Tainted Soul
Chapter 4
By Cremrock
A breeze rustled through Son Gohan's hair, carrying just a slight hint of the smell of smog on its wings as it whistled past his ears. The child's bright, alert eyes spied the dome shaped buildings of the Capsule Corporation dotting the city far below him. He was about to descend when a sudden wave of uneasiness washed over him. He staggered briefly in mid-air and plummeted towards Chikyuu.
"What the hell?!" He thought, the fact that he very rarely cursed accenting his sudden and complete surprise as he passed through a cloud, flailing his arms and legs wildly as the Earth loomed ever closer. "Stop thinking! Focus on flight!"
A moment later, eyes clenched shut, he regained control and floated in mid-air, still several hundred meters above the ground. He glanced down at his hands in disbelief, the expression of confusion etched on his face betraying his only thought.
"What could have done that?" That was when another wave of uneasiness washed over him, and he nearly lost the control of his flight again. "What's doing this?! I'd better land, RIGHT now!" Fortunately for him, the Capsule Corporation Headquarters was directly below him, and he wasted no time; His feet were on the ground in a matter of seconds. A slight gasp escaped his mouth as he observed the complex in front of him with awe. Certainly, the Briefs family had never failed to impress him, as he watched robots no higher then his waist frantically floating around, scrubbing the tiny circular windows and touching up any spots where the paint had begun to thin. One of them noticed him standing at the door and floated down to greet him a moment after accessing it's artificial intelligence system.
"Welcome to Capsule Corporation." It buzzed sardonically. "Please state your name and business, and a representative will be out to invite you in as soon as possible."
"It's me, Son Gohan!" Gohan replied with a cheerful, seemingly award-winning wave. "I've come to see Bulma-san, is she in?" The robot was accessing its memory banks and was about to reply when the door slid open, revealing a smiling, blond haired, bright-eyed woman clad in a striped top and blue jeans.
"Oh, hello Gohan! I was cleaning in the lobby and I thought I heard your voice!" She exclaimed cheerfully, smiling even brighter then before, if that could be believed. Gohan blushed slightly.
"Nice to see you, Mrs. Briefs!" He grinned. "Is Bulma-san around? I'd like to see her soon, I have to ask her something!" The older woman nodded, still smiling.
"Hai Gohan-kun, she's here! Tenshinhan-san, Yamucha-san, Kuririn-san, and Chaozu-san are here as well! We were going to call you, but we thought you had to study today…" Her voice trailed off, as she worried slightly that the child would be disappointed or offended. Fortunately, Gohan just grinned wider. He was very empathic, he could tell what Mrs. Briefs was thinking as he darted up and embraced her.
"Oh, it's not a problem, ma'am! I understand! Can you take me to them?" He asked, even as the older woman took a step back, regaining her balance.
"Oh, certainly! Would you like some cookies or something to drink, first?" She asked, even as she started walking, knowing the child would be eagerly following behind.
"Sure, thanks!"
The corridor leading to the gravity chamber was long and narrow, with lights of varying shapes and sizes dotting it's sides, seeming to bring out a large light band that followed the ceiling. At the far end of the corridor was a large hatch leading inside the chamber, with a warning message inscribed on it. Gohan was about to proceed down the corridor when a hand touched his shoulder. Under normal circumstances, the boy would have immediately gripped the hand, swung it's around his shoulder, and pinned them to the ground. Piccolo had taught him to always be wary of strangers, and that it would be better if they spoke to you on your terms than vice versa.
Instead, Gohan turned around and smiled at Mrs. Briefs, who was still standing behind him. She was wearing a concerned look.
"Are you sure you'll be all right in there Gohan-kun? I've heard it's awfully dangerous." Mrs. Briefs had never quite accepted the fact that Gohan was one of the strongest people on the planet, still seeing the innocent little tot of Son Goku, and not the battle-hardened warrior that would probably never truly be able to return to that carefree world again. "I mean, Bulma goes in there when they don't have the gravity turned on, but she knows when to duck…"
Gohan smiled reassuringly at the woman.
"Don't worry, ma'am, I'll be fine! 'Tousan taught me how to duck, and I never used t'get hurt whenever he was training…" Mrs. Briefs didn't look convinced, but nodded slightly. Finally, she nodded again, reassuring herself.
"That Yamucha is such a responsible man… He'd never let little Gohan be hurt…" She smiled again and tousled Gohan's hair.
