The Calm Before The Storm

Never, in the thirty years he'd been alive, had Vegeta ever imagined that he would find himself in his current fate. No, as the prince of the entire saiyan race, Vegeta's imagination conjured visions of ruling with an iron fist and days spent bathing in the blood of enemies foolish enough to challenge him.

Even after Frieza's family put a leash around his planet's neck, even after their demise, Vegeta's desires remained; only now, they included making those lizard-like bastards suffer!

Kakarot had defeated Frieza, yes, but the prince knew that there were still King Cold to deal with before the universe could truly be free of that families terror...and be taken over by him. With those two gone, a vacuum would open up, and Vegeta would be the one to fill it; returning saiyans to their dominant place among the stars!

'And with this new power I've acquired,' he went on to think, recalling how he'd defeated Toppo, 'surely there's no one other than that fool Kakarot for me to worry about.'

Yet, even the Super Saiyan's presence did nothing to deter the prince with a dark heart from desiring the throne he'd been promised a lifetime ago. Already, Vegeta had unlocked the primal inner-power of their race through his own meditation and training, managing to even regain his tail in the process. With it came a sense of completion the prince had been missing since his defeat on Earth, as well as a large spike in his power-level that Vegeta was sure had been the tipping point between he and the Pride Trooper.

But even as he felt the furry appendage wrap tighter around his waist, the saiyan prince knew that he'd been lucky; a saiyan's tail was nearly impossible to regrow, and if it did, took years. So should he suffer its loss again, there may be no getting it back again.

Thinking about the possible, permanent removal of his tail brought Vegeta's attention back to the matter at hand however, and his stern brow pinched that much tighter as he recalled just what sort of strange fate had befallen him; teaching.

Cabba and Kale stood before him inside of the gravity room Bulma had built for he and Kakarot specifically to train in. The Universe 6 saiyans had agreed with Caulifla to come and lend their aid to Universe 7 in their time of need, though, in the beginning Vegeta wondered if the two hadn't had their own ulterior motives for coming along.

Cabba had continued to look upon the saiyan prince with reverence while his meek, female companion seemed to stare off into space all the time.

They were nothing like the saiyans Vegeta knew and spoke so highly of, but they were a small part of what remained even if both came from a separate universe. This thought alone soothed the agitation that had plagued the flame-haired warrior since the pairs arrival, and pushed him to continue the training he'd already given Cabba.

It took time, and more patience than the prince ever imagined he'd be capable of, but as they neared the end of the first year before Bojack's arrival Vegeta could silently admit to himself that the two who stood before him now would have made fine additions to the saiyan army of Universe 7.

Cabba had adopted a similar combat suit to the prince, only with a black spandex suit rather than Vegeta's blue, and his body had transformed from a skinny beanpole, to the likeness of those sculptures Bulma seemed so interested in when she dragged him along to museums. Not the primitive, intimidating physique of a typical saiyan but powerful and agile in its own right.

The younger fighter's deferring nature and polite tone hadn't vanished, and Vegeta still tried to drill the concept of finishing your opponent into the smaller saiyan's head, but there was no hesitation now when Cabba went on the attack; he fought to win.

Beside him, Kale too had blossomed into a much more dangerous flower while under the tutelage of the saiyan prince. Her thorns shone through in the set of the girl's shoulders and a more determined gleam in the female warrior's eye. Gone was the pony-tail, leaving Kale's hair to splay out around her shoulders in a wild frame of curled spikes, but thanks to the girl's time around Bulma she'd shed the red skirt and top for a much more...earthly look.

A short-cut, white jacket covered a sleeveless black tank-top while form-fitting blue jeans clung to the young woman's long, tanned legs. Kale's old boots had been replaced by a pair that spoke of a bit more style, and worked better with the girl's petite frame.

Thinking about how far both had come in only a single year, both people as well as fighters, Vegeta was hard-pressed to deny that he felt...proud of Cabba and Kale; even if he'd never say it to their faces.

"Alright, listen up, in two more years the Grand Priest's warning will come true, and the Earth will face an enemy the likes of which it's never imagined. As saiyans, it is our duty to stamp out any and all who oppose our might, which means that when that Namekian filth descends upon this planet I want you both ready and willing to send them off into oblivion; do I make myself clear!?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Y-Yes, sir!"

