Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Russian Roulette ❯ The Conference (part 1) ( Chapter 2 )

Dasia, again, reminding everyone that even though I have to put up with his diabolical antics in my head, I am neither the creator nor the mother of Sage.

This is the second chapter of Russian Roulette, a gift to my sister, which takes place in her A/U Birth of a Prince Universe. Sage is used with permission, although I wouldn't recommend using him unless you are Gohan.

Warnings: Cursing. Lots of it. References to the molestation of a child. Snotty bitch counselor chick who needs to be thwacked with kendo sticks. Vegeta behaving…like Vegeta. Some more cursing.

Disclaimer. Don't own DBZ. Don't own Sage. Don't own nothing, `cept my blog. http://dasia.blogspot.com Beware, there's cursing there, too.

Russian Roulette

The Conference (part 1)

The rest of the trip to Orange Star High School was rather subdued. Vegeta led the way, attempting to recover his composure. Goten and Trunks nudged each other with their elbows, trying to stop the other from laughing. Every now and then a giggle would escape from the girls. However, as soon as the school came into view, the light-hearted mood faded abruptly.

The school was deserted, void of all its usual weekday inhabitants. It was eerily quiet, and a melancholy mood settled over the group. One lone vehicle was parked in the front lot, presumably belonging to the school counselor. Trunks whispered softly to his constant companion, Goten, "Hey, let's bust out her windows."

Goten added conspiratorially, "And let the air out of her tires."

Sage interjected sarcastically, "Hell, why don't we just blow up the whole fucking school while we're at it?"

"Hey, chibi," Trunks hissed, "It's not our fault that you're gonna be in a shitload of trouble with Dad. No one forced you to take the bet."

"Whatever," Sage hissed back, "You better watch your ass, `cause if I'm in trouble because of you guys, all hell's gonna break loose."

Trunks shot back, "Ooh…Big talk from such a little boy."

Goten placed a hand on Trunks' arm to quiet him, "That's enough, guys. We've got more important things to worry about."

The other boys nodded reluctantly, but not before their mother jumped in, "You damn right it's enough. It's outside of enough. You boys calm it down, right now." The trio rolled their eyes at the exact same time, and all was well again. Their bond with one another was strong, and their squabbles rarely turned into fights.

Vegeta halted at the front doors and called for the boys. "Where are we supposed to meet that bakayero onna? " he asked gruffly. His face and voice were tinged with their familiar harshness. It was hard to believe that just a few minutes ago, their father had been fending off an attack of giggles.

Sage answered, "I don't know, Tousan. The note doesn't say. Her office, maybe?"

Vegeta nodded, "Come along then. Lead the way, Sage." Sage stood straight, his dark features infused with pride. He had been chosen to lead, even though Goten and Trunks had been attending Orange Star for three years, and knew the halls better than he did.

The motley assortment of humans and Saiyjins made their way slowly, but finally ended up at the counselor's office. The sign read, "Ms. S. Aycock, School Counselor."

Bulma knew it was coming, and tried to stop the tide of laughter. "Don't even start…not a word about her name."

Trunks, as usual, was the first to speak up. He asked innocently, "Whose name, Mom? Are you talking about Ms. Aycock?" Several snorts were heard, not all of them coming from the teenagers.

Goten piped up next, "Bulma-san, I don't understand. What's the matter with saying her name? It's not like it's a dirty word or anything. Just Ms. Aycock."

Goku was the first to cave. His deep laugh echoed down the corridor. Vegeta folded his arms and glared at his bonded mate. "Think it's funny, do you? You encourage this behavior, Kakarrot."

Goku smiled sweetly and said, "I might encourage them, but they didn't hear that word from ME." The family started backing away. Vegeta's cursing was legendary, and if he got started here…

Gohan jumped in, "Okay, Dad, Vegeta-san, emotions are running high, you two need to finish this little argument later. Boys, quit being vulgar."

Gohan didn't have the presence that their fathers did, and his teenaged brothers didn't consider him a threat. Goten said, "Bite me."

Gohan answered heatedly, "Keep running your mouth, maybe I will…"

That's when the dreaded school counselor, Ms. Aycock herself, decided to make her appearance.

"Well, I'm certainly glad that you're finally here. I was wondering if you'd be coming," the family turned at the unfamiliar voice. She was a slender woman, an inch or two taller than Vegeta, and she was dressed to the nines. Her suit was neatly pressed, her shoes were shiny and obviously expensive. Her hair was done in the newest style, short and tidy.

Vegeta was the first to speak, his tone infused with all of his natural arrogance, "And exactly who might you be?"

