Chapter 21 Part 2

“Forget it!” He yelled after Goku. “I’m the fastest fighter in the universe! There’s
no way you can outrun me!”

Grinning, Goku turned around and really began to fly! He shot up into the air with
blinding speed, and surprisingly, Baata was doing a pretty good job of keeping up with
him, despite the fact that he did appear to be working a little harder than Goku was.
They sped up even more, and by now, Bulma was having a considerable bit of trouble
following them with her eyes. Whenever they turned a sharp corner, she saw a clearer
image, but at any other time she couldn’t make them out. She concentrated on them
fiercely until she was able to see the bright streaks of the ki trails they were leaving
just behind them in their flight. Suddenly they flew down toward the ground below, and
Baata was right on Goku’s heels.

What happened next was never seen by anyone but Goku. At what seemed to be the very
instant that he touched the ground, Goku was standing completely erect, with one fist
extended high in the air, and with Baata balancing precariously on his stomach above it.
His arms, legs, and neck lurched downward, and the violent crack that reached Bulma’s ears
a few seconds later made her aware of the fact that Goku’s punch had pierced Baata’s
armor. Baata fell limp after that, and Goku balanced him on his fist for a second or two
more before tossing him at Jees’ feet.

“Still want to fight?” He asked him coldly. “I’d leave now if I were you. You won’t
win either way, but you’ll have your health if you get outta here now.”

Jees gaped at Baata in astonished terror for a couple of seconds, and then he stared at
Goku. He gulped, backed up a few steps, and then shot off in the direction of Freeza’s
compound. Goku smiled, and for the first time since the fight began, he looked up at
Bulma, Gohan, and Kuririn. He laughed and made a “V” with the index and middle fingers
of his right hand. That was it. They raced down to congratulate Goku as Vegita tried
his best to ignore them.

“Goku, that was amazing!” Bulma cried, hugging him tightly. “You didn’t even break a
sweat!”

Goku put his hand behind his head and laughed good-naturedly. “Aw, they weren’t so bad,”
he said. “But I think I made that red guy a little upset. Good thing he didn’t make me
fight him, or he might have ended up worse than just a little angry!” Gohan and Kuririn
laughed with Goku, but Bulma frowned and focused her senses on Freeza’s compound. She
didn’t think letting Jees get away was a laughing matter. Goku was too naïve to see that
he wasn’t going to become another Piccolo. These guys were on a different plane of
thinking altogether. And besides, there was still that Captain Ginyu to deal with...

They were suddenly interrupted by a loud blast from behind them. Bulma spun around to
see a small crater on the ground where Rikuum had been, and was just in time to see the
same thing happen to Baata. As the dust cleared, Vegita strode coolly over to them,
glaring with contempt at Goku.

“What was that for, Vegita?” Goku demanded sternly. “They were no longer a threat to
you.”

“You wouldn’t feel the same way about them if you had even the slightest idea of the
enormous number of entire civilizations they’d destroyed,” Vegita jeered at him. “Besides,
I don’t give a damn if they were helpless. I don’t think like you, Kakkorot. I have the
brain of a true warrior, while you, on the other hand, don’t even deserve your Saiyan
birthright. You’re a disgrace to the entire Saiyan race, you fool! If you think you can
defeat Freeza with such a mollycoddling attitude, then you deserve the death that will
befall you as a result! For this fight, Kakkorot, you’ll have to stop acting and thinking
like a human, and start being a Saiyan! Now, do you think that pebble-sized brain of
yours can comprehend what I’m telling you?”

“Sorry, Vegita,” Goku said, frowning at him. “But that’s not the way I live, and it’s
not the way I fight. You’ll just have to accept that, because it’s not going to change.”

“Quit acting like a fool!” Vegita yelled vehemently. “You’ve already caused me enough
trouble by letting that other Ginyu member get away! He’s gone off to get his captain,
or possibly even Freeza, and in either case that’s more than I care to deal with right
now! Don’t you get it yet? You can’t deal with these bastards so foolishly! You’re
going to get us all killed, and I, for one, refuse to allow it!”

“Much as I hate to say it, Goku,” Bulma interjected, frowning at Vegita, “I think Vegita
has just made a very good point. You can’t just give these guys second chances like this.
They’re much too powerful, and much too cunning, and if you give them that kind of
advantage, they’ll use it to double-cross you at every opportunity. These guys aren’t
like Piccolo, Goku. They aren’t going to see the light and change their ways if you
defeat them and let them live. They’re going to kill you when your back is turned, and
they’ll be laughing the entire time. We can’t afford to take these kinds of chances,
Goku. Not this time. Way too much is riding on this.”

Gohan and Kuririn, although surprised at first that she had taken Vegita’s side on
something, were by now nodding their heads in agreement. They saw the sense in Bulma’s
words, even if they had come from one of Vegita’s ideas. They had already seen Freeza
and his henchmen in action on this planet, and Team Ginyu was bound to be just as
ruthless.

