Challenges
By:
Me
Thank you for all the reviewers. You are much appreciated for all you say.
{OO}
AU/Yaoi fic. Hope you enjoy. Review if you want. Criticize if you must, but do so out of the need to correct, not hurt.
I own nothing
Chapter Two
Nearly a year of peace went by for Vegeta and I before something arrived to interrupt our bliss. A ship landed on Earth. A ship that Vegeta recognized and blasted off without a word to intercept.
"Who is it?" I asked feeling nervous as I caught up to my mate and I flew towards the landing spot.
"It's a Telyndian vessel," Vegeta explained grimly, "I think it might be an old friend of Frieza's named Drugan. I don't know why he is here. Drugan had no stomach for fighting. His strengths were double-handed business dealings. Screwed a lot of different races in the name of greed and Frieza."
"Maybe he just needs to restock or something," I suggested hopefully as we landed among some of the other Z fighters that had felt the strange ki coming from the ship.
My mate said nothing. He merely stood with his arms crossed staring at the ship. I didn't like the feeling that this "Drugan" guy had some kind of a history with Vegeta. I glanced around and saw that Yamcha, Krillin, Tien, and Piccolo were looking over at me grimly.
"Goku, what's going on?" Krillin asked as he and Piccolo walked towards me and warily eyed the strange craft.
"I'm not sure," I answered as we all waited for something to happen, "Vegeta thinks he recognizes the ship. It could be an old friend of Frieza's by the name of Drugan. I have my hopes that maybe if it is Drugan then he is only here to restock or ask for help. Stay on your toes everyone. I have a bad feeling about this."
"Listen to Kakarot," Vegeta stated emotionlessly with his back to us since his eyes hadn't left the ship, "Drugan is not one to underestimate. Fucker always has tricks up his sleeves. He has no fighting power levels, but has been known to use weapons of surprise that he has stolen from advanced races out in space. It's no telling what he has collected or stolen over the years."
It did not go unnoticed by me that my mate's tail was puffed and moving with jerky, angry movements. This spoke of Vegeta's anxiety levels and set my teeth on edge. I stiffened when the ship doors opened and a rather good looking humanoid exited the ship. When my mate growled I knew that this creature was indeed, Drugan. The man had caramel colored skin and purple eyes and hair. He was dressed flamboyantly and practically skipped out of the ship. His scent made my lips curl in distaste. Drugan smelled like a cheap prostitute with too much cologne and an underlying smell of old sweat. His very presence disgusted me and made my hackles rise.
"Prince Vegeta!" Drugan gushed as he walked up to my mate, "It has been so long. My, look at how you have grown. So handsome, but you had always been such a looker, even as a child. I couldn't take my eyes off of you the first time we met. You had such a presence back then and it has only improved with age. Shame we couldn't have gotten to know one another better."
"Drugan, what are you doing here?" Vegeta pressed as he narrowed his eyes at the alien and drew back at the male's awful stench with a wrinkled nose of disgust, "You are acting as if we are longtime friends. The last I saw you was when I was thirteen and Nappa threw you out of my personal quarters that you had broken into while we were away on a mission. I haven't missed your presence since that day. Don't you dare talk about me as if you know me, Prick. You should address a Prince with more respect."
My mind was still trying to process this new information. Drugan had broken into my mate's room when he was just a thirteen year old child? Nappa had thrown the filth out? My opinion on Nappa raised considerably in my mind. I itched to wrap my hands around Drugan's neck and didn't mind the aggressive thoughts running through my head for once.
"Darling, how could you be so cold?" Drugan pouted before stepping back when I growled at him before he turned back to my mate, "Who is this? Another Saiyan? I thought your race was extinct except for you, Poppet? I heard about your two bodyguards' demise."
"Watch your mouth!" I snapped as I moved forward to stand beside my Prince and shook in anger at the Telyndian's audacity, "You will never speak to my mate with such familiarity. I will rip your head off if you continue to disrespect Vegeta. He is not your 'Darling' anything, Bastard."
