Laswe alternated between flying and bouncing on his tail – too weak to consistently keep up either. But his fury and will drove him towards a single destination. He had to give Sepis credit. He had underestimated him. But that was bad news for the bug – because now he was going to pay double for all he'd done. Laswe did his best to calm his imagination, which conjured fates for the Arlian that most of Seven's prisoners would cringe at. No. No matter how bad this situation got, he would remain professional and in control. That's what royalty was for. To remain unshaken even when all the moons were drowning in blood.

"Justiciar Laswe!" someone called out.

Not another one, he thought until he realized the voice wasn't panicked. He stopped, shocked to see a man in casual attire running toward him.

The blue-green skinned man jogged to a stop, his fuzzy orange bangs falling forward for a moment as he panted. He straightened and planted his fist to his chest in a salute. "Juri-dur, sir, former guardian stationed on the Hammer."

It clicked in Laswe's head, recalling with guilt the guardian who had come to his office to resign after the supposed execution of Prince Vegeta. Laswe frankly felt embarrassed to be seeing him again. "Ah…yes, I remember you…what can do for you, Juri-dur?"

"Actually, I was about to ask you that." Laswe blinked and Juri-dur lowered his arm.

That's when Laswe noticed his wrist. "Your fusion band! Ha! That's right – you turned yours in!"

"Yes…" He fingered his empty wrist self-consciously. "Sir I…I saw your broadcast." Laswe stirred with uncertainty and Juri-dur tipped his head to the side, shyly smiling. "It was funny. I suddenly found you resembling the hero I always supposed you to be."

"Heh…you thought so, eh?"

"It made me proud, sir. Proud to have spent these past two years serving the Justice." He glanced to the side. "I don't know if I'm ready to put on my uniform again. But…" He saluted once more. "I ask your permission to aid you in this crisis, sir!"

Laswe squinted with solemn joy. "Permission granted, Juri-dur. It's an—" He suddenly heaved forward in pain, spitting up a soggy web.

Juri-dur caught him. "Sir!"

"I'm fine," he grunted, forcing his wings to buzz and lift him up, "I'm just not used to…this end of fusion. How the hell do the rest of you put up with it?"

Juri-dur gave a gentle smile. "It's not usually so bad. Especially…when we know what we're giving it up for."

"Anyhow, we need to get moving," Laswe hissed, pushing forward, "I know who's behind this and we need to try to stop him!"

Juri-dur helped support Laswe on their journey, though even with the drain on his energy the justiciar was a good deal faster than the former guardian. Laswe glanced back at Juri-dur occasionally for strength, feeling – if ever so slightly – redeemed. He still wasn't ready to forgive himself for letting everyone he cared about down, but at least he could hate himself a little less.

The hallway widened to accompany the enormous door that sealed the Core Chamber away from the rest of the ship. Of course, it was locked.

"Computer! Recognition: Justiciar Laswe!"

"Recognized."

"Security override on Core Chamber door!" he cried, pointing fiercely at it.

"I'm sorry, I cannot do that," the computer pleasantly stated, "Emergency lock is in effect. A minimum of four justiciars required to override."

"Oh goddammit that little shit!" Laswe squawked.

"Can you blast through it?" Juri-dur offered hopefully.

Laswe sighed angrily. "This isn't like the other blast doors. It's eighteen layers katchin. It would take one of my finishing moves in my quantum fusion form to get through it. As it is, I'm at half strength. I'm sure Goku could get through it, but he's kinda busy right now."

"Damn," Juri-dur sighed.

The large-eyed man jumped as Laswe suddenly started punching the door. It took him a moment to realize Laswe was only doing it to make a racket. "SEPIS!" Laswe screamed at the top of his lungs, "YOU LITTLE PISS-ANT, BLUBBERING, BOOTLICKING TRAITOR! OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW OR I SWEAR BY THE STARS I'M GONNA GIFT WRAP YOU IN A CELL ON PRISON SHIP SIX, YOU YELLOW-BELLIED, SQUEALING, DR. EVIL BASTARD!"

