I'd Do Anything For You: Battle Of The Saiyans
Author's Note: Sorry it took awhile to get out! Hey.... if anyone's curious.... first game was tonight! We got whomped! HECK YEAH!! Go Bulldogs... We need to practice more, ehheh. Moving on: Hope this chapter's alright! Once again, sorry it took so long to update.
~*~
Previous chapter...
~*~
Nappa smirked widely as he flexed a muscle, doing a slight spin in midair. The plans had been laid-out;
after they'd taken out the hardest of the three groups, then they'd go for the others. It would be easy, and
simple, and then there would be no barrier when working on completing the mission.
If everything went perfectly, they wouldn't even have to break a sweat.
Letting out a quiet laugh under his breath, Nappa surged forward in the air, catching up with his
superior---
The beach wasn't too far ahead.
~*~
End of Chapter
~*~
Krillin ran in several circles around an enraged Vegeta while Goku snabbed the basketball, slamming it
down through the hoop. Vegeta had originally decided on indoor soccer and the two others had agreed,
but when they'd reached the field they found it was already taken by the islands public soccer team. Goku
had then suggested a game of basketball and Krillin agreed---Vegeta was left with no choice but to follow
unless he wanted to be left alone, watching all the action.
The three were going to sub out in one-on-one but Vegeta, in a spurt of confidence announced that he'd be
able to beat the others even if they were on the same team. So it ended as such, with Goku and Krillin
against Vegeta. Unfortunately, Vegeta hadn't calculated that he would be at a disadvantage, due to his
height.
"Nice shot, Goku! Winner's take-out!"
Krillin ran to the center of the court and stood behind the line, whipping the ball to Goku who towered
over the Saiyan Prince. Immediately the man turned and lightly flipped the ball into the net.
"And another one for Goku!"
The man grinned widely and jogged to center court, holding the basketball and passed it to Krillin.
Vegeta growled under his breath as he stomped towards the second-class Saiyan, cursing all the while. Of
course he hadn't counted on the fact that he was shorter than Goku and that Krillin was short enough to
run between his legs---in fact, the thought had never occured to him. He knew he was powerful enough
but it turned out that the earthling's type of games required more than just strength. Krillin somehow
made a shot, and the ball was passed in again, Goku taking it this time.
Once again the Saiyan approached the other, a different plan in mind. Before, he'd done it the normal,
typical weakling way. He'd attempted to jump up and grab the ball, but it didn't work when Goku held it
above his head with his hand. This time, he'd have to do something else---
As Vegeta came to a stop in front of Goku, his opponent did as he suspected; he raised the ball above his
head and got ready to make an easy shot. Smirking, Vegeta suddenly shot into the air as he shoved off the
court's surface with both feet, snatching the ball from Goku's hands and swung around in midair, landing
a powerful dunk in the basket.
"Hah! Look out, Kakkarot, the Prince is back!"
Giggling a bit, Krillin watched as Goku blinked, mildly confused.
"Back? But you were already here! How can you be back? Where'd you go?"
Vegeta facefaulted, but caught himself before the others noticed.
"You ignorant fool! The Prince of all Saiyans need not explain simple matters to those of a lower class!"
"Whatever you say, Veggie---"
"NEVER CALL ME VEGGIE! I command you to at least address me by Vegeta!"
Goku frowned, still very confused while he scratched the back of his head.
"But Veggie, you always used to let me call you that!"
"STOP CALLING ME VEGGIE!"
screamed the Saiyan as he turned, furiously flinging a ki blast at the wall. The shot bounced off its surface
and smashed into the basket, destroying it. Krillin blinked while Vegeta continued to pant heavily with
frustration and Goku looked down at his feet, occassionally dribbling the basketball.
"Guess the game's over, guys!"
~*~
After much difficulty, the small gang of guys managed to find another basket and had resorted to playing
with it. Krillin and Goku were facing off in a one on one game while Vegeta sat by, watching while
grumbling under his breath.
Since the others were busy playing each other, Vegeta was the only one to notice the sudden surge of ki
that was coming right at them.
He stood, knocking over the bench with the force as he stepped forward, automatically powering up.
Spinning slightly, he looked around the small gym, then jumped forward, snagging Goku mid-leap by the
back of the gi and Krillin's hair in the other.
"Hey, ow! That hurts!"
Krillin struggled while hanging in midair, legs kicking wildly while Goku stayed hovering in place,
gently knocking the ball through the hoop.
"I win!"
Vegeta growled lowly, shaking the forms he held in his grips forcefully.
"Quiet, you fools! Don't you have the brains to even watch out for anything?"
The pair became silent, Goku raising his head in the air while frowning, Krillin blinking then leaping into
the air, immediately powering up while running a hand over his bushy hair.
Vegeta stepped to the side, releasing Goku as he crossed both arms over his chest, watching as the others
continued powering up in the corner of his eye. Two ki signatures were approaching then and were going
to reach the gym in several seconds at the speed they were going. Five, four, three, two---
The furthest wall exploded, shards of stone flying past while dust fell from the crumbling structure. There
was a bright flash of light and another section of the wall burst, pieces of rubble landing in heaps on the
slick wooden floor.
Krillin ran to the side, Goku to the other as Vegeta remained standing in the center, walking forward to
meet with the two others who he assumed were his soon-to-be victims. The forms stepped out of the
debrie, one shaking off his boots while growling and the other smirking widely, shaking the dust out of
his hair.
Goku fell back, startled, as the second man turned his face to him.
"Wha---you?"
~*~
Goten dived into a small structure, firing his laser gun wildly while Trunks ran past, screaming a war cry.
The pair had managed to rack up a huge amount of points even though they were a team of two against a
birthday group that had about 20 or so kids to a team---allied together. They had challenged them to a
rematch, thinking it was beginner's luck, then found out the hard way that it had to be something else.
Either that or the game system was a piece of crap.
"Trunks! Behind you!"
The lavender-haired boy leapt to the side then shot a volley of beams into a crowd that stood behind him
previously, smirking as he heard the angered shrieks and beeps of his opponents'. A loud thump sounded
behind him and he turned his head slightly, seeing Goten finish off the other team of ten that had tried to
sneak up on them.
The flashing lights suddenly dimmed and the arena flashed once, light flooding into it as a loud foghorn
sounded.
"Game over! Winner of 2nd match---Red Team!"
Trunks and Goten raised their fists, slamming them together as they let out a loud yell then turned,
running for the exit as they planned on how to get Gohan to buy them another game.
Meanwhile, Gohan and Videl had decided on staying outside to play the arcades and had spent over ten
dollars on tokens, moving on to fifteen.
"Gohan! You seriously suck at th---"
"Heads up!"
Gohan shoved Videl down and fired off a round of shots at two men, then turned, finishing off another.
He smirked at the surprised and confused look on Videl's face, then turned back to the game's screen.
Suddenly a small form slammed into Gohan's left leg, sending him reeling forward while another burst
landed on Videl's back, making her topple to the side into Gohan.
Trunks let out a giggle as he poked Videl on the head while Goten scampered up Gohan's let to sit on his
shoulder.
"Gohan, buy us another game!"
The teen shook his head while grinning, slowly prying Goten off of his arm and Trunks away from his
friend.
"Aww, man!"
Goten kicked the ground lightly with his foot as Trunks frowned, then suddenly brightened. Grabbing the
younger Saiyan by the back of the gi he ran outside, yelling something about a game.
The two teens looked at each other, confused, then resumed their gameplaying.
Gohan looked out of the side of his eye at Videl, who was obviously very involved in the virtual reality
shooting game. He smirked slightly, seeing her curse in frustration as she was hit once, then fire back,
hitting the computer-generated enemy head-on.
