Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook
By Son Rhandi
Part 14
"So, Zarbon, what were you thinking? Did you think it was nice? Did you think it was fun? Did you think it was smart to disobey my orders?"
"No, sir. I would never deliberately disobey your orders. What happened was not under my control, and could not have been avoided."
"Could not have been avoided….? You cleared an area the size of this very room fiftyfold—and the very part that we were to conquer the planet for, at that— and you're telling me that it could not have been avoided..?"
"I am telling you, Ginyu, that it wasn't my fault."
"Then whose was it, Zarbon? The birds? Do the birds burn things?"
"…It wasn't my fault, Ginyu…" The Azureman began to seethe with anger.
"Hmm. Your accent seems to have thickened…." Ginyu lightly patted the 'balt-skinned bishounen on his cheek. "Continue, and please take care to lighten it the next time you speak."
Making a better attempt at controlling his growing rage, Zarbon continued barely above a whisper. "…I was…. on a ledge…. about to fire my Crusher Ball…It was just leaving my hand…when the ledge gave way, and I slipped…… the ball slipping with me…... "
"….. I see. … Not only have you botched our entire mission, you've chosen to lie to me, as well. That I cannot forgive. Take it off."
"What..?"
"Take off your armor. And everything else, as well."
"You're joking! There's no way!"
"You say you'd never deliberately disobey my orders, yet you refuse to remove your garb like I tell you to. Don't make this more difficult than it has to be, Zarbon. I'd hate to inflict any needless pain upon you. Now, take it off."
"All right. Fine…" Zarbon began to shed his attire. "But any pain administered would be needless altogether because the fault wasn't mine. It's pointless to punish me for something I had no will for. I have never lied to you before, so what reason would I have now?"
There stood the nude Zarbon, his flawless skin gleaming in the lights which beamed down overhead. The corners of Ginyu's mouth turned upward slightly. The sight of a disrobed Azureman was a feast for anyone's eyes; his were no exception. Shaking his head, he turned his attention back to the problem at hand.
"What reason, you ask? Why, to get yourself out of trouble with Frieza and myself, of course," he replied, very sure of himself. "Frieza may have accepted your little falling story, but I, for one, have not." Ginyu draped his arm around the Azureman's bare chest and pulled in. "But of course, I could forgive you if you did a little something for me." Ginyu pulled him in closer and smiled lecherously. "Women and men alike would go as far as selling their souls for just a single moment of passion with an Azureman. If you would be so kind as to…" He whispered the rest in Zarbon's ear.
A look of total disgust wrapped around his face. "You're mad..! I won't do it!"
"Mad, am I..?" Ginyu didn't appreciate that. A small yelp escaped Zarbon's lips as the captain slammed the front of his body against the wall. The Azureman fell to his knees, preparing himself for the worst.
"We all have to deal with humility every now and again in our lives, whether we learn by ourselves or it is taught to us. Today, Zarbon, you shall be taught a lesson in humility." Pulling out a whipping rod, Ginyu's face remained expressionless. "Now, stay very still and don't turn around. It'd kill me to do any damage to that beautiful face of yours…"
hr
Hmph. Dreaming…
It was rare that Zarbon ever dreamed. But when he did, it was usually about events in the past. This latest one was no exception. If I'm dreaming about that, it must be a sign that Ginyu will be here soon, the
bastard.
Zarbon sat up in his bed, burying his face in his hands and expressing a sigh of discontent.
Cloaked in nothing other than an orchid sheet, the golden-eyed creature arose from his former position. Tired and equally frustrated, he proceeded to the facilities.
The Eastern Hemisphere of Hachuurui was well into its night. The stars seemed unrivaled in their splendor, twinkling beautifully with the deep purples and blues that warmly wrapped them in the aerospace. The only things that could be heard were the chirps of various insects in the area, and of course, the sound of machinery from Frieza's large ship. Not all creatures got to sleep in the night hours, especially the majority of those who worked for Frieza. Fortunately for Zarbon, this was not the case.
…Plip.….Plip.….Plip.….Plip….
The dripping of a showerhead and the soft breathing of an Azureman were the only sounds present in the room.
…Plip.….Plip.….Plip.….Plip….
"Drip…. drip….. drip…. drip….. My life is steadily dripping away like the water from that showerhead…"
Tucking a few wet tassels of hair behind his ear, Zarbon dressed himself in a pair of dark skin-tight shorts, threw a towel round his neck, and exited the room.
His silent footsteps made their way through the dimly lit corridor. Rounding the corner, a familiar and bulbous figure came into view. "Dodoria…?" He started. "What are you doing, skulking around the halls at this hour?"
The ogre slowly lifted a lid. "What does it look like, Zarbon? I'm trying to get some rest."
"You know, we do have beds for things like that…"
"I ought to club you over the head and eat your bones… But they're probably no good, much like yourself." Dodoria laughed at his little insult.
"You ogres are all the same; your skulls are as thick as the clubs you wield. Now, if you'll excuse me…" Zarbon swung his wet mess of hair around and smacked the obesity in the face, then made his way to wherever it was he was headed.
Morning…
"So then, y'all set there, son?"
"Mm-hmm. I've got all that I'll need. And many thanks for the Ridre Dino, father." The young Tokage placed a blue hand on the reptilian courser's side. The Ridre dino gave out a few high-pitch barks and pawed at the dirt, looking about excitedly. "This dino seems very anxious to get going. A fine looking one like this must have been expensive."
"Aye, that it—OOF!!" A quick jab from his mate's elbow changed the tune of that sentence. " …That is to say, anything for you, son." Berter's mother nodded in approval. "Now Berter, you be sure to write as soon as you get there."
"I will, mother. Don't worry."
"Pre-built structures, I tell ya… Back in my day, all they gave you was some imported lumber from the Forested Region and a plot of land, and you had to fight off the dinos just to keep that. I built this house from the ground up with my own two hands..! I tell ya, you kids today have it too easy….."
"Go now while he has his back turned," his mother whispered.
"Right. I'll come and visit soon," he whispered back as he mounted the dino. "I love you. Same goes for father. Good-bye."
As he rode on saurback over the horizon, his mother called out: "Good-bye, Berter! Next time you come back, I'll expect to be a grandmother!"