A/N: Well, this once again took a lot longer than expected, but somehow this chapter was hard to write (I brooded over it for about two weeks, next to working, studying, going to the gym and being assaulted by many ideas for almost all my other fanfictions except for this one! But it's finally finished (it's already midnight, but I couldn't just stop), especially since I don't have any time to write tomorrow, since my best friend is going to visit me and stay overnight. However, I hope you like this chapter and as usual, I also hope that I will be able to post the next chapter sooner… But unfortunately, I can't promise anything right now…

Chapter 36: Vegeta's revenge

Finally, Vegeta only thought, when he and Frieza finally faced off. All his life he had waited for this moment, ever since his father had started negotiating with Frieza about becoming allies, to make their kingdom a part of Frieza's empire. He had never thought much of his father, even then. King Vegeta had been a coward. Instead of fighting Frieza, when he had known that The Beast was going to be a threat, he had done everything to please him. Vegeta remembered clearly, despite his young age then, how Frieza had slowly broken every contract that had been signed by him and the King and then, as last hope, how King Vegeta had betrayed his own son and had handed him to Frieza in exchange for the safety of their island – to no avail. But now he was finally going to get his revenge on the being that had at every chance deceived his people, wiped out almost the whole proud race of the Saiyajins and had tortured, abused and humiliated him for more than twenty-five years. As long as he, the Prince of all Saiyajins, was still alive, Frieza would never fully win this war.

While the two opponents were eyeing each other, the world around them ceased to exist. It was only the two of them – mortal enemies – who were about to fight until one killed the other. Both displayed a confidence not known by many, their backs straight, the look on their faces being one of superiority. Though, as Goku watched the scene playing out in front of him, he could not say how much of this was just an act.

Eventually, after what seemed to be long minutes for an observer, Frieza spoke, "Do you really think that you are able to kill me? Have you forgotten, how strong I am? How often I beat you without even trying?"

"I haven't," Vegeta answered, his voice full of hatred for the being in front of him. Despite this, his whole body appeared to be calm and collected, but inwardly he was screaming, raging and his hands were itching for the fight that was to come. "But you may also not forget that I have gotten a lot stronger since our last meeting. In case you're wondering what happened to your precious right hand man, I killed him, without breaking into sweat." Upon the look of surprise that passed Frieza's face, Vegeta smirked. "See, I think that my chances of beating you have become a lot more realistic than only a couple of months ago."

Even though he said it, there still remained a nagging doubt in the back of his mind. He had seen the Legendary, had seen him fight and he knew the tale. Only the Legendary would be able to fight and kill Frieza and no one else. And he knew that he wasn't the Legendary. However, he was still the Prince of all Saiyajins and therefore this fight was his. This was his revenge for his people, his freedom and his throne. Vegeta knew that this would be the last fight of his life, but he would go down as a warrior, as a Saiyajin. This thirst for vengeance and the knowledge that he had nothing to lose - he thought he never really had Bulma, so he also assumed he couldn't lose her - was going to make him strong enough to make Frieza regret that he had ever dared to double-cross a Saiyajin, even if Vegeta did not kill him.

Vegeta only hoped that the brat would once again become the legendary warrior to put an end to Frieza's reign. No matter how much it was going to hurt his pride to know that the Beast had died by the hands of a third class Saiyajin, a half-breed nonetheless.

"Well, let's try to disprove that theory of yours, shall we?" Frieza's lips turned up into a cruel smirk, as he stretched his fingers. "I'm getting tired of standing here and talking." Without further warning, he attacked. Vegeta just barely managed to catch his left fist and then the right one with his own hands and both of them started to push the other with brute strength. None of them gave in. Their feet were scraping along the earth, leaving deep marks, as first one and then the other gained the upper hand in this battle of wills.

All of sudden, both opponents jumped apart, putting a few feet between them. Vegeta already felt some drops of sweat on his forehead, but was pleased to notice that he and Frieza seemed to be about equal. This truly improved his chances at defeating him.

"I have to admit, you are right," Frieza, who unlike Vegeta did not look like he had just taken part in a test of strength, observed. "You have become stronger. However, this is not good enough to beat me. I killed King Vegeta with only half of the strength I used against you and believe me, princeling, what you've just experienced isn't my full power. You just caught a glimpse of it."

"Don't be a fool," Vegeta growled at him, still unimpressed. "I was already stronger than my father when I was still a brat. Killing him doesn't prove anything."

Frieza only smirked and once again rushed at the Prince, too fast to react, and knocked him off his feet with one swift uppercut. For the split of a second, Vegeta remained lying on the floor, stunned, and just barely managed to roll away in time, as Frieza's fist was embedded in the dusty ground, where his head had just been merely moments before.

