Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Danger in the horizon ❯ I get by with a little help from my ......brother? ( Chapter 51 )

Chapter 51

I get by with a little help from my ….brother?

Authors Note: I don't own DBZ, the characters, with the exception of Victor Anderson, Amanda Anderson and Doctor Goldman are owned by Akira Toriyama.

() means Kakkarots thoughts (confused? Read to find out more..)

"Bulma?" Sarah Briefs called out for her wilful daughter, shifting slightly and irritably on the makeshift bed she was lying on with her normally bright blue eyes looking cloudy and feeling scratchy after her short and restless sleep next to her ailing husband. There was no reply to her hoarse call, so Sarah unsteadily moved from her horizontal position, her unshod feet coming into contact with the cold and clammy med room floor and involuntarily she shivered, as she gazed at her once vital husband, now hooked up to several machines that were providing him with the necessary means to keep living, living a half life. She brushed back an errant curl from her forehead and stroked Jocks pained face, watching as his expression softened and the smallest hint of a smile touch his lips at her tender touch. "There is hope, isn't there darling." Sarah whispered bravely, pulling over a chair to sit beside her husband, placing one pale slender hand upon his work worn and gnarled fingers, the other gently stroking his hair back from his face, trying and failing to keep her usual sunny expression in place. Despite her valiant words of comfort to her unhearing husband, Sarah could not stop the tears, and they coursed down her pallid cheeks, falling softly on the crisp sheets of the hospital bed.

Even with taking the sedatives, Sarah had not really been able to rest, and as she had lain next to Jock, on an uncomfortable cot she could clearly hear the hissing and beeping sounds of the medical equipment surrounding him, reminding her with each little noise of the situation that he was in, that she was in. This was something that Sarah was not prepared for, and she knew, in her heart, that if her husband of 27 years died, it would not be long before she would follow, her own heart broken beyond repair. From an outsider's perspective, Jock and Sarah looked mismatched, comical even. He the reserved brilliant scientist and inventor, she the outgoing and bubbly air headed wife, the two of them only together for their only child's sake. How little they knew. They were in fact a matched pair, deeply devoted to each other and to their only child, prone to the spats that only truly loving couples had, both completely understanding of the other.

Sarah bowed her head, and rested it on her forearm, a silent prayer on her lips. "Dear God, please let him live, please….."

The resident Capsule Corporation specialist watched the bereft woman sob quietly, feeling like an unwelcome intruder on her pain and grief, but knowing that it was necessary to speak with her regarding Jock's progress and what the likelihood of his recovery was. "Ahem." He cleared his throat softly to get her attention, watching as Sarah reluctantly tore herself away from her focus on her husband. "Bulma?" She whispered croakily, wiping away the tears from her face, her eyes slowly gaining focus on the person at the doorway.

Dr Goldman stepped into the room, walking carefully over to Sarah and standing beside her, looking down at Jock. "My apologies Mrs Briefs, it's just me." He replied to her question, placing a comforting hand on her slim shoulder.

"Oh, Dr Goldman," Sarah answered, briskly rubbing her face and trying and failing to force a bright smile onto her normally cheerful face, "I'm just being a little emotional, but I know in my heart that my darling Jock will get better……" She looked closer at Dr Goldman's weathered face and all her hope seemed to disappear in a second. She knew that look, and ludicrously the knowledge was from the inane soap operas that she watched nearly every day from every soap opera that she had ever seen, and it was not good news.

Dr Goldman chewed his lip in nervousness, despite his many years in the medical profession, the speech he was about to make was never easy, no matter how many times one said it. He had been a part of the family since Bulma's birth, on call and ready to attend to any emergency for the Briefs family, day or night. Over the course of twenty-five years he had become a member of the family, very much like Goku, and to have to say what was needed was proving to be extremely difficult.

"Mrs Briefs….Sarah, I, I need to speak with you about your husbands, about Jocks….. recovery." He swallowed and moved his hand from her shoulder to her hands, which were now clasped in front of her, resting on Jocks shallow breathing chest. Sarah did not seem to hear, but Dr Goldman understood that the perceptive blonde woman had picked up on the tension lacing his every spoken word, making him all the more anxious.

"Perhaps, we should speak upstairs….." John Goldman finished softly, watching the look of optimism on Sarah's fine boned face vanish and be replaced by a façade of rigidity and for a moment he felt like crying, so great was his feeling of empathy for this now broken woman.

Sarah turned her head and looked upon the Doctors nervous face, watching his expression sadly. She responded with a not unexpected steely reply. "No. Whatever needs to be said John, can be said here."

