Number Thirty-Two

Chapter Three

The Burnt

The smell of charred skin is so revolting that Goku didn't want to sit next to the newly rescued Vegeta onboard the ship. His pungent stench weaves through and around the cockpit, stinging eyes and testing stomachs as he spreads in a languid pile of limbs across a spread of seats. He coughs, weak. Yes, Goku understands. His throat still hurts from the inhalation of smoke, too. Whatever that fire-energy attack was back there was nasty. It'd been made to consume, and Vegeta had nearly been just that. Consumed and dead and… God, they were so close to losing him.

This isn't lost on Bulma, either, but she keeps her eyes forward on the flight path, focusing on putting distance between them and whatever the heck that place was. In the ship's fluorescent lighting, Goku can see her cheeks darkening in frustration. She wants to cry, either out of relief or distress at Vegeta's state, Goku has no idea. And whilst Vegeta – who's now spluttering up charcoaled phlegm and blood onto the tiles – is wearing a brave face, Goku knows he must be absolutely wrecked; he's rosy with bloodspots, the blistering grotesque and already bubbling yellow pus in bulbous patches, particularly so in the creases between his head and neck.

Goku's sorry. He's so sorry. They'd not been fast enough. They'd had not saved him in time. It looks so painful and smells so rancid, and Goku wouldn't wish this on anybody.

The ship slows down into the soft acceleration of autopilot, and now free from the pilot's seat, Bulma leaps towards Vegeta. She looks like she wants nothing more than to throw her arms around him, but clearly knows better, her fingers hovering above the spitting wounds, shaking.

"Get back to the flightdeck," Vegeta orders feebly. "Th-They could be on us at any moment."

"Shut up!" Bulma's voice is shrill with fear. "Goku, the senzu beans!"

Goku, who'd already grabbed them before takeoff, grapples along his waistband and feels for the small brown bag. It's light because they've already eaten at least over half now.

Fed by her hand, Vegeta accepts the bean and swallows it without so much of a hint of chewing. Its effect is immediate. His body throbs in rejuvenation, bolstering as the pink swelling deflates into his usual light tan. The remaining pus seeps free and his burnt, crisping flesh threads together once more. The circles beneath Vegeta's eyes remain, however, and there's now lethargy to the way Vegeta stands up and flexes his muscles.

Bulma reaches for him, but stubborn as ever, Vegeta jerks away. She mistakes his pride for pain. "What is it? What's wrong? Do you need another?"

"Don't touch me!"

"Vegeta—"

Goku gently pulls Bulma back, recognizing the violence in Vegeta's eyes, the fear and anger and frustration of it all. He's running off adrenaline. The instant desire to jump back into the thick of the fight. More than pained, Vegeta looks wronged. Furious. And he's shaking with it.

"P-Pathetic. I'm still so weak," he sneers, "I… I'll kill them. All of them."

"You're safe," Goku tells him, though that's not what he wants to hear. Vegeta spins with vehemence. "Hey, hold it. There's no-one here to fight, Vegeta," he adds, stern, "You've gotta' calm down."

He pretends that Vegeta being shaken-up is a normal response to nearly dying, but there's certainly something more to this. The fear is intense, as though newly erupted from an active volcano. Vegeta's reaction is to fight his way out of these feelings, but there's nobody to fight back, not when they'd risked it all to save him, and perhaps, that's what's making it worse. What can Vegeta do with all these horrid emotions he'd been bottling? Even before his capture, Vegeta had been terse with the group, snapping and sniping and causing arguments onboard the ship like he'd been on some personal mission to be as awful as humanly possible.

It feels like a continuation of that. This is the peak of it.

Vegeta's having an emotional outburst, and he wants nothing more than to punch his way out of it.

If anyone can understand, it's Goku.

Vegeta holds Goku's stare, knowing as much, knowing that Goku knows as much, too.

"I'll need time to recover until I reach my full strength," Vegeta eventually mutters, turning away. "They had me under sheenks."

Goku relaxes, just a bit.

Krillin is confused. "Sheenks?"

"A special rock," Piccolo supplies. The cape he'd been wearing is now lying in a pile on the table, the ends of it charred from the earlier flames. "Used to suppress one's natural power."

