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Atavism	By : ctsama Category: Dragon Ball Z > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 9192 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 3
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball, Dragonball Z, Dragonball Super, Resurrection 'F', or Battle of Gods or the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Leverage

Vegeta stalked back and forth in his cold cell like a caged and aggravated predator. The confusing change in behavior from the watchful calm he’d display so far was documented by his watchers, but they couldn’t see all that was transpiring before them.

Whis watched his friend and student from a comfy chair he’d materialized; an island of civility in such repugnant surroundings. With eons of moving undetected through the multiverse, Whis was the only one of the Universe 6 group who could visit Vegeta with no chance of being caught. And right now, Whis was the only one with any chance of truly calming him down.

//I don’t give a damn that he’s not the Freeza we know. I’d know that black, shit-reeking presence anywhere! I want him dead and I want him dead right fucking now!//

“Vegeta, please. Save your energy and rest! This is all a moot conversation if the children eat through what little energy you have.”

Vegeta snorted and continued the bad habit he’d picked up from his mate. Whis knew he would have to play his winning card to stop the pointless pacing. ‘Fine, my stubborn student. Let’s see if you can ignore an order from your master.’

Sit and calm yourself or I won’t tell you anything more. Don’t make me repeat myself.

Whis smirked as Vegeta finally stopped his relentless treading, tail lashing once or twice in annoyance. It took a minute for him to wrangle that formidable temper into something he could manage, but Vegeta managed to sit before giving Whis a sarcastic raise of an eyebrow. //Better?//

“Much. This newcomer’s name is Frost. Simplistically I would say he’s this Universe’s version of Freeza; it happens that way sometimes. Same race, similar genetics and power levels, etcetera. He’s not as powerful as Freeza but they’re barely feeding you and the childrens’ needs are growing by the day. By the time Frost arrives you will undoubtedly be at a disadvantage if you challenge him.”

//Like hell I will! Freeza was an overconfident jackass. The second this Frost underestimates me-//

“He won’t, nor will he take any chances with his life around you. Frost doesn’t operate as Freeza did; he prefers craftiness over brute force. He has this Universe hailing him as a hero while he does unspeakable things behind the scenes. This slave market of his is just one of many unsavory practices. It seems he’s worked closely with the Sadla Defense Forces in the past, using them to further his own agendas. …Well?”

Vegeta’s eyes narrowed, and Whis waited while he reached out to Gohan.

//Hey. Are you with Cabba?//

*Yeah, why?*

//I need you to ask him about someone named Frost.//

His temper simmered in the couple of minutes it took to get an answer, but when it came it backed up what Whis had already told him.

*Cabba’s all excited; whoever this guy is Cabba thinks the world of him. He’s a hero, and he says Yasai considers him an ally against evil.*

//…Shit.//

*?*

//I’ll fill you in later. Get back to it for now.//

Vegeta fought through yet another fit of anger before admitting the truth to himself and to Whis. As much as he wanted this incarnation of Freeza dead no matter the cost, Whis was right. //You have a point. That changes things. Yasai trusts Kakarot, but he’s still going to have a hard time believing us without the truth from Frost’s own mouth. And convincing his council would be impossible.//

“And to reveal both Frost and Sava the way you want, you’ll have to survive Frost’s machinations for a few days. Assuming that’s still the plan…?”

//It has to be.//

Whis’ smile brightened. “Well! I’m staying right here until it’s time to haul them all back to Sadla. I hope you enjoy having a roomie!”

The part of Vegeta that was offended at being thought of as a weakling who needed a babysitter was surprisingly dwarfed by the part of him that was relieved. …Not that he complained any less, though. Even though Whis saw right through his bad attitude, Vegeta was sure, the formalities had to be observed.

____________________________________________________________________________________________
“I can’t believe we’re doing this. We should be running as far from here as we can get. If he doesn’t kill us it’ll be a fucking miracle.”

Krass understood his team’s unease. As they all waited for Frost’s ship to finish docking all they could do was speculate about what would happen next, and none of them had any face-to-face experience with their employer.

What they did know of him didn’t bode well for them.

“Lord Frost is not like that. I’ve worked under him longer than all three of you. As long as we’re worth more than the trouble we cause, we’re good. And the bottom line is that we’ve never failed before and we make him more money than any other team, it’s as simple as that.”

