Chapter 52—Nox's Match
It was high noon when the tournament got back underway, and it was time for the final match. The sun was bright and simmering. Young women wearing next to nothing wandered through the stands selling drinks. The heat was playing tricks on many a person's vision. Even Vegeta, one who thrived in high temperatures, could have sworn that there had been a puddle at the end of the street. When he'd approached however, there had been none.
Vegeta could see that in the stands, many of the dignitaries were making full employ of their servants. The unfortunate servants were being forced to fan the nobles, hold sun umbrellas, and run down to the market to fetch cool treats.
For Vegeta himself the hot sun was only slightly uncomfortable. Dressed in his loose black pants and a black tank top, only the lightest sheen of sweat had broken out on his skin.
Fenn was not so fortunate. "Ugh!" Vegeta glanced to the side at the maroon-haired man. He was still dressed in his black leathers, but Vegeta could see that nearly every button that could be undone was undone. He smirked in amusement before looking away.
"Couldn't he have put this in the evening?" Fenn complained, tugging at the collar of his shirt.
"If you'd just take off your jacket, you'd be a lot more comfortable." Vegeta suggested, letting his eyes roam back over the crowd.
"I'm less intimidating without the jacket." Was Fenn's reply.
"I hope you're not planning to intimidate me." Vegeta drawled.
Fenn laughed. "Maybe."
Vegeta just raised an eyebrow at him in a way that clearly said "good luck with that" before turning away. The crowd in the stands was restless and impatient. It wouldn't be long now.
Fenn grinned. At that moment a loud bell sounded, and the announcer took to the ring.
"It looks like it's time." Fenn said.
Vegeta nodded, and followed Fenn up into the ring.
The announcer began, introducing the two final competitors. It was no surprise to anyone that Fenn was one of the competitors, but clearly the announcer was not alone in his surprise at how easily the Saiyan, Nox cut his way through the competition.
Vegeta merely stared impassively at the crowd as the announcer gave a short recap of Nox's history and victories. A quick glance at Fenn showed that he was doing the same.
"And now, a word from our illustrious Emperor!"
Vegeta caught Fenn's eye for a moment, and both turned to see Hui swaggering up onto the ring. Vegeta wouldn't have thought it possible, but the roar of the crowd got even louder. Hui's smug smirk was clearly visible even from the distance at which Vegeta stood. He saw Fenn give a small, half-sincere bow. Vegeta merely raised an eyebrow and looked back to Hui. With a deep bow, the announcer handed the microphone to Hui.
After Hui had waved him away with a flick of his hand, he spun around with a flourish. "My dear citizens." He began, causing the crowd to instantly quiet. "What a wonderful day for a competition. Here we have the two greatest warriors in the Tauran Intergalactic Kingdom, my longtime friend, Fenn, and our new friend, the Saiyan, Nox. Now, due to the fact that the empire needs both of these men, I will make the rules for the match a little stricter. In addition to the other rules of the tournament, I will add this one: No killing." He looked at the two competitors with a stern look. "Understood?" Vegeta could swear that he heard Fenn snort, but they both nodded anyway. "Good." Hui chirped. "Let the match begin!"
Raising his hand, he backed out of the ring, finally spinning with a flare of his long embroidered tunic and lifting off to head to his booth.
Fenn and Vegeta turned toward each other crouching down into fighting stances.
"You ready?" Fenn asked.
Vegeta snorted. "Are you?"
Fenn merely smirked, and in an instant, and enormous purple aura had surrounded him.
"Let's not play around." Fenn said. The slightest of movements caught Vegeta's eye, and he saw Fenn's hands curl into fists at his side.
Reflexively, Vegeta crouched into a fighting stance. And it was lucky that he did, for a moment later, he was blown back by a gust of wind.
"It's starting!" Krillin yelled into the ship's hallway.
He heard a cry of surprise and the pounding of feet, and suddenly Goku and Yamcha, arms laden with snacks and drinks appeared and wearing nothing but boxer shorts, blew past him into the control room. Everyone but Piccolo had finally given up on propriety, and this time there were four men in their t-shirts and boxers crammed into the control room to watch the fight. Only Piccolo still stubbornly remained fully clothed.
