Chapter Eight: The Arrival
By Desertdweller
The sky was not in the best of humors on that particular morn...
Lightning flashed and hellfire ignited the skies in a furious tango. Cold dark clouds whipped along the celestial bowl at breakneck speeds. The inhabitants of the city below shivered from the storm's fury. The weather on Crimsia was always volatile, but now it seemed that nature was in an uproar. She lashed out with daggers of fire and pelting drops of rain. The storm had gotten so bad that the spaceport had to be shut down and would not accept any further landings until the storm subsided. The huddled newcomers waited in the lobby of the main building on the bay.
Many were saiya jins, but there was a mixed menagerie of different alien species that milled about. In the far right hand corner beside the east entrance, a small group stood waiting.
There were only three of them, all saiya jin. All had close cropped spiky hair. One had hair the hue of the darkest midnight, another's was the colour of burnished copper and the last sported an auburn hue.
The shortest of the group was attired in a suit of spandex with armor protecting his upper torso.
The other two were similarly donned in nearly identical armor. Only minute insignias designated them in different departments in the military of the city.
Vegeta gazed out at the milling crowd before them. Hi s wary sable eyes took in the sight with a hint of sadness that peeked out from a hidden place deep within his heart. He couldn't seem to get enough of the sights. If it hadn't been for that sadistic bastard Freiza, then he would still have been a king...
He would still have had a father...
Rage glowed momentarily in those sable depths, but passed on quickly. They returned to their normal, resolved state... He turned to glance back at his two companions.
Goku observed his surroundings with a hint of fascination in his friendly eyes. The warm depths took in everything with a child like sense of wonder. Yet Vegeta knew that the man was a double edged sword. On one edge he was a simple carefree warrior subject to whatever luck dealt him. On the other edge, he was a ruthlessly cunning fighter.
The youngest of the bunch merely stared out at the storm. His warm ebony eyes gazed out as he tried to discern whether the storm was abating or not. He glanced down briefly, eyeing his identifying mark. The medical department's insignia was etched on his armor. He was glad that he had managed to forge fake identities for them all. His father had taken Security, Vegeta had gotten Intelligence and finally, he had gotten Medical.
He sighed, thinking of the past, though it was always a painful subject with him. He missed his childhood, but he missed his childhood friend the most. Over the years, he had felt that loss more keenly. His father tried to rationalize it as nothing more than childhood idolatry of his hero. Yet Gohan knew it was something much much more. He had watched as his father had come to terms with his guilt over the years. Both his father and Vegeta had both volunteered to train with him everyday until he felt he had gained sufficient enough strength to take on Broly. Those years had been long to him. He shook off the persistent memories and gazed back out at the fury of Mother Nature. He didn't move for a solid hour. Finally the storm seemed to lose some of her fury. The temporary inhabitants began to stir as the storm's rage abated somewhat. The saiya jins joined the jostling crowd in an attempt to hail a transport to take them to the center of Ryushi, Crimsia's capital city. Rather it wasn't a city as a civilized military base. It was sort of a modern day Sparta.
They finally managed to hail a transport vehicle to take them the their Headquarters. The ride was long and tedious. Gohan and the others took this time to observe their surroundings. The crimson tries just added to the oddity of this planet. He turned and sighed, swiveling his head to observe his father and Prince. They were sitting beside each other.
Gohan smiled, if they were any closer then they would be in each other's lap. And he was pretty sure that neither of them would have minded that arrangement at all.
He turned back to the front, enjoying the stiff breeze caused by the transport, for it had no top. He mused on the trip. Goku and Vegeta had steadily been getting closer to each other. There had been a tension there for a while that no one but Gohan had noticed. Then suddenly about two weeks ago, it was gone.
Gohan was almost certain he knew what had happened and was glad that the two had finally admitted to being in love with the other. A small smile played about his lips. He couldn't wait to have his own reunion with his sensei. The smile quickly changed to a worried frown at the thought of his friend.
'I hope he is ok. If I find so much as a scratch on him, I will rip Broly's beating heart out of his chest and make him eat it raw.'
Onyx eyes, normally so serene, began to darken with murderous hatred. A curious blue creature, scanning the other passengers on the transport happened to see the expressions on the warrior's face. He gulped nervously and turned around to stare straight ahead. He didn't move for the rest of the trip.
