(A Painful Lesson)
The weeks continued to go by, and work on Bulma's new secret project was progressing, albeit at a rather slow rate.
"Hey Bulma." Gohan (now with a new cybernetic leg attached to his body) made his way into the underground lab, now clad in a new purple gi with a red obi, red wrist bands, black shoes and a set of white shin guards "I'm back."
"Oh hey." Bulma glanced up from the machine she was working on and shot him a smile "Good to have you back Gohan, so how has your training been?"
"It hasn't been easy doing it on my own, not to mention getting used to the new leg, but now it feels like I'm finally start to make some headway again."
"I'm glad to hear it, and you definitely look a lot better than you did before, but keep in mind that you can't afford to let your guard down."
"Believe me, I've learned that more than a few times." he glanced down at his cybernetic leg for some added emphasis.
"Well you can never be too careful. Oh yeah that reminds me, it's not gonna me that much longer until the time machine is finished."
"Oh. Right. That."
"What the hell kind of a response is that?! This is a time machine we're talking about, a fucking time machine!"
"I-I know Bulma, and it really is impressive that you can do it and all."
"Once it's ready to go you'll be able to head to the past and meet up with Goku and the others, and you can give him the medicine he needs for the heart virus. With your dad alive and able to fight, there oughta be something that changes. After that you'll be able to head back to the point where the Androids first show up and help the others fight, and maybe gather some intel for me that could be really useful later on. Once you give me that information, I'll be able to use it to figure out their weakness and exploit them here in our time."
"But no matter how much I travel to the past, there's no chance our world is going to go back to the way it was, is there? All the people we lost, all the damage, none of it is going to be undone, is it?"
"No, probably not."
'Right, that means that Kai and Piccolo, along with everyone else… they'll still be gone. But who knows, maybe I'm strong enough to stop Android 17 now that I don't have to go to the past.'
"Oh hey that reminds me Gohan, there's something I need you to do for me."
"Really, and that would be?"
"It's something small, it shouldn't be anything too complicated. You remember how I told you that the time machine is almost finished? Well I actually don't have enough of what I need for a super important and really critical part. You think you could help me out?"
"Yeah sure it's no problem, where can I find this thing you need?"
"Around the southeast islands, it shouldn't be too far from Kame House."
"Oh… okay, that shouldn't be too much of a problem."
"Unfortunately, I don't remember the exact spot where you can find the materials. Maybe you can try and ask Master Roshi and the others."
"That's probably for the best. It's been a few months since the last time I saw him and the others, so I could probably stop by and see how they're doing while I'm at it."
"Good, that's the spirit. If there's anything at all they need, you make sure to help them out in any way you can alright?"
"Sure thing, so what exactly is it that you need me to bring back?"
"Oh crap, I knew I forgot something. It's only really known as a Pristine Crystal."
"Got it, I'll be back in a little bit." so on that note, Gohan made his way out of the underground lab and promptly blasted off into the skies above 'It's been awhile since I saw Master Roshi and the others, the last time was about six months ago, when I told them about Kai. I couldn't look any of them in the eye when I had to break the news to them that… that he was gone. He looked pretty upset, but kind of relieved at the same time, knowing that he was able to take one of the Androids with him. Puar took it the hardest, he actually screamed and broke down crying. After that I took Kai's body, the stone one I mean, and buried near Mount Paozu, around the area where Yamcha's old hideout used to be… next to the grave he made for his mother.'
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About an hour later, near Kame House…
"Hold up, let me check it out." from his place in the submarine, Oolong glanced through the parascope in the direction of Kame House "Alright it's official, he hasn't been back in two full days."
"I can't believe they actually took my house."
"Okay, I'm going in for a food run. The only things that are left in there are the spam and the pork rinds."
"Are you sure about this Oolong?" asked Turtle "We both knew this day would come."
"I knew it a lot longer than I was willing to admit, and I have long since made peace with it. To be honest, I'm just glad we're still alive."
"And it's all thanks to my submarine, the USS M'Dick!" Master Roshi gave a grin that only grew wider by the second "Speaking of which…"
"Oh crapbaskets."
"I've been meaning to ask…"
"I knew it, I freaking knew it."
