Chapter Text
“Saiyans have their warrior ratings examined shortly after their birth. When they do, lower rankings such as trash like yourself are sent off to planets with pitiful opponents. In other words… You were thrown away.”
“And as a result, I was sent to Earth?” Goku seems unaffected by the reveal, still grinning in preparation for the undoubtedly intense battle set to come, “I should be grateful, then. What's more…”
The elite cocks a brow, prompting the lower class Saiyan to continue with a bold—
“Even a throw-away like me might be able to overcome an elite if they try hard enough.”
Vegeta would burst into laughter if he had any less self-control, instead he settles for a low chuckle. It's been so long since he'd been around another Saiyan who said such asinine things. As annoying and useless as Nappa and Raditz were, they at least knew their place.
“What an amusing joke,” Vegeta says after he has his laugh. Beating down ignorant people like this with a head too big for their shoulders until they were groveling and begging for forgiveness was always a fun pastime of his, “Now then, allow me to show you a barrier you will never overcome—”
With a widening smirk, Vegeta raises his arms and lowers himself into position. The Saiyan before him does the same as they move into their own unique one. A breeze whistles as it passes through the massive pillars of stones surrounding them from below. The world is silent otherwise, as if it were holding its breath for their standstill.
Low-class he may be, Vegeta can acknowledge that the other Saiyan has an at least decent power level. It may not be enough to really get his blood pumping, but the Saiyan should make a decent punching—
“Woah! So small!”
The new, sudden voice has Vegeta snapping his head up in an instant.
“Ah.” Says the speaker, freezing as Vegeta's gaze lands on them. His eyes widen at the sight of who exactly is flying above them, brain stuttering for a moment before he drops his gaze to the equally shocked Saiyan in front of him and then returns it above.
They were the same man.
“Oh man… I wasn't supposed to do that.” Vegeta tenses at the hand the apparent copy of the other Saiyan that raises, but furrows his brows in confusion when they only rub the back of their head in a sheepish manner.
“Aw geez, this definitely created one of those split thingies I was warned not to do. I'm gonna get scolded…”
“Wh—Wha—Who—Who are you?! Why do you look like me?!” Splutters the low-class Saiyan at their complete copy. Or rather… near complete copy. Even with their distance, Vegeta can notice a few differences in the doppelganger thanks to his advanced vision.
Their muscles are fuller, far more defined. Their posture is also more relaxed despite having been (supposedly) unintentionally caught, bordering on almost careless compared to the other tense Saiyan. And slightly less noticeable, their top is altered—rather than that large circle containing that character in the middle, there’s an odd almost doodle-like mark that Vegeta can't quite make out.
If he didn't know Raditz was the Saiyan's older brother, Vegeta would've assumed this copy to be the one instead.
“Hey uh, can you two just fight? Don't pay any attention to me and just try your best! Don't worry, I won't interfere!” The doppelganger shouts down to them with cupped hands, and Vegeta irks his brow at the nonchalant tone used.
Not only did they dare to sneak up on him, but they dared to give him an order. Even worse—the way they spoke to him was beyond belittling.
Try his best? Don't worry? Who does this fool think he is?
“I'll take you down first and then deal with Kakarot afterwards…”
“Huh? Wait a sec—”
Vegeta doesn't wait and charges at the enemy above. He relishes in the panicked expression the copy wears, but he quickly finds himself in a state of shock when his fist is caught with ease.
“C'mon, you're supposed to fight other-me! I'll get in trouble if things keep changing like this!” Their tone is whiny and childish, the complete opposite of the seriousness of the other Saiyan down below.
Still, Vegeta doesn't waste further time pondering the differences between the two Saiyans or Saiyan and Maybe-Saiyan. Instead he growls and throws another punch, rage increasing when that one is caught too.
“What should I do..? I shouldn't fight y—” The muttered question is cut off by a flying kick Vegeta didn't even sense coming. Shockingly faster than what his eyes could track, the copy gets sent a good distance away until he catches himself right before he could slam into the Earth below.
“You fucking imbecile!!” A voice that sounds questionably like his own shouts at the top of their lungs, and Vegeta is gobsmacked to find the speaker also looks questionably like himself, “I take my eyes off you for one second and you cause a fucking time split! Were you not listening when you were told something as minor as planting a tree or killing a flower could cause one?! What the hell made you think it was a good idea to come watch our fucking fight?!?!”
