Based on MasakoX's What If series "What if Gine went with Goku to Earth?", but a retcon with some changes of my own on how I think the story would have went down had Goku's mother escaped planet Vegeta with him.

DISCLAIMER: The following is a fan-based work of fiction. Dragonball Minus, Dragonball, Dragonball Z, Dragonball Super, and Dragonball GT are all owned by FUNimation, Toei Animation, and Akira Toriyama.

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CHAPTER 52: DIVIDE AND CONQUER

"Hahahahah!" Vegeta cackled. "Surprised to see me, Earthlings?!"

This must be a nightmare. It had to be. They'll wake up any moment. But they didn't.

He snuck up on them. He saw the bright light when he landed not knowing what it was, but the Earthlings and Namekians were too distracted to notice him approaching.

Also, he could sense their powers. Not only that, but Vegeta also realized that he could suppress his own power level as he approached, entirely masking his presence. He didn't even know it was possible, but Vegeta took full advantage of this new ability to great effect. Like any good predator learning to stalk its prey better.

From what he could tell of the slack jawed assembly, none of them individually posed a threat. But together they could overwhelm him. He'll have to do something about that.

The Earthlings were here as well, yet the woman and kakarot were not. His family was all alone out here. And that made Vegeta smile wickedly. Revenge is a dish best served cold.

"Sorry to interrupt your little light show or whatever that was. I came here looking for you." He pointed towards the Earthlings.

"W-wha..." Yamcha tried to speak but was too terrified for words.

"W-w-w-w-" Vegeta stuttered mockingly. "What am I doing here? I followed you idiots."

The look on their faces traced towards their ship, where they noticed the small Saiyan pod some ways behind it.

"I told Kakaort that this wasn't over." He taunted. "Too bad he isn't here to save you this time. And now I will finish you all off like you deserve."

The twelve Namekians present stepped forward, forming a defensive line in front of the gang. Dende clung to his father's side, trembling in fear.

"Whoever you are, you are not welcome here! Please leave, immediately!" The lead Namekian declared.

Vegeta burst out laughing. "Hahahah! Oh?! Am I not? Well then, I guess I'll be on my way..." His gaze narrowed into a deadly and sadistic glare. "After I kill all of you, unless you step aside and leave those Earthlings to me."

The Namekians sized up the intruder. From sensing him, they realized that one-on-one, they were no match for him. But together, they could take him down.

Vegeta also sensed them sizing him up. Two could play at that game.

"If you think you can beat me, then you are gravely mistaken... slugs."

The Namekians growled at that slur.

"We'll ask you one last time: leave, or we will fight!" The leader declared.

Vegeta sneered at them. "Very well then. Your funeral! HAAA!"

He powered up and charged at them before the Namekians could react. He plowed through the leader's body, leaving a gory shower of purple entrails and blood as he pounced for the Earthlings.

The gang collectively screamed in horror as they jumped in any direction away from his trajectory, Chi-Chi clutching Little Gohan, Krillin flying away as fast as he could, and Yamcha taking Bulma with him as Vegeta landed where they stood moments before, spreading them apart. Already his strategy was working.

A trio of Namekians tried to rush him, but he was too fast as he phased behind them and twirled a sharp roundhouse kick that bisected one of them and broke the backs of the other two warriors whom both let out cries of dying pain.

Vegeta turned to see Moori not far away, and he gave a gnarled grin as he charged up an energy blast.

Moori shoved Dende as far as he could from him.

"DENDE, RUN!" He screamed just before Vegeta fired that blast that vaporized Moori on the spot, leaving only smoke behind.

"FATHER!" Dende screamed, tears streaking down his face.

Vegeta laughed sadistically as he turned to aim another blast at Dende, but was caught off guard when another pair of Namekian warriors tackled him to the ground.

"Come on, Dende!" Krillin scooped him up as he sprinted past, catching up with Bulma and Yamcha.

"HOW'D HE FIND US?!" Bulma shrieked as they ran towards cover behind some rocks. She clutched to Yamcha for dear life, and he to her.

"I dunno!" Krillin said between gulps of air, fighting off his own panic. "But let's get the hell outta here!"

