The Deception--Chapter 9
By Elbereth in April
When Vegeta entered Frieza's presence, Frieza grinned at him as if he-- Frieza--had been given a gift. "So. You've been hiding things from me, haven't you?"
Vegeta's heart was pounding, but you wouldn't have known it by the arrogant expression on his face. "What nonsense are you talking now?"
Frieza stopped smiling. "You deliberately sabotaged the information in that computer, didn't you? I sent my technician to check up on your work and he says that files were deleted."
'Sent a tech? Why did he do that? Was I careful enough?' He calmed himself so he could speak in his normal sneer. "Why would I do that? I don't care about their files. Maybe the Gorzolans did it themselves when they saw us coming. You don't have proof of anything." He crossed his arms.
"No," Frieza admitted with a hint of annoyance. "If I had proof, you'd be dead. If I ever catch you in even a hint of treasonous activity, I'll kill you as slowly and painfully as possible." Then he grinned again. "As for now, I'm just going to enjoy punishing you as slowly and painfully as possible. For your botched mission and insubordination." He laughed. "You never learn, do you, Vegeta?" He closed the distance between them.
Vegeta stood his ground, bracing himself for the first blow. He was lucky, and he knew it. He knew what was currently keeping him alive. "I'm still of use to you, Frieza. And I'm so very interesting."
"Yes," Frieza chuckled, "for a monkey," and started beating him.
Just before Vegeta blacked out, he heard Zarbon saying, "Don't kill him, sir. You want to keep those two alive for the gene."
Lying broken and drenched in blood, Vegeta tried to open his eyes.
"But is it really worth it?" Frieza mused.
"Of course. They don't dare truly oppose you. You know they can never really touch you. Why, look at how fast Kakkarot agreed to turn traitor for you."
"Yes," Frieza laughed. "True."
Vegeta saw Frieza's tail coming towards his skull.
______________ _____________
Vegeta shoved his way out of the tank and ran into Sekot. "It's true," Sekot said.
"What?! I don't have time for you, baka, I need to find Kakkarot!"
"I've been lurking lately," Sekot continued, blocking the door out. "Listening at doors. Trying to regain face, I'll admit. But I overheard Frieza tell Zarbon something very interesting."
Vegeta started to form a ki ball on his palm. "Move!"
"Yes, Zarbon, Kakkarot is reporting to me now. What, you're surprised? The one nobody would suspect is always the one who makes the best spy. No, he wasn't hard to convert. Like all Saiyans, he's weak. Just offer him power and give him a taste of fear of me."
Vegeta dropped his hand. "You're--you're lying." But his mind was replaying what he'd heard just before he lost consciousness: the reason he wanted to find Kakkarot immediately.
"Frieza had a native informant who told him a particular file would be interesting, and it's gone. Kakkarot is the one who said you messed with the files. He's the one to blame for your latest beating. You were in bad shape, too. I mean, worse than any other Saiyan I've seen come out of there in a long time."
Vegeta had to lock all his joints to keep his limbs from shaking. It had happened. What he'd feared from the very beginning. Kakkarot had turned to Frieza's employ. And took his Super Saiyan gene with him. 'He turned against me--his own brother! OK, so I'm not really, but *he * doesn't know that! What kind of sick, traitorous worm could do that?'
And here he had been--almost trusting him, like a fool. A weak fool ready to believe in that baka just like everyone else. He'd been feeling guilty even, over lying to him. But now all those slow, hesitant feelings of warmth and trust vanished, consumed in an ice cold rage--and an underlying deep feeling of betrayal and hurt he refused to acknowledge.
"Why are you telling me this, Sekot?"
"Because I hate Kakkarot. I hate you too, actually--but Frieza wants to use him to spy against *all * Saiyans and that's not right."
" *You * have no Saiyan pride. You could care less about us. You inform Frieza about things all the time."
"Ah, but that's only to further myself. Not to further Frieza. I'm no Murdin or Lishing."
Vegeta couldn't deal with him right now. "You're blocking the door, Sekot."
The tone of his voice and the look in his eyes warned Sekot, who got out of the way as fast as he possibly could.
Kakkarot was leaving his room to go meet Vegeta as he came out of the rejuv tank (his timing was a little off). He'd just started walking down the hallway when Vegeta found him.
They stopped dead and stared at each other. Kakkarot had never seen that much despairing rage in anybody's eyes before. In Vegeta's dark, burning eyes it was that much worse.
"Hello, traitor," Vegeta hissed.
Kakkarot panicked. "Brother, it's not what you think." He backed up. Vegeta stalked him like a cat does his prey. Slowly, majestically, with death as the end goal.
"Oh?"
