A/N: I don't own DBZ and I don't pretend to. This story is AU so that gives me free range and my characters OOC (out of character). Be warned spelling and grammar mistakes will be found. ALWAYS! Another Warning, this could end up as a Yaoi male/male coupling. If you are homophobe then don't read. No-one is making you. Rated R
Royal Delivery
Chapter 11"What does the letter say, my Lord?"
Vegeta looked down at the letter in his hand as if it contained a lethal weapon, something that could take away the air which he breathes. The King slowly lifted the flap of the envelope and, with a deep breath, started to read.
My Lord,
My heart weighs heavy with the news of my son's failing health. I pray that my news will give him some hope.
We have since found out that my grandsons were on Burles ship. It seems Mirai and another escaped in a space pod few hours ago. We have since retrieved the pod, but no sign of the boy as yet. I have men looking out for them. We still have no word as to the whereabouts of my youngest grandson, Gohan. I will keep you informed when we have further news.
We have an added problem. Zarbon is here on the hunt for them as well. From what I have found out the boys were to be a gift to Frieza. I have taken it upon myself to find the boys, myself.
Your loyal subject
Colonel Bardock
"Zarbon…" The letter slipped through his fingers and floated to the ground like mid autumn leaf. His worry surged to rage. His fist tightened and his breathing pulled at his chest. It hurt. It stung at his soul. He was stuck on the planet while his boys were on another being hunted like animal, his boys. Vegeta was at war with himself he wanted nothing more than to go and find his boys but his places was here in the palaces. He knew he would not stop until his boys were free and then he would hunt and kill those who dare to do this. They won't have a chance in hell of escaping the King Vegeta's wrath.
"I'm sure Colonel Bardock will do everything in his power Sire."
Vegeta was snapped out of his mounting rage by the old man, Artimis, who has being his constant adviser through this whole mess. The man had powers and knowledge and was the only one in whom he could trust. "Sire, it is good that prince Mirai has escaped at least he has chance."
Vegeta was being pulled with his personal feelings. It was starting to affect his work. Being reasonable for the whole of his race was something he had been trained in but it did nothing for his heart. All the walls couldn't stop the hurtful rage building inside of him, the frustration. All he had was the pieces of hope that Bardock gave and the last he had heard of Nappa and Turles whereabouts was they planed to land and meet up with the Colonel.
"Sire, what of your mate Kakarrot? Will you tell him of this?" Artimis asked. He could see the King was lost in thought and being distracted from his work. It was his job to keep the King from losing all sense of realty, for the sake of his people.
Vegeta frowned. It was a battle not to blast something into space. "I promised I would. I will not keep any more secrets from him. Go, I have work to do." He watched the old man leave and turned back to the railings grasping them with both hands. His head hung low and his grip tightened. It wasn't blood he wanted. It was space to breathe. The pain of feeling so useless sliced at his heart. Slowly his head rose. His dark orbs looked up at the midnight night sky. A promise, a vow, a decree. "My boys will come back to me and there will be hell to pay if anyone has hurt them in anyway!"
~~~
"It's been two days since Zarbon had been here pushing anyone and everyone."
"He is scared he knows what will happen if he comes back empty-handed." The gruff voice whispered low as fingers danced over a smooth back.
Yamacha enjoyed his time with his lover. It was becoming difficult to find time to escape to be together alone in his room with only the shadows to hide behind. "I wish he would go. He gives me the creeps."
Bardock smiled at the beauty lying on top of him as he felt Yamacha's fingers making circular patterns on his broad chest sent a shiver of delight through out his heated body. "Shh Koi. He will go. He will find some excuse, blame someone else for the loss of the boys. We just have to pray we find them first."
"We will. I feel it."
"It had better be soon. Mirai is no closer to being found and I know nothing of the young cub's whereabouts." Bardock's black inks gazed up at the ceiling thinking of the day's work and what little they have come up with about the whereabouts of his grandchildren.
"We will find them." Yamacha purred as he leant down. Soft lips met in a gentle touch. A brush at first, dark pools locked with the same heated passion and then the fire and frustration of the days was released. His older lover, Bardock, was a powerfully passionate man. With one quick shift Yamacha found himself pinned against the sheets and on top of him his lover's weight and rippling muscles in a dance for control capturing a willing mouth, tongues roamed in a battle of their own in a game of dominance.
The heated battle danced into the early hours of the morning. The sun rose seeing Yamacha sleeping peacefully on his side with a single sheet covering him. Bardock leaned over and gently brushed a kiss on his cheek before rolling off and heading for the shower. He was to meet his son for the first time in months and he wanted to be out there early. He wanted to see if there was any more news of his grandsons' whereabouts, leaving his lover to rest some more before he woke him to say good bye.
~~~
In one of the many back alleys, two boys crammed themselves among the rubbish, hidden from prying eyes and protected from the weather. Mirai, who was leaning up against the wall with his legs crossed, downed some food with his friend sitting next to him doing the same thing.
"Hmmm that was good. I can't believe I did that." Mirai chuckled at his own surprise. He had taken a handful of food from a merchant as she set up shop. Stealing enough for him and his friend as he sped off with the sound of yelling and footfalls trailing him he managed to dodge in and out of streets and people to get back to his injured friend.
"You can eat anything when you're hungry. You were great. I bet that was the first time you stole." Ursus said with mouth full of food.
"Well yes. It's not like we have to back home, and if my fathers ever caught us doing anything like this we wouldn't be able to sit for a week." Mirai chuckled again. It was good to eat again.
