Disclaimer: I don't make any profit from this work of fiction. This work would not be possible without Akira Toriyama, we'll all miss him very much.

Chapter 62

Showtime

In the deepest part of the underground base of Dr Gero, the tied up Saiyan prince was contemplating his next move. He swung quite comfortably suspended in a spiderweb of chains and supports. He was at least five feet above the ground but it felt more like an iron hammock.

He could no longer risk stepping into his mind fortress, as comfortable as he was, he had an audience. Below him in a circle were about ten or fifteen guards. he was being watched constantly. He had zero privacy in his large cell. The guards surrounded him and refused to even acknowledge any taunts he made. He had been gagged eventually after an hour of letting his mouth run free. It was only something to pass the time.

They clearly weren't ready for him. Tao had lied or perhaps inflated his claims. Vegeta had kept him alive and tied him up above ground. The special Agent had at first been a good battery for him to draw power from but he had been strong enough to shout threats. His ravings had given a lot of the surprising information. Gero was preparing for him, his capture was something they thought was a foregone conclusion. Vegeta had slowly tortured Tao till he got all the information he knew about Gero's plans.

It was a shame that Tao couldn't join him but he would take care of him later. If he didn't survive the double agent would most likely starve, he had done his part and told him about the base. Dr Gero was the only other force equal to the FBI as they claimed to be called, what they called themselves to anyone outside Earth was unknown. They were only a branch team that were lead by the stronger warriors of the planet. None of the refugees or weaker humans he had interrogated knew either. Gero had more information. Tao had given him some insight to the network Gero had created.

This could be his only way off the planet, no rogue ship could break past the security surrounding the Earth. The research he had done over the past few years had sizzled out any hope of just stealing a ship and leaving. Once he entered the upper atmosphere, the space station would be alerted, maybe there were even satellite drones for alarms. The unknown factors were too risky. There were too many questions about what the FBI had done to secure the world from invasion were unanswered. Even the refugee city he had stayed held no real clues. All he found was propaganda or false rumours. The worms crawling at the bottom knew nothing of the sky above.

However Dr Gero would know. The well integrated spy network was a testament to that, he had infiltrated and set up his own people within the almost impregnable FBI. The only way in to meet Gero unfortunately was to be captured. As he swung high above he could hear the whispering of the scientists trying to get his measurements. They were limited by his unique confinement. They wanted his body vitals to help their frantic research. The suit that they were building for him. He was looking forward to it and for them not even able to get a blood sample was satisfying. They were so hungry for revenge that they ignored small factors that his biology had changed since his last imprisonment. Whatever serum he had been injected with his Saiyan genes had fought back. They weren't even wondering how he had been powerful enough to break through the glass sun roof.

'Fools, their hubris is what makes it so humorous.'

A machine bleeped below him, some blood pressure and heartbeat were able to be read but those would not show any changes. Especially when he was capable of controlling his heart rate with his breathing.

The door behind opened with a flurry of activity as security burst through with a wheelchair.

"Finally, you're... here!" A gasping, raspy voice croaked up to him. A wheelchair bound invalid stared back. The last time Vegeta had seen him he had been a flayed bloody body.

Dr Gero has challenged him to defeat his androids when they had first met and Vegeta had played along. The only thing he didn't mention was what would happen when he won. The doctor must have assumed death, but Vegeta had felt bored at that time. The weird robots and giant tank things had been entertaining. He had skinned Gero to check if he was a robot as well. The answer was a disappointing 'no' and Vegeta had left Dr Gero to die from his wounds. Perhaps his life on the run would have been easier if he had ensured the death of the doctor.

Then again, his current situation was the most interesting thing that had happened since he found out about his new abilities.

"Shame you can't speak but I am aware of your mind games. All my men... Including myself... Are rather... Annoyed... No... More than that... Our anger... it has not reached its limit... You just had to burst... uninvited... to my.. base... to kill... My men... again..." Gero struggled to breathe and a nurse gave him some oxygen. "You will die today... You think your body that lacks... Ki... I programmed my... children to attack your high ki... But we have a plan... It took... a while... But..."

He couldn't finish his monologue. A coughing fit lasted too long and he angrily motioned to his assistant to finish his explanation.

"Prince Vegeta you have been found guilty of mass murder, destruction and torture, not to mention your consumption of human flesh. Your crimes have to be met with suitable punishment for the survivors to feel peace."

Vegeta was laughed through his gag. He looked at them like vermin trying to gnaw at his feet. They sought justice? How amusing.

"You... Will... Die today!" Gero screamed and the nurse and other attendants wheeled him out before he could do any more damage to himself.

