The Saiyan Prince lay with his strong muscled arms arched and his gloved fingers clasped cradling his head. His chest bare chest covered in a sheen of sweat rose and fell steadily as he stared up at the stars from his relaxed position on the roof of Capsule Corp. A slow, lazy smirk graced his full, cruel lips as he thought back to yesterday's events. His time with Bulma in the Pendulum Room had been quite entertaining. The weakling girl looked like she was going to drop down dead with fright! A low chuckle escaped his lips as he fidgeted on the cold roof, his heated body cooling from the almost volcanic temperature it had been previously.

Despite her pathetic attempt at combat, Vegeta had to admire the way she furiously attacked the red skinned brute. It seemed she had some feral instinct in her after all. Beneath that pampered exterior was the wild just waiting to be unleashed? He closed his eyes and let out a ragged sigh, his body languidly rolling over onto its stomach and one arm hung lazily off the edge. Still he didn't understand why he remained on this mud ball of a planet. He should have taken a ship and released himself into the freedom of space long ago. Here there were far too many distractions, far too many annoyances. He would never become the Legendary Warrior that his people had prophesised he would be if he stayed on this insufferable planet. So why did he stay?

A low rumbling growl escaped his lips, making the expanse of this broad muscled chest vibrate with the sound. Midnight eyes opened into slits as he stared at nothing in particular, not even seeing whatever his gaze fell upon. Here he felt like a trapped animal, a ravening wolf on a tight leash, unable to do anything other than train constantly in the suffocating embrace of the GR. Not even a sniff of a challenge had come his way since his stay here, all he could do was sit back on his haunches until the tin cans got here. And then what?

A cruel, nasty little smirk graced his exotically beautiful face and his piercing onyx eyes narrowed further. He would be a Super Saiyan, and he would tear the tin cans apart, destroying them completely not even leaving scraps for their redundant creator to find. And then what?

Kakarrot.

He would finally defeat Kakarrot. That third class clown would finally meet his humiliating demise at his hands. His pride and honour would stand for no less than that. His predatory smirk widened further as the image of Kakarrot's blood on his hands, and the idiot's face crumpled in pain as he breathed his last gasping breaths filled his mind's eye. With that third class clown gone, he could finally take his rightful place as ruler of the universe. The place that Frieza robbed his father of so many years ago. Father...

Father... My King... so far I have failed you. I have brought shame to the House of Vegeta and I have brought shame to you. No more... no more will I hide in the shadows of this little backwater planet. A Saiyan shall rule the universe once more...

There was a rumble of thunder and suddenly the heavens opened. The Saiyan Prince sat up and allowed his head to fall back and feel the cooling waters on his face. He felt almost as if his murderous thoughts were being washed away, soothed under the cleansing rain which reminded him of the cool softness of bright blue eyes...

His entire body stiffened as an unwelcome scent reached his sensitive nose. Lying back down on his stomach, he narrowed his eyes and glared through the thick sheets of rain as the red haired warrior from the Wastelands strolled casually up the path of the Briefs home. His lip rose in a feral snarl, and his fingertips gripped the edge of the roof so savagely the metal groaned and bent to his mighty strength. What was that weakling, cowardly scum doing here?

....................................

Bulma was sunk up to her chin in frothy bubbles and lavender scented hot water. Her huge round bath had been filled almost to the brim and had practically half a bottle of very expensive bubble bath poured into it. The little radio perched on the windowsill was playing love songs and she began to wish she hadn't chosen to listen to this particular station. When she had come back from her humiliating experience with Vegeta yesterday, she had witnessed something she had suspected for quite a while. Yamcha was with another woman. It wasn't as if she had caught them in a passionate embrace or rutting like wild animals, but it still hurt as if she had.

He had his arm around her and was looking down at her with a look of utter tenderness and adoration, that same look that he had used to give her. It had been the young woman who had noticed her standing there first. She had looked confused, but then smiled and asked her if they could help her with anything. The look on Yamcha's face was one of sorrow, and Bulma didn't know what he was more upset about. The fact that he had been caught, or the fact that it was now officially over.

He had dutifully followed the blue haired princess back to Capsule Corp to talk things through, even though all Bulma had wanted to do was to run from the scene and through herself on her bed and cry. But truthfully, if she looked deep inside herself and was honest, she knew that they had been over long ago. She had even, although subconsciously, had stopped thinking about the ex-bandit as her boyfriend.

She had sat in numb silence as Yamcha explained to her that she didn't make him feel useful, that he felt like she didn't need him. Around her, he just didn't feel like a man anymore. She was so wrapped up in the idea of protecting herself, and her own damn stubborn pride that he felt there was no longer any space for him in her world. Bulma didn't need him anymore. And then there was Vegeta.

