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Last time on A half-breed's Life 2
"So, who is the mother?" Gohan asked curiously. Trunks bit his lip and looked away. "Ahh, come on. You can tell me that." Gohan whined.
"No. Gohan. I really can't." Trunks answered. "You and Vegeta have a mental connection. You might slip up and send him the thought without noticing it. Or he might read your thoughts when you're thinking about me and my parents."
"You two have a mental connection?" Justin asked curiously. "You finally gave in huh? He has been bothering you with that bond for a while now. I thought you said you would never make the connection just to annoy him." Justin grinned when Gohan sent him a glare. "Looks like Vegeta got his way eventually. He always does."
"Shut up. You're a spectator here. You're not supposed to say anything." Gohan snarled back. Justin chuckled at this fierce reaction but Gohan ignored it. "How did you find out?"
"I saw the way you were looking at Vegeta when I transformed. I have a mental connection with your future version too and every time he mentally spoke to me he gave me that exact look. I knew it must have been because you were speaking to him through some sort of mental bond." Trunks answered.
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Gohan landed on the look-out. The half-saiyan realized that Piccolo was already waiting for him. "What do you want, saiyan?"
"I want to train with you." Gohan said, getting to the point. "I want you to teach me how to be a better fighter."
….
"Fine. Ask your comrades for permission and then come back here to discuss our training." Piccolo stated before he looked forward again and continued his walk away from the half-saiyan.
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Gohan was practicing his basketball skills when the wrestling team entered the gym. Sharpener was obviously the leader and the moment Gohan saw their expressions he realized that they were not here to make friends.
One moment they were surrounding him, taunting him and calling him names. Sharpener was the first to throw a punch, which Gohan caught easily. The half-saiyan shattered the boy's hand without even trying. Anger had taken possession over the boy as he turned to the helpless humans. He needed to make them pay for what they were trying to do. Ganging up on one person. It was despicable and he had to show them just how weak they really were.
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Gohan kept walking but he did not reply so Turles tried for a response once more. "We noticed your change too, you know." He said.
"Then why didn't you say anything?" Gohan snarled back as he turned back to him. "Apparently, everyone noticed something was going on with me but nobody bothered to tell me!"
"Whelp, we didn't…"
"Did you have fun laughing at me and my silly attempts to be accepted by my own race? Did you enjoy my misery like you always do? Haha. Look at that silly half-breed trying to fit in. Why is he even trying? He will never fit in anywhere! He's so stupid."
Turles crossed his arms over each other and waited for Gohan to finish his rant. "Are you done?" He asked when Gohan stopped to take a breath.
In response, Gohan huffed and turned away from the man. Turles followed Gohan once more. "First of all, we would never laugh at you." When Gohan only laughed in response, Turles corrected himself: "Not when it's important or serious."
Gohan did not stop walking but Turles was not giving up either. "We figured that you would come to us." He said. "We decided to let you figure everything out on your own. You're a smart kid, whelp. We knew you would get out of this by yourself."
"Well see where that got me!" Gohan snarled back. "I didn't fit in. I'll never fit in. I'll always be an outcast."
"Half-breed, look at you." Turles replied in a loud voice. "You're a saiyan. You fit in with us."
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"I'm here to talk some sense into you." Videl pressed her fists against her hips.
"I'm sorry you travelled all this way for a mission you were going to fail in the first place."
"Oh really?"
"Yes really. I'm not going back to school."
"What if I tell the newspapers and all the TV stations that I found a group of aliens who are here to take over the earth?" Videl asked, raising an eyebrow at him.
Gohan hesitated for a moment. "They would think you were crazy."
"I'm a very high-esteemed citizen, Gohan. My father is one of the strongest warriors on the planet." Videl responded, smiling an icy smile at him. "They might be hesitant to print my words immediately but they will investigate. And I know exactly where they can do that. Your house? Capsule Corps. Right here? I will personally hunt you down everywhere you go and send the newspapers after you until they find out what you really are." Her glance went to the others. "I don't think your friends will like being chased by the paparazzi."
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"Videl was supposed to be my soul mate." Gohan said slowly. "What if she still is? What if I'm with the wrong girl?"