Other-him continues to all but roar, not so much as acknowledging him as he berates the other Saiyan’s doppelganger. Much like the other one, there were differences between him and the copy, although these differences are significantly more noticable.
For one, the armor they wear is completely different, theirs lacking the shoulder and tassets pads his own has. In fact it looks more like a redesign of an older Frieza Force model. But most shockingly, however, is the missing tail.
“Owowowow… I just wanted to see what our fight looked like from an outsider’s perspective! I wasn't planning on getting caught watching! I was hiding my presence despite flying and everything…”
“Yeah, well, good fucking job you did!”
“I couldn't help it! I didn't realize how tiny you were before, it's kinda cute!”
“C—Cu…”
Vegeta feels himself begin to tremble in rage alongside his copy.
“Who the hell are you calling cute?!” They shout together. For some reason, the copy of the third class seems to find that hilarious.
“Wow! You two sounded exactly alike! I didn't know your tail puffed up like mine did when angry! It's been so long since I've had a—”
“Just shut up and come with me already, you've caused enough trouble as is!!”
“Aw c'mon, don't be that way, Vegeta.” They whine just as childishly as the first time before suddenly lighting up, “Hey, do you think Shenron will let us use just one wish to restore our tails? Or at least yours? It looks good on you!”
“... For once will it kill you to think before you speak? We're not using a wish for something as stupid as that.”
“No?”
Vegeta finds himself unintentionally tensing up when the third class copy turns their gaze to him. It trails from his face, down his body, and along from the tail he's just now realizing he forgot to rewrap around his waist. He will deny even in hell the shiver that went down his spine when that heated gaze returns to his face.
“What a shame.” Is their announced conclusion. A growl comes from the copy of himself.
“... Oi, Kakarot.”
“Ah—Sorry sorry!” The low class doppelganger presses their palms together as if begging for forgiveness, but this only raises the ire of his other self more, judging by the growl growing increasingly louder.
“As if Hit and goddamn Frieza wasn't bad enough—”
“—Whaaat? You're still mad about that?—”
“—Silence! Always wanting to jump the highest power level you can sense… And this time it's not even high! You're worse than a damn dog!!”
“Okay okay! Sheesh! You don't have to yell so loudly, I'm sorry, alright?”
“Your apologies don't mean shit when..!” The rest of the argument tapers off into white noise within Vegeta’s ears, leaving him dizzy and stumbling back within the air. The two strange doppelgangers are more bickering than actually fighting. They're almost like a… Like a…
. . .
He refuses to even entertain the thought.
“I will not stand this mockery!!” He finally snaps, roaring into the sky above as he charges up energy between his palms. He hasn't had the chance to scan their power levels between the shock and everything else, but unless they were Frieza or one of his higher ranking goons, they should at least be unable to stand after this—
“Galick Gun!!!” He aims for the lower class doppelganger who turns around and blinks at the rapidly approaching blast heading for him.
“Oh.” Is his only reaction.
Just before the blast can connect to the fool, his own copy seemingly teleports in front of them and smacks it away like one would a fly. Vegeta's jaw drops in shock.
“Huh? Vegeta? Why did you deflect it for me?”
“Because if anyone is going to deflect my attacks, it's going to be me.”
“Well okay I guess, but—”
“You bastards!!” Vegeta screams his throat raw, “How dare… How dare you… I will kill you both even if I need to drag you down to hell with me!!” Tail spiking and thrashing in rage, Vegeta gathers a bright ball of specialized ki in his palm, snarling at the two doppelgangers. The copy of the other Saiyan stares back.
“... Hey Vegeta? How mad would you get if I tried to kiss the younger you?”
The false moon’s shape wobbles before simply dissipating entirely with his ruined concentration. His face flushes bright red at the absolute gal of this third-class buffoon. To even consider kissing him—the Prince of all Saiyans—while being a low-class nobody is an asinine thought, and one deserving of execution. A swift one at that.
“Kakarot, I will murder you where you stand.” His doppelganger growls, sharing his sentiment. The low-class copy turns around and makes an almost pinching gesture with his fingers at the other.
“Just a little bit, Vegeta, lemme kiss younger you just a little bit.” He pleads.
“Alright, I'm killing you.” Vegeta is left in stunned awe as his own copy’s scowl deepens before a flash of aura turns his familiar black hair and eyes to gold and turquoise. Unfathomable power pours out from him that can be felt even without a scouter or a grand display of lightning and earthquakes. Against his will and controlled by pure instinct, Vegeta takes half a step away in fear of the power, before reverence and pride takes over and he cautiously flies closer for a better look.
