Ch 11 Invasion III
"Thanks Vegeta!" The words were said in an ice cold tone. Vegeta didn't even acknowledge he heard it.
Zarbon turned away from him, and reached for his scouter. He eyed the smoking ship.
"Raditz, how are things inside?" He asked over the device.
"Pretty banged up, the blast went straight trough our fuel supply. We're lucky it didn't ignite." The Saiyan informed him.
Zarbon cursed, and Nappa landed next to him, also avoiding the sight of his prince.
During the battle, they had found themselves surrounded, outnumbered and outmatched. Even with Zarbon's high power, there were simply too many of them to take on at once. Until Vegeta decided to join in.
Sure, they were in a desperate position, and Vegeta's intervention had given them enough relief to retaliate. But Vegeta didn't care where he shot his blasts, and one of them went straight trough the very ship everyone was trying to protect.
"At least you live to see it." Vegeta stepped up to them, practically feeling their silent accusations. "If I had waited one more moment, it would have been over for all of you."
"Don't you get it?" The question was asked in a calm voice, but it betrayed a great suppressed rage. "Without our ship, we are stranded here. And Frieza knows exactly where to find us." He swiped his hand in a wide arc to emphasize the statement.
"You think those soldiers were here for me or Kakarot?" Vegeta shot back. "After so many years Frieza suddenly remembered where I was? No! He was on to you from the very beginning! Following your trail, straight towards us! We were a nasty surprise, and the only reason you are not yet kneeling before him, shivering in fear, and ready to be tortured!"
He forced the other two to look him in the eye.
"Maybe if you had not ran with your monkey-tail between your legs, this would have never happened!" Zarbon spat out. Unseen by everyone, Raditz had levitated out of the ship, and was observing the situation with great interest.
"What, you miss sucking up to his holy lizardness?" He dodged a badly aimed punch. Nappa turned, his face was red with anger.
"If you had not hidden like a coward and let Raditz and I take the blame for it, we…" His words were lost as he took a hit against the chin. He fell backwards, looking up at Vegeta.
"You what?" The words were low and threatening. "Is this how the both of you think? Some bastard has blown up you planet and wiped out your species, and you want to spent your lives life polishing his boots?"
"Like you were any different!" Zarbon countered. "Oh Lord Frieza, please let me have a new assignment."
"I was biding my time and raising my power." Vegeta defended himself, crossing his arms before his chest.
"So were we!" Nappa screamed at him.
"I doubt that!" Anger was starting to take hold of him. "Both of you only took pleasure in the slaughter. Both of you only care about your next kill. You didn't care about honour, revenge, or even anyone else but yourselves!" He huffed at their outraged faces. "Don't think I didn't see you up there, chasing them down. It's pathetic, running after a fleeing man."
"We pursued them to make sure they would not come back." Zarbon tried to defend himself.
"NO!" With a wave of his hand he created a powerful gust of wind, nearly blowing the other two away. "You were hunting them down like animals, slaughtering them for the sake of it!"
Both Nappa and Zarbon launched themselves at Vegeta. Zarbon arrived first, and attempted a flying kick into Vegeta's stomach. The prince had seen it coming, and sidestepped, letting the green fighter carelessly fly past. Nappa struck out with his right fist, aiming for the head. Vegeta countered with his own. The two blows collided and Nappa's hand was crushed by the impact. He was blown flatly unto his back.
"I thought you had learned by now." Vegeta commented. In the time it took him to speak, Zarbon charged up a beam, firing it now at the back of the prince's head. Vegeta turned slightly, and bended backwards, letting the beam fly past his face so close it nearly singed his eyebrows. His hand shot up, and from his finger bursted a simple beam, not unlike the one Frieza used to use. The thin beam hit Zarbon trough the shin, making him drop to one knee.
Nappa wanted to jump unto his feet, and engage Vegeta, who was standing at his feet. But in a sitting position he found himself staring at an energy blast. He could feel the skin on his face burn from the sheer energy within the blast. A feint hum filled his ears.
With one outstretched hand, and a blast at the end of it, Vegeta held Nappa down without looking at him. His eyes were on Zarbon, who was staring back. He too was looking at a blast, though not as close.
"Look at you." Vegeta's scowled. "You are supposed to be elite members of warrior races." He withdrew the energy, but neither foe moved a muscle. "You are nothing but a joke."
Behind him, Raditz was steadily moving closer.
"Don't even think about it." Vegeta warned him, not looking back. Raditz blinked. Vegeta turned to face him, lifting off slightly.
The two on the ground got up and went back into the ship, shooting Vegeta heated glares all the way. Nappa nourished his crushed hand while Zarbon limped a little.
