DBZ
"What do you think is taking him so long?"
Krillin paced in agitation while Bulma stood at her portable capsule desk, which somehow survived the battle between Vegeta and Not-So-Prince Charming. The desk held a surveillance tablet that received video transmissions from the fleet of drones Bulma had launched earlier. While the tablet only displayed footage from four drones at a time, Bulma could swipe the screen to shuffle through transmissions.
Sure enough, as Vegeta observed, one of the drones had located Frieza's base of operations. Bulma flagged that transmission as important, updated the drone's programming to patrol the area, and locked the footage on the tablet's upper left quadrant. She would come back to it later.
For now, her priority was checking up on Gohan. He had to be around here, somewhere.
"I'm sure he's fine, Krillin," she said, although it was more to convince herself than her friend. "He's half Saiyan, and the Saiyans sent Goku on a solitary, deep-space mission while he was still an infant. There's no reason to think Gohan's too young for this."
"Gohan isn't Goku!" Krillin retorted in exasperation. "Their personalities are on opposite ends of the spectrum."
"You're exaggerating," Bulma countered. Although… he wasn't completely wrong. Gohan might share his dad's compassion and pure heart, but he was also mild-mannered and self-conscious, while Goku was exuberant and fearless.
To be frank, Bulma wasn't sure where Gohan got his temperament from. He didn't exactly take after Chi-Chi, either.
"Do you really think your cameras will be able to find him?" Krillin asked anxiously. "How many did you send out, anyway?"
Bulma hesitated. Considering the strength of their enemies, discretion was their safest strategy. She could still hear the ridicule in Vegeta's voice. "You wouldn't happen to be spying on Frieza, would you? Surely you're not that stupid."
If Frieza discovered any of Bulma's drones, he could easily use them against her—and she had not skimped on their numbers. Namek was a large planet with a lot of ground to cover. It might be safer to fly under the radar, but if they hoped to win, then Bulma would need every resource available to her.
Still, Krillin would consider it reckless, so she replied evasively, "Don't ask questions when you really don't want the answer."
Krillin gaped at her in disbelief. "Are you crazy?"
Bulma fumed. "Look, unless you've got a better idea, you've got no right to complain. At least I'm doing something." Her tone was harsher than Krillin deserved, but she didn't have the composure to apologize.
They were stranded here with dangerous alien thugs.
Goku was missing… possibly dead—while Vegeta was just a wish away from immortality.
And Gohan should have been back at the cave by now.
It was all Bulma could do not to panic.
DBZ
Gohan clenched his eyes shut as Vegeta carried him back toward the Namekian village—and away from his friends. Although the pain in his gut had finally dissipated, he fought the urge to escape.
Before his capture, Gohan had stored the four-star dragon ball at the base of the rocky mesa, and by some miracle, Vegeta had failed to notice it during their confrontation. Now, with every passing moment, the Saiyan was inadvertently putting more and more distance between himself and his final prize, leaving the dragon ball farther and farther behind.
So, even if it meant subjecting himself to Vegeta's wrath, Gohan would attempt nothing to cut their flight short. Instead, he waited until they were over deep water and covertly dropped Bulma's dragon ball radar. It fell quickly, but since Vegeta was so much faster, by the time it hit the water, the Saiyans were too far away to hear it splash.
Good. Unless Vegeta had a photographic memory, he would find it challenging to distinguish one landmark from another. With any luck, recovering the four-star dragon ball would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
But, obviously, that would infuriate Vegeta like never before. He thought he had all seven. He bragged about sparing Krillin and Bulma out of leniency because he was already celebrating his immortality—and Vegeta was not the kind of person who responded well to disappointment.
Gohan was going to die. Vegeta's repulsive plan to raise him like a proper Saiyan would never come about because Vegeta would never forgive him for this deception. He wouldn't hesitate to kill him, and a part of Gohan didn't mind.
Better off dead than indoctrinated by an evil mass murderer.
