Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ FROM BAD TO WORSE... ❯ Piccolo's Discovery ( Chapter 8 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Last Chapter: Yamcha's revelations about the Saiyan's past has effectively split
up the couple. After a bitter confrontation with her father, Bulma discovers
that Vegeta has packed up and left Capsule Corp.
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FROM BAD TO WORSE...
Chapter Eight

It would be impossible for the naked eye to track the blur the grazed the
troposphere in a hyperbolic arc that more readily covered such extreme distances
in a lesser amount of time. From this high up, the resultant sonic boom was an
indiscernible mutter of sound lost to the lone traveler as he sped towards his
course. Senses straining to their maximum, Piccolo focused on the unique
signature of ki that belonged solely to Vegeta and it wasn't easy by any stretch
of the imagination. The Saiyan was deliberately keeping his personal energy to a
minimum no doubt trying to avoid the very thing that the Namek was doing. The
distance also played in the smaller alien's favor. After more than a day,
Piccolo was reasonably sure he was finally heading in the right direction after
several false leads. Not for the first time, he wondered just what he was going
to do in the inevitable confrontation to follow.

His thoughts strayed back when Yamcha had landed in the Son family yard.
Piccolo had elected to train with Gokou just to spend some more time with his
favorite person on the entire planet; young Gohan, who he adored. The minute the
young, scar-faced fighter appeared Piccolo knew it was going to be bad news and
he wasn't disappointed. Gokou, as ever, was oblivious.

"Hiya, Yamcha. It's great to see you! Have you come to spar?" Gokou
greeted with his usual cheerfulness. It was always a bit disarming to Piccolo
how the younger man could normally act so happy-go-lucky until a fight came up
and his manner changed to one of ferocious intensity. Not for the first time he
wondered if Gokou was bi-polar.

Yamcha smiled at the warm response and then appeared troubled. "Actually,
no. No, I didn't. I...uh, came to get some advice," he admitted haltingly.

That innocuous grin of Gokou's never wavered. "Well, shoot! What can we do
you for?"

Standing on the sidelines, Gohan craned his head up to look at Piccolo and
saw that expression of sullen anger on the Namek's emerald features. "What's
going on, Piccolo?"

"Trouble," was all he had to say in response.

Sure enough, Yamcha related the past events that had happened at Capsule
Corp. He tried to keep the indignation out of his voice when he told them of
Bulma and Vegeta's times together and her confessed attraction to him. Gohan
appeared completely floored by the revelation but Piccolo and Gokou only
exchanged a knowing glance between them. They had been forewarned of the strange
pairing from that lavender-haired youth from the future and the news was no
surprise. What they were unprepared for was Yamcha's destructive meddling that
had turned Capsule Corp. into a demilitarized zone and effectively driven Vegeta
off to parts unknown. In a completely unexpected turn of events, Bulma had quit
her position at the company and moved out of the headquarters building in
protest. She moved into a nearby hotel, refusing contact with friends or family;
everybody except the very Saiyan she was trying desperately to find on her own.
The entire situation had turned into a disaster-

"-And it's all my fault," Yamcha added. "I really didn't realize this
would happen-"

"Bullshit," Piccolo rumbled in annoyance. "This was exactly what you hoped
would happen with your interference. The only problem with the plan was that
Bulma didn't leap back into your arms like you expected she would."

Yamcha swallowed, unable to hold his eyes up to the commanding figure of
the brooding Namek. He dropped his head and betrayed a small nod of shame. "I
figured Vegeta would eventually hurt her and her family. I didn't know that he
was working for her father or that he had settled in so well with them. I...
don't know what to do. That's why I came here."

"How long ago did this happen?" Gokou asked curiously.

Yamcha squared his shoulders and admitted, "...Ten days ago-"

"-Ten days!?" Piccolo bellowed. The only one of the assembled trio who
didn't so much as flinch at the fearsome roar was young Gohan. The youth was
absorbing all of the drama with a maturity that went far beyond his eight years.
He stared up at his enraged sensei while the Namek continued his rant. "In ten
minutes Vegeta could have turned this world inside out and you've let him wander
around Earth unchecked for the last ten days without warning anybody? Are you a
complete imbecile?"

