DRAGON BALL Z
AT ANY COST
CHAPTER VIII: THE PARTY
BY
Sgamer82
LOCATION
Unknown
Frost watched as the camera recording his statement to the Universe cut off its transmission.
"Master," said a robot that came to his side, "the transmission was a complete success. We detected that it reached to at least 100,000 planets and the beings of approximately 1,134 sentient races."
"Unless you can tell me that the transmission went to the planet I wanted it to," Frost said, "the details are irrelevant."
"Yes, sir. The broadcast did, indeed, reach the planet you wished and we have confirmation that the specific targets you wanted saw it."
"Good. Make the arrangements for the competitors and for the next broadcast."
"Yes, master." the robot trotted off to its business.
Frost went to his throne room and looked down at the battle arena from his balcony.
Soon, Frost thought, the best fighters of the universe will assemble here. Frost had been making the arrangements for this in the months since he had been revived. Though, to keep that geezer Subra from complaining he had to perform the occasional act of goodwill. It was why he had destroyed the Tsrufaiya ship. He really had no interest in the Tsrufaiya or whether they lived or died.
Frost went to the training room he had had set up and began to prepare for the upcoming tournament.
* * * * *
LOCATION
Capsule Corp., Bulma's home, living room
The Z-Fighters stared at the television for a few seconds, trying to figure out what had just happened. Everyone shared the same thoughts, wasn't the TV turned off? Who is Frost? Is the Empire really gone?
"He finally made a move." Rutega said, interrupting everybody's thoughts.
"Do you know who he is?!" asked Goten, a little more curtly than he'd intended.
"I have an idea, our sources have dug up legends that we thought might relate to him. His announcing his name like that confirmed the reports."
"Then who is he?" asked Bulma.
"The legends speak of the Pola of many millenia ago, before they became the rulers of the Empire." Rutega began, "Very little is known about them other than they were feared across the galaxies. They were known as the Kyokuchi Raiders. Monsters with the ability to survive in deep space without breathing. They were pirates, who raided and plundered without remorse. As he himself just stated, Frost was their king."
"Then he should be dead." Vegeta pointed out, "If Pola live that long then Frieza had no business seeking out immortality from the Dragon Balls!"
"I'm getting to that." said Rutega, "The legends say that after many years of raiding, the Kyokuchi grew increasingly dissatisfied with their lives. They wanted more, wanted power. Frost knew this, and, at a bloody cost, created the foundations of what would eventually become the Pola Empire. However, he had no interest in ruling such a kingdom. He sought the life of a wanderer, it was in his blood. But he knew his people might one day need his strength again. So he stepped down from the throne and, using his great power, brought many stars to him, sealing himself in the core of one of them. Thus creating the Star Cluster, one of the universe's many mysteries."
"Wouldn't putting yourself in a sun kill you?" asked Goku.
"For most races, yes. But intense heat, like that of a star's core, has the same effect on Pola that intense cold might have on races such as humans and Saiyans."
"Suspended animation." said Gohan, realizing what Rutega meant.
"Exactly," said Rutega, "and there he apparently stayed, until someone from the Empire revived him. Most likely because of what we were doing. After all, among all of us we have destroyed four memebers of the Pola royal family."
"But if he was supposed to save the empire, why did he destroy it?" Krillin asked, thinking out loud.
"I don't really know." said Rutega, "My guess is that he didn't like how the Pola turned out. The Pola of today are nothing like the Kyokuchi Raiders of Frost's time."
"So why the tournament? Is it supposed to be some legitimate way to take control of his own empire?" asked Piccolo.
"I'm not sure." answered Rutega, "The legends say he had no interest in ruling such a kingdom." Rutega let out a sigh, "There are too many questions and we don't know enough right now to answer them all."
"Then we gotta go to the tournament!" Goten exclaimed.
"Yes, but who will fight?" asked Videl, "Frost specifically said one fighter from each race could compete. That means only three of us can go. Four, if you include Rutega."
"Wrong." said 18 abruptly, "I'm an Android, not a human, I can go as well. Gohan and Goten are half-Saiyan, half-human, that's a whole other species in itself. That gives us six."
"Okay, then I guess all that's left to do know is decide who will compete." said Goku.
"I will take the Saiyan place in that tournament!" stated Vegeta, "I don't give a damn who or what Frost is! He killed my son! I will see that he pays!"
Everybody nodded, knowing Vegeta wouldn't change his mind for any reason.
"Me too!" said Goten, "I'll take the Half-breed place."
"No you won't!" said Goku, "Gohan'll take it."
"Huh?" asked Goten.
"I won't have you getting yourself hurt or even killed going after Frost. Gohan is better suited to this."
"But Dad..." Goten started before Goku cut him off.
"I know how you feel Goten, the first time Krillin died, I immediately chased after his killer without letting myself recover from a fight I had just finished and nearly got myself killed because of it. I'm worried that if you go there you'll get yourself in a similar situation and do what I did. Gohan will go."
