- 22 -
The Reality
ChiChi watched her little boy go through the motions of the first kata she had learned when she first starting training with her father. It amazed her how quickly he was picking it up and how flawless it was. It was like he was born already knowing it and just needed to be reminded. Thanks to his alien genes no doubt. She sighed a little at the thought and looked out of the corner of her eye at her husband who was sparring with his father. Only she wouldn't really call it just tha-
She cringed as Goku slammed into the grass face first and took a few seconds to get to his hands and knees, wiping the blood from a split lip, but other than that looking no worse for it as he jumped back up and attacked at a speed she could just barely make out. It amazed her how strong he was. She lived with him -had even seen him fight Piccolo- but since having Gohan she never once watched him train. In a way it made her rather sad. The couple of months before she realized she was pregnant they had been training together almost constantly; he tried trying to teach her even some of the ki things, saying that she did have enough energy only that she needed to harness it. She knew, now having her eyes open and actually thinking about it, that in those two months with him he had been far more open with her than any other time leading to this point. In a way she had given him a reason not to be open with her, not that she was giving him an excuse or anything...
But waking up that one fateful morning, sicker than any other time she could remember, had put an end to them training and spending time like that together... Because shortly after that the hormones started kicking in and the simple realization that she was carrying a child made her think about the future, about the kind of mother she would be. She wanted to be the mother her mother would have been. With a child of her own to think of she looked back and realized how dangerous her childhood and Goku's childhood was; running around the globe, beating bad guys that were better left to adults and saving the day. For the first time, she had wished that her father had pushed her to study more instead of training her to fight... had been the parent she needed him to be... This whole time she was thinking that time had run out on her, but she was damn sure going to be pushing her little boy to become something for himself. To give him the life she could never have.
Only problem was... she had pushed too hard. Had gone from one extreme to the other in her quest to be the best mother she could be, failing to take into account that there were more things in life than being successful. She had known this once... but learning she was going to have a baby had made her forget all that, her maternal instincts kicking in to overdrive. What more was that the memory of her time with Goku before that fateful day had been hidden under all the events that transpired after. The pregnancy from hell... the close calls and then the joy of truly holding their child. All of this covered up those precious moments before, memories she desperately held onto now.
Goku was thrown into the pool next to her, splashing water everywhere and startling her from her thoughts momentarily. She didn't make any attempt to hide that she was watching as he lifted himself from the pool, shaking his head like some mutt to free the water from his hair before looking up. Their eyes met briefly, but he quickly looked away and flew back to Bardock. ChiChi bit the inside of her cheek as she looked down at the ground, eyes watering again. She never realized how much his eyes used to say... It was like he was turning into Bardock with the way he was keeping what he felt from them, looking emotionless... What if he becomes so emotionless that he turns into that ass Vegeta? Of course that was just silly. Goku under it all was still a kind, caring man and Vegeta... well... obviously wasn't.
She still hated knowing that as far as her husband was concerned she really hadn't noticed that much about him. With everything else, nothing ever escaped her, but for some reason the man she loved had... She needed to apologize, needed to at least acknowledge that he hadn't totally been a recluse from her and only pretending; that she was sorry for what she said and in part how she reacted. Of course she wasn't completely regretful for how she reacted; he had kept so much from her and while she didn't really give him any reason to be open with her that didn't mean he shouldn't have at least tried. In other words that meant he wasn't completely forgiven. But it took two to make their relationship and she wasn't as innocent as she once thought in all of this.
They were going to have to work at it. She was going to have to learn who he was and learn to accept and love that. And he was going to have to get over whatever fear he had to be open with her. Right now she felt like she was in love with a stranger and had been sharing her bed with one this whole time. She could not exactly put words to how much that honestly unnerved her.
Then there was the little issue with what Vegeta had said the other day... Okay, so it wasn't so little, but she was trying to not let her voice start up again and accidently make more out of it than it really was. She still wasn't sure if it was even true or if the awful Saiyan prince was just trying to start something. 'I was wondering what would finally push you over... and, she is the key. Am I right, clown?' His words came back to her quick enough, echoing in her mind. 'You already have a mate... and yet you are showing the response of a Saiyan protecting one...'
ChiChi shook the voice from her head realizing Gohan was done and waiting for her to say something. "Good job, baby. You've just about mastered it... Why don't you go inside get cleaned up and start that worksheet?" Seeing him suddenly look sad that they were done, she felt a little bad so she added, "Maybe tomorrow we can start on something else and go until an hour after lunch?"
He beamed, excited. "Really, Mommy?"
She smiled a little and nodded, kneeling as he came over and brushed his unruly black hair from his face. "Yes, so be a good boy and do a good job for me."
He nodded happily, bolting inside without another word. She looked after him; seeing him so happy made her happy, but it also pained her. All this time she'd been so strict with him, so focused on studies since he was three. He hardly knew what it was like to be a real kid, which was evident by how much older he acted. Her mother had never been strict, had never hindered the wonder and imagination of a child. Sure she wouldn't have ever let ChiChi do all that she had done as a kid, but she wouldn't have locked her away inside, forced day in-and-out to study. And for someone who prided herself on being the best mother, learning that she wasn't really stung. She needed to be more balanced... give him the education he needed to be successful, but allow him the time to be... a kid, to dream and imagine.
Sighing, she stood. The thoughts about what Vegeta said came back to her then. Sure, they upset her. He was implying that Goku had more feelings for Bulma than he let on... Truthfully, she hadn't really seen any evidence of that. Even yesterday when he was defensive of Bulma... she was family to him, his sister and best friend. She had seen others do far worse in her opinion... so maybe for Saiyans it was a lot, but for humans it was just about right. Another reason she wasn't huffing mad with her face turning red and steam coming out of her ears, demanding someone tell her what was really going on was that Bulma clearly harbored no such feelings. The other day being with her, hearing the stories she and Bunny told her... Yes, she loved him, but she didn't love him like that. It was actually kind of funny listening to her talk as if Goku was still a little boy. It was like she didn't even see him as a man completely, that he would always be that little boy who was curious about everything.
