Hello everyone! Sorry I've taken so long to get back to you guys, but life throws curve balls, and sometimes you have to duck while getting things done! Lol I kid I kid. But life has been busy, but I haven't forgotten about any of you. This is also a milestone chapter, as this is the first chapter FULLY looked over by the Granmarly app. Now some stuff I have to keep in for the sake of drama and keeping the story on its heels, but I did notice I do make a lot of errors, but they're not necessarily spelling errors mind you. So I've taken to heart what a reviewer has asked me to do.
Shepard has laid it all on the line! Will it be enough against the titanic aggressor in Vegeta? What of the other Z Fighters? Will they be able to make it in time? Find out on this chapter of Dragon Ball: BtG!
Review(s)
Drunken Hamster: Ok so when you say stuff doesn't "English" well, you're throwing me off. I'm American, so putting 'English' in that context doesn't work. But anyway, you've got your wish, my friend. This is the first Grammarly-edited chapter. And I am not upset at your review. You're right as far as the errors are concerned. I did find a good couple hundred things that needed fixing. So I've gone through the trouble of fixing and making edits. And as far as the amount of words go, starting around chapter 30, I'm going to start streamlining and cutting down to 8-10K a chapter instead of 10K. I just wanted to be detailed without going all 'Honor Trip' on everybody. As for your overall review, thank you. I felt bad about Goku and Yamcha, which is why I tried to make what they did highly impactful when they did it. Nappa may have some importance later in the story, but you're going to have to read to find out :D. And the Times 10 embodiment is not keying into the 'Wrath State' but it is keying into something. There are things that Shepard has done that just seem...suspicious. That BanHammer of his sure is special ;) don't speak on it in your next review. Just think about it alright ;D!
Age: October 19, 762
10:58 AM
"Whatever's going on over there, it sure is intense!"
The 7 warriors were flying incredibly fast in the air. Raditz himself looked down the whole time. He could sense Vegeta was still in his Ape Form, but he didn't see a moon. This meant that Vegeta did use the Fake Moon Ball technique his very father had helped create decades ago. He looked over, seeing his nephew flying. He could feel the shimmer of power from the boy, the very echo of an unchained beast of energy waiting to be pulled from his very core. But he also saw a problem brewing.
"Brat! If Vegeta has used the Fake Moon, get your damned head down! You'll turn into a damn Ape as well!"
"Don't talk to him like that!" Piccolo and Chi-Chi said at the same time, looking at each other and nodding briefly.
"Gohan, it's for the best kiddo." Tien was next to the boy, who looked at him and nodded and aimed his head down towards the Earth.
Piccolo looked on ahead, feeling the raw power coursing through the air. "Damn it's like a tidal wave of energy over there! We need to destroy that damn moon of his."
"Yeah but how? We could blast it out of the sky maybe."
"The mime thing is right. Once that thing is destroyed, Vegeta's finished."
"The 'mime thing' has a name. It is Chiaotzu. You would do well to respect it." Tien firmly stated.
"Whatever Triclops. Once it is gone, Vegeta will revert to his normal form. Then I will happily lay my low-class hands upon him and tear him a new one!"
"No. We will take him out."
"Yeah! He has to have lost a bunch of energy by now! He may not be much stronger than Nappa!"
Piccolo and Krillin wanted Vegeta to themselves, however, the others were hesitant.
"Guys I can barely sense Goku and Yamcha out there. We need to"
Before anything else could be said, Raditz flew ahead, grabbing Gohan and Chi-Chi, both screaming in confused anguish as the others looked on stunned.
"Something's-"
"FORGET THAT AND GET DOWN!"
Raditz made a beeline for the ground, heading towards a trench in the land. The others followed quickly before a massive shockwave pummeled over them, erasing much of the trench and blowing them all back. Raditz himself took a brunt of the damage, losing both his passengers in the process as he was tossed haphazardly. The others not fairing much better. The shockwaves were not stopping, the very grounds around the warriors cratering and shattering around them. Deciding the ground was probably not a good idea, everyone got back into the air, being hit by blowback from massive energy shockwaves. Raditz himself had recovered better than the others, knowing full well what was happening.
"DAMN HIM WHY WOULD HE USE THAT! He...he has to be desperate."
"Wh-what is going onnnnn?" Chi-Chi yelled out, Gohan in her arms as he held his hands up in his face to protect himself.
"He's...Shepard...he... we have to get there!" Raditz started to try to fly towards the action, but the winds continued blowing him back towards the others.
"DAMN IT!" He yelled in frustration.
Doing everything they could to hold on for dear life, the warriors were incapable of getting to their friend/teammate/rival in his most desperate need...
"TIMES TEEEEEEEEENN!"
Shepard screamed out, pain and raw fury encompassing his yell, before a cannon of blood-red shining Ki exploded out of his hands, flying faster than anything he had fired to that point. The massive Galick Gun was hurtling towards the red beam before a titanic collision occurred.
CRAAAAAASHHHHHHSHHHHH
The beams met in the air, sending massive shockwaves in all directions. Both combatants were being pelted by the winds, Vegeta himself gawking at the sheer magnitude of energy managing to hold back his Galick Gun!
"IM-IMPOSSIBLE! IT'S LIKE MY GALICK GUN! HOW? HOOOOOOOOOOWWW??? RAWWWWWWRRRRR!"
Vegeta roared out, sending a burst of energy through his beam. It hit the Times 10, beginning to push it back slightly.
"N-N-Noooooo! NO NO NO NO NO I WON'T LET YOU YOU SONUVA BITCH AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The ground cratered around the grounded Saiyan. But he pushed on, his veins pumping so hard he could hear it in his head. His beam however was starting to lose ground. Even as he continued roaring in pain and sheer iron will, he was gradually losing ground. Sending a slightly higher burst of Kaioken through his beam, it righted the massive battle in the sky, if only slightly. Shepard was in a world of absolute hurt. His body was screaming in pained protest to quit. But he wouldn't. He couldn't!
His hair was waving in all directions, getting into his face, but it didn't block Shepard's surreal view of the Galick Gun far ahead, attempting to plow through the Times 10. As much as he trained for this, his living body did not. And he foolishly did not test it after he was wished back. But it didn't matter now. Vegeta laid out the challenge, and Shepard accepted.
"AGHHHHHHHHHAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The blood-red beam was pushing fiercely against the Galick Gun. Vegeta himself was exerting a mass amount of his energy to try to plow it through his opposition.
"IMPOSSIBLE! I WON'T STAND FOR THIS ANY LONGERRRRR!" Another burst from Vegeta slammed down on Shepard, putting him in a crater surrounded by supplanted rocks and gravel. At this moment, as the energies clashed with one another, as the inferno of power flared around Shepard, he realized this was home. In the fire, hanging by a single, ominous thread that at any point could simply snap, leaving him to lose everything. Everything that he held dear would be gone. Everything he cherished, would be gone. And it was now he realized why he loved being a Saiyan. It was exhilarating! The thought of pushing through, of seeing it through to the end no matter what. It was what Goku had felt when he fought Jiren, what he thought when all the chips were down. As the energy continued to bear down on him, the sound roaring in his ears, he looked up, seeing the Galick Gun slowly pressing down on him, threatening to end his resistance. His pupils pulsed red again before a burst of Ki forced its way out, holding the Galick Gun back temporarily. His veins were thick on his arms now, the amount of blood running through them threatening to rip them to shreds. His head pounded, making him wonder if his brain cavity was filled with blood. His legs trembled, feeling like flimsy sticks in the massive gusts of wind that continued to pick up.
"QUIT IT NOW SHEPARD! YOUR BODY IS FIGHTING ITSELF TO SHUT DOWN! At this rate..."
"I. I know King Kai. Ki sickness. It's a bitch. Gotta go buddy."
Shepard cut off the quick mental link, looking upwards as the Galick Gun started to gain momentum again.
"NOW DIIIIIIIEE CLOWN!" Vegeta sent a heavy swell of energy through his Galick Gun, slamming into the Times 10 and forcing it down fast towards Shepard, whose eyes widened in terror when he realized he couldn't win. 'Shit shit shit shit shit shit shit shit!' At the rate this battle was going, Shepard would lose far more energy than Vegeta, so it was time for desperate measures.
"AGGHHHHHHHHHH! NOOOO! FUCK YOU! NOOOO AGHHHHHHHHHHHHH! BANNY!"
The BanHammer, steadily absorbing traces of the mass amounts of energy flowing through the beam challenge, floated in the air awaiting its master's call. It almost gave off a shrill of excited anticipation. It let its master do most of the work, now it was time to have fun!
