Hey guys,

First of all, I hope you all had a wonderful "holiday" season, no matter which holiday you celebrate ~ or if you celebrated at all!

Second, I really hope that this chapter is satisfactory. I feel like a lot of ground is covered – I could have easily spread this out for 2 or 3 chapters, but I didn't want to get lost in it or drag it to the point where it became stale or boring for the reader. That being said, I also hope it doesn't feel too rushed and makes sense. I spent a lot of time looking over this, reading and re-reading, and I finally had to remind myself of a tidbit: this is free content. Even if there is room for improvement, it's okay. ;) Fanfiction 101!

One of the main reasons I began to write this story was to break out of a rut of perfectionism that I was getting stuck in with my other story, The 7 Year Gap. That story is far from perfect, of course! But oh, as a writer, it is easy to fall into that grind if you aren't careful.

Cheers to you, Finding Immortal, my little angsty lovebug.

And cheers to all you wonderful readers as well! You are the reason why this story has not been abandoned, and will keep going to the end.

Tramp?

Tramp?!

Who was this giant bald man, and who did he think he was calling her a tramp?! Bulma would have demanded to know this out loud, but she didn't have a chance to. In a second's time he'd grabbed her by the neck and yanked, pulling so hard that she immediately lost her footing. It was a shame that the gesture knocked all the wind out of her, because she was having a hard time taking any breaths when his hand was so tight around her windpipe.

All she could do was tug at his relentless wrist as she tried to flail out of his grip, but she was quickly losing the willpower to do such a thing. It was amazing how fast one could feel lightheaded when they weren't breathing…

The man was dragging her, with no care or regard for her wellbeing, towards the mouth of the cave. He pulled her out, into the sunlight, before forcefully releasing her into the grass.

"You're already dying?" He asked when he saw that the color had been changing on her face. Pleasant surprise was motivating him to laugh. "I forget how weak all other species are! It feels so good! Ha!"

The Bluehead didn't bother responding. She just lay there, rubbing her throat, gasping and panting as she gulped down as much oxygen as she could. But it was hard to calm her breaths, for she was consumed in a wave of panic. This guy knew Vegeta, and it seemed he was a member of the Ginyu Force. He was apparently blaming her for Vegeta's disappearance...

HER!

She didn't have to even think about it to know that this wasn't good. She was about to die. This man was going to kill her.

"You're a lucky little whore!" He was spitting now, and she shook at his words. How could he keep calling her things like this?! He knew nothing about her! "Frieza wants to meet you, and I'm still proving my worth as the newest member of the Ginyu Force. Can't go around disobeying his orders and killing you right here and now, can I?"

Oh.

So, she wasn't about to die. This was hardly comforting, considering that he had just promised she would be meeting the notoriously awful Frieza soon. Bulma sat up, no longer feeling so lightheaded, and she tried to think of something she could do to get out of this. Anything. That was when she looked up at the giant standing above her, and she actually screamed.

His battle armor was intimidating enough, but his muscles were prominent and protruding from his body, as if they had a mind of their own and would burst from his skin at any moment. His crooked nose pointed down at her in an accusatory manner, but what startled Bulma the most was the furry tail wrapped around his waist.

This man... He was a?!

"You're a saiyan?!" She yelped, unable to keep her thoughts to herself.

As she might have predicted by this point, the man threw his head back and laughed. "Of course I am, you little shit!" Then he grabbed her, wrapping his fingers around her neck again. Her eyes widened as he lifted her from the ground, raising her up high so that she was at face level. This time she was able to hold her breath, but the pressure of this position was weighing deep into her aching throat. She felt as if her neck could snap at any moment.

He glared, his eyes not on her face, but on her shoulders. He seemed to be studying her, with his bushy eyebrows lowered in concentration.

… Bulma could feel her cheeks swelling. Her lungs were burning, screaming at her to breathe, but she couldn't. She began to kick her feet, prodding him in the ribs, trying anything she could to just get him to loosen his grip! He wasn't supposed to kill her, right?! What was he doing?! Why wouldn't he let go?!

"That stupid fuck!" The man suddenly croaked, and he threw her down. "I knew it!"

It was painful when Bulma's body came into contact with the hard ground, but she was too thankful to be breathing again to protest. How many times was he going to do this to her? He'd only held her in a choke grip twice, but that was more than enough! She didn't think she could take any more.

"Haha! What a dumbass!" The man was continuing, and he was laughing yet again. For someone who had the rare ability to find so much humor in even the most dire of situations, this guy sure was disdainful. "He's imprinted you! The moron!"

"What?" Bulma gasped, still catching her breath. "I don't-"

"The scar on your neck!" The man cut her off. He was too riled up to want to explain it to her. "He's fucked you, alright! Saiyans don't leave markings unless they're in the middle of catching tail. He's such a dumbass that I doubt he knows what he's done - Wait, I know he doesn't. Tell me, bitch, did you bite him back?"

The Bluehead scowled. She was getting tired of the way he spoke. The phrases he used, the demeaning names. She glared, deciding not to respond. If he demanded her to talk, she'd just-

"DID YOU BITE HIM BACK?" The man spat this time, impatient with her silence.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" She hissed, feigning a lack of breath as she rubbed her throat in an exaggerated manner. "I'm having trouble speaking after getting strangled twice!"

"You mouthy little-" The man started, and then he paused, the smile fading from his lips. "You're Vegeta's, alright... He would go after a pussy with a tongue like that. Especially one with your body..."

