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Bulma and Trunks decided to leave in case the kid woke up and tried to kill them in a semi-awake state of panic. They tiptoed outside, both extremely aware of Vegeta's sensitive hearing, and went outside. Bulla and Goku were talking to Nappa and Radditz and they seemed worried.

"What's wrong?" Bulma asked as she approached them.

"The Ginyu Force is coming our way." Goku said, looking meaningfully at Bulma. He deduced that she knew who they were. She had met Ginyu, at least, when he was a frog. And surely Vegeta had spoken to her about them.

His suspicions were proven correct. Bulma's eyes widened and she took a hand to her mouth.

"What's the Ginyu Force?" Trunks asked.

"They are Frieza's most powerful soldiers." Nappa said. "Frieza sends them to purge the biggest, most dangerous planets. Their strength is immeasurable, surpassed only by Frieza and his family."

Bulma pursed her lips. She knew who they were. Not only had she swapped bodies with the Ginyu frog, but she had also heard Vegeta's stories. Around his 16 years of age, Ginyu himself had offered Vegeta a spot in the Force. He wasn't nearly as strong as them, but he was smart, cruel, a master tactician and one of Frieza's most ruthless soldiers. The boy had denied it and has instead gained his spot as Frieza's best solider in terms different from strength by his own methods.

"And why is that something to worry about?" Trunks asked.

"They rub Vegeta the wrong way." Radditz said. "And they enjoy bullying him."

"You've got to be joking." Bulla growled. "Why does everyone hate Vegeta so much?"

"Because he's a saiyan." Radditz answered. "Moreover, the saiyan prince."

"So what? He's a six-year-old for goodness' sakes!" the girl answered.

"You think we don't know that?" Radditz snapped. "What worries us is that Ginyu enjoys following Vegeta around, just to get him into trouble or tease him or something. That means that our cover might be blown."

"Words cannot describe how bad it would be if Ginyu catches us stealing from Frieza. If he finds out…" Nappa winced and rubbed his head.

"When will they leave anyway?" Bulma asked, getting worried. They couldn't force Vegeta to risk it anyway if Ginyu and his gang would follow him around.

"We don't know. It could be days, months even." Radditz said, crossing his arms.

"This is bad." Trunks said, paling.

"Well, let's work on it before anything happens, then." Bulma said. She began to explain what they needed to the two saiyans, trying to ignore her desperation and stress.

The small saiyan on the bed shuddered a bit in his sleep before his eyes opened slowly. His vision was blurred and he swallowed as the pain from the previous day's beating pounded in his body. Most – if not all – of his bones had healed overnight, but pain was still there nonetheless and most of the wounds were still oozing blood. He took a deep breath before sitting up. His head throbbed and the room seemed to spin around him, but he ignored his growing dizziness and grabbed his scouter, placing it on his face. He slid off of the bed and limped up to his closet, changing his bloodied clothes into a full body spandex that covered his wounds.

His nose twitched a bit and he turned a glaring eye towards the bed. It smelled awfully like the blue-haired woman and he wondered if she had stayed with him throughout the night. He growled as he remembered his display of awful vulnerability in front of the weak woman and the turquoise haired boy. His tail lashed angrily behind him and with an angry yell, he punched the adjacent wall. Ignoring the pain on his hand an arm, the petite prince punched it over and over, until he cracked the hard surface. It didn't suffice his anger, but he decided to let it be and limped out of the room.

On his way to the cafeteria, the small prince heard a familiar laugh before turning a corner and his tail bristled. It belonged to none other than Recoome. He stopped and looked at the floor, trying to decide if breakfast was worth the demons' taunting. His tail waved slightly behind him before lashing out in anger. He was the prince of saiyans! He was not afraid of anything! He clenched his fists and lifted his chin, turning the corner and glaring at the five men that were walking up to the cafeteria as well. Jeice was the first to spot him.

"Eyyy! If it isn't the monkey prince!" he announced.

Ginyu turned around and grinned evilly.

"Vegeta, long time no see."

Vegeta's tail wrapped around his waist defensively as he growled low in his chest and walked past them.

"I guess kitty ate your tongue." Recoome said, crossing his arms.

"Come on, Vegeta. It's impolite to ignore people. Show some respect to your superiors." Ginyu said smoothly.

Vegeta stopped and turned his head, his tail bristled and his fists clenched. He opened his mouth to answer, but decided otherwise. He was too weak and hurt to handle another beating. He simply took a deep breath and continued walking to the cafeteria, ignoring his twitching fingers.

"You can't expect manners from him, Cap'n." Jeice said, shrugging. "His own father abandoned him… what could he ever know about manners if he is just a little abandoned monkey prince."

Vegeta whirled around and glared at the men, his pain suddenly forgotten as anger took over him.

