Chapter Seven
Between one breath and the next Bardock had Celi pinned against the wall and then was slowly climbing out of a crater in the opposite wall.
Boxer yanked the older saiyan to his feet and then snarled, "What do you think you're doing?"
"Something I knew I shouldn't have," Bardock viciously knocked the younger man hands away, "I got involved. My mistake."
He glared at the youth warningly and then stomped from the room.
Boxer took a deep breath and turned to Celi, "Are you all right?"
Celi's eyes were wide with surprise and confusion, "I-"
"What's wrong with Bardock?" 17 stopped just inside the lab and slowly took in Boxer's protective stance, Celi's position against the wall, and the newly formed crater, "I missed the upgrade. Care to fill me in?"
"I'm not sure myself," Boxer admitted reluctantly and then was firm, "He had her pinned. I got him off of her."
Something dangerous entered his blue eyes darkening them ominously.
17 just slid his cool eyes over to Celi, "Why was he pinning you against the wall?"
"He-" She took in a sharp breath and lifted her chin, "He was threatening me. He thinks I have designs on the half breed." Her lip pulled back into a light sneer though she couldn't quite keep her eyes of the demi-saiyan, "I was not to misuse him."
Boxer relaxed abruptly with a guilty look, "Oh, I see. I'll apologize when he comes in tomorrow."
17 shook his head, "He's not coming back until 'all this nonsense is over'." He used to fingers to make quotation marks.
Boxer cringed and looked even guiltier, "I'll find him after work."
17 narrowed his eyes slightly, "What were you doing in here with Bardock, Celi? You never come when we're here."
She averted her eyes aloofly and failed to hide her trembling hands, "The half breed said I would be safe. How this translates into my desire for him is beyond me."
She eyed the android from the corner of her eye.
"I-" Boxer locked eyes with her, "You wanted to see if you could trust me."
"You threatened to invade my life," she glared at him, "I had to make sure you'd be worth the infection."
Boxer sighed with resignment and turned to find 17 smirking at him, "What?"
"Weren't you supposed to help Bra today?" 17 asked slyly.
"Oh," Boxer glanced at Celi and then at the inner door, "Yeah, I-"
Celi stepped up to him, "I want to explore the building. Meet more half breeds."
"Oh, okay," Boxer blinked, "Just let me tell Bra-"
"Forget it," Celi turned sharply away and made to leave when Boxer caught her arm.
Her eyes snapped to his and he quickly let go, "17?"
"Yeah?" The android didn't bother to hide the amusement in his voice.
"Let Bra know I'll have to help her another day."
Celi's eyes sparked and her eyes lifted sharply.
Boxer narrowed his eyes, "Jealousy doesn't become you."
She gave him an offended look, "Who am I jealous of? You? The blue haired monstrosity?"
"That blue haired monstrosity is my sister," he leaned into her space, "Be nice."
"Hn," she lifted a shoulder and dropped it, "Let's go talk to Zarah."
His blue eyes narrowed further, "Why Zarah?"
"He's the only one of you with a saiyan name," she said it dismissively.
"Sasoli is a saiyan name," 17 protested and was ignored by Celi though Boxer glanced up.
"Is she here?" His eyes drifted back to Celi, obviously thinking a female touch would be helpful.
"No, she's not," 17 pursed his mouth and then added slyly, "Though, there is always Bra-"
"Are we going or not?" Celi demanded as she stomped to the door and looked expectantly at Boxer.
"Okay, okay," Boxer sent him an apologetic look and just like that they were gone.
"Huh," 17 straightened his spine and headed to Bra's inner lab, "He is so doomed."
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"A tour?" Zarah blinked and looked at Boxer.
"Apparently, I'm not saiyan enough," Boxer shrugged and crossed his arms, "She wants you."
Celi stood almost painfully straight and clenched her hands into fists.
"You realize that Boxer holds the exact amount of saiyan blood that I do, right?" Zarah was dumbfounded, "Hair color and texture aside, his build, facial structure, musculature, and fighting ability are almost cloned directly from my Uncle if you discount the strong Son family influences."
Boxer smiled as Celi growled, "He does not act saiyan."
Zarah tilted his head in thought, "No, you might want to rethink that one. I've seen him act plenty saiyan when he fights- Oh! That explains it! You haven't seen him fight!"
