So first I want to apologize for taking sooooo long to get this to you. When I updated last, I wasn't expecting to take this long to get back to you. Finals threw me off as well as writers block. I'm so sorry, but I started writing this chapter and got into it. At first I wasn't sure how to begin, but I like how things have started. Once again, so sorry. Glad to get back to writing this.

Chapter 11

Gohan kept walking down the side of the street, peering at everyone who passed by. It was a warm, sunny day in West City and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was certainly a perfect day for a walk. In fact, had Gohan been home and not in the middle of all of this, that's probably exactly what he'd be doing. However, he was a stranger to the big city and still felt uncomfortable making his way around. Had his mother known he was doing this, she'd probably have a heart attack worrying about him being mugged in the streets. She didn't quite grasp how strong he'd become yet.

Gohan had been sent out on an errand for Bulma to pick up some sort of part for something that Bulma was working on. She'd been spending days and nights on end working away, isolating herself from everyone else. She knew it wasn't a good idea to send Gohan into the city alone, so she sent him with Vegeta, which was probably equally just as bad. The Saiyan prince had been given a list of directions, but he'd spent the last ten minutes complaining about how he couldn't understand them and muttering about how stupid Earthlings were. It was only a matter of time until the Saiyan disappeared on Gohan, leaving him alone in the large city.

He never would have imagined that after all this time and after all that he went through on Namek, he would find himself in this situation. He was probably one of the strongest fighters on Earth now and yet he was just a lost little boy in a big city.

He turned around to take a look at the street he'd just come from, mentally trying to retrace his footsteps. Perhaps the best idea would just be to return to Bulma and explained what happened with Vegeta. He sighed in frustration, realizing that he couldn't remember exactly how he'd gotten there. He surely wouldn't know how to get back.

Then he felt something grasp his shoulder. He screamed out in terror and instinctively pulled his elbow back, trying to hit the person who grabbed him. When he turned around, however, there was no one there. Only a light breeze brushing past him, ruffling his long Saiyan hair. Everyone stopped for a second to take a look at the boy, but quickly returned to their daily activities.

"Gohan?"

Gohan turned around alarmingly again, but there was still no one there. "Hello?"

"Gohan!" he heard a faint voice. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting to talk to you! King Kai wanted to ease up on training for today, so I thought, 'what better time to do this?' I've missed you so much!"

"Dad?" Gohan muttered. His voice perked up a little. "Is that really you? Dad, when are you coming home? You have no idea how long we've been waiting for you to get back here! The dragon balls are supposed to be returning any minute!"

"I know, I know," Goku reassured his son. "I've been waiting to see you guys too! I've been counting the days to come back home since you guys left to return to Earth. I just need to finish up some training. I've been learning so much from King Kai and I definitely feel a boost in strength."

Gohan laughed a little. "Dad, this is great! Mom's going to be so happy when you get back here and things are going to be the way they're supposed to be again! Just make sure you get here soon, okay?"

"You can count on it," Goku stated. "Listen, I've got to go. King Kai's harassing me about taking too long, but I'll see you soon. You guys can count on me to be there. See you soon."

"Bye, Dad."

Gohan's words echoed into Goku's ears as he took his hand off of King Kai's shoulder. The short man rubbed some sweat off his forehead as he stood up straight and turned around to face Goku. The man definitely towered over King Kai. His menacing forehead and pointy horns were pretty intimidating, but the toothy grin on his face gave him away. This was definitely Goku, the warrior from Earth.

He made his way over to a tree. The man was still walking a little funny, adjusting to his new body structure and the change in gravity, but he had gotten a lot better. He plopped down against the tree, sitting next to the armor Ginyu was wearing when they switched bodies back on Namek. Goku made sure to take that off as soon as he got to King Kai's. Even sitting there in his small amount of clothing, he was still hot from the exercise. He'd told Gohan that King Kai was giving him a break from training, but talking to Gohan had been a reward for doing a long line of pushups.

"Everything's okay, I'm guessing?" King Kai asked, edging nearer to Goku.

