A/N: This chapter is coming about a week late. The delay was due to my being lazy combined with being sucked into other stories on the site.
Just a heads up, this chapter starts with quite a bit of exposition, but I thought it was important to the story.
Chapter 37:
Several months ago…
There exists a space, outside our plane of existence, which we commonly call other world. Where souls can continue to exist after our time here is done. This realm is not only home to the souls of the deceased, but it hosts the divine protectors of the galaxies known as the Kais. Above this realm, reachable only by boarding the higher plane, there are the worlds where only the noblest of mortal souls may tread. These planets are the homes of the Grand Kais and only true heroes who have earned the right may train there. But beyond this, beyond the point in otherworld that any mortal has gone before, is another world. The sacred planet of the supreme Kais.
This was the home of Shin and his loyal attendant, Kibito. It was once the home of the other supreme Kais, but long ago they were taken from Shin. Taken by Majin Buu, the very monster that he had called the grand kais to discuss. After many eons of relative peace, the threat had once again reared its ugly head when Shin discovered that Bibidi had a son. The wizard had been laying low, biding his time for all these years and now his sudden appearance fulfilled the fear that Shin had been harboring all this time. Babidi would try to resurrect Majin Buu and that would spell the end for all life in the universe.
"I say we blow the thing up, save us a lot of trouble." An elderly Grand Kai stated.
"That is not an option." Shin replied firmly. "For one thing, the explosion could potentially release Majin Buu from his slumber. Beyond that, I will not condone the slaying of the innocent. That is Beerus' job, not ours. We will not destroy the earth. Not when there are still other options to pursue."
"I would agree with your lordship of course," The green Grand Kai said while bowing to Shin. "But time is not on our side. We do not have long to plan out and discuss every single avenue before us. We must act fast. Destroying a single planet is not ideal but think of the thousands of other planets that we would be saving by doing so. It is our job to protect the universe, not a single planet at the expense of the rest. We must consider the greater good." Rather than regret, he looked almost pleased at the prospect of earth being destroyed.
"Despicable!" A female Grand Kai said angrily (She makes me think of McGonagall so I'm calling her Minerva). "To hear a Kai, let alone one of our rank, speak so callously about the lives of mortals is simply disgraceful. Besides that, did you not hear the supreme Kai, or are your giant ears just full of manure as usual? He just said that an explosion could awaken the monster! Then what would happen to your 'greater good'?"
The Green Kai growled and was about to reply when our Grand Kai, let's call him Dean, spoke first.
"Ya know, we might have more time than ya think, Supreme Kai. If that little wiz needs to collect energy to resurrect Majin Buu, he's gonna have a pretty hard time on a planet like earth."
"Oh?" Shin motioned for him to continue.
"Yeah, see, that planet don't have many strong guys on it, cept a few of my north Kais students and their pals. From what I hear, Babidi'd have a rough time getting energy from any of them without a fight and we know that he's tryin' to fly under your radar."
"I see. You're right." Shin nodded. "Babidi would not want to risk his plans being discovered so soon. It will take him time to harvest the required energy."
"So what?" The grouchy old Grand Kai grumbled, we'll call him Oscar (Cuz he's a grouch). "We just sit here and wait till the wizard releases the monster and destroys us all? Oh, great plan. And what happens if all these strong fighters happen to gather in one spot or Babidi sneaks up on any of them? Their energy will be ripe for the picking and we will have done nothing to stop it!"
"Perhaps, but what are the chances that they would they gather in one spot?" Minerva asked.
Dean shrugged. "Well, they are gonna have a tournament here in a couple months. I'm sure most of them are planning on participating." 'If they're anything like Goku, they won't be able to resist.' He thought to himself.
"How do you know this?" A stout Grand Kai asked. "I'm never that up to date on the news of just a single planet in my domain."
"Ah well, I heard it on the radio." He pulled out his boom box. "K98-Z has the best classic rock on, ya dig?"
"Perfect, so the strongest mortals on the planet will become a smorgas board for Majin Buu." Oscar rolled his eyes. "As I said, we must act now!"
"Perhaps not." The supreme Kai looked thoughtful.
"Your lordship, we cannot wait for Babidi to attack this tournament and obtain the energy he needs. Even if he does attack it, we will not be able to respond in time to catch him."
"Unless we set a trap for Babidi." Shin replied, earning curious stares from the other Kais. "Babidi is a master of staying hidden. His magic has kept him from our sight for this long and it was only a fluke that allowed us to discover his existence at all. We can only guess that Earth is his destination, but we will never be able to find him until it is too late. However, we do know that he is likely searching for strong warriors, both to enslave and to steal energy from. We can therefore assume that he will be at this tournament."
"But Babidi would never be so bold as to appear there himself." Kibito chimed in for the first time.
"You are correct." Shin nodded. "He will likely send an agent in his place to do the dirty work for him. We will lie in wait for them to act, then we will follow them back to their master."
"How can we be certain that he will send someone to the tournament?" Minerva asked.
"We cannot be certain of anything when it comes to the son of Bibidi." Shin answered. "But it will be an opportunity that I believe he will find hard to pass up. Of course," He continued, cutting off Oscar and the Green Kai. "We will not wait until then. Kibito and I will go to earth and try to find him before he can act. We will do everything in our power to locate him and put a stop to his evil. If we succeed, all the better, but if we fail, I believe that a trap at this tournament is the best plan available."
The Grand Kais had mixed expressions. It was a risky plan but the fact that the supreme Kai himself was going to be on the planet made them feel more at ease.
"And what shall we do?" The portly Kai asked.
"You will continue to watch over your corners of the universe. I shall not be gone for long and There is no reason that you should neglect your duties."
"And what if you should fail?" Oscar asked with a raised eyebrow.
Shin paused. He stared at the elderly Kai with a look of grave seriousness. "Pray that we do not."
The others nodded. They understood that if Shin failed his mission, it was all over.
"One more thing, my lord." The portly Kai said. "We know that Babidi has a habit of collecting and enslaving powerful warriors. What if he collects a warrior too strong to handle? If these earthlings you spoken of have been trained by a Kai then they would be formidable opponents if Babidi works his magic on them.
"Dean?" Shin turned to the old man. "Is that a possibility for these fighters you spoke of?"
"Nah," He waved his hand. "You gotta remember, we only train the good guys up here. They have good hearts. Even the ones that didn't train up here seem ok. They're mostly pals of Goku."
"That's right, Goku is from earth. You say that these friends are like him?" Shin remembered his brief meeting with the Saiyan, and he had left a favorable impression on the Kai. He had known of his works, though only through reading the file of him and his son, but his record spoke for itself.
"Well, nobody's quite like Goku, but yeah, they're good. Babidi won't have no hold on em." Dean replied easily.
"You seem to be forgetting one thing." Oscar interjected. "There is one with a great and dark power who Babidi could easily take hold of."
"Son Gohan." The green Kai said, completing his colleagues thought. "The boy's demonic nature will be an easy target for Babidi. If he were to take control of him, it would be disastrous. That isn't even accounting for the possibility of Buu being revived. It would be like the Majin war all over again only this time, Daikaioshin will not be there to save us." The other Kais all became very grim at the thought.
"I hate to admit it, but he has a point." The lady Grand Kai said to the nods of many of her comrades.
"It is true." The portly Kai said in a thoughtful manner. "In such times, it could be dangerous for us to leave a being like him unattended."
"I disagree completely." Grand Kai Dean said, losing some of his laid-back manner. "We agreed that the kid would need watching, but it's been a year and he ain't done nothing to show he's anything but a regular kid. If there's anything about him that's bad, it would be that he's a total bad-a-"
"I think that you are forgetting," The female Kai cut off his possible profanity. "That while he may be a 'regular kid' he still has incredible power. Even if we disregard his dark potential, he would still be an incredible threat if he falls into the hands of someone like Babidi. His demon blood only makes such a scenario that much more likely."
