"Lord Frieza." Raditz said beseechingly from within Frieza's temporary chamber at Space Station 62-6. He carefully raised his chin just a bit from his despicable groveling position to eye the irritable tyrant.
"Raditz." Frieza said in that low, dangerous tone that Raditz had been dreading. "Did Vegeta and Nappa know about your little excursion to Earth, or did you do that all on your own?"
Raditz frowned deeply as he struggled to hide his frustration from Frieza and his voyeuristic goons off to the side. If Raditz admitted to going to Earth on his own, he knew he was in for a hell of a punishment. It had to be obvious to Frieza that Raditz intended to retrieve Kakarot behind his back, seeing that Raditz never communicated the trip to Earth through his scouter. The Saiyans were trying to keep Kakarot's existence unknown until Raditz screwed up and sent him to a compromised space station. Raditz would have to shoulder Frieza's wrath if he relented to Frieza's accusation of going on his own. On the other hand, if he admitted that Vegeta and Nappa did actually know where he was headed, they would all be punished, which could lessen the blow for him, or, more likely, would be much worse for the group as a whole. Raditz knew what he had to do, but he did not like it.
"No, Lord Frieza. Vegeta and Nappa did not know." Raditz lied as respectably as he could, even though he would have loved to sneer and throw his fist into that monster's face. He knew he couldn't. And he had too much pride to let those followers, Zarbon and Dodoria, witness Frieza making him look like a fool.
Frieza studied Raditz keenly for a long moment. "So, you just decided you could take a little vacation to see a long lost relative while I have an empire to build." Frieza raised a palm flippantly in the air to feign permissiveness.
Raditz's frown only deepened at that. He knew the more Frieza acted nice in the beginning of the conversation, the worse it was going to get by the end. He would have rather had Frieza yelling and punishing him already. "I purged the Earth for you, Lord Frieza."
Raditz clenched his teeth as he struggled to reign in the anger he felt rising from Frieza's never-ending act of disappointment in the Saiyans. Frieza raised a brow in amusement as he recognized Raditz's poorly contained frustration.
With an amused smile and crossed arms, Zarbon stepped forward and looked down on Raditz. "Don't you mean you and your brother purged the Earth, Raditz?"
That green freak had no business looking down on him. When the Saiyans would finally gain the strength to take down Frieza, Raditz couldn't wait to smash that pretty boy face in that he was so sick of looking at.
"That is what you reported." Zarbon accused.
Raditz glared openly at Zarbon. That fool may have been stronger than him, but the only one that could decide his punishment was Frieza. He had no intentions of playing nice with the lackeys. "Either way, it is another planet under the control of Lord Frieza's empire now."
Raditz smiled bitterly as he met Frieza's watchful eyes again. He knew what Zarbon was getting at. His stupid brother must have told Frieza that he didn't have any part in purging the Earth. Frieza definitely saw Kakarot already. But what had he done with him? Raditz had briefly checked Kakarot's room before seeking Frieza, only to find it empty, which only helped to solidify his fears about his brother's fate.
"Lord Frieza." Raditz implored again, hoping this time he might have his chance to ask about his brother. After swallowing nervously at the ensuing heavy silence, Raditz met Frieza's eyes again, loathing that detestable red-eyed glare. The offer of another soldier might sway the rigid tyrant. "My brother, Kakarot, he can contribute to your empire as well."
"Yes. I know." Frieza agreed quickly with a smug smile before Raditz could continue.
Then, without another word of explanation, Frieza smirked cruelly at Raditz's wide eyed, expectant expression. Frieza was intentionally leaving him in suspense. Well, fine. Raditz could play if Frieza wanted to play. He knew he was in for hell for his earlier disobedient travels; there was no getting around that. At least when he was already in trouble, he knew he could freely give the murderer of his parents, his planet, and his entire race some attitude. That was the best part of being in trouble, and he was going to relish it while he could.
He looked boldly into the smirking tyrant's eyes. "What the hell did you do with him, Frieza?"
