A/N: Hey guys! How have you all been? I hope everyone's been doing okay and…just existing lol.

Happy new year to you all! Man, 2021 was so much fun right? Just..the BEST really…no it wasn't. And as much as it may seem unlikely, here's to hoping that 2022 is at least slightly better than last year. We need a bit of positivity and hope after the last two years.

I can continue this little speech a bit later. So, after about four months, I bring you the next chapter! I hope it was worth the wait, Lord knows writer's block is a real bitch haha. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: It's not mine. I just felt like writing this even though it's pointless since we all know I don't own the friggin show lol, don't ask me why.


Chapter 14

Everything was calm in the open fields of planet Namek. The grass was swaying softly thanks to the gentle breeze, small frogs hopped to and fro, completely unbothered and sensing no threats nearby.

The peace was suddenly disturbed and the grass whipped around violently as three figures blasted away at top speed.

The unlikely trio consisting of Vegeta, Gohan and Krillin flew as fast their bodies could push them towards the dragon balls left in a grassy plane nearby, with the Prince leading the pack as he used the radar to guide them to their destination. All of them had the same thoughts racing through their minds: that they had to make their wishes as quickly as possible before the Ginyu Force showed up and ruined everything. They were running out of time.

Well, at least two of them were. The other person's thoughts were a bit more…intimate than that.

Vegeta clenched his teeth together, a vein popping out of his forehead. He was feeling very irritated with himself. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't get his last encounter with the woman out of his mind. More specifically, what he had said to her before leaving her in the Capsule House.

Flashback

Turning to face the Earthlings, Vegeta addressed them. "Listen, we don't have a lot of time. If you still want to make your wishes, we need to go now!"

All of their mouths dropped in shock. Vegeta was going to let them have their wishes? Just like that?

"Now you idiots! We don't have any more time to waste! Or you can kiss your chance at getting your friends back goodbye!" He shouted in a panic. He'd come too far, gotten too close for those overpowered bastards to destroy his one and only chance at killing Frieza.

Snapping into gear, Krillin and Gohan took the other two dragon balls and raced to the front door, Vegeta following behind them.

"Wait! I'm coming with you! Just let me get dressed." Bulma turned towards the bedroom.

"Absolutely not!" Vegeta yelled.

"Oh and just why not?!" She yelled back, arms akimbo.

"Because I said so! You're staying here and I don't want to hear another word about it!"

The young genius stepped forward, getting in his face. "You can't tell me what to do. You're not the boss of me!"

"Would you use that genius brain of yours and think for a second?! Frieza is going to brief them on their mission, meaning he's going to mention the obstacles in his path and order them taken out. He's going to tell the Ginyu's about me, about your little friends and about you! You'll be taken straight back to Frieza's ship again and this time, no one will be there to save you!"

Without thinking, Vegeta grabbed her arms and leaned towards her, holding her gaze. "For the little stunts we pulled, Frieza will be sure to pay them back to you a hundredfold. He'll have you wishing for death long before he's done with you. And I can promise you, that isn't what you want. So for your safety and my sanity's sake Bulma. Just. Stay. Here!"

Giving her no chance to answer, he turned back to face the boys and showed them the radar. "Either you two follow me or no one gets their wishes. Now let's go!"

End Flashback

In the little time he'd gotten to know her, Vegeta knew that Bulma was a very stubborn, very headstrong woman who was absolutely terrible at following orders. There had been no doubt in his mind that she was going to want to come with them into a warzone at the expense of her own safety. When she confirmed as much and showed no signs of backing down, coupled with the stress and panic from the thought that he was about to be denied his wish, something inside him just about snapped and he openly showed his concern for her, practically begging her to just stay hidden so he wouldn't have to worry about her.

And he hated himself for it.

The Prince loosened his jaw when he felt a sharp pain go through his mouth, he'd almost broke a tooth with how tight he'd had it clenched. Just why the hell was he so concerned about the safety of this woman? Better yet, why was he concerned about her AT ALL?! She didn't mean a damn thing to him. She was nothing but a pawn in his grand scheme of things, one easily disposed of to the side once it's purpose was served. She was nothing to him!

'Liar', his Oozaru taunted in the back of his mind, not believing a word he said to try and convince it or himself. Try as he might to tell himself otherwise, his Oozaru knew the truth. And so did he.

But he'd be damned if he actually acknowledged that little farce.

The beeping from the radar was a welcomed distraction from his unwanted train of thought. He looked down at the little device, seeing a cluster of yellow dots on the screen getting closer and closer to the centre. They were almost there.

"Come on, faster boys! We're almost there!" Vegeta shouted over his shoulder to his reluctant companions, motivating them to move like their lives depended on it. He kicked his speed up, his breathing becoming heavy over the strain. He could almost taste victory, it was so close!

A few moments later they landed at their destination. The monarch wasted no time, dashing right towards the balls with one of them under his arm. "Alright, here they are!"

He turned to face his companions, the smirk on his face quickly morphing into a frown. They were just standing there, unmoving. Staring at him with distrust in their eyes.

"What the hell are you two doing?! Get over here with that ball so we can summon the dragon. We're running out of time!" He snarled at them, his fists clenched tightly by his sides.

