Chapter 24: Duel

A/N: A delay more than you're probably expecting. RL has been draining me and this has been a very long past few weeks. But I did finally squeak out enough time to get you guys an update. Thanks to Kagari who jumped in to help me Beta my work and hopefully make this writing more bearable.

Bardock returned home, unaware of the previous day's 'excitement' his attitude one that he was fairly proud of as he boasted about the new young cub he and Gine would be unveiling to the world. But as he came home there was a quietness to the house that had unnerved him. Normally he'd expected some level of boundless happy cries and his mate jumping around and acting the fool.

Strangely neither of those were happening, as he approached the main hallway the sight of one of the lizardmen greeted him. The Saraus was walking outside, while rare to see them inside his home, this was still enough to raise a curious eyebrow.

The brute walked outside and towards his usual den, though when he entered he did not come in drenched in the mud and filth that his other kind coveted. A regal feral creature was indeed a rare thing.

He'd have to question why the beast was here later as Nevah came to greet him. The small female making her way towards Bardock who noticed that she wasn't exactly her spry self as he could see the wincing as she moved. No matter how slight an action he could still see it clearly. Years of fighting and killing had made it nearly an artform to watch the subtleties in a person's movements. Yet he did not address it outright as Nevah bowed in front of him.

"Greetings Lord Bardock, I welcome you home."

Bardock grunted, "What has happened?" A deep low rumble escaped from his throat as he looked at Nevah who flinched slightly at his tone.

"I… I feel that lady Gine would be able to explain that to you my Lord." keeping her head down and her eyes low. Nevah knew that this wouldn't be her place to say anything. She'd already said too much, having betrayed the trust of one of her sister's for the sake of her lady.

But there were no other options; Had Gine done what she had planned to herself there would've been a serious consequence for her not doing her best to stop it. Bardock's will trumped all in this house as long as he stood at its peak.

Wanting to find out the story behind this, Bardock made his way to their personal chambers. Instantly he could smell the subtle scent of death… his senses were working on overdrive before he opened the door. The unusual behavior, the strange smells, and the very air around his home was completely off.

Pushing open the door Bardock's head peered inside, finding himself almost sneaking around inside his own home.

Nothing immediately caught his eye, everything appeared normal which only made him grow even more curious. What had caused Nevah to act like that? "Mate? Where are you?" His voice calling out to his precious female who was inside this room.

Like any true mate he knew her presence and aura even without having to even see her. His black eyes shifted around until he caught a glimpse of someone sitting down. One of his chairs facing the vita womb chamber was occupied. He could see the faint shadows being drawn by it from the sun as there was someone sitting there though he could not peer over the large leather top.

"Gine." He stated but still, she said nothing. His fists curled together as he marched forwards, before grabbing the chair and whipping it back around.

Immediately he found some relief as Gine was fine, she wasn't dead or injured. But the smell of the salt that came from her face was a dead giveaway that there had been 'something' that had happened. She was upset, and it was very rare to see Gine cry or get highly emotional. Sure she got angry or sad; she wasn't an emotionless woman, but for her to break.

That was cause for alarm.

He reached up and cupped her down-titled face, bringing up the slight drop of her hair and revealing her captivating eyes to meet him – which still shone with hints of water and lines of red.

She looked weary, as if she had been drained from a battle, yet there was no signs of fighting. The small tinge of Nevah's scent was in the air meaning she had been with her, but this wasn't making anything easier to understand.

"What happened?" He asked again, a slight pleading tone from his voice to hear her tell him something. She rarely kept this pitiful look upon her face, unless she was truly upset or disturbed by her actions.

Yet her voice did not come, her hands snaked around his neck and she buried herself tightly into his shoulder. Seeking any measure of comfort from him, it made him pause as she just squeezed him against her with the intent of popping him like a child with a small balloon would.

Catching him off guard all Bardock could do was hold her, and console whatever had happened. His mind was working overtime to try and figure this out.

Gine finally did speak ten minutes later. "I… I screwed up." she told him, in a bare whisper. "O-Our… child. It… It…" Her voice beginning to crack. She just buried her eyes back into his shoulder unable to speak those words aloud to him.

