.
24.5
Dodoria – Handsome and the Beast
I. Mockery and compromises
When that damn Frieza told me I should go with Zarbon to learn how to work as a team, I thought he was joking. What was the purpose of it? I mean, at the end of the day, we just have to follow his orders. Does it really matter if I like this brat or not?
Now that we've just landed on Tzareg and Zarbon is next to me, having come out of his Attack Ball — which I was really hoping would crash into a meteorite — it's pretty clear he was serious.
He starts fiddling with his detector without saying anything, and I look at him. He's all polished up, with his braid and those jewels that make him look like the arrogant prince he probably wants to be.
I know that looking at him like this annoys him, and I know even better that he's avoiding looking back on purpose. I must be really awful in his eyes, I guess? I have to admit, it makes me laugh. Am I not the ugly monster he has to get along with if he wants to keep pleasing Frieza? This guy would sell his soul for the power Frieza can give him, and yet it seems like he's having trouble pleasing him this time. For me, though, all this is just boring.
«What silence. Maybe if I put on a little pomade, you'd like me better, princess?»
I see him wrinkle his nose, disgusted, and it gives me a bit of a laugh. Good, he's sensitive to a little provocation. After all, this mission isn't all bad.
He hasn't spoken to me yet, but I don't need him to.
«Frieza wants us to be on the same page, like two little friends. C'mon, give me a hug.»
«Cut it out,» he says to me. He turns his back to me while still trying to set his scouter. He's so smart, yet he can't even start an idiotic device like that.
«Follow the orders and set up the scouter. You won't have time to do that later» he adds.
I shrug, ignoring his words.
«How can we be friends if you don't talk to me?»
«I have no intention of bonding with an inferior being like you.»
That was not something the brat should have said. I feel my hands trembling with the desire to grab him by that beautiful braid and pull it off with one clean stroke.
«Inferior being, to me! At least when I attack, I'm not afraid of chipping my nails.»
He's smiling, and I know why. That's why I'm not going to let him get away with it. He's got this attitude to remind me of things I'd rather forget, and he's doing a pretty good job. I'm really upset about what happened in prison.
«Don't you dare make fun of me,» I tell him, trying to stay calm. I don't think Frieza would be happy if I killed him. I'd like to avoid it if I can, even though I know it won't be easy if he keeps bringing up that story.
«You said you weren't inferior, right? I don't think so. That's all I have to say on the matter.»
«Are you trying to make me angry? You won't get through me. That time I let you get away, on purpose.»
«Sure» he says, laughing. «I would have squeezed your throat against the bars until I broke your neck if you hadn't given me the keys. If I were the one on watch, I would have died rather than do it… but this Frieza doesn't know, does he? He's so caught up in his own business that he didn't even bother asking how it happened. He thinks I escaped by force, maybe by breaking everything. That's the only reason you're safe.»
I clench my fists in fury. When he managed to grab me from behind, I had let my guard down for just a second, and of course he didn't think twice before taking advantage of it. I don't think Frieza would be mad at me even if he found out by now, but I'd still prefer not to give this bastard any reason to blackmail me.
«I don't want to hear about it again,» I growl. «If you don't bring it up anymore, I might forget those tears when your lovely Nemanan was blown up. Because those were tears, weren't they? When you threw yourself against the glass in despair, I mean.»
«They weren't tears.»
«Maybe I saw wrong. But I think I understood what you said pretty well. Whose name were you whispering?»
«I wasn't whispering any names.»
«Maybe I heard wrong too. I'm just going to forget everything anyway. Just do the same.»
His scouter starts beeping before he can answer. I just turn mine on. I made a quick visit to the First Engineer before we left, which saved me a lot of hassle setting it up. Maybe it's not so clear which of us is the smartest, after all.
A few moments later, numbers appear on my screen, too. It was pretty easy to get the hang of this gadget. The real issue is how uncomfortable it is when I wear it, but there's not much I can do about it. Frieza was clear enough.
«Let's go» he says, and without waiting any longer, he heads off in the direction where the detector signals there are living presences. I follow him, but I tell myself I'll have to remind him that he shouldn't give me orders again. Never!
