Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Second Chances for Bardock's Sons ❯ Defeat and Triumph ( Chapter 15 )

Second Chances for Bardock's Son's

 

A New Deal

By Trynia Merin

 

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ so please don't' sue me. Tomic and the few other fan characters are my only claim in this. This isn't for money, it's for fan enjoyment.

 

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The battle was vicious, no quarter asked for or given. Both opponents were stripped to bare power, gasping as they went at it with everything they had. Unaware they were watched by the Saiyan Prince high above who had to admit he underestimated them both. "You surprise me, third class son of Bardock," mumbled Vegita.

 

"What?" Bulma asked, thumping his arm. Realizing he had spoken aloud Vegita glared at her.

 

"None of your business," said Vegita sharply. Both continued to watch the match raptly, Bulma clinging to the edge of the roof while Vegita finished his concession food. The corners of his lips drew back into an eager grin to see the escalating violence.

 

Far below, Tomic moved close to stand by the other Z fighters in their turtle hermit outfits. Son Raditz fought through the yelling crowd to stand next to his mate. Anxiously they stood together, feeling a strange unfamiliar presence. Their eyes diverted to the fight going on before them. Whoever was the victor would face Raditz next. He had made certain to dispose of Yamcha without hurting him too much, and Tomic was eliminated fighting Goku. But Krillen was badly hurt. Only a sensu bean saved his life earlier and he was still having to sit up with help.

 

Both Saiyans now stood side by side. Raditz slid his arm around her shoulders, hanging onto Tomic's hip as she gritted her teeth. Squeezed somewhere to the side of them stood Yamcha, Chichi, and the recovering Krillen. Tenshinan was still at the hospital where Chiautzu was recovering from Tao pai pai's attack. Lunch had driven him.

 

"It can't be," gasped Raditz. "His power level's over 3,000…"

 

"Raditz, there's one way. He has the Saibamen," Tomic whispered, eyes widening in horror.

 

Annoyed Raditz glared at her. He snarled, "What does that matter?"

 

"He seemed VERY interested in the juice," said Tomic.

 

Raditz felt his stomach twist into a very thick knot. Pictures of the rapid growth from the many ranks he'd planted over the years sprung to mind. Two and two added up to a very disturbing possibility. "You mean he didn't use them to grow Saibamen?"

 

"I don't think so," she shivered. "I offered him the vial as a trade for behaving, and he seemed more interested in the fluid..."

 

"Great oorzu, precious one, if he DRANK it... and he's a NAMEKIAN," trailed off Raditz. Fear pounded his heart as he saw Goku's head fly backwards from Piccolo's crushing punch.

 

"Oh no… that would mean…" Tomic whispered.

 

Just then Goku got a lucky roundhouse kick in. Piccolo dropped to the arena floor with a grunt, his back turned to Goku. He groaned, leaning over and panting heavily. Yamcha and the other Z-fighters cheered loudly as Goku stopped momentarily to catch his breath. Goku gasped as he saw Piccolo's muscles bulging. A loud growling spread through the Namekian. High above Prince Vegita watched his scouter with disbelief.

 

Raditz suddenly realized the sudden movement of Piccolo's hand at his side the moment before was because Piccolo had reached for the vial in his belt. Goku's brother then determined that while his back was turned to Goku he suddenly swallowed the contents. Light gleamed off a small glass bottle Piccolo tossed over the side of the arena into the crowd.

 

The flash of light was spotted simultaneously high above by the Prince of All Saiyans and his female companion. Sharp Saiyan vision coupled with the bleeping numbers of his scouter. Bulma grabbed his sleeve gasping, "What's going on? What does that mean?"

 

"Damn it can't be," the Prince mumbled. His eyes widened with shock.

 

"What was that light? It looks like someone threw something away," Bulma pointed to the direction of where Piccolo had thrown something away after he lifted his hand to his face.

 

"What's happening?" Bulma demanded.

 

"His power level's climbed tremendously," Vegita growled.

 

"But Goku said he was only as powerful as he was!" Bulma blinked. She held onto Vegeta's muscular arm because her body grew shock with cold.

 

"His power level is equal to a second class Saiyan warrior, how could he!" gasped Vegita. "That friend of yours is a dead man!"

 

Bulma's heart stopped. Piccolo had arisen, muscles bulked up like Nappa had appeared. Dark eyes gleamed dangerously as he faced Goku. With long strides he stood before his enemy, with a mean grin on his green face. Frantically Bulma squeezed Vegeta's arm, saying, "Vegita, what if he drank some formula?"

 

"Wait a minute... that looked like the vial we carry our saibamen in," Vegita blinked. His dark brows scrunched in anger.

 

"You mean that nutrient stuff... oh NO!" Bulma gasped. "You have to do something!"

