DBZ Story #4: "Berter Beginnings: A Ginyu Force Outlook"

Part 25


"I think if we were to have offspring, I would prefer she have her mother's beauty… but her father's disposition."

"And what makes you so sure that what we have will be a 'she'?"

"Why, we'll have a 'she' because I want a 'she'," he replied jokingly.

"Well, then, what happens if we have a son?"

"Why, then, we'll raise a fine, young son, who hopefully will have all of his father's traits."

"And what would you call your fine, young son?"

"Lôdenrok, after my grandfather." He looked to the sun for some sort of approval.

"And your daughter?"

"Roderin, after your mother."

"I think we will have a daughter, then."

"Of course we will." He wrapped his arms around her from behind and she met him in a light kiss. "You know, this is the last day I can spend with you here."

"I know. Have you the knowledge of when your next visit will be?"

"Nay, but I hope to return before you brood."

"Aye. I'd best make a laying space, then. I'll write a letter to my mother later for her assistance."

"I wish I could be there to meet her. Perhaps we can arrange for our nurturers to meet with each other on someday?"

"That would be grand. We'll have it the day after your next return."

"Why not the day of my return?"

"Because that day will belong to us..."

He was the first to arrive, it seemed, that blue manlizard to the 79th Freeza Planet. The dock was clear, save his own pod, and there was no one else in sight. Berter stepped off the platform, through the control room, and made his way to his quarters. It had been a nice vacation, excluding the first day, but he did have a good time, especially… on that night…

"Hey, buddy! What's that grin for?"

The young man jumped when he realized he wasn't as alone as he thought. From practically out of nowhere emerged Recoom, goofing around the halls, as usual. "W-What grin?" The Tokage stuttered.

"Don't even try it. With a grin like that, something good must have happened during your vacation, if you know what I mean…"

"I… don't."

"You know…" The behemoth put his hands behind his head and did a few pelvic thrusts to illustrate his message. "C'mon, who was it? Wife? Girlfriend? One-night stand? You can tell me." He prodded him with his elbow.

"What's goin' on, eh?"

They both turned to see that Jeice and Guldo were there, as well. They had been to begin with; they'd never left the planet. "Ol' B here got some…" The behemoth replied in teasing tone.

The other two laughed and followed suit with suggestive commentary and sexual overtones. The Tokage was both embarrassed and appalled at how they could be so out-in-the-open about something as personal as that. After they were through torturing Berter, all four proceeded to the lounge area where Recoom 'regaled' them with tales of what he did on Kyokutair during their 14-day break.

"…And I stabbed it, and I stabbed it, and I stabbed it again! I tell ya, that ursine just wouldn't go down! As you all well know, it's bad luck to kill a beast with an incredibly strong will to live, so I backed my knife out of his thick hide and backed myself up. He just kinda looked at me for a bit, then went in the other direction. I think he was either saying 'thanks' or giving me a big 'fuck you.' " He chuckled.

"What?!" Jeice slammed his drink on the table. "You made us sit here for over an hour listening to you go on and on about your hunt and you didn't even kill the thing?!"

"Well, what was I supposed to do: Kill it and jinx the whole of us?"

"Recoom, there is NO such thing as—"

"—If I may…" Berter gestured for Jeice to cease. "Hunting isn't about meaningless slaughter, my friend," he addressed to the Kaijin. "That is known as sporting, and there is no point in that. People from hunting societies realize this, so they only kill out of necessity: food, clothing, and bones to make tools and weapons… It's the same with animals, except they kill for food or to eliminate competition from other species. I guess that explains Beelzebub…"

Jeice and Guldo bowed their heads slightly and thoughtfully. "But if that's the case," the Bas-jin began. "What point is there for him to hunt on Kyokutair if he has all the food, clothing, tools, and weapons he'll ever need right here?"

"I hunt to help my people. The spoils go to them." Recoom responded, his hands clasped. "When we went there that time, I wanted to show you all my village, meet my father, but you all complained so much, I thought it'd be best to just leave."

If they didn't feel bad before, they sure as hell did now. "On our next vacation," said the redman softly. "We'll go to your Kyokutair. All of us. No complaints."