"How does it feel riding M-Dick?!"
"Almost a decade, almost a full freaking decade you've been holding onto that one!"
"You don't know the patience I have. You didn't answer my question either."
"It's tight and damp." and that caused the old perv to cackle like a maniac.
"We're gonna die down here aren't we?" Puar muttered from his place in the corner.
"Nice to know you guys are still in good spirits."
Master Roshi stopped cackling and glanced over to see Gohan make his way through the entrance to the submarine "Oh Gohan, aren't you a sight for sore eyes! What brings you to our little neck of the woods?"
"Sorry I haven't been around in awhile. Bulma sent me around here on an errand for her, do you guys have a minute to help out?"
"Oh yeah sure, we weren't really doing anything noteworthy anyway, aside from listening to the master's pervy jokes." Turtle told him "Plus the Android hasn't shown up here in awhile, so all of us are pretty okay right now, or at least nod as bad as the people in the cities."
"I see, well that's good. I thought that as long as I was over here, I would make sure you were okay and see if you needed anything."
"Nope, we're doing okay, or about as okay as we can be. Glad to see you were thinking about all of us though. What about you and Bulma, are you doing okay?"
"Yeah we're fine, I'm training as much as I can and Bulma is actually working on a new project back at Capsule Corp. Oh crapbaskets that reminds me, Bulma asked me to come around here and find some materials she needs for that project. I'm looking for something called a Pristine Crystal, so do you know where I can find it?"
"Oh that? Now that I think about it, there is a patch where these crystals glow around the shore near Lacco Village, the one on that island to the North of here. But the thing is, it's…"
"What's the matter, is there something I should know about?"
"Oh yeah, there are some weird machines wandering around the area, some kind of nasty little robot things that will attack you if you get too close. They have the Red Ribbon Army logo on them too, so they're probably some of their old robots."
"...I see. That's right, Kai told me about that girl he taught about Ki control, how he met her when she was being attacked by some robots before. Maybe they're the same kind. I have to take care of these things, they might end up hurting a lot of people, and we've got enough problems with Android 17 as it is. Don't worry, I'll make sure to take care of them while I'm over grabbing what I need for Bulma."
"That would be a big relief Gohan, thank you."
"No worries."
"But are you sure you'll be alright?" this was when Puar spoke up, his voice soft "You going out and fighting a bunch of robots like that, you could get hurt."
"Puar… It's okay, you don't have to worry about me. I can handle things like these robotos with no trouble. After all, don't forget that Kai and I spent years training together. Besides, I'm going to be careful, so you don't have to worry. I promise you, once I'm done I'll head right back to Capsule Corp."
"You… You still have that fire in your eyes, just like Kai and Yamcha did. But if you end up in trouble, just get out of there okay?"
"I will, I give you my word. Okay then, I'll see you guys a little bit later." and so he made his way out of the submarine and blasted off into the skies.
'Gohan… Kai gave up his life to the Androids because he thought you were worth it, so I don't want anything to happen to you, or to any of the others, okay?'
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Meanwhile, with Gohan…
'Okay, take out those robots before I look for the Pristine Crystals.' by this point, Gohan was making his way across the skies in the direction of Lacco Village, only to stop when he found the village, alone and abandoned, but intact 'There's no sign that the Androids came through here, so I guess the people must have fled somewhere, either when the Androids showed up or because of these robots that I heard about.' it was then that he hit the ground with a soft thud, and three robots in question burst up from beneath the ground 'And here they are. These things look like a bunch of pushovers compared to the Androids, so they're probably just some older models that went rogue or something. I can take care of these in no time." so he flashed into Super Saiyan, and in an instant he blitzed through all three of them, causing them to fly up and explode in the skies above, allowing him to breath a sigh as he powered down 'Well that takes care of that. No more interruptions now, I need to find what Bulma wanted me to get.' so he made his way to the shore and started looking around, his mind drifting as he did so 'It's hard to believe Bulma's time machine is almost finished, it's only been about six months since she started working on it. Still though, I'm starting to think that maybe I shouldn't have to go to the past now. Maybe now I can beat Android 17 on my own. After all, I have Saiyan biology and the Zenkais to go with it, so I may be even more powerful than Kai was, and he was able to kill one of them, so I should be able to do the same.' it was then that something shining in the sunlight quickly caught his eye, and he reached down and grabbed hold of a small crystal 'Okay, this should be what Bulma was looking for. I'd better head back to the others on the submarine and let the others know I got it, then head back to Capsule Corp.'
