He couldn't move his legs anymore. And his arms didn't have the strength to pull him forward. So, this was it. Goku knew it for certain now. Either he found the case somewhere within his reach, or he was going to die. But that wasn't even the short of it. He had lost all feeling. Even if he did touch the case, he'd have to rely on his hearing to know that he'd bumped into it. And he didn't have long at all left now. He could feel his soul trying to escape his perishing body, ready to fly off to Other World and get fitted for a halo. But he just couldn't let that happen. Not while there was still a chance to live.

But death wasn't an easy opponent. It couldn't be struck down. It couldn't be tricked. No, in this battle he could only teeter on the end of the fighter's ring, trying desperately not to fall. As his fingers stretched over the carpet, something struck his dulling senses. A powerful surge of energy. It was…his own. That monster was going to use his energy to try to kill everyone. And if he died, that's what would be left – a Goku who wasn't him. A Goku who was selfish, heartless, and cruel. He couldn't allow that. No, this wasn't just a battle against death. In his own way, he too was fighting that monster. He would see her plans fail. Even if it was only in the act of surviving.

Tip. Goku's blind eyes widened. The case! His fingernail lifted off it and grasped it, listening to the sound of it sliding across the carpet.

That's it! I'm coming, guys!

Fumbling and dropping it several times, Goku wheezed in a breath as he got the case open. But as he reached into it, his heart sank. He had the case now, yes, but without his vision, he didn't know which dinocap held Misado's fruit. But he didn't even take a second to bemoan this. Instead, he just clicked one open and let its contents fly out. He'd open them all. When the fruit came out, he'd smell it.

But despite his desperation, his thoughts were not on the life hanging by a thread, but by the battle ranging at the ship's core.

Keep fighting, Vegeta! It's your turn, buddy. This is your time to win.

(**Scene Break**)

Blood flew from Vegeta's mouth as Un Goku's fist struck him across the face again. A knee hit him in the stomach and then several more up his torso and across his chin. And Un Goku laughed, even the gloating didn't give him enough openings to strike back anymore. What was this? This was wrong. He'd fought Kakarot before, at the level of super saiyans no less. Despite Kakarot's tremendous power, at the lower levels he could hold his own against him just fine. But Un wasn't fighting like Kakarot. Yes, it was Kakarot's style and technique, but it was far more…ruthless than Kakarot had ever been.

Goku was a mighty warrior, but even in battle he was incredibly patient and gentle – never striking harder than he thought it necessary to defeat his foe – always ready to give them opportunity for surrender. But Un Goku did not behave this way. Un used Goku's every muscle to maximize pain and damage. He could tell, this time Un wasn't afraid of burning energy like the previous forms. But that had nothing to do with Goku or Un's nature. It had everything to do with the fact that his opponent was now truly trying to kill him.

Un Goku laughed again as he battered against Vegeta's defenses. "Happy now, you stupid ape?" he mocked, kicking Vegeta again, "Enjoying the damage? Enjoying the power? I know I am!"

Vegeta grunted, breaking away from the assault, blood running from his mouth, his prison uniform covering most of the bruises. No questioning it this time, the monster wasn't saving any power. But it still didn't feel quite right. Kakarot could go levels beyond this. So why did it feel like this was a far as Un could go? Vegeta hissed, raising his hands above his head and roaring as he thrust down a ball of yellow-white energy. Un Goku pushed right through it and started striking at him again.

Why? Why? Why did this feel wrong? If he went super saiyan right now, would Un Goku follow suit? Why did it feel like he wouldn't? He'd turned Crimson Fury for a moment as Nevrrest, but that had been a farce, nothing nearly as strong as the real Nevrrest. But this was different. This was Kakarot for certain. But what was still hiding if Un was no longer holding back?

Vegeta glared at the golden band around Un Goku's neck as he struggled to block the blows. No, turning super saiyan for Un would be pointless. For a true Saiyan, super saiyan gave them the ability to generate enormous amounts of energy. But this parasite didn't generate energy. So super saiyan would only burn through that energy at such a fast rate, it would cost Un the battle in the end. Still, he couldn't help thinking that wasn't the only reason he wouldn't transform, despite knowing Vegeta could at a moment's notice.

The truth was, neither of them wanted that battle to reach that point. Un didn't want Vegeta to turn super saiyan anymore than he wanted Un to use quantum fusion. This whole battle had been a dissatisfying balance board game. For that reason, he cursed that damn fusion band. If only it wasn't there, he could truly take both their powers to their fullest extent. After all, how would he break Kakarot's murderer unless he could first make him despair? And as long as he had that band hanging around his neck, that would never happen.

