Alright, this chapter is gonna be WILD. It is my most creative chapter yet. So hang on tight.
I just wanna throw this out there and say I'm so sorry yall had to read the trash I had before BundyShoes edited this story. I should have been more careful, But that's why she's here :)
I'm slowing down after this chapter so she can catch up, since she's only edited up to chapter like...12.
So Bare with me.
I thought I was good but I went back and reworked a shit ton of mistakes and I was like...damn self how did you miss that xD
ANYWAYS. This chapter was a fuh-cking trip to write. So have fun, be safe, and remember, I don't own this shit.
While Bulma had been honeymooning, actions had been taken behind the scenes, and not all happenings were good in nature...
A week before, General Quill had paid a visit to Capsule Corporation while Bulma was out. He was ready to get his drones, but also prepared to nab a "souvenir" before he was sent on his merry way. He would find a way to get his revenge on the Briefs and the alien freak they were hiding.
Dr. Briefs was preparing his latest lecture on Nano-microbiology at the West City Institute at the time Quill had stopped by. Neck-deep in important research, Chaps pointed out were the drones were, listed the instructions on how to operate them on Bulma's behalf, and allowed the general to see himself out.
"Just see to it that your daughter knows I stopped by to respectfully pick them up. I don't want her to be under the impression I harassed you or robbed you of your sensibilities in any way, right?" Quill said, glancing casually around the space for anything he could grab that wasn't in direct eyesight.
"Yes, yes of course," Chaps said, brushing him off as he continued his research, tapping away on his keyboard.
"Then I must be off. I'm an important man, and delivering these drones are considered top initiative in the race to gain the upper hand over the Argosians," Quill stated, spotting a box on a counter next to the door.
"Blah blah blah, military importance-I can comprehend it. I have my own pressing matters. We will talk soon, I'm sure. Now goodbye, General Quill."
"Thank you, Dr. Briefs… for your contribution."
What poor, busy Dr. Briefs hadn't realized was the pilfering that had occurred on General Quill's way out of the lab.
He managed to snag several test tubes situated in a box on the lab counter, labeled "TO BE DISPOSED".
The general smirked and shut the large door behind him, making his way back to his car. He set out to visit the military lab as his first destination.
As he left Capsule Corp, he wouldn't realize until much later that he made out with the find of his career, let alone his life.
Dr. Donavi was there to greet him when he entered the lab.
"So, you managed to get them to hand over the drones?"
Quill grinned.
"I got them alright. I also convinced them to part with other assets to sweeten the deal…"
She gave him a suspicious glance but shrugged it off and held her hand out for what he had obtained.
"How long will it take for you to identify what's in these samples?"
The scientist held up a tube, then another.
"If you give me about a week or so, I can examine them and decide if they're any use to us."
"Fair enough. I have to stop by the weapons lab and drop the drones off so my boss will get off my ass. Give me the head's up and I'll be back over as soon as I can to see what you found."
Isola waved him goodbye as she pulled on her glasses and got to work.
Dr. Donavi held up the first tube and found that it was labeled "V" in bright red sharpie.
"Let's see what we have here."
-A week later and in present time-
As requested, Isola gave him the head's up to return to the lab for her analysis.
"The other samples were useless…just some test samples. But this first one…this one is the one that interested me the most."
She held up the tube with the sharpie markings to show the general. He stroked his chin as she detailed her findings.
"I had to go to the old databases for this one. It has traces of the primate genome, along with something even more startling, since the only thing "normal" about the sample was that the main genomes couldn't be identified. It suggests the sample might be from your alien invader, maybe? There were faint traces-and I mean faint- of ancient human proteins. It's reminiscent our long-distant cousins, the Denisovans, closely related to the Neandertals, separated by thousands of years of evolution. Amazing discovery, I must say. As for what to do with this…well I'm not really sure what your plans are."
Quill stepped over to her and took the sample in his hand. He studied it for a moment before answering her.
"You were working on a human enhancement project several months ago. Just curious-what were the results at the end of the testing trials?"
Isola frowned.
" In short-death. Each of our animal subjects mutated horrifically and almost all their bodies couldn't stabilize after injection. It was horrible. It was considered a failed experiment and never made it to human trial testing."
"Almost all?" Quill asked.
Isola focused on looking at her microscope, uncomfortable with giving him eye contact. She wasn't liking were this conversation was headed. She knew what he wanted.
