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Survival of the Fittest	By : 2dragonkat Category: Dragon Ball Z > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 11967 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ and its characters, they belong to Akira Toriyama. The only parts that do belong to me are the plot and the twins. I also do not make any profit/money from this either.

Chapter List
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Chapter 22 - "Calm Before the Storm"

WC: 3,760

Goku looked into Keigo's room, watching the rise and fall of his son's chest. Takeo sat on the bed beside his brother, reading from a book. Goku watched his sons and wondered how he would tell them that their papa was gone and that war would be breaking out soon.

He couldn't bear the thought of the two of them getting caught up in battle. He had watched Goten and Trunks die at the hands of Majin Buu when they were the same age Takeo and Keigo were now. It had nearly destroyed him. If he had to go through that again, watching his children die, Goku didn't know what he would do.

He needed Vegeta. He needed his mate. Vegeta would know what to say and do to protect their children. He would be able to calm Goku down and put Takeo's mind at ease even though his brother was in a coma. Vegeta should be here, but he wasn't. He had been taken from them, stolen by some bastard who thought he could rule the Saiyans.

Goku didn't have the heart to tell Takeo that his papa had been captured. Takeo was already so worried about Keigo that Goku didn't want to add to his burden. Besides, he would get Vegeta back, no matter what it took, so there was no need to worry Takeo. Goku kept telling himself that, and he kept hoping he would start believing it.

A freezing sensation ripped through Goku's chest and he screamed, falling to his knees in the hallway. His hands clutched at his chest as his heart seized. He felt cold and disoriented, like he was drowning. Goku yelled louder, reaching out for something that wasn't there anymore.

His bond with Vegeta… it was gone.

Goku's energy raged, his mate's presence gone from his mind, heart and soul. Darkness spread through him, engulfing him. Goku felt the part of him that he tried to keep under wraps start to unfurl and spread through him. He was losing control. He tried to grab at any of his meditation and calming techniques but they were out of reach. All he could think about was the fact that Vegeta was gone. Vegeta was gone.

Goku felt the primal Saiyan side of his mind start to take hold and he stopped fighting it. What was the point? Vegeta was gone.

A warm presence touched Goku. Someone was holding his face gently, brushing away tears he didn't know were falling. The presence worked its way inside of his mind, pushing away the darkness and leaving him cocooned in warm light.

Goku realized there were voices around him, calling for him. He opened his eyes.

Keigo was holding his face, looking down at Goku with pale, sightless eyes. A smile curled his son's lips. "Daddy," Keigo whispered, leaning down to curl into his chest.

Goku's breath stuttered, wondering if he was dreaming. Keigo was awake? He looked over Keigo's bent head, taking in his surroundings.

Debris was fallen around him. The walls of the hallway were scorched and warped, the floor cracked and the ceiling caved in. Goku was still in the hospital wing of the castle, or at least what was left of it. Takeo was kneeling down beside Goku, tears falling from his eyes. Besides his sons, Goku was alone. Where was everyone? What happened?

"What happened?" Goku croaked, his throat beyond parched.

"You lost control, Daddy," Takeo murmured, running his hands along Keigo's back, tears still falling from his eyes. "I didn't know what was happening. You were screaming and the whole place was shaking. Piccolo told everyone to get out."

Goku looked around in horror. He had done this? He could have killed someone. "Is anyone hurt?" Goku sat up, cradling Keigo in his lap and reaching out to hesitantly touch Takeo's shoulder.

Takeo shook his head. "Keigo woke up and said he would help you. He told everyone else to leave and he stayed here, with you. He calmed you down, Daddy."

Goku looked down at the boy in his arms. Keigo leaned back from his chest and turned his head up. "Papa's alive, Daddy. Don't worry. You can still save him."

Goku sucked in a ragged breath and bowed his head. Then mention of Vegeta had his recently found control wavering. Soft hands cupped his cheeks and he felt his control snap back into place.

"You need to focus, Daddy," Keigo said fiercely. "You need to stay in control. You won't be able to save Papa otherwise."

Goku had never heard his son talk like this, so commanding, but it didn't seem unnatural. Keigo did take after Vegeta in many respects. He felt a bubble of happiness form in his chest where the aching emptiness of the loss of his bond resided. Goku was so happy Keigo was awake. He hugged his son and breathed deep. "I'll try my best, Keigo."

Goku will do everything he could to stay in control. He looked around the devastated hallway. Goku had proof right in front of him of what he could do if he lost control.

Goku, Takeo and Keigo jumped to their feet when a heart wrenching wail echoed across the castle. Goku felt his heart clench at the sound.

