Notes: DBZ not mine (sadly). I'm sure you all know who does own it.

Synopsis: It's been three years since the defeat of Kid Buu. Goku and his family are enjoying a well deserved time of peace. But that peace is abruptly shattered when Goku is forced to face a new threat. His own son.

Spana: Swedish for Spy

Valo: Finnish for Light

Nekura: Japanese for Dark Natured.

I think that's all. Enjoy!







Twisted Memories: Book 1

The Nekura Saga

High above the planet Earth, millions of miles to be exact, a ship harboring a crew of hundreds lurked. Why it was there only a select few knew and the remainder didn't care. As long as their lord and master found something of interest in the little blue world below them, they would ask no questions and do as they were told. It was the best way to stay alive.

In a large room deep within the ship, bathed in dim light and tended by only three crewmembers, a dark figure sat, watching the subjects of his interest on a view screen. Despite the light the screen cast, none reached the figure who sat in the deep shadows, allowing him to remain hidden from prying eyes.

"My lord!" one of the three spoke up, "The Bridge reports that Commander Zora just arrived and is on her way here."

The dark form said nothing, continuing to watch the screen. Four minutes later, the great door to the room slid open and an attractive, although stern looking woman with long, fire red hair and cold green eyes strode briskly in. Black, bird like wings sprouted from her back, adding to an already exotic appearance. Stopping when she reached the edge of the area the light reached she dropped down to one knee, head bowed. "My lord."

"You're late, Commander," the dark form said, his voice low and soft. "I sent for you weeks ago."

"Forgive me my lord, we were delayed."

"The reason for the delay was taken care of I trust?"

"Aye my lord," Zora replied, then got to the point. "May I assume you have found what you were looking for on that planet below?"

"You may," came the reply. "The rumors are indeed true. There are still Saiyans in the Universe, only five and three of them are half bloods. But they live nevertheless and they reside down there. Look at the view screen."

Zora stood and turned, looking up at the screen as instructed. On the screen was the image of a small but fierce looking Saiyan male. "Prince Vegeta," the dark lord said. "Unsuitable as he is far too unpredictable and unlikely to submit to the Doctor." The screen changed to show another male with wild hair. "Goku, also known as Kakarot. Also unsuitable as he is too honorabletoo noble."

The screen changed again, this time showing a younger male. "Gohan, Kakarot's eldest son. Too much like his father in honor and nobility." The screen changed once more, revealing two young, male children. "Trunks and Goten. Sons of Vegeta and Kakarot respectively." The image of one of the boys melted away, leaving just one. "This is the one I want."

"May I ask why, my lord?" Zora asked with a slight frown. "He's just a child.not very powerful, at least not as powerful as his father."

"The boy possesses great potentialfantastic power waiting to be awakened and put to work. I cannot have the power of the father, so I want the power of the son."

Zora turned from the screen, bowing deeply. "Then you shall have him my lord." She turned and strode from the room to prepare for her mission.

The three crewmembers cringed and shivered as low laughter filled the room and the screen changed to show more images of their lord's target. "Yes, I will."

+++++++++++



Eleven year old Trunks, son of Vegeta the last full blooded prince of Saiyans, was convinced time was conspiring against him. It was the last class of an agonizingly slow Friday and it felt as though this class in particular was never going to end. The reason for this conspiracy; he and his best friend, ten year old Goten, were going camping with their fathers for the whole weekend. What was so special about this particular trip, considering they could go camping anytime they wanted, was that they would be 'roughing it' on a whole other planet. Goten's father, Goku, was going to use his instant transmission technique to transport them all to a nearby world inhabited only by plant life and animals. There would be no other humanoid beings around so they would have the whole planet to themselves. It was going to be awesome! Trunks sighed. Awesome assuming this damn day ever ended.

Just when he thought he was going to scream his frustration out for the world to hear, the bell ending the day rang out and Trunk just barely managed to stop himself from shouting for joy. Instead, he gathered his books and shot out of the room into the hallway and to his locker. He collected his backpack and hurried to the front door to wait for Goten. Less than two minutes later, the equally excited looking Goten arrived and the pair quickly set off across the school yard, talking excitedly about the coming trip. While they had both been all over the world, neither had actually been off world before and they were speculating what the world would look like when Trunks suddenly stopped.

"Aw man!"

"What?" Goten asked.

"I forgot the Dragon radar in my locker! I brought it for a project in science class and promised mom I'd bring it back today. She's going Dragonball hunting this weekend." He turned back toward the school. "I'll be right back. Meet me at the tree," he said before running off. He made it to his locker as fast as he could, retrieved the radar and, after being delayed by a teacher making him stop and walk outside, Trunks raced for the fruit tree that resided at the top of a nearby hill. When he got there, he found Goten's backpack laying on the ground and immediately looked up, trying to spot his friend among the branched and leaves, figuring the younger boy was up there collecting some of the apples the tree produced.

"Goten! Come on, let's go!" He frowned when there was no reply and his frown deepened when, after extending his senses, he found no sign of Goten's ki in the tree. Now where in the world did he go? Trunks wondered, turning away from the tree, eyes and senses sweeping the area. Nothing. No sign of the boy both physically or energy wise. Getting a little concerned, Trunks picked up Goten's bag and, after making sure no one was watching, shot off into the air and toward Capsule Corp. Maybe his friend would turn up there and if not, well, Goku would find him.

+++++++++++

Goten's head hurt. Considering how hard his head was and the fact that he couldn't remember being in a fight, this was quite a feat. He tried to raise a hand to touch his head and maybe discover the reason for the pain but found he could not move his arm. Either of his arms. Come to think of it, he couldn't do much more than wiggle his entire body. Something seemed to be holding him down.

Realizing his eyes were closed, Goten slowly forced them open and took in his surroundings. He was in a dimly lit room with a lot of strange equipment and machines. There were a few things he recognized from hanging around the labs at Capsule Corp, but a lot he couldn't make heads or tails over. He was laying on some kind of table and the reason he couldn't move was because he was strapped down.

What the hell? At what point did he end up strapped to a table? 'Let's review,' he thought. 'I was in school, school ended, Trunks and I were leaving when Trunks remembered he forgot the Dragon Radar. Trunks went back for it and I went to wait at the tree. Climbed the tree to get apples and then' He frowned. 'Can't remember what happened after that exceptred hair. I'm pretty sure I saw red hair. Huh. Oh well, time to get out of here'

He strained against the straps, trying to raise his ki to snap through them but, to his surprise, nothing happened. He frowned and tried again, this time aiming to go super. "What the" he muttered when nothing happened again. What in the world was going on?

"You've just realized that you can't break through your bonds," a voice said and Goten looked quickly to his right, watching as a purple skinned humanoid stepped from the shadows. "They may not look impressive but they're quite effective at repressing ki and keeping their victims restrained."

The humanoid was about Vegeta's size with strange yellow eyes and was wearing a white coat like the one Trunks' grandfather wore all the time. A tiny little horn grew in the center of a slightly rough forehead. "I am Doctor Jessna," he said. "You don't need to be afraid, you won't be harmed."

"Mister, I've seen Trunks' dad spit out things scarier than you. Compared to that, you're about as scary as a giant kitten but I'm sure not planning on playing with you with a giant ball of string when I get loose," Goten stated.

Doctor Jessna laughed. "His lordship made an excellent choice with this one. Full of spirit."

"His spirit is not what we're after, Doctor." Goten turned his gaze to his left and found a stern looking woman with red hair and wings looking at him like he was a science project or something. Red hair

"So what *are* you after?" he asked, more curious than frightened at the moment.

"Oh you're a very lucky little boy," the Doctor answered. "You're going to be my greatest achievement. You have much power hidden within you and I'm going to bring it to the surface."

Goten frowned. That didn't make much sense especially since he was tied down with ki suppressors. "Why?"

"Because our lord wishes it," the woman answered shortly. "You are to become his newheir. Although by the time the Doctor is finished, you'll believe you've always been our lord's heir. Assuming, of course, he gets it right," she finished, looking at the Doctor coldly.

Jessna rolled his eyes. "Don't you have someone else to badger?" he asked, moving around the table and waving his hands at her. "Out! Out!"

"His lordship wants regular reports," the woman said, turning to leave. "I'll be back shortly to check your progress."

"Genius can't be rushed!" Jessna snapped. They disappeared into the shadows so Goten, even with his superior eyesight couldn't see what was going on, but he could hear a door sliding open and then closed, followed by what sounded like a lock sliding into place. A few seconds later, the Doctor stepped back into the light and moved around the table to stand at the end where Goten's feet were. He held up a remote with two buttons, one red and one green. He pressed the green button and Goten's eyes drifted upward as a machine started to lower itself. It look like one of the x-ray machines Bulma kept in the labs at Capsule Corp.

"I know you're wondering what this machine is," Jessna said. "It's going to show me just where all that nice power is hiding. Don't worry, it won't hurt a bit."

Goten blinked. For a guy who was supposed to be evil, he sure put a lot of effort into reassurance. Well, he wasn't too concerned. His father would find him soon enough. He was rather annoyed that these clowns had picked today of all days to play Doctor with him but it was also an advantage. It wasn't all that unusual for him and or Trunks to disappear for a day or two but considering the plans that had been made, his absence would be noted immediately and a search started. Yeah, he'd be out of this strange place soon.

+++++++++

"Anything?" Chi-Chi wore a worried look as she and Bulma watched Goku, Gohan, Vegeta and Trunks. All four of them were ki searching, trying to locate Goten. They had been at it for a couple of hours now, ever since Trunks had returned home and reported the younger boy MIA.

"Nothing," Vegeta grunted, opened his eyes and looking at the other three, all of who shook their heads in the negative. "Wherever the boy is, his ki is either being very well suppressed or he's"

"Don't say it!" Chi-Chi interrupted, her dark eyes flashing. "My little boy is *not* dead! I'd know if he were!"

"If you'd let me finish, woman," Vegeta growled, "It's either option A *or* he's been taken off world. I think it's pretty obvious at this point that the boy has indeed been kidnaped and whoever has him has intricate knowledge of suppressing another's ki."

Chi-Chi made a soft noise of distress and Goku put a comforting hand on her shoulder, then stood. Up to this point, he hadn't been all that concerned. His youngest son was full of curiosity, much as he had been at that age and tended to wander off whenever something caught his attention. Even if it meant ending up half way across the planet. But the fact that no trace of his ki could be found had concern working its way through the tall warrior's heart. "I'm going to see Piccolo," he announced. "Maybe he can reach Goten telepathically." Without waiting for a response, he touched two fingers to his forehead and vanished.

"Why would anyone want to kidnap my baby boy?" Chi-Chi burst out as Gohan slipped a protective arm around her. "He's not old enough to have enemies yet!"

"More than likely it's some clown out for world domination who decided that kidnapping the child of one of Earth's defenders would give him an edge," Vegeta answered.

"Won't give him much of one," Gohan said, eyes filling with an angry light. When they found whoever had taken his baby brother, he was going to rip them apart. 'Assuming Dad doesn't beat me to it.' Normally, his father was kind and gentlegood humored and fun loving. Until someone he loved was threatened. And there was nothing he loved more than his children. Yes, whoever had his brother had better watch out. Goku would find him if it was the last thing he ever did.

+++++++


Goten was annoyed and getting just a little worried. He was annoyed because the irritating Doctor Jessna was constantly poking and prodding and using his machines on him. He was getting awfully tired of being strapped down while the Doctor did what he wanted.

He was worried because he was pretty sure more than twenty four hours had passed. He suspected two, maybe three days had gone by but considering he wasn't sure how long he'd been unconscious for when he had first woken up, it may have been longer. Where was his father? Could it be his captors were keeping him somewhere beyond his father's reach? No, there wasn't anywhere his father couldn't get to. The problem lay in the lack of ki to track. If only he could figure out a way to get out of these stupid straps. He would only need a couple of seconds to raise his ki as high as he could and his father would be there in an instant to bring him home.

His gaze was drawn in the direction he knew the door to be as he heard it open. A few seconds later, Jessna stepped into the light and smiled down at him. "How are we feeling my young one?"

