Author's Note: Wow, we made it. I mean, I knew we would, but it's still kind of crazy.

As I mentioned before, we will lean away from the cannon a lot more as we go. A good example of that will be present here, so I ask you to bear with me.

Moving on, it is my pleasure to wish you all very happy holidays and once again share my undying gratitude for taking the time to read my stuff. I spent a good chunk of my year away from this series. Returning to it and reading through the wonderful reviews and PMs I've received since then has been nothing but wonderful.

This chapter marks the start of something more, and I couldn't ask for a better group of readers to join me as we get underway.

Happy Holidays, Happy New Year, and please enjoy.

"We are in range of the planet, your majesty."

"On screen."

The order was immediately answered as the screen on the main deck of the flagship buzzed to life. A wild grin struck out across King Cold's face as a blue world littered with green took up his gaze.

"At last," The King grinned, the smile now showing teeth.

Cold stood up from his throne while his long black cape followed. As he did, the soldiers on the bridge stood up from their positions on the bridge. Cold walked up to the screen, absorbing the sight of the planet in front of him, relishing this moment for as long as he pleased.

"At last."

The flagship of the Frieza Force went quiet as King Cold's oppressive power could be felt throughout the bridge. A low laugh crawled out of the King as his tail whipped against the floor in anticipation shaking the entire floor.

"At. Last." The King turned to face his crew, his cape flowing around as he did. Cold's eyes were alive with a fire that consumed him, his laugh only growing stronger. "What is the status on the rest of the fleet?"

"They will arrive shortly, your highness," a soldier answered with a salute.

"Then this world shall finally know the price of striking against my fami-"

The entrance to the bridge opened and closed as someone new made their way onto its center cut off the King. Cold turned to glare at the intruder, but only scoffed once he realized who it was. The creature wore no armor like his father, instead opting to stroll onto the bridge in his natural state. His body matched Frieza's final form as he did not feel the need to limit himself. Yet a key difference was the white carapace that covered his chest, shoulders, and head. He stood far taller than his deceased younger brother, his skin a deep purple instead of a snow-white. His muscles were more defined than his leaner sibling, but the coldness he exuded was a family trait.

"Cooler," Cold spat. "I did not summon you onto the bridge yet."

"Yet here I am," Cooler chuckled. "It seems I did not need your permission after all."

The King scowled but said nothing more as his eldest son joined him at the screen.

"Rather small, isn't it?" Cooler asked slyly. "Could it be you've overestimated how much of a threat this 'Earth' actually represents?"

"This planet is no threat," Cold snapped. "The death of this world shall be a demonstration of our might."

"So, you have moved a majority of our forces for a show," Cooler sighed. "How wise, father."

"Address me as King child," Cold growled. "Until you show interest in your birthright as your brother did, you will know your place."

"Then I suppose I should be thankful you allowed me to join you on this momentous day at all, my king," said Cooler. "What better tribute for the brat can there be then by destroying the planet that destroyed him. Petty revenge was always his forte."

"Speak ill of your brother again and you will do it without a tongue."

"Of course, my king."'

The soldiers and engineers on the bridge had returned to their stations, trying to ignore the battle of giants happening before them. Tension ran through the space as the workers tried to ignore the oppressive feeling emanating from the two monsters. Each one of them knew in their hearts that if Cold and Cooler's hatred for each other boiled over, they would be the first to die.

A series of beeps at one of the many consoles on the bridge had one engineer stand up out of his station to make a report.

"The fleet is accounted for, your majesty; we can attack on your command."

"Excellent," Cold said as he refocused on the screen to see that countless ships attended his flagship. All pointing their weapons at the small world in front of them.

"I do this in your name, my son," The King whispered as he reached out with a hand. "For Frieza, attack!"

The darkness of space lit up as the countless ships fired their main cannons directly at Earth. Streams of energy descended upon the blue planet. As the scene unfolded before him, Cold's smile reemerged. As the vengeance he had held onto for over a year would, at last, be sated with blood.

That smile withered as the beams of energy collided with an invisible force far away from the planet's surface. There was a brief struggle as the fleet's weapons tried to break through against this unseen force, but the structure held. Sparks flailed out into space as the shots ricocheted off the invisible shield, but beyond that, Earth was completely unharmed. As the light from the attack faded, Cold was left with a single question.

"What. Happened?" The King asked through clenched teeth. "Report, now!"

A wave of strength that threatened to break the glass of the bridge burst from Cold, sending his soldiers scrambling to answer.

"We… seem to have been stopped by something, my lord," One engineer squeaked.

"I can see that," Cold said, his words dripping with malice.

"We can scan the object in question, but it will take-"

"My lord!" An officer cried out. "We are being hailed!"

"What!? By who?"