Vegeta watched them. "Disgusting."
"What happened to you?" Raditz voice was calm, as he drew closer.
"I saw my chance, and I took it with both hands." Vegeta answered cryptically.
"I noticed." Raditz seemed to understand. "The old Vegeta would have killed them on the spot. Hell," He chuckled. "The old you would not even have tried talking to them."
"Your brother happened." Vegeta let his eyes wander over the now broken ship. "I found him to be very… persuasive."
"Persuasive? Kakarot?" Raditz raised his eyebrows. From his small time together with his younger brother, he didn't have a high opinion on him.
"Despite of what he acts like, Kakarot is not stupid. Just a little… carefree." Vegeta added, hesitantly.
"And annoying." Raditz found it necessary to add.
"So you noticed as well." He let a small smile take hold of his face. "Yet he convinced me to spend my days here on peace."
"Peace? For a Saiyan. I thought we were a species of war. Thriving only in the heat of battle. Growing stronger with every fight." Raditz mockingly summed up. Indeed, these were the words Vegeta himself had said so many times. Before he left, anyway.
"And yet here I am, many times stronger than when I left." Vegeta said with a calm voice.
"How?" A single word. Raditz was starting to get very interested.
"You're stronger, aren't you?" Vegeta said to him. "At least tripled in the time I was gone." Raditz didn't answer, and Vegeta eyed the horizon.
"You're right, we Saiyans are meant to live a life of battle." He continued, taking Raditz off guard. "But it would seem that spending months at a time in a space pod and wiping out entire planets of weaklings is not exactly a life of battle."
"You have changed." Raditz suddenly clamed, putting emphasis on the second word. Vegeta looked at him. "You're calmer, much more confident in yourself. You used to either rush into battle headfirst or let Nappa and I take the brunt of it. But now you seem to be in control of yourself when fighting, thus better controlling the fight."
"You are smart." Vegeta said. "Like I said, your brother is a persuasive man." His eyes shot towards the horizon again.
"What are they doing there?" He mumbled.
"What? Who?" Since Raditz didn't see anything, he couldn't help but ask.
"They are gathering." Vegeta stated. "Planning something."
"Maybe they're trying to get it contact with whoever sent them." Raditz suggested.
"Hn." He tore his eyes away from the horizon. There was nothing to see anyway.
"Can your ship still fly?" he asked suddenly.
"No, your blast took out our shields, and made a hole in our hull." Raditz answered, a slight accusation in his voice. "If we try to leave like this, all of the air will flow out once in space."
"I didn't ask for that." Vegeta sounded annoyed. "I asked if it could take off."
"Theoretically yes, but we can't…" He was interrupted.
"Good, fly it to the highest powers on the planet. That's where this planet's resistance will be, and where I will meet with Kakarot."
"Resistance? On this weak planet?"
"Yes, Kakarot and I will start clearing them out from there, while you and your crew set up preparations for the next battle." He turned to leave, but then looked at Raditz one more time.
"And mind your manners." Vegeta grinned at him. "They can kill Nappa one on one."
Goku skipped to a differing branch. The men below him had no idea he was here. Taking them out could be so easy right now. He smiled to himself. 'I'm spending way too much time with Vegeta.'
He moved on, as fast as he could without raising his power or making sounds. Silently he blessed all the time he and Vegeta spend 'playing'. Unlike the men below him, he could easily and effortlessly move through the forest. And thanks to his energy sensing ability's, he knew exactly where to go. He skipped from one branch to another, his tail outstretched behind him to keep him in balance as he 'danced' to his destination.
He arrived at a clearing. It was not a natural one, the many craters and uprooted trees proved it. He hid behind a green branch of leaves. For a moment he wondered why he decided to wear a bright orange gi, but rejected the thought. Nothing to be done about it now. He spied though the leaves, but saw nothing. He focused his ears, but most men here were talking through their scouters, and thus he could not hear the other half.
Not willing to go back empty handed, he decided to wait.
With a soft tab, his white boot met with the sand. The island was a lot quieter and cleaner than he expected. This was supposed to be a hot zone.
'No, they took advantage of the break given to clean up the bodies.' He told himself. Then a voice tore him from his thoughts.
"Hey Vegeta, nice of you to 'drop by'." Krillin greeted the prince cheerfully.
"Where's Kakarot?" Vegeta asked. He could not sense the Saiyan.
"Out. Flew off without telling as a matter of fact." Krillin informed him.
"Dammed." Vegeta returned to the air. 'Why would he fly off in a time like this?'