"Yes. The single rat we were able to recover stabilized with another rat's cerebrospinal fluid, collected through a quick spinal tap procedure in an attempt to salvage our work. It was cruel enough to subject living creatures to this, and given the chance to do it again, I wouldn't...I couldn't," she finished bitterly.
Quill stood in front of her, crossing his arms.
"What if you had a willing patient, and you paired it with the other, stronger DNA?"
The head scientist's eyes went wide.
"Too radical. I abandoned that research along with the experiments. It's too risky. If that's where you are heading, and you want me to willfully subject you to that…no. I won't do it. It's suicide."
"Could you reverse it? Say if things got out of hand-could you reverse unfavorable results?" He asked, almost too casually. The unsettling tone sent a chill down Dr. Donavi's spine, as she had left this research for good reason.
It would take years to get the science right. They simply didn't have the financial backing for the lab's needs to successfully create enhanced soldiers, and with war drums sounding on the horizon, the military couldn't afford to lose living assets.
"I asked my boss, the General of the Army, if I could proceed in aiding our efforts to fight the Argosians and eliminate threats to U.S. territory. This is where I was led to find that aid. Now are you on board to support your commanding officers and protect your country…or not, Dr. Donavi?"
She stood frozen with indecision. His commanding persuasion had her at a crossroad. Did she restart the experimental project, and endanger the general's life? Or did she outright refuse, and shame her ranking officer, failing yet again to succeed in her effort to provide advancements for her country?
"Tick-tock, doctor. Make your choice. I can always make it for you," he said, pulling out his laser pistol from his side holster.
Her apprehension intensified. She backed up several steps, before stopping as he raised the weapon level with her forehead.
The other scientists in the lab couldn't see what was going on since her blinds were currently drawn. She regretted not talking to him exposed and in their line of sight.
What choice did she have?
Over at Goku's place, a tournament was under way, pitting the Z fighters against each other to see who would get their wishes granted with the newly recovered dragon balls.
Tien, Piccolo, Krillin, and Yamcha were prepping for the fun challenge in the grassy area next to the chosen tournament grounds, flexing and stretching to prime themselves to compete. The parameters were etched out by Krillin, giving them enough space to fight, but still challenging them to stay in the dirt and away from the grassy edge.
"Alright guys-get ready. I'm not goin' easy on ya, so come at me with everything you've got!" Goku exclaimed.
"I'd expect nothing less from ya, Goku!" Yamcha crowed enthusiastically.
"We're going to save the best for last, Kakarot-you and myself. I don't care about wishes." Vegeta cut in smugly as he went to take his place next to Bulma.
"Yeah, sounds good to me, Vegeta. We'll see who's left standing," Goku replied, ready to fight Krillin.
"Remember, the second your body touches grass, you are disqualified and forfeit your chance for a wish," Krillin declared as his friends all nodded and took seats on the sidelines.
Krillin squared himself off against Goku as his first opponent.
"Sheesh, this isn't even fair, why do I have to go first…" Krillin muttered.
"Sorry Krillin, what did you say?" Asked Goku.
"N-nothing! Just that we're having cake after this and I wanna get my slice first…" Krillin said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.
"I might have to fight you over that too!" Goku chuckled and quickly schooled his features again to prepare for Krillin's first attack.
As they fought, the group sat and watched, some awaiting their turn, and some choosing to strike up conversation.
"You sure you wanna forfeit your wish, Vegeta? I mean I'll take it if you think you're too good for it," Piccolo offered casually, smirking at the Saiyan.
"Piss off, you mouthy Namekian. I only agreed to fight in this charade because I want to test my form against Kakarot's." Vegeta tucked his arms into their typical crossing, glaring as he kept his attention on his rival, who currently had Krillin in a headlock.
Piccolo kept his smirk and sat back in his chair.
"So anyways… how is everyone's training going?" Bulma interjected, trying to steer the conversation in a more constructive direction.
"Good," Tien answered, "Chiaotzu and I headed up to the mountains to test our endurance, then came back to Kami's for some good old-fashioned sparring."
"I tried meeting you all up there, but I got a little caught up in baseball practice…next season is gonna be brutal." Yamcha stated, rocking in his chair on its back legs.
"Yeah, that's all it was," Bulma retorted with an eyebrow raised, fanning her hand out to check over her new manicure.
