Chapter 13
Frieza's loud cackle reverberated off the golden hallway while Kakarot refocused on Chi. Quickly, he and Bulma ran to Chi and knelt on either side of her. Chi was slumped against the wall, face and body covered in cuts and bruises. Pieces of Chi's hair fell out of her once perfectly styled bun and one strap of her dress was broken, revealing a deep wound on her shoulder. Chi coughed and groaned, struggling to regain consciousness.
"Chi, can you hear me?" Bulma whispered in concern and gently shook Chi's shoulders. Slowly, her friend's eyes blinked open and they were heavy as she scanned the faces of Bulma and Kakarot in her line of sight.
"His new form is…insanely powerful. We can't beat him. I'm sorry I roped you all into this." She winced, trying to shift her body against the wall.
"Chi, you didn't know. It's okay." Bulma responded and Chi shook her head, groaning at the movement.
"No, I-I should have thought this through. Now I've given Frieza the one thing he wants more than anything. We can't let him get the Dragonballs. If he gets his wish, the whole universe is damned." Chi snapped angrily, glaring ahead at the hole that she flew out of where Frieza continued to laugh.
Bulma glanced at Kakarot, his silent anger apparent, emitting off of him in strong waves. Sighing, Bulma peered up at Vegeta, who stood stoically besides her. Taking charge, Bulma focused on the two Saiyans, "Vegeta and Kakarot, if you distract Frieza, I can get the Dragonballs."
Vegeta responded incredulously, "Are you insane? That's not happening. I won't allow it."
"I'm not asking for your permission, Vegeta."
"Bulma." Vegeta hissed in frustration and Bulma stood her ground, frowning.
"Either watch my back or get out of my way." Bulma warned.
Vegeta growled and turned away, evidently hating this plan. Ignoring his pouting, Bulma focused on Kakarot and Chi. Across from her, Kakarot stayed silent but Bulma could tell that he was assessing the situation in front of him, running through every possibility that he could think of. While he was searching the galaxy, Vegeta had mentioned to Bulma that Kakarot had a strategic mind in battle, one of the reasons why he was so successful with the Saiyan forces. That was clear now as Bulma watched Kakarot in action.
"Bulma's right. We have to get Frieza away from the Dragonballs." Chi wheezed and motioned Bulma to help her stand. Quickly, Bulma and Kakarot assisted Chi up off the floor and Chi's body leaned heavily on Kakarot's. Bulma scanned Chi briefly and deduced that Chi's injuries weren't life threatening. Besides, she knew her friend could take a punch.
"You've got to hide, Bulma. Frieza can't know you're still alive. Even if we can get the balls away from him, I don't think we can defeat Frieza." Chi stated to her best friend, her voice seeping in concern.
"You have that little faith in me, huh?" Kakarot muttered, his tone caught between being serious and sarcastic. Chi returned her focus to Kakarot and frowned.
"Just distract Frieza long enough and let's get out of here. That's all you need to do."
Kakarot smirked, "And run away from a challenge like this? No thanks, I'm fighting Frieza until the end." His eyes gleamed with excitement, which sent a shiver of nerves down Chi's back.
"It's not important, Kakarot. Please." Chi pleaded and Kakarot's demeanor changed as he caught her eyes. Kakarot was done standing aside and watching Chi get hurt. He refused to let Frieza lay one more finger on Chi and he definitely wouldn't allow Frieza to live one more second. He's taken enough away from Chi, and Kakarot was going to end his reign of terror today. A surge of anger ignited and Kakarot stared at Chi in a steady, quiet rage. Kakarot also would be lying if he didn't acknowledge that the prospect of fighting the strongest being in the galaxy didn't intrigue him. If anything, it only made Kakarot want to fight Frieza even more.
"It's important to you, Chi, so it's important to me. Frieza won't live to see the night. I promise." He replied with conviction and his eyes were dark with determination.
