Chapter 11 – Danger
Vegeta opens his eyes, surprised to be able to feel his own body. He seems to be healed…
"Where the hell…"
"Vegeta! Thank Kami you're back!" Bulma jumps into his arms, hugging him until his cheeks flush red with embarrassment.
"Onna! Get off me!" He puts her down bluntly and then sees the familiar dome-shaped buildings of Capsule Corp.
"I'm not dead?" he looks around questioningly.
"We wished you back, silly," Bulma smiles up to him. The other Z warriors are gathered behind her.
"What about… Kakarot?" Silence falls.
"Goku's gone," Bulma sobs quietly on his shoulder. "The Dragon told us he won't come back."
Vegeta sighs with relief. "Thank Kami for that," he says, inaudible for most others. Piccolo hears him however and looks at him curiously. Vegeta contacts him telepathically and says: Later, Namek.
"He'll have his reasons for it, onna. Now stop making a mess down there, I don't think anyone is in the mood for swimming right now."
She flashes him a weak smile and they walk into Capsule Corp.
"So he killed you?" Piccolo asks.
"Trust me, Namek. You don't want to know what I looked like when he was done with me."
"I'm sorry, it's just so hard to believe that Goku could be…"
"Say it, Namek. Like me?"
"I was going to say 'a bloodthirsty monster', but your analogy will do as well, short shit."
"Don't underestimate our instincts, green bean. I understand you can't fully grasp this shit, since you're asexual. Consider yourself lucky."
"After I heard what you have been through, I do."
"I didn't ask to be wished back, Namek. I'd rather be in Hell right now, beating the shit out of Frieza…"
"Not to mention Goku."
"As if…" Suddenly it dawns on Vegeta. "Fuck! Of course! Kakarot went to hell after what he did!"
"Well duh, Prince of Potatoes. You don't think Goku's still on the hero list in Otherworld, do you?"
"Unbelievable. Kakarot in Hell… never to return."
"You know what that means, don't you?"
"I'm the strongest now…"
"Still wanna take over the universe?" Piccolo jokes.
"Not a chance, pointy ears. Fighting the likes of you won't be much of a challenge, would it?" Vegeta laughs out loud, but is interrupted by an attack of Piccolo.
"Don't bet on it, short shit. I'll have you for lunch!"
"You wish, green bean!"
"Vegeta?" Bulma turns around and faces the dark figure leaning against the door frame.
"Who else?" He walks up to her and embraces her. "I know no one brave enough to face the danger of your rage," he whispers sarcastically.
Bulma breaks the embrace and looks him in the eye. "Why did Goku kill you, Vegeta?"
"It's not important, onna."
"It is to me. He was my friend, I can't believe he would kill you just like that."
"Not just like that! I put up a hell of a fight!"
"I mean, he must have had a reason to attack you."
"He did, onna. Now shut up, because I'm in no mood to talk all night."
"But…" Bulma is interrupted by Vegeta's lips, silencing her. Soon they fall onto the bed and forget about the subject.
With Goku out of the way, Vegeta enjoyed a new, peaceful phase of his life. The nightmares he used to have start to fade away. He finds a friend in Piccolo, who teaches him new techniques to find inner peace. To his own surprise, he becomes much stronger afterwards.
One day, he's sparring with Piccolo. It's a hot summer day and they're both sweating like pigs.
"Come on, Vegeta, you won't last if you keep this up," Piccolo mocks him, trying to land a punch.
"Bullshit, Namek. Vegeta-sei had a climate much warmer than this, I'm used to it. If you want to quit, feel free to surrender."
"In your dreams, short shit. I'm fine."
'He's ready for the next step,' Piccolo thinks to himself. 'Let's give it a try.' He powers up and disappears from Vegeta's sight.
"Nani?" Vegeta is grabbed from behind and struggles to break free.
"You're not as tough as you seem, Vegeta," Piccolo sneers. "For your sake, I hope Goku never returns. He'd probably seize the moment when he gets another shot at you."
Electricity sparkles around Vegeta as he powers up to Super Saiyan 2.
"Don't you dare say that, Namek!" Piccolo refuses to let go.
"I can imagine why he wanted you," Piccolo chuckles. "You're a tasty one, Vegeta."
Vegeta's vision becomes blurry as he understands what Piccolo is insinuating. Roaring in anger, he powers up beyond his usual limits. The world goes white as an explosion rolls over the wastelands like thunder.
"I knew you could do it," Piccolo states when the smoke clears. He's breathing heavily, bleeding from several cuts. The explosion didn't leave him unharmed.
Vegeta looks at him with a deadly glare, ready to kill Piccolo for what he said.
Take a look at yourself before you decide to take me out, Prince, Piccolo says in a soothing way.
Vegeta suddenly notices the change. His hair has grown, his eyebrows are gone. He just reached Super Saiyan 3!
"I can't believe it…"
"You'd better believe it. I risked my life for you to accomplish this."
"I should have known," Vegeta growls. "Stupid Namek. Get yourself a Senzu bean before you faint."
"You know what? I will. See you later, Vegeta." Piccolo flies off, leaving a golden Vegeta behind.
Late that night, Vegeta wakes up with a bad feeling. Every muscle in his body is tense and his minds warns him for imminent danger.
"Vegeta? What's wrong?" Bulma sits up next to him and looks at him sleepily.
"I don't know. Something terrible is coming this way. Get dressed, onna, and get yourself out of here." Without another word, Vegeta grabs some clothes and flies off to where something dark has landed. Something very dark. And what's even more frightening, something oddly familiar…
He meets Piccolo and Gohan midair on his way there.
"You felt it too?"
"Hard to miss," Piccolo grunts. "Let's take a look."
They come to a mountain and Vegeta's heart stops in his chest. His face is pale as he stumbles: "That's… one of Frieza's ships."
"Impossible. He's dead," Gohan says.
"Don't you feel it, boy? His ki has changed slightly… but it's him, I can sense it." Vegeta touches down and they sneak up on the ship. They startle when a cold voice chuckles: "Well, well, look what we have here."
They look up in astonishment as they see an almost exact copy of Vegeta descend from the entrance of the ship.
"Vegeta… That's you?" Gohan stutters.
"Not quite, my dear boy," the creature says sarcastically. Then they see that it's skin is as pale as Frieza's… and it has a tail to match it's tan.
"But it's so nice to meet my father at last."
Vegeta clenches his fists as he understands.
"You are not my son!" he growls.
"Oh, but I am! Frieza created me, that's true, but he couldn't have done it without your… contribution."
"What the hell do you want?" Piccolo asks.
"I come to finish my fathers mission and to destroy this pitiful planet with everything on it. But before I begin, allow me to introduce myself. I am Glacier."
"And we care because?" Vegeta regains his composure and laughs. "In a minute, you'll be nothing but a pool of mud."
"Do you treat all of your family members like this?" Glacier asks, acting hurt.
"As I said, you don't belong to the family. You're an artificial life-form that is about to be exterminated."
Gohan, Piccolo and Vegeta get into battle positions as Glacier lifts his arms and shouts: "Have it your way! DIE!"
In the warm summer night, a blizzard colder than anything known to man encapsulates the warriors, taking their breath and numbing their limbs.
Vegeta, Piccolo shouts mentally, what the hell…
Hang on! Don't give in to it! Vegeta screams back. He tries to find something, anything, to hold on to, but he is also swept off his feet and dragged into the blizzard as well.
