"Unexpected Romance: Changes"
Chapter 2- "The Prince and The Pauper"
By- Tiny
One week had passed since Vegeta's decision to live with the Son family while he awaited his anticipated showdown with Goku, one week since the enemy had come to stay with a member of the Z fighter's so-called "extended family". It made Krillin a bit edgy as he paced back and forth on Master Roshi's island, his bald head shining in the brilliant sunlight overhead. He simply didn't like the idea of Vegeta being in that close vicinity to Gohan and Chi-Chi, especially since the Saiya-jin prince wanted to kill Gohan's father and, probably, the boy himself.
It wasn't just him either, Tien and Yamcha had been making frequent visits to the Son household over the last few days to make sure that Vegeta hadn't killed them all yet, usually finding the prince watching television or eating. They said he seemed to have calmed down a bit in the last week, though he was still very observant of those around him at all times, but Krillin didn't buy it. Vegeta was a savage, cold-blooded, ruthless killer and nobody was going to convince him otherwise, not even two of his best friends in the entire planet.
Master Roshi was no good to talk to, seeing as he spent all of his time either reading his pornographic magazines or watching aerobics on TV, and nobody else seemed to share Krillin's ideas. Yamcha and Tien had suggested that maybe they should think of what Goku would do and just let the prince alone, hope that maybe he had changed for the better due to his rival's influence, but it wasn't happening. Nothing could convince the bald human that Vegeta was anything more now than he was when he first came to Earth, and he needed to be ready when everyone else found that out.
He knew that Piccolo was off training in the desert again, the only other person who shared his hatred of the Saiya-jin prince, but that the Nameksei-jin was not going to allow the human to train with him. Yamcha and Tien might, more to grow stronger and compete with their short, bald friend then to fight Vegeta, but he could practically rule Chautzu out of anything. The mime-like man had given up on training all together after feeling his power level in comparison to the powers of his friends, taking up post as guardian of Karin's Tower.
"Well, if I'm gonna do this thing then I'd better get started right away," Krillin sighed, stretching his body out, "I just hope that they're right about Vegeta and I won't have to actually fight him..."
That out of his mind, Krillin blasted off towards the one place that he knew of where he could get a decent enough work-out to put him at least on par with a member of the Saiya-jin race. Bulma had invented a gravity room at the main compound in West City for Yamcha to use when he was there, based on the designs taken from Nappa's pod, though it had yet to actually get any use. Yamcha preferred, as all of the Earth's warriors did, to train in the open air under the sun, so the confines of a gravity room didn't appeal to him, but now they had no choice.
Little did Krillin know as he flew towards the city to commence with his training that he would never use this training on Vegeta, but rather on a far more dangerous foe, far sooner than he would like to think...
Vegeta had been on the planet that his rival called home for just over a week and he had been getting antsy, not being able to train without tearing his clothes to ribbons after only a few minutes. He had been pestering the human woman, Bulma, to get him some armor prepared to train in, but she had had a difficult time getting the formula for stretching the armor out perfected. She had finally gotten it down, however, and the prince was doing a few punches to warm up for his training, watching the slightly smaller figure below as he meditated just above the ground.
The child of his rival had decided he wanted to train with the Saiya-jin prince for a little while during the day, seeing as he had studies to attend to later on, and he was warming-up just like his old sensei. The Nameksei-jin training techniques were always a puzzle to the Saiya-jin prince, not really understanding how all this sitting down and focusing inside could possibly raise anyone's power. Still, it clearly had some significant effect on the body's physical and spiritual condition, as Gohan and Piccolo always seemed far more powerful and focused after meditating.
The prince watched his young sparring partner for a few more moments, wondering inwardly how he managed to hold that intense concentration for so very long at a time, then snorted at the boy. Gohan was on his feet almost instantly, his dark eyes bright and excited at the prospect of a good fight, and his small muscles tight as though ready to spring at any moment. Whatever kind of training the Nameksei-jin warrior had put Gohan through in the deserts of this planet, it had made the boy somewhat edgy when it came down to fighting.
"I see you were trained well, brat," Vegeta spat, folding his arms over his chest defiantly, "I guess your green friend isn't as weak or simple-minded as I had thought he was."
"Piccolo is a great teacher and a fantastic fighter," Gohan nodded, his eyes never leaving Vegeta's, "And I'm even better."
