(Author note: A 9.2K chapter focused on our favorite future couple! I hope you guys enjoy it!
Took me a real darn time to get it to how I want it, man am I tired...
Well, do enjoy it,)
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Pain.
That was Toji's first conscious thought as awareness returned to him.
Not the dull ache of overworked muscles or the sharp sting of a fresh cut, but deep, pervasive agony that seemed to radiate from his very core.
Every heartbeat sent fresh waves of torment through his body, as if his blood had been replaced with liquid fire.
He forced his eyes open, blinking against the harsh light of an unfamiliar sun. The sky above him was a strange emerald green, utterly alien to Earth's familiar blue.
Slowly, painfully, he pushed himself up to a sitting position, surveying his surroundings.
He was still in the crater their impact had created, though the rain from the previous night had turned much of it into a mud pit.
Strange blue-purple vegetation surrounded the impact zone, unlike anything he'd seen before.
Massive tree-like structures with bulbous tops stretched toward the emerald sky, while smaller fern-like plants with iridescent fronds swayed in the gentle breeze.
Toji attempted to summon his ki, hoping to at least create a small energy sphere for light. The result was immediate and agonizing – sharp, crippling pain shot through his entire body, forcing a strangled cry from his throat as he doubled over.
"Shit," he gasped, clutching his chest. "That's not good."
He understood what had happened. The extended use of Kaio-ken at thirteen times his base power had severely damaged his body.
He'd pushed the technique far beyond its safe limits, and now his body was paying the price. Until those it adapted and healed, he wouldn't be able to access his energy without experiencing excruciating pain.
He was, effectively, powerless.
A soft groan drew his attention to the other side of the crater. There, partially covered in mud, lay Freeza.
Her white hair was matted and dirty, her normally pristine bio-armor scratched and dulled. In the harsh light of day, without her aura of power surrounding her, she looked almost... vulnerable.
Toji's mind immediately kicked into overdrive. Without his ki, this might be his only chance to eliminate her.
Once she awoke- if she had her powers, he would be dead.
That can't happen.
He won't allow it. Never.
Slowly, painfully, he pushed himself to his feet. His muscles protested, but years of the original Toji's physical training to be as healthy as possible for work meant he was still in peak human condition.
He approached her prone form cautiously, considering his options.
Without ki, he couldn't blast her. Crushing her skull would be difficult given the natural durability of her species.
Strangulation seemed the most effective method, given his physical strength.
He knelt beside her, noting the slow rise and fall of her chest. She was deeply unconscious, probably experiencing the same tiredness he did- perhaps even more.
But that was for now.
Carefully, he positioned his hands around her throat, his fingers finding their place on either side of her windpipe.
"Nothing personal," he muttered, "But It's either you or me. You should understand."
He began to apply pressure, steadily increasing the force.
Just as he thought he felt something beginning to give under his grip, Freeza's eyes snapped open, glowing with fury.
Despite her ki exhaustion, her physical strength remained formidable. She grabbed his wrists with surprising force, preventing him from completing the kill.
"You..." she snarled, her voice raspy from the pressure on her throat.
A brief, desperate struggle ensued as Toji tried to maintain his grip while Freeza fought back.
Despite her smaller stature, her raw physical strength was impressive. She managed to break his hold and delivered a powerful kick to his chest that sent him sprawling backward.
They both ended up several feet apart, gasping for breath, each experiencing their new weakness.
Freeza touched her throat, wincing slightly. "Trying to kill me in my sleep?" she rasped, her voice carrying a note of disdain despite the obvious pain. "How disappointing."
Toji pushed himself back to his feet, wiping mud from his face. "Would have worked if you'd stayed unconscious a minute longer. Besides that's rich coming from you. You'd have done the same."
Freeza's eyes narrowed dangerously- she didn't deny it, because it was the truth.
She raised her finger, the familiar gesture that preceded her Death Beam attack.
But instead of the deadly red energy forming at her fingertip, her face contorted in pain and she doubled over, clutching her chest just as Toji had earlier.
"What..." she gasped, genuine shock in her voice. "My powers..."
"Gone," Toji finished for her, realising that it was luckily the same for her, a grim satisfaction in his tone despite his own identical predicament. "Temporarily, at least. Our bodies are fried."
Freeza straightened slowly, her expression a mixture of fury and calculation. "You seem to understand what's happening."
Toji nodded. "The Kaio-ken technique multiplies power, but it puts enormous strain on the body. I pushed it too far, for too long. My guess is your new form did the same to you."
"Fifth form," Freeza corrected automatically, then seemed annoyed at herself for the clarification. "Yes... it's new. Untested. I hadn't maintained it for such an extended period before."
They regarded each other warily, each recognizing the dangerous stalemate they now found themselves in.
Without ki, they were reduced to their physical abilities – still formidable by most standards- they were both mutants after all - but nothing compared to the godlike powers they'd wielded hours earlier.
"So," Toji said after a long moment, "we're stuck here. Wherever 'here' is."
"Some backwater planet," Freeza replied dismissively, though her eyes continued to scan their surroundings. "The nearest outpost of my empire is likely hundreds of light-years away."
Toji's stomach growled loudly, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since before their battle on Namek.
He began to explore the immediate area, keeping Freeza in his peripheral vision at all times. Near the edge of the crater, he discovered strange, bulbous fruits hanging from low-hanging vines.
They resembled nothing he'd seen on Earth – roughly the size of apples but with a translucent, gelatinous appearance. The skin was a deep purple with swirling patterns of bioluminescent blue.
Hunger gnawed at him, but caution prevailed. He picked one, examining it carefully while keeping one eye on Freeza, who watched him with calculating interest.
"These might be poisonous," he muttered, more to himself than to her.
"Only one way to find out," Freeza replied, the ghost of a smirk playing at her lips.
Toji narrowed his eyes.
"Yeah, true," he said with a smirk, but Instead of taking a bite himself, he lunged forward with tackling her to the ground.
"You first," he growled, attempting to pin her beneath him.