While even Juri-dur was shaken up by these remarks – as was probably anyone half way across the ship – the door remained sealed.

(**Scene Break**)

Cheese, Master Mechanic stationed on the Hammer, had always known Master Technician Crakars as little more than a working acquaintance. But now that they were holding hands for comfort and support as the energy was forcefully sucked from their bodies, the other woman suddenly felt like her best friend. The rest of the recreation room was no better than the two of them. There were people lying face down on the floor, moaning in pain while others tried to support each other.

"I don't understand," Cheese muttered helplessly, "The Core should be functioning perfectly. Where did I go wrong? We must have overlapped the syphons or…or…"

"Seriously?" Crakars suddenly snapped, "Is that what you think? That this is all just a big mistake?" Cheese stared at her, scared and confused. "I know what's up. The Architect is a traitor too! Damn bug screwed us!"

"No, that's can't be right," Cheese protested, "Sepis wouldn't harm…a chair!"

"A chair?" Crakars stated flatly.

"Well…it's not even alive and…what I mean is," Cheese stuttered, "Sepis is such a sweet, shy guy. He wouldn't do this!"

"Oh really?" Crakars shot back, "Don't make me laugh. Sure, he's always been super nice, but everyone knows how infatuated he is with Nevrrest. And if she's really gone bad, then you bet he's in on it!"

Cheese opened her mouth, wanting to deny it. But she had to admit, Crakars had a pretty solid case. Maybe Sepis was behind this. She remembered the last time she'd seen the Architect, how he'd rushed her team out of the chamber and locked the door behind them. Cheese bit her lip. "Okay…then what should we do?"

"Good question," Crakars furrowed her brow. She furtively fiddled with the safety switch on her band a few times before glancing up at the recreation room's tv, where the Justice News Channel was displayed. There wasn't much to display, though, as all that was being shown was a few alerts and recaps of the broadcast. "Well Sepis involved or not, I know what needs to be up there!" Crakars braced against the table, standing up.

"What are you doing?" Cheese asked.

Crakars band projected an interface and she began to interact with it. "The probes are still following the fight with the Super Saiyan. That's what we should be broadcasting on the news!"

"Wait, shouldn't you get permission for that first?"

"Screw that!" Crakars shouted back, "If I wait to get permission, the bug will find out and shut me down before I have a chance to encrypt the signal!"

Cheese sighed. "Somehow I doubt you could create an encryption strong enough to stop the Architect."

"Who said anything about me creating it?" Crakars bit her tongue fiercely as she brought a live image of the Crimson Fighter and Super Saiyan facing each other onto the screen. "I'm gonna pull one of his own from the database and mess with it. Let's see him get through that!"

(**Scene Break**)

"Hey-heeeeyy!" Oolong cried as Bulma landed on top of him again, the pregnant woman poised over him as she gazed at the TV, "For the last time, would you get off of me?! You're like a beached whale taking a snooze on my spine!"

"Quiet, Oolong!" Bulma piped, too locked onto the TV to deal with the fact that she'd just been compared to a giant porpoise, "It's Goku!"

Goku stood in a defensive pose, squared off with the bird-creature Nevrrest who was suddenly looking a bit more reptilian for some reason. Nevrrest seemed to be ignoring Goku for the moment, flexing her hands experimentally and turning herself about. She curled her hands into fists, punching the air several times, Goku watching her carefully. She smirked with satisfaction and turned to Bulma's old friend.

"Well, Goku," the female-warrior stated, "I think it's time you stop holding back."

"You figured that out, huh?" Goku flatly replied.

"There wasn't much to figure. You haven't been trying to kill me, that much is clear. And you risked no devastating injury on me. You were hoping a show of power alone would be enough to defeat me." Her brow flattened. "You were wrong."

