DISCLAIMER: If you recognize it, I don't own it.

Goku sat with his legs crossed on the Flying Nimbus with Gohan snuggled in his arms, speeding over the tops of trees and land so fast they were only a blur in the sky to the average onlooker. As he chugged along with the Flying Nimbus securely underneath him, he couldn't help but puzzle at how he had found Gohan earlier that day.

Chi-Chi would never let him train Gohan which he found confusing seeing as by her justification he wasn't old enough for training, but if that was true then how was he old enough for all those books and all that studying that she had him doing? Whenever Goku asked this question however, he got an iron skillet to the head, and because it was his wife he couldn't exactly dodge or block it- on the rare occasion that he saw it coming. If he did dodge it though, then Chi-Chi would just get even more angry and he'd end up getting more than just one little goose egg on his noggin. He knew from experience.

But wait a second, if he was never able to train Gohan, then how had he gotten all the way up to the top of that tree?

Goku jumped slightly when Gohan jolted unexpectedly in his sleep, causing him to feel a warm pressure around his arm. Looking down he saw that Gohan had his tail tightly wrapped around his forearm. Smiling Goku shuffled Gohan's hair slightly off of his face. He was sitting criss cross on Nimbus with Gohan reclining across his lap and against his chest, hugged in his arms; almost resembling the way Goku had first held him when he had just been a baby. He could still remember the day he had come into existence, all of the panic and pain. Goku had had no clue what to do. He could still remember the after part though, what had come subsequent to all the screams and blood that was commonly associated with childbirth. The tired doctor had brought the baby to him, and he had simply stared at the little bundle of life in his arms that he had somehow helped to create. He was sleeping peacefully then just as he was now.

Feeling a warmth and peace hover around him and inside him, he could tell that Nimbus was somehow affected by it as well- Nimbus always had a strange way of knowing those kinds of things. Going more at a cruise now, the Nimbus slowed down to a more moderate speed. Goku could feel his friends at the Kame House just ahead.

Speaking of heads, Goku rubbed his, Chi had not been pleased with him going to visit with Gohan, especially with the state the boy had been in at the time. The poor kid was almost inconsolable after Goku found him at the top of the tree. All he managed to comprehend from the youngster was a mixture of 'Daddy, Lion, Teeth, Tree, Gold' and a Whole lot of wailing.

Imagine Chi-Chi and her maternal instinct going haywire at the site of her offspring in such a state, even if by the time the two had gotten home Gohan had calmed considerably. Just the sight of her baby in distress had her on edge and angry. He had no clue how he had managed to convince her to let him take Gohan to the reunion. It must have been the promise to keep him safe and be back before dinner. He almost chuckled at the thought that it was something she thought she had to ask of him for it to be. He would never miss a meal, and so long as he was alive, and he wouldn't let anything happen to his precious loved ones either.

Seeing the little island with the pink house resting on it that said 'Kame House' on the front in white, he was flushed with excitement and nostalgia. He could feel Krillin, Bulma, and of course master Roshi; the small gang all together bringing back memories of past adventures and battles. He had to wonder though, and when the cloud landed- after the initial hugs and introduction- he asked about the missing Yamcha. Upon receiving a very heated, angry reply from Bulma and a sheepish Krillin off in the back just seeming as though he had already heard it many times before, Goku just rolled with it; much the same as many things in his life. He supposed that he could just see the final member of the group another time. When a grunt could be heard off to where he had left Nimbus and Gohan, he went over.

After Nimbus had come to a stop he had gracefully jumped off the cloud without disturbing Gohan, carefully unwrapping his tail from his arm and laying him so that he was curled up on it in such a way that he could remain sleeping. Goku was going to check on where he had left him at that moment, but Bulma beat him to it, and if her shocked exclamation didn't wake Gohan up right then, then the yelling she did immediately after seeing Gohan certainly would.

