Blood Lies: Retributions

Chapter 1

"Got the Chance to Start Again"

- 'Someday' by Crossfade

Thank you for joining me for the second book! Let me know what you think. This one picks up right where the other ended.

Warning: Violence later.

Gohan curled his arms around his drawn up knees as Goku sighed, tossed another dry piece of timber on the fire, and sat down beside him.

"Kinda chilly, isn't it?" He asked. Gohan shrugged his shoulders in reply, the flames mirrored in his glassy eyes as he stared at them. Goku felt lost, so lost in fact that he bit his lip and simply watched the teenager across from him. They had found a cave that was tucked up in a range of trees nearby where he had moved them to.

"Well, how 'bout we get some sleep and start fresh in the morning?" He asked. Gohan shifted his position and laid down on his side, still starring into the crackling flames. Goku watched his son through the fire until the teenager's eyes drifted shut. Settling down on his side, Goku laid awake for a while, watching the boy as he slept.

Some time later, Goku jumped awake, his heart pumping. He glanced about the cave and saw that the fire was embers now and on the opposite side, his son was curled tightly into himself, ragged cries echoing off of the cave walls. The teenager's face was crumpled and filled with a grief that still pulled against Goku's heartstrings.

He quickly rose and scooted closer to Gohan, laying his hand on his son's shoulder.

"Gohan," he murmured, brushing away the ebony strands of hair that feathered across his son's brow. "Wake up now, son; I'm here." Gohan's eyes popped open and he sat straight up, his arms cinching tightly around his own chest as if staving off the cold. He moaned low in his throat and clenched his eyes closed.

"Gohan," Goku began, "will you tell me what you were dreaming about?" A spasm of pain crumpled Gohan's face again before it relaxed and he opened his eyes to stare at the bare ground between them.

"Just one more page out of my book," the teenager whispered. Goku cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Gohan swallowed and hunched tighter into himself but did not answer. Goku shifted closer, their hips touching as he brought his knees up and rested his elbows there. He stared at the dying embers and sighed before he lifted his hand, leveled it at the bare wood, and shot a tiny ki blast, igniting the timber. The glow from the burning wood danced from one side of the small cave to the other.

"Gohan, I know I've made bad choices, but I do love you and would really like to know what you were dreaming about." Gohan's eyes lifted to the fire.

"I see where I've been," the teenager whispered. "Only it's worse."

Goku remained quietly watching the fire lick and burn away the dried wood, patiently waiting for Gohan to continue.

"You don't save us," he whispered.

"You saved everyone that day with Cell, Gohan," Goku murmured. Gohan stiffened and turned on his father, his eyes blazing.

"Yeah, I must have done really well considering that I almost got everyone killed!" He snapped. Goku sighed and shook his head.

"Gohan, you were eleven years old and with all of our training, you still had none of the experience or drive that you needed to help you win that fight; that is my fault and I'm sorry."

"That's no excuse," the teenager whispered forcefully. "You told me to finish him."

"Is that all that's in your dream, Gohan?" Goku asked. The teenager stilled. Goku noticed the ridged way his back straightened and frowned. "Gohan, what else do you dream about?"

"Nothing," was the teenager's curt reply. Goku sighed.

"I thought we had gotten over this, Gohan," he whispered, a frown on his face. Gohan stood abruptly and stalked across the cave.

"I don't want to talk about this anymore," he said, sitting down on the ground with his back against the wall. He stretched his legs out and leaned his head back against the wall.

"Sometimes, son, we have to do things we really don't want to do." Goku replied.

"Right, you're going to tell me now that you didn't really want to stay dead, you just did it to save everyone from the harm that your presence brought, right?" Gohan snorted. Goku sighed, frustrated and unsure of what to say.

"I just did what I thought was best, Gohan, and I'm very sorry for making that decision; I know now that it was a mistake." Gohan snorted again and crossed his arms across his chest defensively. Goku stood and walked to his son, determination shinning in his eyes. He knelt down before the teenager and grasped his arms in each hand. Gohan flinched away, his eyes wary and guarded. Goku tugged him into his chest and brought his arms up to press him tightly against him. He lifted his left hand to cradle the back of Gohan's head, weaving his fingers into the dark hairs at the nape of his neck.

"Gohan I'm not perfect," he said. "I know I've been on a pedestal in your eyes for years, and maybe that's normal for boys to idolize their fathers, but I'm not perfect.

