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Chapter 32:
BREAK IT TO MAKE IT
Previously on Consumed by the past:
Gohan is having a hard time at the maximum security facility, but not everyone is an enemy. Being the newest addition to this prison, the research personnel, under the command of professor Tset, begin conducting tests on the boy to obtain data about his Human-Saiyan nature. Due to some circumstances, he finally meets the strongest prisoner who is in charge of the other reders, and fights her. Thanks to the suppression chip, the demi-Saiyan is defeated and knocked out cold, which he doesn't take likely at all.
Since Gohan has been away for quite a while, members of the Capsule Corps started wondering what might have happened.
"He's probably fine, Chichi. You keep forgetting Gohan is the strongest in the universe. Who knows where those Kaioshins are taking him to capture the bad guys," Bulma started explaining while changing Trunks' diaper.
"But he's been gone for quite a while now and nobody knows where he is or when is he coming back. I asked Piccolo already but he either isn't telling or he doesn't know exactly. All he told me was that he went with those pesky Kaioshins, and that's that."
"I don't know either. Nobody knows anything. Even Vegeta is grumpy all the time, and by that I mean even grumpier then before, since he doesn't have a training partner to properly test his Super Saiyan 2 form."
"Oh, and how is he doing?" Chichi asked.
"Don't tell anyone," Bulma whispered, "but it is a really slow progress. Can't remember the last time he was so grumpy."
"Saiyans will be Saiyans. It was the same with Goku. I just hope I won't lose Gohan as well," Chichi started crying.
"Don't worry, you know he is doing everything to come back as soon as possible and to wish back Goku as well. We just need to hand on a bit longer and have faith," Bulma hugged Chichi.
"I suppose you're right," Gohan's mum replied, while wiping her tears.
Bulma picked up the phone and dialed a number. It took a few seconds before the other party answered.
"Krillin, Bulma here."
"Oh, hey Bulma. What's going on?"
"I need you to find out where Gohan is. Chichi is worried sick and nobody knows what is happening."
"Well, I also don't know anything."
"Well, find out. Talk to Piccolo or whoever and get us some info. We are worried sick!"
"… … … Why don't you ask Vegeta? He probably knows best."
"He is busy with his Super Saiyan 2 thingy."
"Ok, but I'm also busy."
"Can you transform into a Super Saiyan?"
"Well, no…"
"Exactly. Let me know once you find out something," Bulma ended the call.
"Sheesh, what a woman. No wonder she married Vegeta," Krillin said to himself and put down the phone.
"Who was it, dear?" a voice asked from the kitchen.
"It was Bulma. She wants me to talk to Piccolo and find out where Gohan is. Everybody is worried about him."
"Well, of course they are. It's not like you are carefree yourself."
"I know, but I can't imagine him being in trouble, since he is the strongest there is. I mean, for Kami's sake, he trains with Vegeta, who is still outclassed by him."
A figure stepped out from the kitchen and to the living room, it was #18.
"But he's just a boy, incredibly strong and can blow up entire planets with ease, but still just a boy. Based on everything you've told me, he is trying to follow Goku's footsteps, but he needs help. He is too young for this responsibility."
"I know 18, but what can I guy like myself do?"
"Well," she smiled and kissed Krillin on the cheek, "you did win my heart, which I thought was impossible as well."
"Hehehe," he smiled and blushed, "when you put it that way, I guess I did achieve the impossible. Guess I should start with Piccolo then."
He kissed #18 on the check and left the house. Piccolo's energy was detectable almost immediately, so he jumped into the air and flew in that direction. In just a matter of minutes, the Lookout was already in his sight. Upon landing, the Namekian was in the middle of his daily meditation, but was very well aware Krillin was coming.
"Is this a bad time?" Krillin asked rather quietly.
"No, I was finishing anyway. What brings you here?"
"Um, well, kinda funny actually… do you maybe know where Gohan is? Or what is happening? Is he alright?" he bombarded Piccolo with questions.
The Namekian raised his eyebrow: "Why so worried all of a sudden?"
"He's been gone for quite a while now and, well, certain people are really worried."
"By certain, I assume you mean Chichi and Bulma?" Piccolo asked.
Krillin just smiled and didn't say anything. His question was so obvious to Piccolo.
"It is understandable, but I don't have any information to give you. He left with the Kaioshin and that was it. No info where to and for how long.
"What about Kaio-sama? Can you ask him, maybe?"
"I'm pretty certain he would have told us something by now. Usually he is on top of these things, unless the Kaioshin Council forbid him to share this information."
"But are you 100 % sure about that?" Krillin winked at him.
"Uh, fine, otherwise you will never leave me alone," the Namekian sighed. "Kaio-sama, it's Piccolo from Earth. Can you hear me?"
No response whatsoever.
"Are you sure you're talking into the right direction?" Krillin asked.
"It doesn't work like that!" the Namekian raised his voice.
"I don't know, seems pretty logical to me. Or maybe he is busy with more important stuff."
"You don't say, and I thought he was waiting all this time for me to contact him."
"Really? You think so?" Krillin was surprised.
"Of course not! Why would…" the Namekian replied but was interrupted.
Yes, Piccolo, I can hear you.
