In the previous chapters…
After coming to Gohan's defense, Piccolo is defeated during a battle with the Androids. With the resulting loss of the dragon balls, Vegeta makes the decision to risk the travel to Namek.
Concerned that the journey will be intercepted by Frieza and his men, he forbids Bulma to join him and Gohan. Knowing that she doesn't stand a great chance for survival on Earth, and not wanting to leave Vegeta's side, Bulma is undeterred by his warnings about the dangers of space. In secret, she designs a ring that straps around her ankle and successfully renders her ki unreadable when activated. Using this, she is able to sneak onto the ship while Vegeta is distracted, and hides away in his bedroom. After hours of travel and anxiety at the idea of having left Bulma behind, Vegeta finally discovers her when walking into his room to get some rest.
It takes arguing and crying, but Bulma finally convinces Vegeta not to take her back to Earth and to let her stay. Secretly Vegeta is relieved that she is with him, having been overwhelmingly depressed at the thought of being without her. He asks her to create ki-restraining rings for him and Gohan so they can train in the gravity room without being traced.
Though Bulma is dealing with the changes her body is going through as she progresses through her pregnancy, and is having to adjust to alien food, she is glad she left Earth. After believing they might not see each other again, she and Vegeta have been feeling closer to one another than ever…
"Look at it!" Bulma squealed. They were fast approaching the green planet, and she clapped gleefully as she watched it from the observation screen. She couldn't believe it – they were due to land in only twenty minute! After what felt like months on the spaceship, the promise of a break from monotony and a change of scenery had her nearly hyperventilating with enthusiasm. "We're here, we're here, we're here! Oh, I wonder if they'll have some decent food!"
"I can't wait to run around on land again!" Gohan cheered alongside her. "I hope there's grass! It looks like there is some! It's gonna be great!"
"Stop getting so excited." Was Vegeta's simple contribution to the celebrations. "From what I know of Namek, the habitants are rather mild in temper, but that's no reason to let your guard down. If there are dragon balls on this planet, then it's likely that others are also aware. There may be external forces scouting the balls as we speak, for all we know. We mustn't expect to collect them without incident."
"Who would be looking for the dragon balls?" Bulma stopped with her jumping and put a hand on her hip, irritated that her joy was being threatened. "You didn't even know what they were until you came to Earth, so what makes you think these are any more notorious?"
"The fact that Frieza's intelligence has done research on Namek raises a red flag that this planet will become target of purging in the foreseeable future." The saiyan rolled his eyes with exasperation. "At the time of the report, the planet was deemed to have been of no value, but that can readily change with the market's algorithm. While the previous analyses that were conducted did not specifically disclose any information on the dragon balls, any further research of the planet would likely have uncovered that. It's been a while since I've been away from Frieza's base, and without my scouter I have not been able to keep tabs on them. We must assume the worst and collect them as if we have no time to spare, because there isn't any. Anyone could be coming for them at any moment - if they haven't started already."
During their nightly conversations, Bulma had learned about the scouters that the men in Frieza's army were ordered to wear at all times. Vegeta had told her all about them - the fact that they produced accurate power level reading for strategic planning in combat, the fact that they allowed for multidimensional communication, and the fact that they had geographic positioning functionality to report precise locations of all other scouters at any given time. She could even remember seeing Vegeta wearing one when they first met – shortly before he'd ambushed Krillin and Yamcha. Back then he had shut his scouter off, destroyed it, and left it in the dirt in front of Goku's house. Truthfully, she wished that there could have been a way for the saiyan to keep his scouter without making it too easy for them to be located. It was a secret desire of hers to be able to take one apart and studying its logistics…
Bulma sighed, realizing that the saiyan had a point in being paranoid… She took her hand on her hip as she shook her head. "Don't you dare tell me you're going to make me wait here on the ship while you two go out and hunt down the dragon balls without me. I won't do it!"
"I know you won't, and that's why I haven't." Vegeta stated, so matter-of-factly, as he narrowed his eyes. "Besides, staying in the ship would make you a sitting duck to any enemies. We are going to take precautions, and I expect everyone to be meticulous about following them. First, I expect us all to wear the shackles that mask our power levels while we are on Namek. Bulma, you will be completely untraceable with how low yours is while you wear it, so you shouldn't be in much danger unless we encounter an enemy head on. You are to listen to me at all times while we are here, and if any sign of danger arises you will heed every instruction I make. You will stay out of trouble."
