A/N: Okay, it took me a long, long time to finish and I know there no real excuse for a writer's block, but I can only hope that it would be smoother with the next chapters… But now I don't want to let you wait any longer! Have fun!

Chapter 34: Striking back

Son Goku had barely managed to dampen the impact with the ground by crouching down and rolling to his side. The bones in his body protested and agonizing pain shot through his weakened legs, but fortunately, it did not seem as if he had broken something. The shot was still ringing in his ears. He did not know who had fired the bullet that cut the rope and therewith saved his life, but he was in this person's debt. Rolling over his side on the knees, he tried to get up again. Pain shot through his bruised ribs and he gritted his teeth to suppress a groan.

He shook his head to get rid from the dizziness and looked up. From his current position, he could not see much, for the shot had caused a mass panic that whirled up a lot of sand and dust that was burning in his eyes. The only thing he could make out were screaming and running people, probably trying to flee, while guards and soldiers were trying to find the source of this chaos. Squinting with his eyes, he hoped to see if any guards were close, while he was trying to wriggle his hands out of the bounds, when suddenly he saw one figure clad in a hooded cape advancing towards him. Not knowing if this person was friend or foe, Goku braced himself, ready to defend himself as long as possible, even though his hands were bound.

With tensed muscles, Goku watched as this person arrived at the gallows and bowed lightly as not to hit his head, while going under it. "Don't worry," the person, which, according to the voice, was definitely a woman, said, as she knelt down next to him. She pulled the hood back and aqua-colored hair fell out of it. Goku could not believe his eyes, as he stared into the ones of his oldest friend. He wanted to say something, but Bulma silenced him by putting a finger on his lips, shaking her head. "There's no time to talk, Son Goku," she said hurriedly. "We have to free our friends, before they hang."

Goku suddenly noticed the knife lying in her hand and watched how she bent behind him to cut the ropes binding his hands. "Bulma…" he mumbled, rubbing his wrists, even more astonished than before. "I… how…."

She waved him off. "Later… You have a weapon?" Goku shook his head and in the next moment felt the handle of a knife in his right hand that Bulma had slipped him. "You feel good enough to fight?" A nod. "Good. Go. I'll meet up with you later."

He rested his free hand on her arm, stopping her. She only looked at him apologizing, before throwing a quick glance towards a figure clad in a black cape. This figure was fighting off some of Frieza's soldiers that were attacking him. Goku followed her gaze and his eyes rested on that person just as it dodged an attack and the hood of the cape fell off. For the second time since the fight began, the sailor could not believe his eyes. It was Vegeta.

His whole body tensed, as he felt his rage and hate towards this Saiyajin flare up. He wanted to get up and face Vegeta, when he was stopped. This time it was Bulma's soft hand resting on his and when he turned to look at her, he saw her looking at him almost pleadingly. Goku could swear that he also saw something else in her eyes, but could not say what.

"Don't," she said softly, but sternly. "Right now you have a common goal – defeating Frieza. You have to work together in this or you'll fail." Upon seeing the determined look on his friend's face, he could only nod, knowing somehow that she was right. "Good. But now we have to free the others."

Son Goku only nodded again and watched as Bulma left him to charge at executioner that was storming down Bardock's gallows to join in the fight that was breaking out. The hangman did not suspect that this small woman might be dangerous and that was his downfall. Goku himself would not have suspected what had happened next. Instead of baiting him away from the gallows, she lunged at the unwary man with a second knife, jumped and slit his throat. The young sailor cringed as the blood splattered all over Bulma and the man sank to the ground. He saw the shaking hands of his friend, but also noticed the resolve on her face, as she bent down to relieve the body of sword and pistol. Bulma turned to him with a forced smile on her face to reassure him that she was alright and that he should hurry to free the others, before stealthily mounting the gallows and cutting the noose around Bardock's neck and the ties around his wrists.

