Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ

The Perfect Flaw

Chapter XI

It wasn't until a couple hours later that Vegeta noticed it on his scouter.

After having successfully made his broadcast, Vegeta had wisely decided to leave the building intact, along with its occupants; he was more than confident he would receive a response to his request in no time. After all, he'd made his point pretty clear, right?

Find the girl; bring her to me; or perish.

Sounded convincing to him.

But after, all there had been to do was wait, as much as he despised that. He figured he'd be patient for the next few hours, and if it resulted in no response, then it would be on to plan B: annihilation.

So leisurely, to get his mind on other things, the Saiyan Prince had then begun an innocent tour through the city to quench his curiosity. And alas, it was his lucky day; he'd found something to eat. He wasn't entirely certain of what it was, but it was damn right delicious. He'd found the tiny food place around a corner of one of the skyscrapers, and almost immediately the aroma had drawn him into its spell.

It had been deserted when he entered of course, but that was all the better for the famished warrior.

So it was in the middle of his meal that the unpleasant interruption flashed across his scouter and he had to keep his jaw from dropping to his chest.

It was the same ki from earlier that evening.

Vegeta stiffened with both anxiety and anticipation as he left the buffet and took flight into the rush of cool, night air. It was incredibly close, what ever it was. It was much too powerful to be human, obviously.

Once again, he wondered if this alien was a guardian of the Dragon Balls, coming to exterminate the threat. At this thought Vegeta only smiled; it would only be to his advantage, the creature coming to him, and he'd be able to rid of the nuisance sooner than planned.

He stopped suddenly when the readings on the tiny screen halted. Slowly his eyes shifted to look out into the darkness, his tail twitching with excitement.

There levitated his opponent, oblivious to his presence. Obscured by both the distance and the blackness, Vegeta could only make out the movement of the alien's head which swivelled in bemusement, as though searching for him.

Vegeta's voice rose loudly and distinctly in the midnight sky. "And who might you be?"

The question was innocent enough, but still Goku's head alertly snapped in the direction of the strangely accented voice, freezing when seeing the air born being off in the distance. He turned almost hesitantly, his fists clenching subconsciously at his sides and a bead of sweat forming on his forehead as its overwhelming power once again pounded his senses. No doubt he was the one. "So you're the one who's been hurting innocent people!"

At this, Vegeta merely blinked, before inclining his head with an almost flattered smirk. "Who wants to know?"

Goku gave an uncharacteristic growl at the being's disgusting sense of humor. Well, it was obvious that this was not Piccolo, and believe it or not, in that moment Goku actually wished it were. At least he had a pretty good prediction of Piccolo's tactics and actions, unlike this man who was a complete stranger; unpredictable, perhaps venomous for all he knew.

Vegeta's brow crinkled. "You didn't answer my question!" he shouted, the innocent curiosity which had initially been embedded in his tone now completely gone. "Who are you and what specific business do you have with me!"

"I'm Goku! And I've come to end your blood bath!"

At this dauntless pronouncement Vegeta couldn't help but give a dry laugh, which echoed hollowly through the crisp atmosphere. "Oh, really?" he asked with a skeptic brow. "And answer me this: just what are you that makes you think you can actually defeat the Saiyan Prince?"

Goku frowned in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Well obviously you're too strong to be human. For a human to have a power level such as yours would be simply unconscionable."

Goku's face remained bewildered. "I am human."

Another cold snicker at the pointless denial. "Hah! Don't make me laugh!"

But just then another movement caught the Prince's keen eyes; a tail that slithered nonchalantly behind the alien's backside.

Once again, it was a rare moment indeed when Vegeta found himself speechlessly shocked. H-he's a Saiyan! But . . . that's impossible!

Now this, was inconceivable. Just to make certain it wasn't a dream, he rubbed his eyes fiercely before looking at his opponent again, his jaw going limp when locking with the appendage just as before. It wasn't a dream. This was certainly no human that stood before him; it was a Saiyan.