Bulma's eyebrows rose dramatically when Yamcha mentioned the arrogant Saiyan's name. He said that he felt that she might have feelings for the volatile Prince, and even though she might not have seen it, he had noticed the furtive little looks that Vegeta had been giving her. Whether is was just curiosity, lust or something more, Yamcha didn't know. But he did not want to be left sitting on the bench waiting for either the Prince to make his move, or for Bulma to finally finish with Yamcha as an afterthought.

They had agreed to stay friends, but Bulma had asked him to stay away for a little while. She was still suffering from the aftershocks of this little revelation and wanted time to adjust to it and work around having her life without Yamcha in it. Despite what he thought, Yamcha had been useful and she had needed him. He had been the only normal, steady sure thing in her life. For ten years they had been together, she was sure he had been the one she was meant to spend the rest of her life with. Ok, so he wasn't the most exciting of boyfriends, but he had thought he was the one constant thing in her life. She had depended on the fact that Yamcha would always be there. And now he wasn't.

She raised her head out of the relaxing water for a moment as she heard the doorbell ring, moments later she heard her mother's cooing voice as she let whoever was at the door in. Bulma sighed and sank back down into the bubbles. The last thing she wanted right now were visitors, she just hoped that it was a friend of her Father's and they'd probably go into the lab and not be seen for many hours.

Her tranquil rest was disturbed by an insistent knocking on the bathroom door and her mother's voice high pitched with excitement.

"Bulma, dear! One of your lovely gentlemen friends is here to see you! Oh you are lucky, sweetheart! He's such a beautiful one!"

Bulma rolled her eyes and groaned at her mother's shameless behaviour. But a small smile tugged at her lips and she shook her head with a sigh. Despite how embarrassing her mother could be, she knew she wouldn't have her any other way. Dragging herself reluctantly from her hot bath, she reached for one of the large fluffy white towels hung on the heated rack and briskly began to dry herself.

"Alright, Mama... I'll be right there, give me a few minutes!"

Her mother's girlish giggles could be heard all the way down the corridor and faded as she went down the stairs. It was at that point that Bulma stopped in her frantic drying to think who it could be. It wasn't Yamcha, as her mother would have told her it was Yamcha, also she didn't think that the ex-bandit would have the balls to come over here a mere night after he had been told to stay away. It wasn't Vegeta as he was training in the GR, and Mama always called him "Your Prince" much to her annoyance.

Bulma congratulated herself once she had managed to get dressed and make herself look presentable in just under twenty minutes, a new record for the Capsule Corp Princess. Her aquamarine hair was up in an understated ponytail with a few soft tendrils falling enticingly around her pretty face. She had applied minimal makeup to draw attention to her bright blue eyes and ruby lips and she thought that the floaty pale blue summer dress looked perfect against her snowy white skin.

Perhaps an evening with an attractive young man was just what she needed, something to take the edge off after the shock of breaking up with Yamcha. A soft little voice in the back of her mind whispered that she secretly wished it was Vegeta waiting downstairs for her but she shook her head and hurriedly chased that thought back into the shadows.

She was about to spray on some of her most favourite and most expensive perfume when there was a light tap on her bedroom door. Rolling her eyes she refrained from slamming the little crystal bottle down and checked her hair once more in the mirror.

"I'm coming Mama... give me chance....!"

She wrenched open the door with a sour scowl, but then took a step back, her mouth dropping open and her bright blue eyes wide in shock.

"Serigon..."

The tall red haired warrior was soaked to the skin; his long crimson hair was drenched and hung heavily around his handsome face. Bulma could not stop her bright blue eyes from trailing down his tall muscular body. His rain soaked clothes clung to his body like a second skin and she swallowed hard, flicking her eyes quickly back up to his smiling face.

"Good evening, Miss Bulma. I am sorry for coming up to your room, but your Mother said that she and your father had to go out so she sent me straight up."

Bulma gritted her teeth; she could almost see her Mother's knowing wink and smile as she sent this red haired beauty up to her room. She crossed her arms and looked up at Serigon haughtily with her head cocked to one side.

"And what do you think you are doing here? I thought that Vegeta had frightened you off..."

Serigon lowered his head shyly so that the blue haired beauty before him would not see his look of utter fury at the mention of the Saiyan's name. Things had to go right this time, he sneaked a look at the watch on his wrist, it was almost time. They'd be here any minute now.

"I am sorry, Miss Bulma. It was very rude of me to turn up unannounced, but I didn't have any means of contacting you. I want to apologise for my behaviour in the Wastelands. I must admit..."

