Chapter Text
In the black void of space, the only source of light is the twinkling of stars in a nearby galaxy, just barely illuminating the inside of Freeza’s ship. He sits alone, jaw resting on his hand as he props his elbow on the armrest of his chair, his tail draped over the other side. He stares blankly through the sizeable, domed window in front of him.
Some gears in the wall whir as the door behind him slides open, a lowly grunt stepping through. They bow respectfully before speaking.
“Lord Freeza, we’re almost to the designated galaxy. We’ll update you once more when we’re nearing Earth’s orbit.”
Freeza sighs dramatically, “Very good…”
“Er, um...is something the matter, my lord?”
Freeza remains unmoving in his chair. “No, not at all - but I will have another glass of wine.”
The grunt straightens up, whipping his hand to his forehead in a salute. “Yes, Lord Freeza, right away!” With that, he scurries from the room, the door sliding closed behind him.
Alone again, Freeza continues to watch the passage of space outside his window. He thinks to himself, mulling over in his head how things will go next.
“I don’t know if I quite like the idea of marriage,” he mutters through just barely parted lips, “But, at the very least, I hope this doesn’t end up being a complete waste of time.” He leans back in his chair, dark lips curling into a sinister grin. “I’ve no doubt, though, that they’ll be happy to see me again…”
The ship continues to whiz forward, closing in on a very familiar galaxy.
Meanwhile, on Earth, hundreds of people bustle through the streets of Central City, buzzing with excitement and curiosity as they await Freeza’s arrival.
At a table more isolated from the crowds, Goku and his group of friends sit, enjoying the festivities - or, at least, the ones who care anything about food are.
“Ahhh,” Goku sighs, having finished his fifth serving, “Man, guys, Freeza should get married more often - the food they’re putting out here is no joke.”
Beerus huffs, picking at his sharp teeth with one of his claws, “It’s average at best…” He sits back, reclined in his chair, a satisfied expression on his face despite his previous claim.
“Still, isn’t this exciting?” Whis muses as he stirs the boba pearls at the bottom of his milk tea with his straw, “The little tyrant Freeza’s getting married. I’m so curious how this all will turn out.”
Vegeta, who’s standing nearby, scoffs, “It’ll be a disaster. That’s why we need to be on guard, prepared for whatever scheme he’s going to try pulling next.”
Leaning back, Goku throws his hands behind his head and smiles brightly, “Come on, Vegeta, we don’t know for sure he doesn’t just wanna get married, right? Who’s to say we even need to be on guard at all?”
Vegeta grits his teeth, steaming at Goku, “Don’t be an idiot! The last time he was here he brought a physically unstable saiyan that nearly split the Earth in two!”
“Aw, c’mon - Broly’s not so bad! He just needs some more training to control his power better!”
“You’re really going to stand up for that monster after he nearly beat you to death?” Vegeta gives Goku a hardened stare, crossing his arms impatiently.
Goku gleams innocently back at the Saiyan prince, “Hey, I’ve always done it for you, haven’t I?”
Vegeta grunts, giving Goku an angry look before turning away, deciding to drop the subject.
Bulma holds Bulla by her sides as she sits on the edge of the picnic table in front of her, “Well, I for one hope he’s genuine about it - that way we don’t have to worry about him attacking the planet anymore.”
“And I’m just thrilled at the chance to attend what I imagine will be a lavish wedding,” Whis says cheerfully as he gently takes one of Bulla’s little hands in his fingers, “That is, assuming we’re invited, since I’ve yet to receive an invitation.”
Beerus, still reclined back in his chair, scoffs at the thought, “He’d be a fool not to invite us...”
“I’m excited, too!” Goku grins energetically, “I can’t wait to tell Freeza ‘congratulations’ in person!”
“Speaking of…” Whis says thoughtfully while looking down at his tea, “I wonder how the lucky ‘bride-to-be’ is feeling?”
A limousine-style hover car rides quickly over the city streets. Inside are a family of four - Mayor Butan, his wife Masu, and their daughters Yaki and Tori. The youngest of the two daughters - Tori - sits tensely in a corner of the cabin by herself, listening to her family’s rambling.
