Rewrite: A Half-breed's Life 1

by Xj9

New Version: At age four, Gohan is taken by Raditz and brought to a camp where Gohan is taught how to fight. Five years later, Vegeta, Raditz and Nappa are back to take Gohan away again, and they expect the half-saiyan to help them purge planets. Gohan resists from the beginning, but as time progresses he finds out that playing by his comrades' rules is the only way to survive.

28. Chapter 28: A Half-Saiyan Renegade

Previously on A Half-breed's Life 1:

Vegeta sat down on a branch and yawned again. He frowned as he looked around. What was taking the brat so long? He noticed a small rodent and he pointed his finger at it. A purple beam shot right through the rodent, killing it instantly. Vegeta smirked as he got up to fetch it. That would make a nice waiting snack.

The man lazily ate the flesh of the rodent as he waited. He left a small bit for the half-saiyan. The young warrior would appreciate that. However, when Vegeta finished eating Gohan still wasn't there. The saiyan prince frowned as he got up and looked around. "Half-breed! What is taking you so long?" He snarled. The man reached up to scan for Gohan's power level.

Vegeta widened his eyes when the scouter could not find Gohan's particular energy level. The man opened the line of communication to the half-saiyan. "Half-breed. Come in…. Are you there...? If you don't answer now I'll have your balls for dinner, brat!"

Vegeta waited for a few second as he realized what was happening. The Saiyan prince opened the communication line to the other two Saiyans. "Raditz. Nappa. Half-breed is gone."

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"Dear Vegeta, I seem to miss one of yours. Has he been beaten up so much that he needed to consult the rejuvenation tank?" Frieza asked curiously.

Vegeta considered lying but he knew Frieza would find out eventually. The man asked for Gohan to meet him often enough. Same went for the Ginyu Force and Zarbon. Vegeta would only get in trouble if he lied to Frieza now. "No sir. We lost the boy."

"He died?"

"No. He… He left the planet without our permission." Vegeta decided to just throw it out there. The whole situation was a huge blow to his pride and if he ever saw that runt again, the boy would pay for it dearly.

"He left the planet without your permission." Frieza repeated slowly. "So, he ran away?"

"Affirmative, sir."

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Gohan looked up when he heard screams. Miles and miles away he could see that a building was crumbling down and a particularly large bit of debris was about to crush a group of volunteers that was digging there. Gohan didn't think as he powered up and flew towards the scene. He caught the danger easily as he put his hands upwards and caught the debris before throwing it away to a safe area. Gohan smiled in relieve. He made it. They were saved.

However, this smile froze on his face when he heard clapping coming from someone above him. The half-saiyan looked up and a cold sensation ran down his spine.

"Well well, that was quite a show." A man was floating in front of a group of warriors. They were all dressed in uniforms that appeared very familiar to the half-saiyan but they were also somewhat different. Gohan couldn't really put his finger on it but something was different.

The foreign warrior was obviously not from this planet. The entire squad was made up of different races. The man who appeared to be the leader was tall and bulky – typical – and he had a light-blue skin tone. Small grey spikes erupted from his skull and the same spikes were seen on the man's light-blue tail.

"I'll admit I never thought I would see a saiyan so small." The same warrior exclaimed cheerfully. "Most of you are all grown up by now and since the planet was destroyed even before I was born, I never expected to see child saiyans."

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Lord Cooler leaned on the silver desk with his lower arms. "I'd say the privileges you got to enjoy as an elite soldier are more than fine. Most people start in the normal ranks but you received the best of the best straight away."

"I prefer freedom over luxury, sir." Gohan stated simply.

Lord Cooler was silent for a moment before he leaned back on his seat. "You're one of a kind, you know. So young but yet so outspoken." He tilted his head sideways as he studied Gohan. "I can bring veteran soldiers shaking and shivering to their knees but you don't even appear afraid of me at all."

