Chapter Ten

"So lay down, the threat is real"

-The Red, Chevelle

Goten sat, his arms crossed tightly across his chest, his bottom lip firmly poofed out. Gohan, who flew along side the cloud where the little boy sat with Bird's slim arms wrapped around him. Full on pout coloring his face.

"You know you can't stay with Trunks all the time, Saru," Gohan said, his dark eyes darting to the side. Goten huffed and tucked his arms closer to his body, not impressed with the orange and red lights as the sun descended.

"I am sure that we can go back and visit soon," Bird whispered to the little boy.

"I wanted to stay there tonight!" He sniffled.

"Yeah, but we had to head home, you know?" Goten sniffled again and then brightened.

"Hey! I learned something today!"

"Oh yeah?" Gohan asked. "What's that?"

"We are Say Agains!" Bird choked and delicately covered her mouth.

"What is that?" She asked. Goten gave her a tolerant look.

"You know, Say Agains!" He said again. Gohan and Bird shared a look.

"You mean Saiyajin?" Gohan asked, trying to still his chuckles. Goten nodded, proud.

"Yes! Thas what I said! Say Agains!" Gohan could not contain the laugh that escaped, earning a disappointed look from his little brother.

"Well," said Bird, "that's nice, but didn't you already know that?" Goten tilted his head to the side.

"Yeah, but Gohan can't talk like Uncle Vegeta!" Gohan eyed him.

"How's that?" He asked. Goten rubbed his nose with the back of his right hand.

"You know, the way Say Agains talk," the little boy elaborated, yawning. "Trunks said Uncle Vegeta taught him a new word! It's Diszu!"

"Ah," Gohan said. "And did he tell you what it means?"

"Father!" Goten said happily, a sleepy smile beginning to creep across his lips. "I can't wait to tell Daddy."

"What did you and Trunks get into while I was gone?" Gohan asked. Goten grinned.

"We played with Uncle Vegeta." He leaned back against Bird, cuddling into her arms, a mischievous look on his face.

"And how did you 'play' with Vegeta?" Gohan felt dread slowly fill his belly as their mountain home bloomed from among the trees. Funny, but their once tiny capsule home had grown to be a sprawling home on the mountain since his father had returned and Bird had joined them.

"Well," the little boy began as they descended. Gohan landed and then lifted Goten down, followed by Bird. "Trunks sneakeded some ink stuff from Bulma's shop."

Gohan paused and stared at the boy with wide eyes. "And?"

"Well, Trunks wanted to put it in Uncle Vegeta's shoes," he said as they trudged for the door. "But, I said no."

"That's good," Gohan said, relieved.

"So we put it on his gi." Gohan stopped and looked back at his little brother as they walked into the house.

"Was it at least dirty?" he asked. Bird trailed into the house behind the brothers, a ghost of a smile on her lips at the conversation.

"Nope," said the mischief maker. "He was takin' a nap and Trunks was real good and poured it on him!" The little boy grinned such a grin that Gohan shook his head. They were all dead very soon.

"Hi guys!" Chichi greeted from where she sat in her chair. Goku came out of the kitchen, a cup in his hand.

"There you are!" Goku greeted. "I thought I would have to go looking for you." The three children trailed into the living room, shucking their lightweight coats as they went. Gohan collected their coats while Bird settled down in the chair across from Chichi.

Gohan eyed his mother as he returned from putting coats away. Chichi's color was still off, but she looked well enough. Still, something about her appearance bothered the teenager, although he couldn't put his finger on it.

"Are you feeling ok, Mom?" he asked. Chichi turned the warm cup around in her hands a few times, sharing a conspirator's look with Goku as he settled down beside her.

"Actually, there was something that we were hoping to talk to you all about; that's why I am up," she admitted. Goku brushed his fingers down the back of her hand holding the cup.

"I made some soup for dinner, but does anyone want something warm to drink, some tea or hot chocolate?" Goten hopped up and jumped up and down in front of his Daddy.

