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.

31. Chapter 31: A Half-breed's Purpose

Previously on AHL:

"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."

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

"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."

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

"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 ****

Oriko and Judin exchanged glances before they looked back to Gohan. Oriko stepped closer to the half-saiyan. "Gohan, we heard about your escape. That's why we decided to try to run as well. Please, come with us."

"I can't, Oriko. Don't you understand?" Gohan blew out a sigh. Why did they not believe him?

Unbeknownst to Gohan, Judin sent Oriko a warning glance. The young warrior approached his younger friend and placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder. "Alright. I understand. We'll leave you here." He stated before he attempted to hug his friend. Gohan returned the hug until a hand knocked against the side of his neck and he blacked out.

Oriko watched as Gohan's body sank to the ground. He made a clicking sound with his tongue. "I don't really like this."

"You know how Gohan is." Judin answered as he looked over at Oriko. "He thinks he will put us in danger if he comes with us. He's being way too selfless. And he would never come with us. This is the only way."

"Yeah but… kidnapping our best friend." Oriko shrugged. It felt uncomfortable.

"This is for his own good." Judin knelt down to grab the younger warrior. He easily pulled the half-saiyan's body up and positioned Gohan over his shoulder so he could easily carry the half-saiyan. "Let's go before the rest of the saiyans wake up."

Chapter 31. A Half-breed's Purpose.

Gohan opened his eyes and sat up. A stinging sensation in his neck made him cringe and he placed a hand on the back of his neck. The young warrior looked around while he gently massaged his muscles.

He was sitting on a makeshift bed. He was surrounded by other makeshift beds. He realized this was some sort of bedroom. A young soldier was sitting up against the wall near the doorway, fast asleep. Gohan wondered if that boy was supposed to keep watch over Gohan. If so, he was doing a bad job at it.

Gohan got up and surveyed the room once more. Several young soldiers were asleep on the beds. Gohan recognized some of the faces and he instantly realized where he was. Oh boy, Oriko and Judin were so dead.

The half-saiyan pinpointed the familiar power-levels. Gohan very silently made his way to the doorway. Once there, he quickened his pace and headed straight to the room in which the familiar power-levels were present.

"You two…" Gohan snarled once he was in the room. He already knew there were a lot more soldiers in the room than just his two friends but he didn't care. "…are dead!"

"Gohan!" Oriko exclaimed. "Wait a minute."

"Gohan, please. Just hear us out." Judin said as he extended his light-green hands to the half-saiyan in order to stop his young friend.

"Say your goodbyes." Gohan cracked his knuckles as he approached the two warriors.

"It's good to see you too, Gohan." Another soldier said in an amused tone. The soldier grinned when Gohan only gave a glance in her direction.

"You know we had to do it, Gohan." Oriko stated carefully. His brown hair fell in front of his eyes and he moved up his hand to brush it away.

"Right, just like I have to do this now." Gohan growled dangerously. His tail waved angrily behind him.

"Please mighty Saiyan!" Judin exclaimed as he threw up his hands and kneeled down to the floor. He leaned forwards until his extended arms touched the ground in front of him. His purple hair fell forwards with him and touched the ground all around him.

"Please spare us!" Oriko added as he followed Judin's example. "We are at your mercy."

Gohan let out an annoyed sound at their theatrics. "Oh, come on, Gohan. Let them live." A voice called over to him. The half-saiyan glanced to the two female warriors and he received two grins from them. They were twins and their behavior tended to show it. They had identical blue eyes and extremely white hair. The only difference between them was their hairstyle. A difference that was imposed on them by the specialists because the trainers wanted to make sure the girls wouldn't try to take each other's place.

"They deserve to live!"

"Let them live!"

"Grant them life!"

Gohan crossed his arms over each other as he waited for his former comrades to stop cheering his two friends on. Oriko and Judin were still in the same position and they hadn't moved a muscle. Gohan took a deep breath. "I can't believe this." He muttered as he walked to the control panel.

Judin and Oriko looked up and quickly got up. The two warriors put up their arms in celebration and the rest of the group cheered along with them. Gohan ignored the entire thing as he studied the control panel.

