Title: The Invasion Saga
Author: AstroKender
Warnings: Gore.
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 returned! There was rejoicing abound as his friends successfully brought the half-Saiyan back to life. The story isn't over yet though; Garlic Jr. wasn't about to give up. But neither were the Z fighters! Using their last wish, they ripped Garlic from Gohan's mind. But their plan backfired when Gohan split in two! The battle of Good and Evil is only beginning.
Ch 9- Good versus Evil
Goten looked frantically from one Gohan to the other. "I have two brothers?" Trunks immediately took a fighting stance beside him. "Of course not, stupid. One of them's got to be a fake."
Biting his lip, Goten scratched his head. "But which one?"
Groaning, Gohan slowly pushed himself to his hands and knees. "Wha-what happened?" he shook his head, trying to dispel the stars streaming across his vision. The last thing he remembered was the horrible sensation of being torn in two....
Rising to his knees, he froze as he came face to face with an identical version of himself, standing only a foot away. The other Gohan smirked down at him maliciously, his muscles bulging with restrained power. Giving the original a wink, the false Gohan was surrounded in a wave of power that bleached his hair gold and caused his eyes to glow an exalting green.
"This body has much power, especially now that I don't have to fight you for control of it." Garlic Jr.'s voice filtered out from between the double's lips. "Finally, I have returned fully to Earth. That pathetic body floating in the Dead Zone is nothing but a memory. I have been reborn!"
His eyes switched from his own clenched fists over to Gohan. "And since I have no need of you any longer, feel free to return to the dead where you belong. In fact, allow me to assist you!" Garlic's fist jutted out, smacking into Gohan's face and sending him careening towards the other Z fighters.
"Gohan!" Goten started to rush forward but was halted by Krillin. Looking down at the image of his friend in fear, he dragged the smaller half-Saiyan away and threw him towards Dende.
"Mr. Popo! Get Dende and the boys out of here!" He shouted. Turning back, he took a hesitant step towards Gohan.
"Don't!" The Super Saiyan Gohan called out. "That's not the real me!"
Krillin took a hasty step backwards, his eyes wide. "Don't listen to him, Krillin." The Gohan on the ground coughed, rising painfully to his feet. Krillin look from one to the other in indecision.
Growling, Vegeta clenched his fists in anger. Something had to be done, and soon! Making his decision, the Saiyan powered up into his Super Saiyan. Even if it meant killing both of them, Vegeta was determined to stop this battle as soon as possible. Picking out the ascended version of Kakkarot's son, Vegeta charged.
Gohan blocked the flurry of punched and kicks, his green eyes wide. "Vegeta! What are you doing?"
Revising his decision, Vegeta paused in his attack and that gave Garlic Jr. all the opportunity he needed to make his move. His fingers extended, the body snatcher shoved his hand completely though the Saiyan Prince's stomach.
"No!" The real Gohan cried out.
Eyes wide, Vegeta stared at his attacker. Coughing up blood, the Saiyan could feel both strength and consciousness fading away. His eyes narrowed as he took one last desperate shot, the ki blast forcing Garlic backwards and caused the hand protruding from his back to slip free. Vegeta collapsed to the stone floor in a heap.
"Shit...." Vegeta gasped. "That lousy trickster severed my spine. Even if I weren't dying, I'd be useless...." With a final cough, the Saiyan slipped into darkness.
"Vegeta!" Gohan and Krillin screamed in unison. His eyes blazing, the real Gohan sped through the air towards his double. "You bastard!" he cried.
"Dad!" Trunks screamed.
The purple haired boy was standing at the far edge of the lookout along with the others; about to mount Mr. Popo's flying carpet. Taking the opportunity as it was given to him, Krillin flashed over to Vegeta's fallen form. Picking the Saiyan up, he flew as quickly as possible over to the group.
Trunks met the human fighter halfway. "Here. Take him and get out of here." Krillin commanded, handing Vegeta's body over. "Dende can heal him but it's too dangerous for you all up here."
Trunks nodded and carefully moved towards the others, his burden heavy in his arms. Krillin spared them all one last glance before rushing back to the fight at hand. Staring at the scene before him, he gasped in despair.
Both Gohans were now powered up to Super Saiyan, making it impossible to tell them apart. Moving with astounding speed, the two mirror images pummeled each other with punches and blasts as they warred for dominance. As far as Krillin could tell, their powers were completely equal. Krillin grit his teeth in helplessness.
