A/N: Thanks for all the reviews. I appreciate it a lot. It's actually
been fairly strange to replace Future Trunks with a Future Vegeta. They
are both such good characters and I thought a different twist on both of
them could work out pretty well and yes, I do know that the term
'doppelganger' is not the exact correct term to describe a future
counterpart but it close enough in this situation.
Set to "Stillborn" by Black Label Society
A strong gust of wind blew over the charred terrain, rustling the dust and fragments of the final battle of the once mighty Colds, their end brought about by a blazing avenger in the form of Vegeta. But how could it be Vegeta? The Prince was standing on a hill along with the other Senshi, but he was also hovering over the battlefield in the state of a triumphant Super Saiyan.
The doppelganger floated down to the ground, looking up into the scattered clouds and closing his eyes. Slowly, the unholy blaze in his hair faded away as did the vicious teal in his eyes. His strained muscles relaxed as he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He turned his piercing gaze towards the group of warriors on the hilltop and crossed his arms, as if waiting for something.
He had indeed been waiting for something for a very long time, but no one would know, at least not yet.
Vegeta straightened out his shirt and took off, heading for an isolated area of untouched terrain. The other fighters, especially the original Vegeta, grimaced from what they sensed from him. Pain, such pain and frustration lay within him, something that not even Frieza could have ever caused. What could make him feel like that?
Without a word, Vegeta dashed off after his Super Saiyan double.
"Arrogant bastard," growled Piccolo, following behind him.
The others soon joined in the pursuit. Yamcha was having a hard enough time keeping Bulma calm let alone mentally dealing with what was happening. The group eventually landed next to the other Vegeta on the windswept landscape, their eyes locked on to the strange visitor who stood with his back facing the group. The tension became too much to stand.
"Face us, NOW!" demanded the original Vegeta.
The other Prince snorted and crossed his arms.
"No one makes demands of me," he whispered, turning to face his counterpart. "Especially you."
"WHY YOU!" snarled Vegeta, assuming a battle stance.
"Vegeta don't!" exclaimed Tien.
The other Vegeta closed his eyes and smirked.
"The emotions you despise now will become the ones you cherish."
The first Vegeta was taken aback.
"What the hell are you talking about!?"
Their eyes now met for the first time, both sets hard, gleaming and cold like steel, their darkness not just coming from their color. The connection was instantaneous. The two Vegetas were so much alike, but yet the second was so much different, his spirit tarnished by something unknown, something the first Vegeta had yet to experience.
Vegeta's doppelganger shifted his gaze to each person in the Senshi moving one by one. It passed from Tien, Choutsu, and then to Piccolo. He nodded to the Namek who returned the gesture out of newfound respect. His piercing gaze then fell upon Yamcha. Shockingly, Vegeta burst out laughing.
"What's so funny!?" demanded Yamcha.
"Nothing fool, it's just that I almost forgot what you looked like with your head still on your puny shoulders."
Yamcha nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Hu... huh?"
Next was Gohan, who stumbled and fell backwards as Vegeta's double approached him. Gohan slowly opened his tightly squeezed eyes and almost gasped in shock at seeing Vegeta's outstretched hand offering its assistance. The demi Saiyan slowly took the stranger's hand and was pulled to his feet, looking up at him with awe and wonder. The look was returned only with a sense of emptiness and loss.
"You're still so damn innocent," whispered Vegeta. "Try your best to hang on to that, and your heritage."
"Uh... OK Mr. Vegeta," stammered Gohan.
Vegeta nodded and gave a ghost of a smile. It was good to see him again...
"Mr. Vegeta," said Gohan. "You were a Super Saiyan when you beat Frieza and that big guy weren't you? Like my dad?"
Vegeta gritted his teeth and looked away.
"Yeah kid, like your dad..."
Finally, he turned to Bulma. To the shock of everyone, the second Vegeta's hard exterior seemed to immediately fall away when he saw her. Bulma gazed at him in wonderment. He was looking at her with... such kindness. She stood her ground as he slowly walked toward her, never taking his gaze away from her astonished face. Even Bulma could sense the intense feelings radiating from this new Vegeta. She had been dreaming of the Vegeta she knew looking at her like that for so long and here he was, in a way.