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A little while later, in the submarine…
"Hey guys!" it didn't take long for Gohan to make his way back to the submarine so he could inform the others of his success "Sorry I took so long."
"You were only gone for about a half hour." Turtle pointed out.
"Really? Huh, it felt longer than that. Anyway, the good news is I was able to find the Pristine Crystals that Bulma sent me to get, and I even took care of those Red Ribbon Army robots you told me about. I couldn't find any people there, and since there weren't any signs of chaos or destruction I guess they must have fled. I'm hoping so at least."
"Well whatever happened, we're just glad to see that you made it out okay, and that you were able to get what you needed."
"Thanks, that means a lot."
"Turtle speaks the truth you know." Master Roshi gave a small smile "You really are becoming quite the capable warrior Gohan, I'm sure Goku would be incredibly proud of you if he could see you now."
"I want to believe he would be. It's thanks to what he taught me, along with Kai, Piccolo and just about everyone else that I'm as strong as I am right now, and it's because of Kai in particular that I'm even alive right now."
"I know Kai would be glad to hear that." Puar spoke up from his place in the corner "Even if he would never admit it."
"Yeah, but what about you? I mean, are you… okay?"
"I'm… getting there at least. I'm sad knowing that Kai and Yamcha aren't here anymore, I've got Master Roshi and the clothes here to keep me company, and you and Bulma still have each other don't you?"
"Yeah that is true, and I'm gonna do whatever it takes to make sure it stays that way."
"Speaking of Bulma, you said that she was working on something." Turtle pointed out "Then again, she's always doing that isn't she?"
"You'll receive no objections from me. Actually this time she's been working on a time machine for the past few months, and that's what she needed these crystals for." and that got a reaction out of the others "What?"
"Did- Did you just say a time machine?!"
"Yeah I know, she doesn't know any sort of boundaries or limitations when it comes to science, and even if she did she'd just push right past them. Anyway, she's planning to use the time machine to go back into the past, to before the Androids showed up… and to before my dad died from the heart virus. That way I'll be able to give him the medicine he needs, and warn the others about the Androids so they're ready for when they appear. With all of that taken care of, I think we should be able to find a way to stop the Androids. At least, that's the plan anyway."
"So does that mean…" Puar's face lit up "Does that mean that Yamcha and Kai are gonna get brought back to life?!"
"Actually… no, I don't think so. We're pretty sure that changing the past isn't going to change anything in our time. It's just going to branch off to create another timeline."
"Oh, I see…" Puar's face fell again as he heard this.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to get your hopes up or anything."
"No no it's okay, really it is. If you can save everyone back in the past, then it's only right you go ahead and do it. At least create one world where things turned out okay. I'd probably be jealous of them though."
"Are you sure you're okay with it though?"
"Puar is right." Master Roshi drew Gohan's attention, his expression serious "If you can create a world where the Androids haven't spent so long terrorizing the world, then you have a serious obligation to do so."
"I know. Bulma and I, we both reached an agreement about the time machine. Whether it will be able to change things for us or not, we're both done living in a world without any hope because of the Androids. Any future where they don't exist and slaughter everyone they can and laugh about it is good enough for her, even if it's not one we can live in. Of course recon is one of the biggest reasons why she wants me to go back, in hopes that by watching my father fight them we might be able to discover some sort of weakness we can exploit."
"Well whatever happens, any one of us will help you in any way we can. Just make sure you take care of yourself and Bulma, alright?"
"I will. Thank you Master Roshi, and the rest of you too." and on that note, Gohan made his way out of the submarine and blasted off into the skies in the direction of West City.