A small snarl twitched against the prince's nose as he watched Cabba hesitate; 365 full days, and the boy still stuttered. It irked the saiyan prince that someone with so much potential could be so soft. Even Kakarot had begun to resemble the warrior he would have been had he not hit his head! This alone though gave Vegeta hope, and caused the man to double down on his future efforts to do the same for Cabba.

"Good, now, we'll be heading out for today's spar; the gravity room won't be the proper place to fully test your abilities. There's a mountain range, one not overly far from us, where the two of you can unleash your full power without any real damage."

What they didn't know, and Vegeta would never tell them, was that this particular canyon left a very sore spot on his pride. Yet as the trio exited the gravity room, and made their way towards the front of the house, Vegeta and his fellow saiyans found themselves stopped short by Bulma. Standing there in sleep-shorts and an overly-large undershirt, the female genius held her hands on her hips and stared down the saiyan prince with sleepy yet determined eyes.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"Where does it look like woman; we're going to train. In case you forgot, your planet's about to be invaded, and my soldiers and I are the only real defense your pitiful people have!"

"Last I checked, Earth still has Goku, and he's not one of your 'soldiers' Vegeta; besides, you seem to be the one who's forgetting. We made a deal. Now, get back to bed, and in thirty minutes, you can go off and do whatever training you have to until dinner, you got it buster!?"

The proud warrior bristled at the bold-faced challenge to his authority, and Vegeta's jaw tightened as he and the blue-haired woman locked gazes for a moment. Finally, the flame-haired saiyan marched over and took hold of Bulma's arm, before pulling her along to the living room.

"You two stay there; I'll be right back."

Once they were out of sight, Bulma yanked her arm out of the man's light grip and this time crossed them over her chest. Onyx eyes caught the tapping of Bulma's foot, and they rolled as their owner leaned in to hiss at her.

"It's one time; cuddle with the pillow, if you have to."

"I don't want the pillow, you big jerk! Besides, you promised, or does the word of a prince not mean anything anymore?"

"Who do you think you are," they stood nose-to-nose, "to speak to the Prince of Saiyans so flippantly Earth woman!"

Crystal-blue eyes softened as they gleamed with unshed tears, but Bulma didn't look away, if anything the woman's gaze only steadied as she tensed her shoulders. The foot tapping had stopped, only to be replaced by a worried bottom-lip as the woman's slender fingers fisted bunches of that musky undershirt.

"I thought that I was someone important to you; I thought that you might be different, better. I thought, that we were finally...forget it. Clearly, I was wrong, so just forget it Vegeta. You can go, come back whenever, it doesn't matter, j-just try not to wake my parents if you're back after dinner okay?"

Vegeta felt a knot tighten itself around his stomach as he stared at the downcast vision of beauty. This was nothing like the fiery, fierce Valkyrie in human form that he'd come to admire and covet, and Vegeta silently grew angry at himself for making Bulma so upset.

Only to grow even angrier at himself for caring. Noticing how his hand had begun to lift, as if to comfort her, the prince slammed the palm down on his bicep and tightened every muscle against this alien emotion budding at Vegeta's core.

"I'll be sure to do that."

His tone nearly cut Bulma to the bone, almost made her tears spill, but then she felt balmy lips pres against her cheek. Lashes fluttered, and blue eyes lifted to catch a glimpse of Vegeta's own dark pair, where the female genius felt her heart thud at what she found there.

"Yell at me more tonight if you need to, but I'm leaving now, and I expect steak on my plate when I get back."

"You're getting salad," Bulma yelled after the prince before wiping her eyes and smiling. A single hand reached up to trace over the warm spot on the woman's cheek as she too left the room, and Bulma hummed happily as she found her way to the lab.

Settling in to continue working on the rejuvenation tank she'd begun to build, the blue-haired beauty made a mental checklist of all the ingredients she'd need for dinner that night; five large steaks, mashed potatoes, and heaping bowl of salad greens~

Just because Vegeta was beginning to crack, and starting to really care, didn't mean he got to yell at her and hurt Bulma's feelings.

xXx

Yet while Vegeta seemed to be growing closer to a beautiful earth woman, Goku was slipping from Chi-Chi's fingers. More often than not, the princess would go to bed alone, and dinners were normally spent with just Gohan after the boy got back from spending all day with Piccolo.

Goku himself, used his Instant Transmission to quietly bring he and Caulifla back into the house late into the night after they exhausted every ounce of energy. The pair would come in, dirty and covered with bruises, but there was always a smile on each of their faces that matched the spark in their eye that let anyone looking know that they'd had a fun-filled time together.

