Hey everyone!
It's Kings Day in my country. A holiday and so I am in a festive mood and decided to update this chapter early. I don't know if this can be considered a present but it's all I can give at the moment xD
Some of you may know that I am also working on three other stories. In case you're interested; on my personal profile you can find how far along I am with those stories. I am now writing ahead and I will start uploading the stories once I finish the first five chapters. For A Half-breed's Life 3 I finished the first 3 chapters. For Slave Soldier 2 I am currently working on chapter 4 and for Highway to Hell 3 I am halfway through chapter 5. It won't be long now ;)
You can find the summaries for the stories on my profile as well, and a plot summary for a new story I am working on! Just wanted to let you know.
Let's move on!
Previously on A Half-breed's Life:
His father's screams rang through his head. Raditz's laugh as he tortured his father. Vegeta's last words before he left…
"If he can't survive, he's not worth our time."
Fine. They wanted him to toughen up? He would toughen up. Those specialists wanted him to work and train? Fine. He would do just that and he would become the strongest warrior in this camp and once those three saiyans returned…
Gohan narrowed his eyes at the wall in front of him as he leaned on the sink.
"I'm going to kill them."
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"Give up, boy." Raditz stated. Gohan met his eyes. "You can't escape from us. Besides, you're already in this world. Frieza knows about you. If you run back to earth you'll lead him straight to it. He will go after you."
"Maybe…" Gohan said hesitantly. He realized that Headmaster said the exact same thing. Were they all right?
"No. Not maybe. Definitely. You saw how he treated you. That asshole enjoys making other people suffer and he seems to find some sadistic pleasure in making us suffer. He won't just let you take off into the sunset. If you run, you and your planet are dead."
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Captain Ginyu approached him and Gohan sent him a warning glance. "Fuck off." The half-saiyan snarled.
The man laughed in response. "Hey guys!" He turned and looked at an approaching group of soldiers. "I found a chibi-saiyan."
Great. Gohan cursed his own big mouth. The man had friends.
The boy went to walk away but the tall man placed a hand on his shoulder. "Where are you going, little saiyan?"
Gohan looked up at him. "How do you know I'm a saiyan?"
The man smirked. "The stench is hard to ignore."
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"A hybrid." Ginyu looked over his shoulder to the young warrior. "Such a sacrifice you must have made, interacting with a bastard." His voice sounded smooth but Gohan wanted to punch him for the insult. He bit down on his lower lip to keep his mouth shut and managed to stay calm.
"It doesn't matter." The saiyan prince said calmly. "We'll be off now."
"Yes. Us too." Ginyu smirked as he made eye-contact with the half-saiyan. "It was nice meeting you, hybrid. We'll see each other again soon. I can't wait to see how easy it will be to beat you to pieces."
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"Half-breed." Vegeta stated, looking up from the couch.
"Yeah?" Gohan walked closer, expecting an assignment.
"We decided to let you go to school, if you still want to." Vegeta said. "Raditz will take you there this afternoon so you can sort things out with the school. You're not the only teen soldier. They can make some arrangements. You'll do most of your studying at home but you'll get to make the tests and follow some classes at the school."
Thanks for the reviews!
Chapter 17. Playing With The Ginyu Force.
"You'll go to school and come straight back here. Don't talk to anyone. Don't even make eye-contact with anyone." Vegeta instructed the young warrior. "If you get in any sort of trouble I will personally give your tail a nice and hard massage."
Gohan glared at him. "I can walk for ten minutes without getting in trouble."
"I'll believe it when I see it." Vegeta responded, frowning. "Now get going. I'll see you back here in three hours."
Gohan nodded and headed for the elevator. He was free! Well, for now that is. He was rid of those jerks for a few hours. He could go out and have fun. He was going to school! Gohan could not help but grin as he stepped inside the elevator.
The young warrior briefly considered making a run for it. They would not expect him back for three hours and Gohan could be miles and miles away before they even knew he was gone. But… Gohan was kind of curious about the school… What it would be like to go to one…
The young warrior chewed on his lip as he crossed the lobby to the entrance. He decided he still had enough time to run. He did not need to leave right now. The others would still be somewhat attentive to his presence today. Vegeta was probably still keeping an eye on him.
Yeah, he would see what the school was about. Gohan headed for the school building. It was easy to see since it was one of the tallest buildings in the town. He looked around curiously at all the different aliens that were swarming on the school grounds. Children and their parents. Two girls who looked like a complete opposite of each other locked arms and walked to the building. A group of boys of different colours and races was trying to get the attention of a group of girls, who were pretending not to notice.
Gohan headed for the entrance. When he went to the school with Raditz yesterday, the principal told Gohan to meet the man at his office and the principal would show Gohan to his class.
However, when Gohan arrived the principal was accompanied by a young boy. The boy had a green skin. Small antennas pointed upwards from his head. Gohan was happy to see that the boy was wearing a uniform as well. The half-saiyan begged his comrades if he could wear something more casual to school because he did not want to stand out but Vegeta refused, telling Gohan to be proud of being a soldier.
