Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Hybrid ❯ Unspoken Promises ( Chapter 10 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Ravenreux 
The stunning conclusion to Part One!
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Hentai / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 11.15.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.0K | Visits: 534 | Status: Completed
The stunning conclusion to Part One!
Anime/Manga: Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Hentai / Action | Type: Alternate Universe | Uploaded On: 11.15.2006 | Pages: 3 | Words: 6.0K | Visits: 534 | Status: Completed
Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ. I do own my car, with the oil leak and the continuously flat tire.
A/N: Well, here it is. The final chapter of Part One. It's long, so have fun! I know I try to update fast, but this was really fast. Once I started I couldn't stop until it was finished.
Last time on The Hybrid-
Bulma fell down on her butt and winced. Cracking open her eyes, they widened when Zarbon loomed into view. He snickered at the fallen Saiyan. "You should have listened to him. He's the only Saiyan with brains and he knows what he's talking about." Grinning stupidly, he raised his palm and leveled it at her face. "I've about enough of you, so ta-ta."
A ball of green energy glowed and Bulma's breath left in a hiss. Not good.
Chapter 10
Raditz thought it strange that no one was guarding the docking bay, where all the very valuable ships and cruisers were housed. He shifted Kakarrot to one arm, his head resting on his shoulder, and glanced at the keypad. It was smashed, the screen cracked, with wires splayed in every direction. He hesistated a moment because of the sparks shooting out every few seconds. Guess I'll just have to zap myself. He reached for the seam between the sliding steel doors and wedged his fingers of his free hand in between them. Okay, just a little nudge and it should open. He asked his aching muscles for some movement, and the doors creaked open about an inch. "Ah, jeez. Why do I have to hurt so much?" Sweat beaded on his brow and he hefted Kakarrot higher. He glanced down at his pale face. "When did you get so Kami-damned heavy?"
Of course, Kakarrot didn't answer and he had to just shoulder his way through the severely uncooperative doors. With a final surge, he managed to pop through and stumble. He caught himself and sighed. "That was fun." Glancing around, he found it just as deserted as the way here. He started walking quickly, an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Something's not right. Where is everyone?" His eyes darted around suspiciously, watching for any signs of movement, but only to find nothing. "This is so weird." He didn't want to look into the fact that he was talking out loud to his unconscious nichan, so he focused on finding their ship.
He passed ship after ship, until he came to bay number twenty-seven. He stopped and shifted Kakarrot to his other arm. He eats definitely way too much. His eyes scanned the outside of the ship and the hook-ups and found everything in order. Okay, start the ship and send out the evac. message. He strode over the ramp and accessed the control panel on the side of the sleek silver hull. It clicked down and slid silently into the side panel. Flexing his fingers, he tapped in the pass code and only relaxed when the door slid in. Slipping inside, he locked the door behind him and set out to the cabin area.
The ship had two floors-the top housing the cockpit, cabins, and galley. The bottom was where the cargo holds and engine rooms were. Raditz walked down the narrow hall and climbed up the ladder with Kakarrot slung over his shoulder. It only took him a few minutes to lay his nichan down in one of the beds and jog down to the control room. "Okay, start the ship." He sat down heavily in the pilot's chair and started running his fingers over the keyboard. One by one, systems booted up until only the main engines remained to be ignited. He rubbed his hands together and sat back. "Start the ship. Check." His brow furrowed as he stared at the various screens and their readouts. "Alright, now for that message." He started tapping the keys a bit slower than before. "Tousan always logs onto the VID(Vejitasei Information Database), so I guess I'll start there." He bypassed the main access screen and dove headlong into the system. "I know it's here somewhere." He ferreted around for almost fifteen minutes before he found what he was looking for. "Gotcha!" It only took him another few seconds to write out the message, disable the encryption, and launch it out for every Saiyan in the underground. "Scratch that off my list. Now I just wait."
It proved to be hard work and after he checked on Kakarrot for the eleventh time, he sat down in the pilot's chair and crossed his arms. Where is he? He said he'd be back by now. What the hell is going on? He never explained it to me. Where does Bulma fit in with Frieza? I hate waiting! The aggravation was overwhelming and he sat up, his elbows planted on his knees. A beep sounded and a screen popped up on the monitor. Squinting, he leaned farther forward. "What system is that?" A few keystrokes later, the motion sensor field outside the ship had been tripped-a piece of the alarm system- and the video feed had been uploaded. Raditz enlarged the screen and felt his heartrate accelerate. Those are Frieza's soldiers! At the head of the line was a portly pink creature dressed in high-ranking military attire. He didn't know who he was, but he was definitely in charge. Nappa, their General, strode alongside. Why the hell would Nappa be shacking up with that guy? He glanced at the others and his mouth went dry.
Near the back of the line, a pair of soldiers were dragging a bound and gagged, lavender-haired human. Raditz leapt out of his chair. "That's Dr. Briefs!" He planted his hands on both sides of his head and blinked. "That's why the lab blew up! He'd been working in there and they kidnapped him!" He slapped a hand to his forehead. "It all makes sense now! This whole thing was a major set-up by Frieza!"
"Wha..What..whole..th.thing?"
Raditz nearly jumped clear out of his skin. "Kakarrot!" He whipped around and saw his nichan leaning heavily on the doorframe, his eyes barely open. "You shouldn't be up, you need to go lie down or you'll pass out again."
The six-year old took a step forward and Raditz had to scramble to catch him before he hit the deck. "Where's O..Otousan?" He groaned as Raditz lifted him up. "Why do I h..hurt so b..bad?"
Raditz took him back to his bed and tucked him in so he couldn't move. "It's a long story and I don't have time right now. Stay here, I have to go help a friend."
Kakarrot's vision finally started to unblur. "Wait, Rad..Raditz wait." But his nichan was gone.
The Docking Bay
"Get a move on, ya lazy yaro!" A foot planted itself harshly into the small of his back and his knees gave out.
Trunks fell to the cold floor painfully and groaned. His head was literally swimming, he was so confused. The questions were endless, but he knew in his gut what the answer to all of them were. Frieza. Ever since he'd shown up, the Saiyans had been on edge. I guess they had good reason. A hand that resembled a paw more than a palm with fingers grabbed the back of his shirt and hauled him to his feet. As soon as he was steady, it smacked him in the back of the head. "Mmmm..hmmm." Trunks cursed. Why the hell did they have to gag me?! He was shoved again, but this time he turned to glare at the offender, an alien the closely resembled a hawk/dog mix. It didn't faze him in the least because he'd spent a good portion of his time reading up on other species. Space travel wasn't advanced enough on Chikyuu for humans to know for certain if there were other life forms. Well, apparently what you don't know can kill you.
