Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Slave ❯ Deception ( Chapter 31 )

DISCLAIMER: I do not own DBZ or any of the characters from it.

A/N - Uh…hi! Please review and be kindly (after all I was preeeety fast with this chapter!) I know this chapter is a little short but at least it's out and posted!

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Kakarot grinned ghoulishly as he dodged his father's attacks with the practiced ease of a pro. His body moved gracefully through evasive twists and turns that would have made a star gymnast green with envy. Years of exile from his saiyan home had strengthened him physically and living on Earth amongst the scum of the Saiyan Empire had hardened him mentally. He had become more then his father had even envisioned, more even then he himself had dared hope.

The chilling smile on his face didn't falter once as he easily planted a strategic blow to his father's right kidney, rendering him immobile with pain for a short amount of time. While his father was doubled over he sent a small concentrated ki blast at him and was rewarded with a startled scream of pain, encouraged he sent another ki blast flying at him. Following behind his blast he viciously kicked Bardock twice in the head, avoiding the red splatters of blood that he knew from experience would stain his clothing if he were fool enough to allow them to land on him. Normally he would have taken more time with his kill, but he knew that his father was far stronger then he seemed.

Bardock staggered forward, one hand holding his head as he fumbled blindly with the other hand, seeming to search for something. Kakarot, the mirror image of his father strode forward cockily and grabbed his father up in a chokehold - the urge to kill pulsed through his head, filling his mind with boiling clouds of rage. He knew nothing except that he had to kill the weak creature that struggled and gasped within his arms.

Kakarot snarled and tightened his grasp, knowing that soon his father's windpipe would crush and his lungs fill with blood. A painful death but a death that, in a way, he had been earned through a lifetime of slaughter and bloodshed.

"What's going on?"

The loud voice echoed through the room like a gunshot, but Kakarot ignored it despite the imperious tone, choosing to complete his mission rather then deal with whichever idiot had been fool enough to interrupt him. He would deal with the ingrate after he had finished with his father…

Abruptly, Kakarot froze as whoever was standing behind him released their power, the sheer magnitude and strength of their aura almost knocking his feet out from beneath him. Slowly, oh so slowly, the grip on his fathers neck loosened and he straightened to his full height - the prone body of his sire sliding to the floor and lying still.

"The next time I ask you a question I expect an answer." The same arrogant voice sliced through the air, grating along Kakarot nerves. "Now, can I ask who you are and what you're doing to my guard?"

Kakarot turned around and faced the mysterious saiyan who stood barring the med bay doorway, his powerful aura still causing a gentle wind in the room. He smirked ever so slightly as he saw a young King Vegeta staring back at him, haughty black eyes staring at him as though he was nothing more then a bug.

"I was trying to kill him…My Liege." The second part was added as almost as though it was an afterthought. He bowed his head briefly in a brief show of respect. He'd encountered Vegeta before, but it was most likely that the Prince had no recollection of him. They had served together in the King's Army for several years - although admittedly Vegeta had always been a more senior officer then he had been. Still, he had served alongside the heir in his last battle with in the army, before the unfortunate incident involving his brother Raditz.

The mere thought of his older brother made Kakarot almost chuckle outwardly. He'd never forget the look on his brother's face when he'd shot a hole through his chest. Right up until the end Raditz had believed that Kakarot was only joking around, that he was going to save him. It was when the last of his life was slipping from him that Raditz had asked that unanswerable question, finally realizing that his brother had planned his death all along.

"Why?"

At the time he hadn't answered his brother, not having prepared an answer ahead of time. The truth was that he'd simply never liked his brother. His brother had annoyed him, so he'd killed him. The same had gone for his twit of a twin Turles - although that fight had been a little messier. He hadn't expected his brother to bring along a backup - still killing them both and stealing the Shinseiju* seed had been simple enough.

Kakarot glanced down at his father and resisted the urge to laugh. His old man, for all of his cunning and brute strength couldn't compare with the strength he had gained from eating the fruit of the Shinseiju tree. It was a pity really; he would have liked to have had a challenging fight with the last of his kin.

