Hostage + Transformation (Complete)

Hostage

Medium Quest

Requirements: PTO Insignia

Reward: 2,000 Zeni and +10 Villain Points.

King Cold's nephew, a young and weak Changeling, has been taken hostage. The criminals are demanding quite a large ransom. King Cold has plenty enough zeni to pay, but no one disrespects his family and gets away with it. You've been placed in charge of the unit dealing with the hostages. Find a way to bring back King Cold's nephew, unharmed, and the criminals so that we can disembowel them in front of the whole court.

Second Form

Unlocks at Lv.10. May only be used by Changelings. You must write a 1,500 word quest about you using this transformation for the first time, before you get it.

---

The lone Attack Pod glimmered against the dark veil of space, its pure white hull cruising upon the vast expanse of black emptiness. Its tiny occupant stared through the solid screen, taking in the many blurred lights sailing past his vision. He'd claimed many of the lit streaks as his own, holding them all firmly beneath his currently light purple thumb. The small spherical vessel was heading back towards a certain glowing world, the seventy ninth in a long list of similarly named worlds.

The pod cruised further into the solar system, slowly entering the light of a blue sun. The burning mass sent out a flare of azure energy, hailing the existence of the small Changeling as he rode by. The blue light struck the pod, bleaching it until it shone like a star shooting across the night sky.

Simulated graphics traced across the vessel interior, flooding the screen with various details. Planetary names appeared, each superimposed upon their respective world shining beyond the screen. Light green text flashed on the round monitor, highlighting the nearby stars, planets and natural satellites under the PTO's control.

Planet Frieza #301, population: 1,223,900,177 Xenos.
Planet Frieza #397, population: 5,003,178 Xenos.
Cold Sun #22, center of Cold Galaxy #22, owner: Lord Frieza.

Another piece of text flashed upon the screen as the Changeling operator looked back towards his earlier conquest.

Planet Basplit, population: Zero. All hail Lord Frieza.

The planet's stellar light slowly dwindled into nothing, causing an evil laugh to burst forth from the dark lord's lips. The desert world, once a haven for the Changeling's enemies, was now a dead and useless husk floating in the cold. No one would dare think of challenging the Planet Trade Organisation ever again.

"Lord Frieza," A new voice spoke through the ship's intercom, the man's words showered with static. "This is Cold command center number seventy nine. Please respond."

The Changeling pilot quickly reacted, sending a purple hand towards an overheard console. A lone finger deftly flipped a small switch, allowing his own static to flow through the long range communication system.

"This is Lord Frieza. What can I do for you?" The Changeling replied, speaking towards the empty screen ahead.

A moment of silence passed between the two, the caller obviously stalling for some reason.

"We've received troubling reports from King Cold, my Lord..." The voice spoke, his anxiousness scraping through the electronic static, "It's Lord Icee... He... He's been abducted."

"That can't be," Frieza quickly replied, lurching forward slightly as he heard the impossible news, "He's a member of the Cold Royal family... No one could possibly get away with such a thing! It's unheard of!"

"I'm sorry, Lord Frieza. The information has been confirmed by several reliable sources. The report has been verified as one hundred percent accurate." The voice replied, secretly wishing he didn't have to deliver such news.

Frieza scowled silently as his anger began to boil within him. The Changeling tyrant had had to put up with a lot over the past few days: his space saucer had been destroyed, his and his father's elite forces had been decimated, Saiyans rebelling on his own world, a Xeni army uprising on another and now this. There was only so much the youthful emperor could take.

"Tell me," Frieza spoke, his tone gentle but his words edged with a furious rage, "Where was my dear cousin taken?"

A short rustling sound entered the speaker, shuffling about the inside of the pod. A few moments passed before the alien caller returned an answer.

"We're not sure of the exact location, my Lord," The operative spoke, carefully dancing around the verbal knives cast by his Changeling host, "He was last spotted on planet Cooler number twenty six."

"My brother's world!?" Frieza yelled, leaping forward again with an even greater jolt. The familiar disdain for his brother's existence crept up once more in the Changeling's mind, bringing back sore times between them.

Trust Cooler to allow such a thing to befall one of his own... Frieza thought, relatively sure his brother couldn't be responsible; placing an immediate blame just made the tyrant feel somewhat better.

"Um, sire? Are you still there?" The radio crackled.

"I'm here," Frieza replied crankily, "So... When did this abduction occur? No. Scratch that. Just tell me everything you know. We don't have all day."

"Huh...er... Yes sir." The voice replied, quickly gathering the many notes and documents scattered around him.

"Make it snappy. My cousin won't be pleased by such sloppy behaviour during his time of need." Frieza said sharply.

"Okay! Um... Lord Icee was last seen on planet Cool— Oh, you know that already... Uh... He was taken by a group calling themselves Reheat. They sent a digitized ransom note to King Cold through a series of channels within our own network."

New text began to flow across Frieza's curved screen, showing him the mind of the one responsible for his cousin's kidnap.

Heard from your nephew lately? We've taken him from you, snatched him up like he was nothing. If you ever want to see little Icee again, you'll send us five billion Zeni in unmarked bills. If you try anything, anything, we'll cut him up, make sure he doesn't know his horn from his tail. Want to know how to contact us? Tough. We'll find you. Just send the cash to one of your minions, doesn't matter which. We can snatch it up like a bird catching a worm. Yeah, we're like ghosts in your system. You can't stop us. We are Reheat. This galaxy won't be Cold for much longer. OUT.

"We received the ransom message forty nine minutes ago. We haven't been able to trace the source of the message." The voice continued as the Changeling lord silently gathered himself.

