Chapter 24: Plans
Think of something really gross. Think of something that makes your stomach churn just at the thought of it. Think of the smell of rotten garbage, the sight of squashed gray matter (which I have seen), and the sound of nails on a chalkboard. Got the image? Good, because my job was more foul and more disgusting than all that put together.
My job was cleaning the torture chamber, which, by the way, had never been cleaned. The blood was caked onto the walls, floors, and ceiling. Pieces of dead skin, horns, finger nails, teeth, fur, muscles, every thing that could be beaten off your body was in there.
The walls, I was told, use to be white. Now they were painted with shades of red, green, purple, and black. Namekian, Sayjin, human, and Icejin blood. Scorch marks were fresh on the walls, and then they weren't so fresh.
The last thing was the fact that I had to clean it all by sheer elbow grease. I had a couple of rags and that was it, not even a bucket of water.
But the worse part was the fact that I finished it. I had to or I'd be stuck in here until I had finished. That Sayjin guard was right, the walls were white.
It took me 6 hours, and by the time I had finished it was dinnertime. Somehow the thought of food didn't appeal to me.
I took a seat at the far back wall away from the food. I didn't get any crude remarks or beatings or even an ugly look, but I was too tired to care. I lied when I said I slept well in solitary, the truth is I didn't sleep at all.
"Hey, mind if we join ya?" the eyes that met mine were those of a Sayjin. His messy hair, exactly like his younger son's, his scar, and the red bandana gave him away. Toma, Seripa, and Pota were with him.
"Sure thing, Bardock." I said. They all gathered around and sat at the table with me. I couldn't look at their trays for fear of losing my lunch.
"Heard you prefer the company of Icejin to Sayjin." Toma said.
"Not at all, it's just the way things have gone. I prefer to be alone, actually."
"Why's that?" Seripa asked.
"Because I am alone." I said.
"It depends on how you look at things." Bardock said.
"How do you see things?" I asked.
"I see a world that needs an Amfel. And I know where to find one."
"I can't help you there. I have my own universe to look after. All I need to do is rescue my son and find my mate and cousin."
"Ka val a guun?" Pota asked.
(You have a son?)
"Yeah, he's gref-a'et." I replied.
(18)
"So you do know some Saya-jin." Bardock commented, "I thought all you could speak was that damn earth speech."
"I know enough to say, me ta Tiom gha ore, R, urr ser'ta iz mi luun." I said.
(I am SSJ4 and your sister is my mom.)
"Wazz urr luun. Kooler dre'dlass sra." Toma said.
(Was your mom. Kooler killed her.)
"I know, it's the same in my universe." I replied.
"So who raised you?" Bardock asked.
"Humans. Never knew I was a Sayjin until I met with Raditz." I said truthfully.
"How could you not know? You had a tail." Pota said.
"No… I didn't. It's a long story, but I was raised in another dimension. Sayjins didn't exist there, so I was made human until I came of age."
The doors to the open grounds opened, letting in sunlight and letting out the first few inmates for recreation. No doubt beating me again.
"Finally, let's get out of here." Seripa said, standing up. I didn't move, I was waiting for most of the inmates to go out before I went.
"You coming, Bardock?" Toma asked as Pota and Seripa went ahead.
"Go on, I'll be out in a minute." He said, "How about you?"
"What about me?" I asked back.
"Are you going outside?" he clarified.
"I'm waiting for others to go first. Makes it easier to slip out in a crowd."
"Katrin- you're not Katrin, sorry-"
"No, its okay. Call me Katrin if you want." I said.
"Alright. Katrin, I'm not asking you to change our Voyin, but you want your guun back, and the only way to get him back is to stop her."
(Universe -- son)
"I know." I said.
I have to save Codie, and I'll have to face the Empress eventually to save him. Goku would try to stop her…
"She wasn't always like this." Bardock said, staring off at the wall.
"She wasn't?"
"She was a loving person and a great kid. She was Planet Vegeta's strongest Tseer. I gave her this when she first discovered her Amfel Powers." Bardock brought out a chain from under his jumpsuit. The pendant was a crystal angel, but one of the wings was broken.
(Warrior -- angel)
"What happened?" I asked.
"Power. She had absolute power, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. You must know I have visions, right?"
"Yeah, I do. So did your niece and me."
"I saw her ruling the universe, which at first I didn't think was bad. She was my ser'funn, my niece. I had raised her. But then I had a different kind of vision. This one was more metaphoric than most. It was Katrin sitting on a throne. The throne was made of blackened bones and blood oozed out from under it. I saw my niece ruling as an iveel'hreth tyrant, an evil tyrant. I'll admit to it, it scared me shitless." He sighed.
(Niece – evil tyrant)
"She started out with good intentions, though, right?"
"When she got control of her new powers she started her empire. At first everything was fine. She wanted to keep the kinds of things that happened to her from happening to anyone else. That's still true. But the longer she ruled without question, the bolder she became. She locked away Icejin lords and Namekian elders. They could pose a threat."
"So what happened between the two of you?"
"When I had my vision I confronted her. She didn't take it well. She said family should stick together no matter what. We fought, and there was no question she could win, and of course she did. She had this angel pendant for years and it never got broken. She never took it off. But after she defeated me she took it off and threw it at my feet, chipping the wing."
"How about Raditz? Where is he?"
"He stuck with her, just as Kakorot and his sons did." Bardock didn't like the way things were going, I could see it in his eyes. He knew this wasn't right as much as I knew.
"When was all of this?"
"About 17 years ago."
"I know why… she lost a child."
"What?" Bardock stared into my eyes. He had no idea.
"She lost a child at birth. That's why she took my guun." I sighed.
(Son)
"The universe was so nice before that. Almost like a utopia or something. When I tried to fight her she locked my team up with me." Bardock concluded.
"She was mad with grief, even now… she isn't evil, just depressed and angry. Maybe even a little deranged." I thought aloud.
"We need to get you out of here." Bardock said.
"I know. Let me think on it. I may have an idea in the works. Does this place have any horses?"
"Horses? What's that?"
"It's an earth creature. You can ride them. They have four legs and stand about as tall as a man."
"You really didn't get to live any of your life on Planet Vegeta, did you? We don't have horses, but we do have Ayokii."
"Ayokii? Yeah… I remember something like that." I was referring to the illusion once more.
"You'll have to see them to believe them. They're the most powerful, beautiful creatures ever to be tamed. But why do you ask?"
"If I can get hold of some Ayokii, I can get away and lead the guards on a wild goose chase." I said, thinking out loud.
"If it works. No one has ever escaped from Purgatory Prison."
"I know what I'm doing. I hope. Give me a while to think."
"I trust you know what you're doing. I wish you luck with this plan of yours." Bardock said, heading out to the sunlit pit.
"Hey, don't you want to get out of here too?" I asked, smirking. Bardock raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you preferred to be alone." he asked.
"I need help, and you'll be able to be free at the same time. What'd ya say? You and your team help me escape."
"I think you're crazier than my niece." He replied.
"That's what I'm hoping on."
Bardock smirked and walked out into the light. I smiled to myself. A plan was coming together, and I'd be able to save Codie. We could all go home soon and try to forget this place.
All I need is Cell to come through. Man, I hope all his talk of trust means something. If not, we're screwed.
AS22: what do you think? Was it good and gross? Will the gang escape? Will anyone help me on DBZ Budokai 3? R&R!