"I've been trying to tell you ever since it happened! Frieza asked me to spy for him. I told him no. He was going to kill me!"
"So your life is worth more than your loyalty or your honor?" He was closing in now.
"But I had no intention of actually doing it! I said I'd spy, but I wasn't going to give him any real information!"
"That's why you told him about the records?" He was powering up. The air seemed to shimmer, like a heat wave.
Kakkarot blinked. "But I didn't! I told him that the electrical attacks wiped the disks!"
Vegeta just sneered at him.
"Brother, believe me! I would *never * betray you! Not *you *!"
The pain filled Vegeta up like molten agony, melting through all his veins. "Liar!" He held out both arms, palms facing Kakkarot, who dodged just in time. The wall where he had been exploded.
Doors flew open and Saiyans came running out. Vanyar, bravest of those present, put himself in between them. "What's going on?" They were all looking at the two combatants in shock and real dismay.
"He's a lying, worthless traitor!" Vegeta charged, voice thick and strange, almost incoherent. "A filthy spy for Frieza!"
More shock and disbelief. "That--that can't be true," Valkan stuttered.
Vegeta spun around and shoved Valkan against the wall. "Oh, believe *him, * do you? Not me? I've been here for *seven years * and you barely even know him!"
"I--I. . ." Valkan began, but Vegeta had turned back to Kakkarot already.
"My goody-goody little brother." Vegeta laughed bitterly. "Can hardly even bear to kill people. Is that a lie, too? Did you maneuver me into setting the whole thing up with Jeice? How long have you been working for Frieza anyway?" He fired another ki blast at him.
Kakkarot threw himself to the floor to avoid it. It took out another wall at the far end of the corridor. He stood shakily back up and tried to get nearer.
"Brother. I'm not really spying. I *told * Frieza I would spy just yesterday, and I thought you could tell me what to do next to stay alive and not really betray anybody! You've got to believe me! I didn't know what else to do!"
Vegeta rushed him, kicked his legs out from under him, and hit him over and over. Kakkarot tried to roll away from him, but Vegeta pinned him down, knees planted against his thighs, fists pummeling his stomach and ribs and face. Kakkarot tried to block.
"Fight back, you traitor!" Vegeta screamed at him.
But Kakkarot didn't want to hurt his brother, only to defend himself. This whole scene was beyond a nightmare. It was fearfully unreal and yet earth-shakingly shattering. He should have told Vegeta immediately, but things seemed to keep getting in the way. Now. . . his brother would never trust him again. If he couldn't convince him he was innocent. . . what would he do? If he lost his brother, what would he do? In desperation, he clutched at an idea. "Ask Zarbon if you want to know what I told Frieza about the records. I didn't tell him anything--well, I slipped up once, but. . ."
Vegeta paused for breath and because that last sentence almost made him want to laugh. How very like Kakkarot to be that stupid and honest. "I slipped up once. . ."
'That stupid and honest. . .'
He had a momentary flicker of doubt.
'What if he should happen to be telling the truth?'
They looked in each other's eyes.
If it was just a choice of Sekot's words over Kakkarot's, obviously Kakkarot was to be believed. But he had heard Zarbon say. . .
'Maybe I should talk to Zarbon.'
Kakkarot was looking rather bruised and battered. His eyes were bright and pleading, seemingly shining with truth and almost impossible to resist. The baka.
He would not be affected by his lying eyes. But what if he *was * telling the truth? Tangerine. 'Who did I pick that expression up from?' What if he was?
His mind was slow to admit he could possibly be mistaken. And the pain of betrayal--'as if I would let that liar hurt me'--made it hard to think clearly. But he could usually read people, and Kakkarot had never seemed to lean towards Frieza before, had never seemed to waver in his loyalty. And his mother, although she had not taught him mercy, had instilled in him a sense of the rightness of justice. It would not be good to condemn an innocent man.
"All right. One chance. If Zarbon can prove you're innocent. . . but if you're not, *brother, * I'll kill you myself. I swear it." He got up and motioned for Kakkarot to get up.
"You come," he ordered.
Kakkarot stifled a groan and got to his feet. Vegeta was awfully strong when he was mad.
He limped along next to him. 'Oh please Vegeta, believe me. Trust me.' He'd worked so hard for it.
The other Saiyans started to follow. Vegeta turned around and faced them. "Look, we can't all go traipsing in to see Zarbon. Think of the talk."
"But Vegeta, this concerns us all! We want a neutral witness," Van protested.
"You're not exactly impartial, Van," said Ryok, Sekot's man. "You may be in league with Kakkarot. I'll go with them."
"Talk about not impartial!" Nappa exclaimed.
