FROM BAD TO WORSE...
Chapter Eight - Piccolo's Discovery


It would be impossible for the naked eye to track the blur the grazed the troposphere in a hyperbolic arc that more readily covered such extreme distances in a lesser amount of time. From this high up, the resultant sonic boom was an indiscernible mutter of sound lost to the lone traveler as he sped towards his course. Senses straining to their maximum, Piccolo focused on the unique signature of ki that belonged solely to Vegeta and it wasn't easy by any stretch of the imagination. The Saiyan was deliberately keeping his personal energy to a minimum no doubt trying to avoid the very thing that the Namek was doing. The distance also played in the smaller alien's favor. After more than a day, Piccolo was reasonably sure he was finally heading in the right direction after several false leads. Not for the first time, he wondered just what he was going to do in the inevitable confrontation to follow.

His thoughts strayed back when Yamcha had landed in the Son family yard. Piccolo had elected to train with Gokou just to spend some more time with his favorite person on the entire planet; young Gohan, who he adored. The minute the young, scar-faced fighter appeared Piccolo knew it was going to be bad news and he wasn't disappointed. Gokou, as ever, was oblivious.

"Hiya, Yamcha. It's great to see you! Have you come to spar?" Gokou greeted with his usual cheerfulness. It was always a bit disarming to Piccolo how the younger man could normally act so happy-go-lucky until a fight came up and his manner changed to one of ferocious intensity. Not for the first time he wondered if Gokou was bi-polar.

Yamcha smiled at the warm response and then appeared troubled. "Actually, no. No, I didn't. I...uh, came to get some advice," he admitted haltingly.

That innocuous grin of Gokou's never wavered. "Well, shoot! What can we do you for?"

Standing on the sidelines, Gohan craned his head up to look at Piccolo and saw that expression of sullen anger on the Namek's emerald features. "What's going on, Piccolo?"

"Trouble," was all he had to say in response.

Sure enough, Yamcha related the past events that had happened at Capsule Corp. He tried to keep the indignation out of his voice when he told them of Bulma and Vegeta's times together and her confessed attraction to him. Gohan appeared completely floored by the revelation but Piccolo and Gokou only exchanged a knowing glance between them. They had been forewarned of the strange pairing from that lavender-haired youth from the future and the news was no surprise. What they were unprepared for was Yamcha's destructive meddling that had turned Capsule Corp. into a demilitarized zone and effectively driven Vegeta off to parts unknown. In a completely unexpected turn of events, Bulma had quit her position at the company and moved out of the headquarters building in protest. She moved into a nearby hotel, refusing contact with friends or family; everybody except the very Saiyan she was trying desperately to find on her own. The entire situation had turned into a disaster-

"-And it's all my fault," Yamcha added. "I really didn't realize this would happen-"

"Bullshit," Piccolo rumbled in annoyance. "This was exactly what you hoped would be the result of your interference. The only problem with the plan was that Bulma didn't leap back into your arms like you expected she would."

Yamcha swallowed, unable to hold his eyes up to the commanding figure of the brooding Namek. He dropped his head and betrayed a small nod of shame. "I figured Vegeta would eventually hurt her and her family. I didn't know that he was working for her father or that he had settled in so well with them. I... don't know what to do. That's why I came here."

"How long ago did this happen?" Gokou asked curiously.

Yamcha squared his shoulders and admitted, "...Ten days ago-"

"-Ten days!?" Piccolo bellowed. The only one of the assembled trio who didn't so much as flinch at the fearsome roar was young Gohan. The youth was absorbing all of the drama with a maturity that went far beyond his eight years. He stared up at his enraged sensei while the Namek continued his rant. "In ten minutes Vegeta could have turned this world inside out and you've let him wander around Earth unchecked for the last ten days without warning anybody? Are you a complete imbecile?"

"Bulma told me to wait and see if he would return." He shrugged unhappily. "Obviously that hasn't happened. I'm at a real loss here, guys."

Scratching the back of his head, Gokou appeared bewildered for a moment. "Well, I guess the only thing to do would be for me to go track Vegeta down-"

"-And what are you going to tell him?" Piccolo cut in roughly, fixing him with a knowing glare. They both knew that the Saiyan prince loathed the younger fighter. A rational conversation between them would be next to impossible. In the inevitable brawl to follow Gokou would more than likely betray the information confided to him and make the current damage irreparable. The two Saiyan's had to stay separated from one another, at least until Trunks was conceived. After that, it should no longer matter.