"BANNY TAKE HIS F-FUCKIN KNEECAP OUT! NOW!!" Shepard roared out, his Times 10 beginning to taper away as his body steadily gave in to the Kaioken pressure.
The BanHammer almost bounced in the air for a moment before it took off, an aura of red and purple as it soared into the beams and back out again.
"W-what is he-?"
Vegeta looked on as he saw something small gaining speed towards him. It went into and out of the beams multiple times before it soared down and back up, heading for him!
"N-NOOOOOO!"
CRASSHHHCRACKKKKKKKK
Vegeta was powerless to do anything as the weapon seemed to disappear before he heard the faint sound of what felt like bones breaking, followed by intense agony.
"RAAAAAAWWWWRRR WH-WHAT DID YOU DO?" Vegeta roared out, the agony forcing him to start to float down towards the ground, his left knee in immense pain from the BanHammer plowing through it. He felt his energy waning as the pain continued to build.
"AGHHHHHHHHH EOOOOWWWWWW RAWWWWRRRRRR HOW DARE Y-YOU!"
Shepard felt a momentum shift in Vegeta. His power dropped considerably. It was now or never!
"THIS IS FOR EARRRRRRRRRTH AGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Shepard screamed out in intense pain as he pushed forth a massive surge of energy from the Times 10, sending a torrent towards the falling Prince. It plowed through the Galick Gun, the momentum of it not stopping any longer as it blasted forth.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" Vegeta tried to reengage his Galick Gun, trying to build up the power to contend, but it was too late. The Times 10 plowed into him, blitzing him upwards, towards the very source that gave him his power.
"RAWWWWRRR I'LL KILL-"
Shepard heard nothing else as Vegeta collided with his Fake Moon, causing an immense explosion of red and white in the air.
His body was fried. He dropped the Kaioken and immediately paid for it when he fell to his knees. The incredible light from the explosion was blinding, forcing him to close his eyes and look up as he did. His knees from falling hurt, and his arms and muscles were everything short of ripped and frayed. He was done. Falling face first on the ground, the bloodied, spent warrior let the black surround him before unconsciousness took over...
"YES! That's it! It's over now!"
Raditz had since recovered enough to see the massive energy battle occurring in the sky. He felt a drop in Vegeta's Ki before the red beam took over, plowing into the Prince and sending him skyward, making him impact with his own Fake Moon.
"Did he win?"
"I can't tell. But now that that moon is out of the sky, we can take Vegeta out." Piccolo said.
"You're sure I can't just kill him in one swift shot and we can be done with this?" Raditz asked.
"No Raditz. This is our planet. We have to prove we can defend it. If we let you, or Shepard, or even Goku always save the day, then what good are our martial arts? What good is our strength then? We have to try."
"Well spoken Tien. You can be the trump card. If Vegeta is still too strong, then you can step in. Otherwise, you need to tend to your brother and Yamcha."
"And now Shepard from the feel of it." Chiaotzu pointed out, as they all felt Shepard's energy plummet.
"Oh great. You think I want to bother with that pompous Clown?"
"You both trained for months and you still hate each other? Geez. Saiyans are rough."
"Shut up monk. It's just...it's just I wanted to have my crack at Vegeta dammit. It looks like Shepard had all the fun instead. And now you humans are about to engage the Prince. A simple word of advice for any of you that cares to listen. Just because Vegeta has lost the Great Ape form, it makes him no less dangerous. He's the only Saiyan I've ever seen with the ability to continue to fight after the transformation has come and gone. Shepard might have done it but that's beside the point now. If you have a plan, now is the time to execute it."
The other warriors had to only think for a few moments before Piccolo spoke up.
"Here's the plan, Gohan, myself, and Chi-Chi will confront Vegeta first. Tien, if he at any point gets into the open area away from us, light him the hell up. Krillin, he's already seen your disk technique, so at any opportune moment, blind his ass. It's going to take all of our efforts to contain him. Chiaotzu, misdirect the bastard as much as possible. He likely knows you can use telekinesis, but if you can make him look in another direction occasionally, all the better for us. Gohan, Chi-Chi, and I will fight him mainly. If at any point you feel you can step in and get a shot in, without getting yourself killed in the process, then I suggest you take it. Now, Gohan, and Chi-Chi, you both have proven you can work together on multiple occasions. Use that teamwork. I will be looking to gain any advantage I can on the little punk, rather it is psychological or physical. I will be pressing him. Any questions?"
None of the warriors could argue with that plan. Vegeta was still unpredictable so they couldn't rule out everything yet.
"May I make a suggestion?"
"What, Runt?"
"Hmph, be that way then." Raditz was set to take off, but Chi-Chi held him by the arm for just a second.
"Can we trust you with these?" She handed him a small satchel. He looked in to see more of the green legumes. He could just burn the bag up and let these humans rot, considering they had torn his pride anew inside that Room. But they also did teach him something incredibly valuable. Teamwork was important. If everyone did their parts, they could accomplish anything! Even beating someone whose power was far greater than their own. So despite the off-put nature that the namekian was giving him, he didn't do anything to the satchel. Looking down at his brother's wife, he could see the fierceness in her eyes, and at that moment, he was greatly reminded of his mother, Gine.
"Look, Vegeta is a master strategist and tactician. His entire life is nothing but a mess of bloody battlefields. Your strategy is sound but against him? He'll likely figure you all out before you can complete it. So be prepared to wing it, throw him completely off guard if you must. It's your only shot." Raditz said his piece before he floated up and headed towards the battlefield.
"Alright, are we all ready to go? Anything holding you back from committing yourself fully to this, then stay put. We don't have time for distractions. Gohan?"
"I'm ready Mister Piccolo." Chi-Chi looked down at her son, his determined face making him remind her so much of his father, she couldn't help but smile, looking at Piccolo and nodding. The rest all agreed before they all took off towards what would hopefully be the final battle between them and the Prince...
Vegeta was hurled up into his own Fake Moon, slamming into it, and feeling the effects of the Times 10 smashing into his body made the pain double fold. The explosion caused the Great Ape to begin to shrink as he hurtled towards the ground, a smoke trail following him. As his snout began to shrink, and his teeth grew smaller, the haze of the Great Ape left the Prince, followed by confused clarity. He hit the ground like a meteorite. The ground was unforgiving to the Prince, whose eyes showed pure pain.
"H..h-how? How did? How did that Clown beat me??" Vegeta's body was cold and hot all over, his head ached miserably, and his face and his hand hurt immensely. How he survived that energy beam was anyone's guess. He turned his head to the side, vomiting what might have been the last lunch he had. Hacking, he slowly tried to rise to his feet. Immediately after he tried, he fell back to the ground, his knee betraying him. Turning himself over, he looked down at it and was horrified by what he saw. He could see through his knee. The cap itself had been pulverized. Using a small portion of his energy, he cauterized it, eliciting a shout of pain from the Prince.
"Impossible...fucking...Im...possi..ble." He went to stand again and barely managed it.
"How..how much..energy do I have?" Breathing heavily, Vegeta did a mental check. He had lost some of his energy in using the Great Ape form and seemed to have lost more after the fact. He felt his face, feeling a gouge in his nose and above his mouth. The teeth marks from Shepard were left behind no less. Vegeta began to feel anger. Extreme anger.
"There was...there was no way I could have lost. NO WAY! I am the Prince of All Saiyans, including that CLOWN!" Vegeta floated in the air, heading back towards the battlefield. A few minutes later, he had made it back and saw his enemy face down on the ground.
"Hmph, pathetic. To think I would lose to such scum. Never again. I refuse to be beaten by trash like this ever AGAIN!" He made a beeline for Shepard's unconscious form, getting to within 15 feet before a boot caught him in the jaw, sending him down and skidding along the ground.
"We're not letting you kill him, punk."
"You've been beaten. Tuck your tail between your legs and go home."
"AGHHHH!" Gohan introduced himself the proper way, slamming both knees into the recovering Prince's face, making him crater the ground with his back. He was woozy, but that was normal as he backhanded the boy off of him. His face throbbed, but he frothed at the mouth at the other two.
"Low or high Chi Chi?"