The bald fighter gulped before scowling heavily, a bead of sweat running a trail down the side of his head. "No way, Vegeta. How do we know you're not gonna kill us once the dragon is summoned or hand us over to those guys you spoke about?"

'You've got to be fucking kidding me!' Vegeta yelled in his mind, one of his eyes starting to twitch with rage.

Oh how he hated these heroic types with a passion. Why did they always decide to ask stupid questions at the worst possible time?! This is why he always killed them first whenever he conquered planets. Not because he chose to but because their 'sense of justice' was what always led them to dying before everyone else!

"Listen baldy, we don't have time for you to remember you have a conscience right now. Give me that dragon ball so we can summon the dragon!" He growled out through grit teeth.

Krillin merely shook his head, clutching the ball even tighter to his side.

The Prince stalked forward, the pulsing vein in his head becoming more prominent with every passing second in his rage. The boys tensed, feeling like a fight was about to break out.

Vegeta raised his open hand, ready to slap some sense into the monk. "Give it to me, you stupid fool!"

He swung his arm downwards. Krillin closed his eyes, waiting for the stinging sensation to appear on his head.

It never came.

He looked up to see Vegeta looking behind him, his arm still frozen in place.

"Hi Vegeta. Long time, no see."

For a moment, the monarch stood stock still, taking in the purple face currently twisted in a mocking smirk. The same expression was present on the remaining group members' faces as they landed behind their leader.

They were too late.

The Ginyu Force had found them.

Gohan and Krillin were paralyzed to the spot, shock evident on their faces.

"What? How did they get here so quickly? I thought we'd have more time." Krillin stuttered out, his body shaking slightly. Vegeta hadn't been kidding. The power he could feel emanating from those guys was enormous! How were they going to get out of this one alive?!

Ginyu took in the measly little posse in front of him, his smirk never leaving his face. "So, what Lord Frieza is true. Vegeta, you really went and teamed up with a couple of weak Earthlings? How desperate of you."

Vegeta grit his teeth, his heart beating so hard he thought it would pop out of his chest. They were in a world of trouble now. He closed his eyes, quickly composing himself before he opened them again, sporting a smirk of his own.

"Well now, if it isn't Frieza's personal lap dogs. He must've really gotten worried if he had to resort to summoning you bunch of losers to the planet. That's what I'd call desperate." His smirk grew wider when he saw Ginyu's face fall, irritation replacing his smug expression.

A frown marred Vegeta's face when all of a sudden, Guldo ran to the front of the group, glaring daggers at the Prince. The pudgy warrior stood with his arms raised slightly, his body tensed to attack while he growled at Vegeta.

"Four Eyes", he said before a sardonic smile crossed his face. "Ever had four black eyes?" Vegeta taunted, his expression unchanging.

A vein popped out of Guldo's forehead in his rage. "Oh, why you-"

Just as he was about to charge at him, a hand latched onto his shoulder, stopping him in his tracks.

"Uh, I think you're forgetting something here. Remember, Frieza wants him brought back alive." Recoome reminded him.

Guldo groaned his disappointment before complying, staying right where he was.

"Although…" Recoome went on, facing his leader. "I could've sworn Lord Frieza said he wanted us to kill two of these peons and bring back the other two, Captain. I only see one of them."

Ginyu scoffed, rolling his eyes at his subordinate. He could be so dense sometimes. "Use your head, you idiot. Vegeta is smart enough to know that bringing his little girlfriend along for the ride would probably do more harm than good, so he's obviously stashed her away somewhere she hopefully won't be found." The captain watched Vegeta carefully to gauge his reaction.

He wasn't disappointed. The Prince's tail bristled four times its size and if looks could kill, he and his entire squad would've died a hundred times over. Vegeta was obviously trying to maintain an air of indifference but was failing miserably. Interesting. He'd be sure to tell the emperor about this little detail.

"Girlfriend?"

"Vegeta has a girlfriend?"

Gohan and Krillin spoke at the same time, more than shocked at what they'd just heard. Vegeta had a girlfriend? That was on Namek? Whom they've never seen or sensed since they all arrived at the same time on the planet a few days ago? How was that possible? Either this mystery woman had been on the planet before they came and has been in hiding the entire time, with only Vegeta knowing where she is. Or-

Krillin's eyes widened when the thought crossed his mind. It couldn't be. They couldn't be talking about…Bulma? No way! Absolutely not! He scolded himself for even thinking that.

But…she was the only woman on the entire planet. Who also happened to be with Vegeta the whole time they were here. And had managed to get onto Frieza's radar since they'd both been captured by his goons at some point.

He groaned under his breath, feeling a headache starting to come on. He really, really hoped that these guys were just trying to piss Vegeta off by calling her that. Otherwise…he really didn't even want to acknowledge the alternative explanation.

"You see Vegeta, your actions over the past few days have displeased Frieza greatly. First, you declared a mutiny against him, then you stole his dragon balls. He called us here so we could do three things. First, kill your little buddies behind you."

The two Earthlings tensed, worry mixed with anger visible on their faces.

"Second, to bring back his dragon balls. And third, to bring you and your significant other back to him alive. But like Recoome just mentioned, she's not here. Which begs the question, would you mind telling us where she is, Vegeta?"

The Saiyan Prince clenched his fist, squeezing the dragon ball under his other arm tightly. So, the Lizard Lord did tell them about Bulma, just as he'd suspected he would. Unconsciously, he began searching for her tiny ki.

