A/N: Whew, finally starting to wind things down. There should only be a few more chapters before I can focus exclusively on the new stuff. But I'm going away to school in a month so updates will definitely slow down then.

Disclaimer: I do not own Dragon Ball Z or anything affiliated with it.

-MalRev

PROJECT OOZARU

Case File 021 - Viva La Revolución

The laboratory was flooded with alarms and flashing red lights alerting us that the Saiyans had escaped. I clutched the bars of my cage, straining to see the door in the event that Goku came bursting through to rescue me. We had so much to talk about now. He promised he would save me if anything happened and if Bulma had told him I was pregnant, he'd be even more inclined to help.

My powers had been stripped from my body while I was unconscious. I didn't have a tail that flicked irately when I saw Chi-Chi slowly pacing in front of me, holding her pistol like it made a difference. The foreign strength that swirled in my gut was gone and I had lost the desire to dominate. All I wanted now was to see Goku again. If I was a Saiyan, I would've transformed like the rest of them.

Chi-Chi paused to look down at me. "Sit back and relax. Bulma is sending all available personnel to capture Kakarot first so I doubt he'll be breaking in to see us."

"Then why do you look so nervous?" I asked.

She knelt down, idly running her fingertips along the barrel of the gun. Her smile was acidic enough to melt bone. "It amuses me to no end that you've hardly known Kakarot for three months and have decided you have a claim over him. Why? Because he bit you like a wild animal? I grew up alongside him in this facility. We trained together and no matter what way he puts it, fell in love."

"What a nice story. It's too bad the sight of you makes him sick now."

"Do you know where the human name he uses came from? I've noticed that he's fully shifted to pretending he isn't a Saiyan and the two of you think it's some kind of special bond." Chi-Chi leaned closer and tapped my nose with the tip of her nail. "I gave that name to Kakarot when we were ten years old. Goku. We used it in secret for a while because it wasn't appropriate for us to fraternize."

"If you cared about him so much you wouldn't torment him about Gohan," I said. "I don't care about your past. Right now, you're threatening both of us and I don't fucking like it."

"What a foul mouth. Maybe I'll cut out your tongue."

Screams echoed from the hallways and Chi-Chi suddenly got to her feet, face hard and focused. There was rapid gun fire before a horrible roar that I recalled from the last full moon when Goku had transformed into the Oozaru. Excited, I reached an arm out of the cage and waved it madly.

"Goku!" I screamed. "I'm in here!"

A huge dent suddenly appeared in the door. Chi cocked her gun and aimed it steadily as more and more dents appeared with low booms. Whoever was on the other side was panting heavily and growling under their breath. Both of us shrieked when nails were dragged down the metal, generating a harsh screech that rang through the laboratory.

Chi-Chi cackled, beginning to lose her focus. A few strands of hair in her ponytail flew in her face. "You'll never break it down! This entire facility was constructed to contain all of you! Don't think for one second that you're getting in here too—"

The door violently blew off the hinges and flew across the room to smash a hole in the wall on the other side. Chi-Chi narrowly avoided being crushed and snarled furiously as a hulking figure stepped inside, casually bending the metal doorframe to make enough room for himself. The alarms kicked it up a notch to a deafening shrill warning as the lights flickered before going out completely. We were plunged into darkness only illuminated by the flashing emergency lights.

Chi's hands shook. A few shots were fired and I heard the bullets clatter to the ground. She swore and pulled back the pistol to add more while the intruder moved closer and closer, laughing to themselves. It was hard to tell if it was Goku. I prayed one of the other Saiyans hadn't come to find me.

Slowly, she began to back up, still shooting at whoever had come to save me. I struggled to see but it was far too dark and my human eyes couldn't perceive the slightest detail. Chi-Chi stumbled over a broken piece of the wall and fell on her behind, sending the gun flying across the floor. Before she could lift a finger the aggressor grabbed her by the neck and hoisted her into the air.

It definitely wasn't Goku.

This Saiyan had tall, pointy hair and a receding hairline that made him look distinctly older. He grinned up at Chi-Chi in a cruel way that I had never seen on Goku's face before. His teeth were elongated, covered in fresh blood and the weird blue uniform he was wearing was likewise stained. His red eyes widened with excitement when tears began to roll down her cheeks.

"What's the matter?" he asked in a cold, rough voice. "Expecting someone else?"