"I think that you're forgetting that the kid resides in my domain. Yall don't have a say over my subjects same as I don't have say over yours."
"None of us are harboring demonic beings." The green Kai said with an air of superiority.
Dean was starting to get annoyed. What right did they have to tell him how to run his domain? Not only that, but he also just felt like defending the kid. He didn't know him personally, but he did know Goku and had developed a kind of soft spot for the guy. It was also thanks to both of them that his part of the universe was now considered one of the safer districts. He had also had north Kai keep an eye on him and he'd been reporting to the Grand Kai everything he did. So far, it was only good things. Plus, the 'gold fighter' came up as a topic occasionally on the radio (The fact that he had won a gold fighter skateboard on a calling contest had nothing to do with his annoyance at the others.) "Does his heritage really matter? I mean, even without the smackdown he's been putting on guys like Bojack, the kid has a record that would get anyone into the highest level of the afterlife. He spends his free time fighting crime and helping old ladies across the street. He aint got no dark in him, I don't care if he is a demon."
"You don't care that he is a demon!?" Oscar seethed. "Have you forgotten the destruction his kind caused!? The countless number of our comrades that they have killed!? The pain and hardship that we went through until the monsters were finally sealed away!?"
Dean looked at the other kai and slowly removed his shades. His brow was furrowed and his mouth a hard line. Over a milky white eye ran three scratch marks, adding to the intensity of his glare. "I've forgotten nothing."
Oscar was taken aback for a moment but quickly recovered, returning the stare with equal intensity. "That's right. You of all people should know that all of these animals belong in their cage or should be put down."
The other grand Kais looked on in fascination at the exchange between the two. It was true that while many of the Kais had not been alive when the demons first appeared, they all knew the stories. It was a tale that was passed down to every core person so that they could stand ready if the threat ever resurfaced. Even Shin had not been alive during the conflict. But these two, Dean and Oscar, were there. They had fought in the battles and experienced firsthand just how crushing the power of a true Majin was. It made Majin Buu look like a child in comparison. Many of their generation had fallen and it was only by a miracle that these two had survived. This had left its mark on the old Kais. Dean had trained tirelessly so that he would be ready if the threat ever returned. This is why in his prime he was revered as the strongest fighter in the universe.
Oscar on the other hand, had never truly been able to move past the traumatic events. He hated demons with a passion and all the races that spawned from them. He knew in his heart that they were an existence beyond all other evils, and he would do everything in his power to keep them from coming back.
The stare down ended when Dean shook his head. "Animals huh? I don't know about that. I do know that every soul that comes through to otherworld is judged on the actions of their own life. Not the lives of their ancestors. Are we going to withhold that right from the kid just because yall are too scared to give him a fair shake? He aint even dead yet!"
The other grand Kais looked thoughtful at this. It was true that the boy had done nothing wrong. But the terror of the Majins had been drilled into them for so long and fear coupled with uncertainty are difficult things to overcome. Especially when the circumstances were as potentially dire as they were.
"You may be right." A blue grand Kai who had been silent the whole time spoke. "Perhaps fear and prejudice are factoring too much into this and it seems that we have strayed from the original point. Buu is our primary concern right now along with Babidi. The way I see it, the argument is not whether the boy is evil and a threat to us now. It is whether or not Babidi will be able to use his magic to influence and control the boy as he has done to so many others." He reasoned. "The boy is part demon, and part mortal. Mortals are weak willed and even the best of them harbor dark desires. Even great paragons of virtue have been known to be corruptible. On the other side, the very nature of the demon race is one of violence and destruction. I believe you when you say that he is a good soul, but as with all mortals, there is likely a piece of it, however small, which holds a darkness that the wizard will be able to take hold of and enlarge. Then it will not matter how good his heart is. He will be but a slave to the whims of Babidi."
"You're spittin nonsense." Dean shot down his argument. "If that's what you think, then every other mortal is compromised, meaning that we should treat the kid the same as everyone else anyway. Or are you planning on killing or locking away every mortal to keep them from being taken in by an evil wizard?"
"You know that is not what we are suggesting." The lady Kai said evenly. "No other mortal has the potential of the boy and therefore doesn't pose the same level of risk. The threat of Buu is bad enough, but to increase the risk by our inaction would be most reprehensible."
"Then we are agreed?" The Green kai said. "We will destroy the boy to prevent his power falling into the hands of Babidi."
"No." Shin spoke at last. "We will not destroy him."
"But my lord-"
"Dean is right. No matter the boy's blood, he is innocent of any wrongdoings. We will not kill him simply to prevent what evil he might do." Some of the Kais looked angry while others accepted the point with a reluctant nod. Scared though they were, most of them couldn't find it in their hearts to murder a child. But the threat was still present, and they felt that something had to be done. "However, that does not mean that we can leave him to be ensnared in Babidis clutches. It is regrettable, but I believe that the only way to remove Son Gohan from the equation, is to seal him away."
"Supreme Kai I'm telling you that aint necessary." Dean said in frustration.
"I can appreciate that the boy is under your jurisdiction and I trust that your judgement of him is not in error. But what has been said is true. Mortals are selfish by nature. It would take an extraordinary force of will for one to reject the temptations that Babidi offers. I fear that it would be an impossible feat for one so young and volatile. Even more so when coupled with his potential as a Majin."
"But-" Dean tried to argue.
"Your objection has been noted, but we simply cannot leave the boy alone. Perhaps when the issue with Buu has been settled and Babidi's evil has been done away with, then we can discuss releasing him. But that is a discussion for another time."
Grand Kai Dean sighed in frustration. He had been overruled and outvoted. Now he had wished that he had taken the post of a supreme Kai when it was offered to him. But now an innocent kid was going to be imprisoned for who knows how long just because a bunch of sheep are afraid of what he might do. He wanted to say something to the young Shin, but he knew better than to openly disrespect the supreme Kai.
"I think that sealing is, indeed, our best option supreme Kai." Minerva said. "But now we come across the same issue as when it was first brought up. Do you have the ability to seal someone as strong as him?"
"You forget that while he is strong, he is still in his adolescence. Not only that, his Majin powers have not yet fully awakened." Shin replied.
"Yes, but the more powerful a mortal is, the more difficult they become to imprison. He may very well be close to the level of Dabura by now and that will take quite the technique to seal such a power, child or not. Perhaps more of us should accompany you?"
"That will not be necessary. I have such a technique that will suit our purposes just fine. During my time studying under Daikaioshin, He taught me many ancient techniques, one of them being the eight-way trigram crucible."
The grand Kais raised an eyebrow at this. "How does it work?" The blue Kai asked.
"It is a rather complex technique and requires the victim to remain still, but if it is successful, it traps them within an object. It is impossible to escape, no matter how powerful one is."
"And why is that?" One Kai asked.
"You see, the genius in the technique is that it uses the very energy of the one who is sealed to fuel it. The victim may try to escape, but their energy will be drained from them, weakening them while strengthening their prison."
"I see…" The portly Kai rubbed his chin. "That is rather ingenious. The boy will have his power sapped from him and if we do decide to let him free one day, he will be considerably weaker that when he first went in. But how are you going to get him to sit still for this?"
"That is why I will bring Kibito along with me." He turned to his loyal assistant. "Nobody can deny his skills and he will use the invisible binding on him while I perform the technique. It will not need to be for long, just enough to finish the incantation."
"I like this plan." Minerva said to the nods of others. It was the safest and most sensible course of action available in their minds. "I presume that you will be off right away to seal the boy and proceed directly on to finding Babidi?"
"Yes, I believe that would be best." Shin was reluctant to confront Gohan, but it had to be done.
