Gohan: Development of a Hero

This is a Dragonballz fanfiction. To my eternal sadness, I do not own or in anyway profit from Dragonballz or any of the characters in this story. This fic, as you can guess from the title, centers on Gohan, and begins right after the cell games. It is an AU, and reviews are welcome and appreciated.

Btw, from now on, when characters speak in Saiyago (the Saiyan language), the dialogue will be shown in Bold.

Part 25 – Doubts

"TRI-BEAM-HA!!!"

Gohan brought his hands up quickly, easily displacing the blast as it careened towards him. He grinned, "You're definitely getting much better Travis."

Travis smirked as he landed. Gasping, he added, "Thanks…and thanks for doing this Gohan."

Gohan shrugged as he landed. Ever since Tien had changed his mind about allowing him to compete, Travis had become fixated on becoming as strong as he could. He wasn't the only one; Vegeta had practically commandeered the Gravity Room, and it could be heard running at all hours of the day. In addition, Gohan had detected ki spikes near Roshi's island as well as several other locations, proof that the others were getting back into shape for the Tournament. "It's not that big of a deal. Besides, I'm glad to help."

"I just hope I'm not cutting into your training time," Travis commented.

Gohan shook his head, "BELIEVE me, you aren't." In point of fact, Gohan had pretty much stopped training during the day. His nightly sessions with Sensei were simply too grueling. Gohan had always thought Sensei pushed him, but the last month had proven Sensei hadn't, not completely. Gohan wasn't sure how, but the time in Dreamscape seemed to be getting longer, and each session left Gohan both satisfied and exhausted. When he returned, despite Sensei's healings, Gohan found little desire for further training. So, he did what he could to help the others.

Mainly, Gohan found himself training four people: Goten, Trunks, Lime, and Travis. Gohan wasn't surprised about the first three; Lime was his student, and when Vegeta hit the current training mode he was in, there was little room for anyone else. Therefore, it fell to Gohan to ensure Goten and Trunks were ready when the time came. He spent every morning working with them, improving their skill, their strength, and teaching them new techniques. As for his afternoons, Gohan traded off working with Bulma and training Travis and Lime.

To be honest, Gohan had been a little shocked when Travis had asked him to help. Though he and Travis had sparred off and on over the past year or so and Gohan considered him an ally and friend, Gohan had always thought Travis preferred training with Tien and Chaotzu. But Travis said he wanted a new opponent, someone to help him so he had a few surprises for whomever he fought in the ring. Gohan was more than happy to oblige him.

Gohan and Travis simply sat for several minutes, as Travis caught his breath. It was often like that with them; they rarely if ever had uncomfortable silences, a fact that Gohan found nice. It gave him time to ponder and reflect, though his thoughts have recently been scattered, even since he found out…

"Do you think I'll be ready?"

Gohan's train of thoughts ended as he turned his gaze to Travis, "What?"

Travis sighed, "For the Tournament. I was wondering if you thought I'd be ready for it."

Gohan nodded, "You're making excellent progress. If you keep this up, you will be a serious challenge to most of the fighters."

"Except for the Saiyans," Travis interjected. He shook his head ruefully, "it was bad enough just knowing Vegeta, Trunks, Goten, and you would be competing. But to find out that GOKU would be coming back…from everything I've heard, he'll be just as bad to face as you or Vegeta."

Gohan hid a wince; it had been a month, and he still wasn't sure what to do about that. His parents were coming back, and Gohan found himself dreading the meeting more every day. He was torn; they were his parents, and a part of Gohan remembered all the good times. But another part remembered the betrayals, and that part was screaming at him to either kill them or avoid them. This left him in turmoil, a fact that didn't sit well with Gohan.

"We'll see…" Gohan finally managed to say. "Listen, I need to get back. It's getting late, and I need to be back for dinner."

"Of course. Saiyan appetite," Travis teased. He grinned, "You flying or teleporting?"

Gohan didn't answer; instead, he gave a little wave and teleported. Within a second, he found himself standing in the Capsule Corps living room. He stumbled slightly as he appeared. Damn it, my landing still is off Gohan cursed mentally. He had taken to teleporting as often as possible, in order to try and get the skill down. It was incredibly difficult; it had taken two weeks of solid practice every day to get to this point.

One thing bothered Gohan slightly. Though it had been years, Gohan still vividly remembered the feeling when his father used instant transmission: his body stretching, changing, and moving as particles of light. It was hard to forget. But this felt different, and Gohan wasn't sure what to make of it. It felt less like his body was changing and more like it was simply…moving. He really didn't understand it, and that concerned him. Especially considering the other features.

