Goku strode over to his son. A sharp pang made Goku clench his hands into fists as he knelt beside Gohan.
"Hey there, son." Goku made sure there wasn't a trace of anger. "I know you're hurt but you need to eat this, okay?" Goku produced a senzu bean and placed it into Gohan's mouth.
"Come on, Gohan." Goku pleaded with his son. "You have to swallow it."
V and Gohan sat in their mind room, right next to each other. V smiled at him and took his hands in hers.'
It's time to wake up now, Gohan she told him I know it hurts but daddy is here.
Daddy! Gohan exclaimed, relief filling him. His dad always made things okay, daddy is here, right now? Gohan asked her.
V nodded he's holding you, feel for yourself. V broke the connection and Gohan was back in his body and everything hurt, his pain had pain but V was right.
"You have to swallow it, Gohan." His dad's voice was gentle and comforting and dad is here! Gohan could have cried he was so happy.
"That's it, Gohan." Goku held his son in his arms, he felt V just a bit away, she was hurt but she was okay. Right now, Goku watched his son struggle to swallow the senzu bean but once he did, his energy pulsed and Gohan bolted upright, clutching onto his father's shirt.
"Daddy!" he exclaimed wrapping his arms around his father "you're really here."
"Of course I am, silly." Goku lifted Gohan with him as he climbed back to his feet.
The Ginyu force looked in in confusion. Jeice looked to Burter and exchanged glances with Recoome.
"Who the hell is this bloke?" Jeice asked.
Goku continued to ignore them as he cradled his five-year-old son in his arms and strode over to V.
"Daddy…" V muttered into the ground. her body was filled with so much pain she was sure not even those magic beans would help her but then again she must have felt worse than this, right?
"Oh no…" Gohan hopped down as Goku knelt and produced another bean.
"V." Gohan rested his hands on her back. V's tail moved the slightest bit but she was too weak for much else.
"She was trying to protect me." Gohan whimpered, seeing her in so much pain, feeling it through their link, although she tried to keep that from him, hurt Gohan more than anything else ever had.
"I know, she's a good sister." Goku smiled at Gohan as he scooped V into his arms and placed the bean in her mouth. V grimaced from the pain but eventually got her own bean down.
"Is she gonna be okay?" Gohan asked.
V's energy pulsed and swirled and Gohan was taken aback from the sudden surge. His head spun and for the briefest of moments he felt like he might vomit but he didn't and V was grabbing onto Goku and Gohan. She looked Gohan up and down and then she looked to Goku.
"Daddy!" she wrapped her arms and squeezed with all her strength "I knew you'd be here, I just knew it!" she laughed, the weight of the world was no longer on her shoulders alone.
"Oh man." Goku chuckled as he hugged V "you've gotten even stronger."
"Gohan!" V released Goku and wrapped her legs and arms around him. "I was so worried about you, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." V held him, he's okay.
"But you did." Goku assured her "he's alive, you kept everyone alive until I got here and that's what matters, V, that's what counts." He pressed a kiss to her forehead and then Gohan's and then led both his children over to Krillin and then to Veltro. Dronare was still locked in Burter's grasp when Veltro ate the senzu bean. Dronare had never felt relief like the moment Veltro's energy returned and this time Dronare was sure he was even stronger than before.
Veltro Dronare prodded into Veltro's mind.
I'm okay. Veltro assured him. Then Veltro saw V, healthy and alive and okay.
"Veroca!" Veltro leapt on her and wrapped himself around her, locking her to him, he grabbed her tail with his. "You're okay." He held onto her.
We're okay, now V said. My dad is here, he's going to fix everything.
Veltro let V go but held onto her tail with his own.
Are you okay, Dronare? Veltro asked him.
I'm alright, Veltro. Dronare assured his son but stay back now
Burter growled when he saw Dronare looking at Veltro, he could tell they were communicating telepathically.
"Stop that." Burter growled shook Dronare.
"Dronare!" Veltro lunged forward but V tightened her tail around his and stopped him.
"Daddy." V tugged on his pant leg.
"What is it, V?" Goku placed his hand on his daughter's shoulder.
"That's Veltro's daddy, Dronare." V pointed to the Namek "and that's Burter, he's fast and he's hurting Dronare."
"Alright, V." Goku mussed her hair, as Veltro looked on in distress.
"Daddy will fix it." He smiled at her and nodded toward Veltro. "We'll have to officially meet later, Veltro." Goku glanced at V and Veltro's interlocked tails. "It's time for you guys to stay back and let me take care of this."
