Chapter 28: Murphy's Law
Black. Inky black nothingness. It pressed in from all around, suffocating her. She could feel the air flowing in and out of her lungs, but it felt empty. Unsatisfying.
Can't get enough air in my lungs… Lungs... Lungs means I have a body. Do I have a body? Why can't I feel it?
Her consciousness flashed white, a light that would have blinded her had she eyes to see it with. Suddenly, she felt it. The rest of her body was suddenly there like a weight dropped on her. It ached and pulsed with the pounding of her heart that suddenly seemed to wanted to burst from her chest. Even the skin that was being caressed by something soft and feathery seemed to burn and itch.
Ugh, what's going on?! What happened? Okay… little steps… My name is… is… Kami, what is my name?!
What seemed like an eternity stretched by and the answer eluded her still. Random images that didn't fit in any particular order flashed in her mind's eye; A tall teen with spiky black hair in a black button-up shirt. Two blonde teenagers trying to avoid attention as they relaxed in eachother's company. A young girl with wild black hair to match her onyx eyes. A huge pale monster with a calligraphic M etched into his forehead. Another flash of light. A girl, glaring into a mirror at her own image, a small frown etched into her features as her Azure eyes scanned her naked form for scars.
There! Her!... Me… I'm… I'm… Satan… Videl Satan! That's it. My name is Videl Satan…
With the flood-gates opened, she suddenly began recollecting everything. A flood of emotion, memories, and even more strange sensations that surrounded her newly discovered body crashed down on her mind.
My name is Videl, I'm eighteen years old. My best friends are Sharpener and Erasa. My father is the world champion. The man who defeated Cell.
Her heart jumped in her chest, and her mind immediately rejected that final statement. More sensations pierced her mind like a bullet. More Images flashed in her eyes; A brunette girl with stunning green eyes. The tall teen again, cast in a new light now; Wearing a navy blue gi and smiling a weak smile. His hair flowing carelessly in the wind as he watched her.
Lime. Gohan… The delivery boy.
A whole new feeling flooded her mind, and welled up in her chest. Memories of their time, how close they had become. Their first kiss, all the ones after it. How she had become attached. Fallen in love. She wanted to hold onto that image of him. But then it all came crashing down.
The tournament! The fight! I was fighting Spopovich and… Oh Kami, I'm dead! I am dead, right? I have to be! This… This is what death is… Emptiness
Not quite, said a voice that was foreign to her mind. Videl felt the presence more than she heard it. It wasn't malicious, nor did it even seem remotely dangerous. In fact, it was… familiar. The masculine tone reminded her of Goku.
Who… Who are you? she questioned hesitantly, as if she wasn't sure she had actually heard it.
Me? Well It isn't important who I am miss Videl.
The voice paused there, and Videl continued to see images, her own memories, as they played before her mind's eye. I didn't die then? she asked wonderously. What is this? Where am I?
This is… Well, this is the deepest part of your mind. But don't be confused, you were indeed dead.
A shot of ice flowed through her for a moment at the confession, but wore off quickly to be replaced by confusion. Were?
Were, confirmed the voice. You have some powerful friends Videl. Your spirit nearly left your body completely. Were it not for the actions of the Supreme Kai and his assistant, you would have been lost, as would the universe as you know it.
Supreme Kai? Who is… she pondered for a moment before concluding the only thing that made sense. The images of the short purple man and the red giant flashed in her mind. Shin? And Kibito?
Indeed.
Okay, so that sounds important… But what do I have to do with the fate of the universe? I'm just a normal human girl!
Even the most mundane of people can have a moment of brilliance, and you are anything but mundane. He does not know it yet, but Gohan is going to find himself in a difficult situation. You will all be put through trials in the near future, but he must face, and defeat, one enemy that he has been struggling with for a very long time.
Who? she asked, but had a feeling she knew the answer already.
Himself. He will cease to be Gohan as you know him, and his primal self will take over. When this happens, the fate of the universe will hang in the balance. Should he succumb to his natural tendencies, all will fall. You are the key to saving him.
Me? she thought incredulously. I don't understand.
The only thing that a Saiyan will stop everything for, is his mate, his blood. To him, nothing could be more important than the one who bears the mark. His mark.
The mark? What?... Please, explain! The connection with the consciousness began to fade, becoming weaker and weaker by the second.
"Videl?" echoed a new voice, different than the one before.
There is no time left. I must soon go, said the other voice in his mind, more urgently now. Do not forget my words Videl. Whatever you do, do not lose hope! Bleak times are upon you, but you must never give up! You can tame the beast, and unlock the true power of the Saiyan race.
"Videl?" echoed the new voice, clearer this time.
Please! There must be more you can tell me! she thought with a panic. At least tell me who you are!
Never… Give… Up. stated the voice, fading into nothing.
"Videl?"
New sensations began to make sense to her. She realized she was laying on her back. Her skin still burned, and her chest ached where she had been struck by the ki blast. She could tell that she must be on a flying craft of some sort by the sensation of flight she was so familiar with. The air smelled of sweat, dust, and surprisingly enough, new car smell. A very familiar voice gently called her name, and a warm weight pressed against her hand. She felt her eyes slide open a tiny bit and immediately slammed them shut with a grimace, "Hnngh."
"She's waking up! Videl, can you hear me?" Erasa?
Prepared this time, Videl forced her eyes open. A moment passed before they were finally able to focus, but when they did she saw Erasa's worried and lined face staring back at her. There was a rush of joy at the sight of her best friend, and her lips cracked into a weak smile, "Hey… Erasa…"
Her voice came out raspy and strained, and immediately she felt the urge to hack up a lung. But her chest ached in protest to the weak cough that her words elicited. Erasa gripped her hand and beamed at her, "Shh, don't talk girl. You had us all scared there for a while. I swear I thought Sharpie was going to break down into tears!"
"I was not!" blurted out her male friend. Videl couldn't help herself, she laughed at his childish denial. She winced in anticipation of the ache that would fill her chest at the spasm, but it didn't come. She looked down at herself as best she could and was surprised to find that she was wearing completely different clothes; A blue long sleeve shirt with "fight" across the chest in gold letters, a pair of yellow jeans and her spare set of running shoes. She blinked a couple times in surprise and made to push herself up into a sitting position.
"Whoa girl, take it easy-" began Erasa, rushing to her feet as if to push her back down. But Videl cut her off, "It's okay Erasa. I'm fine."
