completely comfortable just leaving Goku with how gravely injured he was, but at the moment, there was nothing to be done. The best thing that the human fighter could do for his friend was to try and move the fight away from the former Turtle school student so that he wouldn't be accidentally injured even further from the shockwaves of his battle with Frieza.
Calmly landing on the azure grassland several miles away from the lone mountain where Goku rested, Tien stared callously into the last remaining nebula of debris where he knew the Frost Demon lay in wait, probably seething from his ambush. The human was proven correct as the smoke finally cleared to reveal the livid form of Frieza, small burn marks now covering nearly the entirety of his body. As Tien stared into the beady eyes of his monstrous looking foe, nothing but unadulterated hatred shone forth from them as a snarl formed across the fiend's stretched face.
"You're really beginning to get on my nerves, Triclops," hissed Frieza. "How dare you even dream of attacking me, you worthless, little insect!?"
"Frieza," addressed Tien casually, his eyes narrowing as he dropped into his fighting stance. "I see that you've gotten a lot uglier since the last time we met."
"Heh, heh," chuckled the Arcosian. "So I see that you've noticed my new form. Yes, I find it appropriate for completely obliterating vermin like your friend over there. For you, though, I doubt I'll need even a fraction of my power in this form! You may have been able to survive the Ginyu Force, but believe me, their power pales in comparison to…"
The sadistic overlord never managed to finish his monologue, as he was caught off guard by Tien suddenly thrusting his crimson-clad hand forward, and with a boisterous battle cry, releasing a powerful Kiai. Frieza didn't even have time to blink as the powerful, transparent ki smashed into him with the force of a typhoon and sent him rocketing backwards in an uncontrolled spiral. The force of Tien's surprise attack sent the tyrant flying for miles, smashing through any boulder that was unfortunate enough to be in the fiend's flight path without losing any of his velocity. Finally, after he had crashed through half a dozen pillars of rock, Frieza's flight was brought to an abrupt halt when he was buried underneath a massive amount of rubble from the last mountain he was slammed into. Tons upon tons of rock poured atop the tyrant as the human warrior responsible allowed his blood-red aura to disperse into the wind as he landed before the mound of debris.
A howl of pure rage rang throughout the devastated terrain, as beams of violet light suddenly began to pour through the crevices of the rubble. Even Tien was forced to shield his eyes as a brilliant explosion of energy and light completely incinerated every particle of rock that had lain atop the Arcosian, to reveal the infuriated form of Frieza.
"You… impudent… little… WORM!" shrieked the monstrous-looking tyrant, his entire grotesque body trembling in anger. "I'm going to shred you to pieces!"
"Big talk, coming from a person that's been knocked down twice now," stated Tien calmly before bringing both arms to his side at perfect 90 degree angles. "Why don't you put some actions to those words?"
"Why you!?" growled the enraged tyrant. "You shall pay for your insolence!"
"Kaio-Kenx12!" shouted Tien as his opponent swiftly covered the ground between them in an instant. With his signature crimson aura igniting to life around him, the human warrior was able to evade the powerful right hook that was racing towards him.
'His speed is incredible,' thought the three eyed fighter as he performed several handsprings to create some distance between him and the charging alien. 'This bulky, cumbersome appearance is all a façade, meant to distract his opponent from his true strength: his rapid attack speed. However, this fast pace means that he'll be more likely to make careless mistakes. I'll have to make sure to take advantage of this.'
Tien was pulled out of his thoughts as another shrieking battle cry pierced his ears and he realized, his eyes widening in shock, that Frieza was right on top of him. A howl of triumph echoed throughout the grassy plain as the Frost Demon quickly brought down a powerful chop for a devastating blow to his opponent, though his victory was short lived as his hand passed straight through an afterimage. A scowl formed across the fiend's face as he raised a forearm to intercept Tien's oncoming roundhouse kick that was aimed for the overlord's temple.
An eruption of sound seemed to rock the entire landscape as Tien's limb collided with Frieza's as a sonic boom emitted from their clash. Visible waves of force were expelled from the point of impact and the surrounding blades of teal grass billowed violently from the gale force winds. Both warriors' eyes narrowed as they sat, frozen in time, in a deadlocked stare with each other. There was one common sentiment that they both expressed to each other in that one look: neither fighter would show mercy to the other.
With a small burst of ki from his leg, Tien sent himself into a controlled spiral as he disengaged from his titanic foe. The stoic warrior knew that if he were to get into a prolonged hand-to-hand engagement with Frieza, the alien's superior attack speed would eventually overwhelm his defenses and he would be susceptible to some severe punishment from the sadist. His best bet was to try and keep his distance, and to use energy attacks along with hit-and-run tactics to defeat Frieza.
Unfortunately, it seemed that the Destroyer of Worlds realized where his greatest strength lay as well, and he was already in hot pursuit of the Earthling. A frown formed across Tien's face as he formed small spheres of golden ki in each of his palms before firing them at the charging Arcosian. To the human's disappointment, Frieza managed to barrel roll out of the blasts' trajectory and the energy attacks detonated harmlessly on the ground below. The hue from the explosion provided a fitting gloomy overcast for the sadistic tyrant, though, as he began an all-out assault on the three eyed human.
