AN- *slaps a target onto her forehead and holds out Tasuki's Tessen* okay, go ahead, flame me, hit me, vent your anger at how long this chapter has taken to be written, I don't mind. I didn't mean for it to take this long but I wrote myself into a corner…if that's possible…so please forgive me if this chapter is a little messed up….and…and….eeep..*looks out at all the angry readers* uuummm, did I mention I was sorry yet?*bows her head to show the target* oh well, better get this over with……*looks back up at the angry mob* hope you don't mind taking turns…I only have one tessen….

*Tasuki pops outta somewhere *  ……"WHAT THE F*CK?!?GIMME BACK MY F*CKIN' TESSEN WOMAN!! INJUSTICE!!!"   oh crap…*runs screaming for the hills with the angry Shichiseishi chasing after her* WWWWWWWWWWWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!

DISCLAIMER-*slaps madly at the flames on her butt* IT ISN'T MINE, IT ISN'T MINE I TELL YOU!!!

Silver

"We go. Now"

Pan gaped at the King as if he'd just grown two heads. What the hell?!? Is this really the man that runs our country!? Kami! Has he even tried to find out where Trunks is? Does he think that he can just waltz up to where ever he's being held and demand his son back? He hasn't even bothered to find out what I know! He can't be bloody serious! What the fuck is he thinking? Damn, some one's gonna have to straighten this mess out.

Pan opened her mouth to argue with the King, but, to her immense surprise (and delight) her grandfather got there instead. "With all due respect King Vegeta, how are we meant to do that? We don't even know where your son's being held. He could be anywhere on this planet, in the universe for that matter. Have you even tried to sense him? If you'd tried, like I have, you'd know you can't even pick up the faintest trace of his ki. It's like he's just disappeared of the face of the planet. Furthermore, we don't even know what happened between Trunks and Pan. We haven't found out what she knows. Did you even stop to consider any of this?" he asked with a slight frown.

Pan was a bit perturbed to say the least; Goku was the last person she'd expected to talk to the King like that. But it wasn't like he had no guts to speak of. If anything, he'd throw himself in the way of any danger to save another. And then seeing him frown. Now that was a very rare occurrence. Her grandfather, for as long as she could remember, had always had a smile on his face. She'd practically never seen him without a smile. It was like the expression was permanently engrained onto his face. But Vegeta's reaction to her grandfather's mini speech drew her out of her reverie. His face was performing the same type of gymnastic feats that his son's had not hours before. It went from incensed anger to rage, then twisted to disgust, and finally settled on resignation.

Resignation. It was a strange emotion to see on the proud King's face. Whenever Pan had seen the King, whether it be at mandatory public gatherings, or in holo-pictures, he had always stood tall and proud, a confident smirk spread across his features. Now, to see him bent and acquiescent was strangely disheartening. If the King was knocked down so easily by something like that, how easy would it be for an enemy to do the same thing, but to a greater degree? Then Pan's mind alerted her to a small, well, not so small, fact that she had overlooked. His son was missing. He didn't know where he was, how he was, or who he was with. He had no clue, and that small thing made him powerless. It was not a feeling that Pan ever wanted to experience. Inevitably she knew that she would at some stage in her life, but that was not something that she wanted to think about. Her mind was starting to turn, wondering if her grandfather had been a little too harsh in setting the royal straight. Clearing her throat, Pan stepped forward, to stand beside Goku, and looked at the King.

"My King, I know one of those who took you son. The first class Torrick was the one who kidnapped him, he set a holo-message for me to find right after he did it. I do not know where he took Trunks, or who he took him to. The one thing that he did say of use though was that Trunks was in a place where even the bravest of Saiyans dare not tread, all save one." Pan bowed her head, her guilt trip getting the better of her. "This is my fault. Trunks and I were fighting when Torrick captured him. The only reason that he stood a chance against Trunks is because I'd already worn him down. That and I believe that I hit him with a Kamehameha wave. I was foolish. I should have known that Torrick would be nearby. If he killed my mother, then it stood to reason that he would be hiding, waiting and watching for our reactions. Please Sire, forgive my carelessness."

