The Past Returns
Part Thirteen
Gohan was quick to round up Piccolo, call Krillin to call Yamcha and find Tien and Chiaotzu which was the hardest since they were so far off from everyone else. After telling them to meet at Master Roshi's house, Gohan flew to his home to change clothes and put on his fighting gi. It had been a long time since he had worn the outfit, but it was just the one he needed to wear since he was going to fight again.
Gohan was last to arrive at Master Roshi's island. Everyone was standing around the TV watching the news of the four strange beings on the four corners of the planet blowing up and destroying cities. It was surreal and familiar to see the whole gang together again. Everyone was so busy with their own lives that it was a rare opportunity for everyone to get together.
Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu and Yamcha were older now. They all had noticeable wrinkles around their eyes and mouth. Krillin and Yamcha had a few gray hairs while Tien kept his head bald and looked younger that way. Chiaotzu had his single hair covered with his small cap and despite his diminutive stature, he looked older as well. Still, they were in great shape considering their age.
Also older were Master Roshi, Oolong and Puar. Well, Master Roshi has always been old and he looked the same. Oolong had some wrinkles and Puar's fur was lighter. One who hadn't changed was Piccolo. He was after all a Namek and wouldn't age for a long time just like him since he was half Saiyan.
Gohan wished they were reunited for better times and not a battle. He was also aware the four men were older and not as strong during their youth. That will be a disadvantage to the battle. Still, they were the Earth's strongest forces now the strongest fighters were gone and it was up to Gohan and the others to defend Earth until Goku and everyone else return.
"I guess you all know why I had you meet here," Gohan said.
"Why are they back?" Krillin asked turning his eyes away from the TV. "They're suppose to be on Olympus."
"This can't mean Goku and the others lost, can it?" Yamcha questioned.
"No! Dad and the others wouldn't lose to the likes of those cowards," Gohan said. "I don't know why they are here, but we're the only defenders of Earth now with Dad, Vegeta, Gogeta, Goten and Trunks gone."
"Us as in you, Piccolo, Tien, Chiaotzu, Yamcha, 18 and me?" Krillin said startled. "Half of us are too old to be fighting! It's been years since I trained!"
"Old or not, it seems we're the only ones the Earth can depend on with Goku and the others absent," Tien said. "I'm in."
"Me, too," Chiaotzu said though he was scared to fight again. The last fight he was in was with the Ginyu Force on King Kai's planet many years ago.
"Are you in, Yamcha?" Gohan asked as he watched the older man stand beside his wife and daughter.
Yamcha looked at Kaori who nodded quietly. He was just as reluctant as Krillin if not more to fight. He and his wife watched the breaking news of the attacks and when Yamcha heard Krillin's voice on the phone, he already knew that he would have to fight again. Kaori sensed it as well and didn't want her husband fighting for numerous reasons.
Just as Krillin was feeling, Yamcha didn't want to fight because one--it's been years since he fought. After Cell, Yamcha stopped fighting for good and continued his career in baseball, bargaining with the coach at how much money he wanted for each homerun. He knew he wasn't the strongest fighter, life was peaceful again and it looked to be for good so he gave up fighting. The second and the strongest reason he didn't want to fight again was because he was married and had a child of his own now. He didn't want to die and leave them.
His daughter Talia was thirteen now. She still had many years to go that he wanted to see. She was a strong child, too. Yamcha taught her some of his fighting skills and Talia actually perform the Wolf Fang Fist. He wanted to see his own daughter married one day and seeing Goku play with Pan made Yamcha want to be a grandfather and not miss those moments with his own grandkids. However, Yamcha loved his family and if he had to die protecting them, then he was willing to do that.
Yamcha looked away from his wife and daughter. "Yeah, I am."
"Okay, here's the plan. We pair up in groups--Tien and Chiaotzu, Krillin and 18, Piccolo and Pan--"
"Pan?!" Videl interrupted. "Gohan, you can't seriously want our daughter to fight! She's twelve!"
"I've been fighting a lot younger than that and she has Saiyan blood in her."
"I can handle them, Mom. I won't let those bad guys get to me," Pan said confidently. "I can fight them off."
"I trust Pan and besides, Piccolo will be with her. She'll be in safe hands," Gohan assured his wife.
