No Way Back Chapter XII: I Hate You
Everything had happened so fast—barely consuming a fraction of a second. Videl shook, still waiting for her mind to process. She looked up, in awe of the building's height. She had just fallen from the very top, right? But she wasn't dead or in a million pieces…
Was she dreaming, or did she remember Gohan jumping off the ledge, grabbing hold of her, and landing gently on the pavement? How was that even possible?
The urge to breathe suddenly hit Videl's lungs and she began to gasp and sputter, sucking in the air, now becoming more coherent of reality. She was still in Gohan's, strong, gauntlet-clad arms. Gohan's arms. So he really did jump after her and break her fall—? Her mind was drowning—still entirely in panic-mode.
Swiftly but carefully, the saiyan teenager set the girl down on her feet, then let go of her as she wobbled and tried to stand. He knew she would want an explanation, but he just couldn't give her one. That was it. There was no way he could tell her about being a saiyan. Their friendship was over, and now he was alone. Again.
Videl had no idea what to say as she turned around, trying her best to keep her footing. She caught a glimpse of Gohan's horrified face right before he spun on his heel and ran behind the building's alleyway at an inhuman speed.
"Gohan wait! Gohan!" She shouted after him in desperation. Though a genuinely fast runner, she could barely walk a straight line at the moment. "GOHAN!" Her eyes began to water. Between the trauma, confusion, and frustration, she could feel her brain having a meltdown. What the hell was going on? Why did Gohan run away from her?
The thoughts swirled around her mind at rapid speed, making her vision spin faster and faster. Eventually everything went black and Videl was met with peace and silence.
"Well, I guess I'll find him after the tournament—"
Goku froze.
Almost out of nowhere, Gohan's seemingly nonexistent ki spiked way up, hitting the saiyan warrior like a slap in the face. And just as it spiked, the ki once again disappeared.
On impulse, he returned his fingers to his forehead and transported himself to the exact location where he last felt the signal.
FUCK! FUCK EVERYTHING!
Rapid emotion overcame Gohan's conscious with no end in sight. With lightning speed, he rounded the corner of the office building, now in an alleyway and out of Videl's sight.
He replayed the entire scenario over and over again. They should have never gone to that fucking building. Why did he let her lead him there? She was trying to help him, of course. He asked for a removed location, and that's exactly what she gave him. None of this would have happened if it weren't for him! She never would have fallen—and have almost been killed! They could have continued walking down the street and maybe stopped for food like Videl had suggested, but no. It had to be all about him. His insecurities, his flaws—he ultimately made her fall. He cost them their friendship.
A small portion of his mind tried to reason with the rest. Maybe if he just explained everything to her in finite detail, she would understand. After all, several other earthlings did. His mother, Bulma, Krillin—just to name a few. They lived with the saiyans day to day, no problem. Who's to say Videl wouldn't be the same?
No. She likes the human façade I've shown her. The fake Gohan. She has no idea what I truly am. And thanks to my own damn lies, she has reason to suspect that I'm not human! If told her everything, she would run away from me in fear. It's probably better this way, that I run instead—
A sudden flash of light stopped Gohan in his tracks, along with the presence of a massive ki; A ki he was all too familiar with.
He froze, refusing to believe what was happening. But it all made sense: When he leapt off of the roof and sped towards Videl before she hit the ground, he had no choice but to raise his power. And that sudden boost was all someone would need to track him down.
"Gohan."
The voice. That voice; A pitch so distinct and unique from anyone else's. Though seven long years had passed, the tone was unmistakable.
Goku.
"Ma'am? Ma'am, are you alright?"
The darkness was beginning to fade away and the white noise of the city street began to seep back into Videl's ears. Slowly, she opened her eyes. The foreign face of a middle aged man looked back at her with concern.
What the…?
After a short moment, her surroundings sank in, not to mention her memory.
"Oh my god!" She sat up quickly—too quickly, earning her a wave of dizziness. When the blur dissipated, she looked around. No Gohan.
The man standing next to her offered his hand, which Videl took, gratefully.
"Are you okay?" He asked again, pulling her up, making sure she could stand before letting go.
