Freeza attaches a scouter to the left side of his face.
"Lord Freeza," says an underling, "are you sure you want to sully yourself by confronting Vegeta in person? We still have plenty of soldiers to go after him."
"This has become a personal matter I'd like to finish myself. Besides, I need the rest of you here to guard the ship and the Dragon Balls. There shouldn't be any more threats after Captain Ginyu wore them down. But there may be a foolish final stand. I won't be long."
"Yes Lord Freeza. Of course. We eagerly await your return."
Freeza rises as two panels in the ceiling pull apart. He drifts between them and floats above his vessel. With a click of the scouter, a number and a direction appear on screen.
"Prepare yourself, Vegeta. It's time for my farewell."
A hurricane of aura whips around Freeza as he shoots off across the sky. A feathery purple traces the fringes of the current he generates.
###
"Woah, look at this," says Krillin. He tilts the Dragon Radar towards Goku. "The Dragon Ball Vegeta took is moving. Where do you think they're going?"
Goku looks out over the horizon towards Vegeta's ki signature.
"That's weird," he says. "Vegeta isn't moving."
"Is it Raditz then?"
Goku concentrates to parse out any other life forms. "No, Raditz is still there too."
"Could it be Bulma? Do you think she could have escaped with the Dragon Ball?"
Goku wrinkles his brow as he focuses on a smaller level of life force. His cheeks stretch apart in the effort. "I can't tell for sure, but I think it is Bulma."
"That's great! We can go get her now."
A terrifying mass presses against Goku's searching mind. "Freeza's on the move too."
"Really? Where's he going?"
"Straight for Vegeta."
Krillin looks at the radar.
"The other six Dragon Balls aren't moving. He must have left them behind. Now's our chance to steal them all."
"And it might be the only one we get. I'll find Bulma. You and everyone else secure the Dragon Balls. Maybe we can make our wishes without having to confront Freeza."
"Right, let's go."
###
Raditz paces outside the cave. His annoyance grows as his patience declines. He calls into the cave.
"So do we have a plan or what because I'm betting Freeza's going to come knocking soon."
No answer. Raditz grits his teeth and enters.
"You better not still be sleeping. We seriously don't have ti—"
He finds Vegeta alone sitting on the bed. His eyes search for the Dragon Ball. His heart leaps in panic.
"Where's the Dragon Ball, and where's the woman? Don't tell me she stole it?"
Vegeta says nothing. Raditz reprimands him.
"That thing was our only bargaining chip. How did you let her trick you like that? How could you be so careless?"
Raditz awaits some retort about how it is his own fault, and he should have been standing guard better. Vegeta still says nothing.
Vegeta's right eye hums as it picks up a power level moving towards them. The scouter feature switches off before the incomprehensible number short circuits it.
Vegeta moves for the first time. His neck turns towards his armor. He stands and meanders to it.
Raditz watches his perplexing, distant behavior. Vegeta stretches the elastic armor over his torso. He looks to the cave entrance.
"Freeza's on his way. You should leave."
Raditz is stunned. No talk of Saiyan pride to defend their honor against the man who killed their people. No mention of running away being a coward's escape.
"Are you feeling okay, Vegeta?"
"I'm ready to face my destiny. I've wanted to stand against Freeza since I was a little boy. Now that time is here. But this fight is mine. Not yours."
Vegeta looks into Raditz's eyes.
"As the Saiyan Prince, I should have done a better job preserving our legacy. But the best I can do is make sure you survive. You're strong enough to take one of the emergency pods by force. Go to Freeza's ship now."
"But what about you? You can't beat Freeza alone."
Vegeta smiles.
"I've been envisioning this moment for a long time. If I'm truly worthy of defeating Freeza, then this challenge is what will propel me to become the legendary Super Saiyan."
"And what if you don't fulfill the legend?"
"Then I will die a warrior's death."
Vegeta shifts his eyes to the cave mouth and walks towards it, firm and resolute. Raditz watches him go.
The sun hits Vegeta's face. He looks to the sky to await Freeza. Raditz comes up beside him.
"You're not leaving are you?" says Vegeta.
"And let you have all the fun? No way. Besides, Freeza would probably just go after me first thinking I was trying to run with the Dragon Ball. And, I want to see the look on your face when I become a Super Saiyan before you."
Vegeta laughs.
Raditz laughs.
Dark clouds form on the horizon.
Their laughing stops as a cold storm rolls over them. Freeza appears beneath the overcast sky. A bolt of lightning rips behind him.
A delighted smile wriggles onto his lips.
"If it isn't my two favorite Saiyans," says Freeza with a deceptively cheery tone. He descends. Vegeta and Raditz both avoid direct eye contact. "I must say, the both of you have caused me quite a bit of trouble. Wasting my time, killing my best subordinates. Fortunately I can remedy all of that with the magic of the Dragon Balls."
His voice deepens in anger as he eyes narrow.
"Now where is it?"
"We buried it," says Vegeta. "It's probably around here somewhere."
"You must be under the impression I'm here to bargain. Trade its location while you escape, is that it? Well no deal. You can either give it to me now, and I might be elated enough to let you live, or you can give me the opportunity to extract it via my favorite measures."
"We already know you don't intend to let us live. Zarbon told me all about how you destroyed our home planet and killed most of the Saiyans."
"Oh dear did Zarbon really say all that," says Freeza, his chipper tone returning. "How disappointing, I'd been saving that for so many years now waiting to tell you myself. Every day the anticipation of doing so grew more intense and now all the joy of it is gone completely. Phooey."
"You can drop the act Freeza. I know why you destroyed my people. You saw how quickly our strength and numbers were rising. You were scared of us."
Vegeta meets Freeza's stare for the first time. Freeza flexes his eyes to enforce his will on Vegeta.
