Gobo sat happily next to his sister, watching her and a young girl
who had blue hair. They were both fawning over him immensely, and he was
more than happen to receive their attention. Pan had an arm wrapped over
his shoulders, and Bra was holding his hands. They were both smiling
warmly. "Oh, Pan, he's soooo cute!" Bra exclaimed. Pan nodded.
"Yeah, I know. Grandma says he looks just like Dad did when he was little." She told her friend. Gobo looked from Pan, to Bra, than back again. He laughed happily and waved his arms up and down. The cute little gesture made both girls turn to mush. It was at that moment that Gobo's uncle Goten came in, along with the man who had purple hair. Trunks caught sight of his sister and Pan, and rolled his eyes.
"Peh. Girls and babies, it figures." He said. Just then Goten ran up to Gobo. He swept the toddler up into his arms. The Son grin was plastered on his face as he began to make baby-noises. Raising a hand, he tickled the small child in his arms.
"Aww, who's my favowite nehpwew? You are!" He cooed. Bra looked at her brother and folded her arms triumphantly. She wore an expression that just screamed 'Ha! In your face.' Trunks just shrugged.
"Hey, since when have I ever said Goten was a man?" He retorted. Goten's brows knitted and he glared at his best friend.
"Shut up, Trunks!" He yelled. Trunks stretched his arms out. His mouth was carved into an exact replica of his father's smirk.
"Why don't you make me, Ms. Son?" Trunks retorted. Goten growled and started towards him, forgetting for a while that he had his nephew in his arms. Pan and Bra, on the other hand, did not forget. They both jumped up from their seats and over to Goten.
"Whoa there uncle, lemme take that off your hands first!" Pan exclaimed. Then she pulled Gobo away. He smiled gleefully and wrapped his plump arms around her neck. Goten blushed and raised a hand to the back of his head.
"Uh… Ooops. Heheheh, sorry there little buddy." He said, patting Gobo's head. Then he turned back to Trunks and was all bravado once more. Bra rolled her eyes. She looked pointedly at the little toddler.
"Men. Don't you ever grow up into one, Gobo. They always get into to trouble."
Gobo peeled his eyes open slowly, well aware of the ache that stretched all along his body. His eyes rolled first to the left, then to the right. He didn't recognise the room he was in. Memories flooded back to him in a torrent of pain and anguish, pushing back any remnants of his recent dream. A few tears crept up to his eyes, but he didn't let them fall. "Grandma…" He whispered. He could see now that she had been telling him the truth. All those stories, they had to be true. It was the only way to explain what could have happened. 'Those people in the building… I feel like garbage. How could I do that? And who saved me after?' He thought. His second question was answered as he heard a wooden chair scrape against the floor. Footsteps filled his perceptions, and soon a face came into view, standing above him. The figure who had rescued him. His straight black hair fell around his chin loosely, and he was dressed in worn and tired looking clothes. But he himself seemed full of youth. Gobo met the man's piercing blue eyes. He may have looked young, but one glance at those eyes, and he knew that such was not the case. This man was probably a lot older than Gobo. Briefly the teen wondered why he looked so young, but that thought was cast aside as the man spoke.
"Good. Your awake. Now maybe you can explain a few things." He said. His voice was unnaturally cold, but not overly frightening. Gobo gulped. What did this person want him to say? Why had he saved him? HOW had he saved him? The demi-saiyan vaguely recalled seeing the blur of action before he passed out from pain and exhaustion.
"W-who are you?" He managed to ask. His throat was still scratchy and raw from all the ash he had choked down. The figure disappeared briefly, and re-emerged with a glass of water in his hand. Gobo sat up as the water was thrust unceremoniously into his fingers. He drank it gratefully, letting the cool liquid ease some of the pain in his throat. It was then that he realised he had been bandaged up and tended too. A few large strips of bandage wrapped around his waist, holding his ribs tightly. The man sighed and pulled up a chair within sight of his patient. He flipped it backwards and leaned against it wearily.
