DISCLAIMER:  *Taps heels together three times while wearing horrible sparkly red shoes that look like they've been handed down to me by my grandmother* :
                        "I own DBZ"
                        "I own DBZ"

                        "I own— Oh Toto you stupid mutt!!!  That's the third time you've pissed on my leg this week!!!"   Looks like I won't be owning DBZ. *sighs*

Author bitty:  Not long to go!!!! Not long to go now at all!!! (till the gap is filled… the story still continues tho!)   Woohooooo!!!!!!  Enjoy this chapter and please review if your conscience advises it! :P

** These are Frieza's thoughts… **  If you wonder what they are, they're quite obvious but I thought I'd put this in out of consideration :P  I must be going soft in my old age, that MUST be rectified!!!

Voices (In Ones Head)  by `InSaNe`/Schizophrenic Eggplant

Part 3.  Chapter 17 – Premature Intervention.

Above the giant red planet, a round, disc-shaped space ship hovered.  The lights were on, and it was buzzing with life.  In the control room, in a strange looking chair that levitated one and a half feet off the ground, reclined a being.  Because of the structure of the chair and how deep it was, only the upper half of its body was visible.  Its skin was white, with pink striations along the side of its face, arms, legs, and it's tail, which ended in a sharp-looking purple tip. A shelf of external skull covered most of its head like a helmet, domed with a mid-shade of purple between two eight inch long horns that protruded from each side of its head at obtuse angles from each other. Armour - or was it an exo-skeletal structure? – encased its torso. 

Frieza regarded the beautiful panorama in front of him with a bored gaze, white lids blinking intermittently over eyes with burning cold red irises.  Black-nailed fingers drummed a tattoo on the right side of his face, and his dark thick lips were grimly pursed.  On each side of were his two most loyal officers, who couldn't be more unalike.   It was deathly quiet, save the hums, whirrs and clicks of the ships computers, and the occasional mucous wheeze of the rotund pink officer standing to the left of the horned individual.  Frieza uttered a small throaty growl when niggling disturbing thoughts broke through the usually impenetrable barriers erected through his selfish desires and uncaring attitude towards everything but what only mattered to him.  And when such thoughts got through that far, his natural reaction was to nip it in the bud, for he had the power to do so, and he made sure nothing ever got in the way.  These pestering thoughts gave way to plans and strategies which churned in his head.  Eventually the view got the better of him, and with a frustrated grunt, he used his telekinetic powers to rotate the chair 180 degrees so the cursed planet was no longer in his sight.

"Zarbon."  His pleasant effeminate male tone pierced the surrounding blanket of electronic noise.

"Yes, Master Frieza?" Replied an incredibly handsome male of an unknown species with skin the colour of mint, and hair a hue of emerald, braided tidily in a plait that swished in a fluid motion as he turned his head around to face his liege, regarding him with clear golden eyes under long lashes.

"I've heard something minutely disturbing over my private channel.  It seems my spies have come across something quite interesting, yet perplexing."  The reptilian creature paused, as a test to see if either one of his men was foolish enough take this opportunity for their curiosity to get the better of them before he gave them permission to speak.  Both officers held their tongues for they were well aware that their ruthless leader was testing them.  Frieza looked from one, to the other, a smile flickered before returning back to its poker face, and then he continued.

"It seems our young prospect has more potential than I thought.  According to my sources, who have ceased their panic, their scouters picked up a reading of 5,000 coming from the boy Vegeta's rooms."  Frieza allowed his two henchmen a surprised intake of breath.  "This, gentlemen, adds some serious complications to my previous plans."  The silence became pregnant, and then gave birth courtesy of the handsome Zarbon, although somewhat hesitantly.

"You mean you're going to request him earlier?"  Horns tipped forward as Frieza nodded once.
"Precisely Zarbon.  I was hoping that he hadn't awoken his power yet, only done so once he was in my grasp."

"The monkey-king won't like it, Master Frieza."   The obese pink Dodoria interjected, his jowls wobbling with each word.