"Come on Vegeta. Just hand over the dragon balls, alright? Just do it." Ginyu said in a condescending tone.

Vegeta smirked when he felt the woman's ki was still located in the area where the Capsule House is, ignoring the relief he felt from confirming she was safe in the tiny home, also avoiding asking himself why he was able to find her miniscule ki so quickly. He looked at his reflection in the dragon ball before looking up. "Yeah right. And then let you take me back to Frieza. Is that what you had in mind?"

"Something like that." Ginyu replied.

Immediately, the Prince jumped up and spun around, quickly tossing the ball as far and hard as he possibly could. There was no way in hell he was about to let these brutes get the balls!

Faster than any of their eyes could follow, a purple streak flew across the sky. Just as the unlikely trio had looked behind to follow the streak, Burter landed back in his original spot, the tossed dragon ball in his hand.

"You're out." Burter rasped, an arrogant smile on his face as he held the ball up.

"No!" Vegeta growled, snarling at his cackling adversaries. Gohan and Krillin shook in their boots, unable to process what they just witnessed. How in the world had that guy moved so fast? It was unbelievable!

The Prince grit his teeth, panic starting to rear its ugly head. They only had one dragon ball left. He couldn't, no matter what, let them get their hands on it. It was all over if they did. He clenched his fists, his gloves the only thing protecting him from drawing blood.

There was only one thing left to do.

Before he could change his mind, he turned to face Krillin. "Baldy! Break the dragon ball immediately!"

"What?!" Krillin cried out. Was he crazy?! If he broke the ball, they would never be able to wish their friends back to life!

"Either that or they take it so just do it!" Vegeta hurriedly yelled out, his heart galloping in his chest.

The monk hesitated for just a split second before raising his arm, ready to shatter the precious orb and their last hope at reviving their friends.

'I'm sorry guys!' He yelled in his head, his soul crying out at the unfairness of it all.

He quickly swung his arm down, his eyes shut tight.

Out of nowhere, the arm holding the ball felt significantly lighter. He opened his eyes to see…nothing. There was no ball, no chunks of the gem, nothing.

"Hey, where'd it go?" Gohan wondered out loud as he looked around, stunned beyond belief. Krillin just had it in his hands a second ago!

The monarch seethed as he heard a strained laugh. He looked back and saw that the little green toad had the ball, laughing directly at him while trying to catch his breath.

"So then, it's true what they say!"

Krillin looked at Vegeta, confusion written all over his face. "Well, are you gonna tell us what they say?"

"They say that this little…slimeball has the ability to stop an instant in time."

The monk was floored. He couldn't have heard that correctly. "No way, that's not possible!" He said, his voice wobbly with fear. There was no way such an ability existed. That was unfathomable!

"Keep telling yourself that." Guldo replied haughtily.

"And that makes seven. Well done, team! Lord Frieza will be most pleased." The captain remarked, his smile wide. That was as easy as taking candy from a baby. He faced his squad. "Together, we are…!"

"The Ginyu Force!" They all shouted proudly.

"And don't you ever forget it." Guldo said, directly facing their opponents. "Or you'll live to regret it!"

"Now then, all that's left is to exterminate the little shrimps and bring Vegeta back. We'll find the girl wherever she's hiding." Ginyu said to his team.

Unintentionally, a growl rose from deep within the Prince's chest, his Oozaru seething with bloodlust. He'd sooner snap Ginyu's horns off his head and shove them deep in his chest before he'd let him get anywhere near Bulma. He wouldn't let any of them get within five hundred metres of her, she was his!

"Something the matter, Your Highness?" Ginyu asked condescendingly.

Jeice crossed his arms, smiling wide at Vegeta. "I don't think he likes the idea of you taking his little girlfriend, Cap'n."

Vegeta caught himself, scowling at the orange fighter before smirking at him. "It's not that. I was just thinking about how nice Ginyu would look with his horns sticking out of his back once I've shoved them through his fucking chest!"

The Captain merely shrugged off the gruesome threat and turned to face his men. "Now, you can decide amongst yourselves who gets to go against who."

"Rock, paper, scissors!" Recoome quickly yelled out.

The group groaned out loud. The big lug was usually the winner of that game.

"Ready?! Rock, paper, scissors!" The four of them shouted over and over again, the result never changing.

The trio before them could do nothing but stare. In any other setting, this might have been comical. But seeing as they were literally deciding who was going to be first in killing one of them, excluding Vegeta, they were hard pressed to find any humour in the whole affair.

"Yeah! I get Vegeta!" Recoome exclaimed in a sing-song tone, his arms in the air like he just won a grand prize.

Guldo harrumphed and crossed his arms. "You always win."

"Ah, don't feel too bad, Guldo. I'll let you knock him out when I'm done, okay?"

Ginyu just shook his head, wondering where he found these idiots before walking towards the dragon balls. He extended his arms, palm flat. He flicked his first two fingers up and the balls levitated into the air. He rose slowly, looking down at his team.

"You guys have fun, but don't take too long. We still need to look for the girl." He ordered.

"Yes Captain!"

With that, the leader of the Ginyu Force quickly rose high into the sky and flew off, taking all seven dragon balls with him.

