A/N: Before we start, some of you may have noticed that I did not have Shin straight up say that the way to free Piccolo would be to simply defeat Dabura like he mentioned in Canon. I did this because otherwise, Gohan would have Killed Dabura rather quickly which is something I didn't want. So I am going with the supreme Kai either not knowing that fact or he didn't tell Gohan for reasons of his own.

Disclaimer: I do not own DBZ.

Chapter 35

Krillin woke with a start. "Huwha? What happened? Is it my turn yet?" He looked at his surroundings, trying to remember why he couldn't remember where he was. "Huh? Is this the infirmary? How'd I end up here?"

"I guess Vegeta hit you pretty hard if you blacked out like that." A familiar voice made Krillin look for the source. He saw a blonde head of hair just above the high-back of an armchair. A warm feeling welled up inside the bald man at the sight of the woman, er, the sight of the back of her anyway. 'Wow! Has she been watching over me this whole time? I always knew she was too good for me but, Wow!'

He got out of bed, feeling a little sore, but otherwise, undamaged. While he was walking over to 18, he registered what she had said. "Vegeta? Oh…" Krillin stopped and hung his head as the memories of the match came flooding back to him. It was not an impressive flood. More of a spill really. "Well, I knew I didn't stand a chance, but I didn't think I'd lose that quickly." He rubbed the back of his head, feeling ashamed.

"Why did you let him get you so worked up like that? If you had just stuck to your usual fighting style instead of charging in there like some stupid rhinoceros, you wouldn't have been beaten like that. You might have even had a chance to win if you played it right. I mean, what was all that training even for?" 18 said without turning the chair around. Krillin did feel a little silly, hearing such a logical analysis.

"Yeah, I know, it's just..." Krillin tried to find the words. "It's just that the things Vegeta said about you. I couldn't just let him get away with it. I felt like… I don't know. I just wanted to defend your honor or something."

18 was quiet for a moment before speaking. "That's what made you mad? He said stuff about me?" Her tone was neutral.

"Wait, didn't you hear him?" Krillin asked in surprise.

"No, I was… Occupied." She didn't feel like going into it. "What did he say?"

"Well, he…" Krillin started to get mad just thinking about it. "He called you a sex doll! And then he said you were ugly!"

"Oh, is that all?"

Krillin looked up. "Aren't you upset?"

18 sighed. "Krillin, it's Vegeta. He always says stuff like that. It doesn't mean anything from a juvenile jerk like him. I don't care what he says anyway."

"Well, I do!" The monk shouted, making 18 nearly jump out of her seat. "I don't care if it is Vegeta. I don't care who it is or how easily they can tear me apart. Nobody talks that way about you. You're an amazing person 18. I'm lucky to be with you and I'll be darned if I let anyone treat you like that. I may not be able to do much, but I'll do everything I can to make sure you get the respect you deserve."

"…"

"…"

Again, silence fell for a moment.

"Krillin, that's-"

"I know, I know, it's stupid. You don't need any-"

"That's really sweet of you." 18 finished softly.

"Really?" Krillin didn't expect that.

"Yeah. I've never had a lot of people looking out for me. You, standing up for me against a stronger guy… It's nice."

"Well, it would have been if I wasn't so pathetic. That was probably the fastest match in tournament history." Krillin hung his head again.

"Krillin, I didn't choose you for your strength. If I wanted the strongest guy in the universe, I would have just seduced Gohan." It was subtle, like all of 18's changes in voice, but Krillin heard the joking tone. At least, he really hoped she was joking.

"Well, I doubt Zangya would like that. She's pretty Yandere when it comes to him." He said with a laugh.

"Hmph, no kidding. Although, she would say 'Zandere'." 18 shared her little nickname for her friends' special brand of craziness and Krillin laughed harder.

"HAHA! Please tell me you called her that to her face?"

"I should, shouldn't I. I'm just waiting for the right time." 18 was already formulating a way to get the girl back for the recent humiliation she put her through.

"Speaking of which, how was the match? Did you win?" Krillin couldn't see, but 18 went rigid.

"Um… No. I lost."

"Oh, man, I'm sorry 18." Krillin said sincerely as he quickly closed the distance so he could comfort his girlfriend. To his surprise, right when he was about to get around the chair, it turned its back against him, keeping his view of 18 limited to the top of her head, which he just noticed was in a ponytail. "What's wrong?" He tried to walk around, but 18 spun the chair around so her back was continually facing him.

"Nothing's wrong." She tried to keep her voice casual.

"Well why aren't you looking at me?" Krillin switched directions, and 18 reversed her spin accordingly.

"I don't know what you're talking about." An ever so slight increase in the pitch of her voice was heard by Krillin.

"Are you mad at me 18? Whatever it is, I'm sorry."

"I'm not mad and nothing's wrong!" What followed this exchange was Krillin, moving back and forth at incredible speed, and 18, spinning the chair just as fast to prevent Krillin from seeing her. Finally, Krillin made a bold move.

"HAH!"

"What the!"

Krillin jumped and dove over the top of the chair and landed in front of the girl, with his hands on her legs to prevent her from moving. Her unusually bare legs. With a skirt stopping inches above where his hands were. He blinked, trying to take in what he saw.

"Not a word Krillin. Not a single word." 18 warned.

"A-am I dreaming?" No way was this real he thought to himself. 18 in a cheerleader outfit with an embarrassed look on her face was impossible, right? Well, if this was a dream, he would be stupid to not take advantage of it.