Meals were eaten out in the wilderness now, feeding off whatever the two saiyans managed to catch for themselves, while bathing was done in the river. For Earth's savior, it was a delightful return to simpler times; before Bulma and their hunt for the Dragon Balls.

He loved the Capsule Corp. heiress like family, and would never regret tagging along as her bodyguard, but it was nice being able to chase down dinner again and feel the pride that came with knowing they'd bested nature itself.

However, as Goku ripped off another chunk of mountain-lion meat, he thought about Gohan and how the boy seemed confused by what was going on at home. It wasn't often that they crossed paths, thanks in no small part to their different schedules, but on the chance they did Gohan's father could feel that there was a disconnect between them now.

The light, and admiration, that had once filled the boy's eyes at the sight of his father seemed to have dimmed over the last year only to be replaced by a look of discontent as well as even wariness.

Like Gohan didn't even know who he was anymore.

This pained Goku, and got the gears in his mind turning as he once more tried to think of the best way to explain everything that was changing to his son...before he was lost to him.

"That's a pretty solemn face you've got there, Super Saiyan, anything I can do to help?"

Eyes clouded in thought flicked over the orange fire before them, and into an equally dark pair settled on the pretty face of Goku's female companion. Caulifla sat on the opposite end of that flame, criss-cross, holding the clean bone off which she'd just scarfed down her own dinner.

Looking at her now, a year after their arrival, Earth's savior could hardily believe that the only thing that had changed about her was the girl's wardrobe.

'Though I guess, with how rough we are with our training, Cauli's clothes wouldn't last forever'

Gone was the pink tube-top and purple harem-style pants. Now, the spunky female fighter's torso was a sleeveless blue gi and a soft, orange breast-wrap to keep her chest from swinging around during a fight. The pants were black now, and more resembled the style Goku wore with his own uniform. The female saiyan had even taken to wearing boots similar to the Super Saiyan's as well.

The more primitive part of Goku's brain disagreed with hiding away the girl's toned stomach, but even now he dared not question her about the decision, for fear of coming off as a weirdo.

Seeing Caulifla's eyes narrow however, reminded the male saiyan that she'd just asked him a question and, recalling what happened the last time he'd forgotten to answer, Earth's savior quickly opened his mouth.

"A-Ah, well, I'm just thinking about Gohan; he seems...very unhappy with me lately. I'm just trying to think of how to fix it is all; nothing you need to worry about Cauli."

"If it's important you, then it isn't nothing, Goku. Now, why do you think like that?"

So he told her, laid out the thoughts that had just been swirling around inside his head, and felt how much lighter the load felt now that he'd shared it with someone who genuinely seemed to care.

"You know I don't have any kids, but, it sounds to me like your best bet is just to take Gohan out somewhere private and talk to him. Go fishing together, play a game of tag, anything to help loosen you guys up and then sit him down. Talk to him just like you're talking to me now; be open, and honest with how you feel, so that he knows he can do the same."

"S-Should I do it now," Goku set his cooked meat aside and made to stand, "Maybe sooner is better, ya think?"

"No," Caulifla giggled, "it's already dark you silly; Gohan's probably already asleep. Take him in the morning, we can manage one day off from training I think, and it'll give me a chance to really spend time with Kale; Gods know that's long overdue. I can only imagine just how much has changed since we..."

Two pairs of onyx eyes narrowed, and the saiyan's heads whipped up to stare into the night sky as Caulifla bolted up to her feet and put out their fire with a burst of ki.

"Yeah," Goku's voice was heavy as he spoke, "I feel it too; two huge powers headed this way. There are a handful of others, but none as high, or as dark."

"I-It's not Bojack already, is it? The Grand Priest said three years!" Caulifla had hoped to be a Super Saiyan by the time their enemy had arrived, but if he'd come early, the female warrior grit her teeth at the thought and swallowed the worry coming up from her stomach. She would still fight, they would still win!

"I-I don't know," Goku hissed, "it's hard to tell. One's definitely at least as powerful as that Pride Trooper I sensed Vegeta fight back during the tournament, b-but the other...I can't really read them at all. I-It's like, they have a presence, but it's more like a-"

"Like a weight," Caulifla supplied, "an enormous force, pressing down on you. G-Goku, have you ever felt something like this before?"

He had, but only once.

