Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Kingdom Come ❯ Chapter 08: Lessons ( Chapter 8 )

Disclaimer: See Chapter 1

WARNING: See Chapter 1

Kingdom Come
~ Chapter 08

The royal palace was quiet, but there was still the undercurrent of life that said the living still dominated the building. The hushed murmurs of voices drifted through the air as they spoke over the trans-galactic comm-stations to families that never saw the Lord's home. There was the hum of distant machinery, the life's blood of the stone and glass structure. All of it was white noise, tuned out by the palace residents as too common to be of interest.

Goten walked to his room, the walkway long deserted. It was well past curfew. In fact, the night was almost over. The prince released a large yawn, so tired it felt like sand was in his eyes. He pulled up to a stop as he passed a darkened hallway, not sure if he was hearing things or not. He thought that he heard soft mewling sounds of pain, as if some animal had crawled into the palace to die. He turned to look in the direction of his room, wanting to go to bed... but he went ahead down the hallway to investigate.

His tail whipped through the air before encircling his waist calmly. He had been spending a great deal of his days with Piccolo and his troupe of humans and guards. Amazing how even the androids seemed to follow him, even without meaning to, Goten mused. He shook his head. It was probably because Piccolo was simply so commanding. The demi-saiyajin had taken to comparing the green visitor to a storm over the past few days he had been spending time with him.

Before he could go further into that train of thought, Goten rounded a corner and came upon what, or rather who, was whimpering in pain. Goten curled his lip as the stench of fear and tears and sex assaulted his senses. Trunks lay bare in a puddle of blood and other body fluids. His clothes were torn and scattered around the hallway. A low growl of displeasure echoed in the darkness. This was just vulgar. The prince looked around, trying to find any kind of loose clothing, but none could be seen. He looked back down at the naked male lying on the ground.

Goten knelt down, his knee falling into the bloody puddle and staining the pants. He reached out his hand to brush Trunks' long hair out of his face, trying to get a look at the lavender haired youth's face. Trunks screamed, or at least tried, but it came out as a rather harsh choking sound. The bloody demi-saiyajin tried to move away, but his broken body refused to listen. Goten closed his eyes, pushing the strange new sensation of concern away. He brought forth his colder side, his detachment. It was what was needed to deal with something as grotesque as this.

As gingerly as he could, he picked up Trunks and turned to take him... 'Where?' He could take Trunks to Bulma, but she was well across the Palace. And she could only care for him with the resources she had on hand, not allowed to have Zarbon leave her at night. He could try to take him the to the medical wing, but with the standing orders to allow anyone or anything to use Trunks however they saw fit, no one would willingly treat the long-haired demi-saiyajin. Of course there was always 17. There were stories of how the android would sometimes 'find' Trunks and 'take care' of him for weeks at a time, asking for leave to take the lavender youth away from the palace. He wasn't sure what to make of it, but it was the best bet that was close at hand. The android's room was close by. But 17 was on guard duty. Guarding Piccolo... 'How to get around that...'

Getting into the room was no problem. Goten was not only a prince, but he was also the Royal Inquisitor. There was no door in the entire palace that he could not get past. Including his father's. Goten stepped into the room, Trunks still and almost lifeless in his arms. He looked at the bed, but decided the bathroom was probably a better bed. He laid Trunks down on the tiled floors of the showering room and then vacated the area. He knew how to inflict pain, and knew that Trunks would have to trust his doctor in order to heal. And he knew Trunks did not trust him.

Goten hurried down to the visitor's area, knowing the route without even thinking about it. It wasn't until he was just about to round the corner that he slowed down to a more stately pace. That was also when he realized how bloody his own clothes were. Giving a mental wince, he blanked his face to the three guards standing nearby.

Captain Ginyu took one look at the stained clothes of the prince and visibly blanched. He was a warrior, true, but he was more for outright killing his opponents. Goten was not. He dealt in matters far more sinister and terrifying that death. He dealt in torture.

On the other hand, 18 merely eyed him curiously, obviously wondering who was the latest fool to find himself in the youngest demi-saiyajin's clutches. He grinned at her, smiling as sweetly as he could while keeping his eyes blank and lifeless. Like a doll. Like a puppet. Like the perfect tool. Like they both were. She turned her attention back to the wall across from her, knowing it was none of her business and not wanting to press her luck with the very dangerous prince.

Goten walked calmly over to 17. The raven-haired android looked at the prince, wondering what was going on, but said nothing. However, he held his ground. "Yes, your majesty?"

"I need to talk with Piccolo. Come and enter with me," Goten said carefully. His eyes flashed lightly in the darkened space.

17 merely nodded, his body half turned to open the door even as Goten reached around him and manually did it himself.

As he'd heard the voices, Piccolo rose from his resting position on the bed, his bare feet hitting the cold floor soundlessly. The door to his room slid open, and a bloodied Goten entered with 17 right behind him, door shutting as soon as the android was inside. "What's going on?" Piccolo asked. "What happened to you, Goten?"

