Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Against All Odds ❯ Secret Hearts ( Chapter 15 )

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ, mores the pity.

A/N: Thanks so much for the encouraging reviews this last chapter. I will keep them close to my heart as I have a feeling I won't be so loved after this chapter. But what is love without a little pain?

Chapter: Fifteen

Secret Hearts

Vegeta glared down at the glossy photo, Bulma's perfect features smirking back at him. Since he had been captured all that he could think about was her. While the lashes rained down on him, he reminisced at the flavor of her pouting lips, the sparkle of her oceanic eyes and her mass of teal hair. He had suffered many beatings in his lifetime and he was always able to endure them with the stoicism worthy of a true warrior. He would retreat behind a black wall of hate that separated him from his tormentor. He would stew in the juices of vindication as he plotted how he would destroy those who tried to humble him, The Saiyan Prince. When he tried to retreat behind that wall this time he was waylaid by visions of the blue haired woman. Instead of imagining himself sinking his blood drenched hands into the flesh of his enemy he found himself fantasizing about spreading the woman's creamy thighs wide to receive him. Instead of dwelling in the heart of darkness, he existed in a realm of half shadows inhabited by the lustful siren.

As the days wore on he promised himself that once he escaped and was back at the base, he would lay her down and make her scream his name until her voice was raw. He found himself wanting to hear about the impossible idea that she would make into a reality in her lab, or what silly thing one of her techs said to her that day. He wanted all those things and more, even though he knew he could never claim them even if he did return to the base. He could not express his desire to her and consummate their relationship as true mates.

She deserved better than to be shackled to such a beast as him, even if he did end up ruling the universe. She had already told him repeatedly that she despised court life and was truly looking forward to retiring on her small planet. As his Queen she would never be able to have the peace that she so desired, so he would restrain the animal inside of him. He would be her silent protector, watching over her, allowing none to harm her.

Or at least that was his intention. He had been exceedingly foolish back on the planet, in a moment of rage he had expended all of his energy leaving him exposed to attack. He had allowed himself to be captured and now the woman was in danger because of it and he wasn't there to protect her.

I should have left one of my men with her.

I should have locked her in our rooms.

I should have never left her.

He squeezed his eyes shut, blocking his view of her dazzling smile. Since they had become involved she had been nearly killed twice, almost raped, she was dabbling in treason, and mated to a man whose very name caused people to collapse into fits of blinding rage. Now because of her association with him her life was in danger, again.

He growled in frustration, as he pushed the romantic imbecile that had momentarily taken hold of his senses out of his mind. Thinking of her in such a manner was a waste of time, it's not like he really cared about the annoying woman he just lusted after her. He had to remember that she was just a means to an end, without her he wouldn't be able to gain the strength he needed to kill Frieza. He shouldn't be relying on some silly woman's creations anyways. He could train to defeat the lizard on his own. He tried to tell himself that he wouldn't miss looking at her ugly face or miss hearing her screeching voice harping on about what a genius she was.

He didn't even know why he was worried, she could probably talk any attacker onto her side and if that didn't work she would flatter him to death. Besides, he grudgingly admitted to himself, she was too smart to allow herself to be caught unawares, like some people who will remain nameless. She was fine. No harm would come to her. He told her to stay in the lab and she would do as he said. He looked down at the picture and his stomach clenched with doubt.

*~*

Bulma toddled around the outer lab, trying unsuccessfully to drown her worry in her work. She was toying with the idea of being able to create a gravity field around a single person, allowing them to move around outside of the GR but still feel the drag of increased weight.

She sat down at her workstation, rubbing her weary eyes. It was well after midnight and the rest of her staff had already retreated to their quarters for a good nights sleep, but rest was an elusive dream for Bulma. Every time she closed her eyes she saw blood and it felt like her head was being pounded by a jack hammer.

Her perfect ingenious plan to overthrow Frieza was about to fall down around her ears, all because a certain stubborn, arrogant Saiyan Prince had to go and get himself captured and all she could do was bite her nails with worry. Not because she was upset that her best chance for freedom could be destroyed or that she turned her back on the next best choice, but because her friend was in danger.

The wet heat that shot through her when she envisioned Vegeta's eye's blazing with unvoiced passion as his hard body danced under the strain of the GR reminded her that she felt more than just friendship for him. He was utterly ruthless, perfectly cruel if the situation called for it and he was completely detached from his emotions. He was strong, handsome, proud and unobtainable.