Yamcha threw his attention over to the back of Bulma's head, face scowling in annoyance.
"As far as I know, Bulma-you're still the same. Throwing caution to the wind, reckless abandon with no sense of self-preservation. I mean look who you're sitting next to…"
"Woah-woah, back the fuck up-" Bulma said, rising from her chair and whipping around to face her ex, who gave her a look of disdain.
Yamcha was a row behind her, the makeshift set up of chairs causing them to have to yell across various fighters as they all tried to concentrate on the actual fight.
"Oh boy," Tien said, scooting his chair over closer to Piccolo.
"Bulma, sit down" Vegeta whispered harshly.
"Oh-ho no! Yamcha sounds like he needs help remembering things correctly! Yeah, pal. You're lucky I was able to help you out a couple days ago, glad to see your body made it back in one piece from all the way over in West City. How was that flight by the way?" She peeved, watching his aggravated reaction with amusement.
"Man, I was just showing I still care about you enough to come save you if you're in trouble! You sure have a funny way of showing gratitude." Yamcha said angrily as he stood to face her.
"You're lucky you only had your ass handed to you that day! I could've let him finish you off, you silly asshole!"
Tien's attention was once again diverted from the tournament to watch the argument in front of him.
He whistled. "Temper, temper…" He said, shaking his head.
Piccolo gave him a low chuckle.
"Yeah, let's be honest. This is about the only fighting Yamcha was going to see today anyway."
"What are you trying to say, Piccolo? You wanna go, man?" Yamcha said, temporarily forgetting his current argument with Bulma.
"Yeah, if we face off against each other over there, where the real fighting is taking place," Piccolo said, sticking his thumb out and gesturing to the improvised arena.
"Yeah, I knew that. Whatever," Yamcha said lamely.
Goku and Krillin both finished fighting when Goku was declared the winner since Krillin was now knocked out cold in the grass. Chiaotzu walked over to Krillin, picked him up, and began walking him over to Goku's house.
"Just knock it off, Bulma!" Vegeta shouted, turning everyone's heads in his direction. He had had quite enough of their nonsense.
"What-are you serious? He started it!" She seethed, gesturing broadly to Yamcha.
They were continuing to bicker even as Krillin was carried off and Piccolo took his place to fight Goku.
Vegeta tensed with agitation, wanting nothing more than to beat the hell out of something and whether it was Kakarot or the idiot Yamcha-either would suffice.
"And I'm ending the petty squabbling! You know what? To hell with waiting. I'm feeling pent-up enough as is. Woman-just sit down. It's my turn now."
Vegeta crossed his arms, and Bulma, much to everyone's surprise, listened to him…after flipping Yamcha the bird. Now that it was his turn to fight, she was ready to give her full attention to the tournament, wanting to see how well he had progressed since attaining The Legendary transformation. She would now get an opportunity to see how well her tech was working for him and she used that thought to keep her focused on her husband, forgetting about idle chatter and petty arguments.
Piccolo growled as the prince walked up to him and Vegeta gave him a glare, as if daring the Namek to test his patience further. Piccolo crossed his own arms and sighed as he complied, silently waking back to his chair.
"If it's all the same to you guys I'd like to go after Vegeta." He voiced to the other fighters before sitting down.
Tien and Yamcha nodded in agreement, and they all patiently sat and watched the two Saiyans power up and ready themselves in their fighting stances. Their blonde hair and piercing eyes were captivating, and those that were still sitting on the sidelines couldn't help but marvel at their power.
Goku glanced at Bulma, and then back to Vegeta.
"So, is it true?" Goku asked.
"Is what true, clown?" Vegeta vexed, keeping his stance solid and mind focused for the fight.
"You and Bulma are married?"
"Yes," he growled, stance still suggesting he was unperturbed by Goku's intrusive questioning. "So what? I'm not here to make conversation, Kakarot. I want to kick your ass and hand it to you before dinner."
"Fine by me, I'm hoping we make this quick. Chi-Chi's cooking a special meal for tonight and I wanna go try it!"
Vegeta lunged to attack first, missing Goku by a millimeter and he retaliated, sending a quick series of punches in his opponent's direction. Vegeta dodged every single one, guarding himself as he smirked.
"Wow, Vegeta. I'm impressed! You've improved so much since we last fought. You're training is really paying off!" Goku complimented as they kicked and punched at each other with intense speed and precision.
