Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty
Written by: Feraligreater328 and StevenBodner
Chapter 41: Planet Cold
Somewhere in Deep Space…
The lights clicked on in Goku's Attack Ball and the Saiyan from Earth awoke to a soft, hissing noise. Goku was groggy as he stared out his window, observing a massive, red planet directly in front of him. Reaching forward and clicking the button to activate the radio, he groaned out. "So I guess we're here, eh?"
Goku was answered by Raditz. "Yeah... this is the Core Galaxy, Kakarot. And the planet you see is Planet Cold, the home planet of Frieza and his family. It's taken 7 months but we're here... for better or for worse..."
The weary Saiyan cocked his head. "I really just slept 7 months of my life away, huh? I... don't know how I feel about that..."
Bardock quickly chimed in. "Get over it. As Saiyans, we can't afford to be patient. We have more important things to worry about. We're neck deep in the shit now, Kakarot. We have to stay focused."
The four Attack Balls pierced the atmosphere of Planet Cold and crashed down towards a wasteland. They were here now; it was time for action.
In the wasteland of Planet Cold…
The door to his Attack Ball opened and Goku stood up, having a good stretch. He looked over and saw Raditz and Vegeta emerging as well, neither of them seemed quite as stiff as he was. Goku called over to them. "How did you two travel around like that for so long? My back is so tight!"
Raditz shrugged. "You get used to it after a while, I guess."
Vegeta chuckled. "It probably doesn't help that you took Guldo's pod either. You basically just spent 9 months in a seat meant for your brat."
As the other three discussed their travel arrangements, Bardock stepped up to a nearby peak and stared out towards the distant capital. The older Saiyan turned and barked at his three companions. "Hey! We don't have time for small talk!"
Goku, Vegeta, and Raditz all stared up at Bardock. The older Saiyan shook his head. "We need to move. And move quickly, at that. And we have to be stealthy about it while we're at it!"
Bardock summoned a small energy blast and fired it at the Attack Balls, reducing them to nothing but scorch marks on the ground. "Can't leave evidence that we were here. We gotta get moving and we can't let anyone from the Cold Force see us."
And then, Bardock turned without a word and went sprinting across the wasteland. Vegeta smirked. "Honestly, I like this attitude~"
The four Saiyans ran for a good way, ducking behind cover whenever a contingent of Cold Force soldiers flew overhead. Once they got closer to the city and the coast was clear, the four of them climbed to the top of a nearby ledge and took in the full splendor of the capital city in front of them. Thousands upon thousands of buildings stood erect, looking like mere ants compared to the massive palace in the center of it all. Castle Cold was truly a mountain among pebbles, a constructed point-of-reference in how Cold's power and influence put him above everyone else.
Bardock grunted under his breath and then wrapped his tail around his waist. "Well, come on! We're never gonna get this done if we don't get to it."
Raditz and Vegeta did the same, tucking them away tight and making their tails appear as little more than furry belts. Goku leapt down after them, eager for the adventure to come. However, the Saiyan from Earth failed to disguise his tail as the others did.
Within the Capital City…
As the four Saiyans made their way through the crowds of the Capital City, Goku stared in awe at all of the sights that he observed. The Saiyan had explored West City and East City back on Earth, but neither of them came close to comparing to the sheer scope of this place. There were so many people, so many storefronts, and so many food carts spilling through what the Saiyan quickly came to recognize as a slum alley among richer streets.
Raditz, meanwhile, noticed a much different sight to behold within this massive metropolis: the sheer disparity of the two classes of people. It was easy to see where people stood within the society of Planet Cold. The rich were visibly rich, resplendent in their dress and their stride and the poor were visibly poor, clad in rags and with a posture that avoided even an accidental gaze on their societal betters.