"Just one last thing before you go." Dean interrupted. He may not have been able to talk sense into the supreme Kai, but maybe someone else could. "You promised Goku that we wouldn't harm his kid. I think you oughta tell him what it is your planning on doing. He deserves that much. After all, it aint often that a Kai goes back on his word."
"We owe that disrespectful mortal nothing!" The green kai yelled. "Why he-"
"Very well. I will tell him." Shin nodded and the other Kais reeled back slightly from the surprise. While he may not have been the most experienced ruler, he was not an uncompassionate one. He had told Goku that his son was safe, and he did in fact feel like he owed it to the man to be straightforward and honest with him. "You are right. He deserves to know the fate of his loved one at the very least. I will tell him before I go."
Break
Goku was excitedly training with Olibu on Grand Kais planet. The man may not have been as strong as him, but he was definitely an experienced and cunning warrior. Plus, it was kind of fun to train with a fellow earthling.
"Alright fellahs, time for a break." King Kai stopped their sparring session. "Lunch is ready."
"OH BOY!" Goku immediately dashed over to the picnic table and started loading his plate with everything available before starting to stuff his face.
"You know, a simple thank you is usually customary." King Kai griped.
"Oh myeahmmm… Mno problem King Kai." Goku said between mouthfuls making his mentor sigh.
"Why do I even bother. I'm just lucky the other Kais aren't here to see how my student disrespects me." He grumbled.
"Oh, Hey supreme Kai!" Goku waved and continued to eat.
"Very funny Goku, Like the supreme Kai would really be here. You're not fooling me again, not like last time." He said folding his arms.
"May I ask what happened last time?" A voice asked from behind making King kai jump and spin around. "BWAAH!" He dropped to his knees when he saw who it was. "M-m-my Grace! I mean your lord I mean-"
"Wanna join us Supreme Kai?" Goku asked over his teacher's groveling. "King Kais cooking has gotten a lot better lately."
"WILL YOU SHOW SOME RESPECT!" The blue Kai ran over and tried to make Goku bow his head, but the Saiyan just looked confused and didn't budge.
"I thought I was. I mean, I asked him to join us after all."
"THE SUPREME KAI DOESN'T WANT TO EAT WITH YOU, YOU BUMPKIN!"
"Actually, it is with Goku that I wish to speak, if I may." Shin asked with a polite authority.
King Kai was somewhat stunned, but bowed profusely and said "Yes, yes, of course. I would be honored if you spoke to one of my students!"
"I was hoping that the conversation would be a private one." He gave King kai a meaningful look and he took the hint.
"Of course, sir. Come on Olibu." The blonde man followed his teacher leaving Shin and Goku alone.
"So, what do you want to talk about?" Goku asked, always straight to the point.
Shin sighed. Goku's honest face and friendly demeanor made him feel a twinge of guilt for the actions he must take. This would be more difficult than he thought. "It is about your son."
"Gohan? what about him?"
"Do you remember the conversation we had almost a year ago?"
"About Gohan being a demon? Yeah, I remember that. You know you don't have to apologize or anything. But I guess you guys must feel pretty silly now." Goku smiled. "You made all that fuss and he's totally fine, just like I told you."
"I'm afraid not Goku." Shin replied gravely.
Goku stopped smiling. "What do you mean? Gohan hasn't done anything wrong has he? I mean I know he skipped school that one time with Dende, but that can't count as evil. Does it?" Goku hoped not, but you never knew.
"No, Gohan has not done anything wrong." The statement made Supreme Kai feel sick. It was like admitting that he was putting down an animal for no reason.
"So, then what's the problem?" Goku looked confused.
"I… Events have recently transpired that if left unchecked will lead to the destruction of the universe. If your son is left to roam free, this outcome is more likely to come to pass."
"What are you talking about? If the universe is in trouble, Gohan being around will only keep it safe." Goku replied seriously. He didn't like where this was going.
"I'm afraid that you are wrong Goku. I'm sorry that I cannot tell you more. I did come to inform you that I… That we will be sealing your son away."
"WHAT!?" Goku yelled and his aura flared. Supreme Kai nearly fell backwards from the shock.
"I'm sorry Goku, please understand that this decision was made for the good of the universe!" Shin explained hastily.
"BULL!"
"Goku it is only a temporary measure!"
"I don't care how temporary it is! You said that if Gohan doesn't do anything wrong then you'll leave him alone! He doesn't deserve to be treated like some animal!" Goku didn't care how high ranking this guy was. He hated when people lied, and he was furious that his son was being threatened.
"You don't understand-"
"So, explain it to me!" Goku demanded. "Tell me what is so important that you would go back on your word!?"
Shin hesitated, but the look on Goku's face told him that he wasn't about to let this go. "Very well. I will tell you. There is a threat on the horizon. An evil wizard named Babidi plans to resurrect a fiendish creation. One that can and will destroy the entire universe. The monsters name is Majin Buu."
"Majin? You mean like those demon guys you told me about before?" Goku asked.
"In a way, yes. We called him a Majin because, while he did not possess the same level of power as a true demon god, his energy was similar and his appetite for destruction was far worse. It was only by a stroke of luck that we were able to stop him. This time, I doubt we will be so lucky, which is why we plan on stopping the horror before it begins."
"Look, that sounds awful, but I'm telling you, Gohan can handle the threat. There's no reason to seal him away when he could fight to protect the universe."
"I do not believe that your son would be able to defeat Buu without releasing the darkness inside of him. That itself would be a horrible outcome as we would simply be trading one engine of destruction for another. Aside from that, we do not plan on letting Buu be released in the first place. But even if your son did stand a chance against Buu, the real reason why we must seal him away is Babidi himself."
"Some little wizard isn't a match for Gohan." Goku stated.
"That is where you are mistaken. While the wizard is lacking in raw fighting ability, his magic makes it so that he does not need to fight. Babidi specializes in controlling other fighters. He takes the darkness within them and bends them to his will. They become his slaves and we cannot afford to let him have a slave like Gohan."
"But you're not making any sense!" Goku said. "If he can only get a fighter by using their inner darkness, he won't be able to take control of Gohan at all because he has no evil in him."
"Not on the surface, but we both know there is a darker side waiting to escape."
"But it isn't evil!" Goku was insistent. "You don't know him like I do, and you don't even know if Babidi will go after my son in the first place!"
"Babidi is probably on earth as we speak, and he is looking for strong fighters who will serve his cause. Is your son not a high-profile citizen? Would this not paint a target on his back for Babidi to hit? Even if he did not succeed in completely controlling him, which is unlikely, he could potentially unleash your sons' dark power and it would consume the universe along with the good your son has in him. We cannot take the risk."
"Not Gohan! That will never happen! What do I have to do to make you see that!?" Goku was desperate to protect his son. He had no idea how strong Shin was, but even without strength, the Kais had lots of techniques and if they said they would seal Gohan, they could probably make it happen. Even someone like Master Roshi could seal a stronger opponent. He had to do something.
"I'm sorry Goku but the decision has been made. I wish there was another way but-"
"What if he helped you?" Goku blurted out.
"I beg your pardon?"
"What if Gohan helped you stop Babidi? That would prove you wrong about him, right?"
"I know you are trying to help your son Goku but bringing him anywhere close to Babidi would only ensure that the wizard gets his hold on him."
"But what if he did? I know my son and he will put his life on the line to keep the earth safe. Just give him a chance, please!"
Supreme Kai hesitated. Goku's fervent appeals had been wearing him down. Perhaps it was not such a bad idea. He did not know all the fighters that Babidi had gathered but he knew they would be strong. Having a powerful warrior on his side would only be a benefit. But was such a risk worth it? "I appreciate what you are trying to do for him, but it is no use. My decision is final." Supreme Kai turned and with a heavy heart, started to leave.
