They didn't want to open at first. They were heavy and clinging to that sweet darkness, that thoughtless state of peace. But awareness came. He felt the metal welded to his neck. He felt the clamps that held him against the soft bed. The smell of sanitization chemicals made his nostrils tingle. Then there was his tail, the limb he'd been missing for so many years, now constantly aching from the vice that held back his strength. His fingers twitched and gripped the sheets. At least he had his hands back for the time being – but what a pathetic comfort it was.
As his eyelids finally lifted slightly, he realized there was a horrible itch in his throat. Opening his eyes a little more, he discovered the tube in his mouth. The damn thing was going straight down his esophagus. Immediately, he sought to remove it, but none of his limbs were available to pull it out. Growling stubbornly, he pushed at it with his tongue and thrashed his head about.
"Oh look, his majesty is awake," said Dr. Tottle, pushing aside a curtain with amused expression.
"Get-fit out," Vegeta commanded, spitting as he tried to force out the tube.
"What a demanding, bratty, little saiyan princeling," the doctor folded his arms, "A please will get you far."
"I dount caarre aboupt yoar—grr!" He angrily thrashed at the tube.
"If you don't like it, maybe you should learn to behave yourself," Dr. Tottle continued to scold, "It your own fault you're hooked up to that. It's a feeding tube. Since you decided to starve yourself, you're being force-fed. Let me guess, protein trays too lowly for you?"
"I sawd git the damm ting out!" Vegeta attempted to shout.
"Ah, looks like someone needs a fresh dose of medicine."
"Get-fit out!"
Dr. Tottle sighed. "So much for hoping you'd have good manners." Vegeta gagged as he abruptly yanked the tube out. "Better?" Dr. Tottle smiled.
Vegeta spat a couple times over his shoulder and glowered. His eyes wandered back to the doctor. "How long was I unconscious?"
"About twenty-six hours," he answered, putting the feeding tube aside, "With approximately a hundred and fourteen hours until your courtroom date. Speaking of which…" He walked away for a moment, returning with a needle-less syringe. "Open your mouth."
Vegeta's brow lowered. "Why?"
"Because if you don't, I'll force it open. A jaw-brace isn't the most graceful—"
"Oh for God's sake!" Vegeta scowled, leaning off the bed, "Just tell me what the hell it is."
"Oh fine, I'll humor you." He pushed him back down the bed and stood over him. "It's an anti-depressant."
Vegeta's brow lowered further. "What?"
"You didn't come clean about it, but lucky someone else did for you."
"I don't know what you're talking about, but I am not depressed!" he shouted at him.
"What was that?" Dr. Tottle asked, putting a hand by his ear, "I couldn't quite hear."
"I said—grrhmrmmr!" He snarled as the wrinkly green man shoved the syringe deep into his mouth and emptied its contents.
"Walked right into that one," Dr. Tottle grinned victoriously.
Vegeta ground his teeth at him, sitting up again and inspecting himself carefully. One thing he had to admit, he felt immensely better. All the torturous injuries Nevrrest had inflicted on him were healed and he was well rested, fed, and hydrated. He noted the IV in his arm, following up the tiny tube to the machine it was connected to. It didn't seem to be delivering anything but a clear substance at the moment.
Dr. Tottle followed his gaze. "Ah yes, not on sedatives at the moment. I had to temporarily take you off it to administer the anti-depressant. Mixing medications can be dangerous, have to see how your body will react to it first." He pushed him back down on the bed again – which was really starting to get annoying. "Nope, nothing but a simple saline solution at the moment. Oh, and if you're wondering about using the facilities, don't, I already took care of that for you in your sleep."
"Oh God," Vegeta bemoaned, turning his head away as his cheek bones lit red.
Dr. Tottle laughed and patting his arm. "Welcome to prison life, your highness, your personal space and privacy don't exist here."
Vegeta growled and tried to jerk away from him. "Don't touch me," he snarled.
"Now what did I just say?"
"I don't care what you said! I am Prince Vegeta. Do what you like, but you won't catch me accepting it."
