REASON
Reason transformed into prejudice is the worst form of prejudice, because reason is the only instrument for liberation from prejudice.
-Allan Bloom
Disclaimer: The Dragonball characters and concepts in this story do not belong to me. They belong to Akira Toriyama and I'm not Akira Toriyama because if I was I don't think this would be called a fanfic. I'm not making any money off posting this.
Authors Notes: Sorry that this took so long. I'd like to say that from now on these will be more regular, like before, but exams are coming up so I don't see that happening. Don't blame me, blame the stupid cyclone and assignments and my boss and exams and hangovers. By the way, if this is getting confusing then tell me. I tend to get very confusing at time because I know what I'm talking about, but I forget you don't. Just be warned that certain things are meant to be slightly confusing at the minute, but you should be able to understand the basic plot.
For those who wanted me to stop cutting parts out of my story then the full version is now available, it's published as a separate story. I will continue to post both versions for the rest of this story.
Chapter 5: Closing In
The group scanned the skies, waiting and hoping that Gohan and Piccolo would land before them any second with apologetic grins on their faces. Goten did not expect such a thing to occur, deep down he knew it was impossible, but he still hoped. He looked over at Trunks, who quickly looked away trying to pretend he had not being studying Goten closely, wondering why he was sensing something that nobody else could. Goten knew that Trunks thought he was being foolish, but he knew for sure that these powers did not belong to the people they felt like.
Just as the impatience began to show amongst the group, two small specks appeared on the horizon. It was mere chance that Goten managed to see them, as everyone had expected an aerial arrival. Goten however was trying his best to think outside the box, as something rather unusual was going on and he knew it. There was something about this enemy that worried him, they weren't the typical, 'I must be the strongest and control the world' enemy. Instead they seemed to have tact and stealth and definitely a lot of understanding of the Z-Warriors fighting style. He took a double take, making certain his eyes weren't lying to him. Realising that the figures were not a figment of his hyperactive and nervous imagination he alerted the others to the presence. Everyone watched closely, unsure of how to react. It certainly could have been Piccolo and Gohan, but Goten was acting very defensive, not taking his eyes off the approaching specks. To Goten the advance seemed to take forever, he could almost hear the gentle tick of the clocks in the world slow down. The closer they came, the more he could sense the void in the souls of these things. "Androids." The comment was simple and clear and now nobody doubted his assumption and fully accepted the fact that someone had been imitating the power of their close friends. Each of them took a fighting stance, now also waiting alongside Goten. Suddenly, to all the approach became tedious and deliberately frustrating. They were all too familiar with the mind games that Gero's androids had played.
Krillen, trying not to let his voice shake too much said, "Bulma, Chichi, Videl, you'd better get inside."
Bulma opened her mouth to protest, but Chichi gave her a gentle tug on the arm and whispered to her, barely audibly, "Go look after Vegeta." Chichi knew she had hit a soft spot, something that Bulma would deny in the future, because Bulma gave up and almost hastily returned to the shelter of Capsule Corporation.
"Chaotzu, you'd better go too." Tien said. Although it pained him to batter his confidence so, Tien knew that Chaoztzu just wasn't strong enough. However, at the back of his mind something reminded him that none of them were really. Not even Vegeta or Goku had been strong enough to win, so what chance could they possibly have. Trying to ignore the morbid thoughts that wormed into his mind he looked at the warriors around him, noticing similar fear reactions.
As the two silhouettes moved closer it became very clear that they were the androids. The two approaching with saccharine smiles imprinted on their faces and evil imprinted in their eyes. The way they carried themselves alone told the group that they were androids. They were immortal beings, unaware of such human vices as fear and remorse. It was likely they didn't even know of death's cruel games. The confident strides were still strangely relaxed. Their short black hair was tousled by the slight breeze making their silent smiles appear even more foreboding.
Fear was beginning to breed amongst the warriors. "Why are they taking so long?" Yamucha cried out in frustration. Nobody answered, it was not a question that required an answer and in any case nobody could answer without proving to themselves through their nervous ramblings just how afraid they were. Instead the group waited in silence.
*
"Sir, Yonhyakugou and Gohyakugou encountered some resistance during their search for Goku. There were two of them, but sensors indicate they fled from the scene after only a short battle. However, during the battle a Hisan no Kosen was fired."
