I am definitely amazed at the immediate following this story has gotten already. Thank you to everyone and enjoy the next chapter!
Chapter Summary: Goku is brought to Frieza's ship where it will be decided if he is allowed to join Vegeta's pack, or if Frieza has other ideas in mind.
Warning: References to alcohol. Slight inappropriate touching.
Disclaimer: I do not own DB/Z/GT. All canon characters belong to Akira Toriyama.
INDULGENCE CHAPTER 2
"I didn't know you drank, Vegeta?" I asked as I lifted a large, empty bottle of whiskey from Vegeta's bedroom floor. When the Prince hadn't shown up for our 6am sparring session, I sought him out and found him snoring gently in his bed. Looking at him now with his messy hair and dark-circled eyes, I could tell he was in for one heck of a hangover.
"I haven't in a while…" He groaned and rubbed his temples, hanging his head as he still sat in bed.
I put the bottle in the trash with the others and fidgeted with my sash a little, unsure of how to go about the situation. I was honestly baffled at the knowledge Vegeta had drank until he passed out the night before, feeling like it was so out of character for him. "I can't believe you drank as much as you did! Hehe…" I rubbed the back of my head, glancing at anything but him. He was usually much more aggressive and confrontational when we were together, so interacting with him this way was very different.
"Earth's alcohol isn't as potent and doesn't affect me much… Needless to say, I went out of my way to get drunk." He sighed and finally stood up, causing me to look away from his nearly naked form. The Prince had no shame as he walked around in a small pair of underwear, bumping past me to go to his bathroom.
"Gosh, I can't even imagine drinking that much." I smiled as he passed by, trying to be as friendly as possible. He hadn't demanded I get out yet so I wasn't sure what to do. The door closed in front of me but was left slightly ajar, Vegeta speaking to me as he groaned out a piss.
"I used to drink all the time with Raditz and Nappa. Just about every night. I guess I felt like reliving some memories." In that moment, Vegeta had never sounded so lonely.
The sound of muffled voices eventually caused me to stir, getting my senses adjusted and beginning to focus more on my breathing. My limbs felt heavy and my thoughts were still slightly fuzzy. I remembered watching Vegeta stand over his prize, and then I remembered him and his counterparts surrounding me, watching me as my world went black. "Ve… geta…?" I sighed, my eyebrows furrowed.
"He's out at the moment." A husky voice spoke out, jolting me into being fully awake and aware.
I opened my eyes and looked over to see a Saiyan with an unbelievable thick mane of black hair, a chiseled jaw and deep ebony eyes that mimicked mine. I had been physically close to my brother before when I first met him, but meeting him this way was new and nerve-wracking. I hardly knew what to say, how to act, where to even look. Raditz wasn't the scary, bloodthirsty, psychotic Saiyan that he had presented himself as on Earth in my universe. He looked reserved, remarkably handsome, and even wise with knowledge of things I knew I couldn't wrap my mind around—completely different than I expected.
"You definitely caught us off guard, Kakarot." He spoke in a firm but gentle manner, sounding every bit like how Gohan was to Goten as an older brother. Beside of him looked to be a vile of bright blue medication and a wet rag with fresh blood on it, giving me worried curiosity.
"How… do you know my name…?" I asked warily.
His large hand reached over and moved my chin to the side, sharp eyes peering at my neck. I felt the slight sting of pain on my muscle, finally remembering that a huge, spiny spider had bitten me. "I never forget a face." Raditz answered, reaching over to the wet rag and dabbing it on my wound. "Aside from that, you look just like Father. There is no mistake that you are Kakarot." After taking the rag away, he then leaned down and took a long inhale of breath next to my hairline, giving me goose bumps on my arms. He snorted and pulled away, smirking down at me. "Yep. Definitely Kakarot."