"Like ripping your arm off and stuffing it down your throat," came the Vegeta like reply as his annoyance and worry began coming out. "I'm tired to playing mad scientist with you. I want to go home."

Jessna laughed, his strange yellow eyes dancing. "But you *are* home my spirited little boy. And I have wonderful news! All those annoying little tests you've been enduring have finally paid off! We can now begin the real work of transforming you into what our lord desires!"

"Yeah right!" Goten scoffed with more confidence than he actually felt. "My father is coming for me and you don't want to mess with him! He's the strongest fighter in the universe!"

"That may be true, my boy, the part about being the strongest that is, but I do have to inform you that your father is not coming. You are too well hidden for him to detect." As he spoke, he moved out of Goten's line of sight, returning a few seconds later with what looked like a breathing mask in one hand and pulling a machine along with the other. "Even if he did manage to find you, it wouldn't matter anyway. You see, Goten, when your transformation is complete, you aren't going to remember your father or the rest of your family and friends. As far as you'll be concerned, this ship will be your home and us your family. Our lord in particular."

He held up the mask. "I'm going to put you to sleep so that this machine," he gestured to the device he had brought over, "can purge your mind and clean out all the memories of your home, family and friends and then allow me to rebuild you to your greatest potential."

In the short time he had been there, Goten hadn't actually felt fear but, at the doctor's words, he felt it then. His situation became far more than simply annoying and, as Jessna advanced with the mask to put him to sleep and steal his memories, he screamed both out loud and in his mind, "DADDY!" *****

"DADDY!"

Goku sat bolt upright from his restless sleep, eyes wide, distress and fear rushing through his body. "Goten!" he shouted, scrambling out of the bed and running outside into the moonlit night, trying desperately to connect with his youngest child. 'Goten! Goten can you hear me?' he shouted in his mind, his ki rising with his desperation.

"Dad? Dad! What's going on?" Gohan had appeared next to him, a hand gripping Goku's arm as he tried to get his father's attention.

"Goten!" Goku exclaimed, "I heard him! He sounded so frightened!"

"Goten?" Gohan took on a look of concentration as he tried to detect his little brother's ki. Nothing. "Dad," he said softly, moving his hand to grip the older man's shoulder, "it was probably just a dream." As much as it pained him to say it, the fact that he felt the same nothingness he had for the past four days....

"No..." Goku murmured, "No! It wasn't a dream!" He gripped Gohan's arms tightly, staring his son right in the eyes. "I heard him...*felt* him. Wherever he is he's scared and he needs us. And I'm not going to stop until I find him!"

Pain flashed through Gohan's eyes. Goku had been taking Goten's disappearance hard. Much harder than Gohan himself or even Chi-Chi. He wanted his brother back with them as much as his father did but... "Dad," he said quietly, "there's nothing we can do right now. Neither Piccolo, Dende nor King Kai could find him and even if Goten did just make contact, he's gone now. All...all we can do is wait until whoever has him makes a move or until one of King Kai's contacts catches wind of something."

When both Piccolo and Dende had been unable to find Goten, Goku had gone to King Kai. His former mentor had searched carefully but had also come up with nothing. "There are a few ships in the area, but he doesn't seem to be aboard any of them," he had said with a frown. "He's got to be in this universe somewhere," he added. "I'll put out an alert to the other Kai's and anyone else I can think of. We'll find him...."


Goku's eyes hardened with anger at Gohan's words. But, just as quickly as it had come, it vanished, replaced by anguish. Here he was, the most powerful warrior in the universe. He had beaten countless enemies with powers beyond imagination and yet he was powerless to find his stolen child. Before he was even aware it was happening, he and his first born were holding each other, each trying to give the other support in a situation neither knew quite how to handle.

In the doorway of the house, wrapped in a blanket, Chi-Chi watched with tears in her eyes. "Oh Goten," she whispered, her eyes rising to the look at the full moon above them, "Please, *please* be alright...."

4 Months later:

"My patience wears thin, Doctor." The dark form's voice only held a hint of annoyance but a hint was all that was needed. Doctor Jessna bowed lower and nodded quickly.

"Of course my Lord knows that perfection takes time. And I am very close to perfection."

"You have achieved perfection in far shorter time than this, Doctor."

"True my Lord. The delay has come from the boy's spirit. He's been surprisingly resistant to much of my reshaping. It took nearly two weeks just to take his memories of his family and friends from him. But I assure you, my Lord, he is nearly complete. Another day or two."

"You'd better be certain of that, Doctor. I am sending warriors down to warm up the Saiyans and I don't wish to delay my surprise much longer."

"Of course, my Lord. He will be ready for you within two days." Receiving silence in reply, Jessna got quickly to his feet and hurried from the room. He made his way back to his lab where his prize project waited. The boy was no longer tied down as he was no longer any type of threat. He did, however, wear a special collar that continuously altered his ki to prevent his family from picking up on him. Jessna was very pleased with the progress the boy had made in the last four months of captivity though he hadn't been kidding when he'd told his master about the problems he'd had. Goten had been far more resistant than expected and in the end, Jessna had been forced to implant two sensors just beneath the skin on his temples to keep the work he had done stable and to prevent regression to the boy's former state. He had actually grown quite fond of the child and deep inside wished he could keep him for himself. But, sadly, he belonged to his Lordship, just as they all did.

The boy was sitting just where Jessna had left him, deep in meditation. As the Doctor had known, his patient's mind had proven to be fairly advanced, more so than a typical Saiyan. It had been quite the job but since there was nothing the self proclaimed brilliant Doctor couldn't do, he had succeeded in suppressing Goten's human side and all the sentimental junk that came with it and had made his Saiyan side the dominate factor. He had tested Goten in simulations and he had been delightfully ruthless in all of them. Just like his Saiyan ancestors. He had even grown a tail, an unexpected but not altogether surprising side effect. He would be ready a lot sooner than two days, but Jessna wanted to make sure everything was *exactly* right. Starting with the most simplest thing of all: Goten's new name.

"How are you feelingNekura?" he asked, watching the boy carefully. He had 'programmed' Goten to believe that he had been recovering from a serious illness brought on from a wound he had received in battle four months earlier to account for anything he may findstrange.

"I am well, Doctor," came the quiet reply though his eyes remained closed and he didn't seem to break from the meditation.

'Any headaches?' the Doctor asked silently, testing the boy's telepathy.

'No Doctor,' was the slightly annoyed reply.

Jessna chuckled and moved to a table with some surgical instruments on it. He picked up a sharp knife like tool and examined it, then quickly turned and threw it at Nekura. Without opening his eyes, Nekura raised his right hand and released a small ki burst, disintegrating the tool. Jessna smiled. Excellent.

Having experience in the area of telepathy, he sealed his mind, not allowing a single thought to escape. He reached over and pressed a button but before anything could happen, Nekura released another ki blast, which slammed into a silently lowering weapon. Incredible. The Doctor knew perfectly well that Nekura couldn't have read his mind. He would have had to have broken through all his defenses for that and there hadn't been enough time. The boy's senses were so finely tuned that he had heard or sensed the weapon's silent decent and had taken the threat out swiftly. Without leaving his meditative state.

"Time for exercise, Nekura," Jessna announced and Nekura slowly opened his dark, cold eyes, gazing at the Doctor for a few seconds before rising gracefully and heading for the simulation chamber where Jessna had been giving him his exercises. But simulation was not the aim today. Today, Jessna wanted to see how well the boy held up against real opponents. "Not there, Nekura. We're going to the Hole today."

The 'Hole' was actually a large chamber on the ship used for hardcore, to the death fights. It was called the Hole because it was located very deep within the ship and few ever emerged from it. The ones who went willingly to its depths were the ones who went to test their skills against those sentenced to leave via only one way; death. Unless, of course, a deal for freedom was struck.

Jessna had made such a deal for freedom with a particularly nasty brute captured a few months before they had reached Earth. Jessna had arranged for him to fight Nekura with the agreement that if he beat the kid, he'd be set free. Of course, Jessna fully expected Nekura to annihilate the prisoner, but the whole point was to test the boys' strength on a live subject.

Nekura stopped and turned, a tiny smile playing across his lips. The Doctor had been sure to program him with memories of many conquests in that room despite his young age. Jessna's theory behind that, and many other memories he had given the boy, was that it would give him unending confidence and an intense desire to never stop until his mission was complete. "Well then, Doctor, let's not keep my new best friend waiting," Nekura said as he moved past Jessna toward the transporter that would take them down to the Hole.

The Hole was a fairly good size at about two hundred feet long, three hundred feet wide and four hundred feet high. It was in marvelous condition for a room that was the site of so much death and violence. There were only the tiniest of dents littering the walls and floor to hint that battles happened here. That and the always present smell of blood. Unlike the rest of the ship, this room was brightly lit unless, of course, his Lordship descended to personally watch a fight that had caught his interest.

On the other side of the room, a door slid open and Nekura's opponent entered the room. He was seven feet tall and built like a boulder. His skin was a metallic blue and he had long, scraggly white hair and coal black eyes. Despite his huge size, he possessed surprising speed which made him the perfect little test for Nekura.

Leaving the boy to quietly prepare, Jessna went over to the mountain impersonator and offered a friendly smile. "Are you ready, Kortu?"

The giant nodded, scanning the room. "Where's my opponent?" he asked, his voice deep and slightly gravely.

Jessna nodded at Nekura who was ignoring them as he stretched. Kortu raised a massive brow. "You're joking." Jessna shook his head, amusement flashing through his yellow eyes. Kortu eyed the stretching boy. "I kill thischild and I get my freedom?" he asked, clearly suspicious.

Jessna laughed quietly. "Yes, my friend. You kill the boy, you get your freedom. No strings attached." He winked, then turned and headed for the exit. As he was starting to seal the chamber, a voice said, "Testing the boy, Doctor?"

Jessna looked to his left as Commander Zora practically melted out of the shadows. He eyed the woman, keeping his dislike for her to himself, locked beyond his mind's defensive barriers for the woman was an accomplished telepath. His lordship kept many telepaths on the ship for he had many uses for them. Zora, however, was the strongest of them all and was his Lordship's most trusted, and favored flunky. She had been with the Lord for many years and next to him, was the most feared being on the whole ship. Whether or not she was stronger than Nekura, Jessna did not know but vowed to test that one day in the hopes that maybe he could get rid of the bitch.

He nodded in response to her question. "Yes. I'm putting him up against Kortu. Should be quite fun to watch."

"You've been locked up in your lab too long, Doctor. You surprise me."

Jessna narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Have you not noticed we have been orbiting a deserted planet for the past few months, Doctor? Why test him in such a limited atmosphere when we can take him down below and get a much better show?"

Damn. She was right, he *did* spend too much time in his lab. Why only test a portion of his project's abilities when there was a whole planet down below that could be used? Hmm. Grinning, he turned and reopened the door. The opponents were standing ten feet away from each other, waiting for the signal to being. "Change of plans, boys," he announced, getting their attention. "We're going down to a planet we're currently orbiting. Give you two more space." He gestured and the pair followed him out of the chamber and to a transporter. Zora, of course, was accompanying them though she remained silent.

The little group soon found themselves on the small planet the ship had been orbiting. Jessna looked around, approval shining in his eyes. The planet seemed to be one giant wasteland, at least this part was. The sky was a sickly gray and the ground held nothing but bone dry dirt and rocks. Giant rock formations that would not be there for long surrounded them and nowhere did even a speck of life show itself. Perfect. Nekura and Kortu were facing off again and when Jessna and Zora were out of the way, Jessna gave the signal to begin.

Kortu instantly made a move, shooting forward and slamming one massive arm into Nekura and sending the boy crashing into one of the rock formations. As Nekura gained his feet, Kortu followed through by body slamming him back into the rock. Jessna winced. That had to have hurt but the boy didn't make a sound even as Kortu backed away and Nekura slipped down to his hands and knees. As Kortu moved in for another blow, Nekura appeared to vanish. The giant blinked and spun around just in time to get nailed in the face with a kick so hard it shoved him into the little crater he had created with Nekura.

