New Judgment
Chapter 6: Resurrection 'Fear'
"Alright, Court, come at me with everything you've got!"
"Ugh… If this is what it takes for you to stop asking, fine."
Ever since I got back to Earth for my vacation, dad had been bugging me relentlessly about having a sparring match with me. I'm not good at hiding my own ki, so he had clearly sensed how much stronger I had gotten since I started my journey as a Goddess of Destruction. Which, fair enough, I was considerably stronger than the year prior. Not only did I have more power, but I'd also gained more battle experience than ever before. My swordsmanship had also vastly improved, from knowing only what I saw on TV and video games, to real field battles with real opponents. Combining hand-to-hand combat with an assortment of blade techniques, I could be considered a genuine fighter.
Even after all that, however, I still had nowhere near my dad's expertise in combat! He had decades of experience, fought one-on-one with some of the universe's biggest threats, and had achieved powers that rivaled the gods themselves! And he wanted me to spar with him?! If it wasn't for the Mediator, there wouldn't even be a point to this match. Thanks to this artifact, even puny ol' me could technically stand up to someone like Beerus. Heck, this is what helped me "win" last year's "match," though it was really just an attack to get my dad to back off. This time, however, I didn't have the element of surprise. The Mediator was already active, dad had gotten enough time to adjust to the power balancing, and I was probably screwed.
OK, well, it actually wasn't that bad. I know for a fact that dad was holding back, but the fight lasted a couple of minutes; it didn't end in five seconds as I was originally anticipating. Unfortunately, it all ended when dad decided to stop holding back and went Super Saiyan. Yes, the Mediator did give me an equal power boost, but it wouldn't be enough to predict dad's sudden change in attack patterns and aggression. Once I saw that spiky golden hair, I knew I'd be on the ground before I could say…
"Super Saiy—AAAGH!" … Before I could say that. "Dad… Huff… We're done here…"
"Aww, maaan… But hey, you've improved a lot, Court! I'm proud of you!" Dad handed me a senzu bean, while he ate one of his own.
"Thanks… Though again, I need you to remember that fighting isn't really my passion. I'll do it if I have to, but these kind of sparring matches are really not my cup of tea…"
"Alright, I'll try to hold off next time." The way he said that sentence felt like it was missing a "no promises" at the end. "But anyways, what was the other thing you wanted to do today?"
The one thing I wanted to do, actually… "I wanted to gather the Dragon Balls so that we could help Gohan's Great Saiyaman network. Maybe wishing for higher-tier equipment or information only known by corrupt corporations, you know, something like that."
"Oh, the Dragon Balls? Ehh, actually, I think someone used them a couple months ago."
"Really? Who was it? … And for what?"
"I've no idea. I just saw the sky get dark as it usually does and then it came back to normal after a while. Either way, nothing particularly interesting has happened around here, so I'm sure it wasn't anything special."
"Ahh… I-I dunno, this… doesn't give me any good vibes… Is there any way to know who did it and for what?"
"Beats me. Hey, come on, Court, aren't you worrying too much? Look, if any strong bad guys come for us, I'm sure you and I will be able to take care of them just fine!"
"Well, I sure hope you're right…"
"Yup! There's nothing to worry abo…?!" Scratch that, there was something to worry about. There was something to worry about a lot.
What was this… presence?! It was monumentally powerful, the likes of which I had never felt before…! And not only that, this thing – whatever it was – felt… menacing. Evil. Pure, unadulterated malignance. Even as the Goddess of Destruction, just realizing that an unknown force of this magnitude existed made me nearly collapse on the floor from fear. And dad was not better off…
"T-This… No… No…! It… It can't be…!"
"D-Dad…?! W-What… What is this…?!"
"No…! No, no, NO!" Without a second more to waste, dad blasted off in this thing's direction. At around the same time, I felt the energies of the other warriors across the globe heading there. Vegeta, Gohan, Piccolo, Tien, everyone was on their way to confront this monstrosity. And as terrified as I was, I had to join them as well.
