In Your Dreams: Chapter 2

"Ah, so it's true. This IS Son Goku..."

Bulma tore her eyes away from her friends' in order to fix her gaze on Dr. Villa. "You knew?! So then you know this man has saved this planet countless times! How dare you keep him here!"

The scientist tsked, as if he were annoyed by the entire situation. "We found Goku a little over five years ago. He was just outside this city; probably on his way to Capsule Corp. We all knew of his power, so we were very surprised to find him as weak as an ordinary human.. and in the body of a child. He had no ki to speak of. Regardless, this was a Saiyajin; an alien to our planet. As a fellow scientist, would YOU have passed up such a golden opportunity?"

"He has a family! What you've done is illegal!"

"Not according to the local law enforcement."

Bulma paused, waiting for a further explanation.

"They already know we have him and since he isn't human, he's considered an animal. We can do with him as we please, just like any other laboratory test subject."

"That's bullshit! After all he's done..."

Dr. Villa's eyes seemed to light up at that. "Yes! In the past five years, haven't you noticed a surprising amount of cures being produced for even the most lethal of diseases? Where do you think we obtained the anti-bodies necessary to fight off these viruses? Saiyajins possess an immune system far superior to that of a humans', and through extraction, we've been able to create vaccines capable of curing a plethora of diseases! And we've only just begun to scratch the surface!"

"No." Bulma shook her head and stood, clenching her fists as her anger grew. "You've gone about this the wrong way! You knew about the Saiyajins and my connection to them. If you had just come to me with your hypothesis, I would have helped you get the samples you needed with the CONSCENT of those involved!"

The man just smiled and shook his head. "But then our research would have become extremely limited, Ms. Briefs. You know what it's like to have a brilliant mind. You want to dissect something piece by piece until you know what makes it tick. Don't deny that's true."

With a growl Bulma spun around and once again knelt in front of Goku. She scanned his body for any signs of ki restrictors. It wasn't easy to see his condition beneath the oversized shirt and baggy gi pants he wore, but from what she could tell, he wore no restraints.

"Goku, what happened to your ki?"

A flash of regret passed over the younger man's face and he shook his head slowly as he lowered his eyes to the floor.

"Goku?"

"He can't speak."

Bulma glared over her shoulder. "What?"

Dr. Villa shook his head. "It was unfortunate. When we first obtained him we had put him into an artificial sleep. Unfortunately, the amount of anesthesia we used was for that of a human, not a Saiyajin. It was an oversight on our part. He woke up too soon and panicked. He tore out a breathing tube we'd placed down his throat, and as a result, his vocal cords were damaged. He could still speak then, but only softly. Over the years however, he's strained his vocal cords by screaming and further damaged them. Now he can only make a few sounds and he is incapable of forming words."

Bulma fought down another wave of rage toward the man and softened her expression before turning back to face Goku. "Will you let me look at you to see what's wrong?"

After receiving a quick nod she stood and addressed the other man in the room. "Open this cage and get me a doctor's kit."

Dr. Villa pulled a set of keys from his pocket and moved forward to unlock the door. The fact that the Saiyajin inside pressed himself further away from the man didn't go unnoticed. Once the door was opened, the scientist knelt and reached his hand inside. A sharp squeak escaped the Saiyajin's lips and he threw himself backwards so hard he rattled the entire cage.

"Stop!" Bulma shouted. Dr. Villa paused, his hand hovering just inches from Goku's heaving chest. "Leave him. I can handle this on my own."

The man hesitated for a moment before he nodded and motioned toward a small cabinet to his left. "All the supplies you need are in there. If you wish to use any of our machines to scan him, let me know. I'll be just outside the door."

The blue-haired woman waited until he left the room and shut the door before she walked over to the cabinet and retrieved a kit full of medical supplies and instruments. She also grabbed a pen and paper. By the time she'd turned back to Goku, he'd climbed from the cage and stood. His eyes never left the door Dr. Villa had just exited through.

Bulma took a moment to look over her old friend. He hadn't reached his full height yet. Just like the first time he'd grown up, his body wouldn't reach its' full potential until his early 20's. Currently he wasn't that much taller than she was; most likely even with Vegeta. Oh, the prince would love that! Overall though, he seemed smaller than she remembered him being at eighteen. The large clothes he wore could be contributing to the illusion, but Bulma suspected his smaller size was due to an improper diet and lack of exercise.