"Gah!" Krillin cried as he was bowled over. He ended up on the floor in an awkward and uncomfortable position.
"Oh, sorry Krillin." Yamcha said, turning back to look at his fallen friend.
"Eh." Krillin pulled his legs back beneath him and stood up. "Heh heh. No worries." He said while dusting off his backside.
"Ah wow!" Goku's cry of delight grabbed their attention. "Look at them go!"
The camera used to film the match was clearly not advanced enough to capture the speed of the two fighters. Nox and Fenn appeared as nothing more than red and purple streaks.
Goku settled into one of the chairs setting a bowl of popcorn and a bag of chips onto his lap. "Oh man, this is going to be good!" He said before calling out. "I've got five hundred Zeni on Nox!"
The sudden blow to the face surprised him, and Vegeta was somewhat stunned to find himself crashing back onto the tiles. He felt the tiles crack beneath him as he plowed through them. Using the momentum, he flipped back to his feet, just in time to avoid the foot Fenn sent through the tiles.
Vegeta sprung back at him, taking advantage of the moment that it took for Fenn to pull his foot back out of the ring. Fenn blocked Vegeta's fist with his forearm, and spinning, sent a kick toward his head.
Vegeta managed to duck it, but he knew full well that he didn't stand a chance of beating Fenn in his plain form. Fenn was just too good. Not only was he insanely powerful, but he was crafty as well.
Vegeta was going to have to do something. He had two options really, and he knew that one of them was much safer.
He dodged another blow and stumbled back a few steps, throwing a hand up into the air.
Fenn stopped mid-attack. "I've seen this before." He said, furrowing his eyebrows.
Vegeta smirked at him. "Yes, you probably have. This is a technique programmed into the standard education program in Saiyan infants' space pods. It's one of the Saiyans' greatest weapons." He released the glowing orb into the sky. "Get ready." And then he raised his eyes to it.
The artificial moon taunted him, drawing out his feral core, and causing his body to quake. The moon suddenly became all that mattered. Fenn, standing curious and eager before him meant nothing. Hui giddy and clapping in the emperor's booth meant nothing. The war, Kurenai, all of it disappeared. For that one moment he was wild and bloodthirsty. He was a beast. But his consciousness quickly gained control. He was far too experienced with this form to allow it to run rampant.
The excited and terrified roar of the crowd—now so tiny—came back to him like waking from a dream.
Vegeta hovered over the stadium, realizing with a small sort of gratitude that his clothes had expanded to accommodate his size. Thank the Kais for one-size-fits-all uniforms.
He knew he would have to be careful. His size gave him power ten times greater than in his normal state, but it also made it much more likely that he would touch something outside the ring.
He turned his glowing red eyes to Fenn. The red-haired man now seemed so small floating there in front of him. His expression was nearly amazed, but it lasted for only a moment.
"So this is the Saiyan oozaru state." He said. "I must say, I'm impressed. Let's see how well you fare now."
Fenn flew toward him, but Vegeta merely laughed. Raising a hand, he caught Fenn and smashed him into the ring, crushing him through the tiles. When he raised his hand, Fenn sat up dazedly.
"You expected me to be slower because of my size." Vegeta accused squatting down to send a chastising look at Fenn.
"I did." Fenn admitted, stumbling to his feet. "My mistake." He coughed on a bit of dust. "Let's try this again." And he charged once more at Vegeta.
"It's been a long time since I've seen an oozaru." Yamcha said, snatching a handful of popcorn from one of Goku's many bowls. "I don't know if it's more terrifying when it's wild or when it's controlled."
"Good point." Krillin said. "I guess it all depends on who it is."
Gohan nodded in agreement.
"Nox has a disadvantage in that form though." Goku said. "He's more powerful, but he can't move around much."
"He's still holding his own." Gohan said, glancing toward Piccolo for confirmation before continuing. "Fenn's attacks seem to be more localized—much more useful against smaller opponents."
They all watched as Fenn shot a beam at Nox's one good eye only for Nox to swat it away. While Fenn was charging up another attack, Nox brought his tail around and grabbed Fenn.