"I-I said not a word!" She nearly yelled as his face crept closer to hers, with a seductive look in his eyes.

"So Lazulicious."

A blush crept onto her face. 'Damn! That is the stupidest thing! Why does that always work when he says it?'

Break

A certain amount of time later, 18 and Krillin walked out to join the rest of their friends. Unfortunately, they didn't see them anywhere. Krillin looked around the waiting area and the only fighters there were himself and 18. "Huh? Where is everyone? The tournament can't be over yet."

"You're right. The audience is still in their seats. That's weird. I doubt they would take a break with how late it's getting." 18 said.

"I don't see the announcer either." Krillin peeked outside. "C'mon, let's go ask Bulma and Chichi what's happened." 18 nodded and the two made a bee line for the stands were the two women and Broly were sitting.

"Oh, Krillin, you're up. Are you doing ok?" Chichi asked.

"I'd say he's more than ok. He got to see his girlfriend in that." Bulma said slyly about the uniform, much to 18's annoyance.

"Hey Bald man, how did it feel for my dad to kick your butt?" Trunks asked.

"Trunks, it wasn't his butt. It was his face." Goten's honest nature couldn't help but correct him. Trunks' Vegeta nature couldn't resist.

"Well, it's not like anyone could tell the difference between the two. HAHAHA!"

*SMACK*

"Owie!" Trunks was holding his head as a large goose egg appeared and tears fell down his face from the pain. "Mommy, she hit me!" He cried to his mother, who looked unconcerned.

"Well, if you're going to act like your father, then I'm not going to protect you from the consequences." Bulma then took a bite of her hot dog. Trunks started to pout as a result.

"Yeah Trunks, you should be careful. Big sis Zangy says that 18 is really strong."

18 started to smile but stopped when Goten continued. "Zangy is still stronger. She says that 18 doesn't hold a candy to her."

"That's candle Goten." Chichi corrected.

The smile quickly turned to a frown and she folded her arms over her chest. "Oh, she says that does she?"

"Although, knowing Zangya, it might have been candy." Chichi said thoughtfully.

"Anyway, what's going on?" Krillin asked. "Where'd everyone go?"

Chichi and Bulma gave them a quick recap of what happened after 18 and Zangya's match.

"Wow! Come on 18! We should go and catch up to them." Krillin turned to 18, who was still frowning.

"What for, it's not like we'd be of any help since I 'don't hold a candle to Zangya.' Clearly they wouldn't even want our help." She said, a little miffed. It wasn't so much that Zangya said that she was stronger, though it certainly annoyed her that she was bragging about it to Goten. That did annoy her since she had been training really hard. But she did win fair and square after all so she couldn't really argue. No, she was mostly irked that she did win and then she saw fit to humiliate her with the outfit. And it was humiliating. She didn't care how much Krillin liked it. "Besides, the day is almost over, and I can't wait to get out of this stupid costume."

"But you were just out of it 10 minutes ago." Krillin said innocently.

"""KRILLIN!""" All three women yelled at him. The mothers because they didn't want their kids to hear things like that and 18 was just embarrassed at what he implied in public.

Krillin went red, realizing that he probably shouldn't have said that. Why did he say that? Well, subconsciously, the man was darn proud, and he just couldn't help himself. But there are some things that should be kept to yourself, especially in the presence of children. At least not when their mothers are so quick to anger.

Break

Babidi stared at his crystal ball in disbelief. "My-my precious Yakon… Popped. Like a balloon." His expression turned to rage. "That worthless energy sucking lizard! He didn't even leave a drop for Majin Buu! All he did was feast on that precious energy himself! He just Gorged himself and now we are no closer than when we began!" The wizard breathed heavy as he finished his rant. He turned to Dabura. "YOU! You brought them in here! This is all your fault!"

"Master, even if we had not lured them here, they would merely have waited outside for us to resurrect Majin Buu." Dabura calmly explained. "We would have either been trapped in our ship while they kept watch, or we would have had to fight them outside, where it would have been impossible to gather their energy."

"Well, we haven't gathered any energy anyway!" Babidi spat back.

"Perhaps, But That is because Yakon and Puipui were weak and foolish." Dabura nodded at the crystal ball. "These warriors are at a level that those two could never have achieved in their lifetimes."

"They were two of our strongest warriors!"

"Then perhaps it is time to send out the strongest warrior."

"Y-you want me to send you to fight them?" Babidi asked terrified. "B-but Dabura, who will protect me if you fail?"

"Calm yourself master. It is true that the supreme Kai has managed to gather powerful fighters, but that is more to our benefit."

"Oh really?" The demon had now peaked his master's curiosity. "How so?"

A devilish grin appeared on Dabura's face "I have a plan."

Break

When Gohan, Goku, Vegeta and Shin reached the next level of the spaceship, they were unsurprised to find this room to be the same as the last. Empty, except for the door to the side, and the one on the floor. "Man, Babidi sure isn't one for variety." Goku commented. "I hope he transports us someplace nice this time. Maybe the mountains would be good. Though I haven't gone to the beach in the longest time."

"Goku! This is not a game!" The supreme kai yelled.

"Well, yeah, I know that." Goku responded a little shocked at the outburst. "But since Babidi is probably going to transport us somewhere anyway, it might as well be someplace nice."