"Shut up!" They silenced. "Dom," Vegeta said. "He only likes himself, and everybody hates him, including Frieza. The perfect representative. Come. The rest of you, stay here!"
He started off again. Kakkarot and a very startled Dom went with him. Dom wanted to protest being insulted, but didn't want to blow his good luck. He wanted to see this.
Zarbon was in the main hangar waiting for Murdin and Lishing to get back from blowing up a planet. They were overdue and Zarbon was thinking up punishments. He despised those two.
Zarbon watched the three Saiyans approaching him. Kakkarot had been used as a punching bag, and looked basically terrible. Dom was looking self- important as always. And Vegeta was radiating a banked, dangerous power he normally only associated with Frieza.
"Well?" he greeted them.
"Zarbon, you are a useless, groveling toady, but if you had any guts you'd admit you're praying for the downfall of Frieza as much as we are. Am I right?"
Zarbon gaped. "Vegeta, are you out of mind?"
Vegeta smiled a tight, half-smirk. "Don't answer that then. This is my real question. What did Kakkarot say to Frieza about our mission and those files?"
Zarbon looked around for anybody who could overhear. "Ask him yourself. He's right there."
"Collaboration never hurt."
"It's all right, Zarbon. Tell him," Kakkarot said.
Zarbon licked his lips. "Um. . . well. . . he said that the disk was damaged when you were attacked, by electric current. Which seems likely. Frieza sent his tech to the planet with a new disk. But some of the information on the computer was gone."
"A certain file Frieza was looking for wasn't there."
Zarbon took a deep breath and let it out. "OK. Yeah. Some Gorzolan just told him there was a file labeled Treaties that he'd want to see. It wasn't on the mainframe. Kakkarot said maybe the file he wanted had never been there, and he should ask you because you looked at the files as they downloaded. That was a mistake," he told Kakkarot conversationally.
"I know that now. At the time, though, my brain felt like it was about to explode from electrical damage."
"Anyway, Frieza got all suspicious that you, Vegeta, might have done something. He asked Kakkarot if you'd done anything, Kakkarot said no, the computer was damaged by lightning as well, and like I said, Frieza sent Comer to investigate. Comer's pretty sure *something * was deleted but he couldn't say what or when or by who. So you're both still alive for now." Zarbon looked back and forth between the three of them for reactions.
All three unreadable.
"This has been a very interesting conversation, I must say. Vegeta, a private word please." Zarbon walked with him across the floor. "Well?"
"I'm saying nothing, Zarbon."
"He agreed to be a spy. But then he lied for you, didn't he? So what's the deal?"
Vegeta whistled nothing in particular, staring at the ceiling.
Zarbon smiled. Vegeta sighed and looked at him. "This agreement. When did it take place?"
"I just heard about it today. I wasn't there when the deal went through. But according to Frieza, he asked him after the whole Jeice thing, and with a little persuasion, he went for it."
"A little persuasion?"
"He didn't go into much detail--that promotion to Saiyan leader and a couple death threats is all that I know about for sure."
Vegeta frowned and looked back at Kakkarot, who from the looks of it, was patiently being insulted by Dom and wishing he could pass out.
Zarbon frowned, too. "You don't know what he's up to, do you? Do you think he's playing both ends?"
Vegeta honestly didn't know. Was Kakkarot telling the truth? Had he been on the Saiyans' side all along? He didn't know!
Zarbon shrugged. "You know I don't trust anybody, Vegeta. Still. . . there's just something about Kakkarot, isn't there? You *want * to trust him, against all common sense. I was flabbergasted when Frieza told me he'd turned traitor. It just didn't seem right. Frieza didn't have any doubts about it; he thinks everybody's just out for number one. But it had never seemed that way with Kakkarot."
Vegeta looked at Zarbon incredulously. "*You * think he's playing Frieza?"
"Well, now that I've talked to you I do."
Their eyes locked. "Frieza doesn't need to know," said Zarbon.
"Hypocrite," Vegeta said, but there was no sting to it.
"He's your brother, Vegeta. He's not going to play you false, is he? You should know better than anybody."
Vegeta took a deep breath.
"Go talk to him instead of hitting him."
The two of them walked back, then Zarbon and Dom glared at each other while Vegeta took Kakkarot by the arm and dragged him over to where he and Zarbon had been.
"You may not have sold me out this time, but you still gave Frieza your promise to be a turncoat. Give me one good reason to believe you're working for us and not for him." Vegeta still had him by the arm, staring into his face.