"Thank you for taking the time, Kaio-sama. I am actually contacting you regarding Gohan. It has been quite a while since he left with the Eastern Kaioshin and certain individuals are getting quite worried. Do you perhaps have any information what is going on?"
Khm, well, that is not a simple question to be honest. He was on the Sacred Planet of the Kaioshins before moving on to somewhere else.
"What do you mean, somewhere else?
That's the funny part, I don't know. I can't locate him at all. Seems like he is in another part of the galaxy that I have no jurisdiction over.
"That is very disturbing. If you can't see him, can Goku sense his energy, perhaps?"
Nope, same problem there.
"Is he alright, Kaio-sama? I mean, is there a way to check up on him, or something?" Krillin joined the conversation.
I'm afraid not, at least not in the current situation. I have been told by other Kaios that the Kaioshins have already given instructions to them, not to disclose any information about the boy.
"I don't like that one bit, if I can be brutally honest, Kaio-sama. I know he has done some pretty bad things when under Endou's control, but we have restored everyone with the Dragon Balls, so I don't understand all this secrecy," Piccolo expressed his thoughts.
Well, there this one other thing…
"What is it, Kaio-sama?! Please tell us! Krillin started jumping around.
When he was taken to the Sacred World of the Kaioshins… he suddenly powered up and what it seemed like, he was preparing to battle the Kaioshins themselves.
"I find that impossible to believe. He might have his quick temper and can be arrogant at times, especially when in Super Saiyan 2 for a longer period, but attacking a Kaioshin? I know he doesn't have the high admiration or respect for them, but still, what would he have gained by doing that? He is trying to redeem himself, not make things worse," the Namekian had his doubts.
I know it is hard to believe, but that is what I saw. He was then stopped by one of the Kaioshins, knocking him unconscious with one blow. Luckily, they healed him, so he was fine, until transported to a location I cannot see.
"With one blow? Sheesh, that had to be one strong Kaioshin. I mean, don't get me wrong, they must be really powerful, but knowing Gohan, he ain't no slacker either," Krillin added his two cents.
You should have felt his energy, guys. He is far stronger than when he fought Cell.
Krillin smiled, "Goku? Is that you?"
Yeah, of course. What's up? Long time no see.
Get away Goku, I am talking here.
No way, Kaio-sama, I want to just say a few words to my friends.
You're forbidden to communicate with the living. Eastern Kaioshin said that himself.
Oh, come one Kaio-sama. Just a few words.
No! Stop it! Get your hand off my back!
"If you will learn anything new, please let us know, Kaio-sama," Piccolo ended the conversation.
Will do. Sheesh Goku, you can get in so much trouble.
It was only a few…
The telepathic link to Piccolo and Krillin was severed instantly. Both of them looked at each other, than Krillin looked at the ground, and the Namekian to the sky.
"At least he was ok when leaving the Kaioshin planet," Krillin broke the silence.
"Something is not quite right. I know the Kaioshins are the Gods of creation and must not be questioned, but I have a strange feeling about this," the Namekian explained himself.
. . . . .
Zooming out of the Solar system and back to Wanasa, Goku's son had finally woken up after a very long sleep. Part of his body was covered in some sort of bandages which were moist to the touch. Under them was something that resembles a blue-like gel, but a very thin layer of it. Most of his scratches and superficial injures were gone, thanks to Wanasan medical technology. He wasn't feeling completely fine yet, but still much better than yesterday. Warden's visit, however, is something that he will not forget. He knows that she is just trying to do her job and protect her people, but all of that seems to only be some sort cover for something much deeper and more sinister. Come to think of it, if Endou hadn't controlled him, he wouldn't have destroyed the Wanasan complex and killed so many Wanasans. Going on step further in causality, if he hadn't accompanied Endou to the "Demon" realm, he wouldn't have been mind-controlled in the first place. Backtracking all of these decisions always come to the same conclusion: Gohan being the root cause. Goku died because he didn't want to kill Cell. Teleporting Kyuuri away from the Kaioshins and letting her escape in the "Demon" realm, angered the Kaioshins even more, banning Goku from being resurrected. The last straw was him powering up, ready to fight Kibito because of his insults about Goku. All of those decisions were his and his alone. One would expect the boy would learn from his mistakes, but it seems that is not the case. Either he is extremely persistent and stubborn, or just down right arrogant.
"Damn it!" Gohan shouted when slamming his fist against the bed. "Tsch, being so easily defeated by Zorgho. It seems I rely on my Super Saiyan upgrades too much. I've had it with this place!"
He got out of bed and started taking off all the sensors attached to his body. He left the bandages on, since he assumed they are there to stimulate regeneration. The pain was still present on the most injured parts of his body, but nothing he couldn't handle, since he is used to it from his early years of life. Just as he wanted to leave the room, Tset entered.
"Oh, you're already up? I don't think the doctor would approve that in your condition."
"I don't care. Have been in much worse situations," the boy replied with a cold voice.
"Of course you have, I should have known better. I've heard your little monologue about the Super Saiyan transformations. Since the warden is not here, I can hint that you will be able to go all out soon. I am very much looking forward to that."
"I remember how much you "like" my transformations when we did the weight testing. If I hadn't transformed for a split second, you would have ripped my limbs off!"