"Uncertain, my lord, but it's-"

Before the officer could continue, the screen showcasing Earth and the surrounding fleet flickered out and changed. In seconds, the screen now shown off a woman with striking blue hair. She was sitting down in a simple chair and wore a white lab coat. The woman's eyes carried several bags underneath, yet that didn't stop them from gleaming as she spoke.

"There you are. You must be Cold."

"What is this?" The King spat. "I am King Cold, and you will identify yourself immediately!"

"Well," the woman sighed. "My name doesn't matter as much as the impasse we find ourselves in, wouldn't you say?"

"Impasse? You believe your puny planet can stop my fleet?"

"We already have," the woman grinned. "You're welcome to try again but I can assure you, it would just be a waste of time."

"Insolent little-" Cold seethed before turning to one of his officers. "Fire again! Full power!"

"A-at once, my liege," the soldier replied, a little shaken by the resistance of this stranger.

Once more, the fleet aimed their weapons at Earth and unleashed a barrage of energy with more than enough to decimate any world. Yet again, the attempt was stopped as a force that could not be seen repelled by the blasts.

"It's called SPHERE," the woman calmly explained. "It's designed to reflect or stop any energy from entering our atmosphere. Doesn't matter how much or how many you have, SPHERE will hold."

"Then I shall deal with it personally," Cold grunted, sweeping his cape as he turned toward the bridge's exit.

"So impatient," the woman called out. "Like father like son I suppose."

Cold stopped dead in his tracks. Anger coursed through him as he looked back at the screen. His rage only intensified as he watched the woman smirk.

"What do you know about my son?" The King asked, his grip on his own power slipping.

"I know he died on Namek."

"Namek is dust!" Cold shouted, his strength rattling his own flagship. "How would-"

"I know because we were there," the woman interrupted smoothly. "We saw him die."

"We?" Cold said, his hands curling into fists. "You are saying there are multiple survivors of Namek? That is not possible. You must be bluffing."

"Then you finally understand our impasse," the woman said, crossing her legs with one smooth movement. "You cannot kill us and avenge your son, but we cannot reach you to prove we are telling the truth. Not as long as you hide amongst your fleet."

"Hide!?" The King shouted, his power cracking the windows of the bridge. "King Cold hides from no one!"

"Good, then perhaps we have found an answer to our problem."

Causally reaching over to a nearby console, the woman entered a sequence of numbers, never breaking eye contact with Cold.

"I just sent you our location. Send down your best or come yourself. Doesn't matter to us. SPHERE will only open for one ship, so try anything and you'll be waiting out there until you cooperate."

"You think to order me?" Cold said, filled with so much hatred he began to pant. "Why would I even acknowledge you insects when-"

"You'll listen because we killed your son. We cut off his arm, broke his jaw, and cut his heart open. Frieza died, poorly," the woman said, her tired eyes growing dangerous. "Let's see if you fare any better."

Before they could respond, the woman vanished, and the screen returned to its picture of Earth.

Cold was filled with a rage he had never known before. Never had he been disrespected to this degree and in front of his subjects, no less. The bridge remained deathly silent until a heartfelt chuckle broke through. All eyes, including the King's, went towards the source.

"Now this is getting interesting," Cooler said, clearly amused. "Perhaps my little brother wasn't killed by his own incompetence as I had thought."

"Silence child!" Cold growled before looking at one of his subjects. "Did we actually receive that filth's location?"

"Y-yes, my King," the soldier stammered. "But my liege, this is obviously a trap. There is no need for you to-"

"Why should I be concerned if this is a trap?"

All of Cold's fury accompanied the question, redirected at the single soldier who trembled under their lord's stare.

"I-I simply thought th-"

"You thought that creature has a chance to kill me even with a trap?" Cold asked as he made his way over to the soldier's chair. "You thought this planet can produce anything that could harm me?"

The soldier continued to tremble and glanced around the bridge for any aid. None would look in his direction.

"Your majesty, please!" The soldier cried, crumbling out of his station and bowing down before the tyrant, his head touching the floor. "I merely wished for your-"

The King's foot crunched through the soldier's head into the bridge's floor, killing the loyal subject before he could continue.

"Clean this up and chart a course," King Cold said, his foot coated in the soldier's blood. "If this is the game these earthlings wish to play, then I'll burn their world from its surface."

Bulma held her breath as her eyes stayed shut, focusing her energy on tracking Cold's movements. Even at this distance, she could clearly sense the oppressive power emanating from one of the many ships surrounding Earth.

Come on, take the bait. You know you want to.

As if to answer her plea, the blue-haired genius could feel the ship with Cold's energy signature drop away from the rest of the fleet and begin moving towards Earth.

"Gotcha!" Bulma smiled as she typed in a key command opening SPHERE just wide enough for the single ship to move through it. As soon as she felt the spacecraft move through the hole, she again typed out another command. SPHERE locked itself up once again, denying access to anything else coming from the depths of space.

