Adult-FanFiction.org : Gundam, Beyblade, DBZ, FMA

Breaking the Prince (Part 1)	By : Doog Category: Dragon Ball Z > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 3090 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or any of its characters. I will not make a profit from this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
- 7
Chapter Five

           Vegeta regained his senses, his arm twisted at a strange angle beneath his torso. Whoever had thrown him into the dark, metal cell had not taken any care to ensure his limbs were left in natural positions. Though there was a complete absence of light, Vegeta immediately knew where he was; he had been there before.
It was a small holding cell, its walls composed of a seamless, icy metal. They made almost no noise when struck, as if they were impossibly dense and thick. The space they held was tall enough that Vegeta could almost stand up straight (save for his hair getting in the way), and wide enough that he could stretch out on the floor in one direction. The only exit was one of the shorter walls, but it seemed to be just as thick as the rest. It had only ever slid open in Freeza's presence.
           Though it served as a reprieve from the bright lights and restraints, Vegeta felt only dread at being returned to the cell. He rolled onto his back and pushed himself up into a sitting position against one of the walls, stretching the arm that had fallen numb. Needles of sensation danced along its length while he sat in the dark, his eyes closed to prevent them from needlessly straining into the empty blackness. It was never a good sign when he was returned to the cell directly after the medics finished their work. It usually meant that Freeza was going to return shortly and found it unnecessary to sustain him on intravenous nourishment.
           Rapid alternation between beatings and medical attention was becoming more common. Vegeta imagined that the pattern was Freeza's design: first, the episodes had been irregular and sparse, separated by long days of mind-numbing inactivity. As time had passed, the pace had been accelerated to the extent that Vegeta was sure that Freeza was sometimes making two appearances in the same day.
           Periodically, there would be some irregularity so that Vegeta could never be entirely certain of Freeza's intentions. One such instance occurred when Vegeta had been left in the holding cell until he’d thought he would perish from lack of water. The silent, unchanging darkness and dehydration had brought on hallucinations and a desperation that Vegeta had never known before. When the door had finally slid open, Vegeta had been blinded by the dim lighting beyond it, then overwhelmed by need when his eyes were able to make out the small metal bowl of water that laid just outside.
Vegeta cursed to himself every time he relived the memory. He had been too weak, too removed from his senses to see the whole picture at the time, but he had crawled out of the cell to feebly grasp the bowl and bring it up to his mouth. After the first few desperate gulps, his eyes had risen past the top of the bowl to see that Freeza was towering over him, silently observing as Vegeta had remained on knees and elbows to drink. Vegeta hated to remember that moment and the feeling it had given him. It wasn't just the situation of being physically feeble and needy that humiliated him so much. It was the realization that, at some point during the long hours of denial, he had hoped that Freeza would return.
Vegeta could still see Freeza’s face as he had looked down at him silently. Freeza had not needed to gloat, because his expression had said it all: he had caught Vegeta in the act of showing weakness, confirming that the prince's physical needs were open to exploitation. Had Vegeta been stronger, he could have refused the offering, maybe told Freeza to fuck off. As much as Vegeta liked to think that his actions were solely determined by a strong will to survive, he knew that he had been desperate. Vegeta felt another pang of disgrace. Freeza had known, too.
Vegeta was bothered by the fact that Freeza could reduce him to such measures to stay alive in so little time and with so little effort. Fortunately, Freeza had not used this sort of torment much. Vegeta could only speculate, but suspected that it had to do with Freeza wanting him to be completely mentally present for his torture.
To Vegeta's shame, he was almost relieved that Freeza had simply let him drink the water. If Freeza had knocked the bowl out of his hands, and the water had spilled, Vegeta wasn't sure what he would have done. He didn't want to face the possibility that he may have licked it off the floor at Freeza's feet. Monkey scum. Freeza loved to call him that, but loved to make Vegeta act the part even more.
His hand came up to the metal collar still circling his neck. Like a fucking pet, Vegeta sulked. It was impossible to budge and very effective at preventing Vegeta from trying to tamper with the K.R.I. device directly. It would not have mattered anyway, since an attempt seemed suicidal after Freeza had described the K.R.I.’s location.