::*Videl's really involved with her work. She shouldn't have much time for anything else. That means any
time with me that's not vacation is definately out...*::
A sudden red beam seemed to flash through Gohan's mind and he fell back, grabbing his temples. The
plastic gun dropped from his hand and crashed against the arcade, and Videl turned to face him at the
loud noise. She blinked, startled, then jumped forward as she grabbed him and helped him steady himself.
The Saiyan let out a low cough and once again massaged his temples with both hands. Whatever had
struck him had hurt like heck, and he was intending on finding out what had caused it.
"What's wrong?"
Videl's voice cut through the tightly woven barrier that'd formed between the subconscious and real world
in Gohan's mind and he shook his head, trying to avoid falling over onto his face.
"I---I don't know,"
he muttered, unsure. How could he possibly know what was going on?
Another line of red sparked in his head and he braced himself with both hands on the arcade, grimacing
as the pain continued to run through his mind until it slowly subsided. Gasping slightly, he opened both
eyes then spun, jumping into the air and dragging his arms to the sides, powering up immediately. He
turned to Videl whose eyes were wide with surprise.
"Find Mom and the other girls, take Goten and Trunks with you. Tell them I've gone to where Dad---to
where the guys are."
Without explaining the rest he sped out through the open door and into the air, ignoring the shocked and
awed looks of the tourists and locals beneath him.
He still was clueless to what was going on, but at least he knew where the problem was coming from.
~*~
Vegeta cracked his neck slowly as Goku slowly hovered closer to the two men in front of him.
"How... I don't really think I get it. I thought you two were both dead, gone! Nappa and Raditz?"
Raditz ran a hand over dark hair, eyes flashing.
"No welcome committee for us, brother? I see you've turned another one of ours into a fool."
The Saiyan turned to the Prince, a sneer visible on his face. Vegeta raised his head to meet eye-for-eye
with the man before him, returning the glare with a calm look about him, unmoving and seemingly
emotionless.
"Why you've taken to the sides of Kakkarot and the humans, I will never know. You could have been a
great King of the Saiyan race."
Raditz turned his back to the three men, his eyes narrowing as a smile formed on his lips again.
::*And you still could be,*::
his mind continued on. Suddenly the red lights sped through his mind---it took near everything he had to
not bend back and let out a yell with the pain. But by the sounds of the surprised yelps behind him, his
brother hadn't been able to resist the urge to fall for the hurt.
Spinning, he turned to face the three once again. Kakkarot had fallen from his hovering perch in the air
and was on the ground, gasping as he held his head in both hands. Letting out a quiet laugh he stepped
forward, then remained where he was once he saw the midget earthling and pathetic Prince shift in their
stances, preparing to strike if necessary.
"Brother. Have you not yet experienced the pains of our return."
"Wh-what?"
Goku crawled to his feet and remained standing; he was a bit wobbly but still managed, then floated back
up into the air.
"Our return. It is true that we have returned to the living because of a wish that was made upon the
Dragon Balls, but because of the means that which the wish was made we must suffer the consequences."
The Saiyan could tell by his brother's confused looks that he had to further explain.
::*Ah, Kakkarot. You used to be one of the Saiyans that held the most potential on our world, and what
have you become? A worthless toy that knows nothing. With us, you could've understood true power...*::
"The Dragon Balls were used in a wish. As you know, once the three wishes have been used the Dragon
Balls will seperate to opposite ends of the earth, even at times to other planets. Somehow, they managed to
vanish into the world of the unliving, where we remained. I first discovered this when I found the third of
the seven Dragon Balls. Understanding that they must have somehow gotten into our dimension, I began
collecting them and found all, but one.
"The last one, the seventh Dragon Ball was here with your eldest son. A family heirloom. In order to
make my return I needed it, and I sent calls out to any of those that could get it for me. One foolish human
did so with the promise of money and he got it for me without anyone's realization; the heirloom had been
left in a feature cabinet and was not missed. Once I got the Dragon Ball the human was killed.
"My first wish was to create someone who could assist me. Nappa was revived for such a task. The second
wish was to revive the Saibamen, and to have them improved in a way. They were revived, and their
power levels increased greatly, but your boy managed to defeat them all the same. My third wish was to
regenerate myself, increasing both ki level, strength, endurance, everything, so that I could restore the
Saiyan race to power. Apparently, Shenlong had misunderstood my wish and revived you as well.
"The only cost of this proceedure was a pain that occured at sometimes the worst of times. As you can see,
it affects not only me but you as well since you were restored to the ranks of the living by the same means
as I. Do you understand now, my ignorant brother?"
Goku blinked once, then nodded slowly as he scratched his head. Both Krillin and Vegeta remained silent,
both watching the pair before them avidly.
Nappa let out a low, rolling laugh as Raditz stepped forward, both arms raised. He slowly flashed a
white-toothed smile, his fangs reflecting in the gym's flourescent lighting.
"And I fully intend to restore the Saiyan race to power, brother, even if I must resort to destroying all who
lay in my path. Including yourself."
The beam of blinding light flashed through the brother's minds again and Goku let out a surprised and
pained cry once again as Raditz gritted his teeth, a sweat drop pouring down the side of his face to bead at
his jaw. He raised his hand higher, the ball of light within it glowing brighter, then it was released...
~*~
Gohan winced and stopped, hovering in midair. The surges of light weren't as painful now as they were
before but they still hurt, painful enough to force him to stop his flight. Just as before the feeling vanished
and he found himself speeding forward again, occassionally a spark of light flickering off his form to fall
below.
Something was wrong with his dad, alright. He didn't know how he knew, he just *did*, and he wasn't
going to ignore his instincts at a time like this.
::*Gee, I hope Mom and Bulma and 18 are alright. It's a good thing they decided to leave Marron at the
boat with a babysitter, she's better off there. I wonder if Goten and Trunks are going to do anything stupid
and try to follow me? Oh, forget that, Videl won't let them. Wait...*::
Gohan came to an abrupt halt and spun around, knowing exactly what he'd see.
Flying behind him at an incredible pace was Videl, a look of pure annoyance visible on his face. Groaning
in frustration, the Saiyan slapped himself on the face.
::*I *knew* I forgot something! Of course Videl wouldn't let the little guys follow me, it's *her* I have to
worry about! Baka!*::
Videl came to a slow stop in front of him and smirked fully, reminding him greatly of the Saiyan Prince.
"Hey, Gohan. Need a bit of help?"
"Now, Videl, I-"
The girl cut him off by stepping forward and slamming her fist hard into his stomach, a satisfied smile
covering her features as she heard him grunt and gasp for air.
She pulled back, crossing both arms over her chest as Gohan heaved in several breaths of air then
recovered, still clutching his stomach.
"What was *that* for!"
he partly screamed and partly choked, making it obvious to the eye that he was very confused as well as
slightly pissed off.
"If I can do that to you, then I probably don't have too much to worry about!"
she snapped back at him before he could speak again, then she jetted forward leaving the coughing Saiyan
in her wake.
"H-hey, wait!"
Gohan let go of his aching body and sped after the raven-haired girl, knowing full well that he would be
stuck with her through the entire ordeal.
The pair soon reached the gym were Gohan could feel their ki signatures. He frowned as he moved closer,
tilting his head to the side slightly---
Two other ki's were there as well, one he recognized faintly, the other as foreign to him as Goku's had
been before.
Realization suddenly hit him and he leapt forward in midair, leaving an irritated Videl behind. The girl
sped up and caught up with him, frowning at him for a second before turning to face the gym, fully intent
on the battle she had assumed there'd be next.