From up here, it's finally clear what Frieza sent us to take. Tzareg is a pretty dry planet, with a cracked, rocky surface and steep slopes between whose walls dark streams of water find their way. The air is clear but dark, as I thought: when I was approaching in the Attack Ball, I saw one Star, but it was far away, and I already knew it couldn't have made too much light to this place. In any case, I don't dislike this planet. Maybe it reminds me a little of Madoria.
Madoria. Just thinking of its name takes me back to the past.
It feels like it's been centuries since I was living my old life. I went from being an outcast to being the trusted man of a Lord who will soon become the master of the entire Universe, thanks to me. I wish all those who doubted me over time, who chased me away and wished me dead, could be here in front of me and see how far I've come with the strength of the hatred they created inside me.
Incredible, isn't, you bastards? After all, I should thank you. Who would have ever thought?
I look at the mountains and I can almost smell the stink of burnt flesh and terror that filled every inch of Madoria after Frieza arrived. If I close my eyes, I can see the bodies of the ones who tried to escape falling under my blows while he, behind me, put me to the test.
Maybe he thought I wouldn't manage. He thought I'd start crying like that useless Zarbon. But no; slaughtering them one by one gave me power, and the more I did it, the more powerful I became. This was much more important than their lives, which were pretty dull anyway.
Just thinking about it gets me excited for the mission: I can't wait to take this place, go back to Frieza with a win and prove him that I'm actually unbeatable. The only problem is that I have to share my success with this idiot.
We land where the scouters signal dozens of low-level presences. We end up in a strange village; I probably wouldn't have considered it as such if I hadn't seen the signs.
We're in an empty clearing with a bunch of houses that look like they just popped up out of the ground. They don't seem to have doors, but instead have dozens of dark windows all around. Before I know it, I see Zarbon flying up towards the structure.
«What do you want to do?» I ask, following him. I won't let him take the initiative. This mission won't fail because of him.
«I mean to talk.»
«What's the point? Let's just get this village out of the way and move on to the next one.»
He pauses in midair, looking at me with a bored expression.
«If you raze everything you encounter, what do you think Lord Frieza will have left to rule?»
«What do you think I care? He asked me to conquer the planet, he never said he wanted to make a holiday village here.»
He sighs and I get the feeling he thinks I'm stupid. He's speaking in a way that makes it seem like he's saying something obvious, but that the other person doesn't seem to understand. He doesn't realize that he's wasting time trying to be a good guy. Then, though, I had a bit of a lightbulb moment: everything suddenly became a lot clearer to me.
«Wait a minute,» I stop him. «Do you feel sorry for these people?»
«Why would I ever?»
«How would I know? Maybe they remind you of your people on that beautiful red planet.»
I've touched a nerve again, and it's clear because he turns away.
«It doesn't remind me of anything. Let's go talk to those people before I lose my patience.»
«I was right!» I tease a bit. If I've found an open wound, I'm not going to pass up the chance to stick my entire fist into it. «Y'know, I don't think someone who feels pity is right for the job Frieza wants you to do. If every time you land on a planet with red soil you remember yours…»
He lifts his head. He's impatient, and it shows, but he's no longer trying to hide it, and that's a start.
«You did it on Vegeta too» I say, sticking to my point.
«Isn't it obvious?» he finally admits, but then stops. «I don't even know why I'm still talking to you. Let's go.»
Even though he turns around and keeps going, I don't let up.
«You don't think I can understand, do you?» I let out a laugh. «What a haughty young lady. I'd slap you, but I don't touch females.»
He lets out a low growl, but there's nothing he can do about it. He can't attack me, even if he wanted to; he can't answer me because he knows he has no way of making me angry anymore. He just keeps going, silently but with his fists clenched, towards the mass of houses.
As we get closer, we see that the structure actually has doors — they're just up there, like so many upper doors, each connected to a different house. It's very different from the villages of Madoria, where every house was a good distance from the next. The thought of living in a place like that with my own kind makes me feel sick, but then I remember that they're all dead and I feel a little relieved.
Zarbon has approached one of those passages and is trying to get someone's attention in that hellish cocoon. He taps on the door, which we find out is made of glass and transparent. After a few moments, the door opens, and the person inside comes out floating in midair, watching us with curiosity.
«Who are you?» he asks. I look at his fat skull, embedded in a short body that barely reaches my knees. He has four eyes, so I'm not sure where to look to talk to him. In the dim light, his skin could seem green. The scouter gives us its verdict.