I blinked and shook my head, confused at what he just did and rubbing my arms to get ride of the chilled bumps on my skin. I glanced over at him again and watched him take the bright blue liquid and pour some onto a sticky bandage, taking in his precision and concentration, as well as the skilled way he handled the first aid supplies. "I don't… understand… I've never met you." I gulped a little as he brought the bandage over to me and pressed it against my neck. I sucked in a breath from the hot pain it caused, but almost immediately relaxed when it cooled.
"Every Saiyan has a distinctive smell the day they are born. It helps us to differentiate each other in a battle when things are extremely chaotic. I made sure to give you a sniff before you were sent off as a cub, in case you came back to us." Raditz nodded, satisfied with his work that he had done on me.
I remembered what King Kai told me and how I needed to act the part of being a real Saiyan, licking my lips. "Y-Yes… I wondered if I would ever find you." I looked back to my older brother, unable to fulfill my desire to remember each detail of his physical appearance. I still couldn't believe how different he was, and how I could almost appropriately consider him beautiful.
"It's with luck that you did. We found some scraps of an old ship on the other side of Planet Vin where we were and figured it was yours. Completely outdated at this point, if you ask me. Luckily our people were wise enough to install homing devices in the old Pods so when Regime cubs returned, they came to the closet Saiyan Pod instead of back to the Planet. The King may have been paranoid, but at least his wild ideas make sense now." My brother crossed his arms over his chest and looked to me. I'm sure my look of bewilderment said it all. Raditz chuckled and reached over to pat my shoulder with his large hand. "You have a lot of catching up to do, brother."
The door came open to the room we were in and both of us looked in that direction at the same time. The immense figure of Nappa came into the room and I watched as he made a quick chirping noise and gestured towards me. My brother responded with a snort and a nod, putting his arms back over his chest. The non-verbal communication they just shared left me in awe, wishing I knew how to communicate like that, figuring that it had to be a Saiyan thing.
"I can't believe you're already awake! Those damn buibui's* are nasty fuckers. They can take down a Saiyan like Raditz for days on end." Nappa snickered and fell back into a chair on the other side of me, kicking his feet up onto my bed and making by body jump from the mattress.
"Fuck you, Nappa." Raditz hissed at him and knocked his feet off of the bed with the swipe of his large hand, sending his chair back onto the floor.
It was almost comical as Nappa tumbled onto the floor and jumped back up, growling at my brother with a tail frizzed out in agitation. Raditz was on his feet with his own tail snapping behind him. I watched as they sized each other up and puffed up their chests, teeth bared and muscles tense. I felt my adrenaline racing already, overjoyed at the opportunity to watch a Saiyan brawl right in front of me. Before they pounced on each other, the door swung open again and a loud bark stopped them in their tracks. Their heads lowered in an almost submissive way and I looked around their large bodies to see the Prince.
"What the fuck is going on in here?" Even in another universe, Vegeta still had the ability to demand attention the moment he walked into a room. And I couldn't tear my eyes away from him.
This Vegeta was so much younger than the one that I knew. His body was smaller than the thicker form he normally was, looking more lithe and athletic instead of like a compact body builder. His face was smooth and showed his young age, no longer riddled with deep scars on his skin. His eyes were still full of curiosity and life and I felt myself drawn to him like I have never been before. He looked right at me with sharp, onyx eyes and my stomach fluttered. He was absolutely breathtaking.
"Sorry, Vegeta… Kakarot just woke up and we got a little excited." Nappa kept his head lowered as he looked to the Prince.
"Kakarot, huh?" Vegeta snorted and crossed his arms over his chest, walking right up to me and leaning in to get a good look at me. I wasn't surprised at his lack of respecting personal space since he had never had it, but being so close to such a young and curious Vegeta made me anxious. Moving my head to the side, he inhaled a large whiff of my scent at my hairline and I shivered from the contact. He growled softly against my ear when he finished and then pulled away, tilting his head at me slightly. "Kakarot…" He smirked, his young face showing excitement and mischief. A gloved hand that held my chin smoothed down my neck and onto my chest, feeling my pecs and making me blush.