"Alrighty!" The Bluehead sang, smoothing her shirt down and trying to look innocent. Happy that she wasn't going to be abandoned on the ship after all, the saiyan's instructions seemed reasonable enough! She understood Vegeta's concerns, but she still wasn't feeling very fearful, herself. From everything she'd heard, Namek seemed quite peaceful. And if the planet had gone this long in harmony, even after being scouted by Frieza's army, what were the chances that it would fall under purge while they happened to be on it? On top of that, from what she'd heard, this planet was less than half the size that Earth was. So, traveling across its surface wouldn't take very long, either! With both the dragon radar and their determination, they'd retrieve the balls in less than a week, and then all would go back to normal!
… Bulma was even more excited after the ship landed, and she peered at the observation screen again once the spaceship had settled. "Hey, aside from the green sky, this place doesn't look much different from Earth!" She grinned. Gohan, who was standing by her side, was noticeably less excited than the Bluehead. An eyebrow cocked, he turned to Vegeta. "Mr. Vegeta, do you feel that…?"
"Yes, boy." The saiyan replied shortly.
"Wait a minute, feel what?" The Bluehead asked, turning on them. "What do you guys sense?"
But Vegeta only ignored her as he clicked his tongue. As soon as they had entered the planet's atmosphere, he'd been tracing three life auras that had him on edge. They were far away – perhaps on the polar opposite end of the planet. But sure enough, he was registering the sudden depletion of life, much like he had sensed on Earth during the Android attacks. While these foreign power levels were not strong enough for him to worry about losing against during a fight, the fact that they were actively causing destruction was enough to put him on edge. "Woman, check your dragon radar. How far is the closest ball?"
"Hm…" Three clicks on the radar to adjust its scale, and Bulma smiled. "This is great! I'd say we're only 10 minutes away from the closest one! It looks like there's seven dragon balls on this planet, just like the ones on Earth. It's interesting, though. If you look here, they're all aligned equally distant from one another, and they're even arranged in the form of a circle! It's almost seems like they were purposely organized this way, rather than dispersed at random like the ones on Earth."
"Grab your capsules, and let's go. Using a vehicle will just make us an easy target and hinder our defenses in the event of an attack, so we're going to fly. Bulma, you will ride on my back. Gohan, you will linger behind at a 10 second distance to help keep watch. We need to be quick and collect the balls as soon as possible."
"What about the power levels we sensed?" Gohan asked. His jaw was tight as he spoke, which only heightened Bulma's worries. "What power levels?" She asked for the second time. "Guys, tell me! What do you sense!?"
"It's not important right now - they're far away. We'll collect all of the balls closest to us first. I want to get as many as we possibly can before we face an altercation. That way, less time will be wasted." Vegeta ordered. He was about to turn for the door, but he caught the concerned expression on the Bluehead's face. Realizing how harsh he'd just been, he grabbed her by the arm. "Don't worry about it, Woman…" His voice softened. "The power levels are nothing to worry about - the boy and I can defeat them easily, should we have to."
"Well, that doesn't help much! I want to know what's going on!" Bulma put her hands to her hips, trying to feign anger in her latest attempt at information, but Vegeta simply shook his head. He didn't care to explain that somewhere in the far distance, dozens of Namekians were actively being slaughtered as they spoke. As far as he was concerned, that would only cause her to start freaking out. That, in turn, would prolong their search, when they really just needed to get started. "We have empty capsules to store the balls in?" He asked.
"Of course! We're all set. Now are you going to tell me what that power level you sense is, or-"
"No. I've already said it doesn't matter. Now, let's hurry up and get started. I'd like to get my wish as soon as possible."
.
Watching the dragon radar as he flew, Vegeta ignored all of Bulma's protests and questions as she clung to his back. They were only in the air for about 10 minutes, as he followed the device to the nearest village. According to the radar, the first dragon ball was going to be located somewhere within its confines, and the saiyan didn't say anything at all as his feet touched ground. Looking around thoughtfully as he half-mindedly set the Bluehead down, the saiyan glanced back down at the radar in his hand to see that the dragon ball seemed to be located in the back end of the village.