"Of course they sent you to get her. You're always looking to collect the prize, Vegeta." She laughed through her tears, sneering at him. "Shouldn't you be keeping an eye on Bulma? You wouldn't want any of the others to snap her neck while you're gone."

"The compound is already ours. Bulma has been set aside for safekeeping and most of your cohorts have had their heads torn from their bodies. It was a real bloodbath. But now, Kakarot is busy collecting his son and requested that the strongest in our clan come to retrieve the most important piece of the puzzle; the key to rebuilding our race. Thank you for keeping her safe."

"Kill me already, you sadistic bastard!"

Vegeta grinned. "I'm not going to kill you. I'm leaving you for Kakarot."

The Saiyan suddenly threw her to the ground and stomped on her leg, resulting in a horrible snapping sound that was nearly drowned out by the alarms. Chi-Chi screamed in agony and curled into a ball while Vegeta spat on her and turned to face me. His tail twisted in knots behind him.

I returned his steely gaze. All my time with Goku had taught me to never buckle under their intimidation no matter how frightening they seemed. It was an open invitation to be killed. The Saiyan race was vastly different from humans and distinctly more animalistic. They had rules I had to obey.

Vegeta wiped some blood from the corner of his mouth. "Hmph, the way Kakarot spoke of you I expected much more."

"Likewise. Where is he, anyway? Getting Gohan?"

"Obviously. The two of them should be here any minute now. Gohan has a hard time controlling himself." His smile widened and he crouched down in front of my cage. "Kakarot told all of us that you have a weak stomach. That doesn't make you much of a Saiyan."

A scowl settled on my face. No, it didn't, but I never wanted to be one if it meant I had to delight in tormenting people. "Big deal. Let me out."

The bars of the cage were nothing to Vegeta's Oozaru form. He bent them wide enough that I could slip out and dragged Chi-Chi over by the hair to throw her inside, promptly forcing it shut behind her. She was still sobbing in pain and I felt bad for her—she'd lost everything so quickly. But it had been her choice. We all had free will to decide what was right and what was wrong.

I was still in my hospital gown, miserable and cold in the lab without anything more to wear. Vegeta circled around me a few times with his arms crossed and stopped in front of my again to brush my hair back, exposing the blackened mark. He raised an eyebrow.

Annoyed, I batted his hands away and pulled my hair over it. It was beginning to burn again and not in the way it did when Goku was nearby. There was something else wrong; maybe because I had become a human again. Goku warned me that a Saiyan mark would poison any normal person…

"Typical Kakarot," Vegeta muttered. "He doesn't understand the concept of sharing the spoils."

But there was something different about this Saiyan. His Oozaru form wasn't as frightening as Goku's and he had a lot of control over himself. I cocked my head, brow furrowed, and Vegeta seemed to get the hint. He rolled his red eyes and pointed to his chest.

"I'm royalty," he said, "and I was taught to control myself. I don't lose my mind like the others but they're under my control, so none of them can cause either of us harm." He made a disgusted look at my mark and turned to face the door. "Kakarot will pay for his insolence. We had a deal that the last female would be reserved for the prince but I guess that just slipped his mind. Fool."

"No, I'm not being traded around like a prized bitch. That's disgusting."

"I don't want to sleep with you," he snapped, reddening a bit. "Don't you think we've more advanced methods than that? All we needed were a few eggs to grow our own army but Kakarot spoiled it all by impregnating you. Now we have to wait for six months."

I blinked in surprise. "Six months? That's it?"

Vegeta shifted impatiently, glaring at the door. "Yes, yes, that's it. If you have any more stupid questions save them for Nappa. He knows more about Saiyan society than I can remember."

The alarms were suddenly cut off, sending us into silence. Chi-Chi was still whimpering in the cell. I nervously bit at my nails and squealed with joy when a familiar face finally appeared in the doorway.

Goku was covered in blood just like Vegeta. His eyes flickered between us for any signs of a struggle before he moved forward into the room with someone small tailing behind him. I felt the uncomfortable twisting in my heart at the sight of Gohan tagging along behind his father, gripping the leg of his pants in fear. He looked much less frightening than Goku because of how small he was.

