First of All, I am Vegeta Ch.26

— Raditz —

Raditz let out a deep, tired sigh as he sat in one of the side booths in the large room with Launch by his side. In the arms of his woman was his daughter, his light in this world, and a second chance for the Saiyan race. 

“You’re not going to go have fun?” Launch asked with a frown as she looked out of the booth toward the bar. 

Raditz’s face twitched at the sight of Prince Vegeta, Heir to the Saiyan Kingdom and slayer of countless planets, throwing back a bottle of liquor like it was water. 

Honestly…he probably needed it if he would be dealing with Nappa all night. 

Raditz’s heart went out to his Prince, but he wouldn’t switch places with him for anything. 

No, simply watching on as Nappa succeeded on Earth was torture enough.

“Hard pass.” 

“Then you’re just going to sit here the entire time?” Launch asked with a raised brow. Raditz glanced at her, and he could see there was a challenge in her eyes, one he didn’t intend to invoke. 

“You think I should go?” He asked slowly. 

“I do.” She answered easily. “I know you don’t like the guy much, but this is a big day for him, and there’s a hell of a lot to do!” 

“Launch, I don’t think you understand. I’d rather eat a blaster shot than intentionally spend more time with Nappa.” 

“Fine, then stay here, but you’re watching the baby.” Launch frowned and stood up. She took a step over so that she was close enough to lower their baby girl into Raditz’s arms. 

“Where are you going?” He questioned curiously. 

“We’re at a party; I’m gonna have fun with the girls. Heh, it's been far too long since we’ve all had a good time together.” Launch leaned down and placed a quick kiss on her man’s cheek. “Try and have some fun, will ya?” 

“...” Raditz stayed quiet as Launch began walking toward Bulma, Tights, and Chichi, who were all waving her over. 

A deep frown tugged at Raditz's lips as his woman grew further and further away. She had left him alone with only the company of his daughter at a party he didn’t want to be at. 

He would have cursed her if not for the sight of her backside swaying as she neared her friends. The sight alone left him conflicted. He wanted nothing more than for her to stay with him and Raunch all night, but the sight of her going away was too good to pass up.

Now it was just him and his baby girl, and as Raunch cooed in his arms, he realized that he didn’t mind being alone with her. 

…That being said. 

Raditz's gaze roamed over to his little brother Kakarot, who was sitting a few booths down from him with his son beside him. 

Ever since Vegeta had arrived, Raditz had never truly cleared the air with Kakarot and his spawn, Gohan, but he wanted to. 

Not for his sake but for their Mother’s. 

She would have been heartbroken if she knew that the two brothers weren’t getting along like brothers should, and Raditz had full intentions on changing that. He had just been waiting for the right time, and now he had no choice but to see his mother’s will through. 

No more excuses. 

Raditz stood up and bounced Raunch in his arms. He gave the baby girl a small smile and rubbed his index finger against her little cheek. Raunch cooed playfully, clearly wanting more attention. 

“It’s about time to create strong ties with your Uncle and Cousin, don’t you think, my pride?” 

“Ababa!” 

With some encouragement from his daughter, Raditz began his trek toward their booth. The closer he got, the more he regretted his decision, but upon catching their gaze, he knew there was no turning back. 

He stopped just in front of them, and he noticed Kakarot’s eyes were slightly narrowed, and his body was tense, not unlike how anyone reacted to a potential threat. 

“Kakarot.” Raditz greeted as he rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. 

“Raditz.” Kakarot returned the greeting but kept the same level of tenseness, which made Raditz frown deeper than he wanted to. He wasn’t very good with apologies, which was understandable since he rarely gave them to anyone besides Prince Vegeta, so as he sat down beside Kakarot and Gohan, he could do nothing but sit quietly and watch the partygoers mingle. 

A tense minute of silence passed between them before anyone spoke up. 

“I was surprised to see Launch with you that day,” Kakarot admitted. Raditz followed Kakarot’s gaze to Launch, who was sitting down with Bulma, Tights, Chichi, and some other women. 

“She said you were friends in the past,” Raditz spoke quietly, and Kakarot nodded. 

“I met her as a kid; she was one of the first people I could call a friend. Whenever we’d have tournaments, Launch, Bulma, and Tights would come and watch us, cheering us on. We had a lot of good times together, hehe!” Kakarot chuckled, and a small smile grew on Raditz's face. 

“She told me about that. I believe the term she used to describe you was “troublemaker.” 

“Hehe, I’m not surprised!” The two brothers let out hearty laughs and drowned out the noise of the party.

Once their shared laughs died down to teetering chuckles, Raditz glanced down at his twiddling thumbs and frowned.

