The afternoon was almost over and Vegeta, despite his muscles screaming and his skin burning with the constant friction of his mental fight against his enemy dressed in orange, something that ironically was quotidian even before everything that happened, continued training with the same intensity with which he began, not shaken even by the slight decrease of the power that fed him.
The top of his clothes was gone, destroyed by the gravitational friction, and the same could almost be said for his pants. His muscles gleamed with sweat, and more and more his heart beat with uncontrollable excitement.
Even in this short amount of time, he could feel progress being made.
This was the first real training session he had undergone after balancing his Ki on Yardrat, since Beerus practically only took his anger out on him in a one-sided fight and made him blow things out of existence, making him draw the conclusion that Spirit Control was one of the biggest reasons that allowed father and son to surpass him time after time.
Proper rest and meditation were also part of that ignored in the past.
This time, however, he wouldn't make the same mistakes and would take full advantage of what was ignored and advance to new heights!
Moreover, reluctantly, Vegeta would admit that this youth had its advantages and was...enjoyable.
His left shoulder tended to bother him a bit after all the times it had been damaged in combat, but now it was in perfect condition. Not only that, his body as a whole responded much better to his will and seemed to be able to extract much more power, as well as maintain it longer than before.
For being a Saiyan, I always thought that I would remain at my peak until the last days of my life. Seeing the difference in regaining more than half of the lifetime wasted in Freeza's army, Vegeta had other thoughts about this truth. Even in my god form, I didn't feel this good!
It seemed that even in death, Bulma knew how to surprise him with something he didn't even know he needed.
With this body and the possibility of a new type of energy present in the beings of this world, I may be able to get the power I need! Vegeta couldn't wait to present Kakarot with the same gift he received for his complacency. Nothing but death!
-----
"So..." Yang checked the address on her Scroll for the tenth time and asked again about her constant doubt, "Are you sure this is it?"
Weiss was doing her best to remain composed about the insistence on questioning the obvious numerous times and deigning to answer... again.
"I don't understand the reason for your difficulty in accepting that we are not lost." She didn't see anything too much in this place. In fact, it was very nice and spacious, almost like her family's country house. Much better than I expected to find.
Weiss didn't hold any kind of prejudice... maybe a little about some things, but she was trying hard to change. The point was that there was a chance that Vegeta, considering the rigid expression and stern attitude shown most of the time, would live in a more... hostile environment.
Since the address didn't lead them to any kind of slumming, she was satisfied because the fact that he had decent financial assets lessened the chances of Vegeta being someone bad... possibly.
"Of course, you would say something like that!" Yang should have figured. "After all, you are a princess, live in a castle, and sleep on a bed of gold!"
"Don't be childish. My bed is made of sandalwood, not gold," Weiss corrected and was sure Yang was biting herself with the urge to punch her if those red eyes were any indication. "What? No one would be stupid enough to use wealth in such a petty way... Well, maybe my father..."
"Weiss, be modest." Blake sighed, displeased. She tried and failed not to think that the luxury experienced by Weiss and her family was financed, in part, with slave labor from other faunus.
"Oh, oh!" Ruby was static, unable to calm herself with all the anticipation created by what was coming next! "I bet you have a butler! And maybe a dragon guarding the volcanic bridge to your ice castle?!"
"Ruby, you're not making sense." Weiss was the one to needed to keep her cool with her teammates, especially these sisters. "Just how much sugar did you consume today?"
A rhetorical question, for she knew it had been worrying amounts.
"Why, you have some cookies?!" Ruby would take some more... although she couldn't even feel her teeth anymore at the moment. Is this normal?
At least for her, it wasn't the first time.
"No." Weiss would remember to never let her leader get her hands on anything sweet again. Unlikely, but it never hurts to try.
"That's not the point!" Yang wanted to catch fire for no one saw it the same way she did, or pretended they didn't! "This is one of the noblest areas in Vale! Only big shots live here! And I'm sure even Ozpin doesn't have a house around here!"
"Are you saying that a mere Huntsman can't make enough money to afford a house in a place like this?" Weiss hadn't considered that, almost disappointed in her future financial situation. That is, if I don't inherit the company.
That way, she could actually have an ice castle on top of a volcano, and who knows, even a dragon guarding the entrance in case Yang wants a job.
"Exactly!" Finally! Yang wanted to climb the walls because no one realized the obvious. "That means Vegeta can't be a normal Huntsman!"
There was nothing normal about that man, and they all could agree with that.
"I don't know..." Ruby looked around and wasn't sure she liked what she saw. Sure, it seemed quiet and peaceful, but with that undeniable artificial tone of every big city, and a snobbish air that took the best of what nature had to offer. "I think our house is much better."