Ketfir. Tzare. Combat level: 850.
Pathetic.
«We're soldiers,» Zarbon says before I can speak. «We'd like to talk to whoever's in charge of this village, or rather, this planet. We have a few requests to make.»
«Soldiers?»
The being seems pretty taken aback by that word. It's possible he knows about Frieza, his military career, and the legend about him, but there's only one way to find out. I'll be honest, I feel a lot like Frieza right now, even if I'm not as calm and diplomatic as he is.
«We're Lord Frieza's most powerful men» I tell him. «Zarbon and Dodoria, maybe you have heard of us. And yes, Frieza has given us the job of conquering this planet. Could you do us a favor and make things easier for us?»
«Zarbon and Dodoria...»
It seems like he's not quite sure what to say. His four eyes dart left and right. Maybe he's hoping no one else will show up and we can leave if we don't see anything interesting. That would've happened if Frieza hadn't ordered me to conquer. Only now I notice that hundreds of eyes are watching us from below, through the transparent doors. I don't know why, but all those stares make me feel a bit nauseous.
«You... you mean to conquer?»
«Are you deaf or just stupid?» I say, moving towards him. I'm just about to say more when I feel a hand on my arm. When I look down, I see exactly what I expected. Zarbon's hand, a slimy blue, is wrapped around my bicep. I don't have time to give him the insult I had in mind before he opens his mouth.
«My partner is a bit rude and impetuous, as you can see, but we don't intend to threaten you if you make things easier for us. Yes, we want to conquer, but that's not a bad thing. Have you ever heard of the Mighty Frieza?»
He shakes his head to say yes, looking terrified but more cooperative. For some reason, I think Zarbon's idea is working, so I go along with it.
«The tyrant» the alien says.
«He prefers Emperor» Zarbon specifies. He finally lets go of my arm, and I see he wipes the palm with which he touched me on the battle suit. Filthy arrogant.
«If you become part of his domain, you'll be protected from any threat and your only obligation would be to provide warriors for his army, as a sign of your trust. For the rest, Lord Frieza will consider you part of his domain, and you can continue your life as usual. That's not going to happen if you refuse to cooperate, though. If that's the case, we'll have to submit you by force. So, who's your leader?»
The alien is at a loss for words.
«We don't have a leader» he says quietly.
«Good, then we will speak directly with you about the village. Whenever you want t…»
He freezes.
At first, I thought he was surprised about something, but when I turn around, he's just standing there, only his eyes moving. It's just on second glance that I notice a thin layer of golden energy surrounding his entire body. It seems like he's frozen in place.
I jump back. There's another alien behind us. It's pretty similar to the first one, except for its central eyes, which are very small and sunken into the skull. What pushed me to move, however, is the fact that Zarbon must be under the effect of one of his techniques: it cannot be otherwise since the being is still in an absurd pose, with his hand held out in front, pointing at my colleague.
The scouter beeps a few times rapidly.
Soymil. Tzare. Combat level 3500.
«You really are an idiot, Ketfir» says the alien as he advances. He came out of one of the many hatches behind him, which I can only see open from above. «What did we talk about?» he continues. «Were you paying attention during the meetings, or were you sleeping, like you usually do?»
«How would I know?» the first one answers. «They could have been good people. We can't just lock up anyone who comes to our planet.»
«That's exactly what we agreed upon!» he shouts. «To just go ahead and lock up anyone who comes to our planet! Or would you rather they exterminate all of us like they did with everyone else?»
I really don't have any choice but to listen. I'm stunned. Zarbon, by the way, still doesn't move. If I had any doubts, it's clear now that he's under the influence of telekinesis.
«Okay» the first one nods. «What if Lord Frieza gets nervous because we took his men? What do we do then?»
The alien who imprisoned Zarbon laughs as he approaches him and looks him over. Then he turns to me. I'm suddenly on high alert.
«He's not going to blow us up as long as we have them. We can negotiate.»
Now I'm the one laughing. Even though I was alert, I burst into a loud laugh that echoes all around, penetrating the mountains and bouncing off their rocky walls. I can't help but laugh at the thought of Frieza negotiating with these beings, or negotiating in general. It's so ridiculous!
The being scowls at me.
«What's so funny, fatso?»
I clench my fists but pretend I didn't hear the insult.
