Chapter 11

Bulma glared at the small screen in front of her, staring at the yellow blinking dot of Vegeta's location. Hesitantly, she gazed up towards the dark emptiness around her. Truthfully, Bulma hated flying into space. Traveling reminded her too much of being under Frieza's command and the harsh unpredictability of space always stressed her out. She much preferred to be in control and find comfort in the lab of her own inventions. However, Bulma knew she had to get to Vegeta and stop him, so she had to swallow her fears and go after her irrational love.

"What the hell is he thinking?" Bulma muttered as she tried to keep her mind off of Vegeta. Vegeta had stolen her watch to track her best friend's coordinates only so that he could find Kakarot again. Bulma didn't understand his obsession with the disgraced Saiyan but she was sick of it.

"He's going to regret making me come all the way out here."

Huffing, Bulma slumped into her chair and cursed, bored out of her mind as she continued her journey to find Vegeta.

The ground shook beneath her feet as Chi continued to run back towards the ship. She didn't realize just how far Kakarot and her flew earlier, she was too distracted by the scenery to notice but she wished she paid more attention.

"This is ridiculous." Chi panted as she continued running through the deserted planet. Maybe once she found the ship she could go back and watch the battle in case Kakarot got in over his head. Chi trusted his prowess in battle but she also knew Vegeta was a skilled fighter as well. She just hoped Kakarot wouldn't let his guard down, he did have a bad habit of that.

A loud clash and its aftershock stopped Chi in her tracks as she spun back towards the battle site. The planet was now at the mercy of two Saiyan warriors holding nothing back. It was a rare event and Chi smiled, knowing deep down that Kakarot was exactly where he was supposed to be and Chi knew better than to interfere with fate.

"You better win, Kakarot. I'm not done with you yet."

Collisions sounded across the clear sky as the Saiyans moved quickly through the air. Their attacks were fierce and calculated as each fighter carefully took in his opponent, scanning for any weaknesses.

Shouting, Vegeta charged at his subject, pulling back his arm and throwing his fist forward. His hand was quickly caught by Kakarot, who hissed against the contact as he stopped Vegeta's blow to his face. Quickly, Kakarot drove his knee into the king's stomach, causing Vegeta to gasp in pain as Kakarot grunted.

Panting, Vegeta quickly used his free fist to brutally slug Kakarot across the jaw, completely surprising the Saiyan. With a sharp spin, King Vegeta kicked Kakarot's body hard, sending him through the air and into the rocky surface below, causing the small planet to rumble from the crash.

Dust billowed from the new crater as Vegeta crossed his arms, sneering down at his enemy who had yet to crawl out from the hole. After a moment, Kakarot slowly rose from the smoke. His battle armor had new cracks in it while his undershirt was torn, revealing his bleeding bicep and pectoral. Kakarot was breathing heavily as he stood and spit out blood from his mouth. Wiping off the trail from his lips, Kakarot glared up at his king.

"I'm going to enjoy beating you to death, Kakarot." Vegeta smirked.

"Don't get too ahead of yourself, Vegeta. I'm barely warmed up." Kakarot responded shakily with a cocky grin, still trying to catch his breath from the previous attack.

Vegeta growled and soared towards his fellow Saiyan, landing another hit on Kakarot, who stepped back from the impact. Sensing an advantage, Vegeta charged forward but Kakarot quickly side stepped Vegeta's approach. Vegeta threw jab after jab in anger but each attack was blocked or countered by Kakarot's quick defense but still Vegeta continued to drive him back. All Kakarot could do was dodge the king's attacks as he quickly analyzed Vegeta's movement, trying to find an opening.

Finding his way through Vegeta's sharp defenses, Kakarot clutched Vegeta's wrist in a lock and pivoted his body, driving his elbow forcefully into the king's chest. Vegeta gasped loudly, his body shaking. Kakarot grabbed his opponent, whipping Vegeta up into the air. Vegeta's body sailed above the ground while Kakarot moved faster than light and appeared above him. Shouting with fury, Kakarot raised his fists over his head and slammed them into Vegeta's back, sending the king hurtling towards the ground.