That's why he had been searching for a weakness in the changeling. Not because he feared his power. Because maybe it would give him the opportunity of breaking Un's spirit – for where there was weakness, there was fear and shame. He knew that all too well.

Un Goku sparked with power and threw another punch. It connected with Vegeta's forearm. The power exploded, sending Vegeta bouncing off the wall. Vegeta let his body go with the motion, minimizing damage as much as possible. But still, the pain shot through his chest and he growled as he hit the ground. Un Goku landed and drove his boot into Vegeta's forehead, sending him flipping backwards and landing on his back.

Un Goku laughed and grinned. "I just decided I love this body," he cheerfully declared. He planted a foot forward. "Come on. Get up. I want to knock you down again."

Vegeta pushed himself up and with a grunt and flew at him again, driving a simultaneous attack from his knee and elbow. It connected, but didn't do nearly as much damage as he'd hoped. This body was five times more durable than the previous ones. Un Goku giggled wildly, allowing a few more strikes, blocking each of them, before sparking with energy again and nailing him square in the chest. Vegeta's body buckled, but his body absorbed the impact as best it could and returned with a kick. It struck. Un Goku grunted with pain, but then laughed again, seizing his leg and hurling him down against the floor, cracking it.

"Hahahahaha!" Un Goku merrily giggled, "There you go! That sure is satisfying."

He's tempting me, Vegeta hissed in his mind as he lifted his head out of the crater, He wants me to push me into powering to my maximum strength. Normally, I'd be happy to oblige. But any of those previous forms under quantum fusion was one thing…but, Kakarot under quantum fusion would be as strong as a Super Saiyan Three. He growled. Perhaps I should have just transformed when he suggested and been done with it.

"What are you, pouting?" he besmirched, "You're not trying nearly hard enough. Hahaha, I think I just might have gotten to your head after all."

Vegeta grunted, lifting himself out of the rest of the debris, his red shirt torn and hanging loosely around him. He gripped the shoulder of it and ripped it off, tossing it to the side. "No, I think you're in the one in danger of that," he remarked.

"Huh?" Un Goku blinked curiously. He chuckled. "Why? Cause Goku's a little soft in the head, is that it?" Vegeta glared flatly at him as Un Goku chuckled some more. The Doppleganger folded his arms. "You know what I said before? About scars? Lots of people have them. But not all of them are on the outside, thankfully. Goku had a very prominent one." He pressed a finger to his skull. "The one in his brain. No one's gonna notice that unless I got under a scan, though, so there's no need to replicate it. Do you understand now?" Un Goku moved a little closer and Vegeta moved into a stance in case he made a move. "Hehe. Don't you see? I'm everything he could have been if he hadn't hit his head that day. Quick and clever. And funny thing I've discovered about his true nature…it's beastly. A temper worse than yours and veraciously violent. I like it. I like how it effects me. I like it a lot."

Vegeta's face didn't move. "If that's truly the case than you're even less than him than I originally thought."

Un Goku's face fell stupidly. "Excuse me?"

"It took me many years to understand it," Vegeta stated thoughtfully, glancing down, "I won't deny it – the true Kakarot is a dull-witted clown. But I think it is that very weakness that challenges him." He smiled intensely. "And a true Saiyan lives to be challenged. Without it, we become weak and complacent. Perhaps if you allowed yourself that 'scar' you would know of such things." He chuckled. "But you're afraid of weakness, aren't you?"

Un Goku's eyes turned wide and abhorrent. "You…!"

"You don't even realize what a coward you are, do you?" Vegeta continued, "You're completely blind to it. Huhuhuh…I almost pity you for it."

"You bastard," Un Goku cursed at him, "Shut up, right now!"

"And now you resort to petty insults again," Vegeta chastised. He cracked a confident, cruel smile. "Yes, now I see why you clung to Frieza so. You're obsessed with power."

The tension left Un Goku's face and he chuckled softly. "Am I? I guess I am. But then, so are you. Even now."

"Perhaps," Vegeta mildly admitted, "But a warrior seeks power out of the desire to be stronger. You? You cower behind it."

"Hold your tongue, Saiyan!" Un Goku shouted, jerking up a fist.

"You with your blood-sucking, masks, and mind games," Vegeta scowled, "Whispering in ears and playing the warrior." His brow lowered. "Pathetic."

Un Goku's face began to twitch violently, but then it suddenly smoothed out. He sighed and let his hands fall to the side in a shrug. "Is that so? And why should I care what you say? I watched you grow up, you little brat, and you never once managed to impress me. Lord Frieza always claimed you had great potential. But really? I think he was just loathed to part with a trophy." He opened an eye and grinned at Vegeta's tense form. "Oh. Would you look at that. I think I hit a nerve."

