Title: The Invasion Saga
Author: AstroKender
Warnings: Some gore...some angst...some sap.
Spoilers: None.
Notes: Takes place between the Cell and Buu sagas. Gohan centric.
Feedback: Welcome. Please review
Disclaimers: DBZ belongs to Akira Toriyama and Funimation. This fic is for entertainment purposes and is not in any way meant for profit. Don't sue me.
In the last chapter of Dragonball Z, Gohan faces his worst nightmare...himself. After almost destroying his home and his family along with it, he flees, promising never to be a danger to his friends again. But what does Gohan have planned and will he cause more harm than good?
Chapter 4: The Struggle
"What was all that about?" Krillin asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"Isn't it obvious?" Vegeta's dark eyes pierced the horizon when Gohan had disappeared. "He is going to Kami's lookout to do something incredibly stupid."
"Oh my poor baby!" Chichi moaned. "What is he going to do?" Wringing the hem of her nightgown so tightly it ripped, the dark haired woman began to swoon but quickly forced herself to snap out of it. She stalked over to Krillin with determination and lifted him up by his shirt, shaking him soundly. "Well? What are you waiting for? Go after him!"
"Chichi...can't breath...." A blue faced Krillin gasped. Chichi dropped him and he sat on the ground, chest rising and falling heavily. "I'm sure Piccolo will stop him from doing anything too drastic. But," Krillin coughed as Chichi pierced him with a furious look. "It wouldn't hurt to go check on him."
He picked himself up and jumped into the air before Chichi could do anything else to him. He turned only to find Vegeta already flying towards the lookout at top speed. "Now what does he think he's doing?" Krillin asked himself. "Hey Vegeta! Wait up!" He flew swiftly after the dwindling figure.
"Bring my Gohan back safely." Chichi whispered before turning away. "Goten, were going to have to stay with Bulma until we get our house fixed, but you'll get to spend more time with Trunks so there is nothing to be sad about. Goten? Where are you? Goten?"
Bulma jerked her gaze away from the smoldering remains of the Son house and her brow furrowed. "Trunks, where is Goten?" She glanced around. "Trunks?"
But both boys were gone.
***
"Something is going on down there, Piccolo." Dende spoke quietly as he looked down off the edge of Kami's Lookout. "And whatever it is, it isn't good."
The smaller Namekian turned when he got no reply, looking at his companion in concern. Piccolo, however, made no sound; indeed, he didn't even acknowledge the other's existence. The powerful warrior stood immobile, staring into the dark sky below them with frightening intensity. Frowning, Dende turned back and resumed his own vigil.
Slowly, he became aware of a glowing speck in the distance. Beside him, Piccolo stiffened and moved away from the edge of the lookout. Dende swallowed nervously, fearing an attack, when he recognized the speck's ki signature. "It's Gohan!" he grinned with relief.
"Dende." Piccolo spoke softly behind him. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave for awhile. I need to talk to Gohan, alone."
"But..."
"Dende..." The older Namek growled and the small Guardian of Earth sighed. Scuffing his feet, Dende retreated towards one of his domes. "Kicked off my own lookout...." He grumbled.
Piccolo smiled faintly as he watched him leave, but that smile swiftly turned into a frown as he turned, watching as Gohan flew closer. He could sense his former pupil's distress as he blasted through the night cloud-cover to land in a heap upon the edge of the lookout, a few feet away from himself.
Piccolo stepped softly over to Gohan's sobbing form, unsure of what to do. With all the other times, when this boy needed his help, he simply appeared, batting aside a deadly blast or defeating a stubborn enemy. But now, Piccolo was not so sure where the blast was coming from, and the enemy was nowhere to be seen.
"Gohan-" The Namek started.
"Piccolo, I want to call the Dragon." Gohan lifted himself to his feet. "I want to wish for Shenlong to take away my powers." The dark haired boy's head snapped up, his eyes blazing with determination.
Piccolo stared at him in shock. "What?"
Gohan slumped forward and Piccolo caught him reflexively. "I'm tired of being afraid of the harm I could accidentally cause," Gohan whispered. "Especially to my friends and family. I care about you guys so much, I couldn't live with myself if anything happened because of my powers." Tears once more began leaking down his face.
"I can't pretend to understand what you are going through," Piccolo murmured, his grip on the boy tightening fractionally. "But I can't let you do this! You would be completely defenseless!"
"I don't care. I wasn't meant to be a fighter!" Gohan clenched his fists. "I just want to be normal."
"But your power has saved this planet many times. It's both a blessing and a curse but it is not something you should throw away so hastily."
Gohan jerked away from him, glaring. "I've made up my mind. I'm doing this with or without your help, Piccolo! Dende told me you keep a Dragonball up here. Don't make me take it by force." Sorrow flashed in Gohan's dark eyes, but the determination still shined through.
Piccolo inclined his head slightly in grudging acceptance. Closing his eyes, he spoke to the small guardian hovering anxiously on the edge of his mind. "Dende, go get the Dragonball."
"Piccolo, what's going on?" Dende's mental reply was tense with apprehension.
"Just do as I say." The Namek barked out loud. He felt Dende scrambling to comply.