Under those serious eyes, Goku slowly smiled. "Yeah. Boy are you right about that. So what you're saying is that this new form of yours could give me a reason to finally cut loose."

"See, you have a strategic opening right now," Nevrrest raised a finger, "This is as new to me as it is to you. I really can only guess what I'm capable of right now. Not only that, but I'm not used to moving in this form either. So if you come at me with all you have right now, you may still stand a chance at winning."

"Don't you put up with that!" Bulma screamed, pounding her fist against Oolong's noggin as the pig-man squirmed and shouted, "Teach her a lesson, Goku!"

(**Scene Break**)

Dreeke had always been a follower. He looked to others for leadership and direction in life. In that sense, the transition from freedom to prison life had been easier on him than most. Everyone on Prison Ship 1 looked to the staff there for instruction and guidance. He especially had always appreciated their affirmations. Even during the breakout a few days ago, the staff on One had remained stalwart and in control. But now they were all lying around in pain and the prisoners were the ones they were looking to for support. All Dreeke could think to do was rub the back of one of the groaning guards and watch the Justice News Channel for hope.

It came in a form he did not expect. Out of the blue, the JNC started broadcasting a video feed of the standoff between Nevrrest and the saiyan Goku. It was unusual for the news to deliver information in this manner, but it reminded Dreeke of his days as an information buff, observing direct, live feeds through scouters. Though he had left that life behind, there was something comforting about the familiarity.

"Heh, I'll admit one thing, Nevrrest," Goku replied, glancing to the side, "I've been dying for the two of us to go all out against each other since we met. Course, I never imagined it'd be quite like this. But there's a problem with your offer." He squared with her seriously. "This new form of yours. How exactly did you get it?"

"Hm." Nevrrest looked at her hand again, letting her talons extend and slide back into her fingers. "I asked Sepis to give me a fifty percent power increase. I don't know by what means he accomplished it. And frankly, it doesn't matter."

"You so sure about that?" Goku aggressively pressed, "Or haven't you noticed how weak the rest of the fleet has suddenly gotten?"

Nevrrest looked up and Dreeke looked at the guard he was massaging. "Ah," mused the Blecha, "That does make sense. So you're worried about my fleet. I don't sense their lives are in danger, so there's no need for concern. And even if they were…" She paused to consider further. "Any losses would be acceptable."

Dreeke felt his breath turn to ice, his eyes wide. "Any losses…acceptable…?"

(**Scene Break**)

"So it's true," Cheese gasped with horror, "Justiciar Nevrrest really has turned against us!"

"How can you say that?!" Goku screamed at her, making the speakers of the TV pop, "People who looked up to you and counted on you to protect them…you would just toss them aside!"

"Never," Nevrrest assured, glaring at him flatly as she folded her arms, "I'm just doing what you've been doing all these years." Her armored tail weaved. "The dragon balls? The power to bring the dead back to life. As long as I'm clever with my wishes, nothing – not even the death of my fleet – is unfixable."

"What is she talking about?!" Crakars pounded the table, "Has she gone nuts?!"

Goku shut his eyes angrily. "There really is no getting through to you, is there?"

(**Scene Break**)

"Goku…" Nevrrest said seriously, gauging him over her folded arms with her glowing yellow eyes, "I don't bend and I don't break. That's who I am. Your only chance of stopping me to is kill me. That's the only way this will end."

He was silent for a moment and his earlier smile returned, turning to her with determination. "Sorry, Nevrrest, but you don't get to decide how this ends."

Nevrrest's plume fanned angrily and she marched toward him. "Pretentious ape."

Goku moved into attack position. "The fact is the only way you get to decide how the fight ends is if you win!" He slammed into her, their fingers interlocked. "But I'm not going to let you. Because no one else is going to die. Including you. I'm not letting you take the easy way out. No. You're going to answer for everything you've done…right after I've beaten you!"

Her tail whipped around his waist. "Shut up."