Freeza reacted instantly, twisting her body to throw him off. They rolled across the crater, kicking up mud and debris as each fought.
Despite her smaller stature, she matched him in raw physical strength, even without the help of Ki.
"Get off me, you inferior thing!" she snarled, her elbow connecting with his ribs.
Toji grunted at the impact but maintained his grip, managing to capture both her wrists in one hand.
With his free hand, he grabbed the strange fruit and tried to force it toward her mouth. Freeza jerked her head to the side, avoiding the fruit while attempting to knee him in the groin.
He shifted his weight to block the strike, pressing her deeper into the mud.
Their struggle intensified, bodies locked in combat, neither willing to yield. Freeza snapped at his hand with her teeth, nearly catching his fingers.
"Just eat it!" Toji demanded, frustration evident in his voice.
"Never!" she hissed back, her white hair now matted with mud.
They rolled again, Freeza momentarily gaining the upper position before Toji bucked her off. She scrambled to her feet, but he caught her ankle, pulling her back down.
The impact knocked the wind from her lungs, giving Toji the opening he needed.
In one swift movement, he straddled her chest, using his knees to pin her arms at her sides.
Gripping her jaw with one hand, he squeezed in a way that would force her mouth open. When she resisted, he applied more pressure, finally forcing her jaws apart.
"Swallow it," he commanded, shoving a piece of the fruit into her mouth and then clamping his hand over her lips to prevent her from spitting it out.
Freeza's eyes blazed with fury as she thrashed beneath him, trying to dislodge his weight. For nearly a minute they remained locked in this position, her glare promising a thousand deaths when her powers returned.
Finally, with no other option, she swallowed.
Toji maintained his hold for a few seconds longer to ensure she didn't immediately regurgitate it, then cautiously released her and backed away, ready for retaliation.
Freeza sat up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand, her expression murderous. "I will make you suffer for this indignity," she promised, her voice low and dangerous.
Toji watched her carefully, waiting for signs of poisoning or other adverse effects.
Instead, after a few moments, Freeza's eyes widened slightly, her pupils dilating as her gaze began to wander to the surrounding vegetation.
"What's happening?" she murmured, her attention suddenly captured by the swaying blue-purple plants.
A small laugh escaped her lips – not her usual controlled, mocking "hohoho," but something more genuine.
Toji looked at her warily, 'Is she high?'
"Hallucinatory Orbs," she explained to him? To herself? She didn't know- her words slightly slurred as understanding dawned.
"Known throughout the galaxy for their mind-altering properties. Some species use them in religious rituals."
Toji watched as Freeza's normally sharp focus dissolved into fascination with the patterns around her.
She reached out toward something invisible to him, her movements becoming increasingly fluid and less controlled.
"You knew," he accused, realizing why she had been so resistant. "You were hoping I'd eat it first."
Freeza shrugged, seemingly unconcerned now that the fruit's effects were taking hold. "It's not deadly," she admitted, her gaze tracking something across the sky that wasn't there. "Just... disorienting. The colors are... moving. Quite beautiful, actually."
Toji decided against trying the fruit himself, preferring to keep his wits about him.
He observed with fascination as the normally composed tyrant began to gesture at empty air, occasionally laughing at sights only she could see.
By the time the effects began to wear off, nearly half a minute had passed, but because of the earlier fight both their hunger had become unbearable.
He realised that perhaps he should've killed her then, while she was high, but he was too fascinated by how she acted, how different it was to the powerful and composed woman from earlier.
Still, the both of them despite their mutual desire to kill each other, they knew that survival necessities were beginning to overshadow their need to win their war and kill one another.
"We need food," Toji stated flatly. "Real food, not hallucinogenic fruit."
"Agreed," Freeza replied, her focus returning though her eyes still occasionally darted to track non-existent patterns in the air.
Her hunger was evident in the way she eyed the strange creatures moving through the underbrush – small, six-legged things that resembled a cross between lizards and squirrels.
They regarded each other for a long moment, the unspoken question hanging between them: could they trust each other enough to focus on survival?
"I won't kill you while you sleep if you extend the same courtesy," Toji finally offered, the words tasting bitter in his mouth.
Freeza's lips curled into a cold smile. "For now."
The unspoken agreement was clear: once their powers returned, all bets were off. But for the moment, survival took precedence.
As they began to move away from the crater in search of water and more substantial food, Toji found himself uncomfortably aware of Freeza's form in the daylight.
Without the distraction of battle or the haze of exhaustion, he couldn't help noticing the graceful way she moved, the curve of her hips, the subtle sway of her white hair.
He ruthlessly suppressed these thoughts, disgusted by his body's response to someone he wanted to kill.
He attributed it to the damn hormones.
He read once that after a near death experience, hormones go into overdrive, and the reproductive hormones activate, wanting to leave offspring.
Still, as they ventured deeper into the alien jungle, he found himself watching her with more than just tactical awareness.
And that, he decided, was far more dangerous than any predator this strange planet might harbor.
He can't fall for her charms, if she found out she'd eat him alive.
Hunger drove them deeper into the jungle, the dense blue-purple vegetation becoming thicker as they moved away from the impact crater.
Toji fashioned crude spears from broken branches, testing their weight and balance before reluctantly handing one to Freeza.
She accepted it with a raised eyebrow. "How primitive."
"Beggars can't be choosers," Toji replied, scanning the undergrowth for movement. "Unless you'd prefer to catch dinner with your bare hands."
They moved in silence for a while, each keeping a wary distance from the other. The jungle was alive with sounds – strange chirping calls, rustling in the canopy above, occasional deep bellows from unseen creatures in the distance.
"There," Freeza whispered suddenly, pointing to movement in a clearing ahead.
Toji followed her gesture and spotted what appeared to be a herd of deer-like creatures grazing on the blue-purple vegetation.
They were unlike any deer he'd seen, however – six-legged with iridescent scales instead of fur, and elaborate horn structures that branched like crystalline sculptures.
"They look edible," he murmured, crouching low to avoid detection.