"I dunno. Nox looks like he's playing with him." Krillin said, as the giant ape let out a loud laugh and began smashing the small man into the tiles.
Behind them, Piccolo had been silently studying the match. "Gohan's right." He finally said. "Fenn's Ki attacks would only be good against a creature that size if Nox weren't so easily defending his target areas." As if in proof of this, Fenn finally got free of his assault and shot a barrage of Ki blasts at Nox. Nox again blocked them all.
Fenn switched tactics, calling up his purple aura again. His hands danced in a quick intricate motion before pointing outward toward Nox. A green orb appeared around the giant ape, and began slowly closing in.
The control room fell silent. On the screen, the giant ape stopped laughing. He stared around at the orb that had encircled him with a worried look, but that look quickly changed to one of concentration. Down below, Fenn's hands twitched, and the orb began contracting more quickly
Fenn's smirk was just visible on the screen. He clearly thought he'd won. The excited cheers and shrieks of the crowd filled the small, quiet control room as the transformed Saiyan was forced to his knees. His red eyes were fixed in a look of concentration and his teeth were set in a snarl.
The orb compressed once more, and the giant roared.
Around him, the crowd matched the sound, growing louder and louder. People were jumping to their feet. Fists were pumping in the air. Snacks were being thrown around, and people were pushing against each other in their frenzy.
Suddenly, the ape's roar grew deafening. He twitched visibly, his large muscles bulging. A moment later, he threw his arms outward, arching his back and standing up full-height. The green orb shattered and disappeared in a shower of sparks. The wind from the Saiyan's Ki blew through the crowd knocking some people over, and sending sun umbrellas flying out of several stunned servants' hands.
Down below, Fenn was staring up at Nox, his teeth clenched, and a look of frustration on his face.
For a brief moment, the scene switched to show Hui, giddy and clapping up in his booth.
"If Nox is able to throw off Fenn's magical attacks, Fenn will have to switch tactics." Piccolo commented, frowning at the face of the young emperor.
The camera returned to the fight just in time to see Fenn dodge a crushing stomp from the enraged animal.
The red haired man flew up into the sky circling back behind the Saiyan's head and charging up a Ki blast. The next events happened in a split second. Fenn released the blast as Nox was still turning. Nox raised a hand to protect his face from the blast. At the last second, however, the blast veered off on its own, missing the ape entirely. A moment later, Fenn's real target was revealed when the artificial moon exploded in a shower of sparks.
Vegeta roared in outrage at having been tricked, but already his body was shrinking. A moment later, the panting Saiyan was standing on the tiles, in his normal form. Sweat was trickling down his face from the transformation, but he raised a glare to the man floating down toward him.
"It was nice while it lasted." Fenn said, wiping a trickle of blood from his chin. "I won't fall for that again though. You'll have to have something else up your sleeve, because this time," Suddenly, the large purple aura exploded around him again, bigger this time, and laced with static. The wind from the aura threatened to throw the Saiyan backward. "I'm not playing around."
Vegeta weighed his options. He needed to show Hui that he was one of his greatest assets. He needed the privileges that came with being one of Hui's greatest warriors. He needed to be sure that when the final battle came, it was him who Hui called upon to fight alongside him. There was really only one way to do that. He knew it was risky, but he'd have to try his luck and hope that Hui was as blind as he seemed.
He knew he didn't have enough time to earn his place as Hui's right hand by earning his trust. He'd have to do it through power. Everyone knew that the final battle—when it came—would be between "Vegeta" and Hui. It was what Hui feared. He'd heard of the power of the Super Saiyan in stories while growing up—as every child had. He'd undoubtedly heard that a Super Saiyan had been what brought down the Cold Clan. He'd seen the power of the Super Saiyan, plowing through his ships, and destroying his troops by the hundreds. He thought he'd killed Vegeta, but now Vegeta was back among the living—apparently immortal—and ready to hunt him down.
Hui didn't let on, but he was afraid. He was a frightened child, and he was afraid to die. He wanted protection, and what better way to protect himself against a Super Saiyan than with…another Super Saiyan.