Now, now, I know it was a bit extreme, but I would never let that happen. You are FAR more valuable alive and well. If something were to happen to you, the establishment would execute me immediately."
"Get out of my way!" the boy replied, pushing Tset aside and exiting the room, but a few guards blocked his way.
"Let him go!" Tset yelled, signaling everyone to stand down, "He can go. Escort him to his cell and bring him a new uniform as well."
As ordered, the half-Saiyan was escorted to his private cell. On their way back, they passed the other inmates, including Soropo, who came running towards Gohan, but one of the guards stopped him.
"Gohan! Are you alright?!" he started screaming.
"I'm fine, well, mostly. Don't worry, Soropo."
"I can't thank you enough. I am in your debt… again."
"We'll talk later, I need to go," the demi-Saiyan answered back a bit impolitely.
The guards followed him onwards, until, of all the people, Zorgho was leaning against the wall. As soon as Gohan saw him, the adrenaline rushed through his veins and all kinds of powerful emotions overflowed him.
"Already up, eh? Not bad, reder. Shame you were no match, but I enjoyed the fight. Stay away from my people, you have been warned," Zorgho teased the boy.
Gohan stopped dead in his tracks and took a good look at his opponent. The guards panicked for a bit, but remained calm, preparing to subdue Goku's son if the need arises.
"Taking people hostages and forcing a fight is hardly a victory. The next time we meet, I'm gonna crush you and throw you into the wind."
"Looking forward to it," Zorgho smiled back and went her own way.
A few minutes later the half-Saiyan was in his private cell, where a new prison uniform was already waiting for him. He didn't have the energy or willpower to get dressed, so his body just fell on the bed and remained like that for another 10, 15 minutes. After that, it was a bit uncomfortable, so he flipped over on his back and tried to get some sleep. It has been a very rough time, here at the Wanasan prison. Ever since the first day, he seems to be a target or some sort of an attraction for the Wanasan scientists and the warden. Making enemies is easy, but making allies, or even friends, now that is the really difficult part for our little Gohan. The daily schedule didn't change a lot for the upcoming two weeks. Getting up in the morning, having breakfast, some days he was able to roam around and hang out with Soropo and others, work out and study this weird sign language in order to understand the instructions, displayed on the bracelet. The other days he was escorted to the testing facility, where more tests were performed, both physical and mental. Afternoons were usually free for him, so he spent them as he pleased, usually looking forward to lunch and dinner. Those tests at least had one positive side; he was able to get extra meals when finishing them to keep his energy-hungry body going. Night time was quiet in his area, so he at least was able to sleep somehow, if he wasn't having bad dreams or nightmares. The itch behind his right ear also vanished, so he was very grateful for that as well.
As it was estimated by Tset, the special testing chamber had finally been completed after two weeks. The scientists and maintenance personnel checked, double- and triple-checked everything. Based on preliminary tests, it is operating perfectly and optimal. All the safety mechanisms, shutdown procedures, and anything else that falls within this category, had been tested and well documented. Tset was extremely proud of himself and his crew, since this is the 3rd kind of chamber ever constructed by the Wanasan people across their wide spanning civilization. He had seen the other two and spent some time studying schematics, to learn as much as possible, preparing to, one day, build his very own. Thanks to the warden and other high officials of this facility, the needed funding was authorized and approved, to start building this unique testing chamber many years ago. The time could not have been more perfect, since the high security facility received one of its most formidable prisoners, our young Gohan.
The next morning, when all the inmates were already up and running, the warden visited the recreational area where Gohan, Soropo and others were spending their free time. The moment she walked into the area, everyone stopped talking and just observed.
"Keep socializing people, I don't like it when your jaws drop whenever I personally visit you," the warden Nosirp immediately broke the silence.
Gohan, of course, noticed her from afar, and was not happy to see her face. The past two weeks have been tough from the testing perspective. Being constantly tested, both mentally and physically, is not something he approved of. Poking gadgets, devices, needles and Kami knows that else, into a person is very disturbing and uncomfortable. Either it was that, or get shocked and starve, something the young half-Saiyan didn't want at all. Not much of choice, to be honest, right?
"Hello, Gohan," the warden greeted the boy.
"Hello, warden," he replied back, "more tests or what?" he continued.
"As a matter of fact, yes, but this one is very special. You remember when Tset mentioned the special chamber? It is completed and ready to be occupied… by you."
"Heh, not sure if I should believe you. If I remember correctly, he wants me to go Super Saiyan and beyond in that chamber."
"Well, I can confirm that. My superiors want to see you and your power in action. Come, let us not keep them waiting."
"They are here?" Soropo joined the conversation.
The warden smiled: "Oh yes, they want to witness the culmination of our testing. After all, the resources came from them. Hurry Gohan, no time to waste," she hastened her speaking.
Just like that, although extremely hesitant, as usual, Gohan accompanied the warden to the testing facility. His bracelet was removed, regular prisoner uniform swapped with the one for testing purposes only. He put his tail through the hole in the back, since Tset always points that out, every single time. Once he was suited up and ready to go, the guards and Tset escorted him to this special chamber. It wasn't really big, but spacious none the less. The walls were covered in strange patterns and the door, which is the only entrance and exit, is almost a meter thick. This room has one window-like rectangle, which is the observation chamber, but everything else is just walls, walls and, well, walls. There was also nothing in this chamber; no testing equipment, no nothing.