ChiChi looked up from the ground when she heard Bardock say, "I've taught you all I can today, Goku. I'll be inside if you need me..." Goku nodded as both of them touched down on the ground. "Take a small break, will you? I don't need two cubs with the mentality of training until they are almost dead."
Goku chuckled a little. "You don't have to worry about that, Bardock. I know my limits and that pushing that far does more damage than good."
He grunted, "Wish he would listen..."
Bardock continued muttering under his breath as he went inside and ChiChi looked from him to Goku, who sighed and sat down in the grass, relaxing as his father had suggested. He lay back, putting his arms behind his head and looked up at the sky, and it reminded ChiChi of those two months after they got married, having seen him do it countless times after training. If she was going to apologize, now was the best time. But she was frozen there, scared of making everything worse. If he was just the Goku she knew, she would know how to approach him... but he was a mystery to her now. When did she become such a-a... scaredy-cat? She used to be a woman who would look anything in the eye and stare it down. At the tournament five years ago, she walked right up to him, tapped him on the shoulder and said hi... All she had to do was tell him she was sorry; that she still very much wanted him and that they would have to work at it...
ChiChi stood there for a few minutes, trying to build up her courage to talk to him and was about to go when Mrs. Briefs came out of the house.
"Hey, ChiChi dear," the older woman called out as she walked over to her. She stopped a few feet from her, smiling. "Bulma called earlier asking if Teddy, you, and I would help her with something at the Capsule Corp building."
ChiChi blinked. "Really?"
"Yeah, she said to think of it as your first job helping her out with the Expo. Is that okay?" The raven-haired woman noticed the older one glance at her husband, clearly knowing she may have interrupted something.
Who was she kidding... she wasn't ever going to go over there and talk to him. She smiled a little. "Yes, and I'm excited to see the company building."
"Okay, well we need to leave soon, dear." She hesitated, looking back to ChiChi, "You good to go now?" ChiChi nodded and the other woman turned, starting to walk to the back door before calling out to Goku and Vegeta, "Lunch will be an hour or so late, you two. There's stuff in the fridge if you need a snack."
"I'll wait, thanks Bunny."
ChiChi started to follow, but stopped upon hearing what Goku said, unbelieving what she just heard. Did he just say he would wait? It was like the impossible happened, but then she suddenly remembered that one time they had to save her father from roasting alive from that magickal flame before her wedding. He had been angry that the other-worldly woman wouldn't help them and when she offered him some of the noodles she had been eating he slapped them from her hand, saying he wasn't hungry... Maybe it wasn't so impossible...
She shook her head, quickly walking after Mrs. Briefs again, not wanting to be left behind and bring attention to herself.
.~-~.
"What's up, Goku?" Bulma asked with a concerned look on her face having noticed his abrupt awakening as she sat with his son at the table.
He was about to tell her that he didn't know, but when the ki spiked again even higher, he held his hand up to tell her to remain quiet for a second. The energy disappeared once more, too quickly for him to see where it was coming from so he closed his eyes to concentrate. How was it possible for someone to be as strong as him or higher even, and then have it suddenly not be there? With his concentration increased he could hear the mumbling. Low and pained as it was he couldn't understand it, but something about it set him on edge. And when the ki spiked his eyes snapped open and looked to where he knew Vegeta was sleeping against a tree. It was Vegeta, there was no doubt about it now. Not with the way the older Saiyan was twitching ever so slightly, clearly having some sort of nightmare.
Goku shivered recalling his own nightmares from the night before. How real and horrifying those dreams had felt... It couldn't simply be chance that the prince was having them as well, especially when Goku had never dreamed such things before. Were they Vegeta's? Where they his... memories? He wasn't sure what was more shocking: that these were his nightmares or that these were his real life. It was frightening to knowsuch brutality was actually out there in the universe, and having seen pieces of it, he was starting to understand the unruly Saiyan better.
Rising to his feet, his own concern grew, unsure what to do. Should he get Bardock? Or could he just... carefully wake him? He didn't want to escalate the problem by startling the other Saiyan accidently. Not only could that hurt, but it could prove to be rather fatal. He didn't have the option of death, not with Raditz coming. But considering what the content of those dreams could be, Goku really didn't see how he couldn't startle him. He glanced to Bulma and his son, the former having stood after seeing his reaction. Her own eyes were on Vegeta having followed his eyes to him, and her brow was pinched with concern. He needed to get them away. He would never forgive himself if he let anything happen to either of them. But seeing the look in Bulma's eyes, he realized that perhaps it was too late to get her to leave.
As the ki spiked, his eyes widened noticing it was drastically increasing since the first few that caught his attention and it lingered longer before dropping to a level that was actually detectable. Also the peeks were increasing in frequency... If it kept up at the rate it was going he was going to be as strong if not stronger than Bardock.
Striding quickly to Bulma and Gohan, he kept his eyes on the older Saiyan. "Bulma, take Gohan inside and get Bardock."
"Something's wrong with Vegeta?" It was more of a question of what was wrong, not if, and she turned her gaze on him, pinning him there with a look that told him she wasn't about to do as he said.
Frowning, he shifted uncomfortably. "His ki keeps jumping, then falls, only to jump higher. At this rate only Bardock will be able to... stop him from doing anything."
Her brow rose with that looking to her Saiyan houseguest before turning her attention to Gohan as she knelt down. "Gohan, can you do me a favor, bud?" Noticing something was wrong from both of the adults' stances and their faces, he nodded his head. "Good, go find your mother and my mother and have them get Bardock with you... okay?" He glanced between the two, unsure what was going on, before running inside.
Goku frowned as the door closed behind his son. "I don't want you out here, Bulma. It's too dangerous."
She rolled her eyes as they started to slowly walk towards Vegeta. "I understand, Goku. But you know nothing about his complication, which I'm suspecting is causing this... If I can just get him to calm down..." Her voice trailed off as they stopped two yards from the hurt prince, both able to hear the words he mumbled better and the way his body flinched.
