"Sleeping on the job." Raditz ripped Veroca out of her space pod and threw her onto the ground. Veroca started awake, she scrambled to her feet cowering under his glare.
"No, no, I looked." Veroca stuttered "I looked over the whole planet." She resisted the urge to use her arms to sign for the whole world, Raditz hated that.
"And what did you find?" he demanded tapping his finger impatiently against his arm.
"I…" Veroca swallowed hard "I…" she felt like there was something stuck in her throat. Veroca cleared it and grabbed at her stomach.
"Spit it out already." Raditz growled.
"There, there was this…" Veroca couldn't breathe, Raditz growled and threw a blast at her. Veroca narrowly dodged it.
"Speak. Up." he snapped. Veroca held back the tears as she forced the words out that would destroy her.
"They…they're not…real." Veroca fell to her knees and readied herself for his tantrum.
"You wouldn't be lying to me would you?" Raditz asked
"n-no." Veroca stuttered "of course not!" Veroca jumped to her feet "I looked, I asked everyone, there's nothing here, just a bunch of boring Nemekians."
"You won't mind if I ask some of the locals then." Raditz clicked his scouter on, he searched for the weakest power level, someone easy to persuade.
"No, stop!" Veroca yelped "the Nemekians are strong here, one is even stronger than Vegeta!" Veroca grabbed his arm.
"Pathetic." Raditz whipped his tail out and knocked her across the ground, she slammed into a boulder. Picking herself up Veroca pushed the rubble off.
"You're absolutely terrified, did you even try to fight them?" Raditz demanded "no, look at you, there's not a mark on you." He growled "I don't even know if it's worth it to keep you, you're a disgrace to all Saiyans."
"If you attack them the universe is going to have two less Saiyans." Veroca snapped "most of them have a power level of three thousand, last I checked you only have a power level of one thousand."
"Liar." Raditz growled turning his scouter on.
"The balls are fake, it's a story the kids here tell each other." Veroca yelled at him then remember the game she and Veltro played "it's a stupid game you play with rocks." Raditz only half listened to Veroca, he examined the power levels registering on his scouter. They were all two thousand three thousand and a handful more at sixteen thousand. Raditz growled and glared at Veroca "what a waste of time." He growled. Veroca climbed out of the rubble. Raditz charged his fist into her stomach "you coward." He yelled at her "did you gather your information from the children too." He smacked her into the ground. "I bet you spent all this time playing with the little children didn't you?" Raditz kicked her into the water and dove in after her. He followed after her and dragged her out into the air.
"You cowardice, useless…" Raditz landed a punch with each word. "I swear I don't know why I thought I could trust you with such a simple task." He roared on, Veroca cried out in pain with each hit. "You can't do anything, you're useless, pathetic weak!" Raditz threw her onto the ground. Veroca smacked into the ground with an oomph. She struggled to get herself back up, Raditz hated when she stayed down too long, it only resulted in more pain.
"You are worthless." Raditz stepped onto her back and pressed her into the ground "I should just get rid of you right now." Raditz power up an energy blast, Veroca hated this one, she could feel the energy raise the hair on her arms and the back of her neck. She squeezed her eyes shut by Veltro Veroca clamped down on the whimper on her lips.
"Goodbye." Raditz threw the blast down on Veroca. A scream ripped out of Veroca's throat as the attack enveloped her body. The attack was electric. Veroca screamed and screamed as the attack fried her from the inside out. Her blood sizzled as the attack fizzled out. Veroca lay there unmoving.
"Veroca!" Veltro arrived in time to see the end of the attack. "Get away from her!" Veltro attacked Raditz, Raditz batted him aside easy enough, he wasn't even as strong as Veroca. Raditz laughed at the boy's incompetence. "Fool, you'll die with her." Raditz batted him into the ground.
"Veroca, are you okay?" Veltro groaned flopping over onto his stomach. Veltro nudged her but she didn't respond. "Veroca please, wake up." Veltro. He put her hand on her heart, he didn't feel anything I can wish her back Veltro pushed himself up and charged Raditz.