One of the Gohans turned and, catching sight of the others' escape attempt laughed darkly. "Do you think I'd let you go that easily?" Knocking his mirror image to the side, he fired a blast at the floating carpet, the explosion casting everyone to the ground.
Despite the urge to check on the others, Krillin blasted forward, his target now plain in his sights. Raising his hands above him, the human warrior summoned all his energy.
"Destructo Disc!" he shouted, hurling the large saw-blade of energy towards the false half-Saiyan. Garlic laughed at the puny attack headed towards him and lifted his arm to bat it aside. But Krillin's blast had distracted him just enough for Gohan to attack. Pulling his hands beside him, the half-Saiyan let loose a wave of energy.
"Kamehameha!"
The two blasts hit the Gohan impostor simultaneously, exploding into a cloud of smoke. Panting, Gohan turned to Krillin and nodded. "Thanks."
Grinning, Krillin flashed a peace sign. Gohan's gaze switched to the fallen form of his brother and he stumbled forward. Krillin was about to join him when he spotted a hand appearing through the dissipating cloud of smoke.
"You let down your guard!" Garlic screamed, firing an air-car-sized blast. Gohan began to whirl around, but he was too slow. The blast struck him from behind, hurtling him ,screaming, through the ruined remains of the buildings on Kami's Lookout.
With a shout, Krillin jumped in to attack and was knocked effortlessly aside. Growling Krillin was preparing himself to rise again when he was hit by a similar blast that sent him crashing through the tiles and deep into the Lookout's foundation.
Laughing in triumph, Garlic floated over to the pile of rubble Gohan disappeared into. He was ready as the demi-Saiyan blasted his way out in a rage and quickly grabbed the boy by the throat. Squeezing, Garlic wrenched his hand as hard as he could, eager to hear the telltale sound of a broken neck.
Grabbing Garlic's hand to dull the blow, Gohan nevertheless screamed in agony. His scream was cut off as Garlic squeezed his hand closed even tighter. Darkness began filling the corners of his vision. Desperately, Gohan attempted to elbow his captor away, only to have his arm grabbed and twisted behind him. With a crack, Gohan felt his arm snap.
Garlic relished in the half-Saiyan's gasp of pain, his screams silenced by his double's powerful grip. Grinning, Garlic dropped the boy as if he were a piece of trash and lifted his foot only to slam it into Gohan's chest, hearing even more cracks in answer. Blood spurted from Gohan's mouth as his hair fell to black once more.
"Piccolo...." Gohan breathed out reflexively; calling out to the mentor that had always saved him before.
***
Piccolo's head snapped up in shock. I must have passed out, he thought, gazing at the newly revealed sun. But what woke me?
/Piccolo..../ A weak gasp called in his mind. Closing his eyes, Piccolo felt for his former pupil's ki.
His eyes reopened quickly as he pointed out not one, but two identical ki's; one fading rapidly. Growling, Piccolo shot to his feet, a new arm blasting from the open wound on his shoulder. Jumping into the air, the Namek flew towards the Lookout as fast as he could, one thought pounding through his head.
/Hold on, Gohan. I'm coming./
***
Garlic regarded the broken figure thoughtfully for a moment, before kicking him across the ruined remains of the courtyard. "Not so powerful this time, eh brat?" Another kick sent Gohan nearer to the Lookout's edge. "And your friends are no help to you either. At least, the ones that bothered to show up. What's wrong, is your Piccolo so glad to be rid of you that he didn't bother to see you wished back?"
Garlic tsked mockingly. "It's a shame. He missed his opportunity to see you one last time." Snarling Garlic kicked Gohan again, causing the half-Saiyan's body to slide halfway over the edge of the Lookout. "Don't worry. As soon as I make sure your other friends are dead, I'll track him down."
Garlic knelt down beside Gohan and lifted him up by his shirt. "I'm not going to waste the energy to kill you." He whispered in the dark haired boy's ear. "The fall will do the work for me." The hand released him and, with one final push, Gohan fell off the edge, Garlic's laughter following him toward Earth.
Flitting in and out of consciousness, Gohan tried to manipulate his ki to halt his fall but it was no use, the pain destroyed all his concentration. Through his wind blown vision, Gohan caught sight of Korin Tower hurtling past him; Yajerobi hanging desperately off the balcony in a vain attempt to catch him. But the dark-haired boy was too far away.