"Okay, that's one step done," Bulma said aloud to no one in particular.

Looking over to the projection of SPHERE encasing the planet, she let out a heavy breath as she studied the 52% flashing aside the hologram. Wasting no more time, she looked at her wristwatch and turned it on. The watch buzzed for a moment before a voice came out of it.

"Yes, Ms. Briefs?"

"Launch, how are things on your end? Were you able to see the attack?'

"I could see it a little, but only because you told me where to look. I don't think anyone else in the building saw."

"Good," Bulma said, letting out a held breath. "Make sure it stays that way. If anyone asks, just tell them I'm working on something new. Go into the city and try to reduce panic if there is any."

"Will do," Launch said firmly before her voice weakened as she asked. "Have, have you heard from the others yet?"

"No, but they know what they have to do," Bulma replied. "Though I expect you're asking more about Tien than just everyone, aren't you?"

"I… I feel bad, how I left things with him."

"He'll be back. We have to believe that. But right now, we both have jobs to do, alright?"

"Y-yes ma'am!"

"Good, let's get to work."

Bulma let the call drop and leaned back in her chair while trying to rub away the sleep in her eyes. "… be careful everyone."

Krillin tracked the ship dropping out of the sky as it slowly made its way down onto the center of the North Mountains. Enormous slabs of stone surrounded the landing point, making for the perfect cover for the team. Krillin peered around his rock again as the spacecraft dropped onto Earth's surface with a thud that shook the area. Still shaped like a hermit crab, the ship looked nearly identical to the one that Krillin had infiltrated on Namek, yet it was far larger, and he could already sense the small army housed within.

"Alright," Krillin thought to the others, using the connection through Piccolo. "This is it. Stay hidden. We don't move until both Cold and Cooler walk out. Are you ready Tien?"

"Yes, I am prepared."

"Good, Gohan, can you hear us?"

"Y-yes Mr. Krillin."

"Great, wait for my signal don't act until then, got it?"

"Got it."

Krillin breathed out all the air he was holding and kept his eyes glued to the ship. He watched as a long ramp descended from the front and cut into the Earth's crust. The entrance slid open, revealing many troops that the monk easily recognized. Wearing the same battle armor he had seen on Namek, the soldiers filed out before standing shoulder to shoulder next to the ramp. From the darkness of the ship stepped out a colossal figure that Krillin immediately compared to Frieza's second form began a slow walk from the craft. The caped alien had a stern scowl on his face as he marched downward towards the surface.

"That's Cold," Krillin heard Vegeta share. "Seems the woman did a decent job of angering him."

"Bulma's the best at getting a rise out of someone." Yamcha piped up. "Believe me."

"I do," the prince answered. "Though as I thought, it seems he has gotten any stronger."

"Oh good," Yajirobi replied. "If it was just him, we were fighting. This would be easy… ish."

"Humph, as if we'd be so lucky," Piccolo snorted. "You can feel the real threat in there, can't you?"

Krillin could. His body tensed as a second figure emerged from the ship. This one's appearance was nearly identical to Frieza's final form, save the coloring of its skin. Walking just a few steps behind Cold, it surprised Krillin to see this figure already scanning the rocks as he made his way off the ship.

"I'm assuming that's Cooler?" Krillin asked, crouching down lower in his hiding place. "He's more perspective than his father."

"Yes," said Vegeta. "That power is unmistakable."

"Then we need to hurry," Krillin shared, scanning the area one last time as he steeled himself. "Just like we planned, Piccolo will destroy the ship to scatter them. Yamcha, Yajirobi, and Vegeta engage Cold to keep him away. Make sure you don't get caught in the wave. I'll take care of the crowd. Tien you go for Cooler. Once he's sealed, we will focus on Cold."

The monk nodded to himself as he heard his team acknowledge the plan. Steadying his breathing, Krillin steeled himself and began his countdown.

"We move on go. 3. 2-"

The monk stopped himself as his careful sight caught a lone figure walking up to Cold's forces as if they were on a stroll.

"Stop! Hold everything!" Krillin shouted in his mind. "There's someone there!"

"What!? How!?" Yamcha said forcefully. "I thought you told the King he had to keep everyone away from here!"

"I did!" Krillin shot back while trying to get a better look at the mystery man.

"Could he be just a local?" Tien asked calmly.

"Bulma and I scoped out this area even before we got here. No one lives here."

"Then what do we do?"

Krillin continued to study the lone figure, unsure of what to say until his eyes adjusted enough to focus and discover some details. The stranger appeared to be a young man with short hair running a light purple. On their back, they carried a strapped in sword that they seemed to carry with a confidence that betrayed his age. He also wore a small blue jacket, one that proudly displayed the capsule corp logo.

