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Shinzon – New Existence
Chapter 5: Wild Nature
The room was eerily silent. It had been since Gohan had entered the room. Probably even before that as well. Goten didn't know what his dad was doing earlier, so he didn't know if it had been this quiet or not. Hopefully it hadn't been. But one thing was certain; tension clung heavily in the air. Gohan was staring at the pattern in the wood floor, seemingly interested in it. Goku was looking at the ceiling as though there was something up there that led his curiosity to believe he could find something to do by seeing the plain, brown ceiling.
Goten, through all of this silence, was fidgeting his body around. He thought it was a good idea to bring his brother and father into the same room, but obviously the other two thought much differently than him. The only movement they would make would be either to turn their body so that it wouldn't numb up, or to pop their neck. The silence was every disturbing to little Goten for that reason, but he knew to do anything might earn him punishment or hatred of words and he most definitely didn't want that. For this purpose, he had let the quiet go on.
Gohan suddenly stood up and turned to look at the door. Goku caught this movement and proceeded to roll over and avoid any and all eye contact with his oldest son. Gohan walked the small distance to the door, opened it ajar, and silently stepped outside, his feet making sound as they touched each step and he climbed downstairs. Goten immediately got up and followed his brother. Goten found him in the kitchen getting a glass of water.
"Why aren't you and daddy talking?" The innocent question did not go down well with Gohan, but he didn't lash out to his youngest brother for how could a child of his age understand the deep, thought-provoking problem at hand?
"Because Goten..." Gohan paused to take a sip of the water, "... Your dad and I have a little problem that hasn't been solved yet." Well, half true anyway Gohan commented on his own statement. Goten's face seemed to say he didn't understand. Of course.
"Why don't you solve it then, brother?" Gohan felt his anger slip a bit and he slammed the glass on the counter, some water splashing out. The action caused alarm and fear in Goten as he slowly backed away into the wall. Gohan turned to see Goten like this and he sighed.
"I'm sorry, Goten. It's just... a little too hard for you to comprehend." He waited for a reaction from Goten and got a confused look. "Just... drop it, okay? Your dad and I will get over this problem..." Not the way he's acting, anyway Gohan added in thought.
Goten nodded, still a bit disconcerted as he edged out of the kitchen and into his room, earning him a free escape to freedom. Gohan turned back, picked up the glass of water, and took another sip. The way things are going... He leaned up against the counter, facing the doorway. Not one of us will be left unharmed.
---
"I haven't gotten the results yet, Vegeta, so be patient, please?"
"Look, the way I see things is either you get those damn results now or we'll all die and go to hell!" Bulma gave an impatient sound and turned to look at the test-tube. The liquid still hadn't turned any color, even after she had shaken it once, which was a bit of a disappointment. First she had to find out whose blood on the knife it belonged to, and then she had to find out if she could get any fingerprints off of it. That is, if Vegeta would stop bothering her.
He had taken a liking in the past few days to bug on and on about her doing nothing to help her friend and all that crap, and to her it was nothing short of surprising. Him? Caring for Goku? Come on, something just had to be up. Bulma picked the test-tube up and examined it closely. Still no change. Bulma shook her head and gave a heavy sigh.
---
A little humming voice could be heard near a waterfall far off from any human existence. The voice sounded like a little girl's and she suddenly broke into song.
"Daises of flowers covered head to toe... Hovering so high and low... My, my, what a beautiful day... All I can really say..." She immediately broke off as footsteps could be heard, coming close. The girl dressed in the white dress turned to see a late-aged teen in black standing there with an apathetic look on her face.
"The boss wants to see you. She has an assignment for you." The teenage did not seem pleased. The little girl nodded her head and stood up on the rock.
"I'll go at once." She instantly disappeared. The Goth-clad woman snorted and left too.
---
Gohan had stayed in the kitchen, not having left. He had drunken the glass five times over, each time filling it up with more water. He really had no point in doing much now. Either go home and get so depressed he wouldn't do anything, much or less like his father was doing currently, or sit here drinking. He rather chose the second option.
He knew Goten was doing fine on his own time and his father... well his father was... He didn't really know. Gohan's dad just... wasn't in his right mind, per say. Gohan took another swig of the water-filled glass and set it down on the counter. Maybe he should go up and see how his dad was doing. You know, his dad was almost as worse as he was.
Gohan slowly ascended the stairs and knocked on the door lightly. He got no reply. Opening the door quietly, he looked to see his father wasn't in bed. For that matter, his father wasn't anywhere to be seen. Gohan entered the room and took one glance around in front of him when the door suddenly slammed shut. He turned around just in time to see a hidden shadow jump and tackle him into the floor hard. When Gohan's vision cleared, he saw none other than...
"Dad?"