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20
Perpetual return
I never thought about it, even if the concept is quite obvious: torture is only fun as long as the victim suffers. It's the first time in my existence that I've found myself faced with this awareness, and it's ridiculous that it is someone like Granium demonstrating it to me. Apparently one can get used to pain, or maybe it's only the race of this scum to deal with it in such an unacceptable way.
Dodoria punches him again but, despite the groan of pain, he persists in not opening his mouth.
«You are in my hands, Granium, there is no way to escape me. Just give up!»
He doesn't say anything. He stands there, his head down, blood dripping from his broken lips onto the floor. My frustration is truly indescribable: I have never had so little power over someone and I can't accept it. Torture usually causes souls to weaken... here, however, exactly the opposite seems to happen.
A nod from me and Dodoria's fist crashes into his belly again, but the reaction does not satisfy me. He seems reduced to a puppet and perhaps that's because of the progressive disintegration of his body: I now believe that there is very little left intact of bones, tendons and internal organs.
«Speak!» I scream, but I get no response.
Damn you!
Dodoria awaits my order but it won't arrive: it no longer makes sense to proceed. Suddenly I understand that I can't push myself any further: not even the resuscitation tanks can put that helpless body back on track any longer.
«Lord Frieza, has he confessed yet?»
Zarbon enters the room after having been in the Command Room to gather the latest information. I don't answer such an idiotic question with such an obvious answer.
«News?»
«From Netiko, they confirm they have sighted your father's spaceship entering orbit. A three thousand men cargo, they say; one of the aerodynamic ones capable of exceeding the speed of sound. It's not incredible that it took him so little to reach it.»
«There's no more time» I say, shaking my head. Now it's just a matter of waiting to see what will happen.
I turn towards Granium. The only consolation is that he no longer has the strength to show that repulsive smile.
«Soon you will no longer be of any use to me, but if you hope I can release you from your agony, you are wrong. You will live until I decide, and you will suffer as no one in this Universe has ever suffered. I give you my word!»
Zarbon interrupts me before he can think about what to do.
«Lord Frieza, if I may, I don't think it is appropriate to continue» he states, giving voice to my thoughts. «That thing is in such bad shape that it couldn't stand another session for much longer. In any case, I think I have an idea...»
He's smiling and he wouldn't look so confident if his idea wasn't truly brilliant.
«Tell me.»
He wasn't expecting anything else.
«You said you don't want to get rid of this being, but he will die soon if he remains in that body. However, I remind you that we have in our possession a prisoner capable of performing the Body Change...»
He doesn't continue, leaving the rest to my imagination. I raise my eyebrows, enjoying the immense prospect of being able to renew the suffering of my personal puppet indefinitely.
«That's why you're at my side, Zarbon. I'll make sure you can lead an army of your own as soon as possible. Meanwhile, take Granium to a resuscitation tank and have the prisoner brought here.»
I admit that it is strange to find myself in front of Dalion's body despite knowing that it now houses a completely different soul.
He kneels in front of me, chained, forced by Dodoria to keep his head down. I have no intention of risking a backlash from him, even though I'm sure he would never try, now that he understands who he's dealing with.
«Welcome back, dear wanderer» I greet him. «I hope you enjoyed your stay in my cells. Luckily for you, though, you're more useful to me here.»
He doesn't speak but I notice that there is no trace of bravado on his face. Prison marked him by carving dark circles around eyes and cheekbones of the face that belonged to my former Commander.
«What do you have to say? Are you cooperative, or do you want to go back there?»
«I am at your command, Lord Frieza.»
«Exactly what I was hoping to hear. You said you wanted to put your technique at my service: well, that's exactly what I expect from you right now.»
He raises his eyes trying to look at me while keeping his face down. Maybe he wants to understand what he means and I won't leave him hanging.
«I have a prisoner who, for reasons that do not concern you, must remain alive. After several days of torture, however, his body unfortunately does not feel the same way. Here, I would need you to give him the joy of an intact body, not marked by torture and, above all, sensitive to pain. Can you do it for me, wanderer?»
