The code worked just as Raditz said it would. His friend wouldn't tell him the source of the information, but he figured that he could get that later. Now he just needed to focus on getting out of here.
Looking down both sides of the empty hall, he moved quickly. Cuw's body would be discovered and he didn't want to be around when that happened. His father had already seen his handy work. His father would come and check on his room, that was a certainty. The man would refuse to lose the hold that he almost had on him. If he was caught, he didn't know if he could face his own father. Killing Cuw was one thing, but the man was his father. Even if he had done nothing beneficial for him, he would not stoop to his level.
He creeped quickly, keeping his eyes and ears out for any signs of movement. All he had to do was find the tunnels and there would be no problem. Vegeta believed that their father didn't know about them, having discovered them before he was born.
His eyes scoured the walls. Looking for any signs of the markers. He knew where the one next to his and Vegeta's room was, but he didn't know where the others were, nor where it went. All he knew was what to look for. The mark was small, if one was not looking for it, they would not find it. The royal seal was already all over the palace, but in some the brinks there lay the seal in reverse. It wasn't too big to notice, heck Vegeta said that most of them were covered by tapestries and paintings. But he didn't have time to pull off every painting just to look for the seal. He would just have to look for it and hope for the best. He could try and make it over to the room that he shared with Vegeta, but it was on the other side of the palace and this place could be covered in guards at any moment. Not that he was scared of being found, but he had used a lot of energy in the last 24 hours. If he used that power again, he didn't know the effects it would have on his body. He already felt slightly light headed from the time before and doing it again didn't seem to help it.
He jumped as he heard a yell from down the hall. They knew he was out. Scrambling under a table, he watched from behind the veil over it, as the hall filled with people. He recognized most of the room actually. Most of them were men close to his father, who was nowhere in sight.
The largest of the men had to be his least favorite. A bumbling idiot and the brother of that moron Nappa. He also gagged as the man walked by the table. The man was known for his lack of hygiene and he didn't know how anyone could work with him. Bochoy still had some of his hair, but it was rather matted for an elite. If he had any say in any of this, that family would be below a fourth class. They weren't very strong, they didn't look the part, nor did they act the part. They were cocky bunch that didn't deserve their rank and they knew it. Other families deserved that shot.
He tried to cover his nose. What had that idiot been rolling in? He smelled almost as bad as Zera's hidden room. He cringed as his eyes began to water, but noted that he wasn't the only one that wanted to get away from the lug. The three men that surrounded the giant were grimacing at him.
"Bo, we need to find the King. He will want to know about the boy's demise." The spiky haired one to the right said, breathing only through his mouth.
The giant let out a huff. "I don't see the big deal. Those weaklings won't live long anyway. They are pretty much useless without a power level."
The one to the left shook his head as the spiky haired one spoke again. "King Vegeta will want to know. The boy was in charge of Prince Tarble's room."
Another huff. "I really don't get why our King sees any potential in that boy. Same with his brother. Prince Vegeta would have done fine if he had just stayed away from that runt. But no, that child caused the boy to be weak and now we are paying for it."
He one on the left nodded. "If I could, I would go back in time and get rid of the runt myself, but our lord seems to want him to replace Prince Vegeta. I don't understand why. The child knows nothing of our ways."
"And he never will. I bet he will die just like Cuw did. He'll probably just die on the spot. Maybe then we can get a better heir to the throne." The giant said spitting in the corner.
"If he was dead, maybe Prince Vegeta would see the errors of his ways and come to his senses. Those without power levels belong at the bottom."
He was trying his hardest not to growl at the men. The way they were speaking about not only him but the entire population that was like him, was filling him with rage. Did they really think that his life was the only thing that was making his brother turn against their father? Vegeta wasn't stupid. He knew what he was doing. All these idiots wanted was power. Power that would never belong to them.
The laughter in the hallway was silenced as another group of men made their way through.
"Report, what are you doing down here?" He froze. His father was only a couple of meters away.
He could tell from the rustling around that they were quick to salute the man and they're attitudes had changed completely.
"Bochoy!" He could hear a hint of disgust in his father's voice.