/Well what do you know,/ Gohan thought hazily as the ground rushed up to meet him. /I'm coming to visit you again sooner than I thought, Dad./
"Oh no you're not!" A gruff voice growled. Gohan caught a glimpse of a white cape before he was clasped securely between strong, emerald and fuchsia-colored arms.
"Piccolo...." Gohan smiled before passing out.
The Namekian looked down at the tattered form of his best friend before flying upwards to Korin Tower. Spying the two, Yajerobi slumped forward in relief. "Man, I thought he was a goner." The rotund fighter mopped his brow in relief.
Korin quickly appeared at his side and gestured for Piccolo to lay Gohan down in a large chair sitting nearby. "You're going up there, aren't you?" The white cat stated. Piccolo said nothing but Korin had his answer.
"Take care of him," Piccolo ordered hoarsely before taking off into the air once more.
Yajerobi sidled over to peer at the figure in the couch. "More like he'll take care of us, at least once he's healed."
Korin nodded. "I'll go get the senzu beans."
***
Garlic Jr. looked at the destruction around him in triumph. Earth's strongest warriors lay dead or dying around him. With his newly gained power it would be a cinch to destroy the pathetic planet below. All he had to do first was find a spaceship to escape in.
Smirking, he stepped off the edge of the lookout, floating down as gently as a feather. First I'll go see how big of a splatter that brat made when he landed." The look-a-like chuckled.
"You're the one that's going to be splattered, Garlic Jr.!" A voice roared. Garlic looked down just in time to see a fist rise up to meet his face. The force of the blow was so great he was hurled upwards, landing back on top of Kami's Lookout in a heap.
Wiping the blood from his busted lip, Garlic snarled. "If it isn't the Jolly Green Giant." He hissed. "I'm surprised you had the balls to actually hit this face."
"It not the face that counts, it's the heart." Piccolo stared down at him imperiously, his cape fluttering in the breeze. "And yours is as black as ever."
Garlic rose to his feet, grinning. "My heart beats with the waves of Gohan's power now. You have no chance of beating me."
Piccolo snorted and tossed his turban aside, followed quickly by his cape. "On the contrary, it's you that doesn't have a chance. You may have Gohan's power but you don't have his training. Without that, your nothing more than a mindless beast." Piccolo cracked his knuckles. "One that's about to be turned in to a throw rug due to the people you've hurt today."
Garlic smiled lazily and motioned for Piccolo to make the first move. "Why don't you prove to me that you're not all talk?"
"I intend to!" Piccolo screamed, dashing forward. Garlic turned to intercept his fist but at the last minute the Namekian feinted and sent a roundhouse kick across the jaw of the smirking face. Snarling, Piccolo whirled around and shoved the heel of his palm upwards, smashing it into Garlic's nose.
As Garlic's body fell backwards, Piccolo caught it ruthlessly and fired a ki blast point blank at his chest. The shirt he was holding ripped as Gohan's double was thrown backwards. Piccolo surveyed the being before him coldly and popped his neck to loosen it. "Give it up, Garlic breath."
Laughing unevenly, Garlic raised his head. "You just don't get it, do you?" Screaming in rage he allowed Gohan's power to flow around him. "In this body I am unstoppable!" Extending both hands, he released a devastating blast that ripped through both air and ground as it hurtled towards its target. Swearing, Piccolo raised his arms in a futile attempt to block.
"Big Bang Attack!"
Piccolo's eyes widened as the deadly blast was knocked aside. Turning, he stared in wonder at the crumpled figure behind him. Vegeta raised himself on his elbows and nodded, blood trickling between his lips.
Garlic cursed and switched his aim to finish off the crippled Prince but a booted foot quickly knocked it to the side. Panting, Krillin glared at him meaningfully from one open eye before jumping in and continuing his attack with the viciousness of a wounded animal.
Snarling, Garlic blocked the punches that flew towards him. "Don't you people ever die?" he demanded, knocking the human away.
"Sure we do," Krillin grinned, crouching down in preparation for another attack. "We just get wished back."
A small blast struck Garlic Jr. across the face and he stumbled backwards. Turning, he glared daggers at the small half-Saiyan that had dared to fire on him.
"You're not my brother!" Goten shouted. He glared silently at Garlic as Trunks supported him. Together, they both raised their hands and fired multiple blasts towards the impersonator. Garlic batted them aside in growing irritation.
Piccolo shifted slowly to the balls of his feet, his eyes narrowing. "I won't tell you again. Give up."