Goku fell back into his seat. He couldn't believe that nothing could be done. His son was going to be consigned to a fate of darkness and solitude and he could do nothing to stop it. He felt even more helpless than any fight he had been in. But now, he couldn't simply punch his way out of this. He'd have to kill the Kais for that to work and that was something he couldn't do. Not when he had one more path that he could try.
"WAIT!" Goku yelled making Shin turn around. Goku ran up to him and did something that he had never done before. He knelt before another. "Please. Please don't do this. I'm begging you."
Shin was taken aback by this gesture of humility. "Goku I-"
"I'll do anything you want. I… I'll even be your servant. I'll go with you, me and Gohan will both fight for you. Even if he does lose control, I'll be there to keep him in check. I'll do anything you ask of me, just please, don't do this to Gohan. it isn't fair and he doesn't deserve it. Please."
Shin looked down with wide eyes at the display. Such tender devotion struck his already wavering heart and nearly brought a tear to his eye. "You would do that? You would wager your very soul on your son? Sell your freedom so that he can keep his?"
"Yes." Goku stayed kneeling and kept his head down. He had never submitted like this to anyone, and he never thought he would. But if it was for his family. If it was for Gohan, his pride meant nothing to him.
For the second time since meeting the man, the faith and love that Goku had for his child brought back that same feeling of warmth that Shin used to feel from his old master. Perhaps it was a risk, but as he said before, nothing was certain when it came to Babidi. It was a long shot, but perhaps Goku and Gohan being present would make all the difference. Dean had said that Gohan was a good soul and surely if Goku, his father, was there then he would act as the influence that the boy needed to stay grounded. Maybe it would have been wiser to simply seal the boy, but it didn't feel right. Not when the boy was so innocent of wrongdoing. Not when this mortal was begging him not to. If things went awry, he had a plan to fall back on, but for now…
"Very well. I accept your offer."
Goku raised his head. "Really!?" He jumped up excitedly. "ALRIGHT!"
"But I have several conditions." Shin cut Goku's excitement short.
"Like I said supreme Kai, anything you need." Goku answered.
"The first condition, you will of course accompany me to earth. Having a native will assist me greatly in my investigation."
Goku nodded. "You got it."
"Second, you must obey my orders with absoluteness."
Again, Goku nodded but Shin went on. "I mean it Goku. You must obey even the smallest of my commands. We have a plan to stop Babidi, but it must be followed to the letter, understand?"
"Yes." Goku responded seriously.
"Good, because if either you or your son disrupt the plan, if you go against my orders in any way, the deal is off. As this is your home planet, I will allow you to offer your advice, and I will act according to the knowledge you have but the final say belongs to me. In addition, if your son starts to lose control and you fail to keep him in check, or if it seems like Babidi is going to take control of him, then I will seal him away. Is that clear?"
"You don't have to worry Supreme Kai, Gohan won't let you down and neither will I."
"I believe you. As for the final condition, you will not tell your son of this deal until we have succeeded in our mission."
"Huh? Why not?" The other ones made sense, but this one seemed a little out of nowhere.
"Think of it as a test. If what you say is true about your son, then he will do what is right even without the threat of imprisonment. If you tell him, perhaps he will help out of the goodness of his heart, or perhaps he will play along until it is all over and then when our guard is down, he will show his true colors."
"I'm telling you that won't happen."
"As I said, this is a test and if he passes, I will no longer consider him a threat. But that judgement will be based on his performance during the mission. Now, do you agree to all these conditions?"
Goku didn't even hesitate. "As long as my son stays free, I do."
Break.
Supreme Kai was deep in thought as he sped toward Babidi's ship. His plan had nearly failed, and everything could very well be over already. Gohan had sensed that his father was starting to lose and left to rescue him. The only parting words he offered were that he was going to save his father and when he got to the ship that Zangya would help him. Shin had tried to stop him but Gohan was far too fast for the supreme Kai to catch up to. So, he carried on alone, a myriad of thoughts playing through his mind. Frustration at these mortals was amongst them. None of them seemed to understand just how important this mission was. First, they were most uncooperative at the tournament, even going so far as to assault himself and Kibito. Then it was them rushing into the ship and insisting that they fight on their own. And now, worst of all, not only had Vegeta fallen victim to Babidi's magic, Goku had to play right into the wizard's hands and now Majin Buu was gaining energy with every blow. Then Gohan had to leave him to finish his mission solo. Well, not quite solo. He knew firsthand that Zangya was a powerful warrior, and her help would be a boon to his efforts.
But while the frustration was still present, there was a large part of him that was starting to understand their actions. At the tournament, Zangya had only lashed out to protect a friend. Could he honestly say that the kais would act any differently in the same situation? Even he felt a sense of satisfaction as Gohan beat the man who killed Kibito, wishing he was the one who punished the demon king. Had he simply explained himself in full, they could have avoided such a delay. Then there was them rushing into the ship. Again, Gohans actions were due to his distress for a comrade, and it allowed them to thin out Babidis forces. Even them fighting alone turned out to be a prudent decision. Each new battle brought a greater threat and yet the Saiyans were able to deal with them easily and without revealing their true power. This in turn frustrated Babidi into relinquishing his only protection, Dabura, to fight them and even that failed.
Shin was not so foolish as to believe his plan was perfect. He did understand, however reluctantly, that in the heat of battle, plans must change according to circumstances. He was frustrated, but he realized he could feel no resentment toward the mortals. Quite the contrary, he held a kind of admiration for the virtues that, due to his position being so separated from them, he had forgotten they possessed. They may be a little fool hardy, but they were brave and courageous. They held a great loyalty for each other, combined with deep compassion and selflessness.
Yes, despite their flaws, he felt grateful to the mortals who had helped him come this far. Babidi's best fighters had been beaten. He was defenseless and would be easily disposed of. Things would have been perfect despite his plan going off the rails. But one thing spoiled what should have been a moment of triumph and that thing was Vegeta.
Blinded by his suspicion of Gohan, he completely missed the signs coming from the Saiyan prince. What a fool he had been. Gohan had shown that he was a good soul. He had a temper, but it seemed to be only triggered by his selfless desire to protect others. He had successfully reigned in that temper and either he had managed to throw off Babidi's control, or the wizard sensed no evil in him in the first place and moved on to Vegeta. The main reason for Shin's opinion of the boy changing so drastically, was his complete disregard of his own fate, any concern being overshadowed by the desire to protect the father he loved. Daikaioshin had often espoused the virtues of such pure feelings and the righteous power that came from it. A realization came to him after a long period of thought concerning the day's events. Grand Kai Dean and Goku had been right. Gohan was no threat.
If only that brought him any comfort. Even if Gohan was no threat, Majin Buu certainly would be. Energy sensing was not his forte, but he could feel the battle between the saiyans and the energy it must be producing for the monster. With every passing second, he expected the planet to explode with the rebirth of the abomination. He cursed himself and Vegeta for letting this happen when they were so close to the finish line.
"Doesn't he care about his home? Why would he do this?" Supreme Kai asked to himself in frustration.
"Because he's a jerk." Goku said as he suddenly appeared in Shin's path.
"Wha!? Goku, what are you doing here!?"
"No time to explain, Gohan tagged in with Vegeta. We have to get to the ship now!" Goku grabbed the supreme Kai and teleported away.
Break
Zangya and Videl sat in silence. Zangya because she was bored and Videl because she had inexplicably had her own glove shoved in her mouth. How this became the current state of affairs was a mystery that would likely never be solved. The cheerful blue girl started singing the muffin man song for something to do, when Goku and Shin suddenly popped in front of her. She stood up quickly, surprise evident on her face. "Goku!? Shin? What are you doing here?" Then her eyes narrowed when she realized someone was missing. "Where's Gohan!?" she asked urgently.
"There's no time to explain, Gohan is fine, but we need to hurry. Babidi's unguarded and we have to stop him before he can revive Majin Buu!" Goku responded quickly.
