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Chapter 10. The Second Mission
Three months later.
The lights in the large training room were dimmed slightly. No sound could be heard except for the sounds of fists meeting each other in mid-air, flesh slamming into bones and the small groans or cries that belonged to those encounters.
Gohan, one of the sacks of flesh and bones in the fray, felt himself be harshly pushed back from where he had planted himself in defense. The half-saiyan looked up at where he knew his next assault would come from and hastily moved up his arms to defend his body against the punches and kicks that were rapidly coming his way. Vegeta, his aggressor, smirked as he rushed the boy with everything he had. Gohan's eyes were going as fast as they could, catching all Vegeta's attacks in order to block them but they couldn't process the flurry of attacks fast enough to give the boy a chance to retaliate. Gohan narrowed his eyes in concentration, blocking hit after hit with precision until one of the older Saiyan's own hits broke through his defense. Vegeta's kick hit the child's shoulder and launched him into the ground but the boy managed to land on his hands and feet like a cat. Without missing a beat, Vegeta appeared next to him and kicked against his side, forcing Gohan to roll over until he was lying on his back.
A second later Vegeta mercilessly slammed his knee into Gohan's stomach. The half-Saiyan's upper body was forced into the air as the force rippled from Vegeta's knee and through him. He fell down again, breathing heavily, too exhausted to move. Vegeta watched as Gohan regained his breath. "It's a shame. All those training sessions with the Suta Team and you're still no match for me," Vegeta sneered.
Satisfied that he had proven himself stronger, Vegeta stepped back and allowed Gohan to get back up. Gohan growled as he rolled over so he could lean on his hands and knees.
Vegeta had to admit Gohan was progressing faster than he imagined. He remembered handing out a similar punch weeks earlier which damaged Gohan way more than it did now.
The man watched as Gohan rose to his feet, keeping his face impassive as he hid his wary assessment.
Gohan attacked immediately, knowing that Vegeta was not expecting this. He pushed his fist deep into Vegeta's unguarded stomach. The man doubled over in pain he did not expect to feel from his soldier's small fist alone. Gohan used this second moment of weakness to his advantage as well and kicked up, throwing Vegeta into the air before appearing above his master, putting his hands together, and slamming the older Saiyan back into the ground he'd just been launched from. The force from the hit made Vegeta's body bounce off of the ground once, like he was nothing more than a volleyball that Gohan had spiked for a point.
On the ground, the man growled in annoyance. He hated it when Gohan managed to land a hit and it was happening entirely too often in his opinion, though he would never show it and give his soldier confidence.
Gohan, oblivious to Vegeta's seething rage, wiped some sweat off his forehead, widening his eyes slightly when he noticed a red smudge on his hand. He touched his forehead again, winced and noticed blood red spots on his fingers when he drew his hand away.
"Come here, boy!" Vegeta yelled. Gohan landed on the ground near him, still a bit cautious around his master but not entirely sure he had done something to warrant punishment.
Still, it wouldn't be the first time that Vegeta suddenly attacked without a warning. The older Saiyan eyed Gohan's wounds. "That's enough for today," he said as he turned around. "We'd better get ourselves to the Namekian so he can heal us."
"Right." Gohan said in a solemn voice. He grinned as soon as Vegeta turned away from him. Seeing Dende was always a treat for him.
Dende, however, hated to see Gohan when he was beaten to a pulp and that was practically the only state Gohan was ever allowed to be in when he saw his friend nowadays. "Oh no." Dende ran closer in order to heal Gohan. "You're all beaten up again. Can't you two spar without killing each other?" He complained.
Gohan shrugged. "Where's the fun in that?" He teased, watching Dende's reaction with amusement. While he had been working with the Suta Team and Vegeta, he had almost forgotten how it was to have someone around who cared about his well-being, or what it felt like to be the one left to watch a loved one get beaten up. Dende quickly healed the half-saiyan and Gohan felt a little guilty for being the cause of Dende's worries.
"Please try not to come back tomorrow. Even though I like seeing you every day, I hate the circumstances." Dende muttered as he stepped back. Gohan rubbed over his wrists.
"It's really not all that bad. It just depends on who I am sparring with and in what kind of mood that person is," Gohan answered with a smile.
"Who?" Dende asked curiously. Gohan gave him a questioning glance. "Who are you sparring with tomorrow?"
