Vegeta was furiously pacing back and forth, hovering over Dende as he tried to heal Trunks. Each moment that passed intensified his concern and panic. The talented Namekian had been helping Trunks for a while now, and the boy still hadn't come to. Vegeta clenched his hands into tight fists, increasing his relentless pacing as he tried to consider his options. But if Trunks had indeed come down with Code V, he didn't have many options. He and Goku had used the last Senzu beans after a spar, and they would take weeks to be in season again.
But the virus was as fast as it was fatal. He remembered watching the newscast, and hearing them say that on average, people died between four and seven days after showing the nasty V-shaped rash. And as much as Vegeta tried to rationalize to himself that his son was too strong to die because of a strange virus, he couldn't help but remember that Goku had died in the alternate future timeline from a heart virus.
His stomach churned at the thought of his only son dying. He grit his teeth watching the soft yellow glow around Dende and Trunks, when his patience finally snapped.
"What the fuck, boy? Why haven't you healed my son yet?" Vegeta yelled furiously. He advanced on Dende, but Goku was suddenly right in front of him.
"Be patient, Vegeta," Goku calmly told him. "Dende will help Trunks, he just needs time."
"NEEDS TIME?" Vegeta screamed in his face, pointing down at Dende. "We've been here for almost fifteen fucking minutes! How much more time does he-"
"I am trying," Dende cut in, his voice matter-of-fact. His eyes were closed in concentration. "This ailment is strange. It is resistant; I rid it, and it comes back like a virus almost immediately, and then it takes more of my strength to rid it again. But it keeps coming back. It's not normal. It's like it's being controlled by someone else-"
"I don't care. Heal him," Vegeta ordered, his tone harsh and threatening. He shoved Goku hard in the chest, but the younger Saiyan didn't budge an inch. Vegeta sneered at him, and then resumed his relentless pacing.
Goku watched him in concern, before looking down at Trunks and Dende. He crossed his arms, his expression a mixture of confusion and worry. He had also heard quite a bit about the strange virus from Gohan, but like Vegeta, he hadn't thought a half-Saiyan could come down with it.
Finally, almost ten minutes later, Dende lowered his hands to the marble floor as the light disappeared. The Namekian was exhausted and more than a little concerned when Trunks barely stirred.
"I can't use my healing powers anymore," Dende regretfully informed them as Vegeta came around to kneel down next to Trunks.
"What do you mean?" Goku asked, his brows furrowing as he watched Vegeta check his son. "You've drained them?"
"I don't know. But I can't summon anything more to help, for some reason…that's never happened before-"
"You barely did anything for him!" Vegeta yelled in disbelief. He had one hand on Trunks' forehead, and the other brushing the boy's hair out of the way. Trunks' temperature was even higher than before they brought him to the Lookout, and the V-shaped burn on his temple had only gotten worse. The teenager was still unresponsive. The prince looked up, and Dende shrank back a bit at the fury in his eyes that he hadn't seen Vegeta wear since their days on Namek.
"I did what I could, Vegeta," Dende tried to defend himself. "It's even drained my powers. I gave Trunks everything I had-"
"Yes, lots of good that did," Vegeta snarled. Goku felt the prince's ki bristling with rising rage, and stepped forward to diffuse things.
"Vegeta, Dende tried his best," Goku told him. "Now's not the time to get mad. We have to think about how to help Trunks. Dende can't heal him, and the Senzu beans aren't ready. Do you want me to teleport him to the hospital in East City? They're not done with the reparations to West City Hospital yet, I don't think."
Vegeta reached up to rub his eyes with two fingers, forcing himself to take his personal emotion out of the situation and think rationally. He was debating whether or not the infirmary at Capsule Corp was equipped to handle a potential case of Code V, when his heart suddenly felt like it leapt up to his throat and a crippling anxiety spread through his blood like wildfire. Goku and Dende exchanged a brief look when Vegeta shot up to his feet, the color draining from his face.
The prince spun away from all of them and quickly strode over to the edge of the Lookout. He peered down and tried his hardest to focus on sensing Bulma. Her ki blended with billions, but he could pick her out if he knew where to look. With enormous mental discipline, the prince focused on the Capsule Corp. headquarters building, and then stretched his senses out for miles and miles from there.
He couldn't feel anything.
Vegeta immediately started pacing, his pace frantic as he ran one shaking hand through his hair. If Dende and Goku wouldn't have been there, he didn't know if he would've been able to keep it together. He looked back at Trunks, before raising his eyes to Goku.