"Hoc... non potest accidere." His hands were clenched to the point that they drew blood and both Bulma and Goku shivered at how the words instilled so much fear in them. "Non... non meam voluntatem a me."
Before Goku could even think to pull her back, Bulma closed the gap to Vegeta and knelt down. At first she didn't touch him, not wanting to startle him as she whispered, "Vegeta..." When nothing happened she cautiously moved to put her hand on his shoulder. "Wake up; everything is ok-" She jerked her hand back as if burned as she hissed, "Shit... Goku, he's burning up."
He frowned, remembering only one time when he had a fever. It hadn't been good. "Bulma... I don't think you being so close is a good-"
She ignored him as her hand touched Vegeta's face. "Vegeta, come on... wake up. Everything will be okay." Again she got no answer and she moved closer, letting her hand trail down to his neck to check his pulse. Bulma shook her head, finding that she couldn't count it with it going so fast. Gently she pulled him away from the old tree and rested him on the ground. "Goku, you think you can help me carry him to the pool?"
He shifted unsure, before stepping closer, and as gently as possible lifted him from the ground. He was startled to find that Bulma was right... it was like he was on fire. They needed to do something and the pool was the best bet, but he was worried it would startle him too much. Maybe if he reached him telepathically... try to let him know and calm him down. Thinking about it now, he probably should have contacted Bardock that way, but it was a little late now.
He stopped halfway to the pool and set Vegeta down, and with Bulma's confused look, he sighed, "Hold on, I'm going to try and reach him to let him know what we are about to do..." As her look grew more bewildered he added, "I guess... Saiyans can communicate with our minds." He shrugged. "Whatever it is I know it works because Bardock has talked to me without actually... speaking..."
"Okay... just be careful, will you?" She squeezed his hand before turning her attention back to Vegeta and knelt beside him.
Goku stood there, looking down at the older Saiyan before closing his eyes. Wondering how in the world he was supposed to do this. Maybe if I just reach out to his ki source... His eyes snapped open when he felt the outer ragged barriers of the prince's mind. That was interesting. He wondered if it was strictly other Saiyans he could do this with or if humans were close enough but decided to figure that out another time as he pushed forward.
"Vegeta... can you hear me?" The older Saiyan stilled a little, but Goku had a feeling that was more because of Bulma stroking the side of his head than Goku trying to contact him. He pushed the barrier a little more."Vegeta, it's Goku. You're having a nightmare, wak-"
Before Goku could even realize what was happening, Vegeta's barrier suddenly opened and latched onto his mind, pulling him in.
Light flashed beyond his closed lids as pain racked his entire body and every muscle tensed, released, and tensed again. It was one of the worst imaginable pains he had ever felt. Dimly he could hear that there were others talking... but it was difficult to concentrate on them. He was finally able to gain some ground as he used those who were talking to steady himself, and he was so close to finding a way to block it all out when a new sensation, a flame, crossed his skin. Gasping for air, his thoughts left him. He wanted to scream, but something kept him from doing so.
Bulma gasped when Goku suddenly fell unconscious on the ground next to her and she went to him. "Shit... Goku, I told you to be careful!" Feeling that his temperature was normal but his heart rate was too fast to read like Vegeta's, she guessed they must be tied in some way. "Maybe if I put some distance between them..."
That of course was easier said than done with Goku being so massive. Grunting and cursing as she went, she managed to lift Goku up by his arms and started to yank. She was only able to drag him a yard and a half before she collapsed exhausted. Honestly, she was surprised she was able to get him that far away. Catching her breath she knelt next to her best friend and shook him.
"Goku, come on, bud." Gently she slapped his face, hoping to get some sort of response out of him.
When she got nothing she sat back on her butt, wondering what in the world she was supposed to do now with two unconscious Saiyans and one of them... She eyed the small floating rocks that had started lifting off the ground. One of them was about to get really deadly. She may not be able to feel power levels, but even she knew the telltale signs that a massive level of ki was present. She really hoped Bardock knew what to do...
.~-~.
He was so focused on the work before him that he actually jumped when the door to the lab burst open and Gohan, his mother, and the elder Briefs woman rushed in. The pale looks on their faces was enough to make a shiver go down his spine with fear, wondering what had happened to make such looks cross their faces. Chi Chi had started talking the second she entered the room, but her words were too frantic and fast for him to make much out of them before the shaking started. He rushed forward, unnoticed by anyone in the room until he was between the two women and Gohan, steadying them before they tumbled to the hard concrete and swiftly picked all of them up, jumping out of the way before one of the overhead lights could crash down over them. He set them near the doctor who had managed to remain where he sat at the table.
"Oh my..." Dr. Briefs looked around a little worried as more of the lights came crashing down.
Fortunately where he and now the others were there was no lights exactly over their heads, but Bardock was forced to use his ki as a shield of sorts to protect them from the glass that crashed from the table and floor beside them. With Chi Chi passing out from the sudden fright of it all and Gohan grabbing his leg terrified, only the older woman seemed to be relatively calm.
Bardock turned to Mrs. Briefs, asking, "What in all the galaxy is going on?"
"Gohan came in... saying there was some problem with Vegeta and that we had to get you." The woman eyed the falling towers of papers and folders that became mixed in with all the glass as she held onto the bolted down table to stay standing.
"Something wrong with Vegeta?" he muttered, puzzled before closing his eyes and concentrating.
Sensing ki was surprisingly rather hard for him... he was however able to get suppressing it down easily enough. That is when he sensed it: a ki he hadn't felt before and yet was familiar surged painfully across his mind. His eyes snapped open, able to feel it now without closing his eyes. How could he not, it was as strong as he was powered up... if not stronger. But how was that possible? From the glimpse he got from the folder the boy shouldn't even be able to control ki, not with the enzymes needed to control ki being blocked.
He gave the doctor a deathly serious look. "Vegeta can't control ki can he?"
Dr. Briefs paled a little with the look the older Saiyan was giving him, and coughed his throat clear before answering, "No, no... he can control it if something accidently triggers his fight response, but I would imagine that it would be rather sporadic most of the time and will terribly hurt him in the end... could even kill him." He paused, glancing at the mess and the shaking ground before studying Bardock. "Is that what this is? The lad has powered up for some reason or another?"
