Risk
Chapter 5
The hum of a machine running was the first thing Chi-chi heard when she began to regain consciousness. Slowly, her unfocused eyes opened despite the bright light of the florescent light fixtures threatening to blind her. The first question that came to mind happened to be about her surroundings.
"Mom? Are you alright?" Gohan's voice broke the rough silence upon the ship. Instantly, everything came back in a rush and Chi-chi sat up in alarm.
"Where's your father? Oh gosh! I hope he's alright!" Chi-chi was freaking out now. She recalled that her husband had somehow been 'transformed' into an alien and she was deeply worried that he would not be the same husband she married.
"He's fine, but he's healing after battle with Captain Ginyu." Wrong words to say to a woman who still believed her husband was this 'Ginyu' fellow she had seen prior to fainting.
"Then he's still in that miserable alien's body?" Chi-chi paled. She had hoped that wasn't the case and prayed that it was all just a horrible joke or a nightmare.
"Uh… Chi-chi, Goku managed to get his body back after Vegeta managed to thrash the one Captain Ginyu stole from him." Krillin sweat dropped at the very thought of her and Goku even going out together comfortably in public or even coming over to Roshi's without freaking out everyone else.
"Oh. So is he alright?" Relief filled Chi-chi's heart and for once, she felt better knowing her husband was safe.
"He'll be better soon. Take a look for yourself." Krillin pointed to the tank where Goku rested with healing wounds within the water. Chi-chi walked over and touched the window of the tank sadly. She never imagined her husband to be so helpless right now when she needed him the most.
"Get better soon so we can go home," Chi-chi whispered softly before hearing footsteps behind her. She turned to see Vegeta carrying some things in his arms.
"Here, put these on," Vegeta returned with some suits and threw them at Gohan and Krillin's feet. Chi-chi stared in aghast at the thought of her son and her husband's friend wearing the same armor that Vegeta wore. She already despised the Saiya-jin Prince for nearly killing her husband back on Earth, but now he was helping them? What was the universe coming to?
"How do I know those aren't defected in anyway?" Chi-chi spat at the armor in disgust.
"If you hadn't of fainted woman, you would have seen the durability of the armor in combat when we finished Ginyu off for good." Vegeta snorted. "Honestly, I have no idea why Kakarrot brought you along since all you've done so far was getting in the way."
"Take that back!" Chi-chi snapped at Vegeta; temper flaring. "I'm not used to my husband fighting you monsters when he's an Earthling like the rest of us!"
"I'm sorry, but your husband's not actually an Earthling like you." Vegeta retorted. "He is a Saiya-jin just like I am and we are the last of our people. I don't understand how it was possible that you two were able to mate and have one offspring when normally the other species were incapable to do it."
"Maybe it's because we've evolved from the same kind of monkey."
"Monkey? Is that what you've come from you tailless ape?"
"You bas…"
"That's enough!" Krillin had to cut the argument short due to the ringing in his ears. "We should be figuring out what the password to the dragon balls are, not arguing over sex!"
Both Chi-chi and Vegeta turned away with a snort. At least neither of them seemed to be at each other's throats at the moment. In a way, it was almost comical how Vegeta lowered himself to arguing with the Earthen female when he could easily do away with her at any given moment.
"Should we go see Dende then?" Gohan asked putting the glove on his hand. Chi-chi was confused and wondered who this 'Dende' person was.
"I'll go. You stay here and watch over the dragon balls." Krillin confirmed.
"But Krillin…!" Gohan saw the monk leave before he could even say another word. He decided to go outside.
Chi-chi looked back at the tank and noticed the lights blinking randomly. Who knows how long it would be until her husband recovered from the previous fight. Sitting against the wall, she nodded off to take a small nap.
It had felt like hours before Chi-chi awakened to find Vegeta was no longer present. She felt a horrible chi outside the ship and felt her son, Vegeta and Krillin fighting it. Looking at the tank, Goku looked as though he was doing better; however, he still was far from being fully healed anytime soon.
"I'm going to help them Goku, please recover soon," Chi-chi bade her husband a hopefully temporary goodbye. She ran off the ship and flew towards the battlefield before her.
"Huh? What's this?" Frieza eyed the female flying within the skies. He had already transformed into his second state and Chi-chi was shocked that a creature like this existed.
