A/N: Last chapter Zangya and Gohan, none too gently, poked some holes in Shin's plan. When I wrote that part, I wasn't trying bash Shin and Kibito. I was just trying to show how frustrated and angry the two teens were. When I write a scene with a character, I really am just trying to stay true to their personality as it has developed. I have kind of a long authors note at the end so I'm just going to start now.
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z
Chapter 34
The stadium was filled with confusion as the spectators saw the remaining fighters fly away.
"Is… Is it over already?"
"All the semifinalists just left, what's happening?"
"Hey, is this some kind of rip off? I paid good money to see the Gold fighter. He can't just leave!"
Pretty soon, the crowd began throwing things at the announcer and either booing or shouting that they wanted their money back.
"THIS IS A SCAM!"
"YOU CAN'T JUST STOP IT NOW!"
"Ladies and gentlemen, please! If you'll just OW!" A soda can hit his head.
"BRING BACK THE GOLD FIGHTER!"
"WE WANT TO SEE A FIGHT!"
They began chanting to bring back to Gold fighter. A certain tiger mom had decided that she'd had enough, and she stood up to make it known.
"HEEEEYYY! BE QUIET YOU BUNCH OF BUMS! MY BOY WILL BE BACK WHEN HE GETS BACK! DO YOU THINK HE WOULD HAVE LEFT FOR NO GOOD REASON!? THERE ARE MORE IMPORTANT THINGS THAN SOME SILLY MARTIAL ARTS TOURNAMENT! NOW BEHAVE YOURSELVES OR I'LL DRAG YOU DOWN INTO THE RING AND MAKE YOU!"
This seemed to do the trick. Nobody doubted that this woman would make good on her words. The audience began to settle down enough to allow the announcer the chance to speak.
"Um, excuse me, Mrs. Son? Do you have any idea where your son and the other contestants went to?"
Chichi sighed. "Oh, who knows, it's always something with them."
Bulma laughed and added. "Yeah, what do you think it is this time? Evil alien or mad scientist?"
"I don't know. I just hope they stay safe." Now that she had vented her frustrations at the crowd, she began to worry for Goku, Gohan and Zangya.
Break
At the mention of Majin Buu, Zangya turned to Gohan. "Why does that name sound familiar?" She whispered, hoping that the others wouldn't hear.
Gohan's eyes narrowed as he quietly replied. "At the saloon, Spike told us about him."
"Oh yeah, super powerful being of pure negative energy, right?"
"Yeah." The young warrior nodded. "The one so powerful that nothing short of a demonic god could beat him." Gohan hoped that the supreme Kai wasn't talking about the same creature, but something told him that they were. He wondered if this is what his darker half had been warning him of.
"You look worried." Zangya commented, earning her a raised eyebrow from Gohan, as if to say 'well, duh!'. Zangya smiled and replied. "Well, stop worrying. I don't care how strong this Buu is. There isn't an evil alive that can stand up to the gold fighter. Especially when he is aided by the radiant Red Z girl." Zangya struck a small pose midflight that brought a smile to his face. But a deep sense of foreboding prevented him from taking her words to heart.
While this was happening at the rear, a different conversation was held at the front.
"That's his name? doesn't sound like such a big deal." Vegeta shrugged after Supreme Kai mentioned the name of the monster they would face.
"I assure you Vegeta, Majin Buu is a very big deal." Supreme Kai warned. "I have already mentioned Babidi, but even before him, was his father. Another wizard named Bibidi. Long ago, at a time when the human race was still in its infancy here on earth, Bibidi first appeared, bringing a terrible monster of his own creation with him. This monster was Majin Buu and his sole purpose was to destroy. Majin buu had no feelings or conscience. He was designed as an instrument of fear and terror. His single desire was to eliminate all living things, and he was very good at it. With Majin Buu under his control, Bibidi set about the systematic destruction of all life in the universe. Hundreds of planets were reduced to rubble. Entire galaxies were erased from existence. No force could withstand his evil power."
'Heheh, this Majin Buu sounds like he would have made a decent Saiyan.' Vegeta thought to himself. Unfortunately, Shin was listening.
"You're wrong Vegeta." The Kai said in response to the Saiyan princes' thoughts, shocking Vegeta. "There were five supreme Kais at the time, each one a thousand times more powerful than the one you call Frieza. When they fought Buu, only one survived. He would have wiped out your entire Saiyan race with a breath. Just like so many others."
Goku was trying to work the math out on his fingers. "Frieza times a thousand… Five kais… Hey, are we talking 100% Frieza or first form Frieza." Goku asked the supreme Kai.
Shin looked at Goku in confusion. "Why does that matter Goku?"
"Well, I'm just trying to figure out how strong this Buu guy is compared to us. You only told me that he was strong before. This is the first time that I'm getting a reference for just how strong. I just wish the math wasn't so hard."
"Goku," Shin said in disbelief. "The terror of Majin Buu is not something that can be quantified by mere calculation."
"Oh, thank goodness." Goku sighed in relief. "I'd much rather fight him than figure out his power level."
"What!? Goku, you can't seriously be contemplating fighting him after everything I've said, can you!? Majin Buu must not be allowed to be resurrected!"
"Hey, relax supreme Kai." Goku held up his hands placatingly. "Like I promised you in otherworld, we'll do everything in our power to make sure Buu doesn't wake up. I was just thinking of how we'd match up if, you know, the plan fails or something. It sounds like it would be a great fight."
"Are you insane!? None of you would stand a chance! I've just told you all that even five supreme kais couldn't stand up to him!"
"Well, if you're using yourself as a benchmark, I think you might be overhyping him a bit." Zangya interjected.
"Zangya!?" Piccolo said, shocked at her disrespect. "Try to show some respect. The supreme Kai is not someone to take lightly."
"He felt pretty light when I held him against the wall." She joked.
"Piccolo is right, girl." Kibito admonished. "You would do well to learn your place and show him the respect he deserves."
"I respect strength." Zangya replied. "And compassion. I've seen neither from your boss Tobiko." She jabbed by purposely getting his name wrong.
"Such insolence! You clearly know nothing of the Kais you impudent little-"
"Oh, I know about the Kais." Zangya growled. "Great protectors and rulers of the universe." Sarcasm laced her words. "Supposedly in charge of the creation and preservation of life. But oddly enough, they only take action when their own hide is in danger. Tell me, how many planets did this Majin Buu destroy before the kais acted? Let me guess, it was only when he came to your world that you descended from your lofty thrones and deigned to lift a finger against the big bad monster?"