"Well, I'd say he had to go back to Bulma 'cause-" Gokou's mouth snapped shut in realization. "Okay, I see your point. But someone's gonna have to go after him before he does something...bad." They had sensed Vegeta's power tantrum in the Australian archipelago when it had happened a month ago with some concern. They didn't want a repeat of that performance in an area that was populated.

Yamcha's eyes widened in alarm and Gohan only looked perplexed by the whole thing. Only Piccolo stood his place and his expression never changed when he understood his role was to play the reluctant matchmaker. "I'll find him," he said in a low voice. He pointed a taloned finger at Yamcha who blanched in fear. "You. Go back to Capsule Corp. and try to undo some of the damage you've caused. Use Gokou or Gohan as character witnesses. Fetch Krillin if you have to. This mess has got to be cleaned up, alright?"

Hesitantly, Yamcha nodded and, satisfied Piccolo took to the air without another word or a backward glance at the trio. He was already in the process of mentally preparing himself for what was going to be a delicate operation against someone with even worse of a hair-trigger temper than his own.

Personally, Piccolo preferred to be the sole person to confront Vegeta, recognizing a kindred spirit with the alien that he did not share with anyone else on this planet. It went beyond extraterrestrial origins or reciprocal dispositions and lay chiefly in the fact that, at one time, their goals had been virtually identical:

Kill Gokou. Destroy the Earth. In that order.

There was an irony to the current plight that nobody seemed to bother touching on and it gnawed away at the back of Piccolo's mind as he continued his search. He himself had been wrecking havoc on the planet ever since Kami had sloughed off his evil negativity that had given him life as the Demon King. With relentless hatred, he had taunted Gokou and the others for over ten years and left nothing but chaos in his wake. Here he was now, kindly accepted among the Z Fighter ranks with hardly any opposition. Vegeta on the other hand, had scarcely been on earth an hour in his first appearance and had redeemed himself on Namek. Yet everyone on Earth still regarded him as the scourge of the galaxy to be feared and despised. That didn't appear very fair to Piccolo. He had found redemption in his own soul thanks to Gohan's trust and love. Rather than be jealous of the attention, Gokou actually encouraged the bond between his only child and his former enemy. Vegeta deserved the right to discover the same with Bulma and not be subjected to the embittered interference of an ex-lover.

But what can I possibly say to him? Piccolo wondered repeatedly as he descended over northern North America homing in on Vegeta's distinctive ki. Reasoning with the mercurial Saiyan would be next to impossible if he was in the throes of another tantrum. If it came to a conflict he was outclassed despite all of the setbacks that Yamcha had told them of the Saiyan's training. He wasn't sure what he could do.

Mercifully, a voice came into his mind and provided a solution.


The lone grizzly, a huge hulking beast at the height of its prime, prowled the entrance of its den with growing agitation. He had staked out this site days earlier, listening to the telltale signs of an approaching winter that sang in his bones, imploring him to seek out an appropriate shelter in preparation for hibernation. Guarding his territory religiously, he peered into the depths of the barren cavity of rock in bewilderment sensing something was not quite right. He released one low growl of inquiry.

Someone or some...thing growled back.

Backing away in alarm, the grizzly snorted his displeasure. He raised himself on his muscular hind legs and stood at his full height of over nine feet as he bellowed a roar of challenge at the intruder. When he got no answer he began to pace restlessly back and forth outside of the cavern, his thunderous cries growing in volume with his rage. By the time the intruder emerged from the lair, the grizzly immediately charged its impressive bulk towards the slight figure with the full intention of ripping it to shreds.

Eager to meet the challenge, Vegeta bared his teeth in a feral grin and dropped the object he was holding under his right arm. He lowered himself down to a deceptive crouch as if eager to meet this new threat head-on. An instant before the great bear was on him, he leapt straight up into the air. The grizzly, a seasoned veteran bearing the scars of many territorial skirmishes, skidded to a halt and glanced around in confusion an instant before Vegeta's elbow connected with it's spine and snapped it like a twig.

Driven brutally down into the dirt, it's hind-legs dead, front limbs scrambling for futile purchase, the grizzly snapped at the empty air. His teeth gnashed together like a livid vice as he tried to locate the attacker. A roar of pure outrage dissolved into a whimper as a blurred fist smashed against his head, crushing the jaw and breaking several teeth. A second blow shattered the immense skull, the inhuman pressure actually causing the grizzly's eyes to protrude from their sockets.

