Out of Order

Chapter 1: A New Super Saiyan

Disclaimer: I don't own DBZ

The Lookout was quite the strange structure, floating as it did miles above the earth. It was semi-spherical, decorated on the bottom with red and blue and white patterns. The top was completely flat, covered in white tiles. A building stood in the center; built in a strange architectural style that emphasized curves. Surrounding the building were a few raised planters that housed flowers or palm trees.

It was home to the mysterious 'Guardian of Earth', a being akin to God. Though, at the moment that prestigious position was vacant. Within these halls existed many mystical and otherworldly items. Perhaps the most profound was not an item, but a room: The Room of Spirit and Time. Four warriors, dressed in strange blue suits with white armor, were here to use the miraculous room.

"If you'll follow me, please," the dark-skinned genie requested, "I'll take you to the time chamber."

The Room of Spirit and Time was also known as the Hyperbolic Time Chamber. A place in which time passed roughly three hundred sixty-five times faster. In other words, 'a year in there is a day out here'. Needless to say, this room had value immeasurable.

Vegeta, a short, belligerent man with ridiculously spiky hair pushed his way to the front of their procession, ever unwilling to be patient, "Hey, you! Hurry the hell up! We're wasting time!"

Mr. Popo continued walking, not even turning his head back as he spoke, "Only a little further."

A man with hair that aspired to be a palm tree stepped forward, placing a hand on Vegeta's shoulder companionably, "No need to be in such a hurry, buddy! We'll have a year in the time thingy!"

Vegeta brushed the hand off his shoulder contemptuously, "If you ever call me that again, I will break every bone in your body!" he bit out.

Goku laughed it off, not noticing the animosity, "If you wanted to fight, you just have to ask, y'know? I'm ready to go whenever! ...except right now, we have to go train in the time place, so there's no time."

Vegeta scowled in reply, "Thank God! A year without having to deal with Kakarot! Though, I'll be stuck with the whiny brat, instead."

The young lavender-haired man behind him winced instinctively, "Wait, why'd I just do that?"

He felt a tap on his thigh and looked down to see a young boy with long, messy, black hair. The boy put a gloved hand near his mouth, "Hey, Trunks? Are you going to be alright spending a whole year with Vegeta?" he whispered.

Trunks smiled gently, "Yeah, I should be fine. This is a chance to get to know my father. I can't tell you how many times I've wished I could."

Gohan's eyes widened, "I guess I never thought of it that way," he said, looking down thoughtfully. He looked up and grinned at the older half-saiyan, "Then I'm happy for you Trunks! Good luck!"

Trunks returned the grin, "Thanks, Gohan. You don't know how much it means to hear you say that."

Gohan grinned at him again.

Mr. Popo cleared his throat, "We have arrived."

The warriors stopped, taking in the sight of the entrance to another dimension.

"Incredible," Gohan breathed. Trunks looked down at the younger boy,

"Uh, Gohan? It looks like a regular door."

Gohan blushed, "I- I meant that the room behind is incredible!" he defended, "I mean… such an ordinary door leads to another dimension! Don't you think that's kind of incredible?"

Trunks narrowed his eyes doubtfully, "Well… I guess so."

The lackluster answer caused Gohan to deflate.

Goku clapped his son on the back, "Ah, come on, Gohan! I think it's pretty cool!" he encouraged. Gohan looked up at him hopefully,

"You do?"

"'Course I do!" Goku said, giving Gohan's back another pat. Gohan's cheer returned.

A scoff rang out, drawing attention to the Saiyan prince. He appeared to be trembling, most likely in fear from the display of familial affection. Or maybe it was anger?

He stared Goku down, "If you're quite done, perhaps we can start training?!"

"Unfortunately, I must agree," Mr. Popo said, "The fate of the earth is at risk, we mustn't delay unnecessarily."

"Oh! Alright. So, who's going first?" Goku asked.

Vegeta snorted, "It will be me. I'd thought that would be obvious. I am the one who will defeat Cell. In fact, there's no need for any of you to use this room. You might as well go home and sit on your asses until I swoop in to save them."