"Oh, but he is," Drugan drawled out making Vegeta and I start in surprise, "You see I own him. I bought him long ago from Frieza, but the contract stated that I would have to wait until Frieza no longer needed his little flying monkey any longer. I was so pleased to hear when Frieza was finally taken care of since I could scoop up my yummy, little Prince. You are such a naughty boy to have disappeared on me back then, Vegeta. I have come to collect what is mine now."
"I am going nowhere with you!" Vegeta growled as his power level rose and he turned Super Saiyan which I quickly followed as our fellow fighters took defensive stances near us, "I don't know what sick, perverted things that you are thinking, but I will have no part of it! How dare you work out any kind of a deal with that fucking lizard in regards to my person! I am Prince Vegeta the last of the pure, royal line and I am owned by no one!"
"Darling, I have a binding contract that states you are," Drugan grinned out as he held up some sort of document that he pulled from out of his frilly jacket, "This gives me full right to ownership of one, Prince Vegeta, who will serve me at I see fit. You look so delicious as a blonde. I like this new form, sweet Prince."
Drugan licked his lips as he glanced up and down my mate and I roared powering to Super Saiyan Level Two as I placed myself in front of my simmering Prince. I was satisfied to see my friends gathering around Vegeta and I, preparing to battle beside us if it was necessary. I was going to kill this arrogant fucker.
"Bullshit!" I gritted out as my tail slashed angrily behind me before Vegeta powered up to my level and pushed me aside.
"Fuck off, Drugan," my mate haughtily sneered out as he set his hands on his hips, "Keep your filthy dreams to yourself. I wouldn't wipe my feet on you. You're not a fighter. Give it up already. You don't stand a single chance of stopping us from erasing your existence here and now. Whatever tricks you have up your sleeves will not work. I think I just may let Kakarot deal with you. He does seem to be itching to fight you. You have never met someone with the tenacity of Kakarot before, Loser."
"Now, now, Prince," Drugan beamed out waving a naughty finger at my mate, "If the contract is not upheld then forthwith you and everything on this planet will be destroyed. You see these contracts are upheld by the strongest of laws. I always make sure that my contracts are non-negotiable. Makes life so much easier when the contract is enforced by the Universal Court of Law, don't you know?"
Vegeta frowned and powered down to snatch the contract from Drugan's hand. I stayed at my power level and again stepped in front of my mate. I stared down the Telyndian with my teeth bared in rage.
"I'll be damned if any contract will let you take Vegeta," I snarled protectively.
"Leave," Piccolo stated calmly as he glared at Drugan in distaste, "You and your slave contract are not welcome here. Others have tried to destroy this planet and they are now dead. I would suggest you go before you join the rest of Earth's so called 'destroyers' down in Hell. I will warn you that not only will you have to deal with the Z fighters, but also with two full blooded Saiyans. You stand not a chance."
"Back off," Yamcha warned, "You don't want to mess with Vegeta and Goku. Your ass will be grass and they will be the king lawnmowers. We've all seen it before, Asshole."
I glanced back to see Vegeta continuing to study the contract with a frown on his face. I looked back to Drugan with a hiss as he drew closer.
"Back off!" I warned as I followed his movements with my eyes.
The alien smirked before frowning when he began to study my mate. Drugan had noticed the claim mark on Vegeta's shoulder. He pushed a button on a bracelet on his arm and was suddenly behind me.
"Who has marked what is mine?" Drugan growled as he reached to touch my Llazzine's shoulder as I whirled around and witnessed the action.
I didn't even know how it happened, but I was Super Saiyan Level Four in a blink of an eyes and I had Drugan dangling by his shirt front. I pulled him up to my eye level and growled low into his face. I had been wanting to do this to him practically from the moment that I met the Jerk.
"Touch my mate! Look at my mate and you are dead!" I snarled through narrowed eyes, "Vegeta belongs to no one. I will end you here and now. I'll empty that vile mind of yours of all the dirty thoughts you have been thinking about my mate! You want to challenge my right to my bonded, then challenge accepted."