"Me! Me!" He shouted.

"Goten," Chichi chided. "Calm down and come here; tell me what you did today! I missed you." The little boy obliged, scrambling up into her lap. Goku smiled and turned to the two teenagers.

"Do you want something to drink?" Gohan glanced at Bird, who shook her head and leaned to the side, resting her head on her arm.

"I'm good," Gohan said.

"I'm hungry," Goten said. Chichi laughed.

"Of course you are," she laughed. "But first, what do you mean you put ink on Vegeta's clothes?" Goten rubbed his eyes, the sleepies returning full force.

"Well, Trunks was gunna put it in his shoes…and I said we could put it on his clothes," the little boy admitted. Chichi shook her head.

"Oh that was not a good idea, Goten; that's not nice at all!"

"What about what you found out today, Goten?" Gohan asked. "About what we are? And that word that you learned?"

"We're Say Agains!" the boy crowed, so proud of himself. Goku's face split into a Son grin and laughed, the sound bouncing off of the walls.

"You're right!" His father replied, reaching over to ruffle the boy's hair.

"And what word is it that you learned?" Chichi asked him.

"Diszu!" The little boy said happily. "It means 'father.'" Gohan cocked his head to the side, that word bothering him again. Bird cracked open her eyes, the pale blue orbs gravitating toward the teenager. Her expression was curious, but Gohan shook his head.

"Well, isn't that nice," Chichi said, covering her yawn with a delicate hand. She glanced to the side to where Goku was.

"I think we should feed these munchkins and get them tucked into bed; I am tired, and I can't imagine how they must be feeling." Goku nodded.

"But first," Gohan's mother said, cuddling Goten closer and kissing his cheek. A sparkle had entered her eyes, and Gohan was automatically curious at the cause. "We have something to tell you…all of you."

Goten sat up and looked at his mother, the two teenagers respectfully following suit.

"Are you okay, Mom?" Gohan asked again, feeling worry edge into his gut. Chichi smiled and nodded her head, glancing at Goku. Again, Gohan felt oddness in his father's expression: unfathomable.

"I'm fine, Sweet heart," she replied. "But, I am not going to get better for a few more weeks; I'm pregnant."

Silence reigned in the room for what seemed like a handful of minutes before Gohan—or anyone else—could respond.

"Congratulations," Bird said softly, rising and dropping down beside Chichi, grasping her hand. Her expression was one of wonder.

Gohan was still speechless.

"What does 'per egg nant' mean?" Goten asked, stumbling over the large word. Bird pat his back gently, a large smile on her face.

"It means you're going to be a big brother!" Goku explained patiently. "Mom is going to have another baby!"

Gohan was still speechless. Vision of a previous birth announcement filled his thoughts. His mother was not as happy then as she was this time; his father made all the difference, he supposed. Gohan remembered the nights of listening to his mother cry.

He shook his head, trying to rid himself of the memories. A hand rested suddenly on his shoulder surprised him. Goku frowned, his dark eyes tinged with concern.

"Are you okay, son?" He asked. Gohan blinked, still in shock, before the slow smile built across his face.

"Are you serious?" he asked, eyeing his father and then his mother. Chichi smiled and nodded ruefully.

"Yes, Gohan, I would know, seeing as how this will be the third time," she replied drily. "I am positive." Goten still had an odd look on his face.

"But, if that means you havin' a baby, where is it?" Bird colored and rose to her feet.

"I think I am going to dish up the soup," she said, heading for the kitchen. Gohan kissed his mother on the cheek, allowed his father to hug him, and stepped quickly after his friend; he really didn't want to be a part of the coming conversation.

DBZ

The darkness was moving around him.

Gohan jumped to wakefulness, something sending his pulse thudding quickly away with him. He sat up in his bed and gulped in several lungs full of air, trying to both quiet his breathing and calm his erratically pounding heart. The chill on his shoulders did nothing to sooth him, neither did the full alert feeling he had.