"That is not-" Shin rebutted angrily, but Zangya cut him off.
"Not what? Not true? Then why didn't you stop Frieza? From what I've been told, he was just as bad as Majin Buu when it came to genocide. The number of lives he's taken, the planets he's destroyed. He may not have been as strong as Majin Buu, but he might as well have been since nobody could stop him. It wasn't till Gohan's dad finally stood up to him that his reign of terror ended. You said that you're a thousand times more powerful so where were you when he was slaughtering millions? Was it because he wasn't a threat to you or the other Kais? He was able to roam free because he didn't dare defy the mighty overlords? It didn't matter how many innocents he killed because mortal lives don't matter at all, do they? He never attacked you after all, did he? And only the Kais are worthy of the Kais protection. Tell me I'm wrong Supreme Kai."
Kibito had heard enough. "You have a lot of nerve to criticize the Supreme Kai given your sinful past. It seems that the hypocrisy of mortals knows no bounds."
"Hey! Whatever Zangya did in her past is just that. In the past." Gohan defended Zangya. He hadn't seen her so worked up since the first time they met, and he didn't understand why. Sure, he was a little miffed about the stabbing thing, but she was downright hostile. To say it made him worry for her was an understatement. But he'd be a monkey's uncle if he was going to let anyone hold her past against her like Kibito was trying to do. As far as he was concerned, whatever she did before didn't matter. But before he could say anything more, she stopped.
"No, he's right Gohan. I did horrible things. I was no better than Frieza or even Buu. And just like them, I was allowed free reign for a long time due to the negligence of the Kais. They have as many deaths on their conscience as I do."
Kibito became even redder with fury. "How dare you blame the destruction you caused on the Kais! We know full well what happened and to blame the Kais-"
"I never said It wasn't my fault!" Zangya shouted over Kibito. She continued in a softer voice. "The destruction I caused was nobody else's fault but my own. Not a single day goes by that I'm not sorry for what I did." Her voice caught as she was trying to restrain her emotions. "I deserved to be locked up and I wish somebody had stopped us much sooner. But the Kais. The Kais had the power to stop us all along. They could have put an end to our rampage, and they didn't. They didn't care that we destroyed entire civilizations. They only cared when we attacked them. Only then were we deemed a significant threat for them to act."
"Disgraceful!" Kibito yelled when she had finished. "For someone like you to so callously judge the Kais when you have far more guilt, is unbelievable!"
"Look!" Gohan intervened. "Whatever she did in the past, Zangya's more than proven she's a good person!"
"Ha! A few good deeds do not erase a lifetime of evil. But I wouldn't expect someone like you to understand."
"Kibito, that's enough." Shin said gently to silence his attendant. Kibito reluctantly obeyed and Gohan chose not to rise to his comment. "Perhaps you are right Zangya. Perhaps if we had acted earlier with Majin Buu, then we could have saved countless lives. It is the same with Frieza. I do not doubt that our inaction had consequences. We have long operated under the belief that mortals should be the ones to fight the battles of mortals, but in the end, we Kais are supposed to preserve life and in that, I have failed."
Zangya was somewhat surprised by the contriteness of his response. Much of what Zangya said had cut him deeply. He still blamed himself for the death of his friends all those years ago. He was the youngest and least experienced of the supreme Kais and he knew he wasn't infallible. But he also knew that now was not the time to wallow or point fingers. "But what Gohan said earlier is correct. The past is in the past. We cannot change what happened. Now, there is a threat that we must stop. The only way we can succeed is for us to work together. I may have failed to make the best decisions before, but now I ask you all, regardless of your feelings for me, to fight with me and protect that which our enemies seek to destroy."
A silence overcame the group. Zangya didn't really have anything to say to that. Everyone else was a little surprised that the supreme Kai was basically admitting fault. Gohan was the first to recover, breaking the awkward pause. "So, we kind of got off track there. We were talking about how big a threat Majin Buu actually is. I know that our best course of action is to stop Babidi before he wakes Buu up, but dad's right. If something goes wrong, we need to be prepared for what we might be facing. We should know exactly how strong this guy is."
"Fair enough." Shin nodded. "As I said, his true strength is difficult to quantify. I will just tell you that Majin Buu is unlike any enemy you have faced before."
"Well… Par for the course I guess." Gohan sighed. Just once, he wished that a new enemy would appear that was weaker than the last one they faced. Couldn't the next threat be, like, The Frieza force again? They would be a cake walk by now. But things never seemed to go that way for them. It's like they were in an anime or something.
"So, how did this creature wind up on earth?" Piccolo asked. "And why is the earth not destroyed yet?"
"I will tell you." Shin said. "The monster was growing more powerful with every planet he destroyed. He soon became too powerful for Bibidi to control. The wizard devised a spell that would seal Majin Buu in a ball. This served two purposes. First, it would allow him to transport the monster more easily to any planet he wished. More importantly, it gave him leverage over the creature. If the monster gave any sign of rebelling against him, Bibidi would seal him in the ball as punishment. This turned out to be his downfall. The Supreme Kais found out that this planet was to be his next target. We found him here and killed him before he could unleash his terror on this planet. Majin Buu was safely stored in his ball, and there he remains to this day."
"Why not simply destroy the ball?" Zangya asked. "It really could have saved us all the trouble of dealing with this now."
"It was too risky. We did not know if an attack would accidentally release Majin Buu. With Bibidi gone, there would have been nobody to control him. He would have burned through the universe like a wildfire."
"That makes sense I guess." Gohan nodded. "So why did you leave him on earth? Wouldn't he have been safer if you had taken him to otherworld?"
"Perhaps, but we didn't think that there was anyone who could have released Buu. Even if they did manage to find his prison, they had no way to free him. Bibidi had been destroyed. Once again, we did not want to do anything to risk releasing the creature. We had no way of knowing that Bibidi had a son." Shin defended himself and Gohan and Piccolo nodded, showing their acceptance. "And it seems that the son is just as evil as the father. He will try and finish the work his father started, and earth will be the first to fall prey to his twisted ambitions. That is why we must hurry!"
They didn't have much longer to go. Soon they came upon a small farm, with a large part of the earth dug up. There was a structure sticking out of the ground with an M on it and standing outside, was Videl, holding the stolen energy.
"That's why we couldn't find him when we searched this planet before!" Shin nearly shouted.
"He must have buried the whole thing." Snarled Kibito.
"Listen everyone, we must keep our power levels low and keep ourselves hidden. If he has taken such measures to hide his presence, then there is a chance that Babidi is aware that we have followed him to earth. We must be cautious." Shin warned.