And then he moved so suddenly that she didn't even see it. The next thing Bulma knew, he had her by the shoulder and was squeezing her as if his fingers would go right through her skin. She screamed, completely taken by surprise at the pain, and he growled through his teeth as he asked again. "DID you BITE him BACK?!"

"N-No! I don't know-!"

The pressure suddenly stopped. Tears were in her eyes now. Her shoulder was throbbing, and she rubbed a palm over it in an attempt to console away the pain.

"You didn't bite him back." The man repeated. For once he wasn't laughing, but he sounded as if he would start at any moment.

"Care to explain what this is about?" She gasped, trying not to sniffle. "What do you mean?"

"The mark on your neck, dumbass."

"I get that!" She shot. "Stop calling me names! What does my bruise have to do with anything?!" She cut herself off before continuing, horrified at how this terrible saiyan would react to her yelling at him.

"It means that Vegeta tried to form a bond with you." The man replied, surprising Bulma with his lack of retaliation. "You didn't bite him back. That means he is experiencing the effects of it, but you aren't going to. The bond isn't complete."

"What does that MEAN?!" She tried again. What did bonds have to do with anything? This man didn't know her - he didn't know anything about the relationship she had with Vegeta. Who was he to tell her that she didn't feel a certain way towards him? "I do feel-!"

"SHUT UP!" The saiyan barked. "It doesn't matter. You're too STUPID to understand! And I doubt Vegeta does, either. He's too young to remember how bonding worked for saiyans. He's victim to his own foolish instincts. The idiot's about as clueless as a frog."

Bulma winced as he spat, saliva hitting her in the face. 'Vegeta,' She thought. 'I wish you were here... This guy... You'd be able to handle this guy... Not me... He keeps hurting me…'

.

"Mister Vegeta?" Gohan whispered. "Mister Vegeta?"

The two were watching as the Ginyu Force engaged in an endless battle of Rock Paper Scissors. The three members were all shouting at one another as they threw their hands, and evidently their games kept resulting in draws. Normally, the saiyan would have taken this as an opportunity to strike while they were distracted, but he was actually distracted, himself.

"Mister Vegeta?" Gohan tried again when he didn't get a reply. Why wasn't his mentor doing anything? This seemed like the perfect time to attack, didn't it? Gohan thought so, but the fact that Vegeta wasn't moving at all was throwing him off. What was his mentor thinking? Did he have a plan? Was there a reason why he wasn't moving? What should Gohan do?

Sweat was dripping down the saiyan prince's temples. His rib was still bleeding from where Jeice had penetrated it with his boot, but that wasn't why Vegeta was so tense. He kept getting hit with these waves of anxiety - these horrible, nauseating waves - and he didn't know where it was coming from. Something in the back of his gut was telling him that what he was feeling was related to Bulma, but there was no rational reason to think so. What sense did that make? He couldn't sense her – her ki was far too disguised. Why would he be feeling her like this, then?

"Get them." Vegeta finally whispered. He wanted to strike, but he couldn't trust that he wouldn't get blindsided by another wave of anxiety, and that would screw it all up. "Go for the little toad."

"You sure?" Gohan whispered. "Are you okay?"

"ROCK! PAPER! SCISSORS!" The Ginyu Force was screaming, yet again.

"Hurry. He's the weakest one, physically. Take out the toad." Vegeta growled. "It should be easy if his back is turned. That will leave only two left."

He didn't have to be told a third time. Gohan lurched forward and powered up a blast. He hit the toad in the back of the head just as the group were screaming "SCISSORS!", knocking Guldo off his feet. The amphibian landed on his face, and Gohan got him again with another blast before Guldo had a chance to jump back up.

"Hey, no fair!" Recoome yelled. "You had to wait your turn!"

"You little shit!" Burter snarled.

"Finish him off, damnit!" Vegeta yelled, but the boy was clearly intimidated by everyone yelling at him. The saiyan prince launched to throw himself in front of the boy, pushing Gohan back as he delivered the final blow to Guldo's throbbing head. It was clear that last attack had done it – the bitter little toad was dead.

"You bastard!" Burter snarled. "I'll kill you!"

Instantly Vegeta found himself blocking a punch that was thrown at him. He jumped back, ready to block another fist, but his body jolted.

'Vegeta!' Bulma's voice rang through his ears, and she sounded so desperate. 'I wish you were here... This guy... You'd be able to handle this guy... Not me... He keeps hurting me…'

What?

He blinked, stunned by what was running through his mind.

Bulma?

That was Bulma's voice! Was he going mad? What guy was she talking about?! Who was hurting her?!

"Ah!" Vegeta snapped when the fist met his nose. Instantly he was being hit with countless jabs, and in so many different parts of his body. A boot to his already injured rib, a punch to his stomach, an elbow in his jaw. He couldn't recover enough to defend himself. He couldn't find the leverage he needed to fight back. All he could do was stand there, taking every swing and blow that was sent his way, as he listened to that frightened voice that was ringing through his head.

'I can't do this again. He's scaring me. I can't... I'm not strong enough...' She called out, and the saiyan nearly yelled for her then and there. 'He keeps choking me... What am I going to do?!'

Vegeta was being pummeled in the face - his temples were throbbing as his vision kept striking white. So many hits, from so many fists, and still he could hardly move.

"STOP IT!" Gohan's voice shouted from somewhere behind, and the pummeling quickly ceased. Vegeta, his head spinning, fell to his knees.