Freeza mirrored his movement, "The smaller ones will be more tender," she noted. "And easier to bring down."
Toji nodded in agreement, surprised by her practical knowledge. "We'll need to coordinate. I'll circle around to the other side of the clearing. When I give the signal, drive them toward me."
Freeza's eyes narrowed slightly, as if considering whether to follow his direction or do her own thing. After a moment, she gave a curt nod. "Very well."
Toji moved silently through the underbrush, positioning himself at the opposite end of the clearing.
Once in position, he raised his hand, catching Freeza's eye across the clearing. She nodded once, then burst from the undergrowth with startling speed, charging toward the herd with a ferocious cry.
The deer-like creatures scattered in panic, several bolting directly toward Toji's position as planned. He readied his spear, timing his throw carefully as the closest animal approached.
The spear flew true, piercing the creature's neck. It stumbled, then collapsed, legs thrashing briefly before going still.
Across the clearing, Freeza had brought down two of the creatures. Despite her smaller stature, she demonstrated remarkable physical strength, tackling one animal to the ground and snapping its neck with a quick twist.
Toji was about to call out his congratulations when a deep, rumbling growl froze him in place.
From the trees at the edge of the clearing emerged a massive creature unlike anything he'd ever seen – a behemoth that resembled a cross between a rhinoceros and a giant crab, its body covered in segmented armor plates.
"Magna Crusher," Freeza breathed, her voice carrying a note of genuine concern. "Very territorial. Very deadly to insects- like we are now."
The creature pawed the ground, its six massive legs ending in crushing pincers rather than hooves. Its head swung toward them, multiple eyes focusing on the intruders who had dared to hunt in its territory.
"Can we take it?" Toji asked quietly, already calculating angles of attack.
"Without ki?" Freeza replied. "Possibly. But it would be a significant challenge."
Before they could decide on a course of action, the Magna Crusher charged, moving with surprising speed for its bulk. Its pincers snapped at the air, powerful enough to crush bone with ease.
"Split up!" Toji shouted, diving to the right as Freeza leapt to the left.
The creature hesitated momentarily, then turned toward Freeza, perhaps identifying her as the smaller, easier prey. It charged again, forcing her into a defensive roll that barely kept her ahead of its snapping pincers.
Toji seized the opportunity, sprinting toward the beast's flank. He leapt onto its back, grabbing hold of one of the protruding armor plates.
The creature bucked wildly, trying to dislodge him, but he held firm, searching for a vulnerable spot between the armored segments.
Freeza, meanwhile, had recovered her footing and was circling the beast, looking for an opening.
When the Magna Crusher reared up, trying to shake Toji off, she darted in and struck at its exposed underbelly with her spear.
The creature roared in pain, redoubling its efforts to dislodge its attackers. Toji was thrown clear, landing hard several yards away.
The Magna Crusher immediately turned its attention back to Freeza, who now stood without a weapon, having lost her spear in the creature's underbelly.
"Freeza! This way!" Toji called, spotting a narrow gap between two massive tree trunks – too small for the Magna Crusher to follow.
For a moment, he thought she might ignore him, too proud to follow his lead. But as the creature charged again, she made her decision, sprinting toward the escape route he'd identified.
They raced through the gap together, the Magna Crusher crashing into the trees behind them with a frustrated roar.
The impact shook the ground beneath their feet, but the trees held, preventing the creature from pursuing.
They continued running until the sounds of the enraged beast faded into the distance. Finally, they stopped in a small clearing, both breathing heavily from the exertion.
"Well," Toji said between breaths, "that was exciting."
Freeza shot him a withering glance. "We lost our prey."
"True. But we learned something valuable – this planet has predators that can kill us in our current state. We need to be more careful."
Freeza's expression shifted to a cool one. "Indeed. It would be... inconvenient to die here, before our powers return. I want to kill you myself after all."
Toji noticed something odd in her tone. He replayed their encounter with the Magna Crusher in his mind, analyzing her actions more carefully.
The realization hit him like a physical blow – she had deliberately led the creature toward him after her initial evasion, positioning herself so that when the beast charged again, Toji would be in its path rather than her.
It had been a assassination attempt, disguised as the chaos of battle.
He kept his face carefully neutral, not wanting her to realize he'd caught on. Two could play at that game. If she wanted to use the environment against him, he would be prepared to do the same.
"We should find water," he suggested, casually changing the subject. "Then try hunting again, somewhere less... territorial."
Freeza nodded in agreement, her red eyes revealing nothing of her thoughts. "Lead on, then."
As they moved deeper into the jungle, Toji kept a careful distance between them, his mind already planning his own counter-move.
The game had evolved – no longer a direct fight, but a deadly chess match where the entire planet was their board.
'Well, game on woman. By the end of the day, I'll have your head on a pike.'
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Evening found them seated on opposite sides of a small campfire, the flames casting dancing shadows across their faces.
They had eventually succeeded in hunting – bringing down several fish-like creatures from a nearby stream after fashioning crude nets from vines.
The creatures now sizzled on sticks over the fire, their alien aroma filling the air. They'd found a relatively defensible position for their camp – a small clearing with a rock formation at their backs, providing some protection from ambush.
Toji stared into the flames, acutely aware of Freeza across from him. The day's exertions had left him physically exhausted, but his mind remained sharp, hyperaware of his surroundings and the danger she posed.
More troubling than the constant vigilance, however, was his body's increasingly inappropriate response to Freeza's presence.
He'd caught himself watching the way the firelight played across her features, highlighting the elegant curve of her neck, the subtle shift of her white bio-armor as she breathed.
He still blamed it on hormones - and perhaps the fact that he himself has never before been with a woman alone for so long - having wanted to wait for marriage himself in his first life.
Still, the knowledge did nothing to diminish the distraction. And distraction, in their current situation, could be fatal.
"Why are you still in that form?" he finally snapped, the words coming out harsher than intended.
Freeza looked up from the fire, her expression shifting from surprise to annoyance. "What?"
