Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ True Torture ❯ Chapter 6 ( Chapter 6 )

Chapter 6

'…are na onna. Aware na onna.'

Something was pulling her to the surface. She didn't want to go. That nightmare she'd dreamt had been horrendous. Slowly, her eyes cracked open, focusing on a dark blur above her. They suddenly widened as she realized exactly what that blur was. Immediately she tried to rise, and was instantly pushed back down.

'Hold still and don't speak! They can hear us.'

She stilled as he told her to, and stared wide-eyed up at him. His dark eyes turned from her, staring out a window that showed a green landscape she didn't recognize outside it. 'We'll be landing soon. I'd advise keeping quiet and doing as you're told.'

Indeed, she could feel a new kind of pressure pushing her into Vegeta's legs, could see the landscape get sharper in relief and closer to them. She wanted to close her eyes to it, but she couldn't. She wanted to say something…but she didn't dare.

They crashed into the planet hard and she did close her eyes at the last second, feeling the impact without the added benefit of sight. When she opened her eyes, after the pod had stopped shaking, she looked right into black eyes that bored into hers intensely. 'You can't always close your eyes.'

Before she could wonder what he meant by that, the door was opening and he was pushing her out, barely giving her time to find her feet on the platform before he pitched her forward to land on her hands and knees on dusty ground.

It took her a moment to realize she wasn't on her own planet. Took her an even longer moment to recall her nightmare and realize it wasn't a dream.

The tears that sprang to her eyes came unbidden and continued to come as a flow that streamed down her face, catching on the curves and lines of her face to drip to the dirt below them. She didn't see or notice them though. They were all gone. They were all-dead.

Behind her, Vegeta stepped out cautiously and slowly, eyes scanning the area without turning to look anywhere. They had landed just outside Frieza's ship, which gleamed in the light from-he counted three suns on this planet.

He stepped lightly over the kneeling woman, ignoring her for the moment. She was on her own now. If she managed to stay alive, it would be a miracle. Unfortunately, he didn't believe in miracles.

"I've been waiting for you."

Vegeta head turned against his will toward the hated voice. He was standing before Ginyu…and luckily he'd missed their-poses. "We're flattered!"

"What is that?"

Gohan was shoved forward, eyes wide and staring up at the white lizard, which wasn't a long way to look up. "It's a Saiyan, my lord. We found it on Earth."

Vegeta watched from a distance as Frieza circled the boy, eyeing him thoroughly. "He has no tail. Tell me, boy, what is your name?"

"Go-Gohan. My dad's going to come save me."

Frieza stopped before the boy, the bone above his eye rising much as an eyebrow would. "Will he now? And did he not blow up with Earth, little one?"

Gohan's mouth abruptly clamped shut and Vegeta bit down a groan. The kid had already spilled far too much. And by the look on Frieza's face, he knew it too.

"So, chief…what's the next job?"

Those red eyes locked into Vegeta's and before Frieza had taken two steps he was on his left knee, head bowed low. "You are to go retrieve the dragonballs. Now."

There were no other sounds other than the Ginyu Force taking off and the heavy breathing of the Ice-jin above and the Saiyan below. If Vegeta just strained his ears, he could hear the human crying.

"You've been a bad boy, Vegeta."

Vegeta gritted his teeth, knowing what was coming after those words he'd heard many times before. So it wasn't a surprise as a clawed foot caught him in the stomach, expelling the air in his lungs and bowing him over his knee, clutching his gut protectively with one hand and holding himself up with the other as he gasped for breath.

"You'll be punished later. I don't have the time right now. And what is this?"

Vegeta craned his head to the side, wheezing from what felt like already bruised ribs. The trip here felt like it had done nothing for his wounds. "For you, my lord."

Frieza looked incredulously at the blue head bowed before him. "This? It looks like a simple mammal to me, Vegeta. I'm very disappointed. You know I like the more-" A talon-ed hand stretched down and caught the unsuspecting chin, lifting it up. Bulma's blue eyes blinked in confusion at the lizard that held her, tears still flowing freely but silently down her face, "exotic…."

Frieza's face was a picture of surprise. "Oh. She's crying."