"Yes; back on Namek. When I faced Frieza, right after he revealed fifty percent of his power to me, it was almost like I...like I couldn't breath. It was awful. B-But this...this is ten times worse."

Suddenly, the pair noticed that a number of smaller power levels as well as a handful of large ones, were coming closer; the rest of the Z-fighters. Soon, with Piccolo and Gohan arriving first, the clearing they'd been in was filled with their comrades.

The Universe 6 saiyans took stock of one another, seeing each other truly for the first time in an entire year, but before they could really reunite Krillin's alarmed voice echoed what everyone but Vegeta was thinking.

"How could that Bojack guy have gotten here a whole two years early!? A-And who's this other power with him? Gosh what's the point of getting a warning, when it's not accurate?"

"That's not the Super Namek," Vegeta corrected, "I've felt the one power-level before, but that other presence is a mystery to me. It may very well be Bojack, but given who I'm sensing I highly doubt it; they don't exactly play well with others."

"W-Well who is it then," Yamcha choked out, "d-don't just keep us all on the hook Vegeta."

The prince looked across at all of the faces staring back at him, mentally counting just how many of them were probably going to die in the upcoming battle, and told them loud ad clear...

"King Cold; Frieza's father."

Silence; even the crickets seemed to have been scared stiff by the mere mention of such a name. Those who hadn't fought against the tyrant could only imagine just how horrible this new foe might be based off what they'd heard from King Kai during their time in Other World, but for the few who'd faced down the scourge of Universe 7...

"H-He'd mentioned," Goku seethed, "something about his parents during our battle, but, I never thought much of it then. Vegeta, is there anything you can tell us about him, this King Cold?"

"Only that he made Frieza look like a guard-dog in comparison; the gap between their power was like if you'd have tried to fight me without your 'Kaio-ken' in our first battle."

The savior of Earth felt his eyes nearly pop from their sockets at the admission, knowing that, without the amplifier, he wouldn't have stood a chance against the saiyan prince years ago. And now, to learn that Frieza's father held such an advantage over the power of his own son, Goku swallowed hard at the prospect of such a force.

But, there was no time to let the fear show, not when everyone was looking to him to get them through this incoming darkness. So, pushing all worry down into the deepest pits of himself, Goku squared his shoulders and spoke with a stern, confident tone that echoed through the clearing.

"Alright then, we know a little of what we're up against now, so we'll be better prepared for when they land. King Cold may be stronger than Frieza, but I've already defeated his son and grown much stronger since then; as have all of you."

His gaze roamed over each and every one of his friends, a reminder of everything that could be lost if he failed tonight, and the saiyan felt his resolve to win strengthen right before a dainty hand slapped him across the back.

"Mr. Super Saiyan is right," Caulifla grinned, "besides, now you've got something you wimps didn't have before; me. I'll send this loser packing in seconds, just so long as no on gets in my way, so don't worry about a thing."

"That's only if you've actually been training with my dad," Gohan's icy tone answered, drawing all eyes to him. The boy's face was a mask of quiet anger, one that chilled many to the bone as it was a large contrast to the happy look he normally wore.

Goku felt a part of his heart break at that face, but knew that this wasn't the time to try and have that talk, and was thankful to Piccolo for speaking up next.

"Focus Gohan; don't let your emotions cloud your thoughts. These enemies are coming to kill us, not knock us out of a tournament, so I need you to get your head in the game!"

The boy in the purple-gi flinched under his mentor's harsh reprimand, ducking his head as he muttered an apology with cheeks that were red from embarrassment. Yet, this didn't last long, as the Namek's words replayed in Gohan's mind and he shook his head to help him focus. There would be time tom confront his father later, now, it was time to fight.

Moments later the sound of propulsion systems booming through the sky drew everyone's attention to a familiar ship design coming into view among the stars.

It was easy to think that their foes still used scouter technology, as the long, disk-like ship descended from space and touched down meters away from the group. Trees were crushed, or torn from their roots, as spider-like legs unfolded from underneath the UFO and propped it up like a beacon of death and darkness.

There was a sharp, loud hiss right before the ramp-hatch clicked open and began to drop to the forest floor. From out of the darkness, the Z-fighters watched as a small army of soldiers filed out two at a time, lead by three fierce warriors clad in Planet-Trade uniforms who walked in a spearhead at the front. At the foot of the ramp, the unit came to a halt and turned inward to face one another.