"Oh, save me the paltry praise, Kakarot. Keep your mouth shut and focus on the fight!" He yelled, finally landing a punch in Goku's side.
Goku glared and flashed away from Vegeta, instantly appearing behind him and encasing his arms in a firm hold. Vegeta struggled for a moment before letting out an angry roar and after increasing his power, he flexed and broke free from Goku's grip.
"You'll have to do better than that!" Vegeta taunted fiercely. He put his arms together and produced a large Ki orb in his palms, aiming it right at Goku's head and released it. The beam charged right for him but missed its intended target as Goku dodged and it exploded in glorious fashion behind him, sending trees and bushes into the air. As the cloud of dust settled, Vegeta struck out again for his opponent, this time trying to land as many blows as he could.
Goku held his arms up to deflect the powerful barrage of energy. He flipped into the air, and as his heel hit the grassy border of their battle ground, he powered up his signature attack.
"Ka me… ha, me…HAH!"
The blast targeted Vegeta squarely in the chest, and as he caught the energy in his hands, Vegeta fought to keep it from touching his body by pushing it back with all his might.
"AHHHH…." Vegeta shouted as he struggled to keep the blast from sending him over the parameters and into the grass, which would lead to his disqualification.
Vegeta fought with everything he could to keep from going over the boundary, digging his heels into the dirt as Goku pushed against him with his steady flow of Ki.
"No-NOOO!" Vegeta bellowed as he struggled to push the blast back at Goku.
His heel was touching blades of grass, and he was a mere centimeter away from his disqualification before he got his powerful second wind.
He took one step forward, and then another, and then two more.
He knew he couldn't direct the energy to the sides, lest he accidently hit something or someone with it and cause serious damage, so he directed it straight above him and into the sky, much to Goku's shock.
Goku's attack fizzled out, and as it did, Vegeta primed another blast, and instantly sent Goku over the boundary with its force.
"Awh, man. Looks like I'm out," Goku said, grinning good-naturedly at his opponent, and Vegeta returned the look with a scowl.
What a pride-less simple fool.
"Damn. That's too bad." Vegeta powered back down, the glow he emitted dimming and fading out as he crossed his arms in irritation.
"Hey guys! Dinner's ready! It's a surprise and there's plenty for everyone!" Chi-Chi hollered out to the group.
"But Chi-Chi, it's Vegeta and Piccolo's turn to fight now!" Goku called back to his wife.
"Arrghh…Goku, your loving wife has slaved over a hot stove for 3 whole hours, you guys can continue beating each other into the dirt after the meal! IT'S TIME TO EAT NOW!"
"Eh he heh, alright honey, we're coming, we're coming!" Goku answered, cheeks now glowing red in embarrassment.
"Alright fellas-and Bulma, let's wash up and continue this after an awesome meal!" Goku told the group, and they all briskly made their way back to Goku's house.
Everyone was grouped together except Vegeta, who hung back and kept his usual distance.
Bulma glanced over her shoulder and noticed this, but she knew that just because they were married now, didn't mean he wasn't sticking to his ways around the others.
You fought well, Bulma voiced through the bond.
I am aware, silly woman.
Well, was there anything to take away from the fight? She asked him, keeping their conversation going.
Only that I'm angry Kakarot stepped out of bounds too early for us to really test my form, he responded with disappointment.
True. Next time though, right? At least you bested him tonight, and you get a chance for a wish!
I don't care about wishes, remember? Hey...are you bleeding by any chance? He asked her, remembering what happened the last time she tested her newfound abilities.
Granted she was injured and tired at that time, but he wanted to know how much this affected her physically.
She glanced around her before swiping up under her left nostril like she had done several days ago.
Sure enough, she found a small trail of blood there and as she wiped it away, she gave Vegeta a worried look over her shoulder, showing him her hand.
He kept his features cool and detached. But as Bulma turned back around, she felt him send tremors of worry down the unseen tethers of their bond, and it was making her anxious.
They all made it back to the house and as they walked inside, they were each met with delicious smells of beef and chicken.
"Man Chi-Chi, my mouth is watering! It smells so good in here!"
"Ah-ah-ah not so fast!…wash up first, then join Gohan and Krillin at the table," Chi-Chi ordered, and they each went to various rooms to clean up.