"What is taking so long, Vegeta?" A shrill female voice pierced the uneasy silence that had descended upon the room - Kakarot being lost in his own thoughts and Vegeta trying to decide whether he should try to get Bardock back in the healing tank in the hope of him recovering again or whether he should just attack the Bardock clone who was grinning manically. Vegeta felt himself pushed rudely to one side as Zucchini stormed into the room. She took one look at Bardock and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Oh great, now we have to wait for him to heal all over again." She rudely stuck her face close to Kakarot's, claiming his attention easily. "I suppose you're proud of yourself?"

"Very." The rogue saiyan replied truthfully in a voice almost identical to Bardock's. He ran appreciative eyes over the delicious smelling female in front of him, his mouth curving into a smirk as he noticed a faint blush stealing over her cheeks as his appraisal became noticed. The woman reminded him of the black haired princess who he had had the pleasure of bedding Earth. She had been the only child of the Ox King, the good-natured ruler of the mountain kingdom in which Kakarot had crashed landed. He'd slaughtered the king without a second thought, however his beautiful daughter had been of more use and her death had only occurred once Kakarot had grown tired of her.

Vegeta frowned at the look Kakarot was dealing out to the Zucchini. While he had no affection for the princess, she was his future mate and the way in which the Bardock clone was watching her was a challenge to his authority. Forgetting about Brolly who was standing behind him, ready to step in if things got out of hand, Vegeta crossed the room and jerked Zucchini behind him roughly.

"Do not look at your future queen as though she is a cheap whore." Against his will Vegeta's brain added silently '…even though she is one…' It was only through strength of will that he resisted from speaking the afterthought out loud. Behind him Zucchini sidled closer to him, encouraged by his sudden protectiveness.

Kakarot inclined his head again, catching a glimpse of Brolly through the corner of his eyes. He froze almost immediately and cursed inwardly - not many people on the planet Vegeta would remember who he was, however Brolly was one of the few saiyans who would know him by sight. But of course Brolly wasn't the smartest of saiyans - he had often thought as a child that what Brolly lacked in brains he more then made up for in strength. He'd proved his theory when he'd easily deceived him about the truth of Raditz death.

"I apologize." He ignored Brolly and the female, focusing on the Prince as he decided that smooth talking out of this situation was probably his best bet. "My name is Kakarot, second born son of Bardock and Natoru." He smiled politely and continued, not liking the bubbling scorn he could see just below the surface of the prince's eyes. "I do apologize for breaking the decree, you see I've only recently returned from a surveillance mission of Earth." The lie slid like honey from his tongue, Kakarot's rich tone embellishing as he elaborated on the tale. "Your father, King Vegeta sent me to Earth on a mission to gather information on suspected spies of Frieza…"

"My father is dead." Vegeta snapped waspishly, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. Something at the back of his mind telling him not to trust the smooth talking son of Bardock. He hadn't even known Bardock had any children let alive, he seemed to remember hearing a rumor several years ago that they had all perished under suspicious circumstances. The prince however didn't let any of his suspciousions show outwardly.

"Dead?!" Kakarot blanched, not having to feign surprise. He had spent the past few days deep in Frieza's territory, gathering what information he could about his father's location. Had he known that the King had been killed he would have postponed his visit home, at least until less attention was focused on the royal abode which his father guarded. Still, at least now none could disprove his lie…except of course for his father. He glanced down warily at the bloodied body, expecting him to sit up at any moment and let the cat out of the bag. Luckily the body stayed where it had fallen.

A member of the icejin royal family, whose identity was a closely guarded secret, had issued the bounty on his father's life several years ago. Kakarot had been mildly surprised to find that despite the bounty his father was still alive, but then the amount on his father's head was less then substantial and his fathers battle prowess was legendary so it wasn't all that surprising that as yet no hunter decided to take on the challenge. Noticing that the Prince was become edgy from his prolonged silence Kakarot hurriedly spoke.

"I did now know of your fathers demise, I hope you will accept my sincerest apologies for barging in on the palace in a time of mourning." Vegeta nodded in acceptance of his apology and watched as Kakarot leant down and scooped his father into his arms, avoiding eye contact with any of the other saiyans in the room. Almost unwillingly Vegeta found his eyes briefly sweeping over the young saiyans body, noting the controlled strength in his muscles as he lifted his father gracefully.