Before Vegeta could hit the surface, Kakarot flew quickly and punted the king into a nearby mountain. Vegeta crashed into the rocks, yelling from the impact as his body throbbed. He could barely take a breath before Kakarot was in front of him, mercilessly bludgeoning Vegeta's body with devastating blows. Kakarot drove his fists to Vegeta's face, his jaw, his gut, or any exposed weakness he could find. He continued his furious assault, a blind bloodlust slowly building as he screamed in fury.

"Stupid. Son. Of. A. Bitch!" Kakarot shouted, emphasizing each word as he wailed on Vegeta. His rage towards Vegeta overflowed as Kakarot remembered everything the king put him through. Casting him aside and stripping him of all that he worked for, chaining him up like a dog on Vegeta, and then threatening Chi.

Distracted by his anger, Kakarot's defenses were weak as Vegeta grunted and slammed his head into Kakarot's forehead. Hissing, Kakarot staggered back and held his pounding head. Vegeta advanced and kicked Kakarot in the gut, catapulting Kakarot ahead. Kakarot rolled across the ground and finally grabbed the surface, stopping himself from being thrown further. Wincing, he flipped up onto his feet and kicked off the ground towards Vegeta. They engaged in another foly, each warrior landing a blow or a block as they were evenly matched. Trying to get the upper hand, Vegeta shot up and took to the sky, his enemy following closely behind. Kakarot sped fast toward the king and was met with a sharp elbow to his jaw. Dazed for a moment, Kakarot shook off the pain and bolted to Vegeta again, throwing a brutal uppercut to his gut.

Quickly, Kakarot maneuvered and grabbed Vegeta's leg and shoulder, flipping his body up in the air. He then brought the king's helpless body over his head and drove Vegeta's back over his knee with a scream.

"Gah!" Vegeta cried and Kakarot tossed his body to the ground. Not wasting a moment, Kakarot began to fire successive energy blasts at the ground where Vegeta landed, shaking the surface with each impact. After some time, Kakarot stopped his assault and panted from the exertion, waiting for the dust to clear. Once it did, Kakarot was surprised to see the crater empty.

"What-." A powerful punch to his jaw caught Kakarot off guard as Vegeta suddenly appeared next to him.

The king yelled and snatched Kakarot's wild hair and spun, hurtling his subject into the nearby mountain range. Kakarot's body was helpless as it tore through three mountains, the final crash causing the smaller mountain to collapse over his body. Dark smoke bellowed as Vegeta caught his breath, waiting for his opponent.

Laying under the rubble, Kakarot groaned, his body screaming as he emerged from the heavy rocks. Huffing, Kakarot peered down at his body to assess the damage from that attack. His armor and the shirt under it was in tatters while his pants had new tears in the knee and thigh. Gasping as he moved, Kakarot could feel injuries throughout his body but he didn't have time to look at every cut and scrape. He had to end this. Sighing, Kakarot pushed off a boulder and zoomed back to Vegeta, landing before the king. Standing and then slipping into his battle stance, Kakarot waited for Vegeta's next move.

Vegeta raced towards his opponent with unmatched speed, and Kakarot barely registered Vegeta before he was right in his face with sharp attacks. Kakarot and Vegeta continued to foly but neither one could break through the stalemate. The hand to hand combat intensified as both Saiyans sent a fist towards the other, both punching each other's cheek at the same time with the same force.

The Saiyans separated and breathed heavily through their exhaustion. Kakarot winced as his body was almost at its limit. However, he knew he couldn't give up and he never stepped away from a challenge. Kakarot just had to find a way to win. Digging deep into his reserves, he felt a bit more energy deep within. Across from him, the king stood ragged as well. Vegeta's body and face was covered in bruises and blood as he ripped off his cape from his shoulders, the dark red fabric fluttering to the ground.

"This is the end for you. And once you're gone, I'll become a Super Saiyan and there's nothing you could do about it." Vegeta snarled.