Keigo gasped and Goku and Takeo turned towards him. "What's wrong, Keigo," Takeo asked, taking his brother's hand.

"It's Goten," Keigo whispered, closing his eyes like he was in physical pain. Goku's youngest son suddenly looked ten times his age. "Goten's broken."

Trunks stroked a hand over the glass separating him from Goten. His former mate was suspended in a regeneration tank, one of the very few the Saiyans still had in operation. The maintenance of these machines was very high, and without constant, proper care, they would cease to function.

There were only two tanks in the castle, the other four were dispersed amongst the population. Both tanks in the castle were occupied, one with King Vegeta and the other with Goten. They only had two sensu beans left now.

Trunks rested his forehead against the glass of the tank, taking in Goten's features. Even in stasis his former mate looked pained. Trunks closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He needed to stay calm. Freaking out didn't do anything for him or the situation they were all in. The Saiyans were going to war, and Trunks would be right there, leading them.

With his father gone and his grandfather out of commission, Trunks was the next heir to the throne, and responsibility fell to him. The day before the thought of leading and figuring out any kind of strategy had made him sick to his stomach. Now, Trunks buried those weak feelings. Decebal had declared war, by tearing apart his Goten and leaving him for dead while breaking the bond between his father and Goku.

Decebal wanted a war, and Trunks sure as hell was going to give it to him. He will lead his people into battle, he will take down the Bakulan scum that tainted their planet, and he will personally rip out Decebal's throat.

Trunks opened his eyes and looked at Goten. His eyes took in where his left arm and right leg were missing. Already plans were drawing themselves in his head. He saw wires and metal and coding coming together to make Goten whole again. The scientist in him was eager to build something, anything by hand to make Goten's life easier when he woke up.

Trunks stored the plans away, though, now wasn't the time. First he needed to get rid of the immediate threat. After that, Trunks will sit down and build a new arm and leg for Goten.

Kudret had followed Decebal from one end of the universe to the other. It was his duty. Kudret's father, and his grandfather, and every man in his lineage before him had followed and supported the leader of the Bakulans. Kudret followed without question, without thinking, and without a complaint.

That didn't mean he didn't still have his conscience.

Kudret didn't sleep most night. Lying awake in his cold bed with visions of blood and screaming and death swirling in his head. He knew Decebal had no troubles sleeping, especially if he had one or two or three bedfellows. Kudret was not allowed to indulge in carnal pleasures. He was sworn to a duty that had been pounded into his scull for years by his father. He was to be absolutely, without fail, loyal to the Bakulan leader. All of his desires and needs are to be put aside so he can better serve, protect and advise their leader.

His mind was always, always thinking about Decebal and the Bakulans and his duty. He never shut down, he never relaxed, he never stopped to think about what he was allowing Decebal to do and by default, doing himself. If Kudret stopped, he knew all of his training would fly out the window.

He didn't sleep, because in that relaxed state he had to face all of the horrors that were done by his leader. Kudret made sure to wake himself up before he reached a deep enough sleep.

Kudret had reached that point of sleep once, some years ago just after Decebal had acquired Tarble for his mate. Kudret had slept and seen with open eyes what his leader had done to an innocent child. Decebal had killed the only father Tarble had ever known and then raped a child and forced a bond on him.

Kudret was admitted to sick-bay for two weeks after he woke up, panicked, sick and nearly mad.

After that he stopped truly sleeping. Catching a few hours here and there for his body and taking drugs for his mind.

Kudret knew if he slept now, he might wake up and do something unforgiveable.

He might wake up and stage a mutiny against the Bakulan leader.

—

Kudret straightened his shoulders as he followed Decebal into his throne room. Monitors where set up, broadcasting Decebal onto ever screen on every Bakulan ship. It was time for the manipulation of the Bakulans that Kudret was never quite comfortable with.

Kudret took his spot next to where Decebal sat on his throne. Decebal began his planned speech, to paint the Saiyan's in such a way that the Bakulan people will basically ask for war. A war that Decebal will happily grant them. Decebal spoke of the attack on him and his entourage by a Saiyan sent by the King. Decebal spoke of how he and Kudret barely survived, though the rest of his entourage had not.

His entourage had in fact survived, but Decebal killed them to make the story more heartbreaking for his people. He even had the families of the deceased shown on the screen, faces tear streaked and revenge in their eyes.

Decebal mentioned nothing of Prince Vegeta, who had been captured. That was ammunition used to rile the Saiyans up for war, not the Bakulans.

Kudret glanced over his shoulder. Prince Vegeta was shackled in the wings behind Decebal's throne, hidden from the cameras by curtains. The Saiyan Prince sat in a chair, staring at nothing. Kudret swallowed thickly and turned his attention back to Decebal and his speech. Prince Vegeta was of no concern to Kudret.

