In the Air Tonight

Chapter 1- Lives Changed

Disclaimer: Second verse, same as the first. I don't own anything but my plot and original characters. Everything else is borrowed from Akira Toriyama.

With much fanfare, Vegeta and his team returned, victorious. No one had been informed of Bardock's fate, or of their new team member. Almost immediately after Vegeta entered his chamber to throw his things onto his bed, one of Frieza's henchmen knocked on his door.

Growling savagely, he charged a small ki attack with his index finger. He let it go and smirked as it struck the door, shaking it. A girly scream rang through the corridor soon afterwards. Vegeta hit the button to open his door. Seeing the henchman cowering in fear near the opposite wall, he once again sneered in superiority and leaned against the vacant door opening. "You wanted something?"

The younger man composed himself enough to speak with a shaking voice. "Lord Frieza has asked for your audience within his throne room immediately." He then recoiled against the wall, as if he were readying himself to be struck.

Watching this, Vegeta snorted and stood straight. "Tell him I will be in as soon as I am settled and not a moment sooner." With that, he turned and slammed his fist against the button to close the door. The younger man ran off to give his master Vegeta's message.

Breathing in deeply before stepping toward what could've quite possibly been his end, Vegeta stalked into Frieza's throne room. As he approached the creature's perch, he dropped to one knee and crossed his right arm over his chest, bowing his head in a sign of respect. 'As if that horrid ass deserves the respect of the Prince of Saiyans,' thought Vegeta bitterly. "You beseeched my presence, Lord Frieza?"

The same sickeningly feminine chuckle filled the air like the putrid stench of death. "You're brave Monkey. I would never beg your appearance before me. I'm sure you're more than incensed to find out what I have called you here for."

'Not on your life you worthless lizard.' "Of course I am, my Lord." Vegeta rolled his eyes stealthily, as to not get caught. He hated being this creature's personal play thing, but inside he knew he had to bide his time.

Leering at the once proud royal, Frieza replied in a collected voice. "I know you, Monkey. I know you don't like me, and I know you would love to see my entire empire fall. You would love to see my father's name disgraced as yours was." With this, he rose from his seat and walked around Vegeta like a shark circling their prey.

Vegeta lifted his head to argue, but Frieza's well manicured hand elevated, stopping his speech before the words left his lips. "No need to disagree, Monkey. I've known for a long time. This new member to your team that I spoke of, I have reason to believe that this individual is plotting against me. The difference is, now I have you to do what I could not." Frieza chuckled in amusement at the look of confusion that flashed across Vegeta's young face.

Vegeta bit his tongue, hoping the pain would keep him from asking what came to his mind, but he failed. "Sir, what do you mean? What can I do that you cannot?"

Smirking, Frieza explained. "You, Monkey boy, will watch this individual like a hawk. If you want to escape the fate of your people, you will report to me. Anything that seems even a bit out of the ordinary, you tell me. Do I make myself clear?"

Biting back a growl, Vegeta bowed his head once again and ground out a single word, "Crystal."

Radditz, a tall, muscular Saiyan walked into the training room just in time to see Vegeta smash a battle droid. Watching him for a moment, he decided it best to announce his presence before his prince decided to take things out on him. Clearing his throat audibly, he bowed in respect as Vegeta took notice. "Having fun, Vegeta?"

Growling at the older male, he looked down at the destroyed pieces of scrap metal and huffed. "Does it look like it?" Shaking his head, he kicked a large chunk of steel at the other figure in the room.

Radditz stared for a moment, then strolled farther into the room, sighing. "I take it things with the lizard didn't go well?"

Narrowing his eyes, Vegeta leaned back against the wall and shook his head. "That's the understatement of your life time. I'm heir to the throne of a dead race, captive to a slave driving lizard, and now I've become the official rebel-child babysitter." Snarling in frustration, he sent the conquered droid into oblivion with a large ki blast.

'Babysitter? Rebel-child?' "If you don't mind me asking, what is it that Frieza expects you to do?" Radditz stood patiently as his younger counterpart explained the whole encounter. As the news sunk into his consciousness, he could only think of one thing, "How did he know that you were plotting against him?"

Vegeta could only shake his head. He had no idea how Frieza had come to know such a closely guarded secret. "The only thing I can surmise is that one of our fellow soldiers overheard something they shouldn't have. I just can't wrap my head around why Frieza would want me watching someone that is doing the same. What is he up to?"

Zaria flipped her emerald, plaited hair over her shoulder as her pod docked to Frieza's ship. Humming a song softly to herself, she tried to forget everything she had seen and done for the last few months. 'I'll never understand why I do this. So what if Frieza would kill me for defying his orders? At least I would be slaughtering millions of innocent men, women, and children every time I go out on a mission.' She grumbled to herself that she had to be the only of her kind that was blessed with a conscience.

Sighing softly, she replaced the look of hurt that would most likely have clearly shone through her eyes with the normal emotionless façade that she wore when on the ship. Smirking coldly, she thought of how much she probably reminded people of her half brother, hence why so many souls chose to give her a wide berth.

As her hatch opened, she stretched and stood, removing her lithe body from the small compartment. Smiling tenderly at her team members one last time, she traipsed down the hall at a quick pace, putting her old life behind her and ready to start her new one.