"What for?" Vegeta asked, rather annoyed. He didn't care about the wizard, and he didn't care about Majin Buu, no matter what the purple weakling said. "I didn't come all this way to hide, I came for a fight. If we aren't going to do that then we should just kill the girl, blow up the energy container and blast the ship to smithereens."
"No! We mustn't attack lightly." Shin tried to make them understand. "The shockwave might possibly release Majin Buu." Vegeta grumbled and the group hid low behind a bunch of rock. Though, some were more willing to obey than others.
"Supreme Kai, wouldn't it be better to let him be released now, before they have a chance to give him any energy?" Piccolo asked respectfully.
"No, that would not work. Even at a fraction of his power, Majin Buu would destroy us and everything in sight. We must wait for them to bring him out here. They will not want to risk damaging the ship with his rebirth. For now, we wait."
Gohan didn't necessarily agree, but was willing to comply, until a slightly distressed Zangya spoke to him while tugging his arm. "Gohan, look." He turned to where she pointed and what he saw brought him incredible rage. Lying on the ground, off to the side were three dead bodies. A family with a young child by the looks of it. Gohan began to seethe. "I'm not going to hide and wait." He said while standing up. "Those monsters are going to pay." Zangya stood up next to him and they were about to attack.
"No Gohan, don't!" Goku tried to stop his son from acting rashly. "I know that it's hard, but we need to follow the supreme Kai on this." Gohan looked at his father and wavered.
"But dad…"
"I promise that these guys will pay but rushing in won't accomplish anything." Goku explained.
Gohan was frustrated and angry, but he could see the sense in his father's words. He finally backed down and lowered himself again. Just as he had hidden himself, the door to the ship opened and a strange alien creature with a long skull and yellow eyes walked out. He had white armor on and had an M on his forehead.
He was followed by a little green man in an orange cape and a tall red man with large pointy ears and horns.
"Aahhh!" Shin gasped in surprise. "Dabura!?"
"How could Babidi have enslaved him!?" Kibito was just as stunned as his master.
"Who is this guy Shin?" Goku asked.
Shin explained that Dabura was the king of the demon realm. He was the strongest of all demons and that Babidi had somehow managed to enslave him. "If Babidi has managed to control someone like Dabura, our task has just become infinitely more difficult.
Gohan was only half listen. Zangya nudged him and said in a whisper. "Gohan, That's the other one that devil guy mentioned." Gohan nodded.
'So that's the king of demons huh? His energy is amazing.' Gohan had sensed the dark energy in Videl and he knew exactly what it was. It was Kili, negative energy. He had sensed it in himself whenever he meditated. He suspected that it was this infusion of negative energy that gave her a boost in power. But Unlike Videl, who's energy had merely been injected with Kili, Dabura was full of pure, raw Kili. It was like the difference between putting a slice of lemon in water and eating a whole bag of lemons, peel and all.
"If This Dabura is as strong as you say and Babidi has him, what's to stop him from controlling us as well?" Piccolo asked. He didn't care for being someone's minion.
It was Kibito who replied. "A wizard seeks out the evil desires in a persons' heart. Once discovered he manipulates them, enhances them and ultimately, uses them to control. This is how Dabura was captured. Once Babidi infiltrates a persons' heart, his influence is complete. All he needs is to find but a trace of evil to bring someone under his power. Only those pure of heart and free of evil desires like us have a chance of fighting him successfully. Well, Most of us." He eyed Zangya with distrust.
In response to his unspoken accusation, she glared at the red man. But a small part of her feared that he was right. What if she still had wicked desires? If she was turned and put under the control of Babidi, would she be forced to hurt the innocent again? She knew that she had changed. That she was different from the killer she used to be. But there was still a small part of her that was afraid that no matter how much good she did, no matter how many people she helped, it would never be enough to absolve her of her sins, and that her old ways would overtake her once more. Perhaps she was already backsliding. She had nearly killed Shin and Kibito without a second thought because they were a threat to Gohan.
The fear and doubt raged until, all at once, it was completely swept away when a hand took hold of hers. She looked to her side and saw Gohan, reassuring her with his brilliant smile as he held her hand tight in his. As if he knew the worries of her heart and was telling her it would all be ok. It was a look that spread warmth throughout her whole body and gave her courage. She furrowed her brow as she steeled her resolve. 'Even if he tries, I'll fight it. I'll win. I won't let Gohan down."
Gohan himself didn't know what to expect. He felt like his other half was locked safely away, but what if the battle got too intense for him to handle? What would happen if he lost control and fell under the spell of Babidi? He didn't know exactly what the intentions of his inner demon was to begin with, let alone whether they were for evil or not. It was as much to reassure himself as it was for Zangya that he took hold of her hand.
Babidi approached Videl and she knelt down and lowered her head, while offering the energy container. "Master, I present to you this energy, for Majin Buu."
"Good, good. You have done well miss Satan. But where are Yamu and Spopovitch?" Babidi asked.
"Forgive me master, those two were weaklings. They were defeated easily when we took this energy and I decided they weren't worth risking the mission for." Videl explained.
"Oh well, I suppose you're right. We were going to just dispose of them anyway." He took the energy from her and smiled. "Tell me, did you get revenge on your golden fighter?"
Videl grimaced and shook her head. "No master."
"Oh well, no matter. Once Buu is freed, He can be among the first of our victims. Afterall, a promise is a promise." Babidi was far from a benevolent master, but he always had time to add someone else on his list of people to make suffer. If killing this Gold fighter would increase the control he had on Videl while still causing mayhem and pain, all the better.
While Babidi and Puipui were focused on Videl, Dabura's sights were set elsewhere. Primarily in the Direction of Gohan.
'Greetings young demon.' A deep and unfamiliar voice sounded in Gohan's head, making him silently panic.
'Yes, I know you're up there. Why do you hide yourself? Surely a warrior like you doesn't need to fear us. Come down why don't you, or are you too frightened?'
Gohan refused to answer. He tried to keep himself calm and not rise to the taunt. He needed to figure out how to block out the telepathic communication.
'No, not frightened I see. Just a bit shy. Perhaps a little motivation then.'
Just as Babidi and his minions entered the ship, Dabura disappeared and in the blink of an eye, surprising even Babidi, the demon king appeared in front of Kibito and fired a Ki blast, instantly disintegrating the attendant. Shin's mouth was open with shock and rage. "KIBITO!"