Perhaps it was the death of his friend Kibito, or the pressure of the mission that was getting to him. Perhaps it was the death threat from Vegeta or the fact that Goku was the only one who was actually listening to him and that made him the target of his frustration, as is often the case in these situations. No matter the reason, the supreme Kai went off on Goku. "You saiyans are unbelievable! I really expected better from you Goku! Do you not understand that the very universe is at stake!? We have already lost Kibito and you are talking about going to the beach as if it's some picnic or holiday? This is serious and if you aren't going to treat it as such, then I'll call off our deal and send you back to other world!" Gohan and Vegeta watched and when it was over, both were eager to hear Goku's response. However, neither of them expected what actually came out of his mouth.

"I'm sorry supreme Kai. You're right."

"WHAT!" Vegeta yelled and marched over to Shin and Goku. Shin recoiled, fearing that the angry prince would make good on his earlier promise. Vegeta did not go for Shin. Instead, he grabbed Kakarot by his shirt and slammed him against the nearest wall.

Goku was too surprised and didn't react to stop him. "Vegeta! What're you-"

"YOU'RE SORRY!? WE do all the fighting, then HE scolds you like a misbehaving child and you APOLOGIZE to HIM!? WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU KAKAROT!? You may be a gibbering oaf and a clown but at least you were a warrior! At least you had SPIRIT! You were once my rival! You never backed down! Not from me, not even from Frieza! You died a warrior's death against Cell! Now you bow to this spineless weakling! WHY!? WHERE HAS YOUR WARRIOR'S SPIRIT GONE!? You might as well let your handler take you home! You've debased yourself and betrayed your proud heritage! I should just put an end to your pathetic existence now if this is what you are going to make of it, because as you are now, you aren't worthy to even lick the boots of the lowest of our race YOU SNIVELING DOG!" When Vegeta finished his rant, Goku's face was no longer surprised. His brow was furrowed, and his mouth was a hard line.

"Some things," Goku reached up and grabbed both of Vegetas hands by the wrists and forced them away from him. "Are more important than that. There are somethings I would gladly 'debase' myself for." He pushed Vegeta away from him.

Shin watched in horror as Vegeta accosted his fellow Saiyan. He stepped forward to try and intervene when a hand grabbed him by the shoulder to stop him. He turned to see Gohan with a very serious expression on his face.

"Gohan? What are you doing? We must stop this!"

The teen shook his head. "Shin, I don't know how well you know my dad, but you obviously don't know Vegeta. Vegeta may be angry, but my dad can take care of himself. On the other hand, if you go over there, he will kill you."

Shin looked in bafflement between Gohan and Vegeta.

"And wouldn't that be a shame?" A deep voice sounded through the chamber. Gohan, along with everyone else turned to see the door on the wall sliding upward. Gohan glared as Dabura stepped out with a wicked grin on his face.

"Dabura." The teen growled.

"Tell me young demon, why do you concern yourself with preserving the life of a Kai?" Dabura questioned him with his head tilted slightly.

"Demon? Kakarot what is he on about? The boy is no demon." Vegeta looked at Goku. While he had a look of utmost seriousness on their faces, the supreme Kai looked fearful.

Gohan walked up to Dabura and stared the taller man down. "Why does the demon king concern himself with resurrecting Majin Buu? I hear it didn't turn out so well for your people the last time he was around."

'Ah, so you do know something of our history. But how much, I wonder?' Dabura spoke directly into the boy's mind.

Gohan ignored the telepathy. "Change Piccolo back now."

The demon just continued to smirk. "And why should I do that? I think he turned out rather well. Good statues are so hard to come by after all. People never can get the ears right."

Gohan scowled. He was in no mood for banter. "You have two options. Change Piccolo back to normal and I'll make sure you die quickly."

"You're going to kill me even if I turn him back?" Dabura asked curiously.

"Well, I'd offer to let you live if you surrendered and let us pass, but I somehow doubt you'd agree to that. I guess if you were willing, I'd consider it."

"Hmph, indeed. And what is my other option? If I refuse to release your friend from his stony prison?"

"Then I break you." There was no joy in Gohan's voice when he said this. The demon raised an eyebrow. "I will pick you apart until you are nothing more than a cowering red shell. I'll break every bone and drain every last drop of blood if I have to. Believe me, I don't enjoy the prospect. But one way or another, you will free him, and then, you will die."

"Incredibly brutal talk for one so young." Far from afraid, Dabura sounded pleased with Gohan's threat.

"Sorry, but you made this personal." Was Gohan's simple reply.

"Hmm. Thank you for the offer. After all, what is life without a little choice. If it's all the same to you, I shall choose the second option."

"Have it your way." Gohan took a step forward, but Dabura spoke again.

"Before we begin, where shall our battle take place?"

"What?"

"Surely this ship is too confining for the torture you presume to inflict upon me, so I will give you the opportunity to choose a location that will suit your purposes."

Gohan kept his stoic expression. "You're underestimating me."

"Not at all." He leered at the teen.

"Fine." Gohan turned to look at the supreme Kai and his father before smiling. "Let's go to the beach."

Break

In the control room, Babidi had just finished casting his spell to transfer the group to a beach. "Oh, Dabura, I do so love your devious plans, you're such a devil." The wizard laughed in glee before shifting the scene on the crystal ball. It wasn't that he didn't want to see his minion fight the fools, but there were other things to attend to, as per the demon's brilliant plan. In his ball, he now saw a certain blue female. "After all, if you can't beat them, enslave them!"

Break

Zangya was still waiting outside the ship, dutifully keeping watch to ensure that nothing happened to Piccolo. Oh, and there was the other thing too.

"I spy with my little eye, something… sort of a brownish rocky color."