The dark-haired girl blinked a few times and glanced up at the building's roof-ledge. "I t-think so…" She said meekly, placing a hand on her throbbing forehead. "How long was I out?"
"Oh, no more than a minute. I heard a loud scream so I ran over as fast as I could." He explained. "You fainted right after I got here."
She looked at the man, stunned. Only a minute? Maybe there was still a chance of catching up with Gohan and finding out what the hell had happened!
The man chuckled. "I's worried you would hit your head when you collapsed, but somehow you landed right on that jacket. You're one lucky girl." He said, pointing to the ground where she had been lying. It was Gohan's hoodie!
It must have come off when he dove to save me!
She bent down and picked the garment up, clutching it tightly.
"Ma'am, if you don't mind my asking, what all happened?"
"Uh…" Videl stammered. What on earth could she tell him? Certainly not the truth. "I uh… I saw—a spider!" She declared with her best frightened tone. "A really, really big one! It was terrible!"
A dumfounded look came over the middle-aged man. "A spider?"
"Yeah! I'm… arachnophobic."
Well, he seemed to buy it.
"Anyway—I have to go! Thank you, sir!" She smiled and sped off in the direction of the alleyway. She needed to find Gohan. She needed answers.
Dammit.
He thought about running, or any possible way to get out of this mess, but every feasible option or hypothetical situation that crossed his mind ended in defeat. He would find me no matter where I went or what I did. So against his better judgment, the half saiyan turned around.
Goku looked exactly as he'd imagined. Wild hair, orange gi, and features untouched by time. The only difference he really noted was the luminous halo above the man's head. Dead. He supposed he could take comfort in that: After today, his father would return to the afterlife for good, or so he hoped. But that did him no good now. There his father stood, not twenty feet away from him.
What should he be feeling right now? His mind couldn't focus on any single emotion. Anger, shock, anxiety, resentment—all running rampant through his head. He didn't dare speak. He didn't want to, yet also had no clue of what he would say anyway. So he stood, silent, staring apprehensively at the man he never wanted to see again, watching him react.
"Gohan…" The older man breathed out in disbelief, wide-eyed. "Is that—is that really you?" He couldn't help but gawk at the young man. It couldn't be. But it was. Kis didn't lie. Not to mention, those eyes—his eyes—and that spikey, saiyan hair.
This wasn't his mild mannered little boy anymore. No sir. The person that stood before him was a full-grown man. The childish roundness of his cheeks was gone, replaced with hardened cheekbones and a thick jaw. His shoulders and muscles had really filled out, which was almost as startling as his height. Goku swore the last time he saw his son, the boy barely stood five feet. But now… it looked as if he was taller than his own dad!
"Oh man, Gohan!" He chuckled aloud, taking a step forward. "Look at you! How much did I miss over seven years?" He laughed, smiling brightly.
Now that the initial shock was wearing off, the mass of deep, smoldering hatred he felt towards his father was beginning to rekindle itself. The venom reflected in his dark, mahogany eyes. More than you can imagine.
After taking a few more steps, the full blooded saiyan stopped. Why didn't Gohan look happy to see him? He looked— angry? But why? It was Goku's intention to walk up to his long, lost son, give him a big bear hug and tell him how much he missed him. But from the looks of it, Gohan didn't share the same sentiment. What was going on?
With wide, blue eyes, Videl Satan watched the father-son reunion go down. She didn't know how much of it she'd missed, but gathering from the dialogue, it couldn't have been much.
She crouched awkwardly behind a metal trashcan in the alley, firmly holding a hand over her mouth. It not only prevented her from gasping audibly, but it also diluted the rancid stench of garbage.
From her standpoint, she had a decent, frontal view of Gohan, looking every bit tense and uncomfortable. And she doubted not having his hoodie helped either… Grief and anger were written all over his face—it made her squirm in her spot. She hated seeing her friend in such an awful state.
What I wouldn't do to get him out of here! Gahh!
Her eyes now shifted into an intense glare as they fell upon the other man. Son Goku: The world renown martial artist.
But being one of the world's greatest fighters doesn't excuse bad parenting! She fumed in her head. What an asshole! Who does he think he is?
"Go…han…?"
