If One Believed

Prologue:

Faith consists in believing when it is beyond the power of reason to believe.

- Voltaire

What happened on Planet Meat was haunting Bardock's innermost thoughts. To call the event devastating would be to make a massive understatement.

Bardock had just arrived back on Planet Vegeta, and was currently struggling to navigate through a set of hallways in a massive building complex. His destination, he didn't know. His thoughts were a maelstrom of confusion and rage.

At first I was certain that I was going insane, but everything I see is becoming true. That planet that blew up in my dream, it was Vegeta. I know it. Kakarrot… he saw it too, somehow…

That Kanassan had really done what he'd told me he'd done. He'd somehow cursed me with this foresight. He had said that I was going to witness the destruction of my home planet, and my Saiyan brethren as he and his people had. That monster is going to blow up the whole planet! I know it now.

Freeza, that double-crossing bastard! I need to stop him. He's afraid… he killed them because he's afraid. I'll give him something to be afraid of!

His mind relentlessly wandered back to prior events of that day:

I can't stop looking back on that God-forsaken planet, staring into Toma's suffering eyes. He's coughing up blood. It's spraying all over my armor. I can see a trail of it sliding down his cheek. I can feel it warm and wet on my own skin. God it's everywhere. This is a mess.

I don't understand. I can't comprehend what's going on at all, but somehow, I've done this to them. I played a part in my own comrades' demise.

He's too weak to hold himself up. I'm cradling his head in my hand. It's second nature at this point. He's more than just a teammate, he's my friend – bleeding out on me, and dying in my arms. I can't tell if it's because of his weakness or because of my anger, but we're both trembling like a leaf in a gust of wind.

"Who did this to you?" I demand.

I know it wasn't the inhabitants. My colleagues are good. They could more than handle planet Meat without any of my help.

"F – Freeza"

"Freeza?" I can't believe what I'm hearing. "No," I mutter. It can't be true. I'm shaking my head in disbelief. "But we're his best team! We're low-levels and we get dirty work done that even the elites are afraid to touch! We work harder for him than anyone!"

Toma coughs. His eyes show empathy. He's a part of the team. He knows how this news makes me feel. "H – he's afraid," the words come out in hoarse whisper.

It occurs to me that he's fading. All of my colleagues are dead on the ground. The stench of death is wafting up my nose. The truth is undeniable. They were slaughtered, and Toma wasn't going to make it.

A sense of hopelessness makes my chest ache, and my head hangs in defeat. I grit my teeth and snarl, "Afraid of what?"

Toma smiles.

I almost want to smack him upside the head and demand what's so God-damn funny.

"You," he croaks with a soft laugh that morphs into a coughing fit of more blood.

Me, why me? I don't get it! I've been so loyal, doing everything he says. He should be recognizing me and my team, and our hard work!

"You're getting too strong. Y- you're a threat," Toma says. "He's afraid of what you might become."

The memory promptly derailed as Bardock's exhausted limbs gave out under the burden of his slumped-over, heavy frame. His body toppled forward and smacked into floor.

I'm so hot. My body's on fire, and the tile feels like ice. Damn it all! I'm exhausted. What can I do? Freeza's much stronger than I am as it is. What can I possible do?! No! I can't give up. I need to warn them. We need to stop this meaningless genocide!

He struggled to get back onto his wavering limbs and continue on his course. He found a large group of Saiyans at the normal hang out.

This is good, he assured himself. They can spread the word.

He barged into the room and stumbled forward. He crashed into a table and knocked someone's cocktail to the floor. The glass shattered and splintered the cuts in skin. He could hear a mixture of laughter and confusion bombarding the room.

"Woah, Bardock what's wrong with you?"

"Moron!"

"Seriously, you need to go to the med bay and get healed!"

"Tch! Idiot!"

His mind was becoming foggy with fatigue. It took much more determination and effort to get himself onto his feet again this time around. The ruckus was almost too much. The room was swimming around him and he couldn't concentrate.

What am I doing?