"I *Huff* told you *huff huff*. I'm not grr, playing your stupid game!" Videl yelled angrily while struggling against her bindings. Zangya had grown tired of making the girl eat dirt and had since immobilized her with her psycho threads. Honestly, the girl was becoming too uncomfortable as a seat since couches shouldn't try to bite you. It was completely uncalled for; all she did was poke her face. A lot. While singing poker face.

"You might as well stop struggling." Zangya was sitting on a rock with her cheek resting on her hand. "You're not going to get out of that. And come on, this is an easy one."

Whatever Videl started yelling, Zangya did not hear it. An eerie and creepy, yet quiet voice permeated her mind.

"Your strength is impressive my dear, but I can help you reach even greater heights."

Zangya tilted her head and furrowed her brow in confusion. She hit the side of her head as if she were trying to shake something out of her ear.

"No, you aren't hearing things, it is true! I can give you the power you need to achieve your greatest desire."

'Greatest desire?' Zangya thought, then immediately a little thought cloud appeared over her head with, what appeared to be, the world's biggest cake, on top of which was Zangya in her apron and chefs' hat, wielding a giant spoon.

"What the?" The voice said in confusion. "No, no, your other greatest desire, the one you hold deep inside you. The beast you long to let free!"

The picture in the thought bubble changed and Zangya blushed. "Oh Zangya!" A chiseled, shirtless Gohan said with lust filled eyes. "What a magnificent bikini! Allow me to rub lotion all over your lovely blue body."

"Oh my, yes Gohan." She replied in her skimpy purple swimsuit. "But first allow me to eat cake off of your perfect abs."

Zangya was now lost in her fantasy and could no longer hear the voice, even if it were still there. It was not, however, as Babidi was currently in his control room, on all fours, wretching. "BLECH! What in the devils name was that!?"

Break.

Waves crashed down on the sand and seagulls screeched above.

"The beach? Seriously?" Shin muttered and Goku shrugged.

"Well, what can I say, he is a teenager after all. Being flippant comes with the territory." Goku couldn't help but find the reason behind his choice a little funny. "But don't you worry Supreme Kai. I can tell you that Gohan is definitely taking this seriously."

"I'm afraid we have much worse problems now, Goku." Shin shook his head. "I did not think that he would send out Dabura yet. Despite your son's power, the king of demons is the worst possible opponent for him. This could go very badly for us if his true nature rears its ugly head."

"Now what are you babbling about?" Vegeta demanded. "Dabura isn't a match for the boy."

Goku ignored Vegeta and looked at supreme Kai. "I know what you're thinking, but I promise you, it won't happen. We can trust in Gohan. He's never let us down before."

"I hope you are right Goku. For all our sakes." Shin turned his attention to the fighters.

Gohan and Dabura were standing opposite each other. It appeared as though they were just staring each other down, but in reality, Dabura was trying to hold their own private exchange.

'So much anger within you. It's a very fitting trait for a demon.'

'...'

'I had no idea you would care so much for the green one. Of course, I'm pleased to see this reaction. Though it seems you're still holding yourself back. I wonder… Would you still be so composed if, say, I had hit the Hera girl?'

"RRAAAGH!" Gohan screamed as he finally ran out of patience. In a burst of speed, he charged Dabura, kicking up sand in his wake as he poised to strike. Dabura jumped back and sent a purple Ki bomb at Gohan. The attack didn't even slow him down. Gohan punched the ball down into the sand, causing a huge explosion of glass and sand to erupt between the two. Dabura kept his eyes forward, expecting the boy to emerge from the wall any minute. He was surprised when he felt himself being pulled back and flipped upwards before being slammed face first into the sand. Gohan had gotten behind him and grabbed hold of his cape before slamming him brutally into the ground. Gohan yanked the cape toward him and started using Dabura like a paddle ball, with his fist being the paddle and his cape the string.

He stepped back, then rushed forward as the double momentum hitting Dabura harder than normal. Then he stepped aside, letting the demon fly past him, only to yank him back and smash his face in once more. This pattern of abuse continued until Dabura was finally able to do something to stop it. As Gohan was about to pull back on the cape, Dabura spat at his hand and the boy released the cloth and jumped back, while the demon kept on flying on his trajectory, hitting the sand and rolling several times before stopping on one hand and a knee.

His dragon like eyes scanned the area seeing no sign of the teen. 'Where are you boy? You cannot hide for long.'

"Who's hiding!?" Gohan yelled as his leg impacted with the back of his opponent's head, driving the demon's head straight into the ground. "You're the one with his head in the sand."

Dabura pulled his head out of the sand and did a few flips away from Gohan.

"*Huff* *huff*" He brought his arm up and wiped the blood from his mouth. His face showed signs of the beating he had taken, but despite the damage, the devilish smile remained on his face. 'You're certainly powerful, but I was expecting more. Such a pity. Looks like your friend will remain a statue forever.'

Gohan's frown deepened, and he started to walk towards Dabura. "Don't count on it." This time, Dabura didn't wait for the boy to reach him. He decided to go on the offensive by charging at Gohan. He threw a left hook, then a right, both of which Gohan leaned back to dodge. The demon followed up with a high kick to his head, Gohan put both his arms up to block it and was pushed back several inches in the sand. When the leg retracted, Gohan swiped horizontally at Dabura with a knife hand which his opponent managed to avoid by bending his torso sideways. The demon king jumped up and attempted to land another kick on Gohan, but he was grabbed by the ankle and with a great amount of force, he was flung into the sea. The red warrior skipped like a rock several times until he finally sunk into the water.