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About an hour later…
Fortunately, it didn't take that long for Gohan to make his way back to West City, his thoughts drifting as he made his way into the Capsule Corp building and looked around the ruins of West City 'I can only hope for the day to come when we can restore the city, not to mention the rest of the world, to what it used to be, even if it won't be exactly like it was. Puar and the others were all pretty insistent that they were okay, but I can tell they're still having a hard time, him being the worst in that regard. Still though, I can't help but wonder about going back to the past to look for some kind of hint that might not even exist, I want to focus on saving the people of this world before anything else. But it would be great to see Kai, dad, Piccolo and everyone again.' so with that thought crossing his mind, he opened the doorway and made his way into the underground lab, where he found Bulma still working on the machine in question "Alright Bulma here it is, I have these Pristine Crystals you asked me for."
"Yes thanks a ton Gohan, that's everything I need!" Bulma's face lit up as she snatched the crystals from Gohan's hands "Now I have what I need to finish the time machine!"
"You mean the legally safe knockoff of the TARDIS from Doctor Who?"
"Ha ha, very funny." she rolled her eyes "So how are Master Roshi and the others doing over on the submarine?"
"They're doing about as well as they were the last time I checked, though I can tell Puar is really struggling. First Yamcha, now Kai dies too…" he gritted his teeth as a series of painful memories flashed through his mind, but he quickly shook them away "If I can find some time, I really think I should go and visit them as often as I can."
"Good idea, I'm sure they'd appreciate that."
"Yeah. I know how great it would be to travel back to the past and create a world where my dad and everyone else was still alive, as crazy as it seems. But still, I wish I could at least find a way to beat Android 17 in this world and bring peace to the people that already live here."
"Sure Gohan, that would definitely help us here, but you know we don't have what it takes to pull that off right now. That's why we need you to go to the past and save Goku, and hopefully that will change everything we need to help us here. After all, it's better than letting that bastard android continue to toy with you right? Even if it is another world, there should be some kind of future without the Androids somewhere. Come on, it's worth giving a shot."
"...Yeah, yeah I guess you're right."
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About a week went by.
"Yes, it's about time!" Bulma glanced up with pride at the finished time machine standing before her, her smile broadening as she did so "Well check it out Gohan, I finally did it! Thanks to all the help you've given me, I was finally able to finish work on the time machine!"
"Really?" Gohan (clad in a repplica of Goku's classic gi) glanced up at the machine himself "But can you get it working?"
"At least in theory, and it shouldn't be too long before I'm able to charge up enough energy for a round trip. Going back about 10 years into the past should be possible, and this thing should take about three months to charge so it's not like I can run any tests. I think you'll still be good to make it back here safely though. I would've been able to create a much more reliable machine if it wasn't for my lab being destroyed."
"Don't worry about that Bulma, you're doing everything you can… except here's the thing."
"Oh god dammit, please don't tell me this is what I think it is. Whenever Goku said something like this, it either ended with him saving all of our lives or dooming us all. There's no in between with you guys."
"Bulma listen, I've been thinking long and hard about this and… I'm not sure if really want to get my hopes up."
"I should be able to beat 17 as I am right now, if I have to go track him down by myself then I'm willing to do that. As I am right now, chances are I can defeat Frieza no problem."
"The same could be easily said for the likes of Kai, Raditz and a bunch of the others, but I think it should be obvious by now that that's not enough. If you want to get yourself killed by that god damned Android then fine, I can take the antidote and give it to your father myself, but if you think that throwing your life away for no good reason is going to make them happy, then you're gonna be in for a rude awakening on the other side!"
"You think I don't know that? I know what they'd think of it, but I… I can't just sit around and do nothing!"
"You're not doing nothing, you're making a difference!"
"Not for this world and everyone who lives in it!"
"Attention!" this was when the raido caught their attention "We interrupt this broadcast to bring you the latest update on Android activities! Bridgetown is currently under attack, the southbound interstate is the only route out of the city that hasn't been destroyed yet! I repeat, Bridgetown is under attack by the one known as Android 17!" and then the broadcast was cut off.
"That's not too far from here."
"It's at least a few minutes away for you." Bulma noted, her gaze turning hard "Gohan listen to me, don't tell me you're thinking about going."
"I think you already know the answer to that."
"I know how you feel, but if you just let me finish charging the time machine."
"Bulma we don't have time for that!"
"That's what the machine is for!"