"High-tech stuff you've got here." Gohan stated when Oriko and Judin appeared at his side. "You stole a beauty."

"I know right." Oriko responded. "And it's a big ship too. We stole it from one of the second rate teams while they were visiting the brothel."

Gohan looked up to Oriko. "You're going to bring me back to the Saiyans."

"We will do no such thing." The nineteen-year-old responded as he shook his head.

"Oriko, I can't stay here. The Saiyans will come after me." Gohan said, raising his voice.

"So we'll kill them." Oriko responded easily. "They may be strong but we're a large group. We can take them."

"You have a better chance to escape if I leave now." Gohan tried to reason with Oriko but he noticed that his friend gave a look that said he was not going to change his mind any time soon. "Oriko, you can't keep me here."

Judin crossed his arms over each other. "I think we can actually." The fifteen-year-old stated in a stubborn voice. Gohan looked over at him. "How are you planning on leaving us?"

"What?" Gohan frowned at the implication.

Judin shrugged. "You can't leave. You're stuck on this ship now. And we're not going to help you leave."

Gohan opened and closed his mouth. "I… Guys…" He looked around but the rest of soldiers all looked away when he met their eyes. The half-saiyan scoffed before he looked back to Judin and Oriko. They were one of the few who were ready to meet his eyes.

"Gohan." Oriko stated. "We care about you, okay? We don't want to leave you behind because you're our friend."

"I care about you guys too." Gohan returned. "That's why I don't want to be the reason that you guys are caught again."

"Just… Try to see this from our perspective." Judin added. "You may be a little biased because you've been living with Vegeta for all these years and he put the idea that you can never leave him in your head."

Gohan scoffed as Judin spoke and now frowned at him. "I'm not just some gullible kid, Judin." He responded.

"Gohan, I've known you since you were six years old." Judin placed his hands on Gohan's shoulders. "I've seen you take beating after beating for us. You're so selfless it's a miracle you're still alive. Please, trust me. We know what we're doing."

Gohan blew out a sigh. "I hope you do, Judin." The young warrior looked over to the rest of the group again and he smiled as he realized how much he missed everyone here. "I'm really glad to be here and see everyone again."

Judin returned the smile and allowed Gohan to head for the rest of the group. While the half-saiyan greeted the other soldiers, his two best friends stepped closer to each other.

Oriko held up his hand and Judin returned the high-five. Oriko leaned against the panel as he crossed his arms over each other. "You always know how to get through to him." He said in a lowered voice.

Judin shrugged. "I think it goes both ways."

Oriko nodded as he considered how many times Gohan managed to convince Judin into doing something stupid. "I just hope he's not right." Oriko added.

"Are you talking about what he said about the saiyans?" Judin looked up to Oriko. His friend nodded once to show his answer. "We'll see." Judin continued in response.

"Alright." Gohan freed himself from the group of soldiers. "I'm going to check out the ship for a while." He stated.

"Do you need someone to give you a tour?" Sana, one of the twins, offered as she stepped closer.

Gohan shook his head. "No, thank you. I'm sure you all have enough work to do. I'll manage on my own." The younger warrior gave his friends a disarming smile before he turned and headed for the doorway.

Oriko and Judin exchanged glances. As if they were going to believe that crap. The two warriors followed their friend, easily catching up with him and appeared on either side of the half-saiyan. Gohan scoffed. "Seriously? Are you going to follow me all around the ship now?"

"If you want to try to escape from the ship, the space pod center is through the third door on the left." Judin responded casually as he pointed to the door he was talking about.

"You know me well." Gohan ignored the door and kept walking. "Don't worry. I won't try to escape. Vegeta will find us soon enough."

"You think so?" Oriko asked as he glanced sideways.

"I know so." Gohan said stoically. "He won't just let me go. He'll be right on our heels."

"You're such a downer these days, little Gohan." Judin couldn't sound more condescending if he actually tried harder. "What happened to the cheerful little half-saiyan I grew up with?"

"So where is the training room of this ship?" Gohan wondered out loud in response to Judin's teasing.

