Note: It's at this point when the story pulls a HUGE Rated M section. I can guarantee that the Rated M parts are only limited to Tuffle thoughts and actions, and after the Baby Saga is completed, you won't ever have to endure some of the sick and twisted thoughts ever again. I just thought I should warn you that this chapter delves into Evil Gohan's thoughts, and they aren't very pretty. Don't say I didn't warn you.
CHAPTER 53:
Worth a Million Lives
"Ahhh…"
He felt dizzy, slightly disoriented as the world came into focus before him. Everything just seemed so bright, and he felt so heavy here, as if the gravity were off. Piccolo squinted and then opened his eyes a moment before groaning and leaning his head into his heads. "Where am I?"
But as he raised his head and forced his eyes to focus, they suddenly went wide with surprise when he realized where he was. He knew this place, and that was a bad thing.
"What the–!" Piccolo spun around in a circle to get a better view of Snake Way, having a hard time taking it all in. "Pan!" He grabbed his antennae as his memories started flooding back, and his heart raced as he realized she was left to fend for herself down there. "Great Kais, no!" He grabbed at his chest as his eyebrows twitched and he found it hard to breathe, "I have to get back there! I have to go back!"
A blue demon approached him wearing black-rimmed glasses and a casual purple business suit. The demon was looking down at some sheet of paper, holding a pencil in his hand as he said in a bored, monotone and high-pitched nasal voice, "Wyelcome tyo Otherworld. Your nyumber is 435," the demon yawned and then looked as if he were about to pass him, but Piccolo growled and grabbed him by the collar.
"What did you say!" Piccolo gruffly snarled, "Get me to the front of this line, NOW!"
The demon sighed and rolled his eyes, "I'm syorry, Number 435, but everyone has to wait in lyine."
"You wanna BET?" Piccolo roared, his eyes flaring in anger as his ki rose enough to cause the demon's collar to sizzle in Piccolo's grasp.
"I–I..." The blue demon's eyes went wide in fright, "I'm jyust doin' my jyob, sir!"
"Augh, you're a waste of my time." Piccolo dropped the demon and began walking forward in rapid strides, passing small clouds by the dozens with every few steps.
"Sir! Sir!" The blue demon ran after him, holding a pencil in the air, "You cyan't cut in lyine, sir!"
"Get lost!" Piccolo ignored him and continued to walk forward with a determined scowl on his face.
"Sir! Sir!" The demon followed after him, and his calls ended up gaining the attention of several demons before Piccolo who perked up to notice the green Namek cutting the line. Soon, a whole group of demons was trying to ward him off, trying to block him as he pushed his way through, each shouting "Sir!" as if for some reason he were not able to hear them.
"Get OFF of me!" Piccolo threw some demons ahead of him and snarled, "I'm going to the damn Guardian line!"
"Sir!" A blue demon wearing a white dress sporting 'YAMA' on her chest stepped forward with an anxious frown, "That line is under repair!"
"REPAIR?" Piccolo snapped, "Augh! You guys are a bunch of idiots! I need to see King Yemma, NOW!"
"What's going on here?" Another blue demon stepped out wearing a business suit, "What's all this commotion?"
"Please, Sir," the female frowned, "Let us get you a cappuccino while you wait!"
"Sir, you hyave to get back in lyine!"
The voices seemed to come from everywhere as more and more demons came out to restrain him, "Sir, you aren't allowed to cut in line."; "You have to wait for your number to be called!"; "The Guardian line is out of order!"; "Please have patience and get back in line!"; "Sir, you need to calm down!"; "Easy there, beautiful, we'll get to you soon!"
"Would you guys just SHUT UP!" Piccolo snarled as he flared his ki and readied a ki blast, "I don't have time for this! Get out of the way, NOW!"
"Sir!" Their voices got more frantic as their annoying little hands reached out for him, "Sir! Sir! Sir!"
Piccolo snapped and brought his hands before him shouting, "HYAA–!"
But in a split moment before he released it, something whizzed before him in a nanosecond, not even a fraction's worth of blinking time, and whisked him off of Snake Way. It was so fast, Piccolo didn't even register it in his mind when a new grassy world emerged before him.
"–AAAHH!" Piccolo finished his shout and a blue fire ball of energy shot forth from his hands, whistling through the air as the grass sizzled beneath it.
"WOAH!" A figure jumped out the way in time as the energy blast flew right by him and right through a hill, causing a hole in grassy mound.
There was a huge explosion from beyond the hill, KABOOM! as fire shot out from everywhere and smoke rose in a large mushroom cloud.
Piccolo blinked a moment as his mind registered that he was in an entirely new place and stepped back a moment in surprise. His eyes unfocused for a second, but when a small piece of scrap metal landed on his shoulder, he blinked again and watched all kinds of nuts and bolts begin to rain from the sky.