"More to the point, what has happened to Trunks." Goten said as he turned to look at 17, trying not to notice that Piccolo only had on a pair of purple pants. His tail wrapped protectively around him, holding him safe against the churning emotions and thoughts in his head. After a moment of thought, he really didn't know why he was doing this. He had seen worse. He had -done- worse, really. But... the sounds of Trunks mewling in pain still resounded in his ears, and he knew he couldn't just leave the other behind.

"What's happened?" Piccolo and 17 asked at the same time. They shared a look between them, but it wasn't an unfriendly one. It was more of mutual concern and respect for the other's concern.

"Did you bandage him up?" 17 inquired, his usual cool, levelheaded voice sounding just a slight bit off, something for which he cursed himself. If Trunks knew just how important Trunks was to him... The purple demi-saiyajin was a weakness, but one that 17 acknowledged. He didn't trust that Goten had changed. He had shared his concerns with Piccolo, and apparently the green warrior was taking them to heart. Which was a good thing. One could never be too careful.

"No. I did not. He does not want me to touch him," Goten replied. Sighing, he looked down to the ground in desperation. How was he to make them understand?

"He needs to be seen to, then," Piccolo said, his deep voice penetrating the mounting tension as easily as thunder in the night.

"I know that!" Goten snapped, having yet to fall asleep and it was closing on dawn already. "And here's my plan. First, 17, you leave here, as if you've been dismissed for the day. Go to your room and tend to him. I'll stay here and act as your replacement, at least until the shift changes. You'll have to be here for your next shift, though."

"What?" the android asked, not really believing he had heard right. Prince Goten was going to take over guard duty for a while? He didn't want to argue it, but it made him think...

"You heard me. Go!" Goten shouted, loud enough that the two guards still out in the hallway would hear it, though it would be a muted shout to them. He stood framed by the doorway for the other two guards to see him as 17 left. The door slid shut with a soft hiss. The prince released a sigh, turning to look at Piccolo once again, flushing at the proximity and location. "So, how come you're so awake? Weren't you asleep before I came in?"

"I don't require much sleep," Piccolo answered, folding his arms across his bare chest. Normally, others would have been put on the spot at a situation such as this. He was half nude, late at night, in his room, with someone he knew wanted him in a sexual manner. But Piccolo was more concerned with Trunks' safety than he was with his own. He, after all, could take care of himself. "I was merely resting."

"Oh, I see," Goten nodded. He looked around, and noticed that the bed was still mostly made. And it looked really inviting. He imagined the pillows and sheets were saturated with Piccolo's smell. Where he was sorry that the rejuvenation tank's stench had cleared his senses, he was now very pleased. He was actually able to smell Piccolo's light scent in the room, filling the place like lightly flavored water.

Piccolo tilted his head to the side as he looked over Goten's blood stained clothes again. Could those stains have been caused during an attack or as an after effect of a rescue, as he claimed? "Do you know what happened to Trunks?"

"Not really, no," the demi-saiyajin stated. His arms crossed defensively over his chest and his tail tightened a bit in its grip. He hated giving oral reports. "His clothes were shredded. There was more blood than I'd care to see again. I think... I don't know, but... It's possible he was also sexually assaulted. It's likely, actually. From what I understand, that isn't an uncommon occurrence for him."

"Those are quite a few details, Goten," Piccolo said as his eyes narrowed dangerously. His voice had also dropped to a softer, deadlier tone. Could all the previous admissions have been a lie? Could Goten not have changed as much as he had hoped? Piccolo was suspicious, more so since this was Trunks they were talking about. He had promised to keep the demi-saiyajin safe!

"I'm observant. It's what I do," Goten replied, noticing Piccolo's reaction. He shifted into a fighting stance automatically, unconsciously. He was tired, but he was quickly picking up his adrenaline rush from before, and waking up again. He knew, though, that when, not if, the adrenaline crash came afterward, he'd be next to worthless.

"Are you certain that you don't know anything more?" Piccolo asked, noticing the change in Goten's stance. Why would he take on a fighting stance if he were innocent?

"What do you mean?" Goten asked cautiously. But then, something in his adrenaline fogged mind clicked a sleepy fact and a hyper fact together. Goten's tail unwound itself to snap in the air with shock and anger. Incredulous, his voice rose with indignation as he began to defend himself, "What-- Wait. You--you think I did this. You think that I could -do- this? After what I told you -- things I've never even felt before -- and you still think I would do this? After everything I said, and everything I've -done- for you, you think I would attack him like that?"

"It is not unfeasible, considering how I found you the first time," Piccolo stated calmly, ignoring but taking note of what Goten was saying. All of what Goten was saying. He glanced at the door to silently warn the prince. He did not need the other two guards to come rushing into the room to defend him... or to defend the prince. That would just cause too many complications.

"I would -never-. Never! That is -not- how I operate, not even before our confrontation," Goten hissed, acknowledging the need for lowered voices. His cheeks were flushed, part from anger, part from shame. He had thought that Piccolo trusted him! He had tried his best, after all. He had done everything that the larger warrior asked, even changed who he was to fit what Piccolo seemed to say he wanted. And this was how he was rewarded?! He buried his fear and embarrassment in anger. He was used to dealing with anger. The other, newer and more foreign emotions could just be pushed away, killed by his rage.