"Maybe I'm just good at hiding my fear." Gohan suggested. He was actually very afraid of Lord Cooler. Not of the man himself. But he was afraid of Lord Cooler's power. If Lord Cooler wanted it, he could enslave Gohan for the rest of the Saiyan's life. And if Lord Cooler decided to boast about Gohan to Frieza, the latter would find out where Gohan was and he would probably go straight to the saiyans with this news.

"Maybe." Lord Cooler leaned on the table with his lower arms and gave the young warrior a penetrating glance. "Furani told me your background story and I personally find it quite hard to believe."

"Sir?" Gohan asked, not really sure what Cooler expected him to say.

"Exactly." Cooler gave the young warrior a smirk. "You're too used to this hierarchy between us. You end your sentences with 'sir'. You are used to training for long hours and you had no trouble getting into this uniform." The man tilted his head sideways as he studied Gohan's solemn expression. "The raw recruits tend to ask how to put the armor on but you did it without even thinking about it."

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Gohan did get up now and he threw his legs over the edge of the bed. The young warrior ignored her stare as he walked to the dressing screen and hid behind it so he could change into his uniform. "Are we going to do anything special today?" Gohan asked in order to keep the conversation going.

"Training as usual and we have a meeting with Lord Cooler later today." Iona responded, her voice wandering around, which told Gohan that she was moving.

"A meeting?" Gohan asked as he walked around the screen to meet Iona. He was still attaching the band to his armour as he walked closer to her.

"Yep. We're going off a mission soon." Iona responded. She was looking out the window so she didn't notice how Gohan looked up with a worried expression on his face. "It's about time too. I was getting bored here."

"A mission?" Gohan repeated as he lowered his hands. "A purging mission?"

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The group landed in a small clearing to discuss the plan for today. They already knew all the details about this planet but Furani, very similarly to Vegeta, always wanted to see the planet for himself just in case any of the information they received was outdated.

"Alright. It appears that we will encounter no extra difficulties on this planet. Therefore, I will make no changes to the original plan. You know the teams. Icarus, you will stay with me and Iona. Let's get this planet done and go back to strike up a huge reward!"

"Yeah!" The rest of the team yelled cheerfully. Gohan smiled as he watched them cheer. Was this a tradition of some sort?

"What the…" Furani looked up when a space pod burst through the ozone layer of this planet. Gohan followed his line of sight and his face paled. "Three space pods?" Furani asked out loud as he turned to face the novelty and placed his hands on his hips.

Iona stepped closer to the squad leader. "I thought we were covering this planet alone." She questioned.

"We don't need back-up!" Liom added.

"I wonder who they are." Furani muttered as he moved up his hand to activate his scouter.

Gohan didn't have to wonder who they were. He could feel the familiar sensations instantly. Three power levels he'd almost forgotten but now remembered so clearly. So painfully. The young warrior could feel a cold brick falling down from his heart to his stomach.

The Saiyans found him.

Thanks for the reviews on the previous chapters!

Chapter 28. A Teenage Renegade.

One of the strong power-levels powered up and moved closer to them quickly. Vegeta was coming here. The half-saiyan realized the Saiyans were here to ask if whoever was here had seen their missing crew member.

"Don't tell him I'm here!" Gohan stated before he ran to the bushes.

Furani turned to the half-saiyan. "WHAT?" He snarled to the young warrior. But Gohan was already hidden in the bushes and Furani groaned when his scouter told him a strong force was approaching them.

Vegeta landed not soon later. Furani crossed his arms over each other and gave Vegeta a smile. "Ah, little Vegeta." The man noticed how Vegeta's expression darkened in response to his adjective. "I haven't seen you in forever. What are you doing here?"

Vegeta's eyes ran over the rest of the team. Iona sent him a grin in return but Vegeta hardly acknowledged her. "My team purged a planet near here and we noticed your ship passing by. So we decided to follow you." He explained. "I'm searching for a member of my squad. It's a half-saiyan. He should be about this high." Vegeta held his hand somewhere near his shoulder. "He has short black hair and a cut right across his right cheek." Vegeta indicated a line over his own cheek with his finger. "He listens to the name Gohan. Have you seen him or do you know if anyone in your army has seen an unknown Saiyan?"

