DRAGON BALL NEXT

EPISODE 4

GOHAN VS. GOTEN!!!

Moving faster than the human eye could see, Gohan and Goten fought fiercely all over the platform. Still in normal mode, their powers were evenly matched. Every move Gohan made was countered and blocked by his brother and viceversa. Goten's fourth generation Kame style was fluid and thorough in its execution, the result of six years of constant training, but Gohan's multiple-style-mix fighting was just as effective.

Meanwhile, all that the spectators could see was the dust they were lifting, and the breaking of the shock-absorbant tiles on the floor where one of them exerted pressure. Every now and then, they would stop and exchange blows in one place, and the crowd saw two humanoid blurs, one red and blue and the other navy blue, before the dust and steam of the superheated air cut off their visibility.

-LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS FIGHT IS AMAZING!!! THESE WARRIORS ARE MOVING SO FAST, THE UNTRAINED EYE CAN SEE THEM!!!-, Master Roshi exclaimed. He pointed at the video screen on top of the stadium.- BUT FEAR NOT!!! LOOK AT THE SCREENS!!!

The crowd looked. Oohs and Aaahs went up when they saw the super-slow- motion display of the fighters trading punches.

-Hey, Bulma, what kind of camera are you using??-, Videl asked, perplexed at finally being able to see one of Gohan's really tough fights.

-Actually, it's not a video camera. It's more akin to deep-space laser probing. In layman's terms, we use a wide-range laser beam on the platform, and flash it at a frequency of ten million blinks per second. The reflected radiation comes back, and that way we can see every move they make-, Dr. Briefs answered.- There are a few problems, of course. What we would be seeing for the next half-hour happened in the last second. That's why the machine is programmed to display the captures around every hit that's made, and only a brief period of blocking and dodging.

-And even so, even though it's a slo-mo display, it still looks like fast forward-, Bulma said.

-Geez, you really pulled the stops for this tournament, huh?-, Chi Chi said.

-And that's not all the tech we're using here. Just wait and see, the good stuff will come as they power up.

Back to the fight, both fighters had taken to the air, and continued trading blows. Gohan shot a roundhouse kick to his brother's head that found air, and moved his left hand just in time to block a punch to his gut, then his right to stop a knee from his nose. He then executed a chop- claw-kick combo that was as ineffective before Goten's air-tight defense. Already at full normal power, Gohan saw his brother's strenght and skill were just as high as his own.

-Not bad, Goten! I guess all that bumming around the house hasn't been for nothing!-, Gohan joked, stopping in mid-air.

-Real funny, bro'-, Goten laughed.- Now let's get serious. I want to see if old age hasn't made you slow.

-Old age!?!-, Gohan exclaimed jokingly.- I'll show you what this old man can do, my friend! Prepared to get a good ol' brotherly ass-whuppin'! Gohan powered up into Super-Saiyajin mode and blasted towards his brother, who was already waiting in the same mode.

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Vejiita, Akira and the others were watching the fight closely. Samba and his brother were close by. Uub turned to look at the two goblins.

-You've been watching those bastards all the while, dude-, Trunks said.- What's up with that?

Uub lowered his eyes.

-As you may know, my pale friend, I am a mystical being, and as such, attuned to most manifestations of supernatural sources. Those two-, he said nodding at Samba and Tango- are most definitely of magical origin.

-What? You mean they are like you?-, Trunks asked, not liking the idea of a couple of beings as powerful as the Majin Buu he and Goten'd had to fight back when they were childre.

-Not quite. While we share a certain magical essence, theirs is of a different kind. Actually, I'd say... they are better off compared to the Dragon Balls.

Trunks was, for once, at a loss for words. His father, however, with his keen sense of hearing, was already weighing the implications of the Magical One's words. That is, until Akira's droning voice annoyed him out of his state of mind.

-Hey, mr. Vejiita, why aren't those two getting serious about this fight? I mean, I know they're brothers and all, but--

-Shut up!!! I can't stand your incessant chatter anymore! You know they're not fighting full out yet because they're still testing each other! Don't play dumb with me!

-Uhhh... oookay, mr. Vejiita, if you say so--

-I SAID SHUT UP!!!

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-Man, this place is huge, Bulma! I didn't think we'd ever find this box!-, Krillyn said, sitting beside his beautiful, albeit coolly indifferent cyborg wife.

