Marked: Chapter 11
Zero Regrets
"Oh no!" King Kai yells as he watches the battle from his planet.
"What's happening King Kai?" Tien asks as he Yamcha and Chiaotzu wait for an update.
"Frieza… he killed Krillin… " he reports.
The men all look at each other sadly knowing that Krillin can't be wished back with the earth's Dragon Balls.
"Dammit!" Yamcha yells. "There's got to be something we can do! Something we can do to help Goku!"
King Kai shakes his head as they're forced to be spectators. "There's nothing."
They continue standing there waiting for an update from King Kai whose blue skin pales at what he witnesses next. "Chi-Chi," he whispers pained for his student and his wife.
"What… What happened to Chi-Chi?" Chiaotzu timidly asks.
King Kai's head simply drops not wanting to say it out loud and the rest hang their heads in understanding. But before they can mourn their friends too long, King Kai's eyes widen as he watches what happens to Goku.
"What is it King Kai?" Tien asks.
King Kai's mouth hangs open. "He… he did it. Goku did it. He unlocked the power of Super Saiyan."
Suddenly a voice calls out to King Kai. "King Kai! King Kai! It's Kami from Earth. Can you hear me?" he asks frantically.
"Yes, yes Kami! I can hear you. I can't really talk right now. We've got a situation," King Kai explains.
"Yes, I understand. But can you please retrieve Son Chi-Chi's body for me? Namek is without a guardian and she is my responsibility. She's earned that right."
King Kai nods. "Yes of course. I'll see that it's done."
When Chi-Chi opens her eyes, she wakes up standing in line in Other World. She looks down at her body and sees she no longer has a hole in her chest. "Well, I got to keep my body. Guess that's a good sign," she observes.
"Excuse me! Pardon me! I'm looking for Son Chi-Chi. Are any of you Son Chi-Chi?" a voice asks as it makes its way through the crowd of souls.
Chi-Chi raises her hand. "I'm Son Chi-Chi!"
An exasperated blue angel takes her by the hand. "Good heavens, there you are. Your presence has been requested by King Kai. We gotta get you to the station now."
"Huh?" she asks confused as he drags her to the front of the line.
"Chi-Chi! Nice to meet you in the flesh, well not the flesh I guess," King Kai chuckles. "Come on. We're going to my planet. You need to see this."
Before Chi-Chi can object or react, she's mysteriously teleported from the Check-In Station to a small planet similar to the one Goku described to her when they were in the hospital.
"CHI-CHI!" a group of voices shout as they run to her and give her hugs.
"That trick would've been handy when Goku was trying to get back for the Saiyans, King Kai," Yamcha teases.
King Kai blushes. "Why do you think I learned it?! So that never happens again!" he yells in frustration.
"What's going on? Are Goku and Gohan okay?" Chi-Chi asks nervously.
King Kai channels his energy to use a technique that takes quite a toll on him but figures this is as good a time as any to use it. An electric spark zaps between his antennae and he's able to project the fight for the others to see into the sky.
If she had a heartbeat, it would stop at what she sees. Chi-Chi walks to the projected image and wants to caress her husband's face. "Oh, Goku… What happened to you?" she whispers seeing an expression on his face she's never seen before. Gone are the soft eyes of her carefree husband. They've been replaced with a look of hatred and disdain that hurts her deeply. However, she's deeply intrigued by his new appearance. His power must be colossal to have spurned such a transformation.
"Your death, Chi-Chi," Tien answers her question.
They watch as Frieza screams in frustration as none of his attacks cause any damage to his Saiyan foe.
"What is going on?! What are you monkey?!" he cries.
Goku gives him an arrogant smirk. "I think you already know Frieza," he mocks. "I am a Saiyan raised on Earth who came here to beat you. I am the legend that you were so afraid of. The one that caused you to destroy the Saiyans. A warrior, pure of heart and awakened by rage."
The group stands in stunned, reverent silence. Chi-Chi grips her chest and her eyes water as she watches her husband accept who he is. She's seen glimpses of this every full moon and is so proud that he's finally free. "Kakarot," she whispers his birthname.
Goku grits his teeth and his aura consumes the planet around him. "I AM SON GOKU! THE SUPER SAIYAN!"
The surge of energy that Goku emits exhausts King Kai causing him to end his visual transmission. He puts his hands on his knees as he catches his breath. "Sorry guys. That's too tough to maintain for long. But I'll keep up with the fight the other way," he says as he focuses his antennae again.
Chi-Chi sits on the ground and hugs her knees to her chest reflecting on what she just saw.
"He'll be okay, Chi-Chi. Goku always figures out how to win," Yamcha assures her.
"Yeah… he'll beat Frieza," she says breathlessly. But they're quickly snapped out of their conversation when they hear King Kai.
"Oh… Oh no! Frieza is going to destroy Namek!" he shouts.
"What?! Won't that kill him too?" Tien asks confused by Frieza's tactic.
"No. No it won't. His kind can survive in space. But the others on Namek…" his voice trails.
Chi-Chi pales thinking about her husband and son trapped there by Frieza's dirty trick. "We have to get them out!"
King Kai begins pacing frantically trying to come up with an idea. "I've got it!" He walks to a different spot and adjusts his antennae. "Kami?! Kami?! Can you hear me?"
"Yes, King Kai! I'm here!"
"Kami! I have a plan and I need you to listen very carefully!" King Kai quickly spells out their plan to use the Earth's Dragon Balls followed by the Namekian Dragon Balls to restore everyone's lives and pull everyone but Frieza off of Namek.
"NO! WAIT KING KAI!" Goku's voice calls out to the deity for all of them to hear. "Don't send me back to Earth! Leave me here with Frieza! I'M ENDING THIS!" he commands.
"WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?!" Chi-Chi says sprinting at King Kai determined to talk to Goku herself. She grabs him by the collar, but Tien takes her by the waist and pulls her off.
"Chi-Chi! We have to do as he asks. Goku will be furious if we don't and he obviously thinks he can win."
"Like hell we have to do as he asks! He will die if he stays on that planet!" she yells. "Don't wish me back to Earth either! I'm staying with him!" she demands. "I can get a ship ready for us and help him get out of there once the fight is finished then we'll go home!"
"NO CHI-CHI! You will go back to Earth! King Kai you will send her to Earth with everyone else!" Goku orders but is then punched in the gut. "Dammit!" he cries in pain. "I don't have time to argue with you! The answer is NO!" he yells as he returns his full attention to the fight.
Chi-Chi approaches King Kai again. "You will leave me there. I will get us a ship and be right behind everyone else. I lost Goku once. I will not lose him again," she says with a fire in her eyes that gets King Kai's attention.
He nods understanding how much this means to her. She's not going to miss an opportunity to have her family whole and he respects that. He knows Goku will be furious, but he can deal with that later. "Okay Mr. Popo. Do as she asks."
"And Mr. Popo!" she yells. "Please tell them to give me a few minutes to find Gohan before they're sent back to Earth! I have to speak to him."
Mr. Popo hears all of the requests and begins to make the wish on Earth.
Chi-Chi hugs her friends one more time. "I'll see you all soon." As quickly as she arrived, she disappears.
Back on Namek, Chi-Chi opens her eyes to a nightmarish scene in her tattered armor and mortal body. She immediately searches for her son's ki and locks on. But before she takes off, she looks up into the sky and sees her husband colliding with Frieza in a heated battle, her eyes wide and mouth agape
Frieza aims a punch at Goku who dodges and answers with his own fist to Frieza's cheek. The fight is all but a slugfest at this point with each blow erupting the planet around them before Goku throws Frieza by his tail into the ground. Goku notices multiple ki signatures pop up across the planet and he seeks out the one that matters to him the most. He turns around to see his bride alive and well sitting upright where he left her body. The distraction, however, gives Frieza an opportunity to piledrive Goku to the ground. He quickly recovers and Chi-Chi makes herself scarce unwilling to be a liability for him.
As she races to find Gohan, she sees the revived Namekians rising to their feet on the planet below. She can hear them confused and afraid, but she doesn't have time to help them. They'll be to safety soon.
"GOHAN!" she cries when she reaches their ship.