Furani shook his head. "Not really. I would know if any person in our army would have found a Saiyan." He spread his light-blue arms as he said this. "Did he lose his way?"

"No." Vegeta responded truthfully. "He ran away from us."

"Alright." Furani nodded once. "Are we looking out for a child?" He asked, tilting his head sideways, curious for more information about Gohan.

"Yes," Vegeta said. The man looked up when his scouter beeped to tell him that Nappa and Raditz were coming closer. He went ahead to make sure he would catch Cooler's team before they left. "He turned twelve just a week ago." The man noticed a change in the direction of the wind and he suddenly widened his dark eyes as his system caught a whiff of a scent. "He's here."

Furani raised both his eyebrows. "What?"

Vegeta's glare intensified. "He's here. You're hiding him from me!" He accused. "Gohan! Get out here now!" He yelled. "I know you're here. I can smell your scent!" Gohan closed his eyes as he tried not to move.

Furani laughed. "I think your search for your little comrade has made you crazy." He teased as he placed his hands on his hips. "You are seeing things… Or maybe you're smelling things that aren't here."

Vegeta's gaze moved back to Furani. "Give him back to me!" He made a threatening step towards the man.

The rest of the team moved around Furani in order to show that they would protect their squad leader if Vegeta tried anything. Raditz and Nappa landed on the ground. Raditz immediately picked up on what Vegeta also noticed but he didn't say anything as he also noticed the tensed atmosphere here.

"Are you calling me a liar, Vegeta?" Furani stated calmly. Iona showed her black teeth in a grin as she stared at the three Saiyans. "Should I show you three what happens to monkeys who cannot submit to their place in the hierarchy?"

Vegeta frowned at the group. "That boy belongs to us, Furani." He stated sternly, trying to stay calm. "It's only fair that you give him back to us."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Furani stated calmly. "Now please leave me and my squad alone. We have a planet to purge." Vegeta remained standing for a moment so Furani decided to continue: "We have orders to kill every living person on this planet. We won't mind killing a Saiyan or two extra if we come across them."

This seemed to do the trick. Vegeta nodded once. "Fine. Have it your way." He looked around the area once more. "Gohan!" He yelled. "Enjoy your freedom for now! I'll welcome you back to my squad soon enough, trust me." Gohan felt a shiver run down his spine as he heard the anger in Vegeta's voice. "We'll leave now."

"I'll make sure to mention your attitude to Lord Cooler, Vegeta." Furani stated as the Saiyans got ready to leave.

Vegeta gave him a cold glance. "You do that, sir." He stated before he left without saying anything else. Raditz and Nappa followed him.

Furani waited until his scouter told him that the Saiyans were far away enough before he called for Gohan again. The man turned to watch as Gohan emerged from the bushes. "You have a lot of explaining to do." He stated strictly.

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"Spill." Furani stated as he frowned at the younger warrior. The group decided to go back to their ship to discuss this situation and now they were all standing in the control room.

Gohan felt awfully uncomfortable as they surrounded him. It almost felt as if a spotlight was directed right at him. Gohan looked up. "What do you want to know?" He asked.

"Why don't you start with telling me everything?" Furani suggested sarcastically. "And hurry it up or I might start ripping off pieces of your flesh to encourage you." He cracked his knuckles threateningly.

"I have been in Frieza's army since I was four years old." Gohan stated, deciding to start at the beginning. "Raditz came to my planet when I was four. He came for his brother, my father, but my father wouldn't cooperate so Raditz killed him and took me instead. He destroyed my planet to make sure I would have nowhere to go. After that they put me in the Iron Snake camp. I stayed there until I was ten. I've been working as a soldier until I ran away from them."

Furani placed a hand on his face. "This explains... So much." He stated as he shook his head. "You've been lying to us the whole time."

