AS22: finally, some action. Katie beats the Jutir out of someone, bet you can't guess who!
Katrin: great, now she's speaking our language.
Katie: (turns to Katrin) well, she did write it.
Chapter 21: Proven
1st P.O.V.
The after lunch beatings were far worse than the pre-lunch beating Nail had given me. They were much worse, compare Raditz-to-Bebi-grade worse, and these guys wouldn't listen to reason. I could barely move when we were called in for supper, but I met with Frigyd at his table as he had requested.
"I see you still haven't fought back." Frigyd said when he had a good look at me. I smirked, still with pride.
"I haven't seen reason to fight back." I replied, leaning in close in hopes of our conversation being kept between the two of us.
"A Sayjin that doesn't like to fight?" he chuckled.
"Was there a reason you wanted to speak with me tonight?" I asked, pushing my luck.
"Yes, very well. You see, I know a way to keep you safe while you're here. It's a protection, you might say."
"Really? What is it?" I asked, sounding a bit too eager.
"Well, we exchange services," I felt something brush against the inside of my leg, and I knew it was his foot, "if you get what I mean. No one will hurt you if you're under my protection." His gaze was full of lust.
"Sorry, I was fucked by an Icejin once. I didn't much care for it." I said, standing to leave.
"You don't understand." He stood and grabbed my arm. The act knocked over his chair, catching everyone's attention, "It isn't a choice."
The room grew quiet as I stood there, Frigyd squeezing my arm. It was easy to tell he really was the leader of the pack around here. I jerked my arm away.
"Oh, I understand perfectly…" I turned to him, "You want me?" I asked, leaning in closer, "Then take me!" I drew back and punched him square in the face, sending him back to the wall.
Well, that definitely got everyone's attention. A crowd started to form around Frigyd, the wall, and me.
"You bitch!" Frigyd screamed as he stood.
"That's my name." I walked around the table and kicked my leg up, pinning him to the wall by his neck with my foot, "Now listen to me, I have far more power than you do, even if I can't transform. I fought against an Icejin in the fifth form in my younger days and lived. Now I'm older and stronger, and if you want to fight, I'll fight!" I backed away and started powering up, and I was amazed at my own power. I didn't realize how strong I was without transforming. My training with Gohan and Goten had worked.
Gohan… I hope he's okay. I have to win so I can focus on escaping.
The guards came and pushed everyone back, but they didn't try to stop the impending fight. Frigyd was powering up now as well.
"You have no idea who you're messing with, girl." Frigyd laughed.
"I've heard that line before." I said, smirking as my power got close to its artificial limits.
In a seemingly ironic crack of lightning from outside, I finished powering up and my blue-gold aura heated the air around me, comforting me. Nothing could harm me; nothing could stop me, yet I knew better than to believe that.
I also knew better than to play nice, but honor kept me from attacking while he finished powering up. I could hear every comment from the onlookers, and I did my best not to let those comments go to my head.
"She hasn't transformed, but she's so powerful!" Party 1 said.
"You idiot, she can't transform with the collar on." Party 2 replied.
"Yeah, but imagine if she could transform." Party 3 commented.
"Yeah, Frigyd wouldn't stand a chance." Party 4 laughed.
"He's already lost." That voice caught my attention. I looked back, one eye on Frigyd, and saw Bardock standing on the 3rd level, looking down on the imminent fight. Seripa, Toma, and, the third unknown female, Pota, stood with him.
"Bardock?"
"If she really is the counterpart of the Empress, he's as good as dead." No one argued with him. He had raised Empress Katrin, which still confused me on how and why he was in here.
Bardock turned and left, not looking back. I noticed Toma out of the corner of my eye run off after him. Seripa stood on the upper level and continued to watch while Pota joined her.
I returned my full attention to Frigyd, who stood confident in his ability before me. I was more so confident because he couldn't sense Ki, but I could.
Without a word he charged me, fist flying forward, aimed at my head. So far the fight seemed to be moving in slow motion as he came closer. I heard the angry cheers, all in his favor. I didn't care.
Things sped up to normal once I caught his fist. I held it in my hand, and I didn't have to move to keep my balance. His eyes grew wide as I squeezed his fist tight, pushing him to the floor.
"Was that supposed to impress me?" I asked.
"Funny, I was going to ask you the same thing!" without warning something hit me in the chest, knocking me back. I stood up and shook my head to clear it.
"What? How'd you do that?" I asked once I could see straight.
"You didn't see that coming, did you?" he said as he stood, laughing, "We Icejin have a legend about lost limbs, especially when it comes to our tails. Its said when we lose our tail physically we don't lose it spiritually. In a way, I have an advantage because you can't see my tail." He grabbed the empty air to his left, as though holding an invisible portion of his tail.