“Now, Yaki,” her father starts, “Remember to act polite - overly polite - and listen intently to whatever Freeza has to say, not to interrupt, and-”
“Right, yes, I know,” Yaki quickly cuts him off, too busy applying the rest of her make-up in her compact mirror, “Really, father, I know what I’m doing. You don’t need to lecture me anymore!”
Butan gives his eldest daughter a tired sigh, “I know, dear, but it’s very important that we get this right. Too much is at stake, so we can’t leave anything to chance.”
“Please, darling,” Masu chimes in dryly, sounding not at all concerned, “We really have nothing to worry about; Yaki will manage with her natural beauty alone.”
Her ego inflated, Yaki smirks to herself as she continues to do her make-up. Tori sighs wearily as she leans her head against the window. Yaki gives her a cold look.
“And what about you?” she snaps, “Are you just gonna look all miserable the whole time?”
Tori’s expression hardens as she looks at her sister from behind her large, round glasses, “This is a mistake...”
Yaki scoffs, squinting her eyes in annoyance as she continues to apply her lipstick, “What, are you jealous? Think Freeza should have married you instead?”
“It’s not that…” Tori gives her sister a concerned look from the corner of her eye, “This is really dangerous for you, Yaki. Don’t you see that?”
“Urgh!” Yaki groans angrily, clenching her compact tightly, “You made me mess up my lipstick, you dunce!”
“Girls, please!” Butan rubs at his temples stressfully, “Today is a very important day and the people are counting on us to make it right!” Reluctantly, Yaki leans back in her chair, attempting to fix her lipstick. Butan sighs, looking to his younger daughter, “And, Tori, please do try to control yourself. We don’t want to test Freeza’s temper, of all things…”
Tori exhales through her nose, crossing her arms as she rests her head back against the window, looking out of it worriedly. She wasn’t surprised her father took Yaki’s side - he usually did - but she couldn’t believe her family was being so delusional about this; surely they didn’t think Freeza would keep his word for peace, arranged marriage or not.
Arriving at the hotel, Tori’s father exits the hover car, looking at his watch. “Oh, dear, we’re cutting it very close,” he turns to his family as they step out of the vehicle, “We’ll have to go up to meet him right away.”
“But what about the bags?” their mother asks anxiously, not wanting to leave behind all of her luggage.
“And I wanted to freshen up,” Yaki pouts, crossing her arms.
He shakes his head, “There’s no time. I’ll have the staff bring our bags up to the rooms, but we have to go now. Freeza will be landing any minute!”
With that, the four of them rush into the hotel and straight to the elevator, jamming inside of it before being lifted to the very top floor. Meanwhile, Freeza’s ship comes into view. People stop and point, exclaiming as they watch it soar over the city skyline.
Goku and the others stop their conversation as groups of people hurry past them after the ship. Looking up, they see it themselves, and Goku starts to feel excited.
“Alright, he’s finally here!” he smiles brightly, bolting off into the air with Vegeta zipping close behind.
Bulma looks up in surprise, still holding onto Bulla. “H-Hey! Wait, you two!” she stands up from the table, looking back at Whis and Beerus, “Aren’t you two coming?” She looks at Beerus specifically, “Or are you sitting this one out again?”
Beerus, currently lounging back on a bench with his hands behind his back, peeks an eye open at her, “Not it if leaves me with the role of babysitter again…”
Bulma smiles knowingly at him, “Don’t worry, I’m taking her with me this time.” She looks at Whis, “What about you? Aren’t you curious?” She lilts her voice at that last part, teasing him in a sing-song voice.
“Hmmm,” Whis holds his index finger to his chin thoughtfully.
“Just go, Whis,” Beerus says, eyes closed again, “I’m gonna catch a nap real quick anyway.”
Whis smiles almost thankfully, giving Beerus a small bow after standing from the table, “Thank you, Lord Beerus. I’ll bring you something on my way back.”
With his permission from Beerus, Whis takes off with Bulma and Bulla. They finally catch up to Goku and Vegeta, who are standing on the outskirts of the crowd. They look up and see the edge of Freeza’s ship, which is just landing on the roof of the hotel building.