The four of them shuffled deeper and deeper in the crowd until they observed an alley off to the side of the alley they were in. It reeked of rot and, though none of the four acknowledged it, shit. Wordlessly, Bardock motioned for the three of them to follow him and all four of the Saiyans slinked into their private hideaway. Bardock leaned against the wall, folding his arms over his chest. "Okay then, now that we've made it into the city, we need to discuss our plan. Here's what I had in-"
Bardock was cut off by a thunderous grumble. He, Vegeta, and Raditz turned their attention to Goku, who was standing there clutching his stomach. "S-Sorry about that. I'm super hungry..."
The older Saiyan sighed, observing his goofball of a younger son, clutching his stomach with his tail swaying around freely. "Kakarot-"
Another thunderous grumble. Bardock turned to Raditz, who blushed and averted his gaze. And then another. He turned his attention to Vegeta, who was standing with his back to the group. "Well, it has been 9 months since we last ate."
Bardock growled. "You have got to be kidding me..."
And then, a thunderous grumble erupted from Bardock himself. The older Saiyan sighed and wordlessly glanced out of the alley, to a restaurant that stood on a lower-level street. Bardock rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Fine. We can eat first. But we gotta make it quick."
The four Saiyans all nodded in agreement and then they began to march towards the restaurant. As they did, however, Bardock stopped in his tracks and gave his son a rather harsh nudge with his elbow. "We're trying to be stealthy, Kakarot. Wrap your damned tail up!"
Goku nervously chuckled and scratched the back of his head as Bardock started walking again. "Sorry, Dad..."
He wrapped his tail around his waist. And then, the four Saiyan made their way across the street and entered the restaurant.
Inside the restaurant…
The Saiyans were all sitting at a table, waiting for someone to come and take their order. As the four of them sat, they watched a further display of the class inequality of Planet Cold. Poor aliens were rushing around as fast as they could, serving food to the ungrateful, rich bastards that served as customers.
Goku watched as a vaguely person-shaped ball of lard threw his drink into a poor, tired-looking woman's face. He frowned. "Someone should teach that guy some manners..."
Raditz quickly intervened on this. "Keep calm, Kakarot. We aren't here to solve civil issues or make a scene. Try to remember that, okay..."
Goku didn't say a word back, looking rather angry instead. But this angry disposition was quickly interrupted by their waitress finally showing up. "Hello, may I take your order?"
He flinched, looking around for who had just spoken. Vegeta spoke up. "Kakarot, look down."
Goku looked down and chuckled. "Oh, I see!"
Down below, standing at a height that was shorter than the table itself, was their waitress for the evening. A blue-skinned little girl with messy hair and a bright smile. "Thank you for choosing to dine with us, may I take your order?"
Goku smiled. "Sure! Let's see... uh..."
Bardock interrupted. "Just bring us a feast. Doesn't matter what's in it."
Goku chuckled. "What he said!"
The little girl nodded, jotting the order into her notepad. "Yes, sir! Thank you very much! It'll be out shortly!"
With a skip in her step, the little one ran towards the doors to the kitchen. Along the way, just a bit carelessly, she accidentally tripped over another customer's foot. "S-Sorry! Please forgive my rudeness!"
Quickly, she stood back up and ran to the kitchen. At the same time, the person who's shoe she tripped over pressed his four palms against the table, pushing his wide frame up. He stood and lumbered after the girl, leaving two women clad in chains sitting at the table with sullen expressions on their faces. Sitting and waiting for their meal, the four Saiyans began to whisper the strategy to one another. Bardock mumbled as quietly as he could. "This might take a while. We need to find a way to get Cold by his lonesome, so we need to figure out his schedule..."
The younger Saiyans nodded. Bardock continued. "Even 20 years ago, Cold basically bowed out of the spotlight and retired the moment he split his army and gave it away. So we'll probably have to spend at least a couple of weeks learning the ins and outs of his schedule on this planet and then-"
Suddenly, Bardock was cut off by a piercing shriek coming from the kitchen. He and Vegeta jerked around in their seats and the four Saiyans watched as the doors to the kitchen flew open. The same tired-looking woman from before came crashing out and landed on the ground hard. But rather than cringe at the massive scrape she had on her arm, she immediately bowed her head. "No! Please! Forgiveness, please!"
