Disclaimer: Dragonball Z and its characters belong to Akira, god of @nime

This chapter took a bit longer to come out cos I've been busy (working, working, working, playing, and spending all my money!!).


A Saiyan Prince
Vegeta is now 15. Last chapter, Frieza made him murder an innocent King - Vegeta made the first of countless kills. A year later and Vegeta has had enough. He decides to end his life on the ship once and for all...


Vegeta crept out of Zarbon's sleeping quarters, quiet as a mouse. He had in his possession the keys to the space pod, and Zarbon's claw shaped pendant. Zarbon carried the pendant with him everywhere, only taking it off at night to sleep. Vegeta had practised the route every night that week. First, creeping from his room to Zarbon's to see if he could make it without getting caught. On the second night he had retraced his steps, but this time opened the door as quietly as he could. Zarbon had stirred slightly in his sleep, making Vegeta's heart leap in his chest, but he had not woken. On the third night Vegeta had crept into the room and located the pendant, hanging in the most difficult place to take - right above Zarbon's head. The all-important keys were on a desk to the left of the room. By the seventh night, Vegeta knew every footstep he was taking, and every squeaky part of the floor to avoid in Zarbon's room. By then, taking the items was a piece of cake.

The Saiyan Prince felt a surge of hope as he made his way stealthily along the corridor to the flight room where the space pod was kept. This was it - the chance he had been waiting for. He was going to set the co-ordinates for Planet Vegeta and go home. The pendant was his Plan B, just in case, but he wasn't intending to use it. Standing outside the flight room, Vegeta checked both ways down the corridor to make sure the coast was clear before typing in the code to open the door. Taking a deep breath, he slid inside.

The flight room was long, thin and rectangular shaped. It was a white room with three doors: the one Vegeta had just come through, one at the far end opposite and one on the right hand side of the room, which led into the space pod. The cause for concern was the door at the far end of the room. Vegeta knew that there was usually a guard behind this door, and any loud noises would alert him to the flight room. He crept along silently in the dark until to his horror and dismay, he tripped on a metal ridge in the floor and crashed loudly into a desk.

'Who's there?' a startled voice shouted from behind the door on the far side of the room.

Quick as a flash, Vegeta ran to the door that he had come through, dropping the pendant and keys on the floor behind him. The burly guard entered the flight room, turning on the lights just in time to see the other door close. He ran to the door, opened it and looked up and down the corridor, seeing nobody. Annoyed, he turned back into the room and noticed the keys and then the pendant on the ground. Deciding to inform his Lord Frieza about the break-in first thing in the morning, he called for more guards on his radar. It would be best to have someone watch the flight room tonight.

Vegeta pulled his bed sheets over him, still out of breath from the quick sprint back to his room. He closed his eyes tightly and felt his teeth grind together hard. His hands clenched into tight fists. It was only the fear of giving his game away that prevented him from howling out loud in a mixture of rage, sorrow and despair. In five long years, that was the closest he had ever come to escaping the ship and returning home. To be stopped at the very last minute by his own clumsy stupidity cut him to the core. It was a long time before he was able to get any sleep.

The very next day, Zarbon found himself in front of a furious Frieza, accused of attempting to escape in the flight pod.

'Lord Frieza, I know nothing of what you're talking about,' he protested his innocence.

With a solid swipe of his tail, Frieza knocked Zarbon flying across the room. He landed with a crash on the floor, and in an instant Frieza was standing over him.

'Oh no?' he sneered, 'Well how do you explain this?'

Zarbon looked up just in time to see his claw pendent before Frieza sent him flying with another powerful blow from his tail. Zarbon smashed into the wall, and pleaded with Frieza in his English accent.

'Please, sire, I swear to you I was not trying to escape. Someone must have stolen the pendent from me when I was asleep.'

Frieza stopped and looked at Zarbon. He was almost certain that Zarbon was telling the truth; something told him that his number one henchman was not the culprit. But who would have the guts to break into Zarbon's room to steal the pendent, or to try and flee from Frieza in the first place? Not one of his common workers - they all knew their lowly places on the ship, and how expendable their useless lives were. Then he realised at once who it was. Vegeta, his beloved Saiyan Prince had betrayed him.

Dodoria came to fetch Vegeta from the training ground where he was sparring with his fellow Saiyan Raditz.

'Lord Frieza wants to see you straight away, Vegeta,' the pink alien smirked.

Vegeta felt a pang of fear spread through him. Surely Frieza didn't know. How could he know? He did all he could do and followed Dodoria to Frieza's room.

Vegeta's legs almost gave way when he saw the look on Frieza's face - he knew all right. He stood there with his arms folded and his tail flickering slightly, like that of an agitated cat ready to pounce.

Zarbon stood at the back of the room smirking at Vegeta, laughing at him on the inside and infuriating him. His plan had somehow backfired.

'So it was you,' Frieza said in a voice that was both quiet and livid.

Vegeta's terrified face had been the final proof Frieza needed of his guilt. Frieza advanced towards the young Saiyan Prince who stood frozen to the spot. When he reached him, Frieza looked him in the eyes with his evil piercing glare. Vegeta's eyes grew wide and his face twitched with terror as he desperately wished the excruciating moment would pass.

'HOW DARE YOU?' Frieza belted him across the cheek hard with the back of his hand.

Vegeta fell to the ground, and his hand instinctively went up to his stinging cheek as he looked up at Frieza. Zarbon grinned to himself, thinking what goes around comes around.

'I have done nothing but look after you, you ungrateful, insolent little monkey,' Frieza spat at him. 'Where did you think you were going? Back to Vegeta? I don't think so!'

He was fuming. Vegeta had never seen him so angry.

'How dare you betray me! I am going to give you such a beating that you will wish you had never even seen that space pod.'

Vegeta shrank back from the last threat, but Frieza wrapped his tail around the young Saiyan's neck pulling him almost to his feet. Then, with a quick whip of his tail, he sent him flying smash into the wall. He then beat the Saiyan Prince mercilessly with his fists and his tail until even Zarbon felt sorry for him. The punishing blows hammered down on Vegeta for what seemed like an eternity, and the Saiyan found out what pain Frieza was capable of causing. The enraged ice-jin was sending a painful message to Vegeta - double crossing him would bring severe consequences.

When Frieza had finished he looked at his two henchmen.

'Get him out of here,' he ordered.

'Yes, my Lord.'

Zarbon and Dodoria helped the young Saiyan to his feet, supporting his battered body one on each side of him. With their help he limped weakly out of the control room.

When they reached his room, Zarbon and Dodoria set Vegeta down on his bed, before quietly exiting the room. Vegeta's body ached all over, and he felt more miserable and alone than he had ever felt before. Sinking down onto his bed, he sobbed into his pillow, letting out the tears which he had held in until now.

As he tasted his salty tears on the pillow, Vegeta made a strong promise to himself that one day he would be free of Frieza.


Coming up in Chapter 6: Vegeta goes to a new planet on a mission and finds... love?

<(^.^)>