"Bulma told me to wait and see if he would return." He shrugged unhappily.
"Obviously that hasn't happened. I'm at a real loss here, guys."

Scratching the back of his head, Gokou appeared bewildered for a moment.
"Well, I guess the only thing to do would be for me to go track Vegeta down-"

"-And what are you going to tell him?" Piccolo cut in roughly, fixing him
with a knowing glare. They both knew that the Saiyan prince loathed the younger
fighter. A rational conversation between them would be next to impossible. In
the inevitable brawl to follow Gokou would more than likely betray the
information confided to him and make the current damage irreparable. The two
Saiyan's had to stay separated from one another, at least until Trunks was
conceived. After that, it should no longer matter.

"Well, I'd say he had to go back to Bulma 'cause-" Gokou's mouth snapped
shut in realization. "Okay, I see your point. But someone's gonna have to go
after him before he does something...bad." They had sensed Vegeta's power
tantrum in the Australian archipelago when it had happened a month ago with some
concern. They didn't want a repeat of that performance in an area that was
populated.

Yamcha's eyes widened in alarm and Gohan only looked perplexed by the
whole thing. Only Piccolo stood his place and his expression never changed when
he understood his role was to play the reluctant matchmaker. "I'll find him," he
said in a low voice. He pointed a taloned finger at Yamcha who blanched in fear.
"You. Go back to Capsule Corp. and try to undo some of the damage you've caused.
Use Gokou or Gohan as character witnesses. Fetch Krillin if you have to. This
mess has got to be cleaned up, alright?"

Hesitantly, Yamcha nodded and, satisfied Piccolo took to the air without
another word or a backward glance at the trio. He was already in the process of
mentally preparing himself for what was going to be a delicate operation against
someone with even worse of a hair-trigger temper than his own.

Personally, Piccolo preferred to be the sole person to confront Vegeta,
recognizing a kindred spirit with the alien that he did not share with anyone
else on this planet. It went beyond extraterrestrial origins or reciprocal
dispositions and lay chiefly in the fact that, at one time, their goals had been
virtually identical:

Kill Gokou. Destroy the Earth. In that order.

There was an irony to the current plight that nobody seemed to bother
touching on and it gnawed away at the back of Piccolo's mind as he continued his
search. He himself had been wrecking havoc on the planet ever since Kami had
sloughed off his evil negativity that had given him life as the Demon King. With
relentless hatred, he had taunted Gokou and the others for over ten years and
left nothing but chaos in his wake. Here he was now, kindly accepted among the Z
Fighter ranks with hardly any opposition. Vegeta on the other hand, had scarcely
been on earth an hour in his first appearance and had redeemed himself on Namek.
Yet everyone on Earth still regarded him as the scourge of the galaxy to be
feared and despised. That didn't appear very fair to Piccolo. He had found
redemption in his own soul thanks to Gohan's trust and love. Rather than be
jealous of the attention, Gokou actually encouraged the bond between his only
child and his former enemy. Vegeta deserved the right to discover the same with
Bulma and not be subjected to the embittered interference of an ex-lover.

But what can I possibly say to him? Piccolo wondered repeatedly as he
descended over northern North America homing in on Vegeta's distinctive ki.
Reasoning with the mercurial Saiyan would be next to impossible if he was in the
throes of another tantrum. If it came to a conflict he was outclassed despite
all of the setbacks that Yamcha had told them of the Saiyan's training. He
wasn't sure what he could do.

Mercifully, a voice came into his mind and provided a solution.

