So I decided to do a story of Future Gohan, from an Alternate Future timeline. This was, in fact, inspired by the Dragonball Multiverse story.
Now, for those of you who ask "Why was Gohan so weak, since he's in his early twenties?"
That's a good question, and he made a list to give you, containing POSSIBLE answers.
First of all, nobody saw the Androids' arrival, three years after everybody's return from Namek; which meant Gohan most likely slacked off training, causing his skill to regress and rust.
Second of all, Goku died prior to the androids' appearance, most likely prompting Gohan into a state of sorrow, lowering his will to train even more.
Third of all, Piccolo and Vegeta were killed early on, taking away any means of proper training from him. That's arguably the biggest factor. Also, lets remember, Goku and Piccolo were raised as martial artists and even revolved their lives around it. Vegeta was born a Saiyan, thus by default he's a warrior. Gohan, however, was constantly hounded by Chi-Chi to become a student, rather then a fighter. This is why he likely slacked off, during the brief peacetime after Frieza's saga.
Fourth reason, Gohan never realized the existence of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber, since Kami died with Piccolo's passing, and for all intents and purposes, Mr. Popo was most likely killed, also.
Finally, Gohan most likely spent his early years running away from the androids. With that in mind, it was probably a while, before he was able to catch his breath long enough to begin training. I say this, because in the future timeline 17 and 18 were much more sociopathic, and likely to simply toy and torture Gohan. This could have prevented him from training properly.
For the people who wish to know the relative power levels of various DBZ character, you may copy-and-paste the following link. ( wiki/Forum:The_real_MOST_ACCURATE_list_of_power_levels)
Remember this is a FORUM, NOT the WIKI PAGE. Avoid the actual wiki page, it's pure confusing crap.
Since Future Gohan was roughly as strong as Future Trunks upon his arrival, according to Bulma in the manga special, that would give him the same advantage over Frieza, and also King Cold.
I don'treally care about power levels in all honesty, however, as I came to realize that Akira Toriyama made it clear, that power level went out the door, towards the end of the Frieza Saga. With that in mind. I'm simply stating that in this "universe", all the villains are just slightly stronger then the main timeline, to give you an idea.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story! I'll be updating maybe once a month, only because I wish to maintain a consistent storyline!
...
"I can't...keep this up...for much longer..." gasped Gohan, as he dropped to his knees. Beginning to cough violently, he spat out a bit of blood, before wiping away a few specks from his mouth.
His right arm was somewhat numb, the result of a devastating kick from the weakened android he as fighting at the moment.
"You know, kid...this was my favorite shirt...and you ruined it...now, why would you do something rude? Didn't your father teach you any manners?" asked a young dark-hailed teen, as he slowly walked towards his direction.
"Shut...shut up...you monster..." replied Gohan, anger bubbling up, as he slowly began to remember the countless faces that had died at the hands of this machine.
Not just the innocent lives, but even people he knew as a child.
Piccolo, his mentor and friend...Tien, Yamcha, Krillen, everybody...even Vegeta, had died helping him.
Vegeta...he had been the biggest shock, honestly. His final moments, while not the fondest in memory, had been moving when you truly understood the late-Saiyan Prince.
"Damn, kid...you're really rude, you know...I'll do you a favor and teach you some etiquette, brat" scowled the android, as Gohan looked up, his eyes flaring in rage.
Lunging forward in unison, Gohan and Seventeen quickly raised their fists, as they both connected at each other's faces. Gohan, however, quickly reacted by latching onto his enemy's wrist.
Pulling him forward, the young Saiyan lifted his leg, delivering a. powerful kick to Seventeen's face once more.
"Sh-shit!" gasped Seventeen, as he grabbed his nose.
"Masenko!" yelled Gohan, lifting his hand, as he formed he familiar ball of energy, before blasting it at Seventeen. The android cursed himself, as the blast hit him directly.
He flew back a good distance, rolling across the ground, as he hit a stone wall.
"Da-damn...so you...did spend time training...monkey-boy..." groaned Seventeen, as he picked himself up.
"I have, I've been focusing for so long on just surviving, that I realized running away would solve nothing...so I decided to do the next thing, and that was kill you...and with your sister gone, for now...I'll take the chance!"
"You would never have been winning, had it not been for Vegeta's little sacrifice all those years ago...that damn monkey weakened me..."