"Bulma," Krillin said in a low voice. "There's someone here walking right up to Cold. They are wearing a capsule corp jacket. What's going on?"

"What? That- that doesn't make any sense!" the genius shouted in his ear. "What do they look like?"

"Short purple hair, fit build, a young kid wearing a sword?"

"That's not anyone I know. Hold on," Bulma said before pausing. "I can feel him, but his energy is so low I'm not surprised you didn't notice. Is he human?"

"He looks like he is but, his ki feels even smaller than a human his age should be," Krillin said still trying to get a sense of what is going.

"He's that weak? Then you have to save him!"

"… no wait," Krillin answered, studying the young man even closer. With his good eyesight and angle, the monk could catch a cocky smile plastered over the teen's face. "He's not weak… I think he's suppressing his ki, on purpose."

"What? But that's something only you guys can do!"

"Piccolo, if they talk, will you be able to hear them from where you are?" Krillin asked, ignoring Bulma's comment for now.

"Easily," Piccolo answered. "What do you intend to do?"

"He's wearing a capsule corp jacket, but Bulma doesn't know him. So, he is either a fan of the company that wandered in at the worst time or… I think he's suppressing his energy to fool their scouters."

"How would he know to do that?"

"Not sure, tell us what you can hear and wait for my signal."

"You're not going in?" Yamcha asked in surprise. "He's just a kid. They'll kill him!"

"We don't know that for certain. I think there's more to this than what we can see, and we only get one chance to surprise them. We can't risk that now."

"What if you're wrong?" Yamcha asked again. "You're just going to let him die?"

"… let's see what happens."

"Seems we have someone to greet us," Cooler said with a chuckle. "How gracious."

"Silence," Cold snapped before looking at the intruder, who continued their leisurely stroll. "Who goes there?"

The entire squad of soldiers pointed their weapons at the young man, who finally stopped just a few feet away. The smirk Krillin had seen grew in length before he spoke.

"Ah, so you must be Frieza. I've been waiting a long time to meet you face to face," the young man said, addressing Cooler and exuding confidence. "Now I'm going to destroy you."

A dense silence swept through the North Mountains as the young man's words hung heavy.

"If you're referring to me, then I'll have to take that as an insult," Cooler spat. "Don't mistake me for my baby brother."

"What?" the young man said with surprise. "You're not Frieza?"

"Hardly," Cooler laughed. "My dearly deceased brother died on Namek. It seems you haven't been in contact with that woman we spoke to earlier."

"Woman? Who are you talk-"

"Enough of this farce," Cold said, stepping in. "Soldiers eliminate this earthling quickly. I plan on skinning that woman alive before destroying this planet. I will not be delayed."

"Yes, my King!" the foot soldiers said in unison, moving as a unit towards the young man.

Even as a small army moved to attack, a sense of confusion plagued the youth. Deep in his own head, the young man did not make a move to defend himself until the soldiers were within arm's reach. Only then did he draw his sword.

It took only a moment. Flashes of light gleamed off the blade as its owner easily worked his way through the mass of soldiers. By the moment's end, the youth sheathed his sword with a flourish as the soldiers fell, one by one.

"Oh?" Cooler said with amusement. "Seems this runt has some bite to go with its bark."

"This 'runt' just decimated your forces," the young man grinned. "Now if you aren't Frieza, then who are you?"

"I am Cooler," the eldest son said with a mocking bow. "It is no surprise you haven't heard of me. Compared to my deceased baby brother, I prefer to keep to myself. And you are?"

"… The name's Trunks," the purple-haired teen answered. "Even if you aren't Frieza, it's clear you're still a danger to this planet. So if we have all the pleasantries out of the way, I'll be killing you now."

"A fine spirit you have, Trunks!" Cooler grinned. "Though you can't rush these things. I do have something else in store for you," Cooler said before snapping his fingers towards the open entrance of the spacecraft.

Three separate figures moved as one out of the ship to take a knee right at Cooler's back. One was a tall brown reptilian-like creature, another a large hulking man with deep green skin and long hair. Finally, the one in its center was a smaller, blue-skinned man with short blond hair. Each one of them proudly wore a light green battle armor similar in style to the Ginyu Force while also donning scouters. Yet these armors held only one shoulder pad on their left shoulder and a different insignia on their chests.

"Yes, Lord Cooler!" The three cried, their voices in perfect synch.

"My King," Cooler said to his father with another mocking bow. "Allow my personal squad the privilege of handling this boy after the stunning loss of your foot soldiers."

"Do what you will, child," Cold snarled, his mood clearly worsened by this delay.

"Oh, thank you, my King, how gracious of you," Cooler chuckled as he pointed at the young man. "Dore, Neiz, Salza. Kill him."

The armored squad attacked the purple-haired teen from three different angles and moved at a speed far greater than the short-lived army. Despite this, the young man seemed undeterred and fell into a simple fighting stance, ready to engage.

