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The Prince & The Scientist	By : Maddiesan Category: Dragon Ball Z > Het - Male/Female > Vegeta/Bulma Views: 1643 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z and I do not make any money out of this fiction.

Chapter List
- 1-Part 1
- 2-Part 2
- 3-Part 3
- 4-Part 4
- 3
- 4
A/N: All across, I got a little bit of... well, quite a few negative reviews. So, I don't know if I lost my DBZ touch (Or never had it to begin with ah!) - but yeah. I'm sorry? I'll - I don't know. I'll try to see if I can't get it right again... or maybe I'm fighting a hopeless fight.
The Prince & The Scientist
Part 4
"As far as princes go, you are quite useless."
Vegeta felt the twitch in his left eye as he forced himself to keep his composure. As a child and teenager, he used to react to those a lot more, but over the years he had learned to put up a facade. The more he gave them, the more they did it. The more he ignored them, the more peace he had in the long run. Although his patience was about to run short. Snarky comments, snooping around, listening to his every words, following him closer than his own shadow… he was sick of these two. Rage throbbed through his veins as he inhaled deeply, his nostrils flaring. He had to remind himself. A reaction was what they wanted and they would not get it. He did not get to retain a lot of pride but what he could control – he would. He would obtain victory through ignoring them.
And later one, through snapping their necks.
"Are you certain that this is what you do all day?"
"Maybe the little monkey is trying to hide information from us - from Frieza."
"Come on Zarbon, even he would not be that stupid."
They were not wrong; he had been avoiding most of his usual routine in the past little while. They aspired to learn more about him, about whatever they thought he was hiding. The less information he could give them, the better. They invaded his world, his planet. They did not deserve to be clued in about saiyan culture and heritage. Those idiotic beasts would probably not even understand the complexity of the saiyan world. Although, as their suspicion rose, he knew something had to be done. If things kept going the way they were, he would need to give them something before they went on a quest looking for something interesting. After all, nobody could believe he simply walked around and lounged about all day. He was a warrior - he was supposed to be fighting.
Also, the longer they were glued to him, the more time it would take him to get some supplies to the stupid loud mouth woman in the lab. He had his pride and he refused to let her know she was right. He could get what he wanted to whom he wanted when he wanted.
His patience was beginning to wear thin and it was affecting his judgment. He was not sleeping, he was not training, and he was not eating. There was no way he could rest when all he could think about was ways of avoiding their watchful eye and getting his GR ready. He was restless from the lack of activity and he could no longer think straight as he tried to find a solution to his current predicament. Sparring might help but he could not. He refused to train because he did not want them to know his strength, to see his power. If they saw how much he had grown, they would tell Frieza. Restraint was not an option either. If he restrained himself in front of them they would know. And how could he eat when he was so disgusted with himself? Disgusted by what he had become.
He became a puppet the moment his father let Frieza take over their home. A toy that Frieza could amuse himself with all day long. He took in every lesson, withstood every beating and he carried on every task until he no longer was the prince of all Saiyans. The fire of rebellion and revenge burned in his heart but his eyes were cold and soulless. He would get back what was taken from him. He would shred to pieces everyone who stood in his way, he would break all their necks, and he would splash blood until the soil was bleeding crimson. He would bathe in their blood and he wound hang their bodies for all to see. Yes, they would pay the price for crushing him and abusing him.
"What does little Vegeta do in the afternoon?"
"He must not know what to do with all his free time. How gracious of Frieza to let him off the hook." Vegeta was not as fun as he used to be. In the past, he would react to every single comment they would throw his way. It made for a lot of entertainment and a lot of practice since his punishment was to be their personal punching bag. Now, he remained quiet. Although, if they pushed it hard enough, from time to time, they would get a little reaction out of him. And then a beating would follow.
His chest was thrust out, his breathing was noisy and the vein on the side of his head was pulsing. He raised his chin high, keeping his pride, keeping his calm. If he did not put on a mask, they would see the truth, they would see his muscles quivering, his pulse speeding and his tense body. If they even suspected that he was trying to hide something, they would turn the castle upside down and eventually, they would find the woman. He would give them nothing. At least nothing important. He could give them what they were desperately seeking; a reaction. It would hurt him, it would hurt his pride - but maybe… maybe if he fought them a bit… they would leave him alone?
But then he would be sacrificing secrets, like his power level.
Which one was more worth it? The GR or a few secrets?
"A lot of talk coming from two babysitters."
Zarbon's green eyes narrowed but before he was able to take a step forward, Jaice blocked his path with his arm. "Little monkey is upset, let him have his fun." Jaice smirked before leaning forward. "We both know you can't handle a beating."
