A
Round Robin (39 - 41)
by Kiarene & Felix
(Kia has not
forgotten about Goten…)
Goten cursed as the
door slammed into his face. He pounded furiously on the barrier, but the door
remained immobile. Powering up with a growl, he slammed a heavy fist into the
door. In his ascended state, even a solid foot of metal would have caved in,
but that blasted door remained stubbornly intact. “Vegeta!” He yelled, both
physically and mentally, but there was no response. “Let me in! Dad!
Vegeta!!”
Finally, fist
throbbing and slightly hoarse, he stopped and rested his forehead against the
door. Shimatta. What was he to do now? He sank to the floor in abject
disappointment and frustrated anger. Once again, his father was one step ahead
of him. Even in his world. How does that bakayaro do it? How??
Goten closed his
eyes and leaned back against the wall tiredly.
-----
Trunks and Gohan
walked into the infirmary to check on their family. Vegeta, Goku and Goten were
lying on three single beds, Vegeta between the two taller males. All three were
still unconscious, and an array of machines monitored the trio and kept them
alive. Thick nutrient solutions were pumped directly into their stomach and
tubes cleared their bodies’ waste products.
“No change?” It
wasn’t really a question; Gohan could see for himself the machines’ readouts.
He was just worried and felt the need to talk as he turned his father over.
This was to prevent bedsores.
“No…” Trunks
massaged his father’s limbs. “The strange thing is, their brain waves do not
follow the usual pattern for coma victims. They don’t even seem to be asleep.”
“What do you mean?”
Piccolo asked as he walked in, Dende one step behind him.
“Piccolo!” Gohan
turned, smiling with relief at the sight of his mentor. Tall and serious,
Piccolo projected a calming, assuring aura.
“Normally, when we
are awake, our brain is highly active. Look at that monitor.” Trunks got up and
walked over to his father’s monitor, tapping on the green screen. “Those are
typical alpha waves, something you see when the person is awake. When you
sleep, brain activity slows down, giving gamma and finally theta waves when you
slip into REM sleep. Both the amplitude and frequency of the brain waves
decreases as sleep deepens. Theta waves are the slowest oscillating waves of
all. There are no alpha waves in deep sleep. However, the strange thing is that
all of their brains register not only delta and theta waves, but alpha and beta
waves as well. What does this mean?”
He turned a
piercing look at the other three. He had a theory, but he wanted to work this
out with the others. “Alpha waves are seen when one is relaxed and
awake. Beta waves are observed in highly stressful situations, where
mental concentration and focus is required.” He emphasized the words, allowing
them to sink in.
Gohan frowned as he
continued working on his father, rubbing and stroking to improve blood
circulation. “They are dreaming? And the dream is very strong, so much so that
they are almost …conscious?” He kneaded at his father’s upper arms. “Look, this
is really strange. They often twitch and move, and right now Dad’s awfully
tense. It’s like…” His brows drew together further as he struggled with his
nagging suspicion.
Dende had taken up
a place beside Goten and was doing the same thing to the unconscious demi-Saiyan.
“You think they are trapped in their dreams. And it’s just not simple dreams
either.” The young Namek stated calmly.
“Hai.” Gohan
nodded.
“Their brain waves
seem almost coordinated as well. When one jumps, one or both of the others jump
as well, and their bodies tense up.” Trunks flushed, recalled an earlier
incident where he had walked in and both his father and Goku’s brain waves were
spiking wildly. That wasn’t the only thing that went up as well.
“So it is highly
likely that they are all trapped in a dream.” Piccolo looked down at Goku
thoughtfully. “And is there any way of waking them up?”
Trunks shook his
head in frustration. “We’ve tried everything, even ice-water and electric
jolts.”
Dende looked at
Piccolo with a nod. “Piccolo suspected that the problem could be mental in
nature and asked me to come down today for that purpose. As you know, Nameks
have even stronger telepathic powers than Saiyans, and I may be able to enter
their dream to draw them out. Or at least find out what’s happening.”
“But what if you
get trapped inside?” Gohan asked worriedly.
Dende shook his
head. “Unlikely. I won’t be sleeping; I’ll be going into a meditative trance
and I’ll retain full control of my mental faculties.”
Trunks scowled.