"High, his face is mine. Yahhhhh!" Chi Chi raged in, a knife-edged hand at the ready, but it was parried. The Prince had a sinister smile for only a moment before the namekian went to punch it off, forcing the Prince to dodge backward. But he was quick. So quick. Gohan had recovered, pulling his sword out of the scabbard. Vegeta watched as the boy's sword turned yellow before he slashed at him. Piccolo and Chi Chi backed away as the Ki Slash rushed the Prince. Desperately dodging backward and up, Vegeta watched the ground he was just on getting cut in a vertical line. Nearly gawking, he didn't have time to think about it as he attempted to head towards the woman, ready to take her head off in one shot. He heard a whistling in the air before he looked both ways to see a heavy pair of rocks come to slam into him. He had gotten both arms up to block his head, but they had come in so forcefully, that his body felt the pressure. Using his energy to force the rocks off of him, he saw the mime-like being holding his hands out before Vegeta was involuntarily thrown back. He was sent hurtling through the sky until a yellow beam hit him in the back, burning it. The Prince recovered quickly, reaching the Triclops and nearly killing him with a punch aimed for his head. Tien's third eye had saved him, ducking down just before his head was to be minced meat. The Prince was ready, however, kicking hard at Tien, who put up his hands to block. His arms buckled under the power of the Prince, but he managed to hold him off, if only barely. The Prince was irate, beating on Tien's blocking arms and bruising and busting them up.
BANG
"WHY"
BANG
"DO"
BANG
"YOU"
BANG
SMASH
Vegeta had become so blindly focused on breaking Tien's defenses that he did not sense the threat behind him. Piccolo slammed his hands into the back of Vegeta's head, sending him away in the air. The Prince recovered, snarling as he did before he went at Piccolo, who smirked at him before diving down, a new threat behind Piccolo.
"What the-"
"SOLAR FLARE!" Krillin had been too fast, catching Vegeta before he could close his eyes.
"AGHHH! NOT-NOT AGAIIIINNN!" Vegeta lashed out, managing to catch Krillin with a wild backhand to the face, sending the pained monk spinning away. Vegeta was rubbing his eyes fiercely before he was subjected to a force pushing into him. It was hot and incredibly blunt.
Chi Chi had silently fired her Ox Beam, blasting Vegeta into a series of rocks. Vegeta's eyes were starting to recover but he had no time.
"EXPLOSIVE DEMON WAVE!" Piccolo fired into the hole the Prince had made, destroying the rocks, but the Prince came hurtling out of the smoke, mouth wide and screaming before Gohan flew up under him, head butting the Prince in his stomach, making blood shoot out of Vegeta's mouth as he held his stomach in pain. Gohan wasn't finished, turning and grabbing his sword out again, he slashed at Vegeta, making the Prince forget his pain temporarily to avoid decapitation. Dodging the sword slashes, he saw a small opportunity, grabbing the boy's arm mid-slash and preparing to cut it off with a gleaming smile, but his plans were ruined when Tien fired another Dodon Ray at Vegeta's shoulder. Singing it and making Vegeta hiss in pain, he threw Gohan away before he fired several purple blasts in Tien's direction, forcing the Triclops to dodge. Before he knew it, however, Piccolo and Chi Chi were in the air, back in his face, looking to push the small advantage they had. Vegeta was having mild difficulty holding off the pair. When he had Piccolo, Chi Chi would try to palm him hard, forcing him to attack the woman, which made the stronger namekian push back, sending him away. Gohan flew back in, mixing his punches and kicks in with the other two. It took Vegeta everything he had to hold off the assault. Suddenly, Piccolo, Chi Chi, and Gohan flew away, before his instincts rose the hairs on the back of his neck, he looked down just in time. Moving his body slightly forward, it was enough to avoid death, but no injury. The Destructo Disk missed his tail by only a couple of inches, but his back wasn't so lucky. A spray of blood flew out of it as Vegeta held his tongue in to keep from screaming in pain. Instead, he charged energy in both his hands.
"DIE INSECT!"
"Oh craaaaaap!" Krillin skidded away as fast as he possibly could, being flung back by the explosions.
"Done yet Saiyan?" Piccolo said from across, breathing in deeply. Gohan and Chi Chi were with him, both exhausted but not out of the fight yet.
"You...you dare...you've made a mockery of me! NO MORE!" The Prince blitzed in, ready to kill the trio, but they didn't waver, hell-bent on holding off this incredible threat. He punched Piccolo in the face, breaking the namekian's jaw and sending out a spurt of blood as Chi Chi and Gohan watched the namekian fall.
"M-mister-"
"MOVE GOHAN!" Chi Chi shoved Gohan out of the way before Vegeta could finish, looking to cut the boy's head clean off. Chi Chi herself tried to dodge but was only partially successful.
"UGHH-AUCK!"
"MOMMY!"
Gohan watched as Chi Chi fell back, blood flowing out of her stomach as Vegeta had nearly sliced her in half. The boy roared in, causing Vegeta to lose the gleam in his eyes as the boy socked him in the mouth, sending him away from his mother.
"Hm Hm hm hm hm hm so boy, that whore is your mother? Good. I hope she dies PAINFULLY!"
"YAHHHHHHH!" The boy charged in again, sword out of the scabbard, he began slashing at the Prince, who was dodging barely, watching sometimes as pieces of his blue undergarment began to get shredded in places. A slash cut across Vegeta's arm as he nearly got away from one. Grimacing in pain, he ducked under one slash and palmed Gohan's face, pushing him past his injured mother and slamming the back of his head into a rock. Gohan's eyes widened in terror as he felt Vegeta's energy around his mouth, a purple light forming around it.
"I am gonna take your head now brat!" The light flashed before it disappeared suddenly. Gohan watched as a yellow beam hit Vegeta in the side of the head, sending him dizzily away and saving Gohan's life.
Chiaotzu stood in front of Gohan now, watching as Vegeta shook his head to get the cobwebs out. He looked down at the mime and laughed.
"Hm hm hm hm hm hm. Hahahahahahaha is this some kind of joke? You? A child-like...thing?" A kick to the back of his head sent Vegeta to the ground, tasting dirt.
"He has a name. It is Chiaotzu. I've said this twice now. I won't say it again scum." Tien said. He watched as Vegeta got up, hatefully looking at him before he rose to his feet. Vegeta still felt a heavy twinge of pain in his knee, his head was ringing, but these fools now had his attention. And it would be their last mistake!
"You've gotten in my way for the last time. Just DIIIIIIEEE!" Vegeta quick fired a Galick Gun, sending everyone scattering away. Gohan came in quickly, flying over the Galick Gun and implanting his small fist into Vegeta's jaw, making the Galick Beam fire off in the air. The Prince recovered, slugging Gohan back, making the boy tumble along the ground before Piccolo, broken jaw regenerated, flew over Gohan and threw a punch, which Vegeta grabbed in his palm. Gritting his teeth, he held Piccolo's fist before he pulled him in and kneed him in the gut, sending purple blood spraying out of the namekian's mouth. He stepped back a few steps holding his stomach before Vegeta came in, kneeing him in the face and making him tear the ground up as he skidded through it. Krillin, Gohan, and Tien rushed the Prince, applying tremendous pressure. Vegeta's hands were flying faster than his eyes could perceive, trying to keep up with them. He lashed out with his power, sending the trio sliding back before Krillin came back in, feinting a predictable Kamehameha motion, making Vegeta fall right into it. He quickly palmed Vegeta's exposed face, sending a handheld solar flare right into Vegeta's eyes. Krillin jumped over the Prince, allowing Gohan to come in and kick Vegeta in the face, which Tien followed with a Dodon Ray, impacting Vegeta's forehead and making him stumble backward further.
A shadow on the ground, which Vegeta's half-blinded out eyes could barely see, got bigger until he looked up and saw a falling shadow.
BANNNNGGGG
A heavy, flat rock had been slammed down onto the Prince, sending up a wave of dirt. Gohan immediately tended to his injured mother.
"Mommy I...what do I do?"
"Stand back kid." Tien walked forward, kneeling at Gohan's level next to the ailing woman. The blood flowing from her stomach was an amount that most would die from, but Chi Chi was not most people. Her will to live was far stronger than her desire to die.
"This is gonna hurt Chi Chi."
"I-I-I don't care. D-Do it. Do it, please."
Tien's hands lit up in yellow energy, as he began to sear Chi Chi's skin closed, cauterizing and stopping the bleeding.
"Ahhh...AAAAGGGHHHHHHHHHH!"
"MOMMY!"
"It's ok Gohan, she's gonna live. She'll be alright but she's out of the fight for now. She'll need to be tended to after we're done here."
The warriors watched as the woman went unconscious from the pain. Gohan looked on, incredibly angry at his mother being hurt.