"It's so small," Bulma commented, as Gohan landed beside them. "There's only about five houses here, and this is considered a village? I wonder how many Namekians live on this planet total?"
"About 100." Vegeta replied stiffly. Technically speaking, the population total was steadily decreasing as they continued to be killed off…
What was going on?
Why was there a genocide taking place? The pattern of deaths didn't quite match the typical purging that Frieza's men participated in, so what was this? Whoever the culprit was, none of those power levels were strong enough to be Frieza, but could they be some of his minions? Or did those ki's merely belong to some foolish alien race that intended to use the dragon balls to wish for a less pathetic existence? The saiyan's mind was racing with possibilities, but he was determined to keep his focus on the task at hand.
"Hey, let me see that!" Bulma hardly gave a warning before yanking the radar out of Vegeta's grasp. She frowned, clicking a button to narrow the scale. "Look! It's not far from here! I'll bet it's in one of these houses."
"Seems like it." The saiyan grunted. "If it is, we'll just have to barge in and take it."
"We can't do that!" Gohan exclaimed. "We're supposed to come in peace!"
"Nobody will die if they stay out of our way." The saiyan prince shot back. He was getting tired of having to do so much talking, rather than acting. "I don't want to keep having to repeat myself, damnit! We have no time to waste!"
"Gohan's right." Bulma offered. She stuffed the radar in her pocket before continuing. "The Namekians are supposed to be a peaceful race, right? Why don't we just ask them for the ball, then? I'm sure they'll be reasonable about it."
"Why in hell would they be reasonable?!" His eyebrows were furrowed so much that it nearly hurt, and Vegeta slapped a palm to his face. "With the amount of power that the dragon balls are capable of, why would they be happy to just give them to us?! They're going to be diligent about ensuring that the balls don't fall in the wrong hands!"
"Don't patronize me like that!" The Bluehead snapped, her cheeks reddening with at Vegeta's harsh reaction. "They're peaceful, so I'd think they'll be willing to negotiate!"
"Well, peaceful doesn't mean shit if they're also smart!"
"I won't let you hurt anyone, Mr. Vegeta!" Gohan cut in, coming to the Bluehead's side. "I say we try Miss Bulma's way. I'm not going to kill anybody for the dragon balls! We don't need to act like the Androids! We're better than that!"
"I said I wouldn't harm anyone if they don't get in my way, and that's more than a fair compromise!" Vegeta spat. "We came all the way out here to get the dragon balls, NOT to make friends. Now, both of you shut up, and come on!" With that, the saiyan prince began his march. Wide eyed, Bulma frantically jumped to follow after, with an aggravated Gohan tagging behind. Vegeta trailed straight for the centermost house, just as the radar had detailed. Round, white, and made out of stone, the building looked rather inviting as the three stopped in front of it.
"Remember - don't hurt anyone!" Gohan hissed, and Vegeta just rolled his eyes. Without bothering to respond, he began to advance upon the entryway, holding his head high as he quick stepped for the door. And, just as he was about to grab for the doorknob, it readily swung open.
As if he'd been waiting their arrival, a tall man stepped out to greet the three, making both Gohan and Bulma gasp. "Piccolo!" Was Gohan's exclaimation. Perhaps the comparison wasn't completely accurate, because this strange man has a face covered in loose wrinkles, but his anatomy and features were eerily similar to the boy's best friend.
"So," The green man glared at Vegeta, his expression not nearly as welcoming as Bulma had been anticipating. "Are you the ones who have been rampaging my world?"
.
An indigo figure resembling a mixture of both man and fish licked his purple lips as he dragged a bloodied Namekian across the soiled grass. To his left were his two comrades, each pulling another corpse from their respective homes. "So, none of them were willing to talk?" Cui asked, eying the limp bodies.
"Nope." Appule, the reptilian of the group, glared down at the dead body he was dragging. He frowned, clicking a button on his scouter. "Did you happen to catch those new power readings? It looked like two new morsels were entering the atmosphere."
"I caught them, alright. The levels were quite low, if you ask me." Cui folded his scaly purple arms over his armor.