"In 1 hour, the performance will begin. The execution of Prince Vegeta of the Saiyans. He shall be escorted to the stage and your new suit will be fitted." The assistant announced.

The scientists gathered below with the mechanical exoskeleton with tubes. Vegeta could see the torture device that intended to keep him still and caged. The needles and serum interested him the most. Tao had bragged to him about this as if to intimate him. The fake ki boosters would direct the new toys Gero had made. They were trained to attack high ki levels. For all their research and spy networks they had been blind to one important thing. He had no ki. The life vitals had confirmed that. The lack of response from any ki restraints and his weak body as he dangled helplessly added to the fact. It had lead to a desperate reworking of some exo-suits. It was originally meant for normal humans to strengthen them for fighting but it was still in the prototype phase and so far was deemed too bulky. The ki injections were also painful and didn't work as expected. The soldiers couldn't gain any benefit from the painful jabs of powerful ki serum, some even had an allergic reaction to the foreign substance directly injected into their blood. The serum itself was a failure as it wasn't able to be absorbed by the test subjects. The only benefit was that it could fool a ki scanner, the false readings gave the machines the impression that the target had a higher ki than they actually had. The reality was it was only reading the serum and the actual number of the target was much lower but was hidden.

Despite all the research and access to files in the FBI the unknown medicine that had erased Vegeta's abilities were the most hidden. It had come from the Space station itself. They were sure that it would wear off but they had no proof. Only one sample had made it to Earth and no other files existed of the details. He still had some fighting abilities and had been responsible for many of the Gero Corp fatalities in the past few years as they tried to capture him.

They used the blurry camera footage when he invaded to try to judge his fighting capability. A sample injection had been done and the results were as expected. Only the area of his skin were the serum entered held any register on the ki monitors, it soon disappeared. The scientists didn't know his actual current power level at all, it was almost in a negative.

The suit that would encased him like a cage would give a temporary boost for the androids to target him but he would have no way to use that power. A small test sample was given to him and the ki registered and disappeared immediately. He would need constant feeding of the serum.

Dr Frappe finished his final tweaks on it and had shaped it to the Prince's measurements. The next task was getting him into the suit. All the strongest warriors and androids had gathered for this job. He hid behind the security screen and watched as he was pulled down from his suspension prison. He landed on his feet with no effort or visual stress. His dark eyes scanned the room, his expression seemed mildly amused but a slight curl of his lip gave a clear look of disgust.

That haughty look wasn't lost on the men surrounding him. They hated Vegeta to an extreme degree and any small facial tick or negative glance made them flinch or shake in anger. They knew how much the Saiyan Prince hated any humans. Most of the men were survivors, they had been almost burned alive as he flew overhead laughing or they crawled out of a tank smashed into scrap metal. Every person on the guard duty had some story to do with Vegeta or the invasion he lead.

His hair was shorter but he hadn't aged much. He looked almost the same as he did that day he came to the Red Ribbon base. None of the guards wanted him to escape from the arena alive. He was going to go up there for his execution.

Vegeta kept still as the team placed his torso into the main suit. The arms and legs locked in but the machine wasn't activated. They wheeled his encased body to the lift and closed the gate.

Small huffs of muffled laughter gave goosebumps to the guards making them feel even more on edge.

"He's ready for delivery." A guard announced over the radio. There was a buzz back of acknowledgement and the stage was set.

000

Bulma woke from her inner world as the lock to her door started to rattle. A small shadow could faintly be seen behind the glass of the mirror in the room. She had been watched the whole time she had been laying down.

Not that it mattered. For anyone watching her it would seem like she was only napping. However internally she had been focused on the workings of the taser. The same tool that Vegeta had left for her to find. It was an illegal item and one on the list of forbidden items for import onto Earth. It was deadly to humans at full settings. It could explain how he was able to overpower the guards to a point but not how or where he got it. Without looking at it directly she couldn't check for any maker marks or any hints from the previous owner.

The maid, Peach was glaring down at her. Her amber eyes held nothing but contempt for her.

"Wake up princess." She said, "Your presence is required."

Bulma sat up, quickly checked her hair and walked out with her head held high. She had nothing to hide from the kind of person that believed she was involved with Vegeta. The truth that she had some kind of one sided mental connection was none of their business.

As she left the room she could see black suited guards watching her. She had zero chance of escaping the area. The obviously armed men were everywhere and on high alert. She glanced around the corridor, it seemed like an upper floor near where Gero stayed. She recognised a few paintings she passed as ones she'd seen on her first time meeting the doctor. They were portraits of known terrorists that had fallen victim to the Saiyan purge. Their distinctive faces were not easy to forget. They were now considered martyrs by many people who followed the Red Ribbon terrorist group. Gero's connection wasn't a hidden fact.