>>>>>
The lone grizzly, a huge hulking beast at the height of its prime, prowled
the entrance of its den with growing agitation. He had staked out this site days
earlier, listening to the telltale signs of an approaching winter that sang in
his bones, imploring him to seek out an appropriate shelter in preparation for
hibernation. Guarding his territory religiously, he peered into the depths of
the barren cavity of rock in bewilderment sensing something was not quite right.
He released one low growl of inquiry.

Someone or some...thing growled back.

Backing away in alarm, the grizzly snorted his displeasure. He raised
himself on his muscular hind legs and stood at his full height of over nine feet
as he bellowed a roar of challenge at the intruder. When he got no answer he
began to pace restlessly back and forth outside of the cavern, his thunderous
cries growing in volume with his rage. By the time the intruder emerged from the
lair, the grizzly immediately charged its impressive bulk towards the slight
figure with the full intention of ripping it to shreds.

Eager to meet the challenge, Vegeta bared his teeth in a feral grin and
dropped the object he was holding under his right arm. He lowered himself down
to a deceptive crouch as if eager to meet this new threat head-on. An instant
before the great bear was on him, he leapt straight up into the air. The
grizzly, a seasoned veteran bearing the scars of many territorial skirmishes,
skidded to a halt and glanced around in confusion an instant before Vegeta's
elbow connected with it's spine and snapped it like a twig.

Driven brutally down into the dirt, it's hind-legs dead, front limbs
scrambling for futile purchase, the grizzly snapped at the empty air. His teeth
gnashed together like a livid vice as he tried to locate the attacker. A roar of
pure outrage dissolved into a whimper as a blurred fist smashed against his
head, crushing the jaw and breaking several teeth. A second blow shattered the
immense skull, the inhuman pressure actually causing the grizzly's eyes to
protrude from their sockets.

Vegeta watched the bear's death-throes with cold contempt, his bloodlust
piqued and far from sated. He evaded one lashing paw and brought his fist down
into the bear's ribcage, collapsing it. His arm went in past the elbow, bathing
it in warm wetness and the smell of the blood further amplified his crazed fury.
He picked up the huge bear effortlessly and threw it against a nearby tree,
shattering both. He did that again and again until all that was left was a fur-
wrapped bundle of burst organs and broken bones that no longer bore any
resemblance to its former, proud self.

Breathing heavily, Vegeta licked at the gore smeared across the palm of
one hand and the coppery taste awakened a hunger in him that he had neglected to
correct for some days now. He was famished. Compulsively, he began tearing
through the mangled chest of the bear and tore loose the steaming prize, opening
his mouth with eager anticipation. The heart hung poised about an inch from his
mouth before he realized he was no longer alone.

Standing several yards away, Piccolo was watching the gruesome scene with
silent contemplation. With dispassionate calmness, Vegeta extended his hand
towards him, which was still clasped around the heart and politely inquired,
"Come to join the picnic?"

"I'll pass," the Namek said coolly.

"Too bad." He finished the act by taking a bite from the still-warm organ
and grinning through a mask of blood. "You don't know what you're missing."

Oh, I'm sure I do, Piccolo wanted to add but chose to remain silent as he
watched the Saiyan consume his grisly meal and then proceed to wipe his hands on
the bear's fur. "Yamcha told me what happened."

"Oh yeah? Which version did he use this time?" Vegeta was unable to keep
the bitterness out of his voice.

Ignoring the sarcasm, the Namek persisted, "This situation will blow over
if you'd only come back and explain your side to-"

"I shouldn't have to 'explain' anything!"

"Vegeta, human's are emotional creatures. I'm sure if we both went back to
Capsule Corp. you'd find the whole thing was just a misunderstanding-"

"How the hell would you know? You weren't even there!"

Attempting a different angle, Piccolo said, "Bulma is very upset by all of
this. Perhaps you should go back to her and talk things over. I'm sure that both
of you would benefit from such an exchange-"

"Do NOT interfere in my personal affairs, Namek," Vegeta hissed. "What do
you know about relationships, anyway? You're the only race I've ever met that
can take the expression; 'Go fuck yourself' literally. Stay out of my life!"