She slowly moved forward, making sure her eyes met with Goku's before she reached out and wrapped her arms around him. The body she held was indeed thin, but thanks to his Saiyajin genes, his figure was still toned with sleek muscle even without rigorous training. She doubted he'd ever fill out with the muscles his adult form once had without training though.

"We all missed you very much, Goku. And don't you worry; I won't leave you here." Bulma tightened her embrace as the body she held began to tremble just slightly. She smiled when she felt the Saiyajin's arms finally rise to return her hug. A few seconds later Bulma felt a couple of tears hit her shoulder. She could only remember her friend shedding tears a couple of times in his life and it made her own eyes well up as her emotions began to churn.

Reluctantly the older woman gently broke away and sat down, motioning for Goku to do the same, which he did. "First thing is first," she said as she handed him the pen and paper. "Tell me what happened to your ki."

Bulma waited patiently as the Saiyajin wrote out his answer. She smiled, wondering how many people knew Goku could actually read and write. People didn't give him enough credit. Not only had Master Roshi taught him these skills, but she had improved upon them whenever they had a spare moment during their travels. Despite what others thought, he was actually well educated.

Finally Goku handed the paper back to her and she quickly read it. Her mouth dropped open in shock. Apparently the dragon had given Goku a choice. Either he could have stayed with Shenron for a hundred years and slowly feed him his ki to repair the dragonballs, or he could give the dragon all of his ki at once and return to Earth within a year. The first option allowed for the Saiyajin to replenish his ki between transfers; the second option would drain everything except the ki necessary to keep him alive. He'd have to start from scratch with a power level of 2, just like when he was born.

For the sake of his family and friends, Goku had chosen the second option, and he had given his ki to the dragon all in one huge transfer. He had hoped that he'd be able to return home and become the 'normal' husband ChiChi had wanted him to be. Once he'd returned to Earth, however, he had tried to get to Capsule Corp first, in the hopes Bulma might be able to somehow restore his body to its' adult form. He knew ChiChi would never be able to accept him as a child.

Unfortunately, before he could even enter the city, he was abducted by the scientists and brought here.

"Goku, I'm sorry.... So right now all you have is your body's physical strength?"

The Saiyajin sighed and nodded.

Bulma smiled and patted him on the head playfully. "Well don't you worry! Once you're out of here you can train in the gravity chamber all you want! You'll be back to your invincible self in no time!"

A small smile tugged at the younger man's lips, but she could tell he didn't believe her.

"Now, let me take a look at you." She reached forward and helped tug the oversized shirt over Goku's head, dropping it in a bundle in his lap afterward. Yes, he was definitely toned, but still far smaller than she remembered. Bruises covered various places on his torso and she could see several puncture marks along his arms and even on his neck.

Bulma gently felt around for any broken bones, taking note of the tender areas that made the younger man flinch. Next, she used a stethoscope to listen to his lungs and heart beat. Again, she could pick up a slight irregularity in his heart, but that was most likely due to the damage the virus had caused.

The woman removed her ear pieces and sat back. "So what's bothering you exactly?"

Goku looked at her as if she were crazy.

Bulma clicked her teeth. "I mean, why do they say you're sick?"

What could have been a breathy chuckle left the man's lips and he reached for the pen and paper again before he scribbled something down. He turned the pad of paper around so she could read it a moment later.

***I was faking it.***

Bulma looked at him for a long while before a smile spread over her lips. "You'd hoped they'd have to turn to me when they couldn't figure it out, didn't you?"

When she received an enthusiastic nod in reply Bulma threw her head back and laughed. "You clever bastard! Well, it certainly worked!" She took a moment to think about it before her expression became serious. "Alright. I'm going to tell them you're dying and if they want you alive, they'll have to let me transfer you to Capsule Corp for treatment. I don't know if they'll go for that, so if they don't, just remember that I WILL be back for you, ok?"

Though Goku looked slightly panicked at the possibility the woman might leave without him, he nodded. He slipped his shirt back on as Bulma stood and stuck her head out the door. A moment later, Dr. Villa entered.