"Since when have I cared what he thinks?" Dodoria mumbled an apology as Frieza shot him an icy glare.  "Vegeta the younger is mine.  He has been promised to me, and six months isn't going to make a difference!" 

"What do you require of us, my Lord?" Asked Zarbon.

"Stay here on the ship.  I'm going on-planet for a short while, to speak with the… what did you call him Dodoria?  'Monkey-king'.  Yes.  His spawn will be mine, one way… or another.  Open the airlock and the outside hatch, now."

"As you command, Master Frieza." Zarbon complied in a serious monotone, pressing the buttons to open the two doors.  Frieza sailed in on his chair, and the airlock sealed off with a hiss, the hatch opened, and the small but powerful leader and tyrant sped off towards Vegeta-sei.

** Yes, very complicated indeed… **  Thought Frieza on his way to the planet's surface, ** I can't let anyone know why I truly want Vegeta.  I must have him now that he isn't as powerless as previously thought, and still only a child.  He is young, and hopefully impressionable, but will he be as stubborn as his father?  Hmm…  I wouldn't want him as an enemy later on.  Ha!  Not because he will ever be stronger than me, perish the thought!   But if he were allied with me, part of my little team, he would be a very loyal subject, if handled in the correct manner:  Force.  Lots and lots of force.  If that doesn't get through to him, I'll have to think come up with a more radical method!  Now to make him an offer his basic Saiyajin instincts cannot refuse… only if Plan A doesn't succeed, which, knowing that pesky King of all Monkeys, just might be a possibility… but he'll lose out both ways, the primitive simian. **   Onwards he travelled, evil cackles trailing in his wake.

***     *****  ********          *********          *********          ***************

On the busy red planet of Vegetasei, while Prince Vegeta was sullenly being readied by Daikon for what his father had in store, a single star of many studded about the black night sky, plummeted downwards in a lazy arc.  On closer observation, it was not a star at all.

******     *********      ***********       ***************       ******************

The punishment involved a rigorous one-sided sparring session with the King, who did not tolerate his son acting out of line and un-prince like.  Because Vegeta now had rudimentary thoughts, he could not call upon the ferociousness of ki that he had once displayed as a baby, he was at a serious disadvantage.  Even still with that initial training session fresh in his head, he had only just learned the technique, and it would take a bit of time to master it.   Although he was only 2 and a half years old, the young prince had a power level as high as any of the elite soldiers in his fathers army, but he did not have adequate control over his ki as yet, and as far as brute strength went, he was no match for his father at this stage. 

"It… it wasn't me it was Jeenie!!  She was doing it too!  Why don't you hit her too, why only me…??"  Vegeta wasn't crying, just extremely put out and on the shaky verge of a temper tantrum.

"Quiet boy!  Don't start that up again!  You must learn respect and not lie to your father and king!"  King Vegeta yelled through gritted teeth, "You only have yourself to blame, so take your punishment like a true warrior!"   He grabbed the small prince by the arm and threw him into a wall, knocking the breath out of him.  That move alone had the potential to be fatal to any other foe.  Young Vegeta crawled unsteadily to his feet.

"Father…" The eye on the side of his face that had crashed into the wall was shut.  Through the other pain-glazed eye, the son could make out the image of the father, so staunch and invincible it seemed.  One day he was going to be like that. 

"And where is your little friend now?  If I was them I would be laughing at how pathetic you are.  Is that what they're doing?" The king folded his arms and scowled at his spawn. 

"N-n-no… Jeenie is over there; sitting, watching.  She knows."  For some reason, the young prince took comfort with those words, they put him at ease, although he had a feeling he would be punished further for his insolence.

