Dragon Ball - The Heart of Adventurers
By LastationLover5000 and Demod20
Chapter 34 - A Saiyan's Worth
Petrified.
That's how Vegeta felt. Witnessing this unholy power unfold like a macabre butterfly emerging from a fictitious cocoon shook the Prince to his core. Legs shook, his throat dry and his heart pounding. Even as sweat sloughed off his brow down to his chin, a twinkle of the planet's three Suns made the drip of moisture appear like a falling star.
Striking the ground, Freeza's haunting white with traces of violet shimmered out of view; disappearing like a mirage. His eyes widened, a blur of pale color whizzing around barely perceived, even with his latent gift in ki sense.
Where-?!
The sound of a soft tap came behind him, bringing him to leap forward and whirl around with hands alight of blue fire. Not leaving anything to chance, he unleashed a pair of kikoha, twin beams streaking across the bare meters to meet their mark.
A violent explosion rocked the island they stood upon, blowing back the nearby bodies of his incapacitated comrades awry. Even if he showed concern, what amounted to a moment's respite quickly doused by the diminishing smoke and fire that rolled harmlessly off the galactic emperor's pallid flesh.
"Oh Vegeta, do tell me that wasn't your best effort?" His former superior jeered with a cruel laugh, hands relaxed casually at his sides. "I know I should have felt something beyond a measly tickle."
"Y-You-!" Vegeta gasped out, trembling on the ground at what he saw. "Not even a scratch?! I s-shot that at point blank!"
"If you think this display of my dominance over your filthy kind is unbelievable, then your legendary super whatever must truly be unremarkable," Freeza sneered, raising his arms up in an elaborate emphasis to his words. "But what can you expect...from monkeys?"
Clenching his teeth, Vegeta swallowed the lump in his throat.
Balling his gloved hands into fists, the Prince knew he couldn't use a casual or a quick shot of his energy. If he was to prove his birthright, he needed to dig deeper; deeper than he ever reached for power before.
He may be a monster...but I am the Legendary Super Saiyan!
The air crackled, ribbons of energy surging about within the viridescent expanse of Namek's heavens. Pale light wafted off the Saiyan, throbbing about him as the ocean swirled beneath his boots, the earth of the island completely coming apart and thrown to the wind. Black eyes glistened, hair stood on end and tail outstretched; an intense growl gave birth to a feral howl, the pulsing aura transforming into a radiant blue mantle.
As the seas of the alien planet blew backwards, the vein throbbing Saiyan glared back at his nemesis. Smiling smugly at him, the ground and water that fell beneath his feet did little to interrupt his arrogant relaxed posture; hovering in place with hands lowering back to his flanks.
"Your time has come, Emperor," The Prince spoke with a forced grin past the strain of his full power embroiled around his stout form. "Time to knock you off your throne!"
"Oh prince," The darkly grinning mutant chuckled in a low timbre. "I'll be making you kneel before your life comes to an end."
Without another word, Vegeta lunged forward. A streak of blue moved in a straight line, a gloved fist burning blue swung for the violet chitinous crown of his foe.
Leaning his head to the side, the Saiyan's attack whiffed over the mutant's shoulder, a blast of wind shaking the unstable land and water beyond. Not relenting, Vegeta threw a foot up to hit the leaning skull; only to see a whip of white lasso around his heel and halt his momentum entirely.
Eyes bulged, the Saiyan's face paled as the Emperor of the known Universe hurled him around like an adult would a child. Growing in velocity, he felt himself trapped in a dizzying cyclone that siphoned water and earth with him. Just as he felt his senses grow nauseous, the Saiyan was released, flying across the vast planet with a host of debris in tow.
Pain exploded across his skull, planting head first into the face of a plateau and was bombarded by a host of seawater and island fragments. Battered and bruised, the Saiyan was quickly overwhelmed by this collapse of a natural structure of sediment and earth.
Buried by the slew of rocks and sludge, the Prince felt waves of fire fill his veins from the indignity of the situation. Eyes widened and his voice let out an indignant scream that plowed through the pile of rubble that had pinned him.
Flipping back onto his feet, the Saiyan saw in time Freeza casually float above him with arms crossed. With his back to one of the Suns, a devilish shadow was cast over the upright warrior prince, red eyes aglow even within the obscuring rays of Sunlight. With earth still raining around the two, it looked like a god staring down at a mere mortal to any outside viewing bystander.