"Hmmm...we'll see about that brat," Vegeta smirked, his aura swelling and a blast charging in his hand, "THINK FAST!"
Gohan dodged the ki attack with relative ease, jumping a few feet into the air where the blast connected, but that proved foolish as Vegeta's elbow came down hard on his head. Pain seared across the boy's scalp, but he refused to show as much just yet as he threw a fist towards the prince, barely missing as Vegeta side-stepped and drove a knee into the boy's stomach. A small trickled of saliva mixed with blood flew out of his mouth as the prince picked him up by his neck, holding him a few inches away with a sneer on his face.
"The Nameksei-jin clearly taught you combat, but taught you nothing of defending yourself," Vegeta chuckled, "Should've known..."
"He always said...the best defense...was a good offense," Gohan struggled, trying to break the grip, "It always...worked...before..."
"You weren't fighting me before, brat!" Vegeta snapped, throwing Gohan into the ground, "Now, you're going to learn how to fight and defend yourself like a Saiya-jin, even if we're out here all day!"
Gohan sidestepped Vegeta's next attack, grabbing the prince by his arm and throwing him forcefully into the ground, sending up chunks of earth and a few large rocks in the process. Vegeta was quick to recover, however, and punched the boy in his stomach again, following that blow up with a knee to his jaw as Gohan lurched forward in pain from the initial blow. The prince did not fight like his old sensei had, for Piccolo had always stopped when he knew Gohan was outclassed severely, but Vegeta refused as he continued his assault on the boy.
Blows were exchanged back and forth at speeds that would boggle the mind, the earth shaking violently below the two combatants as they battled over the landscape with unrelenting fury. The ground was literally being reshaped as Gohan tried desperately to dodge Vegeta's powerful attacks, always barely dodging or not being able to and taking massive amounts of damage. They were just passing over an old mountain range when Gohan lost sight of the prince, thinking maybe he would get a short break, but that dream was shattered almost instantly.
Vegeta phased above the younger fighter silently, not letting him become aware of his presence, and drove his foot as hard as he could into Gohan's neck, sending the young boy rocketing forward. The entire mountain crumbled into mere rubble from the force with which the boy hit it, sending up a massive cloud of thick dust into the air all around the Saiya-jin prince. Yet even as the other creatures in the area scattered and the buzzards began to circle overhead, Vegeta knew that the boy was alive down there, and as much was made clear when his aura burst through the cloud of dust.
Pain rocked Gohan's body as he rose to his feet, body broken and bleeding in several places from Vegeta's hammering blows, and it hurt to even stand on his own two feet. They had only been fighting for a few minutes, probably not even five or six to a normal person, but to someone moving so fast they produced a sonic boom it seemed like hours. Especially if you were the person receiving most of the punishment, seeing as Vegeta hardly had a scratch on him, his face twisting into the ugliest scowl Gohan had ever seen on another person.
"You are pathetic boy, you haven't learned anything yet, and it's hard to believe you ever will," Vegeta snorted, slapping him across the face, "Your father is a Saiya-jin, the Super Saiya-jin, and he fights like one! How can you, his son, fall so short of your heritage?"
"I'm just...not a fighter," Gohan coughed, his aura growing slightly, "I'm not like...other Saiya-jin."
"LIES!" Vegeta spat, kicking the boy in the stomach, "You are Saiya-jin, it is in your blood to kill, to fight! To show your enemies what it means to face the most powerful race in existence!"
"I'm not the most powerful...I'm...just a kid," Gohan snarled, his eyes rolling back and muscles bulging, "I can't...be strongest..."
"That's right, because your just like your low-class clown of a father!" the prince smirked, drawing back for a punch, "You are weak, just like he is, but unlike him, you will always be a weakling!"
Vegeta threw the punch towards his opponent's head, nearly smashing it into his face and shattering his skull, but that all came to a screeching halt as Gohan's hand shot up and clutched the prince's hand. The small boy's muscles were trembling as his whole body shook with unbridled rage, his eyes rolling back in his head to leave nothing but white behind. The grip was like a vice, squeezing the Saiya-jin prince's hand so hard that it was beginning to go numb, even beginning to feel the bones crack in his wrist as Gohan's grip got even tighter.
