Tangun looked down peacefully at the ashes in his hand as he sat outside Capsule Corps. He heard footsteps coming towards him, and smiled.
"Is it Goku?"
"Yeah." The saiyan grinned, and sat down beside him.
"I recognised your energy."
"Hey, what's that you got there?" Goku asked.
"My brother – I have to take him home with me to bury him properly."
"Even after he tried to kill you?"
"But… that wasn't his fault." Tangun said. "He was a hive baby, after all. I pity him…" he closed his hand. "He deserves a burial."
"Uh… hive baby?" Goku sweat dropped.
"Right, I should explain." Tangun chuckled. "Alright," he stood up. "Are the others inside?"
"Yeah." Goku also stood. "Everyone's okay… thanks Tangun. I don't know what we would've done if you hadn't turned up when you did."
"It's just in my nature. People babies are like that." Tangun walked past him and into the building, to answer all their questions and finally explain what was going on between him and his brother.
---
"Tangun, I don't get it!" Bra frowned. "If you wanted to stop Tomakoto all along, why did you act like you wanted to hurt Saiyamo and me?"
"You should probably ignore that y'know." Tangun replied sheepishly. "I kidnapped you because I didn't know where my brother was so I thought you'd be safer with me – and I know I seemed a little crazy… I didn't mean any harm, honest."
"Um… but Tangun," Mizu looked at him. "If Tomakoto was your brother, why did you want to stop him anyway?"
"Yeah that is kind of weird." Bulma admitted.
"Tomakoto… isn't totally my brother." Tangun answered. "We're only half brothers – we share the same father but our mothers were different." he moved into a more comfortable position in his seat. "Listen… it's sort of a long story, so you'd better listen well."
"Just get on with it!" Vegeta snarled impatiently.
"For once I agree." Frieza mumbled.
"Very well." Tangun nodded. "I suppose it starts with my father – Mokoto – and Lakuna. General Lakuna is the head of the Quanakan army – that's my race, Quanakan. She was my father's wife and incidentally, Tomakoto's mother."
"She's the queen of your race then." Goten said. "I mean – if Mokoto was king –"
"No." Tangun shook his head. "You see, our race can only have kings – well, of course if there are absolutely no male relatives around then we have a queen, but often kings. When my father died, Tomakoto became king. And as soon as I get back to my home planet, I will be made king."
"I see…"
"Tomakoto is a little older than me. When he was five years old, my father impregnated my mother Miama, a servant working for him. He also became engaged to her."
"Engaged?" Lavender frowned in confusion. "So… did he divorce Lakuna?"
"No." Tangun shook his head. "On my home planet, it is common for a man to have many wives. My father himself – he had seven step-mothers, and twelve older sisters from these women."
"O.O Wha?!"
"For Quanakans, if we have more than one child, it is common to raise them in different ways. The first born is usually a hive baby – especially if one of the parents was one themselves. And the second child, a people baby. This was just how it was for Tomakoto and myself."
"Just like you keep saying…" Frieza glared at him. "But would you mind actually TELLING us just what in the universe a hive baby is?!"
"Be patient, I was about to!" Tangun protested. He sighed. "Okay… a hive baby. Basically, our planet consists of a huge building called "The Hive". It is here that we hold our prisoners, here where babies are born, here where all the major scientific research is done, here where the royal army is based and here where the king and his family lives. It is also here where hive babies are raised." Tangun looked at his audience. "Listen – what I'm about to say will probably sound rather horrific and I wouldn't be surprised if it disgusted some of you, because even I don't like it all that much. But you have to understand, this is how it has been since the day my race were formed."
"Just tell us already!" Trunks ordered impatiently.
"Okay." Tangun nodded. "When a baby is born, its parents then decide whether to take it home to turn it into a people baby, or leave it in the hive to become a hive baby. Usually this is a decision which is discussed months before the baby is born, because if you decide to make your child a hive baby – well, let's just say if you haven't made the right decision then you will seriously regret it. Hive babies… they're machines."
"Machines…?" Lavender looked at him.
"Yes. Brainwashed."
"What are you talking about?" Frieza frowned. "Brainwashed by who?"