No words were spoken, but Vegeta could feel it with the nebulous expression he gathered from him: I'm waiting.
Stretching his hands out to either side, the Prince knew what to do to close the distance.
Tapping into the deeper recesses of his mind, the Saiyan Elite growled as he took the raining rocks out of the air and held them suspended by the power of his mind. Not showing any signs of being fazed by this feat of psychic prowess, the Saiyan hurled the dozens of earth at the hovering target.
A tail of white whipped around, swiping at the rocks before the frozen hearted fiend's sight. Crumbling to dust with ease, his red eyes darted to his left to see Vegeta appearing to his flank with a pair of clasped hands brought to bear; one crackling with pale-violet light.
"EAT THIS!" He howled, throwing out a stream of ki into the undefended side of his former employer. He felt something push against it, urging him to pour more of his strength into the energy beam. The kikoha swelled and gained mass within moments, transforming from a surprise strike into a plume of his signature technique: the Garlic Cannon.
Teeth ground tightly, muscles burned at being pushed this far but he didn't relent. This was his chance to destroy this menace and free himself from his clutches. Now and forever, he'll obtain his destiny!
Howling, he dredged up another salvo, causing the wildfire of energy to become a horizon consuming eclipse of luminous purple. This attack was hundreds of times stronger than it ever had been back on Earth. There was no way Freeza could escape harm this time!
"Vegeta, can you be honest with me?"
White fingers pierced through the blaze of his firing ki clasped around his face, smothering his nostrils with an inescapable palm vice grip. Black dots became pins, the howl turned to a muffled yelp, and the overwhelming surge of purplish energy petered out. Replaced by the light blue aura that thrummed calmly over Freeza's extended arm and around his smooth, untouched body.
"Was that the zenith of your potential, or are you going to continue wasting my time?" He sneered with a low growl.
"H-Hngh!" Vegeta growled out, grasping at his hand and tried to pry himself free.
"Let me show you," Freeza spoke quietly, thrusting his palm forward with eyes dilating with a delighted cackle. "How it's really done!"
A sudden shriek of invisible energy thrust Vegeta across the planet's skyline. Guided by an intangible grip, the Saiyan felt his back rip in agony as his armor tore at the rapidly passing landscape beneath him, clawing across his spine. Skirting across a lake, he'd feel himself crash into the face of an opposing island, feeling it cascade over and around him.
Gasping for air, the Saiyan struggled to stay afloat on the waves of the alien world's disturbed lake. Even as he tried to cling to an overturned tree, the palate of the environment shifted sharply to a scarlet-white.
Looking up, he'd gape at the sight: dozens of crimson beams streaking down like a meteorite shower lanced down onto him. A muted scream followed multiple balls of fire, blossoming in bright crimson petals of flames that boiled the sea and burned away the island's fragments.
A streak of blue was seen faintly emerging from the smoke, fists poised back with luminous balls of light within clenched fists. The bleeding, wincing prince withdrew his arms and lobbed the two kikoha at the skyborne adversary; only to see both spheres batted away by the whipping tail of the reptilian emperor.
"Dammit!" Vegeta cursed, heaving heavily as the dirt and blood stung his eyes, caking his hair and painting his bleeding back. Gritting his teeth, Vegeta howled out in anger at the smirking ruler of the galaxy. "I'm so close! I can feel myself almost there! So...why," He sneered, leaping across the air with a fist thrown at his enemy's face. "Can't I kill you?!"
His fist was casually caught in Freeza's right hand. Trying to budge it, he found it an impossible task. No matter how much he pushed or pulled, he was trapped in his former employer's grasp
Just like before, though this time, he knew he couldn't escape.
A brutal kick ballooned his backside from the front, the faint outline of the three prong toes imprinting along his spine. Spittle flew from the princeling's mouth, silenced by a just as instant slap across the face.
"The answer is simple, Vegeta," Freeza replied, backhanding his captive prey with a decadent smile, feeling the Saiyan's blood fleck onto his face. "Your so-called legend never has existed in the first place. It's a simple fact you small minded brutes would concoct such an elaborate myth, daring to believe you could ever transcend your limits. But I'll let you in on a secret…"
Pulling back a fist, he began to hammer Vegeta in the face and chest. Each blow pounded him like a hammer, the aura and armor barely keeping his skeleton from fracturing. Every time the fist met its mark, more blood caked the peerless white flesh of the emperor in red, savagely painting him as less of a ruler and more of a murderer.