Decided, Vegeta fixed Fenn with a smirk. "Fine." He said. "You want more, so be it. I didn't think I'd have to use this to defeat you, but apparently I was wrong." Spreading his legs, Vegeta crouched down, glaring at Fenn angrily. With a loud roar, he transformed, sending a golden aura flaring around him. His one visible eye turned blue, and his wild hair flickered gold a few times before finally remaining that color.
The crowd shrieked in excitement at the sudden turn, and up in the emperor's box, Hui nearly fainted from joy.
Fenn stared at the Super Saiyan before him with an undisguised look of surprise. A moment later, his eyes narrowed. "I should have known." He said.
Vegeta smirked at him, and then lunged forward, hurdled toward Fenn with a loud cry. Fenn braced himself, a wicked grin lighting his face. The two met in mid air, and a shock rippled outwards at the impact, ruffling clothes and spilling drinks all around the stadium.
A roar went up from the crowd—trills of delight and excitement. The final match appeared to have finally begun.
"What?!" "No way!" "He's a Super Saiyan? How?!" Loud exclamations of surprise filled the small control room as the five warriors reeled from shock.
"How on Earth could he be a Super Saiyan?" Yamcha asked. "It took you years to unlock the secret, and only people from Earth know it."
"Don't forget Brolly." Gohan reminded him. "King Vegeta sent Brolly away because he had the natural potential to become a Super Saiyan, and he would have rivaled Vegeta for the throne."
"Gohan's right." Piccolo said. "There's no telling how many Saiyans King Vegeta exiled because they rivaled Vegeta's power. It seems we might have underestimated this one."
"He doesn't look like he's as strong as Brolly though." Krillin said. "And he's clearly not insane."
"That's always a plus." Yamcha conceded.
"Oh man." Goku was grinning as he watched the two super-powered men on screen exchange blows. "Another Super Saiyan. Who would have thought? I can't wait to meet this guy."
"Don't get your hopes up, Goku." Piccolo said. "It's doubtful that you'll convince him to live peacefully on Earth and become your sparring partner."
"You could let a guy dream, Piccolo." Goku pouted. "Oh look at them go!" Fenn had grabbed Nox, and was flying straight down. A moment later, the two crashed head-first into the tiles, sending rocks and dust flying everywhere. Fenn hopped out a moment later unscathed, and began dusting off his clothes.
"Fenn's still got the advantage." Gohan noted.
"How can this guy be so much stronger than a Super Saiyan?" Yamcha asked. "Wouldn't we have heard something?"
"We had never heard of Abo and Cado until Tarble appeared on Earth, and they were as strong as Super Saiyans." Gohan pointed out.
"Come to think of it, we'd never heard of Tarble either." Krillin added.
"Yeah, you'd think Vegeta would mention that he had a brother." Yamcha put in. "At least to Bulma or Trunks."
They all nodded with small chuckles. "You know, Vegeta never did tell me if he had a sister or not." Goku added.
"A sister?!" Yamcha, Krillin, and Gohan looked at him in surprise.
"Yeah," Goku said, tapping his chin. "I asked, and he didn't really say 'no.'"
"He doesn't have a sister." Piccolo said over the others' interested murmurs. "He was just messing with you."
"What?!" Goku whined. "Really?" He dropped his cheek onto his fist. "And all this time, I've been wondering."
Yamcha and Krillin laughed.
A loud roar from the tv made them all turn their attention back to the fight. The crowd was going wild, and the two fighters were locked in a ki blast battle. Fenn's purple beam was slowly gaining on Nox's blue one. Nox was clearly straining under the blast, but Fenn seemed to be having less trouble.
Nox suddenly roared and put more force into the beam, sending it back toward Fenn. Fenn, however increased his own, and held it at bay.
"If Nox could go Super Saiyan 2, now would be the time." Krillin said.
The others nodded.
Back on planet Loth Vegeta was thinking the same thing. But he knew that he couldn't do it. Going Super Saiyan was one thing, but transforming past that would bring Hui and Fenn closer to discovering his real identity.