Kakkarot's lips parted slightly but he couldn't get his voice out. Then his eyes filled with tears. "Vegeta. You're my brother. And I'm *Saiyan. * And Frieza is a sadistic, bullying tyrant who deserves to die for beating you up if for no other reason. I saw you when they put you in the tank. You were half-dead. We're gonna go Super Saiyan, Vegeta, and we're gonna kill him." Vegeta could almost feel Kakkarot's emotions, they were shining out of his eyes that strong. So many, it was hard to read them all. Fierce determination and righteous wrath against Frieza. Pride. And there it was. Devotion, and love. Vegeta let out his breath slowly, in relief so intense it made him dizzy. Devotion and love. It was almost too overwhelming. And it scared him to the marrow, just as it convinced him. Devotion and love. No, he couldn't think about it now.
"All right," he said. "All right."
There was a half-a-heartbeat pause, then Kakkarot threw his arms around Vegeta and hugged him. Vegeta's eyes went wide and he looked completely disconcerted and uncomfortable. Then he smirked. "Is it my charm?"
Kakkarot laughed shakily. "The only reason you have charm is because you've had me egging you on, big brother."
Vegeta's arms went up almost involuntarily until he was hugging him back. Then he let go.
"Well come on, everybody's gonna be sitting around waiting." They retrieved Dom, exchanged a significant look with Zarbon, and headed back for the Saiyan Quarters.
Kakkarot felt strangely light, almost giddy. Vegeta had believed him. His brother trusted him after all.
Vegeta and Sekot's clans were indeed waiting. "Dom, what's your impartial analysis?" Ryok asked, half-mocking, half-earnest.
"Apparently Kakkarot was questioned by Frieza about some deleted computer files. Frieza asked if Vegeta erased them and Kakkarot said no. According to Zarbon."
"What does that prove?"
"He covered for me," Vegeta said with no emotion. "So I believe his story."
Sekot pushed his way to the front of the milling crowd. "Well, I don't. I still think he's a spy. And you consider Zarbon to be trustworthy enough to be a witness? He belongs to Frieza just like Kakkarot. Trust Kakkarot if you want--but you'll regret it." He stormed off, trailing groupies behind him.
"Um, *is * Zarbon a credible witness?" Traigo asked.
Vegeta shrugged. "In this case. I think he's shown that Kakkarot is innocent."
Kwil sighed. "If you believe him, Vegeta, then I do, too."
The others nodded.
"Besides," Vegeta added, "Kakkarot's not smart enough to be a spy."
Kakkarot stared at him a moment until Vegeta couldn't contain his smile any longer. "You see, little brother, my insults are still better than yours."
Then Kakkarot laughed almost hysterically and the others joined in. Everybody needed the tension relief.
"Well now. This certainly creates possibilities." Vegeta looked around at what was now, essentially, his faction. "For the honor of the Saiyan Empire," Vegeta said, smirking slightly, "let's go plot against Frieza, warriors."
They all grinned.
Vegeta was feeling good. This was the first time he had a group of strong Saiyan accomplices. So they'd go plot against Frieza. What, he didn't know. Maybe the others would have some ideas. But he felt like a Prince again for the first time in a long time. He would gain back his throne.
'Where would that leave Kakkarot?' No, he wouldn't think about that now, either.
And he just had to believe he'd really read his innocence right. Otherwise he might be responsible for the death of 30 Saiyans and the end of the Royal line. And the success of Frieza. That was unthinkable.
'What do you think of me now, Vegeta? Did I ruin everything? I couldn't bear to have you hate me. And I really do need your help with this.' He repressed a sigh. His whole body hurt from Vegeta's brutal pounding but he didn't want to bring it up. 'Vegeta. . .'
"Vegeta. . . one thing. I just want you to know. . . I mean, I know who's in charge. I mean, I supposedly have this new title and everything. . . but I know it doesn't mean anything." Once again, Kakkarot seemed completely sincere, as if he didn't care about titles at all. He didn't appear to want power and glory. He seemed happy to have Vegeta be in charge.
Vegeta didn't understand him. But he was beginning to think as long as Frieza was brought down, it wasn't that important who the hero was. He had thought that before, from time to time; wanting Kakkarot's help was one of the reasons he'd wanted to recruit him in the first place. But it was starting to sink in now. "Well. . . brothers are supposed to depend on each other, I guess."
Kakkarot smiled, all physical pain forgotten.
__________ ____________ ______
A/N: I wrote this, read it, rewrote it, reread it, put it away, read it again, edited it, and finally just posted it. I hope it is an acceptable offering. Let me know. (That means review!)
Advertising: OK, read "Silver Terror" by Lanfir Leah, "Trunks and Goten's Excellent Adventure" and "Trunks and Goten's Bogus Journey" by Ladymoonlight, and anything by Frozenflower.
BTW, what do you think they should do against Frieza?