An explosion rocked through the gym, a blast of ki shooting out one of the skylight windows to swing by
Gohan's head, narrowly missing the teen. The Saiyan gulped once but didn't have time to stop and
consider the situation, as another barrage of missiles shot out of the many skylights, all headed for him
and Videl.
Gohan grabbed Videl and turned so that his back was to the blasts, and that he held the girl securely
against his chest. Eyes clamped tightly shut, he felt the first of the many impacts that would soon follow
hit him hard on the back. Another beam of light flashed warningly in the boy's mind as the ki began to
burn through the loose gi, and another hit him roughly, sending him forward slightly in the sky. He
gritted his teeth and pushed back, feeling several more blasts come into contact with his now bared skin.
Eventually all of the attacks came to a cease.
Videl pulled herself out of Gohan's hold and turned to look at him, confused. What'd he do that for,
anyways? The Saiyan was near frozen in the air, almost poised as if waiting for another shot to emerge
and hit him.
"Gohan? Are you... okay?"
After no response, she floated forward and gently shook his shoulders with both hands. Blinking and
shaking his head quickly, Gohan managed a weak nod. He slowly moved from his position and pulled the
top of the gi over his head, tossing it. With all the holes burnt in the back it was pretty much useless.
Videl sucked in a breath after he removed the top then drew back warily, knowing full well that she was
bright red.
"So are you okay?"
she stuttered, ducking her head a bit.
"Um... yeah. I'm fine."
Gohan stretched a bit, wincing as the burnt skin on his back flexed with his muscles. The gym was still
rumbling with explosions and he turned, looking back at Videl then to the gym once again. His eyes were
full of pleading as he spun to meet Videl's gaze.
"Please just, stay here? I really don't want you to get hurt. These are things that even my dad is going to
have a hard time with..."
Videl's mouth twitched as she folded her arms over her chest again. It was getting harder and harder to
resist those puppy-dog eyes.
"Please! I promise that if I need help, you'll be the first one I call, okay? I'm serious!"
The girl held her glare with him for awhile longer, then let out a sigh of defeat. It was his fight, after all.
And besides, she didn't want to hurt him, even though she didn't want him to get hurt physically either.
"Alright. But if you don't call me, then I'll, uh, I'll come down anyways and I will get you back,
agreed?!"
Gohan flashed a small smile at Videl, nodding.
"Agreed."
With that, he spun and jetted towards the building below.
The teen landed in front of the gym then ran in, not quite knowing what to expect inside. But what he did
see caught him completely off guard.
Vegeta and Krillin were both hovering in midair, darting to each side as a wild ki blast was thrown
between them. Nappa had been the sender of the attack, and was standing on the wooden court, obviously
irritated.
His Dad and... someone... were squaring off in the other section of the gym. From what it looked like the
pair was evenly matched, even though they would fall back every few seconds, an obvious look of hurt to
their features.
Gohan stepped forward, leaning to the side as he tried to see the man's face. Upon seeing it he yanked
back, almost falling into a pile of boxes.
::*What? No! Something is very wrong here! He looks exactly like my uncle, but the ki signature just isn't
the same...*::
A warning rang through his mind.
*:*Hey, Dad's ki was different when he came back, too. And think it through, both had died and have
returned. Can't you see the connection there?*:*
So it *was* his uncle. Raditz let out a low laugh as he suddenly swung up his fist, cuffing Goku hard on
the chin. The Saiyan stumbled backwards, astonished, then snarled as he ran forward with a counter.
Gohan's eyes narrowed as he drew out his fists to his sides, clenching them as power surged through his
form. He continued to keep his ki masked to keep the others unaware of his presence as he quietly flew to
hover in the top of the gym. A small smirk made itself visible on his lips as he spun a perfectly executed
360 and sped down, a ki blast exploding from his hands as his fists came into contact with Raditz's back.
The man let out a pained yell and fell forward as Goku stepped back, plainly confused. Seeing his son
standing behind his brother's form he blinked and flashed a small smile before turning back to the
problem before him.
Gohan stepped back and scratched his head, turning so that he was standing between the groups of
fighters. There was nothing he could do, really - already, Krillin and Vegeta were keeping Nappa busy
and it looked like his dad could handle his brother on his own. In fact, he was guessing that if he
interferred anymore, Goku would get annoyed at him.
Suddenly a figure flew past him, slamming into the wall, another soon following. Krillin sat up and
groaned as he pulled himself out of the indention he'd made in the wall while Vegeta cursed loudly,
dragging himself to his feet. Nappa smirked and shot another round of ki blasts at the pair, a huge beam
that barely missed Raditz and Goku.
The Saiyan teen gulped in surprise and immediately dove to the side, feeling the burn of the energy on his
bare back. Muttering, he gently massaged his shoulder as he remembered how he'd taken off the top of his
gi when it'd gotten burnt by a barrage of deflected ki beams.
::*Looks like Vegeta and Krillin could use a break. Good thing for me, I'll finally be able to get in on this
guy.*::
A small smile visible on his face, Gohan jumped into the air and sped past his struggling comrades to land
gracefully in front of Nappa. The muscular man blinked in surprise, then let out a harsh laugh.
"What? Come to save your Z-team? Don't sweat it, kid, we've got you beat."
The man pulled out his hand from behind his back, leveling it so that it was aimed directly at Gohan's
face. The boy waited until the energy ball formed then was released, before ducking under it and popping
back up to slam his knee powerfully into Nappa's stomach, sending him falling backwards. The man
gasped for breath as Gohan stood, drawing back his hand then shooting it out again to palm Nappa in the
chest. Flying backwards Nappa barely stopped himself from being flung headfirst into the bleachers.
Turning slowly in midair, Nappa wiped a speck of blood from the side of his mouth with the back of his
hand, then laughed again before launching himself at the boy. Stepping to the side as Nappa sped past
him, Gohan swung out his foot to roundhouse the man in the back of the head, then turned and darted
after his falling form, landing a few more punches to pummel him into the wooden ground. Grunting,
Nappa stood again, this time crossing his hands over his chest.
Gohan eyed him warily, confused. His strategy had changed, normally he was a reckless attacker, he'd
been like that ever since he'd first fought him. Since when did he step back and take time to do his own
thing?
Nappa's hands suddenly shot to his sides, fists clenched then were flung forward, bursts of ki exploding
from each palm. With a yell of surprise Gohan was hit directly in the chest with both and he spun over
backwards, skidding on the ground and falling into a pile of boxes.
Panting, Gohan started to pull himself to his feet when another ki blast was shot at him, the heat of the
beam scraping his face painfully. Shaking his head he got to his feet, stumbling back to the ground after
he gently touched the burns on his chest and face, wincing with the contact.
::*So this is how he took out Vegeta and Krillin,*::
he thought to himself as he grimaced.
Nappa grinned suddenly.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to handle taking me. Now... time to take you out, kid."
Walking forward until he was standing over Gohan, the man placed his hand one foot in front of Gohan's
forehead as he held him down with his foot.
"Say your prayers,"
Nappa mumbled as he gathered energy in his palm, the heat radiating within his fist.
Gohan closed his eyes and drew in a shakey breath.
::*I'm gone...*::
The man suddenly let out a deep-throated yell as he fell forward, collapsing to the side of Gohan then
found himself being kicked backwards into the bleachers, being covered by them as they toppled over.
Videl stood over Gohan, a wide, cocky grin covering her face.
"Told you I'd help if you called,"
she spoke in a sing-song voice as she grabbed his hand, yanking him up. Gohan blinked, confused.
::*I didn't call her!*::
"Yes, you did,"
she argued back, placing her hands on her hips.
Gohan blinked again and shrugged sheepishly, letting out a small unsure laugh.