"I'm so sorry I hurt you, Gohan, I really did not mean to, but I promise if you will let me, we'll get past this." Gohan remained silent, his arms limp beside him. His emotions were still screwed and confused, but something about being in his father's arms eased the deep ache, although he was nearly positive that he would never admit it to another soul.

"Will you tell me your dream?" Gohan closed his eyes and inhaled his father's smell.

"You said I wasn't worth saving," he whispered. "You said that I made my mistakes and I could deal with the consequences. Cell laughed and you walked away." Goku's heart twisted around within him and he tightened his hold on his son.

"Why were you so angry with me when I came back?" Goku asked. Gohan made a frustrated sound in the back of his throat and tried to push away, but his father was still stronger than him.

"You know why," he muttered, aggravated. Goku nodded.

"Yeah, but I want you to tell me."

"You left. I screwed up and you chose to stay dead." Gohan stiffened, his shoulders hunching. "And then when you came back, you just assumed everything was the same as it always had been; you wanted to 'be dad' again.

"But why did you come back, Dad? Why did you come back?" Goku tightened his arms around his son and thought for a minute. When he spoke next, his voice was low, right next to Gohan's ear.

"Ever since the fight with Vegeta, Gohan, you knew deep down that I would always be there when you needed me. I saved you from Nappa, showing up right when you needed me; the same thing happened on Namek, Gohan, and do you know why?" Gohan remained still, content with listening to the reverberation in his father's chest.

"Because you're my child, Gohan, and I will fight for you; to keep you safe even if that means I have to fight you to do it. King Yema told me what you had been doing and I knew that you needed me again, so I came back. For you." Gohan lifted his eyes, his mouth opening in surprise. Goku smiled at him, love shining brightly in the dark orbs.

"They gave me the chance to come back and I took it because you needed me, Gohan, just like when you were younger," he said. He kissed the top of Gohan's head.

"I promise, Gohan, that everything will be okay, but you have to help me. Don't just keep everything inside, talk to me when you're hurting and I'll try to make it better." He combed his fingers through Gohan's hair and listened to the teenager's heartbeat.

"You have no idea how hard it was to fight you yesterday, Gohan," he whispered. "Even knowing it was probably the only thing I could do to reach you again, it still broke my heart because you are my son and I love you; I fight for you, Gohan, I don't want to fight against you."

Goku held Gohan and for an extended moment, there was silence in the cave, but for the twin steady heartbeats. The teenager remained limp, his arms down as his father held him, stroking a hand up and down his spine, and playing with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. Goku closed his eyes and pushed Gohan away with a hand on either shoulder, and met his eyes.

"No more, son," he said firmly. "You did your best with Cell and did you worst to me because you were hurting.

"Honestly, I'd much rather you hurt me over hurting yourself," Goku continued, giving Gohan such a look of disappointment that the teenager winced. He looked at the floor of the cave instead, a lump in his throat.

"Gohan," Goku murmured. He tucked his first two fingers under his son's chin and angled it up to meet his own eyes. "Please promise that you won't ever cut yourself again. If you are ever mad at me, just come to me and we'll work it out."

Gohan nodded once, his shoulders hunched into himself. Goku shook him gently, catching his attention.

"Promise, Gohan," the warrior demanded, his voice growing more insistent. "I need to know that you know that you can't do what you used to do; things are going to have to be different now than they were before."

Gohan nodded again, but his expression was still much too blank for Goku. He tightened his hold on the teenager's arms. Gohan winced, his brow furrowing between his eyes at the mild pain in his biceps. He raised his eyes to meet his father's in a glare that was almost defiant. Goku smiled softly and cupped his cheeks in warm palms, sending an ache reverberating through Gohan's chest.

"I promise," he choked out, his dark eyes misting over at the naked love in Goku's expression. Against his will, moisture leaked out and ran down his cheeks to drip from his chin, but before they could escape, his father brushed them away.

"I love you, Gohan, and I am so proud that you're my son," he whispered. Gohan swallowed hard, his face twisted into a mask of emotion. Goku pulled him against his chest again, and this time, felt his heart thud with joy as the teenager brought his own arms up and returned the embrace fully.

DBZ

Son Goku sat with his knees propped up before him, his elbows using them as a place to rest, and watched as the sun ascended into the sky for a fifth morning since he had taken his son away. Although not normally a very introspective, nor poetic man, Goku still contemplated the past days, recalling with a startling clarity every tiny detail of his son's movements, expressions, and words.