"They knew we were here!" Piccolo yelled. As soon as he spoke, some of Dabura's spit landed on him. Slowly, from the area of impact, Piccolo started turning to stone.
"MR. PICOLLO!" Gohan yelled as his mentor slowly became nothing more than a statue. His face became a mask of sheer fury and he turned to the demon king only to see him aim another spit at Zangya.
"EW!" Zangya yelled, narrowly dodging the cursed liquid. It wasn't so much that it would turn her to stone, it's just that she had an extreme aversion to being spat on. Though she had escaped Piccolo's fate, this didn't stop Gohan from reacting.
"RAAAAAAAAAGH!" He flew up and hit Dabura with a solid hook to the cheek, catching him by surprise and sending him crashing to the ground in front of the shuttle. He bounced quickly to his feet as, fortunately for the demon king, Gohan was in base form and his attack didn't do much damage. Dabura quickly retreated to the inside, closing the doors quickly but not before offering a final taunt. "Come after me if you dare, boy."
"GOHAN STOP!" Supreme kai yelled, but he was ignored and Gohan charged full speed at the ship, intent on tearing it apart. Unfortunately, he was stopped halfway by a full nelson, courtesy of his father. Gohan looked outraged by this interference and he struggled against the hold. "Dad! What are you doing!? Let me go!"
"GOHAN! Stop it! You heard the supreme Kai, we have to wait! OOF!" Goku let out a gasp as Gohan elbowed him in the gut and broke his hold.
Inside the ship, just after the latch sealed shut, Babidi looked reproachfully at his top minion.
"What in the world was that all about Dabura!?"
"Apologies master, I sensed that the supreme Kai and his flunkies were hiding in those rocks."
"Yes, I know. But why did you engage them without my permission!?" He asked angrily.
"By disposing of Kibito and another of their number, I have not only weakened their pathetic force, but I have also provoked them into entering your lair. Stealing their energy should be all too easy once they are inside, and Majin Buu will be resurrected far sooner than we anticipated. Don't you think so master?"
Babidi considered this. "Hmm. Yes, yes you're right Dabura! How absolutely diabolical you are. Supreme Kai has come to stop me, but he brings me the very thing I need to succeed! Oh, it's fantastic!" His face turned stern. "But you still should have asked my permission!" He scolded angrily.
"Forgive me master." Dabura bowed.
"Yes, well, you're lucky I like the idea, otherwise-" *BOOOOM!* A loud sound reverberated throughout The ship making the whole vessel shake. The tremor caused Babidi to fall to his knees. "What the devil!?"
"I believe I may have upset one of them." Dabura smirked. "He seems eager to play our little game." *BOOOOM!*
"Well don't just stand there smiling! Get me to the control room! Do you think I want to be here when the fighting starts!" Babidi ordered in a panicked voice. "Puipui you come too. Miss Satan!" Videl Bowed and awaited orders. "You will be the first barricade. It is time to test your loyalty. Steal the energy of these fools. Do not fail me." Babidi, Puipui and Dabura jumped down a hole in the floor that closed up as soon as the last of them disappeared.
*BOOOM!* Outside, Gohan had just hit the door for the third time but, while dented, it still wasn't open. "Alright fine. HAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!" All at once, his hair turned to gold and his eyes blue. Just as his transformation finished, the other Z fighters landed by his side. "Gohan stop! You mustn't accidentally awaken Majin Buu! You are just playing into their hands! Clearly, they want us to follow. You mustn't fall into their trap!" Shin pled with the young Saiyan. Vegeta was rather impressed with the boy's actions, misplaced as his affections for the green man were. If Kakarot hadn't interfered, he would have made short work of the red devil.
"Listen to him Gohan." Goku told his son. "I understand how you feel, but-"
"NO YOU DON'T!"
Goku recoiled. "You don't get it dad. Maybe it's fine for you. You're dead. You get to carry on with your afterlife without a thought for any of us. But I… I'm not going to lose anyone else. Not Piccolo…" His gaze shifted and his eyes locked with Zangya's. "Not anyone. Dabura turned him to stone. He must be able to turn him back. So, I don't care if I'm playing into their hands, because right now…" He reached out and touched the door. "It's my hands they should be worried about." He closed his hand and the door crumpled and warped in his super Saiyan grip. He yanked it off the ship and tossed it behind him.
"Well, well." Videl was standing in the middle of the room with her arms folded as she smirked at Gohan. "Looks like I get my rematch sooner than I expected."
"I'm not in the mood for games, Videl. Where's Dabura?" His cold stare unnerved her, but she stayed firm.
"Ha! Before you get to Dabura, you'll have to get past me. HRAAGH!" She flew at Gohan full speed and tried to clothesline him, but she passed right through him, making her stop outside of the spaceship. She spun around and was furious to see that Gohan was still ignoring her and walking inside with his back to her. She sped toward him again, this time, she had a knife hand raised as she charged, poised to rip out his heart.
Her momentum, along with her hand, stopped barely an inch away from the boy's back. Videl looked to her side in fury at Zangya, who looked at her with contempt. The hera was gripping her wrist, keeping Videl immobile. "Gohan? I don't want to miss out on the fun, but do you mind if I stay out here and teach this brat some manners?" Zangya tightened her grip, and it took every ounce of will power Videl had to not sink to her knees.
Gohan looked over his shoulder and nodded. "Don't kill her." She nodded in reply before she released Videl and she jumped backwards to get away from the blue girl. Zangya ignored the other girl for a moment to turn to her friend. "Gohan, I…" He stopped in his tracks and turned around to give Zangya his full attention. "Yeah?" What was she supposed to say? She knew what she wanted to say but didn't know if she should say it. Or even could say it. "I… Just be careful, ok? I don't want to have to explain to Chichi why her son is a lawn ornament."
Despite the situation, Gohan smiled. "I'll be fine. Look after Piccolo ok?" Zangya nodded as the others finally entered the ship. She turned her attention back to her opponent and smiled sadistically. "So." She cracked her knuckles. "You think you can hurt my Gohan and get away with it." Despite her confidence, something told Videl that this would be a rough fight.
Break
"We should not have come here." Shin reiterated as they descended to the next level.
"Well, you're welcome to leave, you snivelling coward." Vegeta looked at the supreme Kai with contempt before turning his ire at his rival. "You can go with him Kakarot. It seems you've become too soft for this kind of work."
"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Goku sounded offended.
"Oh, I don't blame you. it was bound to happen when your master keeps you such a tight leash." Vegeta nodded to Shin.
