Disclaimer: DBZ belongs to Akira Toriyama and Toei Animation.

Note to:

Jezika – Kodocha (Kodomo no Omocha) Child's Toy Haha, yep. I guess this is going somewhere like that, although I had no intention for it… Oh well, I had no idea I was doing that, but since some people like it, the idea stays. Hehe :-D

Lance Falcon – Gohan's out of character? Nah, it only seems like that because this is a different approach to what Gohan could've been instead of happy and giddy. It just isn't right for someone to be happy after something as horrible as that to happen. So, you get the reason for that?

Jetforce – Am I as creepy as my writing? Wouldn't you like to know… ::Grins::

ZetaBee – Gohan smiled! Yay! Only, it isn't because he was happy… He's going to commit suicide. Oh the horror! Ah well, he'll make it somehow. Or at least try to make it…

Sirius Potter – More action?! More action?! What are you saying?! The action will not come! No action for you! Actually, the action will come in a few chapters because I'm setting the mood and the beginning for the action to begin! Woo hoo!

Death 12 – Ah hah! No SSJ 4! Instead it's either my new sketchy SSJ 4, Mystic, OR Fusion! Yes! Cannot leave out fusion now can we? Gogeta is so cool! Even though Vegetto is cockier and stronger.


Previous Chapter:

Gohan snorted once again. "I am always by myself and I am hardly lonely." He looked up from his food and stared blankly at the scene before him. 'I'm lying to myself. I'm indeed very lonely without you, mom, dad, and grandpa. It's sad to know how much I've changed and how cruel life has gotten. Goten his growing up knowing Bulma and Vegeta as his parents without even knowing the great people his biological parents were. I'm shutting myself away from others to avoid more pain, but in fact it just amplifies the pain I feel. I don't know how much longer I can keep this up. Maybe one day I will finally snap and go insane or something. It's either that or I commit suicide. Now that I think about it, suicide isn't that bad an option. I wouldn't have to deal with this painful life, and escape. My soul would be finally free. I don't care if I go to hell. I deserve it after killing off my father for some stupid mistake I made.'

He smiled to himself and finished off the rest of his meal. 'But first, I want to live out the rest of this month. The first day of the next month will be the day I die.'

Videl raised an eyebrow at his response and the smile that had suddenly appeared on his face. She was glad that he smiled, but this smile was a creepy one. It was a mischievous smile, not that of joy. He had something up his sleeve and she had a foreboding feeling that she would not like it one bit.


Chapter 7

The Happy Days

Gohan flew home that afternoon with a smile on his face. He flew around the sky in circles before landing on the front lawn of Capsule Corp. He entered through the front doors and headed directly towards his room, tossing down his backpack on his bed along the process.

In just a few seconds, Goten and Trunks stumbled into Gohan's room. "Hey, nii-chan. Why are you smiling like that?" asked Goten.

"Yeah, nii-chan. You look kind of creepy," added Trunks.

Gohan swerved around lazily in his chair and faced the two boys. "Creepy huh? Smiling isn't creepy is it?" he asked with a smirk.

Goten gulped and answered in a small voice. "Um, uh… no?"

Gohan nodded. "Of course not. How about we spar after I'm done with my homework?"

At that comment, both boys' eyes widened in surprise and delight. "Really!"

Gohan nodded and said, "So, what do you say?"

Trunks and Goten looked at each other and gave each other a high-five. "Alright!" they both screamed. "Hurry up and finish your homework nii-chan!" both boys yelled as they scurried out of the room.

Once they were out of sight, Gohan dropped his smile and his facial expression hardened. "I won't be long now. I will keep up this happy demeanor for now, but when the time comes, it has to leave." He looked straight ahead with his narrowed eyes before turning around to do his homework.


Mysteriously two boys come running into the kitchen screaming an inexplicable chant. Finally getting irked enough by the two overactive hyper demi-saiyans, Vegeta blasted each of them with a small ki beam.

"What are you brats screaming about?" yelled an annoyed Saiyan Prince.

Trunks was first to recover from the blast. "Onii-chan's going to spar with us after he finishes his homework! Isn't that cool dad? Nii-chan never fights with us!"

Vegeta gazed at the lavender haired boy. "What's so great about that? I spar with the boy all the time in the gravity chamber and there's nothing special about that."

"But we never fought nii-chan before, so it's really really cool! I want to know how strong nii-chan is! I want to know!" screamed Goten.

Trunks nodded his head furiously.

Vegeta felt his stomach turn at the sight of his son acting like one of Kakarotto's brats. "How strong?! He's only slightly stronger than me. That's how strong your brother is."

Silence followed and the two chibis looked at each other. "Dad? How strong are you?"