He licked his lips and ran his fingers through his hair, the rain droplets quivering on the long crimson strands and glittering like diamonds in the light. It was time for the best performance of his life.

"I was... a little jealous of Vegeta... You are a very beautiful woman, Miss Bulma... and, well... I noticed you... a lot."

He laid on the shy country boy act thick and allowed a slight stammer to enter his soft voice. Glittering emerald eyes gazed into bright blue ones as he took a hesitant step forward. Long almost delicate looking fingers curled around one of the loose tendrils of aquamarine hair and almost gasped at how soft it was. It was like silk running through his finger tips.

Bulma's breath caught in her throat as she looked up into those eyes. What was it she had thought to herself in the bathroom? That an evening with an attractive young man might be what she needed? Well, here was a very beautiful young man, he was extremely foolish, and if Vegeta were to find out he was here then there would be fireworks. But... she felt very alone, perhaps it wasn't the worst idea she had ever had.

.......................

He watched as the red haired warrior entered the house, his Ki flaring in fury. What was that scum doing entering his domain? He wanted to fly down there, tear the door from its hinges and drag him out by his womanly hair. He wanted to thrust his fist into the fool's ribcage and tear out his still beating heart, and he wanted to devour the pulsing muscle right in front of the bastards dying eyes.

Vegeta's eyes narrowed as a few minutes later Dr and Mrs Briefs left the house, Bunni giggling girlishly at something her husband had said as they climbed into a sporty black hover car and drove away. The Saiyan's midnight eyes narrowed and slid over to look towards Bulma's bedroom window. The light was on, and he could see her silhouette cast over the closed curtains as she moved around inside. The woman was alone in the house that idiot and he knew that the red haired fool wanted her. He could see it in the way he acted around her, not only that but he could smell his want in the air when he was around her. The Saiyan growled low in the back of his throat, and was about to fly down to tear the offending male from his territory, when four men walked up the path and silently entered the house.

Vegeta frowned and raised his body up into a crouch, there was more going on here than he had first assumed. He dropped down off the roof as silent as a shadow and stalked towards the house. His narrowed eyes gleamed eerily in the darkness and there was a flash of sharp teeth as he grinned evilly. This was going to be fun.

............................

His lips were full and warm against hers, and his arms cradled her oh so gently as they wrapped around her waist. It had been a while since she had been kissed like this, so slow and sensual like she was the most beautiful, cherished woman in the universe. Which of course she was. But there was something missing, something wasn't right about this kiss. As she was slowly walked backwards and lowered gently onto her bed, she could not help but wish she was with someone else.

The earth shattering shriek made them both jump apart in shock. Bulma pushed at Serigon's chest in an attempt to struggle out from underneath him, but before she could, he grabbed her roughly by the shoulders and dragged her off the bed.

"Serigon, what..."

She let out a little yelp of pain as he was dragged into his arms by her hair and one large hand clamped over her mouth.

"Shut up..."

Her bright blue eyes widened in fear as the sweet shy boy disappeared and left a frightening stranger behind. Bulma struggled against him, but he tightened his grip on her, and she was sure she'd be bruised in the morning. Serigon dragged her from her bedroom and downstairs. The screaming had stopped. The smell hit her with the force of a freight train when they entered the living room. The dismembered bodies of strange men littered her once soft snowy white carpet. The now crimson floor squished under their feet as they made their way cautiously across the living room. Serigon's bright emerald eyes scanned the dark room looking for the one who had done this to his companions, but he heard him before he saw him.

A low guttural growl came from a shadowy corner of the room and a demon stalked out from the darkness. Bulma screamed into Sergon's hand at the sight of the Saiyan Prince. He was wearing nothing but his black training shorts, and he was covered from the tip of his gravity defying hair down to his toes in blood. The whites of his narrowed eyes glowed eerily out from the crimson mask that painted his exotically beautiful face. He raised his arm, and it was only then that they noticed it was elbow deep in a man's chest. With a disgusted little sneer, he launched the body into the wall behind Serigon and Bulma, making the terrified pair jump.

"What are you and your little friends doing here, Serigon?"

His voice was a soft purr, and full of the promise of pain, but it sounded loud in the muted silence of the darkened room. He slowly began his predatory approach upon the pair, his demonic gaze burning into the red haired warrior.

Serigon licked his lips nervously and took a step back, dragging Bulma with him then lifting her slightly so that she covered most of his body.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just came here to see Bulma, these men have nothing to do with me."

