Fallen – Chapter 8

Previously

"Perhaps you are speaking the wrong language" was all Piccolo could get out before Vegeta was gone. He was unsure if he even heard him or not. Hoping the immediate need to stay Vegeta's anger was done he headed back to the lookout.

Vegeta flew back in the direction of Capsule Corp when a familiar scent hit his nose that made his stop in his tracks and growl. The man in the sweater and jeans from the mountain, Vegeta's mind conjured an image of his prey. Vegeta had set that smell to memory so he could track him down later once everything had calmed down. He was in West City. Was he coming after Bulma? Doesn't matter, he won't see the light of day again when I am done with him.

Vegeta flew silently in the shadows stalking his prey. Finally when he found him he was in a bar talking to a female who appeared nervous to be with him. Vegeta listened intently, "I thought you were going to get the money then kill her?" the little blonde woman accused as she looked around. "Calm down, Kate. She killed my man Brody and then there was an unforeseen complication. You didn't tell me that the father of her child was so attached. I thought they were not together anymore. It doesn't matter now anyway. She is as good as dead. We will let things die down and try for the boy instead."

So, this was an inside job. The woman must work for the Briefs. Vegeta started putting the pieces of the puzzle together. He fiddled in his pockets for the device The Woman had given him. He carefully removed it and found the camera and took a picture of the duo, the old man would want to know which one of his employees sold him out. Vegeta would let him deal with the female he would get some vengeance from that anyway. Vegeta watched them as they drank and schemed. She seemed to know a lot about the Briefs schedule and security codes.

They are stupid if they think they can mess with My Woman and My Son and get away with it. No one messes with my family and lives to see the next day! Vegeta bided his time until he saw the man leave and he followed him out the door. The man reeked of alcohol. This would be too easy but Vegeta planned on making him suffer.

The man turned down an alley and Vegeta made his move and came up silent behind him and threw him against the wall, "Do you remember me?" Vegeta sneered, "Because I sure as hell remember you!" Kevin's glasses fell off when he hit the wall and it took him a moment to recognize the man that assaulted him. He reached for the gun in his pocket but Vegeta had already planned on that, "We won't be playing with any of your toys this time" he said as he grabbed the revolver and crushed it. Kevin's eyes widened in fear, "What kind of man can do that?" he muttered in disbelief.

Vegeta grabbed him by the neck and lifted him to his feet. "Did you honestly think you could touch the mate of the Prince of all Saiyans and not be punished? Do you know that touching the hem of the queen's dress without permission is punishable by death on my home planet?" Vegeta toyed with his prey. Kevin visibly paled and looked around. Vegeta grinned as he looked down on him, "No one is coming to help you." Vegeta chuckled mischievously as a small puddle formed underneath Kevin. "I think we will go somewhere a little more private, don't you? I do intend for this to be rather intimate."

Vegeta lifted off into the night sky carrying Kevin under his shoulders. He flew for twenty minutes or so until he came upon a deserted island. Kevin stopped crying about half way there. Vegeta could only tell he was still conscious by his ragged and uneven breaths. He dropped Kevin from twenty feet in the air and he rolled into a disheveled ball. Vegeta levitated in front of him, arms crossed at his chest as he stared at his prey. "Pathetic!" he said with a bored tone. Kevin tightened his body into a ball in an attempt to protect himself. Vegeta bent down and grabbed him by the back of his neck and jerked him up. "I could break your neck with the blink of an eye and sleep soundly tonight." Vegeta felt his heart beat faster. Yes, this is what he lived for, killing. He reached into that dark, calm place he reserved for times like this.

Kevin attempted to pull free from Vegeta's grasp but it was no use. He tried to flail his arms and feet in an attempt to strike his attacker and succeeded in kicking him in the shins. Now this did not hurt Vegeta but he found it amusing. "Oh, you would like to fight me. Alright then." Vegeta threw him to the ground and when Kevin turned to face his attacker he was met with a Vegeta's broad grin, revealing his superior canines. For the first time Kevin sized up Vegeta, he was the bigger man but Vegeta was more muscular. Kevin determined the only reason this other man had the advantage was he was taken by surprise. Now he had the advantage and remembered the blade tucked in his boot.

Vegeta stood, arms crossed, waiting for Kevin to make the first move. "Before I dispatch you to the next dimension I would like to know the name of the man who dared touch my mate." Kevin was taken aback by this strange formality. "My name is Kevin and it will be the last thing you hear!" Kevin in one swift moment grabbed the knife and lunged at Vegeta. He was sure he had him as he heard something snap and then there was excruciating pain. "Tsk. Tsk." Vegeta chided. "And here I thought we were going to be men about this." Kevin looked to see his fingers bent back in an unnatural alignment. Vegeta had broken them in one swift movement; his blade lay in the sand.