"My father did not abandon me, you dimwitted brutes! And I know plenty about manners; surely more than what you brainless buffoons would ever expect to comprehend." He growled, clenching his tiny fists.

Ginyu smirked and gave a step forward. Vegeta ignored his self-preservation instincts and gave a step forward as well.

"Really, now? Then you surely won't mind a little lesson in etiquette, Vegeta." He said. His minions laughed.

Vegeta growled.

"I'll never receive lessons from you." He said. "I'm going to eat now so stop pestering me."

The men laughed and snickered as Vegeta turned on his heel and entered the big, smelly room where the fighters were stuffing their faces. The Ginyu Force followed him.

"No! This one is far too short!" Bulma complained as she inspected the cable that Radditz had brought her. "I told you it had to be – "

"We're going to eat something." Nappa interrupted. "Complain when we get back."

Bulma sighed exasperatedly and rubbed her forehead.

"Alright." She grumbled. "Bring something back for us, will you?"

"Yeah, man! We're starving!" Goku said, patting his belly.

The two saiyans glared at him and turned to leave.

The two saiyans felt rage coursing through them at the scene that greeted them in the cafeteria.

There were only a few men apart from the prince and the Ginyu Force, so the saiyans assumed that the others had fled the scene to avoid humiliating the little beast further and paying for it later.

Jeice had a tight grip on the child's tail, reducing him to a shuddering and trembling boy that could barely move his limbs. The kid was, however, trying to jump and fly and thrust his tiny fists into the air. A few feet from them, Bruter held a large piece of meat and was waving it in front of Vegeta, laughing. Behind Burter, Ginyu and Recoome were eating the rest of, what used to be, Vegeta's meal. Guldo was standing next to Jeice, his pudgy arms crossed as he laughed at the little prince.

"L-let g-g of m-me!" he complained, but Jeice only squeezed harder, making him shudder violently and bite his lip.

"Come on, Vegeta!" Ginyu taunted. "Take what's yours! You said you were hungry!"

"Well, since you don't want it I guess I'll eat it!" Burter said, pinching a bit off of the slice of meat and shoving it into his mouth.

Vegeta's anger spiked and he tried to raise his ki, but he felt the strength on his knees waver as Jeice dug his nails into the tail. Still, no sound escaped the prince as he glared at the men and tried to free himself from the orange freak's grasp.

"Leave him alone." Radditz growled, his tail lashing angrily behind him.

Jeice smirked toothily before releasing the kid's tail and kicking him around the head, sending him flying next Burter's feet. The blue alien smiled nastily before shoving the piece of meat to Jeice and burying his hand deep into the child's mane of hair, digging his nails into his scalp and lifting him up into the air. Vegeta clenched his teeth as he tried to pull Burter's hand off of him. He suddenly found himself breathless as Jeice sank his fist into his abdomen. Blood flew from his mouth and a sickening feeling of nausea invaded him when his previous wounds reopened.

He gasped as Burter slammed him to the floor and stepped on his back.

"Oooooh" Recoome said, getting up, "look at that, he's bleeding! Frieza let him have it again!"

Vegeta growled and got up, but stumbled backwards. The world seemed to spin around him.

"He can't do anything right. Such a stupid monkey!" Guldo said.

Radditz's rage got the best of him and he leapt at the men. Ginyu was up in a flash and backhanded the teenager across the face, sending him crashing into a few tables.

"Don't worry, Radditz!" the captain said, smirking at the dazed boy a few feet away. "I'm sure he deserved every bit of what he got!"

Jeice grabbed Vegeta by the neck and lifted him up, smirking before punching him again in the gut. Vegeta coughed and sucked up air, his bruised and cracked ribs on unbearable fire and his belly clenching as jolts of pain ran through his insides. Dodoria and Zarbon had really done a number on him and now these freaks were making it all so much worse!

"Do tell, Vegeta! What did you do this time?"

Vegeta opened one of his clenched eyes and glared at Jeice. He growled before spitting on the freak's eyes. Jeice released him instantly, his hands going directly to his stinging eyes.

"Ow! Wanker!" he cursed. "You spit in my eye!"

Vegeta fell to the ground and was about to laugh at his last stunt, but an enraged Jeice stomped on his chest. There was a sickening crack and Vegeta cried through clenched teeth.

Ginyu laughed as he lifted him up by his ankle.

"Seems like we ought to teach you manners after all!"

Nappa felt absolutely helpless as the Captain held Vegeta up by his ankle while the other members of the Force began to beat him. The young prince couldn't keep himself from screaming as powerful fists plowed into his heavily injured body. He fought to stay conscious so that he wouldn't give the bastards the pleasure of knocking him out, but there were too many wounds on his body and he was just so tired. As bloodied gloves connected with already bruised skin, Vegeta found his eyelids got heavier by the minute. He couldn't even be sure where the fists hit him anymore, as the pain molded into one in some ungodly balance where every nerve sent lances of pain throughout the child's body.