He beamed at her.
"No, a saiyan is a saiyan is a saiyan!" Celi glared at him with disgust, "I'm done with him." She turned and stomped off before wheeling back to glower at Boxer's back, "Well."
"I guess I'll see you later, Zarah," Boxer smiled mildly and made his way leisurely down the hall with Celi nearly stepping on his heels.
"Strange," Zarah shook his head and headed back into his lab.
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"I still don't see why you're so mad," Boxer remarked idly as he handed her a sandwich only for it to be shoved in his face, "Okay, so not hungry."
He took a bite and the sandwich was snatched away.
Celi finished it in three bites and then sulked against the counter, "He was acting human."
"Well, we are half human," Boxer shrugged and pulled out another sandwich. "It stands to reason."
"He seemed so saiyan before," Celi grumped to herself.
"He's still the same amount of saiyan he was before," Boxer smirked at her suddenly, "He's just not going to be what you want him to be. None of us are and you don't like it. Nobody likes what they can't control."
She sniffed at him, "I fail to understand your meaning."
"You understand plenty," Boxer's smirk softened to a warm smile, "Come on, I'll introduce you to-"
"No, I'm done being social for the day," she wrinkled her nose, "Though, I have a question."
Boxer gave her his full attention.
She studied him, "What is this?" She pulled out the capsule she had given her, "And how is it a house?"
He blinked and then laughed, "No, wait, don't go. I'm sorry! I didn't mean to laugh!"
Celi paused halfway out of the window.
Boxer bit his lip as he tried to suppress his smile, "I'm sorry. It's just... I... My family has made these for so long... I forget that someone might not know- Here." He scooped it up, "I'll show you."
He opened the window all the way, grinned, and launched himself out of the window.
"You can keep up right?!"
Celi scrambled after him and joined him in flight, "A mere halfbreed outpace a saiyan, hn."
He smirked at her, "I think you'll be surprised by what a halfbreed can do."
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"All right," Boxer looked around, "This seems like a pretty good spot."
They were in a random bit of forest that boasted a small clearing and a small stream. They were far enough inland to avoid random humans but close enough to fly into the city if she wanted to for any reason.
Celi landed a good distance from him and regarded him stonily.
He ignored the look, "Okay, stay there. Now, you take the capsule, click the top, and toss it where you want the house to be."
He tossed it between them and quietly walked the perimeter of the building as the smoke cleared.
Celi's mouth had dropped open as she regarded the newly hatched dwelling, "How is this possible?"
"My Grandfather is a genius," Boxer smiled proudly, "and my mother takes after him strongly. This is a capsule house, meant for the person on the go who might not have access to a motel or other decent lodging. It's not much but it's better than nothing."
Celi inhaled sharply and turned away as she said thickly, "You've given me a home I can take with me."
Boxer averted his eyes to take in the house, "It's a simple model. Comes furnished with basic supplies. The instructions how to shrink it back into the capsule is in the first kitchen drawer by the sink."
He turned to leave her to explore the dwelling when she stopped him with a hand on his arm.
She pulled away as she cringed into herself, "Why?"
"Not everybody is out to get you and with this... well, you always have somewhere to call home." He took a small step towards her, "You're not alone anymore, Celi, not even if you want to be."
Tears glimmered in the corner of her eyes, "I can't-"
She blasted up into the air and was gone.
Boxer sighed, "Celi..."
He glanced at the house and then left it where it rested as he went back to work.
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Boxer hadn't seen her for a month and it was reflecting in his inventions.
"Boxer," Bra turned the machine over in her hands bemusedly, "How many personal tracers do you think we need?"
"What?" He frowned and rubbed his forearm across his cheekbone leaving a streak of oil.
"You've made at least fifteen different types of tracers, locators, heat seakers, and, oh, this one can track using DNA?" Bra's voice took on an excited air.
"Fine, I'll dismantle them," he reached out for them only for her to clutch them protectively.
"No," she ducked his grab, "I didn't say we couldn't sellers for them-"
"Then what are you saying, Bra?" Boxer snapped before pulling back both physically and emotionally, "Sorry, I'm just a little out of sorts."
Bra studied her brother from an alternate future with new eyes. She'd never seen him act like this... He was moody, unpredictable with a short fuse, and was refusing to say why...
She's never felt closer to him.
