Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Only the Weak ❯ Chapter 4 ( Chapter 4 )

Only the Weak

By Karete-chan

Chapter 4:

A shadow moved. In the darkened building it would absorb the moonlight that filtered in through open doorways. Silently it moved down the corridor, then down the stairs cursing as it misjudged the last step and went sprawling on its face. Freezing, it waited. No sound of anyone approaching was heard so it picked itself off the floor and moved toward a closed door with light shining from underneath it. Slowly it slid the door open and stepped inside. The room's only occupant sat oblivious, intent on the data that was scrolling across the console screen in front of it.

Bulma screamed when she felt the touch on the back of her neck. She whirled around in her chair ready to clock whoever was behind her. Her fist was caught and she found herself staring into a pair of black eyes. Neither said a word for a minute. Then he grinned. Her blue eyes narrowed.

"Yamcha, you ass! You scared the shit out of me!"

The scarred man crouched down and sat back on his haunches to look at her. "Sorry babe but you're such an easy target."

Bulma glared and willed her heart to go back to a less life threatening pace. "What are you doing here anyway? Sneaking around in the middle of the night like a thief."

Yamcha cocked his head to look at her. "Babe," he said, shaking his head, "I am a thief."

Bulma rolled her eyes. He could be so simple sometimes. "That's not what I meant and you know it." She turned back to her console, trying to remember where she had been interrupted.

"Whatcha up to anyway?" Yamcha asked leaning over her shoulder.

"I'm trying to figure out what my father was up to the other day. He had some sort of secret meeting and he wouldn't let me in on it."

"Babe, that's why it was secret. If you knew, then half your friends would as well, then it would just spread like one of those exponitty sums."

"Exponential equation?" She huffed. She wasn't that bad.

Deciding to ignore him for the next few minutes, Bulma sifted through the computer files trying to remember where she put the hidden camera recordings so that her dad wouldn't find them.

Yamcha dragged a chair over, the harsh sound loud in the usually quiet room. As she sorted files he lent over her shoulder, only half taking in the scrolling of data on the screen. He grew bored after a while and let his eyes wander around the room.

Blueprints and layouts lay everywhere, exposed wires from half pulled apart machines were scattered in tangled clumps. Anyone else might have thought that this basement room was used to throw junk into and the Briefs would have been offended. Bulma and her father were meticulous about the things they kept because running the richest science and technology company on the planet meant you had to be. Unfortunately they were both of the opinion that the robot they pulled apart five years ago could turn out to be useful any second now, to fix a light switch or a toaster. Mrs. Briefs - Yamcha never could remember her first name - was more `normal' than her husband and daughter, in a ditzy kind of way. She really didn't care about the junk so long as it stayed out of her living room.

He turned back to the screen and jerked back in surprise. "Babe, I thought you said this was a meeting. Does your dad have a thing for fancy dress?"

Bulma frowned. "I don't know," she answered as she turned up the volume.

"You are in the best position to aid us doctor," the man with long red hair and ebony skin was saying. "The tyrant Frieza knows little or nothing about this planet and the chance that he will discover you is remote."

Dr. Briefs frowned. "Why should I trust you? I have my own sources of information and they do not tell me the best news about you." He stood and paced the room. "You have been affiliating with the Maiyosh-jin, known supporters of the Cold Empire. This doesn't make you the greatest confidant. How I am I to know that you are not setting us up? If I accept this deal I place my whole planet in the path of danger. If I decline, then Chikyuu-sei remains useless to Frieza and therefore he would have no reason to come here."

"But come here he will. It matters not if the planet is worth anything but whether its inhabitants pledge their loyalty to him," the other man replied. "Besides," he added, leaning back in his chair, "not all Maiyosh-jin wish to follow the same path as their leaders."

"This is true doctor," put in a short man with large bulbous eyes. "It is the same on many other planets that have sworn loyalty to Frieza. Do you really think that the lower classes have a say in what their rulers do? Did you ever think that some may have pledged loyalty just to stop Frieza from destroying them?"