Surprised, Kortu studied Nekura for several long seconds, obviously working out a plan of action. A plan the Doctor knew would fail because he knew Nekura was reading Kortu's mind. Considering the lack of mental defense Kortu's race possessed, the boy probably couldn't help himself but Jessna still, using his own telepathic abilities, directed Nekura to block his telepathy. He wanted to see how the boy would do without taking sneak peeks into his opponent's next planned move.

Nekura obeyed and seconds later launched himself into the fight. The giant's strength, added to his surprising speed, gave Nekura a pretty good workout but it wasn't long before Jessna realized that the boy wasn't taking the fight seriously. He was, in actuality, simply playing with his opponent, actually allowing Kortu to get in good blows, many of which left blood trickling down from Nekura's mouth, nose and the side of his head.

From beside him, Zora laughed softly. She too had picked up on the game the kid was playing, leading Kortu along.even going so far as to feign injury, lulling his opponent into a sense of confidence. She chuckled quietly and murmured, "Sadistic little bastard." But that was the Saiyans for you; ruthless blood lusters.

The fight went on for a little over an hour before Jessna, after mentally knocking to gain Nekura's attention, instructed the kid to finish it. He didn't want him overdoing it after having just recovered from a serious illness after all

A chilling look entered Nekura's eyes, one that gave Kortu pause. A smirk played across the boy's lips and before Kortu could blink, he found himself laid out flat on his back on the ground. It took him a moment to realize that part of his right arm had been melted away, revealing charred bone. His chest had also taken heavy damage as was evident by the green blood gathering rapidly on the ground. A scream of agony erupted from Kortu as his sudden injuries registered in his mind.

Nekura walked leisurely around his victim, an almost predatory look dancing across his young features. When Kortu made an attempt to push his pain aside and get up, Nekura casually blasted his left leg, which prompted another scream. Jessna rolled his eyes. 'Wrap it up, Nekura,' he said silently as though he were doing nothing more than telling a small child to knock off the horseplay and go to bed.

Nekura glanced up at Jessna then knelt down next to Kortu, whispering something to him as he placed a hand over his forehead. A cruel grin spread across his lips as his hand started glowing and a bone chilling scream ripped from Kortu's throat. There was a bright flash and the scream cut of abruptly. Jessna, having shielded his eyes now looked down to see Nekura walking away from the faceless body of Kortu. When the kid joined Jessna and Zora at their observation point, Jessna was chuckling quietly and shaking his head. Excellent. His lordship was going to be very, very pleased.

++++++++++

Goku's irritation was rising as he easily dodged a ki blast and sent one of his own crashing into the offender. Four months. Four long, horrible months with no trace of Goten or his captors and these scumbags had the audacity to attack his planet! Normally, he would have enjoyed fending off an invasion, but currently he had no patience for it. In fact, lately he had little patience for anything except for excessive training. From dawn until dusk he trained both physically and mentally. Whenever Chi-Chi sent Gohan out to try and bring his father home, it always resulted in the pair of them turning up after dark, dirty and weary.

Vegeta was no help as the majority of the time, he was found right alongside Goku. When Bulma, acting on behalf of Chi-Chi, tried to badger Vegeta into talking to Goku, the Prince had steadfastly refused.

"Kakarot has been left with no clue whatsoever as to the whereabouts of his brat. He is right to be doing what he is doing so that when he finally meets whoever took the boy, he can show them that nobody messes with a Saiyan and what belongs to him. I will not interfere with that." Bulma could do nothing to sway him but deep down, she was certain her Prince was, in his own way, watching over Goku to ensure he didn't go off the deep end.

And so the daily ritual continued unchallenged and uninterrupted until half an hour earlier. Goku, Vegeta and Gohan had been in a three way spar when they were attacked by strange little creatures that reminded all three Saiyans of the Cell Juniors they had encountered ten long years earlier. Luckily, the little beasts weren't nearly as strong as the mini Cells had been but they made up for that in the surprising and irritating ability to multiply when badly injured.

"Man these guys are annoying!" Yamcha complained as his current opponent split into two. Goku's long time friend had been nearby when the creatures had attacked and, attracted by the strange energy, he had arrived ten minutes into the fight and had eagerly joined in.

Goku was more than inclined to agree with Yamcha's statement and knew just what he needed to do to get rid of the pests, which meant there was no challenge and therefore, this battle was a waste of time. And lately, Goku did not like to waste his time. He didn't even need to go Super for this! He looked at Vegeta and Gohan, both of whom seemed to know what he was going to do and took to the air. Yamcha, not entirely sure what was happening, followed, understanding filling him when he watched his old friend take a familiar stance for a famous attack.

"Kamehameha!" Goku shouted and the blue energy wave poured from his thrust out hands. He spun around in a circle so the attack engulfed everything in its path. The trio in the air added their own attacks to cover anything Goku missed and within seconds, the field was cleared. The trio rejoined Goku and Gohan was about to speak when he was interrupted by applause. They turned as one and, as the dust that had been kicked up settled, a woman was revealed. She was very pretty but radiated coldness. She had red hair and wore armor that looked to be a better version of what the Saiyans had once worn. Black, bird like wings protruded from her back and if it hadn't been for them, the group would have easily mistaken her for human.

"Wow," Yamcha murmured. A little grin spread across his lips as the womanizer in him began to emerge. "Allow me boys," he murmured and headed toward her.

Vegeta, standing on Goku's left with his arms folded across his chest murmured, "Fifty bucks says she wipes the floor with the idiot."

Goku and Gohan said nothing, watching quietly. They heard Yamcha speak to her but couldn't make out what he was saying. Ten seconds had barely gone by when Yamcha was flung through the air with a surprised yell, landing roughly at their feet. "Yamcha! You all right?" Gohan asked moving to help the older man up.

"Yeah fine," Yamcha replied with a light groan. "She's definitely not friendly."

"You figure that out all by yourself?" Vegeta mocked and before Yamcha could retort, the Prince strolled forward, stopping when he was about half way between her and the others. "I am Prince Vegeta! Identify yourself!" he demanded.

A slow smile crossed the woman's lips. "I am Commander Zora and I know perfectly well who you are, Prince Vegeta. Just as I know that behind you stands Kakarot, the only other surviving full blooded Saiyan and his handsome young half blood son. You three are well known throughout the universe. My master is passing by and wanted to see a little show."

Goku clenched his fists tightly. "Go back to your master and tell him to keep moving! He doesn't want my attention right now!"

Zora laughed quietly and bowed. "I'll give him the message," she said, then vanished.

Gohan put a hand on Goku's shoulder. "Come on, Dad," he murmured, "I think that's enough for today. Let's go home and eat. I'm starving and I bet you are too." Goku looked at his son, ready to protest but his growling stomach quickly overrode him.

"All right." He looked at Vegeta. "You up for the waste lands after dinner?"

Vegeta nodded shortly and without a word shot off into the sky. Goku looked at Yamcha. "See you later, Yamcha. Stay out of trouble, kay?"

Yamcha grinned widely. "Always, pal! Later." As he took off into the air, Goku put a hand on Gohan's shoulder and the pair vanished from the field.

++++++++++++++++

"No Goku! You can't go on like this! You can't spend every spare second training! Even *you* need to rest!" Chi-Chi had just learned of Goku's plans to return to training after dinner and had decided to restart her protest efforts. Goku, however, didn't seem to be listening and continued eating silently. Gohan glanced from one to the other but said nothing. He had never seen his father like this before and wasn't too sure how to handle it.

"Goku! Did you hear me?" Chi-Chi demanded, getting angry with being ignored.

"Yes, Chi-Chi I hear you," Goku replied calmly. "But I'm still meeting Vegeta after dinner."

"No! I am putting my foot down Goku! I want you to stay home tonight and tomorrow at the very least! You can't go on like this do you hear me?"

"Enough!" Goku suddenly barked, slamming his hand down on the table and standing, dark eyes flashing. "I am *not* going to stop! As long as Goten is still missing I will *never stop!*"

Gohan stood up quickly, startled by the outburst. "Dad"

"Gohan," Goku interrupted as he moved around the table and took the equally startled Chi-Chi's hand, "Finish eating and then practice that meditation Piccolo taught us." Without waiting for an answer, he led Chi-Chi into their bedroom, closing the door behind them before releasing her. The anger that had been snapping in his eyes a moment before was gone, replaced by anguish as he looked at her.

"Look," he said quietly, "I'm sorry I got angry and I'm sorry I haven't been around much. I know it's hard on you but it's important that I train." He held up a hand, halting anything she was about to say. "I'm not just training physically. I'm training mentally as well. I'm going to find Goten and bring him home if it's the last thing I ever do." He turned away from her and started pacing the room. "I missed the first seven years of his life and I swore after Buu was destroyed that I would never let anything come between our family again. That I would always be here for you and our boys. And now Goten needs me and II can't*won't* let him down."

"Oh Goku," Chi-Chi whispered, taking his hand and pulling him down to sit on the bed. She kissed his hand and looked at him sadly. "This is killing me as much as it is you, but darlingyou just can't keep this up. Saiyan or not even *you* need rest. You've been so reckless lately and if something happens because of that, then what will happen to Goten?"

Goku closed his eyes and sighed, nodding in defeat. "You're right," he said, his voice still quiet. "Okay. I'll stay home tonight and all day tomorrow and rest."

Chi-Chi squeezed his hand. "Thank you Goku." She slipped a hand around his head, pulling him down and kissing him gently. "Would you like desert?" she asked softly.

"Maybe later," Goku replied, displaying more of how much his youngest son's disappearance had changed him. "I think I'm just going to meditate for a while."

Chi-Chi, hiding her worry, stood and kissed him again, then silently left the room. Gohan was clearing the table with a worried look. When he saw her, he stopped and looked at her expectantly. "It's okay," she reassured but didn't offer details as she moved to the sink to do the dishes. Gohan joined her and when the dishes were done, disappeared into his room. Chi-Chi sighed, looking out the window at the rising moon. 'Oh Goten,' she thought, 'Wherever you are, I hope you're well. And if some higher power is listening to me right now, please bring my baby back to me.'

+++++++++++++++

Goku wasn't sure what had awakened him. He lay staring at the ceiling, listening to Chi-Chi's soft, even breathing beside him. The house was silent and peaceful but for some reason, Goku could not return to sleep. After several moments, he sighed and got up, silently leaving the room and heading into the kitchen.

As he was having a glass of milk, he became aware of another presence outside the house. He focused and quickly determined it was not an animal, nor was it anyone he recognized. Putting the glass down, he went outside and carefully scanned the darkness. "Who's there?" he called. When he got no response, he took a few more steps away from the house, easily pinpointing the location of whoever it was that he sensed. "I know you're there, I can sense you. Show yourself."

He stopped moving when a figure appeared between the trees less than fifteen feet away. The stranger wore a hooded robe, hiding his or her identity from him. "Who are you?" he asked, watching the stranger warily.

"A friend," came the reply in a voice Goku was unable to identify as male or female.

"A friend huh?" he repeated skeptically.

"Yes, a friend. I have information on something you lost a few months ago."

Goku stiffened, his eyes widening. Goten. "Where is my son?" he demanded, moving forward. The stranger raised a gloved hand and Goku stopped dead, unable to move.

"Come no closer. I have taken a great risk in coming here. Your son is alive and unharmed. He was not taken with the intention of being harmed."

"*Why* was he taken?" Goku asked, stopping his struggles to move. "How do you know all this?"

"You will learn why he was taken soon as you will be seeing him soon," came the cryptic answer. "As for how I know, I serve the one responsible. His name is Lord Nexus, but I am not loyal. I am among a very small number working to take him down. I have come to you tonight because I believe our common enemy made a fatal mistake in taking your son. I want you to know that you have friends among the enemy and we will do what we can to restore your son to you."

Goku wasn't sure if he could trust the stranger's words. "How do I know Goten's really okay?" he asked. "How do I know you aren't part of some game his kidnapper is playing?"