Vegeta watched the bear's death-throes with cold contempt, his bloodlust piqued and far from sated. He evaded one lashing paw and brought his fist down into the bear's ribcage, collapsing it. His arm went in past the elbow, bathing it in warm wetness and the smell of the blood further amplified his crazed fury. He picked up the huge bear effortlessly and threw it against a nearby tree, shattering both. He did that again and again until all that was left was a fur-wrapped bundle of burst organs and broken bones that no longer bore any resemblance to its former, proud self.

Breathing heavily, Vegeta licked at the gore smeared across the palm of one hand and the coppery taste awakened a hunger in him that he had neglected to correct for some days now. He was famished. Compulsively, he began tearing through the mangled chest of the bear and tore loose the steaming prize, opening his mouth with eager anticipation. The heart hung poised about an inch from his mouth before he realized he was no longer alone.

Standing several yards away, Piccolo was watching the gruesome scene with silent contemplation. With dispassionate calmness, Vegeta extended his hand towards him, which was still clasped around the heart and politely inquired, "Come to join the picnic?"

"I'll pass," the Namek said coolly.

"Too bad." He finished the act by taking a bite from the still-warm organ and grinning through a mask of blood. "You don't know what you're missing."

Oh, I'm sure I do, Piccolo wanted to add but chose to remain silent as he watched the Saiyan consume his grisly meal and then proceed to wipe his hands on the bear's fur. "Yamcha told me what happened."

"Oh yeah? Which version did he use this time?" Vegeta was unable to keep the bitterness out of his voice.

Ignoring the sarcasm, the Namek persisted, "This situation will blow over if you'd only come back and explain your side to-"

"I shouldn't have to 'explain' anything!"

"Vegeta, human's are emotional creatures. I'm sure if we both went back to Capsule Corp. you'd find the whole thing was just a misunderstanding-"

"How the hell would you know? You weren't even there!"

Attempting a different angle, Piccolo said, "Bulma is very upset by all of this. Perhaps you should go back to her and talk things over. I'm sure that both of you would benefit from such an exchange-"

"Do NOT interfere in my personal affairs, Namek," Vegeta hissed. "What do you know about relationships, anyway? You're the only race I've ever met that can take the expression; 'Go fuck yourself' literally. Stay out of my life!"

Despite the harsh wording he had a point, Piccolo admitted to himself. As an asexual being he didn't know the first thing about human dating rituals or the eccentricities associated with courtship and, truth be told, he didn't want to know. From his perspective the concept of human pairings was a needless, disgusting waste of energy best used elsewhere. Fortunately, thanks to Gohan, he now anticipated the sensation of companionship and relished the thought of another's company and figured he was one up on the Saiyan in that department. "I've come to bring you back."

Vegeta looked at him sharply, hearing the unvoiced threat in those six simple words and not liking it one bit. He offered the Namek a callous sneer and picked up the object he had discarded before killing the grizzly. "I'm busy. Go bother someone else," he said and powered up his ki and flew off.

Piccolo recognized what Vegeta was carrying with sudden alarm. He blasted after the Saiyan with a cry of fury and cut off his route of escape, extending his arms as he yelled; "What are you doing with a Dragonball?"

Looking down at the object under his arm as if it was the first time he'd seen it, Vegeta drawled in a mocking tone; "Oh...this silly old thing? Just something I picked up in my travels, that's all."

Glowering at him sidelong in one long, measuring glance, the Namek ventured, "You could not have sensed that one on your own."

"I had a little help," Vegeta admitted. With that infuriating smirk on his face he pulled out a large circular object out of the pocket of his jacket. It looked like an oversized pocket watch with a garish green dial.

"The Dragonball radar," Piccolo grumbled. "How-"

"Skulking around under Frieza's shadow has taught me allot about subterfuge and infiltration. For all of their wealth, Capsule Corp. has piss-poor security. I doubt that anyone has even noticed it's missing. By the time they do...it'll be too late to matter." He chuckled under his breath.