Erasa didn't retort or contradict her, instead choosing to assist her to sit up and swing her feet off the edge of the cot. Things started to fall into focus better and she realized that the room she was in was actually the interior of Bulma's airship. The pilot and copilot seats were taken up by Bulma and Yamcha, while the rest of the compartment was mostly empty. Lime and the kids were nowhere to be seen, and Launch sat in a chair to the back of the craft next to a closed hatch with Puar, Oolong and Chiaotzu. Sharpener sat in a chair close by Videl's cot next to her father, who she noted was asleep with a faint complexion.
"It's good to see you up Videl," said sharpener, a smile on his face as she rose to sitting. "All kidding aside, I was really worried about you. We didn't know if you were gonna make it."
The voice from before echoed in her mind again, reminding her of her temporary demise. She nodded her acknowledgement, as if to tell herself that it was all true, "Thanks Sharpie… Where are we?"
Bulma looked around her chair to take in the trio with a wide smile, pulling one of the headphones off of her ear, "We're on our way to the lookout Videl. It's where Gohan and Goku took you after the fight."
She cocked an eyebrow at that, oblivious to the events that had happened after she had fallen unconscious. Bulma seemed to realize the source of her confusion and muttered something to Yamcha, who simply nodded and eased back into his chair. Bulma unbuckled herself and removed her headset entirely, stepping around the chair and into the back of the airship, "I'm sure you've got a lot of questions, I'll try to fill you in as best I can, alright?"
Videl nodded, once again running her conversation with the mystery person through her mind. She wondered if it was all just a trick of her mind in her unconscious state, but she had felt the presence, just as she could feel Erasa's contact with her. She was so lost that she had no clue where to begin. She glanced towards her father, and decided that she should begin there, "What happened to him? Did he try to fight Spopovich?"
Bulma crossed her arms and glared at the sleeping fighter, "No, he never got the chance to. He donated a generous amount of blood to speed up your recovery, which is why he's asleep. He's fine, just running a little dry."
Thanks Dad… For what it's worth. thought Videl with a sad sort of smile. She took a breath and returned to the topic on her mind, "Okay… So what happened after… After Spopovich…" She tried to force the words, but found her mouth rebelling against her mind. A shudder raced down her spine at the memory.
A flash of light. Screaming until blackness swallowed her. Calling. Praying for Gohan to save her.
Bulma uncrossed her arms and took a seat across from her, looking into her eyes intently, "Gohan went completely nuts, killed Spopovich right then and there after Vegeta caught you. He would have been there sooner, but he was going through a rather tough spot at the time what with growing his tail back and all."
She took a moment to process what she had been told, but then realized what the last part of her statement entailed. "Wait, his what?!"
"His tail… It's a Saiyan thing, you'll see later." said Bulma dismissingly. Videl blinked in shock a few times, still unsure if she had heard properly. But she didn't have time to ask any more questions, as the blue haired genius continued with her speech, "Anyways, the others were at a loss for what to do too. According to Vegeta, Gohan was completely unresponsive for a couple minutes there until Spopovich threw that blast…"
So… He did hear me? She took a small comfort in the knowledge, but couldn't help the pit that formed in her stomach. No matter what he did after she had called him, she couldn't help feeling let down that he hadn't intervened sooner. Sharpener spoke up, though his eyes were distant, "You should have seen him. I thought we had seen him angry before, but never in my life have I been so scared of a single person. He was literally on fire, and the way he did it…"
He visibly shuddered, and Videl felt a pang of pity for the blonde. She still remembered the first time she had seen him go Super, and from the sound of it this was far worse. Erasa, ever with her head in the clouds, let her bubbly voice ring forth with hearts in her eyes, "Yea, but it was scary in a romantic sort of way! It felt like watching a romantic tragedy movie you know? The hero's love dies at the hands of the bad guy and he goes into a blood rage to avenge her!" The others in the room eyed her incredulously, forcing a blush from her and a weak giggle, "Or not… Heh heh."
Videl shook her head and returned her attention to Bulma, "So, what happened after that? I must have been in rough shape…" No shit sherlock, you died, she added in her mind.
Bulma nodded her head grimly, and began the task of filling Videl in on the events of the tournament. She had a hard time believing that she had traveled all the way across the world in a fraction of a second and had been healed by the Kami of Earth. Then the time in the hospital with the blood transfusion, and the conversation with Shin. Bulma gave her the short version of the story, and Videl felt her stomach sink lower and lower as she learned more about Babidi and Buu. The more she ran it over in her head, the more dread filled her. I should be there with them! With him! I just know there's something that's going to go wrong. Last time they faced an enemy this powerful, he lost his father! Who will it be this time?...
Determined to do something, she steeled her nerves and took a deep breath before pushing herself up onto her feet. Bulma rushed forward and attempted to sit her back down, but Videl grasped her wrists and stood up to her full height; still coming a couple inches below the older woman's own full stature. She took another deep breath to steady herself and looked into Bulma's face hard, "Bulma, where are they?"
*ELSEWHERE IN THE WORLD*
"We're close guys, time to get out and look." Lime pressed the dial on the radar, zooming in on the little yellow dot on the screen marked with a numeral seven. The door to the jet copter opened and all three of the children took flight, scanning the sparse forest below for the telltale flash of light reflecting off of their query. She pushed the stick forward and began her descent.
It's good that Bulma had most of these collected already, thought Lime with a sigh. If we had to search for all seven of these then we would be in a bit of trouble.
In the seat next to her, Android 18 cradled the sleeping form of Marron in her lap, blankly gazing at the other five dragon balls that rested between her feet on the floor of the chopper, "I hate searching for these things…"
Lime cocked an eyebrow at her, searching in her mind for any time that the Android had gone looking for the dragon balls before. From behind them, Chi Chi made her presence known, "You havn't been dragon ball hunting before 18…" The android gave her a dull look and droned, "So?" Chi Chi made an exasperated sort of noise and continued, "SO… how can you hate it if you haven't done it before?"
"We're doing it now aren't we? This is boring…" said 18 after a moment of reflection. Lime rolled her eyes and smirked at the blonde woman, "Wishing you had gone with the others after Babidi right?"
"I stand by my decision-" began the blonde woman, but Lime cut her off, "That's not what I asked." 18 finally tore her eyes from the dragon balls, glaring at the brunette next to her, "Fine… Yes… I'd rather be there and Krillin here… I worry about him."