"That form," Toji repeated, gesturing vaguely at her. "It's... distracting." He didn't elaborate on why, unwilling to give her that ammunition.
Freeza gave him a look of pure irritation. "I can't transform back," she stated flatly. "This is essentially my base form now."
Toji's eyebrows rose in surprise. "How is that even a thing? Didn't you say you made this form recently? It can't be your original form."
Freeza tore into her food with ferocity, her movements reflecting her anger. "You aren't listening," she hissed. "This isn't my original form, but it is essentially my base, since it is the one that holds my true power."
She paused, seeming to debate whether to elaborate. After a moment, she continued, her voice carrying a note of reluctant explanation. "My fights with that bastard brother of mine- Cooler caused me to unwittingly grow stronger. My fourth form can no longer hold my true power."
She examined the fish-like creature in her hand, turning it over as if studying its anatomy. "At first I created a muscular form to hold my 100%, but later, after growing too strong, this form became necessary and I created it."
Toji nodded slowly, understanding dawning. "I see..."
The explanation made sense. If her power had grown beyond what her fourth form could contain without proper Ki control, she would need a new vessel for it.
He did remember, that Frieza did use that bulky form for 100% power in the original show, but later after training no longer needing it. This was in line with that.
They ate in silence for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. The jungle around them grew louder as night creatures awakened, strange calls echoing through the trees.
"You don't hate me," Freeza said suddenly, breaking the silence. It wasn't a question, but a statement, delivered with evident puzzlement.
Toji looked up, surprised by the observation. "I tried to strangle you this morning," he pointed out.
"Yes, but not out of hatred," she replied, her eyes studying him intently. "Out of pragmatism. You see me as a threat to be eliminated, not as an enemy to be despised."
Toji considered this, then shrugged. "I guess that's accurate enough."
"Why?" Freeza pressed, genuine curiosity in her voice.
"Everyone else I've encountered either fears me or hates me. Often both. You do neither, despite knowing what I am, what I've done- not that I am not proud of what I've done, it's just... bizarre."
"Would you prefer I hate you?" Toji asked, raising an eyebrow.
"I would prefer to understand," she replied, her tone uncharacteristically earnest. "It suggests either that you don't find my actions morally reprehensible, or that your moral framework operates differently than most."
Toji tossed a bone into the fire, watching it blacken and curl. "It's completely possible to find your actions reprehensible without hating you personally," he explained. "How I view the world is different from others."
He paused, organizing his thoughts. "You may be a monster, but I honestly can't bring myself to care about your past actions beyond your future ones."
"If I just go on and on about how evil your past is, and go and feel bad for all the countless lives you've ended, I'd just drown myself in grief. I have no desire to live like that."
He met her gaze across the fire. "I follow my own pleasure and displeasure – which just so happens to necessitate your death, is all."
Freeza's expression shifted to one of fascination and intrigue. "So you truly don't blame me for the people I've killed?" she asked, her voice carrying a note of surprise.
"Oh, I blame you," Toji corrected, "but intellectually, not emotionally. Besides, I also blame the ones you've killed for kind of bringing it upon themselves."
This seemed to genuinely surprise Freeza. She leaned forward, her interest visibly intensifying. "What do you mean?"
Toji gestured expansively. "For example, the Namekians – they have the Dragon Balls, they could've used them in countless ways to prevent us and anyone else from finding their planet, yet they didn't. They kind of brought all that disaster on themselves."
He continued, warming to his subject. "Or people who are stolen from, or killed, or anything bad really – for everything there is a preventative measure. One simply needs to put in the effort to find it, incorporate it, and have the carefulness necessary to do so."
"Even the powerful like us- first we must notice one to deliver our wrath on them. Don't get on our radar and your fine. People simply need to think carefully before they act."
His voice hardened slightly. "To not do so simply makes them partially at fault as well for the evil that happens to them – not that the evil should happen, it really shouldn't. People are just pieces of shit, so you need to act with that in mind."
He glanced at her uncaringly. "If you want to get offended by that, be my guest."
Freeza's eyes narrowed at the insult, but she chose not to address it directly. Instead, she continued her line of questioning, her tone deliberately mocking. "What about the children, then? They are oh so innocent aren't they? And oh so powerless too."
Toji shrugged, seemingly unbothered by the question. "The Otherworld is a thing. Either they go to Heaven, or they gain a new life after reincarnation."
"It will probably be a better life, since their problems came from the fact the adults around them brought that disaster upon them. So they're probably better off anyway."
Freeza fell silent for a long moment, studying him with an unreadable expression. Finally, she spoke: "You, Toji Fushiguro, are truly a most fascinating individual."
Toji decided to take it as a compliment. "Thanks, I guess."
The conversation lapsed into silence again.
As the fire burned low, they prepared for sleep, arranging themselves on opposite sides of the clearing.
"Wake me in four hours," Toji instructed, settling onto a bed of large leaves he'd gathered earlier. "Sooner if anything approaches the camp."
Freeza nodded, positioning herself with her back against the rock formation, her eyes gleaming in the dying firelight. "Pleasant dreams," she said, her voice carrying a hint of mockery. "Don't worry – I won't kill you in your sleep. Tonight."
Toji smiled grimly. "Likewise. Tomorrow is another day."
He closed his eyes, feigning relaxation while maintaining a state of light awareness. He didn't trust her fully, of course, but exhaustion demanded its due.
Within minutes, despite his best efforts, he had fallen into a deep sleep.
Darkness brought new dangers to the alien jungle. As Toji slept, Freeza maintained her vigil, watching the shadows beyond their camp with sharp attention.
Strange bioluminescent creatures moved through the underbrush, their glowing patterns creating eerie light shows against the vegetation.
Her thoughts drifted to their earlier conversation. This human was unlike any being she had encountered in her centuries of existence.
His philosophy – pragmatic, almost amoral, yet not entirely devoid of principle – intrigued her.