"You fools! You'll all die!" Garlic roared. A blast arose from him and spread, decimating everything in its path. His eyes turning white, Garlic did not stop until the blast had enveloped the whole Lookout.
***
Gohan jerked awake, gasping. He stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above in confusion as the room shook and heaved around him. His chest hurt horribly and he couldn't move his left arm. And for some reason, Piccolo kept flashing through his mind.
Suddenly, everything clicked into place and Gohan hurriedly rolled of the chair he lay in and stumbled towards the balcony of what refined itself to be Korin's Tower. The others needed his help. Gritting his teeth, he forced his aching body to move faster.
"Now, now. You're not in any shape to go running back to battle like that." Korin admonished, his small body blocking the boy's path. "Hold on for a minute to at least take this senzu bean." He waved the small green object under Gohan's nose.
"Thanks," Gohan said hastily, snatching the bean and taking off into the air. Korin ran after him futilely.
"Hey! You're supposed to take that!" he hollered.
"He did take it," Yajerobi muttered from off to the side. "Right up to Kami's Lookout."
Sighing, the white cat shuffled over to stare upwards along with his friend. "That kid is just like his father," he snorted.
Yajerobi looked over at him meaningfully. "And that is exactly what's going to save us."
***
"Well, the sky is back to normal." Bulma whispered as she stared out the kitchen window. "I wonder if the boys made their wish." Resting her elbows on the counter, she propped her chin up forlornly. She hoped everything would turn out all right. If they were forced to kill Gohan again-
Sighing, she shook her head. No matter how many times she called Vegeta a jerk, she knew how much the thought of killing Gohan troubled him. He really was an old softy deep down inside. And Krillin, well, her human friend had never looked so defeated as the way he did that night.
Bulma slapped her hands on the counter resolutely. "No! It's going to work. It has to." She gazed up into the sky hopefully. Dark clouds had begun to gather on the horizon.
The blue haired woman jumped as she heard a faint noise behind her. Spinning around, she sighed in relief. "ChiChi!" You shouldn't be out of bed!"
Goku's widow stepped closer, revealing the dark circles hanging under he eyes. ChiChi had never before looked so worn and Bulma had to remind herself that it was herself that was the older of the two. Wringing her hands together like an old woman, ChiChi stared at Bulma imploringly. "Goten called the Dragon, didn't he?"
Bulma nodded wordlessly and ChiChi grabbed her shoulders. "That means Gohan's coming back, right? My boy's coming back." Hope flickered like fireflies in her dark eyes.
Bulma knew that she should tell the dark haired woman about the possibility that Gohan's body would be taken over again, forcing the other Z fighters to do whatever possible to stop him. She should tell her that the fate of the world was more important than one boy; no matter how well liked he was. Bulma should have told ChiChi all this and more, but she couldn't. She didn't have the heart.
"He'll be back, ChiChi. I'm sure of it."
Outside, it began to rain.
***
Garlic Jr. gazed down at the smoking bodies around him in exultation. None could stand against his new power. None! The evil tyrant stared at his hands in awe. Even after exerting all of that energy, his power was still flowing just below the skin with the force of a tsunami, eager to be released on the denizens of Earth.
A light sprinkling of rain fell; hissing as it touched the hot tiles of the scorched Lookout. Steam rose its skeletal fingers into the air, enveloping the floating citadel in a light haze. Lighting flashed nearby, rising from the ground far below and crackling up to smack into the dark clouds above with a deafening roar of thunder.
Garlic roared his triumph to the heavens in answer, his stolen body slick with rain and glowing with power. Laughing, he rose his arms into the air in challenge. "Not even the Gods would challenge me!" he cried. "I am truly unmatched; the universe is mine to command!"
Thunder sounded again in answer, causing Garlic to miss the word of power screamed from a throat raw with blood and tears.
"MASENKO-HA!"
The final hour is at hand. Will the world be destroyed or saved? The Z fighters lay cast about like broken dolls, leaving only one figure strong enough to stand up against an evil that has appeared on Earth twice before. As Gohan faces off against Garlic Jr., one question comes to mind: Is three times a charm? Don't miss the next chapter!
In the next Chapter of Dragonball Z, the battle charges towards its final crescendo. But will Fate be with the Earth, or against it? Everyone is giving it their all as the rain comes crashing down. Will the Z Fighters live to see the sun? Find out in the next and final Chapter of Dragonball Z. Chapter 10: Final Elimination.