Kakarot couldn't resist laughing as he replied, "Good luck with that. The map led to nothing."

Vegeta's eyes went wide but then narrowed, "You're lying."

"If I was, don't you think I would be a Super Saiyan right now? It's a myth, there's no such thing. How does that feel, Vegeta? Knowing your supposed birthright was just a story?" Kakarot snickered and watched as his opponent unraveled.

"That's a lie!" Vegeta screamed loudly and soared to Kakarot. Quickly, Kakarot ripped off his destroyed armor and tattered undershirt, revealing his bare chest as he grunted and powered up.

Meeting Vegeta's fist with his crossed forearms, Kakarot skidded across the ground. For a second, Kakarot closed his eyes from the hit as he concentrated on trying not to be pushed back further. When his body stopped moving backwards, Kakarot opened his eyes, briefly confused. Blinking, Kakarot did not see the king in front of him and glanced around before a voice yelled from above him.

"Say goodbye, Kakarot!" Vegeta snarled and drew his hands back, beginning his signature attack. The purple light was already growing behind the king as Kakarot stared up in shock. How did he get up there so fast?

"Fuck!" Kakarot snarled and went to pull his hands to his side, hoping he'd have enough power to combat Vegeta's signature move. It's a mighty blast that Kakarot has seen many times before, so he knew exactly what to expect. Unlike Vegeta, who had no clue about Kakarot's new attack. Now feeling confident in his defenses, Kakarot began to mutter slowly.

"Kame-."

Above him, Vegeta continued to charge his energy, cackling with triumph as he thought Kakarot could not stop his finishing attack.

"Hame-." Kakarot said, a blue light glowing behind him as it grew with his power.

"Now DIE! Galick Gun!" Vegeta screamed as he unleashed his purple wave, the blast hurtling towards Kakarot as he shouted in release of his attack.

"HA!" Kakarot shouted and shot his blue energy up towards Vegeta's. Both waves collided against one another, causing each Saiyan to grunt as they tried to push back.

"You can't win, fool! I am KING Vegeta!"

Kakarot's feet slipped as Vegeta poured more energy into his attack and Kakarot could feel himself losing control. No! I can't lose he thought. He still had so much more to do and he couldn't lose and leave Chi-Chi alone to deal with Vegeta and Frieza.

The challenge in front of him made Kakarot's thirst for battle stronger. New energy surged inside him and he took a breath, letting all of his fears and worries slip away as he only focused on the battle in front of him. Gritting his teeth, Kakarot dug his heels into the rocky surface and charged his attack, a small ball of energy sailing up towards the end of his wave, making the blast larger.

"What!" Vegeta shouted at the increase of power and replicated the same with his own blast, refusing to be defeated.

Soon, the blasts became unstable as both Saiyans continued to give more energy to their attacks. Kakarot's hands burned and shook as he tried to maintain control. Vegeta struggled to contain the power within his own blast and soon the energies exploded, throwing back each fighter a few feet.

For a moment, the Saiyans laid exhausted on the ground, panting as they tried to recover from the blast. Kakarot eventually rolled out his side and staggered as he stood. The king appeared just as worn as they glared at each other, unsure where to go from here.

"I used those cuffs to push and break my body to its limit, hoping it would help me surpass you but even with my newfound strength...it's no use." Vegeta cursed. Kakarot had also hoped he'd be stronger after his injuries on Vegeta but the king was right.

"We are evenly matched." Kakarot breathed with tiredness as Vegeta's face bore a wide, malicious grin.

"That may be true. But I know one thing you can't replicate...anymore."

Realization hit Kakarot hard as he replied in a low growl, "I'll stop you before you even have the chance."

"You're welcome to try but it's inevitable. Imagine being killed by the power of our people. I can't think of a less honorable death than that."