As the four of them watched this scene play out, Goku flinched in shock as the four-armed, fat alien from before came lumbering out of the kitchen, gripping their waitress by the throat. Before the four-armed bastard could speak, a bearded man came rushing from the kitchen. "Gooda!"
The fat alien shoved him to the ground, next to the woman. The two of them stared up with fear at their assailant and they both slammed their foreheads to the ground. The man spoke. "P-Please, my poor Gooda is just a little girl. She did not mean to offend you, sir!"
The girl hung limp from the fat alien's grip, a gash on her forehead trickling blood. "D-Daddy..."
Finally, the rotund alien planted two of his fists into his sides and spoke. "You scum dare seek forgiveness for scuffing the great Count Bologna's shoe?! Do you realize who I am?! I'm an up-and-coming mover and shaker in society and you've dared to make me unpresentable before my first Cold Gala this evening?! You think I can just let that slide?!"
The fat alien reached down, picking up the father's meat cleaver with a free hand. He slammed Gooda against the wall and held the cleaver aloft. "This little brat is going to pay for damaging my shoe with her foot! That will teach her to be more careful in the future!"
He drew the cleaver back, a sadistic smirk on his face. However, the blade was never allowed to swing forward. Try as he might, Bologna could not make his arm move. The haughty alien turned to glare at whatever was impeding him. He found that the cleaver was being held by another outstretched hand. He turned further to see that a black-haired man was responsible for this intrusion. Bologna glared at the man, attempting to be cutting and fierce, but Goku's glare was much harsher. The bastard sneered. "Who do you think you are?!"
Goku ignored his question, speaking seriously. "Put her down. Now!"
Bologna was having none of this. Taking one of his extra arms, he balled up his fist and tossed it towards Goku's face. "HOW DARE YOU TRY TO ORDER ME AROUND?!"
Goku easily dodged the attempt at a punch by shifting his head to the side and then responded with a punch of his own. He slammed his fist into Bologna's stomach and knocked all of the wind out of the fat alien's gut. Bologna's grip on Gooda loosened and Goku caught her from the air as the alien fell to his knees.
After a few moments of coughing and choking, Bologna shakily stood back up. Goku, cradling Gooda in his left arm, looked pissed. His tail waved about and he sneered. "You should leave, right now!"
Off to the side, his fellow Saiyans could only watch in horror as Goku blew their cover not even a full hour after arriving on the planet. Bologna glared at Goku, but the Saiyan stood firm. He looked ready to beat the utter hell out of Bologna. He took a small step forward and Bologna stumbled back, landing on his butt. "Y-You..."
Bologna stood and grabbed the chain leashes of the two women he was seated with. "You'll pay for this, I swear!"
He jerked on the chain, nearly choking out the two attached to it, and then he fled from the restaurant as fast as he could. Once he had made his leave, the other patrons quickly filed out as well, clearly fearing some form of retribution. Soon, the only people left in the restaurant were the four Saiyans and the family.
Bardock stood from his seat with a start, marching up to Goku and grabbing him by the collar. "Dammit, Kakarot! What the hell is wrong with you?!"
Goku held up his hands. "Come on! I couldn't just sit by and let that happen! She's just a little girl, and-"
Bardock cut him off. "Look, I get that you want to be altruistic and help people out, but-"
"E-Excuse me..."
Bardock and Goku both turned to see the tired-looking man clutching Gooda tight against his chest. For the first time since the Saiyans had entered the restaurant, he had a small smile on his face. "Thank you... so much... for saving my daughter."
He immediately teared up, clutching Gooda tight. The man stood with a smile on his face. "Genuinely, thank you so much. We... We can't offer much, but we can at least provide you with a free meal."