"Why? The androids should not be wasting power on such insignificant matters so soon before the great battle."
"They've still got at least ten minutes before they find Goku, so there will be plenty of time to recharge. Besides, the android logic systems enable them to make judgement calls such as that one. If they used Hisan no Kosen then there will have been a good reason for it..." Paul's voice faded as his attention was drawn towards the screen, "which there was. Take a look at this, sir."
Jaques leaned towards the screen. "What? What am I looking at?"
Paul pressed a few buttons, and enlarged the grainy image on screen. "We've just received these images from Gohyakugou." Typing in a few more commands the image began to grow clearer. "It's Son san's son, Son Gohan."
"So Gohan has been hit with a Hisan no Kosen."
Paul nodded blankly.
"Then god truly is on our side. He must have fallen for our projection of Goku's power. It was a handy trick after all. We have managed to conquer the strongest three through division of their forces, I think that the last few should not be too much of a problem."
The quote drew Paul's attention. It amazed him to think that Jaques was fighting God's war in his mind. He had originally hated the pompous attitude of Jaques, but he was starting to sound a little more than fanatical. In his opinion, the guy was losing it.
"Do we have an approximate time of impact?" Jaques asked, suddenly coming out of his wistful reflections.
"Umm," Paul squinted at the screen, slightly startled by the sudden change of mood. "Approximately 0157 hours."
"And how much longer till Vegeta and Goku start to feel the effects of the Hisan no Kosen?"
"Not even an hour."
*
"Hang in there." Piccolo told Gohan as he gently lay him on the dry earth. Gohan let out a low moan in his unconscious state. Piccolo quickly checked Gohan over properly searching for any additional damage other than the scalded hands. Piccolo had fled the scene without any plan other than getting away from the battle. Not normally his style, but there was more at stake than his pride. He was almost at Capsule Corporation, but had decided to walk the remainder of the journey for safety reasons. He gently lay Gohan over his shoulders and continued on. As he walked he thought of the conflict that inevitably lay before the entire group and tried not to think of how badly they would need Gohan's, Goku's and Vegeta's help. Instead he focussed on how he could beat the androids, with the help of the others. He analysed the fight that he had just been through, searching for a clue to their weakness. That was the key, as he had learnt with the last batch, find a weakness. It crossed his mind that they could have no weaknesses, but dismissed it for two reasons. The first was that it would be virtually impossible to build anything without a weakness. The second reason was that if they didn't have a weakness then the planet was lost. Strange how that mattered to him now. It had never been an issue before. He was just passing through with absolutely no attachment to the ball of dirt whatsoever, but that certainly changed.
Becoming frustrated with his failed attempts to realise a weakness from his previous battle Piccolo began to wonder who had sent the androids and why. Maybe the creator would be the key if the androids themselves could not be stopped. Gero's androids had a device which could control them, it was an important safety feature to prevent the androids turning on their creators. However, this gave them an obvious weakness. If the creator was that desperate to see Goku dead then he would also know that any weakness would be exploited so might have made a gamble on his or her own security.
The roundabout arguments got Piccolo nowhere but frustrated. Instead he tried to clear his mind and prepare his body for the onslaught ahead.
Arriving at Capsule Corporation Piccolo was surprised to find everyone outside staring at two androids. The pathetic quivering The pathetic quivering of the other warriors irritated Piccolo, but he realised he had just walked in on a very tense situation so wisely said nothing. Instead he walked by them all and kicked open the front door of CC. Without hesitation he walked swiftly through the corridors with his cape flowing behind him.
Bulma and Chichi stared at one another when they heard the footsteps echoing through the halls. The air suddenly seemed to thicken with tension and Bulma silently cried out to her husband to wake up. Although she'd never admit it, she enjoyed the sense of security she experienced around Vegeta, when he was awake anyway. Chaotzu, who sat quietly in a dark corner recognised the power signal, but didn't say anything. He hadn't really noticed the reactions of the other girls in the room as he was too busy wallowing. A huge shadow appeared menacingly in the doorway and Bulma and Chichi sank further back in their seats. Videl, however, seemed to recognise the figure and called out a greeting, "Piccolo."
"Hm!"
"Where have you been? Have you seen Gohan?"