Despite the harsh wording he had a point, Piccolo admitted to himself. As
an asexual being he didn't know the first thing about human dating rituals or
the eccentricities associated with courtship and, truth be told, he didn't want
to know. From his perspective the concept of human pairings was a needless,
disgusting waste of energy best used elsewhere. Fortunately, thanks to Gohan, he
now anticipated the sensation of companionship and relished the thought of
another's company and figured he was one up on the Saiyan in that department.
"I've come to bring you back."

Vegeta looked at him sharply, hearing the unvoiced threat in those six
simple words and not liking it one bit. He offered the Namek a callous sneer and
picked up the object he had discarded before killing the grizzly. "I'm busy. Go
bother someone else," he said and powered up his ki and flew off.

Piccolo recognized what Vegeta was carrying with sudden alarm. He blasted
after the Saiyan with a cry of fury and cut off his route of escape, extending
his arms as he yelled; "What are you doing with a Dragonball?"

Looking down at the object under his arm as if it was the first time he'd
seen it, Vegeta drawled in a mocking tone; "Oh...this silly old thing? Just
something I picked up in my travels, that's all."

Glowering at him sidelong in one long, measuring glance, the Namek
ventured, "You could not have sensed that one on your own."

"I had a little help," Vegeta admitted. With that infuriating smirk on his
face he pulled out a large circular object out of the pocket of his jacket. It
looked like an oversized pocket watch with a garish green dial.

"The Dragonball radar," Piccolo grumbled. "How-"

"Skulking around under Frieza's shadow has taught me alot about subterfuge
and infiltration. For all of their wealth, Capsule Corp. has piss-poor security.
I doubt that anyone has even noticed it's missing. By the time they do...it'll
be too late to matter." He chuckled under his breath.

Piccolo seethed with anger as all of his thoughts of possible redemption
on the fellow warrior's soul came crashing down in his mind. He recalled the
proud words of an adoring son from the future. A sensation of reluctant
acceptance from their allies as he settled on Earth. They had all been fools to
think that Vegeta had changed for the better when he had just reverted back to
his old ways. Without warning, all of the bitterness and rage he had bottled up
from their very first encounter came to the fore and he tensened his muscles,
the veins rippling underneath of the green and pink surface of his skin like
sluggish worms.

"You can't make any wishes, Vegeta. The Dragonballs need a year to
recharge." The Dragonball the Saiyan was holding was only an indistinguishable
orange-colored rock in its current state.

"By the time I track them all down it'll be close to that," the Saiyan
told him. All pretenses of patience were gone and he flared his ki shield in
preparation for combat. "I can wait until they're ready to make my wish."

Fangs bared, Piccolo flew into him with the force of a missile and drove
them back down into the thick woods. Vegeta barely had the time to throw the
Dragonball to safety before they clashed. Neither spared any quarter for the
other as they exchanged a lightening-fast flurry of blows and then began
releasing ki blasts that transformed the woods into a flaming pyre. Their
personal shields protected them from the worst of it, as the dry timber became a
suffocating conflagration that boxed them in on all sides. Vegeta leapt into a
churning pall of thick smoke, becoming lost to the incensed Namek's sight. An
instant later he appeared directly behind him with a glowing left palm. The Big
Bang attack smashed into Piccolo's vulnerable back and propelled the large alien
through the flaming brush and knocked aside rubble and trees from his path for
over an acre of distance.

Before giving chase, the enormity of the forest-fire they had created
dawned on Vegeta as the battle-lust slipped from his vision. For no reason he
could decipher he was reminded of Bulma's nagging pitch of voice when she had
collected him from that barren archipelago, going on about how he had needlessly
destroyed the area even though it had been uninhabited. There was wildlife in
these thick woods that would die from this inferno and he knew that would upset
her enormously.

What the hell do I care? he admonished himself as he followed the clear
path of devastation that marked where the Namek had been thrown by the blast.
Humans have their own devices to deal with such disasters. Let them clean it up.