"What the–?"
"Wow!" The boy jumped up in front of him and looked over the hill, "He did it!"
Piccolo blinked again and shook his head, still very confused, "What, huh?" He frowned and peered at the boy, "Goku?"
"Oh NO! Oh no, no, no!" Ancient Kai raised his hands and ran toward the hill, "My lawnmower!"
"Huh?" Piccolo spun around and widened his eyes, "Kibito?"
"Wow! Remarkable!" Kibito Kai stepped past Piccolo and went to go look over the hill, "What great aim!"
Piccolo stepped back a moment, shaking his head and tearing at his antennae, "What's going ON? How the hell did I get back here" His anxiety had been temporarily forgotten by his shock, but looking around and remembering what was happening down on earth made him snap out of it and panic again.
"Oh," Goku turned to see Piccolo, "Well, Kibito Kai went to get you when we sensed your en–"
"–No time!" Piccolo frantically ran forward and desperately grabbed Goku by the gi, "You have to get back to Earth! You have to save her!"
"Calm down, Piccolo, who?" Goku frowned.
"PAN!" Piccolo began to shake Goku violently, "You have to help her! Gohan's going to murder her!"
"WHAT?" Goku raised his eyebrows, "Since when?"
"Augh!" Piccolo dropped Goku like a lead weight, "Just get down there and help her!"
"No, no, no!" Ancient Kai ran toward them and stopped with his hands behind his back, "That won't do. Goku is still training!" The old Kai coughed and shook his head, "He still needs more time."
"Yeah, Piccolo," Goku frowned and tilted his head, "I'm sure Pan can handle herself just fine."
"You…" Piccolo panted and doubled over, leaning his hands on his knees, "You don't understand. She's critically injured, I…" Piccolo brought his hands over his face, "I killed her! I can't believe it… It's because of me… I killed her!"
"Calm down, Piccolo," Goku walked up with a slight smile and patted his back reassuringly, "If I know my granddaughter, it'll take more than an injury to kill her."
"Augh," Piccolo clenched his hands and grinded his teeth, feeling a sickness at the pit of his stomach. He looked away and stepped back as he brought up his fists and covered his eyes, "What have I done. What… What have I done…"
–––––––
The battle raged on as the Earth shook below them. The renewed sunlight shone upon a brown world covered in craters, black ash, debris, mud, blood, and dying fires as they flew at each other, teeth bared as they swung with powerful fists, missing as the other dodged and vanished behind them. Some crows cawed in the distance as Gohan stepped back and growled angrily at the girl before him.
He hated her. He hated her since she was born, since the first words she spoke, since the first steps she made. He loathed her. He tolerated her because he tolerated his wife. They never understood him, especially his shameful daughter. He needed to be rid of her. He needed to rid that taint in his life, the last connection to ever being a Saiyan, curse that word.
But even more than that, he needed to please Lord Baby. The very thought of his master coursed renewed power through his veins as he was swarmed with love and devotion. If he couldn't kill the Saiyan in honor of himself, he would do it to please his master, Lord Baby. He would prove himself to be the faithful servant he vowed to always be.
"You bastard!" the Saiyan dove at him, her black hair so stiff that even the mightiest wind couldn't budge it, "You're going to pay!"
Gohan tilted his head to dodge her blast and then elbowed her in the side, sending her several meters off as he rose to the air. He smirked at her bleeding form, knowing she was only wearing herself down with all her efforts to fight him. He enjoyed watching her bleed. The thought of being able to savor that blood made his skin crawl with temptation. He would make her bleed more, and then he would relish in her death. The thought of this caused his smile to grow even more until he felt himself cackle with anticipation.
"I'm going to make you SUFFER for killing him!"
Gohan's eyes narrowed as he found her pathetic voice to be somewhat annoying.
"Oh SHUT UP," Gohan's smile dropped to a scowl, "The Namek is old news."
"Well, I've got new NEWS for you, Gohan," the Saiyan dove at him again with her fists, but as he parried, she spun and released a kick. He caught her leg and twisted it, hearing her scream in pain. As he released her, he flew back and threw a blast at her, which she deflected with tears in her eyes, "After I'm done with you, I'm going to be killing your pathetic little Baby."
"Heheheh," Gohan smirked dangerously, "You wouldn't get far."
The Saiyan suddenly brought her hands before her and screamed some attack name over the wind, but she was far too slow. Gohan saw it coming and with a loud, "HAAA!" he deflected it upward, phased out, reappeared before the blast and knocked it down toward her. The Saiyan looked up in time to see the blast coming and jumped out of the way, flying low to the ground as she made some distance.
"I'm coming for you," Gohan sneered as he followed her through the sky, every once in a while throwing a series of blasts toward her as she flew below him by several hundred feet.
