Gohan had barely even been able to jump out of the way of Dodoria's fearsome blast, escaping it by only a hair's breadth. Sweat was trickling down his forehead as he tried to make sense of what was happening. Dodoria, not giving him a chance to collect his thoughts, immediately went on the offensive. He flew straight at Gohan and delivered a vicious punch, but Gohan raised both of his arms to block it. The half-Saiyan grinded his teeth hard, as the force of Dodoria's punch was enough to deal a decent amount of pain to his forearms. Without hesitation, Dodoria swung his leg up for a kick that would have torn Gohan's head off had he not ducked down to dodge it. Now furious beyond belief, Gohan exploded his Ki around him and blasted off into the sky.
"What do you mean, excommunicated?" Gohan demanded, with a hint of shakiness in his voice as suspicion crept up to him.
Dodoria cackled from down below. "You're becoming more trouble than you're worth, monkey boy. Lord Frieza has decided that you're growing far too powerful for your own good, and has ordered your elimination before you can even become a threat!" he explained, snickering in amusement as he spoke.
All of the color drained from Gohan's face; Dodoria's words had hit him like a freight train. Gohan tried to open his mouth to respond, but his mind was racing at a million miles per second; he couldn't make sense of anything that he was just told he was so scared. Frieza had ordered for him to be killed? Even after he spent the last eight years working at his hands and feet?
Shit, Gohan cursed. W-why didn't I see this coming sooner…why else would that bastard send me off by myself…?
Dodoria began his slow ascent into the air, laughing in anticipation for the kill. He had never liked Gohan; the half-breed was nothing more than a pale imitation of Vegeta with a chip on his shoulder. The three existing Saiyans had already been enough, but then when this kid dropped in, it only served to further annoy him. He wished Frieza would just up and kill them all. Dodoria felt an odd nostalgia…the memories of a similar occurrence he had carried out on a certain fateful day 32 years ago were returning to him. The boy looked just like those other Saiyans did just before they met their icy fate.
Dodoria halted when he was only feet across from Gohan. The half-Saiyan could only look at him with wide eyes. He was quivering in shock, the prospect of his final moments beginning to sink in. He wanted to believe this was just a nightmare. Dodoria cracked his knuckles in preparation.
"It's been fun, kid. Give the rest of your simian forefathers my regards when you see them in hell," he darkly sneered.
Gohan clenched his fists tightly and furiously shook his head, forcing away the cold sweat that had been drenching his face. There was one thing he wasn't, and that was a coward. Grinding his teeth so hard he was nearly turning them to dust, Gohan resolved his course of action. He didn't give a damn if he was going to die here – he was going to go out with a fight. Dodoria may have been more powerful than him, but he was going to leave this planet regretting the day he crossed Son Gohan in his final moments. He knew that his only chance of escaping alive was with the Great Ape transformation, but he also knew that Dodoria would never give him the opportunity to create the power ball for it.
Now very confident, Gohan gave Dodoria a crazed smirk that would rival even Vegeta's. "So that coward finally showed his true colors, huh?" Gohan said snidely. "So be it; but know this Dodoria – I'm not going out before I tear off at least one of your limbs, you disgusting son of a bitch!"
Dodoria's veins pulsed over being insulted, but he quickly brushed it aside, widening his grin. "Oh, I would like to see you try."
Gohan indignantly grunted while removing his scouter and tossing it to the ground. His eyes narrowed in concentration as he let out a roar that rang throughout the atmosphere. A fierce, blue aura suddenly flared up around him, the force of it sending Dodoria back a few feet. The planet began shaking, and the sky darkened as a result of the power Gohan was putting out. He was laying it all on the line. When his power calmed down, Gohan fixed Dodoria with a murderous glare.
Gohan furiously charged at Dodoria, delivering a brutal punch to his jaw with an alarming amount of strength that managed to catch him off guard. The blow had sent Dodoria flying hundreds of feet back, and Gohan flew straight ahead of him at twice the amount of speed. Circling so he was directly in front of the pink warrior, Gohan clenched both of his fists together over his head and then brutally slammed them down onto Dodoria's. He could practically feel the spikes that layered his forehead being squished beneath the force of his fists.
Before Dodoria could even finish his quick descent to the sandy surface below, Gohan shot back down and delivered a staggering knee right to the center of his stomach. When Dodoria was mere inches from the ground, Gohan caught up to him once again, this time grabbing him by his pudgy arm and, with all of the strength he could muster, spun around and tossed the larger warrior clean across into a cliff. The large structure exploded into thousands of tiny rocks when Dodoria hit it.
