Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Price You Pay ❯ Chapter Forty ( Chapter 40 )

Insert standard disclaimer here.

 

The Price You Pay: Chapter Forty

 

He couldn't say that the people on Freeza's ship were surprised to see him. As the front runner for the Ice-jin fleet, the ship was enormous—nearly the same size as some of the smaller stations Zarbon had stayed on before he found himself on Vegeta-sei. Naturally, such a large ship would have an advanced probing system.

 

The hailing screen came to life and Zarbon checked his scouter before activating the view channel.

 

“Saiya-jin vessel, what is the nature of your approach of Lord Freeza's ship?” The voice was monotone but slightly hostile. Whoever was on the other line had obviously had a bad encounter with Saiya-jins in the past.

 

“I'm certain Lord Freeza could always find time for an old companion, warrior,” said Zarbon with obvious distaste in his voice. All the incompetent communications officer need done was check his view screen to realize that he was not a Saiya-jin.

 

“Master Zarbon,” said the surprised communications officer. “My apologies. I didn't realize. I'll send Lord Freeza notice of your arrival immediately.”

 

As the shuttle was pulled closer to Freeza's ship, Zarbon checked over the specs on his scouter one last time. The plan needed to work. If he could even buy them just a little more time then in the end it would be worth the sacrifice. Besides, diplomacy had always been his forte. Lying was practically second nature to him at this point.

 

“Please remain in your shuttle until we arrange for an escort,” came the voice from his communications channel. His tone was reverent but contained a bit more curiosity than Zarbon cared for. There were already too many rumors circulating about the relationship Freeza and Zarbon had once had. No one understood Zarbon's reasons for leaving their master's service.

 

If they only knew.

 

He didn't wish the things he'd been forced to see or do while under Freeza's rule upon anyone. Freeza had a reputation for training the most powerful fighters in the universe, but in the process many of them progressively lost their sanity. There was little trust between the more powerful beings under Freeza's rule. The Ginyuu Squad was a prime example. Besides, Zarbon preferred choosing loyalty over being threatened into it any day. The Saiya-jins may not have trusted him completely, but they sure as hell respected him. He was held in high esteem among the Saiya-jin King's close advisers, and though none of the Saiya-jins understood the relationship between the reptilian warrior and the Saiya-jin no Ou, they knew better than to express their distaste. He didn't blame them for feeling uncomfortable really. His power level was impressive by any standard, and since Vegeta was the only Saiya-jin strong enough to destroy Zarbon, their closeness left a sour taste in most of the warriors' mouths.

 

Zarbon waited patiently as two escorts arrived to lead him to the bridge. The warriors were relatively powerful and Zarbon found it strange that Freeza would arrange for such strong chaperones. It was no matter really, though the warriors' ki readings put together outranked his own, he was confident that if it became necessary, he would be able to take them down. He'd spent the last several decades training with the most powerful entities in the universe. By comparison, these warriors were laughable.

 

Though he perceived the men had been sent as a warning, Zarbon didn't let the threat jeopardize his plan. He needed to figure out who the traitor was and stall while Vegeta found time to organize the armies and set their strategy in motion. Very few people on Vegeta-sei would even realize that he was gone by this point and even if they had, no one would suspect anything. Zarbon frequently visited the different regions of Vegeta-sei on diplomatic missions or to continue the extended research he'd been doing on the Legendary over the past few months. There was no way the traitor could have relayed his absence to Freeza within such a short period of time.

 

The ship was just as he remembered it. Men walked briskly from one location to another clicking buttons on their scouters or talking about some recent sparring match. The halls were lined with bare metal. Overall, the feeling he got from the entire scene was cold and detached. Yes, it was exactly as he remembered it.

 

“Master Zarbon.” Two men he vaguely remembered stood guard outside the main doors to the bridge. “Lord Freeza is awaiting you.” The men stepped aside and the doors slid open revealing a large dome shaped room. Zarbon stepped onto the bridge and smiled as he remembered how much time he'd spent in the spherical brain of the ship. The stars glowed faintly through the clear polymer that composed the walls and ceiling of the command center. Watching the stars race by from this place had been one of his most cherished past times while under Freeza's command. It was strange how times had changed.

 

“Zarbon, my pet.” Freeza floated towards the reptilian warrior in his hover chair. His purplish black lips were turned up in a genuine smile. “What warrants such a visit? It's been years since we've seen you on this ship.” Freeza still sounded pleasant but Zarbon could tell that the Ice-jin was obviously not pleased with Zarbon's neglect.

 

“My apologies, Lord Freeza. As you know, the duties King Vegeta has placed on me have been quite time consuming as of late.”

 

“Yes. And how is my favorite monkey king these days?” asked Freeza with blatant displeasure. The Ice-jin turned from Zarbon and made his way closer to the edge of the room, staring out into the expanse of space. “Why are you here, Zarbon?” Freeza's voice was quiet, deadly.

 

“They know about your spy.” Freeza remained silent.

 

“And?” Freeza's voice was unimpressed. The tone could mean any number of things but Zarbon was counting on Freeza's curiosity working in his favor.