Something was wrong.

He swung his legs over the edge of his bed, intent on doing something he had not done in years: dive into his parent's room for comfort and protection. But a quick glance toward his window scared him three shades of yellow.

A man's form was crawling through his window.

And before he could utter a sound, the man was on him, pinning him and covering his mouth with something sticky, effectively silencing him. With his thoughts racing, he realized that he was still wearing the Energy Block, but as the man's hands pinned his arms above his head, and pinned the rest of him with his own body, his face came into the moon light.

It was the scarred man.

What do you WANT? Gohan sent that thought as loudly and obnoxiously as he could, and was satisfied when the man flinched. He captured both of Gohan's wrists in his own and lifted a single finger to his lips in a show of silence.

You have to be quiet, Gohan. He said in the demi-Saiyajin's mind. Gohan closed his eyes, so frightened that he feared for his heart. He was trembling from head to toe, but after a few deep breaths—through his nose—he was more calm and clear in thought.

What do you want? He asked again. His captor wrapped a thin metal wire around his wrists, effectively binding them. Gohan flexed his wrists, trying to loosen the wire enough to get it off, but gasped at the sharp pain that flared in his wrists and hands.

The man stood, draped Gohan over his shoulder and leaped from the window, apparently in the nick of time as Bird's scream followed them into the darkness. Gohan twisted, and kicked, trying to kick the man in the face, but no matter what he did, his captor would not so much as slow down.

Fear gripped Gohan as he watched his mountain home become a distant speck. The lights flared on in the house and he heard his father's voice calling him, and even saw his father's shadow as it leapt to follow before he blinked and they were in another location.

His kidnapper flew through several bunches of tall, fat, odd looking trees before he entered a cavernous cave and flew slowly to the back of the rock cave. Water trickled somewhere, but Gohan couldn't see the source until the scarred man dumped him on the ground in a side cavern that seemed to lead out to another exit. The ceiling was so low that the man had to duck and drag Gohan back until he was hidden at the back of the cave. Gohan whimpered again as the restraints bit into his wrists.

"Sorry for that," the man said. His father's look alike gestured toward the binding around the teenager's wrists. He sat down across from Gohan and pick up a square, flat piece of what looked to be something metallic in the shape of a large, square dinner plate. The teenager had the chance to look around himself, and noticed what looked like gear. Apparently, his kidnapper had been living in the cave for a while.

"But I couldn't risk you not cooperating," the man said softly. His fingers moved swiftly over the face of the metal plate, his dark eyes and scarred face revealing no emotion.

"MmmmMmMmm!" Gohan said, starting to feel the fear taper off some. His captor glanced up at him, his dark eyes narrowing.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you it's wrong to speak with your mouth full?" He moved forward and grasped the teenager by the upper arm with his right hand and peeled the sticky tape from his mouth with the other.

"What do you want from me this time?" The teenager yelled, his lips stinging from the tape's removal. He lifted his bound wrists and scrubbed at the numbed feeling on his lips. His captor scooted back and lifted what appeared to be one sided ear phones and placed the thin box on his right ear. With a swish, a blue light slipped out of the ear piece and swung forward to cover his eye, reminding Gohan strongly of the radar-like things that Vegeta and his ilk used when he first met them.

"Hush," the man said firmly. Gohan settled back against the rock, fuming as the man moved his fingers deftly over the metallic plate in his hands. "I am trying to track their movement."

"Whose?" Gohan asked, frowning in irritated confusion. The man shushed him again, making Gohan wish he could reach out and touch the man.

After a few more moments, his father's twin set the plate to the side and eyed the teenager through the blue light of the ear piece.

"Well now," he murmured, touching the ear piece and collapsing the blue screen. "What have you learned thus far? Did you do anything I told you to do?"