His face crashed against the floor and he realized Ginyu had released his ankle, and the fists were replaced by kicks. Powerful kicks sent waves of pain throughout his tiny frame and his anguished screams died down slowly, turning into low moans. His eyes finally slipped closed, but his mind wouldn't grant him the rest his body was so desperately craving. He clenched his tiny fists as his breath came out in painful gasps that seemed to burn his lungs. His dazed mind, which wavered very close to unconsciousness, kept on tormenting him.

"You are so weak."

"What would your father say?"

"You are nothing but a useless monkey. That's all you'll ever be."

"Pathetic. No wonder they sent you to Frieza."

He felt himself being lifted into a strong pair of arms and he opened his eyes, fighting the urge to collapse. He put a tiny hand on the Nappa's chest and looked around. Streaks and small puddles of blood decorated the floor, but there was no sight of the Ginyu Force anymore. He took a deep, steadying breath as he focused on the other Saiyan standing next to Nappa. His cheek and temple were bleeding, but he looked okay otherwise.

"I-I can walk on my own." He muttered.

Nappa knew better than to contradict his prince, so he slowly lowered him until his feet touched the ground. A lance of pain ran up his leg and he realized his ankle was dislocated. He leaned on Nappa's leg for a minute before finally passing out. Nappa sighed as he once again lifted the prince into his arms.

Malaka stared at the little child on the metal table with pity before sighing.

"All of the tanks are occupied, I'm afraid. The last group of soldiers the Lord sent to purge Burthya's belt got back barely alive and they'll be there all night and maybe even all day tomorrow." He said. "I can clean his wounds and give him a few sedatives, though."

Radditz nodded briefly. The tanks were almost always occupied, what with soldiers coming in at every hour of the day and night from difficult missions or recruited men and women from different planets that had to be roughened up before being forced onto the base and into a tank. There weren't many tanks empty, so more often than not the prince had to heal on his own accord.

The birdlike alien nodded as well as he gathered a few elements from the drawers next to the table.

A low rumbling sound filled the room and Vegeta's eyelids fluttered before opening slowly and closing again. He was so hungry.

"Is he on punishment?" Malaka asked as the prince groaned.

"No." Nappa said. "The Ginyus are here."

The doctor sighed as he inserted a needle into the crook of Vegeta's arm and the trembling of the mangled body stopped.

"You can bring him food if you want, then. He can eat it here. It won't do him good to starve."

Nappa nodded. "I'll go. I'll bring food for you as well." He muttered before leaving the med bay.

Radditz sat on a metal chair with his arms crossed as he stared at the limp form of the prince being cleaned by the doctor. Then he looked down at the floor, his brow creasing as he thought of the strange beings outside of the base, working on a time machine. He rubbed his forehead as he thought of them and couldn't help the small ting of worry that settled at the pit of his stomach. He really wanted to get the prince out of that place as soon as possible, far from Frieza and his twisted, sadistic mind. But then, what if their plan backfired? What if Frieza caught Vegeta? What if they betrayed him? He pinched the bridge of his nose. Vegeta couldn't handle another one of those punishments. No matter how proud, strong or resilient. He just couldn't.

He remembered the first and only time Frieza had punished Vegeta for trying to escape. His gut twisted at the memories of what he had done to the small child. Never had he seen so much cruelty. Nappa had even begged Frieza to kill the prince instead of what he had done. He thought he had even seen pity on Zarbon's face. He sighed at the way Vegeta had been so traumatized afterwards; at how a small part of him had died.

"Radditz?" a small voice said. The teenager looked up.

"Hey." He whispered. "How are you feeling?"

The prince's scouter beeped suddenly.

"Vegeta." Frieza's voice came in. He sounded… angry. "I need to talk to you immediately. Please report to the Throne Room now."

Malaka stopped the prince's trembling hand before it reached the scouter. He grabbed it and put it on his own face, frowning slightly at the cracked and bloodied glass.

"Master Frieza" he said, "the prince is injured right now, heavily by the looks of it and can't answer his scouter as of now. If you wish, I can – "

"Are the two other saiyans around?"

"Yes, sir." Malaka said, before handing the scouter to Radditz. The young thridclass grabbed it and took his own off, placing the smaller one on his face.

"Lord Frieza?"

"Radditz. I need you and Nappa to come to the Throne Room right now. Don't waste my time or I'll make the three of you wish you were never born."

Radditz swallowed before taking Vegeta's scouter off and shoving it to Malaka. Nappa entered through the door then, carrying various pieces of food.

"Frieza needs us." He said coldly. "And he sounds angry."

Nappa paled and swallowed before handing the food to Malaka and following Radditz out of the med bay.

Uh-oh.

An angry Frieza sounds bad.

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