"You had one bad encounter with that girl." Justin responded, but Gohan was already shaking his head.
"No. I've always felt strange around her. That's why I kept my distance." Gohan muttered. "And then there's today. I couldn't help it. I felt so angered by how she looked at me. I needed to show her the power that I had. I had to…" Gohan placed a hand on his forehead. "I didn't even notice how close she was to me."
Justin thought about this for a moment. "Maybe all this is happening because you know you're supposed to fall for her." He suggested. "You think that you only fell in love with Katy because you didn't know the earthling but what if it's the other way around? Maybe your future self only fell in love with the human because he didn't know Katy."
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"For now," Piccolo sat down on the ground. Gohan sent him a curious glance. "I want to get to know you a little bit better before we start fighting each other."
Piccolo shook his head. "No talking. Close your eyes. Meditate."
The two sat in silence for a while until Gohan got a gentle headache. The half-saiyan shook his head and placed a hand on his forehead, massaging his temples. Why did he get a headache? Granted it had been a while since he meditated but that didn't mean his mind was rusty.
The headache increased in power and Gohan gasped when his head gave painful stings. What the hell was going on? The half-saiyan tried to open his eyes but it was like something was gluing them shut.
A young boy, lying on the ground, his eyes unseeing. A group of children screaming in pain as their flesh burned. A woman begging for her life but a hand appeared in her vision and she widened her eyes as a blast appeared in the hand and destroyed her.
Gohan shook his head and leaned on the ground with his hands. He could hear the screams in his brain, growing louder and more hysterical.
"No!" Gohan screamed at Piccolo. "STOP!"
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"I only exposed the guilt you repressed. This was all your own work. All I did was open the door." Piccolo responded.
Gohan shook his head. "I do not feel guilty. I don't know what that's like."
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Katy walked into the cave. Gohan was curled up, his legs pulled up and his arms leaning on his knees. His face was hidden in his arms.
"Gohan." She whispered as she stepped closer.
Katy placed a hand on his shoulder and she realized that he was shaking. "Gohan. What happened?" She asked.
The half-saiyan didn't reply. He only wrapped his arms around her and he hid his face against her body. She returned the favor, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him close. She brushed her hand through his hair in a calming manner.
She noticed a shimmer on his cheek. Tears dripped down on her uniform. The young woman tightened her grip on him and she pressed her cheek against his head.
"I'm here, Gohan. You're not alone this time."
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"I get that, but sometimes you need to fight." Justin studied their surroundings. "Go back to your comrades. Stay with them. Work through it. Defeat it. Don't hide from it again because, as you can see, it will find you eventually."
"Do you think I can do it?" Gohan asked.
Justin smiled as he nodded. "Oh I'm sure you can." He responded. "I'm sure you can muster up the courage to face your guilt, go back to live with your comrades, go back to school and have a rematch with the Namekian."
"I agree." Katy said, showing a small smile. "You've been through worse, Gohan. You came here to learn more about your roots. Don't stop now that there is an obstacle in your way."
Gohan looked back at the fire. He studied the flames, shivering at their strength and he wondered if he could ever be like that. Fearless.
"Okay." Gohan nodded. "I'll go back to school but only to train with the basketball team."
"Yes!" Katy wrapped her arms around her boyfriend and pressed a kiss on his cheek. "I'm proud of you."
"But first," Gohan continued as he showed a mean grin to his friends, "I'm going to show Piccolo just how much of a saiyan I am."
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Chapter 28. A Saiyan Never Gets Sick, Right?
Piccolo stood in front of the half-saiyan. "Do you still want to train with me, Saiyan?"
A smirk appeared on Gohan's face as he shook his head. "No. Not anymore. Right now all I want is to show you what happens when you mess with a saiyan." The half-saiyan changed back to a saiyan uniform before he came to the Look Out.
"You think can you can defeat me?" Piccolo asked, narrowing his eyes.
"I know I can." Gohan clenched his fists and powered up. "I will show you exactly how hesitant I feel about murdering people when I rip off your head!"
"You can definitely try."