Drugan gasped as I continued to twist his shirt front so I could choke the life out of him. This felt good. This too was Saiyan.
"Drop him, Kakarot," Vegeta ordered as he walked up beside me and rested a calming hand on my shoulder, "Now. I won't ask you twice, Idiot."
I complied with my Prince's wishes, but pulled my mate against my chest when Drugan came back up spluttering. The "Idiot" had helped calm me. I still couldn't believe that such a derogatory word used as a pet name could fill me with much warmth. A lot had changed since my mating with Vegeta and this Asshole wasn't going to interfere.
"This is a binding contract," Vegeta began which made me stiffen in shock before my mate's internal touch soothed my raw nerves, "Clever to use the court of law that you did, Drugan, but you missed the fact that this contract is for Prince Vegeta of Vegetasei."
"Yes," Drugan agreed as he snatched the contract back from my smirking mate, "So? You are Prince Vegeta. What of it?"
"I have not been Prince Vegeta of Vegetasei for nearly a year," Vegeta laughed out as he smirked haughtily at the male, "The minute I allowed my mate to claim me I became Prince Vegeta formerly of Vegetasei and now Earth. You see kind of like how the humans here take one another's last name when married, a Saiyan that is claimed is considered to now come from his bonded' s home sector. I allowed my mate to bite me. I did not bite him so I am the claimed mate. Kakarot is of Earth and so am I now. So let me make this perfectly clear to you, Ass Wipe, in actuality, I belong to Kakarot and Kakarot belongs to me. You have no claim here. Get on your fucking ship and leave."
I grinned allowing my fangs to show as I cradled my mate close. Take that, Drugan. You can't pull a fast one on my mate. Vegeta is one of the smartest warriors I had ever met.
"Owned!" Yamcha laughed out as he flipped Drugan his middle finger, "Take that Prissy Pants. See ya, wouldn't want ta be ya!"
Drugan gritted his teeth and obviously began to simmer angrily as his eyes switched between Vegeta and me. He stepped back and then began smiling evilly.
"We shall see," the slime grinned out before a bright light burst from his ship and blinded all of us completely.
Everyone present cried out in pain. I felt my mate snatched out of my arms and I bellowed in rage. I could see nothing, but I stumbled forward at the sounds of my mate's snarls. I heard Vegeta scream and then a deafening screech made my body seize up before everything went black.
I woke to someone shaking my shoulder and I fuzzily tried to remember what had happened. The memory returned to me in sudden clarity. Vegeta? Where was my mate? My eyes shot open and I had to blink for several moments to clear the spots from my vision. I realized that a lot of time had passed by since Vegeta had bested Drugan on his damn contract. I stumbled up to see Trunks, Goten, and Gohan helping everyone up off the ground. Drugan's ship was gone and I panicked when I realized that so was Vegeta.
"I've been so worried," Gohan said to me as I froze in horror while he helped a groggy Piccolo to stand on his feet, "When you didn't come home three days ago, Bulma called me in a panic. Goten, Trunks and I have been searching for you ever since. What happened? Bulma said something about an alien ship that landed on Earth. Are you okay? Father?"
I had been unconscious for three days?! My mate has been in Drugan's clutches for three days without me there to protect him?! Drugan?! The Bastard that had hinted at the dirty things he wanted to do to my mate?! Kami!
"Goku! Where is my father?" Trunks demanded as he looked around before Goten ran up and jerked both he and Gohan back away from me as I exploded in a rage.
"DRUGAN!" I screamed as I powered back up to Super Saiyan Level Four.
My power level continued to grow as I searched the universe for my mate's ki. I cursed in Saiyan when I couldn't find it. The Bastard must have ki cuffed my Llazzine. Three days. What the Hell had Drugan done to Vegeta in those three days?
"No! No! No! No! No!" I howled as my ki grew and began to destroy the land around me and my sons and friends had to back away or be destroyed by the power surge.
"Calm yourself, Son," Piccolo yelled over the chaos, "You and Vegeta are mated. Can you lock in on his whereabouts through your bond? You can't help Vegeta if you lose control. Get it together, you fool!"