She looked at Goku and nodded without hesitation. "Alright, let's do this." The three rushed toward the ship entrance but Zangya quickly turned back. "Almost forgot about you. Mr. Piccolo, guard the prisoner and don't even think about leaving your post." She said seriously as she gestured to the bound and gagged Videl. Zangya turned around and quickly caught up to Goku and Shin. If she didn't know any better, she could have sworn she heard Piccolo growl at her. She shrugged it off and entered the ship.
In the control room, Babidi was freaking out. He had watched as Gohan completely demolished Vegeta only for the man to keep coming back stronger than ever. This certainly pleased him, as eventually he would be able to overpower the brat, but then he sensed the arrival of the supreme Kai. He switched the view on his ball to the inside of his ship. To his dismay, Shin, Goku and Zangya were all descending rapidly through the opened floors.
"OH NO! IT'S TOO SOON! I only need a little longer!" He looked at the needle below Buu's egg. The grotesque pink shell was glowing, and the meter was nearly full. A few more good hits from Vegeta would push it to the top. But Supreme Kai and his helpers would be there before he was ready.
"YOU THERE!" He pointed to a low-level soldier. "I want everyone to try and hold those three off as long as they can do you hear me!?"
The alien soldier saluted and answered in the affirmative before running to gather what was left of the troops. There were a few warriors left and while none of them where as strong as Dabura or even Yakon, they would hopefully be enough to slow the intruders down.
"Oh, please Vegeta, just a little more, hurry up and hit the brat!"
On the floor just above the control room, the Z fighters were surrounded by a large group of fighters with Ms on their foreheads. Zangya and Goku both dropped to there fighting stances. Zangya grinned as she looked at the remains of Babidi's forces. "Alright, you all have till the count of ten."
The minions were undeterred by Zangya. They knew Goku was a threat, but he looked weakened by battle and Zangya looked like a frail girl. One of them lifted his foot to step forward only for Zangya to suddenly appear with her fist buried in his gut. "Ten." The man fell down and Zangya began to mow down the remainder of the minions. With every hit that she landed another villain fell to the ground. She danced her way gracefully through the circle of low-level warriors. In a matter of seconds, the blue storm subsided, and every man was down, save for one. The alien looked at Zangya and trembled as the girl walked slowly toward him.
"Y-y-you stay back!" He raised his hand to form a Ki blast. Zangya kept walking and the man fired his little yellow ball. In a single motion, she jumped forward, swatted the Ki ball to the side and landed a side kick in the man's throat, pinning him to the wall while crushing his windpipe. Zangya let her leg back down and the man crumpled in a heap on the floor.
"W-wow…" Shin looked around at the short work Zangya had made of the warriors. "Well done Zangya."
"Yeah, but I think that you left out one through nine when you were counting." Goku added.
"Nope." Zangya shook her head. "I just like to count by tens. Now, how does this work? Does Babidi open the door or is there like a button or something?"
"Babidi has opened the door every time we have defeated his guardian, but I doubt he will let us proceed this time now that he has no one to protect him." Shin replied.
"What about that door?" Zangya pointed to the door with an M on it. "I mean that's gotta lead somewhere right?"
"Perhaps, but I don't think we have the time to wander around Babidi's spaceship, looking for stairs." The supreme Kai shook his head.
"Hmmm…" Zangya looked thoughtful. A lightbulb suddenly appeared over her head and she reached down to pick up a bad guy that she had only minorly disabled.
"We can't just blast through it, neither can we afford to wait." Shin puzzled out loud.
*SLAPSLAPSLAPSLAP*
Shin and Goku looked to see Zangya holding her victim up by his shirt and slapping the man till he was awake. The alien looked at her with a swollen face. "How do we get to Babidi?" She asked.
"I-I'll never tell you. I-I won't betray my master." His tone didn't match the words.
"Oh, so you do know then, well, supreme Kai can just read your mind, right supreme Kai?" She turned to Shin.
"Oh, um yes." He wasn't sure if he would be able to with Babidi's magic interfering, but it was worth a shot.
"Sweet, now" She turned to her victim. "Listen buddy, if I were you, I'd try really hard not to think about the best route to your master. Don't be specific in your directions, don't think about which turns to take and what landmarks there might be. You really shouldn't think about what codes we might need to get through any of the doors either."
As she said this, the alien couldn't help but think of the exact things she was saying not to think of. With these thoughts at the front of his mind, Shin found it a simple task to pull the information from him.
"Ok, I have it. follow me." He said, almost surprised that that worked, and he rushed through the door with Goku and Zangya following.
"What are those fools doing?" Babidi yelled. "They can't possibly find their way through." Babidi turned again to the meter and switched his attention briefly to the fight between Vegeta and Gohan. Vegeta now looked to be fighting evenly with the boy. They were slugging it out and each blow landed by Vegeta brought the needle up.
"Come on. Come on, a little more." Babidi coaxed the needle. Finally, it reached the full mark. "YES! HAHAHAHAHAHA!" He cackled madly. "At last, Majin Buu will be free! Now all I need to do is release him."
The wizard hesitated. "But do I dare do it inside the ship?" He looked at his crystal ball and switched once more to the supreme Kai. "OH NO! THEY'RE ALMOST HERE! Alright, what was that spell? Paparapa? Nonono. Parappapa? NO!" He stood in front of the glowing sphere and wracked his brain. "I've Got it! PAPARA-!"
As he was chanting his spell, Zangya, Goku and Shin burst through the doors.
"STOP HIM!" Shin yelled
"RAPAAAGGHHH!" The wizards chant was cut off, literally, by Zangya slashing through his torso. He now lay on the floor in two places.
"Sorry to cut to the chase." Zangya said while standing over her fallen foe.
Babidi looked up at her with absolute loathing. He reached out his hand toward the ball.
"ZANGYA FINISH HIM QUICKLY!" Shin yelled.
Zangya charged a blast, but before she fired, Babidi croaked out the last of his incantation.
"Ra-pa-pa." Then he was vaporized in a pink ball of energy.
"NOOO!" Shin yelled.
"What? I killed him; we win." Zangya looked confused at the face the supreme Kai was making.
"No, we have lost! He was able to finish the spell!" The Kai looked in fear at the glowing pink ball. "We have only one chance! We must destroy it before the creature escapes! Everyone, fire your most powerful attack at the ball!"
"But I thought you said that could release Buu?" Goku asked.
"It doesn't matter! He is about to be released anyway! If we act now, we might still have a chance! Charge your attacks and fire at will!" As he said this, he formed a ball of energy in his hands and aimed at Buu's egg. Goku and Zangya both prepared their strongest attacks.
Steam was starting to blow from the giant egg and Shin knew that it was now or never.
"FIRE NOW!
"KAMEHAMEHA!"
"RED VELVET BEAM!"
Three blasts fired and converged on the pink ball, blue, red and yellow energy forming into one giant ball of Ki. The Power that the warriors were outputting was such that the spaceship and even the Earth itself were shaking intensely.
"IT ISN'T ENOUGH! WE NEED MORE POWER!" Supreme Kai yelled. "GIVE IT EVERYTHING YOU HAVE LEFT! ALL YOUR POWER NOOOOWWW!"
The three warriors dug deep and as a result, the energy sphere grew to double then triple and even quadruple its original size. It became so massive that neither the ships limited space could not contain it nor could such high energy maintain the shape for much longer. Abandoning their own safety, the warriors continued to press, sweat running down their foreheads.
*BOOOOOOM!*
The ball finally popped and the resulting explosion could be seen from space. When the dust settled, there was no longer a ship. Only crater that was nearly a mile wide and almost as deep remained. It might have been a valley for all anyone could tell. Floating above the newly formed terrain were three completely exhausted fighters.
"Nice, hah, nice work Goku." Shin said between deep and ragged breaths.
