Unwanted Protection

Vegeta sat down at one of the long tables in the mess hall of Frieza's home base, ignoring the discomfort of sitting on the hard wood bench that threatened anyone who sat on it with the prospect of splinters. He dropped his tray of food – or what passed for food – on the table and stared at it for a moment, trying to figure out what exactly he was planning on ingesting. The largest portion of food, some sort of meat substance, jiggled like jelly. It was purple, translucent, and squishy, much like a jellyfish. He poked it with his fork several times, his lip curling as it bounced back from every assault. He pushed it aside with his fork and grunted when it wiggled back to its previous position. Maybe it was still alive. He could bet it would be chewy. 'What the hell is this shit? Must be some sort of delicacy from a new planet. Disgusting.'

The saiyan prince swallowed his revulsion and picked up the piece of meat, or whatever it was, and held it up to inspect more closely. He could see Nappa sitting down across from him, his body appearing violet and warped through the pseudo-meat. Vegeta dropped it on his tray and turned his attention to the pile of brown beans on the side. He knew from experience they were mostly flavorless at first, but left a horrendous bitter aftertaste he wasn't too fond of. On the bright side, they were packed full of nutrients his body craved. He poked a few with his fork and raised them to his mouth and forced them down.

Nappa, rather than analyzing his meal, dived right into eating it with true saiyan gusto. He had traveled more extensively through the universe than his young prince in his time and had eaten unimaginably repulsive foods. Nothing fazed him anymore, no matter how bad it looked or smelled. It wasn't as if taste and texture mattered to a saiyan anyway; their bodies could handle about anything that was edible from any planet in the known galaxies.

"Vegeta," he said, oblivious to the shower of bits of chewed up food he was giving his prince, "Did you hear that the Ginyu Force is coming to this base today?"

Vegeta grimaced and wiped the food-bits off his face with the back of his hand. "Nappa, you idiot, would you remember to fucking swallow before you speak?" he snarled. "And no, I hadn't heard. What concern is it to me? They're a bunch of dancing fools."

The bald saiyan swallowed his mouthful of food and apologized. He knew apologies meant nothing to Vegeta, but it was all he could do at that point after insulting him. He ate quietly for a few more minutes, watching with some amusement as Vegeta continued prodding his food with a serious lack of enthusiasm. "I heard they've added a new member to the force. Some little guy. Supposedly has the ability to stop time."

The smaller saiyan scoffed and ate some more beans, carefully hiding his distaste for them. "As if that's possible. Don't be a fool, Nappa. They're rumors."

"I don't know, Vegeta. They say he's a weak bucket of fat with four eyes. Nothing special in the physical department. He's got to have some sort of mental abilities or else Frieza wouldn't have put him on the force." Nappa pointed to the purple blob on Vegeta's tray, still untouched. "You going to eat that?"

"No." Vegeta shoved his tray across the table and crossed his arms over his chest. His stomach was still rumbling but he couldn't lower himself to eat that so-called food. "I don't care what his abilities are."

"Oh? Is that so, monkey?"

Vegeta turned his head to see who had addressed him so disrespectfully. Inside, he felt a pang of fear, but on the outside he showed nothing other than contempt. His brows lowered and his lip curled in a sneer. Not far from him stood the Ginyu Force, Frieza's elite squadron sent on only the most dangerous missions no other soldiers could handle. Vegeta hated them. Each of them were many times stronger than him, and that was a fact they enjoyed rubbing in his face every opportunity they got. Especially the orange one, Jeice. Pretty boy that he was, what with his long white hair, thick accent, and toned, lean muscles. It made Vegeta sick. He hated the way he flaunted his "successes" with the female kind. In Vegeta's opinion, that made him nothing more than a sissy. Females were simply objects to be used for his own amusement, not to be enjoyed on a personal level. Not to talk to. Vegeta shook his head to rid himself of these thoughts.

It was Captain Ginyu who had spoken to him, apparently having been listening in on his conversation with Nappa. Leave it to that old rubberneck to eavesdrop. He was the king of gossip in Frieza's army. Vegeta turned away from them and rapped his fingers on the table. Maybe if he ignored them they would go away and leave him alone. He wasn't in the mood for a brawl with them right now. More like a beat down. They didn't believe in fighting fair. Four on one – or, now that there was another member, five on one – was perfectly acceptable to them. He would be unable to defend himself against them no matter how strong he had become. While he wasn't necessarily opposed to being beaten, he simply didn't want to waste his time in a regeneration tank. Recovering from a near-death experience was by far the best way to gain strength fast, but he wanted to grow stronger by his own efforts. Through training and battling, not being humiliated at the hands of ballerina wannabes.

