Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Rebellious Hell ❯ Chapter 18

DISCLAIMER: DBZ I do not own.

A/N - Sorry these chapters are taking so long to get out! I know I usually update faster and I'm sorry for the wait, it's just that I've been busy with university arrangements. Yeah that's right - I'm off the learn how to be a teacher…and an English & Drama teacher of all things…I mean can you imagine me as a teacher?

Anyhow we're drawing close to the finish with this fic; everything is really going to fall apart in this chapter…

Chapter 18: 'Sleep Of Death'

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~*~ To sleep! Perchance to dream: - ay, there's the rub ~*~

~*~ For in that sleep of death what dreams may come, ~*~

~*~ When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, ~*~

- Hamlet from 'Hamlet'

~*~

The planet Taurine was a barren wasteland that bore only faint traces of the previous inhabitants.

There were no forests, only broken stumps.

There were no cities, only craters filled with jagged metal and debris.

There were no people, only decaying bodies that reeked of death.

Amongst the destruction of what had clearly been a beautiful and fragile planet, four beings stood on a jagged cliff overlooking what as left of a city, casting dark shadows into the distance as they stared down at the still smoking rubble.

"This planet was defenceless." Goku's voice seemed loud as it echoed into the silence inevitably follows death. "Why did Frieza send us to a planet that was filled with weak defenceless being and tell us that it would be a struggle for us to take it over?"

"Maybe there's something here that we haven't seen yet." Nappa's boomed out in a desperate effort to break the depressing silence.

"Or maybe he just wanted to distract us." Vegeta spoke emotionlessly, but his eyes as they clashed with Goku's were worried. The usual cold detachment that was usually visible in them had been burn away by fear.

"Bulma is alive." Goku answered Vegeta's unasked question with a soothing voice. "I doubt I'd be alive is she weren't. Besides I can still feel her in my head." He looked away from his comrade uneasily.

Vegeta watched Goku through narrowed eyes. "What aren't you telling us?" He stalked forward and grabbed the larger saiyan by his armour. "What are you hiding?"

"Nothing, I just want to get back as soon as possible. Something about this whole situation is making me uneasy." Goku ran a hand through his hair, unable to shake the feeling in the pit of stomach that something was wrong with Bulma.

He hadn't felt this sick with gut wrenching fear since he had purged his first planet. And they weren't memories he wished to re-live. The screaming of women ad children, the scent of fear and worst of all the knowledge that he was responsible for everything that was happening around them.

It was just as hard these days to purge planets. While the others got excited at the prospect of killing, Goku felt sick to his stomach. He still woke up sometimes at night, imagining he could hear the screams of people dying…

And yet he'd killed Turles, his own brother, with no problem.

Goku jerked at the thought hit him, and he knew with unshakable faith that Bulma had just thought the exact same thing. He had to get back to her, the longer he was away from her the more isolated she was going to become.

"We'll leave straight away." Vegeta had been watching the emotions play across Goku's face and although he couldn't figure out just what Goku was thinking Vegeta did know that it had him spooked.

"What the hell is wrong with you two?" Nappa growled threateningly, sensing that there was something going on that only Vegeta and Goku knew about.

"Should we tell them?" Goku tossed a look at Vegeta over his shoulder as he began to make his way back to the pods. "I mean, they do have a right to know, don't they?"

"Know what?" Raditz glared at his brothers back. "Prince Vegeta, what is he talking about?"

Vegeta looked at Goku's back with an eyebrow raised and his mouth twisted in annoyance. "I had informed Nappa, but I'm going to have to tell Raditz now." He sarcastically threw his comment after Goku who shrugged and kept walking, occasionally kicking a stone out of his path.

"Vegeta?" Raditz prompted unsurely. "What's going on?"

Vegeta looked away from Goku's retreating back with annoyance sparking in his eyes. "Kakarot and I have managed to achieve the legendary." Vegeta couldn't keep a note of pride out of his voice and his annoyance evaporated as he saw Nappa and Raditz's eyes widen in disbelief, even though Nappa already knew. "Both of us are now able to transform into super saiyans at will."

Raditz opened his mouth ask something, but was interrupted by a sudden yell from Goku who clutched at his head for a second and then bolted to his capsule.

"We have to leave! Now!" There was something in his voice that hadn't been there before, an almost hysterical note had crept in and a shiver worked its way down Vegeta's spine.

Something had happened to Bulma…

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"Let me go!" Bulma struggled wildly in Zarbon's grip, her legs thrashing as he lifted her into the air and carried her out of her room. Behind him, Dodoria's replacement; Quaker, was carrying Raven who was bawling loudly, her tiny fists waving in the air at her rude awakening.