I gritted my teeth as I forced myself to calm back down. I panted heavily as I shook in rage. It took me time, but I eventually reached deep in myself to my core that was now explicably intertwined with my Prince. Through our bond I searched the universe. I felt my mate's spirit flicker weakly. My eyes snapped open. I knew where Vegeta was.
"Hold it!" Trunks snapped as I reached two fingers up to my forehead, "I'm going with you."
I bared my teeth, but my mate's son held himself straight as he glared at me. He looked like a replica of his father. He stood directly in front of me with a look to kill in his eyes.
"I'm! Going! With! You!" Trunks gritted out as Goten moved up behind his best friend.
"Gohan and I are going too," Goten stated, "We'll help you get your mate back, Dad."
"I'll go as well," Piccolo agreed, "We may have a battle on our hands, Son. You might need assistance to rescue Vegeta. Let's stop being stubborn and go already."
I shook myself roughly and snapped my tail in agitation. Piccolo was right. Damn, Drugan. What other tricks would he try? Fuck!
"Grab hold," I snapped as I motioned to Gohan, Trunks, Piccolo, and Goten, "Krillin, you, Tien, and Yamcha go let Bulma and Chichi know what is going on. We'll be back as fast as we can. Gather the dragonballs. There may be a need for them."
I didn't wait for an answer and IT'd to my mate's location. I growled when the five of us materialized in what looked like a courtroom. Drugan was there arguing with a large being of some sort and looked up at me in surprise. Red filled my vision and I tried to move forward, but was stopped by a force field that froze my muscles.
"Drugan, you scum, where is my mate!?" I bellowed at him in a rage as the rest in my group powered up and pushed against the force that was holding them in place.
"Where is he?!" Trunks yelled as he and my sons powered up to Super Saiyans.
Drugan sputtered in shock.
"How the Hell did you get here?" the horrid male yelled as he wrinkled his forehead in confusion, "Damn, flying monkeys! More annoying than space ticks. Leave! I'm conducting business here."
I growled loudly before freezing in place. I focused in on a crumbled form behind where Drugan stood and noticed the limp tail first. Vegeta was cuffed and unconscious on the floor. His clothes were ripped and torn as if he had been in a scuffle and his gloves and boots were missing. I was livid and my rage became focused enough to shatter the shield that kept me frozen.
"Vegeta!" I cried as I shoved past Drugan and dropped down to cradle my mate and hissed at the alien scent that covered my Prince, "Llazzine!? Llazzine, wake up! What have you done to my mate, you Asshole?"
"How did you break my hold on you?" the large, blue, egg-shaped being demanded as he rounded on me, "Who has disturbed the Universal Court of Law? This is highly inappropriate behavior and there had better be a good explanation for this desecration of civility."
"My Saiyan name is Kakarot. My Earth name is Goku Son," I declared angrily as I checked my mate for any signs of injury or mistreatment and hissed at the needle marks that lined my mate's arms, "There was no civility in what Drugan has done to Vegeta and I. That…that beast over there came and said that he owned my mate. When Vegeta proved to him that his contract was null and void he knocked me out and kidnapped the Prince. I have come to get my mate back. I have no idea what Drugan has done to him while I was unconscious for three damn days. I fear that Drugan used my Prince's vulnerable state to have his way with my mate without Vegeta' s permission."
"Is this true, Drugan?" the being demanded as he rounded on the kidnapper.
"Vegeta was mine years before they mated and…." Drugan began before the being hissed at him.
"You dare to bring a slave contract before this court?" the being declared, "At one time that document was legal, but once the Prince became mated you no longer had a claim. You may have made a case if you had claimed the Prince years ago, but now you have no legal right to touch a hair on Prince Vegeta' s head."
"But I couldn't find my property," Drugan wailed, "I bought him fair and square from Frieza. I have proof of receipt."
"Vegeta is not property!" I retorted as I supported my limp mate, "What have you done to him? Did you fucking rape my mate? If you touched him intimately or harmed him in any way, I'll…."