"Think we oughtta check them out?" Napple, the third comrade, called. He ran his gloved fingers over the short horns that were protruding from his head. Thoughtfully, as if this would help with the decision making, he then kicked the lifeless Namekian that was laying at his boots. "Maybe the new guys will be more willin' to talk."
"What if it's Vegeta?" Appule added. "Perhaps we beat him here, after all. Maybe all these filthy Nameks were telling the truth when they said they didn't know who he was."
"Ha! Yeah!" Napple laughed. "And we killed them anyway!"
"You're both," Cui gargled. "Are such dumbasses! The last time we saw Vegeta, his power reading was at 18,000. Do you REALLY think one of those weaklings would be him? It's obviously a couple of fucking Namekians that were away on some cargo trip, and they've just made it back home."
"But I think it's worth checking out..." Napple seemed put down by the bluntness of his leader, and he gave his horns another soft rub for reassurance. "Why'd they put you in charge, anyway? I outrank you!"
"Because I'm not an idiot, and I know how to complete a mission without getting my head caught in my own ass. We aren't going out of our way to investigate those new powers, because that obviously wouldn't be worth the detour. Now, we are going to finish our interrogations in this quadrant first, and then we'll make our way over when it's appropriate." Cui clicked his scouter as he spoke, confirming the whereabouts of the next village.
"Ahh, fine!" The others nodded reluctantly, shooting sideways glares at one another before clapping their hands over their armor in unison.
"If Nappa was right with his tip, and Vegeta really did come to Namek, one of these fools will have seen him. He'll be around here somewhere." Cui continued. "Remember, Lord Frieza wants him back alive, but that doesn't mean we can't still have our fun with him… I'm rather excited for our reunion… So, come on. Let's find him quick. Perhaps if we take the head of one of these Nameks as a trophy, the next village will be more willing to work with us..."
.
"THERE'S WHAT?!" Bulma screamed. She backed away so sporadically that she lost her footing, and Gohan had to catch her before she went slamming into the ground.
"Ah - damnit!" Vegeta's hands were balled into fists. "I KNEW IT! Frieza's sent his men to collect the dragon balls!"
"That isn't true." The Namekian replied - rather calmly, considering the circumstance. "Word is that they are only requesting information concerning the whereabouts of an individual named Vegeta. I sense that the dragon balls have all been left intact."
"How can you be certain of this? How do I know you speak the truth?!" The saiyan demanded. Behind him Bulma was incomprehensively wailing, while Gohan sat with her in his lap. He ignored them as he continued. "How could you possibly sense where the dragon balls are?!"
"I take it that you have come for them, then." The green man replied. "How you could know of the dragon balls, yet not understand their workings, is a mystery to me. All Namekians are physically linked to the dragon balls, that is common knowledge. It is our duty to protect and honor them."
Vegeta had two fingers to his chin and was biting his lip as the old man spoke. He was still trying to tune out the sounds of the Bluehead crying behind him, but this was getting exceedingly difficult as she grew even louder.
"How did they know we were coming?!" She wailed. "Veggie - how did they know?! How did they know?!"
"SHUT UP!" He barked, turning on her. "I don't know how they knew! Shut up and let me assess the situation, would you?!"
"So, you are Vegeta." The Namekian's neutral expression dropped into a disdainful scowl. "I suspected that. You're the one causing the extermination of my people."
"I have caused nothing." The saiyan prince spat, rearing his teeth. "I have come with the goal of collecting the dragon balls, and that's all."
"Well, if they are what you seek, then surely you are aware of how to obtain them. Need I remind you that each ball is held by an elder in each village on Namek? Us elders require that those in search of the dragon balls must complete tests of bravery and nobility in order to prove their worth and be permitted use of the ball. I'll have you know that hiding in wait while innocent lives are taken in search of your name has shown a complete lack of either trait." The Namekian glared. "Your cowardice has resulted in the elimination of my people. You shall not be granted a dragon ball, and I now ask that you leave at once."
"Hey!" Bulma shrieked, tears no longer in her voice. In an instant she was at Vegeta's side. All fear seemed to have evaded her now, and she was scowling as she stood on her toes and stared into the elder's eyes. "That's not fair! Vegeta didn't ask anyone to go around killing people! How is this his fault?!"
"Enough, Bulma." Vegeta muttered, giving her a sideways glance. "I will handle this."
