Empire
Chapter 29: Escape
Mieke opened her eyes. She had a throbbing headache that stemmed from the left side of her head. Her hands were chained above her head. She threw her head back and took in her surroundings. This was most definitely not her bedroom. She tried to remember what had happened...
Enter Flashback
Mieke watched as Chichi was helped up the ramp of the ship they were boarding. She knew that it was only a matter of time before the king got word of their departure. She wondered idly if they would even get off the planet. She looked up into the sky.
I hope Vegeta and Bulma are faring well, she thought. She barely noticed Crenia approaching her.
"Chichi is securely aboard, my queen. You need to board immediately. King Vegeta could get word of this at any moment," Crenia said urgently. Mieke closed her eyes and lowered her head.
"He already knows." She turned around and looked back towards the palace. She could see three faint auras coming towards them from that direction. Crenia squinted and then her eyes widened. "Tell Nappa to take off. Chichi cannot stay on this planet. I won't have her giving birth in such a hostile environment," Mieke said plainly. Crenia looked back at Mieke.
"I'm not leaving you here, Mieke," she said. Mieke smirked and looked at her friend.
"You dare call your queen by her given name? I'm appalled, Crenia," she said. Crenia just frowned. Mieke's smile disappeared. "Do as I say, Crenia. I'll be fine. King Vegeta would never kill me," she said. Crenia squeezed her fists together and turned on her heel. She motioned to some soldiers for the gates to be raised.
Mieke watched the ship take off as her husband landed behind her. She turned around and smiled at him. Two of his soldiers were with him. She recognized them as Paragus and Rosco. Mieke crossed her arms over her chest.
"Going somewhere, wife?" King Vegeta asked gruffly. Mieke shrugged.
"What does it look like, husband?" she asked. King Vegeta approached her angrily. He grabbed her by her red hair and pulled her head back roughly. Mieke gasped and looked up at him.
"It looks like you were trying to escape me, wife," he said. "Where do you plan on going? You know I'd find you."
"Anywhere is better than here," Mieke replied. King Vegeta smirked and turned around. He started to walk away, but never released his wife's hair. Mieke struggled to get out of his grasp. "Let me go, Vegeta!"
"I have somewhere special to put you, wife; somewhere where you can't wander off," King Vegeta said as he dragged her off.
End Flashback
Mieke smirked as the memories came back. At least if her son came back to her, he would have another reason for mangling his father.
Curse me and my nobility. I should've punched Vegeta and ran, Mieke thought as she tried to rotate her shoulders in the awkward position she sat in. But, how dare that animal throw me down in the dungeon like some common criminal!
Meanwhile, Zarbon rubbed his bloody chin. The punch he had been dealt had come from none other than Vegeta. The prince had snuck up on him. Now, they were at a stalemate, staring at each other viciously. Zarbon had just received the information about Frieza Planet 1. He needed to tell Frieza. But, in order to do that, he had to get past the prince.
"You look a little frightened, Zarbon," Vegeta said. "I wouldn't be attributing to that, would I?" he asked. Zarbon frowned at the smaller Saiyan.
"No. Your woman strikes more fear in my heart than you ever could, Vegeta," Zarbon said. Vegeta only smirked.
"I'll take that as I compliment." He fazed out of sight. Zarbon coughed as Vegeta's fist flew into his stomach. "I taught her everything she knows," he said. Zarbon frowned. He began to power up. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Vegeta said.
"And why not?" Zarbon asked as he began glowing. Vegeta jumped back.
"The woman rigged this entire ship to blow. The slightest bit of energy produced could trigger the bombs prematurely. If you want to die a horrible death, be my guest. But, I won't allow you to take us with you," Vegeta said. He flew at Zarbon again. Zarbon tried to punch Vegeta. Vegeta disappeared.
How did that little monkey get so fast? He wasn't nearly this strong before, he thought as he looked around.