The principal introduced the boy as Bronio and Bronio would be his "buddy"; someone who would show him around and take him along during his first few classes.
"My comrades sent me here to get rid of me." Bronio explained cheerfully when Gohan asked what his situation was at this school. The uniform indicated that Bronio was a soldier, so was he a student under the same arrangement as Gohan? Yes, he was. "I don't mind. Despite the boring curriculum, this place can be cool." The boy glanced sideways. "What about you?" He asked, studying the half-saiyan. "Did you recently join the army?"
"Yeah." Gohan smiled. "It took me a while to get used to the life."
Bronio nodded. "We've all been there. Don't worry. It will get better." He said. "Principal Mol told me you have already done the entrance tests. You're in my class for universal language and planetary history."
Gohan was led to a classroom. Students of different sizes and ages all looked over when the two entered the room. Bronio introduced Gohan to the teacher, a tall man with a brown beard, before taking the half-saiyan over to the closet on the other side of the room. There Gohan could grab one of the study books. The young warrior hesitantly admitted that he did not have a notebook. Therefore the teacher supplied him with one.
The class itself was not very difficult. It reminded Gohan of the theoretical classes he followed back in Iron Snake Camp.
Once the teacher left the class, one of the female students looked over to Gohan. The half-saiyan was unaware of her gaze at first. He was focusing on his notebook, writing down some last minute thoughts on the class he just followed.
"You're a saiyan, aren't you?"
Gohan looked up when she spoke. She seemed older than he was. Her violet eyes were studying him curiously. She placed a cap on her head, covering her short lemon hair. "You seem young to be a soldier." She leaned back on her seat, her eyes running up and down his body shamelessly.
The half-saiyan shifted so he could look at her easier. "That's none of your business." He said coldly. The idea of making friends was tempting but Gohan was not entirely sure if he wanted to stay here. Honestly, he did not need friends holding him back.
His cold response got the exact opposite result that he expected or wanted. Her eyes lit up and she leaned forwards, placing her lower arms on her table. "Everything that goes on in this school is my business, little saiyan. You might as well tell me what I want to know. It will save you and me a lot of trouble."
Gohan looked over at Bronio. The other student was following the exchange with an amused expression. The half-saiyan had a feeling this was not the first time Bronio was watching something like this. Gohan looked to the girl. "What's your name?" He asked, trying to turn the tables.
A grin appeared on her face and Gohan now realized her teeth were violet as well. "I ask the questions here." She stated.
"Let's make a deal." Gohan closed his notebook. "You answer my question and I'll answer yours."
The female student turned to Bronio. "He's adorable. Definitely a keeper." She mentioned to Bronio before getting up from her seat. The young woman sent one last smile in Gohan's direction before leaving the room.
Gohan looked extremely confused so Bronio decided to help the young warrior out. "Don't worry. She's like that to all the new kids." He explained. "It means that she likes you."
"Right." Gohan took a deep breath, gathered his things and got up. It was time for him to get to the next class.
The following course was maths. In this class he encountered students of his age and younger. He'd not done that well in the maths entrance test. Bronio dropped him off at the right class and invited him to come over for a drink after this class. Bronio did not have any other classes today so he had all the time in the world. However, Gohan declined this. He would only have one hour and he did not want to risk losing track of time and coming back too late. Vegeta would have a field day…
After the maths class the half-saiyan sat down in the computer room. Gohan logged into the computer by using his student number. Bronio told him that students could enter the intergalactic web and submit most of their homework digitally if necessary. Gohan had never been allowed to surf on the intergalactic web and he was curious to find out how it worked.
The half-saiyan looked sideways when someone sat down next to him. He recognized her immediately. Her lemon hair and bright smile, although it looked rather smug right now.
The female student ignored the computer and turned her attention to the half-saiyan. "You're eleven years old. You're young for an active soldier but good at your job nonetheless. You live with other saiyans and you're the only known half-saiyan to be alive." She stated. "You already spent several years in the Iron Snake Camp, which is awesome, I would love to go there once I'm allowed, and finally, and this is very interesting, you're a flight risk. Known all over the planet."
Gohan gave her a curious glance. "I'm impressed." He stated, nodding. "Did you talk to my comrades directly to get your information?"
She grinned as she leaned back on the seat. Her hand casually activated the computer and she typed in her student number. "It was easy. You're still a novelty. The talk of the town."
The young half-saiyan turned to his computer. "I still don't know your name."
"I still don't know yours."
"Gohan." The half-saiyan extended his hand as an introduction, his fingers pointed upwards and his open palm aimed towards her. Funny, Gohan thought, that the manner in which people sent blasts to each other was also the sign of peace. It made no sense at all, but that's how intergalactic society worked.
She responded by briefly pressing her palm against his. "I knew 'half-breed' was just a jibe towards you." She said. "No parent would really call their child that."
Gohan sent her a hesitant smile. "Long story." He turned back to his computer once more. He still had thirty minutes of free time and he wanted to use it fully. He wanted to study the intergalactic web. There must be something in here that could help him escape his comrades.
