The Good Son

Chapter 9

Kakarrot had already descended to dismiss the crowds and just then a medical transport vehicle had arrived, complements of Emperor Zarbon as he stepped from his own private car and hurried over to the wounded queen. He snatched off a glove and gently wiped a single tear that she shed in her unconscious state. The Emperor cautioned his medical techs to handle her with the utmost care and stepped aside as they escorted her to the transport on the hovering stretcher. While King Vegeta was still preoccupied with the interrogation of his sons, Gohan, Goten and Princess Bra stayed by the queen's side as they rode back to the palace.

"Was this an accident? Was she a victim of your carelessness? Which one of you…in your right mind…did such…such…your mother…" King Vegeta eyed the boys from one to the other.

"That's the thing…I don't think the guilty party was in his right mind. That brings me back to what I was going to tell you." Zarbon stated as he treaded to stand beside the Saiyan King.

He wasn't sure at first, whether Lord Babidee would have an effect on Prince Vegeta or not as he had given the young prince too much credit, but Zarbon knew about the lord's manipulative powers from hearsay and as of last night from personal experience.

He uses the power of others at his disposal after he gains control of their minds, and if it wasn't for the stunning appearance of the Queen of Vegetasei, Lord Babidee would have come a little close to having the powerful Zarbon in his clutches. While Babidee's victims are physically powerful, their minds are fairly weak; he exploits their thirst for more power to lure them. Zarbon, on the other hand, is very strong willed, and of course, he had told Babidee himself that the Queen of Vegetasei is what he desired the most in which the evil lord had no experience in the love department.

Seeing his attempt to capture Zarbon as futile, Babidee feasted his eyes upon a precious prince whose hunger for dominance radiated heavily across the room to him. And he was just a young boy with a mind that was not fully matured, who possessed a vast amount of energy, the perfect prey.

"I know now that it's my fault…"Zarbon sighed heavily, as he placed blame upon himself. He was too busy caught up in the rapture of the queen's beauty to keep the lord away from the boy.

"What are you talking about?"

"I let him capture your son."

"Who?"

"Lord Babidee. He uses hypnosis and strong persuasive methods to take control of the ones he desires. I didn't think...like I said it's my fault."

"Vegeta?" The Saiyan King surveyed his spitting image in disbelief. "YOU did this to your mother?"

The king twitched as the boy's only reply was a repugnant sneer and eyes full of hatred. Something was definitely not right with the prince. His eyes flashed to the boy's forehead as something peculiar caught his attention.

"He needs to be restrained immediately or something else could happen." Zarbon calmly stated and snapped a finger to the signal his personal guards, who were waiting near the vehicle. Having been forewarned of the possible situation, the brawny men sprang to their ruler's call and rushed over to cuff the Saiyan Prince with ki restraints.

"Get away from me!" The young prince hysterically shouted in confusion as he fought off the arrest and easily knocked two of Zaranium's strongest warriors to the ground. As the two guards resumed their duties for another difficult bout, the king saw their frustration as they struggled and hurried to subdue the petulant prince. "Leave me alone!" The boy continued resisting.

"Son, calm down!" King Vegeta commanded sternly when one of the men was thrown into him. He shoved the man aside and reached to snatch the other out of the way, seeing they would never detain the boy at the current rate. "I'll do it…this is for your own good!" And in an instant, he knocked the boy out with a blow to the gut.

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After some hours in the regeneration tank and unconsciousness, the queen slowly flickered open her eyes to total whiteness of the ceiling above her and strained to see the rest of her surroundings. The first person she saw was a rather familiar and friendly face.

"Gohan?" She moaned as she turned her head in his direction at her bedside.

"Queen Bulma! You're awake!" Gohan exclaimed in relief.

"Where am I?" She asked and at the same time attempting to sit up properly, which proved to be a difficult task as her body was fairly sore. Although her body seemed fully healed on the outside, there could have been some internal injuries that may result in permanent damage.

She swayed a bit feeling a bit lightheaded.

"W…wait, not so fast my queen!" Gohan reached out to guide her.

"Where's my children?!" She panicked as the last of her memories prior to total blackness replayed in her head.

"The baby's just over there sleeping…" Gohan pointed to his brother on the far side of the room resting with the princess still in his arms and turned back to her majesty. "…and the princes...they are with the king."

"Vegeta…he…" Bulma paused in thought as the tears begin filling her eyes. She looked over to her destroyed garments that lay across a vacant chair and sobbed, recalling the impassive expression on her son's face for an instant before he blasted her as if she meant nothing to him.

As his mother, the queen was quite aware of the attitude problem Prince Vegeta possessed. However, she would have never guessed that he would actually lay a finger on her, as any mother would deduce of their own child. She began to regret not informing the king of recent changes she sensed within the boy, brushing his behavior off as a phase of puberty.

"I know…" Gohan gently took her hand. He knew what she was trying to say on account of Goten telling him everything. All he could he could do at the moment was to assure the queen and make sure she gets adequate rest, for he was unsure himself of what exactly was going to happen now. "I'm sure the king will handle matters accordingly. You just rest for now, your highness."

**********

Prince Vegeta was now under full arrest as he lay unconscious on a small cell bed. His wrists were bound by ki restraints, and his out armor was also removed, leaving him only in the royal blue inner garments. His father and brother stood, observing him from outside the cell in stillness. Silence was broken when the King Vegeta started to speak.

"Son…" He turned to Prince Trunks with saddened eyes.

"I know father…" Trunks began dejectedly, dropping his head. "…I went against your better judgment…I'm sorry."

"It's not entirely your fault…" the king stated, softly placing a hand on his son's bowed head. "I should have sensed the changes within your brother."

"How long will he be like this?" Trunks looked back to his brother's sleeping face.

"Until your mother is medically cleared…then we will all return to Vegetasei. I think it is better that we keep the ki restraints on him otherwise."

"Mother…" Trunks mumbled as his thoughts returned to his wounded mother.

"Do not worry Prince Trunks…" Emperor Zarbon said, entering the prison chambers. "I have just received word from the infirmary…she's conscious. With a little rest, she'll be the same spirited queen we all know and love in no time."

"Thank you emperor…" Trunks gave Zarbon a warm smile, which surprised the emperor a bit. Just a while back the prince gave him an expression that was totally opposite. A look as if the prince would kill, as it also concerned the queen's condition at the time. "…may I go see her father?"

"You go ahead…" The king sighed. He was completely torn at the moment. Of couse, he would like to see his wife, but he felt she would want him to see to the boy. Moreover, Zarbon had just stated in so many words that Bulma was doing fine. "I want to be here when he comes to."

Trunks politely excused himself from his father's presence, beginning with a bow and then quickly exited. King Vegeta turned to Zarbon with crossed arms and a frown.

"So this Babidee character's behind all of this chaos..." He asserted with narrowed eyes.

"Yeah…" Zarbon sighed. "I again must apologize…"

"No, you don't…" The king retorted, now a bit irritated. Zarbon had been apologizing nonstop as it seems, and it was starting to annoy him more than anything. "…he's my son and therefore, my responsibility, so it's not your fault…" He then sighed. They stood in awkward silence for a few moments, as King Vegeta had many thoughts irking him. Thoughts of his training on Namek and the very reason he trained there. He bit his bottom lip in realization and turned back to the emperor. "I need to inform King Piccolo of this, May I use your transmitter?"

Sorry to make you all wait! I know you won't forgive me until I put out at least two more chapters back to back, right? Well, I'll try.