"What was that?" Gohan asked, his fingers twitching as they had begun to go numb. He gasped as he tried to gently move his hands. The wire was biting deeply into the flesh around his wrists, and had broken the skin in a few places, allowing deep crimson beads to sluggishly bleed from the wound. Gohan gaped at the sight, enthralled. His mouth was suddenly dry and his heart thumped against his sternum as a droplet beaded up enough to drip slowly down the back of his hand.

"Gohan." The teenager jerked and raised his eyes, meeting the dark ones of his captor. The man was frowning, his black eyes calculating and dissecting the teenager in a way that reminded him of Piccolo. He dropped his eyes away, uncomfortable and mildly confused.

"What have you learned of the Blaque Stone?" The teenager raised his eyes as the man crept toward him again, grasping his hands and pulling them back toward himself. He swore under his breath and turned to dig into a bag behind him.

"Who are you?" Gohan asked, trying to ignore the deep throbbing sting in his wrists. The man turned back to him with wire cutters in his hand. He paused and dropped his head to capture Gohan's gaze, straightening.

"If I cut these off, will you be good?" He asked. Gohan blinked in surprised, but nodded after only a slight hesitation.

"I'll have words, Gohan," the man growled. Gohan glared at him, bothered by the man's attitude. Gohan gasped as his kidnapper shook his hands gently, the jarring causing the wire to dig deeper into his skin. "I can leave you bound, if that is your wish, child, it makes no difference to me; but I will have your words."

"Yes," he gasped. "Yes, I will be good." The man nodded and lifted the teen's hands gently before snipping the wire and gently pulling it free of Gohan's skin. Gohan sighed in relief and brought them up to inspect the damage.

"Thank you," he whispered. His captor tugged his hands back towards him and sprayed white foam on the wounds from a small silver can. The cuts burned and stung, but it felt good: slightly like scratching an itch.

"To answer your question, my name is Bardock."

"Bardock," the teenager whispered to himself.

"What have you learned of the Blaque Stone?" Bardock asked again.

"Not much," Gohan sighed, accepting the clean bit of clothe the man offered him to wipe up the excess foam. "I have tried, but there isn't much information out there."

"No, there isn't. But what have you found?" Gohan eyed Bardock.

"Why do you want to know?" He asked, feeling tired. "What does it matter to you?"

"Don't be disrespectful," Bardock said firmly, pinning Gohan with a look. Gohan rolled his eyes and scrubbed his face with his hands, eyeing the inside of the cave and trying to discover a way out.

"If you try and run off, I will tie you up again, but this time, I will wrap your ankles as well," Bardock chuckled, his eyes expressing his excitement at the challenge. Gohan groaned and leaned backwards against the rock.

"Those who had you last time are desperate to find the Blaque Stone," Bardock explained. "They will stop at nothing to get it." Gohan leaned forward again and tugged his shirt down in the back, covering his goose bumped flesh.

"Uh, forgive me, but you had me last time," he retorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Not at first," the man admitted softly, catching Gohan's attention.

"What do you mean? I was there, remember? I saw you! And I still remember what happened there!" Bardock shook his head, leveling his eyes at Gohan.

"I did not do those things to you, Gohan, any more than your father did," the older man explained quietly. Gohan look away and scrubbed roughly at his arms, the chill of the cave sinking in to him. Bardock leaned over and grabbed a roll of material and lobbed it at the teenager, smacking him square in the chest.

"Cover up before your teeth chatter out of your head," he said. Gohan shook out the blanket and curled it around his shoulders, surprised at the way the blanket seemed to capture his warmth and magnify it. In a matter of minutes his chills were nearly gone.

"What have you discovered about the Blaque Stone?" his captor repeated.

"Not much," Gohan sighed. Bardock settled back against the opposite wall and stretched his left leg out straight before him, wincing. "Just that it can affect its host's attitude, and that there is not much known about it." Bardock nodded.

"Do you know where it is?" Gohan narrowed his eyes at the man, mistrustful.

"You said yourself that I didn't have it," the teenager snapped. Bardock chuckled.

