Chapter Six
Three demi-saiyans watched solemnly as the royal twins landed before them.
Ava and Vegeta exchanged a look only readable to each other: the young already know.
"Where's my dad?" Goten inquired softly.
"Retrieving your brother," Vegeta answered.
Ava only had eyes for her son.
"Is she... dead?" Zarah lowered his eyes, which were rapidly filling with tears.
"No..." Ava touched his hair briefly, "just taken."
"We will get her back," Zarah announced, tears retreating.
"We will, you will not," Ava frowned at him.
"But Mom--"
"I will not risk another child!" Ava bit her tongue, desperately trying to keep a tight hold on her emotions.
"I am sorry, Zarah..." Ava dropped to her knees and opened her arms.
Zarah ran into her welcoming arms.
"I can help. We can do this together," Zarah whispered pleadingly.
Ava's eyes glazed over.
"Probably but we will never know."
She brought her hand down sharply on her son's neck rendering him instantly unconscious. She didn't let him fall. She smoothed a wild spike away from his eyes before narrowing her eyes at the two boys in front of her.
Trunks winced, putting a hand to his neck in memory of Majin Buu.
Goten touched hand to his stomach as he took a step back.
They gasped when they felt Vegeta's hands on either side of their heads.
"Not..." Trunks gasped.
"Again..." Goten finished before their heads collided and they fell into darkness.
In silence Vegeta picked up the two boys and proceeded to enter his home, Ava followed.
They placed the three boys in a spare bedroom to sleep it off comfortably.
"Trunks?" Bulma came around the corner. "Vegeta have you seen Trunks?"
"He's... sleeping," he winced slightly.
"Sleeping?" She blinked, "What's going on Vegeta? The ship you asked for is almost ready but why do you want it?"
"Sasoli has been taken," Ava watched Bulma almost coldly as the human gasped, "We'll explain later."
"Sasoli..." Bulma exclaimed softly as her husband and his sibling marched resolutely down the hallway.
**
"I want to know what's going on, right now!" Chichi fumed.
She was in a living room at Capsule Corp. with her husband, her son, and Videl. Vegeta and Ava sat across from them with a pale looking Bulma.
"Chichi, calm down, we're waiting for 17 and his sister," Goku pleaded.
Chichi glared at him before turning her glare to the only female saiyan in existence. She hadn't forgotten how Ava had tried to steal her precious Goku and she wasn't going to help the bitch if she could help it! Then as if she wasn't bad enough her brother... oh, don't get her started on her brother!
Chichi's eyes narrowed, why wasn't the saiyan acting as if their presence wasn't good enough? Ava's eyes seemed to be glazed over... like she wasn't really aware of her surroundings...
17 stepped into the room with a blond child in his arms.
"18 is on her way," he informed the group.
"Auntie!" The girl squealed, jumping into Ava's arms.
Surprised, she caught the child, silently relishing the feel and weight of her niece.
Chichi frowned, whispering to Gohan, "Isn't that Maron?"
"Yes," he whispered back.
"Maron," Ava acknowledged, tears touched her eyes but for a moment.
Chichi felt the ice around her heart melt, if she hadn't been watching the saiyan so closely then she would have missed the action. Something is very wrong, here...
"Maron, come let's go play with Bra," Bulma reached for the little girl and was surprised when Ava tightened her grasp suddenly.
17 put his hand on Ava's shoulder, silently letting her know that she was not alone.
Ava reluctantly let go of her niece and gave her a gentle push into Bulma's arms. Bulma took her and left.
Chichi watched the scene with wide eyes. No... I have to be wrong...
"17!" 18's voice followed her through the door with an out of breathe Krillin, "What did you do with Maron?"
"She's with Bra," he informed her coolly, he was not in the mood to deal with her.
"Now we can begin," spoke, his voice cut through the building argument. "You are here, Androids, because you are family. You are here, Kakarot and offspring, because, as saiyans, you too are at risk."
The silence in the room was broken when Bulma reentered.
"What did I miss?" She looked at the serious expressions around her.
"Nothing," Ava motioned for the human to sit, "Earlier today I was attacked by an unknown species and Sasoli was taken as bait."
Soft gasps filled the room. Chichi blinked back tears, she had been right. She knew what it was to have a child taken, her Gohan had been stolen twice. Once by Garlic Jr. and then by the green monster Piccolo. In a rare moment Chichi did something she was not known for: She forgave Ava, for everything. Chichi felt admiration seep into her, Ava looked as composed as a queen, though she knew better... Chichi knew Ava must feel as if her soul was being sliced by razor blades.
"As hostage for what?" Gohan inquired sharply, his face hard.
"To lure any and all saiyans into a trap," Vegeta toned in.
Videl put her hands on her stomach, deeply afraid. Goku put a hand on her shoulder.