::*Man, I'm lost.*::
Videl smirked, then shifted her gaze to a form that was struggling in the pile of bleachers.
Nappa had partially recovered and was attempting to stand, however unsucessful it was. He was already
badly hurt - Gohan had damaged him enough to near kill him, and Videl's attacks that'd caught him
off-guard hadn't helped the problem. Krillin and Vegeta, the latter of the two trying to act unhurt dashed
to float in front of the form.
"Finally, Mr. Big Guy is put in his place!"
Krillin chortled as Vegeta simply grunted, placing his hands in front of him as energy gathered within his
palms. The blast was nearly out of his fists when Nappa shot up, drawing a small mechanical device out of
his gi to aim its small laser at Vegeta, catching his eye.
The Saiyan stopped, frozen, then let out a pained yell as he turned, grabbing his head at the temples. He
growled in frustration as he spun in midair, his muscles working furiously as he tried to stop the growing
injury. Suddenly the light disappeared and he gasped for breath, shaking his head as he tried to regain
himself. Krillin grinned a bit sheepishly as he held up the small device that Nappa had held earlier, then
pointed to the fallen and broken form of the man.
"You were supposed to let me kill him, you unworthy peasant!"
Vegeta screamed, his pride hurting.
Krillin merely let out a small giggle before turning to watch the intense fight between Raditz and Goku.
The pair had continued on to their final Super Saiyan stage, both with aqua eyes blazing and golden hair
seeming to be aflame.
Goku's gi was torn and blood was seaping through the tears, Raditz looking similar to his brother. Raditz
sped forward, almost landing a punch on the man's cheek but only grazed it, as Goku countered by
swooping down through the air to reappear behind Raditz, kicking him forward into the wall.
Raditz let out a grunt as he hit the basket and broke through the glass, stopping as he landed on the
ground. Standing, he hurridly ran his hair back with a hand then shot up into the air again, engaging into
battle with his brother.
Gohan remained standing behind Videl as he held onto both of her arms, letting out a sigh as she strained
to be released.
"Come on, Gohan! He's your dad and you're letting him fight that out *alone*? What kind of son *are*
you!"
"A sensible one,"
he muttered in response, squeezing his eyes shut as he prepared for the lecture Videl was about to give
him.
Instead, the girl let out a frustrated squeak then stopped her struggles, finally tired.
::*I can't believe he won't help his dad! Is this some stupid pride thing?*::
"Yes..."
Gohan replied, uncertain. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to hear what she said or not, it sounded like
she spoke it really quietly or whispered it, or something.
Turning to face him, Videl cocked her head to the side as she watched him, confused.
"Yes what?"
"It's all about pride."
"Huh?"
"Eh?? Uh, f-forget it!"
Gohan let out a nervous laugh, stopping abruptly as he heard Krillin snickering behind him, knowing
exactly what his friend was thinking.
Videl let out a huff of annoyance then turned back to face the battle that seemed to be nearing its end.
Goku had the winning hand and was standing at his full height as he pummeled rounds of sharp jabs and
kicks at his brother, the crack of bones being heard. Raditz gasped as he fired a wild ki blast, entirely
missing his target as it swung up to fly out through the broken skylights into the sky. Goku took advantage
of the distraction and phased out, reappearing in front of Raditz and placing his hand, palm open on his
chest. Raising his head he hardened his look of determination as he saw the surprised and frightened look
on his brother's face, then shot the ki beam.
Raditz slammed backwards, through the gym's wall and into a stone wall that covered the perimeter of the
training arena. Blood poured from the large burning gash in his stomach, his gi totally discintigrated
where the energy had made contact. Choking on his own blood he slowly began to crawl to his feet as
Goku stepped out through the remains of the wall to stand, arms crossed over his chest as he slowly
powered down, relieved since he had been getting incredibly low on energy.
His brother's form slowly sank down from its Super Saiyan level until he had jet black hair once again.
Pulling up his head, Raditz slowly drew a small package out from under his sash and opened it, flicking
something into his hand then gulping it down immediately. Suddenly skin stretched over his cuts, the
blood no longer seeping out of them. Goku took a step back as Raditz let out a harsh laugh when his hair
suddenly shot up, golden once again.
"Sensu beans to come in handy, don't they,"
he grinned as he shoved off the ground, heading directly for Goku.
~*~
Bulma and Chichi raced out of the mall, trying to keep up with the two boys and Android 18.
"Come on, you guys! We can't all fly, you know!"
Bulma screamed to the crew ahead, her face darkening with anger as she realized they were ignoring her.
Goten and Trunks seemed to only speed up, 18 doing the same. Suddenly, Chichi stopped in place, her
shopping bags dropping to the side.
"SLOW DOWN FOR KAMI'S SAKE!"
she screeched, face burning a bright red as windows tinkered and shattered behind her. The trio froze in
place, then turned, slowly heading back to Bulma and Chichi.
The two women nodded to each other happily as Bulma pulled a capsule out of her pocket, tossing it in
front of her.
"We're taking the jet,"
she declared as the airplane popped out and everyone piled inside.
~*~
Goku gasped as he watched his brother's wounds heal over.
::*No! I totally forgot about the sensu beans! No, no, no! Oh, sweet Dende...*::
He yelped as he leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding a powerful punch.
::*If I don't do something, and do it fast, everyone will be gone! I know the others can't take him, Gohan
hasn't trained for years and Vegeta and Krillin aren't yet as his level! No, what can I---*::
An idea suddenly sparked to him. He phased out to avoid Raditz's attacks as he thought it over, sighing in
defeat. He reappeared, and this time, didn't move as his brother came directly at him. Turning his head
slightly he locked eyes with Gohan and nodded.
Gohan froze for several seconds before he suddenly bolted forward as Raditz drew nearer to his father.
::*No! He can't! He's done this before, don't do it again!*::
"Dad, don't!"
he yelled desperately as both Krillin and Vegeta grabbed onto his arms, pulling him back. His eyes
watered slightly as he watched Goku grab Raditz before the kick slammed into his gut, yanking his hand
up to his forehead.
Grinning weakly at Gohan, he muttered under his breath.
"Instant transmission."
The pair blinked out of sight.
Gohan stopped his struggles and stumbled back, eyes wide as he searched desperately for his dad's ki,
feeling it very weakly. It was far, too far---
It disappeared from existance, along with that of Raditzs'.
The Saiyan teen remained standing until he crumpled to the ground, eyes still frozen open with horrified
shock. His dad had sacrificed himself again, for his family and the other humans.
His mind raced furiously, anguished.
::*I did it again! I let him die and I couldn't do anything! I should've... should've done something! He just
got back and he's gone again... this can't be happening.*::
Gohan suddenly felt arms wrap around his neck and hug him. Turning his head, he saw Videl tightly
holding him to her.
::*I'm sorry, Gohan,*::
she whispered in her mind.
::*....Thanks.*::
Burying his head in the crook of her neck, Gohan let the tears flow freely down his cheeks.
~*~
To be continued...
~*~
Author's Note: Okay, okay. So this chapter wasn't exactly happy-go-lucky or anything. But, stick around, it'll get nicer, I promise! Please review! Ja.
Notices:
sakura_and_li_lover: Wow! Thanks for the review... I felt all special and bubbly after reading it! ;)
Saiyan Serpant: Hehe I was saving the cute father-son moments for another fic but Gohan's a lil more emotional and stuff in this one!
blue_angel1204: Yup, you're right! Well, I didn't have 100 when I posted it... actually if I did, it probably means I can't count or something! Err, not count, read numbers. See? I'm out of it a lot!
Everyone else: Sorry for not giving a personal response, but still a huge THANK YOU to you guys! I'll try to update within the week!
