Disclaimer: Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT (including characters) are all owned by Akira Toriyama.

Chapter 1: Beginnings

Everything had ruptured into chaos.

Massive waves of molten lava plumed out of the cracks and crevices of the planet's charred surface. Streaks of lightning flashed across the ashen sky, followed by a horrendous clap of thunder. The ground shook violently creating enormous fissures hundreds of meters deep. Every structure, plant, and animal had perished in the catastrophic aftermath.

Planet Namek was slowly coming to an end.

Two fists collided with one another at a speed unseen by the naked eye. Another flash of lightning brightened the red and black sky for a short instance. The fists expanded into two very different hands that grasped each other with great intensity.

The greatest fight of all time continued to rage between a tyrant and a warrior fighting for the sake of the entire universe—a task that had been passed down to him as the last survivor of his endangered race.

Goku clenched his teeth tightly as he glared into the red eyes of his opponent. Crimson, hate-filled eyes. His grip on the alien overlord's hands tightened as he pushed his power to a higher level. He could feel the blood slide down the side of his face, the pain that flowed through every vessel in his body, and resentment that he had never experienced in his life. The rage burning within him for his friends and allies forced him to cling onto every ounce of energy he had left to defeat this being that claimed to be the supreme ruler of the universe.

He refused to lose this fight.

"Come on, you miserable monkey!" Freeza seethed. "Don't tell me you're losing the will to fight me! You said you wanted a stronger opponent didn't you?"

The white, now extremely brawny, alien laughed maniacally as his fingers dug deeper into the Super Saiyan's hands.

Goku growled through clenched teeth, bringing his head back and ramming it into Freeza's cranium. He felt the tyrant's grip loosen and dealt a hard punch to his abdomen. The brutal force sent Freeza's body hurling toward a large rock formation at an alarming speed. The massive boulders crumbled from the impact instantaneously.

He took in large quantities of air as he watched the rocks fall, but made sure to stay on guard.

In a matter of seconds, Freeza escaped the avalanche of rocks and reappeared in front of the Saiyan. Both prepared to trade blows once again as they stared each other down, until a loud shout sounded through the air.

"Freeza!"

He turned to face the direction from which his name was echoed. His red eyes narrowed but then widened as he stared on in disbelief.

"N-no. This can't be possible!"

Goku turned and watched as the familiar blue aura approached him. When he finally confirmed whose energy he had sensed, he smiled in relief, and brought one arm up to give the newcomer a friendly wave.

"Hey! Nice to have you back, Vegeta!"

The Saiyan prince stopped in front of the two bloodied warriors. He immediately looked at Goku with a scrutinizing gaze. The other Saiyan's green eyes glinted with that familiar gleam that he remembered from their first encounter back on Earth.

"So you finally did it." He said in reserved awe. Smirking, he faced Freeza. "I suppose that ridiculous legend I was spouting came to be true after all. And now here you are, getting the beating you deserve." He chuckled mockingly.

Freeza balled his hand into a hard fist. He glared at the Saiyan who had dared to taunt him in such a manner.

"Why you insolent little ape! I'll kill you again, and this time you won't be coming back!"

A bright purple sphere formed within the palm of his other hand, then transformed into a disk. Goku, noticing before Vegeta did, quickly intercepted the blast that was meant to slice through the prince's body with an energy blast of his own.

Freeza's expression changed from blood lust into shock as his face was met with another ruthless punch. His body sailed through the air and fell into a lake hundreds of meters below.

The Super Saiyan straightened and turned around to look at the Saiyan prince behind him.

"Vegeta, what are you still doing here? You have to leave now." He asked with a worried tone.

The Saiyan prince characteristically crossed his arms over his chest, meeting the glowing warrior's gaze.

"As far as I know there aren't any other ships that would be operational. The pod I arrived in is too far away from here to escape in time, and it's likely that most or all of Freeza's fleet has been destroyed."

Goku cursed under his breath.

"Dammit! Something must have gone wrong when Dende made the wish to send you all back to Earth." He pondered silently, until he finally came up with a solution. "Wait! That's it!"

The expression on his face lightened considerably and he looked at the other Saiyan again.

"You can take my ship! It's close to where Freeza's mother ship is, and if you hurry you can get out of here before the planet explodes."

Vegeta's gaze remained stern.