Besides… if he died, he would finally be reunited with his dad… and Mr. Piccolo.
Vegeta's words haunted him. "You can't run from this, kid. Your father is dead. Do you understand?"
Tears threatened to spill down his face. Why did the universe conspire to keep him and his dad apart?
All too soon, Vegeta made his descent into the village ruins. This was it, then. The end of the road. Nothing more could be gained from cooperating, so Gohan mustered his strength and bit Vegeta in the arm.
Not even a flinch.
Vegeta chuckled. "You'll need more than that to pierce my armor, boy."
Great.
Gohan began squirming in a pathetic attempt to dislodge himself from Vegeta's grasp. It didn't work, but at the very least, it made his captor growl.
"Pay attention, you little whelp! Between you and the dragon balls, I have a lot to juggle on my hands, so if you can't behave yourself, I'll have no choice but to knock you out—which would be unfortunate, because you need as much exposure to my handiwork as I can provide."
Exposure to his handiwork? Here in the Namekian village?
Gohan's heart sank. Vegeta must have been referring to his victims. He wanted Gohan to survey the massacre. His sadism was unbearable.
"Let! Me! Go!"
Power surged from deep within, encompassing Gohan in a blinding aura that shoved Vegeta away from him. It wasn't enough to hurt the Saiyan, and Vegeta easily maintained his balance, but it was bright enough to make him shield his eyes.
Run! Now!
Gohan took off in a random direction, launching in the air as quickly as he could. When Vegeta silently materialized in front of him, he barely had time to stop short of a collision.
The Saiyan prince frowned, scrutinizing him with a hint of caution… gauging his strength… as if expecting him to erupt. Vegeta no doubt realized he was playing with fire. Unfortunately, it was a fire Gohan could not wield on command… even if he wanted to.
Turning, he bolted in a new direction, but didn't get far before Vegeta cut him off a second time. He was too fast. Escape would not be an option—at least not without a fight.
Vegeta still carried the dragon ball in the crook of his arm, which gave him a slight handicap, but not even that would make a difference. Gohan was in over his head, and he had no way out.
This was really going to hurt.
With a distressed howl, Gohan charged himself at Vegeta, aiming low to punch his antagonist's knee. Vegeta swerved around the attack and jabbed his elbow toward Gohan's head. He managed to cross his arms in an overhead block, but the impact still sent him careening to the ground.
He landed hard on his hands and knees in the Ajisa field, surrounded by dozens of Namekian graves—an agonizing reminder of grief and failure.
At least…
At least he would die among Mr. Piccolo's people.
As Vegeta descended from the sky, Gohan shakily climbed to his feet and peered up at him in resignation. But to his surprise, Vegeta's attention lay elsewhere. He was contemplating the graveyard in obvious bemusement.
"Strange," he murmured. "Someone buried them."
"I did," Gohan said with all the defiance he could muster in his otherwise soft voice.
Vegeta bristled. "You?"
If these were to be his final moments, then Gohan would live them honestly. "Yes. Just before I pulled a dragon ball out of that lake over there."
Shock and fury darkened Vegeta's countenance. "What?"
Gohan braced himself for the inevitable rampage. "It's gone, Vegeta. I hate to disappoint you, but I'm not your little brother. I'm never going to serve you, and if you want immortality, you'll have to kill me first."
Intense hatred—beyond Gohan's comprehension—threatened to unhinge the murderous Saiyan. Energy crackled around him as he dropped the dragon ball and advanced on Gohan like a tidal wave. "WHERE IS IT?"
Gohan fell back a step, but shook his head, refusing to answer.
Enraged, Vegeta lunged at him, reaching for his neck. Gohan instantly countered with a ki blast that he hoped would repel Vegeta. Instead, Vegeta batted it aside into a nearby building, causing a minor explosion. As dust and debris billowed in the air, Vegeta seized Gohan's throat in a vice grip.
"I spared your friends! Took you under my wing! And this is the thanks I get? You ungrateful wretch!"