"This is why we are here so it doesn't happen again," Goku whispered to her comforting his daughter by marriage.
"Where did they take her?" Krillin was frowning as well.
"We are not sure," Ava shook her head.
"So why are we here?" Chichi gestured helplessly.
"To set up base. Ava, 17, and I will go to where planet Vegeta used to reside in order to find Sasoli. Kakarot and the rest will stay behind and protect the base," Vegeta stated, ignoring the protests from the other fighters.
"But Vegeta..." Goku trailed off when the afore mentioned saiyan glared at him.
"He has a point," Gohan put in.
"If the worst should happen our families should be protected by the strongest available warriors! We need someone here! What happens if all of us go? We leave our women and offspring alone, unguarded, and easy pickings for our enemy!" Vegeta snarled, furious at having to explain himself at a time like this.
"Agreed, except I go with you," 18 stood up avoiding Krillin's gaze.
Vegeta looked at her hard in the eyes, as if studying her, before nodding.
"Then it is settled. Four will go and five return," Ava stood up, "until then all those present should stay close to base. We do not want another... incident," she left the room quietly with Bulma and Vegeta in tow.
"Was it me or did she seem really cold about the whole thing?" Videl asked out loud.
"It's just you," 18 frowned at her before leaving the room to find Maron.
Krillin trailed her, he wanted to have a few words with his wife, alone.
17 glared at the girl.
"You have no idea how much this has affected her," he said almost threateningly.
"Hey, cool it," Gohan stepped between them, "Videl, I'll explain saiyan behavior to you later, okay."
Goku and Chichi just watched, surprised at the sudden turn of events.
"What's his excuse? Doesn't look like a saiyan to me," Videl glared at the pale and slim man.
Goku and Chichi winced.
"My excuse?" 17 asked softly, "she is my wife and the child kidnapped is mine. Gohan maybe you should teach her about androids as well, having an ignorant wife is unbecoming to a warrior such as yourself."
Gohan bit back a smile at his wife's gasp of outrage.
"Videl! Calm Down this instant or you will upset the baby!" Chichi stepped forward, Videl sat down with a thump.
Chichi smiled as she turned to the angry android and said in an almost motherly fashion. "17, maybe you should go see if Bulma needs help with the ship or better yet, go check on Ava."
17 nodded and left the room.
"Whew! Thanks Chichi! I thought I was going to have to jump between those two!" Goku exclaimed.
Chichi rolled her eyes.
"Let's go get something to eat," she sighed, as Gohan and Videl started to argue, "it looks like we're going to be here for awhile."
**
"Why?" Krillin demanded.
"Why what?" 18 tossed over her shoulder.
"Why do you suddenly want to join this fight?"
18 stopped in the middle of the hallway.
"If Maron were kidnapped by aliens... would Ava go to rescue her?" 18 asked softly.
Krillin deflated in realization.
"She probably be first in line after your brother," Krillin smiled a small smile, at least for him.
"She accepted me as her sister and it's about time I started acting like one," 18 turned to Krillin, "come."
"I have a feeling they wouldn't let me," Krillin's smile widened slightly, "immediate family only."
"I will be careful," 18 kissed him.
"Yeah, right!" He laughed.
**
17 stormed down the hallway, the nerve of some people! I don't know what Gohan sees in the twit!
17 looked up and saw Ava leaning in the doorway to a room, her back to him. His step slowed as he heard giggling emanating from the room.
Ava had went to the space ship with Bulma to check it out. Bulma launched into an explanation about how everything worked, what buttons to push if this happened, etc. She had slipped away and found herself watching Bra and Maron play. She didn't notice 17 come up behind her.
"Ava?" 17 touched her arm, alarmed when she jumped, "what's wrong?"
She blinked at his sudden appearance.
"Answer me."
"They have blue eyes," she turned to look at him, "do you know why saiyans have the same coloring?"
17 shook his head, not really caring but knowing she needed to explain.
"In battle..." she swallowed when her voice cracked. "If we were to enter into battle with them, we would know instantly if they were struck down.. Their hair alone would act as a beacon as they fell... Warriors would keep one eye on the enemy and one eye on them and if they went down all hope would be lost, the battle over before it even began."
"You don't know that," 17 frowned, she was being too insistent.
"Why do armies wear uniforms then? Saiyans have the same coloring, the same spiky hair, and a tail. In the heat of battle all you see is the enemy's face..."
"What color were his eyes?" 17 asked her shrewdly.
"Green..."
"Then what are you worried about? She had blue..." 17 trailed off when she put her head down.
17 turned his gaze to the room with the small girls. They looked at him with wide blue eyes.
"That was another reason saiyans had the same coloring," Vegeta's voice came to them, "So a person would not know until the battle was over whether or not they had suffered a loss. In many ways the saiyan race was without family yet surrounded by it. Childless mothers found parentless children, a new family born if only for the moment. This is not so on earth, the combination of black hair and blue eyes is hard to find."