"She… knows… NOTHING!!!" King Vegeta's words tore the surrounding air into shreds with his acidic tone, "because she IS nothing!  You hear me???  Get your stinking little head out of the clouds!  You are Vegeta, the son of Vegeta – a warrior, NOT a dreamer, you understand?"  The giant monarch unfolded his arms and stalked towards Vegeta with a purposefully slow menacing gait, ready to make the brat pay for his nonsensical backchat.  The boy made no move to retreat.  Instead he stared at the hard, cold floor, studying the new hairline cracks it had received.  A sound came from him, at first impression it may have sounded like growling, but it grew, to a small, almost silent chuckle.  He spoke in a voice barely over a whisper, not lifting his head up to acknowledge the one who was nearly on him.

"She knows… knows that with each beating I take from you, I grow just that much stronger.  Sure, you know that already, its part of being Saiyajin right?  But you forget.  I'm no ordinary Saiyajin – she knows it, and I feel it. You just wait until I'm fully grown, father, then you'll have more on your hands than what you can deal with.  So come on, kick the crap out of me, do it!"  King Vegeta did not need a second invitation.  But instead of kicking the crap out of him as was requested, he strode over and picked his smart-mouthed brat up by the neck in one gloved fist, and held him at eye level.  His glare would have melted through the dangling lad and the wall behind him if his eyes had the ability to.  The scowl he expressed bordered on infra-red radiation, and he didn't speak as such, just mouthed the words as clipped and defined by staccato rushes of air forced from his royal lungs.

"Listen BOY, right now you are trying my already low tolerance, so might I suggest that if you want to live until that time when you are indeed full grown, then you will desist this behaviour immediately!"  He splayed his free palm almost in his sons face, and it began to glow.  "You have no idea how much I want to do this right now…"  Young Vegeta didn't look the slightest bit panicked. 

"You won't kill me, you're just saying that, otherwise you would have done it the last time, or the time before that, or even the one before that too.  You're nothing but a –"  All this talk made the King's eye twitch, and his teeth bare in annoyance.  The glow of ki got somewhat stronger too, surprising the prince.  He could feel its heat just begging to engulf his smooth skin.

"What?  You wouldn't!!  You can't!!!"  Young Vegeta was taken aback.  He wriggled around, his small white boots kicking the air while his father, wrapped up in a psychosis of some kind, laughed madly.  By this time I felt like intervening, in case the small boy decided to use what I had taught him about harnessing his ki, but there would be no way I could get his attention because he was too caught up in concentrating on removing himself from his fathers rough grip, and I thought it would be best if his new skill would be kept under wraps for now.  I had no idea how crucial it was that I had prevented my action, and after a few seconds I knew that was one of the best decisions I could have possibly made.  Both Vegeta's sported angry red faces, and the older one roared out in tones of doom.

"Wouldn't I?  Ah…. Just watch me!  This will be the final time you –"  His sentence was broken by a small, and very polite sounding cough. 

My head turned from the dramatic scene in front of me, to the source of the cough, and I froze, quite literally.

"I really hate to interrupt this tender father-son moment, but I have some matters I wish to discuss, Vegeta."  In his surprise, the King loosened his grip on his struggling son, who fell to the floor like a stone. 

"Son.  Leave us, now.  Don't think you're let off so easily, though.  We shall resume where we left off, later."  Prince Vegeta turned his back on his father, and deliberately dawdled towards the huge doorway.

"Go!!  Now!!!  Are you deaf, boy?" The Saiyajin king fought to maintain his composure before the present company.

"But… I'm waiting for…"  I quickly let the young Vegeta know that I'd meet up with him soon.  That was something I do regret, for that was one of the last times we ever properly interacted. "…nothing."  And he briskly walked out of the room.

I stayed to witness the discussion, and something inside me said that I wouldn't like what I would hear.  Part of me wanted to leave and seek out Vegeta again, but I had to remain here, I was rooted to the spot.  I watched as the 3 foot tall Icejin strutted around the Saiyajin King, with his hands behind his back, tail swaying behind him, and his three-toed feet stepping deliberately, one foot carefully placed after another along the tiled floor.

"You know why I've come, Vegeta."  Frieza's silky polite voice sang.  "I don't need to expend the time explaining it all again, do I now?"

