Chapter 25

A/N: Hello :3 to my readers I'm very sorry it's been so long but I started to get some writer's-block for this one so I started working on some of my other projects. I personally don't like forcing myself to work on something because then it's no longer entertaining...just my opinion of course. Anyways I should be a little more constant with it now, for I have the story line for the next few chapters planned out. Thank you for reading! :)

A Second Chance

Mia stood watching the kai and the small insect bicker back and fourth a little to quickly for her still shaky launtian to completely understand. She crossed her arms, tensing her face to match the mood of whichever words she could pick up, not that she paid much heed to their conversation. Phrases such as 'you can't do this Babadi!' and 'We will stop you!' rang clearly despite her lack of attention; she found the last phrase to be rather humorous, chuckling along with the little wasp and the demon-lord behind him. The nest at the back of the enemies throbbed with hints of cracking, and the magician looked on excitedly still announcing how he will control whichever quadrant of the universe before moving onto the next, to avenge whoever it was he felt needed to be avenged. She took a few steps forward and laughed a little louder to catch the attention from the group of men.

"Tell me Supreme Kai, what exactly is it that you plan to do to this," she paused "creature, that lurks within that nest?" the Supreme Kai looked at the goddess confused, practically tripping over each word that passed his lips.

"I-I, I mean, w-we were going to destroy it!"

"And how are you going to manage that?"

"Lady Catherine, you are the goddess of war!" He praised. "I thought such a job would be child's play to someone of your…caliber!" She laughed again shaking her head.

"I'm not laying a hand on the monster."

"B-but you said-!" She lifted her hand cutting off his objection.

"And as easily as I said, I shall change my mind." She smirked. "Can you not feel the power radiating off of that orb? It's beyond my control, and my desire to hinder…and you can not stop it." Babadi laughed at the woman's statements, chiming words of applaud to her intelligence.

"Hey, whose side are you on?" Gohan blurted taking a step forward and clenching the fists that once lay unmoved at his sides.

"A voice of reason." She stated simply turning to walk towards the teenager. "Go home boy." Gohan flinched with anger. "You have a little while longer to live, I'd imagine, why don't you try spending your final moments doing something you enjoy, hm?"

"Supreme Kai can we even trust this girl?" He bellowed out stepping away from the saiyan princess. "She's heartless!"

"No Gohan…" The kai began, straightening his stance. "She's right. The best we can do now is wait for your father, he's the only one who can-" Mia interrupted his thoughts once more, scoffing loudly at his speech.

"You truly believe Kakarot can defeat this thing?" She shook her head. "That third-class saiyan won't lay a scratch on it. He'll be sent back to the afterlife before there's even time for him to blink." Gohan ground his jaw spreading his legs into a fighting stance.

"You're wrong! My dad can defeat it. He can defeat any threat!" She raised an eyebrow to the boy.

"You believe that, do you?" The boy nodded tensely allowing for his pride to seep through just so slightly. "Your father can not defeat me. There's no chance of him defeating that monstrosity."

"Than I'll destroy it now and save him the trouble!" Gohan yelled placing his hands together to raise some technique.

"Ka-meh!" He began. Mia shook her head stepping out of the boy's way.

"Don't." She said half-heartedly twisting her lips into a scowl.

"Ah-meh!"

"You're making a mistake." She insisted, rolling her eyes at his ignorance. The insect across from them scrambled at his actions, also begging him to stop. She let out a long sigh as his energy grew to a medium-sized blast, picking up dirt and rock as its kai shifted dangerously through the air.

"Ah~!" He finished releasing the large blast, accompanied by all of the, rather impressive, amount of energy the boy sustained in his reserves. Dust rose in the air blinding the group and causing the magician to cough and spasm, the Kai turned his head from the wind and Mia stood calmly only closing her eyes at the scene.

"What happened? Where did it go?" Babadi shrieked peering into the cracked egg that stood empty before him.

Mia chuckled lightly as the Kai breathed steady hurrahs to his enemy, preaching that good reigns over evil in every case, or some such nonsense, and Gohan stood, chin high, proud of his show-of-strength. Only she saw the monster that floated in the air, still forming itself together out of the debris from a single pink cloud.

Vegeta growled at the man before him, their hands locked together both attempting to out power the other. Lightening flashed from the clashing kai that revolved around them, his muscles twitching with the thickened chemicals that produced the false power he managed to gain. Kakarot scowled as intensely as he did as they continued their battle.

He would win, if it was the last damn thing he did he would at least remind this fool who he was.