"Goku! There is a sleeping kid on the Nimbus Cloud with your hair! He looks just like you!" She said the last part as Gohan rose into a slouching sitting position on the cloud, revealing his still half asleep face as well as his yawning mouth. He also did a few customary one armed just-waking-up stretches with his eyes clenched shut and his toddler hands fisted. When his tail came out from behind him waving from side to side looking like a fishing hook, Bulma had another loud exclamation; causing Gohan to wince and look around a little more awake and morefluidly. Goku half smiled, half winced in empathy, his own ears were really sensitive, he guessed that he had passed that trait down to Gohan. When Gohan did look around at his surroundings completely conscious and awake at last, his tail came more into view and it swayed from side to side lazily.

"Goku! Look at that he has a tail just like you did when you were a kid!" Bulma said just as loudly, if not more so than before. Krillin had joined her by this time, both of them side by side and creeping up close and closer. They seemed more scared at this point when she said that. It made Goku confused, why would they be worried about Gohan? Goku, feeling bashful but proud went up behind Gohan and Nimbus, picked up Gohan from under his little armpits and held him out like a prize, saying

"This is my son, Gohan!" All the dumbfounded faces pointed toward him made him laugh. He had missed his friends. It had truly been too long since they had last seen each other. He had missed them dearly as well as all the cool things that they always managed to accomplish together. The expressions they made as well were greatly missed, it was never boring with them around.

Bulma and Krillin looked at each other out of the corner of their eyes, then both looked at Gohan, who had been set down at that point and was hiding behind Goku's left leg- nervously glancing at them through weary eyes. You could tell that he wasn't quite used to people and was nervous around his fathers friends. Bulma and Krillin still looked at each other then at Gohan, repeating the cycle numerously. Master Roshi looked somewhat nervous as well, but it was Bulma who finally asked the question that was on all their minds,

"Goku, he hasn't seen the moon, uh, has he?" At the confused look on Goku's face, they all breathed a big sigh of relief. They all knew the consequences of a kid with a tail looking directly at the full moon. Been there, done that, and they never wanted to have to be put up to that monster again.

"No, why?" Goku just looked baffled. Bulma and Krillin were quick to respond, waving their hands in front of them, sweating and laughing nervously,

"Oh, no reason, just make sure he doesn't look at it; you know its, um, unhealthy for kids his age." Bulma said, at this Krillin looked impressed at her quick thinking, and Goku looked intrigued. Hah, she wasn't considered one of the most brilliant minds on earth for nothing!

However, Goku's wide innocent eyes were looking at her in awe and trust. And just like that Bulma and Krillin couldn't say anything; they couldn't keep eye contact when he was like that. Looking away at the sky and the ground and anywhere but at Goku and his puppy dog eyes. Inoring the twinge of guilt-for the better good- Bulma said,

"Yep, you better believe it. Thats why we never wanted you to look at the moon when you were a kid too." Glancing at him, Bulma saw a happy smile on Goku's face, and scratching the back of his head, Goku commented

"Awe, you guys, I never knew that. Hear that Gohan, make sure you don't ever look at the moon." Gohan who was still huddled behind his fathers leg looked up into his daddy's eyes and nodded solemnly. He would always listen to his dad no matter how foolish his request seemed, his daddy rarely ever made demands of him, and when he did Gohan knew to listen. He had an amazingly good memory for one his age, and was also much smarter than the average four year old- his mom made sure of that.

Because of his father, he had already made numerous moral pledges on never hurting innocent people and to always protect those who are weaker. Although, with his dad, he always got nuggets of wisdom unexpectedly, and as a result they weren't quite as easy to remember as the words on the pages of the textbooks that his mother had given him. Thus, Gohan made sure to diligently practice and write them down at night to ensure that he never forgot even one of the things he had promised his daddy.

On those rare days he got to go out with his father to wherever it was his daddy was going, he usually saw him training or something similar. When one day he asked him why it was that he trained so often in all these different places, he said that it was to protect people. He said that to protect those who are weaker from the strong, you yourself have to be stronger than the strong. Gohan had barely understood at the time what he meant by that and why he had to train to do that, and although now he somewhat comprehend the logic he still hardlyreally understood. He guessed that he just didn't understand the evils of the world yet, why there was war and conflict, why people did bad things; after all, reading it in a book isn't much when faced with the real thing.