Author: AstroKender
Warnings: Gore.
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 returned! There was rejoicing abound as his friends successfully brought the half-Saiyan back to life. The story isn't over yet though; Garlic Jr. wasn't about to give up. But neither were the Z fighters! Using their last wish, they ripped Garlic from Gohan's mind. But their plan backfired when Gohan split in two! The battle of Good and Evil is only beginning.
Ch 9- Good versus Evil
Goten looked frantically from one Gohan to the other. "I have two brothers?" Trunks immediately took a fighting stance beside him. "Of course not, stupid. One of them's got to be a fake."
Biting his lip, Goten scratched his head. "But which one?"
Groaning, Gohan slowly pushed himself to his hands and knees. "Wha-what happened?" he shook his head, trying to dispel the stars streaming across his vision. The last thing he remembered was the horrible sensation of being torn in two....
Rising to his knees, he froze as he came face to face with an identical version of himself, standing only a foot away. The other Gohan smirked down at him maliciously, his muscles bulging with restrained power. Giving the original a wink, the false Gohan was surrounded in a wave of power that bleached his hair gold and caused his eyes to glow an exalting green.
"This body has much power, especially now that I don't have to fight you for control of it." Garlic Jr.'s voice filtered out from between the double's lips. "Finally, I have returned fully to Earth. That pathetic body floating in the Dead Zone is nothing but a memory. I have been reborn!"
His eyes switched from his own clenched fists over to Gohan. "And since I have no need of you any longer, feel free to return to the dead where you belong. In fact, allow me to assist you!" Garlic's fist jutted out, smacking into Gohan's face and sending him careening towards the other Z fighters.
"Gohan!" Goten started to rush forward but was halted by Krillin. Looking down at the image of his friend in fear, he dragged the smaller half-Saiyan away and threw him towards Dende.
"Mr. Popo! Get Dende and the boys out of here!" He shouted. Turning back, he took a hesitant step towards Gohan.
"Don't!" The Super Saiyan Gohan called out. "That's not the real me!"
Krillin took a hasty step backwards, his eyes wide. "Don't listen to him, Krillin." The Gohan on the ground coughed, rising painfully to his feet. Krillin look from one to the other in indecision.
Growling, Vegeta clenched his fists in anger. Something had to be done, and soon! Making his decision, the Saiyan powered up into his Super Saiyan. Even if it meant killing both of them, Vegeta was determined to stop this battle as soon as possible. Picking out the ascended version of Kakkarot's son, Vegeta charged.
Gohan blocked the flurry of punched and kicks, his green eyes wide. "Vegeta! What are you doing?"
Revising his decision, Vegeta paused in his attack and that gave Garlic Jr. all the opportunity he needed to make his move. His fingers extended, the body snatcher shoved his hand completely though the Saiyan Prince's stomach.
"No!" The real Gohan cried out.
Eyes wide, Vegeta stared at his attacker. Coughing up blood, the Saiyan could feel both strength and consciousness fading away. His eyes narrowed as he took one last desperate shot, the ki blast forcing Garlic backwards and caused the hand protruding from his back to slip free. Vegeta collapsed to the stone floor in a heap.
"Shit...." Vegeta gasped. "That lousy trickster severed my spine. Even if I weren't dying, I'd be useless...." With a final cough, the Saiyan slipped into darkness.
"Vegeta!" Gohan and Krillin screamed in unison. His eyes blazing, the real Gohan sped through the air towards his double. "You bastard!" he cried.
"Dad!" Trunks screamed.
The purple haired boy was standing at the far edge of the lookout along with the others; about to mount Mr. Popo's flying carpet. Taking the opportunity as it was given to him, Krillin flashed over to Vegeta's fallen form. Picking the Saiyan up, he flew as quickly as possible over to the group.
Trunks met the human fighter halfway. "Here. Take him and get out of here." Krillin commanded, handing Vegeta's body over. "Dende can heal him but it's too dangerous for you all up here."
Trunks nodded and carefully moved towards the others, his burden heavy in his arms. Krillin spared them all one last glance before rushing back to the fight at hand. Staring at the scene before him, he gasped in despair.
Both Gohans were now powered up to Super Saiyan, making it impossible to tell them apart. Moving with astounding speed, the two mirror images pummeled each other with punches and blasts as they warred for dominance. As far as Krillin could tell, their powers were completely equal. Krillin grit his teeth in helplessness.
