Disclaimer: I don't own them.

Warnings: Violence, swearing, violence and more violence

Ratings R (just because)

The Defiants

Chapter 2

Be careful what you wish for, it might just come true

  -Old  Earth proverb

 

Gohan and Goku arrived at Kaio-shin's planet. Their appearance was noted but not remarked upon by the beings that were running around doing things that they considered to be important. There were a lot of people there; some of them dead, but a surprising amount were alive. There were several buildings of unknown design, but Gohan did not enter any of them. Instead he led Goku to a large, open area covered with a thick carpet of green grass. Goku scanned the area, looking for any familiar face, but every being he saw looked even stranger than the last. He grinned at a large group of wiry lizards padding awkwardly by on their hind legs, tails held stiffly behind them for balance. They were about three feet tall, gray and wearing aprons that read 'Hail to the Prince'. Each of them was carrying a large knife and a cooking pot.

"Who are they?" he asked, pointing.

Gohan glanced up from the stack of papers. "They are the Komodos. Vegeta saved their planet about two years ago from the Furies. They were so grateful, they insisted on sending a delegation to become his personal servants. From what I here, the position was fought over with a lot of enthusiasm."

"What did Vegeta say?" Goku wondered, curling his tail up behind him like a question mark.

Gohan chuckled softly.  "I've never seem Vegeta at such a loss. They followed him everywhere, getting in the way with all of their 'helping'. So in an effort to avert tragedy, Trunks suggested that they cook for us, as a way of helping. They fell all over themselves learning to cook; unfortunately their idea of food wasn't exactly on the same wavelength as the rest of us. But the funny thing was that no matter what they made, Vegeta would eat it. I'm glad to say, their cooking has improved quite a bit and they worship Vegeta more than ever."

Goku stared in interest at the bustling Komodos, his head cocked to the side.  They were setting up a large, open pit fire by the looks of it. 

Gohan raised an eyebrow. "Vegeta must be coming back."

"How do you know?"

Gesturing at the busy pack of lizards, he said, "They always start making enough food to feed an army, or just Vegeta. I'm not sure who could eat more. Somehow they always know when he's about to come back. Don't ask me how they know, they just do."

"Great! I'm starving!" Goku said with enthusiasm. "I haven't eaten in such a long time!" As if bearing witness to the truth of his statement, his stomach growled loudly.

Laughing, Gohan slapped his father on the back. "It will be a little while yet, they have a lot of food to make," he told a disappointed Goku.

"Hey, Gohan!" a familiar voice hailed them.

Turning, Goku grinned broadly, seeing Trunks striding towards them. "Hey, Trunks!"

Vegeta's son had grown and filled out since the last time Goku had seen him. He stood almost as tall as Gohan, but not as muscular, more wiry.  His ice blue eyes widened when he saw who was standing beside Gohan. Trunks' hand, which had been raised in greeting, fell limply to his side as he stared at Goku as if the Saiyan had grown a third head.

"G-Goku?" he croaked, trying to affirm what his eyes were telling him.

"Trunks! Good to see you again," Goku greeted his cheerfully, as if it had only been a few days since they'd seen each other last. Well, for Goku it seemed like it, as for Trunks…

"Oh, my god! Goku. Is it you?" Trunks asked, absently brushing some long, purple strands of hair from his face. The rest was tied back in a ponytail at the nape of his neck.

Gohan answered before Goku could. "Yes, he came back to help us," he said.

"Wow, that's awesome!" Trunks broke into a huge grin. He looked nothing like the pampered boy who had headed the Capsule Corporation several years ago. Gone was the cheesy scarf and khakis. And gone was the innocence that he had retained in this timeline. Now more than ever he looked like his father, the scowl creases between his eyes, and his lips were now more prone to sneering rather than smiling. In fact, he now looked just like Mirai Trunks. CC Jacket and all. Except for one major difference.

Waving behind him was a long furry tail. Instead of the reddish brown that Goku and Vegeta sported, however, Trunks' tail was a more silvery brown.