"Make all the locators you want," she said slowly as she plotted her exit stragedy, "but they won't make any sort of difference if you don't use them."
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"She's too used to being hunted," Boxer muttered, "It'll just convince her that all men are the same-"
"Saiyans."
"-and- What?"
"Dad said she was being hunted by saiyans," Bra met his eyes steadily, "He wanted me to be on guard, just in case, though, they'll probably pass over me since I don't have the typical coloring."
"You think they'll..." Boxer trailed off as all the possible actions of the foreign saiyans flicked through his mind. Honestly, he hadn't thought what they might do as he had resolved to stop them at the gate so to speak.
"Don't be naive, Boxer," Bra rolled her eyes, "If they're hunting her because she's female then we have more than enough to tempt them. Aunt Ava, Sasoli, myself, and, maybe even, Pan might be targets."
Her expression hardened, "I wouldn't be surprised if that was her goal from the beginning. What's one compared to four?"
"You don't know that for sure," Boxer carefully set his tools down and slowly turned to face her.
"Why else would she keep coming around except for the free food?" She demanded, "You haven't seen the cameras, Boxer, she's smuggled out a ton of food."
"You don't know what it's like to be hunted," Haunted blue eyes met hers, "You don't know what it's like to be the only one of your kind and having no one who can help you, not knowing if maybe today's the day you're going to die and thinking maybe it wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't so hungry."
"Boxer-"
"You've never known what it's like to be hungry for food or companionship," he continued relentlessly, "I only had Master Gohan until I was eleven, Bra, and then I was all alone. Mom was there but she didn't want me to fight. She didn't want to lose me, too, but they knew about me by then and there was no one else. I had to-"
He choked back his emotions and ignored the tears in her eyes.
"You couldn't possibly understand and that's fine. You don't need to but... don't think you know what's she's planning because I can garuntee it's not what you think."
"Boxer-" Bra couldn't help the heartbroken tone of her voice.
"Don't," he pulled away from her comforting hand and threw on his jacket, "I don't belong here either. This isn't my world, you're not my sister, and they aren't my parents, no matter how much I-"
He punched a hole through the wall that was five inches thick steel.
"I have to go," he glared at her with cold eyes, "Don't wory. I can't go far without my capsule but, then, you know that since you were the ones to take it."
"Boxer-" Bra flinched as the door slammed shut.
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Celi pulled back from the vent, her heart pounding as she desperately backpedaled to exit the building and very aware how lucky she had been to have escaped undetected.
The pale halfbreed had been distracted and that was the only reason she was free right now.
His angry words scrolled through her head and she shook it to clear it. He spoke as if he knew but that wasn't possible... Was it? How could it be possible? How could he resemble their family so closely but not be related?
"Can't tell you all my secrets," Boxer smiled, "Not when you won't tell me yours."
"What?" She moved away cautiously, "Secrets? You have secrets?"
Boxer's mouth twisted, "Yes. Lots of them actually and I'm not telling you any of them."
This could be her ticket to freedom. She could use this, him, and then they both could be free.
She had to find him.
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"You're home early."
Bra's smile was a bit uncertain, "Have you seen Dad?"
Bulma paused and studied her daughter, "What's wrong?"
Her face crumpled, "Boxer's mad at me."
"What?" Bulma hugged her daughter close, "Are you sure? He might-"
"He said I wasn't his sister."
"Tell me everything," Bulma ordered and could only sigh sadly after hearing it, "Oh, Bra..."
Bra drew herself together defensively, "What I said wasn't wrong, Mom, he's the one-"
"Bra," Bulma's tone was stern, "Boxer has been through things most of us couldn't even imagine."
"Most of us?"
Bulma sighed and opened her mouth to explain when another voice interrupted.
"You're spoiled." Both women turned to find the Vegeta glaring at them, "All of you kids are spoiled."
"Vegeta-" Bulma tried to protest but was ignored.
"I wanted you spoiled. If I didn't then I would have dropped you into the wilderness to survive on your own myself."
"Over my dead body you would have!" Bulma exploded.
Vegeta snorted as he entered the room. He would have done it whether she liked it or not and nothing she would have said or done would have stopped him.
"Kakarot managed to survive," he snapped when Bulma refused to relent.
"Goku was a wild boy-"
"He is a saiyan."
