Try Again.

Try Again

Pairings - Yamcha x Goku, Vegeta x Goku

Author - CrimsonTide

Chapter 2


It had gotten late. The sky was black once again and the streets were lit by the neon lights of nearby clubs and bars. There were at least five on every block. The crowd even looked different. The working class had now retired for the night and all that roamed the streets at this hour were partygoers, drunks, drug dealers, gangs… How different things can be when the sun goes down.

Keeping in the shadows to avoid any confrontations, Goku leaned against the walls of the buildings as he slowly made his way through the city. He was in pain, and his legs felt like rubber. And to make matters worse, his head felt like it was spinning, making the simple task of walking straight a challenge. He knew making it home tonight wouldn’t be an option, but what was he supposed to do? The Saiyajin hadn’t thought about where he was going when he left Yamcha's apartment, he had just wanted to go. Now he was wondering if he’d made the right decision to leave in the first place.

Loud voices caught the Saiyajin's attention a moment later and he slowly looked up from the ground, forcing his eyes to focus themselves on a group in front of him. There were three men and a woman. The woman appeared to be in distress, alerting Goku to the immediate danger she was in as the three men approached her. Looking around for anyone else that could help, the Saiyajin suddenly became aware that he was on a side street, totally secluded from the busy streets he’d been on before. If he listened hard enough, he could still hear the excited chatter of the partygoers behind him somewhere.

Goku turned back to the scene in front of him to see that the men had surrounded the woman and were each yielding their own knife as they made crude comments, which only made the woman scream for help louder.

Though Goku knew he was in no condition to fight, his conscience and nature wouldn't let him walk away. Left with no other choice, the Saiyajin pushed himself away from the wall and took a moment to get his balance before making himself known to the attackers.

“Hey!”

The attention he received was immediate as all three men jumped, slightly startled by the interruption, then turned to look at him. The look of relief on their faces when they saw only one challenger didn’t exactly make Goku feel anymore at ease.

“I suggest you leave!” one of the men shouted, reflecting the moonlight off his knife.

The Saiyajin said nothing and stood his ground, which did nothing but anger the three attackers even more.

“Go.” one of them said to the woman, who didn’t need to be told twice as she ran back toward the main city streets.

Goku sighed in relief as he watched her go, but it was short lived. Now he had himself to worry about. The three men were now approaching him.

Goku stepped away and laughed nervously as he glanced back at the more populated part of the city. “Ah, that was nice to let her go… So… I’ll go now too.”

The Saiyajin quickly turned and headed back down the street, but he didn’t get far before a strong arm wrapped around his neck and pulled him back against a solid chest.

“What? All bark and no bite, little dog?” his capture sneered, tightening his grip around Goku’s neck, who choked a little as he tried to inhale.

The tallest of the three cracked his knuckles as he approached the Saiyajin, who was desperately pulling at the arm that held him in place. He attempted to raise his ki, but it only flunctuated irractically. He wasn't able to stablize it long enough to use it.


“Looks like you’ve already seen some trouble today, pal.” the man said as he glanced at Goku’s bloodied pants. “You’d think you’d learn.”

Without another word, the man delivered two quick and hard punches to the Saiyajin’s stomach, and at the same time, Goku’s capture released him. He immediately dropped to his knees and coughed up blood as he desperately tried to inhale, but a quick kick to the side of his head caused the Saiyajin to slide a short distance across the graveled street, where he came to a stop curled on his side. He moaned as he felt the warmth of his own blood as it trickled down the side of his face, and he placed his hand over the wound in an attempt to dull the throbbing pain.

He almost laughed. He could have taken a hit like that when he was six and walked away without a scratch. Unfortunately, this wasn't a funny situation.

“Still conscious? Impressive.”

Goku looked up only to see that the third man was now towering over him, sneering down at him as he waved his knife back and forth in a threatening gesture. Thinking fast, the Saiyajin did the only thing he could have done at that moment…

He kicked his attacker right in the crotch.

The man’s eyes grew as large as saucers and he promptly dropped his knife in favor of cradling his throbbing manliness as he fell to his knees.

“Stupid bitch!”

The man who had grabbed Goku in the beginning was quickly upon the Saiyajin, waving his knife with no sense of direction. The crazed attack didn't stop the blade from making a large cut across Goku’s stomach however. He cried out in pain and fear as he wrapped his arm around his midsection in an attempt to stop the bleeding, shuffling away from the angry attackers at the same time, who were now calmly approaching him with sadistic smirks planted on their ugly faces. Goku’s retreat was halted when his back came into contact with a wall, and all he could do was crouch down wait for his attacker's next move.