Time after that was spent with them all getting to know all of what had happened since they had last parted- how their lives were going. With Gohan being the biggest unveil of the evening, followed by Yamcha, Goku and the rest talked on, skipping stones among other things. Gohan was still very nervous and cautious around the other people there, making sure to stick close to his dad -and his leg- at all times, but he was finally starting to warm up to them a bit. It was when Goku and the rest were interrupted by a person flying toward the island that they stopped their easy conversations and socializing to see what was up and who it was.

They had just been reminiscing about some of the wishes made by the Dragon Balls, analyzing the things they had done and found out about them as well as possible wishes that could be made in the future. They found out that although knowing more than practically anyone else on earth, they still had very limited knowledge on the subject.

At least Bulma speculated and deducted, Goku just kind of nodded along and Krillin was little better than him in the intellect when in comparison with Bulma. The two of them just ended up leaving her to talk and speculate by herself- well, with master Roshi and that was for not so pure reasons- while they went up to the small beach lining the small island to greet the incoming person whoever it was. They felt unfamiliar so Goku and Krillin made sure they were both on guard

The person who landed looked weird to say the least, they had all assumed that it would be someone that they knew- seeing as they had known of all the people on earth that were capable of flying; at least to their knowledge. All the same he was a stranger to Gohan who cringed behind his daddy, and he was scary. The mysterious man was wearing a strange armor that only covered the vitals and the shoulders and his long onox hair was untamed and wildly running down his back. He was wearing a sort of small, half glasses thing with the other half over his ear; if you went by the look on his face, he seemed as though he owned the world and was disappointed with it.

Goku couldn't tell what or who this new arrival was, but he felt dangerous- and strong. Now that he was landed right in front of them all, they got the full brunt of his ominous aura. He was exuding a sense of power, confidence, and danger. Not a good combination in all of Goku's experiences.

Looking at his daddy, Gohan saw him tense up, it was unlike anything he had ever really seen before, especially coming from his daddy. Very observant of his father, Gohan became even more scared. Taking a defensive stance and subtly dislodging Gohan from his leg, Gohan's dad made sure that the less powerful of the group were all behind him- making that practically everyone on the island. Gohan didn't quite notice this defence, but he was clinging to his fathers leg again as quickly as he was able, and this time hugging it closer than he had earlier. It was the strange man who first broke the silence.

"What was this I heard about 'Dragon's Balls'?" The tension was so thick in the air that it could be cut with a butter knife and served on toast.

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Gohan cowered in fear in the small space provided for him in the small white capsule looking space-ship. He wondered at how the afternoon could go so wrong- at how his entire day could go so wrong. He was still in shock from what he had witnessed earlier.

His father, his indestructible, strong daddy, had been defeated with hardly a second glance. Gohan worked out subconsciously that it had been an intimidation tactic of sorts at the time, a means to an end you could say, but he was still in shock and all he knew was that his condition was getting more and more severe. He could hear himself breathing fast, hyperventilating really, but it sounded and seemed more as though he was an observer and not in his own body; like it was someone else who was going into shock. He felt a chill creep into his being, etching itself into the very edges of his small existence. He knew that he was shaking, but it was hardly worth noting.

Nothing was worth noting.

His daddy was dead.

Gohans thoughts were jumbled, going through loops, backtracking, making ideas altering them, flashing back to what had happened, backtracking, making blunt, factual statements; the cycle was endless. His young mind just couldn't take it. His already dimming vision seemed to blacken ever more around the edges. Not that he could see much anyway stuck as he was in the ship thing. Not that there was much to look at.

Focusing on something else, anything else, Gohan stared at the window on the dim space pod that he was trapped in. Not the crater of destroyed land that was around the place where the pod had landed, not the raw earth with blades of grass and rock splayed randomly about, not the patch of disturbed earth where ...Raditz… had thrown him down harshly before tossing him in here to shut him up; Gohan simply stared at the window material itself. The shiny, tinted glass, dissecting it in his mind Gohan wondered at the materials that could have been used to make it. He felt his heart rate begin to steady, as well as feel his breathing becoming less irregular. Staring at the window, he felt as though the only thing that existed in that moment were him, and it. There was nothing else. Gohan felt as the window got closer and closer, clearer and clearer. Until finally Gohan could see nothing.