Vegeta would've smacked his forehead if not for the embarrassment of doing such a humiliating act. "I've ascended to the next level! That's how strong I am! If there was another level, I would reach it soon!"

"What's a asce- asce-…" Goten started out.

Trunks hit Goten lightly at the back of the head. "He means what do you mean ascended to the next level?"

Vegeta shot them an annoyed glance. "It's the level after a Super Saiyan."

"Oh," were heard from the two little boys.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. 'Great, my own son is growing as stupid as the spawn of Kakarotto. Life just doesn't get any better.'

The two little boys ran out of the kitchen and into the backyard. Out there they began to do flips and stretches before practicing their ki blasts.

'Urgh, note to self, do not get another kid,' Vegeta thought to himself at the sight of cheerful children out in the backyard.


Videl sighed to herself as she stepped onto the doorsteps of her best friend's home. It had been a hard day of crime fighting for just one person, so Videl is totally worn out. Why couldn't Gohan come and help her out with a few of the thugs? At least that way she wouldn't be so tired. She punched the doorbell and immediately a girl with short blond hair and bright blue eyes appeared.

"There you are, Videl! What took you so long?" asked the blond.

Videl grunted and walked into the house. "The usual, fighting crime. Urgh, I'm so tired…"

Erasa shook her head at her friend. "You're always doing that. When will you take a break and just have some fun?"

Videl grunted again and mumbled a reply. "I try, but every time something comes up."

The blond released a sigh and said, "I'll go get you a can of soda."

"Thanks, Erasa," mumbled the raven-haired girl.

A few moments later, Erasa returned with a can of soda in hand and handed it over to her friend. She plopped down on the couch beside her. "Honestly Videl, you've got to take care of yourself. How do you expect to live long enough to get married, have a child and all that stuff?"

Videl groaned. Not this again. Her friend was always teasing her about getting a boyfriend and getting married someday. "Erasa," she whined. "Not this again… I'll live, I'll live. You don't have to worry about that. And I'll invite you to the wedding, how about that?"

Immediately the blonde's eye began to shine. "Really? I'll be your maid of honor, end of discussion!"

Videl took a sip of her drink and sighed. 'She hasn't changed since kindergarten.' She leaned her head back and thought over the day's events. Gohan had arrived at another bank robbery that morning, in the afternoon; everyone found out that he was a genius, following that, Gohan actually smiled! She could not believe it. The very nonchalant Gohan had smiled after two days with her by his side during lunch. That's got to be a new record for her. Usually it takes her about 3 to 4 days before that happens. Only, his smile as a little eerie in a sense that sent shivers down her spine. She shrugged off the thought and continued to sip her soda and relax, tuning out all the wedding arrangements her best friend was going over.

Why did she go there in the first place? She was better off heading home. Videl released another sigh and picked up her heavily filled backpack full of books. It was best that she start on her homework until the blond was done daydreaming, at least that way she would finish it before nightfall.

Finally when Erasa had finished daydreaming and babbling, Videl dropped her pencil and began to pack her stuff. "Wow Erasa, this time was a little shorter than lat time," she commented before stuffing the last of her finished homework away.

"Huh? Really? Wait, what do you mean Videl? Hey, what happened! Where's the groom, the audience, your dress, and all the pretty decorations?!" screeched the blond.

Videl rolled her eyes at the comment. "Erasa, you were daydreaming, … again."

Erasa nodded in understanding and leaned back against the couch. "So, how was your lunch with Gohan?"

Videl paused and left her hand hanging on the edge of her backpack. "L-lunch? Oh, uh, it went well."

Erasa noticed the uncertainty in her friend's voice and smirked to herself. 'Well well well, it seems that Videl is hiding something from me.'


Gohan dropped the last of his books into his Capsule Corp. backpack before changing into his training gi. Somehow, he became attached to his father's old colors and wore it ever since the day he died. Gohan pushed the thoughts out of his head as he remembered his father by simply seeing the gi. He gritted his teeth for a slight moment from the continuous thoughts and concentrated on the spar that was to occur.

After tightening the belt around his waist, he walked out of his room in the orange colored gi. As he entered into the kitchen, he noticed Vegeta grumbling something about saiyans not supposed to be weak. Gohan ignored the man and poked his out into the backyard to find his two brothers sparring in the air.

"Hey, Trunks, Goten! Let's start training!" Gohan yelled to the fighting demi-saiyans.

Goten was the first to react to his brother's voice and let down his guard, earning a punch in the face from Trunks. The older demi-saiyan noticed the call afterwards and flew to the ground where the four year old was sprawled on the ground.

"Goten, are you alright?" Gohan asked with concern.