Finally, when he saw that his father was free and he and Bulma were waving at him, Goku hurried over to the gallows to his right. Fortunately, no one was paying the prisoners any heed, since the other executioners had all joined the chaos below, so it was a piece of cake for him to climb the gallows and remain undetected. Before he freed ChiChi, however, he motioned for Bulma and Bardock, who were just running behind the gallows he was standing on, to wait for him.

ChiChi looked at him with disbelieving eyes, as Goku cut the ropes and gathered her into his arms. He walked over to the edge of the gallows and jumped down, placing her on her feet. But she did not want to let go of his neck. For a short moment, he still held her tightly, but turning part of his attention to Bulma while doing so. "Do you think you can free Dende?"

"Of course," Bulma answered and tightened the grip around the knife in her hand. Both the sword and the pistol were safely stored away in the belt of her dress.

"Good, bring him here." He watched how Bulma darted in the shadows to the gallows Dende was standing on before turning his full attention back to ChiChi. "Chi," he said, gently breaking the embrace. He could clearly see the fear in her face and he could not help but softly stroking her cheek. "Please, listen now closely. As soon as Bulma is back with Dende, I want the three of you and Bardock to go into hiding until this fight is over. But if," he swallowed hard, "if it looks like we are losing the fight, you have to find a harbor and a ship that will take you away from this island."

"No…" ChiChi shook her head fervently. "I won't go. I don't want to lose you so soon after finding you again."

Goku closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. If he were honest with himself, he would not want her to leave either. Now, after having spent a couple of days with his father and having heard enough about Saiyajins to make his own judgment, he had finally accepted himself for what he is. A Saiyajin, but not evil. His grandfather had once told him that it is a man's choices that will show him what he truly is, far more than his abilities. And he had been right. Goku now could fully embrace the Saiyajin in him without having to worry again. He wanted to be with ChiChi, finally make her his wife and be a father to… Gohan. He had almost forgotten about him.

Opening his eyes, he threw a look to the podium Frieza was standing on and shouting orders to his soldiers, but the boy was nowhere to be seen. Hoping that it was a good sign, he looked around and saw Bulma and Dende running towards them. He breathed a sigh of relief, when they stopped in front of him, unharmed. "Okay," he said, his voice sounding strong and determined. "I just told ChiChi and Bardock what I want you to do. First hide and then one of them can fill you in."

"But Goku…" Bulma started to protest, was however cut off by the sailor.

"No buts, Bulma. I know you had fencing lessons at home and god knows that you know how to use a sword. I count on you and Bardock to protect them, can you do that?" When Bulma nodded, her lips pressed to a thin line, telling him that she did not approve of it and only followed his orders because he was her friend and knew how important ChiChi was to him. "Bardock, I daresay you also still know how to fight."

"I hope, son, but I'll do my best," Bardock answered and straightened his posture. He suddenly looked at lot more imposing with his back straightened and a determined expression on his face, even though he still only looked like skin and bones. The spirit of a true Saiyajin had again awoken in him.

"That's all I want to hear, father." Goku smiled at him and then turned to ChiChi. Silent tears were running down her cheeks and she looked to the ground. He lifted her chin and handed her the knife Bulma had given him. "Take this."

"Goku, I won't leave…" She was silenced, when Goku's lips crushed on hers, putting every single of his emotions into this one kiss. It seemed like an eternity until they broke apart, but it was in reality only a couple of seconds.

Goku gently wiped the tears from her face and said, "I love you", before he turned his back to them and sprinted into the crowd.

"Come, ChiChi," Bulma said, as she took her friend's hand and pulled her away from the fights, followed by Bardock and Dende.

Son Goku grabbed the first soldier, who had the misfortune of stumbling across him and strangled him until he was unconscious. Searching for weapons, the Saiyajin found a sword and a pistol and stuck the pistol into the belt, while he tightly held the handle of the sword. A quick sweep around told him that no one had noticed him and he was off helping the rest of his friends. Everyone except for Krillin and Piccolo was rather dumbfounded to find their lives saved by someone they had believed dead. They demanded explanations, but Goku cut them off, only telling them to go down and take out as many of Frieza's soldiers as they can or to flee, if they are outnumbered.