"Are you positive? There's no telling if it's intact."

"Well, actually there is." Goku closed his eyes and reached out with his mind. A mental image of his spaceship came into view as he zoned in, but there was a small ki signature he sensed inside. He fixated on the source and immediately recognized who it was.

He quickly opened his eyes in shock.

"Bulma?!"

Vegeta watched him curiously.

"What is it?"

A shiver ran through Goku's body as he stared on aimlessly. His expression had fear written all over it.

"The ship is alright… but one of my friends—she's on board. Vegeta, will you do me a favor? Please take her back to Earth!"

The Saiyan prince stiffened. He initially felt complied to outright refuse Kakarot's request, but then he remembered when he had made a desperate plea to the Super Saiyan in his dying moments. After a few seconds of silence, he relented.

"Tch. Fine." He glared at his rival. "But once you're done here, we'll finish what we started back on that miserable planet of yours and settle the score between us. Understand?"

Goku grinned and nodded.

"Looking forward to it!" He brought his hand up to give the Saiyan prince a thumbs up. That familiar gleam in his eyes reappeared, reflecting the fighting spirit that never seemed to leave him, even in his most dire moments.

Vegeta glanced at the friendly gesture with unfamiliarity. Paying no mind to the meaning behind it, he turned away and flew off in the direction where he would find Kakarot's ship, leaving the other Saiyan to finish his fight with Freeza.

As he journeyed through the grey and black sky, he couldn't help but re-envision the image of Goku in his Super Saiyan form. It filled him with a great sense of pride, which was closely accompanied by frustration.

Despite all of the doubt and uncertainty, the legend of the Super Saiyan was true. And Kakarot was living proof that the stories passed down from their ancestors were actual accounts from the past. This knowledge and his own observation of Kakarot's new form further strengthened Vegeta's resolve to obtain that same power. However, it was extremely difficult for him to fathom how Kakarot was able to transform.

What was it that enabled him to access such strength?

How was it that he, Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans, had somehow been surpassed by a low-class fighter that was so gentle and kind-hearted?

It made no sense, and that angered Vegeta more than anything. He needed to uncover the secret to becoming a Super Saiyan, or else he would never be able to catch up to Kakarot.

Lightning lashed out from the clouds above him. The sky became bright with a blinding white light for a split second, and then returned to its hideous burnt color.

Vegeta looked ahead. He could see the mother ship in the distance. The giant hole he created during his escape from Freeza's custody looked like the wide, gaping mouth of a huge monster in the hellish environment that surrounded it and everything else.

Kakarot's ship must be close by.

Increasing his speed substantially, the he continued in his search.

"This is ridiculous! Come on, you stupid thing! What's wrong with you?"

Bulma Briefs quickly tried to type the coordinates of Planet Earth into the control pad of the No. 2 Capsule Corporation spaceship her father had engineered for Goku. Her mind raced as the touch screen constantly bleeped the phrase "ONE MOMENT PLEASE" in bold blue letters. She banged her fists against the machine in desperation.

"Ugh! Don't do this to me! I've been through too much to have it end like this!"

Sweat rolled down the sides of her face as she resumed her attempts to get the ship to accept her coordinates.

It couldn't end like this! Not after she had survived being left to rot in this planet's blazing hot sun! Not after she had defended herself from every countless creature that thought she was food! Not after she had witnessed her best friend's son disappear right before her very eyes, leaving her stranded on this God forsaken ball of dirt!

And just who was to blame for her current situation?

Everyone.

Goku, Krillin, Gohan, and everyone else who had forced her into this. She never wanted to go to this stupid planet in the first place. But most of all it was that wretched Vegeta. If it hadn't been for him and that insane buddy of his arriving on Earth to find the Dragon Balls she would never have been stuck on this hellhole!

Suddenly, a large tremor shook the planet's surface. The ship rocked back and forth. Bulma clumsily lost her footing and slid across the floor until she hit the wall.

"Ow!" She rubbed her throbbing head. "This couldn't possibly get any worse!"

Right after she spoke, she felt the ship begin to tilt off of its axis. Her eyes moved to the window located at the front of the ship and noticed that the spacecraft was going to plunge into a boiling pit of lava.

Her eyes widened. Panic overwhelmed her and she immediately began to scramble to the back of the ship, screaming at the top of her lungs.