She slammed him against the ground, quadrupling the size of the crater they stood in. Goku grunted and shortly after flashed an intense smile, his legs whipping up and catching her torso in a scissor pin. They struggled for several seconds before Goku managed to flip her over and slam her headfirst behind him, creating a second crater. Nevrrest smiled a little and spun free of the hold. The next second, the air was vibrating like warheads going off as the two warriors exchanged blows, testing the others' defenses.

She's not taking any damage, Goku observed, Which means I can risk hitting even harder!

Goku swung and Nevrrest spun backward, turning her head as she avoided his knuckles. My speed hasn't increased as much as I hoped, she considered, But my defenses have never been stronger! Now…let's see what kind of power I can exert!

Nevrrest extended her talons and swept her hand forward. Goku repeatedly ducked and bent as she swiped at him faster and faster. Her eyes grew wide, a feeling rising up inside her – more than anger or determination – as she caught the glimmer in his eye. Her intention had been to provoke him so that he would rapidly drive her body to its new heights. But that old, unexpected form of joy filled her, one that she had only ever found in combat. All at once, she instead found herself wanting to push him further. She intensified her attack, the energy within her body hot like fire.

Can you feel it, Goku? This is bliss. This is ecstasy.

Goku's teeth glinted with confidence and he struck her full force in the chest. Both of Nevrrest's hands clamped around his wrist, her toes digging into the debris and throwing up sparks. They slid for a long ways and stopped before a wall. They both huffed slightly and Goku ripped his knuckles back.

There wasn't a mark on her armored chest.

Nevrrest bent her head down at him. "Hit me harder." Goku threw a punch. She caught it. "Hit me harder!"

Goku struck again and this time she went through the wall.

(**Scene Break**)

It seemed Kakarot was finally starting to make use of his form. Even so, Vegeta had a feeling it was already too late. Not because Nevrrest's power overwhelmed Goku's so greatly. In fact, he suspected that if she had managed to surpass him, it was only by a small margin. That wasn't what concerned him so much as the fact that he'd never known Nevrrest to waste an opportunity. Kakarot needed someone to keep that empty head of his in the game. Not that Vegeta blamed him entirely in this case. All Saiyans knew the incredible intoxication of battle. Most of the time, it blurred out the possibility of any consequence.

Nevrrest understood Saiyans. She was very much like one herself. Vegeta's chest knotted up again. He considered the grim possibility that in this instance he and Kakarot – just like the incident with Majin Buu – needed each other. He couldn't escape the feeling that not only would he fail at destroying Nevrrest without Kakarot's help, but that Kakarot was equally doomed without his. For certain, it had been the saiyan who calls himself Goku – not Prince Vegeta – who had finished off Buu. But without Vegeta's tactics, Goku wouldn't have even thought to create the Spirit Bomb that had done the job.

Was it the same now?

Vegeta ground his teeth. "Damn it all…"

(**Scene Break**)

"SEPIS! YOU—!"

"Uh, sir?" said Juri-dur sheepishly, "I don't think it's working."

Laswe sighed angrily. "I know." He pounded the impenetrable door one last time before turning away.

"So…what do we do now?"

Laswe's wings buzzed, lifting him into the air. "…I'm asking you, as a former member of the Justice, to please remain here. I don't know if there's anything you can do, but please try. And if that door ever opens, I ask that you detain Sepis immediately. As for me…I don't know. But I will find a way to protect this fleet."

Juri-dur smiled a little. "I know you will." He saluted. "And don't worry, sir! I won't leave this post!"

"Thank you, Juri-dur. The Justice needs real heroes like you."

(**Scene Break**)

"Yeah, get her, Goku!" Bulma screamed at the TV, still pounding on Oolong's head, "See, she's not that tough!"

Chi-Chi and Goten sat nearby, the boy watching the battle like it was Saturday morning cartoons and Chi-Chi looking mildly concerned. Bulma wouldn't be surprised if her parents came to join the viewing before long as well. Goten slurped on a juice box and Chi-Chi continued to stare at the screen with that perplexed and worrisome look.