"My name is Juunanagou. But you can call me Juunana." He said. Gobo blinked. A name that was a number? Why did that sound so familiar…
"Juuhachi…" Gobo blurted before he fully realised that he was saying anything. 'Now why did I say that?' He wondered. Maybe he was reverting to some of the old number games he'd learned when he was young. But Juunana's reaction to his outburst was quite different. His jaw dropped, and he sprung away from his seat. It toppled over in his haste and he grabbed Gobo roughly by the shoulders.
"You know Juuhachi? How? Do you know where she is? And Marron?" Juunana demanded, shaking the younger man. Gobo's head spun from the fierce action. The android, realising he could possibly be damaging his patient, immediately stopped. He lowered his hands to his sides. They clenched into tight fists, and his eyes shone with a deep and powerful need. Gobo shook his head.
"…I'm sorry, I don't know. I don't even know why I said that." He said. Juunana lowered his head dejectedly and went to pick the chair back up. He resumed his previous position.
"If I find out you're lying…" Juunana began. Gobo just shrugged him off. It didn't matter. He was telling the truth. And even if this person who saved him decided he was holding out anyway, what right did he have to live? Juunana noticed the sudden change in the boy's demeanour and decided he was telling the truth. He switched topics, on to something that was more likely to go somewhere. "Why do you look like Gohan?" He asked. Gobo's eyes opened wide. Now it was his turn to gape at the mention of a name.
"You knew my father?" He asked incredulously. Juunana nodded.
"Oh, that explains it. I guess this means he's dead? You used past- tense." The android asked. Gobo gulped and lowered his eyes. Was his father dead? He didn't know anymore. He used to be sure, but now… After what had happened… His grandma always swore that the rest of their family was out there somewhere, and someday they'd destroy the aliens and save the world. Could she have been right?
"I-I'm not sure if he is or isn't. I haven't seen him since I was two." Gobo supplied.
"Shit!!" Juunana said. He raised a fist and punched through the air in a effort to release some frustration. "I go to the trouble of saving your sorry ass, and you know even less than I do!!!" He yelled. Gobo just sighed and put his head in his hands.
"Well, you should have let them kill then!" He said. His mind was a chaotic swirl of torment and distress. Juunana snorted indignantly.
"Don't tell me you wanted to die?" He asked in a mocking tone. Then he caught sight of Gobo's expression and stopped dead in his tracks. "You did, didn't you? But why?"
"That building that was destroyed. *I* did it. No one else, just me." He said. "All those people…" Gobo whispered, talking more to himself than his host now. Juunana looked at him carefully. Then a low whistle escaped his lips.
"Wow, you must of been pretty pissed. What happened? Some girl reject you?" He asked. Gobo balled a fist. He didn't like this guy's attitude at all.
"No! My Grandmother died." He half-yelled. Then his eyes clouded over with tears and he buried his face into his arms. Juunana shrugged. He would never understand why these humans got so riled up over nothing. So what if the kid killed a few useless dregs? It wasn't like they were going places or anything. Most of them would've died within a year anyway, either from drug over-doses, suicide, or random acts of violence. Then new scum would replace them and the cycle would go on. Juunana might not be the heartless killer he had the potential to become, but was by no means a soft touch. An ironic smile touched his pale lips.
"Well, at least she isn't going to hell alone." He mused. Gobo felt his anger begin to stir inside. He didn't care who this asshole was, nobody talked about his Grandma that way. Enraged, he jumped to his feet. His vision swayed a bit from dizziness, but he stood his ground.
"Don't you dare say such things about my grandmother! She was a better person than you'll ever be!" Gobo growled. Suddenly he felt the energy burst all around him again, and he threw a punch straight at Juunana. The android easily side-stepped the attack and grabbed his arm, flipping the boy over onto his back.