As I approached the battlefield, the first thing I saw was a circular spaceship of some description. It was huge, probably with enough room for a thousand soldiers at least. And speaking of which, there were about a thousand figures floating around the ship. None of them individually felt like a particularly big threat, but they undoubtedly had a number advantage. The terrible ki, however, was felt behind all of these soldiers.
I landed beside all of the other Z Warriors, and they all had their eyes glued in shock to the source of the incredible energy. The monster began descending slowly on some kind of flying pot, and its appearance became clearer with the vanishing distance. It was… mostly purple, and it had horns… its grin said "malice" and its eyes spelled "doom." Though I had never seen him in person, this description was eerily close to that of…
"F… F-Fr… F-F…! F-FRIEZA!" Krillin confirmed my fears… I was standing before the tyrannical emperor of the universe himself. I was supposed to be above this demon, but I felt like an insignificant ant at that moment.
"… Hmph." Vegeta was serious… but not scared. And somehow, his lack of fear scared me.
Dad had regained his composure, but he still had a look of complete focus. He might have been a lot more powerful than when he first fought Frieza, but everyone could tell that this was not the same Frieza they once felt. As for me, this was my first time feeling his appalling power. When I heard his voice, it only made matters worse.
"My, my, such a warm welcome that you pathetic worms have arranged for me! I feel honored."
Dad was the first to confront him. "Frieza! I don't know how you're alive or why you've come to Earth, but I want you out of our planet!"
"Oh? So, the miserable monkey thinks he can order me? Aahahaha!"
Vegeta spoke up as well. "Hmph… Listen up, Frieza, because I'm only saying this once: if you don't immediately go back the way you came from, I will personally ensure that you experience pain that will leave you begging for death. You may have gotten a measly power boost since the last time we met, but it amounts to nothing compared to what I, the Prince of All Saiyans, have achieved."
"That's right, Frieza!" Gohan decided to chime in as well. "We are not the same people you fought back on Namek! We can and will take you down!"
"Hmm? You look familiar, worm… Ah, I remember! You're the half-breed brat. Just thinking of your pitiful expression when I had you corralled like a rat… Oh, what joy it brings!" I… never knew the details of what happened at Namek. All I knew is that Krillin was killed by Frieza and dad eventually managed to defeat him through achieving Super Saiyan. Thinking of what this monster could have done to my brother made my blood boil, but unfortunately not enough to overpower the fear I felt.
"And you…" Frieza then turned towards me…! "… Another filthy monkey? Even more of you insects escaped my grasp, I see… Well, no matter, I'll fix that minor oversight real soon."
The way Frieza referred to us Saiyans as "monkeys" felt especially insulting, even if he was partially right. Being our self-proclaimed "prince," Vegeta was naturally the most offended by these statements. "So, you're still hell-bent on destroying the proud Saiyan race, are you? Well, if you're so desperate to die, then allow me to sent you straight back to hell."
With those final words, Frieza's legion of soldiers began their attack.
Every single one of us had dozens of soldiers to deal with from all directions. As long as there were this many soldiers in the battlefield, using the Mediator against Frieza was a terrible idea. We would have to trim their numbers down to the single digits before I could even consider my blade's powers.
Luckily for us, Frieza decided to sit back and enjoy the carnage instead of jumping in. Being the strongest fighters, dad and Vegeta were the ones taking out the largest chunks of the tyrant's army. I had hoped that Gohan wouldn't be lagging too far behind them, but it seemed like my brother was way out of combat practice. I was still weaker than him, but having just come back from a full year of battling in similar scenarios, I found myself having less trouble than he was. Everyone else also seemed underwhelming compared to dad and Vegeta, but that didn't stop anyone from trying their best.
After what seemed like an eternity (which actually was just a few minutes), we were finally starting to bring the army's numbers down to a controllable level. Though, some of our own men had already been knocked out as well. None of them were dead, thankfully, but the only ones that still had enough stamina to fight were dad, Vegeta, Piccolo, and myself – and I was starting to feel the pressure quite heavily. It was then that I remembered something – where in the hell was Whis?! If he were helping us, all of these soldiers and Frieza himself would already be planted on the ground! I get that he was only supposed to get involved in cases of extreme urgency, but this certainly felt like one such case!