Fenn was still overpowering him though. It was infuriating. How had he gotten so powerful? What race was he? Vegeta had never even seen his type before. Where had he come from?
He put more force into his beam, but Fenn was still beating it back. Over the blinding light, he could see Fenn smirking at him. He clearly knew that Vegeta's Super Saiyan form was maxed out.
And this attack was wasting precious energy.
The tiles beneath Vegeta's feet suddenly cracked under the strain and Vegeta sunk ankle deep into the ring.
His muscles were straining, pleading for him to do something—to either give up or transform into a higher state. He could do neither. He sent a brief glance to Hui. The young emperor was out of his seat, leaning over the rail with interest. Vegeta frowned.
Fenn noticed Vegeta's moment of inattention, and decided to take advantage of it. Suddenly, his beam increased twofold, plowing through Vegeta's as if it wasn't there. Vegeta dodged out of the way of the blast just in time. The blast hurdled toward the stands. Vegeta followed it with his eyes, watching with a sense of déjà vu as spectators scurried over each other to get out of its path.
He turned back to Fenn just in time to see his foot flying at his face. Vegeta took the kick right to the temple, flying back and crashing into the ground. Dirt and grass flew up around him, and he slowly pulled himself to his feet. He looked up to see Fenn, standing at the edge of the ring, arms crossed and a smug smirk on his face.
Vegeta glanced down to where he was standing and sighed. He realized the fact just as the announcer declared it.
"RING OUT!" The announcement was met by loud cheers and boos from the crowd. "FENN IS THE WINNER!"
Oh well. Vegeta thought. He'd done what he came to do, and he hadn't really cared if he'd beaten Fenn anyway.
Vegeta glanced behind himself to the stadium to see that there had been no destruction. A forcefield that he had not seen before that point was glowing green. It had apparently protected the crowd from the explosion. A good idea. He thought. I'll have to mention that to Bulma for the next tournament on Earth.
He finally turned his eyes up toward the emperor's box. Hui was clapping half-heartedly for Fenn, but his eyes were still locked on Vegeta. Even from that distance, he could see the expression in his eyes. It was one that he had seen many times in Kurenai's eyes. It was a hunger—a desire. Hui saw something that he wanted, and he was going to do everything in his power to keep it.
Vegeta turned away to hide a smirk, and climbed back into the ring "congratulate" Fenn. I'm still in the game.
Tarble clicked the scouter shut and turned with an exasperated look to Midori and Kurenai. "It's hard to stay in character when I'm talking to them." He declared.
"Do they suspect anything?" Kurenai asked.
"No." He said, slipping the scouter into his pocket. "They were too excited by the fact that 'Nox' was a Super Saiyan."
"So Vegeta transformed." Kurenai frowned, staring down into a small box on her desk. "That was risky."
"Only to the first level of Super Saiyan." Tarble said sticking his hands on his hips and cocking his head to the side with a curious expression. "And he lost the final match."
"He lost?!" Kurenai spun around in surprise dropping something in the process. Whatever she'd been holding fell back into the box with a metallic clink.
Tarble stumbled back a step, sending a nervous look to Midori. She just shrugged at him. "Well, I assume that he thought transforming into the second level of Super Saiyan was too risky. Fenn overpowered him in his Super Saiyan form. He lost by ring out."
Kurenai sighed loudly. "That boy." She turned to Midori. "Midori, I want a copy of that match. I want to see what happened."
She was already pulling her scouter out of her pocket. "I'll see to it." She turned away as she began talking to the person on the other end of the line.
"Lost by ring out." Kurenai snorted, turning back to the box. "At least it wasn't a knock out."
"At least it wasn't death." Tarble added.
She looked up, sending him a wry look. "Yes." She said flatly. "That too."
Midori gave Tarble an amused smirk as she closed her scouter and slipped it back into her pocket. He just shrugged with a small smile.
"Midori, Tarble." Kurenai said suddenly, looking between her two aides with a stern look. In the red light streaming through the window, the small woman seemed slightly demonic. Kurenai's two aides instantly sobered.