"Man, there's been many a time we could have used something like that… But there's none of that, uh, sheenks stuff around here, right?" Krillin queries, suddenly a little worried.

Goku can relate. He doesn't want his ki drained. Vegeta looks like he can barely hold his own weight up.

"No, idiot. It was on the ship, in the holding cells."

"Oh." Just in case, Goku takes a step back. "It's… it's not contagious, right?"

"Much like your stupidity, it cannot, thankfully, be transmitted."

"Then why didn't the senzu beans work?"

"Sheenks has an almost radiation-like effect, Goku," Piccolo answers, "It takes time for the effects to wear off so it's difficult to say how long it'll reside in Vegeta's system after so much exposure. Senzu beans heal injuries, not symptoms. Hopefully, our mighty prince will be back to his humble self soon, but it really depends on how much they used during his incarceration. I'm surprised you've not come across it in your travels. I certainly did."

"I've heard of it. They mine it in the South. I've never come across any before."

"So, you've not found yourself in any prison cells. How unsurprising." Piccolo smirks before shifting focus when his gaze falls upon their guests in the ship. A lip curls and he looks upon them with mounting mistrust. "What is surprising is your assistance in saving Vegeta."

The statement is aimed at Lya, who responds with very little reaction at all. She's the quiet presence hiding in the shadows of their reunion, a curious lady who'd been integral in their retrieval of Vegeta.

Goku understands Piccolo's distrust, however – she makes Goku's gut do uncomfortable flips the longer he looks at her. Now, Goku isn't really someone to let someone's appearance bother him. But this lady, well, she's something else. The porcelain sheen of her skin, the crop of silver hair and her bleached tunic just blend together so unnervingly, as if she'd been dunked in a vat of white paint and left out to dry. Goku is reminded of those creepy, ageless ceramics he'd once seen in an antique store on back Earth.

"I have been nothing if not transparent," she replies curtly.

Krillin scoffs.

"Assistance," Lya clarifies, soft. Her finger rises in indolent gesture of him. "I want your assistance to be precise, Goku Son."

"Yeah, I know that much," he tells her, just as he had done earlier, "But I'm not entirely sure what I can do to help you with your fight."

"You're the saiyan that killed Frieza. You're involved in this war whether you're sure or not. They're hunting you, both you and Vegeta." There's a pause, for effect maybe, because the next part stings. "Do you have offspring? They'll want them disposed of, too. The Frost Empire has just now outlawed the Saiyan people, and both of you are full-blooded. Your children will be also targeted, as will your children's children. There will never be peace."

At this moment, Vegeta physically reacts – twitching a shoulder, subtly, – and they share a look. There's a point where he expects Vegeta to comment, to deny her words, to contest her, but he doesn't, making Goku wonder what Vegeta must have heard during his time captured.

Weeks ago, it'd been a team made of Goku, Bulma, Vegeta, Krillin and Piccolo deployed to a desolate planet millions of miles west of Earth. King Kai had heard a rumour of dragon balls residing there, and so gave brief instructs on what to expect, which had also included the possibility of running headfirst into an organization called the Frost Empire, the very same organization Frieza had once overseen. Goku had done well in avoiding them over the years, but the confrontation felt due. He needed to follow the lead. The planet is in the Empire jurisdiction, so it ran the risk of confrontation, and at the time, Goku allowed himself to worry too much. He'd beaten Frieza, after all. And so, they went, and they were met with soldiers, surprised, as like Vegeta pointed out at the time, they were far stronger than Goku remembered them being the first time around. Whilst none of them held a candle to Goku, Vegeta or even Piccolo, Krillin had quickly been overwhelmed.

It hadn't been Krillin's fault, not really. He'd just been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Spiraling and deadly, a wave of energy would have made contact had Vegeta not pushed him out of its path, giving opportunity for one of the soldiers to ambush Vegeta.

Goku hadn't noticed until it was too late.

In the aftermath, this woman, Lya, had appeared, and said that she knew where they would have taken Vegeta. She'd told them of her "people on the inside" and that she'd get him out. In exchange, she'd only require Goku's support.

During those days preparing to save Vegeta, Goku had come to learn more about the Frost Empire. He'd learned about Frieza and the dark history of his family, and how his brothers still reign over many subsections of the universe. And it'd only been yesterday when he learned that Vegeta was to face the Boiler, and to what that even entailed.