Piccolo stared at Gohan silently as they waited, willing the boy to change his mind. But Gohan refused to meet his gaze. The minutes ticked by like an eternity, till Dende shuffled up quickly, a velvet pillow held carefully in his hands. And resting on top of that pillow....
"You used to wear this on your head when you were young," Piccolo murmured, almost to himself as he carefully lifted the four-star Dragonball. "Before I took you in and trained you to become a fighter.... I don't know where the other six are. You will have to get the Dragon Radar to find them. Gohan," he faltered. "I am sorry for causing you pain. If I hadn't kidnapped you and forced you to fight-"
"Then our world would have been destroyed and sold off by Vegeta and Nappa." Gohan stepped up to him; his eyes warm but weary. "You did the right thing, Piccolo. I always trusted you and you have never steered me wrong. I have never known you to do anything that hasn't benefited myself or this planet."
"Go-"
Gohan raised his hand to silence the Namek's protests. "Yes, even killing my father benefited us in the long run." Piccolo stared at him, aghast. "For if he hadn't died, then he would have never received the training necessary to defeat Nappa. So please, don't beat yourself up for it any longer."
Piccolo muttered something about practicing what you preach then smiled ruefully. "Powers or no, you'll still be my pupil."
Gohan smiled. "Powers or no, I'll still be your friend." He corrected. Piccolo heaved a deep sigh, then handed over the Dragonball.
Gohan's fingers had barely brushed the four-star ball when a bright flash erupted from its orange surface and traveled up his arm. Gohan gasped as pain like he had never felt before swept over him and he doubled over, clutching his head in agony.
Piccolo, feeling the spark, dropped the Dragonball and jerked his hand away quickly. The ball fell to the floor and rolled away as a fierce wind appeared from nowhere. The Namek's eyes fastened to Gohan, whose hands had left his head and were now clenched tightly as a dark red glow surrounded him.
Screaming, Gohan fought from unleashing the tremendous dark power he felt building up inside of him. He could fill it swirling around him, both outside and inside of his body. He felt it penetrate his mind. It built up to such pressures that Gohan believed he would be crushed trying to hold it in. Weakening, he felt the power begin to leek out, slowly at first, but then faster and faster in enormous quantities.
The dam finally broke and, with one last bloodcurdling scream, the ground around Gohan exploded. Both Dende and Piccolo were thrown away by the force of the blast. Gohan's body burned brightly for a moment, then darkened as the Half-Saiyan collapsed.
***
"What in blazes?" Vegeta cursed as a bright flash lit up the night. The Saiyan Prince dodged the rubble that fell down from the lookout above. "It seems things have started without us." He muttered. "I knew I shouldn't have listen to you when you told me to wait!" He growled at Krillin, who bumped into him after avoiding a particularly large piece of stone.
"Gimmie a break, will ya?" Krillin whined before glancing up at Kami's Lookout worriedly. "I guess we should check it out." He swallowed, but made no move to ascend any higher.
"Quit being such a coward." Vegeta snarled as he blasted past him and towards where the light had emanated. Heaving a sigh, Krillin hurried after him. "I should have gone first, then I wouldn't have to stare at your rear end the whole way up...." He huffed under his breath.
But alighting on the floor of Kami's Lookout, Krillin found the view much worse. He hadn't seen the Lookout in such bad shape since the time Garlic Jr. tried to suck it into the dead zone. Heaps of broken stone lay everywhere, smoldering and half melted.
"What happened here?" He whispered as he stepped past the immobile Vegeta. His sharp eyes quickly caught Piccolo emerging from the rubble, a frightened Dende in tow. Krillin was about to call out to him when his attention was captured by a third figure, quite a distance away from the other two, and unmoving.
"Gohan!" Krillin ran over to his friend's prone form and flipped him over, searching for signs of life. "Jeez, Piccolo! What did you do to him?"
"Brother!" Came a cry from the lip of the lookout. Another soon followed it. "Gohan! How'd you get so beat up?"
"It looks like we were followed." Krillin groaned as Goten ran towards his brother in alarm. Trunks followed a bit more slowly; exhausted from the effort to fly both himself and his friend to the top of the lookout.
Watching them, Vegeta frowned. Something didn't feel right. Striding over towards Piccolo and Dende, he shoved the young guardian aside so he could stand face to face with the taller Namekian. "Explain what happened here." He demanded.
Piccolo scowled at him, then looked over towards Gohan's unconscious form. He started to go to him, but the Saiyan Prince blocked his way. "Answer me, Namek."
"Gohan wanted to collect all the Dragonballs in order to wish for his powers to be taken away. I gave him the ball I had in my possession."
Vegeta's frown darkened. "And?"
Piccolo glanced at him in annoyance. "And as soon as he touched it, something happened. Gohan began to scream and then released enough energy to level the place, as you can see by looking around you."
Vegeta clenched his fist angrily before turning away. "And Shorty expected you to have control over things. Hn, what a moron."
Piccolo was about to retort when he noticed Gohan shifting in Krillin's arms. He was waking up! Following the Namek's gaze, Vegeta also turned; his sense of unease deepening.