Piccolo seethed with anger as all of his thoughts of possible redemption on the fellow warrior's soul came crashing down in his mind. He recalled the proud words of an adoring son from the future. A sensation of reluctant acceptance from their allies as he settled on Earth. They had all been fools to think that Vegeta had changed for the better when he had just reverted back to his old ways. Without warning, all of the bitterness and rage he had bottled up from their very first encounter came to the fore and he tensened his muscles, the veins rippling underneath of the green and pink surface of his skin like sluggish worms.

"You can't make any wishes, Vegeta. The Dragonballs need a year to recharge." The Dragonball the Saiyan was holding was only an indistinguishable orange-colored rock in its current state.

"By the time I track them all down it'll be close to that," the Saiyan told him. All pretenses of patience were gone and he flared his ki shield in preparation for combat. "I can wait until they're ready to make my wish."

Fangs bared, Piccolo flew into him with the force of a missile and drove them back down into the thick woods. Vegeta barely had the time to throw the Dragonball to safety before they clashed. Neither spared any quarter for the other as they exchanged a lightening-fast flurry of blows and then began releasing ki blasts that transformed the woods into a flaming pyre. Their personal shields protected them from the worst of it, as the dry timber became a suffocating conflagration that boxed them in on all sides. Vegeta leapt into a churning pall of thick smoke, becoming lost to the incensed Namek's sight. An instant later he appeared directly behind him with a glowing left palm. The Big Bang attack smashed into Piccolo's vulnerable back and propelled the large alien through the flaming brush and knocked aside rubble and trees from his path for over an acre of distance.

Before giving chase, the enormity of the forest-fire they had created dawned on Vegeta as the battle-lust slipped from his vision. For no reason he could decipher he was reminded of Bulma's nagging pitch of voice when she had collected him from that barren archipelago, going on about how he had needlessly destroyed the area even though it had been uninhabited. There was wildlife in these thick woods that would die from this inferno and he knew that would upset her enormously.

What the hell do I care? he admonished himself as he followed the clear path of devastation that marked where the Namek had been thrown by the blast. Humans have their own devices to deal with such disasters. Let them clean it up.

Still...he glanced backwards. It was yet such a small fire, easily contained of caught early. Gritting his teeth, he concentrated on collecting his ki as he envisioned the woods around him and raised one glowing hand before slamming the palm directly into the dirt. There was a heavy sensation of a thick blanket of air that descended on the area. It pushed out the flammable oxygen and asphyxiated the flames in one swift stroke, leaving smoldering debris in its wake.

Vegeta had the thought; Bulma would be pleased, before he trampled it. He couldn't believe he had even entertained the notion of her concern and was infuriated with himself because if it. It only justified his reasoning further in seeking out the Dragonballs and setting things to rights. Earth had damaged him irreparably; it was time to correct that damage.

Just as he turned away from his inspection of the extinguished blaze, a mountain of green fury plowed into him. Several blows got through his lowered defenses until he had the clarity of mind to thrust out his defensive shield and force the Namek backwards. Piccolo, his weighted cape now reduced to a singed shawl, fired a huge ball of energy that was guaranteed to incinerate its target. Taking a desperate gamble that his attempts at his training may have actually accomplished something, Vegeta dove into the blast course and punched it upward away from the volatile timber. It detonated a mile above them, the shockwave spiraling out in a circular shower of red-tinged smoke. The ground actually vibrated from the intensity of it.

Piccolo realized he was gaping in astonishment and quickly closed his mouth but the rare look was lost to Vegeta who was shaking his badly burned hand and snarling a stream of curses at him. Sparing a glance around his surroundings, the Namek took note that the fire was out and he'd had no part in its eradication. He marginally lowered his energy shield and took measure of the smaller man in front of him, unable to hide the confusion on his face. "You put out the fire."

Blowing air on the blisters forming on his knuckles, Vegeta scowled at him. "It was getting too hot for my taste."

He had personally deflected the blast into the air rather than avoid it and let it fly into the timber, Piccolo brooded. Why would he do that?

"Something is not right here..." he muttered under his breath, angry with himself for not seeing something he knew he should have under calmer circumstances. Perhaps...perhaps Vegeta had not reverted back to type, as he had feared. Maybe he had been wrong to jump to such hasty conclusions-

The Saiyan didn't give him any chance to debate the issues further as he released one of his feral bellows and moved in like a blur. They brawled in the smoldering debris until they were filthy with the clinging ash and blood from their wounds. Both antagonists were fairly matched despite the obvious differences in size. Piccolo was immensely strong and his time as Gokou's personal battering ram had sharpened his fighting skills considerably. The Saiyan's reflexes were immeasurably quick and his martial arts were of an alien ilk that made coming up with defenses a tricky affair.

