Chapter VI

This entirely baffled Gero. However, it was an intriguing situation. He had been reluctant to leave his lab but had decided he needed to test his virus as well as some of his modifications for Androids 18 and 17 on some of the earth before trying it out on those two. They were still in the major modification phase so he wasn't sure what such rampant amendments to human form would result in. Better to test it out first than give untested models potential deadly weapons.

Still, this was an entirely new game! He had always intended to send his virus out after Son Goku but with the appearance of his son, everything was changed. However, perhaps this was for the better advantage! His virus was still being prepared but it was more than deadly enough for a child; it was dangerous enough already for Son Goku. However, this boy could not have been more than six years old. It would kill him in under a week.

Yet, Gero wanted his vengeance on Son Goku. An evil smirk passed over his lips. What better way to do so than through the death of his son? One thing Gero had learned about the warrior by watching and from his own experience was that his heart was too large for its own good. He loved his friends like mad and from the love he saw in this boy's eyes, his love for his son was at least one thousand fold. Love…the downfall of the weak.

"I mean it!"

Gohan's harsh shouting snapped Gero from his thoughts.

"If you leave my Daddy alone, I'll take the virus for him."

"That is quite the bold statement."

Gohan knew it was. He said it without regret though. Without fear. He meant every single word he said. If it would keep Daddy safe, then Kami above, he'd do it! He didn't care what happened to him, so long as it kept his father safe! He would bleed for him, hurt for him….yes, he realized in his heart, he would even willingly die for him.

Gero considered this a time, watching the child shed tears before him. Oh, yes, this was the perfect payback, much worse than any hideous death would be for the warrior. Goku would plead for death by the time this was over. The evil doctor could hardly wait to watch the warrior find himself powerless to stop this deadly virus from snatching the life from his son right in front of his eyes.

Still, no point in not making the boy sweat a little.

"So, a child for a warrior?"

"Yes! I'll take it for him!"

Gero rubbed his chin a moment, stroking his beard. "Hmmm, the son of my enemy offers a life for a life?"

"Yes!"

"An intriguing proposal, child."

Gohan looked at the scientist, his breaths coming in quick gasps. He dug his nails into his palms so hard that they drew thin lines of blood. This was a desperate attempt, even a foolish one. Who was to say that Gero would keep his side of the bargain? After all, Dr. Gero was a bad guy. He was the enemy! If his father knew what he was doing….

Gohan didn't want to think about that.

"Accepted, child."

Gohan's head snapped up, "Huh?"

"You meant your proposal, did you not?"

"Every word…"

"Then follow me."

Gohan stared after the doctor as he started to walk off slowly. Why was Gero willingly letting him into his lab? Gohan would have thought the evil genius would want to keep that secret. Still, if he was serious, if he was truly genuine about this…then that meant Daddy was safe! Gohan put a hand to his heart and took a breath, "For you, Daddy…"

He trotted after Doctor Gero as he vanished into a dark cavern in the mountainside. The door was well camouflaged. Gohan doubted he ever would have found it. He found it a little uneasy that Gero had been outside. Had he caught the doctor right before he was going to give his father the virus? Had he truly cut it that close? It made him tremble a little.

That plus it was freezing in here.

The boy looked around but this room was practically empty. Gohan had to give the evil doctor credit. He used it for evil but if he had only turned his talents to good, oh the things he could accomplish! In fact, most of their enemies were like that! If only they had used their abilities for good and not evil! He sighed but he was brought back to the moment at hand by Gero's dark voice,

"Sit there."

Gohan looked around and found only a stone chair, or what served as a chair anyway. It was more like a bunch of broken stones. This room looked like it had been built first for the lab but for whatever reason hadn't worked out. There wasn't much in here and it was really cold and felt damp, no doubt with the rain water that soaked the mountains at different times of the year. It gave the room an eerie feeling.

Sticks and rocks crunched under Gero's boots as he walked over to the boy. Gohan looked down and saw the long needle the evil scientist carried in his hand. It was filled with a dark black liquid that seemed to bubble as if it was alive. Sweat built up in his palms at what he was doing because, loyal or not, he hated needles, same as his father did.

Gero had other thoughts distracting him. This virus was his brainchild. It had taken decades to create. It was a slow acting killer that would not end one's life easily nor swiftly, precisely the reason he had chosen it to be the cause of Goku's death. However, if he surrendered it to this child, he would have to depend upon his Androids to kill Goku. That meant he would have to improve Androids Eighteen and Seventeen immensely. Still, if Goku had remained as Gero remembered him, the death of his son would be a thousand times worse than his own death since he would powerless to stop it. Yes, there were worse fates than death and that would be Son Goku's awaiting destiny.

"Take your shirt off." He ordered shortly. "If you jerk it will pierce your heart so hold still."

Gohan stripped the remains of his pajama top off, throwing it to the ground. His muscles tensed as Gero uncapped the top of the needle and the sharp point shimmered in the light. Gero would hardly be gentle as Bulma was. Gohan looked down at his chest where Gero was going to place the needle and focused his mind, trying to take it off of the present situation by memories...