The sky crescendoed the relentless beatings he received over the ruined planetscape. Whoever may have been lucky enough to survive the collateral damage would see the once proud Saiyan reduced to a literal punching bag. Pound after pound, the heir of a dead race was having the life stricken from him.
One strike at a time.
"None surpass me. No one even comes close," He darkly whispered, the mutant licking some of the blood on his lips and grinning at his trembling fist still in his grasp; the rest was a bruised, ichor stained display of the once unmatched princeling. "What you could never understand was that no individual could match me, in this world or beyond. I am without equal. Not even my father has half of my potential.
"So keep dreaming, Saiyan. Because that's all this fleeting attempt of undermining me was," Freeza spoke lowly, releasing hold of his captive's fist; long enough to spin around and kick him across the face, spearing him across the sky and slamming into a distant island mass with a thunderous crash.
"A false fantasy."
Darkness.
That's all Vegeta felt himself plunged into. All of his aspirations for being an elite fighter, without equal, was dashed as assuredly as his consciousness. Even as the numbness of his body set in during this brief respite against his lifelong nemesis, he knew the end of his life was nigh.
Just like his people.
Just like his father
I'm a failure...Raditz, Kakarrot...they rose above me despite being low class trash!
He remembered seeing the lax confidence of Kakarrot both on Earth and this world as well. Even then, Raditz had achieved a mythic power all his own, nearly besting the tyrant on pure instinct alone. All he could do was destroying Freeza's lackies, while their superior dwarfed their strength entirely.
And Freeza? He's too strong! How can I achieve the legend when I'm so damned weak?!
"Son, do you recall the Legend of the Super Saiyan?"
His eyes opened, somehow watching a scene he almost forgot. His younger self, standing by an expansive viewing glass overseeing space pods launched from the planet into the sky. Like viewing shooting stars in reverse, the torch haired princeling stood in his smaller fitted regal armor, complete with a vibrant red cape that matched his father's.
"Yes father," He saw himself say to his single parent with a smile. "Once every thousand years, a Saiyan with the power to destroy entire worlds. He was seen as invincible. He was the most pure warrior that has ever existed, right father?"
"That's right," He saw the man who resembled a much taller version of himself say, smiling at the rising force of his kin ascend to the stars. "Our bloodline is among the very elites with ties to that Saiyan of old. I believe with your potential, you can be the next Super Saiyan."
"But, how will I know when I become one?" He remembered asking. "How strong do I have to become?"
"My son, when the time comes," He saw the goatee bearded man turn around, smiling down at his younger self. "You will know."
A sharp pain woke the adult prince back to reality. His hair yanked sharply, hauling his brutalized body upright thanks to a cruel hand grasping his raven tresses. Hearing the sound of his head throbbing, his heart pounding and feeling fiery pain all around him, he could barely make out the words Freeza said as something changed inside of him.
"You're making me so disappointed, Vegeta," Freeza bemused with a grin. "I thought after the great lengths you and your band of misfits went to anger me so that you would at least offer me something of a challenge. But no, weakling Raditz grew a spine and fought on your behalf. Your pathetic attempts make me pity the loss of a commendable subordinate; but with how many of my men you dispatched, I suppose one more body won't matter much in the grand scheme of things."
Raising a hand, forming it into a poised claw, he smiled wide eyed.
"Time to tell your father in the Afterlife how meaningless your struggles have been!"
Meaningless?
Veins throbbed, eyes blankly opened and a sudden motion of a bloodied, soot covered glove swung up. Snatching Freeza's thrusting hand less than a foot away from his face, squeezing tightly enough to make the tyrant make a grimacing surprised expression.
"W-What?!" He gasped, seeing Vegeta's blood soaked face bare teeth and glare pupiless eyes back at him.
Then, an aura of dark yellow erupted with a shrieking roar from his wounded body, blowing back the island's surface. Black hair became tinged with reddish hue. Muscles bulged and the sky darkened with crackling energy striking about the horizon like lightning.
"Meaningless?!" Vegeta snarled, bending Freeza back hard enough to make audible pops. "What do you know of meaningless?!"