His purpose wavered for a moment, but only for that solitary moment. The memory of the magnificent red planet exploding flashed through his mind. This time he could hear frantic voices, screams, babies crying. They all were going to die without their pride. Freeza was going to stomp on them in the same way that he had them stomp on others, and in the end, they were going to die just as pitiful and miserable and frightened as all of the weaker life-forms they had squelched in the name of their executioner.

"No!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, effectively hushing the entire room into stunned silence. He looked like a madman.

I need to let them know. They have no idea…

"Listen everybody," he said resolutely. He was trying to shout, but he was breathless and his voice was hoarse. It was drowned out by the laughter echoing off of the walls.

"It's Freeza!" he forced his voice to raise an octave and his lungs burned in an answer of protest. "He's coming for us!"

"What?"

"No way!"

"He aint got time for us peons."

"Maybe he's coming for you, ya' scared?"

"Ha! Yeah! What'd you do now, Bardock?"

All of these voices. They're all so frustrating. I can't take it anymore!

"Shut up!" he screamed, immediately tasting copper as blood filled his mouth. "He's coming for us! Me, you, all of us! He's afraid of us! We're becoming a threat to him! He's going to eliminate us like he did my team!"

"Bardock's great team finally falls, and now he's all upset!" a voice taunted.

"Yeah, welcome to reality, pal!" another added.

Bardock clenched his fists and growled frustratedly. "You fools! You're all dead!" he spat.

"Someone put that guy out of his misery!"

"Bardock's the real fool!"

"What a dumbass!"

This isn't getting me anywhere. Without solid evidence no hard-headed Saiyan's going to believe a word that I say.

Bardock retreated the room thoroughly frustrated.

This is it… we're all going to die. I was arguing with dead men who aren't even worth saving. Damn it, Freeza, you've succeeded in creating a bunch of mindless goons. Saiyans don't even respect fellow Saiyans anymore!

If they can't see what's going on, if they won't stand up and fight, then so be it. I'm not going to stand around and wait to die like a coward! I'm coming for you, Freeza! I'm going to kill you in the name of my fallen companions or I'm going to die trying! Their deaths will come to mean something to you!

With renewed adrenaline pumping through his system, Bardock jogged down the halls in search of an exit.

He's coming, and when he gets here, I'm gonna face him head-on!

The aches and pains were momentarily gone. The cloud of exhaustion had receded in the wake of Bardock's newfound resolve to earn his fallen friend's retribution.

"Hey!" a female voice suddenly shouted. "Bardock wait up!"

Bardock immediately skidded to a halt, and turned to face the woman.

Wasn't she supposed to be on a mission?

A flash of burgundy came into view.

It's her… but, damn it all!

The woman stopped a foot away from Bardock. She appeared absolutely livid as she jabbed her index finger into his chest plate.

"Wanna tell me what the hell that was all about?" she hissed.

Bardock stared at her searing dark-brown eyes dumbfoundedly.

"What?" he muttered.

"Bardock, don't play dumb! You looked like you escaped from the loony bin back there!"

Bardock furrowed his eyebrows together. "What, now you too?"

The woman frowned and withdrew her pointed finger. The inferno transformed into embers. "Y – you said your team is dead."

Bardock opened his mouth as if to speak, but he choked on his initial response. He was so wrapped up in everything, he'd forgotten…

The woman searched his face for an answer, her eyes found their way to his red bandana and lingered.

"Toma…" she muttered softly.

Bardock reached out his hand and rested it on her shoulder. "Catsia, I – I promise to avenge his death!"

She never withdrew her gaze. The shade of red reflected in her pupils. "How do you plan on doing that?"

"I'm going to confront Freeza. He's responsible for this! He sent Dodoria and some of his other goons to murder my friends in cold blood. I won't let him get away with this. He's coming as we speak," Bardock explained.

Catsia's attention was immediately drawn back to Bardock. She looked suddenly stunned. "What?" she shouted in disbelief. "No!"