The Prince watched as the dragon balls were whisked away, back to Frieza's ship. He felt despair wash over him, almost leaving him exhausted. He couldn't believe this. He'd been so close to getting his wish that he'd been able to taste his victory, if only for a moment. Now he was stuck with his unwanted partners against a bunch of airheads who planned on killing the two of them and taking him straight back to Frieza. This was just fucking perfect!

Vegeta quickly snapped himself out of his pity party and scowled. It wasn't over yet. If they played their cards correctly, they could still make it out of this situation alive, albeit badly injured.

"Krillin. Get over here." He ordered the monk.

Once the fighter was next to him, he lowered his voice so that only he could hear him. "Listen, as you already know, that little green freak has the ability to stop time. You and the boy need to plan your attacks against him strategically."

"What did you have in mind?" Krillin asked.

"Don't attack him head on. You need to confuse him before going in to strike. While he may have his little ace up his sleeve, his fighting style is laughable. He shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"Right." The monk nodded his understanding, a frown marring his features.

Vegeta looked back at him. "By the way, didn't one of you say that Kakarot was on the way here?"

"He is. He's coming to save Gohan and me." He said, his expression still in place.

"I'm not trying to win any popularity contests." Vegeta said, looking back to see Guldo and Recoome warming up. "I'm just saying that he'd better show up soon. We'll need all hands on deck for this fight. Now, go ahead and fill the boy in on the plan."

Recoome looked over at his comrade. "Hey Guldo, why don't you go ahead and go first?"

"Fine, I will." Guldo walked forward, his step confident.

The Saiyan stood tall, facing his enemies head on. "Now then, let's see what you can do."

The duo from Earth ran forward, falling into their battle stances.

"Darn it. I was really hoping they'd chicken out." Guldo whispered under his breath before continuing forward.

"Alright boys, show no mercy! Give him hell!" Vegeta yelled out.

"Let's do it, Gohan!" Krillin shouted.

The boys jumped forward, quickly closing in on the small fighter. Guldo stood ready, watching them intensely, his arms raised slightly.

It was on.


'Honestly, I tell them not to do one thing and they do the complete opposite! Bunch of morons!' Vegeta exclaimed internally as he separated Guldo's head from his shoulders, releasing the boys from their bondage.

"No fair Vegeta! You weren't supposed to step in!" Guldo yelled at him.

The Prince smirked, slowly raising his hand. "Sorry Guldo, I play by my own rules. And according to them, this game…is over."

"NO! VEGETA, NO!"

"Bye." He whispered before blasting the talking head, sending that toad straight to hell.

"Guldo!" Jeice yelled out, surprised at the sudden turn of events. One moment he was winning, the next, Vegeta removed his head from his body.

Burter blinked rapidly, his arms crossed. The captain wasn't going to like this one bit. Their poses were going to look awkward now that they were one person short.

The Earthling duo walked up to Vegeta side by side.

"Thanks Vegeta. You saved us." Gohan said, a genuine smile on his face. Krillin said nothing, merely nodding his gratitude.

The monarch looked at them out of the corner of his eye. "Don't get it twisted. I didn't save you out of the goodness of my non-existent heart. I still need you around in case things go awry with this big brute."

Krillin rolled his eyes, not even slightly surprised at Vegeta's bad attitude.

Recoome walked forward, his face jovial. "Come on, Vegeta. It's our turn now."

He walked forward, Krillin and Gohan staying behind him. Vegeta came to a stop, his legs spread and his body tensed. His scowl was threatening but the large warrior merely smiled.

Recoome lifted his arms before doing a series of strange movements, ending in one of his awful poses. Vegeta's eye twitched, his eyes glaring daggers at that buffoon.

The larger fighter then fell into his stance, his gaze never leaving Vegeta's. "Ready?"

The Prince fell into his own stance, watching his opponent intensely.

Out of nowhere, a nagging sensation started to make itself known in the back of his mind, his instincts telling him something was amiss. Something was disturbing his spirit but he didn't know what.

Not wanting to be distracted from the fight, he squashed that nagging feeling and set his focus back on his opponent.

Without wasting any time, Vegeta powered up, his aura flaring wildly around him like an ice blue flame. Recoome could do nothing but stare in astonishment, his eye unable to keep up with the rapidly rising numbers on his scouter. Just when had Vegeta gotten so powerful?! It was insane!

The duo from Earth both shielded their faces as dust flew into their eyes, Vegeta's power shocking them immensely. How had Vegeta's power skyrocketed in such a short space of time ever since their fight? It was inconceivable!

Then, fast as lightning, the Prince charged at his opponent at breakneck speed. Recoome's head snapped to the side with the force of his punch, blood spraying out of his mouth and nose. His body flew backwards uncontrollably, his scouter lost.

Vegeta flew ahead of his adversary, his hands locked together. As soon as he was in range, the Prince raised his arms and brought them down, the earth below splitting open with the force of Recoome's fall.

The monarch flew upwards into the sky before changing direction, coming down and landing straight onto Recoome's solar plexus. He quickly gripped his leg and spun him around and around, Recoome yelling his distress, before tossing him into the distance, with the large fighter crashing into a small mountain.

'It's time to end this.' Vegeta mused as he held both arms out to the side, charging a powerful ki attack. He growled in exertion, putting as much energy into his attack as possible. He brought his arms together, his teeth gnashing together, his gaze focused on that plateau.