Piccolo emerged into the full light revealing his company. Chichi seemed to suddenly come out of her state of shock and rushed up to attend to her son and Bulma followed suit only a second later. Piccolo ignored the frantic women and pushed past them to a vacant bed. He paused for a second as if reconsidering his actions, then with the grace and care of a loving parent lowered Gohan to the mattress. He took a step back to let the others tend to him, but found himself stepping into Chichi.
"Hey, watch where you are going."
The shrill cry pierced Piccolo's ears. Nevertheless his pride would not allow him to show the pain caused so he simply moved to stand in a dark corner, content to watch from a distance. He felt slightly ashamed that he had revealed so much tenderness towards a person and hoped that everyone was too occupied to notice or remember. Taking the opportunity Piccolo glanced over his enemies, Goku and Vegeta. He noticed that Vegeta's face was especially sallow and that Goku didn't look much better. Both had very low power readings. He also noticed Chaotzu sitting quietly in a corner with his head bowed. Had he not been given the opportunity to reflect then Piccolo would have probably overlooked Chaotzu due to his secluded position and his low power. Piccolo wondered how he must feel being left behind by all the other fighting giants.
He wasn't given long to ponder it. Not much later everyone took their attention away from Gohan for long enough to interrogate Piccolo.
Answering the first question he could coherently hear Piccolo said, "Gohan came to meet me in the desert and he told me that these two," he indicated Vegeta and Goku, still lying silently in bed, "had gotten into a fight."
"But why did it take so long?" Videl asked.
"When we were coming back Gohan and I sensed Goku's power reaching Super Saiyan Three level. When we went to have a look I realised there was something very wrong. Something about Goku's power wasn't quite right."
Chichi, Bulma, Videl and even Chaotzu exchanged glances. Piccolo noticed this and asked what was up.
"Well," Bulma started, "Goten sensed Goku's power at Super Saiyan Three before and so could everyone else, but he was right here in this bed. Goten said that the power was empty or something, but nobody else could sense it. Then just before he was saying to us that your guys power levels were raised really high, then they appeared close to Capsule Corps just before the androids arrived. However he said that there was something missing in those powers too."
"Hmm, the kids not totally stupid after all."
"Yeah, we already knew that. Get on with your story." Bulma said.
Piccolo gave Bulma a rather scary glare, reminding her of just how he used to be before he met Gohan. This put her back in her place, but Piccolo continued anyway. He was eager to get back out there and make these androids hurt. "Well Gohan was hit with this strange blast which for some reason was impossible to block. This is what happened." Piccolo nodded towards Gohan lying in the bed, now starting to sweat quite profusely. Videl noticed this when she looked over at Gohan and slipped to the sink to get a wet cloth. Gently she mopped his forehead while still keeping an ear on Piccolo's recount of the nights events. "I managed to take off from the androids, they didn't really seem that interested in following me, so we got away fine. Once we weren't attacking them anymore they didn't see us as a threat, either that or they just wanted Gohan out of the picture. I'm not really sure though."
Bulma softened her tone a little, trying to sound more obliging than last time. "Is there anything you can tell us about what happened to Gohan? I'd say he got hit with the same thing as Goku and Vegeta so anything you can tell us could be helpful."
Piccolo looked angry for a second and Bulma wondered what she'd done this time, but the look quickly dissipated and Piccolo hung his head. "No, I don't really know anything." Bulma then realised it was just a feeling of helplessness that made him so angry. He was used to being able to solve his own problems without any help.
With a final regretful look in Gohan's direction Piccolo said, "See if you can cure these guys. We could probably use their help on the battlefield." Then he turned and raced off to the battle which he sensed had just begun outside.
*
Goten and Trunks began to power up, sensing that they would probably have to control the direction of the battle, at least until their fathers arrived. Juuhachigou did the same only seconds later. Krillen, Yamcha and Tien reluctantly gathered their energy preparing for the hard struggle that inevitably lay before them. Even Goten had a touch of fear in his eyes, but Trunks seemed almost eager to rip the androids apart. Goten briefly gave Trunks a sidelong glance, but Trunks caught his eye and silently reprimanded him for not focusing on the androids. The androids stood impassively, watching the events with amusement. A silent cue seemed to go off in their programming once the Z-Warriors reached a certain power and the two took a flying leap in a perfectly synchronised motion. Still unsure of what they were up against the others readied themselves for the action, but with less grace and confidence than the androids. Their lack of organisation cost them as each member was singled out and picked off within seconds. Fortunately no member was seriously hurt, but somewhat perturbed. Trunks, fuelled by the rage emerging from his hurt ego, got straight back into the action, but again was simply tossed aside. . Trunks was becoming furious. He had to destroy these androids. They had almost killed his father and that alone was reason enough to devote his life to destroying them. If his father died then he wanted revenge, if his father lived then he wanted revenge and to prove himself to his father. By now most of the others were aware of the intensity of Trunks's fighting. Nobody tried to calm him down. If there was one thing they knew after all these years of fighting it was that an angry Saiyan tended to succeed. They could do with a little of that absolute determination.
