III
"No? What do you mean he said no?"
"I mean he said no. As in we couldn't do it," Gohan muttered, shaking his head angrily while his wife tried in vain to sooth him.
"Well if that's what he said, then you have to trust him. He's the Grand Kai, he knows what he's talking about, right?" she asked, rubbing his back softly.
"No! He doesn't know anything about Piccolo, and that's the problem. You can't just sit around and hope he'll just sort through it. It doesn't work like that, Videl. Not even God is right all the time."
"Then what are you going to do?" Gohan straightened his head, staring her directly into the eyes. Up to this point he had been a mess of emotion, unable to speak a few lines without shaking. But now he was strangely calm. He looked as if he had an idea, as his eyes opened wider then normal and a small smirk passed through his face.
"I've got to go, Videl. I'll see you later," he said just before standing up and rushing to the door. Videl sat there cockeyed, unable to grasp what had sent Gohan into such a flurry.
------------------------
"So, that's the whole story," Gohan told Goz and Mez, two of the gatekeepers of Hell. He related to them his plan to help Piccolo... excluding the part where Grand Kai said "No." The blue and red beasts looked at each other for a second, trying to make up their mind whether or not to believe him.
"Do you really think they'd let us turn some of the souls free?" Goz whispered, leaning in close to Mez's ear. The other shrugged slightly,
"I don't know. But Gohan is one of the Z Warriors, he wouldn't lie to us." Gohan felt a pang of guilt in his heart when he heard that. True he was one of the Z Warriors, but it was also true he was lying to them. He had to fight off the urge to turn away.
"Alright then," Goz said, straightening up. "So Gohan, when do you want us to do it? I haven't seen Piccolo for a few days."
"He'll be here in a few hours. Now listen, there are certain spirits I want you to set free, so pay attention," Gohan related, proceeding to tell them everything they needed to know.
------------------------
"Piccolo! Piccolo!" Gohan cried out, beckoning the namekian who soared high in the pink sky. As the green skinned man turned, and saw Gohan, he felt a little better. He could always count on him.
"Hello, Gohan."
"Piccolo, I came to give you a message," the demi-saiyan said, stopping his ascent as he came face to face with his one-time mentor. "It's about Hell. Mez says he needs to talk to you, it's urgent."
"Mez? What does he want?" Piccolo asked, preparing himself for some idiotic news brief. Goz and Mez were very well known for being... idiots.
"I don't know. He just said to tell you that, I guess he figured I could get here faster then he could."
"Alright then, I'll go check it out. Are you coming?" he asked, turning his back as he prepared to rocket towards Hell.
"No, I have something else I have to take care of. But I'll see you later, okay?" Gohan said, smiling faintly as Piccolo shrugged and fired off into the distance. "Yep. He's gonna be all right."
------------------------
"Aaaaaand... Now!" Goz yelled, thrusting his arm up to signal Mez. On his cue, Mez pressed a rapid series of buttons, instantly transporting a few select souls to the ground, and giving them back their bodies. The two watched as three separate entities appeared before them, all crouched low to the soil. One was relatively tall, and quite red. His flowing hair and skin were both a flaming red color and his armor resembling that which was worn by Frieza's men long ago. The only difference? This armor's design didn't include the standard stomach guard like the others, it only had the wide shoulder pads and heavyset chest protection. And oddly enough, he wore a blue jump suit covering his entire body, save his head.
The next to appear had a dark yellow skin, freckled with light brown spots across the head and neck. Unlike his predecessor, he wasn't very tall at all. In fact, he didn't tower more then three foot five off the ground. He made up for it in brute muscle mass though. His neck bulged with veins and his arms were thicker then his entire head. And, also unlike his predecessor, he only sported a pair of boxing shorts for protection. Although his dense muscles were surely enough armor for him.
After him, one more materialized. He was tall, maybe 7'5 with green skin and a long blue robe. He had black cropped hair that was almost completely covered by a white helmet. Underneath his blue covering, his chest was bare, although a large line ran through it, a scar from his last living encounter. And there was, as well, a small scar on the back of his neck.
The three villains opened their eyes in shock at this spectacle. Not only were they released from the depths of Hell and released to the topmost layer of it, but they had their bodies as well. The red one stood and held out his arms in front of him, turning them over as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Yellow followed his example, but didn't rise and instead stayed on one knee. But the green one... He stood. And when he did his aura flashed to life. Now was his chance. Zanji would have his revenge.