One of the Gohans turned and, catching sight of the others' escape attempt laughed darkly. "Do you think I'd let you go that easily?" Knocking his mirror image to the side, he fired a blast at the floating carpet, the explosion casting everyone to the ground.
Despite the urge to check on the others, Krillin blasted forward, his target now plain in his sights. Raising his hands above him, the human warrior summoned all his energy.
"Destructo Disc!" he shouted, hurling the large saw-blade of energy towards the false half-Saiyan. Garlic laughed at the puny attack headed towards him and lifted his arm to bat it aside. But Krillin's blast had distracted him just enough for Gohan to attack. Pulling his hands beside him, the half-Saiyan let loose a wave of energy.
"Kamehameha!"
The two blasts hit the Gohan impostor simultaneously, exploding into a cloud of smoke. Panting, Gohan turned to Krillin and nodded. "Thanks."
Grinning, Krillin flashed a peace sign. Gohan's gaze switched to the fallen form of his brother and he stumbled forward. Krillin was about to join him when he spotted a hand appearing through the dissipating cloud of smoke.
"You let down your guard!" Garlic screamed, firing an air-car-sized blast. Gohan began to whirl around, but he was too slow. The blast struck him from behind, hurtling him ,screaming, through the ruined remains of the buildings on Kami's Lookout.
With a shout, Krillin jumped in to attack and was knocked effortlessly aside. Growling Krillin was preparing himself to rise again when he was hit by a similar blast that sent him crashing through the tiles and deep into the Lookout's foundation.
Laughing in triumph, Garlic floated over to the pile of rubble Gohan disappeared into. He was ready as the demi-Saiyan blasted his way out in a rage and quickly grabbed the boy by the throat. Squeezing, Garlic wrenched his hand as hard as he could, eager to hear the telltale sound of a broken neck.
Grabbing Garlic's hand to dull the blow, Gohan nevertheless screamed in agony. His scream was cut off as Garlic squeezed his hand closed even tighter. Darkness began filling the corners of his vision. Desperately, Gohan attempted to elbow his captor away, only to have his arm grabbed and twisted behind him. With a crack, Gohan felt his arm snap.
Garlic relished in the half-Saiyan's gasp of pain, his screams silenced by his double's powerful grip. Grinning, Garlic dropped the boy as if he were a piece of trash and lifted his foot only to slam it into Gohan's chest, hearing even more cracks in answer. Blood spurted from Gohan's mouth as his hair fell to black once more.
"Piccolo...." Gohan breathed out reflexively; calling out to the mentor that had always saved him before.
***
Piccolo's head snapped up in shock. I must have passed out, he thought, gazing at the newly revealed sun. But what woke me?
/Piccolo..../ A weak gasp called in his mind. Closing his eyes, Piccolo felt for his former pupil's ki.
His eyes reopened quickly as he pointed out not one, but two identical ki's; one fading rapidly. Growling, Piccolo shot to his feet, a new arm blasting from the open wound on his shoulder. Jumping into the air, the Namek flew towards the Lookout as fast as he could, one thought pounding through his head.
/Hold on, Gohan. I'm coming./
***
Garlic regarded the broken figure thoughtfully for a moment, before kicking him across the ruined remains of the courtyard. "Not so powerful this time, eh brat?" Another kick sent Gohan nearer to the Lookout's edge. "And your friends are no help to you either. At least, the ones that bothered to show up. What's wrong, is your Piccolo so glad to be rid of you that he didn't bother to see you wished back?"
Garlic tsked mockingly. "It's a shame. He missed his opportunity to see you one last time." Snarling Garlic kicked Gohan again, causing the half-Saiyan's body to slide halfway over the edge of the Lookout. "Don't worry. As soon as I make sure your other friends are dead, I'll track him down."
Garlic knelt down beside Gohan and lifted him up by his shirt. "I'm not going to waste the energy to kill you." He whispered in the dark haired boy's ear. "The fall will do the work for me." The hand released him and, with one final push, Gohan fell off the edge, Garlic's laughter following him toward Earth.
Flitting in and out of consciousness, Gohan tried to manipulate his ki to halt his fall but it was no use, the pain destroyed all his concentration. Through his wind blown vision, Gohan caught sight of Korin Tower hurtling past him; Yajerobi hanging desperately off the balcony in a vain attempt to catch him. But the dark-haired boy was too far away.