Author's Note: Sorry it took awhile to get out! Hey.... if anyone's curious.... first game was tonight! We got whomped! HECK YEAH!! Go Bulldogs... We need to practice more, ehheh. Moving on: Hope this chapter's alright! Once again, sorry it took so long to update.
~*~
Previous chapter...
~*~
Nappa smirked widely as he flexed a muscle, doing a slight spin in midair. The plans had been laid-out;
after they'd taken out the hardest of the three groups, then they'd go for the others. It would be easy, and
simple, and then there would be no barrier when working on completing the mission.
If everything went perfectly, they wouldn't even have to break a sweat.
Letting out a quiet laugh under his breath, Nappa surged forward in the air, catching up with his
superior---
The beach wasn't too far ahead.
~*~
End of Chapter
~*~
Krillin ran in several circles around an enraged Vegeta while Goku snabbed the basketball, slamming it
down through the hoop. Vegeta had originally decided on indoor soccer and the two others had agreed,
but when they'd reached the field they found it was already taken by the islands public soccer team. Goku
had then suggested a game of basketball and Krillin agreed---Vegeta was left with no choice but to follow
unless he wanted to be left alone, watching all the action.
The three were going to sub out in one-on-one but Vegeta, in a spurt of confidence announced that he'd be
able to beat the others even if they were on the same team. So it ended as such, with Goku and Krillin
against Vegeta. Unfortunately, Vegeta hadn't calculated that he would be at a disadvantage, due to his
height.
"Nice shot, Goku! Winner's take-out!"
Krillin ran to the center of the court and stood behind the line, whipping the ball to Goku who towered
over the Saiyan Prince. Immediately the man turned and lightly flipped the ball into the net.
"And another one for Goku!"
The man grinned widely and jogged to center court, holding the basketball and passed it to Krillin.
Vegeta growled under his breath as he stomped towards the second-class Saiyan, cursing all the while. Of
course he hadn't counted on the fact that he was shorter than Goku and that Krillin was short enough to
run between his legs---in fact, the thought had never occured to him. He knew he was powerful enough
but it turned out that the earthling's type of games required more than just strength. Krillin somehow
made a shot, and the ball was passed in again, Goku taking it this time.
Once again the Saiyan approached the other, a different plan in mind. Before, he'd done it the normal,
typical weakling way. He'd attempted to jump up and grab the ball, but it didn't work when Goku held it
above his head with his hand. This time, he'd have to do something else---
As Vegeta came to a stop in front of Goku, his opponent did as he suspected; he raised the ball above his
head and got ready to make an easy shot. Smirking, Vegeta suddenly shot into the air as he shoved off the
court's surface with both feet, snatching the ball from Goku's hands and swung around in midair, landing
a powerful dunk in the basket.
"Hah! Look out, Kakkarot, the Prince is back!"
Giggling a bit, Krillin watched as Goku blinked, mildly confused.
"Back? But you were already here! How can you be back? Where'd you go?"
Vegeta facefaulted, but caught himself before the others noticed.
"You ignorant fool! The Prince of all Saiyans need not explain simple matters to those of a lower class!"
"Whatever you say, Veggie---"
"NEVER CALL ME VEGGIE! I command you to at least address me by Vegeta!"
Goku frowned, still very confused while he scratched the back of his head.
"But Veggie, you always used to let me call you that!"
"STOP CALLING ME VEGGIE!"
screamed the Saiyan as he turned, furiously flinging a ki blast at the wall. The shot bounced off its surface
and smashed into the basket, destroying it. Krillin blinked while Vegeta continued to pant heavily with
frustration and Goku looked down at his feet, occassionally dribbling the basketball.
"Guess the game's over, guys!"
~*~
After much difficulty, the small gang of guys managed to find another basket and had resorted to playing
with it. Krillin and Goku were facing off in a one on one game while Vegeta sat by, watching while
grumbling under his breath.
Since the others were busy playing each other, Vegeta was the only one to notice the sudden surge of ki
that was coming right at them.
He stood, knocking over the bench with the force as he stepped forward, automatically powering up.
Spinning slightly, he looked around the small gym, then jumped forward, snagging Goku mid-leap by the
back of the gi and Krillin's hair in the other.
"Hey, ow! That hurts!"
Krillin struggled while hanging in midair, legs kicking wildly while Goku stayed hovering in place,
gently knocking the ball through the hoop.
"I win!"
Vegeta growled lowly, shaking the forms he held in his grips forcefully.
"Quiet, you fools! Don't you have the brains to even watch out for anything?"
The pair became silent, Goku raising his head in the air while frowning, Krillin blinking then leaping into
the air, immediately powering up while running a hand over his bushy hair.
Vegeta stepped to the side, releasing Goku as he crossed both arms over his chest, watching as the others
continued powering up in the corner of his eye. Two ki signatures were approaching then and were going
to reach the gym in several seconds at the speed they were going. Five, four, three, two---
The furthest wall exploded, shards of stone flying past while dust fell from the crumbling structure. There
was a bright flash of light and another section of the wall burst, pieces of rubble landing in heaps on the
slick wooden floor.
Krillin ran to the side, Goku to the other as Vegeta remained standing in the center, walking forward to
meet with the two others who he assumed were his soon-to-be victims. The forms stepped out of the
debrie, one shaking off his boots while growling and the other smirking widely, shaking the dust out of
his hair.
Goku fell back, startled, as the second man turned his face to him.
"Wha---you?"
~*~
Goten dived into a small structure, firing his laser gun wildly while Trunks ran past, screaming a war cry.
The pair had managed to rack up a huge amount of points even though they were a team of two against a
birthday group that had about 20 or so kids to a team---allied together. They had challenged them to a
rematch, thinking it was beginner's luck, then found out the hard way that it had to be something else.
Either that or the game system was a piece of crap.
"Trunks! Behind you!"
The lavender-haired boy leapt to the side then shot a volley of beams into a crowd that stood behind him
previously, smirking as he heard the angered shrieks and beeps of his opponents'. A loud thump sounded
behind him and he turned his head slightly, seeing Goten finish off the other team of ten that had tried to
sneak up on them.
The flashing lights suddenly dimmed and the arena flashed once, light flooding into it as a loud foghorn
sounded.
"Game over! Winner of 2nd match---Red Team!"
Trunks and Goten raised their fists, slamming them together as they let out a loud yell then turned,
running for the exit as they planned on how to get Gohan to buy them another game.
Meanwhile, Gohan and Videl had decided on staying outside to play the arcades and had spent over ten
dollars on tokens, moving on to fifteen.
"Gohan! You seriously suck at th---"
"Heads up!"
Gohan shoved Videl down and fired off a round of shots at two men, then turned, finishing off another.
He smirked at the surprised and confused look on Videl's face, then turned back to the game's screen.
Suddenly a small form slammed into Gohan's left leg, sending him reeling forward while another burst
landed on Videl's back, making her topple to the side into Gohan.
Trunks let out a giggle as he poked Videl on the head while Goten scampered up Gohan's let to sit on his
shoulder.
"Gohan, buy us another game!"
The teen shook his head while grinning, slowly prying Goten off of his arm and Trunks away from his
friend.
"Aww, man!"
Goten kicked the ground lightly with his foot as Trunks frowned, then suddenly brightened. Grabbing the
younger Saiyan by the back of the gi he ran outside, yelling something about a game.
The two teens looked at each other, confused, then resumed their gameplaying.
Gohan looked out of the side of his eye at Videl, who was obviously very involved in the virtual reality
shooting game. He smirked slightly, seeing her curse in frustration as she was hit once, then fire back,
hitting the computer-generated enemy head-on.