A small object was tossed at him, landing at his feet. "Press the green button," the stranger instructed and Goku instantly found himself able to move. Keeping his eyes on his new 'friend,' he knelt down and picked the cube shaped device up. He pressed the green button, half expecting some kind of trap. He started a bit in surprise when an image of Goten suddenly appeared in front of him. The boy was sitting crossed legged, eyes closed in what appeared to be meditation.

"A warning, Kakarot. You will be seeing him soon but be wary for he has changed."

"Changed? What do you." Goku looked up and stopped talking as he found himself alone. He searched the area for the stranger's ki, but it was gone. He looked back at the image of his son and was suddenly filled with hope and certainty that the stranger had been telling the truth. "Hang on, son," he whispered. "You'll be home soon."

+++++++++

"He is ready, my Lord."

Lord Nexus gazed down at Doctor Jessna from the shadows, pleased to at last be hearing those words. "His name, as you requested, is Nekura," the doctor continued. "He believes himself to be your adopted son and the last surviving Saiyan. He was brought to you as an infant after being found on a dying planet in a malfunctioning space pod. You saw something special in him and took him in, raising him as your own. Four months ago, he was poisoned while fighting an inhabitant of a world we were raiding and has been gravely ill, the reason for his lack of memory of these last four months."

"And what of his abilities?" Nexus asked.

"Quite amazing, my Lord. I had to implant some transmitters into his head to keep him stable, however. Bringing certain powers and abilities to the surface before their time is tricky business. Had he been older or had I more time with him, I may not have had to resort to that. As long as the transmitters remain strong and are maintained on a regular basis, all should be well."

"For your sake, Doctor, I certainly hope so. Send him in." Nexus watched the Doctor nod and shift and knew he was calling to the boy telepathically. The Lord himself possessed no telepathic or fantastic mental abilities though he was naturally immune to them. But he didn't need abilities like that. He had his own special powers, powers that inspired fear in the strongest of warriors. Although having telepaths around certainly didn't hurt.

The door opened and the Lord watched the boy stride briskly down the pathway toward him and up the steps of the dais his chair sat on, dropping down to one knee when he reached the foot of the Lord's chair and bowing his head. Show time.

"I heard you have made a full recovery, Nekura. I am glad, I was concerned."

"Forgive me, Father," Nekura said, raising his head. "I will not make such an error again."

Nexus laughed quietly, one bone white hand emerging from the shadows to rest on Nekura's head. "You live a warrior's life, my son. It is impossible to escape injury all the time. Forget any remorse or shame you may feel and look at the view screen."

Nekura stood and turned, looking up at the view screen which held the image of a blue planet. "This planet is called Earth," Nexus said, "A demon world we have been watching while you recovered."

Nekura tipped his head. "Strange. It doesn't look like a demon world."

"That is what made it so interesting to warrant our attention. They are a different breed of demon. According to intelligence, they are called Humans and tend to engage in body snatching."

The screen changed to show images of beings Nekura assumed were 'Humans.' The screen stopped on a group of four males. Two were smiling brightly and Nekura figured them for father and son. Of the other two, one was an angry looking man and the other a boy around his age.

"These four are the reason we are still here," Nexus said. "The two adults in particular. You see, my son, these two demons are wearing Saiyan bodies."

Nekura looked at the being he called father sharply. "What? But how?"

"Unknown. But it doesn't matter does it? Do you plan to allow a couple of demons to continue degrading the bodies of two members of your dead race? We have managed to identify them through our records. The smaller of the two was Prince Vegeta. The other was Kakarot. These two were very powerful and well known before their untimely deaths and not only have these demons stolen their bodies, but they have stolen their powers and names as well. As a result, they are formidabledangerous. They even managed to sire children, an abominable mix of Saiyan and demon DNA."

Nexus watched as Nekura's hands curled into fists and felt the anger surging through him. "No father," the boy said softly, "I will not allow this to continue. I will see them and the whole planet destroyed for this!"

A slow smile spread across Nexus' lips, hidden in the darkness. "See Commander Zora, she has all the information you will need."

Nekura turned and bowed. "Thank you, father," he said shortly, then turned and stalked from the room in search of Commander Zora, the Doctor following. Soft laughter echoed around the room. Nexus was pleased so far. The Doctor would be well rewarded depending on how the boy preformed on the field. If all went well, there would be no one left in the whole universe who could oppose him.

+++++++++++++++++

Goku dropped the last of the funny, turtle like creatures to the ground and turned his gaze on Commander Zora. It had been two days since the visit from his mysterious new friend stating he would be seeing Goten soon and these jokers were still around. "I take it your boss decided to ignore my warning?" he called as Gohan and Vegeta came up on either side of him.

She smiled in such a way that Goku came to full alert. "The reason we haven't moved on, Kakarot, is because my Lord's son wanted very much to meet you."

Goku grit his teeth. "Look, I have no interest in meeting your boss' son. I have more important things to be worrying about right now!"

"Oh I definitely think you're going to want to meet him. All three of you in fact. His name is Lord Nekura and he's right behind you."

Neither Goku nor Vegeta turned but Gohan did and a stunned gasp was heard. "D-Dad," he whispered, grabbing Goku's arm and forcing him to turn.

Goku looked at Gohan, then in the direction his eldest son was looking in and froze. Standing thirty or forty feet away, dressed in the same advanced looking armor Zora wore, was Goten. Or at least a child who looked very much like Goten. Goku looked right into the boy's eyes and drew in a breath. They were so hardso cold. His gaze was drawn to the tail that swayed gently behind his son and he was reminded of the stranger's words of warning. Oh Dende

"Goten!" Gohan, having gotten past his stunned surprise, started forward but Goku's hand snapped out, gripping Gohan's arm tightly. "No Gohan. Wait, something's wrong."

"You mean besides the armor and tail?" Vegeta asked with his usual sarcasm. Goku glanced at him, then gave Gohan a 'wait here' look as he moved forward.

"Goten? Do you know me, son?" he asked carefully.

"I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else, demon," Goten replied, his voice just as cold as his eyes. "My name is Nekura."

"Demon?" Goku questioned, putting the name issue aside for a moment.

Goten smirked. "Yes. Demon. I know what you are. You may inhabit Saiyan bodies but you are no Saiyan! *I* am and I am the last. You bastards are going to pay for making a mockery of two of my people!" His eyes snapped to Vegeta. "Especially of a Saiyan Prince!"

Anger flashed through Goku's eyes and without looking away from Goten, he called, "What did you do to him, Zora?"

Before Zora could answer, Vegeta started speaking. "You have been severely mislead, boy. Kakarot and I are not demons, we are the real thing. In fact, you little boy are Kakarot's son. You were stolen from him four months ago." He glanced behind them at Zora. "More than likely by that bitch."

There was a blur of motion and the sound of flesh hitting flesh and Vegeta was suddenly on the ground, a surprised look on his face. "Hey!" Goku exclaimed, turning and finding his youngest now just a few feet away from Zora. 'Wow,' he thought, 'I almost didn't see him move! He really *has* changed and definitely not in a good way.'

"I'll thank you not to disrespect the woman who is like a mother to me, demon!" Goten snarled as Vegeta stood, glaring and rubbing his jaw.

"Vegeta is right, son!" Goku called, stepping forward again. "We aren't demons and you *are* my son!" He gestured behind him. "That's your brother, Gohan. You disappeared four months ago. We were going to be taking a camping trip off world. You, me, Gohan, Vegeta and your best friend, Vegeta's son, Trunks. You and Trunks were heading home from school but Trunks had to go back because he forgot something. You were supposed to wait for him by a big Tree on school grounds but when Trunks got there, you were gone. Please Goten, try to remember!"

"Nice story but there's a little problem with it. I was in a whole other solar system four months ago getting struck with a poisonous wound. I've kind of been unconscious for a while."

"Come on Goten!" Gohan suddenly burst out. "Don't you find that awfully convenient? My little brother-you!-disappears for four months and you believe you've spent that time unconscious from a wound?"

"Not at all," Goten answered, glancing over at Zora. "Because you're lying. You demon scum are trying to confuse me so you can do to me what you did to Prince Vegeta and Kakarot. It won't work."

"Goten" Goku started but Goten shouted, "My name is not Goten! It's Nekura! Enough talk, prepare yourselves demons!"

Goku moved into defensive position just in time to meet Goten's attack. He remained on the defensive, blocking and dodging Goten's blows, learning his moves and looking for weaknesses. Incredible! Goten's skills hadn't been this advanced four months ago. He was so fast! As if to prove Goku's observations correct, Goten feigned a blow to the left of Goku's head and when Goku moved to block, took a hard blow to the stomach. They had taken to the air at this point and so Goku was sent crashing to the ground.

'Man! That actually hurt!' he thought, wincing. He looked up in the sky to locate Goten and his eyes widened. "Whoa!" he exclaimed, swiftly getting out of the path of a powerful ki blast. Seconds later, Goten was on him again. 'Gotta give the bastards credit,' he thought, 'They sure trained him well. Let's see *how* well.'

Despite the situation, his Saiyan instincts for the fight were kicking in. He stopped his defensive moves and began fighting back. He did, however, hold back. This was his *son* he was fighting, not an enemy despite all appearances. He just couldn't bring himself to do anything that might hurt his youngest child. And it cost him as, despite getting in several good blows, he was continuously pounded into the ground.

At one point, both Vegeta and Gohan intervened and as Gohan engaged his little brother, Vegeta berated Goku. "What the hell are you doing, you idiot? You're letting yourself lose to an infant!"

Goku glared as he got to his feet, wiping blood from his mouth. "He's my son, Vegeta! I won't hurt him!"

"So you're just going to roll over and let him kill you, huh? Let that bitch and whoever she's working for win? Wake up Kakarot! The boy is not your son right now and the sooner you realize that the sooner you can take him down and get him help!" The Prince glanced behind him. "Or would you prefer he kill your eldest first?"

Goku looked behind Vegeta as well and his eyes widened. Gohan was on the ground, badly stunned as he, too, had been fighting defensively. Goten stood above him, about to fry his older brother with a powerful blast. "No!" Goku shouted and struck Goten with a quick burst of ki, knocking the boy several feet away.

Goku hurried to Gohan's side, helping the younger man up and making sure he was okay before turning his attention on Goten, who had gotten to his feet and was watching them with a smirk. Vegeta was right. Goten was a stranger right now and Goku was going to have to get rough in order to get his son the help he needed. "I'm sorry for what I have to do, son," he called, raising his ki.

Goten's smirk widened but he said nothing. The pair stood facing each other for a few moments, then Goten attacked. This time, Goku didn't hold back though it made his heart ache every time he landed a hard blow and heard the hiss of pain slip out of the boy. His amazement at Goten's strength and speed continued to rise as they fought and it was only after he landed a blow that should have knocked Goten cold that Goku realized his son was playing with him.

Goten had been thrown through a thick layer of solid rock and had remained face down on the ground, unmoving, his strange ki very low. When Goku had touched down next to him and rolled him over to gather him up, he had been startled to find Goten very awake and unfazed. His surprise was further enhanced when he found himself blasted through one of the rock piles created earlier. Images of battles with super powerful opponents like Frieza flashed through his mind. Particularly the memories of when the rat was toying with him, making him believe he stood a good chance when in fact he had very little. 'How could he have gotten so strong so fast?' he thought as he stepped up his power levels and went Super.

He burst out of the rubble and into the air, surprised again when he found Goten waiting for him, also in Super form. "Getting worried, demon?" the boy taunted and Goku grew even more determined to win this fight. He had to, for Goten's sake.

Forcing himself to forget it was Goten he was fighting, Goku attacked, using his more powerful moves. But Goten countered each and every one of them until Goku was forced to retreat back several feet, panting and studying the boy in frustration. Then, getting an idea, he turned his back and put two fingers to his forehead, using his instant transmission technique to vanish and, reappearing directly behind Goten, moved to grab him in a bear hug. Goten, however, countered even that move, jabbing his elbow brutally into Goku's stomach then turning and smashing his fists into Goku's back, sending the warrior crashing to the ground.

"Dad!" Gohan and Vegeta appeared at Goku's side and as Gohan helped his father up, Vegeta studied the small form in the sky.