A Saiyan who was adorned in the most peculiar of wardrobe, far from that of Saiyan armor.

The smile that had once been smug, had now transformed into one that was slightly tremulous with both a tad of nervousness, and overbearing confusion. "So, no wonder your ki is so high," Vegeta stated in genuine amazement, releasing a wry laugh. "You're a Saiyan."

Goku only stilled in response to the accusation. "What's a 'Saiyan'?" he asked timidly. Vegeta's eyes bulged at the question.

He's kidding, right?

The royal warrior faltered in his disbelief. "Fool! You're a Saiyan! What the hell is wrong with you!"

Unlike with Chichi, Goku's eyes narrowed at this sudden insult. "Nothing's wrong with me. I don't know what you're talking about."

Unbelievable. He made it sound as though he actually had know clue what he was. Vegeta's eyes widened suddenly, recognition flashing across his brain. Of course. Why hadn't he seen it before? He was almost a spitting image of the man.

It was Bardock's son . . . Kakkarot.

It was inexplicably rare for the disappearance of a Saiyan to occur, and this was most likely the only case that was somewhere in the Prince's mind. Though the recollection was ambiguous, Vegeta found himself replaying the gossip which he heard so long ago, when he was but a child.

Bardock was a well known scientist on Vegeta, and that was another piece which helped bring back the remembrance. Apparently, Kakkarot had been sent on the primary mission shortly after his birth, as most Second and Third Class soldiers were, to purge a planet which the Empire had been eyeing for some time. But something had gone devastatingly wrong, for years later, computers showed that life still existed on the planet. And when soldiers had gone to retrieve the boy and find the cause of his failure, not a trace of him could be found.

Now it could have been very well possible he had perished under the inhabitants' defense, although this had been extremely unlikely, on account of the information that's shown on each planet before it's purged, and that particular one had portrayed a planet of weaklings with laughably low ki; surely no match for a Saiyan.

But now it was all so clear as to what must have happened. Someone, somehow, must have messed with the coordinates, because Earth was not the Planet which Kakkarot had initially been assigned to. It was hard for Vegeta to believe, that someone could ever survive getting close enough to the main computer, but then again, the slave he was seeking out had done the exact same thing, now hadn't she? Obviously, according to these events, there was a lot of work that needed to be done with security and the technology, and it was pivotal. As much as he hated to admit, he would have to have a long discussion with his father once back on Vegeta.

Vegeta scowled in confusion. "Kakkarot! Dyior ser thtat ere myiar lekşhliægha kie!" When he received no answer to his question, he gave a low, nervous laugh. "You can't understand me?"

For the love of Namek, Kakkarot had lost his memory! He didn't think it possible, but he guessed one learned something new everyday.

Well, the last thing he wanted to do right now, was fight one of his own kind.

"Look, Kakkarot," Vegeta began with an aggravated sigh, no amusement in his tone any longer, "you, are a Saiyan; one of the all mighty Saiyan Empire; destined to be a great and honorable warrior that will fight and be loyal to your planet.

"I am the Saiyan Prince, Vegeta, destined to one day be your King."

All he got in return was a blank, steady stare. After a moment, Goku dipped his chin to regard the other man with fierce, overshadowed orbs. "I don't know what you're trying to pull, but—,"

"I am not joking, Kakkarot—,"

"Stop calling me that!"

With the momentum of aggression thickening in the air, Vegeta stopped to rake his tense fingers through his upswept locks. There was only one way with which he could Kakkarot to believe him, and he knew it. The Prince remained tense as he slowly began to unravel his tail from his waist, which had been unnoticeable in the darkness. He made sure it swayed dramatically to catch the other Saiyan's attention.

And it did.

Goku's heart skipped a beat when catching the snake like grace of the appendage, and his own bristled suddenly. He refused to. No way. There was no way that he had anything to do with the evil creature's kind. Nothing at all.

But sadly, as he assured himself of this fallacy, the tail continued to oscillate behind the monster's form.