"Hey, monkey! What's the problem? Are you afraid?" Captain Ginyu laughed and elbowed the gigantic oaf, Recoome, who was standing next to him. The rest of the Ginyu Force joined in his boisterous laughter.

Vegeta grit his teeth. Defend his pride or continue ignoring them, letting them spread the rumor that he was afraid of them? His hands clenched into fists. He turned again and looked each of them in the eye. He wasn't afraid of them, he told himself. He would make sure they knew it. He met the glowing red eyes of Burter, the dark, calculating eyes of Captain Ginyu, the blank gaze of Recoome, the emerald green orbs of Jeice – that pansy! – and … the four eyes of someone Vegeta had never seen before. Must be the new kid on the block. More like a freak. He could hardly restrain his laughter when he saw the frog-like creature that sadly passed as an elite warrior in Frieza's army.

"Four eyes there is your newest member?" Vegeta asked. "What a joke!"

Captain Ginyu scowled at the saiyan prince. "This is Guldo, the fifth member of the elite Ginyu Force! Men, let's show him who we are!"

On Ginyu's cue, the four creatures standing around him moved into their mirroring poses and started dancing around the mess hall, kicking over tables and benches as they got in the way of their lengthy routine. Vegeta didn't bother watching them. Instead, he pulled his tray back to his side of the table and finished eating the beans and the piece of fruit. No matter how hungry he was, he was still going to avoid touching that purple mess of something.

"Burter!"

"Recoome!"

"Jeice!"

"Guldo!"

"Captain Ginyu!"

"Together we are the Ginyu Force!" they shouted in unison. Around them there were a few soldiers who clapped, unsure of whether applause should be given to the bizarre performance. Any applause given was more from fear and respect for the Ginyu Force's power and rank than for the idiotic poses they stood in at the end of their introduction.

'What a bunch of fools,' Vegeta thought, growling in irritation when he heard them approaching him from behind.

"Now what did you think of that?" Captain Ginyu asked. He was clearly proud of himself and his squadron for their rather unique dance moves. He considered himself the best choreographer in the universe.

"I think you proved you're a bunch of jackasses," Vegeta replied.

Captain Ginyu was abashed. "What? Jackasses? You wouldn't know style if it kicked you in the balls!"

"Right." Vegeta stood up and strode out of the mess hall, leaving the Ginyu Force staring at his receding back. They were furious with his attitude, but Frieza had given them a warning as soon as they arrived that they were not to touch Vegeta. The saiyan had been growing too strong too fast. Having him recover from severe injuries would only make him grow in power even faster. Frieza was not going to allow that. Vegeta's ego was already out of control. Allowing him to grow strong enough to defeat his stronger warriors would only inflate his ego further. He couldn't afford to have Vegeta make foolish mistakes because of his arrogance and get himself killed in battle. He was too much of an asset in his army to lose. Besides, he rather enjoyed the company of his pet monkey.

Vegeta had many more run-ins with the Ginyu Force over the next several hours. He passed them on his way out of the training facilities and got stuck behind them in line when he went to the mess hall for the midday meal. They crossed paths when he returned to his quarters and saw them walking toward Frieza's throne room when he went to his afternoon training. They seemed to be everywhere, always traveling in a group, pushing weaker soldiers aside, throwing insults, discussing new poses, and sharing the latest gossip. Every confrontation they had with Vegeta left him more on edge. Why didn't they attack him physically? Why were they exchanging harsh words with no blows? He could see their temper rising in every passing, no doubt hardly able to restrain themselves from lashing out at him with every verbal barb he gave them. He was getting entertainment from their frustration, but he was wary around them. He could only push them so far before their disagreements turned violent.

It was growing late, the distant sun having set hours ago when Vegeta left the training facilities to return to his quarters and get some rest before rising early for another session of exercise. He was alone in the corridors, every other soldier having already retired for the night. Vegeta rose before them and stayed up later every day; he was used to it. Alone in the morning, alone at night, but he preferred it that way. He was almost to his quarters when he heard the footsteps of another person coming from the opposite direction. 'Who would be wandering the halls at this hour?'