"Dad! Why do you always have to be like this!" Trunks thought.

Gohan raised a hand hesitantly, "U- um, Vegeta? Don't you think it would be more uh… impressive... if you defeated Cell after dad and I failed? If you go first then how will you know if we couldn't have done it?"

Vegeta stared at him in shock, "He's right! If I go first then defeating Cell won't prove my superiority over Kakarot; it'll only prove that I got to Cell first!"

He closed his eyes, taking on a thoughtful expression, "Very well. You and Kakarot can go first," He opened his eyes, smirking at them, "Once you fail to defeat Cell, I will graciously clean up your mess," He put up a hand, "No need to thank me. I do this out of the kindness of my heart," he lied.

"Man! That's really nice of you, Vegeta! I knew you were a good guy deep down!" Goku exclaimed.

Vegeta's eye twitched, "Just get in the damn time chamber, Kakarot!"

Trunks nudged Gohan discreetly, "That was some pretty clever manipulation. You just played dad like a fiddle!"

Gohan smiled bashfully, "You think so? I wasn't sure it would work," he admitted.

"Yeah! But, why did you want to go first?" Trunks asked.

Gohan clenched a fist, "I don't mean to be rude… but if anyone is going to defeat Cell, it'll definitely be my dad. I want this to end as quickly as possible, so we need to go in first."

Trunks eyes widened in shock at the confession, but he quickly calmed down, "I see," he said, smiling faintly, "Gohan -the one from my time- often told me stories about how amazing Goku was. You might just be right; Goku may be our best chance," he conceded.

Trunks couldn't help but feel admiration for the boy, "I've just been trying to get stronger, but he understood that someone else is more suited for the job and took steps to make sure they were ready to complete it."

Mr. Popo cleared his throat, "As I said before, time is of the essence. The order has been decided so please enter quickly," he requested. He opened the door, revealing a white room. Beyond the room was an endless expanse of emptiness.

Gohan gaped at the wondrous sight before him, "Incredible."

Trunks nodded, "This time it really is incredible."

"Now, please enter. Watch your step!" Mr. Popo advised.

Gohan walked in, followed closely by Goku. Before Mr. Popo closed the door Goku turned around,

"Right, I'll see you guys later! Try to get along, Ok!" he said, grinning cheerfully.

"If only," Trunks thought, "Good luck you two! I can't wait to see how strong you'll be when you come out!" he said.

Vegeta snorted disdainfully. Mr. Popo closed the door.

Gohan stared, mouth hanging open in awe. The white space went on forever. An entire dimension, yet only two living beings within it. The only interruption to the expanse of white was the building he stood in.

Goku whistled appreciatively, "Just the way I remember it!" he said, voice echoing inexplicably.

Gohan stared at his dad, "You've been here before?"

Goku nodded, "Mmhmm, back when I was a kid," he said. He chuckled goofily, "Though, I could only handle a couple months. This place gets to you after a while!"

He looked out into the emptiness and nodded, seeming satisfied with something, "Alright! It's time to really buckle down!" he said, decisively, "First things first… let's eat!"

Gohan chuckled, "I should have expected that."

Goku patted his stomach, "Ahh, nothing quite like the feeling of a full stomach!"

Gohan nodded, smiling, "You said it!"

"Alright! Let's get started!" Goku said. He walked to the edge of the tiled platform, stepping onto the endless white floor. He walked out a few steps, then beckoned to Gohan. The boy jogged over, carelessly stepping off the platform. He suddenly felt heavier and fell to the ground,

"Oof!" he grunted. Pushing his face off the ground with some difficulty, "Why do I feel so heavy?"

Goku laughed heartily, "I forgot to tell you, the gravity here is ten times stronger than normal. Plus, it gets stronger the further away you are from this building," he said.

Gohan eventually managed to stand up. He spread his arms out, trying not to fall. The increased weight seemed to mess with his sense of balance. He stumbled around a bit, trying to get a feel for moving under increased gravity.

