Chapter 12

"Wait… what's this? I'm sorry, but we've got some breaking news. It appears some sort of flying object has crashed into the Marx Corp building downtown off of East Avenue. We'll get some cameras down there in a minute."

Bulma looked up from her work for a moment to see the TV. Her mother was sitting a few feet away on the couch reading a book quietly, not paying much attention to the television. It was actually starting to drive Bulma insane trying to work and hearing that in the background. Her mother had decided to drag her away from her work desk to spend some "family time." The two hadn't said a word to each other in forty minutes. Mrs. Brief would occasionally hum a happy tune, which would cause Bulma to cringe a little.

"We have some footage right here from a bystander. Police are on their way to investigate a possible attack on the building, as well as a bomb squad."

A small piece of blurry footage was shown. A tiny object was speeding through the sky at an incredible pace and smashed into one of the windows near the top of the building.

"Gohan?" Bulma asked herself. She got up from the chair she was sitting in and picked up a phone from the end table. She started to dial the cell phone she'd given Vegeta a few hours ago before the prince and Gohan embarked on their errands. They were taking a long time. She just supposed they'd gotten a little lost, but she figured it wouldn't be that hard to find their way around.

She stood near the couch, waiting for Vegeta to pick up the phone.


Gohan was squirming, but it wasn't doing much good. Jeice tightened his grip on the young boy's arms and he stopped, a dirty look frozen on his face. He was glaring at Captain Ginyu. Ginyu, however, paid no attention to him. He was focused on Vegeta. Both men had gotten in a fighting stance, but it appeared that no one wanted to make the first move. Vegeta's fists were clenched tight. He felt odd standing in a fighting stance, wearing these Earth street clothes, but then again, Ginyu was wearing a sports coat and jeans. He really had no advantage.

Rinnnnnnnnnggggggg.

"Huh?" Vegeta looked down. The ringing noise appeared to be coming from his jacket pocket. He placed his right hand inside the pocket and pulled a small device out of it. Oh, right. The Earth woman gave me that communication device before I left.

Vegeta read the word "BRIEFS" on the mobile phone screen before feeling sharp pain in his left cheek and falling back a little. Ginyu had lunged forward and punched him in the face. The captain proceeded to jump behind Vegeta and kick him in the back. The Saiyan prince fell to his hands and knees before Ginyu kicked him once more in the back, sending him to the edge of the building.

Vegeta growled in anger and got to his feet as soon as possible. He flew over to Ginyu and punched him in the gut with full force. He then proceeded to keep punching the man as fast as he could, Ginyu taking a hit here and there. He seemed caught off guard because he wasn't fighting back right away. He was eventually pushed back into the elevator shaft and fell back down to the elevator.

Jeice and Gohan heard a large crash as he hit the top of the elevator below. Jeice was tempted to go help the captain, but he knew better after what happened on Namek. Besides, he was ordered to keep a hold of Gohan. If he let the little Saiyan go, he would be killed for sure. A bit of sweat started to drip down his face when he realized no sound could be heard from below. The captain wasn't getting up at all.

Vegeta laughed a little before powering up large balls of ki in both his hands. He stepped back a little, eyed Jeice and Gohan, and then hurled them down the elevator shaft. As soon as they were released, he threw a few more balls of energy and flew back. Realizing a large explosion was about to happen, Jeice flew Gohan back a few feet away from the building. The reaction was delayed, but it was massive. The whole infrastructure of the building started to explode. The ground immediately started to crack and screams could be heard from office workers floors below. A slight shift in elevation could be felt. A minute passed before the sound of the building shifting started to subside, but screams from below could still be heard.

Jeice peered at the building in awe. The smoke started to clear and Vegeta's large smirk appeared right in front of Jeice's face. The Ginyu Force member sighed in frustration.

"Vegeta! Why did you do that? All those innocent people are still in the building! For all we know, most of them could be dead?" Gohan screamed.

"Well what do you prefer, boy?" Vegeta growled back. "Would you rather it be them or you? Consider yourself lucky I came back for you!" The prince turned around to look back at the rubble of the elevator shaft before turning back around with a grin on his face. "And now that the captain's done for, I guess it's time to expose of little Snow White over here."

Jeice began to panic a little at these words. He saw how strong Vegeta had become on Namek. Jeice hated this new sense of insecurity. Everything was so much simpler before Namek. Now, it seemed like he had to worry wherever he went. The blasted Saiyan prince was out to get him. Things would be so much better if the man would just die already.

