Chapter five: Face off

Vegeta's brain was working at top speed as he flew back towards Candrone. First off, he didn't want to leave Kakarot defenceless like that. A stray energy blast could easily kill him. So, while he landed he put through an urgent telepathic call to Piccolo.

{Namek! Hey! This is urgent!}

[No need to yell, Vegeta. What's up?]

{Look, I'm in the middle of a battle, and I need your help}

Vegeta dodged a fist and flew back over the sea, trying to get Candrone away from Kakarot.

[What do you need?]

{I need you to come fetch Kakarot. Follow my energy signal, and you will come to an island with three mountains on it. Kakarot is resting at the foot of the tallest mountain. His energy is weak, but you'll find him. Get him away from here, and quickly. Understood?}

Piccolo nodded as he flew off the edge of the Temple, pushing all his energy into flying.

[I'm on my way.]

{Good. No time to waste, so get your green ass here!}

Vegeta decided that the only way to beat this guy would be to pull a Gohan and do an energy face-off. The Galick Gun will suffice here. It's an easily sustained attack and doesn't take as long to charge up as Final Flash. I have to wipe out this freak, for what he did to Kakarot! No one hurts my best friend and lives long enough to gloat!

Vegeta kept dodging, sacrificing brute strength to speed, which would do for now. He kept scanning for Piccolo's energy. His other immediate goal was to keep Candrone occupied long enough so that he wouldn't attack Piccolo and Kakarot.

Hurry up, Namek!

Vegeta did a bicycle kick, his foot connecting with the underside of Candrone's jaw. He followed this through with a knee to the android's solar plexus.

He grinned, as he sensed Piccolo diving down to the island. But the grin slipped as Candrone turned to look at the new arrival.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't Piccolo."

Oh shit!

Vegeta lunged forward, taking advantage of Candrone's distraction. Vegeta wrapped an arm around his head and pulled backwards, until his throat was exposed. Vegeta formed a ki blade on his hand, and sliced Candrone's throat open, all in the space of a few milliseconds. Candrone gasped, as he turned to face Vegeta, forgetting all about Piccolo. The enraged android held his long fingers to his throat, stemming the river of blood. Vegeta floated with arms folded. He breathed a sigh of relief as he sensed Piccolo leaving with Kakarot. He was still worried. The Namek would have to fly much slower, since Kakarot was heavy and injured. But at least he was safer.

Vegeta unfolded his arms and clenched his fists. Candrone managed to heal the tear in his throat, using his Namekian genes. But he was as angry as hell that such a simple attack had caught him off-guard. Vegeta was pleased that he'd managed to piss off the android. He knew all too well that self-righteous anger could tilt a battle in your opponent's favour, if not used properly. And Candrone was allowing his anger to throw his judgement to the sharks.

"You Saiyan bastard!"

"How eloquent."

Candrone ground his teeth, Vegeta's cockiness getting to him. Vegeta was playing it as cool as possible. Inside, rage created a hurricane inside him. Rage at what Candrone did to the one person that Vegeta always thought was indestructible. And his Saiyan ancestry burned for a fight to avenge his subject. Third class Kakarot may be, but Vegeta considered him an elite and equal.

Vegeta put his hands to his side, right palm in front of his left. As he gathered energy for his Ultimate Galick Gun, he said just the right words to provoke Candrone into a face-off.

"Hey, android! If you're as tough as you say you are, then why don't you eat this?! You've got seven seconds before I wipe you off the face of this planet, android trash!"

Vegeta smirked, as a purple energy ball formed at his side, then the energy encircled his entire body, as he bent his body just like he did against Kakarot so many years ago. Candrone sneered, as he put his hands into the Kamehameha starting position.

"I will not be beaten by a miserable excuse for a fighter like you! Never!"

A red ball blossomed between Candrone's hands, as Vegeta's energy halo grew around him.

Yes…that's perfect…just use the Kamehameha. It will never work for you the way it works for Kakarot. And you just waltzed into my trap, you over-grown robot!

"Ka…me…"

"Ultimate…"

"ha…"

"Galick…."

"me…"

"Gun…"

"HA!"

"FIRE!"

There was a roar of energy as the two beams of energy hurtled towards each other, and thundered as they connected, the sea below the fighters forming walls around them, the energy lifting the water into the air to form a circle around them. Vegeta grimaced as he poured energy into the attack, warding off Candrone's beam. They slowly lowered towards the seabed, their feet digging into the sand as they yelled, trying to send their beams down each other's throats. Vegeta felt himself being pushed backwards, and dug his feet in, now just trying to stop Candrone's attack from overwhelming him more than anything else.

He's stronger…much stronger…androids don't have a measurable energy level! I'm an idiot! How was I to know that this wouldn't be enough?

Candrone laughed, as he started walking slowly towards Vegeta, his red energy nearly consuming the purple that flowed out of Vegeta.

"Don't worry, Vegeta, it'll be a quick death, although I can't promise that it won't be painful!"

Vegeta gritted his teeth and shoved the last bit of energy he could find into his hands.