"Hey Vegeta." Tien drew his attention. "Something bothering you?"
"Whatever gave you that idea?" He threw sarcastically.
"You look like you're ready to kill everything in sight." Tien commented.
"Maybe I am. Maybe that's what we're supposed to be doing right now!" It took most of his self control not to blow up again. Can't they understand the situation they were in?
"Tien, what's wrong?" A high pitched voice sounded, as the little mime flew up to his friend.
"Nothings wrong, just Vegeta throwing another fit." Tien answered casually.
Vegeta's eyes snapped open, and set them on Chiaotzu. An idea was born in the back of his head.
"You." He said.
"We have names, you know?" Tien crossed his arms. Vegeta ignored him.
"You're psychic, aren't you?" He asked. The mime nodded.
"Can you find Kakarot, and ask him to come back?" Then he shook his head. "No, new plan, can you contact him and tell him what I tell you?"
"You mean telepathy?" The mime asked for the obvious.
"Yes, just hurry." Vegeta was getting impatient.
"Ok." The mime closed his eyes, concentrating on his task.
"What do you intend to do?" Tien asked the prince.
"Render the enemy blind, deaf and mute in one shot." He summed up.
Chiaotzu concentrated his mind.
'Goku, can you hear me?' Chiaotzu reached him.
'Chiaotzu?' Goku sounded surprised.
'Yes, I'm talking to you with telepathy. Vegeta has something to ask you.' He explained quickly.
"Have you reached him?" Vegeta asked from behind, breaking his concentration.
"Yes, I have." The small man answered.
"Ok, just patch him through." The Saiyan commanded him.
"I'm not a phone." The little guy protested.
"I said, let me talk to him!" Vegeta's voice sounded through Goku's head as well.
'Oh, hey Vegeta, when and how did you become psychic?'
'Shut up Kakarot. Where are you?'
'I went to scout ahead. I'm near the centre of their camp, but I haven't seen anyone of importance yet.'
'Of course not, their leaders are probably still in space. But listen; remember when you blew up my scouter all these years ago?'
'You're not still angry about that, are you?' Goku mockingly asked.
'Yes…' Vegeta answered, though Goku could hear a distinct amusement. 'Do you think you can do that again, in the middle of the camp?'
'Eh, sure. But why?' Vegeta could practically see his confused face.
'Why? Because without their scouters they will not be able to track us, not contact each other, that's why!'
'Ok ok, I'll do it.'
'Good, I'll do the same…' "DAMMED!" Vegeta's mental scream ringed through the link.
'Kakarot, wait for my mark.'
Vegeta turned and flew away.
"HEY, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?" Tien's voice sounded from behind, but he didn't care. He had overlooked something, and nearly screwed up. Not caring about being tracked, he flew straight towards Raditz's energy, which was moving closer. After several minutes at top speed, the large space ship came into view, and he could feel the energy of the many soldiers trailing it.
'This better work.' He said to himself. A door in the ship opened, he was seen coming. He flew trough a few corridors, seeking Raditz out, and finally landed. He was under the hole he had made earlier.
"You need to turn off all power scanners now." He commanded.
"What? Why?" Raditz hadn't even noticed the prince until he spoke.
"Because we're going to blow every single one of them, so unless you want to get caught in the crossfire, they better be off!" Vegeta snapped at him. Then he launched himself off, trough the large hold in the roof.
"Everyone turn off all power scanners and scouters." Raditz said over his scouter.
"What?" The voice of his trusted vice-captain protested. "Without those, we don't know where to go."
"Just keep course, we'll get somewhere eventually. Just turn everything off."
"Ok." The line disconnected.
Meanwhile, Vegeta watched the ship flying from underneath him. He gave them some time to make sure everything was turned off. The enemy soldiers had noticed him, and started to surround him.
Once he decided they've had enough time, he closed his eyes, and focused his power. He spiked his energy three times, hoping Kakarot would notice. Not waiting for an answer, he pushed it up. His blue aura flamed around him, and air currents were washing off of him. He saw clouds being torn apart. He had almost gathered enough energy. He could feel Kakarot doing the same. And then, as if by a single command, both of them raised. Not a little, not halfway, but to their full potential. Vegeta screamed. His aura grew, and fluctuated wildly. Some of the braved soldiers had come closer when he was left behind, wondering. But now they were washed away like a piece of cloth caught in a storm. And they probably felt that way as well.
He screamed, pushing himself harder, until his body screamed in agony. His aura crackled around him uncontrollably. He mentally cursed. He could feel more power at his fingertips, more strength to be gained. But his body would not have it. He was locked out of it.