"You're so mature for your age, Gohan! Go have fun and ask them if they want any lemonade, okay?"
"Hai!" Gohan proclaimed, turning and running down the corridor before the woman could say anything else.
At the end of the corridor, Gohan could hear the sounds of sparring going on, and a quick sensing of ki showed him why.
"Oh my gosh! They're all there! Kuririn-san, Yamucha, Tenshinhan, and even Chaozu! I wonder what's going on?" He was about to dash through the door and surprise them when he realized that they were still training.
"NEVER, EVER INTERRUPT SOMEONE WHEN THEY ARE TRAINING! UNDERSTAND, BRAT?" The thought, so easily recalled within his mind, pounded in his head with the ferocity it had when he had first heard the words from his beloved mentor, and Gohan slowed down for a moment, to remember, leaning against the wall. He didn't even feel himself slip into unconsciousness, as a bizarre wave of weakness washed over him...
The embers of the fire had already begun to die down when he had awakened, his head throbbing slightly, and the undeniable call of nature beckoning him to return to the land of consciousness and awareness.
It was still night, and a cold wind whirled around him, chilling his exposed flesh and making the child realize he really should be devoting more of his time to patching up his tattered gi.
"P-P-Piccolo-san?" He asked plaintively. No one had heard him, of course. Or they didn't care. His body ached, his heart ached, every fiber of his being ached, and it was all because of him. That dark-green skinned mysterious man, the one that had torn him out of his native environment, the one that had sent his ki blast savagely spinning through his father's chest. Somehow, Gohan had found he was beginning to respect the mysterious… demon, he had called himself, anyway. That was when he heard something, far off. Perhaps three hundred meters away from where he was standing.
"Insolent fool! Do you truly think yourself capable of defeating me? I will grind your bones to dust!" The harsh voice, not unlike that of Piccolo's own, reached his ears. He gulped. Was there two Piccolo's there? Very slowly, he tiptoed over to a tree and peeked around it. He gasped in disbelief. The reason was quite simple. There were two Piccolo's there. One was an exact copy of the other, right down from the antennae, eye ridges, fangs, and costume. Both of them were sweating and bearing several bruises and minor abrasions. That was when they charged each other again. A Nameksei-jin curse issued from the mouth of one of the Piccolo's as the other slipped past his guard and punched him in the gut, grinning vilely as the curse reached his ears. A moment later, the injured Piccolo brought his knee-up with blinding speed into the first Piccolo's chest before spinning out of his opponent's grasp; He had grabbed onto him with an intent to throw him following the gut-punch; and smashing him to the side with a back-handed spinning punch.
That was when the first Piccolo leapt to his feet, swinging a glowing hand around his shoulder.
"MASENKO-HA!" He shrieked, even as the ball of crackling purple and yellow energy flew from his outstretched hand, illuminating the ground and driving the light away from the surrounding area while streaking towards the other Piccolo, whose eyes had widened in shock at the surprise attack. He tensed, crouched down, and leapt into the air, the blast streaking just centimeters under his feet and streaking towards the forest… And one tree in particular.
Both Piccolo's were surprised to hear a shriek of terror issue from the tree nearest them moments before it exploded, absorbing the brunt of the ki blast but breaking into charred splinters in the process. The Piccolo's shock and anger were so great that they found themselves joining back together into one almost simultaneously. Gohan didn't notice this transformation, of course… he was too busy crying, trying not to look at his badly charred left leg. Piccolo marched up to him, fierce eyes burning with anger, lips bearing an expression of disgust, his only defense against the slight feeling of sympathy and regret he felt for the child.
Gohan was sniffling not so much at the pain as he was at the punishment that was sure to follow. Sure enough, even as he stood over him, Piccolo's teeth were clenched, as he was seething, like a cobra poised to explode and strike for the heart at any moment.
"YOU LITTLE FOOL! NEVER, EVER INTERRUPT SOMEONE WHEN THEY ARE TRAINING, UNDERSTAND?" He bit his lip then, not adding the, "YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!" That might betray this vile feeling of friendship he felt he was beginning to grow with the boy. He turned away from Gohan then, even as the child began sobbing.
"P… P… Piccolo-san… I didn't m-m-mean too! My leg… hurts… I can't… M-m-mov-" His choked voice fell to silence again as Piccolo spun around and glared at him, cape swirling around and making him look like some eerie, vengeful spirit of the night.