"Yes, my majesty?" He wanted to laugh at the man's tone. His gruff voice had gone up a couple of pitches.
"When was the last time you bathed?" So the old man was going to go there.
"Oh, we just got back from a scouting mission. I haven't had time, my lord."
What a lie that was. What kind of scouting mission had them running all over the palace? "That does not excuse your smell. Remember to focus on that in the future."
"Yes sir!" It sounded like the man had been dismissed and the crowd was starting to move out of the hallway.
But strangely enough, no one said anything to his father about Cuw's death. Did his father already know about the other boy's fall?
He waited a little longer, hoping that they would all clear out of the hallway, but one stayed behind. Slowly, he could see the hand coming down on the veil that covered the table. His heart was raging inside his chest. What would his father do to him if he was discovered? He would be back to square one. He didn't trust his body enough to try and reach that power again. I may kill him before he even had a chance.
"I have one question." He froze up, his hand digging into the table as the cover flew off of it. His father was smirking down at him confidently. "How did you finish off Cuw from your room?"
When he didn't speak, his father came forward. Attempting to grab him. All he could do was push himself closer to the wall, but that was no use. He was pulled up and now his father was looking him in the eye, holding him eye level with him.
"Are you going to answer me?" His father looked like he was trying to remain calm.
Before he could stop himself, he answered with a snide remark. "That's two questions."
His father growled. "Tarble, you will answer me now."
He growled himself. "You already know the answer, so why are you asking." He shouldn't have said anything, because the way his father's expression had changed and it did not bode well with him.
"So you ended his life like the Tech-Tech then?" His father smirked. "Tell me Tarble. How did that make you feel?"
He really didn't want to be here. He tried to pull that power forward, but he couldn't. All he could do was speak with the man. "I don't know." He lied. He didn't need the man trying to get on his good side again. He would not be taken in by his false words and attempts to coddle him.
To his surprise, he felt himself being held again as his father made it towards the dining room. His father chuckled. "I think you know. You just don't understand it. Killing is still something new to you."
He couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at his father's words. The man only knew of Nappa, the Tech-Tech, and now Cuw. He knew nothing about his actions on Zera's planet.
But his expressions came at a price, as his father gave him a questioning look. "Unless there is something that you are keeping from me. Did you kill someone before Nappa? And if you did, how long ago was it?" The man's voice was still surprisingly calm. Every word had been spoken evenly, with no hint of anger or anything else for that matter.
Again, before he could stop himself, he nodded. Why couldn't he refuse his father? That should have been the easiest thing to do in the world, but couldn't do it. His eyes also refused to change, no matter what he tried. As he was locked in those arms, he was helpless. He mumbled an answer, but all he got was a raised eyebrow. "It was a long time ago."
His father put him down and it was then that he realized that he didn't even know what room they were in. He had never been here. His father sat down across from him. "Why don't you tell me about it?"
He leaned back against the wall. Sitting on the small bed in the room. "There isn't much to tell." He lied, but his father wasn't having any of that.
"You killed someone before Nappa. I just want to know when you did it. I don't think that it is too much of a question." He watched his father cross his arms and lean into his own chair.
He looked away. How would his father react to knowing the truth about why he lost his alliance to Frieza? The rebellion had embraced that truth, but he couldn't see his father having the same reaction. Heck, he really didn't want to tell him anything. He wanted to get out of here. He needed to be get back to his post.
"Your brother was younger when he got his first kill as well. Just like him, I got to miss yours. Why don't you share it?" His father's voice was starting to become annoyed. That was a good thing. He wasn't going to give in to his words, he wasn't a weakling.
"Because it's my business." He said crossing his own arms and glaring daggers back at the man.
His father chuckled. "You know, I really thought that we had moved past this. You have no reason to treat me this way. I wasn't the one that left you behind in my pursuit for power."
"You're right. You were the one that wanted to keep me locked away from the world like I was shit on the boot of your shoe. Heaven forbid that you don't have a family that does everything that you say." He snarled.
His father's cocky smile disappeared, replaced with a deep frown. "I only wanted what was best for you. You were weak then. Now you are strong."