Regardless of the Grimm that popped up from time to time, Patch was still beautiful and had that cozy feeling that only a true home possessed.
"Well, yes, but that's not what this is about." Yang would always find her home the best place in the world, regardless of how simple and quiet it was.
"Perhaps it's the result of his noble heritage?" Blake would never disagree with how abnormal Vegeta was. Still, it was undeniable that there was always a logical explanation and that not everything had to be a bad thing...as she herself tended to think. "He could simply be rich from birth, for all we know."
"Urgh..." So much for her argument. Yang could hardly remember anymore that the guy was a real prince. "All right... Maybe he's not a mercenary with underworld contacts and possibly the leader of a criminal organization." Her friends and Weiss gave her a bland look, realizing that she had said some nonsense. "I said maybe, okay?!"
Weiss merely scoffed at this imagination and wondered if the girl had been drinking. Of all things, alcohol was one she didn't want to know about, and neither did about people who were involved with it.
"Creative." Blake would keep those tips in mind. "However, highly unlikely."
"My ice castle on top of the volcano was cooler and more realistic!" Ruby smiled, proudly waiting for the words of agreement, but they never came. "You guys are pretty mean."
Maybe she needed new friends.
"Theories and fantasies aside, how about we ring the doorbell?" Weiss took the reins of common sense and did exactly as she said, only to have the gate open at the touch of her hand. "It's not locked..."
They exchanged a look of confusion, and Ruby was the first to come to a conclusion.
"Very suspicious!" She deciphered the riddle and could tell her team was eagerly awaiting her genius deduction! "It must be the work of an impostor!"
"For the love of the gods, Ruby!" Weiss held up her weapon, and Blake followed her in this logical action, feeling stupid for expecting anything more from her little child leader. "You're sixteen, act like it!" Without waiting for a defensive response and possible attempted aggression from the flaming blonde girl, she entered the courtyard with the support of the only person who seemed to have understood the gravity of the situation. "As secure as this area may seem, hardly anyone would leave the house open."
"In that case, there may be a break-in in progress," Blake supplemented, aware that things like this were more common than believed.
"Ohh..." Ruby got it and was quick to switch from sweet, playful mode to serious, armed, and deadly leader with her beloved Crescent Rose. "Team RWBY, we have an exterminator to save and ruffians to arrest!"
"Did she just say, ruffians?" Yang brought Ember Celica up and faced Weiss. "That can only be your influence."
"You say that like it's a bad thing!" Weiss also wanted to point out the other nonsense said, about the exterminator, but thought it best to hurry with the reminder that such an unusual term brought. Most likely, it's the invaders who will need to be saved.
All that remained was to pray to the gods not to have a pile of bodies inside those walls, or Weiss didn't know what she would do other than be taken by the disappointment of feeling something for a possible assassin...not that she felt anything for Vegeta.
Right?
-----
The fading daylight indicated the approach of night, and Vegeta could feel the strange power coming from the very soul of those girls, getting closer and closer to his new residence.
It is still a difficult power to detect. Because it was so different and new, he would check this planet over and over during his training to get used to this feeling and even search for some significant power level. Nothing but a few places with accumulations of people with this 'Aura'.
To say that Vegeta wasn't disappointed at the revelation that no one on the planet would be able to even stand up to a mere Saibaman, perhaps not even with an army, would be a lie.
Again, reiterating the pessimistic thought that this new source of power might not be as useful as he wanted it to be.
Still, Vegeta would only judge for sure after he got his hands on the power of his soul.
Deciding to call it a day, the absurd gravity let his shoulders relax, his lungs had the pleasure of tasting the almost non-existent oxygen until he was satisfied, and finally relaxed his slightly sore muscles.
The training, though short, was satisfying and enlightening.
Vegeta fully accepted the gift imposed on him, allowed himself to feel the brief contentment provided by having blood running like boiling oil within his veins, and, above all, to get a glimpse of the light he longed for at the end of the dark tunnel that Kakarot represented.
It might take time, but the power he wanted was within his reach with or without this Aura. As a last resort, he could always focus on the power of destruction.
Despite all his justifiable pessimism about this new power, having been guided to this planet by none other than Whis, Vegeta was hopeful that Aura would be at least a part of the ultimate solution.
However, he would keep that trace of skepticism tied to reality.
That aside, I think I'd better go receive them. The girls were already at the gate, and Vegeta was right to have left their passage open. One less thing to worry about. Only something was bothering him. I thought I was clear about who I would tutor.
In that case, why did all four of them come?