"You're the child of Son Goku! You should be able to withstand the pain! Now go to sleep! You're not going to be garnering any sympathy from me, brat!" With that, he turned away and dashed off into the night, leaving the child alone to treat his mangled leg, a feat he would never have been able to accomplish had he been the soft, innocent schoolchild of old. He glanced up at the stars, his leg burning with pain, and began to sob again.
"Piccolo-san doesn't like me… I've disrespected him and failed him…" With those final words, he continued crying, until he finally wept himself to sleep.
"I can't believe I'm doing this…" The errant thought poked through Piccolo's mind, and not for the first time during his quiet flight. Far in the distance, his destination loomed in front of him- Karin's tower, resting right below the Lookout that housed that accursed Kami. He had half a mind to just waltz in and demand the senzu bean from that accursed cat, but he sensed for ki's and was surprised to sense Son Goku's friend's resting in the tower. He smirked slightly. "So, it seems that Kami has been doing some training of his own… More power to them. I highly doubt it, but perhaps those fools may actually survive this coming onslaught." He stopped, floating in mid-air with his arms crossed, glowering at the tower. Not for the first time, he again considered just barging in, incinerating that stupid cat, and waltzing off with the senzus in the way an ancient warlord would conquer a village. His lips tightened in a scowl. However satisfying that might be, it would also draw the attention of Kami and his friends, and he wouldn't want to extend the energy necessary to destroy them. He smiled slightly. "And when the Saiya-jin come, I'm going to need all the assistance I can get… If only so that there are more targets…" He seriously doubted that they would be able to assist him. Son Goku and his child were surely the only people with enough power to make a difference, at least in his eyes.
His thoughts of the child snapped him back to why he was here, as he stealthily extended a leg over the railing and slipped in. Within moments he had sighted the senzu, and snatched one away, hiding it within the fibers of his cape. A moment later he vaulted over the railing and flew in the direction he had been training with Gohan, smirking slightly at how easy it was to escape detection.
Behind him, watching him fly off into the distance from the shadows, was Karin. He chuckled slightly, twitched one whisker, and turned away, surmising what Piccolo had been up to and already noticing the missing Senzu. It would be something interesting to discuss with Kami when they next met.
Gohan had just finished bandaging his leg when a cloud of dust rose up and stung his eyes, being kicked up by Piccolo's steep descent to the ground. The man, several years Gohan's elder, glared at him disgustedly.
"P-P-Piccolo-san?" Gohan stuttered. He hadn't finished tending to his leg, and was worried what Piccolo was going to do. He was about to speak again when Piccolo thrust the senzu bean in his face. "W-W-What's this, huh?" Piccolo glowered.
"Eat it and go to sleep, brat! As a punishment for your ineptitude, we will be training non-stop for ten days beginning tomorrow!" The snarl escaped from his lips and reached Gohan's ears, even as his lip began to tremble.
"T-t-ten days? I'll die! I can't live without food like you can, Piccolo-san…" Piccolo smirked.
"We shall see. If you survive you'll be even tougher then before. If not, well, I'm sure you don't want that to happen…" Piccolo chuckled as Gohan took the bean.
"Smart boy. Now go to sleep, you'll need every bit of it."
"But P-P-Piccolo-san, my leg…"
"SILENCE! Do you think you'll be able to just bow out of a fight if one of those Saiya-jin warriors wound you? You'll have to battle for your life!" He screamed, and this time Gohan got the message, not wanting to anger his mentor further. He swallowed the bean, and willed himself to sleep without a second thought.
Piccolo turned away, smiling slightly and tromping off into the forest to train again. About halfway there, he stopped and glanced back at the child, a slight look of sympathy just barely detectable in his eyes. He growled, turning that sympathy into power, and ki-blasted a few logs near Son Gohan, which crackled to life in a fan of fire. Immediately, the child smiled slightly in his sleep and edged closer to the fire. Satisfied, Piccolo turned and trudged off into the bushes.
"…Son Gohan? Gohan? Hey! Are you all right?" Gohan's eyes fluttered momentarily… someone was shaking him by the shoulders, and their voice was tinged with concern.