The two stared at each other as a silent meaning passed between them. If Chi couldn't finish her mission, then Kakarot would take the burden from her. Even if it meant dying, it was a sacrifice Kakarot was willing to make. This choice wasn't even a hesitation for Kakarot anymore, it was instinct. Chi nodded, understanding that she was in no shape to fight Kakarot on this, even if she wanted to.
The ground trembled again and Bulma urged Chi towards her, "We should go. Kakarot and Vegeta, I just need a few minutes, that's all."
Kakarot agreed and passed Chi off to Bulma. The loss of Chi's weight on him left Kakarot feeling more empty than he anticipated.
"Vegeta, play nice with Kakarot." Bulma teased at the king, who glared at her before facing the sound from where Frieza's footsteps were approaching. He muttered over his shoulder to his lover, "Get going, Bulma."
Kakarot broke his attention away from the girls and towards his enemy. He started to ready himself for combat but he felt Chi's hand clamp on his wrist, drawing him back to her.
"Don't do anything stupid, alright?" She muttered, her casual comment failing to hide her worry. Kakarot gently squeezed Chi's hand, assuring her that he'll try, although he couldn't make any promises. He had to do absolutely everything to put Frieza down, even if it might be foolish and Chi wouldn't like it.
Bulma forced Chi away and they ran down the hall while Kakarot watched for a moment. Once they were out of sight, he refocused on the battle ahead as Frieza approached. Slowly, he crouched down and waited.
Footsteps stopped in front of the Saiyans as smoke from the destroyed walls cleared, revealing Frieza's new form. His face wore a malicious grin as he stood in front of them, his slick golden body on full display. Frieza's power emitted off of him and it was obvious just how powerful he truly was.
"King Vegeta and another Saiyan, I didn't know Chi-Chi had friends." Frieza peered over Kakarot's shoulder and sighed, "Seems she ran off. Pity, I was looking forward to finishing our conversation. I'll have to find her after I put you monkeys back in your cages. Or graves, I should say."
"Vegeta, listen." Kakarot whispered, keeping his eyes trained on Frieza.
"What the hell do you want?"
"You heard Bulma. We can not let him get to the Dragonballs."
"I already know that. What's your point?"
Kakarot glanced sideways at Vegeta, "We need to work together on this. I know you can feel his power. Frieza's too much for one of us to handle alone, as much as I hate to admit it."
"Too much for you maybe, but this is nothing. Stay out of my way, low class."
"Are you fucking kidding me? Did you not just hear me!" Kakarot snarled at the king and wanted to argue further but he was interrupted by Frieza.
"Boys, I hate to interject but I would really like to move this along. I have an important appointment that I can't miss." Frieza smiled with fake politeness.
"Well, let's get this started then. Would hate to ruin your plans, Frieza." Kakarot snickered and Frieza met his comment with a grin.
"Just you wait, Saiyan. I think you're going to love tonight's entertainment. However, this might just be better. I get to kill another Saiyan King."
"What?" Vegeta muttered with shock in his voice, his energy slowly rising.
"Who do you think had your father killed? Did you ever question it, or were you too relieved? You're welcome, King Vegeta. I gave you the throne."
With a surge of anger, Vegeta screamed and charged towards Frieza.
"Vegeta, no!" Kakarot called out but he was too late to stop Vegeta's advance.
The king slugged Frieza's face, expecting the alien's head to turn with the hit, but Frieza stayed in place. He laughed with glee and barely acknowledged Vegeta's attack.
"That tickled, your Majesty. You'll have to do better than that!" He taunted and countered Vegeta's punch. Frieza's clenched fist went straight into Vegeta's gut with brutal precision. The force of the blow emitted off Vegeta and his eyes grew wide with pain.
"Vegeta!" Kakarot yelled and entered the battle, pushing off the tile and soaring towards Frieza and Vegeta. Vegeta stumbled back and Frieza briefly regarded the king before he slapped Vegeta straight into Kakarot's chest. Undeterred, Kakarot threw Vegeta off of him and continued to Frieza.