Vegeta feels his lungs tighten a moment. He reinforces them with his energy and inhales a deep breath. His lungs expand and break the psychic hold. He smiles and continues to speak.
"I know you're afraid of a Super Saiyan being born. And that's exactly what I'm going to become when my battle with you pushes me to the edge."
Freeza frowns. It breaks as a light chuckle lifts his lips. The laughter builds and escapes before he can regain control of it.
"So you actually planned for this," he says. "How delightfully stupid. I could vaporize you with a single blast. How exactly would you become a super saiyan then?"
"But you're not going to do that, are you Freeza? Because otherwise you won't find out where the Dragon Ball is."
Freeza frowns again. "Very well, Vegeta. We'll play your little game. But be warned, as I pick you apart, there will be no sweet relief of becoming some false idol. The only thing that will bring you peace is merciful death by my hand."
Vegeta smiles. He lets loose the restraint on his power. His energy erupts forth and forms a spherical dome around his body. It shimmers and hums with terrible, yet controlled might.
Fissures break apart the ground. Chunks of earth lift from the crevices and ascend. The storm above intensifies to reflect his rising power. Two fronts of raging thunderclouds slam against one another with lightning jumping between them.
Raditz staggers backward from the pair. He marvels at the incredible output of his fellow Saiyan.
Unreal, he thinks. I can actually feel waves of his power coursing through me. He really is an elite. Could he actually do it? Could he become a Super Saiyan?
Vegeta revels in the power awakened in him after recovering from his battle with Zarbon. The exhilaration of it pulsing in his muscles and coursing through his veins delivers an adrenaline high to his brain. His hormones flood his system with dopamine fueled pleasure.
Freeza smiles and clicks off his scouter as the numbers start to burn up its circuit board.
Vegeta throws his arms outward. The dome around him shatters. Winds howl across the landscape. Lightning sparks from the epicenter.
He relishes the tightness in his muscles as his life force brims beneath their surface. He shoots a confident look at Freeza.
"I'm impressed, Vegeta. You've definitely achieved the highest power level ever recorded for a Saiyan. But it's still nothing compared to Captain Ginyu."
Vegeta snarls and digs in his feet. He leaps from his position to set upon Freeza. A bluish purple aura swells around him. He throws a punch to lead his charge.
Freeza raises a palm to block it with ease. His cold fingers hold it firm. He swings a retaliating hook with his free hand. Vegeta's hand clamps to its forearm, halting it.
A pinkish purple aura rises from Freeza to clash with Vegeta's. Gusts of wind carry sparks away from the point of friction. Vegeta growls as he tries to overpower the resistance. Freeza smiles as his body and arms remain relaxed and unmoving.
Freeza's cold breath frosts the air between them. Their auras give a final gasp before extinguishing. The two combatants break apart from one another.
"If that was the power of a super saiyan, I'm not impressed," says Freeza.
"Oh, I'm just getting warmed up, Freeza."
"Oh good, perhaps I'll be able to as well."
Raditz stands useless on the sidelines. He can only think of one way to be helpful and shouts at Freeza.
"You're lucky we're fighting on a planet with three suns. A true Saiyan's power is only revealed beneath the moonlight."
Freeza glares at him. "Yes, it will spare me the foul smell of that monstrous form you're all so proud of."
Vegeta charges at the slight opening. Freeza grins while crossing his arms. He drifts backward with his tail lagging in front of him. Vegeta swings a fist, but Freeza slides out of the way. Vegeta pursues
Freeza's motion is effortless and concise as he holds the same pose and evades again. Vegeta increases the ferociousness of his attacks in response. His movements grow more exaggerated.
They dash about with Freeza orbiting just beyond reach. Vegeta stops and catches his breath.
"Oh Vegeta. You should have told me your father never played enough with you as a child. I would have taken you out for games of tag more often."
Vegeta grinds his teeth.
"Kutabare!"
Raditz throws a shining white ball of energy from overhead. A radiant blue swirls around it as it travels towards Freeza who squints in disdain.
With a swipe of the hand, Freeza cuts down the attack. Vegeta uses this moment to flank Freeza. He unloads a fury filled assault. Freeza makes to dodge again, but Raditz pincers from the other side. Both Saiyans swing as hard as they can to strike with their limbs. Their sockets stretch and roll with the effort.
Freeza scowls as he physically blocks each attack with his hands and shins. He slaps his tail across Raditz's face, flattening him to the ground. With his full attention on Vegeta, he breaks the warrior's stance and claps his palm-like foot against Vegeta's chin.
Vegeta's teeth crunch together as his neck bends back. He flips in the air. A burning in his spinal cord interferes with his movement. He lands on his knees and forearms near Raditz.
"This is what I was trying to protect you against," says Freeza. "Your primitive, primate brains cannot possibly comprehend the force you are up against. My father did a great kindness by providing you Saiyans with guidance under his rulership."
Freeza's voice drops to a lower octave.
"But you miserable cretins were never able to amount to anything with such a structure. Your inferior lot only destroyed in a mindless rage. After taking over for my father, I finally grew tired of your boorish nature.
"That's why I wiped most of you out. It wasn't out of fear. It was from pure contempt for your worthless existence. I did however let a few of you live to be kept as pets, but that too has grown tiresome."
Malice fills his eyes as he sets them on Vegeta and Raditz who squirm to their feet. He waits for their legs to straighten and support their weight. When they do, his finger strikes like lightning.
A piercing purple beam fires from the tip, followed by another. Vegeta sees the flash before a blistering pain explodes in his right thigh. He drops to his left knee and stares at the charred hole in his leg. The burned black skin festers with pain as blood spurts from it.
Raditz drops beside him seething saliva. The same injury mars his left thigh.
"You monkeys forgot your manners. You must remember to bow before your master."