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Gohan sank into the blackness that was his subconscious. After floating for a while, he felt more than heard a pop, and suddenly he was back to where he had been that evening when… Raditz… had arrived on the sandy beach. But the more Gohan tried to run away, to move, to prevent what he knew was coming, what he knew would happen; the more he realized that he couldn't do a thing. He couldn't do a thing but watch powerless. And though he tried over and again to convince himself that this was only a flashback, that this was only in his mind, it was his dream he could controle it; he found himself unable to do anything.

In the beginning right after the weirdo had landed, his father had asked the man, in a demanding no nonsense voice who he was. But, as though he hadn't heard him, the man asked again about the Dragon Balls. Becoming annoyed when he was not answered, he jerkily reached up to his eye glass thing, and he pushed a switch on it. It was now blinking, very slowly. It was as though he had switched it into sleep mode or something.

However Gohan didn't have much time to ponder at this mysterious action, as the man spoke soon after. Giving them all a look as if saying that they were all insects about to be squished under his boot, he asked the same question about the Dragon Balls again for the third time. But this time there was an added threat. It was a threat to harm 'Kakarot' and all that was dear to him if he did not inform his dear brother Raditz what the Dragon Balls were and what they did and what they were capable of.

To say that everyone was surprised at his comments would be an understatement. At once, Goku asked the question that had been on all their minds. What did he mean when he said 'Kakarot' and who was his brother?

This only seemed to infuriate Raditz, and he began screaming about forgetting his mission to destroy earth, and something about 'Saiyans' and a disgrace to the entire race, and then he began ranting on about the loss of his tail when he saw that Gohans daddy had none. When his crazed, insanity riven eyes landed on Gohan, cowering behind his father, Gohan could do little but whimper; Gohans daddy tensed at the interaction as well as the sound of Gohans whimper until he was both harder and more sturdy than a statue and more ready to spring into action than a pouncing lion.

Gohan couldn't take his eyes off of the long haired man however, holding his gaze, unable to look away. And as soon as he blinked, breaking the stare with Raditz for shorter than a millisecond, he was yanked on the tail by some unseen force behind him and his daddy. Just as abruptly, Gohan found that he was in front of the whole friendly group on the island- including his father. And he couldn't move.

Gohan, knowing what would come next tried to force himself to scream, he tried to prevent what had happened, he cried out with all his power to his body to do something, anything. But nothing changed. He was as he had been not houres before. Captured and helpless; a liability. Some would argue that he was only four, that he was to young to have really made a difference, but Gohan knew better. He knew that if he had only been better, if he had only been smarter, if he had only been stronger, if he had only been faster- then he could have prevented what happened next.

He could have prevented his fathers death.

But no, Gohan was forced to watch, numbly as he was held up by the tail, in pain and unable to move; both due to the agony of being held up by his tail, and by the fact that he could not change anything that was going on here. He was absolutely helpless.

Listening he heard uselessly as the man cooed about how it was that 'Kakarot' had had a son, how it was sweet that he had a tail, and how he would make an interesting gift if he ever got around to it. About how he knew just how he could take good care of his dear nephew. Gohan heard the tone of voice, and he was pulled up so that he was practically nose to nose with the monster. And at that moment Gohan knew that he was going to die. There was no mercy in those eyes. Those were the eyes of a person who loved to kill and had done it many times before. They were the eyes of a person who had no soul, no consciousness to tell him what was right and wrong; only what was fun and would keep himself going. They were eyes full of greed and selfishness.

Gohan heard his daddy's voice call his name, and he wanted to respond, but he couldn't; he was too petrified and too hurt. Instead all that came from him was an involuntary pained moan that was pulled unwillingly from his throat as Raditz tightened his grip over his tail. He was looking at the sand on the beach once again immobile as his dad and Raditz talked.

