Fallen Angel

Chapter 3

Goten later found out that he'd been in that room for one year three months and thirteen days. But it meant very little to him by that point. For the next three years Zeeha stayed with him and helped him to re-socialise with people. But it had very limited effect, he'd stopped being so afraid of others. Instead he became very aggressive, even the smallest thing would trigger an out burst of violence, but always stopped short of being deadly. He spoke only when he needed to and he seemed to have a permanent look of irritation on his face. In all that time Goten hadn't seen Gradus since his first day.

Zeeha tried her best to bring back the boy that he'd been. It never happened, the part of him that was recognisable to the people he'd known, was gone, Goten in a sense was dead. However he did show affection to a small number of people, Zeeha, who he considered the sister he'd never had, and Krayn, a fellow prisoner of Gradus, who'd been captured two and a half years after Goten. He was Goten's age, and was from the same race as Zeeha. Together they kept each other sane. Little did Goten know but the relative calm of his life was to be shattered yet again.

"Wake up! You monkey scum!" A harsh voice cut thought Gotens dreamless sleep. As if to punctuate this a fist hit the side of Goten's head. Goten's eyes snapped open and his face set into a look of absolute hatred, but his assailant didn't see this as Goten was facing away from him. Goten felt another fist heading his way and turned. Caught the guards fist and smirked at the look of surprise on his face. Goten twisted his hand and the guard ended up on the floor and screamed. There had been a series of cracks as his wrist had shattered.

"Enough!" A new voice said. Goten looked up to see another guard. "Goten, you have been requested by general Ludoc." Goten nodded and his face returned to it's normal flatness. He glanced at the fallen guard, then slide off his bed and walked away.

"You fucking monkey!" The injured guard spat at his retreating back. Goten paused and glanced over his shoulder.

"You shouldn't hit children." He said flatly, and left. The second guard looked at the first.

"You stupid fucker!" He said. "You should know not to anger that kid. Now get that wrist seen to." He turned a followed Goten out.


Goten entered the room that he'd been escorted to and his hard facade disappeared. Inside stood general Ludoc, who was the same race that Zarbon had belonged to, but Goten had no way of knowing that. But what else that was in the room, almost gave Goten a horrible flashback. There in the centre of the room was the same upright table that Goten had been strapped to for the first six months of his captivity. But strapped to it this time was his friend, Krayn, who was unconscious. Goten stared at him for a long time.

"Goten, look at me!" Ludoc ordered and Goten managed to tear his eyes off Krayn and onto Ludoc. "Good boy." Ludoc smiled. "Do you know why you're here?" Goten shook his head. "You're here because, it is now time to start you next stage of training." Goten frowned, he hadn't known he'd been in the first stage. Ludoc scowled. "Have you lost your voice?" He demanded.

"No, sir." Goten said levelly.

"Good!" He said. "Silence is good, but I like to hear you speak, understood?"

"Yes, sir." Ludoc smiled.

"Now tell me, do you know that child?" He asked gesturing at Krayn. Goten glanced at him then looked back to Ludoc.

"Yes, sir. That's Krayn, sir." His voice not betraying any of the uneasiness that Goten was feeling, he didn't like where this was heading. Ludoc smile widened, turning Gotens uneasiness into fear.

"It has come to our attention that you have became friends with this boy, that relationship is arresting your progress." Now fear did show on Gotens face and Ludoc smirked at it. "You haven't figured out why you were taken have you?"

"Em..." Goten said, unsure how to respond to that question.

"I'll tell you." Ludoc said. "You see, Master Gradus wanted an assassin. And you power level made you qualify. Your age was an advantage as well." Goten backed up quickly, he was still stuck on the assassin part. I can't do that! He thought. A kick sent him flying back to where Ludoc stood, Goten by instinct managed to land on his feet. "What's wrong boy! Speak up!"

"I... I can't kill! That's wrong!" Goten stuttered looking at the floor. Ludoc laughed.

"After all this time, you've still got morals! Aren't you a strong one." He said, stepped up behind Goten, and grabbed his tail. Not hard enough to cause pain but enough to be uncomfortable. Goten gasped. "I'll tell you what, I'll make it easy for you. Kill that Krayn brat, or I'll cut this thing off."

Goten started to tremble, even though he hadn't had a tail before he'd got here, it was very important to him. It reminded him where he'd come from, and who he'd been. He couldn't lose it. But he couldn't kill Krayn either. Tears rolled down his cheeks, Ludoc took this lack of action to badly, he jerked Goten's tail, causing him to cry out and his legs to give out. He landed on his knees, Ludoc lightened his grip, and Goten was able to stand again. But stood unmoving again. He'd made his choice, they could have his tail, he was not going to kill!

"Not enough of an incentive, huh?" Ludoc said. He bent over, he's mouth uncomfortably close to Goten ear. "If you don't kill this boy, I'll kill Zeeha, and every prisoner that you've ever had contact with." He hissed. Gotens eyes opened wide, in shock. Kill one or be responsible for the deaths of many. After that kind of threat what choice did he have. With fresh tears rolling down his cheeks, Goten raised a hand and began to charge an energy blast.

"Good boy!" Ludoc said. Just as the blast was ready, Goten saw Krayn stir, he looked up directly at Goten, and the energy blast, fear flared in his eyes. Goten looked away and closed his eyes.

"I'm sorry." He mumbled, and let go of the energy blast, there was a scream and Krayns ki vanished. The pressure on his tail disappeared and Goten fell to the floor, curled into a foetal position and cried.