Sorry for the long, long wait. It's been hectic around here with work and Crowley and other things and hard to find the time to write. I managed to get another chapter done. Don't worry, I'm not neglecting the other stories. They're coming along slowly because I don't want to rush it and make it sound all wrong. A rushed story is never good. I'm hoping you're still enjoying the story. Also, to whoever nominated this story in the Prince and the Heiress awards, thank you. It means a lot. It was very unexpected.

VP

XXXXXXxxxxxxxx

Six – A Bit of Misdirection

XXXXxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"I have a plan." Bulma smiled as she walked down the ramp of the main ship. "I know how you can make it appear like you've left even though you are with us."

"How's that?" Vegeta questioned as they walked towards his space pod. The time was drawing near, they only had two more hours until the planet was in prime position to launch the getaway craft.

"Your pod will launch first. It will launch in view of Frieza's ship and I've programmed it to drive itself to a set of coordinates and land. It will take about a month to get there, well within the time range Frieza has given you. It won't open and it'll stay on the planet for about a week before relaunching. The planet is a dead one, no life forms." She began.

"Won't that make him a bit suspicious?"

"No, because the planet is uncharted. Doctor Briefs had records that he kept while he was captured. Detailed ones, double encrypted."

"How detailed?"

"Very. He hacked into Freiza's mainframe on occasion, undetected. My father was very smart, knew how to keep himself hidden. Just before he was captured he was working on a data logger for businesses, especially his own." She pulled out the small chip and placed it in the data reader. It pulled up a 3D map of the galaxy showing all solar systems within range. "These purple planets are the dead zones. Places Frieza either had yet to explore or dead planets altogether."

"How did he keep this information from the tyrant?" Vegeta asked as she rotated the map clockwise and zoomed in on a specific planet.

"He only logged in while Frieza was either away or sleeping. Mostly away though. He even taught me how to do it. He'd log the data Frieza's minions had collected while they were out on scouting missions. He'd keep the original data on the logger then reformat the data Freiza received from the scouting missions. The files had all the same icons and names so that Frieza still thought that his informants were bringing him the right info. He also saved a lot of lives by claiming most planets had no resources or were already dead. However, he couldn't fudge all the records or else Frieza would get suspicious."

"Indeed."

"Anyway, we're sending your pod here. This is F-Z0. It's a rocky body, no life, no atmosphere. Completely out of Frieza's range. He doesn't even know it exists."

"My pod has a tracking system." He stated. "What have you done about that?"

"Manual control. I rerouted the tracker so that he thinks you're going in a completely different direction." She pulled up the map again. "His systems are so simple to hack, even his scouter. I shut off the beacon and even turned off the function so that it only receives data and not transmits."

"Extraordinary." Vegeta stated, impressed. "Your creator did amazing with you, I must admit."

"I just wish that he could've been my father. He never had a chance to have a family. He was taken even before he was able to marry, the planet purged and forgotten about." She looked down at her hands before unplugging the chip and placing it back into the hidden pocket in her armor. "This is all I have left of him now. Perhaps, maybe, if it were another life."

"Perhaps." Vegeta turned and closed his pod before taking her arm and guiding her to the main ship. "How will it launch?"

"It's on a timer, the main sequence will begin soon. After your ship leaves, we wait an hour for the perfect planet position, then we launch ourselves."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Frieza growled low in his throat as he watched the last of the pods leave from his ship. His pet prince had one more hour to go before he had to leave the planet. He was watching very intently for the takeoff so he could set out on his own search party. There would be extreme hell to pay if he found his precious treasure before any of the scouts did. He had a feeling that the little tart had escaped to reaches unknown. Doctor Briefs had meddled too much, this he was certain, but it was unclear how much tampering he actually did. Any records were destroyed.

The tyrant huffed out a breath before enlarging the view of the planet below on his screen. The red hue dominating the view. It was a pity the prince had made his choices, he really wasn't done experimenting with the monkeys yet. The Blue Flame was only the first in a line of experiments. A new scientist was needed, but he was sincerely hoping he could convince his precious pet to do the work.

"Dodoria, be a dear and fetch me my evening meal."

"Yes, your lordship." The pink blob bowed before exiting the main chamber. Time was ticking, and so far it didn't look good for the prince or his planet.

Xxxxxxxxxxxx

"We have 45 minutes before launch. Is everything to specifications?" Vegeta asked.

