Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Price You Pay ❯ Chapter Forty-One ( Chapter 41 )

Insert standard disclaimer here.

 

The Price You Pay: Chapter Forty-One

 

Vegeta couldn't believe he'd let himself fall into the Ice-jin's trap. After checking the logs of shuttles leaving the planet around the time of Freeza's arrival, they'd picked up a pod with a jamming signal just as it left orbit. Freeza's ship was barely on the outskirts of the Vegeta-sei system by then. He wasn't sure where Freeza had been in the intermediate months, but he was beginning to get the feeling that the Cold Empire was behind some of the more difficult problems they'd been having with their Associate Worlds.

 

Freeza would most certainly use Vegeta's family as bait to trap him. One of the reasons he hadn't reacted overly adverse when he'd accidentally bonded to the Chikyuu-jin female was because he knew that Freeza was dead. Yes, the Ice-jin had been the primary source of his discomfort in forming any sort of relationship with anyone, but once he was dead there was less to fear. But in this time and this dimension… He didn't even want to imagine what the bastard could be doing to his mate right now. She had a strong spirit and Freeza delighted in breaking the bold; as if he needed some other sick way to fulfill his power trips and obscene fetishes.

 

Guilt settled in Vegeta's stomach. This never would have happened if he hadn't tried to operate the device without using the proper equipment to test it first. Dr. Briefs had warned him about the glitches that still needed to be fixed within the damn thing.

 

Overcome with guilt after Bulma's confession, he'd tried to tell her about his involvement in their interdimensional travel the night before, but things had gone so horribly wrong.

 

God dammit.

 

He swore mentally. He should have known this would happen.

 

Fuck.

 

Vegeta massaged his temples as he walked the halls. It didn't matter anymore; he would do what he had to do to save his family. He couldn't let this happen again.

 

The Saiya-jin no Ou made his way back to his quarters and sat down at the desk, accessing the communications center on his private computer. Zarbon must have had something to report by now. Hopefully he'd encountered Bulma and his son.

 

He glanced around the room. There was no sign of struggle and though he knew that there wouldn't be, it still set him ill at ease. If Bulma had been in distress he should have sensed it immediately. Whoever the traitor was, he was close enough that Bulma didn't feel threatened while in his presence.

 

Trying not to let a sense of panic overwhelm him, Vegeta opened the program that would allow him to access Zarbon's scouter transmissions. They'd had to use a special dispersing code to prevent the recordings from being detected.

 

At first there was nothing of consequence, Zarbon and Freeza were talking and Vegeta cringed internally as he listened to them share tales about the more gruesome moments they'd shared together. Things were obviously just as bad in this dimension as they had been in his own, and Zarbon had experienced it first hand. No wonder he'd decided to join the Saiya-jins.

 

After a few moments, Freeza changed their course for Vegeta-sei and then almost immediately following, things got interesting.

 

Vegeta couldn't believe what he was seeing.

 

Radditz?

 

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

 

The walk to Bulma's quarters was a long and silent one. She couldn't believe what she was witnessing. The two people she'd grown most comfortable with and trusted the most while suffering through this Kami-forsaken alternate reality had betrayed her. She supposed she should have expected Radditz all along, but Zarbon? He was Vegeta's most trusted confidant.

 

Something was suspicious about him anyway. Zarbon had looked more than surprised when she slapped him. And after spending so much time around him during the past months she found it difficult to accept that he could so easily betray the man he'd sworn fealty to over ten years before. The Saiya-jin King trusted Zarbon more than any other man under his command. It was ironic, considering Zarbon was not of Saiya-jin origin and had worked under Freeza for so many years. Obviously, the relationship between the two had to have a deep foundation if Vegeta had overcome these impressive sources of bias. If Vegeta trusted Zarbon, it meant something. She was the one who had trusted Radditz—a sentiment that Vegeta had never particularly shared.

 

Radditz held Bulma's left arm loosely as he escorted her down the metal hallway. His posture and silence said more about his current disposition than any questions Bulma could have asked. He hadn't hurt her or her son through the whole ordeal but his betrayal was enough to completely change her opinion about him. Regardless of her overwhelming sensation of anxiety, there was more going on here than Bulma knew. Radditz's betrayal had probably been a long time coming, but if he were truly evil he wouldn't seem so torn.

 

The doors to Bulma's quarters slid open and Trunks was lying in his crib, still asleep. They had to have given him a sedative because it was unlike him to be so calm when his mother was this worried. Concerned for her son's safety, Bulma rushed over to Trunks' makeshift crib to be sure he was breathing properly.

 

“They won't harm him,” said Radditz from the doorway. “He's too valuable.”

 

Bulma turned her head to look at the burly warrior. Seeing him in such a situation was strange and she wasn't sure how to take his comment.

 

“He would have been less in harm's way if we were still on Vegeta-sei, don't you think?” replied Bulma rather scathingly. She threw him a reproachful glance and picked up the sleeping baby. Radditz wasn't allowed to make any indication that he cared now that he was the reason Freeza had gotten a hold of them in the first place.