"Has my brother been contacted? As much as I would want to settle the matter myself, he is still family and every bit entitled to—" Frieza spoke.

"Lord Cooler hasn't answered our communique," The radio operator spoke as he cut in, "Now, he may simply be out of range or maybe preoccupied with other concerning matters. I'm quite sure he'd help if were aware of the situation..."

"Yes. Of course he would..." Frieza replied, now unsure of what his brother's part in the matter would or could be.

Things weren't in Cooler's favour. His own cousin, shared by the two brothers, had been effortlessly abducted inside the elder Changeling's realm. Worst still, Cooler was unable to be reached by the usual methods. Frieza couldn't imagine his brother stooping so low as to aid an outsider's efforts against the Cold family. And yet there was a doubt. Frieza could only wonder as a fresh paranoia crept through his mind.

Could Cooler really have become so distant to our bloodline's bonds? Perhaps this is some wort of trick on his part... What if he wants my forces to search for Icee within his territory... He could claim ignorance and destroy my men in retaliation for breaking borders... Could this all be some conspiracy against me? Darn it! I need to know what he's planning!

"Our King's forces were deployed a few minutes ago," The radio man spoke, "They're currently on their way to the last known location of Lord Icee. With your permission, sire, we have a saucer prepared on planet Frieza Seventy Nine. It is ready to launch at your discretion." The commander spoke, hoping his message wasn't too presumptuous.

Although Frieza's Attack Pod was capable of travelling to his brother's piece of the galaxy, he couldn't search the vast area alone. Hopefully there were some Xeno soldiers left both alive and loyal enough to aid him in his mission. First, he would find his missing cousin, then he'd take down the kidnappers.

"Of course. Ready my forces... (what's left of them) ...and prepare for my arrival. I'll touch down in seven minutes." Frieza spoke, his passionate rage now focused on a new task.

Frieza's pod cruised onward, knowing it was only a matter of time before it would be discarded for a grander vessel. Nevertheless, it would do its duty and escort the cruel Changeling back to his home.

"We'll be waiting for you, my lord. Good travels."

---

Word Count: 1,374

Four hours earlier

"Ahaa~ What a good cousin I must have," Spoke a round bellied being, "This food is delicious! Top notch!"

The curved horned demon sat cross legged on a grand pillow, very much comfortable with sitting in that position forever. His light blue hands fluttered eagerly to the mounds of food presented in front of him, taking his pick from every item on the long dining table. For the last hour he'd seemed content with stuffing his face with rare alien foods, eating what was possibly many times his body weight. The large buffet shone inside the Changeling's blue head crest, the reflection stretching out to a grotesque length.

"Lord Icee," A Xeno spoke to the small being in a subservient manner, "Will you be requiring any more from our service?"

The portly Changeling barely looked to the man, choosing instead to keep his eyes on the digestible prize.

"Hmmh. Morr wihn worrd bir gud!" Icee rudely replied, his mouth already put to work on crushing a large leg of alien meat.

The courtly servant grimaced slightly as he watched his master speak, the chewed meat nearly escaping his internal darkness. His Changeling guest seemed much too eager, taking far too many liberties with his dining habits. His manners were atrocious for a being of royal blood. He shamed his Cold family with every misaimed attempt at putting fork to mouth.

"Yes, my lord. Very good." The Xeno butler spoke, holding his tongue out of an engraved respect for his Changeling masters.

The albino alien quickly took his leave, hoping to loiter out of sight for a momentary respite. He wondered how long it would before he was missed but decided any amount of time away from the uncouth Icee was worth shirking his duties. The Xeno's blackened coattails were the last to leave the room, narrowly escaping through the closing golden doors leading into the main halls.

"Heh... You guys are too good to me!" The Changeling called after his servant, "Thank my cousin for me will ya? Umm... Freeza? No no! Coola! That's the guy! Yeah."

The near empty dining room was full of the sound of food being rend asunder by an unskilled jaw. The Changeling seemed happy with his service, not once showing any sort of modesty when first offered the bountiful feast. He was fully prepared to eat every course set before him, all of which could easily feed a large family.

The paunchy Changeling seemed harmless to anything that couldn't be easily eaten. He was a far cry from his serpentine relatives, Icee being one of the weakest among them.

"Aw, this food is good," Icee spoke before laying down his well used knife and fork, "But I need some entertainment. Come on butler man, bring on the girls!"

Hearing the chunky Changeling's rather loud request, the pale skinned servant marched from his little hiding place and reentered the main palace halls. He quickly stepped up to a long golden rope that led up into the ceiling. He gave the rope two sharp tugs, sounding out a small bell in another part of Cooler's palace.

"Ooh! I like the sound of that ding. Yeah! It's girly time!" Icee spoke, his meal once more stuffed between his teeth.

Within just a few more downed mouthfuls of food, one of the large double doors slowly opened inward. A rather slender leg slowly teased its way into the room, with the rest of the female's form hidden behind the door. A high heel clad foot rested in the sustenance filled air, hoping to gain the Changeling's attention. In the meantime, Icee was busy gnawing on a rather tough piece of Namek flesh, putting all his energy into the charred meat.

"Ahem!" A voice more feminine than the Changeling's uttered.

Icee's eyes drifted slowly upward, his focus still somewhat set on the green meal clamped within his teeth and fingers. The Namekian meat seemed strangely tough to tear apart, their all water diet usually softening them up after death.

"Hey! You called for us, you idiot!" An exotic Xeno female called out in annoyance, no longer sticking to her sultry persona.

