I wish I owned DBZ, but I don't. I own DVD's and tapes, but it just isn't the same. I also don't own the right to any of the music pieces you may see selected, just copies of merchandise, such a shame. The artists that created them are geniuses and we all must bow to them.
Chapter 4: First Tests
Videl hit the buzzer and a tall blond woman answered the door. I grimaced, it was going to take awhile to adjust to being short again.
"Is Bulma available?" Videl asked.
"No I'm sorry, my daughter is visiting her friend Chichi and she wont be back until dinnertime. If it's a mechanical problem my husband is here," Mrs. Briefs said.
"Well my helicopter needs maintenance, this boy here wanted to see Miss Bulma," Videl spoke for me.
Mrs. Briefs looked down at me, "You look just like Trunks, my grandson! Only he has blue eyes and purple hair...well sometimes blond...and his eyes are sometimes green...oh you wouldn't believe the appetite he has...oh and the temper sometimes, just like his father...and..." she rambled. Wow, she obviously doesn't stop once she gets going.
"Okay, can I see Dr. Briefs then? I'm not sure what to do with him, can he just wait in the lobby or something?" Videl said, stopping the endless banter, and hopefully not catching too much.
"Oh sure, just wait right over there and I'll call my husband to come look at your helicopter," she finally said, pointing out a sofa to sit on. Videl sat down and crossed her arms and legs, waiting impatiently. For some reason I just couldn't sit down, so I leaned on the wall behind the couch, crossing my arms as well and closing my eyes.
"You got a name kid?" Videl asked without turning.
I paused for a second, "Verto."
After a minute or two, Mrs. Briefs came back in, "My husband will see you in a few minutes. So Miss Satan, how goes the crime fighting business?"
Videl shrugged slightly, "Well pretty easy sometimes, most of the bad guys go down in one punch. I get the occasional fighter, but they don't last long, I guess being the daughter of Mr. Satan has its strength perks." All the while, she nervously turned her head towards me, but didn't go much further than that.
"That sounds nice dear, oh shoot Vegeta is going to want lunch anytime now."
"Who's Vegeta?" Videl asked.
"My son in law, kinda cute, but my daughter snagged him quick. I don't know what she saw in him, but I have a grandson because of him so it's ok."
"Oh he's that guy, the one with strange hair that is Miss Bulma's supposed husband, what a creep he is. I really hope he gives me the chance to kick the crap out of him!" Videl stated. On cue I began to hear loud footsteps.
"IN LAW WOMAN! WHERES MY FOOD!" came Vegeta's voice, unmistakable. Sure enough, the Saiyan prince himself rounded the corner to the lobby, by the looks of it, he'd been in training all day long. He didn't pay any notice to me right away, just a glance over. "Who's the girl?" he snapped.
"Videl Satan, in to see Dr. Briefs about her helicopter. Don't mind me, I'll try my best not to stay here too long. At least you're not relentlessly beating your son on the front lawn for the world to see today!" Videl snapped up.
Vegeta smirked, "Girl's got spunk, impressive to see that in the spawn of a coward!"
"My father saved this world and your butt by defeating Cell! I didn't hear of any great Vegeta doing it, where were you during the Cell games, under your bed?" Videl fired back.
"Ringside," Vegeta said. Videl didn't seem to respond to that, just kept her pissed off glare kept on Vegeta. That's when the prince's eyes turned to me, "Who's the kid?" I suddenly felt as if there were fifty or more of him in the room, all staring down at me. It was that intimidating.
"Why does that matter to you jerk? He's here to see your wife, Bulma. Someone with a little class, something you wouldn't know anything about," Videl snapped again. I usually pegged spots of a conversation to jump into, but now it just didn't seem like a good idea.
"This is also my house and I have the right to know who is in it and what their business is, especially if it pertains to my mate! State your business boy!" he demanded. Videl kept her deathly glare on Vegeta, who didn't seem to care as he glared down at me. "Well speak up boy! If its important to my mate, its important to me!" he said, a little louder now.