"That boy is incredible! It's as though he's been reading your mind!"

"This needs to end," Goku said, spitting out blood. "I'm going to power up to level two, then I think we should try a three way attack."

Both Gohan and Vegeta powered up to Super in response as Goku gathered his energy and passed to the next level of Super Saiyan.

"Uh-oh," Goten said mockingly as the trio rose into the sky and spread out around him. "I think I'm in trouble now." A look came into his eyes that Goku never wanted to see again. It was sadistic and unmerciful, reminding Goku once again of Frieza and leaving him silently swearing to kill those responsible for turning his innocent little boy into a monster.

He jumped when Gohan suddenly screamed and grabbed his head. "Gohan!" he shouted and started toward his son when Vegeta suddenly screamed too, grabbing his head as well. As the pair plummeted to the ground, intense pain exploded in Goku's head, prompting a scream of his own. He fell to the ground, dropping out of Super, unable to focus on anything but the agony in his mind.

He was only vaguely aware of Goten touching down next to him. "I told you you'd pay demon!" he heard Goten snarl as if from far away. Then, as suddenly as the pain had come it, stopped, leaving a dull throbbing in his head. Gasping, Goku raised his head and found Goten sitting up almost thirty feet away, his gaze skyward. Goku followed Goten's line of sight. Hovering in the air, looking as stony as ever, was Piccolo. "P-Piccolo" Goku groaned, squeezing his eyes shut as he struggled to recover from the strange attack.

"You want to play mind games, kid, play with me," he heard the big Namek challenge. Goku rolled over onto his back and watched as Goten rose into the air and faced off with Piccolo. He expected a fight to start and called out to his friend in warning but nothing happened. The pair simply hovered, staring at each other, occasional winces passing over features until Goten, who had powered down, suddenly burst back into Super, releasing a ki blast and then zipping past Piccolo to where Zora was hovering, wings gently beating the air.

"Gotenno!" Goku groaned as he watched Zora put a hand on Goten's shoulder and throw a smirk his way. Then, the pair vanished, leaving no hint of ki to track.

+++++++++++

"Intelligence neglected to mention there is a Namek among them!" Nekura spat as he stalked through the door and toward the Dark Lord's throne, Zora right behind him. "I was about to finish them off when that freak intervened!"

Lord Nexus prevented himself from growling, knowing full well Zora knew how displeased he was even without being able to use her telepathy on him. "That is most irritating indeed my son," he said, putting a on a sympathetic voice. "I shall have whoever was responsible for that missing piece of information vanquished immediately. Did the Namek harm you?"

"I'll recover," came the curt reply.

Nexus looked at Zora though she could not see that in the darkness that surrounded him and said to Nekura, "Leave Commander Zora and I alone. Go back to you quarters and re-center yourself. We will talk later."

Nekura bowed his head. "Yes Father."

Once they were alone, Zora said, "The Namek was as much a surprise to me as it was to him my Lord."

"He is strong?"

"Aye my Lord. Far stronger than any Namek I have ever encountered." She paused, then said, "Allow me to work with the boy. The Doctor's methods have obviously proven to be less effective than he claimed. With proper training that the Doctor is not qualified to provide, I believe Nekura could beat the Namek."

The Lord was silent for a moment while he considered her request. Finally, he said, "Very well, Commander. But it had better not take long. I will not tolerate delays as long as the Doctor's."

Zora bowed deeply. "Of course, my Lord." Turning, she strode swiftly from the room to begin her new task.

++++++++++++++

"Utterly incredible. It was like the boy was pure Saiyan the way he fought," Vegeta mused quietly as he gazed out the kitchen window. After Goten and the woman had disappeared he, Goku, Gohan and even Piccolo had returned to Capsule Corp where Bulma's mother, Bunni, had immediately put on tea, then left her daughter, son in law and grandson alone with the Sons and Piccolo.

"I never thought I'd ever see that look in the eyes of one of my own kids," Goku murmured. He was staring at the table, hands wrapped around the tea up. "It was like I was fighting a being of pure evil like Frieza or Cell, not my own son."

"Vegeta's not far off," Piccolo commented from the corner he occupied. "About being pure Saiyan I mean. Goten's human side has been suppressed and his Saiyan side has been made dominate to allow his hidden powers to be brought out."

Piccolo's statement was met with stunned silence.

"And just how do you know that?" Vegeta demanded after a few minutes.

Piccolo looked at Goku as he answered. "Before I intervened, I was watching and having a little talk with a friend of yours, Goku. Seems you two met in the bushes outside your house the other night."

Goku nodded, wide-eyed. "The stranger who gave me the hologram of Goten."

"Yes, had quite the interesting talk with them. Goten, like Gohan did, has hidden abilities and power waiting to be tapped into. The brains behind all this apparently knew it and decided to get control of it. Someone by the name of Doctor Jessna wiped Goten's memories and brought it all to the surface. That's why he's so strong and fast. And the reason he seemed to be reading your mind is because he was. Our friend told me, and I was able to confirm when I fought with him that his mental abilities, while highly impressive, are immature. That's the problem with this whole scheme. You can't bring powers and abilities to the surface before they're ready and expect them to be fully mature. Especially mental abilities."

"Whoa!" Trunks exclaimed in awe. "Goten's a telepath?"

Piccolo nodded. "All Saiyans have some form of telepathic ability but not like this. Looks like Goten is initiating an evolution where mental abilities are concerned. He's going to be strong too, once his mind matures and he gets proper training. May even be able to give me a run for my money. As it stands right now, he's no real threat to me but he obviously is to the rest of you. I'm going to have to teach you all about strengthening your barriers. Make it harder for him to gain access as easily as he did today."

"And what about the other half of the problem? His strength?" Vegeta demanded.

"It's strange," Gohan murmured. "It was right after Dad went to level two that Goten attacked us with his mind. Maybe he can't hold up against level two."

"It's possible but I doubt it. More than likely he was getting tired of playing around. Our friend couldn't tell me just how strong the boy is so at this point, we have no way of knowing if he's stronger than level two or even level three. If I could engage him again, I might be able to find out but more than likely, you're going to have to find out for yourself, Goku."

"Man," Goku whispered, "if he's stronger than level three then I don't know what we're going to do."

Piccolo didn't say it, but he knew perfectly well what his old friend would have to do and was certain the younger man knew it too. They all knew it but none were willing to consider it at this point.

"Why did he call us demons?" Gohan asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had descended.

"He's been told that Earth is home to a breed of demons called, of course, humans. Was told they like to snatch bodies and two of them had gotten hold of two Saiyan bodies, Goku's and Vegeta's. Kid believes he's the last Saiyan so of course he needs to protect his people's memory or honor or whatever meaning he can't allow a couple of scumbag body snatchers to get away with wearing Saiyan bodies."

Trunks frowned, not understanding. "But can't he tell from their ki that they're Saiyans and not demons?"

"He has nothing to compare with," Piccolo answered. "He doesn't even know what his own ki is like thanks to that collar he was wearing. It's constantly changing his pattern so he can't be tracked. Because of that, he's unable to recognize Saiyan ki."

"Well that explains a lot," Goku murmured. "I was wondering why his ki was so differentso strange."

"Pretty ingenious actually," Bulma commented. "Sounds like this guy planned this all out pretty well."

"He sure didn't plan on me," Goku suddenly growled, dark eyes snapping. "I will not let Goten remain in that monster's hands." He looked at Piccolo and asked, "Did our friend tell you when he or she would be in touch again?"

"Soon," Piccolo replied. "They're working on something right now but have to be careful. Apparently the organization is aware of spies among them and security is being tightened while those spies are hunted down."

Concern replaced the anger in Goku's eyes. "Wow. Didn't realize just how big a risk this guy was taking. Hope he doesn't blow his cover."

A funny little smile crossed Piccolo's lips. "I wouldn't worry too much. Our friend has been among the enemy for some time now and hasn't been caught yet. Now why don't we go find some place quiet and work on protecting your minds. You too Trunks." The green warrior met Gohan's questioning gaze head on, knowing the boy was wondering what his mentor knew that the rest of them didn't. He didn't offer any additional information though and silently left the kitchen, Gohan and Trunks following.

"You coming, Vegeta?" Goku asked, pausing in the doorway and looking back at his friend.

"I don't need a Namek giving me lessons in mental defense," Vegeta answered.

"Oh really?" Bulma said challengingly. "From what I just heard, you were in as much pain as Goku and Gohan were!"

Vegeta glowered at her. "He took me by surprise. Something that won't happen again!"

"Oh for crying out loud Vegeta it won't hurt for you to take the lessons! You might actually learn something!"

"Get off my back woman! My defenses are just fine!"

A little smirk crossed Bulma's lips. "Could I see you in the living room please?" she asked sweetly and headed into the next room without waiting for an answer. Vegeta stayed where he was, arms crossed, glaring at the door.

"NOW!" Goku jumped at the screech and watched in amazement as Vegeta actually responded, stalking from the kitchen to join his wife in the living room. Thirty seconds later, he stalked out of the room and toward the exit that Piccolo and the boys had gone through.

"Shut up!" he growled as he passed Goku.

Goku laughed silently. "Not a word," he murmured quietly and followed the Prince out.

++++++++++++++



Terrible, agony filled screams filled the chamber known as the 'Hole' as Nekura mercilessly finished his opponent using his mental abilities. It had been three days since his fight with the demons and the Namek and he had progressed in his lessons with Zora quickly. He would soon be ready for a rematch.



The door to the chamber slid open and Zora entered, coming to stand next to him and examine his handiwork. The victim had been, of course, a telepath himself and had put up a very good fight. He wasn't as strong as the Namek, but Zora wasn't too concerned. She had confidence in her abilities as a problem solver and was about to get the boy's assistance in solving one particular problem.



"I have another test for you, Nekura," she stated, putting a hand on his shoulder and guiding him from the room. "Have you heard the rumors that there may be one or two among us who may not be loyal?"



"Yes," Nekura answered and Zora smiled.



"Good. I want you assistance in pointing out who is unfaithful. Whoever it is has managed to block me but they may not have anticipated you."



Nekura said nothing as Zora took him through the corridors of the massive ship, deliberately avoiding the transporters to give the boy time to re-center himself as well as to give Zora the opportunity to see how long it took for him to do so. He recovered quickly, much to her satisfaction and she took him into a chamber with two levels. The top level, the level they were on, was deserted. They stepped onto an observation deck which allowed them to see the bottom level. This was the Mess Hall, which was currently crowded with those scheduled to eat at this time. She looked at Nekura.



"All right, go to work," she instructed and felt him open his mind and begin probing the minds of those below. It would take time, she knew, but she was patient. Patience often brought great rewards. Twenty minutes later, she got that reward.



"Thirteenth row, fourth one in," Nekura said quietly, pointing out a humanoid who was notorious for being a slimy scum. She smiled. Excellent. "Good. Report back to your father and inform him I'll be bringing him a gift shortly."



Nekura nodded sharply and, once he had left her side, Zora jumped down to the first level, landing gracefully and approached her target. "Hello Ritan," she said sweetly, "Come with me."



Ritan, a small, green skinned being with huge buggy eyes and small antennas coming from the side of his head, looked up at her warily. "What for?"



"Do you really want to be questioning me, Ritan?" Zora replied, ice slipping into her voice.



Ritan looked at those he was sitting with, but none raised their gazes from the table. After a few seconds, he shook his head. "No, Commander." He stood and, at her gesture, went ahead of her, leaving the Mess Hall and entering a transporter at her order. She knew he was afraid but felt no remorse for what was about to happen as they entered the Dark Lord's domain. Nekura stood on the dais, half in half out of the shadows, watching silently as the pair approached. Zora pushed Ritan down to his knees, bowing low before saying, "My Lord, may I introduce you to Ritan, the betrayer we have been seeking."



Ritan's bowed head snapped up, surprised shock in his eyes. "What! Wa-Wait a minute! My Lord! I am no betrayer! I have served you for many years and have always remained loyal!"



"Commander?" came the quiet questioned.