Bulma, who's holding Vegeta's hand right, is still white, and with Vegeta not pulling away, finally relenting some affection, it indicates how horrible the Boiler must be.

"They asked me about you, Kakarot," Vegeta eventually says. His hand slips out of Bulma's grasp when everyone turns to look at him, and he tries to stand as tall as the fatigue allows. "The woman is right about one thing; they want Saiyan blood. More specifically, they want your blood for bringing down Frieza."

"That was ten years ago," Piccolo tells them. "Why are they so intent on revenge now?"

The padding of boots approaching reminds Goku and the others that there's yet one more person aboard the ship. Whilst Lya is the brains, this man is the brawn. Just as charred as the rest of them, the soldier remains tall, broad and impressive under the white and red of his armour. Even Goku can tell that this guy must be important, not that it matters much to him. He's just thankful that he'd been there to help secure his friend. This is the very man who'd stolen Vegeta from his own execution, the one Lya had called her 'insider', and the one Vegeta now owes his life to.

"You," Vegeta seethes.

The man's smile is wide and would be about as shiny as his armour if not for the splotches of blood smeared across his teeth. There's a nasty cut just above his mouth, heavily bleeding.

"He saved your life, Vegeta," Piccolo says, patience already wavering.

"After he served me up to Cooler and Hailer, that is!"

The man's smile slides into something less friendly and he points a gloved finger at Vegeta. "Take responsibility. After you crossed into Empire territory, I couldn't come back empty handed. Lord Cooler would have been suspicious, and I would have been forced to relinquish my position sooner than you just now forced me to."

Lya places her alabaster palm against the man's chest plate, easing him back as she introduces him as indeed her insider. According to her, the guy's been working undercover in the Frost army for the last five years.

"Ytvl," the man introduces, extending his hand. He flinches just as Goku goes to shake it and swaps it for his other hand. "Sorry, I think I fractured it punching that bastard in the face."

He wonders who Ytvl is talking about as he grasps the other hand. They shake candidly but Goku struggles to get a read on him, similarly like he had with Lya. As much as he seems pleasant, there's a strange aura about him Goku doesn't like.

"I'm quite the fan," Ytvl goes on to praise, indifferent to Goku's discomfort, "Frieza was insufferable."

"Yet, you serve his brother."

"Vegeta," Bulma chides this time.

Goku wonders if Lya is frustrated with Vegeta's attitude. He would be considering the effort they went through to retrieve him. "He's one of my men, not Cooler's."

Vegeta scoffs. "Well, maybe you should have a long chat with him because he seemed a little too convincing to me."

"If I'd been anything but loyal up until today then you wouldn't even be here," Ytvl defends. "In fact, Vegeta, because you were too stupid to breakout of the holding cell during the power outage I'd arranged for you, I had to completely forfeit my position as Lord Cooler's First Captain to save your rotten, little life."

Vegeta's expression shifts between realization, embarrassment and then anger.

"That's how much we want your assistance, Goku," Lya interjects. "Ytvl has been ousted just so we could secure Vegeta for you, to earn your trust."

Goku stares between Lya and Ytvl, pausing to think through his options. He doesn't really have time to be caught up in all of this. He's told them as much. Goku has his own goals.

"Well, I think it's a bit more than that," Bulma says, finally adding her two pence. "It wouldn't look good for Vegeta to be executed on live TV, or whatever you guys have, would it? I imagine seeing a figurehead like him being murdered would hurt your cause a fair bit. Imagine. It would have been a heck of a power trip for the Frost Empire parading his body about, huh?"

Lya considers her. "You're not wrong. That did… factor in, too."

"Sorry to burst your bubble but Vegeta is more than a – What did you call him? A figure head." Ytvl mocks as he nurses his hand by performing stretches with his wrist. Cracking can be heard beneath the glove; it's dislocated, Goku can tell. "He was a soldier and remembered very much as one, specifically a cruel, power-hungry one. Ring any bells, Vegeta?"

The defense comes from a surprising place.

"But he's different now," Krillin says with heat. "He's changed."

Goku then remembers that it had been Vegeta who'd saved Krillin not long ago, back during the entire fiasco when Ytvl had tried to capture them all.