Dore the large green soldier went for the teen's head with a swift knee, Neiz the brown reptile-like creature fired off a dense energy wave that crackled like electricity, and Salza the blue-skinned man's right hand tensed as he covered it with energy dyed pink and struck as if it were a knife.

Trunks swung with a hard fist that connected and then shattered Dore's knee before it could reach him. The green hulk was on the ground in seconds, clutching his broken limb. Trunks then casually cut through the electric blast with his sword and fired a ki blast of his own. Neiz could not move in time and, despite trying to defend the beam, swiftly overcame and vaporized the alien. With Neiz dead, Trunks was free to grab Salza by the wrist before his energy-coated hand could cut him.

"Too slow," Trunks smiled before breaking the wrist with one squeeze and then hurling the alien toward several mountains.

Salza's body was crunched through solid rock, tearing through the structures and letting them tumble down, shaking the ground itself. As the mountains fell, Trunks walked over to Dore, still holding his broken knee, and sliced through his neck with one clean motion. Dore died instantly while Trunks flicked off the blood from his sword and again sheathed it with a flourish.

"Have any more?" The young man asked. "Or are you done stalling?"

"… those were some fine soldiers you just killed," Cooler said slowly. "I wasn't aware that you earthlings were capable of such power."

"Who said anything about being an earthling?" Trunks said with a growing grin.

"Not an earthling you say? Then what are you, boy?" Cooler scoffed, his annoyance breaking his casual demeanor.

"I'm going to let you in on a little secret. You're about to fight a real super saiyan, and I'm not talking about Goku."

"A super… what?" Cold asked, his eyes narrowing.

Trunks did not answer. Instead, he started to gather power into himself. The young man generated a large amount of energy enough to make the ground shake and the many bodies of the fallen soldiers to be flung away. The teen's purple hair spiked upward as he radiated enough ki that a firm aura appeared around him. Trunks screamed as that aura flickered from a light white to a dense gold. Closing his eyes for a moment to better concentrate on his power, a snicker came out of Trunks as his purple hair flashed a new color.

Yet that snicker died as a thin beam of energy hit him dead in the chest and erupted out from his back. The gold aura vanished as Trunks landed on one knee, clutching his open wound. Blood oozed out of his chest as he tried to catch his breath.

"Seems you have done at least a little research into our family," Cooler said, lowering his finger to his side. "Though I'm sorry to disappoint, the 'super saiyan' was my brother's obsession. Not mine."

"Huh...T-this… this can't-"

"It can't?" Cooler asked in surprise. "Perhaps you are greener than I thought. Here's a lesson in warfare boy, don't kill your enemy's soldiers, then pose for a minute."

"What is this super saiyan child?" Cold asked with a cutting tone. "And who is this Goku?"

"The super saiyan is a baseless story that a race called the saiyans once passed around as they huddled in huts. Apparently, they believed they could gain a power that could rival our own. We had them under our control for a time before Frieza disposed of them. Most likely out of paranoia."

"I believed I told you that if you continued to mock your brother, you would do so without a tongue," Cold growled. "My Frieza afraid of a myth? Impossible."

"Of course, my King. Though as for this Goku he mentioned," Cooler said slowly. "I do not know, no one of import, I'm sure."

"W-what?" Trunks groaned as he tried to stand, only to realize that the damage was worse than he thought. "You…y-you don't know Goku?"

"Why should I?" Cooler said before looking at his father and sliding back into his mocking persona. "Forgive me for stepping in, my King. I have left the final blow for you, of course. Finish this and let us be on our way."

"Humph, a pointless gesture," Cold spat. "Though watching your soldiers die was entertaining enough, I suppose."

"… yes, my King," Cooler seethed, stepping back and giving his father some space.

"I accuse you of wasting my time earthling," Cold said, gathering a vast amount of energy into his hand. "Your sentence is death."

The King fired off a dense blast that consumed all in its path while Trunks struggled to stand as his own power withered.

"N-no… it's not supposed to go like thi-"

Trunks stopped as a tiny figure landed in front of him, facing the energy beam. Raising his arm above his head, the figure generated what looked like a disc of ki and swung it toward the fired blast. The collusion only lasted a moment as Cold's attack was separated at its core, the beam splitting off, hitting neither Trunks, nor Krillin.

"What? Who ar-" Cold was interrupted as a ki bomb detonated behind him, cracking open and burning through the spacecraft.

Both Cold and Cooler turned towards their ruined ship, which distracted them long enough for Vegeta, Yamacha, and Yajirobi to rush the King. The Wolf reached out and grabbed Cold by the cape, and yanked him away from his eldest son. The three warriors engaged the father of Frieza, tossing him into a nearby rock formation, leaving Cooler alone.