He rounded another bend in the winding corridor and saw Guldo, the newest and most pathetic member of the Ginyu Force walking in his direction. 'Ah, that freak. Probably he's going to Frieza's throne room. He's going in that direction, anyway. Maybe he's already gotten himself kicked off the force.' A small smirk crept across his face at that thought. What could be more amusing than seeing the Ginyus humiliated?

They passed in the hallway, never making eye contact. There was already obvious hatred between them. The first moment Vegeta saw Guldo he held him in contempt; such a pathetic, cowardly excuse for a warrior should never be held in higher esteem than himself. And Guldo, he hated Vegeta for his arrogant condescension. He already knew he was a relatively weak fighter, but the things he could do with his mind more than made up for what he lacked in physical prowess.

"I can see they've lowered their recruiting standards," Vegeta hissed. He took a few more steps before he heard the witless reply.

"Hey! Watch it, Vegeta. You'd better start watching your place, you arrogant saiyan monkey. You're nothing compared to us. We make the rules around here and you follow. The only reason you're even still breathing is because Lord Frieza has taken a liking to you."

Vegeta scoffed, and without turning, casually rested his hands on his hips. "Who do you think you are? The last I checked you took orders from Frieza the same as I do. Just because Frieza's put you on the Ginyu Force, it doesn't change a thing, you'll always be a sniveling four-eyed freak."

"What? Why you insolent little –"

Vegeta turned around and looked down at the pudgy Ginyu. "Now, if I called the shots, you'd be licking my boots!"

"Ah, now you've pushed me too far!" Guldo yelled, raising his hands above his head to start gathering energy for an attack on the saiyan prince.

Vegeta took a step back, preparing to defend himself. He knew he could easily overpower the little green creature, but he wasn't willing to completely disregard what he'd heard about his mental capabilities. It was better to stay cautious than to run into a fight blindly and pay dearly for it. He was about to block the attack, but it never came. Instead, a bright beam of light rocketed through the corridor and smashed into Guldo's back, sending him flying a few yards and rolling on the floor until he came to a stop. Vegeta raised an eyebrow as he looked down the hall to see who had stopped Guldo from attacking him.

"That's enough fun and games for one day, Vegeta," Frieza said after coming into view. He was in his hovering throne, perhaps having just finished his last audience for the night. "Play time is over. I have a job for you. There's a nice little planet I've had my eye on for some time. Why don't you join me and we'll conquer it together?"

"As you command, Lord Frieza," Vegeta said, bowing. When Frieza continued on down the corridor, Vegeta turned to Guldo who was still lying face-down on the floor. "Get used to that spot, Guldo, I'll see you there again." He laughed and ran after Frieza.

As he sped through the base, Vegeta couldn't help but wonder why Frieza was going on a mission with him. It was mostly unheard of for Frieza to lower himself to purging planets with his own might. That was why he had an army. 'What did Guldo say? Frieza's taken a liking to me and that's why I'm still alive? Has Frieza given them orders not to harm me?' He growled as he caught up to Frieza.

Frieza turned to him as he ran alongside his throne. "I do not require the services of the other monkeys. Report to the hangar immediately. We will leave base in one hour."

"Yes, Lord Frieza." Vegeta turned down the corridor that led to the hangar while Frieza went in a different direction. 'Why would he suddenly decide to protect me from the other soldiers? Bah! I don't want his protection! It's humiliating! Now everyone will think that I'm hiding under his wing like a coward.' He punched the wall as he ran by, denting the hard metal. 'I will not be disgraced like this!'

Vegeta ran to the hangar and boarded Frieza's ship, immediately heading for his quarters. Angry or not, he was still tired from a long day of training and taunting Ginyus. He entered the code to his room and went inside. He collapsed on the hard cot that was so familiar to him. It wasn't easy on his back, neck, or anything, really, but he was used to its lack of comfort. He didn't wake even when the ship's rocket boosters fired up and the heavy pressure of acceleration squeezed the breath out of his body. It was all familiar, all routine.

…

Yamcha ducked under the flash of metal. If he still had long hair it would have been cut off in that close call. He jumped and back-flipped over another swipe at his chest, his foot connecting with the blade and kicking it high into the air. As he landed he rolled to a safe distance away from his opponent, picking up his own sword on the way. He jumped to his feet and spun around, swinging his sword at arm's length. He pulled his sword back when he saw her jump over the blade. Before he could raise his sword to defend himself, she kicked his chin, knocking him over backward.