::*Videl's really involved with her work. She shouldn't have much time for anything else. That means any
time with me that's not vacation is definately out...*::
A sudden red beam seemed to flash through Gohan's mind and he fell back, grabbing his temples. The
plastic gun dropped from his hand and crashed against the arcade, and Videl turned to face him at the
loud noise. She blinked, startled, then jumped forward as she grabbed him and helped him steady himself.
The Saiyan let out a low cough and once again massaged his temples with both hands. Whatever had
struck him had hurt like heck, and he was intending on finding out what had caused it.
"What's wrong?"
Videl's voice cut through the tightly woven barrier that'd formed between the subconscious and real world
in Gohan's mind and he shook his head, trying to avoid falling over onto his face.
"I---I don't know,"
he muttered, unsure. How could he possibly know what was going on?
Another line of red sparked in his head and he braced himself with both hands on the arcade, grimacing
as the pain continued to run through his mind until it slowly subsided. Gasping slightly, he opened both
eyes then spun, jumping into the air and dragging his arms to the sides, powering up immediately. He
turned to Videl whose eyes were wide with surprise.
"Find Mom and the other girls, take Goten and Trunks with you. Tell them I've gone to where Dad---to
where the guys are."
Without explaining the rest he sped out through the open door and into the air, ignoring the shocked and
awed looks of the tourists and locals beneath him.
He still was clueless to what was going on, but at least he knew where the problem was coming from.
~*~
Vegeta cracked his neck slowly as Goku slowly hovered closer to the two men in front of him.
"How... I don't really think I get it. I thought you two were both dead, gone! Nappa and Raditz?"
Raditz ran a hand over dark hair, eyes flashing.
"No welcome committee for us, brother? I see you've turned another one of ours into a fool."
The Saiyan turned to the Prince, a sneer visible on his face. Vegeta raised his head to meet eye-for-eye
with the man before him, returning the glare with a calm look about him, unmoving and seemingly
emotionless.
"Why you've taken to the sides of Kakkarot and the humans, I will never know. You could have been a
great King of the Saiyan race."
Raditz turned his back to the three men, his eyes narrowing as a smile formed on his lips again.
::*And you still could be,*::
his mind continued on. Suddenly the red lights sped through his mind---it took near everything he had to
not bend back and let out a yell with the pain. But by the sounds of the surprised yelps behind him, his
brother hadn't been able to resist the urge to fall for the hurt.
Spinning, he turned to face the three once again. Kakkarot had fallen from his hovering perch in the air
and was on the ground, gasping as he held his head in both hands. Letting out a quiet laugh he stepped
forward, then remained where he was once he saw the midget earthling and pathetic Prince shift in their
stances, preparing to strike if necessary.
"Brother. Have you not yet experienced the pains of our return."
"Wh-what?"
Goku crawled to his feet and remained standing; he was a bit wobbly but still managed, then floated back
up into the air.
"Our return. It is true that we have returned to the living because of a wish that was made upon the
Dragon Balls, but because of the means that which the wish was made we must suffer the consequences."
The Saiyan could tell by his brother's confused looks that he had to further explain.
::*Ah, Kakkarot. You used to be one of the Saiyans that held the most potential on our world, and what
have you become? A worthless toy that knows nothing. With us, you could've understood true power...*::
"The Dragon Balls were used in a wish. As you know, once the three wishes have been used the Dragon
Balls will seperate to opposite ends of the earth, even at times to other planets. Somehow, they managed to
vanish into the world of the unliving, where we remained. I first discovered this when I found the third of
the seven Dragon Balls. Understanding that they must have somehow gotten into our dimension, I began
collecting them and found all, but one.
"The last one, the seventh Dragon Ball was here with your eldest son. A family heirloom. In order to
make my return I needed it, and I sent calls out to any of those that could get it for me. One foolish human
did so with the promise of money and he got it for me without anyone's realization; the heirloom had been
left in a feature cabinet and was not missed. Once I got the Dragon Ball the human was killed.
"My first wish was to create someone who could assist me. Nappa was revived for such a task. The second
wish was to revive the Saibamen, and to have them improved in a way. They were revived, and their
power levels increased greatly, but your boy managed to defeat them all the same. My third wish was to
regenerate myself, increasing both ki level, strength, endurance, everything, so that I could restore the
Saiyan race to power. Apparently, Shenlong had misunderstood my wish and revived you as well.
"The only cost of this proceedure was a pain that occured at sometimes the worst of times. As you can see,
it affects not only me but you as well since you were restored to the ranks of the living by the same means
as I. Do you understand now, my ignorant brother?"
Goku blinked once, then nodded slowly as he scratched his head. Both Krillin and Vegeta remained silent,
both watching the pair before them avidly.
Nappa let out a low, rolling laugh as Raditz stepped forward, both arms raised. He slowly flashed a
white-toothed smile, his fangs reflecting in the gym's flourescent lighting.
"And I fully intend to restore the Saiyan race to power, brother, even if I must resort to destroying all who
lay in my path. Including yourself."
The beam of blinding light flashed through the brother's minds again and Goku let out a surprised and
pained cry once again as Raditz gritted his teeth, a sweat drop pouring down the side of his face to bead at
his jaw. He raised his hand higher, the ball of light within it glowing brighter, then it was released...
~*~
Gohan winced and stopped, hovering in midair. The surges of light weren't as painful now as they were
before but they still hurt, painful enough to force him to stop his flight. Just as before the feeling vanished
and he found himself speeding forward again, occassionally a spark of light flickering off his form to fall
below.
Something was wrong with his dad, alright. He didn't know how he knew, he just *did*, and he wasn't
going to ignore his instincts at a time like this.
::*Gee, I hope Mom and Bulma and 18 are alright. It's a good thing they decided to leave Marron at the
boat with a babysitter, she's better off there. I wonder if Goten and Trunks are going to do anything stupid
and try to follow me? Oh, forget that, Videl won't let them. Wait...*::
Gohan came to an abrupt halt and spun around, knowing exactly what he'd see.
Flying behind him at an incredible pace was Videl, a look of pure annoyance visible on his face. Groaning
in frustration, the Saiyan slapped himself on the face.
::*I *knew* I forgot something! Of course Videl wouldn't let the little guys follow me, it's *her* I have to
worry about! Baka!*::
Videl came to a slow stop in front of him and smirked fully, reminding him greatly of the Saiyan Prince.
"Hey, Gohan. Need a bit of help?"
"Now, Videl, I-"
The girl cut him off by stepping forward and slamming her fist hard into his stomach, a satisfied smile
covering her features as she heard him grunt and gasp for air.
She pulled back, crossing both arms over her chest as Gohan heaved in several breaths of air then
recovered, still clutching his stomach.
"What was *that* for!"
he partly screamed and partly choked, making it obvious to the eye that he was very confused as well as
slightly pissed off.
"If I can do that to you, then I probably don't have too much to worry about!"
she snapped back at him before he could speak again, then she jetted forward leaving the coughing Saiyan
in her wake.
"H-hey, wait!"
Gohan let go of his aching body and sped after the raven-haired girl, knowing full well that he would be
stuck with her through the entire ordeal.
The pair soon reached the gym were Gohan could feel their ki signatures. He frowned as he moved closer,
tilting his head to the side slightly---
Two other ki's were there as well, one he recognized faintly, the other as foreign to him as Goku's had
been before.
Realization suddenly hit him and he leapt forward in midair, leaving an irritated Videl behind. The girl
sped up and caught up with him, frowning at him for a second before turning to face the gym, fully intent
on the battle she had assumed there'd be next.
An explosion rocked through the gym, a blast of ki shooting out one of the skylight windows to swing by
Gohan's head, narrowly missing the teen. The Saiyan gulped once but didn't have time to stop and
consider the situation, as another barrage of missiles shot out of the many skylights, all headed for him
and Videl.
