Chapter 26: Everything
A/N: Took longer than I'd like but just got stuck on what this chapter would be as we near the end.
The news of the vicious attack upon Orange Star High exploded, what was supposed to be a typical high school dance hospitalized dozens and injured a hundred if not more. Some students were critical, others serious but no one had died… not that the perpetrator could have.
The masked assailant slipped in and shattered lives, but unfortunately for the locals and authorities there was nothing to go off of. No camera footage, no note, plan, or truthful claims for the attack. In the following day there were a couple pranksters or hoaxsters that claimed to be the masked man, but those leads were quickly debunked when it was evident those sending messages through phones or behind a keyboard looked nothing like the attacker.
Only a few people knew who had done it, and they weren't going to be running to the police. Because this was far above their pay grade. Videl had shared the news with her father and he tried to act pompously that he could handle this and would make sure that this could be resolved without further issue. They both knew that was a lie, Hercule had a very basic idea of Gohan's true strength and perhaps it should be considered a blessing that no one had been killed.
It was shown in how her father turned serious. "Videl, I forbid you from approaching Gohan like that again. You have no idea what he could do to you and I don't want to see you get hurt or killed." He had grabbed her by both of her shoulders and stared directly into her eyes. "You're the only thing I have that is truly my own Videl, please don't put yourself in danger like that again."
"Dad, Gohan could've done anything to me, but he didn't. He hesitated, there was pause, if there had been an opportunity for him to have hurt me he didn't do it. I watched him cripple so many others and turn the school on it's head but not once did he directly try to hurt me." She may have left out he had pulled back to punch her. But in her mind why did Gohan have to go through any sort of show for her. He could've just as easily just hit her and be done with it. He did so with everyone else.
Why make me the exception? The question had more possible answers.
Already the world champion was sure of what was going to come next. He could tell just by the way she was speaking and that look in her eyes. The look that told him no matter what he told her she was going to get involved, Videl would put herself on the front lines to do what she "If you hear something come and tell me, but please just promise me that you won't get yourself killed because of this."
Videl promised him, but truthfully she wasn't sure if she could actually keep it.
However… Videl thought if Gohan was out for revenge or perhaps some measure of retribution she feared for one person. One out of all of the people on this planet who probably felt they deserved Gohan's wrath.
[***]
Meanwhile both of the warriors that had been in the titanic brawl that had eclipsed and caused tons of damage though it hadn't threatened the world yet. Vegeta came out better off in the short term but he wasn't ready to stand there and start celebrating his victory. No this wasn't the time.
'How did all of that happen.' Vegeta sat quietly in the living room of his home. His hands tucked beneath his jaw with his head dipped forwards letting his nose hover a few millimeters above his gloved fingers.
His body was equipped to be in a battle as he rightly suspected there would be a follow up confrontation. Physical preparation was secondary to the mental prep work he would need. Because in the hidden reaches of his soul Vegeta had hesitated just a second to long to finish things.
And he struggled to determine the reasons for such hesitation.
Questioning whether he had let his interactions with the teen color what was the correct action to act. 'Which is correct, killing the boy or stopping him?' Do I perhaps see something that I shouldn't in a child that isn't mine at all? Questioning where were the ones who were supposed to be there for me and were not.'
Taking a breath Vegeta closed his eyes. "I know how it can be, though our situations were nothing alike. I wasn't some spoon fed brat like this one." He told himself, but there was something that resonated more with Gohan's plights.
A young and foolish teen thrust into a life he never asked for. "Though I would've traded places in a heartbeat. Any hell that was Frieza and in his army were nothing to what this boy had to endure, my hardships are easily many times more than him."
Yet there was no answer for Vegeta's hesitation. "Mercy? No."
"Respect? Hah, the boy is the spawn of my most hated being on this entire fucking planet." That one was clear enough even for an outsider to see.
Yet as the prince continued to dwell upon a topic that had to have a reason, or needed to have one in his eyes the room was filled with another presence, nothing that would cause alarm- at least to him anyway.
Coming in with a measure of decorum that one could expect of a five year old nearly about ready to turn six.