"Flight risk, huh?" She smiled when Gohan glanced at her again. "Let me guess; long story again?"
"Very long story." Gohan let out a sigh before logging off. He needed get out of here. He would take a long stroll back to the apartment. Everything was better than being interrogated by some stupid classmate. "I'm off." He said. "Need to get back to my comrades."
"I'll see you around, Gohan."
"Later." Gohan managed to find the decency to return her smile but that was all he could do.
Walking outside, the young warrior realized he could not do anything fun without his comrades. Vegeta still refused to give Gohan his personal number. The young warrior could buy everything by mentioning Vegeta's name but the older saiyan would hear about those purchases. Gohan was sure the man would not appreciate a sudden shopping spree in Vegeta's name.
Gohan wandered around the city for a while, window shopping. After a while Gohan checked his clock. Ten minutes to go. The young warrior sat down on a white bench, overlooking a playground. There were children of all ages running around. Gohan eyed a group of children that were playing soccer. They must all be around his age. The young warrior longed to ask them if he could join them but he did not have much spare time anymore.
His gaze went to an ice-cream truck. Children of all colours and sizes were licking their ice cream contently. Ice cream was something he hardly got to eat. The specialists gave him a cone once when he broke his tail. The specialists knew about Gohan's sensitive tail and the broken tail left him vulnerable and weak. Therefore, they actually took him outside the camp to visit a rejuvenation tank where he could heal. Two specialists, Hitora and Crimon, volunteered to take him and afterwards they drank a beer while Gohan was presented with ice cream. It was the best thing he ever ate.
The young warrior watched as a young boy ran towards two adults. The female squatted down and opened her arms, inviting him to give her a hug. The boy hugged his mother tightly while the father watched, smiling.
A longing from deep within him made Gohan feel uncomfortable. When was the last time Gohan hugged his mother? He could not even remember her face, her voice, the feeling of her warmth. Gohan frowned when he noticed the heavy feeling in his stomach. He had no right to be jealous. This was his life and that was theirs. Nothing anyone could change about that. The young warrior got up and headed for the apartments. All this thinking about ice cream made him hungry.
"Half-saiyan!"
The young warrior stiffened for a moment and considered turning around. He recognized the voice. It was Ginyu. Captain Ginyu of the Ginyu Force. Did he want to collaborate with that jerk? No sir. He quickened his pace, hoping to outrun the man, but Ginyu's voice came closer rapidly.
"Saiyan soldier! Stop!"
Gohan froze. He made a mental prayer to some god out there that might be listening before turning around. Raditz told him that Captain Ginyu was technically Gohan's superior, which meant that Gohan had to obey any orders coming from the man. The same went for the other soldiers of the Ginyu Force. They were an elite team and Gohan was just a regular soldier of yet another regular squad.
"Fancy seeing you here." Ginyu's eyes ran up and down Gohan's attire as he spoke. "I'm off to have a training session with my comrades. Why don't you join me?"
Gohan tried not to make a disgusted face at the prospect of training with the Ginyu Goons. "I would be honoured." He said, trying hard to be polite. "But I promised my comrades I would be back within three hours and those three hours are over in about," Gohan looked at his watch, "five minutes. I don't want my comrades to be worried about me."
Ginyu laughed in response. "Your comrades are incapable of caring about anyone, especially about some failed attempt at proper life as you." He narrowed his eyes, his expression turning more serious. "And next time you respond to me, you will show me proper respect and call me sir, got it?"
"Yes sir." Gohan nodded. Be polite. Be polite. Don't say anything stupid.
"So, let's go!" Ginyu showed a smirk and started walked in the direction where Gohan was already heading before, grabbing Gohan's arm and forcing the young warrior to turn around and follow him. The man released the half-saiyan once they were walking.
Gohan chewed on his lip as they walked. He only had five minutes to get back to his comrades. He could not fit an entire training in five minutes. The half-saiyan let out a sigh. Did this count as trouble? If it did then Gohan eventually had a nice tail massage coming to him, courtesy of Vegeta. The young warrior closed his shaking hands in fists and started walking faster so he could keep up with Ginyu.
"Sir?" He tried. "I really have to get back to my comrades. Can I reschedule this training?"
"Nope. I want you to be there. I assume your comrades taught you what it means when a superior tells you to do something?" The man glanced sideways to the young warrior. Gohan nodded once. "Good. I see no problem here."
Gohan blew out a sigh. Of course Ginyu saw no problem with this arrangement. Ginyu was not the one who would get in trouble for not making Vegeta's deadline.
The young warrior raised an eyebrow when Ginyu headed for a particular door Gohan had never been in. Gohan watched as Ginyu typed in a password into the console next to the door. The door slid open and the two warriors walked through the passage.
Gohan studied their surroundings. "Where are we, sir?"
"Our quarters." Ginyu responded. "You should feel honoured to be in the special quarters of the Ginyu Force."
"You have your own quarters?" Gohan asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course. You cannot expect elite soldiers like us to mingle with the regulars."
"Like me." Gohan added, looking up at Ginyu.
The man glanced over his shoulder. "You guys are somewhat special cases." He responded. "We ought to train lord Frieza's little pets."