"You've got lots of power, kid, but absolutely no skill." He told him arrogantly. Gobo groaned at the pain that scorched up him from the unexpected move. His body still ached from it's most recent beating. But then a thought occurred to him. If this Juunana had known his father, maybe he could help him find the rest of his family. Maybe he could tell him what this energy was, and why it came to him when he was truly angry. It never happened before his grandmother died. Well, not that he could recall anyway. Sucking in air through teeth clenched in pain, he pulled himself back up to his feet and looked Juunana in the face.
"You knew my father, and I think you know what this power I have is. Now it's your turn to tell me a few things." Gobo stated. There was a brief moment of tension, in which the two locked eyes in a small mental war. Then Juunana shrugged and waved him off.
"Why should I tell you anything, kid? I already saved your life." He stated matter-of-factly. Gobo raised a hand to the back of his head as he thought about his answer. It didn't take long for it to come to him.
"My memories. You're looking for some people, so am I. What if they're together? We could help each other." Gobo provided. Juunana blinked and looked at him calculatingly.
"What do you mean 'your memories'?" He asked. Gobo was glad he didn't dismiss the idea of their lost loved ones being together.
"Well, I have dreams, and in them I KNOW I remember parts of the past. Back when my family disappeared. Only it's just that I can't remember all of it when I wake up. But I bet if I focused, I could figure out a few things." The demi-saiyan supplied. Juunana looked as though he were still listening, so he decided to continue. Gobo was amazed that he could even make a plan like this after all that had happened. But a part of him he didn't really recognise kept pushing him on. Maybe it was because a tiny part of him hoped he and his family could save the world. It wouldn't fix what he had done, but perhaps it could help make up for it. Gobo knew it would be what his Grandma would want.
"Here's what I purpose, Juunana. You tell me what you know about my family, and teach me all about this power I possess. In exchange, I will try and figure out everything I can about the past and help you find 'Juuhachi' and… and… Uh, what was the other name?"
"Marron."
"Right, right, Marron. So, is it a deal?" Gobo asked. Juunana paused as he deliberated over the ramifications of the decision. Then he gave a curt nod, and shot Gobo a piercing look.
"It's a deal."
"Yeah, I know. Grandma says he looks just like Dad did when he was little." She told her friend. Gobo looked from Pan, to Bra, than back again. He laughed happily and waved his arms up and down. The cute little gesture made both girls turn to mush. It was at that moment that Gobo's uncle Goten came in, along with the man who had purple hair. Trunks caught sight of his sister and Pan, and rolled his eyes.
"Peh. Girls and babies, it figures." He said. Just then Goten ran up to Gobo. He swept the toddler up into his arms. The Son grin was plastered on his face as he began to make baby-noises. Raising a hand, he tickled the small child in his arms.
"Aww, who's my favowite nehpwew? You are!" He cooed. Bra looked at her brother and folded her arms triumphantly. She wore an expression that just screamed 'Ha! In your face.' Trunks just shrugged.
"Hey, since when have I ever said Goten was a man?" He retorted. Goten's brows knitted and he glared at his best friend.
"Shut up, Trunks!" He yelled. Trunks stretched his arms out. His mouth was carved into an exact replica of his father's smirk.
"Why don't you make me, Ms. Son?" Trunks retorted. Goten growled and started towards him, forgetting for a while that he had his nephew in his arms. Pan and Bra, on the other hand, did not forget. They both jumped up from their seats and over to Goten.
"Whoa there uncle, lemme take that off your hands first!" Pan exclaimed. Then she pulled Gobo away. He smiled gleefully and wrapped his plump arms around her neck. Goten blushed and raised a hand to the back of his head.
"Uh… Ooops. Heheheh, sorry there little buddy." He said, patting Gobo's head. Then he turned back to Trunks and was all bravado once more. Bra rolled her eyes. She looked pointedly at the little toddler.
"Men. Don't you ever grow up into one, Gobo. They always get into to trouble."