"Bulma," Chi-Chi spoke, making Bulma freeze in the middle of shaking Oolong, "Why does Goku have those numbers on his shoulder? And what are those pants he's wearing? I don't remember packing those."

"Hm," Bulma studied Goku's appearance as he swung a kick up at Nevrrest's head, "Well…when I visited Vegeta in that strange plant body, he had numbers too. And that broadcast that weird alien made did say that Goku had been imprisoned. So…that must mean those are Goku's prisoner numbers and uniform."

"His what?!" Chi-Chi suddenly shrieked.

"Wuah!" Goten started at his mother's cry, squeezing his juice box so hard that it exploded into a shower of apple sweetness all in his face.

"That idiot!" Chi-Chi ranted, "He let all that luggage I worked so hard to be pack be taken away?! And to make matters worse, now he's got a prison tattoo?!" She ran up to the TV and started pounding it, making both Bulma and Oolong stare with fright. "Get her, Goku! Make her pay for ruining your wholesome appearance and your wife's hard work! GET HER!"

Bulma blinked and then raised a fist again. "Yeah, get her, Goku!"

(**Scene Break**)

For the first time this entire battle, Goku felt joy. He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help himself. He wanted to see it. He wanted to see the power of Nevrrest's new form. He knew he shouldn't. He knew it was the result of power taken from the fleet. But it was in the hands of a magnificent warrior the likes of which he hadn't seen since Cell. He wanted to see how she would use it, how she would try to defeat him. He wanted to be tested and pushed to his limit. The idea was so enchanting he could barely contain himself. So he urged her on, striking harder and harder with each blow.

The best part was he could feel her returning the favor. Many of the attacks she took directly to her armored body, absorbing the impact – taking only slight damage, if any at all. These weren't evasion tactics. Her return strikes were harsh, challenging his defenses at every turn. Goku's heart throbbed and knew it was time. He couldn't restrain himself any longer. Time to show his opponent what he could really do.

Nevrrest's eyes widened as a leg swung at her like a sledge hammer. She put up her arm and guarded, the leg striking her arm so hard it slammed against her side, both bodies shooting through the air like a rocket from the impact. I've done it, she thought with excitement, Finally, he's going to show me who he really is! The other leg swung, striking her other side and arm and she guarded again. She gasped as he abruptly shot up and then down, slamming his forehead against hers with the entire force of his body behind it. She stopped the momentum with a whip of her tail, her stance spread as her eyes followed his rapid movements. "Yes, do it!" she shouted.

I haven't been doing energy attacks because I didn't want to risk damaging the ship, Goku thought as the yellow light gathered in his hands, But this is the next level. I'm sorry, guys, but I have to know…I have to know how strong she is!

Nevrrest gasped as the blast washed over her, ripping at her armor. She squinted and powered through it, gasping again as Goku appeared in front of her and drove his elbow into her throat. Before the impact could move her he slammed his boot deep into her stomach. Goku roared and came at her with rapid fire punches that she dodged through before landing a yellow blast in her chest. Nevrrest spun and hit the floor, her talons digging grooves into the metal, sparks flying and setting fires in the debris. She dusted the smoke from her chest and connected a blow at the same time Goku did. The air swelled at the impact and blew them apart.

And then a blue blast came, accompanied by a scream. Actual fear shot through Nevrrest's veins as it collided with her chest. It poured across her body with unspeakable heat and power until it exploded. Hot dust surrounded her and she could see Goku just barely through the cloud. She touched her chest and felt a powerful, gleeful laugh emerge from it.

"Huh?" said Goku with a start, blinking as Nevrrest walked out laughing from the cloud.