 

Vegeta's frown melted into a smirk. Dark eyes gleamed with Saiyan bloodlust. He spun his head to glare at Bulma with annoyance, "What? And miss the chance to see how powerful that green man is?"

 

"Are you nuts?" Bulma gasped. "Don't you CARE? He's one of your subjects and you'll just let Goku DIE?"

 

Prying Bulma's hand off his arm, Vegita snarled. He bared his gleaming white fangs at her with a warning hiss. "Shut up. There's nothing you can do woman. He'll kill you. Do you want that?" Vegita growled. "Besides, if he's a true Saiyan he'll not want any interruption. Let him die in honor!"

 

"You bastard!" Bulma yelped. Suddenly the tail unwrapped from Vegeta's waist to curl around hers. Bulma had started to get up and reach for a capsule from her belt, but Vegita snatched her wrist. A second later he jerked Bulma towards his sitting body so she was tightly pressed to his chest.

 

"Shut up woman, you know nothing of Saiyan pride," the Prince growled, clapping his hand over her mouth. "I won't let you stop this fight. You dishonor your friend if you interfere!"

 

"Mmmmph!" Bulma squealed against his hand.

 

"What do you think you're going to do anyway? I'm not going to put my tail out to keep you from doing something foolish, wench!" Vegita whispered fiercely into her ear. "A weak creature like you will be vaporized if one of those blasts hits you."

 

"but Goku's my best friend!" she whispered. Vegita let go of her face, rolling his eyes.

 

"He's a Third Class warrior. I need to see how strong this planet has made him," said Vegita, punching his scouter button. "Already his level is twice what I'd have expected from his lack of a tail. That alone is worth seeing him in action!"

 

Bulma bit her lip. She felt Vegeta's strong arm holding her down, sitting partly on one knee as his tail held her securely. From the pitch of the roof she then realized it was a long way down. Effectively the Saiyan Prince was the only thing keeping her from falling 25 feet to the pavement below. Rather his tail and arm were.

 

***

Far below, the two fighters circled. Goku had both fists slowly circling while Piccolo raised two fingers to his forehead and extended his hand forward. "You… are strong," Piccolo gasped. His chest heaved in and out. Goku felt the energy ebbing.

 

Piccolo crouched, pressing his hand to his forehead. Goku warily circled, feeling the power build. "What are you doing?" he gasped.

 

Out in the audience, Raditz heard his scouter bleeping urgently on the belt of his gi. Raditz reached down and grabbed it to slip it over his left ear. Tomic saw the numbers flashing up by increments of ten then 100. "Oh no," she swallowed hard, grabbing her mate's arm. He moved close to her, turning his back slightly to the stage while peering over his shoulder at the match.

 

"Kakkarot, watch out!" Raditz shouted. "He's powering up!"

 

Arm around Tomic Raditz shoved his way through the pressing crowd packing them like sardines from all sides. Security formed a wall to press back eager spectators. Even those fighters who had already done their time. Squeezing his eyes shut, Raditz formed words in his mind, *Kakkarot, watch out!

 

Goku blinked at the sound of his brother's voice in his mind. What's wrong, Raditz? Why are you...

 

Suddenly Piccolo swung around, his body blazing with energy. "This is for my father, Son Goku! You will not win this day, Goku. Burn in hell."

 

Goku raised his hands to block, his heart pounding with his ki senses flaring. A supernova of ki had flared into being at that moment, far and above even what he had sensed from Piccolo's hidden powers. "Wait... you don't want to do this!" Goku called out, narrowing his eyes under his fringe of dark hair.

 

"Special beam cannon!" Piccolo roared, pointing his fingers towards Goku. A spiraling beam corkscrewed around a central one as it shot towards Goku.

 

"Kakkarot!" Raditz hollered, leaping up out of the audience. Goku gasped as he tried to block the beam, and it slammed into his chest.

 

"You can't interfere!" gasped the others.

 

"Let me go damn you! Kakkarot!" yelled Raditz, despite Tomic's hand holding him back. Goku gasped, coughing up blood as he landed on the far wall of the arena Raditz leapt up over the wall, barely knocking Goku aside as he tumbled off. Both of them tumbled over. Goku panted, and Raditz looked down in horror to see a gaping hole in his chest.

***

Shouts and cries drowned out everyone's words. The announcer quaked, almost dropping his microphone. He suddenly cried, " You can't kill your opponent!"

 

Several of the judges whispered urgently as the announcer stepped between the tall Namekian grinning in triumph at his fallen opponent. Clutching his brother's body, Raditz smelled blood, then realized it was not his own. Goku blinked up at him with a small smile as Raditz checked his body. Crouched on one knee, he balanced Goku's body over his thigh. "Kakkarot... no!"

 

"My names... Goku," he joked, coughing up blood.