"…'Kaasan?" He mumbled, not even opening his eyes, "It's not… even light out… yet…"
"Gohan, wake up! C'mon!" He was shaken roughly again, and through his hazy mind, Gohan realized that this wasn't the voice of his mother at all. No, it was someone very familiar, the same voice he had grown accustomed to hearing during his travels on the Planet Namek, as well as quite often back here on Chikyuu…
The child's eyes shot open immediately, as the fog in his mind lifted and the sensation of weakness was banished by a jolt of adrenaline, even as he took in this figure looming over him… "Kuririn-san?! What…" Kuririn cut him off.
"Whoa, slow down there, Gohan! Give yourself a little more time to get oriented…" The monk extended a hand, and Gohan grasped it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet, surveying the area around him. He was still in the Capsule Corporation, right outside the gravity chamber…
"What happened? Did I fall asleep?" Gohan requested, easing himself away from Kuririn, confident now that his own legs could support him. He noticed the slight expression of fear in Kuririn's eyes, then. But the real thing that drove his eyes to the monk's face to stare in shock was the bloody two-inch gash above his right eye.
"KURIRIN-SAN! What happened? Are you all right?!"
"Hold on, kiddo. Let me check the others first…" The bald-headed warrior spun around and punched in a four digit code, as the entrance to the gravity chamber slid open ever so slightly, revealing a blocked passageway upon the final stretch.
He swore then, the curse resonating around the chamber as he spun around, eyes narrowed and teeth clenched, his head wound and the slight trickle of blood dripping down past his eye not bothering him in the least. This wasn't Kuririn the happy-go-lucky, ever present helping hand and friend. This was Kuririn the warrior, ready to respond to whatever fate was currently throwing at him.
"The others? What's happened? Is everything okay? Are you okay?" He asked. Kuririn shook his head, already beginning to run down the hallway. Trained as he was, Gohan followed. Kuririn's breath came out in short, ragged gasps as was Gohan's. Clearly, they were still weak from whatever it was that was affecting them, but the monk was kind enough to offer a tense explanation of what was going on as they ran down the corridor towards; At least, Gohan thought so, it was so hard to get his bearings,; the alternate entrance to the Gravity Chamber.
"I don't know what is happening, Gohan. We were sparring in the gravity chamber when my knees buckled and I suddenly felt my strength waning, almost resonating within me, as if it was screaming to get out!" Gohan watched with concern in his young eyes as Kuririn visibly shudder as his thoughts flickered back to the horrible sensation only minutes before. "Unfortunately, right before this was happening, I was countering Tenshinhan-san's Kikouhou with my own Kame Hame Ha! We were both aware that our energies were rapidly spiraling out of control from what the gravity chamber could handle, but we could do nothing to stop it! Out of the corner of my eye I noticed Yamcha and Chaozu running for cover, and then…" The monk's voice slowed in intensity into a tone filled with regret. "There was the explosion. I guess it blew me out of the gravity chamber right before that entrance caved in… when I regained consciousness you were lying there asleep, and now here we are! We've got to get in there, they may be trapped, or unconscious, or dying, or…" His voice trailed off.
Gohan saw the fear so visible on his face, but then he brightened slightly, ahead of them was the alternate door leading into the gravity chamber. It was off it's hinges, but still blocking their path. To their eyes, it didn't look as if it would take much to topple it down.
"At least, if we had our power right now…" Gohan thought grimly. He raised his hand as they continued charging towards the door, which was perhaps sixty meters away, but still couldn't gather the ki, or the focus, or whatever mysterious force was preventing him from unleashing a masenko blast. Fortunately, Kuririn had a plan that Gohan had only begun to realize they would have to enact or skid to a stop…
"Gohan! Hit it high, I'll hit it low!" They ran in tandem, and at the last moment even as Kuririn rammed his shoulder into the bulk of it, Gohan had leapt into the air, sending his foot out with as much of a thrust as his well-toned muscles could take without the benefit of ki!
The two warriors tumbled through the door even as it thundered forward from their impact, bouncing and rolling to a stop before springing to their feet. The gravity chamber was darkened, but illuminated by the faint light of an electrical fire burning in the corner. Now and again, the gravity machine in the center would hum, as if trying to start up again, but this often resulted in a mere shower of sparks. The two of them picked themselves up from the floor and glanced around frantically.