"Recoome! Get back up and take care of the kid!" Burter's voice sounded. It was then that Vegeta realized that the two remaining members of the Ginyu Force had been teaming up on him. Gohan must have attacked Recoome…

"Get up, you idiot!" Burter snarled now. "Go after that kid!"

The saiyan prince, who was still on his knees, finally opened his eyes. No longer on the receiving end of getting beaten by two ogres, he was now the one that would be doing the hitting. He grabbed Burter by the ankle before shooting into the sky. Burter attempted to kick his way from Vegeta's grip as they flew, but the saiyan whipped him around and slammed his knee into the man's gut.

Burter let out an excruciated choke as Vegeta let go of him. Phlegm was spewing from his mouth as he doubled over, hugging his stomach. Vegeta kicked him in the back of the head, watching as the bastard went flying into the ground. He flew so hard that a crater formed where Burter landed, and the saiyan watched from where he floated, gasping to catch his breath.

"Four broken ribs..." He whispered, assessing the damage that had been done to his body during his assault. Lines of blood were dripping from both his nose and his mouth, eventually grouping with the pool of blood that was still oozing from his chest. He raised a palm to fire a blast where Burter lay. "Why won't he just die?"

Vegeta looked over to see how Gohan was doing. The boy, who had gotten injured during his short fight, seemed to still be holding his own against Recoome. His hair was golden, and he was in the act of blocking countless punches that Recoome was throwing at him.

"Waha! You're good!" Recoome was bellowing. "Too good! I don't like it!"

"YAH!" Gohan shouted when he managed to land a hit. The redheaded giant lost his footing, but he quickly caught himself and stood back upright.

The child was out of breath. This battle with Recoome was reminiscent of his encounters with the androids. It seemed that, no matter how many times he was hit, the redhead just kept coming back! As if he were completely immune to pain! How did he keep getting back up as if nothing was happening?

"Oh, ho... Oh hoho!" Recoome laughed, rubbing his cheek with a crooked smile. "You're a pest, aren't you? Like a tiny little bug waiting to be squished!"

"I am not. You're a horrible person!" Gohan shot.

"Oh, does that make you sad?" He grinned. "Horrible person? That's not my name. My name is Recoome, it rhymes with doom, and you'll be hurting all too soon!"

"Watch out!" Vegeta called. He knew perfectly well what was coming when Recoome began reciting his poems. "Boy! Look out!"

Meanwhile, Burter was starting to rise from the crater he was in. Vegeta looked from Gohan, to Burter, and back to Gohan again. This situation was so fucked up, it was beyond belief. The saiyan prince fired another blast down at Burter, before taking off to assist the child that had just received a kick to the face.

"You're making me really mad…" Recoome said. "Silly, silly, boy. I oughta show you my favorite secret!"

Shit. Here it was. Recoome must have been feeling desperate to resort to Eraser Gun technique, especially so early on in a fight, but this was all going down way too fast. Vegeta was halfway to the child now, but something struck him in the gut and had him falling straight to the ground.

A hand to his stomach, Vegeta coughed. He had just gotten hit by a blast, and his skin was sizzling from the heat of it. He looked up to see that Burter was approaching him, and he glared. Vegeta had been trying to restrain from taking a senzu bean unless it was absolutely necessary, but it was quickly becoming clear that he was going to have to use one. He was getting far too injured, and so early on in the fight.

The saiyan began to reach for his pocket to grab his small bag of beans, but once again he was hit with another wave of anxiety. 'I'm going to die. I can't believe it… I'm going to die... I wish he was here… Veggie…'

Vegeta gulped.

It was that last word that had really done it for him.

Veggie… She always called him that when she was frightened.

No longer could the saiyan deny the sensation welling in the pit of his stomach. He didn't understand why he was hearing her voice, or how he could feel her fear, despite not being able to sense her ki… But it had to be true. Something was going on with Bulma.

Someone had managed to discover her in the cave, and they were doing something to her!

"Bulma…" Vegeta breathed.

In front of him, Burter was readying another blast. The blue reptilian was allowing the power to build in his gloved palm as he hissed under his breath.

Behind him, Vegeta could hear as Recoome was also building up an attack of his own. Gohan was about to get hit with the Eraser Gun, and that would really mess him up… The saiyan pushed himself to a sitting position, and he managed to jump up just in time to avoid the blast that Burter threw at him.

"Bulma…" Vegeta gasped again.

"What?" Burter spat. The saiyan prince was talking nonsense now, but that didn't matter. "Prepare to die, Vegeta. I'll enjoy delivering your body to Frieza."

'It hurts!' Her voice was crying in his head.

The saiyan couldn't take it anymore. There was too much going on around him, but his mind was narrow as he listened to the woman crying on the other end of his head. He attempted to reach out, to feel for her aura. He did this despite knowing fully well that she was wearing her ki masking device, and it would be in vain. He searched for the location where he'd left her, and he startled when he realized there was a ki, after all. And it wasn't hers.

The power level, though not incredibly strong, was currently moving away from the cave. Immediately Vegeta's mind went to one thing. This person had her. They had her, they were doing something to her, and they were taking her away.

"BULMA!" Vegeta erupted.

There was no thought.

There was no consideration.

There was only instinct, and it was telling him to go after her. He screamed as he took off into the sky, not caring about anything else going on around him. Whatever was happening to her, he needed to get to her.