“Dangerous. Very risky…”
“But what else can
we do? The dragonballs have been used a while back and are inactive for a few
more months at least.” Dende murmured. “Saa… Do not worry. I spend even more
time than Piccolo meditating; my strength lies not in physical strength like
Piccolo, but rather mental powers.”
“How long more do
you think they can afford to remain in a coma like this?” Piccolo asked
bluntly.
Trunks chewed on
his lower lip. “I’m not sure. They are being fed, but Saiyan metabolism is so
active that liquid food is no substitute. And they seem to be burning more
energy than they should, that is if they are actually asleep. They are losing
weight… I’ll say another week before their bodies are in danger of shutting
down and cannibalizing itself.”
“Who?” Gohan asked.
“Whose mind will you enter, Dende?” A silence fell over the room as
demi-Saiyans and Nameks looked at the unconscious trio. At that point, the
monitors beeped again as the two older Saiyans’ brainwaves started spiking.
“What’s happening?”
Gohan looked panicky, rushing over to his father’s side. “What’s wrong?”
“This happened
earlier when I came in too. I don’t think they are in danger though…” Trunks
coughed, his face red. All eyes fell on the obvious tents in the two full-blooded
Saiyans’ loose gi bottoms, and all remembered what Vegeta said earlier about
how he was …mated to both Sons. Both males writhed, making little
purring and growling noises. Their tails were puffed to twice the normal
diameter and lashing wildly.
The four onlookers
tried to look away, but it was hard, especially when they started to jerk and
pant softly. “So… I think perhaps we should not interrupt them.” Piccolo stated
wryly. Even his normally cool expression faltered when Vegeta gave a particularly
deep and drawn out groan, his hips arching up as his hands fisted in the
bedsheets.
“Hai, hai…” Dende
nodded, his cheeks flushing a deep purple as he sat down beside Goten, his back
to the two full-blooded Saiyans. Closing his eyes, he started to settle into a
trance.
“Help me push their
beds further away, so that they don’t disturb Dende…” Trunks whispered.
“Were they like
this just now when you came in?” Gohan hissed back. They pushed the beds
together against the far wall. The two full-blooded Saiyans seem to sense each
others presence despite being unconscious, and turned slightly to face the
other.
“Ahm… I didn’t stay
to watch.” Trunks growled. “What? Do you think I’m a hentai?”
The sons’ eyes
watched as Goku’s tail found and coiled tightly around Vegeta’s waist, the tip
flicking lightly against the prince’s impressively hard erection. Both gulped,
and then turned around. Piccolo had pulled up a chair beside Dende.
“Ohhhh…. I just
can’t imagine our dads …doing it.” Gohan blushed wildly. “Well, actually, I
can. I just can’t imagine them getting together… Oh shit! Image!” He slapped
himself. And again.
“Here.” Trunks
handed Gohan a small towel.
“Nani?”
“To clean them up
after.” Trunks growled. “You do your dad this time. I had to clean both when I
came back after …they were done earlier.”
Both sons fell
silent as they pulled up a chair each. They sat side by side a little
self-consciously as they faced away and watched Dende, trying hard to ignore
the little sounds behind them.
-----
Goten snapped his
eyes open when he felt something… He frowned, concentrating. Suddenly his eyes
widened. No! He felt nothing! Where the distinctive presence of Vegeta was,
strong and warm, was …nothing!
He scrambled to his
feet, all sorts of thoughts and emotions whirling through him. Anger,
confusion, hurt, puzzlement, betrayal…
Why?
Goten stumbled
along the dark hallway and back out into the open street, dazed. He tried to ‘look’
for Vegeta mentally, but lacking the proper mental training, he couldn’t. It
was as if Vegeta had suddenly severed their bond. ‘But it’s not possible!
Shenlong himself said he couldn’t break the bond if it was mutual…’
How? WHY?!
-----
Dende opened his
eyes. “Oh Shin!!” The young god swore. Since he obviously couldn’t curse
himself, he cursed a higher power instead. It was a rare occurrence though.
Dende had led a
highly protected and sheltered life. Back on Namek, he was just an ordinary boy.
He wasn’t a fighter; he was a healer. And here on Chikkuyu, he was the new
Guardian of the planet, and so he spent most of his time at the Lookout.