A moment later came Kuririn's shout, and Gohan glanced in the direction he was in to see three figures on the floor, unmoving. The two dashed over instantly, the grim looks on their faces betraying what they saw. Lying perpendicular to the gravity machine was Yamucha, his face badly burned, one eye seeming to be burned shut, and his left arm a crusty black. Kuririn reached down and took the man's pulse, gratified that he was still alive.
"Hang on Yamucha, we're gonna get you outta here, all right?" Gohan heard Kuririn mumble softly, the fear in his voice easily deduced. Gohan heard a faint cry, and glanced left to see Tenshinhan unconscious, lying on his chest. His shoulder and left arm was at an odd angle, almost as if he were lying on top of someth-
"Chaozu!" Gohan exclaimed, dashing up to the two of them. Struggling desperately to get free, eyes awash with tears, Chaozu was trying to slip out from under his best friend, although Gohan was pleased that the younger man seemed none the worse for wear. The price was apparent, however, Tenshinhan's arm was covered with blood, and his back was a deep, fire-born red.
"Son Gohan! Help!" Chaozu managed to squeak, although Gohan was already there, moving Tenshinhan slightly and pulling the tiny doll-like man out, holding him by the shoulders to steady him.
"Chaozu? Are you okay?!" Gohan asked, even as his eyes glanced up and down the man's body to check for any apparent injuries. Chaozu could only nod, his voice a cracked whisper, his worry and sadness for Tenshinhan now that he was free overriding any chance he had of speaking through his overflowing tears. Gohan was pleased to note the smaller man was beginning to do his best to wrap his best friend's wounds in the tatters of his shirt. Under normal circumstances, Gohan would have liked nothing more than to console his friend, but this wasn't the time, as he realized there was one person still missing, and she was the most fragile of all.
He closed his eyes and attempted to concentrate- Damn this strange inability to feel or sense ki-, but as he had suspected, felt nothing in the area, not Tenshinhan or Chaozu, even though both were quite clearly at his feet. He was about to search again when he heard a faint tapping sound, getting louder and louder until it was the sound of something pounding, the sound resonating through the metal of the room… and getting closer.
Kuririn looked up from where he was kneeling next to Yamucha. He had already torn his shirt as well, and was pleased to note that the man was still severely injured, but had ceased bleeding.
"Did any of you hear that?" Gohan asked timidly, glancing to the left at the rubble blocking the battered and collapsed entrance they had been forced to bypass, where he thought he had heard the sound.
"I-I-I heard it…" Chaozu whispered, his voice not anywhere near it's normal tone, for good reason. Kuririn's eyes traced to Gohan and Chaozu, and then back down at Yamucha. His body was spent, and he wanted nothing more than to lie down and sleep, but he clenched his two fists and glanced at the rubble. He nodded slowly, and whispered.
"I heard the sound… It's getting louder. Whatever it is, it's something big… did you ever wonder exactly why all these weird things are going on? Something or someone could be here… be on your guard, with so much of our power missing there's no room for mistakes." He tilted his head towards the rubble, and Gohan edged towards it, every muscle poised to leap away, throw a punch, block, or any other maneuver that he might require.
A moment later the sound changed into a steady sliding sound, as if something was about to charge through-
"Gohan, get back!" Kuririn shouted, but the child was already back, flipping through the air and landing a good twenty feet away from where he had been standing before. His dark clothing and shaggy black hair securely left him back in the shadows, where he would be noticed fairly easily, but not by someone casually glancing around. The rubble shifted and creaked, and a moment later, collapsed inward on itself with a vast amount of smoke and dust. Gohan heard Chaozu coughing, but stayed where he was, trying to see what had broken through and waiting for the dust to clear, deciding that whatever was coming through that dust might not be an opponent, therefore he had better stop and recognize who or what it was. Kuririn had edged off to the side at this point as while, crouching down in hiding, obviously with the intent to surprise this foe or foes if he, or she, Kuririn reminded himself, was indeed an opponent.
That was when he heard a voice cutting through the dust, a voice that immediately put him at ease.
"Yamucha? Kuririn?! Is anyone in there?" Bulma's high voice, laced with fear for her friends yet tinged with the quiet optimism the woman nearly always possessed, ringed through the air and touched Kuririn's, Gohan's, and Chaozu's ears. It was followed by the faint hum-hum of several of the minuscule yet powerful capsule robots that maintained the area and were rapidly carting away massive shovels full of rubble.
From his position in the darkness, Gohan heard her sigh slightly in relief, letting out a portion of the tension she was feeling.