They each returned, taking seats at the table and Chi-Chi served them trays and trays of wonderfully scented dishes of meats, soup, and rice.
"The theme of tonight's meal is curry, so there's a little bit of spice to enjoy in every dish! Dig in and try to use utensils! I don't want pigs at the dinner table!"
"Good thing Oolong isn't here then!" Shouted Krillin, and received a couple hearty laughs from various friends around the table.
Every Saiyan seated had wasted no time shoveling food onto several plates in front of them and the rest of the dinner guests with normal appetites ate casually and chatted amongst themselves.
"I'm getting that first slice of cake!" Krillin announced, already fished his third plate and made room for dessert.
"Aw, man. I'm not even halfway finished!" Goku exclaimed, pausing to take a drink from his water glass.
Krillin shrugged and smirked as he got up and left the table to snag himself a piece of the chocolate cake Chi-Chi finished preparing.
Krillin gave her a smile and thanked her as she served him a nice, warm slice with a glass of cold milk.
He left the dining area to seat himself in the living room. He chose to sit on the sofa and turned on the small television and flipped through a couple channels before settling on one that caught his eye.
"Huh, that's strange. The news is either getting really interesting, or this is just a Godzilla movie." He muttered to himself as he watched events unfold on the screen.
Rain gently began falling outside, and one by one, the Z fighters in the other room groaned.
"Raincheck on the tournament, then?" Krillin heard Goku say.
"Yeah, dad. And next time, I wanna fight. So don't plan it on a study day!" Gohan told his father.
Krillin returned his focus to the T.V. and took another bite of his cake, and as he read the headlines, he froze and swallowed hard.
"Uhh, guys? You'd better get in here and see this."
-Back at Dr. Donavi's lab and before the incident-
" General Quill…what will you gain by doing this, especially knowing the rate of success is so low?" Isola asked him, shaking almost violently.
"I will get my revenge. That's what I plan to do, doctor. I plan to serve my country through your success...or my sacrifice. But if it helps bring down the Argosians and that dangerous alien from Brief's labs, then so be it."
Dr. Donavi gave the general eye contact, noticing a determined expression.
"At what cost…?"
He ignored her question, letting his frustration be present in his face now, no longer being indifferent.
"I want you to give this DNA to me, and I want to use it to become powerful. Guns and tanks won't work on this level of threat. I want you to make me into a weapon and rid this planet of that alien, and the woman responsible for housing him in our city. So get a fucking syringe ready and a table for me to lay on for the procedure." He told her plainly.
"Sir, I have to remind you that this is incredibly dangerous and unsafe for you-"
"I don't care! I'm sure your lab full of scientists can follow my demands. Let's see if you can impress our military leaders with this new project. Let me be the first to pioneer into this field of biological warfare. And if you don't-I will make you," Quill said, the sound of him unlocking the safety on his laser pistol reverberating in the small glass chamber.
Isola hesitated for a beat, before deciding it was useless to argue against madness.
If he wanted to be reckless, let the responsibility be on his shoulders, not hers, she thought as she grounded herself and readied the equipment and a syringe full of the mysterious DNA, and then went to fish out her data and components for a second syringe, which she filled with radioactive compounds and synthetic steroids. It was still incredibly reckless and unethical to conduct this experiment. But with this new DNA, Dr. Donavi had no idea what it would be capable of.
This was why General Quill chose her and her team to work on this task for him. It all clicked.
"Let's begin," she said with nervous energy as her lab team readied the general to be strapped in on the operating table in the large glass office.
She swabbed his neck with an alcohol pad, and as she prepped the syringe, her two lab assistants finished strapping Quill down on the table.
"The first one won't hurt. But the second one will. This should mutate your DNA, and we will assess what happens to your body, but it will need to be stabilized with something…a marrow or even spinal fluid, like I told you. We will have to experiment until we find the right fit." She stated as she administered the first compound.
He winced, and she continued, giving him the second syringe.
After several minutes, Quill began struggling against the straps on his body.
Isola watched him with growing anxiety as he gripped the edges of the table, flexing and writhing in pain.
"G-general Quill? Are you alright….sir?"
He groaned.
"No…the pain….arghhhhhh…AHHHHHHH!"
His body began to grow exponentially, and one by one the straps ripped away his body and onto the lab tiles below.