"But daddy!" Gohan exclaimed "they're really strong."
"I know, Gohan but…" Goku gave his trademark smirk and looked the remaining members of the Ginyu force over. "I think I can handle them."
"But…" Gohan reached for his dad as he stepped away but Gohan grabbed him. V watched Goku stride across the field.
"Wait, Gohan… somethings… something is different about dad." V felt out Goku's energy, there was something strange about his energy, it was a stronger, more refined.
"What do you mean?" Gohan looked to V, her eyes firmly on their father.
"Look, Gohan." V said "feel him."
Gohan looked at Goku. Goku stood straighter, walked taller, there was a new confidence in his stride. Gohan didn't think there was anyway his father could emit anymore confidence but there it was.
Goku strode toward the Ginyu force with minimal concern. He sized up his opponents, they were strong but training in one hundred times gravity really had some intense benefits.
"So, you think that's funny, huh?" Goku demanded, sharpening his gaze as he met Burter's eyes.
"Have you ever tried it?" Burter sneered holding Dronare by the throat.
"Not interested." Goku stood across from Burter "and you will let him go, now!"
"Why don't you come and make me." Burter cackled tightening his arm around Burter. Dronare grabbed at Burter's arm, Burter just tightened his arm and then Dronare was gone.
"What the?" Burter looked at his empty arms.
Jeice and Recoome looked at Goku and Burter in disbelief… "how did he…"
Goku reappeared in front of Veltro and V and placed Dronare beside him.
"Dad!" Veltro clung to Dronare, but his tail stayed linked to Veroca. Dronare held onto his son.
"You're okay." Dronare held onto his son, he felt better now that Veltro was back in his arms and he was healthy and alive. He would never forget how broken Veltro looked and how powerless Dronare had been to stop it. I will never be so weak again Dronare swore holding onto his son. He looked to Goku.
"Thank you." Dronare said to him. Goku nodded and offered a smiled "thank you for keeping an eye on my kids until I got here."
"Goku, is it?" Dronare asked.
Goku nodded.
"These guys are strong." Dronare warns him.
"Hmmm…" Goku had that trademark smirk on his face as he shifted his eyes toward the Ginyu force. "Yeah but… I think I'll be okay."
"We'll have a better chance if we fight together." Dronare said.
Veltro perked up. "Yeah—"
"Not you." Dronare said firmly, interrupting Veltro.
"but—"
"Don't worry." Goku interrupted Veltro again "just stay here and let me handle this, besides." Goku pointed toward the kid's interlocked tails. "I don't think V's letting you go anywhere." He chuckled when Veltro looked to V and she shook her head, a bit of a pout on her face. V's tail tightened around Veltro's as she turned toward her dad.
"Go get 'em daddy." She smiled confidently at him, she had a feeling this wouldn't take long.
"You got it." Goku turned away form his friends and family and faced off.
"What's the big idea!" Recoome yelled "alright, that's it." He growled "now you're gonna get it, RECOOOOMMEEEE!" He struck a few poses and V still found it hard to watch.
"DIE!" Recoome yelled.
Gohan and Krillin covered their eyes, Dronare watched Veltro, Veltro watched V and V watched Goku. Her eyes shifted and Recoome staggered forward striking air.
"Uuuhhhh..." Recoome just stared at empty space "where'd he go?" he asked.
"He's gone!" Gohan exclaimed "Krillin, did you see where he went?"
"Uhuhu." Krillin shook his head. Krillin's eyes trailed over the field until they landed on Vegeta who's eyes were nowhere near Recoome.
"Man, he's fast." Burter noted.
"Yeah he is…" Jeice looked out over the field "but where'd he go?" his scouter beeped and pointed behind him. Burter and Jeice leapt a step back as they turned and found Goku directly behind them.
"What are you trying to pull?" Jeice demanded
Krillin and Gohan gaped at Goku "he's all the way over there." Krillin stared in disbelief. And Vegeta saw it before any of us he slid a glance at V maybe not all of us V didn't look surprised at all to see Goku way over there.
Goku stared Jeice and Burter down "You guys have enough caused enough problems here, it's time for you to leave."
Jeice and Burter growled and clenched their hands into fists as they glared at Goku.
"Go back to your ships and get off of this planet otherwise you'll face me." Goku walked towards them. V recognized the tension in Jeice and Burter as their anger built up and they lunged for Goku but Goku moved faster than them and avoided both of their attacks. They didn't even see it. They staggered forward without hitting their mark just like Recoome before. Recoome watched as Goku flew from Jeice and Burter back across the field to him.
