The energy diffused. "But a Saiyan lives to fight and destroy."

Kakarrot spoke the truth, but Vegeta quickly combatted it. "There is no use in fighting something that does not pose a challenge," Vegeta said. "Forget this worthless race."

Kakarrot relaxed, and Vegeta thought that danger had been averted. "My space pod," Kakarrot suddenly said. "The one I arrived in. If I received a new mission or had my old one aborted, then it would've been recorded in the pod's log."

Vegeta saw Kakarrot make a move to leave the Capsule Corp, but Vegeta didn't allow him to get that far. Space pods held no records of such things; Vegeta knew such transport systems inside and out. Did Kakarrot think Vegeta so foolish as to not know his true destination? Fluidly Vegeta stepped in front of Kakarrot and placed a warning hand on his chest, remembering the way his father had performed the exact same gesture when dealing with difficult subjects. "Are you distrustful of my words? Or are you disobeying an order from your prince?"

Kakarrot paused, looking uncertain under Vegeta's forceful words and body language. But then his eyes hardened, and Vegeta knew that their talk might turn to blows. "You seem soft for a Saiyan," Kakarrot said, spite in his tone. "Our race will take any chance to eliminate a weaker species. How can you even stand being on the same planet as them?"

"Our current situation doesn't involve them," Vegeta said smoothly.

"Then why don't you join me in eradicating just a few?" Kakarrot asked. "Surely that wouldn't unbalance the resources of the planet by much. Besides, I'm sure you haven't felt the thrill of destruction for quite some time now."

Something inside Vegeta blazed at these words, but he pushed it down. Several years ago, in a former life, Vegeta would've taken Kakarrot's offer in a heartbeat. Now, however, things were different. Very different. "I will decline, as I have other business to attend to. These humans, these scum . . . they are unimportant; they don't matter."

Kakarrot had been carefully observing Vegeta's face during this entire dialogue, and his eyes now strangely glowed. "Well, then, my prince, if they don't matter . . . after all, you and I are the only ones who know of the otherworldly thrill it brings."

Too late did Vegeta realize that he'd let slip the Saiyan warrior inside him, which was something that Kakarrot had been waiting for. He hadn't kept himself calm. Now there was no going back.

He had only two choices, and he chose the latter even before the situation occurred.

In an instant, Kakarrot's hand extended again and he fired an energy shot straight toward Bulma and Trunks. She couldn't evade the shot quickly enough, Trunks was too shocked to do more than stand there, and no one else was close enough to the energy blast to deflect it. Vegeta darted forward. He met the blast and deflected it back toward Kakarrot, and the energy flew past Kakarrot's head and hit the wall behind him, shattering several windows. Even in the explosion, Vegeta could clearly see Kakarrot's eyes burning.

"So, my suspicious were correct. Traitor," Kakarrot hissed. "I never would've thought that one of my own kind, the prince of my own kind, would dare to care for and affiliate himself with such a worthless species. You are no prince."

Never in his life, certainly not in his former life on Planet Vegeta, did Vegeta ever think that he would be protecting mankind. But that was exactly what he was doing. Seeing Kakarrot powering up, Vegeta dodged out of the building so as not to endanger anyone inside. Kakarrot followed him, and the first punch took Vegeta by surprise. Not because it was one that he couldn't dodge, but because it was surprisingly lacking in strength. How was it that Kakarrot wasn't already, in his obvious fury, obtaining at least the level of Super Saiyan? Or was Kakarrot unable to access his own power because of his memory loss?

Vegeta instinctively knew that it was in his best interests to end the battle now. But he enjoyed this game. He enjoyed, for just an instant, being quite literally stronger than Kakarrot. Piccolo, Goten, Trunks, and Krillin flew out of the building in order to assist in the battle, but Vegeta fought them back. Kakarrot wasn't giving them any notice since a Saiyan's only worthy opponent was a Saiyan, and Vegeta was not one to ever take, ask for, or accept help. Help signified him as weak. He, Prince Vegeta, was not weak. So he kept the others away and didn't let on that his current battle could've been won a thousand times over already. Though they probably knew that, and inwardly hated him for it. He didn't care.

As their fight continued, Vegeta strangely found his concentration waning. His usual focus during a battle was, for some reason, absent. Why was he unable to concentrate on the battle? Why were his thoughts continually pulled to a previous time and place? Was it Kakarrot's unusual Saiyan nature that brought Vegeta's mind back to a former life on Planet Vegeta? Did it have to do with Kakarrot's weak blows that reminded him so much of fighting Saibamen when he was a child? Or was it the reminder of his being a prince that made Vegeta think of his father?

A punch hit Vegeta, and he fell to the ground in surprise, not even having realized that Kakarrot had been getting stronger and stronger with every moment they fought. It wouldn't be long before their power levels were matched. The thought excited him, and it caused him to speed up his hits and blows, seeing Kakarrot match each one. After a short while, Vegeta saw Kakarrot's hair changing and becoming streaked with a familiar golden color. Kakarrot paused, almost in awe of what was apparently happening.

With a harsh cry, Kakarrot's hair changed to golden. Upon realization of what had occurred, he froze and looked over his newly-discovered power, clenching his fists several times. "Super Saiyan?" Kakarrot muttered. To make certain, he reached up, pulled a lock of hair down so he could see it properly, and released it with a slow exhale. Then he looked at Vegeta. "Feel the wrath of our Saiyan race, you traitor. Feel the power of the Super Saiyan."

Yes, the Super Saiyan. The only thing that could take Frieza down. If only he'd been able to—Vegeta shook off this thought and focused again on the battle, smirking once. Why couldn't he focus? "Do you think you're the only one?" he fluidly shot back. Then Vegeta, too, had transformed, and he reveled in the shock on Kakarrot's face. Seeing that their fight would become more violent from here on in, Vegeta took flight to find a less populated area to continue their battle. Kakarrot followed close behind him, and Piccolo, Krillin, Goten, and Trunks came after. It was the place where they'd had their first battle. And maybe it would be the site of their last. But Vegeta knew that Kakarrot wouldn't remember this, so he said nothing of it. All Kakarrot knew was what Vegeta remembered. Planet Vegeta.

Planet Vegeta and all that it entailed. His father, his race, Frieza's destruction of the planet. But he hadn't been there. Had his father perished alone? Or had he, along with the entire Saiyan race, died in the midst of an uprising that Vegeta had been too selfish to be a part of?

Kakarrot rushed him without warning, and Vegeta deflected the blow, flying into the air and noticing a Capsule Corp plane nearing. Of course Bulma had to show up. Maybe Chi-Chi as well. Didn't they know that, by showing up, they were both inadvertently preventing him from fighting his hardest? Why—

The blow knocked Vegeta from the sky, but he turned midair and landed on his feet. Everyone was now present, and Vegeta looked over at them to find Piccolo shouting at him.

"Vegeta!" Piccolo said. "Finish it! Finish it now!"