Perhaps at the memory, Ytvl's face lights up in amusement but he doesn't say anything.

Lya speaks. "Please-"

But Goku cuts her off, raising his hands. "Look, I'm sorry, but I can't help you. I'm thankful you helped save Vegeta but we have our own… task."

"And that was why you were lured into our territory?" Ytvl asks. "You were looking for the dragon balls, right? For this task?"

"And what do you know of the dragon balls?" Piccolo snipes.

"I know that Hailer and Lord Cooler started rumours about them, hoping to draw outsiders. I often had to bring in these explorers, such as yourselves, to be extorted for information."

"Information like what?"

"Like the lead on any other dragon balls."

"So, they don't know New Namek's location."

"Of course not, otherwise Lord Cooler would already be there chasing the myth."

Vegeta tiredly scoffs. "Now, that's the truth."

"You speak as if you know where New Namek is," Lya addresses the group, her voice thin but daring with hope. "Do you – any of you – know of its location? Goku?"

"Er… Not exa-"

"No, he doesn't," Bulma interrupts.

"And neither do we," Krillin adds.

Piccolo watches with his usual layer of defiance, Vegeta much similar, neither saying anything but united in their opposition. A beat of silence hovers over the stalemate, stagnant, and it's at that moment Lya decides to take a step back into the shadows, clearly frustrated. It's the calm before the storm.

"What a merry band of interracial friends you all are."

"Be quiet, Ytvl," she mutters from the near the flightdeck. "Let me think."

Ytvl strains his knuckles again, popping individual fingers, eyes bright with interest as he regards the group, most specifically Goku. "He must be really important," he adds, "I don't think I've seen you worked up before."

"Ytvl, please."

"What's this task of yours, Goku?" Ytvl pushes, "We could work something out. Oh, Lya, don't look like that. You can't expect these people to give up the location at the drop of a hat. Vegeta's life isn't worth Namek's location and these people know it. You wanted this guy, right? Then we've got to barter." He smiles, sweet, and turns to Goku. "We're not uncooperative people. What can we do for you guys? Power? Fortune? No? No, you don't seem that type…"

"Don't be a fool, Kakarot."

"Ah, so you do have a want. Of course, everyone has a want."

"I appreciate it, but I don't think you guys can help me," Goku dismisses.

"Well, the dragon balls clearly can't otherwise you'd be using the ones on New Namek, right?"

That's not exactly the case. Namek hasn't had dragon balls in years, now. The Earth ones, however, are spread in sparse pockets around the Earth, awaiting their wish maker. So that should have been opportune enough, yet, the Earth dragon balls cannot help him. The dragon itself told him.

"My power cannot reach—"

Vegeta knocks into Goku as he lumbers forward. "Even Kakarot isn't stupid enough to get tied up with discount rebels," he tells them, still exhausted, "What group are you, again? Xeek? R-R-O? Maló-kek? Oh, right, none of them because they were all dismantled. Wasn't the leader of Xeek also killed by the Boiler? Tch… You're just the next in a line of irresolute groups that'll be lost to history."

Ytvl, under his breath, laughs, shaking his head. "A loyalist until the end, huh, Vegeta? I never realized you had such faith in the Empire…"

"I'm not deluded enough to think I can bring it down."

"I don't get it. I thought Frieza was the big boss," Goku's inputs. "I thought all this planet conquering stuff ended when I killed him. I thought what was left were just, I don't know, some unorganized soldiers fighting over what was left of the Empire."

Vegeta and Ytvl both bark a laugh at the same time, and Goku looks between them both before settling on Lya. Cracking through her vacancy, there's a sort of pitying expression.

"If anything, Frieza's death escalated matters. It sent shockwaves through the Empire and caused so much disarray that it unsettled the fabric of how the system operated. Thousands upon thousands of soldiers died as order was re-established with Hailer and Cooler as the newly appointed leaders."

"Good riddance," Vegeta spits.

"Not good riddance," Lya retorts, flat. "As you well know, most men working for the Frost Empire don't do so by choice. It's known that, statistically, nearly seventy-seven percent of soldiers are forced into work. Much like you were, Vegeta."

Everyone turns to look at him. His pallor is looking better, but his expression is foul.

"I'm no victim, woman."