"Take him to the hospital, but don't leave him, you hear me?" Vegeta finally ordered, the memory of what happened at West City Hospital still fresh in his mind.
"Sure thing, don't worry, I'll take him and stay with him, Vegeta. I promise. But where are you going-" Goku started, but Vegeta's golden aura exploded around him and he was gone before he could finish his question.
"What do you think that was about?" Dende asked in bewilderment.
"I don't know," Goku softly answered, looking down at Trunks. "But it can't be good…"
Vegeta's heart was pounding as he flew through what was now an intense thunderstorm. Lightning was cracking, and he bitterly wondered if it would strike him down with how this horrible day was unfolding. When he finally landed in the parking lot of Capsule Corp headquarters, he couldn't stop his jaw from going slack.
The enormous building was completely on fire, with flames that seemed to have a life of their own. It was pouring heavily outside, and he had no idea how the fire was still burning so defiantly in the face of such a thunderstorm. There was a slew of firefighters already there, trying to put out the flames to no avail.
Vegeta did a quick scan of the parking lot, and was relieved when he saw that Bulma's car wasn't there. That meant she wasn't there; but then, where was she? The prince again stretched out his senses, but he couldn't feel anything except more panic. His head, in particular, was starting to hurt. He angrily shook it off and shot into the air again, surveying the roads as he rapidly converted how far she could have gotten at max speed in her car. Since it was raining, there was no way she could've gone that fast, so he could have at least some kind of radius to limit his search. From his elevation, he could see that only two highways were open with this weather. He picked one randomly and flew off in that direction. Vegeta squinted through the rain, his sensitive hearing picking up ambulance sirens and firefighters. He quickened his pace, again stretching out his senses to feel for Bulma.
As soon as he did though, he stopped flying as his hands went to his head. He cried out in pain, his golden hair fading back to black. It felt like knives were digging into his skull, and he couldn't breathe. He cried out again as the pain intensified and became excruciating. He didn't realize he had fallen from the air until his knees hit the concrete highway hard. The prince leaned forward on his hands and knees, remembering this pain all too well from the hospital weeks ago. His fingers were digging into the concrete as he tried getting it under control. He had to get up!
Right as he was about to force himself up, there were lights on him. He looked up, barely in time to recognize that a truck was barreling straight towards him. A human wouldn't have had enough time to avoid a brutal death, but Vegeta wasn't human. He half dove, half rolled out of the way, roughly falling off the side of the road on the grass while the truck driver screamed curses out the window at him. Vegeta forced himself up to his hands and knees again, grinding his teeth together, one eye squeezed shut in agony.
When he looked up again, he saw a boy standing in the middle of the highway, right where he had been a moment ago. The prince squinted, trying to get a better view, but it was raining so heavily that he couldn't make out any features on the kid at all. He was nothing but a dark gray silhouette.
"Prince Vegeta," the child ominously spoke. Vegeta raised an eyebrow; the boy's voice sounded like a chorus of children all chanting together. He shook his head rapidly, thinking it must have been in his mind. The boy extended his hand to Vegeta, pointing right at him as he continued, "You will die, but not yet. Your family will die first."
Vegeta growled low in his throat. No one threatened his family and lived to tell about it. He forced himself back up to his feet, his pain be damned, and charged right at the kid. The prince flew right at him, but met nothing but air as he crashed back onto the concrete, landing hard on his face. The taste of blood immediately filled the back of his throat. He quickly rolled onto his back, making sure no cars were coming, but the highway was deserted with such bad weather. Vegeta wiped the blood off his face as he looked back towards the middle of the road.
The boy was standing there again, nothing but a shadow in the rain. The prince backed up a little, trying hard to suppress the chills going down his back. He couldn't sense any ki from the boy at all.
"Who the hell are you?" Vegeta finally demanded. He went to stand, but the pain flared in his head and he dropped to his knees again. The prince clenched tight handfuls of his wet hair, trying to stifle the scream of anguish that was building up in his throat.
"Just because you found love and peace, does not mean you deserve love and peace, Prince Vegeta. Actions have consequences, and you must pay for what you've done."
"What…?" the prince rasped, looking back up and squinting through the heavy rain. There was no one there anymore.
Utterly confused now, Vegeta tried to stand, but he quickly fell back down to the concrete. This time, he couldn't help it as he screamed so loud his chest hurt. It felt like his head was literally about to explode, an unbearable piercing pain overwhelming him. He rolled over onto his stomach, squeezing his eyes shut as he held onto the back of his head.