Most creatures she encountered fell into predictable categories: the fearful who cowered before her power, the defiant who spouted tedious platitudes about justice and righteousness before their inevitable defeat, and the opportunistic who sought to align themselves with her strength.
Toji fit none of these patterns.
He acknowledged her evil without emotional investment. He sought to kill her not out of moral outrage but pragmatic self-interest.
And most surprisingly, he seemed to view her as an equal – someone worthy of honest conversation rather than simply an obstacle to overcome - something she herself, who had power like his didn't normally do with others.
A rustling in the undergrowth interrupted her thoughts. She tensed, focusing on the source of the sound.
A moment later, several small creatures emerged from the darkness – roughly the size of cats but with multiple limbs and gleaming, faceted eyes that reflected the dying firelight.
They approached cautiously, seemingly drawn by the scent of the remains of their meal. Freeza watched them with mild interest, assessing whether they posed any threat.
They appeared to be scavengers rather than predators, more interested in the discarded bones than the sleeping human or herself.
As she observed the creatures, a thought occurred to her – an opportunity for another assassination attempt.
The jungle was full of toxic substances; she had recognized several poisonous plants during their trek. If she were to collect some and apply it to Toji's water supply while he slept...
The plan formed quickly in her mind. She would need to be careful not to wake him, but with her natural stealth, it seemed feasible.
She glanced at his sleeping form, noting the steady rise and fall of his chest. He appeared to be deeply asleep, exhausted from the day's exertions.
Killing him any direct way would alert his instincts before she could - he has good ones, loath it as she has to say - ones equal to hers.
Moving silently, she rose from her position and slipped into the jungle.
It didn't take long to find what she was looking for – a plant with distinctive red veins running through its blue-purple leaves.
She recognized it from her extensive knowledge of galactic flora for her wines; its sap was highly toxic to most carbon-based life forms, causing paralysis followed by respiratory failure.
She collected a small amount in a makeshift leaf pouch, then returned to camp. Toji hadn't stirred, his breathing still even and deep.
She approached his water container – a hollowed-out gourd-like fruit they'd discovered earlier – and carefully added the toxic sap, stirring it with a twig to ensure it dissolved completely.
Satisfied with her work, she returned to her position by the rock formation. Now she would simply wait for him to wake and take a drink.
By the time he realized something was wrong, it would be too late.
What she didn't realize was that Toji hadn't been as deeply asleep as he appeared. His instincts towards danger as she thought were just that good- no even better.
That is after all what gave humans their survival over their lifetimes, since normally they were the weak next to the strong.
He had sensed her movement, tracked her departure and return through the subtle sounds she made.
When she approached his water container, he had observed through barely-opened eyes, immediately understanding what she wanted to do.
Now, as she resumed her watch, he continued to feign sleep, his mind already planning his response.
When his turn for watch came, he would dispose of the poisoned water and replace it with fresh.
But he would pretend to drink from it first, allowing her to believe her plan had succeeded. Then, when she thought him weakened by the poison, he would strike.
He would love to replace his with hers, but perhaps she can recognize it, who knows, he isn't as knowledgeable as her about the things in nature beyond earth- even on earth.
The night deepened around them, the strange sounds of the jungle surrounding them.
Predator and prey, hunter and hunted – their roles constantly shifting in this deadly game of survival.
But in a way it was fun- though both didn't want to admit it.
-------------------------------
Dawn broke over the landscape, bathing the blue-purple vegetation in golden light.
Toji had successfully avoided the poisoned water during his watch, disposing of it while Freeza slept and refilling the container from the nearby stream.
As they broke camp, preparing for another day of survival in this hostile environment, Toji suggested they explore further, hoping to find better shelter and a more reliable water source.
"The stream is too exposed," he explained, packing the crude tools they'd fashioned. "We need something more defensible."
Freeza nodded in agreement, her eyes scanning the jungle canopy. "There appear to be mountains in that direction," she said, pointing toward a distant ridge visible through a gap in the trees. "Elevated terrain would provide better visibility."
They set off, moving cautiously through the dense vegetation.
The jungle seemed even more alive during daylight hours, with bizarre creatures scurrying through the undergrowth and flying between the massive tree-like structures overhead.
As they traveled, Toji maintained a careful distance from Freeza, never turning his back on her for more than a few seconds. She did the same.
After several hours of hiking, they encountered an unusual phenomenon – a shimmering distortion in the air, like heat waves rising from hot pavement.
As they approached, both felt an uncomfortable pressure building in their heads, accompanied by a high-pitched whine at the edge of hearing.
"Some kind of electromagnetic field," Freeza observed, wincing slightly at the discomfort. "Common on planets with certain mineral compositions."
Toji nodded, feeling the pressure intensify as they drew closer to the distortion. "We should go around."
As they altered their course to skirt the affected area, Freeza suddenly moved closer to Toji, as if to point something out.
In that moment, she gave him a hard shove, directing him toward what appeared to be a normal pool of amber-colored water.
Toji stumbled forward, nearly falling into the pool before catching himself at the last moment.
Something about the water struck him as wrong – it was too still, with no ripples despite the breeze that stirred the surrounding vegetation.
He leapt back just as the surface of the pool surged upward, revealing it to be not water at all but some kind of organism.
The substance bubbled and hissed where it had splashed his boots, eating through the material with alarming speed.
"Absorption Pool," Freeza explained with false innocence- having made her shove appear like it wasn't intentional. "They digest anything that enters them. Quite deadly."
Toji's eyes narrowed as he regarded her. "Thanks for the warning," he said, his tone making it clear he understood exactly what she had attempted.
Freeza merely smiled, the expression not reaching her eyes. "We should be more careful in this environment. So many... hazards."
They continued their journey.
Toji bided his time, waiting for an opportunity to return the favor.
It came sooner than expected. As they approached a dense thicket of strange, rope-like vines that hung from the canopy, Toji noticed subtle patterns of energy moving through them – not ki, but some form of natural electricity.
"This way seems clearer," he suggested, gesturing toward the vines. "We can push through here."
Freeza studied the path, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You first," she said, her tone making it clear she suspected a trap.