Kakarot clenched his jaw and charged at Vegeta, swinging his leg towards his face, which was blocked and shoved away by the king. Kakarot came at his opponent again, determined not to let Vegeta have any time to transform. Vegeta ducked under Kakarot's arm and in a swift motion, caught Kakarot in a headlock. Struggling against his hold, Kakarot resisted in frustration but was stuck as Vegeta snickered behind him.

"There's no use. I'm going to crush every bone in your body. And then I'm going to become a Super Saiyan whether it's a myth or not. Destiny has reserved that right for me."

"You're insane!" Kakarot shouted as he continued to fight against Vegeta's hold.

Vegeta laughed before he released his hand behind Kakarot's head and put it under Kakarot's arm. Mercilessly. Vegeta jerked the limb up, completely dislocating Kakarot's shoulder. Screaming in agony, Kakarot fell to his knees and held his limp arm.

Cackling, Vegeta kicked his victim over in the dirt, Kakarot's body skidding a few feet away. He formed a bright ball of energy and shot it up to the sky. Staring directly at the light, Vegeta continued to laugh as the transformation took hold, his body slowly growing in size and becoming hairier.

Gritting his teeth through the searing pain, Kakarot glanced up from the ground and watched Vegeta turn into a large ape. Seeing the form from another perspective jarred Kakarot. A familiar phantom pain shot up from his back as Kakarot's mind raced. Whether it was from the shock of his dislocated shoulder or from seeing the Saiyan power up close, Kakarot's body shook with fear as he reeled from this new turn of events. He cursed, knowing he should have prepared for this possibility but his own ignorance thought Vegeta wouldn't get the chance to get to this point. As stupid as it seemed now, Kakarot wished he could still become an ape, especially in this moment. Even after making peace of his life without a tail, it's absence was once again haunting Kakarot.

Seething, Kakarot stood unsteadily while cradling his arm and muttered, "Dammit."

He knew better than to let Vegeta get him in his grip. Afterall, how many people had he crushed to death as an ape? The number was too high to count but Kakarot knew exactly what Vegeta was capable of now as an ape. He had to get to high ground and formulate a plan to cut off Vegeta's tail. It would be the only way to stop the king.

Jumping off the ground, Kakarot bolted to a nearby ridge and tried to catch his breath as Vegeta followed him, sweeping his huge hand across, just missing Kakarot.

Grunting as he flew to another rock formation, Kakarot muttered, "I'm useless with only one arm."

Wincing at the thought of what he had to do, Kakarot glanced around for a spot. Once he found a place, Kakarot ran to a nearby wall of rock and lined up his shoulder and arm, preparing himself for what would follow. Forcefully, he slammed his shoulder into the wall with a cry, his shoulder back in its socket. Panting in pain, Kakarot did not know how close Vegeta was to, and soon Vegeta's hand slapped Kakarot's body hard, sending him flying into the ground.

Coughing from pain and the power from Vegeta's hit, Kakarot wheezed and tried to sit up but Vegeta was right in front of him. Vegeta cackled as he aimed a thin energy blast at Kakarot's body, cutting his thigh and his bad arm, rendering it useless again. Kakarot felt an unbearable burn throughout his body and he couldn't move as Vegeta came closer. The ape's large body covered the blaring sun as Kakarot sat in the shadows.

"This is it, Kakarot. Now it's time to crush you!" Vegeta's towering voice screamed as he moved his foot over Kakarot's body. Trapped, Kakarot clenched his jaw, waiting for his fate.

Suddenly, a blast flew past Vegeta's face, thinly slicing his cheek. The blast soared past the battle and blew up the mountain behind them. Startled, Kakarot peered past Vegeta's leg and his eyes grew wide.

"Chi?" He shouted in surprise.

Above them, Chi stood at the every edge of the ship door, hanging onto a handle on the side as the vessel hovered. Chi's black hair billowed in the wind and she wore a determined smirk. It was an expression that Kakarot grew to adore and he couldn't help but think that she looked absolutely stunning.

Vegeta's large body turned towards Chi and snickered, "You missed."

Chi smiled and with a flick of her wrist, she answered, "Did I?"