"Well-hell-hell!" Dr. Tottle mocked, crossing his arms again, "You won't catch me caring. Honestly, at least most of the other prisoner recognize that I'm here to help. Just think of it, your highness, there's talk of death row for you and here I am coddling caring for a mass murdered." He turned to study Vegeta's vitals on a screen. "How humbling that must be. One day you're blowing up planets and the next you're strapped to a hospital bed."
Vegeta's head turned away again, his brow deeply lowered. "Ha, blowing up planets. I haven't blown up any worlds in a long time, old man."
"Lost your touch, did you?" the doctor asked, glancing back at him.
A vision Kakarot's determined eyes flashed through his mind, followed by the face of a stubborn, blue-haired woman. "…Something like that."
"Well the fact is it's never been my business what any of my patients have done," Dr. Tottle stated, turning back to the screen with a gentle, resolute expression, "I preserve life and sustain health. That's all I see when I look at people – healthy and sick, living and dying. It's the way I have to be to be able to care for the galaxy's worst criminals like this. And the fact is, under it all…" He pointed a finger at Vegeta's nose and cracked a smile. "You're little more than ill-mannered children. Had someone just given you a good spanking way back you wouldn't have grown up to kill anyone."
"Oh don't even go there," Vegeta glared. The last thing he wanted was to talk about his childhood.
"Which makes me wonder," he continued, unabated, "How did that Kakarot end up being so gentle and polite? I've met plenty of Saiyans in my time – back at my old hospital, they always sent the brutes to me – and at best they were cold and bearable. Don't get me wrong, he's still smelly and aggravating, but—"
"He received a bad head injury as a child," Vegeta gruffly cut him off, turning his head away again, "There, you have your answer. Now leave me in peace."
Dr. Tottle stared, blinked, and then busted up laughing. "Did he indeed now! Well that explains a lot, no wonder I like him! What a hoot, a brain-damaged Saiyan. By the ancients, if only we'd known…" He got a sly expression, creeping off. Vegeta's gaze followed him out of the corner of his eye, drifting away again, but returning as he heard him approach once again…a large tool held like a club over his shoulder.
"What the hell?!" Vegeta shot up in bed, "Are you out of your mind?! Get that way from me!"
The doctor busted up laughing again, dropping the tool. "Sorry, sorry, I couldn't resist."
"Grrr…" Vegeta snarled, shoving his cheek into the pillow as the doctor continued to laugh.
Suddenly, there was a tone at the entrance to the infirmary. "Hmm?" Dr. Tottle lifted his head curiously and left Vegeta's bedside, closing the curtain behind him. Vegeta sighed with relief to be alone again, listening idly to the voices beyond the curtain. "What the…no, no, no! Why are you bring these prisoner to me? I've already got a patient! I surely there's another section available!"
"I'm sorry, doctor," replied a professional voice, probably a guard, "This is where the system told us to take them."
"Gah…someone must have entered the data wrong again…fine, fine. Get them set up in here, I'll have them distributed to the other doctors later…"
(**Scene Break**)
Sepis's feathered antennae shivered as he watched the infirmary's security feed. It had to be perfect, the exact right moment. He had make this absolutely precise, but at the same time keep it entirely chaotic. But if it was too chaotic, innocent people could get hurt. If it was too precise, everyone would realize that he and Nevrrest were breaching protocols and even more innocent people could get hurt. He looked to another screen, watching the little blips move about. There were six doctors on shift currently. Only three of them had patients. He could get away with putting one of those sections completely in the clear. But the other two…
His eyes shifted to the room with five blips in it. Had to get the doctor on staff there out of the room. But how? This was a dangerous game of shadows. His fingers quaked with anxiety. Had to do this right, friend Nevrrest was depending on him. Had to do this perfectly, the fleet was depending on him.
"Well this is a bother," Dr. Tottle's voice carried over the security feed. Sepis's antennae stood erect as the doctor wandered over and peeked in on Vegeta's hospital bed. "Sit tight, your majesty. You got some roommates for the moment, but I'll take care of it. Just going to pop over to one of my colleagues and figure out how to go about fixing this."
