Chapter 3-REVISED
"Oh Bulma, you worry too much."
"But Chich, you didn't see the look in his eyes…" Bulma twirled the cord around her fingers. Vegeta's words had chilled her to the core. She now sat cross legged on her bed, having talked to her father at length before calling her best friend, hoping for some solace.
"Bulma listen; he's just an angry little man who enjoys scaring people. You know my Goku would destroy him if he ever laid a hand on you!"
"Yeah…that's the thing…" she bit her lip, not sure if she should relay the information she'd been gathering yet. She sighed. "…Vegeta's been getting stronger. I've seen it."
"So? Goku trains every day, there's no way that short little monster could ever catch up to him."
Bulma smiled, giggling as she pictured Chichi saying this with fury in her dark eyes, her arms flying through the air, her hand attached to a rolling pin.
"Chichi, I know you're biased because you love the guy, but you have to admit; it's a possibility. Plus, he found the radar! I saw him looking at it!"
Chichi sighed.
"First of all, I just don't believe he could ever defeat my Goku. He doesn't have it in him. Goku has a brave soul and a good heart. Vegeta is hollow inside. And second, you just talked to your father and he says the radar is safe. He's taken care of it."
"But…" Bulma interjected.
"No buts! It's safe. And let's say he did find it; you said yourself the thing doesn't work. So what's to worry about?"
"Yeah, you're right…" she said, her eyebrow raising a bit, wondering if she should tell her about the improvements she'd made to it…deciding against it for safety.
"Of course I'm right. Now you go back to work and just watch your back. If there's anymore drama I will send Goku over there in two shakes, you hear me?"
She giggled. "Yes, mom, I hear you."
She sighed again.
"Thanks Chichi, I feel a lot better."
"Good. Now go invent something."
Bulma laughed and hung up the phone.
About 100 yards away Vegeta strained against the gravity, the red warning lights glaring over his sweat laced body. The room was screaming at him; cautioning him against the amount of gravity he was under, and against the amount of energy he was outputting; but he couldn't stop.
The vein in his neck bulged against his skin and he grit his teeth against the pain. His knees were bent under the weight and his entire body shook with coiled tension.
His eyes clamped shut, he roared in pain, finally hitting the button on his left and dropping to the floor on his back, his chest heaving.
He lay like that for a long time, watching the ceiling of the gravity room as one watches the stars. He scowled at the metal, so fragile in its power that he had bent and twisted it many times without meaning to.
It was a feeble cage for a Prince, but for a long time it was the only place where he could let his thoughts go and just do what came naturally.
Until now.
Now he had no escape. Everywhere he went his death stared him in the face. He could never fully adapt to human ways, so where was the hope for him? His kingdom was gone, his last living subject a traitor…
Vegeta closed his eyes, bringing his hands to his face and rubbing angrily.
He thought back to the woman; the look on her face when she'd caught him with the radar…
Her rage had amused him. If only she didn't have the fool to guard her, he would bring her to her knees. He pictured her begging…begging for mercy, begging to be spared…and begging to serve him.
A growl escaped his lips. She had power here…it infuriated him even more than the treason of his counterpart, Goku. She spoke to him with little to no fear, but he'd seen moments. Moments where her blue eyes had quivered, the fire behind them bowing and swaying in the wind of his rage.
He put a hand behind his head, glaring at the metal and wires.
Then he smirked to no one in particular.
2am
The harsh red numbers glared over Bulma's eyelids, forcing them open. She moaned sleepily and rubbed her forehead, encased in darkness, unable to escape her plaguing thoughts.
'You are nothing.'
The words whispered around her menacingly, keeping the sleep at bay.
She rubbed her eyes and sat up, throwing the blanket to the side. Ordinarily the dark prince's words never followed her for very long, but this time it had been different…he had been different.
She wrapped her arms around herself, fighting the chill of the night. She adjusted her pink tank top, running a hand through her tousled blue hair, and stepped into the hallway. Whenever she couldn't sleep her mother would make her some decaffeinated tea. Unfortunately her parents were gone on business (when weren't they) and she'd have to drink it alone.
The stone tiles were cold under her bare feet as she silently made her way in the dark. She had almost reached the counter top when she ran into something big and warm.
It grabbed her roughly by the arms and she screeched like a cat in its grasp, flailing her arms and legs. The thing chuckled then and covered her mouth with its hand, pulling her close to its hard chest with an amused growl.
"Now this is the type of reaction I'm accustomed to."
"Goddamit, Vegeta, you scared the shit out of me!" She shoved herself away from him, placing a hand over her heart in hopes of slowing it.
Vegeta chuckled again, reaching out to turn the overhead lights on, his eyes trailing her form for a bit as his smirk disappeared.
He turned away to search the cupboards.
"What are you even doing up this late?" She ran a nervous hand through her hair, suddenly feeling a bit sheepish.
"Humans seem to require a great amount of sleep in order to survive." He turned back to Bulma, his mouth twisting in a sneer, "apparently it takes quite a bit of energy to be that weak."
Bulma rolled her eyes and scanned the kitchen for her teapot.
"Whatever, Vegeta." She quietly began to fill the pot with water as Vegeta dug into a bag of pretzels. She set the pot on the burner and clicked it on, spinning around to get a mug.