 

“How do you think he's gone undetected for so long?” Freeza turned back and faced Zarbon.

 

“Are you implying that you had something to do with his success, my slippery friend?” Freeza's eyes were hard. Zarbon knew that he was walking a fine line but there was still a small spark of interest in the Ice-jin's eyes.

 

“I think I'm doing more than implying, don't you?”

 

~~~~~~~<(((((|||)))))>~~~~~~~

 

Vegeta walked through the halls with a sense of determination. So it had begun. It was better now than ever. They were prepared, and though Zarbon hadn't been able to stall the Ice-jin the way they'd hoped, if everything went according to plan then, in the very least, he had a trustworthy spy infiltrating the enemy flag ship. Zarbon's scouter had been specially programmed to record everything that took place regardless of the other functions it was serving at the time.

 

With all of the chaos the palace had been thrown into upon Freeza's arrival, it seemed like the entire planet had been consumed in a physical and mental storm. The mental shields Vegeta had had to erect as soon as Freeza's approach had been recorded were some of the strongest he'd ever had to use. He was already focusing so much attention on coordinating their forces that the additional mental strain was making his head throb.

 

Perhaps Freeza hadn't had a more sinister purpose in mind. The Cold Empire was vast and just as the Saiya-jins needed to maintain the worlds under their control, the Ice-jin shared the same responsibilities. Of course, Freeza's responsibilities leaned more towards conquering new worlds than maintaining them, but he did have other obligations. Could the Ice-jin just have been preoccupied with their other intergalactic conquests? Vegeta didn't know. The situation still made him feel uneasy.

 

He needed to send someone to check on the onna. When they'd arrived at the royal wing there had been several dozen guards but he hadn't seen Radditz and Vegeta was certain that many of the guards had been pulled away for other duties.

 

Dammit.

 

Thought Vegeta with a sudden sinking sense of realization. He let a few of his mental shields down and powered up. He needed to get back to their quarters immediately. How could he be so foolish? Freeza wasn't preoccupied at all; he'd been waiting for Vegeta to fall into a false sense of security. All he needed were just a few minutes where Vegeta dropped his guard—and Vegeta had just given them to him.

 

Fuck, this must have been that bastard's plan all along.

 

He walked up to the nearest comm screen in alarm and punched in the command for the central communications room.

 

“Stop all shuttles from leaving the planet immediately,” he ordered, trying to remain calm for the sake of the people around him.

 

“Yes, sir.” The screen went blank.

 

The effort was too late. They were already gone, he could feel it. Wherever Bulma was, she was unconscious for the time being. He could sense her, but only just barely. Trunks was with her as well, but appeared to be completely unharmed.

 

This was the situation he'd been dreading all along. It was the culmination of his worst fears, and there was only one way it could end.

 

~~~~~~~<(((((|||)))))>~~~~~~~

 

When Bulma awoke she was lying on a hard cot and staring at a metal ceiling. Instantly struck with panic, she sat up and looked around the room. Her head throbbed slightly but it was nothing to be concerned about. As the seconds passed, the pain started to alleviate and Bulma tried to remember what had transpired back in the palace.

 

Freeza's ship had moved closer to Vegeta-sei and she'd been sent back to the royal wing of the palace to check on Trunks. Radditz was supposed to be watching over the baby but when she'd gotten there, he was gone. After that, she couldn't remember anything.

 

Well, wherever she was, she was not on Vegeta-sei and the gentle drum of electronics and some sort of engine made her think she was on a ship. Kami, was she on her way to Freeza's head quarters at this very moment? She was overcome by an instant sensation of terror. Memories of Namek flooded her thoughts and Bulma quickly made her way to the sink in the corner of the small room.

 

After emptying the entire contents of her stomach and rinsing out her mouth, Bulma took a deep breath. It would be alright, Vegeta had to know what had happened by now and was probably altering their plans to account for her abduction. Bulma's eyes widened.

 

Trunks!

 

If the traitor had abducted her then it followed that her son had been taken as well. There was a soft murmur from the other end of the room and Bulma turned her head. Walking over to the source of the noise, she sighed in relief.

 

Oh, thank Kami.

 

Whoever had kidnapped them had the decency to put them in the same room together. Trunks's demeanor was peaceful and Bulma found it strange that he would react so calmly to the situation. Usually, the boy was exceedingly perceptive of danger.

 

Bulma picked up her son and sat down on the small cot. What were they going to do? Vegeta still hadn't been able to make the transition to the level of Super Saiya-jin and though his heightened powers were impressive, they were not nearly sufficient to defeat the horrific powers the Ice-jin possessed. All she could do was hope that the stress of the situation would induce whatever trigger the Saiya-jin no Ou needed for ascension.

 

“The shuttle will begin docking in five minutes.” The sudden sound of the computerized voice made Bulma jump.

 

She was torn between the necessity of faith in her mate and the fatalism that was slowly coming over her. Goku was not here to save them this time. And Vegeta… what would happen if he was killed again? A battle between the Saiya-jin King and the Ice-jin Emperor was almost inevitable and Bulma was reminded of the dreams that had plagued her since the formation of her bond with Vegeta.