Neither android seemed particularly interested in killing anyone, only keeping them out of the way. It was about then that Piccolo let his energy surround himself, drawing many eyes. As his aura swirled about him the androids began to speak, "Where is Goku?" The voice was very crisp. No words or emotions were wasted in the request, making it sound so much more dangerous.
"Goku who?" Piccolo replied.
"Tell us where Goku is?"
Trunks beat Piccolo to the response, "Never." His words were emphasised by a strong burst of power emanating from his every pore. With their wits gathered the group launched a more organised assault with Trunks pushing at incredibly high levels for so early on in the fight.
Piccolo seemed to be on fire. His moves seemed constantly one thought ahead of the androids. Even Trunks was surprised at his performance and wondered if there was an emotional catalyst involved. He had noticed that Gohan was not present and began to wonder just what had happened in all that time they had been missing. Trunks was a smart boy though and knew that why Piccolo was completely on par was irrelevant right now. Questions could be asked later, but now it was time for fighting. Letting out a war cry his aura hovered then throbbed outwards and Goten sensed that he was getting up to a Super Saiyan level. As they fought Goten knew that he was going to have to go to Super Saiyan to win this fight and even then there could be real difficulties. He knew that androids didn't go down easily. He just wished his Dad was at his side, it was so much easier to be brave then.
The Z-Warriors had the upper hand for a second or two, taking full advantage of their numbers and the element of surprise. However it wasn't long before the androids sent several of the gang flying and regular intervals allowing them plenty of opportunity to protect themselves and get in their own attacks. The cheap strategy meant that it would be relatively easy to overcome. The group split into two, one group containing Yamucha, Tien, Juuhachigou and Trunks and the other containing Krillen, Piccolo and Goten. Each group claimed an android and attacked simultaneously, finally managing to land a few blows.
Thud, thud! Two more identical figures landed and calmly approached the scrimmage before letting their power explode outward. With more ease than seemed likely each claimed a single opponent. One had isolated Goten from the group forcing him into a one on one. The other simply got on Trunks's nerves, coercing him from the safety of his friends.
Goten pushed his foot outward in a sweeping kick aimed at the ankles of the android. The young girl skilfully flipped over the foot, but Goten reacted quickly managing a reasonably aimed roundhouse to the knee. With the android off balance from blow Goten zipped up to his opponent landing a well placed uppercut to the young girls jaw sending her flying backwards for a second then falling to dig a trench with her own torso. The exhilaration of success began to loosen Goten up even further. Keeping a wary eye on the figure that lay in the dust Goten threw his hands to his side preparing for a Kame Hame Ha. Before he had the first syllable out he noticed a quick movement and suddenly the battered girl was gone. Stunned and confused Goten looked about him, seeing the other raging battles around, but unable to locate his foe. On a whim he twisted his head skyward and found a foot falling toward his face. He jumped from the path of the falling android, but the foot clipped his shoulder making it numb for a second. That second was enough to allow the android to place an elbow squarely in Goten's gut. Goten's eyes spread wide, his mouth captured in a half formed cry of pain. The android took advantage of his situation and landed a blow to the head before chambering a foot for a back kick. Goten recognised the sign and quickly moved to block the attack, but the blow to his head had stunned him just enough to slow his reaction. The foot hit Goten's upper torso and he let himself fall backwards, needing a chance to recover. The android was strong and it was too dangerous to let her land many blows, especially in such quick succession.