"I think I have a training session with…Tobney?" Gohan's questioning eyes moved to Vegeta.
The man shrugged. "You should keep track of your own affairs." Vegeta answered, sitting down so Dende could heal him too.
Gohan scoffed. "You make my schedule every week. I just assume you know a bit about it." The half-saiyan pulled on his boots. "I guess a change of clothes is in order before we can eat?" Gohan suggested.
Vegeta looked down at his own ripped uniform and damaged armor. "That's probably a good idea. I am having dinner with the Suta Team tonight."
Gohan groaned. "I forgot about that." He complained. One of the traditions Vegeta insisted on keeping was that Gohan had to continue serving the drinks of the Suta Team and Vegeta during their weekly dinners. It was one of the tasks 'slave Gohan' had and, since Gohan agreed to be a full-time soldier, he hoped he would not have to fulfill this humiliating task anymore. It was extremely hard to pose yourself as an equal when you were serving drinks, especially in a warrior world. Gohan did not hate the members of the Suta Team, he was slowly warming up to Tobney, but he dreaded the possibility that they might start calling him 'refreshment boy' again. The comments "hey, I can use a drink. Maybe refreshment boy can pick something up for us" or "Don't worry. You might not be a great fighter but you can become a decent waiter" were used too often during their sparring matches already.
Despite his misgivings, Gohan still found himself serving drinks to the members of the Suta Team that evening. He tried his best to keep his face blank and remain nonchalant as he did it, but failed when Tobney grabbed his drink from Gohan's serving-plate and grinned at the half-saiyan. "It's always good to see you in your rightful place, serving our drinks." He teased.
Gohan rolled his eyes and turned away to continue his round. Tobney grabbed him on the band of his armor. "Can we start an hour earlier tomorrow?" Tobney asked when Gohan looked back at him.
"I have a spar with you tomorrow?" Gohan questioned.
Tobney nodded. "I have an appointment at seven and I have to prepare for it." The white irises focused on Gohan's face.
"I'll have to discuss it with Vegeta but I think it will be alright." Gohan answered with a nod. "What's so important that you need three hours to prepare for it?" Gohan asked curiously as Tobney released him.
"Nothing," he answered quickly.
"Tobney has a date." Itoro leaned on his elbows and grinned at the frowning warrior.
"It's not a date." Tobney answered annoyed, dark-blue blush creeping on his cheeks.
"She's the daughter of one of the members of the Bio Clan." Comora answered. "Very rich. She would make an excellent mate." He added with a wink to Tobney. "They met several months ago and they've been flirting with each other ever since."
"That's not true," Tobney complained loudly.
Gohan gasped. "Oh! That was the girl who was looking at us last week, wasn't she? She and her father were visiting the ship because her father had a meeting with Vegeta. I was wondering why she wanted to join her father on such a boring trip but now it all makes sense."
Tobney did not answer, crossing his arms defiantly, eyes glued to the table.
"She was observing us the entire time we fought and eventually she started talking to Tobney," he explained to the others. "I could have sworn I saw you two leave together," Gohan said thoughtfully.
"They left together?!" Comora exclaimed.
Tobney groaned. "Thanks a lot," he snarled at Gohan. The half-saiyan snickered as the others gasped and exclaimed things as reaction to this news.
"What did you two do?" Itoro informed as he leaned in closer. "Search for some privacy?" He teased.
"Did you two find a nice dark room?" Kaon added, noticing how the blushes on Tobney's cheeks grew darker.
"And now they want to re-do the secret date." Comora continued with a grin. Tobney was hiding his face behind his hands by now. He hated it when they got like this. Tobney and his girlfriends was apparently a running joke in the Suta Team. Gohan did not know why nor did he know how this tradition began since he was relatively new, but he did assume that it had to do with the fact that Tobney was the only one without a wife stashed away somewhere.
Vegeta broke the gossiping circle by snapping his fingers. "Boy." He said and pointed at his empty drink. Gohan pulled a face, walked away to grab Vegeta's drink, and returned to find out the conversation had already landed on a different subject.
After dinner Tobney passed Gohan on his way out, glanced at him and smirked. "You are so dead tomorrow," he warned.
"I'm shaking in my boots," Gohan joked back. Tobney petted on Gohan's head before he left the room.