It wasn't exactly an apology, but it was understood. Funny how they could go from a group of friends one minute to cold-blooded killers the next. Ah, Professionalism… They turned their ears to the autoport's whoosh as it opened and stepped through it, their Captain, who seemed startled to find that there were people in the room, and all of them his own men. "Men…" He stepped back.

"Hey, Cap'n," Recoom was the first to greet him, he always was. "How was Rabenda?"

"I… I'm going to report to Freeza…" He started back through the door. "Oh, and Jeice," he looked over his shoulder. "Report to my quarters at 2400 hours. Don't bother wearing your uniform."

And he left, just like that. The silence hung heavily in the air and the Kaijin buried his face in his hands.

He didn't much care being here a second time like this. The first time, he was frightened. This time, he was saddened. It was not a good visit to his Rabenda. He didn't hear the gears of the door permitting him to enter, and he didn't feel his feet as they worked with the floor to provide traction, but did see his master's insincere smile as he met him at about face. It always sent a chill through his body.

"Greetings, Captain Ginyu," came the salutations from the pink tyrant.

"Master." He saluted accordingly. "I've come to report that we are all present and await any orders you may have."

"Such gusto..!" Freeza flicked his tail about. "But there's nothing in the pool that requires your services. Oh, at ease. So, how was Rabenda?"

He couldn't lie to Freeza and get away with it. If it was one thing he hated more than cowardice and cheap wine, it was a liar, never mind that he himself was one. Hypocrite… "Not so good, sir. …My wife… died a few days after I had arrived."

His statement initially shocked Freeza, but he quickly regained his regal air and smiled an empty smile. "My condolences." Just as cold as always, but Ginyu didn't care. He didn't need his condolences, nor did he want them. Still, the Minotaurus bowed and thanked his master, and the master dismissed him.

He didn't want this, he didn't need this, he didn't deserve this. What could he have possibly done to warrant any kind of punishment? Actually, it may not have been something he did, at all; Ginyu was acting a big strange that morning… But then, why would he want him out of uniform? There was only one way to find out. "Captain," called Jeice. "I'm here."

The autoport opened instantly, and made his way in the Kaijin did. It was dark, but thanks to the lights in the corridor, he could make out a partially silhouetted Ginyu, sans shirt and shoes but still with pants, sitting on his bed. Jeice breathed an internal sigh. "Come sit here with me."

Jeice took a seat adjacent to him on the bed. Ginyu hadn't looked at him once. "…My wife died while I was in Rabenda during our vacation."

The Kaijin quirked an eyebrow. "…I'm sorry to hear that, Captain."

"If you were Recoom, maybe I'd believe you."

"………"

"My children and I," He continued. "We sat down to the reading of the will. She wanted the money we'd receive from her insurance to pay off my debts, so I wouldn't have to work anymore… Always thinking of others. That's what I admired about her." He lay back, propping himself up on his elbows. "Our marriage was arranged, but I was happy. I had known her since my childhood. …I wasn't in love with her, but I did love her. I love my children, too, even though I've only seen them for the fourth time since they were born."

Why was he saying all this to him, of all people? He couldn't help feeling that Recoom should be here instead of himself. Not to say that he didn't care about the Captain, too, but it was hard to have positive feelings for someone who treats him as a warrior in public and a callboy behind locked autoports. Ginyu stood and laid his person under the covers. "Lie with me."

The red man complied without complaint. Ginyu shifted to lie on his side, facing Jeice. The Captain reached over and began to pet the younger's beautiful hair. Jeice was visibly uncomfortable by this situation, grateful the lights were off so Ginyu couldn't see. "Don't worry," the Minotaurus whispered. "I'm not going to do anything to you; I just don't want… to be alone… right now."

The Kaijin felt a little tug at his heart. "I wanted to tell you…" The Captain continued. "That is, I want to say……… I won't call for you anymore. Ever. Do you understand?"

He tried not to sound too happy. "Y-Yes, sir."

"All right." And he kissed him, not roughly when he had been taken in previous nights, but gently, almost lovingly, and the Kaijin wondered if Ginyu had ever kissed his wife like that. The Captain turned his body to lie on his back and exhaled deeply. "Good night, Jiizu," he bid him, and closed his eyes.

It was all the smaller man could do to bring himself to snuggle up to him and ease into a dreamless sleep.


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