"HAIL, YOUR HIGHNESS!"

At once, the procession parted like the Red Sea, to reveal a giant who stood at a whopping twelve feet tall. Horns that gleamed dangerously under the crescent-moon light, Beady, crimson eyes were like rubies from the underworld as they glared down a sharp nose at the mass of fighters. Muscles bulged under shining Planet-Trade armor, and a cape rustled against the breeze. This...was King Cold.

xXx

A crack of thunder alerted the Z-warriors that a storm was coming, yet none of them dared to take their eyes off of the overwhelming force that had, moments ago, landed on Earth. Frieza's father, King Cold, stood over them all from the ramp of his ship and stared down the bridge of an aristocratic nose at each of them as though they were nothing more than filthy rodents.

Yet, ever observant, Vegeta and Piccolo could also see the underlying fires of rage flickering wildly behind the Frost Demon's wine-red eyes. Both fighters from space had a good idea of just what, or rather, who was the cause for this fury and had their suspicions proven true when the giant monarch began to speak as his ship's ramp began to move, bringing King Cold closer to the group.

"Tell me; have any of you ever heard of a 'Super Saiyan'? Answer truthfully, aid me in my search, and I may even spare each of your lives when my business on this miserable rock has concluded."

He spoke with a heavy accent that none of the Z-warriors had ever heard before, as even Vegeta was never actually given an audience with the true ruler of the Planet Trade, and Cold wrinkled his nose in distaste as the horned terror mentioned the Earth. When the alien's feet came within inches of touching the ground, he kept himself off the forest floor with the lightest bit of levitation while scanning each and every one of the smaller warrior's faces.

The true ruler of the Planet Trade quickly recognized the saiyan prince, and he internally scoffed at noticing a namekian among the brood; these were the warriors who'd given his son such a hard time!?

But then King Cold's dismissive snarl slipped, falling from the alien's face to be replaced with a mask of wide-eyed intrigue as he narrowed his gaze against one warrior's head of familiar black spikes. More than enough data-pads had been passed into Cold's hands with readings and reports about a saiyan who looked just like the one standing before him now.

'Well, well…'

"Tell me," he called with an eyebrow raised, "you in the strange orange uniform; what is your name?"

Goku's own dark eyes tightened at the corners as he tensed his muscles, "My name is Goku, and you're trespassing on this planet. If you know what's good for you, you'll leave Earth in peace and go back to whatever world you came from; I wouldn't let Frieza conquer Earth, so I'm not about to just stand by and let his father have it either."

"Hmm, so Vegeta told you about me then, did he?"

"Honestly," Goku gave a sarcastic smirk, "I'd have guessed who you were just by the theatrics of your entrance; Frieza liked to grandstand too. Now I see where he gets it from."

King Cold's amused visage shattered like glass as his face was once more twisted into a snarl. The alien overlord's biceps bulged as he tightened them over his broad chest, and a flare of his malevolent KI sent Cold's cape whipping about as lightning cracked overhead.

"You're a mouthy little thing; as I should expect. Tales of your father painted a similar picture; crass and without manners. A true saiyan savage. But, perhaps you'll be smarter than that fool; tell me where the Super Saiyan is hiding. Do so quickly, and I'll only kill you for the impudence you've displayed."

"Pfft~"

This amused scoff drew all eyes to Caulifla, who stood beside Goku with her hands planted firmly against her shapely hips. She was staring up at King Cold, a cheeky smirk stretched across that pretty face, and coal eyes lit in sassy mischief.

"You sound so tough, but I'll bet I can beat ya with one arm tied behind my back, let alone Goku. Whatdya say we go, just you and me, and if you manage to get passed the second strongest warrior in the universe then I guess you're allowed to challenge Mr. Super Saiyan over here~"

King Cold's sharp, wine-red eyes quickly shot back over to Goku, "So you are the Super Saiyan!"

His teeth were bared, and he flexed a single, clawed hand as veins pulsed along the alien overlord's arm.

"You'll pay for what you've done, you filthy animal!"

Frieza's father vanished in a burst of speed, and all but Vegeta and Goku only managed to catch sight of their latest foe again when he was stopped in his tracks by Caulifla. The young female warrior was blocking Cold's large, meaty fist with a slightly shaking forearm and that ever-present grin on her face.

"Hey now, what did I say? You've gotta fight me first Lord of the Lizards. Besides, I could really use a warm-up before we take on your pal hiding away in that ship."