"He...that monster has to pay!" Gohan pulled his sword out, heading towards the now moving rock, which was blown off by a screaming Vegeta. He looked like crap. His body had numerous cuts and burns all over it, his armor gone, his tail limp. But his face told a different story. His mouth had blood coming out of it, but it didn't deter the Prince from frothing bloody spit, as he looked on at his adversaries.
"No...no... I will not lose to these maggots. I WILL KILL YOU ALL!"
A sling from the side caught Vegeta's attention, and before he moved his head backward, a sword aiming to cut his face off just missing by a fraction. Vegeta sent a punch out, which Gohan caught with his sword, clanging away as the boy slid back before he jumped back in, slicing at Vegeta again. He lost a piece of his undergarment when he dodged a fraction late. The cut on his arm was superficial as he blasted Gohan away. He stumbled slowly towards the boy.
"You..y-you would've been a great asset against Fr-Frieza. But you're far too soft." Picking up Gohan by his shirt, the Prince lifted the boy to his face.
"You fought like a Saiyan today. Your death will be the only honorable one here." Flinging the boy into the air, Vegeta charged a purple blast.
"NOW DIEEEE!" The Prince watched as the boy was seemingly hit by the blast, watching it explode in the air.
The Saiyan looked on as the silhouette remained in the air before he saw a familiar weapon next to the boy, it glowing an ethereal barrier around Gohan, protecting the child.
"No. Noooo! NOT THAT STUPID FUCKING WEAPON AGAIN! WHERE IS HE?" Vegeta was livid! He had the boy dead to rights, but if that clown meddled with his affairs once again...
He saw Shepard's prone form in the distance, still unconscious. The sight made Vegeta freeze in place, completely confused, but satisfied that Shepard wasn't interfering any longer. But if he was out, who was controlling the weapon?
Gohan had his eyes closed, waiting for death, but he felt warmth, and protection, as the blast hit the ethereal bubble and was absorbed. Gohan opened his eyes, seeing the protective shield around him and the hammer next to him. Reaching out tentatively, the inviting Hammer didn't budge. If anything, it seemed to want Gohan to use it. His little hand grasped around the handle, immediately feeling a sensation. The handle warmed in his hand, and the hammer started to shrink. It also felt lighter, as if accommodating itself to its temporary owner. The head of the BanHammer shrunk a bit, the handle shortened by more than 2/3rds, leaving barely a foot of handle behind. He didn't know it, but his eyes glowed the same ethereal glow for only a split moment before it receded. Whatever had happened to the boy, there was a fundamental change in the air. He felt far more confident now than he did, his muscles seemed to soothe and bask in whatever pain-free feeling this was. He looked down at Vegeta, who could only gawk at him in return. Gohan floated down to the ground, eyes never leaving Vegeta.
Piccolo went to stand next to his pupil, eyeing Vegeta with veiled hatred. The namekian looked over, seeing the small hammer in the boy's hand.
"So, Shepard gave it to you?"
"I don't know Mister Piccolo. It-it saved my life."
"Well then, let's put it to good use!"
The pair charged the Prince, forcing Vegeta to fly backward. Gohan swung the smaller hammer horizontally, making Vegeta jump over it and lash out with a kick. It caught Piccolo's forearm before he pushed it down and swiped Vegeta in the chest, driving him back with 4 fresh claw marks across his chest. But Vegeta was far from deterred. Going back in to charge at the pair, he ducked another swing from the BanHammer, it's whirring catching his ears before Piccolo palmed Vegeta in the face, making him slide back on his feet. Growling, Vegeta infused Ki into both of his hands, charging back in to take the namekian's head off, but Gohan caught his arm with the miniaturized BanHammer, making it nearly bend awkwardly as Vegeta pulled a fast retreat.
'Damn that blasted weapon! How can I not get past it?'
Vegeta had no more time to think as he went to grab the weapon himself to pull it out of the boy's hands. And it worked...for only a split second before he plummeted to the ground, the weight in his hands seeming unmoving.
"W-WHAT IS THIS MADNESS?" Vegeta yelled as he used all his energy to try to stay afloat, but it was all for not. The Hammer slammed into the ground hard. Vegeta, still holding it, tried to lift it before a spark ran across the weapon, singeing his hands. Forced to let go, he looked at his damaged hand, the very one that Shepard had injured. He could see the pinpricks all over, his hand still stinging immensely from it.
"Blast it all, I don't need this stupid hammer any-"
Vegeta's instincts screamed as he desperately dodged to the side, a yellow beam missing his face.
"Fools! Dare to attack me while I'm off my guard?" Tien and Chiaotzu both landed in front of the Saiyan Prince.
"We don't care if you're on guard or not, jackass."
"Grrr...AGHHHHHHH Vegeta screamed in pure rage as he assaulted the Crane Duo. Catching Chiaotzu with a backhand, Vegeta heard skin ripping before he was caught with Tien's fist. Finding it much easier to deal with the Triclops, he turned back only to be hit by 2 more fists. Backing away, feeling his nose now bleeding, Vegeta gawked at the now 4 armed three-eyed beings.
"Wh-what kind of freak are you?" Vegeta could ponder no more as a whistling happened in the air, with a rock flying by him as he flew upwards. Tien and Chiaotzu both came in, attacking Vegeta with ferocity. The Saiyan was defending himself with mild difficulty before he ducked below one of Tien's punches and punched him in the stomach, making Tien fall to the ground. Vegeta went to step on his head, only for his foot to stop moving, before it involuntarily stomped back on the ground, missing Tien's head by more than a foot. He fired a blast at the child-like being, but Chiaotzu got out of the way in time, floating upwards. His foot was still stuck, but Vegeta couldn't think about that now as the namekian reappeared in front of him with a jaw-shattering uppercut, nearly lifting the Prince off his feet. Piccolo began to lay into the immobile Prince, slicing his body with his claws, trying to bust Vegeta up as much as possible. Vegeta's blood started to boil, and he managed to grab one of Piccolo's arms, but before he could do anything, he felt his foot release from the hole before 4 feet jarred him in the side, making Vegeta fall head over heels.
"MASENKO!"
"KAMEHAMEHAAAA!"
The blasts joined together, creating a beautiful, vibrant beam of green Ki, which exploded upon the Prince, leaving behind a mass of smoke and ash.
The warriors gathered together. 5 warriors who had given this alien threat the fight of their lives. Piccolo, Gohan, Tien, Chiaotzu, and Krillin had taken excessive damage. Chi Chi was hurt badly, but she would fully recover and live if they could get her help in time.
"That had to do something."
"Good shot kid, that was right on the money."
"This guy's endurance is incredible. It's a shame he's our enemy."
They concentrated on the plume of smoke, still sensing Vegeta.
The smoke blew away quickly, a livid, angered, and injured Vegeta roaring at the top of his lungs. His aura surged dramatically.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
They all watched as he disappeared, in less than a split second, he appeared in front of Chiaotzu, who could do nothing as Vegeta punched him as hard as he could, making the poor little mime's head explode in a shower of red. It was instantaneous. Tien could barely scream out before Vegeta blasted him, sending Tien far away, the explosion caused creating a nuclear-like mushroom cloud.
"TIEN!"
"CHIAOTZU!"
Piccolo didn't wait to die next, extending his arm and hand and palming Vegeta in the face again before he could swipe Krillin's head off, saving the monk by an inch. Vegeta was slammed through a boulder.
"N-no. Nooo. Please.. please. Tien still has to be alive. He has to!"
"T-th-thank you, Piccolo!"
"Save it! This isn't over yet!"
The three remaining warriors flew in fast towards where the Prince was making his way out of the hole. Gohan reached him first, arms in front as he slammed into Vegeta so hard in the stomach that the Prince was blasted out of the other side, a pint of blood shooting out of his mouth. Looking up, his face met the monk's boot, sending Vegeta downwards towards the ground, where Piccolo awaited him, spiking the Prince into the ground with a corkscrew kick to his back. Piccolo charged energy into his hands before he started to unleash an unholy amount of energy balls into the crater, extending it and making smoke rise to the sky. He was done with this monster. This Saiyan. Chiaotzu and Tien had both trained incredibly hard for this fight. And he felt guilt, the last thing he should be feeling right now.
"YAH YAH YAH YAH YAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH HAH!"
"PICCOLO!"
Piccolo stopped firing and snapped his head angrily at his pupil, who looked at him in fear. For the first time he could remember, he was ashamed. This was the first time the little boy truly ever looked afraid of him. A small part of him felt joy at this, finally reveling in bringing the boy to terror. But the larger part of him, the part he had been feeding and cultivating, felt more guilt.