Vegeta let go of Kevin's hand and he pulled back. Cradling his hand he decided to change tactics and reason with the man in front of him. He was quickly coming to the conclusion he would not be able to outdo him physically. "Why do you care so much about that girl? Last I knew she wasn't married. There was no ring on her finger." The more Kevin rambled on the angrier Vegeta got. "I can pay you. How much do you want?"

Before Kevin knew what hit him the air was cut off from his lungs as Vegeta grabbed him around his throat. "Bulma is My Mate! Do you seriously think you can buy your life from me? I have destroyed entire planets for far less. Your life became forfeit the moment you targeted her!" Kevin's lungs burned with the need for oxygen. Vegeta threw him to the ground and crouched over him. "Now, I do believe I promised you to tear you limb from limb that day on the mountain? Or did I only promise myself? It doesn't matter; I am a man of my word after all." Vegeta powered up to Super Saiyan. Kevin shook at the sight of him. "I wanted you to see exactly what you decided to enact the moment you touched her!"

Gohan had felt Vegeta power up several times and how erratic his ki had been and decided to investigate. Before he could reach his destination he was met by Piccolo. "No." Piccolo yelled at him. Gohan stopped and looked at him in confusion. "I have been monitoring his movements since we sparred earlier this afternoon. There is no need for you to intervene." Gohan turned in the direction he sensed Vegeta's power coming from. He was not alone but with a human and that human was injured. It didn't take long for Gohan to put one and one together.

"We can't let him kill him!" Gohan pleaded.

"It is his right to take revenge on the man who hurt his mate. We need to give him this Gohan." Piccolo explained. But Gohan still felt it was wrong and began to fly off in the direction of Vegeta. Piccolo picked up speed and chop, knocked out the unsuspecting Gohan. "You will understand one day my young friend" promised Piccolo as he took the unconscious Gohan home. Once there he left him in his bed and returned to monitor Vegeta's game of cat and mouse to make sure it didn't get too far out of hand.

Vegeta powered down. It was an unnecessary show of power and would draw unwanted attention. He walked up to Kevin who now stood defiantly against Vegeta. He knew he could not win this fight but he could inflict the shadow of doubt on Vegeta's mind. "She cried and begged for mercy, I thought you should know that. Well, that is until my buddy Brody took her and made her cry out in pain." Vegeta lunged and kicked firmly as he broke Kevin's left leg. Kevin fell backward. His mind had barely registered the pain of the left leg when Vegeta walked up and stepped on the right, breaking that one too.

Kevin was barely conscious when Vegeta crept up and whispered into his ear, "No, no my friend. You will not slip into the abyss of unconsciousness. That is too good for you. Before this night is done, I promise you, you will beg and cry for mercy from me." Vegeta paused as he grabbed the back of his shirt and dragged him to the water's edge. He put his head under the water and just when Kevin thought he could not hold his breath any longer Vegeta pulled him out. "Mercy will not come for you this night!"

Kevin looked up to see Vegeta smiling down on him. For Kami's sake, he was truly enjoying tormenting him. Kevin didn't have long to catch his breath as Vegeta reached down and grabbed Kevin's right arm and twisted it back, applying pressure to the middle of his upper arm until there was a snap! It too was now broken. His left arm was next. Vegeta's eyes glimmered with satisfaction at the sound. Between the pain and adrenaline Kevin was speechless and begging silently for death. He gasped when a punch landed in his gut. "Did you know I was a master of interrogation and torture?" Vegeta was once again toying with him. "I guess you figured that out?"

Kevin croaked in an attempt to speak. It was becoming very hard to breath. His mouth had a metallic taste to it that had to be blood. He tried to take stock of his injuries: both legs and arms busted and there must be internal injuries. He tried to think of a way out of this. The pain was unbearable and clouded his mind. Vegeta bent down over him, "Where you trying to say something? Ask for something perhaps? Did you have any family I should notify of your overdue death? No?" Vegeta mocked him. Again he tried to speak, "Mercy" he choked out. Vegeta grabbed him by the throat and flew into the air above the ocean.

Vegeta held him close to his face so he could look into his eyes. "There are many who call me Vegeta, the dark prince. They would tell you that I am without compassion." A tear slid from Kevin's eye as his lungs spasm from lack of oxygen. "I would tell you they are right!" Vegeta boasted as he watched his prey's eyes close for the last time. Feeling avenged Vegeta dropped the lifeless corpse into the ocean. He flew to the water's edge and cleaned up. He looked up to see Piccolo standing there. "I was afraid for a moment you would intervene." Vegeta stated as he washed the blood from his hands.

"It was not my place. I don't deny your right to take revenge for what he did. Although I think it best we do not discuss just how far this went with anyone else," Piccolo offered. "Others may not be as understanding."

Vegeta stood and looked at him for a moment and then laughed. "We will tell them you stopped me from killing him and you took him to a hospital. After that we don't know what happened to him. Ok?" Piccolo nodded his head. That would be best.

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