Videl frowned, not liking it, but she didn't have a choice in the matter. "Fine," she conceded and looked in Piccolo's direction. "Don't let her get hurt."
"She'll be fine," Gohan assured Videl and looked at the group again. "As I said, Piccolo and Pan will team together while Videl and Yamcha will be with me. We each should decide now where we will go to fight."
"Chiaotzu and I will go to north to fight this guy in the dark cloak," Tien said.
"18 and I will go south to fight that woman destroying the city there," Krillin said.
"I want to face the guy causing problems on Papaya Island," Gohan said. "That will leave Piccolo and Pan to fight that guy in gold."
Videl hugged her daughter. "Be careful and do what Piccolo tells you."
"I'll be fine, Mom," Pan said boldly.
Gohan patted his daughter on her head. "Of course she will. I trust Piccolo."
"Take care of yourself and come back alive," Kaori told Yamcha as she was embraced in his hug.
Yamcha gave his wife a kiss. "I will." He stepped away from her and hugged his daughter.
"Be safe, Daddy," Talia said hugging her father.
Yamcha ran his fingers through Talia's long, wild black hair that reminded him of his youth and look into her sparkling green eyes that reminded him so much of his wife. "I will."
Marron hugged both her parents. "Come home, safe," Marron told her parents.
"We will," 18 assured her daughter. "They won't defeat us."
Krillin looked up at his daughter with a reassuring smile. "You got that right…I hope." He received a smack on the head from 18. "I'm kidding. I'm kidding," he told 18. His daughter looked at him concerned. She was taller than Krillin now with long, blonde hair from her mother, his eyes and was soon to be engaged to Goten. Krillin knew how well smitten his daughter was of Goten and he couldn't pick a better man for her daughter.
"Look after him, Mom," Marron told her mother.
18 gave a sly smile to Krillin which made him blush. "He knows I will. Come on. Let's go."
Tien and Chiaotzu were the first to take off. Krillin and 18 flew off next and then Piccolo and Pan. Yamcha gave a wave to Kaori and Talia and flew off with Videl and Gohan.
****
Siren laughed to herself at the scene created before her. The city she had conquered was in flames from her energy blasts and her seductive powers. She turned the men against one another sending them to destroy their own city.
Krillin and 18 arrived to find men fighting each other, causing damage by setting cars and buildings on fire, vandalism and looting. The women and children had long since abandoned the men after they turned on everyone.
"There she is," 18 said seeing a women floating in the sky.
Siren felt a high power approaching and turned to see Krillin and 18. Krillin didn't admit it outwardly but Siren was beautiful from her youthful features, long, white hair and sapphire eyes to the silk green dress she wore that revealed most of her legs and accentuated her feminine figure.
"Seems I have visitors," Siren spoke in a sultry voice. She looked over at Krillin and 18. "You're not the fighters I was expecting. Oh, well. Are you two planning to stop me?"
18 glared at Siren. 'What does she mean that we're not the fighters she was expecting?'
The songstress ignored her and looked over at Krillin. "I assume you're a man and you're here to stop me," Siren spoke to Krillin.
"What's that suppose to mean about me being a man?! Of course I am!" Krillin yelled annoyed.
"You're not like any man I know. You're short, turning gray with wrinkles. You're also too old and weak to defeat me but what about your lady friend. Can you defeat her?"
18 raised a suspicious eyebrow. 'What's that suppose to mean?'
Krillin wondered the same thing and that was when Siren looked at Krillin and began singing. Her voice was soothing, hypnotic, and seductive. Krillin couldn't turn away. She sang so beautifully. He stood in the air mesmerized by her and the song she was singing.
18 heard Siren singing and while she admitted to herself Siren sang beautifully, she couldn't help but wonder why she was singing. She expected the woman to fight them not sing. "Krillin, what do you think her angle is?" 18 asked but her husband didn't answer. She looked at her husband and saw that he was staring at Siren as if he was entranced by her or rather her voice.
At first, 18 was furious with Krillin gawking at Siren. He was her husband and he always had eyes for her but then she picked up on why he was acting this way. "Krillin! Snap out of it! Don't listen to her!" She yelled. "It's her voice!" 18 flew to put her hands over his ear. "She's using it to control you!"
Siren stopped in her singing to laugh at 18 attempts to stop her seducing her husband. "It's too late. Krillin is under my power now."