Slowly raising himself into the air, Gohan lifted his only hand back up, as he concentrated one technique that his enemy would not expect.
"Tell me, Seventeen...what it feels like to know fear..." asked the young Saiyan, as he felt a sudden surge of power course throughout his body. In a flash of blinding light, the android raised his arm in an effort to block the searing sight.
"Wh-what!?"
Lunging forward, Gohan grabbed the android's throat, slamming him into a building wall. Immediately, he jumped back, launching a powerful kick into the machine's abdomen. The android lurched forward, spit shooting from his mouth, as the strike connected to his body.
For once, he was regretting his argument with his sister.
"You don't deserve to live! You enjoy killing and you're a heartless villain! I won't tolerate the pain you've caused, ANYMOREEEE!" yelled Gohan, as he raised his lone arm once more.
"Kaaaaameeeeeee"
The android cursed, as he realized what was going on. While it was true that he never ran out of energy, due to his machine-like enhancements, his actual body could only bear so much, after the malfunctions caused by Vegeta long ago. Unfortunately, he was nearing that limit.
A single full-charged Kamehame Wave would end that, without a doubt. He had underestimated the boy, and it was biting him now.
"No, you idiot! You can't kill me, I'll kill you first!" He shouted back, as he charged energy into his arms, forming two pink energy spheres.
"Haaaaaaammmmmmeeeeee"
Snarling in rage, Gohan put forth his entire being into his attack, charging as much power as his body could handle.
"Die!"
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"
With one powerful burst, Gohan let out a large beam of blue energy, engulfing the android, before disintegrating it completely. Beneath it, the ground gave way, as Gohan's attack turned the surrounding area into pure rubble.
Landing slowly on the ground, the young man let out a wear smile, as he took a deep breath.
"...one...one down...just...another...left"
Without another second, however. Gohan blacked out.
"So this is Son Gohan, hm? Son of the one known as Goku...let's heal you up a bit, shall we?" stated a female voice, as the mysterious figure carefully lifted the unconscious body up.
-Thirteen Years Prior, South City-
"Wh-what are these things!? Frieza wasn't even this strong!" yelled Piccolo, as he and Vegeta stood back-to-back. They were currently in the middle of a city-intersection; the buildings and roads in shambles, as a rain of energy blasts came crashing down.
"Namekian! Dodge!" yelled Vegeta, as he ducked to the side, before being kicking from behind by a familiar dark-haired teen.
"You should learn to fight properly, Vegeta" he smirked, as he watched the Saiyan writhing in pain.
"Focus!" shouted Piccolo, as flew down, launching a series of energy waves at the teen.
"Mr. Piccolo! Masenko!" shouted a young Gohan, as he fired his own attack, in the hopes of helping in any way he could.
"Try harder!" smiled a blonde girl, as she appeared ahead of the attacks; swatting them aside like insects.
"There's two of them!? Namekian! Get ready! This is it! Where is the three-eyed one!? We need to atta-gaagghh!"
Before he could finish, Vegeta was cut off, as the young man slammed a knee into his stomach, causing him to bend over in pain, before he was elbowed from behind.
"Hmf, how pathetic...this is a Saiya-"
"Tri-Beam Cannon!"
Caught by surprise, the young man flew backwards, as a powerful beam of light crashed into his chest.
"I'm here, Vegeta! Take this!" yelled Tien, as he landed; throwing a small green bean at the Saiyan Prince. Instinctively, Vegeta caught it, before swallowing it.
"...now, then...let's get this battle started..." he growled, powering up in a bright yellow stroke of light. His nomally-black hair quickly turned yellow, as he felt the power within him begin to bubble.
This is what he had trained for, these past two years.
With the death of his newborn son and his wife, he had come to turn into a cold, and heartless warrior. The same warrior he had once been, but for different reasons of his own.
He had allowed his ego and arrogance to blind him long ago, and it had cost him his only son and wife. He had failed not only as a father and husband, but as a prince to Saiyans.
He could not even protect one of his own, and he was forced to watch as Kakarot, the man who had humiliated him for so long, to die from a simple sickness. He allowed his ego to cause him kill his only partner, Nappa, and then ignorantly proclaimed that he was a rightful prince.
That had been the same pride that blinded his father to the danger Frieza had posed to the Saiyans.
He had finally realized this, at the cost of his family, and having to live at the fear of constant attacks by the androids.