Zangya was also breathing a bit heavy. "Yeah, no kidding. You pulled us out right in the nick of time."
Goku slowly dropped to the ground before letting the two go and fell down on his knees. At the last moment before the blast, Goku used his instant transmission to pull them all out of there. "Yeah, hah, no prob. Did, hah, did we do it?"
All three of them looked around for any sign of Majin Buu. There seemed to be no trace of him. Shin stood up and felt hopeful. Could they really have succeeded? It seemed too easy. Before he could think any further on it, he felt a tremor shake the earth, making him nearly fall back to his knees. He looked around in a panic, thinking he would see Majin Buu. But it was not Buu who shook the earth.
"No…" Zangya whispered with her fist on the ground. "NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! NOOOOOO!" Each shout was accompanied by another fist being buried into the ground.
"Zangya! What's the matter!?" Goku shouted.
"I FAILED!" She banged her hands on the ground. "I had one job to do!" She shut her eyes and grit her teeth. "Gohan trusted me, and I FAILED HIM!" She finished with a scream.
"What are you talking about?" Shin was utterly confused. "Because of you we have saved the universe."
"I don't care!" Tears started to form in her eyes and the two men just stood there in bemusement. After a moment of silence, she continued. "Piccolo… Piccolo's gone. He must have been caught up in that blast. Gohan asked me to look after him and I let him get blown up! I practically killed him myself!"
Understanding dawned on Goku. "Zangya, it wasn't your fault." He put a hand on her back and knelt down next to her. "We needed your strength to pull off the win. I doubt me and Supreme Kai could have done this without you. Piccolo would-"
"You don't understand." Zangya shook her head and tears flew off to the side. "Piccolo was my friend. He was Gohan's friend, his master. Not only have I lost him, but now Gohan will probably never talk to me again. I took his best friend and mentor away." Tears flowed at the combined prospect of losing a comrade and the thought of losing Gohan as well.
"Aw, come on, it'll be ok." Goku said in a soothing voice. "Gohan isn't going to hold it against you. He isn't like that."
"Well, he should!" She snapped back, angry that Goku seemed to be treating the death of Piccolo with such levity. "It's my fault he's dead! He couldn't even protect himself and I left him out to dry! Now he's gone and nothing can change that!"
"What are you talking about? Of course, something can change that. we have dragon balls remember?"
Zangya paused her crying and blinked. "Dra… Gon… Balls?"
"Yeah, you know, those magic wish granting orbs?" Goku spoke like this was a common everyday thing.
"Dragon balls? Dragon balls. Dragon balls! HAHA! YES!" She started to jump. Zangya had totally forgotten about those wonderful little gems, which was understandable considering she hadn't been apart of the gang as long as the others and she had only used them once. Even if Gohan was angry, he wouldn't be for long. She would bring Piccolo back with the dragon balls. Oh, and maybe that little brat too. Maybe. She stopped jumping and turned toward Goku with an angry stare. She rushed him and grabbed him by the front of his tattered shirt. "HEY! Why didn't you say something earlier before I had a melt down!?" Her face was red with a mixture of anger and embarrassment.
Goku held up his hands placatingly. "Woah, sorry! It just looked like you needed a moment, you know?"
"I'll give you a moment." She growled.
"Supreme Kai, help me out here." Goku called to Shin, but the purple man was preoccupied with other matters. "Supreme Kai?" Goku and Zangya turned to the man who had a petrified look on his face.
"N-no… It can't be." He was staring into the sky and Goku and Zangya followed his gaze to see a pink cloud. "Even after all that? I thought we had gotten it in time."
"Shin, what's the deal? It's just a cloud." Zangya asked, all of a sudden, a terrible wave of power swept over them, nearly bringing them to their knees. The cloud became less poofy and started to give way to a more solid form. The vapor dissipated to reveal a giant, fat, pink, blob of a man.
"What is that thing?" Zangya asked in a worried and somewhat disgusted tone.
Beads of sweat trickling down his trembling brow, Shin answered. "That thing, is Majin Buu."
As if on cue, the monster bellowed out. "BUUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
Break
"That thing is Buu?" Zangya looked at the blobby man who was dancing in the air and chanting 'Buu' like a child. "Seriously?"
"Do not be fooled by his appearance." Shin said shakily. "Surely you sensed his enormous power. He is far beyond the likes of any of us." He dropped to his knees. "We have failed."
Zangya looked from the supreme Kai to the dancing wad of Bubblegum. It was true that she could sense the immense power coming from him, power that was considerably greater than any she had known before. Possibly even counting Gohan, though she couldn't be sure as she had never felt his full power. Either way, it was a whole lot more than her own. She now felt foolish for saying Shin had overhyped the monster. How could they deal with such a threat, especially after it had already survived a blast of that magnitude? She clenched and unclenched her fists as she thought about her next move. As she had done before in similar situations, she asked herself a simple question. 'What would Gohan do?'
She smiled at the thought. "Riceball wouldn't take failure as an option, that's for sure."
"What?"
"Huh?"
Shin and Goku looked at her with confusion. Her comment seemed to come out of nowhere. The Saiyan was first to respond. "Riceballs are great, but let's not lose focus."
"No Riceball is…" She paused and went a little red. "It's what I call Gohan."
"Oh…"
"That's beside the point." Zangya rushed onward. "We aren't just gonna roll over and die! I don't care how strong this thing is, we're not gonna let him wreck our home, right Goku?"
The surprise in Goku's face at her boldness lasted only a moment and was swiftly replaced by a grin and furrowed eyebrows. "Yeah, you can say that again."
"You mean you plan on fighting him!? You don't stand a chance!" Shin yelled drawing the attention of Buu, who stopped dancing and looked down at the trio with curiosity.
Ignoring the purple Kai, Goku stepped up beside her and they stared up at Buu. The pink blob was still just staring at them. Zangya eyed Goku and reached into her belt, pulled out the remaining half of her senzu bean and tossed it to Goku. He raised an eyebrow. "You sure you don't want to save this for yourself?"
"You need it more than me right now. Even at full power I can't take him alone. It may not bring you up to full strength, but if you're anything like Gohan, this could give us the edge to win. Also, you look like you've been beaten half to death." She then realized that Goku was actually dead. "No offense meant."
"None taken." Goku put the bean in his mouth and a great deal of his energy came rushing back to him. Zangya nodded in satisfaction as she saw the bean worked its magic. She inhaled deeply and then she finally let loose.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"
Goku followed her lead and brilliant crimson and gold auras erupted around the aliens. Both determined to defend the planet they were sent to conquer.
"Wait!" Shin tried to stop them. "You cannot engage him. you don't understand the power he has! Even together, you cannot beat him!"
"You obviously don't know who I am. I…" She pounded her fist into her palm, sending a shockwave through the air. "Am the red Z girl!" (cue rock music)
She launched into the air with Goku close behind. Buu was clapping, delighted by the light show, but the grin was soon wiped off of his face when a green fist buried itself into it. She moved out of the way just in time for Goku to land a kick into Buus belly. Zangya came back with a round house to his neck and Goku landed a high kick to one of Buu's chins at the same time. The simultaneous pincer like attack literally smashed Buu's head into a pink pancake.
Goku and Zangya stopped their assault, surprised by this development. "Um, did we just kill him?"
To answer their question, Buu put a thumb in his mouth and began blowing. Like a balloon, his head reflated, and he clapped. "Hahaha! You fight Buu?" He asked excitedly.
"Umm. Yeah, that's the idea." Zangya replied, still surprised by his cartoonish recovery.
"Buu like fights, they fun!" With lightning-fast movement, he hit Goku with a belly bump and Zangya with a punch that landed on her guard, both attacks landed and sent his opponents flying away. Zangya and Goku stopped quickly and flew right back at their target. From either side they started to pummel Buu, leaving fist shaped indents on his body. Buu aimed a downward elbow at Zangyas head which she spun to the side of and hit his face with a high roundhouse kick sending him to Goku. The saiyan stopped attacking his body and with both hands together he swung at Buu, hitting him down to the ground like a volleyball.