He looked back at the massive hole before his senses screamed.
"GOHAN BEHIND YOU!"
Zzt
"Agh!"
Vegeta had his hand extended, smiling gleefully, with sinister intent in a purple blade of ki, a trick he had stolen from Salza, Cooler's right hand.
He had the boy dead to rights. Swinging hard, his hand stopped short, an inch from the horrified boy's neck. A big, calloused hand with familiar black bracers wrapped with brown rope at the wrists. The familiar red sleeves worn in memory of a lost father and planet on his arm and thigh. The uniform had changed, for he now wore familiar elite armor, similar to his now destroyed one. With brown pants tucked into black planet trade boots, Vegeta looked up and could say nothing, for his ki blade had broken when his fellow Saiyan's strength matched and exceeded his own.
"R-Ra-Raditz?"
"Yeah, enough is enough." Vegeta was about to retort when all of a sudden he was hammered in the face with a massive punch, making Vegeta plummet to the ground and tumble for several hundred yards.
"You'll spill no more blood today..."
Earlier
Raditz had found Goku amongst some of the wrecked mountains.
"Vegeta sure got you didn't he, brother?" Goku was conscious, but his bones were fragile.
"Hehehehehehe yeah..oww. Man, I sure didn't think he was that fast."
Raditz moved the rocks out of the way, allowing himself access to his brother's body, which he picked up and flung over his shoulder, much to the protest of Goku.
"OwowOW Raditz that hurts!"
"You'll get over it." Raditz floated out of the rubble, getting Goku to an open area, he dropped his brother on the ground, causing another shout of pain from Goku.
"Now where is that human?" Raditz could hear the fight going on not too far away, but he didn't dwell on it. The humans wanted Vegeta, they could have him. If he started sensing life forces go away, he would step in.
"Ah! There he is." Raditz could detect Yamcha faintly. A hole in the cliffside of a massive mountain was the destination. Raditz floated in, seeing Yamcha, arms hung awkwardly at his sides, breathing heavy.
"We-well. Look at you Hedgie. Last year you killed me. A-and now you're my hero."
"Fuck off Scarface." Raditz grabbed the gi of the Desert Bandit, flinging him over his shoulder as well before he floated out. Landing next to his brother, he dropped Yamcha to the ground.
"Oomph! Owwohh, that's better. Fresh air."
"Ya-Yamcha!"
"Hey, Go-Goku. Certainly seen be better days ehh?"
"Yeah, I'll say."
"If you would've just listened to me, I could've told you that your conventional martial arts wouldn't work against him in that form but noooo, you both are idiots. Shepard is an idiot too. Where is he?"
Raditz flew away from the injured Turtle Duo, heading towards a familiar, slightly less hated energy signature. Shepard's gi had been torn to shreds. His body was red, there were welts all over his body mixed in with cuts. His face had several cuts, a nasty cut, especially on his cheekbone.
"You look like shit," Raditz said, landing next to Shepard's prone form. Picking him up by his ankle, Raditz lifted back into the air, heading towards his brother and his brother's friend. He could feel the battle in the distance, at least thankful that Vegeta was unaware of his presence, allowing him to move more freely. He wasn't scared of Vegeta any longer, but he certainly didn't want to cross him just yet.
He dropped Shepard to the ground, not even an oomph of any kind escaping the prone form.
"Heeey d-did you have to drop him on his head?" Goku chuckled weakly as he asked.
"The irony! So what Kakarot? Now let's see, ahh there they are." He found the satchel of senzu beans, still in some kind of dazed amazement that something like this could even exist in the universe.
"CHIAOTZU!"
"No! TIEN!"
Both Goku and Yamcha saw the death of their mime-like friend, and they lost sight of Tien before a massive explosion occurred, signaling his possible demise. Raditz watched as the Z Fighters retaliated, especially Piccolo, who began to fire an untold amount of energy blasts into the ground.
"I better get going Kakarot. Keep out of this. Vegeta is mine to finish." He popped a senzu bean in each of the crippled warrior's mouths, taking off before they were healed...
Vegeta's jaw felt like it was loosened from the punch Raditz gave him. Getting up slowly, he became extremely angered at seeing his former inferior comrade drop to the ground in front of him.
"Ra-Raditz? You dare to strike me? I am your superior! I will allow this to slide only once. Take your rightful pl-place at my side as you belong, or else I'll end you, and I'll do it slowly." Vegeta's confidence quickly grew, believing that Raditz's punch had to be all of his strength. If he did get this strong, he would be a tremendous asset to use against Frieza! His slight relief turned sour when Raditz began to laugh, a near octave short of an uproar.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAHAHAHAHA!"
"Wh-what? What is so funny? QUIT LAUGHING TRASH!" Vegeta screamed out the last part, irate that his subordinate would not take him seriously.
"Hm hm hm hm hm... like I'd ever join you again. After the shit, you've put me through. Making me grovel for Frieza because you were too scared to uphold our Saiyan beliefs. Using me for target practice because of your boredom with various worlds we conquered. NO MORE! No. More. I will not be your subject any longer to pick apart. I will no longer serve that sniveling lizard Frieza or any of those maniacal bastards! There is a reason why my father respected your father Vegeta, and it wasn't because of his fighting strength, it was because of his strength of character. Bardock hated Vegeta's guts but respected him enough to realize he could lead them to victory over the Tuffles. So he followed him, and even after your father subjugated our race to the Planet Trade, Bardock knew King Vegeta was playing the long game. It was the only way with a monster like King Cold. But you? You are pathetic! You don't deserve to rule anyone! I've watched a D class species nearly crush you. A D CLASS! But hm hm hm hm hm I can't say I'm surprised. They even beat me! So, this is over Vegeta. You don't have the power to face me. You don't have the energy to create another Moon, and even if you did, I far outstrip you in power now. As I'm sure you've noticed, I have now learned to sense energy without a scouter. So, use your head. It's over."
Vegeta was trembling. His anger had reached a crescendo. His pride had been not only ruined but trampled under the heaviest of gravity and crushed even further! His honor, his body, in shambles! Shepard had told him to prepare for war, but this? This was pure insanity! The humans should have never been close to defeating him, or Nappa! Yet, here he stood, his hand all but fleshy meat. His face? A crimson mass. His blood surely littered the ground everywhere now. His blood!
"Y...you...I... I won't accept this...I WON'T ACCEPT THIS!" Vegeta charged in headfirst without thinking, looking to take Raditz's head off. But Raditz caught his fist, squeezing enough to hurt, making Vegeta wince. Raditz shook his head, looking at the Prince with pity.
"Should've listened." Raditz cocked his hand back before he let loose a shot, sending stars ringing through Vegeta's head. Raditz had let go of Vegeta's hand and let him step back, holding his face.
"YAHHH!" Vegeta reacted out of battle instinct, throwing another punch which Raditz dodged. Raditz started slowly backing up as Vegeta angrily began to attack him. The attacks were wild and unfocused, and it showed. Raditz didn't have to put much effort into blocking or dodging the shots. He parried one, grabbing the offending hand and bringing Vegeta in, slamming a knee into the Prince's solar plexus, a wave of blood shooting out of Vegeta's mouth. He hacked a couple of times, eyes wide as he stepped back, holding his stomach.
"That wasn't at full strength Vegeta. My Saiyan blood boils to kill you, but I'm trying to relent. Frieza is the bigger problem here. Once he's dead, you and I? We can go all out, kill each other. Whatever must be done. But this? This senseless fighting here on this planet? It's done." Raditz walked slowly to Vegeta, watching as the Prince took a deep breath.
"Shut up and die!" Vegeta fired a quick blast at Raditz, who he watched phase away from it before phasing in front of him, palming Vegeta hard in the jaw. Vegeta came back, sending punches Raditz's way, but he was dodged before a kick smashed into his side and sent him sideways. He landed on his feet, charging Raditz, who held his boot out, catching Vegeta and pushing him back hard into one of the few remaining boulders in the area. Raditz crossed his arms, no longer interested in the fight. To Vegeta, he almost looked bored, and that sent Vegeta into a feral rage, screaming as he unleashed an assault on his former subject. Raditz blocked everything, face not even changing as he did. Vegeta threw a kick which Raditz blocked with his forearm. Raditz sent a small smirk Vegeta's way, making the Prince even madder. Turning to gain momentum, Vegeta couldn't complete his turn before Raditz punched him in the back, hard enough to send Vegeta face first in the dirt.