“I wonder why he landed up there?” Whis ponders aloud, holding his hand above his eyes for a better look, “Do you think this is where he’ll be staying in the meantime?”
“Maybe,” Bulma says, straining her eyes for a better look, “This place is pretty ritzy as far as hotels go.”
“Hmm,” Whis hums, “It’s strange…”
“Huh?” Bulma looks at him curiously.
“I sense an interesting power level from up there,” he says absentmindedly, still looking up at the building.
“I feel it, too,” Goku says, sounding a bit more serious.
“So what?” Bulma raises a brow.
“Well,” Goku scratches his head, “It’s nowhere near as strong as Freeza, but it’s higher than any of his soldiers, from what I remember.”
Bulma looks a bit worried as she clutches Bulla to her chest, “Do you think he brought someone with him again this time?”
Vegeta scoffs, “Whoever it is, if this is their highest level, then we have nothing to worry about.” He narrows his eyes impatiently up at the building, “Still…”
Meanwhile, on the ship, Freeza waits as it fully docks. He stands, looking down through one of the windows at the crowd gathered below.
“Look at them,” he mutters to himself in irritation, “All so self assured, thinking I won’t lift a finger towards them…” He smirks to himself menacingly, “I suppose we’ll see if their reassurance is well-placed in the end.”
One of his soldiers approaches, saluting him, “The ship is fully docked and ready for you to make your arrival, Lord Freeza.”
“Very good,” he says, the amusement lost in his voice. He steps away from the window, preparing to exit the ship.
Just outside, Tori and her family stand waiting for him to exit. Her father and Masu are working hard to keep steeled smiles on their faces, and Yaki is furiously working her fingers through her hair. Meanwhile, Tori is trying hard just to keep herself from shaking; she could almost feel Freeza’s foreboding presence from the ship. She only hoped those capable of fighting him were waiting closeby.
Suddenly, the hatch on the ship hisses, slowly falling open. It presents a small set of stairs that touch down to the ground. Two of Freeza’s soldiers march down them, stopping at either side of its base. There’s silence for a moment, leaving everyone in attendance waiting on pins and needles.
Freeza’s snow-white skin suddenly appears from the dark shadows of the ship. He steps out right foot first, stopping just after his entire body has emerged. Seeing him, Tori realizes, is a much heavier weight than just feeling him - the power of his presence a crushing one.
He studies over them condescendingly, already internally berating their lowly appearances. His eyes quickly dart to Tori, though, as he senses a peculiar energy emanating from her.
“Well, well…” he mutters to himself so only he can hear, a mischievous grin growing on his face.
Tori’s father takes it upon himself to greet Freeza first, clearing his throat and bowing as he steps forward.
“Lord Freeza! We’re so very thrilled - and honored - to finally have you here,” he straightens his posture as Freeza begins stepping further down the ramp. “I am Mayor Butan,” he gestures to himself, then his wife, “This is my wife Masu.” Then his two daughters accordingly. “And these are my daughters, Yaki and Tori - Yaki being your fiance.”
Yaki smiles, flipping her hair with her hand as she steps forward, making sure to push out her cleavage with her arms as she gives the tyrant a respectful bow, “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Lord Freeza. I just know we’ll have a happy union together.”
Freeza, already irked by the high pitch of her voice, is further displeased to see her straighten her posture, putting her at a total five inches taller than himself, “...quite.”
Thinking things are going well, Butan puffs out his chest pridefully, “Yes, Yaki is indeed a prodigy. She speaks three languages fluently, has raised thousands of zeni for charity…”
Masu, still standing at Butan’s side, holds her hand under her chin, a satisfied smirk developing on her face as she closes her eyes, “Not to mention released her own perfume line - and at such a young age…”
Yaki perks up, her ego inflated, flipping her hair back over her shoulder again, “Mother, father - please…” Freeza can feel his expression drop at her self-assured grin.
As they prattle on, he can’t help but continue to watch the smaller, quieter Tori standing off to the side, seemingly forgotten. The large, circular glasses on her face hide her eyes entirely, but he could still read a tense, uncomfortable expression from the rest of her features. Her long hair is pulled back messily into a ponytail, random locks prodding out every which way, and she’s holding her hands tightly in front of her lap as she stands stiffly, staring hard at the ground.
