Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Against All Odds ❯ Brotherly Love ( Chapter 9 )

Disclaimer: If I owned it, I would have made sure that Vegeta was as strong if not stronger than Goku.

Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews. It is what keeps me going. I like knowing that there are people out there that are enjoying something that I have created. Feedback is more than welcome.

Now tell me honestly, if you lived on this base would you ever go back to that dinning hall. For the love of the Kami talk about a hot spot for trouble! Ha ha ha. Well enjoy the story and merry met.

Chapter Nine

Brotherly Love

Something was wrong. Vegeta paused in the middle of the gym floor, his target forgotten, as he cocked his head to one side. He could have sworn he heard the woman whisper his name.

Vegeta, I am under attack!

Nappa's voice cut through his mind like a steel blade. He rapidly locked onto Nappa's ki and he motioned to Raditz to follow as he sped out the door and down the hall towards the cafeteria before he even formed his reply message.

Where is Bulma?

She has been injured.

At Nappa's response, Vegeta snarled audibly and he began to move faster. The warriors in the hall were haphazardly thrown against the wall by flashes of light that passed by as Vegeta phased in and out of sight.

They entered the mess hall to see Nappa dangling from the grasp of a large angry man. His skin was a warm chestnut brown, kissed by some unknown sun and his dark locks were cut short in a military fashion. He wore tan battle armor edged in black, heavily scuffed from numerous conflicts. His fury clouded his features like a thunderstorm, dark and foreboding. He was still unkempt from his journey and it was apparent that he sought his goal directly upon arriving on the base.

Vegeta's agile mind, honed from years of evaluating his enemies and cataloging every aspect of their appearance and behavior was able to recognize who the man was immediately. Or at least who he was related too. In a glance, Vegeta was able to ascertain his adversary's origins, physical limitations and mental focus. The man's mind, to his own detriment, was not primed for battle, but instead he was intent on seeking revenge on what he thought to be a defenseless and unprotected woman. It was a drastic error on his part and a perfect example of why Vegeta never assumed anything.

In the few seconds that it took for them travel from the gym to the cafeteria, Nappa had sustained series injuries and was teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. Soldiers who were trying to escape the room skidded to a stop when they saw Vegeta, yet again, blocking their only exit. More than one warrior swore to themselves that they would rather starve than eat in the cafeteria again, since it seemed to have become the most dangerous place in the galaxy.

"Put him down." Spat the Prince of All Saiyans. To everyone in the room it looked as though Vegeta only saw the man who was accosting his bodyguard. In reality, Vegeta had noted Bulma's awkwardly twisted body on the floor and it took most of his will power not to howl in rage.

The man wrenched his attention from the bald man he had trapped in a choke hold to glare at the intruder and then just as quickly dismissed him as unimportant. His second error for the day. He flung Nappa's limp form into the corner, satisfied that he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon and then turned his attention to his intended target. He began to stalk towards Bulma's crumpled form, only to be cut off by Vegeta.

"Bad move, shortie." Bulma's attacker barked. "I don't have a problem with you, I just want her. She killed my brother." The man's lip peeled back over his white teeth, bringing to mind a rabid canine.

Vegeta smirked, already knowing the answer to the puzzle Bulma had asked herself minutes before. "You are a Raiken. Let me guess, your brother was Raja."

The man's eyes grew wide with shock at Vegeta's deductive reasoning. "Yes, how did you know?"

Vegeta's smirk grew into a taunting grin. The memory of Raja's death by the woman's hand while he had floated helpless in the regeneration tank fluttered through his mind. She had displayed remarkable bravery that day, only matched by her stupidity. She had been foolish to challenge a warrior. How she had managed to live this long was a constant surprise to Vegeta.

"Because I watched while my mate slaughtered him and I laughed while she did it."

The man grew enraged as his face twisted into a mask of hate and despair. "I, Jara will avenge my brother."

"Your brother does not deserve to be avenged. He was a weakling that allowed himself to be killed by a female, not even a warrior woman at that." Vegeta scoffed. This man was more foolish than his brother if he thought he would survive a fight with the Prince of All Saiyans.