Meanwhile Trunks was facing his own threat. He also had an android to himself, but had been experiencing less luck than Goten. Already blood trickled from several places and flowed freely from others. Trunks had managed to maintain possession of his sword, but was seriously considering getting rid of it. Although it was an advantage, this android was a lot stronger and faster than Trunks and that meant his weapon could be turned against him. Deciding on a final attempt with his sword Trunks jumped aside from a low front kick and drew it across the androids chest, feeling it jar as it traced its way through the skin. Almost doubting his own senses Trunks took a double take and realised that he had indeed hurt the android. The android touched the wound gently then cocked his head sideways, glaring at Trunks out of the corner of his eyes and smirked. The smirk contained so much of Vegeta in it that Trunks found himself doubting the identification of this creature and relaxed his posture. A cry of pain from Yamucha in the distance brought Trunks back to reality though and he quickly resumed a fighting stance, hoping that the others would be alright. He knew that he wouldn't be able to rush in and save everyone if they got into a real fix and Goku and Vegeta could. He could definitely hold his own, but he just hoped that the others didn't rely on him too much. He was after all, still a lot younger than them. Although he may have the raw power, he definitely fell short on experience. The one thing that could win a fight and the one thing that couldn't be faked.
Piccolo, Yamucha and Tien had ended up facing another android. Piccolo dominated most of the fight with Tien and Yamucha acting as back up. Taking the gamble of energy attacks Piccolo fired a Makankosappo toward the android, but keeping it relatively weak just in case these androids could absorb energy. Because all four looked alike it was impossible to tell which was which and any differences in abilities and strength. The beam raced towards the android at an incredibly menacing speed, lighting up the area immediately around it. Almost instantaneously the android moved out of the blasts range letting the two coiled beams fly towards the distance. Seconds later an enormous explosion was heard as it impacted some distant mountain. Neither Piccolo nor the android saw it though as they were already exchanging blows once more. Tien saw an opportunity and sped around the back of the android while he was occupied by Piccolo. Taking the second attacker in his stride the android simply sped up his blocks, letting each arm move independently, perfectly tracing the strikes of his opponents. By now Yamucha had his fears in check and also moved to attack the android. Realising this would stack the odds unfairly the android pushed back on his opponents almost toppling them as he took to the sky allowing his feet free motion. Now when all three blasted towards him he was able to utilise each of his limbs to block attacks and only seconds later, blast Tien and Yamucha from the sky.
Krillen and Juuhachigou had paired up and were actually experiencing the most luck out of the four groups. Juuhachigou had a considerable advantage as she knew the enemy well. She had been this same enemy not too long ago. Using incredibly quick and skilled feint techniques Juuhachigou was able to land several blows, although she never had enough time to pour all of her power into any of them. Krillen also benefited from the distraction because the android focussed his energy on Juuhachigou recognising her strategic knowledge. Juuhachigou feinted a roundhouse before ramming her other foot into the androids gut and pulling her fist upward under his ribs. For a second the android was stunned. Juuhachigou then moved to stand adjacent to him and rammed an elbow into his back causing him to bend at an unnatural angle. Then once more she stood to face him, fist cocked, just before she saw a flash of Piccolo's Makankosappo appear in her peripheral vision. The momentary hesitation cost her dearly as the android once more took control throwing an energy ball in her direction. In jumping out of the way she landed in a somewhat vulnerable position, her weight off balance and her arms not ready for blocks. Before she knew it a foot came flying for her ankles, knocking her off her feet. Flipping herself over backwards she gained a reasonable distance from the enemy and took in a few sharp and heavy breaths.
*
Bulma, Chichi and Videl could hear the sounds of a raging battle outside. Each felt guilty for their absence, but also realised that they would be more hindrance than help in the situation. Chichi felt torn between her sons bedside and her husbands. She could hardly believe that they lay there so helplessly while such a monumental struggle was on. What worried her the most was that Goten was out there, attempting to achieve what both Gohan and Goku had failed at. Bulma had to tend to all three warriors, but spent the most of her time with Vegeta. She enjoyed being able to gently stroke his brow and run her fingers along his arms without him yelling at her, but hated seeing him so weak because she knew what strength meant to him. She was almost envious of Chichi and Videl who sat next to their husbands as both Gohan and Goku were in far better states than Vegeta. Silently in her head she told Vegeta that he mustn't leave her now, especially now. If only you knew, she thought.
