Heya all!

Now, this chapter is most likely the MOST VOLATILE CHAPTER of this story, especially the scene with Gohan stopping the train. This scene was difficult to write and I had to think for several days to set things straight.

Every time I would arrive at a seemingly good scene, my mind would counter by providing the various shortcomings of that particular scene. It was as if my mind was tormenting me.

Then finally, I managed to write something which seemed to me the best possible outcome, and I was about to post it but thankfully my savior ZFighter18 pointed to a serious flaw that I forgot to address, and could have invited a lot of flaming from you.

I tried my best to address that flaw and thankfully managed it. But I was at my wit's end by then, and couldn't do anything more. Hence, you have the chapter here.

Guest Review: Thanks for labeling the work as one of your most liked fanfiction.

Guest Review II - I don't understand how it is only a DB level stuff. Are you saying that as the story went into DBZ, humans just gave up committing robberies or such crimes? No matter what happens, there will be some low lives who would try to harm innocents and civilians.

Secondly, you said that none of the Z fighters sacrificed anything. Really? Or do you not count the efforts, the time that is consumed in the training as a sacrifice? No matter how much the gain there is always something that is sacrificed; even if it's time only.

Videl learning the Ki in a few days in cannon was ridiculous. Krillin and other humans trained their asses for months if not years and learnt Ki and Videl could do that in days?

Surayo - I agree with what you are saying but the essence of this arc is to show that there will be some events, moments where the Z fighters can't proceed according to their pace but will have to limit themselves according to the situation.

To elaborate, Tien in the previous chapter, could have searched the entire hospital at light speeds but couldn't have seen the slight color difference in the shadows of the cabinet.

However, I used your idea in the very first chapter where I realised my mistake after reading your review. I actually made Gohan struggle with an unmoving dropping plane and that was an error on my part.

But now, after using your idea, I managed to rectify that. So, thank you.

Well, now to chapter.

EDIT: Sorry, I received a few messages saying it's 'hymns' and not 'hymens'... that's why had to edit the chapter... lol...


Dammit! How much more? While lamenting the situation, Yamcha still had enough mind to wave to the family bowing to him, the mother and father pushing down the head of their pre-teen son to their level.

Levitating above the shelters, he glanced at his watch. 7:43, huh? I have been working for an hour? He shook his head. Time sure flies by, and still, the situation isn't under control.

He really was a fool for believing that with his abilities, the situation would be like a walk in the park. But, obviously, that wasn't the case. Though, this area would be difficult even for a Saiyan.

Try as he might, he couldn't just pinpoint the individual civilian Ki levels, and in return, their stability, and what they were feeling.

And, coupled with the sup-par living conditions of the middle and lower-class families in the area, the canopy of close-knitted roofs totally concealing the narrow streets, the situation had become worse.

He had lost count of how many times he had flown over an area seeing everything in place only to hear gunshots and return to deal with an individual thug or a couple of them.

This area was the perfect playground for the scattered gangsters, giving them ready-made conditions to hide and carry on their operations.

Bang! Bang!

With a sigh, the former desert bandit swerved his head towards the left, before flying towards the direction of gun-shots. The bastards are nothing but tenacious.

In a moment, he appeared above the narrow street, witnessing two cops crouching behind their motorbike, shouting at someone in the store on the other side of the street.

Flying a bit backward for a better view, he saw a bear of a man holding a grandpa by his neck while waving his gun in a threatening manner.

Sighing again, and with a burst of Ki, he blurred directly behind the man and delivered a chop, the man dropping as if his life had just been sucked away.

"Thanks, my boy."

The immediate and cheerful response drawing his attention, Yamcha looked in surprise towards the elderly man only to blink at not even seeing a trace of fear or unease.

Eh… he must have had a happy life. Nodding, the former desert bandit walked out of the store.

"Check on him, would ya?" Pointing over his shoulder while looking at the cop duo of a female and a male in front, Yamcha began defying the gravity, aura flashing around him…

"Yamcha-san!"