"Sepis!" she cried with wide eyes, razor teeth gleaming in her beak as she cackled, "My precious Sepis! You actually made a mistake! This isn't a fifty percent increase! Kyahahahaha…! This…" Goku gasped as she appeared in front of him, leaning into his face. "This is seventy percent."

To her surprise, Goku smiled back. "Pretty sure you're wrong about that." Nevrrest leaned back a little and he continued. "If you ask me, fifty percent sounds about right for when you first transformed. But you told me once your body was like a saiyan's – that for some reason, you've always gotten stronger when faced with a force you could just barely survive. In other words, you got your fifty percent. But your body also changed to survive the experience. So that fifty percent may have been Sepis. But the rest of it?" His face glowed. "That's all you, Nevrrest."

Nevrrest's eyes squinted happily. "I love it. I love how you smile in the face of death, Kakarot Son Goku. It's a shame once this is over, I'll no longer remember this battle. I want to treasure it till the end of time. Goku – my greatest opponent." Her legs tensed and she moved, Goku's eyes widening as she appeared behind him. Her arms moved, the side of her hand resting against her palm. "Death…Cutter."

"Ah!" Goku's expression froze with horror as the hundreds of red energy orbs surrounded him, morphing into a thousand spinning razor blades. Darkness lit Nevrrest's eyes with glee as blood flew into the air and the blades passed back and forth over and over through Goku's body.

(**Scene Break**)

"KAKAROT!" Vegeta screamed, a sweat droplet running down the side of his face. His hands trembled, helplessly grasping at the air. "I was wrong…her power…" He shut his eyes and howled. "RRRR, DAMN YOU NEVRREST!"

(**Scene Break**)

Bulma dropped Oolong and Chi-Chi stopped shaking the TV, all who gathered staring at the screen as the blur of red ripped wildly over where Goku had been standing. Bulma's hand tightened against her belly, her eyes wide. "Goku…" she whispered.

"Uh…aah…" was all Chi-Chi could say.

(**Scene Break**)

Cheese and Crakars stared at the screen as the Legendary Super Saiyan fell to the ground, a trickle of red running over the debris. "No way…" Cheese whispered.

"Is he…?" said Crakars.

(**Scene Break**)

Nevrrest twittered and cocked her head at Goku's still form. Without hesitation, she reached out with her foot and grabbed him by the top of the head, lifting him up. "Remarkable," she stated, "The fact that you're not cut to little pieces is impressive enough. But to still be alive…? Unheard of. No one has ever survived my Death Cutter. Yet here you are." She let the moment replay in her mind. She doubted any other observer could have noticed it. At the last second, Goku had pushed out a massive amount of energy in a desperate defense. The fact that he could react that quickly was comparable to her skill alone.

Dammit, Goku thought as he regained himself, I used up most of my energy surviving that attack. He felt the blood running from the cuts all over his body. And I still took a lot of damage. At this rate, I won't be able to remain Super Saiyan Three much longer. And if that happens…I'm done for, for sure.

Nevrrest sighed. "How infuriating. Even after battling you for this long, I still have no idea what your limits are. I doubt you could survive another attack like that, but who knows? You are without a doubt the wiliest opponent I have ever faced." Her eyes opened. "However." Goku gagged as Nevrrest's tail lashed around his neck and tightened with crushing force. "There is still one thing you have failed to understand about me. You want to think of me as a fighter and I am flattered by the suggestion. But at the heart of the matter, that's not really what I am." A cry escaped the saiyan as he gripped her tail with both hands, fighting the force of it. "I'm a killer, Goku. And in all my years, I've found affixation to be one of the most sure-fire ways to kill. Nearly all beings – no matter how strong – still need to breathe. Take that away and they will eventually die."

Nevrrest watched the struggle begin, Goku pulling back on her tail with all his might to relieve the tension on his throat. "The sad part is that it is a slow, unpleasant way to kill. I have to keep the hold, because if I allow you to take a single breath, it will only prolong your ordeal. And that would be cruel. It's cruel enough that even after you've lost consciousness, I will be forced to wait for you to expire. And it will be unpleasant to watch your face as you froth at the mouth, perhaps even soil yourself as time passes. But all the same, I promise you Goku that I won't let you take a single breath. Not a single, solitary—"

He bit her.