Freeza cried out, feeling joints tear and rip about his hand, forcing him to backpedal in retreating pain. Clutching at his wrist, he stared wide eyed as Vegeta howled as power surged upward, a pyre of dark Sun-like luminescence. Overcast by the shine by the silhouette of the once powerless Saiyan now made the galactic emperor feel a pang of something he hadn't felt in years.
Fear.
A baleful roar and a sudden blazing charge brought the princeling forth, slamming a fist into the blood soaked mutant's chest; forcing him to vomit his own vile ichor from his throat.
Grimacing, Freeza swung a punch back, whiffing over the Saiyan's reddish hair as he ducked. Leaping up over a follow-up tail swipe, the transformed warrior pulled his legs beneath his chin before thrusting both boots straight into the reddish stained face.
POW!
A thuum followed the collapse of the atmosphere around them, a cone of supersonic pressure thrusting the heinous mutant across the landscape, peeling the tops of island land masses and skating across lakes' surfaces. Head first, the ruler of the known cosmos slammed through a pillar of rocky growth, bracing his uncontrollable flight and feeling it collapse atop his now pained body.
Moments later, Freeza thrust a burst of psychic energy, sending the debris flying in all directions as he screamed in outrage. Before he could mount a verbal statement of his own feelings, the sudden sight of a charging fist crashing into his skull, whipping his neck around painfully and stumbling around in circles.
"Spend your life, ruled by another!" Vegeta shouted aloud, stomping onto the pallid skinned creature's tail, grasping a retaliating hand swiping towards him in response. Twisting it about, Vegeta's blankly glaring eyes narrowed in tune with a kick to the fiend's chin, chest and throat repeatedly. "Your people murdered like dogs! Your father executed without honor! Your birthright and destiny, thrown to the wayside! You cannot fathom the anguish and mockery I've had to stomach! How could you, with your empire handed to you like everything else in your life?!"
Withdrawing his foot, he leaped up and spun around, kicking his nemesis across the head, sending him crashing into the ground with a skittling crash. Landing back down, his fists balled up as his dark solar aura gleamed with his reddish hair flowing animatedly while blank eyes glowed with a pale light.
"No more! I am the Super Saiyan of Legend, and you will deny me my destiny no more: prepare to taste death, Freeza!" He howled with thunderous fury.
"I see a sudden surge of adrenaline has gone to your head, Prince Vegeta!" snarled Freeza, the tyrant's onyx nails grinding into the grass and dirt of the Nameccian crust. His red eyes narrowed menacingly, and, while crouched, Freeza looked, if anything more dangerous than before. Pain was surging through his body; burns dotted each and every spot Vegeta had made contact with. "You have forgotten the proper place of the Saiyan race; beneath the feet of their betters! So continue to dream, Vegeta! I will show you that this burst of strength of yours is no Super Saiyan: just a desperate man'ws last flailing's against his Emperor!"
"You wouldn't underestand, 'Lord' Freeza," Vegeta spat the word with venom, his irisless eyes blind with fury. He could feel power rushing through every vein, every cell; ki, dark gold around him, burned, his normally black hair blazing with its new reddish-brown hue. "My struggle is beyond the comprehension of someone like you! Me, the Prince of the Saiyans, who had to fight for the right to be respected by your lackeys! Crawl and bite my way to the upper echelons of the Freeza Army, only to be knocked down and disrespected! Denied my birthright! Made a fool of by members of my own race: my lessers, my subjects!" Vegeta roared in fury, flexing his muscles as his golden ki aura burst to life around him, expanding in every direction. "BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE! EVERY TRANSGRESSION AGAINST ME WILL BE REPAID TO YOU IN FULL, FREEZA!"
From this conflagration, Vegeta's body exploded forth, bathed in golden light. A flame in human shape, the raging Saiyan closed in on Freeza within moments. The tyrant, still trying to comprehend just how Vegeta was able to make such a comeback, found himself barely able to dodge the burning blows. Trailing gold with every movement, Vegeta did not rest. Freeza kept moving backwards, attempting to reassess the situation. In response, Vegeta thrust his arm forward, seemingly striking air...
...only for his golden aura to elongate, whiplike, and following the arc of his arm as it raced across the Nameccian soil. It struck Freeza hard in the side, the Prince of the Saiyans managing to catch the tyrant off-footing, careening across the teal-grass. Persistently, viciously, Vegeta pursued Freeza, a hunter seeking prey. Spiraling back upright, Freeza's hand ignited in pink ki, thrusting the pink flame in at the oncoming Vegeta...only for the blast to be snuffed out immediately. Bewildered, Freeza felt pressure grip his pale hand moments after the crushing of the ki blast; Vegeta's white-gloved hand enclosed over his, burning with a vivid flame of yellow ki. His eyes, devoid of their normal black irises, stared furiously at the tyrant.