Tien gnashed his teeth together as every ounce of his strength and speed was put to the test as he defended himself against the onslaught. It felt like he was trapped in a whirlwind of limbs as countless punches, knife strikes, chops, and kicks were sent in his direction at a blinding speed. At the moment, the human was able to either dodge or deflect all of the attacks so far, but Tien could feel his defenses already beginning to slip as numerous welts and bruises were already starting to form across his arms and legs.
Suddenly, the human's sharpened hearing picked up an unnatural whooshing sound traveling through the air. Tien's eyes widened in horror as he realized that there had been one limb that hadn't crossed his mind yet: Frieza's tail. The thick appendage came sailing into his peripheral vision only a split second before smashing into his flank and sending him flying through the emerald sky.
Grunting in pain, the former Crane student flipped himself around so that he was again facing towards his charging opponent. Touching his feet down on the face of a mountain, Tien brought his forced flight to a halt before using his momentum to launch himself from the rocky surface and rocket back towards his enemy. A sonic boom roared in the air as the human's body broke the sound barrier, and Tien cocked back his fist. Unleashing a mighty battle cry, the triclops was able to slip past Frieza's defenses thanks to the sling-shot effect of his launch from the mountain and deliver a devastating right hook to the stunned Arcosian.
Frieza was sent soaring back thanks to the power behind Tien's attack, and his monstrous form was driven into the ground after sailing for several hundred feet. The bony, white figure of the alien oppressor was sent skidding against the ground, his body like a rag doll as it was flung up and down from the collisions. Finally, the Frost Demon was able to regain his composure and spin himself back upright, digging his heels into the ground to grind himself to a halt.
Viewing the demon's rattled concentration as an opening, Tien had already sprung forth with his secondary assault. The gap between them had almost been closed, and the human warrior's leg was already primed behind him as he prepared to whip his limb around for a finishing blow to the creature's temple. Tien never was able to connect with his kick, though, for as he prepared to launch his attack, Frieza raised up two fingers while a devilish smirk plastered itself across the fiend's face.
In an instant, a purple beam of ki shot forth from the monster's raised index and middle fingers and was sent piercing through Tien's exposed shoulder. All momentum and velocity that the human's rush had possessed was completely robbed from him as the small ray of energy shot through his body like it was paper, leaving identical holes on each side of his torso. Tien's eyes widened in a mixture of horror and shock as he stumbled backwards, the red aura encasing his body beginning to falter as his energy began to slip away. The power of the Kaio-Ken was dispelled completely when another violet ray of energy pierced through the bald fighter's thigh, and Tien was forced onto one knee, unable to support his own weight thanks to the sadistic alien's attack.
"Heh, heh, so the mighty Earthling is taken down by a couple of measly finger beams?" taunted Frieza, his slithery tone adding another edge of mockery to his words. "How disappointing, and here you were making such a valiant effort to defeat me. I told you though, didn't I, the power that you possess is crushed underneath the shadow of my own. You could never hope to defeat me,; your efforts were in vain, and now you're going to die a meaningless death."
Gaze transfixed on the crumpled blue leaves of grass beneath him, Tien couldn't help but feel bitter disappointment as the maniacal cackle of Frieza's laughter entered into his ears. Had he journeyed this far, gone through so much hardship, all in the name of reviving his fallen friends, simply to die at the hands of a crazed tyrant with too much time on his hands? Had all of the battles he had fought, all of the pain he had suffered through, been for nothing?
No. No, he was not going to allow it to end this way! Too many people were counting on him, too many people were dependent on him to come through in this moment: right here and right now. Yamcha, Krillin, Upa, Piccolo and Chiaotzu were all relying upon him to bring them back from Otherworld, to repay them for their dedication in saving the lives of every citizen of Earth during the Saiyans' assault. Gohan and Dende were trusting him to buy them the rest of the time they needed to summon the Namekian dragon and make the wishes required for their friends to be revived. Guru, Nail, and the other Nameks were putting their faith in him to stop the rampaging Frieza and save their planet and race from extinction. And lastly… he was relying on himself to bring atonement for his past failure to his friends. Last time he wasn't there to prevent all of the death and carnage, but this time he was, and Tien would be damned if he wasn't going to pull through for the multitude of souls relying on him in this moment.
"Listen up Frieza," the Earthling warrior commanded as he lifted his head up to stare into eyes of the fiend before him. The conviction and will in Tien's eyes shone brightly as he forced himself to his feet, ignoring the pain that screamed out in every fiber of his being. Even Frieza was taken aback slightly by the sudden renewal of willpower in the human, and he recoiled slightly as the former assassin forced himself completely upright and attempted to bore a hole into the tyrant with a death stare poignant enough to make seasoned veterans cower in fear.
"I'm not going to allow you to stand in my way any longer," proclaimed Tien as he braced himself for yet another power-up. "For too long, you and your minions have been an obstacle that's lain in my path, and now I plan to finally bulldoze you into nothingness. Too much is riding on my victory here against you for me to simply roll over and die, too many people's lives are on the line, and I will NOT let them down again. I refuse to fail them again, so you have three minutes to make your peace with whatever gods you worship before I deliver the justice that you rightfully deserve: a one-way ticket to the afterlife."
