Past To future

“Vegeta, today begins your training. I do not know what you’ve been taught on your filthy home world, but this is how you will fight for me.” That cold voice hissed. “This is my second in command, Zarbon…and this is my captain…Genyu.”

Vegeta stood back, arms crossed protectively over his chest. He could not forget what this white lizard had done to him only a week ago. After a few days in a tank, he was better than new, but the mental anguish was still heavy within him. He could not trust this creature.

“When I speak to you…you will respond.” Furiza said, glowering down at they young child. “Or…do we need another lesson…like the one I gave you after your first day here?”

The prince felt lightheaded but he forced an answer past his lips, “No…” He said simply, his lips trembling at the memory of those clawed hands running over his flesh.

Furiza snapped his fingers and Zarbon took a step forward, an angry scowl on his face. “Zarbon, teach him how to speak to me properly.” The lizard said, sounding as if he were board. Vegeta watched his captor walk back to the center of the training room, taking a seat on a lone chair.

“Listen up…” Zarbon spat, snatching the prince up by the front of his shirt just as he had the first time he had laid eyes on the child. “Get some damned respect in your nasty body, or I’ll do to you what I did to your little ape friend.”

“R-respect?”

Zarbon gave a rough laugh, “You know nothing of respect, do you…you spoiled piece of shit.” Dropping the royal, he caught him hard with a swift kick, sending him skidding across the training hall floor. “First off…you’re dirt. You’re nothing compared to the rest of Furiza’s army, so everyone is superior to you…you will address them by their rank, then name. Such as this…Aye Aye, Senior Training advisor, Training advisor Captain Zarbon, Sir.”

Vegeta groaned, slowly pushing himself off of the floor, looking over his shoulder at the green skinned warrior , he felt something close to hatred seep into his heart. He knew what this creature had done, Raditzu still had yet to stop crying over his mate’s malicious injuries…he heard the other at night sobbing into his pillow when he thought his prince wasn’t awake. “You don’t deserve respect.” He declared, turning to face the man defiantly.

A muscle bound purple being put his hand out in front of a raging Zarbon, “No…let me handle this one.” He said, speaking for the first time, drawing the Prince’s attention. “Kid…not a smart move, this guy. He’s a bit loopy, can’t even take a pose correctly. Don’t get him mad or you’ll end up worse then that bald chap. Just listen to him, He is your Senior Training advisor, Training advisor Captain Zarbon, and I am your Senior Tactical Training officer, Genyu Group Officer, Captain Genyu. Got that?”

Silence.

“Teach him the hard way.” Vegeta’s eyes narrowed back towards the vial creature.

“As you wish, Lord Furiza.” Zarbon said, cracking his knuckles.

“No, I said I’ll handle this.” Genyu snarled, daring the other to take another step closer. Turning his black eyes back on the Prince. Rearing back, faster than Zarbon could even move, he slammed his foot squarely into the Prince’s face, sending him bouncing off the distant wall. Crossing his arms over his chest, he shook his head. “Willing to try the addresses correctly this time?” He fell back into a fighting stance when he read upon his scouter that the Prince was raising his ki.

“He is a glib, stubborn fool, isn’t he?” Furiza commented to Zarbon who had come to stand next to him while Vegeta tried desperately to gain ground in a loosing battle. “What am I going to do with a nasty flee bitten monkey that won’t listen to me?”

“Break him, Lord Furiza, then I am sure he will follow you.” Zarbon said, glancing to his leader, “These creatures have a weakness in their tail and an even greater downfall in their pride. They are a selfless people, willing to do anything to help their brethren. In other words…if I were you, I’d use a combination of blackmail and fear tactics.”

“Fear tactics?” Furiza asked, a cruel smile curling his black lips. “I like that word, continue.”

“Well…”

“Hah, you think you’re something else, don’t you?” Genyu panted, holding up the young prince by his foot. “You will never beat me, I am the…GREAT GENYU!” Throwing Vegeta carelessly away, he ran through his intricate poses.

“The only thing you’re great at…” Vegeta gasped for breath as he struggled to his feet for the tenth time since the bout had begun. “Is being gay…what the HELL are you doing in that ridiculous squat?”

Genyu looked truly mad for the first time that day and he righted himself, glowering down at the smart mouthed royal. “I guess Zarbon is right to become enraged with such a thing as you.”

“I AM NOT A THING!” He bristled, fists clenching. “I’m the PRINCE of ALL SAIYANS! I’m their strongest! I am their SMARTEST! NO OTHER SAIYAN IS AS GOOD AS I AM…Raditzu!” He forgot his tirade, dodging around the purple skinned creature to reach his longhaired caretaker. The older Saiyan had just walked into the training room, looking troubled.

