Don't say anything
We're together right now
Don't try to run away
Because this is a love of destiny
In my mysterious heart
I'm sorry, I believe in you
Like destiny
I'll always be by your side
Like this, I can give my all
To only one person
Even if the world crumbles down
I will only love you
In this mysterious time
It's alright, trust me
Like destiny
I'll always be by your side
Like this, I can give my all
To only one person
Even if the world crumbles down
I will only love you
Forever, by your side
I will always protect you
Even if the world crumbles down
I'll Stay Here
Because I love you
Always You
- "Always You" by LeeSa
(Hwayugi OST)
Episode 22
The Chosen One
He was destined to become the most powerful Saiyan the universe had ever seen. From the day he was born, he had prided himself on being the best among his people, a prodigy in his own right. And now that someone has challenged his superiority, Vegeta will prove once and for all that he is the true chosen one to become the Legendary Super Saiyan.
Alone in the center of his gravity room, the Prince of all Saiyans struggled to maintain his stance under the tremendous force of thirty times normal gravity of Planet Vegeta. His teeth gritted together, his legs spread apart in shoulder length, his arms flexed on his sides, his body shaking, screaming for rest but he remained stubborn, refusing to quit, fueled by only his rage and sheer determination.
At the back of his mind, burning his undying motivation were images of his enemies. Freeza, Zarbon, Dodoria, Paragus, Nasu, Kabu and the Masked Saiyan. It was unacceptable to his prideful nature that he had allowed Broly to surpass him in power due to his own neglect. In the past, he had never entertained any thoughts about Broly ever surpassing him, in spite of warnings from his father. He had always assumed that Broly was incapable of doing so. After all, according to the Saiyan prophecy, he was the chosen one to become legendary.
But how did it turn out this way? How could Broly, who looked like he couldn't even hit a mere housefly with his pure, detached and aloof nature, become the savage monster he fought yesterday? How had he been so utterly overpowered, tossed around like he was some weak doll, by his general? Why did he let this happen? How could he become so careless?!
He was a fool and he hated it.
He hated everyone involved with this merciless project.
"Because of him, those clones..."
"Thank you and goodbye, Ouji-sama..."
The memory of ATI 8990's death replayed in his mind. That copy was a pure, innocent life brought to a gruesome fate of being killed for such a cruel experiment. The clones were forced to sacrifice their short, simple lives for a vicious project meant to kill their original. That boy appeared before him to reveal the dark truth that was happening around him that he had been completely unaware of. ATI 8990 was seeking his help, but Vegeta failed to save him. He was too late. A life was sacrificed to show him this.
His vision filled with scarlet, his rage bursting forth and a scorching blue aura engulfed his body like a furious blaze.
He'll never forgive them! Those fucking bastards... He will make them all pay for what they did! They shall feel his wrath that they had always feared. He'll kill them all, rip them apart, pull all their insides out, burn each of their limbs and make them all scream the way the clones could not! He'll stop at nothing until he destroyed all of their plans and have their worthless souls sent to Rushifa!
He will destroy everything!
Vegeta's eyes flashed crimson and he kicked off the floor lightly as the numerous drones levitating across the room simultaneously fired rapid, deadly laser beams towards him. He tried his best to dodge the dangerous blasts in the air. His body felt heavy, so his movements were lumpish as he floundered side by side. Some of the beams he had barely eluded as its ferocious blaze passed almost an inch away from his face.
Not long after that, the Saiyan Prince was surely but slowly tiring out. Every sinew in his being throbbed with unimaginable pain and fatigue the more he exerted such force on his body. His muscles strained, yet he pushed himself beyond his limits, but this much gravity pull was beginning to affect his body. After all, he was training under thirty times normal gravity of Planet Vegeta.
Barely able to dodge the incoming blasts was exhausting and after so much effort, he found himself in a desperate situation when he realized that he could no longer dodge an upcoming potent wave of energy. He was unable to anticipate it as it hit him, barely raising a ki barrier to protect himself as the blast blew up on his face. The ensuing shockwave sent him plummeting into the tiled floor, slamming on his behind. Without giving him a chance to recover, another, much quicker blast, immediately followed him and rammed into his body. The explosion shook the entire building with tremendous force.
When the smoke finally cleared, Vegeta grunted as he opened his eyes. The skin on his face and bared chest were blistered and wounded. His muscles felt like they were being torn apart, burning with agonizing aches. He heaved a pained sigh while he stared at the accursed training drones that floated above him as they formed an eerie defense formation. They seemed to mock his pathetic state, ridiculing his inability to destroy them. Vegeta's mind hallucinated. The drones morphed into the forms of all his enemies in his eyes, and he swore he heard them laughing and looking down at him.
Feeling insulted, he growled fiercely through his gritted teeth and he pushed himself off the floor that seemed to attract his body with a tremendous force - just like how magnets do to metals. He struggled to get up, forcing his aching body to follow his fiery will. Rage burned in his mind, a constant fire that urged him to fight. His crimson eyes glowed as he fought against the pain and the gravity, and once he was able to stand again, he flexed his arms and crossed them against his body, summoning every bit of energy and indignation he had. His form began to be enshrouded by an ethereal blue light as he powered up.
"Huuaaaaaahhh..."
Once he called upon his power from the depths of his being, he threw his head back to scream his fury and pushed his arms out to his sides, releasing a potent wave of destruction in his wake.
"Hraaaaaaaaaargh!"
The drones smoldered into atoms with the intense heat of the Saiyan Prince's power.
Booooom!
His aura erupted from his feet and his powers rose out of control along with his fury, surging upwards into a maelstrom of devastating energy. It burned his entire existence, down into his every cell. His screams were ear-piercing, continuous, going on and on as he poured out all of his fury, forcing himself to shatter his limits and rise to the Legendary form. His back arching, his body floated into the air as his red eyes rolled into the back of his head, making them all white. His screaming broke, his body could not take the energy he was forcing out of his body any longer. Every part of him cried out for him to stop, but he wouldn't want to. He needed to become the Legendary Super Saiyan, now!
However, it wasn't long until his strength began to ebb away as exhaustion took over his consciousness. His knees hit the floor, his hands slamming on the tiles as he barely caught himself before he could lay down. His powerful aura had been completely extinguished. He panted heavily as his body shook in complete fatigue.
"Damn it all!" he spat hatefully. His fingers dug against the tiles as he closed his hands into trembling, tight fists.
Why? Why can't he become a Super Saiyan when he wanted to? Was his power not enough? Or was his body not ready yet? Was the prophecy wrong? Did his father tell him a lie again? Did the seers really see him become the Super Saiyan and savior of his people against Freeza? He regretted that he slacked off on his training due to his own vanity and belief that nobody in his people will ever hold a candle to his prided might. But now...
"Damn it all to hell!" he slammed his fist on the floor, causing the tiles to crack on the surface.
~=o-O-o=~
The ruler of the Saiyans was unable to accept such an absurd proposition from the lower class soldier. To depend upon an alien woman who had no powers at all to save the entire Saiyan race and the universe was unacceptable. It seemed to the proud royal that Bardock was implying that the emotions Prince Vegeta harbored for the woman is the Crown Prince's greatest weakness. The seer knew that the king had always taught his heir to never be attached to anyone because they believed that affections would only make a warrior's downfall. One threat to the woman would make the supposedly powerful, ruthless and proud Saiyan Prince fall to his knees. He knew, because that's exactly how the king must have felt when Queen Saya or his sons were threatened and he didn't want for Prince Vegeta to be like him.
"That's a preposterous idea! How can we depend on a weak, powerless girl to save us?!" King Vegeta quickly denied after Bardock opened up his opinion. "I heard from Vegeta that she's helping him achieve the state of the Legendary Super Saiyan by providing him technology to enhance his training equipment. Other than that, she possessed no significant power at all. She may be a beauty with a brain but she could only be a servant to my kingdom and nothing more. Whatever attachment Yon must have for her is nothing but hindrance to his true potential."
"That may be true. If that's what you think, then I cannot suggest anything more, Your Majesty. I just thought that the prince sees the girl as someone important to him and that he'll never do her harm. If there's one who could prevent him from becoming that cruel monster, it will be her." Bardock said. "I will watch over the Crown Prince as you wish for me to do and I will try to talk to him about it again. He didn't care to listen to me the first time I tried cluing him in about the change in the prophecy but we'll see if he listens to me this time."
~=o-O-o=~
Bardock came out of the King's Executive Office, leaving a reluctant and dubious King Vegeta thinking deeply about his words.
Bardock sighed to himself. Why does anything that has to do with Prince Vegeta troublesome? Lamenting on his own misfortune of being the one assigned to stop the unstoppable Saiyan Prince, he turned around to walk to the direction where he could sense the royal heir's furious energy. While on his way, he found Raditz, Kakarot and Nappa not far away in front of him. They were probably waiting for him. He approached the three Saiyans with an annoyed look.
"Hi Dad! What's up? Did his Majesty summon you about Prince Vegeta?" Kakarot greeted and asked.
