Chapter 21
God of Wrath

It wasn't until evening after the kids had eaten and were getting ready for bed, that Vegeta would step into the kitchen and begin cleaning up for the night. Once that had started, Jenna came in watching the Saiyan for a time as she leaned against the doorway. He seemed so in tuned to his tasks that she doubted he knew she was there. Her slender poise was short, perhaps only a couple inches taller than he was. The slave continued about his tasks hoping to get them completed before the night was too far gone.

As she stood there, Vegeta couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. What if they didn't like how he cleaned? What if he was doing something wrong and was only waiting to punish him after the kids had gone to bed? He forced the thoughts from his mind, trying not to allow them to see the deep insecurities that haunted him like a plaguing nightmare. All he knew was that he had to make sure that it was up to their standards.

"It has been a while since I was given a day off like this. I must say there are advantages to having a slave in the home." She stated, unaware of his thoughts or emotions then continued to watch. It was an innocent claim to try to make him feel better. However she was not a mind reader.

Upon hearing those words, he wanted to cringe. If he did too well of a job it could backfire on him, making him stay as a slave longer. All he knew was that he had to abide his training. Jeremy was next to come and stand at the doorway next to his wife. He looked at her and then began to approach him. "Come on, you've yet to see the place you can rest for the night. The cleaning can wait for tomorrow. I want more of your story."

Vegeta lowered his head as he heard his handler behind him, and his head tucked as he tried to make sense of this particular whim. He didn't question it. He put the rag down from his cleaning and followed Jeremy into the living room where he pulled out a tape recorder once more. He was beginning to wonder when the real interrogations would begin about the most recent crime. Again, he didn't dare to ask them. It was not his place. "What do you wish to know Sir?"

The slave stood while Jeremy and Jenna took their seats. They motioned for him to sit down on a chair, but instead he knelt down upon the floor. It was awkward to him to even kneel like this when so much had to be done. The warrior would look down quietly as Jeremy clicked on the tape recorder. "You left off with just escaping a concentration camp that killed all but you and Tora."

The thought of Tora was a pain the struck deep. He had been a good friend, a loyal follower, and a brave ally. They had been like brothers. Vegeta took a deep breath and with a brief moment of silent thought he would turn his head and gazed out the window as if staring deep into the past.

After he and Tora had escaped, Vegeta and he moved to the Lair and tried to escape the possibility of hunters going after them. They were in this together now and Tora was put in charge of other slaves that were not claimed by the Free. Taking them into the Lair and out the back side of the dangerous maze, Vegeta gave them a place of safety and refuge from their dire predicaments. Raids were planned and carried out in the dark of night to limit the clear sight of the witnesses.

Vegeta though would begin to start his plans for taking the City of Jronia back from the Big Four as he called them. Jerone's mines were the source of their economic wealth. Syn was the Realm Ruler, overseeing many different cities that dotted around the main metropolis of Jronia. The Shadow Dragon was also the source of their magic. Karr was another one, the King of Jronia who would ultimately pass laws either inhibiting or relaxing the way slaves were treated. Then there was Valknar. The Baatezu Pit Fiend Devil was nothing to be taken lightly. He was more the muscle behind the other three.

It was going to be vital to get the four separated to make the kills more efficient. Reaching up, he traced the route of Main Street in the city. This was going to be at best, dangerous. He didn't know how many were in the city, he just knew that these four had to be taken down if there was going to be any chance for the other slaves to have any sort of respect. Unfortunately, he didn't see anyone else taking up the challenge. He had heard it from his father that sometimes things were done for a reason. This had to be what his father had meant.

As it was, many were starting to think he was a myth again, the Golden Ghost had not shown for some time. However, the warrior knew that when he came to be known, this City would never be the same. His head dipped as he tried to think of a way of keeping the innocents out of the battle. More importantly, he knew he could have destroyed this planet the moment his abilities returned, but that was the way of another tyrant he would rather forget. Vegeta looked at the map again and then circled the four places that the Big Four would be.

Tora would open the door and then quietly peered in on his Prince. "My liege, mind if I came in?" He held nothing but respect for his collared comrade. He knew the mention of the collar was a sore subject at best for the proud warrior. He would veer away from it if he could as he gave a light bow at the entrance.

Vegeta turned to see his friend. "We have to take out the four leaders if we slaves are going to have any sort of respect for our positions. I'm not talking just us; I'm talking about every slave in this city. There is a lot that we need to do. When we're cart pulling we have to start a silent language, a way to communicate without letting on that we are."