"Huh? Whaa?" Icee muttered as his snail meat flew from his fingers and into his mouth.

His eyes darted up to the three scantily clad women now standing before him. They were the most beautiful women he had ever seen, even more attractive than the elusive females of his own kind.

The first woman had light blue skin, almost as if she was a living body of water. Her vivid green hair stretched down her slender back, finally ending at her knees. The second had a line of orange spots trailing across her lithe body, many of the marks unseen beneath her pink whisper of clothing. The imagination ran wild trying to fill in the blanks. The third had fiery red hair pulled into three long pony tails. Her skin was golden, giving off a natural radiating beauty.

Icee was suddenly at a loss for words.

"Ack! Gah!"

Icee's eyes grew wide as the dry Namek meat jammed in his throat, cutting off his air supply. He frantically motioned to his neck, waving clumsily as he tried to alert the women to his awkward and potentially life threatening situation.

"Uh oh. I think he's choking." The crimson haired woman spoke as she took a cautious step toward the wild eyed Changeling.

The clack of heeled shoes moved slowly towards Icee as the three women approached, inspecting their indisposed master.

"Hmm... Let me see..." The aqua skinned temptress spoke as she leaned down.

The Changeling could only stare in shocked delight as the woman's ample buxom spilled into his sight, leaving them all at eye level. A sudden rush of blood entered his off blue skin, filling his face with a perverted rosy haze.

"This is bad! He's turning red!" The cheetah woman cried, bringing herself and her comrade down to the same position in front of the choking Changeling.

The sextuple display was suddenly too much for the naughty Icee. The blood within his skull gushed steadily harder, quickly reaching a point of no return. The crimson liquid finally burst from his nose, shooting downward with an audible spurt. The flow continued for several seconds, all the while easing the pressure that had built up within the Changeling lord.

As the flow of blood finally began to let up, Icee collapsed onto his back. The last gush of liquid flew from his nose as he fell, whipping through the air.

"Gaaahhh~" The Changeling let out, the final breath within him seemingly a happy one.

The three women just looked down at him, staring at his depleted expression.

"So... Do either of you know the kiss of life?" The tri-tailed woman asked her partners.

"I say we just take him as is. Between alive or dead, I choose the latter. " The water temptress spoke, holding her hand to her waist.

"You two are useless. They want him alive." Said the spotted woman, looking angrily at her equally pretty comrades.

There was a silent battle as the three threw daggers with their eyes. The sharpened glares sent out blinding sparks as they struck each other in midair. Finally, one of them struck true, and the dangerous moment was over.

"Ugh, fine. I'll do it then." The blue skinned woman spoke before moving over to their oxygen deprived guest.

She bent her knees as best she could, carefully concealing what would otherwise be revealed by her awkward position. She looked into the bloodshot eyes of her gasping lord, feeling no sympathy for his unsightly predicament.

"If anyone at Reheat asks, we had an epic three hour brawl..." She spoke as she kneeled over Icee's body.

She took a long breath before leaning further downward, bringing her dark blue lips over his.

What an awesome way to die... Icee thought, smiling merrily as the heavenly image above him slowly faded from sight.

---

WC: 1,334
TWC: 2,708

Pressurized air shot out of the grounded Attack Pod in one long sustained burst, filling the pod landing bay with hissing gas. With the vacuum seal breached, Frieza's pod hatch slowly opened, releasing him from his spherical confines. The Changeling placed his foot firmly onto the cold metal floor, taking one of a limited few steps upon his seventy ninth planet.

"I hope my new vessel has a functioning cooling system..." Frieza thought out loud, his upper body strangely hotter than normal.

Without another word, the diminutive tyrant fully freed himself from the inadequate sphere. He then turned his head, setting his sights on the exit. He silently stormed out through the large hanger bay doors, striding onward with each confident step.

He marched down a series of cold hallways, turning each corner with an efficient swish of his tail. His red eyes burned with a vicious intent, threatening to set his entire palace ablaze. He was a Changeling on a mission.

His travel quickly brought him past several Xeno, each standing guard under King Cold's orders. As their second leader walked under their noses, the Cold guardsmen clacked their feet together and gave a lasting salute, each of their poses identical.

"My Lord!" They spoke as Frieza continued his measured walk.

The Changeling gave each of them a sharp nod, never once cooling his fevered pace.

As he made his way round the final corner, Frieza set his eyes upon the sealed doorway located at the rear of the hall. After making his way to it, he ran a fingertip down the wall, moving his print down a near invisible line. There was a momentary pause, then the door opened, rising up into a hidden slit.

The Changeling entered the small room, the interior light flashing on as his foot hit the new floor.

His dark chair was instantly visible in the corner of the room. It hovered almost silently, emitting only the slightest mechanical hum. There was a long black hose attached to the floating throne, a feature rarely seen by those that didn't operate it. The hose fed the chair its power, charging it for future use.

After a glance to the chair's power indicator, Frieza made his way over to a seemingly bare wall. He ran his finger down a hidden line, sending his unique signature into the facility's database once again.

As his identity was verified, a small part of the wall began to move, slowly rotating on a horizontal axis. The bare slab steadily turned, revealing its padded underside. A scouter turned into view, the device softly held within a similarly shaped indentation. The red tinted glass gleamed in the light, reflecting in the eyes of its excited owner.

Frieza took hold of the machine and placed it on hi left ear, securing it in place. With a deft push of a button, the device activated, indicating its life with a beep. Symbols flashed upon the crimson glass, steadily running its start-up program. After displaying one final icon the scouter went blank, entering standby mode.