Suddenly, he felt light on him. Turning his head, he squinted and saw another truck barreling down the road towards him. Cursing under his breath, Vegeta tried to get up and dive out of the way again, when it felt like a thousand invisible hands grabbed onto him and forced him back down, holding him in place. Vegeta panicked and tried raising his ki, but it only made the pain in his head increase so badly he felt like he was going to pass out. Completely out of time with the truck only several yards away, Vegeta looked away and closed his eyes, bracing himself for the impact.
But the impact never came. The prince looked back, only to see that the truck had stopped cold. In between him and the truck was a man in a powerful golden aura, on one knee with one hand against the steel of the truck. Vegeta slowly sat up, brushing the hair out of his face.
"I didn't ask for your help," he grumbled. The pain in his head had vanished as quickly as it came, but it left him feeling slightly dazed. He raised one hand and easily summoned up his ki, much to his confusion.
"I know, but it looked like you could use it," Gohan answered as he stood up, his hair fading back to black. He waved awkwardly to the truck driver, and shouted out, "Sorry!"
"Hero complex, just like your father," Vegeta sneered, getting back up to his feet as fast as he could. He prowled the road, looking in all directions as he tried getting some kind of scent or trace of who he had spoken to. He looked like a mad man to any outsider, which included Gohan.
"Vegeta, are you alright?" Gohan asked worriedly, coming up next to the prince as the truck slowly began driving again. The Saiyan hybrid looked him over in concern. Vegeta was still in his spandex training shorts and gym shoes, and there was a relentless stream of blood running out of his nose, enough to be noticeable even in the heavy rain. Vegeta looked frazzled as his eyes darted around the now deserted road, even though Gohan couldn't see or sense anyone. Gohan's worry increased when Vegeta closed his eyes and raised a hand to his forehead, as though in pain. "Vegeta?" he pressed again.
The prince ignored him, suddenly remembering why he was even over this road in the first place. Cold fear shot through him when he recalled the strange boy threatening his family. Bulma. He had to find Bulma.
Without wasting any more time, he immediately powered up, his eyes flashing teal as his hair tinted gold. Just as fast, Gohan appeared right in front of him, grabbing him firmly by the shoulders before Vegeta could take to the air. The prince instantly knocked Gohan's hands off, his eyes furious.
"I don't have time for your bullshit, boy-"
"Vegeta, you have to come with me," Gohan firmly stated. He hesitated a second, before quietly saying, "My dad sent me for you. It's Bulma."
Vegeta charged through the doors to the hospital in East City, damn near knocking an exiting couple over. Gohan was right on his heels, and he apologized to the angry couple while Vegeta paused. The prince focused, stretching out his senses once again. He immediately placed Goku, and then picked up Trunks. He tried hard to pick up anything for Bulma, and when he couldn't, he frantically spun back towards Gohan.
Gohan had no time to react before Vegeta shoved him hard against the wall, brutally burying his forearm into his throat.
"You said she was here, so where the fuck is she-?"
Almost on cue, Goku appeared out of nowhere. He hardly looked surprised at the scene in front of him, putting a hand on Vegeta's shoulder.
"They're helping Bulma and Trunks right now. I know it's hard, Vegeta, but you have to stay calm, or you'll get kicked out of here and that won't help anyone."
Vegeta slowly took his eyes off the red-faced and choking Gohan, looking at Goku out of the corner of his eye. He finally removed his arm from Gohan's throat, making the hybrid Saiyan double over as he coughed roughly. Vegeta clenched his fists painfully tight, turning around to face his old rival.
"I can't sense her," he bluntly spat out.
"I know, I can't either," Goku gently said, not missing how rough Vegeta looked already. The prince was dripping wet from the rain, his hair was clinging to his face, his face was bruised, and his nose was bleeding so badly, the blood was smearing on his chest. There was even more blood seeping through his fingers from how hard he was clenching his fists. "She's in surgery right now. It was an ugly accident, but she is alive, Vegeta. She's not in good shape, but, they did say that everything's going okay so far."
Both Gohan and Goku could see some tension leave Vegeta's shoulders at that, but it wasn't much. The prince cocked his head up towards the ceiling, before demanding, "And Trunks?"
Goku scratched the back of his head, eyeing Vegeta up and down warily. "Why don't we get you some dry clothes first, and maybe get your nose looked at-"
"Kakarot…" Vegeta growled through clenched teeth, his warning clear.