If—If this is truly him and not a fake or a copy, he… He did it. He had to have. There's no other way to explain this power—this appearance—He ascended. He achieved what many Saiyans believed was mere legend, but the royal family knew as truth—as their birthright.
“You…”
“C'mon! You're being so stingy! At least it's technically you this time!”
“This—?!” His ascended self splutters, and the low-class copy visibly stills as if caught.
“... Ah.”
Another burst of aura flares around his copy, and now electricity sparks around him, “Kakarot.” He growls, all but teleporting in front of the low-class and grabbing a fistful of his gi. The fool raises his hands as if trying to calm him.
“Other than the fights at the tournaments and him killing me, I didn't do anything with Hit!!”
Other than when who did what? How many times can this roach die and crawl back? Is the power of the dragon balls that infinite?
“And Frieza?”
The low-class purses his lips with a strained smile.
“And Frieza, Kakarot?”
“... Don't worry, Vegeta!” They flash a thumbs up accompanied by a grin, “I didn't put it in.”
His copy punches the low-class doppelganger in the face.
“What… What is going on..?” The real(?) Kakarot asks, warily and slowly flying up to join at a safe distance.
“I don't know.” Vegeta admits with full honesty, a squabble that can only be described as a cat fight happening behind him, “I do know one thing, though—”
Vegeta thrashes his fluffed tail, allowing himself to visibly lose control of his rage in front of an enemy for the first time in years. It wouldn't matter, as a dead man tells no tales.
“—I want you dead.” Much to his bitter acknowledgment, he can't kill either of their copies or other selves or whatever the hell they are. But this man has the same face of the man who did—ugh—he doesn't even want to think about what he might have done with Frieza to elicit such a reaction from his doppelganger, and that excuse from the trash.
If he can't kill the copy, he's killing the original.
He lowers himself into a battle stance mid-air, and lunges forward to begin an endless flurry of punches and kicks. His blood ignites when Kakarot manages to keep up, though whether that's from rage or amusement, he doesn't know nor care.
Today he's killing Kakarot, and he'll make sure he stays down for good before killing Frieza next.
“Oh hey Vegeta, look! They're finally fighting after all!” Goku blocks a blow to his kidney and nods towards their two past selves. Vegeta grunts and reluctantly pauses his best attempt in beating him into needing a Zenkai Boost to instead follow his gaze.
Past-Vegeta seems to be trying to murder his past self with all his might, and maybe he should be worried about that considering the fact that Goku had only managed to win thanks to a lot of luck, him having been mostly toyed with in the beginning, and all the assistance from everyone else. But he's too relieved about the timeline ending up the way it should. More or less.
“Looks like you're dead in this timeline. Great job.” His Vegeta says. Goku lets his bottom lip jut out in a pout.
“Aw, you got that little faith in me?”
“Yes.”
Goku rubs the back of his head with a sheepish laugh at the immediate answer given with zero hesitation.
“While I'd love to see a time where your friends didn't interrupt our battle and I beat you to the ground before murdering you in cold blood, there's no way my past self can challenge Frieza or even the Ginyu Force with his current strength. Loathe as I hate to admit it, you need to be alive for at least Namek—if for nothing else than as a meat shield.”
Goku blinks and cocks his head to the side, “Wasn't I already that for you back then?” He asks, recalling how Vegeta had ditched him in the fight against Ginyu.
“Exactly.” Vegeta turns away with a huff before raising his voice to shout—“Hey!”
Past-Vegeta kicks Past-Goku into a large butte, then whips his head around with a snarl.
“What?!”
Vegeta crosses his arms, unbothered, “Feel free to beat him as you please, but don't kill him.”
“To hell with whatever insane nonsense the two of you have together! I'm killing this trash no matter what!”
Goku grins whereas Vegeta flushes, “There's nothing between us!! You just need to keep him alive to use against Frieza! He already knows about the Dragon Balls, give each other a good Zenkai Boost and then get your asses over there!”
“Frieza already knows what?!”
“Don't even bother trying to go there now, you'll just be killed.” Vegeta turns away with a scoff, “I told you, just give each other a good enough Zenkai Boost to at least handle Dodoria.”
“Like this low-class could stand any chance of almost killing me!”
“You'd be surprised.” Vegeta drawls before holding a hand out towards Goku, palm down and expectant. Goku’s grin stretches as he holds out his own hand for Vegeta to hold, raising his other hand to bring two fingers to his forehead.