"Fine, whatever," Vegeta returned as Dr. Tottle closed the curtain again. The door scanned the physician and opened as he departed.
"Perfect," Sepis breathed a sigh of relief, "He's safe. Now the other doctor…" His eyes narrowed as he racked his brain for a solution. "Wait! The knock-out failsafe, of course!" His fingers fluttered over the control panel. "Just set it up so the reaction is randomized to two other sections…and done!" He pulled out a shiny disk from one slot and inserted it into another, his hands doing their dance once more and freezing over the activation key. He shivered and shuttered, terrified. But no, he wouldn't be a coward this time. He was going to do this. He was going to do this!
His antennae twitched, eyeing the security feed once more. "This…this is for Arlia…monster!"
The button clicked.
(**Scene Break**)
Dr. Tottle was about to enter the neighboring infirmary when it happened. "The gods!" he cried as some kind of surge went through the system. Lights flickered, crazy noises sounded as equipment fired, cries of shock filled the air. "No-no-no-no-no-no!" He ran back to his section, but it was too late. The emergency fail-safe kicked in, deadlock the entire infirmary. No one getting in or out – not until the system error was resolved. Dr. Tottle piped with frustration and pounded on the blast doors. "Curses and black karma! Open up, you damn thing, that's my patient in there! Oh gods, I hope none of the equipment's been damaged…"
(**Scene Break**)
"What the—?!" Vegeta cried as sparks flew from the lights overhead and everything went dark. At the same time he heard it and felt it—his restraints snapped open. "Wha…" He sat up, raising a hand off the bed and staring at his palm. His brow lowered. "What's going on here?" The lights flickered. Vegeta's eyes shifted. This didn't feel right at all. Still, no use just lying there. He removed the IV from his arm, leaving the insert behind, yanked the sensors from his skin, and unbuckled the straps on his leg. They fell to the floor in a pile and his tail lifted, the Saiyan giving a sigh of relief as it wrapped about his waist. "Better," he declared, getting off the bed. He clenched his fist and glanced about him through the flickering lights. "Now, to find out exactly what the hell is going on." He walked up to the curtain and reached to push it aside.
A vicious hand burst straight through the fabric. Vegeta's eyes widened, moving to block, but it was too fast, seizing the front of his shirt and hurling him. He grunted loudly as his shoulder blades smacked against the back wall, falling down in a heap tangled up with the curtain. He snarled, ripping through the thing as he got up.
"Nice trick!" he shouted, fists clenched, "But it won't work twice!"
"Heheheheheheheheheheheh…"
Vegeta bared his teeth as the lights flickered around him. "Show yourself! Or are you too afraid? Coward!"
"Heheheheheheh…fishy, fishy, fishy, fishy, fishy…"
His brow lowered. "Of course."
"Oh don't kid yourself, Vegeta," Lacor's rough, saucy voice continued from somewhere in the dark, "You didn't see this coming. You still don't…though, I did say we'd talk again soon. Didn't I?"
"Looks to me you're not all that interesting in talking," Vegeta answered, his fists ready to strike.
"Oh…I'm always interested in talking…but no, you have a point. No, as much as I like to talk, today, I am far more interested in the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity currently before me…" The lights flickered again and a hand seized the top of Vegeta's head, Lacor's long tongue curling next to his ear. "Did I ever tell you I can see in the dark?"
Vegeta wasted no time in driving his elbow back into the mutant's face. "No," he smirked, "But I appreciate the tip." His expression fell, however, when he heard Lacor laughing again, barely moved from where he was before.
"Amazing, isn't it?" Lacor grinned, straightening up and towering over him, "That first time that you hit something and you realize just how incredibly weak they've made you. It's like being transformed into an infant. But you get used to it…with time." His fist snapped out and struck Vegeta across the face, making him stumble back and knock over a scanner. "Time that you haven't had yet. But I have."
Vegeta rubbed his fist against his cheek and clenched his teeth. "You're not here just by chance, are you, Lacor? The peacock sent you. Must have gotten tired of getting her hands dirty."