/Well what do you know,/ Gohan thought hazily as the ground rushed up to meet him. /I'm coming to visit you again sooner than I thought, Dad./
"Oh no you're not!" A gruff voice growled. Gohan caught a glimpse of a white cape before he was clasped securely between strong, emerald and fuchsia-colored arms.
"Piccolo...." Gohan smiled before passing out.
The Namekian looked down at the tattered form of his best friend before flying upwards to Korin Tower. Spying the two, Yajerobi slumped forward in relief. "Man, I thought he was a goner." The rotund fighter mopped his brow in relief.
Korin quickly appeared at his side and gestured for Piccolo to lay Gohan down in a large chair sitting nearby. "You're going up there, aren't you?" The white cat stated. Piccolo said nothing but Korin had his answer.
"Take care of him," Piccolo ordered hoarsely before taking off into the air once more.
Yajerobi sidled over to peer at the figure in the couch. "More like he'll take care of us, at least once he's healed."
Korin nodded. "I'll go get the senzu beans."
***
Garlic Jr. looked at the destruction around him in triumph. Earth's strongest warriors lay dead or dying around him. With his newly gained power it would be a cinch to destroy the pathetic planet below. All he had to do first was find a spaceship to escape in.
Smirking, he stepped off the edge of the lookout, floating down as gently as a feather. First I'll go see how big of a splatter that brat made when he landed." The look-a-like chuckled.
"You're the one that's going to be splattered, Garlic Jr.!" A voice roared. Garlic looked down just in time to see a fist rise up to meet his face. The force of the blow was so great he was hurled upwards, landing back on top of Kami's Lookout in a heap.
Wiping the blood from his busted lip, Garlic snarled. "If it isn't the Jolly Green Giant." He hissed. "I'm surprised you had the balls to actually hit this face."
"It not the face that counts, it's the heart." Piccolo stared down at him imperiously, his cape fluttering in the breeze. "And yours is as black as ever."
Garlic rose to his feet, grinning. "My heart beats with the waves of Gohan's power now. You have no chance of beating me."
Piccolo snorted and tossed his turban aside, followed quickly by his cape. "On the contrary, it's you that doesn't have a chance. You may have Gohan's power but you don't have his training. Without that, your nothing more than a mindless beast." Piccolo cracked his knuckles. "One that's about to be turned in to a throw rug due to the people you've hurt today."
Garlic smiled lazily and motioned for Piccolo to make the first move. "Why don't you prove to me that you're not all talk?"
"I intend to!" Piccolo screamed, dashing forward. Garlic turned to intercept his fist but at the last minute the Namekian feinted and sent a roundhouse kick across the jaw of the smirking face. Snarling, Piccolo whirled around and shoved the heel of his palm upwards, smashing it into Garlic's nose.
As Garlic's body fell backwards, Piccolo caught it ruthlessly and fired a ki blast point blank at his chest. The shirt he was holding ripped as Gohan's double was thrown backwards. Piccolo surveyed the being before him coldly and popped his neck to loosen it. "Give it up, Garlic breath."
Laughing unevenly, Garlic raised his head. "You just don't get it, do you?" Screaming in rage he allowed Gohan's power to flow around him. "In this body I am unstoppable!" Extending both hands, he released a devastating blast that ripped through both air and ground as it hurtled towards its target. Swearing, Piccolo raised his arms in a futile attempt to block.
"Big Bang Attack!"
Piccolo's eyes widened as the deadly blast was knocked aside. Turning, he stared in wonder at the crumpled figure behind him. Vegeta raised himself on his elbows and nodded, blood trickling between his lips.
Garlic cursed and switched his aim to finish off the crippled Prince but a booted foot quickly knocked it to the side. Panting, Krillin glared at him meaningfully from one open eye before jumping in and continuing his attack with the viciousness of a wounded animal.
Snarling, Garlic blocked the punches that flew towards him. "Don't you people ever die?" he demanded, knocking the human away.
"Sure we do," Krillin grinned, crouching down in preparation for another attack. "We just get wished back."
A small blast struck Garlic Jr. across the face and he stumbled backwards. Turning, he glared daggers at the small half-Saiyan that had dared to fire on him.
"You're not my brother!" Goten shouted. He glared silently at Garlic as Trunks supported him. Together, they both raised their hands and fired multiple blasts towards the impersonator. Garlic batted them aside in growing irritation.
Piccolo shifted slowly to the balls of his feet, his eyes narrowing. "I won't tell you again. Give up."
