Trial
Vegeta sat, confused, angry, and scared, in the middle of the room. He looked to his left, and saw his wife's face streaked with tears, and his son trying to calm her. His son's face just as wretched as hers, but where tears should be, premature wrinkles seemed pronounced.
He knew Yamucha, Tein, and Ox King were there. He was thankful they were there. He knew they were useless in battle. He always wondered why Goku kept them around. Moral support. Goku, the strongest being in the universe, needed moral support. The irony was almost comical. He smiled a little, and let out a muffled laugh.
A sharp bang rang out over the court room, and a powerful voice echoed through the judicial chamber. The goddess stood up and stared at the defendant.
"The defendant will maintain order. Otherwise I will hold you in contempt at my pleasure." Her clear eyes seemingly focused on Vegeta, her aura burning a deep red, and her flowing black cloak impressing the gravity of the situation upon Vegeta.
"Yes, you're Honor." He said at the pleading eyes of his attorney. Attorneys on both sides focused attention on the deity in front of them. Vegeta's attorney rose and asked to approach the bench. The judge nodded in an agreeable fashion. The attorneys moved forward and began a discussion with each other and the judge.
Vegeta swallowed concentrating on his heartbeat, trying to control it. Just hoping that Bra is okay, wherever they took her. His own daughter, kidnapped as a hostage, to guarantee his participation in this farce of a trial. His stifled amusement, now shifting into anger. But he dare not show it. Or she dies, and he is held in perpetual contempt, in purgatory. No one could save him. Not Goku. Not even his rage. Not even Bills had the ability to end this damn situation. A tear began to well in his eye. He lowered his head, to try to shield it from the spectators. But they saw it. They all did. And they all knew, that there was no hope.
It came down to this. Vegeta had to defend his past or Bra dies. Although death was always reversible on Earth, death by a God is permanent. They would all be duty bound to help Vegeta if he decided to go after the Gods, and their fates would be certain. All of Earth would be lost to oblivion.
Vegeta knew this. Vegeta licked his parched lips, and smoothed back his hair. Glancing at the huddle of judicial gods and goddesses, and then glaring back at microphone in front of him. This trial is the only thing standing between total destruction and freedom. The irony is amusing, but he didn't feel like smiling this time. He didn't know what he was feeling. He didn't know. He didn't know.