"You were born on Planet Vegeta," The Prince continued, "as was I. You were sent as an infant to a different planet— not Earth— to exterminate the inhabitants which lived there. But it seems someone changed the coordinates and instead sent you here. You then somehow developed amnesia."

Goku hadn't blinked for an entire minute. He stared dumbfounded at the grey cloud that lulled across the night sky, absorbing each word that came from his 'Prince's' mouth.

"Your true name . . ."

Goku's eyes widened.

" . . . is Kakkarot."

"SHUT UP!" he snapped suddenly, unaware of it until he waited another moment. His balled fists trembled in anger. "I don't care if I do have the same blood as you! Where are you going with this!"

Unfazed by the Saiyan temper which he sensed rising within his fellow warrior, Vegeta's tail wound absently around his waist once again. "Come back with me to Vegeta, where you belong. You are a Saiyan warrior; it's time to face your true heritage—,"

"No." The answer was brief, yet pithy. "I don't care who you are." His eyes narrowed. "I am Goku of Earth; I am loyal to this planet only, and I will do anything to protect it from harm, even if I have to rid of the 'Saiyan Prince' to do so."

No one— and he meant no one--- would ever have the nerve to talk to him like that, not in a million years. His jaw worked furiously at the flat, bold refusal. "It's either come back with me, or be crushed by me; your pick. I suggest you overlook this once more—,"

"No! Like I said, I will do anything to protect Earth!"

Vegeta couldn't contain it any longer— the anger that burned within him; that this scum, that was technically a Third Class soldier, considering he was Bardock's offspring, was defying his own Prince! Unaware of it, his shoulders rose and fell with each rapid breath he took, and at the very last moment, before he exploded, he forced his body to relax and a malicious smirk to claim his lips. "Fine," he scoffed. "Either way, I'm not going to allow you to stand in my way. If it's a fight you want, then it's a fight you'll get."

In that instant, the same grey cloud which had caught Goku's attention earlier rolled carelessly along the stars, creating a veil which banished the last of the moonlight. The cool, chilly wind gripped Goku and held him steadfast, even as the other Saiyan's fist came hard into his abdomen. He lurched forward to tighten his muscles against the intruding knuckles, but was too slow for the kick that soon connected solidly with the side of his head; he was sent sprawling against the black sky.

This wasn't good at all. Now that the creature's power was unleashing, it was all too clear to Goku just how powerful this being was; and it was easily three times stronger than he.

He just hoped he could hold out, for now he had a feeling in his gut (or it could have been the repeated blows to the midriff, he couldn't tell) that he wasn't just fighting for himself . . .

but for the entire world.

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It was a damn good thing she'd brought coffee along with her.

It'd been four hours into the trip and already she was feeling the weight of night on her shoulders. To make it worse, she was relying totally on the coordinates in front of her, and she just hoped she was following them correctly.

Sitting in a leather seat in the dark for hours will lead anybody into deep thought, just as it did Bulma.

She'd waited so long to see her parents, to see Earth, and her dream had finally come true. So even if they did take her back to Vegeta, no matter what kind of torture they put her through, she would still be satisfied with her accomplishments; though, that didn't mean she wasn't going to go down without a fight of course. She'd make sure they'd remember "Bulma Briefs".

She wondered if she would be able to see Mark and Kett again, for if she did, oh did she have some story to tell them! She couldn't help but still feel a pang of guilt for not informing Mark of her escape, but she remained planted with her initial tenet that it had been for the best. He'd understand, right?

But perhaps there was a way to evade punishment? Perhaps she could use—

Bulma gasped in realization.

Shit! How could she have forgotten! The invisibility device; she'd totally forgotten to ask her dad about it! Silently she cursed herself, knowing it probably would have come in handy if she'd have fixed it. Dammit.

Oh, well.

She'd think of something.

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Goku came to a stand still, his breath coming heavily and his heart pounding in his ears; a bead of sweat glided down the bridge of his nose.