He plowed his fist into Gohan's gut. Pain blossomed through his whole body, wiping away all responsiveness. Another punch came. Then a third.
Gohan soon lost count… and then, he lost consciousness.
DBZ
"Gohan!" Krillin yelped in a panic.
Bulma started, looking up from her surveillance tablet. Krillin was staring off into the distance, his body tense and trembling.
"What happened?"
He glanced back at her, over his shoulder, with a grimace. "Gohan just got in a fight with Vegeta. He's losing. I won't get there in time." But still, he was prone to try. Before Bulma could say a word, he launched into the air and took off in the direction of the Namekian village.
Bulma watched him disappear, her heart pounding. Damn it… Why did she ever let Gohan out there on his own? If he died, she would never forgive herself.
She stared down at her tablet, feeling helpless. On the upper left quadrant of the screen, she had footage of Frieza's damaged spaceship.
On the lower left quadrant, she had footage of a deep crevice cutting into the side of a plateau, where a pile of five dragon balls had been hidden.
The two right quadrants were still unlocked, and Bulma swiped through transmissions more urgently than ever. "Where are you, Gohan?"
Finally, as if in answer to her prayers, one of her drones reached the Namekian village and relayed footage to the lower right quadrant of her screen… footage that sent chills down her spine.
In the middle of a ruined crop field that now served as a graveyard, Vegeta stood clutching Gohan by the neck, beating him relentlessly in the stomach while he dangled limply. He was either unconscious or…
No! No! No! No! No!
Without a second thought, Bulma pressed down on the screen, tapping into the drone's operating menu. She hastily activated the audio system. "Vegeta, stop! VEGETA!"
DBZ
"Vegeta, please! Answer me!"
Gradually, the girl's voice cut through Vegeta's frenzy and registered in his mind. He stopped short, stiff and angry, taking stock of his current position. So familiar, yet so different. His glorious battlefield had been covered up by the traitorous halfbreed, who now barely clung to life.
Vegeta wasn't sure how many times he had struck the boy, and his arm was poised to make another blow, but he restrained himself. Gohan was already out cold, and if he managed to survive, Vegeta would be impressed. He had more resilience than even Zarbon. Killing him would be such a waste of potential—no matter how much the wretch deserved it for his deception.
"Vegeta, let him go!"
The Earth girl?
Following her voice, Vegeta discovered a strange device with four rotors hovering in the air just a few paces away. Primitive—yet, stealthy.
He thought back to their recent encounter. The girl had been spying on Frieza with some kind of monitor. And now, she was spying on him.
Vegeta scowled. "Have a care, Earthling. You weren't so presumptuous when I was standing in front of you. You shouldn't be so presumptuous now. Just because you're far away doesn't mean you're safe."
"Let him go, Vegeta! He's not a threat to you!"
"So, what? He stole from me."
"Don't blame him for that. He's just a little kid. If you want to blame someone, blame me. Gohan and Krillin are using my technology to locate the dragon balls."
So, that explained it. Vegeta had wondered why Krillin would bring such a delicate creature to this miserable planet. She was the brains of their foolish operation. He scoffed. "Well, then let this be a lesson for you. Where I come from, children are considered expendable. If you don't have the stomach to lose him, then don't send him out to do your dirty work."
"You're barbaric," she retorted. "And if you don't back off, you'll be kissing your immortality goodbye. I have another camera with its sights on the five dragon balls you stashed in the crevice of a plateau. Krillin's on his way to them as we speak. If you don't put Gohan down and leave him alone, right now, then I'll have Krillin destroy those dragon balls, and all this will have been for nothing."
Vegeta narrowed his eyes, considering her threat. True, he had more experience with the Earthlings than most, but that experience had been limited to their fighters, not their scientists. As much as it pained him to admit, he could not tell whether or not the girl was bluffing.