In his mind's eye he saw a splash of red and a limp leg, Decebal smiling against a pale thigh. Kudret heard screams and watched as the light died in Prince Vegeta's eyes.

Kudret had seen and committed many horrors during his time as Decebal's right hand man. He had done things that could not be forgiven, and had stood by while Decebal did things that were much, much worse.

Kudret looked over his shoulder again, taking in Prince Vegeta. He saw every travesty he had committed, every horror he had witnessed, and everything wrong with Kudret in the slump of the prince's shoulders and the dimness of his eyes.

Kudret saw himself. Saw the eager to please, starry eyed boy he had been, slumped over in that chair. Kudret saw every ghost that would haunt him and every buried wish he had that things were different.

Kudret closed his eyes and looked away, taking a breath. He felt like he was too full, like water bubbling on the rim of a cup but not pouring over. Kudret worried about what would happen when he did spill over. What would he do then, and would he come back from it.

Vegeta quickly hid his pieces of wire under the bed when he heard someone coming down the hall. He leapt to the bed and laid down, in the same position he had been in the last time someone had been in his room. Vegeta let his eyes glaze over and relaxed his body. The door to his room opened and then closed. He could sense he wasn't alone though, so it wasn't someone bringing his food. So it had to be Decebal.

The bed dipped by his hip and Vegeta didn't react. His mind was working a mile a minute, going over escape ideas and ways to harm the Bakulans from the inside, but outwardly Vegeta looked like a broken, lifeless doll.

Decebal grabbed Vegeta's shoulders and forcibly turned him, manhandling his body until Decebal crouched over him. The bastard probably thought he looked intimidating. Vegeta just thought he was a cheap knock-off of Freiza. Vegeta had been abused in all kinds of manner by his former jailer so he knew exactly what men like this got off on.

It was the struggle. The cries. The begging. The breaking.

Vegeta wasn't going to give this bastard the satisfaction. He had been scared before and now he knew what this man was capable of. It made Vegeta sick and reinvigorated his drive to escape or at least take Decebal down. Step one was to not give Decebal anymore power over Vegeta. He would be a useless creature, unable to fan the flames of Decebal's desire because he didn't respond. That was the only way to by himself enough time.

Vegeta had never tried this tactic with Freiza because he knew he would have been dead. Vegeta was too valuable to Decebal. He needed Vegeta, needed what he represented to the Saiyans. With Vegeta around Decebal was at an advantage. That's where his advantage stopped, though.

Decebal had already been to his room three times now and each time Vegeta was a limp, empty shell, lying exactly where he was left. He could tell he was making Decebal upset. The bastard wanted someone who would struggle and sob as he forced a bond on them. Decebal didn't want someone who would passively accept it, where was the self-satisfaction in that?

Vegeta didn't know how long before Decebal finally bonded with him for the hell of it, but until then Vegeta would keep up the charade of having already been broken before Decebal could get to him. Internally Vegeta cackled at the frustration and anger painting Decebal's ugly face. His hair was in more disarray each time he came in, like he keep running his fingers through it.

Decebal shook Vegeta, shouting in his face and he just barely kept himself from gagging at the smell of the bastard's breath.

Decebal didn't stay long, threatening like he had the last three times that the next time he came he would rape Vegeta, use his body and force the bond on him. Like the last three times, Vegeta just lay on the bed, not moving until the door closed and he was left alone.

Vegeta rolled over and stretched his shoulders, shaking out his limbs. He quickly slid off the bed and grabbed his tools, going back to picking at his shackles. He had already broken several wires in his quest but he could always get more.

If he had Trunks' intellect he would have tried to find a way to tap into the Bakulan's wireframe from the room, using the access he had to the bulkheads. Vegeta, unfortunately, wasn't that smart, technologically speaking. He could use technology, but he couldn't manipulate it.

As long as Vegeta could get out of his shackles and get his strength back it wouldn't matter.

Vegeta bit his bottom lip, wiggling the wire around. He was glad Decebal was so focused on him that he didn't notice the scrape marks on Vegeta's shackles or the damage to the walls that was barely hidden by the curtains. What an idiot. The Saiyan's were going to wipe the floor with his overindulged carcass.

Vegeta had been so worried when he had first woken up and was unable to feel his bond with Goku at all. That feeling would have been enough to truly make Vegeta an empty, ragdoll, coupled with the memories of the destruction Decebal had wrought on Goten's body.