An uncomfortable silence settled over the three women as they descended towards the earth in the jet copter. Lime couldn't but share her sentiments, even if she was less than useless in a fight against people of their caliber. She still wanted to protect Gohan, and that meant not having him near the worst of the fighting. She knew she'd never be able to convince him to do other-wise, and that one day he could pay the price for it. All she could do is hope.
"We're here, let's get out and look with the kids huh? I just hope we don't need them." she said, changing the subject. The other two women silently consented to the statement and disembarked from the craft as Lime touched it down. She could see the three children rummaging around in the woods in the distance, and peered at the scope in her hand. The flashing light appeared to be twenty meters ahead of them, right where the kids were. Forcing aside her anxiety yet again, Lime pushed through the knee-high grass and began searching for the little orange ball.
*BABIDI'S SHIP*
No! I will not bend to you! Gohan slammed his eyes shut as a wave of pain blocked out all but the voice echoing in his mind. It was high pitched, almost whiney. The voice of Babidi carried a slick and oily quality that made shivers crawl down his spine and his stomach churn. He felt his hands clench of their own accord as he fought the clouds pushing in around his consciousness.
I thought you might say something like that young one. Don't you worry, I have ways. You will be MINE! Your hatred will be your undoing!
With that exclamation, a white-hot blade thrust into his mind, paralyzing him and forcing his eyes wide open in shock. His breath caught in his throat and he failed to comprehend what he was witnessing before him. Goku was frantically trying to get through to Vegeta, but every word that was said sounded like Gohan was underwater. Steeling his will against the force attacking his mind, he pushed back against the blade. Years of pain tolerance training kicked in and he welcomed the pain with open arms, using it to fuel his resolve. With a burst of sheer willpower, he thrust the attack back, and experienced a moment of relief from Babidi's onslaught. He realized suddenly that he was on all fours, panting heavily. The screams of Vegeta rang in his skull along with the panicked yells of his father for a moment before the presence returned in full force, blocking everything out yet again.
My you are a strong one, aren't you?said Bibidi's voice with a hint of awe in it. I've never had to fight so hard to get into someone's mind. You will make a powerful slave!
No! I. AM. IN. CONTROL. OF. ME! Gohan wasn't sure if he screamed the words out loud or only in his mind. With every ounce of willpower he had, Gohan began to force the clouds back. He remembered his father, how he sacrificed everything for the world to survive. How because of his mistake, he was no longer alive. He thought of Lime, his siblings, and his friends. He thought of Videl, the woman he loved, and he found his strength.
I will not let them down again! You're finished! GET OUT OF MY MIND! He unleashed a mental blast of power that forced Babidi back out of his mind at an alarmingly fast rate. The wizard fought back as hard as he could, but the limited amount of black that tainted his heart was not enough for him to hold onto. He began to slip.
Aah wait! No, you cannot be capable of this! exclaimed Babidi, frantically searching for anything to use against the Demi. The Kai, Shin, he's the Supreme Kai! I saw into his bodyguard's mind, he kept your father in Otherworld wrongfully! I know the power of the dragons in your little wish balls, you could have revived him! He is the common enemy! Fight with me and you can avenge him!
A moment of hesitation stalled Gohan in his push for freedom as he heard the words echo in his head. For half a second, he considered the little imp's words. He was interrupted however by something slamming into his left side. He felt something in his shoulder pop loose with the force of the impact, and a shooting pain bolted out from the joint to his spine and his fingers. The pain jolted him out of his mental state and back into focus.
You would destroy my home, and everyone I care about! I WILL NEVER WORK FOR YOU! With a final roar and push, he completely removed the presence from his mind and used Piccolo's mental training to block it off before Babidi could attempt it again. His hearing returned suddenly, but the room was silent. He couldn't sense Goku or Vegeta in the vicinity at all, and one of the Kai's ki had disappeared completely. He cracked his eyes to find Shin looking about the room with a panicked expression on his face. His eyes locked with the Demi's and he visibly relaxed, "Good, I was worried he would turn you like-"
"You… The Supreme Kai… You lied… My father…" he panted. Gohan struggled with his words, trying to keep his vision clear of the red that was threatening to close in from all sides. Shin paled noticeably and staggered back a step, tripping on the carcass of Yakon. Gohan pushed himself to his feet, letting them carry him forward, seemingly of their own will. He felt himself slide into Super-Saiyan without trying to, but he didn't care. Babidi's words echoed in his head, something which the Kai seemed to notice, "Gohan, listen to me! You nee-"
"You!" he roared suddenly, clenching his fists as he advanced on the panicking Kai. "Seven years of my life! SEVEN fucking years! He could have been there were it not for your lie!"
"You've got to listen to me Gohan!" stammered Shin. "I did what wa-ACK!" Gohan cut him off mid-sentence by gripping the Kai around the throat. He stepped right through him and picked him up, jumping the last ten feet to the wall and slamming Shin into it with a thundering crash. He felt his knuckles get sliced open on the metal material of the wall as the Kai was imprinted into it. He felt his shoulder throb in pain at the action. But none of it mattered in his livid mind. Shin regained enough of his wits to try and defend himself, but the punch he threw merely crashed against the rock that was Gohan's head. The Kai's purple blood leaked out around his head where it had impacted the wall, and Gohan's instincts begged for more of it.
"Go- an… Do-… kill… me! Ple- ase?!" gasped the Kai desperately. Gohan felt his body urge him to spill the blood of the Kai, and he prepared the blast that would do it in his right hand. The ki crackled and sparked, and he held it mere inches from the Kai's face, illuminating it with a creepy dull light. But something told him to stay his hand. He wrestled with the feeling, with his conscience, and with his urges. He left the ki ball there, but loosened his grip on the Kai's throat just enough for air to seep into and out of his lungs.
"You get one chance." he breathed furiously. "ONE Fucking chance! Give me one reason why I shouldn't kill you! Why should I not get my revenge? You stole seven years of my father's life. Of my families lives. Of MY life! I can never get it back because of you! So you better make it a GOOD fucking reason!"
"Ack! Be-… Because… I can ack-!" struggled the Kai. He continued to fume while the Kai fought to draw breath, clawing at his hand in a futile attempt of freeing up his airway. Gohan loosened his grip again, just enough that the Kai took a sharp and strained breath, "I can-… give Goku life!"