Sarah had known the moment that he used her Christian name that the prognosis was extremely bad. There was nowhere to run and hide now. She needed to be calm and strong, accept the fate that had been dealt to her and to Jock. Where are you Bulma? I need you here, to help me…

John Goldman pursed his lips into a thin line and, with both of his skilled hands now enclosing Sarah's, proceeded to very gently and with great compassion tell Sarah that all hope for full recovery had flown, and that, at best, Jock would be confined to a wheelchair, his motor functions at only a third of what they were before the brutal attack from Zarbon. No amount of therapy would bring him back to full health; there was nothing in medical science on Earth that would give him back his mobility. Jock Briefs, the brilliant scientist and inventor, as man whose intelligence was celebrated the world over, would require care for the rest of his life, no longer able to perform the most simple of tasks.

Dr John Goldman sadly watched Sarah break down in tears, her slender hands clutching at Jocks prone bedridden body, wishing that he could do more than just watch her crumble to pieces.

Bulma stood stiffly at the polished wooden lectern as she delivered the news of Victor's murder, to the one thousand strong staff of Capsule Corporation, each and every one of them silent and shocked at the brutality of the Vice Presidents demise, not one of them fortunately noticing the freshly split lip that she was sporting, courtesy of Vegeta's passionate yet brutal kiss. This was not her job to tell the troops that their second in command had died, it was her fathers, but his current condition obviously discounted his involvement, and the details of Jocks injuries were not yet for the ears of his devoted employees, in fact, Bulma did not even know the extent of his injuries, for the moment that Jock Briefs dark and dirty secret was revealed to her, Bulma had not been able to face him. It just seemed to hurt too much, but face him she would.

As the Capsule Corp employees started to murmur and comment amongst themselves, Bulma focussed her mind on her mother, feeling bad that she had not really spoken with her since the incident with Zarbon. With little effort, Bulma clearly felt the pain coming from within her mothers mind, and knew then, that her father would almost certainly never return to his pre injury state. So in some strange way, he was close to getting his wish; that she would stay and take over the company as he had always wished.

This made the job of building the regeneration chamber, which she had not yet had the time to start construction, all the more important. Bulma wanted to go to her mother and comfort her, but knew that it was not the time, the image of authority needing to be kept up until the employees had left the room.

Despite her attempt at appearing normal, for few seconds Bulma stood still as statue, her blue eyes staring off into the distance, fingers gripping the polished wood like claws, trying to regain her equilibrium and continue to exude the impression of total control in spite of the strange and terrifying events of the past few weeks, missing the question quietly put to her from one technician.

The middle-aged man cleared his throat again to gain her attention. "What would you like us to do, Bulma?" He piped up as bravely as his reedy voice would allow. He was well aware of the volatile temper that Bulma Briefs had, especially when under immense pressure, such as she was right now, and he did not want to be on the end of a verbal tongue-lashing. "Should we carry on?"

Bulma closed her eyes and took a deep breath before answering the pointed but logical question, knowing that what she was about to say carried far with the dedicated workers of Capsule Corporation. "I will discuss this situation further with my father, and he will make the final decision. However, in the meantime, if you feel as if you cannot carry on today, please take some time for yourself." She swallowed, feeling a lump in her throat. For all of Victor's faults and his descent into madness, Bulma still felt sorrow at his death, wishing that when all things were considered, his deranged behaviour could have been detected and treated sooner.

You should have just let her go Victor….she was meant to be with Radditz…

Bulma did not have to imagine what Victor could have done to cause Radditz to let loose the beast within himself, and so violently kill him. She recalled the tense and bloody few moments at Station Delta when Vegeta had been challenged by Radditz for the right to take her as his mate. Vegeta had been magnificent in showing off his strength and power, proving that he was indeed the strongest Saiyan alive, leaving Radditz in a bloody mess. It showed Bulma how jealously a Saiyan guarded what he saw as his - and no one else's. It was obvious that Amanda had some involvement in Victors messy end, most likely as a shocked and horrified bystander - like she was not so long ago on Station Delta.

The words that Radditz had spoken so emotionally to her in the garden before he finally realised that she was not right for him came back to her -"Only because your were not born the right person for them…"and Bulma now really understood them. Victor was not right, never the right person for Amanda.