"I want you to deliver these bracelets to the five Earthling fighters." She said. "They are hot on Hui's heels, and with that hijacked Tik ship, it's only a matter of time before they meet him. I've got two Tik-issue Veet pods waiting for you on planet Nada. You are to leave at 17-H tomorrow evening. Switch pods on Nada and meet those boys on their ship. You already know the ship number, correct?"
They both nodded.
"Good." She gave them steeling looks. "There are two bracelets for you as well." She said, sending a bracelet floating toward each of them. "Once you meet them, you are to remain with them. And you are to aid them in their fight against Hui."
The two stiffened and swallowed nervously. However, Kurenai's stern look left no room for argument. They both nodded.
The tournament's festivities lasted well into the night. Hui quickly got over his disappointment that Nox had not won the final match, and instead focused on his excitement that his own personal Saiyan could turn Super Saiyan.
He had dragged Vegeta through the festival, showing him off like a prized trophy, and treating him to food and drink all night. Fenn trailed behind them with a drunken smile and a small crowd of women hanging off his arms.
Vegeta managed to tolerate the festival for a while despite the ache in his temple. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it to go around. He'd eaten something from every stand they passed. Roasted, fried, and smoked meats. Interesting wraps and sandwiches. Everything you could think of on a stick. And sweets like he'd never seen.
Several hours after they'd set out, however, Vegeta was full. He continued to nibble on things just to entertain himself, but he would much prefer to head back to his rooms and shower. He was eternally grateful, therefore, when Hui lost interest in his champions and latched on to a group of young dancers. Many of the girls, all in their silks and glitter, swooned and squealed at the attention they were getting from the young emperor. With a grin, Hui led them off, forgetting entirely about his Saiyan and right hand.
Vegeta used the opportunity to slip away, walking briskly through the crowd and heading up to the castle. He'd showered, and then set about slipping into Hui's command files to see where he was positioning his troops now that so many of his elites had been killed.
Several hours later, finding nothing interesting except for the fact that Hui hadn't done much planning at all, Vegeta went to sleep.
Given the cheer and situation that Vegeta had left him in, it was quite a surprise the next morning to see that Hui was in a dreadful mood. Even Fenn sported a harassed frown when Vegeta came down for breakfast. Their moods seemed entirely out of place in the bright, airy dining room. Light music drifted up from the remnants of the festivities below, coming in from the open balcony. Sheer white curtains seemed to dance with the melody.
At first, Vegeta was inclined to think Hui and Fenn were both suffering from hangovers. It wasn't long, however, before he discovered that there was another reason entirely for their bad humor.
Hui was angry, and for some reason, it was directed at him. Vegeta could feel it, even if the glare and silence pointedly directed at him since he'd walked in wasn't an indication. Vegeta wasn't quite sure what he'd done to warrant such anger though—besides selling out the Tik's greatest secrets and being a traitor. But Hui didn't know about that. Hopefully.
He'd merely silently filled his plate from the silver serving trays near Hui's end of the table and headed back to his seat.
It was Fenn who gave him his first hint. Just as Vegeta sat down at the lavishly decorated table across from Fenn, the man leaned across the table. "Hui wants to know if you've chosen a mate yet." He said quietly, sending a glance to the pale emperor at the end of the table.
It had only been two days since the last time he'd asked. Vegeta rolled his eyes. "No."
"Well you'll need to come up with a good excuse for why not." He said through clenched teeth. "And tell him, not me, because I'm sick of hearing about this."
An excuse? Besides the fact that it's been less than a week? Vegeta thought, but instead he simply asked. "Why?"
"Glad you asked." Fenn said. He pulled a small tablet computer out and pressed a button. "This is your prince." He said, sliding the tablet across the table.
Vegeta stared at the picture of what had to be Tarble and cocked an eyebrow. Tarble was pulling off his role very well. The picture was apparently taken in the underground, where "Vegeta" was carrying a small stack of boxes and looking decidedly put out.
Fenn pressed a button and the picture enlarged to show two more people. "This is his mate—an Earthling—and this is their half-blood son."
Vegeta blinked. "So what does this—"
Fenn fixed him with a firm stare. "Apparently they are having another child."
