Later that day Gohan was sitting on the ground. Vegeta told him to stay there so Gohan decided not to fight that decision. Vegeta appeared in the room and sat down on his bed. The man eyed Gohan for a few seconds and the half-saiyan glared back at him.
"Come here and kneel down at the end of the bed." Vegeta ordered. Gohan got up and walked to the edge of the bed. He knelt down wondering what was going to happen now. "Why don't you give me a foot message?" Vegeta suggested. Gohan snorted as he got up.
"Forget it." He snarled back. "I'll go to my room." Gohan forgot about the leash around his neck. Usually he got rid of it the moment he walked in the room but he forgot about it today. The boy felt a tug on his neck and stumbled back. Vegeta was sitting on his hands and knees on the bed so he could grab the leash before Gohan was too far away.
"Now are you going to obey me or what? If you don't do this I'll see to it that you won't get any food for at least a week." Vegeta said as he tugged on the leash again. Gohan frowned back at him.
"I won't survive that." Gohan answered as he glared at his master.
"You're a Saiyan. Even humans can survive a week without food." Vegeta answered as he tugged on the leash again. Gohan was forced to step toward him again. Vegeta sat down on the bed and leaned against the front with his back. He was still holding the leash so Gohan was forced to stand at the edge of the bed. "Kneel down and do it."
Gohan clenched his fists. "A soldier is not supposed to do something like that." Gohan snarled back.
"You're not a soldier, remember? You chose to be a slave."
"I didn't choose anything." Gohan answered.
"You refused to join me as a soldier. That's choosing to die or, in this case, to be enslaved." Vegeta answered as if he was speaking about the weather. Gohan frowned back at him. "Start on your assignment." He ordered after this. Gohan glared at Vegeta's feet. "Oh come on. Do you want me to grab a child and torture him?" Vegeta asked as he raised an eyebrow.
Gohan shook his head. "Good. Then start." Vegeta ordered. Gohan sighed and shifted closer to the bed.
"Can I lean on the bed with my elbows?" Gohan asked as he looked up.
Vegeta shrugged. "You can climb on the bed for all I care. It's not like it's a forbidden area. You just can't sleep in it." Gohan leaned on the bed with his elbows and with some hesitation started massaging Vegeta's feet. "You always assume you have to sit on the ground when I order you to stay here but you can sit on the bed if you want to. It's more comfortable." Vegeta continued as he grabbed a bundle of papers that reminded Gohan of the newspapers his mother used to read on Earth.
"Err... Vegeta? Can I call you Vegeta?" Gohan asked as he looked up.
Vegeta's eyes glanced at him over the edge of the newspaper. "Will your attitude improve if you can?" He asked. Gohan shrugged. "Sure, kid."
"If I would have chosen to join your army as a soldier... What would my life be like?" Gohan asked hesitantly.
Vegeta placed the newspaper down on his legs. "Are you having second thoughts already?"
"No. I'm just curious." Gohan answered. "What would job prescription be?"
Vegeta crossed his arms as he thought about that question. "It would be better than your life as a slave." Vegeta started off. "You would get your own room and office. I wanted to place you with the elite soldiers. Your strength is there but your technical skill is non existent. Training with the elite would give you the chance to work on that weaker aspect."
"Would I get missions?" Gohan asked as he looked up.
Vegeta smirked as he thought that would probably be the only thing Gohan would hate. "Yes. I would probably send you on purging missions."
"Then I'd rather be a slave." Gohan answered determinedly.
Vegeta chuckled as he uncrossed his arms and grabbed the newspaper again. He ruffled with the papers. "I knew you would say that. Is that really worth this?"
"Yes." Gohan answered with a frown. "I'd rather be a slave than a murderer."
"Just because you're a slave does not mean you cannot purge planets." Vegeta's voice was low and sounded very dangerous. Gohan looked up at him. "I'll assign you to a trip with the elite in a few weeks. Look forward to it." Vegeta said as he pulled the newspaper up and started reading again. He didn't miss how Gohan's hands tightened their grip on his feet for a second before he released them.
"You can't do that!" Gohan snarled as he got up.