He needed to make the desperate voices in his head go away…

He needed to help Bulma.

"Hey!" Burter snarled, before taking off after the saiyan. "No running! Get back here, you coward!"

"Hey!" Recoome also called from where he stood. He watched as his comrade took off in a chase for Vegeta, and he scratched his head. He had been about to finalize his favorite attack, the Eraser Gun, but now he shut his mouth and blinked dumbly. A small line of smoke escaped his lips as the blast died down, leaving an awkward silence between the two remaining boys.

Gohan, sporting the wound of a broken arm, was glaring at Recoome as he caught his breath. His stamina was running low. Even after everything he'd done, Recoome still seemed as if he could continue for hours. It was as if this had all been a game to him, and he'd purposely made Gohan strain himself to the point of exhaustion.

"Ah, Vegeta's up to something!" The redhead finally resolved. "Frieza will kill us if we let him get away! Hey kid, you stay here! I'll be back to finish what we started!"

And then, as Gohan watched, Recoome took off to follow in the chase. The boy stared as all three figures disappeared in the sky. "What was that?" He wondered out loud. He was ready to go after them. It was clear that Vegeta would need backup. But the boy grabbed for his pocket, reaching for a senzu bean, and he gasped.

He dug in, feeling around, but all he felt was dirt. Gohan withdrew his fist to watch as green dust blew from between his fingers. The senzu beans he'd been carrying had been crushed!

"No!" He gasped, and he jammed his fist back in his pocket to feel around with even more desperation. How could he have no senzu beans!? There was no way he'd be helpful to Mr. Vegeta if he couldn't regain his health! He was injured enough as it was!

"No! No! No, no, no!" He screamed, grabbing a fistful of hair with his good arm as he jumped in place. This only left him with one option. Gohan was going to have to fly to Dende's…

..

"The stupid fuck." The monstrous, bald saiyan was muttering.

Petrified, Bulma was still cowering on her rear as she stared up at him. She watched silently, waiting for any indication on how she might need to react. Did he want a response, or was he simply thinking out loud? What was she supposed to do in order to survive?

"He went and impregnated you, too. What was he thinking?!"

"How can you tell I'm pregnant?" Bulma asked.

"Do you mean to tell me that you aren't pregnant, and you're just fat?!" The man spat back. "It's weird – I can't sense you or the kid on my scouter. How do you know how to mask ki? You're so annoying, anyway! You ask too many stupid questions! Man - Frieza's going to be so happy when he finds out. Can't say I envy the kid. Frieza's gonna give it hell when it comes out of you."

His words filled Bulma with even more panic than she'd already had when she was fearing for her own life. Frieza had enough of a vendetta against Vegeta to harm his child? HER baby?! The Bluehead felt faint, but now wasn't the time for that. She was beyond desperate.

Desperate to escape.

Desperate to save her baby. Without thinking about anything – not the likelihood of her attempt working, or the risk she was making by trying – Bulma jumped to her feet and began to sprint away. She thought that if she could perhaps make it out of his line of sight, she'd be able to find a place to hide… It was a long shot, but there was no other option she had…

Of course, Bulma didn't make it far. She only managed a few paces before she was being tackled to the ground, and she screamed as she felt something hot in the back of her shoulder. And then she was being grabbed, once again with his fingers around her throat, as she was forcefully pulled to her feet.

"Try to run off again, and I'll snap your legs." He hissed, a bitter cloud of musky breath hitting her in the face. "Well, enough with the fun. Let's get going. It'll take a few minutes to get to the space-pod."

"What?!" She cried. "No!"

But he ignored her, and he took off into the sky. His grip around her neck tightened as they gained altitude, and she immediately felt the effects of it. She attempted to scream – to object to how he handled her, but she couldn't. She clawed at his wrist, and her body felt so heavy as she hanged loosely from this hand. He was flying her across the planet, holding her by the throat as the gravity pulled her body down, and it was all too quick before she felt faint again.

'I'm going to die.' She thought... This man, this stupid, horrible man, he was going to kill her. He was going to kill her, and it would be an unintentional accident simply because he was too much of a brute to remember that she couldn't withstand being jerked around like this for too long. 'I can't believe it… I'm going to die…'

Tears lined her eyes, and weakly she opened her mouth. Her mind was becoming clouded, her lips feeling as if they would explode. She was growing so incredibly tired, despite her attempts to stay focused on freeing herself. She was still scratching at the man's arm, but her efforts were growing weak. Her fingers were tingling, and her muscles were relaxing against her will.

An image of Vegeta's crossed her mind. His dark spiked hair, that hostile aura he always carried. He had never held her like this. In fact, he'd never done anything remotely close to this – not even in the early days, when she was supposed to have been a hostage, and when he was supposed to have been so cruel… 'I wish he was here…' She thought, as her eyes slowly drooped shut... 'Veggie…'

At some point, the bald saiyan finally looked to the Woman he was carrying. "Damnit!" He roared, when he saw that Bulma was limp under his grasp. "These stupid weak bitches! I keep forgetting!"

With his free hand, he grabbed Bulma by the waist, and then he let go of her neck. She fell against his body, but she wasn't registering any of it. She had gone unconscious, and her mouth hung open as the color slowly returned to her face…

… How long they were flying for, it was uncertain. Somewhere along the way, Bulma opened her eyes again, and she realized all too quickly that this really hadn't been some horrific dream.

