Free From Time

Chapter Three: Body Changing Nonsense

"So Kakarot was sent to Earth to conquer it, but hit his head and forgot his mission?" Articho repeats.

"Correct. I don't know how he managed it, nor how he's so damned strong." Vegeta responds. Articho cools her nerves; the man who ruined her life wasn't called Kakarot, and he always wore black. Even if they look the same. She, and Vegeta, hear two voices outside of the ship.

"The dragon balls are probably buried here. Lets dig them up, Gohan," That sounded like Krillin to Articho. They both look out of the entrance, and spot Gohan and Krillin stood next to the 7 dragon balls. The two Earth-born fighters seem to attempt to summon the dragon, but nothing happens.

"Who is that?" Articho feels two powers flying towards the ship, but one of them is off somehow. As if the power doesn't belong to its user. Gohan and Krillin feel the powers too, and duck to the side, behind the dirt they dug up.

"Looks like someone found the dragon balls," Says the first. He looks exactly like Kakarot, but has Ginyu's scouter.

"Aye. Seems like we need to punish somebody," Says the next; Jeice. His white hair seems to glow in the Namek sunlight.

"Oh, hey, Goku!" Krillin greets the imposter, oblivious to the obvious.

"Looks like we found our criminal. He barely even left the crime-scene!" Jeice chuckles. The fake Kakarot knees Krillin in the chest. Articho is holding herself back from obliterating the fake; not for hurting Krillin, though. Vegeta can feel the fury building underneath her skin.

"K-Krillin! That's not my Dad!" Gohan shouts. Krillin dashes away from the two goons as Gohan angrily lashes out against the fake Kakarot. Jeice tries attacking Gohan, but Vegeta attacks him.

"Oi!" Jeice angrily shouts at Vegeta.

"What's wrong? You should pick on someone your own size!" Vegeta smirks, and punches him in the stomach.

"Y-You weren't this damn strong before!" Vegeta kicks him in the chest, and away from him.

"I would explain, but you wouldn't live long enough for me to put the effort in," Vegeta smirks again.

"W-What?!" Jeice is sweating heavily, his eyes manic wide. Vegeta prepares a blast aimed at Jeice, and obliterates him.

"Four for four," Vegeta smirks and looks to Ginyu in Kakarot's body. Kakarot arrives; he's in Ginyu's injured body with a gaping wound in his chest. Vegeta easily beats up Ginyu, applying ample pressure against him. Vegeta grabs Ginyu's leg and throws him to the dirt, creating large a crater where he landed.

"D-damn it... T-this body isn't strong enough!" He shouts in anger.

"Failure! You stole a Saiyan body without knowing how it works, and now will pay for it," Vegeta snaps back. A purple aura summons around Ginyu, who is looking at Vegeta.

"If this body isn't good enough, I'll just take yours!" Ginyu yells, "Change now!" A purple beam shoots out of his mouth, aiming towards Vegeta. Kakarot realises, somehow, how his attack works, and flies forward, into the path of the beam. After a flash of a blinding light, Kakarot and Ginyu have gotten their bodies back.

"Rrrgh!" Ginyu looks towards the now closer Vegeta, "T-this time; change now!" A green energy surrounds Articho as she succumbs to her urges, charging at Ginyu far quicker than anyone could follow. She slams her fist onto his head, preventing his body change. Then, before anyone had registered her attack, she grabs his horns, and slams her head into his.

"Wh-What? Who ar-" Ginyu tries to question her presence, but she angrily thrusts her knees into his stomach. Articho grabs Ginyu's leg, and drags him down to the ground, slamming him face first into grass and dirt. She swings him around, carelessly throwing him into rocks and dirt. Ginyu manages to jump away, and tries readying a blast for the raging Saiyan, but Articho crushes his hand, and snaps his arm back. Vegeta had finally processed what happened before him, and decides to capitalise on Ginyu's unfortunate situation, landing in front of Ginyu.

"Five," He smirks, firing a large blast which easily obliterates the battered and disgraced captain. The prince then remembers the furious Articho behind him, and turns to face her. She attempts to punch him, but stops herself.

"I-I... I remember your face..." She says, fixated on his face. Vegeta subconsciously takes a step back; he can feel the immense power difference between them. But against all odds, Articho drops down to one knee as the green energy around her fades away and her muscles become less pronounced. Vegeta notes that despite her decrease in power, she's still stronger than everyone on Namek. Articho wearily stands back up, and hides her power once again.

"Are you alright?" Vegeta asks.

"I-I'm fine," She answers. Vegeta scoffs at this, and grabs Kakarot. The two fly back to Frieza's ship, with Articho heading off ahead. She leans against the doorway to one of the locker rooms, and watches as the others bring Kakarot in, and put him into the last healing pod. Vegeta walks into the locker room, followed by Gohan and Krillin. He hands them armour, and looks at Articho.

"I take it that you don't want new ones?" He asks, surprisingly kindly.

"Yeah; no thanks." She replies, smiling lightly. Vegeta understands her choice, and turns back to the Earth-born duo, who have changed from their torn-up gi's into typical Frieza Force armours. Vegeta smirks slightly looking at them both, then drops back into his usual scowl. Articho slowly drifts off, leaning against the wall. She can hear Gohan and Krillin walk outside, then someone flying off. The humming of the healing pod from the other room was calming enough to lull her into sleep, especially after what she's been through.

Articho wakes up, the hum of the pod still steadily sounding from the other room. She slowly rises to her feet, and looks around the ship for Vegeta, to no avail. She decides to walk outside, and spots a Namekian near a tall, ugly alien, who is mostly white and purple in colour. She flies over to Krillin and Gohan, who are a few metres away from the two fighting.