"Hey Trunks, you have a tail!" Goku exclaimed in wonder.

With a smirk that had patented by his father, Trunks said, "Your powers of observation are truly stunning, Goku."

Goku grinned, and then it faded slightly as he tried to remember who had said that to him before. It had been a long time ago. Shrugging, Goku scratched the back of his head. "Its just that I had never seen you with a tail before," he said.

"I've had it for a couple of years. Father suggested that it be regenerated to increase my power."

"Did it?" Goku asked.

Trunks nodded, this time a genuine smile flitted across his lips. "Oh yeah!" Then he remembered why he had sought Gohan out in the first place.  He turned to Gohan. "The Grand Kai is calling an open assembly of all the Galactic Governments and he wants us to come. The Kais, the old Kaio-shin and Kibbito-shin are going to be there too."

Rolling his eyes, it was Gohan's turn to sneer, looking not unlike Vegeta. Goku wonder absently if all the demi-Saiyans had picked up Vegeta's favorite facial expressions. "Oh, god. What now?"

Trunks shrugged. "Who knows, but he insists that we all show up. And that means Vegeta too."

Breathing out in annoyance, Gohan jammed a hand through his black hair. "He's gonna love that. Have you heard from Vegeta yet?"

Shaking his head, Trunks grinned evilly. "Not a word, but Kibbito-shin thinks he is finishing up. He should be ready to come back at any time. At least if he shows up, you know the meeting won't be boring."

Snickering, Gohan nodded. "Especially after fighting for a straight week.  Can you imagine the mood he's going to be in? Are you still taking bets on whether or not he'll end up killing the South Kai?"

His grin turning even eviler, Trunks nodded, "Want me to put you down for some?"

"Maybe later. Will Goten make it?"

"He said he'd try to meet us there. He wanted to finish checking out sector 23."

"Ok, well. Lets get going. C'mon Dad."

Goku looked longingly at the blazing fire, and the crates of food that was being set up nearby. "But I'm hungry," he protested.

"It will take a while for them to prepare it. In the meantime, lets go see what's going on." He grabbed Goku by the arm and dragged him away, with Trunks trailing along behind them, looking thoughtful. Goku was back; he wondered what his father's reaction would be. There was no way of knowing what the Saiyan prince would do when he found out. There was no person in the entire galaxy more unpredictable than Vegeta. Privately, he thought this might be the best thing in the world to happen to his father. He had sensed for a while now, a sort of restlessness in Vegeta, a feeling that bordered on…not boredom, but a need for a change.

Well, with Goku around, it was a sure bet that things would change.

Vegeta drifted down to the snow-covered surface to the planet, breathing heavily. He was bleeding from countless wounds, and exhaustion tugged at his quivering muscles. But he was alive. That was more than his enemies could claim, not that they could make that particular claim in the first case. Slowly, he began to release his Super Saiyan form, letting the energy bleed out slowly, much like his wounds.

Long coils of thick black smoke rose in the distance, pushed to the side by the icy winds that blew continually across the snow swept landscape. His enemies, the Furies were now reduced to mere scraps for the native inhabitants of this planet to use as they saw fit. If there were any left alive after the long battle that had taken place on and above the battered world, that was.

He tried to remember how long the fight had lasted, and was mildly surprised that he couldn't. More than three days, that he was sure about because he remembered fighting at night and at least two different bloodstained sunrises. He had learned to fight at night; the dark gray exteriors of the metal monsters were all but impossible to see. It had been a brutal lesson, one that he still bore the scars from, but he had figured it out. By now, he could fight by day or night without even having to differentiate between the two.

 As he continued to power down, his hair melting back into rich chocolate brown, he rubbed a hand over his stinging eyes. Ice and grit from days of fighting the nightmare machines of Polaner had accumulated until he could hardly see. His tail loosened from around his waist and drooped behind him. His muscles, trembling with exhaustion and injuries were barely able to support his weight, which was considerably less than what he had carried when he had lived on earth. In fact, his body was once again slender, like how he had been while working for Freiza in his youth. Vegeta had been forced to sacrifice muscle mass for speed. It was the best advantage he had over the Furies. And Vegeta was not one to waste any advantage. Then he sank to the ground, sitting Indian-style as his blood leaked from various wounds and pooled on the snow beneath him.

