The hand that Feeds me Chapter 3

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The ancient writers of Greece believed the great tragedies they wrote to be most popular amongst their people.

Not because the crowds leered at another man's grief and sorrow, though.

No, rather because if the simple man compared his own, dull little life to those of the great; when he realised the sufferings those great and famous ones had lived, he could say...

'Hey, in comparison, my life isn't all that bad...'

"If you tell anyone about this, we know where to find you..."

Vegeta found himself sniffling as he tried to straighten out his clothing. Cross-legged on the floor in his underwear, he tried to make the best of an obvious mess. Brining up the cloth to his face revealed that it wasn't going to do much good. Bloodstains, tears and dirt were eminent, even with as little light as he had in here.

He'd make those freaks pay!

He just hadn't thought on how yet.

A slow death would be too easy though, that much was for sure.

The young prince felt like he'd been kneaded up like dough from the neck down.

Which was quite an accurate analogy, except for the fact that dough didn't bruise.

"If you tell anyone, we know where to find you..."

Like he was really going to! What had happened was embarrassing enough on itself; embarrassing enough to keep him quiet. But if his father ever got wind of this...

Well, let's just say his claim to the throne would not be all that solid any longer.

No, he would not utter a word about this.

Not even under extreme torture.

Still, it was going to be difficult to hide, Vegeta reflected as he studied his cape and doublet.

What was he going to say?

'I was bored last night, so I decided to take my clothes off and stamp around on them?'

Damned it! How could this have happened?

Saiyi-jins were the greatest race of warriors in the galaxy, and he was the strongest Saij-jin alive. Well, he would be. Soon. Everyone said so.

Yes, this was bad. Real bad. But what made it worse was...

"If you tell anyone.... where to find you..."

Because he knew that, if he stayed quiet, those uglies would think he was afraid of them! He wasn't. Not really.

Not half as much as he was afraid of the ridicule this thing would bring him.

"If you tell anyone..."

Just then, the door swung open, and un-announced and without warning, one of the lower soldiers entered in a halo of light.

Way too much light for the Saiyi-jin's liking, as he raised to his feet keeping his cape in front of him.

Not out of modesty.

"I demand a shower and a fresh set of clothing."

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"Ooooh!, there you are my dear boy!"

Exclaimed the grotesquety that called itself lord of the universe, spotting him from afar. Much to the Saiyi-jins malaise; he could do without the undivided attention of this cow-headed gnome.

Vegeta sighed as It came running to the little Prince across the great, high-faulted training chambers. Coming to a skirting halt, it smiled broadly at him and gave his aching back a companion-like slap. The prince grimaced, but thankfully it seemed not to notice.

"So good of you to join us. You're a bit late, but that's ok, in your case.

And my, my, don't you look handsome in your training outfit..."

Whatever! It was all blue and stretchy and funny looking, but at least it was clean. That soldier from that morning had been most cooperative. Lazy, slow, and with a knowing smirk on his face that made Vegeta fume, but cooperative all the same.

The creature was carrying on again as it dragged the prince over to it's other students. Vegeta would have preferred to stand around in the shadows and feel sorry for himself.

"Now I know you will want to meat the group... Oh!

And I've been so selfish at dinner yesterday, keeping you all to myself..."

Not for the first time Vegeta noticed the intonation of it's voice. It irked the little prince to no end.

Almost like the little tyrant didn't really mean a word it said. Of course, there was the minute possibility the creature was aware of the useless drivel it spewed, but continued to just to be polite. Or maybe it thought itself funny.

Nah.

"Ahh, now let's see,..

This is Banjor. He's from Notes 3; an Anplair, nephiew to the King. So he's a prince too! Isn't that wonderful?

He's such a good study, too. And he's been with us for only half a galactic year.

But you'd never be able to tell, not from his studies anyway. And there's..."

Slowly and in detail, Freeza started to relate all the students names, birth-places, races, and social standard.

Vegeta blanked most of it out, used to long introductions, but no less bored by them.

His ears only pricked up a moment when he recognised the name of a race or planet his people had conquered.

But there was also another thing he noticed. All of the students seemed to be a bit...

-"Older then you, I'm sure you've noticed by now."

Vegeta blinked. That was creepy!

-"Yes, I know. I'm ever so sorry, my dear Vegeta. I could put you in the class under this. -There is only one- But I didn't think that would be much of a challenge to you." Freeza put an arm across the Saij-jin's shoulder, Whispering:

"And I do know Saij-jins love a challenge...But" It continued, louder, "If you would prever the younger group, I quite understand. And it's your call, after all."

With that, it pointed its free arm across the hall at a confided place to the side wall.

Squinting, Vegeta made out a couple of children playing tag. Then some more on the floor, crawling about like infants, wich was probably just what they were.

Hearing snickering behind them, the Prince shrugged off horn-head's arm. The indignity!

"I am Not a BABY! I am the prince of all Saiyi-jins!"

Freeza smiled knowingly. "Yes, I though so..."

Then trailed off into an uncomfortable silence, giving Vegeta time to regret his angered decision.

Maybe I shouldn't have,..

It was too late to back up now, though. Kusaro!

A snort from behind them pulled Freeza from his obvious trance.

"Now, I think I have introduced everyone. Oh, wait. How could I forget? Mawi!"

He turned to the source of the exclamation. "Mawi, how could I forget you! Crown prince of the Fracaz... erh. He's such ah-. And such a sweet boy..."

The Tyrant trailed off, then giving the purple boy an apologetic smile, before giving him a worried frown. "But, my boy! Look at yourself! What happened to your face?"