Bardock took a deep breath and sighed, unable to find the same anger he once would have over this. He let Goku's shirt go and shook his head. "Fine..."
Once everything settled down, Gooda and her family went back into their kitchen and brought the Saiyans their feast. After the standard introductions, the meal began. As the four of them ate, Raditz spoke up. "So... that four-armed prick said that he was headed to a 'Cold Gala'. Does that mean that King Cold is throwing a party or something?"
Gooda's father, Munster, nodded. "Indeed. It was announced a couple of weeks ago. Pretty off time for one of his galas... he usually sticks to a schedule..."
Her mother, Swis, sighed as she twirled a lock of her daughter's hair around her finger. "From what I've heard some of our guests say today, it's an announcement gala. Apparently, King Cold is going to declare a personally lead invasion of a defiant planet. I feel so sorry for whoever made him angry enough to want to go to war like this..."
Raditz swallowed hard. Bardock and Vegeta both realized what that meant as well. Goku nervously chuckled. "I guess he's going to announce he's invading Earth, huh?"
Bardock stood. "Yep. And that means that we gotta act quick. Come on! Let's move!"
The older Saiyan immediately made for the exit. Raditz and Vegeta were right on his tail. Goku smiled at his new friends. "Um, about payment..."
Munster waved him off. "We already said it is free. As a thank you for your kindness..."
Goku smiled wide and he and Munster shook hands. And then, after one more pat on Gooda's head, he turned and followed his fellow Saiyans out. Munster smiled, and tiredly sighed. "I must say, it's nice to see there are still good people in the universe... let alone a good Saiyan."
Bardock, Raditz, Vegeta, and Goku all stopped dead in their tracks. They all turned and noticed that Goku's tail was unwound. Not knowing what to say, Munster reassured them. "Our lips are sealed. Once more... thank you for saving my daughter, Son Goku."
Goku smiled and waved bye and then the four Saiyans quickly made their way out of the restaurant.
A few blocks down the street…
Raditz scolded as he and the others walked through the back alleys of the Capital City. "Kakarot, please. For goodness sake, wrap your tail around your waist! Saiyans aren't exactly a common sight, especially on a planet like this! We don't want the full force of the Cold Force on our heads!"
Goku smirked. "Are you sure? That sounds like it could be a fun fight~!"
Raditz shuddered. "Then you're out of your damned mind..."
Vegeta interjected. "No, he's a Saiyan, Raditz. Saiyans are always seeking a better fight!"
Goku chuckled. "Hah! See?"
Vegeta turned to Goku. "But, Raditz is right! Take care of your damned tail, Kakarot! That's your symbol of pride as a Saiyan! You need to make sure that you present it properly!"
Goku cocked his head. Raditz sighed. "Give it a rest, Vegeta. Nobody ever bought into that crap, not when your father said it and not now..."
As the three others bickered behind him, Bardock receded back into his own mind once more. What Munster said, about good Saiyans, made him think of her again. Throughout the entire nine months of hibernation, Bardock dreamt. He dreamt of Gine and her gentle nature... and his failure. The second chance that she was overjoyed to have after so long... and Bardock allowed the exact same monster he had failed to stop before take it from her again.
The thought of the Dragon Balls having restored her did nothing for Bardock. It was the principle. Gine bared her soul to him, made him promise her that everything would be alright and that they would make it out. He had promised her... and then he failed. As Bardock thought about all of that, he began to slip into an even darker place than before.
He would never be able to face her again.
Suddenly, Bardock was snapped out of his thoughts by a chipper voice. "Hey, Dad!"
The older Saiyan jolted. He looked over to see that Goku was right next to him. Father and son stared at one another for a short time, Raditz and Vegeta snapping at one another in the background. Goku eventually spoke again. "So, what's on your mind? You seem all distracted and stuff."
Bardock shook his head. "N-Nothing. It's nothing important..."