He managed not to anger his escorts anymore and focused his attention on the leader of this happy bunch. He was waddling up at the head of the 'platoon', his girth almost five times Trunks' own waistline. Morbidly obese anyone? Stifling his snort, he concentrated on doing what he did best-observe. He had noted early on that the King was involved because his number two- the bald one- was here as well. He had been in the lab for only a few minutes, but that was all they needed to grab him and run. They had travelled by air until they had reached the palace, and then they'd hoofed it through halls and stairwells down to to where they were now. The Docks. Dr. Briefs glanced around and remembered when Bulma and he'd been put on display. Was that really only six months ago? He'd spent most of his time in one lab or the other, so time never seemed to be one of his main concerns.
He ambled along with the soldiers past ships that looked as if they'd been taken right off the assembly line. Ten, twenty, thirty of the same exact ship, all docked into cradles that held their sleek silver hulls. Now that he was actually looking, he remembered Bardock saying something about a ship. He thought hard, but the words wouldn't come. Of all the times for my brain not to work. He wiggled his wrists in the strange handcuffs they'd used on him and rolled his shoulders to try and relieve the ache. That's when he thought his head was playing tricks on him. A voice that seemed very familiar echoed inside his skull. "I'm going to help you."
Trunks stilled. "Alright, am I going crazy now?"
"No! It's me, Raditz!" The voice was insistant.
Trunks decided to play along. "Okay, where are you?"
"You passed me three ships back. I'm going to start taking out the guards, beginning with the ones behind you. When I get enough out of the way, we'll make a run for it." The voice was oddly excited.
"Whatever you say." Trunks prayed to Kami that his time on this planet hadn't taken that much of a toll on his sanity. He tried to take a casual glance behind him, but all he got for it was a slap upside the head. They continued to follow the pudgy pink leader and the bald Saiyan, slowly making their way to what he assumed would be Frieza's ship. The line of identical ships abruptly stopped, and larger, sharper ships started to take up the bays. Each was unique in it's design, crafted for a specific task. His scientist's eye devoured what it saw, carefully storing the rudimentary blue-prints away in his mind for use in the future. He was so engrossed in his studies, that he failed to notice the lack of soldiers around him. When a hand spun him around, he jumped with fright.
Raditz's adolescent face beckoned to his and he gestured towards Trunks' hands. The lab rat looked down and found them unbound. Using his new-found freedom, he quickly untied the gag. "It really was you inside my head."
"Ssshhh!" He jerked his head back toward the direction he'd come and started to hover. "Grab my arm."
Trunks followed the orders and they were soon flying back towards the ship. "What are you doing down here?"
A viscious grip wrapped around his frail human ankle. "That's what I'd like to know!" The grip tightened, snapped his ankle, and yanked him from the boy's grip. Trunks cried out as the Pink One held him upside down. "Now where do you think you're going?" He gave him a shake. "Frieza wouldn't be pleased if I came back empty handed."
Raditz growled. "I won't let you take him!"
Nappa strode over to stand next to the portly alien. "Did you really think we wouldn't notice when our men started to disappear?" When Raditz didn't answer, he continued. "I'm a veteran of galatic warfare and you're just the low-class son of a strong lab rat. You didn't even stand a-" The bald Saiyan's black, emotionless eyes bugged and shut as he collapsed to the ground.
"I'm so sick of him." The alien turned to smile at Raditz. "Thank you for allowing me to do that. My name is Dodoria." He dropped Trunks into pile on the floor. "Now, where we?" He tapped his chin. "Ah, yes. You were staking your claim on this human." He gestured to his remaining men. "I don't think Frieza would like his new Head Scientist to end up with the likes of you." Raditz charged his ki and waited. This won't be any harder to kill than the ones I've already taken out. The ten to fifteen soldiers attacked, and two-thirds were wiped out by his initial blast. The others converged on him and he swift dealt with all of them. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he turned toward his one remaining opponent. Dodoria clapped. "Bravo, you have quite the skill for such a young Saiyan." He frowned. "Not like the Saiyan no Ouji. Now that's a strong little bugger."
"Enough!" Raditz launched himself at the enormous alien and was shocked when he moved faster than he could see.
The fat, magenta arms wrapped around him in a bear-hug and squeezed until it felt like every one of his bones would crack. "Looks aren't everything boy. It seems I have to teach you a thing or two, and I haven't had a student in such a long while...You'll do just nicely."
Raditz grimaced and gritted his teeth. His eyes sought out those of his meant-to-be rescuee. "I failed."
Trunks could hear the remorse and shame in his young voice. A smile of gratitude graced his mature features. "You did everything you could and I thank you for risking your very young life for me. It is a debt I hope to repay you in the future." He could tell that something else was on his mind-or someone. "Bardock would be proud of you. You went out fighting and your honor is still intact." A shadow of a smile crossed Raditz's face before the pain overwhelmed him and he blacked-out. Trunks watched quietly as Dodoria picked up the boy, the General, and then himself. His voice was oddly calm as he was dragged toward Frieza's ship. "If it's the last thing I do, I'll kill you."
Dodoria smirked. "Of course you will. That's what they all say."
In the Conference Room
Frieza snickered at the fallen monarch as the blood ran from his body to puddle around him on the floor. He knelt down in front of him. "This is such a bittersweet moment for me, seeing you like this." He reached out and dug his hand into the hole in the Saiyan's chest. The scream of utter agony was music to his ears. "It brings back such fond memories."
The King curbed his wail and gritted his teeth at the changeling's reminiscent tone. "I may have wanted him dead, but he will succeed in destroying you." The effort to speak left him coughing violently.
Frieza jerked his hand out. "What a nice change of heart, but I don't think something with your genes would be that impressive."
"The Legendary will return, and there is nothing you can do to stop it." He managed a grin through the blood that trailed down his face. Frieza sneered and raised his hand.
"No!" Both turned their heads to see a flash of black and blue streak towards them. The Prince slammed his shoulder into Frieza's chest and sent him across the room. The boy dropped down in front of his fallen Tousan, his dark indigo ki vibrating the air around him.
Frieza calmly got to his feet, his voice mockingly disappointed. "I thought you'd appreciate me killing him."
Vegeta crossed his arms. "His life is my right to take, not yours."
His utterly fearless tone astonished his Tousan. "Then-" He hacked noisily. "-take it already."
His son's gaze nailed his coffin shut. "Killing you would only be a favor." He strode over and reached out to take the large, blood stained amulet from his neck. He jerked it off and held it up. "You don't deserve a favor." He straightened up and turned away to stare down Frieza.