"Not sure if I can just yet," I said, pointing to Videl, who grunted in response.
"What do you mean boy? Quit being so damned vague!" he shouted. All I did was unravel my tail just a little bit and let him get a good look at it before putting it back around my waist so Videl didn't see. His eyes narrowed a bit, making me wonder if I shouldn't have just come back later. He continued the stare down with me, neither one of us really saying a word, you could've cut the air with a knife cause of all the tension.
"Videl, Dr. Briefs will see you now," Mrs. Briefs said, pointing out the proper hallway.
Videl didn't want to leave, and she voiced her opinion, "You gonna try and beat up this one too?" Vegeta didn't answer her at all, keeping his death glare on me the entire time even as she left.
Vegeta waited until she was gone to speak, "Come with me, boy!" Turning and heading in the opposite direction. I gulped and followed behind Vegeta, but stayed at least five steps away just in case. The incredibly built prince was quite intimidating, my lack of size and age probably didn't help me much. We turned and twisted through the halls of the huge building, until finally coming to a huge metal door with a steering wheel type handle. There was a warning sign on the door, "Warning: Gravity Room! Extreme Pressure! Enter at your own risk!" Well the last part sure held meaning. He opened it and beckoned me to enter. I did, trying not to look too hesitant.
"Calm down boy, your jitteriness is pouring off you," he said as he closed the door.
I suppose it was a little obvious, "Sorry, its been a long time since I've been this nervous," I said as I turned back to face him.
"Well, who are you? You're obviously at least part Saiyan, the tail shows it all," he said, getting to the point. I was still shaking a bit and too jittery to answer, his solid body and bad attitude just seemed to shut me down. Quick as a flash, he had me upside down by my tail, which didn't paralyze me for some reason. Sure it hurt but not like it had when the dog had nipped it, and Vegeta noticed it too, but ignored it. "SPILL IT!" he said, dropping me back down to the hard floor.
"Well there's so much to tell, how about I start with this?" I pulled out the two capsules that Trunks gave me and opened them. When the smoke cleared, the time machine appeared along side a dresser, though at least the dresser didn't fill up the room. Opening the dresser drawers, I found Trunks' armor and the sword, but also a note, written in a different language.
"What language is this?" I said while holding it. Vegeta snatched it away and looked it over, reading it as if he understood it, which he did.
"This is Saiyan language. It's the generally the same as basic, but we use different symbols. My son from the future wrote this and sent it with you, asking for Bulma and I to care for you and enclosed details of your background. Tell me, why is it that he did not come with you? That would've been a lot easier!"
I took a deep breath, "We ran into Frieza when we were leaving my solar system, he was coming for me I think," I said, disclosing the information of the entire encounter before leaving in the time ship.
After getting to the part where I left, he stopped me, "I'm dying to know what you said to Frieza to get him riled up."
I chuckled slightly as I repeated part of the conversation for him:"Shut your fuckin trap you piece of shit! The only thing your good for is beating up and killing the weak and innocent! You're the most pathetic form of pond scum I've ever seen, go to hell and roast with the rest of the trash!"
"Silence child! How dare you speak to the Lord of the Universe in such a way!"
"Apparently the only class that's left in this universe is standing on this ship! Kinda hard to be the Lord when you can't beat, what was it you called us? Oh yes, primates! Do us all a favor and go find a hobby, or better yet, another gay alien! You're previous boyfriend obviously found someone better!"
"Oh that kid has some spunk son! I don't think I've ever heard anyone insult you like that, oh that's rich!"
"Father! I'm trying to conduct business here, you're not helping!"
"Oh look, daddy dearest consoling his lonely son! I'd tell you both to go out somewhere and get laid, but I'm not sure you even can! Do you even have women? Must be rough!"
Vegeta roared in laughter, "I would've loved to see the look on his face when Kold was mocking him!"
"It was priceless," I said, laughing a little now as well. Wow I got him to laugh already, maybe that's a good sign.