He trembles, hesitates under the grip of my Commander's calloused hand. Obviously he has no choice, but he immediately understood what this meant.
«Should… should I swap bodies with him?»
«That's exactly what I'm asking you.»
«But then I would get a broken body…»
I smile.
«It doesn't change much: either you will obtain it through your technique or through the torture that I will inflict on you if you deny it. However, to make it more convenient for you, I offer you a deal: you do this job for me and I will allow you to have a brand new body.»
I see him think about it.
«So if I trade with the prisoner, then I can trade with someone else again?»
«Exactly, yes. But don't think this is a favor towards you: I simply need his real body to be intact too, although perhaps not for much longer, and you will be useful to me in the future.»
«I have no choice» he admits, and I nod, agreeing with him.
«So be it.»
Dodoria lifts his head making him look me in the eyes.
«I warn you: try to test your technique on me one more time and you will be there next. I hope it is clear.»
«It is» he nods. Now that he is free to turn around he sees Granium's body leaning against the wall, helpless despite having just been resuscitated as best as possible. I notice that he's struck by a shiver, but doesn't say anything. He simply waits to be told what to do. This kind of submissiveness is all I want.
He's led and chained in front of the traitor and I follow with my floating throne.
«Zarbon, go get a warrior. Not too powerful, please. Someone expendable.»
Then I turn back to him.
«He's all yours.»
I observe the development of the technique; a great way to study it, among other things. It is clear that the energy is concentrated from the hands to the chest, then flowing along the neck and accumulating in the mouth. When he opens it, the glow becomes so intense that it masks the beam that comes out of it, blinding the victim to aim right at his face.
As Dalion had been, Granium is also surrounded by it and the light is absorbed into his body too, expanding again and then vanishing into thin air. I shift my attention to Dalion's body: after a few moments it shakes, his eyes reopen and the vigor that I read in them is so incredible that I smile; it looks like the relief of someone who has just taken a breath of air after having been in apnea until he almost died. I'm relieved too, I feel like I've found an old friend again, except my smile must be really terrifying because my friend doesn't seem as happy to see me again.
He scrutinizes his hands, then looks at his old body in front of him, petrified. He must have only now realized what has happened and, even worse, what is about to happen to him.
«Welcome back among us» I smile, watching him try in vain to free himself from the chains. It doesn't last long, until Dodoria squeezes his neck against the wall to prevent him from moving, pressing until he falls helpless and unconscious.
At the same time, Zarbon is returning with a low-level warrior who must have wondered why someone like me would be interested in meeting someone like him. In any case, he doesn't seem worried at all, a sign that his intelligence must be really poor and that Zarbon has chosen perfectly.
«I'm here, Lord Frie….»
He doesn't have time to finish the sentence. Zarbon immobilizes him, preventing him from moving even though he tries to rebel.
«Stop it» I order him. «This is the most useful thing you have ever done since you were born, you should consider it an honor.»
It all happens very quickly. The soldier soon understands that there is no point in rebelling and suffers his fate without bothering me anymore with useless cries and tears. Incredibly, the wanderer manages to find even in that empty body the energy he needs to implement the technique; when he finds himself in the soldier's body, after having stretched a bit, he turns towards me and bows.
«I am at your service, Lord Frieza. Thank you for this opportunity.»
«Well, I see that not everyone is inept in here. You can join the training group. At the end of each day you will come to me to report. If you want a different body, you will ask me. Now go.»
He leaves the room without being asked twice. At the same time Kyui enters, out of breath as always. Ever since I entrusted him with the role of my personal messenger he has only revealed himself as a bird of ill omen.
«Lord Frieza, there is a communication from your father.»
«Well? Hand me the communicator.»
His gaze darts to the floor, a sign that something isn't going as it should.
«I can't… he contacted the ship directly. The video will be broadcast on the screens in the Command Room.»
«What are you waiting for, then? Let's go!»
As I follow him towards the Command Room, fast enough to leave Zarbon and Dodoria behind, the worry becomes so intense that it takes my breath away. I thought I had everything sorted out, but this is truly unexpected and it couldn't be anything other than one of his strange moves. Otherwise, why not contact me on my personal communicator?