"Silence!" the being cut me off before rounding on Drugan, "You have come into this courtroom and lied about your claims. You kidnapped Prince Vegeta from his mate and kept him drugged and ki cuffed which is against universe laws. Did you touch him while he was unconscious? Speak and know that you cannot lie in this courtroom because I always know the truth. Speak quickly! I am not in the mood for any more of this, Drugan."
"No," Drugan whined, "But he is mine and…."
"Silence!" the being's voice boomed making everyone in the room cringe at the sound, "Drugan, slavery has been outlawed for decades. You are hereby found guilty and convicted of owning a slaving contract, kidnapping, and perjuring yourself in court. You are also found guilty for the illegal weaponry that you have on your ship. You will spend the rest of eternity in Hell!"
Drugan screamed before disappearing in a flash of light. Gohan, Goten, Piccolo, Trunks, and I were speechless as we looked at the blue alien. I felt nervous and hunched over my mate to shield him as best as I could. The rest of my group must have been freed because they hurried over and stood in front of Vegeta and I, ready to defend.
"Peace. I mean you no harm. I am Judge Lenay the Supreme Judge of this courtroom," the Judge stated as he stared us down, "Drugan came to me claiming that his property had been stolen from him and he needed a new contract to keep anyone from taking what was his. I knew he was lying from the start and was just beginning to question the filth when you interrupted court proceedings."
"I would apologize to you if I felt like I was wrong. I simply wanted to find my mate. I was scared for his life," I explained as I adjusted Vegeta in my arms and tested the ki cuffs that bond his wrists together to see if I could break them without hurting my mate, "I respect your courts, Judge Lenay, because they seem just, but I thought I was coming to battle for the life of my mate. I came to fight to the death if it was needed."
"Prince Vegeta is that important to you?" Judge Lenay asked.
"He is my world," I declared before turning to my two sons as I stood with my mate in my arms, "These two are my children. They are important to me as well. Nearly my whole family is here to assist me in bringing my mate home. I don't know what I would do without Vegeta."
"Vegeta belongs back home to be with our Dad," Goten added as Gohan nodded his head, "We did not mean to offend your court-thingy. But being the mate of our Dad makes Vegeta family too. Family fights for family."
"Prince Vegeta is my father," Trunks called out as he hurried over to see his father and sent a worried look down at my mate, "Drugan had no right to take Dad away from Goku. That scum took my Dad not only from his mate, but also my sister and I."
"Vegeta is one of us," Piccolo agreed as he folded his arms across his chest, "I would have fought to bring him home as well."
"So be it," Judge Lenay spoke, "This courtroom recognizes the bonding of Prince Vegeta to his honorable mate Kakarot also known as Goku Son. Let none tear asunder a bond such as yours. You are free to go."
"Judge Lenay?" I asked, "Was Drugan speaking the truth? Did he…did he touch my mate? Did he…."
"Prince Vegeta was not touched intimately by Drugan," the Judge interrupted gently, "Rest your mind, Goku Son."
I breathed a large sigh of relief and sagged in exhaustion as I cuddled my unconscious mate closer. The stress of the whole situation was starting to get to me. I smiled happily when the ki cuffs on Vegeta' s wrists clicked apart and fell to the courtroom floor. Judge Lenay must have telepathic and telekinetic powers of some sort. It felt good to be able to feel my mate's ki again, but he remained still in my arms which worried me tremendously.
"You will need to rest," Judge Lenay added, "Stay in the courtroom's guest quarters. That way you can rebuild your strength to go home. One of my medical attendants has already examined Prince Vegeta to determine what drug Drugan used on your mate. I was furious when Drugan brought him in here unconscious and I insisted that he be examined. The medical examiner will come and let you know how much longer it will take for Prince Vegeta to rouse."
"You have my deepest respect and gratitude," I spoke as I powered back down to my normal form, "I don't have words enough to thank you for all you have done."