Tora listened to his leader with intent and quiet thought. When he was talking about taking out the four, Tora had to speak up. "You would risk losing all chance of getting that collar off my Prince. Perhaps we should search for the papers binding it around your throat before we go running off half cocked. Once that's done, we can then get rid of those four."

Leaning against the wall, Vegeta's hand moved to the collar encircling his throat. His gaze narrowed lightly and he nodded. "You're right. Valknar and Syn are the two that have the most chance of knowing where they are. There are so many papers though, so many places it could be. It could take years to find that paper. Those unfortunately will have to wait. The other slaves, their lives are important. The search for the document must wait."

The taller Saiyan knew how much Vegeta wanted free of that collar. It was what kept him bound as a slave, unable to really find any relief from being hunted. It was also a large contributor to his misery that seemed to have plagued him now for year. "My lord, please, for once think of yourself, your situation. We will understand if for once you are selfish and want to find that document first."

Turning to his friend, Vegeta stood before him and took a deep breath. "I can't Tora. You know I cannot, not with who I am. I cannot just ignore the cries for help or the pain and fear that these slaves experience. Blame it on my title or the fact that we are classed as Universal Warriors. I cannot be selfish. It's not fair to those that are literally dying while their Owners become crueler. I turned my back once on them Tora, I won't do it again."

Listening to Vegeta, he was beginning to understand the weight of the burden on the Saiyan Prince's shoulders. Tora could not stop his Prince, but he respected his decision. Placing a hand on Vegeta's left shoulder, he would look at the smaller Saiyan, long and hard. "I'm with you every step of the way Vegeta. I'll help anyway I can."

For several hours afterwards, Vegeta and Tora poured over the knowledge they had, the information they had gathered. There was more to be discussed, but when they had the plans ready, they would set out. As Tora headed for the markets, Vegeta stood by the wall of the city and took a deep breath. Scaling over it, he would then move cautiously through the alley. It was only then that he felt his foot snared and pulled out from under him. Whipping around, he would see a man standing there at the other end of that rope.

The Saiyan watched as the man raised a dart gun and fired. Vegeta's vision went black, his world faded from him. His head pounded furiously when he woke up. It had to have been a tranquilizer that had put him under long enough to be transported. The problem was, he didn't know where he was. He didn't recognize this castle. Rising up again, he heard the sound of a chain once more. His collar felt heavier and it didn't take much to piece together he was shackled to the floor.

A woman was yelling, screaming at him when he noticed an old friend crying. Then a man again approached. As this person approached, Vegeta could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. His tail fur even started to bristle a bit. It was a feel of evil that he'd not felt before. The man crouched down as Vegeta pulled to the end of his short chain. "You are mine now. I am your Master, Gythos. You try to run, you try to escape, you will not make it far. That much I can promise you. Other than that, you are an enemy of mine, Aspect of Wrath."

How did Gythos know him as the Aspect of Wrath? It confounded him as the man smiled. "I am the God of Void, the fifth element. The Nine Aspects are not yet joined and you are perhaps the most powerful of all the Deadly Sins. You control rage, anger, hate, all those bottled up emotions that people pretend not to have. You know them, and you know them well don't you? Yet you deny yourself to really use that side of your abilities."

With the days passing after the introduction, he would have lost all his friends, Tora wasn't anywhere to be known of. He was kept on this short shackle even as one of his closest friends had beaten him ruthlessly under the manipulations of Gythos. The slave seen that woman once more, then it clicked in his mind, it was Kaoru, the half-elf. Though he knew enough not to call her by such a title. She was an excellent fighter, but the warrior would try to warn her to leave and quickly.

Gythos caught on to the notion of what the Saiyan was doing. However, the slave would not be able to fully defend himself as the two began to engage in battle. It was at this time his Master sent through him the forced images and feelings of every torment he had ever suffered, repeatedly. Kaoru would try to stop Gythos from trying to hurt him further, but the man shook his head. "Not until he accepts the offer to become the God of Wrath. It now becomes his choice of when his suffering ends."

Vegeta growled, not sure if he even wanted that power. The horrors that he'd been through was inflicted upon him again. It would go on for three days before the slave accepted the next stage. Only then, did Gythos finally smile and through a painful transition, the slave would be endowed with the new power. Finally, Gythos would set him loose upon Jronia before he turned and let the warrior go out into Jronia. The moment the Saiyan stepped out into the dawn of morning, the slave began to understand his power. It was overwhelming, consuming, and powerful. It never felt better. It never frightened him more.