It was at that moment when Krillin pulled himself away from 18 and punched her. 18 was more shocked than physically hurt that her husband punched her in the face. She had always known Krillin to be kind towards her and he never laid a hand on her outside the sparring matches they had. In fact, she was the one to hit him. In their courtship when Krillin tried to ask her out, 18 responded with a punch to Krillin's face. Of course that didn't stop him from pursuing her.
This Krillin wasn't her husband. He wasn't in control of himself. The way his eyes was now was never the way Krillin looked at her. Krillin always looked at 18 as if he was the luckiest guy on the planet and he always treated her well. Now he was looking at her as if he didn't know her and it was because of Siren's influence.
18 snarled at Siren. "I'll make you pay for this!" She flew towards Siren to attack her. Krillin jumped in front of Siren and hit 18 again in the face. 18 fell back and wiped the blood on her lips. "Krillin, how could you?"
"Whatever he is to you, he's not anymore," Siren told her. She rubbed her fingers through Krillin's hair and he seemed to have enjoyed the action which angered 18. "He's mine now and if you want to get him you'll have to defeat me but since he's my protector, I don't see how."
Siren leaned over and kissed Krillin's cheek. 18 was seeing red with fury. "Ah! He is someone to you. Maybe a boyfriend or a husband," she said as she rubbed a slow hand up and down his right arm. "He's someone special that's for sure." Siren kissed Krillin again on his other cheek. "And he belongs to me." Siren whispered in Krillin's ear. "Kill her."
Siren floated back and Krillin went in to attack 18. 18 dodged and blocked Krillin's attack. She and her husband sparred together before but it was only for training and for fun, never to the death. 18 knew she could easily kill Krillin since she was part Android and always stronger than him. Also Krillin was older now and with an unfortunate thanks to Dr. Gero turning her and brother in these half machine beings, she would live forever without worrying about aging.
But could she really harm her husband?
****
Tien and Chiaotzu arrived in the north where Hypnos was having his fun. Hypnos flew over the city casting his sleeping powers and one by one everyone in the city fell under his power and went to sleep. Cars crashed into each other in the middle of rush hour. Planes and helicopters fell from the sky as they fell under the God of Sleep powers causing heavy explosions and several deaths when the machine and vehicles crashed. Those who survived the crashes and those who weren't in dangerous situations when they fell asleep were suffering from nightmares where it would eventually kill them.
Tien and Chiaotzu arrived in time to stop another plane and helicopter from crashing into each other. Tien caught the airplane and landed it safely on a plain grass field and Chiaotzu used his powers to control the helicopter and have it make a safe landing.
Tien and Chiaotzu saw a man in a dark blue cloak laughing over the destruction. The cloak covered Hypnos from head to toe. The only thing Tien and Chiaotzu could make out by the strange being were the black boots and a strange red glow from his eyes.
"He must be causing this," Chiaotzu said.
"You're right."
Unbeknownst to Tien and Chiaotzu, Hypnos already felt their presence. He turned to greet his new arrivals with a smile. "What have we here?"
"I have a strange feeling about him, Tien," Chiaotzu said.
"I do, too, Chiaotzu. Stay back and let me handle this."
Hypnos pulled back away from Tien. "Such an eager fighter. You don't want to tamper with my power."
"I'll show you!" Tien said and tried to punch him but ended up punching air. 'He's fast.'
"Over here, three eyes!" Hypnos called.
Tien turned and saw that Hypnos standing over Chiaotzu. Hypnos had a hand on Chiaotzu's head and he was unconscious. "Chiaotzu!"
Hypnos laughed and tossed Chiaotzu's sleeping body to Tien who caught him. Tien looked down at his best friend and saw that he was sleeping. Chiaotzu soon cried out in pain. "What have you done?"
"He's having a nightmare that will soon kill him. He never wake up just like this city and the part of the world I am to conquer," Hypnos explained confidently.
Tien looked down at the death of several people, fires and back explosions of cars, planes and helicopters that continue to surround the city and if he didn't stop Hypnos, a quarter of the world would be this way.
"Of course. You can't stop me either," Hypnos continued. "Anyone, who comes to close to me will fall under my power."
