Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Fan Fiction ❯ Lost and Found: Royal Line Blues ❯ Gallic Gun vs. Seizmic Wave ( Chapter 27 )

"Woman, wake up," Someone whispered by her ear. She felt as if she were floating in open air. Vegeta’s strong arms cradled her close to his chest, and Bulma blinked up into his dark eyes.

"What… where…" she groaned, rubbing her aching head. She patted her pockets in panic, but felt Vegeta’s hand moving over her breast to give it a squeeze.

"It’s still there," he mumbled, returning his hands to her back. She yelped and squeezed his neck tightly.

"The air car…" she asked.

"Kaput," said Krillen’s voice over her scouter speaker. She sighed in relief.

"You really faked them out," Ami’s voice reported. "Good going girl…"

"But we’re not out of the woods yet, are we Vegeta… I sense dozens of kis locking onto our course…" Krillen reported. Bulma glanced at the two figures streaking next to Vegeta, only a few yards distant either way. Krillen held Yumi on his back, while Yamucha carried Ami in his arms. Their clothes billowed around them, flapping in the winds generated by their ki trails.

"No good shutting our kis off. They’ll find us…" Yamucha panted. "Damn…"

"There’s only one chance," Vegeta said. "We’ll have to fight them hand to hand… and we can’t do it with the females hanging around our necks…"

"There’s no time to dump us…" Bulma whispered.

"Don’t question me, woman," Vegeta answered with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. "What you’re carrying is priceless to me… do you have any idea of what we’re going to face?"

"I don’t want to leave you alone…" Bulma said firmly. "You can’t risk the chance of losing me because I have what you’re fighting for, and if I was you, I’d not let it out of my sight for ANYTHING…"

"Fine woman," Vegeta nodded. "I can’t argue with that, curse you. But you must understand that you could be destroyed."

"I trust you Vegeta… I know you can protect me…" she said.

"You’re right. We don’t have time. But you have to follow my orders precisely if you don’t want your friends killed, got it?" Vegeta relented.

"Crystal clear," Yamucha mumbled.

"Krillen, give the women to Yamucha. Have him fly them out of here to the ship to wait for us…" Vegeta said.

"Wait!" Yamucha said.

"Do as I say human! You’re nowhere near strong enough to fight Bok-Choi’s troops! I need the cueball’s strength on my side!" Vegeta yelled.

"Do as he says man, he’s right… only me and him have a prayer," Krillen said quickly.

"But Bulma…"

"I’m staying with Vegeta. Save the others, Yamucha," Bulma said calmly.

"You sure about this, woman?" Vegeta asked.

"Yes. I’m with you to the end," she said in his ear.

"Then you’ll have to hold on tightly to me by yourself when I say so," Vegeta whispered. "Because I can’t carry you and fight at the same time…"

"Yamucha can’t have me hanging on him with the others… you know that’s the case…" said Bulma. "I’ll just hold him back…"

"Go human!" Vegeta yelled. Krillen tossed Yumi to Yamucha, and he grudgingly caught her in his outstretched arm. He turned toward the direction of the ship, carrying both of Bulma’s friends.

"You protect her, you hear… or else," Yamucha said as a parting shot. "You’ll be sorry…"

"Get away with you," Vegeta shouted. Yamucha poured as much ki as he could spare into his flight, streaking off with the ladies.

"Why did you send him away?" asked Bulma.

"Don’t ask stupid questions. He’s better used to get your foolish weak friends out of the way. And I dare not let you out of my sight. We’ve come too far to let my prize be stolen. And anyway, your weakling friend is good at running and surviving. He’d be killed in a direct battle with the Bok-Choi elite…"

"Yes," she nodded. Vegeta’s logic was heartless but all too clear.

"Only when you hold life and death in your hands would you understand what I faced under Freiza, woman," Vegeta explained. "To decide who lives and who dies… that is what a Prince does…"

"I know… believe me… I’m learning all too well," Bulma whispered.

"It is well for both of us that you do, girl," Vegeta nodded.  

Out over the desert Vegeta felt the blazing ki of three opponents. Two were equal to Krillen’s power level, while the other rivaled his own. This would be messy, but a good challenge to see if his GR training had paid off. Not till the end would he reveal his true energy count, and then Bok-Choi would learn the meaning of the word power.