"Wait!" Dende screamed, trying to escape Krillin's grip. "What about my family?!"

Krillin gave him a pained look. "There's no time, Dende! We have to run! You have no idea what Vegeta is capable of!"

Speaking of which, Vegeta didn't struggle long against the grip of the two warriors pinning him down as the last six readied to finish him off. He let out a ferocious roar as an energy cascade shot up from where he stood and blasted away the two Namekians and knocking down the rest within the radius.

"You can't stop me!" He yelled as he charged at one of the warriors and kicked his face hard enough for his head to fly off his body with a gush of purple blood. Then Vegeta swung around to pummel another with a barrage of punches that concaved the poor Namekian's torso into a bloody pulp, then phasing in between the other six and making short work of each of them.

Yamcha, Bulma, Krillin, and Dende were running when the cascade caught up to them and threw them off their feet. As they tumbled along the grassy ground, Bulma caught sight of the Capsule ship. It was only a hundred yards away.

"Quick! To the ship!" Bulma cried out as she got up and sprinted toward it.

"Wait! Bulma!" Yamcha gave chase. "What about Chi-chi and Gohan?"

Vegeta caught sight of movement and looked up from pulverizing the last of his Namekian victims. The pathetic human male and the blue-haired girl were running towards their ship. Putting two and two together that they were trying to escape, he growled angrily.

"Oh no you DON'T!"

He leapt into the air and fired a purple beam that shot past them. Half a second later, a massive fireball engulfed the Capsule Corp ship as it exploded, throwing the couple back off their feet by the force of the blast. Debris of rock and molten metal rained down around them, their eyes bulging in disbelief at the fiery wreckage of their only way home.

"Hahahahahaha! Sorry, Earthlings!" He cackled from above. "No escape for you! You are going to die here with the rest of these vermin! Starting with you!"

He pointed down at Krillin and Dende, huddled together a few ways back. The bald monk looked up in absolute terror at the Saiyan whose armor was covered in purple blood, and looked back down at what was left of the twelve Namekian warriors that volunteered to help them. The sight nauseated him.

"T-t-this can't be happening!" Krillin stuttered as Vegeta floated down towards him and Dende.

A feral smile spread across Vegeta's face as he savored the fear in the eyes of two who cowered before him. Oh, how he was going to enjoy this.

"Heheh. Too bad Kakarot didn't finish me off when he should have. Now he's going to pay the price for his mistake." He taunted, one of the three suns in the sky shone behind him, casting his shadow over the trembling forms of Krillin and Dende. "Any last words?"

Krillin was too afraid to speak, but the glow of the sun behind Vegeta gave him pause as an idea came to mind.

He had to do it fast.

"Yeah..." He muttered before flashing open palms in front of his face.

"SOLAR FLARE!"

Vegeta howled in agony as he covered his eyes too late from the blinding flash.

Acting fast, Krillin grabbed Dende, who was also writhing in pain from the light, and took off in a direction as far away from Vegeta as he could.

Yamcha and Bulma were both blinded from the Solar Flare but were far enough away to be less affected by it. Using the opportunity to flee, Yamcha was able to grab a writhing Bulma and fly off half-blind in a random direction as far away from Vegeta as he could too...

Both pairs put several miles behind them in opposite directions as Vegeta slowly recovered his vision. He was absolutely livid that he fell for the same trick the Earthlings used on him back on their planet and seethed in rage upon seeing that they had indeed escaped.

"DAMMIT!" He shouted, like a predator robbed of its dinner.

He flew high up into the sky and screamed at the top of lungs for his voice to be carried in all directions.

"YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS, EARTHLINGS! I WILL FIND YOU! EVEN IF I HAVE TO TEAR THIS ENTIRE PLANET APART AND KILL EVERY LIVING THING ON IT! THE LONGER YOU RUN FROM ME, THE WORSE IT'S GOING TO GET FOR THE PEOPLE ON THIS PATHETIC ROCK! MARK MY WORDS!"

He took off in a direction he thought he could sense where one of them went.