His dark lips begin to curl into a suspicious-looking grin as he schemes to himself, disconnecting from Yaki and her parents entirely. He suddenly moves to the side, stepping around Yaki as he makes his way over to Tori.
“And what about this one?” Freeza asks quizzically as he begins walking around Tori in steady circles, “Is she of age?”
Her father blinks, only now realizing that Freeza’s left the conversation, “Pardon, Lord Freeza?”
Freeza halts in his movements, giving Butan an impatient look, “I asked if she was of age.”
It takes Butan a moment to realize who he’s talking about, looking at the two of them dumbly. “Um, yes, my lord - she’s 22 years,” he finally answers, sounding unsure.
“Interesting,” Freeza says, “And what of her status? Is she already betrothed?”
Butan tightens his lips, feeling reluctant to answer Freeza’s questions, “No, Lord Freeza.”
“How fortuitous,” Freeza directs his grin towards Tori as he stops in front of her, pleased to find he’s at least two inches taller than her, “And you - ‘Tori,’ was it? What are your thoughts on marriage? To me, more specifically.”
Butan sputters, interjecting before Tori can give an answer, “Please, Lord Freeza, I must insist-“
“Silence!” he barks back briskly, making Butan jolt. He looks back down at Tori, his expression almost softening, “Well?”
She continues to stare at him, tongue-tied and unable to gather her words amidst the chaotic scrambling of her mind.
“You would be doing your people a great service,” he adds, thinking more clarification will help, “Not to mention, as empress of my galactic empire, you’d never need for anything again - able to take for yourself whatever you see fit.” He tilts his head, giving her a coy smirk, “Although, don’t be surprised if I spoil you myself from time to time…”
Seeing her father still paralyzed from his last attempt, Yaki decides to intervene. “N-Now hang on just a second!” she stammers angrily, stepping forward. “You were supposed to marry me! Not my-” she stammers, trying to find the right words, “-bland, boring sister!”
Tori’s heart stings at Yaki’s harsh words, hoping they’re only fueled by her anger over Freeza’s sudden change of mind. She feels a chill run down her back as she watches his expression grow dark, his red irises sliding to look at Yaki from the corner of his eye.
“Bland and boring as she may be, she at least knows when to hold her tongue and be silent,” he looks at Yaki sharply, his words even more cutting than hers. “And besides…” he says cooly, a suspicious grin forming on his face, “You’re not at all my type.”
Yaki‘s eye twitches, her vain, self-assured reality shattered. She stands in disbelief, looking completely broken.
Seemingly satisfied with the results, Freeza looks back down at Tori, “So, what do you say? Would you accept my offer and take your sibling’s place as my bride-to-be?”
Tori’s face flushes. Feeling overwhelmed, she drops her head and looks down at her feet, desperate that the right words will come to her, “Um, I - I’m not…”
“I’m not exactly in the mood to go searching the reaches of your planet for an alternative,” he says plainly, still looking down at her. “Plus, I believe you’ll do nicely so long as you continue to show signs of reservation and poise. That all being said…” he grips her chin somewhat tightly, pulling it up so that he can look at her directly, meeting her eyes with a cold, calculated stare, “If you refuse me, then you’d also be refusing your people protection from my armed forces.” Her face drops as he mentions this, making him grin almost maliciously, “And you don’t want that...do you?”
Unable to fight his grip, she lowers her eyes in defeat, “No…”
“Very good,” he hums, releasing her jaw as he straightens his posture, “Then I ask you again, earthling - will you be my betrothed for the alliance of your people and mine?”
Eyes still ducked down to the floor, she barely manages to utter her response, “Y-Yes.” She looks up just in time to see his dark lips coil into a smirk, the cogs in his mind seemingly turning.
“Good to hear…”
With that, Butan asks the staff - albeit it reluctantly - to escort them all to their rooms. Freeza motions for Tori to follow him. She obeys, feeling a foreboding chill course through her body as she walks beside him.