The King could feel his ki fading away into nothing, and in the past he would have feared it greatly, but now he felt peaceful. His blurring eyes watched his son bravely face down the universe's worst nightmare, utterly fearless. That is my son. The boy held up the amulet and slipped it over his head. I was wrong about him, he's a stronger Saiyan than I. My foolish deeds have not gone unpunished, and I can only wish that he survives the trials ahead. The Saiyan royal felt his heart slow in his chest until it stopped completely. A faint smirk spread across his face. What a time to get philosophical.
In the Hall
Bulma yanked her arms up and crossed them over her head instinctually, her ki swelling to protect her. The blast surrounded her, almost scalding her with it's intensity. The pain was excruciating and her inner defenses surged upward. Her ki shield ballooned outward, her vast resevoir of un-tapped power raging to the surface. She gritted her teeth and slowly managed to regain her footing. He won't be able to get rid of me that easy! Finding her voice, she yelled as she shoved directly at the center of the green energy beam. The energy relented and she pulled her arms to her sides as the dust cleared.
Zarbon was visibly shaking with rage. "Why won't you just die already!"
She shifted her feet to her fighting stance. "You think a dinky little blast like that will kill me?" She snorted. "A baby could have beat that."
She smiled when he snarled. "I have no idea what Master Frieza saw in you, but I don't think he'd mind if you somehow managed to die!" He didn't wait for her reply and fired another blast.
Why is it that the pretty ones are always so gullible? Bulma smacked it away and took to the air, her eyes trained on the baka she was currently dodging blasts from. He's stupid to boot. His energy is going to drain if he doesn't stop blasting at me. She used the walls, ceiling, floor, and every other available surface to bounce around out of way, while slowly backing up. If he would just continue as he was, he'd walk right by Bardock. Then we'd be home free! She'd seen his arms move before and knew he hadn't been as 'knocked-out' as Zarbon had believed him to be. She landed squarely in the hall and pushed her palms out in front of her, a golden blast zooming towards her target. "Gotta do better than that!"
"You little bitch!" Zarbon repelled the blast and dove for her. That's when Bardock decided to make his move. The Squad Commander leapt up from the floor and tackled the girlish creature from behind, sending them both skidding past Bulma.
She could only watch spellbound as they grappled and fought on the ornately tiled floor of the Palace's Main Hall. Knees and elbows were thrown, along with some well-placed punches, until Bardock had the upper hand. He handed out a pair of viscious head-butts, re-opening his gash and splitting Zarbon's forehead wide open. The thick green blood turned her stomach and she covered her mouth. Eww. The alien knew he was losing, she could see in the wild glint of his amber eyes. His hands were scrambling around in the debris. She took a few steps closer. "Bardock! Watch out!"
The Saiyan with two sons turned slightly towards her words, and it was all the time Zarbon needed. His right arm swept up and slashed visciously at Bardock's face, a jagged piece of marble held tight in his grip. Bardock's grip on him released as he clutched his face. Zarbon stumbled backward, laughing hysterically. "I've never meet anything dumber than a Saiyan!"
The growl that responded was so loud and ferocious, that Bulma ducked down. Bardock's hands dropped and he plowed his fist so hard into Zarbon's face the alien sailed into the wall behind him unconscious. "Now who's dumb?"
His voice was pained and Bulma scrambled from her pebbled hiding spot. "Are you hurt?" She asked tentatively.
"I'm fine." He still didn't turn around to face her.
"Bardock-" She laid a feathery touch on his arm. He swung around to glance at her and Bulma's hands slapped to her mouth after a loud gasp slipped out. "Oh Kami! Your face!" A jagged rut slashed from above his right eye, down and across his face to end at the bottom of his left cheek. His right eye was gory mess of blood and fluid and the skin of his nose had been cut to the bone. The sheer amount of dark red blood that dripped from his chin staggered her. Tears spilled over and matted her long lashes together. "Bardock.."
"There's no time, we have to leave now!" He snatched her arm in his grasp and started to pull her down the hall.
Her fight returned at the thought of abandoning Vegeta. She dug in her heels, blinking back her tears. "No!" Twisting and squirming, she popped free and bolted for the Conference Room.
Conference Room
Vegeta felt peaceful, serene even, as he let the weight of the Royal Amulet sag against his chest. There were no such things as crowns on Vejitasei, only ornately carved stones on chains to be passed down through the ages. He'd hadn't thought this day would come for many years. I'm not the Prince anymore, but a King. He slid a thumb across the top of the sapphire-like stone to smear away some of the garishly clashing blood. Who knew a mere rock could be this fulfilling?
"Don't think for a second that you'll be leaving with that." Frieza interrupted his thoughts. The horned creature started to laugh. "None of my soldiers are allowed any personal belongings until they made it into my good graces."
Vegeta dropped his hands to his sides. "Then I guess I'll be waiting a long time."
That seemed to throw him. Frieza raised what Vegeta considered a brow. "Now, from what I gathered, you'd rather die than come with me? Why the change?"
"I still would rather die, but if by me going with you means the survival of my race, then I will go." He tilted his chin up as he spoke.
"Why?" The curiousity was killing him.
Vegeta took a deep breath. "It's my duty to serve my people."
Well, he hadn't be expecting this. Especially from someone so young. "Your sense of honor is commendable, but did you ever stop and think that I might not keep my word?" He gestured toward where the councilmen had once been. "I don't think that I've been very trustworthy."
"My Tousan may have been stupid in that regard, but I am not." His eyes hardened and with his right palm facing upwards, he kindled a ball of dark blue energy. "That's why I'm going to kill you." He angled his body and released the ball at a frightening speed.
Frieza caught it easily and squelched into nothing. He sighed as he advanced. "I knew you'd be a tough nut to crack, so I guess starting early wouldn't hurt." His thin lips split into a villianous grin.
Vegeta felt a bead of sweat slide down his back. This isn't going to be pretty. He saw a flash of color and Frieza's tail swung around to smash into his jaw, sending him cartwheeling through the air and into the wall. He flopped out of the dent and to his feet. But then again, when was fighting pretty? It was his last thought before the onslaught began. And that was really the only way he could describe it. The changeling moved too fast for him to block or dodge, and every hit found it's mark. The pounding raised bruises and split the skin, while the body shots cracked his ribs and ravashed his organs. The cretin made sure ever part of his body hurt. Not even his tail, the very thing that made him a Saiyan, was spared. The tail came again and he couldn't stop it from careening into his split cheek. The blow cracked the bone and he found himself sprawled out on the cold floor.
Frieza loomed over him. "Will the little monkey listen now?"
The pain that coursed through him was something he couldn't even begin to fathom. He was too weak to even move his fingers or toes if he wanted too. His jaw was still amazingly intact and he used it. He spit a mixture of blood and saliva into the lizard's face. "Never."