She was lead to large double doors guarded by men in tuxedos rather than the usual guard uniform. Dr Gero seemed to want to make a full performance with his plans. There was zero chance he had an actual concert or opera to show her. She vaguely remembered the hidden labs with the deadly child androids and knew from the hints that it was a bloody massacre she was being "entertained" with. This was not going to be a musical or a circus of fun she could enjoy.

She sat down in the balcony seating looking down at an empty arena. The sight turned her stomach she wasn't ready mentally for any type of battle. It would be one sided anyway as Vegeta was still powerless. He had fighting skills, she'd seen that but she knew what an actual powerful warrior could do. She knew the speed was something her eyes couldn't keep up with and that the air filled with a strange electricity.

They called it ki, an energy she had no control over. In her training course she had been put into the lowest rank for physical. Others that had the potential and ability if they were good enough to control their ki could even fly.

The last battle she had seen with Vegeta was more like a brawl. He had used more judo like moves, flipping others using their own momentum. The fact that she had been able to watch the fight confirmed with her doubts that Vegeta still had no access to ki. There wasn't any pressure or that strange electric atmosphere around him. He moved silently and with slow determination, he was a trained warrior.

'He's going to be killed in front of me.' Bulma thought with a knot in her stomach. 'I have to sit emotionless as I watch an intelligent humanoid get slaughtered. A person who has tormented me for months mentally. I should be happy that his life is ending. He walked into this situation as if it's suicide, is he that sick of everything?'

Somehow Bulma doubted it, he was a schemer, he had a reason for his every action. She tensed her legs and could feel her tools strapped to her thighs. He wasn't someone who would give up. The main trouble she had was figuring out his end goals. His values differed from human values, life was cheap to him if you were weak you were not worth anything. Not just physically weak but also mentally.

Bulma was the only person seated in the box seat. A make shift table and chairs with curtains on each side. A platform beside her seat was empty but she could guess who was going to be there. This viewing box could see over the whole arena. It seemed like a normal training ground made of wood, almost like an indoor gymnasium. There was no markings on the floor for any sports, only a large red circle in the centre. Bulma could see the outline of a trap door. This place would be a great place for a concert for some Pop star but there would never be any screams of happiness here.

"So glad of you to join us..." a hiss came from behind her. Bulma flinched but didn't turn round.

"I heard you tried something stupid, no matter. It... will... be... over... Soon." Dr Gero gave a cackling laugh that ended in a coughing fit.

He was upright strapped into a wheelchair with oxygen tubes inserted into his nose. Nurse Marron was beside him dressed in a plain light blue dress. She then noticed that the doctor was also in a tuxedo but it was hidden behind the amount of tubes keeping him alive.

"I didn't want you to miss the end of the game we've been playing."

Bulma bit the side of her cheek as she fought saying, 'I didn't want to play anything.' The guards behind were starting to line up. There was at least twenty men and women in grey uniforms. The lower seating area was also filling up with employees.

Bulma looked carefully at wire fencing around the viewing area. The balcony she was sitting at had the strongest protection but it wouldn't last a second against any real force. The lower audience level seemed even weaker. She wanted to question what the hell Gero was thinking but she clenched her fists instead. He might have done it on purpose if the androids did break loose, the lower floor would be the first target.

She knew how expendable the staff were to him. It was no secret as the technicians she had worked with acted like their life was on the line rather than it being a simple job.

"Let the performance be-begin!" Gero gasped.

A man behind pressed a button on a control panel and a blare of orchestral music came out. The lights in the audience area dimmed and spot lights illuminated the arena.

A trapdoor opened and a cage holding a tied up Vegeta rose up in the centre. Dr Gero let out a rasping laugh.

"We know he... Has no power, you see..." He explained to Bulma who hadn't asked. "The exoskeleton will simulate a ki aura. You noticed that the twins never touched you, did you not? They attack only those with any fighting ability like my good friend Mr Black."

"So those robot children are going to kill him?" Bulma questioned him.

"Androids, they are my children. Poor little orphans that now have a purpose in life."

"Did they volunteer?" Bulma knew that they were humans that had been transformed into machines. She hoped that there wasn't as big a transgression against humanity and the children's free will.

"Yes, volunteer is a good word to use, I doubt they see it that way but they are now programmed not to object." He gave another sickly laugh as Bulma felt blood in her mouth as she struggled to keep herself from arguing. They basically had no choice from the way he said it. She remembered the eyes of the boy as he had watched her. They had no anger or sadness but there had been what she could only describe as a pleading look.