Below on the ground, Yamcha huddled with Bulma under a large rock, keeping his power suppressed as Vegeta flew right over them and onwards, becoming a small dot in the green sky.

Once he was gone, the reality of what happened sunk in.

They were stranded on Namek countless light-years from home and being hunted by the mad prince with a vengeance. And they may have doomed an entire race of people who did not ask for it.

And it would only be a matter of time before they ran out of places to hide.

Bulma frantically pulled out her radio, calling in a panicky voice: "Mayday! Mayday! Dad, are you there?!"

Back at Capsule Corp, Gine was pacing the radio room.

Both her sons sat around, feeling restless with every passing minute. Gohan and Master Roshi arrived some time earlier to hear the news, but so far, they heard nothing. Bulma was supposed to contact them when the wish was made but it had been hours since the last transmission; also, they could not sense the revived ki signatures of their friends or of East City, so they knew the wish wasn't even made yet.

"Something's wrong." Gine said finally.

"Perhaps their radio broke?" Kakarot offered.

Dr. Briefs shook his head. "I don't think so. My daughter would never neglect to make sure her equipment wasn't working."

Master Roshi's brows furrowed. "Mmmm, I agree. There is something afoot. I can sense it."

Kakarot got up from where he was sitting cross-legged next to Raditz who had been leaning against the wall, looking bored.

"Lemme try something." He said as he stared up at the ceiling and closed his eyes, drawing a quizzical look from his brother.

"Uh... King Kai? Are you there?"

A few seconds passed before a voice from beyond answered back for him to hear.

"Hey, Kakarot, what's up?"

"Um, are uh, Kami, Tien, and Chiaotzu alive yet?" Kakarot asked into thin air.

"Uh, nope, they are still here and still dead Kakarot."

A confused look crossed Kakarot's face. "Huh. I wonder what's taking them-"

The radio suddenly crackled with static.

"Mayday! Mayday! Dad, are you there?!"

Everyone didn't move at first, then they all stood up at once as both Gine and Dr. Briefs sprinted for the microphone.

Only Gine was far faster than the old scientist as she reached the talk button. "Bulma?! Bulma, come in! This is Gine! What's wrong?!"

A few more seconds passed before Bulma's distressed voice came back over the speaker.

"Gine?! Is that you?!"

"I'm here too, darling!" Said Dr. Briefs as he skidded into Gine's side and answered too. "What is it?!"

"Oh, Kami! Oh, Kami, no! Gine, it's-"

"Bulma! What's wrong?!" Gine repeated, feeling panic rising in her own voice.

"It's Vegeta! He's here!"

"WHAT?!"

Everyone all but screamed in disbelief. But Bulma wasn't done transmitting.

"He's here on Namek! And he killed the dragon!"

No one spoke.

"What... do you mean, Bulma?" Gine asked back, not wanting to believe what she just heard.

"I MEAN VEGETA KILLED THE DRAGON!" She screamed through the speaker, making their ears hurt. "It's gone! The dragon balls are useless! We can't bring anyone back! And he destroyed the ship! We're stuck here and he's out to hunt us all down! We need rescue, immediately!"

The group's collective disbelief turned to utter dismay when what she was saying took hold.

Gine's world shrank around her. The shock of the news of Vegeta not only having returned but has followed her friends and family to Namek was horrific enough, but that he took away their only chance to bring back their lost comrades threatened to rip open all over again grief Gine thought she had processed. Her worst fear had become true...

Kakarot was especially shaken. "But... How is that possible? How did Vegeta even find them out there?" He exclaimed. His face was ashen.

"OH NO!" King Kai's voice suddenly blurted from the Aether, catching Kakarot's attention again.

"Huh? What is it, King Kai?!"

"I can sense Vegeta on Namek right now! There is a massacre going on!" His voice shaky with horror. "You have to go help them!"

"HUH?!" Kakarot looked at a loss for words but repeated, "B-b-but how?! How did Vegeta find Namek?!"

"I'm not sure, Kakarot." Said King Kai. "He must've followed your friends' ship while out in deep space. But I can sense his evil presence on Namek with them. And I'm afraid it's true that he slaughtered the Namekian dragon."