"Yes, and he's not controlling it well... clearly..." He nodded to the chaotic mess around him. "When I powered up to full level I was able to control it so it would not damage anything, but now that you mention sporadic... I can feel that while high it also takes irregular dips and jumps. How bad is this for him?"
"Exceedingly horrible... I-I made something though- oh no..." His brow creased with concern as he started over to a fridge, managing to stay balanced with the cat perched on his shoulder wide-eyed through it all. Opening the door, even Bardock could see clearly that most of the glass containers inside were broken and dripping down, making a good-old mess of things. "I had something for the lad to help him, but now I don't..." He looked back to Bardock concerned. "If you don't stop him there is a very good chance the lad could kill himself without a way for us to reset his heart and body... I could use the defibrillator... hmm." He rubbed his mustache after closing the fridge and using it to remain on his feet.
"Merda!" Bardock cursed in Saiyan.
Gently he sat ChiChi on the floor, propped up against the table. Then he turned to Gohan, trying to get the child off his leg and having mild difficulty... he was rather strong for someone his age. "It's okay, Gohan. Everything will be alright; I just need you to watch over your mother. Can you be a big man and do that for me?" Swallowing, eyes still wide with fright, Gohan nodded and stood next to his mother's unconscious body. "Good. I'll be back in no time."
Before the doctor or his wife could even blink, Bardock was over by the back door and went to open it. Only... the blasted thing wouldn't budge. It was then he noticed the huge slab of metal over the door. Lowering into a powerful stance and he punched it only to feel like his hand would break. His eyes widened, seeing hardly a dent in the substance. In all his years he had not come across any material that could stand up against him... Why now? He growled, frustrated, and ran a hand through his spiky hair before fisting it. If he could power up then perhaps he could tear through the walled door, but in such a confined space he would hurt the Briefs, ChiChi, and Gohan. He couldn't do that.
As he tried to figure out what to do the ground stopped shaking and he glanced around at his surroundings before turning to the doctor again. "How do I get this door open?"
"Oh-um... I'll be right over there, I have to enter a key co- ohhh," the old man gasped when Bardock was suddenly there beside them and then he was suddenly by the door. "Well, that certainly saves time with me not picking through that mess. Let's see here."
The doctor took a screw driver he always kept handy in his pocket and went to pop the lid to the hidden control panel off and spoke while he worked with the wires, "Sorry about that, Bardock... Goku once blew a hole in my lab and I wanted to make sure nothing could do that again."
Bardock grunted and may have even chuckled if not under the current circumstances. He certainly succeeded in the task... He wasn't even sure if he could break through fully powered up. With nothing better to do he reached out to Goku, his mind touching his and the connection snapped to life.
"What's going on out there?" He tried to keep his voice neutral, but couldn't help letting some of his anger, frustration and concern through as it rattled through his son's head and startled him.
Goku gulped, staring at Vegeta. What a monstrous power... I can hardly wrap my head around it. He held Bulma closer to him, trying to keep from being fearful... knowing the other Saiyan could smell it, but was failing horribly. Then he realized that Bardock had asked him something. "Vegeta was having a nightmare or something... I think he still thinks he's in it..."
Bardock frowned, having heard all of Goku's thoughts and was startled by how clear they were. He reached out for Vegeta, but he was met with a wall thicker than anything he had encountered before. "Shit, I can't reach him. Can you concentrate on everything that happened and show me?"
Goku mentally groaned, "I'll try..."
A wave of information passed through the link between their two minds and Bardock blinked, having the undeniable proof that his son really was holding back from everyone. He was no brilliant genius like Bulma -though the older Saiyan hardly doubted anyone could be like Bulma- but if he was forced to learn more math and science than Bulma had originally taught him, he could actually be above most out there. His son was, however, an amazing tactician in his own right. While he was not fighting anyone in the memories he showed, he was thinking ahead and planning out different strategies for the different outcomes he thought of.
Bardock sighed mentally, "Don't move. Don't dare speak to him. Don't do anything, Goku. We are working to get this door open and then we'll go from there."
"Right..." he drawled with a nervous mental chuckle.
That was easier said than done. He didn't think Vegeta would just stand there staring at them until they could get the door unlocked... not with the way he was staring right at the two of them, livid. And that Bulma never did the smart thing. Damn it, his erratic power up must have tripped the doc's safety mechanisms...How the hell was he supposed to keep everything calm?
Bardock couldn't help but be a little amused. "Yes... I wouldn't want to be in your position, son. Just do what you can." With that he temporarily cut the link to concentrate on what was happening before him and not distract his son.
He noticed then that the doctor was cursing. "What's wrong?" Bardock leaned with one arm propped against the wall next to him.
"These damn wires... the lad's power level somehow got into the main electrical circuit for this." Dr. Briefs shook his head. "I don't know if I can open it now without help from the outside..."
The older Saiyan clenched his fist, growling and making Teddy shift his gaze to him briefly, startled by the animalistic sound of it all. He swiftly went back to his work, wishing Bardock wouldn't hover like this. It was making things more difficult. What he wouldn't give for a way to contact Bulma... She was the only one who could help them out of the room. This was definitely something he was going to fix when this was all said and done.
"Is there anything I can do?" Bardock gritted his teeth.
His brow raised a little as he studied the Saiyan before mumbling humorously, "There's nothing you can do unless you carry some kind of communicator that leads directly to my daughter."
Bardock gave a small smile. "Actually that I can do... hold on."
He ignored the disbelieving look Dr. Briefs gave him while he sought out the link to his son again.
"Goku, can yo-"
"What is wrong with you, Vegeta?" Goku's voice and thoughts slammed through the mental link like red-hot iron, preoccupied. "You're on Earth not... wherever you think you are. Snap out of it before you get anyone killed!"
"Goku? What's going on?" Bardock's thoughts were strained with concern and to his surprise Goku pulled him in further, allowing him to see through his eyes.