"You're weakening, Namek," Vegeta snarled with satisfaction.

"If I fall to you, the others will rise in my place," Piccolo assured him, struggling to catch his breath. "We'll never let you get the Dragonballs."

"I told you to stay out of my business."

The larger alien was shaking his head determinedly. "Not this time. You didn't get your chance at immortality on Namek, and I'll be damned if you're going to get it here!"

That visage of anger slipped from Vegeta face for a moment before he erected it with difficulty. A haunted light had come to his eyes that Piccolo had never seen before and returned his earlier feeling of unease. He was about to start with the questions again until the Saiyan resumed his attack, sensing his hesitation. Dodging a flurry of fists and feet, Piccolo was caught in an unexpected defensive and the thought of who that attacker was renewed his previous animosity. With a snarl of malice, he raised one fist high in the air and brought it down in a glowing arc.

An instant before the terrible blow fell, Vegeta dropped his protective field of energy and calmly closed his eyes, waiting for it. Piccolo barely had the wits to power down on the punch before it collided with the Saiyan's face, knocking him brutally off of his feet and propelling him several meters away where he lay in a crumpled heap, unmoving.

His muscles twitching in agitation, Piccolo tried to make sense of what had just happened. He tried blinking away the sight of Vegeta's calm expression as he waited for the blow that would have ripped his head from his shoulders if he, himself hadn't held back at the last possible instant. Just what the HELL was going on here? He looked around at the remains of the fire again, sensing the Saiyan's ki that had smothered it. Lastly, he searched for the Dragonball. It was lying nearby on a thatch of crisp grass, only three months charged; The sole witness to this puzzling confrontation and only adding more questions with its very presence.

Vegeta uttered one low moan and struggled to sit up. He spat out a mouthful of blood and saw one tooth lying in the gore. Despite the sight he raised his eyes to Piccolo and there was only vague resentment on his face when he said, "You held back."

"If I hadn't, that punch would have taken your head off!" Piccolo snapped.

Again he only got that disquieting expression in response to his words. If the Namek had to place a word on the emotion he was seeing he would have had to call it disappointment. Continuing his earlier train of thought, he looked to the lone Dragonball again. "Why are you collecting the Dragonballs, Vegeta?"

"I thought you had all of the answers, Namek," Vegeta grumbled as he got slowly to his feet. It appeared as if the fight had finally left him after that last blow. He swayed on his feet for a moment before he collected his bearings, rubbing his jaw with a scowl.

"You're not gathering them to wish for immortality, are you?" Piccolo asked. When he got no response, he snarled. "Answer me!"

"Just ignore me for nine more months. After that I'll finish up what you were too chicken-shit to do," Vegeta said impassively.

There was silence between the two antagonists as they faced one another in the smoldering clearing. Far off, a raven was calling to its mates as if to inform them that the coast was clear; that everything was all right.

It dawned on Piccolo that nothing was all right. It wasn't even close to it. One look at the Saiyan's eyes told him that. Usually blazing with arrogance or rage they were strikingly dull to the Namek's probing stare and that worried him more than he would have ever thought possible. He never thought he would live to see a day when the Saiyan's belligerence was cowed into submission. In a hollow voice, he muttered, "You-you're going to wish to be dead again..."

Vegeta shook his head. "I'm just going to correct a mistake, that's all."

"I don't understand."

The Saiyan's shoulders slumped in defeat as he stared at the Dragonball, his eyes were vague. "The original wish to return the dead was phrased wrong; 'Bring back everyone who was killed by Frieza'." He snorted and shook his head in disgust. "I wasn't supposed to be included. Everybody knows that. My presence on this mudball is a joke. I'm just going to set things right."

Piccolo couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I must have hit you harder than I thought. It sounds to me like you're choosing to give up like some petulant little child who didn't get his way."

He didn't get the flash of indignation he had been hoping for. "Call it what you want, Namek," came the softly spoken response.

"The Vegeta I know would never give in to such a cowardly act."

"The Vegeta you knew died on Namek. He should have been left there to rot," he chose as his answer. He considered the charred brush around him, as he became lost in thought. In a voice nearly a whisper he added, "I want to go back to that. There was no more pain. No more humiliation. No more nightmares. Just... darkness. I want what was taken away from me; I want to be left in peace."