For once in his life, he was truly afraid of death. It didn’t matter if he was sacrificing his life for the Earth, but to be killed in cold blood by a bunch of thugs because he'd interrrupted their fun… That was a different story. On the other hand, Goku almost welcomed death. At least in the other world there are plenty of sparring partners…

Deciding that there was no point in even trying, Goku relaxed and just waited… and waited… and… waited. By now all he could hear was a buzzing sound in his ears, and his eyes had slipped closed long ago.

The Saiyajin nearly jumped out of his skin when a hand was placed on his shoulder, squeezing slightly, but not in an aggressive way. Goku lifted his gaze to a figure knelt in front of him, but his vision was blurred, and all he could make out was a silhouette.

But the voice that called out to him was easy to recognize, even through the dull buzz.

“Vegeta…”

And then, his world faded to black.

*********************

“Well?” Vegeta asked as Bulma left the medical bay and entered the side room he was currently waiting in. The woman was looking down at a chart and flipping through the pages as if she didn’t hear the Saiyajin’s simple question, but the troubled expression on her face wasn’t encouraging.

“Woman!”

“I hear you! Hold your horses!” Bulma snapped as she lowered her paperwork and glared at the prince. A small smirk appeared on her lips a moment later. “You seem as if you’re concerned.”

Vegeta snorted and folded his arms as he focused on anything but the smirking woman in front of him. “I'm not concerned--- I'm pissed! To think, a Saiyajin, beaten to a pulp by three doped out humans! It's embarrassing!"


“Ok, relax.” Bulma said as she crossed the room and took a seat, running her hands through her hair. Her expression turned serious once again. “I found a drug in his blood stream.”

“What kind of drug?” the prince questioned.

The woman sighed before continuing. “It’s what we call a ‘date rape’ drug. It’s usually slipped into a drink and knocks the victim out, or if not, they are unable to move much. I doubt Goku ingested the drug where you found him, so I suppose he was still able to move under his own power since his system is stronger than that of a humans'. But obviously he wasn’t able to tap onto his ki, which is why he couldn’t defend himself.”

Vegeta turned the information over in his head, silently asking himself questions he couldn’t answer. “If those ningens didn’t give him the drug, then where the hell did he ingest it?”

Bulma seemed ready for this question, and she immediately threw out her guess on the issue. “I could smell alcohol on his breath, so I assume he had a drink tonight. It must have been given to him then without his knowing about it. I’ve never known Goku to drink, so I’m sure he wouldn’t have gone into a bar unless he was with someone he knew…”

“And?” Vegeta urged. He could tell the woman was still holding something back.

“And… Whoever he was with used the drug to his advantage like everyone else.”

Vegeta looked at Bulma for a moment with an unreadable expression on his face before his teeth grit together in anger. “You’re saying Kakarotto was raped?!”

Bulma sighed and nodded slowly as she peered through a window at the sleeping form in the other room. “Maybe he won’t remember… Why don’t you give him a senzu to heal the wounds before he wakes up? I don’t think it’ll reverse the effects of the drug though, so it may take the rest of the night for him to wake up.”

Vegeta immediately left the room and headed for his own. He had two senzu beans in his possession that he kept around for emergencies, and this was a better time than ever to use one.

“It was someone he knew… Trusted…”

The prince growled as he stormed down the hall. He himself had suffered such an indignity under the hands of Frieza, not that he trusted the bastard. It was an experience that he wouldn’t wish on anyone, not even his greatest rival. And just as Frieza met his fate at the hands of a Saiyajin, so would Kakarotto’s rapist. Of that he was sure.

--------------------------------------------------

Goku stirred slightly as the last remnants of his troubled sleep left him. All night nightmares had plagued him, and wasn’t sure what was worse; the nightmares, or the real thing.

The first thing the Saiyajin became aware of was the pins and needles sensation in his legs and fingers. As annoying as it was, it was still far preferred over the pain that had washed over him the night before.

His thoughts helped bring him completely back to reality and Goku slowly opened his eyes, squinting as the sun shining through a nearby window burned his sensitive vision. A moment of adjusting cured the problem and the Saiyajin was soon free to take in his surroundings.

The room appeared frightfully similar to that of a hospital’s, and Goku immediately looked at his arms to make sure there weren’t any needles. The thought alone made the tiny hairs on his neck stand on end. He took a deep breath when none were found and settled back into the comfortable bed, running the soft fabric of the sheets between his fingers in content. He knew he wasn’t in a hospital. He could clearly identify the familiar smells around him as those found in Capsule Corp. The Saiyajin could even pick up the scents of Bulma and Vegeta.

Vegeta.

Thoughts of the prince drifted back from the night before. Vegeta was the one who had saved him and brought him back here. Goku almost smiled until more troubling thoughts drifted into his mind.