"Put... Me on the speaker." Gero ordered one of the guards behind him.

"Welcome Vegeta, my old enemy. Thank you for joining us. You have a nasty little habit of killing my people."

Vegeta looked up to the balcony above him he was wearing a mask over his nose and mouth so any facial features were hidden. Gero had a TV screen with a camera fixed on his face. As Bulma glanced at the screen the Saiyan turned and looked directly back at her. She inwardly cursed looking away.

"Take off his mask... I want to see him screaming." Dr Gero ordered. A message was relayed down to the ground team and a cautious guard ran onto the floor. He took off the mask from behind with shaking hands and was rewarded with Vegeta snapping at him. Bulma could hear his deep chuckle as the guard jerked backwards falling over. He was clutching his hand and blood was dripping down. The camera zoomed in and Bulma shuddered as she saw Vegeta lick the blood from his lips.

She watched Gero's manic reaction as he looked pleased at Vegeta's small bit of defiance.

"He still has some fight left in him." He mumbled. Another order was given and the men retreated. The large double doors at the back of the arena began to open.

The small cage came forward with sleeping children inside. They were no longer tied up with wires and monitors and would easily be mistaken for actual pre-teens.

Bulma knew they couldn't be as she had seen one of them in action. Although it had been a very blurred and bloody nightmare she still remembered the doll like look on the boy's face. There was no sadness or anger, it was all moot.

"Say hello to my children, 17 and 18!" Dr Gero announced.

Bulma spotted Dr Frappe behind the glass cages fussing about at some of the settings. He was too far away to see his face but from his body language it was clear he was frantic. A switch was pulled down and the androids quickly woke up.

The boy had dark straight hair and the girl blonde. If Bulma had to guess their age she would guess they were about twelve or thirteen. The girl was slightly taller and was rigidly straight. The boy however was against the glass his eyes peering out to the balcony above.

Their cages were like square glass boxes on wheels. The wheels were locked in place as they were positioned on opposite sides of Vegeta. Dr Frappe and the other technicians had disappeared behind the safety of the fence.

Gero motioned to his aide to speak as he gasped on his oxygen.

"Vegeta, your crimes against the Earth and the Red Ribbon Army are too numerous to count we would be here all day. Dr Gero wishes you a nasty death by the hands of his own creations. We the witnesses of a massacre and of your eating of human flesh also wish for your demise to be as painful as possible." The speaker on the tannoy waited as the crowd jeered.

Bulma couldn't feel any empathy for Vegeta but she knew this wasn't the way to get him to pay for his crimes.

"Also don't forget that watching will be the human traitor Bulma Briefs, dressed to impress, the princess for the prince."

Bulma inwardly scoffed and repressed darkly laughing. Vegeta didn't see her as a princess, more like a pawn.

Gero leaned in and spoke with a wet gravelly voice. "Or would you like to... join him?"

Before she could ask his meaning, Bulma's chair slammed down and a trapdoor with a slide catapulted her downward to the floor below. Her knees skinned as she hit the hard polished gym floor. She turned to see the hatch she had come out of close and she was in the centre of the cage match.

She locked eyes with Vegeta but he only looked amused.

The speaker crackled, "It would be better if the princess was closer! Now the show really can begin!" and the blood thirsty crowd cheered while Bulma's stomach lurched in fear.

000

Author's Note: Sorry, cliffhanger. I will try to get the next chapter out as soon as I can. You're free to message me with a "hey, you alive?" if I take more than 6 months. I won't be offended, in fact it might be enough to poke me into activity or even message back. This chapter took than I thought as I wanted to set up the full fight and explain the cage suit they're putting Vegeta in. Which I'm sure people have figured out the major flaw with it and Dr Gero will find that out next chapter.

About the timeline, since I had a few questions. I'm sure I've mentioned it before but just to clarify. The Saiyans, all three of them landed a lot earlier than the original story, for reasons not yet revealed. Bulma hadn't met Goku yet she had just started her adventure and had to give up just as she'd got going. I've dropped subtle hints in the story as I've gone but I thought I should give more explanation, it's not that important but maybe some of it will be. So the Red Ribbon instead of meeting a child Goku had all three Saiyans to deal with, mostly Vegeta.

The death of Akira Toriyama gave me a shock this year at the end of March. One of the few celebrities I end up crying at the news. He will be missed by many people over many generations, including myself, and he was only 68! His characters and vehicle designs really inspired me a lot as a kid. He reached all kinds of lives and cultures with his comics and creations, we'll never see another one like him.