«If you think Lord Frieza cares about us, you're wrong, pal. By the time he finds out you resisted, we'll all be blown up together!»
He looks a little confused. Maybe he wasn't expecting such a revelation, but he can't hold back anymore.
«You still have time to free him and talk it over» I suggest, pointing to my unfortunate colleague. «Frieza doesn't know anything about this yet. I could be a good guy and tell him that you collaborated.»
Zarbon's eyes search for me desperately, and I almost enjoy seeing him annihilated in that state. It would be the best thing of the day if I didn't know that I risked the same fate at any moment. But now I'm keeping an eye out for any movement around me: I will not be surprised by a stupid telekinesis.
«I'd rather just blow you up» the dwarf-crotch says. He points his closed hand at me, but I dodge the attack by moving aside. A thin beam of energy, almost invisible, zips past me right where I was a moment ago.
Slow. These aliens are slow, as well as useless and ugly as hell.
«Let's play a game: you don't let the nemanian go and I blow up all these horrible houses. What do you say?»
To drive the point home, I gather a bit of energy. I feel it come up from my chest to my throat, almost burning me because of how intense the aura is. I know they must see the glow from outside, and I enjoy their worried faces, along with those of the hundreds of eyes that observe me from below.
It looks like the alien is unsure of what to do. He stays put, then slowly his chest inflates and deflates a few times. It looks like he's breathing deeply.
«What the hell...»
Something incredible happens. I blink, as I do all the time. Usually I never stop to think about it because when I open them again, I find everything in front of me as it was a moment before. This time, though, it's not like that. When I open my eyes, I find myself in a ridiculous position: lying on the ground, my face half in the red earth, my hands locked behind my back.
…are you doing, I want to say, but I can't move my mouth. In fact, I can't move anything at all.
Damn it!
II. Wrath and ingenuity
Zarbon is lying next to me, not too far away, but his face is turned away from me. All I can see is his braid tangled on the ground and his hands tied behind his back. We're far from the cluster of houses we visited earlier; we're now in an open space in the mountains. It's a mystery how we ended up here.
Someone lets out a big breath, like they've been holding it for a while, and I can tell who it is from their tone.
Another technique, if you can believe it!
«Oh, my,» he says, panting, catching his breath after using it for his little game. «It's been a while since I've used this much energy in one go. You may speak, I'll let your head go.»
He does as he said. The numbness that had been in my neck suddenly disappears, and my head falls heavily against the ground, where my headspikes leave deep holes. I lift my head to look at him. The little dwarf alien has come forward until he is right between me and Zarbon.
«I swear that as soon as I get free, I will tear your eyes from your face and eat them two at a time» I say, but before I can add something else, the nemanian interrupts me.
«Soymil. Is that your name?»
It looks like our alien friend is speechless.
«Y... yes?»
«You're the strongest» Zarbon continues. «No one else in the village is above a thousand in terms of combat level, while you even exceed three thousand.»
«What do you mean?» he asks, cautious. His hands are still folded and turned towards us, keeping us from moving as he uses his telekinesis to hold us in place.
Zarbon smiles.
«As you can see, we're not naive. Are you the only one with such power on the planet, or are there other special beings like you?»
I wonder what the hell he's saying and, more importantly, why he is wasting so much breath instead of freeing himself. I try to break through the barrier that's around me. I hear a creak and realize it's not completely solid. Maybe if I tried to gather all my energy…
«I don't know» he admits.
«As I suspected.»
«What are you trying to say? If you're trying to pull one over on me...»
«I can assure you that's not the case. Do you know why we were sent here?»
«To conquer our wonderful planet» he says, sounding annoyed. I smile, since wonderful is a bit of a stretch for this lost and uninhabitable rock. Zarbon shakes his head, though.
«No, Soymil. We were sent here because we'd heard about you: the Tzare of immense power who inhabits these lands. We were hoping to meet you, and we were sure you'd come out if we threatened to conquer the entire planet.»
«About... about me? Who told you about me?»
Yeah, Zarbon, who the hell ever told us about him?
The telekinetic barrier is starting to weaken. Soymil is doing his best, but he won't be able to hold out much longer. His technique has drained a lot of his energy and breath.