Vegeta edged closer with a laugh. So many things began to cross Jeice's mind. The possibility of Captain Ginyu's death hadn't come into play yet, but he started thinking of the captain's orders. A few minutes ago, it seemed to be the only thing important. Hold onto the boy and don't let him get away. He cringed at the thought of Ginyu really being gone. Should he disobey the captain's orders and let the boy go in an effort to flee? Should he just give in for an effort to save his own life? Should he die honorably while obeying Captain Ginyu's orders?

Vegeta began to edge even closer. Jeice clenched the boy tighter to him. "Kill me and the boy goes too."

Gohan started to panic, trying to squirm once again, but he couldn't move a muscle with Jeice's tight hold. "Let me go!" he screamed out once again.

Vegeta stopped in midair and started cursing under his breath. Is the boy really worth this? A few months ago he would say no. The boy was just worthless scum. Then again, Kakarot won't be too happy to come back to Earth and find out his son his dead. He probably won't be as cooperative. Neither would the bald one and the Earth woman. Plus, it would be nice to have the little brat around to show me where the dragon balls are.

Vegeta unclenched his fists and started to calm down a little. He had to think this through. He is pretty stupid. Maybe I'll just have to scare him.

"Release the boy now and I promise not to kill you later."

Jeice growled. "Yeah, right, Vegeta! I ain't falling for no stupid trick like that! Back off or the kid goes up in smoke." Jeice didn't even believe his own bluff. He still wasn't sure he was ready to kill the kid off. Captain Ginyu could be furious for one thing. And secondly, he needed the boy to find the dragon balls.

Vegeta opened his mouth as if he was about to speak, but the words never came out. Another large explosion came from the building and it began to shift even more. Bits of debris and the elevator shaft came flying around as Ginyu shot out from beneath the building. The building was beginning to full on collapse right now and a large cloud of smoke and dust consumed them.

As the smoke cleared, Ginyu became visible, his eyes dead locked on Vegeta. A bit of blood was dripping from his mouth and he appeared to be out of breath from breaking through the elevator shaft. Vegeta's eyebrows shot up and his mouth dropped. He clenched his fist and screamed out in anger. How the hell is he still alive?

"You won't be getting rid of me that easily," said Ginyu, wiping a bit of blood off his lips. He peered around the area below. Much of it was still covered in smoke. People's screams could be heard from far below still. "It appears this isn't the most stable area to fight. If we want to continue this fight, we'll have to move somewhere else." This was partially true, but Ginyu actually didn't want to draw too much attention o himself. There would be Earthlings swarming the spot in mere minutes.

Vegeta sighed, wondering if this was a trick. He didn't like to be played, but he shrugged. No harm could come about from moving the fight. Plus, it appeared that the little brat was growing squirmish at the sight of all this destruction. It would be best to move somewhere where he couldn't interfere.

"Fine, we'll find a nice, clear spot to finish this."

Ginyu nodded and the three took off, finding clear air after a moment of flying. The amount of Earthlings swarming around the building below was massive. Police cars and firetrucks could be seen all over the place. News stations were waiting impatiently outside for coverage.


"Why isn't he answering?"

Bulma sighed and threw the phone onto the floor. "I give them one simple task and this is what they do."

Mrs. Briefs looked up from her book, her expression still incredibly calm. "Don't get so worked up, dear. I'm sure everything is fine. Vegeta isn't too used to the phone anyway."

"You don't understand, mom," said Bulma in frustrated tone. "I gave them this errand to run hours ago and they're still not back. And who else could be causing all this destruction downtown? If this is Vegeta, I swear I'm going to kill him. He's not supposed to be doing this kind of stuff."

"Now, now, dear," Mrs. Briefs began, "it's not right to go accusing Vegeta of anything until it's proven. Maybe you should just get back to work on your little contraption."

Bulma got up and sighed in frustration. "Doesn't anybody in this house think rationally?"

Just at that moment, Krillin walked into the room. With a look at Bulma's face, he was about to walk out, but the blue haired woman stopped him.

"Krillin!" she yelled. "Thank goodness you're here! Have you seen what's been going on downtown?"

"Actually, that's what I came here for," said Krillin. "I don't really know what's going on, but I think it would be a good idea for Vegeta, Gohan, and I to check it out. I don't really know what's going on, but it's a good idea for us to be on the lookout. I say we've been lucky not to hear anything from Frieza since Namek. I wouldn't be surprised if it's him or any of his goons."

Bulma rolled her eyes. "That's the thing. Gohan and Vegeta aren't here. They've been gone for hours. They promised to pick something up for me, but they never came back home. Something's up."

Just then, faint screams could be heard from the television. Even Mrs. Briefs looked up this time. Another large explosion happened before their very eyes. The whole building was beginning to collapse. Bulma covered her mouth and stood frozen in place.

"What's that?" Krillin asked a few seconds later. The view was mostly engulfed in smoke, but a few small dots could be seen up in the air above the building.