Abruptly he was left with nothing in his hand as Bulma's lip curled in disgust and she wrenched it out of Frieza's grasp. "Bastard." The word was a hiss that filled the dead Namekian air. And Vegeta realized it probably was dead-or rather, all the occupants were.

Frieza blinked, then let out a short laugh. "She's just like you, Vegeta! No wonder you brought her to me. But then again, you never cry. Maybe she'll be a good toy after all."

There was a yell, and Vegeta's wide eyes watched as Gohan launched himself toward Frieza, who looked just as surprised. The end result was Gohan flying backwards into the ground and Frieza smirking as he clenched his fingers, which cracked and popped as he stretched them.

Straightening, Frieza clapped his hands together, meeting the eyes of all three of his guests with anticipation. "Well, Vegeta, go show them to their temporary quarters with you and get them settled. Make sure they're clean. I want them presented to me tonight-as a treat after I've collected all the dragonballs."

Vegeta rose shakily and nodded shortly, mind already wandering to- He made his way carefully around Frieza, which earned him a chuckle, and roughly hauled the woman onto her feet, wasting no time in dragging her toward the ship and snapping a command at the boy.

As he stalked quickly through the door, Bulma and Gohan following without protest, Frieza's voice called out to him. "You'll be expected to go about your regular duties, Vegeta. After your punishment."

Gritting his teeth and letting out air through his nose, Vegeta plowed ahead, determined not to look back.

"This is your room. Stay off the bed. You'll be on the floor."

Bulma stifled a squeak as she was hauled into the room and let go to spin around before she caught her balance on a wall. She turned around to chastise the other only to see his back turned toward a computer screen next to the door. "The code to get in is DX178960. Remember it."

Bulma blinked and Vegeta turned around to see the confused expression on her face. Sighing in disgust, he turned to Gohan, who was circumspectly inspecting the room. "You!"

With a jump, he turned back around, staring at Vegeta wide-eyed. "DX178960. Can you remember that?"

"DX178960."

Vegeta nodded at the perfect repeat and turned to his bed, shedding armor, gloves, and boots and literally falling into it, back facing the other two. "We'll be stuck here until called for. Get some rest. I'll wake you two hours beforehand to clean up."

Bulma stalked toward the figure in the bed, finger raised in objection. "We will not be sleeping on the floor! You can at least let Gohan sleep on the bed! For Kami's sake! Our planet is gone…." Her voice trailed off, and Vegeta could hear the watery sound of it.

Bulma did let out a sound then as she was once again smacked into the wall, Vegeta's hands pinning her arms to her side. His face was in hers as he yelled. "I've worked too damn hard for this bed; killed and fucked too many people to let you two waltz in here and take it! You'll sleep on the damn floor!"

Bulma let out a shuddering gasp and Vegeta watched as tears ran down her face. His mouth twisted and he abruptly let her go, giving her one last shove into the wall. "I wouldn't worry too much about Earth. You'll be joining them soon."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Vegeta was pleased that the woman's voice had a trace of worry. She must be getting the point now. "It means you won't last the night." He turned abruptly and lay back down on the bed, shutting out the two behind him.

Bulma slowly sank to the floor, silent sobs racking her body. She dimly felt a small, warm body nuzzle into her and opened her arms to let Gohan closer, holding onto the only thing left from her world.

"Don't worry, Bulma. Dad will come for us. He'll come save us and we'll take the dragonballs and wish for Earth and all its people back! Everything will be okay!"

Before Bulma could thank Gohan, Vegeta abruptly turned toward them and spoke. "Kakarott will do that?"

Gohan glared out from over Bulma's arms. "Yes. Then he'll kill Frieza and you!"

Vegeta chuckled. "As if he could kill Frieza. Face it, brat. You're father's going to die here along with you both. He doesn't stand a chance against Frieza. None of us do."

While Gohan continued to glare at Vegeta, Bulma studied him intently. It was strange. Along with Vegeta's voice, she could hear his mind echoing whatever he said just before he said it. At first, the overlay of his voice had been nerve-wracking. But now…that last sentence had sounded-dead in her mind.

"And what if he could defeat Frieza?"

