Reda: (sighs) Another day, another chapter. Damn, how long is this going to take me?
Goku: Until you finish it...
Reda: Right...What I meant was how many chapters is this going to be?
Goku: I don't know.
Reda: Never mind.
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Chapter 22: Father vs. Son
Vegeta vs. Krillin, pretty obvious victory there, huh? Unless Krillin has some super macho power he's been hiding...(author thinks for a moment) Nah...
Gohan vs. Goku; what a match there. That'll be exciting to watch...uh...read. Father against son. Does Gohan really have the power to beat his dad? I'm about to answer that question with my own opinion. Read on to find out.
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Krillin wavered as Vegeta floated to his spot in the ring. "Why does it always happen to me?"
Vegeta smirked as Krillin clambered to the opposite side of his opponent. He didn't even move his crossed arms as the midget put up his guard. On the sidelines, Goku couldn't decide whom to root for, and Vegeta ignored him.
"Make it quick and painless, Vegeta," Krillin said, shaking from head to toe.
The Saiyan Prince made a disbelieving noise. "You should at least try to battle me, midget. I'll keep from going Super Saiyan if it makes you feel better," Vegeta smirked.
"Sure...okay," Krillin said, still shaken up.
"Begin!" Gohan yelled out.
Vegeta didn't move from his position as Krillin began the battle, hitting him with attacks he knew had no effect. Vegeta quickly grew bored, and smacked Krillin out of the ring with a simple punch, crossing his arms again.
Outside the ring, the midget stood up, rubbing his red face. "Oww...Vegeta I said quick and painless."
Vegeta grunted as he walked off the tournament ring and went to lean against a tree. "I didn't even think that little punch would hurt you. Guess I over estimated you."
Krillin clenched his teeth and fists in anger, knowing how bad Vegeta was insulting him. Luckily, Goku got in between Krillin's vision. "Calm down, Krillin. It is Vegeta."
"Yeah, I see what you're saying," Krillin said as he calmed himself and walked over to the main group, wishing Gohan luck on the way.
Goku jumped up to the tournament ring, excitement pumping through his veins as he got into an attack position. Gohan had already put himself in defensive, eyebrows lowered to indicate complete seriousness in this next fight. They stared at each other for a moment, each trying to decide what their first mode of attack would be.
Since no announcing voice was heard, Goku decided that they could begin at any time, and he dove straight for Gohan with a direct attack. Seeing the attack coming, Gohan had plenty of time to plan his next moves. He jumped backwards and then used his feet to push himself forward, fist out in attack position.
Goku put his right arm to block the attack, and then shot his left fist to aim for his son's face. Gohan ducked and did a low swing kick in the same movement. Goku jumped over it and flipped himself backwards, instantly getting in a defensive posture, knowing Gohan would attack again.
He was proved right as Gohan used the zanzoken technique to appear above his father and use an aerial attack. Goku looked up after sensing his son and barely jumped backwards in time, causing Gohan to dive through the hard tournament floor.
Goku hardly waited for his hybrid son to get clear of the rubble before charging in. Gohan almost didn't put his guard up in time to block his father's fist, but even though he blocked the fists didn't mean he also blocked the kick. When Goku's knee drove into Gohan's gut, the demi-Saiyan sputtered for a second but aimed a clenched fist for his father's face just to have it blocked.
They connected eyes and stared at each other in that position, Gohan leaning down with his father's knee still in his gut, Goku's right arm in line with his chest to block his son's punch. Goku was looking down, eyebrows lowered as if angry, but behind the serious "angry" look was one of pride for the skills Gohan was showing in this fight. Maybe having Pan train brought back memories that he wanted to reawaken, bringing his power and technique up closer to what they should be now. If he's improved this much in his normal state, I wonder what his Mystic abilities are like now.
Gohan looked up at his father, excited at finally being matched up against his dad to truly test their powers. This is just the beginning, though. Let's try a power boost and see how we do.
Almost as if synchronized with each other, Goku and Gohan broke apart from their positions and landed a reasonable distance between each other. Gohan immediately got out of his crouched position and stood up to full height, his hair blowing in a wind that suddenly picked up. A simple burst of energy and Gohan transformed to his Mystic sate, smirking as his confidence rose with his power.
Goku returned the smirk, "I was hoping for this." And in a quick flash of golden power, Goku went from normal to Super Saiyan in nothing flat.
Gohan put on a straight face as he got in an attack position. Goku reacted by crouching low, placing one foot behind him, and raising his arms and hands to complete the defense posture. As the golden aura pulsed around him, the Super Saiyan also dropped his smirk and waited for Gohan's move to come.