Flashback

Three Years Ago…

"Daddy! Me train too!"

Goku turned around, smiling at his three year old son trotting out from the front door. He had just woken up from nap so he was full of rambunctious energy. He toddled out and Goku smirked. His three year old had apparently decided that it wasn't worth asking Mother for help because the boy only had on his shirt. He was still in diapers so he ran out to his father in a short sleeved red shirt and his diaper. Goku had to laugh to himself at it. He dropped to his knees and grasped his son around the side and tossed him up, catching him,

"Oh, you wanna train with Daddy, do you?"

"Yay!"

"Well then let's go!" Goku tucked the boy under his arm and darted out to a clearing in the woods. Goku sat on his knees and playfully threw punches at his son. The boy dodged, darting to and fro, jumping around and behind his father and jumping on his back, wrapping his arms around his neck. Goku playfully fell backward, playing as if he were being strangled. Gohan loved it.

Goku fell completely backwards, snatching his son by the ankles and flipping him upwards so he didn't land on him. Falling back into the grass, he looked at his little son who he held upside down by one of his ankles. The boy laughed, his tail twitching happily. Goku tossed him upward and caught him before he hit the ground and then gently set him on his feet.

"You're good, little man. You've been watching Daddy, haven't you?"

Gohan grinned and nodded "'Cept Daddy uses big stick."

"Big stick?"

Gohan grasped hold of the stick on his father's back, "Oh, you mean Daddy's power pole."

"Yeah!"

Goku removed the red weapon smiled at his son. "You wanna use it for a bit?"

"REALLY, DADDY?"

"Sure. But make me a promise little man."

"What?"

"I want you to ask Daddy before you use it. It's Daddy's and I wanna watch you use it. I love seeing what my little man can do."

Gohan nodded "I ask Daddy, p'omise."

Goku ruffled the boy's black hair and extended the pole a little bit and handed it to his son. "Okay, lemme see what ya got, little man."

Gohan squealed in delight and immediately tried to imitate the move s his father was always doing. He watched his father train with the intensity that a hawk eyed a mouse in the field, waiting to see if it would emerge from its hole. The boy was fascinated by what his father did and it spurred a longing in his heart to do the same but the minute he'd told his mother, she'd pounded the books on him. It irritated him.

Goku sat back against a tree, watching his son take to the pole like a fish took to water. The boy had obviously been watching him; he could tell by the way he positioned his feet. The way those boy's eyes lit up made Goku grin. Regardless of what ChiChi had planned for the boy at birth, fate was taking its own way. There was the blood of a warrior in his son and no matter what, Goku made it a goal to feed it anyway he could get away with.

Gohan got the stick lodged under a root after a moment. Pouting, he put one foot on the root and wrapped both hands around the stick and tugged. His Half Saiyan strength snapped the root, the stick shot back, nailing him in the forehead. He fell onto his backside. Dropping the stick to the ground, he sat there, stunned a moment before his big eyes welled up and he burst out crying "OWIE!"

Goku ran to his son immediately and scooped him up, looking at him with deep loving eyes. "Oh, did you get an owie, little man?"

"Big owie!" he wailed. He clasped both hands over the swelling bump in the center of his forehead. "OWIE!"

Goku sat down in the grass, sat his son on his lap, and gently moved his hands "Let Daddy see."

Sniffling, Gohan lowered his hands. Goku took on an overly pitying look and cooed "Oh, my poor baby." He kissed the bump on his son's forehead, love in his gentle embrace. "Is that better, little man or do you want a Daddy Bandage?"

"DADDY BANDAGE!" he immediately responded, his eyes sparkling like diamonds. The unshed tears made him look all the more pitiful. Goku tossed him up and set him up on his shoulder. Bounding inside, he walked past ChiChi and the Ox King speaking in the kitchen. Gohan announced "I get a Daddy Bandage, Mother! Grandpa, I get a Daddy Bandage!" He and Goku vanished into the kitchen. The Ox King turned to his daughter.

"What's a "Daddy Bandage?"

Just then, Goku walked back out, his son sitting on his shoulders. The boy had a large bowl in his hands and he announced

"Ice C'weam!"

Present

Searing pain brought Gohan back to the present. Half opening his left eye, he looked down, seeing the black liquid slowly making its way down the syringe and deep into his chest. It burned! He'd never felt such a scalding burn! He felt like someone was pouring molten tar onto his heart. His hands began to twitch and shake with the introduction of the poison. He bit his lower lip so hard that his Saiyan fangs cut into the skin, making it gush out blood.

The liquid disappeared drop by drop until Gero pulled the empty needle away and threw it onto the ground where it shattered. Gohan's body shook with tremors a moment as his body was introduced to the new foreign substance. He half expected his heart to immediately be attacked but it wasn't. In fact, the pain faded and then vanished. However, he stumbled with nausea as he stood. Gero sneered.

"The virus will attack at its own will. Our agreement is sealed, child."

Gohan nodded, leaning against the wall for support "So….my Daddy's safe…?"

"From my virus. That was our agreement."