"It doesn't matter, I'm not turning my back on those people!" and on that note, Gohan bolted out of the room and took to the skies as fast as he could 'Given how hard I've been training, for all I know I'm even stronger now than Kai was, and he was able to kill one of them! This has to come to an end today, this has to be the day that I avenge everyone he and 18 have murdered! Just you wait and see 17, I'm coming for you!'
"Gohan wait, there's still another way!" Bulma rushed out of the lab to try and stop him, to no avail 'Dammit Goku, why the hell did your son have to be a stubborn as you are?'
'Alright this is it Android, it's just you and me! Not one death by your hands will go unaccounted for, not a single one of them, and I'll make sure that Kai's sacrifice wasn't in vain!'
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The scene at Bridgetown was little more than a smoking ruin, which had more or less become the norm over the past 8 years.
17 looked around at the city, or what was left of it anyway, and a smirk of satisfaction quickly spread across his face "That's another one down, I guess I'm out of people to kill here. I might as well move onto the next city then." he prepared to blast off into the skies in search of another city to slaughter, when a certain voice stopped him in his tracks.
"I've got a better idea." this was when Gohan dropped down onto the scene, already in his Super Saiyan form, his eyes blazing with golden fury "Why don't you give it a shot with me."
"Wait a second, did you just ask me to kill you?"
"Yeah you'd better believe- No! I'm saying that I'm here to kill you!"
"Wait hold on a second, do I even know you?"
"Yes, my best friend and almost everyone I care about died because of you!"
"Oh yeah that's right, I don't give a shit." 17 blitzed in front of Gohan and dealt him a solid fist to the face, sending him crashing into the remains of a nearby building.
"Masenko!" Gohan burst up from beneath the wreckage and fired a Masenko through the cloud of smoke.
17 blitzed past the Masenko and caught Gohan's fist with ease "You think that's gonna be enough for me you little shit?" he launched his own fist to the face.
Gohan quickly skidded to a stop, then blitzed towards 17 and started firing off a rapid barrage of punches and kicks "It's only been about six months since Kai sacrificed himself to try and kill you and 18, and he only managed to get one of you. He did it because he knew that I would still be here to finish the job and protect everyone. Now it's time for me to finish you, to avenge all the people you murdered!"
"The only thing that's gonna be finished is me snapping your neck like a twig!" 17 was able to dodge and block every attack being thrown at him with ease "Well what the hell do you know, it looks to me like someone finally hit puberty!" he dealt Gohan a sharp kick to the gut that sent him skidding backwards, then blitzed in front of Gohan and dealt him a Photon Flash to the chest at point blank range, sending him flying backwards, followed by a rapid barrage of Ki blasts that engulfed him in the explosion that followed.
Gohan blitzed through the explosion and dealt 17 a sharp kick to the face, sending him skidding backwards, and then he followed up with an Explosive Demon Wave, engulfing 17 in the sizable explosion that followed.
When the smoke cleared, 17 was standing in the resulting crater, his clothes slightly burnt, but aside from that he was pretty much unharmed "Well what the hell do you know, it looks to me as if someone got a little power boost since the last time we went at it. Not like it's gonna do you much good, but I still give you points for effort.
With his teeth grinding furiously, Gohan unleashed a rapid barrage of Ki blasts at 17, engulfing him in the explosion that followed.
Just like before, the smoke cleared to reveal that 17 wasn't even harmed by the blasts "So are you done with your little shit fit yet?"
'Dammit this is insane, what the hell am I going up against?'
"So are you gonna keep going or can I just finish this already?"
"Don't count on that happening, I'm nowhere close to being done!" Gohan fired another barrage of Ki blasts at 17 in a blind rage, engulfing 17 in yet another explosion, before he returned to the ground and fell to one knee in exhaustion 'Dammit I don't have much power left, looking back that might not have been the best idea.'
"Well doesn't this seem familiar?" 17's voice started to echo hauntingly throughout the remains of the city "Looks like a certain someone I killed like a filthy animal awhile back. Oh yeah, I can totally see a few resemblances now that I think about it, but like those guys you're still kicking and you actually made the blonde work. I'll be sure to fix that, just give me a few minutes so I can make it happen." that was when he burst out from a ruined building and appeared directly behind Gohan, a sinister smirk plastered across his face.