His eyes peered at their child, it was fine. He could see the small form growing. Though its hair might've gotten shorter, there was a tail and from what he could see was just fine. "There's nothing wrong, I can see them. There's nothing for you to be this worked up over." He sighed, perhaps she was just seeing things or taking them way too far.

But, he always knew Gine's emotions came in spikes as her body was still trying to act as if it were pregnant and not realizing that there was no baby growing inside of her. So her hormones could be the reason for this. Not that it had ever been something like this.

"You're fine, the child is fine. You don't need to act like this." Running his fingers through his hair he picked her up from her chair. He coiled his tail around her waist, deciding to take her to the bed and let her rest. He would have to speak with Nevah about this since Gine was still too distraught. It might've just been some accident that put her into some sort of self-loathing state.

As he set her down, her hands clutched tightly to him, unwilling to let him go. "Forgive me…" She said even quieter than before.

Bardock felt like rolling his eyes, but he knew that Gine would 'feel' that. "It's fine." He told her, laying down beside her. Caressing her sides, Bardock remained close to her knowing that this deep-seated pain was emanating from his mate because of something she had done. For what it was he didn't understand. Her normally cheerful and calming presence is what he enjoyed about herseeing her in such a state only motivated him to remove whatever it was that had caused her distress so that she could go back to being his Gine.

"I'm sorry… so sorry." She muttered against his skin. Almost like a dog she whimpered, softly begging for his forgiveness that she did not deserve.

It was still lost on him, but he brought his tongue out to gently lick against her temple. Consoling her agony, doing what he had to do until she got out of this funk she was in.

As the two of them laid in the bed, Gine's shimmering eyes stared beyond Bardock's mess of hair and at the image of her grandson. A hybrid saiyan had taken her own child's place. She was weak and couldn't bear to admit to her husband that their child was dead and that their dear son had committed a grievous cardinal sin.

She was trapped, unwilling to humiliate her family twice by admitting the truth. She just begged whatever ancestors or deities that would hear her pleas, that there she could have mercy - to find a way through this chaos that she had created.

It took several hours for her to finally cry herself to sleep, yet Bardock wouldn't move. He wouldn't until he knew that she was okay. Holding her against his chest the saiyan elite drifted off to sleep with her. The first thing that she would find would be him when she woke up.

[***]

It had devastated Chi-Chi, though unaware of the truth. Not knowing that Nevah had told Gine that the child had been given to them through the Sarus unintentionally. Yet despite all of the anguish that she had once had for Kakarot, it wasn't his fault that this had happened. Blaming him and being angry at her idealistic dream had been pointless.

Nearly two weeks of quiet soul-searching had given her this clarity. But, still she wished, just maybe, that she had been given the chance to be a mom. To raise a child to be better than her, to pass on her knowledge and experiences that she should've taken to heart from her own parents and gifted that to her baby. Yet, she was only fooling herself into that belief.

Her mind had worked to rationalize everything, to look on the bright side. To tell herself that she could work through this, that everything would be just fine… That hadn't worked at all; old memories and the visage of Kami's avatar Piccolo had dredged up long-forgotten fears that had nearly crippled her.

As much as she would enjoy getting revenge, believing that it was Kami's fault, she pushed it down. Finding solace with Kakarot again, he had consoled her, giving her some measure of comfort and peace. Even if he had been an asshole, he didn't treat her like shit and begin demanding things go back to the way they were. Just like back on the purge, he was there for her even if she didn't ask for it, having the option of crying into someone's chest while they tell you that it's all right.

Though a part of her didn't want him to be anywhere near her after the way he had treated her, she just couldn't refute his company. In spite of his feelings, he still had lost a child with her…

Yet she finally took this chance to leave the Villa and go out and do something, a time for her to just clear her head and remove herself from what she had been putting herself through.

Chi-Chi moved to the edges of Capsule Town, a place where she wouldn't seem out of place and unlikely to draw that great of attention. Moving up one of the smaller mountain ranges that rolled beyond the new earthling settlement, Chi-Chi found a large boulder to sit down on. The low settling of Vegeta-sei's sun was blocked by a line of clouds.

Sadly, if she expected to find solace… it wasn't happening today. Four figures rushed in behind her. As this was part of their training regime, they ran all over the planet as they struggled almost in vain to keep up with the warriors all around them.