Bulma peered closer to the television, getting close enough to see the little pixels. "I don't know, but it's definitely something. What do you say we go check it out?"

Krillin nodded. "Sounds like a good idea to me." The two made their way to the front entrance of the Briefs home and Krillin took off into the air from there.

"Hey! Don't just leave me here!"

Krillin didn't respond to her and kept flying. She sighed. Guess I'll just have to take the car.


"What you are suggesting is preposterous."

Frieza's foot tapped impatiently on the floor. Even though they were now sitting, his older brother still towered over him. He always hated that. He hated getting the shorter end of the stick for his stature. He hated how Cooler used to treat him when they were younger simply because he wasn't as tall, but things were about to change.

"If you would just listen instead of interrupting me this whole time," Frieza stammered.

Cooler sighed. As the older brother, he had always been the voice of reason. "We can't do this to him first of all because he is much stronger than us. I know it's easy to forget, but Father has incredible power. He may be just sitting behind closed doors to us now, but once he gets out there, he's going to annihilate us. Secondly, he's our father."

"Don't play the whole father game with me," Frieza retorted.

"Are you going to deny that he has never looked out for us? Are you going to deny that he's never tried to protect us? He is only looking out for our best interests," said Cooler.

Frieza clenched his fist. If he had a new purged planet for every time his father had taunted him or grown impatient with him, Frieza would have probably twice the inventory. "You're sadly mistaken. We're the ones who are running this whole operation while he sits there and does nothing. Father makes some important decisions, but who is to say we can't make them on our own? Who's to say that we can't run this organization better than him? Just imagine it. We'll finally have full control. We'll get to do things our way for once."

Cooler seemed to think this over for a minute before shaking his head. "Why? Why the sudden need for rebellion, brother? This is the way things are and have always been. They will continue to be this way. Everything is fine."

Frieza got up from his seat in frustration. He got up and started walking around the large room Cooler considered his work space. "Yes, everything may seem fine, but why not work to make them better? I want things to be the best they can be. With Father around, that simply isn't possible."

"You're willing to risk everything for this?" Cooler asked. "Do you realize the chances of failure?"

"They're the lowest they've ever been. Believe me."

Cooler once again thought about this. "The answer is still no. If you think I can turn my back on my father, then you are mistaken."

Frieza shook his head in anger. Alright, he will have it his way for now. I suppose my business is done here. Frieza turned around and began to leave, but his brother stopped him.

"And Frieza," said Cooler, "I seem to have come across a mission on Planet Namek a few months back. It appears there was quite a fuss. For you to be there is one thing, but to call the Ginyu Force in is another. What happened?"

Frieza sighed. He could tell that the way Cooler said "Ginyu Force" was a mockery. Cooler knew perfectly well that his own right hand man, Salza, had a long time rivalry with Captain Ginyu. The Armored Squadron and the Ginyu Force were somewhat rivals, but professional enough to work with each other when needed and cooperate.

"Nothing of your interest, Cooler." Frieza turned around and the door slid shut behind him. Telling Cooler about the dragon balls and his newfound immortality seemed like more of a disadvantage than a good point to make while trying to persuade him now. The short man looked down at himself as he walked down the corridor. It was only here sometimes that he felt the slightest bit insecure about himself, in the presence of his elder brother.

He stared at his hands. Sure, Frieza felt a surge of power back on Namek when he was supposedly granted immortality, but how was he to prove it? How was he to be sure he was immortal? It had been months since the wish had been granted and he had nothing to show for it. His original plan was to go into action immediately, but he had decided to think this through more thoroughly.

Whatever, he thought, trying to brush away his thoughts of doubt. If Cooler refuses to join me, he'll suffer some consequences too. Who knows, maybe he and Father will make good subordinates after I'm finished with my conquest.

Across the hall, Cooler was sitting quietly at his work space, lost in his own thoughts. Frieza had always been rash, but he had taken things too far this time. Cooler grinned. His younger brother had just presented him with the perfect reasoning to take action against Frieza. It wouldn't be long before King Cold would be contacted to discuss possible attack plans.


It didn't take long for the warriors to find a spot to land. Ginyu landed several hundred feet away from Vegeta. Jeice landed over to the side with Gohan, where they were able to see the whole thing happen. Both men had confident smirks on their faces.

In the next few moments, Ginyu charged forward as fast as he could and started throwing punches at Vegeta, who quickly dodged them. Vegeta was pushed backwards as Captain Ginyu kept attempting punches and kicks, missing all of them due to Vegeta's fast reflexes. The short man was finally pushed into the side of a cliff. Ginyu was about to grab him, but Vegeta was once again too quick. He sprung up off his feet and shot up into the air, his back brushing up against the side of the cliff the whole time.