Judin snickered. "It's right around the corner here." He pointed again and Gohan turned to head to the training room. His friends followed him somewhat hesitantly. Gohan looked around in the bright room. It wasn't too big. Then again, the ship was quite small too. It was one of the medium-sized ships that could house about a hundred soldiers. Therefore, there were probably several medium sized training rooms just like this one. It could basically contain thirty fighting soldiers at the same time without it feeling overcrowded.

"I hope you guys have been training well." Gohan stated while he turned his brown orbs on his best friends.

"Yes, we have, actually." Oriko spread his arms. "The specialists were quite happy to make us suffer after you left. Honestly, I never realized how much attention you actually took upon yourself during your stay."

Gohan's expression changed somewhat. "Were they very hard on you right after I left?"

Judin shook his head. "Not really. They decided that missing you was a proper punishment and they let us off easy."

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? Man, they've gotten soft." The young warrior's expression changed again as he sank through his knees a little and showed a smirk. "I didn't though. Let's see how much you two have progressed over the years." He moved up his hands to complete his defensive stance.

There was no more encouragement needed for Oriko and Judin. They were both eager to train with the youngest saiyan. Gohan kept the amused expression on his face as he charged at Oriko. Just a moment before he reached his best friend, Gohan disappeared from Oriko's sight only to reappear on his right side to try and punch him. Oriko could only just jump away to avoid getting punched. The warrior powered up a punch but he had to drop the idea as Gohan was right in his face again. The half-saiyan directed a punch at Oriko's face and managed to hit him full-on this time. Oriko was thrown backwards by the power in the punch. While he was trying to get back up, his friends fell into a quick-paced pattern of punches and kicks.

Judin and Gohan kept their gazes on each other's eyes as they tried to hurt each other as much as possible. However, their attacks were continuously blocked by the other person. They appeared to be evenly matched.

Oriko watched his two friends for a bit. He realized just how much his friends had actually grown and a smile appeared on his face. He met Gohan when the half-saiyan was only eight years old. Gohan had been small but strong and always a happy-go-lucky presence in Oriko's life. Oriko knew that Gohan was the one who taught him to never give up - no matter how horrible the circumstances may seem.

Oriko only saw a bleak future for himself when his parents died in a fatal accident and he was forced to move in with his aunt and uncle. They figured that Oriko may as well work for a living so they forced him to join his uncle's squad. And he'd been the misfit of the team since he started there. He couldn't fight so they had to train him but he wasn't any good at it and he learned very slowly. This led to numerous beatings, lots of taunting and eventually they gave up on him and sent him to the training camp. At only fifteen, he felt like he lost everything and he became very depressed. That was until he met Gohan and he realized that the half-saiyan was not much better off. Still, Gohan had hope and this hope rubbed off on Oriko as well.

Their meeting was quite messy, as was their relationship after that. Gohan was cornered by a group of warriors from the Thunder group. The half-saiyan was still quite young and he was not as much of a match against a group of warriors all twice his age. Oriko walked in on the group when they were forcing the half-saiyan to bend over a table. The youngster took one look around the room. There were several warriors with large sticks in their hands as they were planning on spanking the helpless half-saiyan. When one of the warriors told Oriko to either join them or get out, Oriko could feel his anger starting to boil within him. He easily saw himself in Gohan's position, getting beaten by his comrades, and he attacked the warriors. The commotion that occurred after that allowed Gohan to escape from his capturers and together they defeated the group and got away.

Afterwards, Gohan smiled to Oriko and told him that he owed Oriko one. After that Oriko was kind of stuck with the half-saiyan. The youngster kept showing up near him, introducing him to Judin and the rest of the group, and telling him that he may as well join them, as it appeared that he had nobody else to hang out with. And Oriko eventually did. It was the best decision he ever made.

An urgent alarm suddenly sounded in the room. The warriors froze for only a second before Judin and Oriko hastened to the entrance. Gohan followed them to the control room.

"Who's contacting us?" Judin asked once they were inside. The cadets who were watching the control room showed helpless gestures.