King Cold's eyes grew bloodshot in their fury, though he tried to calm himself with heavy breath, "Very well then, mongrel, I'll humor you for a little bit before I take my revenge. Now then, let's see how well you do against this!"

With wide eyes, Caulifla pushed off the ground as her enemy's tail came spearing towards the young woman's face; Goku having moved back during their talk. That drill-like tip smashed into the earth, before shooting out at Caulifla's back, and she was forced to dive forward to avoid it a second time.

On the palms of her hands now, the female saiyan sent a burst of KI into the ground and shot herself into the air.

"Get back here, coward!"

Even in the pouring rain Caulifla managed to watch as her enemy came racing like a shooting star. A thrust of the hand sent volleys of crimson orbs through the air, and dark eyes followed as King Cold wound his way through each and every one of them before aiming for a knee-strike to Caulifla's stomach.

The throbbing ache in her arm reminded the female warrior though that clashing with this particular enemy was a bad idea, so instead Caulifla kicked off the open air and pushed herself out of range.

"You're gonna have to do better than that!"

A shot of KI to the ball of her foot sent the cheeky girl barreling forward again, but all sense of bravado was crippled when King Cold disappeared before Caulifla's eyes and she soon felt an immense pain explode at the center of her back!

The overlord's elbow sent his petite foe dropping out of the sky like a meteor, but he wasn't about to let her get away. In swift succession Cold passed the female saiyan just enough to drive a knee into her gut.

"Gahrgh!"

"How about this, wench, or do you need another demonstration!?"

Thick fingers gripped dark spikes with ruthless strength, and King Cold laughed maliciously as he yanked Caulifla's head up before smashing it into his knee. Relishing the feel of warm blood gushing from a broken nose against his skin, the tyrant drew Caulifla back again and this time sent her flying with a swift backhand.

"Come now," he taunted while shooting after the female saiyan, "where was all that talk from before!? Perhaps now you're starting to realize you've bitten off more than you can chew; well it's too late now! You asked for this, and now I'm going to take my time breaking you apart!"

Caulifla's eyes snapped open just as she felt his shadow overtop of her, and she forced power to flood her system just as Cold's deadly claws came slashing down.

"W-What!? Where did you go!?"

From a safe distance above Caulifla watched as her after-image was torn to shreds, and even while wiping the rivulets of blood from her nose the female saiyan still managed an eager smirk. Seeing how lost the horned giant seemed though gave Caulifla an idea, and she quickly shot into the thick, dark storm clouds as King Cold continued to howl for her to show herself.

"Let's see how the pompous buffoon likes my new trick~ I'll have to find the proper way to thank Goku for telling me about this one…"

Of course, she was modifying the Super Saiyan's sneaky maneuver a little, but as she sent out numerous red balls of energy Caulifla couldn't keep herself from giggling whenever she thought about the looks on everyone's faces when they got a load of what was coming next.

Whipping his head back and forth from below, King Cold ground his teeth as the alien's own nails pierced the flesh of his palms. Where was that bitch!?

"Show yourself girl; you can't hide from me forever!"

Scanning the skies, but finding no signs of the crafty little warrior, Frieza's father decided there was a better way to draw her out and turned his attention back towards the ground. Seeing his soldiers standing with their weapons still trained on Goku and his group, King Cold shouted for them all to start killing them all.

"But leave the Super Saiyan; his death will be by my hands!"

"Not if I have anything to say about it!"

King Cold turned sharply at the battle cry, and found his opponent firing from the clouds like a bullet with her fist cocked back.

Tensing every muscle, the alien fiend rocketed forward to meet her, but sputtered when she stopped on a dime before him and twirled around the tyrant's large body.

"ARGH!"

A powerful backfist came crashing against King Cold's armored back, but he didn't tumble forward very far before Caulifla grabbed his tail and gave it a painful yank.

"Round and round Lizard Lord," she laughed, "try not to barf before I let you go!"

Six rounds in the 'Dragon Throw' seemed to be enough for the saiyan beauty, and she tossed her larger enemy back into the open sky. Her surprise attack had been left hanging in the air, but this was just as satisfying; no one was gonna kill Goku if she had anything to say about it!

King Cold flipped along like a skipped stone before finally managing to catch himself, and as the horned villain twisted right-side-up Caulifla couldn't keep from giggling at just how purple his face had grown in rage.