Vegeta's heart stopped for a moment, but he tried to keep the surprise off his face. He quickly stored the fact away and looked back to Fenn. Fenn was staring at him with narrow eyes.
"So surprised?" Fenn asked suspiciously.
Vegeta blinked, and his mind raced for an excuse. "She's not a Saiyan." He said finally.
"Of course not!" Fenn hissed, trying to keep his voice low. "I told you so days ago."
"Then the Saiyans really are all dead." Vegeta continued, weaving his story as he was saying it. "He has a non-Saiyan mate because the Saiyan women are all dead."
"What have I been telling you for the past few days?" Fenn snapped.
Vegeta just stared at him with a blank look. His heart was still thudding in his chest, but for an entirely different reason than what he told Fenn.
"Let me tell you again in case you've forgotten." Hui, who had apparently heard their entire conversation shot up from his seat. His intricately carved wooden chair slid backward across the tiled floor before falling over. "Vegetasei was destroyed over thirty years ago. All but a handful of Saiyans survived—all men. You will not find a Saiyan woman to mate with, but the other Saiyans have mated and had children by Earthling women."
Vegeta just nodded. He had nothing to say to that.
"You will choose a mate." Hui said, his shoes clicking loudly on the tiles as he came closer to Vegeta. "I have asked you nicely. I have introduced you to women. Now you have to choose one. Take a mate, and start making brats!"
Vegeta rose from his seat to stare into the eyes of the Emperor. "You are not my master—"
"Wrong!" Hui's power suddenly exploded, knocking Vegeta back and sending a sick feeling curling through his stomach. Vegeta stared in sincere shock at the dark aura that was circling the man. Black lightning cracked around him as a power greater than any that Vegeta had ever felt bled out of the young emperor. It was a cruel, dark power, the likes of which made even Vegeta's stomach knot. "You are mine now! You may be powerful, and you may hold the future strength of my Empire in your hands, but remember this, Nox," He strode closer and leaned over to Vegeta's ear before hissing. "I can crush your skull with my bare hands. I can fry your insides with a mere thought." As if in proof of that, Vegeta felt a searing heat rip through his chest. He screamed, clutching at his chest, and dropping to his knees, but a moment later it was gone. He stared up at Hui in shock. "I can rip you limb from limb without laying a finger on you. If I have to, I will destroy your brain and keep only your body to make Saiyan brats." Hui continued and then dropped his voice to a whisper. "You could not defeat Fenn. Do not expect to stand a chance against me."
Vegeta pulled himself to his feet with a glare.
"Kneel to me Saiyan!" Hui hissed. "You don't stand a chance of getting away from me, so you'd better start doing as I say. Now kneel!"
Gritting his teeth, Vegeta forced himself to a knee. He wasn't sure if he could even defeat Hui in his Super Saiyan 3 form, but he certainly wasn't going to try it now. Anger smoldered through his entire body, but he remained kneeling. He needed to bide his time. Then he would have his revenge. And how sweet it would be.
Hui smirked down at Vegeta's angry glare. "Good." He looked over Vegeta toward where Fenn was watching silently. "Fenn, we're leaving Loth in an hour. Call the starship and tell them to set a course for Earth." He stared down to the blank face of the Saiyan below him—now carefully devoid of all hatred or shock. "If the Saiyan prince can mate an Earthling, so can our precious Nox. If he wants to choose for himself, he can have the whole planet to choose from."
With that, he spun on his heel, exiting the dining room and slamming the doors behind him. Fenn and Vegeta stayed silently in place for a moment, Vegeta still kneeling and in shock. Then, without a word, Fenn turned and left as well, leaving Vegeta alone in the sunny dining room.
The sight of Midori and the Saiyan Prince at the Krimzon space station was not an uncommon one. It was unusual, however, for them to come with an entourage. It was usually a quiet affair when the pair boarded their ship or space pods, and hurdled off into space. This time, however, they were being tearfully sent off.