"How should I know that?" Piccolo countered. This was somewhat odd. If the prince was acting, then he had an amazing ability. There was such an indignant innocence to Goten's stance, to what he was saying. Piccolo also took notice of the way his tail snapped through the air before briefly re-wrapping around his middle, ready to go into battle if needed. Goten knew he'd get his ass handed to him, again, but he was so outraged by the accusations that he was ready to fight. Wouldn't a guilty person be a bit more manipulative?

"Because it's the truth! I used to torture, to maim. To cause pain, not death," Goten explained, raising his voice harshly before continuing on in a quieter voice. He pulled himself up to his full height, willing his tail to curl up behind him. He would make it through this. He would. His adrenaline told him he would. He glared at the other male as he informed him of a few basic facts that still grated on his nerves, as they were the cause of a great deal of teasing his family plagued him with. "And I have never in my entire -life- forced myself on another person! I have never even -been- with another person in that way."

"Never...?" Piccolo asked, surprised. He pulled back sharply. This explained a lot. Such as his reaction in the garden the other night. He had seemed so flushed and expectant and restrained. 'No wonder. He -is- restrained!' It also helped to explain why he was seen as the crueler of the two, the more subtly dangerous. He had learned one thing about the saiyajins here, and that was that they tended to pay close attention to their passions. From what he and the others gathered, they favored two places: the ring and the bed. The ones that were mocked, such as Nappa and Vegeta, were treated as such because they did not enjoy both forms of... entertainment. Goten seemed to take out his frustrations in his job rather than actually slaking whatever lusts he had.

"-Never-," Goten repeated, still livid. He failed to miss Piccolo backing down, so lost was he in his righteous anger. "But what does it matter to you? You don't believe me. You think I'm still bullying Trunks, and on top of that, now you think I'm a rapist. Well, I am not my father or my brother. I do -not- force myself on others. That's not who I am. I have never been that way. I never will."

"So, tell me. Say it. Tell me you didn't do this to Trunks," Piccolo demanded. He had to hear it. He didn't know why, but he had to hear Goten actually say it. It was probably something that Goku taught him, few as those things were.

"I didn't. I swear to you. I didn't hurt him," Goten said, calming. He fell out of his stance, crossing his arms again. He shifted to the side so that he could glare at the other man. With just a trace of heat, he said softly, "For the gods' sakes, I'm trying to -save- him here!"

"I believe you," Piccolo stated simply, letting his otherwise piercing gaze fall away even as he physically visibly relaxed.

"You do?" Goten asked curiously, his anger evaporating with the acceptance. He inhaled then exhaled deeply. Strange as it was, the demi-saiyajin found that none of his anger remained, and that he even -forgave- Piccolo for doubting him. It was reasonable, after all.

"Yes. I won't lie; I did doubt you at first. But I believe you now," Piccolo admitted. He smiled slightly, feeling the tension leave the room like water down a drain.

"Thank you, Piccolo," Goten answered, a small grin appearing on his face as well. He yawned, then, his adrenaline seeping away to leave him as strong as chewing gum.

Piccolo turned to offer his bed to the young prince, but Goten went and leaned back against the wall. He clicked on his scouter, something that most of the palace residents were never without, something that seemed to be so much a part of who these alters were so that they went as unnoticed as natural hair color. He read the time out loud, and how much time it was going to be until the guard shifted.

"Why are you waiting?" Piccolo asked. It was obvious that Goten was beyond exhausted, and yet the demi-saiyajin waited, as if he had to. As if he were honor bound to do so.

"Because, I'm in here alone, and covered in blood. I can't leave you without a guard, so I'd have to call 17 back if I left right now. This way, I'll leave you with a guard, and that guard will only see me leaving all bloody and know that I dismissed 17 for that purpose. He'll assume I was in here hurting you -- not that I'd want to or like I would have a chance in hell, but they don't know that -- so they'll not become too curious to why 17 was dismissed," Goten explained. He looked Piccolo over, noticing the antenna again. He had noticed them before, while the green man had bathed, but he hadn't paid much attention to them. Now he did. "So, you're not from earth, are you."

Piccolo thought a moment on how to answer that. He may trust that Goten did not harm Trunks, but he was not going to bare his soul to the other just yet. He wasn't sure if the Nameks had been found, or if they were even still alive. He did not want to give their location or secrets away. "I was born on Earth, though the sire of my sire was not."

"Where are you from?" Goten asked, curious. He wondered what the small appendages felt like, and if they were as sensitive as other parts of anatomy. How many nerve endings were there? Did they feel pain? Cold? Heat? Pleasure? Questions upon more questions, and no answers in sight.

"I have no true home," Piccolo replied, which was almost true, yet not quite the answer to Goten's question. He had places to stay, but he did not consider any of them a home. The closest he could call home was Kami Dende's Lookout, which was not as it used to be.

"What about family?" Goten asked, even more intrigued. How could someone live without a home?

"I have a family, of sorts. I have a friend, but over time we have found that our lives are, or rather, were carrying us in different directions. He is married now. A father. He is a good man, and a strong fighter. I know that in my absence, he is carrying on and defending our home," Piccolo replied, a small smile settling into place.