Halting and dropping the aura, the orange clad man looked over his shoulder at the worried looking female cop, the raised eyebrow voicing his question.

"I wanted to ask… um… can't you do something about the situation?" She quickly raised her hand, in a pacifying manner. "Permanently, I mean. It's getting worse every moment."

"Yeah," The male cop beside her nodded, stepping forward. "Already there have been five casualties… "

"What?!" Yamcha interrupted the man, unable to believe what he had heard. "Casualties?!"

The man grimly nodded. "Four cops and a civilian, and if not stopped soon, as Megumi-chan said, it will only get worse."

Five lives gone… and he hadn't even heard about them. When did it happen? Why didn't any of the previous cops tell him?

Dread reared its ugly head as the gravity of the situation asserted itself. But how could this happen?... This area is nothing more than a diversion to thin out the cops and…

Mentally kicking himself, he halted the thoughts. Diversion or not, it was a gang attack with actual guns, not some kids enacting their fantasies. It was absurd of him to harbour positive thoughts.

"This is beyond our capacity, but with your abilities, you got the best chances."

The lady was right. Something needed to be done and quickly. Even though the dragon balls are there, we still can't allow this to escalate.

Nodding once, he raised his altitude, halting at a few hundred metres above the ground, before closing his eyes. If these eyes are unable to find anything, the guardian's sure can. "Dende."

A moment passed.

"Sorry, Yamcha I can't help you."

"What?! What do you mean?"

"I don't know who is leading this assault. I have been busy for the past two weeks in some meetings with King Kai and King Yamma."

"C'mon! You must have seen something… anything?" Desperation began seeping through his voice. If the Kami was a blank slate, his own chances of finding something were in the negative.

"I apologize but I haven't been able to properly check on the planet these days."

Now of all times… "What… should I do then? Someone is pulling the strings but the memories of these gangsters haven't given me any lead."

All the thugs so far had been low tier, expendable men. None of them was even privy to the more intricate details.

Though such was their world. The weak, the commoners did all the work while the top dogs reaped the fruits.

"I may not directly help you. But, I can guide you to a location. There are high chances that you will find something."

"Go on."


Dropping in front of the cave while looking around the remote location surrounded by water, Yamcha strode inside.

Taking in the prone bodies lying in ruined crates, alongside walls, he walked towards the closest man. Tien sure roughed them up.

Crouching, he placed his hand on the man's forehead, eyes closing while linking his Ki to the man's. Hmmm… let's see… you're Rigashi… oh! Wait. The boss is the moustached one.

Standing, he walked to the man slumped against the opposite wall. Crouching, and placing his hand on his forehead, he again closed his eyes. It should be right here…

"Can't ya spare some more men?"

"One hundred and ten are more than enough. Besides, I am also giving you high-tech explosives, that too without any cost."

The man snorted. "You'll get half the amount without so much as even moving your ass."

"You won't be doing much either."

Yamcha frowned. The memory of the video conference between the both was a dead giveaway that they were leading the assault.

And, since Masao of the Red Shark Gang was lying prone at his feet, it was obvious the other was now holding all the cards.

"The Red Sharks are working in tandem with the Snipers."

Going by Chief's words, the other man is obviously the boss of Snipers and working from West city. But who is he? Yamcha mused to himself.

The man seemed cleverer of the two, concealing himself in shadows, not revealing even a bit of his body through the tv screen.

And, even if West city was the area where the roots of this problem laid; without an identity, finding a single man in a city of millions was impossible.

Deciding to check some more memories, he again focused only to be in vain. Dammit! It's of no use. Not even the name of the other man was brought up in the conversation. He is clearly good.

A contemplating expression dawned over his countenance. One last time… this time for the background clues… hopefully something will pop up.

This was his first and the best lead so far, after all. He couldn't give up on it.