           Vegeta had no interest in killing himself. Through the rounds of torture, he had remained motivated by three unwavering objectives: staying alive, demonstrating his contempt for Freeza, and overcoming the K.R.I. device by releasing increasing amounts of ki. So far, Vegeta's original theory that short, intense bursts of ki would be the most effective had proved fruitless. Vegeta had returned to the previously dismissed possibility that sustaining long releases of ki could fry the device. Unfortunately, this method had proved to be more draining than the first. Vegeta believed that this didn't matter, however, since Freeza was taking his time. Vegeta saw his prolonged suffering as a source of time to overcome his restraints. He kept telling himself that it would only be a matter of time, not letting himself consider any other possible outcomes.
Regardless of his determination, there had been times when the possibility of failure had been more difficult to disregard. The hardest part for Vegeta to ignore was that there was no way to quantify his progress; he was unsure if he were actually releasing more ki than in his previous attempts, or if he were just wasting valuable energy. Furthermore, if Vegeta actually managed to overcome the device, he faced a small window of opportunity to escape. There was no way he could fight Freeza directly, and getting away in his less-than-optimum condition would be challenging. These details were mostly left unexplored, as Vegeta had little strength for contemplating anything beyond immediate obstacles.
           Vegeta slumped down against the wall, wondering which Freeza he was going to encounter next. As the torture had continued over a longer span of time, Vegeta had seen Freeza's moods manifest in different ways. The majority of the time, Freeza arrived ready to berate Vegeta for his weaknesses and break him down with gleefully delivered insults. Those were usually long, drawn out sessions that brought Vegeta's frustrations to a seething level. Occasionally, Freeza entered in angry silence, no doubt due to some external frustration that did not concern Vegeta, but for which Vegeta could serve as a whipping boy nonetheless. These instances were always absent of commentary and over quickly, but reminded Vegeta of his helplessness as he had no choice but to bear the onslaught. There were brief glimpses of other, more frightening Freezas, but they only made appearances when Vegeta was already near his limit.
           It doesn't matter who you are or what you do, Vegeta thought stubbornly. I will never serve you again.

****

           Vegeta's body was suspended in air, time slowing absurdly as he reached the highest point of his trajectory. When gravity took hold of him, it threw his back into Freeza's waiting knee, bending him around the hard edge of Freeza's leg armor and cracking several of his vertebrae. Freeza lowered his leg and Vegeta rolled, breathless, onto the floor.
           Lying on his stomach, Vegeta stared across the room to the table. He almost longed for its restraints as Freeza continued his speech. “As I have already explained, Vegeta, there are simply some species that require a firm hand. Take you as a Saiyajin as an example." Freeza placed a three-toed foot between Vegeta's shoulder blades and began to apply steadily increasing pressure. "You were so unruly when I allowed you to have any freedom. Now that you are being disciplined properly, you have shown real improvement." Freeza's foot was now heavy enough that Vegeta's lungs couldn't expand any further under the weight. After a few seconds of silence, Freeza continued with mock surprise. "Why, Vegeta, you do not have an impolite comment for me? I am proud of you. That is just the sort of improvement I am talking about." Freeza gave an extra push downward to emphasize his point.
           Vegeta simply wheezed as he was crushed. Even if he weren't being flattened, he doubted that he would have been able to form an appropriately hateful comeback through his swollen jaw. Based on the sharp pain near his right ear and his inability to completely close his mouth, Vegeta figured his jaw was dislocated. Adding that to a busted nose and a cracked cheekbone, his face was a bloody mess. Drops of blood and some saliva were accumulating below him as he lay there, wondering if Freeza was going to end the day by suffocating him. Vegeta continued to be astounded by Freeza's affinity for personally implementing his tedious torture. Vegeta had contemplated how this aspect of Freeza could have remained hidden. Then again, it did make more sense for an overlord to delegate out most of his dirty work, even if he would have enjoyed doing it himself.
Darkness invaded the corners of his vision. Must get boring having everyone do everything for you all the time. Vegeta thought bitterly about all the fun Freeza seemed to have with him. Whatever had kept Freeza from playing at length with an enemy in the presence of his men did not seem to deter him in the privacy he shared with Vegeta.
Freeza lifted his foot away and Vegeta was able to draw several large breaths. Fuck, Vegeta cursed to himself at the thought of there being more to come.