Ignoring it, the Saiyan prince listened to the quiet that was only broken by the whisper of the wind around him. He knew he should inform Trunks of his victory, but he wanted to just sit for a while. It was one of the very, very few times that he allowed himself to let down. To not think. To not feel. Just let himself go numb.

Despite his efforts, his thoughts refused to slow down.  There had been something nagging in the back of his mind for a while now, and it was beginning to bother him.  He frowned, feeling the drying blood on his cheek crack with the movement.  For seven years he had fought the Furies. A seemingly all-powerful enemy that challenged him to the limits of his skills. Here he was, a Saiyan prince, given endless life, thanks to the gene-techs of the Tsufuru-jin, with a ferociously strong enemy that he could fight for eternity. All the beings in the known universe acknowledged him as the strongest warrior, and respected him. Years ago, this was exactly what he would have wished for, given the chance, and the Dragonballs. It turned out that he didn't need the Dragonballs to attain his fondest dream. Fate had already slated it for him. He should have been the happiest Saiyan ever born.

Instead, he found himself increasingly bored and restless.  With a slight stirring of anger, Vegeta snarled softly to himself. He was unable to figure out what was wrong with him. He wasn't like this before, and he knew exactly where to place the blame.

Planet Earth.

Before he came to Earth, his life had been so simple. Definitely not easy, but straightforward.  He had a single purpose, (killing Freiza) then taking the lizard's place as strongest warrior in the universe. Not too much to ask for. Then came that moment when he learned of the Dragonballs, and Earth.  Things got complicated from there.  Namely, he started interacting with other beings, and it affected him, much to his chagrin.

He started experiencing emotions. Not that he had been without them before. But this was different. Before, all he knew was anger, contempt, sadistic amusement and pride. Then he met the earthlings, and Kakkarott. After that, new emotions forced their way to the surface. Feelings like he had never known that could exist in a Saiyan, let alone their prince. These new feelings, these gentler emotions that at the same time were more powerful then he could have ever believed. For people whom he should have felt nothing but contempt. Bulma, Bra (a twinge of grief, quickly suppressed) Trunks, even Kakkarott and his brats, he had feelings for all of them.            

Shaking his head in a vain attempt to clear those disturbing thoughts, Vegeta sighed, the icy winds cooling in his lungs.  Deciding he was getting nowhere, and his injuries were making themselves more pronounced with every minute, he focused inward, back down into the depths of his mind where a few very precious threads still resided. Instinctively he touched one of the bright threads, glowing with the slightest hint of purple.

'Trunks'

Not even three heartbeats passed before there was an answer. "Hey Dad! How's it going?"

'Hn, I'm done here. Tell Kibbito-shin to pick me up.'

"Very well. Are you ok?"

'I'll live'.  Vegeta could not convince his son that inquires into his health were pointless. The boy still worried about him. That was another aspect of feelings that still Vegeta had a hard time fathoming. That gentler feelings directed toward himself were possible as well.

"OK, Dad. I'll tell him. Oh, yeah. The Grand Kai is calling a meeting. He wants you to report as soon as you get back."

'Dammit, tell him to stick it in his holy ass! I'm tired and hungry. Didn't they learn anything the last time?'  Vegeta thought, annoyed.

Something suspiciously like a snicker could be felt coming from his son. "Guess not. Word has it the galleries are packed already."

Vegeta rolled his eyes. His reports to the Kais always drew a crowd. Trunks had informed him that after last time, they were taking bets on whether Vegeta would blast one of the Kais to the next life, and how many would go with. Of course, Kakkarott had already taken out one of the four. But that still left three more…and the Grand Kai as well. 'What makes him think that I will even go to his stupid meeting?'

"He really wants you to show up. I guess that something really big has come up, and he needs you".

'Did you put a wager on me?'

"Of course!"