"If anything happens to those dragon balls," he spoke through clenched teeth. "Then the boy's fate will be the least of your worries. If I don't hunt you down and kill you, then Frieza will."
"Well, then let this be a lesson for you!" she fired back. "Where I come from, children are not considered expendable! You need to understand something, Vegeta. Goku was my very best friend. And I will do everything I can to protect his son."
To her credit, it didn't sound like she was bluffing. The anger, grief, and desperation in her voice all combined to lend her credibility. Vegeta had conquered more than enough planets to appreciate how unpredictable his victims could be when they had so little left to lose.
Frustrated, he dropped the boy on the ground, spat on him, and then glared one last time at the Earth girl's device. "When I find your bald-headed friend, I will rip him limb from limb. And when I find you, I will let you in on all my plans for Kakarot's son before I snuff you out of existence."
With that, he turned away and marched to his discarded dragon ball. Scooping it up, he launched into the air. Once he ensured the safety of the five balls stolen from Frieza, he would have to locate the ball stolen by Gohan. It could be anywhere, but if he had to hazard a guess, it was probably near the place where he first discovered the little halfbreed.
Oh, they would pay for this inconvenience. The two Earthlings would certainly die.
And as for Gohan…
If he survived his injuries, he would enjoy a considerable power boost. For the sake of the Saiyan race, Vegeta could not afford to lose him.
But despite all that, the runt had much to answer for.
And much to learn.
DBZ
The moment Krillin sensed Vegeta approaching, he took a deep breath and dropped down into the lake below. He lowered his power level as much as possible and kept swimming in the direction of the Namekian village. He could not afford to catch Vegeta's attention, but neither could he afford to waste time looking for better cover. Gohan might be…
Thankfully, Vegeta did not detect him, passing by overhead at a rapid pace that didn't waver. Once he was a reasonable distance away, Krillin resurfaced and accelerated, pushing himself as fast as he could go with the new abilities that Guru had unlocked for him.
Unfortunately, with Gohan's life at stake, no amount of speed would suffice. It still felt like Krillin would be too late.
Damn it… The poor kid did not deserve this. They never should have brought him here.
After what might have been hours, days, or mere moments, the village ruins finally came into view. Krillin descended, weaving around damaged buildings, scanning the area for signs of life.
Or even signs of death.
Shouldn't there be Namekian bodies everywhere?
Was Krillin even in the right place?
"Come on, Gohan… Where are you?"
"Krillin!"
Bulma's voice came out of nowhere. Whipping around, Krillin glimpsed a Capsule Corp. drone zipping towards him. It made his jaw drop. The stubborn woman never did tell him how many she had launched. It would be a miracle if Frieza didn't intercept any.
"Bulma, what are you—?"
"Gohan's over in the crop field!" her voice frantically interjected. "He needs help! This way. Hurry!" The drone turned and hastily sped off. Krillin didn't hesitate to follow.
Maybe Bulma had a point. Maybe they should use all the tools available to them, no matter the risk.
There!
In the middle of a large crop field, surrounded by freshly dug graves, Gohan lay in a heap on the ground. Krillin crossed the distance between them in the blink of an eye. Ever so gently, he eased the boy into his arms.
"Is he—?" Bulma asked.
"He's alive," Krillin assured her as relief poured through his body. "But he desperately needs treatment. Get a med kit ready. We're on our way back."
"No!" Bulma objected. "I'll grab a med kit, but then I'm hightailing it as far away from this cave as possible."
Krillin frowned. "Why?"
"Long story short? I used this drone to threaten Vegeta. He may be under the impression that you're on your way to rob him of five more dragon balls."
Krillin blanched. "Seriously, Bulma! Are you trying to get me killed?"
"We need a different place to rendezvous."
"Fine!" Krillin jumped into the air, holding Gohan as securely as he could. "Let me know when you have one of your capsule vehicles ready. I'll give you directions to Guru's."
"The elder Namekian?"
"Yeah."
"You've got it. But, Krillin… We have to hurry."
DBZ