"He lies, my Lord," Zora answered. "It was Nekura who sniffed him out as he has been managing to block me somehow."



"That's a lie! I have no telepathic abilities! I couldn't possibly have hidden from her if I was a betrayer, which I'm not!" Ritan protested.



Without waiting to be asked, Nekura said, "Zora is right, father, he lies. He does possess mental abilities which he has been using to throw Zora off. I saw it all when I probed." His voice hardened as he added, "He's been in contact with the demons below, giving them information about you."



"No! My Lord I have not left this ship in the whole time we have been in this system!"



"Are you calling my own son a liar, Ritan?"



"N-No my Lord. I'm saying Commander Zora is setting me up and is manipulating Lord Nekura into confirming what she wants you to believe! She must be! I am no traitor!"



"Desperate words, my Lord," Zora said, watching curiously as Nekura stepped down from the dais and moved to stand before Ritan. She was aware as the pair looked at each other that the boy was scanning Ritan's mind and she was pretty sure he was looking for evidence that Ritan was telling the truth. She wondered about the security of that and was surprised when Nekura suddenly raised a hand and released a ki blast into Ritan's head. As the body slumped to the floor, Nekura turned and looked into the shadows.



"May I return to my quarters, father?"



"You may," the Lord answered after a few seconds of silence. Nekura turned and as he was passing Zora, gave her a strange look. One she would investigate when she was finished here.



When they were alone, she looked at the body then to the shadows. "Are you satisfied my Lord?"



"Both you and Nekura have agreed that Ritan was the traitor. Nekura even more so than you it seems. Yes, Commander, I am pleased. That is, pleased if you are certain he was the only one."



"If he isn't, my Lord, I will know soon enough."



"Very well, Commander. You are dismissed. Leave the body."



Zora bowed and turned, leaving the room quickly as she had no desire to see what her Lord was going to do with the body. Once had been enough. She was pleased. One problem had been solved, for now at least. Now she could focus on the newest one.



+++++++++++++++++



Nekura sat on the floor in his quarters, staring at the images of the Saiyan impersonators on his personal viewscreen. Of course the information he had obtained from Ritan's mind would correspond with what Kakarot had claimed. He *had* been a traitor after all. What was bothering Nekura, however, was how much more Ritan's mind had revealed. Apparently, his adoptive father had been following rumors regarding a couple of Saiyans who had survived the destruction of their planet.



Nearly six months earlier, the ship had come upon Earth and discovered the rumors to be true. From there, a study had been done on the two full blooded warriors and their children and the Lord had decided he wanted the youngest of the children, Nekura. Commander Zora had been sent to capture him and he had been given to Jessna to transform into what he currently was. Those thoughts had infuriated him so much that he hadn't hesitated in killing the bastard. It wasn't true! He had clear memories of growing up on this ship. Hell, he could remember aiding in the conquering of a small planet when he was just four years old! So why was this bothering him so much?



A soft buzzing filled the room, announcing the arrival of a visitor. 'Come in, Zora,' he said silently and listened as the door slid open and closed and Zora's soft footsteps crossed the room. He didn't look up at her as she came to a stop next to him, keeping his attention on the images. Finally, she said, "You are confused. You have allowed Ritan's treacherous mind to fill you with doubt."



Nekura didn't reply. There was no need to. She was right and they both knew it. He could feel her gaze on him, studying him. "There's something else that adds to your doubt," she said slowly.



Damn woman. He just couldn't keep anything from her no matter how strong his barriers. He sighed. "When I was fighting telepathically with the Namek, he repeated what the demons had told me. That I am half Saiyan and Kakarot's son. But he went further than that. He said that the Saiyan home world had been destroyed nearly forty years ago, killing all but four males who were away at the time. Two were Prince Vegeta and Kakarot. Kakarot was a baby at the time and just before the planet was destroyed, he had been sent to Earth and grew up there."



"So, according to the Namek, you couldn't possibly be the last surviving Saiyan because the time line is all wrong," Zora said matter of factly. She moved so she was in front of him, then sat down. "Nekura, do you trust me?"



Nekura frowned. "Of course I do. You and father are the only ones I *can* trust."



"Then come into my mind and view the memories I have of the day we found you. Eradicate all doubt and confusion those demons have filled you with."



Nekura gazed at her for a few seconds, feeling the woman's mind opening to him, inviting him in. Once he felt the invite, he opened his own mind, reaching out and making the connection. He closed his eyes, feeling the familiar pull as his consciousness joined with hers and he was taken back in time, nearly ten years earlier....



Zora gazed around the dying planet with an air of boredom while her men searched the area. The planet was in a system they were passing through and would have ignored had it not been for the strange signal the bridge had detected and relayed to Lord Nexus. His Lordship, curious about the signal, had ordered her to take some men down to investigate the source. That had been well over 2 hours ago and the elusive source had yet to be found. She was starting to contemplate a halt and return to the ship when one of the men called out, "Commander! Over here!"



'Finally,' she thought, heading to where her men were gathering. A small crater that had collapsed some time ago had been dug up, revealing a little surprise; A space pod. Zora's eyes narrowed as she looked at it. "It's Saiyan," she murmured. "Must have left it behind when they were last here. No wonder this planet is dying."



"I don't think so, Commander," one of the men who had gone into the crater to examine the pod said. "It's malfunctioning. Must have crashed landed. It's stuck in stasis and there's someone in it!"



"What? Are you certain?" Zora asked in surprise. Must be fairly deep stasis, she hadn't sensed anyone.



"Positive Commander, this thing's occupied."



Interested, Zora asked, "Can you open it, Solider?"



"Yeah I think so, it'll just take a few minutes." At her nod, the solider set to work and five minutes later, the door was slowly opening. Zora could feel the solider's surprise as he looked inside. "Uh, Commander..."



Zora jumped down into the crater and moved to the solider's side. He moved away and she looked into the pod, discovering just why he had been so surprised. Curled within, less than a year old, was a Saiyan baby. A boy.



"Must have been sent off world before it was destroyed," the soldier murmured. Zora silently reached in and gathered the baby up. "Have the pod brought to the ship," she ordered. "Some of the parts and technology may be useful."



"Yes Commander," the solider replied and Zora, baby nestled securely in her arms, teleported off the planet and back to the ship. She went immediately to Lord Nexus' chamber. "My Lord," she greeted, moving down to one knee. "We finally came upon the source of the signal. It was a Saiyan pod that had crashed landed sometime ago. Probably shortly after the Saiyan home world was destroyed. There was an occupant." She stood and moved up the steps, stopping when she reached the top and kneeling down again so Nexus could see what she held.



"A Saiyan child," the Lord murmured, a trace of surprise in his soft voice. "So there was a survivor." A bone white hand emerged from the darkness, a blue glow surrounding it. The glow appeared around the baby, vanishing a few seconds later as the hand returned to the darkness. "This child is special, Commander. Do you feel it?"



"Aye, my Lord," Zora replied, looking down at the stirring infant. "He will be a very powerful warrior if he survives."



"He *will* survive, Commander. As of this moment, this lone survivor of a dead race is under my protection. He shall be the son I was never able to have. Take him to the Doctor. I want to be certain he is healthy and has experienced no side effects of his long term stasis."



"Aye, my Lord," Zora replied. She bowed her head, then stood and left the chamber for the Doctor....



Nekura opened his eyes at the same time Zora did, their barriers automatically going up as the connection closed. They gazed at each other silently, the confusion and doubt Nekura had been feeling quickly dissipating. "Thank you, Zora," he said after a few minutes. "I will not allow their lies and deceptions to confuse me again."



Zora allowed a small smile to cross her lips as she reached out and touched his cheek. "I know you won't. Now I want you to practice the techniques I taught you. We will be testing them on the enemy tomorrow."



Nekura nodded and as Zora left him alone, began practicing for the deaths of the demons.



++++++++++++++++



Trunks sighed as he stared at the food on his plate, ignoring the activity around him. He and Bulma were at an outdoor cafe, having lunch. Or rather, Bulma was having lunch. Trunks just wasn't interested in eating. He wanted to be with his father, Goku and Gohan, training to help Goten but his mother had dragged him out gadget shopping, stating she needed his advice and opinions. He had tried to sneak away once or twice, but it was like she had eyes in the back of her head. So, he suffered through, distracted mind never leaving Goten and the younger's boy's situation. Oh Dende how he missed his friend...



"Honey," Bulma spoke up from across the table, concern in her eyes, "You really should try to..." She was cut off by the sound of an explosion and terrified screams coming from down the street. "What in the world...." Bulma exclaimed, both she and Trunks jumping to their feet and moving to try and see what was happening.



People raced passed them, separated by the little fence that marked the boundaries of the cafe and panic stricken screams filled the air as another explosion rocked the ground. Trunks' gaze drifted skyward and his eyes widened when he spotted the cause of the explosions. "Goten!" he shouted.



"What? Where?" Bulma asked even as she looked up and spotted the boy herself.



"You'd better get out of here, mom! Things are probably going to get really messy!" Trunks exclaimed, raising his ki and shooting off into the sky, ignoring his mother's shouts to come back. Goten was his best friend. He wasn't going to hide from him and let him level the city. "Goten! Stop!" he shouted, coming to a stop when he was about ten feet away from the other boy. He drew in a sharp breath when his friend turned his gaze on him. Now he understood, just by looking in the other's eyes, just why Goku had been so shook up.



"Well now," Goten said, "I finally get to meet the other abomination spawned using a Saiyan body. And I must say you are all very repetitive. My name is Nekura not Goten. I was hoping to get the attention of the two imposters but you'll do for a start."



Trunks closed his eyes, reminding himself that Goten's mind had been poisoned against them. The anger and fear he had felt at Goten's disappearance beginning to surface, Trunks opened his eyes and looked hard at his friend as he powered up to Super Saiyan. "I'm not going to waste my breath telling you what everyone else has already told you. But I do want to say one thing before we start this."



Goten smirked lightly. "Go right ahead."



"I am not an abomination. My name is Trunks and before they took you and twisted your mind, you and I were best friends. We grew up together and I just want you to know that no matter what happens, we will always be friends. Even after I have to kick your ass."



Goten burst out laughing. "Very amusing, demon. Are you ready to die now?"



Trunks didn't have a chance to reply as he dodged a sudden ki blast. He returned the blast, then rushed forward to meet his friend in close combat. Keeping in mind what he had been told about Goten's newfound telepathic abilities, Trunks put to use what Piccolo had taught them about mental barriers, hoping to keep the other boy from cheating. It worked, but only for a short time. Trunks was either too inexperienced or Goten too strong. It was probably both but either way Goten soon broke through Trunks' defenses and there was nothing Trunks could do that Goten didn't know about. Even when Trunks tried to lead Goten to a more suitable battlefield, away from the city, the boy wouldn't go for it, forcing Trunks to remain where they were to fight.



Thirty minutes had not yet passed and Trunks was already battered and bloody. The others hadn't been kidding when they said that Goten was stronger and faster than he had been. The city block they were in wasn't doing too well either. Buildings were half collapsed and the street torn up. Thank Dende the people had all had the good sense to evacuate but he wondered how long it would be before the army showed up.

'You'd think those idiots would have learned by now,' he thought, barely managing to dodge what would have been a very painful blow. 'Oh look! Two ultra super beings beating the daylights out of each other and leveling entire buildings! Let's shoot a couple of missiles at them, that should take them out.'



As he was thinking, he zipped to the left and then to the right abruptly, letting lose a blast that actually connected with Goten and sent him crashing through a building roof. Trunks blinked in surprise. Goten apparently hadn't known that was coming!



'Hm, may be on to something here,' he thought and as Goten shot toward him, Trunks began to fight without thinking about his moves. He thought about math problems, of kids at school, even of Goten and the trouble they always got into together. The tactic seemed to work as he managed to land several good blows. After a few minutes of this, Goten fell back, an amused look in his dark eyes.



"Clever. You're smarter than you look. But that little plan won't save you. Not when I can still do this."