Gohan felt the chills that came with the revelation. He felt the anger that it sparked. Here was the Kai, offering him the one thing that he had always wished his father could have. The one thing that would truly have ended his pain and his suffering over the mistake he made. Just like that, it was being offered to him in exchange for the Kai's life. He continued to glare at the Kai, searching for any hint of deceit. It seemed too good to be true, and if the Kai had lied once, what was to prevent him from doing it again?
"Why should I trust you?! YOU LIED TO US ALL! WORSE, YOU DIDN'T EVEN DO IT YOURSELF! YOU GOT A PUPPET TO DO IT FOR YOU!" he roared challengingly. He unconsciously squeezed down on the kai's throat, and a faint cracking could be heard as his trachea began to collapse under the pressure. The Kai struggled against his hold once more until Gohan noticed what he was doing and loosed his grip. The Kai panted raggedly and struggled to force his words out, all the while clawing at the demi's iron grip, "You… Will have… To! If… I'm wrong… Then you… can finish what… you started… here!"
Gohan narrowed his eyes at the purple man, processing his words. Minutes seemed to crawl by as he glared at the Kai. His own inner war was swaying to and fro until he finally gave in. He jerked his hand away from the Kai's throat and turned his back on the man as he dropped to the floor, coughing and sputtering. Blood oozed down the wall from multiple punctures the now warped metal made in his skin. Gohan slammed his eyes shut and clenched his fists, struggling to bury his anger until later. He had better fucking deliver…
The Kai struggled to his feet, rubbing his bruised neck and coughing constantly. He eyed the demi warily and worked his jaw to try and loosen the muscles, "Thank you-"
Gohan spun on the spot and delivered a hook straight across the face of the supreme kai, spinning him in place and dropping him to the ground in a heap. Shin slowly recovered, pushing himself up shakily and massaging his bruised cheekbone. Gohan pointed an accusatory finger at him, "Hear me now, and don't fucking forget it. I can never forgive you for what you did. You are alive right now because I fully expect you to deliver on your promise. If you don't, I WILL kill you. When this is all over, you will answer for your crimes against my family."
Shin recovered and stood up to his full height, dropping his hands to his sides and looking Gohan straight in the eye, "You have my word. I will accept judgment when the time comes, as was my intent the whole time."
Gohan nodded his acknowledgement and sighed heavily as he dropped out of Super. His aura diminished, as well as the flow of power that accompanied it. He scanned the room, suddenly aware of how alone they were, "Where are the others? What happened to Vegeta?! Did he…?"
He looked to the Kai for answers, and received a hopeless look of loss in return, "He succumbed to Babidi. He attacked Goku outright. Kibito tried to stop him, but in the struggle Babidi teleported them elsewhere. Your guess is as good as mine as to where they are now."
Vegeta… No… How could you let him win like that? Gohan thought despairingly.
"Vegeta didn't completely fall under Babidi's control." said Shin heavily. "He was ordered to attack me and refused. He is still fighting Babidi's control in a way."
Gohan furrowed his brow and rubbed his shoulder that was starting to ache worse now, "How could he be rebelling? You said Babidi's control was absolute. It's like he… was… Wait a second," he paused, realization dawning on him. "he allowed Babidi to win! Why?!"
Shin blinked a few times, his eyes darting back and forth while he considered the question, "When Spopovich and Yamu became majin's, they gained power that neither of them possessed before. I only imagine Vegeta realized this and let it happen to gain a power boost…"
Gohan pinched the bridge of his nose as things started to click into place. Dammit Vegeta! You and your fucking pride! Why couldn't you just let it be?! Is it really so important that you pass up my father and I that you would willingly throw away all our lives? "Is there anything we can do to free him?" he asked. Shin remained silent, and after a few seconds, Gohan looked to him and felt his heart plummet. Shin shook his head hopelessly, "Not unless he is killed."
Great… Just fucking great… What am I supposed to do now? He thought grimly, but Shin cut through his thoughts, "Gohan, we can't focus on that right now. Vegeta and Goku are fighting it out right now, and I can't get us out of here."
Gohan sighed heavily and conceded that point to him. He inwardly berated himself for not learning the instant transmission technique from his father. He looked towards the hole in the ground that was still open and continued to massage his shoulder, which was burning constantly now. Shin eyed him and cautiously asked, "You're shoulder… Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," grunted Gohan irritably. "let's just keep moving. We have to get rid of that pest." Without looking back or waiting for the supreme Kai, he stepped forward and dropped into the hole and the darkness within.
*TOURNAMENT ARENA*
The random people left in the stands hoping for the tournament to resume milled about aimlessly. They'd all seen the explosion from the other end of the compound, and after Bardock had so violently dispatched Spopovich in the ring, most people had fled the arena in a panic. Out of the massive crowd that was there before, only a fraction remained. The tournament announcer stood off to the side of the ring with a team of police officers in full combat load. Officers were everywhere in the compound now, preserving the peace wherever they could while searching for the mysterious group of fighters that were no longer present in the ring. Hordes of emergency personnel tended to any who had received injuries and searched through the compound to find missing family members. It was a scene of chaos.
A violent crack shattered the air and a plume of smoke rose from the center of the compound where the ring was situated. In the middle of it suddenly appeared Vegeta, Goku and Kibito. The pink giant was struggling to ward off Vegeta from attacking Goku, who was standing away from his fellow Saiyan with a grim expression and a guarded stance. Kibito held his hands out to his sides, as if to shield Goku from the enraged Saiyan, "Vegeta, calm yourself and think-"
"ENOUGH YOU GIANT PINK WORM!" Vegeta exploded into the second stage of Super Saiyan and pushed the giant off of him, while simultaneously forming a ki blast between his hands. Goku realized what he was doing and lunged forward, but too late. From the air, a small fleet of news helicopters turned their cameras to the commotion below.
*BULMA'S AIRSHIP*
Videl growled and planted her face in her hands. Her frustration was threatening to overwhelm her, and everyone knew it. She could feel something was going wrong, though she wasn't sure if it was her mind playing tricks on her or not. More-so, nobody knew where any of the z-fighters had gone. She knew that Lime, Chi Chi, 18, and the kids had all gone dragon ball hunting, and that they had successfully tracked down the last one near the base of Korrin Tower, wherever that was. She felt so helpless in her current position. Despite all the others' assurances to the contrary, she felt responsible for the current predicament they were all in. Bulma sat next to her and patted her back sympathetically until Yamcha gasped sharply from the front of the ship. The others in the room turned to look at him expectantly. "Shit… Shit shit shit… no!"