"Gohan! You're okay!" Goten cried. Laughing he grabbed Trunks and began dancing around. Krillin carefully helped the silent half-Saiyan to his feet. "Are you really all right, Bro? Seeing you laying like that about gave me a heart attack."
"I've never felt better." Gohan smirked, his eyes hardening. Krillin looked at him in confusion as he grabbed his shirtfront. "Which is more than I can say for you!" Pushing him backwards, Gohan fired a quick blast, sending Krillin skidding across the ground. Krillin stared at him, dumbfounded, as smoke rose from his scorched clothing.
"What the-" Piccolo gasped. He quickly darted over to Krillin's side. "Gohan! What has gotten in to you?"
Gohan tilted his head back and laughed a shrill and awful laugh. "My dear Green-bean, the correct question is 'what am I that has gotten into Gohan?'."
Vegeta flew towards him, fist raised to attack. Gohan flicked his gaze idly towards him and Vegeta's dash was halted. Smirking, Gohan gestured and the Saiyan Prince flew backwards, slamming into one of the remaining domes of Kami's Lookout.
Wide-eyed, Krillin scooted backwards hurriedly, not caring if he resembled a frightened crab. In front of him, Piccolo growled and adopted a defensive stance. Gohan turned to them and grinned.
"After all these years of torment, I am finally free of that blasted Dead Zone! Now my revenge can begin!" Laughing again, Gohan charged forward. Piccolo's arms dropped limply to his sides, leaving him completely defenseless. Jaw slack, he struggled to mouth the words that were searing through his brain.
"G-garlic...Jr.!"
Garlic Jr. cackled as he, in control of Gohan's body, slammed his fist into Piccolo's midsection. As the Namek dropped to his knees before him, Garlic smirked and roughly grabbed Piccolo's chin, forcing him to look into his stolen eyes.
"This is killing him you know," he whispered with glee. Piccolo growled and Garlic tightened his hold. "Oh, not physically. But having to watch as he hurts his friends, it will destroy his mind."
Piccolo stared into dark eyes he had looked into so often, searching for some spark of the boy he knew. "This isn't your fault, Gohan." He said. Garlic snorted.
"No, but I guess he could blame you. You are the one that handed him the Dragonball, providing me with the last bit of energy I needed to completely take over." He began to squeeze the Namek's jaw with bone-crushing force.
"H-how?" Piccolo gasped.
"I still share a faint connection with the Dragonballs, since they are what turned me immortal. They provided the link I needed to control him completely, instead of only tormenting him in his dreams."
"Bastard!" Piccolo growled. He threw himself backwards and out of Garlic Jr.'s grip. Rolling to his feet, he stood. "You're the one who has caused Gohan all his pain! The one who tainted his mind into thinking that he was a danger to everyone around him!" A ball of energy appeared in Piccolo's hand. "I won't let you get away with this!"
Garlic just stood there calmly, arms outspread. "Go ahead and strike me, you'll only be hurting him." Piccolo's eyes widened and the ball of energy quickly disappeared.
"That's more like it." Garlic ran a hand through Gohan's black hair and down his face. His nails suddenly turned inward, leaving a deep scratch down Gohan's cheek. He laughed at Piccolo's wince. "Don't worry, I won't hurt this body too much. After all, it will become my permanent home after I complete my revenge. You see, I chose to come back this way for a reason. As much as I hate to admit it, my powers were nothing compared to your group's as they are now. I would have been destroyed instantly if I returned in my own body. But within this boy's body lies unimaginable power. And now it's mine to control."
Piccolo heard a growl behind him and Krillin flew past, his face twisted with rage. "Garlic!" Fear no longer in his mind, Krillin attacked Garlic Jr. with a flurry of punches and kicks. But in Gohan's body, Garlic easily dodged every attack. Reaching out, he grabbed a hold of Krillin's head and slammed it brutally in the ground, creating a large crater in the stone floor.
Goten ran up to his brother, his eyes wide. "Gohan! What are you doing? Are you guys play fighting?"
Trunk hurriedly grabbed Goten's hand and dragged him back. "I don't think he's playing...."
Without looking, Garlic fired a blast at them. Goten stared at the burning hole in the ground in front of him and began to cry. "I'm going to tell mom!" Trunks threw him to the ground just a second blast flew over their heads.
"Why are you doing this?" Piccolo shouted. "Are you trying to take over the world again?"
Gohan's eyes shifted back towards the Namek and he sneered. "No. I no longer have any interest in ruling over this pathetic little planet. Instead, I am going to destroy it. And as I use Gohan to kill all of his friends and family, his spirit will die, and this body will belong to me completely. My first step will be to kill you though, my dear Mr. Piccolo," Garlic sang mockingly. "I'm going to do it slowly, so Gohan can fully realize how right he was in thinking his powers were a danger to everyone around him."
Piccolo took to the air as energy blasts hurtled towards him. He flew back hurriedly, trying to take Garlic away from the others. He dodged blast after blast, but never attacked, refusing to hurt Gohan. Instead, he tried another tactic. "Gohan! Fight him off! You can't let this weak parasite get the best of you! Fight him!"
"Ha!" Garlic laughed. "Useless. This body is as good as mine." He launched into the air and towards the Namek fighter.
