Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Bite ❯ 14 ( Chapter 14 )

The Bite--Chapter 14

By Elbereth in April

Kakkarot wasn't sure what else Radditz could be up to, but since he wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place, maybe he had something else tricky planned.

`Better to be on the safe side,' he mused. `I haven't gotten so far to lose now. I'll just keep the prisoners in sight, until it's time to kill them.' He felt an almost electric rush of elation. `Once Vegeta's mine.' So close. . .

He landed abruptly in front of the house, Radditz a few yards behind. He pulled the door open and entered cautiously--and then looked around frantically.

*Where were they?*

The room was empty. The prisoners were gone!

He burst back out of the house, past the startled Radditz, and straight up in to the air. They weren't in sight. He snarled. They couldn't have gotten far, but in this forest, they could be any direction. And Radditz was coming up behind him again, prepared to fight. If the others were freed from their bonds, and regained the use of their ki, they could join in against him. Then he'd be overwhelmed. There were just too many.

Frustration filled him. He hadn't captured Vegeta yet! And his ki was hidden once again! If he recalled Goku now. . . Yes. They would find Vegeta again. It was inevitable. The immediate danger was himself getting blasted--and killed.

< "Goku!" > he sent out. < "Get back here. Now!" >

________ __________

Vegeta turned around, trapped by the towering cliffs, and faced the direction from which he'd entered the gully. Goku would be coming through it any minute. Vegeta waited.

Then Goku's ki abruptly powered up and headed back off towards the east. `What in the--why?' Where was he going?

He felt Kakkarot powering up far away.

Goku was going towards him. He was returning to his house.

There was Radditz's power exploding upwards , as well.

He couldn't let Radditz fight them both alone! He sped off, trying to catch up with Goku.

_________ _______

They huddled together in the underbrush, watching Radditz get ready to fight Kakkarot again.

"Why aren't we helping?" Trunks demanded.

"Why do I feel so dizzy?" Goten complained.

"You're feeling disoriented from the bracelets. Just rest for a minute and you'll be fine." Nasu patted his arm.

"Plus, you've all been injured." Chi-Chi was still hovering over her boys, currently examining Gohan.

"Hn. I've had worse," Hito stated.

"I don't doubt it. But stay a moment. Radditz is holding his own. It's his brother. He should be allowed his chance to defeat him."

"Dad's coming," Gohan interrupted.

"Did he get Vegeta?"

"No--I don't sense him. . ."

"Fine. I'll go help Radditz. You recover fully so you can face Goku." Nasu rose from the bushes and flew toward the fight.

Yamcha groaned. "If we have to fight Goku, we're in way over our heads." Krillin and Tien nodded.

Hito crossed his arms. "Speak for yourself."

"Oh, Goku," Chi-Chi whispered.

__________ _________

Kakkarot saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He instinctively flipped himself over. The energy bolt aimed at his head hit the ground instead.

His eyes widened. "Nasu!"

She smirked, coming to float beside Radditz. "Hello, traitor. Surprised to see me?"

"You came with Radditz, I presume. So anxious to die."

"You think you can beat the both of us?" Radditz sneered, smirking as well. He was glad Nasu had showed up. The others must be safe, then.

"I take it you were the one who freed my guests. How did you know the password?"

Nasu shrugged. "I didn't. Prince Vegeta did."

"Ah. Well, not to worry. My servant Goku will have no problems rounding them up again. So, shall we?"

"Let's." They all shifted back into battle stance. For a moment, there was a tense silence as they all stared at one another. Then Radditz led off.

He darted forward, trying to land a punch. Kakkarot dodged, but Nasu came in quickly from the other side and hit him with a small energy blast. Kakkarot tried to kick her in the head but she slipped away; she grabbed for his tail, but missed.

Radditz managed to plant his knee in Kakkarot's injured side, and heard ribs crack. Kakkarot fell down a few feet, then caught himself. Despite his injuries, his ki was rising higher and higher. He drew his hands back, then let loose another energy blast, hitting Nasu square in the stomach. She screamed, and careened into another cliff face, which exploded outward into small chunks of rock. For a moment she lay still.

While Kakkarot was distracted, gloating, Radditz grabbed him from behind, locking one arm around his neck and one around his ribs. He squeezed.