Raditz stated that he would be taking his nephew and the Dragon Balls. The crazy man was never told what it was that the Dragon Balls did but he had heard enough about making a wish and how it would come true. Although disbelieving, Raditz could tell it was the truth. Demanding that they give him the Dragon Balls at once; he shot out a bright concentrated beam from his fingers when no one moved to comply. The energy beam hit, and he heard a thud of a body hitting the ground, but all Gohan could see was a puddle of red beginning to form at the edges of his vision. It was the horrified gasps and the whispered 'Goku…!' that had his world stop turning and him seeing red.

He felt his blood stop with his heart, then suddenly it was burning like fire through his veins. Gohan could only stare at the puddle as it became more and more widespread, meaning that he could see it more and more. Raditz's laughter was grating on his nerves, hurting his ears with its pitch and proximity. It was burning his blood from the inside out, he could feel every part of himself more and more with every passing second. And yet he could also feel his handle on reality slip as well, his rationality beginning to slip away. He couldn't remember much as soon as the feeling began intensifying, the stronger it became the less he could recall clearly.

But he remembered clearly, oh so clearly did he remember it when Raditz had lifted him and pointed him towards his father. His dead father, lying in a pool of his own blood. His glassy eyes still opened and somehow surprised and defiant even in death. That was when Gohan snapped. It was after that that he could remember nothing, nothing but bits and pieces. He remembered screaming and blood; whose blood and whose screams however, he couldn't be to sure. But he did remember with a sick satisfaction that one of the screams had been Raditz's agonized yell, but it was the only one he knew for sure was his. For all Gohan knew, they could have been his own screams and yells.

Gohan cringed internally, because he had not been in the right frame of mind at the time, he only certain bits and pieces. He was only thankful for that for a moment as he was rushed into the next scene he could faintly remember.

He had come to later in the air, being dragged like a lifeless sack of potatoes by a very injured Raditz. Upon arriving at the pod, Raditz tossed and locked Gohans crying, limp, and hurting body up into his space pod thing. At least Gohan assumed that was what it was.

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Gohan woke to a blasting pain in his cheek. Feeling his brain scramble around in his head as the force of the blow ricocheted him of of the inside of the small pod, Gohan looked up once he felt he was able. He was quickly reverting to his shocked state as he saw that it was none other than Raditz standing over top of him. He didn't know why it surprised him a so much, Gohan supposed that even though he knew it was impossible, he still expected his daddy to show up and save him from the bad man like he always did.

Raditz had his clenched hand with bloody knuckles held aloft, near his chest. His armor looked worse for wear, broken and body in places, and he was favouring one leg; all the while dripping rich thick blood onto the torn earth below. The expression on his face was anything but sane.

The large man looked down on Gohan, and Gohan began to wonder why he was even alive. As though from far away he could hear the man speak, but it was unclear exactly what it was he had said, but what he could get through his muddled mind was horrifying. And when Raditz saw the realization and fear hit the boy, he smiled a cruel smile.

Getting into the cramped craft with the injured child, he prepared for a long journey. His body protested so soon after the last one, but he didn't care.

Gohan could hardly tell as the scary man got in with him, causing the irony smell of blood coming from the both of them to become almost overwhelming in the small pod; all that was going through his mind was what Raditz had said before. Like a broken record it kept repeating,

"I'll take you with me... added bonus. You'll get what you deserve ... Freeza' s new pet... sure he'll have fun breaking you... always did love occasionally seeing the things he does for entertainment and training...I ...could never stomach it for to long though... Your never escaping."

It was when Raditz shoved a large needle in his arm roughly injecting who knows what into his system that Gohan's mind gradually shut down completely, stopping the twisted mantra going through his head. His last thought was a desperate plea to the universe that this was all just a really long nightmare.

Gohan woke slowly. It took him longer than it probably should have. He felt as though the blood flowing through his veins had been replaced by sludge. His whole body hurt and was sore, his muscles stiff and borderlining on numb. Opening his eyes, usually an easy task, took nearly all his concentration and strength. He moved his eyes to look at his surroundings and even that hurt. Wondering what was happening and why he wasn't in his comfy and warm bed at home, safe and sound under the covers with his mommy and daddy in the next room, he sat there quietly staring at his cramped, darkened surroundings; that was when reality it hit him. Taking his breath away with the same force as a sledge hammer ramming into his chest; and with that same blow he felt his heart giving away under the force. His dad was the first thing that came into clarity for him- the first thing that he worried about. The first thing he felt for, as the emotions filled his heart up with dread; nearly as painful as the state his body had been in when he had first woken up- only it was a different kind of pain, a more deeply lasting gash on his heart.

