Bringer of Death

Frieza Saga - Part 4: Trump Card

Frieza Saga - Part 4: Trump Card 

Nearby, Goku floated in the only remaining rejuvenation chamber aboard Frieza's ship. The warm liquid he was in felt like water, but it gave him a strange tingling sensation from head to toe. At first, the injuries had stung and he couldn't have moved if he had wanted. Now, in light of the relaxing dreamlike state provided by the healing tank, he didn't even feel like trying to move. Fortunately, the relaxation provided by the chamber only helped to further his focus on the ongoing battle. But though his keen senses were keeping him aware of the battle just outside, the blow by blow details eluded him. 

'Wow. Vegeta-his power is mind boggling. It's a good thing I guess,' he thought. 'I mean, if he hadn't achieved this new strength, there's a good chance Gohan and the others might be dead right now.' The Saiyan from Earth had been wondering for quite a while how much longer his rejuvenation would take. 

BEEEEEP, the timer on the healing tank sounded, as if his thoughts alone had triggered the end of the process. To Goku, it signaled that he could finally join the battle, which he was eager to do. 

"I'm healed!" Goku said excitedly as he placed his right hand on the glass of the tank, shattering it with a small release of energy. In a brilliant explosion of light, Goku shot right out of the hull of the ship, landing softly on the exterior of the vessel. A clean breeze of Namek blew gently against his wet skin, cooling him off more than drying him. He closed his eyes, breathing in his surroundings. The air was salty and warm, but had a certain life to it that was noticeably absent whenever Goku had been in technological or industrial cities. 

'Wow, I feel incredible. I didn't think I could get much stronger than I was, but I guess I don't know my own limits. Still, I don't know if I have what it takes to go against Frieza or Vegeta. Both of them have gained incredible power.' 

For Goku the moment was surreal, lasting perhaps longer than he should have allowed. "All right, guys. I don't know if I can be of any help or not, but I'm on my way."

Back at the battlefield... 

Krillin gulped, comprehending how outclassed he was. "Holy cow, guys. That attack...it looked like Frieza was giving it his all, but Vegeta just flicked it aside! It's scary how strong he's gotten." 

"It's incredible," Piccolo grudgingly admitted. "Who could have guessed that after all the trouble we went through fighting Frieza's other forms, Vegeta would somehow achieve this unimaginable level of strength?" The Namekian, who knew enough to have a healthy mistrust of Vegeta at all times, was quite pissed. 

"He is on our side, right?" Gohan asked, afraid to know the answer. Piccolo was thinking the exact same thing, hoping that Vegeta would be satisfied if he managed to defeat Frieza. It was conceivable that the prince might be in a good enough mood after defeating the frost demon that he would simply part ways with them. But was it really likely? Piccolo knew better than to assume something like that.

Frieza stood, right arm extended, where Vegeta had dealt him his latest humiliation. His strongest energy wave had just been flicked aside like it was nothing. Vegeta had even smirked at the attack, laughing loudly at how pathetic it was. Smoke was still rising from the frost demon's scorched fingertips and he panted briefly to recover his energy. He knew the prince, hovering above him, was probably imagining some creatively gruesome way of finishing him off. As much as that angered him, the frost demon knew he had to think quickly if he were to have any chance of victory. 

"But how?" murmured Frieza. "I've tried everything!" Vegeta had become so powerful that he, in all his vast knowledge of how to kill, was running out of ideas. 

'Do I not have even one advantage over this so called Super Saiyan? I've got to think of something!' The white skinned frost demon suddenly began to recollect, all those years ago, back to when he had wiped out the Saiyan race. His attack from space, just beyond the edge of the planet's atmosphere, had been quite a memorable experience-perhaps even his favorite memory of destroying a planet. Then it came to him. The purple lips of the demon curled to the right in his typical smirk. 

"Well well, Vegeta, I must say you do impress me." Frieza levitated, as casually as possible, up towards the Super Saiyan. "It seems there was a bit more truth to those stories than I ever thought possible." 

Vegeta was smiling as well, his hands resting casually at his sides. 'Well, Frieza. What are you playing at now? Scheming as always...or maybe you really do realize the hopelessness of your situation.' 

'Stupid monkey, he's buying it,' Frieza thought. It was at times like this he was particularly proud of his cunning with words. He could manipulate any situation to his advantage. 

"So, you're finally ready to admit the truth, Frieza? And here I was hoping I would get the pleasure of torturing you." Vegeta, for some reason, wanted to wait and see what Frieza was up to. Though in part he felt ready to end it, he was also getting a bit carried away in the extacy of his new power. 

"You willingly acknowledge my superiority?" Vegeta continued, laughing. "Hahaha, you're no fun. Well, at least you still haven't bowed to me. I suppose I can have some fun by forcing you to kneel. And make sure you do that thing where you bend the elbow on your right arm out in front like I used to. Bahahaha!" 

Unable to completely contain his cunning, Frieza smirked at the prince, desperately trying to keep up his facade; everything was going to plan. If only he could keep from reacting to Vegeta's boasts for a few moments more he would have all the power he needed. 

"Too bad I can't stand the sight of your ugly face anymore." Vegeta frowned, his fingers tingling with excitement. 

"So now, for the 'coupe de grace', I've thought of the perfect way to annihilate you-both symbolic and iconic. This is your end Frieza, are you ready to stare into the eyes of death itself?" 

'Oh, Vegeta. You never learn.' Unknown to the prince, Frieza had been secretly charging an orb of black and pink energy behind his back. 

"Fool, it's not always the strongest that wins the fight!" He lifted his hand high and instantly the energy ball quadrupled in size, continuing to grow by the millisecond. 

"Now die planet DIE!" He hurled his planet destroyer straight down, smiling at the brilliance of his plan. 

"WHAT?!" cried Vegeta in shock. "I can't stop that!" 

The supernova ripped through the air, destroying even the tiniest bacteria in its path, as it dove down towards Namek. The Orange sphere scraped into the surface of the planet, shooting dirt outwards in all sides at it cut its way into the ground. 

"20X Kame-hame-ha!" came a voice from below as a beam of powerful blue energy collided with the death ball. Goku's attack pushed the sphere out of its trajectory and into a nearby cliff side where it detonated. The explosion blinded everyone, creating a dome of light on the planet's surface that could be seen from the other side of the galaxy. When it finally subsided, the planet was still intact; miraculously. 

Stunned, Vegeta looked down and saw him there, healed at last. "Kakarott."