Frieza's smirk turned down into a deep frow at Raditz's rebellious glare. What a beautiful sight, wiping the smirk off Frieza's face. The satisfaction only lasted for a second as Raditz braced himself for the reaction.
Zarbon made an aggressive stance. "How dare you speak to Lord Frieza like that!"
Frieza continued glaring at Raditz as he waved Zarbon off dismissively. "Down, Zarbon."
Zarbon balked and took a step back before glaring at Raditz's amused smile at his expense.
"These monkeys apparently need to be taught time and time again." Frieza growled with much less patience than he had been showing before. Then Frieza exhaled heavily, as if forcing himself to calm down. "What would you say if I told you I killed your brother?" Frieza asked Raditz with a new, pleasant tone to his voice.
Raditz gritted his teeth and shook his head. That couldn't be true. Frieza was toying with him. Raditz seethed, "You didn't!"
"Oh. I thought you might say something more disrespectful, seeing what a mood you are in." Frieza cajoled. "Then what would you say if I told you I broke every bone in your brother's body?"
"Go to hell, Frieza!" Raditz growled at Frieza's sinister smile, his anger stemming more from his frustration with Frieza's toying than worry over his brother's well-being.
Frieza laughed in approval. "Now that's more like it!"
Frieza seemingly disappeared and reappeared right next to Raditz. Before Raditz even had the chance to turn his head and acknowledge Frieza's movement, the leader poked a powerful finger into Raditz's side, effortlessly causing the Saiyan to roll over and yell out in agony at the power behind Frieza's simple touch.
Frieza cackled as he stood over Raditz, "Just to let you know, I had to teach your brother a lesson as well."
At the intense, relentless pain that persisted in his ribcage, Raditz closed his eyes tightly and coughed harshly. He found no amusement in what Frieza was saying, and was deeply frustrated with being in so much pain that he was unable to respond.
"He should be out of the rejuvenation tank soon. Too bad you'll miss your chance to see him before he leaves." Frieza added as he waved over Zarbon, who stepped forward with a smug smile as Dodoria joined Frieza by his side with crossed arms, wearing the same expression on his face. "Zarbon, take care of Raditz from here. You've always been good with managing the riffraff."
Zarbon smiled maliciously and approached Raditz's prone form on the ground with his fists raised. Frieza and Dodoria stopped their progress towards the door as Frieza addressed Raditz without turning around, just as the first collision of fist and face was heard. "I hope you'll remember where you stand from now on, Raditz." Frieza added sternly with a deep scowl. "Reminding you and your kind of your place again and again is frankly getting old."
The pause of quiet that could be heard while Zarbon and Raditz listened to Frieza's warning was quickly ended as that door shut behind Frieza and Dodoria, and a series of grunts and bone-crushing sounds could be heard from outside the room. Dodoria frowned as Frieza smiled to himself, listening to the pleasing sound of the infliction of pain before he walked away.
"Leave me, Dodoria." Frieza demanded without casting even a hesitant glance in his henchman's direction. "I want to be alone for a while, and you and that Saiyan have a planet to acquire for me."
Dodoria obediently bowed and left Frieza without question. Frieza frowned pensively to himself as he progressed down the hall alone. He did have some thinking to do. After all, training was not something he had ever truly done for anyone, not even himself. It was never required. He had considered pawning the Saiyan off to someone else for his training. Yet, the more he thought about it, the more pleasing the idea of doing it himself became. Frieza smiled at his thoughts with a triumphant glint in his eyes. Training a low-class, foolhardy Saiyan, who was desperate for revenge could be very entertaining. Plus, once the Saiyan was strong enough, he would serve his purpose by solving a very plausible problem for Frieza.
After feeling sufficiently satisfied with the extent of Raditz's punishment, Zarbon hefted the severely weakened, injured warrior towards the chamber of the space station housing the rejuvenation tanks. As the doors whooshed open at his push of a button, Zarbon was greeted by the startled expressions of a few bird-like alien attendants in uniform, working the machines. They quickly averted their gazes as Zarbon confidently strutted into the room before tossing the barely-conscious Raditz into an empty rejuvenation tank effortlessly.