The road meandered along for another hour or so, the storm was dying down slowly. Steel hued clouds raced across the sky in bunches, like dirty soapsuds racing down a raging river. The rain still drove watery lances into the ground, causing the ground to bleed muddy puddles.
Finally after what seemed like hours upon hours, they arrived at the main building.
The structure rose about 150 ft in the air. It seemed to be a conglomerate of both living mountain and dead metal. Saffron trees were situated around it. The city seemed so far away almost on the realm of thought itself. The lone building was isolated from the rest of the city by the immense forest that surrounded it. Lone spires radiated around the castle like structure. Modern technology emanated from these antiquated towers
Gohan squinted; using his keen sight to pick out individual guards that ringed these lone sentinels. He mentally counted the number of the guards that ringed this side of the fortress wall. The transport vehicle slowed to a stop and passengers began to offload. Gohan blinked as he was once again grounded back into reality and gathered his own things. Vegeta and Goku got up as well; silently helping each other gather their things. Gohan shook his head as he turned back around and smirked.
Once off the transport, the passengers stood in a double row of straight lines. The transport, emptied of its cargo, raced off back to the main city for another load. Gohan held out the piece of plastic that held his false identity. He only hoped his skills would be sufficient enough to fool everyone. The young warrior slid his eyes right and left, observing his line mates. He snorted in surprise when he realized the difference between the two lines. One was completely saiya jin and the other was composed of the other races. He wondered if such species segregation was inherent or learned. He shook his head, squashing down his inquisitive nature. Piccolo always said he was too curious for his own good. His heart lurched slightly as he thought of his long absent teacher and friend. He glanced down, quelling the single tear that tried to etch down his face.
He raised his head and narrowed his obsidian eyes in determination. His sensei had taught him better than to just sit and bawl like a baby. A narrow smile slid across his face, pulling his soft lips into a frightening mask...
He was a warrior, trained by the best... His wrong would be avenged. By heaven or by hell, his mentor was returning to Earth.
And Gohan didn't cared who got in his way. Nothing was going to stop him.
The line started moving forward towards the metal/marble construct. A sense of foreboding was heavy in the air, covering sound like a blanket.
Gohan stalked inside the building, his eyes flashing.
Emerald lids tightened and then released as the pain of moving proved too great for his strained form. Slim shadows danced in a caper over the sprawled limbs. Slowly his body curled into a fetal position. His head was bowed into his arms and his legs were drawn up as if to ward nightmares away.
Of course, not all the nightmares in the universe could equal the one he had just went through.
Clenching his teeth, the warrior slowly opened his tired eyes to focus onto the landscape before him. With infinite slowness, the fighter raised his weary head and blinked blearily into space. His usually vibrant garnet eyes were glazed, as if drugged. Fighting the screeching pain that echoed from every section in his body, he raised his upper body.
Wincing he tucked his legs up under him and raised his body into a kneeling position. He bowed his head, waiting for his eyes to focus again. After a few minutes of rest they finally did.
He blinked as he observed the silken sheets beneath him. He raised his head till his eyes were level with the opposite wall.
As he moved, one hand slid a little on the sheets, creating satin wrinkles in the sleeves he wore...
// Wait a minute... sleeves...? //
Piccolo glanced down sharply, peering at his new attire.
//Broly...It had to be him ...No one else would have been so sadistic.//
With infinite care, he slid slowly off the bed and onto his feet. Using the mattress as a prop he wobbled unsteadily on booted feet. Ignoring the fiery ache in his torso, he glanced about the room. A full length mirror stood in the opposite side of the room. Using the bed and then the wall as a guide, Piccolo inched his way to the mirror... He wanted to see just how bad he looked.
He took one taloned hand away from the wall to see if he could hold his balance. When he didn't fall right away, he took it a sign that he could continue. With minute steps he made his way to the mirror.
What he saw there both surprised him and scared him.
His face was unmarked, the features clear. Save for the pain in his eyes. There were no bruises on his face. His eyes widened slightly as his brain finally assimilated the cut and style of the clothing he was wearing.