“Oh my, what a wonderful twist of fate.” Furiza said, smiling into his hand. “Just the Saiyan I was thinking about.”

“Hello my prince,” Raditzu greeted in formal Saiyan tongue, taking a knee, he put his arms around the child. “It is good to see you back up and training. Are you sure you are up to this?”

“I’ve no choice in the matter, Furiza is forcing me to…” Vegeta whispered to his friend, glancing over his shoulder at the three creatures who were now having a whispered conversation with each other. “The big dumb horned one just got done beating the shit out of me…” His eyes narrow at the ’it’ in question, whipping his forehead on his arm. “Facing him is like facing my father when he’s mad…like running into a brick wall repeatedly. Useless.”

Raditzu’s dark eyes widened slightly and glided to the three beings, “That powerful huh…” He silently thought, ~No wonder why my mate has had such a time with them…if my own prince can not even beat them…~ “Do not worry my prince, I’ve faith in you…you will grow powerful and take this enemy down. But come, while they are distracted…I don’t want you around them.”

Vegeta took his nursemaid’s hand and let himself be lead towards the door.

In a blur, things can change so much and before Vegeta could even detect a change in the air around him, Zarbon was before them, blocking the way. “Where do you two filthy apes think you’re going…the prince has training…and you, my little flee bag…you’re going to help him.”

Raditzu snarled, placing the prince behind him he popped into a fighting stance. “Out of my way.”

“Oh, you want to fight me I see…you’re just like your…MATE…Nappy, wasn’t it? I wonder if you’re as good a lay as he was.”

Vegeta took a large step backwards, feeling rage fill his friend’s normally calm mind. Raditzu’s ki flared visibly into a storm cloud of power, tearing at anything close enough to stand in it’s way. “You’ll regret saying that…” He snarled, spittle flying from his lips, his eyes beginning to glow. Leaping forward, he launched a brutal assault on the green skinned alien, one that made his attack on Furiza days prior look like a joke.

Watching in horror, Vegeta realized that not a single kick, punch or dirty trick his guardian threw at the other was actually harming it. Zarbon, in fact, looked as if he were enjoying the exercise until…

BAM!

Raditzu landed a hard punch square in Zarbon’s pretty face. It was hard enough to off balance the other and send him skidding across the cold mettle floor. Zarbon leapt back onto his feet, “No…my dear flee bag…I think YOU’LL Be the one regretting his actions here today.” He spat, whipping away a smear of blood that had begun to trickle from his injured nose. Flying forward, he punched Raditzu hard in the gut.

Crumpling to the deck, he groaned, finding two, brutal hands in his hair shoving him against the bulkhead. “Now…watch, Vegeta…this is your next lesson…insolent, filthy…long haired…flee bags….with disgusting…balding apes for a mate…get the SHIT…beat out of ‘em when they are impolite.” He punctuated each and every syllable with a punch in the stomach until Raditzu was screaming his pain through clenched teeth. “HA! That’s for hitting my in my face!”

“STOP IT! STOP IT!” Vegeta cried, pounding at the immovable alien. “You’re hurting him!”

Laughing, Zarbon slammed a few more hits home before letting Raditzu crumple to the floor again. “I’ll hurt him all I want to…monkey boy.” He picked Vegeta up by the front of his shirt once more, bringing him on eyelevel. “Until…you learn to be more respectful. Have you got that?”

Vegeta snarled, using a tactic he hadn‘t used since he was a little cub. Lunging forward as best as he could, he tried to bite a chunk out of Zarbon’s face only to miss and find himself being thrown to the ground and kicked repeatedly.

“Teach him again, Zarbon.” Furiza said from where he sat.

Chuckling, “Your wish is my command, My Lord Furiza.” Zarbon said, yanking Raditzu up by his hair. Slamming the tall Saiyan back into the wall, he gave a dark grin. “Do you hear that? Your own prince doesn’t care enough about you to stop this torture, he wants to hang on to his…PRIDE….and his…NOBILITY.” He slammed his fist into the other’s stomach, causing Raditzu to scream in agony all over again. “Maybe…he will piss Lord Furiza off enough…that I’ll get a chance to rape you just as I did to your sluty mate…”

Horrible fear filled Vegeta’s heart, all of it Raditzu’s own terror, filtering to him through their pack bond. “NO,” He declared, drawing on what was left of his energy. “NO! DON’T HURT HIM!”

“HAHAHA,” Listen to your little runty prince, flea bag. Do you hear that? He STILL thinks he can beat me. When….will he…learn? Huh…will it be…hn…after I’ve beaten you…to death?” He growled, accenting every word with a brutal punch. “WHEN….will he….learn, that….he must….respect….people more powerful…than he?”