She ignores him and turns back to Goku. "It's getting worse. Hailer and Cooler are only moments away from warring with one another. We're concerned. As much as we would like to see one of them dead, it'll be difficult to battle an Empire that doesn't have conflicting interests. A warring enemy is a weaker enemy, after all.

So, with both operating with pieces positioned against one another, it means they are spreading forces thin, and so us, along with any other factions against them, benefit from the landscape of this rivalry. And whilst we have their attention after this morning's rescue mission, they block each other in their endeavours more than we could ever dream to.

"Yes. With one of them out of the way, it could mean the entire universe will be at a tyrant's mercy once again."

Silence. Even Vegeta doesn't comment.

"She's right. Lord Cooler has regimes in place for the inevitable day Hailer readies an attack," Ytvl says, "We'd been training for such a day for years now, and I have no doubt there's a similar sentiment for the Southerners under Hailer."

"Yes, Ytvl. It is a race against time."

"How convenient," Vegeta sneers, but it sounds weak.

"Don't act like you didn't know the worst kept secret in the Empire." Ytvel swings his shoulders back, flailing a ponytail of hair. "Or do we only learn about this low brow gossip in the cheap seats? Was the prince above such whisperings when he served? Did you find the Frost family merry and warm?"

"Shut up, you rotten boot-licking bastard. Don't think I don't know what you are."

"I think I'd be more upset if this came from someone who hadn't been humbled by the Ginyu Force."

"You bas-"

"Enough," Lya intervenes. "We are here to request their assistance, not stir the pot. No matter how aggravated you are about losing your position, you should not tease Vegeta after his ordeal. The Boiler is messy business."

"Ah… Of course..." Ytvl flourishes a hand. "You have my most sincere apologies, Vegeta."

"Eat shit."

"And that goes to say, Goku, in this time of need, I am shy of begging. Your addition to our front could change the outcome and bring salvation to millions. With the destroyer of Frieza by our side, we will encourage investors, backers and people of position to support our aims in bringing down the Empire. You could be the difference, the one who could bring light into a life of darkness for many. I am surprised you have not heard more of it in your travels. The disarray. The horror."

Goku swallows. "I… uh, look, I'm sorry. Really, I am. But I've got something I gotta' do. I… I've got my own task."

"What could be more important than saving the universe?"

"My task… I must… It's… ah. I… I was told that I shouldn't say."

"Tell us. What were you going to ask of the dragon balls?" Ytvl questions, "That's why you were drawn into our territory. You were seeking a wish, weren't you?"

Goku doesn't answer.

So, Bulma does. "We're looking for someone."

"Bulma," Vegeta complains, "Do not entertain them further."

Ytvl blows a long whistle. "Really? You're asking this mighty, mythical dragon to help you… locate a person?"

"He went missing years ago… It happened in Namek's explosion."

"Then, he's dead. Everyone from Namek is dead – except that guy and you –"

"And him!" Goku insists, "I'd know if he was dead."

"We all survived Namek," Krillin attests, "Well, kinda' all. I came back, at least."

"We've tried before," reveals Goku, "With the dragon balls, I mean…"

Piccolo gives him a firm shove. "Goddamn it, Goku. Watch your words."

"Maybe they know something," Bulma bites back, "It's worth asking."

"No, it's not!" Vegeta snipes back, equally as heated.

"And your wish didn't work?" Ytvl ponders, more to himself than to Goku or the others. "…Hey, Lya, I thought you said the dragon could grant any wish?"

"That is strange," she quietly assesses. "Per legend, something as simple as locating a person should not be above the dragon's power. It has the ability to revive, but not to retrieve? Are you sure you worded your wish correctly?"

"We've tried plenty times, lady," Krillin tells her, "We're not the problem."

"I wouldn't be so sure."

"Would it make a difference if I told you that we're looking for a saiyan?" Bulma queries. Blank faces sweep the room; they have no idea where she's going with this, and neither does Goku. "Look, saiyans have just been outlawed, right? How would they keep track of that? There must be a database or something."

Ytvl speaks first. "And what makes you think that your friend has even been documented?"

"Our running theory is that our friend must have been picked up around where Namek was. And who would be looking around Namek after their beloved leader had last been sighted in that area?"

