Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Nossoreg's Revenge ❯ Chapter 21

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

Chapter Twenty-one

Nossoreg entered the door to his prisoners' rooms to inform the women their husbands would not be returning anytime soon. He would have used the intercom, but it was one of the systems taken off line. A minor inconvenience, considering the reason.

He checked the first bedroom and found it empty. Thinking they were just visiting, he checked the second. It was empty as well. A feeling of anxiety started to set in as he headed for the last room. The sole occupant was Vegeta, sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Where did they go? Where are the women?" Nossoreg asked. When there was no answer, he fumed with anger. "They were just here a minute ago! Where did they go? Answer me!"

When Vegeta still did not speak, Nossoreg finally figured out what had happened. Vegeta had switched clothes with his clone. He pressed a button on his remote control and a panel on the wall slid aside, revealing a hidden computer. He angrily punched some buttons and the monitor showed him the transmitter locations of the three Saiyans and their clones.

"This can't be right!" he exclaimed. "According to the computer, you are not even here. Someone has tampered with the sensor readings!" He began searching the computer files for the missing transmitters.

~~~~~~~~~~

"Oh no! He's onto us, Dad!" Trunks cried out. He tried to block Nossoreg's actions, but he knew the system better than Trunks did. The right readings were flickering onto the screen and there was nothing he could do to stop them.

"Trunks! What is Vegeta doing?!" Goku and Gohan had appeared right in front of Vegeta's chamber, startling Trunks.

"The computer was showing the difference in the amount of energy being drained," he explained. "He had to step in to buy you some time. Are they all safe?"

"They're fine, now let's get him out of there," Goku said and Trunks' fingers flew over the keyboard.

"It's not working!" Trunks shouted in frustration. "Nossoreg has locked me out of the controls. He knows! What should we do now?"

"The first thing we have to do is get Vegeta out of there," Goku said and fired a blast at the chamber.

The glass shattered around the unconscious Vegeta. Goku and Gohan struggled to break the arm restraints and pry his hands from the panels. They could feel the panels trying to suck energy from them as well before they were able to get his hands free. They dragged him from the chair and laid him on the floor.

"Vegeta! Can you hear me?!" Goku asked, shaking him gently. "Trunks, check his signs on the computer."

"Nossoreg has shut this computer station down," Trunks answered. "I don't know how much energy the computer took. Do you think he'll be all right?"

"We've got Sensu beans," Gohan said, taking one from the pouch. "Here, Dad."

Goku pushed the small bean into Vegeta's mouth but, since he was still unconscious, he couldn't chew it.

"Maybe the bean will dissolve a little and heal him enough to bring him around," Gohan hoped.

Goku didn't answer, but feared they may have been too late. He could barely sense any life at all in Vegeta's limp body. His breathing was almost too shallow to see. Vegeta's only hope was for Goku to transfer some of his own energy to him.

Just as he was about to place his hand on Vegeta's chest, the door of the lab slid open and Nossoreg entered, flanked by the Vegeta clone.

"Come to me!" Nossoreg ordered.

The other two clones stood up from where Vegeta had tossed them and went to stand close to their master. They each raised their arms, their palms toward the Saiyans, ready to attack. Goku knew they would be able to defeat the clones, but wasn't so sure they could protect Vegeta at the same time.

"You were all very clever," Nossoreg admitted. "Very clever indeed. I was completely convinced that Vegeta and Trunks had decided to join me. Now I find out that I was played for a fool! I don't make mistakes more than once! I will get the chamber back online. Then you will be drained of your energy once and for all!"

Nossoreg turned and walked out the door with the clones close behind him. A low hum sounded all around them and a faint grid of light showed that Nossoreg had put up an energy shield all around them, completely sealing them inside the room.

"We're right back where we started!" Gohan yelled in frustration.

"No," Goku disagreed. "At least now the women are safe. Nossoreg won't be able to find them without these." From inside his armor, he withdrew three wrist bands and crushed them before tossing them into the corner of the room. "Goten, Krillen, and Yamcha will watch out for them."

"Do you think Dad will be all right?" Trunks asked. He leaned over Vegeta and felt a slight breath coming from his mouth.

"I don't know, Trunks," Goku admitted. "But I've known your Dad to come back from damage worse than this. He's too stubborn to just fade away."

"I hope you're right. If only I would have been able to override the computer in time!" he said, angry at himself.

"I know you did all you could," Goku said. "Nossoreg was just a little faster than we expected."

"What should we do now, Dad?" Gohan asked.

"I'm not sure. Maybe we can make a break for it before Nossoreg gets us back into those chambers. If not, the entire universe is doomed."