"Y-you… you are."

Krillin turned towards Trunks, who had struggled to his feet, still holding the hole in his chest.

"Stay down, kid," Krillin said, holding an arm out while he kept his eyes on Cooler. "We've got it from here."

"No...you have to… stop- you're not… strong enough," Trunks panted, taking a step forward.

"I said stay down!" Krillin shouted, shooting a glare to keep him in place.

"No! I have to protect you all!"

Trunks straightened up despite the pain and shouted out again, showing off his tremendous power. Krillin's eyes widened as the young man's purple hair once again stood skyward and flared out dyed a brilliant golden hue. Trunks' eyes flashed green as his aura nearly knocked the monk off his feet.

Drawing his sword and wielding it with both hands, Trunks shouted out as he dove forward, charging at Cooler. "I won't let any of you die!"

"Wait!" Krillin screamed as he tried to reach out and pull back Trunks, but the young man was already moving too fast.

Cooler had recovered from the surprise of the ship being shattered and his father being stolen away. So, he turned back to face the charging Trunks head-on. Neither alien nor teen saw that they were in the path of Tien's wave and unfortunately for both, Tien could not stop it.

"EVIL CONTAINMENT WAVE!"

A vortex bathed in green wind erupted from the blind spot of both Cooler and Trunks. Tien had been concentrating his power and had not seen the mystery swordsman rush Cooler in time. Unable to stall, Tien enveloped them both in the technique he had practiced countless times. The gust from the attack quickly doused the flames spreading through the destroyed ship and bits of Earth from the ground. Both Cooler and Trunks were lifted off the ground and separated as the twister picked up speed.

"W-what is this?!" Cooler cried as he tried to fight against the wind.

Tien grabbed hold of the vortex with everything he had, gaining as much control over the technique as he could. Yet still the energy required to subdue Cooler required all of his focus, so much so he nearly missed Krillin's voice in his head.

"Tien stop!" Krillin cried out. "You've got the kid in there!"

Eyes growing wide, the three-eyed man searched the twister and found Trunks out of strength and tumbling around.

"I can't stop it midway!" Tien answered back. "It has to come down!"

Raising both hands above his head, then swinging downward, the vortex reared up toward the sky and then shoot toward the ground. The twister changed into a dense beam of light as it charged towards the small jar Tien had placed earlier. The light landed onto the jar with a terrifying crack as the small jar was shattered, along with bits of ground. As the light faded, Cooler and Trunks lay next to each other, dazed and confused.

"The technique can only handle one at a time!"

Krillin heard Tien but shot forward towards Trunks, hoping to get the young man away before any more harm could be done. Cooler recovered before he could.

Wrapping his tail around the teen's throat and lifting Trunks with him, Cooler rose to his feet and fired another blast at the monk. Krillin saw the attack in time and had leap to the side to avoid injury.

The burst of energy continued through the mountains, vaporizing all the stones that lay before it. The beam collided with a hill far in the distance. It ripped apart the enormous pile of Earth reducing it to ash. The surrounding area was doused with falling rocks and dust.

"If any of you value this boy you will stop here!" Cooler yelled, tightening his cold on Trunks's throat as he did. The young man spit out trails of blood as he gagged.

"Dammit! Stand down all of you!" Krillin shared, gripping his hands tightly.

The monk was surprised to see Vegeta the first to stand at his side, having disengaged from his brief fight with Cold.

"That power…he's a super saiyan. That's not possible."

"I know," Krillin answered. "He mentioned Goku by name, too. We need to save him and learn what knows."

"Hold there," Cooler said, eyeing the prince. "I know you."

"And I you, filth," Vegeta spat. "I am Vegeta, prince of all saiyans!"

"Prince? Then, you are the son of Vegeta, the third. You were under Frieza's command," Cooler said with interest. "Then that woman was telling the truth. Reports say you were last sighted on Namek."

"That's right!" Vegeta laughed. "I was there when Frieza took his last breath. Fear not, Cooler. You aren't long for this world either. Give your brother my regards when I turn you into ash!"

"… interesting," Cooler said with a sneer. He looked to say more but paused when he noticed the other's approach.

Yajirobi, Yamcha, Tien, and Piccolo landed by Krillin's side, all staring out at Cooler, who held Trunks out like a shield.

"More of you than I thought," Cooler scoffed. "If the plan was to ambush us from the start, then you shouldn't have led with your youngest."

Cooler tightened his grip to make his point, causing Trunks to cry out in agony.

"We don't know him," Krillin said firmly. "He has nothing to do with us."

"All the same, he attacked both me and my soldiers," Cooler replied darkly. "In addition, putting him in harm's way has caused you to back down. Meaning he has some relation to you."

He's quick to adapt, the monk thought himself. He might be even more dangerous than Frieza.