"Haaaah!" He shouted as he fired, the force of his blast shaking the very ground they all stood upon.

"Duck!" Krillin yelled to his young friend, both of them jumping to the ground, their arms over their heads.

The other Ginyu squad members merely stood stock still with their arms crossed, their attention solely on the battle before them.

"SEE YOU IN HELL RECOOME!" Vegeta snarled out before pushing past his limits and adding more power to his attack, explosions rocking the earth. Burter and Jeice ducked for cover behind another mountain, attempting to dodge the aftermath.

Krillin and Gohan stayed right where they were.

A moment later, the ground stopped shaking and the dust began to settle. The Prince panted heavily, feeling exhausted to the bone. The duo from Earth slowly brought their heads up before standing up, taking in the damage.

Krillin spoke, stunned by the display. "Wow. That…was…"

"Incredible." Gohan finished with an astonished whisper. Vegeta really did a number on that guy.

The other Ginyu fighters abandoned their cover, looking at the destruction around them. Jeice coughed, swatting the dust away from his face. He was more focused on the fact that he'd need to wash his hair in the morning!

The Prince's gaze remained on that spot, his eyes narrowing slightly. He wanted to see that big oaf's mutilated corpse for himself.

'No…it can't be!' His eyes widened almost comically, hoping that what he was seeing was merely a product of his fatigue.

The dust cloud in front of him cleared, revealing a very dishevelled looking Recoome standing in a ridiculous pose. "Hi!" He said with the biggest Cheshire Cat grin on his face.

His hair was a mess, his armour had been completely destroyed, leaving him in just his torn spandex uniform. He was covered in cuts and scrapes. Besides his unkempt appearance, he looked completely fine, as if Vegeta didn't just spend the past five minutes doing everything within his power to kill him.

"What? But…how? Vegeta put everything and more into attacks. How is that big brute still standing like nothing happened!" Krillin stuttered out, his body shaking uncontrollably. Gohan couldn't speak, his face blue with the magnitude of his fear. Just how in the world were they expected to beat not just him, but the other two fighters as well?!

Little did the demi-Saiyan know that the Prince mirrored his sentiments. Vegeta was grimacing heavily, his expression doing very little to shield the worry on his face. He'd put everything into his attacks and they did no more than mess up Recoome's appearance. The big oaf looked like he was energized and ready to go.

But the worst part? Vegeta was spent. His energy was close to zero. And if he struggled to face this bastard…how in the seven circles of hell was he going to go against that orange freak and that blue monstrosity? And that's assuming he wins against Recoome!

Recoome slowly shifted from his dancer pose and stood straight, his grin falling into a smug smile. This wasn't good. Not one bit.

"And now…it's my turn." The orange haired brute spoke slowly, demented glee shining from his dark eyes.

'Wasn't Kakarot supposed to be showing up right about now?!' Vegeta yelled internally, trepidation flooding his senses. They were in trouble. Serious trouble. What in the world was he going to do now?!

Unbidden, an image of blue hair and blue eyes popped into his head accompanied with a dazzling smile.

Bulma.

Acting like a balm to his hysteric thoughts, Vegeta felt himself calm slightly. Just enough for him to slap himself out of his panic and get it together. He didn't bother trying to decipher his reaction to thinking about the woman. All that mattered right now was that it gave him the kick he needed to set himself straight.

'No. It's not over yet.' He brooded, his face the picture of grim determination. He wasn't going to take this lying down. That bastard was either going to kill him…or Vegeta was dragging him and everyone else around them straight to hell with him.

Recoome raised his arms up in the air and stood on one leg in another dull-witted pose, growling as he powered up.

"Go!" He shouted before charging straight at Vegeta full speed.

The aristocrat tensed his body, keeping his gaze lasered in on his approaching foe. He snarled, baring his canines. His tail unwound itself from his waist and lashed violently behind him, his conviction clear for all to see.

He was the Prince of All Saiyans, and he'd be damned before he let someone like Recoome, or anyone else, intimidate him into submitting without a fight.


Frieza stood in front of the giant window in his throne room, swirling a glass of red wine in his hand absentmindedly. He raised his hand and took a sip, savouring the different flavours on his tongue. He let his eyes slide shut, a small smile gracing his face. Nothing like a glass of wine to calm his fraying nerves. It worked every time.

The emperor slowly opened his eyes when his scouter began beeping, indicating that someone was coming towards his ship. It must be Ginyu coming with a report of their progress. He walked out the room and headed to the entrance, slowly floating out of the ship and landing gently on the grass. Frieza looked in the distance, waiting for the reason for the disturbance to make itself known.

The Frost Demon felt a wicked grin slowly bloom on his face. It was, in fact, Ginyu and he'd managed to get all seven dragon balls back and…

His smile grew even wider when he spotted it.

He'd managed to find and capture Vegeta's little playmate as well. Splendid. Absolutely splendid!

"Welcome back Ginyu. I trust all is going well in your mission so far?" Frieza inquired, his grin softening to a sly smirk.

The captain landed in front of his emperor and bowed his head, an arrogant smile on his face. "Indeed my Lord. I bring you all seven dragon balls", as he spoke, the balls all landed one by one in front of the emperor, "and Vegeta's little girlfriend."