"KYAAA!" Nevrrest cried out as he dug his teeth as hard as he could into the soft, feathered parts of her tail, her feet leaving the floor. The veins showed in her eyes as her expression turned livid, her tail re-tightening on his neck so hard that it seemed she might crush it. "You little—I'LL TEACH YOU TO BITE ME!" She shot them into the air and slammed the side of his face into the wall, raking him across torn metal up into the mechanical lines.

Goku's limbs scrambled, lost between the effort to breathe and to stop the force of the wall grating against his exposed skin. His foot found the mangled surface of the mechanical lines and he pushed off it, slamming his other boot into the side of Nevrrest's face.

She smiled. "Oh is that how it's going to be?" Her talons shot out of their sheaths. "You're still going to keep fighting even though you can't breathe? Challenge accepted!" Goku jumped back against the force of her tail, but wasn't able to move far enough back to avoid her talons as they raked across his chest. "Actually, you're the only one with a challenge! Trying to fight with such limited mobility…what a riot!"

Goku struggled and bit her again.

"Rrrr, that's not going to WORK!" She whipped him in close and sent dozens of punches all over his body, her fists flying in a blur. "When are you going to take me seriously?! I said you're not taking a single breath and that's exactly what's going to happen!"

(**Scene Break**)

Vegeta's jaw hung, twitching with a mixture of anxiety and rage. She was killing him. She was actually killing him. "Damn you…Kakarot…!" he hissed, clenching his hands into fists, "This is your fault! Why didn't you just kill her when you had the chance?!"

He looked down at his flimsy palms, pondering his earlier thoughts. Even with all that power, Kakarot needed him. He was going to fail. He was going to lose. He was going to die. And then Nevrrest would come back and kill him as well. He had swallowed his pride as best he could and entrusted this battle to Kakarot. And this was the result. The entire past month flashed through his mind.

"Mwah! Mwah!" Bulma giggled as she kissed his tail.

Nevrrest's hateful grin as she seized him by the tail, mocking him as the strength slowly escaped his body.

The first time the jaws in his cell clamped down on the appendage.

The security of having it around his waist and the many emotions he had felt through it – little subtleties he had long missed and almost forgotten.

It was then the truth hit him. He hadn't allowed Kakarot this fight because he had swallowed his pride. It was his pride that was keeping him out of it. His tail unraveled from his waist and came to rest in his hands. Kakarot could never understand how precious a tail was to a true saiyan. How humiliating it was to lose it forever. It was Vegeta's connection to the primal blood. It had added something that had been missing from his battles. It had given a foundation to his thoughts and emotions. It had even added something to a night spent with Bulma – which was a difficult thing to do when it came to that monotonous activity.

And yet, even with all the suffering he had endured, he had spent every single moment terrified of being parted from it again. Secretly dreading the slightest possibility that he would once again – even for a moment – no longer be whole. His pride wouldn't allow it. It was something he had refused to endure. But in that desperation to hold onto that single form of pride, he had lost every other form of dignity.

Vegeta growled and let the tail slide to the ground. "Whatever," he grunted, "I no longer have time for this nuisance." He eyed the tail again with a sense of longing and forced his gaze away with another grunt. "It will have to go."

(**Scene Break**)

An ecstasy that could only be described as madness took over Nevrrest's body as she witnessed Goku struggle against the strangulation. The old, blechan hunter instincts made her tail coil tighter and tighter around her victim, her talons ripping across him every time he fought back. A normal person would have passed out by now. But Goku was strong. He had gone a full minute without a single breath and was resisting as violently as he had from the start.

Her expression glimmered as her long tail slithered further down his body, catching him by and forming a second coil around one his wrists. "Whoops," she teased, "Only one hand left to relieve your neck with. Whatever will you do?"

