Chapter Eleven: Circumstantial Evidence
"Pan?" Trunks cried in shock, "What are you doing here? Where's Videl?"
Gohan blinked in confusion. It seemed Trunks knew this girl.
Pan placed one of her green gloved hands on her waist.
"I would have thought you could have guessed. She was sick, Trunks," Pan's face suddenly went soft. "She didn't make it when the androids attacked."
Trunks' eyes sparked with concern. He reached out to touch her shoulder but she backed away from him.
"Don't touch me," Pan muttered drying her eyes on the back of her hand. "I hear you are still worked up about Gohan."
"You should be too," Trunks said sternly.
"Sayians don't cry. You of all people should know that," Pan said hotly.
"Where did you get that crap?" Trunks snapped.
Gohan looked between the two fighting kids. He backed up trying to sort everything out. Now that they were fighting, Gohan could get a closer look on this girl. She was fairly tall for a child of her expected age. Her black hair was silky straight and tucked under a bright orange bandanna. She wore a torn red and yellow tee along with some old blue jeans. Her boots were caked with mud and looked suspiciously large on her tiny feet. The chain that was attached to her belt gave her a tough look that reminded Gohan of his mother. Although he couldn't imagine why…
"And what's this stuff about Goku?" Trunks hissed, "Didn't your dad ever tell you about him dying of a heart attack?"
"No," Pan snapped. "It was my mother who told me."
"But you know he is dead, right?"
Pan's eyes trailed back to where Gohan stood watching. He fell backwards startled when her cold gaze bore into his.
"Videl told me that if there was ever a chance for earth it was in Goku's hands. She, personally, had never met Goku but Gohan talked about him all the time. I didn't realize he was dead until Videl told me," Pan spoke her eyes on Gohan.
Pan turned swiftly to Trunks who took a step backwards at her sudden change of attention.
"I know Gohan thought you were the child to beat the androids but I know that that... is clearly impossible."
"Hey!" Trunks growled.
"No offence, Trunks," Pan said offhandedly. "But you are far from the warrior your father was. You are careless, naiive, and way too soft hearted. You will never defeat the andriods, at least not properly."
"What does it matter?" Trunks barked. "As long as they're gone."
"It makes all the difference," Pan smiled. "I only get one chance to avenge my family. I want the androids to die a slow agonizing death. If I was strong enough I would do it myself… but I know someone who can do it for me."
She turned back to Gohan making Gohan wonder where this was leading.
"Who?" Gohan asked curiously.
"Goku," Pan smirked.
"Pan," Trunks sighed, irritated. "Goku is deader than a doornail under Master Roshi's butt. How is he supposed to help us?"
"You sound like my mother," Pan smiled.
She put up a different pitched voice no doubt imitating her mother.
"The only way Goku could ever help us was if he was resurrected from the dead." Pan mocked, "And everyone knows that is entirely impossible without the earth dragon balls to aid us."
"At least Videl had sense," Trunks muttered. "Now we know Pan is just an oddball and that the whole family isn't nuts."
"But Goku has been reborn!" Pan grinned her eyes still on Gohan. "He is stronger than ever before!"
"Well, where is he?" Trunks asked looking around.
Gohan held his breath dreading the answer.
"Right here," Pan grinned pointing her index finger straight at Gohan.
Trunks stared at Gohan for a second. He walked up and looked behind Gohan as if searching for someone.
"I don't see him." Trunks gave up throwing his hands into the air helplessly, "Where is he?"
Pan scowled in frustration. She stomped her feet as she marched over to Gohan grabbing him by the wrist and thrusting her finger to Gohan's chest.
"Here!" Pan shouted angrily.
Trunks stared uncertainly at Gohan for a moment and than burst out laughing.
"What's so funny?!" Pan barked.
"You think Goten is Goku?" Trunks snorted drying his eyes with his index finger. "Aw man. That's rich. Pan, you really have snapped. Goten doesn't look a thing like Goku."
Gohan snickered sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. Pan, on the other hand, didn't find this amusing at all, "Have you ever seen Goku?"
"No," Trunks said a bit more seriously now. "But you haven't either."
"I know for a fact that Goku looked like Gohan," Pan snapped.
She grabbed Gohan and held his face close to Trunks to inspect.
"Does he not resemble Gohan?!" Pan shouted.
"Ow!" Gohan cried breaking free from Pan and rubbing his cheeks.
"He does… appear to have Gohan's features," Trunks muttered gazing hard at Gohan now.
"So you are saying I resemble two dead guys!" Gohan scowled rubbing his cheeks still. "That's so kind of you…"
"But Goten is a wimp," Trunks snapped. "He can't be Goku."
"Hey, I resent that," Gohan murmured.
"How do you know it's not a act?" Pan smirked.
"Okay, ummmm I'm right here!" Gohan muttered. "It's not like I can't hear you!"
"How would you like proof then?"
"I'd like to see you try."
"It would be my pleasure," Pan grinned.
Pan walked a couple of spaces in front of them. In a flash, she had turned around and flung a knife at Trunks and Gohan. It went right between them and stuck in the stone building behind them. Trunks' face contorted in fury.
"What was that for?"
"Catch," Pan said throwing another dagger at Trunks.
The blade shot though the air like a bullet. Trunks caught it with both his hands clapped on the flat part of the blade inches from his face. Trunks flipped the dagger upwards and caught it easily by its hilt.
"What is that supposed to prove?" Trunks sighed tossing it into the dirt a bit away from them. "You already knew I could catch it."