The ground rattled as Cold landed next to his eldest son. Standing tall, Krillin could see a thin line of blood running from the King's lips and a face filled with fury.

"Looks like the fight against Cold was going well," Krillin shared with the others.

"It was," Yamcha answered. "We had him cornered and might have been able to finish it there, but we didn't move fast enough. Sorry."

"Not your fault we can sti-"

"How dare you," Cold seethed, wiping away his blood. "How dare you raise your hand against me!"

"Calm yourself my King, we have them now."

"I have had enough of this wretched world." Cold spat, ignoring his son's advice. "This planet dies now."

"There is no need for that, my King," Cooler said calmly. "They failed in their attack and now we can dispatch of them personally. Besides this an opportunity to truly show our strength."

"I will not reduce myself to fight these insects." Cold snapped, his anger only growing stronger. "And you should be ashamed of yourself, child."

"Ashamed? Whatever for?"

"You were caught off guard by these insects! You are a disgrace to the family. Return to the fleet and wait for my orders. You clearly need to be taught anew."

Cooler grew quiet but formed a small smile and let out a soft chuckle. Cold missed this as he stepped forward in front of his eldest son.

"It is time to dispose of the trash," The King said while gathering his energy in his hand.

"Oh, I agree," Cooler said smoothly, aiming a finger at the back of Cold's neck. "Father."

The eldest son fired a thin beam of energy into his father's neck. It slid through without resistance and formed a perfect hold in the King's throat.

"G-guh," Cold choked out, falling to his knees and gripping his neck with both hands to keep his blood in.

Shock ran through the group, but Krillin put out a hand and order. "Keep still. We can't risk the kid's life. Let this play out."

"Honestly," Cooler sighed. "I'd planned on waiting at least a little longer, but if you're going to be this embarrassing then I'm better off just putting you down now."

"W-why?" Cold gurgled.

"Why? I just told you. I joined you simply to measure your growth to see if you had done anything worthwhile with your time. Only to find you are still an embarrassment. The way you do things is ancient and laughable. Not only are you content to blame me for your own failings, but you sought to bolster your forces with hordes of weaklings instead of adding to your own personal power. You've gotten lazy, stupid, and spoiled. Not to mention that you seem to have forgotten the one rule of the universe."

Cooler knelt at his father's side and whispered. "The strong eat the weak, and I am stronger than you."

"N-no, that's not-"

"Not what? Possible? Of course it is, father," Cooler laughed. "I've been stronger than you and Frieza for years now. I just didn't bother telling you because both of you were beneath me. Letting you run around the universe acting as if you were its strongest power amused me. Frankly, I assumed Frieza would kill you, and then I would dispose of him when he came after me."

"….Frieza?" Cold coughed. "H-he wouldn't."

"You know he would," Cooler grinned, standing back up. "Why do you think he was on Namek in the first-place dear father? My spies tell me he was chasing a fantasy that would have given him immortality! In fact, if he had been successful, his very first target would have been you."

"N-no."

"Oh. Yes. There's who you should truly be ashamed of, your precious baby boy."

"You l-lie! You LIE!" Cold shouted, speeding up his blood loss.

"Fine, don't believe me. In the end, it barely matters. Even if Frieza had gained immortality, he would still have been nothing compared to the power I have achieved. The fool believed erasing death would make him more powerful. No, it is the threat of death that has kept me going. While you expanded your armies and sat on your thrones, I hunted the universe for a challenge. I found none that could stand before me, but what I overcame let me achieve a strength beyond any in our family's history. Would you like to see for yourself?"

Without waiting for an answer from his defeated father, Cooler grinned as his chest and muscles expanded in mass. His energy already soaring, the white carapace covering his shoulders bulged out and rose above his shoulders for better protection. His wrists grew as well, the carapaces there revealing blade-like protrusions sharp enough to cut. The color of his eyes glossed over, replacing the white of his eyes and pupils with a blood red. Even his tail swelled in size, tightening around Trunk's throat until the ten passed out. Gasping in a mix of pleasure and pain, Cooler's head reshaped itself as four spikes jutted out from his skull. Growing in size, the alien's head formed a dark blue section coloring his forehead. At the transformations' end, Cooler had doubled his size and tripled his strength.

"It's a shame you don't have a scouter," Cooler laughed, placing a hand on his father's skull and gripping tightly. "Perhaps you would have recognized the difference between us with numbers to guide you."

"S-son," Cold coughed out, absolute terror coating his voice. "D-don't do t-this."

"Son? Oh dear father," the eldest son chuckled as a visor made of white carapace slide into place, covering his mouth. "Address me as King."

Aided by the hole in his father's neck, Cooler pulled and tore Cold's head from his body. Blue blood continued to pump out from the stump as the King's body fell forward into Earth's dirt. Looking over his prize, Cooler chuckled as he held the remains of the great tyrant. With little thought or care, Cooler tossed the head over his shoulder and shifted his attention to the group of warriors.

