THE PRINCE OF ASH AND SNOW
PART TWO
by The Not-So-Super Saiyan
based off the web comic by Stupidoomdoodles
and inspired by the works of LadyVegeets
CHAPTER TWELVE: THE FORCE
Content Warning: graphic depiction of violence, strong language
SEPTEMBER 19th
"Oh Vegeta, dear, you can drop the act. I know you're just," Ginyu's voice purred as he sucked in a sharp breath, "shivering with anticipation."
"Tzch. Honestly, I couldn't give a fuck. I just want you to stop talking."
"Aren't you just dying to know how I figured you out?"
He was. His mind raced, what had he done that gave himself away? He had been so goddamn careful. Somewhere he had made a mistake that was going to cost him his life and possibly Bulma's as well.
Vegeta struggled to control his breathing, he couldn't let Ginyu know he was spiralling out of control. In an effort to stop hyperventilating, he stopped breathing all together. His lungs began to spasm. Hitting the mute on the phone he folded like a fan, his lungs exploding into action. He felt lightheaded.
Blue. Bulma. He has her. He knows...he knows.
"You're getting sloppy Vegeta. You let your guard down."
In that very moment the world stopped. Everything else was gone, in its place there was only Vegeta and his survival.
Ginyu was right, he had let his guard down. He had been so focused on the call he hadn't done a sweep of the perimeter or the room. A mistake he would not make again. Vegeta had returned, his senses sharpened.
The window had been open prior to his arrival and the skinny street dog in front of the motel had barked incessantly. Now the open window wafted in the sweet scent of hot earth and an eerie silence.
"Tell me, Vegeta, what is it like," Ginyu mocked wistfully, "to be in love?"
Ginyu spoke but Vegeta did not hear him. He slowly reached for his gun with his right hand, his movement impossibly slow and hidden from the window. His eyes moved just enough to see the window out of his peripherals.
He could feel someone there.
The hairs on the back of his neck prickled as the wind picked up, rustling the leaves of the low mango tree across the street.
Then it happened all at once. Vegeta dropped to the ground, laying flush against the rough, stale carpet his shoulder making contact with the floor, he flipped himself over to roll out from under the window. A bullet ripped through the air right where his left eye socket was moments before. It shattered the dingy mirror on the wall into a thousand shards of glass. They rained down on the bed and on Vegeta. He covered his face with his right arm snatching the duffle bag with his left, a bullet just nearly missing his hand and burrowing into the mattress, down fluff floating through the air.
Bullets were not flying wantonly. Whoever it was, they were patient and extremely precise. But Vegeta had been faster.
The Force...Ginyu sent The Force.
Under Frieza's command he operated a small team of elite Ice Men, it was simply known as The Force. Frieza sent them in when there was no room for error. Vegeta smirked, it had been far too long since he'd felt this alive.
He wasn't going to stick around long enough for the sniper to get another shot at him. He scrambled through the splintered glass to the open bathroom and threw the small window open. Pulling himself up he shot his legs through the window and dropped to the ground outside.
"What do you mean you left him a message?" Krillin questioned as he straightened up the piles of papers strewn about the cabin of the aircraft.
"I mean just what I said, dumbass. I left a message with Goku to rendezvous with us. I left his tickets and information with my dad. Hopefully he's smarter than you or Frieza will catch us and we'll all die and we'll never get to Kami's."
Bulma had been in a sour mood for the past couple of months, but nothing compared to how incredibly unpleasant she had been to the two of them since they'd set off.
"Gee, Bulma you don't have to get nasty about it y'know? I was just askin'." He shoved more of the trash Bulma had left littered about in a trash bag. He wanted to tell her what a slob she had been, but thought better of it.
Bulma stared wistfully out the window of the plane then back at the burner phone in her hand.
Vegeta had done what he set out to do. But at what cost?
Vegeta landed gracefully on the ground on the balls of his feet, his palms steadying him. It would have been a flawless escape had he not landed right in front of a greasy, bulbous man.