A small smile formed on the lips of the grotesque alien, who chuckled slightly before replying,. "Three minutes, huh? You think you're going to be able to defeat me in three minutes' time? Please, don't make me laugh. You haven't managed to land a substantial hit on me yet and now you're declaring that you'll defeat me in three minutes! You're even more ridiculous than that last oaf I fought!"
With a deep exhale, Tien bent his knees and snapped his arms at 90 degree angles while the ground beneath his feet began to quake as his power began to surge inside of him. As his skin began to change, taking on a crimson hue, the human warrior gnashed his teeth together before saying.
"I'm through talking, Frieza! Just know that your three minutes start now! Kaio-Kenx15!"
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Lifting her head in response to the sudden emergence of the high-pitched voice, Chi-Chi was horrified at the sight that befell her. Lying in the fetal position only a few feet in front of her, was the black genie that was tasked with caring for the Lookout. It was clear that he had struggled mightily to prevent the massive damage that his precious charge had sustained, but in the end, he appeared to be no match for whoever these intruders were.
"Mr. Popo!" shouted the brunette in alarm as she quickly rushed to the battered being's side. Stooping to one knee, the female fighter gingerly wrapped her hand around the genie's neck, allowing Mr. Popo to direct his swollen face in her direction. The beginnings of tears began to sting at the edges of Chi-Chi's eyes as she bore witness to the deplorable state that the passive man had been diminished to.
"Oh good," stammered the injured genie as he struggled to raise his arm up. "You can… you can stop them."
"Don't talk Mr. Popo," advised Chi-Chi gently as her dominant maternal instincts kicked in. "You need to save your energy so you can recover as soon as possible. Don't worry; I'll take care of the creeps that did this to you."
"Hahahahahahaha! You really believe that you can beat us, girlie?" mocked the shrill voice from above. Lifting her head so that she could see the speaker, Chi-Chi was surprised to see that the origin of this annoying voice was a small, blue imp that sat atop a large, bone-like throne. The gleam of the small man's fangs caught Chi-Chi's eye along with his large, pointy ears and blood red eyes. It was as if someone had drawn a characterization of a small devil and brought it to life to haunt the world.
More snickering caught the women's attention, and it didn't take long for the female fighter to realize that a gang of henchmen surrounded the demonic throne. Each of them possessed somewhat similar characteristics to their tiny master, though they all were much larger than the creature actually seated in the throne. Each of these lackeys had widely varying heights, from a short, pudgier one all the way to a massive hulking brute, and everything in between the two. They all had different colored hair and skin, yet there was no mistaking it: these demons all belonged to the same race.
"Who are you guys!?" demanded Chi-Chi, her rage beginning to build. There was no doubt in her mind that these men were the ones responsible for Mr. Popo's current state and the trouble happening all across the world. "What have you done to the people of Earth!?"
Another round of laughter burst from the gathered group of devils, and evil smirks appeared across all of their faces, as the hooded figure atop the throne smugly stated, "I'm just revealing the true face of humanity. Just trying to be honest, is that really such a bad thing? Hahahahahahaha!"
"His name is… Garlic Jr." stammered the weakened genie from below the woman's gaze. "Long ago, back when Kami was simply an apprentice to the former guardian, Garlic Sr. was his peer. However, when it was announced that Kami and not Garlic was going to be the next guardian, the man flew into a rage and attempted to take over the world by force. Luckily, the former guardian managed to defeat Garlic and send him to the Dead Zone. But now…"
"We have returned!" exclaimed the small imp named Garlic Jr., his arms outstretched as if he were basking in the sun. "It is time for me to claim what was rightfully my father's all along! Now that stupid slug is gone, the position of Guardian is rightfully mine!"
After sending a spiteful glare in the small demon's direction, Chi-Chi returned her attention back to the haggard breaths of her friend. "Mr. Popo, do you have any idea what's happening to the people down below?"
"He released the Black Water Mist, which then spread all over the Earth thanks to the air currents surrounding the Lookout," informed the genie.
"Black Water Mi…"
"The Black Water Mist, a brilliant invention by my dear father," proclaimed the teal colored midget. "When people breathe this mist, any evil tendencies that they're resisting take control of their character. They become mad with the desire for wealth and material pleasure to the point of wanting to kill each other for it. So as I said before, it simply exposes humanity's true self!"
Chi-Chi's eyes widened in horror in response to the imp's speech. So all of the people of Earth, all of her friends, her father, everyone, had been turned into… monsters by this demented demon.
"Is there no way to change them back to the way they were before?" she frantically asked.
"Yes, the Sacred Water," answered Mr. Popo in-between haggard breaths. "Kami created it in case… in case something like this ever happened."
"Hahahahaha, yes, there is that," conceded Garlic Jr. "However, you would first have to find it in the palace and then disperse it to the entire world in less than 24 hours. After that, the effects of the Black Water Mist will be permanent and even the Sacred Water won't be able to change them back!"