"No! No! Pleaaasssee! Someone! A-anyone help meeee!"

The force of gravity pulled her body down towards the ship's front. Bulma's hands quickly grabbed hold of the staircase railing. The ship tilted further and further.

Losing all hope, the she shut her eyes, and waited to die.

The ground beneath the ship could no longer handle the weight, and crumbled away. In a matter of seconds, the ship fell.

Bulma was positive that her death was eminent, until a sharp jerk halted the ship's plummet into the fiery pit. Opening her now tear-filled eyes, she looked around her and realized that the ship was being carried through the air. She clung onto the railing until the ship was roughly settled upright onto the ground. Dazed and unnerved, the blue-haired damsel released the metallic railing, and crawled on all fours behind the gravity simulator in the middle of the room. She pressed her back to the cylindrical device and tried catching her breath.

Vegeta landed on the ground and found the entrance to the ship. He pried the door open with one hand and made his way inside. His black eyes scanned the ship's interior. There was no sign of the woman Kakarot had mentioned, until he sensed a weak ki coming from behind a strange looking machine at the center of the domed room.

Bulma could hear the footsteps become louder. She felt her heart beat against her chest and her breathing quickened. In order to control herself, she placed both hands over her mouth, and her wide blue eyes stared at the shadow of whoever was on the other side of the gravity simulator.

"I already know that you're there. Come out, now."

Bulma's breath caught in her throat when she heard that gruff voice acknowledge her presence.

Vegeta.

But how did he manage to find her? What did he want? Was this a trap or something? It had to be a trap!

She remained behind the simulator, hesitant to do anything else.

Vegeta was starting to lose his patience. He stepped around and stood in front of an extremely frightened, blue-haired woman. She immediately moved away in response, her eyes full of fear and insecurity. It finally dawned on him that this was the same woman who had accompanied Kakarot's son and idiot friend to Namek. She looked exactly the same as when he saw her last—cowering in his presence and afraid of what he might do to her.

Bulma felt her body quiver as the Saiyan stared at her. He made no move towards her, but she still couldn't imagine herself getting out of this situation alive. All she could do was sit there, and wait for him to make a move. Instead, he spoke in a low yet commanding voice. She flinched on instinct.

"Can you operate this ship?"

She didn't respond.

"Answer the question, woman. We're running out of time! Yes, or no?" His voice became more impatient and irritated.

Bulma nodded.

"Then get up and get us out of here."

Although she wasn't the type that was inclined to take orders from others, she decided it would be in her best interest to do what he said…for now.

She got to her feet and stumbled toward the control panel. Hopefully it would work this time, or else they were both going to end up boiling in rivers of molten lava. Her fingers quickly moved across the touch screen. She tried to type in the earth's coordinates one more time, and felt Vegeta's gaze on her as she did so.

"ACCEPTED"

Bulma let out a heavy sigh of relief. She pushed the button beside the screen and the thrusters of the spaceship turned on, propelling the ship into the planet's outer atmosphere.

Once the dying celestial body could be seen from a relatively safe distance, she wiped the sweat from her brow.

That was a close call.

Then she heard footsteps from behind and she froze, remembering that a terrifying being bent on conquering the entire universe was in the same room with her.

Vegeta had stepped forward until he was a few feet away from the woman, and looked outside of the wide window. The once peaceful planet of Namek had transformed into a gigantic orb that was being torn apart from the inside out. The dark red, orange, and black covered the entire surface making it look identical to a time bomb on the verge of an explosion. And ironically enough that was exactly what it had become.

He looked down at the control mechanism. The screen displayed a set of coordinates and a holographic image of the planet Earth. His gaze returned to the vacuum of space in front of him.

"Change the course we're traveling on."

Bulma looked at him in disbelief.

"What?"

"Change our current course. We can't return to your planet just yet." He said with his arms crossed over his armored chest.

She couldn't believe her ears. Since when was he in charge?

"As I recall, this is my spaceship, and I'm the one that decides where we go. However, I'd be happy to drop you off somewhere on the way home."

The defiance in her tone was loud and clear. However, after realizing what she just said, she immediately turned away and hoped that she wasn't about to get blasted to smithereens for speaking out.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but this ship actually belongs to Kakarot."

Bulma's eyes widened.

