Disclaimer (part II): . . . yea, you get the gist of this.
A/N: This chapter was, uhm . . . a bit tedious. I'm horrible at transitions, so just bear with me here. Hopefully the next chapter will be more interesting (key word being "hopefully)
"MISTER PICCOLO!"
Thrown out of his meditation, the Namekian growled in annoyance and looked around for the source of the voice. He spied an orange and black blur speeding towards him, and distinguished it to be Goten.
* I wonder what's gotten him so worked up . . . * he mused to himself. * Flying around this late at night and yelling his head off . . . there really IS something horribly wrong with Goku's offspring. *
He lowered himself to the ground and stood up, waiting for the youngest demi-saiyan. Goten hopped off of the cloud, stumbled over to Piccolo, and tugged frantically at his dark purple gi.
"MisterPiccolocomequicksomething'swrongwithGohanandwedon'tknowwhat'shappen ingandmommytoldmetocomegetyou . . . "
He looked down impassively at the hyperactive child for a moment before reaching down and lifting him up by the back of his gi.
"Slow. down." he commanded, holding the boy so that they were face to face. "I can't understand what you're saying . . . and for god's sake, stop tugging on my clothes. I know you're here . . . I'm listening."
Goten squirmed and took a deep breath.
"Go . . . Gohan . . . something's wrong with him . . . he's screaming and mommy's scared and shesaidtocomefindyouandnowIdidsopleasepleasepleasegohelpmybrotherhe's-"
Piccolo cut him off by abruptly dropping him onto the flying Nimbus.
"Breathe," he advised.
Goten complied, and followed the already air-born Namekian as he took off towards their home. When they had almost reached the Son residence, a wave of enormous energy washed over them. Piccolo recognized the distinct ki immediately.
* His energy level is skyrocketing . . . If he keeps this up he's going to kill himself! *
As soon as he touched down on their front lawn, he strode over to Gohan with a grim resolve, slightly regretting what he had to do.
* It can't be worse than all the times I knocked him into rocks and cliffs while we were training * he reassured himself, and in one fluid motion jabbed his fingers into the sides of his neck. The demi-saiyan's hair faded into black, as did his eyes, as he fell out of the powered up state. He clutched at his throat as he let out a few strangled gasps and crumpled limply to the ground.
Piccolo managed a faint smirk.
* I knew that technique would come in handy someday *
He looked down at his singed hands- even a moment's contact had caused them to burn and blister. However, the well being of his hands was the least of his worries at the moment.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY GOHAN?!" Chi-chi exclaimed shrilly, already kneeling by her fallen son. "If you hurt my little boy in ANY way . . ."
Piccolo watched calmly as she frantically checked to make sure that he was still breathing, and put her head on his chest to listen for a heartbeat.
"I just knocked him out. He should be unconscious for a while, but he'll be fine."
His mind wandered back to Gohan's long, grueling fight with Cell, and how many times he had gotten beaten down. Of course the 11 year old (with the help of his father) ended up winning in the end, but that victory had come at a price. He smirked.
"He's had worse."
With that he turned to leave, but something held him back. Or rather, someone. Piccolo looked down to see Goten latched securely to his cape, and the determined expression on his face made it quite obvious that he would not let go until he was heard out.
"What."
"Aren't you going to help Gohan?"
He nearly face-vaulted at the youngest Son's question.
"I did all that I could. Now let go of my cape."
If anything, he gripped the white cloth tighter. The namek sighed. Before he could protest, however, Chi-chi intervened and crushed all his resolve with one word.
"Please."
He looked at her in shock: was this the same woman that had been screaming at him moments earlier?
* That settles it . . . there's something horribly wrong with Goku's whole FAMILY *
She seemed not to notice his astonishment and continued on.
"This house holds too many painful memories for him. He needs . . . "
She took a deep breath to keep her voice form wavering.
" . . . He needs some time away. Some place where he can have time to rest and . . . get better."
Piccolo wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly. She'd always been uneasy around him (which is certainly understandable since he HAD killed her husband and kidnapped their only child at the time), but now she was trusting Gohan to him, and him alone? It was rather unnerving. Yet he knew that it must have been near impossible for Chi-chi to let him go, and for her to do so showed how desperate she was for him to "get better," as she had put it.
Wordlessly he walked over to the demi-saiyan body and hefted him over his shoulder. He was about to leave when he remembered that Goten was still clinging on to him.
"You can let go now," he informed him. Goten complied hesitantly, and peered at him anxiously.
"So you're going to help him, right?"
"Nnh."
Satisfied with the noncommittal grunt, the raven-haired little boy reached up and tugged on the arm of his older brother.
"You better get fast quick, ok Gohan? I wanna spar with you!"
With that comment of innocent naivety, he trotted off to Chi-chi's side. Not daring to look either of the Sons in the eyes for fear of a messy good- bye, Piccolo simply turned and took off into the night sky.