"You think that one of Frieza's ships found him?" Ytvl scoffs. "A 'saiyan' you said? Then, he really is dead."

"He's not dead," Goku asserts. "The dragon can bring back the dead. He said he's alive, just—"

"They would not spare a saiyan, Lya," Ytvl insists when his superior contemplates this. "Not then, not after Frieza's battle with one on Namek. They would have made an example out of him then and there."

"The dragon said he is alive?" Lya asks. When Goku nods, it's enough. "Then he is alive."

Ytvl clicks his tongue. "Then they didn't know he was a saiyan."

"At the time, he didn't have a tail," Bulma points out. "And unlike these two, he was —is— gentle. But maybe the Frost guys know now, now that he's older. Maybe it's been recorded. Maybe someone's sighted him, and the Empire has logged it in their archives or something."

"You think they'll just log it and let him get on his merry way?"

"No," Lya says quietly, and then a bit louder, she mulls over Bulma's point, "But any known saiyan has been documented and observed. Imprisoned, perhaps." She looks up and waves a hand at Goku. "Since your fateful battle with Frieza, any person with a high saiyan genetic percentage has been monitored or quietly destroyed, particularly in southern territory. I'm surprised it took as long as it did to pass into law. Vegeta's capture would have been the catalyst for a movement I guarantee the Empire – or at least, Lord Hailer – would have been very keen to put impose.

"I know this may sound insensitive, but this may be good news for your cause. In the past, there have been warrants to capture saiyans. Maybe someone has seen something."

"I doubt you'll find anything in any of the Frost Empire Saiyan archives," Ytvl inputs stubbornly, ignoring Lya's watchful eye, "But I'm sure you'll be able to find his mortuary records."

"He's not dead."

"Goku," Lya says, her impassivity betrayed by the anxious inflection in her voice. "If you help us be rid of both Cooler and Hailer then I swear our group will do everything in its power to find who you're looking for."

"We have researchers, investigators, bounty-hunters…" off-hands Ytvl, and then quietly adds, "Morticians..."

Lya raises her voice. "If your saiyan friend is alive and well like you believe, it'll be one of them who finds him."

Goku turns to Krillin first, expecting to see his friend looking about as hopeful as Goku dares allow himself to feel. Instead, reluctance. Piccolo too, looks like he'd rather be any place than here. Bulma looks as unsure, and Vegeta, well, Vegeta looks straight up disgusted.

"Don't be stupid, Kakarot. It's a wormhole of lies and troubles. It'll only get you killed."

"We could start the search as soon as today," Lya says at speed.

"I, uh-"

"Really." Vegeta clicks his tongue. "Even if they try and find the boy, there are no guarantees."

"We have connections that you simply do not have," Lya returns. "Your highest chance of success is cooperation with us."

Ytvl quirks a half-smile. "And let's say we don't find the saiyan, the worst you've done is help clean up the universe a little."

"Oh yeah, and who do you both work for?"

"Not the Frost Lords," Lya says icily to Vegeta, "We are a group opposing the Frost Empire. We stand for liberty."

Vegeta hums, unconvinced.

Goku barely has the time to think. Is this really a possibility? Could they truly find him? Ytvl made a good point, too. Really, if all else fails, Goku would just be helping by getting rid of these Hailer and Cooler guys. He'd basically be finishing the job he started with Frieza.

Beating Frieza had been bittersweet because that had also been the day his everything went south, the day he lost the most precious, most important person. Goku thinks of the multiple times he'd offered Frieza a second chance, and how that if he'd just done the job and ridded the universe of the tyrant quicker, he'd – Goku's son – would still be here with him. How they could be together again at home on Earth, as a family, after everything. It'd been ruined by Goku's arrogance, in his belief that he could play with Frieza until he promised to be good. Sure, Goku likes to believe everyone deserves a second chance, but… but some people just don't want to change. Some people are evil. And Goku knows that now.

And it seems that Hailer and Cooler – these brothers – are just extensions of everything Frieza stood for, and letting Frieza continue to live longer only caused more pain in the end.

How could helping finish the job make things worse? If anything, it'll only increase his chances in finding him, in bringing him home.

Goku closes his eyes.

He envisions his boy, his Gohan.

Please, he prays, Let something come of this.

And then...

"I'll do it, for my son."