Losing Hope

Renji: "Ok, how about this... It's big, it's hard, it's sorta round-"

Eren, Toushiro, Grimmjow and Tora: "It's a rock."

Renji: "Oh... Ok, this is obviously getting old."

Grimmjow: "Ya think?"

The splintered group of Vegeta and the rest were marching through the cave they had spent the night in. Bardock and his comrades walked among them, totally integrated into the group. They had no choice going this way. When they woke up they saw that the heavy rain had covered the entrance of the cave with mud and rocks, too thick to break through. So here's hoping that there is more than one way out of here. But their hopes were dashed when they came to a dead end of nothing but boulders.

Kenpachi: "What now?"

Vegeta: "I guess we just go back and try to dig ourselves out."

Suddenly Borgos started sniffing.

Fasha: "What's up with you?"

Borgos: "*Sniff, sniff*... Smell that?"

Fasha then sniffed the air.

Fasha: "Yeah."

Bardock and Tora also sniffed the air towards the dead end.

Tora: "I smell it too."

Bardock: "Me too."

With the sharpest nose of them all, Vegeta turned around and sniffed the air too. He smelled it too and ran to the wall just as Fasha had worked her small hands into the rocks and removed one. A strong beam of light pierced the darkness like a beacon of hope.

Kenpachi: "Would ya look at that!"

Eren: "Alright!"

Vegeta: "Everybody get back! WE'RE OUTTA HERE!"

Vegeta went up to the wall and started to push against the rocks with as much strength as he dared to use. The rock moved a little but then the wall started to shake. Rocks started to fall!

Ikkaku: "Vegeta! Look out!"

The saiyan prince avoided the rock that almost hit his head as he jumped back. But then the light vanished, covered up again as the wall ceased to shake.

Vegeta: "... ... NO!"

The prince slammed his body against a rock, but the wall did not flinch. He tried to push against it, but it remained firm. Vegeta then paused and looked back at his small group. No one spoke a word. Anger finally overtook the great prince and he roared while slamming himself against rock after rock! His frustration was easy to see... and then no more. Vegeta just stopped his fruitless attempts. If a saiyan as strong as him couldn't get it to budge, then it was useless. He's kept his hopes up to this point. But no more. This had been the final straw. The final push. Vegeta just collapsed against the rocks, his hope and spirit completely gone. Slowly, Toushiro approached his friend.

Toushiro: "Vegeta. We'll go back."

Vegeta: "To what? We're trapped... ... My father was right..."

Toushiro looked away in despair.

Vegeta: (Defeated) "... I am weak..."

If Vegeta was giving up, what else was there? But then, an unexpected voice of reason spoke up.

Kenpachi: "Like hell you are! You're giving up, just like that?! After everything you've been through?! You took me down easily. You killed Aizen with a single bite! You beat a Vasto Lorde to save Hitsugaya. You took on, not one, not two, but three T-Rex single handedly to save Levi! You triumphed over Rohku and when it came down to it, you and Goku worked together to kill Coge! Time after time I've seen you find a way to beat the odds and win, no matter how difficult they were! And yet you're just gonna lay there and let a bunch of rocks beat you? Come on now, where's that fire? Where's that saiyan pride of yours?! You are the strongest person I've ever met- You are the Prince of the Saiyan Race: Vegeta!"

Vegeta just gazed up at Kenpachi.

Kenpachi: "So what're you gonna do now, huh?"

Slowly Vegeta got up and staggered away. But then... he stopped and spoke with his back turned.

Vegeta: "Kenpachi..."

Kenpachi and the others all just looked at the prince. And then...

Vegeta: (Turning around) "Get outta my way..."

Kenpachi moved away as the great prince called upon his unique gift. Right before them all, he transformed into a spinosaurus... and with a roar... smashed himself against the rock wall with all his might!

Ikkaku: "Way to go, Captain!"

Eren: "That's it, Vegeta! You can't give up!"

The prince slammed against the rocks again, the wall flinching with each hit! But even Vegeta couldn't do it alone.

Bardock: (Waving to everyone) "C'mon!"

Toushiro: "Let's help!"

Everyone rushed over and began pushing, slamming, pulling, whatever they could to aid in their breakout! With the added might of them all, the rocks started to give against the onslaught. Vegeta continued to slam against the rocks as hard as he could! The others all did what they could! And then, with one final good slam, the wall could take no more. Rocks fell along with the spinosaurus and dust billowed up into a blinding cloud. The dust cloud faded and Vegeta stood up and blinked, back in his normal form. They were free at last and had found a shortcut to the intended evacuation spot.

Tora: "This is it!"

Fasha: "We made it!"

Renji: "Yes!"

Grimmjow: "We did it!"

As everyone enjoyed their triumph, Vegeta gazed at Kenpachi.

Vegeta: "Thanks for that, Kenpachi. I needed it bad."

Kenpachi just grinned and went to look around with the others. They had made it to the evacuation destination. But there was a problem already.

Eren: "W-Where's Captain Levi? And Armin and Mikasa?"

Toushiro: "Nobody's here."

Bardock had an uneasy feeling and went to check on the entrance that they would've came in if they were with the convey.

Renji: "Maybe we beat them here?"

Bardock: "Oh no..."

Vegeta turned to Bardock before the others. The saiyan prince walked up to the man...

Vegeta: "What is it?"

Bardock: "That was the way we used to get in here."

... and saw what he saw. Vegeta gasped in horror. The old entrance was blocked by more rocks, hundreds of feet high. And what's more, there was nothing but a sheer drop on this side!

Vegeta: "They'll never make it over that! I've got to stop them!"

Vegeta hurried back to the cave!

Toushiro: "Vegeta! Wait!"

The prince stopped just as everyone else caught up.

Toushiro: "We're coming with you! We stand together after all!"

With a nod, Vegeta and his splinter group hurried back to catch up with the convey! With a renewed purpose, they all were able to break through the other entrance together and hurried to pick up the trail. When they did, they wasted very little time. They all ran to catch up, following the trail of footprints and the occasional body to lead the way. But then they were forced to stop.

Vegeta: (Whispering) "Get down!..."

They hide behind a bunch of boulders. They had caught up with a convey, but not the right one. It was Frieza's army. Vegeta led them around quietly as they continued to follow their convey's trail. What they didn't know was that the convey was already at the blockade. The rest of our heroes had a sickening feeling about this. Goku had gone to ask the King what the plan was. When he came back...

Armin: "Well?..."

Goku: (Horrified) "In the morning... We're climbing that..."

They all gasped in horror. The King was going to make the convey climb that?!

Goku: "C'mon, Vegeta... We need you!..."