Bulma paused in her soothing and glared hard at the back of his head, "What?! What is it you goof? Did you break my jet?!"
Yamcha turned in his chair and pulled a headphone off one ear with a grim scowl on his face, "No Bulma. Something just came over the air that you need to see, and I don't think you're going to like it. Things just went from bad to worse."
All present glared at him expectantly, and Videl's stomach did a flip at the tone of his voice. Bulma stood up and turned her attention to the screen across the cabin from her mounted above the seats, "Computer, display news feed on screen."
"Yes ma'am."
The others looked to the screen as it flashed on, going completely white at first before snapping into focus suddenly. When they finally saw what it was showing, there was a collective gasp. It was an aerial view of the arena they had been at no more than half an hour before, and there in the center of the ring was Vegeta and Goku, both in super saiyan form. A huge strip of land extending from the ring out to the horizon was stripped all the way down to the earth, leaving no trace of the buildings, vegetation, or any people that may have been there before. The voice of a news anchor was shouting panicked into a microphone.
"-and gentlemen I don't know best how to describe what I just witnessed! One of the men in the ring, the short one in blue, just emitted what appeared to be a bright light from his hands that carved away a huge chunk of the city straight into down-town! Reports are already coming in that no less than ten structures have been destroyed without a trace, and-"
"No! It couldn't have been Vegeta!" whimpered the Blue haired genius as the words hit her. Videl rushed forward as fast as her still-wobbly legs would carry her to catch Bulma as her knees gave out. The blue haired genius collapsed to the ground, only being caught by both Videl and Erasa after her lower half made contact with the floor.
"The two men appear to be arguing about something and- wait something is happening! Yes, folks it looks like the short man is actually floating in mid-air!"
Sure enough, as the camera zoomed in, a swirl of smoke and dust erupted around Vegeta's glowing form and he floated up into the air until he was nearly level with the jet-copters filming him. Goku followed him quickly, and appeared to be arguing with Vegeta again.
"Now the blue guy is… wait, what is he doing? Umm…"
Vegeta extended a hand towards Goku and unleashed an enormous blast from his hand that darted through the air and impacted him. Goku struggled against the blast for a moment before relenting his hold on it, sending it past himself to crash into the down-town district behind him. The blast erupted in a blinding white flash and a mushroom cloud that rapidly rose into the air, tossing the copters about in the winds that resulted. The image spun rapidly for a moment before steadying out once more and refocusing on the impact sight.
"Oh my Kami… Folks I can't believe it, the entire downtown district! It's gone! All that remains there is a mushroom cloud and a smoking crater!"
Bulma's faint whimper was all she could struggle out before she fainted outright. Videl and Erasa struggled for a moment getting her to the recently vacated cot until Sharpener came to assist them. None of them spoke, each lost in thought about what they had just witnessed. Videl's mind was racing, trying to piece together everything she knew about the prince. No matter how many ways she looked at it, his actions didn't make sense. "Computer, turn off." said Videl quietly.
"Yes Ma'am"
"Why would he do that?! All those people… Just like that…" asked the blonde on the other side of Bulma. Erasa's question rang similarly to her own thoughts, and she felt the urge to cry. But she pushed it down and focused on controlling her breathing, "I don't know Erasa. He's got a history of violence, but I thought he had changed."
From the front of the ship, Yamcha interjected into the conversation, "He did change. That… That wasn't Vegeta, at least not the Vegeta we know. There's something wrong with him. I hate to think it, but I think that Babidi guy did his mind-control thing on him. That's the only possibility that makes sense."
A heavy silence settled over them as they all considered that possibility and what it would mean. Videl didn't know very much about this Babidi character except what Bulma had told her, but things were steadily starting to get worse and worse.
"We're about to land guys, go ahead and strap in. We can sort all of this out once the others get there with the dragon balls." Called Yamcha from the pilot seat. Still lost in thought about everything she had just learned, Videl took a seat next to Erasa and Bulma and prepared for their arrival on the lookout.
*BABIDI'S SPACE SHIP*
Gohan landed lightly on the hard floor of the ship and scanned the surprisingly large and well illuminated room. It was much vaster than the previous two, appearing to be a cargo bay of some sort. He felt the Supreme Kai descend and land behind him without a sound. He scanned the surrounding area, and was surprised by the figure that stood before them on top of a box in the middle of the room like a statue. Shin gasped at his side, and Gohan got another bizarre ki reading from this newcomer that was similar to the Kai's. He inspected the man, ignoring the ache that continued to pierce his shoulder. Man, what the hell happened? I haven't hurt this bad in years…
The figure before him smirked, revealing that he was indeed a living thing and not a stone figure, and Gohan took in his appearance fully. The man was quite large, slightly larger than Gohan himself, with bright red skin and piercing yellow serpentine eyes. He was adorned in a blue and white robe with a long spiky white collared cape. His pointed teeth poked out of his mouth beneath his black moustache and a pair of horns jutted out of his forehead.
"You know this guy Kai?" asked Gohan quietly with a look towards the dumbstruck Kai. Shin nodded numbly and said, "Yes, his name is Dabura. He is the lord of the demons, the king of Hell, and the most powerful demon that's existed in the last hundred-thousand years."
At the mention of his name, Dabura grinned a feral grin, and Gohan noticed the calligraphic M tattooed on his forehead, "And he's a Majin."
"Oh, your powers of perception belay your hidden intelligence." said dabura with an evil grin. "I always thought Saiyans were barely more than monkeys. That was the impression I got when the entire race landed on my doorstep nearly forty years ago now." The deep voice seemed to come from the air itself rather than from the demon before them. Gohan also noticed a deep hum that was barely audible and seemed to originate with the red being as well.
"What can I say? I have an excuse…" said Gohan confidently, determined to not show that the Demon had actually stirred some fear in him. "I'm a hybrid, not full blooded Saiyan."
Dabura cocked his head to the side with a confused expression, running his eyes over the demi before him, "Truly? Isn't that fascinating? I dare-say you might even be worth adding to my collection." Gohan furrowed his brow and glanced to the direction the demon was indicating, and felt his blood run cold. There, standing in a perfect row, were life-size statues of Tien, Piccolo, 17, and Krillin. He stared hard at the statues, which seemed to stare back at him with unseeing eyes and gaping mouths pulled open in expressions of shock.