Growling, Piccolo desperately blocked the blows reigning down on him. Slowly, he forced himself to concentrate. Just act like you are sparring with him, he told himself. Almost immediately, he saw an opening and, without thinking, took it.
Gohan's body slammed to the ground with the force of the Namek's punch. He painfully rose to a sitting position, rubbing his bruised cheek. "Piccolo?" He questioned softly, his eyes filled with hurt. Piccolo gasped and dropped quickly to the ground.
"Gohan!" he stepped forward, arm outstretched.
The half-saiyan's face twisted into a malicious grin and Piccolo was knocked back by the force of the boy's blast. Garlic stood triumphantly over Piccolo's smoking body. "You are such a fool." He taunted, raising his hand to finish the job.
Piccolo watched, wide-eyed as Garlic fell to his knees, clutching his head. "Stop it, you brat!" He growled. "You can't stop me!" Piccolo's hopes rose.
"That's it Gohan! You are stronger than he is. You can stop this!"
The pile of rubble beside Piccolo disintegrated in a blinding flash. Vegeta stood in its place, bruised and bleeding, his green eyes burning with cold fire. Growling, the Super-Saiyan launched himself at Gohan.
"Vegeta! Don't!" Piccolo screamed, but to no avail.
The Saiyan Prince smashed into Gohan, sending them both into the remains of a nearby wall. Vegeta glared down at the form under him coldly. "I don't care if you are Gohan or not, but no one tosses around Vegeta."
Garlic smirked. "Forget me, my Prince" Gohan's hair flickered blond. Grunting with the effort, Garlic forced Gohan to turn Super-Saiyan as well, the force of the change hurling Vegeta away from him.
"Damn it," Piccolo growled as the two Super-Saiyans began attacking each other ruthlessly, destroying even more of the lookout. Out of nowhere a fully healed Krillin jumped into the fight, aiding Vegeta in his attacks. Piccolo glanced over to where Krillin had once lain, and saw Dende, staring up at the battle worriedly as Goten and Trunks hid behind him. Cursing again, he struggled to his feet. "Stop it!" he shouted at two attacking Garlic Jr. "You aren't helping matters!"
Goten jumped out in front of the others. "Brother! Stop it! You're scaring me!"
Dende struggled to pull him back but Goten jerked away, running to towards the fight that was occurring in the air above him. "Goten! Stop! That's not Gohan!" Dende shouted after him.
Goten fell and struggled to his feet, he eyes streaming with tears. "Gohan!"
Blasting Krillin away from him, Garlic slammed his fist into Vegeta's face and the Saiyan Prince lashed back with clasped hands, driving him towards the ground. Goten ran to his brother as he rose back to his feet. "Gohan, please stop!"
Garlic took one look at Goten before grabbing him and flinging him off the edge of Kami's Lookout. Trunks screamed as he watched him fall. Garlic raised his hands to blast the kid in midair when Gohan suddenly wrested control from him.
"Goten!" He cried, diving off the edge and flying towards his brother with lightning speed.
Vegeta snarled and made to go after him, but Piccolo grabbed him. "Don't!" Krillin stared at him in confusion.
"But Piccolo-"
"That's Gohan you idiots!"
Piccolo held Vegeta firmly as all three watched Gohan fly closer towards Goten's falling form. With a final blast of speed, Gohan reached out and encased his brother safely in his arms as he veered back up towards the lookout. Goten stared at him in fear and tears filled Gohan's eyes.
"I'm sorry Goten. I'm not myself right now."
Goten looked at him in confusion. "Then who are you?"
"A very bad person." Gohan closed his eyes, as sweat beaded across his skin. "I need you to do me a favor. When we get back to the top, you grab Trunks and have him get you both out of here, do you understand?"
"But Gohan-" Goten grabbed his brother's arms.
"You have to do as I say!" Gohan shouted. Goten nodded silently, tears leaking from his eyes. Gohan landed back upon Kami's Lookout and released his brother, pushing him away. "Go!"
Piccolo watched as Goten ran as swiftly as his legs could carry him back towards Dende and Trunks. Vegeta jerked out of the Namek's grasp but made no move to attack again. Instead he stared down at Gohan, a deep frown marring his face.
"Is-is he back to normal?" Krillin asked.
Piccolo watched as Gohan clutched his head and felt the rise in the boy's ki. "Fight him, Gohan." He sent the thought to his pupil mentally. He saw Gohan raise his head and look straight at him. Gohan's telepathic answer hit him like a blow.
"Piccolo.... You've got to kill me."
Gohan vs. Garlic Jr. The half-Saiyan isn't fighting for his life; he is fighting for everyone else's. Now with the only course of action painfully clear, what will Piccolo do? Does he have the strength to kill his own pupil, the boy whom he has saved so many times? There doesn't seem to be any way to end this conflict happily. Will Piccolo follow Gohan's orders, or will he find some other way to stop Garlic Jr.? Find out in the next chapter of Dragonball Z!
In the next chapter of DBZ... The battle escalates as Garlic Jr. once more takes control. Everyone's life is in danger as the battle draws to an explosive conclusion. Don't miss the next chapter of Dragonball Z. Chapter 5: Sacrifice.