In another instant I was in Goku's arms; the only place I wanted to be for the rest of my life. I burst into tears and he growled a bit but hugged my tighter, smearing my gown with blood. All of my fear evaporated when we were finally reunited and being a human again suddenly didn't feel as daunting. Goku released me to push my hair away from my face and kissed me hard on the lips. Pain radiated through my mark and down my chest.

I winced. "Goku, it's starting to hurt again."

He held me at arm's length and gently touched the mark, which had popped out from my skin and begun to pulsate. "You're a human again. We'll have to get answers from Bulma. Did they do anything else to you while I was gone? Take anything? Give you anything?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm… I'm assuming they told you about the other thing, right?"

"Yeah, which was why I was so worried." Goku ran a hand through his hair and stepped aside, beckoning his son forward. "Gohan, do you want to meet Harper? I need to talk to mommy for a while so why don't you sit with her?"

The small child bared his teeth until Vegeta smacked him upside the head. He immediately calmed down, clasping his small hands in front of himself and bowing slightly. I glanced up at Goku for reassurance but he was making his way over to Chi-Chi, who's breathing was becoming labored. It was meant to be a private conversation. I could bear to watch Gohan until they were done.

I sat on the floor and smiled at him but he only blinked back at me in terror, desperate for his father. He had a tail like Goku's that shivered and twitched from his emotions.

"Want to sit with me?" I asked. "I'm a human, just like your mom."

Gohan wrung his hands but the offer seemed to tempt him. He was just a kid looking for someone to comfort him. He took a few careful steps forward before running into my arms and burying his face in my neck, sobbing moments later. Vegeta made a gagging noise but it didn't bother me. I gently stroked Gohan's head and murmured to him, not nearly as repulsed by him as I imagined.

He sniffled pitifully. "I'm sorry my mommy was so mean to you, Miss Harper. Daddy said I can live with both of you forever and ever and never have to fight again."

"Don't count on it," Vegeta said icily.

I picked up a piece of rubble and chucked it at the Saiyan's head, sticking out my tongue. "No, Gohan, we won't make you fight." I shifted him in my lap so I could see his face and smiled. "You're very lucky to have such a great dad and even luckier to be half human. You can choose to do whatever you want."

"Mr. Piccolo taught me a lot of things, like how to read and write when I wasn't doing the tests. Is Mr. Piccolo going to live with us, too? What's going to happen to mommy?"

"We'll figure it all out. I promise."

It took a while for Goku to finish talking to Chi-Chi. When he finally came back, his face was hardened and cold and I could still hear her crying in the cage. He leaned down to scoop Gohan from my lap and hugged his son tightly to his chest while Vegeta grew more and more disgusted by all the emotion we were showing. The royal Saiyan kicked a pebble at the computer that destroyed the screen.

But Goku turned to me instead of acknowledging his fellow Saiyan. "Harper, I want you to take Gohan and leave the compound. We're going to clean it out and make sure there aren't any humans hanging around. We can talk things over after it's all said and done."

"And we can discuss how you stole shared property from all of us," Vegeta said. "The other men aren't happy. You'll have to answer to them."

"Did they catch Mia?" I asked, suddenly remembering my adoptive sister. There had been so much noise and light that I couldn't tell.

"Yes but she's safe with Raditz." Goku kissed Gohan's forehead, a rare display of affection, and passed him back to me, where he nestled into my arms. "Go, Harper. The two of you can camp outside for the night while we finish up. I still have a few things to discuss with Chi-Chi when she's a bit saner."

The kid was sort of heavy and had his arms wrapped around my aching neck. I scowled. "Don't you think you and I have more important things to deal with? I'm pregnant and you're asking me to watch your half-Saiyan kid who may or may not kill me in the middle of the night. I'm a human now, Goku. I break just as easily as the rest of them."

"You didn't tell her?" Vegeta asked with a grin. "How rude, Kakarot."

"Tell me what?" I demanded.

Goku rubbed the back of his neck and began to speak but laughter in the doorway cut him off. I peered over his shoulder to see more people had arrived, most of them with swishing tails. But there was one in the front that particularly caught my eye and I gasped.

Mia had her hands on her hips and the same beastly smile at the rest of them. Her ears were tapered to a point and talons curved over her blue outfit that was a lot like Vegeta's. Behind her, Raditz put his hands on her shoulders and leveled his eyes with Vegeta like he found him to be a threat.

"Nice to see you, Harper," Mia said. She wrapped her tail around her waist.

My jaw nearly dropped to the floor.