"They diagnosed him with the Code V virus," Goku reluctantly said. "They're trying as hard as they can to see what they can do for him, but…well…there's no cure and it's been fatal up until now…so they said it's best to probably prepare for the worst."
He stopped, and waited for a reaction or a response from Vegeta. When he got nothing back at all, he frowned and added, "Don't worry though. Trunks is half-Saiyan, he'll beat it."
"Plus, we have the Dragon Balls," Gohan piped up from behind Vegeta.
"Except this is a disease. So they won't work," Vegeta said, suddenly sounding exhausted. He knew he should have been feeling more, but it was as though his mind had had all the emotional stress he could handle for one day. The only thing he knew right now was that he needed to sit down.
"Well, we'll try it anyways. We'll figure something out," Goku said, trying to sound as optimistic as he could.
"Vegeta, your hands," Gohan whispered, looking at the prince's clenched fists. His knuckles were badly ripped from trying to get out of the gravity room earlier, and fresh blood was dripping on the floor now.
"I'm fine," Vegeta mechanically responded.
"We also got a hold of Bulma's parents," Goku added. "They're stranded right now with the weather, since the roads are closed for the most part. They're okay, and so is Bra. One of them will be by as soon as they can."
Vegeta's heart sank and his shoulders fell. He had been so concerned with Trunks and Bulma, that he had forgotten about his in-laws and his own daughter. As relieved as he was to hear that, he couldn't help but feel guilty that he hadn't thought of them before Goku brought them up, especially Bra. What kind of a father was he anyways? It was a blow he didn't need, and all he could do was nod numbly in response and walk away.
He didn't know where he was heading, but he wasn't heading there alone because Gohan and Goku were both quickly walking at his side. Vegeta was silent, feeling like he was in a daze as they completely overwhelmed him with information. They told him he needed to be checked out because Code V was contagious. They started giving him details about Bulma's car accident. They started giving him details about her condition. They started asking him if he knew about the fire at headquarters. They informed him that the media was surrounding the hospital and that they wanted a word with him. When they saw the blank way he stared back at them, they offered to have someone take care of it for him.
Vegeta's head was swimming as he suddenly found himself sitting down with a doctor in his face. He blinked, only noticing where he was when the doctor started examining his bloodied nose. Goku and Gohan were still hovering, and resumed firing information at him as soon as the doctor left. Goku informed him that Dende still hadn't regained his healing powers for some strange reason, but that as soon as he did, they could have him help Bulma. Gohan told him that he would follow up with the Senzu beans and let him know when the next crop was ready.
The prince sat in silence, staring at his hands as a nurse came in to bandage his bloodied palms and ripped knuckles. He was reminded of Bulma while she did. His head was starting to hurt again, and the day wasn't even close to being over yet.
Over an hour later, Gohan walked up to Vegeta, who was sitting alone in the waiting room. The prince was dressed now, since Goku had teleported back to Capsule Corp and gotten him some dry clothes. His hair was dry and standing up again, but he still looked disheveled. He was also sporting a strip of a bandage across the bridge of his nose, which was still swollen but not broken. Goku was now speaking to the rest of the gang, who had by now gotten word of what happened. Goten was keeping Trunks company in his hospital room, but Vegeta still had yet to go see his son himself. Bulma was still being treated, and they were still waiting to hear more on how she was doing.
Gohan was trying to keep the look of worry off his face as he sat down next to Vegeta. The prince hadn't said one word, staying silent even when Gohan had subtly steered him towards a doctor who could look him over. By all accounts, it looked like Vegeta had shut down and was running completely on autopilot.
"Here, Vegeta, I got you a hot chocolate," Gohan quietly said, offering Vegeta a white styrofoam cup filled with hot liquid. Vegeta mechanically reached out and took the cup, holding it by the top circled edge with his fingertips. He was staring at the television, like he had been since he sat down, looking like he had no intention of drinking the hot chocolate. Gohan looked towards the TV too, and they both numbly watched the TV for a while.
"Everything will be alright," Gohan finally said, feeling compelled to offer support. Heaven only knew that if Videl and Pan were both hurt at the same time, he would be a complete wreck. Gohan cleared his throat, and suggested, "Maybe going to see Trunks will make you feel better?"
Vegeta didn't answer. It didn't even seem like he was aware that someone was next to him. Gohan sighed, and was about to check his phone to see if he finally had reception, when Vegeta finally spoke.
