Backseat Fighter Chapter 11

Like my skyrim fic, this story will be available to Super tiers as it's already a main story that I kinda stopped updating.

I highly recommend rereading the story since last time I worked on this was in late 2022 lmfao. You can find it on FFN (I never posted it on QQ)

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“This ship is…a lot bigger than I had envisioned,” Remiel noted as they all looked around the interior of the gargantuan space vessel. “Much, much bigger than the one you were on in my vision.”

“Wow…” Krillin glanced at the proud and smirking Bulma. “You sure you didn’t go overboard with this?”

Indeed, the ship was much larger than any of them had expected– enough to hold dozens of people, with several rooms and a sizeable training room in the middle. There was even a cafeteria filled to the brim with supplies that could last them years, even when considering that there were two Saiyans involved.

Goku didn’t understand the technical mumbo jumbo Bulma had been talking about before, but when she’d said that the gravity machine could go up to 250 times the gravity of the Earth, he’d been very impressed. Even ten times was a bit tough to get used to. He couldn’t wait to get in there and spar with the others.

“Are you serious?” Bulma scoffed, raising a brow at him. “We have nine people going; eight of them plan on training on the way there, and you think I went overboard?”

“Fair.” Krillin conceded. “But I’m pretty sure this is more than enough for twenty even.”

“Hmm, it’s as big as Lord Freeza’s mothership,” Nappa added, looking impressed. “Probably bigger, too. You Earthlings are full of surprises.”

“Like I said, you guys will be training, so you need the space. The training ground is the biggest part of the ship.” She shrugged. “It wasn’t even that hard to build. The most trouble I had was with the gravity machine and how to get this thing to fly faster than the speed of light.”

“I thought nothing was faster than light?” Yamcha questioned.

“You people break the laws of physics over your knees every Tuesday,” Bulma replied cheekily. “Our moon blew up twice, once by a centuries-old master and another time by the slug person over there—”

“I’m a demon, not a slug person!” Piccolo snarled.

“—And you’re up against a genocidal space emperor that blows up planets whenever he feels bored.” Bulma snorted in amusement. “Besides, science is all about learning new things.”

“Including building this in a few months?” Krillin quipped.

“Please, I’ve been building things nearly my whole life, plus I had help from my dad.” She said. “Also, you guys should thank Gohan. Without him, the invaders would’ve probably destroyed most of my work.”

When his son was mentioned, Goku turned his gaze to him. Outside the ship, Gohan was arguing with Chi-Chi, pleading with his mother to let him go with them. 

“Sure, the trip won’t be that long, but this shouldn’t be the only trip we’ll be going on, right?”

“What do you mean?” Tien asked.

“Come on, there’s a whole universe out there.” The Scientist said. “And we just confirmed the existence of aliens. Imagine the countless worlds and cultures we can come across, what we can discover.”

“There won’t be much to discover if we let that Freeza monster run around.” Piccolo shut that down. “Stay focused. We have a job to do.”

“Yeah, yeah, no fun allowed.” Bulma rolled her eyes, not one bit intimidated. 

As the group continued to argue and discuss, Goku decided to approach his wife and son, admittedly unsure of what he wanted to do.

“You have to let me come with you!” He heard his son insist once he was within earshot. “I can be useful, I promise!”

“No means no, Gohan.” Chi-Chi refused. “You’re staying here on Earth with me. I’m not letting you go out there and die to some intergalactic tyrant.”

“But I can handle myself. I’m strong!” He argued before looking at his father, noticing him standing near them. “Right? You saw how much I grew. I can help!”

“Well, yeah. You’re way stronger than anyone your age.” Goku said.

Even if he didn’t fight Freeza directly, he could still handle the other soldiers and officers with relative ease, according to what Remiel knew. Protect the innocent Namekians caught in the crossfire, too, because if Freeza was as destructive as Remiel said, they would need a lot of people staying on the defensive.

The moment she glared at him, Goku flinched.

“But you’re still young.” He quickly added. “It can get dangerous out there. I’d hate it if you got hurt.”