Gobo peeled his eyes open slowly, well aware of the ache that stretched all along his body. His eyes rolled first to the left, then to the right. He didn't recognise the room he was in. Memories flooded back to him in a torrent of pain and anguish, pushing back any remnants of his recent dream. A few tears crept up to his eyes, but he didn't let them fall. "Grandma…" He whispered. He could see now that she had been telling him the truth. All those stories, they had to be true. It was the only way to explain what could have happened. 'Those people in the building… I feel like garbage. How could I do that? And who saved me after?' He thought. His second question was answered as he heard a wooden chair scrape against the floor. Footsteps filled his perceptions, and soon a face came into view, standing above him. The figure who had rescued him. His straight black hair fell around his chin loosely, and he was dressed in worn and tired looking clothes. But he himself seemed full of youth. Gobo met the man's piercing blue eyes. He may have looked young, but one glance at those eyes, and he knew that such was not the case. This man was probably a lot older than Gobo. Briefly the teen wondered why he looked so young, but that thought was cast aside as the man spoke.
"Good. Your awake. Now maybe you can explain a few things." He said. His voice was unnaturally cold, but not overly frightening. Gobo gulped. What did this person want him to say? Why had he saved him? HOW had he saved him? The demi-saiyan vaguely recalled seeing the blur of action before he passed out from pain and exhaustion.
"W-who are you?" He managed to ask. His throat was still scratchy and raw from all the ash he had choked down. The figure disappeared briefly, and re-emerged with a glass of water in his hand. Gobo sat up as the water was thrust unceremoniously into his fingers. He drank it gratefully, letting the cool liquid ease some of the pain in his throat. It was then that he realised he had been bandaged up and tended too. A few large strips of bandage wrapped around his waist, holding his ribs tightly. The man sighed and pulled up a chair within sight of his patient. He flipped it backwards and leaned against it wearily.
"My name is Juunanagou. But you can call me Juunana." He said. Gobo blinked. A name that was a number? Why did that sound so familiar…
"Juuhachi…" Gobo blurted before he fully realised that he was saying anything. 'Now why did I say that?' He wondered. Maybe he was reverting to some of the old number games he'd learned when he was young. But Juunana's reaction to his outburst was quite different. His jaw dropped, and he sprung away from his seat. It toppled over in his haste and he grabbed Gobo roughly by the shoulders.
"You know Juuhachi? How? Do you know where she is? And Marron?" Juunana demanded, shaking the younger man. Gobo's head spun from the fierce action. The android, realising he could possibly be damaging his patient, immediately stopped. He lowered his hands to his sides. They clenched into tight fists, and his eyes shone with a deep and powerful need. Gobo shook his head.
"…I'm sorry, I don't know. I don't even know why I said that." He said. Juunana lowered his head dejectedly and went to pick the chair back up. He resumed his previous position.
"If I find out you're lying…" Juunana began. Gobo just shrugged him off. It didn't matter. He was telling the truth. And even if this person who saved him decided he was holding out anyway, what right did he have to live? Juunana noticed the sudden change in the boy's demeanour and decided he was telling the truth. He switched topics, on to something that was more likely to go somewhere. "Why do you look like Gohan?" He asked. Gobo's eyes opened wide. Now it was his turn to gape at the mention of a name.
"You knew my father?" He asked incredulously. Juunana nodded.
"Oh, that explains it. I guess this means he's dead? You used past- tense." The android asked. Gobo gulped and lowered his eyes. Was his father dead? He didn't know anymore. He used to be sure, but now… After what had happened… His grandma always swore that the rest of their family was out there somewhere, and someday they'd destroy the aliens and save the world. Could she have been right?
"I-I'm not sure if he is or isn't. I haven't seen him since I was two." Gobo supplied.
"Shit!!" Juunana said. He raised a fist and punched through the air in a effort to release some frustration. "I go to the trouble of saving your sorry ass, and you know even less than I do!!!" He yelled. Gobo just sighed and put his head in his hands.
