27
The group booked it back across the tar-covered courtyard, settling on another apartment closer to the way they had come into the deathtrap. Easily breaking a small window, Nappa hoisted Guldo through it for him to unlock the door, "Suck in that gut, Gurd." "I am, you big buffoon. Oomph." The round man shot back as he finally slipped inside. Opening the door, Guldo scowled, "I expect at least a 'thank you'." "Later. Everyone inside and close those curtains." Bardock ordered, leaning heavily on his oldest son.
Seconds after they closed the curtains, the Freeza Force rolled in with trucks and full gear. Gunfire caused everyone to peek out of the curtains, Goku stating the obvious as the mooks returned fire, "It's Jinga and Beru." Abruptly the gunfire stopped and a mook stood up from the bed of a truck with a strange black cylinder on their shoulder. A rocket was launched from the cylinder; one second the building was there and the next it wasn't. "No…" Guldo whispered as he watched the building holding his friends burn and crumble to the ground.
A short series of shrill beeps brought the group's attention to the t.v. which was apparently left on when the owners fled from their home. Jimmy Firecracker appeared on the screen, "Good evening. Jimmy Firecracker here to update you on the Defense of the Capital. As the Freeza Force hold the tides of Revolutionaries at bay, a great victory was achieved today. Vegeta Saiyan, once our President's favorite, has invaded our city with some well-known Winners at his side. Goku Son and Bulma Briefs to name a few. Take a look at what happened mere minutes ago when Vegeta and his band of Revolutionaries were cornered."
The screen showed the building holding their squadmates get destroyed. "Whatever arrogance and pride brought our wayward son back to us, know that this is not only a great victory for the Capital, but for Ee-arth as well." It switched back to Jimmy's face, "So there we have it. Vegeta Saiyan, the Lost Prince, a mere boy who inspired so much brutality seems to have met a brutal end himself. Stay tuned for more updates. I'm Jimmy Firecracker and good night."
As the ragged squad sat, still in shock of what had happened, watching their names and faces flash on the screen. When the screen went back to gray, Nappa cleared his throat and asked, "What's next, now that we're dead and all?" "Killing me." Bulma said from the corner of the room, the first time she'd spoken since the first Pod earlier that day. Anger roared back at the fear coming through the Bond as Vegeta snarled, "Are you insane, Woman?!" "I was ready to kill you, Vegeta!" She shrieked back, standing and pacing the room, "Goku pushing me forward is the only reason I didn't try! I shut down fighting the orders Freeza drilled into me, Vegeta. I'm not in control and it's only a matter of time before I snap!"
Grabbing her wrists, Vegeta pulled his Mate to the ground and straddled her hips before leaning down to rest their foreheads together, And you think I'm in control, Bulma? I'm not. I've come so close to killing them, even Nappa and Bardock; Saiyans I count as comrades. I'm afraid that this is all a dream and that I'm still in our first Arena with an infection that is slowly killing me. But do you know who's helping me get through it? 'Who?' You. And for you to say 'kill me' hurts me more than I can tell you, because I don't want to live without you. I can't live without you. "Please don't give up on me yet." He whispered aloud into the air between their lips. Tears leaked from her clear blue eyes as she whispered back words she'd first said a lifetime ago, "Never. What's the point of winning without you?" Passionately kissing his Mate, Vegeta opened himself fully to the Bond and hoped that Bulma could at least feel a little of the love he felt for her.
Another announcement on the t.v. broke the two teens apart before the adults could. This time it was Freeza, sitting behind a desk in his purple and gray suit, his voice was no longer high-pitched or whiny but lower and commanding, "A once proud Prince Vegeta Saiyan, who was in fact, nothing more than a poor boy with a forgotten title and happened to be marginally skilled with a bow and arrow, is dead. He was not a thinker nor a leader, despite his outlandish claims otherwise. But rather, a face culled from the masses. Was that boy valuable? To you perhaps; because your Revolution has no vision, no true leader behind it. Even your greatest warriors are dead simply because they followed a poor, scared little boy who has no reason to be fighting in a war he caused but did not want."