The three argued next to the enormous spaceship Bulma built, with said mechanic watching them within the doorframe of the vessel. She was patiently waiting for their decision as the Son family ‘discussed’ whether the boy should come with them or not.

Of course, the mother was vehemently against it. The son was the complete opposite, and the father didn’t know what he was supposed to do. He very clearly didn’t want to upset anyone and tried to act as the middleman, which did not work in his favor at all.

He was terrified of his wife’s wrath, but his curiosity about Gohan’s latent power also partly made him want to bring him along. What he’d seen during the battle against Slug— this ‘Wrathful’ state Remiel spoke of. Just how come his son accessed it? Despite it being something that had apparently never happened in the past or future.

Remiel had told him about Gohan’s rage boosts before and how his special heritage as a half-Saiyan half-Human made his outbursts far more effective than that of the average of either race.

Naturally, Goku knew about his son’s potential. He’d shown it during Raditz’s arrival, even before he met Remiel for the first time. As a mere toddler, he’d managed to hurt Goku’s brother far more than he or Piccolo could at the time. But he didn’t know just how deep that well went.

Goku wanted to see more. He wanted to see just how far his son could go. But he also didn’t want Gohan to get hurt. He wasn’t even as old as Goku had been during his first adventure with Bulma. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

He didn’t really know what to decide.

“See? Even your father says so.” Chi-Chi smiled in satisfaction.

He only says it because you scare him. Gohan thought to himself, but he had enough self-preservation to not say it out loud.

“But everyone’s going too. I’ll be safe with them.” He continued to argue. “Please, Dad. I have to go to Namek with you.”

“You’re not even six years old yet, Gohan. You are a child. It’s still too dangerous for you.” His mother said. “You should be studying or doing something appropriate for your age. Not put your life on the line.”

“But I can study at any other time. I can even study on our way there.” He raised a good point. “I can even explore Namek and learn new things from the Namekians.”

This got Chi-Chi to hesitate for a moment. That was true, as much as she hated to admit it. They were standing next to the first-ever spaceship that could cross a massive distance of thousands of lightyears in days. Who knows what her son could learn from other species?

“He’s right, you know,” Bulma added, entering the conversation. “Studying physics or chemistry from a book doesn’t come close to exploring a new planet with intelligent life.”

“There’s still a mad space emperor hellbent on enslaving each and every world he comes across,” Chi-Chi argued, glaring at the Capsule Corps heiress.

“So what?” Bulma rolled her eyes. “We have Earth’s greatest warriors here, including your husband. Can’t you trust them to keep him safe?”

“W-well…”

“Even Bulma thinks so.” Gohan persisted, thankful for her assistance. “I’ll be fine, I promise! I’m way stronger than I was before.”

Her hesitance became more prominent once she looked at Goku for help, who was just as indecisive as she was.

“A little help?”

“Morally speaking, taking a child with you on a dangerous mission like this would be outright idiotic at best and malicious at worst,” Remiel advised. “Your purpose as a father is to nurture your son and keep him as safe as possible while not imposing too much on him.”

“I see…” Goku glanced at his son. “So I shouldn’t really be taking him with me, huh?”

“Yes. As eager as he may seem, it’s still dangerous for someone his age.” Remi said. “…But as much as I hate to admit it, there’s also a practical approach by taking him.”

“Practical?”

“In my vision, Gohan had gone to Namek ahead of you. With Krillin and Bulma.” He explained. “And although it wasn’t a good time for him, which is putting it mildly, it had most certainly given him far more experience in combat. He’d gone up against several of Freeza’s elites and even Freeza himself.”

“You don’t say…”

“Gohan’s potential far surpasses everyone here. Even combined.” Remiel added. “A skirmish like this could prove vital for his growth as a warrior, but ultimately, he is still a child who hasn’t even hit puberty yet. Unless absolutely necessary, making him fight would be morally reprehensible even if it’s his choice.”

“That makes sense.” Goku agreed.

Although he valued his friend’s insight, admittedly, he didn’t feel any more decisive. Should he convince his wife to let him come with them, or his son to stay on Earth? Goku didn’t think the earlier argument of ‘stay back and defend your mom’ would work anymore. It didn’t take a genius to know how much Gohan wanted to go with them.