Tien landed and placed Chiaotzu in a safe spot. Around them were people--some were screaming and writhing, trying to fight the horrific nightmare they were suffering while others lied dead from the nightmare. Tien then flew up to Hypnos angry at what he did to his best friend as well as the city. "I won't let you hurt anyone else!"
Tien put his two hands together to form a triangle. "Tri-Beam…"
Hypnos said Tien and the strange aura surrounding the three-eyed man. Whatever attack Tien was preparing, it wasn't going to be good for Hypnos so he flew swiftly out of Tien's eyesight.
Tien blinked in confusion as it appeared Hypnos vanished. "What? Where did he…" Suddenly he felt sleepy. He looked up to see Hypnos above him casting a strange aura around Tien.
Tien felt his energy draining as he slowly drifted to the ground. He collapsed on his knees trying to fight the sleepy spell Hypnos cast on him. "No! I won't give up!"
Hypnos increased the power over Tien. "You will."
Tien's eyes grew heavily, his muscles tired. He couldn't stop himself as he felt himself giving in and falling into a deep sleep. Soon he was consumed with the nightmares Hypnos filled his mind.
****
Poseidon's laughter boomed over Papaya Island. The people below him on land and in the water were screaming as they tried to avoid getting hit from the powerful water waves he was creating. He raised his left hand and part of the ocean waters on rose in the air like a giant wave and crashed over the people in the waters who were swimming and the ones who were in their boats. There were several boats in the waters at this time and they all capsized at the strength of the water. The people in the water not wearing life preservers drowned from the force of the water. The people who were in their ships when it capsized were able to make it out and swim in the waters where the sea animals began to strike.
Using his mental powers, Poseidon summoned sea creatures such as sting rays, octopuses, squids, piranhas, sharks and even the gentle dolphins that were nearby to attack the people in the water.
To his right, he saw people in the waters who weren't hit with the wave trying to speed their ships back to shore. As he saw one man on the deck while the other controlled the boat, a dolphin jumped out of the water and tackled the man on deck into the water where he was attacked by a school of piranhas.
The unfortunate people in the water were victims of the sea creatures attack. Some got shocked by sting rays, others eaten to death by piranhas and sharks, some getting choke by the many arms of the octopuses and squids and others being hit by the dolphins. Poseidon held in his trident in his right hand and pointed at the water. He moved the trident in a circular motion as it glowed and the waters interpreted the same action. As the trident rose so did the water rising over a hundred feet in the air. With a swing of his right arm, the water crashed over Papaya Island, flooding it. This was the scene that welcomed Gohan, Yamcha and Videl.
Gohan looked down and saw some people in the water trying to get away from the dangerous sea creatures. "Go help the people!" Gohan ordered Videl and Yamcha. "I'll deal with the guy controlling the waters!"
Videl and Yamcha split up to fly down and help the people. Yamcha was able to turn several ships over and help the survivors in the ships all the while avoided the attacks from some of the sea creatures. Unfortunately, one of the sharks bit Yamcha on his butt as he got a group of people out of the water, but thankfully, he wasn't hurt that bad.
"Ha!" Videl yelled as she created an energy blast that destroyed several piranhas as it was about to attack a couple that was surrounded by them. She grabbed the couple and helped them in a boat.
"Whoever you are, I suggest you stop this destruction," Gohan told Poseidon. He looked over the water God and he appeared to be a powerful opponent. He could control the very waters around him. Poseidon was a big God with long white hair, a wide muscular chest and green pants with fins on the end.
"I am Poseidon, God of all the Waters. This planet has a vast quantity of water going to waste by you humans who pollute it as if it was your giant trash can."
"And that gives you the right to kill innocent humans?" Gohan accused angrily.
"Innocent?" Poseidon scoffed. "You don't appreciate the gifts this beautiful planet offer you. You abused it." He raised a hand and the waters rose behind Gohan. "But I do. So many things can be done with water."
Videl looked upward and saw a giant wave of water behind Gohan. "Gohan!"
Poseidon took noticed of Videl screaming for Gohan. He noticed Videl and Yamcha were helping the people he was trying to kill. "Hmm."
Gohan felt the waters rise behind him. "If fighting me with water and the sea creatures all you got, then you have lost."
Poseidon waved a hand and the waters sunk back to the ocean. This causing a wave that pushed Videl, Yamcha and the other survives farther from them. "Is that so? Are you really that powerful?"