"Well then I don't have time to waste, do I!?" screamed Chi-Chi, her rage finally erupting. "Now get out of my way so I can fix this mess you've put us all in!"
"I'm afraid we can't do that missy," casually stated one of the henchmen, who had teal skin and pointy, snow white hair. "You see, Master Garlic's plan must go unhindered, and we're here to make sure it does."
"That's right!" exclaimed the tallest lackey, a hulking brute who had horns growing out of the tan hat that rested atop his head. "You'll have to get past us first!"
"You tell him, Vinegar," croaked a dark skinned warrior, whose long red hair contrasted starkly with his brown, frog-like face.
"Yeah, there's no way a little girl like her can beat us, the Spice Boys!" shouted the shortest member of Garlic's henchmen.
"So you're saying that I have to defeat you all first huh?" questioned Chi-Chi, the intensity of her gaze even frightening these hardened demons slightly. "Alright then, let's make this quick. I have to make sure everyone is turned back to normal!"
"Why you, how dare you mock us!?" exclaimed the short, red-skinned lackey. "Come on Mustard, let's make this woman pay!"
"Right, she's going down!" shouted the tall, frog-like warrior as both he and his smaller companion leapt straight at the female warrior. Just as she dropped into her fighting stance, Chi-Chi's eyes widened in horror as she realized that Mr. Popo was still right beneath her feet. Knowing that if she dodged the combined assault of her attackers, the genie would more than likely be hit been the attacks, Chi-Chi simply grimaced as she allowed both of the Makyans to plant their boots directly into her stomach.
A cry of pain was forced out of the brunette as she was sent flying across the surface of the Lookout thanks to the powerful kicks. Gnashing her teeth together in frustration, Chi-Chi performed a back-flip in order to regain her footing on the stone floor. Her pure white dress fluttered in the wind chaotically as her feet dug trenches though the marble slabs, bringing her to a halt.
The female warrior didn't have much time to recover from the previous assault, though, as a harmonious battle cry rang overhead. Looking up, Chi-Chi could see that the demonic duo had were already almost on top of her again, with a wide grins plastered across their faces as they moved in for a killing blow. This time, though, the matriarch of the Son family didn't have to worry about collateral casualties and was easily able to dodge, phasing out of sight as the two punches aimed for her face passed harmlessly through an afterimage.
"Damn it, she dodged!" hissed the larger assailant, turning his head behind him to track Chi-Chi's movements; he managed to turn just in time to receive one of the housewife's roundhouse kicks to his temple. A sickening crack echoed throughout the Lookout as the large alien was sent flying into one of the towers on the West Wing of the palace; a large cloud of debris obscured the mound of rubble that now covered his body.
"Mustard!" cried out the long-haired, crimson skinned dwarf. "You'll pay for that you wretch!"
Turning her head slightly, Chi-Chi glared at the small fighter before slowly beginning to make her way towards him. However, a blur of movement caught the corner of the housewife's vision and she quickly leapt into the air to avoid a powerful kick that had been intended for her. Looking down, Chi-Chi was surprised to see that the biggest henchman had suddenly leapt into the action and was grinning malevolently at her.
It wasn't until after the yellow ki blast had made contact with her back that Chi-Chi sensed the presence of the final member of the Spice Boys behind her. Upon impact, the energy attack exploded with a furious roar and the female warrior found herself trapped in a large cloud of smoke as she withered in pain from the unsuspected assault.
"Do you understand yet, girl?" asked the snow-white haired leader of the gang, a smirk dancing across his face in response to his successful attack. "I can tell that while you may be stronger than us individually, you're no match for our combined power!
"Ha-ha, that's right. No one can defeat the Spice Boys!" bellowed the massive brute. "Especially not some girl!"
Chi-Chi's knees collapsed to the marble floor as she landed from her position in the sky, panting while her gaze resided on the ground beneath her. The brunette internally cursed her carelessness for allowing them to get the drop on her and letting them get in such a substantial hit. That last attack had hurt her more than she would like to admit, and the burns on her back were already severe enough to make her grimace in pain. She couldn't keep fighting like this; it was time to end this skirmish. However, just as Chi-Chi prepared to summon the power necessary to bring a close to the battle, her eyes widened in horror as she saw a pitch black hand clasp around the ankle of the shortest henchmen.
"Leave… her… alone," pleaded Mr. Popo through fits of coughing up a disgusting mixture of blood and phlegm. Chi-Chi moved her hand to cover her mouth as she realized that the genie had dragged himself halfway across the Lookout in order to try and protect her.
"Huh, you're still alive?" questioned the small demon. "I'm surprised you're still kicking after the beating we handed you earlier, but I suppose you need a second serving. Well, I would be happy to oblige you."
"No, Mr. Popo!" screamed Chi-Chi as a wicked smile formed across the red-skinned dwarf's face as he drew back his arm in order to strike down the caretaker of the Lookout. Springing forward without a second thought, the brunette sprinted towards her friend, but suddenly found her path blocked by the remaining two lackeys: Spice and Vinegar.