"What?!" They could hear the shocked cries of Tien, Chiaotzu, and Kami from the afterlife.

"Hold on! King Kai, are you saying we're stuck here forever now?!" Tien's voice rang out, sounding just as dismayed.

Kakarot could almost hear King Kai nod sadly. "I'm afraid so, Tien. With no dragon balls left, I'm afraid you're staying dead."

He couldn't believe they were hearing this. This had to be a terrible dream!

"No! That can't be!" Kakarot cried out in despair. "Is there nothing we can do?!"

King Kai shrugged from his end of the telepathic line. Tien, Chiaotzu, and Kami had stopped their training upon hearing the news. They were utterly devastated, but Kami was oddly quiet.

"I don't know, Kakarot. As far as I know, those are the only known dragon balls in the-"

"Wait!" Kami's voice cut in.

"Huh?" Both Kakarot and King Kai paused.

"Your Highness... there may be a way to fix this!" Kami spoke up.

...

But as Kakarot listened in, everyone else's attention was drawn to the radio. Dr. Briefs had gently pushed Gine aside who was still processing. He pressed the talk button again, his voice urgent.

"Bulma! I need you to stay calm. What's your current situation? How is everyone? What supplies do you have left?"

"Uh... We got separated when Vegeta attacked us! It's just me and Yamcha here, we're both fine for now. Krillin took off somewhere. I have no idea where Chi-Chi and Gohan are! And Vegeta is going to scour the whole planet looking for us! And... I still have my basic capsule pack with me! But I don't know about everyone else though!"

"Only a month's worth." Dr. Briefs quickly calculated; he was about to take the radio again until Gine forcefully shoved him aside.

"WAIT! Gohan and Chi-Chi are gone?!" She shrieked into the microphone.

"WHAT?!" Kakarot, who had just severed the telepathic link to King Kai with some newly acquired crucial knowledge, came up behind her looking just as mortified.

"Um, uh..." Bulma's voice from lightyears away stammered. "I-I don't know where they are! Last I saw them was when we scattered to find shelter from the attack. Please! You've got to come get us!"

Both mother and son just stood there motionless for a long while.

Kakarot looked gut-punched. His own wife and son were missing on an alien planet too far away for him to do anything about it. And he knew it was his fault that this was happening. He let Vegeta go. In his naiveté he had hoped that the prince would think again before coming after Earth or his family. But he didn't. And now Kakarot cursed himself for it.

Raditz starred at him from his corner with a vindicative yet sympathetic look. Now was not the time to feel proven right. His brother's family was in danger.

When Gine finally moved, there was absolute finality in her tone as she ordered to Dr. Briefs: "We need the other ship! Now!"

Dr. Briefs' eyes nearly bulged beyond the rim of his glasses.

"The Capsule Two ship?! But... we haven't finished the modifications yet! It'll take some time before-"

Gine grabbed a fistful of Dr. Briefs' lab coat and yanked him toward her before he could blink.

"GET IT READY, NOW!" She screamed in his face.

Bulma's father cowered in terror.

"AH! A-u-uh-um.. o-okay! Okay! Just, calm down now!" He stammered placatingly. "I-if I work fast enough, then... I might be able to get it flight-ready within the hour!"

Not soon enough, but it was all they got.

"Do it." She let him go, he scurried off right to it as she turned around.

"Raditz, I need you to come with us! We'll need your help." She declared to her eldest son.

He looked startled. Not that he didn't realize that this was going to be a mission back into space, but that he was going back out there at all.

For some time, he had wondered if or when he would ever set foot off this rock ever again, for he finally felt like he found a place he could settle down permanently. Though he had to admit to himself that it might get too boring eventually, Earth was the first planet he ever found to be so good that he didn't want to leave it. Not just because he had a place to hide from Frieza, but he had family here now. Friends. And a girlfriend! And he had no interest in having to face Vegeta again for as long as he lived.

But his mother needed him. His brother needed him; and he couldn't just sit by while the nephew he grew to like was being hunted by the prince!

"Count me in!" Raditz said as he smacked a fist into an open palm.

Gine then turned to Kakarot, and said nothing as he took in the accusatory look in her eyes.