A low dark chuckling tickled from Vegeta's lips, but his eyes were cold and filled with hatred. He could not believe that the coward was hiding behind the woman, using her body as a shield. His fists clenched so hard that his finger nails cut into his palms, drops of blood joining the ocean of crimson soaked into the carpet. The scent of their fear was washing over him, making him feel dizzy with power, but her fear... and the look in those big blue eyes stoked his anger. He could not explain it, and he couldn't understand it, but he felt like the red haired coward was putting his dirty paws on something that was his.

"Don't bother lying to me, dog. Your friend there..."

He gestured to the torn apart body which he had flung against the wall.

"Told me everything... told me all about your big plans to kidnap Bulma and steal the data for her father's experiments."

Serigon paled visibly and gritted his teeth, unsure of what to do next. He took several more steps backwards, bile rising in his throat from the stench of the torn apart corpses that littered the room. Vegeta cocked his head to one side and gave the red haired warrior a sadistic, lopsided grin.

"What he didn't tell me, however... was who you are working for. I am not stupid enough to believe that you are the mastermind behind this little charade. What would a little desert punk like you want with Dr Briefs' data? You probably don't even understand it!"

He sneered at the obviously terrified desert bandit and took another predatory step closer. He would enjoy this. He would make it last as long as possible. Regardless of what Bulma said or did now, she would not be able to save Serigon's life. The red haired man had used up all his chances, and it was time to pay at the hands of the Prince of All Saiyans! His narrowed eyes once again fell upon Bulma, momentarily losing himself in those big blue eyes.

There was a monster reflected in them. A demon soaked in blood. A snarling beast with nothing but hatred and murderous intent in its cold onyx eyes. For a moment he paused in his predatory approach as he thought about how Bulma saw him. For a long time now, he had not shown his true nature to anyone on Earth. Not to save their delicate sensibilities, but because nothing had truly flamed his true Saiyan rage until now. The beast always lurked behind his eyes, but now it was out, and it was hungry.

Bulma felt sick to her stomach as she watched Vegeta approach. She had always known that the Saiyan was a vicious, cold blooded killer, but to have it shoved in her face in full Technicolor was too much. Maybe she had been kidding herself this entire time, and she never truly realised what it was she was inviting into her house, her home. The place where you're supposed to be safe. And now she was stood in cooling blood, surrounded by what used to be men but was now just bloody meat. She could feel her legs trembling and her knees turn to jelly. The only thing keeping her standing was Serigon's death-like grip on her slim body. How could she have been so wrong about him? She had thought him nothing but a foolish country bumpkin whose mouth got him into far too much trouble than he was really worth. And now she was gripped in his arms facing an angry Saiyan praying that she didn't get caught in the cross-fire.

The only light in the room was from the full moon glimmering in through a crack in the curtains. The pale light shone at Vegeta's back, casting his face in shadows, yet his eyes still pierced their very souls and kept them pinned to the spot. He raised one bloody hand and pointed at Serigon.

"No... You are not the one behind this, but your friend told me you knew who was. You're going to tell me, aren't you Serigon? If you tell me, I can't promise that your death will be swift, but I shall try not to humiliate you in front of the woman..."

His dark laughter echoed around the room, and Serigon's grip tightened around Bulma's body. Vegeta was only a few feet away now, and the red haired warrior knew he had to think fast. Running again, for the second time in his life, he flung Bulma at the Demon Prince and turned swiftly to flee.

Bulma never hit the floor, as she found herself suddenly in the arms of the Saiyan Prince. The blood that smothered his bare flesh soaked into her clothes and smeared across her cheek as she struggled against his nightmarish embrace. With a low growl, Vegeta dumped the Capsule Corp Princess onto the blood soaked carpet and his movements were a blur as he shot after the red haired warrior.

It was that long, beautiful hair that would be Serigon's downfall as the feral Saiyan snatched hold of the crimson tresses in his battle calloused hands and wrenched him backwards. The red haired bandit gritted his teeth in pain, refusing to cry out and twisted himself around to bring his fist into the Saiyan Prince's face, but to Vegeta Serigon looked like he was moving in slow motion. He deftly caught the other man's fist in his hand and with little effort, slowly squeezed.

Serigon cried out then. He screamed and dropped to his knees as every bone in his hand was not just broken, but crumbled. The tender muscles and tendons were pulverised into a thick gummy liquid, and all that was left was a skin sack filled with mush. Vegeta stalked slowly around his prey as the wailing man knelt on the blood soaked carpet cradling his destroyed hand. The Saiyan sneered in disgust and resisted the urge to spit on the wretched creature. To show such weakness in such a disgusting manner was revolting to him.

"Tell me who you're working for, Serigon... tell me and I shall put you out of your misery and take your pathetic life from you. Don't tell me, and you're going to find out why you don't cross a Saiyan..."