"Where do you think you're going, missy?" yelled the muscular, horned fighter as he attempted to ram his fist into the woman's face while Spice attempted to sweep Chi-Chi's legs out from underneath her. A snarl formed across the housewife's face as she was forced to leap backwards to avoid the two blows. Attempting to get past this roadblock, the female fighter quickly pounced to the right. This maneuver was to no avail, though, as the two Spice brothers simply matched her movements before going back on the attack, launching a barrage of lightning fast limbs at the woman.
A growl was elicited from the brunette's throat as she was forced on the defensive against this furious assault. While she was able to dodge or deflect every one of the duo's attacks, they were managing to keep her in place and away from their comrade as he grabbed the genie by the throat while lifting him into the air. Casting a wicked smile at the struggling Chi-Chi as she continued to be forced back by his allies' attack, the crimson skinned devil pulled back his arm as he formed a fist.
"This is the end for you, genie!" declared Salt with a sadistic smirk as he launched his punch straight at the helpless Mr. Popo.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" screamed Chi-Chi as she released a massive explosive wave that caught her attackers off guard and sent them sprawling backwards. Seeing an opening, the brunette blasted forward, but deep down she already knew she would be too late to prevent the finishing blow. That didn't mean she wasn't going to try, though, and another roar of anger tore from her throat as the dwarf's fist inched closer to Mr. Popo.
Chi-Chi's eyes widened in shock, though, when she witnessed the blow suddenly veer off course, missing the genie completely. The gleam of steel flashed for an instant as a stream of blood suddenly burst from Salt's arm and Mr. Popo was placed across the broad shoulders of a familiar, chubby samurai.
"Yajirobe?" whispered Chi-Chi as her rage disappeared in response to the sudden appearance of the swordsman, who was now all the way to the entrance into the palace, with the genie draped around his shoulders. A howl of agony rang out from the shortest member of the Spice Gang as he grasped his forearm in a vain attempt to stop the bleeding.
"Ugh, I can't believe Korin made me come up here," complained Yajirobe as he turned to face the stunned Chi-Chi. "I told him you could handle it, but he threatened to cut off my food supply if I didn't help out, so here I am."
"Yajirobe, give Mr. Popo a Senzu Bean!" shouted Chi-Chi, deciding to ignore the shallow reason for the man's help. "He's been severely injured thanks to these thugs."
"Sorry, no can do," stated the samurai flatly.
"WHY NOT!?" demanded the enraged woman. She knew that Yajirobe was lazy, but to the point of not being willing to help a friend? That was just crossing the line!
"Hey don't yell at me!" retorted the fat samurai. "It's not my fault that your husband took all the Senzu Beans that Korin had into space with him!"
A growl escaped from the woman's pursed lips before she said, "We don't have time to stand here and argue about this! We need to get the Sacred Water to the people of Earth to cure them!"
"If you will take me," came the sudden, now raspy voice of Mr. Popo as he looked at Yajirobe. "I can lead you to the Sacred Water and the place it needs to be distributed."
"Hold up, I have no idea what either of you are talkin' about here!" exclaimed Yajirobe.
"That hurt, you fat bastard!" Turning her head, Chi-Chi could see that all three of the remaining Spice brothers were back on their feet. Each of them glared at the pair of humans, their animosity clear in their blood-red eyes.
"There's no time for that!" stated Chi-Chi, not bothering to take her gaze away from the trio of Makyans. "Mr. Popo can fill you in on the way. Now get going, I'll handle these guys."
"Ha-ha, you really think you can beat the three of us by yourself!" said the teal skinned one, with a small smirk gracing his face. "Fool, you can't hope to beat…"
"KAIO-KEN!"
After the echo of King Kai's technique rang throughout the Lookout, a sudden flash of crimson light obscured everything from sight. Yajirobe and Mr. Popo were both forced to shield their eyes from the blinding flood of red that suddenly had consumed the courtyard of Kami's palace. Finally, after almost a full ten seconds, the light began to recede, before finally disappearing completely.
Lifting their hands from the front of their eyes, both Yajirobe and Mr. Popo looked on in awe as they saw the statue like figure of Chi-Chi slowly turn back to them. The red aura that usually accompanied the Kaio-Ken was gone, which puzzled the pair as she began to casually walk towards them, her battle dress billowing wildly in the wind. It wasn't until they looked up and saw the forms of the unconscious Spice brothers falling from the sky that they realized what had happened. The wife of Son Goku had already defeated the trio, this point being punctuated by the crashing sound of the lackeys' bodies colliding with the stone floor behind their victorious opponent.
"Get going you two," Chi-Chi ordered calmly as she walked past them in the direction of the demonic throne where the real threat to the Earth was, trembling with rage in his seat. "I'll hold off this Garlic guy while you two save the world."
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o
Frieza's eyes widened in a mixture of shock and pain as his adversary's elbow was jammed viciously into his cheekbone, knocking the fiend from his feet. Time felt as if it was crawling forward for the Arcosian as the human's strike remained lodged into his face, forcing him to stare into the Earthling's glare. In all of his years of genocide, planet razing, and tyranny, Frieza had never witnessed a stare containing such conviction alongside such unwavering fortitude. Even the foolish hubris that the Saiyans possessed could not hope to match the will being expressed through this single look from the triclops, and all the while only one thought was going through the Frost Demon's mind: this fool had to be put back in his place; no one was allowed to challenge the might of Lord Frieza so brazenly and live to tell about it.
