chapter- 3

Gohan flew towards a nearby town, on an errand for his mom to gather supplies. After Cell's attack at Z-TV, most of the people had fled the cities, so it was a bit more difficult than it sounded to fill a simple shopping list. He was still dressed in his gi, but he'd left his cape behind, since it might look a bit stupid on him if they didn't know who he was respecting.

Gohan looked down and saw a young girl, slightly younger than him, reaching to get an apple on a branch hanging over a swift-flowing river. Suddenly the branch snapped, and she fell into the water.

Gohan shot down, diving under the water, pulling her out and setting her down on the shore. "Are you okay?" asked Gohan.

Just then, she pushed him away, since his hand was on her chest. "HOW DARE YOU YOU FIEND!" she shouted.

"What?" asked Gohan. "For saving you?" She simply made a face and ran off.

"GO BACK WHERE YOU CAME FROM!" she shouted back at Gohan. The half-Saiyan merely stared at the direction she ran off. Shrugging, he flew back into the air.

He sighted a large domed structure he hadn't seen ever before. "Wow, cool," he said. "I don't remember that being there." He continued on, landing outside Chazke Village. "Shoot," he said. "Don't tell me this village is deserted too. At this rate I'll never get mom's shopping done. This is the fourth village I've been to. Cell must really be scaring people.".

"may be i should kill him now itself it will save a lot of trouble"gohan thought"nah what fun would it be and besides i want to get a look on vegeta's face while i beat cell"gohan chuckled.

Finally, he sighted a store that was still open, with a van outside. He walked up to the door before he heard raised voices inside. He glanced inside, getting the situation.

"What do you need money for?" was shouting a man at the gray-haired shopkeeper. "The world's ending."

"Perhaps," answered the shopkeeper, his arms crossed, "but no one knows that for sure. Especially not you."

"Shut your face you old man!" shouted a shorter man. "We're just gonna take it!" His partner shoved him to the ground.

"Look," said the taller man. "We'll trade you for it. You can have free lodging in the shelter with us. You dig?"

"That shelter is a bad idea," answered the shopkeeper. "I've said that from the start."

"Excuse me," said Gohan, deciding to enter the shop.

"What do you think you're doing, small fry?" asked the shorter man, walking up to Gohan. Ironically, despite his taunt of "small fry", Gohan was still taller than him.

"I'm just picking a few things up for my mom," answered Gohan.

"Leave him be, Birdwell," said the taller man. "He's just a young punk. Bug off, kid, we're sold out."

"Then what's all this?" asked Gohan, shoving Birdwell to the side while gesturing to all the goods lining the walls.

"Burbon family bought it!" said Birdwell. "For the shelter!"

"Stop your nonsense, now!" said the shopkeeper. He turned to Gohan. "Sorry, young man. Just tell me what you need."

Gohan pulled out a list. "Sure! One bag-"

The taller man grunted in anger. "Listen!" he shouted at the shopkeeper. "What's your problem, old man? Are you deaf? We need this! To survive." His voice took on one of those telling a sob story. "Not just us. Everyone! All the villagers are counting on you. Give us the food."

"Why should I?" asked the shopkeeper. "So the Burbon family can make the villagers work for it?"

"I don't think he's getting it," said Birdwell. "I think he needs a little persuasion." He smashed a few bottles on a shelf.

"Stop that!" shouted the shopkeeper, running over. "What are you doing?"

Birdwell picked up a pitchfork. "This oughta do the trick." He swung it back over his shoulder. Just then,he felt as if some body caught his hand,when he turned back he saw the boy whom he earlier mocked.

"he said you to leave ,you better leave or else i will beat you in such a way that you will be lucky to even walk after it"gohan said in such a cold voice that the man started sweating.

Just then, there was a scream from outside.

"CELL!" shouted the voice. "IT'S CELL!"

"He's back?" asked the taller thug.

"Cell's been here before?" asked Gohan, bracing himself.

"Darn right!" said the taller thug, running outside. "I knew he'd be back!" Birdwell went tearing after his partner.

What the heck is Cell doing out here? thought Gohan.

"CELL'S HERE!" shouted the voice, turning out to be the little girl Gohan had saved from the river. She turned and looked at them guiltily, before recognizing Gohan.

"Ms. Lime," said the shopkeeper. "Where's Cell?"

Lime put her hand behind the back of her head, laughing guiltily. "Now, Lime," lectured the shopkeeper. "How many times have I told you never to lie again?"

"Cell's not here?" asked Gohan. He and Lime followed the shopkeeper outside, the shopkeeper explaining how the first time Cell had come, he'd devoured half the village, including Lime's parents. He'd still been incomplete at that stage, hunting the androids.

"So that's the shelter they were talking about?" asked Gohan, looking up at the domed building he'd spotted earlier from the air.

"Yes," said the shopkeeper, chopping a block of wood in half with an ax. "The villagers have gone there for protection. Just in case Cell comes back."

"It won't do them any good," said Gohan, imagining Cell coming one night and using a simple energy beam to kill everybody at once.

"You sound like you've seen Cell before," said Lime. "But you're still alive."

"I saw Cell when he attacked Ginger Town. Some friends and I tried to stop him. We would have been able to, but he was too tricky and got away. After that, we tried tracking him down, but he was too quick for us."

"so you think you can beat cell?"lime asked

Just then, the shopkeeper grabbed his back, groaning in pain.

"Gramps, it's your back again!" said Lime. "Why can't I do it? I'm big enough!"

"You're still a little young, child," said the shopkeeper.

"I can help!" said Gohan, walking forward. The shopkeeper stared at him for a few moments, considering his offer. Finally, he smiled.

"Yes. I'd love your help." He handed his ax to Gohan, gesturing at a pile of wood against the house. The half-Saiyan handed the ax back.

"Just watch," he said. He picked up the entire pile of wood, threw it into the air, and darted into the sky after them, moving faster than the shopkeeper or Lime could see. Finally, he landed, and the wood stacked itself neatly behind him, fully cut.

"Impressive," said the shopkeeper. "You really are a great fighter." Lime's jaw had dropped."wow he so strong"she thought blushing a bit.

"thanks"gohan replied

"gohan how about i show you the woods around"lime asked.

"yeah surree"before gohan could complete his sentence she dragged him.

"don't go far away you two" the shop keeper said

"so gohan what do you during your lone time"lime asked

"nothing much just training and studying"gohan replied

"don't you have any friends"lime asked

"no there arent any people any where near my house to be my friends"gohan repiled some what depressed

"so sad why don't you be my friend"lime asked

"sure why not"gohan replied cheerfully