Frieza chuckled and surprised Kakarot with a sharp kick towards his head, which Kakarot blocked but he was too slow to counter Frieza's unmatched speed. Frieza struck Kakarot's jaw with crushing force and Kakarot shot backwards, skidding across the floor. Recovering, Kakarot shook off the first hit and walked over to Vegeta. The king slowly stood and cursed.
"Dammit. His power is incredible." Vegeta hissed, spitting out a bit of blood.
"Will you listen to me now? We're not going to get very far if we don't work together." Kakarot grumbled while wiping his own blood from his face. He glanced ahead at Frieza, who was ready with his arms out, egging the Saiyans on.
"Is that all you've got?" He grinned and Kakarot clenched his jaw.
"Fine. I'll listen." Vegeta snarled, cracking his knuckles and tossing off his cape, the material fluttering to the floor.
"Since we don't fight together, I think our different styles might confuse him. If we charge in on either side and hit Frieza with everything we've got, we might buy enough time for Bulma."
"Alright. But don't think this changes things between us, Kakarot. Once we defeat Frieza, you're next. I won't stop until you're dead at my feet."
Kakarot chuckled beside the king, shaking and stretching out his muscles, "Whatever you say, Vegeta."
Vegeta shouted and both Saiyans advanced, flanking Frieza on both sides. Soon, the three were engaged in a folly, with jabs and blocks thrown in quick succession.
Meanwhile, after she placed Chi safely away from the fight, Bulma creeped around the corner. Poking her head out of the gold wall, Bulma heard the sounds of an intense battle up ahead. Bulma dashed out from the corner but stopped suddenly as she saw a blur bulleting through the air in front of her. The body crashed through the wall next to her, and it took Bulma a second to realize it was Kakarot. With a jarring scream, he shot out from the hole with energy surrounding his body, flying back to Frieza and Vegeta. Bulma briefly wondered how Vegeta was faring against Frieza, but then she refocused on her task. Luckily, she remembered this palace like the back of her hand, a fact she hated but it now came in handy.
When Chi and Bulma lived here early in their tenure with Frieza, Bulma discovered secret passageways throughout the palace hidden in the walls. Sliding her hand across the decorated wallpaper, Bulma searched for the door that she remembered was here. If Bulma could find it, she'd be able to sneak into the room and grab the balls while Vegeta and Kakarot kept Frieza preoccupied. Once she felt the familiar dip in the wall, Bulma smiled in success. Pushing against it, Bulma disappeared into the palace's gauche walls.
Elsewhere, the Saiyan warriors continued their offensive against Frieza, attacking the tyrant with quick, successive blows. Frieza lost his footing and his claws desperately tried to grip the tile as he was pushed back by the Saiyans. Kakarot and Vegeta kept jabbing their opponent with unrelenting hits and kicks. As they slowly won the upper hand, Kakarot stopped and held out his hands in front of him. He shouted and sent a dozen lethal energy blasts towards Frieza, causing the alien to be lost in a cloud of smoke.
Before Frieza had time to recover, Vegeta was right in front of him and spun, landing a decisive kick. Vegeta's hit sent Frieza careening towards the back of the room, crashing hard into the wall, shaking the space around the fighters on impact.
Kakarot and Vegeta stood, winded as Frieza recovered. Slowly he stood and Frieza's body radiated with fury.
"Enough of this!" He screamed and Frieza's energy erupted around his golden form. The force blasted the Saiyans back as Frieza continued to yell. Kakarot grunted and struggled against the wind with his forearms up in a block
"What the hell is happening?" He called out to Vegeta.
"How would I know!" Vegeta growled back, trying to shield his eyes. Kakarot witnessed Frieza's energy skyrocketed and then his screaming finally ceased. Peering out from his forearms, Kakarot spoke in disbelief.
"There's no way he's that stro-." His statement was cut off as Frieza shot towards him at blinding speed and connected his fist with Kakarot's stomach. Before Kakarot could even register the gut punch, his body catapulted through the air. As he flew with his body shuttering in pain, Frieza appeared suddenly above him. Mercilessly, Frieza elbowed Kakarot sharply in the jaw, sending Kakarot into the marble tiles below, shaking the floor on impact. Groaning, Kakarot barely had time to breath before Frieza reappeared on top of him, grinning with malice. Frieza harshly kicked Kakarot's face and chest repeatedly, clobbering his enemy into the ground below. Cackling, Frieza stood above Kakarot's beaten and bloodied body and then turned his attention to the king of the Saiyans.