"Y-You look like a freaking plumb hahahahaha! O-Oh man this is too much! You've gotta change your name to Plumb Lord now!"

The color of his face deepened as Frieza's father flared his nostrils, and with a mighty roar he was enveloped by malevolent crimson energy while the tyrant's armor exploded.

"You filthy bitch! I've had it! I'll make you wish you'd never been born; do you hear me! Prepare for a most painful death!"

xXx

Down below, the rest of the Z-warriors had been scattered by King Cold's forces. Piccolo had managed to stay close to his student, while others like Tien and Yamcha found themselves split apart by the overwhelming rush of alien henchmen.

"Damn it all," Vegeta growled as he finished off another soldier, before deflecting blaster fire from another, "you pests are really starting to annoy me!"

Goku chopped one enemy in the back of their neck, before a wave of KI from his palm sent another sailing into the treeline.

"I know whatcha mean; they're not even making for a good warm-up. Now I'm starting to wish Caulifla had let me fight Frieza's father."

"You might just get your wish," the prince scoffed as he took the head off another enemy, "I can feel him starting to power up, and if Cold transforms your little pet is going to be in over her head."

A smirk tugged at the low-class saiyan's lips, and he chuckled while ducking an elbow to the face.

"Nah, I've seen what Cauli can do, there's no way he's gonna beat her after what she's learned from me."

Vegeta rolled his eyes at the younger saiyan's claims, but took note of his rival's affectionate tone when speaking about Caulifla.

'Good, it's about time Kakarot found himself a better wife.'

xXx

Back up in the sky, Caulifla's eyes were wide as she watched her foe begin to shift and morph his entire body. Yet the thing Goku's apprentice found the most interesting, was that King Cold seemed to be getting smaller!

His horns vanished, the beefy muscles shrank, leaving behind a more sleek, but still buff, and sinister killing machine.

'He looks a lot like Frost, honestly… But much taller and more buff.'

The only major differences were the lavender skin rather than blue, and shiny white 'armor' that was plated more than worn like a suit with some of that 'armor' covering a quarter of the end of his tail; making it resemble the tip of a long blade.

With the light show over, Cold glared menacingly at his opponent and gave a chuckle that promised horrible pain.

"It's been a long time since I've had to get serious; try not to die too quickly."

Caulifla's face was a puzzled mask as she felt the power radiating from her foe, then the girl shrugged and got into a loose fighting stance.

"I think that's supposed to be my line, but sure, we can start round two whenever you're ready, big guy."

The tyrant chuckled, "It's a shame I don't have a scouter with me to help show you just how outclassed you are; maybe then you'd truly understand the frightening gap between us."

"Well, if you stop talking and fight me, maybe then I'll find out~"

Cold's lips twisted from their condescending smirk, into a furious snarl.

"Insolent wench!"

Caulifla blinked, and the next thing she knew was pain as the king's knee came crashing into her stomach.

A hand in her hair kept the girl from flying back, then Caulifla was served a knuckle sandwich that left her mouth filled with blood before being hammered over the head and sent rocketing towards the ground below.

"Ahh!"

"Grah!"

But Cold's tail snagged her ankle, and Caulifla was swung back up to catch an energy blast to the stomach.

She flipped through the air once, twice, before managing to catch herself and settle among the stormy skies.

King Cold just stared his opponent down, arms crossed and a superior smirk on the tyrant's lips.

"You see now, girl, a weak human like you could never hope to stand a chance against the likes of a frost demon. Perhaps, if you apologize and beg forgiveness, I could be persuaded to take you on as a pet; but I'll only make the offer once. What do you say, hmm?"

"I think I just threw up a little," Caulifla wrinkled her nose as she spat out a mouthful of blood.

Frieza's father then found a finger pointed at him as Caulifla growled, "And watch who you're calling a human, Lizard Brain! I'm a saiyan!"

"That would explain your disgusting sense of manners," the tyrant scoffed, "though I'm surprised so many of your kind managed to escape my son's grasp."

With the wind whipping at her, Caulifla took a deep breath and began to draw on the feeling of power in her gut.

"He underestimated us," she shrugged, purposely leaving out being from a different universe, "and Goku made him pay for that...just like I'm about to do to you!"

A flash of lightning struck the sky as Caulifla's aura flared to life like wildfire, but instead of her usual violet halo, this energy was red-hot and blazed as if summoned from Hell itself.