 

"Don't… worry… it's not as bad as it seems," Goku gasped as his brother leaned over him. All of the Z fighters pushed their way towards the front of the crowd. Chichi was the first to leap over the wall, rushing to her husband's side.

 

"Goku... oh Kami... NO!" she screamed. Raditz stood up in fury, leaving Goku in her care. She balanced her husband's head and shoulders on her lap while Krillen and Yamcha looked on in shock.

 

"Curse him," Yamcha growled.

 

"No, he's MINE!" Raditz snarled. Deep in his throat erupted a feral roar hardly suppressed as his eyes sparked like ebony coals.

 

"You're disqualified if he dies!" the announcer shouted, standing only two feet and glaring up at Piccolo. From beneath his turbaned brow, Piccolo glared at him in anger.

 

"I don't give a damn," said Piccolo as he laughed maniacally at the referee. "I got what I wanted."

 

"Security!" the judges gasped. All around the ring people pushed and shoved, some trying to get to the stage while others scrambled over one another to get towards the exits. Guards shoved and pushed to try and stop people from getting trampled. Chichi struggled to staunch Goku's wound with strips torn off her outfit. Krillen hunted around for precious sensu beans in his bag while Yamcha strode towards the edge of the ring.

 

Far above Bulma surged with panic. Her eyes took in the fall of Goku, seeing the clear hole blown through him. Not even he could live long. She would have screamed the moment Piccolo's long lance of fire had speared him, but her voice had deserted her. Now it returned with a vengeance, "GOKU! NOOOO!!!"

 

"Quiet woman!" Vegita snarled, yanking her back towards him. Arms flailing towards the stage Bulma continued to holler.

 

"Let me go you big baboon!! Goku!" she screamed, squirming desperately to try and wriggle out of his arms.

 

Again Vegita clapped his hand clapped over her mouth to silence her. His tail held her fast, his arms squeezing her tightly to his body. To an outside observer it appeared as if the Saiyan Prince was hugging a hysterical female for comfort. In reality Vegita did not want to give away his position from Bulma's loud shrills. Trying to strain against his muscles was like trying to bend unbreakable steel.

 

"There's nothing you can do woman," he growled into her ear. His breath heaved up and down behind her. If she wasn't so distraught Bulma would find it sensual and arousing.

 

"Please, let me go Prince," she begged, once he let her mouth go. "Won't you DO something?"

 

"Don't worry, he'll be avenged," said Vegita quietly. "If he dies. But giving away my position here will avail you or me nothing."

 

"How can you be so heartless?"

 

"I have no need for such petty emotions. They were burned out of me years ago," he said flatly. "Now shut up and stop moving or I'll break your bones! And it isn't MY fault because you're the one struggling!"

 

"Don't you give a damn?" she asked.

 

"As a warrior who sees one of his own fighting like a true Saiyan. But mark my words Woman, you will see that this Piccolo will be punished for slaying one of my own if Kakkarot dies," he said with a nasty smirk. Bulma didn't know why she found his reassurance heartwarming because it was ruthless and cold blooded on the surface. Yet that glint in his eyes had a hint of regret. Despite a heart of stone, there was something that was affected by what was happening. And it wasn't just for the sake of power. Bulma wanted to know why.

 

****

 

"Security!!" the Announcer cried. Piccolo's hand flashed out, grabbing the announcer by the front of his jacket. His large fist swung the man over his head so he peered down with horror into the dark eyes of the Namekian.

 

"Don't piss me off! If you value your life you'll not try and stop me! It won't do you any good!" Piccolo growled, dangling the announcer by his neck.

 

"You… how dare you," Raditz gasped, feeling anger building up in him. He strode up to the stage, and then levitated slowly upwards so he stood on the edge of the ring. Putting one black booted foot up, he hesitated.

 

"Piccolo, stop this! You can't hope to rule by this means!" Tomic gasped.

 

"You have done your part, woman," Piccolo glared down at her. "Now silence or you'll share Goku's fate!"

 

"Stay back here and protect the others," said Raditz, shoving her behind him. Advancing into the ring he shouted, "You, hey YOU!"

 

"What? You want to play hero?" snarled Piccolo.

 

"Let that insect go and I'll give you a fight!" Raditz snarled.

 

"But... but..." the announcer gasped.

 

"Wait, there's still one match left to finish!" shouted Yamcha. He grabbed a bullhorn from one of the judges. "The final match!"

 

Piccolo's eyes widened as he turned his head to face Yamcha's direction. Tomic rose to her feet and marched over to stand directly near him. "Will you forfeit your chance to face Goku's brother?" she asked.

 

"Brother?" asked Piccolo, glancing down at her.

 

"We still have one match to finish," Piccolo looked down at him. "And he's NOT yet dead. Do you want to piss me off?