"Please let me go…" She mumbled, and it hurt to speak. She didn't know how her windpipe hadn't been completely crushed from the shock of everything, and she desperately wished she could be running warm water across it. A bath would have been so perfect… She might never have a bath again… "Please… You don't have to do this… Nobody knows you found me… You can just lie…"

"Shut up, or I'll strangle you again!" The man barked back. "I might actually lose my patience and kill you!"

Weak and lightheaded, the Bluehead didn't say anything else. She just looked ahead glumly, morose in the knowledge that she was completely and utterly powerless. She could see now, in the distance, that they were approaching a giant crater. From where they were, she couldn't even see the bottom of it - that thing was far too deep.

The saiyan seemed to be slowing in speed, and they began to lower towards the ground. That was when her feeble mind understood. This was a crater that had been made when the space-pod landed in it. She didn't know what a space-pod looked like, but she understood it was the vehicle the saiyan had used to travel. And he was going to leave with her in it, and then she really would be doomed…

"Hey, would you look at that!" The horrible saiyan suddenly barked, and he almost sounded cheerful. "We've got company!"

Bulma didn't respond as she looked away from the crater. With tearful eyes she saw a figure approaching from the side, and the smile that spread on her lips was wide, despite her pain. "Veggie…" Her hoarse voice croaked. "You came…"

From afar Vegeta could distinctly see his ex-ally, who had since turned foe. He could also see Bulma… And, despite how badly he'd wanted to reunite with her, he was not happy about her being there. She was wrapped under one of Nappa's arms, pale and discolored with cyanosis, and she looking at him glumly. The Bluehead had smiled when they locked eyes, but she looked incredibly debilitated, and the sight only made Vegeta even more enraged.

Grinning as if this was all a game, Nappa finally touched ground. He was so smug, with a hand on his hip, as he waited for Vegeta to land in front of him. Bulma still felt so weak that the only thing keeping her from falling to her knees was the fact that Nappa was clutching her shoulder. "Vegeta!" He called with a growl. "You little shit, you finally showed up!"

"Nappa!" The saiyan prince snarled. He could hear Recoome and Burter swooping in behind him, but he didn't care. He was fixated on the saiyan in front of him – the others didn't matter. "You bastard!"

"This little whore? She was the best you could do?" Nappa spat. He gave Bulma a shove for effect, and she cried out as she forcefully landed on the ground. Vegeta's lip quivered to see it, and he had to fight every urge in his body to keep from jumping for her. If he acted too earnestly, Nappa would likely zap her dead. "You were always an annoying bastard, but you used to be somewhat smart." The bald saiyan continued. "I'll let you in on something that should have been common sense. After you're done using them, you always snap their necks to make sure they don't procreate. This one would have been easy enough, she's fragile as a gnat. All you'd have to do is kick her. It would have been fun watching her brain ooze out of that blue head of hers!"

"How did you know of her?!" Vegeta spat. His biceps were shaking with rage. The need to destroy this man overwhelming. He wanted to launch at him right then and there, and the only thing holding him back was concern that Bulma might get hurt in the crossfire. "Tell me, at once! How did you find her?!"

"She's so weak, she doesn't even have a readable ki." Nappa tssked. "Louder than a bitch in heat, though. She was screaming her heart out in that damned cave. I'm doing all these Namekians a favor by shutting her up."

"Hey! I was not!" Bulma shot with her creaky voice. This was enough to bring some color back to her cheeks. "I was just mumbling to myself! No way was I yelling! I'm not stupid!"

"You were right!" Burter's voice called from behind. Vegeta glared as he looked over his shoulder. Just a few meters behind him stood the remaining two members of the Ginyu Force, and they seemed completely unsurprised by all that was transpiring. "Who would have guessed it – Vegeta really did have a woman he was hiding!"

"How did you know!?" The saiyan prince spat, whipping around. "Who the fuck told any of you?!"

"I had my eye on you." Nappa replied. "When you went missing, I tracked you down. Found out you were hiding out on Earth."

"WHAT?!" Vegeta was grinding his teeth so hard that it felt like his jaw might fall off. "How did you-?!"

"You turned your scouter off." Nappa grinned. "Too bad you didn't think to burn your clothes. Didn't you stop to think I'd plant a chip on you? I've had my eye on you for months. And I've been hiding out on an adjacent planet, waiting to see what you would do… I even went by Earth a couple times to check in on you... That's how I found out you were planning a trip to Namek, so I waited..."

"Bullshit!" Vegeta barked. "Why did I never sense you?! Why-" He paused. All too quickly, it was dawning on him... Nappa had learned to disguise his ki… Of course! Of course, he was capable of it - Vegeta had taught himself that, hadn't he?

"I've been getting real close with Captain Ginyu. Actually, reporting you to Frieza was what finally got me into the Force! Good ol' Captain Ginyu let me in on his secret." Nappa's crooked teeth seemed even more jagged when he smiled. "You're a traitor to our race. You never should have been prince. Only the strong survive, and instead of climbing the ladder you rejected it. That's why I'm the newest member of the Ginyu Force, and you're about to die. What a fucking embarrassment to the saiyan race. You make me sick."

"You bastard!" Vegeta snarled. "You're the reason Raditz is dead! I should have killed you the day his pod exploded!"

"He was a traitor, too. Leaving us to go on some bullshit endeavor to find his long lost brother? The pussy. He would never have come back. If you weren't so fucking soft and agreed to that shit, he'd still be alive! You should have kept him in line, like a real prince would!"

