Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Lab Monkey ❯ Devils Feast ( Chapter 13 )

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ.

Warning: Contains content that some may find disturbing. This is a gory chapter and should only be read by those with strong stomachs.

Chapter Thirteen

Devils Feast

Darkness descended on the broken city like a fanged monster ready to devour the rotting carcass. The once magnificent metropolis had been turned into a graveyard for its inhabitants, their despairing ghost forever restless.

Bulma and the survivors waited impatiently for the darkness to creep into every corner so it would shroud their dangerous trek through the gleaming metal and stone bones of the city. Jet paced restlessly, zipping and unzipping his jacket nervously. The old man stood quietly to the side, watching them with sad, knowing eyes. Lt. Ricker gripped his gun tightly as he faced the door to the outside, dread and adrenaline making his body bowstring tight.

Finally, Bulma's gaze fell on Aleah who huddled in the corner where she had remained inconsolable for the entire afternoon. Bulma walked over to the quivering woman, laying a comforting hand on her shoulder and leaning close to whisper to her.

"What's wrong?" She asked softly.

"I don't want to go out there." Aleah replied brokenly, her voice trembling with fear.

"You want to get to the ship, don't you?" Bulma was trying to be reasonable, to show her that the reward was worth the risk.

"Yes, but I'm afraid." A small clear tear trailed down the woman's pale face and Bulma's chest clenched in response.

"We are all afraid. I can't stop shaking." Bulma told her honestly as she held out her hand in front of her to demonstrate, but Aleah ignored her.

"I don't want to die." Aleah replied with her own form of honesty that chilled Bulma's blood. She didn't want to die either, but she wasn't going to sit here and wait for death to find her.

"You aren't going to die." Bulma tried to reassure her.

"I will if I go out there." Aleah hid her face stubbornly in the fold of her arms, drawing her knees closer to her chest.

"You won't, I promise. Here hold my hand and we will go together. Pretty soon we are going to be on that ship sipping champagne." Bulma held out her hand, smiling at the girl with confidence that she didn't really feel. Bulma refused to die today. Not at the hands of these monsters.

The woman raised her head, curiosity and fear mingling in her teary eyes. "What's that?"

"When we get to my world we will have a whole bottle and we can't forget the strawberries." Bulma gave the girl a reassuring wink and a trembling smile that coaxed her into giving her hand. Bulma pulled her up to a standing position and they walked silently over to the door. Lt. Ricker gave her an approving nod, before he turned to face the door, lifting his gun into place as he moved forward and out into the darkness.

*~*

They made their way through the city, linking hands for comfort. Lt. Ricker stayed several paces ahead, scanning the area with hawk like intensity before motioning them forward. Jet was at the head of the linked hands, following the Lieutenant doggedly, pulling Orlander after him. Aleah clung to the old man and finally Bulma brought up the rear, tying her best to make sure that no one was following them without panicking at the sensation that the swirling darkness was closing in on them like a silent predator.

They didn't carry any light, allowing only the pale moon to guide them. Aleah had cried softly when Lt. Ricker had denied her request for light, stating that it would only attract Seekers or worse the Purgers themselves. Seekers, Bulma had found out were the small probe she had seen earlier. They were programmed to look for any movement, not associated with the crumbling of buildings and report back to the Purgers via their scouters. Nasty little tattletales in other words.

The group of survivors climbed carefully through the broken debris, while Lt. Ricker waited impatiently. Bulma knew that he could have easily crossed twice as much ground by now, but they slowed him down considerably. Bulma was impressed by his determination to save them, no matter how unappreciative they were. Most people would have abandoned them by now.

She was the last over a twisted heap of metal and Lt. Ricker held out his hand to help her. She slid her small palm into his much larger one, waiting for the tell tale shiver of attraction she knew she should feel. As she stepped down she looked into his blue eyes and behind cold gaze of a man bent on protecting his charges was an awareness of her as a woman. He was attracted to her, but he knew it would have to wait until they were safe. Bulma gifted him with a tight smile, wondering why she wasn't fawning over him with her usual girlish giggles as was her way when she saw any handsome man.