Tears pooled in her eyes, and she half angrily wiped them away, looking at all the expectant faces, people that now relied on her words, her decisions, not her fathers, not Victors, but hers. "There is only one thing that I ask of each and every one of you - and that is to avoid speaking with the press. I realise that if you are approached, you may feel pressured into making a comment about Victor, and even though you may mean well, it could be taken out of context and twisted around." She fixed her clear blue eyes on the assembled staff as they murmured, but not one of those gathered wanted to go against Bolas wishes regarding the press, and besides, each employee had signed a privacy declaration which threatened legal action and loss of employment should they divulge any secrets regarding Capsule Corporation. Surprisingly, not one staff member asked about her father and Bulma surmised that they thought that Dr Briefs was extremely upset about Victor's death, after all he had seen the blonde man as almost a son to him.

"This is a time of great turmoil, and I do not wish to have any one of you put under any undue stress due to what has happened with Victor Anderson. I know that most of you knew Victor well, and respected and liked him for his intelligence, his friendship and leadership. Believe me, I will miss him as much as you." She licked her lips anxiously, knowing the fear of the people amassed before her would be greater than the grief they felt if they were aware of the frosty terror heading towards their little blue planet, all in the name of vengeance and the need to dominate and control the prince of an almost extinct race. "Once again, if you do not feel able to carry on working, please pack up your work stations and go home, be with your loved ones. I will be arranging a memorial service for Victor in the next week, and should any one of you wish to say a few words at the service, please let me know." The staff started to move out of the conference hall mostly silent, with the occasional person, squeezing Bulmas shoulder, sympathetic looks on their faces, knowing how difficult her life was about to become. Some of the female staff asked about Amanda and how she was feeling, questions that Bulma deftly avoided by answering vaguely, knowing that it would throw them off the scent of gossip, heaving a sigh of relief as the last person left her, alone in the massive hall.

Chi Chi chose this exact moment to enter the conference room, unnoticed by the large column of staff exiting. Bulma was relieved to see her, and let her façade drop, flopping inelegantly into a hard backed chair behind her. "Is everything in place, Chi?" She asked, rubbing her eyes once again before looking at her friend.

Chi Chi took the golden opportunity to seat herself before answering, her booted feet throbbing from the running around, one hair away from entire panic. "The good news - security is in place, the refugee settlement has been closed off with the army standing guard. They were already in place when I contacted them - they had seen the report on the news and took immediate action."

Bulma peered at Chi Chi, murmuring, "And the bad news?"

Chi Chi crinkled up her freckled nose before replying. "The bad news - the press is arriving in droves, cameras and lights everywhere. I'm surprised that you didn't hear the helicopters overhead, Bulma."

Bulma smiled tersely. "I was expecting this," she replied wearily, her left hand rubbing the small golden medallion given to her by Kami, which was slung around her neck for support. "I suppose I had better get cleaned up, dressed for my waiting public." She rubbed a hand on Chi Chi's arm, letting her dark haired friend know silently her appreciation. "Look, if you want to, I can get a jet ready so that you, Puar and Roshi can get out of here before the fireworks really begin."

Chi Chi considered the offer for a few seconds, feeling that it would be nice to get back to her father and Gohan at the mountain. "I'll wait here until Goku comes back, then we'll go home. I just want this whole thing to be over, have mine, Goku's and Gohan's lives to go back to normal."

"I want that too Chi Chi - and I'm glad that you are staying until Goku comes back. There are a lot of things that need to come out, things that maybe you don't want to hear……." Bulma cut herself off, and smiled almost too brightly at Chi Chi whose expression immediately became one of concern for her closest female friend and instinctively she reached out a work roughened hand to Bulma, in truth to soothe herself as much as to comfort Bulma. Not just because of the Victor situation, but also because of the strange feeling of depression that had washed over her in the past few hours, and she knew it was coming from Goku, despite the fact that her and Gokus mental link was not as strong as Bulma and Vegetas.

"But that all comes later." Bulma continued briskly as she stood up and walked away, towards a fresh set of clothes and a cigarette to build her confidence in facing the press, saying over her shoulder, " and before you ask….I'll be fine." First though, I have to face my father….

Radditz lifted up the clothing that Amanda had been clad in during her brief but frightening episode with Victor, his fingers tracing the unfamiliar pattern and form of the lace bodice. "What manner of clothing is this?" He inquired, watching with lustful eyes as Amanda emerged from the crystalline water under the waterfall, glistening and naked, the blood washed away from her tanned skin, almost restored. The clothing seemed a great deal more decorative than functional, therefore, Radditz reasoned, it must be for a unique occasion. Amanda stood beside the still naked 7 foot Saiyan and sorrowfully cast her eyes over the now ruined dress, remembering a much happier time when she wore it for the first and what she thought would be the last time, on her wedding day.