But Remiel’s advice was sound and made a lot of sense. As much as he wanted to see more of Gohan’s potential, he seriously didn’t want his son to get hurt. The reason he was even considering it despite everything was Goku’s own confidence in being able to defend Gohan in case things went south.

Besides, it was clear that Gohan didn’t just want to help— it’s obvious that the prospect of exploring an entirely different planet would spark something in the boy. Goku couldn’t blame him. He’d had his own grand adventure when he was a kid. Why shouldn’t his son have that as well?

“This is your decision, Goku.” Remiel reiterated. “I understand that you feel like you can protect your son even if you took him with you, and I’m quite confident in that, in fact. But admittedly, knowing that my… ‘visions’ aren’t quite perfect makes me a bit anxious.”

“What do you mean?” 

“There’s no telling what we’ll find on Namek.” He clarified. “Yes, Freeza is guaranteed, but what else? Will we have to worry about the rest of his family being there? Other villains, who are aiming for the Dragon Balls as well?”

Goku waited for Remiel to finish.

“Slug wasn’t supposed to be here. Rather, he shouldn’t even exist.” Remiel added. “But he did, and that implies so much.”

“Like what?”

Remiel remained quiet for a moment before responding.

“It’ll take me a while to explain. It can be a little… confusing.” He said. “I’ll tell you what I know once we’re aboard the ship.”

“Got it.”

“Fine!”

Goku flinched at his wife’s shrill voice, only now realizing that she’d been calling for him for a while. It seemed that having a conversation with Remiel took more of his focus than having one with someone outside his mind.

“Huh?” Goku blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Really?” Gohan’s eyes went wide in surprise. “You’re really letting me go?”

“Wait, what?” His father was confused. “Seriously? What did I miss?”

“Can you pay attention for more than five seconds, Goku?” Bulma sighed in exasperation. “Let’s just say my arguing skills are as impeccable as my mind.”

“Heh. Is that right?” Goku said before looking at his annoyed wife. “You’re really okay with this, Chi-Chi?”

 Yes, but on two conditions,” Chi-Chi said, throwing Bulma a glare. “One: Gohan won’t be allowed to fight. Ever. Only study.”

Their son visibly wanted to argue, but one look from his mother made him swallow his words, knowing one bad word could make her change her mind, and he didn’t want that. He really, really wanted to go to Namek with everyone.

“And two?” Bulma questioned with a tilted head.

“I will come too.” She said. “To make sure he doesn’t get involved because I don’t trust any of you idiots to keep an eye on him.”

“Wait, are you sure?” Goku asked. “I mean, it’s gonna be really dangerous—”

“So what? Just because I’m not a fighter anymore, I can’t go?” She narrowed her eyes, making him flinch. “Yet you’re not questioning the woman across from you who’s never even thrown a punch before.”

“Well, I mean, I kinda have to go,” Bulma said, clearing her throat. “I’m the ship’s mechanic and—”

“You shut your mouth.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“So?” She glared at her husband. “Care to explain yourself?”

“I-I just worry about you, that’s all,” Goku said quickly. “I’d hate to see you get hurt.”

“Well, that’s very sweet of you,” Chi-Chi replied. “But I’m coming anyway. Any objections?”

None were willing to object, definitely not out of fear. Not at all. In Goku’s case, it was purely out of love. Indeed. Unbeknownst to Gohan and Bulma, who were almost shivering in terror at Chi-Chi’s menacing aura, there was a bit of truth in that thought.

“You Saiyans and your taste in women…” Remiel mumbled.

“Good. I’m glad we got that settled.” She smirked, walking away from them and toward the ship.

This was going to be an eventful journey.

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Somewhere in South Galaxy…

Swirling the wine in his glass, the exiled emperor stared at the destruction brought upon by his squadron with a blank look. What a waste of a planet caused by idiotic barbarians thinking they could overthrow him. 

He’d given them many chances to back down and submit, but they kept persisting, so he burned their world to the ground. It was a rare occurrence considering his reputation in the galaxy, but he’d never actually enjoyed this senseless destruction like the rest of his family.