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Several days later Gohan and Vegeta were sitting in Vegeta's office. Vegeta placed a piece of paper on his desk. The man was giving Gohan his serious face, which meant that whatever Vegeta was going to say, Gohan probably would not like.
Gohan curled his hands together. "You asked me to sit down in front of you," he stated. "Was there a particular reason for that?"
"Yes." Vegeta answered. "I have something I wish to speak with you about. It concerns a planet in the Southern Quatrain. It's a beauty of a planet, with a lot of natural resources." Vegeta shifted the paper on the desk and pushed it closer to Gohan so the half-saiyan could look at it. He eyed the information on the paper with interest. "The only problem is that the inhabitants are very strong." Gohan looked up at Vegeta. "They are too strong for a normal group of warriors."
"This is a mission for the Suta Team, isn't it?" Gohan guessed, a heavy feeling settling in his stomach.
"You knew this day was coming. The second mission would not be far away." Vegeta answered.
"Can't I just skip this mission?" Gohan asked. "Just this once. The last mission was only like two or three months ago," Gohan pleaded. "Please let me stay here."
"Are you going to behave the same way you behaved back then?" Vegeta asked as he raised an eyebrow.
"No." Gohan leaned back in his seat. "I know better now. Besides, we made a deal."
"Exactly." Vegeta nodded approvingly. "I was planning on reminding you of that."
"You do that every time something like this comes up." Gohan smiled innocently at his employer.
Vegeta crossed his arms. "You will be leaving in two days. All your training sessions have been cancelled due to the fact that you'll be training while you are travelling to the planet. But that's good because you'll have to finish a lot of paperwork before you leave. You'll be busy with that and training would have interfered anyway. "
"No training for two days?" Gohan raised an eyebrow. That would be a relaxing two days. "That's fine with me."
"Don't be too pleased. Instead of improving yourself for two hour spurts, you'll be working all night to get the paperwork done." Vegeta answered.
"I'm many things but I'm not slow." Gohan answered as he leaned back in his seat and folded his hands together behind his head.
"Then get to work."
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The ship was always very quiet in the morning. The lights were dimmed to preserve energy since nobody was really walking around at this hour. Nobody important, that is. Small feet could be heard tapping silently against the ground. The young slaves were taught to be silent as they prepared the ship for the following day.
The ship's Laundromat was held in one of the smaller rooms in the ships and it was littered with filthy laundry that piled up from the toils of that day on the small closets in which the clean laundry was hidden away, ready to be taken out and dirtied when the masters arose from their beds. Several young slaves were busy cleaning the clothes by hand, sitting side-by-side in the darkness.
Even though Vegeta could afford to acquire and use the newest technology for his laundry, he wanted to preserve energy by making the slaves do the laundry with just water and their own hands.
One particular slave was now folding up the clean dry laundry that had just emerged from the dryer. The young slave, named Dende, was now sending an accusing glance at his friend as he fumbled with the chore across the pile.
"So you're leaving me." Dende said as he neatly folded a blue uniform.
Gohan grabbed a white uniform from the pile. "It's not like I chose for it to happen," he answered. "I have to go on those stupid missions. Vegeta placed me in that team so I have to join them when they are sent on a mission."
"I know, but still." Dende complained. "Life here has been bearable because I could meet you once in a while but when you're gone I'll be all alone here."
"No. I'll be alone." Gohan answered. "You have made friends here. I noticed their cheerful reaction to your arrival several times."
"You have made friends too. That younger warrior has been visiting you often," Dende answered as he looked up at his friend. Gohan seemed to be growing faster than Dende and it felt odd having to look up to see into his face.
"Are you jealous?" Gohan inquired as a grin appeared on his face.
"Are you?" Dende countered, placing another clean and folded towel on the pile.
"I am." Gohan answered with a sigh. "Of your lifestyle." He added when he noticed Dende's expression. "I know you have to work hard and everything but at least you're not forced to kill people."
Dende's hands rested on the table, the clean towel still in his hands, as he studied his friend. "I'm sorry, Gohan. I can heal your bodily wounds but there is nothing I can do about emotional ones." He said sadly.
Gohan smiled at him. "Don't worry about me. I'll survive and get over it," he answered. A glance at his watch made his movements hasty and jerky and he sloppily put the folded towel on the pile. "I have to go now. Vegeta forced a pile of paperwork on me and I have to finish it. Jerk," he complained.