"No? What do you mean he said no?"
"I mean he said no. As in we couldn't do it," Gohan muttered, shaking his head angrily while his wife tried in vain to sooth him.
"Well if that's what he said, then you have to trust him. He's the Grand Kai, he knows what he's talking about, right?" she asked, rubbing his back softly.
"No! He doesn't know anything about Piccolo, and that's the problem. You can't just sit around and hope he'll just sort through it. It doesn't work like that, Videl. Not even God is right all the time."
"Then what are you going to do?" Gohan straightened his head, staring her directly into the eyes. Up to this point he had been a mess of emotion, unable to speak a few lines without shaking. But now he was strangely calm. He looked as if he had an idea, as his eyes opened wider then normal and a small smirk passed through his face.
"I've got to go, Videl. I'll see you later," he said just before standing up and rushing to the door. Videl sat there cockeyed, unable to grasp what had sent Gohan into such a flurry.
------------------------
"So, that's the whole story," Gohan told Goz and Mez, two of the gatekeepers of Hell. He related to them his plan to help Piccolo... excluding the part where Grand Kai said "No." The blue and red beasts looked at each other for a second, trying to make up their mind whether or not to believe him.
"Do you really think they'd let us turn some of the souls free?" Goz whispered, leaning in close to Mez's ear. The other shrugged slightly,
"I don't know. But Gohan is one of the Z Warriors, he wouldn't lie to us." Gohan felt a pang of guilt in his heart when he heard that. True he was one of the Z Warriors, but it was also true he was lying to them. He had to fight off the urge to turn away.
"Alright then," Goz said, straightening up. "So Gohan, when do you want us to do it? I haven't seen Piccolo for a few days."
"He'll be here in a few hours. Now listen, there are certain spirits I want you to set free, so pay attention," Gohan related, proceeding to tell them everything they needed to know.
------------------------
"Piccolo! Piccolo!" Gohan cried out, beckoning the namekian who soared high in the pink sky. As the green skinned man turned, and saw Gohan, he felt a little better. He could always count on him.
"Hello, Gohan."
"Piccolo, I came to give you a message," the demi-saiyan said, stopping his ascent as he came face to face with his one-time mentor. "It's about Hell. Mez says he needs to talk to you, it's urgent."
"Mez? What does he want?" Piccolo asked, preparing himself for some idiotic news brief. Goz and Mez were very well known for being... idiots.
"I don't know. He just said to tell you that, I guess he figured I could get here faster then he could."
"Alright then, I'll go check it out. Are you coming?" he asked, turning his back as he prepared to rocket towards Hell.
"No, I have something else I have to take care of. But I'll see you later, okay?" Gohan said, smiling faintly as Piccolo shrugged and fired off into the distance. "Yep. He's gonna be all right."
------------------------
"Aaaaaand... Now!" Goz yelled, thrusting his arm up to signal Mez. On his cue, Mez pressed a rapid series of buttons, instantly transporting a few select souls to the ground, and giving them back their bodies. The two watched as three separate entities appeared before them, all crouched low to the soil. One was relatively tall, and quite red. His flowing hair and skin were both a flaming red color and his armor resembling that which was worn by Frieza's men long ago. The only difference? This armor's design didn't include the standard stomach guard like the others, it only had the wide shoulder pads and heavyset chest protection. And oddly enough, he wore a blue jump suit covering his entire body, save his head.
The next to appear had a dark yellow skin, freckled with light brown spots across the head and neck. Unlike his predecessor, he wasn't very tall at all. In fact, he didn't tower more then three foot five off the ground. He made up for it in brute muscle mass though. His neck bulged with veins and his arms were thicker then his entire head. And, also unlike his predecessor, he only sported a pair of boxing shorts for protection. Although his dense muscles were surely enough armor for him.
After him, one more materialized. He was tall, maybe 7'5 with green skin and a long blue robe. He had black cropped hair that was almost completely covered by a white helmet. Underneath his blue covering, his chest was bare, although a large line ran through it, a scar from his last living encounter. And there was, as well, a small scar on the back of his neck.
The three villains opened their eyes in shock at this spectacle. Not only were they released from the depths of Hell and released to the topmost layer of it, but they had their bodies as well. The red one stood and held out his arms in front of him, turning them over as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Yellow followed his example, but didn't rise and instead stayed on one knee. But the green one... He stood. And when he did his aura flashed to life. Now was his chance. Zanji would have his revenge.