Cooler stared at his reflection in the glass, wondering how he’d turned out the way he had in such an environment, but he digressed. It was for the best, perhaps. Freeza and their father relied too much on intimidation tactics and outright genocide sometimes, not realizing that they were ultimately hurting themselves in the long run.

It was especially bizarre when his little brother decided to blow up an advanced planet after stealing all of their technology and secrets. He’s never thought about cultivating the potential of the many races across the universe, content with stealing and destroying.

It annoyed Cooler that their father had made Freeza the heir because of his ‘power’ at birth. An impudent, impulsive child taking control of the entire empire? Was Cold mad? Cooler couldn’t care less about the position itself– he only thought that his little brother did not deserve such power.

Questioning his father’s decision vehemently had its consequences, of course. Cold, in his infinite ‘mercy’, had only exiled Cooler from the empire, as he had not wanted to stain his hands with the blood of his own family. Thankfully, his father was as generous as he was arrogant and had given Cooler a vessel and a few soldiers with him.

So, of course, he did not try to argue with his father’s decision anymore. Sure, Cooler was confident in his power– he knew he had surpassed Freeza already, but Cold was another story entirely. He was stronger than the two of them in his second form. Gods’ know how absurdly powerful he truly was if he decided to unleash his true form.

Being exiled was fine. If anything, it felt like a blessing in disguise. No,w he could do his own thing without being bothered by his idiotic family.

Thankfully, he was left to his own devices. Neither Freeza nor Cold cared enough to investigate what he was doing, and even if they did, Cooler was very careful with whom to trust. Only his second in command knew about his plan, and the exiled emperor trusted Salza’s unwavering loyalty to him.

So Cooler remained silent as he traveled across the universe, making alliances and deals with hundreds of planets, hoping one day to amass an army powerful enough to destroy the empire and rebuild it from the ground up. 

Regardless of his efforts, though, Cooler was still part of the Cold Family and was feared for it. No matter how many diplomatic approaches he took, he’d be seen as a tyrant, and in a way, that could be seen as true. Cooler refused to be seen as a weak leader. Those who wished to hurt him or rebel against his rule would be destroyed. There will be no tolerance in that regard.

Now, if he could only catch those Crusher Corps bastards that had been destroying planets that were part of his empire with that stupid tree of theirs. They were as slippery as they came, though, and nearly every detachment Cooler had sent was defeated by them. He didn’t know how they kept evading him so effortlessly, but he’d need to do something about it soon before they permanently crippled his army.

Cooler’s red eyes flickered and landed on his approaching second-in-command, who kneeled down before him. 

“Lord Cooler, our scouts have returned and have discovered something… peculiar.” He said. “It’s about Lord Freeza.”

Cooler paused for a moment, then gestured for him to continue.

“Speak.”

“He’s going to Planet Namek with a considerable percentage of his army,” Salza revealed. 

“Namek?” Cooler raised a brow. “That backwater planet? Why would he go there?”

“We do not know yet.” Salza shook his head. “But we’ve also spotted two other vessels approaching the same planet at around the same time. I’ve sent what our scanners caught over to your scouter.”

Cooler quickly took the scouter on the armrest and put it on his head, pressing a few buttons before two pictures showed up on it. One of a regular space pod used by Freeza’s scouts and elites, and the second picture had an unrecognizable spaceship the size of his own mothership.

“What is this…?” He muttered, looking at the strange spaceship. “Whose spaceship is this?”

“We do not know, sire,” Salza responded. “None of our mechanics and engineers recognize the vessel’s type. We cannot deduce the origins of the spaceship. Though, it seems to be somewhat similar to space pods in design.”

“And the pod? Who is inside it?”

“A Saiyan.” He answered. “Specifically, Prince Vegeta.”

“And they’re all heading to the same planet?” Cooler questioned again. “This can’t be a coincidence.”

“That’s what I thought as well, sire. There must be something on that Planet that your brother wants, as well as these other individuals.” He nodded. “What are your orders, Lord Cooler? Should we go there as well?”

Cooler frowned in thought for a moment. Just like Salza had said, if his brother was going there personally, then there must be something there he wanted. But what intrigued him was Vegeta and the other unidentified spaceship. Were they going for the same reason? Were they some part of a rebellion, trying to overthrow Freeza?