Whatever the case, Piccolo and I finished the last couple of soldiers while dad had gone up to go face-to-face with Frieza. As per usual, no matter how much of a sleazebag his opponent was, dad always wanted to fight them at their full power. Getting up from his weird throne thing, Frieza revealed his full figure and started powering up. The already intense atmosphere became even more so. However, this was it – I had the perfect opportunity to surprise the monster with the Mediator's powers, and use that short moment of off-balance to erase him in one attack. With the limited energy I had left, I flew as fast as I could towards the tyrant with a steady grip on my sword, ready to deliver a finishing blo—
"This is my fight, you brat!" I could only catch a millisecond of Vegeta's figure charging straight towards me before being knocked unconscious.
"… rt. … dy C…t. Ar… wake… ourt… Lady Court."
"Hnngh… Ggh… Ah…? W-Whis…?"
"Oh good, you're awake now. And it seems like most of your wounds are gone."
"What… W-What happened? Wait, where's Frie—!"
My question was answered before I could finish asking it. I saw Frieza in a different part of the battlefield, engulfed in a mysterious golden aura akin to a Super Saiyan's…! As my senses started coming back, I could feel the unbelievable power that he possessed! And as I looked closer, I noticed that he was choking Vegeta with his tail, while the self-proclaimed Prince had been beaten to a bloody pulp, probably inches away from death. Then I remembered… Vegeta, that bastard! What the hell was he thinking when he attacked me like that?! Just because he wanted a one-on-one with that monster?! Now he was paying the prize, I just hoped that no one else had… had… No… No…! It… No! NO!
"DAAAAAD!"
I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing… My father's body was lying on the ground, no motion, no sound, his pupils… lifeless. I flew to his side at max speed, hoping that maybe I was wrong, maybe there was still a chance, maybe…! Please… Anything…! I didn't want to… I didn't want to accept… that my dad was… dead. Dad… Dad…!
"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH! FFFRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEZAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
My cry of fury roared throughout the entire battlefield. I felt anger passionate enough to blind any sane person with an insatiable thirst for vengeance. In fact, this rage manifested itself in a manner that my target was all too familiar with.
I felt my power skyrocket. The aura emanating from my body changed from its usual shade of blue to a blinding shine of gold, as did my hair. I looked at Frieza straight in his eyes with the same look that my dad must have given him back on Namek – the eyes of a Super Saiyan.
The monster's attention was now on me, dropping Vegeta on the ground, gasping for air. Despite my transformation, Frieza sustained his daring smirk, knowing full well that his power was still insurmountably higher than mine. Seeing that disgusting look on his face after what he had done only angered me further, but little did Frieza know that his confidence would become his demise.
I charged at him at full speed, keeping a firm grasp on the Mediator. Frieza literally had his arms open, inviting me to attack him with all my might. Just before reaching close enough to strike him, I activated the Mediator's powers. In a fraction of a second, I felt my power once again skyrocket probably a hundred times higher than before. Frieza didn't even have enough time to register that he, in turn, was about a hundred times weaker all of a sudden. Having the element of surprise, I delivered a devastating knee strike to the devil lizard's gut, completely knocking him out of balance and emptying his lungs of air.
If I were like other full-blooded Saiyans, I would have continued to pummel Frieza into the ground with brute force. But no matter how indescribably irate I was at the moment, I knew better than to drag this fight any more than necessary. This… thing didn't deserve, didn't have the right to exist for a second longer. Infusing the power of Destruction onto my sword, I impaled Frieza through the back and out the front, spearing the tip of the blade onto the ground with his body slowly sliding down the Mediator. From the wound outwards, his body started dissipating, screaming in pain and anguish as he knew what I had done to him. Within seconds, Frieza had been erased. Not killed, not sent to the underworld, no, he was gone from all possible realms in the multiverse. I made sure that this would truly and unquestionably be the last time we ever saw him.
With that ordeal out of the way, it was time to switch my attention to a different problem; the other reason why I still felt an unyielding indignation in my core.
