Vegeta did nothing but pace his room, trying to find a weak point, a flaw that he could exploit to somehow manage to escape. These damned aliens had thought of everything. He watched them every time they came into the hall to bring food and drink. He studied them, learning everything he could. They were still being cordial to him, feeding him well, but it was Gohan he was becoming increasingly concerned about.
The younger Saiyan was brought a minimal amount of food, and it showed. His cheeks were sunken, his shoulders narrow as his metabolism practically ate him alive. Vegeta barely recognized the man.
And then there was Piccolo, who was still being experimented on. Increasingly dangerous wounds inflicted on him, injected with viruses and disease, studying the way his body worked.
All of it made Vegeta sick.
"This can't continue," he growled one evening after their food had been brought to them. While he had a huge spread of dishes, Gohan had been given merely bread and water. He met the younger man's eyes, his own almost apologetic. "You won't survive much longer if this continues, Gohan. We have to do something."
Gohan ate his food and it was gone before the plate had been placed on the table. "It won't be much longer before they decide I have no worth at all. Like Jenny. Except I haven't the strength for one last Hoorah," he said as he drank down his water. He would go into the bathroom later and drink the water from his shower. It gave him the illusion of being full at least. "They want my father's location and I will die before I give that up." he said as he looked longingly at Vegeta's pile of food, his stomach growling loudly.
Piccolo frowned at the state of Gohan. This wasn't right by any stretch of the imagination. These people were downright cruel. He understood why Gohan wouldn't give them the information they wanted. But this was still hard to see. He and Gohan had discussed at length about telling them where the cabin was, but it would do no good either way. If the barrier was still in place, Goku would be safe, but then they would believe Gohan had lied to them again. If the barrier was not still there, then Goku would be captured and Gohan would never forgive himself.
Vegeta's words caught his attention, the way the Saiyan spoke. "It sounds like you have a plan, Vegeta," he said dryly, looking down the hall at the prince. "Let's hear it."
Vegeta sighed through his nose. "I could give them what they want," he said after a moment. "Perhaps if I agree to their plan, I can negotiate some better treatment for the both of you. Get them to stop experimenting on you, Piccolo. And get you some proper meals, Gohan." He loathed himself for considering it, but he would not stand by and let his friends die and be tormented in such a way. It disgusted him to see it.
Gohan shook his head. "This is nothing. I can take this for a little while longer. I won't let you do this just for my sake," he said as he ran a hand through his hair. The thought was tempting, but he wasn't about to wish the fate Vegeta suggested on him. Even if it meant a full meal. "You're mated to Bulma. Does it even work?"
Vegeta narrowed his eyes at Gohan. "Don't question me and what I'm capable of," he growled, slightly affronted at the rather personal question. "You can't take it much more. You're slowly starving to death. This is sickening to watch. Kakarot will never forgive me if I let you die in here. You can't be wished back, in case you've forgotten. And I certainly don't want to hear it from that mate of yours if you keel over and die."
"He has a point, Gohan," Piccolo said reluctantly. "But I don't know, Vegeta. It's not right. Would Bulma forgive you for such a thing? Could you forgive yourself, knowing you betrayed her? You're only furthering their agenda. We've seen how intelligent they are, how advanced their technology is. If you sleep with one of their women, you know what will happen. They'll have planned it so the pregnancy takes. Do you really want to do this?"
"Of course I don't want to," Vegeta admitted. "But I won't stand by and watch this anymore. I won't have his blood on my hands," he said and nodded at Gohan.
Gohan shook his head but finally relented. "Okay. Okay, okay. If you want to do this for us, I would be in your debt forever. A good meal would set me straight for a while," he said as he leaned against the wall, "Gods, I'm so hungry I could probably chew a hole through one of these walls."
"Alright," Vegeta said. He went to his table, eating the food they'd brought to him, thinking over what he was about to do. It made his skin crawl to think of being with another woman, but he reasoned that Bulma would forgive him. There was no emotion in it. He could remove himself from the act. Surely she would understand. The loss of Jenny was too great as it was. They couldn't lose anyone else. He tried not to think of the others still left outside in the world. They were safe, he told himself.