"I can't believe you're just giving up like this. It's pathetic!" Piccolo growled at him, walking a short distance away. He kicked aside a branch as big around as his thigh and came stalking back. "What's the real reason behind this nonsense, Vegeta? Don't give me any of that pride rhetoric of yours either."

"I don't have much pride left, Namek. Most of it was forfeited just for the clothes on my back," Vegeta told him, the words dripping with bitterness. His features were haggard and drawn, revealing to the stunned Namek how many nights he must have laid awake plagued by the very things he was about to confess. "I should be the King of a galactic empire with millions under my command right now. Not be reduced to living among lowly humans wondering where my next meal is coming from. This planet is slowly killing me one day at a time and I've no where else to go. At least grant me some respect to make a wish that will put me out of my misery."

Piccolo squinted at him in annoyance. "You'll be regarded as a weak coward, you know that don't you?"

"I all ready know what gets said behind my back, Namek. It's a great big joke that your pre-pubescent student kicked my ass the first time I was here on Earth. On Namek I bawled like a baby and it took Kakarott to finish off Frieza. Please enlighten me if I've forgotten any more humiliating encounters." Vegeta said with his customary sarcasm. He was physically and emotionally drained but the taunting dark humor was there. It always would be. "Oh yes, of course! I also lost my tail; the very definition of a true Saiyan warrior. That's the most maddening of the entire situation because I swear I can still feel the damn thing twitching behind me but when I reach for it, there's nothing there. I-have-had-enough. So leave me alone, Namek, so I can continue what I've started."

There was nothing Piccolo could say or do that would successfully bait Vegeta on this issue. It was clear that his mind had been made up and focused on this task long before he had ever showed up. Attempting to sway him with words was going to be an impossibility but he was determined to make the effort. "I'm not going to let you make that wish," he said firmly.

"Then finish what you were going to do."

Piccolo tensened at the memory of the near miss of his earlier punch. He had been so close..."No."

"Then fuck off. I've got work to do," Vegeta snapped as he went to retrieve his Dragonball and continue the hunt that would see to his destruction. Just as he bent down to grab it, a low powered ki blast knocked it beyond his reach. He squeezed his hands into knotted fists and grappled with his rage. At length he straightened again and faced the Namek, his face pale and very, very tired. It was obvious that he was in sorry shape to continue the fight but he would if he had to and they both knew it.

"We're not finished here," Piccolo assured him. "Honestly, Vegeta. What would Bulma think about your committing suicide like this? Have you given any thought about her at all?"

Vegeta's eyes narrowed suspiciously and the Namek was encouraged by the barest flicker of emotion he saw in response to the mentioning her name.

"Why do you keep on harping about that woman, Namek?" he asked warily. "Of everyone on this stupid planet, you've mentioned her twice. Why is she supposed to be of any concern to me?"

Out of desperation, Piccolo reasoned that perhaps the Saiyan might be able to handle the prophecy from the future after all. As things were going, it appeared to be a last ditch effort at best. "Vegeta, I'm trying to tell you that-" He flinched as that presence was back in his head, cautioning him against saying anything more at such a volume that he squeezed his eyes shut. "Okay! Okay!" he hollered, waving his arms in the air. "What the hell do I tell him then?" Listening, he nodded to himself several times, frowned and then grumbled, "Well, you can try that. But I don't think-" He visibly winced again.

Watching the show with bored, half-interest Vegeta commented to no one in particular, "I'm witnessing a Schizophrenic Namek. Will wonders never cease."

"Shut up, Vegeta. I was talking to someone important."

"No shit. I'm just going to take my Dragonball and you can continue your little mental debate-"

Smiling for no apparent reason, Piccolo told him, "I have to take you to meet someone. In fact, HE wants to talk to you personally."

Vegeta regarded him as if he had completely lost his mind. He released a dry snort and looked away, crossing his arms in defiance as he jeered, "I'm not going any-"

Piccolo was on him like a blur. With one deft blow he cold-cocked the Saiyan and hefted him effortlessly over one massive shoulder. He picked up the Dragonball with his free arm and took to the sky without delay.

"I sure hope this works," he grumbled under his breath.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chapter Nine: Where is Piccolo taking Vegeta? It's someone with some answers as well as some startling revelations about the Saiyan's destiny and very little of it is good news...