An onyx silken tunic hung slightly loose on his upper torso, reminiscent of his gi top with the exception of the sleeves. A shimmering sable cape whispered behind him, falling to mid thigh... He sighed in relief, worried that the outfit would be worse.
Then he spotted the pants he had donned...
Form fitting and also black, they clung to him like a second skin.
He was so involved in his speculation that he never noticed the being behind him.
Broly had been ensconced in an alcove within the room. He had been watching the warrior for a while now. His eyes devoured the morsel before him. He padded silently towards the distracted fighter and stopped three feet shy of him.
"Like what you see? I know I do..."
Piccolo spun around, heedless of the pain that coursed through his blood. His body, practiced from so many years of self preservation, automatically retracted into a staggered stance. His upper body was pulled away from his enemy.
Broly blinked once and chuckled, shaking his head slightly and then once again gazing at his captive.
"So tense... Now, what so ever is the matter, Piccolo? Nothing will hurt you here..." Broly cooed menacingly, " As long as you abide by the rules."
The saiya jin warrior's eyes glinted with a menacing gleam as he softly whispered the last phrase.
His response came in the form of a low growl. Broly's smile widened as he observed the fighter before him. Piccolo's strength was sapped and both of them knew it. If Broly decided to call his bluff, then it would be a cakewalk.
He took one step towards him, calling his hand.
Piccolo's eyes narrowed to slits in his face, broken only by slivers of garnet. His upper lip drew back involuntarily to display vulpine fangs as a low rumbling issued out of his lean form. Broly smirked, his face quirking into a menacing mask.
Then he struck...
With the quickness of a viper, the saiya jin warrior had pinned the emerald fighter against the metal wall. Face to face, both warriors glared at each other. Ebony eyes to garnet ones. Broly leaned in closer to the warrior and spoke directly into his ear.
"Now, now... You know better than that, my little forest sprite." Both of Piccolo's arms were bound behind him. He tried to squirm free but was unable to as Broly was pressed close up against him, body to body. Broly had one arm against his neck, threatening to cut off his air supply and the other above the namekusei jin's head as a brace against the wall.
Broly's smirk grew wider as he brought the hand down and placed on side of his captive's cheek.
'The more you fight against me my emerald jewel, the more I enjoy it. Scream for me...'
The desert dweller's form shuddered as the hand traveled down the lean neck and onto the sturdy lean chest. Piccolo tried to flinch away in revulsion but was unable due to the wall.
The hand moved lower.
Piccolo writhed harder, trying to twist out of his grasp. Not this... Not again. He snarled and spat towards the leering face before him.
Broly dodged the arsenal and growled back in response. He moved his hand to the beginning of the pant's waist and had just tucked his fingers around the waistband to rip it off when his personal alert sounded.
"Damn it," the saiya jin leader spat, still glaring at the snarling face in front of him. With blinding speed he moved away from the pinned warrior and into the middle of the room. Opening the com link on that he kept hidden in his robes, he barked into the audio receiver.
"Yes! What is it?! I was right in the middle of an important matter," Broly spat, keeping his gaze on the now crouched warrior in front of him.
The guard's nervous voice sounded tiny as it responded.
"Y y you said t t o I 1 let you k know when the n new recruits arrived, s s sir..." the young guard's voice quaked with barely disguised fear.
Broly's shifted from extreme anger to agonizingly calm.
"Hai ...hai I did... didn't I? Thank you Ryshu."
"Y your w welcome s sir," the guard stuttered in response.
With a small snap, Broly shut the com link. He returned his attention back to the fighter before him. He let his gaze wander possessively up the other man's lean figure. Phasing in and out of sight, he landed right in front of the namekusei jin. With a lightning gesture, he clasped the lean throat in an iron grip.
He brought his head in and quickly placed his lips over the slightly parted ones before him, his tongue invading the moist territory before the other had a chance to react. He drew back quickly, as not to lose his tongue via the sharp fangs his little captive possessed.
He turned his head and leaned in close to one delicately arched elfish ear.
"We shall finish this later, my forest sprite."
He released the emerald demon from within his grasp and watched in amusement as Piccolo edged away from him, glaring.
He laughed and spun on his heel heading for the door. As he reached the metal portal, Broly suddenly turned back around to catch the other fighter's gaze. His mouth opened in a sardonic smirk.