 

The door to her room slid open and a large figure stood obscured in the artificial light coming from the hallway. As the man approached, Bulma paled.

 

“You… It was you?”

 

~~~~~~~<(((((|||)))))>~~~~~~~

 

Zarbon remained on the bridge as Freeza changed their destination to orbit Vegeta-sei. He wasn't sure what the Ice-jin had planned but he knew that whatever was going on, it was working in the creature's favor. At least temporarily, the Ice-jin believed Zarbon had some sort of connection to his spy. Freeza had never outright asked Zarbon the identity of the traitor but he got the sense that Freeza was indulging himself more than anything. Regardless of the game Freeza was playing, he would never be inclined to destroy Zarbon on a whim. The Ice-jin was more egotistical than the reptilian warrior. Freeza could destroy Zarbon with little effort at any moment and he knew it.

 

The two stood staring out at the stars rushing by and discussed some of the interesting, according to Freeza, moments they had shared before Zarbon left. The topics leaned toward the more brutal crusades the reptilian warrior had participated in and Zarbon found himself sickened by the atrocities he'd been forced to commit. How many innocents had he destroyed? He could spend the rest of his life not having to look into a child's eyes as he blasted them again. He'd always been one of the quicker purging team members; unwilling to let his victims suffer regardless of the delight many of the other men found in torturing their weaker prey. Sometimes he thought he'd never be able to forget the sound of their screams.

 

Freeza had destroyed Zarbon's planet when he was very young and Zarbon was spared only because of the impressive ki abilities he'd been born with. Most members of his species were weak though widely known for their beauty. What few members of Zarbon's race still existed were circulating the galaxy as sex slaves or concubines. The thought sickened him. He'd never enjoyed serving the Ice-jin Emperor but regardless of it all, the training and knowledge he'd acquired during his years of service were irreplaceable. Zarbon knew and accepted that Freeza's fascination with him was only because of his beauty and ki abilities. Zarbon was, as his nickname indicated, just Freeza's `pet'.

 

After several years, Zarbon had found solace and balance, ironically, with the Saiya-jins and particularly their young prince. When he'd met the Saiya-jin royal family on a diplomatic mission, Zarbon had seen his chance for escape. After a few days of observation, Zarbon had come to the conclusion that while the former King Vegeta was ruthless, he would never force him to wipe out billions of lives in the pursuit of his own greed. Discipline and punishment were necessary, but rarely needed to be extended to needless torment. That was something Freeza would never understand.

 

None of these thoughts passed over Zarbon's face as he laughed and `reminisced' with the Ice-jin. From an outside perspective he must have seemed nostalgic and eager to share old war stories. Zarbon felt nauseated. Yes, there were many reasons why he'd left Freeza.

 

“Lord Freeza, you have visitors.” The comm screen blinked to life and Freeza smiled.

 

“By all means, send them in.”

 

Zarbon wasn't sure who the Ice-jin was expecting, but turned to face the door as it slid open. As the visitors entered, Zarbon tried not to let his surprise register at all on his face. The situation was worse than he'd anticipated.

 

“Radditz, how delightful to see you again,” said Zarbon before the situation could get ugly. “I see you've completed your mission as planned.”

 

The Saiya-jin warrior stood askance for a few moments, obviously unsure of how to interpret Zarbon's presence on the Ice-jin vessel, and then pushed Bulma into the room forcefully. The weaker woman stumbled and barely caught herself as she balanced only a few feet before Zarbon and the smiling Ice-jin.

 

“Well, isn't this a beautiful little reunion?” commented Freeza with obvious amusement. The discomfort of others had always been one of his indulgences.

 

Bulma stood silent, feeling too shocked and betrayed to make any meaningful comments. Zarbon watched as she stared at him with obvious hatred and resentment. They were right not to tell her. The honesty of her reactions would work in his favor.

 

“The Earthling woman and child at the same time. Impressive,” Freeza said with pleasure. “Bulma, isn't it?”

 

But the stubborn Chikyuu-jin refused to answer him as she continued to wish Zarbon dead with her eyes.

 

“Tsk. My my, she has quite the fascination with you, doesn't she, my pet?” asked the creature and then laughed.

 

“You son of a bitch, why did you do it?” she spat and slapped Zarbon across the face, knocking his scouter off in the process. The hit was harder than he'd anticipated and Zarbon grabbed Bulma's wrist, squeezing enough for her to know that he was serious.

 

“Because I could.” Zarbon hated his words but knew that if he was going to remain believable he had to hurt Bulma initially. It didn't matter anyway, Vegeta would know who the traitor was by now and the first part of their plan was completed. Having Bulma show up was disastrous, but it was better that this had happened after Zarbon arrived. He was certain this little drama would cause Freeza to at least partially believe his story.

 

“Vegeta is going to kill all of you,” she threatened with more conviction than Zarbon knew the small female held within her. In the end, he had to force himself to laugh normally.

 

“Take her to her quarters. I'm sure our monkey king will be eager to see her,” Freeza ordered Radditz. Apparently he hadn't enjoyed the Earthling's monologue. “As you know, I've arranged quite the show for him.”