"What's wrong with you?" Kakarot asked almost laughing. "Your focus is completely off." With that he twisted his wrists causing the prince's own to turn backwards and crack, making it unbearably easy for the third-class warrior to over power and throw to the rough ground standing mockingly below them. Vegeta hit it with a crash, pieces of dirt and dust exploding into the air from the impact, Goku slowly began to float back to earth. Immediately the majin rose running back to his opponent throwing blasts and kicks as quickly as he could, grunting with annoyance at every pitiful miss. "You really are distracted, aren't you, Vegeta?" Kakarot chuckled grabbing onto the leg the prince swung in a kick with ease, making the prince gasp trying to balance himself, his eyes wide, and his breaths unsteady. "Or should I call you Atekev?" Vegeta's hands shook anxiously at the sound of his true name; he twisted around kicking the man with his other leg sending Goku flying backward fracturing a mountain and, after being sent backwards himself from the force of the kick, he used his hand as leverage to flip back onto his feet.

"Do NOT call me that!" Vegeta yelled flying to the man across from him before Kakarot could regain his movement and grabbed strongly onto his neck as roughly as the majin could muster. "Don't you EVER call me by that name!" He shouted. "Or I will snap you in half!" He breathed the last phrase between his teeth. Kakarot grabbed onto the man's arm pulling desperately against it, fighting for air.

"Why are you so defensive about it?" He managed to cough out through his ever weakening throat.

"That's none of your business, Kakarot!" Goku tore his arm away and punched him with as much strength as he could muster still attempting to recover his breaths sending the upper-class warrior sliding back few meters, dirt rising from the make-shift path he created.

"Don't act like I don't know what you did for her, Vegeta." Kakarot breathed wiping away a trickle of blood that fell from a wound inflicted earlier. "She told me." Vegeta flinched standing just a bloodied and bruised as his opponent.

"Then you'd understand why I don't want you to call me that!" Kakarot would never admit to him that his voice cracked. "I stopped going by that name for a reason! And now she fucking hates me!" Goku tried not to smirk.

"So it is her then." Vegeta growled again.

"Shut up, Kakarot! You think you know everything because she told you a few things? I can bet that she didn't tell you anything beyond the bare minimum." That was true, Mia didn't tell him much, and if she did mention anything about her past it was unbelievably broad. Never did she mention details.

"No, she didn't tell me a lot, but-"

"You don't know a thing about she and I, and why the HELL are you so damn-interested anyway?" Goku's face twisted into confusion.

"I'm not really sure, I guess it's just because it seems so out of character for you to really care about someone and I'm curious about it." Vegeta took in a large breath.

"I don't care about her." He lied, Goku stared on unconvinced.

"That's a lie and we both know it, Vegeta." The prince stood silent at the comment for a moment.

"I-" Both men froze at the potent wisp of kai that developed at that second, their eyes widened.

"Did you feel that?" Goku breathed. Vegeta turned his head in the direction of the power. "What is it?"

"I don't know, but the other's Antreka's." Her name still stung, damn it! He cringed. Goku turned to him, a soft look developing over his countenance. "Is she really stronger than you?" Damn curiosity!

"No. She's probably only as strong as your first super saiyan form." Vegeta couldn't help but smile. "She's extremely fast though. I can't keep up with her, and that's why it's so difficult to get her tactics…But she's nothing compared to that other kai, and her speed can't last her forever." The majin winced as her image flashed through his mind. Goku smiled as if he were able to see his thoughts. "You really love her don't you?" The prince didn't respond. "And I know you a little better than you think I do, Vegeta," a pause "I know you care about your son, and even if you won't admit it you care about Bulma too." Vegeta scoffed.

"How the hell would you know what I do and do not care for?" Goku smiled.

"…Look, we can continue this later, but right now they are all in danger!"

"What do I care?"

"They'll die if we don't stop this useless fighting! I don't know what it is, but it doesn't feel like it's an easy opponent." Goku clenched his fists.

"Trunks, Bulma…" Goku frowned, mentally changing his tactic when it came to the saiyan princess. "Do you even care if Mia dies?" Vegeta shot him a tense glare.

"Why the hell should I?" He shouted. "She's been dead for this long." He took in a painful gasp. "What would the difference be?"

"I guess there wouldn't be one, but do you really want to let her die again when you can actually do something about it this time…Atekev?"

A thick silence bled through the air. Vegeta's heart kicked and fluttered with rage, and frustration. His mind replayed her death mechanically; he stood there held back pathetically while she cried out for him in pain, and he couldn't go to her. He couldn't protect her. No. He wouldn't allow it again. This time he would keep her safe. He was given a second chance…he would not ruin it.