"Watch me."
"I will not do that! I'm strong enough to fight almost everyone on this ship. I will fight your soldiers and runaway." Gohan yelled at him.
"Not if they keep your ki-bonds on until you reach the planet and release you there." Vegeta answered without looking up from his newspaper. Gohan shook his head. "Now wash your hands and go to your room." Vegeta ordered. "I'll send you to Comora tomorrow so you can give him the message yourself."
Gohan frowned and clenched his fists. It was until Vegeta released the newspaper with one hand and prepared a blast in the free hand when Gohan decided to listen and walked to the bathroom to wash his hands. He ignored Vegeta as he walked back to his room. There he pulled out his armor and lied down on his mattress. The boy sighed as he rolled on his side and traced an invisible line over the white wall.
The following morning Gohan was sitting in a space pod. He crossed his arms as he watched the different planets fly by. "Are you there yet?" Vegeta's voice sounded through the scouter he was wearing.
"I will be there in two minutes just like I was going to be there in seven minutes when you asked this question five minutes ago." Gohan answered annoyed. "I hate these long distant messages. I don't want to sit in these things. It makes me feel like I'm you." He snarled.
"Poor thing." Vegeta sneered. Gohan rolled his eyes as the robotic female voice announced that the space pod was going to land in a few seconds. The boy moved his hand up and eyed the white glove and the blue bodysuit he was wearing. He had to admit the uniform was nice to wear and the armor with green stomach and shoulder guards did make him feel slightly less vulnerable. The space pod landed and Gohan quickly climbed out the space pod. He wanted to get this over with as quickly as possible. The half-saiyan ignored the guards standing on either side of the gate as he exited the launching room and made his way to Comora's office. There the doors opened as he stepped in the range of the sensors and revealed an office which was slightly smaller than Vegeta's. The gray walls and purple floor made the room very dark if it wasn't for the bright lights hanging on the walls.
A large man with yellow hair running down his muscular turquoise back looked up as Gohan walked in. The half-saiyan knelt down and bowed his head in respect. "I have a message from Lord Vegeta, sir." Gohan said without looking up.
"Again?" Comora asked as he raised an eyebrow. Gohan looked up. "Didn't he send you here two days ago?"
"Yes. This message was on a little short notice." Gohan answered bitterly.
"Well then, by all means, bring the message to me." Comora ordered as he motioned for Gohan to get up. The half-saiyan stepped closer and handed a round blue communication device to him. A dark blue circle was drawn in the middle of the object and Comora placed it on the desk. The man clapped in his hands and the lights in the room died. Gohan watched as Comora pressed on a button and a light emerged from the object.
Comora read the inscriptions and frowned thoughtfully. "He wants to add a soldier to my team?" He muttered out loud. "Soldier XXY902. Let's see." The man typed the numbers into his computer on the right side of the desk. "X….X…Y…9….0..2.." He muttered as he typed in said numbers.
Gohan looked at the screen curiously. He already knew who the soldier was but he wondered if there was any database on him. A screen appeared with a recent picture of Gohan. "It's you." Comora said as he raised an eyebrow.
"I'm in the database of the army?" Gohan questioned out loud. "I didn't know that." He muttered thoughtfully. "They have a picture of me. Where did they get that picture?"
"Are you done?" Comora asked amusedly. "Curious much?" Gohan noticed he was leaning on the desk quite far and pulled back. A small blush appeared on his cheeks.
"Sorry." Gohan muttered as he stepped back.
Comora moved his eyes back to the message on the screen. "Instructions to remove the ki-bonds when we reach the planet. You don't want to go?" He asked curiously.
Gohan shrugged and looked away. Comora chuckled. "Don't worry. It's not as bad as you think it is." Comora said as his dark red eyes studied the Saiyan. "It will be over before you know it." The man pressed on the dark blue circle and the message in the air disappeared.
"Vegeta is making me do this just to prove his point." Gohan complained as he crossed his arms.
Comora leaned back in his blue chair. "You're the only one who can call him that without a punishment. Then again, you're the only Saiyan left." Comora looked at the label 'species' on the computer which clearly said 'half-saiyan'.