"I heard that," A voice sneered through the scouter.
"Do you always listen to my conversations?" Gohan snarled back as soon as he recovered from jumping in surprise. "I need to learn how to shut this thing off," he muttered as he turned to the doorway. He gave one last wave in Dende's direction before he disappeared in the dark hallway.
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Every time Gohan entered the ship of the Suta Team he wondered why they were living in such strange conditions. It was not bad-they had a large bathroom and a large living room, several training rooms, entertainment rooms and fitness rooms-but they did not all have their own bedroom or bathroom. They shared those, and Gohan found that unusual. The Suta Team was Vegeta's private army. The elite of the elite. Gohan expected them to get their own room and everything.
This was not the case though. He placed his bag on the lower bed of the bunk he shared with Tobney. The slightly older warrior was lying on his bed, his face hanging next to Gohan.
"The second mission." Tobney announced. "Ready for it?"
Gohan opened his bag, giving out an annoyed groan as the zipper got stuck, pulling it back and then opening it fully. The half-saiyan shrugged. "Work." He answered shortly.
Tobney studied Gohan for a few seconds, his small blue pupils moving over every inch of Gohan's face. The younger warrior ignored his examination as he unpacked his bag. There wasn't much to unpack though. He never really got the chance to take something when he left his planet. The half-saiyan placed his pajamas under his pillow before grabbing his toothbrush and toothpaste and placing it on his bedside table.
That was one thing Vegeta gave him when he first arrived on the ship. A toothbrush. Apparently, Vegeta preferred an army with clean teeth rather than clean hands. Gohan sat down on his bed while Tobney jumped off his own and onto the floor.
The warrior grinned at Gohan. "It's going to be okay. We have to travel for a month first, so we can forget all about the mission and have some fun while we're on the way."
Gohan looked up at him. "Have fun." He said blankly. "We're on a battleship, heading for a planet where we are supposed to kill everyone in sight. How can we have fun?" Gohan asked sarcastically.
Tobney tilted his head. "Well. Like this." Tobney dived onto the half-saiyan. Gohan gasped as Tobney's weight landed on him. Tobney immediately started tickling Gohan everywhere he could.
"Oh. No, you're not!" Gohan yelled as he turned them both over. He landed on top of his comrade while he was trying to push Tobney's hands off himself and onto the bed. Tobney growled as he pushed Gohan off and the boy landed with his back against the harsh ground. The half-saiyan pouted as he rubbed over his sore back. Then he narrowed his eyes at his attacker, who was still sitting on the bed.
The half-saiyan jumped up and closed in on Tobney. His fists were balled at his side as he stared his enemy down. Tobney was giving him a just as vicious glance in return. They both jumped up simultaneously, meeting each other in mid-air and rolling over the ground. They gave out war-cries as they tried to push each other down, threw each other off their own bodies and bumped into every piece of furniture in the room.
Comora was just stepping inside when he noticed the commotion. "No!" He yelled. "This is the first day. The ship has not even left and you're already making a mess. This is not how you're going to behave on this mission, do you hear me?" Gohan and Tobney stopped roughhousing and looked up before nodding obediently.
Comora nodded back, thinking they would be quiet now, and left the room again. Gohan and Tobney waited for a few seconds before they looked back at each other. Gohan grinned and pushed Tobney back to the ground. They were both laughing as they continued their fight.
****DBZ **** DBZ ****
The atmosphere in the large training room was tensed. Energy waved through the bright room as a result of the intense fights that were taking place. Gohan's face was pulled into a frown of concentration as he blocked every punch that was coming in his direction. Today's opponent was Comora.
The half-saiyan tilted his head to the side to avoid a punch from Comora. He moved his leg up to kick the other warrior but Comora was too fast for him. The man moved to the right, forcing Gohan to miss and fall slightly off balance.
Comora used this moment of weakness and punched in Gohan's stomach so hard that Gohan momentarily wondered if his opponent was planning on punching right through him. The half-saiyan gasped out bits of spit and blood, wondering how he could be so hurt by just one blow.
The half-saiyan looked up at Comora and concentrated on his power level. He felt a smirk creeping on his face when he noticed how different Comora's power level was now compared to how strong he was when they had last sparred.
Comora noticed Gohan's expression. "What are you smirking at?"