He drifted ahead of her. melting into the darkness and Aleah reached for her hand, seeking reassurance. Together they moved forward single file, every one of them aware that the slightest noise could bring their doom.

Bulma felt a sharp tug as Aleah lost her footing and stumbled, pulling her down to the ground with her. Bulma landed painfully on her knees, but she barely noticed as her brain nearly stuttered to a horrified stop. Before she could even tell herself to react, she had her hand over Aleah's mouth, muffling the scream that welled up from the girl's throat. Bulma determinedly clamped her own lips shut as she pulled Aleah back against her.

She stared down at where Aleah had fallen. Her hands had landed forward to brace herself, right into the chest cavity of a decapitated torso. Aleah brought her hands up in front of her face, screaming silently behind Bulma's palm as she stared at her bloody hands and forearms.

"Shush. It's okay. Everything is going to be okay." Bulma whispered into her ear while rocking her gently back and forth.

Lt. Ricker appeared out of the darkness, taking in the scene with a grim face. Without a word he unhooked a water bottle from his belt and poured the cleansing liquid over Aleah's hands, until no blood remained. He reattached the bottle and reached down to pull Aleah to her feet and out of Bulma's arms.

He captured her by the forearms, looking into her haunted eyes. "We don't have time to do this now. I know you are scared, but there is no turning back. If you want to live we have to go forward Aleah." His voice was soft and soothing, but with an edge of authority that demanded obedience. Aleah nodded her head slowly, allowing him to lead her away to the others.

Bulma was left alone in the dark with the body. Earlier she had moved from cadaver to cadaver, unafraid while she checked for survivors, but now she felt fear crawling down her spine, urging her to get to her feet and run…to run and never look back. She swallowed hard and looked away from the body only to come face to face with its missing head.

Its soulless eyes stared blankly at her from the steel beam it was impaled on. Long blond hair straggled down around the face of a young girl, her mouth sagging open in silent agony. Bulma bit her tongue as she choked back the scream that threatened to escape her lips. She darted to her feet, stumbling towards the other survivors, towards the only other living people in the dark.

She ran headlong into Aleah, nearly causing the already panicked girl to cry out. Bulma patted her arm and smiled at her in the dark while trying desperately to drag air into her laboring lungs. She hadn't run far, but terror was squeezing her insides like a vise grip.

The moon crept up into the night sky as they trudged silently through the dark. Every step they took became heavy and less precise as exhaustion weighed on them. Finally, Lt Ricker called a halt after Orlander fell for the third time. If they continued without resting they would only become nosier as they were less and less careful.

They hunkered down in small hollow area that was surrounded by broken cement and rubble from a fallen building. Bulma braced her back against the cold stone and pulled her knees up to her chest. She stared up at the patch of sky made clear by the lack of city lights.

Ricker positioned himself to her left and little above her so he could see out into the night for any intruders. She was startled when she felt him nudge her shoulder.

"Here, take this." He held out his sidearm that he had kept in his belt up until now. The black metal seemingly sucked in the surrounding darkness as it shimmered briefly in the moonlight.

"No, I can't." Bulma was sickened by the implication of the gun. She might have to kill someone to survive and she knew she wouldn't be able to do it. Just looking at the gun made her feel queasy. She remembered the last time she had held a gun and it made her want to cry.

"Why not?" Ricker seemed genuinely insulted that she did not accept his gift of his firearm and Bulma felt instantly contrite.

"I could never kill anyone." She tried to explain while failing miserably. Looking around her she could see that these people would kill anyone who tried to take their lives. Namely those invaders, those murderers, those monsters who had killed everyone that they loved.

"You'll get over that attitude quick enough when one of Frieza's soldiers is charging you." The man said in a disgusted tone.

"No they are living creatures, like you and me. Men who had their lives taken away from them." Bulma responded passionately. For some reason that she didn't dare give voice to, it was very important for her to believe that.

"They're not men, they are monsters." Aleah hissed scornfully and Bulma was shocked to see the soft spoken woman with so much hate in her eyes.

"You don't understand what you are dealing with Bulma." Her name falling from Lt. Ricker's lips caused her to turn her head to stare at him. He gave her a look full of so much sadness, anger and pity that she was rooted to the spot.