"It's a…..wedding dress..." Radditz looked quizzically at her, his expression asking the question. "A wedding is the human way of sealing a bond between two people….normally they say vows before a priest or other religious leader. It's a special occasion, which is the reason for the unusual dress." She smiled warmly up at Radditz. "But," she paused just long enough to press a kiss on his brawny chest, "I like your way better."

Radditz encircled her upper body with his formidable muscular arms and pulled her now shivering body close to his own, flaring his ki to warm and dry them both. "Of course its better….a Saiyan does not use words or religion to forge a bond between himself and his mate." Radditz rumbled deep within his chest, pressing his lips onto Amanda's now dry forehead, his tail rubbing soothingly against the red raw area on her back where Victor had tried to remove her physical link with Radditz. Amanda relaxed, the feeling being held gently yet so securely in his arms, slowly chasing away the feelings of fear that Victor had tried to imbed in her. There would be times, she knew, when the images would come back to haunt her, because no one recovers from trauma that quickly, but with Radditz by her side, Amanda was sure that she would get through it. As she closed her eyes and soaked up the warmth of Radditz's body, he unexpectedly became rigid and rather abruptly released her from his arms. "What's wrong?" Amanda asked, a trifle hurt by the impersonal action.

Radditz picked up the ruined dress and passed it to her, quickly starting to don his still damp bodysuit. "Get dressed - we are about to have some company." He grunted tersely, helping her with the zipper at the back, when her slightly trembling fingers refused to work properly.

Amanda turned around and faced Radditz asking, "Who?" thinking mistakenly that it was the police. She knew that she had a lot of explaining to do once they returned to Capsule Corporation and that in the telling of her side of the story was going to be unpleasant, not to mention that the authorities would want to speak with her. It wasn't everyday that your ex husband was killed.

"Kakkarot….my brother." He replied shortly. Understandably given the events of the day, Radditz was still wary of any male, even his own flesh and blood being within touching range of his mate.

With his keen eyes, Radditz could see clearly in the distance the energy trails behind Goku, Piccolo and the others and he cursed under his breath. "Fuck." He had not been expecting all of them to grace him with their presence, but there was one thing that Radditz could be grateful for - Vegeta was not amongst them, for he would surely have pummelled Radditz into a bloody unrecognisable pulp for loosing control. Radditz shivered as he recalled the cold warning from Vegetas lips - if Amanda proved to be a distraction, she would be disposed of. Radditz was well aware of what kind of reception his softhearted brother would have for him once he descended from the sky. It was obvious what he had done, his behaviour hours before had shown his violent bestial truly Saiyan nature to his trusting human raised sibling, displaying quite clearly what he intended to do to the human known as Victor.

Goku was originally on his way to Mt Paozu, but he felt Radditz's energy and changed his flight path slightly, heading instead towards the waterfall below the massive mountain, not sure of what exactly he was going to say to his brother, especially as he had not tried hard enough to prevent what he regarded as a needless death. Another failure….

When Kami had visited him in the days before Radditz and Vegeta's arrival, he had been warned about their bloodthirsty nature, and that they could have just have easily come to purge Earth but upon meeting his older brother, and listening to Bulmas story and watching the interaction between her and Vegeta, ignored the information, believing in that way that only he could, that everyone was able to control their inner demons and see the good that Goku believed was present in some small way in each and every being. He had not banked on Radditz being so protective of his new mate and being unable to resist the surge of jealous rage in his blood, calling him to avenge.

He was not raised the same way, with blood and violence.

His boot shod feet hit the ground heavily, matching his current dark mood. Krillen, Piccolo and the others hovered above, keeping themselves well out of harms way, but ready in an instant to jump into the fray should the situation become ugly.

Radditz stood, arms crossed in front of him watching like a hawk as Goku descended, the only sign of anxiety was the tell tale twitching of his long sinuous tail. He greeted his brother calmly. "Kakkarot."

There were no pleasantries as Goku replied. "You killed him." His words to Radditz not an accusation, instead he was stating a fact.

Radditz glanced at Amanda some way behind him, looking anxious also before answering. "It was necessary."

Goku looked over at the now clean, but still bruised woman behind Radditz, seeing the fear still remaining in her clear green eyes, knowing that she must have gone through hell. "Why was it necessary?" Goku asked, walking closer to his brother until he was only a few feet from him.

"Little brother," Radditz replied as smoothly as his voice would allow, "would you not do the same for your mate, your brat?"

Goku clenched his fists, his energy starting to build up and crackle around him as Radditz asked his question, not giving him what he felt was a reasonable answer as to why Victor needed to be killed. He could not understand why the simple question that Radditz uttered raised his ire so much, there was a simple answer after all.

