'What's this? Given up? Why, you don't even talk anymore.' Silence. 'No, not even when spoken to. How rude.'

Sudden pain lanced through her victim, and he groaned against clenched teeth, struggling not to make a sound. He didn't want her to hear him, to hear how much he was hurt; but she knew. She had to.

'Speak to me, fool! As long as I'm wasting my precious time with you, the least you can do is provide a little polite conversation.'

"No one…asked you to bring me here," he gasped.

'On the contrary, it was a rather specific request. You should be flattered that he thought enough of you to fear you.'

"Fear me?"

'Perhaps I misspoke. Let us say he wished you out of his way. If you weren't a source of fear to him, you at least posed an inconvenience, one he refused to deal with.' A soft chuckle. 'So he called me.'

"What are you?" Her voice suddenly turned defensive.

'Nothing with which you need to concern yourself.'

"What is your name?"

'Why?'

"I thought you wanted conversation."

'Insolence,' she hissed. In an instant the agony enveloped him; suspended in darkness, Tenshinhan screamed.

* * * * *

Deoge's Agent prowled among the trees, savoring the quiet and the solitude. He was still seething that Deoge had dared pair him up with anyone, especially that feisty bitch of a Saiyan. Somehow he'd known he hadn't seen the last of them…though where a female had come from, he couldn't begin to guess.

He sensed a smallish ki source off to his left, probably a large animal. After a moment's contemplation, the Agent changed his course for it; perhaps a little hunting would take his mind off his problems for a while. He approached silently, tracking the signal, though it didn't seem to be moving.

'Probably asleep. Not even worth the effort, but if I don't kill something soon I'll go insane.' He traced the signal to a nearby tree. Nothing stood near it, but peering up to the branches he saw a small brown tail dangling through the leaves. 'What the hell? A monkey?' He realized his error just in time to dodge the ki attack that swept past him. A moment later something slammed into his shoulder and plowed him through several trees before leaving him lodged three feet into the ground. He looked up to see Takira standing over him, bathed in silver light, swords drawn, teeth clenched in a primal snarl.

The Agent sighed. Well, that explained her absence the past several days. He should have known. Easily regaining his composure, he regarded her coolly.

"Would you mind taking your foot off my neck? It's a bit uncomfortable."

"Kami forbid you should even be uncomfortable," she sneered, drawing back. The Agent picked himself up and dusted off his clothes, noting that she had yet to power down and relax. 'So, she's scared of me…'

"You realize I could kill you for that," he said calmly, combing his hair back into place with his fingers.

"I could say the same," she countered, beginning to circle warily. He laughed.

"Two things: one, stop circling, it won't do you any good, and two, there's no way you could kill me, so stop putting on airs. It'll just make it more painful when I smash you to a bloody pulp."

"You're a fine one to talk about putting on airs, boy," she spat. "Unless you want to end up like Mordrig, you'll shut your mouth."

"Ooh, I'm scared." Takira growled in disgust.

"Exactly how the hell did you get this job?"

"I was about to ask something remarkably similar."

"If you're done making smart-ass comments, is there a particular reason you're out here?"

"I thought I was getting away from it all, but apparently you're convinced that I came purely to hunt down your pathetic spawn and kill it." He snorted softly. "I have better things to do with my time and energy."

"Not if you're working for Deoge. If you had anything better you could be doing, you'd have found a better job."

"If it's such shitty work, why are you here?" They were interrupted by a breathless wail from the trees.

"Because of that." Takira rushed to the source of the sound; the Agent followed at a more leisurely pace, arriving as she helped the baby down and cradled it, murmuring to it quietly. "This was the only place I was sure would take me on," she explained, still looking at the baby.

"Deoge took pity on you?"

"No; he was willing to take me at my word and my reputation. That's why I got the job. It was not my intention to be working with anyone. I don't know why the hell he decided to pair us up." She glared at him and he raised his hands in mock-defense.

"Don't look at me; I didn't want it either. At least we can agree on that…" He crossed his arms and sighed, giving the infant a look of vague disinterest. "So what is it?"