Chichi had decided to sit with her husband due to the fact that Videl was sitting with Gohan. She felt very helpless watching Goku lie there and watching his chest rising and falling, making sure that the process never stopped. She told herself that Goku always hung in there and would continue to do so, but at the back of her mind she knew that there was always a good chance that he wouldn't return to her. It was a thought that she had learned to live with, it had been there since the day they were married and would probably travel with her until her final seconds of life. As the wife of a warrior she knew that Goku was not the only one who would have to make sacrifices at times. Still, knowing that it was for the greater good didn't help her when she lay in bed alone at night not knowing where her husband was or what he was doing or even if he was still alive. The pain of absence was forever present when he wasn't around, just another thing you had to learn to cope with when taking on a Saiyan, just like all the extra cooking, repairing of clothes and nursing him back to health. As much as it hurt sometimes Chichi was so glad that she had met someone as special as Goku and never regretted her marriage for a second.
Videl looked at Bulma and Chichi sitting quietly by their husbands, lost in thought. She knew how used to this they were and realised that she probably would be one day too. However, she and Gohan were still a lot younger and hadn't really been through as much together. She wondered if it ever got any easier. She thought of young Pan, not even a year old and knew then that Gohan would survive, if only to see his daughter again. From the second Pan was born Gohan had become a real father, in spirit and in title. The look in Gohan's eyes when he first saw Pan was amazing. It seemed like all the hurt and pain of his past disappeared for a second. For once he seemed absolutely and completely happy without any reservation. She wiped the small strand of hair that hung over Gohan's forehead up into his spiky hair only to watch it fall back to its original place. A small grin crossed her lips, Saiyan hair had always fascinated her. It always seemed to have a mind of its own.
*
Mike and Trina trudged through the streets. "Hurry up!" Mike urged getting impatient with Trina's speed. They were at the back of the pack which was accelerating rapidly. All were eager to see Son Goku's demise, something that Jaques had promised them if they were to hurry. He did not offer any transportation due to sheer numbers. However, he had given them the location of the battle and all had rushed off to see the final hours. Trina felt a little disgusted that they could take so much enjoyment out of watching a man beaten to death, especially when he had no way of defending himself. Personally the thought of killing a person disgusted her no matter what the circumstances, but wisely she kept these opinions to herself. It was too late to get out now. Even if she managed to peel off from the group they would turn against her whenever she was spotted. In a game of rebellion those who sit on the fence are considered to be on the opposite side. She was not one of the rebels, nor was she one of the general public. She glanced casually at Mike who gave her a gentle smile, trying to give her silent support. She returned the gesture, knowing that he needed as much reassurance as she did right now. Releasing her hand from its warm spot in her sleeve she reached out towards Mike's hand which was swaying at his side. They grasped hands tightly and each pulled a little closer to one another. The warmth and comfort provided by the simple action was immeasurable at such a time.
"No, we can't do this. It's just not right to kill a man who hasn't done anything." If Mike hadn't been holding Trina's hand he would have feared that she had finally given into her regrets and spoken up. She looked knowingly at him as the group shuffled to a halt. Everyone turned to face the girl who had just spoken.
"What did you just say?" One of the larger men of the group had taken up position right in front of the girl's face.
"I- I said that this isn't right." The girl spoke a lot more quietly and shyly, but still with a lot of conviction to her words.
An older woman pushed the intimidating figure away from the girl and she put a hand on her shoulder. In a very kind tone she said, "Listen, you're just getting nervous. You probably feel strange about condemning a man to death, but just remember what Jaques says. Goku will be corrupted by his power soon and when that happens the world will be at his mercy. In killing one man we are saving millions of lives." The larger man looked as if he was about to protest when a friend approached him and indicated for him not to say anything. The woman squeezed the girls shoulder, trying to give encouragement. Secretly she was hoping that the girl would come to her senses. It wasn't like her departure would sabotage the rebellion, but it wouldn't end too well for the girl. It would seem a shame to let this over confident man throw his weight because the girl seemed nice enough, just a little confused.
The young girl pushed her long hair behind her ear and looked up, "Yeah. You're right. I'm sorry. I just got a bit nervous I guess. I don't really know what came over me. Thanks." The words seemed rather void and Trina knew that she didn't mean them because she'd been there before.
The woman smiled reassuringly at the girl as if saying, "You've made the right choice, even if you don't believe what we say."