" By the way, my little prisoner. You taste wonderful," he said, his voice low, " And I can't wait for tonight."
Piccolo flinched in revulsion, his garnet eyes blazed with unsuppressed fury.
Broly laughed softly as he observed the look on his captive's face. His crimson robes whispered softly as he turned away. The doors hissed as they parted to let him through, his boot heels beating a tattoo on the cold metal floor. He stopped briefly to turn and issue orders to the guards outside. Then he was off to ground level of the fortress to meet the new additions to his army.
Piccolo stood up to his full height, still ignoring the pain in his lower torso. He had dealt with pain before. As long as he didn't dwell on the cause of it, he would be fine.
The door hissed shut once more and the warrior was alone again. Piccolo glanced all about the room, searching for any means of escape. Finding none he limped over to the bed and sat back down on the soft mattress. Agony flared up in his midsection telling him in no uncertain terms that he had overused the sore muscles and bruised insides. Shame crept into his being as he recalled the source of the agony and the cause of it. He felt his face burn with shame.
Agony crept not only from his wounds but from his tattered pride and shattered soul.
He thought of himself as a capable being, strong enough to handle anything that life deigned to throw at him.
Instead, look where his so called self sustainability brought him. Into the hands of a madman and bruised, battered and nearly broken.
As well as...
No ...he didn't want to remember... He didn't want to think about ...that....
'Admit it, Piccolo. You are a realist and deal in facts. Quit lying to yourself as to what happened.'
'You were raped...'
He felt the corner of his eyes burn.
He snarled. The last thing he needed to do was to break down and cry in front of the guards or Broly. He didn't need to show any more weakness.
Restlessness stirred his sore muscles into action. Ignoring the fiery arrows of pain that coursed through his frame. He slowly made his way to the door.
The metal portal opened, allowing him access.
He gingerly stepped through, swiveling his head right and left to search for guards.
He spotted the three on guard. And they spotted him as well.
The youngest, a saiya jin, approached him. His scouter was deactivated and his armor shone, having never been used. The long furry tail that all the warriors of this species had was wrapped around the young one's waist. In a surprisingly polite voice he spoke to the wary hostage.
" Hello sir. My name is Ryushin. I have been instructed to lead you back to your room once you exited His Excellency's chambers. Come with me. No harm will come to you if you co operate," the warrior stated, his auburn bangs nearly hiding his sable eyes.
For a moment Piccolo felt a sharp pain in his chest as he realized who this youngling reminded him of.
'Gohan...'
It wasn't in the coloration of the hair or the hue of the skin. It was the way the young man held himself.
Aloof, yet friendly.
Piccolo shook his head, clearing away the cobwebs of nostalgia. Memories were a burden. He was quite sure his one time student had forgotten him.
After all, the minds of children were fickle.
Still he couldn't help but to hope that Gohan still remembered to think of him.
He returned to reality to find that the young guard was staring at him in a curious way. He then realized he had been gazing at the wall behind the guard for some time. He shook his head and then replied to the guard's earlier statement.
"Lead the way."
The guard nodded and started walking down the long corridor, leading the way back to the namekusei's quarters. Piccolo followed close behind, glancing back as he noticed two other guards following him.
'Probably making sure I don't attempt to escape. That would probably mean death for them. As well as myself. '
Ignoring their presence almost entirely, he turned his head to gaze at the corridor before him. It was lighted artificially for the most part, but up ahead he could see that a portion actually had windows. He slowed down as they arrived at this section of the corridor. With his keen vision he could see the arboreal landscape that surrounded the fortress and the courtyard below.
Suddenly, something made him come to a complete standstill.
He pressed his hands to the glass/plastic conglomeration and peered downwards into the courtyard.
He could see double lines of warriors everywhere, but a certain one caught his eyes.
Near the front of the line stood a lithe young saiya jin. Piccolo narrowed his eyes and pinpointed the warrior. He drew in a breath suddenly as the features became recognizable.
Close cropped sable locks.
Long silky bangs.
Determined ebony eyes.
He would know that face anywhere... but... it couldn't be ...He wasn't anywhere near that old?l
Could it really be?...