We set foot in the Command Room and the screens have already been set and are flashing non-stop. I look up to observe them, the size of a glass window, usually used by the internal Sentinels to observe the surroundings. It must be a really important call to force me to look at it in those dimensions.
«Answer at once!» I scream, descending from my throne. A moment later an image appears on the screens.
Netiko shines with the light of its Aster so much that it almost seems to glow with its own light. In the center of the flat and uncontaminated half of the planet appears an incredible structure, the Palace that awaits my return, built exactly as I had ordered. I would find that a wonderful view if there wasn't such a strong sense of threat hanging in the air. I can't see my father's face, but I hear his voice.
«I'm waiting for you, Frieza. Where are you?»
«Why did you contact the ship?» I ask him. I'm not going to waste myself on silly pleasantries. And neither does he, apparently.
«Why aren't you on Netiko?»
«I told you I would soon leave again.»
«Very bad, my son. Very bad that you were never really here, on top of everything else. Since you left on your long journey, you seem to have forgotten what you are.»
A strange, ancient sensation surprises me. I feel the same humiliation that I have always felt all the years spent at Court: I feel like an underling. A prince. I clench my fists until my tendons ache.
I'm not a prince... I'm an Emperor!
«I could never forget what I am. I am the Perfect Being. I am the most powerful creature in the entire Universe.»
«You're wrong. You are the son of King Cold. That's what you seem to have forgotten, Frieza. Shall we get this into your brain once and for all?»
«What does it mean?»
He doesn't answer anymore. His voice falls silent, I can't even hear his breathing anymore. I feel the panic rising even though I try at all costs to deny it to myself.
What is about to happen is obvious.
It can't be…
Too obvious.
«Father, don't you dare…»
I can't even finish the sentence. My thought materializes before my eyes.
It all happens too fast. The huge screens flood the room with a blinding light that prevents anyone from seeing what's happening, but it's obvious, it's too obvious, damn it!
When the light fades and I can see again I am speechless. I can't take my eyes off the screen, where the bright fragments of what was Netiko expand into the void of Space, leaving behind astonishing light trails. I have no words, I can't believe it.
«What's up? You don't like it as much when your planets get blown up, do you, Frieza?»
The anger grows so powerful inside me that I can't hold it back: suddenly the screens start to vibrate, giving off light sparks and the entire ship trembles from all the energy I'm releasing. The white exoskeleton envelops me, the armor becomes too tight. I mute in my original form and slowly, together with my inhibitory brakes, all my fears also vanish: now I no longer care about this ship, let it explode, nor about these men, may they all die! The only thing that matters to me is to destroy the one who dared do this to me. And I don't care if my own blood flows in his veins: I'll drain it from him drop by drop like I did with Froze.
I'll bathe in his blood!
«You're going to pay for this!»
My voice is so distorted with anger that it sounds like a growl. Everyone around me is terrified to say the least and doesn't dare to move. I could disintegrate them one by one if they weren't the only ones capable of steering the ship.
«What the hell are you all waiting for? Towards him, now!»
«Yes, sir!» they shout in unison, but my father, who is still listening, starts laughing.
«Oh, there's no need.»
I don't even have time to think. Something alerts my senses, but I can't figure out what it is. I remain listening, my ears straining to pick up every slightest noise: it was a hiss, I'm sure of it.
I try to understand where it is coming from when it happens. The first thing I notice is the roar, followed by the earthquake that shakes the ship. Everything around me loses its solidity; Dodoria plants his feet firmly on the ground, Zarbon struggles to keep his balance. I didn't even realize they were behind me.
The third thing I see is the black smoke that fogs the windows and covers the view of the pilots. Cooler's words echo in my brain.
He will stop you if you become a danger, even if it means destroying you...
Despite the growing panic I force myself to keep it at bay and, in its place, anger rises within me.
I don't know what's happening, I don't know how he got here so quickly, but he's going to find out that it was the worst idea of his existence…
Next chapter:
Blood of my blood