He failed his woman, his son, and had allowed Kakarot, the only other living Saiyan, to die.
He never even got the chance to defeat in proper combat.
"...Bulma...Trunks...Kakarot...a Saiyan Prince, was to revive our race...to raise us from the ashes upon which we were buried by Frieza...yet, it was a low-class clown that arose to defeat the tyrant, that had enslaved me for so long...while I only thought of my pride...that was why Kakarot was always stronger...no matter what, He only looked to protect and to further himself...he always had more riding at stake, then I ever did...and it took the death of my family to realize this...
"No" he stated, blankly, pushing Tien back.
"What?"
"Get the boy, and go, now" replied the Saiyan Prince. Tien merely stared at him, before shaking his head.
"Are you insane!? They'll kill yo-"
"I know, human...but there is more to this battle then just me...it's been a long time, but these androids stole my family from me...and made me cower at their feet...and it's time...they pay their debt..."
Landing next to them, Piccolo and Gohan merely stared at the two androids, as they idly smirked.
"He's right Tien...we won't survive long against them...we need to take Gohan, and run away...got it?"
"What? Why? I can fight, too! I'll show you!" yelled Gohan, as he ran past them, before being stopped by Vegeta.
"...listen well, boy..." he ordered, causing the young teen to pause.
"...what?..."
Kneeling down, Vegeta placed a hand on Gohan's head, before casting a serious face.
"...you're father was a Saiyan, and his father was a Saiyan...our people were born to fight, and to survive...for long, all I ever did did was plunder and conquer planets...now, here on this planet, the Prince of Saiyans will stand and fall to protect it...do you understand, just what that means?"
"H-huh?..."
"Vegeta?..." asked Tien, as he widened his eyes, at the statement the Saiyan had made.
Vegeta was never this soft, nor sentimental. He had always been a cold, and distant figure.
Why the sudden change?
"...you are the last Saiyan, Gohan...even if you are only a half-breed, you are still a Saiyan...and should I die here, on this ground...I wish for you to proudly carry your heritage as a Saiyan, do you understand this?...I swallowed my pride long ago, and it is time I pay for the mistakes I have made..." he continued, earning looks of shock from the three people near him
"Gohan...we have to get out of here, now...he'll buy us time..." added Piccolo, as he stood next to Vegeta.
Tien silently nodded, preparing to fly away, before Gohan ran back.
"I'll stay and fight! I can help! If we team up together, we can-"
"...you're just like Kakarot, Gohan...and I say in respect..." stated Vegeta, before leaning down and punnching the young teen in the stomach; causing the teen to instantly black out from the sudden hit.
Catching Gohan as he fell down. Tien picked up the boy.
"Get Gohan out of here, and fly as fast as you can...I can buy you maybe a few moments, by that is all...
Nodding, Tien blasted off, looking back at the last sight he ever imagined seeing.
Vegeta protecting somebody, other then himself.
The androids had done more then they had thought...
"Who knew, that he'd be helping us..." said Tien to himself, forming a small smile.
"Don't get emotional just yet, we have to hope and pray that Doctor Briefs is still alive..." replied Piccolo, as he flew next to Tien.
Sighing, the martial artists shook his head.
"How long do you think we have. before Vegeta gets defea-"
As he formed his question, the air began to shake, as a giant yellow dome formed in the distance. Piccolo and Tien gasped at the enormous spike in Vegeta's power, as the dome grew in size, before his life force went out in a blink.
"...he's...dead..." whispered Tien, as he realized they had lost their most powerful fighter.
"...let's go, now...we don't have much time..." added Piccolo, who cast a quick glance at where Vegeta had been.
"Good-bye, Prince of Saiyans..." he murmured, closing his eyes.
At the very end, Vegeta had finally matched Goku.
He died, protecting others, without a regret.
-Present Day, West City Underground Shelter-
"Gohan, are you sure it's alright to be up and about n your condition? You only just woke up, and you have to to get your rest, Gohan! Korin won't have another batch of senzu beans for at least a few weeks!" cried Puar, as he hovered behind a small window, a few dozen meters away from the young Saiyan.
"Yeah, I'll be fine Puar...I just...need...to train...harder..." huffed Gohan, as he hoisted himself up for a push-up.
It had only been recently that the gravity chamber had been finished, due to a constant alarm from the androids. However, with the machine now finished, Gohan was able to train his body further.