Before him was Vegeta, glaring at them murderously, and the already daunting look turned more deadly as his eyes narrowed further. He glanced at Bulma next to him... or rather them. It was all quite confusing for both Goku and Bardock. Honestly the older Saiyan had never had this experience before in his life where someone let him in completely. Saiyans were not trusting people and even for life-mates it was hard pressed to allow someone else fully unhindered access like this. Only in dreams was he allowed access, and even then it was only what the fates determined he could see. Did Goku even realize he was doing it?
His grip tightened around Bulma's waist, fearful as Vegeta's dark, menacing eyes studied her. I can't let him hurt her... But what could he do? He was like a fly -no, a gnat- to Vegeta. His power level was so insanely high that he was having trouble wrapping his head around it. Okay... so maybe he was being a little extreme. It was only slightly higher than what Bardock's maximum had been, but that in itself was a frightening thought.
Vegeta's gaze went back to Goku and he snorted, "Who's going to stop me? You, Cui? I think not." The younger Saiyan gulped as the prince lowered into his stance, showing he meant business. "Unless you want me to assist you to the afterlife, I suggest you tell me where he is... now."
Shit, shit, shit... What the hell am I supposed to do? I say one thing and he hears another. Goku gritted his teeth, glancing around... looking for anything that could get him out of this but coming up blank. Who the hell is Cui anyway? I thought Freeza was the ba-
Bardock tried to separate his mind from his son's, grasping that the cub didn't realize he had latched on to the older Saiyan's. "Goku, Cui is another soldier who worked under Freeza. But that doesn't matter right now, what does is that I need Bulma to come to this door and get us out."
"Bardock?" Goku blinked, startled as he finally noticed that there was another's thoughts and voice in his head. He glanced to Bulma who was staring at Vegeta. "I don't know if us moving is such a good thing right now..."
"I understand that, Goku. But the door has it worse than we originally thought and the only way I can get out to help is if she opens it."
The younger Saiyan cursed mentally. When Vegeta powered up it had been wild, lightning, Earth-shattering... the whole nine-yards. Hell, there was even a tree making a skylight in the west wing of the Briefs home and a new decorative scheme to the back yard with all the uneven earth. Frankly the Briefs were lucky that their pool had not become a new river... yet... But now Vegeta was standing there, the power contained within him, threatening to break free at a moment's notice with a simple flick of his wrist. Goku truly was afraid that if he let her walk away Vegeta would snap and kill her... but if they didn't get that door open they were all pretty much dead anyway...
Seeing something flash in the prince's eyes, Goku knew his time was running out; he had to make a decision and make it fast... But before he could open his mouth to tell Bulma the situation, she determined it was her chance to talk to the murderous Saiyan.
"Please, Vegeta. Really listen to him... he isn't this Cui guy. You are safe in my ba-"
Vegeta snapped as he cut her off, "Cui, tell your whore to be silent before I decide to kill her for fun when I'm done with you."
Bulma stiffened next to Goku; her blue eyes alight with rage. He didn't even get a chance to think about stopping her when she snapped back defensively as she stepped towards the volatile Saiyan, "I'm not a whore, asshole." He grabbed her arm, fear for her safety replacing all other thoughts as the dark prince focused his gaze on her again. "Let me fucking go, Goku! I don't care if he's hurt. I'm not going to let him insult me like that!"
"Bulma..." he whispered, mouth dry. All thoughts of what Bardock wanted were gone from his mind as he tried to figure out a way to deflate this horrible situation.
Bardock pulled away from Goku's thoughts, slamming the wall back up in his own mind and separated them before he started cursing in every language he knew. There was no way Bulma could help them now. He had to admit that it was slim at best that Vegeta would have let her leave before, but now that she had gained his full undivided attention... Blasted girl! Now is not the time to open that mouth of yours!
The doctor looked at him out of the corner of his eye, light lavender brow rising with interest. He was curious not only at what had set him off, but by all the languages.
"You need to get this door open now before your daughter gets herself killed," the older Saiyan all but growled out.
"I'm doing what I can, Bardock. But I need-"
"Yes, yes..." he fumed, his careful hold on his more blunt ruthless Saiyan nature slipping, "I know what you need, but Bulma can't come to the door because she is currently running her mouth at a hallucinating, fever ridden Saiyan and unless you have any other ideas he will tear her limb from limb before disemboweling her and roasting everything in a hundred mile radius."
"Oh, well that isn't good," he muttered calmly as if someone had just told him that it was raining on one of his golf days. He rubbed his mustache, pausing in his work on the panel to think.
Bardock could not put words to how frustrating the human man was being right then. How can he be so calm? Does he not realize the implications of what I'm saying? If he didn't know better he would say that the man was an idiot, but of course that was furthest from the truth.
He proved his intelligence when he offered, "What about that scouter of yours? I may be able to hack into the system... of course it will be difficult with it not being my main field and all, but I'm sure I can-"
Bardock didn't need to hear any more as he surged forward, going back to the table and grabbing his scouter before returning in a few seconds with it held out for the doctor. "Here... do whatever you need to do to get this fucking door open."
Dr. Briefs nodded, his face finally taking on a serious look as he took the scouter and put it over his eye and started to toy with it. As he worked, he asked, "How do you know what's happening out there?"
With nothing better to do the older Saiyan had started to pace, running a hand through his wild black-brown hair. He was good with technology, but the Earthling tech was on a whole other level sometimes that it would even give Tash issues. Knowing his steadily decreasing luck, he would simply make everything worse if he tried to help. But it didn't help his mood any to know he was just about worthless at the moment.
"Saiyans are telepathic," he stated plainly, not really thinking about what he was saying and the fact that he had given away one of his race's secrets a few heartbeats ago.
"Hmm... interesting." The doctor fell silent after that, whether to concentrate on the scouter or to think Bardock wasn't sure.