"Yeah, sounds like everything's fine," Goku said, reassuring King Kai with a grin. "I told Gohan I'd be there soon. He sounds kind of worried that I'm going to just stay here, but I've got to get this training done. I think I'm almost done getting Ginyu's techniques and abilities down. I'll be able to return soon, right?"

King Kai nodded silently and placed his hands together behind his back. It was usually a nonverbal sign that he was holding something back. This time, it was his doubt about Goku. The two had been training for months on end and they had achieved a lot of progress. He almost laughed thinking about how terrible Goku was at the beginning. He'd stumbled onto King Kai's planet, practically falling to the ground with every step, but he'd improved. King Kai just wasn't sure if it had been enough.

Goku looked down at his hands, studying them for a minute. He found it odd that he'd grown used to them. "See you soon, Gohan."

Gohan clenched his fists in frustration for the tenth time, looking around the street. He'd stopped at least three people by now to ask them for directions, but none of them were any help. They didn't know how to get to the store Gohan was looking for and none of them appeared to want to even spend the time to stop and talk to the Saiyan boy.

"Help! Somebody get the police!"

Gohan turned to his left. Across the street, the doors to a large bank flung open and two figures zoomed out. A man in a suit had been left running out the door screaming for help. "The bank's just been robbed!"

As everyone else around him panicked and pulled out their cell phones, Gohan turned his direction down the street, where the two thieves were sprinting as fast as possible. "Well, as long as I'm lost, I might as well play hero."

He sprinted as fast as he could across the street, trying as hard as he could to avoid the now large mob of people surrounding the bank. A leather briefcase could be seen grasped tightly in one of the figure's hands. Realizing they were getting away, Gohan started to run even faster. He managed to get just close enough to see the ski masks pulled over their faces. Seeing the two make a quick right into a small alley, Gohan followed and then slowed down near the alley to turn.

He heard their voices before he could see their faces. "Think anyone caught up to us?"

"Are you kidding me?" the other one said. He was taller and his voice was a little deeper. "If you think any of those humans could catch up to us, you're mistaken. I've seen Guldo run faster than some of these guys."

Ginyu took off his ski mask and threw it in a dumpster a few feet away. Jeice did the same and the two straightened out their clothes. They were both wearing regular street clothes. Ginyu wore a sports coat and jeans while Jeice was wearing a dress shirt and tie.

Gohan's eyes widened as he backed away when he saw the two of them. Not wanting to draw attention to himself by running away, he crouched behind the dumpster nearby. He placed his hand over his mouth as the smell of rotting food filled his nostrils. Apparently, the other two smelled it also because he could hear them making gagging noises.

"That smells terrible," Jeice remarked as he placed his own hand over his nose. He edged away from the dumpster, but Ginyu just appeared to be ignoring the smell. He grabbed a duffel bag that Jeice had been carrying and started to pile wads of cash into the briefcase.

"Remind me again why we're robbing these Earth banks," said Jeice, slowly taking his hand off his nose.

"What if we need supplies?" Ginyu suggested. "I didn't exactly bring much with me, Jeice, and I don't know how long this is going to take. Who knows how long it'll take for the dragon balls to reappear?"

"Why not just take?" Jeice asked. "I just don't understand it. All the people on this planet are weak, mate. It's not like we're going to be sent to prison or anything. We do whatever the hell we want on all the other planets we purge. We got these clothes by just taking them and there's nothing wrong with that."

Ginyu sighed as he finished unloading the cash into the briefcase. "This isn't like the other planets we purge, Jeice. We don't want to draw too much attention to ourselves. We just need to find the dragon balls and get out. When we're done, the whole place can go up in smoke, just like Namek."

"Alright, Captain," he breathed. There was still a hint of confusion in his voice as he said this. He definitely wasn't used to keeping a low profile. He was a member of the Ginyu Force for crying out loud. The force was known for drawing attention to themselves. Lately, it seemed like Captain Ginyu was completely losing his mind. He picked up the duffel bag that Ginyu was done using and tossed it into the dumpster along with the ski masks.

"Hey, mate," he muttered, "do you hear that?"