"Your power level is higher," Gohan answered as he eyed his opponent.
"What?" Comora asked, wiping the sweat off his face.
"You increased your power level," Gohan repeated. "Vegeta told me you can raise or lower your power level. Not like I can though. I can power up gradually. You have to go from one level to the next but you don't have to transform to do it. You moved up a level in order to fight me." Gohan stated.
"I never said you weren't getting stronger," Comora answered as he crossed his arms. A hint of his own smirk was seen around his lips as he studied the younger warrior. The change in Gohan's behavior was significant. Though the half-saiyan still had his bratty moments, he obeyed Comora and the others overall. He gave it his all during the training sessions, which was why he was making these incredible jumps in strength, and behaved well at any other moment of the day.
Still, Comora did wonder how Gohan would take his second mission.
They all knew about Gohan's deal with Vegeta. The Suta Team had gotten a reward from the Lord of the Universe for scaring Gohan into submission after their first mission. It was because of their strength that Gohan had decided to make the deal to protect Earth with Vegeta. They had made Gohan realize how fast a planet could be purged, which was something Gohan did not want to happen to planet Earth.
Gohan's servitude in exchange for planet Earth's safety: that was the general idea and the boy had ensured the trade as planned.
Gohan looked up at Comora and pulled him from his thoughts. "Do you really think that?" Gohan asked. "Do you think I'm improving? I don't know. Vegeta always tells me I am disappointing him." Gohan looked at his own hands.
"Is Vegeta's opinion important to you?" Comora asked curiously.
"No. I don't care if I disappoint Vegeta. I like the idea, actually." He grinned. "I do hope that my strength is increasing though. The stronger you are, the more important you are, right?" Those innocent eyes looked up at him again. Comora almost floated back because of the youthful naiveté reflected in those eyes.
"Yeah." Comora answered. "That's how this world works," he nodded.
"Then let's get back to work," Gohan answered impatiently. The half-saiyan clenched his fist as he watched Comora sink into a fighting stance.
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The ship in which the Suta Team was travelling was one of the largest a squad could own. There were many hallways which made Gohan wonder if he would ever know his way around. It seemed an impossible feat the first time he'd been on the ship.
Now, though as he was running on high speed, he knew exactly where to go. His feet went so fast a bystander probably would not be able to see them in detail. A power level was following not far behind him but Gohan had already reached his destination. The half-saiyan entered common room where the other members of the Suta Team were hanging around.
"Good day, gentlemen." Gohan said cheerfully. "Would you like to see…?"
"Gohan!" Tobney stormed inside and growled angrily when he saw Gohan. "Give it back!" He launched at Gohan but the half-saiyan jumped away just in time. He raced to the other side of the room and used the couches to distance himself from Tobney.
"Give what back?" Comora asked curiously.
"Nothing." Tobney said immediately.
"Remember the girl Tobney is having a relationship with?" Gohan asked cheekily. He sent a grin in Tobney's direction.
"She's just a friend." Tobney complained tiredly.
"Oh really?" Gohan asked. "Do you keep a picture of all your friends in your private stuff?" He dangled the picture in the air. "You don't have a picture of me. I feel left out." Gohan pouted.
Tobney frowned at Gohan but he did not move. Comora reached out. "Let me take a look at her," he said.
Gohan reached out to give the picture to Comora but Tobney chose this time to strike. He appeared in front of Gohan and tried to grab the picture. Gohan pulled back just in time to keep the picture to himself. The half-saiyan stuck out his tongue to Tobney. "We're just looking. That's what a picture is for, isn't it?" Gohan teased. "You kept it so you can look at her every day. So sweet."
The others chuckled as blushes appeared on Tobney's face. The twenty-year old frowned at the half-saiyan. "Just wait until you are old enough to have girlfriends. I will remember this and have my revenge."
"Oooooh, I'm scared." Gohan sneered.
Tobney tried to grab the picture again but Gohan kept it out of his reach. The two struggled for dominance, pushing each other over in the process and rolling over the ground. "Give it back!" Tobney cried.
"No way!" Gohan answered.
They bumped into a table, which collapsed at impact, before they rolled back to bump into the couch. "Hey!" Comora yelled, annoyed. "Stop that!" The two youngsters ignored him as they continued their struggle for power and the picture.
"Didn't you hear him? Stop it!" Itoro added as he watched them roll over the ground.
