Here we go... the next chapter...





C-29

End of the Round




Junior didn't know what hit him. His head hurt and his glasses were gone so that he could hardly see a thing. The lights were just much too bright.

"Benot?" He called but didn't get an answer from him. He could see forms milling around but no small ones. "Legen?"

"Shut up!" He felt a sharp pain in the small of his back that made his vision turn black for a moment and then the blurry white returned. He really needed to find his glasses.

Where were the boys? He had them in his arms not that long ago. Didn't he? They were right beside him. He remembered Benot calling for his mother and he remembered Legen trying to say something, but...

It was a trap. He should have known it was too easy. Krad was not that stupid. Soyna should have known it too. She should have if she wasn't blinded by the old images of the past that were assaulting her full force up in that sky box with all the monitors. He should have known that her judgement would be off, with her shaking hands and how nervous she looked.

Krad was using a different trick.

He narrowed his eyes and tried to get them to focus on the people around him. He had to try to find where they took Benot and Legen!

His only racing thought that he tried so hard to push down was the fact that his sister was going to be so disappointed in him.

............

He could see his mother on the monitor, staring back at him. If he didn't know her so well, he would think that she didn't care, but he saw that sparkle in her eyes. She was thinking of what to do.

Benot was making enough noise and struggling enough for both of them. He had bit the guard that held him a couple of times now and there was blood running down his chin. Legen was quite sure that all of that blood was the guards for his arm looked pretty chewed up. It would have been humorous in other situations.

Benot was also using a series of swear words that he wasn't even sure what they meant.

He looked at his mother who looked like she was about to finish off her opponent. He had never seen his mother kill but he was pretty sure that she was fully capable of it.

He could barely hear the man's voice but it was clear enough that they were being used as bargaining chips. He wondered how far he could push his mother? He bit his lip and tried not to look scared. He didn't want his mother to lose a fight because of him.

............

"Let my son go, or else you loose one of yours," Krad said in an overconfident voice. He was aware that none of them had moved. The voice in his ear was telling him that his men were flanking them, their boosters and full. Read to jump in at any time.

He doubted that they would stand a chance with their boosters at full power, no matter how strong of a Super Saiyian they were. They had enough strength to take down a monkey transformation Saiyian. He still could not get solid numbers on this new transformation that made them turn gold, but they couldn't be much stronger. Just maybe a little smarter than the monkey transformation.

She loosed her grip slightly on Ligh.

"You wouldn't dare kill one of my children," she said. Ligh no longer was screaming but there was a low moan of pain escaping him. He had to get the woman off of him.

"And why is that?" He smiled.

"You loose then," she said. "You destroy my family and I shall make sure yours ends up in worse shape than mine."

Her brilliant green eyes were so cold and serious. He could see that she was serious.

"Let go of him and it will not come to that," he said. She was a true warrior. He could read that in her. A true strong warrior. Of course, she was part Saiyian though. That came naturally to them, but they were seldom totally loyal and tended to wander to find harder battles. There had always been a few that were the exemption to the rule. The truly great warrior that was nearly unstoppable, but he had not seen one of those in eons. Of course, she acted like that. Goten acted like that and so did Trunks. They were loyal to their families and their home planet.

Damn. He really wished he knew where he had seen her before because he was sure that he wouldn't let someone like her slip out of his sights.

A scream came from the monitor.

Did she flinch a little? Yes. A little. Her hands loosening on his son's arms. She was no longer standing on his legs. She was giving.

"Don't be fooled!" Vegeta growled. "They are strong enough to handle themselves." His voice seemed to echo in the domed room.

She blinked a few times.

Krad noticed with how nervous both Trunks and Goten were standing frozen in spot with anger written all over their faces.

He had the upper hand back.

............

Goten wanted to yell at her to just let Ligh go. Don't risk their lives, but he was frozen in spot. He did not think that this confrontation was going to be so difficult, but then, he thought it would be over by now.

............

It was Benot he heard though the monitor thing on his arm and Trunks could feel his insides churning.

Bra and Pan were gone. He couldn't see where. He wondered if they were next. They had to get back in control. They had to stop this. They should have just ended it all when they knew he was here.

Just kill him and get it over with.

But of course, that wouldn't have worked. That plan never worked. There was always something else. Always something more. If you get rid of one problem you have to deal with a worse one that was lying in wait.

Trunk's couldn't think of a way to get out of this. Krad was standing there so confident. The same way that he stood and laughed as he dragged the injured Goten back into their space ship when they left.

Soyna couldn't let go. It would mean that he had the advantage. Even his father agreed. He could see it in his face. Vegeta knew the dangers just as much as he did.

He growled under his breath, "Take him out."

He did not want Pan to be the next one on the monitor.

............

Krad felt the tension that had built up in the room. An incredible amount of tension. He was wondering when the silly woman was going to let his son go and /or if the other were going to join in the attack.

This was a very odd situation to be in.

He really wished he could determine how strong they all truly were. All their indications fluctuated so wildly that he couldn't believe their instruments for awhile.

"Lives are on the line here," he said softly.

She glared at him, with clenched teeth and looked down at Ligh.

............

Vegeta shook his head in disbelieve as she let go of the boy's arms and tossed him to the ground.

The boy lay there silent for awhile.

Krad laughed.

How could she let him get the advantage? She was a smarter fighter than that! How could she?

"My son's. Let them go and I will not kill yours," she said. "Just because I let him go, doesn't mean that you have control yet, Krad."