I grinned and laughed a little, putting my hand behind my head. I don't know why he made me nervous, but Vegeta always knew how to keep me on my toes. "I-It's… nice to finally meet you…!" I smiled and kept his eye contact for a few long seconds.
"What should we tell Frieza, Vegeta?" Nappa spoke up, his tail looping back around his thick waist.
Vegeta's playful smirk disappeared and a serious look went over his young face. "The truth. There's no point in lying to him since he will find out the truth eventually. He's not going to care anyway. It'll just be more man-power for him." The Prince shrugged and then looked to Raditz. "He's your brother though, so you are in charge of him."
Raditz blinked and his eyebrows furrowed. "B-But…"
"Don't argue with me, Raditz!" Vegeta snorted and raised his nose in the air, turning from us and beginning to walk away. Nappa got up and followed after him obediently. "Get him prepared. We will be coming up on the ship within the hour." He said over his shoulder and left with his other counterpart. Once again, no matter what universe he was in, Vegeta could stir up the excitement in a room and leave you wanting more.
I could sense Raditz's eyes on me and I cleared my throat, looking away from the door and back to him. He smirked and his arms were back over his chest. "Be careful of the Prince, brother. He's quite the handful."
"Wh-what?!" I laughed nervously, blushing once again.
"Vegeta. He's like a storm. Thrilling, adventurous, but then all of a sudden something happens that you can't prevent, you can only hope to stop. Or hide from." My brother smirked and chuckled again. I shook my head at him, unsure of what he was insinuating with my stares at the Prince, but I definitely didn't want to give him the wrong idea. He waved his hand at me as if to cast aside my defense, standing up from his chair. "Well, let's get you ready. We have much to go over before we dock on the ship."
And so, I was taken under my older brother's guidance. I was redressed in Frieza's black military attire instead of the royal blue I came in. My armor was blood red and sharp with bulky, elongated shoulders like what Raditz wore. When asked why my tail was missing by the group, I told them how it had been removed when I was a child and you would have thought the world ended. Vegeta proclaimed that we go to Earth and teach the Humans a lesson, but I quickly told them that I already did it and there was no point. The Prince was adamant, but Raditz reminded him how Frieza would have his head if they took off to a planet that was galaxies away. I was relieved when the topic was dropped, not wanting to send the Saiyans to Earth so early in time, considering the fact that I had no idea how old I was now. My brother then gave me a blood red armband like he sported, so that everyone knew we were of the same family bloodline. I tried not to stare at the armband with too much admiration, but the emotion I felt was overwhelming. I distracted myself by coming up with a fake story in my mind about how I took care of Earth and what I have been doing since then. When I stopped my wandering mind, I realized that Raditz was talking to me and I did my best to get back on track with him.
"When you meet Frieza, you will keep your head down and your eyes averted. You will only speak when spoken to. And you will always address him as 'Lord,' do you understand?" My brother frowned at me, speaking with authority as he brushed aside some dirt on my armor. Our smaller ship was beginning to approach Frieza's massive vessel and I could tell we didn't have much time. He continued as I nodded, "You will not question his authority and you will do as he says. The best way to survive is to stay under the radar, don't speak to him, and do the missions just as he says. He doesn't tolerate free spirits and all that shit." Raditz's intense ebony eyes looked at me with that last statement, making me slightly nervous at the knowledge of him thinking me the weak link. "One more thing. You are a high-ranking military member of Frieza's regime, but there are others more superior to you and you do have to follow their orders. You will meet them today when we report to Frieza."