"So kid, does this mean you have fourteen years more battle experience then you should?" he said. To be honest, I wasn't sure if he was serious or just mocking me.
"No not exactly, I just have been a human adult so I know what its like on the other side of the glass unlike most children. And the only fighting things I know is very basic martial arts I took for two years. This transformation took place, well this morning for me. Trunks never had a chance to train me or anything, and so, I really don't know much about any power I may have," I said, a little solemn.
"Oh there's power there boy, that I'm sure of, you're a Saiyan of full blood. It wont take long to get it out of you, building it up is the real work," he said, smirking at me in a very strange way.
"So now that is out of the way, what next?" Judging by the look in his eye, that was a really stupid question.
"So let me get this straight. If I don't land a punch, you won't train me?" I asked, unsure.
"That is correct."
"Damn, might as well ask the Namek next time..."I muttered.
"What was that brat!" he yelled.
"I said you better get ready!" I called out as I jumped at him. I lunged at him, eyes a blaze, and started swinging toward his face unbelievably fast and hard. While I had never been able to attack anyone like this, it didn't do any good, not that I expected it to. But I tried as hard as I could anyway, to no avail, each of my blows were blocked or deflected, and very easily I might add. Sometimes I didn't even see what blocked my punches, they just stopped or were shoved aside. I took one final swing, it ended up being the final one because he kicked me in the gut so hard that I literally flew into the far wall and collapsed in a heap.
"So boy, had enough already? You can go stay under the woman's tutelage if you like. The door is right there," he mocked. Not to say any normal person would've had enough, I wasn't as damaged as I should've been. That didn't mean it didn't leave a bruise or two, it most likely did. I stood back up, clearing my head and ignoring the extreme pain in my gut, then set my eyes on him again and walked forward. When I got within three feet I rushed again only to be met by another fist and another dent in the wall formed when I hit it. I could tell he wasn't even trying to hit me and did anyway, I was just too slow. After spitting the blood that had welled in my mouth, I rushed forward again and pulled back my arm like I was going for the face again, but instead went for his stomach and connected. It felt like I had punched the concrete twenty times in a row without rest and without give, his gut was that solid. I didn't really have a chance to register the pain in my hand before I was knocked silly again.
"Good move boy, you actually caught me off guard. Too bad you're too weak to do any damage," he mocked some more, chuckling.
"Mock me all you want, I still landed one," I said, struggling now to get up.
"Hahahaha, that you did boy. Maybe you'll be worth the effort after all. Say, lets test your power level, you may not be able to suppress or increase it, but I'm interested," he said, punching a button on the wall and a panel flipped around. Mounted to it was a genuine Saiyan scouter, probably modified a little due to extremely high levels. He slid it over his eye and ear and punched the button to turn it on. The numbers blipped around for a few seconds, then landed on a number I could not read from where I was. The first thing Vegeta did was look over at the computer panel, then back to me.
"Hmmm, five thousand with no training not bad!" he claimed. Five thousand? Already? All of a sudden a loud beeping went off, but it wasn't from the scouter.
Vegeta moved over to the door where a small speaker was mounted on the wall. "What is it?" he shouted into it after pressing a green button.
"Vegeta, can you turn off the gravity machine please? My husband says it needs a tune up and he can't do it while it's on," Mrs. Briefs said. That caught my attention, but I stayed quiet.
"Why can't it wait till later?" he barked back.
"Oh come now Veggie, if you come out just this once I'll cook you and that young man lunch!" she pleaded.
That made my eyes light up, and Vegeta's a little bit, "Get that meal ready woman!"
"Ok, come to the kitchen in about five minutes please," she said cheerfully, despite his sour tone.
"You hungry boy?"
I smiled, "Did you have to ask?" He smirked slightly and punched a few buttons on another panel next to the speaker. A few seconds later I did feel lighter, despite a few painful soon to be bruises. "Wait, you had extra gravity on?" I asked.
"It took you that long to notice?" he asked.
"Yes, I never really noticed it till now after you decked me so damn hard!"
