Chapter 8
O
Interstellar Grind
The ring on Drelok-9 was carved deep into the bones of the planet; a jagged stone coliseum where blood stained the dust and no fighter left unscarred.
Vegeta landed a vicious uppercut that sent his opponent, a scaled brute with tusks and flailing claws, flying into the rock wall. The impact cracked stone. The crowd roared, shrieking and stomping their approval.
He didn't wait for the referee's call. Didn't raise his arms. He wiped blood from his mouth and walked off, indifferent. It was done.
One more body on the floor.
One more reason to forget.
He hadn't slept properly in days. Not since that night. Not since he left her.
He hadn't spoken to anyone since arriving on Drelok, and no one asked. Not his handlers. Not his team. Even they had stopped pretending.
In the corner of the prep tent, one of the Sadala assistants leaned toward another, whispering just loud enough.
"He's been worse than usual lately."
Vegeta tuned it out. Like he did everything else.
After the match, the Sadala PR team tried to drag him to a post-fight celebration. There were cameras waiting, sponsors lined up, and a table of trophies and champagne chilled in frost.
He walked past it all.
Didn't break stride. Didn't speak.
He left the noise behind, returned to the cruiser, and headed straight to the training deck. Sweat stung the fresh cuts on his knuckles. He sparred against shadows until his limbs shook.
On the far wall of the deck, a mirror cracked diagonally down the center reflected his bloodied jaw and hollow eyes.
For a moment, he swore he saw her behind him.
Not clearly. Just a flicker. A ghost. The shape of something he wasn't strong enough to chase.
The fame had only made it worse. Since joining the Galactic MMA circuit, his name had swallowed the quadrant.
Posters of his glare plastered the alleys of five star systems.
A line of "Vegeta Endurance Gear" launched three weeks ago. It sold out in five hours.
One energy drink ad aired with his voice growling: "Fight like a warrior. Win like a god."
He hadn't even recorded it.
His image glared down at him from the mess hall screen that night while he ate alone. A new highlight reel blared across the plasma, cutting between slow-motion footage of his most brutal knockouts and cheers from rabid fans.
He didn't watch. He chewed in silence.
Across the galaxy, on another broadcast, Goku stood in a polished orange and blue gi on the winner's platform of a sponsored tournament on Cerulia. He was grinning. Bouncing. Waving to the crowd as fans chanted his name.
Son Goku of Earth. Champion of Light.
A fan favorite.
The contrast was too poetic.
Later that week, they nearly crossed paths. A weigh-in event on Galaxis Prime. Photographers jostled for shots, but Goku was too busy signing autographs. Vegeta arrived last, hooded, jaw set. Their eyes caught across the flashbulbs and noise.
No words passed between them. But the tension crackled like static.
The photos from that day ended up online within hours.
"Light and Shadow. Legends Collide Again."
But it wasn't Goku he saw in his dreams.
It was her.
She'd hum to herself sometimes, late at night in the lab. He used to pretend it annoyed him. But after he left, the silence was unbearable.
The locker room after his Galaxis semifinal bout was ice-cold. The match had ended moments ago, Vegeta's opponent reduced to a twitching heap. The crowd had screamed for a full minute straight.
He sat on the bench, taping his hands slower than usual.
She hadn't messaged.
Of course she hadn't.
He hadn't expected her to.
The door creaked.
Footsteps.
He didn't look up.
"You're not even gonna celebrate?"
He knew the voice. The infuriating, well-meaning tone that was both casual and sharp when it needed to be.
"Didn't realize Earth's mascot was allowed back here," Vegeta muttered.
Goku stood just inside the doorway, arms folded.
He didn't smile. "You fought well."
"Of course I did."
Silence.
Goku stepped forward. "We gave you space. Figured you needed time. But it's been months, Vegeta."
"I didn't ask for time," Vegeta bit out.
"No," Goku said, stepping closer. His voice was softer now, but it cut deeper. "You asked for nothing. You gave nothing. And you left everything behind."
The air in the room shifted.
Vegeta's eyes darkened. "You have no idea what I left."
"I do," Goku said, his voice quiet. "She's still not sleeping. She tells me she's been humming to the baby in the middle of the night. Like it's the only thing keeping her together."
Vegeta's jaw flexed.
"They kicked last week," Goku added. "First time. She smiled like she'd won a tournament."
Vegeta blinked once. Slowly. His hands stopped taping.
Goku reached into his bag and pulled out an envelope. "Chi-Chi didn't want me to give these to you... But I will."
He placed it beside him on the bench.
Vegeta didn't look at it.
"You don't know anything about me," he muttered.
Goku didn't move. "I know you better than you think."
A beat.
Vegeta reached for the envelope.
Inside: three photographs.
The first: Bulma on the balcony in a blue dress, one hand on her round stomach. Her gaze downcast, sunlight painting her hair copper.
The second: her laughing, tea in hand, her other hand unconsciously stroking her belly.
The third was quiet.
She was asleep on the couch, fingers resting on her bump. A cradle frame half-built beside her.
He didn't speak.
Didn't blink.
Just held the photos.
Goku's voice dropped. "She didn't stop believing in you. Not once."
Vegeta exhaled hard through his nose. He tucked the pictures back into the envelope. Then into his jacket.
He stood.
"Tell her to stop sending spies."
Goku raised an eyebrow. "She didn't."
Vegeta paused. The corner of his mouth twitched, something between pain and irony.
And then he walked away.
He didn't go to the press conference. Didn't answer his handlers. Didn't hear the crowds chanting his name.
He returned to the cruiser, alone.
That night, he stared into the cracked mirror again.
The envelope rested against the glass.
"Bulma," he whispered. Once. Like a secret.
And the silence that followed felt heavier than any match he'd ever fought.
A/N: Thanks for reading!