Toji shrugged, moving ahead as if unconcerned. He carefully navigated between the vines, making sure not to touch any of them.
When Freeza followed, he subtly shifted one of the hanging vines with a broken branch, causing it to swing toward her.
She reacted with impressive speed, dodging the vine by mere inches. As it passed her, a massive electrical discharge erupted from it, the energy powerful enough to temporarily illuminate the surrounding jungle.
"Conductor Vines," Toji said- naming them on the spot, mimicking her earlier tone. "They store electrical charge. Quite deadly."
Freeza's eyes flashed with anger, but she said nothing, simply continuing along the path with increased caution.
By midday, they had reached the foothills of the mountain range. The vegetation began to thin, giving way to rocky terrain interspersed with smaller, hardier plants.
They found a small cave entrance partially hidden by a cascade of vine-like growth.
"This could work," Toji said, examining the cave cautiously. "Defensible, sheltered from the rest of nature."
Freeza nodded in agreement, though her posture remained tense. "I'll check for inhabitants," she volunteered, moving past him into the darkness.
Toji waited outside, alert for any signs of danger. When Freeza returned a few minutes later, she reported the cave was empty and extended deep into the mountainside, with multiple chambers.
"No signs of recent occupation," she added. "Though there are some unusual crystal formations deeper inside."
They established their new camp in the cave's outer chamber, gathering materials for another fire.
As evening approached, they ventured out to hunt again, this time with more success and less interference from the local megafauna.
As they sat around their new fire, preparing another meal of alien fish and some tuber-like plants they'd discovered, the atmosphere between them had shifted again.
Their mutual assassination attempts had established a bizarre way of interacting – deadly intent cloaked in civility.
"You're quite resourceful," Freeza commented, turning a skewered fish over the flames. "For a human."
Toji accepted the backhanded compliment with a nod. "And you're surprisingly adaptable for a galactic tyrant. I would have expected more complaints about the primitive conditions."
Freeza's lips curled into a small smile. "I've conquered thousands of worlds, Toji Fushiguro. Many of them far less hospitable than this one. One doesn't rule an empire by being soft."
"Speaking of which," Toji said, leaning back against the cave wall, "I've been wondering something."
"Oh?"
"Why do you do it? Rule an empire, conquer planets, all of that. What's the point?"
Freeza regarded him with surprise, as if the question had never occurred to her. "What's the point of breathing?" she countered. "It's what I was born to do. My family has ruled the galaxy for generations."
"But is that what you want?" Toji pressed, genuinely curious. "Or is it just what you've always done because it was expected?"
Freeza fell silent, her expression thoughtful as she considered the question. No one had ever asked her that before – not her father, not her brother, certainly not any of her subordinates.
"Power," she said finally, her voice softer than usual. "I want power. The ability to do as I please, when I please, without anyone to stop me."
"And you need an empire for that?" Toji asked. "Seems like a lot of administrative hassle for someone who just wants freedom."
Freeza's eyes narrowed. "You're questioning my methods?"
"Just trying to understand," Toji replied- returning her words from their previous conversation - with a shrug. "You already have enough personal power to do whatever you want. Why bother with the bureaucracy of an empire?"
"Because power isn't just about physical strength," Freeza explained, her tone suggesting she was speaking to a child. "It's about influence, resources, information. An emperor with a million soldiers at her command is more powerful than a lone warrior, no matter how strong."
Toji nodded slowly. "Fair point. Though there's something to be said for simplicity."
"Is that what you want?" Freeza asked, turning his question back on him. "Simplicity?"
Toji stared into the flames, considering. "I want... freedom," he said finally. "The ability to live as I choose, without interference. And enough power to ensure no one can take that from me."
"Not so different from what I want," Freeza observed. "Just on a smaller scale."
"Maybe," Toji conceded. "Though I don't normally desire to have to rule over something like an Empire."
"Don't you?" Freeza's voice carried a note of challenge. "What about when you said you wanted to take mine? Or those Saiyans you claimed to have enslaved? Vegeta and Nappa?"
Toji smiled slightly. "That's different. They're necessary - necessary and useful tools."
"Again, not so different from my perspective," Freeza replied. "The entire universe is filled with useful tools that I find necessary. I simply have more of them than you do."
The conversation lapsed into silence, both considering the unexpected parallels between their worldviews.
Despite their different methods and scales of operation, there was a fundamental similarity in their approach to power and its uses.
As they finished their meal, Toji found himself wondering if Freeza had ever had a conversation like this before – philosophical rather than tactical, exploring ideas rather than planning conquests.
He doubted it. The tyrant had likely surrounded herself with sycophants and servants, not equals who could challenge her thinking.
"You mentioned children earlier," he began, curious, wanting to break the silence, "Do you want any?"
Freeza looked genuinely startled by the question. "Of course not," she replied, as if the very idea was absurd. "Why would I burden myself with offspring?"
"Continuation of your lineage?" Toji suggested. "Isn't that important to your family, with the whole empire thing?"
"That's Cooler's problem," Freeza said dismissively. "As the eldest, the burden of producing heirs falls to him. Though I doubt he's had any success in that department either. In both of our reproductive ways- asexually and sexually."
"So neither of you wants kids?" filing that they apparently could reproduce both ways away to think about later.
"Want has nothing to do with it," Freeza explained. "Our species reproduces rarely, and only when conditions are ideal. It's not like you mammals with your constant breeding cycles."
Toji raised an eyebrow at this new information. "So it's more of a conscious choice for your kind?"
"Precisely. And neither Cooler nor I have chosen to reproduce." She paused, studying him with sudden intensity. "What about you? Do you have offspring?"
"No," Toji replied, shaking his head. "Never found the right situation or person for it."
Freeza seemed about to ask another question when a strange sound from outside the cave interrupted them – a high-pitched chittering that seemed to come from multiple sources simultaneously.
They both tensed, rising to their feet. Toji grabbed his makeshift spear while Freeza moved to the cave entrance, peering out into the gathering darkness.
