A/N: Just how long has it been since I last updated? …lost count… In return for your patience, here is the next chappie. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: Not my property. You know the drill.
Arrival
It seemed like an eternity had gone by by the time she reopened her eyes. What happened? In alarmed alertness, she recalled the previous events… Grandpa, where are you? 'He's dead,' a cold voice responded in her head, and a chill crept down her back, 'and it's all your fault.' Pan's head snapped upwards and stared motionlessly through the circular window into the never-ending darkness. Occasionally a glow would emit in the distance, replenishing her of hope. Then, as suddenly as it appeared, it'll disappear, once again filling her with despair. 'I'm being kidnapped to some part in the universe!' she panicked frantically. Then a realization hit hard. 'I'll probably never see my family and friends again. Goodbye, Earth and everyone on it. Sorry Grandpa. I should have listened to you. I am sincerely sorry! Please forgive me…' With that, she burst into fresh tears. Her life is over, and she is spending her last moments alone…all alone in an alien space pod floating in space…
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There was no denying the amount of blood loss. He could smell it with every difficult intake of oxygen, could taste the coppery flavour on his lips. As he fought desperately for life, Goku felt a sudden jolt, and was hurled violently to another side of the tiny pod. Coughing up more blood, he realized that his space travel had come to an end. Finally, after the long, excruciating journey of agony and worry, he'd reached this destination. It's not necessarily a good thing though. Who knows how far his is away from home, or what the saiyans' intentions are? And where is Pan anyway? He'd sworn to protect her with his life, yet he is too exhausted for his brain to work properly. This can't be good.
Goku could feel a thick, black blanket of fog threatening to overtake him. How nice it would be to give in and be lured into the world of unconsciousness, painless and worry free. But he can't, for it could mean his, and Pan's, doom. However, it did consume him in the end. The last thing he remembered before giving in to the comforting darkness was being thrown into a tank and surrounded by a warm fluid.
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It landed. The space pod landed! Maybe I won't die floating in space afterall, Pan mused. Right…so what happens now? In fact, how in the universe is she going to get out of this thing? As if in answer to her panicked thoughts, the door opened, and she came face to face with more panic. It's Bardock, her supposing Great-grandfather. Sure…so much for family relations. You don't see him sparing anybody, not even his own son.
"Follow me," the rigid voice demanded quietly. Pan consented, and examined her surroundings as she clambered out of the cramped space pod. There's not much, to say the least. Just a lot of empty spaces. There's the planet's crust, which she is standing on, and not far in the distance is a castle-sized building of some sort. Very…alienish, Pan observed. Still, she's just plain thankful that there is oxygen in the atmosphere.
Pan tagged along behind the tall saiyan, and stared at his back. He sure looked a whole lot like Grandpa. Unfortunately, she learned the hard way that appearance can be deceiving. She wanted to scream at the man for watching on in satisfaction as his own son got killed, but she was suddenly overcome with fear. Fear for her near future, and how her family on Earth would react upon the disappearance of Grandpa and her.
At first glance, this planet seemed so isolated, and big. But after a relatively short walk, she'd already followed Bardock through the heavy double doors of the castle. It was quite a luxurious place. Wide, extensive hallways stretch on and on with guards lining the walls about two metres apart. And was it ever clean. Not a single thing was out of place, although there was a lack of decorations…
Pan trailed behind Bardock through twists, turns, and intersections. Where the heck is he leading her to? But finally, he halted in front of a door, which opened in a "Y" shape…and she couldn't believe her eyes as the narrow opening revealed a rejuvenation tank, with someone very familiar in it. Grandpa Goku…
Pan began to run forward, but Bardock's rough hand grasped her by the shoulder. "A saiyan needs peace and quiet to heal quickly. Leave him alone," he warned firmly. Pan's head nodded subconsciously. Goku's alive…he's alive… And as long as he's alive, there is still hope for the both of them.
