It has been many years since the cataclysmic battle between the Earth's greatest hero, Goku, and his arch-nemesis, Piccolo. All is at peace, and this was true also for the Son household as Chi-Chi knocked on her son's door.

"Gohan!" She called with a smile. "How's my little scholar doing? I brought you your favourite drink…Gohan?!" But instead of finding her child diligently studying at the desk, nose buried in another book, all that greeted her was an empty space. The window was open and a cool breeze was blowing in, curtains swaying in the wind. "This is the third time this month! Why can't he just study like I want him to?" The concerned mother sighed, crossing her arms. "Well there's nothing I can do. I just hope Goku finds him."

Not too far off, the serenity of a placid lake was broken when a monstrous fish broke the surface of the water, being thrown onto the lake shore as a man dressed in an orange and blue gi leapt out after it. He shook his head, letting all the water out with a grin. "You're a little on the small side, but just perfect for a dinner meal." But as he prepared to drag it back home, his senses suddenly picked up a strong ki level not too far off from his location.

Immediately he thought of Piccolo, as he could think of no one else that could be that high. But then he scanned it again and realised that it was a pure and untainted ki. His curiosity got the better of him as he moved off to investigate.

The sight that greeted him once he navigated the terrain was absolutely astonishing. "What…Gohan?" Goku gasped out.

At the mention of his name, the boy spun around, switching to a fighting stance but loosening when he realised who it was. "Daddy? Is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me son. But what were you doing here? Aren't you meant to be studying?"

Everything in Gohan's vicinity had been damaged, broken or thrown away. Rocks had been split cleanly in half, the trunks of several trees had been cleanly shorn and craters were everywhere!

Gohan smiled sheepishly. "Well…ya see dad…"

"GOHAN LOOK OUT!" Goku screamed, moving into action once he saw the large tiger that approached from behind.

But there was no need – for Gohan had already spun around, raising his hand up. "HAA!" He yelled, as a blue blast of energy flared from his open palm, incinerating the animal before it could jump.

Goku's eyes widened. Gohan could do ki blasts? "Are you okay, Gohan?"

"I'm fine daddy," the boy exclaimed even as he wiped the sweat off his forehead, picking his shirt up off the ground and putting it back on. "I'm done now anyway. Can you take me home now?"

"Uh…sure."

As Goku picked the little boy up, and they trekked back home, the hero asked him a question in confusion. "Gohan…who taught you how to use your ki?"

Gohan frowned. "Use my what?"

"What you used to fire off that blast."

"Oh…that!" Gohan became excited. "I saw you do it daddy!"

Incredible, Goku thought in astonishment. Gohan learnt how to use his ki instinctively by just watching me do the same. Wait till I tell… he paused.

"Daddy?"

"Uh-oh." Chi-Chi was not going to be happy…

-------

"WHAT?!" Chi-Chi shrieked, once their son had been safely stowed away back in his room. "MY LITTLE BOY WAS TRAINING?"

Goku winced, rubbing his ears. "Yeah. He was really good as well today."

"No, no, this can't do! You've been rubbing off on him too much, Goku, because every time he should be studying he's running outside trying to teach himself how to fight! I DO NOT want my little son to be all brawns and no brains!"

"But Chi-Chi!" Goku protested. "It's obvious how much he wants to be a fighter. And he's amazing! Even I wasn't doing the stuff he was doing at his age every time I caught him training!"

"NO! He is going to be a scholar, and that's final!"

"Mum!"

Chi-Chi shrieked in fright, spinning around to see her son. "Gohan? Why aren't you in your room? Mummy and daddy are trying to have a little talk right now…"

"I heard you two arguing, mum," Gohan responded, tugging uncomfortably at his neat clothes. "And I want to have a say."

Goku had not even sensed him coming, but now his ki signature was brilliantly active (although still suppressed). He can suppress it too?

"I want to be a fighter, mum, just like dad!" Gohan declared. "I want to grow up strong like him and when I'm ready I can help protect all the innocent people! Just like the stories you always tell me mum! But… if it pleases you, I can do some studying as well. I kinda like it, but I don't like doing it all the time."

Chi-Chi was taken aback. Inside she was torn in half. While one part of her was proud that her little boy was growing up, standing up for himself like this and obviously being mature beyond his years, another part doubted it, fearing for her little boy's safety.