"Yeah. He ordered for me to watch over the royal brat." Bardock responded with an austere look. "So how is he?"
The three looked at each other, frowned and shrugged their shoulders.
"Something's going on with him. You can sense it, right? His ki's changing nature. It's becoming darker than how it used to be. It's lesser than what he released when he battled yesterday, yet it's as threatening as ever." Nappa stated.
Bardock narrowed his eyes and scowled. Yes, the attendant was correct. He could feel Vegeta's anger changing him. He tilted his head to stare absentmindedly at the direction of the prince's ki, observing the feel of such overwhelming energy. It was burning like a scorching fire, a destructive, furious, blazing firestorm fueled by rage and bloodlust. Vegeta must be training like a madman by now.
Bardock marched towards the Crown Prince's training facilities. As he reared closer to the building, he began to feel the vibrations coming in from the inside. Vegeta must be ripping the Training Room apart.
That boy sure was mad!
"General Nappa, would you lead me the way to the observer's facilities? I would like to see how he does his training today." he asked the burly General who served Prince Vegeta.
Nappa frowned to himself, feeling insulted at the nerve of this low class soldier to give orders to an Elite General. He simply grunted, shook his head and begrudgingly led the way as they entered the Crown Prince's training center and strolled the long hallways filled with several working Saiyan engineers and alien servants. Raditz and Kakarot silently tailed behind him. They went up a flight of stairs that directed them to a small empty room that was lit by the flashing red lights inside the Gravity room through a wide, rectangular window. Bardock walked to the window to gaze down at the overview of the Gravity room below. Vegeta was there, engulfed by his ignited ki, sending a flurry of ferocious and deadly yet graceful combos of punches and kicks in the air. The room shook with every blow as it sent dangerous shockwaves around him, violently ripping the room apart. His fury fueled his every fiber. Bardock saw that he was training in a seemingly customized environment and that the room was surrounded by sound proof walls, that's why they couldn't hear a thing from Vegeta's place.
"His training room seemed different than what I saw last time I was here. What's new?" asked Bardock to Nappa.
The bald headed General informed with an annoyed tone, "The training room was improvised accordingly to Prince Vegeta's specifications by Bulma. She also presented him a simulator that can artificially increase the amount of gravity pull within a given space."
Bardock snapped his head towards the bald Saiyan, staring at him with wide eyes. "Really? She did that?!" he gasped in disbelief. "I heard that he has assigned her in the CPRD Department just to help but she actually led this project?"
"Vegeta-sama has discovered that Bulma is a mechanical genius who has far more potential than any of his scientists and mechanical engineers in the CPRD Department could offer. He was deeply intrigued by that Gravity Simulator Project and ordered her to install it on his training room. And as you can see, it seems that his highness is getting more pumped up with his training after that. And he also grows a lot stronger and faster than what he normally does. His progress improves better than before."
Bardock turned to a small touch screen computer at the huge built-in console just below the look-out window. He pressed a few touch screen buttons and waited. There was a beeping sound that echoed within the observant's room. A few moments later, Bardock stared at the screen with a pale face and huge, disbelieving eyes.
"I can't believe it! H-His power level has grown this much in such a short amount of time just by training in that?!"
Bardock realized just how amazing the human girl could be. She has surpassed his expectations. No wonder Vegeta likes her so much. She is a genius!
He flickered his eyes down at the training room. The prince just did a graceful flip in the air and landed on the tiled floor. With his back facing the seer, Vegeta straightened his posture and turned his head over his shoulder to glare up at Bardock. His mouth opened slightly to say something really short and the training room lit up with the white fluorescent lights as the red blinking lights faded. He darted his dark eyes away to his right side, a silent order for Bardock to wait for him at the exit. Bardock nodded before he walked out of the observer's room.
About three minutes later, the metallic doors of the Gravity Room slid open and Prince Vegeta strolled out of the training chambers wearing his royal armor. He had already wiped the sweat off his skin and had a quick refresher before he came out.
"I knew you would come." the prince smirked at him. Bardock and the three Generals bowed down to him in respect and immediately noticed the sudden calm mood he was in. All anger and hatred he had harnessed earlier concealed by a calm desposition. "Come with me inside the Gravity Room. I need to talk to you in private. The three of you stay out of our way." and then he turned away to return to his training room.
Bardock reluctantly followed the prince inside and the metal doors shut behind him. He found the prince had halted his steps quarterway the spacious room, a few feet in front of him. Bardock simply waited before saying anything. He quietly observed Vegeta's ki and it was flickering with the different emotions raging within him, which he was trying his best to conceal.
"I know you were here because of whatever happened yesterday night." The prince began casually. "I must have made you and Gine worry. My apologies for not listening to you when you were telling me about your new visions." (See Episode 14)
"Your highness, did you ever had any inkling of an idea about what's about to happen?" Bardock questioned.
The prince took a moment to recall what Bardock had told him the morning after he transformed into an Oozaru. "You told me that there will be a devastating battle which would lead to many lives being killed and things will be destroyed. You saw me change into something sinister and you also saw my clones in your vision."
"Yes, you are correct, your highness. But yesterday, I had a more recent vision of you undoubtedly murdering your own people. You will say that you're only doing it for your revenge because your enemies shed your blood and you're making them all pay the price."
Vegeta wasn't a bit of surprised at all. He simply narrowed his eyes and frowned without saying anything. He knew the predictions were somehow correct, because he was indeed planning on making Paragus and his comrades pay.
"I beseech that you reconsider your decisions and don't become blinded by your anger and recklessness." Bardock pleaded for him.
Vegeta frowned. He was sure that Bardock was here to stop him and try to change his mind to prevent the visions from happening. He wouldn't want anyone to stop him from his plans. What must he do to assure his plans were not thwarted by anyone?
After a few minutes of silence, Vegeta turned to Bardock and said, "You are right. This is a worrisome predicament, indeed. Somehow, your visions may have a connection to whatever I experienced yesterday. It was as if that rampage I did was simply a taste of what's about to come.
"As of now, despite my rage and fury at my discovery of the Atijebu Military Clones and the Project Denzetsu, I have no decision to shed any Saiyan or alien blood for revenge yet. I simply wanted to destroy the facilities that created the clones, put a stop on these ridiculous experiments, beat Broly at the Annual Power Assessment and punish Paragus and his supporters due to their attempt at treason. I don't see any reason for me to kill random, innocent people."
"If that was your decision, then how come the visions won't change?" Bardock asked.
"It may mean that someone else must be trying to control the fate of the Saiyan Race, and whoever that is, he must be waiting for me to just snap out of it and lose control. Someone who desires the genocide of the Saiyans and is planning to use me for him to be able to do it."
"Who would that be?"
"How should I know?" the prince responded.
Bardock then recalled the spine chilling laughter that echoed just as Planet Vegeta exploded in one of his visions. That horrifying voice must belong to that person. Who was it?
"Don't worry. I will take care of everything one by one." Vegeta assured. "For now, I need to become a Super Saiyan and put a stop to the Project Denzetsu in order to save Broly and the remaining ATIs from Paragus' cruelty. I know Paragus and his friends have already joined forces with the alien rebels by now in order to bring me down soon. Once Paragus and the alien rebels are punished, I will gather the ATIs and my people to join me on a war against the Galactic Empire. I will do everything in my power to realize the original prophecy and protect everyone against the Galactic Emperor or the new visions."
Bardock's surprised expression shifted to one of confidence as he fell to his knees and bowed down before his future king. "I will support you in your fight, your highness. I will be on your command anytime you order me to."
"Of course, I have something else for you, Kakarot and Raditz to do for me. I need a little more research and for one of the clones to appear before me first. I will send you my orders when I am done with planning."
"As you wish, your highness."
"Now, go away and I must continue training."
Vegeta dismissed Bardock after that resolution. The older Saiyan reluctantly left him, unsure if he could really trust the prince's words. Considering how Vegeta's mood often changes randomly, he knew he cannot let his way of thinking trick him.
Bardock has to find a way to prevent the new visions from happening by himself.
~=o-O-o=~
Meanwhile, Nasu, who was thrown into prison, kept on screaming several curses at the Crown Prince he hated. Kinoko, who heard of the news from one of her servants, visited him. She couldn't believe the Crown Prince did this kind of cruelty to her father - but then she couldn't blame him knowing about the oppositions' plans to kill Prince Vegeta.
She was escorted to the prison by several guards and servants. Even in the dark, she could see the pitiful state her father was in. He was badly bleeding as he let out an agonized moans while he lay almost motionlessly on the straw underneath him. Aside from his moaning, the only sound in the prison was the zaps of electricity in the barrier in between the two of them.
"Kinoko! My dear! Have you come to visit Daddy? Look at what that royal brat did to your daddy! He's ripped my arms apart for being honest to him!" cried the tortured Saiyan.
Kinoko glowered at her sire with a cold, bored look. "Knowing of your vicious plans, I think you had it coming. After the betrayal you did behind his highness' back, you should be thankful that you're still alive." she said.