Goten saw the smile, and took note of how it was filled with pride, and warmth, and... something else. Something he could not remember seeing on any one else's face, except maybe Bulma's when she looked at her son. Yes, that was the look completely. That of someone who loved someone else, completely and without reservations. It made something in Goten's throat tighten painfully, but he pushed passed it. 'Would Piccolo ever look at me like that? It would be nice, I think. Very nice.'

They spent a good deal of time simply talking. They spoke of food, which Goten loved to talk about. He laughed at the fact that Piccolo knew more ways to cook fish than he knew of vegetables. And they talked about Trunks, and about palace life and how it affected everyone even on the most distant planets. Soon, sooner than either thought possible, Goten's timer went off. The guards should be shifting outside. Sighing, Goten pushed off the wall and straightened his clothes.

"I bid you good night, Demon Lord," Goten said as he gave a very formal bow. He did not think that Piccolo knew the significance of the gesture, but the green man surprised him by returning the bow, dipping to the same angle of respect.

"Sleep well, Prince," Piccolo replied. Goten genuinely smiled, something full of youth and life. But then he shut down, his eyes going vacant and deadly. His mask slipped seamlessly into place once more, like water washing over marble. He turned on his heal and walked to the door, which slid open easily, quietly.

Gamma and Theta jumped as Goten exited the room. As Gamma was Piccolo's replacement guard, he automatically stepped aside to allow the prince to leave. Sigma visibly blanched at the sight of the royal prince covered in so much blood. Goten merely snorted at their responses and proceeded to walk down the hall, his gait slow and leisurely as if he had satiated his bloodlust in a quiet, dangerous fight.

Theta and Sigma looked at each other, wondering if their charges were even alive. There had been so much blood on the prince. Gamma made sure the door was closed and kept his back to it. His pallor, though, was duller than its normal shine. The three remained silent for a short time, just long enough for Goten to get to the intersection of hallways. But as soon as it was safe, Sigma was the first to break. He opened the door to Krillin's room and sighed in audible, almost touchable relief as light spilled over Krillin's sleeping form like another blanket. Theta merely smirked at the other, but went looking into Yamcha's room not two heartbeats later.

Unfortunately for Theta, Yamcha wasn't there.

***

Yamcha sighed in contentment. He was aware that though things seemed to be perfect, there was something off. He rolled onto his other side, smiling slightly as he felt arms around his middle tighten to bring him closer. He smiled as he felt someone nuzzle his neck. This was nice. This was very nice.

He blinked open his eyes slowly, not really wanting to wake up, but his internal alarm clock was telling him he had already overslept. He frowned as he realized he was almost on his back with Vegeta half over him. He looked around the room, towards the door, and realized with a start that he had overslept. He sat upright with such suddenness that Vegeta was almost thrown off the bed.

Vegeta woke up instantly, his tail lashing as he fell into an all too familiar fighting stance, one he could attain even if he -were- still asleep. "What? What's wrong?"

"Trunks isn't here," Yamcha said as he climbed out of bed. "I think he's late."

"You woke me up because you -think- he's late?" Vegeta asked, one eyebrow raised in amusement. "Before you become sick with worry, why not check the time."

"How? I didn't bring a watch!" Yamcha replied sharply. If he were caught outside of his room after curfew, well, he didn't think it would ingratiate him or the others with anyone. "Oh man, I knew this was too good to last..."

"Huh?" Vegeta asked as he reached under his bed for his scouter. But Yamcha wasn't paying any attention, simply staring at the door as if he were thinking how much -more- trouble would he get into if he were to blow it away. Vegeta shook his head and wished him the best of luck, since he knew he couldn't make a dent in the damned thing. And it wasn't for lack of trying, either. Placing the scouter over his eye, he clicked it on. He let out a soft curse that brought his eyes up to meet Yamcha's worried expression. "You're right. It is late. Or rather, early morning."

"Yeah, I figured as much." Yamcha said. Frantically, he rubbed his hands over his face, as if he could simply wash away the living nightmare that way. "Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn. This is bad. This is very bad."

Vegeta would have liked to deny it, but it was rather pointless. He knew it, just as Yamcha did. They were going to be in -SO- much trouble! He just hoped that he wouldn't have to be punished by Prince Gohan again. The last time he had done something to upset the prince... it had been so horrible that his mind still drew a blank for those hours spent under his care, though sometimes flashes of memories would awaken him in cold sweats. He knew only that he woke up screaming for it to stop, whatever it was, and that he woke up begging Prince Gohan to stop, to make it end. It was not something he was proud of. And it was not something he thought he would want to remember anyway.

The shorter male sat on his bed, his tail curled up behind him. He watched as Yamcha began to panic. With a muffled laugh, he shook his head. "Yamcha, come over here."

"Huh?" Yamcha asked as his adrenaline began to kick in. The door didn't look like it would offer much of a challenge, but then, looks could be deceiving, especially in this place.

"There is nothing you can do right now, so why not come over here. I'll start teaching you the song," Vegeta smiled. He was enjoying himself, or was going to try to as long as he could. He thought that he was going to die soon, after all.