"Oh, I will." Gohan launched at the man and pulled back a fist. Piccolo dodged the first punch but was forced to move away. Gohan followed the man and tried to punch him again but Piccolo dodged it.
The two warriors landed near each other on the ground. Piccolo sent the boy a taunting glance. "You're starting with a warmup, are you?"
Gohan's mouth tightened for a moment before he extended one hand to Piccolo and sent an energy-blast in his direction.
Piccolo deflected it. Gohan straightened his arm again and sent another one, and another one, which Piccolo all deflected easily. The blasts landed everywhere around them, ruining the white floor and even burning at the flowers and plants in the small gardens.
Piccolo suddenly jumped up in the air. Gohan watched him go and lowered his arm. The Namekian appeared right in front of Gohan and tried to punch him, but the half-saiyan punched right back. Their knuckles bounced against each other, sending a jolt through their arms.
Gohan jumped up in the air and tried to kick Piccolo but the Namekian kicked at exactly the same time. Their legs met in the air and their energy-clash created a ripple in the air. The two exchanged punches and kicks, hitting each other's attacks away with similar attacks.
The two landed on the lookout again. The half-saiyan sent the Namek a sweet smile. "Take off your little weights, why don't you?" He suggested. "I want you to give me a good fight."
Piccolo was silent for a moment but then took off his cape and turban. The Namek bent through his knees and powered up, giving out a scream in the process. A grin appeared on Gohan's face as he felt the man's power rising. This was great.
Piccolo disappeared from his gaze. Gohan sensed around and responded a little too late. Piccolo's elbow was buried in the back of his neck. The half-saiyan fell forward, put his hands on the ground and used them to do a handstand, kicking back to Piccolo. The Namekian stumbled back to avoid his attack.
Gohan flipped over in the air and landed on his feet, but immediately had to step back. Piccolo was already advancing, trying to punch Gohan off his feet. The half-saiyan stepped back several steps while he blocked Piccolo's punches.
Piccolo gasped when something latched onto his leg and pulled him down. The man could only catch a glimpse of a brown furry tail before Gohan's knee bumped against his nose. The man screamed as he moved back.
Gohan followed the Namekian, throwing punches in the man's direction. He suddenly stopped, allowing Piccolo to create distance. The half-saiyan extended his arm to Piccolo. Gohan extended his index finger and thumb, creating the form of a pistol with his hand. The Namekian warrior frowned at first but then his eyes widened when the tip of Gohan's finger started to glow. A grin appeared on Gohan's face.
Piccolo jumped sideways to avoid the first beam that emerged from Gohan's finger. The half-saiyan followed Piccolo and shot another beam. He continued to shoot these small but deadly beams at the Namekian, forcing Piccolo to move and jump around.
The half-saiyan's grin widened when he managed to hit Piccolo. While Piccolo was distracted, Gohan sent a few more beams in his direction, hitting his goal.
Gohan lowered his hand to study his handiwork. There were several small holes in Piccolo's body, mostly on his arms and legs. Gohan placed his hands on his hips and chuckled. "You need to step up your game, Namek. Your defense has a few holes in it." He taunted.
Piccolo only extended his hands and sent a blast in Gohan's direction. The half-saiyan disappeared from his position to avoid the attack. Piccolo turned around only to catch a punch with his cheek. The man was launched back, landing right into the building on the Look Out.
The half-saiyan waited for Piccolo to return and he surveyed the damage their fight created. There were several small craters on the white floor, the flowerbeds were destroyed and parts of the building were slowly crumbling down. Such a waste of a pretty view. Gohan smiled as he took a deep breath of cool air. He lived for these things.
Piccolo shot at Gohan, trying to punch the half-saiyan but Gohan disappeared from his position, forcing Piccolo to punch at nothing. Reappearing behind Piccolo, Gohan sent the man a nasty grin. "Missed me."
Piccolo whirled around and tried to kick the younger warrior. Gohan jumped up in the air. "Missed me again." He said cheerfully. Piccolo growled and tried to punch the half-saiyan. Gohan turned sideways, almost turning his back on the Namek, to catch the punch with his left hand. While he held onto the man's hand, Gohan turned back to Piccolo, pulling the man closer to him and kneed the Namekian warrior in his stomach.