Not allowing his assault to falter for even a nanosecond, Gohan hastily charged up a deadly amount of Ki to his palms and began firing streams of Ki blasts like a machine gun. The blasts rocked the planet's surface to hell and back, triggering hundreds of explosions and clouding the entire area with smoke that spanned for miles. Gohan finally wavered off his assault. His forehead was throbbing from all of the energy he was exerting as he panted heavily, observing the smoke as it trailed through the sky. He betrayed a small chuckle; he had a lingering suspicion that it wasn't enough, but he'd be damned if that wasn't satisfying.
As the smoke settled, Gohan could make out that familiar, round figure. With his acute vision, he looked further, studying Dodoria's state. His breath shortened when the image became clear. Dodoria was standing in the middle of the rubble, with both of fists clenched tightly at his sides and an angered scowl present on his face. Even though his armor was badly damaged, with the shoulder pads destroyed, he looked like the attack hadn't even hurt him.
"D-dammit…" Gohan hissed through his teeth.
Dodoria released a horrific growl, his eyes filled with anger and shock. He hadn't expected for the kid to be so strong. "You…you fucking brat! I WILL KILL YOU!" he shouted, steam practically shooting out of his nose.
With a speed that completely escaped Gohan's eyesight, Dodoria zipped right to him. Gohan could only look at the pink alien with wide, empty eyes before he was knocked flying, getting hit with an elbow straight to his nose. The half-Saiyan was nothing if not tenacious, however, halting his flight in mid-air and flying right back at Dodoria, brushing the blow off even though his nose was throbbing. He threw a deadly punched aimed at Dodoria's head, but it was blocked. A kick was met with the same result.
The two warriors went into a lightning-fast exchange of attacks, with Dodoria on the defensive. The sheer force of Gohan's unsuccessful attacks created shock waves that violently shook the planet. Dodoria broke the exchange with a staggering kick sent right to Gohan's jaw that forced him many feet into the air. Gohan stopped himself and spat out a mouthful of blood as he rubbed his jaw. He could feel it swelling from the force of the attacks Dodoria was hitting him with.
Dodoria was flying at him at a break-neck pace. Gohan flared his Ki up around and him and flew back, forcing Dodoria to chase him around. He finally stopped when he was a few feet behind a large rock as Dodoria dashed towards him and violently thrust his fist at his face. Gohan evaded the punch in the nick of time as Dodoria's fist hit the rock instead and shattered it to pieces. Gohan broke a cold sweat upon seeing the power the pink bastard displayed. He could only imagine what he would have been reduced to if he allowed that punch to hit.
Flying up into the sky once more, Gohan watched as Dodoria caught up to him. Gathering up his Ki quickly, Gohan fired a lethal Ki wave straight at him. However, Dodoria vanished, avoiding the blast. Gohan watched the explosion of the ground as the wave hit and growled in frustration. However, he didn't even notice Dodoria phase in right behind him. The warrior laughed before hitting Gohan right in the back of the head with his forearm.
Gohan crashed into the ground hard, dust exploding around him from the impact of the hit. Gohan jumped back up, ignoring the annoying sound of his ears ringing. He looked up at Dodoria with intense hatred as he rocketed back into the sky and delivered a kick to his face that had nearly all of his strength behind it. As Dodoria flew back at high speed, Gohan caught up to him and rained down on him with debilitating hit after debilitating hit, not allowing the larger fighter to move even an inch. However, Dodoria was able to break his assault by diving at him head-first, smashing his spiky pink cranium into Gohan's. Gohan grit his teeth at Dodoria and attempted to punch him again, but Dodoria jumped to the side to evade it and grabbed Gohan's arm. He hooked it behind the half-breed's back and wrapped his large arm around his neck, locking him in a chokehold. Gohan tried to squirm out of Dodoria's iron grip as he gasped for air, but it was no use.
Dodoria smirked as he flipped upside down with Gohan still in his grip and spiraled down to the ground at intense speed. Just when he was merely a few feet above the surface, Dodoria let Gohan go and halted his own descent, letting the pre-teen hit the ground head-first on his own. Gohan's landing caused the rocky surface to explode around him. Dodoria floated back to the ground as the smoke settled around him, walking to Gohan's fallen body at a methodical pace, stopping just short of the small crater he was laying in. He triumphantly crossed his arms over his chest as he looked down at Gohan; the only thing on him that was moving was his long, spiky hair, from the wind.
"I guess that's all you had in ya, monkey boy. Time to finish the job." Dodoria raised his hand over Gohan's body. It was now glowing with a bright, pink Ki. "Now, burn in he-"
Before he could even get his last word out, Gohan lifted his upper body off of the rigid surface and fired a brutal Ki wave right at his face that sent him flying back for miles. Gohan slowly got up to one knee as he caught his breath, unconcerned over the blood that was flowing down his face from the open wound in his forehead. He felt like he had been in multiple successive car crashes from his fight so far, his body feeling more like a mess of bones than anything properly functional. Shielding his eyes from the explosion triggered by Dodoria's collision with a faraway mountain, Gohan staggered up to both feet.