Whatever. Vegeta didn't care at all; it might even be a good thing for him. Nothing guarantees that the little girl and the princess can unlock my Aura, so it's good to have more options to help.
Outside the gravity room, he waited for a few seconds while he dried the sweat from his face with a towel and hydrated himself with a bottle of water until the small team stood before him... all of them armed and ready for combat.
"Is all this excitement to start training?" Vegeta made each of them jump in fright, immediately turning their weapons against him. "Or perhaps some kind of revenge against me?"
The second option was a thought as amusing as the earned reaction, where three of them were turning red, much more so in the case of the princess and her absurdly white skin.
Why are they acting like that? Vegeta didn't understand, almost as if they had seen something out of this world. Well, they aren't wrong.
Unfortunately, that was not the reason, and each of them, who almost included a curious and slightly confused Ruby who had never seen a half-naked man before, was blushing with pure surprise and shock.
Vegeta was shirtless and his pants were almost destroyed, being now something like a shorts to reveal almost everything. His body was wet with sweat and made his exposed muscles glow with power in the soft sunlight, creating an image that could only be described as the pinnacle of masculinity.
A sinful delight to the eyes that could affect almost any woman, even more so, inexperienced girls in their teens.
When Yang woke up to life with the warmth of her reddening face and increased heart rate, a predatory smile, but with unexpected traces of shyness, formed on her lips, and her Scroll was in hand so fast to take some pictures that it was surprising.
This was a moment to remember and use later as a tease with her classmates.
Pyrrha and Nora couldn't wait for this little big surprise!
Blake, next door, did something similar with her Scroll, but to write down some extremely exciting and questionable new ideas with this unparalleled material...in many ways.
Because, dang it, the two of them doubted that there was another man so hot as to make them feel an almost unknown temptation.
Weiss, on the other hand, simply blushed to the limit, and one could almost see smoke coming out of her head as she melted.
She wanted to scream, cover her eyes, and call him a pervert! However, against her own will and dignity, she could only stare more and more as her heart raced in an unknown way that warmed her body.
As for Ruby, she was beginning to understand what a real man was and how embarrassing it was to stare at one. Like, why was his body so big? He looked like a comic book superhero!
Maybe he is one? Ruby had to remember that he could fly and everything! "Hmm," she shook her head a few times to try to assume her role as leader and failed as she looked away with some shyness she didn't know about, choosing instead to approach this evil prince. "Here!" The drawing she made in class was in hand, offering, "I made this for you!"
That was enough to bring back the other girls' sense of reality and observe this unexpected interaction.
Vegeta accepted the paper with some confusion, and what he saw managed to make him express the semblance of a smile.
This is really bad; he avoided saying it out loud in order not to hurt this shy little girl. It even looks like something that... His smile faltered and became something different, almost nostalgic and melancholy. Trunks would have done.
It was a drawing of him flying while wearing a cape, with flames around his body, and doing some kind of stupid pose by extending only one arm forward.
More eye-catching than all that would be what was written on his chest.
"Prince of all Terminators."
The irony was strong in the truth behind the joke, for Saiyans used to be exactly that.
"It's not bad," a lie necessary not to earn either a whimper or discontent, as had happened with his son after receiving a moderate dose of his brutal honesty, "I'll put it on my fridge."
A place of honor by Earthly mores.
Understandable, since the refrigerator was the most important place that existed next to the gravity chamber, and even the most powerful beings in the universe, Whis and Beerus, would agree with him.
The change triggered in this girl indicated that the same applied to this world.
"Really?!" Ruby had all that weird feeling ripped away as she jumped up and down with excitement, having little stars in her eyes as she discovered that this prince of Terminators could be someone pretty cool! "Did you hear that, Yang?!"
The girl in question came out of her teenage reverie and nodded to her little sister, all happy for so little.
Exactly what made Ruby be Ruby, no matter how strange the situation was.
"Good for you, sis," was all she could say, seeing also that this guy wasn't so bad. In more ways than one~
After all, just being hot wasn't enough, and Yang was sure she wasn't the only one who thought so.
Weiss managed to calm down and pretend that nothing had happened while being thankful that Yang was too busy devouring Vegeta with her eyes to notice how she had reacted and resist the urge to make another scandal about the indecent way that this all-powerful, fit, and manly prince...
I'm doing the same as Yang, aren't I? Weiss was discouraged to fall so low and almost hated herself for wanting to keep looking. Damn hormones.
She wondered if her sister had to go through something similar at her age, as this was certainly as uncomfortable as it was degrading.
Blake, on the other hand, appreciated that Vegeta's personality was not as cold and serious as it had been shown in the cafeteria; that he was more than meets the eye... although she didn't mind what she was looking at the moment.
