Warning: Implied rape.

Twisted Pleasures

Dawn was breaking over the destroyed world as the saiyan prince was blasting away the remains of the last of the native population. Vegeta flared his ki, ready to head to the pods, when he fell to the ground, a wave of insufferable agony washing over him. He felt as though he were being torn limb from limb. He screamed and clawed at the ground until he was rolling in mud. As abruptly as the pain hit it subsided. He panted for breath before rising to his feet and taking off in the sky. 'What was that about?' He shook his head, not wanting to think about it.

"Prince Vegeta?" Nappa's voice came through his scouter. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, Nappa," Vegeta snapped. "Why the hell wouldn't I be?"

"Sorry, sir, it's just that your ki spiked there for a moment as if you were in distress."

Vegeta cursed his luck. He was overcome with extreme pain with no known cause. How was he going to explain that to his comrades without appearing weak? There was no way. "It was nothing. I thought I heard something."

There was a pause. "If you say so, Prince Vegeta."

The young saiyan growled as he cut the transmission. He could have come up with a better lie any other time. He sighed and descended when he saw the pods. Raditz was already waiting and Nappa wasn't too far away. Vegeta landed next to his own pod and pushed the button on his scouter to make sure there were no other ki signals anywhere else on the planet. He dared not miss a single native. He learned the hard way that that was unacceptable. He nodded to himself when he got confirmation that every living being had been wiped out. He heard the pebbles of the riverbank crunch underfoot as Nappa touched down and marched over to his space pod, ready to leave.

"You know," Nappa said casually as he stepped into his pod, "You're lucky, Prince Vegeta. You're going to have most of your growth spurts while you're in your pod in stasis. You won't even feel it."

"Growth spurts?"

Nappa shrugged nonchalantly. "Sure, Prince Vegeta. You're almost fifteen. It's about time for them to be starting. Trust me, they hurt like hell. It feels like your joints are being torn apart and your tendons can't grow fast enough to keep up."

Vegeta quirked an eyebrow. He knew Nappa was explaining what happened to him a few minutes ago without him having to tell him what really happened. He silently thanked the bald oaf for giving him the information. At least now he knew what was happening. Still, was it good to go through his major growth while in stasis? It kept him alive, but he wasn't being provided nourishment during that time and he obviously got no exercise. Saiyans were rarely sent away on missions during that time of their lives. Was there a reason? His brows furrowed as he stepped into his space pod. He would worry about it later. For now, he was going to go back to Frieza's ship and hopefully have time to rest before his next mission. After a dry spell they were being given missions one after another with little to no down time in between.

Vegeta knelt before Frieza for his purge report. Nappa and Raditz knelt behind him. He didn't want to be in the lizard's presence at the moment. Ever since he woke from stasis he had been in constant pain. He was pale, trembling, and sweaty as he fought the agony in his body. Showing weakness could mean his death, but it was difficult not to break down and scream.

Frieza smirked when he saw the saiyan prince. He didn't miss the occasional sharp intake of breath and hiss as the breath was released through clenched teeth. "Report."

Vegeta took a deep breath, hoping to be able to cover his pain. "We completed the purge of planet 2055ZN in two days, Lord Frieza. It is ready for sale."

"Two days? My, you were working fast."

"Yes, Lord." Vegeta winced as he felt a stab of pain shoot through his legs.

"Stand up, monkey." Frieza eyed the young saiyan as he slowly rose to his feet. He heard his joints popping as he moved. He looked scrawny, lanky. But it wasn't because he had lost muscle. His body was essentially stretched thin. "I see you've gotten taller."

Vegeta nodded, not trusting his voice not to crack.

"What was that? I didn't hear you."

"Yes, Lord Fr—" his voice cut out as another surge of pain ripped through him.

Frieza looked at the saiyan prince with feigned concern. "Is something the matter?"

Vegeta bit his lip until he tasted blood, willing the pain to pass quickly. "No."

All was quiet for a moment before a loud smack pierced the silence. Vegeta groaned as he hit the floor and touched his cheek. He swallowed hard as tears stung his eyes. What had he done wrong this time? He pushed himself up to his knees.