Bulma stretched her left arm above her head and caught her sword as it fell. She smirked at her boyfriend as he sprawled out in the sand of Master Roshi's beach. She held her hand out to Yamcha to help him to his feet. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and smiled at her.

"You're doing really well, Bulma," he told her. "I think you've mastered this. I don't think there's anything else I can teach you. Just keep practicing."

"Thanks, Yam," she said. "I've actually been working on something with my sword. Check it out." Bulma held up her sword for him to see. The afternoon sun reflected off its polished surface. Her brows furrowed as she concentrated her ki until the sword seemed to glow with its own light. She grinned. "See? I can use my ki to make it a sort of extension of my own body! Isn't it cool?"

Yamcha stared at the sword and reached out to it. Before he could touch it, her ki leaped out and burned his fingers. "Ouch! Wow, Bulma, that's really neat. I never thought of doing anything like that."

Bulma nodded. "Yeah, well, I have to think of ways to give myself an advantage. I mean, I've got the skills and everything, but I'm still never going to be as strong as the rest of you guys no matter how hard I train." She returned her sword to its sheath and rested her hands on her hips. "It's a handy trick. Maybe it'll come in useful sometime."

"Let's hope you never have to use it." Yamcha put his hand on her back and guided her into the pink shack. They sat down in the living room to rest for a while. "I can't believe the World Martial Arts Tournament is in two days. I'm going to win it this time!"

Bulma crossed her legs and laughed. "Yamcha, I think you're forgetting who else is entering the tournament. Have you forgotten about a little boy named Goku?"

Yamcha laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, ok, so maybe I won't be able to win the championship, but I'm still going to do better than I did last year. I can't wait to see how much stronger he's gotten these past three years. I hope he's been training hard. I want a good challenge."

"Don't worry. That kid is definitely going to surprise us."

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Bulma laughed again and rested her head on Yamcha's shoulder. "Oh come on, you said yourself you want a good challenge. He'll give you one. I wish I could compete, but I wouldn't have a chance."

"I don't know, you could probably beat all the average fighters there. You might even be able to make it to the quarterfinals." Yamcha put his arm around her shoulders and held her close to him. In all honesty, he didn't really want her to compete in the tournament. He couldn't stand the idea of her getting hurt in a real fight without him there to protect her. He did believe she stood a fair chance at making it through the elimination rounds. She constantly underestimated her own strength. She forgot she was weaker than he, Krillin, Goku, and even Roshi because they were among the strongest warriors in the whole world. She was doing well to learn how to manipulate her ki and fight with a sword at her level. She was unable to get the hang of manipulating her ki into a wave like the kamehameha, but she could still use it to build her strength, and now she was able to use it with her sword, which was a technique all her own. She was a really good fighter, which he loved about her, but she was still his girlfriend and he still didn't want her fighting outside of friendly spars.

She kissed his cheek. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, but I think I'll pass. I fight for fun anyway, not to win competitions." She shrugged. It didn't matter if she could hold her own in the tournament or not, she didn't have much interest in fighting a bunch of big, smelly men and entering the ring in front of a huge crowd. Her satisfaction in fighting came from simple victories in spars, not from winning the adulation of hundreds of cheering fans. In any case, her interest in fighting was waning. Having completed college a year and a half earlier, starting work at Capsule Corporation and maintaining her relationship with her boyfriend had taken precedence.

"Whatever you say."

Bulma ran her hand through her cropped hair. She gave up her long hair when he kept getting in her eyes when she was fighting. She hoped to grow it out again. Short hair didn't really suit her well. It made her look like she was middle-aged, not a 20 year-old. "Where's Roshi and the others anyway? I haven't seen them all afternoon."

Yamcha looked out the window. "I think they went with Launch into town to go shopping. They'll probably be back soon."

"Hm, we have the house all to ourselves for a while, huh?" she asked. She winked at him suggestively and moved a little closer to him.

He blushed a little. "Yeah… guess so."