"What do we have here?"
"A little monkey who didn't listen to orders," Jaice replied with a smirk stretched across his face.
Zarbon titled his head to the side, joy radiating from his face as his entire body tingled with anticipation. It had been a while since he got to unleash a bit of frustration. Nothing beat punching a little boy who could not fight back. It was unfair, it was an easy fight – but it was his job. Someone had to do it right? Dirty work was his speciality and soon enough that little worthless monkey would learn who was the master and who was the slave. He knew that all slaves had to learn to be and behave but - he liked the rebellious ones. He liked beating them to the ground and crushing their prides. If they listened, if they obeyed, you could not take away their joy and their soul. He wanted to fight someone who had something to lose. It made it much more interesting to watch them lose it. Yes, Vegeta was his favorite toy of them all. And he did not think he would learn his lesson any time soon. It worked for him.
"Get up."
He did not move. As he had expected.
"Get up."
Again, he got no reply from the boy.
As Zarbon had expected, Vegeta wanted to do it the hard way and he saw no problem with that. He wanted to kill the fire in his eyes and so that way, their fall was more grandiose. He would shatter his pride, he would break him until they were nothing left of the boy but a shell. Then, they would rebuild him, they would transform him into a real solider.
"I suppose I'll have to help you stay down then."
He raised his hand and opened up his palm. His smile grew as a tiny ball of orange ki formed above his hand. It became bigger and bigger until it overgrew the size of his palm. Then, he threw it at the boy. He expected a scream, pain flashing in his charcoal eyes. Instead, he got nothing. The boy fell flat on his stomach, a thud echoing in the room, but he did not utter a sound. His eyes were shut and his body remained still. His lack of reaction angered Zarbon and he glared. Vegeta usually jumped back to his feet, or even screamed or grunted. He never ever had let himself stay on the ground. His pride would never allow it. This was now how he usually fought and Zarbon did not appreciate when he made him out to be a foul. He would crush him. He would show him that he could not play games with him.
He wanted to be sneaky? Very well. Zarbon created another ki ball and threw it at Vegeta. No sound. He threw another and another, over and over again until his own hand was burning from all the kis. Zarbon's jaw was clenched while he breathed out heavily. His muscles were rigid, his posture stiff while he looked at the boy's body. Nobody that small could withstand back-to-back attacks like this. He was a worm, he was a nothing. He was either dead or he had done something. Either way, Zarbon was going to crush him until a pile of bones was the only thing that was left behind.
Aware of Zarbon's struggle, Jaice stepped in. "Let me try," he said as he cracked his fingers, a smirk on his face. Zarbon was too weak, he did not want to get his hands dirty enough.
Jaice was different; he wanted Vegeta's blood on his hands. It was not often that Frieza allowed them complete freedom when it came to punishments. He would not waste this opportunity. He would beat the boy up until he was spitting his own blood out. And then, he would wear the crimson liquid as pride. He knew how much saiyan based their worth on their fighting skills. He was about to show this useless planet that their prince had not worth. He was going to be crushed. Too bad they could not kill him. He dreamed of parading Vegeta's dead body around. It would bring him great joy and satisfaction to finally stick it to the little royals. The saiyans deserved to be put in their place.
He crouched in front of Vegeta and grabbed his white collar. He used it to lift him off the ground. Vegeta did not look him into the eyes, he stared at the floor, his eyes void of any kind of emotions. It would change soon. Jaice raised his hand and smashed Vegeta's face with his fist. Once he got a few good punches in, he began shifting his targets. What was the fun in only breaking one body part when he could wreck his whole body? One blow in the stomach, the other under the chin and then the chest. He repeated his pattern until Vegeta coughed blood.
"We're gonna have some fun."
And they did have a lot of fun indeed. Vegeta was unable to walk for over a week. His face had been swollen, beaten black and blue and it had remained that way for a long time. He was refused access to the regeneration tank and he was much weaker as a child – his face took a while to return to normal. He had to carry his shame with him everywhere he went. Sometimes he got looks, sometimes he got gasped. But that day, everyone accepted one truth; Frieza owned Vegeta and he made sure the entire world knew it. He did not forget. He would never forget the blow to his pride. However, they were forgetting that he was no longer a child – and he was far from weak. Their beatings helped him get stronger, but he would never thank them for it. But he could not let them know all of this. He needed to let it go, he needed them to think he was weak. It would help him later on.
He had distracted them with an answer. And now it was time to pull away.
He went back to ignoring them; it was the safest path. Even if his gloved hand was twitching and his body was aching for a fight.