"Hive Sentinels," she whispered, having read about them in a book- she likes reading books, a lot- her voice tight with concern. "At least a dozen."
Toji joined her at the entrance, spotting the creatures immediately.
They were massive – easily twenty feet tall – with insectoid features and crystalline growths protruding from their exoskeletons.
Four arms extended from each torso, ending in wicked-looking claws.
"Can we fight them?" he asked quietly, assessing their options.
"Not without ki," Freeza replied. "They're too numerous, and those crystal protrusions can be fired as projectiles."
As if to demonstrate her point, one of the creatures suddenly launched a volley of crystal shards toward the cave entrance.
Toji and Freeza ducked back inside just as the projectiles embedded themselves in the rock where they had been standing moments before.
"We need to move deeper into the cave," Toji suggested, already backing away from the entrance.
Freeza nodded in agreement, and they retreated into the darkness, navigating by the dim light of bioluminescent fungi that grew on the cave walls.
Behind them, they could hear the chittering growing louder as the Hive Sentinels approached the entrance.
The cave system was more extensive than they had initially realized, with multiple tunnels branching off from the main chamber.
They chose one that seemed to lead upward, hoping to find another exit higher on the mountainside.
As they moved through the narrow passage, Toji suddenly felt Freeza shove him from behind.
The push was forceful, sending him stumbling forward directly into the path of a Sentinel that had somehow entered the cave through another entrance.
The creature's crystalline eyes glowed in the darkness as it raised its claws to strike. Toji rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack, then scrambled to his feet, shooting a venomous glare at Freeza.
"Oops," she said with false innocence. "I tripped."
Before Toji could respond, the Sentinel attacked again, forcing him to focus on the immediate threat.
He ducked under a swipe of its claws, then drove his spear into a gap in its exoskeleton. The creature screeched in pain but didn't fall, instead redoubling its attack.
Freeza, meanwhile, had positioned herself behind the Sentinel, seemingly content to watch Toji struggle.
But when a second creature appeared from the darkness, she was forced to engage, using a broken stalactite as an improvised weapon.
Despite their mutual animosity, they found themselves fighting back-to-back against the Sentinels, their survival instincts temporarily overriding their desire to kill each other.
Toji's physical strength allowed him to pierce the creatures' tough exoskeletons, while Freeza's agility kept her one step ahead of their attacks.
When the last Sentinel fell, they stood amidst the carnage, breathing heavily from the exertion. Toji turned to face Freeza, his expression dark.
"That's the fourth time you've tried to kill me today," he noted, his voice deceptively calm. "You're getting sloppy."
"Perhaps," Freeza acknowledged, wiping ichor from her hands. "Or perhaps I'm simply testing your reflexes."
"Well, consider this a test of yours," Toji replied, suddenly lunging forward and shoving her toward a patch of what appeared to be harmless moss on the cave floor.
Freeza caught herself before making contact, her eyes widening as she noticed the subtle movement within the moss – countless tiny, razor-sharp crystals that would have shredded her skin on contact.
"Arborealites," Toji explained- another name on the spot - with a cold smile. "I noticed them earlier. Quite deadly."
Their gazes locked, mutual respect mingling how the ever increasing amount of want towards killing each other.
As well as frustration.
For in that moment, both recognized a truth neither would admit aloud – they were evenly matched, not just in power but in cunning and survival instinct.
"We should find a more defensible position," Freeza suggested after a moment, breaking the tension. "Preferably one with fewer hidden entrances."
Toji nodded in agreement, and they continued their exploration of the cave system, eventually finding a small chamber with only one entrance and a high ceiling that allowed smoke from their rekindled fire to escape through a natural chimney.
They settled into their new shelter, having begun to enjoy their game even more than before.
The closeness necessary for survival, combined with the constant awareness of each other's bodies in combat, had intensified the unwanted attraction that simmered beneath their hostility.
Toji found himself increasingly distracted her, the curve of her form in the firelight.
And judging by the way her eyes occasionally lingered on him- and his barechest, and legs, his pants having been reduced to mere shorts now - when she thought he wasn't looking, she was experiencing something similar.
It was, he decided, the most dangerous thing about all of this.
The days that followed established a pattern – hunting, exploring, defending their territory, and attempting to kill each other in increasingly creative ways.
Each assassination attempt was met with a counter, each trap detected just in time, each poisoned food or water supply identified before taken in.
Having completely forgotten about Cooler or Earth, or the Dragon Balls- too focused on each other and the now.
Toji having long ago decided to trust them to win, and Freeza herself having actually done so as well, hoping that the monkeys find some ingenious way to stop her brother before he became immortal.
Unknown to her, the Dragon Balls still needed a year to reactivate, this was the fact that made Toji more calm, since even after this, so long he wins, survives and recovers, he can kill Cooler soon enough.
He'll grow from his fight with them stronger than ever, because of his absurd potential.
After the fifth failed killing attempt – a particularly elaborate trap involving a trip wire and a nest of venomous creatures Freeza had discovered – Toji found himself almost admiring her ingenuity.
Similarly, when he managed to contaminate her food supply with a paralyzing fungus (which she detected by its slightly off scent), she acknowledged his cleverness with a nod of respect.
Their shelter had improved as well.
They'd found a more permanent cave higher up the mountainside, with better visibility of the surrounding terrain and multiple escape routes.
They'd fashioned more effective weapons, created storage for food and water, and established a routine that allowed them to survive while maintaining constant vigilance against each other.
Both won't admit it, but this is the most fun they've had- this game of death, than in their entire lives.
On the tenth day, everything came to a head.
A severe storm had forced them to remain in their cave, the acid rain outside making any excursion potentially lethal.
"You're staring again," Freeza observed without looking up from the weapon she was sharpening.
Toji, caught off guard, scowled. "I'm watching you because I don't trust you," he replied, the excuse sounding weak even to his own ears.
"Of course," Freeza agreed, a knowing smirk playing at her lips. "Just as I watch you for the same reason."