Gohan rolled his eyes. "That jerk doesn't deserve that label." He muttered.
"You're going to regret that one." Vegeta's voice snarled through the scouter. Gohan widened his eyes slightly and cursed himself for forgetting about the scouter. He pressed on a button to close the connection between him and Vegeta. 'I'm going to get it for the insult anyway. Might as well add another reason to be punished.' Gohan thought as he crossed his arms.
"Are we done here?" Gohan asked .
"Yes. You're dismissed. I look forward to the next mission." Comora said amusedly as he motioned for Gohan to leave.
When Gohan reached Vegeta's office the man was already waiting for him. The man showed Gohan to three sets of boots and told him to clean and polish them. Gohan didn't complain since this punishment was very lenient for Vegeta. Luckily for Gohan, Vegeta had to attend a meeting and, after chaining Gohan to a metal radiator, left him alone in the room.
Two hours later Gohan was working on the third pair while wondering how Vegeta could get those boots so dirty. The door was thrown open and Vegeta walked in. Gohan raised an eyebrow as he watched the man walk to his desk and fall down on his chair. Another warrior followed Vegeta. Even though the man looked very impressive with his light blue skin and short bright orange hair, he seemed to watch Vegeta apprehensively.
"I'm not going to sell that planet for thirty million credits." Vegeta snarled over his shoulder as he walked. "If he thinks he can get it for less than 120 million he is crazy."
"Lord Vegeta. Please consider his offer. The planet isn't that spectacular." The man pleaded. "It is hard for some species to breathe there since the planet doesn't have the normal oxygen most planets have."
"I don't care." Vegeta answered. "The planet has enough water and other resources they can extract from the ground. I'm not going lower than 100 million."
"I'll send him the message." The warrior said as his eyes fell on Gohan. "Why do you have a child chained to the wall?" He asked curiously.
Vegeta's eyes shot to Gohan before they landed on the warrior again. "Why are you questioning my taste in furniture?" He shot back as the warrior sat down. The man looked so shocked that even Gohan couldn't hide a chuckle. "I'm training him to be a new soldier. He just needs to be reminded of his place." Vegeta answered as he shuffled with the papers on his desk. Gohan rolled his eyes as he placed the second to last clean boot on the ground.
"Right." The man decided not the question Vegeta's ways. "How is the training going?" He asked curiously. Gohan eyed the man but didn't recognize him.
"Fine." Vegeta answered. "He's obedient for now."
"Do you want to test that?" The man asked as a smirk appeared on his face. Gohan groaned softly. Vegeta was angry at him so he could be persuaded into doing almost anything to Gohan at the moment.
"You don't believe me?" Vegeta asked as he raised an eyebrow. The warrior shrugged as he looked at the half-saiyan. Vegeta got up and stepped closer to the half-saiyan.
"Come on, Vegeta." Gohan complained as he watched the man walk closer. The man ignored Gohan's plea and unchained him. Gohan frowned as he followed Vegeta to the center of the room where Vegeta's desk was standing.
"Sit down." Vegeta ordered. Gohan frowned at him and sat down on the ground. "Get up." Gohan did as he was told. "Jump up and down." Gohan took a deep and steadying breath and started jumping up and down. The warrior already looked satisfied but Vegeta was having too much fun to let Gohan off the hook. "Do a handstand."
"Why?" Gohan asked annoyed.
"Because you can." Vegeta answered.
"Maybe I can't do it." Gohan shot back.
"I saw you do it on planet Namek." Vegeta answered."When you were so ecstatic with your new uniform, remember?" Vegeta tilted his head as his lips curled up. A blush appeared on Gohan's cheeks. Vegeta caught him while he was actually acting his age for once and Gohan always hoped Vegeta only saw the last few moments of it.
"Jerk." Gohan muttered under his breath.
"That's the second time you insulted me today and if you do it a third time you won't live to see the next day." Vegeta threatened. "Now do it."
