Author's note: Hey, guys, thanks for the reads, & the reviews. I love getting those alerts. Please feel free to keep them coming, & let me know your thoughts as the story progresses.

Chapter 40

Several months later Turles had called an all hands meeting in the cockpit. Nappa was already present, in the copilot chair. Goku and Krillen came in together, sweating from their training. Chiaotzu was next, and Vegeta was last.

Vegeta was half dressed, clearly having just stepped out of the shower. "What is it?"

Turles pinched his fingers out on his display screen, zooming in from the view of a spiral galaxy, to a specific arm, to a specific star, to a specific planet. "I give you, Frieza Planet 314." He tapped the planet and a bullet list of information appeared. "Frieza was not too far away three days ago, and ..." He turned to Nappa.

Nappa picked up where Turles left off. "Using the short range communicators, we have determined this is where Frieza is currently located. We don't know how long he'll be here, but, this is it, men, we're twelve hours out."

Vegeta turned his back to the group. "Kakarot, I'm taking my turn in the chamber. Let me know when we're about to land."

"We're not landing." Turles crossed his legs and leaned back. "Goku intends on using Instant Transmission again."

"Yeah." Goku nodded. "Also, I wouldn't work out too hard before we get there. You don't want to be tired, in case we get into a fight, do you?"

"In case we get into a fight?" Vegeta looked over his shoulder, down at the other Saiyans, disregarding the humans. "Nappa may have gone soft, but I have not. You can do what you like, but I am going for Frieza. Call me a distraction, if you like, but I will not ignore him when we are this close."

Goku took a deep breath. "This is still a rescue mission, not an assassination, and not a suicide mission. If you want to fight Frieza, well, I'm not going to stop you, but, just, don't attack civilians, okay?"

Turles cleared his throat. "Don't worry about that, too much." He said. "While this is a populated planet we're going to, it is strictly military and military industry. Every person on that rock has blood on their hands."

Goku opened his mouth, but Nappa spoke first. "That includes Bulma, guys. We have no reason to assume anyone is there more willingly than she is. If he's not actively succeeding in killing you, us, I, I don't think we should really fight, not seriously anyway."

"Leave it to me." Chiaotzu said. "I think I can beat the troops, at least the weaker ones, without killing them."

Vegeta put his hand on the door frame and stepped through, stopping as Nappa called to him. "Vegeta, just remember, we are a team. If you go off by yourself, you will be by yourself."

Vegeta made eye contact with his former subject, frowned slightly, and turned. He spoke as he exited. "When I ascend, I won't need your help. Let me know when we're leaving, and I'll be ready. Until then, don't disturb me."

"So, that answers part of my next question." Goku looked around the room. "I was going to ask, who's coming, and I guess that's a yes from Vegeta, who else?"

"I'm in." Nappa nodded. "I, I think I've made that fairly clear by now..."

"Same here." Chiaotzu said. "Who else would fight the weaker soldiers without killing them?"

"I've got your back." Krillen grinned. "I wouldn't miss this for the world."

"Krillen." Goku rested a hand on his friend's shoulder. "If you're not comfortable going, you don't need to go. You're strong, we all know this, and you're brave too, but, are you certain you want to come?"

"Ab-absolutely." Krillen stammered. "Bulma is counting on us, and, and if I can help, I need to."

"Well, someone has to stay." Turles crossed his arms behind his head. "And, I guess if Baldy One, Baldy Two, and Baldy Three are going, I'll be the one in the ship." He smiled at the two humans and Nappa. "Nothing will happen to it while I'm here, promise." He held up his pinky and Goku grabbed it with his own.

From Goku to Earth

Goku sat heavily in the captain's chair. Turles had gone for a quick nap, and now was the only privacy he was likely to get. Steeling a sip from Turles drink, he scrunched his face and stuck out his tongue. He still didn't know why people liked coffee, it was bitter, hot, and gross. Putting the cup back in its holder he began working his way through the computer, quickly bringing himself onto the screen.