Everybody just stared at Goku, completely shocked at his words. Everyone was aware that Goku was never too serious when it came to discipline for his sons, so everyone was equally aware Goku was serious when he said didn't want Goten involved.
"Fine!" Goten shouted out. "Let Gohan go! I don't care!" With that he ran out of the building.
"Goten!" Goku yelled for his son, but Goten ignored him.
"Give him time, Goku." said Bulma, "He just needs to cool down a little."
Goku nodded, knowing Bulma was right, and turned his attention back to the matter at hand.
"Okay, we have Vegeta and Gohan going, Piccolo's obviously going to go, right?"
"He stole a Dragon Ball, of course I'll go." said Piccolo, "Besides, I am the strongest Namek."
"Okay, and 18 will be our Android?"
18 nodded an affirmative.
"Okay, how about Tsrufaiya? You up for it, Rutega?"
"Of course I am." said Rutega, "I'll avenge those killed with the Cauliflo."
"All right." Goku said in acknowlegement, "I guess all that leaves is who'll take the human's position."
"Well..." Krillin spoke up, "I guess I'll do it. Though we should try and contact Yamcha or Tenshinhan, find out if they want to go."
"If not it'll have to be you." Goku told his friend.
"You can win, Papa!" Marron piped up. Krillin smiled a little at his daughter's confidence in him. She made him feel he actually could win, even if he was going up against Piccolo and Vegeta.
"Then it's decided." said Vegeta, "I will be in my gravity chamber training. Seven Pola days is the equivalent of five Earth days. So I will come out in that time to see where Frost will hold this little game of his."
Vegeta left and headed right for the Gravity Room, just as he'd said he would.
"Vegeta probably has the right idea." stated Gohan, "Dad, would you train with me while we prepare."
"Of course, son" Gou told him.
"I'll contact the remaining Tsrufaiya to inform them of my going to the tournament." Rutega told her friends, "Until Frost broadcasts again, I'll train on my own."
"Yes," said Piccolo, "I'll return to Kami's and train there until it's time."
"18 an' me will train at the Kame House." said Krillin, 18 nodded her consent to that.
"Okay, I guess we'll all meet back here in a few days then." Goku said.
Everybody nodded and just as they all got ready to leave they were interrupted by a large crash from outside.
* * * * *
Only Vegeta got a good look at what caused the explosion. He saw a Saiyan space pod suddenly take off at full speed into the sky. Everybody, when they realized what had happened, were too stunned at first to do anything. But Goku recovered from the shock and immediately began to sense out the location of the ship's thief. Goten.
* * * * *
Goten turned the ship's engines to full power and blasted through the hangar the pod had been kept in ever since it was salvaged. The ship had belonged to Rutega, it was the ship she had come to Earth in when she sought Goku's help with Iciicla. Vegeta had had Bulma restore it and taught Trunks, and Goten since he was often with Trunks, all about how to use it. Because of that Goten knew exactly how to pilot the pod into space. He kept his ki as low as he possibly could, hoping the low ki and his speed would keep his father from getting a good lock and taking Goten back. He had to make one stop before he could go into the stars.
He set a course for a point between Karin Tower and Kami's Lookout. If this was going to work he had to do it exactly right. He approached the pole that connected the two buildings and opened the pod's hatch. Goten went outside the ship and stood on the hatch, extending his hand as he did so. When Goten got close enough, he called out a command he had learned from listening to Gohan and Goku's stories about when Goku was a kid.
"Nyoi-Bo, return!"
The pole between the Tower and the Lookout suddenly began to shrink down at both ends. Goten grabbed it just as his ship passed by it. When the Nyoi-Bo returned to a small enough length, Goten went back into his ship, closed the hatch, buckled himself in, and set course for outer space.
Goten had no real desination yet. He wouldn't until Frost broadcast again. He just had to get into space. The pod wasn't big enough for two people to fit into, so once Goten was in space he could rest comfortably knowing his father wouldn't be able to take him back to Earth with his Instantaneous Movement once he was in the dark vacuum of space. After all, Goku couldn't fit inside the spaceship with Goten, even with Goten being as small as Goku had been at 12. And Goku couldn't teleport into space without some kind of protection and even if he did, there was no way to get a good lock on Goten since he was constantly moving.
When the ship finally broke the atmosphere, Goten let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He was safe. Now all he had to do was await Frost's next broadcast. He'd stood outside of Bulma's house until Vegeta had left, so he knew he'd have a few days to wait. He set the timer, which Bulma had reconfigured to Earth time, to let him know when four days had passed. Goten sat back and simply began to sleep for a while.
Dad, Goten thought as he drifted off, I might be doing something incredibly stupid here, but I'm going to go for Trunks' killer. I'm going to see this thing out and I won't stop until I've gone as far as I can.
END OF CHAPTER VIII