Kakkarot fought to free himself. His ribs were creaking, and the breath in his throat was being constricted. Black and red spots started to swim in his eyes.

`No,' he thought wildly. `This can't happen. I've spent too much of my life trying to get Vegeta, and nothing's going to stop me now.' The world around him blurred, until Vegeta's face filled his vision. That proud, stubborn scowl in the deep, obsidian eyes--he was going to utterly break him and make him his own. He had sworn it.

His mind drifted, desperately pulling up Goku's memories. Spirit bomb, kaio-ken, the power to go Super Saiyan--rage, and a wrench of one's soul, and a burst of power. . .

Kakkarot screamed, and his energy exploded outward, blowing Radditz several feet away.

He screamed again, loud and furious, his eyes taking on a dangerous, unholy light, his aura flickering madly. His hair moved to stand straight up, and turned golden. His eyes flashed once more, suddenly teal.

He laughed. "This is it! This is the legendary Super Saiyan! I have the power of the gods!"

Nasu stirred, then slowly picked herself up off the ground. `This is bad.'

Kakkarot held up one glowing hand. An energy ball began to form above it, growing bigger and bigger.

Radditz hung in the air, breathing hard. His face paled. So much power. . . he could never block that much energy.

Kakkarot threw it at him. Radditz dodged desperately. The ball passed just inches from him, and exploded into the landscape. The earth cracked and shifted under the impact.

There was a sudden displacement of air and Goku appeared beside Kakkarot, grinning. "I see you've transformed," Goku congratulated him.

"Naturally," Kakkarot smirked. "Let's destroy these pests."

"That's our cue," Hito said quietly, and emerged from the bushes. He strode into the clearing and looked up to where Goku and Kakkarot floated in the air. He felt an odd prickling on the edges of his mind, and blocked it. The probing stopped.

Kakkarot smiled. "Old man Vegeta. I hear your wife is pregnant. Gonna have another half-breed mongrel, eh?"

"Don't insult my family."

Kakkarot shook his head. "Not nearly as cold and ruthless as you used to be. Too bad. It's a weakness. All those conflicting emotions running around in your head. Trusting somebody when deep down at the core of your soul is this fear that you'll be betrayed because you're inherently worthless. . ."

"And you. Not daring to trust, completely dark and bleak and empty because you know deep down you're just a. . ." He searched for words that could contain his fury and loathing, and had to switch to Saiyago. ". . . a triloth sekama de lasa."

Nasu, Radditz, and Trunks blanched. For a brief moment, Kakkarot's face darkened with anger and pain, then it was gone. Hito's eyes blazed, calmly staring him down.

By now the others had all come to stand behind him. Now Trunks stepped forward and joined his father. "And you'll never have your name live on in your son," he added coldly, drawing another flash over Kakkarot's face. Trunks smirked. "Because in just a few more minutes you'll be dead."

Then Kakkarot tossed his head back and laughed again. "We'll see, won't we?" He flexed the muscles in his arms. Goku and the other Saiyans powered up.

And Vegeta stepped into the clearing, standing in between Hito and Nasu.

Kakkarot's face lit up. "Vegeta! You've finally come!"

Everyone looked at him. His expression was grim but determined. "Yes. The time has come to be rid of you once and for all."

The bite marks on Vegeta, Hito, and Goku's shoulders began to throb and burn. "No," Kakkarot whispered, a whisper that could be heard clearly in the tense silence. "*Now* you *will* be mine."

He threw himself at Vegeta, who went Super Saiyan and caught Kakkarot's fists. They struggled against each other.

Hito sped through the air and attacked Goku. Gohan and Goten quickly followed, deciding it was their responsibility to minimize the damage their father caused, and to try and ensure he wasn't hurt too badly before he could be returned to his normal self.

Piccolo also followed. Krillin, Yamcha, and Tien hovered around the edges of that group, knowing they were out of their league but prepared to do their part.

Radditz and Nasu leaped to help Vegeta. Trunks hesitated, torn, knowing Goku presented the greatest challenge. They would need all the help they could get against him. But Vegeta-kun was his friend. He couldn't let that evil Kakkarot hurt him. He jumped to join the teenage Saiyans in their fight.