"Alright Gohan, wait here for instructions. As always, you are monitored from all angles. Should you try to escape or anything, you know what will follow," Tset explained and left the chamber with the guards.
The reinforced door slowly closed, isolating the half-Saiyan completely. Everyone else was in the monitoring room, viewing the boy remotely via carefully placed cameras within the chamber. As soon as Tset returned, the warden started the test.
"Thank you again, gentleman for being here, it is an honor. Everything is ready and prepared. "
"Let's cut to the chase, Nosirp and see where our resources and finances went. You have been talking about this Gohan ever since we arrived here. How close are we to getting the fully completed, tested and ready-to-go serum for our super soldiers?"
"Frankly speaking, we are making progress, but it will take some time. Early samples look promising, but there is no telling how his hybrid DNA will react with a Wanasan one. We haven't done any live tests yet, since, according to Dr. Tset, the risk is too high."
"Is this really your assessment, Tset?" a high official asked him.
"Khm, yes, in fact it is. Based on initial tests and observations, the E-4 variant should be quite more potent than its E-3 predecessor, however, its activation time might be slower."
One of the officials jumped into the conversation, "What do you mean by "activation time"?"
"It means the time when the serum is injected and when its effects are applied to the body. With E-3, since it has been practically perfected, it took only a few moments. With E-4, this time might be longer by a factor of 10, or even 15."
"So based on this, super soldiers will be stronger, but it will take longer for the effects to kick in? What about the power up different or the length of the boost?"
"Power up should be fairly greater, but the length of the boost is impossible to determine without performing some live tests. Based on my team's estimations, were are probably about 40 to 60 revolutions away from actually performing live tests."
"40 to 60? This is not acceptable. We require results a bit faster than that. Wanasan people need proper protection from invaders and threats. If this boy is really as strong as you claim, and similar go for his father and some other individuals, that means if they wanted to invade Wanasa or any of our planets, they would have no problems at all."
Tset started scratching his chin, "In that case, we would be more than happy to get more personnel working on this. Currently, that would mean an extra 20, 25 people from an outside source."
"Hmmm, you scientists drive a hard bargain. We can only promise up to 15 additional personnel. Our funding is already maxed out, so we can't afford to spend much more on this."
"That will do just perfectly. Thank you," Tset smiled back. "Now, shall we begin?"
He pushed a few buttons and temporarily deactivated the chip behind Gohan's right ear, giving him unrestricted access to all his power.
"Gohan, can you hear me?" he spoke into the microphone.
"Yeah. So what do I do?" he replied back, looking at a random wall.
"What you haven't been able since you came here. Power up, but don't upgrade so Super Saiyan yet. We will be taking your power measurements incrementally."
The boy smirked, clenched his wrists and powered up, revealing his white aura. The patterns on the wall started glowing with the same color, but nothing happened. Various devices started measuring Gohan's power output and displayed the data in the master observation room, where everyone was waiting and watching.
"Oh my, this is very unexpected," Tset scratched his head.
"What's wrong?" an official asked.
"According to the readings, his power output is, well, nothing special. He seems to be holding back." He grabbed the microphone, "This isn't funny, Gohan. Don't hold back."
Hehe, they have no idea what they are asking from me.
The half-Saiyan tensed his muscles a bit and powered up more, causing his white aura to flare up.
"Ah yes, this is much better," Tset smiled when the readings started increasing. "As you can see, even untransformed, his power in, what we call a base form, already rivals our strongest Wanasans, not counting the super soldiers," he started explaining to everyone. "Fine, use a few energy beams and projectiles and shoot them at any wall."
As instructed, Gohan conjured a few energy blasts and started shooting different walls. As soon as they hit it, they vanished almost instantly, leaving no trace at all.
"Perfect, the absorption field is stable and is mitigating all of his attacks. Ok, now try a stronger attack as well."
Same as before, the boy charged a Kamehameha and fired in into the wall in front of him. The results didn't differ; it was absorbed by the field again. That got Gohan thinking.
So it seems this barrier is absorbing my energy attacks. This reminds me of the Androids 19 and 20. Very clever, but what if I use melee attacks?
He started walking towards a wall, making everyone concerned.
"What is he doing?!" the warden asked.
"Ah, no worries, warden," Tset smiled again, "he is probably going to test if physical attacks do anything. Nothing to worry about."
As Goku's son reached the wall, he punched it, but the field absorbed that too. He put in a bit more effort on his second attempt, yet nothing changed. Clearly this field is designed to absorb everything you throw at it, doesn't matter if it is energy or physical based attacks. Honestly, this got Gohan fired up and excited. Being able to use his Ki freely is a liberation like none other. He stepped back from the wall and made his way to the center of this testing chamber.
"Can I go Super Saiyan?" he asked.
"Yes, please do. Everything is ready," Tset answered and turned to the officials. "Now you will see one of his transformations which gives him a tremendous boost in power. Our super soldiers are about as strong as he will be now."