'Hn, it'd better be a big one, because I'm in no mood for their bickering.'

Again, that feeling of Trunks' laughing. He liked to hear, or feel it. He and Trunks had grown closer over the years, as had Goten and Gohan. It was as if it were the Saiyans against the rest of the universe. Vegeta would bet on the four of them every time.

"Kibbito-shin will be there soon, Dad."

'Whatever'

"See you soon, Dad. Oh yeah, I almost forgot. There is a surprise here for you."

Growl.  'I hate surprises, boy.'

"I know. Talk to you in a little bit".

Vegeta grunted in annoyance as Trunks closed the link abruptly. "Brat," he muttered with some affection.

For long minutes he sat, staring at the frozen waste of the unnamed planet, when a loud Poof! of displaced air announced the arrival of Kibbito-shin. His white hair blew in the icy wind. The young god shivered and stared at the seemingly unaffected prince. His eyes widened at the pool of blood soaking into the snow around Vegeta.

"Vegeta, are you hurt?" he asked.

 Vegeta got stiffly to his feet; the fur on his tail was coated in snow and ice, making it stick together in a very annoying way. "I'm fine," he grunted.

Kibbito-shin didn't pursue it. Instead he asked, "Did Trunks tell you that the Kais are meeting?"

Sneering, Vegeta nodded. "Yes, lets go there directly. I want to get this over with."

Taking a look at the torn, bloodstained, snow covered prince, Kibbito-shin didn't argue. Sighing quietly, he reminded himself that Vegeta wasn't being disrespectful on purpose. He just didn't believe in being in awe of anyone. "Okay," he said and placing a hand on the prince's shoulder, teleported them out.

Goku stared in awe at the huge stadium the housed the meeting place of the Kais. A raised dais in the center of the stadium held large, ornate desks and swivel chairs, each for a different Kai. There were microphones on each desk. The gods themselves hadn't appeared yet, but there were many other beings there milling around. Goku had never seen such a diverse gathering of aliens in one place before except for the Tournament of the Dead. But though there were many dead, there were equally as many alive.

"What is this place?" he asked Gohan who was scanning the area for Goten.

"I guess you could call its our general Headquarters, no one has ever got around to actually naming it," Gohan replied.

"Who are all these people?" Goku asked, still rubbernecking like crazy, trying to take in all the strange, new sights.

"The galactic governments, the lesser gods, plus the usual assortment of dead people who have nothing better to do. The Kais are too busy to hold any more Tournaments, so the dead who aren't in Heaven, or Hell hang out here and gossip. Vegeta says they are nosy and should get to where they are going. And then you have the usual assortment of hangers ons and toadies." Gohan said.

"I see," Goku said. Trunks waved them over to where he had grabbed an area of stone risers, enough for the four of them, and nearly coming to blows with some sort of octopus-type being who also claimed it. Trunks won in the end and they all sat down and waited. Goku stirred restlessly, still looking around. "When is going to start? I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry, Dad," Gohan told him. "Just be patient. Hey Goten!" he waved to his younger brother and pointed to an empty space next to him.

 The younger Son waved back and pushed his way through the aliens milling around, earning black looks that he was blissfully oblivious to. "Gohan! Here to see the fireworks…urk!" he trailed off when he saw who was sitting beside his brother.  "Dad?" he asked, his black eyes wide.

"Hey, Goten! How are you?" Goku asked, smiling. His gaze swept over his younger son. Goten had grown until he stood as tall as Gohan, but had more muscle mass, making him appear bigger. His black hair was longer, tending to spike up like Goku's hair. But he no longer had Goku's wide-eyed look of wonder. He had seen too much devastation and horror. His dark eyes had the same scowl lines the others had. On his cheek, there was a large, red scar. And wrapped around his waist was a furry, reddish brown tail

"Wow! Goten, you have a tail too!" Goku exclaimed enthusiastically. "This is great!"

Goten gaped like a fish out of water for a second, glancing at Gohan, who shrugged helplessly. Looking back at his father, he decided to accept the situation without questions. Goten said, "Thanks, Dad. It's good to see you too," he said with a faint touch of sarcasm. "When did you get here?"