He stopped to look at the human, comprehending what he said; somewhat startled that he had said it at all. He wasn't sure what to think or feel about that, but it was a little late to take it back now. Still, that didn't keep him from worrying about it. The battle hardened Saiyan studied the doctor, wondering if he was going to regret this slipup later. With what Dr. Briefs already knew about Saiyans, he was already a substantial threat to his people. If the man was smart he would turn his back on them and use it to harm them. At least that was what a lifetime of fighting had taught Bardock. Knowing Saiyans were telepathic was only something else he could use against them.
Sure, telepathy had its advantages, but they were more susceptible to mental attacks if not trained, and the older Saiyan was sure the brilliant doctor could come up with something that could make it an even greater weakness. And that was what the man was, exceptional. He could see that his first impression about him not understanding was embarrassingly incorrect. If he had taken the time to actually watch him he would have seen the wrinkles on his face and around his eyes that showed his anxiety. The man was only calm under stressful situations... like this. That was a good thing.
He shook his head, glancing over at Mrs. Briefs, ChiChi, and Gohan... still unable to believe he was so lax as to give away any secret, it didn't matter that the Earthling was currently helping him and his race... The older Saiyan was unfortunately acquainted with the sting of betrayal fairly well... He knew better than to reveal more than what was absolutely necessary. Raditz... The name of his firstborn was a bitter reminder of it and he clenched his fists. Even blood could not be trusted, and one had to choose their allies carefully least they find a knife in their back the second they turn.
Bardock's thoughts froze a little when a horrible sense of dread filled him. His brow creased trying to figure out where it was coming from, him or his son. He swallowed, unsure whether he wanted to open the link between them again or not. It wasn't like him to hesitate on anything, but this fear... He never felt anything like it before.
"Humans are complex, Bardock," Dr. Briefs interrupted these thoughts as he spoke suddenly and the older Saiyan's eyes snapped to the scientist, wondering where he was going with this. "It would be a lie if some would not use what I know to get the upper hand, and I won't hide from the fact that I have thought about such things myself... of course only to protect my own planet, mind you." Dr. Briefs glanced at him, his green eyes seeing more than Bardock liked. "But while we are messy, chaotic, and fickle beings, there is one thing that will always remain the same, and that is our never-ending drive for morals and to do what is just. As the namesake of my little friend here..." He gestured to the cat on his shoulder. "Not to help justice in her need would be an impiety."
He sighed as he went back to looking at the scouter's screen, "I could not live with myself if I used what I know against those who have done me no harm -even if there was a high probability that they would attack me. I would certainly take the steps to guard myself, but never would I strike first. There is nothing just about that, and as I see it one must treat others with this respect before they can receive..."
Bardock glanced at the door, more urgency filling him (which he now recognized both this urgency and the fear was coming from his son) and he wondered if having this talk now was such a good thing as the doctor continued, "I know only what you have told me about your species history. But it seems to me your race has gotten the short end of the stick, so to speak, and I wouldn't expect you to trust, let alone show me this respect when the universe has dealt you such a horrible hand. So in turn I am showing you respect and offering my help where there once was not any because that is just and the right thing to do."
A light fixture that had been hanging precariously abruptly crashed to the floor and the doctor stopped working on the scouter, glancing to the fallen light before clearing his throat. "I guess what I'm trying to say is, neither you nor your people have anything to fear from me, Bardock. Unless, of course, you plan to harm Earth... but I doubt that very much."
Silence settled around them as Bardock let the doctor's words settle over him, momentarily overshadowing the heart pounding few he felt from his son. He could recall saying such a thing to prince Vegeta once about respect, but the respect this man was talking about was different. It was... more complicated... more weighted. In a way he wasn't really sure what it was because he was right, no one had ever respected the Saiyans. At least they hadn't for a very long time. There was no justice in what happened to his people or the way they were forced down this path to the point that everyone spat at them for crimes they were forced to commit. He would be the first to say that Saiyans were in no way innocent, but they had not been given another option to be anything but what they were now... Where was the justice in that?
While there were certainly more important things he should be worrying about (like the conflict outside... which quickly surged back to the front of his mind to compete with these thoughts), he couldn't help but be relieved by the doctor's words. And for the second time in his life he actually found himself starting to wholly trust someone. It wasn't going to happen right away of course. It was built into him... into all Saiyans that everyone could be your enemy, but he found what one could almost see as a weight lifting off of him to know this man was giving him and his people the chance to be something... different.
"Thank you..." Bardock managed to say before looking away, his son's emotions making concentrating on anything difficult.
If he was being completely honest with himself, his son's strong emotions were unlocking his deeply buried ones and he was all over the place; his own fear for Bulma, concern for Vegeta, and then this with the doctor were just a few. And this thing with the doctor was more than relief, this feeling he had but he tried to push it away and focus on the issue at hand.
Dr. Briefs nodded, not looking at the Saiyan next to him. He had been waiting for the moment to tell Bardock this for the past week, but there never seemed to be an opportune moment. While he wasn't in-the-least happy about the circumstances that allowed him to finally mitigate some of the tension he felt coming from him, he was glad that it was finally out there and some understanding could be reached between them. Like his daughter, he felt for the Saiyans plight. And maybe he was a little biased, having known Goku for so long, but he honestly believed that the Saiyans could redeem themselves. All they needed was to be shown the way out of the hell they had been forced to live for so long.
Pushing these thoughts from his head, he turned his attention back to the task at hand. It didn't matter. Nothing he tried was working, and for once he wished he had paid attention in those advanced computer classes back in college. He knew this would have been cake for his daughter, but thoughts of her right then didn't help him any. He knew how serious the situation was just by the way Bardock was acting. All he could hope was that Bulma didn't dig herself into something she couldn't get out of...
Sighing, he turned off the scouter. It was pointless. This was Bulma's field not his... He was going to have to find another way to open the blast-door because this was not working either. He opened his mouth about to tell Bardock this as he pulled the scouter away when... without warning the metal door suddenly slid back down into the ground.
"Good job!" He blinked bewildered as the older Saiyan congratulated him and patted him on the back before rushing out the door.
"But... that wasn't me..." His brow creased, trying to piece it all together. There was simply no way the blast-door would open on its own like this!