The orange-clad man again began the scanning, focusing on the background noises among other things. Hmmm… that's someone pouring water… a telephone bell… radio playing… gunshot… nothing here…

Let's check today's conversation… wait! That's a clock bell! and it's like he is sitting beneath the bell…

Eyes snapping open, Yamcha processed the new piece of information. The man was obviously in the West city but the bell of the clock tower narrowed his area of search.

The sound of the bell was close… too close, in fact like the man was in the tower itself. A feral grin made its way on his face. Alright bastard, I know your location and coming for ya.

However, just as he was about to remove his fingers and cut the Ki connection, his eyes widened. What was that?!

Quickly, he again focused on the memories.

A moment passed.

"Fuck!" Of course the man was smarter than that. I was about to go on a blind chase.

With new data, and renewed determination, the member of the Earth's Special Forces stood up, taking a breath before blurring towards the dark skies.

It's time to end this.


EARLIER

Soaring towards the Orange Star city, the railway track soon became visible before Gohan diverted his flight alongside the track.

No later, he saw the train.

Was it always thisbig?! The demi-Saiyan couldn't help but muse to himself as he flew over the train. The five coaches and the locomotive hadn't seemed noteworthy in the past; the train always used to pass in the blink of an eye.

However, now, it seemed unending. Or is it the situation?

As he passed over the train, his eyes slightly narrowed. The beak shaped aerodynamic front of the train signified the newer versions of the famous bullet train. A no-man concept huh?

Blurring with a burst of Ki, he appeared alongside the locomotive before ripping apart the door and entering it. Eyes scanning the controls, taking in the deemed functions, the demi-Saiyan's fingers blurred.

A moment passed.

Welcome to the ATI - Advanced Train Interface. How may I help you?

"Can you apply the brakes?" The words were out of his mouth in an instant.

Another moment passed.

Negative. Error 005. Repeat. Error 005.

Gohan frowned. "And what is this error 005?"

Error 005 refers to a mechanical fault or complete failure of the braking system.

Shit. Must be their work. Looking around in slight anger for one last time, the demi-Saiyan quickly blurred into action, appearing above the moving object.

With a burst of Ki. he added a couple of miles between himself and the train, before dropping on the rail tracks.

Eyes still narrowed, he glanced at the wrist watch. No good. At its current speed, the city is only twenty or so minutes away.

As the train quickly covered the distance, a contemplating expression dawned on his visage. Now, how to do this? Hmmm… should I lift the locomotive and reduce the speed of… he quickly shook his head, halting and chastising himself for such a line of thought.

These newer models were supposed to come with a linked wheel system for greater speeds. Lifting the locomotive was not going to hinder the movement of the other wheels.

Moreover, these trains had compromised durability for speed. Just a slight imbalance could not only cause the fast moving object to derail but also shred the not so sturdy body, crushing his chances to save the passengers.

Something else… A picture of Goten and Trunks watching a superhero movie flashed in his mind. Well… the most obvious way it is. Moreover, I have an advantage over him.

Nodding to himself, the demi-Saiyan put his hands over the beak-like shape, as the train covered the gap, allowing the railed vehicle to drag him away and giving the feel of the forces moving it.

It's just as I thought. The body was made up of some sort of alloy. Overall, it was weaker than he had expected. Mentally shaking the thought, he started increasing the force on the rushing object while releasing and directing his Ki to cover the vehicle.

No later, his Ki enveloped the entire object. If it could stop the plane, it will definitely help here.

Gohan began increasing the pressure with his hands as well as his energy, pushing the object in the opposite direction with a uniform force.

However, nothing happened.

Apart from a slight restriction, there wasn't even a decrease in the speed of the train.

Frowning, Gohan increased the force, augmenting his Ki and directing it along the body of the train while applying the force with his hands.

Again, nothing happened. There was no significant decrease in the speed of the moving object. Dammit! This isn't working.

Taking a sharp breath, the demi-Saiyan slowly doubled the force, muscles slightly tightening, the Ki bubble around the moving object slightly illuminated.

CREE~K!