Gohan smiled deep inside himself, knowing that Wansans most probably have been given information about his Super Saiyan and Super Saiyan 2 and a rough power output, but they couldn't have been given exact numbers of his power. Also, they most probably don't know something else as well. Like in the beginning, he tensed his muscles and started increasing his power output. The recording devices started registering a spike in power, which kept rising quickly. Along with that, the boy clenched his teeth, giving the impression he is putting a lot of effort into the transformation process. Soon, he reached the threshold and let out a short scream, causing his charcoal black hair to change to golden yellow and his white aura was substituted with the yellow one, both being the trademarks of the Super Saiyan transformation. As the chamber glowed in various shades of yellow, everyone was surprised when witnessing a Super Saiyan for the first time, except Tset.
"This is the famous Super Saiyan which can rival our current super soldiers, or perhaps even defeat them," he explained to everyone in the room.
"Fascinating, what is his power output?" an official asked.
"Currently around 2000 revounits," the lead scientist replied.
"That is more what we calculated, but not by much. Seems like our prediction models were not that far off," the official continued.
"So what is the next step, professor?" the warden wanted to know.
"Well, we go up a notch. I am pretty sure he can go to 3000 and then upgrade to second level of Super Saiyan, peaking at 6000, perhaps a bit above 7000."
"That is insane, professor," an official replied, "can this chamber hold all of that power?"
"Yes, sir, yes it can, with still plenty of room to go. It is designed for 7000 and the critical limit is around 8000."
"What are our fail-safes? The chamber alone might not be enough," the warden expressed her concerns.
"The chip can be activated instantly, incapacitating him immediately. We can also vent sleeping gas into the chamber, knocking him out. The last option is a bit old fashion, but security guards here also have powerful tranquilizer bullets, which should be enough to subdue him rather quickly."
"The establishment is aware of the risks, warden, so we proceed as planned. This data is invaluable for future research regarding the serum. E-3 is no longer adequate, so its successor is needed now more than ever. Scan, monitor and analyze every fiber of the boy's body and his power during this test. We need all the data we can get to synthesize a more potent serum E-4. Which brings us to the combat scenario. Is Zorgho ready?" an official delegated the order with a very serious and determined voice.
"Excuse me, what do you mean by, Zorgho? We are testing Gohan, not her," Tset was surprised.
"Yes and no. This is the perfect opportunity to collect combat data, varying power output and different techniques," the official quickly provided an answer.
"The chamber was not designed as a combat area, and we have spent so long on its construction and optimization, not to mention the funding," Tset explained.
"I am very well aware of that, doctor, but according to my understanding, this is probably the only place where we can control and contain the boy and her. If the chamber will need repairs or reconstruction, so be it, I will authorize additional funding for that, but for now, we proceed according to my instructions."
"But all that time will be lost and we won't be able to conduct any other tests. I do not believe the rewards outweigh the risks in this case. I have spent so long perfecting this chamber and overseeing its construction and development. It is the most advanced one in our civilization."
"The decision has been made, doctor. Either you participate or I will have you removed," the official shut him up and turned to Nosirp: "Get Zorgho in there… I want to see what both are capable of."
As Tset did not have any other choice, he turned on the microphone; "Gohan, you will be getting a familiar visitor. Don't try to escape otherwise your chip will be activated."
The chamber doors opened slowly and a figure stepped in, it was none other than Zorgho. As soon as she stepped it, the doors closed, locked and the absorption field was re-established on that section of the wall.
"Well, look who it is," Gohan smiled.
"The new hair color suits you better," she noticed his golden Super Saiyan hair.
"My hair color is the least of your concerns. Are you here to fight me?"
"I was asked to… well, "assist" in this experiment. The last time we met, was very disappointing, to say the least."
"In that case," the boy smirked and appeared behind Zorgho, "let me not disappoint you again."
She was surprised the half-Saiyan was this fast, but was not intimidated, "Speed alone will get you nowhere," and turned around and hit him in the face with her fist, then quickly jumped to a safe distance. As she looked at Gohan, his eyes were closed, head tilted aside and blood started dripping from his nose, but he remained on his feet.
"Seems like I was a bit too fast," she smirked.
"Not really, I wanted to see how strong you are," the boy smirked back, opened his eyes, straightened his head and wiped the blood with his hand. "Despite that, I must say, I am surprised since I can barely detect any energy from you at all."
"So you're one of those kinds that can actually naturally detect it, huh? My people evolved to be able to hide and suppress it, since our natural habitat was full of creatures that could also do the same as you, but in their own way. We had natural enemies and were even hunted by other humanoids, wanting us as trophies. Through time, we discovered we could actually amplify our strength, yet still leave almost no energy signature. Once the technique was perfected, all of my kin learned and mastered it, enabling us to stay hidden from our enemies, until we were powerful enough to destroy them."
"Great, it will make the fight much more interesting. Let's see how strong you really are!"