"Alright Gohan! Four skips! Nice one son!" Goku shouted while his son walked toward the ocean.

Gohan stopped as he noticed the water starting to boil in one spot and steam rise from it. A dark red glow shone through the water and Gohan jumped up just in time. A stream of flames so hot that even the water in its path disappeared as it shot out and passed underneath him. As the flames died out, the young warrior landed on a long sheet of glass and Dabura was already flying through the steam toward him. A straight punch to the face was deflected by Gohans open palm and he countered with a kick to the outer side of his opponent's knee.

"GAH!" Dabura cried out in pain as his leg bent at an odd angle. He tried to jump away and was unable to as Gohan caught him by his damaged leg. Dabura grit his teeth and put all his energy into flying away, but Gohan just tightened his grip, reeled him back in with one hand, while he brought his other elbow down in a crushing blow on his knee. "GRYAAAH!" Dabura tried to aim a Ki blast at him but failed to do so before Gohan slammed him hard into the glassy ground, shattering the mirror like surface and causing small glittery particles to fill the air around them. He grabbed the injured knee in his other hand with a vice like grip, crushing it further and began to swing the red warrior around through the falling shards of glass at an incredible speed. Small cuts were opening on the devil's skin as he was flung through the storm of glass. Gohan finally threw his victim along what was left of the glass strip, causing the rest of it to completely break as Daburas head crashed through it.

"Ready to free my friend yet!?" Gohan called to the crumpled form of his enemy. Slowly, Dabura got up, stumbling a bit as his leg gave out, but steadied himself on his good leg. Dark blood trickled slowly from the wounds the glass inflicted on him.

'Is that it? After all that talk, I should be a cowering red shell by now. I suppose I expected too much from a whelp.' As he sent this telepathic message, the smaller cuts on his skin began to heal themselves. He kicked his bad leg out and a snapping was heard as he brought it back, seemingly good as new.

"Ah! Incredible!" Shin was in awe.

"So what? The demon has a healing factor. It isn't anything we haven't seen before." Vegeta shrugged.

"I don't believe that the healing was Dabura's own doing. It seems that this is a result of Babidi's magic."

"What do you mean?" Goku asked.

"Remember Yamu? Your friend's kick nearly took his head off. He should have died, but somehow, he was able to survive with his head on backward before putting it right again."

"Oh, yeah that was gross." Goku made a disgusted face.

"It appears that Babidi's spell does more than enhancing a warrior's strength. If such a feat is capable for a low-class warrior, imagine what is possible for someone of Dabura's caliber."

Vegeta glanced sidelong at the supreme kai. For once, he was interested in what he was saying.

"I fear that the battle is far from over. The longer this drags out, the more dire the situation becomes."

Gohan looked at a bloodstained Dabura in frustration. 'Looks like this will be harder than I thought.'

'Indeed. Quite the understatement if I do say so myself.'

Before he could even blink, Gohan was inside Dabura's guard in a low stance poised to strike. 'No more holding back then.' The boy then unloaded a countless number of devastating punches into Daburas stomach. The fists came so fast that even Goku and Vegeta couldn't keep track of them. With every blow, Dabura's eyes bulged a little wider and he was lifted a little higher off the ground. Any air that was in his lungs had long since been pounded out and now, instead of wind being knocked out of his body, it was blood that spewed from his mouth. It was clear from his face that he was in pure agony. His slit like pupils had nearly faded and his mouth was hanging open. Or it was, until Gohan performed a shattering uppercut that slammed his jaw shut. Dabura didn't even get a chance to go flying from the punch as the young warrior immediately followed up with a spinning round house kick, sending him burrowing through the sand, leaving a long trench behind.

Dabura was lying in a heap at the end of the newly formed trench with his cape over his head. He didn't even have time to breathe when Gohan warped in front of him and picked him up by his still covered head, crushing his face with his iron grip. Dabura reached up to pry the hand from his covered mouth, but it was no use. Gohan took off with the demon in tow and made his way quickly to a nearby cliff. He mercilessly rammed his opponents head into the cliffside and flew along, dragging the man through the jagged rock as he went. When he reached the middle of it, he held Dabura up against the rock formation with one hand and with the other began to pound his midsection once again. Every hit sent a shockwave through the air and the cliffside started to crack. As Gohan hammered his enemy deeper and deeper into the rock, it became more unstable and, at last, it gave way causing an avalanche of rocks, along with Dabura, to fall into the sea.

Gohan looked down at the splash that followed. When the water became still, Gohan started to descend, preparing to follow the demon into the deep. Just then, a pillar of deep red flame burst forth making him jump back. A badly bruised and drenched Dabura appeared in the sky across from him and fired another blast of fire from his mouth. Gohan dodged to the side but when the next one came at him, he didn't dodge. Dropping to a basic fighting stance and cocking his fist back, he let loose a punch that carried such force that a vacuum formed and pushed its way through the flames, dissipating the blast into nothing.

For the first time since the fight began, Dabura expressed shock. His mouth was slightly agape at the raw power the boy possessed. To be able to counter his hellfire with a mere air blast… He knew he was strong, but this was something else.

"Looks like you finally get it." Gohan said. "You don't stand a chance. Free Piccolo and you won't have to suffer."

Dabura frowned. 'Is that mercy you're offering me? How disappointing.'