"A baby. Never seen one before?"

"Spare me. I mean is it a girl or a boy?"

"A boy, why?"

"Just wondering." He couldn't help but snicker at her distrustful stare. "For kami's sake, bitch, I'm not going to do anything to your precious runt! Just see that he stays out of the way, all right?"

"Of course; what kind of fool do you take me for?"

"Wouldn't take you for nothin'," he drawled with a vicious smirk. Takira chose to ignore the comment.

"I suppose I'm expected to return to the palace now?"

"Probably. I know I am, and Deoge is supposed to give us our first assignment soon."

"Oh, joy," she muttered, shifting her grip on the child and rising skyward. "Coming?"

"In a bit. You go ahead, they'll probably want to interrogate you first anyhow." Takira gave him a strange look, then shrugged and took off in a bolt of light. Seating himself carefully on the ground, the Agent pressed his hands to his head.

He could hear someone screaming.

* * * * *

"I'm not sure I follow your thinking here, Dolmit," Malak muttered.

"I'm saying that when that ghost kissed her, he talked about giving something back. Maybe that's what the kid is."

"So?"

"So it's a spirit child! Doesn't that mean anything to you?" Malak scratched the back of his neck, halfheartedly wishing Dolmit would go away and leave him to his duties.

"To be honest, no, it doesn't. What's it supposed to mean?" Dolmit threw up his hands and began pacing, plainly frustrated with Malak's apparent density.

"To begin with, it's phenomenally rare. No one knows how they're conceived; but if it's true, Malak, then we actually saw it…" Malak grunted.

"I prefer more traditional methods of conception, myself," he commented. "Go on."

"They have powers beyond living creatures; they touch worlds we've never dreamed of!"

"What sort of powers do they have?"

"Strange powers, sometimes horrendous; but the thing is, it's different for each child, so there's no telling what this one can do!"

"If it is what you think it is."

"Right. If it is…think of it! These beings have been known to demolish entire star systems with a wave of their hands."

"Then why are you so excited? Sounds to me like we'd be doomed."

"Not if the child is on our side," Dolmit murmured, grinning.

"What are you suggesting?"

"Only that we tread carefully around Takira and the kid for a while…until we know for sure."

"And if it turns out you're right?" Dolmit glanced furtively over his shoulder.

"Then, and only then…we tell King Deoge. For now, it's best not to say anything. Just keep an eye on that child, and whatever you do, don't piss off Takira."

* * * * *

Dust swirled in the whistling wind, choking him and stinging his eyes. Blinking slowly, he kept up his shuffling gait, though it was uncertain where he thought he was going. A bird soared overhead, casting a shadow over him briefly; he paused to watch it go.

Gohan couldn't remember how long he'd been out in the vast desert; he'd passed the point of caring long ago. The sky above and sand below were pristine and unbroken, and all was silent but for the wind. He could understand why Piccolo chose it as a favored spot for meditation.

Gohan, however, couldn't meditate. Inner peace was nowhere to be found, and worse, so was Piccolo. Gohan feared his mentor had gone the way of Tenshinhan and Chaozu…whatever had happened to them. He sighed, then wondered why he had. After all, he wasn't lonely…

…the voices had come just over a week ago.

At first, there had been several, but now only one remained: a man's voice, soft and soothing. It relaxed Gohan, and yet…he couldn't put a finger on it, but something about it made him deeply uneasy. It seemed so…familiar…

'Gohan, what are you thinking of?' Gohan smiled in spite of himself. His companion was back.

'Oh, nothing. I just wish I knew who you were.' A pause, then a thin telepathic sigh.

'So do I, Gohan.'

'Where's Piccolo?'

'I don't know. He can't help you, Gohan.'

'Why do you keep saying my name?'

'So you will remember who you are.'

'Who am I?'

'You are Gohan, son of Goku, brother to Goten…' All other words were lost as the rage seized Gohan again, suffocating…all-encompassing…

He spread his arms to the heavens and shrieked as the ground beneath him shattered.