"Back for more." Raditz laughed easily dodging Veltro's attacks. "What's wrong, is she a friend of yours?" Raditz raised his hand to blast Veroca but Veltro grabbed Raditz arm with his tail. Raditz froze at the sight "you're a saiyan." Veltro landed a punch to his face and a kick to his stomach. Raditz staggered back "how is this possible?" Raditz was thrown back by Veltro's blast, tears shining in his eyes, he looked back at Veroca "please, wake up." He cried out to her "please, Veroca." Veltro squeezed his eyes shut looking at Veroca, surely the others would let him use the dragon balls to wish her back, right?
"She's not waking up, brat." Raditz grabbed Veltro's face and slammed him into the ground, light energy engulfed his body as Raditz blasted him deeper into the ground. Raditz laughed at the boy's still body "is it nap time already?" Raditz snickered.
"You're…bad." Veltro coughed struggled to his hands and knees. He raised his eyes to Raditz "you're… a …" Veltro brought himself to one knee, "a… bad… person." Veltro panted "you hurt Veroca, she was just a kid." Tears fell from Veltro's eyes "she was good and you killed her." Veltro yelled launching himself at Raditz.
"Maybe I should take you back instead of Veroca, you're a much better fighter." Raditz grabbed Veltro's fist and used it to make Veltro hit himself. "But you're still no match for me, runt." Raditz threw him into the air.
"You're the man who raised Veroca." Veltro gasped.
"A terrible mistake taking that one, she's completely useless." Raditz wrinkled his nose in disgust at Veroca's still form.
"She's better than you!" Veltro yelled attacking Raditz with a barrage of energy blasts. Raditz dove through them, dodging every single attack, coming straight up to Veltro's face "peek-a-boo." Raditz slammed his head into Veltro's. Veltro staggered back, losing altitude.
"Oh no, I'm not finished with you yet." Raditz sneered.
"Yes, you are."
"Dronare!" Veltro exclaimed happily.
"Put my son down now." Dronare spoke in a dangerous manner. He didn't need to yell, or even speak loudly, the quiet was so much worse.
"You want this?" Raditz held Veltro up, Dronare nodded "well I want something too." Raditz lowered Veltro back down, still holding onto his scarf.
"What is that?" Dronare asked.
"My little spy down there is a failure." Raditz snapped "I sent her here to find out if the dragon balls were myth or fact. Veltro froze Veroca was spying on us? Hurt surged through Veltro at the discovery of the truth behind Veroca's visit. But she's my friend, she hates him, she… she… Veltro was confused, he wasn't sure what to think, and Veroca was gone, at least for now, so he couldn't ask her.
"They're a game played by the children." Dronare said matter-of-factly "now release my son before I have to make you."
"Why don't you give it a try?" Raditz scoffed. Dronare charged Raditz, but Raditz, while not the strongest, did know how to play his enemies. Raditz used Veltro like a shield Dronare barely managed to stop himself before he hit Veltro. I'm going to need to get you back first Dronare said to Veltro I'll try to get away too Veltro promised we'll work together" Dronare promised. Raditz laughed at Dronare's attempts to retrieve Veltro without hurting him. Veltro was a wormy little pest too. Nothing a little shock therapy could help. Raditz pulse electrical laced energy into Veltro's body. Veltro's body spasmed and fell numb.
"I can't move!" Veltro cried out. Veltro didn't know what to do, he only ever fought for fun or to train with the others, no one had ever tried to hurt him before.
Dronare struggled to get Veltro away but it was obvious this was not Raditz first time using someone else as a shield.
Beneath the fighting Veroca finally stirred, her body tingling as it lost the numbness. She groaned sitting up, her chest ached like her heart had struggled to pump through something. Veroca groggily looked around for Raditz but when she found him she was sure her heart must have stopped. Veltro was hut and dangling there in Raditz's hand as Dronare attempted to retrieve him.
"Veltro." Veroca gasped she gathered herself and forced all her energy in launching herself at Veltro. Veroca caught Veltro as she blasted passed Raditz.
"You're alive!" Veltro exclaimed trying to encompass her in a hug but his body didn't respond.
"Still can't fly though." The two plummeted to the ground. Raditz and Dronare raced for the kids. That brat was the only thing keeping Dronare from killing him.
"Not again, you don't." Dronare wasn't taking chances, he rammed his shoulder into Raditz and sent him crashing into the ground.
"Yeah, Dronare!" Veltro cheered.
"There you are." Dronare caught Veroca and Veltro and cradled them, one in each arm. "What have a told you about running off, Veltro?" Dronare demanded with a stern look on his child.