Author: AstroKender
Warnings: Some gore...some angst...some sap.
Spoilers: None.
Notes: Takes place between the Cell and Buu sagas. Gohan centric.
Feedback: Welcome. Please review
Disclaimers: DBZ belongs to Akira Toriyama and Funimation. This fic is for entertainment purposes and is not in any way meant for profit. Don't sue me.
In the last chapter of Dragonball Z, Gohan faces his worst nightmare...himself. After almost destroying his home and his family along with it, he flees, promising never to be a danger to his friends again. But what does Gohan have planned and will he cause more harm than good?
Chapter 4: The Struggle
"What was all that about?" Krillin asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"Isn't it obvious?" Vegeta's dark eyes pierced the horizon when Gohan had disappeared. "He is going to Kami's lookout to do something incredibly stupid."
"Oh my poor baby!" Chichi moaned. "What is he going to do?" Wringing the hem of her nightgown so tightly it ripped, the dark haired woman began to swoon but quickly forced herself to snap out of it. She stalked over to Krillin with determination and lifted him up by his shirt, shaking him soundly. "Well? What are you waiting for? Go after him!"
"Chichi...can't breath...." A blue faced Krillin gasped. Chichi dropped him and he sat on the ground, chest rising and falling heavily. "I'm sure Piccolo will stop him from doing anything too drastic. But," Krillin coughed as Chichi pierced him with a furious look. "It wouldn't hurt to go check on him."
He picked himself up and jumped into the air before Chichi could do anything else to him. He turned only to find Vegeta already flying towards the lookout at top speed. "Now what does he think he's doing?" Krillin asked himself. "Hey Vegeta! Wait up!" He flew swiftly after the dwindling figure.
"Bring my Gohan back safely." Chichi whispered before turning away. "Goten, were going to have to stay with Bulma until we get our house fixed, but you'll get to spend more time with Trunks so there is nothing to be sad about. Goten? Where are you? Goten?"
Bulma jerked her gaze away from the smoldering remains of the Son house and her brow furrowed. "Trunks, where is Goten?" She glanced around. "Trunks?"
But both boys were gone.
***
"Something is going on down there, Piccolo." Dende spoke quietly as he looked down off the edge of Kami's Lookout. "And whatever it is, it isn't good."
The smaller Namekian turned when he got no reply, looking at his companion in concern. Piccolo, however, made no sound; indeed, he didn't even acknowledge the other's existence. The powerful warrior stood immobile, staring into the dark sky below them with frightening intensity. Frowning, Dende turned back and resumed his own vigil.
Slowly, he became aware of a glowing speck in the distance. Beside him, Piccolo stiffened and moved away from the edge of the lookout. Dende swallowed nervously, fearing an attack, when he recognized the speck's ki signature. "It's Gohan!" he grinned with relief.
"Dende." Piccolo spoke softly behind him. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave for awhile. I need to talk to Gohan, alone."
"But..."
"Dende..." The older Namek growled and the small Guardian of Earth sighed. Scuffing his feet, Dende retreated towards one of his domes. "Kicked off my own lookout...." He grumbled.
Piccolo smiled faintly as he watched him leave, but that smile swiftly turned into a frown as he turned, watching as Gohan flew closer. He could sense his former pupil's distress as he blasted through the night cloud-cover to land in a heap upon the edge of the lookout, a few feet away from himself.
Piccolo stepped softly over to Gohan's sobbing form, unsure of what to do. With all the other times, when this boy needed his help, he simply appeared, batting aside a deadly blast or defeating a stubborn enemy. But now, Piccolo was not so sure where the blast was coming from, and the enemy was nowhere to be seen.
"Gohan-" The Namek started.
"Piccolo, I want to call the Dragon." Gohan lifted himself to his feet. "I want to wish for Shenlong to take away my powers." The dark haired boy's head snapped up, his eyes blazing with determination.
Piccolo stared at him in shock. "What?"
Gohan slumped forward and Piccolo caught him reflexively. "I'm tired of being afraid of the harm I could accidentally cause," Gohan whispered. "Especially to my friends and family. I care about you guys so much, I couldn't live with myself if anything happened because of my powers." Tears once more began leaking down his face.
"I can't pretend to understand what you are going through," Piccolo murmured, his grip on the boy tightening fractionally. "But I can't let you do this! You would be completely defenseless!"
"I don't care. I wasn't meant to be a fighter!" Gohan clenched his fists. "I just want to be normal."
"But your power has saved this planet many times. It's both a blessing and a curse but it is not something you should throw away so hastily."
Gohan jerked away from him, glaring. "I've made up my mind. I'm doing this with or without your help, Piccolo! Dende told me you keep a Dragonball up here. Don't make me take it by force." Sorrow flashed in Gohan's dark eyes, but the determination still shined through.
Piccolo inclined his head slightly in grudging acceptance. Closing his eyes, he spoke to the small guardian hovering anxiously on the edge of his mind. "Dende, go get the Dragonball."
"Piccolo, what's going on?" Dende's mental reply was tense with apprehension.
"Just do as I say." The Namek barked out loud. He felt Dende scrambling to comply.