"Papa?" That blasted nickname… If that old broad couldn't cook I swear I'd have killed her.
"I'm your father Trunks, what is it that you want?" Being curt with his son was nothing new. He didn't beat around the bush with his son. It was one of the few reasons why his son was the only one that he really listened to. He never coddled anyone, not even his own wife.
Trunks could sense his father's predicament and changed tactics. Even for his age he knew how to adapt. "Dad, are you sad?"
An eyebrow raise was his response. "Yes? No?" He was in tune with his father's mental state even if he didn't entirely know it. He did understand that this wasn't like him.
Vegeta wanted to ignore his son, but he took too much after himself and his damn mother. His boy would just irritate him later with more questions which would get on his nerve and in turn get on his wife's nerve. The end result all parties pissed off until Trunks got an answer. "No, I'm not sad, boy, I'm thinking."
"Why?"
'That fucking- Kami balsted-!' Vegeta delivered several other long lines of intricate curse words. He hated hearing that blasted word from Trunks. "Because you're father needs to think."
"Why?"
Groaning mentally the prince just closed his eyes and took a breath. Counting to ten before he murdered his own flesh and blood, or just threw him out of the damn window.
"Because there are things I don't understand boy." He spoke restraining himself but he saw his son's lower jaw move. "Don't you ask me why or I'll hit you son." Trunks mouth snapped shut upon the notable threat. He'd been punted several times because he'd rubbed Vegeta the wrong way or done something devious like steal his food, futz with the gravity chamber controls, or nearly attempt to cut his father's hair when he discovered a pair of scissors. The last one being more of self defense than punishment. But he never did it again upon learning these lessons.
Exhaling from his nose Vegeta sat back in his chair, an open cue for Trunks who hoped up onto his father's right thigh and looked up at him.
Vegeta made no effort to remove him, just sitting back in his chair with so many questions rolling around in his head as he tried to understand the question his son had asked him. Why?
But it came to him, a reason why he hadn't killed Gohan and it was staring him in the face. The answer was almost enough to make Vegeta crack a grin, bringing a hand to cover his face as he couldn't stop the following laughter. "I guess it makes more sense than any of the other reasons." Speaking out loud though his son was unable to follow.
"Why indeed? Because after so many years I might have an inkling as to why I wouldn't kill someone. I killed Nappa without hesitation, didn't pause when I watched others die… but now, now that I have something. I know. I know why I hesitated and the irony. Oh the Irony…'
He put a hand on Trunks head, yes as a father himself he knew how much his son meant to him and Gohan had been looking to him in the same light since he had no father anymore. As a saiyan he shouldn't hesitate but as a man with a family of his own he did.
[***]
"While not perfect my young champion, you have tremendous potential." Babadi said sitting back on his throne as Gohan kneeled before him. Taking only a small taste of what was exploding like wildfire through an entire human city almost had the wizard feel a stirring in his loins. "Not killing them was a choice but the fear and anguish you've caused has caused a state of panic to overtake them. Watching human's point fingers at one another, each one attempting to shift the blame only to spark further outrage has sown even more discontent than simply slaying them. Taking a life is terrible to human's but having to live in fear, paranoia, and pain for years is even better. But considering they have no idea who did all of this means that you can always return to amplify those emotions ten fold." Destroying lives through battle and magic was one thing but to have simple mortal beings tear apart their own communities after the fact was just beautiful.
The wizard did have some minor concerns with the battle unfolding with the only other competent fighter on the entire planet. He had intervened only slightly to see the effects of what would occur.
'This prince Vegeta does have some potential but his will would take an exceedingly long time to break. It's why I chose the mentally weaker of the two, one that hasn't been exposed to such harshness and cruelty is much easier to bend.' He'd originally considered Vegeta to be his champion but probing his nightmares would be nothing, the man was an absolute sadist, breaking himself day in and day out. Mental tortue would be less effective and breaking a part of any family ties wasn't really an option either. There were only two people that mattered on the planet to him and breaking up a wife and a son would probably bear minimal results and possibly result in the saiyan prince leaving.
It was why Gohan was the more logical choice.