Un Goku raised his head thoughtfully as Vegeta's body started to spark with energy. "Still…" His own form began to spark with similar energy. "I never thought you'd grow up to be so interesting." They started walking slowly towards each other. "Or that I'd ever consider you of all people a problem."

"I suppose I'm just full of surprises," Vegeta shot back.

He said no more. Un Goku was in front of him, his hand clamped over Vegeta's mouth, pinching his cheeks in a deep grip. Vegeta's eyes widened with furiousity as he fought against the hold, Un Goku's expression shadowed by mats of spiky black hair.

"It annoys me," he whispered, Vegeta grunting and growling as he gripped Un Goku's wrist, "You filthy monkeys are such a nuisance. I shouldn't have to waste time on you like this. I should take every drop of your blood for my own. At least then it'd be of some use. But inside your body, it's worthless." His grip tightened and Vegeta gave a muffled cry. Un Goku's head lifted, looking down with disgust. "Worthless!" Thrusting his arm forward, he threw Vegeta into the fall wall. The shielding rippled and the wall cracked. Vegeta lifted himself up, turned his head, and spat out blood. Un Goku laughed and held out his arms to the sides in a bow. "And where is that helping hand the Gregorik promised?" He watched the dim flickering flames in Vegeta's eyes and turned, daring to expose his back to the warrior. "Ah, I see. The bond is waning. I should have figured. You're far too proud for him to really help you. Good for me."

Vegeta shivered with frustration. He knew Un was right. Ever since Oom'Bagu had accidentally tightened the bond, he'd been blocking him out. An agreement was an agreement, but he didn't want to share strength with him anymore. Vegeta's teeth gritted and he grunted. Damn them. Damn this whole thing. He was so sick of these games. Sick of all the mockery. He was the crown prince and a mighty warrior of the Saiyan race. The veins all across his muscles swelled. No more. He didn't care anymore. He didn't care! Gold began to flicker through his hair.

"No more," he hissed.

"Hm?" Un Goku tipped his head back.

"You talk about my pride?" he hissed, his fists trembling as power sparked across them. His eyes flashed and his teeth gnashed. "You know nothing of such things!" Gold flashed over the black.

"P…please."

"Uh!" Vegeta froze, the golden energy fading. Jaw hanging slightly, he looked over his shoulder. Sepis's pale digits gently gripped his leg, his large red eyes wet and quivering.

"Please…listen to me…" Sepis weakly whispered.

Un Goku turned to eye Sepis. "Hey Vegeta. Don't look now, but you've got something on your boot."

Vegeta's teeth clenched.

"Don't…listen to him…" Sepis wheezed, "It's…wrong…to even listen…so…listen…to me, please." Vegeta's mouth flattened at he looked down at him. "You…can't…finish it like…like this. Not while he's…he's in Goku's body." Sepis shut his eyes and oily tears leaked out. "He…he always said he was your…friend. And…he was kind to me. More than kind. He…tried to understand. He…he wanted to help me. Because…because…" His grip tightened and his voice reached a squeaky pitch. "Because I hate you so much!"

"Come on, Sepis, really?" said Un Goku with annoyance, "You know how many years I had to spend listening to your blubbering? I'm quite sick of it. So let me get back to killing the prince or I'll just blow you away. I've drank more than enough of your blood to get by with anyhow."

"No!" Sepis squeaked, clenching his eyes tighter, "It's true…I'm terrified of dying. I'm…terrified of so many things. But…it doesn't matter at this point."

Vegeta's brow lowered slightly.

(**Scene Break**)

"Get the damn door open right now!" Nevrrest screamed, her every feather erect.

"Nevrrest, Misado's doing the best she can!" Horkion protested, holding out his arms to block her way.

Nevrrest's eyes turned bloodshot. "I don't care! I don't care what any of your say." She grabbed Horkion and tried to throw him out of her way, but Laswe jumped on her back. She screeched. "No! I must go to him!" Her talons scraped against the floor as she tried to push forward, feathers quivering and her scales rattling. "Sepis—! He's—!"

(**Scene Break**)

"Dying," Vegeta observed.

"Well yeah, of course he is," Un Goku scoffed as Sepis clung to Vegeta's leg. "I didn't drain him completely, but nothing can survive long with how little I left him."

"Listen," Sepis pleaded again, drawing Vegeta's attention once more, "I…believe you…now. But…I…I can't stop hating you. I can't forgive you for what you did. I…I…can never forgive you!" He shut his eyes again. "But…I loved Goku…for as little as I knew him. And…I can't watch you destroy him. I know it must be done, but not like this…"

"I'm starting to think the bug's gone off the deep-end," Un Goku remarked, scratching a finger against the side of his head.