"It's them!" Gohan ran closer to the panel and looked up to the dark screen that was supposed to activate during a video call.

"No, it's not." Oriko shook his head before the large screen shivered and changed. "What the hell?"

Judin frowned as he turned to the control panel. The young warrior allowed his hands to play with the panel as he continuously looked up to check what his administrations did to the connection. However, he stepped back when the screen shifted from black to a vague picture of a man. "We're being hacked! I can't stop it."

"Get Gohan out of here!" Oriko ordered. Gohan raised both his eyebrows and opened his mouth to complain but reconsidered when he realized that Oriko's orders were being followed. Sisi and Sana, the twins, approached him. Sana smiled as she cracked her knuckles while Sisi motioned for Gohan to walk backwards.

Gohan scoffed. "If you think I'm going to listen to you two you're sadly…" The young warrior couldn't finish this sentence as Sana grabbed his arm and easily twisted his arm in such a way that he was forced to turn around. The young warrior did not even realize what was happening as his arm was twisted on his back and he was pushed to his knees. Sisi placed a finger on her lips to indicate what she wanted from him before sending him a smile.

Oriko turned to Judin. "How is this happening?"

Judin's face showed the answer. "I don't know. I think he's hacking into our system to force a connection to our ship."

"Well well well." Vegeta's voice sounded through the room. Gohan opened his mouth to say something but Sisi immediately pressed her hand against his mouth to stop him. They were just outside Vegeta's line of vision. "I spy a group of runaway cadets."

"What do you want, Saiyan?" Oriko stated in response.

"You have one of mine. I'd like to get him back." Vegeta responded calmly.

"Gohan is not here." Oriko stated in response. "Get off our trail."

"Oh come on. Do you really think I'm an idiot? My comrade happens to disappear right as you kids cross our path? It would be a very big coincidence, wouldn't it?" Vegeta returned. "Give him back to me or I will send your coordinates to Crimon's scouter right now."

Gohan figured it was time to step in and he powered up enough to throw the female soldiers off of him. The young warrior got up and stepped closer. "Vegeta. I'm here." He stated. The young warrior noticed that Vegeta's expression changed when he saw the younger warrior. "I'll come back to you on one condition; please let my friends go."

Vegeta considered this response for a moment. "Fine. Ratting out your little friends won't benefit me in any way. I'll be lenient and let them go."

"Thank you." Gohan smiled as he nodded.

"Now let us land on the ship. The landing area should be good enough to accommodate three space pods." The screen turned black.

Oriko pressed his lips together. "Should we fight them?" He asked nobody in particular. Gohan sent him a glare. "Alright. I'll instigate the landing procedures." His hands moved to the control panel and he ordered the ship to invite the guests in.

"Where's the launching center?" Gohan asked as he looked to Judin.

"I'll take you there." Judin responded. The rest of the group decided to join the two warriors and they all headed for the center. The atmosphere was quite different from what it had been. The warriors realized they were supposed to say goodbye to one of their own.

Gohan noticed that Vegeta was the first one to land. The man stepped out of the space pod and allowed a machine to grab it and place it among several others that were hanging from the ceiling. The saiyan prince looked around for a moment while the other two space pods landed. Gohan realized not for the first time that the saiyan team was always a team. They didn't like to go out on their own, even if it was only a couple of steps to the group of tweens.

Once they were complete, Vegeta looked over to the group. The man took the lead as they approached the younger warriors. The moment Vegeta was close enough; Gohan realized what was going to happen. The half-saiyan tried to get out of the way but Vegeta was faster as he grabbed Gohan by his collar and smacked him over the head harshly.

"How dare you run from us again!" Vegeta snarled at the younger warrior. The man tried to smack Gohan again but two fists raced in his direction and he had to release Gohan to defend himself.

Oriko and Judin jumped Vegeta in order to defend their friend. Gohan was pushed back as the rest of the youngsters joined in when Raditz and Nappa tried to defend their squad leader.

"No! Stop!" Gohan yelled as he fell back. Vegeta easily caught Judin's fist. He kneed Oriko in his stomach before the younger warrior could even reach him. After this he used Judin as leverage and threw the youngster into Oriko.