But what would Freeza want with Namek? It wasn’t exactly a wondrous planet by any means, especially not after suffering the great calamity that had befallen their world. What had Freeza found out about them that had him heading there with his army?

“Make course to Planet Namek,” Cooler ordered. “Activate all cloaking devices. We will go there to observe and only interfere when we’re forced to.”

“Sir, yes, sir!” His soldiers voiced as they all entered the ship, followed by their leader.

Whatever was there must be important, and Cooler saw a very big opportunity. Of course, he wasn’t stupid enough to show himself to Freeza because then he’d go crying to their father, and Cooler wasn’t assured of his power enough to face Cold just yet.

But he also couldn’t just let this slide. He wanted to know what was going on there and see if he could somehow gain something from it. Cooler smiled as the ship lifted off the ground and shot into the deep dark.

This should be interesting.

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Namek’s Mesosphere…

Being jolted out of his concentration, Vegeta gasped as he felt the enormous power in the distance, eyes widening in shock and fear. That was Freeza? He knew the emperor was powerful, but he hadn’t expected his energy to feel so vast and sinister.

It was higher than Kakarot’s Kaio-whatever, significantly higher than even Vegeta’s Great Ape form, and if the rumors were true, then this wasn’t even his full strength. If Freeza could really transform, then what hopes did the Prince have of beating him?

The Saiyan Prince grinned as nervous sweat trailed down his cheek. But this was good; this meant that he’d gotten a grasp of this sensing thing, as well as hiding his energy. The week-long journey to Namek had been more than enough time to gain some insight into controlling his energy better.

Even when he’s so close to the planet, he still wasn’t shot down, meaning they did not know of his presence just yet. Good, this was very good. Only a few more minutes and he’d land, hopefully gaining a headstart on Freeza. He knew learning such a trick would be useful to him. Scouters were a liability in comparison. 

However, if Vegeta sensed him, that could also mean that the emperor had already beaten him to it. This was bad but not too terrible. There was no possible way that Freeza already gathered all the Namekian Dragon Balls; otherwise, the planet wouldn’t even exist anymore. He still had a chance at getting his wish and defeating Freeza.

His smile dropped as his pod broke through the planet’s stratosphere, rapidly descending to the ground. But the Earthlings should be there, too. Kakarot wanted to overthrow Freeza as well, didn’t he? He was the one who had somehow known about the Emperor’s plan from the beginning, which honestly confused Vegeta.

How did those low-class who lived on some backwater planet on the edge of the north sector of the universe even know about Freeza’s plan? It just didn’t make sense. Earth wasn’t even advanced enough to invent space travel, much less the technology to be spying on Freeza and his empire.

No matter, it did not concern him. What mattered to the Prince was obtaining the Dragon Balls before the Emperor could and ending Freeza’s reign with his own bare hands. Yes, he’d be the legendary warrior that will defeat the tyrant.

Not Freeza nor Kakarot will stop him. He would be the most powerful in the universe and rebuild the Saiyan Empire. He would become the Super Saiyan.

The pod finally crashed into the planet, and Vegeta exited it with a confident smirk. Sensing the closest power lower than his, he rushed towards it, keeping his own energy as low as possible. He hid behind a boulder, looking at the destroyed village as several Freeza Soldiers floated above it, discussing something.

If the planet was still there, then Freeza hadn’t gotten his wish yet.

After making sure no one important was nearby, Vegeta charged at them with impressive speed, his fist punching through one of the soldiers’ chests as he vaporized two more with a ki wave. The last one was stunned, but before he could even utter a word, Vegeta destroyed his scouter with a tiny blast, grinning viciously at him.

“You’re going to tell me everything I want to know–” The Prince started, pulling his arm out of the dead soldier, letting the corpse fall to the ground. “And maybe I won’t kill you. Is that clear?”

The soldier nodded frantically, in fear for his life.

“How many Dragon Balls are there?”

“S-seven.”

“And how many has Freeza collected?”

“T-two.”

Better than he imagined. This is good.