"I'm done. The news is not good, Dr. Villa." Bulma said in a low and serious tone. Her eyes moved to Goku, who had once again curled up beneath the blanket on the floor, portraying the persona of a 'sick person' perfectly.

"What's the problem? Once we know what it is I'm sure we can treat him."

The blue-haired woman shook her head. "I'm afraid you can't. He's dying. The years of improper care has triggered his body to begin shutting down. I have a machine at Capsule Corp. It's a healing tank. It's too fragile and large to move here and it will take far too long to build you one within your lab. If you want your guinea pig alive, I'll need to take him to it."

Dr. Villa eyed Bulma suspiciously, clearly not liking what she was suggesting. "Tell me then, what is it about this healing tank that is so special?"

"Hm, I'm afraid I can't tell you that. It's a secret, you know." Bulma flashed the man a smirk. "However, if it works, I'll give you my formula so you can build your own machine in the event Goku's body gives out again."

Several moments ticked by, and for a second Bulma was sure she would be refused. Finally though, Dr. Villa nodded his approval. "I don't think I have much of a choice. I will have security with me though, and I don't want that other Saiyajin you live with to know about this. I don't know much about Saiyajin social behavior, but I'm guessing they are pack animals. I don't want a possessive and violent Saiyajin on my hands."

Bulma bristled at the use of the word 'animal', but she agreed. "Alright. Bring as many men as it takes to make you feel comfortable. We have to hurry though."

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The drive back to Capsule Corp seemed to drag out forever, so when the large building finally came into view, Bulma couldn't help but sigh in relief. She knew that once Vegeta detected Goku's presence he'd come to investigate. No amount of armed guards would be able to stop him once he saw what was going on.

Blue eyes glanced in the side view mirror and she could see Goku there in the back seat. Two large guards sat on either side of him in case he tried anything funny. The Saiyajin's wrists were bound in front of him and he was blindfolded. To further conceal him they'd wrapped a black robe around him that reached to his feet and had a hood that covered his face in shadows. It'd taken all of her willpower not to roll her eyes when she saw him. The idiots sure did know how to draw attention to something they didn't want noticed.

Dr. Villa, who was driving, parked the car and looked at the woman seated beside him. "Remember, no funny stuff. If that other Saiyajin, the one you call Vegeta, comes around, I expect you to distract him. Understood?"

"I understand." Bulma said as she opened the door and stepped out of the car. She glanced across the yard to where Vegeta's gravity chamber sat, and she was relieved to see that he wasn't inside. That likely meant he was eating or sleeping. Either way, she hoped the prince would be able to detect Goku's nearly non-existent ki. Though the man wouldn't admit it, he shared a bond with the younger Saiyajin that no one else could match. She was counting on it.

"Let's go."

Bulma blinked and looked over her shoulder, watching as the two armed guards led their blindfolded prisoner to the building. She quickly rushed to catch up and led them inside. There were many ways to get down to her lab, but this time she took the longest route she knew of in order to give Vegeta as much time as possible to sense them. She just hoped this would work.

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Vegeta immediately detected the group of humans when they entered the building. He was in the kitchen grabbing a quick snack before returning to his training when he heard the front door open and felt his senses tingle. He recognized Bulma's small ki signature right away and he managed to pick up three others; all humans. He snorted and returned to his snack, figuring the woman was just giving more annoying ningen a tour of her labs, since that was where they were all heading.

But then, just as he was about to go back outside, he felt a very faint pull. It wasn't really a ki, but more like a presence; a familiar one.

The prince put down his water bottle and left the kitchen. Oddly enough he could sense Bulma's path, and she was taking the long way down to her lab. What for? There was nothing else of interest along her chosen route, so why waste the time?

Vegeta turned and opened a door that led down a flight of stairs. He'd be waiting for them when they reached their destination, and then he'd see what was going on.

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"I'm beginning to think you are wasting my time, Ms. Briefs."

Bulma's body tensed as Dr. Villa's annoyed voice filled the hallway. He was a smart man, and he knew when he was being led in a giant circle. She sighed and turned down another hallway. "It's right down here."

They took another left and Bulma fought away a smile when she saw Vegeta standing there, arms crossed and tail thrashing. He looked annoyed and curious at the same time.

"Don't stop walking; he'll know something is up." Bulma whispered when she saw the other men's steps falter upon spotting the prince. She could tell Dr. Villa wanted to say something, but by then they were within earshot.