Everyone kept him safe, even if he didn’t wanted to. Though he could see almost
anything that was going on in his domain, he had never been this up close.
People bustled
around him, and garish signs jumped out at him. The teenage Namek held his
hands over his sensitive ears protectively, deafened by the cacophony of noise
around him. Walking along timidly, he observed his surroundings, hoping to find
Goten. Concentrating, he could feel the demi-Saiyan’s ki in the distance, and
he started to walk more briskly.
Strange thing was,
nobody was staring at him. Nobody noticed a green alien walking among them. Dende
looked down at himself, his eyes widening in shock. The teenage god was no
longer dressed in the loose white robes and maroon vest. Instead, he was
wearing a pair of billowing pants in a gauzy white fabric, and a maroon velvet
collar around his neck.
He blushed again.
-----
Goten sat in a
corner booth in the darkened restaurant, picking gloomily at his food. He had
eaten a bit; a lot by Ningen standards, but only a bit by Saiyan standards. A
few empty bottles of beer and liquor littered the floor beside him, and the
morose teen stared into the recently emptied 100% proof vodka bottle. He was
seriously considering asking the waiter for a joint.
‘Why not? It is my
world… I can have any bloody thing I want.’ He gave a bitter laugh. ‘Except my
mate.’
He turned the clear
glass bottle over and placing a finger below the mouth, he lit the tip with a
small flare of ki. “Whoo hoo!!” He fell back giggling madly as the alcohol
fumes in the bottle combusted.
“Who hoo…” The
blackened bottle rolled forgotten onto the floor as his hysterical laughter
died down. Tears welled up in his eyes. “Why…?”
“Goten…?”
Goten turned his
head around curiously when a finger tapped him on his shoulder. Nobody had addressed
him by his name yet, on this world. “How did you know… Vegeta!”
Dende yipped in
surprise as arms wrapped tightly around his waist. “Goten!” He squeaked,
pushing the corded arms away unsuccessfully.
Goten finally
released his mate, and pulled back to look at the prince in delight. In his
eyes, the prince never looked sexier. “God, I’m so happy to see you, koi. When
I felt you disappear from my mind, I assumed the worst… What happened between
you and Goku? He looked ready to kill you, what happened?”
Dende blinked
rapidly as Goten rambled on, trying to assimilate what the young demi-saiyan
was telling him. And all he could come up with was the image of the two older
Saiyans writhing and moaning in the infirmary beds. The young god blushed again.
“Mmmm…” Goten
purred as he raked his eyes down the lithe body. “You look grrrreat, koi. What
happened to your other clothes? I like this much, much better though. You look
straight out of Arabian Nights.”
Dende crossed his
arms across his bare chest self-consciously. “I’m not Vegeta!”
“What do you mean?”
Black eyes narrowed.
“I mean, I’m not
Vegeta! I’m Dende!” The young Namek repeated.
“No, I know what
Dende look like, and you’re NOT green or bald or Namek!” Goten patted the air
above Dende’s head. “Look at this thick hair…” He grabbed the Namek’s arm,
peering at it in the dim lighting. “And this skin is definitely not green, it’s
a very nice shade of olive.”
‘Oh shit! Goten’s
deluded… This is his mind and he’s seeing what he wants to see.’ A million
thoughts ran wildly through the teenage Namek’s mind. He tried to recall what
Vegeta said on the Lookout. The feisty Saiyan prince was mated to both Goku and
Goten… and it seemed that neither Son was particularly happy about that
arrangement. Both were extremely jealous; the young god was sure of that. And
somehow, Goku had managed to take Vegeta away, leaving Goten behind.
Then all thoughts
of the three Saiyans’ problems flew out of his head as problems of his own
popped up. Goten yanked him down for a bruising kiss, muscular arms pinning his
own tightly. Dende was panicking. This was NOT in his rescue plan!
And this was NOT
how he imagined his first kiss to be like! He had always thought it would be
sweet and light, not wet and hot and messy. And he had most certainly not
realized that the tongue was involved!
‘The details you
don’t see because you’re 3000 feet above… and because Gods aren’t expected to
participate…’ The Namek was hapless against the more experienced Saiyan. He
squirmed, but that only served to excite the black-haired lad more, as arms
shifted and drew him closer.