As they jumped over the ridge they saw the solitary figure. All of them aware of Chi-Chi's position, they quickly descended down to see why of all people she was here.

It's not like Master Roshi was timing them anymore - most of the Z-Fighters knowing that he'd probably be asleep on his lawn chair or his face buried in an adult magazine. They wouldn't have to guess too hard to know where it would lead them.

But, call them curious. Chi-Chi had a reputation - her inside edge with Bulma, her position in an elite saiyan house. On top of that, she was seen with many different saiyan men around her along with a small host of other aliens.

From what they had gathered from Master Roshi she was a fighter too, so they wanted to see if she was truly everything she was rumored to be.

"Greetings down there-!"

The woman's head turned from her position to be greeted as the four human men descended down from the mountain, sliding against the red stone of Vegeta-sei and grinding downwards until they finally skidded to a halt in front of her.

Yamcha who had the greatest understanding as to who she was approached her first. Krillin and Tien with Chaotzu floating behind his lead. "What are you doing up here, Miss Chi-Chi? It seems a bit off the beaten path don't you think?"

She sighed, "Just wanted to be alone. I didn't climb up this rock expecting to find company." Some quiet is all she wanted. "And please just call me Chi-Chi." Though I'd much rather you not call me anything and leave a woman alone to contemplate her own loss.

"Sorry, but you're actually a rather popular gossip in Capsule Town. You seem to have the best luck," Yamcha laughed coming closer, his words ment as honest praise that felt like another needle being gouged into the woman's heart, but he could not see that pain that was masked behind her calm visage.

"It's not bad gossip, you walk around with saiyans. You work for them, and managed to accomplish so much. You're kind of like Cinderella for a lot of kids. Most of them expect the saiyans to slip a glass slipper to you after the gathering in a few weeks." Though they skipped over the whole indentured servitude by choice, but most people didn't know her as Chi-Chi. Just the beautiful human maid who worked for the saiyans. So someone made the idea of calling her Cinderella as a joke… and it stuck.

She felt a small amount of pride at those words, yet, this was no fairytale. There wasn't some magical fairy godmother going to swoop down and pluck away all of her problems and give her some magical prince charming.

"Sadly I'm nothing like that children's book, I fall woefully short of the damsel in distress. More of an overpaid maid who just tried to run away from her past." A sorrowful lamentation as she viewed her own past with the eyes she had now.

"Hey, you can't say that about yourself. Without your first impressions on the saiyans and helping Bulma it's not a certainty that we would've gotten to Vegeta-sei without you. So don't take that from yourself." Krillin took the chance to jump in.

"Uh-huh," "I suppose." Tien and Chaotzu agreed with Krillin. That if there was an evoy that Chi-Chi hadn't been a bad pick to show what humanity could do.

It didn't help Chi-Chi's current demeanour, "I appreciate the words. But I'd just like to be left alone with my thoughts for awhile. I hope you can respect that wish of mine."

"Bottling up one's emotions in solitude only leads to a decrease in focus. One needs an outlet if you want to maintain a balance in yourself." Tien's voice came up, offering from personal experience. "There is nothing worth swallowing yourself up and not giving yourself the chance to be a slave to inner turmoil and one's past."

"You have no idea about me… I left Earth out of necessity not because I'm some fairy princess looking to be saved."

Tien crossed his arms, his third eye squinting down at her in a challenging look. It made the hairs on the back of her neck bristle upwards as he slowly nodded his head. "I actually do, there is a blonde and blue-haired pair of twin sisters… whom I happen to know very well and here on Vegeta-sei right now."

A cold spear laced through her heart and her veins. "I don't know who you're talking about." She said looking away. There is no way, how could they have made their way here? They never moved after Kami came and attacked us.

"Launch, and Lance. Perhaps those names are more familiar for you?"

Krillin and Yamcha looked at Tien, Chatozu looked at Chi-Chi his finger touching his chin as he studied the woman from Earth. "I wasn't entirely sure it was you, but you have the aura of someone who hides their past, ashamed of themselves." He closed his eyes and exhaled, "I know because I once had the same consuming feeling. Being led down a path you didn't chose, but felt you had to, because at the time it's all you had. That's what gave you purpose."

