Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Red Window ❯ Challenge ( Chapter 8 )

“Trunks, are you okay?” Goten paced over to his friend as his feet dangled over the edge of the Lookout.

 

“What do you think, Goten?” he snapped, but then his features softened. “Sorry.”

 

“It's okay, we can bring him back. Maybe my dad is even doing it right now.” He took a seat next to Trunks. “Your mom says that we should wait for that first, `cause it would take us a while to get there if we left now.”

“Why didn't your stupid dad just teleport instead of taking a ship?”

 

“Dunno.”

 

“I can't believe that one lady killed him. If I'd have known she was gonna…”

 

“Aw, Trunks, I don't think anyone knew. Your dad's real smart, and even he didn't know!”

 

“I guess,” Trunks dropped a pebble from the ledge, and from their height it was difficult to tell if it would ever reach the ground. “I just want to go home.”

 

“Yeah, but this way Mister Piccolo can tell us if he senses anything.” Goten rested his head on his palm. “Anyway, I bet my mom is goin' crazy. I don't wanna be there for that.”

 

The deepness of Trunks' frown lessened and he let out a small laugh. “Guess you're right. As for my mom…” they both turned back to watch Bulma as she screamed at Piccolo, apparently now blaming him for the entire incident, and broke into grins.

 

 

---

 

 

“Who would have done such a thing…?” Goku pondered.

 

“You mean your precious ability to sense ki didn't reveal this to you? Didn't you feel a blast? Anything?” she nearly literally tore into him.

 

“N-no, I mean, I wasn't really paying attention…”

 

“Kakarrot!” and this time she physically attacked him, charging at him and pinning him against the wall. “I promised to wait until we got to my home before I would kill you,” she spoke through clenched teeth. “We're here, and if you cannot help me, I will stay true to my promise and end you here and now.”

 

“You won't,” Goku asserted. “Because I can help you.”

 

She snarled and brought her face closer to his, pressing him harder against the wall with one gloved hand clutching the collar of his gi. “You'd best be sure of that. If you fail to hold to this, I will make sure there is no one to wish your sorry ass back.”

 

“Doubtful. I have lots of friends,” Goku answered, smugly.

 

“I can see why—no one sees you for the manipulative bastard you are.”

 

“You know,” Goku's expression turned to a grin of malice, “Now that I'm more awake, I can say you are certainly uglier than Vegeta.” Seeing her shock and the slightest hint of a humiliated flush, he leaned closer. “Now that the lights are on, you can tell me, do I look more handsome in the dark, or with a little lighting?”

 

“Why are you doing this to me?” she released him in a flurry, whipping around so that he could not see her shame.

 

“My old master taught me an important lesson when I was young,” Goku spoke quietly. “No matter how good you are at fighting, there's always someone better out there. Face it. You're not a god, and you never will be. You need to learn now. You have no right to act the way you have been.”

 

“And you—is there someone better than you out there?” She turned just enough to glimpse his face. “You haven't been the spitting image of humility. Are you the best there is?”

 

“I have spent nights awake hoping not.”

 

“And if you are killed from your foolishness, and your friends, your home destroyed?”

 

“Without some challenge…I'll wither away.” He seemed distinctly frightened with the prospect.

 

“So you would have them die.”

 

“I've never let them down before. See how my planet is still intact.”

 

She roared, and through sparks and golden flashes sent a volley of punches against Goku's jaw. When she pulled away to breathe, he smiled. “See? You're awfully close.”

 

She eyed him warily. “You said all that—to egg me on—for that?” Vejata stared at her fingers, as if they could spontaneously glow golden again at any moment. “Were you lying?”

 

Goku glanced to the side guiltily, shrugging.

 

“Did I…ascend?”

 

“No.” He returned his gaze to her. “But almost.” Hesitantly, Goku smiled again. “Wasn't that cool? With some work, you'll be there. I knew you could. And now you know the secret.”

 

She threw a glance out the window. “Kakarrot. Tell me you will never make such implications again.”

 

“What?” he blinked, baffled.

 

“That I am an unfit ruler. That I am so utterly incapable.”

 

“I'll try,” Goku laughed, and was met with a glare. “I, I can't make promises since sometimes I don't even know when I accidentally say something bad.”

 

“You're too dense to be a god,” she muttered under her breath. “Kakarrot, can you tell who did this?” she motioned to the remains of New Vegeta.