"That's right – you sure will!" She spat, turning on him. "I'll bet those people killing everyone are the same ones you and Gohan sensed when we landed! Didn't you say that those power levels were nothing to worry about?!"
"That's right, Miss Bulma." Gohan replied, from behind. "They aren't too bad…"
"Then what are you guys waiting for?!" She shrieked, as if they were idiots. She threw her hands in the air, as if to emphasize this. "Don't just stand here! Go get them!"
"We are here for the dragon balls only." Vegeta shot. "I have told you that we don't have time to waste, Woman!"
"Hey! You!" Bulma spat, turning back for the elder and pointing a finger at him. "Since you're SUCH an expert on being a judgmental gossip, tell me this! If Vegeta stops those bad guys from hurting anyone else, wouldn't that signify bravery?!"
"Perhaps." The elder was stone-faced, though it looked forced. It was clear that he was taken aback at her boldness to speak to him in such a way. "… But, if the only reason he saves my people is for hid own personal gain, then I hardly think that would be an exhibit of nobility."
"How can you possibly say that?!" She started taking a step closer to the Namekian. She was lifting a finger, as if to shove it in his face, before going off on a long-winded rant, but Vegeta quickly grabbed her by the arm and fished her behind his back.
"I will not be intimidated by you." The elder said sternly, his eyes moving from Bulma to the saiyan once again. "Neither of you will be granted a dragon ball. Now, I will tell you again. Leave here this instant."
"Old man, I am warning you. We have no time for this! We must retrieve all seven balls before Frieza decides to make a visit, himself!" Vegeta said, and his voice was starting to rise. "If Frieza shows up, we're all going to be screwed! If you would like any chance at survival against him, you will give me that ball immediately!"
"Vegeta, please!" Bulma hissed, putting a hand on his shoulder. His tone was starting to worry her. Would he really kill anyone who got between him and the balls? "Please, Vegeta. Just… Go take care of those jerks, and in the mean time I'll try to think of something we can do."
"Oh, I know exactly what I'll do!" Vegeta snarled, but Bulma's fingers dug deeper into his shoulder, and he paused to look at her. Blue eyes so wide, she hardly looked angry anymore, and something about the way they peered at him was actually working to distract him from the building rage in his gut…
"I agree with Miss Bulma." Gohan offered, though he sounded a lot more angry than concerned. "They're taking more out as we speak. It's terrible! They need to be punished, Mr. Vegeta!"
"Bah!" The saiyan prince snarled. He spun around and grabbed the Bluehead, throwing her over his shoulder. "This is exactly why I didn't want either of you joining me on this trip! You're both insufferable! Fine then, Boy. Let's go take care of them, if only to get you two to shut the up! After, we are doing this my way! I am going to get those balls, whether I'm 'permitted' to or not!"
And then Vegeta took off like a rocket, nowhere near as gently as he had when they'd left the ship. Bulma was screeching as they went, her hair blowing out on all sides. Gohan watched them go, somewhat dumbfounded by how quickly everything was transpiring. Eyes wide as he registered the saiyan's ominous words, he stared dumbly as the two faded into a small dot in the distance. "Um..." The boy mumbled, his gaze lowering to the elder Namekian that was still standing in the entryway of his home.
"You too." The Namekian waved. "This would be your cue to leave, too."
"Oh!" He gulped. "Right!" And then Gohan was off as well, racing to catch up with the furious saiyan prince.
"Perhaps I'm getting too old for this..." The elder sighed. He shook his weary head before stepping back into his house…
.
"AHHHHH!" Bulma was crying, legs flailing as she fought to adjust herself in the wind. "Vegeta! Stop! Don't carry me like this! The blood's rushing to my head!"
"Bah!" The saiyan croaked. Without even pausing in flight, he flipped Bulma over so that he was now cradling her in his arms. She hugged his neck, cringing against the air that was slapping her face. "You're being so rough!" She wailed.
"You're the one that insisted we try to be diplomatic with the Nameks, and then you go and start yelling in the elder's face!" Vegeta shouted back. "So much trouble! I should have just left you and Gohan on the ship. At least then I would have been able to get things done MY way, without any bitching!"
"We don't need to do things YOUR way! We CAN negotiate! And besides, he was being judgmental!" She replied. "It was rude! He shouldn't talk to you like that!"