Unfortunately, at the moment the alien overlord was unable to do anything to punish the miserable whelp as he was sent flying through the air, being only a few feet above the rocky surface of Planet Namek. The tyrant was treated to another surprise, though, as the three eyed warrior suddenly phased above him before smashing his closed fist into Frieza's temple, sending him crashing into the ground face first. Clots that were a mixture of blood and phlegm were expelled from the alien's mouth after his body came ricocheting back off of the ground from the power behind the punch. Again, fate had turned its back on the sadistic ruler as the momentum of his rebound allowed the human the chance to catch Frieza in the ribs with a mighty kick and send him rocketing skyward.
A hiss escaped from the changeling as a snarl formed on his lips while he brought himself to a halt by extending all of his limbs out and releasing some of his energy to stop his forced flight through the viridian sky. Growling, Frieza allowed his rage to boil to the surface as he lifted both of his hands, index and middle fingers connected together while both pointed outwards, and set sights on the human warrior who was racing after him.
"It's time for you to learn your place, HUMAN!" shrieked the Arcosian as he began to pump both of his arms back and forth, firing dozens upon dozens of deadly finger beams in the process. The swarm of thin, yet deadly, energy attacks descended on their target like a barrage of arrows, yet even this lethal precipitation was ineffective against the charging warrior. Every time it seemed as if one of Frieza's death beams were going to puncture the Earthling, he simply blinked out of existence for a split second before reappearing even closer than before.
What started out as a simple growl inside the depths of his throat transformed into a ferocious roar as the Frost Demon doubled his efforts to slay his infuriating opponent. There was no way that an inferior being such as this three eyed freak would be able to evade the wrath of the almighty Lord Frieza forever! Volley after volley after volley was sent racing towards the crimson aura that shone brilliantly amongst the downpour of deadly purple beams, yet despite his best efforts, the fiendish ruler wasn't even able to cause that annoying aura to flicker.
In the blink of an eye, the red-hued warrior was suddenly directly in front of the frustrated tyrant. Before he could even raise a defense, Frieza felt the human's green boot being hammered into the side of his face. The force of the kick again sent the Arcosian into an uncontrolled spiral for nearly a mile before he was finally brought to a stop by a colossal mountain. The tyrant's body drove nearly a third of the way through the nearly half mile wide mountain before finally coming to a rest, lodged within.
While his body remained motionless, Frieza was unable to recuperate as the determined Earthling continued his relentless assault. Phasing before the winded and vulnerable alien, the crimson-clad fighter began a barrage of precise two finger strikes that felt like bullets being fired into the tyrant's body. Frieza was unable to keep his composure as the human's fingers continued to dig deeper into his armor and his mouth was forced agape, followed by howls of agony while the triclops continued his attack.
At some point during the brutal beat down, the lizard-like alien could actually feel his body being forced deeper and deeper into the base of the mountain. It seemed as if his foe's onslaught was so devastating that it was even driving them through the tons of bedrock, getting closer and closer to the core of the mountain with each passing second. Finally, the two combatants reached the point of no return and the base of the bluff was destabilized, causing the top of the peak to come toppling down atop the duo.
Noticing that the sudden avalanche of rubble had caught the human off-guard, Frieza took the opportunity to deliver a devastating uppercut to the man's jaw. The blow connected with a resounding crack before launching the bald warrior skyward and out of the debris. Satisfied with the hit and lusting for the chance to deal more punishment to his enemy, the Arcosian unleashed a powerful wave of ki that extended out in every direction from his body. The violet colored energy eviscerated everything it came into contact with, and by the time the light from the exploding wave had died down, all trace of the once proud mountain had vanished from existence.
Seeing that his prey was still reeling from his last punch, Frieza swiftly charged forward to press his advantage, unleashing a deadly array of lightning fast blows upon catching up with the human. After managing to land a few jabs, though, the Frost Demon quickly realized that all of his attacks were now being evaded as the Earthling expertly swayed out of the way of each individual strike.
'Heh, it seems that he's reached the end of his stamina reserves,' reasoned the tyrant in his mind as a devious smirk formed on his lips. 'He's been reduced to simply avoiding my attacks, not possessing the strength to actually counterattack.If he takes even a single hit, he'll be finished!'
With that, the Frost Demon began his onslaught with renewed vigor as he attempted to deliver a final, finishing blow to this annoying pest. The pair of warriors moved through the sky at a neck-breaking pace as Frieza continued to throw everything he had behind each of his strikes, but the human still managed to dodge each and every one of them. Remembering an earlier exchange between them, the fiendish ruler smirked as he twisted his body in an attempt to smack the bald man with his tail. However, Frieza's eyes widened in horror when all of his momentum was suddenly stolen from him as the crimson-hued warrior caught his appendage with both hands.
"That… won't… WORK!" bellowed the human warrior as he began to swing the tyrant around in a circle. Frieza realized that the Earthling was clearly strained in his speech from the incredible amount of pressure being exerted on his body from that outlandish technique he used to augment his power. It was an interesting trick for sure, but nothing that would ultimately be able to compensate for his failings in sheer power and strength when compared to the Arcosian.
