Chapter 9
"It all started when we returned from our mission the night you left twelve years ago" Raditz started causing Vegeta's ears to perk up in anticipation.
12 years ago
Raditz and Nappa stared at the fading form of Vegeta's space pod before looking at each other and nodding with serious expressions adorning their faces.
The Saiyans both knew that planet Vegeta was most likely destroyed and their families along with it. After the last transmission that came through Vegeta's scouter, they believed with all their heart that their race would eventually get retribution, but until that day they must bide their time and serve under the tyrant that destroyed their home.
The thought of it unnerved the 10-year-old Raditz and he didn't know if he could fake loyalty to the evil lizard responsible for his parents and planets destruction, especially long enough to give Vegeta time to get strong enough to defeat Frieza.
Seeing his younger comrades face scrunch up in anger, Nappa placed a comforting hand on the child's shoulder. This was not a normal act for the former Saiyan army commander, but he could see that Raditz needed some form of comforting. He was just told that his family and planet was destroyed. Nappa could sympathize with Raditz.
"Come on kid. Let's get back to Frieza's base and give him our mission report" Nappa said letting go of his shoulder.
Raditz nodded and together, the two Saiyans made their way towards their space pods.
XxXxXx
When Raditz and Nappa arrived on Frieza's spaceship they were met with many smug looking faces from Frieza's soldiers, and muffled laughter could be heard throughout the halls.
Raditz was very close to lashing out at the nearest soldier, as he couldn't stand the looks that he and Nappa were getting. His tail swayed violently back and forth as he began to gather his energy.
Being the closest to Raditz; Nappa's scouter alerted him of Raditz' raising power immediately and although Raditz' power level was low; it would be sure to alert the other scouters in the area.
Thinking fast Nappa grabbed Raditz tail and all the power drained from the young Saiyan almost instantly.
The groggy Raditz gave Nappa a look of appreciation as the former Saiyan general carried him by his tail to their quarters.
'Note to self: Remember to teach Raditz how to get over the effects of tail grabbing' Nappa thought to himself as he threw Raditz on to his cottage.
Once they were behind closed doors, the two began to strategize on how they would explain Vegeta's apparent death to Frieza.
Even though he was the youngest of the group, he was easily the strongest, and it was unlikely that Nappa and Raditz could survive a battle that would kill the prince. Their story had to be flawless if it was going to even have a chance at convincing Frieza.
Raditz looked up sharply as if he was physically slapped in the face. He just had an idea that was capable of fooling and pleasing Frieza at the same time. He turned to alert Nappa of his plan.
"Nappa, Frieza sent us to a technologically advanced planet to purge correct? What if we say that after we thought we killed all the inhabitants, a single survivor hacked our scouters and snuck up on us and took out Vegeta before we could manage to kill him?" Raditz suggested.
Nappa thought over Raditz plan. Hypothetically it could work, and all the details would add up. Nappa couldn't help but be impressed by the ten-year old's plan.
"That could work and seeing that Vegeta was the strongest out of us, it's only natural to assume that they would attack him as he was the greatest threat. That's battle strategy 101" the former army commander said smirking.
Raditz smirked to himself as the plan was expanded on. Shortly after the plan was fully developed, the two Saiyans were interrupted by their door being opened by a low level Frieza henchman.
"Hey monkeys, Frieza demands you go to his throne room at once for your mission report. Don't keep him waiting too long or I'll drag you there myself" the alien said smugly smiling before he felt a hot beam burning a hole through his body.
He looked up to see Nappa with a sinister smirk and his hand extended before he collapsed to the floor dead.
Raditz looked at Nappa in surprise causing Nappa to shrug his shoulders.
"He wasn't going to live past today anyway. He should be honored to be killed by Saiyan hands" Nappa said as walked out of the door leaving Raditz behind.
'I see. I have to be ruthless like Nappa if I'm going to survive long enough to reconnect with Vegeta later' Raditz thought to himself as he disintegrated the dead body before hastily catching up to Nappa.
Once the two Saiyans arrived at the door to Frieza's throne room they looked at each other and with a nod of understanding they both entered the room with their heads high and proud.