"What's wrong with them?" Suna asked, a frown sent in their direction.
"They're brats, that's what," Comora answered. "Still, how do we stop them?"
"Did you say we land in two days?" Kaon asked loudly.
His comment had the desired effect. Gohan froze and looked up. Tobney, who heard the message too but did not think much of it until he noticed Gohan's reaction, let his arms fall down as he looked up at Gohan. The half-saiyan pulled back, allowing Tobney to get up. He knew the others were watching his every move, dying to see a negative reaction.
Gohan stood straight, wiping some dust off his blue uniform. "Well, we'd better train hard to make sure we are ready." Gohan answered with a smile. After this he walked out the room quickly.
Comora raised an eyebrow as his eyes moved to Tobney. "That was a pleasant reaction." Comora said thoughtfully.
"Do you think he's in denial?" Itoro asked as his eyes studied the brightly lit hallway into which Gohan had disappeared.
"I think he's trying to put up a brave front." Comora answered as he crossed his arms over each other. "He does not want to show us how sad he really is." Comora glanced at the other warriors.
"He's failing then." Tobney answered, glaring a little at his teammates. "You can see right through the eleven year old. And congratulations- You've managed to spoil the fun of a child who's emotionally vulnerable just because you wanted to watch him break. You must be so proud." Tobney rolled his eyes as he walked out the room.
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"What are you doing?" Tobney asked as he stepped in the room. Gohan looked over his shoulder. The half-saiyan looked back down at the control panel.
"I don't know. I'm trying to turn this ship around?" Gohan muttered as answer.
"Having any luck?" Tobney asked with a small smirk.
"Didn't you notice the ship turning?" Gohan answered without looking back, his hands still leaning on the control panel.
Tobney looked up at the small planet that was coming closer and closer. "The first mission is the worst. It gets better." Tobney answered.
"Does it?" Gohan asked without looking up. "I have the feeling it will only get worse."
"You do have to join us now." Tobney answered. "It won't be the same as last time. Comora will pay special attention to you. He knows you are not looking forward to it."
"Of course he does." Gohan muttered under his breath.
"Arrival in ten minutes." The robotic female voice sounded through the speakers.
"Thanks." Gohan muttered.
The ten minutes went by in a flash. They all gathered near the large entryway. Gohan brushed over his black uniform, his eyes lingering on the Suta Team insignia on his armor. He sighed as he watched the others walk closer.
"This planet is not that big." Comora said as they walked out the room. "Itoro and Tobney. You can take the south side. Suna and Kaon, you can take the east. Gohan and I will start right here."
"Told you." Tobney whispered in Gohan's direction. Gohan frowned as he watched Tobney and Itoro fly away. The half-saiyan looked up when Comora called him.
"Let's go, rookie." He said as he waved Gohan over.
Gohan sighed as he flew up and joined Comora in the sky. The man powered up when they reached the first city. Gohan looked up at his team leader. "Alright. We've got work to do," Comora said, slowly flying down.
"Wait." Gohan's arm extended towards Comora. The man stopped in mid-air and looked over his shoulder. "Don't you have an assignment for me?" Gohan asked.
"Yes. I do." Comora turned to Gohan fully. "Kill as many people as you can."
"Already?" Gohan asked. "Can't you give me a number or something like that?" He asked
"That only counts for the first mission. I'm lenient on the first mission. Now you have had time to get used to it," Comora answered shortly. "I don't care if you don't want to do it. Shut your emotions off and get to work." He turned away from Gohan.
Gohan clenched and unclenched his fists. He felt his anger rising because of the helplessness of his situation but he took a deep breath. He did not want to be punished because he lost his temper. Vegeta already gave him a hard time for every time he lost his temper during the first mission.
Comora ignored Gohan and flew down. Gohan waited as the first few explosions took place. He closed his eyes and counted till ten. The half-saiyan followed Comora's example. He extended his hand to a large building and closed his eyes.
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"Congratulations on a job well done." Comora pushed a beer in Gohan's hands. The half-saiyan looked up at him from his position on the comfortable couch. "You've cleaned up very well today."
Gohan scoffed as he placed the beer on the table. "Done gloating?" He asked without looking up from his book. The moment they arrived in the ship Gohan retreated to the library. He enjoyed sitting there, reading about the lives of other people so he would not have to think about his own life, or the lives he had just ended.