“NO! STOP!” Vegeta cried again, panic taking over when Raditzu‘s cries had stopped. Leaping onto Zarbon, he tried to pry the other away, only to be thrown aside like a rag doll. “STOP!” He sobbed, pushing himself back up. Feeling hot tears on his cheeks, he let them fall.

“STOP YOU MONSTER! YOU’RE KILLING HIM!”

“That’s the point…Vegeta…” Furiza laughed. “But…you can save him.” The white lizard got up, coming to stand by the Saiyan prince to watch more closely.

Looking up to his captor, he felt something deep inside him beginning to break. Looking back to the man who had held him while he cried, the man who had raised him and taken care of him when he had been ill or hurt, he felt his heart breaking. “I…please…Senior Training advisor, Training advisor Captain Zarbon, please let him go.” He whispered, his voice growing in strength as he repeated his plea. “Senior Training advisor, Training advisor Captain Zarbon, PLEASE…”

“That’s enough.” Furiza said, putting a hand on Vegeta’s mussed hair, “Let him go.”

Zarbon growled, burying his fist in the other’s stomach a few more times before letting the battered man slump to the floor. “Lord Furiza?”

“You’re dismissed.” He waved to his two captains indicating that they should depart now rather than linger and risk catching the ire of their leader.

Vegeta watched the two fighters leave with large eyes. Turning his attention back up to the other, he took cautious steps back. “Furiza…” He whispered.

“Ah, no…don’t tell me you’re forgetting your lessons already? Do I need to help you to review?” Furiza said, following the prince until he had the other cornered.

The prince quickly fell to a knee in the way he had seen so many of the servants do to his father. “Lord Furiza,” He said, pain stabbing through his heart like a dull knife. He would not understand it for years to come, this pain he felt beginning to grow deep inside of him. He wouldn’t realize it until much latter t hat each time this pain filled his heart and his soul, that a little piece of himself was dying, that another part of his pride was falling away. “I have learned, Lord Furiza…I do not need to review.”

“Good…now listen up.” Furiza said, his voice holding some measure of warmth in it. Forcing the prince to look up at him, he gave a nasty smile, “This lesson had better stick in your primitive brain…or next time…I will not stop Zarbon from taking his pleasure in your friend’s hind quarters. I assure you…Vegeta, that your friend would not live to see the end of Zarbon’s cruelty. That being said…you must realize too…that no matter where you go, no matter what you do, no matter what you see or hear, I will know what you are thinking, and I will KNOW what you are up to and what ill manner of instinct you are acting upon. So…you must understand as well…that any condescending word you utter, any disgusting, primitive sound you make, every disrespectful act you commit, I will know about it…and you will be punished for it. As well as your friends…their lives may disappear in a shower of blood if you piss me off…do you understand?”

Vegeta nodded slowly, “Yes, lord Furiza…“ tears beginning to streak down his beaten face. He didn’t want this creature to see him cry, but he could not hold back his fear and humiliation.

“Now go take care of your friend, get cleaned up and have a meal. I want to see you back down here in three hours to continue your training.” Lord Furiza said, making his way to the door, his trail slithering like a snake behind him.

“Raditzu…” Vegeta made a silent prayer under his breath.

The long haired Saiyan tried to struggle to his feet so he could pay proper respect to his prince, but found himself laying back on the ground once more. “V-Vegeta…” He coughed bringing up a fresh well of blood, his hair soaking up the gore as he tried to regain his feet once more.

“Stay were you are,” He said, his heart breaking into a thousand tiny, sharp shards, when he saw the state of his friend. “Don’t move.” He knelt next to his faithful follower, in awe that Raditzu was even conscious. The pain must have been overwhelming. He could see in Raditzu’s eyes that he was dying and the panic from before was back.

“Vegeta…the baby…” Raditzu rasped, blood bubbling forth from his cracked lips. Tears had begun to trickle from the corners of Raditzu’s wide eyes. “Don’t tell Napa…just tell ‘em I loved him so much…”

“STOP TALKING LIKE THAT!” Vegeta growled, trying with all his might to lift and carry the fully grown Saiyan. “You’re not going to die, you baka…I won’t let you…”

“I…was…going to name him…after you…my prince…” Raditzu confessed tearfully in between ragged, gasping breaths. Vegeta felt numb, his brain racing over what his first crush and honored babysitter was saying. Somehow he managed to hoist Raditzu’s weight. He felt his muscles straining while he made his way to the nearest transporter. It felt like a half a mile away, “G’ta…I was going to…name my baby…G‘ta…Napa would…have made…a great father, don‘t…you think? Vegeta…” Raditzu went limp in his prince’s arms.