"-who didn't even know the difference between boys and girls!"
"I never said he was intelligent!" Vegeta sneered and smirked when she released an outraged squawk, "He knows how to survive in the wild with no food or supplies. Take away everything and he'll just start over. He doesn't worry about how he will survive and Boxer doesn't either."
Bulma's fury died and she became solemn once more, "He was the last of the Z fighters and without his mom..."
"He was completely alone in a world full of humans who had no hope of ever finding anyone to connect to-"
"That's not true!"
"Woman," Vegeta met his wife's eyes.
"But he's so polite and half human," she protested weakly.
"Bulma," he intoned softly as he held her eyes.
She turned away in defeat.
"I don't understand," Bra rubbed her arms chilled and very aware that there was alot that was not being said aloud.
Vegeta glanced over at her and slowly reached out to grip the back of her neck. He tightened his grip in small increments until it was just shy of painful.
Bra released a breath and relaxed into his grip obediently, comforted by the pressure. The proof of his strength and the knowledge that he would use that strength to protect not harm.
"Ow! Vegeta!" Bulma squealed her displeasure.
Bra's eyes snapped open in surprise to see he had a similar grip on her mother only she was far from comforted. Bulma struggled as she tried to get away while calling Vegeta foul names.
He released them.
"Damn it, Vegeta!" Bulma rubbed the back of her neck, "You know I hate it when you do that!"
Vegeta didn't acknowledge his wife as he met his daughter's eyes, "She raised you human. I raised you saiyan."
He left the room.
"That man," Bulma hissed after him before drawing her daughter into a hug, "Are you all right? Did that brute hurt my baby?"
"I'm fine," Tears filled her eyes and she hugged her mother as tightly as she dared, for while, the hug showed her she was loved it also showed her how weak the arms were that held her. The knowledge that the strength of her mother's spirit did not match her physical body wasn't new but that knowledge set in a world being torn apart by seemingly all powerful enemies was devastating.
"Bra," Bulma wheezed, "Not so tight."
She loosened her grip and wept.
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Gohan glanced up at the soft knocks and quickly moved to open the door to reveal a very miserable looking Boxer, "Oh, hey."
"Hey," He greeted weakly, "Would it be okay if I stayed here for awhile?"
Gohan opened the door wider with a smile, "Sure, stay as long as you like."
The young demi-saiyan entered shyly and glanced around the house curiously.
"So, Trunks-" Gohan cut himself off with a self-conscious laugh, "Sorry, that's not your name anymore. It's just that I knew you as Trunks first-"
"It's fine," Boxer gazed at him fondly, "I miss that actually."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," Gohan shifted a pile of books off a chair so his guest could sit down, "Adventuring with Piccolo, Krillin, and your mom was great and all but it's like it killed them to say my name."
"Let me guess," Boxer smirked, "Kid, kiddo, boy, brat, punk..."
"From your parents alone," he agreed pleasantly, "So what brings you by?"
The humor fled from Boxer's face, "I just needed to get away."
Gohan nodded and dropped the subject, "Hungry?"
Boxer shook his head.
"Well, I could use a snack," Gohan went to the kitchen, "Help yourself to a book."
Boxer blinked and glanced at all the books stacked around the room. He picked up one carefully and read the title.
Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica
"Oh, that one's pretty good," Gohan placed a plate and wet towell in front of the younger demi saiyan.
Boxer lifted a brow.
"I made too much," he shrugged, "and you have oil on your left cheek."
"Oh," he blushed a bit and started wiping his face, "You like to read?"
He nodded, "Yeah, I was researching the social economic impact of the capsule on modern society and speculating where we would be today without it."
"Oh, please, don't let me disturb you," Boxer put down the book and moved to leave, "You don't have to entertain me."
"Oh, no, please stay, I needed the break," he winked, "Besides, we never get a chance to talk."
Gohan glanced meaningfully at plate of food before picking up a book and started chatting about various subjects.
Boxer pulled the plate closer, glanced at his older male, and, when it was confirmed Gohan wasn't looking, started to eat with a small smile. It was nice to know that some things never changed.
Gohan didn't bother to hide his knowing smile and continued to fill in the background noise.
End chapter
AN: I so sorry about the long delay between updates. I'm hoping to be more punctual but alas I can make no promises. Michelle18