Clicking "Start recording." he began to speak. "Hey, Dr. Brief. Hey, Panchy. Hey, Chi-Chi." He nodded to each of them. "If I understand this properly, by the time you get this message, it will be done. We're, we're getting close to where Frieza is, where Bulma is." He took a deep breath and brushed his hair back with his hand. "Nappa and Turles aren't familiar with this particular planet, but based on what we've found out, it's pretty similar to the rest of them."

"We're hoping for a quick, pop in, pop out. With Instant Transmission, I can hopefully find her, appear beside her, and bring her back to our ship. By the time they realize anything is wrong, that Bulma is missing, we'll be long gone." He smiled weakly.

"We're not coming right home, though." He drew a pattern in the air with his finger. "Turles is afraid that if they detect our ship, they'll be able to tell where we're going. So, we're going to zigzag our way home. It won't be quick, unfortunately, but it'll keep you guys safer."

His shoulders sagged. "We're hoping to not fight Frieza." Taking another deep breath, he continued. "If we have to, we will, but, I know what Gohan was capable of during their fight, I know what I'm capable of now, I think I know what Frieza is capable of. In that kind of fight, nobody wins."

"If Gohan is there, please send him out. I don't want him involved in, in the rest of this conversation." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I think Turles is hoping Frieza will chase us. Get in his ship, and follow us. He wants to blow him out of the sky. He's, he's immune to the vacuum of space, we think, but, but it would at least delay his conquest." He yawned, stretching his arms over his head. "If we can, if I can, I'll be the one to do that. I, I'll put all my power into it. Super Saiyan, and Kaio-Ken. One shot, as strong as I can make it. I don't know if it'll be enough to kill him. I don't think it will. But, if we can finish him, at minimal risk to ourselves, and no collateral damage, well, we're going to take the shot."

"I've done it before. I've layered Kaio-Ken on top of Super Saiyan. It's not fun, it feels like it's shredding me apart, from the inside out, but with the medical facilities we have on the ship, well, I should be fine." He looked over his shoulder. The door was still closed. "I don't think it'll be enough. I think Frieza is the kind of foe that can, can just take that kind of assault. I think the only way to best him, is to keep it up, break through his defenses, and slowly wear him down. But, if we hurt him, if we injure him, I think that would be good."

"If you can't tell, I'm having second thoughts. I, I can't tell the others, because Vegeta wants his revenge, and Turles wants to destroy his empire. I, I'm with Turles, of course. Frieza is evil, but, I don't know if I can face him." He shut his eyes. "He's killed me once, and, and that was when I had Gohan, with me, on Namek. Now that the steaks are lower, not that I don't value the others, well, I, I don't know if I want to risk it."

"Yes, I know I'm stronger than Frieza ever was, but, I've got a bad feeling about this. And, with Gohan at home, with where Chi-Chi and I are, I don't know if I can risk myself again, not unless we need to." He swallowed a lump in his throat. "I feel like I'm abandoning everyone. I feel like I'm being selfish. If someone doesn't stop Frieza, he'll just keep doing what he has, and, and that's obviously, horrible. I have the power to stop him, I have the responsibility to stop him, but, I, I know I'm being selfish. I know that factually, my life, my presence in Gohan's life, in Chi-Chi's life, and Krillen's, Turles', and Chiaotzu's, and even Nappa's, I know it is nothing compared to the thousands, millions, billions, of lives I could save. But, I'm sorry, I don't think I'll be able to do it."

He rubbed his eyes, drying them, and returned his gaze to the monitor. Using it as a guide he figured out, or he thought he figured out, where the camera was, a dark circle surrounded by indicator lights. "The reason I'm saying this." He grabbed at his heart. "The reason I'm opening up like this, despite how I know you'll think of me after, is that Bulma is what matters here, and, and when we come home, I need that to be clear. When we get home, you can celebrate Bulma, of course, but, I, I just want to go. I, I need to be alone, hopefully with Chi-Chi. Please, if you're planning anything for our return, leave me out of it."

He shut his eyes and took another deep breath. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry that I, I can't bring myself to finish Frieza, and, and I need to be alone. Up here, that's impossible. And, when we land, that's going to be, well, my family is going to be, my only priority. I know you'll respect my wishes, and I, I really appreciate that."