"Gohan?"
By Desertdweller
The sky was not in the best of humors on that particular morn...
Lightning flashed and hellfire ignited the skies in a furious tango. Cold dark clouds whipped along the celestial bowl at breakneck speeds. The inhabitants of the city below shivered from the storm's fury. The weather on Crimsia was always volatile, but now it seemed that nature was in an uproar. She lashed out with daggers of fire and pelting drops of rain. The storm had gotten so bad that the spaceport had to be shut down and would not accept any further landings until the storm subsided. The huddled newcomers waited in the lobby of the main building on the bay.
Many were saiya jins, but there was a mixed menagerie of different alien species that milled about. In the far right hand corner beside the east entrance, a small group stood waiting.
There were only three of them, all saiya jin. All had close cropped spiky hair. One had hair the hue of the darkest midnight, another's was the colour of burnished copper and the last sported an auburn hue.
The shortest of the group was attired in a suit of spandex with armor protecting his upper torso.
The other two were similarly donned in nearly identical armor. Only minute insignias designated them in different departments in the military of the city.
Vegeta gazed out at the milling crowd before them. Hi s wary sable eyes took in the sight with a hint of sadness that peeked out from a hidden place deep within his heart. He couldn't seem to get enough of the sights. If it hadn't been for that sadistic bastard Freiza, then he would still have been a king...
He would still have had a father...
Rage glowed momentarily in those sable depths, but passed on quickly. They returned to their normal, resolved state... He turned to glance back at his two companions.
Goku observed his surroundings with a hint of fascination in his friendly eyes. The warm depths took in everything with a child like sense of wonder. Yet Vegeta knew that the man was a double edged sword. On one edge he was a simple carefree warrior subject to whatever luck dealt him. On the other edge, he was a ruthlessly cunning fighter.
The youngest of the bunch merely stared out at the storm. His warm ebony eyes gazed out as he tried to discern whether the storm was abating or not. He glanced down briefly, eyeing his identifying mark. The medical department's insignia was etched on his armor. He was glad that he had managed to forge fake identities for them all. His father had taken Security, Vegeta had gotten Intelligence and finally, he had gotten Medical.
He sighed, thinking of the past, though it was always a painful subject with him. He missed his childhood, but he missed his childhood friend the most. Over the years, he had felt that loss more keenly. His father tried to rationalize it as nothing more than childhood idolatry of his hero. Yet Gohan knew it was something much much more. He had watched as his father had come to terms with his guilt over the years. Both his father and Vegeta had both volunteered to train with him everyday until he felt he had gained sufficient enough strength to take on Broly. Those years had been long to him. He shook off the persistent memories and gazed back out at the fury of Mother Nature. He didn't move for a solid hour. Finally the storm seemed to lose some of her fury. The temporary inhabitants began to stir as the storm's rage abated somewhat. The saiya jins joined the jostling crowd in an attempt to hail a transport to take them to the center of Ryushi, Crimsia's capital city. Rather it wasn't a city as a civilized military base. It was sort of a modern day Sparta.
They finally managed to hail a transport vehicle to take them the their Headquarters. The ride was long and tedious. Gohan and the others took this time to observe their surroundings. The crimson tries just added to the oddity of this planet. He turned and sighed, swiveling his head to observe his father and Prince. They were sitting beside each other.
Gohan smiled, if they were any closer then they would be in each other's lap. And he was pretty sure that neither of them would have minded that arrangement at all.
He turned back to the front, enjoying the stiff breeze caused by the transport, for it had no top. He mused on the trip. Goku and Vegeta had steadily been getting closer to each other. There had been a tension there for a while that no one but Gohan had noticed. Then suddenly about two weeks ago, it was gone.
Gohan was almost certain he knew what had happened and was glad that the two had finally admitted to being in love with the other. A small smile played about his lips. He couldn't wait to have his own reunion with his sensei. The smile quickly changed to a worried frown at the thought of his friend.
'I hope he is ok. If I find so much as a scratch on him, I will rip Broly's beating heart out of his chest and make him eat it raw.'
Onyx eyes, normally so serene, began to darken with murderous hatred. A curious blue creature, scanning the other passengers on the transport happened to see the expressions on the warrior's face. He gulped nervously and turned around to stare straight ahead. He didn't move for the rest of the trip.