In almost record time, Dodoria sped back to where Gohan was, much to his shock. Dodoria was now sporting a hideous burn between his insanity-filled eyes. "Why you no-good, impudent, arrogant little monkey…I am going to beat you until you're unrecognizable!" Dodoria's Ki exploded around him as if he were trying to punctuate the threat.
Gohan staggered back and swallowed heavily. Dammit…Dodoria's a tank…I don't know how much longer I can keep this up, he bleakly thought.
Dodoria's energy built up around him. Gohan hissed and crouched into a fighting stance. It didn't matter how much he was outmatched. He was going to fight Dodoria regardless.
Frieza sat in his floating chair while sipping from his glass of wine. This particular drink was absolutely exquisite in taste, originating from a root that he had retrieved from a planet he had sent Vegeta, Nappa, and Raditz to clear during Gohan's absence. Giving a devious smirk, Frieza leaned back into his chair. He mentally patted himself on the back for his cunning in insidious plots.
He had executed the plan perfectly. Once everything went right (and he knew it would), Gohan would officially be out of his hair. It personally annoyed him that he had to constantly pull strings and cover his plots up, but alas. He would definitely be in hot water with his father if it were to be discovered that he ordered for a soldier to be killed, and Lord [Frieza] knows Cooler would be on his ass about it.
Those Saiyans annoyed him, that was for sure. He favored Vegeta for his ruthlessness and the fact that whether the so-called prince liked it or not, he could keep him on a leash if need be. But Gohan had always been a loose cannon. Oh sure, he certainly tried to maintain his composure, likely with instruction from Vegeta, but there was a reason besides his terrifying power why Frieza was a galactic emperor – he could read people's expressions like a book. And it was clear every time the half-breed was in his or Zarbon's presence that he was a time bomb waiting to explode. And his ridiculously huge threshold for growth meant that he was a danger to his position, and thus, he had to go, even though he never even provoked him into requiring his extermination.
But such was the life of a (proudly) self-admitted tyrant.
The doors to his throne room opened, and his loyal right-hand man Zarbon came through. "Sir, Gohan's spaceship was knocked off the grid. The plan has now gone into motion."
Frieza took a sip from his wine glass and gave an approving sigh. "Yes, excellent. It's high time that boy was finally eliminated."
"Sadly, I wanted to see the little shit get killed for my own two eyes," Zarbon snickered.
Frieza bust out into an almost psychotic laughter. "No matter, Zarbon! I'll make sure Dodoria at least brings his corpse before I have it incinerated!"
"Speaking of which, what are we going to do about the full-blooded Saiyans?" Zarbon inquired.
Frieza dismissively waved his unoccupied hand at his subordinate. "Do not concern yourself with them. None of their powers will grow at the same alarming frequency as the boy's so long as we keep them under control. We'll just say Gohan was caught off guard in his purge and met his untimely end, and the monkeys will be none the wiser."
"An excellent plan, my Lord," Zarbon praised. "Though I suspect Arepa will be heartbroken over the most unfortunate news," he remarked, recalling the belligerent friendship between the two.
Frieza laughed in amusement once again. "Ah, children…they all make for such thrilling entertainment, don't they?"
Just then, a man came bursting through the door. He was very weak looking, as he approached Frieza with an exasperated look on his face. "Lord Frieza, Son Gohan's ship just went off the grid, should we possibly send reinfor-"
In an instant, Frieza incinerated the lowly technician alive with nothing but a twitch of his eye, not even bothering to turn his attention towards him. The subordinate's last terrified scream echoed throughout the vast room. Zarbon didn't even bat an eye at the violence.
"Honestly, how many times have I told those simpletons not to come barging in when I'm clearly in the middle of a meeting?"
Vegeta floated up from the crater his space pod landed in, having just arrived on Zoyia. Vegeta looked around, observing the blue sky that had a hint of a greyish hue, and taking in the very cold climate. He had an odd feeling swelling within him that he couldn't quite get a handle of, but he just assumed he was being paranoid. Nappa was running his scouter, as was Raditz. Vegeta took a few steps forward, but he was once again feeling a strange foreboding. Vegeta's brows furrowed in irritation; he didn't even notice Nappa trying to inform him of something as he tried to figure out what was making him feel so much paranoia.
"Uh, hello…Vegeta…?" Nappa said in confusion.