"You will address me with respect, monkey."

"Y-yes, Lord Frieza."

"That's better." Frieza's black lips curled in a cruel smile. It failed to reach his eyes. "I will assign you a new mission in a few days. Until then you are to train hard, my little prince."

"Thank you, Lord." Vegeta gasped as he felt like someone was ripping his shoulders from their sockets. He nearly fell to the floor as he momentarily blacked out.

Frieza waved his hand. "You are dismissed."

Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz rose to their feet and stalked out of the throne room. Nappa tried to assist the prince, but Vegeta slapped him away, refusing to show weakness in front of anyone on the ship. The soldiers there were like vultures. Any sign of weakness and they would attack quickly and mercilessly. Right now he didn't feel like he could put up a decent fight against someone as low-ranking as Raditz. He was too tired and his body was tearing itself apart already. He didn't need anyone's help in that department.

The saiyans reached their quarters and went inside. Vegeta immediately collapsed on his hard cot and curled into the fetal position before pulling his thin, scratchy blanket over himself. He was miserable. Absolutely miserable. He felt like he was dying. He would have welcomed death, actually.

"How long does this last?" he asked, so quietly the others weren't sure he had spoken at all.

Nappa was the first to speak. "It usually passes in five months."

"Five months?" Vegeta moaned. "I've been in stasis for three months! The worst should be over by now."

Nappa rubbed the back of his neck before answering, "That might be why it's still bad. Maybe your body can't grow right in stasis. Sometimes it lasts longer anyway. It's been known to go on for over nine months, but usually that only happens to the tallest saiyans." He didn't want to tell his prince that what he felt now might be the end of the fastest growth period. Vegeta hadn't gained more than 10 inches. He should have grown about twice that much by now. Being held in stasis for that critical time may have irreversibly stunted his growth. If he knew that he would be furious.

"You need lots of exercise and more nourishment than usual during the growth period. It might last longer because of your being in stasis," Raditz added.

"The last thing I want to do right now is move."

"You'll actually feel better if you train," Nappa told his young prince.

"To hell with training. Leave me alone."

The older saiyans sighed and shrugged helplessly. If they were told to leave him, they would obey him. They quietly left the room and headed for the mess hall. It had been a long time since they'd had a decent meal. Over six months, to be exact.

Frieza rapped his fingers on his armrest. He was quite pleased that Vegeta had finally entered his growth period. He knew saiyans suffered like no other time in their lives as their bones extended and their tendons, ligaments, and muscles struggled to keep up with them. He had heard it described as feeling like being drawn and quartered. He licked his upper lip and grinned thinking about Vegeta writhing in the throes of agony unlike any he could ever inflict on him. The worst pain is natural. It was a beautiful thing to observe. Inescapable, inevitable.

"Zarbon."

The man standing at Frieza's right side turned and bowed. "Yes, my Lord?"

"I want you to have a little training session with the monkey prince. When you are finished with him, bring him to my private chambers right away."

Zarbon hid his revulsion behind a carefully schooled mask of boredom as he straightened and started out of the throne room. "As you wish, my Lord."

Now that he was alone, Vegeta didn't fight as hard to hold back his sounds of pain. He screamed with the stronger pains and whimpered and groaned with the duller ones. He tightened into a ball and relaxed when the pain eased momentarily. To his chagrin he realized that he was going to have to ride it out as all saiyans did. He could tell when he first stepped out of his space pod that he had grown while traveling to Frieza's ship. Whereas he had previously only been at tail level to Nappa and Raditz, he now reached their chests. If he was going to be anywhere nearly as tall as his father, he had a long way to go. He had been at least as tall as Nappa. That thought alone made him groan in pain. He didn't know how anyone survived the growth.

Vegeta clutched his shoulders as they ached, but the joints in his hands were in just as much pain and he felt no relief. He tossed and turned on his cot, twisting himself up in his blanket. He held his head in his hands, wishing with every fiber of his being that the pain would go away, that he would become numb to it, anything. He wanted escape. He wanted to be done even if it meant never reaching six feet. He didn't care. All he wanted was to stop hurting.