The rest of his team seemed unconvinced but Krass ignored their grumbling. The hatch finally opened to reveal his Lord, hands behind his back and scowling in displeasure. He cleared his throat, hoping that the bottom line truly was enough to save his life.

“Lord Frost,” he intoned, bowing deeply. “I apologize for the inconvenience, but I assure you, it couldn’t be helped.”

He flinched at the annoyance in his Lord’s deep red eyes as his eyes cut over his team and then back to him. “We can discuss your failure later. Right now all I care about is getting the package prepped and delivered. The last thing I need is to have his buyer trying to haggle me down on price because we missed our delivery date. He’s worth a fortune, and I have plans for that money. Now, why haven’t you brought him to heel?”

“Sir, I- I beg your understanding that our options have been severely limited. He’s a better fighter than all of us combined are- or were. We’ve weakened him by reducing his food intake but we could only go so far due to his pregnancy.”

Frost brightened, a cold smile lighting his face. “That’s right, he killed one of you… I’ll have to thank him. He saved me the trouble of doing it myself. Well, what do you know of Vegeta?”

Krass could feel the other members of his team shifting nervously. “We were given an incomplete profile to begin with-”

“Yes, yes,” Frost huffed in further annoyance. “An opportunity presented itself and he was taken in a hurry as I understand it. Just tell me what information you do have!”

“His demeanor on Sadla was difficult to read according to Cela’s reports. We do know that he was running around alone and unguarded behind his supposed mate’s back during his stay, and whether said ‘Consort’ is even the father of those unborn children is highly questionable. We have no indication that Vegeta cares about anyone or anything besides his children, and he’s smart enough to know that any threats we make toward them are empty. And since he knows we pose no threat to him-”

“You called me in rather than waste more time. A wise choice,” Frost admitted grudgingly before turning his thoughts to their troublesome captive. “So he fancies himself a fighter. How adorable. He won’t find me so easy to send packing, not that it will come to that.”

“What else is there?” Krass asked, puzzled. “He has to be broken, and force is all one like him understands. He must be beaten down, shown how powerless he is.”

Frost chuckled. “How little you understand the Saiyan race. Well, allow me to complete your precious profile. A Saiyan - male, female, child-bearer, it makes no difference - cannot be outfought. Even in defeat they’ll find a way to spite you; they’re the type who would rather die than give you the satisfaction of ruling them. To truly conquer them you must understand that for all their bluster and fury they’re a disgustingly noble people. It’s easy to manipulate them with the proper leverage. How do you think I’ve been so successful at using them all these years?”

“Leverage, sir?'’

“Exactly. You’ll see what I mean soon enough. I brought two slaves with me. They’re well broken, no need for a fuss. Go get them and give them a remote introduction to our little problem child. I’ll watch from the control room and we’ll go from there.”

__________________________________________________________________________________________
“Sitting there staring at the door isn’t going to get Frost in here any faster, Vegeta.”

//Then go find out what’s taking him so long!//

Whis only chuckled. “Goku would have kittens if I left you alone right now and you know it.”

Vegeta made an annoyed sound but Whis’ words only made the growing ache in his heart throb even more. Goku wasn’t the only one having trouble with their separation. No matter how much Vegeta told himself he was eager for an end to this mission for the good of his people, the larger truth was much simpler.

‘Kakarot… the sooner this ends, the sooner I can see him again.’

The slot in the door which had previously opened only to admit small amounts of food now opened with a different purpose. Whis’ eyes narrowed as a thick, black metal collar slid under the door.

Goku felt Vegeta’s alarm and his attention snapped from training to his mate in an instant.

Whis and Vegeta both stood, Whis banishing his comfortable chair back into nothing. “Is that-”

//Yeah. It’s just like the shock collar the asshole prep team tried to lock me into the day I got here. What the hell are they up to? They have to know I’m not going to just put the damned thing on.//

“Unless they think they can make you do it now.”

A smooth panel on one of the walls flashed for a moment before an image resolved on it. Vegeta didn’t react but what he saw froze his heart.