Then Vegeta had felt something amongst his despair that had given him hope and focus. Keigo was awake, their father-son bond flaring to life in the back of his mind. Keigo was okay. If his son could come back from some unknown trauma, then so could Goten and Goku. So could Vegeta. Then he tore into the wall of his room some more, collecting pieces of wire and pipe small enough and hiding the rest of the debris.

Footsteps echoed down the hallway and Vegeta quickly hid his tools and dove for the bed, going limp. The door opened and shut in quick succession. Vegeta lay for a few more moments, letting his limited senses search the room until he deemed himself truly alone.

He got up from the bed and approached the tray of food that had been left to him. Vegeta had been living off of the water from the bathroom and taking only bits of food from the tray so as not to make a noticeable dent. Vegeta didn't want anyone suspecting he was actually up and about.

Vegeta grabbed at small bits of food, took a sip of soup and nibbled on some kind of vegetable he couldn't identify. He almost turned from the tray to go back to his work when he noticed something. It was such a small difference, but the mashed up something-or-other was distorted a bit, like there was something solid it was formed around. Vegeta furrowed his brow and reached for the mess, sticking a finger in. His eyes widened and he dug into the food earnestly, pulling out what could only be described as a tiny handsaw. It was razor sharp.

Vegeta looked at the door to his bedroom with a frown. This was evidence that someone was trying to help him. Unless it was some sort of trap… but it didn't seem likely. The saw was too small and simple to be hiding any ulterior use. So someone was helping. He glanced down at the saw in his hand, still mostly covered in the goop from his tray.

This would make escaping a bit easier, though still slow. It was probably too much to ask for a key. Decebal was likely to have the only copy of the key to Vegeta's shackles.

He quickly wiped off the saw, returned the tray of food to some semblance of order, hoping no one, especially Decebal would notice the disturbance. Vegeta went back to the bed, propping one of his legs up so he could start sawing at the back of the cuff around his ankle. If he couldn't cut through before Decebal got back, then hopefully the marks wouldn't be noticed if they were on the back.

The saw was very sharp and sturdy since it was making amazing work of his bonds. He was nearly through the first cuff after only a few moments.

A sharp beep followed by a loud speaker cackle had Vegeta pausing.

"My people," Decebal's smarmy voice spoke over the speakers and Vegeta lowered his saw. "It is with a heavy heart that I announce we are going to war. You all heard my announcement just a few short hours ago calling everyone to prepare for the possibility. Now it is official. The Saiyans have declared war on us, and we must respond or risk more Saiyan spies attacking our innocent."

Vegeta scoffed and went back to his sawing.

"I ask that all warriors report to the flagship to be outfitted with weapons, we will distribute duties once everyone has arrived. The Saiyans have stated the battle will happen on the other side of the planet to prevent innocent casualties."

Vegeta cocked his head. That sounded like Trunks. He hoped his son was prepared for the contingency that Decebal would likely send a group to attack the castle since the strongest warriors were away on the battlefield. Trunks would realize that, his son was smart.

The cuff on his left ankle fell away and Vegeta smirked. He just needed to get the other three done and then tackle his collar. Then he needed to figure out a plan or at least get his strength back. He should probably wait until Decebal left for the battlefield, it would make it quieter so Vegeta could hopefully escape unnoticed.

Footsteps came down the hallway. Vegeta cursed and hid his saw under the bed and then wrapped the cuff he had just got off back around his ankle. He hoped it stayed. Vegeta lay down just as the door to his room banged open, bouncing off the wall.

Decebal stormed into the room. He loomed over Vegeta's prone body. "You're coming with me, Prince. You'll be a good bargaining chip on the battlefield. Kudret! Bring him."

Decebal swept out of the room, and Vegeta finally took notice of the bastard's right hand man who stood by the door. Kudret was looking at Vegeta intently. Vegeta just barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Yes, he was naked, get over it.

Kudret moved forward and wrapped a blanket around Vegeta's body. The man knelt down and looked at Vegeta in the eye. Vegeta didn't meet his eyes, not really, he was still playing the empty doll, but he almost did. It felt like Kudret was trying to impress something on Vegeta. Kudret stood and scooped Vegeta into his arms and swiftly left the room. As Kudret walked down the hallway something was pressed under the blanket into one of Vegeta's hand.

Vegeta's eyes widened. It was his handsaw.

AN: Stay tuned people, things are getting hinky. I finally sat down and outlined (for the most part) all of the scenes I need to have happen from now until the end. Based on my calculations, carry the two, we're looking at about 5-6 more chapters for the story and some special epilogue chapters. Check out my blog for more info about that. Also be on the look out for a sneak peek of the next chapter on my blog in the next few days.
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Survival of the Fittest