Intense pain exploded in Trunks' mind and he screamed, grabbing his head and struggling to stay in the air. He tried to dart away when Goten appeared next to him but the boy easily blocked him and slammed his fists into Trunks' back, sending him plummeting to the ground. He hit hard and curled up on his side, managing to pry one eye open to watch a ki beam rushing toward him, unable to move out of the way. From out of nowhere, another beam appeared, crashing into Goten's and stopping the attack.



"Trunks!"



Trunks' eyes, which had squeezed shut when the beams had collided, opened to find Gohan kneeling next to him. "G-Gohan," he whispered.



"Easy, Trunks," Gohan said, "You'll be alright. Let Dad and Vegeta handle Goten now."



The pain in his head had receded, but only a little and he was on the verge of blacking out, especially as relief that help had arrived settled over him. But he couldn't yet. He had to tell Gohan what he had learned. "G-Gohan, listen. He can't read y-you're next move if...if you're not thinking about it."



"What do you mean?" Gohan asked.



Trunks swallowed and did his best to tell the older boy what had happened. Gohan nodded in understanding. "Okay Trunks. You did good, rest now."



Trunks sighed and let go, retreating into the painless void that called to him. Gohan gathered the boy up and rose into the air to join his father and Vegeta. "Hey okay?" Goku asked and Gohan nodded, eyeing his brother warily as the boy hovered, watching the trio maliciously. "He'll be fine," he said, then moved closer to the pair and told them what Trunks had told him. Goku threw a surprised glance at Goten then looked back at Gohan. "Get Trunks to a safe place. Bulma's not far, she's probably pretty worried.



"Right. Be careful dad, Vegeta," Gohan replied, quickly locating Bulma's ki and taking off toward her.



Goku turned his attention back on Goten, immediately strengthening his barriers as Piccolo had taught him and raising his ki in the process. "This had to stop, Goten!" he called, going Super and continuing to raise his ki to pass into level two.



Goten smirked. "I agree. These delays in your destruction really have gotten annoying. So let's get this show on the road. The sooner I kill you two, the sooner I can destroy the rest of this world and move on to bigger and better things."



Goku glanced at Vegeta, who nodded and the pair attacked simultaneously. The advise they had received proved helpful indeed. Goten had a difficult time reading their moves but still managed to take very little damage and prove his strength greater even when Goku was well into level two. And while it took longer than it had with Trunks, their mental defenses were eventually broken and their minds invaded.



The painful assault had only just begun when it was interrupted by Gohan's return. The half Saiyan appeared out of nowhere, plowing into his younger brother and sending them both into an office building, giving Goku and Vegeta a chance to recover. As they regrouped, Gohan and Goten burst from the building, already heavily engaged.



"Gohan's in his mystic form," Goku murmured, a little surprised as he had not expected his eldest to take that form against his baby brother. But he was also interested to see how well Goten stood up against it. Gohan's mystic form was much stronger than Goku's level two form and with any luck, the mystic form would be enough to stop Goten.



But luck seemed to have flown the coup. After a few minutes of watching, Vegeta spat out a curse. "The kid's still stronger! How much power could he possibly have?"



Goku shook his head and, with a shout, passed into level three. "Time to find out," he said quietly, rising up into the air. "Enough!" he shouted, stopping the two combatants who looked surprised at the intrusion. They drifted way from each other as Goku rose up in between them, his gaze locked on Goten. "Take a break, Gohan," he ordered and, after a quick hesitation, Gohan dropped down to join Vegeta below.



"Impressive form," Goten commented. "Did the real Kakarot perfect it before you stole his body?"



Goku sighed inwardly. "You want to talk or fight?" he asked, wishing the boy would choose talk and simply come home with them. Goten's response was a quiet laugh and then he began the new fight. The battle, however, didn't last long. Goku had just barely stepped up his power when Goten suddenly froze in mid charge, eyes wide, mouth opening and closing like a fish gasping for air. A startling, pain filled scream split the air as Goten grabbed his head and dropped from the sky, crashing into the rooftop below them.



"What the..." Goku murmured as Vegeta and Gohan shot up next to him and looked down to where Goten had crashed. The boy looked to be in a state of seizure which caused Goku's heart to leap into his throat and fear to fill him. Before any of them could move, however, Zora materialized next to Goten, gathered him up and vanished.



"No!" Goku shouted, desperately trying to locate them. But, as usual, there was no trace. "Dammit!" he growled, managing to restrain himself from adding to the already heavy damage around them.



"Care to venture a guess as to what just happened?" Vegeta asked, irritation in his voice.



"I want to believe it was Goten trying to fight against what's been done to him," Goku replied quietly. He glanced around and sighed. "Let's get out of here. There's nothing we can do now but wait."



"I'm starting to hate that word," Vegeta growled as he and Gohan each put a hand on Goku in preparation for transport.



'So am I,' Goku thought, then the trio vanished.



+++++++++++++++++++++



"Report!"



Jessna looked up in irritation at the snapped command Zora issued as she stalked into his lab. "The boy will be fine," he replied. "There was some kind of malfunction in the transmitters I implanted in his head."



"Care to elaborate on that, Doctor?"



"I will 'elaborate' when I know more, Commander," came the tight reply.



"You've been working on it all night. His Lordship expects an answer immediately!"



Jessna growled softly. "Surely his Lordship and *you* understand that I must proceed carefully if I am to get the proper results required. I have said it before and I will say it one more time. The mind is a tricky thing to deal with. I cannot hurry with something like this. Now either get out and let me work or shut up and stay out of the way!" he ordered, giving the woman a challenging look. He stopped himself from smiling in satisfaction when Zora positioned herself in an out of the way corner of the room and kept her mouth shut.



He turned his attention back to Nekura, who lay motionless on the examination table, deeply asleep. He was hooked up to machines that were busily examining every inch of the child and the implants in his mind, trying to determine exactly what had happened. He studied the readouts of one machine and frowned deeply. "This can't be right," he muttered, turning to the readouts a second machine was generating. 'This is not at all pleasing,' he thought. Out loud, he said, "Someone has been tampering with my prize project. Either that or they have been tampering with me and my machines."



"What do you mean?" Zora asked, not moving from her corner.



"When I turned him lose, he was operating at one hundred percent of his full potential as I had set out to accomplish. I'm certain of it. But according to these readouts, he's only operating at seventy-eight percent! That doesn't make any sense! I'm certain he was at full power!"



"Are you certain he hasn't lost power along the way?" Zora asked.



"Impossible. The transmitters were designed to keep him at full power and stable. They would not have allowed so much as a *one percent* drop let alone twenty two percent! Something is very wrong here..."



"You just said the transmitters were malfunctioning," Zora challenged. "Perhaps they *did* allow the drop."



"No," Jessna answered, moving to look at the readouts of a third machine. "According to these results, the transmitters haven't allowed a single drop." He looked up at her, annoyance in his yellow eyes. "Which suggests someone on this ship led me to believe I had risen his power to full."



Zora's eyes flashed. "May have been Ritan but we don't know that for certain. That means I have to go hunting again." She growled quietly. "I'm going to have to convince Lord Nexus to stop taking on so many telepaths. This is getting irritating. Can you correct this little mishap?"



Jessna nodded. "Yes. Will take a few hours, but I should be able to correct this issue."



"And what about the transmitters? What happened there?"



"Well," Jessna replied slowly, looking at his readouts again, "I'm starting to suspect Nekura overloaded them. If they truly were set to hold him at only seventy-eight percent and he attempted to go above that, then of course they would have malfunctioned. This will not happen again, provided you find the one responsible and feed him to something."



"I'll find them," Zora replied, turning and heading for the door. "They will not escape me. Not this time."



As the door slid closed with her departure, Jessna turned back to his work, whispering, "Sometimes I do wonder."



++++++++++++++++



Goku knew he wasn't alone within seconds of emerging from the water with the giant fish for that night's dinner. He dropped the fish on the bank, ignoring his nakedness as he scanned the trees. "Come out!" he called, almost certain he knew who it was. His suspicions were proved correct when his mystery friend emerged from the trees. Goku didn't approach, certain he or she would have stopped him anyway. "Is Goten alright?" he asked, "What happened to him?"



"He's fine. Although I'm afraid, in his work to correct the problem, the Doctor discovered my sabotage."



"Sabotage?"



"Aye. I have been manipulating the Doctor into believing he had brought out Goten's full potential when in reality, it was only a portion."



"He's only been operating at *portion* of his full potential?" Goku repeated in surprise. 'Wow,' he thought, pride filling his heart.



"Aye. And now that the Doctor has discovered this, he has risen the power level. I managed to keep him from reaching Goten's full power again, but the boy is still stronger than he was."



Goku closed his eyes. He was already so strong without the additional rise. How much worse could this get?



"There is hope, Kakarot. His strength, while great, is unnatural at this point in time. There is still a way for you to dominate both physically and mentally."



Goku opened his eyes, startled. "There is? How?"



"I have looked into your heart, your soul and your past. Goten shares more than just your looks and spirit. He has a dark side that rivals yours and is now much the way you would have been had you not hit your head as a child."



Goku shivered. That was not a pleasant thought.



"You fear your dark side," the stranger continued. "Yet it is your dark side that possess the power you need to save your son."



Goku frowned. "I don't understand." It was true that he feared his dark side. He was very much aware of what it was capable of as he had struggled with it many times in his life. How could something so awful be the key to saving his son?



"Your dark side holds power that you have not yet tapped into," his friend said. "It is not only physical but mental as well. If you can make peace with your dark side and learn to work with it, then you will be able to tap into this power, which may be what you need to get through this. I will try to buy you some time, but Nexus is getting impatient. I fear the next time Goten attacks, the battle will not end until someone is dead. However, if you surprise him with superior strength, Nexus may call him back to determine what the problem is. That will be your chance to follow."



Goku caught a small, coin sized object that was tossed to him. "When you are fighting him, slip that into his clothing. It will disrupt the collar for thirty seconds every two minutes, allowing his natural ki signature to emerge and enabling you to get to his location aboard a ship that has been blocked from your senses." The stranger paused. "I must go before I am missed."



"Wait!" Goku exclaimed, "Please, just tell me something first. What's your name? I know you're operating in secret here and I respect that but I'd just like to know what to call the person who's giving me a chance to rescue my son."



The stranger was silent a moment, then said, "You may call me Kitra. It means 'friend' in my language."



Goku smiled. "Fair enough Kitra. And please, call me Goku. That's been my name longer than Kakarot has."



"Remember all I have told you," Kitra replied. "And good luck....Goku."



As Kitra vanished, Goku examined the little device he had been given and thought over all he had been told. It chilled his bones and made his heart ache to know that Goten took after him in such a way. It wasn't right that his little boy had been forced to know such darkness so intimately. He could only hope and pray that when it was all over, Goten would be returned to them with no memory of what had happened. Deciding to seek out Piccolo for help in his new mission, Goku dressed, dropped the fish off at home, then went to find his old friend. After all, who knew more about dark sides than Piccolo?



++++++++++++++++

"Making peace with one's dark side in a short period of time isn't easy, Goku," Piccolo said, "especially if you've been at odds for a long time." Goku had just finished telling the Namekian warrior about his talk with Kitra and what he needed to do.

"But it can be done, right?" Goku questioned and Piccolo nodded. "Yes, it can be done. Assuming you can get your dark side to burry the hatchet somewhere other than your back."

Goku cast his old friend an anxious look. "Can you help? That is, can you help convince him to work with me?"

Piccolo shook his head. "Only you can do that. Best I can do is come along for the ride and try to prevent him from taking control from you." He sat down crossed legged and looked up at Goku. "If you still want to do it, then have a seat and let's get started."

Goku sat down across from him and Piccolo closed his eyes. "We're going to enter meditative states," he instructed. "I want you to take down all your mental barriers and open your mind to me."

Goku nodded and closed his eyes, slowly entering a meditative state. He took down his barriers as instructed, giving Piccolo full access to his mind. When he felt Piccolo connect to him, he opened his eyes internally, revealing the familiar surroundings of his mind.