"Alright, that's enough showing off." Recoome tried to regain control of this battle "we get it you're pretty quick but speed alone isn't going to be enough to save you. you see I've got this special little move I like to use and trust there's no way you're going to be able to outrun it. I'm going to wipe out this whole place and everything you see is going to be ruble, hope you're ready chief because I'm about to send all you little wimps straight to hell!" Recoome's energy began to climb, sections of rock crumbled away from the ground and rose into the air with Recoome's energy. Gohan and Krillin looked on in fear. Even Vegeta grit his teeth, sure that there was no way Goku would be able to stop this attack.
It's okay, Gohan V didn't even realize she was thinking it but Gohan heard it and her calmness washed over him.
"ERASER GU—" Recoome's words stopped in his mouth. Goku stood under him with his elbow jammed into Recoome's stomach. Recoome's energy drained immediately as he looked down at the comparably tinier man.
Goku stepped back, his hands raised in a chop like manner "Sorry, I saw an opening and it was just screaming 'attack me' so… I did." Goku chuckled and chopped at the air as Recoome slumped to the ground.
"Is that it?" Gohan asked "did dad win."
V nodded "yes."
"I just… I don't see how it's possible." Krillin stammered "after all the trouble we had with him… one punch and… and…the Goku we left on Earth couldn't be doing this right now."
Jeice and Burter looked on in utter shock "What's Recoome still doing on the ground, it looked like the guy barely even touched him." Jeice shook his head "that…that attack didn't even register on the scouters." He stammered.
"I've told you once already." Goku said his voice loud and clear as a bell as his eyes shifted to Jeice and Burter.
"Take your friend and leave, we don't have to fight." Goku tried to reason with them again. V just shook her head.
What are you doing, daddy? She unintentionally spoke to him telepathically these guys can't be reasoned with, just make them go away
We always give people a chance Goku spoke back to her if we start just killing people then how are we any better? He asked her. V shifted her eyes to Gohan, she didn't care what they had done to her, she wouldn't care what they were going to do to this planet if it weren't for Veltro. The only thing she cared about was the sickening snap that kept replaying in her head when Recoome broke Gohan's neck and laughed about it. She didn't care about being good or bad right now, she wanted Recoome dead, she wanted Frieza gone and she wanted to go home.
You are good, V Goku told her don't let the bad guys get to you after fighting this whole time to not end up like Vegeta.
V winced at the mention of it. Of course, she knew what it was like being on the weak end and it's not like she wanted revenge for her, she just wanted to make sure that Recoome could never hurt Gohan again and there was only one way to do that.
"That's it!" Jeice yelled "I've had just about enough of you!" Jeice took off first and Burter followed close behind. They attacked Goku but V held no concern, he was stronger than both of them.
Jeice and Burter flew back and forth trying to get a hit in but Goku was moving too fast for them to even see. Krillin, Gohan, Dronare, Veltro, V and Vegeta just watched, it's all they could do. V was the only one able to figure out why it looked like Goku wasn't even moving and it wasn't because she could see it, it was because she could feel him. Somewhere along the line she had developed a similar but much weaker bond with Goku and she could feel his movement.
"That's insane." V shook her head at the whole thing.
"He's not even moving…" Goku couldn't fathom what was happening, of course he knew his father was strong, the strongest ever but… this was new. How could anyone even be this strong?
Yes he is V answered Gohan through their link without thinking about it. Feel she opened herself up to Gohan completely and directed him toward the fight.
Gohan's jaw dropped both from the unhindered link V had just opened and the power he felt from their father. How fast he was moving you just couldn't see it, you had to feel it.
"Oh, wow." Gohan gasped. "that's amazing."
"You don't honestly see anything… do you?" Krillin asked casting a sideways look at Gohan.
"No." Gohan shook his head "but V can feel him moving… she's letting my see through our bond."
"You're inside V's head?" Krillin asked, his tone taking a sharp edge.
"No." Gohan shook his head "it's not like that, it's like..." Gohan tried to think of a way to explain it but how do you explain this?
Dronare cast an annoyed look at Krillin. "They share a soul." Dronare told Krillin bluntly. "They are their own beings, they have their own thoughts and feelings and minds but they are open to each other, free to look into each other's minds and share things with each other." Dronare turned to look at Krillin full on "they understand each other in a way no one else could ever hope to."
"Yeah…" Krillin grumbled and turned back to the fight.