Shin shifted behind him slightly, catching his attention, "That's Dabura's demonic ability; he can petrify his opponents by spitting on them."
"I found these four roaming about outside the ship. Not very polite of them, don't you think?" asked Dabura mockingly. The venom in his words made Gohan's skin crawl even more than the voice that carried it. He returned his attention to the demon, refusing to take his eyes off of him. He directed his next words over his shoulder, just barely loud enough for the Supreme Kai to hear him, "Is this reversible? Are they still alive?"
"Yes. But Dabura must die." muttered Shin. Gohan nodded and turned his eyes back towards the Demon, "I think I can arrange for tha-"
"PTOO!"
Gohan was barely able to move before the glob of saliva shot straight past his head. He turned just in time to see it impact the Supreme Kai full on in the chest. Shin gaped at the spot before turning his eyes to Gohan. Gohan could only watch with an odd mixture of fascination and horror as the Supreme Kai's clothing and body began to solidify. Granite seemed to pour out from the center of his chest and flow over his body. The Kai's jaw worked furiously but his lungs and heart had already been petrified, cutting off any circulation of blood or air. Inside the Kai's gaping maw, Gohan saw granite seemingly pour out of his throat and consume him until even the hairs on top of his head were solidified into stone. Once the transformation ceased, Gohan returned his attention to the demon with a scowl.
"Aww, pity." droned Dabura with a smirk. "I was hoping I could get you while you were distracted, young Saiyan, but a Kai will do for now I think. My collection can wait a few minutes more."
Without any words of his own, Gohan transformed straight into the second transformation, and lightning crackled all around him, zapping any metal objects near him with raw power. Dabura grinned and crossed his arms defiantly, "So, this is the Legendary Super Saiyan that all those monkeys referred to? My, but it is quite flashy, isn't it? The lightning is a nice touch."
"No, actually, the Legend you are referring to died three years ago." Gohan growled, the excitement for the upcoming battle beginning to fill him as he boasted. "I killed him. I am beyond the Legendary Super Saiyan, and you decided to go and fuck with me. You should have asked those I've defeated and sent straight to you about me, Demon King. If you had, you would be running for your life right now."
A deep rumble emanated from the demon that slowly transformed into a booming laugh. He grinned at the Demi evilly and slowly undid the clasp on his cape, allowing it to fall off his shoulders with a soft slithering sound, "You think you can scare me with that little speech? Fool, you don't know who you are taunting. I am the king of the demons! I fear no mortal, much less a snot nosed brat like you."
Gohan settled back into a defensive stance and clenched his fists, ignoring the burn in his shoulder yet again. A hazy red aura floated up around Dabura mere moments before he shot forward with a roar that shook the very foundation of the ship around them. Gohan focused and positioned himself to counter the charge, and jumped at the last second to avoid the demon. Dabura quickly reacted, turning in mid-air and bolting after him with a spinning kick that connected with Gohan's head. The force of the blow spun his head around, twisting his entire body with him until he managed to gain control of his momentum and square off against the demon. He's faster than I thought. Better not make that mistake again.
"Is that it Super Saiyan? I'm disappointed." mocked Dabura. Gohan growled deep in his chest and prepared himself to counter-attack, "Try this one on for size then."
He rushed forward and started a furious attack. The first couple strikes connected with the demon's head and chest before Dabura seemed to catch up and start blocking, a vicious snarl on his face. He met each of the demi's attacks with a block or dodge until he started giving them back. Gohan caught the change in tactics and shifted accordingly, going blow for blow with the demon. For a few seconds, they were perfectly matched to one another, until Dabura sent a super-powered round-house kick directed for his head. Gohan brought his left arm up to block, and did so successfully. But as soon as the limbs connected, a searing pain shot into his shoulder the likes of which he had not felt since just after the fight with Cell. He roared in agony as he lost feeling in the tips of his fingers. Kicking off sharply from Dabura with a double kick to the chest, Gohan gathered himself together, clutching his injured shoulder with his good hand and glaring hard at his opponent.
Dabura grinned at him with a malicious look in his eye, observing the demi's movements carefully, "Ahh yes, the injury from Cell, isn't it? I vaguely remember something about that when he first arrived in hell, funny that it still affects you all these years later."
Gohan glowered, knowing full well that if he had re-damaged his shoulder at some point before the fight, he would stand no chance in his current state against Dabura. Shit! Okay Gohan think, what are your options here?
He saw past Dabura to the four statues of his friends still sitting in their respective places. No. There is options to choose from. You gave them the order to stay outside, it's your fault they are in this mess. It's your responsibility to get them out. I wanted to save this for later, but I suppose now is as good a time as any...
Gohan locked eyes with the demon lord and mentally tapped into the vast store of ki that he had discovered when fighting Broly. A bolt of energy shot through him and began the change. Energy flowed through him at a rate his muscles couldn't facilitate, so they expanded. His hair began to extend down his back and his brow began to jut out. His eyebrows disappeared, his tail unraveled from his waist and sparked bright gold, and with a pained roar, the transformation completed. Dabura stood there in shock, staring at the newly transformed demi before him with something akin to awe in his eyes, "This is… different. What did you just do?"
Gohan breathed heavy, letting the sensation of absolute power wash over him before narrowing his eyes at the demon and growling out in a deeper than normal voice, "This? I just signed your death warrant, Demon."
The statement hung in the air for a second and time stood still. Gohan darted forward, faster than Dabura could react, and swung his good arm around to impact the demon in the face with a resounding crack. Gohan pressed his advantage while Dabura attempted to recover and meet the onslaught head-on. He managed to block an occasional strike, but even with one arm out of commission, Gohan far outmatched him. Dabura began to get desperate, dodging away in an attempt to flee from the enraged super saiyan, only to be met with yet another strike. Finally, he got fed up with getting beat repeatedly and did the only thing he had left, "PTOO!"
Gohan was too close to dodge the missile, and raised his good hand to block it from hitting his face. He felt the burning liquid sear into his skin, and the effect was immediate. Granite began to crawl around the sides of his hand, and the fingers began to stiffen of their own accord. He gripped his wrist in a vain attempt to halt the petrification, but knew that there was no way for him to stop it. Panic began to creep into his mind, and he gaped at Dabura. The Demon grinned evilly and wiped a drip of blood that ran down side of his face from the top of his head, "Now, you are finished little Super Saiyan. You will make a fine addition to my collection."