But they had been talking about Dragon Balls right? Something like being able to make wishes. Although he had been shy and scared and not really contributing to the gathering's conversations, he had been listening attentively to all of them. If it was true then didn't that mean that they could wish people back to life- including his daddy? Feeling hope flow through him, Gohan did his best to smile, feeling it twitch at the corners of his mouth, making his stiff cheek muscles spasm with the effort; all despite the current situation.

His daddy would be okay.

Thats what really mattered.

It was then and only then that he began to think about himself. What was he going to do? They had to use the wish to bring his daddy back, not on wishing Gohan back to earth, that would accomplish nothing. So no, they would wish his daddy back- they had to! If they did that then maybe his daddy could come and save him. Gohan felt even more happy than he already was, but that was before he remembered the lifeless eyes looking back at him from the ground. His father's lifeless eyes, usually so bright and full of love.

Either way, would they even be capable of wishing Gohan back home to earth in the first place? No, it wasn't even worth considering. Gohan's predicament wasn't near as bad as his fathers- his father had died. Feeling his battered heart cringe away from more thought's about his father, Gohan brushed off the way word memories tickling his conscience- memories about a textbook featuring an old philosopher- to the deepest recesses of his mind. The war philosopher had stated simply in one of his shortest, and yet most profound statements, 'There are some fates worse than death'. Gohan thought about his dad and thought about his situation, his dads predicament was definitely worse than his; after all what could be worse than death? And such a gruesome one at that. The only solace Gohan could find in it was the fact that it had been quick.

His daddy had been so quickly killed; defeated really. But that couldn't be true, could it? His daddy was the strongest man in the world! Gohan felt mostly reassured at that factual thought, but again, there was that little niggle of doubt, just barely trickling into the back of his head. The world… Gohan realized, looking outside at the seemingly endless amount of stars and planets whizzing by at amazing speeds- he realized that his 'world' was earth- and when looking out at the universe passing by so fast… it seemed so small. Gohan never knew that there were men all throughout the universe that were so strong- he had never given any real thought to it.

He had known that there would be life, after all the universe is far too vast and growing for earth to be the only star system containing sentient life! Add in the fact that his daddy -although not anymore- and him both had tails- and from what he had seen so far in his life, no one else did- and Gohan had no doubt about aliens, it was simply common sense, obvious even to children. But that there were bad people that were so strong out there among the stars, he had had no clue that it would be that way, and he was having trouble wrapping his head around the concept. The concept that corruption and just plain bad-ness was so widespread and real.

Twitching when he heard a grunt behind him, Gohan tensed up. His muscles cramping painfully in protest to his sudden clenching, Gohan still didn't dare make a sound. He was in an uncomfortable position in the one person craft; and to put it that way served as a gross understatement. Raditz had taken up the position of the regular single passenger; predictably sitting in the provided cushiony, slightly reclining, seat rather comfortably. On the other hand there was Gohan, and he was forced up against the front of the pod near the small window, entrapped between both Raditz's beefy legs and the wall of the craft.

He was in a fetal position, curled up tightly taking up as little space as possible- unconsciously, uselessly, attempting to make himself less noticeable as well- and leaning against the craft. His elbows pulled in tight against his chest and legs, Gohan shivered slightly. Whether it was from fear, or if it was from the chill seeping into his bones through the wall- the very wall barring him from the merciless vacuum of space- he didn't know.

Gohan was unsure as to whether or not he should make a move, especially after considering the situation he was in. As it was he was basically numb and sore from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, he could hardly move a muscle unconsciously- let alone on purpose; but the position he was in left much to be desired and he feared it was making his body's aches and pains worse the longer he sat in the position. He wanted to move so bad; but he feared the consequences if he did. So he sat and thought about it, considering the possible repercussions of his actions; how much he wanted to move, where he would move, if he would even be able to move at all if he decided to.