He'd disappeared into the dark again. "If you were smart, little fish, you would have known that the moment we walked through that door."
"We? If there's more than one of you, then where are they?" Vegeta pivoted, glaring into the darkness. "Whoever you are, don't expect me to bother trying to find you. You can cower in a corner for all I care."
"Now that was a little harsh," Lacor chided, "They just can't see in the dark anymore than you can is all." Vegeta sensed movement and struck, hitting nothing. "Patience, little fish, patience…we're almost ready to play…" Vegeta's legs were knocked out from under him, his arms clumsily bracing against the floor to stop the fall. The lights flickered again and came back on. Lacor smiled, perched up on a computer bank. "Hello, Vegeta."
"Garrr!" Vegeta cried as pair of tentacles grabbed his arms from behind, bracing against the pull as he stood up. He dared a glance back as he strained, seeing a humanoid alien with dark purple skin, the pair of tentacles coming off the top of his head. He at last was yanked back, a fist connecting with his spine. Vegeta cried out and tumbled, Lacor catching him in a vicious hug.
Vegeta snarled, jerking his chin to the side as Lacor ran his wet tongue up the side of his face. "Hehehehahahaha…" he laughed as Vegeta struggled in the hold, "Look at him, poor little baby fishy, no clue how to swim yet. Not in this fish tank anyhow."
"You dare…you dare mock me?!" The Saiyan reared and head-butted him hard, dropping and flipping back from him, his arms braced down at his sides. "You dare mock me?!" He pointed. "Scum like you aren't even worthy to lick the dirt off my boots!"
"Careful, Vegeta," warned the tentacle-head, "You might hurt our feelings."
"As much as I love to chat it up, Tupa," Lacor stated, cracking his knuckles against his palm, "Let's just get to it, shall we? We don't have long before playtime's over."
Vegeta gritted his teeth, bracing a foot back. As much as he hated to admit it, Lacor was right. He had never had a lower power level his entire life, every movement had always been backed by enormous quantities of energy. He didn't have a clue of what it was like to fight with nothing but pure bodily strength. His brow lowered. Well…he'd just have to be a fast learner. Vegeta drew a deep breath and stood tall, glaring down his opponents.
"So, you really think your slight advantage will allow you to take me apart?" he challenged, "I don't think so. No matter my state, I am still a warrior. You are nothing in comparison."
Lacor picked up the tool that Dr. Tottle had jokingly hoisting not long ago and rested over his shoulder. "Ah Vegeta…the lights might be on, but you're still so in the dark. I'm here to have fun, not to fight."
Vegeta's fists lowered a little. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Heheheheheheh…Tupa, you know what to do."
Muscular arms and tentacles came at him. Vegeta leapt and barely avoided them, cursing himself for being so slow. He ducked twice and struck at the much bigger man with a side kick. Tupa held his gut briefly, laughing as he made another grab for him. Vegeta socked him in the chin, delivering a rapid series of punches to Tupa's torso. Yes, this was more like it! He kicked and punched and struck, gaining a beat to the blows. He growled viciously, as his knuckles collided with flesh again and again. But suddenly it hit him, the other wasn't even trying to block them. A hand came down and grabbed a fistful of hair and lifting him off the ground.
"Damn, little fella. You take life way too seriously." Vegeta thrashed violently as the tentacles coiled around him. "You sure about this, Lacor? Giving up half your pay just so I'll let you have him all to yourself?"
Lacor's razor teeth shone across his face. "Oh yes…I'm going to be savoring this for years to come."
Vegeta roared and bit down on one of the tentacles, twisting free. But no sooner had his feet hit the floor that some kind of container shattered against his face. "Aaaaaah!" he screamed, clutching his face as his eyes burned like wild fire.
"There." A shrew little man with a single horn on his head came out from the shadows as Vegeta rubbed at his eyes. "Now get it over with, Lacor, so I can do my work already."
"Was wondering what you were still doing skulking over there, Resetti," Lacor chuckled.