“And how did you find them?”

“The Namekians hide them in their villages.”

So he only has to fly around and take them by force. Seems simple enough.

“Did you spot a–”

Just then, Vegeta caught a bright flash from the corner of his eyes. He let go of the soldier and twirled around, blocking the incoming fist with ease. The Prince clicked his tongue in annoyance as he stared at Dodoria’s smirk. Looks like he wasn’t as good at sensing as he thought.

Vegeta backed off and made a distance between them, letting a grin take over his face.

“Oh? You blocked that?” Dodoria chuckled. “And here I thought Lord Freeza’s pet monkey didn’t have any impressive tricks.”

As the soldier tried to escape, Vegeta merely extended an arm and vaporized him in an instant, not even bothering to turn around. 

But if this was what he was dealing with? Well, there was nothing to worry about. That’s why he didn’t sense him properly– Dodoria had a pathetic power compared to Vegeta’s current strength.

“That’s gonna cost you, you know,” Dodoria said, not showing the slightest care about the dead soldiers. “Lord Freeza hates it when someone wastes his resources, but to be honest, we saw this coming anyway.”

“Oh?”

“Please, everyone saw it a mile away. You, rebelling? It was only a matter of time.” The pink brute cracked his knuckles. “I’m just glad I get to put you down myself, so thank you for sticking with the script.”

Vegeta chuckled in amusement, but then the two paused as they spotted an unrecognizable spaceship rapidly approaching Namek from the distance. Dodoria fiddled with his scouter, a confused frown taking over his face, trying to scan whoever was on the ship.

But he couldn’t, and neither was Vegeta able to sense what was inside. The Earthlings? Theywere here already? Had they built a ship fast enough to reach this planet in the span of a few days? They hadn’t even discovered space travel yet, how had they done that so quickly?

What the hell is that power… Vegeta thought in utter shock. Is that… Kakarot? How did he become so strong? And that energy… Why does it feel familiar?

It was one distinctly similar to his and Kakarot’s— a third Saiyan? But who could it—

Nappa! His eyes widened. He’s alive?! But he joined up with the Earthlings. Unless…

Deep in his own thoughts, Vegeta was brought back to reality as Freeza’s officer grunted in confusion.

“Who the hell is this…?” Dodoria muttered. “Don’t they know that Lord Freeza already claimed this planet?”

Using this opportunity, Vegeta rushed faster than Dodoria could even react and delivered a powerful punch to the commander’s gut, knocking the wind out of him before smashing his elbow on the pink alien’s head.

Dodoria tried to fight back, but he was cornered by the Prince. He had no answer to Vegeta’s heavy blows and searing ki attacks. He was turned into a ragdoll, kicked around for his enemy’s amusement. 

Having had enough, the Freeza Army commander unleashed a mouth beam at Vegeta, who casually slapped it away effortlessly before piercing Dodoria’s stomach with a beam, crippling him in an instant.

Dodoria fell down in awe and fear at the Saiyan immense power. Since when had he gotten so strong? He had barely been as strong as Cui the last time they’d met– since when did he have a power level of…

Only Five thousand? But how?

“On Earth, I was beaten to an inch of my life. I still don’t even know how I survived that fight.” Vegeta explained as if he’d read Dodoria’s mind. “But I did, and as a Saiyan, my power increases dramatically every time I recover from a near-death experience. The worse the injuries, the stronger I become.”

The Saiyan Prince charged up a blast and aimed it at him.

“You know, I thought I’d get some satisfaction from getting rid of you,” Vegeta smirked. “But really, you’re nothing in the grand scheme of things. A mere ant in comparison. You should be honored to be killed by me.”

“W-wait, Vegeta, please–”

Not waiting around any longer, Vegeta released the blast and incinerated Dodoria’s head, letting his body fall limp on the ground. He scoffed, then turned his head toward the landing ship in the distance. Confronting them now would be a death sentence. He’d be severely outnumbered and outmatched by Kakarot’s technique.

He would be better off finding the Dragon Balls. Then, once he’s immortal, he’d kill them all.

Neither Freeza nor Kakarot would stand a chance against the mighty Vegeta.