Deep down in the darkest part of her heart was a flicker of desire that Bulma didn't want to acknowledge. She was afraid that she may have fallen in love with the dark Prince and that was the most dangerous game of all. Love tore away your reason, leaving you open to betrayal, not necessarily from your lover, but from those around you who could manipulate you through your feelings. Love melted away a person's innate selfishness, making you willing to sacrifice everything for that person. Love turned you into a martyr.

Sighing deeply, Bulma realized that she had been staring at her desk blotter for the last half hour. She looked longingly at her coffee cup, yearning for the bitter brew that she had not tasted since she was twelve. Thanks to her absentminded father she had been addicted to the drink since she was nine and fifteen years later her body still craved it.

Shrugging with remorse that she would have to make due with herbal tea, she reached out to grab the heavy mug. As she leaned out across her desk, her other arm accidentally brushed her pencil off onto the floor. Without thinking she automatically bent down to retrieve it while still stretching for her cup. Her unseeing fingers knocked over the empty mug and she heard a soft click but before she could process the noise a blinding light filled the room accompanied by a deafening explosion. Pain briefly laced through her body then there was nothing but comforting darkness.

Flames raged around her, busting glass bottles and billowing thick black smoke. The normal alarms suspiciously did not ring and since the lab was soundproof, no one came running. The frail human woman laid amid the inferno her life blood seeping away with no savior in sight.

*~*

Sirens wailed while the annoyingly calm computer issued its warning.

INTRUDER ALERT. INTRUDER ALERT

Vegeta raised his head, a hard glint in his eyes. His heightened hearing could make out shouting and muffled explosions in the distance, steadily advancing nearer. Soon the clamor led up to his door and to Vegeta's surprise it slid open to reveal two strangers.

A raven haired man dressed in a black shirt and blue jeans stood next to a woman with white blond hair, wearing a navy skirt with a black and white pen stripe top stood outside, looking distinctly bored. Their matching hard diamond blue eyes tried to pierce though Vegeta, but his onyx eyes glared right back at them.

The man entered the room first, walking up to Vegeta, leaving the woman to close the door. He saw her pop open the control panel, efficiently rewiring the door to lock behind them. Vegeta glanced back at the stone-faced man, a flicker of interest passing over his features.

"Who are you?" Vegeta croaked out, as his gaze drifted down to the scarlet crest on the man's shirt. Vegeta's eyes widened before they darted back up to the man's face. The insignia claimed that he was a member of the Red Ribbon mercenary group, but Vegeta had never actually seen one before. Anyone who had ever had contact with them usually ended up dead or suspiciously unable to talk.

The man spoke tonelessly, but Vegeta detected a hint of sarcasm in the undercurrent. It wasn't directed at Vegeta per se, but at life in general.

"I am Android Seventeen. That is Android Eighteen. We have been sent to extract you."

He gripped the ki resistant bars and bent them apart effortlessly, stepping through and snapping Vegeta's chains from his wrists and ankles. Sending in androids that required no ki to function into a resistance camp that only used ki suppressing weaponry was pure genius.

Bulma

Before the prince could struggle to stand, the man produced a syringe and stuck Vegeta in the neck, injecting him with a yellow fluid. Vegeta growled in rage, but he was too weak to pick himself off the ground, much less rip the robot's arms off.

"We were instructed to inject you with the antidote immediately after your release." The android's tone was even but the sense of mocking grew, like the he was laughing at his own personal joke.

Vegeta was about to tell the man what he could do with his instructions when there was a sudden popping deep inside of his body, then with a crack he could feel the invisible bands of steel that had locked his ki away snap with the force of his energy. All of his power surged to the surface, infusing his blood and body with the strength that he had so dearly missed. Vegeta assessed himself and he realized that the bloody beatings that he had endured daily had served to strengthen him even further, miraculously he was at least five times stronger than he had been on the planet. Even further down he could feel a hidden power rising even closer to the surface, nearing his grasp.

The Prince staggered to his feet, his muscles throbbing with distress, but they quickly absorbed the regenerative energy. Once he got his feet firmly under him and when he felt that he could move without falling on his face, he pinned the android with his unwavering gaze.

"You will retrieve my men and wait for me at the ship." His voice was rusty from lack of use, but it still rang with authority.

"Your desire to complete unfinished business was anticipated. Our contact has even provided us with fresh clothing for you, for when you are done." Number Eighteen's syrupy tones undulated down Vegeta's spine like a lovers caress, obviously she was designed for temptation.