Burter and Jeice stopped and Jeice growled "That's it." He stalked up to Goku "who do you think you are we are the Ginyu—" Goku's fist plowed into Jeice's face. Jeice howled in pain and grabbed at his face.
"How dare you!" Jeice yelled.
"How dare I what, attacking you?" Goku asked "weren't you and your friend attacking me."
Jeice grit his teeth against Goku's logic. "I'll destroy you!" He yelled as he and Burter both attacked Goku. Goku easily blocked both attacks, he didn't need to move, his arms were plenty strong to stop the attacks. He kneed Jeices and crouched as he swept Burter's legs out from under neath him. Both ginyus' recovered and glared at the spikey haired alien.
Jeice narrowed his eyes at Goku "He's,"
"Dead meat." Burter finished his friend's sentence. Goku crossed his arms in front of him, his energy spiked.
Veltro stood beside V "so…" Veltro dug the toe of his shoe into the ground "that's your dad?" he asked as Goku threw his arms out, a gust of energy throwing Burter and Jeice in opposite directions.
"Yep." V couldn't help the smile on her face. It wasn't just because he was strong, it was because he wasn't just fighting to save himself. He was fighting for Gohan and Krillin and Veltro and Dronare and her. he was fighting for her too.
Veltro looked at V smiling, he had never seen her smile like that. Veltro tightened his tail around hers but she was lost in the fight. She wasn't thinking about him she's gonna leave me. Veltro thought a bit panicked.
Have a little more faith in your friend that that Dronare's voice invaded Veltro's thoughts. He rested a hand on his son's shoulder.
"There's no way!" Jeice exclaimed when he finally recovered himself.
Krillin looked on in utter amazement. "He threw them back just like that, he turned his energy into some kind of blast…" Krillin trailed off trying to understand what just happened.
Gohan looked at his father and felt him through V's open link and he wasn't sure what to think either, how could he get so strong, so fast?
Jeice and Burter tried again throwing their hardest hits but again it seemed as through their hits were going right through Goku, the only indication that they had thrown a hit was the breeze that moved Goku's bangs.
"That can't be right." Jeice muttered as he flew upward "his power level is only five thousand, I'm sure of it." Jeice checked the scouter again to be sure but there it was, a power level of only five thousand, much weaker than his. "our attacks aren't even phasing him."
Burter's energy surged, purple energy erupted around him. his voice raised from a low growl to a yell as he powered up for something big. Jeice glanced over at Burter and he knew what to do. Powering up himself, re energy engulfed him and the red and purple energies collided. Energy balls flew out from the spiral.
Goku stood solid as his voice reached the sky, his power level following right behind. The balls of energy hit a type of shield Goku used his energy to create. The barrage of balls struck the shield and when the dust cleared. Goku stodd unscathed.
"It didn't even touch him!" Jeice growled in annoyance his energy spiked again "this is what you get for messing with the Ginyu force." He raised his hand to the sky, red energy framing his arm and hand "CRUSHER!" He yelled "BALL!" he threw the energy orb at Goku.
"That's it… jumps now." Burter coaxed sure that he knew what Goku was going to do because it was what everyone did when faced with this attack.
"What!" Burter exclaimed "he deflected it! Damn you!" Burter charged forward. But he blinked and Goku was gone.
"Damn it, where'd he go!" Burter cursed. Jeice spotted him before Burter did.
"Burter, behind you!" Jeice tried to warn his friend. Burter whirled around and found Goku behind him. Goku hovered there with his arms crossed and a smirk on his lips and Burter just stared for a moment,
"No!" he yelled into Goku's face "no, I am the fastest in the universe!" Burter yelled it as if ti would make it true "I'm the fastest, there is no one faster!"
"I think you mean second fastest." Goku said a bit smugly.
Jeice just watched helpless from the side lines "this madness, first he deflects my crusher ball and then he sneaks up on Burter?"
"Who…who are you?" Burter demands of Goku.
"I'm a Saiyan raised on Earth, or so the say." Goku smiled a bit wider.
"Liar!" he yells at Goku "that's ridiculous, a Saiyan being this fast."
"Hey, don't go jumping to conclusions, I've trained hard, pushed myself to my limits and further." Goku looked the purple alien over, he was getting scared "you shouldn't judge others based on their race, it could get you into trouble." Goku chuckled a little, considering Burter's current situation it was funny
"Speed isn't going to win you this fight, you'll tire out eventually." Burter lunged attacking Goku with everything he had.