Iona smiled as her tentacles approached Gohan. The half-saiyan stepped back but allowed the tentacles to wrap around his limbs. He was not allowed to fight Iona off of him. Her tentacles slipped around his arms and pushed them together behind his back. "He's been a naughty boy." She stated cheerfully as the tentacles around his torso pulled him up in the air. "He should be punished accordingly. And since he's like twelve, I'd say spanking him is a proper punishment."

Furani couldn't help but chuckle because of her antics. "You are unbelievable, Iona." He stated before he took a deep breath. "I have to discuss this with Lord Cooler. I don't want to allow him to roam free during this mission though. He's a flight risk. Iona, would you mind keeping an eye on him while we take care of this mission?"

Iona grinned as she brought the half-saiyan closer to her. "Of course not! We'll have lots of fun together." She pinched Gohan's cheek as she spoke. The half-saiyan made a worried face in response to this statement.

And worried he should be.

Not long later Furani was locking the door to a cell in which Gohan and Iona were standing. Gohan was forced to change into a white shirt and white pants. He was not allowed to wear a soldier's uniform anymore as he was a prisoner now. The floor felt unforgivingly cold against his naked feet. He shivered slightly since this clothing did nothing to keep him warm.

"Keep an eye on him." Furani stated as he locked the door to the cell.

Iona smiled innocently as she leaned against the bars inside the cage. "I'll keep more than an eye on him. Don't worry." She responded sweetly. Gohan made a few careful steps backwards to create some distance between them. Iona's gaze moved to the younger warrior and Gohan felt a shiver run down his spine. He thought Vegeta's eyes were intimidating but Iona's eyes were pretty scary to meet as well.

Iona uncrossed her arms, pushed away from the bars and approached the younger warrior. Gohan considered stepping back but he knew the bars were a couple of steps behind him and he didn't feel like being stuck between Iona and the wall. He needed some extra room to move around.

The young warrior clenched his fists right before Iona stepped into his personal space. The female warrior held his gaze as a smile settled on her face. A slender finger pushed up against the bottom of Gohan's chin to push his face up. "Twelve years old, huh?" She stated as she studied the fire in his dark eyes. "Where were twelve-year-olds like you when I was that age?" She complained.

Gohan gave an uncomfortable glance at her in response to this question. Honestly, what did this woman want from him?

Luckily, Iona wasn't really planning on making Gohan's life miserable. The female warrior left him alone after this. She preferred to sit down on the bed and read her report. Gohan sat down on the ground, leaning against the bars with his back.

"He's asleep?" Iona looked up when she heard Furani's voice. The female warrior looked over at Gohan and she noticed the young warrior's head was leaning back against the bars as he slept.

Iona shrugged. "He's just a kid."

"Not really." Furani responded as he walked to the door of the cage and opened it to let Iona out. "He's a soldier, Iona. And he's lord Frieza's soldier. So that makes him our enemy."

"He ran away from Frieza's empire."

"So he's a renegade."

Iona blew out a sigh as she stepped out of the cell. Furani closed the cell door behind her and she turned to study the half-saiyan. "We have to give him back to Frieza, right?" She asked quietly.

Furani lowered his gaze. "Lord Cooler will decide that." He responded. "It's not our fight anymore."

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"Wake up, brat."

Gohan started awake when he heard this voice. The half-saiyan looked up at Furani and got off the bed. Furani motioned for Gohan to follow him. Gohan spent the last few days in the dungeon. The young warrior hadn't heard from his current team or from Lord Cooler. He'd been in complete isolation for several days, not counting the meals he received twice a day.

Lord Cooler was standing in the hallway. Gohan went to kneel down but Cooler waved this away. The man studied Gohan for a moment. "I've got a renegade in my army. No wonder you were so well acquainted with the life of a soldier." He stated harshly.

"I'm not a renegade!" Gohan exclaimed.