"Fo-forty...one...forty-tw...two!..." he huffed, as he felt the pressure from the enhanced gravity field begin to take its toll on his body.
It had been the first time he had trained like this, and he was currently set at One-Hundred Fifty time Earth 's gravity. The fact alone, had rendered his body heavier then ever, and now he has struggling to move at all.
Yet, through the pain and arduous routines. He secretly enjoyed it.
"I have to...increase...my base power, Puar...so that when I...turn into...a...Super Saiyan...I grow even stonger!" growled the young Saiyan, as he leaned on his hand, into a single-arm handstand, before front-flipping onto his feet.
He had to get his body to grow absolutely accustomed to this level, before he could move on another fifty times gravity. Otherwise, he'd never get anywhere!
"Gohan, do you think you've gotten any stronger these past few weeks?" asked Puar, his curiosity getting the better of him.
"I don't know...Puar, but that's...a good question, honestly..." groaned Gohan, as he slowly began to front-flip from one end of the room, to the opposite side. Once he reached his destination, he began to back-flip back to his original spot.
It was a strain on his body, namely his legs, which weren't used to the intense pressure...but he only took that as a sign of progress. After all, it had been Piccolo who taught him that strength never came to a warrior easily.
"Gohan! Why not go Super Saiyan!?" asked Puar, as he began to notice Gohan slowing down considerably.
"Because...it's a multiplier!...u need to to improve...my normal power...level...in order to...make a significant jump...Puar!...besides, I can only use Super Saiyan in bursts...its difficult to maintain...the state...without eventually...getting drained..." answered Gohan, as he started throwing flurries of punches and kicks, imagining he was fighting the androids.
"And if you were to master the state Gohan? What if you could get your body used to it?"
Freezing in mid-stride, the half-Saiyan warrior blinked, before looking at his companion.
"...what did you say?..." he asked, the epiphany setting on his mind as if a meteor had fallen on him.
"Your Super Saiyan state, Gohan, what if you could get used to it, so that doesn't drain you as much?" repeated the small cat-like creature.
"...that...actually is an amazing idea...I was always so used to powering up as a Super Saiyan, by harnessing my anger, that I failed to register the possibility of being able to maintain the form for extended periods of time!..." exclaimed Gohan, as he clenched his fists together.
"What are you doing Gohan?"
"Trying something out, Puar!...maybe, if I can learn to power up to Super Saiyan, without actually having to expose in rage...I can actually take a first step to growing used to Super Saiyan...hold on..."
Closing his eyes, Gohan too a deep breath.
Focusing his mind, he began among the imaged of Piccolo and Tien dying in combat, and of Krilln being blown to ashes by Seventeen. He remembered Vegeta sacrificing himself, in an effort to save him. Then the memory of seeing his father dead, a victim to an unknown heart virus.
His first instinct was to scream, to yell at the top of his lungs, from the pain and rage he felt...but he refused to do so. That same pain and rage were simple crude building blocks, the foundations upon which he would refine and master, before once more challenging Eighteen.
It only served to enrage him further, however, as he began feeling the familiar sense of hopelessness that he had suffered for so many years.
And it was all the android's faults, for having ruined what once was a beautiful world!
A world he could not protect!
Why wasn't he stronger!? Why couldn't he beat them at full-power!? Why did everybody he loved have to die!? Why him!? Why them!?
All they ever did was cause suffering and chaos, and he wouldn't take it ANYMORE!
"Go-Gohan?!" cried Puar, as he watched the silent Saiyan quickly tense up, before a golden blast of aura surrounded him. Immediately, Gohan fell to his knees, as a powerful sense of anger and fury overwhelmed him.
"N-no!...I...I won't...let my instincts...overcome my judgement...Vegeta made me his heir...I am...the Prince of Saiyans...and I will not be...overwhelmed by this..." he gasped, before scowling.
Where did the sudden change in personality come from?...unless...
"I see...that would explain a lot, about the initial transformation..." he murmured to himself, as he slowly added the pieces within his mind together.
"What are you talking about, Gohan?" asked Puar.
"When a Saiyan transforms into his Super Saiyan state, without having mastered the state itself...the transformation not acts as a power multiplier, but also as a magnification for the Saiyan heritage traits...that's why I suddenly feel cold, distant, and somewhat entitled...so this is what Vegeta's mindset must have been like...now, the question remains how to master the state itself...and what possibilities that could lead to..."