Whenever he saw his father teleport, Gohan had felt his father's ki sense extending outward, tracking down a ki to lock onto when he teleported. But that wasn't the case with Gohan. Though there was a certain amount of focus required, Gohan didn't lock onto a specific ki. In fact, he seemed able to teleport to any location within his range, regardless of whether there was a person present or not. And everyday, his range increased. It led Gohan to one conclusion; this wasn't the same teleportation technique.

Although Gohan enjoyed being able to teleport, it did arouse quite a few suspicions. Vegeta had been the most suspicious; he had practically grilled Gohan for hours about how he'd learned this technique. Gohan had tried to foist it off as him finally figuring out his father's instant transmission, but Gohan saw he hadn't been convinced. Luckily, Vegeta was almost completely focused on training for the Tournament, and let it go…for now. Gohan just hoped it would last until the Tournament.

Gohan felt a flicker of fear and anticipation go through him. The Tournament: Gohan's moment of truth. He still couldn't believe his fight with the Destroyer was this close. Though he didn't know the specifics yet, Sensei had told him that the events leading up to his fight began at the Tournament. Which meant in less than five months, it would be time.

"GOHAN!"

Gohan whirled and caught a blur as it skyrocketed to him. "Nice try Trunks. You almost had me."

Trunks smirked, "I'll get you next time."

Gohan chuckled, "I'm sure you will shrimp. I just got back, did I miss anything?"

Trunks shook his head, "Nope. Goten and I fought, dad trained, and mom worked."

"DINNER!!!"

Both Saiyan's heads turned at that call. Trunks began to move towards the kitchen, but Gohan stopped him, "Where's Goten?"

Trunks shrugged, "Outside somewhere. You coming?"

"I'll come once I get Goten," Gohan explained. Trunks nodded, and moved. Meanwhile, Gohan extended his ki senses and tracked Goten down. Once he was located, Gohan headed off. As he walked, Gohan's curiosity grew. It looked like Goten was out in one of the gardens, in a location he rarely visited. What was he doing there?

"Goten, it's time to…" Gohan began, but trailed off. Goten was sitting with his hands on his knees, staring out into the sky. When he heard Gohan, Goten turned and smiled. But it seemed false; it lacked the brightness that was Goten's trademark. Something was wrong.

"Hey Big Brother," Goten chirped, but even his voice seemed softer. "What was that?"

"That's not important," Gohan immediately replied, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Goten stated, but his voice carried a hint of nervousness.

"Come on Goten, this is me. You can tell me anything. What's wrong?" Gohan pressed.

Goten was silent for several seconds, and then he said softly, "Gohan, can I ask you something?"

Gohan settled himself down next to Goten, "Goten, you can ask my anything, you know that. What is it?"

Goten hesitated for several moments, as if afraid of what Gohan would say. When Gohan encouraged him further, he finally asked, "Were mommy and daddy bad people?"

"What?" Gohan gasped.

"Mommy and Daddy, were they bad people?" Goten asked again.

Gohan froze; he had no idea where this line of questioning came from, and it worried him. "Why do you ask?" Gohan questioned softly.

Goten looked decidedly uncomfortable as he finally explained, "You never talk about them. Mommy and Daddy, I mean. You tell me stories about when you were a kid all the time, but never with either of them in it. Why? Were they bad or something?"

Gohan's mind worked, trying to figure out what was going on. Then, it suddenly hit him. Gohan had been deliberately avoiding discussing their parents for one simple reason. He didn't want his anger and bitterness to carry over onto Goten's opinion. No child at Goten's age should see his parents as Gohan saw them; it would be cruel. So, he simply kept his mouth shut on the subject, and hoped the others would supply their opinions to make up for his silence. He never thought that Goten would think their parents were bad because of his silence.

I have to fix this Gohan thought. He couldn't let Goten think their parents were bad or evil; that kind of thing would be traumatizing to him. Gohan knew how to fix it, but his soul screamed at him not to do it. That was the other reason Gohan never talked about them; it hurt. But he'd have to bear it this time…for Goten.

"No Goten, they weren't bad," Gohan stated. Each word sent a lancing pain through him as he began to remember…them. He had been pushing them away, burying them deep inside to keep the bitterness and anger in check.

Goten's brow furrowed. Finally, he asked, "What were they like?"