Gohan growled and watched helplessly as the rock completely took his hand, increasing the weight considerably. It was at his wrist now, and to Gohan it felt like his hand now weighed more than twenty times its normal weight.
"GGRRRRAAAAAAAH! FUCK YOU!" he roared in his panic. Gohan rushed forward and swung the petrified hand like a club in an over-head swing. Dabura was so surprised by the sudden move that he didn't even attempt to block the strike. The hand-turned-club struck him square between the horns with a sickening crack. Dabura dropped like a sack of potatoes to the ground in a heap, but Gohan refused to stop there. He repeatedly struck the demon with his own petrified hand, even as the stone began to crack under the strain. Once it reached halfway up his forearm, Gohan unleashed a blow that completely snapped the hand off at the wrist, making a jagged tip. He hesitated only for a moment to inspect the destroyed stone limb before quickly making up his mind and thrusting the sharp point straight into the demon's neck, just below the chin.
Dabura made no coherent sound, only a gurgle as the jagged stone ripped his throat apart, taking the major arteries with it. Deep red blood poured out of the wound around Gohan's limb, soaking his clothes through and creating a pool on the floor. Gohan panted ragged breaths, still clutching his forearm with his left hand and staring hard at the nub where his hand used to be, still solidified and coated in Dabura's blood. As he sat there watching, the rock began to fade, to be replaced with a near unbearable pain that racked his body, originating where his hand used to be. The rock faded completely and the flesh of his arm turned back to its normal red and pale skin, and began spurting bright red blood everywhere.
"Fuck!" he cried in agony. Gohan clamped down, cutting the circulation off and slowing the flow of blood from the wound. He saw that the shattered remnants of his hand had also turned normal, leaving a pulpy mess that was barely recognizable as a hand. He didn't even notice as he fell out of his super-saiyan state completely. He half recognized the movements of the others as they too returned to normal and began moving about on their own.
"What the… Gohan? GOHAN!" Krillin's cry rang loud, and suddenly there were five more people huddled around him as he cradled his destroyed arm. Everything began to blur. He felt the shakes set in, worse than he'd ever felt before. He was familiar with shock, and he knew he was beginning to go into it, but the sudden loss of his hand had ground his mind to a halt. He heard the panicked shouts of the others as they scrambled to help him. He felt the urge to cry out when 17 used his ki to cauterize the bleeding nub, but could not. He continued to just stare at the destroyed limb.
First my shoulder. Now my good hand. I've lost the use of my arms when I need them most. I've failed even before I've begun. I cannot fight to my potential. I can't beat Buu if he's anywhere near as powerful as Dabura. I've made myself useless. I've let them all down. Part of his mind rejected the statement, willing him to believe that he still had a purpose outside of fighting. But no matter how he thought about it, he always came back around to his own shortcomings.
"Come on Gohan, we need to get you out of here." said a familiarly rough voice. A strong pair of hands picked him up off the ground and attempted to steer him away, but Gohan dug his heels in. He regained his wits about him, forced his self-depreciation aside, and took a deep breath to collect his thoughts, "Babidi. We need to find Babidi."
The hands on his shoulders gripped harder, and Gohan felt a familiar presence as Piccolo sighed heavily, "Shin and the others are searching. They've gone into the next section of the ship. Shin is convinced that this was the last chamber before the control room."
Gohan pulled away from Piccolo and leaned against a cargo box, resting his head against the cool metal and trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his arms. He wanted to be furious, he wanted to rage and destroy the ship. He wanted to make Babidi pay. But the combination of turning super saiyan three and the loss of blood rendered him extraordinarily tired, and barely capable of complex thought. Gohan breathed heavily, "Piccolo, why didn't you tell me about the Supreme Kai?"
Silence. Gohan gave him a tired glance and nodded, "I know who he is. I also know he's the reason that my father was kept in other-world."
"… How?" asked Piccolo after a long pause. Gohan merely said, "Babidi."
More silence. Piccolo shifted uncomfortably before him, staring at his former student with a curious expression, "I'm sorry Gohan. I was trying to avoid starting a fight."
Gohan nodded his understanding, to exhausted now to do anything else. Silence settled in again until Gohan laughed drily, "You made a wise choice. I didn't take it well. I nearly killed him."
"Hmmm… Why didn't you?" asked Piccolo uncertainly. Gohan shifted his gaze from nothingness to his former mentor's face. Piccolo looked thoughtful, and more than a little puzzled. Gohan sighed and said, "He promised to grant dad life if I spared him. Couldn't pass that up, could I?"
Piccolo continued to gaze at him thoughtfully, still as the statue he had been minutes before. Gohan felt his eyes beginning to close of their own accord, and shook his head to stay awake. A commotion from the other end of the room stirred him into full awareness, and he was greeted by the sight of the others rushing towards him and Piccolo with varying expressions of frustration and anger. Piccolo noticed this and crossed his arms in the stance he always took when he didn't like something, "He wasn't there was he?"
The supreme Kai answered his question, glaring around the room as if Babidi would pop out from behind a box at them suddenly, "No, he must have made a run for it with Buu's pod when he saw that Dabura was done for. He's gone."
Gohan struggled to his feet, unaware of the quaking in his own muscles as his mind began shutting off his pain receptors to compensate for the throbbing in his arm. "We need… To go after him!"
His statement was met with sounds of general protest, mostly from Krillin and Piccolo. "No Gohan!", "We need to get you to Dende. We don't even know where Babidi went, and we still need to find Vegeta and Goku."
A sharp crack rung out from behind Gohan, and in his groggy state, he stumbled around to look at the newcomer in a drunken manner. The orange gi and distinct hair-style rang bells in Gohan's head, and his heart jumped in his chest, "Dad!"
"Hey guys, di-… Kami, Gohan! Your arm!" His expression changed from that of grim contemplation to open panic as he took in his son's battered form. He rushed forward and grasped him by the shoulders, eliciting a wince and pained gasp from the demi as his grip jerked around the damaged shoulder. He looked seriously towards Krillin and asked, "What happened?! Who did this to him?!"
"Never mind that Goku, we need to get him to Dende, pronto!" Krillin's raspy voice was loaded with urgency and command that Gohan had rarely heard. He felt his godfather grasp onto the back of his blood-stained gi, and assumed the others had grabbed onto him, because next he knew, he was being squeezed through a figurative rubber tube.