Isola shrieked in fear as Quill, who was now five times his original size, jumped onto the table and launched himself through the glass of the lab walls, leaving a trail with millions of tiny shards in his wake.
Terrified, the scientists fled the facility, and a mutant General Quill kicked down the laboratory door and leapt out into the night, ready to unleash hellish wrath on West City until his vengeance was satisfied and his targets annihilated.
"WHERE ARE THEY….WHERE-IS SHE?"
MUTANT TERROR IN THE DOWNTOWN STREETS OF WEST CITY
That's what the headline read at the bottom of the screen as Krillin watched an enormous mutated beast ravage the streets in East City above the scrolling text.
"What is it, Krillin?" Goku asked as he walked in the room, curious friends in tow.
"This is what's on the news right now. It looks like it was a guy at some point…but now it's on a rampage downtown! We have to do something, innocent lives are at stake!"
"What's going on?" Vegeta said, bringing up the back of the group.
"Look Vegeta. I don't know what it is, but it sure is doing a lot of damage," Krillin gestured towards the screen.
Vegeta stood in front of the television and assessed the news broadcast.
He watched as the mutant roared on the screen and the news camera panned over to several cars that still had their owners inside them; until the monster stalked over and began smashing them apart. As the citizens screamed in terror, the monster threw cars and made his way down the street towards the camera. The camera dropped to the ground as the one holding it abandoned their place to flee for their life. Then the feed flickered to black as the mutant stepped on the camera. The screen cut immediately to a "Please Stand By" message card, accompanied by the sound of one long tone.
The living room was filled with tension and silence as Vegeta turned around to face the group.
"Let's go," he ordered as he started to walk towards the front door.
Goku and the other fighters followed behind him.
As Vegeta opened the door, he looked over his shoulder and saw that Bulma was in the ranks.
"Bulma, I want you to stay here with Chi-Chi."
"Yeah, B. This is dangerous. Stay here with me." Chi-Chi said in agreement.
"No. I refuse to sit back and not do anything while that beast destroys my city." Bulma countered.
He grunted in irritation. He wasn't about to get into why she shouldn't go in front of everyone. He would just have to make sure she was protected when they got there.
"We can't waste time with arguments. Stay with the group and when we get there, I want you to stay hidden. Got it?"
"I heard you, now let's go!" She yelled as she ran outside.
Chi-Chi wished them all luck and locked her door behind them.
The men all flanked around Bulma and broke into sprints.
Vegeta ran behind her to scoop her into his arms as they took to the sky.
They soared for some time before touching back down at the edge of the city, and they all continued to run towards the turmoil at full speed, following the path of destruction straight for the raging beast stomping its way through the city's streets.
She ran with the group and tried with everything she had to keep up as the rain beat down at her back.
She picked up the speed at the sound of the crashing in the city, and they were headed straight for it. Lightening crashed and powerlines sizzled as West City thundered beneath their feet.
They kept the pace, Vegeta leading the pack with Goku in tow as they ran towards the chaos. They were able to see disabled police hover cars and derailed monorails, void of their passengers as they had long fled, or worse.
They could sense they were getting closer now, hearing the smashing and crashing much closer.
They reached Brecker street, and Goku jumped out of the path of a car flying towards him that was thrown by the hulking mass across the way from them.
"BULMA! I WILL FIND YOU."
One by one, the fighters turned to their female friend.
How the fuck does this monster know my name, Bulma thought as she made eye contact with them, finally settling her gaze on her husband.
He was a live wire, alert and listening to the footfalls of the creature making its way towards the group, but his eyes questioned her, looking for any answers she could give. She looked up, and realized she recognized the being, eyes widening.
"General…General Q-Quill? Oh shit."
"Oh shit what, Bulma?!" Vegeta demanded.
"I-I look out!" She pointed, as the massive general now wielded a powerline like a whip, cracking it down on the pavement near Goku's feet.
He dodged it easily, but it was raining, and the ground was wet, which makes the general's choice of weapon that much more terrifying as the electrical current flashed and lit the ground with an erratic blue light.
"Watch your feet guys, stay out of the water!" She shouted.
The men dodged puddles as they swiftly positioned themselves in front of the man-beast. He struck out again, this time managing to hit Krillin, wrapping the frayed tail-end around his arm and electrocuting him, bringing him to his knees.
"PATHETIC." Krillin yelled a painful cry, and Goku stood before him.
"Don't touch him, Goku!"