The wheels of the train objected a bit against the force being applied, but the decrease in speed was blatant. Alright. Just need to keep it up.

Determination written all over his face, the blue-clad teenager gradually began increasing the force, the train responding diametrically, the grinding like sounds signifying the successful outcome.

A couple of minutes passed, the constant efforts bringing the success. They sure make it look easy in the movies. The hero just puts his hands and stops the train… heh!

Gohan couldn't help the relief that flooded his being. Even if the train was still moving at high speeds, but with the slowly increasing force and Ki, it was bound to stop before…

CRIN~KLE!

The demi-Saiyan just had a moment to blink before his body suddenly jerked towards the left, hitting the side of the engine before dangling almost horizontally to its side by his arm, the rapid moving object dragging him away.


"There's no way he can stop it. For a moment, I was beginning to have doubts."

"Yeah. There's no need to interfere. Let this shit blow at the station."


Oh no! Releasing a burst of Ki, Gohan pulled himself apart before blurring again in front of the train, vision immediately locking onto the fist sized hole where his left hand was positioned earlier.

Eyes widening, the demi-Saiyan's visage morphed into that of dread. I should have realized the body would not hold.

With the speed and mass of the train, the counter force applied by him and coupled with the force by the amount of applied Ki, the weak metal of the train was liable to fall apart.

Especially at the place under his hands which were the threshold of the Ki bubble.

Frustration began seeping into his body as he lamented himself over the mistake, but still having enough mind, he again put his hands on the beak, careful of the previous positions, and extended his Ki around the train once more.

All the while applying and increasing the force but careful of keeping it just a notch below the earlier levels. To think a train of all can vastly limit my abilities…

Some moments passed.

A frown began developing on his face as the speed of the train didn't decrease at all, in fact staying even a bit higher than earlier before he had even started.How is this possible? Even with this amount of force, it should have slowed down.

SRRKKKK!

Ears twitching, his eyes subconsciously flickered towards the hole in the body just in time to witness a couple of rapid but minute sparks.

The twins of teal widened in shock. Did the engine malfunction? B-but that… how… However, more and more, his thoughts became the most plausible conclusion. Only this could be the reason for the increase in the speed.

He couldn't help the feeling of defeat realising he couldn't just augment his efforts, and with the current force being applied, there was one in a hundred chance that the train would stop at all.

Visage grave, he began running his mind overdrive for some other method that could help in the situation, all the while keeping his efforts constant. I cannot give up… with all the people inside…


Time passed, as Gohan kept his efforts, the train slowing down only due to constant efforts but not enough to be called safe. It's like I am just standing here doing nothing…

An object appeared in and passed in the corner of his vision, halting his thoughts, diverting his attention towards the sides of the track.

The demi-Saiyan couldn't help the sharp intake of breath seeing the small house sized building, its built and design indicating the subunit of the police station. Wh-what?! Already?! Don't tell me…

He quickly glanced towards his wrist watch. Fifteen… minutes?! I have been doing this for fifteen minutes? This means… From his sidelong vision, he witnessed a couple of small buildings sporadically appearing alongside the track, and dread flooded his body.

This can't be happening… it's so soon… the train station is only three minutes away from here at the current speed… Any audacious plans his mind had developed were all thrown out of the window as they began entering into the residential areas on the edges of the Orange Star city.

It's all over… there's no way… His heart began pounding against his ribcage as the gravity of the situation made itself known. Did I… fail…

"GET A GRIP GOHAN!"

The demi-Saiyan blinked, shock and dread replaced by confusion, the seemingly familiar voice resounding in his mind but he quickly shook his head. There's no way… It must be my mind… but I can call…

However, his thoughts halted when an all too familiar sensation tore away through the mixture of negative thoughts and confusion like a spark of electricity.

He looked up just in time to see a white Ki-bubble surround his golden one, reasserting and confirming his thoughts.

However, the speed of the train didn't even falter. What's happening? He paused for a moment, face morphing into slight confusion. "Piccolo?"

