New chapter, exploring some of Vegeta's feelings.
Note: I have made some significant changes to chapters 10 and 12, as I felt that some of the ideas didn't fit very well. If you want to take the time to go back and reread them, I'd appreciate any feedback regarding the changes.
Enjoy!
"What are you doing, old man?" Vegeta grumbled at the doctor as he entered the room. "Do you expect me to actually take this?"
Dr Briefs was holding one of the small green senzu beans to Vegeta, coaxing him to take it. Vegeta had been sitting in this unwelcoming, sterile room for the past three hours, chained to this bed by the alloy glove on his hand. He could not so much as leave the bed without having to use some of his energy, which was not an option he had decided would be optimal. He was still in rough shape, and the earthling drugs that he had been given were fighting against him for control over his consciousness. In all, he was feeling achy, woozy and just plain unwell. He had decided to instead sit alone in the room until someone came in to set him free. At least that infernal blonde woman had left him; that Bunny Briefs sure had a motor mouth, and she had left his ears feeling slightly numb, and he wasn't sure if the ringing was from her or the medication.
Dr Briefs tried once more to convince the Saiyan to take the bean, but to no avail. Alas, he had to resort to trying to actually reason with him. This would be no small feat.
"Vegeta," he began, "I understand that you're in a lot of pain there-" but he was interrupted.
"Pain? You know nothing of pain. I can't feel a thing." Vegeta snidely remarked.
"Well I can see that you have sustained a lot of injuries. Surely you want them to heal as quickly as possible.
"I am a Saiyan, old man, and it will take more than a few of your injuries to take me down."
"Say that as you might, Vegeta, but I have seen you go down a fair few times just these past couple days," the doctor had reached an arguable point, "and I can see that you are not recovering so quickly."
"So what?"
"Would it be wrong of me to presume that you are uncomfortable here? Or perhaps I am wrong, and you wouldn't mind the peace and quiet. Heh," he chuffed to himself, "I personally wouldn't turn down a few days of R&R myself, if you know what I mean."
Vegeta's ears perked up at this. If he were to take the stupid bean, his energy level would rise back to normal, and he could finally be left alone. If there was anything Vegeta loathed more than this demoralising experience, being trumped by mere humans, was that he was missing out on vital training opportunities, whilst Kakarot was out there, outdoing him once more. Vegeta was a proud Saiyan, and he would never step down to the likes of lower-class scum such as Kakarot… never. He grudgingly reached out his hand for the bean, when the doctor pulled his hand back so that it was just out of reach.
"Of course," he mentioned, trying to sound serious and hide his usual grin, "there is something that I would like you to do for me."
"What?" Vegeta spat. His patience was running thin; he wanted to escape this hole as quickly as possible. He wanted to be back in the capsule pod, his solace. His bones ached to once again struggle against massive forces of gravity. Most of all, the urge to ascend was coursing through his veins, as though his heritage from the prestigious royal bloodline was silently pushing him in the back of his mind.
"I would like to run a few tests on you."
The reply was so simple, that Vegeta didn't comprehend what was being said. His mind was too busy contemplating the feeling of ultimate power running through his body, accessible at his fingertips. He had to pause for a moment to try to pull himself back to the conversation. To him, it was the pointless chatterings between a god and a flea, and they had no influence on the end result. Nonetheless, he 'played nice' and responded to the old man's requests.
"What sort of tests?" he curtly replied, though he had no intention to agree in the end.
"You see that glove-live device strapped to your left arm?" Dr Briefs pointed casually towards the aforementioned item. He noticed as Vegeta followed his direction, peering down at the glove. "Yes, that. If you do recall, I believe I said earlier that this device might be able to help you. Of course, it will help me in many ways as well."
"Wonderful," Vegeta said sarcastically, "though it would help if you actually told me what it does."
"Oh, I haven't told you yet? Dear me, no wonder you're in such a state." Vegeta glared up at the man, showing that he was running on a very short leash before he would lose all interest. "Yes, well, you see…" the doctor stumbled across his words as he tried to avert his gaze from the grumpy brute. He cleared his throat, and began again, "the device strapped to your arm is what I call an 'energy labeller'. It is a very sophisticated piece of machinery that I created just for you, Vegeta."
"I'm flattered," came a monotonous growl.
"Right. Well, basically, the glove-like apparatus is fitted onto the palm of your hand, and through electromagnetic pulses it can take readings of your energy output. This then sends all of the information to an external drive, which I can remove, and then study on my own equipment in my lab."
"Sounds complicated," said Vegeta, his sarcasm unrelenting.