"Resetti?" Vegeta growled, holding one hand over his eyes and the other before him as he stumbled blindly around, "I know that name…who are you?" Vegeta cried out again as Lacor struck him from behind with the hefted tool, knocking him on the ground. He rolled him over and planted a foot on Vegeta's chest. Vegeta seethed, his eyes clenched shut as his fingers dug at the floor in ire. "I always knew you were a coward, Lacor. I'm at my weakest and you're still too scared to face me in a fair fight."
Lacor absolutely busted up laughing, his mouth gaping wide and slapping his knee. "Now there's something I never understood about you Saiyans. Why the hell would I care about a fair fight?" He struck him across the face with the tool. He lifted his foot off him but kept hitting him again and again from various angles as the prince fought to get up, knocking him each time to the ground. "I don't have any interest in honor or skill or pride. I just like causing pain." He stepped back, blood dripping from Vegeta's nose as he braced himself on all fours, blinking heavily to try to regain his vision. "But you? All you ever could do was whine and complain on and on about how there was no one strong enough to challenge you. You got the best of everything, never had to take a job you didn't want to do, and all you could do was grumble and complain and brag about how strong you were." Vegeta started to get up and Lacor kicked him in the stomach, dropping him again. "There's not a single one of us who didn't want to beat you to a pulp just to shut you up." He dropped to a knee and gripped Vegeta's scalp, pulling his head painfully back. "And now, for the rest of my life, I'll remember how it was me who finally got to spank the little Saiyan brat."
Vegeta coughed out some blood and then dryly laughed. "Is that the best you can do? I've been caused more pain by children." His eyes finally cracked open. "Better hurry up and try harder. Wouldn't want Nevrrest to be disappointed by your shoddy beating."
Lacor gave him a bemused look and then grinned over at Tupa. "He thinks the Marshal sent us to beat him up." The three criminals laughed.
Vegeta hissed, gnashing his teeth. "What…" His eyes snapped open, his pupils suddenly shrinking. "Wait…" His gaze shifted over to the man with the single horn. He gasped. "No…I recognize you now. I know who you are!"
The shrewd little man turned with a flat expression, hands behind his back, and slowly smiled. "Could it be you've just recalled that I was Lord Frieza's head information extractor? Yes, I think you have." He touched his lips and giggled. "How it tickles me. You scoff at Lacor, but one look at me and you're quaking in fear. You should be. I know every nerve like the back of my hand. And you Saiyans have some particularly exquisite ones…shame. I'd like to get a refresher in, but I couldn't manage it and have it still look like an accident. Even my skills have limits."
The whites of Vegeta's eyes swelled with veins. "That damn peacock…she planned this…!"
"Didn't want to involve the doc," Lacor explained with a shrug, "But all those medications have such strange names…what if I messed up and grabbed the wrong three? Marshal wouldn't be happy at all."
"Happy to help," Resetti drolly replied. He waved. "Now get him on the bed, no more time to waste."
"NOOOO!" Vegeta roared as Lacor and Tupa seized him. He kicked, thrashed, and snapped at them, creating the kind of angry din only a Saiyan could produce as they shoved him down on his hospital bed, holding him as he continued to resist with all his might. He hissed, his breathing rising and veins showing all over his face as Resetti casually opened one of the cabinets.
"Don't worry, you'll finally get your fight very soon," Lacor whispered in his ear as the convicted torturer carried three vials over to the bedside, "You didn't think I'd beat you without knowing I could get away with it, did you?"
Resetti inserted the vials into the machine and plugged the IV back into the insert in Vegeta's arm. The bed shook and rattled as Vegeta fought relentlessly back, shoving off the bed and being slammed back down a moment later. "Hold him down for a long as you can…and be ready. I don't know what Nevrrest told you about the effects, but he's about to become extremely psychotic…"
"Cowards!" Vegeta screamed, "COWARDS!"
"One last thing, little fish," Lacor grinned as the medication gushed into the prince's veins, "I was told to deliver you a message…" He leaned in very close to Vegeta's ear. "The Marshal says…she's curious to know how well you'll hold onto your pride…when you've lost your mind…"
"NO! NOOOOO!"