"Yes," Gohan answered.
"Waters come into several shapes and forms, I'm sure you can't defeat everything made of water."
"Try me," Gohan offered and got in a fighting stance.
Poseidon smirked. With a simple gesture, Poseidon's trident vanished. The Sea God clasped his hands together and closed his eyes in deep concentration. His long white hair flowed gently in the air. Poseidon opened his eyes and gone were his blue sea water eyes but pure snow white eyes.
Videl and Yamcha looked upward as the winds picked up unexpectedly; the darkening skies and the large bolts of lightening appearing everywhere.
"What's going on?" Videl asked.
"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Yamcha said. "We've got to get the people to shore."
"Right," Videl agreed.
Rain began to fall in buckets and the winds blew even more violently as it howled. "You think a few lightening bolts and heavy rain will stop me?" Gohan asked unimpressed.
Suddenly Gohan heard a scream, a familiar scream and he looked behind to see two hurricanes appears out of the waters and it was heading straight for Videl and Yamcha who had gotten the survivors to shore. As Gohan was too focused on his wife and friend, he didn't see Poseidon moved his hands in a gesture that signaled the hurricanes to come closer and focus only on two people.
Yamcha saw the hurricanes and noticed something different about them. "This is no ordinary hurricane! That guy is creating it!" He grabbed Videl's hand. "It's after only us! Let's go!"
Gohan watched in horror as Videl and Yamcha were sucked into the two hurricanes just as they made their escaped. "Videl!!" Gohan screamed. "Yamcha!"
Poseidon laughed evilly. "I doubt if they are too powerful to survive being in the middle of a hurricane much longer and given the amount of time they have left, you can only save one."
Gohan looked at Poseidon in anger. He was right. With Videl and Yamcha spiraling out of control in a powerful hurricane like that as it got stronger as it moved further and further from the island, he could only save one. He had to act fast and now. With an angry cry, Gohan turned into a Super Saiyan and flew into the hurricane.
****
Midas hummed to himself as he walked among the streets of the city turning everyone and everything in his site into gold. "Pathetic humans." He thought the mission was going to be fun but it was turning into a boring one. "Maybe I should've stayed on Olympus."
Piccolo and Pan arrived on the scene to see find half the city in gold. The two landed by a tree and Pan touched it. "This tree is completely gold." She paused when she and Piccolo saw Midas. "It must be from that thing down there. He's covered in gold, too. What kind of monster is he?"
Piccolo glared at Midas as Pan continued to look around. She saw many statuettes of what were humans. There were several poses of people frozen in gold. There was a man kissing a woman, a mother pushing the carriage of her baby, children chasing each other in joy. Also were water fountains pouring liquid gold, cars, buses and buildings frozen solid in gold where the people inside were gold as well.
"You did this to all the people haven't you?!" Piccolo yelled.
"I did," he answered. "Let me guess. You're going to fight me. I heard about the fighters on this planet and I heard they are very weak and dimwitted. I didn't know Nameks lived here as well."
"You just got lucky last time. You caught those guys off guard and I'm fully charge." He got in a fighting stance. "Pan, stay back!" Piccolo said.
"But I can fight him, too, Piccolo!" Pan argued.
"Pan, do as I say! I have to get you back to Gohan!" Piccolo yelled back.
Pan folded her arms, grumbling and stood back. Midas jumped to the air so did Piccolo. The two circled each other and started the attack. Piccolo hit Midas first with a punch to his face. Midas smirked as he pulled back. Piccolo stared at him wondering why he was smiling and then he noticed something. His left arm was freezing up as it turned to gold.
"What?!" Piccolo said startled.
"You see. Whenever someone touches me, they turned to gold just as your arm," Midas explained and saw that Piccolo's arm was turning to gold slower than it should. 'Must be because he's a Namek.'
"Piccolo!" Pan called out as she saw Piccolo's left arm turning to gold. 'What did he do to Piccolo? He's going to need my help.' "I'm coming, Piccolo!" Pan yelled as she flew into the air.
"Pan, stay back!" Piccolo warned.
"Another volunteer! This mission just became fun!" Midas said excitedly.