Serigon whimpered softly, but raised defiant emerald eyes to look at the War God who towered above him. He was going to die, there was no doubt about that, but he couldn't tell. He couldn't.

"I fear him more than I will ever fear you! There is nothing you can do to me that will tell you his name!"

Of course that was a lie. He was very much afraid of Vegeta, far more than he was of the man who had unwittingly put him in this position. But what kind of man would he be if he ratted out his own father? His next thoughts were cut off however, as Vegeta's foot came down hard on is right knee, crushing it in the same manner as he had his hand. The red head let out a howl of pain and his eyes rolled into the back of his head.

Vegeta grunted and smirked, from the looks of things it wouldn't be long before the weakling passed out, pathetic... he reached down and grasped the whimpering man around his throat and slammed his body so hard against the wall little spidery cracks skittered around the man's struggling body. Serigon scratched and clawed at Vegeta's wrist with his remaining good hand and tried to kick out at him with his good leg. The Saiyan calmly gripped the flailing hand and deftly snapped the wrist, relishing the shrieks of pain that were dragged from the red heads throat.

It had been a long time since he had felt like this. Allowed the blood lust to ride him and take him over, and it felt so good. The beast within him roared and clawed at his insides, demanding the death of the weakling in front of them. To ignore the pitiful sobs of the woman on the floor behind them and wallow in the glory of the hunt and the kill.

"Tell me, Serigon... tell me and it all ends..."

His voice was a low guttural growl and Bulma could not help but tremble at the sound. She had landed half on top of one of the dismembered corpses and she was sure she was going to throw up. She didn't know what to do, she knew she should once again try to save the life of the foolish bandit, despite the fact he had been stealing from her father. It should be the police dealing with him, not Vegeta. No one deserved this... not this.

A dry sob escaped her lips as she crawled shakily backwards away from the Saiyan Prince and his prey. She raised not one hand to try to help Serigon, never once raised her voice in protest, and she knew that his screams would haunt her as she lay down to sleep at night. She let out a little yelp of surprise as her back hit the wall. There was nowhere to go, as Vegeta stood between her and the exit. All she could do was draw her knees up to her chin and stare in fear.

Vegeta grabbed Serigon's other knee and slowly began to crush it, the red head let out a sobbing yell and lowered his head in defeat.

"Prof...Professor Gunn... I work for Professor Gunn..."

A slow evil smirk etched across Vegeta's face and a nasty little chuckle escaped his lips.

"Good boy..."

His hand burst through Serigon's chest and tore out his still beating heart, then just as he'd promised himself, he grinned down at the convulsing body and strong white teeth tore into the pulsing muscle.

Once he had devoured the entire heart, he slowly turned to look at Bulma who was cowering at the other side of the room. The blue haired beauty cried out as he was suddenly in front of her and holding her up by her shoulders, pressing her up against the wall. With a feral snarl, he pushed his face into her neck and hair, smearing her with the blood on his face. Ignoring her shaking body and soft whimpering, he sniffed her neck, hair and face. His blood smeared face glowered down at her and he bared blood stained teeth.

"I can smell him all over you... did he force you?"

Tears brimmed up in her bright blue eyes and spilled over her cheeks and she quickly shook her head.

"No... I was foolish... he didn't need to force me, but we only kissed! Nothing else happened!"

Bulma only briefly stopped to wonder why it was any of Vegeta's business who she spent time with, but that thought seemed rather trivial now that the man she had been kissing only minutes ago was now dead on her living room floor.

"Why... Vegeta...? Why did you do this?"

His grip on her shoulders tightened making her cry out and her legs give way beneath her. He was so close to her now that their noses were almost touching. She sobbed in fear as he bared his teeth and growled low in the back of his throat. A monster. He was a monster, and yet she was still uncontrollably drawn to him.

Vegeta closed his eyes and took her scent in deeply, shuddering at the thick, intoxicating smell of her fear. She was so very afraid of him, he could almost taste it. The thrill of the bloodlust was still thrumming through his body, and the beautiful woman trembling so deliciously in his arms appealed to his more carnal desires.

"Vegeta... please.... let me go..."

The Saiyan Prince narrowed his midnight eyes, but loosened his grip and took a step back.

"Woman... call the service bots to clean this place up, then go and bathe yourself. I'll deal with the bodies. Then I'll sort out this Professor Gunn."

He turned and began to walk away from her. Her legs still unable to support her, Bulma fell to her knees and let out a strangled sob.

"No! Vegeta, please! No more killing!"

His body tensed and he turned his head slightly, looking at her over his shoulder.

"No one tells me what to do, especially not you..."