Still...he glanced backwards. It was yet such a small fire, easily
contained of caught early. Gritting his teeth, he concentrated on collecting his
ki as he envisioned the woods around him and raised one glowing hand before
slamming the palm directly into the dirt. There was a heavy sensation of a thick
blanket of air that descended on the area. It pushed out the flammable oxygen
and asphyxiated the flames in one swift stroke, leaving smoldering debris in its
wake.

Vegeta had the thought; Bulma would be pleased, before he trampled it. He
couldn't believe he had even entertained the notion of her concern and was
infuriated with himself because if it. It only justified his reasoning further
in seeking out the Dragonballs and setting things to rights. Earth had damaged
him irreparably; it was time to correct that damage.

Just as he turned away from his inspection of the extinguished blaze, a
mountain of green fury plowed into him. Several blows got through his lowered
defenses until he had the clarity of mind to thrust out his defensive shield and
force the Namek backwards. Piccolo, his weighted cape now reduced to a singed
shawl, fired a huge ball of energy that was guaranteed to incinerate its target.
Taking a desperate gamble that his attempts at his training may have actually
accomplished something, Vegeta dove into the blast course and punched it upward
away from the volatile timber. It detonated a mile above them, the shockwave
spiraling out in a circular shower of red-tinged smoke. The ground actually
vibrated from the intensity of it.

Piccolo realized he was gaping in astonishment and quickly closed his
mouth but the rare look was lost to Vegeta who was shaking his badly burned hand
and snarling a stream of curses at him. Sparing a glance around his
surroundings, the Namek took note that the fire was out and he'd had no part in
its eradication. He marginally lowered his energy shield and took measure of the
smaller man in front of him, unable to hide the confusion on his face. "You put
out the fire."

Blowing air on the blisters forming on his knuckles, Vegeta scowled at
him. "It was getting too hot for my taste."

He had personally deflected the blast into the air rather than avoid it
and let it fly into the timber, Piccolo brooded. Why would he do that?

"Something is not right here..." he muttered under his breath, angry with
himself for not seeing something he knew he should have under calmer
circumstances. Perhaps...perhaps Vegeta had not reverted back to type, as he had
feared. Maybe he had been wrong to jump to such hasty conclusions-

The Saiyan didn't give him any chance to debate the issues further as he
released one of his feral bellows and moved in like a blur. They brawled in the
smoldering debris until they were filthy with the clinging ash and blood from
their wounds. Both antagonists were fairly matched despite the obvious
differences in size. Piccolo was immensely strong and his time as Gokou's
personal battering ram had sharpened his fighting skills considerably. The
Saiyan's reflexes were immeasurably quick and his martial arts were of an alien
ilk that made coming up with defenses a tricky affair.

"You're weakening, Namek," Vegeta snarled with satisfaction.

"If I fall to you, the others will rise in my place," Piccolo assured him,
struggling to catch his breath. "We'll never let you get the Dragonballs."

"I told you to stay out of my business."

The larger alien was shaking his head determinedly. "Not this time. You
didn't get your chance at immortality on Namek, and I'll be damned if you're
going to get it here!"

That visage of anger slipped from Vegeta face for a moment before he
erected it with difficulty. A haunted light had come to his eyes that Piccolo
had never seen before and returned his earlier feeling of unease. He was about
to start with the questions again until the Saiyan resumed his attack, sensing
his hesitation. Dodging a flurry of fists and feet, Piccolo was caught in an
unexpected defensive and the thought of who that attacker was renewed his
previous animosity. With a snarl of malice, he raised one fist high in the air
and brought it down in a glowing arc.

An instant before the terrible blow fell, Vegeta dropped his protective
field of energy and calmly closed his eyes, waiting for it. Piccolo barely had
the wits to power down on the punch before it collided with the Saiyan's face,
knocking him brutally off of his feet and propelling him several meters away
where he lay in a crumpled heap, unmoving.

