Author's Note: Well here it is, like I promised. Enjoy!!
Chapter 28
Lights Out
Niomi sat, listening to the guards talking amongst each other. From what they were saying, Pan had been released from her torture and had been taken to the hospital wing, where Trunks-Prince Trunks-had given her his own blood! Could it be true? Could the prince of all saiyans give a mere female commoner his blood? The guards she was eavesdropping on seemed pretty sure about it. That would mean that Prince Trunks knows that she's innocent! He would have to! She thought to herself. And if Prince Trunks knows, then nothing is stopping Pan from getting out of here! Niomi grinned. Way to go, Pan. I don't know how you got the Prince on your side, but you did it. Congrats.
******
Vegeta sat at his desk, thinking about the meeting he had had no less then a week ago with his council. Take Frieza down? It seemed impossible. Other races had tried, and failed miserably. He knew that his people had a better chance, but… it just seemed like there was no way in hell that he would be able to take down the strongest being in the universe.
He knew his people would fight. Not just because he told them to, but they would fight because they wanted to. Frieza had been taking saiyans for his armies for as long as Vegeta could remember, and he knew his people were tired of being used as pawns. Frieza insulted the saiyan race whenever he felt the need to, and Vegeta knew his people would fight him with everything they had-as he would.
But could it possibly be enough?
Enough to beat the strongest being in the universe? Enough to take down armies of colossal sizes?
He wasn't sure.
*******
This is perfect, he thought, watching the lavender-haired saiyan walk down the halls to the King's room. Two of them at once? It's better then I could have wished for. He continued following, being patient-why hurry when he knew he would have them both in a mere matter of moments?
*******
Trunks walked into his father's room, getting right to the point. "Father, I know how to prove her innocent."
"What-oh, Son Pan?" Vegeta asked. His son nodded, taking a seat in front of his father.
"It's simple, really. But it'll take time. We just have to wait until the assassin attacks again."
Vegeta thought for a moment, his fierce gaze never leaving Trunks's face. He too had thought of this possibility, but he thought it might take too much time, and might not even work if the assassin didn't attack again. But it might be the only way to prove Son Pan innocent. "It'll have to do," he muttered, looking back down to his paper work.
All of a sudden, the little 'father-son' chat was interrupted when all of the lights went out, leaving the room virtually pitch black. Vegeta looked around, trying to see. "What the-?!"
Trunks stood, the hairs on the back of his neck standing up, the fur on his tail standing on end. "It's probably just a power outage," he said, trying to convince himself more then his father.
"Probably."
Trunks was still trying to see something through the darkness, but it was just too dark. He closed his eyes and relied on his other senses. His acute sense of hearing could hear his father standing from his chair… and something else moving in the back of the room. "Father, can you hear that?" he whispered.
Vegeta was doing the same thing Trunks was-relying on his other senses. "Yes," was his gruff reply.
"Father, who-" Trunks was suddenly stopped his question short with a grunt as he felt the white-hot pain of a knife slicing through his back.
A voice was transmitted to their minds. We meet again, Prince, King.
Trunks gasped in both shock and pain as panic raced through his mind.
"Trunks?!" Vegeta was worried-yes, worried-about his son. He was angry, too. He didn't like being helpless.
Trunks wasn't going to let this happen again-he couldn't-for his sake, or his peoples' sake. He powered up, his ki blasting out in the dark room, lighting it up for just a second with blue light. He stepped forward, out of the path of the knife's path and whirled to face his attacker-the assassin.
Vegeta saw them when the room lit up-and he caught a glimpse of the assassin. Could it be-? No… It's not possible… He stepped forward to the fighting, wanting to help in any way he could.
*******
He grinned slightly as his own powered raised. So the little prince wants to fight back this time, does he? He thought as his grin changed to a smirk. No worries. He'll die just the same.
*******
Trunks heard the assassin's quick, rapid breath and leaped forward, tackling him to the floor. His hands went for the assassin's throat, trying to hold him still long enough for the lights to come back on so that he could see whom this assassin was. As soon as he knew who it was, he would make sure he died a slow, painful death for framing-whoa, wait a minute. Was he starting to care for that female commoner? Impossible, his mind spat. But another, quieter, part of his mind argued, but nothing's impossible…
Trunks's mind slipped on the battle on hand and the assassin saw this and made his escape, shoving Trunks off of him roughly and jumping on him.
Vegeta could hear the fight he could not see, and angrily he powered up, his ki flaring out around him. He caught a glimpse of his son struggling with the assassin, and he lunged forward, his fist connecting with the assassin's face, sending him flying into the wall. "Trunks!" he called, "Try to contact the others and get the lights on-I'll take care of the assassin."
"But-"
"Don't argue, just do it!"
Trunks glanced at his father one last time, then found his way to the door and left.
*******
Out in the hallways Trunks found that it was just as dark as his father's office, except in the hallways had windows. He found no one in the hallways except for injured servants-obviously injured by the assassin- his worry growing. Where was everyone?
He headed towards the royal quarters, and was relieved to find his mother there. "Mother!" he called to her, bursting in the door. "Mom!"
She stood, walking up to him. "Trunks, what's going on? Why did the lights go out?"
"The assassin!" Trunks gasped, his muscles aching and his still-healing scars burning. "He turned them off-Father's holding him off."
"What?! Is he ok? Are you ok?! Wait a minute-he?! You mean it's not Son Pan?"
"No-it never was," he said, ignoring the cut in his lower left back. "Get someone-anyone-and get the lights back on." With that, he turned and left, leaving his mother to watch him shocked and perplexed.
*******
Trunks tried to run all the way back to his father's office, but his body just would not do it. Cursing, he took a seat on the floor. As soon as he was able to get up, he was off and running again.
Running down the halls, he noticed some of the lights popping back on-he could only pray that his father's office wouldn't be the last to light up.
Slamming open the door, he looked around in the still dark room. "Father? Father! Are you all right?"
"Of course I am, boy," came Vegeta's gruff voice.
Trunks listened for a moment, sounds coming to his sensitive ears. He could hear his father's panting breath-he was injured-and he could hear the assassin stumble on something he couldn't see.
Guessing where the assassin was with incredible accuracy, he leaped forward, slamming the figure up against the wall, slamming his knee into his gut.
Now knowing that he wasn't going to win, the assassin struggled wildly, trying to break free but could not.
Suddenly the lights flickered on, and furious ice blue ices stared into terrified raven ones.
"Doshen?"
Author's Note: HA!! Anyone out there know who it was before hand? Anyone guess? I was going to make it Zarbon… but I didn't, for reasons of my own. Sorry this came a little late in the day-went dress shopping for the homecoming *friends faint* Gee, I don't say that often, do I? *laughs* Well, ta-ta for now!!
"The dream is real, my friends. The failure to realize it is the only unreality."
~Toni Cade Bambera