A/N: Almost to 100 reviews! I was kind of tempted to hold off posting another chapter until the story hit the magic number, but seeing as how this chapter is done and all, I decided against waiting. Just to give everyone a little heads up, I won't be updating for a little while. Almost all of my extended family is coming into town this week to see my little sister graduate from high school, so I'll be a bit on the busy side. Also, I haven't finished the next chapter yet; I promised a huge fight and I'm doing my best to deliver on that, but it's hard to write a battle with so many bad guys (you'll see just how many by the end of this chapter) without having it get excessively repetitive. Hopefully everyone will enjoy the final product.
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Chapter 43
At the last possible second Vegeta appeared in front of Krillin and swatted the huge ball of ki away.
As the blast exploded in the distance, the Saiyan Prince folded his arms. "Is that the best the 'warriors' of Ammit have? If so then this is going to be a quick battle!" he called out with a mocking laugh.
"Wow, thanks Vegeta, you really saved my bacon," Krillin said.
"Why are you still here!?! Get going you stupid, old man!" the Saiyan said through clenched teeth.
The former monk wisely didn't say another word and once again resumed his hasty flight to the Lookout.
"Ah, so the real Prince Vegeta finally shows himself," the large alien yelled. "I was hoping that runt wasn't you, it would have been so disappointing."
"I care little about whether or not you're disappointed. You said that you wanted to talk to me so start talking," the Saiyan Prince said in a cocky voice. "Depending on what you say I may decide to let you live."
The alien chuckled loudly and then said with a smile, "Oh yes, you are definitely the warrior we heard about—"
"Enough with the pleasantries! Spit out whatever it is that you want to say before we all die of old age!"
"Very well then," the big warrior's smile faded, "we wish to offer you the chance to join us. You and your Saiyan friends are some of the strongest warriors in the universe; there is no reason for you to die here. If you join us you—"
"You needn't say any more. These weaklings in your army may be pitiful enough to swear allegiance to a decrepit, old relic from legends long forgotten, but not I. I bow before no one." Vegeta spit in the direction of the army.
The air seemed to grow thick as the warrior's face twisted with rage. "You are as stupid as you are arrogant Vegeta. I offered you the chance to live and to save the lives of your family. Now you will all die!"
"I'm quaking in my boots."
The alien barked something in a strange language and about fifty of the warriors in the army powered up and charged the smirking Saiyan.
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"Don't bother chewing, just swallow," a soft voice whispered in his ear. Akira did as he was told and immediately felt energy flow through his body as his injuries healed almost instantly.
He opened his eyes and looked up at Pan in surprise, "What the hell did you do that for?" he asked as he pulled himself to his feet.
"I told you," she said with a look of innocence, "I'm teaching you about Saiyan Heritage. She flashed him a disarming smile, "So, how do you feel?"
"How do you thi..."he stopped as his mind assessed his health. He still felt weak even though his injury was now healed, but if he was given a little time to rest, he felt strangely confident that he'd be even stronger than he'd been before Pan attacked him. "Wow, I feel...pretty good actually."
She smiled again and nodded, "Yep, one of the many perks of being Saiyan. Anytime you're healed after an injury, especially a life threatening injury, you come back stronger than ever."
"You could have warned me you know," Akira said with a look of annoyance.
Pan smiled, "Well, that wouldn't have been much fun, now would it? Besides, I was a little pissed at you."
The young man was busy feeling his back as he looked for some sign that he'd just been attacked. "What did you give me? I don't even have a scar."
"Sensu bean," Pan said simply, "Korin and Yajorobi grow them..." she noticed Akira didn't have the foggiest idea what she was talking about. "Oh, never mind, it's not really important. Anyway Senzu beans heal you and restore your energy just as well as a rejuvenation tank, but a lot quicker." She looked at him critically for a moment and then said, "You still look kind of weak, I only had two of these when I left Earth and I used one of them during my training on the way to Namek. I could only afford to give you half of my last on."
"Why?"
Pan smiled mischievously and tossed him the second half of the bean, "Your turn," she said.
The young man stared at her for a moment and then, as realization slowly dawned on his face, he began to look very uneasy. "Um, are you asking me to do what I think you are?"
Pan grinned and nodded, "Come on, it's no big deal. Just hit me really hard and then give me the bean." Akira was still obviously uncomfortable with the idea. "Well? Hurry up, we don't have all day here," the female Saiyan said as she tapped her foot with impatience and glared at him.
"Okay..." he closed his eyes, charged a blast and fired it at her.
"Is that supposed to be some sort of joke?" Akira opened his eyes, glanced at Pan and then at the scorch mark on the wall. He'd missed her by at least three feet. "Quit messing around and shot me, I want to be as strong as possible when we get to earth," Pan said sternly.
The young man nodded reluctantly, took a deep breath, then pointed his index finger at her and fired a thin beam that struck her in the gut and shot out the other side. Pan's eyes bulged as pain flooded though out her body, she started to fall, but Akira was already there to catch her, senzu bean in hand. He quickly placed it in her mouth and she swallowed.
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Vegeta landed several crushing blows on the first few aliens that reached him, but eventually the shear number of assailants overwhelmed him. The warriors packed in around him, pinning his arms at his sides and dragging him towards the ground.
With a sudden explosion of golden light, the aliens were flying end over end away from the Saiyan Prince, who crossed his arms again. "Pathetic," he said with a smug smile, "I am sorely disappointed."
The warriors strewn about the area and the ones still standing in their crisp lines stared up at him in something close to awe, though it was impossible to tell whether it was due to his display of power or his arrogance.
Suddenly one of the warriors still standing in his line powered up and charged at Vegeta.
"For Ammit!" he cried as his fist smashed into the Saiyan's chin.
Vegeta's necks snapped back as he absorbed the blow and the black armored alien smiled smugly at the Prince. Slowly Vegeta turned and looked at the alien, the fighter's eyes showed his shock and fear.
"Th...the Dark Lord will crush you."
Vegeta grinned, enjoying the moment, "I doubt that."
The armored alien tried to throw another punch, but Vegeta caught it easily. Then he brought his other hand up to the warrior's face, charged a ki blast and blew the alien out of existence.
"Well? Anyone else feel like dying?" the Saiyan Prince called out to the remaining fighters.
With a roar of rage, almost all of the fighters that had been standing in their crisp rows or lying on the ground rushed towards Vegeta, their power levels skyrocketing. A moment before they reached him, three enormous ki waves ripped though the air and slammed into the clusters of attacking aliens, killing many and injuring more.
All heads turned towards the base of the mountain. There stood Gohan, Trunks, and Uubu with their hands sill in front of them, the two Saiyans had already powered up to Super Saiyan.
"Mind if we join the party guys?" Gohan asked with a smile.
For a moment no one moved as the warriors of Ammit hesitated, unsure of whom to attack. Then the large, red alien shouted out a command and instantly about two hundred fighters charged after Gohan, Trunks, and Uubu while the remaining fighters went for Vegeta.
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Akira and Pan had one to their rooms, changed into some Saiyan armor that Bulma had given to Pan before she'd left for New Namek, and were now back in the gravity room.
"I think Krillin's at Korin's Tower," said Pan as she focused on Earth. "Let's go there. It's away from the battle and we can get Dende to heal us before we join Dad and Vegeta.
Akira nodded, placed his hand on Pan's shoulder, and brought two fingers to his forehead. A moment later they were gone.