"You asked for it." Gohan flew at him and Dabura readied himself for the brawl. Unfortunately for him he was blocking against the wrong direction. An after image flew right through his guard while a foot buried itself in his flank, breaking several ribs before sending him flying and crashing back on the beach. Gohan landed and Dabura quickly forced himself up to face him. The teen started to make his way to inflict further pain on the demon, but Dabura spat another stream of fire at him. Gohan extinguished this one with a punch as well, Dabura flashed around to his back, aiming another breath of hellfire. Gohan spun around and in one fluid motion, used his vacuum punch to disperse the attack once more. Dabura warped to the left side, followed by the right, each time firing his evil attack and each time, it was countered by Gohan.

Dabura stopped hopping around and was breathing heavily. Gohan looked at him with a contemptable stare. "You done yet?" Gohan taunted.

"*Inhale* Hah. Not quite little demon." He held out his hand and a spear appeared. Taking hold of it with both hands, he held it ready to thrust.

"You know you're going to have to come closer if you want to stick me with that thing."

'Will I?' "HAAH!" Dabura yelled and the sand that had been turned to glass from the recent fire blasts all around Gohan shattered and with a thrust of his spear, the devil willed the shards to converge on his opponent. The demi Saiyan avoided the sharp bits of glass as the came at him from all directions. Even as he dodged them, they seemed to just come back again. There were some close calls as the glass cut through some of the looser parts of his clothing, but not one scratched him. The hailstorm of shards formed a sphere of flying glass preventing him from escaping the onslaught. While he was busy avoiding being torn to shreds, he saw Dabura out of the corner of his eye charging toward him with spear in hand. Gohan readied himself mentally, but instead of attacking him, the demon thrust his spear into a shard of glass. Gohan had no time to be confused though, as out of the countless reflective surfaces that surrounded him, came a hundred identical spear points all coming down fast on him.

Dabura smiled, knowing that the boy couldn't possibly evade all of the spear tips. But what happened next blew him away. Literally.

"HAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Gohan's intense yellow aura flared, and the countless pieces of glass were blown away. The spears were all disintegrated into nothing but dust and Dabura went flying from the shockwave of the boy's power.

"A-amazing…" Dabura couldn't help but admire the control over that level of power. He knew very well that if he hadn't essentially been holding Piccolo hostage, he would have died long ago.

"Thanks." A now glowing Gohan said. "I liked your little trick too. Let me show you another one of mine." He held up his hands over his head, one over the other. "MASENKO HA!"

Dabura tried to form his own attack to counter the yellow beam, but it was no use. He was already feeling the effects of the battle and could barely muster any energy before the attack engulfed him. "AAAAAAHH!"

"Phew." Goku sighed "Glad that's over."

"Lost your taste for battle as well as your spine, eh Kakarot." Vegeta sneered.

Goku was about to respond when he was cut off by the supreme Kai. "I fear that the battle may have been won, but it is far from over." Shin said warily as he pointed to Dabura's body. There was the slightest of movements that told them that he yet lived.

Gohan made his way over to his victim and picked him up by the throat. "I think we both know I held back on that one. I doubt that your master's magic is going to bring you back from this anytime soon. So, the rest of your life can be quick and painless, or I can put the devil through a living hell. Free. Mr. Piccolo. Now."

Despite his condition, and with one eye shut from pain, Dabura smiled. Even his mental voice sounded weak now. "You'll have to try harder than that." *Ptew* He tried to hit Gohan in the face with his spit, but the boy simply moved his head to the side, and it sailed past him. He tightened his grip and slapped his hand across the demon's face three times. Each one shook the beach when it impacted.

"Release your spell, and I release you."

"Goku, we must stop this now." Shin said urgently.

"Gohan is still in control." Goku countered.

'What's the matter boy? Just give into your anger and kill me already."

"Get out of my head." Gohan growled through gritted teeth, closing his grip even tighter, crushing the demons throat.

"Goku!"

"Not yet." Goku said firmly.

'Unless you want me to just add the girl to my collection as well."

"GRAAAAHH!" Gohan slammed him into the ground, splashing a tidal wave of sand away from the two. He mounted Dabura and started to rain blow after blow down on his face. "JUST SHUT UP! RELEASE HIM NOW! DO IT YOU SON OF A ****! JUST DO IT!" Gohan now was using both his hands to punch the demon deeper into the sandy crater.

Break

Back at Babidi's spaceship, the wizard was watching as Dabura got wailed on by an adolescent. He stared at his crystal ball and shook his head in disappointment. "Oh, Dabura, Dabura, Dabura. And here I was considering letting you live. Such a shame. At least you left me with one good idea. Now, the girl was a dud, but these seem promising. which one should I choose? How about… You!"

Break

"GOKU!" Shin yelled. "This has clearly gone too far!"

"NO! I'm telling you he's not like that!"

"YOUR JUDGEMENT IS CLOUDED GOKU!" Shin yelled. "It's clearly only a matter of time until he becomes 'like that'! Dabura has been fueling his anger as the fight dragged on! Now he is close to the brink! I must deal with him now!" Shin turned away and faced Gohan, putting both hands out in front of him.

"NO!" Goku yelled and lifted the supreme Kai up by the lapels. "You can't do this! We had a deal! I do what you say and we help you stop Buu and the Kais leave Gohan alone! You promised!"

"You promised that he would be able to control himself! He is clearly unstable Goku! Zangya was right! I have allowed too much death from my inaction! I cannot allow anyone, not even your son, to threaten the universe any longer! Dabura is beaten and Babidi is defenseless! Buu will not rise today! But we have stopped one majin only to awaken another! Your son is about to be consumed by his own rage and I can't let that happen!" Shin tried to free himself from Goku's grip but the Saiyan held strong.