"You ran away from my brother's army. You abandoned your comrades during a mission. That's treason, boy." Cooler turned to start walking. Furani pushed against Gohan's shoulder in order to tell Gohan to start walking too. The half-saiyan obeyed and he followed Cooler. The floor felt cold against his naked feet.

"If I had anything to say about it," Cooler stated, "I would have killed you straight away. I know what to do with traitors." He led Gohan to a nearby room. "Sadly, I have no say in the matter anymore."

Gohan gave the man a confused glance before he looked forwards and noticed two people he hoped never to see again. Zarbon and Dodoria both grinned when they noticed the distraught look on Gohan's face.

"Hello there, little half-saiyan." Zarbon stated in a cheerful manner.

Gohan whirled around and tried to run out of the room but there was already someone standing in the doorway. Frieza's eyes locked onto Gohan's brown orbs. "Leaving without saying goodbye? That's rude, little saiyan." He drawled.

Frieza's tail reached out and curled around Gohan's back. He put pressure on the half-saiyan's body and pulled him closer, forcing the young warrior to take a couple of steps. "It appears you've been missing for quite a while. Your comrades are worried sick about you. I'll bet they will give you a very warm welcome once you return."

Gohan could feel a cold sensation trickle down his spine when Frieza pulled him even closer, the man's tail felt cold and slick against his arms. The half-saiyan tried not to shiver. He tried not to show fear. But he knew it was futile. He could see in Frieza's eyes that Frieza was very much aware of Gohan's fear of him.

"Running away from my army is treason, kiddo." Frieza whispered to the young warrior. "You've committed an offence that is punishable by a horrifying death." He continued sweetly. "But don't worry." The man reached out and almost gently ran his fingers through Gohan's black hair. "I love my pet monkeys and I would hate to lose one of you."

"However," Frieza's tail now wrapped around Gohan's torso entirely and lifted the shocked half-saiyan in the air, "I feel like your comrades are not taming you very well. So I feel that it is my duty to step in and make sure you know your place. From now on, I will actively play my part in your social education."

Gohan wasn't sure what to say or do. He was still too shocked to say anything. One moment he was free and the next he was back in Frieza's claws. And he already knew who would have to take him back in. A picture of three angry saiyans flashed through Gohan's mind and his entire body went cold. No…

Gohan tried to power up and the bracelets around his wrists lit up and sparked dangerously. Frieza took note of this and he looked up at the young warrior. A smirk appeared on the man's face in response to Gohan's angry glare. The man made a lazy sweep with his tail and threw Gohan right into the hands of Zarbon and Dodoria. The two soldiers seemed to expect this and they got a hold of the young warrior before Gohan even knew what was happening.

"Zarbon. Dodoria." Frieza exchanged amused glances with his grinning subordinates. Gohan groaned as he struggled but the ki-bonds kept draining his strength before he could even reach a proper level of energy.

"Let's give the young warrior a warm welcome home."

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"He's mine!" Frieza gave an angry growl as he turned to his brother.

"Finders keepers, little brother." Cooler responded indignantly.

"I had him first though!"

"Your saiyans brought him in. That doesn't mean you automatically get to keep him." Cooler snarled before he turned to their father. "It's not fair, father. He already has four Saiyans. He might as well give this one to my army."

"He's the youngest. You can have the oldest one I have." Frieza responded. "I don't care for Nappa. Gohan here will prove to be very strong if trained well. He could easily make up for the entire team."

Gohan was kneeling on the ground. His hands were tied behind his back. This seemed such an overkill seeing as he was practically unable to move already. He was wearing ki-bonds. Zarbon and Dodoria were standing on either side of him. And he could hardly stand because of the beating he just received. His clothing was torn. Blood was still dripping from… He didn't even know where all the blood was coming from. Probably his nose, a wound on his head and something was running down his neck as well.

The young warrior widened his eyes when two rosy feet stopped in front of him. A white tail pushed against his chin to push his face up and he was forced to meet King Cold's small pink pupils. "My sons are fighting… And over this?" Cold stated as he studied the younger warrior. The man turned to his children while still keeping a hold on the half-saiyan. "Why don't we just kill them all and be done with it? A couple of brutes are not important enough to for my children to argue like this."