“Kakarot…I’m sorry.”

The younger full-blooded saiyan and his son looked at Raditz as he continued.

“I messed up. Vegeta gave me orders and I failed to follow them. All I had to do was convince you to come along, or pull back and tell Vegeta of my failure, but instead my actions created the worst case scenario.”

Raditz looked his brother in the eyes, his onyx orbs conveyed just how much his failure plagued his heart to this day.

“You died. Your blood was on my hands, and if the dragon balls didn’t exist…” Raditz paused and dropped his head into his hands.

Truly, throughout the cosmos, there was no worse big brother than he. If their mother and father could see him now, Bardock would have socked him, and Gine…what would his mother have thought?

Raditz shook his head, he couldn’t even imagine the gentle woman ever holding true animosity for anyone, much less her own son, but that didn’t make him feel any less guilty for what he’d done.

“We’re good.”

Raditz blinked and looked at Kakarot who was smiling at him.

“What?”

“I said we’re good,” Kakarot repeated.

“How…Why…?”

“You apologized, isn’t that enough?” The tailless Saiyan tilted his head as Raditz stared at the man with a confused expression.

“Just like that?”

“Just like that. I never hated you for that anyway; we’ve just been waiting for you to apologize, right, Gohan?” Kakarot asked his son, and the Half-Saiyan paused before nodding slowly. “See, even Gohan forgives you.”

Raditz just stared at Goku in complete disbelief as he was unable to speak a single word. 

He had been stressing and avoiding this talk for months…and that was all there was to it.

A low chuckle escaped Radtiz, and it quickly grew into a deep laugh. As the father/son duo watched the older Saiyan’s laughter grow, they too joined in on it, though it was clear Gohan didn’t quite know what they were laughing at. 

“I’ve been such an idiot.” Raditz breathed out with a small smile before he outstretched his hand to his little brother. “Why don’t we start over?”

“Hehe, sure!” Kakarot rubbed the back of his head with a bright smile. 

“You know, Kakarot, that smile of yours…it reminds me a lot of mother’s.” 

At Raditz's words, the younger Saiyan grew a bit more serious as he leaned forward. 

“You mentioned our parents a few times, Radtiz…I never knew them, and I don’t remember them. I was raised by my Grandpa, Gohan.” Kakarot clarified, and Raditz blinked before nodding. 

“You were just a baby; it’s understandable.”

Kakarot looked down with a contemplative frown before facing Raditz again. “Can you tell me about them?” 

Raditz stared at his brother in stunned silence for a few seconds before a significant weight in his chest began to relieve itself, giving his body a newfound sense of weightlessness and freedom. 

“Heh, sure, but where should I start?” 

— Bulma —

“Look at those three over there; they look like they’re having fun.” Launch gave the other woman a cheeky smile as she stroked her blonde hair out of her face. 

“I’m not surprised; it’s just like Goku to forget a rivalry.” Chi-Chi crossed her arms under her bust as she shook her head at her husband’s simplicity. 

“Well, he’s always been a free spirit. It wasn’t a question of if he’d forgive Raditz, only when.” Bulma smiled as she reminisced on the journey with Son Goku when they were younger. Things were simpler than when her mind was more focused on traveling the world and finding a boyfriend rather than managing the entirety of Capsule Corp and dealing with the pains of pregnancy. 

“You’re right about that. Goku will always be the same at heart.” Tights agreed with an exasperated sigh. 

“If you think that’s bad, try living with him.” Chi-Chi groaned, and Bulma gave the woman an apologetic look. As much as she loved Goku, she was happy she hadn’t pursued him romantically. The man was one others could look up to, but he was so dense and clueless that he didn’t even make the best partner. Chi-Chi told Bulma too many stories for her to consider Goku a good husband candidate. 

“My my, I didn’t think I’d be seeing you two here.” 

The group of women turned to see an older yet clearly beautiful woman approach their booth with a kind smile on her face. Her once brown hair was gray in some parts and white in others, and wrinkles riddled her face, yet within her eyes, there was a spark of youth and playfulness that Bulma recalled immediately. 

“Mrs. Gero, it’s good to see you again!” The bluenette practically jumped out of her seat and approached the older woman, giving her a hug. 

“Oh, dear, you’ve grown so much! Both of you! Both spitting images of your mother.” 

Tights stood up and smiled at the older woman. “Yeah, I wish I got this brat's eyes, but I guess I can’t have it all.” The older sister nudged Bulma, making the younger sister glare with no real heat. 

“Who’re you calling a brat?!” 

“I see you both haven’t changed.” Mrs. Gero giggled into her hand. “May I sit with you all?” 