The face above him contorted into a mask of rage. "I think it's time for you to die!" He reached for his neck, but an enormous blast of golden light sent him sailing clear over the prone boy.
Vegeta caught his eyes before they rolled back into his head and managed to see her as she came to kneel next to him. Her hands hesitantly touched his shoulders. "Come on, we have to get out of here! Bardock has a ship ready!"
He felt his strength return a smidgen. Grimacing, he sat up and glared at her. "Get out of here now!"
Bulma felt like crying and she did. "No! I won't go without you!" What is with all of you?!
Frieza got to his feet and walked as calmly as he could. These Saiyans are like a bad rash. They just don't go away! The two children were to engrossed in each other to notice him. His clawed hand lashed out and wrapped around her throat, lifting her clear off the ground. "Little bitch!"
Bulma's hands immediately started to claw at his wrists. She opened her mouth to scream, but only odd gurgling noises came out. Her legs flailed and her tail whipped around like a live wire. Not like this! Her Kaasan's dead visage painted itself in her mind and she panicked. I can't die like this!
Bardock felt his heart skip a beat as she choked. Its Sleeka all over again! He started towards them, but the Prince's voice stopped him. "Wait!"
"Why?!" This wasn't the time to be having conversation.
Vegeta started to drag himself closer to the lizard. "I'll attack and when he drops her, blast him. Take her and run!"
Bardock felt like his head was melting. This is insane! "Fine!"
Vegeta was within striking distance and lunged. Take this bakayaro!
The Science Advisor's eye bugged out as Vegeta sank his teeth into Frieza's leg. Holy kuso! Frieza shouted and his body spasmed painfully. The girl was released and he didn't waste any time. He gathered what remained of his energy, channeled it, and released it into the largest blast he'd made in a long time.
Her face was starting to turn blue when she felt the tremor run through his hand. Wha... She was promptly dropped and the stone floor kissed her face as she fell. The crash seemed to awaken her lungs and she gasped. I'll never take air for granted again! A whooshing sound caught her attention and she blinked as the energy blast sailed toward them. Oh no! "Vegeta!" She rolled over to see him clamped on the tyrant's leg like a pit bull. Crawling quickly, she grabbed onto whatever was within her reach.
Bardock chased after his own blast and felt satisfied as it sent Frieza sailing again. Vegeta had released at the last possible second and lay with Bulma clutching at him. He rushed over to them and deftly wrapped his arms around her in a bear-hug. The brush with death had raised her instincts and she transformed into a raging beast. Bardock had to literally tear her away from the boy. "Bulma!"
Vegeta watched as she screeched and his eyes zeroed in on the item she'd torn from around his neck. The gem glittered in the broken lighting as she fought. It will be safe with her. He sought out Bardock's eyes, or eye, as he gazed at the battered Saiyan. "Go before he gets up.!" His elder seemed to hesitate, which made him angry. "Obey your Prince! Go! Now!" He relaxed as Bardock rushed away with a now limp, mewling Bulma in his arms. Coughing, he rested his head back down and let his eyes slide shut.
"I hope you enjoyed that little show because I've got an even better one for you." Frieza eery voice touched his ears and his eyes flashed open as the changeling picked him up off the floor. He stared back as the lizard leaned in to his ear. "Ever seen a planet explode?"
Vegeta felt his blood run cold.
The Docks
Bardock ran as fast as his leadened legs would carry him. Though the doors, down the docks, and up to the ramp on Ship #27. Bulma hadn't made a sound since he'd torn her away from Vegeta and her body had gone limp. She must have passed out. He entered the pass code and slipped into the ship's cool interior. He flew up to the flight deck instead of using the ladder and walked into the control room. To find Kakarrot staring bleakly at the screen in front of him. "Kakarrot?"
The boy didn't move, just continued to stare. "He locked me in. I couldn't help him." His voice was void of emotion.
Bardock slipped Bulma into an empty chair, a feeling of dread curdling in his stomach. "Who?" His son's chin started to wobble, his eyes glistening. Bardock touched his shoulder. "Who couldn't you help?"
"Raditz." The name was barely audible to Saiyan ears.
He swallowed the knot in his throat. "What happened?"
Kakarrot finally moved, his head bowing down. "Frieza's soldiers went by the ship with Dr. Briefs and Raditz went to save him, but the pink one took him too." He was openly crying now.
Bardock didn't need to hear anymore. He knew what had happened. My son's inability to plan-ahead cost him his life. He penned up his grief and shifted his youngest son to another empty chair. There's no time to dwell, we have to leave now. He strapped both crying children-Bulma had been crying since they'd run- and returned to the pilot's chair. Not wasting any time, he ignited the ship's quartet of engines and entered the codes to open the bay doors. His hand hesitated on the accelerator when the wash of Vejitasei's sunset broke through the open doors. Absolutely exquisite. He knew the weight of what happened would hit him later, and it would be devistating, but he had to save what he could. I have to protect these two in order to have any chance of saving the others. Clenching his jaw and ignoring the bite of firey pain from his injury, he pushed the throttle forward and piloted the ship out of the docks.
It was only minutes before they were outside the atmosphere and staring into the never ending blackness of space. Bardock switched on the outer cameras and scanned the surrounding area. Hope sprang anew through his chest as he saw images of other ships, of other evacuating Saiyans. Raditz had gotten the message out! Pride swelled inside him and he smiled. It dimmed when he saw an enormous battle cruiser exit the atmosphere of the red planet and slowly turn around. He knew what was going to happen, but still he couldn't look away. The weapons glowed brightly and two twin blasts of green shot out. They pierced the sky and the planet turned a dark shade of grey before exploding.
The ship rocked and shuddered from the shockwaves and debris and he growled as he righted the ship and entered a set of hyperspace coordinates into the computer. This isn't over Frieza, not by a long shot.
Frieza's Ship
Vegeta bit his tongue to hold back his shout. It's gone! All those people vaporated in mere seconds, it was horrifying. His eyes burned with tears that desparately wanted to fall, but he blinked them back. I failed them.
"I rather enjoyed that, didn't you?" Frieza glanced back at him from over his shoulder. "There's nothing like it." He waved flippantly. "Erradicating a race, that is." He turned and stopped next to the Prince's broken body. "I'll give you some time to soak this in. It must be so hard." He smiled and strode off.
Vegeta closed his eyes and prayed for the first time in his life. Kami, please let them have escaped.
A/N: Wow, Part One is finito! I loved writing this so much, I can't wait to start Part Two! It won't be for a little while, but it will most definitely be posted. You can count on it. Thanks to artchic for being a faithful reader and reviewer! (Oh, and this is the mother of all cliffhangers!)