Zipping past the two Saiyans, a thin, circular blast shot up from the ground and sliced Vegeta's tail off, stunning the Saiyan.

Stuttering, Vegeta shook with rage as his form soon became unstable. With vengeful eyes, he glared at the ship and fired his last shot as an ape from his mouth, sending a large, purple blast at Chi.

"NO!" Kakarot screamed and watched in horror. The ship tilted as Chi lost her hold of the handle and was knocked to the ground, sliding to the edge on her stomach. Grunting as she felt her legs off the ship, Chi desperately caught onto the edge of the steel door. Her legs flailed for a moment as she hung on the edge, her fingers clinging onto the cold metal. Collecting herself, Chi took a breath and was able to gather enough strength to pull herself up.

As Vegeta roared as his transformation slowly faded, Kakarot shakily stood, putting his weight on his good leg as he called up to Chi in the air, "Are you okay? How did you even know I was in trouble."

"A giant ape on the horizon is hard to miss. Don't worry about me. Just beat him, alright?"

Kakarot nodded and they stared at each other for a moment before Chi smiled and jogged to the front of the ship, closing the back door. Soon, the ship straightened and took off. Kakarot watched Chi and the ship get smaller and smaller until it was out of sight.

Behind him, Vegeta groaned in pain and Kakarot turned, fury fresh in his body. The king slowly tried to sit up but Kakarot shot towards him and pummeled Vegeta's face with his good arm and fist. Pounding Vegeta's head into the ground through power and rage, Kakarot's knuckles bled as the king's face became broken and swollen.

Breathing hard, Kakarot pulled back and stood above the beaten king. Glaring, he gathered energy in his palm and aimed it at Vegeta. The king painfully opened one eye and croaked.

"Do it."

Kakarot was ready to kill Vegeta and he wanted to more than anything, but a new thought crept up into his mind. As much as he wanted to be rid of the king, Kakarot also had to face the fact that he made Kakarot want to be stronger. It was thanks to Vegeta that Kakarot trained as hard as he did the last few days. He hasn't felt that motivated in a while and it was exhilarating to have someone to chase after and continue to test his strength.

If Kakarot killed Vegeta now, who knows when he'd have that sort of rivalry again. Besides the drive to be better, Kakaort could also leave the king alive so he could live with his defeat. Especially now that the King of the Saiyans has no tail and he'd have to suffer with that shame just like Kakarot.

Disintegrating the energy, Kakarot shook his head and glanced down at the king with a fiery malice.

"No. There's no pleasure in killing you now. Instead, I'll let you suffer with this humiliation."

"You are a fool. This could be your only chance to end me because I'm never going to stop."

"I know. But your hate will just push me further. And then next time we fight, you won't even be a challenge." Kakarot smirked as the king angrily moved to him but fell, his body exhausted.

Turning his back, Kakarot muttered over his shoulder, "I'll see you soon, Vegeta."

Rain poured hard over the outpost as Chi quickly ran through the storm to her ship. She stopped on the smaller planet about an hour or two from where she left Kakarot. Chi didn't want to stop but she needed to refuel and assess any damages from Vegeta's blast. She knew she was lucky that the hit didn't cause any serious harm to the ship, otherwise she'd be screwed.

Luckily, the outpost had a small bar, perfect for a quick drink to calm her nerves. Of course, one drink became a few more but Chi stopped once she realized that she would need to keep making her journey to Frieza's planet. With or without Kakarot.

It seemed that Kakarot had a handle on things when she left but no one ever knows the twists and turns of battle.

Her fear of losing Kakarot was prevalent and Chi washed those worries down with the burn of liquor before she paid her tab and went to continue her mission.

The cold rain soaked her body and hair as she impatiently waited for the ship's back door to open. Once it was lowered enough, Chi jumped into the warmth and shook off the rain and shivered. She staggered a little from the booze and braced the wall for a moment before her eyes caught something out of the norm. Below on the title floor, a large, bright red drop of blood focused Chi's mind. She frowned as she realized the drops continued into the ship.