But then the mother realised that he really was too much like his father – fighting was in his blood. No matter what she said, he would go do it anyway. "…Fine," she resigned. "If that's what you really want, Gohan."

"I do." Gohan strongly replied.

"But I don't want you to become an idiot with big muscles! You're going to be both strong and smart!" Chi-Chi declared, a new purpose resolving her. "You're going to be the strongest and smartest fighter in the world!"

And so began the story of Son Gohan, warrior, defender of the Earth, and fighting prodigy extraordinaire.

-------

"Aw, isn't he cute!" Bulma cooed, raising her hand to ruffle the boy's hair. "And he's in a gi exactly like yours, Goku!"

Goku grinned. "Yep. Everyone, I'd like you to meet my son, Gohan."

"So I take it that you're going to be a fighter, just like your dad?" Roshi asked, looking at the boy with interest. The old man, while an absolute pervert, was still an intelligent and keen warrior. He could sense that there was more to the boy than met the eye. Interesting… I sense an incredible amount of power buried underneath his current level. I wonder how much of it he's aware of?

"Yep!" Gohan declared. "Some day I'll be one of the strongest fighters in the world, and then I can help dad protect those who can't protect themselves!"

Goku smiled proudly. "And he's well on the way." But as pleasantries continued, something caught their attention. Something…evil.

"Daddy!" Gohan cried, turning around. "Do you feel that?"

"Feel wha…whoa!" Goku narrowed his eyes, shifting into his favoured fighting stance for the Turtle style as Gohan followed suit, instead however moving into his own self-taught form. "It's unlike anything I've ever felt!"

"Is it Piccolo?" Krillin gulped nervously.

"No. It's too strong to be Piccolo. And it's much more evil."

The man that flew down to meet them, as they soon learnt, was Raditz. And as he related to his brother what he truly was, Gohan realised that everything began to make sense. No wonder Dad was so strong even as a kid! But I wonder why he freaked out when he realised he had lost his tail?

Gohan resisted the urge to fight back or blast him with some of his new techniques as he was picked up by the Saiyan, even as he taunted his younger brother. Mum had always warned him there was a time not to fight and a time to fight, and he knew that there would be a better time later on to fight back.

-------

NO, DAD! Gohan screamed inside his mind as he saw his father suffer a powerful, potentially fatal blow as he attempted to hold Raditz still until Piccolo could finish charging his technique. It had not worked the first time, and it looked like it would work this time, but Raditz had somehow managed to wrestle his way out of Goku's grip to lash out at him, and now he turned to Piccolo, smirking darkly as he stomped towards him.

Gohan gritted his teeth as he attempted to push himself out, but no luck – the pod door wouldn't budge. He realised that in order to get out, he would need much more power.

Tightening his hands into fists, he growled as he began powering up, drawing on his strength as his ki began to skyrocket madly. Outside, Raditz turned around in shock as his scouter began beeping wildly.

"HAAAA!" Gohan launched himself out of the pod, blowing off the front of the door completely as he flew out, speeding across the distance so quickly that Raditz, still frozen in shock, was caught off-guard as the young boy launched a kick, sending him flying into the ground, finishing up with a powerful ki blast.

Raditz picked himself up, rubbing the spot where he had kicked him. "You're gonna pay for that one, kid!"

Gohan grinned as he put his hands in front of him. "Not likely!" He had stumbled on this little trick in one of his long meditative sessions when mum still forced him to study, and even though he was unsure it could hold someone of Raditz's strength, it was their best shot. "Come and get me!"

"Gladly! Watch this – Double…what? I-I can't move!" Raditz's bloodthirsty look turned to fear. "No!"

Gohan growled as he used his mental strength to immobilise him. "Piccolo, I've got him! Use it NOW!"

Piccolo smirked as he stopped gathering power. "Yes! Take this! SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!" he roared, sending a powerful beam of energy towards the Saiyan.

"NOOOO!" Raditz screamed as the beam made impact, flying straight through him. He stumbled and fell as Gohan released his mental grip.

"Daddy!" Gohan cried as he ran to his fallen father. "We got him! Please stay with us!"

"That's good…" Goku smiled, as he raised his hand up, cupping it in his son's smaller one. "But it's too late for me…"

"No, no, please, daddy!" Gohan wept. "What about mum?"