Not one of them did. Maybe Ruby, but she didn't count.
Likewise, Blake was considering rephrasing her position and delivering an answer to him about why she was fighting and wanting more power.
"So," Yang decided to say something after the initial shock of that surprise had subsided, going straight to what was on all of their minds. "What happened to your clothes?"
Not that she was complaining.
"Hmm?" Vegeta didn't pay much attention to that, something more usual than they could imagine, and pointed to the dome-shaped construction that clearly stood out more than anything else, but that no one had noticed. "I was doing some training under increased gravity in that room."
Normally, this wouldn't happen, but this time the gravity exceeded his capacity, and so he couldn't reinforce his clothes, as usual, resulting in his current state.
They finally noticed something that should be visible from afar, but couldn't draw any more attention than the man sculpted in marble before them.
It was a dome that, although it was huge, was no match for this mansion.
Its design was unlike anything they had ever seen, and they definitely had no idea what this Capsule Corp was.
"Increased gravity?" Weiss had never heard about that, even more so to undergo such harsh conditions with the intention of training. "How does it work and what are its benefits?"
At the very least, this chamber, if it really worked, used Gravity Dust as its basis. However, what interested her was how the expected control she could demonstrate using her Semblance was replicated by a machine.
"By multiplying the natural gravity that bears down on your body, it creates an environment where merely walking can be considered training in numerous areas such as physical strength, endurance, reflex, and speed," Vegeta summarized, seeing no big deal in that after so long. Their surprise is justified to some extent. Considering the Scroll he had, the technology and theoretical knowledge of this world should be more than enough to understand the principles behind this training chamber. "In short, the higher the gravity, the heavier your body gets and so does your strength, should you be able to withstand the training."
Considering the power he had, these effects were real, and Yang was interested in this training method.
However, one doubt remained.
"If that is the case, under how much gravity have you undergone to be in that state?" Blake was curious, not letting Weiss question further as to how that room worked. She will have time for that later.
Now, however, there was this doubt that they all wanted to know, but that unfortunately, Vegeta wouldn't answer with too many details.
"Enough," he was bland about it, knowing that honesty would generate more questions than it was worth. "But that doesn't matter, since that's not what you all came here for."
Not yet, anyway.
"O-oh, right," Weiss knew it was now time to get to the point, no matter how uncomfortable she still was by this man's revealing appearance and the discovery of unknown technology. "We accept your offer."
She gestured to herself and her childlike leader, pushing a displeased Yang and Blake aside.
"Weiss!" Ruby puffed up her cheeks, not believing what her partner was doing! "I didn't agree to that!"
Team RWBY was only a team if they were all together!
"Let me finish, Ruby," Weiss was patient with this interruption, being more than aware of what her little leader thought, and she respected that; this loyalty to her team. "We accept, as long as you let Blake and Yang accompany us, and," she smiled at the effect her proposal was having on her rejected teammates, "promise to give them a second chance if those flaws are...corrected."
Yang couldn't help but smile, not expecting that from this little princess.
Although the condition set was problematic for acknowledging the existing problem, it was better than nothing.
Blake appreciated the change for the better of this girl whom she once inevitably resented.
Weiss might be a Schnee, but she wasn't like the rest of them, and now she had certainly become someone Blake could call a friend.
"Oh, oh, that I agree with!" Ruby was quick to rephrase, expecting nothing less of her bestie!
The truth was quite different, but no one needed to know that.
Vegeta said nothing, cogitating on this proposal or imposition made as if he would lose anything if he didn't accept.
At least he respected the courage behind it.
"All right then," Vegeta didn't mind, not much, and that made these girls happy enough to radiate optimism. For now. Each of them would regret it later, of that he was sure. "But I also have my own conditions." That was the bucket of cold water they were not expecting, the first of many. "You all will not bother me or interfere with my training, much less divulge about it to other people, no matter who it is."
That was the least he wanted, willing to train and guide these girls out of his own curiosity to learn more about this race, its limits, and its powers during the breaks necessary for his body to rest, thus avoiding making the same mistakes as in the past.
As for the girls, they could agree to that, being a more than reasonable request.
No one liked to be disturbed, and they needed to respect that, especially because of the secret related to this unknown power.
"Also," now that was what Vegeta really wanted and needed from these girls, "one of you will unlock my Aura."
They just stared in confusion, not expecting this.
Well, at least he hadn't asked for anything indecent, and that in itself was a good thing.
"For what?" Yang didn't understand this request, not with everything she knew about this man. "Isn't Ki, like, much stronger? What do you need Aura for?"
Actually, it was strange that he didn't already have Aura.