His time as a student of the crane, the goal of gaining power all fell apart when he witnessed true suffering. The way the world had been torn apart by men like him - it made him realize the truth, turning his back on his prior teachings and do everything he could to save his world, even if he failed. He had taken a step to right some prior wrongs.

"I know mostly what happened between you three, I found the two of them on the verge of death in the desert. I saw the devastation of the town and of those raiders coming after you… It took a very long time to bring the two twin sisters back and during that time they confessed to what they had done and they had no idea what had happened to you. Though now I can see why you came here, but from what I can tell," His eyes skimming over her figure again. "That isn't the reason you are sitting out here right now. Am I right?"

Chi-Chi's brown eyes shifted towards the three eyed man. "If you know… then what exactly should I be doing? There isn't much that someone like me can do without making things worse."

"You were a martial artist before all of this weren't you?"

She nodded, "So why not do what comes natural?"

"Huh?" Krillin and Yamcha were both left scratching their heads, both not following the subtle hints being dropped by Chi-Chi and Tien. Both men looked to one another and shrugged.

Her body knew what he referred to, but she shook her head. "Sorry, but this isn't something that training and meditation are going to solve. This is very personal, so please if you would just leave me be."

Tien said nothing, "As you wish. But you should consult Master Roshi, I'm sure he could give you some way of finding balance… provided you don't let him touch you." He added in a semi-joking warning.

There was no response as she just remained as she was, looking past them as they resumed their run. All four cast one final lingering glance back towards the caretaker then set off.

[***]

Yet another battle, one that had been brewing for months was ready to be set witnessed. A matter of pride, honor, and prestige were on the line.

Raditz was stretching himself out for the afternoon, ready to go at another bout of hardcore training. Wearing his long black training pants with white tipped boots. His tail freed from the confines of his pants and swayed behind him eagerly.

He was just on the edges of Capsule Town, with the goal of not accidently getting too worked up and cause damage to the weak Earthlings. But as he cracked his knuckles and popped his neck a burst of wind came over him blowing his long black mane of hair up and into the air. A new presence had joined him; turning his head slightly he saw the form of his younger brother. Arms crossed and staring at him with a focused intensity that was rare for the usual lazy younger brother.

"To what do I owe the displeasure of your company, little Kakarot?" A sarcastic mockery as no matter how strong his sibling got he still would be the little brother - still the one he had put in his place many times.

Kakarot kept his arms crossed, he has actually been training hard. He's been pushing himself… but I know not nearly enough. He smirked, "I came here for you."

The older brother raised a quizzical eyebrow. "Pray tell, what would you come to me for? Did you lose out big at the tables and have come looking for my advice on how to handle getting your money back? Because I don't think I should bail you out, I'd pay good money myself to see father have to do that for you." He laughed at the notion of finding out that his younger brother had picked up some of his odd hobbies of spending money, time, and resources at the gambling tables.

"To take what is rightly mine." Kakarot said with a snort.

"Nothing is rightly yours...brother." The elder replied turning back around. "Come to accuse me of stealing, or perhaps insulting your pride?"

Raising up his arm and pointing a single finger at his kin. "I want my right to be the next in line…" He growled, "I'm challenging you, here and now for that right to be the one to fight against House Paragus in the coming weeks."

He hadn't expected that accusation… "You don't have the right to challenge me, it is father's-"

"Hiding behind daddy, that is pathetic brother." Kakarot mocked quickly, he wasn't going to give him that chance to speak that Bardock decided that in the end, but, that wouldn't be a shield he could use against him.

His brother, would fight him, and he was going to lose. Yet he had to agree to this fight, forcing a fight would mean nothing. It had to be accepted, there was no other way for him to get the position he wanted without it.

It was biting at him. Raditz bared his teeth, "You've got quite some fucking nerve. You've hidden behind father more than enough times. Now what makes you think you have the right to come out here and challenge me? ME!?" He shouted, slamming his one foot into the ground breaking apart the rocks. He wasn't fearful of his younger brother, he'd put forth enough effort training and pushing himself to higher limits, he, was ready to handle all that was going to be coming his way. Hell, it was just Broly, there wasn't going to be some massive battle against him. The son of Paragus had never done anything it would be… His eyes flicked towards his brother.