Zorgho could not sense Ki, so she couldn't know how strong Gohan really is. None the less, she prepared to engage him in combat. The same as Gohan, Zorgho was also feeling thrilled and excited, since is it has been a very long time when she was able to use her power like this. Being locked up in here for quite a while, and her life depending on the warden, is far from a comfortable and care-free life. She has no choice but to follow the warden orders, no matter what they may be, whether she likes it or not. The boy vanished and appeared above her, but his kick didn't connect, since it was, surprisingly, blocked by Zorgho. She counter-attacked but the boy did the same and parried her attempt. He didn't stop there and continued his assault with swift kicks and punches. His opponent seemed to be defending quite well, since almost no attacks connected, apart from a few "lucky" punches, which didn't hurt that much at all. Gohan started shooting Ki blasts, forcing Zorgho to either dodge or deflect them. Luckily, all the fighting and energy projectiles were not a threat to the chamber itself. The absorption field was stable and holding with almost no fluctuations in the field stability. During the energy barrage, she managed to get close to the boy and slam her fist as hard as possible deep into his stomach, forcing the half-Saiyan to stop the energy assault and grabbing his stomach while spitting a drop of blood from the mouth.
"I have to say, you are really something," Zorgho commended Gohan, "but this is as far as you go. The punch should have echoed through your whole body."
"Heh heh, it did," the boy smirked while holding his stomach and slowly raised his head: "but I doubt this is your strongest attack."
"You're correct, it isn't. If I use it, you'll probably die and I am not allowed to let that happen."
"You won't have any other choice!" he screamed and powered up instantly, making his yellow aura flair more.
The measuring devices started showing an increase in the energy levels, which got Tset's attention.
"His power output spiked to 3000 revounits! Based on the calculations, he should be reaching his full power state."
"I want to see what he is capable of. The same goes for Zorgho. Tell her to go all out, otherwise no keltracite for 7 revolutions. Even if the boy is a hybrid Saiyan, he won't go down so easily, IF at all. Let them fight at their maximum power," the official commanded.
"Sir," Nosirp raised her voice, "do we really think we can contain both of them?"
"According to the chamber's specifications, yes we can, otherwise we will paralyze them or knock them out with a potent sleeping gas. Tell them, doctor!"
"Y-Yes, sir," Tset obeyed and turned on the microphone. "Both of you, use your full strength in combat. That is an order. No holding back, we want to see everything."
"Are you sure?" Zorgho said, "I mean, I am not allowed to kill him."
The official grabbed the microphone from Tset's hand, "Do as you are told or no keltracite for 7 revolutions."
"Fine, but don't come crying to me when he is dead," Zorgho smirked.
"Tsch, you won't have to worry about that," Gohan smiled back and prepared himself.
"We will see about that, or rather, we won't," was her reply while she vanished.
Gohan lost her energy signature completely and couldn't see his opponent as well. He started scanning the chamber with his senses, but Zorgho was not found at all.
How did she just vanish? I could sense a very faint signature before, but now, nothing. Is she moving at such a high speed or what?
Suddenly, he was knocked into the wall, head first. After getting up, again no sight of her. It is like she vanishes into thin air and then reappears somewhere else. She must be using some sort of a technique to hide herself, but Gohan couldn't confirm that. He received another punch directly to the face, and a few more to his stomach and ribs, forcing the young demi-Saiyan to defend himself from an invisible enemy. This reminded him of the fight with Kyuuri, when she blinded him, but unlike Kyuuri, Zorgho attacks in almost complete silence. He tried focusing on potential sounds that his opponent would make just before attacking, but the buzzing of the absorption field made this practically impossible. His concentration was broken by Zorgho's fist in his guts and a nasty uppercut to his chin, followed by a series of punches to his face, causing him to bleed more from his nose and mouth.
"What's the matter, Gohan? Where is all that tenacity?" Zorgho mocked him and continued to attack, forcing the boy to keep defending.
Gohan's aura flared even more now, but that didn't stop her from attacking. The next punch was, surprisingly blocked by Goku's son. And then another, and another, until he was able to parry all of them and counter attack with a powerful blow straight into Zorgho's stomach. Due to that, she revealed herself and Gohan now figured out what was happening.
"How? How did you repel my attacks AND managed to hit me?" she was shocked.
"It wasn't easy, but I managed to figure it out that you are not so much faster than me, just invisible, or camouflaged, actually. Luckily, my energy bounces off of your body and I am able to detect from where it happens. That's how I know your location."
"Then I guess I need to use my full strength to…" Zorgho was silenced by Gohan's fist straight into the face.
"You will pay for this, you annoying brat!" she shouted and became invisible.
"This won't work," the boy shouted, "I can detect your movements, you idiot."
Just as he said that, his chest received a nasty cut, like someone had used a sharp blade. A split second later, his back and arms were cut as well.
"What?!" Gohan was shocked, while a thin layer of blood covered the cuts.
"You think you are so tough and smart. You didn't expect this attack at all."
The boy grabbed his stinging injuries, "This is gonna take longer than I thought," he said to himself.
"I'm done playing, time to finish this little test of ours. If I don't do it, I am most certainly dead."
Her last sentence got Gohan thinking. Why does she think Goku's son is going to kill her? This is supposed to be a test and Gohan doesn't just kill everyone for no reason.
"What are you talking about?" the boy asked in confusion. "I won't kill you."
"Maybe not you, but they will!" she shouted and vanished.