"They’re coming!" Krillen yelled.

"Get ready. Take the ones to the left. Divide and conquer. Use your ki blasts and come at them from behind… they’ll expect a full on confrontation," Vegeta said. "When I give the word, get clear!"

Krillen hurled energy discs at the first three sleds rocketing to the left. The first exploded while the other two were narrowly missed. He then flew close, punching and kicking out the drivers. Vegeta shot close to one, then appeared behind the fourth, punching the flyer. He kicked the flight sled into the first two, causing them to explode.

Both he and Krillen crossed ki streams, weaving in and out to distract the guns that trained on them. Disintegration rays crackled dangerously close. Krillen focused narrow ki beams to pick them off one by one.

"Hold on tightly…" Vegeta whispered to Bulma. He raised his free hand to gather ki into a beam, hurling it forwards. Bulma yelped at the power surge crackling nearby, which sliced through two sky sleds and riders. It was twice as thick as any beam she’d seen Krillen generated, causing their pursuers to disintegrate.

"Kame," she whispered. Vegeta then orbited Kumquat, raining rapid blasts of ki at him. He blinked, not knowing what was hitting him. Then Vegeta laughed, zipping out of reality to appear behind Krillen.

"Watch out!" Vegeta shouted into his scouter.

Krillen turned, and saw Kumquat raising his fists. He shouted, "Meteor storm!"

"Destructo disc!" Krillen yelled. He hurled it towards the multiple ki balls raining on him. Only his armor protected him from the blasts that exploded upon meeting his disc. He sent another whirling towards Kumquat.

"He’s yours!" Vegeta barked.

"All right!" Krillen laughed. At last he could let loose and beat up on SOMETHING. Even though he was a lot more nervous, he would do his best.

Marrow materialized close to Vegeta. Bulma screamed and squeezed Vegeta’s hip, unwittingly cautioning him to what she’d seen. At the last moment, he dodged Marrow’s kick.

"Saiyan, give up!" laughed Marrow.

"Don’t insult me, you’re still as much a slave to Frieza’s way as you ever were," Vegeta snickered.

"Hiding behind a weakling female?" Marrow laughed, raising his arms above his head. Bulma clutched tightly to Vegeta as he accelerated. Time stood still, and it was like they moved through jelly. She saw the ki ball forming between Marrow’s hands that were held over his head, radiating into small blinking discs.

"Firefly!" Marrow laughed.

Vegeta slammed a foot into his head, and then punched with his free hand. A wild punch tagged Vegeta, sending him rolling to the side. Vegeta shook his head, clinging to Bulma as he righted himself.

"Creeping barrage!" Marrow yelled, crossing his arms then uncrossing them as he soared over the ground in a zigzag pattern. Up from the earth exploded small puffs of gas, each one more explosive then the last. Vegeta wove in and out nimbly through the dangerous obstacle course while Bulma clung to him for her life.

"You insult me… is that the BEST you can do?" Vegeta taunted, whirling around 180. He stopped dead where he was, hovering in place. Marrow snarled, whizzing around Vegeta in an ever-constricting circle.

"You’ll wet yourself you stupid monkey when you see what I’m about to do," Marrow taunted. He spread his arms out and began to scream. Bulma realized he was powering up, and hid her face in Vegeta’s shoulder.

"Get ready woman… this won’t be pretty…" Vegeta whispered in her ear. Already she felt the energies throbbing through him, extending into her body as well. How was this possible? She could see Marrow’s aura extend, his hair crackling as the smell of sulfur exuded from his pores.

"Pyro Lava…" he gritted, spanning his hands.

Simultaneously Vegeta stretched out his hand and pointed it towards Marrow. He yelled, "Big Bang Attack!"

Bulma squealed at the power tingling through and under her arm. White-hot ki sizzled from his fist. His flesh beneath his armored shoulder hummed with surging power that almost burned her with its intensity. She squeezed her eyes shut at the explosive meeting of charges. Caught up in the shockwave, Marrow spun out of control into the side of a large sand dune.

"How…" he stammered.

"Die now!" Vegeta hollered in triumph. Another big Bang slammed into Marrow, slicing him in two. He vanished into the dirt with the remaining energy pushing hard at him. Bulma’s stomach twisted in disgust. While she knew that the henchman of Bok-Choi deserved it, she still felt sick.