"I did keep him in line!" Vegeta snarled. "He was far more worthy of praise than you ever were! You're just another one of Frieza's kiss-ups. Always trying to suck up to him, prancing around him like a desperate little child, selling your dignity for a scrap of meat! You always have been pathetic, since the day our planet was destroyed!"

"It's about moving up," Nappa shrugged. "Not down. You're the one who always got special treatment from Frieza. A real fucking pet. He handed you silver on a platter, and you spat in his face. Now I'm the one who's about the kill you, and it's on Frieza's orders! You've screwed up for the last time, dumbass! It's your father's fault our race fell, and you're no better than him! Your entire family makes sick! You all deserve hell after what you've done to my planet!"

"I didn't do shit!" Vegeta barked. "And my father-"

"Veggie! Look out!" Bulma suddenly shrieked. She had been in shock since he'd shown up, and throughout this argument she'd been studying his bloody face and torn condition. The two men behind him looked just as injured as he did, she'd noticed, and she wondered what could have possibly happened during his time away. But the ugly one - the really ugly blue one - was powering up some kind of blast… He was going to hit Vegeta while he was distracted with his rant!

The saiyan's eyes widened, and he leapt straight into the air, turning just in time to see as Burter took off for him. Burter was coming in from behind, and he threw his power at the saiyan prince. Growling, Vegeta dodged the blast, and he reared a kick into Burter's side.

"Stop it!" Bulma abruptly cried.

Vegeta looked down, and he saw that Nappa had used this diversion as an opportunity to start dragging the Bluehead towards the crater.

"Bulma." He muttered.

He started taking off for her, but he was hit from the side and slammed into the hard ground. Recoome was waiting for him when he landed, and he immediately jumped on Vegeta.

The two rolled across the grass, bloodied and shouting, and finally Vegeta managed a kick to Recoome's groin. He crawled from the redhead, and he dug into his pocket for his bag of senzu beans as he stood. He was reaching into the bag, ready to eat one as he charged for Nappa, but he was hit yet again. The power of the blast ripped the bag from his grasp, and it went flying several meters away as the saiyan fell to his knees.

"Nappa! Don't!" Vegeta shouted relentlessly, a hand to his rib, as he pushed himself back up.

"Veggie!" Bulma cried again. This time, it was out of worry for him, rather than for herself. She couldn't bear seeing those monsters mangle him like this! It wasn't fair – they were teaming up against him! She was so close to that crater now, being dragged on her back as Nappa held her hands together and tugged. She began writhing against him, kicking her feet, rolling from side to side. She just needed to get to Vegeta. She needed to try to protect him!

"Bulma!" Vegeta was blocked off by Burter as he ran, with Recoome coming in from behind. He slammed an elbow into Burter as he charged past. He felt himself getting hit in the back by another blast, and his body jolted from it, but he didn't care. Blood was spewing from his mouth now, and if he had time to think he would have found it reminiscent of his first battle with the Androids when they had nearly killed him.

"Veggie!" Nothing Bulma tried was working. This horrible man had an iron fist, and he wasn't relenting. His grasp wasn't even loosening from her struggle. "Veggie! I don't want to leave you! I can't! LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

"STOP IT, NAPPA!" Vegeta barked. Recoome appeared at his side. He grabbed the prince in an attempt to tackle him to the ground. Vegeta snarled, and he slammed his head against Recoome's before thrashing away from him. The smell of blood was so strong. He was pretty sure a bone in his leg had snapped. His brain might be bruised after a skull bashing like that. Still, he moved through the pain. He wouldn't relent until he reached her. "NAPPA! STOP! LET GO OF HER!"

And then, it happened. Vegeta watched as Nappa and Bulma disappeared into the crater, and he let out a shout of frustration. If only he had taken a damned senzu bean earlier on, instead of engaging in an argument with Nappa… If only he wasn't so damned outnumbered. If only he had turned the spaceship around and taken Bulma back home once he'd found out about her sneaking aboard... If only he'd never met her in the first place, she would have never gotten involved with any of this…

"You don't have to do this!" The Bluehead was wailing. She was still trying all she could to break out of Nappa's hold. If she could just get away from him, then she could make it to Vegeta... She just needed to hold him again. She just wanted to touch his hand...

"Shut up." Nappa grabbed her by the neck as the pod's door swerved open. He held her behind his body, like a ragdoll, as he typed something into the control panel. Bulma, who was already out of breath from all of her exertion, flailed out and began beating her feet into his back.

And then, all too suddenly, she was being shoved in. She fell into the cold chair, and she screamed when his palm came into contact with her cheek. Bulma put a hand to her cheek, wondering how he hadn't just knocked her teeth out with that blow, and he laughed in her face with that rancid breath of his. "I don't have to do this." Nappa mocked, taking on a high intonation as he mimicked her cries. "I know I don't have to, you useless whore… But I want to... I've been waiting ages…"

And then, all too fast, Nappa disappeared. The door to the pod slammed shut, and Bulma screamed. She jumped for the door, slamming her hands on it, frantically trying to find the way to open it back up. It was almost as if any seam had disappeared, for there was no crevice, no hinge, not even a discernible crack. She was hitting smooth metal, and if she hadn't just seen it for herself, she would have questioned if this was a door at all.

She could hear something faint behind her, a sound like sizzling air. An unpleasant smell was taking over her senses, but she paid no mind to any of it.