Sighing in defeat, Yamcha nodded his head. He walked over to Vegeta's bed and sat down on the edge. Slowly, painstakingly, Vegeta began to croon the song over again. Yamcha, who had no ear for language, was simply instructed to repeat the tones and inflections and syllables. This, he found, he could do.

They made it through half the song, retracing from the first note forward until Yamcha got each piece just right. Vegeta was still sitting right behind Yamcha, his arms wrapped around the other's shoulders, and his knees straddling the human from behind. It was a very suggestive position, and it was playing hell with Vegeta's mentality, but he was determined to see this through till the end. Vegeta closed his eyes after a moment, counting to a hundred in three different languages before he allowed himself to continue on. He wanted to grind his hips forward. He wanted to bury his head in the curve of the scarred warrior's neck.

But what he did was continue on with the lesson.

The short saiyajin warrior was midway through the second half of the song when the door to his room hissed open. Both blinked as the hallway light spilled into the room, silhouetting two figures. Vegeta froze. Yamcha stood up before the doors were completely opened, but he knew he was trapped. Or rather, he knew that he could get out, but not without causing a lot more trouble for himself and everyone involved. So, Yamcha stood his ground.

"So. This is where you ran off to," a familiar voice called out. Goten walked into the room, Theta right behind him. Their two scouters shimmered and then dulled as they passed from the light into the somewhat more shadowed room. "We were beginning to worry."

"I've been safe," Yamcha replied. He stood between the approaching two men and Vegeta, something he never really thought he'd ever be doing.

"There is no safe place here," Goten said softly, looking at Vegeta. "How long has he been here?"

"All night, your Majesty," Vegeta answered, his eyes downcast.

"Hmm," Goten murmured. Everyone heard Theta's sigh of relief, but no one acknowledged it. "Theta, escort these two to the main hall. I will call others to meet us there."

Goten marched out of the room, his tail snapping the air behind him before wrapping gingerly around his waist. Yamcha noticed he moved a bit slower than normal, but it was fast enough to get things done while still being scary. Yamcha glanced at Theta, and then glanced back at Vegeta who was tugging on a shirt and then shoes. They ran their hands through their hair before following the guard into the hallway.

Yamcha glanced over at Vegeta as they walked, but the short saiyajin was adjusting his own scouter. Yamcha sighed, but then smiled slightly as a furry tail nudged his wrist. The human slid a glance over to the shorter male, passing a light smile. Together, they went toward what they both thought was certain doom, but they did it with a smile.

***

Krillin trudged behind Piccolo and the guards down the corridor. They'd all been summoned to the main hall, which Krillin had learned was that big room in which they had first met everyone. His shaven head was itching slightly, he assumed mostly due to what was about to occur. 'Oh, man,' he thought to himself. 'I knew this was a bad idea. I can't believe Yamcha got caught! How could he be so stupid?! And why'd he have to go visit Vegeta anyway? It's not like they're friends, right? Oh, man. This sucks so much.'

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see 18's profile. Her arms were crossed over her chest, and she appeared utterly indifferent to what was going on. He thought that after all morning of being forced to keep guard outside his room while he was asked to remain inside, she would be somewhat content to walk around. But she obviously wasn't. On the other side of Piccolo, 17 did not look thrilled either. He walked as he normally did, his recently tied ponytail swaying ever so gently as he walked. Krillin knew they knew what was going on, but he didn't know if he should ask or not.

Once they'd entered the hall, the short human had expected throngs of people around, as there had been upon their arrival. As it stood, there were only a very few people in attendance. The two princes stood at the front of the room, in front of the throne, neither making a move to sit upon it. Krillin blanched at seeing Goten's clothes covered in bloody stains. Other than them, it was just himself, Piccolo, Yamcha, and their guards, including Captain Ginyu. However, Ginyu, Yamcha, and Vegeta all stood before the princes; the rest of them were almost mere spectators.

A chill ran down Krillin's spine. 'No witnesses,' he remarked in his head. 'I don't like the looks of this. This is bad. Really bad. I mean, look at Ginyu! He's about to wet himself!' A small smirk nearly made it onto the short man's face, despite the situation. 'Serves him right. Heh. Dumbass.'

The eldest demi-saiyajin kept his eyes focused on the incoming visitors and their guards but bent slightly towards his brother. Whispering, he remarked, "Man, you look horrible, Goten. Early morning?"

"More like late night," Goten responded just as softly. When his older brother raised an inquisitive eyebrow at him, he explained. "Work."

"Ah, that explains the blood then," Gohan nodded. Raising his voice to a much louder, more commanding tone, he announced, "Well, I see we're all present and accounted for. Good. We can proceed with the inquisition."

It was strange to the tiny human all the little things that seemed to be going on as the elder prince spoke. Eyes flitted from person to person, odd looks were exchanged, and more than one person seemed highly uncomfortable with being present. Even he couldn't stop glancing at everyone, gauging reactions and interpreting body language. For one, Gohan's tail didn't stop dancing behind him, giving away how much the prince was enjoying the proceedings. 'What a dick.'

"First, let's determine culpability, shall we? Now," Gohan began, "would someone like to explain to me just what the hell has happened here? Anyone? Anyone at all?" When no one answered, he raised a hand towards the group before him, a bright ball of ki growing there. "Someone answer me -now-," he demanded, "or you'll all die."