The demi-Saiyan started defending himself, but Zorgho's energy signature was all over the place. He couldn't pinpoint her exact position and from where she will strike next. As he started firing energy blasts all over the place, his body, again, sustained new cuts and injuries due to Zorgho's quick attacks. This fight was going nowhere fast and Gohan knew that very well. His opponent surprised him with her strength and this camouflage technique, but he was not done yet as well, far from it. By tensing his muscles and clenching fist fists, he concentrated more and more power until he upgraded to Super Saiyan 2, making the energy sensors go crazy.
"His energy… it… it jumped to 6400 revounits!" Tset shouted.
"Is this the next level Super Saiyan?!" the official asked.
"Yes, this is it, he is getting very serious."
But the energy meter didn't stop there, it kept rising to 6600… 6800… 7000.
"It is still rising… 7000 revounits!" Tset kept everyone updated.
As Zorgho kept attacking the boy, her attacks were dodged with ease now. No matter what she tried, Goku's son always evaded with no effort since he was able to react much faster, even at close range. The moment Zorgho was about to attack from a specific position, he was able to detect her and act accordingly. After a short while of non-stop dodging, the boy had enough of this little game, so he overpowered Zorgho with two punches, one in the stomach and another uppercut to the chin, sending her into the wall, and collapsing on the floor, coughing blood and lying almost motionless. He stepped up to her with the typical Super Saiyan 2 angry look and grabbed her shirt, then pulled her closer to his face.
"Give up, you have no chance. I haven't even used my full power yet."
"I… I can't. I must not give up, otherwise I am dead," she responded with a shaky and quiet voice.
"I said, I won't kill you. What part of that you don't understand?"
She lifted herself even closer to his left ear and whispered, "Y…You don't understand. If I don't go all the way, I won't make it 7 revolutions without keltracite. My species need this substance to survive, and can't manage without it for more than 5 or 6 revolutions, 7 max."
"What are they doing?!" the official started getting angry.
"I don't know, she seems to be struggling after getting hit by the boy," Tset tried providing his expert opinion.
"Get up, Zorgho! Get up and fight until one of you can't stand!" the official shouted.
"Please," she continued whispering into the boy's ear, "my people depend on the warden to provide us with keltracite, so we are forced to obey her orders and do her bidding."
"So if you don't, you either get sick or die."
"It is how she keeps us under control and prevent our escape. Even if we did escape, we have no means of getting off this planet and back to our home. We would die anyway since keltracite is naturally not found in this system."
That made Gohan even angrier, but had no choice, "Sorry for this," he said and head butted Zorgho so hard, she was knocked out cold.
Then he stood up and looked at the observation room: "You wanted to see my full power!?" he yelled.
After taking a few steps away from Zorgho, he prepared himself to power up. Just as before, he clenched his fists and tensed his muscles, making his lightning-imbued aura appear, and started drawing out power. The chamber started trembling a bit, signaling that more and more power is emanating from the boy. Energy sensors started moving, again, showing 7100 revounits.
"Power output is increasing past 7100 revonits, sir," Tset informed everyone.
"He… he took out Zorgho with a few hits… that's unbelievable," the official was surprised, to say the least, "and he still hasn't used his full power. Let's see how high he can really go."
"I need to object sir, we are going into uncharted territories. The safety limit was at 7000," Tset protested.
"One more word from you and I will have you removed, doctor. Just make sure all data is recorded properly and stored. I want to test the boy and this chamber."
But the sensors didn't stop, the number kept going higher, 7200… 7400… 7600.
"We are reaching the maximum threshold! He needs to stop powering up, otherwise we are risking damage to the chamber's absorption field integrity."
"No! I want to see his true power. He should be at his limit now," the official demanded that the test continues.
"7700… 7800… 7900, we are almost at the limit, sir! We need to abort, NOW!" Tset tried convincing the commanding official, but he didn't listen.
At 8000, various alerts started going off, and the instruments had either trouble providing an accurate reading or began malfunctioning. The absorption field started collapsing on some sections of the wall and a general overload most probably wasn't far behind. The boy kept pushing his body to its limit, trying to squeeze out every ounce of power he is capable of. Soon, some parts of the wall started cracking, destabilizing the whole absorption field even more. Nosirp could not watch this anymore, so she grabbed her controller and enabled Gohan's chip, but it didn't activate.
"His chip… it's not activating!" she yelled.
"What? It must have short-circuited because of Gohan's power. It was never designed to operate in such abnormally high power outputs!" Tset started explaining.
"The controls are offline, doctor. We can't went the sleeping gas into the chamber," one of doctor's associates added.
"Get the guards inside and tranquilize him!" the official ordered.
"Nobody will come close to him, sir, the sheer force of his power will blow anyone away as soon as the doors open," Tset said.
"Get Soropo in here, NOW!" the warden yelled into her communication device.
While precious seconds were counting down, Gohan stopped powering up and started charging a Kamehameha.
"Oh no! He is going to blow up a huge hole into the complex!" Tset panicked, while checking the power readings, which were off the chart.
"Stop him, doctor! Do something!" the official screamed even more while holding on to the desk, since the whole area was shaking violently.
Luckily for them, two guards came running in with Soropo, whom the warden quickly pushed near the microphone.