It was his idea to spare Vegeta. Now that decision had come back to haunt him. And they both knew it.

She remembered their argument at the hospital after the battle, how she told him that sparing the prince was a mistake despite his good intentions. She felt harsh and unforgiving words threatening to hurl themselves up towards her youngest son...

"Now is not the time."

Gine felt Gohan place a hand on her shoulder as he said that. He was catching on to what she was thinking.

She turned her head to Gohan to argue, but the soft look in his eyes made her hold her tongue. It made her remember what Kakarot had said about mercy, about how Kami had taught him that philosophy, about Tien and Chiaotzu...

Her shoulders slumped. Despite all her anger threatening to bubble over, she tried to calm herself down.

Gohan was right. Now was not the time to blame her son. That didn't matter right now, not with her grandson and daughter-in-law in grave danger at that moment.

Instead, she focused all of her bubbling rage towards thoughts of strangling Vegeta herself when she saw him again. It's his fault for wanting to kill her family after all; and it made her blood boil. Never before had she felt as much hatred for another living being, not even her old tormentors from the past. The prince was an animal that needed to be put down for good.

She looked back up at Kakarot with a look of understanding, but her voice was cold and deadly when she spoke.

"Don't worry son, we can fix this together. Okay?"

Kakarot knew what she was saying. He will not hesitate to go save his family. And this time, he will not make the same mistake twice.

He nodded grimly. "Okay, Mom."

Gine turned back to the microphone and pushed the talk button.

"Bulma? This is Gine! Listen! We're on our way! Kakarot, Raditz, and I will come get you in the other ship! Until then, do whatever it takes to find Chi-Chi, Gohan, and Krillin and stay alive! You hear me?!"

"Okay, we'll try..." Came Bulma's reply. Then the radio crackled again. "But... what about the dragon balls?"

Gine paused, the grief she felt moments earlier returning in full force.

She wasn't sure what to say, but she knew that they had failed the mission they set out to fulfill. The dragon balls were gone. Again. This time there really truly was no hope bringing their friends back anymore. She thought that if there were any deities out there trying to play a cruel cosmic joke on her, then this would've been a way to do it...

Gine shook her head to clear away tears. She couldn't afford to fall apart. Not when, everyone needed her. And if she couldn't bring their friends back anymore, then she could at least avenge them.

"We'll deal with that later, Bulma." Gine said sadly but followed up with, "Right now, just survive! We'll bring you home! Okay? Keep us updated!"

"Okay!" Bulma's voice came back. "We'll try to find everyone else right now. Bulma out!"

The line cut off, and they all went about getting to work.

"Mom!" Kakarot tried to speak to her as she scrambled for the door. "Mom, wait! Kami said there may be a way to-"

"Not now, son!" Gine cut him off as she leapt into the air for home, they had to get ready for their new mission.

Kakarot sighed but followed closely behind. He could tell her later.

True to his word, Dr. Briefs worked his technological wonders to get the second Capsule ship ready within an hour's time.

The spherical ship in question with a large number "2" on the front sat on the main courtyard of Capsule Corp in preparations for launch. The modifications to the hyperdrive, using more up-to-date software salvaged from Nappa's pod, should get them to Namek in just five days instead of six, saving them a little time. But it was still an eternity away, and no one knew if their friends could last that long. But it was the best they could hope for.

Dr. Briefs was doing the final pre-takeoff inspections himself to ensure the mods were being implemented as fast and safely as they could. He hoped against hope that no mistakes in the installation process were made that could prove fatal to the occupants enroute. But they had no time left now for double-checking.

"She's as ready as she'll ever be!" He finished up with a last kick to the landing gear.

When that was done, and the ship was fully stocked with supplies for three Saiyans in deep space for two weeks, they all stood on the ramp as the Son Family boarded...

"Don't go!" Launch pleaded with Raditz. Tears streaked down her face. "I've lost Tien already. What if something happens to you too?!"

