Dragonball: Rewritten

Chapter 24: Frieza Saga

"Wake up, monkey."

A sharp slap echoed in the dark, dank room, lit only by purple digital lights installed in the walls. Those lights centered on the immobile, bloodied, half-naked body of Vegeta, hanging from two electrified cuff links attached to the ceiling. His shins dug into the floor, his body too weak to stand up normally. His biceps and forearms strained from the uncomfortable pull. Dried blood caked the side of his face, the corner of his lips and various wounds on his naked torso. Fresh blood trickled down his broken nose, all from the slap that landed on his cheek.

Vegeta groaned, blinking his eyes open. As they focused, he absorbed his surroundings, his brain coming back online. Zarbon in a corner, Pui in another, smirking purple lips—

He growled under his breath, "Frieza."

His stomach churned at the eerie, cheerful laugh Frieza released. A laugh he hadn't heard in twelve years and didn't miss whatsoever.

Closing the minimal gap between them, Frieza tilted his head to the side and said, "I have waited so long for this." He snatched up Vegeta's chin lightning quick, his fingers digging deep enough to bruise the skin. "To think... you, of all people, choosing that planet over me. Choosing to have a life." His smile disappeared as he spat aloud, "A family."

Those fingers dug deeper, right to the bone.

Vegeta struggled to breathe, his eyes screwing up tight from the pain in his mouth. Teeth threatened to pop off the gum. His jaw ached and burned from how strong Frieza crushed his chin. A few more seconds, a bit more strength, and he could rip his jaw right off the joints—

For less than a second, relief came, that hand releasing his chin.

Pain returned ten-fold as a fist landed right on his left cheekbone.

The fists rained down on his helpless, broken body, punctuating everything Frieza yelled. "Did you really think you'd escape me? Did you think I would forget and move on? You know better than to cross me, monkey! I'm not going to kill you, oh no. I'm going to dissect you, piece by piece, until you are nothing but a lump of flesh begging to die!" One last punch to his now broken ribs. "But that will be later. Much later."

A strong hand gripped his throat, palm on the trachea, cutting off his hair supply. His fingers and hands twitched in the binds on reflex, as did his feet.

The room spun. Each breath burned his lungs and throat with every inhale and exhale.

He felt Frieza's hot breath against his ear, hissing, "I have to break your spirit first."

In the background, Zarbon's wary voice cut through the haze. "My Lord—"

"Shut it, Zarbon." He wanted to vomit not from his pain, but from how excited Frieza sounded. "First, I'll obliterate that planet you call home, just like the last one. Then I'll enslave your family and friends and dismember them one by one, piece by fucking piece, right before your very eyes. By the time I'm done with your so-called son —" The grip on his throat released long enough for Vegeta to distinctly feel those cold fingertips press on the side of his neck, over his mate mark. "—and your mate—"

He struggled to choke out a word. All that came out was an angry-sounding gurgle.

Frieza snickered, saying with sheer glee, "You'll be begging me to kill them."

That hand released his neck finally, only to slap him across the face. His head jerked to the side, a hiss of pain filtering through his grinding teeth.

As his brain and body started to orient themselves again, Frieza sighed and said, "Sadly, I can't do any of that yet. Not when you still have some purpose for me." His vision returned, Frieza standing in front of him with a playful look. "If you're good and play along, I won't do what I mentioned earlier. Not a single part of it. All you have to do is tell me one simple thing." That playful look gained a sinister, frustrated edge. "How do I summon that blasted dragon?" He must've given Frieza a perplexed look, because Frieza continued, "I have all seven Dragonballs but no dragon has emerged. I'm assuming there is some sort of passcode. Perhaps a phrase or a word... so, again. I ask you..." All signs of playfulness disappeared as Frieza hissed, "How do I summon the dragon and get my wish?"