Crashing into the ground, Buu looked around him confused. He got up and dirt and rocks fell off of him.
"Great, he doesn't even look hurt." Zangya lamented.
"Come on, we can't let up now." Goku dove down to continue his assault on Buu and the Hera followed.
"Oooh." Buu ogled at his pursuers but this time, when they reached him, the were unable to deliver the punishment directly to his midsection as they had before. With a smile on his face, Buu blocked both of their attacks with his forearms. The Pair didn't stop with a single attack. They went at Buu with flurries of Kicks and Punches. Almost every blow was blocked, but some made it through, some on his stomach, others on his head and face. Both Zangya and Goku moved more toward Buus front and Goku reeled back his right hand while Zangya used her left. They delivered a powerful double punch to Buus face that knocked him spinning head over heels up into the sky.
"It's like hitting a marshmallow." Zangya was getting annoyed at the lack of damage they were doing.
"I know, but maybe this'll help." Goku cupped his hands at his side "Kame… Hame…"
"Good idea. RED VELVET BEAM…"
"HAAAAA!"
"FIRE!"
Two energy attacks flew at Buu who looked excited by the colors. "Oooh! Buu do too!" He cupped his hands to the side like Goku and a pink ball of ki started to form. "BUUUUUUUUUU!" His small pink ball became a beam that met his opponents beams before they reached him. Goku and Zangya were surprised by the fact that the pink beam was starting to overpower both of theirs.
"Zangya, I have an idea. Put as much power as you can into your attack!"
The super Hera nodded and she forced more power into the beam struggle. Buu was enjoying the fight so far. He would have been confused by the opposing beams losing a bunch of power so suddenly but as soon as he felt the lack of resistance, Goku teleported behind him. "HRAAHH!" He punched Buu with all his might into the stream of Ki, being swallowed up in it. Goku dodged out of the way just in time to avoid being vaporized. The beam sailed upward and Zangya smiled at their apparent success.
"BUUU!" Buu let out a kiai that dispersed the energy surrounding him and he was free. Goku almost swore. He felt hopeful when the plan worked, but it looked like it wasn't as effective as he thought. Buu had a few burn marks, and his pink skin was a few shades darker, but not much else in the way of damage. Matters became worse when Buu did a quick truffle shuffle and even the marks on him just fell off him like he was just covered in soot.
Goku was about to stop for a breather but a green and red blur whizzed past him making him shake his head. "I'm getting too old for this." Saying this he followed after Zangya and the pair engaged Buu again.
This time, Buu did more than just defend against their attacks. Almost as soon as they got close enough to land a punch Buu acted. Buu caught Zangya by the wrist and pulled her in, kneeing her in the gut, then karate chopping her downward. He did a front flip and landed a downward heel kick on the head of Goku, who couldn't stop his forward momentum fast enough to dodge.
Zangya Smashed to the ground, followed quickly by Goku. She struggled to get back up. "Man, that thing packs a punch."
"He can take it pretty well too. It's like he's learning how to fight as we go on." Goku said, wiping a trickle of blood from his lip.
Buu was up in the air smiling and waving his fists while singing "Powpowpow! Owowow!"
Shin spoke up. "You still don't get it! Buu is indestructible and he hasn't even unleashed his full power! Nothing you do will have any lasting effect!"
"Alright then, why don't you do something, oh divine god of pessimism!?" Zangya shot back irritably.
"Even if I were to join the fray, it would not matter! My strength pales in comparison to Buu!"
"I thought you were supposed to be the supreme Kai! Don't tell me you don't have a trick up your sleeve?" Zangya yelled.
"Wait, That's it!" Goku interrupted. "Supreme Kai, how were you going to seal Gohan?"
"You were going to do WHAT to Gohan!?" Zangya was about to throttle the man, but Goku stopped her.
"Of course, brilliant Goku! That just might work!" Shin couldn't believe he hadn't thought of it before. He was so busy despairing that he forgot that his technique for sealing Gohan would be perfect for Buu. Unfortunately, Buu had grown tired of waiting for his opponents and he decided to charge them.
"I'll buy some time! Do whatever you have to!" Goku went at Buu, their fists meeting halfway.
"I'm gonna deal with you later." Zangya glared at Shin before she was about to join the fray.
"Wait!" Shin yelled.
"WHAT!?" She spun around in exasperation.
"The technique requires that the target remain still." He spoke quickly. "You know a binding technique, correct? You used one in your fight against the blonde girl if I remember right."
Zangya nodded, putting her dislike for the man aside for now. "How long does he need to be bound?"
"Only until I can finish the incantation. About 5 seconds."
Zangya nodded. "Ok, I'm on it." She flew up just in time to pull Buu off of Goku, grabbing the monster by his antenna and spinning him around like a lasso.
"WOOOOOOOOOOO!" Buu yelled as he became a pink halo above the Hera warrior. She made a rapid descent to the ground and slammed him against it. The creature's impact scattered rocks, but he bounced upward with a *Boing* and Zangya fired a blast point blank, forcing Buu away from her.
"GOT HIM!" She yelled with her hands still outstretched. Buu tried to get up, but to his confusion, he couldn't move.
"YES!" Wind and electricity surrounded Shin as he began his spell, forming hand seals with each word. "Kun, Kan, Dui, Gen…"
Buu continued to struggle to get up until he saw that the thing holding him down was some flimsy string. Buu's eyes opened and he grinned evilly.
"Xun, Li, Zhen, Qian…"
"You no catch Buu!" The childlike monster taunted. In a shocking display, the wires that constrained Buu simply sliced through his body and the tension on them was lost as hundreds of little Pink cubes floated out of Zangyas web.
"BUHUO!" Shin made his last hand sign and thrust his arms out as a coffin of earth formed, but it was too late. Buu had reconstructed himself and flew out of the way of the spell. The coffin formed around thin air and a look of shock appeared on the supreme Kais face. "No…"
His grief was cut short as The fat Buu disappeared from sight. Not a moment later, Shin found himself with his face in the dirt, crushed under the weight of Buu.
"Purple man try to catch Buu, here Buu is!" Buu jumped up off Shin, only to butt slam him again.
"KAAGH!" The supreme Kai let out a yell of pain.
"Leave him alone!" Goku shouted while rushing the monster but Zangya beat him too it.
"HYAA!" She landed flying side kick right into the face of the Majin, sending him crashing to the ground away from his victim. "Look, I'll admit that was funny, but I'm not just gonna let you do what you want, got that tubby!"
Buu jumped up and growled. "Grrr! Why you bully Buu!? Buu no like you!"
"Well, the feeling's mutual Bub!" Zangya retorted.
"Me Buu! Not Bub!" Steam shot out from the pores on the creature's body. "Mean girl smell like cake! Buu make mean girl cake"
"I'm not mean!" Zangya shouted indignantly. "And if anyone's gonna make a cake it's gonna be me! I'll make you a cake of justice!" She posed heroically.
"You no make Buu cake, Buu make YOU cake!" Buu shook his head.
"No, Zangya make Buu Cake!"
"NoNONO!" Buu yelled in frustration. "Buu, make You into Cake!" He tried to explain.
"Well right back at you pinkie, because I'm gonna beat you like batter!"
Off to the side, Goku and a downed Supreme Kai were watching the exchange with incredulous looks. Far from a fight for the planet, this looked like an argument between children.
"Buu…" He said through grit teeth. "TURN YOU INTO A CAKE!" He flung his head forward and a pink beam shot out of his antenna.