His eyes narrowed, "Interesting, lets go eat," he said, heading out the door as he opened it and shut it behind me. Vegeta lead the way to the kitchen through the extra large home. He kept a slow pace, despite the fact that his stomach growling like crazy and almost in tune with my own.
"Hey Vegeta? Exactly how much gravity did you have on anyway?" I asked.
He looked down at me, then back forward again, "Just five times Earth's normal gravity, there must be a great power lurking in you for you to not even notice the greater pressure and yet are not even able to use your ki yet. That and your level measured at Saiyan elite levels without training. We will seek its depths eventually, for now we stick to basics," he finished. I was about to say something more, but the thick smell of food curbed my thoughts to it. That much without training, just how strong am I? I shook my head at this semi-impressive number, right now it still didn't stack up anywhere close to any other notable fighter.
We entered a large dining room connected to a large kitchen. The table was huge, probably due to abundance of food that it could hold. Then a robot came from the kitchen, carrying plates and bowls, then another carrying the same.
"Bet those are handy," I whispered.
"Yes they are, make great punching bags, hahaha," Vegeta said aloud reminding me about his good Saiyan hearing. He pointed to a chair for me to sit in, he took the other side, "Dig in." That was all the motivation I needed for this large meal in front of us. As I began hauling down food, I noticed Vegeta looking at me with a strange look upon his face, like he was trying to figure something out.
"Tell me boy, how long have you had that tail again?"
I stopped momentarily, "Well this is my second day with it, I woke up to it yesterday."
"Well surely you or someone squeezed it, did anything happen?" he asked, a little louder now.
"My dog nipped it once. It hurt like hell when she did, but other than that all I've noticed was the high sensitivity," I said, trying to see his point.
"I had you by the tail earlier and you were able to move and speak. Granted I didn't squeeze it hard at all, but it takes years to develop immunity to the paralyzing effects of squeezing one's tail, care you explain that?" He had me there, I had no clue how that could've happened.
"Maybe it was the total change last night..." I muttered my thoughts aloud, again forgetting his hearing.
"Your change should not have done that. While I don't quite understand everything about what may have turned you into one of us, nothing should be that much different. You have all the attributes a Saiyan should have, except for the tail. Only one who has trained hard enough could be rid of that weakness!" he barked.
"Well the change shouldn't have made me seven years old again either, but it did. Maybe it was that pill the other Bulma gave me, she said that she had helped someone who had my case with a similar formula to change in your sleep. But it became unstable when his Saiyan cells and blood tried to accelerate to his body's age and it messed up his head and made him crazy, something like that. Maybe making a new body based on the Saiyan genetics and not the human ones are what kept mine stable."
Vegeta looked at me funny, "Did my woman have twins and not tell me, because you're pretty damn smart."
"Not intentionally, on my world people treat you differently if you act like you have any source of brains. Can't have brains running around, he may say something that makes sense someday. If our world was full of smart ones, it would probably fall apart. Besides I'm not smart, I just pay attention," I said, a little sad.
"That does not make any rational sense," he said with distaste.
"A lot of it didn't make sense. Example, we had a religious war start up way back, hell I don't know when. And it was still going thousands of years later, when I...left," I suddenly lost my appetite when the image of Earth blowing up reappeared in my head. I turned in my chair and stared off into space, letting my sorrow fill me, I was very homesick.
Vegeta's hand clamped down on my shoulder, "For what its worth, I know what its like to lose a home world. The only thing you can do is fight for the next one you enter."
Wiping a tear from my eye, I looked up at him and carefully responded, "But Trunks said you've destroyed worlds under Frieza's rule, that doesn't make you any better!" I said.
He looked back toward a wall, "No that was not me, that was an arrogant young fool, his own quest for revenge destroyed his life. I've changed from that idiot's path, ironically thanks to Kakarot, who is my greatest rival," he said. Now that was big of Vegeta to say, it was also short lived.
"Are you done eating yet? There's something I want to try," he said, back to normal.