"He might not look like much now." Frieza stated as his gaze landed on the half-saiyan. "But he's only a kid and he's already keeping up with the adults around him. I'll bet he will be twice as strong as he is now in only a couple of years. If he is trained well, that is."

"And my soldiers can train him well. He will join my elite team. That's a better training school than a couple of monkeys." Cooler stated as he walked closer.

"He belongs with the rest of his race." Frieza argued. "I have the Saiyans. I may as well keep them all together. They work best as a group. You know that has always been the strength of the Saiyans."

"You've got a point." King Cold released the half-saiyan. "Alright. Frieza, you can keep the bastard." He stated. Cooler opened his mouth to argue. "Frieza had him first. Besides, Frieza has a right to control him for now seeing as the boy ran away from his army in the first place. However, I want to consider the boy as common property. I'll make sure he spends a couple of months under Cooler's custody once in a while. That way he belongs to both armies. Do we agree?"

Cooler and Frieza both grudgingly agreed. Gohan scoffed as he lowered his gaze. Common property. Now that was a description to be proud of. The young warrior started when two pairs of hands locked around his upper arms and pulled him up.

Frieza smirked as he studied the half-saiyan. "Well then. Welcome back to my army, Gohan." He stated as he ran a hand through Gohan's black hair. The half-saiyan tried not to shiver in response.

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Frieza led the rest of the group to his common room. Gohan was silent as he walked in between Dodoria and Zarbon. They didn't hold him. Frieza actually untied him right after they decided that Gohan was to stay with him. The ropes weren't needed though. The young warrior was looking at the ground as they walked. His gaze couldn't move up. He was caught. He was back in Frieza's hands. He was officially stuck in the spider web once more.

Frieza turned to Gohan once they were inside the room. "Gohan. You will stay here in this room unless I tell you to leave, understand?"

Gohan nodded. "Yes, lord Frieza." He stated obediently.

Frieza showed a smirk. "I've tamed you so well." He teased before he turned away from the half-saiyan. "Zarbon, Dodoria, come with me." He ordered before he walked away. Gohan watched them walk to Frieza's desk. Frieza sat down and spoke to Zarbon and Dodoria.

The half-saiyan realized Frieza would have no use for him for now. The young warrior looked around in the large room. The lights made the room quite bright. The half-saiyan could easily see that there was practically nothing in the room. A desk was standing in the middle of the room. The three adults were gathered around the desk as they spoke about a hologram of a map of the universe that was floating above the surface of the desk. Gohan moved to look out one of the many windows.

The young warrior took a breath as he leaned on the window sill with his hands. He didn't dare to do too much as he feared anything he could do would be considered bad. He did not forget the beating he received from Frieza and his henchmen just before they left Cooler's ship. The young warrior was also aware that he would have to spend a week with Frieza on this ship before they would reach planet Frieza 1. This was the planet on which Frieza tended to stay. It was also the planet on which the Saiyans' apartment was. This was something that made Gohan dread to go back to that planet.

"Fear," Zarbon stated, "though wise when interacting with your superiors, is not something you should flaunt."

Gohan looked up at the man. "What makes you think I fear you?" He returned. Yes, he did fear them but Zarbon didn't need to know that. And Gohan definitely would not admit to it so easily.

"Considering what we did to you today, fear is a wise emotion to work with right now." Zarbon's light-green hand easily poked a bruise on Gohan's naked upper arm. The half-saiyan was dressed in a sleeveless uniform and a basic armour. Frieza made him change into the outfit right before they left Cooler's ship. Though Gohan didn't really like having to wear the army outfit again, he was glad to be rid of those white clothes.

A smile appeared on the half-saiyan's face while he turned to face Zarbon fully. "Because you beat me up?" He laughed a dry laugh. "Honestly, Zarbon, you were not the first one to lay a hand on me. I've been on the receiving end of beatings since I was four."