'Oh crapbaskets-' Gohan's thoughts were cut short by a backhanded fist to the face that sent him crashing into the building, and then a kick to the face that sent him flying backwards. Once he was able to rebound he started running through the building and hid behind a wall, his mind racing as he did so 'Please don't let him fine me…'
"Where is he?" 17 suddenly popped up behind Gohan and startled him "Hey tell me something kid, you ever think about how shadows and mirror work kid?"
"...I don't get it."
"You don't need to." 17 promptly hit Gohan with a Photon Flash to the face, sending him flying through a wall and crashing into a ruined garden area. He landed in front of Gohan and cupped his face in a mocking fashion "Hey come on now Sunshine, give me a little sign if you're not dead yet."
"Dammit…" Gohan let out a violent hacking cough, and a fair amount of blood to go with it as well.
"There you see, that's a good by."
"Why…?"
"What's that?"
"I don't understand… tell me… Why are you doing this…?"
"...You really wanna know? Fine." 17 lost his smirk as his face twisted into a disturbing mix of rage and grief "The question isn't why kid, it's why not. At least, that's what it used to be. Then that little bastard went and took my sister from me. I can't take it out on him, so now I'm doing the next best thing: I'm making sure every single miserable piece of shit on this planet feels the pain and the loss of what he took from me. And then I'm gonna make them pay for it, and they'll pay for it in their blood and screams of agony. I mean, who the hell is going to stop me. Not the great hero Son Goku that everyone always went on about, not those guys eight years ago, not that angry little shit that took my sister from me, and sure as hell not you." he dealt Gohan a sharp kick to the face for emphasis.
"You… You won't… get away… with this…" Gohan staggered back to his feet and feebly tried to fire off a few weak punches, some of them hitting but not doing anything "All of… those poor people… All of my friends… all of my family… my mentor… I won't let you… get away with this… Not as long as I still draw breath…"
"You know it's kind of weird, this is a strange mix of hysterical and annoying. And now it's just sad. And now it's entirely annoying." losing patience, 17 threw Gohan a short distance away and then kicked him into the air, sending him crashing into the ruins of a nearby building, elbowed him in the spine, kneed him in the gut and slugged him in the face, sending him crashing to the ground and knocking him out of his Super Saiyan form "Wait a second, oh yeah I thought you looked a little bit familiar to me. You were that kid that showed up every now and then with that guy who looked like a reject of Zoro from One Piece, but never carried around a sword!" he then stomped down on Gohan's head, causing him to try out in pain and agony "Aww, who's a brave little survivor? You are, yes you are! Well, you were anyway. Give me a minute, I'll be sure to fix that." he promtply fired a Photon Flash at Gohan at point blank range, engulfing him in the massive explosion that followed.
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A little while later…
Gohan's eyes slowly opened as he regained consciousness, but he cringed at the light shining over his face 'Right in the eyes, just like every other time… Does that mean I'm dead?'
"I know what you're thinking kid, and no you're not dead. Not yet at least."
Gohan's eyes snapped all the way open and he found Bulma looking over him from the side of his bed "Bulma… is that you…?"
"Yeah it's me Gohan, everything is going to be okay. After all, someone has to stay alive to take care of you and pull your ass out of the fire."
"Yeah, I guess that's true.." he cringed from the pain in his wounds "I'm sorry Bulma… it looks like you were right, just like always… I shouldn't have tried to take on 17 by myself… He was way too strong…" tears started streaming down his face "I'm such a fool.. Kai sacrificed himself so I could stay alive and keep fighting… and I didn't learn anything from it… As I am right now, I don't have a chance in hell of ending this."
"Maybe not as you are right now, but you're still alive, and right now that's the most important thing for both of us."
"...You know what Bulma? I think I'm ready to try and use the Time Machine."
"For crying out loud Gohan, you don't even know if you have any arms and legs left under that blanket you have on, but you're saying you're ready to pilot the Time Machine?"
"What, no good?"
"No. We have to take this sort of thing one step at a time. Right now you need to concentrate on resting and healing for a few days, and then we'll worry about sending you back in time to give the antidote to Goku."