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She waited, and waited, feebly eyeing the solitary figure resting inside the circular tank. 'What's taking so long?' Pan wondered. 'If they are sincerely trying to heal him, why not just hurry it up? They've got the technology.' Slowly she sank to her knees. It looked like a long wait, and she might as well make the best of it, by planning their escape.
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It's dark. That was Goku's first thought as he slowly regained consciousness. He racked his brain for memories of previous events, and came face to face with a huge zero. Whatever happened must have been big, since he couldn't feel more unlike himself. Goku's entire body ached; even his head throbbed. Too tired to let another thought pass through his head, he relaxed, practically falling asleep.
It's bright. So bright, in fact, that his eyes hurt. Goku squinted his eyes and looked around. It was bizarre. Everything's taken on a greenish hue, and the shapes of things looked wavy…hazy…as though he was watching from inside a sphere. Goku almost gagged when realization struck him like a bell. He is inside a sphere! Why, he's sitting in a tank of greenish fluid with saiyan healing properties. He remembered Vegeta saying something like that once.
Vegeta…who…? The saiyan grew dizzy as the name swam through his head of distorted memories, trying to match up with a face. Bingo. Vegeta: the saiyan prince with that classic smirk, unreadable eyes, and of course, the flame-shaped hair-do. But what about Vegeta? Oh yes, he got captured… Goku flailed his arms about involuntarily, almost falling backwards, as more realization struck him. Alarming yes, but also more clear and precise than the last. Before he could organize those thoughts, the coloured solution drained out of the tank in a split second's time, and Goku found himself hitting the tank's bottom in an unnatural sitting position, dazed. His clothes, with a large hole in the abdomen, were soaked through. Though his skin felt similar, he was also quite aware of the cold chill that now surrounds him from head to toe. He shivered.
The door to the rejuvenation tank opened, and a man in a white lab coat walked up to him, removed the oxygen tank and two tabs on his temples, and stepped back. Goku climbed out cautiously, unsure of what to expect. By this time he'd regained his memory, and finally remembered what he's up against. He figured that he's on the saiyans' home base planet. Lifting his eyes up from the floor, Goku met Pan's worried gaze, and smiled reassuringly.
Goku's smile faded away when Radditz entered the room, and smirked. "So you did pull through, dear brother. I'm glad you're worthy, or all our efforts to track you down would have been a waste of time." When Goku kept his mouth shut, unable to think of something wise to reply, Radditz continued. "I'm guessing you have questions seeking answers. I assure you that they will all be answered in time. For now, just follow me."
Without hesitation, Goku followed. He was extremely glad to depart the medical lab where all the needles and that horrible sterile scent are. Pan tagged along behind her grandpa.
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They are walking on ramps slanting downwards that lead directly to…the dungeon. Pan gulped. First abducted by aliens, now locked up in their dungeons for who knows how long! She stole a sideways glance at her grandpa. Protest was written across his face, and he appeared to be working hard to clamp his mouth shut. Why is he so hesitant to speak? She did not have long to ponder, for the next thing she knew, she was being lifted off the floor and thrown into one of the jail cells. Hitting the cold, hard stonewall, Pan realized with a jolt how much the temperature has dropped. Climbing back into a sitting position, she saw Goku running towards her. She opened her mouth to tell him to halt, but was one moment too late. The gate latched close, and the two are locked behind bars.
"Fool…" Radditz muttered, shaking his head. Giving a final smirk at the two, he turned on his heels and left.
Watching her brother's retreating back, Goku's anger burned and his energy level skyrocketed. Fortunately, the fire was contained. It was a skill Goku had deemed vital since he was a young boy.
Pan stared after the departing figure. "What now?" she wondered aloud. She received no response, considering Goku could only conjure one reply, and he doesn't want to hear it said out loud.
Only time will tell.
A/N: So I extended the chapter. The extension is supposed to be chapter 9, but it's just as short as the previous chapter 8. Now it's longer! Review please.