"I won't go down that easily." Vegeta declared confidently.
"Is that so? Your father certainly did." Frieza stepped out of the crater and stalked the king.
Yelling, Vegeta shot towards the tyrant. Frieza counter blocked his attack with his golden forearm, smirking. Vegeta let out a frustrated grunt and tried again with his other fist, but Frieza grabbed his hand. Twisting, he threw the king up to the ceiling and sent a precise blast towards Vegeta's shoulder. Vegeta crashed into the ceiling and the beam pierced through his left shoulder, causing the monarch to shout in agony. Vegeta collapsed on the tile floor, holding his bleeding limb.
Frieza surveyed the two wounded Saiyans in satisfaction, "You lasted longer than I thought. Now, to take care of another pest. It's nice to see you again, Bulma."
Frieza chuckled as he turned to the side of the room, facing a frozen Bulma. Her hands shook against the two star ball as Frieza approached her. Seeing Frieza again completely shut down Bulma's senses and her only line of defense was to stay still. Frieza's tail slithered up her body and wrapped around her neck, sending a shiver across Bulma's nerves. Pulling her towards him, Frieza sneered at his prey. Bulma's bright blue eyes were filled with fear as her body jump started it's defenses again. Now, she fought against Frieza's hold, hitting the thick limb across her neck.
Slowly, Vegeta struggled to move as he gasped in pain and frustration, "Bulma!"
Frieza whirled to face the downed king with Bulma high in the air behind him. Her feet kicked in the sky, and a heel fell off in her desperate attempt to escape.
"Vegeta, showing care to a lesser being? My, what would your father say?" Frieza chuckled and tightened his tail against Bulma. Vegeta grunted in anger and tried to pick himself up but he was too weak.
Kakarot finally came back to consciousness after hearing the sounds of a struggle. Disoriented, Kakarot moved to sit up but his head spun as the weight of Frieza's attacks hit him. Hissing, Kakarot scanned the space in front of him to witness Bulma in Frieza's grasp.
"Shit." Kakarot muttered to himself and continued to try to get up, hoping he could help Bulma out or at least get the balls away from Frieza. Their plan had failed and he had to think of another one quickly before it was too late.
Frieza laughed at Vegeta's feeble attempt to stop him, "I thought it was just a rumor when they said the new Saiyan king fell in love with a human but clearly, it's true. What a fun little twist that it's my Bulma."
"She was never yours." Vegeta seethed as he continued to fight against his wounded body, willing his limbs to help him save Bulma.
Behind Frieza, Bulma began choking as Frieza strengthened his grasp as he turned to meet her scared expression, leaning in, "For a time she was. Bulma was my smartest soldier. That's why I'm shocked at her stupidity. Did you really think you could distract me from the Dragonballs, Bulma? How oblivious do you think I am!"
His tail squeezed Bulma's neck and both Kakarot and Vegeta helplessly watched from the floor, their bodies betraying them. Frieza laughed while Bulma stared at Vegeta, tears running down her cheeks as she wordlessly mouthed a phrase only shared between them.
"Frieza!" A familiar shout broke through the desperation in the room and a sharp kick sent Frieza soaring through the neighboring room. Bulma's body was immediately released from Frieza's deadly grasp, and she fell to the marble floor.
As smoke billowed from where Frieza was sent through, Kakarot glanced up to see who attacked him. A pair of bare feet landed on the ground and stood above a coughing Bulma. Chi breathed heavily and wore a satisfied grin but it failed to mask her wince from her previous injuries.
"Oh great, she's back." Vegeta hissed in annoyance as he crawled over to check on Bulma.