…

In Frieza's spaceship, it only took two weeks to reach the planet the tyrant wanted to add to his collection of worlds. Vegeta was in the throne room when the planet came into view. He saw the planet long before they got to it. He had to admit it was a large planet, if nothing else, a beautiful golden orb floating in the void of space. Other than its size and color, what was so great about it? If Vegeta knew Frieza, it was full of useful resources, perhaps a sort of metal or other mineral he could mine and use for the creation of even greater technology to further expand his intergalactic empire. Frieza would never personally purge a planet that he intended to sell in the Planet Trade. This was a sort of trophy for him. Perhaps the inhabitants were strong enough that Frieza did not want to rely on his soldiers to defeat them? That was the only explanation Vegeta could come up with, and it made him nervous. Yet his anxiety was overpowered by his excitement. Finally, he had been waiting years for a real challenge on one of his missions.

The ship touched down on the planet twenty minutes after it first became visible through the window in Frieza's throne room. Vegeta crossed his arms over his chest as he looked out the window. It seemed like forever that they were passing through tree branches clothed in golden leaves each larger than the saiyan's body. The branches themselves had a girth of over ten feet, even thicker near the trunks that were so wide he couldn't see around them from his view on the ship.

'What kind of planet is this?' he wondered when the hatch opened. A warm breeze blew in the ship, rustling his flame of hair. The wind carried a wild scent of untamed beasts, flourishing fauna, and rotten leaves on the forest floor. Frieza came up behind him, as always in his throne. Vegeta often wondered why, if the lizard was so powerful, he never left his throne aside from the times he needed greater mobility to beat someone, usually him. Whatever the reason, Frieza rode in his throne down the hatch, followed closely by Zarbon on his right and Dodoria on his left. Vegeta sneered at them. Dodoria only achieved his high status through his merciless, messy killings on purges and his betrayal of his own comrades who were stronger. He killed them when they were unguarded. Vegeta didn't pity them; they were weak fools that deserved death if they were stupid enough to trust anyone, especially someone as clearly despicable as Dodoria.

Dismissing his thoughts, Vegeta trailed after them, his eyes constantly shifting around his surroundings as he expected an attack from all angles. The ship's feet were balanced on a web of enormous roots protruding from the ground. The trees must have been ancient, hundreds or thousands of years old. There was no other way they could have grown so large. Was everything on the planet so astoundingly huge? Or was it only the trees? Did the beasts compare in size? Or the people, assuming there were any? Vegeta pushed the button on his scouter to assess the life forms of the planet. He halted, his eyes widened in surprise – and fear. The power levels were greater than he had ever seen before outside of Frieza's army. Many of them were over 30,000.

"Is something the matter, monkey?"

Vegeta looked forward and saw the small group ahead of him turned, waiting for him to catch up. It was Frieza who spoke. "No, of course not," he mumbled, racing to reach them.

Frieza laughed. "Well, that's good. I wouldn't want you to be scared."

The saiyan growled. Had he really let his expression slip that much? No matter, he wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing his fear again. It was simple, he just wouldn't be afraid anymore. Why he had been in the first place was a good question. So what if the planet's natives were stronger? He'd fought and killed warriors stronger than himself before. These would be no different.

In front of him Frieza, Zarbon, and Dodoria continued forward with Vegeta bringing up the rear. 'Isn't anyone else going to come on this mission?' Vegeta glanced over his shoulder at the ship. The hatch was closed. There was no one else behind him. He swallowed hard and hastened his steps to keep up with the others. He wasn't scared, but he wasn't foolish enough to get separated from them in case there was an ambush. He kept his scouter on in case anyone was to move closer for an attack. He had yet to see any natives, but they had to be lurking around somewhere.

He stopped in his tracks when he thought he heard someone close by, someone whispering in a language he had never heard before. How a language could sound ancient, he didn't know, but it did. He turned to his left, but all he could see were trees, ferns, and dead leaves. He didn't continue moving for a couple minutes, waiting for whoever was there to show themselves, but no one did. Hesitantly, he kept going, running across the soft, bouncy surface of the forest floor coated in a thick layer of leaves that blew up behind him as he practically flew across the ground.

'This place is giving me the creeps. It's too quiet.' Every minute that passed made Vegeta more uneasy. Something needed to happen soon or he was going to lose his mind. He gasped when every power level on his scouter suddenly disappeared. He turned his head from the left to the right, spun around on his heel, and made sure no one was above him in the branches high above. He didn't see anyone anywhere, and now he had no way of knowing if anyone was closing in on him if his scouter couldn't pick up their energy signals.