Both Saiyans realized their mistake when four death beams penetrated their knees forcing them to kneel.
Raditz gasped in pain as he looked up to see Frieza's smoking finger still pointed towards them.
"Never enter my throne room with your head held high you stupid monkeys! You're not worth the dirt on my floor and you two dare to look so proud?" Frieza said causing a laugh to erupt from Zarbon and Dodoria who were instantly silenced with a look from Frieza.
Nappa, who was struggling to keep his composure let a low growl escape from his throat. This was the wrong move as he was suddenly on the receiving end of another death beam to his right bicep.
"What was that brute? I didn't hear much over the delightful sound of your pain, besides that looks like a natural position for you" Frieza said laughing in pure amusement.
Nappa lifted his head up slowly with veins of anger protruding from his skull. The scouters beeping in the room were the only warning to the older Saiyans intentions before a yellow beam of energy erupted from his mouth sailing straight towards Frieza.
Seeing what his comrade did Raditz thought fast and zoomed in front of the blast before anyone could do anything.
The young Saiyan felt nothing but a burning sensation on his back. The blast from Nappa was much stronger than he anticipated, but he knew that if the beam had reached Frieza, then Nappa was as good as dead, and Raditz did not want to be alone on this ship, besides Vegeta needed as many allies as he could get in order to defeat Frieza and Raditz would not let Nappa jeopardize their mission.
He'd rather die! And as his smoldering body hit the ground, he realized that dying was a very real possibility before losing consciousness. The room was quiet for a moment as everyone looked at Raditz' charred body.
Seeing the young Saiyans smoking body land with a thud made Frieza's amusement grow.
"Well it seems that the little monkey was smarter than you Nappa, raise your energy against me again and I'll send you to your family… Speaking of little monkeys; where is Vegeta?" Frieza asked realizing that his favorite toy wasn't there.
Being the only one capable of responding Nappa spoke up.
"He was killed by the last survivor of that planet. We had our scouters hacked and he ambushed us. He saw Prince Vegeta as the greatest threat and took him out first… by the time I was able to respond and eliminate the last life form, Vegeta was already gone " Nappa said solemnly.
Frieza's eyes narrowed as he assessed the story. It does make sense because the Saiyans scouters did go offline. Zarbon and Dodoria both looked at their leader as he contemplated over the bald Saiyans words.
Finally, Frieza sighed with what seemed to be genuine sadness before his smile turned sinister.
"That is truly unfortunate. I only just received him as a gift from his deceased Father, but that is why I allowed Raditz to live as well. He is now my new toy" Frieza said coldly causing everyone in the room with exception of the unconscious Raditz to feel a chill down their spine.
He turned to Zarbon and Dodoria before beginning to give out orders.
"Take the two monkeys to the healing chambers and have them healed. Once the little monkey has been fully healed bring him to me so I can inform him of his new role in my empire. Just to clarify I want him unharmed" He said.
The two henchmen hurried to fulfill Frieza's orders with Dodoria hauling the nearly unconscious giant on his shoulders and walking towards the healing chamber room. Zarbon simply grabbed Raditz by the tail and followed the pink brute.
Seeing the rough treatment Raditz was receiving Nappa weakly said " Be careful with his tail you idiot"
The remark caused Zarbon to viciously backhand the Saiyan. The impact was enough to make Dodoria stumble a little while holding him.
"Never speak to me in such a manner ever again you filthy oaf" the blue skinned alien said before continuing to march on towards the infirmary followed by the disgruntled Dodoria.
Once there, the Saiyans were tossed into the healing chamber to recover from their encounter with Frieza.
Zarbon and Dodoria watched patiently as the charred body of Raditz slowly returned to its natural color and the wounds were beginning to heal.
Bored waiting, Dodoria decided to try to strike up a conversation with Zarbon.
"So, what do you think Lord Frieza has planned for the boy?" He asked him curiously.
Zarbon sneered at the question. Dodoria disgusted him and even though he couldn't care less about the young Saiyan, he couldn't even imagine what horrors that Frieza had in store for him.