By Elbereth in April
When Vegeta entered Frieza's presence, Frieza grinned at him as if he-- Frieza--had been given a gift. "So. You've been hiding things from me, haven't you?"
Vegeta's heart was pounding, but you wouldn't have known it by the arrogant expression on his face. "What nonsense are you talking now?"
Frieza stopped smiling. "You deliberately sabotaged the information in that computer, didn't you? I sent my technician to check up on your work and he says that files were deleted."
'Sent a tech? Why did he do that? Was I careful enough?' He calmed himself so he could speak in his normal sneer. "Why would I do that? I don't care about their files. Maybe the Gorzolans did it themselves when they saw us coming. You don't have proof of anything." He crossed his arms.
"No," Frieza admitted with a hint of annoyance. "If I had proof, you'd be dead. If I ever catch you in even a hint of treasonous activity, I'll kill you as slowly and painfully as possible." Then he grinned again. "As for now, I'm just going to enjoy punishing you as slowly and painfully as possible. For your botched mission and insubordination." He laughed. "You never learn, do you, Vegeta?" He closed the distance between them.
Vegeta stood his ground, bracing himself for the first blow. He was lucky, and he knew it. He knew what was currently keeping him alive. "I'm still of use to you, Frieza. And I'm so very interesting."
"Yes," Frieza chuckled, "for a monkey," and started beating him.
Just before Vegeta blacked out, he heard Zarbon saying, "Don't kill him, sir. You want to keep those two alive for the gene."
Lying broken and drenched in blood, Vegeta tried to open his eyes.
"But is it really worth it?" Frieza mused.
"Of course. They don't dare truly oppose you. You know they can never really touch you. Why, look at how fast Kakkarot agreed to turn traitor for you."
"Yes," Frieza laughed. "True."
Vegeta saw Frieza's tail coming towards his skull.
______________ _____________
Vegeta shoved his way out of the tank and ran into Sekot. "It's true," Sekot said.
"What?! I don't have time for you, baka, I need to find Kakkarot!"
"I've been lurking lately," Sekot continued, blocking the door out. "Listening at doors. Trying to regain face, I'll admit. But I overheard Frieza tell Zarbon something very interesting."
Vegeta started to form a ki ball on his palm. "Move!"
"Yes, Zarbon, Kakkarot is reporting to me now. What, you're surprised? The one nobody would suspect is always the one who makes the best spy. No, he wasn't hard to convert. Like all Saiyans, he's weak. Just offer him power and give him a taste of fear of me."
Vegeta dropped his hand. "You're--you're lying." But his mind was replaying what he'd heard just before he lost consciousness: the reason he wanted to find Kakkarot immediately.
"Frieza had a native informant who told him a particular file would be interesting, and it's gone. Kakkarot is the one who said you messed with the files. He's the one to blame for your latest beating. You were in bad shape, too. I mean, worse than any other Saiyan I've seen come out of there in a long time."
Vegeta had to lock all his joints to keep his limbs from shaking. It had happened. What he'd feared from the very beginning. Kakkarot had turned to Frieza's employ. And took his Super Saiyan gene with him. 'He turned against me--his own brother! OK, so I'm not really, but *he * doesn't know that! What kind of sick, traitorous worm could do that?'
And here he had been--almost trusting him, like a fool. A weak fool ready to believe in that baka just like everyone else. He'd been feeling guilty even, over lying to him. But now all those slow, hesitant feelings of warmth and trust vanished, consumed in an ice cold rage--and an underlying deep feeling of betrayal and hurt he refused to acknowledge.
"Why are you telling me this, Sekot?"
"Because I hate Kakkarot. I hate you too, actually--but Frieza wants to use him to spy against *all * Saiyans and that's not right."
" *You * have no Saiyan pride. You could care less about us. You inform Frieza about things all the time."
"Ah, but that's only to further myself. Not to further Frieza. I'm no Murdin or Lishing."
Vegeta couldn't deal with him right now. "You're blocking the door, Sekot."
The tone of his voice and the look in his eyes warned Sekot, who got out of the way as fast as he possibly could.
Kakkarot was leaving his room to go meet Vegeta as he came out of the rejuv tank (his timing was a little off). He'd just started walking down the hallway when Vegeta found him.
They stopped dead and stared at each other. Kakkarot had never seen that much despairing rage in anybody's eyes before. In Vegeta's dark, burning eyes it was that much worse.
"Hello, traitor," Vegeta hissed.
Kakkarot panicked. "Brother, it's not what you think." He backed up. Vegeta stalked him like a cat does his prey. Slowly, majestically, with death as the end goal.
"Oh?"
