Dragon Ball Z: Dynasty – Prince Vegeta's Struggles with "Friendship"
Written by: Feraligreater328
Overseen by: StevenBodner and SparkerLightning
Chapter 18: Vegeta's Friend
In the East City police precinct...
Krillin gasped as he pushed his coin into the precinct coffee machine. "You're coming to me for advice?!"
Vegeta stood on the other side of the front desk, an annoyed glow in his eye. "Only because you're the only one who can offer me proper advice on this. Don't let it go to your massive, round head..."
Krillin smirked. "Oh, really?"
Vegeta groaned and glared away. Krillin sighed and motioned him to walk around the counter. He turned to the woman typing away at the computer. "Hey, Miss Sasaki, me and my buddy-"
Vegeta growled. Krillin quickly corrected himself. "Acquaintance...are going to have a private chat in Interrogation Room #3. Would you mind shutting the camera off?"
Miss Sasaki nodded and sipped her coffee, flipping a switch next to her monitor and continuing her work without cease. Krillin and Vegeta walked back to Room #3 and closed the door behind them. Krillin sat on one side of the table, sipping his coffee and Vegeta crashed down onto the other side. Krillin sighed. "So, what's on your mind?"
Vegeta sneered. "I find myself feeling a certain sort of emotion and I need your help sorting out what it is that I'm feeling..."
Krillin nodded. "Go on."
Vegeta closed his eyes. "I... have no clue the proper way to put it. And... and..."
His face glowed red and whispered. "...it involves your wife..."
Krillin silently nodded and tapped his index finger on the styrofoam cup. Vegeta continued. "Wh-When I look at your wife, I feel something. Something in my chest. A knot, I suppose. I've grown to enjoy things like hearing her laugh, seeing her smile, and just...being around her. I'm not sure of what to make of it. I don't feel that way around Kakarot's woman, or Raditz', or Yamcha's..."
Krillin chuckled. "You remembered Yamcha's name! That's progress~"
Vegeta's face went sour. "The point is...I only have ever really felt this way around Bulma. Not with anyone else...of either sex. And I have...concerns about what this might be..."
Krillin nodded, taking a sip of his truly awful coffee and grinning from ear-to-ear. "Well duh, Vegeta! You like #18!"
Vegeta's face went red, his eyes narrowing. He leapt across the table, grabbing Krillin by the shirt and slamming him into the wall. "ARE YOU ACCUSING ME OF BEING UNFAITHFUL TO MY WIFE?!"
All at once, five policemen came charging into Room #3 and pointed their tasers at Vegeta's back. "HANDS UP! DROP THE OFFICER!"
Krillin rolled his eyes. "This is why I wanted those cameras off..."
He waved away his fellow cops. "This isn't a perp, guys. He's a good friend of mine. He's just aggressive. I'm okay."
The other officers seemed unwilling to leave at first, but a thumbs up from Krillin placated them and they slowly cleared out. Vegeta stood dumbfounded. "F-Friend...?"
Krillin nodded, prying his shirt loose from Vegeta's fist and dropping to the floor. "Yeah. Of course we're friends. I've considered us friends for a while, Vegeta~"
Vegeta flinched back. "But, on Namek..."
Krillin smiled. "Namek was years ago~"
Vegeta stammered again. "But, when I came with Nappa..."
Krillin continued. "And that was even longer ago, Vegeta~"
The Prince fell silent. Krillin planted his fists on his hips. "For most of us, it's water under the bridge already. Goku likes you, Gohan likes you, I like you, Yamcha's grown to like you, Tien and Chiaotzu are getting there...I don't even think Piccolo outright hates you anymore..."
He stepped forward. "You try to resist such things, for you own reasons I suppose, but we've all just gotten used to you being a part of our weird little family. You're a decent guy with some noticeable issues, but ultimately a good-hearted person. The you that was here on Earth has atoned and fought to save the people of Earth dozens and dozens of times already. You're a Z-Fighter, Vegeta. As corny as that name sounds. You're our friend..."
Vegeta's jaw clenched tight. Krillin scratched the back of his head. "As for what you're feeling. It's...clear that you aren't the best at this. Like I said, I don't know much about you from before I met you, but it's pretty clear that you have some issues with this sort of thing. That doesn't mean it's impossible for you to make those sorts of connections though~"
Krillin turned around and took a sip of his coffee, a pleasant smile on his face. "Yup~ That's what I think, Vegeta. I don't think you're unfaithful to Bulma. I just think that you're starting to acknowledge that #18 is truly your-"
*SLAM*
Krillin turned, seeing that he was now alone in the room. "Vegeta?"
At the East City Magnet Train Station...
Vegeta snarled as he walked, hands in his pockets. "Damned cueball! How dare he try and tell me what I'm feeling?! Who the hell asked his to stick his lack of a nose into my business?!"
Vegeta stood on the platform, watching the car from West City come shooting toward its Eastern destination. Normally, Vegeta would just fly home...but deep down he knew he needed time to be alone with what Krillin said. Vegeta growled. "Damned idiot. Calling me his friend. Implying that I have need for something as paltry as friends! I'm a warrior! A Prince! I don't need anything a frivilous as that! I just need strength! I don't need relationships! I don't need-"
The car came to a stop and the doors opened with a hiss. Vegeta doubled back in shock, finding himself staring into a pair of icy blue eyes. Android 18 stood there, just as shocked as she stared at him.
The two of them shouted simultaneously. "YOU?!"