He could feel it: Vegeta's ki was all around him, but dammit he couldn't see him! Goku's eyes darted back and forth, but no matter how hard he tried, the other Saiyan was just too agile.

Vegeta was quite skilled, he'd give him that, but still Goku had greater determination and would not accept defeat in this battle. The Prince's ki blasts were even more outstanding, already a number of them having the potential of burning him alive, had he not blocked them at the last moment; but they had burnt his gi, leaving half of his chest and shoulder exposed and susceptible to harm.

"Looking for me?"

Goku whirled right into his opponent's fist, and cursed as he was thrown back by the blow. Seconds later his eyes clenched and he brought his forearms to shield the ki beam that hissed toward him. But sadly this wasn't enough; still it pushed him down toward Earth, burning his eyes, singeing his skin, and valorously he braced himself as his back collided painfully with the sleek glass of a skyscraper.

Amazingly he was able to hear the shocked screams as his body penetrated the stories of the building and careened mercilessly into the ground outside. When feeling the caustic heat subside to a wisp of smoke, only then did Goku allow his sore arms to collapse tiredly at his sides. He lay with his chin resting on his chest, his glazed eyes turned upward to stare at the blurred figure which hovered in the sky above him. Too fast. He's . . . too fast.

From above him he heard the haughty laughter of his enemy. "What's the matter, Kakkarot!" Vegeta shouted down at him, his voice chilling and taunting. "What happened to the one who said he was 'going to defeat the Saiyan Prince'!"

Of course Goku didn't bother answering the question; it would have been completely pointless. Instead he let his eyes drift shut as though momentarily forgetting about the demon that loomed over him, the blackness of his mind being his only comfort at the moment.

A subconscious image of Chichi pranced within his mind, her skirts twirling with her grace. Goku. Along with her, at her side, waddled their son, his tiny arms extended for balance, his pensive gaze on his feet as he took another prudent step. Daddy.

"Goku!"

Goku's brow crinkled at the sudden voice that infiltrated his thoughts.

"Goku!"

"K-king Kai?" he rasped in a hoarse whisper, his concentration wavering between the voice and the image of his son who had now fallen flat on his bottom and begun to howl.

"Yes, it's me, Goku! What are you doing! Get up! Get up!"

"I . . . can't. My body . . . feels like lead." The Saiyan gave an ironic laugh.

"Okay, Kakkarot!" came Vegeta's voice, followed by the hum of a forming blast. "Time to end this once and for all! You had your chance, and I'm sad to say you blew it!"

"Get up! You have to get up!"

Daddy.

Kakkarot.

The shred of tranquility was broken as both Chichi and their son gave an abrupt, shrill cry within his mind when a searing beam of fire enveloped them. The ravenous flames licked at their flesh, and before his eyes he saw as they shriveled into nothingness. And over the roaring fire, he could hear the cruel, maniacal cackle of Vegeta, the Saiyan Prince.

I can't lose. I just can't.

Overhead, the beam was released, and a sudden wave of something undescribable hit Goku harder than any blow he'd gotten from Vegeta. His eyes snapped open.

In an instant he'd reappeared to face the blinding light, his arms shielded protectively over his head as he ignored the searing pain of his bare skin. He wasn't sure how to describe what was happening— he wasn't even sure he knew exactly what was happeningAll he knew, was that his mind was no longer a sense of tranquil black, but instead, all he saw . . .

was red.

Vegeta's eyes widened as the Saiyan that should have been burnt to a crisp now rocketed toward him, unfazed."What!"Desperately he brought his arms to his chest to brace himself against the incoming hit, but was a fourth of a second too late as a hot fist connected with his jaw and sent him reeling.

He was then barraged by a flurry of furious blows to his stomach, causing him to double over and bite down the agony. This wasn't the power of a Third or Second Class warrior, but of a First, believe it or not. It was unknown to Vegeta just where this sudden surge of power had come from, but as he continued to be pounded upon with fire and anger, he decided absently, that he liked it.