He finished his food just as the guards returned to take the empty plates from his room. He sighed heavily through his nose and moved against the back wall as they aimed their weapons at him. They didn't even have to say it anymore. He knew the routine. "Bring your leader to me," he barked at them. "I have a proposition for him."
Avriel had raised an eyebrow at the guards who came to him, telling him that the Saiyan Prince had a proposition for him. It amused him greatly to hear the prince thought he had something with which to bargain for, but he would hear him out. He came to a stop in front of the Saiyan's cell, his hands folded behind his back. "You summoned me?"
Vegeta moved to stand in front of Avriel, a calm, cold expression on his face. "I have a bargain for you now," he said. "I've considered your offer. While it disgusts me to think of lying with one of your women, I've realized that my options are limited. I know your hospitality won't last forever. I've decided to accept your offer. On one condition." He paused for a moment, studying the man before him. "I do as you wish, and you give them some better treatment," he said nodding towards Gohan and Piccolo. "No more experiments on the Namek. And Gohan is fed proper Saiyan-sized meals. EVERY meal."
Avriel turned his attention back to Gohan and Piccolo. He considered them for a moment. Oyxlin didn't need to do many more experiments on the Namek. He was fairly sure that the scientist would want samples next to make sure that Namekian seed would be compatible with their kind. The Saiyan though. They had been starving him for information, but if the prince wanted to comply for his meals, that could benefit as well. "Very well, I will agree to your terms. And as a show of good faith…" He turned to his guards, "You there. Get that man a Saiyan meal."
Vegeta raised his eyebrows as more food was quickly brought in and placed on the table in Gohan's cell. He felt relieved at that. Perhaps Avriel really was a man of his word. "Alright then," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. He felt an uncomfortable coil in his stomach, but he ignored it. If it benefited one of his own, he could do this. His tail wrapped around his waist, wondering exactly how this was going to work, what the aliens had planned for him. He met Avriel's strange eyes again and gave the alien a nod. "Whenever your female is ready."
Avriel nodded and motioned for his guards to be at the ready. He hadn't forgotten the Saiyan's death threats and had no doubt that if the man saw the opportunity, that he would make good on them. "This way then," he said as he motioned down the hallway before he looked ahead to another guard. "Inform Cali she is to meet us in the room at once," he said firmly. He led them past the laboratory until they reached a new area and he opened the door, gesturing for the Saiyan to go on in. It was a semi-dark room with a lavish bed in the middle.
Vegeta stepped into the room, looking around with disinterest. He supposed it was supposed to look appealing, seductive in its own way to someone who actually wanted to participate in the aliens' plans, but to him, it was just a bedroom. He ruefully thought that his own room back at Capsule Corp was nicer. The name Avriel spoke caught his attention. "Cali?" he asked, turning to look at the alien. "So your advisor is the lucky female who gets first turn, huh?"
"Yes, if only she acted like it was a privilege. She can be quite ungrateful at the opportunity presented to her." He looked back at the Saiyan, "Am I to believe that you will not harm her? I may have to place guards in the room. How is your performance with an audience?"
Vegeta snorted. "It matters little to me. I have no intention of harming her, I don't have a death wish, but if you feel it necessary, then so be it," he answered. Nudity had never fazed him and the prince was far from self-conscious. The idea to use her as a means of escape, taking her hostage or some such thing, crossed his mind, but he realized that Avriel would probably sacrifice one female in order to keep his captives. He didn't seem the type to be affected by such threats. And Vegeta didn't much care to be shot that day. He turned as the door opened and saw Cali standing there, wearing a fine silk robe, looking nervous.
Avriel turned to look at her. "Finally. He has agreed to bed with you after some terms were met," he said and motioned his guards to leave the room. "They will be waiting outside should you need them. I will be down in the laboratory. You are to come straight there once you are finished. We want to make certain the seed takes."
Cali swallowed hard and nodded, watching as they left. Her cheeks grew hot and she looked down at the floor before she dared look up at the prince. He looked fierce and tense, as if he were trying to make her explode into flames by one mere look. "I ah… hope that I can please you, Prince Vegeta," she said nervously as she bowed her head. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. The Saiyans were supposed to be willing, jumping at this chance. It wasn't how she had imagined her first time at all.