A/N: This chapter was, uhm . . . a bit tedious. I'm horrible at transitions, so just bear with me here. Hopefully the next chapter will be more interesting (key word being "hopefully)
"MISTER PICCOLO!"
Thrown out of his meditation, the Namekian growled in annoyance and looked around for the source of the voice. He spied an orange and black blur speeding towards him, and distinguished it to be Goten.
* I wonder what's gotten him so worked up . . . * he mused to himself. * Flying around this late at night and yelling his head off . . . there really IS something horribly wrong with Goku's offspring. *
He lowered himself to the ground and stood up, waiting for the youngest demi-saiyan. Goten hopped off of the cloud, stumbled over to Piccolo, and tugged frantically at his dark purple gi.
"MisterPiccolocomequicksomething'swrongwithGohanandwedon'tknowwhat'shappen ingandmommytoldmetocomegetyou . . . "
He looked down impassively at the hyperactive child for a moment before reaching down and lifting him up by the back of his gi.
"Slow. down." he commanded, holding the boy so that they were face to face. "I can't understand what you're saying . . . and for god's sake, stop tugging on my clothes. I know you're here . . . I'm listening."
Goten squirmed and took a deep breath.
"Go . . . Gohan . . . something's wrong with him . . . he's screaming and mommy's scared and shesaidtocomefindyouandnowIdidsopleasepleasepleasegohelpmybrotherhe's-"
Piccolo cut him off by abruptly dropping him onto the flying Nimbus.
"Breathe," he advised.
Goten complied, and followed the already air-born Namekian as he took off towards their home. When they had almost reached the Son residence, a wave of enormous energy washed over them. Piccolo recognized the distinct ki immediately.
* His energy level is skyrocketing . . . If he keeps this up he's going to kill himself! *
As soon as he touched down on their front lawn, he strode over to Gohan with a grim resolve, slightly regretting what he had to do.
* It can't be worse than all the times I knocked him into rocks and cliffs while we were training * he reassured himself, and in one fluid motion jabbed his fingers into the sides of his neck. The demi-saiyan's hair faded into black, as did his eyes, as he fell out of the powered up state. He clutched at his throat as he let out a few strangled gasps and crumpled limply to the ground.
Piccolo managed a faint smirk.
* I knew that technique would come in handy someday *
He looked down at his singed hands- even a moment's contact had caused them to burn and blister. However, the well being of his hands was the least of his worries at the moment.
"WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY GOHAN?!" Chi-chi exclaimed shrilly, already kneeling by her fallen son. "If you hurt my little boy in ANY way . . ."
Piccolo watched calmly as she frantically checked to make sure that he was still breathing, and put her head on his chest to listen for a heartbeat.
"I just knocked him out. He should be unconscious for a while, but he'll be fine."
His mind wandered back to Gohan's long, grueling fight with Cell, and how many times he had gotten beaten down. Of course the 11 year old (with the help of his father) ended up winning in the end, but that victory had come at a price. He smirked.
"He's had worse."
With that he turned to leave, but something held him back. Or rather, someone. Piccolo looked down to see Goten latched securely to his cape, and the determined expression on his face made it quite obvious that he would not let go until he was heard out.
"What."
"Aren't you going to help Gohan?"
He nearly face-vaulted at the youngest Son's question.
"I did all that I could. Now let go of my cape."
If anything, he gripped the white cloth tighter. The namek sighed. Before he could protest, however, Chi-chi intervened and crushed all his resolve with one word.
"Please."
He looked at her in shock: was this the same woman that had been screaming at him moments earlier?
* That settles it . . . there's something horribly wrong with Goku's whole FAMILY *
She seemed not to notice his astonishment and continued on.
"This house holds too many painful memories for him. He needs . . . "
She took a deep breath to keep her voice form wavering.
" . . . He needs some time away. Some place where he can have time to rest and . . . get better."
Piccolo wasn't sure if he had heard her correctly. She'd always been uneasy around him (which is certainly understandable since he HAD killed her husband and kidnapped their only child at the time), but now she was trusting Gohan to him, and him alone? It was rather unnerving. Yet he knew that it must have been near impossible for Chi-chi to let him go, and for her to do so showed how desperate she was for him to "get better," as she had put it.
Wordlessly he walked over to the demi-saiyan body and hefted him over his shoulder. He was about to leave when he remembered that Goten was still clinging on to him.
"You can let go now," he informed him. Goten complied hesitantly, and peered at him anxiously.
"So you're going to help him, right?"
"Nnh."
Satisfied with the noncommittal grunt, the raven-haired little boy reached up and tugged on the arm of his older brother.
"You better get fast quick, ok Gohan? I wanna spar with you!"
With that comment of innocent naivety, he trotted off to Chi-chi's side. Not daring to look either of the Sons in the eyes for fear of a messy good- bye, Piccolo simply turned and took off into the night sky.