Pulling in a deep breath, he walked forward until he reached his bedroom. He peeked left, then right, and then grasped the golden handle of the door that led to his private room. He twisted it before halting. The vein in his neck throbbed, straining the skin. He needed just one moment away from them. He wanted to be alone with his thoughts. If he could focus on nothing but himself for a moment, he might just find an answer to his problem. He tilted his head and stared right at Zarbon's green face.
"I take my baths alone."
Zarbon thought he was pretty and he often tried his charms on the female population, Vegeta knew better than to think he was a womanizer. Females were not his cup of tea. He could not pinpoint exactly what Zarbon did in his free time to release his urges and frankly he did not want to know. He did know that he did not want him in the bathroom while he bathed. He had heard the stories and honestly, if it came to that, it would lead to a dead Zarbon in his rooms and he knew Frieza would not let that one go easily. He would be stuck under surveillance until the day he died. He could not afford to make those kinds of mistakes. Not when he was so close to his goal.
Zarbon's eyes flashed red for a moment, his skin urging to burst and transform his pretty face. However, Jaice's hand on his shoulder stopped him. The orders were simple, they could do whatever they wanted but they could not quite beat him to a pulp. After all, if he was too injured to go about his daily life, how would they ever find out anything they needed to know? "Why don't we check up on daddy dearest?"
Vegeta frowned. Frieza wanted them to keep an eye on him. Why was his father suddenly being investigated? His father that never said a word out of place to Frieza? Could it be that their recent suspicions about him were being transferred to his father? It did not concern him – his father could handle himself with him. It had nothing to do with him. Plus, he was finally having a moment by himself – he needed that time. Though, he knew it would be short lived. And it could even be a ruse. Perhaps they would simply say they were leaving but they would remain nearby. He did not know and he did not trust them. All he knew was that he would enjoy being in a room by himself, surveilled or not. Also, time was of the essence right now.
Last time he had cut it close with the little human and he knew he could not afford to make that mistake again. Plus, she had ticked him off when she questioned his power and his status. He was not about to let her guess that she was right about him. The less she knew about him, the better it was.
He slammed the door shut behind himself and then proceeded to walk to the window. He pressed his palms to the glass and stared at his destroyed planet. Rage spread through him as sleepiness attempted to claim his body. He could not let himself give into it. He had to fight it. He needed to find a way to take care of the woman. There had to be a way for him to be in two places at once. At least for a little bit.
Two places at once...
Maybe there was something to be done.
-T-
"Do you know what food is?"
He almost regretted coming to check up on her. During his time away from her he had forgotten how screeching and annoyong her voice was. She was going to aggravate his headache.
"Do you know what silence is?"
She narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I do. You have left me in complete silence. Constantly."
"And yet you still keep chatting."
She put her hands on her hips, leaning her body forward. "Listen mister. I am slaving over here. I'm trying to make a machine with minimum material, minimum staff and your arrogant ass demands it as fast as possible. So if I want to chat, I'll chat."
Vegeta was not the best company but at least he talked to her. The other servants and guards were either as invisible as ghosts or they were silent like mutes. Vegeta talked to her. She would prefer if she could bounce ideas off of someone but just getting her brain working was better than nothing. Of course, she was not about to tell him that she required some sort of conversation with him. He would like that a little too much and she had noticed that his ego did not need more stroking. It was fine as it was.
He wanted to argue with her, he wanted to give her a lesson - one she might remember this time, but he was running out of time. His little scheme would only work for so long and if it was found out the consequences would be dire. He was playing his one hidden trick and he could not afford to lose it. "You'll get food when you get work done," he snapped. He needed to get his guards on a better schedule and he needed to find a better way for them to get her food. One thing at a time.
"I'd get work done, if I got some material," she snappily replied as she tilted her head away from him. He was not a smart dictator if he thought she could get her work done while starving to death.
"It's on it's way." It was what he had spent a good portion of his time on; getting her the fucking material she needed to complete the GR. His time was running out and she was wasting it by yapping away. "I'll be back in a few days. It better be close to completion."
"You're leaving again?" For someone who was bossy he did not deliver on his promises and he kept mysteriously disappearing. It was not as though she constantly wanted him around, looking over her shoulder… but it simply did not add up. If he wanted the work to be done when he said so, why did he not simply stay and bark orders? Why did he leave her by herself all the time? She understood that he was the Prince and he had some things to attend… but he was never there. Most, he looked a bit nervous at the moment; his orbs were shifting left and right and he was fidgety. Something was not right.
He was not her favorite person but she had this feeling that her life was tied to him. He might not keep his promise to let her remain alive, but she had more chance to stay alive if he was. If something happened to him - nobody would need her. She was a sweet talker but even she had a limit as to what she could talk herself out of - after all, she was stuck on this awful planet at the moment.