"I have no clue, but it can't be anything pleasant that's for sure" Zarbon replied clearly not wanting to continue the conversation.
Sensing this Dodoria didn't say anything else to Zarbon as he was left alone to his thoughts.
'I wonder if Lord Frieza will want help in torturing him' Dodoria smiled and licked his crusty lips as thoughts of torture crossed his mind.
Seeing his actions Zarbon resisted the urge to vomit. He hated that he had to work with such a repulsive creature and if it wasn't for Frieza's protection; Zarbon would've rid the universe of Dodoria decades ago.
The beeping of the machine 3 hours later alerted the two henchmen that a Saiyan was done healing, unfortunately for them it was Nappa and not Raditz.
The bald Saiyan stepped out of the healing tank and openly glared at Zarbon and Dodoria with pure hatred as he dried off and dressed himself.
Dodoria smirked at him while Zarbon just ignored the Saiyan altogether.
"Why are you two still here?" Nappa asked.
While Zarbon debated whether it was any of his business, Dodoria took the opportunity to torment the larger Saiyan.
"We are going to take the kid with us and use him for our personal entertainment" Dodoria said licking his lips.
The implied meaning of Dodoria's words made both Zarbon and Nappa look at him in disgust. Nappa wasn't at all amused with Dodoria's intentions for the child but Zarbon spoke before he could.
"Dodoria if you so much as think about doing something like that to the little monkey, I'll destroy you. That's disgusting and Frieza gave us specific orders on bringing him back unharmed" he said with a very sinister look that chilled Dodoria to his core.
Nappa looked at Zarbon in shock before his facial expression slowly turned to something resembling gratitude.
The room fell into silence as no one made a sound for hours until the beeping of the healing chamber alerted the three that Raditz was finally done healing.
Raditz stepped out surprised to see not only Nappa, but Zarbon and Dodoria there waiting for him to finish healing.
"Get dressed and come with us Saiyan. Frieza is waiting for you" Zarbon said.
Raditz looked at Nappa in fear as he followed Zarbon and Dodoria out the room. All Nappa could do was return to his quarters and hope that the younger Saiyan would be fine.
Raditz walked behind Zarbon and Dodoria in silence wondering what Frieza had in store for him. Raditz knew that he was no match for Frieza, but if Frieza planned to dispose of him he wouldn't go down without a fight.
Zarbon looked back and saw the determined yet fearful expression on the young Saiyan's face before sighing.
"Relax little monkey, we aren't going to touch you. Frieza is just going to inform you of your new role within the empire. Think of it as a promotion of sorts" Zarbon said trying to somewhat calm Raditz.
Raditz couldn't help but wonder what this 'promotion' was that Zarbon was talking about, but he wouldn't have to wonder long as Zarbon and Dodoria stopped outside Frieza's doors stepping aside to let Raditz in.
"Frieza's waiting for you inside Saiyan. Stay quiet and try not to scream to hard no matter how much it hurts" Dodoria said teasing Raditz and laughing.
Both Raditz and Zarbon rolled their eyes as Raditz walked forward and entered Frieza's throne room.
Remembering what happened last time he entered Frieza's room, Raditz swallowed his pride and bowed his head as he entered.
Seeing this Frieza chuckled to himself.
"My my, I guess the little monkey learned from last time. I'm impressed" Frieza said in a falsely sweet voice.
Raditz didn't like constantly being called a monkey but he knew that there was nothing that he could do about it. Frieza's power was just worlds ahead of his own.
"I was told by Zarbon that you wanted to inform me of my new role within your empire. What does he mean by that?" Raditz asked.
"Oh, it's quite simple child, you are now my personal punching bag. Every time I need to let off some pent-up frustration you will be called so that I can beat you until all my stress leaves. I won't kill you, but you will experience pain like you have never felt before. You will also be tortured on the daily basis and I expect you to come at a moment's notice. You are to come whenever I call. Is this understood?" Frieza said.
Raditz couldn't help himself as he trembled in fear. He slowly nodded as he understood what Frieza was ordering him to do. Frieza smirked at the blatant fear in the child's eyes.
"Good to know that you understand your position. Your job is one of the most important ones in the entire organization. You should feel honored young Saiyan" Frieza said smiling.