"Piccolo and I found him wandering around Enma's place," Gohan said before Goku could answer.

"What happened to your face, Goten?" Goku asked.

Goten shrugged with seeming uncaring. "I got it when we fought the Furies on Earth." At first, Goten hated that scar, resenting the memories that accompanied it every time he looked into the mirror. Then one day, a year or so after Earth's destruction, Goten bumped into Vegeta, whom he hadn't seen in a while. Both of them had been busy, Goten with his scouting, and Vegeta with his fighting. The small prince glanced up at Goten and scowled suddenly. Thinking that Vegeta was mad at him, Goten blushed and looked down. 

"I see you let your hair grow," Vegeta remarked.

"Yeah," Goten answered, still looking at his toes.

Vegeta snorted. "With that scar and your hair like that, you look exactly like your grandfather Bardock."

Eyes wide, Goten looked up into Vegeta's dark eyes. "You mean that?"

Smirking, Vegeta nodded. "Of course. He was one of the strongest Saiyan warriors alive before Vegetasei blew up. Even is he was a third class." Turning his back and walking away, the prince paused and turned his head to the side. "It suits you."

From that day one, Goten was proud of the scar on his face.

Seeing his father sitting there beside Gohan, Goten wasn't sure what to think. He loved his father, he supposed. But the man just hadn't been interested in his family, except to spar. Dull resent flared through him, and he quickly suppressed it. He sat down on the other side of Gohan, beside Trunks. "Is Vegeta coming?" he asked hopefully. He had placed a bet with Trunks too.

Trunks shrugged. "I think so, I hope so."

They were joined by yet another familiar face. This time it was the wizened, wrinkled face of the old Kaio-shin, fifteen generations back. "Well, well, well," he said, trying to hide his astonishment at seeing the wayward Saiyan once again.

"It's a deep subject," Trunks quipped. Goten and Gohan sniggered while Goku looked blank.

Ignoring Trunks, the old Kaio-shin said to Goku, "Good to see you again, Goku. Too bad you had to come back during such terrible times."

Shrugging, Goku smiled. "That's why I came back, to help."

Then Trunks stood up and placing a hand on the old Kaio-shin's arm, drew him away from the rest of the Z fighters. After speaking quietly, with a shit-eating grin on his face and a handful of cash, Trunks got a nod from the elder god. Then they came back to the others. Trunks ignored Goten's questioning look, as he was looking most self-satisfied.

"Say, Goku," the elder god said casually, "those clothes really aren't you. Would you like me to whip up an outfit like the others?" he offered.

Clueless, Goku grinned in excitement. "Sure! That would be great!"

Holding his hands up, Kaio-shi fifteen generations back began to mutter to himself. The abruptly Goku's outfit, the blue tunic and the tan breeches disappeared and were replaced by an outfit identical to Gohan's and Goten's. Except for one small difference.

Nodding in satisfaction, the old god left to take his seat. Goten leaned over and whispered to Trunks. "What was that all about?"

Trunks just looked smug. Goten wanted to hit him, and repressed the urge. Trunks was notorious for all types of practical jokes. Goten was just happy he wasn't the butt of this one.  Goku, in the meantime was admiring his new outfit. "Wow, this is great," he said again, standing up and turning around to show it off to the others.

Goten's eyes widened and Trunks' elbow dug into his ribs. Seeing the warning look, Goten smothered a laugh. Changing the laugh to a cough, he leaned forward, his face turning red from the strain.

"Are you all right, Goten?" Goku asked, oblivious.

Gohan, who had been studying his papers, had missed the whole thing. He looked at his strangling brother in concern. "Are you ok?"

Nodding, Goten thumped his chest. Gasping, he croaked, "I'm fine, just swallowed wrong."

Trunks winked and Goten marveled at the other demi-Saiyan's ability to keep a straight face. At that time, the light flared brighter for a second, then dimmed again.

The Meeting was about to begin.

TBC