Chapter 32 – It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's an Invasion!

~ 20 Minutes Prior: East City ~

"Daddy, can we go get some hamburgers?"

Erason looked down at his bright-eyed five-year-old daughter. He had been dragging her around East City all day, thanks to an unexpected news story that the station urgently summoned him to cover.

He adored his daughter to bits and her innocence had always brought him respite from the chaos that consumes his day, every day. And because of that innocence, there were moments when he felt his high-profile career was a curse. Just because he's the most successful reporter in the station, doesn't mean that he has to cover every single hot story out there. Sometimes, the investors and News Director forget that he is a father too.

This time around, a team of scientists supposedly made a groundbreaking discovery. According to their findings, two high-velocity celestial objects were approaching Earth, moving at a speed far surpassing that of any known celestial bodies.

What captured the scientific community's attention was not just the speed of these objects, but their uncanny ability to navigate through space with remarkable precision. Unlike typical celestial bodies, these entities deftly maneuvered around other cosmic objects and navigated asteroid belts as if they possessed advanced spatial awareness. Given the unknown object's intentional avoidance of obstacles, the scientists theorized that these objects might be spaceships.

Erason sighed; it was a ridiculous story, likely a ploy made in desperation for funding or for their fifteen minutes of fame. After all, how likely was extraterrestrial life? Wacky as the lifeforms on Earth are, as far as the scientific community is aware, all of them originated here on Earth. To further hammer the nail in the coffin, no previous efforts by the scientific community had detected any sign of extraterrestrial lifeforms.

In the end, as he had anticipated, the 'UFOs' did not land at the predicted site even well beyond the estimated time. His trip to the station had been an utter waste of time– and on his daughter's birthday too!

Erason suddenly snapped out of his thoughts, realizing he had been spacing out. His daughter, like the little sweetheart she was, had waited patiently for his response the entire time by his side. His eyes gently shifted to his daughter, and in the sunlight, she looked like a fairy with her blonde hair shimmering—a trait she undoubtedly inherited from him.

A subtle, affectionate smile tugged at the corners of Erason's lips. Today was meant to be her birthday celebration, and yet, not once had she complained. A twinge of guilt tugged at his heart. He really didn't think he deserved such a patient and understanding daughter, and he silently vowed to make it up to her. He will transform the rest of this day into a special one that she deserves.

"Of course, cupcake. It's about time for lunch, isn't it? We can go wherever you want!"

Erason's gaze dropped to his watch, the time displaying 11:43. In the future, he would swear that this mundane act was what allowed him to survive the events of this day, the day that changed the trajectory of his life forever.

However, Erason was mistaken. The mere act of looking down at his watch was not why he survived. Unbeknownst to all except Ajax, in another world, at this precise time, the entirety of East City would have met its end, callously obliterated by the cruelty of Earth's invaders. In this world, at this time, a single man's resolve had changed the fate of an entire city. But Erason wouldn't know that.

As Erason glanced at his watch, he caught an unexpected glint, a peculiar reflection of two red-hot somethings. He snapped his head up, his gaze quickly locating and focusing on the objects. He gaped at them. No way. Were those the–?

Erason's eyes tracked the descent of two round objects as they pierced through the sky, glowing red from the astronomical speed of their atmospheric entry.

His fascination quickly gave way to horror as he mentally estimated the impact zone given their trajectory. These objects, whatever they were, were going to land in their near vicinity and he had no faith in these objects to slow down. He needs to get his daughter out of the epicenter of impact now!

In a split-second decision fueled by adrenaline and instinct, Erason reached down, scooped up his daughter, and sprinted into the road, putting as much distance as possible between them and the towering building they had stood before. His heart pounded with fear as he glanced back, witnessing the two objects crash mercilessly straight through the skyscraper at terminal velocity.

Though collision slowed their speed slightly, the momentum of the objects was still immense. They impacted the ground a few blocks away, creating a minor, localized earthquake that reverberated through the streets.