"Anyway, we're getting close. Frieza Planet 314. I need to go rest." He stood, moving the mouse to the big red end button. "I have no idea if I'm going to stick to my guns on this. I, I hope I do, For Gohan. I hope I don't, for, for my self respect. I guess, we'll see."

On Frieza Planet 314

In a large open room scientists busily tinkered on a variety of projects. One station had a 10KG weight inside a clear tube, a scale under it reading 50KG in bold red letters. Another had an automated arm flipping a switch up, and down, a suit of armor appearing and disappearing with each flick. A third station had a sword mounted vertically to a table, its blade shooting towards the ceiling and retracting back down, while the hilt stayed motionless.

The forth work station had a circle carved in the tile, a seven pointed star within it. At each point of the star was a large white sphere, with a number of red stars on the upward facing surface. In the middle of the diagram a scientist stood, recording device in hand.

"Attempt 512." He spoke disinterestedly. "Oh, magic dragon, hear my words and grant my wish." He closed his eyes and his ears popped. "Bring me the Saiyans that would defy Lord Frieza."

Opening his eyes, the scientist began to stammer, not believing his eyes. In front of him were Saiyans, several of them, and, and their pet. "Uh..."

"Granted." Vegeta smirked. Raising his fist into the air, and quickly snapping it down, he released his ki. Rampaging through the room, around the immovable warriors he accompanied, his energy shredded every biological entity to their base elements. Experiments were destroyed, and some of the greatest minds in the galaxy were, at once, gone.

"VEGETA!" Goku shouted. "We are NOT here to kill indiscriminately. What was that for?"

"Sorry." Vegeta smirked, stepping away from the group. "I farted." Ignoring the pissed off Saiyan trying to chew him a new one, Vegeta threw his senses out, got his bearings, and lifted into the air. Quickly finding where Frieza was, he reoriented himself, and blasted off at full speed. The first wall he came to was already crumbling due to his attack, the second, third, and fourth, had no such excuse for why he punched through them like wet tissue paper.

Chiaotzu went to fly after him, but Nappa grabbed his ankle. "Let him go." He shook his head. "At least he's sticking to that part of the plan."

"So, Bulma." Krillen stepped away from the group as well. "I, I can't feel her from here, Goku?"

"I was hoping this is where she'd be." He looked around. "A large group of low power levels, but ..." He looked at the diagram on the floor, confusion crossing his face. "I didn't recognize any of these power levels." His hair stood on end for a moment, his aura turning electric. "But, Krillen, if she was here, in this room, I, I'm going to..."

Krillen grabbed his shoulder, a tough task for him. "She wasn't, Goku. She wasn't here. Just, breathe, and trust, she, she wasn't here." Crossing his fingers he thought to himself, that he hoped, he was right.

As the remaining group waited for Nappa to read the downloaded map on his scouter, finding likely places Bulma would be, they were interrupted by running boots.

Three out of the four, nearly identical, entrances to the lab crashed open, falling effortlessly from their hinges. Two dozen armored soldiers came pouring in from each door, and pounding could be heard on the last. Spreading out in a well choreographed maneuver they surrounded the invaders, mostly.

All at once the soldiers brought their firearms up and sighted their targets. The front row dropped to their stomachs, the middle row sank to a knee, and the rear group stayed standing. Their formation was well laid out, each trooper was offset from both the one in front, and behind them. While there were gaps in their layout, it was clearly so that friendly fire would pass harmlessly between their ranks.

"Hands up." … "Stay still." … "Stand down." … "Drop your weapons." … "Don't move." … "You have the right to a speedy execution."

Nappa tilted his head. "Uh ... These guys are new."

Chiaotzu raised his hands into the air, and followed them with his body.

"Don't move!" … "Stand down!" … "Identify yourselves!" … "Land or die!" … "THREE!" … "TWO!"

Chiaotzu snapped his arms out to either side. Using his ki to boost his speed, he spun himself in as quick of, as tight of, circle as he could manage. As he completed his rotation, so to did the mass of gunmen. While he stopped his spin, they continued, flying off in any and all directions, landing in heaps, three to four soldiers deep.

"I got nothing." Nappa said. "This is a military base, but there aren't any prison cells, at least not listed. Thoughts?"