A breeze blew up, stirring the fallen leaves around him. He jumped high in the air, thinking something was perhaps burrowing below him. Nothing appeared. He felt foolish when he landed on one of the thick branches. He could walk its length without fear of slipping off. He went until the branch forked and stopped, looking around in all directions. He could see Frieza and his faithful minions down below. He hated how relaxed they were, as if they were going for a stroll through the woods where only rabbits and songbirds would cross their path.

Thinking he heard whispering behind him, Vegeta whirled around so fast he nearly lost his footing at the fork. As before, no one was there. He ground his teeth and took a deep, calming breath. He was hearing things. Maybe it was the wind blowing through the leaves. Maybe it was small animals crawling through the branches. Maybe it was his imagination, nothing more. Whatever the case, he was tired of it. He shook his head and dropped down to the ground close behind Frieza.

That was how the first four days on the planet went. Frieza led the way, aimlessly wandering the planet, or so Vegeta suspected. He constantly heard what sounded like whispers all around him, and the power levels that his scouter first detected were nowhere to be found. It was as if there was no life on the planet. But that was impossible. Why would Frieza bring them to a deserted planet? And how would he have gotten such high readings if there was no one there? It didn't make sense. Nothing made sense. Vegeta felt like he was going insane. Even if they were ambushed by a hundred warriors with power levels of 50,000 he wouldn't care, at least something would be happening.

But then, on the fifth day, something did happen. They had been walking nonstop for hours when Vegeta again thought he heard someone a few yards to his right. He stopped and peered through the forest. He backpedaled a few steps when he saw someone, finally. The face of a young girl, maybe in her early teens, peeking out at him. She had darkly tanned skin, pale blue eyes, and long, chestnut hair that flowed around her face and neck in shining waves. As soon as he saw her she disappeared behind the tree.

'Was I imagining that too?' Vegeta braced himself against the tree trunk and considered whether he should pursue the girl who may have been a figment of his imagination or run to catch up to Frieza. In the end, his curiosity won out and he ran around the base of the tree, nearly tripping over the roots several times. He never caught another glimpse of her by the time he made a complete circuit around the tree. "That's it!" he yelled. "If someone is there, come out right now!" Aside from Frieza and his men laughing, Vegeta heard nothing. He punched the trunk of the tree several times until the whole thing shook and leaves fell from their branches. "Quit mocking me! Show yourself!"

"Vegeta, do calm down," Frieza said. "You surely don't expect anyone to come out from hiding with you howling like an animal, do you?"

Vegeta snarled. "No, Lord Frieza."

"Then get over here and keep your mouth shut, monkey."

Thoroughly humiliated, Vegeta hopped over to where Frieza was waiting. "As you command, Lord Frieza."

Later that day, when the sun was slipping down through the heavens, Vegeta heard a faint giggle close behind him. He turned on his heel, but again no one was there. Nothing but a gentle breeze blew, caressing his face with the softest touch. It almost felt like five fingers stroking his cheek. 'What the hell is going on? I want off this planet! I can't stand it! Am I the only one hearing these things?'

Frieza came to an abrupt stop. "I am quite satisfied with this planet. Zarbon, Dodoria, kill everyone."

"Yes, Lord Frieza," they said, bowing.

Vegeta scoffed. How were they going to kill everyone if no one was there? He only saw one person, and that might have been a mere apparition. He was shocked when Zarbon and Dodoria took their fighting stances and a multitude of people appeared in the branches overhead. Many of them looked like the girl he had seen, with dark complexions, long, wild hair, and pale blue eyes, orbs of ice. But unlike the girl, they weren't smiling. Their faces were painted and they looked ready for battle.

"What? There's actually a group of natives here?" Vegeta breathed.

Frieza cackled. "Of course there is, Vegeta. Why else would I have come here? You mean to tell me you haven't seen them the whole time we've been here? You disappoint me."

"But – but –"

"Really, Vegeta. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that we've been surrounded since we landed."

Vegeta's hands clenched at his sides. "Of course, Lord Frieza."

"Now watch as true warriors battle these cretins."

The saiyan prince sighed and turned his attention to where Zarbon and Dodoria were facing off against the natives. He was displeased with being stuck on the sidelines watching when he would rather be in the fray, even if he was outmatched in strength. It wasn't long before Vegeta found out why he hadn't been able to see anyone for days despite being constantly surrounded. They could be there one second and the next they would disappear in a small gust of wind. What a strange technique! He had never seen anything like it before.