Piccolo stared at Gohan silently as they waited, willing the boy to change his mind. But Gohan refused to meet his gaze. The minutes ticked by like an eternity, till Dende shuffled up quickly, a velvet pillow held carefully in his hands. And resting on top of that pillow....
"You used to wear this on your head when you were young," Piccolo murmured, almost to himself as he carefully lifted the four-star Dragonball. "Before I took you in and trained you to become a fighter.... I don't know where the other six are. You will have to get the Dragon Radar to find them. Gohan," he faltered. "I am sorry for causing you pain. If I hadn't kidnapped you and forced you to fight-"
"Then our world would have been destroyed and sold off by Vegeta and Nappa." Gohan stepped up to him; his eyes warm but weary. "You did the right thing, Piccolo. I always trusted you and you have never steered me wrong. I have never known you to do anything that hasn't benefited myself or this planet."
"Go-"
Gohan raised his hand to silence the Namek's protests. "Yes, even killing my father benefited us in the long run." Piccolo stared at him, aghast. "For if he hadn't died, then he would have never received the training necessary to defeat Nappa. So please, don't beat yourself up for it any longer."
Piccolo muttered something about practicing what you preach then smiled ruefully. "Powers or no, you'll still be my pupil."
Gohan smiled. "Powers or no, I'll still be your friend." He corrected. Piccolo heaved a deep sigh, then handed over the Dragonball.
Gohan's fingers had barely brushed the four-star ball when a bright flash erupted from its orange surface and traveled up his arm. Gohan gasped as pain like he had never felt before swept over him and he doubled over, clutching his head in agony.
Piccolo, feeling the spark, dropped the Dragonball and jerked his hand away quickly. The ball fell to the floor and rolled away as a fierce wind appeared from nowhere. The Namek's eyes fastened to Gohan, whose hands had left his head and were now clenched tightly as a dark red glow surrounded him.
Screaming, Gohan fought from unleashing the tremendous dark power he felt building up inside of him. He could fill it swirling around him, both outside and inside of his body. He felt it penetrate his mind. It built up to such pressures that Gohan believed he would be crushed trying to hold it in. Weakening, he felt the power begin to leek out, slowly at first, but then faster and faster in enormous quantities.
The dam finally broke and, with one last bloodcurdling scream, the ground around Gohan exploded. Both Dende and Piccolo were thrown away by the force of the blast. Gohan's body burned brightly for a moment, then darkened as the Half-Saiyan collapsed.
***
"What in blazes?" Vegeta cursed as a bright flash lit up the night. The Saiyan Prince dodged the rubble that fell down from the lookout above. "It seems things have started without us." He muttered. "I knew I shouldn't have listen to you when you told me to wait!" He growled at Krillin, who bumped into him after avoiding a particularly large piece of stone.
"Gimmie a break, will ya?" Krillin whined before glancing up at Kami's Lookout worriedly. "I guess we should check it out." He swallowed, but made no move to ascend any higher.
"Quit being such a coward." Vegeta snarled as he blasted past him and towards where the light had emanated. Heaving a sigh, Krillin hurried after him. "I should have gone first, then I wouldn't have to stare at your rear end the whole way up...." He huffed under his breath.
But alighting on the floor of Kami's Lookout, Krillin found the view much worse. He hadn't seen the Lookout in such bad shape since the time Garlic Jr. tried to suck it into the dead zone. Heaps of broken stone lay everywhere, smoldering and half melted.
"What happened here?" He whispered as he stepped past the immobile Vegeta. His sharp eyes quickly caught Piccolo emerging from the rubble, a frightened Dende in tow. Krillin was about to call out to him when his attention was captured by a third figure, quite a distance away from the other two, and unmoving.
"Gohan!" Krillin ran over to his friend's prone form and flipped him over, searching for signs of life. "Jeez, Piccolo! What did you do to him?"
"Brother!" Came a cry from the lip of the lookout. Another soon followed it. "Gohan! How'd you get so beat up?"
"It looks like we were followed." Krillin groaned as Goten ran towards his brother in alarm. Trunks followed a bit more slowly; exhausted from the effort to fly both himself and his friend to the top of the lookout.
Watching them, Vegeta frowned. Something didn't feel right. Striding over towards Piccolo and Dende, he shoved the young guardian aside so he could stand face to face with the taller Namekian. "Explain what happened here." He demanded.
Piccolo scowled at him, then looked over towards Gohan's unconscious form. He started to go to him, but the Saiyan Prince blocked his way. "Answer me, Namek."
"Gohan wanted to collect all the Dragonballs in order to wish for his powers to be taken away. I gave him the ball I had in my possession."
Vegeta's frown darkened. "And?"
Piccolo glanced at him in annoyance. "And as soon as he touched it, something happened. Gohan began to scream and then released enough energy to level the place, as you can see by looking around you."
Vegeta clenched his fist angrily before turning away. "And Shorty expected you to have control over things. Hn, what a moron."
Piccolo was about to retort when he noticed Gohan shifting in Krillin's arms. He was waking up! Following the Namek's gaze, Vegeta also turned; his sense of unease deepening.