I will give you one hint about the start of Part Two- it occurs twelve years after the end of Part One. Won't that make you wonder what I'll cook up^_^!
Until next time, Ciao-Ravenreux
A/N: Well, here it is. The final chapter of Part One. It's long, so have fun! I know I try to update fast, but this was really fast. Once I started I couldn't stop until it was finished.
Last time on The Hybrid-
Bulma fell down on her butt and winced. Cracking open her eyes, they widened when Zarbon loomed into view. He snickered at the fallen Saiyan. "You should have listened to him. He's the only Saiyan with brains and he knows what he's talking about." Grinning stupidly, he raised his palm and leveled it at her face. "I've about enough of you, so ta-ta."
A ball of green energy glowed and Bulma's breath left in a hiss. Not good.
Chapter 10
Raditz thought it strange that no one was guarding the docking bay, where all the very valuable ships and cruisers were housed. He shifted Kakarrot to one arm, his head resting on his shoulder, and glanced at the keypad. It was smashed, the screen cracked, with wires splayed in every direction. He hesistated a moment because of the sparks shooting out every few seconds. Guess I'll just have to zap myself. He reached for the seam between the sliding steel doors and wedged his fingers of his free hand in between them. Okay, just a little nudge and it should open. He asked his aching muscles for some movement, and the doors creaked open about an inch. "Ah, jeez. Why do I have to hurt so much?" Sweat beaded on his brow and he hefted Kakarrot higher. He glanced down at his pale face. "When did you get so Kami-damned heavy?"
Of course, Kakarrot didn't answer and he had to just shoulder his way through the severely uncooperative doors. With a final surge, he managed to pop through and stumble. He caught himself and sighed. "That was fun." Glancing around, he found it just as deserted as the way here. He started walking quickly, an odd feeling in the pit of his stomach. "Something's not right. Where is everyone?" His eyes darted around suspiciously, watching for any signs of movement, but only to find nothing. "This is so weird." He didn't want to look into the fact that he was talking out loud to his unconscious nichan, so he focused on finding their ship.
He passed ship after ship, until he came to bay number twenty-seven. He stopped and shifted Kakarrot to his other arm. He eats definitely way too much. His eyes scanned the outside of the ship and the hook-ups and found everything in order. Okay, start the ship and send out the evac. message. He strode over the ramp and accessed the control panel on the side of the sleek silver hull. It clicked down and slid silently into the side panel. Flexing his fingers, he tapped in the pass code and only relaxed when the door slid in. Slipping inside, he locked the door behind him and set out to the cabin area.
The ship had two floors-the top housing the cockpit, cabins, and galley. The bottom was where the cargo holds and engine rooms were. Raditz walked down the narrow hall and climbed up the ladder with Kakarrot slung over his shoulder. It only took him a few minutes to lay his nichan down in one of the beds and jog down to the control room. "Okay, start the ship." He sat down heavily in the pilot's chair and started running his fingers over the keyboard. One by one, systems booted up until only the main engines remained to be ignited. He rubbed his hands together and sat back. "Start the ship. Check." His brow furrowed as he stared at the various screens and their readouts. "Alright, now for that message." He started tapping the keys a bit slower than before. "Tousan always logs onto the VID(Vejitasei Information Database), so I guess I'll start there." He bypassed the main access screen and dove headlong into the system. "I know it's here somewhere." He ferreted around for almost fifteen minutes before he found what he was looking for. "Gotcha!" It only took him another few seconds to write out the message, disable the encryption, and launch it out for every Saiyan in the underground. "Scratch that off my list. Now I just wait."
It proved to be hard work and after he checked on Kakarrot for the eleventh time, he sat down in the pilot's chair and crossed his arms. Where is he? He said he'd be back by now. What the hell is going on? He never explained it to me. Where does Bulma fit in with Frieza? I hate waiting! The aggravation was overwhelming and he sat up, his elbows planted on his knees. A beep sounded and a screen popped up on the monitor. Squinting, he leaned farther forward. "What system is that?" A few keystrokes later, the motion sensor field outside the ship had been tripped-a piece of the alarm system- and the video feed had been uploaded. Raditz enlarged the screen and felt his heartrate accelerate. Those are Frieza's soldiers! At the head of the line was a portly pink creature dressed in high-ranking military attire. He didn't know who he was, but he was definitely in charge. Nappa, their General, strode alongside. Why the hell would Nappa be shacking up with that guy? He glanced at the others and his mouth went dry.
Near the back of the line, a pair of soldiers were dragging a bound and gagged, lavender-haired human. Raditz leapt out of his chair. "That's Dr. Briefs!" He planted his hands on both sides of his head and blinked. "That's why the lab blew up! He'd been working in there and they kidnapped him!" He slapped a hand to his forehead. "It all makes sense now! This whole thing was a major set-up by Frieza!"
"Wha..What..whole..th.thing?"
Raditz nearly jumped clear out of his skin. "Kakarrot!" He whipped around and saw his nichan leaning heavily on the doorframe, his eyes barely open. "You shouldn't be up, you need to go lie down or you'll pass out again."
The six-year old took a step forward and Raditz had to scramble to catch him before he hit the deck. "Where's O..Otousan?" He groaned as Raditz lifted him up. "Why do I h..hurt so b..bad?"
Raditz took him back to his bed and tucked him in so he couldn't move. "It's a long story and I don't have time right now. Stay here, I have to go help a friend."
Kakarrot's vision finally started to unblur. "Wait, Rad..Raditz wait." But his nichan was gone.
The Docking Bay
"Get a move on, ya lazy yaro!" A foot planted itself harshly into the small of his back and his knees gave out.
Trunks fell to the cold floor painfully and groaned. His head was literally swimming, he was so confused. The questions were endless, but he knew in his gut what the answer to all of them were. Frieza. Ever since he'd shown up, the Saiyans had been on edge. I guess they had good reason. A hand that resembled a paw more than a palm with fingers grabbed the back of his shirt and hauled him to his feet. As soon as he was steady, it smacked him in the back of the head. "Mmmm..hmmm." Trunks cursed. Why the hell did they have to gag me?! He was shoved again, but this time he turned to glare at the offender, an alien the closely resembled a hawk/dog mix. It didn't faze him in the least because he'd spent a good portion of his time reading up on other species. Space travel wasn't advanced enough on Chikyuu for humans to know for certain if there were other life forms. Well, apparently what you don't know can kill you.