Gohan did not immediately reply, 'I don't even know why I spared them. Was causing them pain more important than killing them?' He had tried to ponder the answer but he never was able to really focus too hard on the why. Perhaps since he'd given himself up he no longer wanted to think about it. 'But why did I bother at all?'
Babadi ignored Gohan's inner thoughts, he still had Gohan under his control and even if not fully there were always other means. Sending Gohan into a state of blood rage with his butcher's nail spell was more than acceptable even if it meant him going insane faster. Once Majin Buu was resurrected he wouldn't have a need for him. But until then he didn't have a surefire way of restoring the greatest weapon his father had made.
"Did you think you'd beat me Supreme Kai? Oh how woefully pathetic you are. I am always your better and just like my father who killed four of your wretched kind I will take you out and remove any threats to my golden age." It was coming so tantalizingly close and while he could perhaps funnel energy from his subordinates and Gohan to fuel his father's weapons resurrection that always came with a risk that the Kai's might be aware of him weakening himself.
He'd come far-far too long of a distance to put any chance or minute risks into his goals. Plus giving hope to the Kai's and then crushing it would only make the victory that much sweeter. To have that purple skinned fool face down in the dirt before he killed him, perhaps begging or pleading for some kind of mercy or leniency for these pathetic weak mortals. But only to have them be ignored.
"Maybe I can keep him alive as a living trophy, or maybe!" Babadi snapped his fingers with a brilliant idea. "I could turn him into living furniture to have him suffer and wallow as my footstool while the universe gets remoulded as I wish.
As the haggard wizard got lost in how plans of glory he bid Gohan leave his sight. "Go and enjoy yourself tonight. Spread some more fear and chaos I'll be watching should you need me."
He didn't have any reason to object to being let you again. There was still one person that required his personal attention, someone who had betrayed him more dearly than any other.
When it came down to it, the domino that sent his entire life tailspinning had been someone he'd let into his life. A friend that had been the one to shove the knife between the ribs and twist it-metaphorically.
She deserved his personal touch, if not outright killing her than teaching her a terrible lesson. One that she might not ever forget.
With his master's quaint blessing he took off for her, hsi energy hidden by his own suppression and Babadi's wards. Flying in the direction of Erasa, the blonde bitch who had destroyed him more than any other.
Mother abandonment aside, he'd let her in, pulled down some of the walls and what was his reward? Complete humiliation and disrespect.
It made Gohan's blood boil, the tightness in his fingers strain as his fists clenched together.
She told him that she loved him, that he was important to her. That they were meant to be, she had been his first kiss as a young man and had taken his stupid virginity. Not that he was in such a big fuss now since he had just thrown it away. But so many experiences were tainted and ruined by her.
He could not let this stand. She had to be made to pay for everything!
Within fifteen minutes he arrived at the outside of her house. He had no desire to just blow the entire thing up, that would be pretty meaningless. Erasa would never know a thing, other than death.
Yet as he weighed up on what to do he noticed a presence that paused him… 'Why are you here!?' He ground out mentally, he'd left her alone before only to have to run into her again. She'd been such a pain in his life, why must she keep interfering now?
Not privy of the situation outside. Videl sat with her friend, she was dressed school casual while Erasa had a large green onesie on. She had gotten incredibly depressed and fearful of what was going on, the terrorist style attack on the school -at least how the media portrayed it- hadn't helped her nerves. Throw in the fact a lot of people she knew had gotten hurt by someone that she now wished she couldn't have crossed.
Videl had been upfront about the fact that it was probably Gohan that had done it, his sudden appearance had been shocking and simultaneously confusing. Yet that wasn't the thing that was the most terrifying, she wanted Erasa to understand that Gohan was far more than what they both had once thought before.
"Gohan's one of the fighters from the Cell Games and he can do things that can only be described by watching them. That night I watched him move faster than light at times and then fight some man in the sky. It's surreal for how strong I thought myself and dad were just how incomparable the strength the two of them had. I could feel the air and area shaking with how hard they were hitting one another and if Gohan wanted to hurt someone there would be nothing anyone could do to stop him…" Videl said sitting in a chair across from her friend who was holding her legs in the fetal position on the bed on her side. She sighed and shook her head. "I'm not saying this to be cruel but Erasa, but I don't know what to do if Gohan came here. But you need to know how serious this is."