"Gohan! You're okay!" Goten cried. Laughing he grabbed Trunks and began dancing around. Krillin carefully helped the silent half-Saiyan to his feet. "Are you really all right, Bro? Seeing you laying like that about gave me a heart attack."
"I've never felt better." Gohan smirked, his eyes hardening. Krillin looked at him in confusion as he grabbed his shirtfront. "Which is more than I can say for you!" Pushing him backwards, Gohan fired a quick blast, sending Krillin skidding across the ground. Krillin stared at him, dumbfounded, as smoke rose from his scorched clothing.
"What the-" Piccolo gasped. He quickly darted over to Krillin's side. "Gohan! What has gotten in to you?"
Gohan tilted his head back and laughed a shrill and awful laugh. "My dear Green-bean, the correct question is 'what am I that has gotten into Gohan?'."
Vegeta flew towards him, fist raised to attack. Gohan flicked his gaze idly towards him and Vegeta's dash was halted. Smirking, Gohan gestured and the Saiyan Prince flew backwards, slamming into one of the remaining domes of Kami's Lookout.
Wide-eyed, Krillin scooted backwards hurriedly, not caring if he resembled a frightened crab. In front of him, Piccolo growled and adopted a defensive stance. Gohan turned to them and grinned.
"After all these years of torment, I am finally free of that blasted Dead Zone! Now my revenge can begin!" Laughing again, Gohan charged forward. Piccolo's arms dropped limply to his sides, leaving him completely defenseless. Jaw slack, he struggled to mouth the words that were searing through his brain.
"G-garlic...Jr.!"
Garlic Jr. cackled as he, in control of Gohan's body, slammed his fist into Piccolo's midsection. As the Namek dropped to his knees before him, Garlic smirked and roughly grabbed Piccolo's chin, forcing him to look into his stolen eyes.
"This is killing him you know," he whispered with glee. Piccolo growled and Garlic tightened his hold. "Oh, not physically. But having to watch as he hurts his friends, it will destroy his mind."
Piccolo stared into dark eyes he had looked into so often, searching for some spark of the boy he knew. "This isn't your fault, Gohan." He said. Garlic snorted.
"No, but I guess he could blame you. You are the one that handed him the Dragonball, providing me with the last bit of energy I needed to completely take over." He began to squeeze the Namek's jaw with bone-crushing force.
"H-how?" Piccolo gasped.
"I still share a faint connection with the Dragonballs, since they are what turned me immortal. They provided the link I needed to control him completely, instead of only tormenting him in his dreams."
"Bastard!" Piccolo growled. He threw himself backwards and out of Garlic Jr.'s grip. Rolling to his feet, he stood. "You're the one who has caused Gohan all his pain! The one who tainted his mind into thinking that he was a danger to everyone around him!" A ball of energy appeared in Piccolo's hand. "I won't let you get away with this!"
Garlic just stood there calmly, arms outspread. "Go ahead and strike me, you'll only be hurting him." Piccolo's eyes widened and the ball of energy quickly disappeared.
"That's more like it." Garlic ran a hand through Gohan's black hair and down his face. His nails suddenly turned inward, leaving a deep scratch down Gohan's cheek. He laughed at Piccolo's wince. "Don't worry, I won't hurt this body too much. After all, it will become my permanent home after I complete my revenge. You see, I chose to come back this way for a reason. As much as I hate to admit it, my powers were nothing compared to your group's as they are now. I would have been destroyed instantly if I returned in my own body. But within this boy's body lies unimaginable power. And now it's mine to control."
Piccolo heard a growl behind him and Krillin flew past, his face twisted with rage. "Garlic!" Fear no longer in his mind, Krillin attacked Garlic Jr. with a flurry of punches and kicks. But in Gohan's body, Garlic easily dodged every attack. Reaching out, he grabbed a hold of Krillin's head and slammed it brutally in the ground, creating a large crater in the stone floor.
Goten ran up to his brother, his eyes wide. "Gohan! What are you doing? Are you guys play fighting?"
Trunk hurriedly grabbed Goten's hand and dragged him back. "I don't think he's playing...."
Without looking, Garlic fired a blast at them. Goten stared at the burning hole in the ground in front of him and began to cry. "I'm going to tell mom!" Trunks threw him to the ground just a second blast flew over their heads.
"Why are you doing this?" Piccolo shouted. "Are you trying to take over the world again?"
Gohan's eyes shifted back towards the Namek and he sneered. "No. I no longer have any interest in ruling over this pathetic little planet. Instead, I am going to destroy it. And as I use Gohan to kill all of his friends and family, his spirit will die, and this body will belong to me completely. My first step will be to kill you though, my dear Mr. Piccolo," Garlic sang mockingly. "I'm going to do it slowly, so Gohan can fully realize how right he was in thinking his powers were a danger to everyone around him."
Piccolo took to the air as energy blasts hurtled towards him. He flew back hurriedly, trying to take Garlic away from the others. He dodged blast after blast, but never attacked, refusing to hurt Gohan. Instead, he tried another tactic. "Gohan! Fight him off! You can't let this weak parasite get the best of you! Fight him!"
"Ha!" Garlic laughed. "Useless. This body is as good as mine." He launched into the air and towards the Namek fighter.