Zarbon raised an eyebrow. "Alright, tough guy. I'll believe you."

Gohan crossed his arms over each other. "What's going to happen to me now?" He asked as he looked up again.

"You mean when we get back to Frieza's army?" Zarbon asked this in order to clarify Gohan's question. The half-saiyan nodded in response. "You know what will happen; you'll go back to the Saiyan team." The man moved up a hand to push a string of dark green hair from his face.

Gohan could feel a coldness run down his spine as Zarbon said this. The half-saiyan lowered his gaze, closed his eyes and placed a hand on his forehead. The young warrior's entire stature changed right before Zarbon's eyes.

This surprised the man greatly. "Ah, interesting." He stated, gaining Gohan's attention. "So that does elicit a response from you. Vegeta has got you scared, huh?"

Gohan sent the man a poisonous glance. "I'm not afraid of anyone." He responded. "I didn't run away from them by accident though. I don't like hearing I have to go back to them." The half-saiyan leaned back against the window sill. "Running away from this army is usually punished with death." Gohan stated this slowly without looking at Zarbon. The man was surprised to hear this sentence but he remained silent. "Why does that not count for me?"

"Do you want us to kill you?" Zarbon asked. He was surprised Gohan was even bringing this to his attention. Why would anyone want to remind his capturers of the fact he was supposed to get the death penalty?

Gohan shook his head. "Of course not. I just wonder… why don't you?"

"I think you already know the answer to this question." Zarbon said. "You're special, kiddo. You're only twelve years old but you already surpassed many adult soldiers in this army. We all know you will do great things in the future. Leaving you alive is much more profitable for this army. That's why you're still alive right now."

"So you're allowing me to live because you want to make use of me later in the future." Gohan shook his head. "Gosh, you're all the same." He muttered more to himself than to Zarbon.

Zarbon shrugged. "For now." He stated as he studied the young warrior. "If you turn out to be useless, lord Frieza will get rid of you. That's how it works in this army, kiddo." He continued. "And if you try to run again, you're dead. There is no reason to invest any money or interest in a useless case."

"Is that a threat?" Gohan asked. He heard all these threats before and he was hardly going to be impressed by one coming from a man who never even made his own decisions. Zarbon only followed Frieza's orders.

"Not really. It's more like a warning." Zarbon responded truthfully. "You need to understand that you got away with it alive this time, Gohan. Lord Frieza is making an exception for you. That won't happen again." Zarbon explained. "Furthermore, he'll be keeping a closer eye on you from now on. You'll have to work very hard to improve because if you turn out to be useless, you'll be killed anyway."

Gohan scoffed. "I hope that wasn't meant to scare me because it didn't work. I'm not afraid of anyone." He crossed his arms over each other and showed Zarbon a defiant expression.

Zarbon was silent for a moment. "Too bad. I thought you were smarter than that." He stated before he turned to walk away from the half-saiyan. Gohan was left somewhat put off by the statement. The young warrior blew out a sigh as he leaned against the windowsill once again. This was going to be a long week.

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Planet Frieza 1.

"Do you know why Frieza called us?" Raditz asked a couple of days later.

"No idea." Vegeta said as he pulled on his boots. "And I don't really care either. We don't have time for this. I want to look for the boy." He complained.

Raditz crossed his arms over each other as he studied his comrade. Gohan had been lost for months now. He didn't think they were going to find him any time soon. The boy didn't want to be found and Raditz could honestly care less if they did find him again. He tried hard to forget the younger warrior. He tried to forget how they used to talk quietly at night. He didn't want to remember the wrestling matches they used to have. He didn't care for the flashes of Gohan's grinning face, laughing at something, smiling at him or even the manner in which he rolled his eyes when he was annoyed with something Raditz or the others did. He just wanted to forget.

The group headed for Frieza's office. They stood still in front of the door and knocked politely to announce their presence. After this they went in and knelt down in front of their master.