"I...am...not...A WEAKLING!" Gohan roared, releasing Vegeta's arm and slamming his fist into his face, "I'LL SHOW YOU WHO'S WEAK!"
"So this is it, this is the power that toppled even Frieza!" Vegeta awed, his eyes wider than usual, "It's amazing...and in a child..."
The prince was scared, for the first time since he had seen Frieza's power in his fourth form, and he could feel his composure beginning to break as he backed away from the feral child before him. It was almost as though the whole planet was shaking under the hybrid's power, his aura a pulsating wave of red hot energy and his emotions nothing but pure rage. Even Frieza had not been this cold in his hatred for others, seeing as he did have warriors that he favored and took good care of, and Vegeta had never seen such overwhelming power in a child of any race.
Gohan was in a rampage, destroying anything that moved within his range of sight or even within his ki sensing range, Vegeta barely managing to avoid the powerful blasts of energy. If he kept it up at the rate he was going the young hybrid would eventually destroy not only the entire area, but possibly the planet that he had fought so hard to protect not a year ago. The prince knew that he needed to end this fight quickly, more than likely needing to incapacitate the child in order to do so, and he had just the attack to manage such a feat.
"I had hoped you wouldn't require me to use this, but you have left me no choice brat!" Vegeta snarled, a blue wave of ki in his hand, "BIG BANG ATTACK!"
Gohan looked right at the wave of energy with indifference, at least until right before the blast was going to slam into him, his eyes turning back to their normal black and widening. He was afraid, that much was clear in his eyes as he tried to back away from the blast, but it was far too close and there wouldn't be enough time to avoid the powerful attack. The small boy was certain that he was going to die, covering his face to prepare for the impact of the blow, but that never came as something quite unexpected happened.
Vegeta flung himself in front of the powerful blast, causing it to explode just moments before it would have hit Gohan, destroying some of his armor and the durable bodysuit in the process. Gohan was now more shocked than anything as the prince's body smoked somewhat, his face twisted in a pained expression as he rose to his full height, even if it wasn't intimidating. Despite that, Gohan was very intimidated that the Saiya-jin prince was able to take such a blow without showing any pain, his face the normal scowl that it always was.
"Perhaps you aren't as weak as I thought," Vegeta scoffed, narrowing his eyes at the boy, "Go home now brat, I have training to attend to and don't need some kid getting in my way!"
"Yes sir, I'll be on my way," Gohan bowed, lifting into the air, "And thank you, for saving me just now."
"I said on your way brat!" Vegeta snapped, his aura rising slightly, "I have things to attend to!"
Taking that as his hint to get out of the place as soon as humanly possible, Gohan took off into the air quickly, not looking back as he headed for the ass-chewing that awaited him when he got home. Vegeta watched as the boy headed off for his mountain home, a small smirk of pride spreading over his face for just a moment, then melting into a twisted snarl of pain. His own attack had been more powerful than even he suspected and was burning his flesh even now, turning even his thick skin into a giant blister as he collapsed in a heap in the desert.
The prince's breathing was growing heavier as the hot sun bore down upon him and heated the already red-hot blistering on his skin, his body beginning to shut down from the force of his attack. He could feel bones broken under his skin, more than likely several of his ribs and few shoulder bones, but none of that mattered as his vision began to swim and the desert blurred out. Spots were dancing before the Saiya-jin man's eyes and his breath was slowing, the last thing streaking past his vision a small lizard just before everything went black...
Updated Power Levels
Vegeta: 2,500,000
w/Big Bang: 5,000,000
Gohan: 1,750,000
w/anger: 4,500,000
Author's Notes: Well, it certainly was humiliating for Vegeta to be beaten so hard by a small boy, just as it was for Gohan when Vegeta was beating him, but a certain bond was formed in the process. A bond that will eventually lead to other things later on in this story, but that is another part of an as of yet growing story and I can't give away anything further at this time.
The next chapter will feature Chi-Chi actually worrying about her houseguest when he doesn't make it home for dinner and going out to get him, finding the prince heavily burned and injured. What will the finding lead to between the battle-hardened Saiya-jin prince and his greatest rival's wife, now that she realizes that he isn't the invulnerable ass he would lead them to think he is? You'll have to stay tuned to find out, but for now I leave you in suspense! Until next time!