Ch. 48: The Saiyans Recover (2)

"Where's Frieza?" Vegeta demanded a beat after it became clear that Nappa wasn't going to respond to the doctor's question, slipping his new battle armor on.

Surprised by the Saiyans' attitudes, the doctor responded "He left. I don't know where he is."

Nappa not answering the doctor's question was an answer unto itself. Something had happened on that backwater planet named Earth. Something that had shaken the two Saiyans to their cores, and the doctor knew it.

"I hope you're not lying to me. I'm in no mood." Vegeta told the doctor. The doctor broke out in a cold sweat at the implication behind the Saiyan's words, but Nappa butted in.

"Vegeta, I think that we should just focus on the... important things." Nappa reminded Vegeta, referring to the Namekian dragon balls. Vegeta nodded in agreement.

"Perhaps Cui can help you find him? I saw him on his way to the training center earlier. You could catch him there before he leaves, if you hurry." The doctor told Vegeta, trying to be as helpful as possible.

Vegeta chuckled lightly, "Nappa's right... we have no use for that coward. If you see Frieza, tell him that I'm looking for him." He left the room, leaving his scouter behind. Nappa grabbed his own scouter, almost as an afterthought before following after him.

"But... Vegeta, wait!" The Doctor tried to stop the Saiyans from running off, but neither cared enough to listen. Seeing Vegeta's scouter on the table, the doctor picked it up and chased after the Saiyans. "Vegeta! Vegeta! Sir, you're leaving your scouter behind!" The doctor told him, holding it out for him. Nappa looked back for a second, but Vegeta clearly didn't care.

"Keep it. It's yours. I have no use for it." Vegeta declared.

"You sure, Vegeta?" Nappa understood that the earthlings could sense power levels without a scouter, but he couldn't believe that the prince had already mastered the technique with barely any practice at all. He'd taken his own scouter as a precaution.

"It's fine, Nappa." Vegeta told him. They left the doctor behind, looking very confused.

...

"We're going back to Earth... but first, we have something to pick up, Nappa." Vegeta told Nappa, who inwardly groaned. Both of them had been impacted strongly by the fight on Earth. While Vegeta was incredibly angry about having his pride tarnished like that, a part of Nappa was grateful for the earthlings. He hated losing just as much as Vegeta did, but he didn't have any more malice to direct at them. 

They'd opened Nappa's eyes to how weak he was... how strong he could get. Everything that Nappa thought made him useful... it was all worthless to the current Nappa. Power wasn't something that made you better than others, but something that sharpened the real strength inside of a person, he'd realized. A bit philosophical, sure, but Nappa was a general. He'd commanded thousands of Saiyan troops... poorly.

Looking back, he could see hundreds of times over the course of his life where his stupid 'pride' had lead to utter disaster. Missions failed. Comrades killed. All because he hadn't been open to allowing others to grow alongside him. He could see his path now. He'd become the strongest... in body and soul.

"Well, Vegeta. I hear you took quite a beating recently." Vegeta blamed the doctor. Speak of cockroaches, and they shall appear. It was Cui. Standing proudly right in their path, laughing smugly. "You two couldn't even take over one measly planet. And if all the rumors are true, which I'm sure they are, you couldn't even beat a third class Saiyan."

To Vegeta, Cui wasn't even worth being angry at. The idiot would have been beaten, just like Vegeta, had he gone to Earth. "Drop it Cui. We don't have time to waste gossiping with half-wits like you." Vegeta shouldered past him, but Cui turned around and put a hand on Vegeta's shoulder.

"Just a minute." The half-wit stopped him, "The word is that Frieza isn't too happy with you and your attitude, Vegeta."

Vegeta laughed. Once he had the Dragon Balls, Frieza wouldn't stand a chance in hell of beating him, "Just let Frieza try to do something about it."

Cui realized that Vegeta wasn't joking. He really believed that he was going to be able to defeat Frieza. That confidence scared him deep down inside.

"Now get your hand off of me." Vegeta commanded. Overwhelmed, Cui complied.

"Your mouth is big, but I think you're biting off more than you can chew. You don't know what you're up against, Vegeta. Nobody has survived a fight with Frieza." Vegeta just scoffed, causing Cui to redouble his warning, "You just don't seem to get it, do you? Let me put it plainly, Frieza is utterly indestructible."

"Enough!" Vegeta shouted, finally annoyed, "Now tell me where Frieza has run off to hide!"

Cui scoffed smugly. "The planet Namek."

"What!?" Nappa shouted. Vegeta and Nappa shared a look. If Frieza found the dragon balls and made a wish of immortality, he'd be the master of the universe forever.

"Yeah. He's going to get the dragon balls and become immortal. If I were you two, I'd just give up, because you will never get them. Believe me, Frieza will find them first... and then he'll destroy the planet Namek." Cui told them smugly.

"Of course you'd give up. But we can't! Let's go, Nappa!" Vegeta started running, not even bothering to check and see if Nappa was behind him or not. Cui shouted at them to stop, but they ignored him. 

"Vegeta?" They'd been headed to the training center, but upon hearing that Frieza was going for the Dragon Balls, they changed course to head straight for the space pods. Along the way, they ran into the doctor, who was still holding Vegeta's scouter in his hand.

"On second thought, I'll be needing this, doctor." Vegeta snatched the scouter right out of the doctor's hands as they passed by, not even bothering to stop and explain. Every second counted.

"Vegeta! Nappa! Get back here!" Cui yelled as they jumped into their pods and blasted off towards Namek.