Our ship jerked a little and made a loud hiss right before the engine finally turned off. My brother and I gathered behind Nappa while Vegeta led the way once the hatch opened, an obvious ranking order established between them. The ship was as I remembered it during my time on Namek with bright fluorescent lights, alien troops passing by of all different races, and the smell of sterilization. I glanced over Nappa's large frame to take in the sites, amazed at how nearly every troop we passed stepped aside for us. We turned some corners and eventually came up to a large door that raised open for us, all of us approaching a group of warriors that varied in shape, color and size. Looking around Nappa again, I saw Frieza in his levitating throne and fought back the urge to simply pounce forward and attack.
Vegeta dropped to one knee, followed by Nappa and Raditz, and I immediately copied them, keeping my head down and my eyes on the tiled floor. "Lord Frieza, we have returned from Planet Vin successful in our purging assignment." The young Prince spoke, his head lowered in submission as well.
"And a day early, I see…" Frieza's dripping voice made my fists clench, remembering our final battle and how he murdered Vegeta and my best friend in cold blood, just to get a rise out of me.
"We like to think that as a positive attribute to our pack." Vegeta answered, obviously the one who was responsible for all of us.
Frieza was quiet as he looked us over and I felt his beady red eyes on me. The hair on the back of my neck stood, but I kept calm and submissive. "I see you brought back someone with you…"
Finally, Raditz spoke on my behalf. "He is my brother, Lord Frieza. One of the regime cubs from the time of our late King Vegeta. He completed his task that was assigned to him as a cub and automatically returned to the nearest Saiyan Pod. We feel he would be a beneficial asset to your army and request for him to stay in our pack."
"Do you now?" Frieza snickered and I heard his levitating throne getting closer. I felt slightly panicked at the realization that my brother and Vegeta had to ask for me to be with them—I was not allowed a choice. What if their request was denied? I couldn't even begin to imagine what could possible happen to me, and I immediately tensed when I felt a scaly tail slide under my chin and lift my face. Frieza was staring down at me with an amused grin, a gleam in his eyes that made me uncomfortable. I couldn't afford to see if I still had my powers, so attacking him would be useless. Sitting like a dog waiting to be given a task was something I wasn't used to, and hated already. "What is your name, Saiyan?"
I kept myself from giving him any sort of eye contact but spoke with a strong, confident tone. "Kakarot, Lord Frieza."
The tension was so thick in the air that I could hardly swallow it down. Frieza's tail moved my head around some more to inspect me, giving me chills and knotting my stomach. "Lord Frieza, if I may, I do not feel it necessary to take on another mongrel. They always do such a sloppy job and cause such a ruckus when they are off duty." A low, slightly effeminate voice spoke up. I glanced over to see a tall, built alien man with cyan-colored skin, emerald green hair and the stunning looks of a goddess. Never before had I seen the man and I was completely stricken by his beauty.
"Zarbon does have a point, Raditz…" Frieza trailed off, looking over at my brother who seemed slightly worried.
"But we get the job done and we do it quickly so you can expand faster. Hell, we can do it even faster and take on more assignments with a 4th member. He has already sworn himself to you and will do what it takes to stay in your command." Raditz looked to me, his eyes demanding I play along.
"And if he fails, Raditz…?" Frieza stared at my brother, his face cold and emotionless.
Raditz paused for a second and took a short breath. Bowing his head, he spoke again, "I take full responsibility for him, Lord Frieza."
Seconds passed like hours as time stood still, Frieza looking back to me while his men stared along with him. Raditz remained with his head down and Vegeta continued to look forward at a wall, staying out of our deal with the tyrant. The ringing in my ears were piercing from the silence and I began to formulate a way out of this if need be. How was I going to manage to escape Frieza's grips and save my brother at the same time? And what about Vegeta? I hoped Nappa would give his life to protect the Prince, but I knew nothing of the enormous Saiyan so far. Now, I feared I would never get that chance.
Finally, Frieza spoke. "You better not let your brother down, Kakarot."
And with that, I was officially apart of Frieza's army.
TBC.
Author Note: *Buibui = "Spider" in Swahili. Their language is very diverse and unique, so I plan to use it for terms when the Saiyans speak their native tongue.