Gohan grabbed Videl and turned so that his back was to the blasts, and that he held the girl securely
against his chest. Eyes clamped tightly shut, he felt the first of the many impacts that would soon follow
hit him hard on the back. Another beam of light flashed warningly in the boy's mind as the ki began to
burn through the loose gi, and another hit him roughly, sending him forward slightly in the sky. He
gritted his teeth and pushed back, feeling several more blasts come into contact with his now bared skin.
Eventually all of the attacks came to a cease.
Videl pulled herself out of Gohan's hold and turned to look at him, confused. What'd he do that for,
anyways? The Saiyan was near frozen in the air, almost poised as if waiting for another shot to emerge
and hit him.
"Gohan? Are you... okay?"
After no response, she floated forward and gently shook his shoulders with both hands. Blinking and
shaking his head quickly, Gohan managed a weak nod. He slowly moved from his position and pulled the
top of the gi over his head, tossing it. With all the holes burnt in the back it was pretty much useless.
Videl sucked in a breath after he removed the top then drew back warily, knowing full well that she was
bright red.
"So are you okay?"
she stuttered, ducking her head a bit.
"Um... yeah. I'm fine."
Gohan stretched a bit, wincing as the burnt skin on his back flexed with his muscles. The gym was still
rumbling with explosions and he turned, looking back at Videl then to the gym once again. His eyes were
full of pleading as he spun to meet Videl's gaze.
"Please just, stay here? I really don't want you to get hurt. These are things that even my dad is going to
have a hard time with..."
Videl's mouth twitched as she folded her arms over her chest again. It was getting harder and harder to
resist those puppy-dog eyes.
"Please! I promise that if I need help, you'll be the first one I call, okay? I'm serious!"
The girl held her glare with him for awhile longer, then let out a sigh of defeat. It was his fight, after all.
And besides, she didn't want to hurt him, even though she didn't want him to get hurt physically either.
"Alright. But if you don't call me, then I'll, uh, I'll come down anyways and I will get you back,
agreed?!"
Gohan flashed a small smile at Videl, nodding.
"Agreed."
With that, he spun and jetted towards the building below.
The teen landed in front of the gym then ran in, not quite knowing what to expect inside. But what he did
see caught him completely off guard.
Vegeta and Krillin were both hovering in midair, darting to each side as a wild ki blast was thrown
between them. Nappa had been the sender of the attack, and was standing on the wooden court, obviously
irritated.
His Dad and... someone... were squaring off in the other section of the gym. From what it looked like the
pair was evenly matched, even though they would fall back every few seconds, an obvious look of hurt to
their features.
Gohan stepped forward, leaning to the side as he tried to see the man's face. Upon seeing it he yanked
back, almost falling into a pile of boxes.
::*What? No! Something is very wrong here! He looks exactly like my uncle, but the ki signature just isn't
the same...*::
A warning rang through his mind.
*:*Hey, Dad's ki was different when he came back, too. And think it through, both had died and have
returned. Can't you see the connection there?*:*
So it *was* his uncle. Raditz let out a low laugh as he suddenly swung up his fist, cuffing Goku hard on
the chin. The Saiyan stumbled backwards, astonished, then snarled as he ran forward with a counter.
Gohan's eyes narrowed as he drew out his fists to his sides, clenching them as power surged through his
form. He continued to keep his ki masked to keep the others unaware of his presence as he quietly flew to
hover in the top of the gym. A small smirk made itself visible on his lips as he spun a perfectly executed
360 and sped down, a ki blast exploding from his hands as his fists came into contact with Raditz's back.
The man let out a pained yell and fell forward as Goku stepped back, plainly confused. Seeing his son
standing behind his brother's form he blinked and flashed a small smile before turning back to the
problem before him.
Gohan stepped back and scratched his head, turning so that he was standing between the groups of
fighters. There was nothing he could do, really - already, Krillin and Vegeta were keeping Nappa busy
and it looked like his dad could handle his brother on his own. In fact, he was guessing that if he
interferred anymore, Goku would get annoyed at him.
Suddenly a figure flew past him, slamming into the wall, another soon following. Krillin sat up and
groaned as he pulled himself out of the indention he'd made in the wall while Vegeta cursed loudly,
dragging himself to his feet. Nappa smirked and shot another round of ki blasts at the pair, a huge beam
that barely missed Raditz and Goku.
The Saiyan teen gulped in surprise and immediately dove to the side, feeling the burn of the energy on his
bare back. Muttering, he gently massaged his shoulder as he remembered how he'd taken off the top of his
gi when it'd gotten burnt by a barrage of deflected ki beams.
::*Looks like Vegeta and Krillin could use a break. Good thing for me, I'll finally be able to get in on this
guy.*::
A small smile visible on his face, Gohan jumped into the air and sped past his struggling comrades to land
gracefully in front of Nappa. The muscular man blinked in surprise, then let out a harsh laugh.
"What? Come to save your Z-team? Don't sweat it, kid, we've got you beat."
The man pulled out his hand from behind his back, leveling it so that it was aimed directly at Gohan's
face. The boy waited until the energy ball formed then was released, before ducking under it and popping
back up to slam his knee powerfully into Nappa's stomach, sending him falling backwards. The man
gasped for breath as Gohan stood, drawing back his hand then shooting it out again to palm Nappa in the
chest. Flying backwards Nappa barely stopped himself from being flung headfirst into the bleachers.
Turning slowly in midair, Nappa wiped a speck of blood from the side of his mouth with the back of his
hand, then laughed again before launching himself at the boy. Stepping to the side as Nappa sped past
him, Gohan swung out his foot to roundhouse the man in the back of the head, then turned and darted
after his falling form, landing a few more punches to pummel him into the wooden ground. Grunting,
Nappa stood again, this time crossing his hands over his chest.
Gohan eyed him warily, confused. His strategy had changed, normally he was a reckless attacker, he'd
been like that ever since he'd first fought him. Since when did he step back and take time to do his own
thing?
Nappa's hands suddenly shot to his sides, fists clenched then were flung forward, bursts of ki exploding
from each palm. With a yell of surprise Gohan was hit directly in the chest with both and he spun over
backwards, skidding on the ground and falling into a pile of boxes.
Panting, Gohan started to pull himself to his feet when another ki blast was shot at him, the heat of the
beam scraping his face painfully. Shaking his head he got to his feet, stumbling back to the ground after
he gently touched the burns on his chest and face, wincing with the contact.
::*So this is how he took out Vegeta and Krillin,*::
he thought to himself as he grimaced.
Nappa grinned suddenly.
"I knew you wouldn't be able to handle taking me. Now... time to take you out, kid."
Walking forward until he was standing over Gohan, the man placed his hand one foot in front of Gohan's
forehead as he held him down with his foot.
"Say your prayers,"
Nappa mumbled as he gathered energy in his palm, the heat radiating within his fist.
Gohan closed his eyes and drew in a shakey breath.
::*I'm gone...*::
The man suddenly let out a deep-throated yell as he fell forward, collapsing to the side of Gohan then
found himself being kicked backwards into the bleachers, being covered by them as they toppled over.
Videl stood over Gohan, a wide, cocky grin covering her face.
"Told you I'd help if you called,"
she spoke in a sing-song voice as she grabbed his hand, yanking him up. Gohan blinked, confused.
::*I didn't call her!*::
"Yes, you did,"
she argued back, placing her hands on her hips.
Gohan blinked again and shrugged sheepishly, letting out a small unsure laugh.
::*Man, I'm lost.*::
Videl smirked, then shifted her gaze to a form that was struggling in the pile of bleachers.
