26
The next day, the group set out again to find a spot to shoot another propaganda clip. Eventually, they found a courtyard that Polunga approved of in the late afternoon. "This will have to do." The director sighed as she looked out on the grassy area surrounded by tall apartment buildings. "Nappa and I'll clear it. Everyone else stay back." Bardock barked. The two Saiyans stuck close together as the radar pinged the ground. Studying the device after a different sound played, the Sayian warrior held out a hand and stopped, "We've got one. Motion sensor. Vegeta, Nappa, and the film crew on the left. Bulma, my boys, and the rest of you on right. Stick low and close."
Ducking down and leaning close to the wall, Bardock picked up a chunk of concrete and threw it as hard as he could between the two giant pillars. Two 50-caliber machine guns popped out of the walls at the end of the walkway and started firing willy-nilly before settling on the stone archway a few yards away from the crouching soldiers.
Just as quickly as the guns started firing, it ended. Peeking out to double-check, Bardock nodded and walked out into the open. "Nappa, Burter; on my six. Jinga, Beru; nine and three." Vegeta glanced over at Bulma and saw that she had her head down and against the wall, her eyes closed as she whispered to herself. He managed to only catch bits and pieces of what his Mate was saying, "…Bulma Briefs. Region 12… home. Chosen Mate… geta…" Slowly, Goku's kid-like grin began to fade as he heard Bulma's whispers. Woman, everything is fine. The guns stopped firing.
Suddenly the smell of ozone and Bardock's screams of pain filled the air. Looking out from his cover, the Saiyan Prince watched as Bardock and Beru were trapped in an electrical field at the end of the walkway between the pillars. Vegeta followed the trail of electricity to the two top corners of the pillars. "Nappa! Fire! Top right!" The teen bellowed as he nocked an explosive arrow and took out the left side generator. Following his young charge's orders, the bald, mountain of a Saiyan killed the right side generator.
Without thinking, Vegeta took off sprinting to Bardock; ignoring Jeice's orders. "Vegeta, no! Stay back!" Bardock's breathing was fast and erratic and when Vegeta reached his side, the scarred Saiyan warrior gripped his Prince's arm tightly as he rasped out, "Holo… Get holo…" Quickly snatching the fallen device from the ground several yards away, the teen brought it back to his wounded comrade.
Pushing an orange square, Bardock forced out, "Unsuitable for command. Transfer all security clearance to… Say your name." "Vegeta Saiyan." The younger Saiyan spoke without thinking, a white light flashed over his face causing him to ask, "What did you just do Bardock?" "Go do what you came to do, my Prince. Avenge our people. I would've followed you to the bitter end, Little Prince." With those last words, Bardock's eyes began to slide shut. Vegeta ripped the holo-device away from him and slammed his fist against the Saiyan's chest, snarling, "No! You don't get to take the easy way out. You're Mate just got you back, are you really going to leave her behind?"
One coal black eye stayed open, just a little slit but it was open. He's still fighting. Good. Nappa held something out to his Prince, "Here, give him a Senzu bean. It might just save his life." Vegeta stared suspiciously at the tiny, lime green bean before pushing it into Bardock's mouth. Chewing slowly, Bardock found that he had the strength to open his eyes again. Cautiously sitting up, the scarred Saiyan warrior felt like he could run for days.
Nappa knelt beside his friend, resting a beefy hand on Bardock's shoulder as he chuckled, "Not so fast Bardock. Senzu beans restores strength and stamina; they don't heal you. At least not right away." "Beru!" Jinga cried as he started to run to his brother's side. But the little man only made it three steps. Pausing at the grating sound of stone on stone, his foot sunk as the square moved downwards. "You idiot!" Vegeta hissed as one exit was closed off by two great stone walls. Faster than the first one, the only other way out was closed off in the same manner.