“What does he think now? Having to save me from humans… He must think I’m pathetic. Just one more thing for him to throw in my face…”

The Saiyajin’s expression turned grim and he slumped further into the bed as his mind became saturated with negative thoughts and feelings. It was unbearable. Moaning in misery, Goku curled up on his side and promptly pulled the bed sheets over his head, wishing that everything would just go away.

But they didn’t.

“Kakarotto.”

Vegeta’s voice shattered the silence like a fat woman’s voice shattered glass. Goku didn’t respond, however, and continued to hide under the safety of his covers. After all, if you can’t see them, they can’t see you. Right?

“Kakarotto, I know you’re awake. I can see your tail flopping all over the place.”

Vegeta smirked as the tail hanging over the side of the bed suddenly stilled before disappearing under the sheets almost faster than the prince could follow. “It’s too late now. Are you planning on staying under there all day?”

“…..Yes….”

The prince slowly shook his head in what might have been amusement. He’d sounded just like a little child. On the other hand, when didn’t he?

“Come on, Kakarotto. When’s the last time you ate?”

Goku thought for a moment from his hiding place and was shocked when he couldn’t remember. That didn’t happen often.

“Well?” came the prince’s insistent voice. Vegeta smirked as the other Saiyajin slowly peeked out from under the covers. The prince could almost see the drool saturating the sheets. “Well, come on then. Bulma’s mother practically cleared out the grocery stores when she heard you were here. Better not let her efforts go to waste.”

Goku couldn’t resist the offer any longer and he reluctantly tossed the warm covers from his body. He was slightly surprised to see his new outfit, which consisted of baggy black gi pants and a white workout shirt. A blush washed over his face at the thought of someone changing his clothes, but it was better than waking up in his birthday suit he supposed.

Slowly, Goku set his feet in the floor and stood, clutching onto the bed for support. The numb feeling in his legs wasn’t too hard to deal with, but re-learning to balance with his tail was.

Vegeta watched with interest as the wobbly Saiyajin’s tail jerked back and forth behind him as it searched for a balanced center. The task was a difficult one, however, and Goku found himself falling with the first step he attempted.

Much to his surprise, Vegeta was there to catch him before he hit the floor. And even more surprising, a second later, the Saiyajin found himself being cradled within the prince’s arms. This brought a furious blush to Goku’s face and he placed his palm on the other Saiyajin’s chest, pushing slightly.

“Vegeta… I can---“

“I don’t like it anymore than you do, Kakarotto, but I’d like to get to the kitchen while I’m still young. You can learn to walk on your own time.” the prince said as he began to head toward the stairs.

The smell of all the delicious foods waiting for them drifted into Goku’s nose, and he decided he’d like to get there as soon as possible too. So rather than argue, the Saiyajin folded his arms and desperately attempted to ease the blush from his face.

--------------------------------------------

“Aw! Carrying Goku over the threshold?”

Vegeta growled at a smiling Bulma as he entered the kitchen, carrying a still blushing Goku. “Shut the hell up, woman. You’re just mad because you’re too fat for me to carry!”

“I’M NOT FAT!!” the woman shrieked. She promptly threw a biscuit at the prince, which he caught in his mouth as he set Goku down at the table, then took a seat himself.

“Keep telling yourself that if it makes you feel better. Denial isn't healthy though.” he snapped as he removed the biscuit from his mouth and reached for the butter.

“Hmph.” Bulma turned her attention away from the prince and focused Goku, who to her surprise, had yet to begin to eat. “Help yourself, Goku. There’s plenty more where this came from. You must be starving!”

The Saiyajin smiled at Bulma before turning his attention back to the huge amounts of food piled onto the table, and though his brain was telling him he wanted to devour it all, his stomach didn’t seem to want to have anything to do with it. After trying to figure out the strange conflict for a moment, Goku slowly looked over at Bulma, who was still watching him as she worked on her own plate.

“I… I’m not hungry.”

Chaos suddenly erupted.

Vegeta, who was in the middle of swallowing a mouthful of food when the comment was made, promptly began to choke and pounded his fist against his chest in an attempt to dislodge the blockage. Bulma, who had her fork halfway to her mouth, sat with her jaw hanging open, not even noticing as the scrambled eggs from her utensil fell into her lap. Mrs. Briefs had dropped a platter of sausages on the floor and was now standing a still as a statue, and even the helper robots had scrambled circuits, and were currently sparking and running into each other.

Goku could only look on with a large sweat drop on his forehead.

Vegeta coughed loudly as he managed to finally dislodge the food from his throat and he immediately reached for a glass of milk, which he drank in one gulp.

