Bringer of Death

Tournament Saga - Part 1: Of Mice and Men

Tournament Saga - Part 1: Of Mice and Men

Planet Alpha Juno

"Broly, come with me. NOW!" Paragus ordered, exiting his vessel. He had spoken at length with Krang, his personal scientist, about the way Broly had acted out during their last engagement. They had determined that overuse of the control device was making the younger Saiyan more and more unstable. As a result, Broly was more dangerous than ever...right when Paragus needed him the most. Worried that the device might not be enough, Paragus decided to try and regain his son's trust, at least temporarily.

"We must be fully prepared for the arrival of Prince Vegeta," began the older Saiyan, forcing an insincere smile. His son, though outwardly calm and even apparently attentive, was seething. Neither Paragus nor Krang had any idea just how much rage and fury was pent up inside Broly; if the young man had been capable of fully focusing his mind, he would have obliterated Paragus right then. But the years of torture brought on by the restraint device had weakened his mind to the point that he could only offer the unquestioned obedience of a puppet.

Paragus couldn't have been more oblivious. He had finally received Vegeta's response and was quite pleased. Under all the insults and boasts, one thing remained: Vegeta had taken the bait. He was even coming to face Paragus on his own turf, something which gave the one-eyed Saiyan an advantage as he anxiously awaited his revenge. Vengeance was so close that he could almost smell it...vapors of wrath that would finally be satisfied after so long.

"Very soon, the proud Lord Vegeta will finally pay for the sins his father committed. It is because of his legacy that we were cast out, unwanted, banished to this life and its hardships." Given that King Vegeta's death sentence was the reason Paragus was alive, he was stretching the truth a little, but it didn't matter. He paused, placing his hand on Broly's shoulder in a false show of camaraderie. "You, my son, are the path to my revenge. Through you, our family's honor will be restored and this false Super Saiyan will be destroyed."

Inside Broly's mind, there were two furiously warring sides. On the surface was the placid, sedated, dulled weight of the restraint, commanding dumb obedience to his father. It smiled blankly. Underneath, the spark of consciousness in the Saiyan's mind fought for dominance, trying to summon the determination to break through and take control away from Paragus. But he couldn't do it. Maybe it was for the better. If being the chosen instrument of his father's revenge meant he would finally face a worthy opponent, perhaps his natural longing for battle might be satisfied...or at least tempered for a time. It would surely be more satisfying than the mindless, mundane slaughter his father usually expected.

"I...will destroy him...father," Broly said slowly. Though he wore an obedient smile, his face was utterly devoid of any real emotion.

"That's good, very good indeed," Paragus said with affected kindness. "He must not be allowed to insult us again. Vegeta and his father betrayed the Saiyans; it is because of them that our race is no more. They don't deserve the legacy of our race...but we do. Very soon, I will be the new King of the Saiyans, and you will rule with me as my prince." He repeated the same arguments over and over, hoping to drill his words into the dull mind of his son. Broly was usually so withdrawn that it was difficult to get any response out of him; Paragus only reached out to him when his plan demanded it. Inside, he hated even being this close to his son.

"Vegeta will arrive soon. We must wait for him to come to us. Patience is our ally; he will fall right into our hands if wait long enough. Once everyone finally sees him as the cowardly fool he is—once I expose him as a fraud and a traitor just like his father—then and only then, you will crush him before the eyes of the entire galaxy. It will be the triumph we've both been waiting for, a glorious day of vengeance; we will finally be free from our vendetta."