"I'm using you as a control," Pan smiled.
"A what?" Trunks asked.
"Aw, come on. Don't tell me you don't know what a control is. Your mom is Bulma for goodness sakes," Pan scowled.
"I know what a control is," Trunks hissed.
"Good. Your not as dumb as you look," Pan smirked. "You're the control. Gohan is going to prove he is a sayian…"
Pan tossed another knife. Gohan watched as the knife hurled out at him… Trunks zapped in front of Gohan and caught the blade again. He was even angrier this time, "What are you trying to do! Kill him?! What would that prove, huh?"
"Don't be silly, Trunks," Pan laughed. "I knew you would save him if I was wrong."
"Then what was the point."
"You proved the point, Trunks."
"Then what happened!" Trunks shouted.
"Goku didn't flinch."
Trunks turned around to Gohan who froze. Didn't he? It seemed as 'Goten' was even trying to recount to see if he flinched by blinking rapidly.
"His name is Goten," Trunks snapped. "Besides, that didn't prove anything. We would have to go by your word to if he flinched or not."
"Well, we could always have another go," Pan smiled lifting her last dagger.
"No!" Trunks cried.
"Spoil sport. Well, we could see if he has a tail," Pan said casually walking around Gohan looking him over.
"No! Not in a million years," Trunks hissed. "You shouldn't be looking at anyone's butt but your own."
Pan cocked her left eyebrow slightly, "Okay. Whatever."
"Guys. How about we just drop this and go back to Capsule Corp?" Gohan muttered. "I'm sure were all hungry."
"Not yet," Pan snapped. "I have to prove to Trunks who you are."
"How are you so sure of what I am?" Gohan muttered.
"I saw you turn Super Sayian," Pan hissed softly so only Gohan could hear. "I will prove you are Goku!"
"Argh. This is such a waste of time," Trunks snarled.
Pan held out her last dagger and held out her hand to Trunks and Gohan.
"Observe," Pan smiled.
She slid the sharp blade across her hand. Gohan winced and turned away. He squinted over at her palm and then opened his eyes in surprise. Her palm was unharmed…
"Sayian skin is like steel," She motioned for Trunks to give him his wrist. "Next."
Trunks refused at first. She glared at him impatiently until he finally placed his wrist in her ready hand. She gripped his wrist tightly and made a motion as if she was going to cut his hand off. Gohan watched and sure enough, Trunks was fine; his hand still attached.
"Now you," Pan smiled sinisterly.
"Okay, Pan," Trunks said sternly. "What if you're wrong? You could detach one of his limbs!"
"I'll be gentle," Pan smirked grabbing Gohan's wrist before he could make any notation to stop her.
She lied. Lifting the dagger as high as she could, she slammed it hard against Gohan's wrist. Gohan's hand flexed slightly at the impact. His wrist was still attached to his arm. But much to both Pan's and Trunks' shock the whole blade of the dragger cracked and broke off completely. The two Sayians gawked at what was left of the dagger in shock.
Gohan was the first to find his voice, "I think it was dulled down by you too."
There was sudden boom from far off. Like thunder. But all three of the children knew very well that it was not nature made.
"We'll have to continue this later," Trunks snapped grabbing Gohan's arm to prepare to take off. "The androids will be here soon."
Trunks kicked off the ground just to be dragged back down. Pan gripped Gohan's other hand and was holding Trunks back.
"PAN! ARE YOU INSANE?!!!" Trunks screamed.
"You can't leave. Not until I prove to you that Goku exists," Pan snarled.
Trunks let go of Gohan and landed back on the ground. Gohan yanked his hand away from Pan wearing the same scowl as Trunks.
"You are risking all our lives!" said Trunks angrily.
"I will only risk your lives if you do not cooperate," Pan smirked, "So I would suggest you cooperate…"
"What do you want from me?!" Gohan then shouted. "To turn into a golden warrior like Trunks?"
"That would make things a lot easier."
"That's impossible for a human to do!"
"But not for you…" Pan smiled, "Is it?"
Gohan was silent. He hated to lie. He bit his lip.
"Stop this..." Gohan muttered.
"Course you can't deny it," Pan smirked. "You know you can turn Super Sayian."
"I didn't say that!"
"Then what did you say? I'll make it easy for you. Fight me. In a spare. And then I'll let you go."
"We don't have time!" Gohan retorted.
"Say if we did have time…" Trunks muttered softly. "What if you kill Goten?"
"I won't kill him," Pan laughed. "But if I do, by some miracle, hurt him, I have two sensu beans."
Both Trunks and Gohan's jaws dropped.
"How did you get them?!" Trunks spat in amazement.
"One was for my mother. She gave it to me… because she said she didn't want it. And the other one was from my father when he split them up from his old stash."
Gohan blinked in bewilderment. Was her father, Yajirobe? Gohan didn't think anyone that cute could come out of such a… well, he was Yajirobe. It would explain the way she was acting so pessimistic. Then what about her mother? Was her mother the sayian? Videl? That's a pretty name… He thought better than to ask.
"This is insane. Come on, Goten," Trunks snapped.
Gohan turned to leave as Pan hissed, "I should have known Goku was a coward."
Gohan froze. Trunks looked at him uncertainly, "Goten?"
Gohan turned.
"Goku was not a coward. He was a great man," Gohan hissed dangerously making Trunks back away.
"Prove it then, Go-ten," Pan smiled crossing her arms across her chest.
Gohan clenched his fists and gritted his teeth regretting the next words that slipped out of his mouth, "Fine."
To Be Continued…
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