Gohan paused; he had to be very careful here to explain it without letting his bitterness out. "Dad was…a great warrior. Confident, strong, powerful…you look and act just like him."

"Really," Goten asked with a grin.

Gohan nodded. It was true; now that he looked closer, there was no doubt that Goten was his father's son. "Yes. He was always happy, always grinning. And he loved to fight; it was his main passion in life."

Goten mulled it over, as Gohan's mind brought up less…pleasant memories. His father's voice echoed in Gohan's mind, as it said he wasn't going to come back, by choice. Pain rose up in Gohan, only to be brutally suppressed. He couldn't let it out; not now.

"What about mom?" Goten finally questioned.

"Brave, pretty. She had the fiercest temper, and could cow the mightiest Saiyan with it. She was also not a huge fan of fighting; she was determined to make me study hard and never fight, and I'm sure she would have done the same for you. She was…beautiful."

Even as he said it, an image rose in Gohan's mind. It was his mother's face at the end; hollow, pinched tight with pain, skin loose on her face. It was an image that had haunted Gohan at times, and one he worked hard to bury in his mind. But it was out now, and Gohan fought not to shudder.

Goten was silent for a few moments, and then he whispered softly, "Do you think they'll like me?"

"Goten…" Gohan whispered. He pulled his brother into a hug and added, "Of course they will. I guarantee it. Mom will probably hug you to death when she sees you, and Dad will want to spar with you immediately. I know they'll love you on sight. Trust me…"

They held that pose for several seconds, and then Goten pulled away, "Thanks big brother," he chirped, and Gohan was happy to see he was back to normal.

"Anytime Squirt," Gohan muttered as he ruffled Goten's hair. "Now get inside; dinner's ready."

"REALLY! AWESOME," Goten commented as his stomach growled. He moved towards the door, and stopped, "Aren't you coming?"

Gohan forced a smile, "I'll be along in a minute,"

"Okay," Goten stated cheerfully as he turned and ran inside.

Once he was out of earshot and sight, Gohan sank to his knees and shuddered. Talking about…them was like pouring salt on old wounds. His soul and mind screamed in agony, and Gohan fought madly to quiet them and push the memories down. He knew it had to be done, but that didn't make it any easier. Nor did the knowledge of what he had to do next.

Gohan no longer had any doubts about how he had to act at the Tournament; this had just cemented it inside him. He wouldn't allow his bitterness and anger toward their parents infect Goten; Goten deserved to believe in his parents at that age. Gohan remembered how much it hurt when he realized his parents weren't how he wanted them to be, and he wouldn't wish that pain on Goten EVER. Gohan knew what he had to do; he'd play the good son.

It would just be another mask. He'd worn them for so long, hiding what he was truly feeling from his friends, from Bulma, from Goten. Playing the part they all expected of him to hide how he really felt; this would just be an extension of that façade. Goten deserved a happy view of his parents, and Gohan would give it to him. He would push down his anger, his bitterness; he would hide it all and pretend nothing had changed. Parts of him screamed inside, demanding he not do this act. But Gohan was firm; he would do it for Goten. Gohan tried to rationalize it, to push the feelings down. After all, it was just for one day.

How bad could it be?

TO BE CONTINUED…

Another part done. And I want to say I am ecstatic that I got above 500 reviews¸ and even above 525. That is awesome! I hope you liked this part. For those of you aching for a confrontation between Gohan and his parents, rest assured it is building and coming.

Now, to respond to reviews:

Btw, I want to mention that I got my first flames! To Add and A, congratulations on being my first flames. It was surprising, but I guess I should have expected to get them. To my fans that love my story, don't worry. I won't let them discourage me. After all, a few with over 500 reviews is proof I'm doing something right.

Chris: I agree with you about the anger, but keep in mind that Bojack and Brolly have not appeared in my story. I didn't want to include them at this point, so I just wanted to make sure people understood neither of those events happened.

Saiyan God: I plan for this part to end with the resolution of the Destroyer and Buu.

Samurai Demon-God Sekikage: At this point, Gohan is 17.

Son Oliver: Again, there will be a confrontation between Gohan and his parents. I won't get into specifics what causes Gohan to finally let his anger and bitterness out, but rest assured it is coming.

Tetsukon: I just wanted to say I enjoyed reading your comment that you might watch Charmed just to be able to understand my other stories. I found it to be a very deep compliment, and I'm glad you liked my writing.

I'll get the next part out as soon as I can.