Piccolo was launched backwards again but he managed to send a ki-blast in Gohan's direction. Gohan floated sideways to avoid it.
The Namekian warrior growled as he landed on the ground of the Look Out. Gohan wasn't ready to slow down though. He powered up and put his hands together above his head.
Gohan focused his energy in his hands, creating a small white energy ball. The young warrior smirked at the wide-eyed expression on Piccolo's face. "Here! Catch!" Gohan called over. "Gallic Gun!" He yelled before sending the blast in Piccolo's direction.
The man was so surprised by this that he could only cross his arms in front of his chest to protect his body. Gohan waited until the dust was settled and smirked when he saw the damage he inflicted on his opponent.
Piccolo was forced back by the blast and it destroyed another part of the building on the Look Out. Gohan landed on the floor and waited for Piccolo to get up and walk closer to him.
The half-saiyan clenched his fists. "Now, Namek. You are about to enter my hell." Gohan powered up even more. He gave out a scream as the energy in his body protested at being used up like this. His hair spiked up more and changed to a golden color. His teal eyes glared at Piccolo. "Let's go, Namek."
The young warrior launched at Piccolo, pulling back a fist and handing out a damaging punch. Piccolo leaned forwards, gasping for air and making a pained face. Gohan followed Piccolo as he handed out several more punches, licking his lips when Piccolo let out pained sounds.
Piccolo managed to retaliate and the two warriors fought each other, creating an intense battle. Gohan realized that he felt so much stronger now. It felt as if he unleashed some part of him that he was trying to hide. He could feel the power flowing through his veins, more than he was used to, and he didn't even have to get beaten up to achieve it. All he had done was accept that it was there. Accept that his power was used to do horrible things but could now be used to undo that.
Gohan paused for a moment. He looked over at Piccolo, who was lying on the ground by now. Gohan recently handed out a harsh punch to Piccolo, which threw the Namekian on the white floor of the Look Out.
What was he doing? He was falling back into his old pattern. He was doing what he hated to do… Hurt others… The half-saiyan studied the Namek while he stepped closer.
Then again, Piccolo hurt Gohan, didn't he? Gohan placed his foot on Piccolo's chest. Yes. He did. This was revenge and Gohan was eager to take revenge.
The half-saiyan leaned down to grab Piccolo's arm. As he straightened, he looked up over his shoulder to the group of warriors that was floating in the air.
"Hey guys!" Gohan called over to them. "I'm just fetching our supper!" Gohan looked back down to Piccolo and started pulling on his arm. The man screamed while Gohan put just enough pressure on the man's arm to make it hurt badly, but not rip it off.
His comrades responded with laughs and chuckles and the group made their way closer to the former battlefield.
"I don't know." Vegeta said as he landed on the ground. "Namek meat doesn't sound very appealing." The man noticed Piccolo was charging a blast in his free hand so Vegeta placed his foot on the man's hand.
Gohan shrugged. "There's only one way to find out." Gohan pulled harder and ripped off Piccolo's arm, stumbling back somewhat. The boy ignored Piccolo's screams as he studied the bloodied limb. "Meh, maybe you're right." He tossed it aside.
Turles studied the beaten up Namekian. "So... What are you going to do with him? Leave him like this?"
"I have a better idea." Raditz started cheerfully. "He looks rather uneven with just one arm. What do you say you rip the other one off too?"
"It would definitely keep him from trying to blast you." Vegeta pushed down on Piccolo's hand, smirking at the scream this action received in response.
Gohan shook his head. "Meh. I'm bored." He responded. "Besides, he can grow the arms back." The half-saiyan stretched his body. "I'm off."
"Hey. Where are you going?" Turles asked as he watched Gohan walk away.
The half-saiyan kept walking as he turned around and showed his bloodied hands. "I'm dirty." He responded. "So I'm going to do what I always do after a situation like this one. I'm going to take a dive in the nearest lake." The half-saiyan floated up. "Are you coming or what?" He called at them before he let his body freefall down.
Raditz grinned. "He's back." He said before he ran after the half-saiyan. Their comrades followed not far behind.