"Take care of this one, will you?" Zarbon asked inattentively to the nearest attendant, who was busily selecting settings on the tank taken by another injured alien. The alien attendant startled at Zarbon's address before nodding fervently as he abandoned his post to tend to Raditz. As Raditz was suited with a mask by the alien, Zarbon walked away without another glance but paused at an intriguing sound just before reaching the door.
An alerting series of beeps from a distant tank in the room had caught Zarbon's attention. It was a very pleasing, recognizable sound for any soldier who'd been injured in Frieza's army, and Zarbon glanced over his shoulder to notice Raditz's eyes shooting open at the sound as well. Zarbon smirked maliciously at Raditz as the tank he inhabited began to fill with fluid, and the beaten Saiyan was trapped inside with no way to determine from where those beeps were originating. But Zarbon could. He haughtily stared at the paralyzed Saiyan as he strutted down the line of rejuvenation tanks, in the direction of the one where the attendants were busily draining the fluid and releasing its healed inhabitant.
Emerging from the strange fluid-filled tank where he had awakened to the sight of a group of bird-like people, Goku was amazed to not only be completely healed from the injuries inflicted by Frieza, but feeling stronger than ever before. Yet, in spite of his physical improvement, mentally, he felt like a mess. He realized that he was never the smartest guy to begin with, but now his mind was clouded with the weight of his recent losses he had no time to mourn, and the recurrent cruelty of everyone around him. The one thing he did know was that he needed to resume training immediately.
"Which way to the training facilities from here?" Goku asked the nearest technician impatiently, who handed a set of armor to the naked, healed warrior. As he hurried from the tank and dressed himself in the uniform armor provided, Goku turned his back to the group, awaiting an answer. The technicians wordlessly glanced at one another while Goku finished dressing, before noting the approach of Zarbon, for whom they readily stepped aside.
"Kakarot." Zarbon called, surprising a wide-eyed Goku with a firm squeeze of his arm around Goku's shoulder. Zarbon smiled to himself as he led the Saiyan towards the door while being careful to block Raditz from Goku's view. "I'll show you to the training facilities. Though, soon it will be time for you to leave for Planet Spetti, so you don't have much time for that."
As they continued through the doorway, Zarbon shot one last glance over his shoulder. He smirked maliciously at the sight of Raditz's frustrated expression behind his mask as he growled within the tank and helplessly watched his brother disappear from his view with Zarbon.
Sensing the slight pique of weakened ki from behind him, Goku began to glance over his shoulder as well before Zarbon quickly spoke again, drawing Goku's attention forward. "Dodoria is likely preparing to leave already. He won't wait for you. You should really be prepared to leave at a moment's notice."
Zarbon's insistence went unnoticed as they turned the corner and he released his grip around Goku's shoulders. Goku's mind was already elsewhere as Zarbon spoke, which Zarbon noted with resentment.
"What's Planet Spetti like?" Goku asked as they walked the halls.
Zarbon frowned at Goku. Zarbon had no idea what opportunity Frieza saw in using that Saiyan, who seemed completely useless in Zarbon's opinion. And yet that Saiyan seemed to be getting special attention from Frieza, much like Vegeta always had.
"It's cold." Zarbon answered curtly with his scowl in place as they reached the door of the training facility.
For only a second, Goku looked at Zarbon in bafflement at his abrasive attitude, but shook it off as he hurriedly entered the training facility. Zarbon said he didn't have much time, so Goku wouldn't waste a second while he was still there.
When Goku was given the order to leave after only a day of training, Mengo escorted him to a new space pod at the launch pad. Goku had learned quickly in his short time spent at that station, before and after the encounter with Frieza, that Saiyans were disliked among most of Frieza's men. The ones who weren't blatantly hostile were indifferent towards him. Mengo was perhaps the only being that was genuinely friendly towards Goku. It was easy for Goku to allow the taunting and aggression from the others to roll off his back. For the most part, he hardly noticed their attempts at goading him. He was too focused on his training, on Raditz.