Erasa just lightly rocked in her place. She didn't have the energy to cry nor any desire to do it. All of her pain and become numbness, perhaps she had moved past the stages of grief but there was also something else.
That something wasn't planned or she hadn't exactly thought would occur, but had hoped at one point it might've been able to salvage something from this desperate situation. But with the information she had now, it was going to be an even bigger target painted on her back, not that she didn't already had one as this had been all her fault.
"Are you listening to me Erasa?" Her friend's words were heard but not acknowledged. 'What can I even say now? Everything that has come out of my mouth has only ruined things. I didn't want any of this.'
'Erasa…"
The blonde's eyes shifted and looked straight at her. "What do you want me to say, that I screwed up even more, you think I don't know that. On top of everything else there's something that I'm even more terrified about than having a confrontation with Gohan right now."
Videl's head angled slightly, "What do you mean? How could anything be more terrifying than what I've just told you? Did you-"
"I HEARD YOU!" Erasa shouted, cutting her friend off, though she just rolled onto her other side away from her. "I don't even want to say it. It's just-"
"Just what?" A third party spoke, spooking the hell out of both girls who almost jumped several feet as sitting in the open window was Gohan's scowling visage.
Videl immediately thought about an exit strategy but promptly shut herself down as she doubted they had any real chance of escape. Though the teen was happy to have been right in what would happen next, it was also mildly terrifying as she was stuck with a very pissed off Gohan. Yet as she looked at him she noticed the very large stamp in the middle of his forehead.
Erasa fell off her bed down a backwards roll as her shirt nearly caught itself on the edge and tangled her up further, but aside from the thump she was fine. But for how much longer? She didn't imagine this boding very well for her.
"So, what makes you more terrified than dealing with me right now? But then again I had to explain everything to you beforehand so that you might manage to grasp the concepts of school work. I can only guess you trying to explain something to me will be oh so much better." He drawled, the contempt for her spilled from his words.
He'd listened long enough and he heard, he actually listened to Erasa say that she wasn't truly afraid of him. But something else? Perhaps he hadn't done enough work at the school prom.
"Go-Gohan… Look you can be angry but-" Videl started for him but Gohan raised one hand at her causing her footsteps to stop instantly as she was just a few arms length away.
"Don't- Just don't Videl. I didn't finish what I was going to do last time, so don't try and tempt fate so soon already."
He turned his head back towards Erasa. "Are you going to fucking enlighten me or not?" he snarled. "Or are you just preparing another lie, perhaps you'd like to explain to the world about how much I abused you right? Tell everyone how violently I wrote those notes out, how the time we spent together I just couldn't restrain myself from being polite with you and how you pushed me to start fucking you! I guess you just wanted to be like your pornstar mom huh? You just couldn't stop yourself from jumping in the sack with a guy."
Erasa's head dropped, hearing Gohan's verbal lashing although deserved to her she didn't like hearing it from him. Her betrayal of him had been a knee jerk reaction to try and protect what had happened. Now staring him in the face, the enormity of her betrayal came crashing down even harder.
The moment lingered on, Erasa struggling to find the words to speak and the betrayed partner looking for a reasoning. But Videl wasn't going to remain on the sidelines, Gohan's threat or not.
"You can't look to change the past and what you're doing now won't change anything. You want answers but even if you get them what does it mean? Does that mean you'll just stop, do you go back to being your old self?" Videl stepped forward and Gohan didn't shift his gaze. "Gohan out of all the people I know why would you do this? I know you felt hurt and rightly so, but is this revenge going to change what happened, is becoming like the people who hurt you making you feel any better!?"
His brown eyes shifted towards her. "Considering how much you hated me despite doing nothing to deserve it. You're quite the hypocrite Videl, and no it won't change what happened. But then again you haven't been treated like I have, you haven't felt the pain that I've endured."
She didn't back down, "No, I wasn't a good person towards you but I was there for you just a few weeks ago. I watched you suffer, I saw how miserable you were and that Gohan kept trying to be strong and endure it."