 

Radditz stared into Bulma's eyes searchingly. She wasn't sure what he was looking for but forgiveness was certainly not something she was willing to concede. In the end, she was sure Radditz would be one of Vegeta's first kills during this bloody war. Nothing she could say would change that and at the moment she was running short on motivations for protest anyway. He'd endangered the King's mate and their child, an unforgivable offense in not only Vegeta's eyes, but Bulma's as well.

 

The scouter Raddtiz was wearing blinked to life and Bulma watched as he received some sort of order over the headset. After their communication was complete, Radditz turned back to her.

 

“For your own safety, please do not leave these rooms. I will be back to provide you with a meal and any other amenities you are lacking.” He looked at her one more time and then walked out the door.

 

Bulma stood silent in the middle of the large living space. What she had assumed would be a small room for prisoners was actually a large apartment with an additional bedroom and bathroom. There were a few plants scattered across the rooms to add color along with the occasional mirror. While the space wasn't exactly homey, it wasn't as cold as the rest of the ship either.

 

Had these rooms been anything like the one's Vegeta had stayed in while he was forced to serve his Ice-jin lord? She wasn't sure. The rooms must have been decorated in such a manner only to relieve the dead sensation the rest of the ship gave off. She made her way to the view portal and stared at the expanse of space. Had Vegeta stood at this very window and felt just as helpless as she did?

 

Vegeta-sei must be on the other side of the ship.

 

Thought Bulma in disappointment. It didn't really matter anyway. Whether they were orbiting her lover's planet or on the other side of the galaxy, the situation was still unbearably precarious. She shook her head and glanced down at her son. He'd woken since Radditz left and his large blue eyes stared up at her fixedly, his brows knit together in frustration.

 

Kami, he looks so much like Vegeta.

 

So much had changed in the past year. How long had they been gone from their own dimension? Did her parents wonder about their strange disappearance? When they got back (she refused to use the word “if”), what would they think of her new family? Would they accept Vegeta the way she did? And what of Yamcha? It seemed like ages since she'd last thought of him.

 

The ring on Bulma's left hand glittered in the light coming from the porthole. On Earth, it was the sort of gift that symbolized a serious commitment. It was funny really, Earth customs seemed foolish and transitory to her now. She didn't blame Vegeta anymore for his more derogatory observations about Earth customs. Her bond with Vegeta was stronger—more powerful—than anything Earth had to offer. She was the Saiya-jin no Ou's life. That meant a hell of a lot more than saying “I do”. She smiled.

 

How could she have ever doubted him? He would win this. He had to. It was his destiny.

 

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

 

Zarbon sat on the plush chair in his quarters. Since he'd left Freeza's service decades earlier, the Ice-jin had hardly changed anything about his rooms. Not that Freeza's flunkies had ever really been able to completely change their living spaces. Personal touches meant that the warriors had formed emotional attachments and led to them thinking that they had worth as individuals. In the Cold Empire, anyone was disposable. Having nothing to call your own reaffirmed this notion everyday.

 

Bulma still didn't know that Zarbon was acting as the Saiya-jin King's spy but he wasn't sure if or when he should tell her. He would keep her safe but she needed to feel vulnerable in order for things to work smoothly. He had no doubt that the Ice-jin was going to use her to bait the Saiya-jin no Ou. Hopefully he could temper the severity of her treatment.

 

The situation was uncannily similar to the first time he'd encountered the Saiya-jins. Zarbon was sure that Vegeta knew about what transpired even though he'd only been a few months old at the time. Almost thirty years ago, the former Saiya-jin King and his wife had been invited to Freeza's headquarters. The Saiya-jin Empire had been expanding rapidly then, and Freeza feared that left unchecked they would establish a reign that would rival his own. Having never dealt directly with Freeza's ruthlessness before, the royal couple had no way to anticipate the Ice-jin's heartless actions. King Vegeta was eventually forced to align himself with the Ice-jin family and kneel to the Cold Empire's throne.

 

It was only a few years after that, when Freeza heard about the prophecy, that Chikyuu had been destroyed as well.

 

He shut his eyes. Everyday he wished for nothing more than to forget. He couldn't even imagine what it had been like for Vegeta—the Saiya-jin no Ou had more than likely lived without a mother in both dimensions; ignorant of the torture his father had been put through. And now that Bulma was here he hoped he could prevent history from repeating itself.

 

Zarbon approached his comm screen. They had to be watching him; he would be surprised if Freeza decided to trust him so quickly. Regardless, Freeza's vanity was working in Zarbon's favor. Zarbon's power was impressive, but as long as he showed Freeza that he was pleased to be back in his presence then the Ice-jin wouldn't give his story another thought. Freeza's was amazingly complacent.

 

The comm screen blinked on and Zarbon found himself looking at the lizard's face.