Two girls, identical as far as Vegeta could tell, who looked to be Trunks’ age seized his attention. Even kneeling it was clear they were of a smallish race, definitely humanoid but with long, willowy limbs and shimmering, almost iridescent gray skin. Vegeta didn’t recognize the species; probably one long dead in his home Universe. Their shock collars were active, and even through the screen Vegeta could see the scarring underneath that told of years under a master’s control.

Their heads were bowed, their shoulders slumped. Though they wouldn’t or couldn’t look up at the camera Vegeta didn’t need to see their eyes to know how defeated they were. The thin wraps they wore left most of their skin exposed, and though their flesh bore no obvious signs of abuse, Vegeta well knew that didn’t mean a thing.

Vegeta already knew the direction things were about to take, but his gentler mate was still confused. What’s going on, why are they here? Can you talk to them?

Vegeta closed his eyes for a moment, trying desperately to reach the girls’ minds but he couldn’t get through to them. //There’s nothing to reach. They’re headblind… I can’t make them hear me.//

Vegeta forced his eyes away from the girls to the surviving members of his failed prep team, standing behind the kneeling girls. Their smirks said it all; despite his display of power at their first meeting, they no longer feared him with the strength of their Lord Frost now at their backs.

“From now on, if you don’t obey us these two will take your punishment,” Krass said with a dangerous smile.

“Oh, really,” Vegeta drawled, stalling for time to think. “And what is it I’m supposed to do?”

The shock collar on the floor snapped open and Vegeta scowled. “That’s right. Put it on and kneel. Or-” he said, moving a hand meaningfully to the waistband of his pants, “get ready to see a show.”

Goku’s heart went cold. This was out of some of his greatest fears. You can’t give in but we can’t let them hurt those girls!

//I know, I know!//

Vegeta thought fast, trying to get ahead of the situation. Angrily he had to admit he hadn’t seen this coming; Whis had been right. Frost was playing him, and playing it hard. There was no way he would be able to turn his back on these twin children’s suffering, not when he could prevent it.

//Stay with me as fully as you can, and don’t argue; I’m going to be an asshole but I don’t know how else to help them. Keep up. This is going to happen fast.//

After a moment Vegeta snorted, then laughed. “You want me to debase myself, for what? Your broken dolls? Look at them! They’re so far gone they don’t even care what you do to them anymore!”

Krass frowned and the other members of his team looked to each other in confusion, obviously not expecting this turn.

“I mean it!” Krass shouted, yanking one of the girls up by her fine hair to face the camera. “We’ll do to them what we’ve been dying to do to you since you killed our friend!”

Vegeta held any outward signs of his emotions but he was ready to explode. The girl barely flinched though the pain must have been great, nor was there any resistance in her lanky body; she simply went limp.

Goku’s confusion caught his attention and he answered. //Submitting makes the pain end faster than fighting. Not everyone is as hard-headed as me.//

“Torture your soulless children all you want,” he said, as coldly as he could. “It’s too late for them anyway. There’s nothing left of them to save.”

At that one of the girls began to show the first signs of life since the monitor turned on. The one being held up finally raised her dark eyes to the camera, her face falling. A stream of tears began to fall down her angular cheeks to her thin lips. The one still hunched on the floor gasped a few times and Vegeta leaned closer without thinking. ‘Come on. I can carry you out of here but only you can decide to live-’

A thin voice, rough with either disuse or too much use of the shock collar broke through the seated girl’s silence. Her words were quiet but unmistakable.

“W- We w- want to… go home!”

It was all Vegeta needed to hear. “Kakarot, help me,” he called quietly. “Help me.”

The King touched the door with his and his mate’s combined fury and it exploded. He bolted down the corridor toward the bundle of terrified ki he sensed not far from him.

A startled worker fled the halls at his approach but Vegeta paid him no mind. Thankfully the girls were being held on the same deck and it didn’t take too long to reach them, though he had to blast his way through another couple of security doors.

He was more careful with the last door between them, punching the control panel to short out the lock. It swept open to reveal the once confident and smiling prep team, now terrified beyond words. Two of them bolted for the door figuring Vegeta couldn’t catch them all, only to go down before they even saw him move.

While Vegeta made short work of them, Krass and his remaining teammate had the same thought, each of them grabbing one of the girls from behind and wrapping a hand around their throats in threat.