“You’re mine… Screw
that bastard. I love you and you love me and I’m not letting you go again.”
Goten growled lowly when he finally pulled away. He nipped lightly along the
slender Namek’s neck, and Dende shivered at feral look in the other’s dark
eyes. “Mine… Gonna fuck you till you forget all about him…”
(Kia cackles
wickedly…)
(..and
Felix feels pity, though must admit evil is quite fun..)
The
bits and pieces of heartfelt declarations, and more importantly, the mention of
an act described as "fucking", caused Dende's mind to snap back into
action. Previously clouded by the foreign, pleasurable sensations, the mere
thought of something more intimate than a kiss scared the Namek into pushing
the halfling away. "Goten!" he shouted, his booming voice feeding his
bravery, "I have something important to tell you!"
"Koi?"
Goten asked, worried, his black eyes soft as a newborn kitten. A hint of panic
rang in his voice, which quickly turned to despair, "Y-You're not going
to..l..l-leave--"
"Er,
no," Dende hastened his reply, flushing, but trying his best to redirect
the conversation, "This is about everything that's happened
recently." Goten gave him a look as if to say "You're not going to
talk about my dad, are you?". The young god urged him to sit, threatening
to with-hold information until Goten did so. Finally sitting, the demi-Saiyan
looked up at him with eager, almost pleading eyes. They now reminded Dende of a
sad, pathetic, lost, abandoned, and possibly injured, newborn kitten. He felt
guilty, somehow. If he could just somehow convince Goten that he wasn't
Vegeta... A wild idea flitted across his mind and he cleared his throat,
plotting carefully.
"So..this
is your dream?" Dende tried to question as nonchalantly as possible.
"Koi,
what did you have to tell me??" Goten seemed to urgently need the
information.
"I
need you to answer my questions first!" he shot back intensely. He wasn't
lying, he needed to know in order to comprehend the situation and take
appropriate action.
Goten
wore a very pouty expression, "No, we're still in my world." This
sparked his memory, and he pleaded, "Vegeta! What happened with my dad!
How did you get away from him!"
Dende
hurried to quiet him, "All in good time! You need to answer my questions
first! What happened after..er..I..left?"
"I
was so angry at dad for taking you, I tried to follow. I..couldn't..so I was
angry at myself too, for
being
so weak," Goten turned red from embarrassment, "I was just worrying
about you when I felt..it felt like..our bond had disappeared." Tears
began to well in his eyes at the reminder of the emotional pain, "I
thought you left me for him..I thought you were never coming back.." Dende
shuffled, obviously uncomfortable with Goten's discomfort. The demi-Saiyan
began to smile though, wiping away his tears, "But you came back!" In
a fit of hysterical joy, Goten flung himself around the Namek, clinging
tightly, repeating louder, "YOU CAME BACK!" He kissed him earnestly
with relief.
Tearing
themselves apart from one another, Dende felt as though he might vomit with the
way his stomach did backward somersaults. Flushing deeply, he did his best to
keep the younger man at bay, "Ok, Goten, I need you to listen to me."
The happy glazed look was replaced with something akin to serious concentration.
"We need to come out of your world now," Dende said, fully knowing
the various risks he was putting them both at, "Can you do that?"
"Can't
you show me how? You taught me how to do this," he glanced around before
looking back at his 'mate', "So maybe it's best if you guide me." The
Namek nearly swore at his fortune, digging around for an excuse.
"You
need to learn to do it on your own," he blurted out as soon as he'd
thought of it. "Wow, that was good," Dende thought to himself.
Goten
gave a shaky, uncertain nod, "Yeah, you're right. I'll need to know how to
do it... If I can do it, maybe we have a chance against dad."
Dende
was about to question the "against" factor, (since when was Goten and
Vegeta against Goku?), when he decided better upon it. Instead, he just
gave a solemn nod, waiting patiently for the black-haired youth to act.
Goten
tried to mimic the actions which had been taught to him, but it was difficult,
especially because he was attempting to do them in reverse. He concentrated
though, determined to make his mate proud, imagining the advantages he'd have
with this ability when he was through learning it. Vegeta could be with him,
instead of his father. Vegeta could make love to him, instead of his
father. He could be on top, instead of his father....