"Looking for me?" Vegeta elbowed Zarbon into the cabinets full of syringes and gauze. Zarbon saw the fallen syringes and stepped back. Vegeta smirked. Zarbon glared at Vegeta and tried to punch him again. Vegeta just side-stepped him. "You're entirely too slow for me, Zarbon. Just give it up." Vegeta grabbed his arm and twisted it around his back.
Zarbon tried to get out of the hold Vegeta had on him. The prince was too strong. There was only one other way to beat him. He would have to change.
Damn it all. I don't care. I refuse to lose to a monkey prince, Zarbon thought.
Vegeta realized what Zarbon was about to do within a fraction of a second. He released Zarbon as the alien began to power up. Cursing under his breath, Vegeta looked around for something that could be of use. He found it in the form of three large syringes. Smirking, he looked back at Zarbon.
"You idiot! You'll kill us both if you do that!" Vegeta yelled. Zarbon just laughed.
"You should've thought of that before you and your bitch decided it would be a good time for a rebellion. Frieza won't do anything but crush it anyway. What do you think he's doing with her in there right now?" Zarbon asked. Vegeta raised an eyebrow. Zarbon's evil smile grew wider. "Yes, that's right. He has her alone, all to himself. Who knows what they're..."
The most horrifying, spine-tingling scream rang out through the medical wing. It made Vegeta look past Zarbon's head. Zarbon turned his head completely, taking his eyes off of Vegeta. Both had looks of extreme confusion on their faces. The scream had not come from a woman; it had come from Frieza. Vegeta blinked back into reality and took this time to pick up the three syringes he had spotted. By the time Zarbon had turned around to face him, Vegeta was in his face.
"Well, it sounds like my 'bitch' got the drop on yours." Vegeta stabbed Zarbon in the neck with the syringes. He pushed down on the plungers, emptying the clear fluid into him. Zarbon felt a paralysis taking over his body. "I'll let the woman decide what happens to you," Vegeta said as Zarbon slid to the floor, unable to speak. He stepped over Zarbon's body and headed for the operation room.
Bulma dropped the purple detonator on the floor. Frieza slumped on her. She placed both hands on him and pushed him off of her with all of her might. His body fell back on the floor. The little alien was seeping all kinds of fluid: oil, blood, and some other fluid that only Bulma would know of. He looked up at her contemptuous eyes.
"What have you done to me?" Frieza asked. Bulma stared at him blankly, as if she was considering whether or not she should give him an answer. Then she smirked and leaned up off the table. She kneeled down to Frieza.
"I'm impressed, Frieza. I don't impress easily," she said. Frieza slowly raised an eyebrow.
"Why's that?" he mumbled.
"I've locked away your energy, among other things. The fact that you are still talking to me is a miracle in and of itself. It is a true testament to the power you possess," Bulma chuckled, "or possessed. But, since you're going to die anyway, I suppose I could tell you what I've done to you." Bulma stood up. Frieza watched her.
Vegeta met up with Turles. He looked at the other Saiyan. Turles was cleaning off his gloves. He also had a few teeth marks here and there. Vegeta stared at him for a moment in question. Turles sighed.
"Frieza's scientists. Weak bastards, but they tried to bite me," he said. Vegeta could not help but smirk. He looked around for the operating room.
"Which operating room is she in? The scouters don't work over here," he said.
"I guess we'll have to do this the old-fashioned way," Turles said. Vegeta nodded. He went to the right while Turles went to the left.
Bulma watched as the fluids from Frieza's body surrounded her white boots. She did not step away from it. Instead, she took a step towards Frieza's maimed body. She looked down at Frieza with a disgusted look.
"Your limbs have been severed from your body via your nerves. You'll never use them again. Since you desired an energy boost, I linked that part of your nervous system in with your enhancements as well. When I pulled the trigger on MY little weapon, your body became useless, as did your power. You can no longer call upon your precious power to destroy planets and people." Bulma placed a foot on Frieza's right shoulder. She pushed down as hard as she could. Frieza's scream filled the air.
Vegeta slid to a stop. He almost smiled when he realized that it was not Bulma's scream he was hearing. He was getting closer to the source of the screaming. When he came to the door, he opened it slightly; just enough to hear the conversation.