Vegeta glanced in the room as well, "The wrong shade of blue but the right shape of face. The right shade of blue but the face too round," Vegeta studied his sister who refused to look at him.
"Vegeta, the ship is ready. All you have to do is put in the coordinates and of we go!" Bulma smiled as she came upon them.
"You are not going," Vegeta narrowed his eyes.
"Oh really! I'll have you know--"
"Bulma! This is not the time!" Vegeta darted his eyes to Ava and after a moments hesitation nodded.
"Well, if you think you're going to leave me than think again, mister! I'll have you know--" Bulma fell into Vegeta's arms unconscious.
Ava lowered her hand.
"We should leave now, go retrieve 18," Ava glanced dismissively at 17.
"We are not finished, Ava," 17 glared before turning on his heel.
The siblings glanced at each other wincing.
"She's going to kill you," Ava smiled looking at the blue head of hair.
Vegeta snorted.
"She will have to wait until we return. He only needs to wait until you're alone." Vegeta put Bulma over his shoulder.
"I know," she sighed, "I want 17 to make the kill."
Vegeta looked at her sharply.
"Are you sure?"
"It is his right," she nodded.
"Your lips are almost healed," Vegeta snagged her chin, turning her face to the light, "and now that I look I realize this kind of wound didn't come from a punch."
Ava glared at her brother, he had always been too observant, she jerked her face away from his hand.
"What else happened before we got there?"
"Think what you want," she turned away from him, "I'll be on the ship."
18 stepped into the hallway and watched Ava stomp away. She had been watching Maron when the whole thing started and had decided to listen instead of join.
"What does it look like?" She asked, concerned.
Vegeta frowned at her before shaking his head slightly.
"Like teeth marks."
18 frowned at the implications.
"But how would she get teeth marks on her lips..."
"Unless..." Vegeta twisted his lips.
"He tried to..." 18 trailed off, not really wanting to finish the sentence.
"He tried to what?" 17's gaze narrowed as he looked from the saiyan to his sister. "Who are you talking about?"
"I need to put Bulma down then I will go to the ship and I suggest you two be there when I get there. We need to leave before the unconscious become conscious." Vegeta remarked sarcastically.
The androids followed the saiyan down the hall where he placed Bulma in a spare bedroom and then to where a waiting space ship lay. They boarded and shut the door before settling into various chairs. Vegeta took the captain's chair while 17 sat between Ava and 18. Vegeta punched in the coordinates.
"Launch activated," the computer announced. "10...9...8..."
"Well, this should be fun," 18 mumbled to herself.
"7...6...5..."
17 glared at her.
"Shut up, 18!"
"4...3..."
Ava's eyes glazed over. She was in a ship but she was not restrained. Deep breathe, another. Calm down, I'm free...I am not a prisoner...
"2..."
Ava clenched her tail tighter around her waist.
"1... Blast off," the ship launched into space briefly squashing the inhabitants to their seats. "The trip shall commence in five days."
"Now what do we do?" 18 lifted an eyebrow.
"We wait," was Vegeta's reply.
**
If only allowed one word to describe Bardock's flight it would be boring.
He still had a day or two until he reached the planet Splavish but until then he could do nothing but sit. So he did what any bored scientist does when enclosed in a small space that contains technology. He took it apart.
Bardock had managed to wedge open the circuit board with a sliver of broken armor on the floor and from there he started to explore. He knew from experience how far he could go without damaging his ship's flight plan. Third class warriors didn't always get the benefits of the upper class, which meant hand-me-down faulty space pods.
This was always somewhat of a guilty pleasure for Bardock since the saiyans valued fighting ability more than technology but still...
"There!" He smiled, he had managed to make a rather crude communicator. "Now to scan for news of saiyans."
Bardock hacked his way into the universe's version of the Internet. He sent out feelers for any and all news of saiyans.
When nothing happened Bardock hacked his way into an alien planet's database. Luckily, for him, the planet was well informed.
"Prince Vegeta escaped the destruction of our planet!" Bardock exclaimed surprised, he had met the prince only briefly to teach him the moon trick.
"With Radditz!" Bardock smiled amazed, both his sons had survived!
Bardock frowned suddenly. There was no mention of a female survivor, but how could that be he saw one in his vision.
Now a bit confused he glanced at the current date.
"That's impossible!" Bardock exclaimed, "According to this I would have been out for over thirty years!"
He looked at the screen deeply and completely shocked. What had gone on while he had slept?
Bardock leaned forward again. He would find out right now what the hell was going on! He started to read records with an expression of growing horror...
End of Chapter Six
AN: Alright people I am out and will not be able to update until next weekend. Sorry! Oh and thank you, Petta, it's nice to know that people will go to bat for you! If I am able then I will update sooner but till then... I'll see ya!