"You don't know what you're talking about Vegeta!" Goku replied angrily.
"Oh no?" The prince said as they finally landed on the floor. "Even your halfling son has more Saiyan fire than you. Watching you stop him from attacking just to follow the orders of him," He pointed to Shin, "was revolting. If you had any pride, I would have thought it would be in your son. But judging from your earlier display, I guess not."
"Don't you dare!" Goku yelled back. "I am proud of Gohan! I don't expect someone selfish like you to understand my actions, but I don't have to explain myself."
"Tch, whatever."
While the adults were arguing, Gohan scanned the floor for a way to keep moving. Some of his outward anger had ebbed and he was a lot less on edge since Zangya was outside and away from danger, but a fire still burned inside of him and he maintained his super Saiyan form. He wasn't going to let these people do anymore damage. He saw a hole in the floor that was sealed off. He walked over to it and raised his fist, preparing to punch through to the next floor. Supreme Kai saw this and cried out.
"NOOO!" He raced to the young warrior and grabbed his raised arm with both hands, causing Gohan to stop before he could attack the floor. He gave Shin a look, but Shin ignored it. "Gohan, I keep telling you that we cannot disturb the ship! I'm surprised your actions have not already awakened the monster!"
Gohan lowered his arm and Shin relaxed. "Then how do you propose we get to the next floor?" he asked calmly. "I'm not an expert on spaceships, but I don't see any controls in this room to open the door."
Shin looked around. "You're right. But we must be patient. Babidi wanted us to come here for a reason. Likely his plan is to use the energy of you three to fuel Majin Buu's resurrection. He will send somebody, and then we will have a chance to advance. But we must be patient." He emphasized the last three words.
Gohan exhaled. He wasn't crazy about this plan, but he wasn't beyond reason. He didn't like it, but he also didn't want to risk setting off a potential bomb like Buu. "So, we're just going to sit here and wait." It was a statement of fact rather than a question, and Gohan stated it with no small amount of frustration.
Break
"I can't believe they're just sitting there waiting." Puipui almost laughed at the helplessness of his future victims. The three villains were observing the Z fighters from the control room via Babidi's crystal ball.
"I can't believe those fools are already at the next floor." Babidi growled in frustration. "That worthless little Satan girl."
"She is still weak, but she is young. She does have potential master." Dabura said. "She did manage to occupy another one of their number."
"Yes, outside the ship where I won't be able to collect any energy!" The wizard growled. "Well, for her sake, I at least hope she gathered a decent amount of energy from the tournament." He lifted the energy container and inserted the spike into a giant gross pink egg. To the shock of Puipui and Babidi, the gauge in front rose to half as the energy was transferred to Majin Buu. "Oh my…" Babidi took a step back. "Already at half? Perhaps you're right Dabura, Miss Satan may have potential after all if she can get this much from a planet of weaklings."
"I wonder how many worthless lifeforms she had to drain" Puipui thought aloud.
"Hm, yes, I wonder…" Babidi rubbed his wrinkled chin as he stared at the pests who were trying to thwart him. "I think it's time we started harvesting energy from these fools. Do you feel up to the task Puipui?" He asked his minion gleefully.
"Of course, master Babidi. What shall I do with the supreme Kai once I kill the others?"
"His type of energy is of no use to us. Take him alive. I want him to suffer for the humiliation he served on my father! He will die slowly and painfully!"
Puipui smiled and bowed. "As you wish master."
Break
While Babidi was plotting, The Z fighters were waiting impatiently. Gohan was standing with his arms folded. Goku walked over to him and put his hand on his shoulder. Gohan looked at his father.
"Gohan, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry." The older Saiyan said.
Gohan grunted in response. "I'm not mad at you."
"Really!? Well, you could have fooled me." Goku almost laughed. Gohan couldn't help but smile from his father's good nature.
"Ok, maybe I was a little angry. Mr. Piccolo is like Family and Zangya almost-"
"Hey, it's ok, you don't have to explain yourself to me." Gohan smiled a little wider and his expression relaxed a little bit. "I know it's hard to understand, but I really do have a good reason for what I do. I'm just trying to keep you safe."
"I'm not a little kid anymore dad." Gohan said flatly.
"Heheh, you're telling me! I can still feel that elbow in my stomach. Believe me, that's going to bruise." Goku rubbed the spot Gohan hit him and smiled.
"Sorry about that." Gohan said sheepishly.
"Hey, no worries." Goku waved it off. "It's my fault. I guess I forgot that you aren't the same little boy I have to hold on too so he doesn't fall off the nimbus cloud."
Gohan smiled as he remembered the times that his father had kept him safe. The times he sent him away from a battle or kept him away because it was too much for him at the time. He knew that his father loved him. He was always there to be the hero for him. But something about his current behavior was too suspicious to overlook. "Dad, can I ask you something?"
"Shoot."
"Why is it so important to you that we follow Shin's plan?"
Goku gave his son a confused look. Gohan continued. "I mean, I know he's the supreme kai and all, but it isn't like you to be this cautious, or this submissive, just because someone has a title. You always just go with the flow. Why is this time so different?"
"We've never faced a threat like this before Gohan."
"We've always never faced a threat like this before and that's never mattered. It was always about a good fight for you." Goku looked almost hurt at his son's words. Gohan quickly tried to backpedal. "I mean, not that there's anything wrong with wanting a good fight, it's what you love after all, and you always saved the day in the end. I-I was just wondering why this time you don't seem that way."
"Gohan," his father looked serious. "I do love fighting. But believe me that is far from the most important thing to me. As for why I'm listening to Shin, I can't really explain that yet. I volunteered to help him and was allowed to come to earth with him so I could help with his mission but there were certain conditions attached. I really can't say anymore than that. I know it sounds strange, but please, just trust me."
Gohan gave his father a long, hard look. His father had never let him down before. He didn't know how to feel about his recent behavior, but He knew one thing. "Dad I… I trust you."
As soon as he had said this, a loud cackle sounded in the room. "KAKAKAKAKA! Greetings puny earthlings, to my master's ship. You may have done well to make it this far, but now you will all perish." The four men looked to where the dramatic voice was coming from. Rising up from the hole in the middle of the floor, was the long-headed alien that they had seen outside. Gohan thought that he was even uglier up close with his big wide mouth. The alien continued "My master Babidi has told me to be careful because your high energy makes you strong and dangerous, but believe me, your small amount of energy is nothing compared to my own!" Puipui then started to show off his speed. In a flash he was on the ceiling, then behind them, then at the front, then the side and on he went, trying to intimidate his opponents.
