Orphaned Chapter 9

Disclaimer- I don't own any of the characters, thanks for asking

Note- Yes, it took long, and no, I don't expect anyone to still be reading it. A great big huge thank you to Gohan's Imoto . If she hadn't emailed me I prolly would never had gotten around to this. See what a help emails are *hint nudge wink*. Well, I suppose it's a good idea to do a recap…yes definitely.

Last time- Kami showed Tien, Krillin, and Piccolo a disturbed universe, explaining that something was interfering with the normal order of things. The he sent them off to find the dragon balls. Radditz has Gohan with him and they're zooming about space…that's about it.

*****

The hyper-sleep function had finally kicked in. Apparently, when Radditz had landed, that particular drive had been damaged. Radditz, who did not like delays, welcomed the rest, but Gohan fought it. He didn't understand this concept of artificial sleep and didn't appreciate it. As he struggled to stay awake amidst fumes designed to knock out an adult Saiyan, his mind danced over a million ideas. In the first place, all of the stories ever told to him about hostages flew back. Innocents drugged then dragged off for ransom seemed to be a recurring theme. Would his uncle hold him for ransom? Who would pay it? How could they ever pay with him out in space? Did they know he was gone, these friends of his father? Did they care? As the flight continued, Gohan's thoughts grew increasingly irrational. But that did not was not significant. In a matter of seconds, he was asleep, snoring gently in his uncle's arms.

*****

Everything was dark and peculiarly dizzying. There was a bright light ahead in the darkness and Gohan ran towards it. A figure at the end of the tunnel (which did not get longer and longer) caught him up in his arms and enveloped the child with a warm, golden aura.

"Daddy?" Gohan felt rather than saw his father smile.

"Gohan." He said affectionately. Then his tone grew serious. "Be brave, my son. Your mother and I love you. Never forget that. Never forget who you are."

*****

Radditz looked out the window of the pod. Soldiers were exiting the main building to meet him. These were former recruits of Freeza's army, but they now pledged complete loyalty to Vegeta. The Prince was a charismatic leader, and Radditz admired him. He had painstakingly gone to each of this small army individually and in private, swaying them to his cause. He picked the ones who complained or, according to his theory, had had their home worlds destroyed by Freeza.

Now there was a subject Radditz was divided on. According to Vegeta, Freeza had blown up Vegeta-sei, not a bunch of meteors. Why would he do that though? He'd had the entire race of Saiyans as his slaves, Radditz reflected bitterly, and he blew them all to Hell. He was afraid, Vegeta said, but Radditz had his doubts. It didn't matter though. He wouldn't argue further with his Prince.

The pod touched down at the base and Radditz exited, the still-sleeping Gohan under his arm. He entered a sort of antechamber and the door hissed shut behind him. The soldiers were waiting outside, ready to attack if he wasn't who he looked like. A panel to the left told him that the computer 'thought' there was only one life-form in the room; the boy's chi wasn't even high enough to register. Radditz frowned. He knew better, but Vegeta didn't. If the kid didn't perk up, he'd be facing a rather perturbed prince.

The chamber door slid open, revealing a narrow hallway. Doors lined the sides: barracks. The soldiers slept here; the more important you were, the closer to the center of the base you lived. Vegeta's room was directly in the center with Nappa's and Radditz's flanking it. He made his way in that direction.

His room consisted of a bed and a desk. On the desk was a small rectangular shaped box. Radditz set Gohan down on the bed and plugged his scouter into the box by way of a short cable. Stats ran across his eyepiece; Vegeta had set out for another planet of Freeza's choosing with two new recruits. The two new ones would 'die' on this mission and come to live at Labyrinth. Radditz frowned again. He needed to report to Freeza before the lizard got suspicious. He himself had been out on a very simple purging mission for the tyrant and finished it quickly. Then he'd gone on that fateful recon mission for Vegeta. That had not ended well. He foresaw trouble convincing the Prince of the child's power. He himself had no idea what had happened on Earth: much as he hated to admit it, he should have died there. He shrugged and unplugged the scouter. He had survived and ultimately, that was all the mattered. Radditz stepped out of the utilitarian room and hailed a passing recruit, who regarded him with near reverence.

"You're in charge of the kid in there." He jabbed a thumb at the closed door. "Let him explore if he gets curious, but watch him at all times. He's very important."

"Sir!" The recruit saluted. Radditz made his way to the liftoff/landing sites and got in a pod. All were identical, having been stolen from Freeza. He set the coordinates for said tyrant's base and took off.

*****

"What could make it malfunction like this?" Bulma wondered aloud. She was starting to get worried. She had the utmost confidence in her capabilities, but the thing just wasn't working. And if it didn't work, they wouldn't find the dragon balls. And if they didn't find the dragon balls, she couldn't wish Yamcha back. Yamcha…the thought of him made Bulma attack her work with renewed fervor. He'd been a desert bandit for some years- what if that kept him out of Heaven? No, she wanted him back on Earth no matter what. She doubted she'd ever love anyone else. Would that make her a widow? She might as well enter a convent. Bulma shuddered and continued, only to be interrupted by the gentle hum of an aircar settling on her front lawn. She set aside the radar to see who it was.

"Kami sent me to tell you and the gang to come up to his tower." Yajirobe said, not bothering to get out.

"Again? Why?" He shrugged.

"I'm just the messenger." And the aircar took off. Bulma went back inside and picked up the phone, wondering why she'd been invited to this particular meeting.

*****

Kami watched the small group approach his tower yet again. His news this time was no better than it had been mere hours ago, but it was much more important.

The air car Bulma was piloting landed and what was left of the Z senshi climbed out. Krillin could tell by the look on Kami's face that the news was not good. He wondered if a few of the planets had collided.

"I spoke to Goku." Nobody was expecting that. "He has been watching Earth from the other realm- which means he can see things that we don't." Kami's face twisted oddly. "He saw…" He was speaking slowly now, as though every word was a wrench. "He saw one of the dragon balls get destroyed." The guardian held up one long-nailed hand against everyone's exclamations. "Goku also has spoken to the North Kai, one of the leaders of the other world. The North Kai was watching with Goku when it happened. Now, the dragon balls have a mystical energy that your radar locks on to, Bulma. This power is very great; each ball contains one seventh of the Eternal Dragon's power. Thus, it cannot be destroyed. It can, however, be transferred."

***

the end. Of this part at least. Toodles till next time

~ Mystic G