Vegeta gave her a sweeping look. "You'll do," he said flatly as he began to undress. He tossed his clothes carelessly on the floor, his tail curling in the air behind him. She was pretty, he wouldn't deny her that, but she wasn't his Bulma. No one would ever please him the way his mate could. He looked at her, seeing the blush on her face. It looked strange on her pale white skin. He realized this was the first time he'd seen her without the mask across her face. There was an innocence about her, her stance, her demeanor. "First time?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.
Cali nodded, daring to look up, seeing her first real glimpse of a full male completely bared to her. "It is. It's one of the reasons I was chosen. Avriel feels it will produce the desired results all the more. Or something like that. I wasn't sure I understood it well. They say it will help our people in the long run and I cannot deny the chance to save my race," she said as she walked over to the bed, her feet felt like they were encased in lead.
Vegeta didn't know why her shyness amused him so, but he felt the urge to see how far he could push her. If he was uncomfortable with the situation, she might as well be too. His eyes held a predatory gleam as he crawled slowly onto the bed. With a smirk, he laid flat on his back, his arms crossed behind his head as he looked at her. "Well then? Get to it. Save your race or whatever bullshit it is he's convinced you you're doing."
Cali gaped at him a moment at his boldness before she snapped her jaw shut. Her fingers fumbled with the sash of her robe, letting it fall away from her bare body as she moved to sit down on the edge of the bed. She swallowed harshly again as she looked over him. "I... am not sure what to do, exactly. They didn't really give me a crash course on this," she said quietly as she reached out, placing a delicate hand on his chest. She blinked at the difference in color, how amber his skin was compared to her own milky white complexion. His muscles felt hard and warm beneath her palm, his heartbeat surprisingly steady. It made her own heart race. He looked so calm, the way he stared at her with his piercing black eyes.
Good gods, now he was going to have to give this woman a lesson? Vegeta forced himself not to roll his eyes. He moved to lay on his side, looking her over. While he could see that she was attractive with her slender frame, her perky breasts and innocent expression, he wasn't turned on in the slightest. This was going to take some work. "Touch me," he said simply and reached out, trailing his fingertips down her throat, down the valley between her breasts. He stopped and met her eyes with a fierce look in his own. "Anywhere but the mark on my neck. You touch that and this will end badly for you."
Her eyes were drawn to the mark on his neck and she nodded before she moved to sit more securely on the bed, letting her hands roam over his flesh. She traced his abs, the scars on his chest, tracing around the brand over his heart. Curiosity got the better of her and she watched his nipples harden as she traced her finger around it. She finally got up her courage and went south, looking at his manhood before she reached out and curled her fingers around him. She gently brushed her thumb over the tip of it. She marveled in how soft the skin was there.
Vegeta groaned as his length began to stir and he pulled her to lay next to him. It felt wrong, letting this woman touch him like that. But he had to do it. It was the only thing that would ensure their survival at this point. He moved suddenly, capturing her nipple in his hot lips, tugging it deeper into his mouth as he sucked at it, his hand curling around her hip. He rocked his hips into her grasp, trying to will his body to perform. It didn't seem to want to cooperate. "More," he commanded as his hand traveled up to cup her neglected breast, massaging it, thrusting into her hand again.
Cali gasped out as his hot mouth suddenly wrapped around her nipple. It sparked a delicious sensation in her core and she gave a soft moan as she complied, moving her hand more quickly over his firming flesh. He smelled of spice and musk, and her mouth watered at the thought of what he would taste like. She swallowed and leaned over him, letting her tongue flicker out to taste the tip of his cock.
Vegeta hissed at the soft, hot caress of her tongue. His fingers traveled to her center, teasing the little nub he found there. He heard her gasp at his touch, but it did little to encourage him. He flicked his fingers rapidly over her, swirling them around the sensitive flesh before he teased the entrance to her body, slipping a finger into her. A shiver worked its way down his spine as he felt how tight she was and his cock twitched. Even still, he wasn't fully hard and he cursed himself. His eyes fell closed, trying to be in the moment, to separate himself mentally from what he was doing, letting his instincts take over. "Suck it," he growled. "If you want this, then prove it."