"Mom!" Gohan exclaimed in shock. He had been hoping his mother would have remained on the ship. The look on her face though begged to differ, she looked like she was worried about everyone else fighting Frieza. No sooner did she land on the ground that Frieza grinned.
"I see you guys were hiding a lovely female on the ship. Perhaps if I beat you, I should take her as a prostitute or something." Frieza sadistically spoke. His voice sent a chill down Chi-chi's spine and anger radiated from her. How dare he say such a thing in front of her only son?
"I'd rather die than be forced to do dirty things in bed!" Chi-chi growled at Frieza and lunged at him before Gohan and Krillin could even stop her. Vegeta was surprised that he had severely underestimated this woman that he fought on the ship with earlier.
'So it seems that woman's not all talk after all,' Vegeta had a smug look on his face. He didn't seem to bother about the woman's condition or her safety.
"Mom! Be careful! That guy's already transformed once! We don't know what other transformations he might have!" Gohan warned.
Those words didn't even phase Chi-chi as she continued to throw punches and kicks that were blocked or dodged. Eventually, she calmed down and from behind the arms, Frieza smirked darkly. Catching her breath, she felt like she was training under a hundred times gravity with Goku as her sparring partner again; however, this was the real thing.
"Are you done?" Frieza questioned. Before Chi-chi could even answer him, Frieza grabbed Chi-chi by the throat and began to choke the life out of her. Struggling to get away, she flailed in his grasp.
"Let go of her!" Gohan yelled.
'No, Gohan, don't…' Chi-chi thought weakly before the sounds seemed to blur along with the environment around her. She didn't know how she managed to get free nor felt the tiny Namek child grab her in his arms. All she knew at the moment was that she was safe for the moment. 'I wish I could have…'
'She… she's dying!' Goku thought angrily. His tail tightly curled around his waist and the air he expelled from the mask showed how irritated he was. He didn't want Chi-chi to die and felt angry. Before he could abort the healing and go out in the condition he was in, a sudden calmness filled him.
'It's not yet time. Calm down.' A voice echoed in his sub-consciousness.
'Huh?'
An odd feeling filled Chi-chi's body and she felt the pressure on half-collapsed neck fade like it had never existed. She felt the fresh air began to fill her lungs with the breath along with another. Her world began to return and she looked up at the chubby little Namekian that looked like he was a friendly little spirited child.
"T-thank you…" Chi-chi muttered before sitting up.
"You should rest a bit. Your body's a bit weakened from the air you lost." Dende assured.
"I can't rest now, not when Gohan's fighting that monster!" Chi-chi exclaimed and rose back to her feet after she saw Gohan fall. She pulled the boy into her arms.
"Go distract him while I heal him," Dende whispered before Chi-chi flew up into the sky.
"Ah, so the woman has a little fight left within her," Frieza smirked. "Good. I can't wait to see what else I could do to her before I take her life." Gohan joined Chi-chi with a renewed and intimidating aura that lashed out aggressively.
"Seems his Saiya-jin blood made him get stronger after a near-death injury," Vegeta casually spoke.
"No matter, I'll do away with you pests one by one until there's no one left on this world!" Frieza threatened. Before he could do anything else, a blinding light filled the air and separating the warriors from Frieza was a cloaked figure wearing a billowing white cape. Chi-chi paled at the very thought of who was restored to life.
"So, this is Frieza," the gruff and familiar voice muttered.
"Yeah! Piccolo's here!" Gohan exclaimed.
"Why did you bring him back?" Chi-chi questioned.
"We had to because of the you-know-what." Krillin explained.
"Oh yeah," Chi-chi agreed.
"It seems I missed a warrior Namek." Frieza casually spoke. "I guess I'll have to make sure your kind's exterminated thoroughly."
"After what you've done to my people, I'll make you pay for coming to this planet." Piccolo vowed. "You guys take it easy. I'm going to take over this fight."
"R-right," Gohan nodded and grabbed Chi-chi's hand. For the moment, they were going to do what Piccolo asked. For an odd reason, that thought didn't settle well on Chi-chi's conscious and she knew that very soon, Frieza would transform yet again.
'Goku, please heal quickly. I don't want anyone here to die!' Chi-chi thought to herself. Piccolo landed upon the ground and the younger Namekian fled to hide from Frieza. Now it was time to see if Piccolo could finish Frieza off when they had failed to do so.
To Be Continued…