"This was all planned out," he quietly said, looking down at the cup of hot chocolate in his bandaged hands. He frowned, his eyes clouded. "This has been planned out from the very beginning."
"What?" Gohan asked, raising an eyebrow. "What was all planned out?"
"He must have been a teleporter," Vegeta mused, slowly twirling the cup in his hand. He stopped that immediately when he was reminded of Frieza. He scowled as he continued, "That is the only reason for his speed. But he did something to me. Some kind of mind-controlling powers…?"
"What? Who did something to you?"
"Maybe he was the same one from the fire. Yes, that must be it. But why? How? Who was he? Someone from an old planet? It didn't sound like he was alone, with such a strange voice. But everyone always died. I am sure of it. I made sure of it…didn't I…?"
"Vegeta, are you alright?" Gohan asked, wondering if maybe his friend was a little more physically hurt than having just a busted nose. He was making no sense and wasn't responsive to him. It didn't help that Vegeta fell silent with his eyes glazed over at that exact moment.
Gohan put a hand on Vegeta's shoulder, and Vegeta finally snapped, dropping the cup of hot chocolate. Gohan quickly had his arm nearly ripped off as he was lifted up and slammed hard against the wall for the second time that day, face-first this time. He winced as Vegeta painfully twisted his arm behind him.
"I will only tell you this once. Keep your fucking hands off me, boy," Vegeta snarled from behind him, quickly drawing the attention of the other warriors.
Goku, Krillin, and Yamcha quickly came up behind him. Goku calmly stepped up behind the prince, "Vegeta, hey, take it easy-"
"DON'T TELL ME TO TAKE IT EASY, KAKAROT!" Vegeta screamed as he furiously spun around, letting Gohan go as he did. They could all feel Vegeta's ki rising at a breakneck pace as he started yelling, "I am NOT a child that needs to be coddled, so ALL of you need to BACK OFF before I blast every last fucking one of you-"
"Excuse me. You are all the family of Mrs. Bulma Briefs?"
Just like that, Vegeta forgot all about his rant as he strode over to the doctor who was addressing them. "How is she?" he demanded.
The doctor swallowed. "Sir, she's-"
Goku and Krillin both grabbed Vegeta when his hand shot out to grab the doctor by the throat. They pulled him back, earning a stream of curses from the irate prince as he furiously struggled against them. He still couldn't feel Bulma, and he was dangerously close to losing it.
"Vegeta, you need to calm down," Goku whispered to him. "You put your hands on one of them, and you're getting kicked out, Bulma's husband or not."
That worked. Vegeta almost immediately stopped fighting against them, though he was still rigid with tension. He visibly reined his emotion in, bottling everything inside and adopting his military-like, unreadable stoic mask with an ease that only came from decades of practice. He took a moment to get a grip on himself, and then nodded. Goku and Krillin both let him go, and they all turned to face the doctor again.
"How is she?" Goku patiently asked.
"Well," the doctor started, eyeing them all warily before looking down at his chart. "Bulma was severely injured. She is lucky to survive such a terrible accident. The next twenty four hours will be very critical-"
"Where is she?" Vegeta interrupted.
"She's in ICU Room 4 on the third floor-"
Vegeta was instantly gone, much to the doctor's shock. Everyone started to follow when Gohan stepped forward, blocking their path.
"Let's let him have some time with her alone. I think that would be the most helpful thing for him. Then we can see her."
"Yeah, that's a good idea," Krillin relented. "Man, this is all rough, all of this going down at the same time. What a bad break for Vegeta."
Goku crossed his arms, glancing up towards the ceiling as he tracked Vegeta's energy. "Yeah," he quietly agreed. "I know…"
Meanwhile, Vegeta was sitting down in Bulma's hospital room in numbed silence. This entire scene was wrong to him. It was so unbelievably wrong. He was always the one who got hurt in this relationship, not her. He was the one who made full use of the Capsule Corp infirmary, making some kind of visit at least once a month for a sprain, fracture, break, whatever the case was. With the exception of her pregnancies, the only thing Bulma ever got was an occasional bout of human sickness.
But this… Vegeta could barely process how badly injured his wife was. Bulma was a mess of bandages and swelling bruises. The hospital gown she was in made her look so frail, he almost didn't want to get any closer, fearing he would do more harm than good. There were so many machines. His eyes scanned over the cuts and lacerations marring her usually flawless skin. He himself had seen, endured, and inflicted much worse in his life. But seeing her like this was almost unbearable.