"Not much longer now, Icee." Frieza spoke with a serious tone.

The Cold Palace doors opened outward, revealing the emperor at the helm his hovering mount. He drifted into the courtyard, eyeing the large Changeling saucer parked not far from him. Below the impressive vessel were several Attack Pods, each of them several generations behind those in Frieza's possession. The old orbs were dirtied and scarred, no doubt used repeatedly with little to no maintenance in-between flights. As the cold blooded tyrant moved closer, he entered the presence of the pod's colourful owners.

"Yo, Lord Frieza. Your radio guy said you wanted your cousin back," An eye patch wearing Xeno spoke with a deep grunt, "Well, we're your guys."

The alien leader raised his hands to his comrades, gesturing for Frieza to examine them. The diminutive Changeling floated past them one at a time, inspecting his troops. The first two were coloured deep blue, each of them appearing to be from the same fishlike race. In fact, they were near identical, with only the placements of certain facial scarring setting them apart. They each grinned mischievously at each other as Frieza's eyes wandered them over. The next gentlemen seemed rather mysterious, choosing to hide himself under layers of ragged cloth. Only a rough outline of his shadowed face peered out from beneath his shadowy cloak. His green eyes sparkled in the light, his youthful stare contrasting against his worn, creased face. The final being in the eye patch wearing captain's crew was a tall creature, standing far above each and every person present. Frieza had a tough time making out any of the Xeno's further features, finding is neck could only crane up so high.

The ragtag bunch weren't in Frieza's official employ per se, but were an independent group which had long become the Cold family's most entrusted hunters. The Ginyu Force had definitely missed out on a chance to show off their own skills; King Cold's nephew certainly wasn't about to captured again any time soon.

"So, how'd we do, boss? Are we under contract to find and rescue Lord Icee?" The gruff commander asked, fully expecting a positive response.

The seated Changeling sailed back over to the team's leader, ready with a reply.

"Yes. You are to leave at once," Frieza spoke, no urgency having left him, "My father will cover your payment. He is the one actually hiring you for this mission, after all."

The rugged commander gave a short nod to his men, that obviously being the only signal needed for departure. The four Xeno hunters quickly sprinted to their respective pods, the taller being seeming quite awkward in his entry into the relatively small opening.

The hatches quickly closed shut, leaving Frieza hovering beside their leader.

"So, I take it we won't be going alone?" The leader asked, gesturing to the large Changeling vessel standing over his shoulder.

"I found I've taken a personal interest in the matter. My family does have a reputation to uphold..." Frieza replied, the need for retribution being the highest priority in his mind.

"Well, the more the merrier," The gruff Xeno said with a rising grin, "Oh, just one thing though, my Lord..."

Frieza leaned forward, turning his head so his ear was somewhat closer to the man's future utterance.

"I don't think it would be wise to call ourselves by our real names once we enter Cooler's territory. Those Reheat guys seem to have a way with communication systems and it'd be a real shame if they found out we were looking for them."

I don't even know what your names are... Frieza thought to himself.

"My code name will be Rat, yours will be Cube. If you need to talk, send all communications straight to me. I'll relay them to my boys. Got it?" Rat spoke, his voice charged with heavy authority.

"Cube?" Frieza asked, his face twisting into a look of questioning disapproval.

"If you can come up with your own before we get too far out, we'll use that." The one-eyed Rat spoke.

"No, no. Cube will be fine..." The Cold Changeling replied, not wanting to spread his focus too thin.

"Alright. Well, with your permission, my guys and I will depart." The Rat spoke, waiting for the Lord's order.

Frieza gave a slight wave of his hand, and in turn received a quick nod. The eye patch wearing man then took off towards his own dented pod, quickly taking a seat within it.

"Last one to Icee is a rotten Namekian!" The gruff leader yelled out, apparently including the hovering Changeling in his jovial wager.

Frieza quickly set off towards his new ship, eager to find his cousin, and perhaps beat the bounty hunter at his own game.

The sound of the last pod sealing shut playing out behind Frieza's back. A moment later, several engines flared to life, the combined roar quickly blasting over the Changeling's rectangular ears.

The group's vessels all rose from the emperor's soil, rocketing upward with amazing acceleration. In just a few seconds they were gone, leaving several trails of energy in their wake.

"Plot a course for planet Cooler twenty six," Frieza ordered the Xeno standing at the ramp leading into his saucer vessel, "Someone there is bound to know where my cousin was taken."

"Yessir!" The Xeno replied, quickly rushing inside so he could alert the necessary personnel.

Frieza made his way up the ramp, his hovering throne keeping a steady pace up the short incline. He swiftly entered the ship, the view behind him quickly disappearing as his vessel sealed tight.

As the Changeling moved forward, he felt an artificial light shine down on his purple head crest. It felt warm and strangely comforting. After so much chaos, he was finally back to the life he knew best.

"It think it's about time I got reacquainted with the rest of the Universe." Frieza said to himself, an evil smile now upon his face.

---

WC: 1,509
TWC: 4,217

"No please! I don't know anything about Lord Icee's disappearance!" The Xeno butler cried as he laid helplessly on the dining room floor.

His Changeling attacker held a three toed foot firmly against his pale Xeno cheek, the overall pressure just short of fracturing his delicate skull.

"That's funny," An effeminate voice spoke out from above, "A little Rat told me he'd been seen here not long before he vanished..."

"He... He just stopped by one day. He wouldn't leave. He just kept eating..." The Xeno recounted, a look of disgust flashing across his face.