Dr. Briefs turned, a pained expression on his face. "But you can't guarantee that we will be safe. I had news only the other day about the invasion of a planet that was previously unknown of on the outskirts of the universe. We are much closer to the centre. I have family, my daughter…what would happen to her?"

The red haired man stood and placed a hand on the doctor's shoulder. "My daughter and son gave their lives for this cause after our planet was taken. Ask yourself doctor, what would your daughter do if she was faced with the same situation?"

"She would throw herself into the cause, mind, body and soul," he answered without hesitating.

"We have managed to procure the confidence of the Namek-jin since our last meeting," the bulbous eye man said, all business again. "They have agreed to offer some sanctuary on a remote planet. It is not ideal but it will suffice if the need be. We already have our people from the Dentar system evacuating there."

"Dentar was compromised?" Dr Briefs asked, surprised. "How? That was one of our safest facilities."

"Spies. We have our suspicions and those people are being moved to less…secret places. Our best hope would be to have a base upon Namek-sei itself. Unfortunately the Namek-jin have reservations about revealing the location of their planet."

"But we know where it is."

"No. We know where the system is. The planet itself is hidden and can only be found with exact coordinates." He smiled strangely. "No one really knows what a Namek-jin looks like."

"What? Then how do you know that this is not a trick?"

"Because they have been trading with other planets for thousands and thousands of years. They are an old race and little is known about them. They have space travel and technology but do not use it often."

Dr. Briefs turned so that his face was hidden from the camera. "If I accept this deal will my people be able to take refuge on this planet?"

"Yes and you will have whatever you need at your disposal. You are most important to the rebels doctor."

A slight nod of the head was all Dr. Briefs needed to show his consent. The rest of the party stood silently to leave. As the last person in line left the room, the red haired man turned back to Bulma's father.

"You know why we came to you and not your leaders, don't you doctor?"

"I had wondered."

The man bent and retrieved a small mewling cat from the floor. The black of its fur blended with the man's skin perfectly.

"You have intelligence doctor. That was the first reason. The second was that your leaders would have undoubtedly let your people know. That would have caused immeasurable problems for us. We can exist solely because we are hard to find and only a select few know about us. Later that will change but for now it is essential we stay that way."

Dr. Briefs nodded.

"We will protect you as best we can." The man turned to leave.

"I am sorry about your son and daughter."

The red haired man didn't turn. "They died fighting for what they believe. We all will some day." Then he stepped through the door and was gone.

Bulma hit the pause button and the scene froze, leaving Dr. Briefs alone on the screen. She and Yamcha sat in silence for a few moments.

"Babe, was that real?"

"I-I don't know." She didn't really see what she just saw did she? There hadn't really been aliens sitting on her mother's good dining room furniture, had there? "I-I need to talk to papa," she said absently, pushing away from the console.

Yamcha watched her go. He didn't bother trying to follow her. Sighing, he shut the console down and headed back upstairs. It was too much for his head, so right about now crashing on the nearest couch until Bulma returned seemed the best course of action.

~*~*~*~

The wild upsweep of black hair against the glow of the planet outside was the only indication Nappa had that his prince was in the dark room. He refrained from activating the lights, knowing that it would most likely only turn Vegeta's anger on himself.

"What is it Nappa?" bit a harsh voice from the darkness.

Nappa swallowed, he hated bringing news like this to his prince. "Lord Frieza has summoned you sire."

There was a derisive snort. "Does he think I'm just going to jump because he says so? Let him wait."

"But my Prince, he will not be pleased."

"Since when do you care about what the freak thinks?"

"I don't, your highness. I only remember the last time when you disobeyed him."

"Are you telling me that I am wrong?" Vegeta's voice had a sharp edge to it, warning the bigger man to consider his next words carefully.