"I've been trying to tell you ever since it happened! Frieza asked me to spy for him. I told him no. He was going to kill me!"
"So your life is worth more than your loyalty or your honor?" He was closing in now.
"But I had no intention of actually doing it! I said I'd spy, but I wasn't going to give him any real information!"
"That's why you told him about the records?" He was powering up. The air seemed to shimmer, like a heat wave.
Kakkarot blinked. "But I didn't! I told him that the electrical attacks wiped the disks!"
Vegeta just sneered at him.
"Brother, believe me! I would *never * betray you! Not *you *!"
The pain filled Vegeta up like molten agony, melting through all his veins. "Liar!" He held out both arms, palms facing Kakkarot, who dodged just in time. The wall where he had been exploded.
Doors flew open and Saiyans came running out. Vanyar, bravest of those present, put himself in between them. "What's going on?" They were all looking at the two combatants in shock and real dismay.
"He's a lying, worthless traitor!" Vegeta charged, voice thick and strange, almost incoherent. "A filthy spy for Frieza!"
More shock and disbelief. "That--that can't be true," Valkan stuttered.
Vegeta spun around and shoved Valkan against the wall. "Oh, believe *him, * do you? Not me? I've been here for *seven years * and you barely even know him!"
"I--I. . ." Valkan began, but Vegeta had turned back to Kakkarot already.
"My goody-goody little brother." Vegeta laughed bitterly. "Can hardly even bear to kill people. Is that a lie, too? Did you maneuver me into setting the whole thing up with Jeice? How long have you been working for Frieza anyway?" He fired another ki blast at him.
Kakkarot threw himself to the floor to avoid it. It took out another wall at the far end of the corridor. He stood shakily back up and tried to get nearer.
"Brother. I'm not really spying. I *told * Frieza I would spy just yesterday, and I thought you could tell me what to do next to stay alive and not really betray anybody! You've got to believe me! I didn't know what else to do!"
Vegeta rushed him, kicked his legs out from under him, and hit him over and over. Kakkarot tried to roll away from him, but Vegeta pinned him down, knees planted against his thighs, fists pummeling his stomach and ribs and face. Kakkarot tried to block.
"Fight back, you traitor!" Vegeta screamed at him.
But Kakkarot didn't want to hurt his brother, only to defend himself. This whole scene was beyond a nightmare. It was fearfully unreal and yet earth-shakingly shattering. He should have told Vegeta immediately, but things seemed to keep getting in the way. Now. . . his brother would never trust him again. If he couldn't convince him he was innocent. . . what would he do? If he lost his brother, what would he do? In desperation, he clutched at an idea. "Ask Zarbon if you want to know what I told Frieza about the records. I didn't tell him anything--well, I slipped up once, but. . ."
Vegeta paused for breath and because that last sentence almost made him want to laugh. How very like Kakkarot to be that stupid and honest. "I slipped up once. . ."
'That stupid and honest. . .'
He had a momentary flicker of doubt.
'What if he should happen to be telling the truth?'
They looked in each other's eyes.
If it was just a choice of Sekot's words over Kakkarot's, obviously Kakkarot was to be believed. But he had heard Zarbon say. . .
'Maybe I should talk to Zarbon.'
Kakkarot was looking rather bruised and battered. His eyes were bright and pleading, seemingly shining with truth and almost impossible to resist. The baka.
He would not be affected by his lying eyes. But what if he *was * telling the truth? Tangerine. 'Who did I pick that expression up from?' What if he was?
His mind was slow to admit he could possibly be mistaken. And the pain of betrayal--'as if I would let that liar hurt me'--made it hard to think clearly. But he could usually read people, and Kakkarot had never seemed to lean towards Frieza before, had never seemed to waver in his loyalty. And his mother, although she had not taught him mercy, had instilled in him a sense of the rightness of justice. It would not be good to condemn an innocent man.
"All right. One chance. If Zarbon can prove you're innocent. . . but if you're not, *brother, * I'll kill you myself. I swear it." He got up and motioned for Kakkarot to get up.
"You come," he ordered.
Kakkarot stifled a groan and got to his feet. Vegeta was awfully strong when he was mad.
He limped along next to him. 'Oh please Vegeta, believe me. Trust me.' He'd worked so hard for it.
The other Saiyans started to follow. Vegeta turned around and faced them. "Look, we can't all go traipsing in to see Zarbon. Think of the talk."
"But Vegeta, this concerns us all! We want a neutral witness," Van protested.
"You're not exactly impartial, Van," said Ryok, Sekot's man. "You may be in league with Kakkarot. I'll go with them."
"Talk about not impartial!" Nappa exclaimed.