"MOM!" he shouts as he springs to her and squeezes her tightly.
"Baby listen to me," she says in a rushed tone. "They're about to wish everyone back to Earth except for Frieza, your father, and me."
Gohan clings to her tighter. "What? You have to come with us!"
"Gohan, I have to get your father off of this planet. He can't survive if it explodes. We can't lose him again. I have to help him."
Gohan pulls back and nods as he wipes away small tears.
"We are right behind you my sweet boy. We will be home as fast as we can. Find your grandfather and stay with him." She briefly turns her attention to Bulma. "I need the capsule for the ship. I'm taking it with me so we can at least try to communicate with you guys."
Bulma quickly hands it to her and hugs her friend. "Be careful Chi. Gohan will be fine. We've got him. Well, more like he's got us," she chuckles trying to reassure her friend.
Chi-Chi's eyes water as she looks at her child. "I know." Just then, she peeks over her shoulder and sees Porunga in the sky. She holds Gohan close and kisses his cheek knowing he'll soon be gone. "They're making the wish baby. Get to Grandpa. We're coming soon. I love you with my whole heart and soul," she says praying to Kami this isn't the last time she sees him.
But before he can respond, he vanishes from her arms. Chi-Chi takes a deep breath and wipes away her tears as she focuses on her next mission. "Alright, let's find a ship."
She darts across the crumbling planet and stops at every ship she sees, all of them severely damaged until she finds one that seems to be in useable condition. Sitting in the captain's chair, she examines the control panel before her, looking for any kind of clue on how to fly this thing. Sitting on the dash is a picture of a scantily clad female alien. Chi-Chi turns flips switches and pushes buttons hoping that it operates somewhat similarly to the ship they used to come to Namek. She waits but nothing happens. "Dammit! I can't read any of this!" she yells trying to make sense of the words on the control panel.
But then she turns her eyes up and sees an obvious green button. "It cannot be this simple, right?" she asks but she pushes it, and the ship finally responds. "YES!" she celebrates as the ship begins to hover. "Okay, I can do this," she says as she takes the ship's yoke and flips on the thrusters.
"Whoa!" the ship takes off and she works to keep control. "Wrong button!" she yells as she messes with the controls again finding a manageable speed. "Okay, honey. I'm coming to get you," she says as she turns the ship back toward Goku's direction.
The battle between Goku and Frieza rages on while the planet below them becomes increasingly unstable. However, Frieza begins to tire while his Saiyan opponent's fury continues to soar.
Goku shows his enemy no mercy as he works Frieza's torso like a punching bag. Grabbing the Cold ruler by the throat, he sends a ruthless punch to the side of his abdomen while slowly digging in his fist, breaking ribs as he applies more and more pressure. "How many people have suffered under your reign of terror?" Goku asks.
Frieza gasps for air as Goku's hold tightens.
"I should kill you right now," Goku growls as he watches Frieza attempt to speak. Goku loosens his grip curious to know what he would say.
Frieza coughs taking in as much air as he can. "Mer…mercy," he begs.
Goku gives him a shocked smirk before losing himself in a chuckle. "Mercy? Have you ever shown anyone mercy?" he laughs before tightening his grip again. "Did you show the Saiyans, my kin, mercy when you exterminated them like bugs? Did you show the Namekians mercy as you hunted for the Dragon Balls for your own selfish reasons? Did you show Vegeta or Krillin mercy before you tortured and murdered them?" He pulls Frieza's face closely to his. "Did you show my mate mercy when you ran your hand through her body?" Goku snarls as he digs his fist deeper into Frieza's body, finally piercing the skin.
"AAAGH!" Frieza wails in pain.
Goku's ki flairs as he pulls his fist out and shakes off the purple blood. Not finished humiliating Frieza, he reaches up to rip off the alien's arm. But then he hears the smallest voice.
"Goku?" Chi-Chi says tenderly.
"Chi-Chi..?" the Super Saiyan whispers as his expression shifts when he sees his mate hovering near him. He rattles his head furiously, and wrath overwhelms him again when he sees the hole in her armor, a reminder of her torture. He looks down and sees the ship below their feet and realizes what she's done. "Chi-Chi! What are you doing here?! I told you to go home with Gohan!"
Chi-Chi observes her husband with sad eyes, the pain and anger on his face more than she can bear. She flies just a little closer. "Goku, honey. Can we please go home now? Please?"
Goku snarls and launches Frieza to the planet below and follows behind to continue his assault once they're on the ground, Chi-Chi following in quick pursuit.
Goku marches toward Frieza considering the different ways he's going to dismantle the fallen ruler. He raises his hand for his first attack when his wife lands in front of him after finally catching up.
Chi-Chi ducks when she sees what he was planning and Goku stumbles back when he has to restrain himself. "CHI-CHI! MOVE! Get out of my way! Frieza will pay for everything he's done. Especially for what he did to you. Leave. Now," he orders.
Seeing this shift in her husband is breaking her heart. Not listening, Chi-Chi approaches him. "Goku, please look at me."
He doesn't. He keeps his focus behind her on Frieza.
She takes his face in her hands the way she always does when she needs to make a point. "Goku, this place is going to blow any second. Just take me home. Let's go home to our son. You've won. He's not worth us losing our lives and orphaning our child. Please Goku. Don't make me leave without you. Come home with me."
Goku slowly turns his eyes up to Chi-Chi's and calms slightly at her touch. "He killed you Chi-Chi. He killed you. He has to pay. I want him in pieces."
Chi-Chi takes his hand and places it on her chest so he can feel her heart and ki. "I'm back Goku. I'm right here. But we will both be dead if we don't leave right now. You are exhausted. You don't have much more fight left in you. Either put the beast down quickly, or let's go."
"Fine," Goku concedes. He forms a blast of ki in his palm and prepares to fire at Frieza's unmoving body when the tyrant springs from the ground with a disc of ki in his own hand.
"NO MONKEY WILL DEFEAT ME!" Frieza declares maniacally as he sends the blast right at the couple.
"NO!" Goku shouts as he pulls Chi-Chi in close. With her in his arms, he leaps to roll over the disc, his arm slicing in the process and Chi-Chi's ponytail receiving a small trim.
After dropping Chi-Chi, Goku barrels at Frieza.
"Goku watch out!" Chi-Chi shouts when she sees the disc returning toward him. Goku turns around and places his palm out to receive the disc of ki.
"WHAT?!" Frieza shouts frantically but it's too late.
Goku propels the disc right at his enemy and dices him into pieces.
Chi-Chi looks up at him in disbelief that it's finally finished while the Super Saiyan huffs in deep breaths of air before collapsing on the ground. He transforms to his familiar self of wild black hair and black eyes. "It's over," he whispers in disbelief. However, his victory is short-lived.
"OUR SHIP!" Chi-Chi cries as a quake creates a crevice in the planet large enough to consume their transportation. She flies as fast as she can to catch up with it, but her husband in all of his exhaustion still manages to move faster.
Flying under the ship, Goku catches it before it can be lost to a sea of lava. Weaker than he's ever been, he struggles to keep it up. "Chi! I can't hold it!" he cries as his body trembles at the weight of the ship while lava licks his back.
His wife quickly takes his place, her strength more than rivaling his at the moment, and works with him to push it up a more comfortable distance from the heat. "Get… in! Turn it… ON!" Chi-Chi grunts as she pushes up.
Seeing an open hatch, Goku flies into the ship. "CHI! I don't know how to fly this!" he yells to her.
"AGH!" she cries as she's losing the battle now. "The big… green… BUTTON!"
"Biggreenbutton, biggreenbutton," Goku mutters quickly as he searches.
"GOKU! The top of the panel!" she wails as she keeps slipping, her muscles being pulled apart as she fights.
Finding it with that direction, Goku pushes the big green button and the ship begins to hover on its own. "Chi! Come here!" he says extending a hand below the hatch and pulling his wife up.
Chi-Chi limps to the control panel and begins to guide the ship out of the crevice when… "Shit!"
As they fly up, the crevice is caving in on them. They'll be buried in the lava for sure. She looks at her husband barely able to function. He won't be able to get them out of this.