-He means he preferred walking over people all around the Colliseum instead of asking for directions-, Juuhachigou, No. 18, translated in mocking tone. Krillyn blushed deeply, looking like a grey-leafed raddish.

-Well, you made it just in time. The first fight just began. Check it out-, Bulma said. Ex-monk and cyberwife turned to look at the fight.

-By the way, where's Marron, anyhow?-, Videl asked.

-Ah, you know she doesn't like fighting. She said she wanted to go visit Pan. You did say she got pretty beat up, right?-, Kryllin asked. He and Videl had spoken over the phone last night, when he'd arrived on the island.

-Yeah. She's getting better, now.

-Those Saiyajin always do-, Juu said, surprising everyone.- Oh, and Bulma?

-Hmm?

-What were you thinking when you hired that dirty old man?-, she said, nodding to the monkey-suited Master Roshi yakking to the crowd.

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Blue.

That was the color that invaded the whole room, as light of that shade radiated from the liquid holding a young woman in suspention inside the tank that sustained her life. It was also the color of another young woman's eyes, one who was standing outside the tank, watching the reassuring signs on the display at its side with growing relief. She was very beautiful, with hair like the faraway seas. A trait, she was told, she got from her mother.

-Pan, you dumb bitch. I leave you alone for one minute and you end up in the tank-, Bra whispered, touching the glass. Pan's eyes were closed still. Bra had seen her father in this very same state a million times, but it still didn't take away the shock of seeing her best friend like that.

-How's she coming along?-, a feminine voice called from the door. Bra turned to see a tall, gorgeous blonde in a blue overall by the door. Her eyes were as blue as hers, and the only thing that saved her from looking exactly like the ice queen that had given birth to her was a certain softness of her features and a caring, warm look on her eyes. Traits, of course, she'd gotten from her father.

-Hey, Mar!-, Bra said, hugging her longtime friend. - She's fine. The machine says she should come out in about an hour or so. Though more of Trunks and Goten's generation, Marron had taken to the role of big sister to the two younger girls. Though not nearly as strong a fighter as any of them, the 31 year old blonde was certainly more experienced in certain fields. Her very generous and easygoing character helped her when mediating the frequent fights between the hotheaded friends. Lord knew that though Pan was normally as lighthearted as Gokuu and Gohan, it was also true she had gotten her mother's short fuse. And Bra was no piece of cake, considering the genestock she came from. Right now she seemed ready to crumble, though.

-Hey, kiddo. I would have thought you'd be fighting in the tournament, but here I find you playing nurse.- Marron looked at the tank Pan floated in.- Amazing, isn't it? It's not as if we've never seen friends hurt or anything. I mean, c'mon, my dad nearly died when my uncle Juunana went berserko ten years ago. But still...

Bra nodded. Juunanagou, Juuhachigou's brother and a cyborg himself, had gone on a rampage about ten years ago, resulting in countless deaths, including Kryllin's. Nobody had bothered to explain to her why the "Hellspawned Tinkertoy", as her dad liked to call him, had gone evil, or why he'd become so powerful as to be more than a match for even Son Gokuu. Nor had she insisted, for at the time she had been more interested on the latest boy band than on the fate of the planet. The two moved to the window. It was a beautiful day indeed, with the morning sun bright as truth and the heaven as blue as it could be.

-Yeah. It's not unusual to me, either. Before Pan's grandpa went away, my dad would always come home a heap of bruises and cuts he'd get when sparring with him. He never seemed to acknowledge them, though. He actually looked happy to be so battered. Mom said he was only happy when he ate and when he fought. He really was thrilled when Trunks decided to give up his job and become a full-time fighter.- Bra sighed.- Pan's kind of like that. I mean, she's not battle crazy like dad, but she really enjoys going head to head with somebody strong. I guess that's why she convinced me to take up fighting.

-Oh, yeah! You were jealous because she was in better shape than you. You must have been fourteen back then. Oh, I remember how mad your mom got when she saw you with a black eye after your first spar.