They were in a circular room with several exits, all obviously leading to different areas of Goku's mind. Beside some of the exits stood replicas of Goku that Piccolo easily identified as different parts of Goku's personality. He spotted strength, courage, happiness, innocence and hope, all watching the pair quietly. Goku paid them no attention as he headed for the only exit that was barred by a heavy door that had an aura of foreboding surrounding it. As Piccolo followed, he noticed more manifestations of Goku's personalities appear, some with anxious expressions. He could hear whispers flowing back and forth among them as they discussed what was going on. There was a mixed air of excitement and nervousness and Piccolo was pretty certain a few of them wanted to intervene and stop any attempted access to what lay beyond the heavy door.



Goku ignored the nervous whispers of those gathered behind them, his attention focused on the door. He reached out to open it, hesitating for a second before touching the handle. There was a flash of light and the door disappeared, revealing a dark corridor beyond. There were a few cries of fear and despair from the audience and Piccolo watched as many of them vanished, fleeing to some safe harbor deeper within Goku's mind. Those who stayed watched silently. Goku glanced at Piccolo, took a deep breath, then led the way inside.



It was cold in the corridor and seemed to get colder the further in they went. They soon came to another door, which opened on its own at their approach. "Wait," Goku said, stopping Piccolo from entering. "You'd better stand back."



Piccolo gave Goku a questioning look but did as asked, backing up a few feet as Goku took a stance for a Kamehameha wave. Seconds later, a massive Ki beam erupted from the darkness beyond. Goku quickly met the beam with his Kamehameha wave, decimating the trap they had sprung.



"Nice little surprise you set," Piccolo said with a small grin. Goku allowed a small smile of his own, then led Piccolo through the doorway. There was just enough light to reveal a set of stairs and as they descended, the temperature plummeted and the air grew thick with the presence of dark energy.



Goku hated being here. It shamed him to know that such darkness existed within him and he had no idea how he was going to make peace and work with it. At least Piccolo was with him. The Namek knew a thing or two about dark sides and his presence was comforting. Just moments after descending the stairs, they turned into what Goku knew was the final corridor. At the end was another door that radiated malice and blood lust. Thinking of Goten, Goku pushed his trepidation aside and opened the door.



The room they found themselves in was surprisingly warm compared to how cold the corridors had been. But the air was almost suffocating. Even Piccolo was growing nervous about meeting what resided here.



"Well, well," a voice said softly, "Look who's come to visit." Another double of Goku stepped from the shadows into the dim light, a predatory smirk on his lips.



"Hello Kakarot," Goku said, eyeing him warily and keeping distance between them. "Do you know why we're here?"



"Perhaps," Kakarot replied softly as he circled them in such a way that it felt like he was stalking them. Probably is was Piccolo's thought as he watched. "You keep me locked away so tightly, it is difficult to know what is happening at any one time," the double continued. "You let me out to play so rarely, brother."



"Goten's in trouble," Goku said, ignoring the fear Kakarot tending to inspire. "Some overlord bastard kidnaped him and twisted his mind. He thinks he's the last Saiyan and that the rest of us are demon imposters."



"And what does that have to do with me?"



"A friend on the other side told me that I can gain access to power needed to help Goten if I can make peace with you and work with you."



Kakarot laughed coldly. "Now why would I want to make peace with you? Peace isn't any fun. And besides, I fail to see why this situation is a bad thing. I've always thought those two brats of ours had too much human in them. If brat number two is acting more Saiyan, as he should, then leave him to it."



Goku gave his darkness a hard look. "I may not know a whole lot about our Saiyan roots but I've learned enough to know that a Saiyan would never let some low class, unworthy being kidnap an offspring and use that offspring's power to achieve his goals. At least Frieza had the power to do what the Saiyans were doing on his own if he had wanted to. If this Nexus was more powerful than all of us, he would have already made an appearance instead of wasting all this time." Goku paused, eyes boring into Kakarot's. "Despite how despicable you are, I know you won't turn your back on our son, especially when some scumbag is exploiting him for his power. Besides, if we're at peace, working together and supporting each other, then maybe you won't have to be locked away like this all the time. Maybe you can come out and have some fun once in a while."



Goku knew he had the other's interest by the look that entered Kakarot's eyes. A soft laugh escaped his lips. "You must be desperate to be offering that." He paused, eyes boring into Goku's. "All right," he finally said, "I'll make you a deal. You defeat me in a fight, and I'll grant you your peace." An ugly grin passed his lips as he added, "However, if I defeat you, I'll take control of our body and do what I wish."



Goku looked at the other critically. He was fairly certain he could defeat his darkness but there was always that chance that lingered on the edge of every battle he fought. The chance that he would lose. If that happened....Could he take the risk? What choice did he have? Goten's life was at stake and therefore, he would not lose. Finally, he said, "How do I know you'll keep your word if win?"



Kakarot looked strangely insulted. "Oh please, just because I am darkness does not mean I have no honor."



"All right, then give me your word of honor that you'll do as I ask if I win," Goku said, watching Kakarot carefully.



Kakarot smirked and nodded. "Very well. You have my word of honor that we will make peace should you win."



Satisfied, Goku nodded. "All right then." He closed his eyes for a moment and the room shimmered and then faded away, replaced by a perfect replica of the wastelands. He opened his eyes and glanced at Piccolo, whose nod was barely noticeable. If Kakarot won, Piccolo knew what he had to do. Turning his attention back to his dark half, Goku nodded shortly and slipped into a ready position. "Whenever you're ready."



Kakarot smirked again and moved into his own position. They stared at one another for a few seconds, then simultaneously attacked. For hours, the battle between two halves of one person raged. It was difficult for either one to get the upper hand as they both knew the other's strengths and weaknesses and how to counter attacks far too well. As Piccolo watched, he began to doubt that it was possible for either one to win. Then again, Goku was constantly surprising him so maybe it wasn't as pointless as it seemed.



Three hours went by and then a fourth. Then, finally, something happened. Goku seemed to find and tap into the power he needed to defeat his darkness. By this time, both were glowing with their own light and dark energies and, as Goku found what he needed, a scream erupted from his deep inside and light brighter than the sun burst out from him, engulfing both himself and Kakarot, whose screams joined Goku's. Piccolo had been forced to look away, using his cape to help shield his eyes from the light and only when the screams stopped did he slowly lower his cape and open his eyes. He drew in a small breath at the scene before him.



Kakarot was on his hands and knees, panting heavily, his energy gone. Goku was standing over him, his breathing just as heavy, his energy barely there. He swayed and fell to his knees, unable to stand any longer and Kakarot raised his head to look at him. They stared at one another in silence for several long minutes before a tiny smile crossed Kakarot's lips followed by a small laugh. Seconds later, both were laughing quietly.



"Well," Kakarot said after a moment, "Looks like you win, brother. That was an impressive move worthy of respect." He offered Goku a hand. "As promised, there is now peace between us."



Goku smiled widely and took the offered hand. Instantly, a wind began blowing and light again formed around them. As Piccolo watched, the wind seemed to take control of the light as it began racing around them, darkness mixing into it. Both sides had their eyes closed and as the wind got stronger, they burst into Super simultaneously. There was a burst of light and then suddenly, Piccolo found himself back in his own body, staring up at a whole new version of Super Saiyan. Oh Dende....



+++++++++



"Vegeta! Gohan!" Vegeta and Gohan looked up from their spar as Goku called out to them, dropping down from the sky.



"It's about time you showed up!" Vegeta griped. "Where have you been?"



"Sorry, I had something really important to do," Goku replied, a strange little light in his eyes.



"You all right, dad?" Gohan asked, studying his father carefully. "Something's different."



Goku nodded. "You aren't kidding, son. You won't believe what I just did."



When he didn't continue, Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Well? Are you going to tell us or make us guess?" Goku shook his head as if to clear it and said, "Let me show you."



He raised his ki and entered Super Saiyan. He grinned at them and said, "I found a hidden power boost. Watch."



He closed his eyes and both Vegeta and Gohan felt a rise in his ki, as though he was preparing to enter level two. There was a quick flash of light and a sharp rise in power that normally signaled the emergence of the next level. But, surprisingly, Goku had remained in level one. Level one with a few very noticeable differences. There was a mixture of dark energy emanating from him, which manifested itself as a tinge of blackness coursing through the golden aura surrounding him. His bright hair was also streaked with black and his eyes were a much darker shade of green and held a strange mischievousness in their icy depths.



Vegeta and Gohan stared at him in amazement. "What the hell is this?" Vegeta finally demanded. "You must have surpassed level one's maximum power by at least forty percent!"

Goku smirked. "Fifty-five actually. This, gentlemen, is the dark form of Super Saiyan, which is the hidden power boost I was talking about.



"Dark form?" Vegeta repeated. "What the hell are you talking about Kakarot? There's only ever been one form of Super Saiyan. It's never been divided into light or dark, it's always been based on who the Saiyan was. If he was evil, then of course the power was evil."



Goku shook his head. "It's not the same thing. Evil and darkness aren't the same thing, at least not where Saiyan power is concerned. It's amazing Vegeta! You see, we've been using Super Saiyan in its natural, unbalanced form. Either light or darkness has been in full control which has been limiting our power. However, when light and darkness are in perfect balance with each other, working together, it releases power the darkness was holding back and with it, the dark Super Saiyan. It's incredible guys! Not only has my power lever risen, but so have my natural telepathic abilities!"



"Tell me something, dad," Gohan said, studying the older man with interest. "What else does this dark form do?"



Goku smirked again as he settled his gaze on his eldest son. "You want to know if it's messing with my head."



Gohan forced himself not to look away or show any sign of intimidation. Truth was, the darkness circulating around his father did make him nervous and he did wonder if the older man would be able to control it or if it would end up controlling *him* in the end. Looking Goku right in the eye, Gohan nodded. "Yes."



Goku laughed quietly, making Gohan even more nervous. "Well son, in all honesty, I could cheerfully take out a whole city right now just for fun." He tilted his head a little and the darkness vanished, returning him to the natural super form. "Of course," he added with a warm smile as he reached out and pulled Gohan to his side, "I have enough control to restrain myself."



"Do you think this extra power will be enough?" Vegeta questioned and Goku grew solemn again. "It has to. We know Goten can stand up to at least part of level three. This has to be stronger than him, especially after what I learned this morning."



"What did you learn?" Gohan asked, relaxing with his father's reassurance that he had control of the dark form.



"Our mystery friend showed up at the pond where I was fishing this morning. Goten's okay. Apparently, he suffered some kind of side effect. The doctor fixed it and ended up finding the sabotage our friend has been causing. Apparently Goten hasn't been operating at his full potential like everyone's been led to believe. He's only been going at a portion of it."



"A 'portion'," Gohan repeated. "Dende, that's incredible!"



"Yeah, I know. Kitra says he managed to regain influence on the doctor, but not before he raised Goten's power up a notch."



"And who is Kitra?" Vegeta asked.



"Oh! It's the name our friend gave me. Says it means friend in his language. Seems to know an awful lot about Saiyans too, or at least about me. He's the one who told me about the hidden power level."



"Now how in the hell could he have possibly known something like that?" Vegeta demanded. "*We* didn't even know there were levels beyond level two until a few years ago. How could a non Saiyan possibly know anything about it?"



Goku shrugged. "Beats me. Said he looked into my heart and soul. Maybe he saw it that way. But does it really matter? I've found what may be the key to getting Goten back and right now, that's the only thing I care about."



He abruptly turned the dark form back on and grinned predatorily, moving away from Gohan and circling Vegeta. "Come on, Prince. Wanna see how you stand up against darkness?"



Vegeta's eyes followed the younger Saiyan's movements for a few seconds before giving his own smirk and going Super. "All right, hot shot. Let's see what you got."

+++++++++++



"Have you fully recovered, my son?" Nexus gazed at the kneeling boy, just managing to keep the annoyance out of his voice. It had been four days since Nekura's collapse on the battlefield. Jessna, whom Nexus was very close to having deep fried, had assured him he had corrected the problem and it would not happen again.



"Yes, Father," Nekura answered. "I am fit to return to the planet and finish what I started."



"I hope so, Nekura. We cannot linger here much longer. Scouts have reported a race in the next system with some very...interesting technology."