Goku chuckled, watching his son, "It may take a bit to get used to, but you're plenty strong enough to deal with this much gravity," he assured.

Gohan looked at his dad, then nodded, "Right!"

Goku crossed an arm under the other's elbow, hand on his chin thoughtfully, "Hmm… I suppose right now we should focus on making you a Super Saiyan," he mused.

Gohan stopped moving around and looked at Goku in shock, "Wait! Shouldn't we be focusing on making you stronger?!" he asked, incredulous, "I mean, you need to be strong enough to beat Cell! We shouldn't waste time on me!"

Goku looked at him in confusion, "What makes you so sure I'll be the one to defeat him?"

"Who else would it be? You always defeat the bad guy!" Gohan said.

Goku sighed, hanging his head, "Look here, Gohan. You're strong. Like, really strong! You're way more powerful than I was at your age. Every time we faced an enemy, you were right there with us. So don't think that making you stronger is a waste! It isn't!" he insisted.

Gohan gaped at him, face red in embarrassment, "Dad really thinks I'm strong? But… I always get in the way! Piccolo died because of me. I lost to that big guy from the Ginyu force! I couldn't do anything against Frieza!" he thought, "I don't understand how he can say I'm strong after all that!"

He flinched at the feeling of a hand on his shoulder. He looked up and saw Goku standing right in front of him. His father smiled gently.

"I know I'm stronger than you right now, but the rate you grow at is incredible! I wouldn't be surprised if your strength surpassed mine by the time we leave!"

Gohan smiled shyly, "...you really think so?" he asked.

Goku beamed at him, "'Course I do!"

Gohan giggled bashfully. He looked up at his father again, "So… how do I become a Super Saiyan?"

Goku clapped his shoulder approvingly, "Thought you'd never ask!"

Vegeta stood on the edge of the lookout, staring into the distance stoically. His arms were crossed and his face totally impassive. Trunks stared at him awkwardly from the steps of the building,

"Why does he insist on standing the whole time? Don't his legs ever get tired?" Trunks wondered, "And what's he looking at anyway?"

He desperately wanted to say something, try to connect with his father in some way, but he knew it would likely be met with silence. Or worse, derision. He fidgeted with his gloved hands, "I wish I still had my sword. I feel naked without it."

He flipped and flopped between his desire to approach his father and the fear of reproach from a man whose approval he desperately wanted. Ultimately, he did nothing.

"Hey, dad?" Gohan asked, blocking a punch.

"Yeah, son?" Goku pulled back his fist and sent another punch.

"I was wondering," Gohan ducked, springing back up with an uppercut. His father back-stepped to avoid it, "About the androids," He gathered ki in his hand, throwing it at his father, "Are they really that bad?"

Goku caught the blast, sending it back at Gohan, "What do you mean?"

Gohan batted the blast away, "Well, Trunks said-," He launched forward, sending a fist at Goku's torso, "They were genocidal maniacs!" he yelled.

Goku blocked with crossed arms, then pushed Gohan away. Gohan back-flipped and landed on his feet.

"Krillin told me about when the Androids woke up," he said, "The others attacked, but the androids didn't kill any of them!" he jumped high, then sent a volley of ki blasts down at his father. Goku slapped and kicked each of the blasts away. They exploded against the pristine white floor of the chamber.

The blasts stopped coming and Goku relaxed his stance. He shrugged, "Maybe they just didn't feel like it?"

Gohan fell to the ground, "No, I don't think so," he said, "Vegeta was being really persistent in attacking the girl. And he kept insulting her, too. I wouldn't have been surprised if she had killed him, but she didn't."

Goku hummed thoughtfully, "Yeah, I suppose that is pretty weird."

Gohan scratched his head, "I mean, she did break his arm, but he was kinda asking for it."

"I guess they might not be as violent as we thought, but… I don't really see what you're getting at?" Goku said.