Gohan pursed his lips. So that's why Vegeta and the others disliked the Ginyu Goons so much. Gohan was not the first saiyan who was forced to train with these guys.
Ginyu brought Gohan to a large training room. Gohan looked around in awe. This training room was much bigger than the rooms the regular soldiers trained in. The room was brightly lit, which made Gohan want to squint his eyes when he first walked in.
"Hey guys! Look who I found!" Ginyu called cheerfully as he walked inside. Gohan realized he stopped walking and he ran to catch up to Ginyu. The young warrior took a deep breath when the others landed on the ground.
Gohan could feel the same fear crawling up his spine. It reminded him of his first few days with the saiyans. Back then, his body went cold every time one of his comrades looked at him. Now he would do almost anything to trade the Ginyu Force for his comrades, even Vegeta.
"Ah, the little half-saiyan." Burter was the first one to land. "It's about time you showed up here."
"Difficult to track down." Ginyu added, smirking down at the young warrior. "We realized that Vegeta's protectiveness stems entirely from his fear that we might find out how strong you really are. Therefore, once you get back you can tell him what happens to saiyans who try to defy their betters."
Gohan's body went even colder when Ginyu met his eyes. The young warrior took a deep breath and forced himself to assume a confident and even cocky air. No reason to show them how he really felt.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Gohan responded. "If you watch our training sessions you would easily see that Vegeta always has the upper hand. I'm not anything special."
"Yet." Ginyu turned away from Gohan and focused on his comrades. "Alright. I'd say we do a free-for-all. That way we can get a taste of the fresh meat." The others all nodded in agreement so quickly that Gohan wondered if they would actually disapprove of Ginyu's ideas or just always go along with them.
"Let's get started." Ginyu flew up to the center of the room. The others joined him and Gohan decided he would follow their example. He figured there was no getting out of this. Maybe if he got back all beaten up Vegeta would go easy on him… Gohan made a face. Yeah right. That never stopped Vegeta before.
Ginyu powered up, smirking as he felt the energy flow through his body. Gohan gauged his power silently. He was happy he did not need a scouter for that. The young warrior realized with some shock that Ginyu was stronger than Vegeta. How was that even possible?
Gohan turned his attention to the others. They were not as strong as Ginyu, but Gohan felt a chill running down his spine as he gauged their power levels. Where did these people come from? He thought the saiyans were strong but these soldiers were all stronger than Vegeta.
The young warrior did not get any more time to ponder over their strength. Jeice appeared in front of the young warrior and tried to punch the half-saiyan. Gohan hastily brought up his hand to block the punch. Jeice seemed to expect this defensive movement because he opened his hand and grabbed Gohan's wrist. The half-saiyan could only watch as Jeice pulled him closer and pushed his knee into Gohan's stomach.
The kick hurt so much that Gohan wondered if his intestines were broken. The young warrior doubled up in pain, his hands grabbing his stomach, and this gave Jeice the chance to put his hands together above the young warrior's head and slam them down on his head. The half-saiyan was thrown down, landing on his hands and knees. As he landed on the ground, Gohan let out a surprised gasp when he heard and felt bones crack in his limbs. A blinding flash of pain rushed through his legs and arms.
The young warrior looked at his hands. How could he have already broken his bones? How was he supposed to keep fighting like this? The young warrior did get any more time to worry about this. Jeice's foot was shooting towards Gohan's face.
Gohan moved his hands up to block the kick. He used Jeice's foot as leverage to pull his body in the air. The half-saiyan whirled around and kicked against Jeice's face, hitting him so hard Jeice was thrown off his feet. Gohan allowed himself a victory smirk before he was attacked once more.
Several hours later Gohan realized he was feeling overwhelmed. He started to understand why Vegeta told him a match with the Ginyu Force would be terrible. It was terrible. Their strength and endurance outmatched Gohan's in a lot of different ways. Aside from that Gohan's knees were hurting every time he moved his leg. His punches and kicks had a lot less effect because he could hardly put any power in them without damaging his hands even more in the process.
Gohan leaned back to avoid being kicked by Recoome. The half-saiyan was so tired he could not keep himself from falling over. The half-saiyan landed on his back and groaned. 'That's the stupidest mistake I have ever made during combat.' Shot through his mind. The half-saiyan looked up and quickly rolled aside to avoid being squashed by Recoome's boot. The tall bulky man with the short orange hair let out a disapproving sound when he realized his attack missed.
Gohan pushed his legs up in the air and used them as leverage to jump up. He landed on his feet, immediately jumping up to avoid being swiped off his feet by Recoome. He stepped back, his hands moving up to defend his body, trying to make as much distance between him and Recoome as possible.
Gohan's breaths came rapidly, his mouth slightly open to let them out. The boy wiped the sweat from his forehead while keeping his eyes on the enemy. These guys wore him out. He hated that. The eleven year old glanced up at the other warrior. Recoome seemed to be enjoying the fight. A big grin was seen on his face. The man brushed through his bright orange hair as he studied the half-saiyan. "Tired, little monkey?"