“Stop right there or we break their necks!”

Vegeta looked up from his fallen attackers, judging distance and conferring with his mate while Krass continued his threats, secure in the safety of his fragile shield.

Narrowed eyes and a snarl were Krass’ only warnings. Again Vegeta’s incredible speed spelled their defeat. With another burst of energy from Goku Vegeta was able to cross the room and kick the junior team member away from his hostage.

Krass tightened his own grip, ready to kill the girl in his arms but once again Vegeta got there first, grabbing him by the arm before he could squeeze the life from the terrified girl.

With a roar Vegeta threw Krass headfirst into a wall. Though it was clear the brute was no longer a threat, in his rage Vegeta moved to make sure he’d never get up again. But Goku’s urging turned his attention back to the frightened girls. He realized how terrifying he must look to them, but there was no time for gentleness.

Instead of stomping on Krass’ neck, Vegeta used the controls on his arm to deactivate and open the collars. They dropped off the girls’ necks and clattered onto the floor, and the girls grabbed for each other in a tight embrace. Wide-eyed and trembling with both fear and disbelief they pushed themselves off the floor, still holding hands.

Vegeta knew their thoughts, as did Goku. Would there be a price for this rescue? Had they simply traded one abuser for another?

We have to get them to come with us, but what can we do to get them to trust us? There’s no time!

//That’s the easy part.//

“Come,” Vegeta said, holding out a hand. “It’s time to go home.”

The girls looked to one another for a moment and as they decided Vegeta shared the warmth of a memory with Goku, of a time when the Earth-raised Saiyan had offered his own hand to a damaged creature who needed his help.

I needed you too, Vegeta.

The girls looked back to Vegeta, certainty in their eyes as they each placed a small, thin hand in his own. Vegeta gave those hands a light squeeze before setting to work.

The girls were clearly too weak to move quickly. After a moment’s consideration Vegeta pulled one of the girls onto his back, lifted the other in his arms and pelted out of the cell. He didn’t need to look beside him to know Whis was there. //I need a ship.//

“Turn left at the next juncture.”

It didn’t take long to reach their destination. With Whis’ help he reached the dock overrode the security locks on the small craft.

Vegeta set the girls down in the cockpit and began setting the controls, again with Whis’ aid to find their home planet. The girls watched him silently for a minute before one of them finally spoke nervously.

“We are… valuable. They will chase, catch us… b- bring us back,” she finished quietly.

“I won’t let that happen,” Vegeta assured them as he finished programming the autopilot. “Besides, this ship is too fast. They won’t be able to catch you anyway.”

They looked at each other and back to him, the trust in their eyes unshakable. “Our people did not sell us, we are stolen. They are kind, will be grateful. You come, we will all care for you. And for young ones,” she said, hesitantly extending a hand to his rounded belly. He nodded and she made contact, smiling as one of the twins moved against her hand. The other girl giggled and came forward as well and for just a moment they were young again, just children feeling happy for the first time in far too long.

“You come,” the first one said again, stepping back and suddenly looking down at the floor. “Stay here and they will… hurt you. Shame you, make you dirty. Like… like us.”

Vegeta was speechless for a moment, and Goku’s upset overwhelmed his own pain.

Part of me wishes they could stay with us, just so we can make sure they’re safe.

//They will need their own people. Once we take down Frost we can find them and make sure they’re recovering.//

“I still have work to do here, don’t worry about me. If you want to do something for me just remember your own strength. You survived these bastards and there is no shame in that. Never forget it.”

“Your words… we remember forever,” one of them said. “Our words not enough, but… we thank you.”

Vegeta nodded, swallowing hard. “Go. There are living quarters down that ladder. The trip will take a few days. Rest until you get home.”

They nodded back, then in a quick burst they flew toward him, grabbing them in a fierce hug. He was too stunned to move but Goku did it for him, pushing him to wrap his arms around them. Vegeta closed his eyes briefly, missing the feel of his own children in his arms. “Go,” he said softly. “Live.”

They left with a bounce in their step, but Vegeta and Goku both knew how difficult their recovery would be. But they were strong, and they would have the love they needed to heal. Vegeta took a breath and turned to Whis, preparing to ask the impossible.