Vegeta frowned as his eyes scanned the three men. Two were obviously guards; their weapons were in plain view. The third looked like some science geek... though he seemed awfully tense. Then there was a forth smaller person, but this one was concealed in a black robe. The prince's eyes narrowed as he studied him and his nose twitched. He could pick up the smell of disinfectant and chemicals on all of them, but the one in the robe smelled very familiar.

"Woman, what are you up to and who the hell are these people?"

Bulma smiled sweetly... TOO sweetly, purposely alerting Vegeta without alerting the other men that something was up. "Vegeta, these gentlemen are from D and A Labs. One of their colleague is sick and in order to prevent the virus from spreading around their compound, I agreed to treat him here until he is well again."

The prince raised an eyebrow at the woman's tone. "Oh?"

"Yeah," Bulma said as she waved her hand in dismissal. "It's nothing you'd be interested in."

Vegeta smirked. "Oh, but I am interested." He almost laughed as he watched the three men tense up and look at each other out of the corner of their eyes. Oh yes, something was definitely amiss.

"I'm afraid I don't take kindly to strangers in my home. So if you would all perhaps introduce yourselves, I might feel a little more accommodating."

Dr. Villa's eyes narrowed. "I'm sorry. I was under the impression this was Ms. Briefs' home."

Vegeta's tail lashed. "Are you challenging me?"

Bulma cleared her throat and made a show of putting her hand on the Saiyajin's chest in order to 'hold him back'. "Please, gentlemen... if you would just humor him."

Dr. Villa frowned at her before speaking. "My name is Dr. Villa, head scientist at D and A Labs."

The taller of the two guards spoke next, clearly uncomfortable when the prince's gaze settled on him. "I'm agent 614. My birth name is of no significance."

The second guard spoke right afterward, introducing himself as agent 343. They reminded him of android 18 with their numerical names... except they were uglier and they stank.

"And your sick colleague?"

All eyes turned to Goku. Dr. Villa moved to stand between the two Saiyajins, hoping to distract Vegeta. "Ah, you see, due to his illness he is unable to speak and he is extremely sensitive to light... which is why he's wearing the robe. It's for his protection."

Vegeta didn't believe the explanation for a second, but what caught his attention was the tip of a black tail that poked out from beneath the long robe for just a moment. It was then he caught the scent he'd picked up before, only this time it was much stronger. The prince's eyes widened as he finally matched that scent to its' owner.

Vegeta's tail lashed and a low growl left his throat as he glared at Dr. Villa. "Stand aside."

The scientist swallowed thickly and made a small hand movement toward his guards. The two men quickly drew their guns and pointed them at the prince.

"Mr. Vegeta, for your own safety, I must ask you to walk away."

The Saiyajin nearly laughed as he batted Dr. Villa aside like an insect. Bulma quickly dove to the floor and covered her head when one of the guards fired his gun, but Vegeta deflected the bullet and knocked the man out in the blink of an eye. The second guard proved himself to be less intelligent than the first two men when he turned his gun on Goku, resting it against the man's clothed temple.

"Fool." Vegeta phased out and reappeared directly in front of the two men, and before the trigger could even be pulled, the prince had yanked Goku out of the agent's grip and delivered a quick but hard punch to the large man's temple. He dropped to the ground like a ton of bricks and didn't move again.

Vegeta looked around him to make sure all three humans were unconscious before he turned his attention to the person he held against his chest. That scent was overwhelming now. But it couldn't possibly be...

Bulma picked herself up off the ground and approached the two men, smiling at the expression the prince held. He looked baffled, curious, awestruck, and angry all at once. "Thank you, Vegeta... But, careful not to crush him, neh?"

The Saiyajin grunted and loosened his grip around his captive. Bulma took the man's hand and pulled him a couple steps away from the prince. "Are you alright?"

Even with the hood, it was easy to see the nod she received. "Well then, I guess there's no need for this anymore."

Vegeta stood, transfixed as Bulma pushed down the hood, revealing a shock of raven black hair. He almost didn't believe it, but when the blindfold was removed and those large black eyes opened and turned to look at him, he had no choice but to accept what his own eyes were seeing.

"Kakarotto..."

To be continue...