-Boy, raging oni should fear my mother's tongue. Oh, dad couldn't have been happier if I'd regrown a tail and looked at the full moon. That night, after mom fell asleep, he took me to the gravity room. I'd never been there, it was like that forbidden threshold no woman could ever trespass, unless she were going to clean it. I guess he was afraid the gravity controls could go haywire and crush us. Anyway, he took me in, and turned the gravity up to 2 g's. Of course, I went flat on my back. Dad left me there until I could stand on my own. The next morning he found me there, barely able to stand. But stand I did. And from that day on, not one day would pass when I wouldn't spar first with my dad, and then with Pan. It really gave me a bit of perspective, the fighting, because while I'd still love to do other stuff, it didn't seem as fun as all the abilities I could learn while fighting. It's kind of like a drug---

-Girl, when will you shut up!?! Some of us are B-O-R-E-D over here!-, a groggy, tired, yet amused feminine voice said from behind them, scaring the hell out of Marron.- The green guy doesn't kill me, so you decide to come here and bore me to death, is that it?

The girls turned to see Pan coming out of the regen tank, barely covered in the tattered remains of her gi. She was dripping blue fluid all over the floor, and had to support her weight on a chair to stand.

-PAN! What the hell are you doing, girl!?! You're not supposed to come out for about an hour or so!-, Bra yelled at her. She and Marron held her up by the shoulders. Pan chuckled.

-Oh, c'mon, you really think I'm gonna miss the first fights? And by the way, why the hell aren't you in the damned tournament? Look, tell me later. Now leggo.

They let go of her, and she held fast on her feet. She looked at them with a sly grin.

-Hah! Kamisama himself couldn't hold the great Pan back! Let's get going, cuz I feel dad's and uncle Goten's kis making history out there-, she said, as she started walking to the door.- And while we walk, I'll tell you about this REALLY cute guy I--

-Whoa, Pan, chill!-, Marron screamed. Pan turned around, puzzled. Her friend pointed a finger at her soaked rags.- Are you really going before an audience of thousands of people looking like "The Half Naked Thing That Came From The Swamp?"

-Oh, she wouldn't mind-, Bra laughed.- She loves that movie.

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Floating several yards over the platform, Gohan barely managed to block the last barrage of punches Goten had thrown at him. This kid's gotten really good, he thought as he returned the favor with a triple kick-punch-blast combo. I underestimated how much he's trained.

Again Goten blocked and countered, pushing his brother back with the savagery of his attack. Only then Gohan realized how much of his dad was in his little brother, who wasn't by any means little anymore. He was thirty- something now, a full grown man who was trying hard to live the life of a man who was by all standards unparalelled.

And yet, as he saw the absolute concentration and drive in eyes that half an hour ago had been completely absorbed by a tray of food, he understood the pull of Saiyajin blood, of the legacy of fighting that he'd almost turned his back on. He'd been influenced by their mother into becoming a scholar, which he'd luckily found to be his life's true passion, while Goten had lived from the start the life of a fighter, pushed by his friendly rivalry with Trunks, and later, as he and their father before them, by the menace of an incredible evil, Majinn Buu. After Gokuu returned, though, Goten grew content with his power, and stopped training. Gohan still didn't understand his reasons for becoming a full-time fighter after so long. He knew it had much to do with their father's departure, but there had to be something else to it.

Whatever his reasons were, he respected them, for he saw in Goten the same happiness he'd see in Gokuu when they were fighting. It felt like though his father wasn't around anymore something of him would always remain with them.

As long as they kept fighting.

Gohan was suddenly pulled off his train of thought by a savage increase in the intensity of Goten's attack. His brothers fists barely missed his chin the last time, and distracted as he was, Gohan only managed to stumble backwards and throw a quick elbow-fist-chop combo.

Goten dodged the blows and charged forwards, surprising his brother. He rammed his forehead into Gohan's nose, stunning him, and backflipped, using his momentum to crack his feet like a whip on his brother's chin. Falling back into position, he cupped his hand at his side, gathering ki.

-KAMEKAMEHAAA!!!-, Goten cried, releasing the full power of the energy blast into his brother's chest at point blank range. The area around them was consumed by the bright explosion of light, and the shockwave it produced made the whole stadium rattle right down to its foundations. Amazingly enough, the three-feet wide protective windows on the stands held.

-All right, it's time to use the Pocket-, Bulma said, pushing a button in the armrest of her chair. Four large metal spheres rose out of holes in the ground around the platform. Each one had a black lens on the top, and they all lit up a bright red color. Lines of energy crackled between them, creating a rectangle of energy on the perimeter of the platform. Master Roshi, startled by the beams, retreated behind the lines of light.

The lines then grew wide, into the sky, like walls coming out of the floor, only these were made of light. When they reached a height of two hundred feet the walls stopped, and closed on top, becoming a box of light, which then grew transparent, the only trace of energy being the lines of electricity that from time to time crackled along the borders of the box. The light, dust and steam of Goten's attack still didn't allow them to see the fighters, though.