Would I do the same…for Chi Chi…for Gohan…..?

"W, why should I answer that." Goku stuttered "…..you killed a man because of bloodlust……jealousy…"

Radditz laughed cheerlessly, throwing his head back cutting him off. "Bloodlust? Jealousy? Never!! I killed him for trying to harm my mate and my unborn child…" He turned his head to look at Amanda smiling at the thought of his own flesh and blood before returning to face Goku's angry face "…it was a question of survival and honour, nothing as petty as jealousy!" Radditz then stepped forward, leaning over his shorter brother, arms now uncrossed, his red energy aura sparking into life. "You know nothing," Radditz growled, "you were raised here, on this peaceful planet, not amidst the blood and gore of purge missions, not knowing if your next mission was your last…..or if you would never see your mate again……."

Goku rushed at his brother, his fists now aglow with energy, anger taking hold of his brain. "You know nothing of my life here!" He yelled, blindly heaving his fists towards Radditz's gut, and up above Krillen tried to dive down and intercede, only to find a clawed hand holding him back. "Don't get involved in a family dispute." Piccolo said with a somewhat amused smile. He himself had never seen Goku in such a rage, and Piccolo felt that it would do his great nemesis some good.

Radditz dodged most of the blows headed his way, but he knew that he could only avoid serious injury for only so long, grunting in pain as Goku's booted foot connected with his kidneys. "You never had to live as a virtual slave your whole life….you think that you are human……you despise your Saiyan heritage……….." He spat, a thin feral smile appearing on his lips even as Goku landed a heavy punch and split his lips in several places. He could hear the frightened breathing of Amanda some way off behind him, and mentally he tried to reassure her. "Prince Vegeta does not need your help, Kakkarot….he is the legendary….a Super Saiyan….a being that you will never be…..."

Goku clubbed his brother with both hands, yelling, "Stop calling me that!!! My name is Goku!" as spittle ran down his chin. "I can save this planet without Vegeta!" The last few words that Radditz had spoken had really hit a nerve, as soon as Vegeta had made his ascension, Goku had felt very much like a bystander, useless, unable to play any major part, not strong enough to save those he loved most.

He was missing what Radditz was really trying to do.

Bring out something deep within him that he had resisted all his life, from the moment he was injured.

That was the moment Kakkarot the bloodthirsty had disappeared, and Goku the defender emerged. And from all the teaching and instruction from his grandfather Gohan, from Kami, and from Master Roshi Goku had repressed part of his true nature, thinking that what lurked inside him would make him a murderous feral creature. He had always known it was there.

But not every Saiyan was bloodthirsty or murderous.

Radditz knew that Goku fought with a strength only surpassed by Vegeta, but what he lacked was a passion. The urge to fight flowed through his veins, and the human instinct to protect those weaker than himself was a product of his somewhat sheltered upbringing. Goku strove to defend his adopted homeworld, the selflessness of saving many lives very rewarding, but it was not the passion that Vegeta or even he had, and Radditz could see clearly how much Goku was trying to resist his hidden nature. It came to him suddenly, as clear as the full moon on a clear night why Goku, with his massive power, could not make the transition that Vegeta had. Vegeta had passion, fire, but most of all, he was not afraid to let go. The ascension was different for each Saiyan, for Vegeta it was to let his stoic emotions go, just once but for Goku, it was fear, to let his fear go, and his Saiyan side emerge, even though until two weeks ago he had not realised where he was really from. Goku was convinced that Kakkarot was the dark half of himself.

It was pure simple fear holding him back…

Fear that he would become a bloodthirsty killing machine, without remorse or pity...

Fear that he would rage and forget who he was……or discover that he was not who he really thought he was….

Fear that he could not save his own family from the worst tyrants that the universe could offer…..

Blindly, Goku lunged and clawed at Radditz's thick-corded neck, not able to stop himself from being so intent on stopping his brother from taunting him, his fine-tuned martial arts skills lost to him. He just wanted Radditz to shut up and leave him alone. He had no sense of anyone else around him any longer apart from Radditz, he was the focus for his fury.

Radditz choked as his brothers strong fingers came into contact with his windpipe, but he still managed to force out more words, this time not the taunts that Goku was expecting to hear. "L- let it go……let your….Saiyan instincts flow……brother….let go….of your fear……" dimly, Radditz could the soft crying of Amanda behind him, powerless to stop the madness.

Would I do the same…for Chi Chi…for Gohan…..?