He snorted dismissively. "Well-"
"I'll tell you." Erasa said cutting him off and both looked towards her. She shifted uncomfortably putting her hands in front of her stomach. "I- I- Well. Gohan, you and I slept together a while ago… and I just realized it a few days ago."
Neither party did anything, though Videl felt a surge of worry come through her. 'Oh no.'
"Gohan… I haven't had my period… I think- I think I might be Hrugh!" She unleashed something else inside of the man in front of her in a flash. Gohan grabbed her by the throat- hard- but nowhere near enough to kill her.
"Don't you fucking say that-! Don't you dare say that-!" Gohan shouted his heart beginning to pound.
Videl punched his arm in an effort to get him off Erasa, the two blows were probably feather touches to the saiyan who barely even flinched and she felt as if she had just hit concrete with her fists.
Emotions spilled all over him, he looked at her struggling face and then up and down her body, he couldn't believe this. But what if it's true? What the fuck!? WHYYY!? It was too much to handle, he couldn't process this not now, and not before either.
The world went dark for a few seconds, as he questioned his own desire to just end her life. She had caused so much pain but then… then if I do!? Then he'd be doing something beyond unforgivable, no matter his desire for revenge. He was speeding towards a line that he couldn't fathom, hurting people was one thing and killing others who deserved it was on the same coin. Only now!?
The rippling waves of emotions were just too much and Gohan threw himself away from everything, grabbing at his head as the nails in his mind began to drive into his will. But a part of him fought back refusing to take the next step to do that… He imagined the image of Goten then doing something horrific to him.
Videl was pushed aside as Gohan tore away from Erasa, letting her go and staggering towards the window. Red lines sparked around his exterior. Crackling loudly but even from her position she could see something was clashing with Gohan and it wasn't stemming from their conversation.
'Why are you holding back? Did she not cause you all of this undue suffering, take your chance and kill her and claim back your dignity!' Babadi declared inside of his mind but it was pushing the saiyan to do something even too far for him. 'You had no problem slaughtering so many of those who caused you pain. Why do you hesitate? Do not let some weak mortal give you pause! Do it! Kill her now!'
The wizard had been expecting a show, but from where he sat he saw inner conflict spark inside of his champion. He'd broken him down, earned his subservience and watched him begin to grow as his violent arm that he could employ… until now.
"The thought of her carrying your offspring is enough to make you whimper? To make you doubt your actions? Pathetic, but I can easily persuade you otherwise." Babadi spoke aloud as he grabbed the spell empowering the butcher's nails inside of Gohan's mind. He had to fight, lash out and release his rage or it would only further cause him pain.
Gohan screamed as his black hair ignited into a brilliant gold, the black mark on his forehead flairing to red and back to black as the magics woven into him sparked a conflict. The pain was punishing but Gohan threw himself from the window landing with heavy thud onto the ground, his ki sparking and shooting up all around him as he fought back against orders that were far too heinous. Too despicable even for him.
Throwing himself from side to side, the intense pain that ran up and down his spine were overwhelming, turning his vision red. Being compelled to hurt and kill beyond reason and rationale.
Yet a sliver of the teen's moral compass remained for a few moments.
But as he struggled to compose himself someone landed in front of him. He couldn't make out their face or anything as his eyes were completely blurred from both pain and compulsion.
"I knew you would come here." The person spoke but their words were jumbled to Gohan as Babadi paused his magic.
Gohan fell onto his knees, every single muscle and bone aching like he'd been gripped by a terrible fever. Yet he lifted his head up and saw the face of his own mother. "I'm done wallowing in my own pity Gohan. It's time for me to do my job as a parent, but more importantly as your mother I have to be here since I wasn't before."
She wasn't wearing her business clothes, donning one of her old fighting chenogasms. Wanting to bring back perhaps some type of reaction from her son. Seeing her the way he had wanted for several years now.