"Hai. Maintain your focus. I am going to overlap your Ki with mine."

"What are you aiming at?"

"I am going to lift it."

Gohan's mouth parted in sheer disbelief. Lift the entire train? He couldn't help but muse to himself. Is it even possible to… However he quickly realized who the person in question was - Piccolo - the master of telekinesis.

Relief began cooling his nerves. Determined, the demi-Saiyan focused on maintaining his efforts and keeping the amount of Ki constant, while making a vow to hone his barely existent telekinesis powers if they worked out of this situation.

Moment by moment, time passed, as Gohan kept his efforts and felt Piccolo doing the same but still panic augmented bit by bit as the increase in the sightings of small residential settlements indicated they began entering the suburbs.

Three minutes only. Averting his eyes from the wristwatch, he slightly narrowed his eyes. "Piccolo? We don't have much time."

A couple of seconds went by.

"Drop your Ki, Gohan."

"What?! Then how are we… "

"Your emotions are disturbing your Ki which is more potent than mine and affecting my concentration. And, don't worry about the train. It will be over earlier than you think."

"... Alright, I trust you." Uncertainty still reflecting on his face, Gohan dropped his Ki before levitating out of the way, Piccolo's ki quickly replacing it.

Seconds passed but nothing happened, worry augmenting on the demi-Saiyan's face. Dammit! Nothing's happeni… No way! The demi-Saiyan looked in naked wonder as one by one, the five coaches followed by the locomotive defied gravity.

Sneaking a glance at the watch, his mouth parted in surprise. Less than a minute… he didn't even take a minute! There's no way I could've done this. The amount of Ki control required for this… Amazed at his mentor's will and capability, Gohan latched onto the slight feeling of hope that rekindled inside him.

Next moment, there were a series of explosions below the train, the demi-Saiyan sparing a single glance at the broken remains of what were earlier the wheels of the train.


"Damn that bastard! What are we waiting for, boss? Detonate the shit!"

"... Relax. We shouldn't rush. These bastards are too strong. We need to wait for the right moment."


"Gohan, quick. The roof." The Namekian lowered the train on the tracks, no sound emerging from the slight impact.

"Hai," Gohan blurred, sweeping over the metallic roof of the locomotive and the coaches, tearing apart the metal sheets before appearing at the side of the train.

"Ahhh! What's happening?!"

"Stop this!"

"Yeeyy! Look mommy, I am flyiinggg!"

The demi-Saiyan watched for a moment as all the passengers in the train began levitating simultaneously, white Ki shimmering around their bodies, before he dashed alongside the train, ignoring the screams of the passengers.

Slashing and separating the locomotive and the coaches from one another, he flashed near the last two before grabbing and hurling them away towards the skies, the metallic objects blurring out of the view as soon as they left his hands.

Darting towards the next ones, he repeated the action before appearing between the last coach and the locomotive. Grabbing onto the side of the sole coach, he twisted and hurled it towards the skies before following with the locomotive.

BOOOM!

The explosion above the treetops gave away the fate of the locomotive, fire spreading out like a blanket; a shockwave followed, nearly flattening the trees. Not a second later, a series of explosions highlighted the dark skies, distinct booms audible.


"Ahhh! Th-that Bastard!"

Ignoring the shout, the boss frowned. He's just too fast. A blink's worth is all he took in throwing the entire thing. Dammit! What to do, now?


An eerie silence gripped the area.

Everyone quickly connecting the dots, screams of the passengers which were earlier reverberating in the vicinity, died down instantly.

So did the adrenaline fueling Gohan's veins, the gravity of what would have happened asserting itself.

The demi-Saiyan watched with wide irises and bated breath, as the remnants of the explosions died down, paving the way for shock and fear which began gripping his heart.

Not only the passengers in the train but also the nearby area around the station for at least two miles would have been blown to smithereens with the magnitude of the explosions.

And the worst was they only got to know about this predicament by sheer chance. If Videl hadn't lucked out and discovered the thugs' intentions, there would have been a grave catastrophe.