"The hive." Tangun said. "If you choose to make your child a hive baby, it stays in the hive. You go home without it, and that's it for many years. The baby is raised in the hive by people who were hive babies themselves – and only the most ruthless people are hired to raise the child." He began. "From the moment it is put in the hive the baby is destined to become no more that a cold-hearted killing machine. It is fed on nothing but poor rations and even poison; it is beaten, insulted and attacked – all to build hatred and anger within the child's heart. Not once is the child allowed any contact with the outside world, and not once is it shown a single sign of emotions such as love, trust, peace and friendship. The child is never even taught that such things exist – and not a single hive baby is ever taught right from wrong. They have no concept of it. All they know is fear, pain, anger and hatred. All they are ever taught is how to fight – trained to kill millions upon millions of people and not even feel a thing for them. They have no ability to make friends or love anyone, all they know is to follow orders and kill meaninglessly at their teacher's command. They are taught to obey their parents – the only people that are truly safe from them."
"No way…"
"The child is usually in the hive for around seventeen years or so." Tangun continued. "But of course, depending on the child, that time could be extended or decreased. Tomakoto came out of the hive when he was sixteen, and my father, fourteen." He said. "When the child comes out of the hive it is returned to its parents – and that is the first time is ever comes into contact with the world outside of the hive. There have been a few cases of hive babies being driven mad because of it, going insane because they are suddenly learning new emotions and ways of life that they were never taught of in the hive – of course, if the baby is raised correctly, these new emotions won't ever be discovered, and the new ways of life will soon be adapted to. Hive babies live to kill, and from leaving the hive they go home only to join the army and serve their king as ruthless sadistic warriors that are nothing more than mindless killing machines." He raised his eyes to look at the others. "… That was my brother's life. Be loyal only to your parents, for they are your God. Avenge them if they are killed even if it means dying yourself, and let nothing get in your way. Love isn't a word in your dictionary." The last sentence was cold and evil, and Tangun's face seemed to darken as he said it.
"…" Lavender sat there, visibly shaken and disturbed by what she had just been told. "And… people do that? Their children…"
"Yes." Tangun nodded. "Quanakan first-borns are usually hive babies – to ensure the protection of the parents and to create a strong warrior for the planet. Then, if a second child is born, it is usually a people baby."
"And a people baby, I guess…"
"Is free." Tangun smiled. "We are not brainwashed. When we are born we return home with our parents, and are raised as normal children who know right from wrong and have love and trust in our hearts. People babies are usually the ones going to school and getting a good job as a craftsman, a doctor, a nurse, a scientist or any other career which doesn't involve fighting. The army tends to be made up of hive babies." He said. "Lakuna, my father and Tomakoto were all hive babies, but my mother and I – we're people babies."
"So that's why you wanted to stop him." Goku began. "Because you knew that what your brother was doing was wrong."
"Yes." Tangun nodded. "Goku… I loved my brother, and I loved my father. I know they couldn't help the way they were, and I don't blame them at all for it. But… it's exactly because I love them that I knew I had to stop Tomakoto. You all ended my father's reign of terror and I'm grateful – but you couldn't end Tomakoto's so I had to do it. I couldn't stand letting him live like that. Killing so many innocent people because it was all he knew… never allowing himself to become close to anyone because it was the only thing he was ever told was wrong. Someone like that… they want to die They want it all to end. The pain, the loneliness, the killing… they think it is so wonderful, but deep down there is a part of them that knows it must end. And unless that person is stopped by someone else… they will experience great pain and suffering when they realise themselves that they must end it and there's no-one left to help them."
"That's disgusting!" Lavender clamped her hands over her mouth and left the room.
"Lavender?" Mizu was surprised at her daughter.
"Mommy!" Saiyamo gasped. She looked at Frieza. "Grandpa, is she okay?"
"Huh?!" Frieza almost choked when she addressed his as grandpa. "Uh - -" he frowned, and stood up. "Wait here!" he hissed, and went after her.
Tangun looked at Saiyamo.
"Hey, who's your father anyway?"
"Um…" Saiyamo went quiet. Trunks froze, and glanced at Vegeta, who was also staring at the girl with extreme curiosity. Yes, Trunks knew. Lavender told him. He had partly figured it out anyway, and now felt kind of guilty and ashamed that he'd thought Lavender had cheated on him. Nobody else knew, though… but Vegeta was certainly more curious than Trunks would have expected. Did he suspect something…?
"Shit!" Trunks thought. "Listen kid, don't breath a word, okay?"