"What fear!?" Goku screamed aloud, forcing Radditz to the ground. Radditz successfully blocked Goku with his with his thick muscular arms from tearing out his windpipe, and kicked him away, panting, blood flowing down his neck as he rolled away from Gokus grasp. "You fear what you really ….are …brother." He coughed, heaving up a goodly amount of red mucus and rolling weakly once more to evade Goku's now flailing fists and legs. "You are a Saiyan…….not human…..Saiyan….."

"I am not!!!" Screeched Goku, his own red aura building in strength as he lunged for Radditz again, and this time his brother was unable to roll away and was now pinned under Goku. "I….ask you again….Kakkarot…would you ….use your strength….and..power …..for your mate……your ….brat?" He croaked, as Goku pressed his knees into Radditz's massive chest, feeling the ribs start to give way. "to …save them……look …inside…..Kakkarot….release….what is trapped….."

Look inside?…I…don't…like what I will…see…he, Kakkarot…. is the darkness…….

"I don't …want to be …that animal….Kakkarot.!" Goku howled, clutching at his spiky locks and rolling off his brother's chest. Krillen broke free from Piccolo's solid grasp finally and dove down swiftly towards his best friend, now writhing in mental agony on the damp ground, Radditz looking on almost impassively.

Krillen tried to place his hands on Goku and calm him, but Goku lashed out and flung the small monk several metres away from him. Krillen immediately got up and tried to get close again, but Piccolo and Tien had by now arrived and held him back. "He's in pain!" He yelled somewhat ineffectually at the pair as he struggled. "We have to help him." He continued quietly, now noticing that Piccolo and Tien were watching Goku intently, as Amanda moved quickly over to Radditz, his arms immediately encircling her as she sobbed, frightened out of her mind.

Krillen stared at Goku and murmured, "Something has been bothering Goku for a while, I thought perhaps it was Radditz, but looking at him now, he looks like his mind is being tormented."

"He is," Radditz said, "This is something that should have happened long ago, he's just been resisting it." Let it go, little brother…..

The group with the exception of Radditz watched open-mouthed as Goku continued to thrash about, spittle flecking his mouth as he moaned and screeched, incomprehensible words being spat out rapidly, sweat pouring off his entire body, before he suddenly and inexplicably was still and the physical world disappeared before his eyes.

In his mind, he could see himself, as he was now, as Goku, but before him like a mirror image stood Kakkarot, dressed in Saiyan armour. He was the hidden part of his psyche, grinning almost wickedly at him, as the landscape around him rippled and became starkly blazingly white, not dissimilar to the scene inside Hyperbolic Time Chamber at Kami's lookout.

(Like it? I chose this place, because, this is where your journey to ascension began….this of course is now the completion. You must let me be free, Goku)

I won't, I can't let you be free..

(You have to….I am you. How do you expect to save all those lives then…..hmmm? I am your Saiyan instinct, I am what you fear to set free…without me you cannot ascend…)

I don't need this….I will save all those lives the same way I always do….with my heart and my strength…

(You can't…you aren't strong enough….let me be free…together we will be virtually invincible…)

Why am I arguing with you? You can't make me do anything….I will be as strong as Vegeta….I don't need you…

His mirror image laughed, throwing his head back, before smiling confidently back at a bewildered Goku.

(You can't….until you let go of your fear…let me free….or you will never ascend..)

Kakkarot cocked his head and looked carefully at Goku, taking one step closer to him.

(You misunderstand me, Goku. I…am only a small part of you….a part that you repressed…I cannot take over…)

You lie!

Kakkarot took another step forward, smiling.

(So then….how will you save your mate….and your brat…..without the power to help destroy Freeza?)

I don't need you!

Kakkarot did not answer this time, he just took another step forward, getting ever closer to Goku smiling all the time.

Did you hear me? I don't need you to save my family, my world….I can do that myself!!

It was then that Goku realised what his mirror image had been smirking about the whole time, now Kakkarot was only a hair away from him. He had been distracted by all the parry and thrust of conversation.

(Too late to move now, Goku…..I will be free….I will be part of you….)

And then he moved. Not past Goku, but rather submerged himself in Goku, being absorbed by the body in front of him, disappearing from sight almost instantly, like ripples on a small pond.

Goku felt nothing but a slight chill, and then, all hell seemed to break loose.

He could feel the power surge through him as Kakkarot settled inside his body and mind, his blood roaring in his ears, his muscles increasing in mass, and then a sudden excruciating pain in his back as his long removed tail re emerged, splitting his skin like a tomato, blood pouring down the back of his legs. He lurched forward onto his knees, grimacing with the painful sensations as his Saiyan self merged within, the stark landscape disappearing and gradually being replaced by the gentle green grass and blue water of the waterfall.