Gohan frowned and did a handstand. "Now on one hand." Gohan pulled back one hand and adjusted his body so he wouldn't fall down. "Now walk around the desk on your hands." Vegeta's order pulled a sigh out of Gohan's body but he did as he was told once more. "That's all." Gohan immediately jumped back to his feet. "Go grab a book and study it." Vegeta ordered.
Gohan saluted and walked to the closet to grab a book. The warrior looked at Vegeta. "Study?"
"I'm teaching him the Saiyan language." Vegeta answered in a bored tone. "It will come in handy one day. I will be able to keep all my secrets in that language and he can keep track of everything."
"Aren't you afraid he'll spill the secrets to others?" The warrior asked.
"That boy may disagree with my tactics but he is a loyal soldier and I'm the only one to give that loyalty to." Vegeta answered as he leaned on the desk with his elbows. Gohan was on the other side of the room. He was leaning against the closet with his back and seemed to be immersed with the book. "Besides, I'll have him in shape in no time. In a few months I will be the only one he lives for." Vegeta's eyes moved to the back of the room where Gohan was sitting. The book was lying on his crossed legs and the half-saiyan yawned tiredly. The boy rubbed his eyes and flipped a page. Vegeta looked back at the warrior. "Yes. He'll be one of my best soldiers soon."
**** DBZ **** DBZ ****
The large octopus-like ship landed on the ground on planet Xiona. Inside the ship Gohan was following Vegeta to the doorway. "Vegeta? Can I ask you a question?" The eleven year old looked up at the older Saiyan.
The door sizzled open and a row of soldiers ran out the ship. Vegeta and Gohan walked outside. "Is it one of your usual stupid questions?" Vegeta sneered.
"I've been on this ship for two weeks now. How can you know my questions are usually stupid?" Gohan shot back.
"Call it instinct." Vegeta answered with a smirk.
"Do I have to wear this?" Gohan asked as he tugged on the collar around his neck. Vegeta stopped walking and glanced at the half-saiyan. He smirked and knelt down next to the teenager. Gohan watched as Vegeta pulled off the collar and tied Gohan's wrists together in stead. The man patted on Gohan's bounded hands and got up. The half-saiyan decided this was better than being dragged around like a dog.
The doorway opened and they walked out the ship. Gohan was dressed in a blue uniform which Vegeta apparently made his standard uniform. He was also wearing armor with black shoulder guards. They stepped on the brown surface of the planet. There they noticed a group of soldiers and a woman standing in front of them.
The woman's dark blue hair seemed to wave as she walked closer. Her light blue dress contrasted wit her darker hair and the fabric was decorated with sparkles. All in all, it almost made her seem like the sky on planet Earth, both day and night.
"Good morning, Miss Rillia." Vegeta said as he nodded at her. Gohan got down on one knee in respect.
"Good morning, lord Vegeta. I thank you for your kindness and your offer to escort me to my father's new planet." Rillia answered with a kind smile.
Vegeta nodded once again and turned away from her. "Shall I escort you into the ship?" He suggested.
"I'd be honored." Rillia answered as she accepted Vegeta's offered arm and they entered the ship. Gohan was staring at the leash as Vegeta dropped it and grabbed it.
Vegeta pressed on a button next to a large door and the doors opened. They entered a spacious room. The white floor and white walls made the room look more cheerful compared to the dark rooms the rest of the ship contained. Gohan wondered if all the guests were placed in this room because it was the only nice room in the ship. Even Vegeta's room was darker than this one.
A large bed was centered in the room. The red curtains around the bed were bright compared to the white sheets and pillows on the bed. Gohan did notice one red pillow. Several men walked inside while carrying suitcases. Vegeta stepped aside to let them in and placed a hand on Gohan's shoulder. The boy looked up. "Get ready." Vegeta hissed to him.
Vegeta left Gohan to wonder what was going to happen as he stepped toward Rillia. The woman smiled at him when she noticed this. "Miss Rillia. Allow me to present you with a temporary gift to make your stay in my ship as accommodating as possible." Vegeta said as he motioned for Gohan to come closer. "This boy will work for you to take every order you can think of."
Gohan raised an eyebrow as he looked up. "Are you renting me out?" He asked annoyed. Vegeta gave him a warning glance but Gohan only glared back.
