CHP 42: Omen...

~Jacob's Pov~

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As I turned my attention back to Vegeta, I couldn't help but notice the fear etched on his face. The weight of my power had likely finally dawned on him, and to be frank, he looked like a cornered animal, desperate to escape.

"W-Why..." Vegeta stuttered, his eyes darting back and forth, searching for an escape route.

I smiled, relishing the fear that radiated from him, "You're wondering why I spared you, aren't you, Prince?" I said, my voice low and menacing, "Let me tell you, it's because I still have use for you. But don't think for a second that you're off the hook. You're still a pawn in my game, and you'll do as I say... or, suffer the consequences."

I watched as Vegeta nodded slowly, his eyes still wide with fear, "Good," I said, my voice cold and purposely detached, "If you had said no, you would have suffered the same fate as your friend there," I gestured towards Nappa's empty space, a grim reminder of the consequences of disobedience.

It was true, although Vegeta still had a role to play in the grand scheme of things. But I had already altered the course of events so drastically. that he was now a free agent, unencumbered by his previous relationships. No longer tied down to Bulma, he was a wild card, free to make his own choices...

Still, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was taking a risk by leaving him alive. He was a Saiyan warrior, after all, and they were notorious for their unpredictability and sheer level of scum, especially him. In fact, he likely didn't care that Nappa died at all. He's the type to only respect absolute power...

With a swift, precise motion, I raised my hand, and a burst of energy shot out, striking the scouter on Vegeta's face. The device shattered instantly, its fragments tinkling to the ground as the Saiyan's eyes widened in surprise.

I sneered, a hint of amusement dancing on my lips. "Wouldn't want that tyrant to listen in on our conversation, now would we, Vegeta?" I was enjoying messing with this short fucker. My inner Raditz was practically dancing with joy.

Vegeta's eyes narrowed, his voice laced with suspicion. "H-how do you know my name? I've never seen you before... W-who are you?"

I chuckled, the sound low and menacing, "Ah, Vegeta, you'd be surprised what I know about you. Let's just say; I have my ways of gathering information." I paused, studying him for a moment before continuing, "As for who I am... That's not important right now. What's important is that you understand your place in all of this."

"Frieza... Is he heading to planet Namek now?" When I said those words, Vegeta's expression shifted into one of surprise, 'Great...' I thought. 

Vegeta's eyes snapped open, like a spark of curiosity igniting within them, "H-how do you even know of th-" he began, but I cut him off with a raised hand, my expression stern.

"That isn't your problem, Vegeta," I said, my voice firm, "What you should be worrying about is Frieza even getting there in the first place." I paused, my gaze piercing as I studied him. "If I know Frieza, he'll stop at nothing to get what he wants. And if his wish is granted... let's just say it won't be a pleasant outcome for anyone involved."

I knew Frieza's little reputation all too well. His ruthless ambition and cunning tactics made him a formidable one to fight. And if he got his hands on the Dragon Balls, getting his immortality, all hell would break loose... I'm not sure if my virus could bypass that level of immortality.

"And what do you want me to possible do? Have you felt Frieza's power?" He asked. Thinking for a bit, he wasn't anything special, at least not at the moment, but he could become valuable training partner and protector of earth just like in canon, and now that I'm sensing his actual power level, it's definitely higher than it was in canon...

That could be both a good, and bad thing, concerning Frieza, what if he was stronger than what I initially thought as well? This could be very bad if not played out properly... Which means we'll need a ship to travel to planet Namek pronto.

I turned towards Vegeta, my tone firm and authoritative, "You, follow me." I wasn't asking, but ordering. He seemed to have grasped the gravity of the situation so far, and to my satisfaction, he fell in step behind me without hesitation...

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As we approached Capsule-Corp, I turned to Vegeta and issued a curt instruction, "When we get to my home, follow my lead." My tone was firm, brooking no argument. I could sense his curiosity, but I had no time to indulge them.

As we landed, Bulma's eyes locked onto me. I could see both her relief and concern on her face. Piccolo, ever the stoic, betrayed none of his emotions, but I could sense his attention fixed on Vegeta, sizing him up... Actually, he might have caught on to what I did already...

"Jacob, what's going on?" Bulma asked, her voice was filled with worry, "Who's this?" She asked. 

I sighed, "You know who it is..." That's all I could say, trailing off, bracing myself for her reaction. She looked confused for a second, but moments later, realization dawned on her, and her expression transformed into one of shock and outrage, "Y-you brought the guy trying to destroy our planet, here!" She shouted. I figured.

Piccolo's eyes narrowed... 'Fuck.' That only confirmed his suspicions...

His gaze fixed on Vegeta with what seemed like unspoken warning. I could sense the air thickening with tension. I needed to settle this, now...

"Bulma, listen-" I began, but she cut me off, her voice rising in indignation. "How could you, Jacob? After everything these monsters were willing to do to us? You bring him here, to our doorstep?" Her anger was palpable, and for a moment, I felt a nudge of irritation ignite within me.

Vegeta, however, remained unfazed by Bulma's outburst, his eyes fixed on me with an unnerving intensity. I could sense the calculations churning in his mind, weighing his options, searching for an angle to exploit. Knowing his character, I was certain he was already plotting his next move...

But before I could intervene, my own anger flared, and I shouted, "WOULD YOU QUIET DOWN!" The ground trembled slightly beneath our feet, and I cursed my lack of control with my temper, 'Shit...' I muttered, taking a deep breath to calm myself, I didn't mean to do that...

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As the tension dissipated, I continued, "I know this might not seem like the wisest decision, but we have more pressing matters ahead of us. We have one more problem, a tyrant named Frieza, who's likely heading to a place called Namek..." I explained.

"He's right, Frieza will be heading to Namek soon," Vegeta interjected, his tone laced with a sense of urgency, "We'll only have a few weeks at best if we want to catch him before he gets there, and this is assuming we have a ship fast enough to take us." His voice trailed off, leaving the unspoken implications hanging in the air.

Piccolo's gaze narrowed, his skepticism evident, "And why should we believe anything you say?" he asked. I couldn't blame him; if I were in his shoes, I'd be asking the same question too.

"Because, Frieza is vastly stronger than you and I imagined him to be," I began, choosing my words carefully. "My team members don't know the full extent of his power, but I do. And trust me, we don't have the luxury of time to debate this. We need to act, and fast, if we want to stop him."

"And just how strong is he?" I asked, now I was a little curious; due to my knowledge of having Raditz's memories, I actually don't recall knowing how high Frieza's power level was, but I still know due to my canon knowledge of it being around 500+ thousand...

Vegeta's eyes flashed with a mix of anger and frustration as he began to recount his experience. "Prior to leaving the planet, I passed by one of his chambers, and my curiosity got the best of me. I watched from the shadows as he stood in the center of a large machine, likely used to measure the power levels of beings." His voice trembled with restrained emotion, "From afar, I saw that monstrous reading..."

I could see Vegeta's fist clenching...

He paused, likely collecting his thoughts before continuing, his voice laced with a hint of awe and fear, "It-it was easily over 2 million... 2 and a half million to be exact. I couldn't believe my eyes. The reading was so high, it was almost... absurd." He finsihed.

'No wonder... My journey here felt as if it was too easy. But now, I know why... Frieza is an absolute monster in this timeline. What caused him to even get this powerful?' I thought to myself.

This... this was nothing but a bad omen...

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END