Gohan frowned back at him. He jumped in the air and pulled back his fist. Recoome caught his fist without any trouble. The man whirled Gohan around several times until he released the half-saiyan. Gohan was caught by Jeice, who punched him in the stomach harshly. Gohan coughed up blood and spit as he lowered to the ground. Jeice grabbed his wrist to keep him in the air. "Hey Recoome." He called as Gohan hung limply from his hand. "What do you say we do a little game of 'catch the monkey'?" He suggested.
"I'm in." Recoome answered. Gohan shook his head dazedly, trying to clear his head.
Jeice smirked as he whirled around several times and threw the half-saiyan back to Recoome. The large warrior pulled back a fist, his tongue slipping through his lips as he was aiming, and he punched the half-saiyan in Jeice's direction.
Gohan groaned in pain but focused on his body. He was not planning on letting them push him around like this. The half-saiyan tried to avoid the next hit but Jeice had already kicked him back to Recoome. Gohan whirled around in the air, his legs ready to kick Recoome away, but two feet landed in his back. Burter kicked Gohan to Captain Ginyu, who laughed and punched the half-saiyan back to Jeice.
While Gohan was trying to take control over the situation, they continued to throw him around until, finally, Ginyu grabbed Gohan's wrist and whirled him around two times before slamming him into the ground. Gohan landed with a groan. He was breathing heavily, his mouth wide open to let as much air through as he could. The half-saiyan tried to move his limbs but his body was not working with him. Ginyu landed next to him. He grabbed the front of Gohan's collar. "This is how we teach the little monkeys respect." He hissed into Gohan's face before just letting him fall back down.
"Well. That was a nice training session, guys." Ginyu complemented. "All dismissed." He walked away. The others followed him out the room. Gohan opened his eyes but closed them again as a headache attacked his head viciously.
The half-saiyan let out a miserable sigh. He contemplated getting up but he knew that once he moved his entire body would start hurting. Then again, his entire body was hurting right now. There was no stopping the pain. He would just lie here for a bit. Alone.
Why would he bother going anywhere anyway? He had nowhere to go unless to his comrades. Vegeta was bound to be angry because the half-saiyan was a couple hours too late. The half-saiyan did not want to go back to them. He hated them. He hated the Saiyans. He hated the Ginyu Force and kami, he hated Frieza.
He would have to get up soon. He couldn't afford to lose any more time. First, he had to open his eyes. The young warrior put all his willpower in this brief action. He groaned when the bright light hit his eyes but he managed to keep his eyes open.
Okay. Moving on. Getting up. Gohan rolled over onto his stomach. There he lied miserably for a moment before pushing his body up. Keep going. Just keep going. That's what he had to do. That's what he always did. Keep going.
Gohan slowly made his way back to their apartment. The Ginyu Force practically abandoned him. He didn't meet them anymore as he walked along the long hallway back to the entrance and the elevators.
Standing in front of the doorway to their apartment, Gohan took a deep breath. He would have to get through this. The young warrior clenched his fists and made a determined face before opening the door.
Vegeta's mouth fell open as he studied the half-saiyan. A dark bruise was starting to form on Gohan's eye. Blood was running from his nose and the boy had a split lip. Aside from that he had many cuts and wrinkles on his uniform. "Wha-?"
Gohan hesitantly shrugged. "I managed to get there without getting in trouble." He stated hesitantly.
Vegeta blew out a sigh while Gohan gave out a miserable expression.
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"Sit down."
"Vegeta, I can go to a rejuvenation tank." Gohan said as he watched Vegeta walk over to the kitchen.
"No," Vegeta grabbed the med kit and walked back over to the couch, "this might teach you not to take walks before you come back here. Take off your armour and sit down on the couch."
The half-saiyan took off his armour and peeled his uniform off until it was hanging around his waist. "Why can't I go to the rejuvenation tank? It doesn't cost any money and it will heal me a lot faster than your medical treatment."
Vegeta walked over to the couch and as he passed Gohan the man placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, pushing him over to the couch and pushing him down onto it.
"Raditz. Stitch the wound on his shoulder." Vegeta ordered. The man sat down on the couch next to the young warrior and made Gohan look in his direction. "Black eye will heal. This one can do with a serum." Vegeta opened the bottle and gently applied it onto a swab. Gohan tried not to flinch when Vegeta dabbed the serum against the wound on his cheek. The stinging on his cheek distracted him from what Raditz was preparing to do but when he felt Raditz's hand against his back, Gohan leaned forwards, looking over his shoulder at Raditz.
"What are you doing?" Gohan's eyes fell on the needle in Raditz's hand.
"I'm stitching your wound. Get back here."
"I'd rather not. Can't we just apply some serum to it?"
"No. Get back here."
Gohan looked over at Vegeta. The saiyan prince just continued to treat the wound on Gohan's arm. Gohan took a deep breath and forced himself to stay still until he could practically feel the needle against his back and he leaned forwards again, away from danger.