Raditz was confronted by three different soldiers but he found himself winning easily as he pushed their attacks away. He waited for an opening and he found one quickly. The man leaned sideways to avoid a punch from Sisi before he pulled back a fist to punch Sana away. Raditz fell through his knees to avoid a kick Kiko, placed his hand on the ground to steady his body before he extended his leg to swipe their legs from under them. The three soldiers fell to the ground and Raditz proceeded to kick them in order to make sure they stayed down.

Gohan shook his head as he watched the battle. "STOP!" He yelled, hoping someone would hear him and stop fighting.

Nappa easily broke a wrist as he caught a punch. The man laughed at how easily the bones broke and he pushed the young soldier away. The youngster fell to the ground clutching his broken wrist.

Vegeta smirked as he surveyed the two youngsters on the ground and he motioned for Oriko and Judin to come at him again. The two friends didn't need any more encouragement and they attacked Vegeta head on.

Vegeta casually stepped back as Judin and Oriko attacked him. He carefully dodged the punches and kicks. Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes and his arm shot under a punch from Oriko. The punch pushed against Oriko's abs and made him gasp for air. The nineteen-year-old stumbled back and sank through his knees. Vegeta tilted his head sideways to dodge a punch from Judin before he moved up his hand to knock against the side of Judin's face. The young warrior was almost thrown sideways but Vegeta grabbed the fabric of his uniform and pulled him back. The man let out small chuckles as he released his punches on the helpless Judin.

Raditz noticed that Sana was trying to kick his leg and he moved up his leg to dodge her. His large hand smacked her over the head. She fell to the ground. The man smirked as he pushed his boot down on her stomach. She let out a raspy groan in response. The man allowed his tail to wrap around Sisi's wrist when she tried to punch him. Sisi used his hold as leverage and moved her leg up to kick him. Raditz didn't expect this and he was hit full-on by her boot. The kick knocked his face sideways and he had to stumble back. Sisi helped Sana up while Raditz recovered from the kick. The Saiyan warrior eyed the two warriors with renewed respect. They were strong broads but they were nothing he couldn't handle. Raditz disappeared from their sight. The two girls looked around before two large hands wrapped in their hair. Screams were heard as they were lifted up by their hair. The pain numbed them for a moment and this was enough for Raditz to throw the two girls right into each other. The two fell down in a scrambled heap of limbs.

Gohan noticed the expressions on the faces of his comrades and his entire body went cold. What was going to stop them from killing his friends?

Gohan clenched his fists as he felt his power rise and he ran to the middle of the brawl. There he channeled his desperation into anger and he extended his arms to send out a wave of energy all around him. All the warriors around him were caught by the energy wave and they were all thrown to the ground easily.

A silence ensued as Gohan lowered his arms. Vegeta got up from the ground and his attention was briefly taken by the high number on his scouter. The man pressed his lips together before he pressed a button on his scouter to make the numbers go away.

"Stop fighting." Gohan stated as he looked around. "This was not supposed to happen."

Oriko was the first to stand by his best friend. Judin followed quickly. The young soldiers formed a wall behind their three leaders. Vegeta surveyed the group with interest and was once again amazed by the coherency in the group. Gohan kept saying that he was not the leader of this group but as he was standing at the head of the group like this, he seemed very much like one.

"Well, that was quite a warm welcome." Vegeta stated as he approached the younger warriors. "Maybe I should reconsider sending your coordinates to Crimon."

Gohan clicked with his tongue before he stepped closer to Vegeta. "Come with me for a moment." He muttered as he looked at the three Saiyans. The older warriors were surprised by Gohan's initiative but they allowed the younger warrior to lead them back to the space pods.

Oriko and Judin exchanged glances but they didn't attempt to follow the Saiyans. Instead they turned to their comrades to quickly see how much soldiers were wounded.

Gohan looked up at his comrades. "Please don't tell anyone my friends are here." He stated softly.

Vegeta raised an eyebrow. "And why should we do anything for you?" He responded.

"Vegeta. Please."

"What will you give us in return?"

