Chapter Twelve: The Future Versus The Past
Gohan felt the rage inside him trembling his very being, boil at those few words. Though Pan and Trunks didn't know it, Gohan was Gohan. To hear those vile words spoken about his idol and loving father broke him inside. He didn't know who Pan was, but he wanted to punch her for that sentence that had poured out of her mouth.
"Goten… Why do you care? You don't even know Goku," Trunks said softly catching Gohan's attention.
"You wouldn't understand. It's a matter of pride," Gohan hissed. "I cannot hear words that abominable spoken about a man's reputation that I have to uphold."
Pan smirked in that awful way of hers. Gohan wanted to rip that smile of her face. The Sayian inside him was screaming for the slay and for once Gohan was yearning to let it free. He wanted this girl to bleed under his fists for the naive brat she was. To see blood seep from her body to ease his thirsty fury.
"Take it back…" Gohan said slowly trying not to seep odium into his words. "Before I make you."
Pan placed one green gloved hand on her hip and held her other to her mouth in a mocking way as she gasped, "Oh! I'm sooo afraid mister tough guy."
Gohan clenched his fists and gritted his teeth so hard he could barely stand it. Pan's eyes widened as she saw blood trickle to the ground from his palms. Trunks backed up looking confused and startled.
Gohan's blood formed a small puddle on the ground… then the rain began to fall…
Gohan shot out at Pan his fist aimed for her face. Pan dodged it in the nick of time. She bent low using her unnatural speed to her advantage. She did a round house kick at his legs hoping to knock him off his feet. Gohan, who had expected this, flipped in a arch away from her sneak attack. He landed flawlessly on both feet sinking into his famous stance.
Trunks' cerulean eyes widened in mystification at the sight of Gohan's stance. It looked so familiar yet Trunks couldn't place it. Was he indeed Goku?
The fight still continued even as Trunks pondered the identity of the warrior who had saved his life more than once now. Gohan threw every punch and kick his body could endure without giving way to much. Pan was able to not only block but use some offense of her own. Pan found herself being pushed backwards by Gohan's might. Not extremely worried she waited till her back skimmed the stone wall of a crippled building. She placed her boot on the stone and flipped over Gohan's head skidding sideways across the rocky soil to face him with a uppercut. Gohan slipped to the side leaping over the rubble about them trying to get to a clearer area. Pan chased after him. She flipped forward and pressed her hands hard into the earth. She somersaulted over Gohan's head once more and punched strait between Gohan's eyes. Gohan caught this attempted and then caught her second punch. Gohan kneed upward hitting her square in the jaw twice. Gohan then kicked her to the side slaming her into the flagged stone of a old hotel leaving a large dent. Pan collapsed in a heap trying to catch her breath. She glared up at Gohan loathing with her dark amber eyes. She lifted a trembling hand up to her lip dabbing it slightly. She drew back and took a quick glance down to see the blood that graced her fingertips.
"You…" Pan hissed wiping the blood off on her green gloves. "That's it."
"Did Pan get a boo-boo?" Gohan smirked.
"Oh you better shut up right now," Pan growled.
She kicked off the ground so that she hovered many feet above him. Gohan looked up at her in frustration. It was a trap to get him to show more power…
"What's wrong, Goku?" Pan mocked. "Can't reach me?"
"Of course I can't reach you!" Gohan snapped. "You're flying."
"Pan!" Trunks shouted joining in. "This is a waste of time. Sure, Goten can fight but he can't fly!"
The distant thunder struck the earth once more making both Gohan and Trunks flinch slightly.
"You hear that?!" Pan shouted down at Gohan. "That is your death rushing here. Or maybe just Trunks and my death… Do you really want your pal Trunks to get killed?"
"Trunks… Get out of here." Gohan growled, "You don't need to be here."
"No way. And leave you with her?" Trunks hissed.
"Hurry up, Gohan," Pan smirked. "The longer this match lasts the faster this whole thing becomes your fault."
Gohan squinted lightly the truth of these words. His fault. Hadn't it always been his fault? No longer. He wouldn't let this be his fault too…
A small clear aurora formed about Gohan. The wind circled about him kicking up dust lifting his damp hair lightly in it's dance. The whole time Gohan kept his stern gaze on Pan. Trunks watched in trepidation as Gohan feet slowly began to lift off the ground. It seemed as though he was fighting it…
Gohan bit his lip and felt the horrible ache in his heart as he dreaded what this might do to this timeline. It was so wrong but yet so right. Pan was satisfied… Gohan shot upwards to hover in the air beside her. A shimmer of pride shown in pan's eyes as she looked at Gohan,
"I knew you could do it," She muttered under her breath.
"What the heck!" Trunks shouted below in bewilderment.
"I am not a Sayian," Gohan hissed keeping his gaze on Pan. "I am only a super human. Nothing more."
"One step at a time I suppose," Pan smirked.
"I haven't proven anything yet," Gohan snapped.
"We have plenty of time to uncover everything about you."
There was another earth shattering boom… Lighting forked across the sky illuminating their faces. Pan's black hair stuck to the sides of her face from the rain pouring down on top of them. It was then, the lighting dancing across her pupils, did Gohan see it. For a instant, Gohan saw a soul who did not have anything but this fight to live for. She wasn't tempting him in hopes of beating him. She wanted him to beat her. Pan wanted this fight to be her last…
Gohan wasn't the only one noticing things about his opponent. Pan watched carefully as the cold emotional eyes bore into hers. His rage seemed to melt away for that minute of staring at her nine year old face. Pity. So much pity. Pan hated pity. She glared spitefully at him but his face remained the way it had been. He had seen what he had seen and her rage would not change it. Pan blinked in shock. She had been wrong. This couldn't be Goku…
It was…
A golden blast arched through the air unaffected by the pelting raindrops skimming straight at Pan. Gohan saw this and flung himself in front of the blast. He hugged Pan close to him protecting her from harm knowing the blast could harm her a lot more then himself. It stung his back but not at all scathing him. The building they had been next to erupted into flames engulfing the two in smoke and debris. Gohan and Pan were pelted down into the ground by the stone. The building collapsed around them…
Trunks didn't have time to warn the two of the androids arrival partly cause he hadn't even sensed it himself. Too busy watching the two in their face-off he had not concerned himself in keeping an eye out. As soon as they had arrived Trunks flung himself behind some trashcans listening to the two androids talk. He pressed himself low to the ground praying that they wouldn't find him. His heart pounded painfully against his ribcage seemingly loud. The rain pounded against his face clouding his vision. He kept his ears alert for the sounds of the storm and his two foes. He didn't know if Goten and Pan had made it. He could only pray for them…
To Be Continued…
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