She pulls him up from the floor and puts him in the driver's seat. "Goku just take the wheel and keep going up! I got this!"
"Chi!" Goku protests but she's already out the door.
Flying ahead of their ship, Chi-Chi blasts the debris threatening to crush them. It's too much for her to take one by one so she resorts to a familiar technique.
"KamehameHAAA!" she cries as she creates a safe path for them, her husband following closely behind her as they make it to the planet's surface.
Done with that obstacle, Chi-Chi throws herself into the ship and the hatch closes behind her. They're so close to being away from this dying planet. She pulls herself into his lap and takes the controls back. Having no clue how to chart a course to anywhere, she scrolls through the ship's navigation system to look for somewhere that might be safe.
"I can't read any of this Goku," she says worriedly not knowing where they'll end up.
"Let's just get somewhere Chi, and we'll handle it from there," he advises in exhaustion.
She nods too tired to think clearly and hits enter.
A robotic voice begins speaking in a foreign language from the ship's computer.
"I don't know what it's saying. But I hope we have some time to rest," she says as she keeps guiding the ship further and further away from the planet.
A booming rumble can be heard from behind them and the two look over their shoulder to watch as the planet collapses in on itself before sending out a massive explosion throughout the universe. The force of the blast accelerates their ship deeper into space but causes no damage.
"They made it! They made it out! It was touch and go but between the two of them they survived the blast!" King Kai announces to the group that was teleported to Earth.
"Yes! I knew they would!" Gohan cheers with his friends and the Namekians. "Where are they going now?" he asks King Kai.
"I'm not quite sure. But they'll be headed your direction soon I'm sure. I've reached my limit for what I can transmit today. When I know more, I'll get in touch with you Gohan," King Kai says as he disconnects from Earth.
"I have to stitch up your arm Goku," Chi-Chi says as she observes the gash on his bicep as it continues to bleed.
Goku shakes his head. "It'll stop bleeding soon. We need to rest."
"No. That's deep. You could lose too much blood before we get somewhere safe," Chi-Chi responds as she saunters away to rummage through cabinets. After tearing the room apart, she lets out a frustrated groan when she realizes she only has one option. "I can't find anything, Goku… I hate to say it but… I have to burn it."
"What?" Goku says holding his wound.
Chi-Chi creates a small ball of ki in her hand. "I can seal the wound with the heat, honey."
Goku looks down at his hand holding his arm as blood continues sifting through his fingers. With a deep inhale, he nods.
Chi-Chi pulls a seat up next to him and caresses his leg. She's never seen him so beaten before, not even after Piccolo. "Okay honey. Hold still," she says as she brings the ki up to his arm.
"Aaagh!" Goku cries as he squeezes his leg trying not to flinch.
"I know. I know baby. I'm almost done. Just another sec," Chi-Chi says as she cauterizes the wound. "There." She stands to examine the rest of his battered body as he hunches over in the chair.
"You're burned, Goku. Your back," she says seeing where the lava managed to nip at him. "Oh, I know! Let me see if they have one of those healing tank things on here. I don't know why I didn't think of that before. I'm sorry babe. I'll be right back."
While she explores the ship further, Goku looks down at his hands covered in the blood of all the foes he faced today.
"No… No Frieza! Don't do it! KILL ME!" The memory plagues Goku's mind, forcing him to his knees as his body begins to transform again.
"I didn't find a healing tank, but I found a bathroom and somewhere to sleep so that's… Goku?!" Chi-Chi runs to him when she sees him on the ground.
"Get back Chi!" he hollers putting his hand out to stop her from getting any closer, the force of the gesture sending a small shockwave that throws her into a wall.
"Ugh!" she grunts when her back collides with the metal interior of the ship. She wobbles back to her feet and watches as her husband's aura flares while his hair takes on streaks of gold and his pupils fade to white, the ship around them quaking slightly.
Unwilling to be a spectator to her husband's suffering, Chi-Chi runs at him again and slides as if she were stealing second to be underneath him so his eyes can concentrate on her.
"Goku," she says calmly, trying to be his center, "Goku, I'm here. Just listen to me. Focus on me Goku. Focus."
"Chi…" he whispers as his eyes flicker blue and black.
"Babe, I'm here," she returns his whisper as she caresses his arm. If they were still bonded, she would try to reach him that way but for now, this will have to do.
Goku peers down at her small hand gently reassuring him and his aura fades as his energy calms.
"Good honey. I've got you, I'm right here," she soothes.
Returning to normal, Goku bends down and presses his forehead against hers. "What's happened to me, Chi-Chi?"
She doesn't know and that scares her to death. "Goku, I'm not sure. I wish there were other Saiyans we could speak to. But for now, I'll help you in every way I can."
"I need to be bonded with you. That's driving me insane."
She agrees. She believes she could help him out much more effectively if they were bonded, the way he helped her when she was in labor with Gohan. "I know babe. I know. Neither of us has that in us right now. I'm here, though. I'm not going anywhere. Just let me take care of you. You need rest."
"We need rest," he emphasizes.
Finished with that unpleasant experience, they limp to the sleeping quarters. Unwilling to sleep on Ginyu's sheets, Chi-Chi rips the sheets off the bed, and Goku collapses in all of his blood and sweat onto the bare mattress.
Having some energy left in her, Chi-Chi collects a bowl of warm water and rags and sits next to him on the bed, cleaning his face and body.
Finally relaxing, Goku looks up at his wife and is overwhelmed with gratitude for her sacrifice but also not thrilled with her decision.
He takes her hand and interrupts her task as he kisses her palm. "You should've gone to earth Chi," he says quietly.
"You would be dead if I did Goku. You would be gone. And that was unacceptable to me." She leans down and kisses his newly cleaned forehead. "I don't care how strong you get Son Goku, you will never beat me in an argument."
Goku smiles and pulls her down for a kiss on his lips. "Well, that doesn't change the fact I'm going to pay King Kai a visit."
"You leave him alone. He wanted to listen to you, but I was scarier."
He chuckles but his mind is too tired for a witty response. Instead, he yanks her down next to him and pulls her in tight facing him.
"Goku I'm not done cleaning you up," she insists quietly.
"We can shower later. Now, we sleep, and I get to hold you."
She softly brushes his cheek, "Okay, honey. You earned that."
Seconds pass before the exhausted warriors drift to sleep.
In the front of the ship, the computer cycles through the same announcement in various languages before eventually speaking the language they know. "You are charted for the previous destination. Estimated time of arrival is in seven hours." The news falls on deaf ears as the two sleep in the back of the ship.
After welcoming the Namekians, and Vegeta, to her home, Bulma looks for Gohan in the crowd.
"You'll love Earth, Dende," Gohan says when he sees his friend examining his surroundings. "And if you need any help, just let me know and I'll show you the ropes."
"Thank you, Gohan. I'm just glad we're all back together again," Dende responds.
Gohan looks down sadly, jealous that he's the only one not having a reunion right now.
"Gohan, let's get you cleaned up and fed buddy," Bulma suggests to her "nephew" after she finds him.
"I need to get to my grandpa's," Gohan says really just ready to be with family.
"I insist sweetie. You're exhausted and I really don't want you flying right now. Let me call him to come get you and you can get ready to go with him. Plus, I want to fill him in on everything. You shouldn't have to do that by yourself," Bulma contends gently.
Gohan frowns as he considers arguing again.
Bulma squats in front of him and places a loving hand on his dirty arm. "I'm just trying to take care of you the way I told your mother I would, Gohan. I'm not a parent but this is what she would do. It's what she did do with Dende. Please let me take care of you."
"Well… I guess I am pretty hungry," Gohan confesses.
Bulma gives a sly victorious grin. "Anything you want to eat, I got it. Just tell me what you want, and I'll take care of it."
After taking his giant food order, she sends Gohan inside to the shower and calls the Ox King and Roshi. Needing to clean up herself, she heads down the hall of Capsule Corp. to her room when she catches someone brooding alone in her mom's garden.
She slides through the glass door and whistles to get his attention. "Hey there. Do you want to get cleaned up? Want something to eat?" she offers the Saiyan prince as he stares into space.