"Excuse the delay," Cooler said smoothly, flicking his tail forward and grabbing the now unconscious Trunks by the head with his right hand. "I believe you were telling me how little you cared for this one."

As if the punctuate his point, Cooler tightened his grip on the teen's head causing a low groan to roll out from the youth.

"He's no threat to you now," Krillin said, stepping forward. "You said you wanted to show how strong you are, but what's the point of killing someone who can't even fight back?"

"He killed three fiercely loyal soldiers of mine. Would you not do the same?"

Krillin said nothing, but the scowl on his face deepened.

"It is easy to presume that you are both in league with the woman who brought us here. Along with the prince, you must be the earthlings responsible for my brother's death."

"… yes."

"Then you have saved me a good deal of trouble. Were I Frieza, I would have given you the false promise of joining me. If I were my father, I would have ordered my soldiers to hunt you down for as long as it took to kill you. I, however, am moved by your power. With your planet's life on the line, how far will your strength take you?"

"It's that simple, is it?"

"It is the only law that matters. Your planet shall vanish like all the rest as I hunt the stars as the strongest in the universe."

Krillin slowly breathed in and then out. Letting the tide calm his emotions before speaking in his mind.

"Right arm Gohan. Save the guy he's holding. Go."

Miles away, a golden aura blazed across the blue sky as if thrown like a spear. With shining hair and burning green eyes, Gohan held out a hand to his side and formed a disc made of ki. Flying faster than ever before, the half-saiyan's form melted into a blur. The mountains below seemed to stretch out as his vision tunneled onto the dark power he had sensed. The destructo disc in his hand spinning wildly as Gohan let his training guide him.

In.

The sound barrier shattered before him as the boy breathed in through his nose. The mountains themselves bent away from him, his speed alone splitting them apart. He was calm; he was in control; he was here to fight.

Krillin felt Gohan closing in. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Vegeta turn in the same direction, unable to ignore the legend as it approached.

"The strongest in the universe?" Said Krillin, trying to keep Cooler's focus on him. "Frieze was quite fond of the saying himself. Perhaps you two aren't that different after all."

"Ha! The welp never deserved it. He was an embarrassment, just like our father. He spent his last days chasing fantasies when he could have been strengthening himself. In the end, the only power that matters is your own."

"If you measure your strength in just how much you destroy or how alone you are. Then you have nothing," Krillin said slowly.

"Would you lecture me on strength earthing? You have my interest, but talk is cheap. Prove your power with action or lay down and di-"

Out!

On Gohan's exhale, the disc smoothly severed Cooler's right hand. The burning light of Gohan's aura blinded the tyrant to the point where he did not see when Trunks was taken out of his grasp. Looking at the bloody stump in more surprise than pain, Cooler tracked Gohan as his hair lost its glow and his eyes dimmed to their natural state. Even panting, Gohan still had the strength to stand and hold Trunks up.

"Gohan, take cover and rest up," Krillin told him as he removed his communicator from his ear. "Use this to heal the guy. I have questions for him later. When he's better and you've recovered, get back. We will cover you until then."

"Okay, Mr. Krillin."

Krillin tossed the communicator, which was caught as Gohan slowly flew away with Trunks still in his arms.

"…. Very interesting. That child seems to have a similar power to the boy." Cooler said looking over what remained of his arm as it leaked blue blood. "Perhaps there is some truth to the myth, after all. If that truly is a super saiyan, then my brother's failure is complete."

"There goes our ace," Yamcha said somberly. "What now Krillin?"

"We fight."

"His power is greater than anything we've faced before," Tien added.

"You're right. But if we win, if we beat him. Then we can get back to our lives, back to living," Krillin thought slowly. "We owe him that."

"This planet seems to hold a greater challenge than I thought," Cooler laughed. "Though you should have tried to kill me with that strike."

"That is not why he's here," Krillin spoke aloud, stealing back Cooler's attention. "That's on us."

"Oh? Do you intend to kill me? Very well earthlings! Should you emerge victorious, my title shall be yours!" Cooler said, smashing his tail against the ground in excitement. "Whoever remains shall be known as the strongest!"

"… you're wrong," Krillin said, his voice fierce. "I know someone far more powerful than you or I could ever hope to be."

In response to their leader's advance, Yajirobi, Yamcha, and Tien's aura blazed red as the Kaio-Ken technique ran through them. Vegeta raised his own power level to match the others, adopting a firm fighting stance. Piccolo let his energy seep out, cracking the ground underneath his feet. Krillin felt his barrier encase him and ran a strong current through it. The electricity crackled around him as he stepped forward. His voice weighed heavy with the memory of a friend long passed but never forgotten.

"His name was Chiaotzu."