That's it… your game. "Arrogant aren't we little Kakarot? You think that if you fight and show your obvious superiority to Broly that you can quickly usurp me from my position in father's house and then walk out and fight one of the weaker elite saiyans? HAH!" Raditz burst out into an arrogant laugh, "You are a fucking fool brother. I Will NEVER give you my place, you do not deserve the honor of serving as the representative of our house." Pointing his finger directly at him, "If you dare to challenge me. I will beat you like the sorry lazy dog that you are!"

Kakarot smirked, "So does that mean you accept?" His hands dropping down to his sides, the sway of his tail showing his anticipation of this fight.

"Don't expect me to pull punches, the beating will only stop when you say you yield, and not a moment sooner." Raditz brought his hands upwards, closing his fists as he swung his rear leg back and had himself resting in his stance.

Raising both of his fists upwards so they were at his chest level, clenching them tightly Kakarot bent his legs and began to channel all of his power that he had been training so fiercely to gain. After his near death experience by saving Chi-Chi and his own intense training, he was ready to truly see what he could do!

Bursting around him with a quick flash of his white aura, Kakarot began to scream as he unleashed his strength. His hair flickered and flapped in the intense rush of his energy. Though not ideal, Raditz did the same, his muscles bulging, teeth clenched tightly together, as he screamed as well. Their powers climbing higher and higher until they finally settled.

"Shame we don't have a scouter to see just how weak you are by comparison to me." Raditz mocked, "You will regret this, I promise."

Kakarot released a wicked grin, "Well if you think that you got to use that gravity training system to put you ahead… I'm sad to say I had the same luxury as you. I got to train in that same portable device."

A surprised look flicked over Raditz's face which his brother caught. "Yes, our dear Caretaker, you can thank her influence in granting me such an advantage. I've trained every single day since dear old dad sent me away to keep me out of your way. But sadly he didn't know that I've been breaking my ass every single day."

"That little…" He muttered, "Well I suppose she has her uses, I guess once I become the head of the house I'll take her away from you. Maybe have her and Viv share my bed," goading his brother.

Yet Kakarot didn't bite. "Nice try, but I won't fall for my own trick, thought it might be humorous to watch you lick my boots once we are done."

Raditz snorted, his face falling into a scowl. Kakarot's grin pressed into a flat line. Both of their auras were rising all around them, building pressure as both watched the other one. The rise of Vegeta'sei-'s sun slowly rolled over both of them. Its heavy heat causing single drops of sweat to begin to form upon their brows.

Both remained solid, unmoving, the gentle breeze moving their hair as both looked at each other. Their eyes fixed upon each other, the slow trickle of that single bead of sweat going down their faces, running down until it hung upon the edges of their faces.

With that final pull of gravity it dropped free.

Then the saiyans disappeared as they shot forwards beyond the speed of a human eye. Raditz and Kakarot's fists connected with a thunderous shockwave.

An explosion of orange dirt, brown and red rock as both of their faces snarled, their outstretched clenched fists shaking against one another. Anger burning in their coal black eyes for their own blood, both were standing for each other. They continued to push against the other, but found the other to be a near equal in strength.

A surprise for them both, their self-confidence in that they had trained hard enough to overcome the other, to be the strongest saiyan in their own house, below their father of course. But, this was unacceptable for the sons of Bardock.

Rearing his other fist back, Raditz swung again but was caught by his younger brother's hand, wrapping his fingers around that fist the older brother then clamped his own hand around the other.

"Sooo… you're not. A complete weakling." Raditz grunted as he pushed back against him.

Kakarot grunted, "Too bad for you."

Dropping his fist and twisting it away from his brother's grip, Kakarot pulled back and swung upwards before Raditz could even get his hand back to block the blow. The solid hit caught him square in the side of the jaw and into his face.

Spinning him to the side from the force of his blow, his foot planted only to be hit again by his brother who sent him sprawling to the side.

Raditz skipped and rolled across the ground before settling on all fours. Snorting through his nose, the force pushed the dust and dirt away from him. Grabbing the rock and crushing it with his hands, he stared into the face of his brother. "You want to fight, fine I'll fight no holding back."

Exploding like missle he slammed his shoulder into Kakarot's guard and sent him backwards, somersaulting over the ground before hitting a large boulder.