Raditz wished he could say something to calm her down, but he didn't know what. So, all he could do was hold her as she wept., stroking her long dark hair

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." He reassured, not knowing if that was true himself. He barely survived the battle with Nappa and Vegeta. Now that he was going back out into Cold Empire-controlled space, he wasn't sure if he'd come back even if his mother and brother were with him. So, he savored every sensation he could of holding Launch.

She then reached up and planted a kiss that lasted several seconds before parting.

"I love you!"

Raditz blushed crimson. He had no idea how to respond to that.

After spending over a year with Launch he had grown quite fond of her, despite her split personalities. Hell, he grew to love both her personalities. But... he had never been in love before, and to hear someone else (especially her) say they loved him... it sounded so foreign to him he almost felt uncomfortable. Like he didn't feel like he deserved such affection after everything he is and everything he's done.

But still, he was genuinely touched by her declaration.

"U-u-uh, um, y-yeah. Uhhh... You too!" Was the best he could say, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

Kakarot saw it all and found the scene quite endearing, but Gine was too busy saying goodbye to Gohan.

"You take care of yourself out there, okay?" He hugged her with the closest she ever heard to worry in his voice. Like this was going to be the last time he ever saw her.

That was when Gine realized that this will be the first time she had ever left Earth since she had arrived with Kakarot twenty-five years ago. And even for as long as Gohan knew her, it was still hard for him to believe that she had come from the stars. Now that she was going back out to them, it felt too much like he may never see her again for some reason. She had disappeared before staying with Kami. Who knew how long she'd really be out there in the dark and dangerous void?

She wanted to reassure him but couldn't find the words to say. Given everything that's happened in the past year, she found it hard to keep believing in reassurances.

"I will." Gine whispered as she hugged him back. It was all the needed to be said anyway. "And don't worry about me, okay? I'll be back."

He nodded sadly. She meant it. Whether in a few days or however long it takes, she will find her way back home or die trying.

It was another minute before they parted.

"Take care of things here while I'm away, alright, Roshi?" She asked the grand master. Launch stood by him weeping as she watched.

"We'll do. Just take care of yourselves out there, okay?"

"And don't forget to come back with them!" Launch cried out.

Gine gave them all the thumbs up as she turned around to walk up the ramp. Then stopped.

She stood frozen, her feet unwilling to move as if anchored in place. Her gaze up the ramp and into the ship seemed to stretch on.

This is really happening. Gine told herself, the weight of the words increasing like gravity. Never had she thought she would leave Earth, but here she was.

Gine's chest suddenly felt tight, on the verge of a panic attack...

"Mom!"

Kakarot's voice snapped Gine out of her trance. She didn't notice that he came back down the ramp and stopped before her, looking concerned.

"You okay?"

She stared at him and up the ramp to where Raditz was waiting expectantly.

"Um... yeah, I'm fine. I just... zoned out a little." She half-heartedly assured him.

Kakarot's concern didn't leave his expression, but he accepted her answer. "Alright, well... ready to go?"

Realizing that they had to get a move on, Gine shook her head to ground herself again. She took a last deep breath of Earth's air and exhaled.

"Yes. No time to lose!"

Lifting one foot at a time, each step feeling like a lead weight getting heavier and heavier, Gine went aboard. The hatch closed behind her with a hiss, no going back now.

The three of them strapped into their jump seats in front of the control consol. Dr. Briefs had programmed the NavComm computer to automatically set the course to Namek for them instead of manually as Bulma had done with the older version. But Gine still remembered her interstellar pod flight training enough to double check the course herself and made sure everything was right.

With that done, Gine unceremoniously pushed the command to launch.

Behind them, the hyperdrive whirled to life. Other systems powered up at the same time, drowning out their senses in a cacophony of rising mechanical whines. They each quietly hoped that Dr. Briefs and his technicians checked everything.

"Welp... here goes nothin'!" Kakarot quipped aloud.

The countdown sounded itself off over the ship's internal speakers.

"Prepare to launch. In Five... Four... Three... Two... One... Zero."

Gine felt the entire ship come up to kick her in the behind as the G-forces crushed her in the jump seat. By the time the initial acceleration was over, the blue sky had already turned black and the ribbon of stars that made up the galactic rim came into view.

So long, Earth. She though anxiously...