Erason, still clutching his daughter tightly, tumbled to the ground with her as the ground shook beneath them. The impact on the pavement was harsh, leaving his head ringing and his senses utterly disoriented. He couldn't even be certain if he shielded his daughter from the fall or if they had both hit the ground hard. All he could register were the sound of others' panicked screams as those who could, fled from the destruction.

Pandemonium. Everything was utter pandemonium.

In the chaotic aftermath, Erason had little time to ensure his daughter's well-being; there were more imminent threats demanding his attention. Acting on pure instinct, he covered his daughter, using his own body as a protective shield, and tightly closed his eyes. Moments later, an enormous cloud of dust erupted outward from the collapsing building, enveloping them in a thick layer of ash and destruction as rubble of various sizes descended around them like rain.

He was never one to believe in God, but at that moment, he fervently prayed to Kami that his body would be strong enough to protect his daughter.

~ At the Same Time: The Landing Site ~

Within the newly formed crater, the two alien pods, still aglow with heat from their fiery impact, distinctly hissed as their doors creaked open. Emerging from the shadowy interiors were two tailed warriors, their appendages quickly wrapping around their waists with practiced ease. They walked forth, uncaring of the swirling dust that clung to them or the red-hot earth beneath them.

One of the warriors commanded attention with a remarkable height that surpassed even those of already imposing stature. The other, shorter in stature but exuding an air of undeniable authority, confidently took the lead and demonstrated without a shadow of a doubt who was in charge. His eyes, cold and analytical, scanned the surroundings without a hint of mercy.

Nappa and Vegeta had officially arrived on Earth.

"Clear your ship logs, Nappa, and sever all external communications. Frieza doesn't need to be privy to our movements."

"Aye-Aye."

With a deft click on his scouter, Nappa mirrored Vegeta's actions, ensuring a complete blackout in communication. This was a covert operation, and having that tyrant, of all people, on high alert was an unnecessary risk that neither Vegeta nor Nappa could afford.

Having swiftly executed the task, Nappa ascended into the air alongside Vegeta, scanning the obscured surroundings. He waved his hand before his face to disperse lingering dust and tried to squint through the residual haze. He couldn't see much, but his scouter certainly could. His trusty machine beeped as its digital readout displayed the power levels of the natives that surrounded them.

"So, these are the people who are genetically compatible with us, huh? Not too impressive, to be honest," Nappa remarked, his face clearly showing his disappointment as he scanned the numbers displayed on the screen. "The vast majority of their power levels don't even exceed 10. Even with extremely lax standards, this reading is just..." he trailed off, disheartened.

"–Utterly pathetic," Vegeta interjected, his arms crossed in disdain and a disgusted sneer on his face. "Such a worthless race would only serve to muddy the Saiyan blood. What was Raditz thinking?"

"Well, okay, let's not be so hasty, Vegeta. The average Saiyan wasn't exactly all that impressive either. Besides, considering that they were able to take down Raditz, I don't think they're ALL useless. Perhaps there are a few gems amongst them."

Vegeta blinked slowly, considering the point Nappa had raised. As he contemplated, his gaze naturally drifted toward the aftermath of their destructive entrance.

Even amidst the countless expressions of fear and dismay, Vegeta's sharp instincts guided him to lock eyes with a particular blonde native, whose hateful glare pierced through the chaotic scene. Despite the rubble around it, the native appeared unharmed, cradling a blonde runt—presumably its offspring, who apparently sustained a nasty head injury.

Vegeta arched an eyebrow, amused by the intensity of the hatred emanating from the native's eyes. It was the only one who had the backbone to show killing intent even as all the other sheep wailed in fear. How interesting—perhaps there were some hidden gems amongst them after all.

"There may be some truth to that. Very well, I will permit them to live a little longer. At least until we have the Dragon Balls in our hands."

To Vegeta's annoyance, Nappa proceeded to lean into his personal space with a demeanor not unlike some grade-schooler about to reveal the juiciest piece of playground gossip. Embarrassing. Nappa should grow the hell up.