Raditz reached out, grabbed Gohan's ear and pulled the half-saiyan back, ignoring Gohan's complaints. The young warrior made a miserable face. He took a very deep breath, somewhat pleased when Raditz waited for him to finish his breath. The boy bit his lip as he waited for the needle to pierce his skin.
The boy straightened when Raditz tried to start the stitch again. Raditz growled. "What's wrong with you?" He complained.
"I don't like needles okay!" Gohan snarled in response.
"Then you're in luck because this one is going to need stitching too." Vegeta said as he studied the wound on Gohan's other arm.
"Wha-?" Distracted, Gohan looked down at his arm and almost instantly felt the piercing of the needle through the skin on his back. The young warrior let out a strange high-pitched sound in surprise and he instinctively wanted to move forwards to get away from the pain, but Vegeta's hand prevented him from doing that. The man gently pressed against his shoulder to keep Gohan in the same position.
Vegeta studied the half-saiyan closely. Gohan ignored the man's stare until he could not take it any longer and he snapped: "Happy that you now know yet another thing you can use against me?" He snarled.
The corners of Vegeta's mouth twitched as he looked at the young warrior. "Not really. Just thinking that under all those scars and bruises, big mouth and massive attitude you're still just a child." He responded.
Gohan looked away, feeling awfully uncomfortable by this statement, although he knew it was true. He tried to think of something else than the pain in his shoulder as Raditz stitched the gash in his flesh. However, this was difficult and he could soon feel his eyes fill up with tears. He blinked them away quickly. No reason to cry over pain, no matter how great it was.
The young warrior did not complain anymore after that. Not even when Raditz told him to give his arm so he could stitch the wound on Gohan's arm.
Once they were done, Vegeta gave Gohan one more look-over. "I think you're pretty much done." He smacked on Gohan's knee and the half-saiyan let out a howl of pain. "What the-." Vegeta investigated Gohan's knee by feeling it, ignoring Gohan's groans of pain. "You broke your legs?"
"My knee." Gohan corrected. "And I think a few bones in my hand." The half-saiyan studied his hands.
"Why didn't you say that immediately?"
"I don't know!" Gohan responded agitated. "I was a little distracted by the needles all around me!"
"Damn it." Vegeta snarled. "Let's go. I'll take you to a rejuvenation tank." He got up. Gohan quickly followed him. He was not going to stop Vegeta from helping him heal. Definitely not.
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The following day Gohan had a doctor's appointment. Frieza's company recently made a deal with another company and the boss of that company was strongly against child soldiers. The man did not stop Frieza's child soldiers from working but they had to be monitored strictly and kept under strict supervision. Therefore, Gohan needed to go there once in a while to make sure he was in perfect health and the job was not putting too much strain on him.
Vegeta offered to take Gohan to the doctor, mainly because Vegeta was the only person who knew Gohan's personal number. So, the two were now making their way to the doctor's office. Gohan was silent as they walked. He clenched and unclenched his fists, chewing on his lower lip in the process. He did not know why he was feeling so uncomfortable. Maybe it was because he did not often spent time with Vegeta alone. The same went for Nappa. Honestly, Gohan only spend time alone with Raditz until now.
Vegeta glanced around and directed Gohan into a bathroom. The man quickly checked the stalls to make sure nobody was in there. Gohan watched him with a frown. The young warrior realized that Vegeta was planning on doing something that others probably wouldn't approve of. Something he needed privacy for. Something others weren't allowed to see.
Gohan waited patiently, figuring there was no way to get out of whatever Vegeta was planning. He did not have to wait long though. Once Vegeta was finally sure they were alone, the man approached Gohan. The half-saiyan tried to hide the shock on his face when Vegeta grabbed his upper arms and pushed him back against the wall.
"You like being a soldier." Vegeta growled at him. Gohan gave him a confused expression. "You don't mind spending time away from your studies to train. You get all the freedom in the world to interact with children of your age." While Vegeta spoke Gohan realized what was going on. Vegeta was supplying him with answers he could give to the doctor. He did not want Gohan to tell the doctor the truth but he expected Gohan to play along with this lie. "We don't physically hurt you. We've never laid a finger on you outside of the training sessions. We don't force you to do anything you don't want to do. You joined the army because you had nowhere else to go and we offered to take you in out of the goodness of our hearts."
The resentment must have shown on Gohan's face because Vegeta leaned in even closer. "If you say anything that will make that doctor think he needs to take you away from us, I swear I will kill him and give you such a thrashing you won't be able to move your limbs for months, got it?"
The expression on Gohan's face turned to a cold one. "But how? I thought you never laid a finger on me outside of training sessions, right?"
Vegeta held his gaze for a moment. "Right." He placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder and pushed the boy ahead. "Let's get this over with."
The two did not have to wait long before the doctor could meet with them. The man greeted both of them, holding out his hand to exchange the expression of peace. Vegeta ignored the man so Gohan quickly stepped forwards and pressed his palm against the man's hand.
"So, Gohan Son, right?" The doctor asked.
"Yeah." Gohan nodded in response.
"Let's see." The doctor looked over at his computer screen. "You joined the army eighteen months ago. You completed several missions since then." Gohan nodded. "Why did you join the army at your age?"