«Information is spreading fast. The Universe is a small place» Zarbon says. «Lord Frieza asked us to come and suggest that you join his team. He's putting together a special team with the most powerful warriors, and you are one, with your technique. What exactly did you do? Did you stop time?»
«Yes» he admits. I get it now. It was the only way he could have tricked me. «But you're not going to fool me with these half-baked tricks. You're just trying to get yourself free!»
«Of course. But I'm not going to do that without offering you something in return.»
If Zarbon is trying to gain his trust, it doesn't seem like he's doing a very good job.
«If I set you free, you'll kill me in an instant. And if you don't, this one will.»
He nods at me. You bet, I want to spit at him, but Zarbon always seems to know what I'm going to say before I even think it.
«He's a wild one, but he's actually a loyal servant of Lord Frieza… right, Dodoria? Would you kill the person we're here to meet with?»
I think there's only one right answer to this question.
«Of course not» I say, but it's clear that there's mockery in my voice.
«There you go. What are you planning to do, then? Free us or… or what, actually? Are you going to keep us stuck here forever?»
He pauses. His tone is uncertain, as if this situation is against his will and he'd rather not be involved. I'm sure he'd rather be in the flames of hell than here dealing with us.
«The other chiefs are coming,» he says in a tone that tries to be threatening. «You'll be caged and put in a cell until we decide what to do with you.»
«There's still time, then» Zarbon urges him. «Come on, let us go. I promise we won't harm you or any of your kind.»
I can't believe it. This little monster is actually thinking about it. I'm not sure what's going to happen next. What I do know is that he's relaxing his guard, and with the power I'm feeling growing stronger by the minute, the barrier around me is getting weaker.
The energy I'm calling is about to be strong enough to shatter it. As I build up the energy, I see that the scouter is showing two things: first, some scarce energies that are approaching from the west in huge groups of hundreds; then Zarbon's aura, which is growing. This means he's also calling energy. His plan suddenly makes sense to me. How could I not have seen it before?
Meanwhile, the alien keeps on thinking.
«How can I be sure you're telling the truth?»
«Unfortunately, you'll have to trust me on this. But how would I have known your name and what you look like, if you hadn't been flagged as the target of our mission?»
I have to say, this brat is really convincing. His expression is the same he had on Nemanan when he swore loyalty to his fellow citizens before betraying them and delivering them to their deaths. Now I understand why Frieza wanted him with him. He's an ruthless little liar.
«Yes…» he wispers.
The moment has come, and I'm ready to move. Finally all my energy overcomes the one that was holding me: I call it forth and then expand it around me. The telekinetic barrier shatters into a thousand pieces. The alien takes a step back, caught off guard by the recoil of his own shot and almost loses his balance.
I stand up and wipe the dirt off my face with one arm. Being able to move has never felt better. Zarbon does the same next to me, and as I thought he would, he seems very concerned about his clothes and especially his hair. He runs a hand through them, undoing the braid and shaking the red dirt off.
«You took too long» he scolds me.
«You weren't faster, it seems to me.»
«I was busy talking, you idiot.» If I'd ever had any vague positive feelings towards him, now I'm strongly tempted to beat him up. «All you had to do was free yourself.»
«That's what I did, isn't it?»
We both turn to the alien, who is just managing to get back on his feet. It looks like this technique, along with the previous one, has used up all of his already limited energy. He seems worried, and he's right to be. In fact, he's not worried enough yet.
Zarbon smiles in a cruel way. This is who he really is, and no matter how much he tries to hide it, you can't fool anyone with a piece of jewelry or a prince's smile.
«What a shame you didn't really set us free. On top of having an advantage against your unworthy kind, we might have actually decided to spare your life. Who knows? Dodoria, please take care of it.»
He doesn't add anything else. He divides his hair into three strands and braids it with great care, making sure not a single hair is out of place. For once, though, following an order from him is something I'm happy to do.
«As you wish, princess.»
The alien pales as I approach him, and he doesn't put up a fight when I grab him by the head and lift him off the ground. His body is helpless and abandoned; his arms barely rise, and his hands don't reach mine.
«For the record, we saw your name on the scouter. If you thought you were important, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you're no more useful than you were a few hours ago. But it doesn't matter now, does it?»
In midair with his neck wrapped around my fingers, he can't speak, which is a shame because the answer to that question is very interesting. Then I do it myself and I can't help but laugh.