After they had awoken and left the cave, Goku had drawn his son into the air and they had flown, slowly making their way to a deserted place that Goku felt was far enough away to feed his purpose. Thus they had arrived in the beautiful rolling hills they had camped at for the past few days. He currently sat on the tip of a grassy hill, his back to their campsite and his son, who still slept. Finally.

Goku sighed and tilted his head backwards, looking up at the lilac colored morning sky and remembered the restless, sleepless nights past, thankful that his teenager slept—at last free from the visions within himself.

They had not sparred once since they had left—something Goku felt was appropriate for the teenager's wellbeing. Instead, they had flown side by side from one end of the globe to the other; fished like they used to; and talked nearly constantly. Goku learned so much about the child that he had nearly destroyed. More than he had started with, that was for sure.

Most of all, he thought about the mistakes that he had made both during the Cell Games, and recently. He recognized now that he should never have sent Gohan to face Cell alone; especially not after giving the damn monster a Senzu bean. Goku shook his head in disgust as he remembered what Piccolo had told him after he had done that, and with a wry smile, he accepted that the green man had known his child better than he had. He had always loved the challenge and never backed down. He lived for the fight, but he also knew what it meant to fight for something. Gohan was too young and inexperienced to have fought and won against Cell on his own. While he possessed the raw ki to vanquish him instantly, he lacked the confidence and the experience to do it—for crying out loud he was only eleven years old!

I should have known better, he thought to himself. He had a second chance now, though, and he was not about to screw it up again. He had seen what it had done to his firstborn and if he had to correct it for the rest of his life, he would. These children were his to protect. His family and friends. He was the adult and he would make for damn sure that the next time, his son would not fight alone.

DBZ

Gohan took a deep breath and woke up, his eyes felt rested and open with no trace of the near constant grit that had been there for the last few days. He sat up and curled his legs up beneath him as he glanced around, curious what it was that woke him. It was still early morning; the sky above a cool combination of blue yellow, with the sun's first glimpse of daylight peeking over the horizon. He searched the tiny campsite around him, wondering where his father was, but as soon as the question entered his mind, he felt his father's warm ki curl around him, warming him before he caught sight of the man's broad back. Goku turned and smiled at him.

"Good morning, Gohan," he said. Gohan shifted and yawned, his eyes still glued to his father as if making sure he did not move away.

"Morning," he replied. Goku stood and walked back into their campsite.

"Ready for breakfast?" He asked happily. Gohan smiled back tentatively and nodded his head. The few days that they had been out, Gohan had slowly grown more comfortable with his father's presence. They had had many conversations on his most recent behavior as well as the past, and he had slowly felt himself begin to change into someone more balanced.

"I'm going to go wash my face first," he mumbled, running his hand through his hair. Goku smiled at him.

On his way to the river that wound through the landscape a few yards away from their campsite, the teenager considered the most recent change in his life. He felt as if he had lived several different lives instead of just the one very confusing one. He and his father had talked about the Cell Games and the disastrous effects of that.

The teenager knelt beside the cool, fresh water and cupped his hands, bringing the refreshing water up to his lips for a drink before he repeated the action and splashed his face. With water dripping in streams down his face, and droplets of water clinging to his eyelashes, Gohan snapped his eyes open and glanced around him in sudden alarm. Something tingled on the outskirts of his senses. Alarm shot through him, leaving fear winding into his gut. The silence around him blared and with a sense of fear, he realized that there were no animals making noise: no birds singing, no footsteps of animals, no nothing.

He turned suddenly, terror making its way up his spine, intending to hurry back to his father when something hard exploded against the back of his head, sending the world end over end and plunging into darkness. His last thoughts drifted off before they could get far.

Dad, help me…

DBZ

Gohan came slowly back to consciousness. The back of his head ached along with the back of his neck. He lifted his right hand and weakly gripped the back of his neck, the pads of his fingers kneading the muscles there. Slowly, like the morning he awoke with his father and Piccolo in the room, he tried to blink his eyes open and groaned as he sat up. His memory returned like a bolt of lightning, and with a thread of remembered terror, he wrenched his eyes open and looked around, surprised when he realized that he was lying in his own bed, the sunlight echoing off of the walls around him.

What the hell? He thought to himself. Something whispered that this was off, but he could not for the life of him figure out what that was. He threw the covers off of him and swung his legs over the side of the bed, straining his ears to hear anything. Laughter from outside the house drew him to the window in his room. He stood, his legs trembling a little as he walked to the window. Outside, his baby brother ran in circles as Goku chased him. Chichi watched and laughed and again, Gohan had the most alarming feeling that something was just not right. He swallowed hard.