Cali nodded her head and carefully gripped the base of his cock before she took him into her mouth. It was awkward and hard to breathe around the flesh and she ended up pulling away as she coughed, trying to regain herself. A hot blush swept through her face and she moaned out softly as he carefully worked his fingers inside of her. "That… that feels amazing," she breathed before she tried again, swallowing around him deeply.
Vegeta growled low in his throat as her mouth worked over his flesh. He was determined to do this. He wasn't sure if it was her inexperience or his own feelings about the situation that kept his body from performing, but this wasn't doing it for him. He pulled back, withdrawing from her mouth with a slick pop. He grabbed her shoulders and shoved her back against the bed, laying his weight over her as he licked and sucked at the side of her neck, his hands massaging her breasts, twisting and teasing her nipples between his fingers. His tail curled and thumped impatiently against the bed as he tried to will himself to fully harden, and he ground his hips against hers in an effort to turn himself on enough to get this done and over with.
Cali moaned softly, leaning her head to the side to allow him better access to her neck. A thrill shot through her as she felt his length brush up against her center. "Please," she said as she braced herself. She was told that the first time was unpleasant, but she would endure this. She had to do this for her people. There was no greater honor.
Vegeta nodded and took himself in hand, positioning himself at the entrance to her body. His heart hammered in his chest, his stomach twisting into knots. Could he really do this to Bulma? The mark on his neck burned as he thought about it. He stroked himself a couple of times as he felt his erection wilt; but nothing he did could get himself to harden again. "Dammit," he growled and shoved away from Cali, flopping flat on his back beside her. He stared up at the ceiling, breathing deeply through his nose as he tried to calm his temper. He feared for what they might do to him, or to Gohan, to Piccolo. But Bulma's image swam in his mind and he knew he couldn't do it.
Cali blinked, sitting up as he stopped. She first wondered if she had done something wrong, but then she saw the look on his face and she drew her legs up so she could wrap her arms around them. "Your mate is a lucky woman, Prince Vegeta," she said sadly as she ran a hand through her hair. She was horrified to think of what Avriel would do once he found out she was unable to be seeded. And Faust… oh how he would laugh at her, call her worthless. "It wasn't supposed to be like this. The Saiyans here weren't supposed to be mated."
Vegeta snorted as he looked up at the ceiling. "My mate isn't lucky to have me. It is because I am here that her home world is falling into ruin," he muttered darkly. Even he hadn't realized before the true depth of his loyalty to Bulma. He looked at Cali, seeing the worry in her face. "Then your entire plan is going to fail. All of the Saiyans here are mated. Even the half-Saiyans. And any others are quarter-blood or less and too young for what you seek. Avriel's plan will not succeed."
Cali bowed her head. "I feared that was the case. Avriel will not be pleased. He is so set in his plan, he will do anything to make it succeed. There are times I wish he had just left well enough alone. We could do better things if we just focused on our intellect instead of trying to command that which we have no claim to. He should have left the PTO dead like it was supposed to be. He keeps us, his dearest friends as council because he knows we would never turn him down." She looked to Vegeta with sorrow in her eyes, "I am sorry for you. What comes next will not be easy."
Vegeta finally looked at her, surprised to see the emotion in her eyes. It was something he had not seen in any of the aliens before. "I know," he answered. He didn't know what Avriel would do, but he knew his wrath would come swiftly. "Whatever happens, I can handle it." He almost felt sorry for her, too, in that moment. He realized she didn't want this any more than he did. And in a way, he was glad it hadn't happened, even if he was to be punished for it. "Cali," he said, meeting her eyes intensely, feeling he needed to say something to her. "It wasn't you." It was his loyalty to and love for Bulma that had stopped him.
Cali managed a smile for him. "I will do my best to see that your friends do not suffer for this. I think I have seen enough suffering to last a life time. I... cannot make any sure promises. I may not be behind glass walls, but there is a cage around me nonetheless. No one is free," she said as she pushed herself to get up and fetched her robe.
Vegeta dressed quickly, thinking he would like a hot shower. He wondered if he would get the chance. He could smell her scent on him and it felt wrong. He sat on the edge of the bed as he pulled his boots back on, then rubbed at his forehead. "Summon Avriel or whoever it is you have to deal with. Let's get this over already," he said as he stood, preparing himself for whatever the alien leader might decide to do to him.