Frieza glared up at Bulma as she released the pressure on his shoulder. Bulma was leering down at him.
"You scheming little whore! You won't get away with this!" he yelled at her. Bulma smiled.
"I already have, Frieza. Your entire empire will come crashing down because its beloved leader is nothing more than a pile of broken bones. You don't even have a home base to return to," Bulma said. Frieza looked confused. Bulma nodded. "That's right. I destroyed that, too. You think I spent all my time working for you?"
"And just how do you plan on escaping, princess? You can't expect no one to notice a blue-haired freak like you leaving my ship," Frieza asked. Bulma's smile never left her face. That was when Vegeta made his presence known.
"I see you weren't lying, woman," he said. Frieza gasped. Vegeta approached Bulma and she turned to look at him. "Should I kill him?" Vegeta held out his hand. Bulma placed her hand on his. Vegeta looked at her strangely.
"No. This room is rigged plenty. It alone will do the job," she said. She kneeled down to look at Frieza. "Someone once told me that because I was a woman that I was not to be trusted." Bulma looked back at Vegeta. Then she looked at Frieza. "He was right."
Vegeta smirked at her words. Bulma stood up and they made their retreat with Frieza yelling threats of death at them. When they got outside the room, Bulma looked at Vegeta. He silently handed her a scouter. Bulma frowned and he put it on her.
"This is for calling me if something goes wrong while we're on our way back," Vegeta said. Bulma nodded. Vegeta started walking ahead of her. Bulma followed closely behind.
Raditz, Brolly, and Kakarrot all looked around nervously. The ship had grown eerily quiet. They had not heard from the prince or Turles in about thirty minutes. It was starting to unnerve them. Maybe something had gone horribly wrong.
"Kakarrot?" Turles' voice said in Kakarrot's scouter. Kakarrot looked up.
"Huh?" he asked, pushing down on the communicator. Brolly and Raditz looked at him.
"Ready the princess' pod. We're coming up to the docking bay now. Everything is finished," Turles said. Kakarrot tried to hide a smile.
"All right." He looked at his brother and Brolly. "They're coming. Brolly, get Bulma's pod ready to go. If anything happens, she should be the one to go first," he said. Brolly nodded and walked to the pod in the middle.
The trio of Vegeta, Bulma, and Turles came across where Zarbon had been left. Bulma looked down at the green-haired alien with disdain. Zarbon managed to turn his head and look at her. Vegeta glanced at Bulma.
"Your choice, woman," he said. Bulma stared at Zarbon for a moment.
"Let him live," she mumbled. She stepped over him and kept walking. Vegeta raised an eyebrow. Turles watched them in confusion for a moment before following as well. None saw the movements made by Zarbon.
A small, blue beam of energy flew past Vegeta's arm, ripping his sleeve. Vegeta barely noticed it, though. He was more concerned with the beam's intended target: Bulma. The princess had gone down, gasping for air between her teeth. Her side had been grazed, but it was still a bit much for a human woman. Vegeta looked at Turles. Turles nodded. He faced Zarbon.
"Damn. She still didn't scream," Zarbon whispered right before he met his end at the hands of Turles.
Bulma looked at her ripped dress. Her side appeared to be gushing blood. Vegeta stared at her. Her eyes seemed to be slipping in and out of focus as she tried to take in what had just happened. Vegeta looked around them. They were still in the medical ward. He picked Bulma up and sat her on one of the counters.
"Ow, Vegeta," she sniffed.
"Woman, you know your way around here. Is there some of that miracle gel you made here?" Vegeta asked. Bulma touched her side, still looking a bit torpidly at the sight of her own blood. Vegeta sighed. "It's your blood, woman. Now, answer my damn question before you bleed to death!" he yelled at her. Bulma looked up at him and frowned. She shook her head.
"I never shared that with Frieza. What am I? Stupid?" she asked. Vegeta sighed. He looked around for some gauze.
"Take the top of your dress off," he stated simply. Bulma glared at him. Vegeta just stared back. "Listen, woman. You can do it willingly or unwillingly. It's your choice. Time is of the essence."