Comora fell down on the couch that was standing opposite Gohan's. "I will tell Vegeta how cooperative you were. He might give you a raise or something like that."
A smile appeared on Gohan's face. "Is that your way of finding out if I get paid?" He asked, his eyes studying Comora over the edge of the book.
"Do you?" Comora sipped from his drink. Gohan shook his head as answer to the man's question. "I think Vegeta should pay you." Comora continued. "Freeza used to take all his earnings and he hated it. He told me he would do anything not to be like Freeza."
"Well, he failed." Gohan's icy voice answered. "He took a child from his home planet and forced him to do a job most grownups can't take. He's just like Freeza."
"I agree." Gohan looked up in surprise. "I don't always agree with Vegeta's ways, Gohan. I just follow orders." Comora got up and walked to the rows of book cases. His finger traced over the books until it held still at one particular cover. The man grabbed it before he walked back to the couches and took his former place upon it. The man shifted on the soft cushion as he placed his drink on the metal table and opened the book at a marked page. Gohan briefly looked up to study the large warrior.
After a long pause, the half-saiyan grabbed his beer and took a sip. It wasn't the first time he tasted a beer. The silence continued as Gohan looked back down at the words on the pages in front of him. They both travelled to different worlds, temporarily forgetting their own.
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"Are you ready to go home?" Tobney asked as he leaned on window sill with his hands.
"Vegeta's ship is not my home." Gohan answered shortly.
"True, but it's as close as it's going to get." Tobney looked at the large ship that was coming closer and closer.
"I have to admit. I like the missions better than my life in the ship. Is that bad?" Gohan looked up at Tobney. The white eyes with small blue pupils looked back at him. "Here I can walk around freely. I can train whenever I want. I can spend my days reading or playing games or relaxing. In the ship I have to work for Vegeta. Be in his presence. Run errands. I'm so selfish." Gohan muttered.
"I wouldn't call it selfish." Tobney answered with a shrug. "I agree. It sounds better to be here if you say it like that. All good things come to an end though." Gohan nodded as answer to this statement. Tobney scratched his head, brushing through his short hair. "Now that we're being honest, I have to admit that since you joined our team, I like the missions better too. It's nice to have a friend around."
Gohan returned Tobney's grin. "Just so you know. If you need to talk or something. It can be about anything. I'm here." Tobney added.
"Same here." Gohan answered. The two exchanged uncomfortable smiles before they looked back at the ship. "Time to face Vegeta." Gohan muttered as he stepped back.
"We're here with you," Tobney answered as the silhouettes of the others appeared in the doorway.
"For now." Gohan muttered. Their comrades entered the room and gathered near the control panel. Comora pressed in the last few buttons to make sure their arrival at Vegeta's ship would go without any problems. They waited until they were connected to Vegeta's ship.
The doors opened to let them in. They entered Vegeta's office several minutes later. There they all knelt down, their heads bowed forwards. "Lord Vegeta. We're here to tell you our mission was successful. The planet is entirely empty, as you wished."
"Good. Do you have the report?" Vegeta asked.
Comora got up, crossed the distance between his position on the ground and Vegeta's desk, and placed the documents on the table. "Everything is in here."
"Good. You are dismissed." Vegeta answered. The others got up and turned away from Vegeta. Gohan watched curiously as Comora whispered in his leader's ear. The lord of the universe rolled his eyes, shrugged and gave a short answer. It almost seemed like he said "fine".
Comora got up, winked at Gohan, and left the room. Vegeta gave Gohan a glance Gohan had not seen before. Vegeta opened one of his drawers and retrieved a silver key from it. "You can go to your room. The big one." Vegeta held out the key for Gohan to grab. "You have the rest of the day off. You can report to me tomorrow in my office. Ten o' clock."
Gohan nodded. "Thank you, sir." Gohan answered quickly. He rushed out the room before Vegeta could change his mind. In the hallway he eyed the small key. The half-saiyan almost flew to his room. He fell down on the large bed, enjoying the feeling of the soft fabric. He wanted to enjoy this feeling for now. He did not know when he would be able to sleep in this bed again.
Gohan hoped Vegeta would let him sleep in this bed, permanently, and soon. Vegeta could not force him to stay in that other small room any longer if he behaved well, right?
**** DBZ **** DBZ ****
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