Outside his window, Goku looked up and caught him in a smile. He waved and beckoned the teenager to join him outside. Gohan, feeling confusion blooming within him, turned and left his room, wandering through his parent's home and out the door toward his parents.

"Go'an!" His little brother cried from where he was. He ran at him and let the teenager pluck him up off the ground. Chichi approached and wrapped him in a hug.

"How do you feel sweetheart?" She asked, her eyes sparkling and bright. Gohan shrugged and looked from his father back to his mother.

"Okay," he offered. He looked at his father, his eyebrows arched. "What happened?"

"What do you mean?" Goku asked. He reached forward and ran his fingers through Goten's hair, ruffling the thick black strands and making the little boy giggle from where he perched in his brother's hands.

"What happened at the river?" Gohan asked. Goku looked confused, but grinned widely and shrugged his shoulders. "What hit me?"

"Gohan, honey, I'm sure it was just a dream," Chichi offered, taking the little boy from his arms. Gohan felt a thrill of irritation run through his chest.

"Mom, it wasn't a dream! Remember me and dad went camping to...to talk and stuff?" Goku hooked an arm around his neck and pulled him closer affectionately.

"Cool down, Gohan, everything's fine," his father said. Gohan shook his head and closed his eyes for a moment. "Come on, let's go eat some supper!"

Goku tugged him closer before he stepped away and turned toward the house where Chichi was with Goten in her arms.

"Dad, wait!" Gohan called. "Aren't you going to tell me what happened?"

"Gohan, nothing happened!" His father replied, turning and pinning him with a curious expression. "We haven't been camping in a couple months!" Gohan's breath caught in his chest at those words and he stopped still, staring at his father.

"Wha—what? What do you mean? We went after—after our fight." Confusion pulled heavily against the teenager as his father tilted his head to the side and watched him.

"We didn't have a fight, Gohan," he replied. "Are you feeling okay?"

Gohan's lips felt dry while his mouth felt as if it were filled with sawdust. He shook his head in the negative, squeezing his eyes closed. Goku wrapped his arms around the teenager.

"Don't worry, Gohan, everything's fine." Goku's voice held an odd, slightly hypnotic tone to it, and with alarm, Gohan realized that he was falling asleep again. His heart beat loudly within his own ears and he had a dull sense of vertigo as the world around his tilted. He felt his knees give way as he slumped in his father's arms, and as if he were under water, he heard Goku's voice again.

"Don't worry, everything's fine."

DBZ

As if he had just awakened from a nightmare, Gohan gasped and sat straight up in bed, his heart thudding against his ribs. Once again, he was tucked into his bed, but this time, the sunlight was dim and tinted blue. He gulped; his throat and mouth once again dry, this time painfully so. He swung his legs out from under the blankets and stepped across the room to his door and tugged it open, glancing curiously down the hallway before he went to the bathroom. He flicked on the light and stared at himself in the bathroom mirror, mildly surprised to realize that he looked exactly the same as he always did. He turned the water on and greedily scooped water up to his mouth, desperate to quench the horrible dryness in his mouth and throat, but the cool water quenched neither his thirst nor the drought in his mouth.

"What are you doing out of your room?" A voice from the open doorway startled Gohan so badly, he sloshed the water in his hands over the sink and onto the clean tiles of the bathroom floor. He looked up and met his father's face, but the familiar face was odd and with a pinch of alarm, Gohan felt dread pooling in the pit of his stomach.

"I needed a drink," he replied, watching his father warily. Goku's eyes were darker, and his face thin and hard, more foreign and alien than the last time he woke up. More like Vegeta's.

"You're not supposed to be out of your room," Goku snapped. Gohan was so surprised by the sharp words that he took a step back, his eyes widening. He felt as if his world was starting to tilt upside down as he watched his father enter the bathroom, resembling a ferocious animal more than his loving, gentle father.

"I'm sorry," he said reflexively, confusion filling him. Goku's expression darkened into one of pure fury and with a jolt, Gohan realized that he looked more like Turles than Goku.

"I told you not to leave your room," he said, his voice had risen to the point of shouting. Gohan tried to swallow back his fear, but the dryness there prevented him. Suddenly, his father reached for him, grabbed him by the front of his gi and yanked him forward. Gohan cried out in surprise and pain as Goku slammed his fist into his middle.

"Dad," Gohan gasped. He doubled over and held his stomach, but he had no time to recover as his father fisted his hand into his hair and yanked it back up so quickly that his neck snapped painfully. His eyes widened fearfully at the evil, threatening glint in his father's eyes that promised pain.