Gohan wrung his hands, "Well… maybe they aren't like they were in Trunks' time. Maybe they deserve a second chance. They might turn out to be good people," he said, nervously, "I mean, Piccolo used to be a bad guy, but now he's one of our strongest allies!" he exclaimed.

Goku chuckled, "Is that all you wanted? I was planning on that anyway! They haven't really done anything really bad, yet."

Gohan's face lit up, "That's great! I really hope they can become our friends like Piccolo did!"

"Yeah, that would be pretty cool, huh?"

Trunks jumped up with a start, "That's Piccolo's ki! What incredible power!" he marveled. Vegeta remained unmoved. Trunks furrowed his brow, "If Piccolo is raising his ki, he must be about to fight," He tensed up, "He must have encountered the androids! We have to go help him!"

"Quiet down, boy!" Vegeta scolded, still staring into the distance, "Can you not feel the Namekian's strength? It's greater than our own. If you went you would only get in his way."

Trunks was crestfallen, "But… there must be something we can do!" he insisted.

Vegeta snorted, "The best thing you can do is not die uselessly before we enter the chamber."

The tension in Trunks shoulders seeped away, "I… I understand, father," he said quietly. He sat back down on the steps.

Vegeta smirked, "I suppose he's not a complete idiot."

"Remember, the key to transformation is anger," Goku instructed.

"Right, Dad! I just have to… get angry… somehow… ," Gohan trailed off. He looked up at his father doubtfully, "How do I make myself angry?"

Goku looked up in thought, "Uh… I'm not actually sure," he said, scratching his cheek, "I had plenty reason to be angry when I first transformed…" He placed his hands on his hips, brow furrowed in thought, "Hmmm… Just, uh… try to think of bad things happening… or something."

Gohan's doubt didn't disappear, but he decided to give it a try, "What kind of thing should I think about?"

"Well, try thinking about what would happen if Cell found the others. I mean, they're nowhere near strong enough to handle him," he suggested. He couldn't help but frown at the image it conjured for him.

Gohan didn't like the idea much, either. He frowned and closed his eyes, letting his imagination run wild. His breathing sped up as he imagined the people he cared about being killed by the green monstrosity. He began choking out short sounds, turning his head this way and that as if he were having a nightmare.

Goku watched in concern as Gohan trembled and fidgeted, "It's working better than I thought it would," he thought. He grimaced, "I really wish this weren't necessary to transform."

"Alright, Gohan, I think you're plenty angry now! Take all that anger and ball it up inside you," he instructed, "Squeeze the ball tighter and tighter until you can't continue," he pantomimed the action.

Gohan nodded, eyes still closed and fists clenched. The trembling stopped, but the tension in his stance increased. He looked up at Goku, opening his eyes and gritting his teeth, "What now?" he bit out.

Goku winced at his son's tone, "This is just wrong; Gohan deserves to be happy, but I'm making him do this," he thought remorsefully. His eyes hardened, "Still, this is necessary. Gohan needs to be stronger. I won't always be around to protect him."

Goku looked his son in the eye, noting the mounting anger there in approval, "Now… let it all out. Let it explode!" he yelled.

Gohan took a deep breath, then screamed, "AAAAAAHHHH!"

A white aura of incredible magnitude burst out, marred by an occasional streak of gold. Locks of his long hair lifted. His aura grew, in both size and intensity. He continued yelling, using anger to draw out more power.

The explosion was powerful enough to knock Goku back a few steps. He used an arm to protect his eyes from the intense wind, watching as his son's hair flashed gold sporadically. Gohan continued yelling for another thirty seconds, before finally running out of energy. The aura died down and faded. Gohan fell to his hands and knees, sweat dripping off his nose onto the chamber's floor.

Goku approached and knelt next to him. He placed a hand on his back, "That was a good try Gohan! I'm really proud of you. I'm sure you'll have the transformation down in no-time!" he encouraged, grinning.

Gohan returned a weak smile.

Trunks stood on the edge of the lookout, a few meters from his father. His eyes were closed and brow furrowed as he tried to make sense of Piccolo's fight. It was difficult when he could only sense the one ki signature. There was no way of knowing if Piccolo was fighting one or all of the androids, nor could he tell if any of the androids were injured.