"You don't know what you're talking about! See!?" He pointed to his son.

Shin looked and was surprised by what he saw. He had not yet noticed that Gohan had by now stopped attacking Dabura. He was sitting on top of him breathing heavily. 'Tch. No matter how hard you try, you just can't get the job done like I can.' His own familiar voice said. 'Want me to take over? Unlike you, I have the stomach to make good on the broken bones, draining blood bit you mentioned earlier.'

"Get lost." Gohan muttered.

'Ha! Not likely. We're about to have company.'

'Hello young warrior.' Babidis nasally voice penetrated his mind. 'What a fantastic job you've made of my servant. As a reward, I offer you the chance to fight for me. To rule at my side! You'd like that wouldn't you? You would be a king! You could remake the universe however you see fit. All you must do, is defeat those fools who are dragging you down. What would you say to that my young friend?'

'I'd say it's getting way too crowded in here.' Gohan replied.

'Oh, I see, well, perhaps with a little more digging, we'll find your true feelings. You will bow to my will. We just need to find the right motivation.'

Babidi scanned through the teen's mind. He would find a way to exploit this boy and then nothing could stop him from resurrecting his precious Buu. 'Surely such a ruthless child has a dark side.'

'You called?'

Babidi felt as if something had grabbed him by the throat and the next thing he knew, he went flying, slamming against his control room wall.

The wizard struggled up and growled. "Grr! These earthlings are starting to annoy me greatly! How can they resist me!?" He stomped back to his ball. "Alright, the next one is mine! Subtlety be damned! I will fry his brain if I have to! But he is going to serve ME!"

Goku, Shin and Vegeta watched as Gohan kneeled motionless atop his opponent.

"You see? He didn't lose control. He's stopped."

"Perhaps..." Shin said with an air of caution. 'I sense Babidi's magic afoot. Surely, he will try to seize control of the boy. If he succeeds… I cannot let that happen! I must seal the threat before it grows out of hand! I am sorry Goku.' The supreme Kai was about to stretch out his hands to cast a sealing spell on Gohan, when the screaming broke out, but to his surprise, it was not coming from Gohan.

"GAAAAAAAHHH!" Vegeta yelled and fell to his knees with his head in his hand.

"What!? Him!? But I thought…" Shin looked in confusion between Gohan who had turned his attention to the Saiyan prince, and Vegeta, who was screaming in agony.

"Shin! What's happening to Vegeta!?" Goku asked urgently.

"It's Babidi! He is seeking to take control of Vegeta!" The Kai explained.

"Oh no! Vegeta, fight it!" Goku yelled. "Don't let him get you Vegeta! Your stronger than him!"

"GRYAaHAAHAAA!"

'Don't fight it! This is what you want! All the power! And I can give it to you!'

Gohan had ran over to the group and joined his father in encouraging Vegeta. "Come on Vegeta! You can beat him! Think of Trunks! Think of Bulma! Don't let Babidi control you!"

"GYRaH! Everyone…" He ground out with enormous effort. "SHUUUT UUUUUP!" An explosion of white light burst forth from the saiyan prince and the others, even Gohan, had to raise their arms to shield their face. When the light died down, Vegeta was standing straight up. His hair was golden, and lightning crackled around him, showing that he was now in super Saiyan 2. The only mark on him, was a stylized M on his forehead. He wore a wicked grin. "Aah." He sighed. "That's better.

Break

Supreme Kai looked in horror at the brand on Vegetas head. "No… He-he has him… Babidi has taken him."

The Saiyan smirked at Shin.

Goku clenched his fists. "GrrrVEGETA! How could you give in to Babidi! After all that talk! What happened to your pride! Isn't this debasing yourself you hypocrite! TELL ME VEGETA!"

Vegeta turned to Kakarot and frowned. "Cease your pathetic wailing Kakarot."

"Vegeta Please! You can still fight him! You must try to resist!" Shin yelled, earning a glare from Vegeta. To his credit, Shin did not recoil from the death stare, though he did flinch.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, you are funny purple man!" Vegeta burst out laughing. "It's no wonder you get on so well with Kakarot. Both such simple minded and weak fools." He let out another chuckle before he continued. "Do you really think that I would let a puny wizard control me!?"

"If the goofy M on your forehead fits." Gohan said, earning Vegeta's attention.

"Oh, I have that ridiculous mark now do I?" He asked sincerely. "Well, no matter. We'll just say that the M is for Emperor Vegeta. What does matter is that the little toad has granted me the power I needed. Now I am once again the most powerful Saiyan. A prince should be at the top after all."

"What!?" Goku interjected again. "Power!? That's why you sold your soul!?"

"You still don't get it Kakarot. I bow to no one. I simply let the wizard unlock and grant me what is mine by birthright! Believe me, when I see that little bug, I fully intend to crush him under my boot. But first…" He turned once again to Gohan. "Let's test this new power out, shall we?"

Gohan quirked an eyebrow. "You want to fight me? What about my dad?"

"HAH!" Vegeta threw his head back. "Your father!? What a joke! Perhaps at one point he was a challenge, but now that he has left his balls in his master's purse!" He spat in Goku's direction. "You on the other hand? You may be a half breed, but the Saiyan spirit is strong in you. You would be a suitable test for my new powers."