Chi walked to Kakarot and held out an arm, which he unwillingly accepted. Rising to his feet, his various injuries overwhelmed him, but Kakarot ignored the pain to glare at Chi.
"What the hell are you doing?" Kakarot questioned with fury as he brain tried to figure out why Chi would run back into the fire when she's already been burned. Chi's tenacity and unwillingness to back down from a fight was one of the first things that attracted Kakarot to her, but this was reckless.
"I can't sit back and watch a fight that I started." Chi snapped with determination.
"This is stupid. You're wounded and you shouldn't be here. I told you I have this handled." Kakarot stepped towards Chi as she poked his chest with rage.
"Really? You would have fooled me. I'm fine. You can't order me around and expect me to blindly follow you, Kakarot!"
Kakarot's temper was bubbling at the surface and between his body's aches and Chi's insistence on getting herself killed, it was near a breaking point. "You're acting like a fucking child. All you'll do is get in the way." Kakarot stated in a low, vicious tone, his fury teetering on the edge.
"For once, I agree with Kakarot." Vegeta chimed in before Chi growled at the king.
"Stay out of this, Vegeta!" Chi whirled back towards Kakarot, "If roles were reversed, there'd be nothing to stop you from getting back into the fight. I started this with Frieza, let me finish it. If it's too much, I'll back off."
After a moment of tense silence between them, Kakarot sighed in frustration, stepping away from Chi to try to control his anger. He paced quickly in front of her, weighing the options before him. Kakarot understood Chi's need to see this through, truly he did. She was right when she said that if it was him, there'd be nothing to hold him back, so why should he do that to her now? Kakarot had that answer instantly, as much as it shocked him. He loved her and he would rather be beaten into the ground by Frieza than to see Chi gravely wounded again. But, he had to push aside his feelings and focus on the mission. They didn't have much time before Frieza would get back on his feet and everyone would need to be ready. On the other hand, Chi was already wounded and might be more of a distraction than an asset. Against his better judgment, he conceded. Kakarot knew better than to fight with Chi when she wouldn't see reason and maybe if she was here and close by, he could protect her. Chi usually didn't need his help, but with an enemy like Frieza, he wasn't daring to take any chances. Stopping his pacing, Kakarot met Chi's big, brown eyes.
"Fine. But if you get in the way, I'll knock you out myself." Kakarot ordered.
"That's fair." Chi agreed and rolled her shoulder, warming up her muscles for round two with Frieza.
Kakarot scanned Chi's body, noting the various cuts and bruises along her smooth skin. Chi's black dress was torn, her right leg slit higher than it was before and her hair was all over the place. Crazy enough, she still looked stunning but Kakarot refused to tell her that right now. Instead, he teased, "You look like shit."
Smirking, Chi countered, "You're not looking much better."
"Would you two would stop flirting with each other so we can focus, please?" Bulma called with a raspy voice, still rubbing her neck from Frieza's tail. Vegeta stayed next to her, equally annoyed and holding his wounded shoulder. Kakarot and Chi turned, both of them refocused on the task at hand.
Bulma coughed, "Okay. Same plan, distract him while I get the balls. But this time Chi, you'll back up either me or Kakarot or Vegeta if they need help. I just need a few minutes, no one needs to play the hero."
Before anyone could react, Kakarot saw a red energy blast coming from Frieza's direction from the corner of his eye and screamed, "Get down!"
Throwing Chi to the ground with him, Kakarot shielded her from Frieza's blasts. Each shot was sent blindly into the room, and Kakarot deduced that Frieza couldn't sense their locations. Finally, Frieza stepped out of the hole and cracked his knuckles, glaring at Chi, who was below Kakarot.
"Ah, another traitor returns. At least you're kind enough to come back so I don't need to hunt you down to kill you."
Kakarot helped Chi stand and immediately put himself between Chi and Frieza, his protective instincts kicking in. Besides them, Vegeta mimicked Kakarot and Frieza laughed.
"Did my two star pupils really fall in love with monkeys? I thought I taught you both better than to interact with the help."