"You're strong enough to take care of her. I have confidence in you…"

"Daddy!" Goku's hand went limp, and Gohan sobbed as his father's ki faded completely.

"Don't worry, kid. We can wish him back with the dragon balls."

Gohan spun around. "C-Can we really?"

"Yes." Piccolo nodded. "But…"

"GOKU!" Krillin screeched, followed by Bulma as they ran to his side. "No! This can't be happening!"

But Gohan was wiping his tears away. "We can wish him back with the dragon balls though."

Krillin perked up. "Of course! And now that that creep's dead…"

"Don't be so happy now," Piccolo growled. With a grunt and a flash his gi became suddenly new again.

That's a nice trick, Gohan thought.

"That Saiyan said that two more will be coming after him, arriving in a year. Two more that are far stronger than he is."

"What?!" Krillin cried. "You're kidding!"

"Do I look like I am?" Piccolo sized Gohan up, and the boy suddenly knew what he wanted to do.

"You want me to come with you to train."

Piccolo was caught by surprise, though didn't show it. "Yes. With power like yours you could be a real asset."

"Done. Let's go."

"Hey wait a second!" Krillin yelled. "What about your mother?"

"She'll understand. Tell her that this is really important."

Piccolo moved to grab him, but Gohan shook his head. "I can fly. Let's go."

Again Piccolo was surprised. Who is this kid? But as he hovered off the ground, Gohan mimicked him, the two of them taking off until they become only distant specks in the ground.

Krillin groaned, slapping his forehead. "How am I going to explain all of this to Chi-Chi?"

-------

The two of them landed in a desert, in the wild, far away from civilization.

"Alright then kid." Piccolo looked down at Gohan, although the boy wasn't intimidated. "Here's the deal. We have twelve months to train. Six months, I'm leaving you out here to fend for yourself. The last six months will be spent training with me."

Gohan frowned. "What? Why do I have to do that?" Like it would really help him anyway. He knew the ins and outs of living in the wild already, having spent plenty of time outside with his dad.

"So you don't slow me down while I do my own training." Piccolo's white cape fluttered behind him as he turned.

Gohan snarled. Slow him down? "That's just what you're saying. Of course, we both know the real reason why you're leaving me for six months. It's not because I can train to catch up… it's because so you can train to catch up with me!"

"WHAT?!" Piccolo thundered, whirling around. "Take that back! You're just some snot-nosed kid!"

Gohan didn't like boasting, but he felt it necessary. "Really? Then how did this 'snot-nosed kid' manage to catch Raditz by surprise, and hold him long enough for you to fire your little beam?"

"Okay, that's it! Kid or not, you're going to be taught a lesson you won't ever forget," Piccolo yelled, flying forward with his fist raised.

Gohan's smirk was still on his face as the green warrior hit him – only for the boy to blur and vanish!

"What? An after-image? But then…" He gave a yelp as Gohan reappeared to hit him with a kick to the back, stunned briefly before enduring several other brutal blows – however Piccolo managed to recompose himself, spinning around to deliver some attacks of his own.

As the two traded blows at a furious speed, Gohan quickly analysed his opponent's fighting style, doing so almost instinctively.

Hmm… completely different to Dad's style. It's obviously meant to take advantage of his height and reach, as well as strength with little sacrifice in speed. It seems to be fancier and more complex, but no less practical. Not bad at all. Gohan nimbly ducked underneath his opponent, moving forward to deliver a straight uppercut to Piccolo's stomach. The demon grunted in pain, stepping back in shock. "You shouldn't have performed that move twice. I recognized it instantly!"

Piccolo recollected himself. "There's no way a kid can be this strong!" he managed out. "Just no way!"

"Believe it," Gohan said, panting from the exertion. The two looked similar in their bruises and cuts. "I guess…we have a lot to teach each other."
The taller warrior stared at him in shock, pausing for a moment as he registered this. "…Fine. I guess we can train together." In a swift and sudden move, he threw off his weighted turban and cape. "But don't think I'm going to go easy on you."

"Good." Gohan sat down, taking off his weighted boots, wrist bands and undershirt. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

With a simultaneous yell and the burst of auras, the two warriors charged at each other again.