"Yes, well you sparked my investigative attention when you injured Bulma. You see, Vegeta, not only did you crush most of her bones, but you also managed to desiccate all of her neural receptors for that arm. From my tests on her, it wasn't a matter of the destruction of nerve endings in her am, but instead you had somehow destroyed the receptors for those nerves in her brain. It's rather curious…"
The doctor trailed off in thought, as Vegeta tried to contemplate what was being said. If he was right, then this meant that he possessed the ability to destroy someone with a simple flare of energy directed to the right place. It was invigorating, knowing that he was so mighty over all of these weakling humans. Had he wanted to, he could destroy an entire civilisation without even wasting the time to charge up an energy beam. The doctor, however, was watching Vegeta's reaction to what he was saying, noticing the grim pleasure that escaped his dark smile.
"Vegeta," he said in a low voice, unlike anything he had ever used before, "although this is an extremely interesting discovery, I am sure you haven't failed to understand the consequences of this." Vegeta hid his smile, and vaguely listened to what he was being told. "For only too long have you and other fighters like you been on this planet, exerting such strength. Although it is to this world's advantage that you exist to ward off other powerful beings such as Freiza, there will always be a price for your power. Now I understand what damage can be caused on the small-scale, and I implore you to train not only your body, but, more specifically, your mind."
"I'm growing tired of your nonsense, old man," Vegeta waved him away, as though he was deciding to end the conversation. However, he had no authority in this matter, and was still tied down to the bed, and was forced to hear that the doctor had to say. Vegeta slumped back into his pillow as he continued.
"I understand that some terrible things have strayed across your path Vegeta, and from the events of these past few days, it has come to my attention that reflexes that have developed from these long years of torment still exist within you."
"You have no idea what I have been through, and it is not your place to judge!"
"I am not judging, merely stating the obvious. You have not always been a peaceful man, and so I think that you may pose a threat to everyone around you if left unrestrained."
"So what, you want to put a collar on me?"
"Heavens no, I want to help you."
"Helping me is what you say, but I'm hearing other things. If you want me gone, then I'll leave. I don't need you anyway," Vegeta grumbled, crossing his arms as best as he could with the glove still attached to him.
Dr Briefs raised his hand to his brow. He grew weary of this conversation with the Saiyan, as he naturally strayed away from conflicting situations. Bulma was much better at this than he was, though he knew that she wasn't ready to go back to her normal interactions with Vegeta just yet; he had greatly hurt not only her body, but also her spirit – the very essence that made Bulma who she was. He would do this for her, and work with Vegeta to control his power. The end result would help both Bulma and Vegeta; he could see that Bulma held affection for this Saiyan, and he didn't want her life to be in any more danger than he could manage. He sighed quietly, and raised his head back towards the stubborn Saiyan.
"What about Bulma?" he said softly.
"What about her?"
"You may not need me but you need her."
"The only person in this entire galaxy that I need is myself," Vegeta stated indignantly.
"You might say that, but she has helped you in many situations that you could not solve yourself."
Vegeta closed his eyes, pretending not to listen to the man, although he knew that these were truths being said. Vegeta had somehow, along his rocky path leading up to now, come to feel a kind tolerance for the woman that he had never before felt. It was nothing of any major significance other than the fact that he felt truly sorry within himself that he had involved her in this entire mess. In fact, he stumbled upon a realisation that he had felt regret from his actions even before he knew true identity of that person.
He unfolded his arms, and turned his palms to face his. He gazed down upon them, trying to find some kind of meaning within. His right hand was the only one that showed his coarse, calloused skin. He wondered what it was like to exist in a different life, one where he wasn't a fighter, but instead a normal person with a mediocre destiny. To live in a world that he had no control over, where other beings held the controls of what could and would happen. He wondered what his hands would look like then, but he knew that they would always be the same. He had the right to determine his destiny, and he would most certainly fulfil it, and no other being would get in his way. He would never let his power slip from his grasp ever again. He would have ultimate control, and that was exactly how it should be.
His mind flickered back to Bulma, and he realised that he didn't want to do again what he had already done. Though he would deny it every step of the way, Vegeta knew that he could find a peer in Bulma; she was something more than just an ordinary person living a mediocre life. Then and there he decided to take the doctor up on his offer. It seemed lucrative for him, as it promised mental strength, which would lead to enhanced physical strength. Maybe this was the push that he needed that would send him to his pinnacle and over the edge, towards ascension.
"Okay, old man," Vegeta said, trying his best to sound as though he had been cornered, "I'll do it, but only if you promise it'll make me stronger."