"You thought that I was useless. You only see value in me now that I have something you don't." He wished that he could call his power forward, but it still stayed back. If only he knew how to control it, it had seemed so easy back when he choked Cuw, now he couldn't even get himself to see the red.
"Is that really a bad thing? That is the way of our people. But maybe it is time for a change." His father jumped up from his chair and to his confusion, made his way to a bookcase. He expected this room to be an updated version of his old one, but the fact that there were books was startling to him. He watched as his father grabbed a book and threw it in front of him. "Have you ever seen this writing before?"
He looked down at the book, part of him not wanting to touch it, knowing that was what his father wanted. He wouldn't have gotten it if he didn't. So that meant something important was in it. But that only made him curious. Could it be a Tuffle history like the one Onna had or was it something else?
Not thinking, he reached forward taking the book in his hands and opening cover. It was practically falling apart, so it could either be old or just be a new book that was heavily damaged. As he looked over the first page, he was struck by what was before him. There were no words, only pictures lined up together almost like they were saying something. He started to feel somewhat excited. The writing could be from Ve and Tar's time. If they could decipher it, they could discover the lost history of their people.
"Is it that interesting?" His father said with a small smile.
"Where did you get this?" He asked, revealing his excitement in a way he wished he hadn't.
His father chuckled. "I have my sources. One of my men said that his daughter was obsessed with it."
It had to belong to Onna. She was the only person that he knew that had a volume of their history. She may even know how to read it. "While it is interesting, I have no idea what it says. Languages and writing are not my specialty. If it was a computer system, I would know more."
His father nodded. "Yes, the girl didn't look too happy about it getting handed over."
He laughed. "That's because she can read it." He covered his mouth and cursed himself as his father gave him an evil smile.
"So there is someone that can figure it out." His father let out a dark chuckle. "If she does well enough, she could be a candidate for you."
He gave his father a confused look. "What?"
"Any heir of mine, needs to produce heirs." His father said with a serious look on his face.
He blinked a couple of times. "No…just no." He said annoyed with the very thought of it. Onna had a thing for Raditz. If it wasn't for her betrayal, he probably would have gone with Parle. 'What about Gure?' He thought in the back of his mind. He shook his head. She was a Tech-Tech and while they were alike, he couldn't see it working.
"Do you have another Queen in mind?" His father said, watching his every move.
"No! Because I'm not your heir! Vegeta is!" He almost yelled at the man.
His father chuckled. "With the power you have, will you be satisfied with staying by your brother's side as he leads? What if he does something you don't agree with? What if Vegeta gets to the throne and leaves you in the dust?"
It was his turn to chuckle. "I know he won't do that. Vegeta has more class than you."
SMACK! He felt the pain, looking up at his captor. He had been smacked across the face.
He could see out of the corner of his eyes that his father's arm was raised against him again. This time he ducked off the bed, sliding under it as the man began to pull it apart.
He felt himself start to shake frantically. Fear was seeping in and all he could do was lay there and wait for his father to get to him.
As the bottom layer was pulled off, he felt himself get pulled up into the air and thrown against the wall. "Do you really think that you're funny, huh!"
He tried to get his bearings, but his father was too quick as he felt the man's boot holding him down.
He wanted to cry out, but couldn't even make a sound. His father had hit him before, but he had never been his violent with him. "You didn't answer me. Do you find yourself funny, Tarble?"
He could barely shake his head. The foot on his back was pushing in making it hard to breathe.
"Where is your brother now? Is he here to save you Tarble? He has left you here to die and you refuse to see this." The foot pushed down more and he could feel something crack. He let out a cry in pain, feeling the tears as they began to stream from his eyes. His father laughed. "Maybe this is for the best. I can find a better female than your lousy mother and start over. Maybe then I can have a child that bends to my will!"
The pain had his body on fire, his broken rib was stabbing into him and he could feel the fragments of his bones piercing his insides. He wanted to scream, but the sound wouldn't come out. The world around him was fading, darkness began to creep in around him as he blacked out.
It was cold and for some reason he was wet. He's eyes felt heavy as he tried to open them.