"You sure?" Goku asked a bit arrogantly but from V's perspective he had the stuff to back up the arrogance, she shifted her eyes toward Vegeta unlike him she couldn't help but smile just try and hurt Gohan again, Vegeta
Jeice threw himself into the battle and Burter and Jeice tried work with Burter. Watching to hit Goku after he dodged Burter's attack but Goku was so fast they couldn't keep up.
"Dammit!" Burter cursed "how can this be—" his words stopped in his throat when Goku disappeared and Jeice's fist plowed into his face but Burter's knee embedded itself into Jeice's abdomen.
"What's the big idea!" Jeice growled at Burter.
"Look who's talking!" Burter yelled back.
The Z fighters just looked on in stunned amazement "how did he get so strong?" Krillin muttered mostly to himself.
Vegeta growled under his breath how could he get so much stronger in such a short amount of time?
"Are you sure you want to keep on like this?" Goku gave the remaining Ginyus another chance to back down.
"Getting tired?" Burter smirked at him.
"Not exactly." Goku disappeared and slammed his elbow into Burter's face, he swung his leg out and caught Jeice's face. The pair charged Goku again and Goku disappeared and slammed his foot into Burter's face sending him across the battle field. Jeice was so surprised he couldn't even move.
Goku was nothing but a streak of light as he flew across the sky and appeared below Burter, his hand up. Burter slammed into Goku's hand.
"That's so cool." V smiled at her father he just took out Burter without breaking a sweat. V leapt up, Veltro's tail around her own the only thing keeping her close to the ground.
"Go Daddy!" She cheered.
Goku's eye shifted toward Jeice "take your wounded and leave, I don't want to have to hurt you too."
Jeice glanced between Burter and Goku and then to Recoome. His energy spiked, Goku readied for another attack but Jeice didn't charge him. instead, Jeice flew the opposite way disappearing into the sky.
"G…Goku?" Krillin had to ask, he was so different now.
"Hmm…" Goku looked back at his childhood friend.
"Is that really you?" Krillin asked.
Goku smiled "Of course it is, who else would it be?" Goku looked over at his friend and his children I got here just in the nick of time.
I knew you'd be here in time V spoke to him in his head, he smiled and nodded toward her. when had she learned telepathy?
Now's my chance Vegeta sprung into his opportunity. He flew across the field and drove his knee into Burter's neck effectively severing his spine from his skull.
"Hey!" Goku held his hand out "stop." Vegeta leapt away from Burter and held his hand out torward Recoome, energy welled up in his hand an dhe fired without the slightest hesitation. The explosion engulfed Reccome leaving nothing but dust in it's wake.
"What's your deal?" Goku snapped at Vegeta "you know how to receive mercy but you don't know how to give it, too bad, I was hoping you might've changed."
Vegeta spat at the ground "they don't deserve any favors, they're scum, believe me." Vegeta leveled Goku with a glare "would they have shown mercy to your friend and your son?" Vegeta had a point that V couldn't deny.
"Had you shown up ten minutes later you wouldn't have had anyone to save." Vegeta smirked at Goku "you're too soft to be a Saiyan, that freak you let go could cost you your life."
He's right." V told her father there's someone else, their leader, he's even stronger than them.
"Mercy is not weakness." Goku told Vegeta, if Vegeta didn't learn it that was fine but he wouldn't let Vegeta influence V or Gohan.
"Speak for yourself." Vegeta scoffed.
"He's right." V said to no one in particular.
"Huh?" Gohan looked to V.
"Vegeta is right." V sighed.
"No way." Veltro interrupted anything Gohan might've said "your father is right, Dronare teaches me the same and I believe Dronare over Vegeta." Veltro made a face at Vegeta.
"Veltro's right." Gohan said gently "had we not shown Vegeta Mercy on earth he would have been here to save us from Guldo, remember?"
V puffed her cheeks out and sighed "I guess." How can they be so forgiving? V couldn't fathom it. She would never forgive Vegeta for what he'd done to Gohan back on Earth.
V seems to be having trouble with forgiveness and King Kai has already mentioned she's not really a good guy, the person she shares a soul with just happens to be a good guy, she still has to make a choice or perform some kind of action that decides her side and not just save Gohan and his friends to keep him happy.
Any guess/suggestions on what she's gonna do. I have some ideas but I'd like to hear your thoughts too.
fogxglove, fear not I've been waiting for Nail to meet V again since I wrote The Namekian Saiyan and it does alter the original plot line of DBZ a bit but hey... that's what Fanfiction is for. :)