The man scoffed, puffing on a cigar. "Where do you think you're going?" He taunted in his obnoxious Jersey accent as he blew cigar smoke in Vegeta's face.
Guldo. Vegeta was almost honored that Ginyu thought so highly of him to send two of his elites after him. Almost. Vegeta slowly stood smirking at the shorter man.
It had been a long time since the two of them had fought and Vegeta was a lot stronger now. This could be fun.
"Vegeta, how nice to see you. Why don't you stay a while?" He shifted the cigar in his mouth, chewing on the end. The gold chain around his neck catching the light of the streetlamps.
Vegeta sighed causally. "Hate to say it but... I'm gonna have to take a rain check, you see I'm awful busy at the moment and...tsk...I gotta run." he slung the bag so it hung off the opposite shoulder and across his chest. Casually shifting his weight, he gestured to the dark street behind Guldo.
"Well then, we seem to be at a impart." Guldo sneered, pulling a shiny set of brass knuckles from his back pocket. He slid them onto his meaty fingers, moving them around and adjusting for the weight.
"Impasse."
"What?"
"The word is impasse, Guldo." Vegeta picked at his nails casually, looking incredibly unimpressed.
"You fuckin' prick. God, I always hated you. Always such a smug lil' fucker. I'm gonna beat that smile off your ugly face just like I used to when you were a kid."
Vegeta slid the knife from the holster on his back, flipping the blade around with a flourish and gripping the handle once again. A dark smile curled around his teeth as they flashed white in the darkness.
"You're more than welcome to try."
JULY 2nd, two months earlier
Bulma bounced down the stairs to her workshop, humming an airy tune. She was so close, she could just feel it. The answer was there, she just had to find it. She punched in her code and with a click of the automatic lock, she swung the door open.
Her heart stopped.
"Ve-Vegeta?"
There he stood silently, feet apart, arms crossed taught over his chest, and her duffle bag slung over his shoulder.
No, it couldn't be.
"Wh-what are you doing down here?" She knew the answer. But she didn't want to. This wasn't happening. It couldn't be.
He smirked at her, his eyes no longer playful but dark. "Oh, you're such a clever little girl, I'm sure you can figure it out."
He circled around her like a hungry animal and for the first time she was truly, genuinely afraid of him.
"Honestly I was not impressed. I expected so much more from you. Oh well, doesn't matter now." With a graceful sweep of his arm, he reached into the back of his jeans and pulled out the gun, clicking off the safety and aiming it between her eyes.
A fluttering gasp escaped her lips as she screwed her eyes shut. In an instant he was upon her, cold metal prickled against the flesh of her cheek. With the other hand he pinched her cheeks between his fingers.
"Open your eyes and look at me."
She shook her head meekly.
"What's the passcode to the program simulation, Miss Briefs?" she flinched at the formal name. Tears streamed down her cheeks. She felt the gun shift as it clicked.
"Three."
She bit her lip.
"Two."
No, this couldn't be happening.
"O-"
"It's….it's pineapple." the words poured generously from her mouth.
She met his gaze, hatred burning from the small broken pieces of her heart. He smiled, leaning in and kissing her on the lips. She tried to pull away but he had her trapped.
"Thanks sweetheart." He patted her on the cheek condescendingly and walked to the stairs.
"Oh, and don't try to follow me. If you send Kakarot I will kill not only him, but everyone you know."
He saw the metal tray swing at him just in time to dodge. He met her attack in kind with a slap to her cheek. It stung. Hard. She felt the flesh begin to swell and tears once again sting her eyes.
"You fucking bastard." she screamed.
He turned away, opening the door once again, without turning back he muttered coldly.
"I always told you I was a bad man." There was a hint of sadness buried deep in his voice.
SEPTEMBER 19th
Guldo swung at Vegeta, his fist cutting through the air, Vegeta grasped the back of his thick arm and rolled along the side of it until he was behind Guldo. 180 degrees from where he had started.