Krad's laughter stopped.

"My boys will not be a part of this. You make them a part of this and you already lost. You cannot win by involving my family. You cannot win by hurting those that I care about. It will just make me angrier," she said in such a plain voice. It sounded more threatening that he even was taken aback.

Ligh was getting up. He was a little shaky, but he looked like he still had some good fight in him yet. Vegeta could hear Ligh muttering about loosing to a mere girl.

"I have nothing against you," Krad said. "I just wanted to get rid of the possible nuisances that could pop up later if I don't destroy the threat that is on this planet. That is you silly Saiyians and your boys are part that and I have no intention of loosing."

"I don't plan on letting you win," she whispered harshly.

He could see the pain in her eyes. She was living through it again. He knew that she was. It was like those nights with all the nightmares that she would have. He hoped that she wouldn't become irrational. He hoped that she would keep her head about her with Krad.

He could see that this Krad was a lot craftier that he first thought he would be.

............

He really had to squint his eyes but he made out the images of Benot and Legen, more by their hair color than anything else.

No one was really watching him.

He knew that he was no where near a strong as the rest of his family, but he was not weakling! Just because he didn't train as much as everyone else, he knew how to feel for Ki. He knew that everyone was around.

"UNCLE!"

He looked sharply over to Benot who was suddenly thrust into his arms and buried his face into his chest.

If only he could get his glasses so that his eyes wouldn't hurt so much, maybe he could think of something to do.

Benot was shaking. Not because he was scared, but because he was angry. He knew his nephew better than that. He could see that they still held Legen in front of a monitor. He wished he could make out the image on the screen, but it was too hard to see.

Benot didn't say anything. He didn't have too.

He knew that it was up to him to get them out of this situation. He just didn't know what or how he was going to do it.

............

Pan pulled Bra back.

"Will you quit doing that!" she hissed. Bra was walking around like she was unafraid of being seen.

"What?" she whispered.

"We are going to get caught that way!" Pan hissed back.

Bra shrugged but slid behind her.

Pan sighed. That was one thing about her friend that always drove her nuts. She counted on Vegeta and Trunks to protect her at all times. Sometimes, she really wished that she learned how to defend herself beyond screaming for her father to rescue her.

They had to find a way out or at least someone to get her father here.

She was sure that things were under control, but she still would feel better with her father here.

She didn't like what she saw earlier.

Soyna seemed to back down a bit. It was subtle but she did. She knew a little of her history with Krad through Junior but not that much. Goten seemed to see it too, for his face had grown a lot grimmer than she had ever seen her uncle.

This was going to be a strange fight.

Brute force would not win. They had that on their side. They needed the smarts too. All their strength would mean nothing, if they could not get the advantage on this creep.

Bra nudged her. "Over there," she pointed to a door. "It's not guarded."

Pan nodded and walked towards it. She hoped that it wasn't a trap.

............


"I have let one of them go," Krad said, showing her the monitor on his wrist again. Goten couldn't see it but he knew that he had allowed Benot to be let go. The most troublesome one.

"Let Legen go," she hissed.

Ligh looked as if he was ready to go again. Goten felt something odd about his strength. It wasn't all natural. He could feel it, but that didn't really make much of a difference now. It was higher. He was stronger, but he was not nearly strong enough to defeat them.

"Now, now. I still need some negotiation tools." Krad grinned. "How foolish to you think I am?"

She narrowed her eyes. He could see how hard it was for her not to loose her temper. She had to keep her cool for a little while longer yet. She would have her chance, but she was not about to risk the lives of her children.

Krad laughed. Ligh was fixed on her. He looked like he was not used to loosing. It was a look that he had seen on Vegeta's face lots of times.

"Why don't we get this blasted fight over with!" Vegeta roared from his spot. He looked impatient. "You want to destroy us. Fine. Just go ahead and try!"

Krad looked over at Vegeta. "So impatient," he shook his head. "You really should have more patience Prince Vegeta. I would spar your lives if you will show me how to gain such strength. I know it cannot be natural. No Saiyian was ever as strong as you all are. Is it something in the water on this planet?"

Goten just about wanted to laugh himself, but Vegeta did a good enough job of that.

Krad really didn't do to well at his research, even though he had enough time to observe them. He had lots of time to observe them indeed and he still didn't know about the legendary super Saiyians that nearly all of them had reached now.

He must be fooling. He must be. How could he not know?

Soyna gave a snort. "You are more of a fool that I remember," she said as Krad attention was again drawn to her.

Again, he looked confused. As if he was trying to figure out where he had seen her before and kicking himself for not remembering. He wasn't about to go into the details of time travel with Krad. He didn't need to know those details. He just needed to know that they were going to defeat him.

"You can't win against us," Trunks said. He looked just as tense as Soyna. He could see that he was worried about something that he wasn't sure of.

He was concentrating on Soyna. He had to make sure that she didn't do something foolish.

"I won the first half," Krad said with a smile. He pulled out his whip. "I just came to finish off the round."

............

Well, there it is.

Who will come and save the day??? Gohan???
Will Pan and Bra get out safely to tell Gohan what is going on???
What will happen with Junior being nearly blinded without his glasses???
Can he protect his nephews???
Will Ligh get another chance to fight Soyna???
What are Krad's Plans truly???

Ahhh... the next chapter will have to come before I can answer any of the questions.

Stay tuned

Soyna.