Frieza didn't really have much time to ponder the intricate workings of this strange ability, though, as his bearings became fuzzy as he was swung around like a rag doll at super-sonic speeds. Nausea began to overtake the alien's senses and all that he could see were simple blurs when the human finally released his grip on Frieza's tail, allowing the momentum from his spinning to propel the Frost Demon's flight. With Frieza's crash landing into the sapphire grasslands below, a large mushroom cloud of debris was kicked into the air as the alien overlord was driven deeper and deeper through the crust of Namek until finally coming to a stop nearly 500 meters below the surface.
After spitting out a mouthful of soil, Frieza turned his massive head to look back up through the gigantic crater that his crash had created. As expected, the three eyed Earthling was already zooming through the sky as he gave chase to the fallen ruler, not planning on giving the lizard-like sadist any time to recover. A scowl formed across Frieza's face as he picked himself off of the floor of the crater and glared daggers at his oncoming enemy. Raising his left hand into the air, the Arcosian extended his index finger and prepared to use his signature finishing move: the Death Beam. This fight had gone past an amusing little trifle to one where he was actually being humiliated by this pathetic worm; it was time to put him back in his place.
"You're FINISHED!" shrieked Frieza as he fired the purple beam of ki straight at the oncoming human. The ray of energy was almost upon its intended mark in the blink of an eye, and the fiend smirked as he realized that this time he had finally gotten that troublesome triclops. There was no way he could dodge the attack now.
"Dodon… RAY!"
The sadist tyrant's eyes widened in fear as a gleam of golden energy caught his eye, and he suddenly saw an attack very similar to his Death Beam shoot forth from the Earthling's finger. This golden ray of energy effortlessly split through Frieza's own attack and traveled down the path made by the Death Beam all the way down to its origin point: the Frost Demon himself. Before he could even react, Frieza felt the thin beam of ki pierce through his chest and travel clear through to the other side.
'Impossible,' thought the Arcosian as his mouth flew agape in pain, blood spewing forth from his open lips. The force of that attack caused him to be flung from his feet and knocked backwards. 'He's just a miserable human. How could he manage to summon enough power to make my Death Beam look like a child's plaything!?'
Landing on his back on the rocky surface of the crater, Frieza was forced to grimace in pain as his newly created orifice made contact with the dirty ground. This allowed for the wound to be invaded by uncomfortable dust particles, and this, along with the mere presence of the coarse ground, made it a very unenjoyable experience for the alien.
To make matters worse, the Frost Demon was forced to watch as the human warrior sailed over his supine form and landed several feet in front of him. Pushing back his head, Frieza gnashed his teeth together and glared at the still form of the Earthling as he allowed the wind to rush past him. It was like the universe was putting a final period on their battle. It seemed that this was what the three eyed fighter thought as well, as he allowed the crimson aura that had been encasing his body to blink out of existence. However, Frieza would be damned if this was going to be the end of their fight. Oh no, he had much more pain and suffering to deliver to this imbecile before he allowed this battle to end.
Growling, Frieza forced himself to his feet while one of his hands was pressed gingerly against the hole that the human's finger beam had created. His other arm hung limply at his side, but while the Arcosian knew that his appearance was pathetic, he could also see that the human was faring little better than he. Now that he was standing, Frieza witnessed that the Earthling was panting heavily, and his entire body was drenched in a thick layer of sweat. It seemed that little parlor trick of his had exhausted every ounce of energy that the man possessed, and now it was taking everything he had to merely stand.
"You'll pay for this… you three-eyed… freak," proclaimed Frieza in between gasps for air. The insolent Earthling simply ignored the alien's declaration, electing to stay perfectly still while his chest heaved up and down in an attempt to bring oxygen to his spent muscles.
"Do you hear me, you worm!" shrieked the sadist. "I'm going to cause you pain beyond your wildest dreams! Not even your closest kin will be able to recognize your mangled corpse once I finish with you!"
"Big talk," finally responded the human before slowly turning his head to casually look over his shoulder at the grievously wounded tyrant, "coming from a creature on its last legs."
"Heh, heh, you really believe that you've beaten me, don't you?" questioned Frieza with a small chuckle at the fool's ignorance. "You honestly think that this meager level of power is the ultimate expression of my might? Fool, you cannot begin to understand the depths of my awe-inspiring strength. I can assure you, though, what you see before you now is only the upper blanket of snow that covers an entire glacier!"
Removing his palm from his wound, allowing a small stream of blood to begin to ooze from the hole, Frieza brought both of his arms to his side and braced his entire body for a power-up. "You should feel honored, human. You'll be the first person outside of my family to ever witness my true form!"
"True form!?" exclaimed the Earthling, his eyes widening in horror as he realized the full implications of Frieza's boastings.
"That's right," said Frieza with a devilish smile as he began to bring some of his long dormant power to the surface. It seemed that even the atmosphere of this pitiful planet realized that something extraordinary was about to happen, as the sky became an unnatural black color in preparation for the Arcosian's transformation. Even the Earthling was completely stunned by this unusual weather phenomenon as his eyes widened even farther upon glimpsing the darkened sky.