Trina could feel a large lump form in her stomach. She knew that right now the girl was probably thinking, almost made it that time, just as she had so long ago. For a second she was able to catch the young girls eye and it almost broke her heart to see the shattered hope. Her face told Trina better than her own experience how the young girl felt and why. The girl seemed almost shocked by Trina's expression and Trina began to wonder just how much her face was giving away.
*
Jaques tapped his hands on the armrest impatiently. "What's going on?" he snapped at Paul who was trying to keep track of all four androids at once while still trying to get Hyakugou onto the battlefield. There were five screens above the computer consoles, each with the respective name printed above them. Jaques stared impatiently at Gohyakugou's monitor which was showing a lot of static. "Why isn't Gohyakugou sending proper signals?" he demanded, almost expecting the answer he received two minutes ago to change.
"Like I said," Paul replied through gritted teeth, "it's probably just atmosphere."
"Then why isn't it affecting the others?"
"I don't know, but it's not important right now. Let me get Hyakugou ready then I'll worry about your television entertainment."
"Need I remind you that this is more than mere entertainment. Goku's demise will be the biggest event in history since the atomic bomb. Our record of that event should be more than a grainy blur."
"You have three other androids there which should provide you with more than enough footage and if you let me work then you'll have an image from Hyakugou too."
"Why wasn't Hyakugou working properly in the first place? I thought you said everything would be fine. I told you we only have one shot at this."
"Yes, yes I did." Paul said a lot more subdued, obviously lost in deep thought.
"Are you going back on your word?" Jaques looked as if he was about to have a coronary any second.
"No, it's just a minor programming glitch. One of the code loops seems to have been bypassed. I'm running an analysis on it now and it will be fixed in no time. Don't worry, even if we had waited we might not have noticed this. We made allowances for this sort of thing."
"I hope so, for your sake."
Restraining a derisive laugh at the cliche Paul remembered the urgency of his work and watched the rows of numbers and commands run down the screen.
*
Gohan started to shift in his bed, his head shaking about erratically. Bulma told Videl, Chichi and Chaotzu that he was waking up. They all crowded around his bed staring down at him, waiting.
When Gohan opened his eyes his first reaction was fear. He drew back instinctively trying to get away from the people that surrounded him. Videl reached out to calm him but he slapped the hand away while still in his semi-conscious state. "Mmmm," he groaned feeling the pain of his palms coming in forceful contact with a hard surface. The pain exploding in his hands heightened his senses allowing him to realise that the people who surrounded him were his friends and family. He groggily opened his eyes and found himself looking into the eyes of his wife. "Videl?"
"Yeah, it's me, Gohan." She raised her hand again, wanting to reach out to him, but though better of it knowing his reactions last time. She didn't want to make him more tense.
Gohan turned his head slightly to see his mother. "Hi Mum." Chichi stood there with a very unusual look on her face. She seemed tired and happy and sad all at once. Gohan figured that she had been through a lot and he wondered what he had missed. He searched his memory trying to figure out why he was here.
Without giving Chichi a chance to reply Bulma suddenly whipped out a small pocket torch and shone it into Gohan's eyes. He drew away, still not wanting to greet the day just yet. "Come on Gohan. You've been hurt in a fight. Do you remember?"
Gohan shook his head, trying to clear it. "Umm, I think so. I remember Piccolo telling me not to block an attack, then..."
"Piccolo said that the attack couldn't be blocked or something like that. Apparantly you got hit and went down. You're going to be fine though, Gohan." Bulma said, doubting her own words before they emerged.
Gohan lay in his bed not wanting to shut his eyes. He knew his body better than anyone else in this room and he knew that he was being lied to. He was so afraid that if he shut his eyes he would never open them again. He hid his fear from Videl reasonably well, but she sensed something was wrong. She tried to get him to talk about what was bothering him, but he just told her that he was still feeling a little bit out of it which wasn't really a lie. He had seen his father before and sensed that he was not doing so well either. His power was low and it seemed that his heart had slowed as had his breathing.
"Bulma, can I talk to you for a second?" he finally ventured. Videl looked a little hurt that he hadn't asked to talk to her, but decided to let it drop. He was too sick to begin bothering him with her insecurities.