"Oh, I don't know, lord Vegeta. I don't really need someone to help me. I can do everything myself." Rillia answered hesitantly.
"There must be some things you don't want to do. Your laundry? He can clean up after you. You don't have to do a thing. He'll take care of everything." Vegeta answered with a smirk. Rillia's eyes moved to Gohan and she noticed the stubbornness in his eyes.
"Fine." Rillia said with a smile. 'This could get interesting.' She thought amusedly. "I'll take him."
"Good. Let me make sure he knows all the rules. I'll send him back to you when he's ready." Vegeta answered before he gave her a nod in respect and turned away from her. Gohan followed him out the room.
Vegeta walked away and Gohan followed him once more. "Where are we going?" Gohan asked curiously.
"Don't speak unless you are spoken to. Next time I'll punch you." Vegeta snarled back. Gohan pressed his lips together in annoyance but didn't answer.
Vegeta opened a door and walked in the room. Gohan looked around and noticed they were in a room Gohan had never seen before. A large bed was standing in the room.
It wasn't as large as Vegeta's bed but it came close to it. Gohan noticed the same doorway to a small bathroom and a closet in the corner. "This is your room." Vegeta announced.
Gohan looked up with wide eyes. "It is?"
"For now. It would have been your room if you would have joined me as a soldier." Vegeta answered with a smirk. Gohan groaned out loud. The boy walked in the room and looked around curiously.
"I'll let you sleep here while you're working for her just to show you what you'll be missing out on." Vegeta said. "You will sleep here and go to her room the moment you wake up. The guards are keeping an eye on you and the bracelets will keep you power level low. I'm working on other bracelets which can do more than just keep your power level down but you'll hear about that later." Vegeta turned away from Gohan. "Enjoy your two weeks away from me. They'll be over before you know it."
Gohan watched him go and jumped around in joy. The boy landed on the large bed and grinned. "My bed." Gohan whispered out loud. "My room." He looked around once more. "Only if I am a soldier." He sighed. "My own room. Not that small mattress on the ground… Maybe I should just say yes." Gohan whispered as he stared up at the ceiling. The boy shook his head and got up again. He decided to go back to Rillia before she started complaining.
He knocked on the door and entered the room after she gave permission. The boy bowed in respect and waited for an order. Rillia was lying on her bed and she was reading a book. Gohan eyed her with curiosity. Rillia looked up and smiled. "Do you want something?" She asked.
"Oh. Sorry. I was actually about to ask you the same thing, Miss." Gohan answered as he looked up.
"Oh. Well you don't have to do anything for me at the moment. Just sit down and read something or whatever." Rillia answered. "And just call me Rillia."
"Can I just pick something out?" Gohan asked as he stepped closer to the suitcase that was open and contained several piles of books.
Gohan spend the rest of the day reading one of the books. It was the first time in six days he actually enjoyed something. Vegeta found the two while they were still reading. Rillia was lying on the bed and Gohan was lying on the ground. The boy was leaning on the ground with his elbows as he lay stomach down on the ground. Gohan looked up when Vegeta walked in. "Good evening." Vegeta said with a nod to Rillia. "It's time for dinner. Will you follow me?"
Rillia smiled and got up. They made their way to the dining room and Gohan raised an eyebrow when he noticed the candles on the table. Vegeta was really trying to make this romantic and it made Gohan feel a little sick. Gohan was ordered to get their drinks and sit in the corner to eat alone after that. Gohan sat down at his small table and watched the interaction between the couple.
After some time Rillia got up to go to the bathroom and Gohan looked at Vegeta. "What about Stirania?" Gohan asked as he tilted his head.
Vegeta looked up. "Come here." Vegeta ordered. Gohan got up and followed his order. The moment Gohan was within reach Vegeta pulled back his hand and backhanded Gohan. The half-saiyan yelped in pain and placed a hand on his cheek. "Don't speak unless you are spoken to."
"What is going on between you and Stirania anyway? She is locked up in a cage and seems to be held against her will." Gohan snarled back.
"Our relationship is complicated." Vegeta answered as he frowned at the half-saiyan. "And it's none of your business."