"Exactly."
A silence fell between them, broken only by the sound of the storm outside and the scraping of stone against bone as Freeza continued to sharpen her weapon.
"Why do you have that form?" Toji asked suddenly, the question that had been bothering him for days finally finding voice.
Freeza looked up, genuine confusion in her expression. "We've been through this. It's my base form now. I can't change back."
"That's not what I mean," Toji clarified, frustration evident in his tone. "You could've made yourself look different. Chosen something else. Something less... distracting."
Freeza's eyes narrowed. "Distracting? In what way?"
Toji gestured vaguely, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was taking but unable to stop himself. "You know what I mean."
"I assure you, I don't," Freeza replied, though her tone suggested otherwise. "Please, elaborate."
"Fine," Toji snapped, his patience wearing thin. "You're attractive- no beautiful - in that form. It's distracting. Happy now?"
Freeza's expression shifted from mock confusion to genuine surprise, then settled into something more calculating. "Attractive? To a human? How fascinating."
"Don't act like you didn't know," Toji growled. "You've been using it against me."
"Using what against you?" Freeza demanded, rising to her feet, the weapon forgotten. "My existence? The form that contains my power?"
"You could've made yourself look different," Toji insisted. "Less... this."
"And why should I?" Freeza challenged, taking a step toward him. "Because you can't control your primitive urges? That sounds like a you problem, not something I have to concern myself with."
Toji stood as well, unwilling to remain at a physical disadvantage. "You're doing it deliberately. Trying to distract me, weaken my resolve."
"You flatter yourself," Freeza scoffed, though there was a new tension in her voice. "As if I would lower myself to such tactics."
"Then why do I catch you watching me when you think I'm not looking?" Toji countered, taking a step closer to her. "Why do your eyes linger when I'm hunting, or swimming, or training?"
Freeza's eyes flashed with anger – or perhaps something else. "You're delusional."
"Am I?" Toji was close enough now to see the subtle changes in her expression, the quickening of her breath. "Or are you experiencing the same thing I am? This... unwanted attraction. Did you choose that form, because you yourself were attracted to the way I look? A human looks?"
"You did say I am good-looking when we first met." he whispered that last part against her ear with a smirk.
"Absurd," Freeza hissed, but she didn't back away. "I would never be attracted to a lesser species."
"And yet here we are," Toji said softly, backing away his head, his eyes locked with hers. "Both lying to ourselves."
The tension between them had become almost unbearable, the air in the cave thick with desire and rage.
They stood mere inches apart, neither willing to retreat, neither willing to acknowledge the truth.
It was Freeza who broke first – not in surrender, but in attack.
She lunged forward, her hands aiming for Toji's throat. He caught her wrists, using her momentum to spin them around and pin her against the cave wall.
She struggled against his grip. They grappled fiercely, each trying to gain the upper hand, their bodies pressed together in a violent dance of dominance.
"I could snap your neck right now," Freeza hissed, her eyes blazing with fury and something else - something neither of them wanted to acknowledge.
"You could try," Toji countered, his voice rough as he tightened his grip on her wrists. "But we both know you won't."
And then, without either being able to say who moved first, they were kissing. Not the desperate oxygen-stealing kiss from space, but something... deeper.
Freeza bit his lower lip hard enough to draw blood. "I still hate you," she snarled against his mouth.
"The feeling's mutual," Toji growled, spinning her around and pinning her against the rough cave wall.
His hand found her throat, applying just enough pressure to remind her of his first attempt to kill her- when they arrived on this planet.
Freeza's black nails dug into Toji's back, leaving deep welts as she dragged them down his skin. "When my powers return, you'll be the first to die," she promised, even as her body arched against his.
"You'll have to beat me to it," he retorted, his free hand tangling roughly in her white hair, pulling her head back to expose her neck. "I've been planning your death since day one."
There was nothing gentle about how this.
It was another way of fighting - each still trying to dominate the other, neither willing to submit.
Every touch was a challenge, every kiss a contest of wills.
Freeza's hand slipped between them, reaching for a jagged stone she'd hidden earlier for just such an opportunity. Toji caught her wrist, slamming it back against the wall.
"Nice try," he murmured against her ear, his voice dark with both arousal and warning. "Save the murder attempts for after."
"Coward," she taunted, wrapping one leg around his waist to pull him closer. "Afraid I'll succeed where you've failed ten times already?"
Clothes and armor were torn away violently, skin against skin.
Each touch was brought pleasure and excitement as they knew the other still was trying to kill them.
"I could crush you," Toji grunted as he entered her, lifting her against the wall.
"Y- You lack the strength," Freeza moaned, as she countered, her nails drawing blood from his shoulders as she used the leverage to flip their positions, momentarily gaining the upper hand.
The storm outside intensified, thunder crashing in perfect rhythm with their violent encounter.
Rain lashed against the cave entrance as they fought for dominance, each small victory met with renewed resistance.
"When this is over," Freeza gasped, her composure finally cracking as tension built between them, "I'll make you regret not killing me when you had the chance."
"Promises, promises," Toji replied through gritted teeth, his control similarly slipping. "Talk is cheap, your highness."
As he then pulled out and threw her face first on the ground, as his shadow towered over her- both naked.
As she, with a hiss turned around, Toji smirked,
"Now, the real fun begins. We'll see who dies first." As he descended upon her.
--------------------------
(Author note: Okay... That last part was awkward to write. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter.
Seriously, sitting on the floor and writing is not a good idea guys, my legs hurt from sitting here for the last couple hours- as do my arms and fingers.
Well, I hope you guys enjoyed,
Do tell me how you found it, their interactions, conversations, them trying to kill one another, and the eventual hate-sex.
I hope I made it logical, how they were already attracted to each other, Toji because of Freeza's beauty, and her because of Toji's own strength rivaling hers, his handsomeness, his views intriguing her, their constant game of death bringing her more fun than she's ever had, etc.
(Also the sex was awkward because they both are virgins, and don't know what they are doing.)
Well,
Bye!)