Vegeta quietly watched her.
She stopped when she felt his dangerous eyes on her, spinning with her arms crossed; she ran a hand through her long hair with a sigh.
"Can I help you with something?" she said, suddenly getting tired.
He continued to stare, his eyes lingering on her form as he dragged them across her skin, his mouth expressionless.
She blushed hotly, pushing her long bangs away from her face, her lips twisting into a sneer.
"Didn't your mother ever tell you that it's rude to stare?" she pouted.
He looked back into her eyes, and then surprised her with a response.
"No. On my planet, women are not so…presumptuous."
She snorted. "Yea, you Saiyans seem like the type that would only use women for one thing…" she turned to the cupboard, cursing herself for bating him.
He watched her sweep to the cupboard and he moved closer, setting the bag aside, his scent assailing her.
She reached for a mug, her eyes glued to her hands, she set it down on the counter, nearly jumping at the clink that broke through the silence.
He set his large hand over the mug as she reached for it, sliding it out of her grasp with a smirk and closing the distance between them.
"And what would that one thing be, woman?" his voice became husky.
She scoffed, crossing her slender arms over her chest and taking a step back.
"Probably cleaning, and doing laundry, and everything you male Saiyans were too lazy to do!" She attempted to reach around his massive frame, scowling as he slid the mug further away.
"Is that what you think?" he smirked darkly.
Bulma shook her head, trying to regain control.
"Whatever, I don't care!" She moved away but was stopped by his hand on her upper arm, surprised at its gentleness.
"You are wrong, woman." She took in a shaky breath, turning her head to the side to listen, her eyes on the door. He chuckled, feeling the muscles in her thin arm tense. "We had slaves to do things like cleaning and laundry…women had…other duties…."
Bulma rolled her eyes again and rolled her shoulder, scowling as she tried to shake off his grip.
"You're disgusting." She muttered through gritted teeth.
His smirk disappeared. His voice was like ice.
"You will never learn, will you?"
She spun then, her body humming with anger.
"Never learn? Oh no, I think it's YOU that will never learn, pal!" she shoved her finger into his chest, stepping closer.
He looked down at his chest, then back at her expressionless.
"This is my world, Vegeta. I don't care what the "universe" defines as equal; I care about what I define as equal…and you're not it… You're beneath me." she spat, her voice lowering to a growl.
Vegeta's eyes narrowed, his jaw beginning to work silently.
She continued, her mouth working of its own will, months of frustration forcing it to spew her darkest thoughts.
"That's right, you heard me. You need me! You need a place to stay, a place to train, and I give you those things and more! And still you treat me with disrespect. You should get down on your knees and BEG me not to throw you out on your ass!" she yelled, jumping a bit as the echo around the kitchen rounded her ears.
He was silent for a long time, watching with tight lips. His teeth bared, he growled and pulled her towards him, his eyes dark and malicious.
"Let go of me, you bastard…" She struggled in his iron grip, her tone unnervingly calm.
He smirked, his face softening.
"I've had slaves like you, you know. On Vegetesai… we called them pets." He emphasized the word, watching her in amusement.
She choked on a response, her face reddening in fury.
"Some of the more insubordinate slaves needed to be…broken. I became quite good at the process." He affectionately ran a hand over her hair and then cupped her chin.
She jerked her head violently.
"I am not your fucking slave, you bastard! And if you don't let me go right now I'll not only kick you out, I'll make sure that Goku sends you back to hell!"
Vegeta grasped a handful of her hair and jerked her head back, satisfied at the cry of pain emitted from her pouting lips. He shoved her into the counter, snarling into her wide, frightened eyes. He watched her tremble for a moment, his lips pulled back from his teeth.
"There has never been a slave I could not break." He whispered.
Then he pulled her to him, kissing her hard with a growl, his hands exploring her body greedily.
She pushed against him with her palms, crying out against his kiss. She twisted and howled in his grasp until he picked her up and slammed her behind down onto the counter, knocking the wind out her. She whimpered in pain and surprise, her fists grabbing handfuls of his shirt as she tried to push him away. He chuckled at her and pushed her wrists down to the counter, his face dangerously close to her own.
He watched her tremble under his gaze, his smirk widening, then he leaned down, his teeth bared, and ripped the straps of her tank top with his sharp fangs. It fell from her shoulders and pooled around her waist.
"Vegeta, stop! Stop it!!" She screamed, raising her arms to cover herself.
He clutched both of her wrists and growled against her neck, grinding himself against her.
"You cannot deny your lust, Woman. I've smelled it. I've seen the desperate attempts." He husked, wrapping one hand around her breast and squeezing painfully.
"No, please stop! Please!!" she sobbed, tears streaming down her face. She struggled against him and he groaned in response as she writhed.
He shoved her shaking form back against the cupboards and threw her legs apart, reaching for the hem of her shorts. She shrieked and lashed out with her fists, fighting like a mad thing in his arms. Vegeta laughed and grabbed her by the back of the hair, causing her to cry out.
She stiffened at the sound of her shorts ripping around her waist as he tugged at them with his free hand. He pulled her face close to his and whispered into her cheek.
"I will enjoy breaking you, you brazen wretch. You have disrespected me for the last time."
Then he shoved himself inside of her as the teapot sang its conclusion.