Raditz tried to keep calm as he walked the brothers to the Laboratory. He was still conflicted with lying to the both Princes, he thought of telling Vegeta everything. His mind flashed back to this morning. The look in her eyes when she drove the piece of glass into his palm still had him shaking. He was grateful the Princes were following him from behind. He knew Vegeta already suspected that something was up.
Turning the corner he saw the familiar glass door, beyond it he saw her waiting. Part of Raditz was wary of going anywhere close to her, the half was happy to see her, sure this morning she had hurt him, but didn't he deserve it. He didn't tell her everything when he should of. Maybe he was the one at fault.
"Here it is." Raditz said opening the door. He saw Tarble run passed him, a look of shock and awe on his face. If Vegeta was impressed he wasn't showing it. "I should show you where your area would be." He said putting some space between Zera and them. She seemed to just be looking over some work from one of the stations. It belonged to one of the trunk faces.
"We wouldn't be in the same area?" Tarble inquired.
"Well no, your background is engineering, mine is biology." Raditz pointed to a grid that marked the different sections. "The bio sections are in red, chemistry in blue, engineering in yellow, and physics in purple."
"So I would be in yellow." Tarble pointed to the large section on the grid farthest from the door.
"Yep, but sometimes I'm also in the chemistry section because someone needs help or the fields cross, I would say that you would probably get a good background in physics while you're here." Raditz said to the excitement of the smaller Saiyan.
"What if there is an accident? How far is a medical wing from here?" Said Vegeta, speaking for the first time since they had left the washroom.
"There's med stations around the enter building. Most deal with the problems you would run into when working." Raditz said glad this was something he could be honest about. "Like in the chemistry area there are eye wash stations." Vegeta looked confused.
"Why would one need to wash their eyes?" The older prince huffed.
"Well some of the chemicals I work with can be toxic or corrosive. Imagine getting that in your eye." Raditz explained.
It seemed like a light bulb went off in the Prince's head. "Are you talking about the hydrochloric bombs we were just commissioned?"
"Yea, I made the solvent in them." Raditz pointed out.
Vegeta seemed intrigued. Well any battle crazy Saiyan would be when it came to those bombs. When the timer went off it spread a spray of acid what not only ate through skin but solid steel.
"Hello boys." Lady Zera had snuck up to them while they had been talking. "I hope that everything has been to your liking."
"It has!" Tarble said, he was defiantly in love with the place.
"I still need some time, my brother's safety and well-being is being judged. This Laboratory does seem to have the required medical stations. How many doctors are on standby? Vegeta questioned.
"We have a physician that is on call." Zera walked up placing her hand on the top of Raditz's head. "Raditz here for the most part knows everything anyway so we barely use him." Raditz blushed.
"You know healing requirements?" The older prince questioned.
Placing his hand behind his head blushing, Raditz nodded. "It came with my field of research, I had to come up with medpacks around two years ago and held on to the information."
"The field medpacks?" Vegeta was again shocked.
"Prince Vegeta, what do you think this laboratory is for? Everything that is designed here is used in my family's army." Lady Zera boasted. "If you want I could have you take a look at the new armor sets. They're much stronger than the last model."
"No, I can wait till they are battle ready."
"Good, I had Henzu get you new bed clothes. I am so sorry that you had to sleep on old ones, but I had no idea both of you would be staying with us." She said putting on a show. "I'm glad you got here early, but where are the others? The Bileltoians?" Looking around the lab, the trunk noses had not yet showed up.
"They had an issue with the baths." Vegeta answered smirking.
"Well why don't you two go to the dining area? Henzu made quite a spread and Tarble can start looking over projects tomorrow." Zera knew how big Saiyan's appetites were.
"What about Raditz?" Tarble asked looking to the older Saiyan.
"I ate this morning, you and Vegeta get your fill." Raditz said ruffling the younger Saiyan's hair.
"Well we will continue later. I wish to know everything you have made here." Vegeta said smirking to the long maned Saiyan.
Raditz blushed in embarrassment. As he heard Henzu knock. "My Lady, you requested me?"
"Yes, can you take the Prince Vegeta and Prince Tarble to the dining room?" Zera asked the maid.
"Yes my lady." The woman bowed as she left with both Princes following her.
She waited a couple minutes before looking down to him. "So everything seems to be going well, child."
"Yes ma'am" He said
"Good." She smiled down at him.
The door suddenly opened and the trunk faces looked about. Raditz could tell they were looking for Vegeta.
"Lady Zera can I speak to you?" What looked to be the oldest one of the group spoke. He looked upset.
"Why yes child, what do you need?" She asked.
He looked to Raditz, expecting the Saiyan to leave. Raditz didn't move.
"Come on child speak up."
"Well can certain people leave the room?" His eyes never leaving Raditz.
"Raditz is fine where he is. If there is anything you need to say to me, you can say it in front of him." Zera said, she knew where this was going.
The boy looked to her and back to him. "Fine, why are there monkeys here? You said that this is a place for intellectual minds, but so far I have seen not one, but three apes." The boy had a mocking smile on his face.
"And we were late because the aggressive monkey held us up in the washroom." Another cried.
