"Where is he?!"
Goten heard the voice before he had even opened his eyes. He sprang bolt upright in bed as he heard a bang so intense the house shook around him. Wiping the sleep from his eyes, Goten hopped out of bed, his body still sluggish from sleep. He could hear his mother's voice, a high pitched shriek, and there was another bang, this one closer. Standing in his boxers, Goten stared intently at the floor, his breathing slow, making not a noise as he trained his ears.
Loud footsteps and then his mother's voice, this time closer.
"Vegeta! Stop! Stay away from him!" ChiChi shrieked throughout the house, like a lioness protecting her cub.
"I'll kill that little bastard!" Vegeta snarled.
More footsteps.
Goten felt a surge of fear, and his heart thudding in his ears. He had known it would be inevitable that Vegeta would find out. He didn't think it would take so long, but just the same, he knew it would happen. Bracing himself, he turned towards the door. It had been almost two months since he had found out about Bullas pregnancy, though he had seen her just last night. They had made a quick habit out of seeing each other in the middle of the night while Vegeta was asleep.
Another bang, this time against his bedroom door, and Goten jumped.
"I will fucking kill you!" Vegeta roared.
Another bang, and this time the door swung open, almost off its hinges. In the door way, a strong wind began to blow. A golden glow lit the room, and Goten had to squint against the brightness. Electric crackles whipped in the air, and the saiyan prince entered the room. His eyes, deathly white and fixed, quickly found their target. Goten drew in a ragged breath. He had a feeling this was going to hurt. Before even confronting him, Vegeta had transformed. That could not be a good sign.
The next few seconds were a blur, and when Goten came to, he was on the floor. Vegeta, his hair platinum and standing up firmly, was atop him, his hands around the demi saiyan's throat.
"I will rip your heart from your chest and feed it to you! I told you I would end you if I found out it was you!"
Goten looked into Vegeta's eyes, and all he saw was unhindered rage and hatred. Struggling to pull in a breath, Goten brought his own hands up to pull at Vegeta's forearms.
"Even if you kill me Vegeta, it won't change it." Goten felt surprised at his own calm voice. As he watched Vegeta's eyes narrowed and he squeezed Goten's neck harder. With a strangled sound, Goten fought Vegeta's harsh grasp. He had known for a very long time that this time would come, and though terrified, Goten was prepared.
Vegeta laughed, a deep, maddeningly hollow sound. "She is mine. I warned you."
"She is your daughter, Vegeta. Not your property," Goten's voice was choked, barely audible as his air supply was cut off. Gaining a single breath, Goten uttered, "She deserves choice, Vegeta."
A growl, and then Goten felt as if a steel bar had been stabbed into his stomach. Another hard hit and he felt a fist connect to his ribs with a disgusting crunch. His remaining breath was forced from his lungs, and he choked, tasting blood. Another fist slammed into his rib cage, another crunch, and his vision began to blur around him. Vegeta's face moved away, and before he knew it, Goten felt the ground falling away. Still, fingers around his throat, and when his vision finally cleared, he saw the dark prince had lifted him high above his head.
Grunting, Goten squirmed in Vegeta's grasp, tearing at the prince's arms and hands. Finally, he felt his captor's grip falter, and he pulled away. He hit the ground with a thud, but quickly jumped to his feet. He raised his fists to block his face, and backed away slowly. Snarling, Vegeta swung.
Goten dodged it easily, and sprung back up quickly. He realized too late that it had been a feign distraction, and the shot that followed was sharp and slammed into the side of his face. The force nearly knocked him flat. He righted himself again, and spun his body, sweeping his leg in a high arch. Vegeta dodged, and Goten's foot missed his temple by a hairs breath.
Vegeta rushed him, and before Goten could react, the saiyan prince landed another body shot that sent fresh ripples of pain throughout Goten's body. He was knocked back, and when he heard the crunch and tinkle of breaking glass around him, he realized what had happened. He blinked, staring up at a clear, cloudless sky. Vegeta had threw him out of a window.
Perfect.
He rolled, jagged pieces of glass sticking into his already bruised and probably broken ribs. Wincing through the pain, he got to his feet as quickly as he could manage. Vegeta was quick, and before Goten could get his bearings, he threw an uppercut that drove the young half saiyan back.
"Stay away from my daughter, weakling. Don't come near her, or the abomination you created."
Goten turned then, watching as Vegeta took a step towards him. As the prince's words registered, he felt a heat spreading through his stomach. His blood began to boil just below the surface, and his breath began to rush through him like an uncontrollable tsunami.
"Abomination?"
