Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ To the Stronger ❯ 3 ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3

After a breakfast where he'd eaten very little and tasted even less, Vegeta was told they'd have training in an hour.

"We're going to spar first to warm up. Want to join us?" Kakkarot invited.

So Vegeta and the twins went outside. They did a few stretches and katas and then the three faced off. Radditz led it, by feinting toward Vegeta and then going after Kakkarot instead. They traded kicks and punches. Vegeta waited, arms crossed, for his chance. It came when Radditz had knocked Kakkarot to the ground and turned his back. Vegeta phased out and back in directly beside him, then kicked him in the ribs and the face. Radditz yelled. Kakkarot pulled Radditz down by the ankle as Vegeta jumped out of the way, then stood back again as Kakkarot knocked Radditz out.

Kakkarot turned to him. "What are you waiting for?"

"You took Radditz out quite nicely by yourself. I figured I'd save my energy." He smirked.

Kakkarot grinned. He leapt straight up and fired a kame-hame-ha at the prince, who sidestepped it. He joined Kakkarot in the air. "Again, nice. Is that a trademark move?"

"Um, yeah."

"I've always liked this one. Big bang attack!" He held out his arm, palm facing Kakkarot, and fired. Kakkarot yelped and put up his arms in an X. The blast hit him, but he emerged OK.

"Your brother teach you that?"

"Yeah."

Meanwhile, Radditz was waking up. He picked himself up off the ground. "Hey!" He launched himself into the sky.

By the time Bardock came outside to join them, Radditz and Vegeta had teamed together to fight Kakkarot, who was holding his own through a combination of speed and threats to reveal his twin's most embarrassing secrets. Vegeta was smirking.

Bardock got their attention. "Time for training."

There was that withdrawn look again. Bardock was finding it annoying. Just because the boy was a good fighter and the Prince didn't mean he could hold them in contempt. Or was he just putting Yasai's opinions on Vegeta? Yasai had been an OK kid when he'd first met him, but once he got older-oh, he hid it from most people, but the truth was, Yasai was malicious, arrogant, and jealous of anyone else with power. He wondered what Vegeta thought of him and if Vegeta was just like him. He wasn't doing much to make a good impression.

Bardock reined his rambling thoughts back in. "Today we're going to concentrate on discipline and proper training techniques. Since Prince Vegeta is new to studying with me, he can see how I do things."

Vegeta looked over at Bardock's sons. They didn't seem afraid. Maybe he was nicer than he sounded. If Ani had given that speech, though, it would have meant the beating of his life and hours in the regeneration chamber.

Bardock saw Vegeta look away and cross his arms. He was going to be rebellious and arrogant. He'd have to put a stop to that.

"I will not tolerate disrespect. I am your sensei and what I say goes. Does everyone understand me?"

"Yes," they mumbled, Bardock's sons wondering what had gotten in to their father.

"What was that?"

"Yes, sensei!" they chorused loudly.

"All right. We'll start by warming up."

By the end of Bardock's lesson, Vegeta was really confused. His teacher seemed to go back and forth from being an OK guy who actually had a sense of humor to being a harsh, critical taskmaster who seemed to dislike Vegeta in particular. He'd given several speeches about his authority and how he expected to be obeyed. He'd also continually stressed discipline. Vegeta thought he had a pretty good idea what Bardock meant by discipline. He was Ani's choice for Vegeta. He could still hear Ani's voice saying, "We can't have you getting soft, now can we?"

"Vegeta, are you listening to me?"

Vegeta flinched, head snapping up. "Hai."

Bardock frowned.

"Can we spar now, Dad?" Kakkarot asked in anticipation.

"Yes. I'll spar with Vegeta. I need to see what he's made of."

Vegeta felt his insides shrivel and cringe. His palms were sweating. He was thankful for his gloves.

The boys happily began sparring, oblivious, as Vegeta faced Bardock. He felt desperate and cold.

Bardock was still frowning. "Begin," he ordered.

Vegeta took this as his cue to attack.

The fight went back and forth, in the air and on the ground, blows and ki blasts, neither clearly gaining the upper hand at first. Bardock was, however, a far superior strategist, and Vegeta was getting tired. Thoughts of Ani were rushing through his mind, images of beatings and remembered insults. He was losing the thread of the fight.

Finally he saw Bardock rushing towards him at top speed, eyes threatening, promising punishment. His mind flash-backed to Ani's eyes, Ani's face, Ani's fists. . .

"Why are trying to dodge me, Dai? I am the stronger. Remember? Just hold still. It's inevitable!" His mocking laughter.

One of their first sparring matches, when he'd blocked a kick with ease born of panic, and his brother's anger. "Did I tell you that you could fight back?"

Being chained to the wall while his brother hit him, blow after blow. . .

Bardock's fist slammed into his face, and he mercifully stopped thinking as he lost consciousness.

________ ________ ______

When he came to, Bardock's face was staring worridly down at him, Sarah peering over his shoulder.

"Why didn't you block?" Bardock demanded at once.

Sarah hushed him and patted Vegeta's shoulder. "Do you feel OK?"

"Fine," he lied.

Bardock looked uncomfortable. "Training is over for the day."

"Why don't you join the boys?" Sarah suggested. "They're watching T.V."

"All right." He got up a bit unsteadily. He walked to the living room, feeling the adults' eyes on his back.