Damn, Goku thought, I really underestimated what this tail could do. It's like I'm being coiled up by a giant snake! I can't let her wrap around me any further. But how can I get out of this? His wrapped up wrist struggled against the pull of her tail while his legs flung fierce kicks. Brute force isn't enough to make her let go. Maybe if I startle her somehow…

"What's with that look?" she mocked, "This is my arena we're playing in – not yours anymore! I got you right where I want you and it's not going to stop!"

Goku's eyes widened. That's it! His free hand released her tail and pressed two fingers to his forehead.

Nevrrest's plume fluttered. "Wait, what are you—"

(**Scene Break**)

"GAH! GOKU, NOT AGAIN!" King Kai screamed, leaping backward with horror as a ball of red feathers and yellow hair appeared tumbling across his tiny planet.

Nevrrest's eyes bulged at her surroundings. What?!

Yes! Goku pushed himself backward as the coils of Nevrrest's tail loosened. He felt the pressure relieve on his throat and opened his mouth to take a deep breath.

Nevrrest's foot seized the back of his head and slammed it into the ground, creating an enormous crater and splitting King Kai's house in half.

"WAAAAOOOOH!" King Kai's heels clicked as he leapt into the air, "It's bad enough you two are fighting in the first place! Do you have to wreck my planet in the process?!"

Nevrrest's tail added a third coil around Goku's torso, blood flying from his mouth as his ribs cracked. "Crrr…shut up, whoever you are, you fat cricket man."

"What?!" King Kai cried with horror and then shook his fists at her, "No, no, no! This is all wrong! You're supposed to be one of the defenders of the universe!"

Nevrrest's foot ground Goku's face into the crater. "Defender? I prefer the term—"

(**Scene Break**)

"—Avenger," Nevrrest stated and then blinked right before she and Goku crashed through the decks of the Hammer again. She lost the coil on his torso and wrist as they tumbled, but tightened the one on his neck. "Nice trick," she hissed, "I'm guessing you're running out of ideas after that." Yellow light formed in Goku's hands, but she spun him around just as he fired, the blast exploding a gaping, sparking hole in the wall. "Your time is running out, Goku! Remember, the moment you're unconscious, it's over."

Come on! Goku desperately thought, There has to be something I can still do to get out of this!

Nevrrest laughed. "And to the winner go the spoils!"

(**Scene Break**)

With all the wreckage those two had created, Vegeta knew there had to be a sharp object somewhere. As he dug through the piles of broken metal and bits of wire, he could feel Kakarot's energy fading. The other saiyan was really giving it his all, but it was too late now. Nevrrest had him in a death hold and she wouldn't let him escape for anything. Vegeta growled, digging, pausing as something cut open his thumb.

"That's it!" He pushed aside a heavy piece of piping and held up the razor-like piece of metal. "No more time," he muttered, his brow lowering seriously.

He took a deep breath, steeling himself as he gripped his tail with one hand and placed the piece of metal against the base. His heart throbbed in his ears and he trembled a little with anxiety. This was it, no turning back. He released his breath and filled his lungs again, gritting his teeth as he prepared for the sudden, sharp pain that was about to come.

Something struck the back of his head and everything when black.

For some reason, his feet weren't touching the ground anymore. Vegeta opened his eyes, his dizzy vision showing the debris-covered floor passing beneath him.

"Good, I'd hoped you'd wake up fast."

"Hm?" Vegeta grunted. Then he remembered what he'd been about to do and flicked his tail angrily, twisting in the grip of the man who carried him under his arm.

"After all, all I did was poke you. That hardly even counted as a love-tap." Vegeta craned his neck and finally spotted the man's golden eyes and hair that curled about either side of his head like ram's horns. Nada smiled. "Back in the day, I never imagined it'd be like this. But all the same, good to finally meet you, Prince Vegeta."