"Incredible."

"Yes," Frieza agreed. "A fascinating ability. But it won't save them."

Vegeta watched as Dodoria struck one of the men before he could dematerialize. His body fell to the ground, either dead or unconscious. Without waiting to find out which it was, Dodoria blasted the body with a beam of ki from his gullet. The man's body slowly disintegrated into nothing. "That takes care of that one," Dodoria said, slapping the dirt off his hands.

"It's dead?" Vegeta asked.

"Yes." Frieza glanced over at Vegeta, then turned back to the fighting.

"Is this why the scouters can't detect them? They don't exist half the time."

"Correct. I'm impressed your monkey brain finally figured it out."

Vegeta's lip curled, but he said nothing. He was not going to give Frieza an excuse to beat him. He crossed his arms over his chest and watched as Zarbon and Dodoria together killed another dozen or so warriors. It almost seemed effortless on their part once they got into the swing of fighting the strange people.

The tyrant rested his chin in his hand, rather bored with what he saw. "Vegeta, my pet, why don't you go help them out? I'm sure you're itching for a good fight."

Frieza couldn't be more right. After seeing how it was possible to defeat the natives, he was trembling with excitement to try his hand in battle. Yes, they were strong. They were skillful. They could disappear without a trace and reappear anywhere only a moment later. And that made them a challenge he couldn't turn down. As soon as Frieza gave his permission, Vegeta leaped into the midst of the fighting and started striking the natives before they could see him. Once they regained their bearings, he was put on the defensive, blocking blows so fast he could barely see them before they hit.

"No! I will not be defeated!" Vegeta grabbed the wrist of one of his adversaries and spun him around, taking out the rest of them. Stunned, the man couldn't think to disappear before he was met with a blast of ki from the palm of Vegeta's hand.

Zarbon scoffed when he saw Vegeta's short tantrum. "Nice one monkey, you take care of the weaklings. Leave the real fighting to us." He drove his elbow into the throat of the man he was fighting.

"Oh shut up," Vegeta spat. He jumped into the branches to take on more fighters, not caring how strong they were or how many there were. But he didn't know what he was getting himself into. He chose the wrong warriors to battle because within a few minutes he was on the receiving end of more punches and kicks than he could count. He found himself lying on the ground, curled in the fetal position with his hands covering his head as they rained hits down on him in a blazing fury of savage intensity. "Get off me!" he screamed. "Stop it, you can't do this to me!"

"Oh, Vegeta, you pathetic little fool."

Vegeta moved his arm to see the lizard standing above him. He felt no more kicks, no more punches, nothing. He bolted up to his feet and looked around. There was a pile of bodies around him, fading into the forest. Dead. They were all dead from one swift attack from Frieza. He could hardly stand the shame. He was saved by the monster he served! He hated the lizard more in that moment than he had ever hated him before. How dare he rescue him as if he were a helpless child? He could take care of himself. He didn't need someone to hold his hand through battle, no matter how high the odds were stacked against him. He would sooner die than receive a helping hand from Frieza of all people.

"I can see you're not ready for this level of fighting, little monkey. I was wrong about you. What a pity." Frieza levitated off the ground and returned to his throne. "Go back to the ship where you won't get in the way, Vegeta."

"What?"

"Did I stutter? Go back to the ship!"

Vegeta stood there staring at him for a few long moments, disbelieving his order. When he realized it was no joke, Vegeta bowed. "Yes, Lord Frieza. I will return at once." He had to fight to keep his head held high as he made his retreat from the battlefield. He could hear the mocking laughter of Zarbon and Dodoria following him. His face burned with the blush that crept across his cheeks and spread to his ears. When he reached the ship the hatch was already opened for him. He hoped he wouldn't run into anyone onboard. He was just going to sneak off to his quarters for the duration of the voyage to Frieza's home base.

Two weeks passed with no one seeing hide nor tail of Vegeta on Frieza's ship. More than once Frieza considered sending for him, but he figured the saiyan was humiliated enough, stewing in his own feelings of ineptitude. Nothing he could say or do would make that humiliation greater, so he left the saiyan to himself hiding in his quarters for the entire trip to his home base. But when they landed and Vegeta still did not emerge from his room, he was forced to send Zarbon to retrieve him. Maybe enough time had passed for an effective public humiliation.