"I… I don't know." Saiyamo said. Trunks let out a silent sigh of relief.
"You don't know?!" Mizu's eyes widened. Just what had Lavender been up to?! "I… see." Tangun mumbled. "Well, I need to find my brother's ship, I have to take it back home with me." He stood up. "See you later, right?"
"See ya, Tangun!" Goku waved. Tangun left the building.
"Seriously, Saiyamo?" Mizu stared at the girl. "You really don't know who he is?! Does your mother?"
"Um – no." Saiyamo answered. Mizu's eyes widened.
"No?!"
"Tch." Vegeta uttered in disgust. "So the little slut's been all over the universe, then."
"Vegeta!" Bulma frowned.
"What kind of race are you, anyway?" Goten looked at Saiyamo. "You look like a human."
"You get your blue eyes off me, I guess." Mizu smiled. "But where does that blonde hair come from?"
"Um… I don't know." Saiyamo's eyes were on the floor. "Does it matter?" she moved her tail closer against her back so it would seem less obvious under her dress.
"Hey!" Goku's eyes widened. "Saiyamo – there's something moving under your dress!"
"And you noticed?!" Trunks protested in an attempt to draw the attention away from Saiyamo. "What are you, some kind of paedophile?!"
"What?!" Goku frowned. "Of course I'm not, I can't believe you just said that Trunks!"
"Saiyamo, you have a changeling tail?" Mizu smiled.
"Um – yeah." Saiyamo nodded. "That's right!"
"Can we see it?"
"Uh… no." Saiyamo pulled her knees into her chest.
"Shit…" Trunks thought nervously. "Come on you moron, think of something!"
"How would a lizard tail fit under that dress?" Vegeta frowned. "Those things aren't even capable of bending properly and they're so thick you can't do anything at all with them!"
"Who cares?!" Trunks insisted. "Come on, it's just Lavender's daughter after all!"
"Yeah, and there's something wrong with her." Vegeta argued. He looked at Saiyamo. "What's up with you?!"
"Nothing!"
"Saiyamo, don't you have a changeling tail?" Mizu asked.
"Of course I do!" Saiyamo jumped up, and as she did so, her furry brown saiyan tail just about managed to hang down and reveal itself to everyone in the room. "I have a perfectly normal changeling tail!"
"Then…" Vegeta could hardly keep himself from exploding with rage the second he saw the tail. "Would you mind telling us all what the HELL THAT IS?!"
"Huh?" Saiyamo looked down. "… Oops."
---
"And I thought you could be a monster." Lavender chuckled. "But anyone who'd put their child through that – Tangun's race are disgusting!"
"A monster?" Frieza gasped. "Now why would you think that?"
"Nothing." Lavender smiled. "I know you love me, dad."
"But…" Frieza folded his arms and looked at her. "You still haven't told me who the father of your child is."
"Oh yeah…" Lavender mumbled. "Heh heh… well, you see dad…"
"FRIEZA!" Vegeta stormed in, his face filled with fury. "You - -" he saw Lavender. "You WHORE!"
"Dad!" Trunks burst in after him. "What the fuck's the matter with you?!"
"The matter with me?!" Vegeta snarled at him. "Oh, you know what's the matter with me!"
"Mommy!" Saiyamo ran over to Lavender and clung onto her tight. "I'm sorry mommy, I never told anybody! He saw my tail!"
"Your tail?" Frieza frowned, and looked down. His eyes widened. "Is that…?"
"A saiyan tail? YES!" Vegeta roared. "Your cheap slut of a daughter just couldn't wait to get into my son's bed!"
"Slut?!" Frieza repeated with fury. "Oh right of course, because no precious son of yours would RAPE a fifteen-year-old girl!"
"Rape her?!"
"Well of course he did!" Frieza growled. "Listen Vegeta, your son may have no sense of loyalty and principle but my daughter would never in a million years so much as LOOK at your flea-eating money freak!"
"Um… dad…"
"Quiet, Lavender!" Frieza glanced at her. "You should have told me instead of running away. He raped you, that wasn't your fault."
"He didn't rape me, dad!" Lavender protested.
"And dad Lavender did NOT take advantage of me! In fact I wanted it!" Trunks snarled.
"Wh – WHAT?!" Frieza and Vegeta froze in utter disbelief at what they had said.