So many lives would have been lost just for the sick ambitions of some low lives. Th-those bastards… how could they?!

The ground began quivering, a light breeze started picking up, the moonlight began dimming and thunder sparked in the distant east, drowning the lighter zip-zaps of the current beginning to flash around the super Saiyan.


This is bad. Piccolo mused to himself, looking at the approaching dark clouds responding to the calls of a super Saiyan teetering on the verge of ascension.

"Wh-what is happening, mom?"

Ears twitching, he lowered his gaze, looking towards the group of the civilians who were cowering and beginning to huddle towards one another.

Gohan… GOHAN! The Namekian gritted his teeth receiving no response. Dammit! This is the same every time he lets his emotions rule.

Releasing a frustrated breath, he disappeared only to reappear in the same place immediately. What… is she doing?


Gohan growled. They… will pay. Clenching his fists, he opened his mouth to roar…

… only to stop, hand blurring, and grabbing onto something. Eyes quickly flickering to his hand, he blinked seeing an elegant iron and wooden cane which was beginning to crack.

"Stop it, would ya? You are scaring 'em!"

Rage momentarily forgotten, the demi-Saiyan followed the hand holding the cane, seeing an elderly woman, barely managing to hold herself, looking at him disapprovingly but, surprisingly, without any ill-intent.

Then, her words registered.

His gaze immediately shifted towards the group of civilians who were huddling onto one another, eyes widened in clear signs of fear clearly stemming from him.

He couldn't help the cringe, a strong urge rising to punch himself. Stupid, stupid, stupid me… stupid emotions… Quickly controlling the Ki, he deeply bowed towards the group. "I apologize. I didn't mean to scare you. I… am just angry at what would have happened… if… "

A strange silence ensued.

A couple of moments passed, the demi-Saiyan staying in the bowing position, unnerved at what he would see if he looked up into the eyes of the civilians. Idiot. They must hate me now.

A heavy sigh broke the silence. "Ki or not, ya all young lads are the same."

Blinking at the words, Gohan slightly gazed up. Seeing everyone's eyes on the woman, he straightened before looking at her confusingly. "Umm… "

The lady again sighed. "Always thinking what would have happened or what will happen," She shook her head. "Why can't you try to live in the present for once and ignore the past and the future?"

Gohan looked at her astonishingly, her words ringing in his head. "What?... But all of them," he began to point towards the others before shaking his head. "All of you would have… "

"But we didn't, and are safe and sound, or I talking to you is not enough of a proof?"

Surprise morphing into a frown, he narrowed his eyes. "I apologize but I believe you are still under some kind of shock. You… " He halted as she waved her hand in a dismissing manner.

"It's you who is under the control of your emotions."

The casual reply made Gohan clench his fists. "You don't understand a thing. We only came to know about this accidentally. If not for that… "

"We would be dead, right? But I don't see how it could have been your fault? Or do you think just 'coz you got some abilities, you are responsible for each and every life?"

The words died down in his throat, mouth opening and closing like a fish before Gohan took a breath. "That isn't … I mean… "

Once again, the lady interrupted him by slightly hitting on the biceps with her cane which immediately broke. "Sorry," He mumbled at the fate of the object.

"Stop being an idiot. You are not at fault even now or even if things would have gone south." She paused, taking deep breaths.

"... But… I… "

"You know… ten years ago, all of this seemed normal… "

The demi-Saiyan looked strangely at the sudden shift of the words but didn't try to interrupt, a sudden urge rising to listen to the lady's words

"... The cycle of life and death… There was nobody with the potential to prevent these situations. People died and others accepted it… it was just fine, painful but fine."

"Then Cell came and Satan defeated him," She snorted. "or at least we believed that. Anyway, everybody thought that they had better chances at survival with him guarding us but soon we learned that he couldn't do anything."

"People still continued to die, most times due to something which wasn't even their fault like this train situation," She again paused. "But we realized that the matters of death and birth are beyond anyone's control."