Word didn't take long to reach Avriel and it took lesser time still for his anger to reach his limits as he paced in the laboratory waiting for this guards to arrive with Vegeta and Cali. He looked over at them as they entered and he pinched the bridge of his nose as he listened to Oyxlin trying to not laugh at the color on Cali's face. "Really, Prince Vegeta, out of all the people I would expect bedroom trouble, least of all would be you. We had an agreement and you have failed to enjoy yourself. This human woman must have broken you. Can you not even try? The sheets were not even stained with her blood."
The corner of Vegeta's mouth twitched in a smirk. "You may be right. My loyalty to my mate is stronger than even I realized," he answered, crossing his arms over his chest. Although Avriel's voice was calm and level, Vegeta could sense the fury lying just beneath the surface. "Wasn't for a lack of trying, on either of our parts." He felt he needed to add that last part, perhaps sparing Cali from Avriel's wrath. If she had any pull around here whatsoever, he wanted to keep that intact, hoping she could make good on her promise to spare Gohan and Piccolo from any more torture. "You won't have better luck with the other Saiyans, either. Their loyalty to their mates is stronger than mine. They wouldn't have even made the attempt. You're wasting your time."
Avriel sneered at Vegeta but turned his attention to Cali, "Get out of my sight. I will deal with you later. You will be impregnated with his seed, but you are not going to enjoy it as much as you would have if you could have done your job properly." He watched as his guards escorted her out of the lab and he narrowed his eyes back at the prince. "And you," he hissed, "I was being generous, allowing you to take the girl on your own terms, but you have disappointed me, yet again. Strip him!" he shouted at his guards. "Oyxlin, I will leave matters in your hands," he said, turning to look at his scientist, "And I expect results. Make sure he learns his lesson and do not let him go until he begs for it and then some."
Vegeta's eyes narrowed at Avriel as more guards grabbed him, forcing him back on a table there in the lab. Fuck. He struggled against them, but this close to the machine, his strength was minimal. "The hell is this?" he snarled as heavy metal restraints closed over his wrists and ankles. "Fuck you," he spat at Avriel, his chest heaving as he breathed. Piccolo had told him of some of the horrible things they'd done to him. And he'd seen the scars left all over Jenny from her interrogation. He wouldn't put anything past these people. If they thought they were going to torture him into something, they thought wrong. He growled at the guards as they tore his clothing away, leaving him naked upon the table.
Avriel walked closer, looking down at the Saiyan. "Fortunately for us, there are other methods we can use. We do not need your consent to get what we need from you." He turned away and headed for the door, speaking over his shoulder to the doctor, "Extract as much as you can and then some for punishment. We want to make sure he will be more cooperative with us in the future."
"You'll all burn in Hell for this," he vowed. "I swear it. I will make you pay." His breathing was ragged as he lay exposed and vulnerable on the table. He struggled against the restraints, but couldn't free himself. He grit his teeth as he watched them moving around the room. A disgusted shudder worked its way through his body as he worried over what they were going to do. "I don't know what you think you're doing, but it won't work. I won't give you a goddamn thing."
Oyxlin laughed as Avriel left him alone with Vegeta and he walked around the restrained prince with all the grace of a lion stalking its prey. He reached out, touching a few key places on the Saiyan's body, trailing his fingers along a thigh, over a pectoral, dangerously close to the mark on his neck. "My dear Prince, by the time I am done with you. You will give me everything."
Vegeta was exhausted, hurting all over, and miserable in every way. His only thought in that moment was of his mate, what she would think of him. He would have to tell her what happened; they didn't keep things from each other like that. Although, just this once, maybe it was best if he didn't tell her. He wanted to cry. He wanted a shower. He felt dirty and worthless, like he was nothing more than livestock to them. Something to be bred, to further their agenda. Completely and utterly humiliated was the only way to describe it.
Oyxlin called the guards back to the room. He turned around to the store of clothing and removed a simple pair of shorts and handed them to his assistant. "Dress him. I don't think he will be able to function very much for the next couple of hours," he said as he looked at the prince as his leg restraints were removed and he was dressed before they released his arms. He turned away, cleaning up the used medical equipment on the stainless steel table.