The road meandered along for another hour or so, the storm was dying down slowly. Steel hued clouds raced across the sky in bunches, like dirty soapsuds racing down a raging river. The rain still drove watery lances into the ground, causing the ground to bleed muddy puddles.
Finally after what seemed like hours upon hours, they arrived at the main building.
The structure rose about 150 ft in the air. It seemed to be a conglomerate of both living mountain and dead metal. Saffron trees were situated around it. The city seemed so far away almost on the realm of thought itself. The lone building was isolated from the rest of the city by the immense forest that surrounded it. Lone spires radiated around the castle like structure. Modern technology emanated from these antiquated towers
Gohan squinted; using his keen sight to pick out individual guards that ringed these lone sentinels. He mentally counted the number of the guards that ringed this side of the fortress wall. The transport vehicle slowed to a stop and passengers began to offload. Gohan blinked as he was once again grounded back into reality and gathered his own things. Vegeta and Goku got up as well; silently helping each other gather their things. Gohan shook his head as he turned back around and smirked.
Once off the transport, the passengers stood in a double row of straight lines. The transport, emptied of its cargo, raced off back to the main city for another load. Gohan held out the piece of plastic that held his false identity. He only hoped his skills would be sufficient enough to fool everyone. The young warrior slid his eyes right and left, observing his line mates. He snorted in surprise when he realized the difference between the two lines. One was completely saiya jin and the other was composed of the other races. He wondered if such species segregation was inherent or learned. He shook his head, squashing down his inquisitive nature. Piccolo always said he was too curious for his own good. His heart lurched slightly as he thought of his long absent teacher and friend. He glanced down, quelling the single tear that tried to etch down his face.
He raised his head and narrowed his obsidian eyes in determination. His sensei had taught him better than to just sit and bawl like a baby. A narrow smile slid across his face, pulling his soft lips into a frightening mask...
He was a warrior, trained by the best... His wrong would be avenged. By heaven or by hell, his mentor was returning to Earth.
And Gohan didn't cared who got in his way. Nothing was going to stop him.
The line started moving forward towards the metal/marble construct. A sense of foreboding was heavy in the air, covering sound like a blanket.
Gohan stalked inside the building, his eyes flashing.
Emerald lids tightened and then released as the pain of moving proved too great for his strained form. Slim shadows danced in a caper over the sprawled limbs. Slowly his body curled into a fetal position. His head was bowed into his arms and his legs were drawn up as if to ward nightmares away.
Of course, not all the nightmares in the universe could equal the one he had just went through.
Clenching his teeth, the warrior slowly opened his tired eyes to focus onto the landscape before him. With infinite slowness, the fighter raised his weary head and blinked blearily into space. His usually vibrant garnet eyes were glazed, as if drugged. Fighting the screeching pain that echoed from every section in his body, he raised his upper body.
Wincing he tucked his legs up under him and raised his body into a kneeling position. He bowed his head, waiting for his eyes to focus again. After a few minutes of rest they finally did.
He blinked as he observed the silken sheets beneath him. He raised his head till his eyes were level with the opposite wall.
As he moved, one hand slid a little on the sheets, creating satin wrinkles in the sleeves he wore...
// Wait a minute... sleeves...? //
Piccolo glanced down sharply, peering at his new attire.
//Broly...It had to be him ...No one else would have been so sadistic.//
With infinite care, he slid slowly off the bed and onto his feet. Using the mattress as a prop he wobbled unsteadily on booted feet. Ignoring the fiery ache in his torso, he glanced about the room. A full length mirror stood in the opposite side of the room. Using the bed and then the wall as a guide, Piccolo inched his way to the mirror... He wanted to see just how bad he looked.
He took one taloned hand away from the wall to see if he could hold his balance. When he didn't fall right away, he took it a sign that he could continue. With minute steps he made his way to the mirror.
What he saw there both surprised him and scared him.
His face was unmarked, the features clear. Save for the pain in his eyes. There were no bruises on his face. His eyes widened slightly as his brain finally assimilated the cut and style of the clothing he was wearing.