"I said what I had to for my own reasons, but don't let's pretend that we both don't know that you have it," he retorted quickly. Gohan swallowed and glared at the man, who cocked his head to the side.

"Again, why should I tell you anything?" The teenager snapped. Bardock narrowed his eyes, shot his hand out, and snatched away the blanket from the teenager's grip. Gohan gasped in the cold, and felt a thrill of terror as the man loomed over him.

"Because I am the only one here to protect you; because I know how to protect you; and because you don't have a choice!" He snarled, pushing right up into Gohan's space. Gohan's breath caught in his chest at the close proximity between them. Every scar that crossed the man's face was deeply etched, more exaggerated lines than previous damage, but for the tale-tale red edges to them.

"Who the hell are you?" He asked. Bardock allowed a tolerant, grim smile as he tossed the blanket back at him, and leaned back against the wall.

"I believe we have covered that."

"Only slightly." Gohan tugged the blanket back up around him, thrilled to have the warmth back. "I am not answering any more of your questions until you start answering mine." Bardock eyed him, his dark eyes narrowed, and the curve of his mouth turned downward. He leaned back against the course rock at his spine, his gaze never wavering. For a moment, his gaze turned inward, his expression blank.

"Fair enough," Bardock whispered, his sight still far away. Gohan watched him, curious.

"I was a lowly warrior," Bardock said, his voice so low that Gohan barely heard him at first. "I was a good warrior; good fighting stock." He paused and his gaze sharpened back onto Gohan, coming back into focus.

"Your father was an infant when he was sent to earth, so he would not remember anything; and I am positive that the Prince would never tell you of our culture, but the Saiyajin were a proud race; strong. We are naturally combative and aggressive; some would say quick and cunning although those descriptions did not apply to as many as some would have believed." Here Bardock smirked, his face brightening as he recalled something only he could see.

"Nappa was a perfect example of that," Gohan muttered darkly, drawing Bardock's attention.

"Yes. Nappa was…'hired muscle' I suppose you could say." Gohan seemed surprised at the matter-of-fact way in which his captor spoke. He glanced down at the sores on his wrists, flexing his hands and testing the sturdiness of the heeling flesh there. The blood was diluted by the foam that Bardock had sprayed on him, taking on the appearance of frosted pink cream. He wondered what it was that made an entire race of people throw around their children like the Saiyajin tossed infants like his father.

"But we're not talking about Nappa," Bardock said dryly, his eyes far away again. "One thing I have learned in my travels is to appreciate the culture of the various peoples I have run across; not destroy it." His expression was grim and set; anger nearly chiseled into the lines of his face.

"It is well known that the Saiyajin race is destructive, but the awful truth of it is that it's a lie; the Saiyajin have always had enormous ability for power and a good, strong thirst for it, too, but we were not always destructive.

"We had our own way of things," he whispered. Gohan couldn't help himself, he was interested in what the man was saying; he felt drawn into the story despite himself.

"We married, had children and worked just as you do here," he said softly, his dark eyes pinning Gohan. "But where you have lived and fought only on this planet, we moved and fought and over took other planets. We would conquer a people—especially a people who were too weak to fight off others—and make them a colony under Saiyajin rule. When I was a boy, I can remember the stories of my parents who had each gone off at different times to overcome planets and peoples in the name of expanding the Saiyajin rule."

"So the Saiyajin really are the bullies of the galaxies," Gohan commented. "That's awesome!—note the sarcasm used." Irritated, the teenager rubbed the back of his neck. His captor shook his head.

"Different times, different places, child," he said. "The Saiyajin people saw it as a way to universally protect the weak from foreign invaders, and for the most part, it worked—at least, back when the Saiyajin Kings were ruling and taught to respect the people they had conquered. Prince Vegeta's grandfather died when Vegeta's father, Vegen, was young. Freiza had wormed his way into the King's court and was very influential to Vegen. Freiza was conniving and dangerous and indoctrinated Vegen with ideas of grandeur, telling him that the Saiyajin were too powerful, and too mighty to be forced to allow people the right to serve any but the King of the Saiyajin."