It was
enough motivation to convince him to burst into Goku's world and demand to
reclaim his chosen, otherwise to take him back by force.
The
entire thing appeared to be simpler going out, rather than going in; either
that, or the previous experience just made it all the easier to do. Or even
perhaps, with the state he was in, it, for whatever reason, helped rather than
hindered. Goten held onto his presence, as well as "Vegeta's", and
without much effort, cleared everything else away. There was a weird sensation
within Goten, as if some unseen restriction suddenly evaporated. Things
suddenly became clear. The darkness that had accompanied them from the exit of
Goten's world began to fade away, letting other visions creep into the missing
segments. Eventually all the black seeped away, and the two found themselves
standing in an awkward place.
"O-Odd,"
Goten said shakily, moving to stand beside his "lover". Dende felt
flattered that someone would want his protection, but he knew that if Goten was
nervous, it was likely they were in danger.
"What's
the matter?" the healer asked calmly, carefully examining their current
location.
"It
reminds me of dad's mind.." he shivered, clasping his hands on his
forearms, rubbing to warm himself. Dende outstretched his palm, but hesitated.
His powers..would they be disrupted from a transfer so large? Still..he
couldn't bear to see the half-breed suffer, and so he conjured a warmer set of
clothes for him. Goten purred at the sudden warmth, despite the fact he had no
idea where it came from. The moment was gone and he became solemn again,
"We are in dad's mind. I can tell. I can..feel it. Why did we go to
dad's mind? Why didn't we wake up?"
"Good
question," Dende retorted, folding his arms in thought. A breeze blew
past, causing Goten to shiver, but it barely felt uncomfortable to the Namek.
He was debating whether he should attempt to waken Goten, or use the Saiyan as
backup to explore the full-blood's mind. It was a difficult choice. If he took
Goten back, he could, naturally, regain his health and provide valuable
information. On the other hand, if Dende was going to explore Goku's mind,
which he knew he had to do eventually out of necessity of awareness as well as
other factors, it seemed logical to take a defensive measure to ensure safety.
The god was quite positive he'd have difficulty healing himself – he never had
to try it before.
He came
to the conclusion that he could always take Goten back at anytime, so prodding
around couldn't hurt too much. "Goten, follow me," Dende instructed
as he headed towards a hazy dark spot in the distance. The green-skinned man
was surprised of the state within Goku's mind. He expected warm summer days
that smelled of sweet honeysuckle, mind he never smelt such a thing before, but
he imagined it would be good. The place they were at, he would've never guessed
to be dreamt up by the happy-go-lucky hero of Earth. It was a like an artic
tundra minus the snow, and which contained dead, rotting trees that tried
feebly to sink their roots into the barren land. They traveled quickly and soon
came upon the charcoal splotch on the horizon, which turned out to be a
dilapidated city. Dende could only keep asking himself, "This is Goku's
mind??" He held his doubts dearly close, hoping this expedition wouldn't
reveal... He wasn't sure what it was, but he just didn't want to know.
He
tried to convince himself that this was impossible, that Son Goku's temperament
was just too mild, affectionate, to ever conceive such a brutal complexion.
They traveled silently through twisted wreckage, stepping carefully over
particularly dangerous debris. At once Dende realized something else..Where
were they going?
He
looked up, the answer beckoning. The largest building in the city, hollowed
like victim of a homicidal maniac, stood standing on its skeletal structure, a
shadow of greatness it had, or could have, been. Portions of it were collapsed
and rusted, and it looked like something out of a terrible nightmare. Dende
glanced over his shoulder, checking to make sure his companion did still, in
fact, accompany him. Goten added no commentary, even as their eyes met, and
followed along obediently.
They
came to what would have been the entrance to a majestic lobby, if not for the
destruction and decay which had happened to it, for whatever reason. Something
caught his eye, something that seemed out of place. He approached, and his
suspicions were confirmed as he gazed at a staircase in the center of the would-be
room. There was no railing on either side, as it was dug out of the ground.