"Possibilities?"
"Yeah, Puar...maybe, just maybe...there's a level beyond a Super Saiyan, that even Vegeta and my father never imagined...by mastering the Super Saiyan state, I might be able to ascend to the next level...I'll make my father proud, and also prove to myself that I truly deserve the title as Prince of Saiyans..." he replied, earning a glance of curiosity from Puar.
"...I hope so, Gohan...we need to get rid of the androids!" he smiled.
Things were finally looking up!
...
"Tell me, what planet do we have left to conquer? It has been quite some time, since I bothered being anywhere near this backwater sector" sighed a deep-voiced figure, as he sat in the dark corner of his ship.
"Some planet known as Earth, sir...I believe...this is where the man who defeated your younger brother is from, sir" replied one of his subordinates, who was busy observing his navigation screen.
"Ah, the little monkey Saiyan? I knew that my pathetic brother would be the cause of his own undoing, when he allowed so many of those ignorant apes to live...scan the planet for power levels, and inform me of what you find"
"As you say, sir!...initiating power scan...in three...two...one...let's see...approximately...only a few dozen power levels above fifty, sir..."
"Pathetic"
"Less then ten above the level of a hundred, sir"
"What kind of mud ball planet is this?"
"And...wait, I seem to be having an error...no, wait...there are four power levels, sir...they're all above one-hundred million, sir..."
"What? That's impossible, I hardly believe anybody could be that significant in this corner of the galaxy" stated the figure, as he pulled a screen in front of him.
"No, sir! Two power levels, hovering near Three-Hundred Thirty Milion ! And another that is at roughly Four-Hundred Million, sir! We have a fourth, at just One-Hundred Sixty-Five Million...they're awfully close to your level, sir! You're at Four-Hundred Seventy Million, I believe..." yelled another subordinate, as everybody began to clamor over the news.
"This is impossible...but then again, this is where I last heard from my family I believe..." scowled the figure once more, as he stood up from his throne chair.
"Sir, what do we do?"
"...set a course for Earth, and have us be there as soon as possible...I may actually get the chance to use my final form..." he smiled, as he cast a menacing aura about his ship.
Things had finally become interesting, for Lord Cooler.
...
"Well, well...what do we have here?" asked Eighteen, as she quietly walked through a fairly sized mall.
Strangely enough, nobody here recognized her, which suited her just fine, due to a lack of motivation to kill anybody. It wasn't that she didn't like it, there was nothing more fun then a terrorized victim, but rather that she simply couldn't find anybody worth fighting, since the death of Seventeen.
"You know, I suppose I should feel terrible...but, that'd be pathetic on my part, to feel pity on Seventeen for being so ignorant" she shrugged, as she examined a nearby department store.
In a split second, she spotted a black strapless dress, which appeared to be form-fitting. She instantly knew what she wanted.
"I'm getting that damned dress!...but I need some high heels with it, otherwise I'll look like a total second-rate wannabe...hmm...some earrings would also look amazing on me...maybe I could find some at the jewelry store..." she whispered to herself, as she crossed her arms in thought.
"Then again, it seems rude to be thinking of such petty things, upon the eve of Seventeen's demise...while it is true, that the idiot was a nuisance and rather foresight-challenged, he was still family...a part of me wishes to kill Gohan for his crime...but if I do that, then I'll have no plaything to pass the time with..."
Sighing, Eighteen leaned against a wall, before crossing her arms as she lost herself in thought.
She was in a deep debate, attempting to decide whether or not to kill her Saiyan that had ended her brother...or keep him alive, no more then a mere playtoy...
"I need to think, which is more important...do I kill him, or keep him as a pet? I could get revenge, butt hen it'd be pointless in terrorizing pathetic humans..."
Walking a few more steps, Eighteen decided to simply wave off the question, instead choosing the easier, and much more convenient for her. path.
"I'll simply wipe out every city, until that little twerp shows up...when he does, I'll fight him at full power...and if he lasts more then twenty seconds, I'll let him live..." she smiled. before flying into the air.
Lifting her hands up, she began forming two pink balls of energy at each palm.
"Die, you filthy maggots!" she grinned maniacally, chuckling to herself, as she did so.
Today, was the beginning of her rebirth.
Today, was the day that Gohan would test himself to see if he truly lived or died.