"We had an agreement, Lord Frieza.   My son begins his training with you at three years of age, no sooner!"

"I'm not well-known for honouring the words of a simple monkey."  The Icejin laughed casually. King Vegeta bristled internally at this direct and intentional insult, but he checked himself and didn't flinch in the slightest.  Just stood there solid and firm like a sombre statue in an icy whirlwind.   Frieza adjusted his mannerism to subtly manipulative. 

"He has potential, and my various sources inform me that he is a lively boy, but restless, wasting energy getting under your feet.  You want him to just stagnate here when he could be out enjoying the thrill of the fight like the rest of your soldiers?  Under my exclusive training regime, my officers can teach him things he wouldn't learn by staying on this planet, not to mention it will expand his horizons." 

"You can do all that in six months.  Until then, he stays put.  That is my final word Frieza, and I will not bend to your whims like you think I will.  I am not some rug you can walk all over!"

"Aren't you?  I just bet that before that boy is three years old, he'll also be walking over you, and wiping his bloodstained boots.  You do realise why don't you?  Or do you fail to see what you cannot believe.  I saw it plain as day as soon as I walked into this room.   He does not fear his father, the all powerful King Vegeta." Sarcasm could be heard in his feminine voice.  "I was watching intently, and up until when I stepped in, he showed no sign of being afraid.  He's stronger than you, and—"

"NO!!" Roared the king of all Saiyajin. 

"Vegeta," Frieza's tone was measured in warning.  "I do not appreciate being cut off while I'm talking, although your hasty denial tells me a lot of things."

"I wasn't implying the boy isn't strong, just not as much as I, how could he be?  He's just an infant!  It's in his blood, sure, but his power will awaken when he's a lot older, not now."

"That's where you're wrong, as always.  Turning a blind eye to the painfully obvious.  Can you see now why I want him?"  He stopped pacing circles and turned to face the king, tilting his horned head up to regard him with narrowed pink eyes.  "And I ALWAYS get what I want."

"Not this time you won't, not if I have anything to do with it."
"You defy me, Vegeta?"  Frieza enquired curiously, with a light fake smile.  The king shrugged.

"Call it what you will.  I am not changing my mind."  Frieza levitated up to the stubborn king's level, and put on the sourest expression imaginable, although he wasn't as pissed off as he looked, because working like cogs inside his mind the alternate plan was going through its final stages of formation.  He coaxed King Vegeta out of his state of unease brought on by his expression, by smiling again, as if erasing all evidence of the conversation, mentally coercing Vegeta to forget all that had been said.

"Very well." Frieza sang cheerfully.  "I will wait.  See you in--" ** Hell. ** "- six months!"  With smugness painted all over his alien features like an extra layer of make-up and just as fake, he lowered himself back down to the floor, folded his arms and saw himself out, sauntering off to his awaiting mode of transport.

Next Chapter:  In the next chapter…

*Chibi Vegeta pipes up from nowhere*  I get kidnapped!

Schizophrenic Eggplant:  Hey, don't spoil it!!.. ooh, it's you!   How'd you get under my computer desk?

C.V:  I found a portal! 

S.E *eyes shining round as saucers* :  REALLY??? Where!!! Tell me!!!
C.V:  Nope. *looks smug*
S.E: Aww come on, please?
C.V:  You know that doesn't always work with me.
S.E:  Fine.  I won't be nice either.  Show me now, or.. or I'll dangle you by your little legs and flush your head in the toilet!
C.V: Nyaahh!! *makes a face and pokes his tongue out*  Gotta catch me first!!!  *Dives back into portal and returns to 'Voices'*
S.E:  Why you…  *Scrabbles under computer desk looking for the portal but only gets tangled up in cords.*  Uh… this is gonna take a while to escape…  I'll update when I get out of this spaghetti of cables!!! *Waves arm with miscellaneous cords draping from it* Ja ne!  An don't forget to review… ^_^