His eyes opened enough to catch an energy blast right into his shoulder and then another into his side. The rocky outcropping exploding as he covered himself during the quick barrage.

Pulling back, Raditz charged up another more powerful attack - a glowing orb the size of his thigh began to pulse in his open palm that was at shoulder level. His eyes watching through the dust and debris, with an eager anticipation. A real fight, not some sparring match. A true profound battle to let himself loose.

A burst of blue ki shot through the clouds of dirt and passed over his shoulder. "Missed!" Raditz declared throwing his hand forward his own attack releasing with a boom, as a shockwave blasted apart the dirt as the yellow orb spiraled forwards and impacted where his brother's attack had come from.

His eyes scanned through looking for him to emerge or dodge, but the explosion created a small mushroom cloud, the heavy chunks and clamor of rocks hitting all around him. The smell of molten slag filled his nose, but he did not see his brother.

Taking a step forward, his eyes snapped towards the ground, as he felt the tremors coming from below. It was too late for him to strike as two hands gripped him from the ground and sucked him down.

Muffled roars came as the ground bulged and cracked along the surface. Were one unaware of the happenings, it would seem as if the ground were having an earthquake as jagged rock and dirt ripped upwards making small ten foot mountains or collapsing like a vacuum formed by a sinkhole.

After several minutes of fighting underground both brothers burst out from the red stone and orange soil. Their eyes locked as their faces were matted with dirt slickened sweat and small traces of blood.

"Unusual trick, you don't fight dirty little brother. Have you actually developed a spine when it comes to proper fighting?" Rubbing his chin with the underside of his fist as well as fishing out the dirt and grit in his ears and long black mane of hair while they had a moment.

Kakarot just smirked, "You sometimes learn how to handle dealing with shit, I guess you haven't had to yet."

"Don't get overconfident, yet." Raditz told him settling back with both fists upright. "You haven't even seen me start to get really serious."

His reply only made Kakarot's smirk widen. "Good, because I haven't either. I wanted to see if you really had been improving after all this time… but it's not going to be enough."

"Oh? And how do you plan on beating your better?" His brother mocked.

"Well if you were my better I'd tell you. But you'll see soon enough. Now. Lets fight!" Kakarot declared blasting forwards. The two saiyans unleashed another barrage of heavy blows, the pace a bit faster, the hits a little harder, and the aggression had been taken to another level.

Their warm up had been fun, but this was beyond a matter of a sibling rivalry. Raditz kicked his younger brother in the stomach sending him backwards as he drove him into the ground. Kakarot countered by punching the back of his knee, buckling him and then sending a heavy blow to the back of his older brother's back as he was unable to catch himself.

Raditz's face smashed into the ground before pushing upwards into a handstand then springing into the air as a trail of white ki surrounding Kakarot pursued right after him.

Raditz's fist nailed Kakarot in the face while getting hit in the stomach by his brother's forearm. Both slipped for a second before breaking back into another ferocious skirmish.

Their minds now wholly focused on each other sent them up and down the ground. The shockwaves sending small chunks up into the air as each of the heavy blows were dwarfed in comparison by the sounds of the screaming men unleashing them.

The ensuing battle was caught by many eyes, though scarcely a handful could follow with any level of accuracy. The Z-Fighters who had continued their run stopped just on the edge of Capsule Corp and watched the very air and ground be shaped by the two warriors and one other person watching from her vantage point could see the sprawling duel.

I guess today Kakarot chose to go and fight his brother. Her eyes watched the sparks and two figures slamming into each other at incredible speeds. Their usual training inhibited by the gravity machines was now free to be displayed as a measure of how badly they could beat the hell out of each other.

But who would win? Do I want Kakarot to win now… or his brother? Though the latter thought was dismissed as she did recall who had not too long ago used her very body and position as a bet in a poker game. She wanted Kakarot to win… but what would that mean for her?

She didn't know.

Wrapping her hands around her stomach Chi-Chi drew her eyes from the conflict as the thoughts of her dead child filled her mind. Yet tugging at those edges were the idea that Launch and Lance were here as well, they were her family for a long time. Yet, she felt like she didn't want to see them, they'd had their fun but that wasn't going to change what had happened to her and no one else needed to know about her and that was good enough.

Wasn't it?

R&R

Kerghan