"What's this?" Frieza mocked him, as Vegeta shakily got back on his feet and into a fighting stance. This one hit had been a lot harder than he had expected. "I thought you've become so strong, Vegeta. Show me, where's this strength, this power that you monkeys seem to be so proud of?"

The Prince of the Saiyajins cursed under his breath. He had not suspected Frieza to be this strong, but at the same time he had this nagging suspicion that he was still holding back. And even though he had known that he would not get out of this alive, he had at least hoped to last a bit longer.

More out of anger at himself, for being this weak and helpless in this situation, and despair, Vegeta lunged at his opponent, his fist drawn, but only hit thin air. Frieza had easily sidestepped the attack and was now standing next to him with his arms crossed lazily in front of his chest. With an angry yell, his arm lashed out once again, but this time Frieza caught his fist and twisted his arm behind his back, pushing him to the ground – however, to make matters worse, he did all of this using only his left hand.

Vegeta hit the ground with his fist and cried out in anguish. For the first time in his whole life, tears, caused by frustration and humiliation, were running down his face. At this very moment, after all those years of abuse and taunts that he would never be able to defeat Frieza, of hearing over and over again that he and his race were worth nothing, Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyajins, finally gave up. This last humiliation, still not standing a chance against the Beast after all those years of hard training and preparing, had been the last straw – his pride, the only thing that had kept him going for so long, finally broke.

Frieza kicked him, before he could get up again and sent him a few feet through the air. Vegeta hit the ground hard.

Gohan fell to his knees, supporting his body with his hands, panting hard. Black dots were starting to dance in front of his eyes and he was growing dizzy. Still, he couldn't give up, yet. There were still too many soldiers to fight. Raising his head, he looked around. Bardock was busy defending his mother and Dende, only that Gohan could see that he was getting steadily weaker, even though he still possessed an impressive strength for someone who had just gotten out of a prison, where he had been kept for the last twenty-five years. Maybe it was just his will that kept him going, just like Gohan's will kept him going. But not just Bardock amazed him, because Bulma also took a fair share of soldiers out, despite several cuts and bruises that were already visible on her body.

Grunting, Gohan tightened the grip around his sword and pushed himself up again, first in a kneeling position and then stood up on trembling legs, just in time to slash open the stomach of an unsuspecting soldier, who had wanted to attack him. He, however, had not noticed the soldier sneaking up to him from behind, until he saw his head rolling in front of him. Turning around startled, he saw the one person he had not expected. "Piccolo," he mumbled with a weak grin on his face, just as Krillin, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Chao-Zu and Juuhachigou stormed the clearing.

"I thought I told you to never let your guard down," Piccolo chided him, smirking, as he took his position between Gohan and their attackers.

"Hey! I knew, I heard some fighting noises here," Krillin quipped and together, he and his friends lunged at the remaining soldiers.

After only a couple of minutes, they watched cheering, as the few surviving soldiers fled into the woods. Still smiling, Gohan's vision suddenly became blurrier and he dropped back to his knees. The clatter of his sword on the ground alarmed the others and they turned around to see him slump completely – the loss of blood having weakened him too much already. ChiChi immediately rushed to his side and cradled his head in her lap.

"Dende!" Piccolo called, as he also dropped down next to Gohan, pulling open the drenched shirt. If Nameks could pale, Piccolo's face would have become a few shades lighter, when he saw all the blood that was seeping out of this wound. Gohan's face was deathly white and pearls of sweat were running down his face. His eyes were now only half open and the boy was barely conscious, since the adrenaline that had kept him going during this fight, now left his body. "Come on, boy! Don't die on me now!"

The young Namek hurried to their side, as everyone else was gathering around them, all of them wearing somber expressions on their faces. Dende put his hands directly on the wound and closed his eyes in concentration. Soon a golden glow appeared and the wound closed, much everyone's relief. Gohan's eyes weakly fluttered open and his mother helped him into a sitting position.

"Gohan? Are you alright?" ChiChi asked worried.

"Yeah, I think… But I'm just so tired…" he mumbled.

"That's understandable," Piccolo told him. "Dende may have healed your wound, but he couldn't restore the blood you lost. Right now you only need to rest."

When it was clear that Gohan would live, Yamcha went over to Bulma. Even though she had spent several weeks as hostage of cruel pirates, and even though her dress and skin was splattered with blood, her body covered in bruises and her clothes partly torn, Yamcha thought he had never seen someone more beautiful. "Hey, are you alright?" He hugged her gently. "I've been so worried about you – we all have been."

As Yamcha embraced her, Bulma's whole body suddenly stiffened. A couple of weeks ago, she would have welcomed this, but things had changed – she had changed – and this just didn't feel right anymore. Gently pushing him away, she said, "Don't worry. I'm fine." She gave him a small, apologetic smile. Truly everything was different now. She had grown – emotionally and as woman. She had gone through so much, and this had given her a new confidence. And she had fallen in love. With a pirate nonetheless.