"Trunks, what are you talking about?!" Vegeta growled.
"Exactly what I said."
"Lavender –"
"Dad…" Lavender looked at Frieza. "That's why I ran away. Trunks didn't rape me… I fell in love with him and I chose to have sex with him! But I knew you wouldn't understand that so –"
"You WHAT?!" Frieza practically exploded. "After everything the saiyans have done, after you KNEW how I felt about them you still thought it was fine to run off with this half-breed monkey?!"
"Dad, I never wanted –"
"To what?!" Frieza snapped. "Hurt me, betray me, go against everything I ever stood for?!"
"Frieza!" Mizu ran in. "This is exactly why she didn't come home, she knew you would act like this!"
"You mean you're on her side?!"
"I'm on nobody's 'side', Frieza!" Mizu protested. "I just don't want our only daughter to feel like she can't even face her own father!"
"Trunks, how could you do this?!" Vegeta demanded. "Do you know who she is?! Her father single-handedly destroyed our entire planet! He murdered my father – your grandfather, he enslaved me for twenty –"
"I know all that!" Trunks argued. "Listen it's not like I did it just to spite you, this has absolutely nothing to do with her father or your father or ANYBODY except us!"
"You won't get away with this." Frieza pushed Mizu away from him as he glared at Trunks. "I'll kill you right now!"
"Frieza, don't!" Mizu screamed.
"Fine then!" Trunks challenged. "So come on, do it!" he turned super saiyan. "What, am I supposed to beg for my life or something?"
"Trunks, quit it!" Lavender ordered.
"No." Trunks refused, not taking his eyes off Frieza. "He wants to kill me Lavender, then let him do it. I mean, if he feels that getting his own way and controlling people is more important than his own daughter –"
"How dare you!" Frieza hissed.
"Well?" Trunks looked at him. "Is it?"
"I –"
"Listen, this is solving nothing!" Lavender frowned. She looked at Trunks. "Trunks… I love you, okay? But I have to listen to my father."
"Wh – what?!"
"When I left I didn't think I needed anybody but myself… but I was wrong."
Lavender said. "Dad and I have been close ever since I was a baby, he's always been the one I turned to when I needed help and he taught me almost everything I know. He's always been my best friend, and I still need him."
"But you –"
"Please." Lavender silenced him. "We'll all stay here tonight, okay? But in the morning… I'm going home with me dad."
"Hm." Frieza smirked triumphantly at Trunks, and put his arm around Lavender. "You're a good girl." He kissed her cheek. Lavender smiled at him. "I love you, dad." She hugged him.
"Tch. Good!" Vegeta growled. "We're all better off without you, once you leave I don't want to see any of you ever again!"
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that." Frieza promised.
"What about her?" Vegeta indicated Saiyamo. "She's still my granddaughter – she stays with me!"
"Fine." Lavender said. "I know you'll take care of her."
"Mommy?!" Saiyamo gasped, and stared at her.
"Come on, Saiya…" Lavender smiled. "They'll take care of you."
"But I want to stay with you!" tears were coming from the girls eyes. "Please?"
"Sorry." Lavender took Saiyamo's hand off her. "You have to stay here from now on."
"…" Trunks looked at Lavender, and his expression became filled with anger. "You bitch." He left the room. Lavender just looked at her father. "We'll stay here tonight, okay? All of us."
"Fine, and then first thing tomorrow we're leaving."
"Mm-hm."
---later that night---
Trunks lay in bed with his eyes wide open, too angry and hurt to sleep. That bitch… how could she betray him like that?! After everything they'd been through – how could she?!
"I fucking hate you, Lavender…" he mumbled.
"Don't say that."
"What?" Trunks sat up, and saw Lavender standing at the side of his bed. "Where did you come from?! Get lost!"
"Ssh!" Lavender put a finger to his lips. "Be quiet, you might wake somebody!"
"Just tell me what you want and the get out." Trunks said bitterly.
"Listen – I'm sorry about before, but I had to fool dad." Lavender whispered.
"What?" Trunks looked at her. "Fool him?"
"I know a way we can be together." Lavender smiled. "It's all arranged, I went out to find Tangun before – remember when I said I was going shopping?"
"Yeah…" Trunks was still confused. "What do you mean? What's Tangun got to do with anything?"
"I'll explain." Lavender said. "Okay listen. Here's the plan…"