He drew up his chair as close as he could while his mind raced with all the worst-case scenarios. What if Dende didn't recover fast enough to help? What if he lost her and Trunks, and was left alone with Bra? He couldn't even fathom it. He was barely a decent parent as it was, and that was only because of Bulma. Hell, he couldn't even go see Trunks without her. Seeing the boy would be acknowledging the truth about his only son, and he wasn't ready to face that yet.
"Stupid woman," Vegeta mumbled, gently taking her hand in his. Both of their hands were bandaged, which was appropriate considering how badly the day had turned out. "Why didn't you wait for me? Hell, why would you even drive in such poor weather? Woman, Trunks is bad enough. I can't…"
Vegeta stopped before he lost his composure. For a long time, he sat there, staring at their joined hands and listening to the machines in the room. It was unbelievable how much he had grown to depend on this woman over the years. But now, for the first time in a long time, he was completely on his own. He had almost forgotten how to do it.
Then there was the fact that he was pretty damn sure this was all set up to harm his family. There was no coincidence here anymore. And as a man, it was his responsibility to protect his family. But how could he do that, when he didn't even know where to start? Hell, the only thing they even had was-
Vegeta sat back, frowning in thought as he analyzed all of the events. A minute later, the prince rose to his feet, finally surveying the hospital room for the first time since he got there. He prowled every inch of the room, and then opened a small closet by the bathroom. He impatiently tossed things aside, growling in frustration when he saw that there were only extra sterilized supplies and extra hospital gowns.
And then he looked up at the top shelf. Levitating up into the air, he found what he was looking for – a plastic tray with Bulma's belongings.
Vegeta quickly snatched the tray, digging through it. He grabbed her cell phone, already knowing it would be intact. After all, Bulma had specifically designed her smart phone so it was "Saiyan rage proof," since it was usually the first thing he destroyed when he got pissed at her. He tucked the phone into his own pocket, and then pulled out her purse. He immediately went through her purse, an endeavor he had only done once before. Makeup, pens, her wallet with her IDs, a mini calculator, strange devices that he had never seen before, and…a gun? The prince raised an eyebrow as he pulled it out. By the weight, he knew it was loaded. He looked back at Bulma in surprise. He hadn't even known she owned one of these things. Finally, he put the weapon and everything else back in the purse.
Perhaps, he mused as he descended back to the floor, I can find where they took the damaged vehicle and search that. If she got that address, then it must be somewhere.
He pulled out her cell phone to call his father-in-law for assistance; the old man would know who to call and what strings to pull. Vegeta exhaled impatiently when he saw that Bulma had a key lock on her phone. He rubbed his eyes impatiently; would ANYTHING go his way today? Vegeta tried Trunks' birthday. Then Bra's. Then Bulma's. Those were the only dates he had memorized. He tried various combinations of those dates, and finally just tried their wedding anniversary date on a whim.
That worked, and the first thing that came up was an e-mail Bulma sent herself, that day…before the accident. He frowned and clicked the link, and a copy of the address came up on the screen. She had backed it up first before leaving. Finally, he had his first break of the day. Vegeta stared at the screen for about five seconds, committing everything to memory. He then tucked the phone back into his pocket, and walked back over to the bed in the room.
Sitting down on the edge, he leaned down and gently nuzzled his face against the side of Bulma's neck.
"I'll take care of everything, I promise. So you just need to get better…I need you to get better," he whispered, drawing back and looking down at her. He tucked a loose blue curl out of her face as he quietly added, "Nothing else will hurt you or the kids. I swear it, on my life."
Vegeta then withdrew and left Bulma's room with greater purpose than he entered it. He glanced down the hallway towards where Bulma's friends were all gathered. They had been patiently waiting for him to leave her room before venturing over. The prince frowned at them, and walked off in the other direction.
A floor below them, Goten leaned back, looking his friend over in concern. Goten was wearing a gown, gloves, and a mask for breathing. He hated looking like he was afraid of Trunks, but the nurse had given him a strict warning. For all his swagger, Goten was still well-conditioned by Chi-Chi to respect female authority figures, so he hadn't argued one bit.
"Damn. That really sucks, Trunks," Goten quietly said.
"I know," Trunks responded, looking every bit as exhausted as he felt as he stared tiredly at the ceiling. He was getting tired of these unwanted hospital visits.
"You think it was one of the guys on your floor? You know, passed you the virus?"
"Eh, doubt it. No one's gotten this sick, not that I know of anyways."