Frieza could feel Raditz' overwhelming fear and it delighted him. He dismissed Raditz after making sure that Raditz understood.
After Raditz left the room he quickly returned to his shared room with Nappa. When he opened the door the older Saiyan instantly rose and seeing the expression on Raditz' face his expression darkened.
"What did that midget lizard say to you?" Nappa asked.
Raditz looked up at his comrade and told him everything that Frieza told him. The veins in Nappa's head twitched furiously as he processed what he just heard. He looked at Raditz before making his mind up.
"Raditz come here" Nappa said.
Raditz looked up to Nappa as he put his large hand on the top of his wild mane of hair. Raditz suddenly felt a surge of power as Nappa transferred a little over half of his power into the ten-year-old.
"Stay right here and no matter what happens remember that you carry the pride of our race within you. You will persevere and stand alongside Vegeta when it's time to finally kill the lizard. I'll be watching" Nappa said.
Empowered Raditz looked down at his hand in confusion before looking up to see that Nappa had already left before he could respond.
Panicking, Raditz clicked his scouter locking on to Nappa's energy which had already made it to Frieza's throne room. Raditz ran as fast as he could to Frieza's room only to freeze and stare in shock at what he saw.
Nappa had broken down Frieza's door and sent a bomber dx towards the frost demon. As the smoke cleared Frieza's expression was of pure malice and the evil energy could be felt in the air. He raised a finger and fired death beam that pierced Nappa's heart.
Coughing blood, the large Saiyan hit the floor. Seeing Raditz standing in the doorway, Nappa gave the young Saiyan one final smile before his eyes closed for the last time.
Raditz stared at the scene in horror as his only ally in Frieza's empire was killed right before his eyes. He unknowingly let tears roll down his face as he looked at the lifeless body of Nappa.
Frieza looked over to see Raditz standing in the doorway. He smiled before commenting.
"Perfect timing Raditz. I was just feeling a little stressed, so I require your services. Please scream as loud as you can. I love hearing the sounds of suffering" Frieza said.
Raditz watched with blank eyes as Dodoria walked by him with Nappa's lifeless body in his hands. He slowly took his eyes off his body before slowly walking to Frieza and receiving the beating of his life.
For the next 12 years he received weekly abuse from Frieza and although it was unpleasant his power did grow greatly throughout his stay here. He now rivaled the power of an elite Saiyan.
Raditz was just wondering how Vegeta and Kakarot were doing before he felt a strong pull in his stomach as he was transported through space in an instant. Next thing he knew he was surrounded by his brothers and the 2 princes.
Present Day
Vegeta looked at Raditz with sympathy as he finished his story on what he's been through. Vegeta felt bad that he had to leave his friend behind when he left, and he doesn't like that he's been through so much torture in his stay with Frieza.
"Raditz, I promise that Frieza will pay for what he's done to you" Vegeta said with a fierce look of determination on his face.
Raditz smirked at the oldest prince before replying
"I have no doubt that he will Vegeta. If I didn't have the upmost faith in you then I wouldn't have bothered surviving as long as I have. You WILL avenge our race and I'll be there to witness it"
The room got quiet as Vegeta and Raditz shared a moment of camaraderie before Vegeta stood up and walked towards the door but before he could leave Raditz called out.
"Make sure to return quickly to Princess Bulma, you have been keeping her waiting for the past few hours"
Vegeta froze in his tracks as he turned towards his friend.
" Meet me on the lawn at 8 am. I think we're long overdue for a sparring match" Vegeta said before marching out the room.
Raditz smirked at Vegeta's retreating form then laid down on his bed and closing his eyes.
Raditz couldn't help but smile as he drifted into the best sleep he had since he was 10.
TBC
Thank you for all the support and reviews on the last chapter. For those asking about my update schedule, I will begin to update more often. Shoot it's not like I got anything better to do with this corona stuff going on. I hope that everyone stays safe and remember to social distance.
Power levels
Raditz: 490
(Zenkai): 900
(After Nappa gave him power): 3900
Nappa: 6500
(Zenkai): 7200