"I don't believe that bullshit!" I cried as I charged at him again. Instant karma, you could call it, because in my anger I didn't sense Frigyd's tail come toward me. The unseen portion wrapped loosely around my neck, holding me still but not choking me. It looked like I was floating in mid-air, my feet dangling just inches above the floor. I grabbed at the area around my neck, trying to pry loose.
"Do you believe now?" he asked, smirking.
"Yeah, actually, I do." I said, "Now I have a question. Does it still feel pain?" I bit into the air hard, and I was dropped hard on my butt as Frigyd hissed in pain, "I'll take that as a yes." I said as I got up and jumped back.
"Your nickname suits you. I would prefer to know your real name."
"Alright then," I spoke up so everyone could hear me, "my name is Katie Briefs. I'm a Sayjin, and its true that I'm from another dimension and that the Empress is my counterpart. I don't like to fight if it is avoidable, but right now I'm pissed. Let's get this over with, Frigyd."
"My pleasure."
Fighting without Ki was something new to me. Ever since I came back to my home dimension I had an aptitude with Ki. I knew the Kamehameha Wave and the Gatlik Gun, I knew Demon's Halo and Gatlik Wave, and I knew Angel's Light and Rainbow Harpoon. But that knowledge wouldn't help me now, right now I needed punches and kicks.
I dug in my feet as I took a posture. I didn't know anything about most Icejin tactics, only what I knew about Frieza and Kooler. I did know from past experience that they don't play nice.
Frigyd laughed, and he hadn't taken a posture of his own yet. I knew he was either cocky, or this wouldn't be easy.
"Mind sharing?" I asked.
"You think you stand a chance." He replied.
"Arrogant fool!" I snapped, and he stopped laughing. I didn't understand that, but he shook it off.
"Arrogant, am I? You're the one who's arrogant. You haven't had much experience fighting Icejin, have you?"
"Actually I have. I fight with Kooler in my universe all the time. We're rivals, you could say."
"Then why are you taking such a pose? That won't help you."
"I'm taking a pose because we can't use Ki, so I'm preparing for a punch or kick of some sort." I growled. He only laughed again.
"Icejin prefer tail tactics, dumb bitch. And since you can't see mine, how do you plan to defend?"
I was hit across the face and knocked to the ground. He hit me with his invisible tail again.
He's right, I can't win like this.
I got back up and stood tall, bluffing a little as I acted unfazed. But again I was hit, thrown to the ground.
"Give up bitch, you can't fight if you can't see."
"You think an ex-Angel like me can't fight without seeing?" I asked. I closed my eyes, feeling him out.
"Do you submit? I think she does!" Frigyd said, calling to the crowd. Some people laughed, but again I ignored the laughter.
"No, I don't submit. Come at me, I'll take you."
"Without your eyes? Fine, this will make defeating you more satisfying."
I kept my eyes closed and felt him out. I felt his tail come toward my head on the left, so I reached out and grabbed it.
I didn't open my eyes, I didn't need to. I whipped the tail up in the air, lifting Frigyd off the ground, and then I slammed him to the floor, hard. I opened my eyes to see what I had done. Frigyd wasn't moving, and I could see the dent part of his invisible tail left on the floor.
"What, are we finished?" I asked, kicking his foot to check. He was unconscious, but alive.
"She beat Frigyd. Bitch beat Frigyd!" I heard someone call out. I snapped my head toward the crowd.
"I told you all, my name is Katie. From now on, the only one who can call me Bitch is… Kooler." I said, smirking. Kooler walked over now as the crowd left.
"You proved yourself very well. Even I have had problems beating him." Kooler said, smirking, "Why am I the only one who can call you bitch?"
"Your counterpart in my universe called me a bitch the first time we met. I showed him his place that time. It's like my nickname from him." I said, smirking at the memory.
"We'll have to spar sometime."
"I don't plan on staying here that long." I said, turning away. I was hungry and supper was still being served.
"Not so fast, princess." I turned and was grabbed by two guards.
"Hey! What'd I do?" I cried, trying to break free. I couldn't, and I couldn't figure out why.
"You're being sent to solitary confinement." This guard was a race I was unfamiliar with, but he looked like a dog in the face.
"What rule did she break?" I looked back to see Kooler once again.
"That's none of your business, lizard."
"She was only defending herself." Kooler replied.
"Are you trying to help her? You know what happens when you try to help, don't you?" the raspy-voiced Sayjin guard on my left asked.