Krillen looked around at the destruction surrounding him. "Didn't you say that Frieza said Bulma was with him? Maybe, maybe Vegeta has the right idea, and, we need to find Frieza, to find Bulma?"

Goku turned to face the way Vegeta had flown. "I can feel Frieza. Not that well, but it is unmistakably him."

Nappa followed his commanders gaze. "Are you sure? I feel, someone, over there, someone powerful, but, he doesn't feel like much, not compared to you, Kakarot."

"Yeah, I'm sure." He kicked off the ground and the others followed suit. "I'd say he's suppressing his energy again, but, but when he did that it felt deep. Like you were looking at an iceberg, and you knew what you saw was nothing compared to the monster underneath, but now? He feels strong, but, but shallow, if that makes sense?"

Elsewhere on Frieza Planet 314

Shrugging off several direct blasts, as well as several reinforced bulkheads, Vegeta plowed through the base on Frieza Planet 314. He couldn't recognize energies, not yet, not without knowing them first, but this one, this one stood out like a soar thumb. Massive, dark, and subdued. There were only three people this could be, one of whom was dead, and one of whom was a galaxy away. No, it had to be Frieza.

As Vegeta plunged through the structure, literally head first, his blood boiled, his heart thundered, and his breath escaped in fast, deep, richly oxygenated, snarls. This is it, the moment he'd been waiting for. It may have taken decades, but now, now he would get his revenge. He would kill Frieza. He would rip him apart. Crush his bones beneath his boots. Nothing, not military grade bunkers, nor the void of space, would stop him.

Coming to and flying past a familiar sight, he left Frieza's ship behind, and began to arc up. Ignoring one more wall, and one last floor, Vegeta was there. Once more he was in his presence. Lord, leach, Frieza. He had known the boy had killed him, destroyed him, but to see the aftermath with his own two eyes, well, he was lucky to have his body after all.

Vegeta hovered there, aura flickering, hair whipping, as the former demon turned from his window to face him. Frieza's form wasn't completely new, not like he had thought, but he was still almost completely non organic. From the top of his nose to the base of his belly white flesh was exposed. Beyond that, his arms, his legs, his tail, they were black metal, absorbing all light that touched them. White spots speckled his hands, feet, knees, elbows, and, and all joints that Vegeta could see. Thin white lines trailed between the dots, creating a web like effect over his entire body. . His eyes were gone, replaced with dim red lenses.

Frieza opened his mouth and spoke. While his body was new, different, his voice was not. Any doubt that Vegeta had in the identity of this, this thing, was wiped away at once. Not just by the voice, but by the words themselves. "Greetings, Monkey. You're late. Were the big bad bugs on Arlia to tough for you, the mighty, the brave, Prince Vegeta?"

Vegeta's heart raged against the insult. Surrendering himself to the ferality of his emotions, he released his aura. Larger, denser, brighter, than ever, it lifted his hair, it expanded the hole he created in his entrance, and it did not phase the bane of his existence. "FUNNY! REAL FUNNY! You won't be laughing when I'm using your tin can of a skull for soup, Frieza." His voice was lower, rougher, than normal. He felt his vocal chords rubbing against each other and the pain just enraged him further.

Frieza crossed his arms and licked his lips. "Oh, very creative." He smirked. "Did you think of that all by yourself? I'm surprised a lowly primate knows what tin is, or soup, for that matter. Don't your kind simply eat whatever slop is put in front of them? You sure did, your father sure did, and when I find him, your brother will as well."

Vegeta's aura pulsed and a white wave of ki rode it from the ground up. "You can search for the weakling all you like, but you're not going to find him. Your path ends here." The whites of his eyes brightened as his hair stopped waving, and began to stand on end. "Half of a Saiyan left you half dead. Me? I'm going to finish the job, you disgraceful excuse for a ruler. Prepare yourself for the wrath of a true royal!"

Frieza uncrossed his arms, and grabbed his wrists behind his back, hovering slightly he placed himself above Vegeta. "Half dead? Oh, I'm afraid you're mistaken, Monkey. I am more alive than ever, I am more powerful than ever. And you? You're about to learn your place. If you're lucky, I may let you lick my boots before I make you choke on your own teeth and your detached tongue."