Vegeta ignores her barrage of questions.
"Excuse me. If you're going to stay here, you can't just ignore me."
Seeing a simple solution, Vegeta simply shoots off into the sky.
"What an asshole," Bulma says, turning around to go back inside.
After showering and freshening up, Bulma looks for Gohan in the kitchen but only finds empty food containers neatly thrown away in the trash can. His mother's son, to be sure.
"Just like his dad except Goku was terrible at cleaning up after himself," she chuckles as she examines the scene. She grabs an eggroll and continues her search for the boy when she finds him fast asleep on the couch.
"He went down quickly," Bulma's mother says quietly when she enters the room with a blanket for their tiny guest. After tucking him in, she leads Bulma back into the kitchen where Dr. Briefs is fixing his own plate, a cigarette tucked into his mouth.
"Dear, what happened out there? Where are Goku and Chi-Chi? They're not…" Panchy asks insinuating the two didn't survive.
"Oh, no. They're alive. Thank Kami because they almost weren't. It's a long story but they're on their way back. If we could, we'd wish them back right now. But we know they're safe. I expect we hear from them in a few days because Chi-Chi took our ship with her. The communications systems were still working even after it got hit so we need to be sure and leave that on, Daddy."
Dr. Briefs nods. "I'll have it set up to page us on our phones should we get a signal from that system immediately. I'll also give Gohan the portable phone. It won't have any picture, but he'll be able to speak to them."
A weight begins to lift from Bulma's shoulders. She wants to make his separation from his parents as easy on him as possible. "All of that sounds great, Dad. Thank you."
Moments later there's a knock on the door but it opens before they can answer.
"Gohan?!" Gyu Mao asks as he makes his way inside.
"Hi, friend," Dr. Briefs greets the gentle giant. "He's right in there but he's asleep and I really think he needs it. Why don't you join us for some coffee and Bulma can fill you in," he offers.
"Just a sec," Gyu Mao says breezing past them to get a look at Gohan. Once he enters the doorframe of their living room, he tiptoes as quietly as a man of his size can to see his grandson. Satisfied at his condition, Gyu Mao returns to the kitchen where Roshi has also arrived.
"Someone please tell me what the hell is going on. Where are Chi-Chi and Goku and why aren't they here?"
Bulma pulls out a chair. "Take a seat. This will take a while."
Chi-Chi awakens to the sound of their ship rattling violently and sounding off multiple alarms.
"What is going on?!" she screams as she springs out of the bed. "Goku! Wake up!" she yells at him, but he doesn't budge. "Goku!" She gently slaps his face to wake him but nothing. Fearing the worst, she places her fingers on his pulse but he's alive, just incredibly weak.
She runs to the front of the ship and gasps at what she sees. They're headed straight for the surface of a planet. Taking the yoke, she pulls up as hard as she can and flips switches in an attempt to slow down.
"I don't know what I'm doing!" she screams in a panic. Quickly realizing they're going to crash, she runs to the back of the ship to retrieve her husband and the capsule that has the Bulma ship, tucking it safely into her armor.
"Goku come on! Wake up! We have to get out of here! GOKU!"
Hearing the same robotic voice from earlier she looks behind at the control panel one more time. A countdown to the ship's collision has begun. She watches as tick marks on the monitor count down from twenty.
"HAH!" she cries as she blasts a hole in the back of the ship. She picks Goku up over her shoulders and leaps out with seconds to spare.
The ship quickly strikes the ground and Chi-Chi gets caught in the blast, forcing her to drop Goku and fall to the rocky terrain herself.
After rolling for several seconds, she looks down at her thigh and realizes she's been impaled with debris from the ship.
"FUCK!" she screams when she rips it out as fast as she can, the way one rips off a bandage. Just like she did for her husband, she takes ki and attempts to cauterize the wound. She shrieks and cries at the searing pain and nearly faints.
Having done as much as she could to treat her own wound, she crawls to her husband who's still passed out. She tries to stand but fails and collapses on his chest.
Through blurred vision, she can see people making their way toward them, noticing Frieza Force blasters in their arms.
Unable to fight, however, she crawls on top of her husband completely to hide his mark and be a line of defense against the troops getting closer. Perhaps they'll be easier on her, but if history is any indication, that's unlikely.
"She has armor on Qila. Is she one of ours?" a teal-skinned alien resembling Zarbon, however far less attractive, questions his comrade.
"I've not seen her before, but the force is huge. Fuck Madsen, they've been through it, huh?" Qila chuckles observing their disheveled appearance.
"No kidding. Check them for ID."
Chi-Chi swats the smaller soldier away with the little strength she has when he begins probing them for badges.
"She's got a little fight left in'er," he mocks. "Who are ya, doll?"
Panicking, Chi-Chi rifles through her memories when she was a prisoner on Frieza's ship.
"Why isn't this finished yet, Sulpo? We're running out of time!"
Chi-Chi turns her head to see the doctor being yelled at by a Frieza Force soldier she doesn't recognize.
"We're close! If you want the female alive it takes time, and their bond is uniquely strong! You need to be concerned with her male. He is strong, I'm warning you."
The soldier growls. "That's why Lord Frieza wants him. If it comes down to it, kill the female, Sulpo."
'Sulpo…' Chi-Chi recalls to herself.
"Sulpo," she says, her voice weak and scratchy. "I'm from Dr. Sulpo's medical team. This soldier and I were in the battle on Namek," she speaks a partial truth.
The soldiers' eyes widen, and she can't tell if she made a mistake referencing 'Namek' or not.
"Namek? Then it would sadden you to know it seems Lord Frieza did not survive the vile attack on his life," Qila tests her.
"No?" she coughs. "Who could defeat Lord Frieza?" Chi-Chi asks feigning shock as she clings to their very enemy. "He seemed to have a handle on the situation before we left."
"We're not sure. We don't have that information yet. But the Cold Army is working on it," Madsen responds.
'Cold Army?' Chi-Chi questions internally. 'How large is this operation?'
The two highest ranking officers, Qila and Madsen, step aside to speak in private and the remaining soldiers keep their eyes on Chi-Chi and Goku.
Chi-Chi tries to listen but when she so much as flinches, one of the soldiers hammers her face with the blunt end of his blaster.
Feeling blood in her mouth, Chi-Chi gets an idea. She rests her face over Goku's mark so that her blood will cover that giveaway to his heritage, at least for the time being.
The two officers return. Madsen gives a curious nod at Chi-Chi and gestures for one of the other soldiers to stand her up.
Now on her feet, she looks down to see that she was successful in covering her husband's mark and hers is still concealed by her uniform.
Using his scouter, Madsen assesses their power levels. "They're weak. There's no way they had anything to do with defeating Frieza. And if she's not telling the truth, we'll just kill them. Come on. Let's take them to the tanks. I feel like there's more to the story here than we know and King Cold needs all the information he can get right now."
Two soldiers dip down and retrieve Goku while another hoists Chi-Chi over his shoulder. She doesn't have it in her to object and her eyes keep crossing from the last blow to her head. As they march, she keeps her focus on Goku being dragged behind her as long as she can until she finally succumbs to sleep.
Gyu Mao processes everything Bulma told him concerning his family. His daughter was tortured and then murdered. His grandson nearly died. His son-in-law has killed an evil intergalactic tyrant. Waiting on them to come home isn't something he's sure he can do. "Would it be faster for us to retrieve them? Go meet them? Something?" This feeling of helplessness is one he wasn't hoping to get used to and he finds himself here again already after just a few months.
"We wouldn't even know where to look Ox. We just need to wait until we hear from them and if we know Chi-Chi that will be as soon as possible. The moment they find somewhere safe," Roshi attempts to comfort.
"Right. And worst case scenario, we'll wish them home in a few months when we can use the Dragon Balls again," Bulma reminds them.
Not seeing any other options, Gyu Mao nods. "But this transformation. This Super Saiyan… Do we know anything about that?"
"I may be able to answer that," a voice says as someone new enters the kitchen.
"Piccolo. Glad you're well. What can you tell us about Namek and Goku and Chi-Chi?" Roshi asks.