Zangya gathered Ki into both her hands. "Well Zangya turn you into-"
"DON'T LET THAT TOUCH YOU!" Shin yelled and the Hera warrior reacted by jumping up out of the way. Zangya saw the pink ray pass under her and hit a rock that transformed into a giant chocolate cupcake.
"Woah… You were literally going to turn me into a cake." She landed next to the cupcake and used her finger to taste some of the frosting. "Hmm, not bad. A little bland, but otherwise-"
"DON'T TOUCH BUU'S CAKE!" Buu yelled angrily and flew forward to protect his cupcake. Zangya raised her guard to protect herself, but Buu slapped her to the side, sending her smashing and then skidding through the ground. Opening his mouth impossibly wide, he picked up his cupcake and stuffed the whole thing in his mouth, swallowing in one gulp.
Zangya got up from her trench, slightly dazed. "This villain, doesn't even share his dessert. How evil!"
Buu looked at her and wiped the chocolate from his face. "That taste good. Mean girl cake might taste better!"
Before Buu could advance on her, Goku came in from the side with a right hook to the pudgy face. Buu's feet dug deeper into the ground as he tried to force his cheek back toward Goku. He opened his eyes and looked angrily at the Saiyan before lashing out with a wild punch. Goku jumped back to avoid it, but Buu continued his pursuit of him, not leaving Goku much room between them.
"Buu no like you either!" Goku was able to block a chop from above, but not the following uppercut to his stomach or the back hand to the face. Goku went spinning to the ground, Buu jumped up and was about to land his giant posterior on his enemy. Before he landed, Zangya grabbed him by the foot and diverted his landing by slamming him back and forth against the ground. Rather than taking any damage, the attack only served to anger Buu. He aimed a punch at Zangya and the Hera, not expecting him to be able to extend his arm long enough, was hit square in the face. Falling to the ground, she released Buu and the blob bounced once more off the ground and landed on his feet.
"You both so mean to Buu! Buu make you both cake and candy!" He pointed his antenna at Zangya.
"Buu think… STRAWBERRY!" A pink beam launched from his appendage with a zap, but a gold and purple blur collided with him from behind causing his beam to pass harmlessly over the warriors.
"GOHAN!" Zangya jumped up and shouted happily.
"Gohan!" Goku stood up slowly.
The young warrior himself didn't take the time to greet them, or even to make a cool pose. Right now, the only thing he was concerning himself with, was beating the blob who dared to hurt Zangya and his father until it was nothing more than puddle of pink goo. Mounted on top of Buu, he was raining punches down at a faster rate than any machine gun. He landed earth shattering blows on every inch of the monster, blurry arms going up and down his rotund body. The pink body was sinking deeper and deeper into the earth and his body was becoming more and more deformed. "DON'T! TOUCH! THEM!"
"Whoa! He doesn't look very happy." Zangya said rather happily. Gohan was handling Buu easily and she wasn't even near death during the rescue. The fact that Gohan was getting so angry on her behalf was a contributing factor to her inner joy.
"Gohan! Physical attacks won't work on-"
"MASENKO-HA!" A yellow blast erupted from Gohan's palms.
"Oh… I guess you know what you're doing." Goku finished.
Gohan stood over a giant hole that was rimmed with pink, with his palms still overlapping over his head. "MASENKO-HA! MASENKO-HA! MASENKO-HA!"
Goku walked over to his son and put a hand on his shoulder. "Gohan!" The boy turned around with a mad glint still in his eye. He relaxed when he saw who it was.
"I think you got him son."
"No. He's still down there, I can feel him." Gohan shrugged off his father's hand and resumed his Masenko stance. "MASEN-"
Before he could finish, a pink string shot out of the hole and Gohan redirected his aim. "KO-HA!" The blast made the pink string explode and pieces of it scattered everywhere.
Shin gawked in amazement at the ease with which Gohan handled Buu. "I was going to try and seal him? What was I thinking?" His admiration was cut short when he noticed some of the pink blobs were starting to move. "Ah!" He gasped. "Quickly everyone! You have to completely destroy him! don't let him reform!"
Gohan nodded his head in understanding and started to shoot ki blasts at the blobs all over the ground. Goku and Zangya followed his lead and tried to get every last piece of Buu. Pink smoke was floating up from the charred remains of the monster.
"BUUUUUUUUUUUU!" They all turned at the sound. It came from the hole that the Gohan had Masenko-d into the earth. To the surprise of everyone, a little Buu, about a quarter the size of the original, popped out of it. Goku, Zangya and Gohan started to charge their respective blasts, but another sound made them spin around again.
"BUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
"BUUUUUUUUUUUUU!"
Two other small Buus appeared, one from the pink smoke and the other from the blobs that the Z fighters had not yet destroyed. The two small abominations shot toward the three fighters, but rather than engage them, they went right past them and met up with their counterpart. The three pink midgets merged into one and a full sized Majin Buu was standing before them once more.
"I-it really is hopeless." Shin hung his head in defeat.
"Hopeless for the blob maybe." Zangya grinned. Gohan's appearance had reinvigorated her and now she felt like they could take this monster easily. "Buu doesn't stand a chance against all three of us!"
Gohan narrowed his eyes at Buu. "Zangya, I want you to sit this one out."
"What!? Why?" Zangya asked with hurt in her eyes. Gohan saw her expression and softened his own. "This thing won't do down easy. I can't tell you how happy I am that you and dad survived against him. I want to keep it that way." At seeing Zangya's defiant face, he added. "Please."
"Are you sure you can handle this thing on your own?" Goku asked.
Gohan nodded and turned to Buu who was still inspecting his reformed body. "When it comes to power, I have the advantage." Goku looked surprised by this information. "It looks like his main thing is his indestructibility. I don't know how I'm gonna deal with that, not yet anyway. Fighting him will give me a clue to figure it out."
Goku and Zangya exchanged looks before sighing and nodding. "Look out for his cake beam." Zangya warned. Gohan almost cracked a grin at the perceived joke but paused at the look on Zangya's face.
"Seriously?" She nodded and he shrugged. "Well, I wasn't going to let him hit me with anything anyway." He started walking toward Buu who stopped looking himself over to stare at Gohan.
"Momento mori Buu."
Buu tilted his pudgy head. "Huh?"
Gohan smiled. "Long ago, kings used to have a servant whisper that into their ear. It was a reminder of their own mortality, the same reminder I'll give you. I don't care how many times I have to tear you apart and blast you to pieces. But however long it takes, remember one thing. Remember that you will die."
End chapter.
A/N: Is Gohan strong enough to beat Majin Buu? Did I just kill Piccolo AND Videl at the same time? How evil can I get? Find out next time on Earths greatest champion: Son Gohan!
Sorry if Goku seems out of character by fighting alongside Zangya or with kneeling before Supreme Kai. The former isn't that out of character since he has teamed up against people like both versions of Broly, Jiren or Raditz (Which one of these things is not like the other?) As for the latter, Goku is often portrayed as selfish but I don't think so. Back in dragonball and early Z we see how much he cares for others and is protective of Gohan until he grows strong enough to take care of himself. He loves his family and wants to protect them at all costs. The other option I thought of having him do was fighting the Kais, but I don't think he would do that unless he absolutely had to. That's just my opinion.
I am a big fan of Journey to the west. If you haven't read it, there is a part in it when the denizens of heaven grow tired of Sun Wukongs defiance and rudeness and they try to seal him in the 8 way trigram crucible. That fails and then Buddha imprisons him under five elements mountain. I like to pull a few things from the story every now and then like the jade emperor, the gods being upset and threatened by Gohan, etc.
I know Buu isn't the most popular villain, but he is still dangerous for two reasons. 1, He is nearly indestructible (I might have made his recovery time faster than the anime). 2 he can absorb other warriors and boost his strength. Even Cell couldn't absorb more people after he became perfect. (Or could he!?) That's all for now. Hope you enjoyed it.