"SHUT UP!" Vegeta howled, his now golden aura deepening, making his hair appear red. "You insult my honor, you insult my blood, and yet you just stand there! Guard down? SHUT UP AND FIGHT ME!" Rocketing forward, landed a planet shattering fist between Frieza's eyes.

With no effort Frieza raised his right hand, catching Vegeta's fist just before impact. "Bad monkey." Tightening his grip Frieza closed his eyes and relaxed. The sensation of Vegeta's hand breaking, compressing, and shifting, it was similar to that of closing his hand on a clump of snow. Without his own skin, without his own nerves, the action was far more shallow than he had wished, but with the upgraded artificial intelligence aiding him, he could practically feel the chill of the snow, instead of the warmth of the blood.

Vegeta's irate howl shifted to an agonized scream. Planting his feet on Frieza's remaining flesh, he pushed. Nothing budged. Forcing his ki into his legs, into his feet, out of his body, he tried to fly away from his master. Nothing budged. Directing his free palm between his feet, directly at Frieza's heart, Vegeta harnessed his rage once more, focused it in, and bellowed as he shot it into Frieza. Nothing budged.

Seconds later Frieza pulled Vegeta's fist to the side. Well, pulled implied effort, as if he would have strained to do so. In reality, Frieza pulled Vegeta's hand with the same level of challenge Vegeta would have had pulling a balloon through the air. "How many times do I need to teach you this lesson, Vegeta?" Grabbing his wrist with his free hand Frieza tensed his grip. He assumed all of Vegeta's nerves were already firing, but his screams changed pitch with each bone cracking squeeze, so, who knows, right?

Holding Vegeta's hand firmly in his right, and his wrist in his left, Frieza shook his head. "If you misuse your toys, I will take them. You misused your hand, it is mine." Keeping his left thumb, pointer, ring, and pinky fingers stationary, he began to curl his middle. "Well, it was mine, it was already mine, you, are mine, but now? Now I'm taking it." Like slicing through butter, Frieza's middle finger slowly worked its way through Vegeta's wrist. He counted the pop of each carpal as they snapped, one, two, three … he took a deep breath and quickly severed the rest. Pulling Vegeta's hand free, he proceeded to turn his radius and ulna to powder.

Free from the devil's grip, Vegeta collided with the back wall of Frieza's chamber. Frieza held Vegeta's hand in front of him, as Vegeta held his stump. As Frieza turned the unidentifiable lump of meat to dust, Vegeta forced a ki ball into the remains of his forearm, stemming the bleeding.

Vegeta's eyes began to water. He clamped them shut. "You MONSTER! You will PAY! I, I WILL BECOME A SUPER SAIYAN, I WILL KILL YOU, I WILL DESTROY YOU, I WILL..."

Frieza whispered directly behind Vegeta, his breath tickling the Saiyans ear lobe. "You will do no such thing. If you were smart, you'd beg for a swift death. I am merciful, you know? Well, for most. For you, it wouldn't do much good." With a swift punch to the small of Vegeta's back, Frieza sent the former prince flying across the room, and falling face first onto the floor.

Slowly, methodically, Frieza approached.

Using his remaining hand, boosted by his explosive ki, Vegeta turned over. He pushed himself off the ground, pushed his back off the ground. His legs, his legs were limp, unresponsive, dead. "FUCK!" He waled.

Frieza stopped his slow prowl. "Oh, did I break your tail?" Tilting his head he examined the mouse. "I know in most species, that's called a spine. But, being a Saiyan and all, I don't know if that term applies, you, coward."

Vegeta's eyes screamed in pain. He fought it. He denied it. He refused. He'd rather pluck them out himself, but, he failed. Salty tears, large and constant, began flowing down his face. This was his moment. This was his chance. He had done it, he had stood up against the tyrant. Why, why the hell did he fail? It was him, he was destined to win. He was to free his people, not die, not fail, not disgrace his father, his mother, his, his entire species.