He managed not to anger his escorts anymore and focused his attention on the leader of this happy bunch. He was waddling up at the head of the 'platoon', his girth almost five times Trunks' own waistline. Morbidly obese anyone? Stifling his snort, he concentrated on doing what he did best-observe. He had noted early on that the King was involved because his number two- the bald one- was here as well. He had been in the lab for only a few minutes, but that was all they needed to grab him and run. They had travelled by air until they had reached the palace, and then they'd hoofed it through halls and stairwells down to to where they were now. The Docks. Dr. Briefs glanced around and remembered when Bulma and he'd been put on display. Was that really only six months ago? He'd spent most of his time in one lab or the other, so time never seemed to be one of his main concerns.
He ambled along with the soldiers past ships that looked as if they'd been taken right off the assembly line. Ten, twenty, thirty of the same exact ship, all docked into cradles that held their sleek silver hulls. Now that he was actually looking, he remembered Bardock saying something about a ship. He thought hard, but the words wouldn't come. Of all the times for my brain not to work. He wiggled his wrists in the strange handcuffs they'd used on him and rolled his shoulders to try and relieve the ache. That's when he thought his head was playing tricks on him. A voice that seemed very familiar echoed inside his skull. "I'm going to help you."
Trunks stilled. "Alright, am I going crazy now?"
"No! It's me, Raditz!" The voice was insistant.
Trunks decided to play along. "Okay, where are you?"
"You passed me three ships back. I'm going to start taking out the guards, beginning with the ones behind you. When I get enough out of the way, we'll make a run for it." The voice was oddly excited.
"Whatever you say." Trunks prayed to Kami that his time on this planet hadn't taken that much of a toll on his sanity. He tried to take a casual glance behind him, but all he got for it was a slap upside the head. They continued to follow the pudgy pink leader and the bald Saiyan, slowly making their way to what he assumed would be Frieza's ship. The line of identical ships abruptly stopped, and larger, sharper ships started to take up the bays. Each was unique in it's design, crafted for a specific task. His scientist's eye devoured what it saw, carefully storing the rudimentary blue-prints away in his mind for use in the future. He was so engrossed in his studies, that he failed to notice the lack of soldiers around him. When a hand spun him around, he jumped with fright.
Raditz's adolescent face beckoned to his and he gestured towards Trunks' hands. The lab rat looked down and found them unbound. Using his new-found freedom, he quickly untied the gag. "It really was you inside my head."
"Ssshhh!" He jerked his head back toward the direction he'd come and started to hover. "Grab my arm."
Trunks followed the orders and they were soon flying back towards the ship. "What are you doing down here?"
A viscious grip wrapped around his frail human ankle. "That's what I'd like to know!" The grip tightened, snapped his ankle, and yanked him from the boy's grip. Trunks cried out as the Pink One held him upside down. "Now where do you think you're going?" He gave him a shake. "Frieza wouldn't be pleased if I came back empty handed."
Raditz growled. "I won't let you take him!"
Nappa strode over to stand next to the portly alien. "Did you really think we wouldn't notice when our men started to disappear?" When Raditz didn't answer, he continued. "I'm a veteran of galatic warfare and you're just the low-class son of a strong lab rat. You didn't even stand a-" The bald Saiyan's black, emotionless eyes bugged and shut as he collapsed to the ground.
"I'm so sick of him." The alien turned to smile at Raditz. "Thank you for allowing me to do that. My name is Dodoria." He dropped Trunks into pile on the floor. "Now, where we?" He tapped his chin. "Ah, yes. You were staking your claim on this human." He gestured to his remaining men. "I don't think Frieza would like his new Head Scientist to end up with the likes of you." Raditz charged his ki and waited. This won't be any harder to kill than the ones I've already taken out. The ten to fifteen soldiers attacked, and two-thirds were wiped out by his initial blast. The others converged on him and he swift dealt with all of them. Wiping the sweat from his brow, he turned toward his one remaining opponent. Dodoria clapped. "Bravo, you have quite the skill for such a young Saiyan." He frowned. "Not like the Saiyan no Ouji. Now that's a strong little bugger."
"Enough!" Raditz launched himself at the enormous alien and was shocked when he moved faster than he could see.
The fat, magenta arms wrapped around him in a bear-hug and squeezed until it felt like every one of his bones would crack. "Looks aren't everything boy. It seems I have to teach you a thing or two, and I haven't had a student in such a long while...You'll do just nicely."
Raditz grimaced and gritted his teeth. His eyes sought out those of his meant-to-be rescuee. "I failed."
Trunks could hear the remorse and shame in his young voice. A smile of gratitude graced his mature features. "You did everything you could and I thank you for risking your very young life for me. It is a debt I hope to repay you in the future." He could tell that something else was on his mind-or someone. "Bardock would be proud of you. You went out fighting and your honor is still intact." A shadow of a smile crossed Raditz's face before the pain overwhelmed him and he blacked-out. Trunks watched quietly as Dodoria picked up the boy, the General, and then himself. His voice was oddly calm as he was dragged toward Frieza's ship. "If it's the last thing I do, I'll kill you."
Dodoria smirked. "Of course you will. That's what they all say."
In the Conference Room
Frieza snickered at the fallen monarch as the blood ran from his body to puddle around him on the floor. He knelt down in front of him. "This is such a bittersweet moment for me, seeing you like this." He reached out and dug his hand into the hole in the Saiyan's chest. The scream of utter agony was music to his ears. "It brings back such fond memories."
The King curbed his wail and gritted his teeth at the changeling's reminiscent tone. "I may have wanted him dead, but he will succeed in destroying you." The effort to speak left him coughing violently.
Frieza jerked his hand out. "What a nice change of heart, but I don't think something with your genes would be that impressive."
"The Legendary will return, and there is nothing you can do to stop it." He managed a grin through the blood that trailed down his face. Frieza sneered and raised his hand.
"No!" Both turned their heads to see a flash of black and blue streak towards them. The Prince slammed his shoulder into Frieza's chest and sent him across the room. The boy dropped down in front of his fallen Tousan, his dark indigo ki vibrating the air around him.
Frieza calmly got to his feet, his voice mockingly disappointed. "I thought you'd appreciate me killing him."
Vegeta crossed his arms. "His life is my right to take, not yours."
His utterly fearless tone astonished his Tousan. "Then-" He hacked noisily. "-take it already."
His son's gaze nailed his coffin shut. "Killing you would only be a favor." He strode over and reached out to take the large, blood stained amulet from his neck. He jerked it off and held it up. "You don't deserve a favor." He straightened up and turned away to stare down Frieza.
The King could feel his ki fading away into nothing, and in the past he would have feared it greatly, but now he felt peaceful. His blurring eyes watched his son bravely face down the universe's worst nightmare, utterly fearless. That is my son. The boy held up the amulet and slipped it over his head. I was wrong about him, he's a stronger Saiyan than I. My foolish deeds have not gone unpunished, and I can only wish that he survives the trials ahead. The Saiyan royal felt his heart slow in his chest until it stopped completely. A faint smirk spread across his face. What a time to get philosophical.