           "Since you are being so obedient today, I will give you another chance to demonstrate your improvement to me. You should be thankful that I still have kindness for filth like you." Freeza was walking, almost pacing, around Vegeta as he spoke. The other chance that he referred to had occurred several sessions ago, when Freeza had been tormenting Vegeta with the K.R.I. device remotely. Freeza had ordered Vegeta to stand, but had previously sent two small but cruel lasers of ki through Vegeta's knees, cutting neat holes through each of the joints. Even if Vegeta had wanted to stand, he could not have forced his legs to cooperate. The price had been a lengthy lecture accompanied by the repeated activation of the K.R.I. device until Vegeta had blacked out. Vegeta shuddered at the thought of this being repeated, but his pride fought back the temptation to immediately cave in to whatever Freeza was about to demand.
           "You do not look as though you are feeling very well today, Vegeta, so I will make this easy." Freeza was now standing a little ways away. "If you simply continue to lie there, I will allow the medics to repair you." Freeza managed to lace his offer of mercy with malice, provoking the bloodied form below him. Vegeta was initially surprised; this was actually a task he could accomplish, and with enthusiasm. Of course, it wasn't about the fact that Vegeta could have easily remained prone with several broken bones, most of which were in his face and back. Vegeta knew it was about Freeza chipping away at his will to fight back.
           You would like me to believe that it would be better for me if I gave in, even a little, Vegeta scoffed, raising his head further off of the floor and testing the strength in his limbs by momentarily tightening the muscles in them. Damn you if you think I'll make this easy. Tentatively at first, because of the pain in his mid-back, then with renewed determination, Vegeta pushed himself up onto his feet. He brought his torso up without bending his back until he was standing proudly, breathing shallowly through the pain dispersed throughout his body. Though his fractured cheek was now so swollen that one of his eyes was nearly forced shut, Vegeta could still make out the triumphant disdain on Freeza's face.
           "Perhaps offering to let you lie pathetically on the ground attains better results after all," Freeza once more referred to the previous brutal session. Vegeta continued to stare at Freeza unwaveringly, his arms flexed in a battle ready position. Freeza’s eyes roamed over Vegeta’s tough facade, regarding it with condescending skepticism. In seeing Freeza’s reaction, Vegeta realized the pointlessness of his defensive position. His resolve changed from fighting back to simply standing in defiance, and he changed his posture. He stood with an air of royal dignity, bringing his legs closer together and letting his arms drop to his sides while his chest puffed out, despite the strain on his back.
           Freeza's expression of satisfaction faltered, momentarily flashing something else before returning to amusement. Freeza laughed behind his smile as he moved closer, reaching Vegeta and then circling him, looking him over appraisingly while the proud prince stood stoically, facing forward. Freeza came back around to Vegeta's front, crossed his arms, and cocked his head to the side to stare up at the ceiling as if reminiscing.
           "This reminds me of something many years ago." Freeza's eyes returned to Vegeta's as he continued. "I went to visit a newly acquired planet to assess how best to utilize the conquered race there. When I arrived, I found that they were willing to work within my empire as mercenaries, happy to serve as long as their blood lust was sated. Their king cooperated without question, and even attempted a lavish reception for me." Freeza paused to consider Vegeta before continuing. Vegeta thought Freeza might be referring to the Saiyajin and his father, but did not know where Freeza was going with his story.
           "When I arrived, I was greeted by the king and his elite men. He was wise enough to be frightened by my tremendous power, though he still stood tall and prideful in elaborate dress. The King's robes were so extravagant, in fact, that I almost did not notice the small boy at his side. When I inquired about him, the King introduced us. He stood pompously before me, as you do now," Freeza chortled to himself again.
           Now Vegeta was sure that Freeza was talking about the first time that he had made a personal visit to Vegetasei. He remembered that day, too, even though he had been much younger. King Vegeta, his father, had told him that Freeza was going to be visiting, and that it was very important that he be present to receive their new ally. Vegeta specifically recalled King Vegeta referring to Freeza as an ally, and not a ruler, perhaps to shelter him from the humbling truth. Vegeta's emotions began to boil as he recalled what was to follow, and his ensuing contempt for his father.