His son's outward appearance was beginning to dawn on him. Those dark clothes—all black and drab, not to mention the metal bracelets and black, fingerless gloves that clung to his wrists… And his hair: Fashioned in such a way to hide his face. This didn't seem like the Gohan he knew. Granted, the boy he remembered was always modest and a bit shy, but he was also vibrant and happy… What was wrong with him?
The middle-aged man took another step forward. "Is something… wrong?"
Gohan's scowl seemed to grow more intense with that question. Disdain was literally radiating off of him, making the atmosphere feel more and more eerie. It was so bizarre!
"Are you okay?" He began to take another step, but quickly halted as he remembered what his wife had told him.
The saiyan cocked his head in confusion. "Wait a minute—Gohan. Your mother said you were sick in bed…" His disposition gradually became more serious as the facts began to piece together. "Obviously, you aren't sick and you're not at home." He stated, crossing his arms. "Why are you avoiding me?"
The question was blatant and pained as it hung in the air. Gohan didn't move a muscle; he just glared with an ominous fury. It didn't take telepathy to figure out the teenager wouldn't be answering the question.
After a long, awkward moment, Goku started to feel frustrated himself.
"Gohan."
No answer.
"Gohan!"
Nothing.
Enough was enough. "Answer the question, son!"
Immediately, the younger man's scowl evolved into a grotesque grimace, catching his father off guard.
"—Don't—call—me—that—!" He breathed through his teeth, the words full of grit. Like hell he would even associate with this fucker—his so-called father! God, the anger was rising up; the loathing; the fury.
Wide-eyed, Goku froze at the comment. "W-what…?" That was definitely not what he expected to hear. Truthfully, he had no clue as to what he expected to hear. But why in the world would Gohan belligerently denounce calling him "son"? "But—you ARE my son! Why—"
"Shut up!" The younger man spat. No fucking way he was going to take this.
The older man's jaw dropped. "W—what—?" Was this really happening? "—Gohan! Why are you acting like this?" He couldn't help his ki from rising, not just out of anger, but outrage, frustration, and utter confusion. "Talk to me, son!"
That was it. That was all Gohan could take. "SHUT UP!" He let out a powerful, disgruntled snarl and clenched his fingerless glove-clad fists so tightly that it hurt. "You are NOT my father!" Air whirled around his body as the bottled energy and resentment released itself, finally.
Inwardly, Gohan almost wanted to sneer and laugh. All of this anger—seven years in the making—it felt so powerful. He felt unstoppable. Never before had he experienced such a rush from pure, undiluted hatred. It felt so evil…
…but so good.
What the fuck is happening? Videl screamed in her mind. She blinked her eyes furiously, trying to make sense of what she was seeing as intense gusts of wind raced around both Gohan and Goku—almost as if it were… energy? Was this some kind of bizarre magic trick?
Involuntarily, she let out a shiver. Why did both men look like they were about to fight? She could only imagine what would happen if they did fight. Goku was one of the world's greatest martial artists! He would tear his son apart!—but at the same time, how could he? Gohan's his son! How could he hurt his own son? She began to panic. There had to be something she could do!
She froze suddenly. Wait a minute… She looked at Goku's clothes, the obnoxious orange and blue gi. She'd seen that outfit before…on t.v….seven years ago… It looked like—
Oh my god.
She gulped, realizing now that the violent, whirling air was no magic trick.
Goku gasped loudly, outraged by the last comment. He had naturally fallen into a warrior's stance. With the way things were escalating, there was no telling what could happen. He couldn't tell if Gohan was aiming to attack or not, but it sure seemed that way.
He gawked at his son's eerie, disturbed eyes. They looked—possessed.
"Gohan—what's gotten into you?" He yelled, in a pleading tone. "I AM your father! Why—"
"FATHERS DON'T LEAVE THEIR SONS FOR SEVEN FUCKING YEARS."
Speechless. Goku was speechless. His mind was going wild with thoughts and shock. The tone, the volume, the language—who the hell was standing before him?