Wasn't that the minimum requirement to be a Huntsman?
"I never needed it before," more because he didn't know about the existence of that power, but Vegeta wouldn't elaborate on that. "Now, since I'm going to train you, it would only be fair that I get something from it."
After all, even Whis had his own reasons in the form of delicious food to help in his training.
The request was implicit, and it took a second for them to understand.
"Do you want us to train you too?" Blake was confused, not knowing what exactly any of them could teach this man who apparently could break the sound barrier while flying.
"I would say share knowledge, but if that's a problem, I can always find someone else." Vegeta was offended by such presumption coming from someone so much younger and weaker. "You, on the other hand..."
He didn't need to finish; they understood the message.
Only Vegeta could grant them access and training on this Ki; the opposite wasn't quite the case.
They needed him much more than he needed them.
"I can unlock your Aura!" Weiss was quick to prevent Vegeta from changing his mind. "As well as help with anything you need to know."
That would be just fitting, considering that she was the best at controlling and manipulating Aura on her team.
The other girls had nothing to say about this; they were just waiting for a positive response from the prince.
"That's all I need to hear," Vegeta nodded, and it seemed that he had given them permission to breathe again. They must be desperate, although curious, he didn't care enough to ask. "I have other conditions to impose, but that is for after the training begins. For now, I'm going to take a shower and get ready. You can wait here or inside. I don't care, as long as you don't touch anything."
The last thing he needed was to have any accidents or problems happen.
"Oh, it's okay," Weiss understood and was glad they had come to a consensus, although she still wanted to know about those other conditions. "We're not in a hurry, so take your time."
Everything seemed to be going well until Yang lost control over her foul tongue, not being able to keep quiet and wait a little longer.
"Do you need some help washing your back?" she suggested unobtrusively, but in a joking tone that didn't seem to be understood, given the stares received. "What? It's not like you two hadn't thought of the same thing."
If they hadn't, they were now.
"Yang, Dad said girls can't take baths with boys!" Ruby remembered this being one of the rules her father emphasized the most, besides forbidding sleeping with boys, being alone with boys, not letting boys touch them, and many other things that followed in that same line. Why is everything related to boys?
Now that she thought about it, it was so weird!
"True, but Vegeta is a man and not a boy, remember?" a very bad justification, but one that couldn't be more effective, after all, Yang knew the sister she had.
Said and done.
"Oh," Ruby had forgotten about that. "I guess it's all right then."
It wasn't, not even close.
That's because two royals were sharing the same reaction to all this nonsense.
Weiss and Vegeta were boiling and blushing from ear to ear, while the prince was speechless!
The princess was different and could speak even more in that state with the anger she felt, but just when she was about to go full ballistic on these sisters while Blake was having the best writing day of her life, with so much material to write down that she couldn't believe it, Vegeta almost lost his mind.
"I-I don't need any help!" he literally shouted in a way that made the ground shake, the trees sway so the birds fled and the lake rippled before he left huffing with shame and anger, slamming the door as he entered the house in a way that was a miracle he didn't break anything.
All of this, however, was almost meaningless when compared to the reaction that was capable of perplexing all the girls there.
It was so cute that it was strange to see a man like that acting like an inexperienced teenager...
Then a possibility occurs to them about this man not being a complete man.
Yet.
"I'm in," Blake broke the silence created with a decision that was unexpected but could have so many twists and turns that she couldn't contain her excitement.
"Of what?" Weiss wasn't sure she understood, still confused and worried that she had just lost her chance to learn about Ki because of this stupid blonde.
Yang deserved to be turned into an ice cube!
"Of the competition, I'm in," Blake elaborated, and she was in for the win!
"Now we're talking," Yang smiled despite her mess, always open to a challenge, and this would make a great one!
"You can't be serious!" Weiss couldn't believe such nonsense! "After what just happened, you want him to tell us to go away?!"
In fact, he might as well have already made that decision; Weiss was just clinging to a thread of hope that he would ignore this offense and still train them!
"What, you give up?" Yang wasn't too worried; after all, she wouldn't be trained anyway.
"In your dreams!" Weiss would do everything not to miss this unique opportunity, even if she needed to stoop so low!
"Yes!" Ruby was excited, even if she didn't understand what was happening. "The whole team is participating in the same activity!"
Or so she thought.
"Not you!" Weiss and Yang shouted in unison, putting such absurdity out of the mind of this girl, who didn't understand this competition.
Ruby sulked at being left out, even if it was about something adult.
Blake didn't say anything, she didn't need to. She just focused on what she would do next, on how she could be accepted by this prince as Ruby and Weiss had done.
Only then could the competition really begin.