Pan didn't listen to Piccolo's warning as she flew him to attack vigorously. She threw several kicks and punches at Midas who only took the hits. Pan flew back to perform a Kamehameha. "Ka… me… ha… huh?" Pan noticed as she noticed her legs and hands freezing up. "What's…what's going on?! I'm turning to gold!!"
"Pan!" Piccolo yelled as he saw Pan's body turned to gold.
"I… can't…" Pan got out as her body was now completely covered in gold.
Piccolo watched in horror as Pan's gold body quickly plummet to the ground. If it crashed on the street, he knew it would shatter and Pan would be dead. "Pan!"
Piccolo started to fly to Pan but Midas grabbed a hold of Piccolo's left arm to speed of the process and touched one of his legs causing them to turn to gold preventing Piccolo to get to Pan. Piccolo knew there was no way to save her. "Pan!!"
To Be Continued
Moonlight Angel: Yeah, where have you been? Hee. Hee. Yeah, next chapter should be interesting. Yeah, Gogeta needed that talk with Goku. If you hate Apollo now… Heh. Heh. I'll let you see and wait for yourselves.
Gogeta's Nemisis: I'm rushing it? I feel like I'm not moving it fast enough. I'm ready to get to the fights and I know a few who are as well.
Nisha: Thank you. ChiChi's my favorite female character and I can relate to her a lot. I don't have a husband who saves the world but I can understand her feelings and it makes it easier for me to write about her.
Danichan: I can talk to someone like Goku too for fatherly advice. He's no scholar but he knows how to give the right advice where it really counts. Part of it is the age thing that gets me with Trunks and Pan and then other times, I always pictured him with someone else outside the DBZ gang. When I first saw Marron on DBZ as a little girl, I always figured she and Goten would get together but Trunks…I always thought it would be someone else and not Pan.
Chi-Chi: Poor Chi-Chi. Or rather poor me when everyone gets through with me. Happily ever after? Let's hope so.
Sadako: I can't wait for you guys to read the fight of Apollo and Gogeta. Trouble will be brewing for me if Goku and ChiChi don't get together, especially by you, Gogirl, Lady Athena, Danichan, Chi-Chi and Xephon will kick my butt if I don't deliver a good fight.
Lady Athena: Yeah! Action time and what a way to start off! Yippee! I'm having some fun with this and that's not really a good thing for you guys. I often wondered if ChiChi woke up and had a little chat with Goku because we did see Goku in the hallway when he met Goten and Trunks. Maybe he took her to her room. Who knows. Wishful thinking. That whole scene with ChiChi asleep during Goku's transformation…I almost find that hard to believe. The whole planet was shaking including the Lookout when Goku changed into a SS3 and everyone felt it but ChiChi. She was in a room not the Time Chamber. I know people can be dead to the world when they're asleep, but that's ridiculous when the whole planet is shaking. I'll have to check my tape to be sure but I don't think when Cell transformed into his final form he caused the Lookout to shake. Gogeta needed that tough love. Yes, relationships are forming. Now to the fighting!
Carrie2sky: I really want to respond to that, but I'll hold it in a little longer. I guess I want more threats against me. About G/CC and Gogeta and Vegeta. Hmm, maybe I'm a little crazy. However, you're we my stories so pretty much know what I'm going to do.
Chuquita: What did Medusa make to use on Vegeta? Who would find ChiChi first? Heh. Heh.
Gogirl: See, I told Carrie2sky that you and a lot of others will beat me up so I better do good. Or maybe I won't. It's not like you guys can find me and beat me up. ::sees Goku with my driver's license in his hand:: Don't you dare give out my address! Anyway, I thought it was kind of different for Piccolo in the tournament since it was still going and Goku knew he shouldn't have left his guard completely down since he wasn't dead. I don't know. I just thought after all those years, Piccolo would want a better defeat. Like the Joker with Batman. Sure he could easily shoot him or fire a cannon but he's been fighting against Batman so long and hates him so much that he wants him to suffer first. The Necklace was a while ago and I'm in such a crazy mood with this story, I may do something insane.
Moon Girl: I'm a huge fan of the show. Too suspenseful? I say it's a lot of fun! Gogeta of course.
Lady Kouga: It's gonna be so good fights. Well, I think it's good and I hope you all like it.
SSJ Chika: Oh, thank you so much. That's really nice. You're gonna have to find out next time for that one. I thought it would be kind of fun to keep you guys in suspense for another week.