"Goku? How did you know that? What did you do to him? What—"

"He told me the whereabouts of this ship, and requested that I return you safely to your home planet." The Saiyan's dark eyes met hers. "Does that provide the confirmation you need?"

She shook her head.

"There's no way that's possible! Goku would never ask someone like you to watch over me. Besides, I can take care of myself!" She huffed.

"I don't like this anymore than you do, woman. However, I made a promise, and I'm a man of my word." Vegeta replied. "Now, take us somewhere else."

Bulma remained skeptic.

"Why should we change course? If you're telling the truth, then we have to go to Earth."

The Saiyan looked at her in annoyance.

"In case you haven't noticed, this spacecraft is most likely damaged in some way, which means that the time it takes to arrive on your planet will take much longer than expected. Adding onto to that, we probably need to restock on food and supplies. So tell me, would you rather crash land somewhere with no possibility of ever reaching your precious home, or listen to what I say and change our course, making this trip more bearable for the both of us?"

There was a brief moment of silence.

Bulma let out a frustrated sigh. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right… and lucky that the only reason she decided to obey was because of her fear of dying.

"Fine. Then where to next?"

"The planet closest to our location would be Pragnot." He waited for her to search for the planet's coordinates in the data system. A few seconds later, a computerized female voice spoke.

"Search activated. Destination: Pragnot. Flight duration: Ten hours."

Vegeta turned around and made his way towards the staircase located at the back of the ship. After being revived from the dead, his body felt heavier, and his muscles ached. Pain shot through his brain. He brought one hand up to his head and shut his eyes. He clenched his teeth as he endured the headache. He opened his eyes and continued towards the stairs. Hopefully there was a place he could rest. At the moment, it was all that he could think of, until a voice from behind called out.

"Wait!"

He stopped for making it to the first step.

"Now that I've done something for you, it's time you did the same."

After the throbbing finally subsided he replied in a low voice.

"What?"

Bulma glared at his back. Her hands had become tight fists on her sides, and she bit her bottom lip.

"I…I want you to tell me everything that happened on Namek. I need to know what happened to my friends, and if our wish came true, and…why you and I were the last ones left on the planet before the explosion."

Vegeta didn't say anything. He only stood in silence for a moment, and walked down the steps, completely ignoring her.

Bulma watched him leave. The anger boiled inside of her. Just who did this guy think he was? She refused to settle for this. Although she was scared to death of that dirt bag, she had to get some answers.

I'm not going to be set aside any longer! I have to know what happened.

Gathering her courage, she followed the Saiyan downstairs. Her feet stomped on every step on the way. When her feet touched the tiled floor of the kitchen, she noticed that the door to the bedroom had been closed.

She stood at a distance before stepping forward. The automatic door slid open, granting her entrance into the room.

Vegeta was standing beside the bed. Most of his armor had been removed and cast aside in a pile on the floor. He paused while in the process of removing his gloves. He glanced at her and returned to undressing.

"What do you want, woman?" He spoke nonchalantly.

Bulma stared at him. Her anger flared in her bright blue eyes.

"Listen here, bub!" She pointed her index finger in his direction. "I refuse to tolerate this sort of treatment any longer!"

Vegeta pulled off his other glove, keeping his back turned towards the woman. Her voice became louder each time she opened her mouth.

"Just because you're some crazy monster with the power to destroy an entire planet doesn't mean you have the right to boss me around!"

His hands fell to his sides. He tightly gripped his gloves in one hand. A deep scowl present on his face.

"In case you haven't noticed, I'm a beautiful, young, intelligent woman, which means that I deserve to be respected! And furthermore—"

"I've had enough of your incessant prattling!" The Saiyan's commanding voice forced Bulma to instantly shut her mouth.

He turned around and glared at her. His eyes were black and cold.

"I've had enough of your childish complaints," he threw his gloves beside his armor, and began to walk towards the irritating little woman. "From this point onward, you are my responsibility. That means you're going to do what I tell you to do whether you like it or not, until we reach that measly ball of dirt you call home." He continued to step forward.

Bulma felt her body begin to move against her will. Every step he took in her direction, her feet took a few steps back. She wanted to stand up to him, but her fear besieged her.

Suddenly, she found herself with her back against the wall, and Vegeta was standing in front of her. His obsidian gaze seemed to peer into her soul.

"Got it?"