"Stirania likes you. How can you treat another woman like this while she is still caged in your room?" Gohan asked as he frowned at the man.
"I'm only talking to Rillia to make her stay here as pleasant as possible. Stirania knows how these things work." Vegeta answered. "I don't owe you an explanation. Now sit down in your corner before I decide to make you sleep in your small room instead of the larger one." Vegeta threatened. Gohan bit his lip and turned away from Vegeta.
Later that evening Gohan was making up Rillia's bed so she could fall asleep right away. Rillia walked out the small bathroom and smiled. She made sure the rope around her robe was tied and she sat down on the bed. Gohan bowed in respect. Rillia tousled Gohan's hair. "Your hair is so cute." She commented. Gohan looked up and blushed. "I'll comb it for you."
"Oh. That's really not necessary." Gohan answered as he stepped back.
"Hey. I'm the one who gets to tell you what to do, remember?" Rillia said with a smile. "So relax. I'll take care of you." Rillia grabbed a comb that was lying on the table next to the bed. Gohan looked down as Rillia gently combed his hair. "Don't be so tensed." She said when she noticed his clenched fists. "I know Vegeta can be intense. I've travelled with him more often. It's important that you don't forget who you are."
Gohan looked up at her and smiled. "That's hard when you're treated like you're nothing." He answered.
Rillia chuckled. "The only reason Vegeta is nice to me is because my father owns several planets and Vegeta wants to sell more to him." Rillia answered. "People treat me different because my father has a large influence on the universe." Rillia stopped combing and smiled. "There. Now I'm going to bed. Meet me here tomorrow morning at ten?" She suggested.
"Yes madam." Gohan saluted and walked out the room. He almost ran to his own room and pushed his palm against the scanner next to the door. Gohan grinned as the doors opened and looked around. The boy ran to the small bathroom and took a shower just because he could. He stayed in the shower longer than necessary just because he could. After this he lay down in his bed and enjoyed the soft mattress. The boy yawned tiredly and, while he wanted to stay awake so he could enjoy his own room, he drifted off into a slumber.
**** DBZ **** DBZ ****
"So. Tell us a story." A slave boy smiled at Gohan as he sat down near the half-saiyan. Gohan looked up at him. The half-saiyan was ordered to stay with the other slaves because Rillia and Vegeta were going out together. All the child slaves were very interested in him but the adults didn't even look at him.
"What do you want me to talk about?" Gohan asked as he tilted his head.
"Anything. We don't get much exciting news around here." The same slave answered.
Gohan crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Well. There was this time when I was living in the woods on my own. I spent the night in a cave and the next morning I met a dinosaur who was staying in the cave too." Gohan told everything about those few days he spent with the dinosaur. The children around him "ooohh'd" and "aahhh'd" at the right time and gave Gohan all their attention.
Denisra walked in the room and raised an eyebrow. "Why are you all sitting here?" She complained. "You are supposed to look at the list of chores and get to it." Denisra complained.
Denisra placed her hands on her hips. "What are you doing here?" She asked Gohan.
Gohan looked up. "I'm here to work for you. I'm supposed to join the rest." Gohan answered as he got up.
"Oh really?" Denisra crossed her arms and smiled. "Okay. I'll have to calculate you in somewhere."
"I was hoping I could take a break from the hard work." Gohan said hopefully.
Denisra chuckled. "Oh no. Every recruit of mine will work as hard as he or she possibly can. It would make me seem soft if I would let you off the hook."
Gohan pulled a face as Denisra tilted her head thoughtfully. "What to do with you." She muttered. The other slaves were watching her with anticipation. "What do you say?" She asked the others.
"Let him help me with the bathrooms!"
"I can use help with the hallway floors."
"The dishes are always disgusting. He can do that."
Gohan pulled a face while Denisra laughed. "You would be doing the entire ship on your own if the choice was up to them." She sneered. Gohan gave her a hopeful glance.
"You're not that evil, are you?" He asked innocently.
Denisra grinned back at him. "Are you sure about that?" She asked.
**** DBZ **** DBZ ****