Vegeta's eyes met hers for a second before he snorted and turned back to face the wall away from them. "If he could defeat Frieza, I'd live the rest of my life on Earth. Now go to sleep!"

Bulma held Gohan tightly to her, watching the tense shoulders of the Saiyan as his thoughts whirled in her mind, all centered toward that night and telling her exactly what was going to happen.

She knew that none of them were going to be getting any sleep.

~^

Bulma looked warily at the man who sat at the edge of the bed, staring at the far wall moodily. Gohan was using the small bathroom attached to the main room to clean up. She was next and then Vegeta she assumed.

She had been wakened rudely by a boot nudging her in the side, and a scowling face glaring down at her. "Get yourself and the boy up and cleaned. We leave in an hour."

After that he had merely sat on the bed, waiting apparently until his turn. Bulma couldn't hear anything from his mind and wondered if the drug had completely worn off, if, in fact, she would never hear him in her mind again. And why was that thought so-disheartening?

'Can you still hear me?'

Bulma's eyes widened and met Vegeta's black ones as he stared back at her. Nodding, she brought her legs up so that she could hug her knees. "I have a question."

"What?" He spoke this aloud, startling her as the room echoed with his voice, the light patter of running water a mere background.

Bulma quickly looked away, rethinking her question. It was stupid. It was- "Never mind."

'What?'

Bulma's eyes flickered back to Vegeta, and she jumped in shock to see him crouched inches from her, staring intently. "Um...when-I mean...you didn't fight him."

Vegeta cocked his head to one side, studying this strange creature. "It would've been pointless to do so." He leaned in closer, watching the woman shrink back. She wasn't so big without the comforts of her creations around her. 'Kakarott is here?'

As she opened her mouth, Vegeta placed a finger over her lips. 'Not aloud. Concentrate in your mind; send it to me.'

Vegeta almost laughed as the woman's face screwed up into a tightened expression. 'Never mind. You look like you'll explode if you keep trying. Aware na onna.'

Bulma blinked. Was that-?

'I have a plan.'

She lowered her voice slightly, taking the hint that they were being listened to, maybe even watched. "Plan?"

He quirked a brow at her, smirking lightly. 'I always have a plan, woman. What did you think I was doing sitting there?' He interrupted the opening of her mouth by continuing. 'Neither of you will survive the night. You won't survive physically and the boy-' He looked toward the still-running shower, then back at Bulma. 'I'm going to do something. When I do it, you must act. Do you understand?'

She opened her mouth to ask a question and was again silenced by his finger. He glared harshly at her, words barking out into her mind. 'Do you understand?'

Nodding silently, she breathed out as the finger left her lips. It had been gloveless.... She'd never seen his hands without the gloves. As he started to rise to his feet, she grabbed his hand, bringing it to her face and inspecting it curiously. He stilled, halting his motion, so that he was halfway between crouching and standing. "Wha-?" The sound of the shower stopping made the word louder.

Her fingers lightly played over his knuckles. "I've never seen your hands without gloves. I was just curious."

She let the hand go and Vegeta immediately stood, staring down at her with a furrowed brow. "What were you curious about?"

Shrugging she stood as Gohan came out of the shower. "You don't have calluses."

Furrowing his brow once more, Vegeta turned, disregarding the human behind him and her continued perplexity. "Boy!"

Gohan's head snapped up, wide-eyed at the other Saiyan before they narrowed. Gohan's eyes lowered and Vegeta was surprised to hear a low growl. Despite how it rankled, Vegeta ignored the sound. "You've told me you can sense ki. Is this true?"

Gohan lifted his eyes slightly, nodding slowly. Vegeta gave a sharp nod and glared at Bulma. "Well? We have thirty minutes before we meet with Lord Frieza. I won't be punished for your tardiness or lack of cleanliness. Get in there. Now!"

A motion of his hand toward the bathroom let Bulma know exactly what he meant, and she could tell Gohan was surprised that she did as told without protest. Whatever plan Vegeta had, she hoped it worked.

A/N: Well....alright. Go on to the next chapter. I just cut these in half for easier reading. And to make you squirm of course. ^____^