"Did my brother have anything to do with Icee being here?" The Changeling asked, freeing up some pressure on the alien's skull, "Go ahead, your master won't hear of this. You can speak openly."

"No, Lord Cooler had objected to Lord Icee's visitations since day one," The butler spoke, his pained words rising through truthful breaths, "It was only this time that I was unable to reach my lord. I wanted to send Icee away but escorting your cousin from the premises without my lord's consent would have meant exceeding my social bounds."

Frieza continued to hold the sniveling servant against the cold floor. He had decided to give the gentlemen the benefit of the doubt, but as always he wanted to hurt his brother. In this case it had to be done indirectly, through his brother's minion.

"I believe you." Frieza spoke, his foot still sunk within the Xeno's pliant flesh.

"Then why are you pressing harder?" The Xeno asked, his pained cry falling on deaf ears.

Frieza laughed at the Xeno, his evil chortle echoing through the deserted palace. The hireling's albino skull could only take a few more minutes under the steadily rising pressure.

"Cube, this is Rat, do you read me?" A voice spoke into Frieza's right ear, quickly silencing his twisted laughter.

The dark hearted Changeling brought a hand to his scouter and tapped on a small button.

"This had better be good. You're interrupting my fun." 'Cube' replied, his victim's skull slowly beginning to crack.

"We just shook down some guys on an asteroid not far from you. They said they saw a convoy of ships leaving Cooler's palace about four hours ago." The static filled voice spoke once more.

"Did they see Icee? Did they see where they went?" Frieza asked, hoping the information wouldn't lead to another dead end.

"They caught a brief glimpse of an unconscious passenger. They described him as a short, fat, sad looking character. They said he had horns on his head that sorta drooped down, like someone had intentionally twisted them to make him look even more pathetic." Rat replied, sounding as though his informant was still feeding him information from within a brutish grasp.

"That definitely sounds like my cousin," Frieza spoke, somewhat disheartened by their apt description, "So, where did they take him?"

"We're pretty such they were headed towards planet Rohst, a small world about an hour's ride from here. It doesn't seem to have been claimed by your brother..." The gruff voice replied, unsure why a world would go untouched by a known galactic conquerer.

"Rohst is no doubt his equivalent of my planet Bansplit. But that's another matter," Frieza spoke, his mind jolting back from his earlier venture, "Send me the planet's location, I'll be leaving momentarily."

"Alrighty, Cube. I'm patching the details into your scouter now," Rat spoke, apparently enjoying their use of code names, "It'll take a little while, I want to make sure no one from Reheat intercepts it."

"That's fine, I have a little time to kill." Frieza spoke, a certain butler's screams suddenly filling the air.

A little under an hour later, Frieza's vessel had made its way to the floating planet Rohst, maintaining a stealth approach for the last few minutes. If the Changeling happened to be detected now, those on the surface would no doubt have ample time to escape. Without complete knowledge of Reheat's presence on the world, the cautious way seemed the best way.

"Keep us steady," Frieza ordered, his mighty ship tracing behind a slow moving asteroid, "We've no idea what sort of radar tracking system they might have."

"Yes, my Lord." The Xeno pilot returned, his hands dragging a steering column slowly to the right.

The Changeling saucer sauntered right in response, falling back behind the tumbling space rock.

"Much better," Frieza spoke, his hovering throne doubling as a captain's chair, "When we can no longer hide within the asteroid's trajectory, make a beeline for Rohst. I'm in the mood for a little shock and awe."

"An excellent strategy, sire." The co-pilot spoke, eager to please his Changeling commander.

The lithe Frieza sat in his chair with folded arms. Rohst's orange surface was slowly inching into view, peeking out from behind the icy space rock concealing their advance.

"Estimated time until touchdown..." The pilot announced, his fingers typing furiously as he checked and rechecked his calculations, "Four minutes, my Lord."

"Then it is time I take my leave," Frieza spoke as he turned his throne around and headed towards the door leading out of the bridge.

A sudden recollection made the Changeling pause and turn his head back to his Xeno crew.

"Keep my ship in one piece. If I lose another vessel I would not expect any of you to survive the day. Do you understand?" Frieza asked, his voice met with a unanimous agreement.

With that matter settled, the diminutive ruler made his way through a pair of mechanically shifting doors and entered into a long hallway. Without any hesitation, the Changeling turned his black steed and set course for the departure bay.

"My Lord!" A Xeno soldier yelped, saluting as his master crossed him.

Frieza sent him a small nod as he continued, keeping at his steady pace. The Xeno stood firm, waiting until he left his lord's sight. As Frieza edged around the curved hall, the Xeno barreled forward, heading in the opposite direction. He'd received orders to join Frieza's landing party but had foolishly left his arm blaster in his room. He only had a few minutes before his team departed.

"We'll be doing the standard rush manouver," The team's leader spoke, his subordinates hanging on his every word, "We hit them hard and fast, no one gets away."

"Right!" The ten-strong group replied.

"We will again be honoured by our Lord's presence during this excursion. If we keep up the bloodshed he might just promote us." The captain spoke, sure of what it took to keep his master happy.

"You may kill whatever greets us..." The Changeling spoke as he rounded the corner, entering the departure bay.

"Speak of the devil..." The captain muttered, getting a sly grin from the approaching Changeling.

"No one will lay a hand on my cousin's kidnappers. They are mine, and mine alone, to kill. " Frieza spoke, his crimson eyes narrowing as he projected his will upon the group.

"We understand, sire." The Xeno leader replied, fully caught in his master's icy stare.

"Icee's rescue is the highest priority. Keep that in mind." Frieza spoke, his Xeno minions eagerly falling in line.

