Chapter Nine: Botched Kidnapping Attempts
The sky burned a pitch black blazing deeply into Gohan's heart as he stood alone on the grassy cliff of his brother's grave. The wind was whipping past his face harshly piercing his skin red.
'What am I doing here?' Gohan thought to himself.
His thoughts echoed around him engulfing him in their confusion. Gohan took a deep breath of the cold thin air trying to bring some sense to his surroundings. He coughed bitterly finding it very difficult to obtain his air very long. Gohan clutched his chest as he made hallow breaths trying to remain conscious. He couldn't die out here in the middle of nowhere. No one would know what had become of him. What would his mom think? He couldn't let them find him…
He couldn't let them not find him.
Gohan collapsed to his knees as his lungs screamed for more air. Tears fought their way out of the corner of his eyes and rolled down his red cheeks.
"No… I can't die alone!" Gohan gasped helplessly, hoping his words might bring him strength.
"What's so bad about that, Gohan?" A voice iced through the thin air, sending a shiver down Gohan's spine.
Out of the shadows, came the young boy with the haunting dim eyes. He had a ebony cloak draped over his dark fighting gi. His handsome face was graced with his unruly abyss colored hair that seemed vaguely familiar to Gohan.
Gohan stared in awe at the teenager despite his verge on life.
"Who are you…" Gohan whispered, only to have the pain jolt back into his lungs.
He crumbled still hugging his chest feebly as he gasped, "Help me!"
A smile curved up from the stranger's lips as he watched the powerful boy's life fade away.
"Why should I?" He hissed callously.
Gohan couldn't believe his ears. His eyes widened in shock as he stared up at the boy in bewilderment, "What?"
"What is in it for me, if I save you?" He smirked. "It will have to be one hefty sum."
"You will have saved a life," Gohan wheezed. "That should be good enough…"
"Dong! Wrong answer!" The boy mocked.
"What? Why are you-?!" Gohan cried.
"Stop wasting your breath," He hissed waving his hand lazily.
It felt as though a heavy weight was lighted painfully of his chest. All the air streamed back into his lungs in one outburst giving him relief as he collapsed to the ground.
Gohan's vision flooded back as his numb arms regained the strength to lift himself back to his knees.
"So how was it, Gohan?"
Gohan looked back up to the coldhearted boy angrily as the child smirked happily, "How was it to know you were going to die all alone? Did it feel good?"
"Of course not!" Gohan scowled. "What kind of sick weirdo, are you? What were you doing to me?"
"Just think of it as an act of redemption," The teenager hissed simply.
"For what?" Gohan barked.
"For Goten."
Those words hit Gohan hard in the face leaving him fairly dazed. He bit his lip and pushed himself roughly to his feet. He glared at the man fully in the face, "What do you know about Goten?"
"I know he died alone," The teen laughed coldly. "He died crying himself to sleep. Crying out to the brother who failed him. To the brother that had let him die alone."
"That's not true!" Gohan cried griping his head in pain as the visions of his little brother rocketed through his mind. "He died with Tsuki."
"That's what Tsuki thought," The boy smiled. "Goten died hours before she found him. All she was with was the empty shell."
"It can't be true! Goten didn't die alone! He didn't!" Gohan screamed as the lighting cracked across the sky overhead. "That's not true!"
The teen pushed Gohan forward violently almost sending him off the edge. Gohan caught his balance and stared fearfully at the dark stranger as he walked forward threateningly. His eyes were glazed with anger as he stared at the frightened Gohan.
"What's wrong, Gohan?" The boy laughed menacingly. "You don't want redemption?"
"Who are you!" Gohan screamed over the roaring thunder.
The storm silenced echoing Gohan's voice against the canyon walls ringing in his own ears. Gohan saw the stranger wince at the seemingly innocuous words.
"You want to know who I am?" He smirked. "Hmmm…"
Gohan found himself shaking at the boy stared at him darkly.
"I'm Taiyo," Taiyo smiled. "And hey since we are all being so opened here, I'll throw in one more thing…"
A golden orb rose to the top of Taiyo's palm as his fingers gripped about the energy. He thrust his hand out in front of him catching Gohan off guard. Gohan stumbled backward slipping over the edge. Strangely, the engery that usually gripped his feet and lifted him upwards to save him, failed him. Gohan, by instinct, gripped the side of the crumbling wall with one hand.
The gravity was suddenly against him pulling him downwards. With immense effort, Gohan was able to grip the wall with both hands. His feet scraped the side of the canyon uselessly unable to obtain a foothold. Gohan felt someone's hands grip his hands. But before he could feel relief, the hands dug their nails into his flesh. Gohan looked up, coming face to face with Taiyo once more.
"Oh!" Taiyo laughed. "I think I snagged a Gohan!"