"Why don't you tell me? What does Frieza do that makes them so loyal to him?" Bulma questioned eagerly. A small voice in her head warned her that she wasn't asking to learn more about Frieza, but to learn about Vegeta. She wanted to know what made him tick. Why he was such a complex man. Such a horrible monster.

"No, they are anything but loyal. They hate him more than we do." Ricker replied, a sneer firmly on his lips.

"Frieza is an artist at destroying someone's mind. Most everyone in Frieza's army is insane." Aleah voice drifted into the conversation, snagging Bulma's attention away from Ricker.

"How does he do that?" How did one go about destroying someone's mind? Was that even possible?

"Usually Frieza gets his men when they are just youngsters, barely old enough to understand what's what." Orlander offered gravely.

"He tells them that if they don't do what he says that he'll kill their mother or sister or whatever." Jet had been uncharacteristically silent up until now, looked at her with cold, dead eyes.

"After a few years he tells the children that something awful happened to their world and destroyed it." Aleah whispered while she stared down the ground.

"His favorite is to tell them that it was destroyed by a meteor shower." A cord of memory struck Bulma hard and painfully. She remembered Vegeta telling her that his world had been destroyed by a meteor shower. Had that been a lie? A lie told by Frieza to keep Vegeta in line.

"What really happens to their planet?" Bulma asked shakily, afraid to hear the answer.

"Frieza destroys them. It's all part of his plan." Jet replied listlessly.

"This serves to further isolate the subject." Bulma was stunned by Ricker's robotic analytical response.

"You see, after so many years of committing horrific sins in the name of Frieza to protect their loved ones they are suddenly left with nothing and no one. Their only purpose in life is destroyed, along with their moral fiber and any hope of being a normal person. There is no one left in the universe who will accept what they have become. There is only Frieza." As she spoke Aleah stared up at the moon, her face illuminated by the ghostly light. "They have no where else to go." The sadness in her voice drifted across the group causing them to shutter.

"They are nothing but homicidal monsters that care for nothing or anyone." Lt. Ricker finished Aleah's thought, saying the words that she didn't dare.

"But surely they create bonds amongst themselves." Bulma felt panic flutter in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't let the image of an uncaring, unloved monster, whose only pleasure was derived from killing, be burned into her mind. Somewhere, somehow Vegeta must have learned to care for something. He wasn't just a mindless murderer. He couldn't be.

"No, Frieza is too cunning for that." Ricker replied.

"Yah, he's one sick bastard." Jet offered.

"What do you mean?" Bulma felt cold sweat roll down her back and the bit wound stung.

"He makes sure that his men trust no one, even the people they grew up with." Orlander stated gravely as he leaned against his cane that stood between his knees.

"How?" Her mouth formed the word, but sound barely escaped her. However, everyone knew what she asked and they were more than eager to respond. An image of Vegeta's bald headed friend rose up in her mind. What was his name? Nadia, Nadpa, no it was Nappa.

"Everyone is always competing to gain Frieza's favor. No one wants to be punished by him. Long time comrades are eager to sell each other out to save their own hides." Lt. Ricker sneered with disgust and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Imagine that you have been sent on a mission with someone you've known since boyhood and he the turns around and blows your head off, because Frieza ordered him to." Jet said with sadistic relish. "Everyone you know is your potential executioner. You would grow to distrust everyone."

"Are the punishments that bad that they will do anything to avoid it?" Bulma asked wide eyed.

"Worse." The old man intoned wisely.

"Why do you think that they are all schizo?" The teenager chimed in recklessly. Lt. Ricker twitched and the boy settled down, glancing nervously over his shoulder.

"I heard from my sister's friend's cousin Harry that he actually met a soldier and talked to him." Orlander offered with a strange sense of pride.

"Yah right, old man. He would be dead." Jet responded scornfully.

"No, the soldier didn't have orders to kill him and Harry was extremely respectful to him."

"Whatever." The teenager rolled his eyes at the old man.