Thinking.

It seemed to be all that he was doing. Ever since he woke up, all he had been doing is thinking. He had always been a thoughtful child, but usually it was about much more light hearted things. Things like the sky and why it was blue, about the dinosaurs and why they were big, where did the food he and his father so dearly loved come from, and things like why when he fell down, it hurt. The simple questions he assumed every child at his advanced age would think about and question.

Now he was pondering more serious, grown up things. Things like life and death. He was only a little kid. Why was he thinking such sad things? Gohan didn't want to be thinking about such horrible things; and it was only made more terrible in that it was such a stark, harsh reality. His own reality. Gohan just wanted to be thinking about things that didn't affect him so horribly. He didn't want to think about whether or not just moving would get him more hurt. He didn't want any of that.

He wanted his mommy and his daddy; he wanted- and even still despite the situation half expected- his mommy and daddy to come and save him. For his mom to come and crush him in one of her trademark angry hugs, screaming about how worried she was and about how much she loved him. To sit him down on the counter after scolding him and kiss all of his boo-boo's and make the pain fly away, and how it always, without fail made him feel better somehow-even though he knew that the pain didn't really fly away. But still, even after reading the book on the neurological process, how the pain was actually just electrical signals traveling between the synapses and to the brain to inform the body that something was wrong and needed to be fixed, Gohan never questioned his mommy. His mommy was the most amazing, the most smart, and the most pretty mommy in the world.

Feeling his eyes well up with tears, Gohan didn't move from his position. He at least tried to imperceptibly open and close a hand or wiggle his foot around at the ankle, but it was a slow, scary, and painful process. It was scary to Gohan among other things because he was having so much trouble doing such a seemingly simple task; never before had he had so much trouble with moving his own. He had never been so… weak he?

As if Gohan's inner turmoil wasn't enough already, Raditz decided at that moment to twitch violently. Hitting Gohan and ramming him up even more against the wall of the ship; whether or not it was intentional on Raditz's part, he didn't know, but it hurt and it was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Gohan felt more tears leak out of his red and swollen eyes, undoubtedly leaving more tracks on his blotchy dirty face. He had previously had the notion that there were no more tears to cry, but today turned out to be a day full of surprises and shock. Or was it still 'today'? How long had Gohan been unconscious in the pod? What day was it exactly?

Raditz groaned loudly- interrupting Gohan's puzzled thoughts- and Gohan felt his ribs creaking with a unexpected continual pressure being forcefully applied to his small and weakened form; it was coming from the thick tree trunk legs that were seeming unaware, or uncaring, of his presence. Raditz seemed to be having a mini stretching session upon waking up, and the fat crocodile tears streaking down Gohan's face seemed to have a mind of their own. Gohan was hardly even aware that they were still flowing at this point; all he knew was that if Raditz didn't stop anytime soon, Gohan would end up looking disturbingly similar to a bug on a capsule cars windshield. Thankfully, on that thought, Raditz chose that moment to release his stretch and Gohan sighed lightly in relief. Only to suck in the released air again too suddenly and choke on it when the spaceship jolted with no warning. Panicking at the unexpected fluctuation in the pods activity, Gohan looked out the window with wide, disbelieving eyes.

What had been free beautiful space, was now taken over by the metallic gaping hulk of a monstrously sized mother ship. A three pronged claw extending from the inside of a wall within the mouth of the monstrosity had attached itself to the miniscule- in comparison- ship Gohan and Raditz were occupying, and it was now reeling the little pod in like a fish on the line. Gohan could only hope that that was the only similarity between a fisherman's catch and the pod. He really hoped that Raditz didn't go thorough the trouble of bringing him here just to eat him. He didn't think his mommy ever actually meant it when she told him that strangers wanted to take him home and eat him, he had always thought it was something she said just to make sure he didn't wander off.