Nasu was appalled to hear such words from his only daughter. "What are you saying, Kinoko?! Can't you be a little angrier at what that brat did your own father?!"
"Why should I be angry at him? You deserved that." Kinoko said in a matter-of-fact tone, with one brow raised as she stared down at Nasu with a look that showed her disgust.
Nasu was flabbergasted and hurt at the heartless words his daughter was saying.
Suddenly, his shock melted into rage, "Why you ungrateful brat! How dare you! Have you forgotten that if not due to Prime Minister Paragus and me, you will not win the Selection and become future Crown Princess!"
A sly smile stretched across Kinoko's lips. "Of course, how could I forget about that, father? I am thankful for your help, but after I got the win, you have become useless to me. Especially now that you are both armless and dying."
"Why you... Kinoko!" Nasu snarled. "Remember this, you ungrateful child! When I get out of this hellhole, you will pay for how you treated your own father!"
Ignoring her father's insults, Kinoko left the prison to leave her father to rot. She didn't care about a man who has finally become useless to her now that she is future Crown Princess and Prince Vegeta's fiancé. He's nothing but a stepping stone for her to use to become Queen.
She found Broly while on her way back to her quarters. Feeling distrustful of him for being a fake bastard of a 'friend' towards her prince, she decided to ignore him. He was sitting on the ground, with his hands hugging his knees. A sad, distant look over his blank eyes. Kinoko scoffed to herself, for someone who claims to have become the Legendary Super Saiyan, Broly sure looked pathetic now. He looked like he had no fighting spirit at all, she thought that she could kill him right here and now for betraying Vegeta. But she restrained herself, because she knew Vegeta would not like it for her to interfere.
~=o-O-o=~
Paragus was seething with uncontrollable fury when Malaka had told him that there's absolutely no way for him to regain his left eye sight. His eye has been completely disintegrated by the merciless Prince Vegeta and because of this, the Prime Minister cannot think of anything but to murder the obnoxious Crown Prince.
Malaka placed him on surgery for hours in order to remove the soup-like viscous liquid, which used to be his eye, mixed with blood off his left eye socket and shut the empty hole by sewing the upper eyelid into the lower eyelid.
About Nasu's betrayal, Paragus wanted to execute the traitor for spilling out the truth. He never thought he would be grateful that the Crown Prince was one cocky, haughty, foolish bastard to have let him live again. He knew the prince didn't show them mercy out of goodness in his heart. It was a matter of pride for him. Vegeta still strongly believes that the opposition were nothing to him.
About Broly, he was sure the prince was as overconfident as ever despite having faced his son's immeasurable legendary powers. Paragus thought Prince Vegeta was going insane, having not recognize the dire situation he was going to face in the Annual Power Assessment. Unless Vegeta can pull off that miraculous yet dangerous destructive power he unknowingly brought forth yesterday, he has no chance to beat Broly. That ominous, malevolent power he possessed has overwhelmed Broly and if he wasn't sedated in the right time, Broly would have met a gruesome death.
If Vegeta learns to harness that power on his own will and was able to have full control of it, it would be troublesome, even more if he becomes a Super Saiyan before the Annual Power Assessment. Knowing the prince's vengeful nature, Paragus was sure Prince Vegeta will push himself on training beyond his own limits now that a challenge against his superiority had appeared. Being a natural prodigy and a Super Elite, Vegeta's progress as a warrior is way faster than Broly and anyone else on the planet. He can easily catch up to Broly in a few days if he kept up his vigorous training.
He has to find a way to prevent the Crown Prince from becoming stronger. And the only way to kill Prince Vegeta while they still have a chance. Once that arrogant brat's out of the way, he will come after King Vegeta and Prince Tarble. Only after they are successful on overthrowing the royal family he could have the throne for himself and his son.
He will have his revenge!
Where is Broly? He must go and make the boy train much harder this time so that the Crown Prince won't be able to catch up to him. He impatiently took his scouter to demand Broly's presence at once.
Broly had no choice but to show himself to his father. When Paragus saw his only son, he found an unnerving glare on Broly's eyes that he had never saw in there. It sent chills rolling down his spine. Swallowing the eerie feeling gnawing at his heart, Paragus immediately demanded, "And where have you been, boy?!"
Broly didn't answer. Paragus didn't care for any response for now.
"Did you know that Prince Vegeta already learned about our plans?! All because of that incident yesterday!"
Broly simply stared. Of course he knew.
"Now that he knows everything, he decided to show off and challenge you into a fight in his Power Assessment! Look at what he did to me! He also rendered Nasu armless and left him for the dead in prison! Prepare yourself, my son. The time has come for you to kill that arrogant fool and take his place!"
This time, Broly lowered his eyes. He was hesitating at first.
"I refuse to do it." he muttered in a low tone. He didn't really wish to follow his father's orders anymore. But he was afraid. Afraid to disobey Paragus and for his punishments. But he knew that enough was enough. He cannot afford to lose his friends either. Paragus' wicked schemes were too much for him to handle. He cannot ever kill Prince Vegeta, for he was the only person who believed in him. But because of his father, their friendship and trust were tainted by rage and thirst for vengeance.
That made Paragus' jaw drop in aghast, unable to understand what his son meant by those words. "What did you just say?!" he growled through his gritted teeth.
"I said I will not do it." Broly repeated. firmly this time. He looked up to give Paragus a defiant glare that showed his determination to follow through his words.
Those words rang through Paragus' ears and it made his anger erupt. "What nonsense are you talking about now, Broly?!" he yelled.
"I refuse to kill the Crown Prince! I do not want to do it and you will not make me!" Broly shouted back.
Blinded by rage at that tone his son used on him, Paragus raised his right hand. Broly abruptly staggered backwards as bolts of electricity snapped around his coronet. The warrior began to scream in agony.
"How dare you talk back to me, boy! And with that kind of tone! How dare you refuse to do my orders! Don't you realize that if you don't kill Vegeta, he and his father will find a way to slaughter you! Do you even think they will show us mercy after they learned about our plans! Especially now that they know that you have already surpassed the Crown Prince by becoming the Legendary Super Saiyan instead of him!"
Broly cried out. He tried to fight back but he was powerless against this torture. He didn't want to listen and do what Paragus was telling him to do anymore.
"No!" Broly groaned. "He... He is... My... Friend..."
"He is your enemy now! He will not consider you a friend anymore after he learned of what you truly are!"
"He is the chosen one..."
"He's not the chosen one! Not anymore! You are the chosen one! The prophecy has finally changed! The wheels of fate have turned and you are to claim what's rightfully yours! Vegeta stole everything from you, thinking he was the chosen one and the strongest of our kind when it was truly you! Him and his father must pay!"
"B-But..."
"The seers saw what will become of him. You have to kill him before he destroys us all! Broly! You are the only one who can do it!"
"I... Don't... Believe it..."
"You are a fool!" Paragus roared as he made his son suffer even worse.
"Graaaaaaaaaahhh!" Broly's screams intensified as his father increased the voltage of electricity racking in his body. He couldn't take it anymore! "S-Stop it! Please! Stop!"
Paragus snarled, refusing to hear his son's cry for mercy. He didn't want to hear him refusing to kill Prince Vegeta. He was his only key to get his revenge and rule the Saiyans. "I am sure that rotten Vegeta is training right now and finding a way to kill us both! You cannot have him catch up on you when you are already on the top! Don't be a fool and set aside that useless friendship! He was never your friend and will never be!"
"Gwaaaaaaaaahhh!" Broly could only cry out as he helplessly stumbled, collapsed and trembled on the floor.
"You have to kill him before he gets the chance to murder us! Do you understand me?!"
Broly found himself unable to say anything. He wanted to cry out "No!" but the pain was too excruciating. He wished he'd just die, for him to have never been born.
He didn't want to do any of his father's evil schemes anymore. He didn't want to be his father's puppet anymore. A weapon for him to use to get what he wants.
He will not do it... Not anymore.
But...
No matter what, he loved his father greatly. He gave him life, and took care of him. He also taught him many things, fed him his entire life and raised him to become a strong Saiyan Warrior.
However, none of these would happen if Prince Vegeta didn't save his life when he was an infant. He didn't know the actual story but deep in his heart, he always had that feeling of gratitude though he had no idea what it was. Only when Vegeta directly told him he realized what that meant.
Tears of despair fell down Broly's eyes.
Suddenly, the pain had vanished completely. Broly felt his world spin around as darkness consumed his consciousness.
"Tch!" Paragus sneered. Useless brat! It must be that Prince Vegeta's influence on his son! What for are the years he spent raising this boy in order for him to kill the Royal Family? This is the reason why he didn't want for Broly to be friends with that impish royal scoundrel at all. It turned out that the friendship Broly shared with the Saiyan Prince was the boy's soft spot. Broly cherished the prince as a true friend.