"You're so lost you're forgetting your own most important rules Vegeta. What was that number one rule you always said? Ahhh, oh yes, turning your back on your opponent is like turning your back on your life."
"Grrrr...RAHHHHHHHHHHH YOU DARE MAKE A MOCKERY OF ME?!?" Vegeta rushed forward, using all of his strength and speed to try to hit Raditz, but it was for naught. His energy had depleted drastically throughout the fight with Shepard and the humans. Raditz caught one of his punches before he brought his other hand down, snapping the bone in Vegeta's right arm.
"AEEEOOOOOAHHH-"
Raditz roundhouse kicked Vegeta in the mouth, knocking a tooth out and sending the Saiyan spiraling into the ground. Blood filled his mouth as he got back up, his eyes had lost their intelligence, Vegeta looked to grab Raditz and slam him down, but Raditz didn't budge. Elbowing Vegeta right in his spine, it sent Vegeta to the ground, before Raditz wrapped his arms around Vegeta's midsection, picking him up over his head and powerbombing him hard into the ground, cracking it out for dozens of meters on all sides. Vegeta ignored the pain, holding his hand up and charging energy, but Raditz grabbed his hand, pulling it to the side and almost punching through him. The blast dissipated as Vegeta rolled over to his stomach, coughing up blood. Standing up woozily, he turned, only to be met with a palm to his chin, snapping his head back. Before he could bring it back, another punch to his stomach sent another spray of blood, followed by a second palm, nearly breaking his jaw. He hit the ground again, seething in agony.
"Do you want to keep going Vegeta? What will it take for you to learn your lesson?" Raditz was so bored of the fight now, that he ached to end the Prince. He had tried holding back and didn't even need the Kaioken to deal with Vegeta. But now his patience was wearing thin!
"You...yo-you'll have to k-k-ki-kill me! Never... I re-refuse to accept defeat at your h-hands."
Raditz looked at him for a moment, knowing full well Vegeta would say that and mean it.
"So be it then." Raditz held his hand out in front of the Prince, a pinkish orb charging in his hands.
Zzzt
"Stop Raditz. No one else needs to die here today."
"Release me Kakarot. Vegeta has killed one of your comrades today and you're soft enough to let him live? He's nearly killed your mate today and you choose to let him go? No, I don't think so. Vegeta dies here. Now!"
But Goku didn't release his hand, if anything he tightened his grip on it, forcing Raditz to pay attention to him. Looking at his brother, all Raditz could see was Bardock minus the scar. The fierceness in Goku's eyes bringing memories of a long-lost Saiyan who gave up everything so that they could both live. He saw so much of Bardock in his brother at that moment. His blast disappeared before he scoffed and turned away.
"So you're Vegeta huh? Gotta say. You were a lot scarier when you were that Ape thingy hehehehe. Look. Just take off. There doesn't need to be any more bloodshed here today. No more death."
Vegeta was enraged!
"An-another clown? You leave me to-to live? You have my word, as a Saiyan, I will come back to this wr-wretched planet and have my revenge. Mark my words!"
"No, you won't."
The sheer confidence in the orange-wearing saiyan's words gave the Prince pause, looking at Goku as if he'd grown a second head.
"W-what? You...you th-think I'm a liar? M-MY HONOR DEMANDS IT!" Vegeta's vision was blackening, clearly fighting unconsciousness.
Goku was remembering the memory that Old Saiyan had shown him, only a short couple of years ago. He remembered Vegeta being there. Remembered that in time, Vegeta would calm down and not be so bitter, so hateful. Maybe he could be that way again, but if he died now, then all hope for that would be over.
"It demands too much. Honor isn't everything. Sometimes, you just gotta let things happen. I choose to let you go, in hopes you can be a better person someday."
"Better...p-person? You...are a FOOL COUGH COUGH!" Vegeta hacked up blood to the side, looking at both Saiyans with pure disdain.
"I have a good feeling about you. You're so strong. I can't wait to have my shot with you someday, and I hope it's soon hehehehehe." Goku scratched the back of his head. He smiled for a few more moments, before he looked down at Vegeta, all traces of laughter and cheer gone.
"Don't think I'll forgive you so easily for killing my friend Chiaotzu, and you better hope Chi Chi is still alive, or my mercy for you will be at an end. I won't stand to let you hurt my friends or family anymore."
"I-I plan to destroy this b-backwater trash when I am healed." That was all Vegeta said before Raditz bent down, reaching into Vegeta's side pocket. Vegeta tried fighting him off but Raditz was too strong. Pulling out a handheld device, Raditz hit a couple of buttons on it.
"This fight's over jackass. Kakarot may be soft, but he's my brother, and there are far graver threats out there. When you can put aside your differences with us and work toward the common goal of destroying Frieza and the Planet Trade, we can talk. Until then, get off this planet." Raditz was emphatic over this whole thing.
"I w-will have my revenge! Just you wait Raditz. All the times that Frieza wanted you dead. I sh-should've let him do away with you. I de-defended your useless ass! Y-you will regret leaving me to l-live. I SWEAR IT!"
Raditz ignored him as he and Goku heard the Saiyan Space Pod arrive.
"Swear to my foot up your ass Geets hm hm hm hm hm hm hm!" The nickname made Vegeta try to spit blood at Raditz, who laughed at the pitiful attempt. "Geets, I can't believe Shepard would call you that. It sounds quite ridiculous. Up ya go." Raditz picked Vegeta up by his ankle, dragging him 10 feet over to his pod. Vegeta tried clawing his way out of the grip, but it was far too powerful. Before Vegeta could do anymore, Raditz tossed him headfirst into his pod. Looking inside quickly, Raditz could see that Vegeta's next destination was Frieza Planet 79.
"Perfect. One of Frieza's many owned planets. He has facilities there that will heal his ass." He said to Goku, who put a hand to his chin in thought.
"Saaay, I thought there were 2 of them Raditz. What's the other one like?"
"Big, ugly, brutish, and half stupid. Nappa's only real skills are fighting and gardening."
"HEY!"
"Raditz and Goku looked over at Krillin, who landed in front of the pair, looking at the pod with contempt.
"We can't let him just go. He killed Chiaotzu!"
"I know Krillin. But it'll be alright. Trust me, buddy."
"Trust you? Of course, I trust you, but that monster just came here to destroy our planet. H-he nearly killed Chi Chi! How can you let him go like that?"
"What does it matter noseless human? You all got your hits on him today. I'd say you've done a sufficient job of destroying his pride and honor. The only thing that can even possibly replace that is Frieza's defeat."
"De...Defeat? You..Morons!" The 3 warriors looked at Vegeta, who despite being bloodied, battered, and injured in ways he had never been injured before, laughed like an evil tyrant.
"Idiots! Ho-how much do you trust that Shepard fellow? Hm hm hm hm hm. Hahahahahahahaha, oh yes. Shepard told me something really nice. You th-think you can beat Frieza? Hm hm hm hm hm hm good luck trying to reach a power level of 120 MILLION!"
Vegeta slammed his hand down on the button, sealing his pod, but not before giving Raditz, Goku, and Krillin the middle finger. Raditz was about to charge a blast before the Pod took off into the sky, disappearing from their view quickly.
"120 Million? What does he mean by that?"
"Beats me Krillin."
Raditz said nothing. The number finally caught up to him. '120 FUCKING MILLION? No.. No, it can't be. That's ridiculous! It must be some sort of trick to deceive us. Vegeta had to have come up with that random number.' But Raditz continued to think about it, even after Piccolo, Gohan, and the now recovered Chi Chi landed. She ran hard, diving into Goku's arms. He accepted graciously, the familiar smell of his beautiful wife bringing a smile to his face.
"I missed you, Chi Chi. I missed you so much!"
"Ohhh Goku. It has been so hard without you being here."
"Hey, son! Man, you've gotten so much stronger. It's unreal!" Palming the little boy's head, Gohan couldn't help but bask in the praise, looking up and smiling at his dad.
"You can thank all of us for that. So, Vegeta is still alive? And Nappa I imagine as well?" Piccolo could see that Raditz's mind was elsewhere, but before he could do anything else, Gohan approached his uncle.
"Umm, un-Uncle Raditz?"
That snapped Raditz out of his thoughts, looking down and seeing the bashful boy.
"Wha? Oh. Oh yes. Nappa is gone. There's no way he'd stay to help Vegeta after that. What do you want brat?"
Chi Chi was extremely guarded around Gohan, keeping a close eye on her son. Krillin looked on, before he closed his eyes, reaching out telepathically.