The others, especially Yamcha, were too shocked to speak when Vegeta cupped her cheek in one of his strong hands and looked deeply into her ocean blue eyes. No one had ever looked at her quite like that before.
*If he's so cold and mean, then how can he be this gentle?* thought Bulma.
What she saw next made her heart melt. The Super Saiyan's eyes were shimmering. She raised a trembling hand and brushed the tears away from his face and then across the scar on his right cheek. He then took her hand firmly but lovingly in his.
"Bul... ma..."
The moment was interrupted as all of the Senshi sensed a massive power coming from the sky miles away. The approaching ki was incredibly strong but yet gentle at the same time.
"Kakarot!" yelled the first Vegeta.
"Goku!" responded the Senshi.
With all of the cheering around them, the two Vegeta's watched the sky as a beacon of burning light appeared from Goku's ship entering the atmosphere. In another few seconds his ship smashed into the ground right in front of the doppelganger, who did not budge from the resounding crash, wind and debris sweeping around but not fazing him.
The hatch of the capsule swung open and a familiar disheveled spiky hairdo became visible followed by that goofy grin.
"Uh, hey guys!" greeted Goku.
"Daddy!"
"Hey there Goku!" exclaimed Krillan.
Goku leaped to the ground sporting strange alien clothing attire and his usual cheerful attitude.
"Gosh, it's great to see everyone!" said Goku. "Piccolo and Vegeta I'm glad to see you're both OK! Oh hi son, you've even grown some since I've been gone. Oh hey Vegeta... WHAT THERE'S TWO OF YOU!?"
"Well duh!" said the first Prince.
The other Vegeta stared at Goku intently, who returned the look. Silence fell over the landscape as the stare-down continued. Vegeta straightened his leather vest, still having a hard time believing that Goku was actually right in front of him after so long.
"You and I must talk Kakarot, now!" said Vegeta.
Goku nodded, attempting to hide his confusion.
The two landed a mile away from the group, still facing each other. Goku could not get over the ki and raw anger coming from this man who appeared to be Vegeta's double.
"Before we continue, I must see if you're as strong as I remember you to be," growled Vegeta.
"Huh?"
Goku braced himself as Vegeta began to power up...
Set to "Stillborn" by Black Label Society
A strong gust of wind blew over the charred terrain, rustling the dust and fragments of the final battle of the once mighty Colds, their end brought about by a blazing avenger in the form of Vegeta. But how could it be Vegeta? The Prince was standing on a hill along with the other Senshi, but he was also hovering over the battlefield in the state of a triumphant Super Saiyan.
The doppelganger floated down to the ground, looking up into the scattered clouds and closing his eyes. Slowly, the unholy blaze in his hair faded away as did the vicious teal in his eyes. His strained muscles relaxed as he could finally breathe a sigh of relief. He turned his piercing gaze towards the group of warriors on the hilltop and crossed his arms, as if waiting for something.
He had indeed been waiting for something for a very long time, but no one would know, at least not yet.
Vegeta straightened out his shirt and took off, heading for an isolated area of untouched terrain. The other fighters, especially the original Vegeta, grimaced from what they sensed from him. Pain, such pain and frustration lay within him, something that not even Frieza could have ever caused. What could make him feel like that?
Without a word, Vegeta dashed off after his Super Saiyan double.
"Arrogant bastard," growled Piccolo, following behind him.
The others soon joined in the pursuit. Yamcha was having a hard enough time keeping Bulma calm let alone mentally dealing with what was happening. The group eventually landed next to the other Vegeta on the windswept landscape, their eyes locked on to the strange visitor who stood with his back facing the group. The tension became too much to stand.
"Face us, NOW!" demanded the original Vegeta.
The other Prince snorted and crossed his arms.
"No one makes demands of me," he whispered, turning to face his counterpart. "Especially you."
"WHY YOU!" snarled Vegeta, assuming a battle stance.
"Vegeta don't!" exclaimed Tien.
The other Vegeta closed his eyes and smirked.
"The emotions you despise now will become the ones you cherish."
The first Vegeta was taken aback.
"What the hell are you talking about!?"