Paragus clenched his fists on his sides, feeling completely aggraviated about how his plans turned out to be a total failure. This is a tough matter to think about. He needs Broly to kill Prince Vegeta as soon as possible, but that seemed impossible now since Broly had downright refused to do so. If Paragus was to force Broly to do it, then the boy might turn against him instead. And he was no match against his son's power. Thanks to the power limiter he was able to control his son or he would probably have been killed already.
"Foolish emotions truly is a Saiyan's downfall." Paragus thought indignantly to himself. His bloodshot right eye dilated with impatience and rage.
Then suddenly, an idea came to his shrewd, evil mind. "Ah yes! That's it!"
A cruel grin came across his lips.
How could he forget about that? Prince Vegeta has a weakness he could use! Horenso had already figured it out long ago! However, he will not do the same thing as what that lecherous bastard Horenso did. He will be more careful as to not provoke Prince Vegeta's wrath immediately. Anger would only make the boy stronger. He will have to do something that would make that haughty brat grovel at his feet, begging for his mercy, break his pride and make him desperate enough that he would die to save the person he cared for the most.
Yes, that's right. According to the seer he consulted eleven years ago, the Crown Prince is meant to die at a young age protecting those he cared about.
Soon, victory and the throne will be his!
~=o-O-o=~
Nappa, Kakarot and Raditz were strolling around the palace grounds to go to their office and have their lunch when they saw Bulma coming to the Crown Prince's Palace.
"Yo, Bulma!" Kakarot called.
She turned her head towards the three Saiyans and smiled at the sight of her friends. "Hey guys!"
Kakarot and Raditz approached her to ask, "What are you doing here?" and then Raditz saw that Bulma was carrying a bag. "And what is that?"
"This is a pack of lunch for us to eat together. Where is Vegeta?" Bulma said.
"Lunch? Great!" Kakarot exclaimed. He sniffed in the air to get a glimpse of taste of the food she had in her box. "Hmm... I smell meat! That smells delicious! And… and… Huh? Bulma, you smell different today. Did you use some kind of perfume, perhaps?"
Bulma was confounded, wondering what he's smelling from her. "What do you mean?"
Raditz furrowed his eyes in confusion and he sniffed at the air, "He's right. You do smell different." he affirmed.
When Nappa immediately joined in, she had three monkeys sniffing at her like she was the food instead. That felt really uncomfortable for her.
"Enough of this! You're embarrassing me!" she yelled.
"It wasn't just any perfume. It's inside of her. It's as if she isn't a virgin anymore." Nappa observed.
"Ghack!" Bulma stumbled in surprise, her face blushing. Can they even tell that just by smelling her? !
"Aha! Did you and Vegeta already... You know?" Kakarot winked.
Raditz chuckled. "That look on her face says it, alright."
"N-No! We did not!" she quickly denied, flustered by what they were thinking.
"You can lie but you cannot fool a Saiyan's sense of smell. Yes, I can indeed feel Vegeta within you. He's left his mark on you already." Raditz said with a sly smirk.
Bulma's reddened face frowned, not really wanting to admit such embarrassing information to anyone.
She was angry that Vegeta didn't tell her that people around her may notice that they... did that already. What if someone else knew?! He'll get her in big trouble!
So she decided to change the topic, "Now, where is Vegeta?" she demanded. She wanted to go to him, show him her fury and humiliation. Oh, she'll scream bloody hell at his ears for such shame!
"He's having a private meeting with Bardock in the training room." Kakarot responded.
"I'll go get him, then." Bulma declared angrily and she traipsed away.
"Uh... Bulma... I think it's not a good time for you to..."
She ignored Kakarot's advice as she indignantly marched away. The Saiyans could only shrug their shoulders, wondering who had a more fearsome temper between her and their prince.
Once Bulma has left, Nappa turned to his comrades and silently told them to follow him on their office. They sat on the maple chairs around a thick, rectangular maple dining table to talk.
Nappa shook his head in disbelief, "That rebellious brat. I don't know what he's planning to do, but going against Saiyan Royal Law would get him into a serious trouble. If anyone else finds out that he's mated with her, both of them will be greatly punished. Heck, he will be dethroned!"
Kakarot and Raditz turned their heads to the burly attendant.
"I know, right? Especially when the future Crown Princess has already been decided." Raditz said with a worried tone.
"We all know how much he likes Bulma and that he doesn't want Kinoko to be his fiancé at all. Vegeta is doing whatever he wants without any regard for the consequences of his actions. And considering his actions and his mood as of this morning... There's no telling what trouble he'll do next."
"What is he planning to do? Really?" Raditz groaned.
The three Generals tried to decode their unpredictable prince's mind.
~=o-O-o=~
Vegeta's image at the center of the Gravity Room was like that of some Greek god statue. Unmoving, perfectly sculpted, and breathtaking even with that hard, perpetual scowl on his face. His calculating mind laid out several options and plans for his upcoming fights. A battle for his birthright as the heir-apparent to the throne of Planet Vegeta.
Given his limited time, he was unsure if he could become a Super Saiyan within the last nine days before the day of the Annual Power Assessment. Somehow, he had to find a way to gain more power and become stronger in order to fulfill his plans. And for now, his easier option was for him to be able to manipulate and control the feral power he had unleashed yesterday evening during his battle with Broly. He had once considered to find a way to release the full powers of the Oozaru without having to transform into a gigantic monkey beast during a full moon. (See Episode 14) Having full control over the primitive and savage form, he knew it would be easier for him to utilize the primal energy in his humanoid form. But the question is... How?
Vegeta immediately sensed that Bulma was coming right towards him and she wasn't in a good mood. Vegeta grunted angrily to himself as he scowled deeply. What a way to distract him from his much needed training and thinking.
He saw her marching indignantly towards him. He wondered what she's up to as she stomped nearer at him.
"Hey, what are you -?!"
"You jerk!" Bulma screamed as she threw the lunch she made for him at his head.
Vegeta quickly raised a hand to block the upcoming attack on him. He flicked his hand and sent the flying bento box off him. It hit the wall and the food spilled on the floor. "What the fuck are you doing, woman?!" he yelled back.
"How could you bring me such shame, you jerk?! Do you even know what a pure, beautiful, young lady could feel if everyone around her knew she's not a virgin anymore?!"
Vegeta's eyes widened, surprised at the vulgar words she just spat at him. "What the fuck are you saying now, woman?! And who the hell cares about that? At least, nobody will ever dare to touch you again, knowing you belong to me now."
"Aaaaargh! You naive fool! I thought this was a private thing! You didn't tell me that they will notice it!"
"Notice what?" he asked nonchalantly.
"My scent!" she screamed at the top of her lungs, making Vegeta flinch at the sudden ringing in his sensitive ears.
"Oh." he muttered as he rubbed at his ear.
His lack of reaction only made Bulma angrier, so she attacked him with her fists again, which he effortlessly blocked with his hand.
"Hey now. Stop hitting me! It wasn't much of a big deal! Stop making such a fuss about it, woman!"
"Why are you being so insensitive about it?! Anyone could have noticed! Do you even know what that means?! You jerk! I hate you!"
He caught her fists and pulled her towards him until their eyes met and their noses were only an inch apart, much to her astonishment.
"Wow. You just told me a few hours ago that you love me… Eleven times, in fact. And now you hate me? What are you being so embarrassed about? That you made love with the best man the universe could offer?" he asked with a smug look on his face. "I know you enjoyed it as much as I did last night. I mean, you were moaning in pleasure and begging me to never stop and keep on pounding you faster and harder."
Bulma blushed feverishly at his obscene words, and she looked away as she mumbled, "I'm not embarrassed - I mean... I thought it was a secret thing because you're still on your mission. I was worried we might get into trouble again. Plus, your father doesn't even like me at all."
He scoffed as he finally let her go, "Don't worry about it. He'll find out soon enough and he won't be able to do anything about it."
She turned her glare back at him and yelled, "What are you saying now, idiot?! You could lose your crown and your title!"
"Just give me nine days. Nine days and I will be done with my mission and fight for you. After nine days, I'll introduce you properly and get rid of Kinoko once and for all." he assured.
Bulma was silenced at his words as she stared at how serious and determined he actually looked. She lowered her eyes and sighed to herself. She guessed there's no use on getting angry about something he will never understand after all. The fool.
"Don't be afraid..." he told her. He reached out to pull her from behind to embrace her in his arms. He leaned closer to take in her fragrant scent. It helped calm his anger down. "You are my dearest and you will forever be. You are the only one I allowed to come through my hardened walls. No matter what happens, I will protect you at all costs. Even if it takes everything I have."
She reached out to touch and rub his forearm gently and leaned her head back on his chest. They stayed silent like that for nearly a minute or two.
Vegeta lowered his eyes, his expression turned gloomy. There's no telling what may happen in nine days time but he knew something terrible might occur to him. He couldn't make sense of Bardock's vision in relation to his current plans as of now but getting a clue of what will become of him made him terribly perturbed.
Bulma couldn't shake the feeling that something was bothering the Saiyan prince since last night. Recalling the words on the promise he wrote on the locket of his bracelet, which can only be opened by the key he gave her, she wondered what's up with him. She turned her head to look at him. "Is something wrong?" she asked. "You've been acting like this since you came to my room. Did something happen during your fight yesterday?"