That first day, however, he hadn't known about Freeza's power and his father's weakness. When Freeza arrived, Vegeta had seen the alien as ugly, even weak, compared to the imposing form of his father beside him. Vegeta relived the excitement of being in the royal hall when it had been filled with elite Saiyajin soldiers. Freeza had come towards them, walking directly up the steps to where King Vegeta had stood up from his throne, and had exchanged a few quick words without a proper introduction. Vegeta had felt indignant at Freeza's disrespectful behavior and casual address of his father, and had stood in silent awe at how his father had accepted it with only a slight stiffening. Vegeta could not remember exactly what was said, but could recall clearly the moment Freeza had first noticed him. Freeza's pupils had flashed over to him as he had finished speaking with the king. Freeza's eyes had locked onto his, but Vegeta had not looked away. Freeza had been taller than him at that time, but Vegeta still hadn't wavered when Freeza had suddenly turned toward him.
           "This is your son, I take it?" Freeza had asked abruptly, walking up to the young prince that stood to the side and slightly behind the king. King Vegeta had hesitated, not expecting the change in conversation, and had stuttered an affirmative.
           "Y-yes, Freeza-sama. Prince Vegeta is the pride of the Saiyajin, already as strong as some of our elite fighters." King Vegeta had regained his composure as he had boasted about his son. Vegeta could remember how some of the other Saiyajin present had nodded in agreement, smiling gruffly in recognition of the strength of their prince. Vegeta realized that his current posture of defiance was the same as it had been when Freeza had first laid eyes on him: back straight, arms stiffly at his sides, legs close, with chin and chest out. However, he had broken into a half smile when he'd been introduced as "the pride of the Saiyajin"; now his face was broken, his expression stony.
           Even as a child, Vegeta had detected an odd tension between Freeza and himself. He remembered how Freeza's gaze had lingered on him and how Freeza had returned his cocky smile. At the time, of course, Vegeta had thought that Freeza had been impressed with the Saiyajin for being so strong at an early age. Now Vegeta could see that his demeanor, and furthermore, his smile, must have seemed intolerably brazen to Freeza. Is that why Freeza had taken an interest in him? Had his life taken this course because he had been too young, too ignorant to be afraid at that one crucial moment?
           Freeza ended Vegeta's recollections by moving closer until he stood within a menacing proximity. Having Freeza's face sneering into his stirred Vegeta's temper, and he raised his hand to prepare to wipe the expression away. Freeza caught Vegeta's fist lazily, laughing as Vegeta instantly collapsed to his knees at his weight being forced to shift on his broken back. "Ho, there is the loathsome brat I remember," Freeza exclaimed. He took advantage of Vegeta's distraction with his back pain to crush some of Vegeta's fingers before releasing them. Vegeta grunted and withdrew his hand to hold it near his torso, glaring up at Freeza through one eye, the other completely swollen shut now.
Freeza brought his tail around quickly, using it to grasp one of Vegeta's thighs to lift him upside down from the ground. Vegeta stiffened helplessly with pain as Freeza adjusted his tail’s position so he could quickly swing it downward in a full arc. Vegeta tried to protect his head as the floor came rushing at him, but only succeeded in injuring both of his arms. Freeza maintained his grip and swung Vegeta in the opposite direction, whipping Vegeta even harder and releasing him, sending him into the nearest wall headfirst. Vegeta fell back to the floor, dazed and battered, his vision filling with stars.
           "Honestly, Vegeta, I do not know why you try so desperately to disobey me. Where do you find your motivation? You are weak, stupid, hopeless, and without help. Do you know that no one has asked about you since you have disappeared? Everyone has been pleased at your absence. Even your loyal guard has been content to believe you are on a long, distant mission. Such a typical Saiyajin...so easy to manipulate," Freeza boasted over Vegeta's still body. Vegeta was lying on one side, his mind vaguely grasping at the image of Nappa. Vegeta was lost in abstract memories of his fellow Saiyajin when he felt a light touch on the side of his face, trailing from his forehead down to his injured jaw. Vegeta focused his functioning eye to see that Freeza was crouched over him, touching his claws lightly to his face. Vegeta tried to recoil but was unable to focus his concussed brain enough to move in any way.