Curious, he opened the door, hardly sparing the conflict in his backyard a glance as he sought the panel. To further confound the scientist, he found that it had been opened and that someone had clearly altered the wires. He looked around (it was hard not to notice then the state of everything, but had bigger issues on his mind); there was no one there other than Bulma, Goku, Bardock and Vegeta. And only Bulma would know how to do this... He studied the panel again. His brilliant mind was for once, completely and utterly stumped.
.~-~.
Unadulterated... Unbidden...
Fear
That was what she felt coursing through her veins as balls of light came zooming towards her and all around her only to be barely batted harmlessly away by Bardock. Her heart fluttered frenetically as she stared on, unable to wrench her gaze away from Vegeta. There had only been a few times where she had been this terrified; in fact, she could count them on one hand and one of them had been just moments before when he held her up by her neck. That dark evil smirk and chuckle still haunted her thoughts. It echoed and rattled in her mind, like a pinball trapped forever in the game.
It was like she was seeing a whole different person. This was not the Vegeta she knew and had come to view as a friend. Grumpy, prideful, arrogant, and oh-so-much-more he was, but never had she thought him or saw him as a monster.
Was Vegeta harboring this all this time? She swallowed and closed her eyes as she frantically shook her head. She didn't want to see him like this. But it was hard to ignore what lay before her. No wonder why Bardock had been worried and shocked when first coming here and seeing the way Vegeta acted. And part of her had to agree with Vegeta when he called himself a monster... Yet, she knew that this was only the product of his tormented life. Even she could tell when Bardock first came out of her father's lab that he had felt threatened... backed into a corner like some caged animal.
Holding her dislocated arm even closer, almost to the point that she was virtually halfway hugging herself, she tried to shake these new dark feelings about Vegeta from her head. Goku has actually turned to a giant ape and almost eaten me... this can't be that much different... And yet she knew it was. Goku had no rational thought in his head when he had changed. He was a beast. Vegeta, on the other hand, was clearly thinking with his own twisted form of logic and yes, he had a fever... It was making him see things. Hear things... He was still able to see right from wrong and he completely disregarded the decision all together. For him to completely ignore it like he was... that was what truly frightened her.
"Bulma..." ChiChi breathlessly knelt next to her, coming seemingly from nowhere in Bulma's bogged down mind. "Are you okay?"
Bulma flinched when ChiChi's hand touched her good shoulder, almost unable to stop herself from screeching. She closed her eyes for a few seconds, trying to collect herself after realizing that it was just the raven-haired woman and that at that moment she was not in danger. Then again with supper strong and fast Saiyans fighting, when were you ever truly safe? She was unable to suppress the shiver as her eyes snapped open, trying to find about where the fight was taking place and kept an eye on it before glancing over at the younger woman, noticing the way her brown eyes surveyed her with concern. I must look like a wreck... She could almost picture the blood on her ghostly pale face from a cut somewhere in her hair, the arm that dangled at her left side, and the blossoming bruise on her neck from where Vegeta had held her.
Those cold, empty, emotionless eyes...
Absentmindedly Bulma reached up, gently brushing the skin of her neck with her fingertips. She could almost feel his hand still there squeezing the life from her and all the while he had looked happy... pleased about it. She was trembling as she reached up and touched her face, her fingers meeting the warm blood on her face, gritty from the dirt. Barely able to swallow, she looked at her hand and her mind focused on that, unable to comprehend much of anything else. She knew ChiChi was talking this whole time, but all she saw was the dark russet red blood on her shaking finger tips.
She shook her head and blinked again as she tried to concentrate on the raven-haired woman.
"-eed anything?" With Bulma's dazed and confused look she repeated herself, "Where is Goku?Is there anything I can do? And more importantly, do you need anything?"
"Goku..." her voice trailed off, remembering that Vegeta had been using him as his own personal punching bag for a few minutes, and concern for her best friend grew briefly overcoming the fear. "N-No, no... I'm fine, ChiChi. G-Go help Goku." She looked to where she saw him fall, somewhere in the trees before weakly gesturing. "I think he is over there..."
"Are you sure?" she asked, hesitant to leave in her clearly overwhelmed and frightened state.
Managing to make her voice sound steadier and braver than she was she replied, "Yes, please go help him. I think he got really hurt this time."
Not needing any more persuasion, the younger woman got up and jogged over to where Bulma gestured. An apprehensive look grew on her face as she hoped that her Goku was alright and that he didn't die. The last thing she ever wanted was for that to happen, let alone with him thinking she hated him or didn't love him.
Bulma swiftly turned her attention back to Bardock and Vegeta, finding they were on the ground now, circling each other like one would see from vultures hovering over a lion kill. Her gut clenched. Her innocent, naive view of Vegeta, tainted. Could she really dismiss what was staring so painfully back at her? Vegeta had killed... billions, maybe even trillions of innocent lives. All snuffed out in a flash of blinding light. Or in some other more morbid, more painful and slower way... It hit her full force in the face, demanding that she finally acknowledge it. She shivered. While he was merely the product of what a perverse psychopath had made him into, could she ignore all those lives that had been destroyed?
She squeaked as Bardock suddenly stumbled backwards towards her and Vegeta followed, attacking the older Saiyan and forcing him on the defensive. They fought around her, Bardock trying to keep her safe, but it was far too close for her liking. She kept flinching when flesh met flesh and wind blasted her and for once she wasn't sure whether she was glad or not that she was unable see their movements, which were a blur to Bulma. She closed her eyes tight, lip quivering as tears streaked down her cheeks, wishing they would move away again. A gust of wind from a heavy punch radiated out and as the force dissipated into the air it knocked her over onto her butt. She whimpered, eyes watering more. She really didn't want to die. Sure, she had one freebee, but that still wouldn't make it pleasant.
I'm too pretty and young to die... Oh, Kami...
Why didn't she move when she had the chance? Now they were moving gracefully around her (her observation from the few times she could actually see) in that deadly dance. She couldn't even crabwalk backwards out of the way! Not with one arm. Forget a rock and a hard place -she was stuck between two fighting Saiyans, this was tenfold worse, both of them could crush a simple rock! She forced her eyes closed again, knees hugged to her chest with her good arm while the other was nestled safely between. It was hard to remain calm, to not give into hysteria. Normally she would have already, but she knew with utmost clarity that she could not do that now. It would only make her situation worse.