The dark-haired woman peered through her glasses at Vegeta and answered, "I'm Ms. Aycock, the school counselor, of course."

Vegeta sniffed sagely, then asked "Hn. You have a reason for this little meeting, I trust?"

Ms. Aycock looked the smaller man up and down, then turned her gaze towards Goku. She asked pointedly, "Are you Mr. Briefs?"

Bulma interrupted, "I'm Ms. Briefs, ma'am. There isn't a Mr. Briefs, except for my father and my sons."

The counselor continued in a snobbish voice, "Oh my. I'm afraid I'm a bit confused. How are you related to one another exactly?"

Vegeta pushed through the group and forcefully took control of the situation, "Onna, however confused you may be, your manners are sorely lacking. It's rather much to demand our presence on a Saturday, then have us standing in the hallway, explaining ourselves like wayward children."

Ms. Aycock's eyes widened as she stammered, "I…I…I'm sorry…please, follow me."

The group didn't move a step, but looked to Vegeta for his approval. Vegeta smirked widely and stepped in beside the woman. His look of extreme superiority seemed to wither her on the spot. "Well, what are you waiting for? I haven't all day."

The counselor led them to a classroom not far from her office where the large family would have room to spread out. Ms. Aycock seated herself behind the desk at the front of the room, and motioned for them to sit. Again, nothing happened, until Vegeta gave a slight nod of his head.

Vegeta sat in a small desk, directly across from her. Goku sat at his right hand, with Goten, Trunks, and Sage seated beside him. Bulma sat at his left hand, with Gohan, Videl, and Pan beside her. The unnatural stillness that settled over the room was not unlike the deafening silence before battle. Vegeta had drawn first blood, but the interfering counselor was not finished yet.

She began by saying, "I would like to apologize for my former brusqueness…"

Vegeta raised a hand to silence her, "Fine and good. What is this about?"

Ms. Aycock looked bewildered, and she said, "I thought that we would introduce ourselves before we got down to business."

One heavy eyebrow was raised, "You didn't seem too concerned with introductions earlier, just impertinent questions. However, I will overlook your lack of upbringing in order to hurry this along. I am Vegeta."

The woman raised an eyebrow as well, "Is that your first or your last name?"

"Both. And my middle name as well, onna. However, you may content yourself by calling me Ouji."

"Ouji?"

"I am the Saiyjin no Ouji, prince of all Saiyjins, " Vegeta answered. He guessed, rightly, that the haughty woman would swallow her own tongue before she admitted to her ignorance of his "homeland". He further taunted her by unwrapping his tail from its place at his waist, and whipping it gently from side to side. The motion caught her eye and she gasped. Suddenly, she noticed the six tails that were lying dormant around the waists of Goku and the demi-Saiyjins.

"I…don't…who are you people?" she nearly shrieked.

Vegeta raised an elegant hand and waved toward each of his family members in turn. "My mate, Kakarrot, or you may call him Son Goku. Our youngest sons, Goten, Trunks, and Vegeta. The mother of my sons, Bulma. Our oldest son, Gohan, his wife, Videl, and our granddaughter, Pan."

Ms. Aycock's voice hardened, "What are you people? And is anyone else allowed to speak in your "family"?"

Vegeta sounded affronted, "I beg your pardon?"

She continued, "Well, I see four other adults, but I've only heard you speak. I suppose you're the head of the family?"

The Saiyan no Ouji grunted, "Hn. You could say that. I can't imagine how it concerns you though."

Goku spoke gently, "Ms. Aycock, I think you should let us know why you've brought us here. Frankly, we're a bit confused as to why…"

Bulma interrupted him, "The children's grades are exceptional, their conduct is excellent…I don't see what the problem is."

Ms. Aycock began, "It's my duty as a counselor to look at not only student's grades and conduct, but also into their home lives, into any potentially damaging situations."

Surprisingly, it was Gohan who spoke first, "Damaging? What are you talking about?"

"Let me explain. I feel that the current state of affairs in your household could be considered stressful for adolescents. They feel the need at this age to conform to their peers, to be normal…and frankly, this situation is anything but normal."

Sage's voice, so like his father's, pierced the air, "Who exactly made you the judge of what is normal or abnormal? This is my family, I've never known any other…how could having a large family be harmful?"

Videl spoke next, "I married into this family, ma'am, and it is unusual, but hardly damaging or harmful to anyone who is a part of it. In fact, I feel more secure now than I ever did before."

Ms. Aycock continued, "I'm talking about the fact that there are two adult males and an adult female living together in one house, doing heaven only knows what, with no apparent means of financial support, and some very serious charges of past violence." Cries rang out from the throats of everyone in the room.