"No your highness, I only think for your safety. Your royal father…"

"Yes, yes I know. He bid you take care of me. I am no longer a child Nappa and even then I did not require your help. I require no help." Nappa breathed a soft sigh of relief as he heard Vegeta stand. The last time the young Saiya-jin prince had defied Frieza he had spent two days in a rejuve-tank. The image of it was permanently burnt into the big man's memory. The Prince lying bloodied and bruised, mere inches from death as Frieza stood over him and laughed. Nappa waited until Vegeta had moved past him then followed him out into the brighter corridor.

Vegeta was barely more than half Nappa's enormous height, even though he was a full-grown man. As they strode down the corridor Nappa began - and not for the first time - to wonder why, since his royal parents had been quite tall themselves. The shouting of insults from a side passage broke his reverie and he growled.

"Leave it Nappa," Vegeta bit harshly, "we don't have the time."

Nappa scowled at his prince's back, thankful that the quick-tempered man couldn't see it.

Radditz was waiting for them at the entrance to Frieza's audience chamber. He saluted Vegeta as he passed, the younger man acknowledging him with only a slight nod of the head. The longhaired man fell in behind them as they entered the room.

Frieza ignored them as they entered. He usually did, to remind them how unimportant they were. He was in his floating chair by the large view-portal, seemingly staring out into the stars but probably wondering what else he could do to make them uncomfortable.

When he finally turned the Tsiru-jin Lord gazed at them a small, malicious smile upon his face.

"Ah, Vegeta. I'm so pleased you decided to arrive promptly this time. I would so hate for this to end up as our last little meeting did."

"Yes, Lord Frieza."

"I have a little job for you monkeys," he said floating over to a table to fetch his wine. "My sources indicate a small planet that is being used for rebel doings…"

~*~*~*~

Mrs. Briefs removed her ear and then the glass from the wall. Stupid rumours. She couldn't hear a thing that was going on in the next room. She wasn't usually such a snoop but the look on her daughter's face and the yelling that had ensued after she'd gone into her father's study made getting caught with her ear against the wall worth it.

Brushing blonde hair behind her ears she lent back against the wall. Contrary to what most people thought she wasn't a complete airhead. She knew her husband was doing something dangerous; he always did manage to get himself caught up in those sorts of things. He only did it to help others of course, which was why she never said anything but she knew it was only his intelligence that kept him from being eliminated. That and the fact that he had built the most sophisticated security system known to man. Bulma didn't realise exactly how safe she had been kept all these years, just like Yamcha thought that no-one knew he had crept into the compound an hour ago. Mrs. Briefs new all this but she didn't want to. She wished she didn't know and was oblivious to all of it but she couldn't, so she acted like she didn't and sometimes she would forget, just for a moment or two.

A footstep on the stair broke her concentration.

"Yamcha!" she exclaimed. "We didn't know you'd dropped in! You must be hungry! Come on, I'll fix you some lunch!"

The startled Yamcha blinked. "Oh, no I'm okay. I was just looking for Bulma."

"Don't be silly!" she said, taking his arm. "Young men need their sustenance. Besides Bulma's probably absorbed in some new invention." She pulled him down another corridor towards the kitchen. "How's that little cat friend of yours?"

~*~*~*~

Inside Dr. Briefs' study the good doctor scowled at his daughter. She glared defiantly back.

"I can't believe you Bulma. Eavesdropping. I expected better from you."

"Better? You're supplying ships and weapons to a war! You're doing things that are going to get you killed and you haven't even told mama!" Her blue eyes flashed as she gestured wildly, knocking a glass from the desk.

It bounced harmlessly on the plush carpet and rolled beneath a chair. Dr. Briefs sighed as he got up to retrieve it.

"I would have told you both eventually. I should have known that you would find out sooner rather than later. You have to understand though," he said, rolling the glass between his hands, "that one day Frieza will come here. People have been fighting him since before you were born, since before I was born. I have seen what he does to people; living proof of his sadistic nature and no matter how wrong you think it is to support a war, I have to do this to prevent anything happening to this planet or to you. People need my help and I'm going to give it to them." He turned back to Bulma. "No matter how much you try to change my mind."