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Gohan hid his face under the sheets. "I feel horrible." He complained.
"That's what happens when you decide to go swimming in a lake on the part of the planet where it's winter." Katy responded, shaking her head. "I can't believe you were so reckless."
"Don't preach to me." Gohan muttered as he lowered the sheets so his eyes could look over them. "I'm sickly."
Raditz placed a wet cloth on Gohan's forehead. "Congratulations. You wanted to be human. I would say this is typically human." He stated as he reached out and adjusted the sheets around Gohan's feet.
"Don't make fun of me either."
"But you make that so easy." Turles was carrying a serving dish and he placed it on the bedside table. "Sit up. I made you some soup."
Gohan pushed his body in a sitting position. The cloth fell off his forehead and Gohan tilted his head sideways. "Was that on my head?"
Turles handed the cup to Gohan. "There you go."
"I can grab these things myself. You don't have to do this for me." Gohan said as he accepted the spoon Turles handed him.
"Don't fight it." Turles responded as he gently tousled Gohan's hair.
"As if he could right now." Vegeta closed the window and the curtains. It was getting cold in this room.
"You guys don't have to do this. I can go home. I'm fine." Gohan tried.
"Eat your soup." Raditz responded as he sat down on the chair next to the bed. Turles and Vegeta left the room but Katy sat down near the foot end of the bed.
Katy smiled when Gohan made a rather sour face. "Sweetheart. Let them take care of you for once."
"Listen to your mate. She says useful things… Occasionally." Raditz added as he ignored the suspicious glance Katy was sending him. Was that a compliment or not? She decided to let it go. Turning to her boyfriend, Katy studied Gohan's appearance. He was very pale and he seemed to be sweating as well as shivering. The boy got sick rather quickly after he went swimming in the ocean with the others. The water there was incredibly cold and seeing as it was winter on that area of the planet, Gohan's body didn't get a chance to warm up properly. There his human genes kicked in and he got a fever.
The others were surprised when Gohan's power level started dropping and he started to cough and shiver. When they arrived at capsule corp. Gohan decided to lie down in his bed and when Katy went to check up on him, she found him shivering and sweating in his bed. Sick.
Katy alerted the others and she'd been sitting in this room ever since then, watching over her boyfriend.
A few hours later, Goku entered the common room and looked around. Vegeta was the first one to get up. "What do you want?"
"I want to see my son." Goku responded, frowning.
"Maybe he doesn't want to see you." Vegeta stopped in front of Goku.
"Get out of my way." Goku pushed Vegeta aside and went straight for the room in which Gohan was. Vegeta's mouth was wide open. Nobody dared to shove him like that.
"Like son, like father." Turles muttered in a rather teasing way. Vegeta scoffed before he turned away from the younger saiyan.
Goku realized that Katy and Raditz were sitting in the room as well. Katy was sitting near the doorway. "Hey." She greeted, smiling as she got up.
"Hey." Goku placed a hand on her shoulder as a way of greeting her. "How is he doing?"
Raditz was just placing a wet cloth on Gohan's forehead. "He's fine. It's just a flu."
"A rather heavy one." Katy said worriedly. "I wish I could come closer."
"We don't want you to get sick too." Raditz said. "Get out of the room. Kakarot can help me now."
The young woman let out a sigh but she followed Raditz's order and left the room. Goku turned to his older brother. "What can I do?"
"It depends on what you want to do." Raditz responded, shrugging. "If you want to take over her job you can sit in the corner and whimper and whine all the time like she did." The man rolled his eyes. "Women."
Goku sat down near the foot end of the bed. "Was he often sick? You know, back in the army."
Raditz briefly looked up at his brother. "No. Actually. He did have a fever here and there. Usually after he got hurt."
"Got hurt?" Goku repeated, looking worried.
"Injured. That was part of the job." Raditz nodded once as he studied the half-saiyan. "But he's perfectly healthy now… Well, not right now but in general." The man looked up at Goku again. "He's fine."
Goku smiled in response. "Thank you for looking after him." He said.
"It's what I do."
"Do you mind if I stay here?" Goku asked.