Gohan tried not to frown in response to Vegeta's difficult attitude. "I'll do anything."

A grin appeared on Vegeta's face. "Anything?" He repeated before he uncrossed his arms. "I have to admit that after a long day of training my feet can use a good massage."

"My neck has been bothering me lately." Raditz added as he reached up and placed his hand behind his own neck.

Nappa made a pout with his lips. "And my shoulders are way too tensed."

Gohan eyed the amused glances he was receiving from his comrades and he took a deep breath to steady his nerves. He knew he'd singlehandedly backed himself into a corner. If he didn't comply to his comrades wishes, they would probably hand his friends over to the specialists. He would have to choose between his pride and his friends.

"I'll do anything you say without complaining for a month." Gohan offered.

Vegeta chuckled. "Make that a year." He responded.

"Two months."

"Eleven months."

"Four months." Gohan's voice became a little less certain as he noticed the amount of months was going up. He wasn't looking forward to this.

"You do realize you're asking a lot, right? Maybe I should call the specialists and ask how many credits they are willing to give in exchange for your friends." Vegeta said thoughtfully. The man's dark gaze met Gohan's eyes again.

"Six months and I'll teach you how to sense power levels." Gohan clenched his fists. He would have to give up his advantage over the saiyans for his best friends. It was worth it. "I still have not done that, right?"

"Right." Vegeta smirked as his tail released itself from curling around his hips and moved forward. "You've got yourself a deal."

"Deal." Gohan's tail reached out as well and the two tails met in the air between them, curling around each other and briefly moving down and up again. "Thanks." Gohan said while their entangled tails lowered slowly released each other.

"Don't thank me yet." Vegeta reached out and pushed his fist against Gohan's chin. "I have a feeling you'll be very busy these upcoming six months." He gently pushed Gohan's face sideways with his fist.

Gohan lowered his gaze. "It will be worth it."

"Will it?" Vegeta shrugged. "You're too good for this world." He said as he turned to the others warriors. The man studied the small group of warriors. "I hope you're not planning on rescuing your little friend." He stated.

Oriko frowned as he stepped closer. "What if we are? Who's going to stop us?" He challenged. Gohan turned around to face his friends and he bit his lower lip when he noticed the expressions on the faces of his friends. He didn't want this to turn into a fight.

Vegeta showed a smirk. "Rumor has it that this runt here is the strongest of your little gang." Vegeta threw his arm around Gohan's shoulders and pulled him closer. "I successfully tamed him so why do you think you would pose a threat to me?"

This triggered annoyance from the half-saiyan. "You did no such thing." Gohan snarled as he pushed against Vegeta's arm. The man's smirk broadened as he turned his gaze to the half-saiyan. He wasn't letting Gohan go just yet.

"Oh really? Correct me if I'm wrong but you gave yourself up the moment we made contact." Vegeta responded. Gohan stopped struggling. His angered gaze was lowered to the ground. "And I'll bet you told your friends to take you back to us because you knew we would come after you." Gohan didn't meet his gaze. "Exactly. Gohan here knows he's not getting away from me anytime soon." The man roughly tousled Gohan's hair as he said this. He allowed Gohan to push him away this time.

The half-saiyan stepped sideways to create distance between himself and Vegeta. Gohan briefly met the eyes of his friends. He could see both Judin and Oriko were now even more inclined to take him away from these bullies.

"Besides," Vegeta continued as he pulled his hand back and pointed at the two warriors in the front of the group, "If it wasn't for this little runt, we would have killed you guys easily just now."

"Alright. Enough fighting for today." Gohan stated quickly when he saw that Oriko was about to answer Vegeta's taunt. The young warrior turned to Vegeta. "So, what's going to happen now?"

"We're leaving." Vegeta said as he turned to look at the space pods. The man's attention moved to the young half-saiyan. "And you're coming with us."

Gohan nodded. He already expected that answer. "Can I say goodbye to my friends?"

"No, we are already way behind on schedule." Vegeta responded strictly. "We're leaving right now." The man was about to head for the space pods when Gohan's voice distracted him.