Krillin's eyes bulged slightly. 'He's trying to kill us! That bastard! I wish Goku were here to give him a good spanking. But not Lord Crapperot. He'd -let- him. Kami, it sucks here.'

"The human just visited me last night," Vegeta suddenly said. Krillin was surprised by the announcement -- or rather, that Vegeta had spoken at all -- and so was almost everyone else. All eyes turned to Vegeta.

The bald man's head bobbed imperceptibly, an impressed look on his face. "Wow! He is a really good liar. Very nice!'

"Really." The prince's eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. "And how, might I ask, did he get there while under a guard's supervision and while you were under lock and key?"

"I found my own way," Yamcha interjected, calling attention to himself and dragging it away from the shorter male.

"Do tell," sneered Gohan.

'Oh, crap.' The shorter human cast a glance at his friend. He really hoped Yamcha could be diplomatic and smooth here. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure the other man possessed the ability to be either of those things right then. But he -had- to appeal to the prince in some way. 'Come -on-, Yamcha!'

"I found my replacement guard to be... incompetent," the scarred human stated. "Vegeta was, by far, more efficient and capable as a guard, and not as... inadequate and inattentive as his substitution. Therefore, I found a way to get around the replacement. It was quite easy, I assure you. Captain Ginyu guards poorly."

'Where in Kami's name did he learn to talk like -that-? Who does he think he is, Piccolo? He must've been channeling someone, but I don't know who.' Krillin inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. 'Give a man a heart attack, why dontcha?! Sheesh!'

A sardonic grin spread across Gohan's features. "Normally, I wouldn't really listen to anything a human had to say, but I'll make an exception in this case." His sharp, dark eyes landed on the tall, purple warrior, and his voice began to sour with increasing scorn. "I happen to agree with your assessment of our dear Captain Ginyu. He -is- incompetent."

Krillin bit his cheeks trying not to laugh while watching the ridiculous guard fidgeting uncontrollably. 'He -so- going to piss himself, I just know it!' the human thought, still suppressing the laughter. 'Man, oh, man, this'd be so much fun if I didn't think Gohan was gonna kill us all.'

Krillin turned to see Goten move to stand somewhat in front of the older prince, stepping onto a lower step, whispering softly. The short human was unable to hear what was being said, or to read the lips. However, he was pretty sure he heard a single word. 'Punishment? Who're they gonna punish? Kami, I hope it's not Yamcha. Dammit. I am -so- not in the mood to get my ass stomped in today.' The short man steadied himself in case he had to jump into a physical defense of his friend.

"Too true, brother," Gohan answered as he waved the younger demi-saiyajin away. He turned back to address the others in the room. "Though there isn't much to go on in this case other than word-against-word, I believe we've established who is at fault in this situation." The prince's grin turned malicious. With so many teeth showing, Krillin thought he rather looked like a tiger preparing to pounce on its dinner. "Which, of course, brings us to the repercussions stage of this inquisition. So, who can tell me what the consequences are for failing to properly perform guard duty?"

'Failing to perform guard duty?! So, wait. That means they're not blaming Yamcha? Holy crap!' Nearly face-faulting himself, the short human quickly looked around at the others to see if their faces were just as incredulous as his was.

Piccolo's eyebrow merely twitched upward for a fraction of a second before his face resettled into its normal impassive mode. The androids, as well as Prince Goten, were as stone-faced as ever, like the news of one of their guard 'brethren' being blamed for Yamcha escaping was an everyday occurrence. Krillin craned his neck to try and see Vegeta's face; it remained grave. Yamcha looked a little more nervous than he was before, but Krillin nearly started laughing when his eyes finally rested on Captain Ginyu.

The man was literally shaking in his boots. And liquid was pooling at his feet.

Goten sighed heavily, mumbling just loud enough for Krillin to catch, "We're going to have to have this room sterilized. Wonderful."

"It's death," came the soft-spoken words from Vegeta's mouth.

"That's right," Gohan smirked. "The charge is failure to perform duty. The penalty for the aforementioned allegation is death."

'Oh, shit. Seriously?' Krillin's jaw snapped shut. If his face had been incredulous before, he had no idea what he'd call it now. 'Shocked out of my mind, maybe? He's gonna kill him! I mean, for real this time! Gohan's actually going to kill Ginyu! I can't believe it. Gee. Guess that guy wasn't meant to live in either of these dimensions.' A slightly wistful expression crossed his features. 'I wonder if there's a dimension where Ginyu's the supreme ruler of the universe.' He shuddered slightly, finding that thought to be highly repugnant. 'Kami, I hope not. Good thing we didn't end up there. I think that might be quite possibly one of the worst ideas ever. Other than, maybe, a universe without chocolate. At least they have -that- here.'

"Now, I'm a fair magistrate," Gohan's eyes shifted sharply to his left as his brother snorted derisively, but he continued with barely a pause, "and I'd like to give the offender a sporting chance. So. Captain Ginyu. You have until the count of three to get away. And I'd hurry if I were you. I've been known to count a little fast on occasion."