Their eyes now met for the first time, both sets hard, gleaming and cold like steel, their darkness not just coming from their color. The connection was instantaneous. The two Vegetas were so much alike, but yet the second was so much different, his spirit tarnished by something unknown, something the first Vegeta had yet to experience.
Vegeta's doppelganger shifted his gaze to each person in the Senshi moving one by one. It passed from Tien, Choutsu, and then to Piccolo. He nodded to the Namek who returned the gesture out of newfound respect. His piercing gaze then fell upon Yamcha. Shockingly, Vegeta burst out laughing.
"What's so funny!?" demanded Yamcha.
"Nothing fool, it's just that I almost forgot what you looked like with your head still on your puny shoulders."
Yamcha nearly jumped out of his skin.
"Hu... huh?"
Next was Gohan, who stumbled and fell backwards as Vegeta's double approached him. Gohan slowly opened his tightly squeezed eyes and almost gasped in shock at seeing Vegeta's outstretched hand offering its assistance. The demi Saiyan slowly took the stranger's hand and was pulled to his feet, looking up at him with awe and wonder. The look was returned only with a sense of emptiness and loss.
"You're still so damn innocent," whispered Vegeta. "Try your best to hang on to that, and your heritage."
"Uh... OK Mr. Vegeta," stammered Gohan.
Vegeta nodded and gave a ghost of a smile. It was good to see him again...
"Mr. Vegeta," said Gohan. "You were a Super Saiyan when you beat Frieza and that big guy weren't you? Like my dad?"
Vegeta gritted his teeth and looked away.
"Yeah kid, like your dad..."
Finally, he turned to Bulma. To the shock of everyone, the second Vegeta's hard exterior seemed to immediately fall away when he saw her. Bulma gazed at him in wonderment. He was looking at her with... such kindness. She stood her ground as he slowly walked toward her, never taking his gaze away from her astonished face. Even Bulma could sense the intense feelings radiating from this new Vegeta. She had been dreaming of the Vegeta she knew looking at her like that for so long and here he was, in a way.
The others, especially Yamcha, were too shocked to speak when Vegeta cupped her cheek in one of his strong hands and looked deeply into her ocean blue eyes. No one had ever looked at her quite like that before.
*If he's so cold and mean, then how can he be this gentle?* thought Bulma.
What she saw next made her heart melt. The Super Saiyan's eyes were shimmering. She raised a trembling hand and brushed the tears away from his face and then across the scar on his right cheek. He then took her hand firmly but lovingly in his.
"Bul... ma..."
The moment was interrupted as all of the Senshi sensed a massive power coming from the sky miles away. The approaching ki was incredibly strong but yet gentle at the same time.
"Kakarot!" yelled the first Vegeta.
"Goku!" responded the Senshi.
With all of the cheering around them, the two Vegeta's watched the sky as a beacon of burning light appeared from Goku's ship entering the atmosphere. In another few seconds his ship smashed into the ground right in front of the doppelganger, who did not budge from the resounding crash, wind and debris sweeping around but not fazing him.
The hatch of the capsule swung open and a familiar disheveled spiky hairdo became visible followed by that goofy grin.
"Uh, hey guys!" greeted Goku.
"Daddy!"
"Hey there Goku!" exclaimed Krillan.
Goku leaped to the ground sporting strange alien clothing attire and his usual cheerful attitude.
"Gosh, it's great to see everyone!" said Goku. "Piccolo and Vegeta I'm glad to see you're both OK! Oh hi son, you've even grown some since I've been gone. Oh hey Vegeta... WHAT THERE'S TWO OF YOU!?"
"Well duh!" said the first Prince.
The other Vegeta stared at Goku intently, who returned the look. Silence fell over the landscape as the stare-down continued. Vegeta straightened his leather vest, still having a hard time believing that Goku was actually right in front of him after so long.
"You and I must talk Kakarot, now!" said Vegeta.
Goku nodded, attempting to hide his confusion.
The two landed a mile away from the group, still facing each other. Goku could not get over the ki and raw anger coming from this man who appeared to be Vegeta's double.
"Before we continue, I must see if you're as strong as I remember you to be," growled Vegeta.
"Huh?"
Goku braced himself as Vegeta began to power up...