"But what will you do?" Krillin asked, as he was rubbing his free wrists at last and saw that the others were already mingling with the crowd, even Juuhachigou.

"I'll go straight to Frieza and hopefully defeat him," Goku said seriously. "If anything happens to me, take the others and run. I name you Captain of the Kintoun. You will be good for her."

"Uhm, Goku," the bald sailor scratched his head. "Now is probably not the best time to tell you, but the Kintoun was destroyed completely in the storm."

A flicker of sadness passed Goku's face, but he covered the sadness of his lost ship with a grin. "Well, then, why don't you find yourself a nice girl and settle down?"

"Sounds good. Do you think I can still catch up to the number of soldiers Tenshinhan has taken down already?" Krillin asked almost conversationally, as if there was not a fight going on and as if their lives did not depend on the outcome of it.

"If you hurry, everything is possible." Both sailors looked at each other before shaking their hands, hard. "Don't die."

"The same goes for you."

"Oh, I almost forgot… If I don't make it, tell Chikyuu, I'm sorry. You know how she can bear a grudge."

"I know."

They grinned, then jumped to the ground and went separate ways – Krillin to join his friends in the crowd and Goku to face Frieza.

The moment the shot rang through the air and hell broke loose among the villagers and soldiers, was the moment that Gohan had been waiting for the whole time. Finally he could drop this act and finally, he would be of help. He had wanted to step in earlier, while the death sentence had been read, but then he had noticed the two strangers and with his sharp eyes had seen a bit of blue hair and the glinting of metal in the sunlight. Frieza had told him that very morning that no stranger was allowed to wear a weapon in this village and on the grounds of his palace, so it meant that those two strangers were either allies to Frieza or enemies of him, who had found a way past the guards. And thanks to the long blue hair, Gohan knew that it was the latter.

With Frieza's attention and the attention of everyone else at his side paid to the growing chaos in front of the gallows, Gohan easily managed to relieve one of the soldiers of his sword and stuck it into his owner's abdomen. He cringed at the sickening sound of the blade cutting through flesh – it reminded him too much of his fight against Cell – but knew that it needed to be done. It was the soldier's life or his own.

Grabbing the bloodied sword tightly, Gohan pulled it out of the soldier, who then collapsed. It was only then that Frieza noticed him with a somewhat shocked expression on his face. Gohan only saluted him with a smirk on his face that clearly said, "Did you really think that I would betray my friends?" He jumped down and disappeared in the crowd, sword poised, with a lighter heart. The guilt that had been plaguing him since he had started this charade for abandoning his friends, even if it was for a good cause, had vanished completely, because now he would openly fight by their side.

Frieza snarled angrily. This little brat had fooled him! Him! He had seen the power in this boy, his future! And all the time it had just been an act! Never, never had he felt so affronted! He had been played by a child! A child! "Radditz, Nappa! Get him!" Frieza bellowed. "Do what you want with him, but I want him alive and conscious!"

Panting hard due to the anger in his body, Frieza continued to shout out orders to his other soldiers, slowly starting to think that it probably would be better, if he took matters into his own hands, when he spotted the former prisoners fighting his men. His gaze swept over the gallows and rested on the first one, where Son Goku and his first mate, if he remembered correctly, were talking. Frieza raised an eyebrow. It seemed that they were joking, if he interpreted the grins on their faces correctly. How dare they! His eyes narrowed to slits, he watched how the two sailors shook hands, grinned again at each other and then split up.

Frieza's mood, however, improved again, when he saw Son Goku walking directly towards him with a hard look on his face. His lips curled up into a sadistic smirk and he jumped down from the podium. Not only would he find out how strong this famous sailor really was – he would have somehow regretted it, if he had hung with the others – and if Nappa and Radditz brought the boy back in time, he could watch his father suffer and die slowly and painfully, before he himself would be exposed to numerous amounts of torture until the little boy's body and mind would be broken.