"I will kill you and then I will fuck your little mate until she gasps her last breath." Jara's words dripped with malice. The hate rolled off the taller man in thick black waves nearly choking the occupants in the room.

Vegeta's eyes became shuttered and his face hardened into stone. His nostrils quivered like a predator that has scented its prey. The man didn't seem to notice the dangerous look that came over Vegeta, but the remaining men in the room did. They had seen it once, just before one of their own had been decimated in this very room. They quickly filtered out, not willing to be an accidental victim in the fight that was about to ensue.

Jara lashed out, intending to catch Vegeta in the face with a heavy right hook. At the last moment Vegeta phased out of sight, only to reappear behind the man, slamming his elbow into his back. The man flew forward nearly colliding with the wall before he caught himself. Jara straightened and looked at Vegeta, a surprised glint in his eye.

"So you are stronger than you appear. Well then, it's been a while since I have had a good fight." Jara planted his feet, while fisting his hands at his sides. With a load roar a red light burst around him as his power increased. Vegeta watched with amusement as the man's pathetic energy jumped up, but he was distracted from the sight when he saw the man's ki wake thrust into Bulma, bouncing her a few feet along the floor. Vegeta suppressed the urge to growl as she landed in a graceless heap, a soft moan lisping from her lips.

Taking a calculated risk, Vegeta rushed the man hitting him with enough force to knock him through the back wall and out of the complex. He landed heavily on top of Jara and Vegeta struck him hard in the gut before rebounding off him to look back at the hole he had created. He released the breath he had been holding when he saw that the automatic force fields had sprung into place as soon as the breach had occurred, protecting Bulma from the nearly airless vacuum.

Primus was a military base that was constructed on a chunk of a destroyed world. The ground was mostly silt like ash and all vegetation had died long ago. The base was built on the dark side of the asteroid, so it would be hidden from any passing ships, and the only illumination was from the soft glow of a nearby moon. Vegeta stood with the backdrop of the broken planet behind him, his shadowy physique outlined in silver moonlight. With his glittering eyes and wicked sneer he looked like the demon knight, Bulma so often referred to him as.

The asteroid still orbited a small sun, so it had a very light gravity and an extremely thin atmosphere. In fact, Vegeta was one of the only warriors who could fight in such a hostile environment for an extended period of time. He looked back expecting to see his opponent choking for air, but instead he felt his jaw crack as his face met the other man's rock hard fist. He recovered quickly and fluidly spun around to kick the man in the gut.

The force of the blow sent Jara shooting into the air and almost out of the gravity field. He flared his ki at the last moment and brought his reckless careening under control. Raja's brother floated in mid air as he brought both his hands in front of him to form a scarlet ball of power in his palms. Vegeta still stood next to the wall that separated Bulma from the outside and dodging the blast meant risking damage to the facility. In an effort to draw the man's fire, he blinked out of sight to rematerialize a few feet from Jara. However, he misjudged and his opponent released the blast sooner than Vegeta expected him too. He caught the blow square in the chest, sending him rocketing back to the ground creating a large impact crater.

He laid there for a moment, absorbing the burning pain that seared his entire torso. He choked on the sooty dust that billowed around him and between the thin atmosphere and the blow he just took he had to struggle to get breath into his lungs.

Stupid woman, she's going to get me killed before I have a chance to defeat Frieza. I could have finished this idiot by now, if I didn't have to worry about her safety. She is becoming a liability.

From his prone position on the ground, Vegeta could see the upper levels of the base. Crowds of people were pressed against the windows of the observation deck, avidly watching the battle. There was a great deal of pushing and prodding among the throng and Vegeta's dark eyes narrowed when he saw money exchanging hands. He snorted, now he couldn't use his full strength or word would get back to Frieza. Jara appeared hovering above him and Vegeta growled loudly in annoyance. He got to his feet and for show he began to power up. His blue ki twisted around him, infusing his cells with energy. The power shook the ground causing the dust to float up and dance with his swirling wake. Levitating rocks burst into chunks as the sparks of his ki flew out of his body. He raised his power only slightly higher than his opponents, for the benefit of those watching.