"Isn't that what the Saiyajin thought anyways?"

"No. The Saiyajin would conquer and then leave a loose militia to defend the planet from other dangers; any abuse to the current inhabitants or to their way of life was strictly enforced. That's not to say it didn't happen from time to time, but it was dealt with forcefully. The only thing they were forced to do was pay a stipend to the Saiyajin nation once a year—rather similar to the organized crime in some places here; the organization in charge will protect all under their care, but those under their care must pay a fee."

"So, the Saiyajin weren't bad, they were just like the mob…that makes sense. Again, notice the sarcasm." Bardock narrowed his eyes and leaned toward the teenager menacingly.

"If you cannot keep your mouth shut I will help you," he threatened. Gohan rolled his eyes.

"I thought it was a conversation we were having, not an oration." Bardock tilted his head to the side and eyed him, a flash of something in his eyes that Gohan couldn't name. It made him slightly nervous.

"We can have a conversation, but you will behave and remain respectful or I will tape your mouth closed after a proper beating." Gohan raised an eyebrow, taken aback by the threat. He nodded his assent and his kidnapper continued.

"The fee was never too hefty; a trifle, really, in return, the Saiyajin protected the people, and the people learned to love the King and the Saiyajin, although very few changes were ever made to their own cultures. It wasn't bad. But Freiza changed all of that. He was power hungry and insane and turned Vegen into the same. They demanded that all Saiyajin babies born were to be handed over to the nursery and would be sent off to the planets of choice for complete annihilation, and any who had an issue with this arrangement were found destroyed mysteriously." Bardock's expression was one of total stillness; he was completely blank, his eyes devoid of any emotion. Gohan felt the skin on the back of his neck prickle slightly at the expression and his face paled at the meaning behind it.

"Someone had an issue with it," Gohan said, for some reason dreading the answer. Bardock turned his dark, expressionless eyes to Gohan, and for just a moment, the teenager felt caught in a memory that wasn't his. A woman, with the darkest hair he had ever seen—it was more than just black, it seemed to shimmer blue—with a round face and sharp, intelligent eyes. And then it was gone, and Gohan gasped, blinking as his captor continued.

"Many had issue with it, and many died as examples to the masses of what would happen if you took issue publicly. Chaeri took issue with it. She was expecting our second child." Gohan felt stunned, and unable to utter a word as the man across from him continued.

"Saiyajin are naturally aggressive, Gohan, so as infants and children, they have the normal inhibitions of youth, but it is compounded by the Saiyajin traits. Being a parent to a full Saiyajin child can be exciting, to say the least. Thus, Freiza's plan to send them off-world to conquer other planets was genius and evil all in one." Bardock stretched out, the deadness mostly gone from his expression. "So many lost their lives to that fight, that many chose to go off planet themselves, especially when Freiza began to destroy the beings that we shared our planet with, the Tuffles.

"You see, the Saiyajin' home planet was barren and could not contain life any longer, but our scientists were working on a rehabilitation plan for it, along with the Tuffles. While it was happening, the Tuffles offered their home to us with the understanding that we stayed on our side of it. Freiza decided to do as he wished and destroyed them. And eventually, he destroyed that entire planet and everyone on it. So many were lost." Bardock raised his dark eyes to Gohan again, meeting them.

"Including me," he said.

"What?" Gohan said, shock written on his face.

"I was there, leading my men against Freiza, trying to save the Prince, but Frieza had killed Vegen and sent Vegeta and his guard Napa away. Freiza was much, much too powerful for us and destroyed the whole planet and all who had gathered to defeat him."

"You died?" Gohan asked, incredulous.

"No, but not from lack of trying," Bardock continued. "I was floating through space, badly wounded, when a strange ship intercepted me; that same ship that you were prisoner on, actually."