For Frieza, Icee's liberation was but a mere byproduct. What he truly sought was the extinction of those that would seek to harm his family's honour.

"Hey, guys! Sorry I'm late!" The now blaster equipped Xeno called out as he quickly sprinted round the bend.

Frieza quickly aimed his index finger at the running Xeno, catching him completely off guard. The cold Changeling did not even look as he fired a beam of golden energy through the soldier's chest, piercing his heart with pinpoint accuracy. The deceased Xeno fell to his knees and then to his back. Blood quickly poured from his smoking wound, no doubt leaving a stain on the once pristine floor.

"That will be your final mistake, I won't permit another." Frieza uttered angrily to the rest of the team.

Instead of his usual reply, the team leader just looked at his fallen comrade. He silently cursed the young Xeno's carelessness, not once finding fault with his master's inherent violent streak.

"Now then, if I'm not mistaken, that is the landing warning light." Frieza spoke, his finger now pointing towards a dim red light flashing above.

"Okay everyone..." The leader called out, pausing as his eyes glanced over his bloodied teammate, "Be ready for anything."

As the Xenos shot worried glance at one another, Frieza's expression was only that of confident joy. He had no need to fear combat, in fact he relished in the deaths of others.

The flashing red light quickly shot to solid red, indicating their arrival. A moment later, there was a heavy thud, shaking all but Frieza in his hovering throne.

"Let's go!" The Xeno commander yelled as the outer doors pulled open, letting in fresh light.

The daring eleven shot out, ducking under the still ascending door and leaping over the extending ramp. Frieza was left behind, moving forward at a much dignified pace.

"What a bunch of hot heads." The Changeling spoke to himself as the departure doors fully opened.

Explosions abounded as Frieza made his way into the hot new world. His men had met several others almost instantly, their clash spreading throughout the dry rocky landscape. The Xeno team found themselves in a fight for their lives. Their enemy had obviously expected them, leaving forces with tremendous skill and power to fend off the Changeling lord's assault.

"I do hope I've found the right place." Frieza spoke to himself, watching as one of his men was cut down by an unknown Xeno's blade attack.

The seated tyrant calmly cruised through the battlefield, casually sharing his talents with anyone foolish enough to challenge him.

Are you close by, Icee? The Changeling asked himself.

Without missing a beat, the tyrant brought a hand to his scouter and set it to its default scanning mode. He slowly turned his horned head as the device measured the many beings fighting around him.

"I remember your power signature, dear cousin... There's no fooling me." Frieza spoke, hoping a particular number would come across his red tinted vision.

Within a matter of seconds, Frieza's hope were fulfilled. His cousin's embarrassingly low power level was quite close by, just a little north of the heated war zone.

After following his scouter's directions, Frieza came upon a large rocky cave. The entrance was sealed tight by a solid metal door, one without any visible means of entry. Of course, an obstruction such as that wasn't about to stop the mighty Lord Frieza.

A mighty explosion thundered through the hollow darkness, filling the cave with choking dust and smoke. The small Changeling sailed through his newly formed entrance, his evil silhouette visible to all those inside.

"Where are my manners? I forgot to knock." The sarcastic Frieza announced, the burning soot around him beginning to clear.

Inside the cave were two tall, well muscled reptilian Xeno. It wasn't until their masculine voices met Frieza's ear did he determine their gender.

"You look like Icee! How did you escape?" The first asked, his ragged clothes barely covering his chest and lower body.

"He broke out and then he broke back in... He's gotta be a wizard!" The other reptile announced, his deduction flawed in so many ways.

"Well, it seems Rat was right on the money." Frieza spoke to himself, wondering if he should offer the hunter a payment of his own.

"Rat? You don't look like no rat..." The first reptile spoke again, now craning his head down to the Changeling in order to get a closer look.

"He has red eyes like a rat." The second spoke, an excited anger quickly rising inside him, "I'm gonna stomp him!"

The angered reptile quickly bore down on the small Changeling, his unnatural pace quickly closing the gap between the two. Staying true to his word, the green scaled Xeno brought up a clawed foot and held it above the Changeling's head. As the reptile's shadow grew larger, Frieza was felt he had no choice but to escape his dark throne. He leapt from his chair, narrowly avoiding its destruction by a tail.

"The rat got away!" The reptile spat as shards of the hover chair littered his feet.

Frieza landed safely at the edge of the cave. He quickly turned to face the two Xeno beasts. They both fell to all fours, their dagger filled mouths at a much better biting level. It seemed their baser instincts had kicked in.

"My progress will not be halted by reptile throwbacks!" Frieza raged, his chair's demise hitting him much more than he'd expected.

A spark of golden lightning hit the air above Frieza's pink skinned arm. A second later, another once struck the air. With a heavy growl, an energetic aura of lightning burst to life around the Changeling, fully encapsulating him within the living energy.

The reptiles reared back at first, startled by the new light. It wasn't long before they decided to take their chances, both of them making a bold dash towards the charged Changeling.

"How fortunate for you... Your deaths will be quick." Frieza coldly stated.

The energy infused Changeling calmly brought his hand out to his sides, readying his one and only attack against the pair.

"Gonna eat the rat!" The lead reptile slobbered, his eyes filled with ravenous hunger.

Frieza waited as they converged on him, waited... waited...

"Now die!" Frieza yelled, shooting his hands out into near invisible puddles floating in the air.

The reptiles suddenly slammed their bodies into the ground, their once eager ravings now replaced with the howl of the dying. The invisible hands of death had taken them, leaving them to writhe on the dirty ground, their cries unheard.