He took a deep breath and opened his mouth to roar in pain when he heard the whir of the door opening and a cold draft blew into the small, stuffy room. He held his breath while he tried to figure out who had come in. Surely it wasn't Nappa or Raditz? He sent them away only a few minutes ago and they probably went to eat. There was no way they could have finished so soon.

"Get up, monkey. Lord Frieza has ordered me to train you."

Vegeta's blood ran cold when he heard that voice. That deep, smooth, overly perfect voice that made his skin crawl almost as much as the lizard himself. He pushed the blanket down far enough to see the man with glimmering golden eyes and a long emerald braid. His brows furrowed as he threw the blanket off himself.

"Why would you train me? Don't you have more ass-kissing to do?"

"Very funny, monkey," Zarbon drawled. "Now get up before I force you up. We're going to train now. I hope you're ready."

In his confusion Vegeta almost forgot about his pain as he moved his legs off the edge of the cot and slowly, awkwardly rose to his feet. His knees nearly buckled under his weight. He cringed, hoping his adversary hadn't seen his brief moment of vulnerability. Luckily Zarbon had his back to him by then and was moving to the door to lead the way to the training facilities.

It was more difficult to keep up with Zarbon than Vegeta was willing to admit, even if only to himself. He snarled as he struggled to keep his body moving while the tall man in front of him strode with graceful poise. The calm ease with which Zarbon held himself was in stark contrast to Vegeta's rigid tension. The prince, normally so regal, was fighting the urge to collapse and roll around screaming.

Zarbon stopped next to the door to the training rooms and punched in the entrance code. The door opened with a whoosh and Zarbon went inside with Vegeta right on his heels. Vegeta stopped a few steps before Zarbon whirled around with his cape billowing over his shoulder, lowering himself to his fighting stance that was notably more offensive than defensive. Vegeta resented his cockiness at the outset.

Vegeta uneasily took his own stance, now flawed because of his growth. He felt awkward and vulnerable. He shifted his feet to compensate his new height, but he knew he would have to spend a considerable amount of time reworking his entire form. Not that it was worth the trouble. He might as well wait until his entire growth was finished. Otherwise he would be constantly changing it for an indefinite period of time.

"Defend yourself, monkey." Zarbon shot forward, instantly disappearing from sight. He appeared behind Vegeta and back kicked the saiyan across the room.

Vegeta caught himself before he hit the wall, but he was again put on the defensive when a ki blast rocketed toward him from above. He leaped out of the way, but the explosion made him lose his balance and he crashed to the floor. Before he could get up another blast of ki hit him square on his back. He coughed violently as he rolled onto his burned back, wincing in pain.

Seeing his opponent defenseless, Zarbon landed on Vegeta's chest and started pummeling his face until his nose was broken and his left eye was swollen shut. Through it all Vegeta tried to free himself, but he couldn't get Zarbon's enormous weight off his chest. He thought his ribs were cracking, but that might have just been more growth pains. It was hard to differentiate between the two.

Vegeta gasped for breath when Zarbon moved off him and kicked him hard in his side. That time there was no question about his ribs being broken. He flew a few yards and landed on the floor hard. He raised himself to his hands and knees, but was knocked down again when Zarbon smashed his elbow down on his back.

"Is that the best you can do, monkey?"

The saiyan hacked up a glob of bloody phlegm and spat it on the floor. "No. It's not."

He forced himself to his feet and turned to face Zarbon who had his arms crossed and a smug smirk spread across his thin lips. Vegeta was filled with rage seeing his opponent so confident. His power grew as he fed on his anger. He clenched his hands into fists and screamed until a blazing aura flared up around him. He screamed again in frustration as another wave of pain tore through his body.

"Let's go."

Zarbon's arms lowered when he saw Vegeta's power. His level was nowhere near what it had been before his memories were taken away, but it was still high. More than he'd bargained for, at the very least. He raised his power as he took his stance.

"You got it, monkey."