"Yeah, lost my appetite thinking too much."
"Good, come with me." I followed him before he suddenly stopped at the door, "Trunks didn't give a name, what is yours?"
"Uh, Verto," I said quickly following my hesitant pause. Vegeta seemed to stiffen for an instant. "What is it, is that name special or something?"
"No, nothing special. I just wasn't expecting a Saiyan name. Come on, let's go!"
I followed through the halls again, trying to figure out how the hell a person could get used to this mansion like home. We kept going until the hallway we were in, ended at a door. He opened it, revealing a large field outside, but it had scorch marks all over it, probably used it for training.
"Stand out there, anywhere, and do not move," he ordered. I ran out to the field, standing in somewhat the middle of it, waiting for his next order. But instead of saying anything, he held his palm up, and I observed white lightning crackling around it, he was charging an energy blast of some sort. A white ball appeared, hovering over his palm.
Then he threw it into the sky, "MOON BLAST EXPLODE!" Oh shit, I covered my eyes immediately, whether it had an effect or not.
"Open your eyes boy, and look at it!" Vegeta shouted.
"No, I know what will happen, and I don't want to hurt anyone, but then I won't have a choice if I change, will I? You'll probably have to kill me if I'm as powerful as I might be, isn't that right?" I yelled back, still not looking at the fake moon. I may not have gotten an eyeful, but I sure as hell felt it on my back, like warm sunlight. I began fighting my body just to not look at it.
Vegeta scowled at me, "Well boy, I can blow that false moon up quickly if you do change! You wont even have a chance to do anything, so you might as well get it over with because if you don't, I will force you to look. Quit being a coward and embrace your heritage!"
Fine, I hope I break your damn neck you prick! I dropped the restraint, turned, and looked up. Right away I felt something happen, like someone inside me had pushed the button no one should touch. My body began to shake a little, my skin became prickly when the fur began to grow. I felt four sharp teeth grow out of my gums and poke my tongue as fangs. My face began to stretch and pull outward, into a long, doglike snout. My arms began to shudder as muscle growth expanded. The tint in my eyes changed as well, everything I saw turned a shade of blue and green. Just as quickly as the transformation began, it ended and I was standing there, completely changed. But something was wrong, I seemed to be completely aware and had complete control over myself. I realized that I was not any bigger than I had been, but I was covered in fur and still wearing my gi. I felt like I could pick up a building and throw it without any trouble. It wasn't unlike how I had woken up, full of energy like before, but much more so.
I looked back at Vegeta, the look on his face was one of shock, "WHAT THE HELL?!" he shouted.
"That was my question," I said, noticing I sounded like I had a serious frog in my throat.
"From what I can tell, you didn't grow at all, but you have all the features a transformed Saiyan should have! Even the power and strength. But your in complete control of yourself as well, odd, I've never heard of a transformation like this," he said, still in shock.
"That makes two of us, the only thing other than looks that feels weird is this sudden urge to destroy something," I said.
"That is normal, but you should be huge. What the hell did she put in that pill of hers," he growled.
"Whatever it was, I'm glad she did," I bellowed, marking this as a seriously lucky break, "As much as I don't enjoy this, could you change me back now?" I asked.
"For now, we will visit this form again. I sense incredible hidden power for such a youngster that isn't trained, easily a hundred times larger than your regular state. When we try this again, is when I decide, don't mention anything to the woman or anyone else!" he barked again, firing a small blast at the fake moon, destroying it. As the moon faded, my body changed again, this time feeling like I was imploding as my snout shrank back into my normal face and the fur receded to the depths of my skin. Back to normal, I stood there, shaking a little, my head foggy.
Vegeta walked up, "Well are you just going to stand there or what?" I never got a chance to answer him because my body got heavy and my legs collapsed, sending my face first into the dirt, and into sleep. "Well at least that is normal," I heard him say as I blacked out.
Power levels
Verto: 5,000; Semi-Great Ape: 500,000
Vegeta: 50,000,000