Growling, Piccolo desperately blocked the blows reigning down on him. Slowly, he forced himself to concentrate. Just act like you are sparring with him, he told himself. Almost immediately, he saw an opening and, without thinking, took it.
Gohan's body slammed to the ground with the force of the Namek's punch. He painfully rose to a sitting position, rubbing his bruised cheek. "Piccolo?" He questioned softly, his eyes filled with hurt. Piccolo gasped and dropped quickly to the ground.
"Gohan!" he stepped forward, arm outstretched.
The half-saiyan's face twisted into a malicious grin and Piccolo was knocked back by the force of the boy's blast. Garlic stood triumphantly over Piccolo's smoking body. "You are such a fool." He taunted, raising his hand to finish the job.
Piccolo watched, wide-eyed as Garlic fell to his knees, clutching his head. "Stop it, you brat!" He growled. "You can't stop me!" Piccolo's hopes rose.
"That's it Gohan! You are stronger than he is. You can stop this!"
The pile of rubble beside Piccolo disintegrated in a blinding flash. Vegeta stood in its place, bruised and bleeding, his green eyes burning with cold fire. Growling, the Super-Saiyan launched himself at Gohan.
"Vegeta! Don't!" Piccolo screamed, but to no avail.
The Saiyan Prince smashed into Gohan, sending them both into the remains of a nearby wall. Vegeta glared down at the form under him coldly. "I don't care if you are Gohan or not, but no one tosses around Vegeta."
Garlic smirked. "Forget me, my Prince" Gohan's hair flickered blond. Grunting with the effort, Garlic forced Gohan to turn Super-Saiyan as well, the force of the change hurling Vegeta away from him.
"Damn it," Piccolo growled as the two Super-Saiyans began attacking each other ruthlessly, destroying even more of the lookout. Out of nowhere a fully healed Krillin jumped into the fight, aiding Vegeta in his attacks. Piccolo glanced over to where Krillin had once lain, and saw Dende, staring up at the battle worriedly as Goten and Trunks hid behind him. Cursing again, he struggled to his feet. "Stop it!" he shouted at two attacking Garlic Jr. "You aren't helping matters!"
Goten jumped out in front of the others. "Brother! Stop it! You're scaring me!"
Dende struggled to pull him back but Goten jerked away, running to towards the fight that was occurring in the air above him. "Goten! Stop! That's not Gohan!" Dende shouted after him.
Goten fell and struggled to his feet, he eyes streaming with tears. "Gohan!"
Blasting Krillin away from him, Garlic slammed his fist into Vegeta's face and the Saiyan Prince lashed back with clasped hands, driving him towards the ground. Goten ran to his brother as he rose back to his feet. "Gohan, please stop!"
Garlic took one look at Goten before grabbing him and flinging him off the edge of Kami's Lookout. Trunks screamed as he watched him fall. Garlic raised his hands to blast the kid in midair when Gohan suddenly wrested control from him.
"Goten!" He cried, diving off the edge and flying towards his brother with lightning speed.
Vegeta snarled and made to go after him, but Piccolo grabbed him. "Don't!" Krillin stared at him in confusion.
"But Piccolo-"
"That's Gohan you idiots!"
Piccolo held Vegeta firmly as all three watched Gohan fly closer towards Goten's falling form. With a final blast of speed, Gohan reached out and encased his brother safely in his arms as he veered back up towards the lookout. Goten stared at him in fear and tears filled Gohan's eyes.
"I'm sorry Goten. I'm not myself right now."
Goten looked at him in confusion. "Then who are you?"
"A very bad person." Gohan closed his eyes, as sweat beaded across his skin. "I need you to do me a favor. When we get back to the top, you grab Trunks and have him get you both out of here, do you understand?"
"But Gohan-" Goten grabbed his brother's arms.
"You have to do as I say!" Gohan shouted. Goten nodded silently, tears leaking from his eyes. Gohan landed back upon Kami's Lookout and released his brother, pushing him away. "Go!"
Piccolo watched as Goten ran as swiftly as his legs could carry him back towards Dende and Trunks. Vegeta jerked out of the Namek's grasp but made no move to attack again. Instead he stared down at Gohan, a deep frown marring his face.
"Is-is he back to normal?" Krillin asked.
Piccolo watched as Gohan clutched his head and felt the rise in the boy's ki. "Fight him, Gohan." He sent the thought to his pupil mentally. He saw Gohan raise his head and look straight at him. Gohan's telepathic answer hit him like a blow.
"Piccolo.... You've got to kill me."
Gohan vs. Garlic Jr. The half-Saiyan isn't fighting for his life; he is fighting for everyone else's. Now with the only course of action painfully clear, what will Piccolo do? Does he have the strength to kill his own pupil, the boy whom he has saved so many times? There doesn't seem to be any way to end this conflict happily. Will Piccolo follow Gohan's orders, or will he find some other way to stop Garlic Jr.? Find out in the next chapter of Dragonball Z!
In the next chapter of DBZ... The battle escalates as Garlic Jr. once more takes control. Everyone's life is in danger as the battle draws to an explosive conclusion. Don't miss the next chapter of Dragonball Z. Chapter 5: Sacrifice.