It was an emotion Freeza didn't consider himself familiar with. But for the first time since the tyrant could remember, he felt a flicker of a new emotion.
Fear.
The burning, rampaging Saiyan Prince extended a hand, his face set, brimming with primal fury. Freeza felt himself impacted by a crushing pressure. A kiai of incredible strength was pressing down, his clawed feet dragging along the ground. It was only when he felt like his arm might dislocate that Vegeta let go of the tyrant's arm, and he gave way entirely to the invisible force bearing down on him. The ground beneath Freeza gave way entirely, crumbling to nothingness, Freeza falling into the emerald sea.
A blessed silence washed over the battlefield, the Saiyan Prince floating over a still sea. He knew this hadn't finished Freeza, as the Emperor was well known for his ability to survive in near-impossible conditions. He raised his palms to the air, the flowing flame of his aura following the arc...and unleashed an absolute hell-storm into the ocean's surface. It was different from his standard continuous kikōha spam; his aura was being used as a weapon, stretching and retracting, much like extendable arms. It was an effort to prevent the destruction of the planet, as Vegeta couldn't fire carelessly. The water erupted around him, each blow meant to strike Freeza with the full power of Vegeta's awakened strength, and the Saiyan felt each blow connect with something.
BOOM!
His own blows were interrupted by an absolute geyser of water exploding into the sky. Freeza's slim body rushed from the sea, no worse for wear than before, but looking significantly more livid.
"So Super Saiyan, you have some bite after all," snarled the Emperior. "But let me tell you something...I have been using only a paltry percent of my power. In dealing me so much pain I will congratulate you by giving you my fullest attention: half of my power shall suffice! He clenched his fists, his body radiating an evil violet hue that, contrasting to Vegeta's burning yellow. "It's high time I end the charade and pull the curtain on your filthy race!"
Freeza's Ship, Medical Bay
Silence. Aside from the sounds of beeping machinery and the sloshing of the liquid inside the medical machine, the Medical Bay of the Freeza Army was devoid of sound. Bulma and Pan lay asleep, their backs leaning against side of the Medical Machine in which their husband and father, Son Gokū, found himself steadily recovering to his full, healthy state. The liquid within the machine had fascinated Bulma before she'd fallen asleep from the stress, had taken and encapsulated samples of the liquid and stored it away. Even when Bulma had fallen asleep — both she and her daughter exhausted from their inability to tell exactly what time it was, and the fact that it had simply been a long "day" — she was mulling over names for the new product, and considering patenting it when back on Earth.
"There was no harm in copyrighting an invention from another planet," she told herself, since her husband had passed out well before she had. Now, however, Bulma said nothing. She slept soundly, Pan clinging to her like a baby chimp to its mother, the young Saiyan's furry tail curled around her body. This respite, even if it had required Gokū to take a beating at the hands of his older brother first, was the first the Son family had been able to get in a very long time. It was to be relished. However, like all good things, it was also to come to an end.
The Medical Machine showed that Gokū's vitals were stabilised completely; his body had finally reached 100% health. In mere moments, the tranquility of the sleeping family would be upended.
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!
A shrill, rapid beeping filled the entire room. Bulma jolted awake first, fumbling around in her pockets for a capsule. Following a POMF!, a weapon materialised in the young mother's grip; a handheld blaster pistol, one of her own design. She pointed it around the room quickly, intending to shoot whatever had triggered the alarm, only to realise she, her daughter, and husband were in fact quite safe. The piercing noise had, in fact, come from the Medical Machine that Gokū was recovering in. Exhaling slowly, and thanking whatever deity was around for her lack of relative impulsiveness, she recapsulised the blaster in time for her daughter to wake up in response to the alarm.
"Mama? What's that noise?"
"It's fine, sweetie," said Bulma reassuringly. "Papa is done." Chuckling at her own little joke, the lavender-hued woman walked over towards the machine, peering in at Gokū, whose eyes were wide open. He must have just woken up too. Seeing his wife and daughter had prevented him from completely destroying the machine to get out, and Bulma made a quick motion to show Gokū she was going to get him out. Mulling over the controls, Bulma realised something critical. She had absolutely no idea how to read a single thing in the script Freeza's Army used.