"Kuririn! Chaozu! Thank God! Are you all right?"
Kuririn nodded, but kneeled next to Yamucha. "We're fine, but we've got to get Yamucha and Tenshinhan some attention… they've been through worse than this, but…" His voice trailed off, filled with worry. Bulma was worried herself, but tried not to allow her emotions at seeing Yamucha injured impair her authority.
"Right! R-2 and R-3, take Yamucha and Tenshinhan to the lab immediately! Hurry!" She made a sweeping gesture with her hand, not so much because she needed to direct the robots but to relieve some of the anxiety still threatening to burst free. Quite obediently and with a faint hum-hum, the robots delicately picked up the fallen men and hovered off briskly to the lab. Kuririn cupped a hand around his chin and glanced down at the floor, deep in thought now that his friends had been taken care of. Chaozu glanced in the direction of the robots, sighed, and glanced pleadingly at Bulma. She read the question in his small, sorrow filled eyes, and nodded in agreement as he darted off in the direction of the robots, following his injured friends.
That was when Bulma screamed, for at that moment Gohan had walked out of the shadows, startling her. She regained her composure nearly instantly, but was slightly shaken. "G-g-g-Gohan-kun? What are you doing here?" Behind her, Kuririn chuckled softly.
The child put his hand behind his head and smiled slightly. He allowed himself this smile because he knew his friends were now in good hands, and he could finally allow himself to relax slightly. A trickle of perspiration ran down his forehead. "Well… it's a long story… I was just coming to ask if there was a place the Haiyaa Dragon could stay for awhile…" The child blushed, not wanting to explain how his current predicament had come to pass. Fortunately, Bulma and Kuririn understood instantly, even as Kuririn came up behind Gohan and nudged him with his elbow.
"Chi-chi said you couldn't keep him in the house, eh?" Kuririn said, grinning. Gohan nodded.
"He can take care of himself in the wilderness, but he's been acting oddly lately, I think something out there hurt him and I want to take care of him until he gets better."
"I'm sure I can arrange something, Gohan, but now doesn't seem to be the time… After all, something caused this!" Bulma interjected. She waved a hand at all the rubble. "What were you guys doing anyway, your impression of Son?"
Kuririn rolled his eyes slightly, hoping the older woman wouldn't notice. "I don't know, Bulma. Something seems to be affecting our ki… I feel fine now, though. I don't quite understand what's going on, except that whatever it is, it's certainly not right!" Kuririn glanced at Gohan. "Gohan, before you arrived, this happened once before, although we didn't notice much of anything, just a momentary lack of control… Did you sense anything?"
Gohan winced, remembering the unpleasant sensation of only a scant half-hour or so before. "I didn't just sense something, I lived it! I was flying over here when I lost control and started plummeting… it's a good thing I regained control in time, since apparently whatever is going on is affecting all of our energies, and not just ki…"
Kuririn nodded. "It does seem rather odd… I've never heard of anything like this ever happening before, but I bet we know someone who would." The monk gestured at Bulma, who blinked at him.
"What, me? I don't know anything about your psycho-ki-energy-whoozle!" Kuririn sighed.
Kuririn maintained his air of politeness while his tone adopted just a slight hint of exasperation. "That wasn't what I was about to ask… Bulma-san, may we borrow a capsule jet? I bet Kami-sama would know about this, but with this happening, I'm not sure we should trust our flying skills right now…" Bulma and Gohan nodded, seeing the man's logic instantly.
"Kuririn-san, while we're at it, we should stop by at Karin's and ask if he has any senzu beans… I'm sure Yamucha and Tenshinhan would appreciate them, and if something truly is going on, we may need all the help we can get!" Gohan interjected. Kuririn pondered this for a moment, and then nodded in agreement.
"By the way, should we contact Piccolo? I'm sure he's aware of this as well. Have you seen him around, Gohan?"
Gohan sighed. "You mean you haven't seen him either? I haven't seen him for a week or two… I hope he's all right…" His voice trailed off, although Kuririn and Bulma could both hear him mumble a very faint "Piccolo-san…" under his breath.
"We'll ask Kami if he knows where he is… don't worry about him, Gohan! Piccolo's very adept at taking care of himself… He's probably just training somewhere, you know him. I'm sure he'll turn up if we need him!" Kuririn failed to notice the faint hint of a tear in Gohan's eye, which the child quickly wiped away, glancing back at the monk to grin at him, masking his concern.