The mass of wind surrounding him intensified dramatically, ricocheting his spikey locks back and forth. Clearly that last bit had taken Goku off guard. Taking advantage of the allotted silence, the younger saiyan continued:
"HOW DARE YOU EXPECT ME TO JUST DROP EVERYTHING AND WELCOME YOU BACK WITH OPEN FUCKING ARMS! HOW FUCKING DARE YOU!"
This was insanity! This was…scary! Where was all of this coming from?
"Gohan—I—"
"YOU ABANDONED ME! YOU ABANDONED EVERYONE!" His vicious shouting echoed throughout the alley. "MAYBE THEY CAN FORGIVE YOU, BUT I CAN'T AND I WON'T!"
Every acidic word out of his son's mouth felt like knife being plunged into his body. Since when were things this bad?
Feeling heat rush over him, Goku begged: "Gohan—Gohan, please—!"
The enraged teenager let out a vehement, frustrated yell as he shook his head violently, partially in disbelief. Didn't this fucking idiot understand?
Looking back up, Gohan dealt his final blow:
"FUCK YOU." He shook his head coldly as he watched his father react. "I HATE YOU."
After that, it felt like everything just stopped. I hate you. The phrase echoed through his head. I hate you. I hate you. I HATE YOU.It… it stung. It hurt so bad. He couldn't really mean that!
Before he could respond, a foreign voice interrupted him.
"HEY!"
Goku flipped his head around to see where the voice was coming from.
The culprit was a young, petite girl with frizzy black hair and sky-blue eyes. She dashed out from behind a row of garbage cans and ran towards the two men. With a blunt stomp of her combat boot, she pivoted to a stop and stood in front of Gohan, separating him from the man that claimed to be his father.
"You have some nerve!" She ordered, pointing a finger at the famous fighter. "How can you stand here and act so surprised after all you've done is hurt him?" Her glare never faltered.
With wide eyes, Goku stared back, completely confused with whatever was going on. Who was this girl and why was she yelling at him?
"W-wait—who are—?" He stammered.
Videl crossed her arms, refusing to back down."That's not important! What's important is that you leave Gohan alone! He doesn't need a deadbeat dad like you around!"
By this time, Goku had taken note of another uninvited guest: Piccolo stood atop one of the alleyway buildings, watching the scene from up above in his ever-stoic disposition.
"So why don't you just go back to the tournament and leave Gohan be?" She yelled, determined to get this psycho away from her friend. "'Be a pity if you missed your chance to fight." She said mockingly.
In his peripheral vision, Goku could see Piccolo nodding. Perhaps the Namekian knew something he did not, or could help him sort through his thoughts.
He looked back at the girl in front of him. She looked to be in her late teens, around the same age as Gohan, he guessed. And now that he thought about it, they were both dressed similarly. She must have been a friend, then.
Taking a deep breath, Goku backed down. He sighed. "Fine." He placed two fingers to his forehead and glanced at his son one last him.
Those dark brown eyes were empty. No longer were they full of rage, but they held no life.
He sighed again and disappeared.
kljcv djvlkdjvlk;jsfvl kjs. FINALLY, I managed to push this chapter out! I started it quite awhile ago, but it's been hard to sit and work on it and tweak it since this fall semester has started. Nevertheless, here it is: The part you've all been anxiously awaiting, where Gohan and Goku have their little "reunion". I know it feels like the drama is moving a bit quicker, which you may or may not like, but if I'm going to finish this bad boy, then I need to get this show on the road Dx Things are really going to speed up in the next chapter or two-pertaining to actual events of DBZ. That's my only spoiler. But here are some dramatic hints in the form of questions:
-What did Piccolo see and what is he going to tell Goku?
-With Goku now out of the picture, what's going to happen between Gohan and Videl, especially with all that's happened? Not to mention Gohan and Goku! After that powwow, what could possibly be next?
-Why did Gohan enjoy expressing his dark and twisted feelings? Will they arise again?
So there you have it!
This chapter is brought to you by "10's" by Pantera. I looped it over and over again until I was pissed off enough to write the ending.
Also, this is legitimately my longest chapter ever! The word count is average, but usually on Office Word, my chapters amount to 6-8 pages. This chapter made it to 9. So I guess it's an accomplishment of sorts, haha.
STAY TUNED.