He placed an unconscious Bulma on the ground, her blue hair fanning out around her head. She looked so peaceful, clearly having no clue what was awaiting her when she finally came to. He almost felt sorry for the girl.

Almost.

Frieza stepped closer to the girl, looking down at her comatose form. It was really no wonder the monkey prince was attracted to the woman, she was very beautiful.

"You've done a marvellous job Ginyu, I'm quite impressed. If you were a dog, I'd scratch your belly. If you were a cat, I'd give you a bowl of warm milk until you started to purr. But seeing as you're neither of those things, you'll just have to settle for a job well done." He remarked with a smile.

Ginyu stood at attention, saluting the lizard lord before him. "My Lord, it was my absolute pleasure. In order to demonstrate my elation, allow me to perform for you the Dance of Joy!"

The emperor could only watch in stunned silence as Ginyu performed one of the most ridiculous dances he'd ever seen, humming to whatever strange song was playing in his head. Sometimes he really wondered where in the four corners of the universe he'd found these people.

"Umm, that's not really necessary Ginyu." Frieza said in a monotone voice.

The captain immediately, albeit begrudgingly, ceased his dance. "Oh, that's fine. I understand."

Frieza grinned at the disappointment in his captain's voice. He was such a child sometimes. "Oh, don't be so glum, Ginyu. History is about to be made and I'd prefer it if you don't put a dampener on this moment."

Ginyu immediately perked up, his earlier despondency quickly forgotten. "Of course my Lord!"

"Although, I must ask. How did you manage to get this little waif away from Vegeta without so much of a scratch on you? I'd have thought you'd have, at the very least, a split lip when you eventually returned." The emperor asked, one eyebrow raised.

"You wouldn't believe it my Lord but I actually found her wandering around on her own." Ginyu explained, an egoistic smile on his face. "She was on a hover vehicle looking like she'd been driving in circles before I arrived. I must say, it was a bit of an annoyance getting her to comply. She has the ferocity of a female Saiyan. Too bad she was too weak to do any real damage. Eventually I decided to knock her out and bring her here. The Prince doesn't even know she's here."

Frieza cackled, wicked glee in his eyes. "If I had to guess, I'd say she was looking for the Prince. It figures she'd get herself caught. If she's anything like Vegeta, she did the opposite of what he'd asked her and left her hiding place in search of him."

"I'd say so too. And another thing my Lord, when I'd mentioned to Vegeta that we'd be bringing his little toy along with him, he looked about ready to rip my head off. It seems that he and this girl have formed a stronger connection than we thought."

Oh, this was all too perfect. He was going to enjoy breaking this little female in front of the Prince when he was finally brought back to him, battered but alive.

The emperor looked back at the giant orbs, feeling excitement flow through his veins. It was time.

"Ginyu. Wake the girl up. I want her to bear witness to this moment. The moment her and her lover's hopes were dashed away." He ordered, his gaze lasered on the balls.

The purple fighter crouched down and lightly tapped Bulma's cheek.

Bulma's eyes twitched before she tried opening them, groaning at the bright light above her.

'Kami, someone turn off the suns.' She groaned internally, really hating Namek's constant daytime. Her sleep schedule would be out of whack at this rate.

'Well, at least I've managed to get some rest. But why the hell am I on the ground?' She covered her mouth to stifle a yawn when suddenly, her eyes popped open. It all came back to her in a rush.

Vegeta telling her to stay in the capsule house.

Her rushing out to find the village so she could get the password.

Getting lost and losing hope of finding Tsuno's village.

A purple stranger showing up with all the dragon balls around him, telling her he's taking her back to Frieza's ship.

"Good morning my dear." A raspy voice said above her, a voice that sent chills through her body.

Bulma slowly moved her gaze upwards, swallowing a whimper when her eyes met those familiar blood red ones.

Frieza.

'No. Dear Kami, not him again. Anyone but him.' By sheer will alone, Bulma kept her fearful tears at bay. She couldn't let this monster see just how much he frightened her. He'd feed off of her fear and she couldn't give him that satisfaction.

The emperor gave her a pompous smile, seeing right through her facade. He felt her fear, the stench of it potent in the air around them. He admired her bravery after all he'd put her through, he'd give her that much.

"Stand up, girl." He ordered her.

Not wanting to provoke him, Bulma slowly stood up, not looking directly at him.

"It's so nice to see you again, my dear. I was so sad when you and Vegeta left without saying so much as a goodbye." His smile slowly morphed into a vile smirk, his eyes shining with malicious intent. He raised his hand to her face, touching her cheek with his finger. He chuckled when he caught her flinch from his touch.

He ran his finger down her cheek, leaving a superficial cut in its path with his claw, a tiny drop of blood appearing at the bottom of the wound. "If only you'd stayed where the monkey prince hid you, you wouldn't be here right now. But it doesn't matter. Because now, you'll bear witness to me gaining my wish for immortality and becoming the supreme ruler of the universe."

The heiress felt resignation and defeat seep into her spirit. He must've gotten the password somehow and was about to make his wish. She felt dejected. All of the pain, the suffering and loss would now never be repaired. Frieza was about to be immortal and no one would ever be able to stop him. Tears flooded her eyes when she realized Yamcha and the others would never be wished back.

'It doesn't really matter though, does it? By the looks of it, we'll be joining them soon enough.' She mused miserably.