"NO!" The supreme Kai yelled. "No! Gohan, you cannot fight him! Can't you see Vegeta!? This is exactly what Babidi wants! He will use the energy from the battle to resurrect Majin Buu! No matter who wins we will lose!"

"Who are you to order me around, or the boy for that matter?" Vegeta asked. "Didn't I hear you mention something about sealing him away because he was a danger?"

"I…" Shin froze as Gohan looked at him with his head tilted. He had a questioning look on his face.

Vegeta spoke again. "Don't worry supreme Kai. Your time will come soon. Right before the wizard."

"And what about me?" Gohan asked challengingly. "You think you can kill me too?"

Again, Vegeta let out a dark chuckle. "Heheh. Our fight will not be to the death. Once I prove that I am the superior warrior, you will join me in our conquest of the universe. That brute Broly can join us. I don't even mind if you bring that blue girl along as your mate if you want. She may be of a lesser race, but she has a certain saiyaness about her. The Saiyan race will be revived, and we will once more stand above all others. As we always should have. And I will be king of all."

Gohan opened his mouth, but before he could answer Goku cut in. "King of fools, more like."

Vegeta scowled at his former rival. "Don't worry Goku." Vegeta put emphasis on his earth name, as if he were no longer worthy of his Saiyan one. "I didn't forget about you. I would offer to let you join our little crusade, but since there is hardly anything Saiyan about you anymore, you really wouldn't fit in. I would kill you, so you don't embarrass my race any further, but you're already dead." He finished with a grin.

"You forgot one thing Vegeta." Goku said with a smirk. "You've never even been able to surpass me. How could you hope to beat my son?"

"I haven't surpassed you? That's rich!" He laughed again. "You aren't even worth my time anymore. It's clear to me that your afterlife has made you even less Saiyan than you already were. And that wasn't a lot to begin with."

It was Goku's turn to laugh. It was not his usual lighthearted laugh. Rather it was a mirthless chuckle that went well with his narrowed, intense stare. "I'm hardly a Saiyan eh? Maybe your right, I don't care for senseless killing like you. But remind me of something, because I seem to have forgotten…" Goku dropped into his power up. "HaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAHHH!" He started his scream low, and when his raised his voice he was engulfed in a fiery yellow aura and lightning crackled around him. Vegeta raised an eyebrow, grudgingly impressed by the power display. "Which one of us became a super Saiyan first? Because if memory serves, it sure wasn't you."

Vegeta's cocky smile turned to an angry scowl. "Tell me Kakarot, what were to happen if I were to kill you while you are already dead?"

"I would disappear from existence. Forever." Goku replied solemnly.

This brought the smile right back to Vegetas face. "Perfect."

End Chapter

A/N: With as strong as Gohan has become, I didn't think it was reasonable for Dabura to put up any more of a fight than he did here. I hope that you all didn't think Gohan was out of character. If my mentor/brother/ father figure (Whatever you want to call their relationship) was encased in stone, I'd be pretty ticked. He didn't succumb to his dark side because unlike with Broly, he didn't need to. He was angry, sure, but he was in control. I will also go further into how he was able to resist mind control later. The long and short of it is, Gohan is just as pure hearted as his father. He only wants to protect what he loves. His dark side shares this trait. More on that later.

As for the deal between Shin and Goku, I will elaborate on that later as well. Personally, I think that just because Shin makes poor decisions, that doesn't mean that his fears and outbursts aren't justified. The guy has been through a lot and I don't mean to be so hard on him. I will say that his is a good character arc in my opinion. He's wrong a lot but nobody's perfect.

In a lot of ways, at least to me, the Dragon ball franchise has always been a story of redemption. It's a show that says that, while not everyone is irredeemable, you can change if you choose to. Examples include Yamcha, Tien, Piccolo, Vegeta and many more. But not everyone becomes good so easily. While some people can go through the redemption process and have no desire to do evil again, others struggle more with the temptation of backsliding. Vegeta is in the latter category. My version of Zangya was young and fully regrets her past transgressions and has turned away from it. She was never truly evil, just misled and headstrong. She has been embraced by new friends and a surrogate family and her only desire is to preserve this happiness she has found. An individual like that is much harder if not impossible to sway towards evil. I may have made the scene with her and babidi a comical one, but I really don't think that Babidi could get any real hold on her.

Vegeta on the other hand has not truly embraced his new life yet. He still misses the glory of the Saiyans and there is a lot of conflict within him. In the anime, we see that Babidi couldn't really control him, but while his pride will never let him be truly controlled, his rage and inner conflict along with his disdain for Goku's behavior, has allowed the wizard to push him more in a negative direction. Like smashing a kerosene lantern. You can do it, but you may not be able to control the resulting fire.

Some of you may think that I didn't do justice to Babidis powers, but that was on purpose. His voice is only loud if you allow yourself to listen.

Those are my beliefs anyway. Not trying to be preachy and sorry that the note is long. But that's why I made Zangya not go Majin and Vegeta did. Flame if you want but I'd appreciate it if you kept the content to your thoughts on the story. I usually am pretty good about taking constructive criticism and applying it where needed so if you think that I could be doing something better, bring it on please. If you're going to tell me this story sucks, well bring that on too. Though I would appreciate it if you told me why. If you enjoy this story so far, please let me know.

One more thing. Vegeta Vs Goku is probably the best fight scene in Dragonball Z so I was planning on going with that but still adding my own stuff. If you think I should make a wholly original fight, let me know in the reviews. Though I doubt I could make anything better than the anime. Many other original fights will occur in this arc.