"RUN!" Polunga shrieked as a huge wave of black liquid began pouring from the barrier behind them. Grabbing Bulma's shoulder, Goku pushed her forward and made sure that she stayed in front of him. Vegeta made sure to snag his bow and the Holo before leading the others towards safety. But is there any place that's truly safe here? Quickly hefting his friend onto his shoulder, Nappa took off up the grassy plateau-like steps behind Vegeta.
A blur passed the young Saiyan and pulled ahead of him, making a beeline for a glass door. The glass shattered under his bullets before his raspy voice called out, "In here! Hurry!" "Great shooting, mate." Jeice complimented as he dashed through the open door behind the Saiyans and Bulma. Beru, carried by Jinga and Guldo were the last ones in with the black tar lapping at their heels. "Up the stairs! We've got to get higher!" Bardock ordered from his place on Nappa's shoulder. And the group complied without question.
Only to find that the stairs between the second and third levels were completely destroyed. Everyone looked at Vegeta, hoping that he had a plan somewhere in that head of his. "We're stuck." The Prince began simply, "And there's no way out of this the I can see." A true King never lies. No matter the situation. Right, Dad? Buter glanced back at the oozing sludge crawling its way up the steps, "Hey, does that look like it's slowing down to you?" Sure enough, the tar stopped climbing right at the lip of the top step and paused for several seconds before a great sucking sound was heard. Just as quickly as the black liquid appeared, it disappeared. Leaving behind a thick coating of it on everything it'd touched.
Thumping a fist against the window, Polunga made the other warriors jump, "I should've remembered. That was one of Shen's traps from his first time as Game Master." Vegeta rested a hand on his director's shoulder, "Nothing we can do about it now. But we need to get out of here. There's no doubt in my mind that Freeza's mooks are on their way right now to kill or capture us." "My brother can't move and I'm not leaving him behind." Jinga stated, a deep frown helping to show his true age, "We'll stay here and give you what time we can, Prince Vegeta."
Oddly touched by the small twin's words, the Saiyan teen wondered, "Why?" "Because you're the Lost Prince." The tiny man answered as he thumped his fist against his chest and raised it above his head. "Oi. Give me the Holo, Prince. We've got to get back to base." Jeice commanded, holding his hand out for the device. Clutching his goal for the past few days to his chest, the flame-haired teen shook his head, "Bardock gave it to me." Before his second-in-command could stick his foot in his mouth, the scarred Saiyan captain spoke up, "I thought I was dying. Who else would've I passed it on too?"
"But why him?" The white-haired solder wondered, still unconvinced that his captain had willingly given the brash young Prince the Holo. Clearing his throat, Vegeta hoped that no one would challenge him on this, "Because I'm on a special assignment from Paragus. I'm to be the one to kill Freeza and end this war." "That's a load of porky pies!" Polunga cut off Jeice's triad, "It's true. Shenron wants it filmed with the hope that it'll make the Capital surrender before the body count gets too high."
Nappa had lowered his friend to the floor while everyone was arguing and finally spoke up, "Well, I don't know about ya'll, but I don't like the thought of getting captured by the hundreds of Freeza Force mooks that are heading this way as we speak. So I say we get moving and settle all this later." Crouching down, Raditz poked at the leftover black tar, "Looks and feels solid. Doesn't seem like we're going to have to worry about leaving footprints on this stuff either." "Then let's get going." Bardock growled, determined to walk on his own.
A bubbly voice laced with worry called out from the corner, "Hey, 'Gete's?" "What now, Kakarot?" The Saiyan Prince snapped as he turned to look at the other teen. Goku was kneeling next to Bulma, who had her face buried in her hands and was rocking in the corner mumbling to herself. What's wrong, Woman? Vegeta's eyebrows furrowed in worry as he waved the spiky-haired teen away from his Mate. Using both his voice and the Bond, he ordered, "Look at me." Obediently, clouded blue eyes gazed into coal black orbs. "Can you walk?" The blue-haired teen nodded numbly before stiffly getting onto her feet. "Good." Vegeta purred, although warning bells were still ringing in his mind, "Follow me."