"I told you to stay in your room," he growled. Gohan cried out as he was lifted by his hair and drug from the room and outside. He threw him once they got outside and the teenager felt a thrill of terror as he found himself airborne. Another jolt of horror shot through him as he realized that the Energy Block was back on his wrist. He caught himself just enough before he landed to keep himself from being too hurt, but his mind still reeled in total confusion.

"You will do as you are told!" His father roared as he charged at the teenager on the ground. The Saiyajin reached for him again and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck, yanking him up face to face, the cloth tightening around his neck, choking him.

"Dad, please!" Gohan pleaded, his pulse racing and his mind turbulent with horrified confusion.

"It is too late for your pathetic whining! Take it like a man!" Goku drew back and punched at him, but Gohan was just fast enough to get past him. He was not fast enough to escape the second punch that broke at least two of his ribs, though. Gohan slumped on the ground, unable to catch his breath from the excruciating pain in his ribs. Through blurred vision, the teenager glanced up and saw another punch headed his way, this time directly for his face. Resigned, he squeezed his eyes shut and prayed to wake up.

DBZ

It may have been hours, or it may have been days, or maybe even minutes. Gohan could not tell the length of time that he was out, all that he knew when he came too was that he had died at some point and had ended up in hell. Either that or his subconscious had been completely broken and he was hallucinating. He opened his eyes and with a groan, closed them again. He was, once again, tucked into his bed with sunlight peeking in and crawling across the floor. And once again, there was a sand castle in his mouth.

Twinkle, Twinkle, little sun, don't this sound like so much fun?

Oh yeah, he had lost his mind.

"Gohan?" The teenager jolted off the bed and stood facing his father as the man entered the room. Goku's expression was curious at the teenager's actions, not angry or furious. "Hey, Kiddo, I was just coming in to check on you; you've been asleep for a while."

"Oh," was all Gohan could think to say. Goku approached him, his eyes soft as he brought his hand up to cup his cheek.

"Are you feeling okay, son? You feel hot." His father's palm moved up to brush against his forehead. "Maybe you should go back to bed." Gohan moved out of his father's reach and tried to swallow against the dryness in his throat.

"No, that's okay," he said. Warily, he eyed the man, waiting for him to disappear and his evil twin to take his place. Goku smiled and turned to the door again.

"Well if you're up, your mom said come eat something," he threw over his shoulder. Gohan's stomach grumbled loudly at the thought of food, so he followed cautiously.

I know I'm still dreaming, but maybe dream-food is better than dream-water, he thought to himself. He entered the kitchen and his jaw dropped in surprise at the amount of food in the room. It looked as if his mother were trying to feed them plus his grandfather's army. Feeding his father and himself was no easy task, but the over abundance of food in the room was alarming.

"Come on, Sweetheart, you must be starved!" Chichi chirped happily. Goten sat at the table already, his little fists clenched around a glass of cold, white, frothy, delicious milk. Gohan's mouth felt even drier than before. Goku sat beside his youngest and began filling two plates as Gohan moved farther into the room, drawn by the smells. He wished his mouth would react to the scrumptious smells.

Water, damn you! Water!

"Here you go, son," Goku said. He plunked a plate piled high with slow roasted pork, a mound of steamed rice, freshly steamed vegetables—most likely from his mother's garden—perfect looking potatoes that steamed slightly, and a baked apple something that made Gohan want to cry. He plunked himself down at the table and stared at the food, a voice warning him that he was about to be disappointed. He didn't care.

"Gohan, stop staring and eat it," his mother encouraged. Gohan's stomach grumbled again, and his mouth—if possible—felt even more parched. He picked up his chopsticks and snatched a hunk of the roasted pork, enthralled by the way it hung limply from the utensil. Juice dripped from the meat and the teenager once again begged his glands to work. He took a breath and stuck the meat in his mouth. The meat evaporated into nothing in his mouth, and with smiles on their faces, his family followed, evaporating into nothing. Gohan's only reality was the parched, desperate feel in his mouth and the dull ache in his stomach.

Before darkness replaced his vision, he heard himself scream.

DBZ

This is getting old, he thought as he came too again. Darkness covered his vision again and he immediately jerked straight up, grief filling him to find himself in his room again. The light filtering in was a pale blue again and the teenager put two and two together and cast a nervous glance at the doorway, expecting to see his father's evil twin this time. His door was open, but it was too dark in the hallway to see anything. The sensation of being watched crawled up his spine and he pulled his knees up to his chest to stare at the darkness beyond his door. He drew his breath in and out very quietly, nearly shallow in an effort to be as silent as possible, trying to hear whatever he could hear. A ringing silence greeted him. He glanced away from the doorway just long enough to look out the window at the dwindling light beyond.