He sprung up from the hole, intending on punching the man in the ribs. Jara blocked with his knee and began to swing his hammer like fists furiously. Vegeta blocked the oncoming blows in an almost surreal manner. The man seemed almost ridiculously slow, but the fact of the matter was that Vegeta was just so much faster than him. Vegeta could actually see Jara's moves before he even began his assault like some sort of battle precognition.

Vegeta felt out Jara's power and compared it to the rest of the warriors on the base. Jara was by far the most powerful. He had taken Nappa, an elite saiyan without any trouble, yet he was feeble compared to Vegeta. The training in the GR had definitely paid off and Vegeta could not stop the feral grin that spread across his lips.

I will destroy Frieza soon.

The man saw the grin and became enraged. He was incapable of believing that the small man in front of him would have anything else on his mind other than their battle. The only explanation for the arrogant smirk, which Jara could think of, was that the cocky asshole found his pain to be amusing.

"How dare you mock me! You are only jealous that I have a family while yours whimpers in Hell." Jara was also able to reason out the facts and he had ascertained that this must be the monkey prince, whose race Frieza had personally sent to the next dimension.

"Hn." Was Vegeta's disinterested response, he had long ago come to terms with the fate of his family, besides there were worse places than hell.

Jara was incessant and with a roar he attacked viciously. Vegeta was easily able to block every one of his blows, but for the sake of his audience, he allowed the much weaker man to get in a few punches. It was almost more than Vegeta's pride could handle.

How the onna would laugh if she could see me now. Play acting for these imbeciles.

To entertain himself Vegeta decided to taunt the young man in front of him. "When I first came to the base I beat your brother so badly that he begged for mercy. I should have killed him then and saved him the dishonor of dying at the hand of a ki-less woman." Vegeta laughed with malicious enjoyment at Jara's strangled response.

The man gathered his remaining energy and pride around him and in a desperate bid he grabbed Vegeta by his upswept hair. He pulled the smaller man closer, while pummeling his face. Vegeta was pushed to his limit, he would no longer submit to this mockery of a battle, he had training to attend to He grabbed the man's wrist that held him by his thick spikes and squeezed until he felt the bones snap and give under the pressure. The man before him groaned with pain and he released his grip on the Prince's mane. Vegeta held the man's hand out to the side while returning everyone one of his blows to his face. The man crumpled to his knees while still being held by Vegeta.

Vegeta stepped down on the man's chest forcing him to the ground and in a fit of fury he tore the man's arm from his body flinging it into space. The man screamed in agony as his reddish black blood poured out onto the ground. The crowd in the upper deck pulsed with primal excitement at seeing blood brutally shed. Vegeta tipped his head back to watch the final exchange of money a victorious smirk on his cruel lips, a few less experienced warriors stepped back as though they could ward of the Prince's ebbing aura power.

"Please." Jara begged, gaining Vegeta's attention once again. "I only wanted to avenge my brother." He sobbed brokenly, his despair at failing his quest apparent with every word.

"Well that was your mistake, wasn't it." Snarled an uncaring Vegeta.

"It is no mistake to love your family." The man whispered with a certainty that made Vegeta's skin crawl.

"Family makes you weak." Vegeta hissed.

"What about your mate?" The man desperately pleaded, trying to reach the cold man on any level, unaware of the Prince's self loathing at his twisted emotions that he felt for the blue haired scientist.

"My point exactly." Vegeta's voice was low with scorn as he raised his hand. Without blinking he blasted the man into the next dimension, his screams unheard by the Prince.

Vegeta walked around to the air lock and entered the base once again. Moving quickly he returned to the cafeteria to find Raditz bent over a barely conscious Bulma. He strode up to them and swatted the long haired man aside.

"See to Nappa." He snarled, biting back the anger he felt at another man being near her when she was injured.