"You heard me, runt"
Goten felt the power rising within him. A dam had been broken, and Vegeta had unleashed a flood of uninhibited rage. A pressure was building, climbing, moving mountains, and finally, it reached its breaking point. The ground began to vibrate around Goten from his anger. The grass itself seemed to bow before him, and the air seemed to thicken. The wind grew in strength around him, and suddenly a flash of gold and his hair stood straight, lightening from root to tip. A sea of teal bloomed in his eyes, and his pupils grew smaller before disappearing. The telltale thumping of his aura surrounded him, beating like war drums.
Without a word, he rushed the saiyan prince. Grinning devilishly, Vegeta flipped backwards in the air following through with the momentum as Goten rushed beneath him. As he landed, he tucked his legs beneath him changing the direction of his fall until he landed on his back. Sliding beneath Goten, Vegeta chuckled as he realized suddenly had the upper hand. The prince jumped to his feet behind his opponent. Vegeta charged blindly like an enraged bull.
"Goten! Goten stop it! Goku, get out here before your son gets himself killed!" ChiChi's voice was a shrill shriek as she rushed from the house, Gohan hot on her heels.
Vegeta swung around, landing a boot in the small of Goten's back and knocking the demi saiyan to his knees. Goten cried out, his anger bursting out of him in an unabated scream. Stepping to Goten's side, Vegeta drove his fist into Goten's teeth. Goten felt an explosion of blood and pain in his mouth. Falling backwards, his head slammed hard against the ground. Vegeta spun again, throwing one of his legs out, knee angled down.
Goten barely had time to think or breathe, but his body seemed to move for him. He tucked his arms beneath him, barely managing to roll away just in time.
Vegeta's knee slammed into the ground with full force, throwing up a cloud of dust and tossing clots of dirt high into the sky. Vegeta spun on his knee with quick, cat-like reflexes. Kicking out as he threw himself back, Vegeta aimed for his opponent's head, but missed in his haste. Throwing his hands up to guard his face, Goten ducked as Vegeta's boot swept towards him. Acting solely on instinct, he grabbed Vegeta's boot before the prince could follow through. Goten jumped quickly, still clutching tightly to Vegeta's ankle as he slung his victim, much like a batter swings a baseball bat. Easily angling Vegeta head first, Goten aimed towards the unforgiving ground and released.
Vegeta smacked into the ground with the back of his skull, causing a deafening quake and throwing up a shower of dirt before the blades of grass thrown into the air by his original attack had even hit the ground. Goten landed on the ground beside the crater the saiyan prince had created, his eyes cold, his breath shallow and collected. The rage still roared inside of him at Vegeta's words.
As the smoke cleared, Vegeta stood straight among the rumble, his face turned away. Though he was strong, almost immovable, that had to have hurt nonetheless. The knowledge brought a smirk to Goten's swollen lips. Blood dripped from the corners of his mouth, trickling down to his chest.
"You can't keep me from my child Vegeta. I will never allow it."
Vegeta turned towards him finally, his eyes cold and emotionless. His lips curled into a menacing snarl, and the very air around them seemed to turn cold, like a winter's bite.
"I will kill you to keep you away. Don't test me, boy"
Goten's smirk deepened, his teeth a horror show of blood, "You've said that before, old man."
Vegeta charged, and Goten dodged him easily. He weaved to the left and right, dodging all of Vegeta's rushed punches and kicks. He laughed, throwing his head back. The mockery drove Vegeta forward, and he attacked faster, harder, until Vegeta lashed out, catching Goten in the gut and doubling him over.
The prince let out a maniacal growl, like a jungle predator, and a sinister calm took over him. He straightened slowly, his eyes a shadow of his wrath. Without warning, the prince turned, looking back towards the house, where Goku had appeared beside his wife and eldest son.
"Have you come to watch your pathetic offspring bow to me, Kakarot?"
"Leave him alone Vegeta!" Came Goku's reply, though it was tossed aside by the wind.
The prince returned his attention to his prey, throwing a knee and smashing into the demi saiyans already broken mouth. Goten went down hard, hitting the ground with a sickening crunch.
ChiChi ran forward, but Gohan grabbed her before she could get past him.
"Gohan! Let me go! Stop!"
As Goku rushed forward, Vegeta slammed down on Goten's chest, grinding his boot into the half saiyans already shattered sternum. Goten screamed, his hair turning dark and laying limp against his forehead. He felt the strength draining out of him like the blood draining into his mouth.
Again, Vegeta stomped down on him, pressing his heel into Goten's chest. Goten coughed, a spray of blood coming from between his lips. When he inhaled, the gore gurgled in his throat. He felt his world darkening around him, fogging and greying at the edges. The shock of black that was his father's unruly hair appeared in his vision before his entire world went dark.