Both fighters phased out of sight and there were no signs of their fight aside from shockwaves originating from all over the room as they exchanged blows. After what may have been seconds or minutes, Zarbon crashed to the floor. Vegeta drove his feet into the green warrior's solar plexus before again disappearing. Zarbon threw himself out of the way of a ball of ki and then found himself running from a relentless onslaught of ki attacks. He couldn't so much as retaliate as no two ki balls came from the same place. He had no idea where Vegeta was at any given moment.

"Enough of this!" Zarbon crossed his arms in front of his body to block a barrage of small ki blasts. Each one made him slide a few inches across the metal floor. Thoroughly enraged, Zarbon phased out of sight again.

Vegeta paused to locate his opponent, a pause just long enough for Zarbon to find him and kick him in the small of his back. Vegeta groaned in pain when he slammed into the opposite wall. He couldn't feel his legs or tail.

'Well at least they can't hurt then,' he thought sardonically. His thoughts were interrupted when he felt Zarbon grab his arm and started swinging him around and around until he was spinning so fast the room was a blur. Then he let go, sending Vegeta flying into the wall again. He was so dazed he couldn't even fight Zarbon when he picked him up and carried him out of the training room. The last thing he saw before he fell unconscious was a door opening to reveal the lizard grinning at him with something akin to lust burning in his red eyes.

…

Bulma blocked a kick with her forearm from her sparring partner at the dojo and used his momentum to push him back, throwing him off balance long enough to drop into a sweep kick, flooring her opponent. It gave her a rush every time she saw her sparring partners fall down. It gave her a sense of power that she lacked in so many other situations in her life. She cracked her knuckles as her opponent stood up and dusted himself off. He gave her a sullen glare.

"You always win, Blue."

The blue-haired girl smiled smugly and rested her hands on her hips. She had given up trying to get her classmates to stop calling her by that nickname. It grew on her anyway. "Of course I do, Hercule, I was taught by the best."

"I have the same sensei as you."

Bulma flipped her hair over her shoulder. "Yeah, but I had a different sensei before I came here. He was a real expert. He knew martial arts the sensei here have never seen before. That's why I can beat everyone. I learned techniques you haven't learned how to defend against."

Hercule crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the floor. He was a couple years younger than her, skinny with a dark complexion, and he had deep blue eyes and curly hair that was almost black. Bulma thought he was a pretty good student. Maybe one of the best at the dojo, at least in her level. But he was a sore loser. "What could you have learned that we haven't? They teach us mixed martial arts."

"I don't know what it's called, actually." Bulma grinned and traced shapes with her toe. It was kind of embarrassing, really, knowing some of the best martial arts ever and not even knowing what to call it. Vegeta had never given it a name. All he ever told her was that it was a style no one else knew. She was finding that to be more true than she ever thought. Sometimes she wondered if he came up with it all himself. That would be insane, though. He was barely older than her, so how could he have mastered martial arts so well he could invent a style all his own? He must have learned it wherever he came from, but she still didn't know where that was.

Bulma had asked all of her sensei about ki manipulation, but none of them knew what she was talking about. She did research on it, and found some references to it in religious texts, but none of them were terribly helpful. There was even some mention of it in old books about martial arts, but she never found anything informative about how to use ki like Vegeta did. The more research she did the more she was convinced it wasn't real. At the same time, though, her memories of Vegeta demanded she reconsider her intuitive conclusion. It had to be real. There was simply no other explanation for what she had seen her flame-haired houseguest do. People didn't suddenly become engulfed in flames that didn't burn them. People didn't just shoot balls of light from their hands that caused real physical damage to whatever it hit.

At least, normal people didn't. But then, Vegeta wasn't a normal person, was he? She knew that from the moment she first laid eyes on him. There was something different about him. Almost alien.

She snorted and shook her head. Vegeta wasn't an alien. Sure, he had a tail, weird hair, he was crazy strong and fast, he knew how to manipulate ki, he spoke a strange language, his intelligence could easily rival her own, and he seemed unfamiliar with her culture, but that didn't make him an alien. She refused to believe that. There was just no way. She did not live with a real, live alien for almost six months and not know it. He was from another part of the world, pure and simple.