Now completely confused, Gohan just stared at the man before him, but before he could utter a word, a thin bell sound dinged from the ear piece Bardock had used earlier. His jailer snatched the metallic plate up from the cave floor beside him and placed the ear piece back on his ear, quickly activating the eye piece. He swore in a language that Gohan didn't—and was grateful he didn't—know and rolled to his knees, shoved the metallic plate into a pack along with a few other things, and beckoned to Gohan.

"They are close by, Gohan," he whispered. "You must be very quiet or they will find you."

"Who?" the teenager enquired. The muscles in his neck and back tensed and subconsciously readied themselves for a fight. "If it's my dad or my friends, you know I won't be quiet."

Bardock chuckled. "Yes, I know that very well about you, Gohan, but it isn't your family, it's those who want you for themselves." Gohan blinked.

"That sounded…disturbing," he retorted. Bardock's lips curled into a smirk.

"Don't let it go to your head; what they want you for will not be enjoyable on your part." Gohan made a face, but couldn't help the blush that crept up his neck to color his cheeks. Dang it, stupid blood rushing caused by slight embarrassment!

Bardock took Gohan's left arm tightly in his grip and laid a finger against his lips, warning him into silence. They were squatted down in a random cave somewhere, hiding from someone that wanted to kill him. Yup, this is my life, he thought dryly.

Bardock eyed him, but they both remained quiet. Bardock tugged the metallic plate out of the bag and tipped it to where he could place his fingers against some of the keys with various, alien markings.

"They are almost over us," Bardock breathed, his muscular frame tensed from where he knelt beside Gohan. Another expletive hissed from Bardock's lips directly before a massive explosion near by tossed them around, shrieking down around them, and upending Gohan's world.

Once the stars had cleared, Gohan found himself lying face down on the ground a few feet away from where he had been, with many shards of rock pressing into his chest and belly. His ears were ringing and a thin film of dust hung in the air, obscuring his view. He coughed and pushed up onto his knees, shaking his head and brushing the dirt and pebbles from his clothes. He turned and glanced behind him, his senses still ringing from the explosion.

"Bardock?" he croaked. Something warm dripped into his left eye, but he swiped it away, ignoring the maroon smear on the back of his hand. "Bardock?"

Hands clamped down on his mouth and chest from behind him, startling him. In a response born of being drilled by his father and Piccolo both, he shoved his left elbow quickly behind him, connecting with flesh.

Easy, they're still looking for us. Bardock's voice whispered in his mind.

Gohan stilled, but shook his head. Bardock released his mouth, instead, he dropped his hand to Gohan shoulder, keeping him still.

They sat there, barely breathing, until Bardock began to relax his hold on the teenager. It felt like time had slowed in respect of the silence and stillness they were holding, but after nearly ten minutes, Bardock relaxed.

"They're gone," he said. Gohan rounded on him.

"What the crap was that?" Bardock scrubbed his hands through his hair, dislodging dirt and debris as he took in their tattered surroundings.

"They are looking for you," he said. Gohan rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I've got that, but why did they attack when they weren't even sure we were here?" Bardock paused.

"They are desperately looking for you," he amended, flashing a grin at the teenager. Gohan moaned and smacked his forehead with his hand, wincing when he encountered the wound there.

"Ouch," he muttered, fingering the slowly oozing cut above his left eyebrow. Bardock caught his hand, stilling its roving.

"Stop it, you're getting blood everywhere." Digging in his pack, he pulled out the canister of spray foam and a clean bit of material. With one swipe, he dashed the fresh blood from the cut and then sprayed it quickly with the foam, ending the bleeding. The stinging this time, was enough to make Gohan's eyes water.

"What is that stuff?" he asked. His kidnapper tossed it back into the pack and quickly gathered a few more things.

"Driscal Foam," was the short reply. "Works great. Let's go." He began to creep from what was left of their cave, nearly crawling to get past some of the fallen bits of collapsed rock.