A burning pain shot down Gohan's arms as Taiyo shot his strange lighting attack into Gohan. Gohan cried out in pain trying to wrench out of Taiyo's grip.
"And here's something I know you'll just love," Taiyo whispered sinisterly. "I killed Goten."
"Gohan!" Videl cried shaking Gohan forcefully, "Wake up, Gohan!"
Gohan sat up suddenly almost falling out of the bleachers they were seated on. Gohan let out a shuttering breath and shook his head sadly,"I have been watching way too many Disney movies with Dad."
"What?" Videl asked quite bewildered.
"What happened?" Gohan asked wearily.
"You zonked out in the middle of the fight between Manikin and Heinz. Then you stared freaking out on me," Videl hissed. "Screaming and lashing out everywhere. I thought someone was killing you."
"They might have been…" Gohan said softly staring down at the top of his palms, seeing the claw marks spilling with blood over his hands.
"Oh my Kami!" Videl cried staring at his hands in alarm. "You're bleeding!"
"It's not that bad," Gohan muttered trying to shield it from Videl. "It's just a scratch."
Videl didn't listen. She ripped off the bottom of her shirt into two strips to make a bandage for the gashes. She wrapped them tightly about Gohan's hands to stop the bleeding before Gohan could protest.
"There," Videl said satisfied. "That should hold while we go to the clinic."
"No. Videl. I-"
"No butts buster! We leave now!" Videl said standing up and pulling Gohan by his arms in the direction of the clinic.
"But we'll miss Trunks' final fight!"
"We'll be back in time for it. Besides, he only throws one punch or kick in the whole match."
Goku's face paled as a strange feeling pressed in on his heart. Goku's hand crushed the popcorn bag he was holding into pieces scattering popcorn everywhere.
"Kakarot! You idiot!" Vegeta shouted upset of the loss of his popcorn. "I knew I shouldn't have let you hold the popcorn!"
"What's wrong, honey?" Chichi asked soothingly rubbing his arm.
"I know now," Goku hissed his eyes narrowing. "Something is after Gohan…"
"Something is after Gohan?" Krillen muttered in confusion looking down in the crowd for where Gohan and Videl were seating. "Who or What?"
"Yay. One last moron to worry about," 18 hissed catching Chichi and Bulma's attention. "And I mean that in the best possible way, of course."
"Ten! Ten!" Marron smiled happily.
"Yep. It's ten o'clock, lil Marron," Krillen grinned down to his spunky five year old.
"No…Ten! Ten!"
18's eyes widened slightly as she looked over to Goku, then back down to her knees as her face darkened.
"What's going on?" Vegeta growled. "I don't understand with all the brat's yelling."
"You and me both…" Bulma muttered only to take it back. "I mean, not that Marron's a brat or anything..."
Goku' head suddenly snapped in the direction of the entrance to the sky boxes. His eyes a lit with a fiery rage.
"No!" Goku yelled leaping up from his seat and climbing over all the people to that direction. "Darn it!"
"Goku wait!" Krillen cried.
Taiyo swept the air in front of him as an un-stringed bow made out of energy appeared before him. With a sweep of a graceful hand, an arrow appeared in his right palm. He fastened the arrow to the bow and took aim for Gohan down below.
"Gotcha," Taiyo smirked.
"I don't think so," Goku hissed stepping out in front of him.
Before Taiyo could react, Goku had punched him square in the face sending the bow and arrow out of his hands. As soon as the bow hit the ground, it vanished and the arrow became a large net made out of energy that too, disappeared.
"Who are you?" Goku shouted angrily.
Taiyo got up to a sitting position, rubbing his jaw.
"Mighty good arm, you have there." Taiyo smirked.
Goku grabbed Taiyo by his collar and forced Taiyo to look him full in the face, "Tell me who you are!"
"It's not your concern. This doesn't involve you."
"TELL ME!!!" Goku screamed.
"What's wrong? Don't recognize your own son, Goku?" Taiyo hissed.
Goku's face paled as he stared into the eyes of the son he never knew. Deep within them, Goku could see himself, Chichi, and even Gohan. But they were covered over with a thick shadow of fear, confusion, and anger.
"Goten?" Goku gasped.
Taiyo pulled away from his father's grasp preparing to depart but his father's voice stopped him.
"Why are you eating yourself up inside?" Goku whispered sadly. "There is hardly anything left of you."
Taiyo smirked darkly and shook his head.
"Close. There's nothing left, " He hissed. "Goten is gone. The only thing that will set his soul at ease is the death of the person who drove him there."
"Gohan…" Goku bit his lip. "No! Leave Gohan alone, Goten. He is your brother."
"Exactly," Taiyo cried behind him as he pushed off the ground. "And where was he when I needed help, huh?"
Goku watched his youngest son fly off into the distance with thousands of confused spectators, "He was dying too."
To Be Continued…
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