Gohan nodded; he knew to expect Gero to still sic the androids loose. Heck, he knew Gero had weapons on him, he wondered why the doctor hadn't shot him yet. Gero had no honor and here he was practically helpless from the virus' side effects of being injected. Why wasn't the scientist doing that? Why was he just letting him walk out? He could easily kill him right here, no problem and no witnesses.

Clutching his father's power pole, tucked into his arm's wrist band, the sole piece of his gi he'd remembered to wear and only because never took them off even when he slept, he tried to draw a small bit of strength from him, some remnant of his father's strength that might be embedded in it. Apparently, there was none because his vision turned blurry and he fell onto his knees, trying to use the pole for some type of support. Tears of pain filled his eyes. The evil doctor approached but the small six year old gave into the overwhelming pain before he arrived. Darkness took his mind and he collapsed.

Gero eyed the still child. Strong child, despite his original thoughts. Any other would have passed out while the virus was being given. Yet the child had hung in for several minutes. He was definitely his father's son. That gave Gero an even more satisfied smirk. All the more it would cut into Goku's heart to see his strong son fall to something he couldn't even fight.

Yet, he could kill the child here easily. It would be easier than the trouble to toss him out the elements. However, Gero found himself throwing the child over his shoulder. What good would it do to have Goku merely find his child slaughtered? That would hardly have the desired effect. Any enemy could do that. That was a swift pain. He wanted the warrior to feel such abiding pain and anguish that death would seem to be the easy way out. He would not have that pain if his son was merely killed here.

Gero walked into the woods, a ways away from his lab, purposely placing the child in an open area of mountain so he would be easily spotted. He threw the child down on the rocks and dirt as if he were a bag of salt. The unconscious youth didn't move, even as rocks cut into his skin. Small drops of blood spilled to the ground.

Gero turned on his heels, leaving the small one exposed to the heat and wild animals.

OOO


 "Krillin!"

The human warrior flew over to his old friend, biting down his own concern. It unnerved him to see Goku's face so pale with worry. It was a rare thing to see on the Saiyan fighter. However, Krillin suspected his own face looked similar. He'd been friends with Goku since he was a little boy and now that Goku had a little boy; Krillin looked upon the little one as a nephew. It worried him too.

"Anything, Krillin?"

The ex monk shook his head "Nothing, Goku. I can't even pick up his ki."

Goku bit his lip. They'd been searching every since Goku had awoken to find his son missing. ChiChi had immediately blamed him but hadn't rejected as he took off the find the boy. She chose to remain at home, should the boy return. Goku had immediately called upon Krillin with the news and when they hadn't located the boy within a few hours, they called in Tien, Yamcha and even Bulma. The female scientist was searching a helicopter and had promised Goku she was utilizing every available resource she had.

Goku didn't care. The fact remained his son was still gone, unfound.

It tore the Saiyan to pieces. Every moment the boy was gone from his arms, his mind conjured up horrible scenarios. What if he had fallen and broken a limb? What if he'd been attacked? Had he eaten? Was he sheltered from the elements? Was he crying for his father and he was unable to help? The not knowing killed him.

"Well, keep looking! Don't stop until he's back with me!"

Krillin nodded and tore off like a shot. Goku took off in the opposite direction. Goku hadn't slept in three days, nor had he eaten, a rarity for him. He didn't even notice the hunger for once. He could have cared less at the moment. Goku tore over forests, mountains and streams, scanning for his son with both his eyes and feeling for his ki. He tried to keep calm but with each shout of his son's name, he was fighting tears.

Wait!

A brief spark of ki, brought on by pain. He concentrated and vanished from where he was, focusing on that ki. He popped back in as the ki raised and now he recognized it…yes! It was his son's! Finally! But Gohan was hurt! If Goku had been moving fast before, he now excelled to a speed that was probably only rivaled by light itself. His eyes searched the ground and caught sight of a small red pole rolling across the dusty ground…his power pole.

Landing, he snatched it up, tucking it into his gi belt and ran the way it had rolled from. He found a gathering of vultures which he shouted at. Startled by his harsh voice, they scattered and where they had been pecking lay his son. He tore over, dropping to his knees by him, gathering him up into his arms. "Gohan! Gohan, it's Daddy, talk to me!"

Skin turned dark red by the raging sun, his son's clothes were all but gone. In fact, all the boy had left that was even semi intact was his underwear. Goku stripped his gi top off and wrapped it around his son as if he were an infant again. He supported the boy against his chest, taking a canteen of water from his gi. Unscrewing the top, he gently tilted it down his son's throat.

The cool water brought some realization back to Gohan as he felt his parched throat drenched. He ached like mad, enough he couldn't repress his ki anymore. He felt so tired though, although he burned all over. Still, someone was cradling him, someone was calling to him. Was it…Daddy? Yes, he recognized the voice now. Creaking his eyes, they half opened. He blinked, trying to clear his vision.

His father's tear spattered face greeted him. "Gohan!"

"Da..Dad…"

"Shh," Goku put a finger to his son's lips. "Just rest son, Daddy's got you." He pressed the boy into his chest, gently swaying him, "Daddy's got ya…."