"Then you came and saved the King. Still, most of us had thought it was special treatment for the king. But now… look at me… " She pointed to herself. "What do you see?"

Already looking at the face of the lady, and not seeing any ill intent, yet not knowing what she wanted to convey, Gohan could only stay silent.

"Personally," The lady continued after not receiving any answer. "I feel safe that there are some people who will go to extreme ends to save commoners like me."

The son of Goku's eyes slightly widened.

"It doesn't matter if you got lucky and ended up saving us, what matters is that due to you, I can spend another day with my family, my precious ones… Shouldn't that be enough?"

The silence in his throat gripped his entire being. He couldn't find anything to say… though, a part of him acknowledged what the old lady was saying. Just as Lime used to say 'value what you have'.

Only when the whole incident of Cell was left behind, he had begun finding happiness in his life. The peace that came after years of fighting, the joyous moments with Goten, and all that.

However, another part couldn't deny what got prevented could have been a grave disaster, and this incident, this memory would not easily heal, staying as a blemish on his soul for a long period.

"Now stop worrying about the past and the future and try to care for the present."

However, before Gohan could reply, a tug on his pants drew his attention. Lowering his gaze, he blinked seeing a small girl looking at him with wide black eyes, holding a plush fox.

He bent himself to her level, giving her a small strained smile for encouragement. "Hello."

The girl smiled and nodded. "Here," She pushed her toy in front of her while still maintaining a firm grip.

Immediately, a memory of Goten doing the same thing flashed into his mind, Gohan nodded. "What does he… or is it a she?... want to say?"

The smile on her face brightened. "Mr Foxy wants to say thank you for saving him and me and mom and dad."

"Oh. It's alright uh… mr Foxy."

The girl's face then scrunched. "But you know Mr Foxy never talks to me but he talks to mom all the time and then she tells me what he talks to her, and … And mom says that once I get big, Mr Foxy will talk to me and then I will tell you what he says. Okay?"

"Uh-huh," Gohan nodded with a chuckle which was followed by a chorus of laughter from the group of people, the action drawing his attention.

"Yeah, thank you son!"

"We owe you one!"

Surprise covered his visage as people poured their feelings, expressing their gratitude and happiness, their words rendering him overwhelmed.

"Learn to enjoy the moment as my old wife says, young man."

"Who're you calling old, ya damn geezer?"

Gohan swayed his eyes between the bickering couple for some moments before a smile found its way on his face. I think they are right. I can try... at least.


Piccolo smiled witnessing the situation. The people of the planet never ceased to amaze. Despite unnatural odds, they had the tendencies to find joy in meager things.

This turned out fine in the end. Swaying his eyes towards the city, he looked for some seconds. Tien and Krillin also seem to be rounding up. His eyes then shifted towards the north. Looks like Yamcha is also about to wind up.

The Namekian straightened from his cross-legged position, finally returning his vision to Gohan. Prepare yourself Kid. This isn't over yet.

Sparing another moment of glance, he blasted away towards the lookout.


Nearing the North city mountains, Yamcha could faintly hear the prayers from the temple. Yup. Definitely the ones from Masao's memory. Thanks, Dende. I am on the right track.

The bastard was just too clever to take precautions regarding his identity, obviously, he would also take them regarding his location. After all, being the boss of snipers, the first obvious conclusion of his location would be West city.

Crossing the mountains, the temple becoming visible, the orange-clad man paused for a bit, hearing the hymns while gazing and directing his senses at the clock tower behind the religious building.

A feeling of accomplishment filling his being, he grinned sensing a group of Ki inside the building, the nefarious touch to the entire congregation of energy clear as a mirror.

Alright you bastard, here I come. Darting towards the top floor of the clock tower, Ki slightly uncontrolled, Yamcha burst through the front window, the other windows also bursting, walls and floor cracked.

The thugs stationed around the room looked around in shock for a split second before they dropped down simultaneously.