"Please?" The half-saiyan stated as he gave Vegeta a pleading glance.

The Saiyan prince blew out a sigh. "Five minutes." He stated before he turned to the space pods and headed for them. Raditz and Nappa followed him.

Gohan smiled and turned to his friends. Oriko frowned at the younger warrior. "There must be something we can do." He stated as he studied his best friend. "Can you believe how he just treated you? Is that who we're supposed to leave you with?"

"He was just showing off." Gohan lifted his hands in a calming gesture. "Power play. He's a jerk. That's what jerks do." He could see that his friends were not convinced. "Believe me, that's the closest I've stood to Vegeta in months."

Oriko sighed. "We can't just let them take you."

"You'll have to." Gohan responded. "I can't run away from the army, Oriko, but you guys can. Please don't try to save me again. It will only lead to you guys getting caught." He noticed the disagreeing expressions on the faces of his comrades. "Please, guys. Promise me that you won't try to rescue me again." He looked around the group. "People left behind will be left behind, remember? That should count for me as well."

"Fine." Oriko responded, though he still looked somewhat annoyed. "We won't try to save you again. We'll just let you live out your life behind bars." He complained.

Gohan smiled in response. "Good." He stated. The youngster turned to the rest of the group and went to exchange some hugs and handshakes with his former comrades. The young warrior managed to fight the sadness that was building up from his stomach all the way to his throat and was finally trying to affect his eyes. That was until he reached his two best friends. Gohan could feel his eyes starting to water as he hugged Oriko tightly.

"Stay strong, kiddo." Oriko stated quietly. "Don't let those goons get you down."

Judin agreed as he threw his arms around the younger warrior. "We'll see each other again when we're free. Someday."

"Agreed." Gohan grinned in response. "It's a promise." Judin nodded.

Gohan could feel the tears threatening to fall down his cheeks so he turned and headed for his current comrades. The young warrior blinked the tears away as he walked. Gohan looked up when a hand landed on his shoulder. Raditz gave him a small smile while he gently squeezed Gohan's shoulder. Gohan returned a smile before he took a deep breath.

"So, who is going to take the brat?" Vegeta stated as he looked to his comrades. Raditz and Nappa pointed at each other before they both made an annoyed face.

"Let's play rock-paper-scissors." Raditz stated. "Loser gets to travel with the extra luggage." Gohan scoffed in response but he didn't say anything.

""Alright." Nappa and Raditz stepped closer together and they got ready to play rock-paper-scissors.

However, Vegeta interrupted them: "I'll take him." He offered.

Nappa and Raditz stopped and turned to look at Vegeta. "You don't have to." Nappa responded. Gohan pressed his lips together. Why was he so used to not having a say in which comrade he was going to join? If only he could make the decision himself. He would much rather spend a couple of days in a small space with Raditz than with Vegeta.

Vegeta waved their responses away. "I'm the smallest adult here. We'll fit easier. It's the sensible thing to do." He stated. "Raditz, get in. Nappa, you'll go second. We'll leave last."

Raditz and Nappa followed Vegeta's orders. Gohan watched as Vegeta finally got in the last space pod. The man sat down before he pulled his legs to one side of the seat and he indicated to the open area on the ground. The youngster tried not to show how annoyed he was with the situation. He waved to his friends before he crawled in the space pod. The young warrior pulled his legs closer to him and wrapped his arms around them.

"Ready?" Vegeta asked. Gohan nodded and Vegeta pressed the button to close the space pod. Gohan smiled as he waved once again to his friends. For the last time. The youngster leaned back his head against the wall and closed his eyes as the space pod vibrated and then the pressure on his body indicated that the space pod was launching. "Are you okay?" Vegeta asked quietly once they were floating in the darkness of space.

Gohan opened his eyes and met Vegeta's gaze. "I'm fine." He responded. "Thanks." He added somewhat awkwardly. Vegeta shrugged before he closed his eyes. Gohan shifted on the ground as his butt was already feeling numb from sitting on the harsh floor. He drew a breath and let it out. Man, this was awkward.