“Of course!” Bulma said immediately and offered her seat. 

“No problems here.” Chi-Chi crossed her arms and offered one of the smartest women on the planet a smile. 

“Such a kind lot.” Mrs. Gero smiled as she sat down, and Bulma took her seat beside the woman. 

“You know, you said you didn’t think you’d be seeing us here, but honestly, I’m surprised you’re here, Mrs. Gero.” Bulma admitted as rubbed the back of her head with a bright smile. 

“I suppose it is rather strange for an old woman like me to pop my head into such an extravagant party.”

“No, I didn’t mean it like that!” Bulma quickly waved her hands in front of her, making the old woman laugh. 

“I was just teasing, Bulma.” Mrs. Gero waved her hand as if she didn’t care. “And please, call me Vomi; I’d say you’re old enough now.” 

“You’re too easy.” Tights grinned, making Bulma glare at her sister again. 

“Spare me from the teasing for tonight at least, please?” Bulma asked almost desperately, earning another round of laughs from the booth. 

“I like you,” Launch admitted, kicking her feet onto the table. 

“Most people do.” Vomi shrugged.

The group ended up continuing their usual antics, talking about things that crossed their minds and the men in their life. 

Bulma was unsurprised when Vomi ended up mentioning Dr. Gero and his shut-in ways. The man was the brightest mind Earth had ever seen, and he used that bright mind of his all the time. Bulma had only met him once before, and when she had, there was a level of intensity about him that she couldn’t place. 

Their talk eventually moved onto the topic of Bulma’s pregnancy, which she had to admit was a place of pride for her. She absolutely loved when people would grow surprised at the fact that she was pregnant, and the only downside of such talks was having to explain who the father was. 

Mostly because Vegeta is kind of…an asshole. 

At the moment, he’s drinking with Nappa, so at least she doesn’t need to explain to Vomi who Vegeta is. 

Their talk continued until Tights got up to “bother others” as she said. Bulma of course didn’t care about the antics of her sister and let her leave without a fuss. 

As Tights left, the others did as well to reunite with their husbands for the night, leaving Vomi and Bulma alone. 

“I suppose I should get going as well.” Vomi stood up and Bulma offered a kind smile to the genius woman. 

“It was good catching up with you, Mrs—Vomi.” 

“Likewise, Bulma, you’ve matured into a fine young woman with such beauty and a mind equally as great.”

“You flatter me.” Bulma smiled brightly and gave the older woman a hug. 

“Before I go, I’ll depart with a bit of advice.”

“Advice?” Bulma leaned forward, curious of what a woman with infinite experience had to say to her.

“Yes, I didn’t get a chance to meet that fiance of yours, but know this going forward. Time changes people, and only those on the outside can truly look at someone you love without rose-tinted vision. When in doubt, call upon a stranger and they may end up saving you a lot of heartbreak.” 

Bulma frowned as she realized how serious Vomi had grown as she gave her “advice.”

“I’ll…remember those words.”

“That’s all I ask, Bulma. Take care of yourself.” 

With those words, Vomi made her way to the front door, leaving the party for the night. 

All the while Bulma stared at where her form had once been visible and contemplated the woman’s words. 

What experience had Vomi gone through to offer that advice to a newly engaged woman? 

— Turles —

Turles leaned against the wall and sipped on his drink from his place in the corner of the room. He was perfectly content with being by himself for the night as the mere thought of hanging out with the various groups he knew sounded like a heartache. 

His eyes glanced over at the bar where Vegeta downed a shot, only for Nappa to push another one in front of the Prince as the bald Saiyan waggled his eyebrows with a massive grin. 

Vegeta, not being one to back down, picked up the glass and downed it all at once, only for Nappa to repeat the process. 

Either Vegeta was going to kill Nappa tonight in his drunken state, or he’d kill him tomorrow as a product of the raging hangover he’d soon have to deal with. 

Turles’ gaze then went over to the group of women he’d come to know as the mates of his Saiyan brethren, and a low sigh escaped him. Going over to them and speaking would be a better way to lose his sanity than spending the night with Nappa and Vegeta.

Turles then looked over to Raditz, Kakarot, and Gohan, and a small frown tugged on the Saiyan’s face at the sight of the trio laughing and talking. 

Turles knew of Radtiz internal struggle in regards to apologizing to Kakarot, and honestly, Turles never thought the long-haired Saiyan would swallow his pride and do it, but then again, Raditz isn’t exactly the most prideful Saiyan, so he likely should have foreseen this conclusion. 