Most of all…

Vegeta would never get the justice he deserves against the creature that single handedly ruined his life. Instead, he'd end up dead at his hands. All his pain, all the torment he went through at the hands of this…sadist, would be for nothing. The tears in her eyes spilled over, her heart breaking for the wayward prince.

"There, there. It'll be alright." Frieza soothed mockingly, leaning forward to lick the tears off her face, relishing the shudder she gave him. "I'll make sure that when it's all said and done, you and Vegeta will get the deaths that you deserve. One truly befitting of a royal couple of a long forgotten world."

He stepped away from her and turned to face his prize. It was now or never.

"Eternal dragon, grant my wish. Make me immortal so that I may be supreme ruler of the entire universe!" He yelled out, his eyes sparkling with excitement.

Silence.

More silence.

The air around them became awkward and tense. Moments passed and nothing happened. No ominous clouds, no darkening sky, no dragon appearing before them in all its glory. Nothing.

'Oh Kami, could this mean what I think it does?' Bulma speculated, afraid to jump to conclusions.

"My Lord, do you feel any different?" Ginyu asked nervously. This wasn't good.

"No. I feel the exact same. Wasn't something supposed to happen?" Frieza was starting to get angry, a vein throbbing very visibly on his forehead.

The captain looked down in thought. "I don't know. Maybe you need a special password or something."

"Wait." The emperor gasped as it hit him like a freight train. He remembered now. "That old fool from the first village we went to. He said I wouldn't be able to summon the dragon without the password, even if I got all seven. I thought he was saying that just to deter me!" He yelled, slamming his tail into the earth, fracturing the ground beneath it.

"Why those miserable slugs! They've ruined my chance at gaining immortality! Now they're all dead so there's no one to ask about the password!" Frieza growled out, his power level rising slightly. He wanted to kill something.

The young genius felt a glimmer of hope blossom in her chest. He didn't know the password after all. There was still a chance to make things right! They just needed to be smart about it. The question was: How were they going to do it?

Sensing that things were about to go awry, Ginyu wracked his mind, trying to think of a possible solution, lest he end up dying on a planet in the middle of nowhere thanks to his leader's temper.

"Lord Frieza, why don't you check your scouter? Surely there must be a few of the Namekians left on the planet you can ask." He suggested.

'Shit!' Bulma clenched her hands into fists to hide their sudden shaking. Elder Tsuno and his village were in serious danger and they didn't even know it. This wasn't good. Not one bit.

Immediately, Frieza clicked the button on his scouter and searched the area. She bit her lip, irrationally hoping that it wouldn't pick up on them. Her heart dropped into her stomach when it beeped and a satisfied smile slowly unfurled on his lips.

"Well, what do we have here? We have three life forms far North and a cluster of them in the North East. It looks like we missed a village." The Frost Demon smirked deviously. Things were looking up for him.

"My Lord, allow me to go and inquire for you." Ginyu said, standing at attention.

'No! Don't leave me with him!' As much as she didn't like this guy, she much preferred him over Frieza himself. At least he didn't maim her like the lizard had!

The emperor shook his head. "No. You stay here and take care of our little friend. I'll be going to that village and paying them a visit. It's much closer than the other place. I'll just have a little chat with them." He ended with a smile.

'Hmph. Good luck with that. Tsuno will never give you the password.' She remarked bitterly.

"What was that, girl?" Frieza turned to face her, his eyes narrowing.

She was really beginning to hate her tendency to speak her thoughts unknowingly at the worst possible times.

'You know what? Fuck it.' All the leftover adrenalin from Frieza's failed wish attempt prompted her to throw caution to the wind and say her piece.

"I said the elder will never give you the password. He would rather die than share something so important with the likes of you." She growled out, her countenance the picture of grim determination.

The emperor sneered at her. "Indeed he will die. But only after he's given me the password, whether I have to beat it out of him or kill one of his children to make him give it to me. The possibilities are endless."

"Kami, do you even listen to yourself when you speak? Hear me, Frieza, when I say that you will never succeed in getting your stupid wish for immortality!" The heiress shouted, unable to stop herself. She was on a roll now.

"You may think you're all high and mighty but in reality, you're just a tyrannical universal bully who throws temper tantrums in the form of planetary destruction when he doesn't get what he wants! Honestly, I know toddlers who are more fit to rule the universe more than you!"

Abruptly, Bulma's head snapped to the side and she crashed into the ground with a groan. She felt a warm liquid running down her nose and lips and one side of her face was throbbing in pain.

A shadow ominously fell over her and she looked up to see Frieza standing over her, a cold, angry look on his face. Too late she'd realized that in her moment of righteousness, she'd said way too much.

"I thought I'd warned you about what would happen if you ever spoke towards me in such a crude manner last time. Clearly, you haven't learned." As he spoke, he slowly wrapped his tail around her neck, tightening it with every word he stated.

"It's time I remedy that." Quick as lightning, he brought his foot down on her chest, adding more pressure with each passing second.

Bulma choked out a scream, tears leaking out of her eyes the more force he added on her sternum, dangerously close to shattering it and puncturing her ribs and heart. Blood pooled in her mouth before leaking out the side.