Sometimes, Krillin admired Piccolo's iron will, that will that allowed him to just stand there and not react to the imminent execution. The short man, on the other hand, was quaking where he stood. Sure, he didn't care for Captain Ginyu at all; in fact, he could almost say he hated the guy. But for failing guard duty? He was going to die for an accident? Then again, Krillin conceded, had it been the other way around, and Gohan had failed in guard duty, he was certain that Ginyu wouldn't have even given Gohan until the count of three. On top of that, the bald human still held a grudge against Ginyu for what had happened in their universe. 'Hmm. I wonder how they're going to kill him. McGinyu Kabobs? Eww. Kami, I hope it's something that won't smell up the place.'

"One..."

A bright ball of ki began glowing with increasing intensity in Gohan's palm. Captain Ginyu looked absolutely dumbfounded, whipping his head every which way as if seeking an escape route or possibly assistance. Krillin thought he appeared rather cartoonish with his eyes bugging and veins bulging. Plus, that puddle around his feet wasn't helping matters in the least.

"You know," Gohan said, the energy attack still growing in his hand, "I'm not doing this simply for my own amusement, Ginyu, though it does amuse me. You failed in your duty. You have to pay the price. I'm giving you a far greater head start than I've given anyone else, so consider yourself extremely lucky. Two..."

'Yap, yappity, yap, yap, yap. Kami, does he ever shut up?! It's like he loves to hear himself talk or something.' Krillin rolled his eyes slightly as the elder prince continued speaking. 'Jeez! The narcissism is stifling. Man, just kill him and get it over with already!'

Finally, the tall, purple warrior took off into the air, obviously having decided to make a run at fleeing the scene. Unfortunately for him, he didn't even make it to the extremely high ceiling of the main hall. The ki ball had left Gohan's hand the moment Ginyu was out of range of the other fighters, and it disintegrated him on contact.

"...Three."

Ashes floated down from the clear air like morbid snowflakes. Krillin looked up, as did most of the others, as they drifted down to the ground. Some of the gray powdery substance drifted over to where Yamcha and Vegeta stood. Yamcha inhaled some of the ash, which caused him to sneeze. Krillin ducked a bit, covering his mouth with his dark blue gi top to avoid breathing in the remains. A light frown marred his small face when he looked back at Gohan. 'He didn't even get until 'three'. Cheater.'

Prince Gohan clapped his hands together like he was dusting them off after a job well done. The smirk had never left Gohan's face, but grew more sinister as his eyes settled on Yamcha and Vegeta. "Well, that takes care of that. Now, what to do with the two of you..."

Krillin looked over at Piccolo to judge the Namek's response, but the green warrior was acting as stoic as ever, watching the ashes drift to the ground. The only sign to give away his emotions was his eyebrow that was continuing to twitch. The tall male had his head tilted to the side, as if trying to hear what was going on up on the stage. The short human returned to looking at the two princes, noticing how Goten stood again at the lower step with his back turned to the crowd. His brown tail was wrapped around him, and was long enough to curl at his back. He noticed that Goten was murmuring softly, and that Gohan was slowly beginning to nod his head, a sick smile beginning to bloom. Krillin looked back to Piccolo, noticing the slight widening of eyes, as if he heard something shocking. But before Krillin had time to really ponder what was going on, Goten was brushed off to the side again to allow Prince Gohan to speak. Again.

"It has come to my attention that perhaps it would be best to avoid a similar incidence in the future. Can't be killing all the guards while our Lord Kakarrot is away, you know. He'd come back and start asking ridiculous questions. So. Let's not waste any more time, shall we? Vegeta." Gohan smirked down at the shorter male, adjusting his armor almost as if he were preening. But Krillin saw that Gohan's eyes weren't on Vegeta, rather they were slyly fixated on Piccolo. Turning his head slightly, Krillin looked to see if the Namek noticed, and nearly face faulted when he realized that Piccolo did if his scowl was any indication.

"Yes, your highness," Vegeta said as he knelt down on one knee with his head lowered and his tail wrapped so tightly around him that even Krillin thought it looked uncomfortable. The once proud saiyajin prince appeared so strange to the human in the position of meek vassal.

"You are to be reassigned to your original position as guard for the human. He never tried to venture out on his own under your watch, so I imagine that he won't if you return to your post," Gohan announced with a hint of irony. The floor was so clean that Krillin was able to see Vegeta's small smile of satisfaction from where he stood, and he was by no means close to the saiyajin. Krillin looked up and saw Gohan toss a short glare at his brother, probably not happy about making Vegeta happy.

Krillin moved only his eyes as he looked around the room. The two androids were still as expressionless as usual. Goten was as mute as ever, only his tail wrapped around his waist showing his state of mind, as if he did not trust anyone in the room. The brown appendage shook in its grip around the prince, which made Krillin realize that Goten was perhaps a bit nervous about what was going on. Gohan, on the other hand, seemed to revel in the carnage and the power he was wielding over them. Gohan was like a bull in a china shop, breaking everything and knowing he was responsible, and laughing as he danced on a broken Ming vase. Goten, conversely, was the one who directed him towards the china shop, pointing out which pieces were the most expensive and in what order he should run rampant through the shop but stayed out of the shop for the most part, if his earlier 'consultations' were any clue.