The surface of the river was like concrete as the Prince plummeted head first into the bone chilling water. Almost immediately after the surge of the uprising wave subsided it spewed again as Vegeta bolted high into the sky, completely dry due to the heat of the ki that radiated off his body. With a wicked smile, he brought a gloved wrist to wipe away the single drop of blood which trickled from the corner of his mouth. "Heh. Now that's the Saiyan power I'm looking for." On his scouter read 11,000.

Goku only breathed jaggedly in response.

In the space of a heartbeat Vegeta's form vanished, reappearing in the midst of the city. Like lightning Goku followed, trailing close behind.

It was time to see if this Saiyan was a true warrior.

Unscrupulously Vegeta careened into the ground, and the next instant he was in an underground facility. He'd seen it earlier, yet at the time had not been that interested, but now he found it perfect for this purpose.

Humans screamed and stumbled at his unexpected presence, running blindly in order to get as far away from him as they possibly could. But alas, one girl that caught the Prince's eye was not quick enough as he materialized behind her pretty form, his vice like arms coiling around her body. She whimpered in pain as her bones were slowly crushed.

It was only a matter of moments before Goku arrived, touching ground in the filthy subway. But suddenly, he found the red slowly fading as a sheet of concern and panic blanketed his mind instead, witnessing the innocent woman in the other Saiyan's grasp.

Vegeta's sneer broadened when seeing Kakkarot's face contort into one of utter horror. "What's wrong, Kakkarot? Why aren't you attacking me?"

"Put the girl down, Vegeta," Goku instructed cautiously, afraid of angering his opponent. "She has nothing to do with this."

Vegeta laughed, a low, ugly sound. "No can do, Kakkarot. If you want to get to me, you're going to have to go through her first. A true warrior has to make a sacrifice if he wishes to defeat the enemy."

The girl whimpered again and began to writhe in the powerful grip. Vegeta's arms tightened in response, and he bent closer until his cool lips rested against her ear. "Shh—," he ordered huskily, "just be quiet, now; wouldn't want to have to do harm to that pretty face of yours, would we?" The girl's eyes were large as she gave an emphatic shake of her head. Vegeta smirked. "That's a good girl."

Goku growled discreetly, immediately grabbing the Saiyan's attention. "It's just one human, Kakkarot."

"That doesn't matter, Vegeta!" Goku pressed through gritted teeth. "She doesn't deserve to die! She's completely innocent!"

Vegeta scowled. "That's Prince Vegeta to you, you Third Class little worm," he hissed while subconsciously tightening his grip on the girl, causing her to cry out in anguish. His eyes snapped to her. "Quiet! All you insects are the same! I can't take the whining! It drives me insane!" He turned back to Goku, his gaze gleaming with contempt. "As for you, I knew it: you're too soft to be a Saiyan warrior. Even if you had agreed to come back with me, you would have been a disgrace to the entire Empire. You sicken me."

In the next instant, there was a chilling crack, and the girl's limp body was thrown carelessly to the side.

Goku stared with parted lips at the lifeless body, the life he could have saved if he'd been quick enough. When he looked back up, when he saw that look of genuine smug on the monster's face at having done such an evil deed, that's when he snapped.

"Why you—." He sped head first into Vegeta's chest armor, ignoring the shower of rubble as he created a new hole in the concrete. He managed to push themselves back up into the sky, before he felt two gloved hands clamped down on his head, and a knee collide painfully with his stomach, forcing him backward.

But being a Saiyan, he was resilient, and immediately shook off the blow to bring his palms together in formation. He crouched low in standard stance and brought them to his side. "Ka— me— . . ."

Vegeta watched in curiosity.

"Ha— me— . . ."

The Prince diligently lowered into a defensive stance, his heart pounding with anticipation.

"HA—!"

In the blink of an eye the blue beam dashed to meet the other Saiyan, but unfortunately for Goku, his luck had run out as Vegeta then thrust out his poised palms, catching the blast in mid-fire.