"It's almost nostalgic, except that that term is usually used for fond memories," he thought. In his original time, he had often tried to sense Gohan's battles with the androids, with little success, "It's a little depressing that I'm just as useful now as I was then."

He frowned, "I hope the time chamber is all it's cracked up to be."

"Dad?"

"Yeah, son?"

"This time… I want you to attack me with all your power. I know you don't mean to, but… you always hold back with me," Gohan said, staring at his father determinedly. He took a step forward and brought his fists up to his sides, "You said that I need to need the power to transform. That'll never happen unless my life is in real danger!" he exclaimed, "That's why… you need to attack as if you were going to kill me."

Goku frowned uncertainly. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, then sighed, "I kinda hate it when you're right."

Gohan smiled faintly, "You don't have to like it, dad."

Goku snorted in exasperation, "Ain't that the truth," His face became serious, "Alright, Gohan. I'll give everything I've got. Don't die on me!"

Gohan smirked, "Trust me, dad!"

Goku frowned, "I'll have to."

He set his arms and transformed, "Uraaahh!" His hair stood on end, turning gold. His muscles bulged, and his aura took on a golden hue. He looked down at Gohan with stern eyes, "Last chance, son," he said, voice deeper; more intimidating.

Gohan looked into his father's eyes, trying to communicate his conviction, "I can do this. I know I can."

Goku closed his eyes slowly, "Okay." he said. He lowered himself into his stance. He opened his eyes, "You ready?"

Gohan took his own stance, just a few meters from his father. He nodded solemnly.

"Alright… let's go!"

Gohan rushed his father, white aura surrounding him. He sent forth a flurry of punches. Goku easily danced out of the way. Goku stopped dodging and caught one of Gohan's fists. Before Gohan could respond Goku's other fist dug into his stomach with staggering force, "Uwah!" he gasped as the air escaped his lungs.

He gathered his wits and took some distance before Goku could do more damage. He didn't have a chance to catch his breath as Goku pursued him immediately. He grit his teeth, "I have to fight head on! My goal isn't to win, it's to transform!"

He growled in frustration and rushed forward to meet Goku head on. He sent a heavy punch at Goku's face, but his arm was caught. Goku slammed him into the ground. Gohan hopped up just quick enough to avoid the powerful ki blast aimed at his spot on the ground, "Dad really is serious about this! That blast would have left me with serious injuries!"

Gohan placed his hands in front of his forehead, charging an attack, "Masenko… ," he chanted. Goku charged towards him, disregarding the danger. Gohan changed his aim at the last second, "Haaa!" he yelled, aiming at the ground in front of him. The explosion provided cover, and he used it to get above Goku without being noticed. He charged up a ki blast for as long as he dared; worried that Goku might find him.

Goku lowered his arms from where they had been shielding his eyes. He looked around. Gohan fired the ki blast. Goku looked up at the last second, then vanished. He appeared in front of Gohan, grasping the neck of his armor, "You're going to have to try harder than that, Gohan," he said, pulling Gohan closer. Gohan gripped his father's arm, trying to break free of his hold. Goku's eyes narrowed, "Get angry! NOW!"

Gohan grit his teeth, "Fine!" he placed his hand on Goku's chest, channeling as much ki as he could into an explosion, "Aaahhh!" he yelled. The blast knocked both of them away from each other. Goku regained his balance before hitting the ground, brushing at the smoking front of his armor. Gohan fell to the ground, skipping a few times. He stood up shakily.

His eyes hardened in determination, "I have to get angry! Just remember what will happen if we can't stop Cell. All the people I care about. All the people of earth. They'll die," he thought. Goku rushed towards him again, fist pulled back.

Gohan clenched his hands and growled. He shot forward, ready to meet his father's attack, "Haaahhh!" his fist smashed into Goku's, creating a wave of invisible force around them. Gohan pulled his other fist back, launching it with a guttural yell. He kept throwing punch after punch, putting all his strength behind each one.