He settled down, without lowering his power, and took a look at his adversaries. They had fled the scene, flying off in all directions. No-one was pursuing the ship anymore. He sought out the nearest source of energy, and flew straight towards it. He touched down by a small crater, at the middle of it was a yellow alien, unconsciousness, and sporting a small burn on the left side of the face. Vegeta smiled. At least one part of the plan had gone well.
He took off, past the ship, towards the island.
Goku soared through the clouds. At first he kept hiding his power, but he noticed quickly how easy it was to outmanoeuvre the now blind soldiers. Now he simply flew too fast to follow, headed for the island.
When he felt Vegeta's power spike three times, he figured it for the signal, and began gathering energy. Immediately there were many soldiers surrounding him, ready to attack. But instead of attacking, Goku raised his power, and threw off a shockwave. He saw the faces of many aliens explode, as their scouters overloaded, and went out with a bang.
Not having to restrict himself, he quickly reached the island, settling down on the sand. He was swarmed by his friends.
"Goku, what were you doing?" Krillin asked first.
"Why did you raise your power like that?" Yamcha wanted to know.
"Where have you been?" Tien asked him.
"Vegeta was here, you missed him." Krillin added, not noticing Goku didn't have time to answer a single question.
"Easy boys, give him some breathing space." Master Roshi intervened. Then he turned to Goku. "Tell me, what have you been up to, throwing around that much energy?"
"Well, you see, Vegeta had this plan, so we destroyed every scouter by raising our powers."
"Ok." Krillin was taken aback. "Question one, what are scouters?"
"Oh, those are those little devices they wear on their faces." Goku answered.
"And they track our powers with it?" He asked further.
"Yes, they can't sense energy like we can, so they use those things." Goku explained.
"Ok, question two, how does raising your powers destroy them?" Krillin continued.
"I don't know, you'll have to ask Vegeta that one." Goku scratched his head, wondering that himself.
"Fair enough. Question three." Krillin was now standing on the tip of his toes, with his arms stretched stiffly on either side of his body. "WHAT WERE YOU THINKING LEAVING CHICHI HERE!" He screamed point black into Goku's face.
"She woke up?" Goku was surprised.
"Yes, and we haven't managed to calm her down yet." Tien added, mock-rubbing his ear.
"Sorry!" He yelled, as he ran inside.
"Should we tell him?" Krillin asked.
"Nah, he'll figure it out." Yamcha answered amused.
"GOKU!" Chichi's voice echoed over the small island. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? HOW COULD YOU LEAVE US LIKE THAT?"
"Ouch." Krillin laughed.
"What do you recon?" Tien asked seriously.
"I don't really know." Yamcha looked at the sky. "It feels so disturbed."
"Like there is something trying to block it." Tien added.
"It could be a second wave." Krillin suggested.
"Don't be so pessimistic." Yamcha disagreed.
"No, I think we better prepare for the worst." Tien agreed with Krillin. "And it looks like Vegeta is thinking the same thing. Both he and Goku's brother are coming this way."
"It could be a trap." "Yamcha tried.
"Then Vegeta would not lead them here." Tien shook his head. "No, he's up to something."
"Guys, any plans?" Goku came out the house again. Bulma followed him.
"Nope, we were hoping you had one." Yamcha said back.
"In that case, I finished the radar just now." Bulma suggested. "You're free to go out and collect them. Also, someone could go get some sensu beans from Korin? I'd feel a lot better with those close at hand."
"Good point." Yamcha agreed. "I'll go get some."
"I'll hold the fort." Goku said. "Besides, I don't think my wife will be too happy if I leave again."
"I guess that means the three of us are going dragon ball hunting." Tien said to Krillin. Chiaotzu nodded behind him.
"Hey Bulma." Krillin addressed the woman. "I've been meaning to ask, what was the rifle for? It didn't look like an ordinary gun to me."
"It's not. I've been looking into gathering energy for weapons for some time now." She looked at a few confused faces. "You know, to weapons that can fire energy blasts or something like that. But it didn't work. Hell, I still needed ordinary bullets to shoot something at all."
"But why would you want to make something like that?" Yamcha wanted to know.
"In case of… well, today actually." Bulma answered. "Ever since Vegeta told me what he used to do for Frieza, I thought that maybe, one day, our planet could get invaded as well. And I was right. So I wanted to create energy weapons to give us normal humans a fighting chance."
"I see." Tien pitched in. "I'm pretty sure I saw some devices on these soldiers."'
"You mean those scouters?" Krillin asked him.
"No, the ones some of them held in their hands. I think it was a blaster of some sort." Tien dug in his memory.