           Freeza moved closer, his fingers lowering to the collar, lightly playing over the seamless metal. "It must be so hard for you, Vegeta," Freeza was whispering, his hand coming back up to Vegeta's bloody face to stroke it. "The prince of garbage, abandoned by your people. Abandoned by your father with no fight, just to appease his overlord. To appease me.” Freeza paused as if to watch for any signs of resistance. The Saiyajin had barely winced at being touched, so Freeza continued slowly, driving then twisting his words into Vegeta with cruel precision. “Only I see your suffering, Vegeta. Only I see you for what you truly are.” This thought seemed to distract Freeza momentarily before he continued. “And when you have been transformed, I am all that you will have...you will learn to appreciate that," Freeza spat the last words, swiping his claws into Vegeta's face. Vegeta clenched his eye closed, but he could not shut out Freeza's lies.
           "I believe I can safely assume that you will now accept my offer and remain as you are. I will not be having any more insolence out of you today, hmm?" Freeza grasped Vegeta around his chin and forced his head to slowly shake back and forth to form a silent "no". Vegeta cried out quietly behind his teeth at the handling of his broken jaw and Freeza released him, rising with a smirk.
           "Good night, Vegeta. Sleep well." Freeza flicked blood from his fingers casually as he turned to walk away. "I look forward to observing your progress," he announced without looking back. Vegeta shuddered as the full accumulation of pain wracked through his body, inescapable now that Freeza was no longer present to distract him. He let shock take him over, and was unconscious before anyone arrived to move him.

****

           Vegeta was lost in thought. Though his eyes were closed, he could still see the orange glow of the unchanging lights through his eyelids. He hadn’t moved since he’d woken up in his frustratingly familiar position on the erect table, but it felt as though a lot of time had passed. Based on the intense nausea Vegeta felt, he supposed that he had been out for longer than usual, perhaps because his injuries were beginning to compound faster than the medics could easily keep up with. The nausea aside, Vegeta found that he had been restored to full health. He always checked himself over, anticipating the possibility that Freeza would finally do something that could not be reversed. When Vegeta tentatively shifted his mandible, he was not entirely relieved to find that it held no sign of ever being dislodged. The fact that he was only being restored so that Freeza could smash him to pieces again made it increasingly difficult for Vegeta to appreciate the medical care he was receiving. It also unnerved him to wake up and not know how much time had elapsed while he had been deeply anesthetized; the medics weren't taking any chances with him anymore.
           The constant oscillation between being almost perfectly healthy and pathetically close to death would have been sufficiently difficult for Vegeta without his additional goal of breaking the K.R.I. device. Between beatings, Vegeta found himself spending longer and longer hours in a trance, unable to convince himself to initiate an agonizing round of releasing ki, even though it was his only hope to escape. Usually, a renewed venom for Freeza was the only fuel he needed, but this past episode had left him feeling hollow instead of furious.
           As the hours passed monotonously, Vegeta felt boredom overtake him. Without his self-abusive endeavors to distract him, Vegeta caught himself replaying Freeza's words over and over in his mind, as if he'd internalized his tyrant. As an extension of Freeza's hateful monologues, the memories he'd stirred also began to surface until he was reliving the better part of his childhood. Vegeta hung motionless in the stiff straps, the lines on his forehead the only indication that he was alert as he re-experienced the emotions from his past that he could no longer suppress.
           Vegeta's mind returned to the time of Freeza's first visit. The ignorant confidence he had felt as a child in that moment made Vegeta feel contempt for his former self. He loathed the innocence he had possessed, the blind reverence he had felt for his king, his father. His mind jumped forward, to some time after Freeza had become directly involved with the Saiyajin. The changes on Vegetasei had been almost instantaneous: alien soldiers from Freeza’s army were everywhere, and the architecture of the Planet Trade Organization came to dominate the planet’s landscape. The simple dress of most Saiyajin had been replaced with the battle armor characteristic of Freeza's men, and new imported technologies had been implemented in almost every aspect of Saiyajin life. Time that Prince Vegeta had once spent fighting alongside his father had become consumed by the King’s tireless efforts to ensure that Freeza's deadlines were met by the Saiyajin soldiers. Prince Vegeta had begun to realize the true nature of the relationship between his father and Freeza: that of a general to his dictator. Regardless of their status, the Saiyajin had only talked of progress and opportunities to conquer.