"What?" Vegeta harshly replied.
Nappa looked at Vegeta with a raised eyebrow while Raditz stepped forward, concerned with the hint of anxiety he was reading in the normally level-headed Saiyan Prince's features. "I-is something wrong, Vegeta?"
Vegeta grunted and took a few steps forward, frowning in thought. His intuition was never wrong – something odd was giving him an ominous feeling. But what? Was it the warriors of this planet? He was already aware of the immense power levels contained on this planet; hell, he was inviting it, as he was sure he was finally going to get that battle he was craving for too long. Yes, the battle that would push him beyond his limits and bring him to a new plateau.
So then, what the hell was troubling him so much?
Not wanting to take any chances, Vegeta pressed a button on his scouter to activate the communication, trying to get a reach on another ally who he turned to in these types of situations – Gohan. As he surfed through the various links, he heard a very familiar voice ringing in, clearly in the midst of conversation-
"It's so poetic, isn't it, Zarbon?" asked Frieza, giving an amused chuckle.
"It is indeed, Lord Frieza," Zarbon said in the background, laughing as well.
"If my dates are correct, than today will mark exactly 32 years since I had Dodoria wipe out Bardock's crew…and now I'm doing it to his grandson as well!" Frieza exclaimed through an insanity-filled cackle.
Vegeta's jaw sank open and his throat went dry. Sweat began trailing down his head as his hand was locked on his scouter. Raditz stepped forward to ask Vegeta what was wrong, but the Prince absent-mindedly waved his hand at him.
"Yes…32 years since you blew up Planet Vegeta and exterminated that filthy monkey race!" Zarbon replied. "The universe is such a better place without them."
Vegeta suddenly lost all of his strength to stand. He sank to his knees on the sandy ground, feeling like a crushing weight had just been dropped onto his shoulders. He felt like the most foolish being in the universe…he had spent 31 years working on his hands and knees for that tyrant…the man who destroyed his planet and people. He wanted to vomit, he felt so sick with himself. What would his people say to him if they saw him right now…what would his father say? All of those years, he had been lied to. He believed Frieza's explanation about a meteor collision like a naïve fool. He could only stare blankly, his mouth agape.
Nappa and Raditz both exchanged looks, trying to figure out what Vegeta had just heard. Nappa took an anxious step forward, reaching out his hands to his Prince. "Vegeta, what's wrong? Did you hear something over your scouter?"
"F-Frieza…destroyed…" Vegeta stuttered, "…our home planet…it wasn't a meteor…"
"WHAT?" Nappa and Raditz both screamed at the top of their lungs. They could hardly believe what was coming from Vegeta's mouth.
"Do you think we should check in on Dodoria to see how he's doing?" Zarbon asked curiously.
Frieza laughed again. "I already instructed him to inform me once he took care of Gohan. I didn't forbid him from having some fun with the little monkey, after all!" he replied, oblivious to the fact that his scouter was even on and that Vegeta was listening in.
With a shaky finger, Vegeta turned his scouter off and let his arm hang to the side. He couldn't believe what was happening anymore. It was as if his entire world around him crumbled. He was a failure. A failure to himself and his fallen race. He was supposed to be the Prince of all Saiyans…the man who, as a little boy, had made the entire Saiyan population speechless at his potential. He was the man they all thought would achieve the legendary…and yet, here he was, a slave to the tyrant who erased them from existence. And now, one of the only 5 people left with Saiyan blood, one who he had practically taken in as a son, was going to be killed under Frieza's watch.
He could not let this happen.
"W-we have to go…to planet Gyoza…" Vegeta rasped out, his voice completely devoid of its usual edge.
"Why…?" Nappa asked, still too bewildered to even form a coherent thought.
"Gohan's going to be killed…" Vegeta replied.
"What the hell?" Raditz exclaimed. A wave of nausea hit the long haired Saiyan as he recalled that day eight years ago, when he first brought his nephew to work for him and the Saiyans. He was such a whiny, sniveling little brat, tainted by the ways of the pacifistic earthlings. And yeah, he resented how much more stronger than him he had become, but deep down, he felt a great sense of pride witnessing how much Gohan had transformed. He went from a crybaby to a ruthless warrior. His very own blood; his father would surely be proud. Was he really going to let him get killed?
"Let's get a move on, Vegeta!" Raditz impatiently yelled.
"He's right; we don't have any time to waste. We have to hurry!" Nappa yelled, offering a hand to help Vegeta up. Vegeta took it without protest, as Nappa effortlessly lifted him back up to his feet. The Prince wobbled around a little bit, still wary of his ability to even remain standing.