"Well, you should have let them kill then!" He said. His mind was a chaotic swirl of torment and distress. Juunana snorted indignantly.
"Don't tell me you wanted to die?" He asked in a mocking tone. Then he caught sight of Gobo's expression and stopped dead in his tracks. "You did, didn't you? But why?"
"That building that was destroyed. *I* did it. No one else, just me." He said. "All those people…" Gobo whispered, talking more to himself than his host now. Juunana looked at him carefully. Then a low whistle escaped his lips.
"Wow, you must of been pretty pissed. What happened? Some girl reject you?" He asked. Gobo balled a fist. He didn't like this guy's attitude at all.
"No! My Grandmother died." He half-yelled. Then his eyes clouded over with tears and he buried his face into his arms. Juunana shrugged. He would never understand why these humans got so riled up over nothing. So what if the kid killed a few useless dregs? It wasn't like they were going places or anything. Most of them would've died within a year anyway, either from drug over-doses, suicide, or random acts of violence. Then new scum would replace them and the cycle would go on. Juunana might not be the heartless killer he had the potential to become, but was by no means a soft touch. An ironic smile touched his pale lips.
"Well, at least she isn't going to hell alone." He mused. Gobo felt his anger begin to stir inside. He didn't care who this asshole was, nobody talked about his Grandma that way. Enraged, he jumped to his feet. His vision swayed a bit from dizziness, but he stood his ground.
"Don't you dare say such things about my grandmother! She was a better person than you'll ever be!" Gobo growled. Suddenly he felt the energy burst all around him again, and he threw a punch straight at Juunana. The android easily side-stepped the attack and grabbed his arm, flipping the boy over onto his back.
"You've got lots of power, kid, but absolutely no skill." He told him arrogantly. Gobo groaned at the pain that scorched up him from the unexpected move. His body still ached from it's most recent beating. But then a thought occurred to him. If this Juunana had known his father, maybe he could help him find the rest of his family. Maybe he could tell him what this energy was, and why it came to him when he was truly angry. It never happened before his grandmother died. Well, not that he could recall anyway. Sucking in air through teeth clenched in pain, he pulled himself back up to his feet and looked Juunana in the face.
"You knew my father, and I think you know what this power I have is. Now it's your turn to tell me a few things." Gobo stated. There was a brief moment of tension, in which the two locked eyes in a small mental war. Then Juunana shrugged and waved him off.
"Why should I tell you anything, kid? I already saved your life." He stated matter-of-factly. Gobo raised a hand to the back of his head as he thought about his answer. It didn't take long for it to come to him.
"My memories. You're looking for some people, so am I. What if they're together? We could help each other." Gobo provided. Juunana blinked and looked at him calculatingly.
"What do you mean 'your memories'?" He asked. Gobo was glad he didn't dismiss the idea of their lost loved ones being together.
"Well, I have dreams, and in them I KNOW I remember parts of the past. Back when my family disappeared. Only it's just that I can't remember all of it when I wake up. But I bet if I focused, I could figure out a few things." The demi-saiyan supplied. Juunana looked as though he were still listening, so he decided to continue. Gobo was amazed that he could even make a plan like this after all that had happened. But a part of him he didn't really recognise kept pushing him on. Maybe it was because a tiny part of him hoped he and his family could save the world. It wouldn't fix what he had done, but perhaps it could help make up for it. Gobo knew it would be what his Grandma would want.
"Here's what I purpose, Juunana. You tell me what you know about my family, and teach me all about this power I possess. In exchange, I will try and figure out everything I can about the past and help you find 'Juuhachi' and… and… Uh, what was the other name?"
"Marron."
"Right, right, Marron. So, is it a deal?" Gobo asked. Juunana paused as he deliberated over the ramifications of the decision. Then he gave a curt nod, and shot Gobo a piercing look.
"It's a deal."