"Awww." Frieza arrived at the mess on the floor and crouched down in front of him. Softly, almost affectionately, Frieza cupped Vegeta's cheeks and looked into his eyes. "Did, did I hurt the monkey's feelings?" His eyes sharpened. Deep inside something clicked, and his vision, his hearing, everything, began to be recorded. He could only live this once, but he could relive it many, many times. He wondered for a moment, could he share this?

Frieza stroked Vegeta's face with his thumbs. "It's okay, baby. You're weak, you're pathetic. You're a lesser being. Of course you had to plot in the shadows, rely on the real fighters to do your job. No one would expect a failure like yourself to do anything alone, not successfully anyway. You didn't disappoint anyone, you couldn't. No one, no one intelligent, would ever expect anything from you. Hush now, it's okay."

"Fuck." Vegeta hiccuped. "Off." He raised his remaining hand, relying on Frieza to hold him up. Placing a finger against the emperor's ear, he fired. Not stopping, not breathing, he focused his energy, he forced his core, out his finger. The ki erupted from his fingertip, the light was blinding at this close range, and he closed his eyes, not stemming the flow of tears. When his energy was drained and his anger had followed it, he opened his eyes.

Frieza shook his head. "Are you done? Is it out of your system now?"

"I'm, I'm done." Vegeta hung his head in shame and let gravity carry him backwards to the floor.

Frieza moved to stand tall beside Vegeta's head. "See, that's what I expected. That's what your father expected, that's what you should have expected." His robotic tail snaked beneath the prince's neck, supporting it as a pillow. Slowly, his tail coiled around Vegeta's neck, wrapping itself loosely, carefully, around his wind pipe. "Any last words? Questions? Rude remarks? Would you like to throw your fecal matter one last time?"

Vegeta looked into Frieza's eyes. There was nothing there, no soul, no emotion, no, no humanity. They were red, they were angular, and they were dead. "Why?" He choked out. "Why are you like this? Why do you do this to me, to my people?"

"I object to that." Frieza looked back into Vegeta's eyes. Decades of pain, decades of suffering, decades of turmoil, wasted effort, and foolish pride, shined brightly. He was broken, inside and out. "They were not your people. They were my subjects, my possessions, to do with as I saw fit. They were useful, they cleared many, many planets for me. They, you, were a tool. I used you. Just as you would have done. Just as you tried to do."

Vegeta shut his eyes, no longer having the energy to process his vision. "We were loyal. We never betrayed you. Why did you destroy us?"

"Because you had something, something I failed to take, time and time again." Frieza gingerly inspected Vegeta's stump. It wasn't pretty, but his improvised cauterization was very well performed. "You had hope, and I couldn't allow it to spread through my ranks." He sighed. "The Super Saiyan was a legend. And, I will admit, it did frighten me. But, with my father behind me and my brother beside me, the only danger it posed was to my pride." He shook his head. "But, the hope of the legend, that, that was dangerous. A Saiyan rebellion would be easy to squash, but, but if other species were rallied, joined the Saiyans. Well, it would still be easy to put down, but it would be more effort than it was worth. You served us well, the Saiyans served us well, but you simply weren't worth the headache."

Vegeta processed the information. The Super Saiyan was meant to free them, restore them to their former glory, their rightful place at the top. But, it was him, or the mere potential of him, that doomed them all.

Frieza loosened his tail slightly, as Vegeta's face began to change color. "Now, does that answer all of your questions?"

"Yes." He answered. "I'm ready to go now. Good bye, Frieza. I hope the rest of your life is as miserable as you've made mine."

Coiling the spring of his tail, Frieza spoke. As his head fell away and his consciousness faded, Vegeta heard three final words. "It won't be."

As the cybernetically enhanced being watched Vegeta's head roll, towards the hole in his floor, he was intruded upon yet again. Another familiar Saiyan, black hair, orange gi, and a look of horror on his face. After him came another orange fighter, and, a mime? Finally, a familiar, agonized, face.

Nappa took in the scene. He knew Frieza was strong, stronger than Vegeta. He knew that Vegeta didn't stand a chance, but, but now it was real. Vegeta was here, and there, and there. Something in the brute snapped. His aura grew, his facial hair whipped, and his power began to climb. "FRIEZA!"

Author's note: Shorter chapter this week, but a few key moments. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter, so, please do leave a review.