Bulma was gathering her things to leave the dojo when her sensei approached her. She bowed to him and waited for him to speak.

"Miss Brief, I have spoken with the other sensei and we have decided that you have met all the requirements for the advanced classes. We were wondering if you would like to consider moving to the class that meets on Tuesday and Thursday?"

Her eyes widened. "Me? In the advanced class? You really think I'm ready for that?"

Her sensei gestured with his hand toward the floor where the students sparred earlier. "You easily overcome your opponent no matter who you are matched against. There is no challenge here for you."

Bulma laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her neck. "Well, yeah. But does that mean I'm ready to go up against the advanced students?"

"We believe you are more than ready."

"I guess so."

"Please consider this. You do not have to reach a decision right now."

"Thank you, Sensei." Bulma bowed again as he turned and walked away. She put her jacket on and grabbed her backpack. Her brows furrowed as she thought about her sensei's offer. Moving up to the advanced class? She had been taking martial arts lessons for three years. Maybe she wasn't progressing that rapidly, but she felt like she was being rushed through. She still didn't believe she had much of an affinity for fighting. More than anything it was a hobby she borrowed from Vegeta for the sake of having some interest in common with him. She walked out of the dojo and started toward Capsule Corporation, still deep in thought.

'This is supposed to be the best dojo in the area. If that's true, then that might explain how I'm ready for the advanced class now when I don't feel like I've made much progress at all. It doesn't even seem like I'm trying that hard. I do train a lot at home, but that's only in my spare time. Did I really learn that much from Vegeta? He hardly even helped me. He showed me what to do and left me to it.' Bulma shrugged. 'It must have been effective, I guess.'

The most exciting part about moving up a level would be facing new opponents who had already learned so much more than her. They would give her the challenge she was craving. She would be able to learn from them and she could really test her abilities. Her contemplative frown turned up into a small smile. She wasn't particularly looking forward to receiving a good beat-down, but soon enough she would be the one taking out her sparring partners. She was still nowhere near Vegeta's level, and maybe she never would be, but that didn't bother her too much. Her goal was to be the best she could be, not necessarily the best overall.

As Bulma made the long walk home she heard the dead leaves crunching under her feet. Winter would come soon. For some reason the sound of dead leaves always made her think of Vegeta. Her smile turned down again as her thoughts turned to him. Over three years. Almost four, actually, since he had left. The ache in her heart wasn't so noticeable anymore. In a way she was grateful, but at the same time she was afraid that if losing him stopped hurting, it was a sign she stopped caring about him and no longer wanted him back. That made her feel like a horrible friend. How could she turn her back on him because he left to do what he had to do? He said he would be back so he would be back. She couldn't give up on him. But after so long, he wasn't at the forefront of her mind very much. Sometimes she would go for an entire day or even longer without thinking about him once. How could she betray him like that? She refused to forget about him. He hadn't forgotten her. Had he?

The young heiress walked into the Capsule Corporation compound and headed for the kitchen for a light snack to hold her over until dinner. She found her mother putting pieces of meat and vegetables on skewers. She went to the refrigerator and searched through its contents until she found a cup of yogurt and some strawberries. Her favorite.

"Hello, Bulma," Mrs. Brief greeted her daughter. "How was your day?"

Bulma perched herself on the counter and bit into one of the succulent strawberries. She closed her eyes and focused on the sensation of the explosion of sweet tartness on her tongue. "It was good. School was fine. My sensei wants me to join the advanced class at the dojo. I haven't decided if I want to do that yet."

"Oh, my, the advanced class? That's wonderful, dear."

"I guess so. Most students take, like, years to move from one class to the next though. I feel like I might miss out on something if I move through it too fast, you know?" Bulma opened her yogurt and dipped one of her strawberries in it.

Mrs. Brief nodded as she punctured a piece of beef with a skewer. "I understand, honey. But if your sensei thinks you're ready, I'm sure you are. Besides, it has been years. Three, if I remember correctly. But if you don't want to move on yet that's fine. It's your choice."

"I know. I'll think about it. It's not like I'm being rushed into my decision."