"Shut up!" They silenced. "Dom," Vegeta said. "He only likes himself, and everybody hates him, including Frieza. The perfect representative. Come. The rest of you, stay here!"
He started off again. Kakkarot and a very startled Dom went with him. Dom wanted to protest being insulted, but didn't want to blow his good luck. He wanted to see this.
Zarbon was in the main hangar waiting for Murdin and Lishing to get back from blowing up a planet. They were overdue and Zarbon was thinking up punishments. He despised those two.
Zarbon watched the three Saiyans approaching him. Kakkarot had been used as a punching bag, and looked basically terrible. Dom was looking self- important as always. And Vegeta was radiating a banked, dangerous power he normally only associated with Frieza.
"Well?" he greeted them.
"Zarbon, you are a useless, groveling toady, but if you had any guts you'd admit you're praying for the downfall of Frieza as much as we are. Am I right?"
Zarbon gaped. "Vegeta, are you out of mind?"
Vegeta smiled a tight, half-smirk. "Don't answer that then. This is my real question. What did Kakkarot say to Frieza about our mission and those files?"
Zarbon looked around for anybody who could overhear. "Ask him yourself. He's right there."
"Collaboration never hurt."
"It's all right, Zarbon. Tell him," Kakkarot said.
Zarbon licked his lips. "Um. . . well. . . he said that the disk was damaged when you were attacked, by electric current. Which seems likely. Frieza sent his tech to the planet with a new disk. But some of the information on the computer was gone."
"A certain file Frieza was looking for wasn't there."
Zarbon took a deep breath and let it out. "OK. Yeah. Some Gorzolan just told him there was a file labeled Treaties that he'd want to see. It wasn't on the mainframe. Kakkarot said maybe the file he wanted had never been there, and he should ask you because you looked at the files as they downloaded. That was a mistake," he told Kakkarot conversationally.
"I know that now. At the time, though, my brain felt like it was about to explode from electrical damage."
"Anyway, Frieza got all suspicious that you, Vegeta, might have done something. He asked Kakkarot if you'd done anything, Kakkarot said no, the computer was damaged by lightning as well, and like I said, Frieza sent Comer to investigate. Comer's pretty sure *something * was deleted but he couldn't say what or when or by who. So you're both still alive for now." Zarbon looked back and forth between the three of them for reactions.
All three unreadable.
"This has been a very interesting conversation, I must say. Vegeta, a private word please." Zarbon walked with him across the floor. "Well?"
"I'm saying nothing, Zarbon."
"He agreed to be a spy. But then he lied for you, didn't he? So what's the deal?"
Vegeta whistled nothing in particular, staring at the ceiling.
Zarbon smiled. Vegeta sighed and looked at him. "This agreement. When did it take place?"
"I just heard about it today. I wasn't there when the deal went through. But according to Frieza, he asked him after the whole Jeice thing, and with a little persuasion, he went for it."
"A little persuasion?"
"He didn't go into much detail--that promotion to Saiyan leader and a couple death threats is all that I know about for sure."
Vegeta frowned and looked back at Kakkarot, who from the looks of it, was patiently being insulted by Dom and wishing he could pass out.
Zarbon frowned, too. "You don't know what he's up to, do you? Do you think he's playing both ends?"
Vegeta honestly didn't know. Was Kakkarot telling the truth? Had he been on the Saiyans' side all along? He didn't know!
Zarbon shrugged. "You know I don't trust anybody, Vegeta. Still. . . there's just something about Kakkarot, isn't there? You *want * to trust him, against all common sense. I was flabbergasted when Frieza told me he'd turned traitor. It just didn't seem right. Frieza didn't have any doubts about it; he thinks everybody's just out for number one. But it had never seemed that way with Kakkarot."
Vegeta looked at Zarbon incredulously. "*You * think he's playing Frieza?"
"Well, now that I've talked to you I do."
Their eyes locked. "Frieza doesn't need to know," said Zarbon.
"Hypocrite," Vegeta said, but there was no sting to it.
"He's your brother, Vegeta. He's not going to play you false, is he? You should know better than anybody."
Vegeta took a deep breath.
"Go talk to him instead of hitting him."
The two of them walked back, then Zarbon and Dom glared at each other while Vegeta took Kakkarot by the arm and dragged him over to where he and Zarbon had been.
"You may not have sold me out this time, but you still gave Frieza your promise to be a turncoat. Give me one good reason to believe you're working for us and not for him." Vegeta still had him by the arm, staring into his face.