"I guess," Goten sighed, drawing up his knees and sitting cross-legged in his chair. He had been with his brother when Gohan got the call from Goku. He hadn't been there for his friend the last time around, and he wasn't going to make that mistake again. "I'm sure someone will think of a solution though. Try not to worry about it too much."
Trunks smiled, but it was strained. "Who said I was worried?"
"You're not? I mean, I'm worried for you," Goten awkwardly admitted.
Trunks rolled his eyes, doing a good job of looking like he couldn't care less about his condition. Years of living and training with Vegeta had drilled in certain things into his mind, and the biggest one was the appearance of strength, even when strength was lacking. Truth was, deep down, he was scared shitless. He was only eighteen and was barely starting college. Hell no he didn't want to die. He didn't want to start getting worse and going through the horrible symptoms as his health declined. But he wasn't going to show that to Goten.
"Come on, man. Don't start getting like that with me. Like you said, our parents will probably think of something."
"Speaking of…" Goten started, before both teenagers looked towards the door right as Vegeta strode in.
"You, boy. Get out, now," he immediately ordered, looking at Goten and gesturing with his thumb over his shoulder.
"Vegeta, you can't just come in here like that," Goten said in alarm, looking the prince over. "You have to wear a mask, at least-"
"I don't have to do shit, now get the fuck out of my sight or I will forcibly remove you, am I clear?" Vegeta snarled at him. Goten nodded, giving Trunks a last glance before making his exit.
"You're gonna get in trouble with the nurses," Trunks informed his father as he came up next to his bed.
"You say that like I'm supposed to care," Vegeta snorted, reaching down to put his hand on Trunks' forehead. The teenager closed his eyes in relief. His father's hand was cool on his hot skin. Vegeta frowned, his eyes looking over that mark on his son's temple. The one that looked just like the brand he used to personally make. He couldn't stand to see it on his son for more than a second, needing to look away as he grumbled, "You're still burning up. What the hell are they getting paid for around here?"
"Dad, seriously. It's contagious," Trunks weakly said. The last thing he needed was to pass on the virus to someone else. "You should get a mask-"
"Don't worry about me, kid. You just worry about yourself," the Saiyan prince said, removing his hand as he turned and walked over to explore the supplies in this room, before disappearing into the private bathroom. "Besides. I would've gotten it already with our interactions earlier today. If I haven't gotten it yet, then I doubt I'll get it at all. I don't think this affliction affects full-blooded Saiyans."
"Well, alright…have you seen Mom?"
"Yes."
"How is she?"
"She'll be fine."
"And you? How are you doing?"
"What did I say? Worry about yourself, boy," Vegeta growled, emerging from the bathroom. He came back over to Trunks. He gently put a cool washcloth on his son's forehead, making Trunks swallow heavily. Instead of drawing comfort from his father's rare gesture, he only felt raw fear.
Trunks couldn't keep his voice steady as he asked, "I'm really going to die, aren't I, Dad?"
"No, don't be stupid," Vegeta angrily replied, turning his gaze to the wall. "As soon as Dende is able to, he will heal your mother, and together we'll all think of something for you. You won't die."
"But, there's no cure-"
"Trunks. I said we will think of something and we will," Vegeta cut in, harsher than he intended. Trunks fell silent, only now noticing that his father had yet to look at him for more than a few seconds since he entered. "Now just get rest and do what the humans tell you. I have to go take care of some things and check on your sister, but I'll return as soon as I can."
Trunks nodded, and Vegeta nodded back before leaving the room. Goten was waiting there, and he nodded to Vegeta before going back in to see his best friend. The prince sighed deeply. For once, he was grateful that there were others who cared for his family as well. At least they wouldn't be alone.
But now, he had things to do. Adopting a focused and intense mindset he hadn't felt since his purging days, Vegeta ignored everyone around him as he walked out of the hospital. The wind was blowing fiercely by now, thunder cracking the sky. He stepped out and blasted into the air, his shirt already skin-tight from the rain before he even cleared the block.
Vegeta was halfway to his destination, and was so focused on what he was doing and where he was going, that his blood pressure shot through the roof when Goku suddenly appeared out of thin air right in front of him. The prince barely managed to stop his flight before crashing right into the younger Saiyan. He would never, ever get used to that damn instant transmission.
"What the hell, Kakarot?" Vegeta hissed, his heart pounding in his chest. In his mind, he was pleading Goku not to tell him any more bad news. If anything happened to Trunks or Bulma in the short time he stepped away from them, he was going to lose it completely.