"Want me to destroy the city?" Nappa offered with a grin, garnishing the statement with an exaggerated wink. "I can probably take out all these ants with a single attack."

"Did I not just say I will permit them to live a little longer?" Vegeta shot Nappa a narrowed-eyed look, a silent reprimand at the suggestion of wanton destruction. "We're here to find the Dragon Balls, not to show off the size of your dick."

"Ha! Well, considering we're also contemplating potentially rebuilding the Saiyan race here, I'd say we're here precisely to wave those bad boys around!"

"Just shut the f*ck up, Nappa."

"Okie."

Silence descended upon the two Saiyans as their conversation reached its natural conclusion. To fill the void until their scouters delivered a reading, they meandered towards the undamaged parts of the city, soaring high above, and from their elevated vantage point, they observed the native inhabitants.

As they drifted off, the sounds of chaos gradually faded into the background, replaced by the beeping of their scouters as they diligently worked to detect any significant energy signatures.

"Damn, I'm getting a bit hungry from that trip. You think they have any good food on this planet?" Nappa started to nudge at Vegeta playfully, breaking the silence once more.

The Prince of All Saiyans sighed, wearing a put-upon expression that had become a familiar sight whenever Nappa was around him. It was a look of annoyance and resigned tolerance; an expression Vegeta had perfected through countless interactions with his rather… boisterous subordinate.

"Man, that reminds me of that purple fruit-vine thing from planet Helheim a while back…" Nappa continued, undeterred by Vegeta's stoic silence.

From experience, Nappa knew that Vegeta would respond if he stayed patient and continued talking for long enough. After all, he was the pioneer and leading authority on the art of needling Vegeta into responding. It was a skill he had proudly honed over decades of trial and error in attempting to get the Saiyan prince to lighten up. And what can he say? He's a master of his craft.

Vegeta, in turn, rolled his eyes at Nappa's persistence. "Everything reminds you of that damn fruit because you never shut up about it."

"What do you mean? It was the best fruit I've ever had!" Nappa chuckled heartily at Vegeta's remark with an unapologetic grin. As if on cue, Nappa's stomach interjected with a thunderous rumble. "Oh damn, I'm really am hungry!"

"You're always hungry, Nappa. Too bad none of the nutrients goes to your brain."

Nappa, however, took the jab in stride, responding with a hearty laugh.

"Haha! Who needs one of those when you got some of these bad boys?" Nappa started to flex his biceps proudly.

"Yes, all that and still a dumbass. You're lucky I've known you for so long because anyone else this annoying would be vaporized."

"Hey, you know you love me and my handsome mug, Vegeta." And because he knew his Prince would be irked by it, Nappa inched closer, mercilessly invading Vegeta's personal space with the audacity only a longtime companion could have.

"I doubt even your mother would love your face," Vegeta shot back. Then, visibly disgusted by the proximity of Nappa's face to his own, he shoved Nappa's face away with a single hand. The considerable force of the push sent the larger Saiyan drifting back a few feet.

Before Nappa could unleash one of his trademark quips, their scouters crackled to life, having successfully detected the presence of multiple significant power levels. Nappa shot an eye at the screen, scanning the readings of the estimated direction and distance of the energy signatures.

"Hey, Vegeta. I'm getting a few readings on some decent power levels. You getting them too? What do you think?"

Vegeta swiftly checked the data on his scouter. A thoughtful expression crossed his face as he processed the information. "Hmm, quite a few over a thousand. They're likely the ones who took down Raditz. We needed more information anyways, let's go."

The two Saiyans launched themselves through the sky, their departure marked by a sonic boom that rippled through the air. The resulting shockwaves shattered windows in nearby skyscrapers, sending shards of glass cascading to the ground below. With that as their farewell, the Saiyans left East City for destination unknown.

The city's denizens affected by the sonic boom grumbled, some rubbing their ears, some moving on with their daily routine, some excitedly posting about the experience, but none had any idea of just how lucky they were to survive this encounter. In many, many other worlds, they didn't.