"Sure what's up Gohan?" Bulma replied, not really certain of what would ensue. It seemed strange that he would single her out rather than his own wife or mother, or even fighting companion. Still she figured he would have his reasons, he always did. He was smart enough to figure those sorts of things out for himself.
Gohan looked at Videl, hoping she would take the hint. She smiled back, oblivious to his wishes. Thinking as quickly and as clearly as he could he mumbled, "Hmm, Videl, can you go and get me glass of water please?"
Videl didn't stop to consdier the unusual timing of the request. Instead she knew that Gohan wanted something so sped off to get it at top speed.
Gohan looked at his mother, "Do you want to help her, mum?"
Chichi was fully aware of what was really being asked of her so followed Videl out and telling Chaotzu to come too. She knew that Gohan should realise how stupid it sounded asking three people to get water, but that was when he was in a fully coherent state. Right now she knew that he wasn't at the peak of his performance to say the least.
When they left Bulma came and sat at Gohan's side and waited for him to talk.
Gohan wondered how to start and decided on the beginning. "Bulma, I'm not stupid and I can tell that I'm really not doing so well here."
Bulma hung her head in shame, wishing that Gohan didn't know so damn much sometimes. "Yeah. I thought you might figure that out. Sorry, I just didn't want to upset you or Videl."
Gohan didn't want her to misread his intentions so quickly said, "No, thank you. It's a good thing. I don't want Videl to worry. It's just that I was wondering if you knew of anyway at all to cure this. Couldn't you create some kind of antedote for it?" He knew he was probably being stupidly hopeful here, but couldn't help but ask. He needed to know what he was up against and he really needed Bulma to tell him that there was some kind of hope.
"Well its not really a bacteria or something I can just pump some antibiotics in you to fix. You're a Saiyan, if it was something like that then you would probably be out there with your brother right now. I was thinking about that before, but I really don't think that there's anything I can do. We'll just have to hope that your Saiyan blood is enough to take care of it." Bulma began to wonder where all this was leading. Was Gohan in such a state that he couldn't comprehend basic facts anymore?
Gohan sighed and decided to let her in on the truth, "It's not."
"You don't know that for sure." It was more of a question than a statement.
Sick of the disbelief Gohan tried to explain himself as quickly as possible knowing the others would come back soon. He hadn't even got onto the real subject yet. "Yes I do. Firstly, I know my body. When I'm training I've always been told to pay attention to how well your body is holding out. Secondly, whatever it was that hit me was designed to take out a Saiyan. The Saiyan blood isn't the exception, its probably the rule."
Bulma realised then that she would just have to try. She hadn't wanted to do anything because she didn't really know much abou medicine and it was equally likely that she would end up creating some kind of poison as creating a cure. However, she trusted Gohan, even when he was this sick. "Well, I'll tell you what. I'll run a couple of tests and see what shows up. The truth is we don't even really know what this is doing to your body, so it's hard to treat."
"Thanks Bulma."
"Don't mention it."
"Oh Bulma, one other thing."
Bulma began to fear what would come next. "What?"
"If you do come up with something, then test it on me OK?"
"Huh?" Definitely not what Bulma had been expecting. She wondered if she had understood Gohan correctly or if he had understood what he said correctly, so waited for him to elaborate on or reitterate what he had said.
"The world needs Dad and Vegeta more than me, so if you come up with something when we are all out of it, then test it on me." Gohan realised what he was saying only too well. This meant that he might not be waking up after all, might never hold Pan again after all, might never watch Videl sleeping so peacefully at his side again after all. He understood only too well. However to mop up the moisture in his eyes he reminded himself of what he would be giving to the world. The world might be able to live in peace, the world might be happy and maybe Pan could grow up without having to learn to fight.
"Gohan, you really don't know what you are saying. Just rest and we'll get you fixed up don't worry." Bulma really didn't know what to do. Had Gohan been in his right mind then should would have probably accepted his offer, but even then with reluctance. She really had no way of knowing if Gohan was talking sense or not.
Just then Chichi, Videl and Chaotzu walked back in. Gohan looked pleadingly at Bulma, hoping she wouldn't say anything. She seemed to understand the silent request and said nothing. She just casually gathered some equipment and announced she was doing some tests. Once I've done the tests I can decide what to do from there, she thought to herself. It was a decision she would have make though and one she would probably have to make on her own.
Gohan didn't think it at all strange that none of them had any water.
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