"Hmm... Nothing much." he lied. "But seeing the food you just threw on me wasted on the floor made me hungry."
Bulma doubted that. "I came here to invite you to eat lunch with me and your generals."
"You just yelled at me about your virginity, though."
"Uhh... I guess I'm interrupting your training."
"Not really. I got priorities." he mumbled as he spun her around, he raised her chin with one hand and pressed his lips against hers. His kisses were soft at first but warm, like it was the first time. But then it turned authoritative, demanding, domineering.
As he ravaged her lips with passionate desire, his rough hands grabbed the sides of her head before curling his fingers against the back of her neck as he took the kiss deeper and hotter. Their tongues were on a raging battle within their warm mouths. Bulma felt an unbearable burning sensation throughout her body, like wildfire spreading. A current of electricity rushed through Vegeta, arousing him further. The power in his kisses were intense, and she couldn't help but want it more. She moaned breathlessly against him as she parted her lips to take a deep breath. Her long fingers wounded against his spikes. He pushed her backwards until her back was against the gravity simulator console, earning a light grunt from her.
Yes, he was hungry. But not for food though. He wanted her again, just like hours ago. He wanted her so badly. He was angry and desperate enough and only she could calm the rage he wanted to release. He didn't wish to satisfy his spiraling bloodlust and calm his impatience by murdering those around him. Perhaps, making love with his dearest could give him the satisfaction he needed.
~=o-O-o=~
A few minutes later after one session of passionate lovemaking. Bulma still couldn't shake the feeling that something was bothering the Saiyan prince. Recalling the words on the promise he wrote on the locket of his bracelet, which can only be opened by the key he gave her, she wondered what's up with him.
"How are you feeling now?" she asked.
"Better than earlier." he muttered as he finally pulled away from her. He gently put her down to her feet, turned his back on her and proceeded to fix himself.
"Tell me, is there anything wrong? You've been acting really strange since you appeared on my bedroom." Bulma asked.
"It's nothing." he quickly answered.
Bulma frowned, crossing her arms across her bared breasts. "Don't lie to me now, mister. I know that something is bothering you. I can feel it." she pressed.
The prince scowled, he didn't wish for her to get involved with all of this mess. He just needed her to help him achieve the state of the Legendary Super Saiyan with her technological prowess, probably their bond, and perhaps these unexplainable, forbidden emotions he had for her too.
When Vegeta was about to walk away, she grabbed his arm from behind to stop him. She spun him around and looked at him fiercely. "Don't try and walk out on me either. Tell me now, maybe I can help."
He growled with an irritated look on his face. "I don't need your fucking help. It is none of your business."
Bulma frowned at his sudden rude words.
"Oh is that so? Fine then." she scoffed as she snatched the cape on Vegeta's armor.
"What the fuck are you doing?!" the prince demanded as he watched at her wrapped her naked body with his cape.
"Covering myself! Are you blind?! You just ripped off my clothes, you bastard!" she retorted.
Vegeta snatched the cape off her hands. "Not this! I have an extra training gear! You can use that!"
He squatted down to open a small cabinet under the gravity console and threw a pair of spandex shorts and a tank top on her. She indignantly took the clothes and wore them.
"Don't involve yourself with matters that only concerns Saiyans or you'll get killed in the crossfire. I will take care of this problem so keep your worries to yourself, woman." he said before walking away.
Bulma watched at his back for a moment, feeling guilty that she seemed helpless to him during these times, upset that he wouldn't even open up to her what his problem was. She reluctantly followed him as they came out of the Gravity Room and strolled their way towards where Kakarot, Raditz and Nappa were waiting. She felt offended at his attitude but she knew he was correct. She only thought she could help but she felt mad that he blatantly said that he didn't need it. The three Saiyans could still sense that their prince was still in a bad mood, but better than earlier, and they were surprised that he actually stopped his training again for Bulma and came with her to eat lunch with them at their office.
"Let's get this over with so I can go back to training." the prince scoffed.
Unable to say anything at first, the three could only gawk back at him.
"What are you three looking at?! It's not like this is the first time I've eaten my lunch here!" Vegeta snapped at them.
"Uh... No. Nothing, your highness. W-We're just glad you're here." Kakarot smiled.
"Nappa, tell Celerie to bring my food." Vegeta ordered with an austere look.
"Y-Yes, your highness." the prince's attendant obeyed. Nappa rose from his seat at the far end of the long table to do as he was commanded.
Vegeta sat on the chair Nappa just left, being the crown prince it's his right to seat there. Bulma took her seat next to Kakarot who was sitting on the prince's left side. Vegeta cleared his throat before telling Kakarot to switch places with her, much to Bulma's chagrin. Kakarot understood because they already knew. There was an awkward atmosphere in between them, because the Generals wouldn't want to open their mouth to question their prince directly about him mating with Bulma all so suddenly despite having a fiancé already. Vegeta wasn't much in a good mood today, and questioning his actions would only make his mood even worse.
It wasn't long before Bulma noticed that someone else was missing in the table, "Where is Broly?" she asked.
Kakarot and Raditz stayed silent as they turned their uncomfortable gaze at Vegeta.
"I don't know and I don't care." the prince responded with a disinterested tone.
Bulma noticed the obvious anger in his response. "What's the matter? Did you two... fight?"
He growled and answered with an irritated tone, "Isn't that obvious? The fool is a traitor behind my back after all."
"Traitor? What did Broly do?" she asked.
Vegeta didn't answer her question at all. Bulma made a pout, terribly offended that she was being kept in the dark but went silent after that. She awkwardly glanced over at Kakarot and Raditz who gave her a knowing look and she frowned. No matter how many times she think about it, she really couldn't understand these Saiyans, especially the ever-capricious crown prince.
~=o-O-o=~
When he was almost done with his lunch, Vegeta ordered Celerie to bring him a gallon of some special, limited edition, chocolate ice cream. The chef came to the kitchen to get the Crown Prince's favorite ice cream when she found something that made her jump back in terror and screaming.
Inside the small freezer, desperately fitting his body in a seemingly impossible position, was Prince Vegeta himself. He seemed like he was peacefully sleeping when Celerie disturbed his slumber. His evil looking, stern, onyx eyes shot open, giving Celerie a deathly glare that made her entire body froze.
"Your highness! W-What are you doing in there? I thought you're on your way to your quarters." Celerie breathlessly asked.
"Leave me alone." The prince simply muttered in a bored tone, but his piercing eyes stared death into the chef's soul.
"Y-Yes..." Celerie reluctantly shut the doors off and awkwardly turned around with a confused look on her face while wondering why the Crown Prince was inside a freezer.
That prince sure does have some weird mind she couldn't understand.
She decided to walk back to her quarters. A few minutes later, her scouter rang. When she answered the call, Vegeta's angry hiss greeted her.
"What the fuck is taking you so long?! Where the hell is the ice cream I ordered you to bring me?!"
Celerie flinched, "B-but y-your highness, you just told me to leave you alone because you were resting inside the freezer."
"What are you talking about now? Why am I going to rest inside the freezer?! Have you gone insane - ?!" the prince yelled at her when he suddenly stopped. "Wait, don't tell me..." the chef raised an eyebrow. "Fine, Celerie. Get back to the kitchen and check on the freezer again. If you see me again, don't let me get away. Do you understand?" after that he hang up.
"Huh? W-wait, your highness! W-What are you saying? Huh?"
Celerie blinked before sighing in concern after being ignored. What does Prince Vegeta mean by that? Despite her puzzlement, orders were orders so she reluctantly returned to the kitchen. Once there, she anxiously strolled towards the freezer, deeply swallowed nervously, before she raised her hand to open the door. There, she found the Saiyan Prince still in his seemingly impossible position inside the freezer. He was peacefully sleeping, a small, satisfied smile upon his lips.
The prince's eyes fluttered open and glared back at the chef who was disturbing him again. "What do you want now?! Can't you see I'm sleeping in here?! Leave me alone."
"But you just told me to... Check on you and not to let you get away."
"..." He didn't answer for a few seconds. "I see." then he went back to snooze mode.
Celerie sighed. "What are you doing inside the freezer, your highness? That is definitely not a good place to rest."
"I like it here. I love the cold." he murmured.
Celerie raised an eyebrow. If she knew better, Prince Vegeta hated the cold weather. She remembered those times when the prince would start a big fire when occassional wintery weather comes, complaining about the freezing and pale looking environment.
"Ah! There you are! I've been waiting for you to show yourself..."
Surprised at the sound of the Crown Prince's voice coming from behind her, Celerie snapped her head over her shoulder with wide, shocked eyes. The real Prince Vegeta stood beside her with a serious look on his face. He was wearing his white and gold Crown Prince's royal armor and had his arms crossed over his pristine chest plate. His red cape fluttered slightly behind him. Come to think of it, the one inside the freezer had no cape on him.
Huh?! What is the meaning of this?