In the Hall
Bulma yanked her arms up and crossed them over her head instinctually, her ki swelling to protect her. The blast surrounded her, almost scalding her with it's intensity. The pain was excruciating and her inner defenses surged upward. Her ki shield ballooned outward, her vast resevoir of un-tapped power raging to the surface. She gritted her teeth and slowly managed to regain her footing. He won't be able to get rid of me that easy! Finding her voice, she yelled as she shoved directly at the center of the green energy beam. The energy relented and she pulled her arms to her sides as the dust cleared.
Zarbon was visibly shaking with rage. "Why won't you just die already!"
She shifted her feet to her fighting stance. "You think a dinky little blast like that will kill me?" She snorted. "A baby could have beat that."
She smiled when he snarled. "I have no idea what Master Frieza saw in you, but I don't think he'd mind if you somehow managed to die!" He didn't wait for her reply and fired another blast.
Why is it that the pretty ones are always so gullible? Bulma smacked it away and took to the air, her eyes trained on the baka she was currently dodging blasts from. He's stupid to boot. His energy is going to drain if he doesn't stop blasting at me. She used the walls, ceiling, floor, and every other available surface to bounce around out of way, while slowly backing up. If he would just continue as he was, he'd walk right by Bardock. Then we'd be home free! She'd seen his arms move before and knew he hadn't been as 'knocked-out' as Zarbon had believed him to be. She landed squarely in the hall and pushed her palms out in front of her, a golden blast zooming towards her target. "Gotta do better than that!"
"You little bitch!" Zarbon repelled the blast and dove for her. That's when Bardock decided to make his move. The Squad Commander leapt up from the floor and tackled the girlish creature from behind, sending them both skidding past Bulma.
She could only watch spellbound as they grappled and fought on the ornately tiled floor of the Palace's Main Hall. Knees and elbows were thrown, along with some well-placed punches, until Bardock had the upper hand. He handed out a pair of viscious head-butts, re-opening his gash and splitting Zarbon's forehead wide open. The thick green blood turned her stomach and she covered her mouth. Eww. The alien knew he was losing, she could see in the wild glint of his amber eyes. His hands were scrambling around in the debris. She took a few steps closer. "Bardock! Watch out!"
The Saiyan with two sons turned slightly towards her words, and it was all the time Zarbon needed. His right arm swept up and slashed visciously at Bardock's face, a jagged piece of marble held tight in his grip. Bardock's grip on him released as he clutched his face. Zarbon stumbled backward, laughing hysterically. "I've never meet anything dumber than a Saiyan!"
The growl that responded was so loud and ferocious, that Bulma ducked down. Bardock's hands dropped and he plowed his fist so hard into Zarbon's face the alien sailed into the wall behind him unconscious. "Now who's dumb?"
His voice was pained and Bulma scrambled from her pebbled hiding spot. "Are you hurt?" She asked tentatively.
"I'm fine." He still didn't turn around to face her.
"Bardock-" She laid a feathery touch on his arm. He swung around to glance at her and Bulma's hands slapped to her mouth after a loud gasp slipped out. "Oh Kami! Your face!" A jagged rut slashed from above his right eye, down and across his face to end at the bottom of his left cheek. His right eye was gory mess of blood and fluid and the skin of his nose had been cut to the bone. The sheer amount of dark red blood that dripped from his chin staggered her. Tears spilled over and matted her long lashes together. "Bardock.."
"There's no time, we have to leave now!" He snatched her arm in his grasp and started to pull her down the hall.
Her fight returned at the thought of abandoning Vegeta. She dug in her heels, blinking back her tears. "No!" Twisting and squirming, she popped free and bolted for the Conference Room.
Conference Room
Vegeta felt peaceful, serene even, as he let the weight of the Royal Amulet sag against his chest. There were no such things as crowns on Vejitasei, only ornately carved stones on chains to be passed down through the ages. He'd hadn't thought this day would come for many years. I'm not the Prince anymore, but a King. He slid a thumb across the top of the sapphire-like stone to smear away some of the garishly clashing blood. Who knew a mere rock could be this fulfilling?
"Don't think for a second that you'll be leaving with that." Frieza interrupted his thoughts. The horned creature started to laugh. "None of my soldiers are allowed any personal belongings until they made it into my good graces."
Vegeta dropped his hands to his sides. "Then I guess I'll be waiting a long time."
That seemed to throw him. Frieza raised what Vegeta considered a brow. "Now, from what I gathered, you'd rather die than come with me? Why the change?"
"I still would rather die, but if by me going with you means the survival of my race, then I will go." He tilted his chin up as he spoke.
"Why?" The curiousity was killing him.
Vegeta took a deep breath. "It's my duty to serve my people."
Well, he hadn't be expecting this. Especially from someone so young. "Your sense of honor is commendable, but did you ever stop and think that I might not keep my word?" He gestured toward where the councilmen had once been. "I don't think that I've been very trustworthy."
"My Tousan may have been stupid in that regard, but I am not." His eyes hardened and with his right palm facing upwards, he kindled a ball of dark blue energy. "That's why I'm going to kill you." He angled his body and released the ball at a frightening speed.
Frieza caught it easily and squelched into nothing. He sighed as he advanced. "I knew you'd be a tough nut to crack, so I guess starting early wouldn't hurt." His thin lips split into a villianous grin.
Vegeta felt a bead of sweat slide down his back. This isn't going to be pretty. He saw a flash of color and Frieza's tail swung around to smash into his jaw, sending him cartwheeling through the air and into the wall. He flopped out of the dent and to his feet. But then again, when was fighting pretty? It was his last thought before the onslaught began. And that was really the only way he could describe it. The changeling moved too fast for him to block or dodge, and every hit found it's mark. The pounding raised bruises and split the skin, while the body shots cracked his ribs and ravashed his organs. The cretin made sure ever part of his body hurt. Not even his tail, the very thing that made him a Saiyan, was spared. The tail came again and he couldn't stop it from careening into his split cheek. The blow cracked the bone and he found himself sprawled out on the cold floor.
Frieza loomed over him. "Will the little monkey listen now?"
The pain that coursed through him was something he couldn't even begin to fathom. He was too weak to even move his fingers or toes if he wanted too. His jaw was still amazingly intact and he used it. He spit a mixture of blood and saliva into the lizard's face. "Never."
The face above him contorted into a mask of rage. "I think it's time for you to die!" He reached for his neck, but an enormous blast of golden light sent him sailing clear over the prone boy.