"It's okay, Bulma! You need to get outta here! Hurry, before he sees you!" Goku unwrapped his friend's wrist, absorbing the electrical current with his ki, his power enabling him to withstand the energy.
It moved through him and down to the ground, but he allowed some to stay, powering his ki, jumpstarting his super saiyan transformation.
"Gohan, Piccolo, keep him distracted, Me and Vegeta will blast him with enough energy to knock him back, maybe we can stun him and get him to change back. No casualties, men."
They nodded at Goku's instruction and flanked the mutant on each side, ready to dodge and block.
"Bulma, get out of here! He wants you!" Goku yelled at her as he launched his assault on the monster, spurring her into action.
She quickly ducked behind a car, looking for the next place to hide.
"BULMA, I KNEW YOU COULDN'T STAY AWAY. WHERE ARE YOU?" The mutant man roared, looking from car to car, dodging Ki blasts from the fighters below.
Shit, shit, shit, Bulma scurried from a car, to an overturned bus.
But as she leaned against the metal for support, it began to move, and it was hovering before it was thrown yards away.
"BULMA. THERE YOU ARE. YOU'RE MINE, BITCH!"
Before he could reach out to grab her, Vegeta launched his Galick Gun in direct contact with his target, throwing Quill several yards away from the street and into a nearby building.
"Vegeta, no casualties!" he heard Goku yell, but he completely ignored him, scooping Bulma up in his arms.
"Woman, what did you do?" He asked her in an urgent tone.
He made his way over to an abandoned vendor stall and shuffled her in.
"General Quill must have snuck more than he should have out of my lab the day he picked up my equipment he wanted. He stole…. your DNA, in my samples box. That's the only explanation. You're the strongest of my sample stash, he stole it, and used it to weaponize it. He weaponized himself. That stupid asshole."
"Kami...What does this mean, Bulma? How do we stop him?"
She thought, then downcast her gaze from his face.
"You can't do anything, because we don't know how he shot himself up, or what his scientists paired the DNA with to stabilize his formation…he could continue to grow and mutate until he implodes, or worse" she finished with a wince.
"You can't just shoot yourself with a DNA cocktail and expect it to stabilize. He's already far too gone. You will have to hold him off until it…runs its course."
Vegeta thought through her words.
"I'm still angry that you stole my DNA, but it made some very useful, incredible technology. Why didn't you dispose of it, mate?"
She shook her head.
"Hindsight is a bitch, isn't it? I didn't think anything of it, leaving it in the disposal box. It was supposed to be handled and thrown away already. I guess my dad was too busy. Quill was supposed to take his shit and go. I didn't know he still had a bone to pick with me."
He cradled her carefully, not wanting to stress her body out, with her being newly pregnant.
That thought startled him as he remembered her current condition.
"You need to get out of here and find a safe place to hide while we take care of that beast."
"I know where to hide. Let me go, and I'll make my way towards our company building. There's a place I can wait until you guys give the all clear."
She cradled his face with her hands and kissed him. He kissed her back, catching her lip between his teeth.
"You're in so much trouble when we finish this."
She winked at him.
"Aren't I always?"
He hesitated, clutching her close to him and making eye contact with her before she smirked, leaping down from the safety of his arms and crouching, then running out from the stall and looking out from behind a tire.
The fight had already picked back up, and the Z fighters had their hands full.
Her building had to be the one directly behind the fight, which meant she would have to make her way two whole blocks before she made it to her sanctuary.
Damnit.
Vegeta ran and dodged more debris and wreckage flying around from the fight.
He blasted the mutant hard in the chest, causing the hulking mass to pause.
"IT'S YOU. THE ALIEN FROM BULMA'S PROPERTY." He chuckled dark and deep. "I HAVE SOMETHING OF YOURS, ALIEN."
Vegeta took a defensive stance.
"Yes, I know, my wife filled me in on what you stole, you mutated ball of filth. Do you know what's going to happen to you, or did you not think that far ahead?"
Goku looked over to his companion, confusion on his brow.
"What are you talking about, Vegeta? What did Bulma tell you?"
Vegeta looked onwards at the beast, who was occupied by Gohan and Krillin.
"Bulma stole my DNA for some tech in the GR, and in turn, the general thought it would be sweet payback to steal it from her, to get even for me threatening him to leave. Little does he know, he's on a time limit. He's apparently expected to grow and mutate until he combusts."