Even after more than ten years, Vegeta could still remember with razor-sharp clarity the day that Freeza had first requested an audience with him and him alone. The message had been sent along by one of Freeza's men directly to King Vegeta, whose jaw had actually dropped at the request. Vegeta could remember standing at the side of his father's throne, stunned but stoic as his father had worriedly inquired about the reason for the summons. The soldier had not come with an explanation, but one would have been irrelevant anyway. After some further inquiries, King Vegeta had turned to his son, his face stern, and said, "You will be visiting Freeza-sama as a member of the Saiyajin Royal Family. Be respectful of his wishes and make me proud, Prince Vegeta."
           Vegeta could still feel the confusion that had hung over him as he had been taken up to Freeza's ship in the cold, foreign sterility of a small Planet Trade craft. King Vegeta had convinced the ssoldierto let Nappa accompany Prince Vegeta, but Nappa had been made to wait outside of the door to Freeza's command center when they had arrived. Vegeta could remember how he'd stubbornly forced himself to retain a calm exterior despite his uncertainty at the situation, flanked by several alien soldiers as he had been marched up to Freeza. Prince Vegeta had found the black horns that glinted from the top of Freeza's head distracting as he had bowed deeply before the tyrant.
           "You requested my audience, Freeza-sama," he had announced flatly, stifling the inflection that would have made the statement an uncertain question.
           "Ah, Prince Vegeta, how pleasant it is to see you," Freeza had smiled down at him from his position in his hovercraft, turning away from whom Vegeta was to later find out were Zarbon and Dodoria. Prince Vegeta had straightened, retaining his serious expression. Freeza had seemed impressed by his maturity and royal demeanor, and had jumped down from his seat to take a closer look by circling him. Vegeta still shivered at the memory of Freeza's piercing eyes within his outwardly friendly expression as he had inspected Vegeta at length. The tension had been broken when Freeza explained that he wanted Prince Vegeta to accompany him for the day, to observe the way Freeza conducted his empire.
           Young Vegeta had consented, his stern expression unwavering as he had followed Freeza around his ship, silently observing what was mostly an uneventful daily routine. There had been a few exciting moments, particularly when one of Freeza's men had relayed a report from a battle inaccurately. Freeza had been displeased, and had turned to the young Saiyan. "Prince Vegeta, as our guest, it can be up to you to decide how to discipline this soldier." Freeza had smiled sweetly at him.
           Prince Vegeta had paused only in surprise at having his presence unexpectedly acknowledged, but then quickly responded loudly and clearly, "He should be killed, Freeza-sama." Freeza's reaction had been immediate. He had burst into delighted laughter, clasping his hands together as the soldier had recoiled in fright. After Freeza’s laughter had quickly tapered off, he had disintegrated the cowering peon with a simple ki blast from his finger. Young Vegeta had silently noted the casual use of such tremendous power.
           "Very good, Prince Vegeta. You are a true example of the ruthlessness of the Saiyajin," Freeza's voice had oozed pleasure, the corners of his mouth curled upward contentedly as he had once more stared at Prince Vegeta at length.
           After that day, whenever Freeza had visited King Vegeta personally or had a message sent, he had inquired about the health of the Prince. Only a few quick weeks passed before Freeza had requested Vegeta's permanent presence on his ship. Vegeta could not remember the events from that day clearly, only the emotions he had felt. He vaguely remembered his father giving him a speech about serving the Saiyajin and taking the change as an opportunity to strengthen their position within the Planet Trade Organization. Prince Vegeta had heard almost none of it. His mind had been busy rejecting reality as it was now presenting itself, denying the fact that he was going to have to leave his father's side, his planet, and his people to accompany a strange ruler on his sterile ship. He had wanted to be sent on missions directly, not waste time watching Freeza rule his empire. Never the less, by the time Vegeta had walked out to meet Freeza in the Royal Hall, he had already begun to suppress his turbulent feelings on the matter; they would only hinder his adaptation to life with Freeza.
           Vegeta stopped his mind from wandering any further, not wanting to brood on the years of manipulation that were to follow that day. After more time passed with only silence to keep him company, he realized that it was not simply boredom that was overcoming him. Thinking about his childhood upheaval made Vegeta realize that he was actually feeling loneliness. It took a few minutes for this to sink in, for him to confirm that he was indeed experiencing the rare feeling. Despite his desire to stop himself, this acknowledgement of the mostly foreign emotion forced his thoughts back to his past.