"As I thought," Frieza spoke, pulling his blood soaked hands out of the dimensional holes, "Your hearts are just as vulnerable from the inside as everyone else's."

The bloodied Changeling began his brisk walk further into the cave, the two dead eyed reptiles motionless behind him.

---

WC: 2,354
TWC: 6,571

"So, Lord Frieza... I take it your father isn't going to pay the ransom?" The lion like Xeno asked from his rock throne.

"It never even crossed his mind." Frieza replied, several of his enemy's henchmen laying dead at his feet.

The Changeling stood at the rear of the cave, bright candles burning against every wall. The location was quite homey, with many paintings and decorations strewn about the rocky abode. It had probably been lived in for some time.

"Cousin! My favourite cousin, Lord Freeza!" Icee cried, his hands pressed against the hard, metal bars of his circular cage.

"Shut up, Icee! I've had enough of your whining!" Frieza shot back, his weakling kin a great burden to his kind.

Icee reeled back, retreating into his empty cell. Being at the edge of the room, there wasn't really anywhere for him to hide. Nevertheless, he tried his best to turn himself from both his would be liberator and his successful kidnapper.

"Now, Frieza, if you have had your fill with my Reheat henchmen," The lion spoke, his cat eyes proudly staring down the lizard like Changeling, "Perhaps you would care to engage my newly recruited elite..."

His large paws smacked together in an unintentionally powerful clap, summoning his latest and greatest to his side.

"Hey, it's Freezy. I told you he'd show up sooner or later." A female Xeno with three long pigtails spoke as she swaggered into sight.

"Do you think he'll go down like the other one? This one looks kinda mean..." The orange spotted temptress spoke as she mysteriously appeared from behind her first tri-haired partner.

"He's just a man, he'll fall to us eventually." A third woman revealed herself, her blue/green appearance reminding Frieza of his own henchmen, Zarbon.

"No offense, Mamee..." The first gold skinned woman spoke, correcting her comrades error.

"None taken." The lion Xeno spoke, waving his clawed hand to show that he meant it.

The three beauties stood in front of their new master, their silver jumpsuits replacing their original near see-through clothing. Frieza looked upon them, no fool to their obvious charms. Should they live long enough to reach Frieza Seventy Nine, they'd no doubt be sold as slaves, their beauty earning Frieza a high reward.

"Freeza! When's Coola... I mean, Cooler... When's he gonna show up?" Icee loudly whispered, fully believing his other cousin was coming to save the day.

"My brother could not be bothered to engage in such matters. But don't fear, I didn't come here alone." Frieza replied, not sharing in Icee's foolish whisperings.

"Ah, yes... Your men outside," Mamee spoke, looking upward as he pictured the scene, "My Reheaters are currently making mincemeat out of them. There isn't another ship even close to this world for light-years. You lord over no one."

"I wouldn't say that," Frieza spoke, a devious look entering his eyes, "I hold much favour over rats."

A small light flashed on Frieza's scouter, revealing its hidden function. It had been transmitting the surrounding audio for some time, leaking the cave's location to anyone in range.

Frieza shot his gaze over to a nearby wall, the rocky structure instantly blowing apart in a cacophony of light and heat. The explosion shot inwards, a wave of rock and dust falling upon the three beauties, quickly pinning them against the equally solid ground. The explosion's true cause lay on the other side of the wall, the man responsible taking a well timed step through the improvised doorway.

"Sorry, we're late. We got a little lost." The eye patch wearing commander spoke as sharply turned to get a view of the rest of his crew.

"I told you, we should've gone left at the dead reptile thing!" A fish faced being argued as he crawled past the fallen boulders laid out on the ground.

"And I say we did go left!" His doppelganger spoke back, the two beings obviously connected in more ways than the obvious.

A look of desperation shot into Mamee's catlike eyes as he saw the many hunters enter his supposedly secret hideout. With his last three available fighters pinned under layers of fallen rock, the Reheat renegade sought to cut his losses and run. Fortunately, Frieza had kept his head during the whole incident.

"All of you," Frieza spoke, aiming his gaze at Rat and his still arriving crew, "Take the women and return to my father. I will settle things here."

A look of relief passed over the being called Mamee, ending the beginnings of an anxious squirm. The feline warrior had spent much time journeying through the galaxy, snatching up people who wished to share in his unique cause: the downfall of the Cold Empire. On one adventure, he'd visited planet Earth, quickly learning many of the inhabitant's original techniques. One that he held over most in the Cold's part of the galaxy, was sensing a being's power level. He knew in his powerful lion heart, that he could destroy the Changeling known as Frieza, sending the Cold Empire a crippling blow.

A certain being did not share Mamee's relief.

"You're gonna fight him alone when you're got a bunch of guys ready to brawl right there?!" Icee spoke in a flustered mess, his arm stretching beyond the bars as he pointed out Rat and his team.

Frieza just let out a confident snort, his men already dashing forward, picking the downed women from the rocky debris. Mamee seemed fine to allow this, a much greater prize already in his sights.

"But, er... Good job with the ladies," Icee whispered to his strong minded cousin, "Although they kidnapped me, then sold me off to some maniac... I gotta admit... I think I'm in love..."

A half smile crossed Frieza's mouth, aimed away from his weak cousin. He admired Icee's heart, though thought him an absolute fool for falling in love so easily. In fact, Frieza would probably never find a being worthy of his love. Being a living avatar of death and destruction seemed to take his mind off it.

"So, here we are at last, the way it should have been." Mamee spoke, placing his large paws into his armrests and lifting himself up.