A hand thumped down on her shoulder, forcing her to her knees. Pan's eyes rose, to meet with the deep obsidian pools of the King. His eyes bored into her, seeking, searching for something hidden, locked tight away. What it was, Pan had no idea, but when the King gave a tiny satisfied smile, her heart thumped, and froze. His eyes lit with a dark fire. "The blame for this does not lie with you. If my son could be so easily beaten down by a female, then he deserved to be caught. But I will make the son of a bitch pay who dared lay a finger on my son. They will regret the day that they ever tried to hurt one of my blood."

The ghost of a smile on Pan's face soon turned into a grin, and she gave a curt nod to the King, before turning to her father. She raised an eyebrow.

"No Pan, I have no idea where Trunks could be. This planet has many legends and myths, a lot of them dealing with bravery, but this baffles me. While these stories may deal with bravery, none give any reference to a single warrior. Whatever this clue means, I'm fairly sure that it has nothing to do with any type of superstition of that sort." Gohan looked downcast. Some one snorted. All eyes turned to Vegeta.

"I must say, for a third class you are rather smart. How you were all placed in that rank I have no idea, but if we succeed, I will hold to my promise and not kill you, instead, if we find Trunks, and bring him back, then I will see you raised up as high as I can in society.".

Pan was flabbergasted. I could get out of this caste. I could have respect, with no more ridicule. I could have so much more. All I have to do is rescue Trunks. Pan looked at the Queen, who had been watching and listening to the whole exchange. Bulma's still there. I would've thought that she'd be out of here by now. But if she's still here, then where's Bra? Guess Bulma must be made out of tougher stuff than I gave her credit for. She'd have to, what with Vegeta going to Freiza's home planet and all, she'd have to be. Hey, I wonder…

"Vegeta, when you go to Freiza's planet, does anyone come with you?"

Vegeta gave another derisive snort. "You must be kidding. All the guards are too weak to be of use against him. Although," he added, with a sideways glance at the three men standing beside him, "I think that circumstances may have changed. But no, I go to Freiza alone. But why….NO!" Vegeta's face twisted into a mask of such horror and rage that Pan took a step back. Vegeta's rage was fierce, but she had not seen even an inkling of his true anger.

Comprehension dawned on Gohan's face, and he turned to Goku and Goten. A single look at his face told them all they needed to know. Pan's gut twisted. She was suddenly wondering if she had been right in dragging her family into this mess. Freiza was omni powerful. The maniacal nutcase had connections with everything. At least, he called them connections. What they were in reality were his domains, his conquered territories. No one in the entire universe had ever submitted to his rule willingly.

The Saiyans knew this because they were Freiza's extermination squad, domination force, basically his dirty work race. That was why Vegeta was trying to free his people from Freiza. His pride would not allow his people to be slaves to a tyrant like that. But now, he had cause to wage war on the demon. But that flew in the face of all his beliefs. The one thing that it really caught on was his pride. Every day it stung at the thought of being under that insane fiend's thumb was more than he could stomach. So he had been trying the diplomatic approach first. It had all changed now. That bastard had taken his son, and he was going to pay for it with his life.

*I cannot leave my son with him. He is my heir, my flesh and blood. My son…he means much to me, though I do not show it, I would be lost if I lost him. Even if I still had Bulma, I live on in him. Now that he has the girl, there is even more reason for me to get him back. I cannot, WILL not abandon my son to a certain death.*

Goten cleared his throat. "Well, now that we know where he is, shall we go?"

The King nodded and was about to bolt through the door when Goku raised a sheepish hand.

"Ummm, I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm really hungry. Do you mind if we eat first?"

Right, now I think I need to put a little key on the end of this.

Italics=Pan's thoughts

*italics*=Vegeta's thoughts

italics=Gohan's thoughts

italics=Goten's thoughts

/italics/= Goku's thoughts

^italics^=Trunks' thoughts

~italics~=Bulma's thoughts

[italics]=Bra's thoughts

{italics}=Torrick's thoughts

|italics|=Freiza's thoughts.

There, I hope that this makes future chapters slightly clearer. Thanks for reading, and again, my BIGGEST apologies go out to you all, I'm sorry for taking so long on this. Hopefully the next chapter won't take so long, ne?

Silver