To See the Old Neighborhood.....

Part 24

Lomen grinned, showing two perfect rows of white teeth. That one grin. That last action, was the last movement that decided for Goten that he absolutely hated Lomen. Not that he had any positive emotions towards him before, but now, it was official. He. Hated. Lomen. Why did he have to smile like that? Why did he have to seem to incredibly happy? That solitary smile brought Lomen the hatred and wrath of one quite powerful little boy.

Gohan, though never having met the man until now, was having similar emotions. But mixed in with these feelings was others that Goten hadn't. Could this man REALLY know how to do kyushu suru? Gohan had had enough trouble fighting Vegita while using the tecnique, but how would he fair agenst someone else who could do it? He had never sparred with Goku to try it out, so this was yet another test run in an accual situation.

"I'll say it only once more," Gohan attempted for what he knew was the last time, "Let us leave. I came here to get Trunks, Vegita and Pan. I don't want to fight right now."

"Oh?" Lomen said distractedly, looking off into the sky as though he hadn't heard a word of it, "Well. That said, I'd like to say that I WANT to fight."

Without another word, Lomen flew in at Gohan, fists raised for the kill. Gohan sighed as he realized that a fight was inevitable and he side-stepped. As Lomen over shot and whizzed past him, Gohan spun and rammed a foot into his back, sending the blue skinned man spinning into the ground.

"Woo hoo! Way da' go-" Trunks began to cheer, but paused as his eyes drooped a bit and he staggered.

Goten, staying carefully intune to Trunks's actions since his sudden burst of tears, was quick to ask, "What's wrong?"

"That idiot.......," Trunks muttered, looking into the hole Lomen's body had made, "He's trying to take more of my energy.........heh, guess it's a good thing I don't have anything left to give."

Gohan, Goten and even Vegita looked at Trunks in concern.

"Seriously NOTHING left?" Gohan asked after a moment of silent worry.

"Nothing at all......," Trunks mumbled. It really did suck to be helpless, so much more helpless than he had ever been before as far back in his life as he could remember.

"Unfortunate for ME," a voice echoed from deep underground, and they all looked up to see Lomen stagering out of the diagnal hole he had made on impact from Gohan's kick, "Guess I'll have to find a nice new power source, hm?" He eyed Gohan approvingly.

Gohan lowered his stance to be better able to avoid attacks. Lomen dove in a second time, hands out-stretched as to lay hold og Gohan's arm. Again, the half-breed side-stepped, but Lomen had already altered his coarse! He turned his aim away from Gohan, and suddenly went after Goten instead! The little boy, caught off guard, made for an easy target.

"Waa!" Goten exclaimed as Lomen grabbed hold of his face, pinning him to the ground. So caught off guard was the boy that he didn't have time to even close his mouth before being pinned, so Lomen had his hand planted firmly not only on Goten's face, but in his mouth.

All too tempting for a boy who already felt severe hatred toward the man.

Goten sunk his teeth down, digging deep into the skin of Lomen's hand. The blue-haired man yelping in surprise and wildly flailed away, but Goten hung on, keeping his teeth planted firmly in the cold skin. Lomen flapped and waved his arm around, flapping and waving Goten's taunt little body with it. Finally, with a hard jerk, the man discharged the boy from his unfortunate limb, sending him flying a few feet before landing on his feet, smiling triumphantly as a small drop of blood that wasn't his dripped down his chin.

"WAHAHAHAHA!!!" Trunks howled as he and Vegita nearly collapsed onto the ground in hysteria. Gohan, though feeling guilty for not forseeing Lomen's attack on his brother, could not contain a full blown gawfa.

Pan, still laying on the ground forgotten, woke with the loud sound of laugher.

"Nn?" she murmered, drawing Gohan's attention from his source of amusment to look upon his beloved little daughter. The smile on his face immidiatly vanished.

"Trunks?" the eldest half-breed said discretely to the lighter haired youth.

Trunks wiped a tear from his eye in response, "Hm? Yeah?"

"I want you and Vegita to take Pan back to the palace."

"What? No way!" the boy got a stubborn angle in his chin.

"Look, as long as Pan is here, she's in danger! You don't have any power anyway, right?" Gohan eyed Lomen as he glared evily at Goten, who was chuckling over-dramatically as he rolled about on the ground.

"But...........Gohan..........," Trunks tried raising his voice a notch to promote pity. No dice.

"Just go, I can't fight this guy if you or Pan or even Vegita are here! He could attack one of you and set me off balance! I can't afford weakness in this situation!" Despite the stern tone used, Gohan's eyes were pleading.

"I.........," Trunks paused in midsentance to look into his superior's eyes, "Okay, fine. C'mon Vegita."

As Trunks scooped up Pan, the little Prince looked up. He hadn't heard a word of the conversation, "What? Where are we going?"

"We.........Gohan wants us to protect his daughter and take her back to the palace," Trunks said, knowing that the proud young monarch would never exept an order from anyone but his father.

Little Vegita gave both Gohan and Trunks a suspitios look, but nodded his head. It didn't have to be said, but even he understood that their presence would be a weakness.

And so, Vegita and Trunks ran off, running for Trunks had no chi left to fly with.

Only then did Lomen notice the murmuring that had been going on behind his back as he turned to see the fleeing backs of the two child Saiyans vanishing amoung the rocks and other obstructions that were scattered about the newly founded battle field.

****

"I knew you would come. All three of you," Freiza said, floating in his hoverpod above the three Saiyans that now were so close to the space ship that they could count the windows on it, "History is repeating itself! A warped sort of history, but still history in the same."

Bardock raised his voice, "No, not history! This planet will not be destoryed!"

"It's already been destroyed," Freiza said, tilting his head back a fraction, causing the sun behind him to glint on his horns and the glossy purple beneath, obscuring his face and making his expression difficult to see, "You all know that."

Both Vegita and Goku glanced at Bardock to see his reaction. His face was bland, emotional. Not the response they were expecting...........

"Yes, but not this time," Bardock said, smiling in an amazing cross between smug and melancholy as he thought about the walking dead on the planet beneath him and the living embodiment of his son. Kakarotto floated beside him, looking questioningly into his face, "This time, the Saiyans win."

To be continued.......................