Just as quickly as it started, Frieza released his hold on her. Bulma immediately started gasping for air, choking on her own blood in the process. She spat it all out and attempted to breath in some much needed oxygen, wincing at the sharp pain in her chest.

"You're just fortunate that it won't be me dealing with your punishment right now since I have more pressing matters to worry about." Frieza said, looking down his nose at her. Bulma looked up at him from her position, staring at him dead in the eye.

At that moment, an image of a much younger Vegeta flashed through his mind, the young prince looking at him the exact same way she was right now. With pride in himself for not submitting shining through his eyes. It was a look that he couldn't extinguish from him, no matter how hard he'd tried and he'd be damned if some tiny slip of a girl showed him the same disrespect.

Those two really were a match made in heaven, weren't they?

The emperor walked towards his hover throne, hopping inside. "Ginyu. Please take our guest down to the lower levels of the ship. She needs to be taught a thing or two about respect. Once that's over, send her back to Vegeta's old room. Oh and, make sure they don't overdo it alright? I still need her alive."

"Of course, my Lord." The captain saluted, pity flowing through him. The poor soul had no idea what she'd just brought upon herself.

"Excellent." He hissed out before speeding off towards the village, bloodlust flowing through him in waves. He'd get the password and he'd spill the blood of those putrid slugs in the process. Just what he needed to fix his mood.

Ginyu looked at his boss flying away before turning towards Bulma. He looked at the uncertainty on her face and merely shook his head at her before snatching her arm and dragging her along.

"What the hell?! Let go of me, you big brute!" She shouted, digging her heels into the ground in an attempt to stop. She didn't know what was on the lower levels but she wasn't too keen on finding out.

"Sorry, no can do." He clipped out, pulling her flailing form through the ship, attracting the attention of some of the soldiers.

"You'd better let go of me or you'll be sorry! You hear me?! Goku and Vegeta are gonna make you pay, buster!" Bulma screamed, starting to wear out from struggling.

'Goku? Who the hell is that?' Ginyu asked himself, eyebrows raised. The name didn't ring any bells. It didn't sound like a Saiyan name either. Oh well, he guessed he'd find out soon.

They eventually reached the bottom of the ship, a much darker and dank area compared to the upper levels. Bulma took one look at this place and felt herself start to panic. This place looked like a dungeon.

"Listen, can we just pretend that you took me down here? Frieza won't know. I already look beat up. Please?" The heiress pleaded, switching gears. She had a horrible feeling about this.

Ginyu ignored her, pushing the doors in front of him open and greeting the occupants inside.

"Gentlemen. I've brought you something special." He thrust Bulma in front of him, ignoring her pleas. "Frieza has requested that you…teach our guest some manners after she decided to mouth off and insult his Lordship." He said, his expression serious.

One of the guards smiled sadistically, looking Bulma over. She shuddered, feeling like a piece of meat in his gaze.

"Of course, captain. We'll get right to it." He hissed out, stepping towards Bulma.

'No fucking way!' Bulma turned tail and bolted. She needed to get away!

"Not so fast!" The other brute caught her around the waist, trapping her arms as well. She struggled viciously, swinging her legs and attempting to strike her captor.

"Careful with her, she's a troublesome little thing. Just one more thing, don't kill her. Frieza still needs her. I'll be back in a few minutes." Ginyu said before nodding his head, walking out the door.

"NO! PLEASE! COME BACK!" She shouted, terror going through her in waves.

Quickly, she found herself bound, face down, to a metal table. She panted heavily, turned her head and watched as one of her captors walked towards the wall on the side and grabbed a black rod. He must've pressed a button because suddenly, a bright purple light came out of it, hanging towards the floor. Tears leaked out of her eyes when she saw it was a whip. A ki whip.

Oh may the gods please have mercy on her.

"Well then", the bastard grinned savagely at her, "let's get started."

Captain Ginyu had just reached the elevator before a blood curdling scream ripped through the hallway. He closed his eyes and sighed before walking in, deciding to go check on the soldiers before returning for the girl. Hopefully those idiots wouldn't take it too far and end her life. Otherwise he'd end their lives instead.


Somewhere in space

A lone ship just passed through 9044XY. The occupant inside was seated, looking out the window, his expression stone faced.

"We are five minutes from our destination. All passengers, please return to your seats as we prepare for landing." An automated female voice said.

Goku gripped his hand rests a bit harder, his gaze focused on the green planet slowly coming into view. He was almost there.

'Hang on guys, I'll be there soon.'


A/N 2: Poor Bulma! She just can't seem to catch a break, can she? Hopefully, someone will come to her rescue soon enough. In other news: Good lord…my brain is shot. That was probably my longest chapter to date lol. I hope you guys enjoyed it and that it was worth the almost five month wait. If you noticed that I called Frieza a 'Frost Demon' at some point, I just looked up what else I could call him besides just 'Frieza' and 'The Emperor'. Apparently, it's canon from…somewhere idk haha.

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Thank you to Kharyne1, Vane (Guest), Ann R. Tendo, ThunderxShadow, Sailordeedlit, The Rocha and RoyalBlueRoses for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are the fuel that keeps me going! Thanks so much!

Don't forget to review! Also, follow me on Twitter ReadingRose18, to stay updated on any fanfic updates or just general tomfoolery lol. Stay safe, stay hydrated and I'll see you all in the next one! Peace, love and good vibes!

RR18