Furrowing her brow, the woman placed a thin finger to her chin. It was all gibberish, no matter how hard she tried to decipher it. Frowning, Bulma knew if she didn't hit the right button, Gokū would simply have to blow the machine to smithereens; this wasn't acceptable, she was still hoping to analyze its design, perhaps even commandeer it if she could.
"I should have been paying more attention when Raditz loaded him into this thing," she groaned, cursing her lack of foresight. Eyeing the keyboard, she did notice that there were two prominent buttons, and took it upon herself to make the deduction these buttons were the 'Activation' and the 'Release' button, as no other buttons would be so prominent.
"The Activation button would most likely do nothing, since the machine is already active...so there's no harm in pressing one of these at random and praying it gets him out."
Pressing her finger to the lowermost button, it flashed green. Bulma eyed the Medical Machine, and exhaled slowly with relief when a beeping noise was followed by the sound of receding liquid. Whatever the substance in the machine was, it was beginning drain out. The liquid completely drained, the Medical Machine opened with a hissing noise. Gokū removed the breathing apparatus from his mouth, and stepped out slowly. Bulma reached out towards him, but stopped as Gokū held up a hand.
"I-Is something the matter, Son?" Bulma inquired, but her own technology was answering her question. Numbers flashed in front of her eyes, quickly becoming incomprehensible as the readings flatlined to an ERROR message. Whatever her husband's combat strength was, her own technology was failing to read it.
Pan, however, was getting the feel for her father's ki, and was astounded. "Papa! You're so strong now!"
"I know," Gokū inhaled, then exhaled, his tail swishing behind him, shaking off liquid. It terrified him right now how strong he felt. How breakable everything around him seemed now. "I feel...so alive right now. I've never felt this much power. It's staggering..."
"S-Son?" Bulma felt a flicker of worry. This wasn't like Gokū, to be so lost in his own strength he'd forget they were there. She stepped closer to him, and wrapped her arms around her spouse, determined to make sure he was still there.
Gokū was taken aback, but gingerly returned the hug his wife had given. Pan looked up at her two parents, tail flicking in query. Her father grinned, which was all the invitation the girl needed to jump in and hug them both. "I'm sorry, you two. I know I worried you, but I'm alright. And now, I'm going to fix all of this."
Bulma wanted to stop him, to tell him it would be best to try and recover a bit longer, but she knew they didn't have the luxury of time. She'd been trying to suppress it, but now that her sensors could no longer read her husband's combat readings, he was trying to suppress them from going haywire reacting to the battle raging not too far from where they were now. Technology couldn't tell her who was fighting, but she sincerely hoped the bigger reading belonged to Raditz. Knowing it best not to start that argument when she had no hope of winning it, Bulma relented before the discussion could even begin. She still, however, had one thing to address.
"Even if you're going to fix our problems, you're not doing it dressed like this," Bulma gripped a handful of Gokū's gi, which had been torn and damaged by Raditz after Ginyū had stolen his body. "This is the flagship of that Freeza guy's army, so there should be some of their combat jackets in here."
"You want me to wear their outfits?" Gokū sounded indignant. "I don't know how comfortable I'd feel fightin' in those things. I'm always more comfortable with my gi."
"Yeah, well, your gi is shredded," replied Bulma huffily. "I can't have my husband giving off a bad impression and showing up to a big fight looking like that. We'll get you something from their armour storage, and I'll patch your gi up good as new in the meantime.
This was enough to convince Gokū, who relented. He, Bulma, and Pan looked thoroughly for the storage where combat jackets were kept – Bulma desperately wishing she had access to the ship floor layout – and stumbled across the room entirely by accident.
"Looks like it doesn't have much protection," Bulma said, easily opening one of the locked cupboards to reveal the preserved Combat Jacket inside. "I expected an encryption lock, or a key card at the very least. That Freeza guy really is careless." She removed the Combat Jacket, surprised by its lightness, and tossed over to her husband, who caught it, looking visibly disappointed.
"I don't like the colour," he noted.
"Orange compliments you best, but beggars can't be choosers," Bulma grinned. "Sweetie, let Papa change, so head on to the other room for a moment." Once her daughter had vacated the room, Bulma handed Gokū the undersuit. She didn't bother with the boots or arm guards; Gokū's own boots and wrist ties were the only undamaged parts of his attire.