"I don't care." Raditz said, shrugging. "You'll have to talk to Vegeta about it too. That is if you're planning on staying longer than a day."
"I'll take Gohan home then." Goku said as he got up.
"No." Raditz shook his head. "That's not an option."
"What do you mean that's not an option?" Goku walked to the other side of the bed and grabbed the sheets. "He's my son."
Raditz snorted. "Biologically, maybe." He said. "Your son has grown up without you and he's done fine without you."
"He's grown up without me because he was taken away from me!" Goku snarled as he walked back to Raditz. "By you!"
"He was taken away because you were too weak to protect your own child!" Raditz got up too. The man placed his hands on his hips and narrowed his eyes. "Can you imagine that he used to blame himself for being too weak?"
Goku widened his eyes. "What?"
"How much do you know about that boy, huh?" The look on Raditz's face changed to a mean grin. "For instance, did you know that the specialists who were leading the camp he stayed in had the tendency to sharpen their whips on his back whenever he got too sassy?"
The look of horror on Goku's face encouraged Raditz to continue: "Your little kid murdered millions of people on a daily basis and once he got over the horrible guilt that kept him awake every night he actually did it with a grin on his face." Goku slowly shook his head. "Did you know your son spent weeks in a dungeon where he was tortured every day? Or that he had a reputation that he would kill anyone who crossed him, except for his comrades of course."
"Oh but I haven't even mentioned the best part." Raditz leaned in and lowered his voice. "Did you know, dear daddy, that when your son was just kidnapped he used to call for you every night in his sleep. He was hoping that if he would continue to think about and call for you, you would come to save him. But you never came."
"NO!" Goku pulled back a fist and punched his older brother. Raditz was rather surprised by this and he took a step back. The man's face was knocked sideways by the impact.
Raditz scoffed. "You shouldn't have done that." He said before he pulled back a fist.
Interrupting Raditz's punch, the door opened and Vegeta looked inside the room. "I feel tension." The saiyan prince stated as he looked at the two. "Kakarot, I think it's time for you to leave."
"Raditz can leave." Goku responded, glaring at his brother. "I'm staying here with my son."
Vegeta looked over his shoulder. "Turles. Take care of this." He said before he stepped aside so Turles could come in.
"Come on, little brother." Turles said cheerfully. "We're going to cool off for a while. After that you'll get to come back and see your son."
"Why do I have to go?" Goku let Turles guide him to the doorway.
"Because the younger brothers always get the blame." Turles responded, rolling his eyes. "Trust me."
Raditz watched as they all left the room before he sat down again. The man pulled the cloth off of Gohan's forehead and dipped it in the water.
"How did you know that about me calling out for my father?" Raditz nearly jumped out of his seat when he heard Gohan's voice.
The man glanced at the young warrior, who was looking back at him. Raditz squeezed the cloth before putting it back on Gohan's forehead. "I read it in your file. The specialists put a camera in your room in order to keep an eye on you and they often caught you muttering his name when they went to check up on you."
"Hmm..." Gohan uttered as he shifted in the bed.
"Did you hear everything?"
"Not all. I woke up when you two started speaking in raised voices."
"Do you resent me for saying those things to your father?"
Gohan looked up at his uncle. "Would you care?" He asked. When Raditz only shrugged, Gohan decided to continue. "No. You're right. My father tends to forget what I am."
"And what is that?"
Gohan did not respond. The first answer that popped into his mind was a response that Raditz would probably laugh at and Gohan did not feel like being ridiculed today.
A monster.
That's what he was and he knew it. For a long time, he was proud of it. In the Planet Trade Organization it was good to be a monster. The more horrible your reputation the better. Here this wasn't the case. Here he could not expect his mother to be proud of his kill count. His father would not cheer him on when Gohan was beating someone up. His little brother would not look up to him if he knew the horrible things he'd done in the past.
On planet earth, Gohan could not be half-breed; the horrible half-saiyan responsible for the death of millions of aliens and proud of it. No, here he had to be someone entirely different. The problem was he still didn't know who that person really was.