He looked away, not wanting to see the red that threatened to incinerate him. The water swirled around them, the energy dome formed between them dwarfing the surrounding islands.

"I failed you, Kakarot. I tried so hard…really I did…don't wish me back. I deserve to lose this. I couldn't even avenge you…" Vegeta whispered, almost ready to give up. Already, Candrone's energy had almost swallowed Vegeta's. Vegeta felt his legs buckling beneath him, from the strain of trying to sustain the attack.

Hey! Don't think like that!

Vegeta's head jerked up.

"Kakarot?"

Yeah, it's me. Vegeta, don't give up, not now, not ever! Remember what you always told me? 'Impossible is an opinion, not fact'? You can't let him win!

"But I don't have enough energy! I'm almost finished!"

Vegeta heard Goku's chuckle dance around his head like scattered moonbeams.

You're just like Gohan. Your own self-doubt is eating at you. It's stopping you from believing in yourself! You have the power, Vegeta. I know you do. This guy is no stronger than Cell.

"Then why couldn't you beat him?!" Vegeta yelled, as he slid back a little further.

"Vegeta, praying isn't going to save you now! There is no God!" mocked Candrone, stepping closer, and pushing Vegeta further back.

I made a stupid mistake. I underestimated him the same way you underestimate yourself. He screwed up my spinal cord, and I couldn't make my body work properly. I just couldn't fight. And whatever damage you do to the Earth, we can repair! So don't worry about anything, just pull up that reserve I know you have. I believe in you, Vegeta. You've gotta believe in yourself!

Vegeta fell to one knee, his arms shaking.

"I can't…there's nothing left to give."

Up on the Temple, Goku was watching over the edge. Dende had healed him, but his spine was still messed. It would take a second bout of healing to sort that out, and Korin was out of senzu, so Goku couldn't even go and help Vegeta. Not that he could have anyway. That energy ball prevented anyone from getting close enough. The fact that the sea surrounded them made it even harder to intervene, and in any case, Goku couldn't do much else to help. He knew Vegeta had the strength to kill Candrone. There was no proof of how strong Candrone was, but Goku had a gut feeling that Vegeta had enough in him.

Vegeta, you can't give up! I'm counting on you! And there is no reason for you to think that you can't do it! I don't know where you got this stupid idea that you aren't good enough, because I'm telling you right now that you are stronger than you believe and you have it in you to burn this guy to cinders! So just get a grip on yourself and finish him!

"Kakarot…I can't, I JUST CAN'T!" yelled Vegeta, barely managing to hold off the roaring energy that Candrone drove towards him. The android was still laughing, as Vegeta's energy beam was totally swallowed, only a small part still remaining his.

Don't be so pathetic, Vegeta! I want you to win! You can and will win! You have the power! And the Prince of all Saiyans should not allow himself to be beaten by someone weaker than himself! Do this for me, your best friend. Do it for the Saiyans! Just keep going! You are so much stronger than this! Do it now! POWER UP AND KILL HIM! YOU CAN DO IT, VEGETA!

Vegeta got to his feet, and planted himself firmly. Then he looked up at the sky, the rims of the wall of water around them forming a foamy frame. Goku could see him, and gave him the support and courage he so badly needed.

That's right, Vegeta! I believe in you! Now show that bastard that no one can ever beat you! COME ON, VEGETA! PROVE YOURSELF WRONG AND PROVE ME RIGHT!

Vegeta yelled, and somehow, new energy detonated inside him, and his energy beam started to devour Candrone's, the android staring to panic.

"No! This can't be happening! I was so close!"

"Never say die, android! NEVER SAY DIE!"

Vegeta's aura exploded, and he didn't even notice the gold hair that brushed the back of his thighs as his energy beam thickened and tore towards Candrone, helpless to stop it. Vegeta started walking, energy still flooding out of him, but now gold instead, and electricity sparked all around it.

You're doing it, Vegeta! You're beating him! You're almost there! It's time for the final blow! Make him pay, Vegeta!

Vegeta grinned, as he prepared to give his all.

"This is for you, Kakarot! SUPER GALICK GUN!"

The beam seemed to scream with its new reinforcements, as it charged down Candrone and obliterated him, tearing the armour off his skeleton frame, and disintegrating every last circuit and wire. With a final yell, Candrone disappeared, and Vegeta let go of the energy. He gave a tired, crooked, but victorious grin.

"It's over. Thank God."

He collapsed onto his face, and the bastions of water hovered for the briefest moment, then crashed down over the Saiyan, hiding him from the eyes of Goku.

An – It's like my muse Gutterball and I were discussing the other day…its not fair that Vegeta didn't get to save the day once throughout the whole series even though he had a hand in whipping nearly every villain. So, I wanted him to win for once. Like it? And Zula, I'm working on the shonen-ai sequel to this at the moment. Here's a teaser…

Nah…I'll just leave you in suspense. But it will involve sacrifice on the behalf of a certain…Tell you later!

Bwahahahaha!