Frieza seemed to be in a good mood as he surveyed the group. "Well, my dear Saiyans. How are you all doing?"

Vegeta looked up, confused. "We're doing well, Lord. Thank you for your concern." He stated.

"That's good to hear." Frieza smiled. "I want my soldiers to prosper." He drawled. The saiyans all gave him confused glances now and he enjoyed the sight for a moment. There was nothing more entertaining than messing with the minds of the Saiyans. If only they knew what he was hiding from them. "Now, I've got a present for you."

The doors opened and Zarbon walked in. Vegeta heard a gasp from Raditz behind him and he had to admit he was shocked as well. The reason for these shocked reactions was the young saiyan that was walking next to Zarbon. Frieza's henchman was holding Gohan's upper arm in an iron grip as he guided the younger warrior to the rest of the Saiyans. Once arrived, Zarbon gave Gohan a push and the younger warrior stumbled in the direction of the Saiyan team.

The Saiyan squad was silent as they stared at the half-saiyan. Gohan's breathing was shallow as his gaze was focused on the ground. He refused to meet their eyes. Not right now.

"Don't you have anything to say, kiddo?" Frieza stated gently from besides the half-saiyan.

Gohan only turned his head slightly when Frieza spoke but he didn't say anything. Zarbon gave a rough push against Gohan's right shoulder. The young warrior took a breath. "I'm sorry for running away." He stated in a somewhat rough voice – his gaze still lowered to the ground.

Vegeta frowned in response. He didn't really know what to say. It wasn't supposed to happen like this. The Saiyan team was supposed to find the half-saiyan. This was not Frieza's job.

"Good. Now." Frieza's tail slithered across Gohan's shoulders and traced over his collarbone gently. "We found out that the little Saiyan simply lost his way. Nothing can be done about that." Gohan's fingers trembled at the urge to push Frieza away but he clenched his fists and kept them close to his sides. "Still, these things cannot go unpunished."

Gohan's eyes widened in panic for only a second and he looked up to his comrades right before Frieza's tail pushed against Gohan's cheek and simply pushed the young warrior's face sideways with such force that Gohan's neck broke instantly. The young warrior's body went limb and he fell to the ground.

Vegeta could feel a chill run down his spine as he watched Gohan's body break down. Frieza pulled back and smiled. "He can survive if he's brought to the rejuvenation tank on time. I'd say he has ten minutes. It's your choice, Vegeta." The man turned away from them and walked back to his throne. "You're dismissed."

Vegeta's gaze lowered to the half-saiyan's body. He didn't move. Raditz looked from Gohan's body to Vegeta and back. "Orders, sir." He stated. When a response didn't come, he added; "Vegeta. Come on. We need to get him to a rejuvenation tank."

"Why?" Vegeta turned to look at Raditz. "He left us, Raditz. He ran away. Why should we save him now?"

Raditz gave him a pleading expression. "We can't just let him die." He stated quietly.

Vegeta growled as he turned back to the youngest Saiyan. The man looked up and met Frieza's eyes. The man was sitting on the throne again and sent Vegeta a sweet smile. He was enjoying this situation. This was the perfect moment for Frieza to find out how attached the rest of the Saiyan team was to the half-saiyan. Vegeta blew out a sigh. "Grab him." He stated before he turned to the entrance of the room.

Raditz quickly grabbed Gohan and they rushed to the medical room. There Raditz undressed the half-saiyan and placed the younger warrior in a tank. He explained that he wanted make sure that Frieza didn't secretly break any other essential bones on Gohan's back or neck and the rejuvenation tank worked its best when not obstructed by clothing.

"Why did you decide to help him?" Nappa asked as he glanced to Vegeta. The two were watching as Raditz placed the youngest Saiyan in the rejuvenation tank.

Vegeta crossed his arms over each other. "We saved his life, Nappa. He owes us one now. Pride is anything and everything to a Saiyan. This is a debt he is going to have to repay to us."

**** DBZ **** DBZ ****

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