Nappa had partially recovered and was attempting to stand, however unsucessful it was. He was already
badly hurt - Gohan had damaged him enough to near kill him, and Videl's attacks that'd caught him
off-guard hadn't helped the problem. Krillin and Vegeta, the latter of the two trying to act unhurt dashed
to float in front of the form.
"Finally, Mr. Big Guy is put in his place!"
Krillin chortled as Vegeta simply grunted, placing his hands in front of him as energy gathered within his
palms. The blast was nearly out of his fists when Nappa shot up, drawing a small mechanical device out of
his gi to aim its small laser at Vegeta, catching his eye.
The Saiyan stopped, frozen, then let out a pained yell as he turned, grabbing his head at the temples. He
growled in frustration as he spun in midair, his muscles working furiously as he tried to stop the growing
injury. Suddenly the light disappeared and he gasped for breath, shaking his head as he tried to regain
himself. Krillin grinned a bit sheepishly as he held up the small device that Nappa had held earlier, then
pointed to the fallen and broken form of the man.
"You were supposed to let me kill him, you unworthy peasant!"
Vegeta screamed, his pride hurting.
Krillin merely let out a small giggle before turning to watch the intense fight between Raditz and Goku.
The pair had continued on to their final Super Saiyan stage, both with aqua eyes blazing and golden hair
seeming to be aflame.
Goku's gi was torn and blood was seaping through the tears, Raditz looking similar to his brother. Raditz
sped forward, almost landing a punch on the man's cheek but only grazed it, as Goku countered by
swooping down through the air to reappear behind Raditz, kicking him forward into the wall.
Raditz let out a grunt as he hit the basket and broke through the glass, stopping as he landed on the
ground. Standing, he hurridly ran his hair back with a hand then shot up into the air again, engaging into
battle with his brother.
Gohan remained standing behind Videl as he held onto both of her arms, letting out a sigh as she strained
to be released.
"Come on, Gohan! He's your dad and you're letting him fight that out *alone*? What kind of son *are*
you!"
"A sensible one,"
he muttered in response, squeezing his eyes shut as he prepared for the lecture Videl was about to give
him.
Instead, the girl let out a frustrated squeak then stopped her struggles, finally tired.
::*I can't believe he won't help his dad! Is this some stupid pride thing?*::
"Yes..."
Gohan replied, uncertain. He wasn't sure if he was supposed to hear what she said or not, it sounded like
she spoke it really quietly or whispered it, or something.
Turning to face him, Videl cocked her head to the side as she watched him, confused.
"Yes what?"
"It's all about pride."
"Huh?"
"Eh?? Uh, f-forget it!"
Gohan let out a nervous laugh, stopping abruptly as he heard Krillin snickering behind him, knowing
exactly what his friend was thinking.
Videl let out a huff of annoyance then turned back to face the battle that seemed to be nearing its end.
Goku had the winning hand and was standing at his full height as he pummeled rounds of sharp jabs and
kicks at his brother, the crack of bones being heard. Raditz gasped as he fired a wild ki blast, entirely
missing his target as it swung up to fly out through the broken skylights into the sky. Goku took advantage
of the distraction and phased out, reappearing in front of Raditz and placing his hand, palm open on his
chest. Raising his head he hardened his look of determination as he saw the surprised and frightened look
on his brother's face, then shot the ki beam.
Raditz slammed backwards, through the gym's wall and into a stone wall that covered the perimeter of the
training arena. Blood poured from the large burning gash in his stomach, his gi totally discintigrated
where the energy had made contact. Choking on his own blood he slowly began to crawl to his feet as
Goku stepped out through the remains of the wall to stand, arms crossed over his chest as he slowly
powered down, relieved since he had been getting incredibly low on energy.
His brother's form slowly sank down from its Super Saiyan level until he had jet black hair once again.
Pulling up his head, Raditz slowly drew a small package out from under his sash and opened it, flicking
something into his hand then gulping it down immediately. Suddenly skin stretched over his cuts, the
blood no longer seeping out of them. Goku took a step back as Raditz let out a harsh laugh when his hair
suddenly shot up, golden once again.
"Sensu beans to come in handy, don't they,"
he grinned as he shoved off the ground, heading directly for Goku.
~*~
Bulma and Chichi raced out of the mall, trying to keep up with the two boys and Android 18.
"Come on, you guys! We can't all fly, you know!"
Bulma screamed to the crew ahead, her face darkening with anger as she realized they were ignoring her.
Goten and Trunks seemed to only speed up, 18 doing the same. Suddenly, Chichi stopped in place, her
shopping bags dropping to the side.
"SLOW DOWN FOR KAMI'S SAKE!"
she screeched, face burning a bright red as windows tinkered and shattered behind her. The trio froze in
place, then turned, slowly heading back to Bulma and Chichi.
The two women nodded to each other happily as Bulma pulled a capsule out of her pocket, tossing it in
front of her.
"We're taking the jet,"
she declared as the airplane popped out and everyone piled inside.
~*~
Goku gasped as he watched his brother's wounds heal over.
::*No! I totally forgot about the sensu beans! No, no, no! Oh, sweet Dende...*::
He yelped as he leapt to the side, narrowly avoiding a powerful punch.
::*If I don't do something, and do it fast, everyone will be gone! I know the others can't take him, Gohan
hasn't trained for years and Vegeta and Krillin aren't yet as his level! No, what can I---*::
An idea suddenly sparked to him. He phased out to avoid Raditz's attacks as he thought it over, sighing in
defeat. He reappeared, and this time, didn't move as his brother came directly at him. Turning his head
slightly he locked eyes with Gohan and nodded.
Gohan froze for several seconds before he suddenly bolted forward as Raditz drew nearer to his father.
::*No! He can't! He's done this before, don't do it again!*::
"Dad, don't!"
he yelled desperately as both Krillin and Vegeta grabbed onto his arms, pulling him back. His eyes
watered slightly as he watched Goku grab Raditz before the kick slammed into his gut, yanking his hand
up to his forehead.
Grinning weakly at Gohan, he muttered under his breath.
"Instant transmission."
The pair blinked out of sight.
Gohan stopped his struggles and stumbled back, eyes wide as he searched desperately for his dad's ki,
feeling it very weakly. It was far, too far---
It disappeared from existance, along with that of Raditzs'.
The Saiyan teen remained standing until he crumpled to the ground, eyes still frozen open with horrified
shock. His dad had sacrificed himself again, for his family and the other humans.
His mind raced furiously, anguished.
::*I did it again! I let him die and I couldn't do anything! I should've... should've done something! He just
got back and he's gone again... this can't be happening.*::
Gohan suddenly felt arms wrap around his neck and hug him. Turning his head, he saw Videl tightly
holding him to her.
::*I'm sorry, Gohan,*::
she whispered in her mind.
::*....Thanks.*::
Burying his head in the crook of her neck, Gohan let the tears flow freely down his cheeks.
~*~
To be continued...
~*~
Author's Note: Okay, okay. So this chapter wasn't exactly happy-go-lucky or anything. But, stick around, it'll get nicer, I promise! Please review! Ja.
Notices:
sakura_and_li_lover: Wow! Thanks for the review... I felt all special and bubbly after reading it! ;)
Saiyan Serpant: Hehe I was saving the cute father-son moments for another fic but Gohan's a lil more emotional and stuff in this one!
blue_angel1204: Yup, you're right! Well, I didn't have 100 when I posted it... actually if I did, it probably means I can't count or something! Err, not count, read numbers. See? I'm out of it a lot!
Everyone else: Sorry for not giving a personal response, but still a huge THANK YOU to you guys! I'll try to update within the week!