King Cold felt the warm sweat beading at the base of his neck as he watched Caulifla's creamy skin darken to an almost malevolent crimson tone, and the tyrant hardly had time to hear his enemy's battle cry before all he knew was pain.

"Kaio-Ken X4!"

Before her enemy could think to blink, Caulifla was on top of him and wheeling into a devastating spin-kick.

Then, grabbing his tail, she flung King Cold further up into the air where Caulifla shot to meet him with her elbow.

"Gahargh!"

Feeling his spine nearly break in half only lasted until he suffered a knee to the stomach, followed swiftly by a hammer-strike to the back of the head.

Plummeting to the earth like a comet, King Cold's entire world was a sea of white as he tasted where he'd bitten into his tongue…

"Now take this!"

"Ahrk!"

Only for the blood to fly through the air as he screamed under Caulifla's knee driving back into his spine.

The next thing Frieza's father knew was the taste of dirt, as he crashed back into the earth with Cauli's weight pressing down on him.

Even as she floated back to her feet, the malevolent tyrant found himself struggling just to get back to his hands and knees, and he blinked hard to stop the world from spinning before finally managing to take a look around.

"W-What...what happened here; how are you all still alive!?"

Besides some minor wounds on Yamcha, the rest of the Z-warriors stood around the scattered bodies of King Cold's small army of enforcers. Blood stained the ground as mother nature dried her tears, leaving behind wet grass and a chilling breeze, one that carried the stench of death on its tail.

"I already told you," Caulifla scoffed as she powered down, "there's no way a weakling like you could take on one saiyan, let alone six; your invasion was a failure from the start."

That's when King Cold took a second look at the group who'd opposed him, and his stomach dropped as he realized the girl was right!

Even without tails, the tyrant easily recognized how lithe and sculpted the boy and girl standing beside Vegeta looked, as well as the boy's familiar armor. And although Cold wasn't entirely sure who the sixth could be, he knew his enemy had no reason to lie.

But this did nothing to quell the tyrant's anger, rather, the truth only added fuel to the fire and King Cold howled furiously into the dirt.

"AAAARGH!"

His fists slammed into the muddy ground, "No! No, this can't be! I can't be defeated, not by a filthy ape, I won't allow it!"

Bloodshot eyes darted over to the ramp of Cold's ship, and the ruler of the Planet Trade quickly noticed that three of his soldiers had actually neglected to fight.

"Salza, what do you and your men think you're doing!? Why weren't any of you fightin!? Did you really think you could stand back and simply watch!?"

Calculating amber eyes stared down an aristocratic nose as their owner scoffed.

"We did not engage because we were not commanded to do so; it is that simple, sir."

A vein in Cold's neck throbbed, and he fisted mounds of slick mud as he began to nearly foam at the mouth under Salza's dismissive address.

"Fine," he roared, "then as emperor I command you to eradicate these disgusting saiyans and their earthling pets!"

Everyone watched then, as the blue-skinned soldier chuckled mockingly while brushing back his blonde hair from his eyes.

"I'm sorry, but you misunderstand; we do not take orders from you. My group is known as the Cooler's Armored Squad for a reason you imbecile. We follow the true ruler of the universe."

King Cold's mask of disbelief quickly contorted into a hideous face of rage, and as he struggled to his feet the tyrannical overlord cursed the three warriors who dared to defy him.

"How dare you; did you forget who I am!? I could end your life with the snap of a finger, you little worm! The true ruler is me! Now do as I command or else!"

"Or else...what?"

All eyes snapped towards the hull of the ship, each of the Z-warriors silently cursing that they'd become distracted enough not to notice a new presence.

Yet as each and every one of them turned back into the world around them, what they discovered horrified earth's defenders to their core.

'This...this is the evil we were sensing!'

Salza and his two comrades swiftly turned, and kneeled into the mud as they bowed deeply to this new character.

"Hail, Lord Cooler!"

Still hidden among the shadows, all one could see were his eyes, but as Goku stared up into those ice-cold rubies from Hell he began to feel a very nasty twist in his stomach.

Memories of a lush, green planet torn asunder by eyes like these came rushing back, and for a moment Goku was staring down the might of a fifty-percent powered Frieza... Again.

Only this time...it was like there were ten of them.

Even trading blows with Jiren hadn't frightened him this badly, and the son of Bardock couldn't help but wonder:

Would the power of a Super Saiyan really be enough this time?