Goten picked himself up and nodded slowly, tears brimming in his eyes due to the big red spot on his left cheek. Gohan couldn't help but laugh at his brother. He just looked so adorable and vulnerable like that!

"Wipe your tears, Goten. Now, let's get this training started," he said with as much forced zeal as possible.

Trunks nodded and instantaneously dropped into a defensive stance.

Goten mirrored his lavender haired brother and also dropped into a defensive stance.

Gohan smirked at the appearance of his brothers, they looked prepared for anything, even though their postures could use some help. He fell into an offensive stance and powered enough to beat Yamcha. He didn't want to hurt his brothers on the first day, even though there were senzu beans and Bulma's own invention of the regeneration tank. He narrowed his eyes and attacked the two saiyans.

Goten and Trunks blocked the attack with difficulty due to the speed Gohan was going. They blocked as much as they could before returning some of their own attacks. Eventually Trunks summoned a ki blast in the palm of his hand and fired it at Gohan when he got the chance.

Gohan fell back a few steps from the impact. He was definitely not expecting that maneuver. He quickly regained his balance and smirked. 'I didn't think they were that strong. Looks like I need to kick it up a notch.' He powered up enough to match Krillen and charged at the boys with new intensity.

Trunks jumped back with surprise and powered up to his maximum before charging at his older brother.

Goten had difficulty keeping up, but eventually adjusted to the speed and force. Goten flew back a couple of feet before landing a kick directed at Gohan's abdomen.

Gohan evaded the kick with and blocked with his forearm. He floated a couple feet before landing a roundhouse kick to his brother and giving an upper cut to his lavender haired brother.

Both fell back from the impact of the blows. Trunks and Goten picked themselves up and observed each other. Sparring with Gohan was definitely more intense than fighting with each other. Their clothes were ripped and a few scratches were visible. Other than that, they were slightly bruised and their hair was extremely messy.

"No fair! You're too strong!" complained Goten.

"Yeah!" agreed Trunks.

Gohan chuckled at the comment and relaxed from his defensive stance. He stood up straight and smiled at the duo. "Not bad. Not bad at all."

The chibis smirked arrogantly at the taller demi-saiyan.

"You two were stronger than I was at your age, that's for sure. I can see that all your training and sparring matches has certainly paid off," Gohan said.

Trunks' smirk widened. "Could you do this?" He put his feet apart and powered up as much as he can until a golden flame engulfed the boy. The end result was a five-year-old boy with flaming golden hair and turquoise eyes.

"Hey, not fair Trunks! You said you wouldn't show off because I can't do that!" screamed Goten.

Gohan looked at his little brother. "Well, we can have you doing that in no time. I still can't believe you were able to do that at this age. I was around 9 or 10 when I first transformed."

"Really? But why is your hair not black like mine?" asked Goten.

Gohan sighed and kneeled down to his brother's eye level. "My hair was black once. It was just like yours, sticking up in different directions, but now it's different. You see Goten, I made a promise so I will not change back, ever."

"Why?" asked the curious boy.

He sighed. "When you're old enough, you'll understand."

Goten nodded his head.

"Why don't you two go on in and get cleaned up? I know that dinner won't be too long from now and you know how mom hates dirt in the house even if the robots clean it up."

Both boys nodded and scurried into the house. As soon as they were gone, Gohan gritted his teeth as a single teardrop fell onto his hand. He clenched his fists and wiped his eyes. Acting the way he is now, seeing his brothers, only brought on nostalgia of the old days. The old days where everything was perfect, not a thing was amiss. His father and mother were alive and very happy. His grandfather would always come by for a visit to see his favorite daughter, son in law and grandson. Those were the days, before the encounter with the power hungry Cell. Gohan gritted his teeth and suppressed a sniffle and more tears from coming. He mustn't loose all his control; he must stay strong. No telling what may come in the future. He looked up, his eyes on the brink of more tears. "I have to stay strong," he whispered to himself.


Sorry this isn't much, but I didn't want to write too much at the moment and I know some of you guys are very impatient. As I was looking through previous chapters for reference, I noticed more grammar mistakes and I didn't want to bother with writing too much because I'll have to eventually go over it all. I need a beta reader, the only ones I have are Evangelion fans, so I don't think they'll appreciate the job. If any of you guys are interested, you can contact me. If I do get a beta reader, you can expect longer chapters. :-D

Next Chapter: Will Gohan keep up this happy attitude without falling apart completely? And what will Videl think of this happy Gohan? Will she notice that something is amiss with the blond haired boy, or just miss it completely? Can Gohan keep himself together long enough to keep himself from killing himself right away? Find out in the next installment of The Wretched Life of our Hero.

Thanks for reading!