"You take care of yourself." Bulma said, wiping at watery eyes. Behind her, Chichi dabbed at her own eyes with a handkerchief, but whether she was worried for the man before her or simply thinking about the ones she'd sent off at this very port was her knowledge alone. Goten and Trunks, still in their school uniforms stood silently behind their mothers—eyes darting back and forth in search of unattended spacepods.
"Don't get in over your head." Bulma continued.
Tarble gave a wry grin. I'm already in over my head. He thought. Way over my head. But he didn't say so. Instead, he just said. "Please, don't tell Gure—"
"But—" Bulma started to argue.
"I mean it." He insisted in a low voice. "You don't know her like I do. She'll come after me." He paused and fixed her with a serious look—one that looked slightly too desperate to be on Vegeta's face. "Please."
Bulma dropped her head and nodded. "You'll make it out alive." She promised him, pulling him into a hug. It was a sincere hug, one filled with worry and fear. He might not have been her husband, but he was family, and he was far from being capable of fulfilling the task that had been set for him. "One way or another."
"It'll be okay, Bulma." He told her quietly, pulling back. She could see that he was trying hard to hide the fear in his eyes. "Don't worry. Goku and the others will be there. We won't face Hui alone."
She nodded, but the fact that her other friends would be in the battle as well did nothing to ease her worry.
"Can I go too?" Trunks asked.
"No." The reply was simultaneous, both from Bulma and Tarble—in Bulma's case perhaps a bit harsher than was necessary.
"Geeze." Trunks said, backing up a step. "Forgive me for asking."
"Trunks," Bulma sighed. "I'm sorry, honey. I'm just worried. I didn't mean to…" She trailed off. "Let's just let the adults handle this one, okay."
He frowned, but otherwise didn't respond.
Several feet away, Midori and her fiancé, Chet, separated from a long embrace. Chet whispered something to Midori, and she just shook her head sadly.
Rather surprisingly, Chet turned toward Tarble. "Vegeta." He called, startling the four Earthlings.
Tarble, however, turned without hesitation. "Hm?"
"Look after her." He called, a hard gleam in his eye. "Don't even think about coming back here without her."
Tarble just smirked. "I'll do what I can." He promised.
Midori whispered something else to Chet, and the man shot a momentary glance two the two young demi-saiyans before nodding.
Tarble and Midori finally stepped away from their friends and family and, nodding to each other, turned toward their pods.
Slowly, Chet moved toward the two young boys, snatching their collars as they tried to sneak toward an empty space pod. He leaned down close to their ears and whispered. "I'll be watching you."
The two gulped, and nodded.
Chet straightened, and still holding their collars, stared at the two spacepods as their doors snapped closed. The feeling of dread hung over the space port. Although they had tried to be hopeful—cheerful even—Chet knew that there was little hope. Vegeta may be able to stand up to Hui, but if Midori had ever been capable of defeating that monster, Kurenai would have sent her long ago.
Chet had to force himself to crush down the feeling of blind hatred that invaded his mind just then. Somehow he had always known it would come to this. Midori had known it too, when she's accepted the position as Kurenai's right hand all those years ago. The post was a dangerous one, and they had both always known that. He had always hoped though that it wouldn't come to this. But it had. He would just have to let her go.
Within their spacepods, Tarble and Midori stared down at the blinking lights of their control panels. The goodbyes were over. It was time for them to go. With stomachs full of dread, and the knowledge that they may never see their homes and families ever again, Tarble and Midori got comfortable into their pods and began the sequence for takeoff. Shaking fingers punched in numbers, and trembling breaths filled the silence.
They both forced themselves to push away their hopes for the future, for joys and good times and reunions. Holding back tears and preparing for launch, the two knew that they would probably not make it out of this. Neither of them stood a chance against Hui.
As they stared out of the port windows at their friends on the dock, they said their last goodbyes. To their friends, to their families, to their homes.
A moment later, the two were nothing more than a pair of lights in the red evening sky. And then those too disappeared.
A/N: Wow. That was a long wait. Terribly sorry about that. Final exams and papers, and then a trip home for Christmas left me with very little time to sit down and write. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. Thank you so much to all of you who left me reviews and messages. It always makes me grateful to hear that so many people are enjoying this story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you thought!