Well, that sure caught Vegeta's attention. And sure enough, there, Mawi's on left cheek was a big darkened bruise, complete with cuts and scrapes.

Vegeta couldn't help but smirk.

Guess he'd done some damage when he'd knocked the bigger kid over after all.

The rest of the days events were boring enough. Starting off with some light exercises, and that was just about all the training they did that day.

For they all spent the rest of the morning and most of the afternoon on a long and dull tour of the ship. They covered everything from the medical rooms to the cargo-bays.

The only thing noteworthy to the Prince was that everyone seemed to have better accommodations then him. Other then that, he really didn't give a damn, and just trailed the group from a little distance. He only really joined them when there was an explanation given over this or that.

And even then all he really did was enter a staring match with that purple freak-face Mawi. The other kids didn't seem to thrilled to meat him either; the just hushed amongst themselves, obviously displeased with getting what he caught was 'the twenty-eighths time we got this bleeding tour'. Apparently, this was all his fault.

There has to be some way to get rid of him...

He paid a little more attention when they came to the waste-disposal-unit, but not for long:

The waste was three-double checked before it was shot into space.

It had not been a very practical idea anyway.

When it was finally dinnertime, Vegeta was famished. Well, breakfast hadn't been much and these guys didn't even seem to bother with lunch.

But, as he took his seat at the table –unfortunately enough right next to Freeza again- he quickly realised the problem.

A normal sized meal... again!

Well, normal for most creatures. Not half enough for a growing Saiyi-jin.

But Vegeta would not let this one pass.

Not this time.

Clearing his voice, he took up his usual, royal tone.

"Master Freeeza? I am sorry, but this just will not do..."

He told 'it', pointing at his plate.

'It' cocked its head at the little prince.

"Why, whatever.. oh, I see!"

A benevolent, knowing smile spread across it's helmed features. "That's just not enough for a growing little Saiyi-jin, is it?"

Tisking to itself, Freeza shook his head. "I can't believe those damned cooks! I though I'd cleared this up with them already. Well, no worries, I'll talk to them tomorrow. " It purred.

Not something Ice-jins should do, Vegeta reflected.

"As for now..." It looked about searching. "Oh, here. Have Mawi's!"

With that, Freeza grabbed the plate from under a very surprised purple, gargled nose.

Vegeta nearly chocked.

"No! what? No way!, I ,.. erh."

Well, like he wasn't scared of the creep... all the same: "I can't go and eat other people's food."

"Oh, please!" Freeza interjected.

"You'd do him a favour. Look at him, how fat he is!"

Vegeta looked at Mawi as the later of the two leaned back in his chair.

He was rather fat.

But what irked the young prince was the total look of victory in the creature's eyes. Like he knew Vegeta would refuse the meal. It just sat back looking cocky, looking up at Freeza, sure Vegeta would decline.

Well, guess what?

Vegeta would just be ready for the big bully tonight. Let's see them take down the prince of Saiyi-jins when he was ready and waiting for it!

"Well, I suppose..."

He told Freeza, taking the plate and stuffing his face to keep from laughing at Mawi's shocked expression.

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"Well...."

Freeza sighed.

Zarbon was just taking more and more liberties.

But his one word had got the tyrant curious to his protégé's opinion.

The lord of the universe turned from the now empty dinner table, abandoning his quiet contemplations.

"Well what, Zarbon?"

-"Well, I wouldn't have though the kid would be so easy to play."

Freeza smiled knowingly at his servant, relishing the praise.

"Oh, he isn't, really.

It's just that I've had so much experience I can read him like a book.

Totally predictable."

Leaning back in his chair again, Freeza continued on his thoughts.

"Then again, they all are. Take Mawi for instance. He's so fuming mad he'll be back at the Saiyi-jins room within half an hour from now. That is, he would be if we let him..."

-"sir?"

The blue warrior asked, obviously at a loss.

Freeza sighed. Zarbon really did have a lot to learn.

"I want you to go to Mawi's room now, Zarbon. Pick him up and bring him to my chambers.

I need to have a long, boring talk with him about how wonderful our little Vegeta is."

"But, sir… I though you wanted Mawi to..."

Freeza cut him off.

"You're a sweet boy, Zarbon, but you know nothing about mind-games. Timing, Zarbon! Timing and patience: that is where the key to success lies, in everything, but maybe in this more then anything. What you have to learn, most of all, is how to wait.

I will try to explain. If I let things go free now, what will happen?"

The blue man fidgeted at his pink arm-warmers a moment before answering.

"As you said, Lord Freeza. He'll on the Saiyi-jin's back within the hour."

Freeza nodded.

"And beat the crap out of him, then leave him alone to sleep over it till morning. Correct?"

Zarbon obviously didn't understand this, but had to conceded. "I'd think so."

"But" Freeza continued.

"If I kept Mawi here until early morning, babbling on about this little Saiyi-jin Prince he so obviously dislikes..."

Zarbon looked pensive.

"Well, I doubt you could talk him around to that point of view, nor that you would want to. So I'd think the first thing he'd do when you let him go is gather his 'mates', the only difference being…"

Zarbon paused, a his face flashing a range of emotions, showing insight, then turning to a wicked smile,

and finally to a mixture of fear and admiration.

"Master Freeza?"

-"Yes Zarbon?"

"May I just say, that you are truly so good at this, it's scary?"

Freeza laughed, throwing his head back in true mirth.

"You may, Zarbon. You may,..

Just remember: the waiting is always the best part..."