Slowly, Freeza faded out as a new face began to appear. Vegeta growled as Paragus's scarred face came into clear view, his voice coming over the speakers, "Good evening, citizens of the Capital. My name is Paragus, I'm the President of Region 13 and leader of the Revolution. I've interrupted Freeza's broadcast because he was attempting to slander my Prince after his death, where he could not defend himself. I had the pleasure of knowing our Prince, who not only survived two Dragon Games, one of which was a Quarter Quench, but also managed to inspire not only his people, but everyone in the Regions to become the army marching in your streets! Dead or alive, Prince Vegeta will remain the face of this Revolution. His death will not be for nothing. We will realize his vision of an Ee-arth free of tyrants. Stay safe and thank you."
"I didn't know you meant so much to him, Vegeta." Nappa grinned, barely containing his laughter. Not paying his guardian any mind, the flame-haired teen hopped off his Mate and grabbed the Holo, "Freeza's in his mansion. How far away is that from us?" Placing the device on a low table, a map of the Capital appeared as the others gathered around. Oolong answered, pointing to places on the map as he spoke, "We're here at Gingertown Heights. Over here is Freeza's mansion and the City Circle. I'd say we're roughly seventy-five blocks away. Give or take a few. What? I going off of cab fare from the last time I made a trip out here."
"The distance is the least of our worries." Vegeta scowled, pushing a button and causing the known Pods to pop up on the map as orange dots. Jeice murmured, "A bloke can't even go half a click without stepping on ten of 'em things." Studying the map for a good spot, the Saiyan Prince wondered, "Do any of these tall buildings overlook the lizard's gardens?" "Three of them. But the best one for what I think you're wanting, my Prince, is the Nicky Tower." Bardock replied, pointing the tallest of the three buildings closest to their target.
Finding himself trying to be the voice of reason, Raditz interjected, "Hold up a sec. We all know that getting from here to there without being seen is impossible. Even with everyone thinking we're dead. And slinking over rooftops is out of the question because of the distance between them." The slightly older Saiyan cut off Vegeta's retort, "You and my idiot brother might be able to make the jumps but the rest of us can't. Pop's and your Mate especially. Do you really went to leave everyone behind and risk capture on a hair-brained idea?"
Puur shared a look with Larry, at his nod she cleared her throat, "There might be another way. If we can't be on the streets and we can't go up; why not go down?" Leveling a worried gaze at her cameraman, Polunga asked, "Are you sure you can do this?" Bravely nodding even though he looked like he was going to be sick, Larry answered quietly, "I have too. People will die if I don't." "Ok Cameraman, lead the way." The Saiyan teen said, surprising the others by his willingness to follow another.
Helping his friend, comrade, and captain lay down on the couch, the bald, mountain of a Saiyan sighed, "I will stay here with Bardock." "What? Why?" "Because Vegeta, I'm of no use in tight quarters. And Bardock needs to rest and recover. The Senzu bean helped keep him alive and moving this long, but he can't go on without rest. We'll just slow y'all down, anyway." Nappa explained to his not-so-young charge with a heavy heart. Vegeta glared up at his much taller guardian, crossing his arms as his foot tapped against the ground, "Fine, but if anything happens; so help me, I'll kill you myself." "Understood, my Prince." Nappa bowed his head, but could not hide his smile.
Luckily the Freeza Force left the giant stone blockade open after they had left and there was a manhole right there. Slipping down into the Tunnels, the small squad waited for Larry to start leading the way. Puur rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder, knowing that he'd need the encouragement to start moving, "My brother knows this place like the back of his hand. He worked sanitation down here for five years after Uncle Jimmy was forced to kick him off his production team. We scrimped and saved to get him out of here and you want to know the cruelest thing they did to him, Prince? In those five years, my brother didn't get to see the sun. Not once."
Although Vegeta heard the camerawoman, his mind was on other things. We've lost the Jingle Bell twins, Nappa and Bardock are staying behind… Can this mission get any worse? A rumbling, clacking noise was echoing through the tunnels and it was coming towards them. "Move it. Find cover." Vegeta hissed as the group broke into a jog to lean against a wall and hide from the small transport train that was barreling down the tracks. Scowling at the silent man, the teen stated, "I don't like being this exposed. We'll be too easily spotted." Larry tapped his chin before his eyes lit up, whispering, "Follow me."