Frieza was in his throne room on base when Vegeta was dragged in, fighting against the hold Zarbon had on him with every ounce of strength he possessed. "Come now, Vegeta, be reasonable. You know you're too weak to fight Zarbon. I want to know where you've been these past two weeks." Frieza smirked at the saiyan.

Vegeta yanked his arms free from Zarbon and knelt down before Frieza. "I was aboard your ship, Lord Frieza." He swallowed. 'You know that you idiot.'

The tyrant rolled his eyes. "Obviously, monkey. But where on my ship? I didn't see you once for the whole two weeks it took us to travel here."

"My private quarters, Lord Frieza."

"I see. What a drab place to spend two whole weeks." Frieza waved in dismissal. "I suppose you had to lick your wounds, as they say. Go now. I have more important matters to attend to."

As much as he hated being waved off without a second thought as if he were a lowly foot soldier, Vegeta rose and rushed out of the throne room. If that was as bad as his punishment was going to be, he would take it. His pride couldn't handle much more of this. On his way out of the throne room, however, the Ginyu Force was on the way in for an audience with Frieza.

Guldo stopped in front of Vegeta, blocking his path. "Now who's the pathetic, weakling coward, you stupid saiyan? I heard what happened on that mission. You're nothing! At least I would have been able to kill the people there."

"Now, now Guldo," Frieza said, loud enough for everyone to hear. "Vegeta can't help that he is still a child. Desist your taunting. I don't want you hurting my pet's feelings."

"Of course, Lord Frieza," Guldo said.

"Get out of my way," Vegeta growled.

The short Ginyu looked up at the saiyan who was shaking with barely restrained rage. His teeth were bared, his tail was bristled, and his fists were clenched. He wanted to fight. Despite thinking he was the superior warrior, Guldo was intimidated. He stepped aside and let the saiyan prince pass without further comment. It was a small victory on Vegeta's part, but it was not nearly enough to mend his wounded honor. Protected by Frieza, again. He felt fury bubbling inside, threatening to explode. If only he could have his revenge now. Maybe then he would be able to feel better.

'You better watch yourself Guldo. I won't forget this. You'll pay when the time is right.'

A/N: Thank you so much for all the reviews. You gave me lots of encouragement and helpful critique, especially nonoreality, Sam, and Sleeping Aryll. You kind of put into words what I've been trying to figure out in my own writing. I have been trudging on with writing and I think I might be getting a second wind since I'm finally out of canon territory. It's much easier for me to write when I don't have to follow someone else's storyline (as you may have noticed in the past few chapters with Bulma - again thanks to the reviewers that pointed this out to me). So, I may be able to continue without a break, but I'm still not sure. If I do take one, it definitely won't be a year-long hiatus or anything like that, don't worry.

You know I really can't help but think how funny it is that Vegeta lovers seem to love reading about Vegeta being tortured and stuff. There is some misery lit coming up, but it does have a point. I know sometimes it seems repetitive when Vegeta is beaten again and again because you get the point fast; he was beaten and twisted and his abuse makes him lose his conscience etc, etc. That's true, but there's more to it than that (at least in my story) and I hope you pick up on it. I hope that in this chapter you were made more aware of the very strange relationship between Frieza and Vegeta. It's something I think was hinted at in canon and I try to play it up a little in my writing.

I know I basically skipped Bulma's training, but I honestly didn't feel like writing it and I wasn't sure how to anyway. Suffice it to say she trained with Roshi and Yamcha and got a lot stronger. She won't compete in the WMAT even though she's strong enough because she compares her strength to her friends, so she still sees herself as not strong enough. Anyway, it's been a long time since she was with Vegeta and her interest in fighting is declining.

So I guess I admit I got a little lazy in some of these chapters. I've tried editing them, but at this point I can hardly stand to read my own writing, much less improve it. Maybe when the story's done and I've been away from it for a while I'll go back and edit them more thoroughly. I do apologize for a lack of quality. I only want to give you the best, really, but sometimes good enough is the best I can do. Maybe a beta reader would help? Maybe more than one beta reader? Anyone want to give it a go? Well, I think that's enough explaining for one chapter. Until next time, keep reviewing. Your feedback is very much helpful and appreciated!

Vegeta: 22
Bulma: 20