«No, it doesn't!»
I can finally let off some steam at this being. I put my hands on his head and feel his soft skull creak as something inside moves. I keep pressing until something gives and his head splits open, flooding my hands with slimy purple blood. It was a satisfying feeling. I throw him to the ground and wipe my hands on my battle suit, soaking it with that disgusting slime.
Zarbon lets out a snort.
«Can't you really be more discreet than that?»
«Shut up if you don't want to be next» I reply. As he lets his perfect braid fall over his shoulder, the scouter alerts us that the presences have become very close. I look up and see a swarm of black dots buzzing on the horizon against the dim light that illuminates the sky. I stretch my fingers, and Zarbon does the same.
«Half an hour» I say. He smiles.
«Fifteen minutes will be more than enough.»
«If I win, we'll tell Frieza that I instantly freed myself from that parasite's telekinesis.»
«If you lose, you'll praise my excellent idea in front of him. I'd like you to call me the Ingenious Zarbon.»
«Not even if you beg me on your knees.»
«Don't be difficult, we don't have much time. Deal?»
I can't even imagine having to praise him in front of Frieza. I'll do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen.
«Deal» I say, accepting. The swarm has stopped; the entire horizon in front of us is obscured by hundreds of aliens who seem to be preparing to attack us all at once. In about half an hour, they'll all be out of the game.
Twelve minutes. That's how long it took us to get rid of almost a thousand of those aliens until the few remaining ones decided to give up and beg for their lives.
It's pretty funny that we were almost right when we made fun of that being called Soymil. The detector kept changing target every time my eyes caught a new opponent, and most of them didn't go above level one thousand. Some went above two thousand, but only a couple — who required special attention — approached five thousand. It might seem strange, but Soymil was actually one of the strongest beings on the planet. That's ridiculous.
But now I've got another problem to deal with. As we fly towards our spaceships, Zarbon laughs and rubs his clean hands. He didn't hit anyone; he just used his aura from afar so as not to get his hands dirty. I imagine his brief encounter with the ground must have irritated his delicate skin quite a bit. I almost want to smear my hands dripping with purple blood all over his face.
«I can't wait to hear what you have to say to Lord Frieza» he says with a grin. I don't like it, but I have to keep my word.
«Next time I'll make you swallow your laughter» I tell him, but he doesn't seem intimidated by my words.
«Think about your speech and don't forget to mention the ingenious Zarbon. You owe it, asshole. It's part of the agreement.»
I let out a low growl. He smiles.
«Come on, you have to admit it was a good idea» he says, and I can tell there's no mockery in his tone this time. «If he'd attacked us while we were vulnerable, he would have hurt us. I bet if I'd let you speak up, it would've ended up this way exactly.»
I must admit it. If I had spoken, I probably would have messed things up.
«I could never have made up such a story. I mean, how did you have the nerve to tell him we set up this mission just for a dull being like him?»
«I was actually almost laughing my head off.»
The Attack Balls rise in the distance in the remote hole where we had left them. A few minutes later, we're good to go. I'm tempted to take the scouter off my face, but I don't dare to:. As it turns out, Frieza was right: it was more useful than we expected.
Zarbon wipes the dust off his battle suit and opens the hatch of his shuttle. Before he goes in, he turns to me and smiles.
«Don't misunderstand me: you're still a disgusting monster to me. I'll let Frieza think I respect you, at least to some extent. However, at least now I know it's fun to see how badly you tear apart your opponents' bodies.»
«Glad I could keep you entertained» I say as I step into my ship. «And don't worry, I feel the same way, you spoiled brat.»
«Good.»
He closes the door behind him, and I do the same.
I figure that if I keep working for Frieza, I'll have to deal with this being every moment of my existence, so I'd better make him like me in some way. Deep down, though, I have to admit that he's not all that bad. He's vain and arrogant, sure, but he's not self-centered in battle and he knows how to kill without making too much noise, which leaves the spotlight to me. He could be a good colleague as long as he keeps his mouth shut.
The Attack Ball lifts off the ground without a sound, then hurtles at great speed towards Planet Vegeta. This mission is over, the first of many that will show Frieza how much I, Dodoria, am his worthy right-hand man. And anyone who doubts that is in for a rude awakening.
Next chapter:
The selfishness of the heir
27.11.24