"Goku's transformation isn't like anything I've ever seen before and I believe it caught him by surprise too. But what remains to be seen is if it's a one-time thing or something he'll be able to use at will. The fact that he sustained it as long as he did was more than impressive, but I have to wonder what kind of toll it's taken on him."
Nobody likes the sound of that.
"What do you mean by that?" Gyu Mao works up the courage to ask.
"His transformation was the result of rage fueled by the death of his friend and his wife. It was as if something that had been locked inside of him was freed. As if he was who he was meant to be when he was sent to earth all those years ago was revealed."
"You're saying this transformation wasn't purely physical? But mental and emotional as well?" Dr. Briefs asks.
"Nothing about martial arts is purely physical. It's always mental and emotional. But a transformation like this…" Roshi says as he lets them fill in the gaps themselves. "Goku could very well be fighting for who he is."
"Do you think Chi-Chi is safe with him?" Gyu Mao asks now very concerned.
"I'd say Chi-Chi is probably the only person safe with him," Piccolo says confidently.
"Grandpa?" Gohan asks rubbing his eyes as he walks into the kitchen.
The group all shut their mouths, so they don't worry the child.
"Gohan. Grandson come here," he says pulling the child into his embrace. "I'm so sorry you went through that Gohan. And we're going to get your parents back. I promise."
"I know Grandpa. I miss them but I'm really not worried about them," he says somewhat cheerfully causing curious looks on everyone's faces. "None of you saw my dad except for me and Piccolo. He's a Super Saiyan now. And he's defeated the strongest person in the universe. That makes my dad the strongest in the universe. Nobody can touch him now. They'll be fine. I just miss them."
The group looks at the wise child in wonder. How he could have such a positive outlook after everything he's been through baffles them all.
Gyu Mao puts on a smile but he's not as optimistic as Gohan.
Chi-Chi wakes up to the sound of draining as her healing tank empties. She looks at her body and finds herself nearly naked in only her sports bra and panties. Trying not to panic she looks outside the tank and sees nobody around. Discretely opening the door, she dries off with her ki and looks for anything to wear that won't leave her so vulnerable and exposed but has no luck. Looking down the line of tanks she searches frantically for Goku but doesn't see him anywhere.
"Where did they take you?" she asks as she looks carefully in each tank but then feels his ki elsewhere. Still nearby but not in here.
"And what do you think you're doing?" a deep voice asks behind her.
Chi-Chi stands at attention like a soldier. She recognizes him as one of the officers who found them but can't recall which one he is. "Sir, I was just trying to check on the soldier that came here with me. He was in rough shape."
"Why aren't you dressed?" he asks coolly.
"I hadn't made it that far. Sorry sir," she says still trying to play the role of the good soldier. She's positive she could take him if she needed to. He's not that strong. But a whole base that would surely be alerted of her attack? She's not as confident in that fight.
"Your clothes were laid out for you," he says guiding her back to her tank.
She gives him a curious look but follows him. "I'm sorry sir. I didn't see any armor. Must've overlooked it. And would you mind sharing an update on the soldier? Just wanted to make sure he was okay."
Silence. But she keeps following.
Once they've made it to her tank, he picks up a neatly folded piece of black chiffon and throws it at her. "Armor? No. You'll be wearing this and taken to the dealers where you belong, whore."
Chi-Chi, completely fed up with this, keeps a straight face as she unfolds the fabric to reveal a gown similar to the one, she saw waiting for her on Frieza's ship.
"So, you're onto me? What gave me away?" she asks ninety-nine percent sure she already knows the answer to this question.
He aggressively presses her mark with his index finger. "You and your mate. There are no Saiyans left aside from the ones that the entire Cold Army were briefed on when things on Namek began to turn. He has a stub and you both have marks." Madsen walks close enough to her that she can smell his breath.
"Where. Is. Goku?" she questions as she throws the slave gown on the ship's floor.
"Your mate? He's alive. Contained. King Cold has requested that we keep you both alive. You are coming with me," he says taking her arm.
"Contained?" she chuckles. "Do you know anything about Saiyans? Did you know that each time they're revived they're stronger than they were before? Did you know that he obliterated Lord Frieza?" she taunts. "And you think you can keep Goku contained?"
On cue, alarms blare and soldiers are called to another part of the ship.
She gives the officer a satisfied smirk. "I think they need you. You better go. Sounds like it's getting pretty bad."
"Why you bitc-"
Whap!
Dusting her hands after quickly striking him down, Chi-Chi picks up the gown and looks it over. "Really?" she asks annoyed. Nothing about it is protective. She's positive it will be nearly impossible to fight in, but at least she won't be running around in her underwear. "Fine."
Chi-Chi runs out of the healing room and follows the sounds of chaos and carnage but stops in her tracks when she hears her husband's voice.
"WHERE IS SHE?!" Goku roars as he tears through the soldiers one by one, their weapons having no effect on the Saiyan.
She turns a corner and locks eyes with him. Still wearing his tattered gi pants, she stares in awe as his black hair streaks with gold and his irises are white.
Goku raises his ki and creates a force that knocks the troops to the ground before marching at his mate, his appearance returning to normal as he's calmed simply by her nearness. "Are you hurt?"
"No Goku. I'm fine. We just need to get out of here. There are more coming for us."
"Let them."
More soldiers round the corner and Goku fires a single blasts that eliminates the threat.
Goku takes her arm and they begin searching the base for a ship.
"Wait! Goku! I have to go back. I have to find what they did with our things. Bulma's ship is with them and we won't be able to reach Gohan without it."
Goku nods as they turn around and are faced with more soldiers. He moves to attack but his wife beats him to the punch this time. He watches eagerly as she tears through the dozen soldiers before them.
"I JUST want to get HOME to my SON! Get out of my way!" With her last word, the soldiers all collapse on the ground holding limbs or unconscious.
Goku steps over them and joins her at the end of the hall. "I fucking love you."
She giggles knowing how much he adores to watch her fight. "Yeah, I know. Let's go."
They take each other's hands and trace her steps back to the healing room when they hear what sounds like cries for help coming from one of the rooms.
Chi-Chi follows the noise and opens the door with Goku right behind her, gasping at what she sees. The room is full of girls of different alien races locked behind bars in the same gown she's wearing. "Goku…" she whispers.
"Please help us," one of the girls begs with an arm outstretched through the bars.
Goku's frozen in place. He's known evil. He's faced evil many times in his life. But to see innocents preyed on and abused with his own eyes…
Chi-Chi races to their cell and rips the door off the hinges. The women file out and surround her.
"Thank you!" they chorus as they grip at her.
"Of course. We're gonna get you outta here," Chi-Chi says as she looks up at Goku.
He gives her a determined nod. "But we can't stay here any longer," Goku observes seeing that he now has approximately twenty additional vulnerabilities. "Guess we'll need a bigger ship."
"I know where a ship is," a male voice says from behind Goku.
Goku turns around immediately on the defensive.
"Hey pal, take it easy. Remember me? From Namek?" the soldier says with his hands up in surrender.
"You... You were on Frieza's ship," Goku glowers not ready to trust him yet. He remembers feeling okay about him but anyone in that armor is his enemy right now.
"Yeah. I showed you where your mate was. Like I was saying, I know where a ship is that can carry all of you. But you gotta take me with you. I gotta get home to my family," he pleads.
Goku looks back at Chi-Chi who simply shrugs her shoulders. What choice do they have?
"Fine," Goku says holding a ball of ki up to his face. "But you pull anything, and I'll turn you into a nightlight. Got it?"
"You got it," he chuckles nervously. "This way," the green alien says turning out of the door.
"Hey you! Wait!" Chi-Chi stops him.
"Name's Pek, ma'am," he says facing Chi-Chi.
"Pek. We had belongings with us when we got here. Where would those be?" she asks determined to find her only source of reaching Gohan.
"Definitely in collections if they weren't stolen by soldiers. That happens a lot around here. It's just down that hall and ninth door on the left," he says pointing the opposite way they're going.
"Got it. I'll catch up with you Goku," she says taking off.
"Whoa. We're not separating," he says moving immediately to block her path.