"Where are we going now?" Gohan said, beginning to feel nervous again. He was, afterall, kidnapped. And instead of actively trying to get away from said kidnapper, he was making conversation with the man. Nice going, bone head!

"Away from here," the Saiyajin replied. Gohan followed, albeit grudgingly.

"You know, my dad could help."

"No." Gohan stopped and narrowed his eyes, watching the alien warrior lead the way through a narrow pathway of barely lit rocks.

"Why not?" He demanded, sounding every bit as disgruntled and petulant as he probably looked at that moment. Bardock stopped and turned to face him, his face unreadable.

"Because." Gohan rolled his eyes.

"Wow," he muttered. "Is that the pat response of all adults that want mindless obedience?" Bardock's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I wouldn't know, and frankly do not care," he retorted. "But know this, little Saiyajin, I will have your obedience one way or another; and I would rather not have to carry your butt through this cave over my shoulder."

"Look, you don't seem to be trying to currently hurt me, but I don't see the point in following you willingly if you will not allow me to contact my father. He's my dad; he will help keep me safe and away from them."

"No." Gohan threw up his hands.

"Then I guess you just have to carry me!" Bardock turned and pinned him with a very dangerous, predatory gleam in his eyes and a feral look on his face. He stepped within a foot of Gohan's face and loomed over him.

"You will do what I have told you to do or I will make you," he said quietly. His face, along with the timber of his voice was enough to make Gohan's heart skip a beat.

"Don't do that," he said quietly. Bardock tilted his head to the side.

"Act like you did in the ship," Gohan clarified. The older Saiyajin smirked.

"Then do what I tell you to do." Gohan noticed that he hadn't refuted the claim this time. Although he was scared, and fear was crawling up his neck like a spider climbing a web, the teenager stood still, willing the fear to crawl away.

"I won't. Not until you tell me why we can't go to my dad." Bardock was quiet for a moment.

"Because if you go to him, you will place him in danger," the Saiyajin responded. "The same is true of any of your friends and family on this planet; they will stop at nothing to get you, Gohan. Nothing."

"But, they have to already know who my family and friend are, what keeps them from hurting them anyways?"

"Goku is a force to be reckoned with, as are any of them, so unless they have to, they will not outright attack them. They want you, Gohan, not your family."

"And what if they get me?" Gohan asked quietly. "What will happen then?" Bardock stepped back.

"To you or them?" Gohan swallowed and licked his lips.

"Both."

"They want the stone, Gohan, and they will do whatever it takes to have it in their possession. Since it is a part of you, they will do whatever it takes to keep you willingly in their possession." Bardock's voice was harsh, but Gohan felt a thrill of terror at the honesty that he felt coming from the man. He knew that Bardock was telling him the truth; it's what he would do if he were an evil bunch of aliens greedy for power and control.

"And my friends and family?" He asked, knowing the answer. Bardock turned back to the darkened pathway and tossed the reply over his shoulder.

"They will either die or become slaves." Gohan winced and looked at the floor of the cave.

"What is your plan, then?" He asked, stopping the man in his tracks. "What is it that you will do that is so much better and different than my father?" Again, a strange light flickered into the man's eyes but was gone in a heartbeat.

"I," he began, "will ask you to trust me and follow me and do what I tell you to do." Gohan snorted.

"You're off to a fabulous start," he retorted, rubbing his left wrist with his right hand. Bardock remained silent, his dark eyes glittering in the dim light as he watched Gohan.

Gohan rubbed his wrist and thought, trying to organize his thoughts into some semblance of making sense. He didn't want to be a mindless killer. He didn't want that for his family or anyone else he knew, either. He wanted freedom and the chance to just be a kid for once. He wanted his family to be safe.

And he had the very strong feeling that he should trust this strange warrior with his father's looks.

He brought his gaze back up to meet the older warrior's and sighed deeply before he gestured with a flap of his hand for him to continue leading the way.

My dad is going to beat me senseless for this…not to mention what MOM will do.