Kakkarot's lips parted slightly but he couldn't get his voice out. Then his eyes filled with tears. "Vegeta. You're my brother. And I'm *Saiyan. * And Frieza is a sadistic, bullying tyrant who deserves to die for beating you up if for no other reason. I saw you when they put you in the tank. You were half-dead. We're gonna go Super Saiyan, Vegeta, and we're gonna kill him." Vegeta could almost feel Kakkarot's emotions, they were shining out of his eyes that strong. So many, it was hard to read them all. Fierce determination and righteous wrath against Frieza. Pride. And there it was. Devotion, and love. Vegeta let out his breath slowly, in relief so intense it made him dizzy. Devotion and love. It was almost too overwhelming. And it scared him to the marrow, just as it convinced him. Devotion and love. No, he couldn't think about it now.
"All right," he said. "All right."
There was a half-a-heartbeat pause, then Kakkarot threw his arms around Vegeta and hugged him. Vegeta's eyes went wide and he looked completely disconcerted and uncomfortable. Then he smirked. "Is it my charm?"
Kakkarot laughed shakily. "The only reason you have charm is because you've had me egging you on, big brother."
Vegeta's arms went up almost involuntarily until he was hugging him back. Then he let go.
"Well come on, everybody's gonna be sitting around waiting." They retrieved Dom, exchanged a significant look with Zarbon, and headed back for the Saiyan Quarters.
Kakkarot felt strangely light, almost giddy. Vegeta had believed him. His brother trusted him after all.
Vegeta and Sekot's clans were indeed waiting. "Dom, what's your impartial analysis?" Ryok asked, half-mocking, half-earnest.
"Apparently Kakkarot was questioned by Frieza about some deleted computer files. Frieza asked if Vegeta erased them and Kakkarot said no. According to Zarbon."
"What does that prove?"
"He covered for me," Vegeta said with no emotion. "So I believe his story."
Sekot pushed his way to the front of the milling crowd. "Well, I don't. I still think he's a spy. And you consider Zarbon to be trustworthy enough to be a witness? He belongs to Frieza just like Kakkarot. Trust Kakkarot if you want--but you'll regret it." He stormed off, trailing groupies behind him.
"Um, *is * Zarbon a credible witness?" Traigo asked.
Vegeta shrugged. "In this case. I think he's shown that Kakkarot is innocent."
Kwil sighed. "If you believe him, Vegeta, then I do, too."
The others nodded.
"Besides," Vegeta added, "Kakkarot's not smart enough to be a spy."
Kakkarot stared at him a moment until Vegeta couldn't contain his smile any longer. "You see, little brother, my insults are still better than yours."
Then Kakkarot laughed almost hysterically and the others joined in. Everybody needed the tension relief.
"Well now. This certainly creates possibilities." Vegeta looked around at what was now, essentially, his faction. "For the honor of the Saiyan Empire," Vegeta said, smirking slightly, "let's go plot against Frieza, warriors."
They all grinned.
Vegeta was feeling good. This was the first time he had a group of strong Saiyan accomplices. So they'd go plot against Frieza. What, he didn't know. Maybe the others would have some ideas. But he felt like a Prince again for the first time in a long time. He would gain back his throne.
'Where would that leave Kakkarot?' No, he wouldn't think about that now, either.
And he just had to believe he'd really read his innocence right. Otherwise he might be responsible for the death of 30 Saiyans and the end of the Royal line. And the success of Frieza. That was unthinkable.
'What do you think of me now, Vegeta? Did I ruin everything? I couldn't bear to have you hate me. And I really do need your help with this.' He repressed a sigh. His whole body hurt from Vegeta's brutal pounding but he didn't want to bring it up. 'Vegeta. . .'
"Vegeta. . . one thing. I just want you to know. . . I mean, I know who's in charge. I mean, I supposedly have this new title and everything. . . but I know it doesn't mean anything." Once again, Kakkarot seemed completely sincere, as if he didn't care about titles at all. He didn't appear to want power and glory. He seemed happy to have Vegeta be in charge.
Vegeta didn't understand him. But he was beginning to think as long as Frieza was brought down, it wasn't that important who the hero was. He had thought that before, from time to time; wanting Kakkarot's help was one of the reasons he'd wanted to recruit him in the first place. But it was starting to sink in now. "Well. . . brothers are supposed to depend on each other, I guess."
Kakkarot smiled, all physical pain forgotten.
__________ ____________ ______
A/N: I wrote this, read it, rewrote it, reread it, put it away, read it again, edited it, and finally just posted it. I hope it is an acceptable offering. Let me know. (That means review!)
Advertising: OK, read "Silver Terror" by Lanfir Leah, "Trunks and Goten's Excellent Adventure" and "Trunks and Goten's Bogus Journey" by Ladymoonlight, and anything by Frozenflower.
BTW, what do you think they should do against Frieza?