Gohan's first instinct was to glance to Vegeta but he knew that would give him away instantly. "My parents died. I didn't have any family to back me up. My comrades offered to take me in and I agreed."
The doctor glanced over at Vegeta, catching the frown on Vegeta's face, and he seemed to wonder if someone like Vegeta could really be generous enough to take in an orphan, without having a hidden motive.
"How did you get the wounds on your face and arms?" The doctor asked, studying the young warrior.
"Training session." Gohan replied instantly. "They're hard on me and that's good because I still have a lot to learn." The young warrior shrugged, showing a hesitant smile. "The job is hard too so I might as well get used to that."
He fooled the doctor easily. The young warrior knew exactly what to say. He'd played this role before when the Iron Snake camp was under investigation because of the death of a student. Headmaster cornered the half-saiyan and locked the young warrior away in an empty room for the duration of the investigation. They did not want to take the risk of getting caught keeping a too young child in their custody.
Gohan, being the rascal that he was, escaped from the room, almost immediately running into the investigators by accident. The team of investigators took Gohan back to the specialist quarters. There Gohan was asked similar questions about his well-being, his relationship with the specialists and the guards in the camp. He still remembered sitting on the couch in front of two investigators. Behind the investigators Crimon and Hitora were glaring at the half-saiyan while they ran their fingers over their whips threateningly and kept out of the investigator's sight. Gohan played the part perfectly then as well, telling a sob story about his lost family, and that he was taking in by the specialists, who treated him with respect and taught him how to be an amazing and cool warrior like them.
Once the investigators were gone, Gohan could not help but grin. "I feel so good about my imaginary life." He stated, looking up at the specialists.
The specialists showed amused signs at this remark and Headmaster tousled Gohan's hair, telling the boy to get lost before they got their imaginary whips out. Gohan still broke the rules by escaping from the room Headmaster locked him in and the man hadn't forgotten about that.
Vegeta kept a close eye on Gohan during the talk with the doctor. However, Gohan did nothing that could warrant a punishment. That was until the doctor told Gohan to take off his armour and uniform for a body scan.
Vegeta sat up. "Do you mind if he keeps his uniform on? He's a bit insecure." He tried.
Gohan managed not to smile in response to this remark. He never got the change to be insecure. His comrades were definitely not self-conscious and they took away all his privacy by showering in communal showers and not permitting him to lock the door when he went to shower in their own bathroom. He might have been a bit insecure when he first joined the camp, but they had communal showers there too and Crimon taught Gohan early on that self-consciousness and hesitance were not an option in their world.
The doctor sent Gohan an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. The machine cannot get through the fabric of the uniform. It might be light but it does its job as a protecting mechanism."
"It's okay." Gohan tried not to look at Vegeta as he took off his uniform. The young warrior shivered when his naked feet touched the cold floor as he stepped inside the glass cabin. The young warrior put his feet on the indentations and the doors automatically closed behind him.
The doctor sat down behind his desk again and pressed on a button. He told Gohan to close his eyes, which he did. The young warrior was not entirely sure what happened. Through his closed lids he could faintly see a green light as it crossed over his face. He figured this was the scan the doctor was talking about.
After the scan, Gohan got dressed again and sat down. The doctor studied the two warriors for a moment. "Mister Vegeta, would you mind stepping outside my office while I speak to Gohan?"
"Is something wrong?" Vegeta asked, frowning.
"No, sir." The doctor sent Vegeta a disarming smile. "I just want to speak to Gohan privately for a moment."
Gohan looked over at his comrade. "It will be fine." He stated, nodding.
Vegeta pushed his body out of the chair. "Fine. I'll be right outside."
Listening at the door, Gohan thought. The young warrior smiled at the doctor, who waited for Vegeta to leave before turning back to Gohan. "Gohan. How did you get those scars on your back?"
Gohan considered denying there were any scars on his back but he knew that would only result in a more worried doctor. The young warrior lowered his gaze for a moment. "I went to camp to learn martial arts and I was bullied a lot." He shrugged. "It happens."
The doctor held Gohan's gaze. "My practice was created so we could do something against the exploitation of children." He explained. "Children are often forced to work in these armies because they're easily tamed and because of their young age they can work for the army longer than the regular soldier. You don't have to be afraid of your comrades. They can't hurt you. If there is anything fishy going on in your team, you can tell me and I'll get you out of there. You can stay here until we find you a place where you can be safe. We can have you on another planet tomorrow. They'll never find you."
"Be honest, okay?" The doctor smiled at the young warrior and Gohan returned his smile, although somewhat hesitant. "So, Gohan, did you join the army because you really wanted to?"
The half-saiyan looked up at the doctor. He bit on his lower lip as he wondered whether to tell the truth or not. He remembered Vegeta threatening to kill the doctor and beat Gohan up if he told the truth.
The young warrior took a deep breath and opened his mouth to answer the question.
Meanwhile, Nappa and Raditz were running some errands. The two warriors decided to buy Gohan an extra pair of pyjamas also.