An onyx silken tunic hung slightly loose on his upper torso, reminiscent of his gi top with the exception of the sleeves. A shimmering sable cape whispered behind him, falling to mid thigh... He sighed in relief, worried that the outfit would be worse.
Then he spotted the pants he had donned...
Form fitting and also black, they clung to him like a second skin.
He was so involved in his speculation that he never noticed the being behind him.
Broly had been ensconced in an alcove within the room. He had been watching the warrior for a while now. His eyes devoured the morsel before him. He padded silently towards the distracted fighter and stopped three feet shy of him.
"Like what you see? I know I do..."
Piccolo spun around, heedless of the pain that coursed through his blood. His body, practiced from so many years of self preservation, automatically retracted into a staggered stance. His upper body was pulled away from his enemy.
Broly blinked once and chuckled, shaking his head slightly and then once again gazing at his captive.
"So tense... Now, what so ever is the matter, Piccolo? Nothing will hurt you here..." Broly cooed menacingly, " As long as you abide by the rules."
The saiya jin warrior's eyes glinted with a menacing gleam as he softly whispered the last phrase.
His response came in the form of a low growl. Broly's smile widened as he observed the fighter before him. Piccolo's strength was sapped and both of them knew it. If Broly decided to call his bluff, then it would be a cakewalk.
He took one step towards him, calling his hand.
Piccolo's eyes narrowed to slits in his face, broken only by slivers of garnet. His upper lip drew back involuntarily to display vulpine fangs as a low rumbling issued out of his lean form. Broly smirked, his face quirking into a menacing mask.
Then he struck...
With the quickness of a viper, the saiya jin warrior had pinned the emerald fighter against the metal wall. Face to face, both warriors glared at each other. Ebony eyes to garnet ones. Broly leaned in closer to the warrior and spoke directly into his ear.
"Now, now... You know better than that, my little forest sprite." Both of Piccolo's arms were bound behind him. He tried to squirm free but was unable to as Broly was pressed close up against him, body to body. Broly had one arm against his neck, threatening to cut off his air supply and the other above the namekusei jin's head as a brace against the wall.
Broly's smirk grew wider as he brought the hand down and placed on side of his captive's cheek.
'The more you fight against me my emerald jewel, the more I enjoy it. Scream for me...'
The desert dweller's form shuddered as the hand traveled down the lean neck and onto the sturdy lean chest. Piccolo tried to flinch away in revulsion but was unable due to the wall.
The hand moved lower.
Piccolo writhed harder, trying to twist out of his grasp. Not this... Not again. He snarled and spat towards the leering face before him.
Broly dodged the arsenal and growled back in response. He moved his hand to the beginning of the pant's waist and had just tucked his fingers around the waistband to rip it off when his personal alert sounded.
"Damn it," the saiya jin leader spat, still glaring at the snarling face in front of him. With blinding speed he moved away from the pinned warrior and into the middle of the room. Opening the com link on that he kept hidden in his robes, he barked into the audio receiver.
"Yes! What is it?! I was right in the middle of an important matter," Broly spat, keeping his gaze on the now crouched warrior in front of him.
The guard's nervous voice sounded tiny as it responded.
"Y y you said t t o I 1 let you k know when the n new recruits arrived, s s sir..." the young guard's voice quaked with barely disguised fear.
Broly's shifted from extreme anger to agonizingly calm.
"Hai ...hai I did... didn't I? Thank you Ryshu."
"Y your w welcome s sir," the guard stuttered in response.
With a small snap, Broly shut the com link. He returned his attention back to the fighter before him. He let his gaze wander possessively up the other man's lean figure. Phasing in and out of sight, he landed right in front of the namekusei jin. With a lightning gesture, he clasped the lean throat in an iron grip.
He brought his head in and quickly placed his lips over the slightly parted ones before him, his tongue invading the moist territory before the other had a chance to react. He drew back quickly, as not to lose his tongue via the sharp fangs his little captive possessed.
He turned his head and leaned in close to one delicately arched elfish ear.
"We shall finish this later, my forest sprite."
He released the emerald demon from within his grasp and watched in amusement as Piccolo edged away from him, glaring.
He laughed and spun on his heel heading for the door. As he reached the metal portal, Broly suddenly turned back around to catch the other fighter's gaze. His mouth opened in a sardonic smirk.