Vegeta could barely move as the guards grabbed him by the arms and hauled him off the table. His legs didn't seem to want to move. He actually grabbed their arms to steady himself as he forced his feet to work, one agonizing step after another as they took him back to his cell. He barely looked up when they reached the hallway. He quickly looked away when he saw Gohan and Piccolo looking at him in concern. He collapsed to the floor as the guards dumped him in his cell and closed the door before they turned and left. He didn't want to move. He wanted to curl in on himself, fall asleep, and never ever wake up.
Piccolo gave a start when he saw the state of Vegeta. There were no marks on him to be seen, but the prince looked exhausted, weak. He scowled at the heavy drops of blood that had dripped down Vegeta's legs and splattered the hallway floor as the guards all but carried him to the cell. Piccolo frowned when he heard the guard speak to Vegeta.
"Maybe next time you'll cooperate."
Piccolo exchanged a look with Gohan at that as the guards left. Vegeta wasn't supposed to come back in such a state. He didn't know what he'd expected, whether he thought Vegeta would be in a better mood or if he would come in hanging his head with regret, but it wasn't this. Something had gone horribly wrong.
Gohan had eaten the entirety of the food that had been brought to him after Vegeta had left. It made Avriel scowl a little while ago when he came to take away the food again only to find empty plates. Clearly something had happened to have the alien go back on his bargain. "Vegeta," he said quietly as he watched the other man on the ground curl in on himself. He had heard the horror stories of what they had done to Piccolo, but to see Vegeta beaten down like this was something new entirely. It burned at him to know they had broken down the proud Saiyan prince. "Are you okay?"
Vegeta groaned pitifully, resting his face on the cool floor. "I'll live," he answered, although he wasn't entirely sure he wanted to at that point. He just wanted to lay on that floor forever until he passed out. He squeezed his eyes shut, anger and humiliation coursing through him. He tried to think of something else, anything to take his mind away from the awful procedure they'd put him through. "Did you… did they bring you enough to eat?" he asked, hoping that at least something good had come from this.
Gohan managed a weak smile. "Yes. They brought up twice the normal meal that they've been bringing for you. I ate it all before they came back in an attempt to take it away from me," he said, leaning his head against the cool glass. He could see Vegeta's cell from his spot, he could see the blood and he could only speculate what it was that had caused such trauma. "Thank you for that, at least."
"I don't understand what happened," Piccolo said, crossing his arms as he leaned against the glass wall so he could see Vegeta's room as well. "Did they interrogate you after you slept with her? This doesn't make any sense. The way they've been treating you, I thought you'd receive better treatment than this."
"I didn't go through with it," Vegeta admitted, feeling his face burn. "I couldn't. Couldn't do that to Bulma." He felt weak for admitting it and he vaguely remembered a time in his life when he thought that love made one weak and vulnerable. Perhaps he had been right all those years ago. "It didn't matter in the end. They took what they wanted anyway." He tried to push himself up, but couldn't manage it. He was spent in the worst sort of way, any energy his body had was gone.
Gohan winced and looked away from him. He shouldn't be surprised that the aliens were so ruthless in their pursuit of power they were willing to do whatever it took to secure that power. Including by some means of violation. "Damn them all to hell," he breathed. He shuddered as he thought about what Vegeta meant and he sank down to the floor of his cell, leaning against the glass, his eyes swimming with tears as he thought about it. He heaved a ragged sigh and stared up at the ceiling. They were nothing but pawns in a losing game. Vegeta sounded so broken, as if he were crying. He could smell blood in the air and he swallowed hard, remembering back, all of those years when Lindsey had been… He clenched his eyes shut, it hurt to think about it.
Piccolo was disgusted, but not surprised. He'd experienced the aliens' cruelty first hand and there was little he would put beneath them. They were capable of anything, any means to achieve their goals. He turned away from the door as he heard the quiet, stifled sobs from Vegeta's voice. He never thought he would hear the prince so broken. He rubbed at his face; they had to get out of here. He couldn't stand this much longer.