"Not like this!" Sepis insisted. He gripped Vegeta's knee, pushing himself up a little and looked at him. "Those…who do good things…deserve to be honored. So…you can't destroy him…in Goku's skin!" His hardened plates began to rattle as his fingers dug into Vegeta's leg. "Rip it off him!" he hissed, venom filling his voice, "He doesn't deserve it! Don't…give him the honor of…dying in that body!"

Un Goku busted up laughing, holding his gut with both arms. "You gotta be kidding me! You think Vegeta's going to listen to you?" He kept laughing, but then his face turned cruel again. "He may have gone soft, but he knows what you did to him."

Sepis's eyes grew wide, looking at the changeling. "You…know about that?"

"About your and Nevrrest's little schemes?" Un Goku giggled. "Of course I do. I've known for a long time about Nevrrest's plans for Vegeta." His eyes grew dark. "Even…the room." Sepis's gasped and his eyes grew wider still. "That's why I knew his arrival would be the best time for me to cause unrest and strike. While you and Nevrrest were sneaking about, I could easily do the same. I even released that video of Balici to make the others suspicious, so no eyes would be on me while I made the final preparations. So yes, Sepis…I know all your sins."

The Arlian's gaze slowly fell to the floor. "That's…that's true," Sepis quietly admitted, "I…I am largely responsible for your suffering. It was me who…set up the programs to deprive you of sleep and food. I…caused the malfunction that allowed you to be poisoned." He shut his eyes, tears running again. "But how can you blame me?! How can you expect me to regret that?! I had every reason to do what I did!" Vegeta's face didn't move. Sepis's wet eyes cracked open again. "But…that doesn't matter now. I'll never…be at peace. I'll…never…stop…hating you."

Vegeta looked ahead at Un Goku. His brow lowered and he stepped out of Sepis's grip. Sepis's hand flew out. "Wait!" Vegeta stopped. "I…I can't forgive you," he repeated, "And…you have no…reason to listen to what I say. But…just know…you can…still win this…the…way…Goku…would want."

Un Goku chuckled, his arms crossed and brow lowered. "What Goku would want? You think he cares about that? No, despite all his do-goodiness he's picked up, he's still in this for himself. For revenge. Because I stole something precious from him. He's here because it's what he wants. And I respect him for that…as much as I can respect a dirty royal ape." He held out his hands and chuckled again. "Revenge. The one constant in the universe. The one thing that both gods and insects can understand. Even Lord Frieza wasn't above that."

Vegeta stood still…and then finally closed his eyes with a grunt and very thin smile. "What Kakarot would want, is it?" Sepis's eyes froze as Vegeta raised a hand at him, golden-white energy gathering in his palm. "If you knew anything at all of what Kakarot would want, you would be asking something very different of me." Sepis's breathing spiked, the golden light burning against his eyes. Vegeta raised a corner of his mouth. "Lucky for you…I do." There was a flash and Sepis squealed, shutting his eyes tight.

And then…he was suddenly surrounded by warmth. Sepis gasped, holding breath once more as he slowly opened his eyes. He still saw the golden light, but it was no longer glowing in Vegeta's palm. It was all around him. Sepis got up on his knees, gaping with disbelief at the golden energy that sparkled across his carapace, filling him with strength and life again. Sepis's breathing shivering with happiness and shock, slowly raising up to his most hated enemy.

Vegeta's black eyes held him for a moment longer and then turned away with a very quiet grunt. "Go on, then," he commanded, "This is no place for a weakling like you."

Sepis's eyes grew wider and wider. Till finally a very different kind of tears filled his eyes. "…Thank…you…."

(**Scene Break**)

Laswe stared at Nevrrest as she suddenly froze again, her breath stuck in her lungs. The Ponachi turned his head, sensing it too. "N…no…" Nevrrest whispered, "It cannot be…"

"Is that Vegeta's energy?" Horkion pressed, heading towards the far wall.

"No…" the Blecha breathed.

"It is," Laswe confirmed, still hugging Nevrrest from behind, "Vegeta must have given Sepis some of his energy. And there's only one good reason why he would do that."

Laswe's grip on Nevrrest loosened and she slumped to the floor, her legs buckling under her. "It can't be…" she said with quiet horror, "It's not possible…it doesn't make any sense…"

Horkion turned swiftly. "This might be your chance, Oom'Bagu! Strengthen the bond again!"

"I will try," Oom'Bagu answered, pressing his hands together.

"It can't be…" said Nevrrest again.