"You're the slave," he pointed. "I am free to go as a please."
Except he was not. And maybe it was what was so rewarding about her presence; he could pretend he was something he was not. She helped him keep up the illusion that he was more than he actual was. She was what his world could be if Frieza had not come along, or if his father had not relinquished everything that they had and everything that they were. But it was too late to live in that fantasy world. The only fantasy he could have now was the desire to be more, the desire to gain it all back. She was the key to it all and he had to keep her alive. The thought of his GR being complete was the only thing that had allowed him to make it past the last few days.
He needed to be stronger, he needed the power.
If he could have that, he would never need anything else because he would be able to take what he wanted.
He could hear her yapping, probably bitching, as he turned around and began to walk away from her. If they had not found out his little ruse by now, they would soon. He would need to use it again and he could not let it go to waste after the very first use. He tuned her out, and he walked away from her, his footsteps quiet as he got ready to sneak back into his room.
Hopefully the twin play worked.
-T-
"So where does he go all day?"
"He has duties."
She rolled her eyes. "Yea, I got that. But more specifically?"
"I can't discuss that with you. You're a slave."
That word - it drove her up the wall. She was not stupid enough to not realize what kind of situation she found herself in. However, she refused to resign herself. At least, Vegeta's little absences had left her free to develop some other projects. Since her personal was reduced, she was not as watched - and the guards? Well, they did not quite know anything about what she was doing. It left her free to keep working on the ki blocking device. Of course, she was still hard at work on the GR - since she did not want Vegeta throwing another hissy fit - but she allowed herself to split her time between the two projects.
At least Vegeta had done good on his promise and he had delivered her more material. It was less than she had expected but it was better than none. The GR was beginning to take up a lot of room in the lab and she knew that she had to find a solution. Vegeta would not train here which meant he would need to move it around. The only way to allow it to be movable was to modify it slightly. She might need to do like she did back home; capsules. But that was a problem for another time.
"So he gets to threaten me and my whole planet, and I don't get to know where he goes all day?" she inquired, outrage.
"Yes."
Although Kakarot was one of the only person who talked to her, he was not much of a talker. She contented herself with the fact that he did not pretend she was not alive. The others walked through her and her words fell on deaf ears. Kakarot was somewhat the only friend she had in this hell hole and she would make due. She was trying to seem harmless and she was asking a bunch of questions in the hopes that he would eventually slip up. Although he was probably a great trainer, it took her no time to notice he might not be the sharpest tool in the shed. That was something she could use to her advantage. They were using her and she felt no shame in using them.
Plus it was not like she had any shame left. She was already building a device to better a horrible being. Who knew what Vegeta would do to the universe once he obtained all the power that he sought? The simple thought of it was enough to make her shudder in fear.
"So what are his duties? Does he have to bless babies? Does he - kill things and eat their heads?" She assumed the worst when it came to the saiyan culture. She could not believe that these apes could be civilized.
Babies. That was something of the past on this planet but he could not share that information with her. As a matter of fact, he was almost certain that he was not even supposed to be talking to her. To be fair, it was hardly his fault. She kept talking and talking and at some point, he found himself answering. This kind of duty was the worst for him. He was not meant to be a watch dog who stood in the same spot forever. He was - a warrior, he fought. The thrill of the fight was the only thing that kept him going. Once Vegeta put him here, he took away his way of life. Of course, he would never think of disobeying his Prince - hence why he had immediately accepted the task. It also meant that Prince Vegeta trusted him and he was quite flattered to receive such an honor.
He did not know all the details about her presence and what she was building but he could easily guess. His Prince was playing on getting a lot stronger than he was. He was probably the only one who could take on Frieza. He did not mind the missions, the constant battles but he did not like to see his people suffer like this. They had no freedom, they had no liberties. They had to do as they were told, even if they did not want to do it. And that was something he had a hard time accepting. Whatever he could do to help his Prince, he would do. Although, his days were agony. Sometimes he paced around the lab - even if he was not supposed to - while other times he chatted away with her. That was another thing he was not supposed to do. But she was interesting and she helped his days move faster.
Maybe he could even learn a thing or two. The more he knew, the better he could protect his people, his Prince and his King.
"We don't eat heads," he finally answered. That did not sound very tasty. There was not anything good in the head - the brains were often too squishy for his taste. At the thought of food, his stomach began to growl. Man he could eat. That was another problem with being stuck down there; he barely got any food. Granted, he was not doing much with his day but still. Boredom made him even more hungry.