"You fools! You'll all die!" Garlic roared. A blast arose from him and spread, decimating everything in its path. His eyes turning white, Garlic did not stop until the blast had enveloped the whole Lookout.
***
Gohan jerked awake, gasping. He stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above in confusion as the room shook and heaved around him. His chest hurt horribly and he couldn't move his left arm. And for some reason, Piccolo kept flashing through his mind.
Suddenly, everything clicked into place and Gohan hurriedly rolled of the chair he lay in and stumbled towards the balcony of what refined itself to be Korin's Tower. The others needed his help. Gritting his teeth, he forced his aching body to move faster.
"Now, now. You're not in any shape to go running back to battle like that." Korin admonished, his small body blocking the boy's path. "Hold on for a minute to at least take this senzu bean." He waved the small green object under Gohan's nose.
"Thanks," Gohan said hastily, snatching the bean and taking off into the air. Korin ran after him futilely.
"Hey! You're supposed to take that!" he hollered.
"He did take it," Yajerobi muttered from off to the side. "Right up to Kami's Lookout."
Sighing, the white cat shuffled over to stare upwards along with his friend. "That kid is just like his father," he snorted.
Yajerobi looked over at him meaningfully. "And that is exactly what's going to save us."
***
"Well, the sky is back to normal." Bulma whispered as she stared out the kitchen window. "I wonder if the boys made their wish." Resting her elbows on the counter, she propped her chin up forlornly. She hoped everything would turn out all right. If they were forced to kill Gohan again-
Sighing, she shook her head. No matter how many times she called Vegeta a jerk, she knew how much the thought of killing Gohan troubled him. He really was an old softy deep down inside. And Krillin, well, her human friend had never looked so defeated as the way he did that night.
Bulma slapped her hands on the counter resolutely. "No! It's going to work. It has to." She gazed up into the sky hopefully. Dark clouds had begun to gather on the horizon.
The blue haired woman jumped as she heard a faint noise behind her. Spinning around, she sighed in relief. "ChiChi!" You shouldn't be out of bed!"
Goku's widow stepped closer, revealing the dark circles hanging under he eyes. ChiChi had never before looked so worn and Bulma had to remind herself that it was herself that was the older of the two. Wringing her hands together like an old woman, ChiChi stared at Bulma imploringly. "Goten called the Dragon, didn't he?"
Bulma nodded wordlessly and ChiChi grabbed her shoulders. "That means Gohan's coming back, right? My boy's coming back." Hope flickered like fireflies in her dark eyes.
Bulma knew that she should tell the dark haired woman about the possibility that Gohan's body would be taken over again, forcing the other Z fighters to do whatever possible to stop him. She should tell her that the fate of the world was more important than one boy; no matter how well liked he was. Bulma should have told ChiChi all this and more, but she couldn't. She didn't have the heart.
"He'll be back, ChiChi. I'm sure of it."
Outside, it began to rain.
***
Garlic Jr. gazed down at the smoking bodies around him in exultation. None could stand against his new power. None! The evil tyrant stared at his hands in awe. Even after exerting all of that energy, his power was still flowing just below the skin with the force of a tsunami, eager to be released on the denizens of Earth.
A light sprinkling of rain fell; hissing as it touched the hot tiles of the scorched Lookout. Steam rose its skeletal fingers into the air, enveloping the floating citadel in a light haze. Lighting flashed nearby, rising from the ground far below and crackling up to smack into the dark clouds above with a deafening roar of thunder.
Garlic roared his triumph to the heavens in answer, his stolen body slick with rain and glowing with power. Laughing, he rose his arms into the air in challenge. "Not even the Gods would challenge me!" he cried. "I am truly unmatched; the universe is mine to command!"
Thunder sounded again in answer, causing Garlic to miss the word of power screamed from a throat raw with blood and tears.
"MASENKO-HA!"
The final hour is at hand. Will the world be destroyed or saved? The Z fighters lay cast about like broken dolls, leaving only one figure strong enough to stand up against an evil that has appeared on Earth twice before. As Gohan faces off against Garlic Jr., one question comes to mind: Is three times a charm? Don't miss the next chapter!
In the next Chapter of Dragonball Z, the battle charges towards its final crescendo. But will Fate be with the Earth, or against it? Everyone is giving it their all as the rain comes crashing down. Will the Z Fighters live to see the sun? Find out in the next and final Chapter of Dragonball Z. Chapter 10: Final Elimination.