"C'MON, VEGETA!" Nappa yelled, already near his space pod with Raditz hurrying after him. That was enough to snap Vegeta out of his trance as he ran to his space pod as well. With great speed, he jumped into the seat. Vegeta growled impatiently as the door rose up to close – it was may as well have been moving with the speed of a snail to him. Vegeta damn near smashed the control panel as he turned on the button to activate the automated voice.
"Landing coordinat-"
"GYOZA!" Vegeta screamed into the machine.
"Landing coordinates set."
The space pod blasted off into the sky and away from the planet he was assigned to. To hell with his mission. Frieza's reign over him was over, as far as he was concerned. He didn't care if he was going to die if he tried to help; at least he'd go out with some semblance of dignity.
Gohan flew straight into a cliff, the punch Dodoria had delivered to his face just seconds earlier making him see multiple colors at once. He hit the rocky structure hard, and it didn't give way at all, only adding on to his pain. Gohan sank back to the ground and slowly rose to his feet. His vision was fading in and out as Dodoria came charging back at him. Gohan jumped away from the kick Dodoria aimed at him and fired a blast at his shoulder, although the large warrior swatted it away like it was a Frisbee. Gohan was at his wit's end; he couldn't understand how the hell Dodoria was able to keep getting back up. He had thrown everything he had and the kitchen sink, yet the only outward damage the bastard seemed to take were trivial bruises and messed up armor.
Dodoria phased in front of Gohan and delivered a kick to his stomach that knocked the wind out of the 12 year-old. He doubled over, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he did, and then Dodoria viciously slammed his elbows onto the back of his neck. Gohan hit the ground in a heap. He broke into a fit of violent coughs and stood back up once again, protectively placing his left arm over his stomach. With his right hand, he wiped a trickle of blood coming from his lip and then lifted both of his arms. His fists were clenched tightly at his sides as he squared his shoulders.
"Still not enough, Dodoria!" he boasted with a smirk, though his hoarse voice betrayed his cocky front.
Dodoria merely laughed haughtily at the boy's impudence. "Y'know, I really don't know what goes on inside the heads of you Saiyans; you act like you're so tough, even when you're clearly outmatched!" The pink monster cracked his knuckles. "Oh well; makes it more fun for me!"
Gohan's eye twitched before he charged at Dodoria and tried to kick him in the neck. However, he was too slow, as Dodoria easily moved out of the way and kicked him straight in the ribs. Gohan could feel his ribs shatter as he crashed into a cliff, this one actually breaking. Gohan desperately gasped for air after he got back up, and he was much slower in standing. His coughing became more frequent and violent, though he did his best to try and look tough. Dodoria once again began his flight towards him.
Gohan let out a loud yell and caught Dodoria off guard with a shockwave of Ki. With the distraction, Gohan rocketed towards Dodoria and kicked him in the jaw, knocking him upwards. From there, Gohan flew at him with all of his strength. Dodoria halted his flight and then came down at Gohan. The two went into another quick staggeringly fast exchange of blows. From the onset, they appeared even, but any experienced fighter could tell just from their facial expressions who was really in control. Gohan was throwing everything he had at Dodoria, but the larger of the two was either brushing the blows off or swatting his punches and kicks away like they were nothing.
Dodoria slammed his elbow into the sternum of Gohan so hard he could fell his ribcage almost crumbling in him. However, none of that mattered to Gohan – his injuries, the hopelessness of his battle, nothing. He had put way too much time into building up his power. Frieza's betrayal absolutely disgusted Gohan, and he was going to make the tyrant pay tenfold for it. Even if he died here, he was going to dish out as much damage as he possibly could.
Dodoria roughly fisted a handful of Gohan's wild, gravity defying hair and chucked him like a common house item into a cliff hundreds of feet away. Gohan managed to fire a Ki wave at the rocky structure, however, and use it to propel himself back towards Dodoria. Once he came near, he spun around and brutally slammed his entire right leg into Dodoria's shoulder, actually eliciting a great deal of pain from him. Taking advantage of the injury, Gohan clamped both of his fists together and slammed them down on his shoulder. Gohan gave a satisfied grin when Dodoria let out a raw scream of pain. Gohan raised his hands up only inches away from his chest and fired a nasty Ki blast.
Dodoria flew into a mountain and crashed into it hard as Gohan doubled over, placing his hands on both of his knees as he panted heavily. He was running purely on adrenaline at this point, the only thing fueling him being determination. As he watched Dodoria approaching him from far ahead like a broken record, Gohan briefly wondered if Vegeta and the others were aware of Frieza's scheme.