"Master Roshi? Are you close?"
"Uh-huh. We left a while ago. Might wanna find that Shepard fellow, Tights is going crazy in this damn plane."
"Gotcha. Thanks, Master. See you soon."
"Uhh, guys, where's Shepard? We need to find Tien too, or at least, or at least his body."
The others began trying to sense their energies before Yamcha sent a mental nudge to all of them. They flew over to where Yamcha was, standing and strong, arms fresh and intact. He waved them down, as he looked back down over Shepard's prone body. Each warrior landed, all looking somewhat down, except for Goku.
"Aw come on Shep, when ya gonna wake up?" Goku asked.
"I gave him a senzu bean and everything, but if it's what I think it is, then it doesn't matter." Yamcha pointed out.
"Ki Sickness. Quite a rare thing to see in someone. But it can happen."
Most of the warriors looked around in alarm, except for the 3 who recognized his voice.
"Heya King Kai! What is Ki Sickness anyway?"
"Hmm, well putting it simply for you Goku, the proper name for it is called Delayed Onset Ki Disorder. Shepard used his Ki in such a reckless way that the Disorder has already taken effect. Normally it takes a few days for it to take hold, but with Shepard, it appears to be more of an Immediate Ki Disorder. There are many damaging effects that this can have. This goes for any of you that are willing and able to learn the Kaioken, or plan to put untold amounts of stress on your body. Hm hm hm hm hm I guess I could give Goku and Yamcha the permission to teach it to you since they're the only able-bodied students available, but anyway anyway, the Disorder needs to be handled extremely carefully."
"That sounds terrible. What can happen to your energy?"
"Lots of things Goku. A user's Ki can be greatly reduced to a mere fraction of your full reserve. Shepard likely wouldn't be able to beat any of you right now, even if he was up and healthy. Listen to me very carefully ladies and gents. This can happen to ANY of you. If Shepard continues to use his Ki recklessly, there's a chance he won't be able to become any stronger! He didn't train his body completely to withstand the power of the Times 10, and you see the results. Oh and, I made sure to put a word in to KingYemma to let Chiaotzu come here to train under me personally. When he does come back, he'll be stronger than ever."
"Hey thanks, King Kai I greatly appreciate...wait, you didn't say Tien. Is Tien Shinhan on his way too?" Yamcha asked, hopeful.
"Hmmmmm, Yemma didn't mention a Shinhan of any kind. He's likely still alive. So you better hurry."
"Yes! O-ok King Kai, thanks again."
They all took off in the air, except Raditz, who looked down at Shepard still. Shaking his head slightly, he heard the implications behind King Kai's words. And he would be damned if he did not get his chance to try to fight Shepard again.
"Damned fool."
The warriors scattered in the air, heading towards where they believed Vegeta's blast took Tien. There were craters throughout much of the land. Some far too deep to see down, others wider than football fields, truly enormous in size. The fights that were fought here today would not be forgotten by those who participated.
Gohan flew down low before he thought he saw a patch of green.
"GUYS!" He screamed. Chi Chi was near him in seconds, as well as Goku and Krillin with Piccolo following behind. They all looked down and immediately flew down quickly.
"Oh no. Tien. TIEN!" Krillin started pulling the rocks away from the blackened body. The man's infamous 3rd Eye was closed. Tien was at death's door. And fading quickly.
"Quick gimme a senzu bean. Somebody."
"Here noseless one." Raditz came up behind Gohan, tossing the green bean at Krillin.
"Name's Krillin. Noseless one? Sheesh. What I do for you guys." Krillin shamelessly said as he tried to open Tien's mouth.
"Damn it he's completely out of it."
"Stand aside."
Piccolo stood next to Krillin who stepped away, his hand glowing yellow. He put his hand on Tien's chest, sending a spark of Ki to his heart.
"AGHHHH!" Tien's eyes snapped open, his body reading such incredible pain that he could only silently scream. His body felt like it had been hit by the sun. A bright, burning, solar pain went throughout him. It was one he wouldn't wish on anybody. Later in his life, after all of the fights he had endured, he would say this was the moment he wished for death more than anything. But it was not meant to be. Tien had alluded the Grim Reaper, if only by a fraction.
"CHEW TIEN! HERE!" Krillin yelled out, putting the bean in Tien's mouth as quickly as he could.
Tien felt the intrusion. Normally his reaction would be to bite down to defend himself. Which he did, only to receive a bland taste of something. Only biting once and swallowing, the effects were immediate. His skin slowly became the familiar hue that everyone was familiar with. His cuts and his scrapes healed away, except for the scar on his chest. His body's pain went away gradually fast. Within 10 seconds, the man was getting up, breathing heavily, eyes wide. Thankful to be alive, for a short few seconds he remembered the last memory before unconsciousness, and he began to weep.
The others had all kept quiet, out of respect. Chiaotzu had trained and had fought so hard. To be killed near the very end of the incredibly difficult fight, everyone felt Tien's pain.
"Look you can cry all you want or you can get up and do something about it," Raditz said, stunning everyone.
"You...you have no..no right to talk about him. So you better shut your damn mouth. OR I'LL RIP IT OFF!" Tien screamed in utter rage, going from weeping for his lifelong friend to a boiling inferno in a split moment.
"GUYS!" Goku phased in between the two.
"No, no Kakarot. See that was good Triclops. You actually have the desire for vengeance. It is wonderful to know that some of your species aren't so pathetic as to just let their people die without taking something in return."
"You son of a..." Tien forced himself to take several deep breaths, knowing the Saiyan was trying to goad him into a fight.
"Dude, we're so sorry about Chiaotzu. We're going to find a way to bring him back."
"Oh? And how is that Yamcha? Huh? HOW? He's died TWICE! I..you should've let me just die. At least he wouldn't be alone. Damn it. Damn that Vegeta!"
"Vegeta's not the big threat Tien."
"I DON'T CARE! I.. just want Vegeta. Where is he? I take it he has been defeated. So where is he?"
Tien looked around at everyone before Raditz answered.
"He's gone. Beaten to within an inch of his life. We let him, or should I say, KAKAROT here, let him go." Tien looked at Goku, anger clearly on his face, betrayal.
"Oh let me guess. Because you thought he could become a better person? Or maybe it's because you wanted to have your own fight with him in the future! WHAT KIND OF SELFISH REASON IS IT?" Tien yelled in Goku's face, but the Saiyan didn't move. Looking Tien right in the eye, he shook his head.
"Why do you think I let you live? After what you attempted to do. I could've killed you for those things Tien. But I forgave you. I forgave Chiaotzu. My reasoning is no different. It hasn't changed. If I told you how I knew this, you wouldn't believe me. But I just know that Vegeta can make good. He can change. No more than you, or Chiaotzu, Piccolo, or even Raditz."
Tien looked like he wanted to punch Goku, but he finally relented. Taking a couple of steps away, he floated into the air.
"I..I need time to myself. Time to think. Let me know when you're going to do whatever it is you plan to do. Because I want IN." Tien took off, leaving the other dismayed warriors on the ground.
"We're close by Krillin.."
Krillin heard his master in his mind, relaying that to the others. They all flew back to Shepard's body. It had not moved. Raditz kicked him in the side lightly, no sound coming from the unconscious man.
"Was that necessary?" Chi Chi demanded. Raditz shrugged, not caring one way or another.
"It's his fault he's in this mess." Raditz pointed to Shepard's body, chuckling softly.
"Yeah, when Tights gets here you'll have to deal with her," Krillin said.
"Tights? Fuck kinda name is Tights?" Raditz looked confused.
"Not in front of Gohan!" Chi Chi nearly yelled.
"Oh please. The boy has heard it all already."
Chi Chi walked and stood in front of Raditz, looking at the 6'5" Saiyan as if he were 2ft tall.
"I don't care. KEEP USING THAT LANGUAGE IN FRONT OF MY SON AND I'LL INTRODUCE YOU TO MY FRYING PAN!"
"Uh Raditz, now is probably a good time to stop hehehehe." Goku knowingly said, stepping back slowly as he did.
"A frying pan? What the-"
BOOOOIIIOIOIOING
"OWW!" Raditz fell to the ground, holding his head. He kicked his feet into the ground, feeling the reverberating headache starting to already form. A knot was starting to pop through the top of Raditz's head.
"Yup! Just like Goku." The frying pan disappeared and the woman walked a few feet away, holding her son's hand as she did. Raditz looked up, still holding his head, seeing the woman stick her tongue out at him. He stood on his feet, albeit a little woozy before his center of gravity was solid again.