To his chagrin, the only one who looked intimidated was Supreme Kai. Goku looked confused, Vegeta looked Bored, and Gohan looked like he was ready to let loose.
"It's about time." The teen unfolded his arms and started walking toward the alien.
"W-wait! Aren't you frightened?" Gohan stopped.
"Should I be?" Gohan raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, you should be very afraid!" Puipui regained some of his bravado. "I am one of master Babidis top servants! You stand no chance of defeating me! And you will have to if you wish to proceed, for you see, the door will only open to the next floor when you defeat the guardian of the current floor."
"Suits me just fine." Gohan rolled his shoulders out and cracked his neck.
"WAIT! Gohan, we must fight him together! Babidi has used his magic to collect the greatest fighters in the universe and he enhances their already great strength. If we wish to be victorious, we must work together."
"There's no need." Gohan replied.
"What- well, of course there is a need!" But Goku put a hand on Shin's shoulder. "Hey, it'll be ok. We've handled way worse than this before."
"Are you sure?" Shin seemed uneasy, but he didn't really get a chance to interrupt further as Gohan was finished with the conversation. He turned to Puipui. "The one who turned my friend to stone, Dabura. Can he reverse it?"
"Oh, well that's something you have to aske him." Puipui smirked. Gohan was about to step around Shin, when Vegeta grabbed him by the shoulder. "Not so fast boy!" Gohan turned around. "I skipped out on the tournament because Kakarot promised me strong opponents. It's my turn to fight!" Gohan looked at Vegeta for a second before stepping aside. He didn't really care about Puipui and Vegeta was more than enough to take care of him. Just so long as he didn't play around too much.
"So, Puipui, you're a top warrior of your little master, are you?" Vegeta asked with false politeness. "Why don't you show me the caliber of warriors the pathetic little toad has gathered.
Puipui grit his teeth. "Oh, I'll show you alright!" The two stared each other down. Vegeta wore a cocky grin, while Puipui was trying to analyze his opponent. "Hmmgr hahaha! You're mine!" He jumped up and did a multiple spin kick that was aimed right at Vegeta's face, but the Saiyan prince brought a hand up to block it. Puipui landed and stepped back in shock, only to throw a punch that Vegeta blocked with his open hand, then slowly, he closed it around the low-class fighter. Puipui tried to push, but Vegeta just moved the fist to the side as though it was nothing.
"Wah!?" Puipui did several Back flips to gains some space. "Well… You fight pretty good… But not that good! HYAAAAH!" The minion charged at Vegeta and attacked him for all he was worth. Vegeta dodged them all with a look of contempt. Finally, he caught a round house kick ad delivered a side kick to the alien's sternum, sending him crashing against the wall of the ship. Puipui breathed hard as he got up from the fall. He looked up to see Vegeta standing in front of him. In anger, he lunged at the Saiyan, but a front kick to the face sent him flying once more. Puipui did a flip and jumped off of the ceiling, landing away from his opponent. When he landed, Vegeta had disappeared. He looked around in confusion. "You looking for me?" Puipui turned around, only to be met by a fist to the face.
In the control room, Babidi was furious. "Dabura what's happening! Why is Puipui losing!?" He watched in horror as Vegeta unloaded blow after punishing blow on his warrior.
"Perhaps a change of scene to give Puipui more of an advantage." The demon king suggested.
"Yes, of course! Where will Puipui be able to fight the best?"
"That would be on his home world of Voon."
Vegeta landed yet another kick to his opponent's face, but the scene suddenly shifted. Now, instead of the inside of the ship, they were standing on a dusty red planet with a dark starry sky.
"Woah, what happened?" Goku asked out loud.
"It's Babidi." Shin answered with narrowed eyes. "He's used his magic to change the room. Likely with the aim of giving the fighter an advantage."
"Well, that should make things interesting." Goku mused.
"Goku! It isn't Vegeta he's giving the advantage to."
"I know." Goku replied calmly.
"Hehehe." Chuckled Puipui. "Welcome to my home world. By now I'm sure you've noticed that this planet is very different from your own." He grinned to reveal two missing teeth. "The gravity here is 10 times that of on earth." He picked up a rock and let it drop speedily to the ground to prove his point. "You see? You're chances of winning now are falling faster than that stone!"
"Hehehe." Vegeta closed his eyes and laughed. "Feels like I'm a toddler again. Same old weak gravity as Planet Vegeta."
"What!?" Puipui sounded alarmed.
"Of course, I've since elevated myself from such weak levels of resistance. Perhaps if you had made it five hundred times gravity, It might make me sweat, but 10 times?" He grinned. "I don't even feel it."
"No! You're bluffing!" Puipui yelled. "I know you are!"
In short order, Vegeta delivered a devastating uppercut to Puipuis gut, followed by a side kick to send him flying into a rock, shattering the boulder in the process. Puipui looked up in a daze and was shocked to see that Vegeta was hopping up and down with his fists up. It was like the gravity had literally no effect on him.
"Still think I'm bluffing?" He asked with a laugh.
"Grrrr. Grrrrrrrrrr. GRAAAAAAAHHH" Puipui ran at Vegeta in his rage, but Vegeta met him before he could even make it halfway. He put both hands on the alien's chest while smiling evilly. Before Puipui could react, Vegeta fired an intense yellow energy blast, completely disintegrating Puipui. When the attack cleared Vegeta stood up. "Hah. I'm amazed that Babidi would send such a weakling."
Break
"Wha-Wha-What!? Look what he did to Puipui!" Babidi yelled in a mix of rage and fear.
"It seems that we underestimated these fighters." Dabura answered calmly.
"And you led them in here Dabura!" Babidi was obviously displeased.
"Master, Puipui was strong, but you still have warriors stronger than him. He is no great loss."
"Hmm. Perhaps you're right. If he could be defeated so easily… Very well. I am taking no more chances. We are going to send in Yakon!"
The Z fighters reached the next floor and, in this chamber, in addition to the door in the floor, there was a large door about the size of a garage to one of the sides.
"Alright, so who's turn is it now?" Goku said enthusiastically.
"No Goku." The supreme Kai shook his head. "We were lucky with Puipui. Babidi underestimated us. He will not do so again. That is why we must fight together."
Vegeta rolled his eyes at this. Goku tried to reason with the Kai. "Supreme Kai, you brought me along because this planet is my home and I'm familiar with the people here, right?"
Shin nodded. "That is one of the reasons I brought you, yes. But you do not know the monsters that Babidi keeps."