"Anyways, he told me that there is a place at the bottom of Frieza's ship called The Hole." Orlander leaned forward as he imparted his tale. Unconsciously everyone else leaned forward as well, eager to hear it. All they needed was a campfire and they could be out in the woods telling ghost stories. The thought almost made Bulma feel better.

"It's only two feet across, three feet wide and four feet tall. They throw disobedient soldiers in there and leave them without food or water for weeks on end."

"That's horrible!" Bulma exclaimed. "They would die of starvation."

"You would think so, but when they toss them in there they dump bucketfuls of cockroaches and beetles in with them, burying them up to there necks in insects. If they want to live they have to eat the bugs and drink their own blood." Orlander's gruesome tale was met by a circle of disgusted faces as they digested what they told him.

"That's not the worse part." The old man leaned even closer.

"How could it be any worse?" Aleah's horrified voice floated over them.

"They say it's haunted." Orlander almost smiled with satisfaction at the shocked rush of breath from the crowd.

"Impossible." Lt. Ricker scoffed.

"No it's true. A soldier went insane while in there and he beat in his own brains on the walls."

"No way." Jet gasped in awe.

"Enough of your ghost stories, it's time for us to move." With a light groan everyone got slowly to their feet, dreading going out into the night again.

"Are you sure you won't take this?" Lt. Ricker held the gun out to her again and she stared down at it for a moment.

"No I could never…" Her words trailed off as she swallowed down her memories.

"You never know." He was looking at her intensely now, as if he was trying to scry her mind. She crossed her arms in front of her defensively, desperate to keep her secrets to herself.

"I know. I tried once before and I failed." Images of Vegeta kneeling before her rose up in her mind and she couldn't push away the certainty that she would have never pulled the trigger.

"But was it your life on the line?" Lt. Ricker's question invaded her thoughts as Bulma relieved that fateful day in her lab. She responded in a distant voice as she shook the image from her mind.

"Mine and my entire world's." At those words, Bulma felt her heart break at the truth of it. She was too weak to save her own world, what was she doing down her trying to offer comfort to these strangers.

"Gee's you people are boring. You should go back to talking about the hole. What a bloody fucking nightmare that is."

The whole world seemed to stop and time ebbed by in a slow drip. For a moment they stared across from each, denial ripping through them at whirlwind velocity. Slowly they turned to stare at a red-horned head that leered at them from behind some debris. The fearsome man leaned nonchalantly over a steal beam, his arms dangling down in front of him as he licked his lips. The last rational thought that Bulma had was that is what Satan must look like.

Suddenly the world exploded into a montage of sound, images and worse of all, sensations that would forever haunt the blue haired beauty in her sleep. While she stared at the red skinned devil in shocked awe she heard an electrical snap followed by a sharp pop. Suddenly she was drenched in hot liquid that coated most of the left side of her face and torso.

In a surreal daze she looked down at herself to see a dark ooze with small chunks staining her clothing, she turned her head with what seemed like mind numbing slowness to look at Lt. Ricker. He was still perched on his seat to her left, clutching his gun in his hand, but he was headless with no pumpkin in sight.

Irrationally, Bulma's mind could only process the fact that this scene was all wrong. The strong hero type wasn't supposed to die. He surely wasn't supposed to lose his head before he even had a chance to get up and defend them. This could not be happening. Who would be their hero now?

Still caught in the timeless bubble she sat shock still as his body fell forward, landing squarely on top of her. His weight knocked the breath out of her and jogged her out of her paralysis. She began to scream in terror as she struggled under his dead weight, trying desperately not to drown on the blood that was spurting out of his neck and onto her face.

She heard the screams of her companions in the distance and she realized with dawning horror that they were dying. They all were. Darkness rushed forward to claim her and suddenly only her voice was heard in the night, shattering the unnatural silence that descended. Eventually even that faded, leaving her alone in the cold embrace of unconsciousness.

A few hours later Bulma awoke to the sound of stifled whimpers coming from behind her. She was aware that she was on her knees, her hands tied behind her around a cold, steel pole that ran uncomfortably down her back. She was slumped forward, her weight pulling painfully on her wrists. Her hair was undone, hanging around her in a blue shroud that protected her from the outside world.