The youngster looked out the window as he considered the few hours of freedom he just experienced. He knew he wasn't going to get away from the army that easily. No, he was not going to escape. He had to gain his freedom in a different manner. The young warrior allowed his expression to turn into a determined one as he watched the ship of his friends turn into a small dot in the darkness.

Vegeta suddenly opened his eyes and moved up his hands to type a number into the small control panel on the side of the ship. Gohan watched curiously as the small screen above the panel shivered and changed into a live-video of Crimon – one of the specialists of the camp.

"Vegeta? I have to admit I'm always surprised to receive a call from you." The man stated. He appeared to be in his office.

"I think you mean that you're surprised you're getting a call at all. If only you were pleasant to interact with, you would probably receive a lot more social calls." Vegeta responded. The man had a relaxed air about him that suggested he was used to locking verbal horns with the specialist.

"You're totally right." Crimon's eyes showed amusement as he leaned on his desk with his lower arms. "How's the kid doing?" He asked.

"Look for yourself." Vegeta turned the screen so that Gohan was visible too. The half-saiyan widened his eyes for a moment and he showed a grin as he met the eyes of his former mentor. "He's still as ugly as ever." Vegeta added.

"Hey!" Gohan complained.

Crimon laughed through Gohan's complaints. "Too bad. I was hoping he would grow out of it." He stated.

Vegeta grinned in response. "No such luck."

"As if you two are so easy on the eyes." Gohan grumbled. The youngster shifted and crossed his legs over each other.

"Why are you sharing a space pod?" Crimon asked curiously.

"Saiyans prefer to stay close to each other." Vegeta deadpanned. Gohan rolled his eyes as he leaned back against the window. Crimon voiced his disagreement. "We lost a space pod so we have to share one. It's just for a few hours."

"Well, good luck with that." Crimon responded. "So, why are you contacting me?"

"I wanted to let you know that we came across your little runaways. They're on their way to the Eastern Quatrain." Vegeta stated.

Gohan sat up and frowned. "Hey! You promised not to say anything!"

"Be quiet." Vegeta returned. "I already sent the coordinates to your inbox. Do with it what you want."

Crimon's gaze moved to the side as he checked his inbox. The man raised both his eyebrows. "How?"

"They tried to take this one along." Vegeta pointed to Gohan with his thumb. The youngster was frowning as he had his arms crossed over each other. "We took the brat back and let the others think we were letting them go."

Crimon eyed Gohan's angry expression for a moment before he nodded. "Thank you. We'll send a message to the border controls of the Eastern Quatrain." He stated. "Don't kill each other while you're in there."

"I can't make any promises." Gohan muttered in response as he glared to Vegeta. The man met his gaze as a smirk appeared on his face.

"Say goodbye to Crimon, kiddo." Vegeta stated as he moved his hand to disconnect the call.

"Bye, Crimon." Gohan said quickly.

"We'll meet again someday, Saiyan." Crimon said gently. The screen went black after that. Vegeta was not one for goodbyes.

Gohan grinned at the Saiyan prince. "Thank you." He stated. Vegeta just gave the wrong coordinates to the specialists. He said that Gohan's friends were moving to the Eastern Quatrain but they were actually on course to the Western Quatrain. Gohan just played along to make it seem more believable for Crimon.

Vegeta pulled one of his legs up on the chair. "Don't thank me yet." He responded. "You'll be rubbing my feet until your hands are swollen." He moved his boot up right in front of Gohan's face until Gohan's hand pushed his leg back down. The man was still showing an amused expression as he pulled his leg back and closed his eyes again.

Gohan was shaking his head disapprovingly. The half-saiyan leaned his head back as he once again made a decision. He would stay with his comrades for now. He would train with them in order to get stronger. He would need it.

He was not going to escape from the army. He was going to make sure the army was going down first. Gohan would gain his freedom by destroying Frieza. Once and for all.

THE END

For now. Most of you have probably read the original version and know that this is not the end of this story. However, it is the end of this installment of the new rewritten A Half-breed's Life. I figured this is a proper ending to the first part.

Please review and let me know what you think. You'll receive a notification when the sequel starts.