Her fingernails were worn from how hard she'd been scratching, and the tips pulsated red with fresh blood from the nails breaking off so fast. She turned towards the control panel that Nappa had been typing on, and her brain seemed to rattle in her skull when she did this. She moaned, nearly falling over, but she caught herself.

She had to keep trying…

"Veggie..." She whimpered. "Please…"

Her head was pounding. The more she breathed, the weaker she felt. That bitter odor was becoming overwhelming... Her vision was growing foggy, blurry, and she started feeling as if she were seeing double. She couldn't make out any of the characters on the keyboard, and she started hitting them all regardless. Her hand was throbbing as she pounded away, and she cringed as the nerves in her nails pulsated with each smack. One of these keys had to be a cancellation button… One of these just had to open the door...

"Vegeta..." She sniffled. She couldn't believe what was going on out there. He was hurt... They were teaming up on him... It wasn't fair, and even if she could get to him, there was nothing she could do to help…

She was doomed in here, and he was doomed out there

Bulma heard something loud rattle the outside of the pod, but she couldn't even attempt to register what that noise had been. This smell around her was so strong that she was shaking with the urge to throw up. Before her nausea could completely take over, though, she fell back into the pod's seat. Her mouth hanging open, unfallen tears in her eyes, Bulma fell unconscious as the space-pod soared through Namek's atmosphere.

.

Vegeta threw himself into the crater, only to see Nappa laughing as he watched the door slam shut. "NO!" He barked, launching at his rival. He caught Nappa by the face and slammed it into the door of the pod. "Open it, Nappa!"

"Good luck doing it yourself." Nappa spat, ignoring his freshly broken nose. "You don't know the Ginyu passcode."

"OPEN IT!" Vegeta snarled. "So help me God, I'll kill you! I'll destroy you! I'll rip your limbs off and force them down your throat as you bleed!"

"In your condition?" Nappa shoved Vegeta back, the force so strong that it caused a ball of dark red blood to surge from Vegeta's mouth. The saiyan prince almost fell, but he grabbed Nappa instead, shoving the bald saiyan into the ground for leverage.

The pod elicited a loud creak, which was a surefire sign that it was aiming its departure. Coughing violently, Vegeta jumped just as the pod took off into the air. He just needed to give himself a second to think… There had been no time at all to think! Vegeta threw himself in front of the pod, holding out his palms. If he couldn't stop it from taking off, he'd try and slow it down. He'd try to send it back down to Namek's core, and then he'd figure out what to do…

But his attempt was in obvious vain, as the pod blew right through him and sent his body flying down instead. Vegeta slammed into the hard ground, and he looked up in horror to see as the pod quickly disappeared from view.

Laughter broke out behind him, his enemies all mocking him, but Vegeta didn't care. He sat still, fixated on the sky above, and slowly it all sank in…

… Up there, up where he couldn't no longer see, Bulma was drifting away. Faster than he could stop her. Farther than he could sense. There wasn't a single aspect left of this situation within his control, and he hadn't been able to stop it. He hadn't been able to save her.

"She's gone..." Vegeta mumbled, as if to confirm it was all true. This had been his biggest fear. The number one thing he had wanted to avoid. He'd had so many nightmares of something like this happening, and it was actually real. It had happened. "She's going to Frieza..."

"Hey, Vegeta! Can you feel that?!" Nappa called. He knew the saiyan prince could feel the effects of the mark he'd given Bulma, and he most likely had no idea what any of it meant. He was probably as confused as a newborn child when it came to this. "Betcha heard her voice in your head, didn't you? Betcha always hear her when she's freaking out, and crying like a little bitch! That's when it happens. They always invade your head when they're distressed."

"She's gone..." Vegeta stood up. The sound of the laughter was still behind him, and he felt encased by it. Those snide remarks, those taunts. They were swarming him, like a large tidal wave, and he couldn't keep his head above water. The saiyan spun on his heel and glared at Nappa. The blood was rushing to his brain, his heart was pounding. He saw the large saiyan in front of him, but the bald man didn't look right. His figure was outlined in red.

"You've signed her death warrant. She's gone!"

"Ha!" Recoome laughed. "This Vegeta guy. Always acted so tough, but now he's gonna start crying like a li-ttle baby!"

"What's wrong?" Nappa joined in. "Scared you'll never catch tail again? She was just poontang. You shoulda killed her as soon as you fucked her. There's pussy everywhere, you know."

"SHUT UP!" Vegeta bellowed. His... his teeth hurt, as if his gums were tightening around them! And his muscles - they were quivering under his skin! He could hear a ringing in his ears, and the red that had taken over his vision became even more overbearing. Not only was Nappa outlined in red now, but his entire body seemed to be covered in blood. Nonexistent and dark red, Vegeta could smell it even though he knew it wasn't actually there. "YOU'VE KILLED HER!"

"You'll join her soon enough..." Burter hissed. He had his large arms folded over his chest, as if to mock the saiyan prince's trademark stance. "...If that's any consolation..."

Vegeta didn't hear this, his head was spinning too fast. Every pore in his skin was burning, his hairs standing upright as energy surged through his body. It was a pressure that started from within, hitting him in waves as it surged to find a release. Unlike the times when he had transitioned to Oozaru, where his body felt as if it were being stretched and jerked to immeasurable heights, this only felt like an explosion.

An expulsion of guilt.

An eviction of regret.