"I'm not supposed to." Veltro sighed "but Veroca was gone and I thought she was leaving without saying goodbye." Veltro looked at Veroca, she was injured but she was okay.
"You left your power level reader." Veltro struggled to make his arm move but when he did he pulled the scouter from his pocket and held it out. Veroca shook her head "I left it for you." Veroca said.
"But why?" Veltro said his smile fading "I thought you wanted to stay."
"I don't want to." Veroca said "but Raditz…" Veroca trailed off
"Dronare can take care of Raditz." Veltro yelled "I thought we were friends." Tears welled up in Veltro's eyes and then he remembered, he remember what Raditz had called her before.
"Did you just come here to find out about the dragon balls?" Veltro's blood froze in his veins "is that why you were here?"
"Yes." Veroca didn't try to defend herself, as far as she was concerned she deserved to be hated.
"But why, you were my friend." Veltro sniffled "but you saved me and-and-and." Veltro got himself worked up. Dronare sighed and set them all down on the ground.
"Settle down." Dronare said with a comforting smile as he held Veltro's hands in his own. "It's okay." Veltro didn't look at Dronare though, he looked to Veroca, his best friend, his first alien friend.
"I…" Veroca didn't know what to say, so she dropped her head and wrung out her hands.
"Say something!" Veltro yelled at her "He was lying, right?" Veltro offered hopefully, he almost wished she would lie to him, he didn't want to lose her.
"No." Veroca sighed "he wanted me to find out about the dragon balls." She swallowed hard "but they're just a game, so he got mad." Veroca lifted her eyes to meet Veltro's hoping he would get the hint. Raditz appeared beside Veroca grabbing her by the back of her armor and dangled her there.
"Tell me the truth or your new friend is going to pay the price." Raditz smirked at Veltro and Dronare. Dronare straightened up, ready to fight but Veroca shook her head.
"It's a game." Dronare said "the game is ancient but the kids love it." Dronare managed to say light heartedly.
"Oh really." Raditz pondered the information he was given, it was a farfetched idea to begin with and considered the situation.
"Release Veroca." Dronare ordered dangerously pushing Veltro behind him. Veltro looked to Veroca, she avoided his eyes for the most part but for just fractions of a second she would glance at him.
"I don't think I will." Raditz backed up several steps to get closer to his pod "I think I'll give my friends a call and we'll take a look around for these dragon balls."
"You're gonna get us killed." Veroca said "Nail has a power level of over forty thousand."
"Impossible." Raditz snapped uncertainly, this little escapade was turning out to be more than he bargained for.
"Let just go." Veroca said, this time she did look at Veltro. Veltro tried to lung forward but Dronare stopped him "let her make her decision." Dronare said although he wasn't looking forward to dealing with the aftermath of what Veroca was doing.
"But she's not bad." Veltro struggled to get to Veroca. Veltro was angry with her still but he wanted her to be there for him to be angry with for a little and then they could laugh some more.
"Don't go." Veltro whimpered "let Dronare save you." Raditz dropped Veroca and turned back to his space pod.
"He can't." Veroca turned away from Veltro and climbed into her space pod.
"Veroca, no!" Veltro screamed. Dronare held tightly to Veltro.
Are you sure? Dronare spoke to Veroca telepathically. Veroca forced a smile and nodded he'll be safer Dronare didn't have to ask who the he was. Veltro clawed and screamed at Dronare to let him go, ordering him to save Veroca, not only from Raditz, but from herself as well.
"By, Veltro." Veroca waved as the pod sealed shut. The pod linked up with Raditz so that she wouldn't have to type in any coordinates.
"Veroca!" Veltro finally broke free of Dronare's grasp as the pods flew upward, Veroca stared down through her window at Veltro as he fell to his knees and started to wail. Dronare went to Veltro and knelt beside him. Veroca sighed and sat back in her seat.
"Are the dragon balls real?" Raditz demanded through the communicators on the ship.
"No, it was just a game." Veroca said sourly.
"What a waste of time." Raditz grumbled.
Veroca watched Veltro and then the planet fade away. She held back her tears, she swallowed all feeling she had and she tucked them away inside herself, a dark unused empty corner of her mind. One day she hoped she'd be able to revisit it, and see Veltro again but until then, she would hide it. She would carry on as she was as if she had never met the Nemekian Saiyan, Veltro.