She could feel someone behind her shift and the touch of warm hands as they shuddered in fear. By the sounds of the whimpers she was able to guess that Aleah was tied in similar fashion, her back to Bulma's.

In a distance Bulma could hear a crackling of a large bon fire and she could feel its heat on her skin like the breath of a sulfurous beast. Male voices rose up in the night, joking and jovial as they moved around the fire. Slowly, so not to gain their attention she lifted her head to peer through the mass of her blue hair. She watched in silence as they moved in and out of the dancing light cast by the roaring fire, their attention completely riveted on building up the blaze to greater heights.

The red-skinned man, whom she had silently dubbed as Satan, hefted another log onto his shoulder and turned towards the fire with the intention of throwing it in. With an ill concealed gasp, Bulma watched as an arm dropped down from what she thought was a piece of wood and horror pierced her brain like an invading enemy. They weren't feeding a fire, they were heaping bodies onto a pyre.

Satan pitched the man onto the pile of burning bodies. A headless man. The blaze snapped and hissed, consuming its treat with monstrous pleasure. Bulma choked back the bile that was simmering at the back of her throat, realizing now that the sulfurous breath she had felt on her check was really the rancid smell of burning flesh.

A sickly looking creature with yellowish skin with green blotches kicked out an area for the men to rest for the night. He had dragged up a twisted metal beam for them to sit on and he appeared to be unpacking a crate that he had pillaged from a nearby establishment. He pulled large bluish bottles from the box and Bulma instantly recognized what was probably alcohol.

A third person joined the party and Bulma was momentarily startled when she realized it was a female. An attractive one at that. She had long violet colored hair that was pulled back into a tail that hung nearly to her waist. Her ivory skin was unblemished and smooth. She would be a great beauty if it wasn't for the malice that sparkled in her red tinged eyes.

Each of the soldiers grabbed a bottle and upended them into their waiting stomachs while they began to swap tales of their day's adventure. Bulma sighed with relief that they seemed to be settling down for the night while ignoring her and Aleah. Bulma instantly dismissed them as she began to concentrate on undoing the rope that tied them to the post.

"Psst. Aleah, can you reach the knots?" She asked in a hushed whisper while casting a sly glance at the group. The only response she received was more whimpers. Bulma tried a few more times before giving up. The girl had retreated and wasn't going to be helping her any time soon.

Bulma's nimble fingers worked at the knots, but no matter how much she twisted and turned she just couldn't get a good grip on them. She was concentrating so hard on her task that she completely blocked out the soldier's conversation, but she was jostled to awareness when a voice boomed out a few feet in front of her. She instantly stilled her ministrations, hoping that he hadn't noticed her attempted escape. She let her body hang limp, trying to appear as harmless as possible.

"I don't know. This one appears a little stringy." The disgruntled statement was followed by a sharp pinch on Bulma's arm. She almost yelped in pain but she remained silent. "There's hardly any meat on her bones."

Bulma slit her eyes, looking forward towards the other two by the fire. Satan and the woman lounged against the beam, watching with apparent interest. That meant that it was the yellow thing that was pinching her like she was a side of beef. The creature that she had named Pestilence moved away from her and up to Aleah. The woman's whimpers grew more pronounced and Bulma felt fear whip through her.

"Now this one has some promise. I say we throw the other one on the fire and take this one."

Bulma couldn't stop the shiver of overwhelming fear that shook her entire frame. There was nothing she dreaded more than being burned alive. To feel her skin crack and bubble under the intense heat while she screamed in agony was definitely something she wanted to avoid at all costs.

Bulma watched wide eyed as Satan looked right at her, his black gaze glinting evilly. A slow grin stretched on his repugnant lips and suddenly Bulma wanted to die. She would do anything to avoid letting that creature get its vile hands on her.

"Untie the fat one, but leave the other. She'll make a tasty treat for later." Satan's gravely tones slithered over her like an obscene caress.

The beautiful woman rolled her eyes while sweeping her fingers through her long hair, her vanity clear for all to see.

"Why do you persist in thinking like a disgusting male?" She continued to preen, her attention more on her violet tresses than on the conversation at hand.