Vegeta felt his eyes burn, the humiliation almost too much to bear. He didn't want to talk about what had happened. He wanted to hide from it, to act as if it had never happened. But he had to warn them. It wasn't fair for them not to know. "Just give them what they want," he muttered weakly. Anything was better than what they'd put him through. Treating him like some sort of specimen on a table. "Trust me. If they come for you, just do as they say. It's not worth it. Your mates will forgive you." He only hoped that they'd taken enough from him to keep them satisfied for a while. He didn't know if he could go through that again, or if they gave him a second chance if he'd be able to perform like they expected.
Piccolo narrowed his eyes at that. Dead or not, he would not betray Jenny. Not if he had any say in the matter. "You've got to be kidding," he growled, though he knew from the broken tone in Vegeta's voice that the prince was far from joking. He frowned, realizing fully now why they were experimenting on him. "They want to see if I can add to their race as well." He bowed his head, anger surging through him. "I won't betray my mate like that!" he protested. "I don't care what they do to me. I will never do that to Jenny." His skin crawled at the thought of touching another woman like that, of being touched. "My loyalty is to my wife, my mate, whether she is dead or alive. Let them torture me. I won't betray her trust. I'd rather die than let them do that to me."
Gohan swallowed harshly, wanting to agree with Piccolo, that he wouldn't betray his mate no matter what. But seeing Vegeta like that made him question if he'd even get a say-so in the matter. "I don't think they will give you much choice if that is what they are trying to accomplish, Piccolo," he said as he felt his eyes burn. Gods, when would this nightmare be over? He still expected his father to come bursting through the walls to save them all. He reached up and covered the mark on his neck, taking deep comfort from it.
Gohan knew it had to be bad for Vegeta to say something like that. He knew firsthand how badly, how emotionally damaged someone could become from an experience like this. He ran a hand over his face, his skin crawling at the thought of Vegeta and what they could have done to him to make him forcibly give up anything. He thought about what he would do in the situation, if he learned his mate had been raped. He knew what he would do. He and Lindsey had done it; they'd killed the bastards. "Bulma's going to kill these bastards single handedly once she finds out what they've done."
Vegeta gave a weak, mirthless chuckle. "She's the one they should fear," he muttered as he lay helplessly on the floor. He could only imagine the wrath she would unleash on these aliens if given the chance. Something about that warmed his heart, to know that she loved him so passionately, to think that she would be so protective over him. He gave a groan as his eyes fell closed. He couldn't move. Moving just made the sensitive areas of his body throb and burn all over again. Surely death would be better than this. "Somehow, they're all going to pay."
Piccolo rubbed at his face. He knew what Gohan said about the aliens was true. He'd been unable to stop them from anything else they'd done to him thus far. "We have to do something," he growled. "We can't just sit around here as their damn lab rats. There has to be a way out of this." He looked over at Gohan, "I don't think your father is going to come this time, Gohan. If he was, he'd have already been here."
Gohan looked up. "What can we do? They are pulling our strings. They know exactly how to control us. It's going to take something unexpected to throw them off guard. Something that isn't us. It makes me sick to think that we have to wait around for rescue," he said bitterly, "They are going to tear the world apart looking for Tora and my Dad."
"Cali," Vegeta breathed, forcing himself up on his elbows, wincing in pain. "She's the key to getting out of here. She doesn't want this any more than we do." He grit his teeth, refusing to cry out as he got to his feet. "I don't know what she can do, but if we have any hope, she's it." He ignored their looks of concern as he limped towards the bathroom, his only thoughts of a hot shower to scrub away the dirty feeling that covered his body.
Piccolo shook his head as he watched the prince go. "I don't know what they did to him, but I sure as hell don't want to find out," he muttered. He couldn't help but wonder who Cali was or what she could do, but if Vegeta had a plan, he was all ears. "Give him some time to himself. He'll tell us what he's planning."
Author's Note: Nancy103, in Path of War, when Tien and Sabriena married each other, they bound their lives together. At that time in their lives, they didn't really have any other "family" and didn't want to live without each other. Their bond is different than a Saiyan or Namekian bond. When they later married Goku, the Fates blessed them all with mating marks of their own kind. But Goku's life is not bound to theirs. So if Tien or Sabriena dies, the other will, too. I hope that kinda clears it up.