"Kame… oh Vegeta…" she whimpered.

"IT won’t be much longer woman…" Vegeta told her. "Just keep hanging on…"

"All that power… I don’t understand… I’ve never been this close…" Bulma shivered.

"You won’t comprehend what a Prince of Saiyans faces till you do, woman," Vegeta said calmly. "Are you scared?"

"Yes… and no," Bulma whispered. "I know you won’t let them destroy me… but how is it I’m not vaporized when you…"

"Stop asking stupid questions woman, and let me concentrate… there’s one more task ahead," Vegeta interrupted her. Out of the corner of her eye Bulma swore she could see movement.

"Look OUT!" Bulma screamed, pointing her finger to the right.

"So, you managed to defeat my lieutenants?" laughed the deep voice Bulma recognized from their prison. Vegeta blocked the huge ki ball sizzling towards them with a hastily erected ki field.

Bulma’s eyes shut just in time to feel a blistering heat wave that was mercifully halted. Vegeta squeezed her tightly to himself with his free arm. "Don’t let go woman, no matter what…" he hissed in her ear. He shifted her to his hip, and she trembled against his hard body.

"Amazing… you survived that? I suppose I should be impressed, you annoying monkey," laughed Bok-Choi, hovering over a large gaping crater. Waves of sand were flattened as he spanned his arms wide, and swung a massive fist in the air.

"Considering you’re still doing what the long expired Freiza’s doing, I’m not impressed myself," Vegeta taunted. "What’s the matter, can’t get original? You’re pathetic you know… he’s dead, and you can’t even have the imagination to think of your own plan for universal domination…"

"Shut up you stupid dust mite," Bok-Choi roared. "Seismic shock!"

Vegeta’s shield held against the waves of ki crashing into him. He drifted backwards, then circled around just outside a half mile. "Touched a nerve, didn’t I?" he smirked.

"Maybe so, but you always were quick to run away from my attacks. Freiza was a fool to see any potential in you… perhaps Radditz and Nappa were worth respect, but you were only fit to tell others what to do… not to truly fight, prince of nothing!" Bok-Choi taunted.

"You’re a loser. You want to know why? Because I see several planets which are just clinging to survival and have not prospered to amount to anything," said Vegeta.

"Says the prince of the monkeys!" laughed Bok Choi.

"You know nothing about leadership, only about bossing people around to cover for your own weakness. You’re little more than a coward, using others to do your work for you!"

"I have power, you fool, more so than you could ever dream!"

"You’re STILL a loser. If you were so great, then why do you need to resort to weakling bandits and raiders causing chaos when you could rule with an iron fist and command true respect? " asked Vegeta, laughing loudly.

"I control ten solar systems with my bandits. They keep the little fools under my thumb. I offer my protection. If they are not fool enough to take it, they are crushed…"

"A true ruler protects from threats that he does not have to create himself," Vegeta shook his head. "If you were half the monarch I could be, you’d know that only by creating proper fear and respect can you control. You don’t need to play foolish games and hide behind pretend threats to get what you wish. All the waste of good resources… I am not impressed…"

"You rule your way, and I’ll rule in mine. What sort of King sells his own son into the hands of his conqueror, only to let his whole planet be destroyed. At least I still have my home world!" Bok-Choi laughed.

"Then stay the blazes out of my business," Vegeta snarled.

"I shall. When you become prince of the seven hells! And make your puny race extinct!" Bok-Choi answered. "Pyrochlastic flow!"

Dangerous gasses rolled out from under the crater he’d created. Bulma gasped at the expanding plumes that traveled faster than any aircraft towards her and Vegeta. "I need both hands, woman," he whispered.

"Don’t worry… I can hang on," she whispered. Vegeta nodded, and spanned his arms wide in the midst of the storm. Under the density of the gases the sand dunes and the small town were being crushed, and set ablaze in a hell of fire.

"Final flash!" Vegeta howled, sending a wide beam of energy out when he brought both hands together before the pit of his stomach. He surged against the advancing gas, parting it on either side of him in a widening triangle with himself and Bulma at the apex. Bok-Choi raised his hands to counter the surge of blinding white energy hitting him full force. His angry snarl shook the very earth underneath them, vibrating the atmosphere.