"Stay still you fucking ass hat." Guldo spat.
Vegeta couldn't help but laugh. This was fun. Too much fun.
Vegeta bounced lightly on his feet, the duffle bag slapping his back as he did. Guldo turned to face him.
"I thought you said you were the fastest man in the world?" he taunted the shorter man.
"That's Burter. But you'll never make it to fighting him. Because I'm gonna fuckin' kill you first." Guldo screamed as he swung at Vegeta once again.
Vegeta's right hand shot out in the dark, grasping his throat, his other hand grabbing a handful of Guldo's stringy slicked back hair and yanking him backwards. His foot slid in between Guldo's legs sweeping them from underneath him and causing the man to crash to the ground, in the process, pulling the brass knuckles off his hand.
Vegeta snorted cockily.
"I'm honestly insulted. Is this the best that Frieza has to offer?"
Guldo looked up and past Vegeta, a nasty smirk contorting his fat face.
Vegeta whipped around his eyes catching the smallest red dot that danced across his shirt. He had to time it just right. Rolling right as the bullet whizzed from the gun. It struck Guldo through the shoulder.
No time to waste.
Guldo screamed but before his body could hit the ground Vegeta's hand sliced through the air.
Guldo toppled to the ground. Head and body falling in different directions.
He pivoted again. The sniper was gone.
Shit.
Vegeta took off in the direction of the building. His sprint nearly silent as he bounced off the bumper of a parked car, grabbing onto a windowsill, flipped himself up, and scrambling to the top of the roof.
Vegeta could see the figure hop to the next roof. He wasted no time, sprinting and throwing himself across the distance, his ankle turning right as he lept. His ribs collided with the hard concrete edge of the next building, knocking the air from his lungs. He scrambled and clawed his way onto the roof spinning around, his eyes slowly tracking through the darkness to the figure as he hopped to the roof of the next building.
Vegeta took aim and threw the long blade at the figure. He fell and skid on the concrete. Cursing.
Ha. Gotcha.
Backing up, he ran as fast as he could and closed the gap between him and the sniper. He stood over him as he scrambled to try and stand and failed, a knife sticking from the center of his spine.
Vegeta wedged a shoe around his foot and with a swift circle of his leg flipped them over.
A young Australian man with leathery tan skin and nearly white hair stared back at him. Huffing and shaking, the fear in his eyes betrayed him.
"Vegeta. Nice to see you again."
Vegeta kicked him to one side and pulled the blade from his back with a vicious yank. Cocking his head he shifted his weight playfully, one hand hung lazily at his side, the other spinning the knife in the dark, it's length catching the moonbeams and flashing in the dark.
"Jeice. I should've known it was you."
Inspecting the blade in the moonlight he shook his head.
"Boy are you lucky you were wearing that vest." he lifted the sniper from the ground until they were face to face, the blade point poking into Jeice's throat. "I have a message for your boss, and you are going to deliver it for me."
"Why should I?" Jeice's lips curled in disgust.
"Because," Vegeta smiled and pushed him away, bearly knocking him off his feet a dark laugh he tossed something into Jeice's hands. Jeice looked down into Guldo's glossy dead eyes and dropped the head, catching a scream in his throat.
"Now, listen closely…."
God it was good to be back.
JULY 1st, two months earlier
"It's the only way." Vegeta whispered to her as she curled up in his arms, blankets tangling around them. He lifted up the corner and tucked it behind her neck to cover her exposed back.
"You are so bad at covering yourself, you know that?" He smirked gently. But she greeted him with silence.
He ran his fingers through her soft blue hair. Silver strands catching in the moonlight.
"Bulma. Listen to me. We have to do this right, or it won't work. Do you understand me?"
She nodded meekly, never lifting her head to meet his gaze but burying it deeper in his chest instead.
Vegeta didn't think she did understand.