Gohan could see the small side opening that the pod was approaching, and going by the size and angle, the little ship would fit in perfectly. Gohan could feel a heavy coating of foreboding settle over top of him, gaining more and more momentum the closer they got. It was like a stone resting atop his chest, gradually getting heavier and heavier.

"I'm going to enjoy this, Brat." Raditz's amused voice rasped from just behind him, making him jump. Gohan was startled; he had hardly noticed the man was awake- after all he had hardly made a sound after stretching other than to breath- let alone fully coherent. Especially after considering the fact that Gohan had been so sorely focused on the approaching compartment at that particular moment, it shouldn't come as such a surprise that he hadn't noticed Raditz's behaviors behind him. Focusing now, and more conscious of his surroundings, Gohan could more clearly hear Raditz behind him as the man chuckled dryly to himself. It was a brutish, cruel laugh; and it wasn't helped by the fact that the man sounded as though he hadn't spoken in years. Again, just how long had they been in the pod?

Gohan swallowed and though he tried, he couldn't stop the hair on his tail from flaring up in alarm. The furry appendage was currently curled around his waist protectively, and it was as stiff and sore as the rest of him; resembling concrete more than a limb with actual flesh and blood. Gohan gulped loudly, his dry mouth and throat clicking and sticking together apprehensively. Raditz, seemingly hearing the sound, became noticeably more spirited in his coarse laughter.

The mechanical whirring as a result of the reeling in of their pod stopped with a sharp jerk, slamming Gohan's face into the window he was looking out of previously; both immediately busting open his lip and giving Gohan a nose bleed simultaneously. Yelping hoarsely in pain and surprise, Gohan was overshadowed by his 'uncles' now robust laughter. The man must have found Gohan's mishap hilarious if his reaction was anything to go by.

"Oh, it will be fun breaking you. Perhaps even easier than I imagined." Raditz choked out, the words were almost not heard by Gohan in his pain filled stupor. Clutching at his nose, trying to stem the flow of blood coming out if it, Gohan couldn't contain the whimper. It felt as though it had come from deep inside of him, a reactant not just to the pain in his face, but to the pain in his heart as well. So light was the sound that it would be barely audible to human ears- and yet it was so deep and resounding within the soul of the listener who did happen upon it.

Well, it would be to those with a conscience, or mercy. To the one blinded by blood thirst and revenge as well as greed- one such as Gohan's uncle for example- as an equivalent Gohan may as well have told a witty joke. Panting like a wounded animal, Gohan tenderly felt at his split lip with his tongue. The taste of blood had blossomed in his mouth the second he had made contact with the glass. The iron like tangy flavor coating his tongue and throat densely sickened him, and made him nauseous.

When the pod started shaking and bumping immediately following the initial jolt- resembling a capsule car going over a particularly rocky road- Gohan made sure to keep his face a safe distance away from the now dirty and blood splattered glass. Well he tried to. There was very little room in the pod to begin with, and Gohan had found it hard to move even before Raditz had woken up and limited Gohans space further. Using the hands clutching at his face as a buffer should he hit the glass again, Gohan did his best to remain silent and still. The sniffling and shaking though, as well as the tears now mixing with the blood flowing off of his chin onto his filthy clothes were both things he found that were out of his control.

Gohan guessed it was Raditz's good mood that prevented him from simply killing the young boy then and there. Truthfully, Gohan had no clue what it was other than revenge that was keeping Raditz from just making the one final decision and ending Gohan's life. Raditz had spoken of another man, one who would supposedly… break… Gohan, as his 'uncle' was so very fond of putting it.

Then the pod, with a final head busting tug into the mother ship- that Gohan was proud to say didn't affect him as bad as the first one- was in place in its designated niche. The dirty window before Gohan showed nothing but a dull gray metal slab.

There were some more whirring mechanical sounds coming from behind them before the pod seemed to shut down with a well oiled 'click' and the two occupants were thrust into an absolute darkness. Slowly, with the hissing of escaping and depressurizing air, the front of the pod opened into a brightly lit desolate hallway with gray easily cleaned standard walls and floors.

Gohan yelled out in surprise and pain as he was punted unceremoniously out of the pod.

They had arrived.