The Judge nodded in an odd little weeble-wobbly way. I guess being egg-shaped kind of limits your movements. A more humanoid looking alien led all of us to some comfy-looking rooms. Gohan took charge since I was too focused on my mate.
"Trunks you and Goten take that room. Piccolo you and I will share this room over here so Dad and Mr. Vegeta can have some privacy," Gohan advised as he helped me open the door to my room so I could tuck my mate into the soft bed, "I'm sure Mr. Vegeta will be okay, Dad. He has survived a lot more than this and he now has you to support him."
"I hope so," I whispered as I finally looked up at the other four, "I'll come get you if there are any problems. I want to go home as soon as possible so get some sleep. And…thank you. Thank you for being there for Vegeta and I."
The four nodded before taking their leave. Gohan closed the door as they left and I fretted over my still mate. The needle marks made my blood boil and I used some fresh water to wipe the puncture wounds clean on each arm. An hour crept by, but I couldn't rest since Vegeta' s scent seemed off to me and I was beside myself with worry. A small knock interrupted my thoughts.
"Come in," I called as I put myself between the door and my unconscious mate.
"Goku Son?" a humanoid alien asked as he entered the room and waited until I nodded, "I am the forensic medical examiner that looked at Prince Vegeta. I have been running the tests on the blood samples that I took and have the results."
"Oh," I gasped as I hurried forward, "Did you discover what that…that…thing used on my mate? Is he going to wake soon?"
"I have discovered the drugs and there is a small problem," the medical doctor began making me get nervous, "I was able to analyze the drugs in Prince Vegeta's blood samples and I also investigated Drugan's ship. The criminal initially used a strong electric current to knock the Prince unconscious which has not left any lasting damage. He then used a pretty basic narcotic in very high doses to keep Prince Vegeta knocked out via injections."
"Damn," I growled as I wished to bring Drugan back and murder the Asshole.
"I am sorry to say that there is more," the doctor continued, "Drugan also used a very rare and highly illegal drug on the Prince as well."
"What? What kind of a drug?" I hissed out as I looked worriedly back at my Llazzine.
"Drugan, it disgusts me to say, had an infatuation with Prince Vegeta when your mate was just a child," the medical doctor continued, "I read his journal and discovered that he planned on forcing himself on Prince Vegeta in the hopes to gain affection out of your mate. You see the second drug will force the Prince to go into an early heat that is out of his normal cycle. It is unfortunately too late to stop the drug's effects."
"He was planning to…I am going to Hell and killing him right now!" I ground out as I curled my hands into fists.
"And leave your mate in his time of need?" the Doctor asked sobering me up quickly, "Vegeta will not wake for another two or three days. I assume you two have discussed what occurs during a cycle of heat?"
I blushed because Vegeta had explained to me in great detail what would happen when he or I had our heat. I nodded and looked again at my still mate. Vegeta was going to be livid when everything was said and done.
"I was hoping you could get energy by normal rest, but I have taken the liberty of bringing you a kindon bean for each of you. You have a similar version of this on Earth. I think you call it a senzu bean, am I correct?" the medical doctor offered as he handed me six beans while I nodded my head, "Take this and get you and your group home. Give one to Vegeta when he wakes so he will have the energy to get through his heat. I am sorry that I didn't have better news for you."
"No," I denied as I shook the alien's hand in thanks, "You have really helped me figure out how to care for my mate. You have my gratitude. Would it be okay to take one of these blankets with me so that I can keep Vegeta warm?"
"Of course," the doctor agreed with a nod.
I ate one of the kindon beans and felt my strength return in a rush once the alien doctor had left. I shouted out the door to rouse the others and then quickly wrapped my mate up as the boys and Piccolo entered the room in confusion.
"Eat this," I ordered as I handed each of them one of the beans, "I've already eaten mine. We need to go home now."
"What's going on?" Gohan asked as he chewed the bean and blinked as he recharged, "Father, you look a little freaked."
"I can't explain right now," I said as I turned away to pick up Vegeta, "I just need to get you guys home and deal with what Drugan did to Vegeta."
To be continued…