Every emotion he was seething in was now being purged from his body, and he was only able to shake as it erupted through him. It left him shouting, shouting to the skies, shouting to the same place that Bulma had just disappeared through.

By now all vision evaded him - no longer was he seeing everything in red. He only saw a solid film of yellow, and the brightness under his eyelids mended so perfectly with the fire prickling across his skin. He could easily imagine how she'd been panicking in that space-pod. She likely had tried everything she could to escape. He could picture how she'd fought until the end, before the hibernation gas had finally knocked her out. The thought of her cries, her fear… He couldn't do anything to console her. He couldn't do a damned thing, and she'd been so hurt and afraid. "YOU KILLED HER! YOU KILLED MY BULMA!"

"What?" Burter hissed.

"Hey..." Recoome stuttered.

"Wait..." The smile dropped from Nappa's face. "That son of a bitch... Don't tell me he's about to-"

"MY BULMAAAAAAAA!"

The three men were thrown back as Vegeta's body disappeared in a blinding explosion. All so suddenly, they were surrounded by an energy so bright that they it was painful, and they clung to the grass as they hid their faces in the soil. Even after the initial crash, wind continued hitting them with the force of a strong hurricane, and they remained still as they waited for the aftershock to die down.

Nappa was the first to open his eyes, braving the air's current. When his pupils locked on Vegeta, it took him a moment to believe what he was seeing. Vegeta, not the tallest in stature, now looked so incredibly large. His spiked hair was even higher than usual, as it crescendoed in a stream of golden strands. His skin was caked with dried brown blood, his clothes in shreds as the fabric gradually fell from his body.

He didn't look at any of the men as he began to march across the grass. He didn't speak, nor nod, or even blink.

Nappa's knuckles were white as he watched Vegeta stroll in the opposite direction. The saiyan prince didn't stop until he arrived at that same little bag that had been knocked out of his hand earlier. Nappa stared as Vegeta reached inside, pulled something out of it, and popped it in his mouth.

"This just got interesting," Nappa muttered. "Who would have thought the prince of all saiyans was a super saiyan, after all..." He pulled himself to his feet as Vegeta began to stroll towards him.

That pathetic failure of a prince moved so slowly, but he held himself so confidently. As if making a transition into a super saiyan would change his fate… The odd thing was, with every step he made, Vegeta actually looked more and more revitalized. Even then, Nappa could swear that Vegeta was no longer bleeding. No longer was he coughing up balls of black blood. No longer was there blood oozing from the giant hole in his chest – in fact, Nappa could swear there wasn't a wound at all anymore!

"So," Nappa said. He was somewhat confused, but he refused to show it. Vegeta might have thought he was tough, but he still didn't stand a chance. He was outnumbered, and by the Ginyu Force, no less. Nappa didn't mind this – he enjoyed playing with him. In fact, this was just another opportunity to humiliate the man that he'd resented for so many years. It was Vegeta and his family's fault that their planet no longer existed. It was their fault that the saiyan race had fallen "Well, well, Vegeta. Looks like the little bitch has finally become a man."

That was the last thing that Nappa ever said.

The next thing he saw was Vegeta, with such hostile eyes, opening his palm. Nappa readied himself to dodge the blast, but the sound was so abrupt and loud that it took him by surprise.

Everything went dark, so instantaneously quiet...

…. And then, for Nappa, there was nothing more. He didn't even know it, but this moment was his end.

Thanks to everyone who has been reading so far!

I also wanted to make a note regarding the AN attached to the previous chapter. In no way was it meant to come off as a "woe is me" type of confession. I appreciate everyone's kind words, but I really want to make sure you all know that I am alright, I am happy, and I have been happy for a really long time. This year has had so many hardships, and through it all I am still so happy.

Rather than an appeal for pity, my last Author's Note was intended to be an example of how it is possible to rise again after getting a point where you may feel that you've hit rock bottom. I shared my story because I wanted to make it clear that this is not just a shallow phrase I am reciting – it is something I have personal experience with. And when I was going through my hardest times, the ones where I would watch the sun rise with dread of what lay ahead for the day, one of the main things that motivated me to keep going was reading similar stories that other people have shared. They made me feel a little less alone… And I know how much it helped me. So, even if 99% of readers might roll their eyes and scroll past, if what I had to say resonated with just one person, that is all I could have ever wanted… I've received several DMs by some wonderful people… And it's true, you really are so great… I promise I am not just saying that. Certain sentences or phrases in messages do stand out to me and tell me so much about the person typing. I see a lot of kindness, a lot of care, a lot of intelligence, courageousness, humor, innocence, nobility, independence… I could list so many traits to describe you all as, but that might require an extra chapter!

Even if you don't recognize it, you have such a bright light that shines… The last thing I'd like to say on the subject is that I truly believe that change is the only constant in life. Time will always pass, and it discriminates against nobody. This may be discouraging at times, if you look at it in a certain way, but please remember how exciting that is! We have so much change to look forward to, no matter what! No situation is permanent. We will always carry on!

Let's not forget the famous lyrics of the Beatles, "It's getting better all the time".

you have such a bright light that shines… The last thing I'd like to say on the subject is that I truly believe that change is the only constant in life. Time will always pass, and it discriminates against nobody. This may be discouraging at times, if you look at it in a certain way, but please remember how exciting that is! We have so much change to look forward to, no matter what! No situation is permanent. We will always carry on!

Let's not forget the famous lyrics of the Beatles, "It's getting better all the time".