"Yeah, you're right, Kuririn! Let's get to the lookout! The sooner we go, the sooner we'll be back! Bulma, can you take care of Yamucha and Tenshinhan with Chaozu while we're gone?"
The blue-haired woman nodded. "Yeah, I guess, but…"
Gohan waved rapidly and dashed out, with Kuririn hot on his heels. "See you later, Bulma!" He yelled hurriedly over his shoulder, before regaining his pace with Gohan, disappearing down the corridor in a flash.
"Dammit!" She mumbled crossly, annoyed at having been left so rapidly. "I don't even know if they know how to fly that thing… Gohan-kun sure seemed eager to leave…" Behind her, the rest of the gravity machine broke free of it's hinges and tumbled down to the ground with a loud crash behind her. She rolled her eyes, and left for the opposite corridor, resolving to ask Gohan and Kuririn to clean it later in response to their impolite departure.
The being that was Piccolo and yet not quite Piccolo awoke, surveying the area where he had been asleep. His arms were shaking, and his legs wobbled even as he stood on his feet, before raising his hands to eye level. He stared long and hard at his own hands, inhaled deeply; and slowly, his hands stopped shaking. He allowed himself a small, cruel smile. A moment later, his hands began to shake again, and he replaced his smile with a frown.
"That accursed Kami-sama… my battle with him weakened me! My son is still fighting, deep inside… I took control too early, but no matter! This will pass soon… Soon his mind will quiet as he realizes that there is no escape." These words were of course not spoken, but merely his own thoughts. His thoughts. Not Piccolo's. Which meant that despite this shortcoming, all was proceeding according to plan. He tensed, feeling the power of his new body, and prepared to leap into the air and test his ki. He leapt into the air with a colossal jump, and found himself plummeting to the ground rather than reaching out and gathering his energy within him. He smashed into it a large rock a moment later, rolling down it and tumbling back to the ground. Scowling, he rose off of the ground quickly, mumbling a curse and feeling at the small dabs of purple blood streaming from his cracked lip. "You're not helping, you know."
A moment later, he felt ready to try again, and this time he soared into the air effortlessly. He glanced down at the landscape below him for a moment, cape billowing around his sleek form, and smirked again. "Now for a real test of my control!" He extended one hand towards the ground, and launched a yellowish-purple ball of energy, which sunk down low and exploded upon contact with the ground, obliterating trees and rock alike.
The power of the blast even surprising him, he glanced at his trembling hand, eyes wide with shock. "My son has indeed become powerful… I never imagined power like this!" He smiled slightly, and then began to chuckle, lowly at first, until it erupted into cruel laughter. No one would be able to stop him now. He reached out with his ki, and sensed what he was searching for. Two large ki's moving away from a major city… with two vastly weaker, but still detectable ki's inside, unmoving. He drifted through Piccolo's memories, until he recognized whom the ki's belonged to. "Son Goku's boy is flying away from the city… I'll save him for last. First I want him to suffer. I can't destroy Son Goku, so I can do the next best thing."
The cruel laughter returning, the person that was not Piccolo glimmered for a moment with ki energy, and then soared off in the direction of the three weak ki's. He flew, in search of his revenge, searching Piccolo's memories for more specific knowledge on whom he would be beginning his crusade on. And the start of that crusade was a place called Capsule Corporation and three people named Yamucha, Tenshinhan, and Chaozu. For the faint semblance of sanity that was named Piccolo, the nightmare had ended with the loss of his body. But for the others, the nightmare was only just beginning...
Author's comment: Geez, it's been a long time since I've written anything… I'd like to extend a big apology to everyone! ^^; This is just to confirm that I'm not dead, although my site is, for the moment… I've been bogged down with everything… O.o Finding a college, football practices, evil grades that just won't go awaaaaaaaay, and all that other good stuff. I've given up making guarantees when new chapters will be around since I keep breaking any deadline I set, but I do assure everyone of this… this story will see an end! And I promise It won't be some half-assed wrap the story up quick so I can rest thing… It'll just take awhile… ^^; Thanks for being so patient, all! ^_^ I'm sure my writing skills have lost a step because I haven't been writing extensively lately, so any feedback is a plus! 'specially the bad kind… I knoooow there's something messed up in there… =P ~Cremrock