Vegeta stared at the woman, while his mind raced. Bulma had known that his wrath would be unchecked once he was freed. She could have ordered that he was not to be injected with the antidote until after they had left the station, saving the inhabitants for a short while, until he regained his strength and returned to annihilate them. Instead she had gifted him with the power to exact his revenge immediately, knowing that no one would be spared. His efficient blue haired scientist knew him too well, and she had accepted his nature. His endangered scientist.

Anticipating his next move, Eighteen had already opened the door and without a backwards glance he bolted from the room, quickly honing in on Rio'Kan's ki. Vegeta's power flamed into place around him acting like a shield against the darts that the fools tried to shoot him with.

He brushed past his enemies, barely sparing them a glance, his entire being focused on one goal. He reached the command center, blowing through the heavy steel door like it was papier-mâché. He entered the room in a whirlwind of fury and power, blue ki sparking off him and shorting out nearby electronics, looking very much like an avenging angel, or in this case, demon.

He surged forward knocking aside the grunts who tried to protect their leader, their broken bodies bouncing across the floor like trash caught in a storm. Vegeta seized Rio'Kan with an iron grip around his neck, forcing him to his knees before the prince. Absently Vegeta noted that the man really was weak and did need to hide behind his inventions.

"You will call off your man. Tell him that Bulma is not to be harmed." Vegeta snarled down at the red faced man, his cruel lips peeled back to bare his white incisors with a predatory snarl. His pupils flicked red and Rio'Kan could have sworn that he was staring into the very hearth of hell. The promise of the pain and suffering in their depths caused the man's eyes to bug and he choked on his own spit. Vegeta loosened his grip, before leaning down nose to nose with the man.

"Do it." Vegeta's whispered words shot shivers of fear down his spine. Rio'Kan wildly wondered how he could do anything while caged in the demon's vice like grip, not that he could anyways. He was a dead man no matter what, no amount of pleading or lies could save him, so he decided that he might as well relish what little despair he could give to the prince before his time in this dimension was up.

"It's too late. She's already dead." Rio'Kan rasped out the words while watching Vegeta's face drain of all its blood.

"You lie." Vegeta hissed menacingly, his grief hidden by his rage.

"I'm not. The bomb in her lab detonated an hour ago. There was no way she could have survived." Rio'Kan barely finished uttering the words before his soft throat collapsed under the pressure of Vegeta's fingers. Tendrils of Vegeta's consciousness unfurled against the prince's will, reaching out to touch Bulma, but they were quickly dragged back when all they met was an empty void.

Vegeta tossed Rio'Kan's useless body aside, despair welling up inside of him, pulsing around him in great black waves. Without realizing it, he powered up, energy pouring out of him, ripping the walls away and buckling the support struts of the station. Debris and bodies whirled around him as the outer walls gave way to his power and the greedy vastness of space sucked up everything in its path, howling with frustration at not being able to claim Vegeta's immobile form.

The rational part of Vegeta's mind that hadn't given way to the primal animal reminded him of what happened back on the planet and at the last minute he reined in his power, not daring to unleash it all.

Alarms sounded throughout the station and the calm female voice was back.

EXTERIOR BREACH. BEGIN EVACUATION. STABILITY BREAKDOWN IN TEN MINUTES.

Vegeta grief stricken mind latched onto the one word that gave him purpose. Evacuation. There was no way that even one of these bastards was going to escape, not after what they had done.

In a flicker he appeared down at the docking bay, blasting escape pods and exterminating the rats that came to abandon ship. Once he was satisfied that there would be no escape, he boarded the waiting android ship. Without a word they accelerated, busting the docking clamps that had locked down to keep them in place, moving well out of range of the emanate explosion.

Vegeta watched with a dispassionate eye as the heart of the Freine Resistance Core collapsed in on itself before expanding in a nova ring of fire and steel, leaving no survivors.

Vegeta dragged his wayward emotions of sorrow and regret about Bulma, kicking and screaming down to the dark unseen part of his soul and slammed the door shut on them, locking them away for eternity.

He turned to Seventeen, the coldly arrogant Prince solidly in place.

"Where are my men?" Vegeta's tone was clipped, demanding an immediate answer.

"They are in the back with Eighteen. The Feine's interest in healing them seems to have dissipated and they had been left in their cells to die. Eighteen has them stabilized but they will need to visit a Regeneration Tank, once we get you back to the base."

"When will we arrive at the base?" Vegeta displayed no hint of curiosity, appearing as though he was merely gathering pertinent information.

"ETA is fifteen hours." Seventeen was just as unemotional.

Fifteen more hours and he would be able to collect the body of his mate and give her the proper Saiyan burial that she deserved. Tomorrow would be soon enough to think about what he was going to do about Frieza.