Kakkarot and Radditz looked up at him as he entered the room.

"Hey, Vegeta. You OK?" Radditz asked, concerned. He'd seen Vegeta go down and he shouldn't have. He'd had plenty of time to dodge. He just hadn't.

"Fine," Vegeta repeated. "Scoot over."

They made room for him on the couch.

"Sarah's going to make us some popcorn," Kakkarot told him cheerfully.

He grunted and nodded. He didn't want to talk. He didn't want to think about what had just happened or-or what was still coming tonight.

________ _________

Vegeta lay awake and trembling, staring up through the skylight in his room. The stars were out. He tried to stop his shaking, not knowing if Bardock liked to see fear or not. Sometimes Ani did, but not often. It implied that you didn't want to be there.

Bardock would be coming soon. He'd heard the shower stop and the house quiet down. He tried to slow down his ragged breathing. Oh kami, what would Bardock do to him?

The stars seemed to wheel overhead. For a moment he thought he was going to faint. Then he realized he that he had, because it was hours later than it had been.

He sat bolt upright. But wait-the message at breakfast had been clear. Why hadn't he come? What was going on? Was he-oh kami, did he like to make you anticipate and-and. . .

He jumped out of bed and made his way down the hall again. He opened Bardock's door; he was sleeping. Vegeta didn't understand.

"Do you need something?" a voice whispered.

Vegeta spun around, heart pounding, ki ball forming on his fingertips.

It was Sarah.

He gasped and let his arm fall and his ki drop.

She frowned. His eyes were huge and black and his face was white. "Prince Vegeta? Is something wrong?"

Mutely, he shook his head.

She didn't believe him. "Want some tea?"

"O-OK." Maybe. . . could it be Bardock wasn't planning on. . . exercising his rights as his sensei? That he wasn't interested in him? Maybe he and this woman. . . ?

He followed her to the kitchen. He sat down at the table while she made them both tea, then sat down next to him.

He sipped at the tea, mind thinking frantically of how he could find out. He couldn't very well ask if she was his mistress. But he had to know! He couldn't keep wondering and waiting. He couldn't take it.

"Is-does Bardock. . . does he sleep alone?" Vegeta was appalled at how bluntly it came out, but he couldn't take it back.

But Sarah only nodded her head sadly. "He's still in the 5 year mourning period for his wife. Poor man."

"How long has it been?"

"About a year and a half."

Mourning. That was a sacred trust, he wouldn't dare break it, no matter how much Bardock might want him. Or want to humiliate him. Not even Ani would.

He hid his face in the tea mug, taking a long drink. Had Ani known? He must have. He wouldn't have overlooked something like that. Vegeta felt all the blood rush to his face and then drain again. He put down the cup as his hand started shaking. Ani had been playing with him. He was probably laughing right now, imagining the agony he'd been going through. But he should have realized Ani would never let anyone else touch what was his, remembered how jealous he always was. No, Ani would never let anyone else have him, he decided suddenly.

And that was good. It meant he was saved. It meant he would be untouched as long as Ani was gone. He felt a rush of some emotion he couldn't name.

"How did his wife die?" he asked to break the silence.

Sarah sighed and swirled her cup around. "Leukemia."

"That's too bad," he said politely.

Sarah looked back up from her cup. "How are you settling in, Vegeta?"

He managed his first smile of the day. "Better than expected." He handed her the mug. "Thank you for the tea."

As he got back into bed, it occurred to him that what he was feeling might be joy. He couldn't be sure, though-never having felt it before.

______ ______ _______

"So, school starts tomorrow," Sarah remarked conversationally over breakfast.

Vegeta vowed to himself that nobody would hurt him. No human could. And now he knew he could fight. And if Ani and Bardock were going to leave him alone, despite their rights. . . life was looking better than it ever had before.

Oh sure, Bardock would be able to find other ways to punish him, but just physical beatings he could handle. He still wasn't sure about how he'd misread all those signals (maybe he was too used to Ani's twisted innuendos; maybe everybody didn't talk like that). But as long as he was safe it didn't matter.

And yes, he was still nervous about meeting new people, and being in completely different circumstances than what he was used to. He didn't like the unknown. He didn't trust strangers, and he would be surrounded by a lot of them. But he could fight, wonder of wonders, and had his rank to protect him. And he trusted in his mask to shield his emotions. He would have to be very careful, though. Life was full of hidden traps.

"I forgot to show you your schedule earlier," Sarah continued. "Here. You always have a class with either Radditz or Kakkarot so you won't have to be all alone."

Vegeta looked at her. Was she implying he couldn't handle himself? Still-allies would be nice.

"Do you like school?" Kakkarot asked. "Do you get good grades?"

Vegeta shrugged. "I do well."

"But do you like it?" Kakkarot repeated.

"No."

"Do you like anything?" Bardock asked, partly in annoyance and partly truly curious.

He liked being left alone. He liked winning a fight. He liked watching the stars. But none of those answers seemed adequate. He shrugged again.

Radditz could tell his father was getting increasingly annoyed. Maybe it would be good to get Vegeta out of the house for awhile. They were all still adjusting to each other.

"There's a martial arts tournament today. Do you and Kakkarot want to go?" Radditz asked.

They both said yes.

"Be home by 1:00," Bardock said.

_______ ______ ______