His muscles twitching in agitation, Piccolo tried to make sense of what
had just happened. He tried blinking away the sight of Vegeta's calm expression
as he waited for the blow that would have ripped his head from his shoulders if
he, himself hadn't held back at the last possible instant. Just what the HELL
was going on here? He looked around at the remains of the fire again, sensing
the Saiyan's ki that had smothered it. Lastly, he searched for the Dragonball.
It was lying nearby on a thatch of crisp grass, only three months charged; The
sole witness to this puzzling confrontation and only adding more questions with
its very presence.

Vegeta uttered one low moan and struggled to sit up. He spat out a
mouthful of blood and saw one tooth lying in the gore. Despite the sight he
raised his eyes to Piccolo and there was only vague resentment on his face when
he said, "You held back."

"If I hadn't, that punch would have taken your head off!" Piccolo snapped.

Again he only got that disquieting expression in response to his words. If
the Namek had to place a word on the emotion he was seeing he would have had to
call it disappointment. Continuing his earlier train of thought, he looked to
the lone Dragonball again. "Why are you collecting the Dragonballs, Vegeta?"

"I thought you had all of the answers, Namek," Vegeta grumbled as he got
slowly to his feet. It appeared as if the fight had finally left him after that
last blow. He swayed on his feet for a moment before he collected his bearings,
rubbing his jaw with a scowl.

"You're not gathering them to wish for immortality, are you?" Piccolo
asked. When he got no response, he snarled. "Answer me!"

"Just ignore me for nine more months. After that I'll finish up what you
were too chicken-shit to do," Vegeta said impassively.

There was silence between the two antagonists as they faced one another in
the smoldering clearing. Far off, a raven was calling to its mates as if to
inform them that the coast was clear; that everything was all right.

It dawned on Piccolo that nothing was all right. It wasn't even close to
it. One look at the Saiyan's eyes told him that. Usually blazing with arrogance
or rage they were strikingly dull to the Namek's probing stare and that worried
him more than he would have ever thought possible. He never thought he would
live to see a day when the Saiyan's belligerence was cowed into submission. In a
hollow voice, he muttered, "You-you're going to wish to be dead again..."

Vegeta shook his head. "I'm just going to correct a mistake, that's all."

"I don't understand."

The Saiyan's shoulders slumped in defeat as he stared at the Dragonball,
his eyes were vague. "The original wish to return the dead was phrased wrong;
'Bring back everyone who was killed by Frieza'." He snorted and shook his head
in disgust. "I wasn't supposed to be included. Everybody knows that. My presence
on this mudball is a cruel joke. I'm just going to set things right."

Piccolo couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I must have hit you harder
than I thought. It sounds to me like you're choosing to give up like some
petulant little child who didn't get his way."

He didn't get the flash of indignation he had been hoping for. "Call it
what you want, Namek," came the softly spoken response.

"The Vegeta I know would never give in to such a cowardly act."

"The Vegeta you knew died on Namek. He should have been left there to
rot," he chose as his answer. He considered the charred brush around him, as he
became lost in thought. In a voice nearly a whisper he added, "I want to go back
to that. There was no more pain. No more humiliation. No more nightmares.
Just... darkness. I want what was taken away from me; I want to be left in
peace."

"I can't believe you're just giving up like this. It's pathetic!" Piccolo
growled at him, walking a short distance away. He kicked aside a branch as big
around as his thigh and came stalking back. "What's the real reason behind this
nonsense, Vegeta? Don't give me any of that pride rhetoric of yours either."

"I don't have much pride left, Namek. Most of it was forfeited just for
the clothes on my back," Vegeta told him, the words dripping with bitterness.
His features were haggard and drawn, revealing to the stunned Namek how many
nights he must have laid awake plagued by the very things he was about to
confess. "I should be the King of a galactic empire with millions under my
command right now. Not be reduced to living among lowly humans wondering where
my next meal is coming from. This planet is slowly killing me one day at a time
and I've no where else to go. At least grant me some respect to make a wish that
will put me out of my misery."