 

“I'll look.” He focused, brows furrowed deeply, for a few moments before opening his eyes again. “There's definitely something strange going on over there,” and he nodded to his right, his gaze fixed slightly above the ship's horizon. “Yeah. If we go in that direction, maybe I can know for sure.” He seemed on-edge, but excited.

 

“Maybe your prayers for a stronger enemy have been answered.”

 

Goku shrugged. “Any ol' guy can blow up a planet. Who knows.” But the eagerness in his eyes spoke volumes more about what he wished, what he wanted to find. He darted over to the controls, scratching his head before poking at a few buttons.

 

“Do you really know how to use this?”

 

“N-not really. We had it on autopilot before, you know?”

 

“Allow me,” she pushed him out of the way. “I know this region better than you, anyway.”

 

“I wonder if I should just ask Kaio about it?” Goku asked himself aloud, but he shrugged the idea off. “Nah, he probably wasn't paying attention anyway. Hey, and even if they're weak I'll bet you wanna, y'know, get revenge. You know that we can wish everything back, right?”

 

“Y-you can? These dragon balls are that powerful?”

“Well, when we fought Buu he killed everyone and the Earth blew up. But, we got everything back just the way it was.”

 

“Your planet was blown up?” she raised her eyebrows, and her eyes glimmered her realization of his hypocrisy. “You let that happen?”

 

Goku laughed. “I guess so. There was no stopping it.”

 

Vejata glanced at the ceiling. “Shit. Seems every place a Saiyajin goes, it's sure to be destroyed.” She seemed in lighter spirits with the knowledge that her dominion could be restored, so Goku laughed at the comment.

 

“Remind me not to take a vacation anytime soon.”

 

She smirked. “Well, we're all set to head in that direction.” Her brows drew together slightly as she grew more serious. “I don't want to get too close, just in case, so tell me when we're close enough for you to know more about it.”

“You know, you can try to sense `im too. It would be good practice.”

 

Vejata nodded, and seemed to concentrate for a few moments. Finally she spoke up. “I can't feel a thing.”

 

“Maybe you will once we get closer.” Goku paced back and forth, keeping his eyes in the direction of the anomaly he'd sensed. “So you really care about your planet, huh?”

 

“Of course I do. I was raised to rule it.”

 

“So, are the people there nice?”

 

She laughed. “The people there are Saiyajin.”

 

Goku laughed a bit. “Okay. Well…you must like them.”

 

Vejata shrugged. “They are my subjects.”

 

“Did you have any really good friends there?”

 

She shrugged again, but her expression seemed to darken. “I can't afford to trust anyone that much.”

 

“You seem like you trust me,” Goku suggested. “You know I could kill you any ol' time, but your defenses haven't been raised constantly.”

 

“You have no reason to kill me.”

 

“I don't?”

 

“Please,” she sighed. “From the start I've gotten the distinct impression that you would avoid any such responsibilities as ruling a planet.”

 

“Always have, always will.” Goku grinned, stretching his hands behind his head. “You really didn't have any friends? Not even when you were little?”

 

“Even when I was very young, I was being trained to take over the planet. Would King Vegeta have allowed me such luxuries?” She seemed deep in thought, eyes downcast.

 

“Oh,” Goku was silent, thinking.

 

“Of course,” she continued, glancing up at Goku, “they would have much preferred a male heir. I was strong, but when I failed to exceed King Vegeta's expectations, doubt swelled up. And when word of Freeza's defeat reached us—defeat at the hands of a Saiyajin, what's more—they began to believe that I simply could not reach what Vegeta surely had.” Vejata looked back down at herself. “Nearly overnight I went from being the next ruler of the Saiyajin to the top candidate to mother a son who might surpass me, if Prince Vegeta could not be found.”

 

Goku seemed surprised. “So…they didn't want you to rule anymore?”

 

She inclined her head. “Yes. I knew then that King Vegeta had to meet his end. I had to ascend to power immediately, before any more…” she trailed off, clenching her fists. “So I killed him.”

 

“Wow…”

 

“It took some time to find Prince Vegeta. But I couldn't risk anyone else discovering that he was still alive.”

 

“Well,” Goku crossed his arms. “I don't think Vegeta would try to take your spot. I don't think he really wants to rule anymore. Y'know, he's pretty happy on Earth.”

 

“I got that impression.”

 

“So what're you worried about?”