His eyes flashed open as he remembered what had happened. Was he dead? He pinched his side. No, he could still feel pain, but what had happened? Looking down at himself, he found himself covered in water. His chest still hurt, from his broken rib.
His eyes dashed to the world around him. This wasn't the palace. This wasn't even one of the tunnels. How did he get here? Wasn't he just on the verge of death? How was he walking around and how did he survive?
They must have thought him dead and threw him down into a sewer line. He knew he had to get out of here and back to the base. The sewer water would cause an infection, especially with all of the open cuts that he had.
He scrambled through the water, fighting through the pain. He had no choice. He had to return to base. He had to see his brother again. He had to make sure that this war ended with his brother as the King. It was his responsibility.
Within an hour, he found an opening. It lay only on the outskirts of the city. Night had over taken the planet. The stars and moon were out. He would be safe this night.
He reached up and started to move his arm, when he felt something odd. He examined his arm. He felt the hard metal under his skin. A chip maybe. They were tracking his whereabouts. A slight bit of panic over took him for a second. He couldn't go back to base until the device was removed. He looked around for a stick or a piece of metal. This would ensure that he got an infection, but he had no choice. Grabbing a piece of metal from the water, he sliced open his arm to find the chip, he removed it, but didn't toss it in the water. No, he needed to find a new carrier. One that would lead them away from the base.
With a strangled laugh, he grabbed a rat that was trying to make it through the sewers. It thrashed in his arms but he held it against him. Even as it bit his hand, he took the tracker that was no bigger than a pill and forced the thing to swallow it. He carried it a short distance before releasing it into the wild.
He watched it leave in the opposite direction of where he was headed and smiled before heading off. He knew most of this country now. He could judge his distance with the stars and he knew where he was going. The base was a good distance out and with it being night, there would be scouts but not this far out.
Hours into his trip, he was feeling very weak. When was the last time he had a drink? He could feel his body braking down from both his injury and the bacteria. He was worried that he would die out in the middle of nowhere and Vegeta and Raditz would never know anything about what happened to him.
Panic began to set in, even as he walked past a familiar grouping of trees. He was only about five miles out at this point, but that meant nothing. He wanted to be closer. To at least see the base and his friend before passing out again into the darkness.
He stopped, sliding his back against a tree. His breathing was growing rather shallow. He knew he had to be bleeding internally. He was lucky it didn't hit a major artery.
All he wanted was some sleep, he was exhausted. But he had to keep going. He couldn't die here and if he slept, he would surely die.
He pulled himself up again, his broken rib stabbing him as he stood. He could taste blood in his mouth, but he kept going. He had to get back.
His feet hurt, he was now coughing up blood, and the pain was ever growing. His muscles were locking up from the lack of food and water. He was growing dehydrated while losing blood.
He'd heard stories from Raditz about the how Zera would do that to children that she deemed boring. He had always thought that it was one of the better ways to die. He was wrong. It was far worse than he imagined.
He strode around a boulder. In front of him, he recognized the area around him. He only had a couple of meters to go, but he fell to his knees. He couldn't move. His muscles had locked up completely.
"Tarble?" He heard a voice next to him. His looked up to find Raditz standing in front of him.
He gave his friend a tired smile. "I told you I would come back."
"I knew you would. Let's get you inside and cleaned up." Raditz said, picking him up. He had forgotten that his friend was getting rather tall.
As he was carried back into the base. He passed out. Safe at long last.
To Be Continued….
Author's Note
Damn….I really put Tarble through a lot this chapter. I know this was long and we only got Tarble this chapter, but it was kind of hard to break this up. The next chapter will take place on the same day, only from Vegeta's POV and it will be the same length as this one.
So why didn't Tarble's new power work when he was faced with his father? That reason will revealed later in the story. Remember Raditz hasn't used his power again either.
I'm still moving. Thank you for bearing with me as I go from one state to another. I lost internet for a couple of days so all I could do was type, but I couldn't post anything. The next chapter is half way finished, but I don't know when it will come out, due to the move and the craziness of trying to get everything moved.