Chapter 23- It takes one hit

So it had come to this. Krillin was our last hope. No offence to him but I think if the people of earth had known their energy was gonna end up with Krillin, they wouldn't have given it.

Krillin hadn't got over it either. He just kept gasping like a fish out of water.

Gohan wasn't gonna hold out forever though. Stamina was a thing that came with age. And unfortunately Vegeta had that advantage in major. Gohan was only five, whereas Vegeta had to be in late twenties at least.

Speaking of Gohan, Vegeta had just flown up behind and landed a fist in the back- promising a painful trip to the rocks. It didn't go unnoticed by Krillin either, who crept carefully up a plateau one-handed, still marveling at the energy in his other hand. Grim determination lit up his dull blue eyes. The ki twisted, molding itself into a spherical ball of light. It seemed smaller in his palm, but somehow seemed a lot more deadly.

All he has to do is aim and fire. Shouldn't be too hard.

Except Vegeta wasn't going to be an easy target. Gohan took a deep breath before taking up position in the sky, lunging forward at Vegeta with another barrage of fists. Krillin dotted his gaze between the areas Gohan and Vegeta passed through, frowning with frustration as he couldn't get a clear hit.

The kid successfully dodged Vegeta's legs, and brought his arms above his head to fire a wave of lightning yellow ki. I vaguely remembered it being called a masenko.

When we used to train, Gohan could only pull out two of those at most- yet now he was constantly charging more, throwing them at Vegeta only for him to disappear each time.

If Krillin was finding it hard to get a lock on before, he certainly was now.

Gohan finally gave up and switched his tactic to ground attacks. Vegeta was only to happy to oblige. Obviously thinking that he was quite capable of eliminating Gohan on either terrain.

Fighting Goku had defiantly taken its toll on Vegeta. The wear and tear showing as three haggard lines above his forehead. Bags were starting to form under his black eyes too.

A mere human would have been flat out by now, even I would if it wasn't for my rage before keeping me up. These saiyans were incredible to say the least.

Vegeta still smiled wearily, pulling energy together and forming them as small beams at Gohan. It was all he could do to flip and dodge each one. Distraction must have been on his mind, because after letting rip the last beam he caught Gohan mid-dodge to launch him into a pillar.

There was a crack and Gohan stayed sat down, his back leaving a dent in the hard rock. He was still conscious and breathing, but he was undeniably tired. He watched Vegeta with those resigned child-like eyes.

Krillin watched like a cat with a mouse, grinding his teeth as if about to scream.

Vegeta slowed down now, knowing he could take it easy as Gohan was struggling to stay on the brink on consciousness.

Unwittingly, he had created an opening. He lurched forward heavily on each foot, before stopping a metre or so in front of the helpless kid.

'Please don't fuck this up Krillin' I prayed silently.

Krillin looked up as if he heard, and then catapulted the ball. It zoomed like a homing missile at Vegeta, who didn't miss the whistle in the air.

He turned..and it clipped him. A smile blossomed on his startled features as it went for Gohan instead.

"Fuck!" I tugged on a strand of hair exasperatedly-luckily no one heard.

'How did he manage to fuck it up!" Melanie was silent.

Then it happened. Gohan threw out his hands at the last moment, and the energy just bounced of them. As luck would have it, Vegeta was still turned to his side, and the energy was upon him before anyone had time to react.

Next thing we knew, Vegeta was racing towards the sun with a energy ball up his ass.

I collapsed onto my back, letting out a deep pool of air I hadn't realized I was holding back.

This time it was over. Surely there was nothing more.

I may not have been in the battle myself, but just watching had been exhausting. I was just about ready to crash out where I lay, sorting through my thoughts of the horrors of today.

A cheer went up from Gohan and Krillin quickly joined in. Somewhere rocks crumbled as the two jumped down and went to Goku. I wished I could join in. But I wouldn't do it. I wasn't one of them, and it had never been my fight. It was not mine to celebrate.

At least it's over now Piccolo. I kept my promise.

The cheers stopped as something hit the ground with a thud. Someone stood and walked over to it.

"At least we don't have to look at his ugly face anymore" Krillin said darkly.

I realized he was referring to Vegeta. It was wrong, but I did feel a slight sorrow for him.

No one should have to die because of others misdeeds. The others would laugh at me if I told them, but I believed that somewhere Vegeta hadn't always been like that. Maybe the Frieza person he had mentioned to Nappa was responsible- maybe he wasn't.

It was something I would never know now.

"Who's ugly" An all too familiar voice growled. I was on my knees instantly. Vegeta was lying on his back with one eye open.

He was still alive.

"But how!?" Krillin cried in outrage. Vegeta smirked and swayed to his feet, using his backhand to propel Krillin into the rocks.

"You. Stupid. Fools. Did you really think it was over? Well think again. I've had enough of this planet's vermin. I have just enough energy left in me to make sure I finish you all of"

His arms hung loosly at his sides, and his chest filled up with oxygen and energy as he blew a white wave of explosive ki outwards. It rocked through the entire wasteland, knocking Gohan and the others onto their backs, coming to stop a few metres from where they had been before.

Yet they were still alive.

Vegeta was truly at his end. He didn't even have the power to finish us of no more. It was pitiful really, as he made his way over to Gohan.

"That should have finished you fools of!" He yelled in anger.

Gohan lay on his stomach on a rock, dead to the world around him. It was only then I saw his tail had grown back.

At first it meant nothing, but the fake moon above twinkled in the corner of my eye.

Horror was Vegeta's next expression as he came to the same realization.

Dread filled the pit of my stomach.

God forbid the kid turned around.