This timeline is already messed up, so surely teleporting to Master Roshi’s place before dipping will be ok.
“See you, Past-Vegeta! I promise to be a good meat shield, so just try not to kill me and let me heal here, I'll follow right behind you!” Goku squeezes Vegeta's hand and teleports away, thoroughly terrifying his master and friends when he suddenly appears behind them with the Saiyan they were just watching on TV. Vegeta tears his hand away with a huff, and Goku snickers playfully at the screams and overdramatic falling over of everyone.
“G—G—Goku?!?!” Master Roshi whips his head from the TV to him, glasses slidden halfway down his face and his mouth open in shock.
“Hey Master Roshi! Hey guys! Pretend you didn't see us! Take care of Chi-Chi!” Goku gives a quick wave before turning to Vegeta, still grinning, “Let's go, Vegeta!”
“Don't order me around.” Despite his grumble, the prickly prince follows him outside with nothing more than a passing glance towards the terrified Bulma, ignoring everyone else.
“Let's leave before you ruin anything else. If Lord Beerus wants to punish us for this, I'm pinning everything on you.”
Goku slumps, “Aw what? C'mon…”
“Shut it.” Vegeta reaches inside his armor and pulls out a capsule, tossing it onto the beach just as it explodes into smoke. After the smoke cloud dispels, it reveals the time machine.
“Just get inside already.” Orders the prince, already floating up to open the entrance. Goku sulks but follows after nonetheless.
“Alright…” He settles beside Vegeta, the space is a bit tight with the machine meant to be only a single person ride, but thankfully Vegeta is so small that Goku can stand to the side comfortably enough. He got punched when he had mentioned that earlier on their way here, so he very wisely brought it up again to see how Vegeta would react.
This time it earns him a ki blast to the face—it's weak enough to not have damaged the machine should he have deflected or dodged, but enough to create a puff of smoke that Goku has to fan away from his nostrils and mouth, coughing. Vegeta ignores his coughing fit as he presses a button to begin the closing of the overhead glass hatch. As it clicks shut, Goku turns to the prince who's typing away on the control panel.
“Hey Vegeta?”
“What.” He snaps, double checking something on the screen Goku doesn't understand. Goku dips down to bring himself closer to eye level with Vegeta.
“Can we really not wish back your tail? I mean, Bulma wishes to look younger all the time, so one wish for a tail wouldn't hurt. If we don't use all the wishes we can save them for later in the future if we do need it.”
“Kakarot, if you ask me that one more time I will leave you here and you'll have nothing to do other than yourself because my past self will not play with you and the current strongest in the universe is Frieza—who is nothing right now. I refuse to get my tail back just to satisfy your new kink.”
Goku's brain latches onto one part of Vegeta's entire rant.
Himself?
Could he do himself?
There is another him, and if he can't do anything with Past-Vegeta—
As if sensing his inner thoughts, Vegeta slams the final button with dangerous force and the machine whirs to life. A small spark comes out from the smashed button but Vegeta makes no comment about it, clearly silently seething. Goku doesn't think twice about it—he closes the distance and kisses Vegeta's cheek. Vegeta stills and punches his face in clear instinct.
“Ow!!” Clutching his very much stinging nose that just had an unfortunate meeting with Vegeta's knuckles, he stumbles backwards until his back hits the wall of the machine. His whine of protest and pain is met with a glower.
“Behave.” Vegeta orders with a low, rumbling growl. The sound accompanied by the prince's burning death glare sparks something in him, and so he dares to open his mouth to challenge him. Except the bright flash of light and change in scenery outside distracts him and gives Vegeta an escape.
The hatch hisses as it opens and Vegeta wastes no time in getting up and floating out. The pout from earlier returns full force, but with the voices of Lord Beerus and Whis greeting them, Goku accepts he'll need to put a hold on the argument for now.
It's a good thing he has no intentions on dropping it for good, and that he could out-stubborn the prince more often than not. He fully intends to see what else the tail can do, having lost his own so long ago and so young that he doubts he ever discovered its full potential. Especially for how it can be used the way he's currently desiring.
Lord Beerus' snap to get the hell out of the time machine rushes him to obey. With a sheepish smile towards Lord Beerus and a sly one towards Vegeta, Goku puts a pin on his wish.
Surely Bulma wouldn't mind if he borrowed the radar for a while.