"When Celerie told me she saw me inside the freezer I thought she was insane, but then, I immediately knew it could be you..."
The real Vegeta was still talking as Celerie turned her head, looking at the two identical Saiyans right in front of her in confusion before fainting backwards. Vegeta and his clone stared dumbfoundingly at the fallen chef.
The prince sighed as he walked into the freezer. "Get out of there now and come with me."
The clone cocked his head and pointed at Celerie.
"Don't worry about her. She'll be fine."
Like a vengeful ghost coming out of a haunted refrigerator, the clone rose from his strange position and walked out of the freezer. He was white, still covered in frost and his body temperature was cold. He lowered his head for a moment to bow down in respect to the Prince of all Saiyans.
Vegeta sneered in disgust. After meeting a clone of his who was an extreme glutton, what kind of weirdo is this one now? He found the number on the clone's armor to be 9000. This was the last clone of the first batch before the creation of the special one.
The Saiyan Prince snickered with a look of contempt in his face, "Look at yourself. You know Celerie was correct when she told you that the freezer isn't a nice place to sleep in."
"I like the cold." the clone answered with a distant, flat tone. His face was serious and like his voice, held no emotion too. Vegeta knew this clone has probably inherited his cold-heartedness.
"That was obvious, isn't it? Come with me to my quarters. I need to speak to you in private."
Vegeta turned around and suddenly reminded of his unconscious chef sprawled on the floor. He grunted angrily and marched towards the refrigerator. He took a pitcher of cold water and unceremonously poured it towards Celerie. The head chef jolted upwards, gasping in shock and completely soaked in freezing water. She frantically looked around and firmed up upon finding a terribly displeased Crown Prince glaring down at her.
Vegeta peered down at her with a piercing look which instantly sent chills across her spine.
"Y-Your highness!" Celerie cried out as she lowered herself on the floor, begging for the Crown Prince's mercy for failing to accomplish such a simple task. "I failed to do your order. You may punish me as you wish."
"Get up! If you want to sleep, don't do it here. Go back to your room. And forget about the ice cream. I already got it."
"Yes..." Celerie muttered reluctantly as she raised her head. "Uh..." she gasped when she saw the Saiyan who looks exactly like Prince Vegeta behind him. Now that she had a longer and closer look, she noticed that the fake guy has a pair of pale grey eyes. "Please forgive me for my question but may I ask who is that?" she asked.
Vegeta snorted as he turned his head to look at his clone. "This is my long, lost brother." he introduced.
"Brother?" Celerie was confused. She doesn't seem to remember that his Majesty have other children aside from Prince Vegeta and Prince Tarble.
"I have many others as well. As you can see. He is the nine thousandth one." The Prince pointed at the number painted on the clone's chest plate.
Celerie's eyes went wide as saucers and almost bulged out of their sockets. T-The King has over nine thousand children?! This information sure is mind ogling!
Noticing the look of disbelief on the head chef's face, Vegeta threw his head back and laughed so hard.
"Ha! Ha! Ha! Celerie! Sometimes, you amaze me! Who would have thought that someone like you could be such a naive idiot?!"
Celerie's face flushed and she put her head down in embarrassment.
"Have you ever heard that my father once planned to create a special clone army based on me?"
The chef was thoughtful for a moment and when she realized what the prince was saying, her eyes went wide in shock.
"Huh?! You mean... That was... Those rumors were true? I mean, this guy is your..."
"That's right. He is my clone." Vegeta walked beside ATI 9000. "Hey you, introduce yourself to her."
ATI 9000 responded with his cold tone, "Ouji-sama. I am not permitted to say any secret information about myself to those who are not part of the project."
"What are you saying? I am giving you a direct order. Just make any typical introduction."
"..." ATI 9000 flickered his eyes to the chef.
The clone turned his head to the chef and scowled. After glaring at her for almost a minute, he turned his eyes away and snorted haughtily. The act made the prince laugh once more. This guy was better than the first one he met.
Or so he thought.
The clone turned away to return to his sleeping place earlier.
"Hey, where do you think you're going?!" Vegeta demanded as he grabbed ATI 9000's arm.
"I have to get back to the freezer or I might die from this heat." ATI 9000 replied.
"What are you? An ice cream that could melt when you are out of the cold?"
"...Maybe I am."
Vegeta grunted in annoyance and rolled his eyes. "Whatever, come to my private quarters now. I have an air conditioner there! Celerie, you are dismissed."
And then the Saiyan prince dragged his clone towards his private quarters. ATI 9000 felt like he was weakening with the heat he was feeling, something that Prince Vegeta didn't really mind.
Once they were inside Vegeta's quarters, the prince finally let go of his clone's hand and quickly turned on the air conditioner. He turned to watch at his panting clone who was pathetically fanning himself.
"Endure it for a while, the room will be cold soon." Vegeta assured.
"My apologies, Ouji-sama. I am not used to places that are above 15 degrees Cilusa. My incubator was placed nearest to the air conditioner of the laboratory where I was created."
(Cilusa - Saiyan Equivalent of Celsius)
"So what have you come here for?" the Saiyan Prince questioned, crossing his arms over his chest.
"The Commander sent me to check on you, Ouji-sama. I've been observing for quite a while and I sensed that Eight Nine Nine Zero's death has greatly affected you. The Atijebu Military Clones had not expected that you would react in such a violent way. We only aim in protecting you and the true prophecy, not swivelling you away from that path. For that, the commander wanted to apologize for what happened.
"Eight Nine Nine Zero died an honorable death to show you the truth that was hidden in the shadows which you were previously unaware of. It was our way of protecting you. To make you more aware of the danger that was about to come. With the prophecy changing, and you being well aware of it by now, you should be able to find a way to prevent the new visions from happening."
"Don't worry. I have already planned out my strategies. Now that you are finally here, I can finally make my move. Tell your commander that I am ordering the entire Atijebu Military to join me on this battle. I will not let Paragus use my blood for his heinous plans anymore. I will end this experiment once and for all!"
ATI 9000 lowered his eyes, staring into the carpet on the floor for a long moment with a distant look. It looked as if he was thinking deeply within himself. After a while, he blinked his eyes and looked up to gaze at the waiting prince.
"The commander awaited for this day to come. The Atijebu Military Clones will be on stand by for your royal command, Ouji-sama."
~=o-O-o=~
Back to the Office of Prince Vegeta's Generals...
"So what the hell was Vegeta's problem? Did he and Broly really fight?" Bulma demanded the Crown Prince's Generals once Vegeta was gone to the kitchen. She wondered what made him so anxious when he heard that Celerie was saying about him resting inside the freezer, something they stiffled their laughter about.
"We don't know the details yet. But yes, he fought with Broly indeed." Kakarot said.
"Hush your mouth, Kakarot!" Raditz hissed, giving his younger brother a warning glare.
"She needs to know. She has the right to know. After all, Vegeta chose her as his mate." Kakarot defended.
"Vegeta told her not to get involved with matters only Saiyans are concerned of!"
"So you don't want to tell me anything either?" Bulma was disappointed, watching at Kakarot and Raditz argue.
Nappa sighed, Kakarot was right. Bulma has the right to know what's happening to Vegeta if he truly chose her to be his mate personally. Though he hated the fact that the Saiyan Prince mated with an alien, which is a taboo on Saiyan terms, he cannot question the prince's actions. So long as it made his young master happy, then he could live with it.
"Broly was being used by his father, the Prime Minister, as a weapon to use to dethrone the royal family as revenge to King Vegeta. Prince Vegeta doesn't consider this as a big problem. His pride was definitely preventing him to see Broly as a threat. He strongly believed that nobody among us will ever surpass him, not even Broly who displayed such exceptional latent battle talents closer to that of his.
"You see, when Broly was born, he was treated as a perilous threat to the royal house by King Vegeta, that's why he was ordered to be killed so that he'll never get any chance to surpass Prince Vegeta one day. However, the Crown Prince intervened and saved both Broly and Paragus from death. When he heard about Broly's potential, he strongly believed that Broly will one day be one of the greatest assets in the Saiyan Army. For him, it was a waste to have that child be killed due to the king's paranoia. For years, Vegeta always believed in Broly's capabilities, even if he sometimes doubted his loyalty due to the Prime Minister's controlling treatment towards his son. Well, today he probably saw through their plans and was greatly disappointed by Broly's actions so he confronted Broly - harshly I could say."
Bulma was flabbergasted by the story.
"So that means that the Prime Minister is forcing Broly to obey him so he can have revenge against the royal family. But Broly seemed loyal to Vegeta. Has Vegeta thought that he could be forced on obeying the Prime Minister because he was afraid of his father? He may not want to do it. Not everyone is as rebellious as Vegeta is." Bulma asked.
Nappa rolled his eyes, "Of course, Vegeta knows that exactly."
"Then why did he attack Broly if he knew that?"
"It probably has something to do with his pride. Otherwise, he wouldn't care about confronting Broly at all." Raditz grunted.