"Goku, I'm right behind you. They need you. Go get the ship ready and I'll be right there. Promise."
Goku searches for any potential threats and reluctantly agrees when he doesn't feel anything too strong for her.
They split up and Chi-Chi sprints to the collections room while Goku continues guiding the kidnapped girls.
"This ship should do the trick. It's not our largest one but this one still has speed and I think we're gonna need it with the enemies you've made," Pek says as he lowers the ship's door.
The frightened women jog up the ramp while Goku waits at the bottom for his wife.
Chi-Chi tears the room to pieces searching for her capsule, begging it's not been taken from them. "Come on! Where are you?"
Then, she finds a small box on top of a shelf filled with nuts, bolts and screws and rummages through it quickly. "YES! There you are!" She kisses the little capsule and turns to leave the room when a cabinet gets her attention. One of the labels on it reads "Saiyans."
Opening the cabinet, she shutters when she finds a case of the serum used on her to break her bond with Goku. Pulling one vial out she studies it closely and begins to tremble.
"It will free you of that pesky bond you have with your primitive Saiyan mate."
Shaking off the memory, she tucks the one vial into her bra with intentions of giving it to Bulma to study and furiously shatters the others on the ship's floor.
"Did you get it?" Goku asks when she returns as he stands guard on the ship.
She holds up their capsuled ship proudly, kisses him but doesn't mention the serum she stowed away. "Let's go."
"You guys go ahead. I'll join you in a moment. Pek knows the plan," Goku says as he gently pushes her up the ramp.
"What? I'm not closing this door without you," Chi-Chi protests.
He takes her chin and kisses her nose. "Don't close the door. I'm right behind you."
She gives him a puzzled frown but does as he asks and boards the ship without him.
"Party's all here? Okay. Time to do the boss-man's plan," Pek says when he sees Chi-Chi make her way to the front of the ship.
She peers out the window to watch for Goku as they take flight. "What are you talking about? What plan? Where is he?" she asks hoping someone in the room knows.
"Watch down there," Pek says pointing to the right and below.
Chi-Chi moves to the window and watches as Goku rises above the base. The rescued girls follow her and watch for themselves.
Chi-Chi's hazel eyes reflect a blue light as he gathers a ball of ki in his palms.
"HAAA!" Chi-Chi faintly hears husband's familiar battle cry as Goku destroys the entire base with one wave sending it up in a chaotic torrent of flames before turning to fly to the ship.
"That's your mate?" one of the girls gasps somewhat frightened but also curious.
Her gaze fixed on Goku, Chi-Chi doesn't answer.
"Yeah, and he's going to have the Cold Army on our asses in a matter of minutes if we don't get out of here," Pek barks.
"We'll be talking more about the Cold Army in a bit. I'll be right back!" Chi-Chi says racing to the back of the ship to greet Goku when he meets them in the air.
"That was quite the show," Chi-Chi chuckles as she closes the ship's door.
Goku takes her hand and pulls her into a room where they can speak in private and accidentally slams the door shut. He looks down at his hand still not used to the strength that now rests inside of him. Grimacing at the fact he doesn't have control, he shakes it off for now and turns to his wife.
"Chi-Chi, we have to put a stop to this."
"Put a stop to what, Goku?"
"This. The Frieza Force. These monsters who use or kill anyone they want to get their way."
Goku's visage is cold and stern. She's not used to these serious expressions on her husband's face.
"Goku, it's not just the Frieza Force. The force is a part of a larger operation known as the Cold Army. I don't know anything more than that right now, but the word 'army' doesn't give me much hope that you and I can rid the universe of them. And you're forgetting we have a child on Earth that needs us home yesterday."
"And you think they won't come for him? Us? After what I did to Frieza? Chi-Chi, you and Gohan will have a target on your backs until this is over."
Chi-Chi paces and chews on the tip of her thumb as she ponders his words. He's not wrong. "But Goku, maybe we should go home first and get the others? I'm sure Vegeta would like to get some hits in on this regime. But I'm also not in love with the idea that Gohan is on Earth alone with Vegeta."
"Vegeta won't touch him," Goku sneers as he walks to the window to watch the universe pass them by. "He knows if he does, he has to deal with me and he can't touch me now."
Taken aback by this new arrogance, Chi-Chi doesn't argue. Seeing the tension in his shoulders, she follows him to the window, wraps her arms around his waist and kisses his bare back. "Okay, Goku. But I still don't think we can eliminate an entire army by ourselves."
Goku looks down at her petite hands on his stomach and grips them both with his right hand, flashes of her lifeless body vexing his mind. "I'm not worried about an army."
He turns around to face her and looks in her eyes. This is the first moment he's actually gotten to look at her; the first moment he's been able to appreciate that she's here; the first moment he can say…
"You're alive."
He picks her up so that her legs wrap around his waist and rests his head between her breasts on her heartbeat, listening to it tick in perfect rhythm.
She leans her head down on top of his and caresses his neck.
"You know I may actually carry you everywhere you go now," he says looking up at her.
"Oh yeah? Why's that?" she giggles, thankful for a semi-normal moment.
He fluidly shifts her down into his arms bridal style and presses his forehead against hers. "Because then I'll always know exactly where you are."
"You always know where I am anyway just by feeling my ki," she playfully rolls her eyes.
He looks down at her mark and kisses it softly, missing being bonded with her. His lips travel up her neck to her lips in a sweet, tender kiss that soon evolves into something… hungrier.
Before he even realizes what he's doing…
"Ah! Goku! Wha-?" she huffs as she's picked up under her ass and pinned to the wall. Her objection is quickly halted when he smothers her mouth with his and his calloused hands explore her body under the chiffon gown.
Goku aggressively tugs at the straps on her dress and slides them down while his mouth kisses lower and lower on her neck.
"Goku?! Stop! We can't do this right now," she moans but he moves them to the window and pins her hands above her head.
"Mine," he snarls taking a nipple in his mouth.
Her heart races as her body wants to accept his demands but no. This is not the time or place, not to mention how much stronger he is now. "Goku that's true. Of course, it's true. But we cannot do this right now. Those girls. We need to get back out there. We need to make a plan."
"They tried… to take you… from me…" he argues between kisses on her chest and neck.
"Goku…" she moans as she leans her head back against the cool glass of the window. "Goku, stop honey. Please. Not like this. The last time we had sex was in a hospital bed. I would really appreciate a real bed next time," she attempts to joke while trying to wiggle free, but he presses himself against her even harder.
Now, she's annoyed. "Goku, stop."
Still not listening.
"Goku, stop."
Still.
"Goku! Stop!" she orders as she yanks his head away from her but is soon shocked when she sees his eyes. Blue.
"WHAT?!" he asks thoroughly frustrated at her interruption.
"Your eyes…" she whispers nervously.
"Huh?" He looks at his reflection in the window and his stomach turns. He abruptly drops her to her feet. "Get out Chi-Chi."
She looks up at him confused. What just happened?
"Goku? I…"
"I said get out!" he snaps.
Chi-Chi quickly slides the straps of her gown back up and slips out of the door, leaving Goku to collect himself.
He remains standing in front of the window and watches as he tries to control his energy enough to return to normal.
"No… No Frieza!"
Needing to explode, Goku begins to feel claustrophobic as he's confined to the walls of this ship.
From the front of the ship, Chi-Chi feels his ki rising and falling, rising and falling and she tugs nervously on her armor as he struggles.
Suddenly, she feels a soft hand on her arm.
"Your mate? He's having a difficult time?" a kind voice asks.
Chi-Chi looks down and sees a petite alien woman with golden eyes and scaly skin. Her appearance reminds Chi-Chi of a beautiful life-size crested gecko, something she and Gohan found in person when they were training with Piccolo.
"Gohan! Check out this little guy!" Chi-Chi says as she and Gohan are on their rounds for fruit and water. She holds a flat palm out for the small lizard to climb into. "Do you recognize this?" she asks her son who has a soft spot for dinosaurs and all reptiles.
"Oh cool! A crested gecko! I can't believe you found one!" Gohan says gently observing the creature. "It would've sucked if they really were extinct."