Goku retained his frown, but when he looked down at Bulma the features in his face
softened slightly. “Bulma,” he said firmly, looking her right in the eyes, “it has always
been my way to give everyone a second chance. I can’t help being the way that I am.
Don’t forget that Piccolo wasn’t the only one who changed his ways, either. Tenshinhan
and Yamucha changed before he did. Don’t worry, Bulma. Just because I may let some of
our enemies get away doesn’t mean that I’ve let my guard down. I just believe in giving
them an opportunity to change for the better. I know you understand that.”

Bulma sighed and shook her head. She knew there was no use in arguing the point any
further. Goku was just too optimistic to see what these people were really like, and he
probably wouldn’t see it until something really terrible happened.

“Well, then I wash my hands of you!” Vegita exclaimed contemptuously. “I’ve no use for
a Saiyan who harbors such idiocy. You do what you want, Kakkorot. Just don’t expect me
to do anything about it when Ginyu tricks you into forfeiting your life, you stupid fool!”

“What’re you talking about?” Kuririn said, not quite sure why Captain Ginyu had been
brought up all of the sudden. “Is he coming already?”

“He’s already here,” Goku said, glancing at the two figures in the sky above them.

Bulma gulped. Ginyu was there all right, and so was Jees. She wondered what was going
to happen next.

“Kuririn. Gohan. Bulma,” Goku said, keeping his eyes on Jees and Ginyu. “I want you
three to go ahead and see if you can get the dragonballs. I imagine they’re still at
Freeza’s compound, and he’s nowhere near it right now. Vegita and I will take care of
these two. What do you say, Vegita?” Goku said, turning in the direction of the other
Saiyan. “Do you feel up to it?”

Vegita smirked. “Just stay out of my way,” he said. “I could beat these two with my
eyes closed if I wanted. But I don’t want to hear a peep out of you. Your voice
irritates me.”

“Fine, Vegita,” Goku said. “You can have first crack at them.”

Bulma knew what Goku was up to. He was going to keep Vegita here so he could keep an eye
on him while they grabbed the dragonballs. The only thing she didn’t like about this
plan was that Vegita was cooperating with it so well. She was pretty sure he was smart
enough to catch what she had about Goku’s offer, and the fact that it didn’t seem to
bother him at all made her suspicious. But if they were going to leave, they had to do
it now. Captain Ginyu and Jees were making their descent.

“C’mon, guys,” Bulma said, floating up into the air. “Goku’s right. Now’s our chance to
get the dragonballs. I doubt that Freeza will leave them unprotected for long.”

Gohan and Kuririn nodded, and they floated up alongside her. They said a quick goodbye
to Goku and shot off at high speed.

“I hope they won’t follow us,” Bulma muttered, thinking with revulsion of Jees and his
cocky, grinning face. “Let’s fly on for a few more minutes to make sure, and then we
need to land for a few seconds. I need to get my dragon radar out of the capsule I put
it in, and I can’t do that in mid-flight.”

“Gotcha,” Kuririn said, giving her a thumbs-up. Then they flew in silence for a while,
each thinking the same thing. Gohan was the first to speak.

“Um, do you guys think my dad’ll be okay?” He asked. “I feel kinda funny about leaving
him with Vegita and those other two.”

“I think your dad knows what he’s doing,” Kuririn replied, carefully choosing his words.
“But I’ve got to be honest with you Gohan; I have my doubts too. We don’t really know
just how strong Ginyu is. Not to mention the fact that there’s just no telling how strong
your dad is either. I don’t know, kid. Let’s just trust your father to take care of
himself. He’s been doing a pretty good job so far, at least!”

“Hey guys,” Bulma said. “I don’t think we’re being followed. Let’s stop somewhere
inconspicuous down there and take out the dragon radar.”

“Okay Bulma,” Kuririn said, scanning the ground. “Let’s stop off in that grove of trees
down there. They’ll offer us some cover.”

They shot down into the small group of trees and waited patiently for Bulma to take out
her dragon radar. Bulma kneeled down to get the capsule case out of her boot, and drew
her breath in sharply. She was still pretty sore from that fight with Rikuum. She was
definitely glad that was over with. She was pretty worn out, but she could have been a
lot worse off; that was for sure. She recapsulized the bag after she’d retrieved her
radar, and she stuffed the capsule back in its place in her capsule case.

As she was refastening the flap on her boot, Bulma felt something peculiar. She turned
around abruptly, startling Kuririn and Gohan.

“What is it, Bulma?” Gohan asked. She held up her hand for silence and concentrated.
After a few moments, she shook her head and got up again.

“I could have sworn that I sensed someone over that way,” she said, pointing about ninety
degrees left of the direction of the battlefield. “But nothing’s there now. It must
have been my imagination.”

Gohan and Kuririn focused their senses in the direction she pointed to, but they couldn’t
sense anything either. “Just the same,” Kuririn remarked, as they flew out of the cover
of the trees to leave, “let’s all be on guard. Maybe it was your imagination, Bulma, but
we can’t afford to take a chance if it wasn’t. Let us know if you sense anything again.”