"Come to think of it, he did say that Broly has achieved some overwhelming power. Has Broly surpassed him in strength but he was only concealing it so Vegeta wouldn't know?" Kakarot wondered.
"Wait," Raditz interrupted, his face etched in concentration as he think deeply. "Broly and the clones. They must have some connection. Remember that when you asked him about what Broly got to do with the clones, Vegeta was enraged. Considering the events of last night and his behavior since he returned, does this mean that the Prime Minister created those clones for Broly to use in order to betray the royal family?"
"Not to mention the new prophecy."
"Oh, Kami... We're getting close."
"Wait a minute, new prophecy? What does that mean?" a confused Bulma asked.
"Vegeta did mention to you about the Legendary Super Saiyan, right? The original prophecy was about Prince Vegeta becoming the Super Saiyan of Legend and save the universe from the evil Galactic Emperor. However, the seers saw a new prophecy, which is the opposite of the original. In the new prophecy, Vegeta was seen to become an uncontrollable beast who would bring chaos and destruction across the universe." Raditz said.
"Wha...What?"
"Something must trigger him to return to the way he used to be before. Bulma, you have no idea how terrifying he could become when he gets angry. You've never seen him greatly enraged. He's as dangerous as the rumors say about him. That's why everyone feared him."
"Yeah, I heard that he's more cold and ruthless than any other Saiyan had ever been."
"Somehow, Dad sees you as the only way to prevent him from turning into that." Kakarot said. "You changed him. You are the reason why he's controlling himself from going back to his original personality. Bulma, you have to be careful. If anything bad happens to you, we cannot imagine what kind of trouble he'll be up to."
"What Horenso suffered would be nothing in comparison to what might happen if anything bad happens to you." Nappa said.
"He must not. He cannot become like that. He's changed, right? There's no way he can throw away the things he's learned all this time, right?" Bulma tried to convince.
The Generals shrugged their shoulders and gave her a doubting look.
"Vegeta has a capricious mind which anyone cannot easily decipher. Nobody can understand his ways of thinking at all. Whatever he's planning to do, we wouldn't be able to see through if not for Bardock and the seers' warning." Nappa told her.
"That's why we're asking you to be careful. You are the only one keeping him in control. He has too many enemies behind the shadows, waiting for a perfect opportunity to attack him through his weakness. And they know that you are Vegeta's only weakness." Kakarot said.
Bulma was beginning to understand the reason for the promise and the couple jewelry he gave her. Her hand automatically reached out for the key pendant on her necklace. The key to his heart.
Raditz' green lensed scouter rang on his ear, the sound interrupting their discussion. The long haired General responded to the call of Prince Vegeta commanding him to come over his private quarters.
"I have to go, the Prince told me to come to him alone." Raditz declared as he cleaned up his plates and utensils and left them on the sink nearby. "I'll see you guys later."
Raditz was gone, leaving Kakarot, Nappa and Bulma looking at each other.
When Raditz appeared before the Crown Prince of all Saiyans, the clone was gone. Vegeta was sitting on his couch, scanning through a touch screen tablet with a hard look.
"I am here as you commanded, your highness. Why did you seek me alone without Kakarot and Nappa?" Raditz said.
"I have something for you to do for me discreetly. A secret royal command."
Though Prince Vegeta used to give him these special commands to investigate or find something for him, Raditz felt like this was beyond something else.
"What is it that you wish for me to do, your highness?"
The prince put the tablet to sleep and left it on the table in front of him. He leaned back, looking at his uptight General as he crossed his arms over his armored chest.
"I'm sure your father already told you about the new prophecy." Vegeta began. "Bardock warned me about it earlier in the training room and I was... perturbed about it."
This was the first time Vegeta admitted to being disturbed. Raditz understood though. Everyone who learned about the new prophecy would naturally feel bothered. "How so?" asked Raditz.
"The way I am now, there's no way for me to become that violent despite what Paragus and Broly did. I told Bardock that I have no decision to shed any Saiyan or alien blood due to their betrayal. I simply wanted to destroy the facilities that created the clones, put a stop on these ridiculous experiments, beat Broly at the Annual Power Assessment and punish those who are directly involved. I know, there's no reason for me to become that murderous to my own people, especially the innocents. Bardock was doubtful of my claims, because the visions won't change despite my firm decision. I told him that someone else must be trying to control the fate of the Saiyan Race, waiting for me to just snap and lose control. That someone is planning to use me for him to rid of the Saiyans.
"At first, I thought it wasn't me at all. I doubted it because the future is subjective to our personal decisions. Prophecies and visions of the future could change. I know there's still a way for us to prevent this new prophecy to happen. And because of it, I made a decision and laid out my plans.
"I could feel that something unexpected will happen to me within the next nine days. It will be sudden, which is why I cannot predict exactly how the new prophecy would happen. I called you here to warn you and make your preparations. There's no telling what would happen to me within those nine days, that's why I am giving you a royal command to leave Planet Vegeta and go to a planet called Namek. Take Bulma with you and by all means, protect her at all costs. You must know by now that I already bonded with Bulma and made her my mate. I did it in hopes of making her the only way for everyone to be saved against me."
"No way! Don't tell me that you're planning to fulfill the new prophecy? You can't! You're..." Raditz protested.
"Don't worry. It won't happen as long as I could help it. This is just a back up plan in case something unexpected happens to me and if the new prophecy indeed became a reality."
"But why on Planet Namek?" Raditz questioned.
"I heard that the Namekians have a set of magical balls we could use to undo any damage when the time comes. Raditz, I entrust this mission to you. Do it in discreet. And if anything happens to Bulma, I will make you pay dearly for it, do you understand? Remember that she's my chosen mate and she'll be your last hope."
Raditz guessed his father was correct about his theory that Bulma will be the one to save them from Vegeta's upcoming wrath after the prince himself claimed it himself. Raditz lowered his head in submission. "Yes, your highness."
"Bring Bulma to me and then make your preparations. You will escape with her tonight."
Raditz nodded before he stepped backwards and left Vegeta alone in his private quarters. Raditz returned to the office, told Bulma to follow him and brought her to Vegeta before he was told to go and leave them alone.
Vegeta raised a finger and beckoned Bulma to sit beside him on the side of his bed. "Come here and eat ice cream with me."
He took the box of the chocolate ice cream on the tableside, concentrated his powers into it. His hand and the box glowed a soft white until the box became covered with frost. He pulled off the lid and took two spoons. He handed one over to Bulma, who reluctantly joined him.
Vegeta could sense that she was still upset by his harsh words in the gravity room earlier and his behavior when he didn't answer her questions while they were eating in the Office of his Generals.
"About earlier..." he awkwardly began. "I just didn't wish for you to get involved with my personal problems. It's not something you can help me with, you know."
"I'm sorry that my concern got in your way. I just noticed that you were acting really strange and thought I could help." Bulma said, feeling bothered.
"I was going to apologize. But then, I have my own reasons. Let's just say that I already did that and we're even."
"Tch! You and your pride! You didn't even apologize at all. And I was just trying to help and yet you denied to let me help you."
"Maybe you could, I just didn't want you to bother yourself worrying about matters that may bring you in danger. It's a matter between Saiyans. A human like you has no place in that. If you get involved, you will only get yourself killed and you know I didn't want that."
"How so? Does it have something to do with Broly?"
"You said it yourself earlier. You were worried that we'll get in big trouble once they find out that I already mated with you. I have no other choice. The time is near and I need to go out there and fight for my birthright. My bond with you will spur my fighting spirit in order to win. It's because of you that I have something else to fight and protect. You are my strength, that I strongly believe.
"However, Saiyan tradition considers such emotional attachments as weakness. My enemies lurked behind the shadows, biding their time and waiting for a chance to attack me on my greatest weakness. I am sure that once they learned about you, they will use you against me so they could kill me.
"Yesterday night, I fought with Broly and discovered something that shook me to the very core. I know that I have to make a decision now and begin to fight back so I could win against my enemies. I've let them on more than enough and I think it's time for me to make a move before things could get even worse.
"While I am on my mission, I have given Raditz a special command to come with you to a planet called Namek. The two of you must collect the Dragon Balls for me."
"Dragon Balls?"
"They're seven magical balls believed to grant any three wishes you desire. We will use them in cases we needed to undo any damage of the upcoming battle."
"Really? There are things like that? Like the genie in a lamp?"
"I don't believe such myth but I guess there's nothing wrong with checking it out. These kind of stories may have some origins that were probably akin to reality."
"I guess so."
With the box of ice cream finally empty, Vegeta put it and his spoon back on the tableside and abruptly lay down on the bed with his head over her lap. The action made Bulma gasped in surprise as she looked down at him wide eyed. Noticing her shock, he grinned sheepishly back at her and said, "I want to be in here."
Bulma smiled back in return as she put her hand over his chest plate, tapping her long white fingers against the pearly white armor.
"You and Raditz will leave tonight, that is why I want to be in here. I want to be with you before I go into battle."
"Okay. Do your best on your fight. I know that you will win, just like always." she encouraged him with all her heart.