"Gohan, language." Chi-Chi frowns at her son's use of that word, a term he definitely learned from Piccolo, who, for the most part, has fairly eloquent speech but when he's training, all bets are off.
"Sorry, Mom. But it would've," he insists.
She rolls her eyes but lets it slide. With everything they have on their plate, a little slip like 'sucked' is minor.
"Do you remember the nickname for the crested gecko?"
"That's easy," Gohan giggles as the gecko makes his way into his hand up his arm. "An eyelash gecko. Just look at his eyes."
"That's right. And their scientific name?"
"Correlophus ciliatus," he answers quickly.
Chi-Chi can't remember if that's right and honestly didn't count on him remembering. They haven't had textbooks in a while, but he seemed confident, so she accepts it as truth.
Before she can confirm his answer, she watches as the gecko crawls all over her son making him laugh at the tickles. Setting down her basket of fruit, she simply watches him play. She watches him be a child for a moment and soaks up every second.
"Your mate," the woman repeats. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
"How do you know?" Chi-Chi questions at a whisper, not wanting to worry anyone else.
"My kind can feel energy. It's a quality we're born with. We share that with Yardratians. But your mate, he's all over the place at the moment. I think I may be able to help temporarily if you'd allow me."
Chi-Chi squirms. She wants to believe this person simply wants to help but she doesn't know her at all and she's not sure it's safe for anyone to be around Goku right now.
"I appreciate that. I do. But I think he needs to work through this alone. But please keep this between us miss…"
"Caledonia, but just call me Donia," she smiles.
"Donia. Thank you. What we should do is find something for everyone to eat," she changes the subject before hollering at their pilot. "Pek? Is there food on here?"
"Eh… probably some but not enough to keep us fed for long. We'll need to get supplies somewhere. This ship wasn't fueled or anything, so we won't be in the air for more than a day."
"Where's the next Frieza Force base?"
Everyone turns to see Goku enter the room and Chi-Chi thanks Kami that he seems somewhat collected.
"Next base? About ten hours away. Why…?" Pek asks really unhappy with where this is going.
"We'll get what need there," Goku states.
"We'll get what we need there," Pek lampoons. "Are you outta your mind?! Do you know how many members of the army are going to be looking for us?! You clearly have a death wish but not me!"
Goku takes a deep breath and keeps his cool. "Are there other slaves at the next base?"
Pek is silent but Donia steps forward. "There are slaves at all of them. The bases serve as ports for trade."
"Then it's settled. We'll get supplies, refuel and rescue the other slaves from every base we can," Goku orders.
Pek turns around to heavily object but Goku holds up a small ball of ki.
"Nightlight. Got it boss-man. Another Frieza Force base where they'll definitely be waiting on us this time… coming up."
After a few hours in space and helping the rescued women, Pek and Goku get settled and fed, Chi-Chi searches the ship for something more suitable for her and Goku to wear into battle.
"This should fit," she says holding up a set of black and silver armor for him but is dismayed when she can't find anything for herself.
"Miss Chi-Chi?" a small voice says behind her.
Chi-Chi turns and smiles when she sees the youngest girl they rescued. She can't be more than thirteen or fourteen years old.
"Yes, Aurora? Do you need something sweetie?"
Aurora shake her head. "No ma'am. But I thought I might be able to help you. I saw you looking for armor for yourself?"
Chi-Chi confirms with a nod.
"Well, if you can't find anything, I can turn your dress into pants? I'm a gifted seamstress," she says timidly but proudly.
Chi-Chi's heart melts at the gesture. A slave gown converted into battle gear… She can think of no more appropriate way to assault the Cold Army than dressed like that.
"I would be honored if you are willing. Do you have supplies?"
Aurora begins walking deeper into the locker room. "The ships are all equipped with those kinds of necessities. Women who can't fight are reduced to maids, cooks, seamstresses and…" her voice trails and Chi-Chi places a hand on her shoulder.
"I know sweetie. But no more."
"I was lucky. You and your mate found us before I was sold. Worst thing that's happened, well, other than being taken from my planet, is this." Aurora holds up a bandaged hand where she burned herself cooking.
They walk a little futher until Aurora pauses in front of a supply closet. "Here! Everything I need to sew. Now I just need your dress. It will only take a couple of hours."
Chi-Chi could sew this herself. In fact, she'd be happy to. But this little girl, she can see it in her eyes. She wants to do this.
"Okay, Aurora. Follow me to my room and I'll give it to you."
The girls happily gave Goku and Chi-Chi the largest sleeping quarters knowing they needed all the rest they could get before their arrival at the next base. Chi-Chi quietly knocks on their door.
"Come in," Goku answers. "Chi? Why'd you knock?"
"Just wanted to make sure you were decent. I have company," she says nodding over her shoulder.
"Hi, Mr. Goku," Aurora says politely.
Goku chuckles at her sweetness. "Just Goku, 'kay?"
Aurora blushes and nods making Chi-Chi stifle a chuckle at the little girl's crush on her husband.
"Give me just a sec, Aurora," Chi-Chi says as she closes the door to slip out of the gown. "Here will you give this to her?" she asks Goku.
He takes the dress and opens the door to hand to the girl.
"Thank you Goku. I'll bring it back soon!" she cheers and skips down the hallway as innocently as possible.
"You wanna tell me what that was all about?" he asks as he sits back down on the bed.
"She's just making some alterations for me so I can fight. I couldn't find armor to fit me."
"Alterations for you to fight?" Goku questions.
"Well… yeah. This was your idea," she reminds him as she slips into too-big under armor to sleep in.
"No. My idea was for me to fight and for you to stay put. Keep an eye on things on the ship."
"Goku, if you think I'm going to be a spectator to you going into another battle you have a swift kick in the face coming your way."
"And if you think I'm going to put you in danger again you've got another thing coming!" Goku shouts as he towers over her, causing her to shrink. Another side of his personality she's only used to seeing on the full moon.
But she quickly rises on her tiptoes, sick of being talked to by anyone that way. "Goku. You have to stop snapping at me. I didn't do anything to you!" she shouts. "I understand you're trying to protect me, but you have to let me fight! They took something from me, too!"
At this point she's hovering at eye level, not backing down from this challenge and he gives her a curious look. He's been so focused on what happened to him and protecting her, he's not considered how what happened on Namek might have affected her.
"What do you mean, Chi?"
She looks at him shocked. How could he not get this? "What do you mean what do I mean? Goku… I had to sit on the sidelines while they killed an entire race of people, watch helplessly as they beat our son nearly to death, was tortured for hours, was humiliated as they deduced me to nothing more than a whore, and then was murdered! I have just as much reason to fight as you!"
Goku's heart breaks listening to her list. Their lives have been a series of nightmares ever since Raditz arrived on Earth. Seeing her tremble, he pulls her in close and squeezes her to his chest, the pressure he applies easing her anguish.
"Okay, Chi," he yields. "Okay baby. We'll do this together."
She looks up at him, her eyes threatening to cry. "Together is how we should do everything. Anytime we try anything apart it always ends in disaster. One of us usually dies," she very lightly chuckles.
He brushes the hair off her face. "You do have a point there." Looking down at the armor she brought him on the bed and considering the slave gown she's having altered, he formulates a plan.
"Yeah. We'll do it together. And here's how we're gonna do it."
"FF24601, what's your cargo?" a voice from the base comes over the radio to their ship.
"A crossbreeder," Pek responds in the microphone. "We're just doing a quick drop-off and supplies stock. Cargo's supposed to be on the next ship to PF448."
"Copy that. Bay's open."
Pek turns around and looks at Goku and Chi-Chi. "Well, they bought it. Good luck. But just remember, you cannot treat her like a person. They'll be suspicious of that. And just to recap, there are three rooms where slaves are kept here as far as I know. This is one of the larger bases. And when this one gets capped… they'll definitely notice. And Goku, carry a blaster. They all do."
The couple nod and wait to land. Chi-Chi looks at her reflection in the mirror. The pants are much more conducive to combat and the large metal cuffs binding her wrists will break easily.
Goku places a scouter on his face and she tucks hers into her top to use later.
"You look like one of those Arabian princesses," Goku flirts in his force armor.