Vegeta impatiently drummed his fingers along the control panel of his ship. His earlier despair had given way to a red hot rage. He was so livid he doubted he could last long enough in his trip to Planet Gyoza before he ripped through the pod entirely and died in the emptiness of space. How could he have not had even an inkling of suspicion that Frieza was the man behind his planet's explosion? He had been taught not to trust anyone, and lived by the mantra for virtually his entire life, yet he bought Frieza's explanation hook, line, and sinker. Vegeta hated Frieza in ways he couldn't even express with words.
Vegeta shut his eyes fiercely and gripped his hair tightly with both of his hands. He tried to get his thoughts under control, though that seemed to be an impossible task. In the whirlwind of memories that rushed to his head, Vegeta recalled a specific one from two years ago…
Vegeta slowly stood to his feet, his breathing very ragged. This fight had been going on seemingly forever, and even though it seemed that things were even, the large, bulky blue fighter across from him looked a hell of a lot less exhausted than he did. Vegeta looked to both sides of him, where Nappa and Raditz were both lying unconscious – Raditz by his very own doing. The blue warrior smirked and began gathering a large amount of Ki to his palms. The prince's eyes nearly glazed over before he snapped himself out of it and stood tall. The blast seemed easy enough to jump out of the way of.
The only problem was, his legs felt like complete mush.
As the blast began its rapid approach towards Vegeta, clouding his vision, he tried to will his legs to move, but they wouldn't budge at all, instead merely wobbling beneath him. He would be mincemeat if he allowed the blast to hit. Vegeta shut his eyes as he tried to muster up a good defense against the wave.
However, in a sudden instant, a familiar figure jumped right in front of him, his long, black hair contrasting with the bright light.
"Brat, what the hell are you doing-?"
Gohan ignored him and crossed both of his arms over his face. Gohan managed to form a field of energy around him and the three Saiyans, which made Vegeta's eyes widen in amazement. He still had trouble fathoming how much power the ten year-old brat had bubbling beneath him. He sure as hell wasn't this strong at his age.
The blast hit the shield and began to disperse around them. The blue warrior could only look on in shock.
"But, how…?" he asked, his voice strained. "Where the hell did that kid come from?"
Though Gohan's knees buckled beneath him a bit, he remained standing. "This ends here!" he declared.
What the hell does he think he's doing? Vegeta thought to himself as Gohan began gathering energy around his arm.
The warrior clearly wasn't fazed by Gohan's tough front, however, and instead flew at him with great speed. Gohan fired the blast, which completely engulfed the warrior. Vegeta's jaw dropped as he watched every last bit of the warrior's body turn into space dust. He did a quick energy scan to confirm his suspicions before looking at Gohan with bewilderment.
"Kid, how the fuck did you do that…?" he indignantly asked.
Gohan turned around and offered Vegeta a weak smirk. "See…t-told you, this…would end…here…" he choked out before falling on his back against the sandy surface of the planet they were on.
Vegeta stepped closer to the boy, looking down on his unconscious figure. He felt a great sense of pride building up in his chest. He was still a half-breed little shit, but he'd be damned if he wasn't powerful. Vegeta slung the boy over his shoulder and then walked over to his subordinates to kick them back up.
Vegeta grunted in disgust over how much he was sweating over Gohan's safety. The half-breed was supposed to be his future target after taking care of Frieza, and yet, somewhere very deep inside, he had grown to care about the boy. The thought sickened him; he was a cold, ruthless warrior, beyond such stupid feelings, yet he looked at Gohan like the son he never had. He had personally taught the boy everything he knew about survival and battle, and even though he was unfathomably tough on him, Gohan stood his ground and answered the calling for survival every time he was needed. Half-breed or not, Vegeta couldn't deny it – Gohan was every bit worthy of the blood of the Saiyan race.
Vegeta slammed his fist onto the control panel of his ship as he let out a frustrated growl. He just hoped this goddamned pod arrived in time, before it was too late…
When Dodoria arrived back from Gohan's last attack, he looked even angrier than before, as if that were even possible. He fired a Ki blast of his own right at Gohan's arm, making the boy scream in pain. The blast had torn through the fabric of his suit and burned his skin raw. Dodoria seized Gohan's head with both of his hands and then slammed his forehead against his multiple times on succession. His look of rage faded, instead becoming sadistic joy as he felt the blood from Gohan's head spill onto his own.
Dodoria finally stopped and pulled Gohan's head back, observing his face closely. He was looking at Dodoria with a faraway, glazed over look as he desperately gasped for air. His flesh was a mess of blood and bruises, highlighted by the swelling around his jaw and nose area.
"Any last words, kid?" Dodoria mockingly asked.
Gohan lifted his hand up, using Dodoria's arm as assistance to raise it up to the taller fighter's eye level. Once he did that, he defiantly gave Dodoria the middle finger, flashing a weak, satisfied smirk devoid of sanity as he did.