"I think he'll like this." Raditz said while glancing down at the plastic bag he was carrying. Nappa was carrying a couple of bags too. They got some supplies and resources for their upcoming mission. They also bought food they could eat for dinner today.
"He'd better." Nappa scratched his head. "I don't care for a spoiled brat."
The two were distracted by a couple of children. They were roughly Gohan's age and they were running around, chasing each other, laughing loudly. That was until one of the two stumbled and tripped. The boy's lips trembled and he started wailing loudly.
A man came running closer and the two saiyans could only assume this person was family. The man had a dark complexion and bright red eyes, just like the child. He helped the crying kid stand up. "Come on, kiddo. It's just a few scratches. Big boys don't cry." He tried, patting the boy's shoulder. However, the child started crying even more when he saw the bloody patches on his knees. The man carried the wailing boy in the air and walked away with him.
Raditz and Nappa exchanged glances, thinking about the vast difference between the kid and their youngest comrade.
Back at the doctor's office, Vegeta was invited back in. The man seemed annoyed at being chased from and asked back in the office in such a short amount of time.
"Well, mister Vegeta, it seems that your young comrade is in tip-top shape." The man stated. "Oh!" The man got up and walked over to a cabinet. "There's a virus among the children on this planet. Seeing as you go to school you have a higher chance of getting infected. Therefore, I will have to give you a shot."
Vegeta made a somewhat amused expression when Gohan sat up straight. "A shot?" He repeated, sending a hesitant glance to Vegeta. The full-blooded saiyan only shrugged, a smile playing around his lips.
"It nothing much. I'll administer a light version of the virus." The man approached the half-saiyan with a syringe. Gohan was somewhat happy he wore a sleeveless uniform. The young warrior bit his lip when the doctor disinfected the skin on his upper arm and casually stuck the needle in his arm.
Gohan tried not to make any sounds while the shot was happening. Vegeta almost chuckled. Beat the kid up and he would be fine, but approach him with a needle and the young warrior whined like a baby.
"Good." The doctor put a swab and a band aid on Gohan's arm to stop the bleeding. After putting everything away, the man turned to Gohan. "You might feel a bit queasy in the next few days. It's normal."
"That's about it." The doctor smiled at Gohan and Vegeta. "All is well. I will see you again in about a year." He stated.
Gohan nodded in response. "That's fine. Until then." The two pressed their palms against each other again, and the doctor tried to press palms with Vegeta again but the man ignored him once more. The doctor lowered his hand and turned to open the door. "Good luck out there, kiddo."
"Thanks." Gohan smiled and they left the office.
It did not take them long to meet up with Raditz and Nappa again.
Raditz approached Gohan. "Hey, how did the appointment go?"
Gohan curled his hands together behind his back and made the sweetest expression he could muster up. "I like being a soldier. I joined the army on my own free will and my comrades never lay a finger on me outside of training sessions." He said in a high and sweet voice before turning away from his uncle and hopping away.
Raditz raised an eyebrow, sending Vegeta questioning glance. Vegeta was watching Gohan with some amusement, slowly shaking his head. "Don't ask." Vegeta muttered when he caught Raditz's eyes.
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I hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Please review and let me know what you think!
Next time on A Half-breed's Life:
"Gohan!" A female voice said cheerfully before they even had the chance to sit down. The half-saiyan looked around and noticed a group of teenagers was looking in their direction. He recognized the girl he met at school yesterday. "Come here!" She waved him over.
The half-saiyan looked at his comrades. They all seemed as surprised as he that he was recognized by someone other than the adults's friends. Vegeta shrugged and waved him away.
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"Do you have a chore for me, Vegeta?" Gohan asked, glancing sideways.
"No. We just want to talk." Vegeta responded.
"You can't talk to me on your own?" Gohan raised an eyebrow as he looked from Vegeta to Nappa and back.
"This requires a little more manpower." Vegeta said while Raditz appeared behind the couch, right behind the half-saiyan. His uncle smiled innocently when Gohan looked up at him.
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Raditz studied the shivering half-saiyan. "Wait a minute…" The man walked closer to the young warrior and placed a hand on Gohan's forehead. "He's burning up. He's been coughing all day, hasn't he? I think he's sick. The doctor said there was a virus going around, didn't he?"
"He can't be sick." Vegeta snarled in response. "Saiyans don't get sick. Our bodies are genetically programmed to defeat any virus or sickness thrown at us, no matter how vigorous. Saiyans cannot get sick."
"Humans can." Raditz said quietly.
Vegeta held Raditz's gaze for a moment before he groaned. "Humans." He said tiredly.
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Gohan gave the pill a wary glance before he looked up at his uncle again.
"Take it." Raditz sat down on his own bed.
Gohan looked up at him and placed the two items on the bedside table. Raditz looked from the table to the half-saiyan. "You don't trust me?" The full-blooded saiyan asked.
"Is that a rhetorical question?"
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"We will do anything to keep you right here with us." Vegeta said as he applied pressure on Gohan's shoulder and Gohan slowly lowered his body onto the bed until he was lying under the covers.
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Until next time!