The Prince cleared his throat hurriedly and looked away, wildly wondering why he'd just felt an almost sexual stirring at the thought of a more intimate meeting with Bardock's child. Ignoring Kakarot, Vegeta strode from the room, pausing briefly to confer with Brolly in an undertone before disappearing down the hallway. He'd never in his life found a man attractive! Even when his mentor Nappa had explained that same sex relationships were common amongst saiyan males, he'd never once found himself entertaining the thought of engaging in sexual relations with another male until now!

Deciding that it was just the human tailoring of Kakarot's clothing - which of course reminded him of Bulma - Vegeta stormed back into his room, slamming the door behind him. By the time Zucchini returned to the room he was seated at the table typing furiously on the portable computer, his mind firmly planted on the worrisome issue of weather or not the wedding should take place in the castle or on one of Vegeta's moons, far away from public eye.

Back in the med bay, Kakarot, who had not been unaware of the Prince's eyes following him, deposited his father in the healing tank with little finesse, fixed the mask on his face and silently promised that he'd be back to finish his father off when time would next allow. The fact that the prince had been so easy to fool with his lies gave him an idea - although it would cost him dearly if is plan went awry, but if all went according to plan it would get Brolly out of his hair for good and that was worth risking everything for.

"Now I know who you are." Brolly stepped forward, his tail swishing back and forth behind him. For the briefest of seconds Brolly merely stared at Kakarot with bitter black eyes, then he snarled angrily. "Kakarot!" He spat his name out as though it was poison.

Kakarot shrugged indifferently. "You must have known I'd come back one day - I couldn't stay away for ever." He stepped towards Brolly, struggling to control his urge to release his power and flatten the egotistical henchman of the former king. It had been a long time since he'd laid eyes on Brolly indeed the last time they'd met he had looked nothing like he did now, he'd been a little more…upset.

Kakarot chuckled at the memory.

They watched each other distrustfully, for the moment forgetting the reason that had brought them to the castle. Their past together was a jumbled mix of pain, hatred and betrayal - it was a past that Kakarot had nonchalantly shrugged off long ago, but a past that Brolly had dwelt upon. Once they'd been friends and had worked together for the king on 'special' purging missions, but all that had come to an abrupt halt with the death of Brolly's saiyan lover; Raditz.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't rip you to shreds…" The former bodyguard to Bulma bared his teeth, his muscles tense with inaction. He wanted to lunge and grab the insane little weasel before he slipped through his fingers as he'd done last time. Kakarot was far smarter then the average saiyan, having inherited his fathers wily intelligence and strategic ability. It was sickening though to realize that Kakarot had played them all, pretending to be something he wasn't all through his adolescent.

It wasn't until he'd killed his own brother for fun that Brolly had seen the more sinister side of his nature emerge. Kakarot was a killer, but more so then that, he was a liar. When confronted with the death of his brother Kakarot had pleaded ignorance until a few months later when he'd told Brolly that is was Turles who had slain his lover. Brolly had gone after Turles of course, convinced that his good friend Kakarot wouldn't lie to him - he'd gone so far as to chase Turles off planet.

How was he to know that Kakarot was lying? How was he to know that everything Kakarot said was part of an elaborate plot to force his remaining brother off planet? With the clarity of retrospect he could see now how devious Kakarot had been, even at a young age. The only remaining question was why?

Kakarot didn't bother to answer his question of why Brolly should spare him, instead he yawned slightly and stretched. "You know Brolly, given the chance I'd love to fight you. However I have more pressing matters to attend to…" He held up his hand and Brolly growled in response, not realizing that Kakarot was deliberately baiting him. "Now get all upset, I'll be on planet for a while longer yet." He grinned sneakily and let out a small chuckle. "Don't worry - you'll be seeing me again." With that Kakarot strode confidently past him, apparently too cocky to acknowledge the warning growl from Brolly.

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It wasn't until later that night that a med-technician, coming to check up on Bardock's healing process, found Kakarot lying bloodied on the floor - unconscious but still alive. Had Kakarot still been awake he would have smirked at his good fortune, after all Brolly had set the wheels in motion for his latest plan by attacking him, but as it was all he could do was groan almost inaudibly as he was put into a healing tank next to his father.

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* = Shinseiju is the energy-eating tree that Turles plants in the third DBZ movie.

A/N - Yeah! I got it done in less then a week! I so rock! Wahoo! Please review and let me know what you think my dear! *Does the filler bunny dance*