"Do you have homework tonight?"

"Yeah, a little. I'll get it done before dinner." Bulma sighed and finished her last strawberry. She really wouldn't mind having a dozen more, but she didn't want to ruin her appetite.

"Alright, honey. It'll be ready in about half an hour."

"Ok. I'll be down for dinner." Bulma grabbed her backpack, which she had dropped on the floor by the counter, and left the kitchen to go to her bedroom to work on her homework. It wasn't much since she got most of it done in class. That was another sign she was forgetting about Vegeta. Thoughts of him weren't distracting her from school anymore.

Bulma sat down at her desk and spread her notebook, textbook, and worksheets out in front of her. She leaned back in her seat and rapped her fingers against her desk. "I wonder where he's at right now. I hope that he's giving the jerk who abused him hell. Then maybe he can come home. I do miss him. It's been way too long since he left." She pushed thoughts of Vegeta aside and started reading the short story for her literature class. It was an interesting story for a change, about a prince who lost his kingdom after it was taken over by a king from another land. The prince had to lead the remnants of his father's army to overthrow the new king and free his kingdom. It was nothing more than a fairy tale, but Bulma liked it anyway.

…

Vegeta's mind was cloudy as he slipped in and out of consciousness. All he was aware of for a time was the soothing warm fluid surrounding his body and the fading pain of injuries. The pain in his joints, unfortunately, remained. Hearing someone talking close by with a muffled voice, he cracked his eyes open to see who was there. Even without the dark blue liquid medium he was looking through, his vision was fuzzy. He was tempted to close his eyes again and get more rest. His normally insatiable curiosity was dormant. He didn't care who was on the other side of the glass barrier.

Nappa grabbed the doctor by his collar and lifted him off the floor. "What the hell happened to him?"

The doctor kicked his feet in panic. "Please, let me go! I don't know what happened! Zarbon brought him in an hour ago!"

The bald saiyan snarled and threw the doctor on the floor. All he knew was Vegeta was in the rejuvenation chamber, barely alive, when he and Raditz returned to their quarters after eating and training. He was livid. Though he wouldn't have been able to stop whoever did this to his prince, he was furious that he hadn't been there to try.

Raditz ignored the older saiyan as he went into a rage and went over to the tank where Vegeta's damaged body was suspended in the healing fluid. He put his hands on the glass, wanting to reach out to his young prince. He wished he could take his place. Vegeta had done nothing to deserve this and he was already suffering from the growth pains.

"Who put you in this condition? What happened?"

The long-haired saiyan reeled back from the tank when choppy images flashed through his mind. He recognized them as Vegeta's memories. Apparently he heard and answered his questions, if only subconsciously.

Zarbon grinned as he raised his fists and pounded his face. He could see little more than a blur of motion as each fist pulled back and snapped forward again until they were stained with blood. Half of his vision cut out.

The wall was approaching, fast. The world turned around until the lights in the ceiling blinded him. Everything faded to black.

The metal door slid open. Frieza stood on the other side. His beady red eyes moved up and down, taking in the sight before him. His purple tongue glided over his bottom lip.

He saw an unfamiliar ceiling. Confused, he turned his head to the left and the right, but he didn't recognize his surroundings right away. He could tell he was on a bed. A very large, comfortable bed. His muscles tensed.

"Ah, my pet monkey is finally awake."

Where did that voice come from? He looked down and saw Frieza crawling onto the foot of the bed. He wasn't wearing his armor. His pale pink skin make his stomach turn.

'No, not again! Please, not this!'

Frieza climbed on top of him and it was only then, when he felt his icy fingers sliding across his skin, that he realized he wasn't wearing anything either. He bucked, trying to escape the lizard, but he was held down. He looked up and saw his wrists encircled with rings of ki chaining him to the bed.

'No! No, please no! No!'

Raditz stood there, bewildered. Was that real? He felt horror and revulsion. But more than that he was angry. He was more furious than he had ever been before in his life. His fists clenched so tightly he drew blood from the palms of his hands. Vegeta's thoughts were panicked, and rightly so, but he was thinking 'not again.' How many times had this happened before? When had it happened? How had he and Nappa not found out about it? His mind raced with unanswered questions.