Pushing himself up onto one knee Gohan's blond hair still rippled with red lines as the large black M on his forehead no longer began to beat itself bright red. He had a moment of clarity, and self reflection and seeing his mother he could only tell her one thing. "Run…" Gohan spoke, "You have to ru-AUUUGHHH!" Gohan's body lifted off the ground as the pain returned tenfold.
'I'd rather not have to do this, but you leave me no choice… you will appreciate this for your own good or be left to suffer endlessly my champion.'
Gohan's mind was overwhelmed with old memories, his past desires, and deepest pains resurfaced through him. Reliving every moment where he had been put down, pushed aside, and neglected by his own mother. The saiyan could do nothing but let loose.
Chi-Chi wasn't sure what to expect for her reception but she'd hoped that this wasn't going to be the case as Gohan's eyes now completely red lunged after her. She had used Nimbus to get here guessing that because of what happened at his school he'd be coming back for more revenge against the people who hurt him.
'Not that I'm any different' Chi-Chi told herself as Gohan jumped forwards. Lost to nothing but anger. She might've been only human- but she had not been the world's strongest woman at one time for no reason. But as she retreated and pulled to the side Gohan punched an entire tree clean in half. His movement's more than sluggish by what he could do but Chi-Chi had but scant fractions of a second to react.
'What do you see now?' Babadi whispered as Gohan's vision shifted, the image of his mother twisted into one of his nightmares. Her body was grotesque, her face misshapen, and didn't even seem alive.
With nothing but a pained roar Gohan swung again. Missing by a breath as he smashed the ground watching the mass that wore his mother's flesh like a patchwork coat.
The commotion continued to rampage away from Erasa's home, the small wooded outcropping being uprooted and Videl after making sure Erasa was okay took flight and followed after them. Any idea of Gohan's power only continued to grow and grow as she watched him shred an entire forest. But as she attempted to keep up she caught sight of who was currently being 'attacked'.
She was stunned as she watched Chi-Chi move with some inhuman quickness as she dodged, ducked, moved and twisted her body in an effort to stay out of Gohan's attacks.
The mother split and rolled backwards avoiding the overhead stomp directed downwards for her. Doing what she could and barely managing to avoid being killed by her son. The way he was swinging there was nothing short of a fatal blow coming if she took any direct hit.
Listening to his pained scream he threw himself forwards again but she knew she couldn't keep this up forever but her son then changed the game.
His hand flared with ki and as she twisted out of the way the blast barely connected, burning away the right side of her clothing and singing a hand sized chunk of her flesh.
'I hope someone gets here soon…' Chi-Chi thought as she grasped her side feeling a small amount of blood coat her fingers from the fresh wound. Managing to pirouette Gohan's next huge cross she made a bold move and balled up her fist and aimed for him with everything she had.
The connection was bittersweet as Gohan's face twisted only slightly but the impact hurt her more. She attempted to swing through and pivot around him. But his outstretched arm swiped at her, the force sending a shockwave outwards as she was battered backwards. Her body slammed into a tree which cracked in half as Chi-Chi coughed up a small amount of blood as she felt her ribs crack into her lungs.
Her body fell downwards as blood slowly slipped from her open mouth. Yet she still tried to raise her head but she wished she hadn't as Gohan was already upon her, his fist reared back and eyes still fully red, no sign of her baby boy. No loving son was showing in that face but pure rage. She didn't look away as Gohan swung.
As the blow neared her, Chi-Chi felt a hand touch her shoulder, perhaps it was someone here at last but the world went dark as felt herself be wrapped up and a warmth overtake her.
Videl screamed in horror as she tried to move in to save her but only watched as the area exploded in a cloud of splinters and dust.
Gohan panted as the spell twisting his mental state finally parted as Babadi watched from his mind. The blood haze slowly faded as Gohan looked to where he had attempted to kill the monster from his nightmares. Yet as he stood there his fist remaining where it was, he did not see anything on it except for dirt and debris.
Like a bullet striking him, Gohan's natural senses detected an enormous power just feet away from him. Babadi quickly felt it too as following Gohan's vision he raised up his hands and began to chant his spell.
Gohan saw blond hair through the smoke and just as the world shifted and he felt himself being transported he saw orange and blue on the other side of that smoke.
R&R