Smooth, hard, and flat, it sunk into the darkness like an abyss. Dende, who
stepped toward it, noticed when Goten took a step back. Conflicting instincts
made a sense of foreboding prominent. "Yes.." Dende exhaled a sigh,
"You should stay here Goten." But the young man didn't like the idea
of being alone.
His
eyes took on that kitten appearance again. "It'll be okay," the Namek
said with a weak smile.
"No!"
Goten shouted out at once, looking fearful, "I want to come with you! I
refuse to lose you to him!" He instantly clamped onto Dende's arm,
insisting to defend him if need be. The god flushed, but this time because
someone was offering protection to him on a personal level, instead of vice
versa.
Easing
themselves down, Goten's grip seemed to squeeze a bit tighter with each step
that plunged them further into the nearly palpable dark. It was almost as if
they were drifting down an abyss, and the air felt like a liquid winter's
night. It was an odd sensation, almost like that of a haunting. The staircase
seemed endless, Dende reaching out to guide them with his hand against the
wall. He was nearly becoming dizzy just thinking about how many times they'd
spiraled around. Finally the swirling stopped, and the staircase came to an
end.
They
stepped out of a tunnel and found themselves in a deep cavern. It was
magnificent, beautiful, but a very, very sad sight to see. Hundreds of feet
above them, light somehow managed to sneak through some cracks, and as
evidence, pathetic blue rays streamed across what could only be described as an
entry way (in which they stood). It was magnificent, impressive by size, and
certainly beautiful, like an ancient treasure; yet, it was sad too, by certain
visual aspects, but more prominently by smell and sixth sensory. Opposite of
them and the staircase, was the main focus of their travel, Dende knew it in an
instant.
A
building had been made here, but it was different than the previous they'd seen
- it was carved out of the stone earth. The architectural design was unknown to
the god, but he saw heavy influences from several styles. This was the core
magnificence and beauty. It was drab in colors, however, except for the green
of slime from the dank conditions. The place seemed harmless enough, but the
sadness was nearly consuming. It looked aged, rotted, so it was sad to see the
disarray. The two senses that were notably disturbed were, curiously enough,
linked. It felt as if they were in a graveyard, and interestingly enough, the
scent matched that feeling.
As they
approached the monstrous form, it seemed like the light shrank back, is if in
fear, cowering for what was about to occur. Goten seemed to sense it too, his
tail coiling around "Vegeta's" waist tightly.
Dende,
however, felt strangely at ease, as if he somehow knew he wouldn't be harmed.
His nerves were wracked an instant later, when he swore he saw something move
in the shadows ahead of them. Something was near the large, gaping entrance,
and Dende was sure of it. He soothed Goten the best he could before forcing
them both to proceed. He paused only momentarily to compose himself, readying
himself to make any sudden move. He was prepared to withdraw himself, as well
as Goten, if anything put them in great peril. He stopped just short of the
threshold. He felt he couldn't go any further..it didn't seem right. It seemed
disrespectful..
..He
didn't have permission.
They
waited in an eerie silence for something to happen, in which, finally,
something did.
Rising
from the shadows, a figure came upon them, not suddenly, but just rather
unexpectedly. Goten's mouth fell open in a silent scream as he clutched onto
Dende in grotesque shock. Dende hardly knew of the demi-Saiyan's reaction as he
too stared, horrified beyond comprehensible language.
Out of
the silky black emerged Goku like neither had seen him before. In the pale
light, his skin almost seemed grey, but it accented his harsh features, his
gangly body that appeared malnutritioned. These features went unnoticed, as the
focus of terror lay upon his face. The expression on the elder was unreadable
since his main components for body language were gone.
Two
empty eye sockets stared at them.
'Your
sight can betray you.'
They
somehow heard the words, but could barely understand, comprehend, that they
were coming from this Goku..being. They knew not how or why these unspoken
words came to them.
'The
mind's perception never lies.'
The
words came clearer, and rang louder in their heads. The entity of Goku tilted
its head, as if to
beckon,
to challenge the previous sentences he'd shared. Dende somehow managed to force
his mouth to work, and he managed to ask, "Wh...Who are
you..?"
'I
am the one plaguing Goten's mind.'
This
seemed to bring Goten out of his dumbfounded state. He tried to hiss, but
sounded as he felt - mortified, "What..What are you doing to me?"
'Withdrawing.'