"Huh I'm glad I don't have to worry about that." Ursus looked ahead, at nothing in particular as his mind planned out his next tactic. "I have being thinking we should stay here for a little while longer. I can't go too far on my leg. We have shelter and we can get food." The older boy pointed to the walls of the crate surrounding them.
Mirai's blues looked in the cramped shelter that they came across yesterday after spending a night in the cold. "I agree. I can't leave you. Those men are everywhere out there."
"Thanks. I know you are worried about your brother." Ursus wasn't one for speaking his feelings but he knew Mirai was very worried. In his dreams his friend would wake up calling his brother's name and when questioned he would say he just saw large hands and then a chilling scream that went straight through him. It sounded so much like his brother, like he was screaming for him to come and help him.
"I wish I knew." Mirai whispered with his hand holding the half eaten bread only to have it drop in his lap.
Ursus could see the pain. "Hey if he is like you, a fighter, he will survive. You wait and see. I'm sure you will be back before you know it."
"I hope you are right Ursus, I really do."
~~~
"Come on son eat. You need food. Come on its good, look." Krillin took a small bite of the food he bought for the boy. He was worried the kid had hardly uttered a word and was refusing to eat. All he would do was keep a sharp eye on him, watching everything he did. Krillin could tell the boy was studying him, taking in everything about him. His movements, his words but there was no trust there, nothing to say there was.
They had escaped to an abandoned building not far from the centre of the city. He had been keeping low with Zarbon's men out there hunting down the lost cubs. He had worked it out. The boy must be the one they were in search of. He couldn't see what the fuss was about. The boy looked like most of his kind, maybe it was for his handsome looks. They must think they could get plenty money for him as pleasure slave. Krillin cringed. There was no way he would allow that to happen not to the boy not again.
Krillin had been trying to bandage his tail but the kid would back away every time. "Hey how about I just leave it with you and if you're hungry you don't have to ask you can just take it. You know if you tell me your name I could try and find your folks. I bet they're really worried about you."
Gohan listened to him with his eyes watching the food in the man's hands. He was so hungry he wanted to take what was offered to him. But what if it was a trick? Was the man after something else from him? His mind would haunt him with every detail that could happen. He watched the food be placed in front of him on the bed where the man had placed him hours ago. Dark eyes darting back to the man that now took a few steps back from the bed. Very slowly, cautiously, Gohan reached out with eyes fixed never leaving the man. He winced in pain as he moved from where he has been huddled in the corner with a pillow close to him as if it brought him some comfort as a wall between him and others. Slowly he reached out and dragged it back as if it weight tone.
A smirk slipped on the man's face as he watched the young cub take a bite in to his food. "You like?"
Gohan looked up with out stopping feeding his hunger. His dark pools looked up with his mouth full off food he nodded a thank you causing an instant smile to slip on the man's face. "You're doing just great son." Gohan's eyes still smoked with mistrust but now there was a shimmer of hope as he finished his meal with the stranger opposite him.
~~~
Time has been cruel. It has being a frustrating year and still no real news Zarbon had left some months ago but had left some men to search while he went back to take the wrath of his master. Bardock and his son, Turles, were out every day frustrated and drained of hope with Nappa ready to go on the rampage. Burles has escaped and Nappa was taking it out on most anything alive.
Just as now, Turles was holding his friend back from pounding his fist into another loud mouth that had got on the burly Saiyan's bad side with a remark about his oversized body and undersized brain. "Enough!" Bardock stepped in pulling the large Saiyan back from the crowd before there was any trouble.
Turles pushed his big lug of friend in front of him with his father moving on ahead. "What's with you? He was complimenting you." Turles smirked as a low growl came from his friend. They walked ahead scouring the same streets for any sign of Zarbon's men when they approached a group of men grumbling out loud about a boy they had all come across. Their ears caught some of the argument about a lavender hair boy.
Bardock stopped dead in his tracks with the other two behind him doing the same. Their mood changed just as fast as the air around them became serious. He turned and looked over his shoulder signalling to the others to stay quiet. They nodded their heads and all three sets of sharp dark pools turned to the merchant.
They listed as the man spoke about a boy that has escaped from the auctioneers men in a place not too far. Bardock realised it was not far from where they found the pod. The merchant spoke about the boy escaping the guards once again giving one a bloody nose as he did. The man kept talking not aware of the interest his story had sparked with three men at the back of the crowd.
The merchant went on about the lavender boy and about another, a lame boy, on the run stealing off merchants and how the little bastard had stolen a good blanket from him one day. As they listened to the man he went on that the boy was too quick to catch and he was light with his fingers and feet always one step ahead of authorities with a mouth on him that would make his mother blush.
Nappa raised a brow and looked over a Turles who had smirk on his face. Bardock listened to every detail about the boy soaking up the information. "My word that is one feral kid. There's no way in hell they are going to catch that brat."
They watched the man walk off still mumbling about the boy. "Make his mother blush?" Nappa was lost it didn't sound like the prince he knew but it's been months. Anything could have happened. He couldn't see the prince doing any of that. But beside him Turles was smirking at the thought. He wouldn't put it passed the kid. He was a quick learner and with being on the streets for so long he would have picked up a lot.
He looked over at his father, the Colonel, who had being quiet the whole time. "It has to be Mirai. Quick we leave tonight." Bardock said with a new bounce of energy to him with the other two Saiyanjins at his side, they headed back to the tavern to pack. This was the first real hope they had had since they came to this god forsaken place. He would send word to his King before he left his lover here in the heart of the city and hopefully by the morning they would have great news to send to his ill son back home.
"Its Mirai, it has to be."
TBC…
A/N: Now we're getting somewhere.
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