"Travel safe, Goku." Mengo said with a sad smile as he assisted Goku by affixing the scouter to his ear. "And good luck on your purge."
Goku frowned at Mengo's well wishes. Though it was obvious that Mengo meant well by them, something about being wished luck with destroying people, even the violent warriors Frieza portrayed, did not sit well with him.
Goku only nodded and forced a smile back at Mengo as he climbed into his space pod programmed for Planet Spetti with a foreboding feeling. Frieza said the planet was full of hostile warriors, but Goku had to see that for himself before he'd feel capable of killing them. He would only fight those who attacked him. If there was no hostility on Spetti, he would suffer whatever consequences resulted from disobedience when he returned, but he would rather face those consequences than the guilt of taking any innocent lives.
"Why do you think Raditz hasn't responded, Vegeta?" Nappa asked.
The two elite Saiyans had finally arrived at Space Station 62-6, following shortly after Raditz. They walked across the launch pad at a brisk pace, paying no mind to the busily bustling aliens surrounding them as a few ships departed the space station. Vegeta walked slightly ahead of Nappa, who was knitting his brows together tightly in concentration as he tried to figure an answer to his own question, to which Vegeta glared angrily as they entered the long hall of the interior of the station.
"Tch!" Vegeta knew what Raditz's lack of response meant.
Raditz would have had some explaining to do when he saw Frieza. It was his own fault for running off in such a hurry to save his brother. If Raditz would have stuck around a little longer, they could have devised an explanation that would have been more acceptable to Frieza. But truthfully, Vegeta was fed up with doing that. He had been biding his time for too long under that freak's rule. Nappa began grumbling irritably behind Vegeta, who knew the idiot would just continue asking if he didn't say something.
"Because he can't respond, Nappa." Vegeta grumbled through clenched teeth as they approached their destination-a large, sealed doorway at the space station.
Nappa's eyes scanned up and down the length of the door. "Do we have to see Frieza first?" Vegeta scowled at the door with no reply as Nappa lifted his hand in a pleading gesture. "I mean, if we know Raditz is in deep shit, he's likely in the tanks." Nappa shrugged with a dubious expression. "Or he's dead. Either way, we should check the tanks first, right?"
Vegeta released a heavy sigh without bothering to face his comrade. "Frieza will know we're here, Nappa. We need to see him first. Especially after what just happened with Raditz and Kakarot." Vegeta gave a stern look to the large man practically hovering over him. "We don't want Frieza being anymore suspicious of us than he already is." Vegeta narrowed his eyes at Nappa in warning. "Don't say anything stupid, Nappa."
Nappa gulped audibly before rubbing the top of his bald head. "I'll try, Vegeta."
Vegeta sighed heavily as he punched the button to open the door. The last time Nappa tried not to say anything stupid, they ended up sent on a bunch of boring, measly missions on disgusting planets with no pay.
"Vegeta, Nappa." Zarbon's voice immediately greeted them from inside the chamber as Vegeta and Nappa were already bowing down on one knee before Frieza.
"Lord Frieza." Vegeta greeted with a nod of his head, intentionally failing to acknowledge Zarbon's gloating tone. He briefly wondered where the other one was. Neither Zarbon nor Dodoria hardly ever left Frieza's side.
"My, my. What a surprise." Frieza said coolly as he smiled down at the bowing Saiyans before him. "The entire, expanded Saiyan race under one roof." Frieza tittered in amusement. "This place is turning into a regular zoo, isn't it?"
Zarbon laughed in agreement before Frieza joined him. Vegeta scowled deeply at Frieza's mockery and the laughing goon. If only they knew how little time they had left to laugh. Soon it would be Vegeta ruling the universe and looking down on them. Nappa growled with aggravation at the insults, but Vegeta immediately shot him a harsh glare in warning, effectively ceasing the hostile growls.
"Both Kakarot and Raditz are here now?" Vegeta asked suspiciously as he raised a brow at Frieza. It seemed unlikely. Vegeta and Nappa had not even seen Kakarot yet, and if Raditz was reunited with him again, it was even more bizarre that Raditz hadn't been responding to them over the scouters.