The world around her may have stayed the same, but she was different now.

"What are we going to do now?" ChiChi finally asked, tearing Bulma out of her thoughts.

"The soldiers we fought here have been the last ones," Tenshinhan informed them. "The others are either dead of have fled, when they have seen that Frieza was going to fight himself."

ChiChi looked at him startled. "Who was he going to fight? Goku?"

Tenshinhan shook his head, an unreadable expression on his face. "No, Vegeta. But I think it will be Goku's turn soon. When we left, it didn't look good for Vegeta."

When she heard this information, Bulma gasped, remembering what Vegeta had told her only a couple of days ago – that he knew that Frieza would kill him. She was about to run past Yamcha, but he grabbed her arm.

"Bulma, what are you doing?" he demanded to know with a confused expression on his face.

"I'm not going to let him die!"

"Don't worry," he said, trying to calm her down. "Goku can take care of himself."

"I'm not talking about Goku!"

Yamcha let her go, startled by her words, and everyone was staring her, not believing what she had just said. Bulma used this chance and stormed past her stunned friend into the direction of the courtyard, where the fight between Frieza and Vegeta was taking place. It only took them a few seconds to realize, where her friend had gone, and, after agreeing that Tenshinhan and Chao-Zu were going to stay with Bardock, ChiChi, Gohan and Dende in case there were still some of Frieza's men running around, they went after her.

Goku watched horrified, as Frieza picked the steadily weaker growing Vegeta up with his tail and started to strangle him, while continuing to beat on him mercilessly. He desperately wanted to step in, but his own hope that he would be able to do any harm to Frieza, let alone kill him, slowly started to dwindle. But Goku had no other choice but to face him. He wouldn't give up. He would go down fighting. The only ones he truly felt sorry for were ChiChi and Gohan – the woman he loved and his son – and his friends. It would be hard for him to leave them behind and hard for them to lose him again, just after they had found out that he was alive after they had believed him dead already, but if he managed to actually defeat Frieza, his death wouldn't have been for nothing.

Eventually, Frieza let go of Vegeta and once again flung him to the ground, where he remained lying on his back, motionless, except for his ragged breathing. Just as Frieza pulled out his sword and walked up to Vegeta to end this, Goku couldn't take it anymore.

"Frieza! Leave him! You defeated him and he knows that, so there's no need to kill him," he intervened and continued, without even knowing why, "I promise to be a better opponent."

Much to his surprise, Frieza sheathed his sword and turned to him. "You fool. Do you really think you can take me, when even the Prince of your pathetic race doesn't stand a chance?"

Not knowing, where the sudden confidence came from, Goku answered, "I'm not worried." Maybe it was the knowledge and acceptance that he would die in this fight that made him this calm, but Goku wasn't sure nor did he care. The only thought in his mind right now was that it was his turn to fight Frieza and that he needed to do his best to not go down like Vegeta.

Frieza attacked him without forewarning, but Goku didn't need one. He dodged the fist flying at him and executed a roundhouse kick, hitting Frieza. The Beast didn't seem to be bothered, but Goku had achieved something that Vegeta hadn't – there was a small scratch at Frieza's cheek. He attacked once more, but again the warrior managed to block and dodge all of the assaults.

Vegeta watched this exchange in amazement. He had known that Kakarotto was strong ever since he had fought him on Namek, but he had never expected him to become that strong during this short amount of time that had passed since then. What the hell had happened to him? Actually, Vegeta decided, it didn't matter as long as Kakarotto was showing Frieza what a Saiyajin truly was. "Well, Frieza," he taunted gasping and spitting blood, "Looks like you finally met your match. Should you really defeated by a mere Saiyajin? A third-class nonetheless?"

However, Frieza only laughed. "Honestly, Vegeta, do you still think that I'm using my full strength? No one, especially no Saiyajin, will ever be able to defeat me!" He pulled out his pistol and pointed it at Vegeta. "Now, enough of that!"

A shot rang through the air and for about a second Vegeta felt nothing – Frieza might as well have missed him – until an excruciating pain shot through his whole body, being most intense in his chest, right where his heart was. He wanted to scream, but no sound came out of his mouth. Never had he experienced a pain like this before. He couldn't move, he couldn't think. His whole body felt as if it were on fire and there was nothing he could do to stop this. Each breath he took only worsened the pain, but he wouldn't be Vegeta, if he gave up just that easily. He was a fighter, a warrior and most of all, he was a Saiyajin. He fought the darkness that tried to claim him, he still needed to tell Kakarotto some important things, but it was getting more difficult with each passing second.

And then, out of nowhere, he heard a voice that he had never thought he would hear again, and he grasped to it, as it cried, "NO!"