Ginyu was quick to follow Vegeta up. The Saiyan prince shot forward once he reached the top, heading to the area where Ginyu stood when they first landed. Captain Ginyu followed him as fast as he could, trying to catch up.

"Come on, now!" Ginyu shouted to him. "This is supposed to be a fight! You're supposed to fight back, here! I didn't sign up for a wild goose chase here!"

Vegeta took a look back at the captain. "If you want to fight me, you're going to have to catch me first!"

The two proceeded to fly at full speed. Ginyu started to notice that they were headed straight for the side of another mountain, but he decided not to back off. At the last second, Vegeta made an immediate stop. Ginyu was caught off guard and tried to slow down, but flew into Vegeta, who punched him backwards. The man did a few flips in the air before landing steadily on his feet.

Ginyu started breathing heavily and placed his hand over his forehead to wipe away some sweat. "Good show, good show. I have to say you've improved quite a bit since Namek. You might actually have a chance. But no one beats the ultimate power of the Ginyu Force!"

Ginyu struck a pose at that instant. Vegeta reacted by laughing. "You have no idea what you're talking about, you oaf! While you've been out there, being Frieza's pet, I've been training, growing stronger by the minute."

"And just what do you think I've been doing?" Ginyu called angrily.

"Not very much, I can tell," Vegeta hissed back. "You took Kakarot's body and you've grown stronger some, but you really are no match for me. While I've been working to reach my potential, you've been off stealing others' bodies and kissing that bastard, Frieza's ass."

Ginyu let out a long growl. His face began to grow red before he started to scream out. "Don't you ever insult Lord Frieza like that again! You're going to get it, you pesky little Saiyan!"

"You're one to talk," said Vegeta jokingly, a grin spreading across his face.

"Go get him, Captain!" Jeice called from the sidelines. "No one talks about Lord Frieza like that and no one messes with the Ginyu Force! Go show him what you got, mate!"

Vegeta started to laugh at Jeice's attempt to encourage Ginyu, but the force leader had already sprung into action. He hopped over to Vegeta and nearly missed the Saiyan prince with his boot, creating a large hole in the ground. Vegeta jumped backwards and Ginyu followed, attempting to hit him, but failing each time.

"We can't keep this up all day, now can we?" Vegeta asked between a hop.

"You know what? You're right!" said Ginyu. At the last second, he stuck his hand out and blasted Vegeta in the gut. The short man reacted quickly by falling over into the grass. Ginyu moved fast, kicking him upwards in the gut. Vegeta flew upwards and Ginyu shot up to punch him back down into the ground. At the last moment, Vegeta stopped himself from hitting the grass again and began to float in midair.

Ginyu attempted to get him before he flew away, but Vegeta was too fast. He shot up into the air, spiraling around up near the clouds. Ginyu quickly followed. After a moment, he could no longer hear Vegeta moving. He stopped himself and began to peer around the sky. He couldn't see very far, as several clouds were blocking his view. In fact, he couldn't see very much at all. He was planning to move back down when Vegeta kicked his back with full force. He zoomed over to Ginyu once again and kicked him another time. This continued a few more times before Captain Ginyu finally hit the ground face first.

At this point, Jeice and Gohan couldn't see Vegeta, who was still hidden up near the clouds. They saw Ginyu zoom down into a boulder, creating a big collision. Dust started to fly up everywhere.

"Vegeta?" Gohan called after a few seconds.

"Keep quiet, kid," Jeice hissed. "I'm trying to listen."

In the next instant, a series of ki blasts came shooting down from the clouds. It was like they were raining blasts of energy. The surrounding area was destroyed in mere seconds. A large explosion could be heard from where Ginyu lay.

After the smoke cleared, Jeice was relieved to see Ginyu's body still laying against the boulder, his eyes slightly open.

Vegeta seemed to appear out of nowhere, charging towards the captain. "You picked the wrong day to mess with me!" he yelled. "You're going to be sorry you ever crossed my path!"

Ginyu didn't appear to think much of this. He still laid there, his hand placed over his chest. He appeared to be in a daze. Blood started to seep down the corner of his mouth as he peered up at Vegeta, as if his vision wasn't working properly.

No, he's going to kill Ginyu, Gohan thought. "Vegeta, stop! You promised you wouldn't kill Ginyu! My dad needs him to stay alive for when he returns to Earth!"

Vegeta just looked over at Gohan and laughed, continuing on his rampage. Jeice was sweating profusely at this point. His teeth were clenched tight, but he stood still like a statue, as if there were nothing he could do.

At the last minute, he hurled Gohan aside harshly into a nearby boulder and sprang into action. "Captain!" he screamed, before shooting off into the distance.