With the "L" word floating around, Chi called out to Frieza, trying to move on from that subject quickly, "The only thing you taught us is how to exact revenge, Frieza. And today, that's going to bite you in the ass."
Frieza's demeanor changed as he responded with vicious fury, "You'll be the first to suffer, Chi-Chi. And I'll make sure your ape watches your death."
Kakarot immediately tensed and crouched into his battle stance, "You'll have to go through me first, Frieza."
"I'm planning on it."
With a yell, Kakarot charged towards Frieza and was flanked by Vegeta as they began another round of their brutal melee. Behind the fighters, Bulma motioned to Chi as they ran back to the balls. Chi covered Bulma as she pulled out a capsule. Clicking the top, Bulma whispered, "We can put the balls in this bag and take the hidden tunnel to the front of the palace. Then I'll grab my ship and blast the back windows for Vegeta and Kakarot to escape through."
Chi nodded, "Alright, you'll have to be quick, Bulma. I'm not sure how much longer they can hold Frieza off." Chi glanced behind her to the fight and watched as Kakarot took a sharp uppercut from Frieza and skidded across the tile. Vegeta successfully blocked a hit from Frieza but Frieza's tail whipped his wounded shoulder, causing the king to cry out in pain as he slid and slammed into a nearby wall.
"I know." Bulma muttered quietly as she began to put the balls in the capsule bag. Trying to bring some levity to their dire situation, Bulma asked, "So do you love him?"
"Who?" Chi questioned, distracted by the battle in front of them. Kakarot quickly recovered and landed a brutal roundhouse kick on Frieza's neck before pivoting and plunging his fist into Frieza's side. Chi stared at Kakarot's rippling muscles through his torn white shirt as his body fought, dodging Frieza's counter attacks before sucker punching Frieza sharply in the jaw. While the tyrant's eyes went wide, Vegeta followed up Kakarot's offense with a blow to Frieza's chest, sending him stumbling back a few feet.
"Kakarot." Bulma whispered, pulling Chi's attention back with the mention of his name. Chi glanced at her friend, silently knowing Bulma already knew her answer. A shout turned their focus back to the battle in time to see Frieza gaining the upper hand. Kakarot was tossed brutally across the room and collided into another golden wall. His body was buried under pieces of the wall and he laid unmoving. Towards the back of the room, Vegeta was on the ground, writhing in pain from Frieza stepping on and then twisting his wounded shoulder with his foot.
After a few shouts from the king, Frieza was satisfied and turned towards Chi and Bulma. He snickered as he slowly walked towards them.
"Grab the balls and get out of here! I'll hold him off." Chi ordered and sprinted towards Frieza as fast as she could, ignoring her wounds. Ducking from a punch, Chi crouched and swept her foot under Frieza's. Surprised at her speed, Frieza lost his footing and wobbled. Sensing her opening, Chi slammed her fist as hard against his cheek, causing Frieza to stumble backwards. Quickly, Chi jumped and wrapped her legs around Frieza's neck. Squeezing with her thighs, Chi simultaneously punched his face in repeated jabs. Seething, Frieza gripped one of her wrists and threw Chi over his shoulders, her body rolling painfully a few feet in front of him. Stumbling forward, Chi struggled to regain balance as her body cried out in pain but she remained determined to protect Bulma and give her more time.
"Nice try, Chi-Chi. However, you're nothing against my new form. But you already knew that." Chi glared at his golden face and ran towards him, trying to land another punch but Frieza blocked it with his palm. Painfully, he squeezed her fist, crushing her hand as Chi cried out. Frieza twisted, cracking her wrist as Chi sobbed in agony, falling to her knee.
Frieza continued to hold her broken limb and lifted Chi off the ground. Sneering, he glared at his old pupil and threw her to the other side of the room. Chi's head slammed against his floating chair with a loud crack and she collapsed to the floor, unconscious and bleeding.
Under the rubble of another destroyed wall, Kakarot slowly recovered, hissing as his body throbbed with new injuries. Pushing away the pieces of the wall, Kakarot broke through the mess and groaned quietly. Shaking off the pain and his disorientation, Kakarot stood frozen as his eyes caught Chi's body across the room, lying helplessly on the floor.