I looked at Kooler, hoping he was trying to help me. I knew he could stop these guys, even though I couldn't for whatever reason.
"No, I'm not trying to help her." He replied, walking away.
"Yeah, that's what I thought." The dog-faced guard said.
"Kooler! Kooler! Don't be a coward!" I called, but he kept walking away. No one else made a move to help.
Dammit, now what have I gotten myself into? Maybe I should have just fucked him… no, how could I even think that? I'd lose my pride, my honor… what would Vegeta think of me? Or Mirai, Codie, or Goku? Or Cell… I'm a fighter, that's all there is to it. I can't give up.
I didn't fight the guards though, I couldn't.
Why can't I power up again? Is it the collar? Damn the collar! Why didn't I see this? I used Ki, and I probably can't use anymore for a set time. Dammit! I should have thought about that…
We went through many halls and past many cells, deeper into the prison that I had fathomed to exist. I was reminded of a line from The Phantom of the Opera, near the end I believe.
Down once more to the dungeons of my black despair…
On an elevator, I was going down, deep into the planet's core, down toward a hell for all I knew. I was terrified already, but I couldn't show that off.
"I'm getting the creeps just coming down here." the Sayjin guard said, "How about you, bitch?"
In response I kicked him in the gonads. His partner laughed as he hunched down in pain.
"I told you only Kooler is allowed to call me by that name."
The elevator stopped suddenly and the doors opened. It smelt of dank dirt and blood. The hall was lit by a series of torches, archaic at best but it fit the mood.
The third door was wide open, I guessed to let the guards know which were occupied. I was tossed in, and before I could react the door was slammed shut. A little slit opened in the door, torchlight streaming in except for the dog-headed guard's head outline.
"Hope you like it in there, Katie. If you're lucky we'll be back in the morning." He laughed, and the slit closed. The room was pitch black.
I started to panic, in a rush I hit the door, pounding on it.
"Open up! Let me out! Let me out right now!" I screamed, hitting the door harder and harder.
My instincts screamed at me to flee, so in panic I ran to the opposite wall. The room was just barely wider than I was. I hit that wall, but I couldn't break free.
I moved and hit the next wall quickly. I howled, I screamed, I hammered the walls, but nothing worked. Finally the scent of my own blood stopped me. I had bloodied my own hands trying to get out of this tomb, but I couldn't.
It's funny that tombs are never far from my mind… no, not funny…
I felt for a wall and slid to the cold damp floor, sitting and hugging my knees. Sayjins are claustrophobic, as I've mentioned before. We're wild creatures that love to run in open space, but I was trapped in a room so small that I couldn't stretch out my legs.
I've got to stay calm… it's dark and tiny, but nothing can get to me… there's plenty of air… lots of air… I'm not afraid of the dark… I could smell anything is something did get in here… Kais, I hope Codie, Mirai, and Gohan are okay. They have to be better off than I am.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
Stay calm!
The air felt stale.
There's plenty of air!
It felt very hot.
Is it hot?
I have to stay calm…
I had lost my resolve before. I had panicked. I lost my memory due to this, but I had to stay calm now or all was lost. Usually Goku would put his hand on my shoulder and tell me it would be okay. Vegeta would reassure this by saying we'd kill the bastard who had wronged us, or Mirai would say we'd rescue our friend/family member. But now I was alone, and my own fear was getting to me.
I have to stay calm… but for once I am alone. No friend or ally knows where I am… even when I fought Roxx I had Goku, Vegeta, and Mirai to help. They were only in spirit… but no one is here to lend me their spirit. Damn, I even had all of reality on our side of the wall with me I spirit. I've never truly been alone.
I did the only thing I knew I could do to stay calm.
"Angel of Music! Guide and guardian! Grant to me your glory! Angel of Music! Hide no longer! Secret and strange angel…"
It was Angel of Music from The Phantom of the Opera, a song I knew well. I use to sing it when I was human when I was lonely. I needed it once more, and I hadn't even thought of it in decades. So in the darkness, I sang. It kept my mind off the small room, off any other worries I had, and it kept my breathing regulated. I sang and stayed calm.
"Father once spoke of an angel, I use to dream he'd appear. Now as I sing, I can sense him, and I know he's near." Ironic that an ex-Angel sang about an angel, but it kept me calm nonetheless.
I wonder if I could do a rewrite of Phantom using Mirai, Cell, and myself? That would be… weird, but interesting.
AS22: Why are Bardock and his team in prison? What kind of torture does Katrin have in mind for Katie next?
Katie: R&R to find out! I mean it, I know where Angel hides Chi-chi's frying pan!