Yamcha blurred in front of the shocked bald man sitting on the chair in front of a sophisticated computer, the burly man immediately jerking back at the sudden appearance.

"You," Yamcha began without a preamble. "... are a fox. If not for these prayers, I would have never found you. Anyway, it's clear you are leading the assault on the Orange Star. Call it off if you value your life."

The man began sweating heavily, taking deep breaths, chest oscillating rapidly, wide irises swaying around frantically.

A couple of moments passed.

The sound of footsteps interrupted the small bout of silence, the man's frantic eyes settling in the direction of the door beside him, relief slowly pooling into the wide eyes.

As if. The former desert bandit pointed his palm in the same direction before casually glancing at the twisting handle of the door.

An invisible Ki wave followed, blasting the door and wall alike, toppling the approaching men, shouts and curses filled the area.

Clink!

Shifting his vision towards the man now aiming a pistol at him, clearly confident and about to pull the trigger, Yamcha scoffed. Hmph!

Hand shooting up, Yamcha held his palm a couple of inches from the barrel of the gun, a Ki ball flickering into existence just as the man pulled the trigger, rendering the projectile useless.

Eyes narrowed, the orange-clad man pushed the Ki ball, effectively melting the metallic barrel of the weapon straight up to the hilt.

The bald man could only look in nake horror, eyes hauntingly wide, fixed at the bare remains of the weapon.

"This will be your fate if you don't surrender… " The Ki ball suddenly expanded, increasing the heat on the man's face. "... Now!"

The man gasped loudly, looking utterly aghast for a moment before nodding frantically, eyes still glued to the Ki ball.


Now before you begin flaming me: D

The first thing that came to my mind is that I can't simply use Gohan just putting his hands and stopping the train; that would have been too simple. Moreover, Gohan has Ki which can't be ignored at all.

Further, to slow down the train instantly (as brakes were not working), at least an equivalent force is needed which, if we imagine, would be the force of another train which would only lead to catastrophe.

Then, another idea came that Gohan can just lift the locomotive and slow down the train but, blame my mind, that idea also seemed too simple. Hence, I took the liberty and linked the wheel system so that even if the locomotive was lifted, the wheels would continue to work.

Then, I researched various train accidents and found that even a slight imbalance can lead to train accidents. The second factor was that the modern faster trains have slightly compromised the durability for speed. I just took and magnified the same factor for the sake of the story.

That's why when Gohan used Ki, the not so sturdy body could not hold especially under Gohan's hands which was the area of origin of the Ki bubble, thus limiting the amount of strength he could use.

Even though the train slowed down, the lack of brakes and limited force was not enough to make the situation favorable.

Now, the essence of this idea was that while Gohan being the strongest and fastest on the planet, there are still some areas he is lacking in. To elaborate, telekinesis is the ability that Piccolo and Tien are masters of while Krillin and Yamcha have decent control but Gohan is still a novice in the field.

Further, there will be some moments where Gohan cannot proceed at his own pace but will be limited to the way how things operate, as in this case, the train.

It's actually a fact as even in the anime (if I remember correctly) Gohan did not show any such feats like Piccolo lifted pyramids etc. Hence, I wanted to show that in these areas, the experience is what matters in the end. The more you practice, the more you can achieve.

Gohan is a fighter from 4 years of age and due to constant battles, he never got time to polish such skills. After Cell, during seven years, he became engrossed in studies and looking after his mother and brother for four years while little sparring in between.

For the next three years, he actually realized that his prowess was declining. Hence, he made efforts to restore his skills and again not polishing such skills.

Even if this didn't happen in the canon, it happened in this story. Hence, Piccolo had to help him. He has a decent KI control but not at the levels of Piccolo or Tien. So, yeah, in some areas in this story, Humans also shine above Saiyans.

Lastly, the way Piccolo operated in stopping the train i.e. first struggling and then doing it in an instant… it will be explained in the next chapter. Though, if you know about Piccolo's character, you can already guess.

Well, I hope you can excuse me if I messed up somewhere.