Seeing Chi in this state triggered one of Kakarot's deepest fears. It sparked a fury inside him, and an inferno burned quickly throughout his body.
"Chi!" He yelled, hoping she'd wake to his voice but she remained still. Kakarot's body shook with rage as he stared at Chi. This was exactly what Kakarot was afraid of and as much as his anger was directed at Frieza, Kakarot hated himself just as much. Shouting at the top of his lungs, Kakarot sprinted to Frieza but he was met by a barrage of energy balls. Kakarot didn't have enough time to block any of the blasts and he took Frieza's attack head on. He tried his best to shield himself but his defense was in vain as each blow crashed against his body, causing more pain than the previous hit.
As the smoke cleared, Kakarot stood shakily, his skin singed from Frieza's attack. Kakarot's strength vanished and he lurched forward. Against the cold marble, Kakarot gasped as his skin was on fire with no hope of relief. His white dress shirt laid in tatters on his back, exposing various burns and wounds from the battle. Stuttering, Kakarot struggled to lift his head off the floor but he continued as Frieza stood menacingly over Chi.
Off to the side, Bulma used Kakarot's distraction to quickly throw the bag of Dragonballs into the hidden tunnel. Bulma glanced over to Vegeta but the king did not move on the floor, passed out due to the pain from Frieza's torture. Gasping, Bulma searched for anything to defend herself once Frieza turned his sights back on her. Both Saiyans were down for the count and Bulma was powerless.
Suddenly, a familiar voice called over the room's intercom, "Lord, we are ready."
Instantly powering down to his slick white form, Frieza responded with glee, "Excellent. Great work, Zarbon. Let's get the guests' attention for tonight's main attraction. I know they are all dying to see it."
"As you wish, Lord Frieza."
"I'll finish with you later." Frieza muttered to Chi's unconscious form before causally kicking her across the floor towards a nearby corner. Hissing in frustration, Kakarot struggled to even breathe, much less move as he tried to get his body to listen to him.
Two screens slowly pulled down from the ceiling above Frieza's floating chair. In front of Frieza, a camera appeared and Frieza dusted off his shoulders. One screen remained dark while the other projected the scene in the ballroom. Crowds gathered with anticipation and the band stopped playing in the background. From the floor, Kakarot watched in confusion, hesitant to see what Frieza had planned.
"My lovely guests and trusted allies. Thank you all for attending tonight's gala. I hope you've enjoyed yourselves because it's now time for the main event. I know we've waited for many years for this occasion and finally my friends, the moment we've wished for is here. Please, direct your eyes to the screen in front of you. My loyal soldier, Zarbon, is currently on one of my ships to carry out tonight's entertainment. Let's look to see where he is, shall we?"
The empty screen turned on to show a singular planet in space, it's surface covered in various landscapes and colors. With his energy weak, Kakarot squinted at the large screen as his vision blurred from the strain. He tried his best to figure out what planet was being shown but with low energy and his brain fried, it was proving difficult.
"Perfect. Zarbon, what's the status of the target?" Frieza ordered and the intercom clicked with an answer.
"We are clear to fire, Lord." Zarbon responded over the intercom. Suddenly, a jolt shook Kakarot as he knew the planet in front of him.
"Fire!"
"NO!" Kakarot screamed at the top of his lungs, his voice cracking in pain and hoarse in a desperate attempt to stop Frieza's attack.
Kakarot watched in utter horror as a large ball of energy appeared on the screen, overshadowing the planet for a moment. Soon, the planet felt the full impact of the yellow energy ball as fire engulfed its surface. The planet slowly began to crack and a moment later, the planet exploded, sending pieces into the void of space.
Frozen, Kakarot stared at the screen in shock. His ears rang as his senses drowned out everything around him. Frieza's laugh and the cheers of the crowd from the ballroom were muffled as Kakarot continued to focus on the screen, unwillingly to believe what he just witnessed.
Planet Vegeta was gone.