"What the hell…" gasped Bok-Choi, panting in the wave of Vegeta’s new attack, that he’d christened Final Flash.

"You look surprised, you overgrown newt," Vegeta panted, his face curled into an angry smirk. "That wasn’t something I learned under Freiza.

"How can you possess… such power…?" Bok-Choi shook his head. His ki had flared dangerously low, trying to block the power of Vegeta’s display.

"Bulma-chan, hold onto me and don’t let go… whatever you do, don’t open your eyes. I’m not going to hold back…" said Vegeta.

"What are you going to do? THAT was holding BACK?" Bulma gasped.

"There’s not time to explain," Vegeta hissed. "If you’ve ever seen Kakkarot release that damn idiotic named beam of his you’ll get the general idea…"

"Kuso," Bulma gasped, remembering the Gallic Gun. Was he really going to do that HERE and NOW?

"What’s the matter? Afraid to see what a Prince of Saiyans can really do on his own?"

"You shouldn’t have the strength! That move always obliterated you before!"

"Because I’m no longer a weakling like you’ve become. I’m invincible because I’ve fought death itself to survive against odds you wouldn’t comprehend. And I have a gift for you. … I’ll show you the TRUE meaning of power," Vegeta said as he backed off.

"Here we go…" Bulma whispered, feeling Vegeta streak up to a favorable height.

Her blue hair stood on end, feeling a crackling charge building up. She wrapped her legs around Vegeta’s waist, squeezing her eyes shut. Blue sparks made his hair stand on end, crackling with the buildup of a huge charge from the air around them that grew bone dry. His body hummed with energy, just under Bulma’s body, which vibrated with the same frequency. From the pit of her being the warm golden glow spread from Vegeta’s body to hers, encompassing her frail human form. His loud cry grew in pitch and volume, splitting her ears and deafening. Both hands thrust forwards with the palms flattened. The entire world expanded to a supernova of blue hot fire. Every part of her body burned hundreds of degrees, but she was still breathing, wrapped tightly around the Prince.

"Don’t let go, Bulma… if you do, you’ll be killed," Vegeta gritted his teeth.

"So much power… I…"

"You’re not the one it will hurt… but that miserable loser over there…" he grunted.

For a moment she could swear she felt the buildup of Bok Choi’s powers. All around her energies seethed and she could see them through the scouter displays. Numbers shot up at the readings she saw on his enemy. 50,000 climbed to 60,000, then 100,000. From just next to her she saw the numbers climbing equally fast to match. They were too evenly matched. Bulma held her prince tightly, mentally willing her own meager strength into his body. It was nothing compared to his, but if it would make the difference.

"Kami…" she whispered. In her mind’s eyes she saw Vegeta’s body surging with a cloud of red and white ki. Nothing existed but his howling cry.

"You can’t destroy me with that move…" Bok-Choi laughed, his saurian features illuminated in the light of what appeared to be a new star. "Seismic… lava…. Ex…"

"Need more damn power," he thought desperately.

Bulma heard the words clearly inside her mind. Focussing despite the sound, she formed her own words, "Vegeta, you can do it, please… you’ve got to! You’re stronger than he is! You’re always bragging to me you’re the Saiyan no Ouji! Well prove it now!"

For a split second Vegeta’s hair flickered gold, then back to its usual black. Howling he spanned his arms and legs wide. His body trembled under hers, and she knew that she was drawn into the coruscating mental energies surging. For that split second she had merged with Vegeta’s own massive ki. Through the lenses of her scouter she saw his features radiating pure golden energy, black eyes shifting to emerald as his hair transfigured. Bulma saw her scouter blink to a near 200,000 when he doubled energies in that moment.

"GALLIC GUN FIRE!" Vegeta thundered, his voice splitting the air. Seconds later the energy aura expanded into a beam of pure energy. All of the anger, the outrage and suppressed hate Vegeta channeled into the blast towards his nemesis. Bulma’s stomach twisted into knots at the sheer purity of the loathing he’d thrown forwards.

"SEISMIC WAVE…" Bok-Choi gasped. It feebly pushed at the beam heading towards him. His stupefied look was banished forever as his body disintegrated under the impact of Vegeta’s signature move. Everything around them grew to blinding hot fire, and Bulma heard herself screaming in fear.