"Well, I know the strength of my friends. I know this is important, so I promise you, if a fight gets too much for any of us, we'll go with your plan and team up, ok?"
"We most certainly will not!" Vegeta yelled outraged that Kakarot would make such a cowardly promise.
"Oh, come on Vegeta!?" Goku yelled then looked to his son. "What do you think Gohan?" Shin paid special attention to what the boy would say in response. Gohan nodded. "I don't think that there will be anyone strong enough for it to matter, but ok."
"Great!" Goku clapped his hands together. "So then, who fights next? Gohan you want your turn now or later?"
"If it's Dabura, I'll take him. If not, then you can fight." Gohan replied. He still found it weird that his dad was negotiating with the supreme Kai, when normally he would just do what he wanted, but he was glad that his dad was still the fight loving man he knew. It gave a little bit of peace of mind to know that some things don't change. No matter how small.
A sound drew the fighters' attention to the large door to the side of the room as it slowly opened. Stepping out was a big, ugly, monster. The beast walked out into the room and Gohan couldn't help but think that it looked like a mix between a dinosaur and a praying mantis.
"Whew, you sure are an ugly one." Goku observed as he stretched his legs.
"Th-That's…" Shin stepped back as the monster advanced.
Goku looked him up and down. "So, you're my opponent huh? That's disappointing. I mean, sure, you're big, but you look kinda dumb to me."
"Goku! Do not underestimate him! I know that monster!" Shin yelled
"You've met this guy before?" Gohan asked.
"That's right. He is one of the most feared creatures in the universe. And he is extremely strong. I don't think Goku will be able to beat him on his own."
"Nope." Gohan contradicted Shin. "Dad is more than enough for that guy."
Yakon took a swipe at Goku with his giant claws and the Saiyan jumped out of the way.
Supreme Kai tried to stop the fight. "We must team up now or-"
"Or what!" Vegeta interrupted. "I am getting incredibly tired of your sniveling. You keep saying the same thing over and over, but you have no Idea what you are talking about! I'm beginning to think that the blue girl was right. You have been over hyping every enemy so far and what's worse, you are underestimating my race!"
Goku and Yakon were airborne now. Yakon tried to land several hits on his smaller opponent, though Goku dodged all of them.
"Vegeta, this is no time for pride to get in the way! We must-"
"The only thing in the way here is you! Do you even know how powerful we are? Haven't you noticed that the boy has been in super Saiyan this whole time!? And yet you quiver from a bug monster!? Do you even know how to sense power levels at all!?" Vegeta was getting more heated by the moment.
Goku was about to land on the Ground, but Yakon bounced off the ceiling and bounded for Goku. Goku turned around and at the last minute moved out of the way. When he landed, he noticed a tear in his shirt. Yakon stood in front of him, taunting him by showing off his blades which extended from its wrists.
Shin continued his argument with Vegeta. "I know that you are strong, but-"
"You know nothing of my power! And you know nothing of Kakarot's for that matter!"
Yakon and Goku bounced around the room, Goku clearly enjoying making his opponent work to catch him.
"I-" Shin started, but was rudely cut off.
"You may have Kakarot following your will like the pathetic dog that he is, but don't think for one moment that the reason for that is because you're actually stronger than him! Nothing that Babidi can throw at us could match the might of super saiyans like us! Even a low class Saiyan warrior like him far surpasses the so-called supreme Kai! Why that clown listens to a weakling like you is beyond me! So, stop complaining, because the next time you suggest something idiotic like teaming up against these pathetic excuses for fighters, I will personally end your life. And in case you're wondering, the answer is yes. It will be very painful."
Gohan was splitting his attention between the fight and the… other fight. In both cases, the saiyans were winning. Though Gohan did think that Vegeta was right, he probably could have left the death threat out of it. As that argument now seemed to be over, he decided to focus on his father. The two warriors had stopped after a game of cat and mouse in which Yakon continually failed to catch Goku.
Babidi was also watching the fight and he was becoming livid. "How could this earthling contend with my Yakon!?" he cried out. "That does it! I'm sending them to Yakon's favorite spot! Parraapapara!"
"Dad, stop playing around." Gohan called out to his dad. "Hurry up and finish this." Just as he said this, everything went pitch black.
"Hey, who turned out the lights?" Goku wondered as he put his hands out in front of him to try and feel his way around. Unfortunately, he felt his shin right into a rock. "OW!" He started hopping on one leg. "Who puts a stone in the middle of a spaceship."
"Ohohoho. Ahahahaha!" Yakons deep laugh echoed through the darkness. "Welcome to the planet of darkness. You're scratching your head, aren't you." Yakon accurately described Goku's actions. "You can't see me, but I can see you." The beast taunted.
"You can?" Goku asked.
"Yakon was born in this place." Shin explained. "It is a planet on the edge of the universe. Where no light can reach it. Thus, the planet of darkness."
"Ahaha. YOUR'E MINE!" Yakon jumped his prey, only for Goku to move out of the way and counter by kicking the monster into the ground. He emerged angry and looking for his quarry. Unknown to him, Goku was right behind him. "Eat this!" He slammed Yakon with both fists, sending him crashing once more into the ground. He refused to give up. He ran on all fours before jumping and bringing out his wrist blade in an attempt to decapitate Goku. The Saiyan countered easily with a kick to the monster's face.
In the darkness, all Shin could tell was that Goku was still alive. "Hey, can either of you two tell what's going on out there?"
Vegeta refused to answer, but Gohan said with a shrug. "Yeah, dad's winning."
"But…But how can you tell?" Shin couldn't see his own hand in front of his face, how could they see the battle? It was at that moment that Yakon asked a similar question of Goku.
"You can see in the dark?"
"No." Goku answered simply. "But then, I don't really need to. See, I can sense your movements from the subtle vibrations in the air. Oh yeah, and you smell too."
"What he said." Gohan answered in response to the Supreme Kais question.
"I do have one way that I can see you though." Everyone could sense Gokus power rise as he began his transformation. Bright yellow light flooded the cavern as the transformation was complete. "See, come on out Yakon. I found my spare flashlight."
Yakon came out from behind a rock. "Aha. So, you made it so I can no longer hide from you in the dark." Rather than concern, the monster had a smile on his face. "Time to feed. Aaaaaaaahhhhhh." Yakon opened his slobbering mouth wide and began to suck inward. Goku was confused, until he saw that the monster wasn't just sucking in air. In a steady stream of light, his super Saiyan aura left him and was inhaled by the green beast, leaving them in darkness once again.