"Hmm... I will."
And then, there was silence between them. The prince stared up to his beloved dearest as she gently tapped on his chest plate with her fingers. She looked like a woman making her tired son sleep. He watched at her quietly, a sudden, foreboding feeling filled his chest when he saw her face in this angle.
He knew it. Something's gonna happen to him and she'll be the one to save him.
"Bulma..." he called softly.
"What is it?" she asked in the same manner.
"The key I gave you yesterday. Keep it with you always. It's the only thing that could save you and everyone else."
Bulma's eyes rose in confusion. "What do you mean by that?"
He raised his left wrist to show her the bracelet counterpart of their couple jewelry. The locket dangled against the empty air. "I told you, that's the key to my heart so keep it with you always."
She touched the dangling key on her chest and kept it closer to her heart.
"Of course." she nodded with a smile.
He reached out his right hand to touch her face. His fingers gently rubbed against her left cheek. Another feeling of presage hit Vegeta and his eyes narrowed in concern. Bulma reached out to touch that same, warm hand and intertwined her fingers with his. She pressed her head against their hands and smiled lovingly towards him.
"I love you." she whispered.
Vegeta closed his eyes and sighed, ignoring the unsettling feeling, "Hmm... I know." he smiled back.
"I will be waiting for you to come back to me."
"Hm... You better be." he snorted.
For a moment, they stayed close to each other like that.
They have no idea that while they were having such a sweet moment together, Bulma's family faced a peril situation when unknown Saiyans wearing black shinobi clothes attacked their home.
~=o-O-o=~
King Vegeta was considering Bardock's words to him earlier that day.
He highly disagreed with the lower class soldier's blatant suggestion. He will never accept that they will depend on a powerless human girl to save the Saiyan Race from their Crown Prince's wrath. Also, he couldn't even believe that the prophecy changed and that his own son will turn into such a monster. Something that he had never expected of him.
Prince Vegeta was always a moody, rebellious brat. Although he was a bad-tempered, cocky teenager who could be cold and ruthless when severely enraged, the prince was never the type of Saiyan who suddenly loses control of himself and goes into an uncontrollable rampage like a mindless, bloodthirsty beast like what happened to him yesterday.
It is true that the King feared those who had greater powers than him. He feared Freeza, Frost, Broly, even his own first born son, for that matter. He knew they could rid of him easily whenever they wanted to.
That is why he greatly feared his own son right now.
"Zorn," the dreadful king called his loyal attendant.
"Yes, Majesty." Zorn responded humbly, bowing down before the ruler.
"When Paragus' child was born, I was threatened by his exceptional potential. It was high, too high. One might even call him a mutant. If he was unable to control his power and became mentally unstable, he could pose as a threat to me and my people. Back then, I never considered that Yon could become as dangerous as Broly, even after I witnessed his violent fury when Saya died. Perhaps, these two boys are just on another level than a typical Saiyan. Both of them had broken all previous records of newborn power levels, and they kept on becoming stronger every single day. Broly was able to gain some sort of transformation akin to the Legendary Super Saiyan while Yon's power keeps on swelling higher the angrier he becomes. With the new prophecy, the Crown Prince and Broly are both dangerous threats not only to Planet Vegeta but to the entire Universe as well."
"So what are you planning to do, Majesty?" asked Zorn.
"I am considering Bardock's suggestions, although I still disagree that the only way to prevent Yon from destroying us is to let him be with that blue haired alien slave he was so fond of. I cannot believe that Bardock sees such weakness on the Crown Prince. If Paragus knows about this, he will use the woman to bind Yon and make him incapable of fighting back - just as what Frost did to me when he killed Saya.
"There is a reason why I told Vegeta so many times to never have affections towards anyone. But that stubborn boy never listened to anything I tell him. Look at what happened between him and Broly. It would seem that I was correct about that child. Our only hope is for Vegeta to become the Super Saiyan but his feelings for that woman might hinder him from his true potential."
King Vegeta sighed as he ran a palm over his stressed expression.
"Now that he has learned of Paragus' schemes, I am concerned that they will attack him in order to prevent him from becoming a Super Saiyan. As a father, I must find a way to stop them from harming my son. He is still my pride and joy, despite how stubborn and rebellious he has become. Nothing made me proud but his progress as a warrior. He is a one in a one point five million prodigy. I still believe we can find a way to return the prophecy to its original path."
~=o-O-o=~
Hours later, Vegeta commanded Raditz to take his Bulma home.
After the two left him alone, the Saiyan Prince decided to put his plans on the move. He strolled the palace grounds to meet with the royal tailor, Okura. He encountered the Prime Minister on the way to Okura's office, causing Paragus to halt his footsteps upon the sight of the prince he greatly hated. Paragus forced himself to bow down before the Saiyan royalty despite his ire.
After glaring at the bowing traitor for what it seemed like eternity, the Crown Prince's lips curved upwards to give him an arrogant smirk.
"I like that new look on your face, Paragus. It suits you perfectly." Vegeta said, smiling and pointing out the long ugly scar over Paragus' left eye.
Paragus' bared his teeth together, feeling outraged of the commentary. "I will never forgive you for this." he snarled hatefully.
Vegeta tilted his chin up, his smirk giving way to a mocking grin,"That's good to hear then. I guess we're even now."
That smug look on the Saiyan Prince made Paragus' blood boil with unfettered fury.
"Arrogant little brat! The power you witnessed when you fought my Broly yesterday was barely the tip of the iceberg. You have no idea what kind of foe you are going to face in the Annual Power Assessment. If I were you, I would back out now before I get smashed into atoms."
Vegeta's grin widened. "Oh, is that a fact? Very well then. I am looking forward to fighting him on his maximum power."
This time, it was Paragus who simpered. "Foolish prince. There's no way that you will be able to catch up to Broly's unimaginable might within nine days, even if you train your hardest. But, I see that you are loafing around instead of training."
"You should be thankful that I am loafing around instead of training. Because if I continuously train within these nine days, I will be able to catch up easily to your dear Broly. It would be boring if I overpowered him too much, you know."
Paragus had never expected for this lofty prince to be so confident even after he's seen Broly's legendary prowess. Paragus thought that after witnessing such power being greater than his own, it would break Vegeta and his high pride but he was completely wrong. It made him wonder where Vegeta was drawing out such overwhelming self-assurance. He thought it was foolish and brash of the pompous Saiyan to challenge such power but then, he wasn't just someone to simply underestimate. Vegeta must be hiding something, a trick of some sort or some eerie technique he learned.
Vegeta stepped closer to Paragus and leaned over so he could speak closely to the old man's ear.
"Let me remind you some things, Paragus." he said, a chilling tone that made the Prime Minister froze. "I have the blood of Saiyan Royalty flowing through my veins. The best warriors among Saiyans in history are my ancestors. I am the Crown Prince of all Saiyans, including you and your precious Broly. I am the heir to the royal throne, the next alpha of the pack. I have the irresistible commanding power over all of you except for my own father. So do you really think you have a chance to overthrow me on my position? Remember, blood is thicker than contaminated, stagnant water. You may think that your son have surpassed me in battle power but I am the true prodigy among all Saiyans. Now tell me, why am I going to back down in a battle against someone who is lower than I am? Your son isn't even a serious threat to me."
Then he pulled away, he gave the awe-strucken Paragus a sarcastic pat on the shoulder before he walked away.
"Your highness, welcome." Okura immediately greeted the Crown Prince as soon as Vegeta came in her office. "It is an honor to find you here. Is there anything I could serve you with?"
Okura was a tall, thin Saiyan woman with dark bob hairstyle and sharp eyes. She was beautiful and she wore a silky coat under a stylish pink armor.
Okura was the best tailor on Planet Vegeta, the producer and designer of all the uniforms of the palace workers, including the regalia and the royal armors of the royal family. She also creates the Crown Prince's disguise attires and costumes which were done accordingly to his instructions.
"I need a new attire. Something befitting for an investigation. I would like to cover up most of my image."
"I understand, your highness. I have something you may use in here."
Okura whisked around her office, taking several items with her. Once satisfied, she offered a big, opened black box to the Crown Prince. It contained the clothes he requested. After taking note of the things she gave him, he gave her a nod of approval before proceeding to a small room to change his attire.
After five minutes, Prince Vegeta stepped out of the changing room. He donned a long, brown trenchcoat over white polo and red formal attire with blue necktie. His gloves and combat boots are made of genuine black leather. On the top of his head, concealing his thick, flaming spiky hair was a brown, checkered deerstalker hat.
Okura bowed down before her prince and said, "It suits you perfectly well, your highness."
"It is adequate for my plans for tonight." Vegeta told her before he smiled in anticipation.
Okura wondered what trouble the Saiyan Prince was planning to do this time.
It is time for him to go into a rampage!
Meanwhile, Bulma and Raditz found out that her home was in ruins and that her entire family was missing. She found a letter that was left on the mess on the floor and what she read made her knees weak.
'Come and meet me. I'll be waiting for you.'