It came all right, and quicker than Goku had anticipated. In a flash, he was flying backwards after being head butted, and then he was spinning around to dodge several kicks Gohan was sending toward him. In the next instant, Goku's feet were on the ground, flying through the air and back down as he either kicked at his son or jumped or moved away to dodge an attack from Gohan.
The Mystic user charged at his father, showing his improvements as many attacks hit their marks. He noticed a small trickle of blood drip from a cut just below Goku's eye, but then Gohan blinked his eyes and felt blood drip from above, which was a worse place to be injured in battle because of the position of the cut (blood dripping from above the eye was worse than below because blood could drip into his eye and make it harder to concentrate).
The two fighters danced around the ring, their punches and kicks swinging at the speed of light. Then Gohan zanzokened to another part of the ring, but Goku was right there with him. The Mystic user wanted a moment to rest and reform his strategy, but Goku wouldn't allow him to, clearly having his strategy already mapped out. Unless of course the style Goku was using worked so well he didn't need a cheat strategy to get the upper edge. Gohan, this is your dad you're fighting. He's a master of martial arts; he doesn't need "cheat" strategies to win like you find yourself using all the time.
When that thought passed through Gohan's mind, he let a smirk creep across his face and was thrilled by Goku's equal smirk. The Mystic warrior jumped back away from his father, acted like he was about to power-up, and then zanzokened right in front of his dad when Goku stopped to power-up himself. The older Saiyan only had time to widen his eyes in surprise as Gohan's attack came crashing down on him.
As Goku fell and skidded across the stone pavement, Gohan brought his hands together in front of him and gathered big amounts of energy. Just as his dad hopped to his feet, Gohan let ki energy waves loose.
Gohan heard his father's surprised, "Aahh..." as the energy attacks hit him before a defense could lock up.
The Mystic continued to shoot out energy at his father, even though smoke collected and explosions went off as stray energy beams hit trees and small mountains. Goku's voice had drifted away a while ago, and Gohan kept that confident smirk on his face. The smoke hid the fighters from every "spectator" on the side, save for one man...or Saiyan.
Vegeta kept his gaze on the first spawn of Kakarot, seeing through the smoke with a little help from his senses. His arms stayed crossed, his feet remained planted, his back continued to lean on the tree behind him, and his eyes and ears waited for any sign of Kakarot.
Then he caught it: Kakarot's energy signal bursting through. Vegeta kept his position only lifting his head, black pointed hair waving in the wind. His eyes caught sight of Kakarot in the sky, above the ring and the smokescreen Gohan had created. Even though Vegeta denied it many times, Kakarot still looked impressive in the Super Saiyan 2 state with a smirk spread across his face, his energy aura pulsing around him.
As Gohan noticed where his father really was, he stopped his senseless energy attack and waited for the smoke to partially clear. The Mystic warrior didn't even look up before zanzokening in the air, a reasonable distance away from his golden father.
Gohan frowned, putting up a defensive stance to counter Goku's attacking one. The Super Saiyan dropped his smirk, waiting patiently for the right moment as father and son got caught in a stare-down.
Vegeta noticed their positions, read their power-levels, and smirked. Kakarot, you really are trying to have fun. I don't mind as long as you don't make a careless mistake and land outside of the ring. I came over to fight you, and test my powers again. I did not come to see you lose to your son accidentally. Kakarot, you may not be in the mood for SS3 now, but I promise when our fight rolls around you will find yourself in the mood.
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Vee: Blah, blah, blah. He goes on and on and on and on and on...
Reda: Vee, shut up. Everyone knows you don't like Vegeta, so you don't have a point to make.
Goku: Huh? Vee, you don't like your own brother?
Vee: Of course I don't! He thinks he's so much more powerful than me, when he's not! It annoys me so much! Just because Father thought he was the strongest Saiyan yet and just because my mother and father spoiled him, doesn't mean he can act like he is the strongest being in the universe when he's nowhere close!
Goku: Jeez! You two have some family issues you need to work out!
Vee: Kakarot, shut up about it now before I pound you into the dust...
Goku: Okay, okay, fine. I'll be quiet, but jeez, do you really hate Vegeta that much?
Reda: Yes, Goku, he does, and Vegeta shares equal feelings for Vee. There was only one person who could keep them together at all, and that person's long dead...
Vee: Oh shut up, Reda! Do you have to go and tell the world my whole life story? Just tell the people to review and pull the connection.
Goku: I wanna pull it...
Reda: Wait, Goku, let me...
(connection pulled)