Chapter Four

"This is impossible," Celi shook her head, "How could you not care about your blood's purity! Our Prince wouldn't stand for this! He-"

"Our Prince does not care," Boxer interrupted kindly, "The only full blood saiyan woman we have here is his sister, Ava, and Vegeta was not going to marry his sister."

There was a stunned silence.

"Celi, look things are different-"

"You have two non-related full blooded saiyan males here," she snarled harshly, "Why did-"

"Goku was already married to Chichi and Bardock came after she had married 17," Boxer took a step toward her and she bolted into the vent, "No, wait!"

He glanced up into the vent and didn't see any trace of her.

"Too much at once I guess," Boxer winced and rubbed the back of his neck. He glanced around the lab, he honestly didn't like being there alone ...

Actually, he just didn't like being alone. He snatched up his bag and left.

It didn't make any sense. It didn't make any sense. It didn't make any sense.

Celi raced away, unable to help repeating the phrase in her head and the panic clawing at her throat. This was all wrong. This was not how her mother said it would be so it was wrong and if it was wrong then it was a trap.

There were no full blooded saiyans in the building save one. The one called Bardock. He must be the one who supervised all these half-breeds that they were forced to spawn. Any full blooded children must be elsewhere. There was no way they weren't trying to preserve the bloodline.

She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to calm her breathing as memories surged forward. She forcibly pushed them away and ignored the phantom sensation of harsh grabbing hands.

No. They were using the demi-saiyans as a front to lure in unsuspecting females while also providing a base of operations and source of income. They were little more than slaves to their sires and, what's more, didn't even seem to realize it as they bustled along happily. It was perfect really.

The only reason they were even on this stupid mudball were the rumors of the Prince being spotted recently going up against the Splavoids. Laughable except for the recent discovery of their newly extinct status and their boasts of capturing a live saiyan child directly beforehand. Then there was the mercenary Dikon and his disappeared partner Prol. They'd landed here and were never heard from again along with the Kold family. This planet was a functioning black hole for the most powerful forces in the universe and the superstitious avoided it accordingly.

Her mother thought it the perfect place to hide and was certain their Prince was the reason behind the dethroned empire. Her mother was naive who still held out hope the old ways would be returned. Their Prince was even more ruthless and cunning then the ones that chased them. Celi's mouth thinned in grim determination, her mother would come here to this building and she would be caught. The symbol on the building matched the old reports of Frieza's soldiers and the debris of Namek. It was easily the biggest building around and there was one in every large city she'd come across all over the world. Her mother would make her way to the source just as she had and them all the nice nice would be over. It hadn't escaped her notice that they had only let her go after she revealed the presence of another female saiyan.

They were waiting.

And so must she.

Celi glanced back at the building one more time before making her way to her temporary hideout. For now, the halflings would be safe enough and would cater to her in order to keep her close. She would just have to be the one who fooled them instead.

Boxer smiled reluctantly at the way Celi poked at the machines.

Ever since she returned from her epiphany she'd been like a small child asking question after question about anything and everything. She would turn up after most of the building had emptied and was stuck to his side like glue.

It was almost like having a girlfriend, he blushed at the thought, the way she would cling to him and use him as a physical shield against new people.

"I'm hungry," she poked him in the ribs.

"Okay, just let me-"

She jabbed harder.

He cringed away from her boney finger and set out down his tools with another reluctant smile, "All right. Do you want to try going upstairs to the break room?"

Her expression hardened, "Break room? You have a room you break things in?"

"Ah, no," Boxer blinked, "We have eight hour work days. We get two ten minute breaks and an hour lunch. The room is the designated place for eating and socializing so we call it a break room."

Celi was still suspicious but nodded sharply.

"I promise no one will hurt you," Boxer didn't make the mistake of touching her comfortingly, "Just stay with me."

Some of the tension drained and the nod not so jerky as she got to her feet to follow him. She padded behind him softly and kept a sharp lookout but for the most part was serene among the humans. They made it to the room without incident and this made him happy.

"This is our private breakroom so feel free to help yourself to the food whenever you're hungry."

"Are you sure that's all right?" They both swung around to see Zarah munching on a sandwich. Celi ducked behind Boxer. "She isn't family, an employee, or a client."

"Do you have a problem with it?" Boxer arched a brow.

Zarah met his eyes, swallowed the last bit of his sandwich, and grinned. "I didn't say that, just that it might be best if she were with one of us at all times or Trunks might bitch."

Boxer snorted his amusement, "Right."

Zarah got to his feet and eyed her as he stretched, "I'm Zarah."

"Celi," she peeked over his shoulder.

He nodded and dismissed her, "Boxer, we figured out what that thing you made did."

"Oh?" Boxer passed her a large sandwich before turning his full attention to his cousin.

"It's a water purifier," Zarah laughed as the other demi-saiyan's face fell. "No, it's not as simple as you think. We could put sludge into this thing and it'll come out as pure clean water."

"Really?" Boxer frowned skeptically, "Sludge?"

"Sludge," Zarah affirmed, "This thing is going to be..."

Celi tuned out and carefully opened the large white box that Boxer had gotten the food from only to gape in amazement at the sheer amount of edibles. She quickly squirreled away several sandwiches on her person and eased it shut. This would definitely come in handy in the upcoming stand off and she wouldn't have to scavenge so much. There wasn't really a prey heavy forest nearby after all.

She glanced over to see the males still engrossed in their conversation as she tucked into her first sandwich. Most of the terminology was foreign though she caught the gist of it. Boxer had made a machine that made pure water out of corrupted water. Very useful, especially on some the planets she had been on and some of their moons.

"I'm not even sure how you came up with the process," Zarah shook his head, "Those components shouldn't even be compatible much less work together. Honestly, Boxer, I think it's better that you don't know what you're making half the time because if you did then you would be too dangerous to let live!" He laughed.

Boxer just shrugged and tentatively pulled on 17's knowledge, "It would take more than just you to take me out."

Zarah's grin softened into a smile, "It kills me to admit this but it's a pleasure to work with you."

"Yes, I enjoy it," he smiled.

Zarah shook his head, "All right, I got to get out of here or Pan's going to have my head." He waved and met Celi's eyes briefly, "Celi."

The door shut. Boxer sighed softly and turned to find Celi in the middle of her third sandwich, "Well, it's getting kind of late and I need to be here early tomorrow."

She swallowed her food and nodded.

"Where are you staying?"

She tensed and turned to watch him warily.

"I mean," he waved his hands in front of him in an effort to show he was harmless, "I worry about you-"

"Where I sleep is none of your business," she snarled and zipped through the window.

He blew out a breath and thunked his head softly against the wall, "Well, that was stupid."

End of Chapter.