An annoyed grunt escaped him as a group of drunk Earthlings came crashing into the wall a couple of meters away from him. A sneer formed on his face as he contemplated blasting them into oblivion, but quickly killed that urge. 

It wasn’t his call to make; it was Prince Vegeta’s. 

A deeper sneer grew on his face at that thought. 

He had it all: a team that followed him with absolute loyalty and the emptiness of space to do with as he saw fit, as long as he stayed under Freeza and Cooler’s radars. 

Then, that all changed when Vegeta and Nappa showed up on his doorstep. 

Immediately, his power died with their appearance, and he was cursed to be a lowly follower once again. 

It was infuriating. 

Yet it wasn’t as bad as Turles had expected it to be mainly because Vegeta was much more accommodating and considerate than he remembered the Prince being. 

That being said, Turles had no plans of being the loyal Saiyan forever. 

The simple truth is Freeza remains the biggest threat to the remainder of the Saiyan race, along with the inhabitants of this planet. 

Before Turles makes any big moves, Freeza and Cooler need to die. Only then can he and his team (loyal to him and only him) sneak away.

The darker-skinned Goku-lookalike didn’t know when that day would come, but he knew when it did, Vegeta would find out relatively fast. The question is if Vegeta would care enough to stop him.

Turles doubted it, but he couldn’t know for sure. His belief could be based on nothing more than plain optimism. 

Eh, he could deal with it whenever Freeza and Cooler’s bodies were left on some desolate planet to rot. 

Turles smiled at that thought and took another sip of his drink.

“What’s that smile for, thinking about murdering a race in cold blood?” 

Turles frowned and turned to see the blonde-haired nuisance that had been plaguing his peace on this bright blue ball of water and dirt. 

“Not a race, a pair of slimy brothers.” Turles corrected as he studied the woman who smirked at his words. 

“Figured, I knew you Saiyans would never change.” Tights crossed her arms and nodded sagely.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Turles questioned, less offended and more curious than anything. 

“Bah, don’t worry about it.” Tights waved her hand dismissively. “Bulma just thinks that all of you will end up being pure of heart like Goku.” 

“She’s wrong.” Turles clarified quickly, earning an understandable nod from the older Brief sister. “We’re Saiyans, a warrior race forged through conquest and blood. Kakarot is a very rare exception. Less Saiyan, more Earthling.” 

“Goku is what Earthlings aspire to be, a pure martial artist with a heart of gold and fists of righteous fire.” Tights wagged her finger with a smile. “He’s the protector of this planet, even if he has the mind of an eight-year-old.”

“Aren’t you being too kind to him?” Turles chuckled as he recalled all the dumb things Kakarot had said over the time the older Saiyan had known him. “I’ve met five-year-old Saiyans who knew more than him. As I said, he’s an exception.”

“Must be.” Tights reached her hand out and grabbed the drink in Turles hands before taking a small sip of it. 

Turles raised a brow at the woman. “You know the bar is right over there, right?”

“You’re telling me you went over to the bar?” Tights asked with a slow blink. 

“Fuck no.” Turles immediately grunted. “I grabbed an Earthling and ordered them to get me a drink. You really thought I went over there myself? Have you lost your mind, woman?” 

“Understandable; I didn’t think you did. If you did, you’d still be over there. No one can escape the unrivaled charisma of Nappa.”

“He’s an idiot.” 

“He’s a charismatic idiot.” Tights corrected with a sigh and another sip of Turles’ drink. 

“Are you going to give that back?” Turles narrowed his eyes, earning a confident smirk from the woman. 

“You’re a big, strong Saiyan warrior. Why don’t you take it back~?” Tights asked before she turned around and began to walk toward the middle of the room, all the while swaying her hips as she went. 

Turles pushed his body off of the wall and let out a deep sigh as he followed after the blonde woman. 

Earth women are dangerous. 

— Vegeta (The Next Morning) —

I slowly opened my eyes and was immediately greeted with a pulsating headache and a swirling stomach. My entire body felt heavy and tight. I looked around to see Bulma’s naked form beside me, and the entire room was trashed.

The bed was broken, sheets were on the ground, and clothes were all over the floor. 

What the fuck happened? 

I rubbed my head and pushed myself to my feet as I tried to recall what had led to this. 

I strained my mind and finally remembered we went to a party last night. I couldn’t remember anyone I met there or what we did. 

After three minutes of forcing my mind to remember, a bright smile and waggling eyebrows entered my mind, and my fists clenched so hard my nails scratched into my palm, drawing blood. My teeth clenched, and all vision left me as if burning red had replaced it. 

“GOD FUCKING DAMNIT NAPPA!” 

— Chapter End —

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