*THE LOOKOUT*
Videl roamed about absent-mindedly on the lookout. It had been several minutes since they had landed, and something in the pit of her stomach made her restless. She had recovered remarkably well considering that only a couple hours ago she was beating on death's door. Her limbs still felt weak, but she was at least able to move on her own. So she did, pacing about in anxiety. Lime and the others still hadn't arrived with the dragon balls, and she didn't feel like speaking with anyone at the moment. She had briefly met with Dende, who had immediately gone to assist Erasa and Launch with Bulma, who was still in a state over Vegeta's actions.
It's all going so wrong. This cannot be happening! Vegeta is kami knows where, doing kami knows what to who, the other fighters are still missing, millions have lost their lives today alone, and I still can't shake this feeling that things are only going to get worse.
She suddenly recalled something that Sharpener had said during the boxing season the previous year when several of the fighters had suddenly gotten sick and the Orange Star boxing team had to back out of a tournament; "This, Videl, is what I like to call Murphy's Law. If it can go wrong, it fucking will go wrong."
He had been so frustrated that he had actually gotten drunk for the first time in front of her, and made a total ass of himself in the process. The string of memories brought forth struck a chord in her over-stressed mind, and she found herself chuckling in spite of her on mood.
CRACK
The sudden noise caused her heart to jump into her throat. She spun around in an attempt to face whatever enemy dared track her to the lookout and start shooting at her. At first, she was confused to find nobody actually shooting at her, but when she recognized what she was seeing, she realized she would have preferred that to what was actually there. "GOHAN!"
There was Goku, ruffled and slightly singed but okay, supporting his eldest son. She quickly inspected him and went into full panic mode. His complexion was pale, his eyes were distant, and his jaw was set in a pained scowl. His shoulder was being held at a weird angle, and he was nursing the nub of his right arm, which was loosely wrapped in a torn-up piece of his own t-shirt and dripping blood in a steady stream onto the perfectly white tile of the lookout. His gi was shredded to pieces, revealing most of his battle-scarred chest, and his pants were dyed with two different tones of dried blood. Behind the two Son men stood Tien, Shin, Krillin, and Piccolo. All of them appeared to be in good health, or close enough to it that Dende would have no trouble healing them.
But she only had eyes for the eldest Son child. She rushed forward, quickly enveloping him in a hug and assisting Goku to steer him towards the lookout. No sooner had she taken his arm than he seemed to finally give in to his exhaustion. He smiled weakly down at her just before his knees buckled, and all of his weight dropped onto her and Goku. She fought to control her own heart rate as she began panicking, and screamed out to anyone that could hear her, "GET DENDE! SOMEBODY PLEASE! GET DENDE!"
*LATER THAT EVENING – LOOKOUT MAIN HALL*
Goku sighed heavily and scratched the back of his head. He couldn't bring himself to look at Bulma, though he could feel her eyes boring into the side of his head. Everyone was gathered with the exception of Gohan, who was in a bed recovering from his injuries, Chi Chi, who refused to leave his side, and Piccolo, who had taken up a post outside of the building along-side Mr. Popo. Goku knew that the Namekian could hear everything that was happening, so there was no worry of him being left out.
Dende grasped the sides of his head and settled his arms onto the table with a tired grimace, "I've done everything I can for Gohan guys, but I can't re-grow a hand. On top of that he, re-tore all the old injuries in his left shoulder. The same ones, in fact, that I had to create for him and gradually have him strengthen. I re-attached them but now he's back to square one with that shoulder. If he goes all out again without strengthening it, it'll just keep tearing over and over again. I hate to say it guys, but... Gohan may not be a viable option as a fighter anymore. He's too vulnerable without the effective use of his hands."
Goku felt himself blanch at that, "Not able to fight? How could we tell that to him? You realize what that would do to him?"
Nobody in the room answered his question, everyone already knew the answer to it. He noticed that Videl and Lime seemed lost in their own worlds away from the group, along with the four kids, who had already laid down for a nap. Krillin was the one to break the silence, "He has to realize it already, he hasn't spoken a word since we were in Babidi's ship. He will have to come to terms with it. Let's give him some space for now, he'll come to us when he's ready."
Several in the group nodded in silent agreement, and once again silence settled in on them. Tien shuffled uncomfortably, but cleared his throat and voiced the question that everyone had been wondering, "Goku, what happened with Vegeta?"
The tension in the room thickened so quickly you could practically see the air become opaque with it. Goku sighed heavily and began his part of the story, "Babidi used his mind tricks on him, and won. He tried with Gohan too, but fortunately, Gohan managed to throw him off. Vegeta wasn't completely under his control though, and came after me while we were still aboard the ship. I think Babidi realized that Vegeta was about to unleash a blast that could destroy his entire ship, with him aboard it, and he teleported us to the arena. I don't know why the arena, but that's where we ended up. Kibito got brought with us, and in his attempts to halt Vegeta… He was destroyed. Along with a large portion of the city outside the compound."
He looked towards Shin cautiously, unsure of what the Kai's reaction would be. To his surprise, Shin seemed to be accepting of his comrade's fate, and only nodded grimly. Goku continued grimly, "I refused to fight him, and that's when he lost it. He tried to blast me and I tried to deflect it, but it was too powerful. He hit the downtown district and destroyed the whole city, and millions of innocent people."
A muffled sob escaped from Bulma's lips, but she waved away any attempts at comfort. Goku sighed heavily again and continued, "I had to stop him. I got a hold of him and used I.T. to get us somewhere remote, and there we fought. We were at it for a solid ten minutes, perfectly matched. Until he just… disappeared. He was charging me with some attack I didn't recognize, then went stiff and just blinked out of existence before my very eyes. I couldn't feel his ki anywhere after that, but I could feel the others' ki not far away. So, I I.T.'d to them and then came here with them. You guys have seen everything since then."
A moment of silence held in the room as those gathered tallied up the score. Android 17 was the one however, who voiced what everyone else was thinking, "So, as it stands right now; Gohan may be out of the picture, Kibito is dead, Vegeta is under the control of the enemy, we have no idea where Babidi ran off to, and there's no telling when or where he will release Buu?"
Shin nodded grimly, clasping his hands together, "It would appear so."
From across the room, Goku could barely make out two words that Videl muttered to nobody in particular, "Murphy's Law..."