"I just wanted to see if you're okay. I know this has been tough-"
"Save it," Vegeta cut in, quickly flying past Goku as he continued on. But Goku was flying right next to him, much to the prince's frustration.
"Where are you going, Vegeta?" Goku persisted.
"It's none of your goddamned business, now GET LOST!" Vegeta screamed, ascending to Super Saiyan 2 as his speed increased exponentially.
Goku matched him immediately, and when Vegeta went to pull away again, Goku teleported right in front of him again, blocking his path. Vegeta didn't hesitate, taking a furious swing at his old rival. Much to his surprise, his fist landed square into Goku's jaw in a blow powerful enough to kill a human, if not decapitate them completely. The prince blinked as Goku flew back a few yards, yelping in pain as he cradled his jaw. He hadn't even tried to block it.
"You…let me hit you?" Vegeta asked in disbelief. They sparred so many times, Vegeta had lost count. In all that time, Goku had never given him a free shot. The younger Saiyan loved to fight just like he did, and hated to lose almost as much.
"Don't get used to it," Goku chuckled, rubbing his jaw as he grinned. "That was just a one day freebie. Feel better?"
Sure enough, he did. The day had been so emotionally draining and stressful, that throwing that punch was absolutely therapeutic. And Goku was the only one on the planet who could take the blow without either dying on contact or having a broken jaw afterwards. Damned if he would admit that it was helpful though. Vegeta frowned at him, before looking down to see where he was as Goku came closer to him.
Seeing that the prince was visibly more relaxed, Goku asked, "So where are you going?"
Vegeta sighed, "I am going to find an old employee from Capsule Corp. Bulma was going to see him when she got into her accident. She thought he might know something."
"About what's been going on?"
"Yes. He tried to give her a warning of some kind, a long time ago. But her father terminated his employment before he had the chance. I think someone still doesn't want him to get the chance, and that was the true reason for her accident and the fire at headquarters."
Goku went to speak, when lightning cracked and the rain intensified. The two Saiyans both looked up towards the sky in surprise as thunder rolled. Vegeta looked back at Goku, having to squint as the rain poured down his face. His skin was ice cold from the rain, and he wiped at his eyes in vain to clear his vision. It didn't help. Goku was just a bright, golden blur.
"And you're SURE it's not coincidence?" Goku asked loudly, trying to get his voice over the thunder as the wind seemed to angrily pick up around them. "You don't know why Bulma got into her accident-"
"Trunks swears he's seen visions of this employee's dead daughter! And now my son is dying, and my wife might be dying, and Dende cannot heal them! None of this is a fucking coincidence, Kakarot! Someone set all of this up, can't you see that!"
"But…who could be doing this? Why would anyone do this-?"
"I don't know!" Vegeta hissed in frustration. "All I know is, before Gohan got to me, I ran into some kind of being who seems dead-set on revenge against me."
"Revenge for what?"
"What else, Kakarot? Likely a purging of his planet or something similar!"
Goku looked more confused than ever, his wild hair sticking to his forehead. "But, you're saying someone survived and tracked you here-?"
"Look, I've told you all I know. I don't know what is going on, but I intend to find out. This fool might know something, and I'm going to get to the bottom of this. Right now."
"I'm coming with you then," Goku said with determination.
Vegeta felt like screaming at the night sky. He was wasting so much time. But he recognized that tone – for all his faults, Goku was steadfast in his decisions once he made them. Changing his mind would likely require a real fight, and with no Senzu beans and Dende's powers shot, it would only do everyone more harm than good.
Goku backed up in midair as Vegeta was suddenly right in his face, only inches away. This close to each other now, Goku could see him clearly. He saw and recognized that look in Vegeta's eyes – that unhinged look that he hadn't worn in years.
The younger Saiyan warily leaned back as the prince sneered in his face, "Fine. But, we are doing this interrogation my way, Kakarot. My family, my rules. They're more important to me than upholding your precious moral code. If you get in my way or try to stop me, I will take you down once and for all. Understand?"
Goku nodded, and then Vegeta was flying through the rain again. Goku immediately flew after him, staying a few feet behind him and matching the prince's speed. He had been monitoring Vegeta's ki since the prince arrived at the hospital, and had gone after him when he felt Vegeta power up as he left the hospital. His intention had been to make sure his fellow full-blooded Saiyan, his friend, was alright. This wasn't what he had imagined walking into.
Now all he could do was hope things ended well.