Vegeta caught his eyes before they rolled back into his head and managed to see her as she came to kneel next to him. Her hands hesitantly touched his shoulders. "Come on, we have to get out of here! Bardock has a ship ready!"
He felt his strength return a smidgen. Grimacing, he sat up and glared at her. "Get out of here now!"
Bulma felt like crying and she did. "No! I won't go without you!" What is with all of you?!
Frieza got to his feet and walked as calmly as he could. These Saiyans are like a bad rash. They just don't go away! The two children were to engrossed in each other to notice him. His clawed hand lashed out and wrapped around her throat, lifting her clear off the ground. "Little bitch!"
Bulma's hands immediately started to claw at his wrists. She opened her mouth to scream, but only odd gurgling noises came out. Her legs flailed and her tail whipped around like a live wire. Not like this! Her Kaasan's dead visage painted itself in her mind and she panicked. I can't die like this!
Bardock felt his heart skip a beat as she choked. Its Sleeka all over again! He started towards them, but the Prince's voice stopped him. "Wait!"
"Why?!" This wasn't the time to be having conversation.
Vegeta started to drag himself closer to the lizard. "I'll attack and when he drops her, blast him. Take her and run!"
Bardock felt like his head was melting. This is insane! "Fine!"
Vegeta was within striking distance and lunged. Take this bakayaro!
The Science Advisor's eye bugged out as Vegeta sank his teeth into Frieza's leg. Holy kuso! Frieza shouted and his body spasmed painfully. The girl was released and he didn't waste any time. He gathered what remained of his energy, channeled it, and released it into the largest blast he'd made in a long time.
Her face was starting to turn blue when she felt the tremor run through his hand. Wha... She was promptly dropped and the stone floor kissed her face as she fell. The crash seemed to awaken her lungs and she gasped. I'll never take air for granted again! A whooshing sound caught her attention and she blinked as the energy blast sailed toward them. Oh no! "Vegeta!" She rolled over to see him clamped on the tyrant's leg like a pit bull. Crawling quickly, she grabbed onto whatever was within her reach.
Bardock chased after his own blast and felt satisfied as it sent Frieza sailing again. Vegeta had released at the last possible second and lay with Bulma clutching at him. He rushed over to them and deftly wrapped his arms around her in a bear-hug. The brush with death had raised her instincts and she transformed into a raging beast. Bardock had to literally tear her away from the boy. "Bulma!"
Vegeta watched as she screeched and his eyes zeroed in on the item she'd torn from around his neck. The gem glittered in the broken lighting as she fought. It will be safe with her. He sought out Bardock's eyes, or eye, as he gazed at the battered Saiyan. "Go before he gets up.!" His elder seemed to hesitate, which made him angry. "Obey your Prince! Go! Now!" He relaxed as Bardock rushed away with a now limp, mewling Bulma in his arms. Coughing, he rested his head back down and let his eyes slide shut.
"I hope you enjoyed that little show because I've got an even better one for you." Frieza eery voice touched his ears and his eyes flashed open as the changeling picked him up off the floor. He stared back as the lizard leaned in to his ear. "Ever seen a planet explode?"
Vegeta felt his blood run cold.
The Docks
Bardock ran as fast as his leadened legs would carry him. Though the doors, down the docks, and up to the ramp on Ship #27. Bulma hadn't made a sound since he'd torn her away from Vegeta and her body had gone limp. She must have passed out. He entered the pass code and slipped into the ship's cool interior. He flew up to the flight deck instead of using the ladder and walked into the control room. To find Kakarrot staring bleakly at the screen in front of him. "Kakarrot?"
The boy didn't move, just continued to stare. "He locked me in. I couldn't help him." His voice was void of emotion.
Bardock slipped Bulma into an empty chair, a feeling of dread curdling in his stomach. "Who?" His son's chin started to wobble, his eyes glistening. Bardock touched his shoulder. "Who couldn't you help?"
"Raditz." The name was barely audible to Saiyan ears.
He swallowed the knot in his throat. "What happened?"
Kakarrot finally moved, his head bowing down. "Frieza's soldiers went by the ship with Dr. Briefs and Raditz went to save him, but the pink one took him too." He was openly crying now.
Bardock didn't need to hear anymore. He knew what had happened. My son's inability to plan-ahead cost him his life. He penned up his grief and shifted his youngest son to another empty chair. There's no time to dwell, we have to leave now. He strapped both crying children-Bulma had been crying since they'd run- and returned to the pilot's chair. Not wasting any time, he ignited the ship's quartet of engines and entered the codes to open the bay doors. His hand hesitated on the accelerator when the wash of Vejitasei's sunset broke through the open doors. Absolutely exquisite. He knew the weight of what happened would hit him later, and it would be devistating, but he had to save what he could. I have to protect these two in order to have any chance of saving the others. Clenching his jaw and ignoring the bite of firey pain from his injury, he pushed the throttle forward and piloted the ship out of the docks.
It was only minutes before they were outside the atmosphere and staring into the never ending blackness of space. Bardock switched on the outer cameras and scanned the surrounding area. Hope sprang anew through his chest as he saw images of other ships, of other evacuating Saiyans. Raditz had gotten the message out! Pride swelled inside him and he smiled. It dimmed when he saw an enormous battle cruiser exit the atmosphere of the red planet and slowly turn around. He knew what was going to happen, but still he couldn't look away. The weapons glowed brightly and two twin blasts of green shot out. They pierced the sky and the planet turned a dark shade of grey before exploding.
The ship rocked and shuddered from the shockwaves and debris and he growled as he righted the ship and entered a set of hyperspace coordinates into the computer. This isn't over Frieza, not by a long shot.
Frieza's Ship
Vegeta bit his tongue to hold back his shout. It's gone! All those people vaporated in mere seconds, it was horrifying. His eyes burned with tears that desparately wanted to fall, but he blinked them back. I failed them.
"I rather enjoyed that, didn't you?" Frieza glanced back at him from over his shoulder. "There's nothing like it." He waved flippantly. "Erradicating a race, that is." He turned and stopped next to the Prince's broken body. "I'll give you some time to soak this in. It must be so hard." He smiled and strode off.
Vegeta closed his eyes and prayed for the first time in his life. Kami, please let them have escaped.
A/N: Wow, Part One is finito! I loved writing this so much, I can't wait to start Part Two! It won't be for a little while, but it will most definitely be posted. You can count on it. Thanks to artchic for being a faithful reader and reviewer! (Oh, and this is the mother of all cliffhangers!)
I will give you one hint about the start of Part Two- it occurs twelve years after the end of Part One. Won't that make you wonder what I'll cook up^_^!
Until next time, Ciao-Ravenreux