           Vegeta had only felt this feeling once before, long ago. It hadn't been long after he'd made Freeza's ship his permanent residence. Freeza had sent him on a mission, one of the first he'd been given to complete on his own. Nappa had accompanied him, but young Vegeta had been able to slaughter the entire planet's people in a minimal amount of time with no help. It had been shortly after he had finished killing the last of them, when he'd been replenishing his expended energy by eating, that he'd received a transmission from Nappa. Vegetasei and most of the Saiyajin, including his father, had been destroyed.
           Vegeta had played off the news coldly, his initial reaction being bitterness towards his father for giving him up to Freeza. This anger had quickly turned to the rest of his now dead race. How could they have all died like they had, leaving him behind? Looking around at the piles of corpses around him, he had felt jealousy towards the people he had just slaughtered; at least they had all died together. Vegeta's people, on the other hand, had abandoned him in death. Vegeta's existence had suddenly been thrown into a vacuum, within which he had very little to anchor himself. He’d had no choice but to swallow his feelings in order to survive and push forward.
It had helped that the next months serving directly under Freeza would prove to be very eye-opening for him. He had learned that the universe was larger than he’d previously imagined, and that Freeza was more powerful than the most fearsome Saiyajin, and therefore far more powerful than his father could have ever been. His early exposure to battle aside, Prince Vegeta had realized that he had actually been sheltered. Instead of being humbled by his new realizations, however, he had let his personal pride swell and fuel his determination to carve out his piece of the universe. He even wanted to have it all one day, and he had been sure that Freeza was going to show him the way to do it. In time, the fact that he was one of very few Saiyajin had not bothered Vegeta much at all. Looking around at the most powerful members of Freeza's army, and Freeza himself, he had seen many examples of individuals that were one of a kind or one of few. Eventually, Vegeta had viewed his almost lone survival as a Saiyajin as simply another step towards his personal greatness.
           Beyond his initial, secret shock at the death of his race, loneliness was not something that Vegeta had really experienced before; he had always had Nappa to keep him company if an occasion ever arose when he was not distracted with war. Though Vegeta often considered him annoying, Nappa had always been at his side, and more importantly, on his side. Now Nappa was probably far away, still preoccupied with a pointless mission. Vegeta found it difficult to picture him, as though everything that had come before now had been another lifetime. Vegeta imagined Nappa returning to him somehow, but was surprised to find himself repulsed by the idea. How could he let anyone see him like this, even his personal guard? Vegeta realized that he did not want anyone else to know of his humiliation, the castration of his strength.
           Only I see your suffering, Vegeta. Vegeta was suddenly struck with Freeza's words. Is that what Freeza had meant? Vegeta realized that he felt alienated from his previous allies, including Nappa. Nobody could understand what Freeza was doing to him. How could they? This was a side of Freeza that he showed to nobody except for Vegeta. That is, unless there were any others like Vegeta, but he didn't know of anyone that had been in Freeza's favor the way he had been. Judging by the way everyone else had always been confused by Freeza's actions towards Vegeta, he concluded that he was probably alone in his suffering.
              Only I see you for what you truly are. Vegeta held his breath. In turn, Vegeta thought resentfully, Freeza was now seeing a side of Vegeta that nobody else knew. Vegeta had never been reduced to such a weak, helpless state. The more intimate Freeza's torture became, the harder it was to keep Freeza from getting under his skin.
           The prince of garbage, abandoned by your people. Somehow, Freeza had known that Vegeta had resented being handed over to him. Maybe Freeza even knew that he had felt left behind after the death of the Saiyajins, though Vegeta never thought he had shown any outward pain. Freeza was only going to find more ways to get to him if he didn't act in time.
           And when you have been transformed... Vegeta shuddered. How far was Freeza going to go to change him? He felt a renewed sense of urgency to break free, to push back against Freeza's unrelenting attacks on his health and sanity. This thought snapped Vegeta from his depressed state, and he once more prepared to pour his energy into destroying the K.R.I. device. ...I am all that you will have.
           Vegeta opened his eyes. I don't need anyone but myself, he thought, and began his work.
- 5
- 6
- 7
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Breaking the Prince (Part 1)