Now this was no doubt the last of the power Goku had had within him, and it had failed. Just when he thought nothing worse could occur, he let out a gasp as his own blast now backfired, darting toward him faster than he could comprehend.

It hit him square in the chest, engulfing him in its sheer power. He plummeted like a meteor into the ground, causing the earth to quake from impact.

And when the dust cleared, Goku lay motionless.

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Unfortunately, Bulma had found her chivalric attitude fading as she landed in New York City. And it didn't help that it looked like a scene of crisis either. Almost every where, buildings lay in ruins, canons fired recklessly, causing to sky to transform into a filthy, repulsive gray.

Deliberately taking her time, Bulma gathered capsules which could come in handy in the future, before timidly taking her first step onto the deserted streets.

It truly was a ghost town, an eerie wind blowing past her, sirens sounding loudly overhead. She presumed the sirens had been meant for these specific circumstances, and that probably by now, the entirety of the city had evacuated long ago.

Or maybe she was wrong.

She stood corrected when sudden howls rose in the air, causing her to jump in surprise. She spun around to see first a man, followed by a mob of people, pointing accusing fingers in her direction while shouting obscenities. "There she is!" "Get her!" "She's the cause for all of this!" "The bitch!" "It's her! She has blue hair!"

Panic flooded through Bulma and blindly she started forward through the empty street, afraid to look back at the roaring mob that chased after her. But their screams must have drawn further attention, for soon she was cut off by a second mob that came out of nowhere from around the corner of a crumbled skyscraper.

Before she knew it, she was surrounded, and was nothing more than an impotent rodent.

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Two able bodied men held her arms and dragged her wriggling form along the street, while groups of men and women followed closely behind, continuing their accusations and curses. They acted as though it were her fault for Christ's sake!

Well in a way it is.

To be perfectly honest, Bulma wasn't exactly certain why she was struggling so ferociously. After all, they were merely taking her to whom she was initially going to seek out. But still, now that she was so close to being captured, so close to once again being a slave, something in her mind told her that she'd been wrong to come there, to give in so easily.

And besides, the grip on her shoulder was starting to get painful.

"Let me go!" she cried without much success. "I know you're trying to take me to the Saiyans, but for th love of God, that's why I came here in the first place! So if you'd just let me go—,"

"Yeah right!"

"No way!"

"I'm sorry, miss Briefs."

At the unexpected apology, Bulma turned her head to regard an old man who appeared to have withered away in spirit long ago. Beneath bushy brows, his eyes were gentle and kind, and a sad frown was plastered on his thin lips. "I know this is surely far from being ethical, but one must make a sacrifice for the safety of the rest of his people."

Another voice spoke up, and no cordiality in this one. "Yeah! It's either you or us!"

A deep sadness fell upon Bulma in that moment, and sullenly she hung her head. She could understand them completely, she probably would have done the same thing after all. But still . . .

Bulma closed her eyes to prevent the single tear from escaping.

"Look! There he is!" "Yeah, that has to be him!" "Finally, he'll leave us alone!"

Bulma's heartbeat quickened when hearing these disrupting exclamations, and her eyes snapped open in alert. However, immediately she found her vision was obscured by two gold tip boots.

The heartbeat stopped altogether, and instinctually, slow as cold honey, she lifted her gaze.

Only then, when she met his cold, black eyes, did she see the sadistic grin that formed on his lips. He looked as though he had just received a beating, his spandex and armor torn, a visible bruise on his neck. Vauntingly he inclined his chin to stare down the bridge of his nose at her helpless form.

"Well, what have we here?"

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A/N: OMG! I totally forgot it was memorial weekend! How sad is that! I came back Sunday and was like, "omg, I can write all day tomorrow!" Ahem, anyway, finally, the moment you've all been waiting for . . . PLEASE REVIEW!! Please, for those of you who are reading but not reviewing, please review! I do accept anonymous reviews!

Question: hey, I wanna change my pen name, but a friend of mine told me that it could risk losing one of my stories or something. Is that true?