c3: Persuade!
"Hey… Brother Vegeta. Long time no see…"
When Betkas stepped out of the spherical space pod and entered Frieza's massive mothership, he immediately found himself in a stark white room, illuminated by artificial lights. There, seated in silent contemplation, was none other than the proud Saiyan prince, Vegeta. His short stature, unmistakable upright flame-shaped hair, and crossed arms gave him a rigid presence.
"You?!"
Vegeta's eyes sharpened at the familiar voice. He abruptly stood, his surprise poorly masked by a scowl. Betkas saw that signature expression—pride mixed with hostility and couldn't help but think to himself:
If you were an adult, maybe you'd be a real challenge. Too bad you're just a tsundere brat right now. Tch... What's wrong with my brain after reincarnating?
Then he noticed someone else.
"Hey… Nappa? You're here too?"
Betkas turned to spot a bald young boy sitting silently beside Vegeta. Though not the hulking brute he would one day become, Nappa already possessed a muscular build for a boy, and wore the standard Saiyan armor. He seemed a bit uneasy at Betkas's presence.
Nappa stood quickly and offered a respectful nod. "Third Prince… it's been a while."
Betkas gave a nonchalant nod before glancing at the pair and murmuring aloud, "So… we're the only three Saiyans left?"
Vegeta's face tightened instantly. "What did you just say?!"
Nappa looked equally stunned. Both boys froze, clearly unprepared for that kind of statement.
Betkas sighed at their reaction. He clapped his hands softly, looked around the room to make sure no one was eavesdropping, then leaned in and whispered, "Do you want to get us all killed by yelling like that? This isn't Planet Vegeta anymore this is Frieza's ship. If someone hears us talking about this, it won't just be our tails that get cut off."
Before Betkas could finish his breath, Vegeta lashed out with a punch. His fist shot forward with fury, but Betkas caught it with his right hand mid-air.
"Don't order me!" Vegeta snapped, eyes flaring with anger.
Betkas locked eyes with him, unshaken, and sighed. "That wasn't an order. It's common sense. There are dozens of soldiers on this ship who can kill us in an instant.Zarbon, Dodoria, the Ginyu Force... even Frieza himself. This may be a pirate fleet, but it runs on power and hierarchy. You know that as well as I do. And right now, we're low on that hierarchy."
Vegeta shook off Betkas's grip and scoffed. "Hmph. What was that nonsense about us being the only survivors?"
Nappa looked from one to the other, visibly confused.
Betkas straightened, exhaled, then finally delivered the truth. "Planet Vegeta has been destroyed."
"What did you say?!!!" Vegeta's pupils shrank.
Even Nappa gasped.
Betkas's voice hardened. "It's true. Planet Vegeta is gone. Frieza wiped it out. All Saiyans on the planet are dead except us."
A cold silence fell over the room.
Vegeta's face contorted shock at first, then a long, slow shift into indifference.
"…Planet Vegeta is destroyed. So what? What does that have to do with me?"
That response startled Betkas for a second. So cold? he thought. Is this the same guy who later begged Kakarot to avenge him? Then he remembered Vegeta's later shift came after years of battles, betrayals, and humility. Right now, he was still the hardened, arrogant child molded by Saiyan pride and survival instinct.
He's cold outside… but warm inside. Just doesn't know it yet, Betkas thought.
Nappa remained speechless. The air between the three thickened with tension.
Several minutes passed in silence.
Betkas finally coughed lightly and said with an air of forced maturity, "There may still be some Saiyans out there elites or infants like Kakarot, sent to other planets before the destruction. If we can find them, maybe we can rebuild something. Brother Vegeta, what do you think? Should we try to track them down? After all… we are the last flame of the Saiyan race. Alone, the three of us can't carry our people's legacy."
Vegeta glared at him, scoffing. "Hmph. Rebuild the Saiyans? I don't need help from weaklings. I'm more than enough on my own."
Betkas's eyes narrowed. "What, you think you're a Super Saiyan already? Delusional people like you… always die first."
Even a fool could hear the sarcasm in his voice. Vegeta, of course, was no fool.
"Say that again, you bastard!" Vegeta growled.
Betkas didn't flinch. He stared directly into Vegeta's burning eyes and repeated coldly, "There are always people like you too full of themselves. And those people… die the fastest."
"You arrogant worm!"
Vegeta snapped. A violent ball of ki formed in his left hand. He launched it without hesitation.
The energy blast roared toward Betkas with furious speed. But Betkas stood firm. He braced, raising his arms to block the attack. The impact exploded against him in a small flash of light and dust. Smoke clouded the room.
Vegeta glared at the haze, waiting for the dust to clear. Nappa looked on, his face stricken with panic, completely unsure whether to intervene.
Then, from the smoke, Betkas's calm voice rang out:
"I've always told you… people like that die the fastest."
The haze cleared. Betkas emerged his armor scuffed, face slightly dirtied, but otherwise unhurt. He dusted himself off, eyes sharp and calm. The daily intense training on Planet Vegeta had paid off. Not only had he built up power through sparring, he'd also developed internal ki resistance techniques Saiyan body-hardening methods passed down through elite warriors. This resilience was why he'd always come out on top during past fights with Vegeta.
"For your own sake," Betkas said, tone now tinged with melancholy, "keep your head down. Until your power catches up… we're just dogs on Frieza's leash."
Vegeta said nothing. He stared at Betkas with clenched fists, breathing hard. His pride stung, but his logic knew Betkas was right.
Nappa, meanwhile, stood there watching them both like a deer caught in headlights, clearly unsure whether to applaud Betkas's restraint or brace for round two.
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