The group which had been watching and waiting were thrown back to some extent by blast of power from Goku as he rose from his knees and stood, somewhat shakily on his feet, a small grin of triumph playing on his lips. Radditz, Piccolo and the others watched, spellbound as Goku's appearance changed completely, hair now golden, eyes now turquoise, looking down at his glowing hands with the expression of wonder, like a small child. He then looked at Radditz, and finally responded to his question. "Yes, the answer is yes."

Piccolo could hear Kami speak into his mind clearly, "Ascension is different for each Saiyan.."

Another Super Saiyan had arisen from the ashes of the Saiyan race, like a phoenix.

Bulma tentatively walked into the room that contained her father, the hiss and whir of medical equipment clearly there to keep his body functioning. She could see Dr Goldman trying to comfort her mother, who was now weakly sobbing and clutching at the sheets desperately. "B, Bulma?" She whispered hoarsely, turning her head and revealing puffy reddened eyes to her silent daughter. She disentangled herself from Dr Goldman's comforting arms and all but flung her body at Bulma, who enveloped her mother in a warm hug, whilst Dr Goldman shot her a look of abject sympathy. "It's okay, Mum, it's okay." She soothed gently, feeling the sting of tears come to her eyes. "I'll find a way of getting Dad back to normal, I promise."

Sarah moved her face from Bulmas shoulder and looked up at her strong daughter, a wistful, broken smile on her face. "There isn't anything that we can do, darling, John has explained everything to me. Th, the best we can hope for is that he starts breathing on his own again." She twisted around and looked at Jock in the bed. " He will never be the same again."

Bulma took a deep breath, knowing that it was not necessarily the best time to tell her mother about Victor and his death, but tell she had to. "Mum, there's something I need to tell you." Bulma looked around for a seat and directed her mother to it, holding her hands. "It's about Victor Anderson."

For Sarah the day could not have gotten any worse. First her husband injured almost mortally, then the man who she and Jock saw as an adopted son killed. By the time Bulma had finished the story about Victor, Sarah was hysterical and John Goldman had to sedate her for fear that she would harm herself. John called on the medical staff on sight and ordered a round the clock watch on Sarah as she slipped into unconsciousness, settling her into the bed next to Jocks, his face now showing every one of his 49 years with the strain as he left to get some rest himself. The past 24 hours or so had been almost as stressful on him as they were on the Briefs family.

With her mother now calmed and sleeping, Bulma moved a chair near her father's bed, seeing with sadness how much his face showed the pain of his injury. To her eyes he looked strange without his thick horn rimmed glasses perched on his nose, he looked almost like someone else.

Despite her initial anger at his misguided actions, with Yamcha and with Zarbon, Bulma had softened upon seeing her father in such a state. "Dad," She whispered smoothing his coarse greying lavender hair, "I'm so sorry that this has happened to you, but can't help that I'm also very angry with you." Bulma started to cry softly, as she remembered what had happened in the basement, and in the letter where Yamcha had poured his heart out revealing the extent that Dr Briefs would go to in protecting his daughter and his reputation. She remembered when he first introduced her to the world of science and technology, and the times that they spent together working on projects, inventing new things, listening to his eclectic range of music as they worked. She recalled his broad smile when she did something particularly clever or made a discovery, the look of abject sorrow on his face when she left for Station Delta, running away from her problems, or the anger marring his craggy face when she told him that she would not take over Capsule Corporation.

"I know that, that what you did was…for me….and now, there is something that I, I will do for you." She closed her eyes and rested her head on Jocks chest, hearing the beat of his heart, still strong despite his stroke and his severed spinal cord, and strangely she felt comforted by the sound. "You will get better, I promise," she wept, "but I'm doing this as much for Mum as I do for you." Bulma moved away from her father then, and for a moment he seemed to look better, as if every word that she had spoken had been heard. She walked out of the room and called the medical staff in to keep watch her on mother and father, whispering over her shoulder, "But I still love you Dad."

As Vegeta cast ki balls around the gravity chamber as he hovered in the air, stripped to the waist, clad only in the lower half of his training suit. He was avoiding each one of the ki balls as it bounced off the ki resistant curved walls, testing his newfound power to the limit. He could feel the sweat literally come off his aching tanned body in sheets even after only a short while under 100 gs of gravity.

The gravity chamber was all that Bulma and her father had claimed that it was, providing Vegeta with the means to test himself fully and quickly, increasing his strength and power in leaps and bounds, something that would not have been possible had he continued using only conventional methods of training. A rogue ki ball shot past him, singeing his tail in the process, causing him to lose concentration and fall to the metal floor with a grunt of annoyance. Wearily, Vegeta pushed himself upright and rose into the air again, rising directly into the line of fire, ready to absorb the ki ball that had gone around the centre control panel and was heading for him.