"Stay
away from me!" his son yelled defiantly.
Then,
as smooth and fluid as a shadow, Goku was upon them, having moved as if he
hadn't at all. He did what could only be considered and described as staring,
and he gazed deep into the young man's eyes.
The
voice held no scorn, no malice, no smug overtone, or any particular emotion
expected. It seemed to be simply a plain, factual, statement.
'I
am the virus you speak of.'
Goten
pieced together the last two items of conversation, "You're leaving?"
The eye sockets stared in response, eventually causing the half-breed to cower
behind Dende. The head turned, accommodating to Goten's shift in position.
"Leave
him alone," Dende said tersely, intent on defending the younger, though he
had no idea why he felt the compulsive need to do so. He was surprised at his
own courage.
There
was no promise of Goten's well-being, nor threats of non-retractment. The Virus
shifted closer. Dende, trying not to meet the phantom gaze, shifted his
attention to the sallow skin, the untidy, wild hair, the scent of disease and
decay...
'Vegeta.'
It was
neither an inquiry, or statement, or a demand. It was simply a name.
Dende
poured hard into the sound associated to the feisty Prince of Saiyans. There
was something attached to it, something he couldn't quite place. Yes, it had to
be something unfamiliar to him..
With
that, he recognized it at once: desire. Not burning love, or raging lust, but
merely, desire. The intention was impossible to decipher. The Virus wanted a
hold of Vegeta, but why would be a big mystery to solve.
He
dared to push his luck, "You have a hold over Goten. Release it. Let him
go."
Silence
was his only reply as the eye sockets taunted him. At last he was given a
slight explanation, though Dende failed to make sense of it.
'No
one is free.'
Suddenly,
the Virus turned to Goten again, a wicked grin widening across his lips, his
head tipping forward to look down at him.
'But
I can let him go.'
Goten
was shivering, clinging tightly to the warm figure beside him as he felt the
cold continually
trying
to seep beneath his skin. Mustering up a response, he spoke through clenched
teeth, "Then let me go." He himself was surprised how clipped and
forceful he'd been able to say it.
'Guardian,
move.'
This
was not a polite request, or even a mere suggestion. This was an all-out
demand. "Guardian?" the demi-Saiyan whispered in confusion, but the
Namek offered no information. Knowing that he would not stand a chance in
rebelling, Dende stepped to the side, untangling the tight grasp Goten held him
in. He heard a barely audible whimper pass through the air, but forced himself
to keep his distance.
In an
instantaneously movement, the Virus had his hands on either side of Goten's
head, cocking it back to look up into the empty sockets. The hybrid opened his
mouth to scream as fear permeated deeper than the bone, but suddenly could not,
as another mouth silenced his own. The anxiety nearly forgotten, the perversion
and disgust made Goten fight against his captor, struggling to break the kiss.
He felt his lips being parted and he tried to rear back, to break contact, but
he felt no tongue enter his mouth, instead, an artic sting crept down his
throat and into his lungs.
Goten
felt light headed, as if he didn't have enough oxygen to breathe. No matter how
hard he inhaled, it felt as though it was being extracted from him, and his
vision swam. Dende pleaded for his release, but the begging was ignored.
And
then Goten's eyes snapped open as he felt something deep inside, something
intangible, losing strength. His gaze stared into the skull, and he felt
nauseous, defiled. The sting inside his lungs worsened and he realized he
wasn't even breathing anymore. He tried to protect himself, to shield his inner
sanctum from assault, but he was already weakened, and the advances were so strong...
He felt
something break, and somehow, he screamed. The pain was unlike anything he'd
ever experienced, and despite how well he could express himself vocally, he
would never be able to find the words to describe the agony of the moment. He
felt crushed, defeated, ashamed, and hopeless. And yet..in the
background..something was missing. Something that had been contemporarily
placed in his being. Perhaps the pain was worth it.. The Virus drew away, and
let his son fall limply into his arms.
'Vaccination
has led to his cure. Goten has been freed.'
He
placed Goten in Dende's arms, and spoke a final time.
'Go.
Now.'
(Felix
smiles in satisfaction. :D)
Onto Chapter 44 - 45
Back to
Chapters 39 - 41
Back to
DBZ
Yaoi Series