Taking a breath, Chi gathered energy in her hand and slowly creeped forward. Once she was further into her vessel, she stopped.

Leaning against the bunk beds, a battered and bleeding Kakarot sat on the ground, his head slumped to the side with his eyes shut.

"Kakarot!" Chi gasped and ran to him, sliding on her knees to shake his bare arm.

"Ow." He hissed from her touch and opened his eyes tiredly, smiling at Chi.

"How did you, when did you?" Chi stuttered as her eyes searched Kakarot's, her shock getting the best of her as she failed to formulate coherent sentences.

Kakarot chuckled, somehow understanding Chi and answered, "I stole Vegeta's ship. Seems like he was using this to track us earlier." He pulled out a watch from the bunk with a wince as Chi immediately recognized the object.

"Bulma's watch." She whispered as she examined it and Kakarot continued, "I used that to track you. Good thing you stopped for a break or I would have been chasing you for a while."

Chi's eyes softened as she gazed back up at Kakarot and asked, "Did you kill him?"

"No. As fucked up as it is, Vegeta has motivated me more than anything has in a while. If his threats allow me to push myself and get stronger then it's a risk I'm willing to take." He then smirked tiredly, "That was some move you pulled, Chi." Mentioning the thin disks of energy she used earlier.

"Well, it's another technique I learned courtesy of Frieza." She muttered bitterly and quickly changed subjects, glancing at Kakarot's deep gashes and injuries, "We should take a look at those wounds. You look terrible."

"I'm fine."

Straining, Kakarot moved his good hand and placed it on Chi's hip, feeling the wet material on her body as he urged her to him.

"Kakarot, you're hurt." Chi protested half heartedly as he guided her to his lap.

"I don't care." Kakarot whispered softly and Chi caved.

Straddling his broken body, Chi carefully sat on his thighs and Kakarot gaze at her for a moment, pulling back a piece of her damp raven hair behind her ear. Leaning up, Kakarot kissed her softly, ignoring the various pains throughout his body as Chi met him. Kakarot could taste the liquor on her breath and a grin formed against her lips as Chi shifted on top of his lap. Her cold hands ran slowly across his bruised bare chest, making note of each wound in her mind. Their lips moved carefully and timidly against each other's.

Soon, a strong urge erupted deep in Kakarot. It was instinct, one that he knew all too well. When he was younger, his father would come home from a raid and his parents would be locked away for the night, various loud noises coming from their room. However, Kakarot and his brother knew better than to interrupt their parents unless they wanted to be severely punished. As he grew and fought in his own missions, Kakarot came to understand the aftermath of war. The effects of adrenaline and the rush of battle always felt better to share with someone, and when Kakarot was a commander, his team would always find various bars for their cheap thrills.

It was a need that all Saiyans knew and now, it was alive in Kakarot as he teased Chi's lips, fighting for dominance. Chi allowed him in and soon their tongues danced, each wanting control. Unlike his other battles where Kakarot had to find a stranger for the night, he had someone right here in front of him. Someone who he truly cared for and who made him feel alive. His want for her became unbearable and Kakarot felt like he couldn't breath if he didn't have Chi immediately.

Abruptly, Kakarot broke from her lips, briefly sucking her swollen bottom lip and moved towards her ear. He pushed Chi hard and tight against his chest with his arm and whispered in her ear, his teeth barely grazing her flesh.

"I need you."

Chi shivered from the cold and the feel of his warm breath on her wet skin. She nodded and fumbled down below her with urgency as Kakarot grabbed a fistful of her soaking hair and pulled sharply, revealing Chi's pale, delicate neck. Growling, Kakarot went down towards her neck and latched his mouth to Chi's collarbone. Sucking her sweet flesh for a moment, Kakarot sharp fangs pierced Chi's skin, earning a hitched gasp from Chi.

Soon, as they quickly found each other, the two moved hard and fast in desperation, their loud cries and moans echoing across the ship. They became lost, shutting out the world and refusing to think about anything but this moment between them.