He was still getting over the shock at her rise in power. Before Piccolo died, she had been at zero power. She had barely been able to stand and fight, and it would have been almost too easy to kill her. Gohan narrowed his eyes as he watched the brat fly below him. He should have known that Piccolo had taught her to hide her true power like that. He wouldn't ever fall for her tricks again.
It was also at this point that he was still thanking all Tuffles that Piccolo had wounded the girl when he did. Otherwise, she'd be putting up a pretty tough time. However, he could see that she was slowing down. Even though she tried to hide it, she was no doubt in serious pain. And even if she weren't, that wound was eventually going to kill her. All he had to do was buy some time if he wanted her to die assuredly. But something in his mind nagged him to finish her off now, to end her pain so she wouldn't suffer any more. Either way, she would end up dead, so he really didn't give much care to his conflicting thoughts.
God, and Great Lord of Tuffles, Gohan hated her. She gave him nothing but grief, and all he could think about was tearing her head off her shoulders and ripping her limbs off one by one. It helped ease his frustration that the Namek was finally dead. God, the Namek was annoying. Hopefully, this time, the Namek would stay dead.
His smirk returned to his face as he plummeted toward the Saiyan and began to fight her again. The more he thought about it, the more delighted he was about the fact that the Namek was gone. Now, he would be able to go to Lord Baby and tell him he killed off the last of the Z fighters as well. With Goku already dead, Piccolo marked the last of them. Well, except for Master Roshi, somewhat.
The thought of how Master Roshi had been able to elude their searches swiped the smirk off Gohan's face. However, it really didn't matter that Roshi had not become a Tuffle yet. Lord Baby would probably sentence him to a tortuous death for being the opposite of what a true Tuffle should act like, and as far as Gohan personally was concerned, Lord Baby could do whatever he wanted, and he didn't care about anything except his mission.
And his mission was giving him a hard time.
It had been giving him a hard time for a while. The more he thought about it, the more he wondered why he waited so long to hunt out the Saiyan and kill her. It wasn't like he forgot about his mission. It was more like… Yes, Gohan cackled slightly as he dodged a fist, I wanted a challenge. He wanted the last Saiyan to go down with a dramatic finish. He wanted to feel the rush of holding her up by the neck and squeezing, feeling her life drain before him.
His body shivered in sadistic pleasure as his hard-on throbbed against his thigh. Just the thought of her death turned him on beyond words.
As he caught one of her fists, he threw her over his head and spun around to backhand her across the face. She flew backward several meters and he followed suit, focusing more power into his inertia, but as they flew, she continued to fly back and he missed her as she would evade his punches.
He noticed the Saiyan continually glancing down, and as he flew back, he allowed himself a split second to take his eyes off the rat. What he saw down there made him grin as the lust for blood rose in him. He had another idea to hurt her, and it gave him a new surge of power to know he had the upper hand.
By this point, he was getting tired. He had endured a great deal, but no matter how powerful his state, he knew his body was going to wear down. It didn't matter, though, however tired he got. He was still saving his trump card. He grinned at the thought. He wanted to see her suffer. He was going to make her suffer, and then when she saw the move he was going to pull, he wanted to see terror in her eyes – the look of defeat when she'd realize there was no hope.
God, there nothing that got him off more than the thought that he'd be intimidating her. And one look at the town below made him realize he'd once again gain a valuable card to his hand.
He stopped in mid-air as he grinned at her, feeling a swarm of power to his being. It was always a good feeling knowing you were going to win, no matter what; and an even better feeling, knowing how Lord Baby was going to be so proud of him. He almost closed his eyes in pure bliss at the thought. He loved Lord Baby. He loved him because he was the perfect master. And he hated the Saiyan. He wanted to make her suffer.
Gohan smirked as he looked her in the eye, his damp blonde hair still stiff in the gentle breeze.
"I have to tell you of a great vision," he began.
The Saiyan spit as she balled her fists before her, "Save it for King Yemma."
"The Tuffles," he smirked darkly as he held up his right hand, "the most powerful race…"
"You're only powerful because you possess people!"
"Yes!"Gohan cackled confidently and held out his arms, "We Tuffles will spread! Take over the universe! We will all become uniform – one being." Gohan grinned darkly to her as he felt a triumphant chuckle rise in his chest, "And there will be no Saiyans. The universe," he spread his hands to indicate how large, "will be in perfect balance."
The Saiyan narrowed her eyes as purple lightning crackled around her, "You're sick."
"Your death contributes to this balance, Saiyan." Gohan felt like he could spit on the word, "Your death is a gift to our lives!"