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Katy hugged her mate to her chest. The warrior was shivering in her hold, trembling with the memories of his life long ago. The deeds he did. The scenes he saw. Katy gently wiped away the tears that ran down Gohan's cheeks. The half-saiyan closed his eyes, drifting off to a slumber while Katy caressed his spiky hair.
The door opened and Vegeta walked in. The man eyed the spectacle for a moment. "I heard a rustle." He said. "But it seems the boy is well taken care of."
"Vegeta." Katy said, stopping the saiyan in his tracks. The man looked over his shoulder and noticed that there were tears running down her cheeks as well. "Vegeta." She repeated. "Please. Tell me… Tell me that he wasn't alone when he struggled with this. He must have had these nightmares. Waking up screaming, crying and thrashing in his bed. You couldn't have just let him go through this on his own."
Vegeta didn't respond.
"You must have comforted him. Promise me that his stories about you three laughing at his nightmares and guilt aren't true. Tell me that you were there for him. That he didn't spend all these horrible nights alone."
The man didn't say a word.
"He was only fourteen. A child. You let a child go through this alone." She tightened her grip on her mate. "Why?"
Vegeta cleared his throat. "A real man…"
"Oh, don't give me that bullshit." Katy snarled. Gohan stirred momentarily and she lowered her voice. "It doesn't matter whether you're a man or a woman, purging planets is a horrible job and these nightmares and flashbacks have to be dealt with accordingly. People need comfort."
The young woman looked down at her mate. "I've always known you four were monsters. I figured there was a part of me that hoped even monsters had their decent moments once in a while. I guess I was wrong."
Vegeta met her harsh gaze and for the first time he realized, she stopped fearing him a long time ago. The man moved away and closed the door behind him. He stopped for a moment when he heard a sob coming from inside the room. Sheets ruffled. Two bodies lied down in the bed together.
The full-blooded prince lowered his gaze to the ground. "I'm sorry." He whispered.
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"I feel fine. I can train." Gohan was standing in front of Turles, or rather; Turles was standing in front of Gohan, effectively blocking his way out. "Come on, Turles. I can practically feel my body weakening."
"Oh yes because your fever is increasing." Turles pulled his hand away from Gohan's forehead and placed both his hands on Gohan's shoulders. "Get into your bed yourself or I'm going to apply pressure."
"But Turles…"
"One…"
"You didn't say I had to get into bed in a particular amount of time."
"I figured it would show you how serious I am about this."
"I have to get some training in. My body will explode if I stay in that bed any longer."
"You've been lying in that bed for a day!" Turles exclaimed, shaking his head.
"I swear this room has the same effects as the time chamber because it feels like I've been in here for years."
Katy was carrying a serving plate with a delicious smelling breakfast on it. Apple juice, croissants, jam, eggs and it all seemed to be freshly made. The young woman was aware of the glances on her as she placed the serving plate on the bedside table.
"Hmm… I have a breakfast for a sick person but I don't see him. I guess I'll have to throw it away then." She muttered out loud.
Before she could get up, Gohan was already crawling into the bed. The young warrior beamed at his girlfriend and she couldn't help but smile at his antics.
Turles let out a sigh. "I don't say this often but thank kami for women who know how to handle their men…" He muttered more to himself than to the others.
Vegeta closed the door to Gohan's bedroom so he could talk to his comrades in privacy. The man walked further into the common room. His gaze moved from Raditz, who was attempting to read a fairytale, to Nappa, who was pretty much doing the same thing. The Little Mermaid was their most recent project. They spent most of their time looking at the pictures and making up their own stories with those images.
The saiyan prince sat down on the couch. The man was silent for a second until Nappa spoke up. "Something wrong?"
Vegeta glanced sideways. "What makes you think something is wrong?"
Nappa met his gaze. "I've been living with you since you were five-years old, Vegeta." He stated. "You don't often worry about things but every time you do you get a certain look on your face. Like right now." The man looked back at his book.
Vegeta was quiet for a while but then decided to speak up. "Do you remember the nightmares half-breed used to have when he first joined us?"
Nappa nodded once.
"We hardly helped him out whenever he had them."
"I remember discussing them." Raditz said as he looked up. "We figured it would tire him out and make him less resistant during the day. It would make the taming process easier."