" By the way, my little prisoner. You taste wonderful," he said, his voice low, " And I can't wait for tonight."
Piccolo flinched in revulsion, his garnet eyes blazed with unsuppressed fury.
Broly laughed softly as he observed the look on his captive's face. His crimson robes whispered softly as he turned away. The doors hissed as they parted to let him through, his boot heels beating a tattoo on the cold metal floor. He stopped briefly to turn and issue orders to the guards outside. Then he was off to ground level of the fortress to meet the new additions to his army.
Piccolo stood up to his full height, still ignoring the pain in his lower torso. He had dealt with pain before. As long as he didn't dwell on the cause of it, he would be fine.
The door hissed shut once more and the warrior was alone again. Piccolo glanced all about the room, searching for any means of escape. Finding none he limped over to the bed and sat back down on the soft mattress. Agony flared up in his midsection telling him in no uncertain terms that he had overused the sore muscles and bruised insides. Shame crept into his being as he recalled the source of the agony and the cause of it. He felt his face burn with shame.
Agony crept not only from his wounds but from his tattered pride and shattered soul.
He thought of himself as a capable being, strong enough to handle anything that life deigned to throw at him.
Instead, look where his so called self sustainability brought him. Into the hands of a madman and bruised, battered and nearly broken.
As well as...
No ...he didn't want to remember... He didn't want to think about ...that....
'Admit it, Piccolo. You are a realist and deal in facts. Quit lying to yourself as to what happened.'
'You were raped...'
He felt the corner of his eyes burn.
He snarled. The last thing he needed to do was to break down and cry in front of the guards or Broly. He didn't need to show any more weakness.
Restlessness stirred his sore muscles into action. Ignoring the fiery arrows of pain that coursed through his frame. He slowly made his way to the door.
The metal portal opened, allowing him access.
He gingerly stepped through, swiveling his head right and left to search for guards.
He spotted the three on guard. And they spotted him as well.
The youngest, a saiya jin, approached him. His scouter was deactivated and his armor shone, having never been used. The long furry tail that all the warriors of this species had was wrapped around the young one's waist. In a surprisingly polite voice he spoke to the wary hostage.
" Hello sir. My name is Ryushin. I have been instructed to lead you back to your room once you exited His Excellency's chambers. Come with me. No harm will come to you if you co operate," the warrior stated, his auburn bangs nearly hiding his sable eyes.
For a moment Piccolo felt a sharp pain in his chest as he realized who this youngling reminded him of.
'Gohan...'
It wasn't in the coloration of the hair or the hue of the skin. It was the way the young man held himself.
Aloof, yet friendly.
Piccolo shook his head, clearing away the cobwebs of nostalgia. Memories were a burden. He was quite sure his one time student had forgotten him.
After all, the minds of children were fickle.
Still he couldn't help but to hope that Gohan still remembered to think of him.
He returned to reality to find that the young guard was staring at him in a curious way. He then realized he had been gazing at the wall behind the guard for some time. He shook his head and then replied to the guard's earlier statement.
"Lead the way."
The guard nodded and started walking down the long corridor, leading the way back to the namekusei's quarters. Piccolo followed close behind, glancing back as he noticed two other guards following him.
'Probably making sure I don't attempt to escape. That would probably mean death for them. As well as myself. '
Ignoring their presence almost entirely, he turned his head to gaze at the corridor before him. It was lighted artificially for the most part, but up ahead he could see that a portion actually had windows. He slowed down as they arrived at this section of the corridor. With his keen vision he could see the arboreal landscape that surrounded the fortress and the courtyard below.
Suddenly, something made him come to a complete standstill.
He pressed his hands to the glass/plastic conglomeration and peered downwards into the courtyard.
He could see double lines of warriors everywhere, but a certain one caught his eyes.
Near the front of the line stood a lithe young saiya jin. Piccolo narrowed his eyes and pinpointed the warrior. He drew in a breath suddenly as the features became recognizable.
Close cropped sable locks.
Long silky bangs.
Determined ebony eyes.
He would know that face anywhere... but... it couldn't be ...He wasn't anywhere near that old?l
Could it really be?...
"Gohan?"