Gohan's heart skipped a beat as he started to clench his fists tighter and try as hard as possible to scrunch up into a tiny little ball. He just wanted the two to leave as soon as possible so he could get back to Bulma and Krillin. It only took a few seconds for Jeice to edge to the other side of the dumpster and cause Gohan to almost have a heart attack. The Saiyan boy jumped up in a panic.

"Well, well, well," said Jeice, "look what the cat dragged in." Ginyu walked over to the two of them, a smirk appearing on his face the second he saw Gohan laying up against the dumpster.

"Well if it isn't Goku's little brat," Ginyu said. "I knew I might see you when I came here, but I never thought it would be so soon. What, did you think you could play hero and stop us from robbing that bank? You know what, I'm actually pretty lucky I ran into you. You see, I was a little confused about the dragon balls on this planet, but now I've got the perfect guide to show me around this little planet you call home. What'dya say kid?"

Gohan shot him a look. "There's no way I'm helping you after what you did to my dad!"

Captain Ginyu immediately grabbed the boy's shirt collar and raised him up to eye level. He started squirming around like a worm. "The thing is, I don't think you've really got a choice, kid. You got pretty close to beating me on Namek, but I'm stronger now. I've gotten used to your dad's old body. He was wrong about what he said back there. Now you ready to help me out, twerp?"

"I'm still refusing to help you," Gohan stammered. Ginyu growled and threw the boy against the dumpster. Gohan yelled out as he hit his head, already feeling a thin stream of blood coming out of his scalp. He rubbed it the second after he fell to the ground.

"I wouldn't disobey the captain, mate," Jeice told him.

Gohan clenched his fists and slowly got up, eyeing the two Ginyu Force members the whole time. Ginyu stared back, waiting for him to say something, but the boy never did. He shot up in the air as fast as he could. It took Ginyu and Jeice a few seconds to realize what just happened.

"Captain, - !"

"Don't just stand there, Jeice! Go after him!"

Jeice shot up in the air after the boy with Ginyu close behind. He no longer cared about flying where the Earthlings could see. If Goku's son managed to get back to the others and tell them about their arrival, his cover was blown and he would lose the element of surprise.

As soon as he got up far enough above the buildings, Ginyu could see Gohan already fading away into the distance. The boy was pretty fast for his young age. That was for sure. Both Ginyu and Jeice shot forward, increasing their speed. From this height, they could see the weak little Earthlings bustling about their insignificant day to day lives. Ginyu didn't look down twice, focusing on Gohan.

"He won't get too far, Captain."

"He's not going anywhere, Jeice!" Ginyu yelled back. He eyed the boy off in the distance. The brat must have inherited some of his dear old dad's fast skills.

Gohan hesitated to look back at the two men chasing him. They were gaining speed. He would have to speed up, if that were even possible. The boy knew he was already moving incredibly fast. He peered back at Jeice and Ginyu once again, their worried expressions from before now replaced by confident smirks. A drop of sweat dripped down Gohan's forehead. They would catch up to him eventually. That was a fact. He'd have to find a place to hide, but he was running out of time.

Smash!

Before he could tell what was going on, the sharp pain of glass dug into his skin. Gohan wasn't easily hurt by things like glass, but going at that speed, this hurt for sure. A small trickle of blood seeped down his forehead as he struggled to get up. Ignoring the pain, the half Saiyan got to his feet and looked around. A group of people stood around him, trying to figure out what just happened. Gohan had crashed into the window of an office building close to the top floor.

Gohan looked back in terror to see Jeice and Ginyu closing in. He quickly darted away from the scene and into a nearby hallway, leaving the bystanders behind. The only way out seemed to be through an elevator at the end of the corridor. Gohan moved quickly on his feet, slamming his hand onto the elevator button. He stood impatiently until finally the elevator doors opened. He heard another loud smash coming from back in the office before stepping into the elevator and closing the door.

The office workers flinched at the second crash. Two men appeared before them and the floor began to shake as they landed. Jeice, determined to get the Saiyan boy back, sprinted past the group of people, throwing some to the side in haste. He disappeared into the hallway of the room, leaving the captain behind.

Ginyu stood there, eyeing everyone in the room. They all remained frozen in place from fear of the man in front of them. He slowly walked over to a nearby office worker dressed in a suit. Ginyu pulled him in by the collar. "Did you see a little brat crash through here a minute ago?"