 

“We are now orbiting Vegeta-sei. Bring the Earthling.” The comm screen closed. Freeza's brevity wasn't entirely out of character. The Ice-jin did enjoy hearing himself speak, but considering they were more than likely about to ransom the Saiya-jin King's family, Freeza was lacking patience.

 

He always did love putting on sick little shows.

 

He hadn't heard from Radditz since their meeting on the bridge but Zarbon wasn't overly concerned. Radditz hadn't said anything to Freeza, but from what Zarbon could tell, the Saiya-jin wasn't enjoying himself.

 

The situation had escalated and things were about to get much worse. He couldn't let Bulma know yet. Freeza wanted her terrified and though Zarbon was sure she would be a phenomenal actress, there was something to be said about genuine terror. All Zarbon could hope was that Freeza wouldn't take things as far as he had last time he'd dealt with the Saiya-jin royalty.

 

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

 

Vegeta watched his screen in horror as Bulma was dragged into the room. Freeza's ship had finally moved from the outskirts of their system to orbit Vegeta-sei. Almost immediately he'd begun transmitting this twisted show on all of Vegeta-sei's public channels. He wasn't sure what Freeza was trying to achieve. The nobles already knew about her, and though she was an alien whose very existence tainted the royal family's blood line, all had sworn fealty. They didn't have to be happy about it. Still, anyone who knew the prophecy knew that she was their only chance.

 

Bulma stood facing the camera, her silver-blue eyes calm as Freeza began to speak.

 

“People of Vegeta-sei, King Vegeta has violated the treaty established between the Cold Empire and the former Saiya-jin King thirty years ago by taking a human mate.” Freeza paused for a moment before lashing out unexpectedly at Bulma, slicing through her clothing and her skin while exposing her back. Bulma cried out in pain and fell to her knees, her hands pressed against the cold tile of the floor as she took in labored breaths. “Turn her,” Freeza said to a voice off screen. There was a brief pause and then Radditz appeared.

 

Vegeta growled as the large Saiya-jin warrior turned his mate forcefully so that her back faced the camera. Between the tattered bits of clothing it was easy to make out the aqua color of Vegeta's burn mark. It pulsed with an eerie glow in the dim lighting of Freeza's ship.

 

“As you can see, we even have the proof, thanks to one of your own.” Freeza smiled at that last. Radditz's betrayal had provided him with the leverage he needed to strike while the Saiya-jin King was vulnerable. Vegeta was revolted by the fact that a Saiya-jin would willingly betray his homeworld.

 

He will be one of the first to die.

 

Thought Vegeta. How many hours of every day had Radditz spent with Bulma and Trunks? Though Vegeta had never completely trusted the warrior, the strange affection he seemed to have for Vegeta's family had led him to feeling a certain amount reliance on the lower class guard.

 

What was Freeza hoping to gain from all of this? Was he just trying to humiliate Vegeta publicly?

 

“And Vegeta no Ou, let's not forget your half-breed son.”

 

The Saiya-jin people didn't know about the child, but he'd only been hidden in order to prevent what was happening right now. If the prophecy was right, the boy was destined to ascend and was therefore important for all Saiya-jins.

 

“Don't you dare touch him, you bastard,” whispered Bulma, her eyes defiant as Zarbon walked into view with Trunks in his arms. Freeza gave Radditz a look and the warrior backhanded Bulma across the face. This time, she didn't make a sound. Vegeta's eyes hardened but then he turned his attention back to the reptilian warrior who was holding his son.

 

Zarbon hasn't told her yet.

 

He found it curious but didn't let himself become preoccupied. Zarbon was his only chance at getting the two of them off of Freeza's ship. In such a circumstance, Vegeta would let Zarbon do what he thought was necessary.

 

“The punishment for the violation of this particular treaty is severe. As a subordinate empire, the Vegeta-sei system can decide to either turn over its power completely to the Cold Empire by eliminating its monarchy or let their star system be destroyed.” Freeza smirked. He was definitely enjoying himself. “We will give you a few hours to make your decision.” The channel went blank.

 

Freeza was mistaken if he thought that the Saiya-jin people would choose either of those options without fighting first. If Vegeta didn't do something, he was sure that the planet would end up being destroyed. The impressive power that Freeza possessed made it so that he could turn Vegeta-sei into dust without a thought. What use was an army of warriors if the Ice-jin could just blast through them all? And after considering how much time he had already stalled in his plan to conquer the Saiya-jins, Vegeta was sure that Freeza was eager to see the situation resolved. The Saiya-jins were too much of a threat now that the prophecy could be fulfilled.

 

Vegeta rested his head in his hands and looked away from the screen. The thought of having his planet destroyed in yet another dimension angered the Saiya-jin no Ou. He couldn't finally get the chance to reclaim his destiny only to have the same tragic outcome. He wouldn't let it happen—not again.

 

The Saiya-jin no Ou walked to one of his windows and looked up at the night sky. Somewhere orbiting the planet, his mate and child were waiting for him to make his decision. He knew what he had to do.