Goku nodded, folding his arms behind his head, realizing the pain in Bardock's eyes. "Okay. So... we're talking about nothing important then..."
He smiled. "Well, I wouldn't say this is unimportant, but it's not really important to what we're doing right now~"
Bardock grunted. Goku spoke. "When I landed on Earth, after you sent me there... the first person to find me was Grandpa Gohan."
The older Saiyan seemed confused. "Gohan...?"
Goku nodded. "Yeah. I named my son to honor him. And... in hope that Gohan would grow up to be as kind, wise, and strong as he was. He was always patient, even before I hit my head and lost all of my Saiyan memories and programming."
Bardock nodded. "I see."
Goku smiled. "Yeah. He went missing one day. I had no idea what happened to him for the longest time. I met him again one day but... he wasn't able to stick around. It wasn't until recently that I learned what happened: I must have looked at the full moon and transformed into a Great Ape. And then..."
Bardock nodded. "You stepped on him, probably."
Goku sighed. "Yeah. I felt really guilty about that. Ya know? While I was laying in the hospital, I thought about it though. I've met Grandpa Gohan since then. He didn't seem mad at me that time. He was just his usual, kind self. He... didn't hold it against me, I guess. Because it was something that I couldn't control..."
Bardock's shoulders sagged. Goku smiled. "I still plan to apologize. Like, the day when my time comes and I'm well and truly finished. But I know that he's already forgiven me. Cuz he loved me and cared about me. When I see him again... I guess we can just have a laugh about it and move on from there. Know what I mean?"
Bardock was silent. He realized right away why his younger son was bringing up such a subject. Silently, the older Saiyan nodded. Seeing that his message was understood, Goku nodded back. "I'll just give you some time to think about that. But I'd like to hear what you think later. Okay?"
Goku fell back, joining Raditz and Vegeta in their bickering. As the three of them went back to grumbling at one another, Bardock fell into deep thought once more. And so, the four of them continued on, getting closer and closer to Castle Cold.
In an alleyway, near the gates to Castle Cold…
The four Saiyans peered out from the nearby alley, and towards the main gates to Castle Cold. They watched as droves of the super-rich filed towards the gate, showing their invitations to the gala and passing by the security detail at the front.
Goku nodded. "Okay... so... we could just go up and say we forgot our invitations..."
Raditz sighed. "That is the dumbest idea that I have ever heard."
Goku puffed out his cheeks. "Come on. Don't be mean. They might let us in if-"
Bardock pointed to the gate. "Kakarot."
Goku looked back and saw, to his surprise, the guards pulling a small party of invitation-less rich folk to the side and shooting them dead with no hesitation. Goku blinked a few times. "... oh."
Bardock shook his head. "Those blasters won't do shit to us. But it would be foolish to make a scene like that. We don't want Cold to know that we're coming."
Raditz nodded. "We should try to sneak in. But... how should we go about that? I imagine that every other entrance is guarded just as heavily as this one is."
A loud clatter made Goku, Raditz, and Bardock jump in shock. They turned to see Vegeta, with a smug, "I'm a genius" grin on his face. The prince was standing over a now-grateless entrance into the sewers of Planet Cold. "They might have all of the entrances guarded, but I bet there are a couple of exits they don't have a security detail on."
Bardock and his sons all walked over to the "entrance" that Vegeta had found. Raditz held his nose, but Goku chuckled. "Way to think out of the box, Vegeta!"
Goku then leapt into the sewer without a second thought. "Geronimo!"
Bardock sighed. "He's..."
Vegeta finished with snark. "An idiot?"
Raditz finished with disgust. "Way too excited about jumping into a sewer?"
Bardock shook his head. "He's certainly... one of my sons, that's for sure."
The older Saiyan leapt into the sewer next. Raditz clamped his hand over his mouth and did the same. Vegeta then followed, shrugging and pulling the grate back over the hole.