"It's not that, Vegeta. It's just that..." Bulma looked at Turles, who was cleaning his gloves off. Vegeta sighed; he'd forgotten about human women and their modesty.
"Fine. Turles, take a walk. The princess wants to be modest," Vegeta said. Turles cracked a smile and walked past the princess. Bulma glared evilly at Vegeta before painfully taking off the top of the spandex white dress. She rolled it down so that Vegeta could get to her wound. "Since you have none of that fancy stuff, this is going to hurt." Vegeta put some sort of cold liquid on her. Bulma screamed. Vegeta smirked.
"What the hell was that?"
"To clean the wound. It's your fault you have to do this. You should've let me or Turles kill that bastard in the first place. Apparently, that paralysis wore off sooner than I expected it would," Vegeta said as he wrapped the wound. Bulma sighed.
"Sorry," Bulma said as Vegeta finished. He stepped away from her and let her get dressed again. She was covered in blood, both her own and Frieza's. She noticed it as well. "I've got to get out of these clothes. I look like I just blew off someone's head."
"You look fine to me," Vegeta said. Bulma looked up at him and smiled. Vegeta turned away and started walking.
Up front, Turles appeared. Brolly frowned.
"Where's the prince and princess?" he asked.
"We ran into a bit of trouble back there. The prince was patching the princess up when I left them. He told me to take a walk, so I did. They should be up here in..."
"What are you all standing around like idiots for? Let's go!" Vegeta yelled from behind Turles. He walked up with Bulma leaning on him heavily. She looked a little pale and dizzy. Brolly looked at the prince. Vegeta gave Bulma to Brolly and the larger Saiyan sat Bulma in her pod.
"Should I put her life support system on, sire?" he asked. Vegeta stood there, watching Bulma for a moment. She looked like she was starting to fall asleep. He had not realized how much blood she had lost. The blast she'd taken was actually a lot deeper than he was first let to believe. Would she make it to Vegeta-sei?
"How close are we to Vegeta-sei?" Vegeta asked.
"By leaving now, we should arrive within a day," Raditz piped in from across the dock. Vegeta nodded.
Will she last a day? he asked himself. That was when she looked up at him. Bulma gave him a thumbs-up and smiled a little.
"I know what you're thinking, Vegeta. I'm fine. I have to live to see the severe ass-kicking you're going to give your father, remember?" She winked at him. "Now, let's go. I still have to blow this pathetic piece of shit to pieces." Bulma held out the red detonator. Vegeta inhaled and stepped away from her pod as the door closed.
Bulma felt her pod take off away from Frieza's ship. She tried to turn in the small, cramped space to see where she was in relation to it. Soon, she saw several other pods take off as well. She gasped when she heard Vegeta's voice in her right ear.
"Woman," he said.
"Vegeta, don't do that! You scared the hell out of me!" she yelled.
"Stop yelling, woman. This thing is on my ear, too. We've all taken off. Do whatever it is that you plan to do," he said. Bulma made a scoffing noise.
"I can't very well do it with us this close, can I? We'd all get caught in the blast. You have no idea the destructive force of the bombs I put on the ship. We will be caught in the shockwave, no matter how you slice it, though. We'll have to wait a few more minutes. I'll let you know when I blow it," Bulma said sleepily.
"Don't fall asleep, woman. I can hear the slumber in your voice," Vegeta snapped. Bulma rolled her eyes.
"Whatever, Vegeta."
Ten minutes later, Bulma blinked several times. She turned and looked out of the small, purple porthole of the pod. Frieza's ship was a faint speck in the distance. She smiled and looked at the red detonator. She pushed the communicator.
"Here it goes, everyone. Say goodbye and good riddance to Frieza," she said. She pushed the detonator.
Chichi was sitting on the observation deck of the ship that was taking her to Earth. Gemma was at her side. They saw something that resembled a supernova not too far from them. Chichi squinted.
"What do you suppose that is?" she asked the lady of Mieke. Gemma shrugged.