"What lives?" the Saiyan growled, "You don't have a life of your own! You are a slave to Baby's orders." She winced slightly and brought her right hand to cover the bleeding injury in her lower abdomen, "And the only way you can get your life back is if you die, Gohan!" She brought her bloodied hands before her and shrieked, "So DIE!"
The purple lightning gathered around her and concentrated on her hands, creating a large violet ball of energy that continued to collect power, getting larger and larger. As Gohan watched it grow, his smirk deepened. And as the ball grew to the size of a gigantic boulder, he flew back and spit on his hands, rubbing them together as he prepared to play with her ball of destruction.
"Yes!" He laughed maniacally, glancing at the ground below again, "Give it all your energy! Hit me with everything you've got!"
The Saiyan's hair began to move to an invisible breeze as her ki went from yellow to a bright red. Her eyes reflected the fiery aura around her as she scowled and lowered her head menacingly. "You killed Piccolo… You killed my father…" Her nose crinkled as she sneered in hatred, "This is the end of the road for you, Gohan. This ends now!"
And with a great burst of power, the Saiyan screamed out "HAAAAAA!" and released her attack upon Gohan.
Gohan held his arms above him, readying for the blast with his hands clenched together, his hair wild as the air before the blast whipped by his face. He powered up as high as he could as he shouted above the blast, and with powerful arms, he focused all his ki into his palms.
And with a loud, "HYAAAA!" Gohan knuckle-hammered the wave to the small country town below.
The blast hit the town with a tremendous impact that sent a shock wave across all the land. It was a magnificent sight; one of the most beautiful sights Gohan had ever seen. He could practically hear everyone's screams before they had been incinerated, and it made his blood heated as he cackled with a distorted lust for pain and suffering.
"Ahhh!" The Saiyan screamed as she watched the remains of the town burn to ash. Smoke was rising from the destruction in thickets as any last survivors were struggling to escape. "You… You monster!"
Gohan found her last statement especially humorous, and burst into laughter at the thought. This was all too funny. It was all just one big game to him, and she had no idea. She had no idea, he was just toying with her. He narrowed his eyes as he cackled through a smirk. He wanted to see her crash and burn. He wanted to hear her scream.
"You…" Gohan grinned darkly, his hands clenching before him, "Have no idea…" his eyes flashed, "how much of a monster I can be."
The pathetic Saiyan girl seemed to choke on something as she clutched her chest, and then brought her hands to her face to wipe away forming tears. "But…" She shook her head and then stopped to bare her fangs at him, her eyes glaring through pure anger and hate, "But those were Tuffles! Those were your own people!"
"Heheheh…" Gohan smirked haughtily as he lowered his head to glare at her. "Your death…" He slowly brought his hands in front of him, "is worth more…" he went slowly, so his sank in deep, "than a MILLION… Tuffle lives."
The Saiyan brat flew back, choking again as her face trembled, "Y-You're sick! You're insane!"
Gohan's head rolled back as he cackled gleefully. She had no idea what was coming to her.
"You're going to PAY!" The Saiyan seethed as she powered up even more, her hair being lifted by some unseen force as tears streamed down her cheek, "I'm going to make you pay for what you've done to everyone!"
Gohan smirked and rubbed his shirt pocket making sure his precious item was still there. "Heheheh," he grinned. She really had no idea, no idea at all…
–––––––
"No!" Piccolo clawed the grass as he watched Gohan's actions through the Mystic ball. "No, it can't be!" He felt his breath catch as he realized what that was.
"Yes, I'm afraid it's true," Ancient Kai bent over with his hands behind his back, his eyes glued to the ball with a concerned frown. "Gohan…is carrying a sensu bean."
––––––––
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–5/22/05–
Note: As a quick note to a lot of my reviewers who want me to "bring Trunks back," you really need to have patience. I intend to write a sequence in Chapter 55 that deals with Trunks, and several chapters after that, Trunks will be re-enter, and be reverted back to his old self shortly afterward. I have one more chapter of my Evil Gohan sub-saga and then I'll be moving on with the story. Don't worry, folks -grin- I haven't forgotten about Trunks -grin-
Note 2: BlueMiracle51, I need your email address. I've tried to send you various emails in response to your reviews, but your email address is wrong on your ffnet bio.
Note 3: Also, Aaliyah - Trunks and Pan are never going to face off. I don't know where you got some impression they'd be doing that. And this goes for everyone: Trunks is currently on the Planet Tuffle. There's no way he'd be able to interfere with Gohan vs. Pan at the moment. Granted, he may (hint hint) interfere in the future, but at the moment, it's impossible for him to get back to Earth in time to save her. In fact, he's probably sleeping right now, or at least trying to.
Note 4: And Zhealy, you inspired me to plan out a Goten vs. Trunks scene -grin- See? Review suggestions never hurt anyone... except Tuffles of course -grin-