Bardock withdrew his hand instantly, as if it had been burned, and he scowled at her. "What do you mean no? You don't believe me either do you? I thought better of you!"

Catsia clenched her fists and spoke through gritted teeth, "I didn't say that! Of course I believe you, knuckle-head, but you're an idiot if you think that you would even stand a chance against Freeza alone! That's suicide!"

Bardock laughed dryly. "Oh, and I suppose this is where you say you want to come along and fight with me? Well, forget it! You'll only get in my way!"

Catsia folded her arms and sneered. "I don't think you should go at all," she retorted.

"My mind is set. I'm no coward. Either he dies or I die, it's as simple as that. If I die, everyone…" he trailed off.

All was silent for moment. Both Saiyans bowed their heads, thinking nearly the same thing. Catsia rested her forehead on Bardock's chest.

"I don't want you to die," she whispered.

"Catsia…" Bardock murmured. "If you truly believe that I don't stand a chance. I want you to leave."

"Even if I wanted to, I can't. One of my team members died, and my new mission was canceled. I haven't been assigned a pod yet."

"You can take mine," Bardock replied. "I'm not going to be needing it anyway."

He rummaged around the top of his suit and procured a key. He placed it into her hand and curled her fingers around it.

He smirked, it looked somewhat forced. "You're making me late as usual. I don't have much time. See ya' later, Cat."

With that said, he turned to leave her.

Catsia stared at the key in her hand and bit her lip. She glanced back up at Bardock's retreating figure.

No, she thought, I can't let you do this!

Catsia faded out of view and reappeared behind Bardock with her arms raised and both fists clenched together into a tight ball of bone and flesh. Bardock realized her presence too late. Her conjoined fists swung down and slammed into the back of his skull, rendering him unconscious almost instantaneously.

"Woah, Catsia!" a female voice exclaimed.

"I didn't know you had it in you," a male voice added with a tone of amusement.

The voices startled her momentarily. She had surprise spectators. She spun to see who it was.

Oh it's just those two…

She raised an eyebrow and said, "What?" She waved her hand casually. "Move along, there's nothing to see here."

"You just walloped Bardock unconscious," the woman replied. "I'd hardly say there's nothing to see."

Catsia sighed. "Nothing anymore at any rate. Bardock's been acting like a moron. I just did everyone a favor and knocked some sense into him. You can thank me later."

The duo chuckled and passed her by.

"Bunch of simpletons…" she muttered as she heave-hoed Bardock onto her shoulder like it was nothing.

By pure chance, perhaps a pinch of luck, and maybe even a little bit of fate, there weren't any launches or returning flights scheduled for the rest of that day. Although Catsia received many odd stares and was the butt of many jokes while walking down the hallways lugging Bardock, she didn't encounter anyone on the launch pad.

She located Bardock's pod and opened the hatch. A waft of sweat and blood that had been baking inside the contraption immediately assaulted her nostrils. She waved her free hand in front of her face.

"P.U.!" she exclaimed.

Blood was still caked on the leather seat and many of the flight controls.

Really? They still haven't cleaned this? Great… just my luck!

She tossed Bardock inside, crammed herself in next to him, and closed the hatch.

Oh God the smell is worse now.

She stared hopelessly at the keys.

I don't know where we should go… Earth… that's where Kakarrot was sent.

Catsia was about to program a route to Earth, but paused, and glanced at Bardock.

No, you're in no condition to travel that far. We need somewhere where you can recuperate… somewhere uninhabited by Freeza's army, a place that wouldn't be a target.

"Computer, input new destination: Planet Piscis."

A ding sounded over the loud-speaker and a feminine, computerized voice announced, "New destination, Planet Piscis. Estimated arrival time: 2 days, 1 hour, and 8 minutes."

"Please stay seated. Commencing lift-off in 10 seconds."

Catsia rested her head on Bardock's shoulder. You're gonna be so pissed at me when you wake up, but... you'll wake up.

A/N: My OC Catsia is pronounced "Cah-shuh" and I derived it from Cassia a type of legume.