"Yes, but not for long." Zarbon answered with a smug smile.
"Don't hold it against your subjects that they haven't come to greet you, Vegeta. They're both…held up at the moment." Frieza added with a smirk.
Vegeta was unable to suppress the growl that rose to his throat. He knew something like that would happen to Raditz. But Kakarot was being punished as well? Surely too much time had passed since he first met Frieza for him to still be in the tanks. He should have been healed already. And if he wasn't injured, there couldn't have been much else holding Kakarot back from making his presence known to them. Nappa's earlier words echoed back to Vegeta. Unless he was dead.
"For how much longer?" Vegeta asked as respectfully as he could manage.
"Raditz should be healed soon. Wouldn't you say, Zarbon?" Frieza asked casually.
Zarbon smiled smugly and inclined his chin haughtily towards the still-kneeling Saiyans. As they rose to their feet, both Vegeta and Nappa glared defiantly at Zarbon's superior attitude.
"Not much longer. But he is such a weakling." Zarbon drawled teasingly with a smile. "He'll probably need some extra time to finish recovering."
"And what about Kakarot?" Nappa asked brusquely and impatiently, practically interrupting Zarbon before he had finished speaking.
Frieza's smug smile only grew at the mention of that name. Vegeta narrowed his eyes observantly at the reaction as Zarbon began to speak. "He's leaving for a purge with Dodoria, right about now. You probably just missed him."
Zarbon brushed his hair from his eyes as Frieza smiled in amusement. Vegeta observed Frieza carefully. So Kakarot wasn't being punished. The paranoid murderer of their entire race should have been threatened by the addition of another Saiyan, but for some reason, Frieza seemed almost elated about Kakarot. It didn't make sense. Vegeta realized something strange was going on. He needed to talk to Kakarot, or at least Raditz, to learn more about what Frieza might have been thinking. Vegeta still had yet to reach legendary status, but he was determined to do it, and once he defeated Frieza, he knew the entire galactic army could be a threat to the Saiyans. He needed all of his men behind him before that happened.
Nappa gaped in disbelief at Frieza."He's leaving already?! We've never even met the guy!"
"Hm." Frieza hummed in a tone of displeasure. "Well, it looks like you two will have to wait a while longer to meet him. I'm sending you to purge another planet, and this one should take a couple of months to reach from here."
Vegeta and Nappa balked at the suggestion. They had just recently finished a mission that required nearly five months of space travel, and all that time sitting in a space pod was wasted time that could have been used for fighting and becoming stronger.
"And you leave immediately for Planet Feesh." Frieza added sternly as he narrowed his eyes at Vegeta and Nappa's displeased expressions.
Zarbon blocked Nappa as the large Saiyan stepped forward in indignation. "Immediately?! We just spent a few months traveling through space!"
Nappa ignored Zarbon's posturing and glared at Frieza. Frieza glared back at Nappa, his upper lip turning up a subtle snarl.
Vegeta scowled as he observed an arising problem in need of derailing, due to Nappa's loudmouthed stupidity. "Forgive him, Lord Frieza. Nappa can't help himself. He simply hates space travel because he barely fits in his space pod."
Vegeta found subtle amusement at his companion's expense as Frieza momentarily smirked at Vegeta's comment with the same subtle amusement. "Really?" Frieza narrowed his eyes at Nappa. "Nappa, I don't want to hear another complaint. You are dismissed." Frieza ordered strictly.
As Vegeta was already leaving the room at Frieza's dismissal, Nappa clenched his fists tightly and grit his teeth while obediently following Vegeta's lead. "How can we just obey those orders like that?!"
Vegeta's frown deepened at Nappa's question. "We don't have a choice, Nappa. Not yet."
Vegeta continued marching forward and Nappa looked around their surroundings curiously. He realized they were heading away from the launch pad. "I thought we were leaving?"
Vegeta smirked to himself. "We're making a stop first. I'm curious to see if Raditz is healed. I want to know what more he has to say about his reunion with Kakarot."