Dodoria's iron grip tightened around Gohan's head as he grit his teeth heavily. He was hissing so hard his spit was spilling onto Gohan's face. He had it up to here with the defiant little Saiyan. This should have been nothing more than a routine execution, yet it had gone on for far too long. Dodoria used his grip to bend Gohan down and shove him face first into his knee. Then, he violently slammed both of his spiky elbows down on Gohan's upper back.
Gohan's landing was his hardest yet. Before he even had a chance to crawl, he felt an intense weight slam on top of his back, giving Gohan so much pain his eyes nearly bulged out. He let out a blood-curdling scream as it took him all of his strength to even keep from keeling over right then and there.
Dodoria was sitting right on top of Gohan, looking down on him with a triumphant grin. The loud sound of the bones in Gohan's back breaking made Dodoria's laughter grow. He jumped high up into the air, and then, in a swift motion, slammed his backside onto Gohan once more, with almost twice as much force.
Hot tears of agony began to fill Gohan's eyes as Dodoria slammed his weight down on him again. He couldn't even feel his lower body anymore as Dodoria continued slamming down on Gohan in a continuous pattern. Gohan had been screaming so much that the area around his chin was stained with blood, spit, and snot. Dodoria finally stopped, now standing at Gohan's side. Gohan bit down on his bottom lip; his body was begging for sleep to relieve itself from the intense agony, and yet, for some reason, he wouldn't allow it.
Dodoria kicked Gohan's arm, which had no give as he was clutching his hands into the dirt as hard as possible. Dodoria snorted in pure amusement. "You should've never put up a fight, brat," Dodoria said as he began circling Gohan like a shark.
"But, then again, you are nothing but a stupid piece of monkey shit. Small wonder that you would only go the hard route."
Gohan groaned in exhaustion at Dodoria's words. The pink alien stopped walking when he was on the side of Gohan opposite to where he had been standing before. He lifted his foot up as he began, "This would have been…"
Gohan cried out loudly in pain as Dodoria slammed his boot down onto his forearm, shattering all of the bones in it.
"…SO MUCH easier," he continued, removing his foot, "If you just would have surrendered and let me blast you to dust after I destroyed your space pod. It would have been so quick and painless."
Gohan's arm was violently twitching and he bit down on his bottom lip so hard blood was trickling from it. His vision was fading in and out, clouded by his anguished tears and blood. He was teetering on the edge of consciousness, but he would not give in.
Dodoria chuckled as he reached down and grabbed Gohan by his hair. He lifted his head up from the ground and then forced him to arch his back. He leaned in closely, laughing almost directly into Gohan's ears. However, his face then contorted into a snarl.
"But you see, you've pissed me off pretty good, so your death is going to be a very slow one," he said in a cold, detached voice. "You brought this all on yourself!"
Gohan let out a gurgled scream when Dodoria wrapped his large arm tightly around his throat. He coughed hoarsely as he started choking on the blood that was rising to his throat. Not letting Gohan's suffering waver for even a second, Dodoria used his other hand to hook Gohan's arm into a tight hold.
As Gohan heaved violently, now willing to give in to death, unconsciousness, or whatever the hell his body was begging to slip into, he began falling into thought. He felt utter shame and anger at his predicament. Was this really the end for him? Eight years of pushing his power to new heights to achieve a goal, only to get killed in a pathetic heap by one of Frieza's subordinates?
"Yeah, this position is much more fitting for a sniveling little mon-"
"-key like you," Frieza said, looking straight into Gohan's eyes with a smirk so sinister it sent a shiver down his spine. He closed his eyes and dramatically sighed, shaking his head in feigned anguish. "I am so saddened that you still haven't learned that I do not tolerate disrespect. Honestly, I am trying to be so accommodating, so I can make this lifestyle as easy on you as I possibly can…"
Gohan clamped down on his jaw tightly, fighting back the pain as he dangled from the ceiling by a knot tied securely around his tail. How he hadn't passed out from the pain was the greatest mystery in the universe. His face was drenched in sweat as Frieza took his chin into his hand.
Frieza grunted absent-mindedly. "I see you still don't scream unless absolutely forced to." Frieza motioned his head to his right hand man, who was standing right behind Gohan. "You may use the fire whip, Zarbon."
Sweat trailed down Gohan's head as he heard a whip crack behind him, the snapping mixed with the sound of flames raging. Zarbon brought the whip close to Gohan, as the sheer heat from the flames coating the wire made him arch his back.