Rat and his men dragged the last woman away, the hunter leader giving Frieza a last look of support as he made his way into another part of the cave.

"You won't die here," Frieza spoke, taking a few short steps towards the rising bipedal lion, "You will die in my father's presence, back on my world."

"As long as I live, I will ensure you have no world. Yes, your time has come, son of King Cold." Mamee spoke, his voice sure and steady.

The two warriors stood, each of them trained and practiced fighters, both armed with great and terrible might.

Frieza shot out first, enhancing his speed with a surge of ki specially stored for just an occasion. He drew his fist back and sent it roaring down, splitting the fragile cave air. A mighty boom caused the weak Icee to fall to his back, the poor Changeling cowering from the powerful exchange.

It seemed as though Frieza's strike lacked the speed and strength necessary to escape the wild eyed Mamee's giant paw. The lion man held the purple fist inside his own, quickly applying even greater pressure. Frieza bore the pain for a while, but as a pained expression tore through his facade, he was forced to interject.

"Hyeh!" Frieza cried as sent his other fist rocketing forward in a straight line to Mamee's exposed gut.

A second boom shook the cave, this one not as resonate as the first.

"Heh, that tickled." Mamee spoke as he stared into the Changeling's eyes.

Frieza could only look in horror as his fist pressed against his foe's torso, Mamee's powerful muscles absorbing the entirety of the blow.

The Cold hating lion eagerly took advantage of the tyrant's surprise, quickly grabbing Frieza's tender neck with his free hand. The Changeling could feel his feet lift off the floor, none of it his own doing. The pain on his handed receded as Mamee's clawed palm retreated, letting the entirety of the Changeling float in midair.

"Do you think... That you've beaten me?" Frieza choked out as pained gasps of air tried to bypass Mamee's crushing grip.

"I've spent my hold life under the thumb of people like you," Mamee explained, his one handed choke hold more than enough to incapacitate the small Frieza, "All that time, I've trained, striving to become better than those that claimed to rule me. Kidnapping Icee, sending the ransom... Do you really think I wanted the money so I retire on some planet of paradise? No. I was going to give it to those that truly needed it. The families left homeless after a Changeling raid. The many orphans left to fend for themselves after their parents have been enlisted into you armies. No. I won't let you live a second longer..."

The savage leader sent cascading waves of energy surging through his chest, into his shoulder, down his arm, and into his hand. Each time the cycle completed, the grip on Frieza's purple throat increased. His grip pulsed, the flow of life giving energy quickly bringing about the tyrant's untimely death.

"Haa..." Frieza laughed, struggling to command the breath left within himself.

"Hm? Has your oxygen deprived brain sent a faulty signal?" Mamee asked as he looked into the eyes of his enemy.

"I will live a second longer... Longer than my first..." Frieza spoke, his cryptic clues only decipherable by his cowering Changeling kin.

The steady pulse of ki surging through Mamee's arm was suddenly met by another, this one coming from Frieza himself. Raw energy began to course through the Changeling's form, pushed on by the beat of his steadily changing heart. The force steadily grew in strength, quickly countering Mamee's focused grip.

"What are you doing? Stop it!" Mamee cried, sensing Frieza's previously dwindling power soar to new heights.

Frieza's neck began its transformation first, reacting to the crushing force once seeking to break it. The Changeling's purple skin toughened, negating the damage Mamee was eager to inflict. Next, Frieza's horns grew, curving upward like a bull's. Next, the most dramatic, and perhaps most traumatic portion of the transformation occurred. Frieza's hand, arms and chest rapidly swelled, more than doubling in size. His lower body quickly followed suit, his legs, tail and feet quickly expanding to meet his newly muscled form.

Frieza placed his feet to the floor with much glee, his newly transformed body now much taller than before.

A violent grin spread across Frieza's face. Mamee's grip was nothing to him now.

"No... That's not fair." The lion man moaned as he tried in vain to once again choke the now colossal Changeling.

"Haaah," Frieza breathed with intimidating air, "It seems I might have to rescind my earlier promise of taking you back to my planet. You see, I'm quite unable to control this form and I... I wanted you to know before I tear out your eyes..."

Frieza's second form grabbed hold of Mamee's extended arm with one hand and swiftly brought his other elbow down upon it. It cracked with little resistance, leaving the howling Mamee swaying back in agony.

The freed Frieza simply swaggered forward, matching the Xeno's slow retreat.

"Please, I don't want to die..." Mamee begged, unable to take his eyes of his exposed bone protruding from his arm.

"I think a compromise would be best, don't you think?" Frieza asked before shooting a beam of energy at Icee's cage, freeing him in an over-the-top explosion.

"Wha- What do you mean?" Mamee asked, hoping he could somehow live through the day.

"Well, I could pierce your lungs with my horns and let you slowly asphyxiate, but instead of first taking you back to my world," Frieza paused as he tapped a button on his scouter, "I could simply record your death and send it to my family later."

"Sounds good to me, Lord Frieza." Icee chimed in, unusually brave in the face of his transformed cousin.

"Noo..." Mamee croaked, almost brought to tears by the heartlessness of it all.

"That's two against one," Frieza spoke, now advancing on the wounded lion, "Take a deep breath now, Mamee. I want to hear your lungs burst."

The evil laughter of two twisted Changeling's echoed through the cave, shortly followed by a deep shriek.

"Ha ha ha. Very good, my son," King Cold spoke as he watched the murderous display beaming upon his wall, "Very good, indeed."

---

WC: 2,106
TWC: 8,677