Vegeta broke in, "Let's begin with that first part. I believe that you misunderstand the situation, onna. We live in the same house, because it is better for our children to have their mother and their fathers. It is far less damaging, as you put it, than splitting them up, or sharing custody, or having visitation, as I'm sure that the greatest part of your students do."

He continued, "I'm sure that very few of your students still have their parents living together. Which leads me to believe that your problem lies elsewhere. But we'll come back to that. Secondly, unless you've been living in a cave, you've heard of Capsule Corporation, ne?"

The counselor nodded, "I have."

"Well, that company belongs to Bulma and her family. On that money alone, none of us would have to work ever again. However, I have money from my father …I suppose you could call it his estate…and Kakarrot has a fortune in tournament winnings. Which, to make a long story short, means that we are hardly hurting for cash, any of us. We don't have to work and so we do not.

Mrs. Aycock opened her mouth to finish, but Vegeta cut her off, "Now, as for doing "heaven only knows what"…I haven't done that with a female in a very, very long time. In all honesty, the only person I do "heaven only knows what" with is my mate. I think this bothers you, onna, and I must say that I don't give a rat's ass about your opinion on the matter. What I do concerns no one but myself and my family."

Goku's mild voice, "Ma'am, you mentioned something about past violence in our family. I would like you to explain that, if you would."

The woman was still stunned from the dressing-down given to her by the Saiyan no Ouji, but Goku's words seemed to breathe new life into her. "Yes, that's right. A colleague of mine, Stan Burns…"

Vegeta's voice was sharp as a blade, "If I were you I would not finish that sentence, onna."

She went on as if he had not spoken, "He was beaten almost to death nearly eight years ago. Tortured, to be exact. Every bone in his body broken…twice…and he alleges that you and your "mate" were the perpetrators."

The Ouji didn't answer her at first, his dark eyes boring through her. "He does, does he? And did he give a reason as to why we might have visited such a torture upon him? Or was it just some random act of violence?"

"No…not random. He felt that…well, he felt that you were trying to place the blame for an unfortunate incident on him, and that when he denied any involvement, you became enraged, and…"

It was not Vegeta, but Goku who spoke, his voice and eyes hardened, "Unfortunate incident? Is that what you call the attempted rape of a child? Unfortunate?"

"I've known Stan for years, I can't believe that he would…"

Low growls issued from the throats of every Saiyjin. Vegeta's voice became dangerous, "What exactly are you implying, onna? That my son lied?"

All eyes turned toward Sage, who was sitting stiffly in his desk, his eyes glazed. Goten and Trunks each laid a hand on their brother's shoulders. Their ki levels were rising, and they weren't alone. The air fairly snapped with the energy pouring from the Saiyjins.

"No. That isn't what I said. I think that Vegeta might have told an untruth, in order to protect someone he loved, " Ms. Aycock said.

Bulma asked, "You're saying, what, that Sage was being abused by one of us?"

"I think it likely, given the abnormalities present in such a situation. It is a proven fact that many homosexual males are given to pedophilia."

"Proven…proven by whom?," Bulma asked, "Are you insane? There's no fucking way, and even still, neither Vegeta nor Goku would ever…"

"Mr. Burns has been the victim of several such "accidents", over the past eight years…"

she began again.

Gohan mumbled grittily, "I just bet he has…bastard."

Vegeta no Ouji raised a hand, "And you think that we had something to do with his original "mishap", and subsequent "accidents"? Then, I wonder why you have no police reports…why we were never questioned…why no arrests were made?"

The woman spoke again, heedless of the warning in Ouji's voice, "I could say the same for you…I don't believe that Mr. Burns was questioned in the matter of your son's alleged abuse."

Goku cried out, "Alleged? Damn it, woman, look at the child!" Sage was trembling slightly in his seat, his teeth tearing at his lip, small drops of blood sliding down his chin, onto his folded hands. Goku rose from his desk and knelt down beside Sage. He took his bond-son's hands into his own, and gently pried the fingers open. He took his son's hand and held it palm out. Blood welled from four crescent shaped wounds in Sage's palm.

Vegeta snarled, "What do you call that?"

"I'm not sure, " Ms. Aycock said, "But I wonder why it is your "mate", as you call him, who rushes to your son's side, and not you? Or his mother…"

Bulma was on her feet, moving faster than anyone would have guessed, "YOU BITCH!! You fucking whore!!" She stopped only when Gohan placed himself in front of her.

Gohan quickly restrained her, saying, "NO! She's not worth it. " He looked at Vegeta, with pleading eyes.

"Take her outside. I'm not finished with this onna yet…"

(to be continued)