"Now prepare yourself, to see the ultimate power in the universe!" declared the Frost Demon, before bellowing as he unleashed a massive amount of ki. The human was pushed back slightly as Frieza's entire figure began to glow a strange mixture of violet and white as energy threatened to burst from underneath his skin. The amount of power that Frieza was giving off was so great that a colossal pillar of light began to emit from his body, acting as a beacon that signaled the changeling's ultimate metamorphosis.
As power continued to build just beneath the surface of his armored skin, Frieza released a tremendous scream that reverberated throughout the entire landscape. While this shout was an outward expression of the uncontainable power that was being released in the transformation, there was also another aspect to it: pain. Many people didn't know this, but it hurt like hell for the changeling to switch forms like he was now. That was the main reason why he hardly ever transformed, because it was not an enjoyable experience to have body parts rapidly grow out of your body or, as in the case of his final form,: for his body to actually decompose and transfer from matter into energy. However, Frieza managed to suffer through the agony of having his physical body break down around him in order to gain the power to deal tenfold the pain to that annoying Earthling.
This bellow of rage and power continued for several minutes as Frieza continued his final transformation. The galactic overlord found it amusing that his once proud, boisterous foe could only stand there, gawking at him while he witnessed the catalyst to his destruction unfold before him. Maybe if the moron hadn't wasted all of his energy in that last, desperate assault to finish the Arcosian off, he may have been able to prevent Frieza from gaining the power necessary to finish him off. Oh well, he shouldn't have expected a simpleminded Earthling to be able to think of a strategy that intelligent.
With a final yell of triumph that signaled the apex of his metamorphosis, the sadistic lizard's entire body was obscured by a blinding, white light, and a large wave of pure energy suddenly swept forth from his glowing figure. This massive wave of white ki obliterated everything it touched, carving out a large basin around the Arcosian. With this final blast of energy, the incredible light show blinked out of existence as all of the energy that had been expelled during the awesome display of power was brought back to the point of its origin: Frieza himself.
Dust settled around him, and the blinding light that had encased his body finally died down as the Frost Demon allowed a smug smirk to form across his now smooth face. Frieza allowed himself a brief moment to admire his true self, his eyes caressing over his now sleek and majestic body. It was good to be back in his true skin, and not in that hideous shell he was forced to use to contain his power.
Turning his blood red eyes now on the gawking form of his adversary, the sadistic tyrant couldn't help but marvel at how flabbergasted his reveal of his final form had made the Earthling. The bald-headed man was completely petrified in fear, no doubt because even his simple mind could comprehend how little hope there was for him now for surviving their battle. Any chance of victory the human had possessed had simply been thrown out the window thanks to Frieza revealing even this small fraction of his true power.
"So, now that I've given you the gift of witnessing the greatest force in the entire universe, I think that is time for us to part ways, Earthling," said Frieza coolly as he lifted one of his hands and pointed directly at the triclops's torso. "It's been amusing, but I'm afraid I've simply grown weary of your antics. Have a nice afterlife."
As one of his signature, violet beams of energy shot forth from his extended index finger, Frieza couldn't help but frown. Looking on at his victim, the sadistic ruler couldn't detect a single trace of fear, helplessness, or desperation in the human's face as the Death Beam traveled on a direct course for his heart. No, the only emotion that was visible on the Earthling's face was a small, satisfied smile as his impending death inched closer towards him. Frown transforming into a snarl, the Arcosian couldn't be any happier about this miserable wretch perishing by his hand now.
However, today was not the day that Frieza would be afforded that pleasure, as at the last second, the purple ray of ki was suddenly batted away from its intended target and sent sailing harmlessly into the emerald sky of Namek. The tyrant's eyes narrowed in a mixture of anger and shock as a gust of wind casually caused the human's sudden savior's flame-shaped hair to rustle briskly in the breeze. A sneer of annoyance formed across Frieza's face as well as he stared into a smirk he knew all too well from a certain armored Saiyan.
"Sorry, Frieza, but this pitiful human's only got one life after all, and I've already laid claim to taking it," declared Vegeta with a cocky smirk directed straight at his former liege.
Alrighty so there it is! Again, sorry for the delay and I don't have much else to say except that I hoped you all enjoyed it even though you had to wait a little longer to get it. Now, time for power levels!
Tien: 120,000
Tien (Kaio-Kenx12): 1,440,000 Time Limit: None
Tien (Kaio-Kenx15): 1,800,000 Time Limit: 3 minutes
Frieza (3rd Form): 1, 590,000
Frieza (Final Form): 3,000,000
Chi-Chi: 40,000
Chi-Chi (Kaio-Ken): 80,000
Spice: 37,000
Vinegar: 36,000
Mustard: 32,000
Salt: 30,000
Any questions about the power levels just leave them in a review and I'll be sure to get back to you about them! Just to let you guys know for sure, Garlic Jr. has a slightly different backstory here than in the anime in the fact that I'm saying that his movie didn't happen in this universe. So the power levels here are sort of a middle ground between that and how high they were in the Garlic Jr. Saga. Anyways, until next time guys!