"Have you forgotten that I can fend for myself?!" He barked. "You are just so – GAH! Whatever! Just be quiet. And when we get to Frieza's servants, you WILL keep your bloody mouth shut! You hear me?! Just stand back and let me take care of them!"
"Kick their butts!" She nodded. "What they're doing is terrible! Those poor, innocent Namekians!"
"Of course." Vegeta nodded. "And if several villages have been pillaged by now, and there are dragon balls that remain in each of them, like the old man said, we can collect the ones left behind before returning."
"You mean you're going to dig through the debris of murdered people's homes?" Bulma made a face at that. Perhaps she should have been used to walking through the ruins of destroying towns after her experience with what the Androids did on Earth, but the thought only made her shiver.
"Why not? From the sounds of it, Frieza's minions aren't completely useless. They've done most of the dirty work for us. It'll be too easy to collect the balls."
"Oh, God." Bulma cringed. This was a side of Vegeta she hadn't experienced in quite some time, and her heart was racing at the thought of it. He was being so blunt, so harsh, and so narrow minded. He kept alluding to killing if the innocent Namekians if they resisted giving him the balls, but would he really do such a thing? She certainly hoped not. She wouldn't be able to stop him if he decided to… But before her thoughts could linger for too long, the saiyan was already landing on a dark green hill that overlooked a tundra.
"They're right down there." He whispered, using his hands to emphasize his words. "You. Here. Me. There."
"I'm not a child, Vegeta, you don't have to use such simple terms."
"Nevertheless. My point is, stay put. For all intents and purposes, with how low your ki is when you wear that shackle of yours, you are virtually non-existent. I'd like to keep it that way. Word of you does not need to get back to Frieza. So keep quiet, and stay out of the way. Got it?"
"You sure you can beat them?" Bulma asked, peeking over the edge of the hill nervously. In the middle of the tundra was a village, and she could see Frieza's men as they moved. There was one in particular – the one that had purple, fish like skin, that made her stomach turn. "Ew - they're so creepy!"
"Perhaps some time ago I might have been a little more concerned about their strength - maybe. But, as it is right now, there will be no competition at all. They stand no chance."
"And Gohan?" Bulma breathed, just as the child was landing beside her. "Will he be okay? Maybe he should stay with me."
"It will be adequate training for the boy." Vegeta replied. "He will fight."
"N-No!" She squawked, trying to keep her voice down. "Look at them, Veggie! They're too big for him!"
"I want to fight, Miss Bulma!" Gohan replied through clenched teeth. As he watched, the group of bandits down below were currently laughing and mocking their victims as they ripped two Namekians from their home. It was plump man who was protectively holding a terrified child, his face stoic as he taunted and ridiculed.
"Stay here." Vegeta said once more, and Bulma just bit her lip. Without a word, or even a kiss, the saiyan prince got a running start before jumping from the edge of the cliff, his body kicking into the air as a a trail of energy shot out behind him. Gohan followed, not bothering to bid Bulma a farewell, either.
Fingertips digging into the damp soil that she lay on as she peered over the edge of the cliff, the Bluehead was holding her breath as she anxiously watched. They had only just landed an hour ago, and already so much had transpired… Namek was turning out to be a lot less peaceful than she'd hoped...
AN: Another chapter up!
Sorry this one took a took a while. If you've been following my tumblr, you may already know that I've been extremely busy. Life obligations have made it so hard to write, and I probably have much time to until at least the end of the year. That being said, I do have a few chapters prewritten. I made sure to do this during some free time, because I really wanted to be able to continue updating on a semi-regular basis. Until I run out of prewritten material, you can expect a new chapter to be posted on the first Friday of each month. That means you can expect the next update to be posted on Friday, October 4.
I'm sorry you will have to wait a few weeks to read the next installment, but I'd rather give you a little something to look forward to each month, rather than post all of them at one time and then go completely silent until January.
I hope you are all enjoyed this! Again, I'm so sorry for the long wait. The Namek chapters are ones that I have been planning since before I started writing this story, so it's unfortunate that I had to get so busy right when we were getting to this part. I've been so excited to get to this arc, and also incredibly nervous about what awaits.
Take care!
Until October...
xoxox