The man hesitated to answer, sweat dripping down his forehead. He nodded slowly.

"Where'd he go?"

The man shook a little and opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Ginyu shook him. "Where did he go?"

"I… I… He… I mean…"

Ginyu growled and threw the man against a desk. He passed out after hitting his head. Captain Ginyu proceeded to turn to the rest of the office workers. "Well? Where did the little brat go?"

A few hesitantly pointed to the hallway door in the corner of the office. Ginyu bolted over there and studied the corridor. "The only place the twerp would go is the elevator," he pondered. Captain Ginyu walked over there and placed his hands between the elevator doors, prying them open. He looked down the elevator shaft before realizing that the elevator was actually traveling upwards. The man jumped inside the shaft and shot up as quickly as possible to the elevator. Placing his hands on the bottom of the moving elevator, he pulled down with incredible force, causing it to stop.

Gohan fell to the floor as the elevator jolted to a stop. Rubbing his head, he jumped up to his feet and shoved the top door of the elevator open. He hesitantly climbed out and stood atop the elevator, peering around the dark, cold shaft. There was no one there. The elevator must have stopped somehow. He peered up. "If I could just get to the top, then I'd be home free."

"I don't think so!" Gohan flinched as Ginyu's hand clenched around his right leg. The Saiyan boy instantly began to struggle, but it wasn't helping. Ginyu struggled to get up onto the elevator, but cursed under his breath, realizing the space between the shaft wall and the elevator was too small for his large, muscular body to fit through.

Gohan grinned and proceeded to laugh in glee. Being tiny had actually been useful for once. He placed his left foot on top of Ginyu's arm and began to pound on it with both his fists. Ginyu released his grip for just an instant, but that instant allowed for Gohan to be set free.

"Damn you, you little shit!" Ginyu shouted.

The boy shot up to the top of the elevator shaft as soon as possible and pried the top floor doors open with his hands. Cool air hit him as soon as the doors opened. He found himself on rooftop of the building. This was even better than he expected. He'd be able to fly down without a struggle.

Gohan laughed as he edged away from the elevator doors. He began to make a few more steps until he felt hands grasp him tightly and pull him closer back to the elevator shaft. Jeice's grin was wider than ever as he took his right hand off of Gohan's mouth, the other arm still placed tightly over the boy's chest.

"Let me go!" Gohan yelled out.

"As if!" Jeice sneered.

Within a moment, Ginyu had appeared out of the elevator shaft with a few smudges of dirt on his cheek. He glared at Gohan before looking up to Jeice with an expression of approval. "Good work, Jeice."

Jeice grinned, feeling like he'd finally done something right since Namek.

"Now come on, kid," said Ginyu. "You're coming back to the space pods with us. Now don't worry, you'll be safe and sound in our care." Ginyu's smirk grew before he started to chuckle. "Come on, Jeice. Make sure you've got a good hold on that one. He's pretty fast. Must take after his father."

"Right, Captain," said Jeice. "I won't let him go."

"I don't think so."

Ginyu, Jeice, and Gohan looked back over near the elevator shaft. Vegeta slowly walked out from behind it. He eyed both Ginyu and Jeice before saying anything. "I thought I sensed some high powers near here. After the little brat wandered off by himself, I didn't know where to go. But something led me to the spot where I needed to be."

Ginyu laughed. "You know, I wasn't planning on running into you just yet, Vegeta, but I have to admit that this is a pleasant surprise. I'm happy to see you so soon after the tournament."

"It's my pleasure," Vegeta scoffed. "Now let the boy go."

"Since when have you become quite the caring and compassionate guy?" Ginyu asked. "I guess since the boy doesn't have a father anymore and all of your family and comrades are gone, you surely need to take him in as your own, right? How cute, the Saiyan prince is taking in a little half Saiyan stray."

Vegeta growled. "Shut your mouth and let him go now!"

"I'll tell you what," said Ginyu, "if you can defeat me, the boy is yours. Do we have a deal?"

Vegeta smirked. He was more than up to this challenge. "Deal."