"Nappa," he said, deadpan. "Frieza did this."

The other saiyan stopped in his tirade and turned to Raditz. "Frieza? But why? How do you know?"

"I know because Prince Vegeta showed me his memories." He sighed and raked his hand through his long mane. "As to why, I don't know."

Nappa stalked over to the rejuvenation chamber. "What, exactly, did he do?"

Raditz shook his head. "I don't know if the prince would want me to say. Ask him for yourself."

Normally Nappa would have demanded the low-class saiyan divulge his information, but he understood the need to keep certain confidentialities. If Vegeta was unconscious when he shared his memories, it may not have been intentional. If that were the case, it would be best not to pry. Nappa rested his forehead on the glass and reached his mind out to Vegeta, but he was closed off.

Vegeta felt Nappa trying to open their mental link, but he wouldn't let him. He had accidentally shown Raditz more than he meant to. He wasn't going to make the same mistake with his bodyguard. Knowing that hothead, he would lose control and get himself killed trying to confront the lizard. No, he would keep this incident under wraps just as he had done every other time. He was the victim, it was his burden. He would bear it alone, letting it fuel his rage, hatred, and power. He would have his revenge for everything Frieza had ever done to him.

All Nappa could get from Vegeta was vague, unbound feelings of fury and shame. He growled with frustration and beat his fists against the glass. "He won't let me in."

Raditz frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "Don't push him. Maybe he'll let you know later. Right now he probably wants to rest."

Grumbling to himself, Nappa nodded his agreement and found a vacant examination table to sit on and wait for Vegeta to recover. Raditz walked over and leaned against it.

"That freak is only making him stronger," Nappa hissed. "Then one day he'll see what he's done to Prince Vegeta, and he'll pay for it."

The third-class saiyan's eyes shifted from Nappa to the young saiyan in the rejuvenation chamber. He looked weak and helpless. He felt his terror in his memory. That terror would turn into hatred that would poison him until he found the cure: the death of Frieza. As horrendous as the situation was, it rekindled his fading hope that Vegeta would destroy the lizard. Instead of breaking him, Frieza was making his greatest weapon that was bound to turn on him.

Frieza had signed his own death warrant.

A/N: So I've had a couple reviews mention the lack of voice I have in my stories. Hrm, I'm not exactly sure how to improve that. There is the slight problem with my 'voice' being very similar to both Vegeta and Bulma, and I do strongly believe in what I write. Yes, my personal values are definitely woven into my stories. Heh. Regardless, any tips? I'm always looking to improve my work. Believe it or not, I still think I'm not a very good writer (at least not when it comes to fiction).

Is the particular torture in this chapter something you believe would occur, or am I exaggerating Vegeta's torment? Personally, I think it's plausible, obviously, I wrote it...

Thank you for all the reviews, especially the super long ones and those from you "silent readers" who don't normally review. I'm glad my story is worth the hassle. :)

For an update on my writing, I've been working on chapter 39 today and I have outlines made through chapter 43. I haven't really decided how long this story is going to be. As long as Rediscovering Honor? I'm not sure. I have finally come up with the super awesome plot twist not a single one of my readers would ever predict (go on, try to guess) for after they reunite and crazy stuff goes down. I can't wait to write it. As far as my other stories are concerned, namely, Guardian of Vegetasei, I'm having severe writer's block and I'm much more excited about finishing this story first. I won't abandon them, I promise!

Next few chapters: I'm sorry to my readers who get bored with chapters where Vegeta and Bulma aren't together, but as in my other freaking epic long story (R.H.), the chapters of separation are the most important and will not be rushed through. Bulma's side not only shows how she grows/changes in a way different from canon, but also it helps break up the angsty heavy stuff on Vegeta's side. There is a method to my madness. Well, this note has grown far too long and I doubt many of you have read all the way through it anyway, so I'll end it there. Send your questions, comments, and concerns through a review and I'll be happy to address them!

Vegeta: 15
Bulma: 13