As he swung back to the doorway, his heart leapt into his throat and pumped Titanic amounts of blood through his veins in terror. Daddy Dearest stood leaned against the doorframe, his thick arms crossed over his chest and an alien, aggressive expression on his face.

"Thinking of running away, boy?" He asked smoothly. Gohan swallowed and winced at the pain that brought before he shook he his head. Goku straightened and furiously stalked toward him.

"You speak when you're asked a question!" He snapped, glaring dangerous holes into Gohan's forehead. The teenager winced and looked away, anywhere but at the foreign look on his father's face. The Saiyajin angrily grabbed Gohan's chin in a painful grip and yanked his head back toward him. With a strange acknowledgement, he realized that Goku was not dressed in his gi, but in regular clothes. He wore pants, boots, a long sleeved shirt, and a jacket that Gohan recognized from before the Cell Games.

"Don't you dare look away!" He snarled. The hair on the back of Gohan's neck stood on end. "Get up!" The teenager scrambled to get off the bed, but it was not fast enough. His father's evil twin grabbed his arm and wrenched him from the bed with such a look of fury on the man's face that Gohan trembled.

"Please," the teenager whispered. "Please, don't hurt me." A light filled the man's eyes and spoke volumes of what was about to happen. He yanked him out of the room and down the hall without another word. Terror gripped Gohan and in a moment of sheer panic, he surged away from his pretend father and lunged for the front door of the Capsule house, desperate to at least try and escape. But he was too slow. Evil Goku appeared before him with a menacing glare.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked. For the remainder of Gohan's life, he did not think he would ever forget the deadly threat that colored the man's words. The teenager skidded to a stop and hooked a turn to run back to his room, but instead dashed into a wall-like chest and fell on his rear. Dazed, he looked up at Goku fearfully.

"You will learn quickly to regret that," his father's voice threatened. Gohan's breath hitched in his chest and a terrified shivered went down his spine as the Saiyajin warrior unbuckled the belt around his waist. The moment felt surreal to the teenager and in an instant of heady fright, he had the demonic urge to laugh insanely. Instead, he choked on his own fear as the man reached down for him. Goku jerked him to his feet and threw him against the wall; as his head slammed against the wall, he realized that it held firm and did not cave beneath his weight. He had no time to consider it any farther as the Goku look-a-like yanked him to his feet again and shoved him into the table. The legs scraped mournfully against the floor and the edge bit into Gohan's abdomen in retaliation.

The teenager sank to the floor and quickly scampered beneath it to the other side, trying to flee the coming destruction. Goku hopped over the table as if it were nothing and landed on the floor directly in front of the teenager again, murder on his face.

Oh, Kami, Gohan thought to himself. Nightmare Goku's vice-like grip attached to his wrist and squeezed until Gohan cried out before he yanked him to his feet and shoved him into the table again. This time, he was not able to move fast enough before the belt found purchase on his back. He sucked in a surprised breath over paper dry lips as lash after lash fell against his back. Bone-chilling terror filled him and although his body jerked and reacted to every strike, he remained silent. His eyes were large, and his breathing shallow as shock settled in; he quickly lost count of the strikes.

A moment of stillness brought Gohan back to the moment, but before he could wonder what Nightmare Goku was doing, his gut clenched as cold steel pressed against his spine. His heart stopped but quickly sputtered back to life as the blade lifted, slicing through the back of his gi, revealing his bare back. Surprised, the teenager kicked backwards and connected with his father's knee. Goku cursed and a large, heavy hand clenched the back of Gohan's neck, grinding his face against the table top.

"Please…stop," he whimpered. He heard an eerie chuckle from above him before Nightmare Goku leaned fully over him, suppressing his body with his own until he could whisper into his ear.

"Not until you scream."

Oh Kami! Oh Kami! Oh Kami! Gohan mentally screamed. The floor creaked as Goku stood and the only sound Gohan heard was a sharp swish before the belt connected again with his bare back. Gohan clenched his teeth and stared at the long grain of the table top, determined to remain silent.

To Be Continued..

I just wanted to drop in with a note and let you guys know that I have not, in fact, lost my mind. Hang on for the ride and don't panic yet! ^_^