Bulma was the next to suddenly spring back to life, and the first thing she did was jump up from the table and brush the hot egg off her lap. The next thing she did was run around the table and press her palm to Goku’s forehead to make sure he wasn’t running the highest temperature of all time.

He wasn’t.

“Not hungry?” she suddenly choked out. “Are you feeling sick? Do you want to lie down? Do you need a doctor?! Do yo—Gah!”

Vegeta promptly shoved the woman away from the still sweat dropping Saiyajin and pointed back to her seat. “Sit down, Onna! All you’re doing is giving me a headache!”

“Good.” Bulma muttered as she rounded the table and once again took her seat, though she immediately jumped back up when she sat on some hot eggs that had fallen into the seat of her chair.

Goku watched in confusion as Vegeta grabbed a large plate and began to pile several different foods on it. Eggs, bacon, sausages, french toast, muffins, waffles…

Once he’d created a mighty mountain of delicious foods, the prince grabbed some maple syrup and covered everything with the sugary treat. Once completed, he sprinkled some powered sugar on top and set the mammoth meal in front of Goku, who looked at him as if he were nuts.

“Now you’re telling me you have no desire to eat that?” Vegeta questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Goku looked down at the meal for a moment, but again, there was no desire to attack. And so he shook his head.

“Maybe he can’t smell it!” Bulma suggested as she grabbed a napkin and began to fan the plate, causing the full effect of the food’s scent to hit the Saiyajin’s senses.

Again, nothing.

Vegeta stared blankly for a moment before sitting back in his chair, staring at his own half empty plate. “Well, I've lost my appetite now."


Goku blinked and looked at the silent occupants of the room, none of which were eating, let alone moving. He suddenly felt guilty and he slowly reached for his fork, catching the attention of all. The Saiyajin tried to ignore the sick feeling that washed over him as he filled the utensil with food before placing it into his mouth, smiling at the others as they all let out a breath they’d been holding.

“Much better.” Bulma chirped as she resumed eating.

Vegeta nodded and went back to his meal.

Soon, the entire kitchen was back on track.

------------------------------------

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Goku paused where he was currently hovering just in front of the door. His tail was still causing a little trouble, though he almost had mastered walking, but the Saiyajin had decided to float around for awhile anyway.

“I was going to go home…” he replied to the questioning prince, who frowned at the answer.

“Not yet. I have some questions.”

Goku tensed slightly as he lowered himself to the floor. He’d been hoping that everyone would just let it go rather than humiliate him further by getting the details. He frowned.

“But what else could I expect from Vegeta?”

“Well?” Vegeta urged, waiting for the Saiyajin to back away from the door, but he couldn’t suppress a growl when Goku’s hand grasped the knob.

“There’s nothing to talk about, Vegeta. Please just let it go.”

“No, Kakarotto.” the prince snapped as his hand closed around the other’s wrist. If the younger Saiyajin attempted an instant transmission, he’d have no choice but to take him too. Vegeta smirked at his quick thinking.

Goku noticed the smirk and frowned, thinking the other Saiyajin was enjoying every moment of his humiliation. He knew what happened, obviously. Why make him feel lower than he already did?

“No!” Goku suddenly snarled as he ripped his wrist from the prince’s hold.

The sudden change in tone seemed to surprise them both. The younger Saiyajin continued.

“I’m tired, Vegeta. Tired of everything. I’m tired of being treated like dirt by you and ChiChi. I’m tired of being thought of as a childish idiot. I’m tired of being ignored unless there’s a chance the world could explode… I’m tired of being miserable and knowing that no one would care. Of course they’d all think it wasn’t a big deal. Surely a baka like me can’t possibly comprehend what it’s like to be unhappy. Not Goku.”

The Saiyajin paused for a moment and tried to force the tears of frustration that threatened to spill to halt, but his efforts were for nothing, and soon, saline streaks made their way down his cheeks.

Vegeta was speechless as he continued.

“I thought I needed to be around people to make myself feel better. Someone besides ChiChi. People who wouldn’t constantly make me feel two inches tall.” Goku said, making sure to make eye contact with the prince during the comment.

It didn’t go unnoticed.

“But after last night, I’ve decided that people are the last thing I need right now. I don’t even know why I bother saving this planet anymore!” The Saiyajin’s voice cracked as his emotions once again reached the surface.

The prince began to reach for the other man, but Vegeta’s attempts to calm Goku failed when the younger Saiyajin batted away his hand with a growl.

“Don’t touch me!”

Without another second’s delay, Goku threw open the door and blasted into the sky, leaving nothing but a white streak of ki in his wake.

Vegeta could only watch him go.


TBC

Hang in there. It gets less angsty... sorta. haha!!