The Saiyan quickly undressed and redressed, surprised at the elasticity of the main armoured part of the Combat Jacket, though he remembered how Vegeta's, Nappa's, and Raditz's had all increased in size to accommodate them on Earth when they transformed. It took a moment, but the man was fully dressed, wearing a black combat jacket with yellow shoulder pauldrons, blue leggings, and his regular boots and blue wrists ties. His tail hung loosely behind him, having been easy to sort out once he'd fully dressed.
"How do you feel?" Bulma asked.
"Honestly...it feels so light," Gokū grinned. "But sturdy. These were definitely made to fight in."
"It gives me mixed feelings," said Bulma. "You look like that creepy uncle of yours."
"You think so?" asked Gokū, chuckling. "I don't think much of that man, really, though I think he's been helpful enough."
"I won't say we don't owe him, but I don't trust him as far as I can throw him, and we know that isn't far," said Bulma, unable to suppress a smile at her husband's willingness to trust anyone. "I'm even more confused as to why Chi-Chi sided with him, unless she's just that far gone."
"I'll ask them when I get over there," suggested Gokū. "She wanted a favour from me, so I bet they'll work with us if it means knocking Freeza's head in."
"Let me see how that's going," Bulma suggested, and used her scanner to focus entirely on the area where the two combat strengths were clashing. Ignoring the larger two, which were causing a massive fluctuation of numbers, she focused instead on trying to count who else was there. She noted two smaller numbers, a third smallest so insignificant compared to the others she might have missed it, and one larger number growing steadily bigger.
These counts, however, were off-base.
"Son, we're missing two readings," Bulma was pale with shock. "I don't even know who..is...?"
Gokū stretched out his senses, marveling even now at how his ki sense had improved with his rapid jump in strength. Focusing on the battle, he was able to read these combat strengths with the accuracy that numbers couldn't give.
"Raditz is fine..." Gokū involuntarily exhaled, relieved to see his brother in o e piece. "I feel a smaller power with him. But Vegeta's two friends are down...they're not dead...and...wow, that's Vegeta and Freeza clashin' out there!"
"Your uncle and Chi-Chi?!"
Gokū looked grim. "I can't feel 'em." He said after a moment's pause. "It's not lookin' good out there."
"Then go," replied Bulma. "I don't want to see you get hurt after you just recovered, but I also don't feel comfortable leaving this in the hands of Vegeta."
Gokū chuckled. "Alright. I can't say I'll save the day, but as long as Vegeta keeps him occupied until I get there, we can work together."
"Is Papa going to fight Freeza?"
Pan's voice came from the doorway. The parents turned to their daughter, surprised she'd reentered without warning.
"Yeah," Gokū walked over to Pan, kneeling down and placing a hand on her hand. The two Saiyan's tails moved in sync for this moment - perhaps an unspoken, instinctual way of communication- but he still addressed his daughter verbally. "Papa is about to go fight a crazy strong guy. So I need you to keep your Mama safe in case any bad guys show up, OK?"
Pan nodded slowly. It didn't occur to her that this was her father's way of keeping her out of harm's way, by assigning her a task that couldn't get her hurt in the slightest. "Beat him up then, Papa!"
Gokū grinned. "You got it!"
The Saiyan stood up to his full height, cast a glance to his wife which was returned without words, and bolted from the room, out of the ship, and burst into a flare of ki to travel across the planet.
"Stay safe..." was the only thing Bulma sent with him.
A/N:
Demod20:
Whew boy, this chapter was exciting and heartfelt! Vegeta goes and keeps on going. Even when things look the most bleak, the Prince always has his comeback even when bloodied and beaten. And Goku emerges and dons some very familiar armor before giving a heartfelt farewell to his family. The Finale is almost in reach, I can't wait to show you all how it concludes!
LastationLover5000: This was an interesting chapter to write. The Psuedo-Super Saiyan form is a guilty pleasure of mine, so including it for Vegeta and expanding on it is very welcome. Honestly, I've been out of my depth with fight scenes for awhile, so I was glad to keep my contribution to this one minimal but effective. I had much much more fun writing the scene with Gokū and Bulma. I've always wanted to get him into a Combat Jacket, and this was a good excuse to do it. Well, I hope y'all will look forward to the next chapter!