//We both know this ship isn’t any faster than Frost’s. After everything I just did to free them you can bet Frost will send ships to intercept and return them.//

Whis’ brows furrowed. “Please, don’t ask me what I think you’re going to ask, Vegeta.”

//Look at them. They don’t know how to fly this thing. They won’t even be able to disengage the autopilot or navigate to their home once they arrive at their planet. And how are they going to protect themselves if they’re pursued? They need someone to watch over them, Whis. They need you.//

“So do you!” the agonized angel burst out. It was true that Frost wasn’t Freeza, but he was just as dangerous in his own way. “Goku, please! Talk some sense into him!”

//He doesn’t like this, but he understands. Those girls… they can’t take anymore, Whis. If they’re caught they’ll die inside, for good this time.//

Whis was torn. He didn’t want any more harm to befall the girls they had saved, but they weren’t Vegeta.

“Sometimes when I was still a child,” Vegeta said quietly, not wanting the girls to hear. “In my weaker moments before I got used to the things I was subjected to I-” he stopped for a second, wrestling with the difficult admission. “I wished I had help, that someone would come and blow Zarbon and Ginyu straight to hell or just… make them stop hurting me. But no one came for me, Whis. And it wasn’t long before I gave up hoping.”

“But… I-”

Vegeta grabbed Whis’ hand and pressed it to the fullness of his belly. Feeling Whis’ touch the children moved with delight, reaching out to a familiar mind that they already loved.

“What if it were them?” Vegeta demanded. Indignation flared at the mere thought of someone trying to take the twins from his care and Whis knew he was caught.

“Just because these girls’ parents don’t have the power to tear the universe down to find them the way we would doesn’t mean they don’t need their children back in their arms.”

“...All right. I will get the girls safely home, you have my word. Take care of them,” he said, giving the unborn twins a last touch, bidding them a loving goodbye for now. “And please don’t forget to look out for yourself.”

Vegeta smiled a little, nodding. //Thank you.//

Watching Vegeta walk away… watching him close the hatch between them was one of the most difficult things Whis had ever done. The ship shot away from the hatch and Whis pressed his hands against the portal as though he could phase through it and inhabit two places at once.

Vegeta watched, feeling just as conflicted but he frowned as Whis’ face changed just before he got too far away to see. Lavender eyes widened in surprise, then alarm before his mouth opened.

Vegeta shifted his weight to turn, cursing his own inattention, but felt a small sting at his neck. He lashed out but wobbled, and a dark-nailed hand caught his fist. Vegeta’s vision began to swim, but even though the blurry creature before him had different coloring than the one in his memory he recognized the smiling face.

Goku’s shock and dismay were almost overwhelming, and his determination to see this plan through was the only thing that kept him on Sadla.

Vegeta focused, shoving himself backward and fighting his disorientation as hard as he could and Frost chuckled, clearly amused by his struggles. “What… did you do to me…” he panted, blinking fast to try and clear his vision.

Frost came closer and Vegeta stood his ground. “King Vegeta. Don’t worry, the poison in your veins won’t damage those valuable young inside you. I just thought it would make this meeting a little easier. I am Frost, and I’ll be taking over your re-education.”

“Stay the fuck away from me!” Vegeta yelled, attacking once more but even he knew it wouldn’t be effective; his coordination was off. Frost dodged him easily, then caught Vegeta’s wrists, twisting him around to end the fight.

“I’ll do as I please, and you’ll learn to accept that. That lovely display of yours, saving those children has taught me all I need to know about how to control you.” Vegeta closed his eyes, cursing as he recognized the cleverness of Frost’s test.

His point made, Frost released Vegeta’s wrists and he stumbled as he turned to face Frost once more, falling to one knee. “But that’s a conversation for later. Feel free to have a little nap right now, you need it. We can talk more when you wake up.”

***************************************************************************************************************************
Next: Goku and Gohan struggle to keep Vegeta sane as a battle of wills rages between him and Frost.

Note: I’m going with anime Frost; manga Frost is more amoral than evil, and I just like the juxtaposition of Freeza’s evil vs. Frost’s.

ZeoViolet: A late happy birthday, I hope it was a great one!
Wemyss: Thank you, always glad to hear that folks are enjoying the story!
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Atavism