-Bulma, what did you do?-, Kryllin asked, shocked at the display of high tech.

-It's what I call a Pocket. To put it bluntly, we use high energy plasma cathods to literally bend time and space, thus creating a "pocket universe". In other words, we sent them to another dimension.

-WHAT!?!-, everybody exclaimed in unison. Bulma sighed.

-Well, I couldn't let them destroy the whole island, and I promised Vegeta he could fight full out in this tournament, so dad and I made this! It's not as dramatic as it sounds, really, we tested it with Vegeta and Trunks and it was perfectly safe for everyone.

-Besides-, Dr. Briefs cut in-, this method allows the fighters to expend all of their energy. This pocket dimension makes sure that the only energy that leaves its boundaries is light. All other types of energy, be they concusive, sonic or spiritual are absorbed by the walls. And the best part is, the very energy they spend powers the walls!

-But, I imagine that even that technology is unable to absorb unlimited energy-, Juu intervened. Kryllin was surprised, almost forgetting the first hand experience in technology his wife had.

-Well, that is true-, Bulma answered.- Still, the machine was able to handle both Vegeta and Trunks at full power. Then again, it made the whole city shake. Capsule Corp had a lot of explaining to do that day. But it's better than blowing the whole world to Hell, don't you think? Specially now that we don't have the Dragon Balls to fix things up.

At the fighters' waiting room, Akira was squinting, trying to see the fighters.

-Man, I can't see a thing! I hope that smoke clears up soon. -Wait, I see them!-, Trunks exclaimed. Everyone looked hard, until they were able to make out the silhouettes standing in the air.

Gohan, in Super Saiyajin form, had his arms crossed like an x across his chest, his forearms red from the blast. It was obvious from his expression that Goten's last attack had been a bit more than he'd expected. But then that expression transformed into the smile they'd seen so many times on Gokuu's face. His brother mirrored the smile back at him.

-You've become REALLY strong, little bro'-, Gohan said, letting his arms fall to his side.- This is the kind of fight that makes me wish I had trained a little harder.

-Yeah, right. If you went into your mystical state, you would have beat me by now.

-Right. Well, there's a problem with my mystical form. Remind me to tell you later. But don't worry-, Gohan fell into fighting stance-, I still have more than enough power to whoop your butt!

-Big talk, bro'. Does that mean you're gonna start fighting seriously?-, Goten aked, taking his own stance.

-You bet. LET'S GO FOR IT!!!

With a mighty roar, Gohan started powering up. His golden aura grew even stronger, enveloping him and growing huge in size. The tiles on the floor all cracked into pieces and flew all over the place, going through the walls of the Pocket and crashing harmlessly into the super-resistant windows.

-GRAAAARRRGHHHH!!!-, Gohan screamed, and transformed into the Super Saiyajin mode 2. He zoomed towards his brother, whose expression was of what Gohan thought weird excitement, and with all his strenght threw a punch at his nose. The blast crumbled what was left of the tiles and created a huge cloud of steam around them.

What!?!, Gohan thought, feeling a hand firmly grasping his fist. The smoke was suddenly pushed away by a huge ki discharge from his brother, who was now glowing as bright as the sun. The stadium started trembling slightly.

IT CAN'T BE!!!, Gohan thought, bewildered. The same thought was vocally and loudly expressed in the VIP room and the fighters' waiting room. Vejiita looked at his son suspiciously.

-You knew about this, Trunks, didn't you?-, he said, a brief note of amusement in his voice. His reply was a sly grin on Trunks face. He turned to see the fight and smiled.- Conniving brat-, he whispered. Indeed, his son had to be quite cunning to have hidden the power his friend had. Which meant his own would have grown as strong. He felt a wave of pride wash over him, but quickly concealed it.

In the Pocket, the light faded away, leaving only the glow of Goten's aura as he held his brother's fist in his own hand, his hair standing up in sharper spikes than in normal Super Saijayin mode. And, stunned and frustrated as he was from having been blocked, Gohan was proud of him.

Goten had transformed into Super Saiyajin level 2.

GOTEN IS A SUPER SAIYAJIN 2!?! NOW THE STAKES ARE EVEN!!! WHO WILL WIN THIS TITANIC STRUGGLE!?!