"Yes, we're ready. We'll be launching your pod in 15 minutes." Bardock stated as he began clearing the final boxes and capsules. "Everyone is on board."

"Very good."

Bulma tweaked a few more settings before the pod closed with a hard clang. A sigh escaped her lips as the sequence began and countdown initiated. She hoped against hope that this plan would work and she could get away from her tormentor for good. In the back of her mind, she knew that it was inevitable that she would face the creature at least once more before all was said and done. Her missions still haunted her, even now.

"You do realize your little creator will die if you don't do as I say?" His voice echoed in her mind. "This planet has disobeyed me for the last time. They will know terror, my messenger. You will purge this place. Kill everyone and leave nothing."

"I will be free of you." She heard the strike before she saw it, her face heating with the sting.

"I am your master! I choose when you leave me and nothing else matters but the tasks I have chosen for you. Now, Blue Flame, I order you to kill!"

A tear slid down her cheek as she looked up at her creator, his neck encircled by a white tail, a dark and sinister look from her master, his red eyes flashing as he laughed with glee. She turned from the sight and looked at the embers of the wasteland she had created. Body upon body, ruins of buildings, charred remains. The screams still echoing in her ears. She pulled the gloves from her hands, stained with sweat, blood, and numerous tears.

"What am I becoming?"

"Bulma..." She shook her head and looked at her mate, his eyebrow raised in question. "It's time."

"Yes." After a moment, she pressed the button to launch the pod and then turned towards the huge drop ship meant to take the remainder of the survivors from the planet.

"What was that about?"

"Old, bad memories." Bulma pushed her hair behind her ears and looked down at the datapad. "It feels like a lifetime ago, but it was only a few months before my escape. It was the last straw, I decided."

"Come, we haven't a moment to spare." Vegeta eased her along. "Bardock has already begun the launch sequence checks. He needs you in the cockpit for further adjustments."

"Of course."

XXXXXXxxxxxxxx

Frieza smiled brightly as he saw the royal pod leave the atmosphere. Apparently, the little Monkey did have a sense of self-preservation. A cackle escaped his lips as he looked down at his two other creations. It was time for them to leave this place and set out on his main hunt. His creation wouldn't escape so easily. Her time was running out.

"Dodoria, set a course for F-Z32. We're going to begin our search for my little creation."

"Of course, sir."

"Once we're there, I'll be arranging my own party. Those monkeys will only do so much, but in the end, I know how much they're worth."

"Do you want us to exterminate the planet on our exit, my Lord?"

"No. I still have use of it yet. Especially if my little treasure can't be found. I'll need to make another."

"By your word, Master."

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This is taking too long." Kakarot grumbled as he continued to help his father put wires together. "I thought it was ready."

"It is almost there. Five more minutes." Bardock sighed. "You are as impatient as ever."

"Kakarot, enough horsing around." Vegeta grumbled. "Bulma is here to take your place, I'm sure a lot more work will be done now."

"I need to check on Chi-Chi anyway."

"Of course, attend to your harpy." Vegeta pushed him out of the way. "Just get out of the way."

"You don't have to be so uptight." Bulma teased as she entered the cockpit and started fixing the wires that had been missed. "At least he was trying."

"Whatever, just hurry."

"We're almost in the position your Highness. Just a few more minutes before the rotation is complete and we're able to launch." Bardock lifted his welding hood and looked towards the schematics once more.

"I thought you were ready to run the sequences?"

"I tried to start it up but we had a bit of an electrical malfunction. It appears that a few wires were in the incorrect places."

"Kakarot, no doubt."

"My son is trying. Before Bulma arrived he was the only one, besides you, to help. Frieza took the rest of the warriors on suicide missions. The ones that were the best of scientific minds."

"Just fix it."

"Almost there."

"Just these two wires and it should be ready." Bulma smiled as she capped the last ones and heard the sequence panel reset.

"Perfect!" Bardock exclaimed. "And we're still right on schedule."

"Launch will begin in 10 minutes and 59 seconds. Thrusters engaged and warming up to starting sequences." The computer chirped.

"Where is Freiza's position?" Vegeta asked.

"He's almost completely out of view of the planet now. He turned around after your pod launched." Bulma stated as she closed the panel. "He'll be completely out of planet range before we launch. His ship should make the jump just as we clear the atmosphere. All we have to do after that is set a destination."

"See to it. Bardock, I assume you know where we're headed?"

"Of course, sire. Just leave it to me."