"I don't know, I wasn't really paying attention." Yamcha said.
"Any rate, could you bring something back for me? Even if it is not a blaster, I could probably use it for something." Bulma asked.
"Sure thing." Tien said as he, Krillin and Chiaotzu took for the sky. "We'll bring a few on our way back."
"Thanks guys." She said to their retreating backs.
"I better go too; those beans are not going to get themselves." Yamcha left as well.
Some time later, inside of Kame house, Goku sat on the floor, with his legs crossed, and his tail waving gently behind him, he had his arms slightly extended. Between them he held a small ball of energy, letting his son watch how he manipulated it.
"Energy, Gohan." He said. "Draw out your energy."
"But what if I don't have energy?" The little boy asked.
"Everyone has energy; you just have to find it." He dispersed the ball. "Go on, try it yourself."
Gohan mirrored his fathers pose, and concentrated on the spot between his hands. A beat of sweat dripped down his face, and his arm trembled slightly, but there was no energy gathering.
Then a loud roar reached the boy. He looked up in surprise, only reproduce the sound himself.
"Ok." His father laughed. "Lunch break it is."
He stood up, and made his way towards the kitchen. Gohan latched himself to his father's tail, and let himself be dragged along.
"Chichi, is lunch ready?" He asked as he glanced around.
"Just a few more minutes." She replied. "Could you take a shower before that? You reek."
"Ok." Goku raised his tail, and his son with it. "Gohan, lets go take a bath."
The two left for the bathroom.
"Watching these two almost makes me forget that there is a war going on." Bulma said.
"Almost." Shen echoed from over his tea.
"Well, Goku has always been like that." Roshi agreed. "And Gohan is still a child." He watched Trunks play with a stuffed toy, until the little boy ripped off the head.
"I guess Trunks takes after his father, doesn't he?" He asked Bulma.
"I don't know, Vegeta didn't stay around long enough to make a comparison." She stood up. "I mean, really! He only came to see him once."
"Well, Vegeta is not exactly the family type." Roshi tried to soothe her.
"Neither was Goku, and look at him now." Bulma countered. She sat down with a small thud. "When I told him I was pregnant, he was all confused, and angry." She started.
"Please don't start this now." Shen said.
"But when I told him I would keep it." Bulma continued, ignoring the old master. "He became really angry. I've heard of men leaving because they don't want to be tied down with a child, but Vegeta was just insane. He almost threatened to kill me at one point."
"Yes, breaking up is hard." Roshi commented.
"He left that day, and only came by once, but Trunks is still his son. Can't he at least take a little responsibility instead of just running away like a child?" She brought down her fist on the table with the last sentence.
"I don't think it's just Trunks." Roshi tried.
"Of course it is." Bulma spat up. "Why else would he do something like that? Oh, I should never have invited him into my home."
"And Trunks would never have been born, is that what you want?" Shen asked sharply. Bulma looked at him like she was going to explode, but then her anger deflated like a balloon.
"I guess not." She finely said. "Still, is it so much to ask to take care of Trunks once in a while?"
"I think master Roshi is right." Chichi, who overheard everything through the open door, walked in with some empty plates. She set them down on the table, and continued. "There must be something about Trunks and Gohan which he dislikes." She sat down on a chair. "When Gohan was still a baby, Vegeta would come over sometimes for a spar. But whenever he saw Gohan, he looked like he just saw something very painful. Eventually, he stopped coming over, and just flared his power whenever he wanted to fight."
"I'm sorry, I… I didn't know." Bulma stumbled.
"It's alright." Chichi waved it away. "Goku was pretty unsure of what to do with Gohan in the first year. And you know how stubborn Vegeta can be."
"Oh I know alright. And Trunks inherited that part of him as well." Bulma sounded a lot more cheerful.
Shen and Roshi met eyes, and one gestured towards the door with his head. The two left the women to their talk.
"So, what now?" Shen asked once outside.
"I don't know." Roshi replied. "Do you feel the power coming from there?" He gestured with his head.
"Didn't that appear after your student raised his power?" The Crane asked.
"Yes, and it looks like he drew some attention." Roshi replied. Then he sighed. "Looks like we are going to have to wait for them to come down to us."
The end of this chapter.
Thank you for reading and supporting me.
Special thanks to MsAnimeGeek
A/N: The story has been set up, and the main event begins next chapter.
If the first and other halves of this chapter seem a little off, that's because they were actually two chapters. But I cut a lot of useless stuff. I guess nobody likes to read a thousand word description of Vegeta's scowl.
I can't believe how many people like my story. But it does make me feel a little pressure. Why can't I just be happy?