"Vegeta!" While he was still on the ground face-down and defeated, I held my blade mere inches from his head.
"Ggh…!"
"Do you have any idea of what your senseless interruption have caused?! Do you?!"
"Gaagh! Shut up, you half-breed weakli—"
"Silence!" I planted my foot on Vegeta's head and plunged his face back into the solid ground.
"My father… is dead. Because of you. You made me lose the man that I cherished more than anyone else in this universe; the man that I swore to protect, even if it meant that my life would become a never-ending cycle of genocide. How do you intend to make up for this?"
"You…! Did you… forget about the… D-Dragon Balls…?! Y-You… damned fool…!"
"So that's it, then… You think lives can just be thrown away like garbage because they can simply be brought back with the Dragon Balls, is that right? You don't even have a sliver of respect for all those lives you've taken… My dad, Nappa, or any of the millions of people you killed before coming to Earth. Dad may have forgiven you, but not me. I will never forget; I will never forgive."
"Grr…! You talk as if… you don't already do the same things I did…!" Using the same foot that was keeping Vegeta on the ground, I flipped him over with a harsh kick. Once again I planted my foot on him, this time on his chest and still with my blade practically touching his nose. I stared at him dead in the eyes.
"Do not. Compare me. To you." For the first time in my life, I had infused a different emotion on Vegeta besides disappointment – fear. The same fear that he showed to Beerus. "I don't think you understand the situation that you're in right now. I could vanish you from any realm of existence with a flick of my wrist. I should erase you."
There was a long, mortifying silence. It was as if Vegeta was face-to-face with the grim reaper themselves, and not once did I put my gaze away from him. Everything was set. Just like last year, he was right where I wanted him. This time there was no mockery – he was truly scared for his life. There was no reason to hesitate… except…
"… Go to your family."
"Hahh… Huh…?!"
"They need you, just as much as you need them." Even while saying this, I hadn't given up on holding my sword against him. "Do not ever place yourself before them. Nothing – absolutely nothing – will ever be more important than your family. And if I ever hear that you put your selfish desires before their safety again, I will bring you the fate that you truly deserve."
There was nothing else that needed to be said to that inexplicable excuse of a man. I put the Mediator back in its sheath and dropped out of my Super Saiyan state. I flew back to my father's corpse, yet there was one more person that I needed to talk to.
"… Whis."
"Yes, milady?"
"… Why didn't you rescue my dad before he died?"
"Lady Court, you know that I'm not allowed to intervene with—"
"It's always the same with you, isn't it?! If you're not allowed to intervene, then what the hell are you even doing here?!"
"…"
"You know that I'm immortal! You gave me these powers yourself! Even if I was unconscious, I would have been fine afterwards! You could have saved him…! You could have…!"
"… I'm sorry…"
There was nothing else I could say; nothing that the incessant tears streaming down my face would allow.
Author's Note: This is where the story is really going to deviate from the original. As a reminder, Whis has spent all of his time with Court going to all those different planets, instead of sitting around doing nothing like Beerus would have had him. As a result, neither Goku nor Vegeta have ever received training from him, meaning that they weren't strong enough to achieve Super Saiyan Blue, or even be aware that there was such a thing. While I wanted those two to have an impact in the story, I didn't want them to actually be central characters like they are in Super. This segways into my next point.
There are three main reasons why I created Court instead of using one of the show's characters. Number one… I like girls – plain and simple. Number two, I have a lot more control of an OC than I do someone with a pre-established personality and traits that may or may not fit the plot I'm trying to tell. And number three, while I don't have much against Goku or Vegeta, I personally would like to see someone else have and keep the spotlight. It was a thrill seeing Goku go from a weird monkey boy in the woods to a literal god, but I think I've had my fix of him over the past several years.
Finally, and this is more of a technical observation, but there was a glitch on the website where I could approve guest reviews and the counter would go up, but the review itself wouldn't show up. After some research, this appears to be a known bug that happens all the time, and it has been fixed as of this writing. Nonetheless, do know that if you post a review in the future and it doesn't show up on the review page, it's more than likely caused by this glitch and not me deleting it (unless you just post some gibberish or something).