Vegeta had discovered to his initial disgust that he could hold the Super Saiyan state for only so long without almost burning out, so control of his new power was also essential, building up his stamina. And although he wanted to be the only Super Saiyan living, he knew instinctively that Goku would be the next in line, and that it would be crucial that the both of them spent time sparring against each other, increasing in power and strength, ready for Freeza and his minions. As he floated around, alternately firing ki blasts and then dodging them, Vegeta played out moves and techniques in his mind, knowing that his mental strength would play a vital part in the combat to come, keeping his mind off the luscious blue haired creature not more than 200 metres away from him. He could feel her ki move about the vast complex and grinned wolfishly as he sensed her moving into the bathroom, knowing that she would be showering and in his mind Vegeta could see her curvy body, wet and soapy as she washed.

Bulma had shielded her mind to prevent any distraction to Vegeta as he had done, but it did not prevent images of Bulma entering his mind, especially as she had stood dishevelled and sweaty before him not more than 2 hours ago as news had been delivered to her, making Vegeta want to drag her back into the sweat box that he was in now and make her scream out his name.

"Computer." He spoke hoarsely, feeling winded, "initiate level 10 attack mode." There was a click and from the control stem, several attack bots, circular in appearance and fitted with a rather powerful arsenal emerged, primed and ready. Vegeta flared his ki, feeling the glorious burst of pure energy increase his muscle size and his alter appearance. As he prepared to go into battle with his robotic enemies, Vegeta felt a massive surge of power, so large in fact that it was possible to feel the ground tremble. He knew instantaneously what the surge was, yet another Saiyan had ascended to Super Saiyan status, and for some strange reason, he smiled crookedly, he was looking forward to meeting his Earth raised counterpart in battle.

Blasted Third Class Saiyan….you may have rise to my level…but I, Vegeta Prince of Saiyans …will be victorious….

Earth had just increased its odds in surviving.

Thousands of miles away, in the depths of space, a vast flagship, armed with thousands of weapons and soldiers finally cruised into the galaxy that contained the third blue and green planet manoeuvring carefully around the enormous yellow dwarf known as the sun. On the bridge, Freeza took the time to enjoy his favourite beverage, a rather rough type of wine, made with the blood of the last race he had ordered to be purged, so instead of the swift death they had been expecting, the highly intelligent and peaceful race known as Erokai were captured, bled, then thrown into flaming pyres, still alive. He could still hear their high-pitched screams even now, many months after the event.

Freeza had heard from his father King Kold, ruler of the Icy Empire that the drinking the blood of the vanquished was supposed to increase strength and power in battle.

As he sipped and the acrid, coppery taste rolled around his tongue and he recalled the conversation with Bardock, Freeza started to feel as if the barbaric practice was in fact true. He felt revitalised, invincible. The information that Bardock had provided was so very compelling, so much so that Freeza was sorely tempted to keep Bulma as a type of pet, very much like Bardock. The powers that Bulma had were very rare and Freeza collected rare things, like seers, pleasure slaves and enslaving the last of a race he personally purged. "How much longer before Earth is reached?" He huskily asked the navigator.

The navigator checked the star charts and the speed at which they were travelling and answered with a confident, "Five standard days, Lord."

Freeza took another drink from his glass, a gruesome grin revealing his fangs in their full glory. "Excellent." He turned to his only remaining high-ranking officer apart from Captain Ginyu. "Dodoria, start preparing the troops for invasion. We will reach target in five standard days."

The corpulent pink being's mouth split in a grotesque parody of a smile and bowed deeply before his master. "As you wish Lord." He then spun on his heels and left the bridge, ready to organise Freeza's vast army, leaving Freeza to stare out into space.

Soon, my rebellious Saiyan Prince, you will learn the price of defying me.

Many decks below, Bardock sat in his custom built cell, a smile on his gaunt face.

He may have given information about his Princes life mate, but some secrets had been hidden from Freeza, one being the ascension of Vegeta and the other of discovering that his own sons were alive and well. As they drew closer to Earth, Bardock knew that his powers would become stronger and that he would be able to make contact without resorting to trickery. Soon he would be able to be utilised and could make contact with Bulma and inform Vegeta and his sons of the attack forces estimated arrival.

Bardock was confident that in a very short time, his tormentor and murderer of his race would soon be thrown like ashes into the wind, by the Legendary.