-1Here's my second Db fanfic, also posted on the DB boards. Reviews and constructive criticism appreciated!

Chapter 1: The Button Has Been Pressed

Word paced in his citadel, waiting for his son to speak. Moordryd stubbornly stayed silent and turned his face so he wouldn't have to look at his father. The artificial lights cast a glow of menace as his father continued pacing. The look he gave his son was a soft look of annoyance, mixed with the expression of knowing he would win, whether Moordryd liked it or not. Just to prove him wrong, Moordryd gave a simple, "No." Word shrugged as if he had expected this.

"Fine, Moordryd. Continue acting stubborn, if you must." He stopped pacing in front of his son. "The sooner you agree, the more time you will have to discover the Dragon Booster's identity." He scanned Moordryd's face for a sign of giving in. Moordryd scowled and turned his head as far as the trapping gear would allow. Word smirked and walked back to his chair from where he had his son trapped against the wall.

Moordryd was bound to the cold wall by more green trapping gear than was necessary. Nearly three times the amount. No amount of squirming or pushing would release him. The only way free was if someone else came and helped, and there was little hope of that, as he was in Word Paynn's citadel.

"I don't see why you balk at this, Moordryd. Don't you want to discover who you have been fighting?" Word calmly folded his hands and looked at his son from across the room.

"Why can't you make Cain do it?" Moordryd asked desperately now, looking for a way out. He had been tied up for nearly an hour now.

"Because Cain is an imbecile." Word said as if it were clearly obvious. "And because I know you wish to know the Dragon Booster's identity as much as I."

"But is there no other way?"

"None as sure as this. They will answer all your questions if this works."

"If?" Moordryd couldn't help asking. "What happens if it doesn't?"

Word shrugged nonchalantly. "You shouldn't be harmed too seriously."

"Shouldn't?"

Word left the room for a brief moment. When he returned, he put a strange helmet on Moordryd's head. In a sense it was similar to the tan headpiece he himself wore. But this was light grey impaled with flecks of black. It was a sort of mind control device. Moordryd flinched slightly as the cold, alien gear came into contact with his head. "This is how you're going to do it?" Word adjusted it, and gave a slight nod. "How does it work?"

Satisfied, Word ignored Moordryd's question for a moment as he went to his control panel. "This gear," he said without turning around, "will transfer your mind with Artha Penn's."

"I know but how? Wouldn't Penn need to wear one too?"

"No. That is the beauty of this piece. It only needs to be placed on one. I simply add Penn's DNA sample into the computer, and it will instantly transfer your minds. Then you shall be free to act like him, and learn the Dragon Booster's identity from his friends." Word started to activate the gear from one of his huge monitors.

Moordryd sent a questioning look to his father. "How did you get Penn's DNA?" His father turned his head with a smile.

"I did more than simply return Artha's helmet at the race." Moordryd recalled the day's race. He had won, but after they both crossed the finish, Decepshun had suddenly whipped her tail around, sending the racing Beau into the siding. Penn's helmet had fallen off his head as he was thrown off Beau. Coming from no where, Word had picked it up and gave it back to Artha Penn, sending suspicious and questioning looks into everyone's eyes.

"But what did you…"

"I took a small sample of sweat, which is enough to retrieve his DNA." Word smiled as he went on, "I suppose we should both be glad that he sweats so much." Word apparently found this amusing and gave a slight chuckle. Moordryd found this fairly repulsive.

The gear upon Moordryd's head came to life as the computer Word was working at sped up with new information. "Now, soon you will be transferred. Act like Penn as much as possible, and learn who the Dragon Booster is without being too obvious in your questions."

"But I don't want to be the stable brat. I can't act like…like a dork!"

"Believe me, Moordryd, it will be much easier for you than you think." Word replied as he laid a claw on what seemed to be the final button to send him into oblivion. "And, as soon as you find out, you will come back here so I can switch you both to normal. Then with Penn tied up as you are now, we will destroy the Dragon Booster before he knows what has just taken place." Word said to ease some of his son's fears. Moordryd braced himself for what he knew was about to happen. Something completely out of his control. Word smiled as vivid scenes of the Dragon Booster's demise danced across his vision. He pressed the button and Moordryd's sight turned to darkness.