"Huh?" Goku checked his hair and realized that not only was his aura gone, but he was also completely back in his base form.
"Mmm. Yummy." Yakon burped. "I've never eaten such a rich and brilliant amount of light before."
"This is what I was trying to warn you of." Shin said once the lights had gone out. "Yakon is a type of monster that eats light. Goku as a super Saiyan emits light that is like a delicacy to him. I fear that super Saiyan will be of no use against this monster."
"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Goku said overhearing Supreme Kai. "So, Yakon, you like to eat light do you?"
"Yes, yes, give me more of your delicious light!"
"Alright. You asked for it. HAAAAAHHH!" Once more the cavern was filled with light aad Goku was a super Saiyan.
"Goku no! You're just going to make him stronger!" Shin warned, but Goku paid him no mind. He continued to power up as his aura flared. Yakon took this as his cue to start devouring the delicious light.
"aaaaaaaaahhhhhh."
"HAAAAAAAAAAH!"
Goku yelled as Yakon continued to feed off of him.
"HEY YAKON! HOW BOUT A NEW FLAVOR!"
Yakon, being dumb, simply nodded as he continued to suck in the light.
"ALRIGHT, HERE YOU GO! KAAMEEEHAAAAMEEE- HAAAAAAA!" Goku sent his attack forward and straight at Yakon. The gluttonous monster was still feeding off of the yellow light and wanted to switch to the vibrant blue. "COME IN MY TUMMY!" To Shin's horror, Yakon actually started to swallow the beam, but Goku kept pushing it. Slowly Yakon began to inflate. He became larger and larger until…
*BOOM*
The monster popped like a balloon in an explosion of brilliant blue light.
Break
Zangya was outside the ship examining her nails. "MPHMPHFMPGH!" She looked down.
"I'm sorry I didn't quite catch that. Would you mind repeating it for me?" She lifted her boot up
"YOU BIG FAT UGLY BIMPHMFP!" Before Videl could finish, Zangya lowered her foot again, forcing Videls face into the hard dirt and muffling her shouts.
"Well, that wasn't very lady like at all. You know when you say dirty words, it really makes people think that you actually like eating dirt." A part of Zangya was glad that Videl attacked Gohan. She had been itching to take her down a few thousand pegs and, while she recognized that stopping Buu was important, the girl had hurt Gohan, and that was more important to her. Besides, she was certain that Gohan totally had things under control in the ship. Unfortunately, her fight with the little devil girl turned out to be more boring than she realized. She was starting to feel like a bully and almost felt sorry for the mind-controlled teen. She lifted her foot up again but rather than shouting right away, Videl took a deep breath… Before starting her string of expletives. "YOU WRETCHED BLUE ALIEN SLUTCOW!" Ok, she no longer felt like a bully. Videl struggled to get herself up. "When I get through with you, You'll OOMPGH!" Her threat ceased as Zangya's weight sent the younger teen crashing back into the dirt. Zangya had decided that the best way to deal with this, was to sit on her. She just plopped down on the angry female like she was a couch.
"G-Get off of me!" Videl tried to struggle but it was in vain.
"It's no use struggling kid. I sit on babies stronger than you all the time." Zangya said and Videl stopped her yelling.
"What?"
Zangya thought about what she said. "Oh, sorry. I meant to say that I babysit kids stronger than you all the time. Same thing basically."
"How dare you! Just-Just you wait, I'll get out from under your fat butt and thenMPHFMPH!" This time Zangya used her hand to shove her opponents face down making her eat dirt again.
'Now I kinda wished I had gone in with the others. Please hurry Gohan.' She thought the last part with a touch of worry.
"I wonder if there's a way to get a hold of 18?" She thought out loud. "Maybe I can get her to bring some playing cards."
Now that the threat of Buu has been revealed, even more questions arise. Why has Goku decided to blindly obey the Supreme Kai? Will Vegeta be able to make peace with Shin? And what of the mysterious Dabura? Will he fall to Gohan? Or will the demon king rock our hero's world? But most importantly, will 18 bring cards to Zangya so she doesn't get bored?
18: No.
Find out in the next exciting chapter of Earth's greatest Champion: Son Gohan!
End chapter.
A/N: I debated for a while on whether to send Zangya in with the rest of the team or leave her outside, but in the end, I feel like I came up with a good compromise. Sorry if anyone was disappointed. As for Zangya railing against the Kais, Zangya is a reformed villain who has a lot of guilt regarding her past. Part of her anger at the kais is her projecting her own guilt, part of it is justified, part is because Shin caused harm to Gohan and finally, she just doesn't really like them since even reformed criminals don't really develop a great love for their jailers. At least, not generally. Gohan was certainly not happy at first about the whole stabbing thing, but being who he is, he is willing to set differences aside for the good of the earth, and the universe. I tried to balance out his anger with his rationality when Piccolo was turned to stone. The man is family to him and I think he would be genuinely ticked after such an occurrence. I was trying to show both his sense of urgency as well as his self-control, since he understands that blowing up the ship really could wake up Buu. Vegeta's attitude is just… Vegeta.
Some of you may be wondering exactly how powerful Gohan is at this point. The answer, pretty powerful. Power scaling becomes a little difficult after Frieza and even Cell. I know I don't always do the best job of being clear on how strong everyone is in relation to everyone else, but I do hope you guys will cut me some slack on that. Part of it is I just don't think exact power levels are super important and if anyone has a suggestion on a better way of showing power than just outright saying a powerlevel, I would genuinely be glad to hear it. I also don't want to be unrealistic with the growth of the characters. I will say that, without making an exact list of who's strongest, Zangya, Piccolo, Vegeta and Goku, as well as 17 and 18 after training are in the same general class. Gohan and Broly are in a different league altogether.
Some things I wrote verbatim from the anime, while other things I changed up. The fight scenes for Vegeta and Goku took more time than I thought so I didn't end up getting to Gohan v Dabura, but that is where we will see some major changes. It should be a good one (knock on wood). Gohan is in his super Saiyan form while on the planet of darkness, but his aura isn't flared, like when he was SSJ grade 4 before fighting Cell. Goku's aura is flared, and that light is what is appetizing to Yakon. At least that's how I'm writing it. I could be wrong though. Also, Since the time frame is several years sooner than in the anime, I didn't know if it was realistic for Goku to have the massive reserves of power at this point to blow up Yakon with just his energy, so I had him use a different, albeit similar, strategy. Hope You guys like the changes to the course of events so far. More are on the way and I personally like what I have planned.