Bulma arched an eyebrow as the sound of his stomach growling echoed through the lab. "Glad to know I'm not the only one they are starving."
Kakarot cringed; she did not know why she was being starved. Of course, he was under direct orders to not share the truth with her. And he would not betray his Prince. However, he did think that she might be more willing to help if she actually knew the whole story. Vegeta was not as evil as she thought he was. He was doing this to save them. Was she not also working for Vegeta because she was trying to save her people? He knew that she disliked the current situation she found herself in but she put up with it because her people needed her to be strong. It was the same thing for Vegeta. He was bidding his time, waiting for the day that he could rescue them. He simply had more options when it came to letting out his anger. Also, he disliked anybody who was weak. But that was not just him. It was a saiyan trait.
Even him, Karakot, he had been treated badly when he was first born. He was a third class saiyan and though some became great warriors, he was born with a very low power level. They thought they should dispose of him, kill him and be done with it. What was the point of being a saiyan if you could not fight? But, his father managed to have him spare. Everyone kicked him, treated him like dirt until one day he began training. He trained, and he trained until he blew them all away. His ki was now one of the strongest kis and he became part of the Elite warriors. Of course, he remained a third class, but he had found honor in his class. He was more than he was meant to be. Prince Vegeta was the one who allowed him on that branch of fighters and Kakarot would never forget it.
He owed him everything and he would serve him loyally until his last breath.
"Saiyans eat a lot."
"I noticed," she said as she kept on screwing together two metal plates. She was about to run out again. She had spent a lot of her time shouting out loud that she needed more but - nobody ever answered her calls. She figured Vegeta had some way to hear her but she had not figure out how yet. "You know I need more materials right?"
"He knows."
"Why can't he just give me everything one shot? It would be a lot easier."
"You ask a lot of questions." He did not know how else to answer her. She was asking way too many questions and way too fast. What if he slipped? Maybe this was why Vegeta did not want him to talk to her… Damn it, maybe he should have listened.
"And also why do I have to be locked up in here?" She asked as she gestured to the tiny lab. "He has a huge castle. He could have settled me anywhere." Yes, talking. That was always the thing that got her brain working and now the pieces of the puzzle were starting to form a picture. "I mean, it can't be because he was scared that I would escape. Let's be real here. I'm a genius. I know when I don't have a chance in hell." Even if she wanted to run away, they would catch her. Her safest option was to stay put and be extremely useful. "And I know he's not trying to teach me a lesson. So what is it?"
Kakarot found himself in a hard situation. She was not allowing him enough time to think and now he did not know what to say to all of her questions. If he said nothing, she might deduce something from it. If he lied and she did not believe him, it would be the same result. He was stuck and he did not know how to get out of it.
Luckily for him, he was saved by the sound of footsteps.
Bulma finally tore her blue eyes away from him and instead, snapped her head in direction of the noise. Everything was darkness and it made it difficult for her to see. She could however distinguish the shadow of a man. She recognized the widow peaked hair and she resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "About time," she snapped as she pulled herself away from the barrier. The guards might not know what she was working on, but Vegeta might be able to recognize that she was working on something other than the GR. She could not risk being found out when there was still so much left to do.
The footsteps grew louder but there were no other sounds to go along with it.
Bulma could not resist the urge to arch an eyebrow; it was unlike Vegeta to not take the bait. He always loved trying to shut her up. Something was wrong.
"What are you doing out?"
"Brother let me out."
That was not Vegeta's voice. Bulma tossed her little device under a pile of junk and walked near Kakarot. But it looked like him. Although as the person got closer and closer, it did not feel like the height was right. Vegeta was not that tall to begin with but - this was off…
"Why would he do that?"
"He wanted me to be him." The voice was sweet and filled with pride - something Bulma would never associate with Vegeta. "I was going back to the dungeons."
Finally, the stranger stepped out of the shadows and into view. Bulma could not help the gasp that slipped her lips. She knew that most Saiyans looked the same but this - this was on a whole new level. She was staring at a much skinner, and shorter, version of Vegeta. Except - he was completely different. He had a grin on his face, he was not frowning, and he seemed to beam with joy and good will. It was scary to see those kind of expressions on a face that shared similarities with Vegeta's. She was thrown off by it. All she could do was stare and gape. Why was Vegeta allowing another person to come to the lab? He did not look like he could even be a guard? Actually, he looked like he could not do much. Bulma was even sure that she could take him on if she tried.
"You're Bulma right?"
"Hm - I. Yes."
"I'm Tarble."
Tarble?
"I'm Vegeta's little brother."
-T-
- 3
- 4
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The Prince & The Scientist