"He soaked our clothes." The older one said. After that they all began to speak. The room filled with complaint after complaint.
"QUIET!" The room went still. Raditz didn't know how she would react. If it wasn't for Vegeta and Tarble being here they would defiantly disappear. "Raditz?" He froze. He didn't do anything wrong. It was these long nosed freaks.
"Yes ma'am."
"Can you help me escort everyone up stairs? I believe we need to try to fix all of your attitudes." She smiled at the freaks, while Raditz knew something was up. He knew what was upstairs, would she dare with Vegeta and Tarble here? He was about to nod and do as she asked when he was interrupted.
"But Lady Zera these Saiyans are scum." The older trunk nose said. Murmurs of agreement flowed through the group.
"Boys, boys I assure you that Raditz here is here for the same reasons you are all here. He has proven his skill with his track record. The other two are Saiyan Royalty and they will not be treated unfairly, unless you want my brother to target your planet for resell. Now come now I want you all to be friends let's take the day off and go upstairs. You all have been working since you arrived." They quieted down with the threat of their planet on the table. "Now go on ahead to the top children." She said as the trunk noses left as a group leaving her and Raditz in the lab. She smiled petting the top of his head. "Come now, I need your help."
He nodded and left with her, they walked in silence to the top of the stairs. He was about to walk up the final step when her arm came out, telling him to stop. "Shh. They should be out in a couple more seconds." As she said it Raditz heard several thuds. He turned up to her seeing the dark features of her face sticking out. Her eyes had gone wild. They walked into the top floor parlor and Raditz saw every one of the trunk faces were knocked out. She walked away from him, punching in the key code, the secret door opened. "Help me get them all in here." She said picking up two of the boys and shackling them to the walls. Raditz didn't ask questions and helped her move the freaks into the hellish room. The smell after all these years still wanted to make Raditz gag. It was a mix of blood, urine, feces, and death. As he tied up the last boy he noticed she was staring at him. "You have done well." She said her face still psychotic. He nodded.
She pushed a button behind her. Closing the door. His heart began to race. He had done everything she had asked right. Why was he in trouble? Was she going to kill him? He started shaking, hoping that wasn't the case.
She opened her arms. "Raditz come here." She said it nicely, but he was still fearful. This room along with the years of abuse, especially this morning had taken a toll on his mental stability and he was frozen in fear. "It's okay, love. I am only praising you." She said moving forward herself and wrapping her arms around him. He jumped when she touched him. "Shh...It's okay." She kissed his forehead.
He began to calm, returning her embrace. "Ma'am are we finished?" He asked. "With them I mean." He pointed to her new victims.
She smiled. "Yes, they are finished Raditz." She released him from her hold and turned around getting into a cabinet. Raditz froze again when she pulled out a scalpel. She grabbed his arm, he closed his eyes waiting for the pain, but none came. He opened his eyes slowly seeing her smiling down at him. She placed the instrument in his hand and turned him around facing the older trunk nose that had spoken badly of him. "You are the most intelligent person here." She said behind him, rubbing his shoulders. "Teach him his place." She whispered in his ear.
It hit him. What she wanted him to do. She wasn't going to punish him. She was giving him affection, she was on his side. She walked over to the wall where the others were shackled up, still knocked out. She pushed a code into a panel and the wall turned into another room. The room she had shown him on his first day. They were safely stashed away leaving the older trunk nose on the table. "Why don't we wake him up?" She said going back to the cabinet and grabbing a small bottle and a syringe. She filled it and injected the boy. Raditz watched, within seconds the boy came to.
"Were am I? What is this? Zera?" The boys franticly cried.
"It's Lady Zera, to you simpleton." Raditz saw the fear in the other boy's eyes. It bothered him. "Raditz you may begin." She said her smile cruel.
Raditz looked to her again, he knew he would have to kill the boy, it was him or Raditz, but the scalpel in his hand didn't feel right, if he had to kill he wanted it to be fast. "Ma'am?" She gave him a look that sent chills down his spine. "I know I shouldn't be picky, but can I use something else." Her features calmed.
"Why yes. Come here." He gave her back the scalpel and she opened up the cabinet. "Pick what you want." He looked over everything. This would be the first time he would take a life. He heard the boy on the table yell out wanting free. He felt panicked, but was calmed as she started petting him. "Because it's the first you can make it fast." She said softly. Getting her permission, he grabbed the largest knife. Her eyes lit up. Raditz walked slowly over to the table, as the boy screamed Raditz tried not to look at his face. He placed the knife at the boy's neck, pushing down slicing into the boy's throat. He heard the gargling nose as the boy's breathing became labored. He felt tears forming at his eyes, he watched the blood leak off of the knife onto the floor. Seconds later the gargling stopped, he knew the boy was dead. He wanted to throw up. He began shaking, dropping the knife on the floor. He couldn't hold it, he lost it getting the floor dirty with what was left of his breakfast. He felt a force behind him. "You did nothing wrong love." She said hugging him. "He had to die, he was not perfect."
Raditz looked up to her. Her eyes were full of nothing but praise and love. She loved him, she was the only person who cared about him. He belonged to her.
To Be Continued….