He bent down and picked up Bulma gently. She moaned and he quickly scanned her, listing her injuries in his head. She had a broken arm and leg and probably several bruises along her back where she had hit the wall. He sighed deeply, if the woman died then he would lose access to his GR, he pushed away any other thoughts of what he might feel if she did die.

"Vegeta?" She murmured as she opened her eyes to look blurrily at him.

"Hn." She relaxed against him and some of her pain seemed to ease. He could almost physically feel her draw strength from his presence and he an inexplicable urge to open himself to her and freely give her what she needed. For a brief moment he would have taken away her pain if he could. Mentally chastising himself he silently took her down to the Regeneration Room and set her on one of the exam tables. She was a little more alert and she looked at him in question. Behind him, Raditz came in with Nappa slung over his shoulder.

"Put him in the tank then come over here. I am going to need your help." Vegeta ordered him. Raditz nodded and headed to the nearest tank. A few minutes later he appeared at Vegeta's side and looked down at Bulma. She was in sad shape, her arm was twisted at an odd angle and he could see the white gleam of her femur bone.

He moved to stand at her shoulders, knowing what his Prince needed him to do. The tanks could repair breaks but they had to be set first. Vegeta looked down into Bulma's big blue eyes and he felt something clench inside of him.

"Bulma, this is going to hurt." He spoke gently but his face didn't reveal any of his rioting emotions. With characteristic brutality he shoved his reactions to her pain in deep corner of his unused heart.

She swallowed. "I know. I still don't understand why you people don't have anesthetic."

"A warrior does not need a pain killer. It is a sign of weakness." Vegeta replied quietly.

"Weakness, weakness, weakness. It's all you ever talk about." She hissed in annoyance.

"Hn."

She closed her eyes tightly and she felt Vegeta's firm grip around her wrist as Raditz pinned her shoulders to the table. With a sharp twist Vegeta jerked her elbow back into place. Bulma bit down hard on her lip, not wanting to yell out and lower herself in Vegeta's eyes. This earned her a smirk of approval from Vegeta, but that quickly melted away when he examined her leg. This break was much messier and the pain would be excruciating when he set it.

Raditz moved down to her side and he rested his weight across her hips. Vegeta wrapped his hands around her knee, almost dreading what he had to do. With a smooth motion, he pulled her leg straight until the bone disappeared back into her flesh then rotated it sharply until he heard it snap into place. With his movements all of Bulma's bravado disappeared and she screamed loudly causing both men to cringe at her shrieking. Her good hand fisted into Raditz long hair pulling it so hard that his lips curled into a snarl.

Her yells quieted into whimpers and she released her grip on his hair. Raditz moved away quickly least she grabbed for it again. Vegeta picked up a pair of sanitized tweezers from the tray and began to dig out slivers of shattered bone from the wound. Bulma's cries filled the room again and Vegeta was surprised that she did not pass out from the agony.

Vegeta set down the tweezers and picked up a scalpel. Growling at Raditz, who took the hint and turned away, he bent over Bulma, who looked up at him with wide eyes. He inserted the knife under the hem of her skirt and with one smooth motion he sliced her dress up the center baring her beautiful but bruised body to his heated gaze. He then carefully cut her sleeves, leaving it a ragged pile beneath her. She blushed slightly, but he brushed away the fabric impassively, ignoring her bra and panties as well as the throbbing ache in his groin that threatened to rear its head.

Tears streamed down her face and she sniffed when Vegeta gently picked her up off the table. For some reason her tears bothered him and he sought to comfort her.

"Woman, for someone who is not a warrior, you spend too much time in the Regeneration Tanks. You will have to correct that." He said to her softly while he set the dials.

"Humph, this coming from a man who has to go into the tank every time he comes back from a mission." Her voice was watery and filled with pain, but she gifted him with a small smile as he set her into the tank. He handed her a mask as he stepped back to close the door. He sat there watching her until the tank was full and she was lulled to sleep, sensing innately that it would comfort her for him to do so. As soon as she was asleep, he left the room, without looking back, leaving Raditz to guard her.