Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction / Princess Mononoke Fan Fiction ❯ The Silent Prince, Perfect Collection 2 ❯ Chapter 40 ( Chapter 10 )

Chapter 40

Genji's head was throbbing when he woke up. He felt strange, like an incredible force above him was weighing him down. He strained his arms to push himself up to his hands and knees when his elbows buckled and he dropped to the floor. Then, he noticed that a white blanket was covering him. Where was he? And why was he covered?

Then, the blanket was lifted off his head. Genji could see Vegeta's face hovering above him.

"Not bad." He congratulated. "No ordinary human would even be able to move in this gravity." He took the blanket completely off. "Well, I should give the Namek his cape back…but maybe later." He tossed the fabric aside. "You're more important right now."

Genji tried to stand up, pushing his body off the red tile floor. He kept his eyes on Vegeta, who just smiled at him.

"You should thank me, Genji. The police arrived when I knocked you out, and I told them you had escaped. So, you're safe…from them, at least."

Genji began to sweat from the strain as he put his feet on the floor, raising himself up to a crouch. He looked at Vegeta.

"You're probably asking yourself 'What does that bastard mean by that?' Aren't you?"

Genji's eyelids slipped halfway over his eyes in suspicion. Vegeta might as well have read his mind word for word.

"I'll tell you what I meant by that, boy. If the police had arrested you and put you on trial, you had some chance of living."

Genji blinked a few times as his situation added up. Vegeta was intending to kill Genji!

"Now, this is what's going to happen. Try and stand up on your two feet. If you fall, you have until the count of thirty to stand back up. Otherwise…" Vegeta left that unfinished, chuckling with malice and cracking his knuckles. Genji gnashed his teeth angrily, and then he tried to straighten his knees.

"Well, now that you know the rules, it's time to play the game. 1…2…3…"

Genji winced as he tried to stand up fully straight, pulling his shoulders back and lifting his head. He could feel his stomach muscles stretching and aching in protest as he pulled himself up straight.

Yes! He was standing!

…But it took all of his strength to stay standing up. He could feel the gravity trying to push him down, trying to lead him to his death. He refused to let that happen! He shut his eyes tightly, concentrating only on staying on his two feet. He clenched his fists together, holding them to his sides for balance. With each passing moment, he seemed to feel weaker and weaker, and the gravity seemed to push stronger and stronger. Genji leaned his head back, stretching his mouth open to scream, but couldn't. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out.

Vegeta had stopped counting long ago and had started frowning.

"Very good." He congratulated dryly. He wasn't expecting Genji to stand. "You certainly are stronger than you appear…like father, like son, I suppose." He walked over to the control console in the middle of the room, and pushed a single button. With a complying "bweep," the gravity returned to normal. Vegeta watched the gravity measurement scale quickly drop from 10 to 1.

Genji felt the pushing pressure leave, and he gasped in relief. He slumped over, breathing heavily. It was over, and he would live…

"Ten times Earth's normal gravity." Vegeta nodded at the boy. "Not bad for a human. Or are you human, boy?"

Genji glared at the prince. Of course he was human! What a stupid question!

"I don't think you're human." Vegeta doubted. "A virgin mother? Don't make me laugh! You're a freak, just like that coward father of yours!"

**DAMN YOU! I DON'T HAVE A FATHER!**

He didn't care if Vegeta couldn't hear him or not, saying it just made him feel better.

Vegeta smirked.

"I hear that you deny Cell is your bather. Well then, let's experiment by playing my game again." He tapped at the console's buttons, changing the gravity again. "Only, we'll up the stakes." Genji saw the monitor scroll from 1 to 20, and he felt himself instantly slam into the floor. The pushing was much stronger than before; he couldn't move a finger. He lie on his stomach, breathing hard, and feeling his heart beat in his ears.

"1…2…3…4…"

Genji could hear a slight purr in his head, the sound of a stalking predator about to pounce on its prey. It was his demon. It was enjoying Vegeta's game…and it wanted Vegeta to win.

"5…6…7…8…"

/|\

Murasaki could only watch helplessly in a window as Vegeta carried out Genji's torture. She felt her eyes water, wishing it would stop. Trunks told her all about the gravity chamber, and how the meter could go as far as the gravity on Jupiter: fatal.

Vegeta…why do you hate the boy so much?

Why do you feel Genji should die?

Don't you see?

The boy is much too important to die now…

Too important…

To me!

Oh, Genji! No!

Help is coming soon!

Please, don't die Genji!