"I told ya Raditz. Should've listened." Goku said.
"She got you good dude, just admit it." Yamcha laughed at his training partner.
"Wh-what the hell was that, ssss owww. Damn infernal earth woman. If she wasn't your wife Kakarot I would blast her."
"She'd probably survive it somehow and kick your butt." Goku held his head with his hand, laughing as he did.
"How do you find these delusional people?"
"These are my friends Raditz. Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today. Without you, I wouldn't be near this strong. Every single one has had an impact on my life. You'll see what I mean with time. Anyway, we should get Shepard up and ready for the others when they get here."
"Is..is Bulma with them?" Yamcha asked.
"Im sure she is man. I know you've missed her."
"No no, it's not that. I mean we broke up quite a while back Krillin. It's just..."
"I need to go to meet with Kami." Piccolo interrupted all of a sudden.
"Kami calling for you Piccolo?"
"Hmm? Yeah. Yeah, he is. I better go see what the old fool wants." Piccolo took off, heading in the general direction of the Lookout.
"There's gotta be something we can do for ya Shep," Krillin said quietly, still looking down at the prone, unmoving form of the Rogue.
It was just then that the warriors heard the sound of a helicopter, coming in over a mountain cliff. One of the few remaining ones in the area. The plane stopped 20 feet away before the door burst open, with a blonde woman running out faster than the warriors thought possible.
"SHEP? SHEPARD?" Tights yelled before she came to a stop in front of the unmoving body.
"No no no no no not again. NOT AGAIN! Please no." Master Roshi caught up to the woman, holding his hand out in front of Shepard's mouth, relief coloring his features.
"He's out cold but he's alive. Where's Tien and Chiaotzu? A-are they?"
"Chiaotzu didn't make it Master. Tien was pretty upset about Vegeta. He went somewhere to meditate and think." Goku replied.
"Ohhh, dear. Without Chiaotzu, Tien is just a shell of himself."
Bulma and Oolong ran over, Bulma seeing the prone form of her potential brother-in-law. Her hands flew up to her mouth, shocked.
"Relax Bulma, he's just unconscious. He should be ok. But it makes no sense. His power felt massive and then it just dropped. What happened out here today?" Master Roshi asked.
Bulma kneeled next to the body, feeling his wrist, she pulled it up and looked at the Capsule Watch. Clicking a couple of buttons to the side, she saw an ERROR on the watch. Hitting another button to elaborate, it explained: Blutz Wave Barrier deactivated. Please activate.
"What's this? Blutz waves?"
"Blutz Waves are the main energy source necessary to allow a Saiyan to turn into the Oozaru, the Great Ape. It requires at least 17,000,000 Zenos to make the change even possible. We felt Shepard turn into a Great Ape, but we're not sure how successful he was at fighting in it. All Low Classes, except for maybe our father, can't control the form. My father created the technique necessary to make an artificial moon, so it would stand to reason that he would have found a way to control it. But the higher classes? Especially the Royals like Vegeta? He was trained to learn control from a very young age. I did not enter the fight until the Moon was already gone, seeing that I can't control the transformation. You would have been dealing with an out of control Ape that was stronger than Vegeta AND out of control."
Bulma listened to the explanation, hating the Saiyan as he spoke. She touched a couple of buttons on the watch.
Blutz Wave Barrier Reactivated. Capsule Watch at 100 percent peak efficiency
"That's better. Wait where is his weapon?"
Tights was cupping Shepard's cheek, tears flowing down her face as she looked at his clean face, his soft breathing the only indication that he was alive.
"You have to come back to us Shep. Please. So much has happened. There's someone new for you to meet. He's been waiting for the last couple of months. My parents have him right now. Please Shep. Please..Please come back for Axel. He needs you so so much. You have to."
Even Raditz was taken aback by the level of affection the human woman was showing for his fellow Saiyan. He became uncomfortable at the sight, turning away from the spectacle.
"Find his weapon. Maybe giving it back to him will bring him back." Krillin said. Gohan had heard what Krillin said, letting go of Chi Chi's hand.
"Wait I think I know what we could do."
"That's right! Gohan you were able to use it. Maybe you can bring it to him." Krillin said excitedly.
"Whoa, really son? That's amazing!" Goku stared at his son in wonder.
Gohan was bashful, but he held his hand out, remembering the feeling of the BanHammer. The feeling came to him instantaneously, before the others could see dirt picked up a small distance away. The miniature BanHammer grip came into the boy's hands comfortably, but Gohan felt a tug from the weapon almost as soon as he touched it, as if the BanHammer wanted somewhere else, it tugging towards its original master.
"Uhh, I th-think it wants to be with Mister Shepard again."
"Go ahead Gohan. It'll be ok." Chi Chi watched carefully as Gohan approached the prone, unconscious body.
"Tights step back," Bulma said, pulling her crying sister away from the body.
The boy held the BanHammer up, feeling it begin to spark in his hand. It wasn't painful, but it was enough that Gohan didn't want the weapon again anytime soon. He placed it in Shepard's hand. Only seconds later, the changes became instant. The BanHammer began to grow, the handle lengthened, and the base itself grew bigger. The head of the weapon went back to its original size before a burst of ethereal energy exploded outward, nearly knocking everyone over. When the light died down, Shepard's body looked much more relaxed. His body looked to be breathing full, but he was still not conscious.
"Alright, it looks like we're gonna have to go to a hospital."
"But why Master Roshi? I think we're all alright. I mean except Shepard." Krillin said, itching his chin.
"That's just it my boy, how are we gonna feed him? You all need to go to the hospital. Just in case."
"I agree with Master Roshi. We all need to get checked up."
"Hospitals mean needles. NO NOT NEEDLES!" Goku began to run away before Chi Chi grabbed him by the ear, pulling him towards the helicopter.
"Uh uh, Mister. You'll get your butt on that plane or you won't get ANY SUPPER? AM I CLEAR?"
"Bu-bu-bu-but I don't want any needles ow ow ow ow ow ow ow please help me. Guys. GUYS?"
"Needles. My brother can stare Vegeta down with no fear, but is scared of a pointy little metal object? Unbelievable!" Raditz said. He preferred to fly under his own power, as did Krillin. Master Roshi and Bulma prepared a cryo capsule to move Shepard's body. Not activating the cryo part itself, the body was whisked away towards the helicopter, followed by a distraught Tights.
Piccolo made it to Kami's Lookout, appearing over the lip of the overlooking Pedestal. Kami was smiling, genuinely smiling as he landed, walking towards them.
"Alright Kami, what do you want?" Piccolo said, standing within 5 feet of his counterpart.
"I am relieved that you survived Piccolo. You avoided our fate. Mister Popo and I are eternally grateful."
"Hmph. What do you really want old man?" Piccolo gritted out, clearly impatient at being around Kami. Kami's smile left his face, a serious look replacing it.
"Your teammate Chiaotzu has died. And I believe that there may be a way to bring him back, even without our Dragon Balls."
That got Piccolo's attention, for he lost his anger, and curiosity christened his face before realization smacked him hard.
"You're talking about Namek itself, our home planet?"
"Yes. And I believe I have a means for you all to get there."
And that's the end of the Saiyan Saga! I hope you all enjoyed the final tidbits of the chapter! Having Raditz come in to save Gohan is extremely important coming up later in the story. Pay attention! And I took some liberties in giving the Earthling warriors some variety! I'm saddened about the death of Chiaotzu, but I needed the guys to have a reason to go to Namek in the first place. The saiyans are going to go regardless, but now, the Earthlings themselves have need for another set of dragon balls. There will be a couple chapters of filler before we make it to Namek. I will give you all just one little nugget: Psychological warfare is super effective! And now, Power Levels.
Power Levels
Shepherd: 150,000 (Times 10 Embodiment)
Bursts of higher Kaioken: 165,000 (Intermittent)
Final Push: 225,000
Vegeta: 176,000 (Oozaru State)
Max Power Galick Gun: 220,000
Injured by The BanHammer: 150,000 (and falling!)
Normal State: 16,500 (Injured, loss of Oozaru!)
Beaten by Raditz: 1,000 (and falling!)
Gohan: 11,000 (Healed!)
Rage Boost: 13,500 (Intermittent)
Empowered with The BanHammer: 14,000
Piccolo: 8,500
Tien: 7,200
Krillin: 5,500
Chi-Chi: 5,000
Chiaotzu: 4,000
Raditz: 23,000
Goku: 25,000 (Zenkai!)
Yamcha: 12,000