 

“They would demand he kill me to take the throne, or do it themselves. I'm strong, but I can't take out hundreds of elites if they attack me all at once.”

 

“I think you could now,” Goku winked. “And especially once you finally become a Super Saiyajin.

 

She stared at him in disbelief. “Are you suggesting I kill a hundred of my best men to prove a point?”

 

“Wow, that makes it sound really bad,” he scratched his head. “I guess there's probably another way to do it.”

 

Vejata smirked, but her smirk quickly faded as her eyes snapped to one side. “I…I think I sensed something!”

 

Goku nodded. “We're getting closer.” He grinned. “Feels like it could be someone pretty strong! Maybe you'd better let me handle him!”

 

“We'll see.” She eyed the ship's screen, observing the area toward which they were headed, where she had felt the being's presence. Where other planets were marked, they passed nothing but dust. “Kakarrot, my home was not the only one destroyed.”

 

“I can definitely tell more about it now,” Goku closed his eyes, brows furrowing in concentration. “Feels really…weird. Kind of familiar, but there's something off.”

 

“Familiar?”

 

“Yeah. Definitely. But something is making it feel…a lot different than it should, so I can't quite place it.”

 

“Is it strong?”

 

Goku nodded, smiling wide. “Yeah. I think it could be a fun fight.” He whipped around to face Vejata. “I'm so glad we didn't teleport! Who would have thought I'd find an opponent way out here, just waiting?”

 

“You don't know—” Vejata started, but Goku was already hopping up and down on alternating feet. “Well, we're getting close. I'm going to stop the ship here. Whoever this is doesn't seem to have a problem with…destroying large vessels…so I'd rather we not be seen.”

 

“Okay,” Goku nodded.

 

“Can you pinpoint it? It looks like this ship is equipped with fairly high-quality cameras, so if you can tell me just where it is, we can try to see what it is first. I can feel it, very much now—but not precisely where it is.”

 

“Hm,” Goku concentrated. “It's such a big power, but it feels kind of cloudy…kind of everywhere.” His eyes flicked from place to place until they settled on one point. He tapped his finger against the screen with the map. “Right about there, I think.”

 

Vejata struggled with the controls for a moment before successfully manipulating the cameras until they settled against a silhouette. She sucked air in and her eyes grew wide.

 

“Looks really familiar, too,” Goku narrowed his eyes, scrutinizing the image. “Is that a tail?” He straightened his back again, hopping up and down. “Whatever that thing is, it sure feels strong! I'm ready!”

 

But Vejata did not remove her eyes from the screen. She studied it for several moments more, and thoughts seemed to spin through wildly churning cogs in her mind. “There's a reason it feels familiar, Kakarrot…”

 

But he didn't seem to notice the comment, stretching his legs and popping his joints eagerly.

 

“Kakarrot, you can't do this alone. We need to get Vegeta.”

 

“I can do it,” Goku smirked. “Don't act like you even understand what I'm capable of. You can hardly sense its power—you can't possibly compare it against me!”

“No—no, Kakarrot! It doesn't matter! I know—”

 

He raised his fingers to his forehead and disappeared.

 

Vejata watched as he reappeared on the screen before her. The figure seemed to be surprised at his appearance, but was quick to attack. Almost immediately, she could see a glow burst from Goku—then the other figure. They exchanged blows for entire minutes, apparently perfectly matched.

 

Please, Kakarrot—either you have something else up your sleeve, or you need to give up now!

 

After some time, Goku ascended twice more, hair exploding past his torso. Vejata struggled to follow their movements, but the camera captured them too slowly now, and she could only see them when they paused. Goku seemed to have the upper hand, often stopping, poised above the other body. With the resolution available, she couldn't see their faces, but she imagined Goku's maniacal grin as he slammed his opponent into the ground time after time.

 

If only that were enough…

 

They were so strong now that she could sense both of them individually—Goku's ki flowing outward in every direction and the ominous mist that was his opponent. And then she felt it, as Goku once more landed a substantial blow upon the other figure—two, three, four, five pinpricks against her skin. Her eyes widened, and she knew that she could do nothing. “Fuck—” she muttered to herself, laying hard on the ship's controls to bring it in the opposite direction as quickly as possible. She poised herself carefully, forefingers rested against her head, for the moment she would come into range, keeping half of her attention on the battle that raged behind her.

 

“Goddammit,” she swore, “Kakarrot…”

 

He flickered from her senses. Son Goku was dead.