"To my father…" Gohan let out a sigh "He had always been my role model, but do you really think he would even be strong enough to make a difference?"
"You should already know the answer to that, of course he can make a difference. But it's about a lot more than just how strong he is too. Goku has this incredible feeling about him. When you have him around, you just know that everything is going to be okay, and it always is."
"Yeah, I guess a decade of living in the apocalypse can make someone lose sight of that sort of thing. But still, I'll get to see Kai and Piccolo and everyone else again."
"Honestly, that's part of what I'm afraid of."
"Oh come on Bulma, you can't seriously tell me you're still afraid of Piccolo."
"I never said I was afraid of him."
"You tried to ditch him and leave him to die when Namek was about to explode."
"How do you-"
"Kai told me, we told each other a lot of stuff."
"...That mouthy little bastard." there was a pause, and then the two of them shared a good laugh about that little exchange, something the two of them clearly both needed.
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Another week or so went by for Gohan to rest and recover, and then the day finally came for him to use the time machine for the first time.
"Okay, almost done." Bulma finished spray painting the word HOPE onto the side of the time machine, then turned towards Gohan and gave a small fond smile "I can only imagine just how proud Goku must be of you for doing this. You look exactly like he did when he was 18, it's like you're the spitting image of him from back then."
"I can only hope I'm making him proud, him and all of the others." Gohan looked down at the small bottle in his hand "So I guess this is the antidote for the Heart Virus?"
"Yeah, do me a favor and be sure not to drop it or anything okay?"
"Oh come on, I only did that one time!" note how he was giving the classic Son grin while he was saying this "Anyway I already know, I have to make sure to stay out of trouble while I'm over there. But as long as we're talking about that, you make sure to stay out of trouble until I get back okay?"
"I can only promise to try, you know me after all."
"Yeah I do know you, and that's exactly what I'm worried about." Gohan let out a chuckle as he hopped into the cockpit of the time machine.
"I'm serious when I say this Son Gohan, you'd better come back in one piece."
"Believe me Bulma, I know that all too well. You'd better believe this too, that the next time you see me, there will be at least one world that isn't being terrorized by the Androids!" and on that note, the time machine started up, hovered into the air, and then disappeared in a manner similar to the TARDIS from Doctor Who.
'Gohan, Goku, the world is counting on the two of you, so be sure that you don't let us down, or else I'll never let you hear the end of it.'
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So from there, Gohan used the time machine Bulma created to journey 10 years into the past, to the day when Goku was set to finally return to Earth. With Goku having yet to arrive though, he was quick to take action, and with the power of a Super Saiyan at his disposal, he was able to dispose of both Frieza and King Cold with ease, and then he met with his past self, as well as the past versions of his friends and allies. It wasn't long after this that Goku finally made his grand return to Earth, where Gohan informed him and the others about the events set to take place in three years' time, as well as giving Goku the heart medicine he needed. Still remaining hopeful that his actions would bring about improvement to his world, he made his way back to his time so he could reunite with Bulma, and make new preparations…
A/N:
Now that Kai is gone for good, Gohan is truly on his own to take on what is left of the Android menace and protect those that are still left. Gohan deals with his grief by getting his ass handed to him by 17, a painful lesson but a necessary one, and thus he goes back to the past for the first time, where he kills Frieza and King Cold in one fell swoop, which was awesome.
One thing I think is worth noting is that along with Gohan, I gave 17 a little bit of character development too. Originally, he just wanted to destroy humanity and kill people for shits and giggles, like in the canon version. However, after losing 18, the one person he actually gives a shit about, he's more or less snapped. And since he can't take it out on Kai, he's taking it out on the rest of the world.
If Gohan seems out of character in this chapter, then think about all of this from his perspective. His father died from a heart virus and he can't bring him back, then his mentor and almost all of his friends died while he was helpless to do anything about it. And then seven years later, he loses his best friend to these monsters, one of the few people he had left in the world. How could anyone not break from dealing with the pain of that much loss?
Power levels:
Future Gohan: 3.4 million
Super Saiyan Future Gohan: 170 million
Future Android 17: 380 million