“You know; it’s strange,” Gohan said as they took off again for Freeza’s compound. “Your
ki sense has become really sensitive, Bulma. I wonder why that is?”

“Well,” she began, folding her arms and looking down at the ground flying by beneath her,
“being able to sense the location of my opponent at all times is the very first thing that
Yamucha began to teach me. I was able to sense ki long before I learned how to fly. I
guess it gets better with time and usage. Besides, I haven’t had all the rigorous
strength training that you guys have. I guess that instead of training my body more,
I’ve spent most of my time using my mind techniques. Ki sense goes along with it. Really,
though, I think that’s my greatest flaw. Yamucha told me long ago that a truly skilled
fighter has a well-defined balance of physical and mental strength. If we ever make it
back to earth, I’m going to go straight to work on the physical part.”

They were silent then. Would they get home again? Things did look a bit bleak right now.
But if only they could get to the dragonballs!

“Hey Bulma,” Kuririn said. “So, what does the dragon radar show? Are we going in the
right direction?”

“Yep,” she answered, zooming the screen in some more. “The dragonballs are definitely
all up there at Freeza’s compound. I wonder how many soldiers he has guarding them?”

“Hey!” Gohan exclaimed. “How about teleporting us there, Bulma? We’d get there a lot
faster, and you could punch out the guards before you restarted time! What do you think
about that?”

“Hey, that’s a great idea!” Kuririn said excitedly. “How about it, Bulma?”

Sighing, she shook her head dejectedly. “Sorry guys,” she replied. “The thought had
occurred to me too, but I’m too weak from my fight with Rikuum to try that. I’m pretty
sure I could do it without any problems, but I’d be pretty useless if something else came
up after that. Let’s just fly there. I’d rather save my energy in case we have to make
a quick getaway.”

“Oh, that’s right!” Kuririn said, suddenly sorry he’d asked. “You didn’t have a Sensu
bean, did you, Bulma? No wonder you don’t feel up to it! Well, that’s okay. You just
point us in the right direction, and we’ll take care of the rest! Right Gohan?” He shot
Gohan a thumbs-up, and Gohan nodded, his face the very image of determination.

Bulma smiled. Kuririn could be a bit overprotective at times, but she wouldn’t trade him
for anything else in the world. “No way!” She said, grinning at him. “I’m not out of
it yet, pal!” She grabbed Kuririn by one of his legs and flung him skyward. He cried
out in surprise, and she shot up after him and began kicking at him playfully.

“Okay! Okay!” Kuririn laughed, pretending to be overcome by her awesome power. “I get
the picture!”

Gohan was laughing at them hysterically, and pretty soon they were doing the same. Bulma
kept laughing after they had finished, and laughed until she cried. Then she kept crying.
She cried so hard she was having difficulty flying. She just couldn’t stop!

“Hey, Bulma, are you okay?” Kuririn said worriedly. “What’s wrong?” She shook her head
and covered her face with her hands. She wavered unsteadily in the air, and Kuririn and
Gohan each grabbed one of her arms to help hold her up. She tried to laugh, but it only
came out as a combination between a hiccup and a sob.

“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she sobbed, shaking her head from side to side and
trying to restrain a fresh stream of sobs as they made their way to the surface. “I’m so
sorry. Everything’s so weird, you know? I just don’t know what to think anymore! God,
I’m so ashamed of myself!”

“Don’t worry Bulma,” Kuririn said soothingly, rubbing her reassuringly on the back, but
shooting Gohan a look of concern. “It’s okay. We’ve all been through a hell of a lot
today. This is just your own way of dealing with it. It’s no wonder your emotions are
running haywire, anyway! When was the last time you got any sleep?”

Bulma looked up at him. “I guess you could count the time I spent in Freeza’s
rejuvenation tank,” she sniffed, beginning to recover a little.

Kuririn stared at her, and she stared back. Suddenly they laughed, and Bulma wiped her
eyes dry. “Well, you guys haven’t had ANY sleep!” She said, straightening up, and
pulling away so she could fly on her own. “You’re even worse off than I am!”

“Well, actually, the Sensu took care of that too,” Kuririn said, shrugging. “Don’t worry
about us. We’re fine.”

“Well, I guess that’s that then,” she said, sighing. “Don’t worry guys. That won’t
happen again. I just kind of lost it there. I’m sorry.”

They smiled. “It’s okay, Bulma,” Gohan said. “Do you feel any better?”

“Actually, yes!” She said in surprise. “I feel a lot better! I guess I just needed a
good cry.” She laughed, and they laughed with her. She finally convinced them that she
was ready to resume their flight to Freeza’s compound, and they took off again. As she
concentrated on the dragon radar, Bulma felt very happy to have friends who were so
willing to put up with her like Kuririn and Gohan did. As they raced toward Freeza’s
compound, she made up her mind right then and there that even if it meant her own life,
she’d get these two safely back to earth. Freeza wasn’t going to lay one scaly finger on
them!



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