After a few long, agonizing minutes, the sounds of fighting drifted away from her and she chanced a glance only to find Vegeta sliding past her only to roll and spring back into the fight. The next thing she knew Bardock crashed into one of the more giant trees on the property, causing it to snap in half and crash down behind him while he fell to the ground in a bloody heap. Her eyes widened, finally taking in the older Saiyan. Actually both of them looked about half dead, and if she wasn't watching Vegeta slowly walk over to Bardock, who was trying to pick himself up, she would have said that there was no way they were living.
Vegeta's voice broke her out of her thoughts and she shivered at how chilling it sounded, "You better be ready for the afterlife because you're getting a first class trip there. And who says I'm not generous?" She couldn't see his face, not with his back to her, but she could feel his rage as he sneered, "Considering you took away my free will, giving Freeza the chip to ride me around like one of his fucking hovercrafts... I should do far worse than a quick death."
Bulma stared at him blankly as she sat there, not sure she heard what he said correctly. Free will... chip? Freeza? Riding him? What the hell is he talking about? First the image of someone riding on his back like a horse came to her mind only for it to quickly turn not so PG. Her cheeks flushed, but she ignored it as she tried to understand him. He held his hand out, collecting ki. The small blue light caught her eye, but only briefly before she took in the rest of him.
Vegeta had won. He had beaten Bardock... or whoever he thought him to be. But the dark prince's body screamed anything but this. His tail hung limp, shoulders sagged. Instead of being the victor he looked defeated, and her heart clenched even as he gathered energy to kill the older Saiyan.
"Grandpa!" Her thoughts were halted when Gohan's small voice rang out from next to her as he passed by and she found that he was flying right for Vegeta.
"Gohan!" ChiChi and Goku's voices cried out from the trees, and the next thing Bulma knew was that Vegeta was falling forward and the little boy was unconscious on the ground a couple yards behind him.
She could only stare, trying to wrap her head around everything that just happened as Vegeta muttered a range of foreign curses, on his hands and knees. He struggled to his feet, notably slower than all the other times. When he turned to look at Gohan his gaze briefly passed over her, unseeing, but the fury and other shady chaotic thoughts she saw in his black eyes made her gulp with fear for her own life. However, these fears for herself were swiftly replaced when he started towards the little boy, and she hastily got to her feet, not even realizing what she was doing. She mentally snorted at herself, what am I going to do? Tackle him?
"Please... don't, Vegeta," Bardock groaned out, barely conscious himself.
Vegeta stopped, body stiffening, and he straightened his back before looking at the older Saiyan. A low, threatening growl escaped his throat. "Why not? Why do you even care? Breaking his neck is far better than all the shit Freeza had me do."
Bulma's eyes widened as his emotion laden words hit her and her trembling stopped. What Freeza had him do? Her thoughts went back to what he said earlier about free will and a chip and all the pieces fell into place as she horrifyingly realized... Oh Kami, they implanted a chip in his head to control him? That was why he looked so defeated! Whoever Vegeta was seeing had done something horrible to him; had taken away his free will giving Freeza the ability to do things through him that Vegeta himself found wrong. That was a frightening thought. A man who was at times almost pleased to call himself a murderer was forced to do things that he wouldn't normally do. She couldn't help the surge of curiosity, wondering what those things were. But what was more important was did she honestly really want to know?
The second thought was poor Vegeta. She couldn't imagine having her free will taken away from her. It had to be the most horrible feeling, trapped in your body, forced to do the actions that another dictated. All this however was replaced with concern. Was it only the heart issue inflicting him or was there another more detrimental one lurking under the surface... hidden? Was this chip still inside his head? All these questions and more swirled around in her head and she forgot the fear she had had just moments before as she found herself staring at his broad bloody back that was hardly a foot before her.
To be fully honest, she didn't have the slightest idea when she had started walking towards him, or that she even had been. But she was here now and her heart hurt for him. Hurt for all the pain done to him by this Freeza and whoever took his free will from him. No wonder he had felt cornered. He was afraid; frightened that this man would take his will again from him... or do more unthinkable atrocities that he never wanted to commit. The fact that there were things that even Vegeta wouldn't do only proved what she had told him the day before. He wasn't a monster. The need to make him see this spurred her forward and she dismissed her own wellbeing completely as she crushed her front against his back, her good arm wrapping around and clenching his tattered shirt.
"You are not a monster, Vegeta. Stop this. Please... don't let them rule you like this," she whispered softly, tears in her eyes.
At first he stiffened at her touch and she carefully squeezed more, wanting to put everything she felt just then in that one hug. He had to know that there was someone there for him, someone who would always be there. The thought that she was getting blood all over her outfit or that the smell of copper and sweat hung heavy around her never entered her mind. She rubbed her forehead against the back of his neck. He shivered before suddenly relaxing against her, the only warning she had before he sank to his knees.
Seeing the amount of blood he was coughing up, she grew worried and moved to his side, keeping her hand on his back. When he fell to the ground, she gently moved him and pulled him to her lap. Her fingers brushed the side of his face as his dark eyes studied her, as if he was trying to figure out whether she was real or not. She was taken aback by the raw emotions she could see... for a man who had remained a solid emotionless wall, it was amazing to see all of them in his eyes and even on his face. She drank it in, allowing her photographic memory to analyze it all for later and store it into her mind forever.
No, he was no monster. He was just a man, a man haunted by a lifetime of hell no one should have to endure. She now knew just a sliver of that hell and she was amazed that he had survived at all. How could he not see what she saw? Well, no matter. I will make him see what I see...she promised silently in her thoughts. She knew he was going to have stay here for a while even after the whole Raditz thing, and by the time he had to leave she would make him see that there was another way to live. That he didn't have to be a monster others burdened him with.
~~~~.~-~.~~~~
Beta'd by LPphreek
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