"Because I am one and I would be more than happy to show you how much of a male I am." Satan leered in Vanity's direction while cupping his genitals, but she merely snorted over her shoulder at him and turned away.

"Both of you are disgusting. All you think about is breeding." Pestilence was working furiously behind Bulma, undoing Aleah's ropes.

"You're just mad because you will never know the joys of a good fuck. All you do is come in behind your female and fertilize her eggs after she has laid them. How unsatisfying." Satan was back to grinning in Bulma's direction and she had to force down the bolts of terror that threatened to wrack her body.

"Emergi mating rituals are exquisite in their beauty and intricacy. You just don't have the brainpower to appreciate them properly." The creature beside her hissed in an offended tone, but Satan just shrugged at him in dismissal.

"Whatever. Hurry up and get it over here."

Pestilence hauled Aleah to her feet and pulled her towards the group. Their backs were turned towards her and she couldn't make out their faces but she could see Satan and Vanity clear enough.

Vanity finally gave the group her undivided attention and Bulma felt a flutter of unease as she watched the woman lick her lips hungrily. Satan sat up as well and Bulma felt her flutter of unease grow into a full fledge swell of terror.

"I want a thigh." The woman claimed with determination, her body tense with the expectation of a fight.

"There is enough for everyone, but I insist on a breast." Satan staked his own claim.

"I don't care as long as I get some innards. You guys always bruise them with your clumsy paws." Pestilence whined.

Bulma stomach rolled and the blooded rushed from her face. She felt like she was hearing their conversation through a tunnel. It was so unreal, so unfathomable. They were talking about eating Aleah, like she was an animal for slaughter.

All at once Aleah understood their meaning and the silent woman tipped her head back, unleashing a scream of pure, unadulterated terror. This seemed to be the signal that they were waiting for because the rabid beasts leapt on her in unison, uncaring of her fear.

Bulma made no effort to hide herself, her wide blue eyes watching every horror filled minute. Her own screams joined Aleah's, mingling in the night sky. No matter how loud they screamed they couldn't block out the sound of rending flesh and crunching bone.

Vanity wrapped her small pale hands around Aleah's thigh, pulling with inhuman strength. The limb came free with a pop and a wet snap as blood spurted from the torn limb. She scuttled back with her prize, licking her lips with glee, her eyes dancing with pleasure. The limb, though severed, still kicked in protest and Vanity hugged it close to her chest as she bared her teeth to take a bite.

Aleah dropped to the ground, shock radiating out from her every pore. She fought to stand, the realization that she no longer had a leg seemingly absent. Satan lunged forward, pinning her to the ground with his weight. He tore Aleah's top from her torso, reaching out to paw her breasts obscenely before burying his unnaturally sharp teeth in her plumb flesh. Aleah shrieked and she tangled her fingers in his hair, yanking at his scalp frantically. Satan ignored her as he shook his head fiercely like a dog worrying a bone. Finally, her flesh came free in a large meaty chunk that he swallowed with glee.

Pestilence growled and hissed, trying to dislodge Satan from Aleah so he could claim his own prize. The horned man snarled over his shoulder and Bulma caught a glimpse of his blood stained teeth and the deadly madness that shone in his black eyes. He shifted his weight of the woman, crouching over her chest possessively while allowing Pestilence to kneel over her lower half. The green creature dug his long claws into Aleah's unprotected stomach, slicing through her flesh like warm butter. He pulled out great handfuls of her entrails, the bloody organs dripping from his hands like gory decorations as he inhaled their slightly rotten stench.

Aleah screamed far longer than Bulma thought possible and after her cries fell silent, Bulma continued her pleas to the heavens. She begged the gods in a wordless scream that it would stop, that this nightmare would be nothing more than a dream. She pleaded for a savior, cried for Goku, for Yamcha, but in the end her heart called out for Vegeta. Only a monster would do against other monsters.

As Bulma watched Aleah's body being torn apart by the reaching claws of the monsters all she could think of was the promise she had made the woman before leaving their den.

"You won't die. I won't let you." But Aleah was dead now. She had been eaten alive by the very devils that she feared. As the crunching subsided, Bulma's screams echoed long into the night.