"How many people are a part of this?"

"More than can be counted but every person only knows a few of the others."

Bulma bowed her head. "Papa, what if you get caught?" she asked quietly.

"That won't happen Bulma."

"Why?" Her eyes rose to his. "Because they promised you? How do you know that you can trust them? You asked them that yourself."

"Do you trust me Bulma?"

"What? Of course I do."

"Then let me do what I must and I will let you do the same."

"Fine," she huffed. "When do I start?"

"What?" Dr. Briefs stared as he sank back into his desk chair.

"When do I start? If my father says to these people that his daughter would throw herself into the cause, mind, body and soul, then I can't let him look like a liar can I?" she smiled slightly.

"Sometimes I dislike that you take after me so much," Dr. Briefs answered, shaking his head.

"Yeah, well I didn't get to choose the genes did I? If I did I would have made myself more beautiful."

Dr. Briefs just smiled.

~*~*~*~

The two guards sneered as they marched along the corridor. ThreeBrown wondered why they had sent two to escort her back to the common room when one would have been more than enough. At least, that's where her mind wandered between thanking whatever god was listening for letting her see another day. Catching her feet in her baggy slave-wear, she stumbled, falling against one of them. He jumped back in disgust and kicked out at her. Catching the blow in the stomach she fell to her knees.

"Get up, lazy bitch!"

Gasping for air she tried to raise herself to her feet. When she failed, he hit her across the back. He head snapped back as her chin bounced off the ground. She was dimly aware of the coppery taste of blood in her mouth when another figure appeared in the side of her vision.

"What're you doing here?" she heard the guard bark. There was a moment of silence before he continued. "Take her." Then two sets of footsteps walked away from her.

Gentle hands touched her shoulders and she jerked away.

"Hush, Three, it's only me."

ThreeBrown looked up into a pair of grey eyes. "Four," she muttered. "You're okay."

"I woke up a couple of hours ago but it doesn't matter, let's get you back."

ThreeBrown stood shakily with FourGrey's help and together they made their way down the dim corridor. By the time they reached the slave's quarters she was breathing normally again.

She received varying looks of amazement when they entered, virtually unchanged than from when she had left. The small cut on her chin was nothing when most had expected her not to return. Quickly passing their inquisitive stares the two girls departed their company to the relative peace of their room, ignoring Petak as he tried to call them over.

The others were still awake, waiting to find out what had happened but exhaustion took over and ThreeBrown collapsed onto her bunk without uttering a word.

Author's note:

Oh my, I'm so sorry. This is really, really late. That assignment I told you about I finished over two months ago. I haven't really written anything since then. The funny thing is that last week I had two more essays due and I suddenly found myself with the ability to write again *sigh*.

Another reason for the lateness is that I am opening my own website *yay* as soon as I figure out how to upload it to the right site I'll be open for business. (that may take a while)

Well, I'd really love to know what you think - despite me being the most inconsiderate writer who doesn't update. Let me know if I'd made mistakes or whatever. Let me know where you think the story is going or where you want it to go. Flame me!!! I haven't had one yet and I feel deprived - remember, I'm weird.

Remember more reviews equal more chapters and makes me more motivated - or at least not so depressed that I feel like giving up.

By the way there was the Vegeta entry. He finally appeared in the story YaY! I know it was short but I hit a dead end in that scene. I wrote 45 pages of this story before I decided to post it and not one page had Bulma, Gokou or Vegeta in it for more than half a paragraph. Scary to all those fans out there. That means any scenes that you see here are new (except for the ones at the end of the story) and are just padded out with the revamped sections of my original writings. I was going to write the story entirely about the slaves - a real AU but then realized half the DBZ fans out there wouldn't read it if Bulma and Vegeta weren't in it. Ah well.

If you really want to complain or whatever and don't want to use the review system, email me @:

karete_17@hotmail.com

Sayonara,

- Karete