"We didn't help him because we knew the nightmares would indirectly make him more obedient." Vegeta stated. "I know."
"Then why did you address it?" Nappa questioned. The man put down his book.
"The girl said something." Vegeta responded.
"That's why women should be quiet." Raditz muttered.
Vegeta took a deep breath. "She was right." The man slowly shook his head. "Argh. These emotions are a bother." He got up. "Let's go train. I need to punch something."
Raditz and Nappa watched as Vegeta walked away. They sent each other hesitant glances before they got up and followed their comrade.
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Vegeta listened at the door and raised an eyebrow when he heard his youngest comrade's voice.
"I order you to stand down or else!"
"Or else what? You're sick, half-breed. Get back in your bed." Nappa responded.
There was a brief silence followed by the sounds of a struggle. Vegeta let out a deep sigh. Gohan had been a pain lately. The half-saiyan wanted to get out of bed and train but he still had a fever so his comrades decided it would be best to let him rest for a few days longer. Gohan, however, had no intention to stay in bed and miss any more training. The boy had been complaining and whining. Once he realized that wouldn't help he would try to egg his comrades on, challenging them to a fight and making them angry in order to get into a fight.
Now, the four saiyans took turns watching their youngest comrades and it was Vegeta's turn. The man placed his hand on the doorknob and opened the door.
Gohan and Nappa were both on the bed. Gohan seemed to be trying to push Nappa off while Nappa was trying to force Gohan to stay in the bed. They looked up when Vegeta appeared in the doorway.
The man showed a somewhat amused expression. Nappa instantly released Gohan. "You're here to take over?" He asked. Vegeta nodded once and Nappa got off the bed. "Finally! Have fun you two!" He practically ran out the room.
Vegeta watched as the door closed before looking over at Gohan. The half-saiyan was still sitting on the bed. He sent his older comrade a defiant glance.
Vegeta crossed his arms as a smirk settled on his face. "Try it. I dare you." He stated.
Several hours later Gohan and Vegeta were having a staring competition. Gohan actually tried something. He tossed several pillows in Vegeta's direction and tried to run out the room but Vegeta was faster. The fever tampered with Gohan's powerlevel which made it easier for Vegeta to overpower him.
Gohan slowly got off the bed. Vegeta looked back down at his book. "Stay." He ordered.
"I'm only looking out the window." Gohan responded stubbornly.
Vegeta growled something in response. "You're such a brat."
Gohan reached the window and turned to his comrade. "Just living up to the nickname." He countered. The boy waited for Vegeta to respond but the man didn't say anything. Gohan was about to turn to the window when the door opened.
"Hiya Gohan! Vegeta." Goku greeted as he stepped inside. "Oh, Gohan. It's good to see you're up. Are you feeling better?"
Gohan showed a polite smile. "I'm doing fine."
"Good! Hey, I thought we could take a walk. You know, get you some fresh air."
"Actually." Gohan started. "I was just suggesting the same thing but Vegeta told me it's probably best to stay inside since I'm still feeling a bit…"
"Actually." Vegeta interrupted as he got up. "I changed my mind. Some fresh air would probably do you good." The man approached the half-saiyan. "A walk would be a great idea, Kakarot."
Gohan sent Vegeta a glare but the man ignored this and started pushing Gohan to the doorway. "Get going. I'll see you two in a couple of hours."
Gohan narrowed his eyes at his comrade. He used his mental bond with Vegeta to send him a message. "You're such a jerk."
Vegeta met his eyes briefly. "And you're a weakling. Afraid to talk to your father. It's pathetic." The man sent back.
"I'm not afraid. I just… I don't know."
"You're afraid he is going to ask you about what Raditz said, right?" Vegeta stopped pushing Gohan. "Get over it."
"Fine." Gohan sent his father a smile. "Let's go."
"Okay!" Goku said cheerfully. The man led Gohan out the room while Vegeta watched.
Once the two saiyans were gone, Vegeta received another mental message from Gohan. "I'm going to get you back for this."
Vegeta laughed and turned to the window. There he watched as Gohan and Goku left the building.
"Bring it on, kid."
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I hope you enjoyed it!
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