Goku winced. "Ew…"
"Yes, ew. Now we have to protect Bulma so she can make it to her lab- "
"I SEE YOU."
The beast was grabbing for something, and when it came into view, Vegeta's breath caught in his lungs.
"No!"
He flew to the ground below the beast, snarling and ready to fight him head on.
"Your fight is with me! Put her down, or I'll blow you clear out of existence! I don't care about your death; you are but a mere speck to the power of a mighty Saiyan!" Vegeta bellowed angrily.
All fighters stood in a semi-circle around Quill, ready to take him down.
The mutant laughed at him.
"BULMA. I NEED SOMETHING TO STABILIZE MY FORM OR I WON'T STOP MUTATING. THEY SAID I NEEDED A BODY FLUID OF SOME KIND."
She struggled in his tight grasp.
"Who…is, they Quill?"
She asked, gritting her teeth as she stalled for time.
"WHAT IS IT THAT I NEED? TELL ME OR I CRUSH YOU NOW!"
Vegeta looked up at her, his expression full of worry.
She held his gaze, his presence calming her.
"You need…spinal fluid. It mixes with a compound I have in my lab. To stabilize…your body."
The large man smiled down at Vegeta and began climbing the side of the Capsule Corp. building.
"BULMA IS GOING TO PAY A VISIT TO HER LAB AND PICK UP SOMETHING FOR ME. FLUID. FROM HER SPINE. TO STABILIZE MY NEW FORM."
Bulma fought helplessly against his grasp, crying out in pain from the pressure.
This set Vegeta ablaze with pure fury.
"LIKE HELL SHE WILL. YOU'RE DONE USING MY WIFE. DROP HER NOW OR SUFFER A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH."
Quill's ugly face smiled with twisted delight.
Vegeta aimed and shot a blast at the center of his back, dropping him to his knees.
Bulma was inches from safety that she would never reach, as Quill angrily bent her with a final sickening crack.
Vegeta felt his heart drop straight to his feet at the sound.
"SEE…WHAT YOU… CAN DO WITH HER NOW, ALIEN." Quill wheezed as he toppled over.
Bulma rolled from his fist and out onto the street.
Vegeta descended on her in an instant, laying her out across the ground, assessing the extent of her injuries.
She coughed weakly.
"V-Vegeta, thanks for…trying to rescue me. I made…a pretty costly mistake... I'm so sorry. I love you."
The group clustered around them to get a closer look at what was happening.
"Shh, Bulma. Just relax. You'll live, it will all be alright," he said, stroking her hair, then moving his hand to her abdomen, trying to feel for his unborn child's Ki.
It was still steady and strong, unaffected by Quill's crushing grip.
Unfortunately for Bulma; she wasn't fairing as well as he sensed her energy was rapidly fading.
Quill began to stir.
He was still alive, but something wasn't right.
His body began to grow and shift, muscles and tissue ripping, bones popping and cracking.
Gohan cringed at the noises, and as they all watched, Quill's fate was playing out before their eyes. He grew even larger than he already had, two, then three times in size. He screamed and groaned unnaturally, and the fighters began taking steps back, sensing danger.
Vegeta thought fast and picked Bulma up as gingerly as he could before taking off into the air.
One by one, the warriors took flight, and from far up above, they watched Quill eventually explode, carnage painting the streets with his blood and gore. It was a nasty, sorry sight, but they sighed in relief as they took off for Kami's lookout, the current location of the dragon balls.
They needed to act quickly, because Bulma was fading fast.
She stirred weakly in Vegeta's arms, not feeling the full extent of her injuries yet due to her state of shock.
They touched down several minutes later, and Vegeta set his wife down gently on the lawn as Goku and Gohan went inside to the location of the dragon balls.
Not a moment to spare, they had wishes that needed urgent granting.
Dende stepped outside and ran over to Bulma and Vegeta.
"No Senzu beans, I'm assuming?" Vegeta asked with urgency.
Dende shook his head with a sad expression.
"Figures," he grunted angrily.
"We'll help her, Vegeta. Bulma won't die tonight. I promise."
The rain continued to pour as Vegeta held his mate, his future, in his arms. He felt for the first time in a very long time the feeling of heartbreak.
If she died tonight, he was sure he wouldn't make it to sunrise before following right behind her.