Zarbon pulled his arm back and then rained down on Gohan's back with a hellish whip of the cord. Gohan let out a loud scream of terror as he felt the flames singe his flesh. Frieza tightened his one handed grip around Gohan's jaw to keep him from glazing over, his dark chuckles trailing throughout Gohan's head. Zarbon whipped Gohan once more, causing Gohan to cough spit onto Frieza's face. It didn't seem to falter the lizard tyrant at all; in fact, his malicious grin only widened.
Gohan shot Frieza a murderous glare, one that overcame even the sheer exhaustion and pain he was experiencing from the merciless torture. His eyes were filled with a fire that raged even harder than the flames harnessed by the whip in Zarbon's hand.
However, none of that mattered to the two vile creatures with him in the dark room. They only laughed at Gohan's plight. Zarbon hit Gohan with another fierce strike, one that finally knocked him out of consciousness…
Gohan fiercely shut his eyes, forcing away the memories that were swarming his head like a flood.
I'm so fucking pathetic…
Gohan was shaking with rage in Dodoria's grip. In the last eight years, Frieza and his men had done everything to strip Gohan of his dignity. Constantly belittling his achievements. Subjecting him to pointless tortures. Spitting on his heritage. His entire purpose for getting stronger was one thing:
To destroy them all.
And yet here he was, borderline crippled, as nothing more than the plaything of a disgusting, pink abomination of a fighter. He truly felt pathetic. He couldn't keel over and succumb to the cold hand of death. Not if Frieza and his men would be allowed to go unpunished for what they had dealt him.
They…will…PAY!
A sudden rush of power began surging around Gohan. The savage beast lying deep within Gohan was overtaking him, filling him with an overwhelming need to destroy everything in front of him. Dodoria's laughter halted as the boy in his iron-tight hold began shaking, as if he were about to explode in any second.
Gohan released a roar that sounded otherworldly as power exploded around him, blowing Dodoria right off of him. The few cliffs that were still standing blew into thousands of pieces from the sheer force of Gohan's terrifying power. Another animalistic scream from the boy pierced through the air as more power built around him, causing the entire planet to shake violently.
Dodoria stumbled back, watching Gohan in a panic. Gohan stood back up and slowly turned around to face his enemy. Dodoria felt a chill that filled him to his very core when Gohan turned his eyes to him. That deadly, ice cold look of vengeance was a look Dodoria only thought Frieza himself was capable of harnessing. He felt true horror as he looked into Gohan's intense, black eyes, which were practically begging for his blood. Dodoria maddeningly shook his head, wiping away his sweat. He was Dodoria, dammit! One of Frieza's right hand men! He never showed fear. Not caring for how dumb his actions were, Dodoria charged straight at the enraged half-Saiyan, thrusting his fist at him for what was sure to be a deadly punch.
However, Gohan grabbed his wrist with lightning quick speed. Dodoria could only scream in horror as Gohan's grip around his hand tightened. The half-Saiyan released a feral growl as he slowly broke all of the bones in Dodoria's wrist. Then, harboring not a shred of remorse or mercy in his cold eyes, Gohan ripped Dodoria's arm clean off. He offered no reaction to the howls of agony Dodoria released at the pain, ones that were so loud they made his voice hit octaves he should have never been capable of. Nor did he react to the blood that erupted from Dodoria's socket like a geyser and spilled onto the sand and parts of his own arm.
Gohan nonchalantly dropped Dodoria's severed limb and began his methodical walk towards the alien's groveling figure. With one swift swing of his leg, Gohan sent Dodoria flying hundreds of feet in the air with a brutal kick to the jaw. He phased out of sight and reappeared several feet above Dodoria, and then sent him right back to the ground with a punch packed with a fury Gohan had left bottled up for years. Gohan jumped back down to the ground, once again walking towards Dodoria at a methodical pace. Dodoria was desperately trying to get up, as blood squirted from the spot where his arm should have been like an orange being squeezed for juice.
Gohan crouched, cuffed his hands together, and pulled his arms back. His hand began burning with a deadly blue Ki that only expanded in his grip.
"KA…ME…HA…ME…"
Dodoria didn't even seem to notice the Ki Gohan was gathering, instead desperately trying to fight back the unbelievable amount of agony he was experiencing. Gohan gave him one last dark once-over…
"HA!"
Gohan fired a bright wave of Ki capable of destroying the entire planet at Dodoria, one that completely vaporized him. The deadly wave spanned for hundreds of miles before finally faltering.
Gohan remained locked into a firing position as he stared blankly at the aftermath of his blast. The power he summoned seemingly out of nowhere left him as the pain and exhaustion from mere minutes ago returned with a vengeance, causing Gohan to collapse face first to the floor.
But that didn't stop the strained laugh he let out before everything around him went black.