"Miss Briefs, I would suggest you settle down. You're not going to be hurt; Frieza merely has decided to transport you to a more secure location. He will be joining us of course and inviting your 'friends' to come along too. You of course, will be kept out of sight of your mate and his comrades until Frieza has interrogated them. Your own mate is suspected in playing a crucial part in Vegeta's plans.

"What plans?" Bulma stopped struggling, afraid f what measures Zarbon might take if she failed to obey him. There was a strange gleam in his eye which made Bulma suspect that Zarbon liked nothing better then to hurt others.

"Oh, master Frieza has not yet informed me of what Vegeta's plans are, but he does intend to share them with you. Just in case you lied to him the last time you spoke." Zarbon's boots made clunking sounds as he walked down the corridor which led away form her room.

Bulma stayed silent, despite the questions burning in her mind. Zarbon carried her all the way to the transport lift, which was open and waiting for them. Inside he pressed a button which chilled Bulma to the bone. It was the button marked 'D' which stood for 'Docking Bay.'

Frieza wasn't just moving her out of her room. He was moving her off the entire station! Bulma closed her eyes and opened her bond to Goku. Across the space between them she reached out and just managed to touch his mind.

[Goku! Goku, you have to get back! It's Frieza! He's taking Raven and I away! He's hiding us! Goku please!]

[Bulma? Where is he taking...?]

Bulma was jerked out of her trance and her mind was torn away from Goku's as Zarbon growled and shook her. "What was that?"

Bulma stared at him and swallowed. "What was what?"

"I felt something, something telepathic!" Zarbon looked at her with contempt. "But no, it can't have been you. Human beings don't have telepathic abilities, are medical tests on you proved that." Zarbon's yellow eyes flashed across to Raven. "Of course! It must be the child!" Zarbon threw Bulma unceremoniously to the ground. "Give me the child." Zarbon held out his arms to Quaker, who handed over Raven without a word.

"No!" Bulma leapt up and hurled herself at Zarbon; catching him off guard she used her shoulder to ram him into the wall of the lift. She snatched Raven out of his arms and backed into the far corner of the lift.

Zarbon pushed away from the wall and began to raise him power level. His aura flashed a cold blue and a wind generated by it blew her hair wildly.

"I'm going to rip you to shreds for that!" Zarbon took a step towards her, his eyes burning with rage when the lift ground to a halt and the door slid open to reveal Frieza. Immediately Zarbon's aura faded and he stepped back from Bulma.

Frieza's glowing red eyes took in Zarbon's enraged state and Bulma's trembling. His eyes lowered to look at Raven who had stopped howling and was now glaring at Zarbon, her tiny tail lashing about like a kittens and her eyes narrowed.

"Zarbon?" Frieza stepped back from the lift and motioned for all of them to exit the lift. His tone questioning as he continued to speak. "Did I instruct you to kill or main the girl of her child?" His eyes gleamed dangerously as Zarbon paled and shook his head.

"No master Frieza, but you see…"

"Oh, but I did see." Frieza looked across at Bulma. "I am not so blind that I cannot read power levels and track what they are doing. I know that the woman struck you and took her child away from you. I assume she had a good reason." Frieza glared at Zarbon and his tail flicked one or twice, indicating his annoyance. "I must add that I am surprised that a mere human woman could knock you aside so easily."

"I…She took me by surprise, sire." Zarbon knelt, trying to make up for his lack of control in the lift.

"Don't worry Zarbon." Frieza chuckled. "I won't kill you just yet. I'm going to need you around when those other monkeys get back." Frieza looked at Bulma and stepped towards her, prying Raven out of her arms and holding the child out in front of him as though it had germs. "If what Nappa told me is true then we're going to have one hell of a fight on our hands when they return. And I for one and looking forward to the challenge." Frieza laughed again and handed Raven back to Bulma. "Please my dear, follow me. We're going on a tiny little trip to my home planet, and then we're going to wait for Vegeta and the others. If they try anything, then I'm afraid I will have to hurt you, but I must trust that they'll be smart enough not to do anything rash."

With that Frieza strode across the cavernous docking bay were his troops had assembled in straight ordered lines. They saluted him as he strode up the ramp to his ship then followed him on.

In the confusion Bulma only had time to hug Raven to her and blindly allow herself to be led deep into the belly of the ship. Took scared to risk opened her bond again while Zarbon was around.

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A/N - This isn't good is it? It appears as though Nappa has been a bad little boy and has ratted on his Prince. Well you'll just have to wait until the next chapter to find out what happens! Please Review! The more reviews I get the faster I update!