Chapter 7 – Darkness
Life goes on. Everything seems to be just peachy… Until things start to go wrong at the World Martial Arts Tournament. To be short (trying to avoid bored readers here): super strong warriors appear at the tournament (remember Spopovitch?), a mysterious new Kai shows up, Goku, Gohan and Vegeta follow Shin to Babidi's spaceship to avoid Buu from being 'born'. Vegeta is possessed by Babidi (and hell yes he lets it happen on purpose!) and challenges Goku to fight.
Back at the World Martial Arts Stadium, Gohan looks around surprised.
"Why did Babidi transport us back here?"
"Makes sense for him," Goku says bitterly. "How many potential victims are here compared to our last location?"
Gohan scratched his head. "You're right…"
Vegeta steps forward, red sparks crackling around his golden aura.
"Enough talk! I've waited long enough now, Kakarot. Whatever that Buu creature is made of, he cannot possibly be stronger than you or me. I say we fight first. Buu can wait!"
"Vegeta, are you insane? There are more important things going on than our rivalry!"
"It's no use arguing, Goku. Babidi's taken full control over him," Shin says. "Vegeta's no longer fighting on our side."
"Shut up, you idiot Kai!" Vegeta stretches out his hand and an invisible surge of energy throws both Gohan and Shin off their feet.
"I insist, Kakarot." Vegeta smirks evilly.
"Forget it, Vegeta. I'm not fighting you."
"Not even to save the lives of these pitiful ningen?" Vegeta raises his right hand and aims it at the crowd.
"You wouldn't…" Goku says unbelievingly.
"Don't bet on it, Kakarot," Vegeta hisses and fires the blast. Goku jumps in between the energy bolt and the crowd, trying to stop the enormous amount of energy. He fails at the last possible moment and moves to the side. The blast explodes in the middle of the crowd and leaves a giant hole in the stadium wall.
Goku turns his head and looks at Vegeta. Rage burns in his eyes.
"Alright, Vegeta, I'll fight you," he growls through clenched jaws. He powers up to Super Saiyan. "But not here. I don't want any more innocent people to die."
"That can be arranged." Vegeta closes his eyes and he and Goku vanish.
They reappear on deserted grounds.
"I don't understand it, Vegeta. Why is it so important for you to beat me?"
"Maybe I'll tell you, Kakarot, right before I finish you!" Vegeta charged, screaming with blind fury.
Goku finds out Vegeta has become much stronger than before, due to Babidi's evil power.
"This might take longer than I thought," he says after more than an hour of intense fighting, trying to catch his breath.
"Feh! Nonsense, Kakarot, you're holding back. Why?"
"It wasn't my choice to fight you, remember?"
"You soft-hearted baka! You'll regret this, I swear! How can this be an honorable fight when you don't put in your best effort to beat me?" Vegeta clenches his fists at his sides.
"There's no honor in this, Vegeta. You forced me to fight. You don't even fight with your own powers right now. Why are you doing this?"
Vegeta chuckles coldly. "Because I want to go back to the old days, Kakarot. This planet has gotten to me more than anyone could ever imagine… If another Saiyan would hear that Vegeta, Prince of all Saiyans, raised a family with one of those pitiful ningen, I would be the laughing stock of the universe! I want to be myself again and kill when I feel like it, not because I have to destroy some evil being who wants to annihilate all life on Chikyuu. I don't care anymore, Kakarot. I'll kill all the strong fighters, including you and your sons, and regain my kingdom as I was destined to."
"What about Trunks, Vegeta? Are you going to kill him as well?"
"That depends on if he wants to join me on my quest."
"You're insane, Vegeta. You're not like this! I don't buy it!"
"Think again, Kakarot," Vegeta hisses and fires five shots in a row. Goku slams into a mountain side with his arms, legs and neck pinned to the rock surface.
"Let me share another vision with you, Kakarot," Vegeta spits. "It's about what I'll do to your loved ones as soon as I'm done with you." Goku feels darkness enter his mind as Vegeta crushes their foreheads together.
"NOOOOO!" Goku cries as Vegeta pulls back his head and smirks with cold, green eyes. Tears run down Goku's face as he slouches in his cuffs.
"I… still… don't… buy it, Vegeta," he sobs. "You're not capable… of doing… such things. You're not… the real… Vegeta…"
"You'd better believe it, Kakarot. This is the real Vegeta. This is who I am!" He powers up and uses Goku as a punching bag. Goku is powerless to defend himself, still bound to the rock and in shock from Vegeta's vision. Blood mixes with sweat and tears and begins to drip to the ground.
The sun is setting as Goku opens his eyes. He can't feel his body anymore. He can't remember what happened. All he sees are Vegeta's lifeless eyes, burning into his face. A cold wind makes him shiver. He looks down and finds out that most of his clothes are gone; they didn't survive Vegeta's rage and energy blasts.
'Why didn't he finish me?' Goku thinks. 'I was defenceless and he let me live! Amazing…' He loses consciousness again.
As we all know, Vegeta is off to wreck Babidi's spaceship and to take on Buu single-handedly. To no avail. In a last desperate attempt to destroy Majin Buu, Vegeta self-destructs. He goes to Hell, blablabla…
Let's skip fast-forward to the interesting part of the Buu Saga: when Vegeta returns from Hell to help Goku fight the pink blob aka Majin Buu.
Of course, to keep teasing you, this will be written… in the next chapter! Muhhahahah!