Goku observed him clinically, blocking each attack carefully, "He's almost there. Just need to push him a little farther," he grimaced and braced himself for what he was about to do.

Gohan snarled and sent a kick, but Goku caught it. Goku balled a fist, pounding it into Gohan's gut. Gohan's armor distorted from the force; his mouth wide in a silent scream of pain. Goku removed his fist, letting his son fall to the ground. He looked down with shadowed eyes,

"Is this all you've got?" he asked. He bit his lip, drawing blood, "This is why you're so useless!" he yelled, wincing at his own tone. He gathered his resolve, face set in grim determination, "One bad hit is all it takes to put you out of the fight! MAN UP! If you don't fight right now, Cell is going to kill everyone! Are you okay with that? Are you going to let that happen?"

" ...no," a weak voice said.

"I can't hear you!" Goku said. He reached down picking Gohan up by the collar, "Are you going to let that happen?!"

Gohan lifted his face, tears streaming down his cheeks, "NO!" he cried. Goku nearly faltered but managed to retain his stern expression. He narrowed his eyes,

"Then stand up! Fight me! Beat me! GET ANGRY!" he tossed Gohan back to the ground. He slowly rose into the air, "This is your last chance," he said softly. He pulled his hands next to his waist.

"Ka… me… ha…" a blue orb of energy formed between his hands, glowing brightly. The orb grew and fluctuated, unleashing an undulating whine. Goku pulled his lips back in a snarl, "Don't you dare dodge this!"

Gohan stood, wiping away his tears. He looked at the bright blue light encompassing his father, "He really is ready to kill me," he thought, "I didn't think he actually had it in him."

"Mee…" Goku continued.

Gohan slapped his cheeks, "This isn't the time for that. I have to transform. That's the only way to block an attack that powerful!" he lowered his stance, fists clenched, "Take all my anger and ball it up inside."

"Haaaaa!" Goku yelled. The bright blue beam screamed towards Gohan, bringing death with it. Gohan watched it come, flaring his white aura, "It's now or never!"

He put his hands in front of him, preparing to catch the powerful beam, "Now, squeeze the ball tighter and tighter!" The beam connected with his hands, sending a shocking force throughout his body, "I can't believe how heavy it is!"

Sweat began to pour, both from the heat of the attack and the exertion he was putting forth. His feet pushed against the ground, trying to maintain traction, "Finally, release the anger. Release it all at once!" he yelled mentally. He grunted heavily as power exploded from him in a shower of golden sparks, "HaaaaAAAHHH!" he yelled, pushing back against the energy beam.

Locks of his long hair lifted on their own, becoming a spiky mess. His eyes flashed a bluish-green color. He stopped yelling, catching his breath, "Not yet! I'm not done yet!"

"Haaaaahhh!" he yelled once more. His hair pulsed between black and yellow, over and over. Finally, it settled on the trademark Super Saiyan gold. His muscles bulged under his spandex suit. His lips pulled back as he exerted all his effort, pushing the beam back.

Surprisingly, he pulled one hand back, restraining the attack with only one hand. He placed the hand by his waist, "Ka… me… ha… me…" he chanted gravely. A blue orb just like Goku's appeared in his hand. He narrowed his eyes dangerously, then thrust the hand and energy sphere forward, "Haaaa!" the beam pierced through his father's attack, traveling up to its source.

By the time Goku realized what was happening it was already upon him.

A/N: Oooh, a cliff-hanger right off the bat! So, here's the first chapter of Out of Order! How do you guys like the name?

If you read the author's notes in Fledgling Deity, you'll know that I originally planned to post this story after it was completed. However, I'm too excited so I changed my mind. This is a side-project, so there is no schedule. I'll post chapters as I finish them, whenever that may be. This will not affect the schedule for Fledgling Deity. That is still 1 ch/week.

Edit: I noticed a mistake regarding the events in canon. Gohan mentioned being there when 17 and 18 were activated. He was not. I have altered that line to reflect the actual events.