"Gohan! Gohan, stop it! Soropo is here and is about to get shocked to his death. I have set the setting intensity to maximum," the warden yelled into the microphone. "Tell him you are here! Tell him to stop, otherwise you will die," she told Soropo, who was all terrified and afraid.
"G-Gohan, it's me, Soropo. They will kill me if you don't stop. I… I am sorry."
"WHAT?!" was Gohan's first reaction, which was followed by him powering down, but still remain in Super Saiyan 2.
He floated up to the observation room, stopping at the, what is seemed impenetrable glass, which protected everyone inside, including Soropo. The boy's expression was angry, to say the least, his eyes clearly showing he is just about to kill everyone. But he couldn't, since Soropo could die because of him.
"You… you will regret this, all of you. Shielding yourselves with victims that have nothing to do with this," he said with an angry, yet somehow calm voice.
"Power down now, land on the floor and do stay still," the warden ordered him.
With all the hesitation in the universe itself, he slowly landed on the floor, powered down completely and did nothing except wait. A group of security guards managed to open the chamber doors, immediately releasing a salvo of tranquilizers, subduing Goku's son, causing him to lose consciousness quite fast. He and Zorgho were picked up and sent to the medical bay.
"That was close," Tset wiped his forehead.
"Too close. We pushed him too far, which nearly got us destroyed," Nosirp said and looked at the official, "With all due respect, you have jeopardized my whole facility and everyone in it, including us. This was not a part of the agreement."
"There was no other choice, warden. We knew there would be risks, but still had your backup plan with this Wanasan."
"You… you knew about him and Gohan?" Nosirp was shocked.
"Yes we did and I must say, your quick thinking is proof that you are the best person to run this facility. Quick and rational judgment is hard to find these days."
"How is this rational when she threatened to kill Soropo? How is this rational?" Tset demanded answers.
The official looked at other assistants in the room and nodded his head, signaling them to leave immediately. Soropo was also taken back to his cell.
Once only himself, his colleague, Nosirp and Tset remained, he continued: "That is why you will always remain on entry level project, doctor. You lack the true tenacity and resourcefulness, like the warden does. Your contribution has been immense, doctor, so don't get me wrong, but the reality is that everyone is replaceable in this complex. On the bright side, we obtained a lot of data which is needed by my superiors and to advance the super serum research. "
Nosirp approached the official, "We will start repairing the chamber immediately. The doctor and others will assess the damage and distribute repair tasks to the maintenance team."
"Perfect," the official said and walked closer to the window, looking at the broken chamber, "His power and her innate ability to mask energy and blend with surroundings would make the perfect soldier that we need. Imagine having an army of ultra super soldiers that are incredibly strong but can blend with the surroundings and suppress their energy. Doesn't matter if are weak with energy-based attacks, our tech can fix that."
"Sir," Tset interrupted him, "with all due respect, we haven't even properly synthesized the E-4 serum and studied its effects, let alone combine different DNA's like you are suggesting and infusing them with our own."
"I know you personally haven't doctor, but you are not the only section who is dealing with this."
"What?!" Tset reacted.
"You are only a part of this ambitious undertaking. While you have specialized in serums and to some degree DNA testing, our other sections have focused primarily on DNA and its modification purposes. I must admit, there has been some great progress which I am not authorize to disclose. You think the serum was our biggest achievement? Its downside is that it has limited duration, and what I am talking about is something with more permanent effect."
"Why was I not informed about this at all?!" Tset demanded answers with an angry voice.
"I am not the one to decide this, doctor. Just like you, I am a piece in this puzzle. What I can say is that you will soon be able to witness first living subjects with the early stage of, well, you can deduce that yourself."
"This is madness. DNA manipulation and integration with other species hasn't been performed since the parasite invasion. There have been too many failed attempts, deaths and disfigurements because of that. We were supposed to improve the serum, which is a much safer method of increasing our super soldiers' combat effectiveness, despite the limited duration."
"Nobody is disputing that, doctor. After all, you are one of the lead scientists on the serum, but my superiors would also like to have, let's say, alternative options as well. We cannot allow enemies like Saiyans, half-breeds or anyone else to threaten or kill our people. We need to be prepared for anything!"
"Warden, did you know about this?" Tset wanted to know the truth.
"Well… I don't know what to say, Tset. I was, and still am, under strict orders."
"So you did know. Brilliant."
"Now, now, doctor, the warden is not to blame here. As she said, orders are orders and I can confirm that. The less people know about this the better. Same goes for you now… you are not to disclose this information to anyone, otherwise we will be forced to take some "precautionary" measurements, if you will."
"Would you silence me? Or perhaps kill me?"
"Please, doctor, those things are so primitive. It would be a shame to lose such an expert as yourself. You would be stripped from your access and active duty, then moved to another location, where you would continue assisting in different research. As long as you don't do anything irrational or against the establishment, I am sure you would be able to live a pretty normal, and safe life."
"I recommend we continue as planned," Nosirp interrupted the conversation and walked to Tset, "I am sorry you had to find out like this, but there was no other way."
"Indeed it wasn't, warden. Now, if you will excuse me, I need to verify the collected data and start on the chamber repairs," Tset answered with a cold voice and left the room. Warden was a bit sad, since Tset is one of her closest colleagues in this complex, but she knew very well that her position requires some degree of sacrifice.