Piccolo squinted at him in annoyance. "You'll be regarded as a weak
coward, you know that don't you?"

"I all ready know what gets said behind my back, Namek. It's a great big
joke that your pre-pubescent student kicked my ass the first time I was here on
Earth. On Namek I bawled like a baby and it took Kakarott to finish off Frieza.
Please enlighten me if I've forgotten any more humiliating encounters." Vegeta
said with his customary sarcasm. He was physically and emotionally drained but
the taunting dark humor was there. It always would be. "Oh yes, of course! I
also lost my tail; the very definition of a true Saiyan warrior. That's the most
maddening of the entire situation because I swear I can still feel the damn
thing twitching behind me but when I reach for it, there's nothing there. I-
have-had-enough. So leave me alone, Namek, so I can continue what I've started."

There was nothing Piccolo could say or do that would successfully bait
Vegeta on this issue. It was clear that his mind had been made up and focused on
this task long before he had ever showed up. Attempting to sway him with words
was going to be an impossibility but he was determined to make the effort. "I'm
not going to let you make that wish," he said firmly.

"Then finish what you were going to do."

Piccolo tensened at the memory of the near miss of his earlier punch. He
had been so close..."No."

"Then fuck off. I've got work to do," Vegeta snapped as he went to
retrieve his Dragonball and continue the hunt that would see to his destruction.
Just as he bent down to grab it, a low powered ki blast knocked it beyond his
reach. He squeezed his hands into knotted fists and grappled with his rage. At
length he straightened again and faced the Namek, his face pale and very, very
tired. It was obvious that he was in sorry shape to continue the fight but he
would if he had to and they both knew it.

"We're not finished here," Piccolo assured him. "Honestly, Vegeta. What
would Bulma think about your committing suicide like this? Have you given any
thought about her at all?"

Vegeta's eyes narrowed suspiciously and the Namek was encouraged by the
barest flicker of emotion he saw in response to the mentioning her name.

"Why do you keep on harping about that woman, Namek?" he asked warily. "Of
everyone on this stupid planet, you've mentioned her twice. Why is she supposed
to be of any concern to me?"

Out of desperation, Piccolo reasoned that perhaps the Saiyan might be able
to handle the prophecy from the future after all. As things were going, it
appeared to be a last ditch effort at best. "Vegeta, I'm trying to tell you
that-" He flinched as that presence was back in his head, cautioning him against
saying anything more at such a volume that he squeezed his eyes shut. "Okay!
Okay!" he hollered, waving his arms in the air. "What the hell do I tell him
then?" Listening, he nodded to himself several times, frowned and then grumbled,
"Well, you can try that. But I don't think-" He visibly winced again.

Watching the show with bored, half-interest Vegeta commented to no one in
particular, "I'm witnessing a Schizophrenic Namek. Will wonders never cease."

"Shut up, Vegeta. I was talking to someone important."

"No shit. I'm just going to take my Dragonball and you can continue your
little mental debate-"

Smiling for no apparent reason, Piccolo told him, "I have to take you to
meet someone. In fact, HE wants to talk to you personally."

Vegeta regarded him as if he had completely lost his mind. He released a
dry snort and looked away, crossing his arms in defiance as he jeered, "I'm not
going any-"

Piccolo was on him like a blur. With one deft blow he cold-cocked the
Saiyan and hefted him effortlessly over one massive shoulder. He picked up the
Dragonball with his free arm and took to the sky without delay.

"I sure hope this works," he grumbled under his breath.

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NEXT CHAPTER TO BE POSTED SATURDAY 29, 2001. If you would like to be on the
mailing list to receive direct notification of when new chapters of this story
are posted, please e-mail your request to: darke_angelus@hotmail.com
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Chapter Nine: Where is Piccolo taking Vegeta? It's someone with some answers as
well as some startling revelations about the Saiyan's destiny and very little of
it is good news...
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