"Hey, Blue, look at me." He lifted her chin tenderly to meet her gaze. Her eyes were deep and glossy with fresh tears. He lifted his thumb and gingerly wiped them away. This whole situation was making him feel far too uncomfortable.
"Ugh...look, Blue, tomorrow night... I...I am going to say things, do things, that...I don't mean. Just...just remember that."
She grasped him tightly and pulled him in as close as she could and he rested his chin on her head, running his hand up and down her back.
After a moment he felt a soft kiss on his collar bone. Then another. She left a trail of electric sparks from his chest to his ear tightening his skin and sending shivers down his back. Sniffling she whispered.
"Then we better make tonight count."
SEPTEMBER 20th
Launch stared into the flickering light of the deep yellows and reds of the sign. "Golden Dragon".
Ugh. Stupid fucker probably fell asleep.
Bulma had made it clear that she wasn't to risk blowing Goku's cover. Easy. She didn't care much anyways. She had better things to do. Propping her foot up on the side of the chopper, she flicked the cigarette into the gutter without bothering to stomp it out. She heard it hiss as it floated in the gutter water.
It was raining hard, the pelting drops nearly stinging her skin. She liked it that way. She pulled out her phone shrugging the soggy leather jacket from her bare shoulders.
2:13 AM
Stupid fucking bastard. Always fucking late.
The splash of running footsteps echoed from the restaurant.
"Finally." she muttered, swinging her leg over her motorcycle. It roared to life.
She pulled the helmet onto her head and tossed the second one at the figure running towards her.
"Hurry up and get on."
"Sorry Launch, ChiChi didn't go to bed for hours and I had to sneak out through the window because I didn't remember the code for the alarm." Goku chuckled sheepishly rubbing the back of his head.
"Don't care. Just get on. We have to hurry."
He swung onto the back of the motorcycle and grabbed onto her waist.
The motorcycle peeled out and sprayed water generously over the parked cars that lined the streets. Over the roar of the engine no one could hear Goku whisper.
"ChiChi, I'm sorry. I'll be back, I promise."
JULY 1st, two months earlier
Bulma slid gracefully out of the bed and walked to the dresser, her naked form soaking in the moonlight as she swayed. Vegeta was hypnotised. She was so beautiful, and so much more than that. He would never understand why she loved him. It was almost like a dream, the first good dream he had ever had. He was terrified he would wake up one day to find it had all been a dream.
Vegeta knew he would need to hold onto these moments. Frieza was still out there and as long as he was alive Vegeta could never be.
He had been so lost in thought he hadn't seen her slide the top drawer closed again and crawl back into bed beside him. Nuzzling into his arms she held something small and cold to his chest. He lifted his hand to grasp at it.
"This is what I was working on when we first met. I call it the Dragon Radar. I want you to take it, so…" she sniffled, "so….that you can always find me. I will keep them with me. You just need to press this."
She guided his hand over the radar as she instructed him on how to use it. Slowly her fingers fell away from his as she looked up at him, tears in her eyes. Her eyes drank in his dark, brooding face. She brought her hand up and ran her thumb back and forth over his cheek.
SEPTEMBER 20th
Vegeta tossed the duffle bag forward with a huff. He was finally far enough away. He bumbled around in the bag, shoving the glass orbs aside and digging for the metal disc.
Gotcha.
He couldn't call her, somehow it had been compromised, and he left the burner phone in his destroyed motel room all the way back in Kanpur.
No. He needed to go to her. The time for hiding was over. He didn't have time to be careful, didn't have time to figure out how Ginyu had figured him out, he didn't have time left at all.
He pressed the clicker on the side of the device.
"Hang on. I'm coming." he whispered into the wind before disappearing into the early morning crowds.
AN:One thousand thanks to all of my readers and their patience with the transition from the end of the comic. Of course a huge thank you to my valiant copy-editors who make me look like less of an idiot. And praises ever be to her Holiness Stupidoomdoodles for inspiring this fic!
XOXO, The Not-So-Super Saiyan