"I cannot say, Lady Chichi. I've never seen something like that before. It could be any one of the natural cosmic phenomena. I know that only a few get that bri..." The shockwave hit them, almost knocking Chichi off of the lounge chair. Gemma caught her. They looked back towards the bright light off in the distance. "An explosion..."
Crenia and Nappa were checking all the systems on the ship to see if they were still up and running. The shockwave had startled them. Something blowing up in the middle of space could only trigger something like that. Crenia looked at Nappa.
"What the hell was that?" she asked. Nappa shrugged.
"I don't know everything, woman. Why don't you go see if that pregnant harpy is okay? I don't want the prince coming after me because his favorite guard's mate has lost her son," he said gruffly. Crenia rolled her eyes and went to find Chichi.
Chichi had managed to walk towards the observation deck's window. She was staring out at the bright light. It was beginning to get fainter and fainter. She did not hear Crenia enter the room. Crenia saw it and raised an eyebrow.
"So, that's what caused the shockwave?" she asked. Gemma nodded.
"I assume so, Crenia. I don't know what it was exactly. It appeared and then we felt the shock. Odd, isn't it?" she asked. Crenia smiled and shook her head.
"No, not really."
Vegeta rubbed his head. The woman had not been kidding about the shockwave. If the shockwave was that bad, then what was the actual blast like? He shuddered to think about it. After checking with the rest of the men to see if they were okay, he went on to see about the woman.
"Woman?" he called. He got no answer. "Woman?" he tried again, only louder. Still, he received no answer. Vegeta's heart immediately started to race and pound in his ears. He started typing all sorts of things in. He found Bulma's pod and looked for her vital signs. He relaxed in his seat.
Stupid woman. She just knocked herself unconscious during the shockwave, he had to laugh.
Sure enough, Bulma was slumped in the seat of the pod, unconscious. The shockwave had caused a nasty bump on the back of her head, knocking her unconscious. She would not wake up until the next day because of the sleeping gas that filled the small space.
King Vegeta watched as six space pods landed just outside of Venova. He squeezed the edge of his balcony railing. He knew who it was: his only son. He also knew that Vegeta would not be happy with him. The king brought his goblet full of Shuti to his lips.
Hey. Everybody's gotta die sometime, he thought dryly. He smirked in the only way he knew how and turned around. If he was going to go down, he would not go down easily.
Bulma shook off the feeling of dysphoria that overcame her as the door to the pod opened up. She saw several feet standing before her as she crawled out in the most inelegant way feasible. She groaned when she felt the odd pain in the back of her head. Vegeta stepped forward and yanked her to her feet.
"Could you be a little gentler next time, DARLING?" she asked sarcastically. Vegeta frowned.
"Never call me that ridiculous name again." Vegeta turned away from her. He looked at Kakarrot and Brolly. "You two, get ready to take the princess back to her planet. Raditz and Turles, come with me."
"Hey! You're not going to stay with me?" Bulma asked. Vegeta looked back at her.
"I have something I need to take care of." Vegeta sniffed. "And your scent offends me at the moment. Go and bathe in the palace," he whispered.
"I don't have a room anymore, thanks to your father," Bulma said while frowning at him.
"Use mine." Vegeta took off. Before Bulma could protest, she was swept up in Brolly's arms.
"Excuse me, princess," he said. Bulma gasped as he took off with her.
Mieke looked up as the door to the dungeon opened. She saw one of the few people she trusted on her husband's council coming down the stairs. A weak smile came to her face.
"Hello, Bardock," she said quietly. Bardock kneeled before her. There was a happy look on his face. "What is it? You don't look so gloomy today."
"Your son has arrived. He has brought someone with him," he said. Mieke raised an eyebrow. "The blue-haired princess has returned as well. They all appear to be in fine form," he said. Mieke tried to smile, but found that her face hurt too much.
"What about my husband? Does he know?"
"You know he does. I'm sure that the prince is coming for him as we speak," Bardock said. Mieke nodded. She stared at the floor for a moment. An idea came to mind.
"Bardock, I need you to do something for me," she said.
"Anything, your majesty."