Chi-Chi opens her mouth to respond but there's a tap on her shoulder.
"Good luck you two," Donia says representing the group of girls behind her.
"Thank you. We won't be long. Now you guys get below and hide the way we planned in case they search the ship," Chi-Chi politely orders.
The girls make themselves scarce and Pek docks the ship in the base. Goku waits behind Chi-Chi with a disabled blaster pointed at her back.
With the door still closed, he kisses her neck and whispers in her ear, "I'm right here baby."
"I know," she says with butterflies in her stomach. She's positive Goku will keep her safe, in fact, she can tell by sensing the energies out there that she could keep herself safe, but she can't deny there's something exhilarating about their covert operation.
The door lowers, Goku pushes her forward with his blaster and she trips down the ramp.
"Oh shit, I'm sorry, Chi," he whispers.
She turns around at him discretely with wide eyes that say, "shut the hell up!" and keeps marching down the ramp.
"Whoa now! What do we have here?" an overweight soldier asks as the two reach the base floor, looking Chi-Chi up and down. His admiration alerts the other soldiers in the room to the dark haired beauty.
Goku struggles to keep his composure but he prepared himself for this.
"Where should I take her?" he asks plainly.
"What, are you new 'round here or something?"
"Sorry, I'm usually on the front lines where the real soldiers are," Goku smirks.
'Good one, babe,' Chi-Chi applauds to herself.
"Just who the fuck do you think you are?" the soldier asks as he points some kind of jelly-filled treat at Goku.
"I'm nobody, sir. Just making an observation," Goku responds trying to keep it together as another soldier looks at Chi-Chi like she's something to eat.
"Yeah, that's right. You're nobody. Go get your fuckin' supplies and get outta here. I don't wanna see you anymore. We can take her from here," the soldier says putting his arm around Chi-Chi.
She cringes when some of the jelly drops on her shoulder.
"Oh, I'll get that sweetheart," he winks as he kisses it off her bare skin.
Chi-Chi's eyes lock with Goku's and it's too late. 'Oh. Shit.'
Goku's energy peaks and he throws the soldier across the room and into a wall. Chi-Chi quickly breaks her cuffs and takes on the soldiers around her.
"Keeping your cool really wasn't an option?!" she scolds her husband.
"His tongue was on your shoulder. I prepared myself for catcalls. Not a tongue. I have zero regrets," he says as the base alarms sound off and dozens of signatures race their way.
"The plan still works. I'll lure them out and you go find the slaves. We'll meet back on the ship," he says running to meet the soldiers. "See you soon!" he hollers as he disappears outside the base.
Chi-Chi runs down the hallway Pek told her she should start, and yanks open every door until she finally finds the first right room.
Inside are aliens of all ages but these are in medical gowns. She looks on the table and sees a child asleep with a needle in his arm. But they're not putting something in… They're taking something out…
"Help him! Take the needle out! He won't survive if they take anymore!" an elderly alien cries.
Chi-Chi immediately does as she's told and cradles the child in her arms. "What does he need? How can I help him?"
"Let me see him," the same elder says.
Chi-Chi rips the doors they're locked behind off the hinges and gives the child to the elder. He places a hand on the boy's chest and concentrates while closing his eyes. After a moment, the little blue boy's eyes blink open and he wraps his arms around the elder's neck.
"Thank you for saving him. He and I are some of the last of our kind," the elder explains.
"Happily. But we have to go right now. I'm getting you guys out of here. Do you know where they keep the other slaves?" Chi-Chi asks as she guides them out of the room, all of them slow and some of them limping.
"Yes. There are two more areas. One in the northwest quadrant and one in the southeast quadrant. You're in the northeast right now."
"Great. I'll drop you off at the ship and then I'll get the others," she says as she picks up the two weakest prisoners.
Outside, Goku has no trouble holding off the soldiers and is finding this is an excellent outlet for his newfound rage.
"Goku?" Chi-Chi says through the scouter. "How's it going babe?" she asks.
"I think this is almost all of them. I'll come help you in just a sec," he says as he flicks his next opponent in the forehead, sending him to the ground.
"Hey, boss-man, it looks like you're enjoying this way too much. Maybe speed it up a tick before the rest of the Cold Army gets here?" Pek says on the scouter as he watches Goku through the window.
Getting the point, Goku quickly renders the remaining soldiers incapacitated. "On my way."
After leading that group to safety, Chi-Chi runs to the next room while Goku searches for supplies.
The next room contains forced laborers. Again, Chi-Chi yanks open the door when a lavender-skinned alien girl stares at Chi-Chi in awe of her strength and beauty.
"No time to explain girls. Let's get out of here," Chi-Chi instructs guiding the second group back.
The girls run up the ramp while Goku exits the ship after dropping off several supply hauls. The same girl pauses in her tracks as she looks at the pair but then keeps marching. "There's two of them? How did we get so lucky to have such beautiful rescuers?" she whispers to one of her friends.
"Seriously Savvi. That's all you think about," her friend giggles.
Goku and Chi-Chi find the last room easily when they detect the few remaining ki signatures, weak signatures.
Chi-Chi braces for what they see, knowing it's going to break her heart. Sure enough. Children. Simply children.
"What was their plan for them?" Goku whispers horrified.
Chi-Chi gently approaches the door and crouches in front of them.
"Hi," she says with a smile. "I'm Chi-Chi. And I want to take you somewhere safe. Is that okay?" she asks hoping they'll trust her instead of having to forcibly take them.
Goku gently pries the door open as to not frighten them by his strength. The children remain huddled together against the wall and Chi-Chi takes a cautious step in, sitting in front of them. Goku watches his wife's mothering, admiring her ability to know exactly what to do in every situation.
"Can you understand me?" she asks the group.
A few of them nod.
"Will you come with me? We want to keep you safe?" she says gesturing Goku.
"He's one of them," one of the oldest children says pointing to Goku's armor.
"Oh, baby, he's not. He just had to wear that to get inside. Would you feel better if he took it off?" Chi-Chi asks with a soft smile.
Collectively, they all nod.
Goku chuckles and rips it off happily before burning it to ash with ki. "See? I'm not one of them."
"Where are we going?" the same child questions.
"We're not sure yet sweetie, but we're figuring it out. We just know you can't stay here. It's not safe," Chi-Chi says extending a hand forward.
The child takes her hand and steps more into the light. Chi-Chi tries to maintain a happy expression when she sees a bruise on his face.
"Okay. We'll go with you Chi-Chi."
Chi-Chi scoops up the smallest along two with Goku collecting a hoard of children in his arms and one on his back while the others jog alongside them.
They finally load the ship and the women from their first rescue step forward.
"Jora?"
"Bax?"
"Faura?"
The names keep being listed as the women step forward, falling on their knees weeping as they take their children in their arms.
Goku and Chi-Chi watch the moment in shock. It didn't occur to them that some of the girls they rescued were mothers.
Chi-Chi's eyes water at the scene as she reflects on the moment, she hugged Gohan for the first time after Goku rescued them. Seeing her face, Goku pulls her in for a comforting hug.
"We'll find an opportunity to reach out to Gohan tomorrow," Goku assures her, not needing their bond to read her mind.
"Okay, Goku," she says wiping away small sad and happy tears. "But you're right. This has to end. They can't do this to anyone else."
"Then let's end it."
"Let's."
AN: Thanks for reading! I struggled with the decision to keep Chi-Chi on Namek and wrote it both ways actually. But then I thought about it as a wife and a mother, if I had the chance for them to BOTH be okay, there's nothing I wouldn't do to ensure that. And remember, it only took Goku SIX days to get to Namek. So in her mind, she's thinking she's 6 days away from being back at home to her child. That's basically a vacation. She has no idea what's about to happen to them. So that's the choice I made, because that's what I would've done to keep my family whole and alive. She saw that Goku wouldn't survive. That was the reality she was faced with and she *just* got him back. Also, as a person who does keep fighting, she's not in character to canon anymore. Her perception has shifted. She sees an opportunity now to make sure as many mothers as possible are also reunited with their children because that's the desire of her heart. And her being selfless IS in character.