Bulma had to gather whatever bravery was left within her. She met his condemning glare with one of her own.

"How do I even know that you're telling the truth?" She kept the shakiness in her voice well hidden.

Vegeta smirked.

"You don't." His voice was laced with menace. "You'll just have to trust me."

He stepped back. The smirk gone. He looked down at her with a superior expression on his face, like he had gained some sort of victory over her.

Bulma continued to stand against the wall. She looked away from his piercing gaze. The way he answered her only made her more wary of his true intentions. After pushing herself off of the wall with her hands, she walked out of the room and made her way back upstairs.

Vegeta watched her leave. He turned back to the bed and lay down, facing the ceiling. Closing his eyes and placing his hands underneath his head, he tried to relax. They had ten hours until they would land on one of Freeza's military bases, he might as well make the most of it and get some sleep.

Bulma turned off the lights in the main chamber. Seating herself into the pilot chair, she stared at the billions of stars that passed by through the large window. The bright white streaks merged with the empty blackness of the universe.

Yes…empty.

Just like that damned Saiyan's eyes. Those bottomless pits of darkness revealed the cruel, emotionless soul of a true asshole.

Who was he to boss her around anyway?

Change our course. You're my responsibility. Bulma imitated her captor's deep voice in her thoughts. Yeah right. Everything he said was probably a lie. She roughly crossed her arms and glared at the window.

"What I'd give to hit that jerk where it really hurts." She growled.

Her eyes moved down to the control panel in front of her. The name of the planet they were heading towards was displayed in bold white capitol letters. The timer counted down from nine hours and fifty-three minutes.

"What am I supposed to do with that much spare time?"

She looked down at her yellow vest. It was covered with dust, dirt, and grime. Her black pants were also dirty, as well as her orange boots. She could take a shower, or a nice luxurious bubble bath. Opening her capsule case, she looked to see if she had anything to start her bath with.

Nope.

"No choice but to go with the shower. At least it's better than nothing." She sighed and closed the case to put it back inside of her vest pocket.

She stood up and paused.

The only problem with the shower was Vegeta. Apparently he was using the bed, but she didn't know whether he was asleep or not. She didn't want another confrontation with him lest she wanted her head blown off or something.

Maybe if I'm really quiet. He won't wake up.

Bulma assured herself that this plan would work, and walked to the staircase, tip-toeing down every step. She snuck into the bedroom after the door slid open, and made her way into the bathroom. There was no sound coming from the Saiyan in bed. Only his bare back was visible in the darkness. Once she was inside, and sure that Vegeta was still motionless, she pushed a button that closed the door, turned on the water, and began to undress.

She stepped inside the tub and pulled the curtains behind her.

"Ahh. This was what I really needed." She smiled as the hot water touched her skin. "Just to relax and take my mind off of all the undeserved trouble I've been put through."

A few minutes later, Bulma finished showering. She wrapped a towel from the closet inside around her body, and used another to dry her hair. After dressing herself in her grey undergarments, the young woman reopened the door, and peeked outside. Vegeta was still asleep.

She let out a soft sigh of relief.

Nice work, Bulma. He didn't notice you.

She stepped out of the bathroom and prepared to walk out of the bedroom, but paused. Where was she going to sleep?

Her blue eyes looked down at the space beside the Saiyan.

I could sleep in the bed. That is, if he doesn't catch me first. Bulma shook her head at the thought.

No! I'm not going to sleep in a bed with a guy that dangerous! I'd rather sleep in the pilot chair. There's no telling what he could do to me while I'm sleeping. The mere idea of the sadistic acts the Saiyan might commit swept through her mind. She frantically looked to the door. Indecision overwhelmed her.

But the chair is so uncomfortable. A fragile girl like me isn't suitable for dozing off in something that might make me sore in the morning. She looked to the bed again.

Drowsiness was finally starting to take its toll on her as she stared at the white sheets, soft mattress and pillow. She imagined herself falling into a deep slumber underneath the covers of warmth.

Maybe for just a few minutes. Her eyelids became heavy, and she suddenly found herself moving towards the bed, her hand reaching out for the comfort it would provide.

Then, she stealthily slipped under the covers. Her hands moved to hold the pillow beneath her head, and she finally allowed her eyes to close as she fell asleep.

Thanks for reading. More chapters will be up soon.