'Huh,' Krillin mused. 'I wonder where their good ol' dad fits into this picture. Doesn't seem like they even need him around. Probably not a bad idea. The guy's a total jackass anyway.'

"-However-, behavior like this in the future will -not- be tolerated, and we're willing to take whatever precautions are necessary to ensure that. Therefore, 17, 18, Vegeta, you will all be staying in the rooms with the guests at night. We'll, I don't know, have cots placed in the rooms or something," Gohan said, sounding somewhat irritated at having to actually plan that far ahead. He turned to his brother, as if demanding something, but all Goten could do was tilt his head to the side and glance at all the other, letting his gaze linger on Piccolo. Krillin saw the look that passed between the younger prince and the namek, but he didn't think that anyone else did. Yamcha and Vegeta were looking at the ground, or more specifically at their reflections and smiling at each other.

Krillin frowned slightly, looking at Vegeta and Yamcha and then moving only his eyes to look at the two princes before looking at Piccolo. His gaze went back to the pair at the center of their little meeting. Krillin tilted his head slightly, trying to puzzle out something that seemed to be... off. That's when he saw Yamcha blush somewhat, as if he were a teenager again, stumbling over his words with Bulma! 'Oh my Kami! Yamcha and Vegeta! They're a couple!' Krillin thought to himself. His wide eyes went to Piccolo, who was staring at the princes again. Krillin had always known that Piccolo liked guys. It was probably because his race didn't even have different sexes, and he was born like that, but it didn't matter. Piccolo was one of the strongest warriors there ever was, and one of the most dangerous. 'Besides,' Krillin thought, 'it's not like he ever hit on me. But with the way the two princes keep glancing at him, you would think that they're both just itching to jump his bones! Dammit! Is everyone here gay?'

Gohan smiled at Piccolo before turning his back on the crowd. He waved his hand in the air, as if there were flies in the air that were bothering his ears. "Oh, by the way, you're dismissed now."

The short human watched the others with fascination as they dispersed. Piccolo and 17 apparently couldn't get away fast enough, but he couldn't tell where they were headed. Yamcha and Vegeta looked to be heading back to the guest quarters, and the two princes had disappeared before he even realized they were gone, leaving him and 18 alone in the main hall. He tried to smile politely at her. "Dinner?" he suggested.

The blonde android merely raised one eyebrow then turned in the direction of the dining hall. As usual, Krillin just followed her. His last thought before Gohan had dismissed them still bounced around in his head. 'I wonder if 18 would know,' he thought. 'Sheesh, could I even ask her? Man, it's just killing me. I gotta know.' He stepped up his pace to walk beside 18, rather than follow a step or two behind her. "Hey, 18," he started. "Can I ask you a question about the princes and Vegeta?"

"Go ahead," she replied, her arms crossed over her chest in her usual manner. She acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary! "I may not know the answer. You realize this of course."

"Of course." Krillin cleared his throat and just blurted out his query. "Are they all gay?"

"What's 'gay'? Define the term," the blonde guard demanded. Her head turned to look at him, but all he could see of her features was that large scouter over her eye, like some horrible blemish that disfigured her forever.

"Um, uh, heh." The bald man scratched his shiny head, a little embarrassed at having to come up with any explanation. "Uh, it means, um, you know, when one guy likes another guy, you know, in that way that, uh, a guy is supposed to like a girl?"

"You mean, do they prefer other males?"

"Yeah, something like that."

"Prince Gohan has no particular preference," she calmly answered. She turned to face forward again, her head tilted slightly to the side as she thought. Her strides never faltered, though. "He is an equal opportunist in his bed. I can't say for certain about the others. Vegeta is rumored to prefer other males only, so I assume that would make him 'gay' by your definition."

"And what about the other prince?" Krillin asked softly. This was all just so very strange to him. He had known these people! And here, they were completely different! And Yamcha! 'Could I have been wrong about him all this time? I wonder if Piccolo ever hit on -him-... but do I really want to know? You know, I don't think I do.'

"No one knows. He is... untouched. Quite literally." 18 shrugged.

"Oh," Krillin sounded, his eyebrows sky-high. "So, he's a, um..."

"Yes. He doesn't chase anyone. And no one would dare chase him."

"Gotcha," the short man nodded.

"Why do you want to know?" 18 inquired.

Krillin blushed profusely. It wasn't that he had a problem with it. But he had gotten quite a shock, to say the least. "Uh, gee, well, um. Y-y-you know, uh, I, uh, basically just, uh... was thinking that, um, maybe, they were, you know, kinda... gay."

"Are you interested?"

"Oh, hell no!" Krillin quickly answered before 18 had even finished the last word of her question, swearing a little louder than he probably should have. "I mean, uh, not that there's anything wrong with that, or anything, but, uh, I, uh, prefer women. No guys for me. No, no, no."

18 simply nodded. They continued the rest of their walk to the dining hall without saying another word, but a final thought planted itself firmly in Krillin's mind. 'Wow. They really are all gay. Who would've thought?'