Disclaimer, in case it wasn't obvious. I don't own Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, or really any other property. Thank you.

The Long Road

Chapter 24: Erosion

Gohan:

It was incredibly strange to stand there for a moment, looming over the body of a woman he barely knew, who was near death, and who was the mother of your daughter. A daughter which Gohan had never asked for, and reasonably really was almost afraid to know. Even despite that, just knowing the girl had been watching her mother be beaten to death was enough to push him to action. It was something Gohan hated, just the idea he was so moved by a little girl he'd only met earlier that day. It was something which now caused his stomach to churn.

All today was supposed to have been was some tournament Piccolo wanted to go to. Now, he'd reunited with his family, and met a family he'd never known about. But it was more then that, it was worse in so many ways. He met the family he never wanted. A shell of a woman, someone obsessed with everything he wanted to get away from in his life, and someone who resented him. The fact she resented him for reasonably good reasons, only added to it. The little girl he'd met, the one that was just so pleased to finally meet someone like herself, was something he had even more trouble handling. If it'd just been Videl, well, that would have been easy.

Right now, her body would lay dead in the ring, and he'd have thought little of it.

Instead, his daughter had reminded him of his own pain, his own failings. He remembered now as clearly as if it'd happened, and it burned even at this moment. He felt like he almost failed to save his own father. It was like there was almost something he could have done, some thing he could have pushed past to save his father from Raditz. The crime Gohan saw, was that all those years ago. He'd been a scared little child. His weakness lead to his father's suffering, and his own. Years in space, years being tempered by the fires of competition and violence, years not even realizing who he was, or where he was. Perhaps he would even now see the world in a simpler, better way.

When the woman was being beaten to death, he could almost sense that his daughter would relive the terrible moment he had all those years ago. It was something he couldn't let her relive, and broke through the haze of memories which clouded his own mind. The pain which had clouded so much of what had come before the planet trade. Even if only a fraction of it had been blown away, he remembered his father as he'd been, even for a brief moment, before everything had been lost. Goku, his father.

Even now the words didn't seem to fit correctly.

The door behind him opened. For a second he thought he'd been standing there for an eternity, but it was only a few moments it would seem. The small frame that was the first through the door was the object of his attention. Pan rushed to her mother's side without a word as she immediately grabbed at her hand. It was only a quick reaction from Gohan, grabbing the child's shoulder and stepping back with her, which prevented her from grasping at the unconscious, broken woman.

Immediately, the little girl's head shot up, looking at him with big black eyes. It was uncomfortable with her looking at him, if only because he knew how he tied into her lineage. For most of his existence, he'd lived with the knowledge that he was it, the last Saiyan. Then he met his father, his brother, Vegeta, and his bratty spoiled punk kid. But this was different then just meeting another Saiyan, this was his daughter.

"You're mother's hurt," Gohan said, stating the painfully obvious. "Grabbing at her will only make her injuries worse. The doctors will tend to her."

It wasn't hard to notice the tears welling in the little girl's eyes. It was something Gohan hadn't noticed until they began to swell and almost spill. A crying child was not what he wanted to deal with right now.

"B-b-but s-sh-she's gonna be alright, right?" she choked, her little voice trembling. "I don't want mom to be hurt."

"That's what the doctor is for," Gohan responded, his patience truly being tested as he looked at her critically. It wasn't hard to figure out. "Let them take care of her, just stay here or something, alright?"

Releasing her shoulder a moment later, Gohan awkwardly stepped back, turning towards the door. He really didn't want to be inside this room once the crazy bitch on the bed woke up. Given their colourful history, it seemed all the wiser.

"You saved my mommy," Pan then said, her voice sounding relieved, perhaps even hopeful.

It took Gohan only a moment to turn about and as soon as he did, two little arms wrapped around his waist as she buried her face into his abdomen in some kind of appreciative gesture, a hug no less. If Gohan had been a warmer man, he'd have let out a genuine smile. Instead he frowned with anxiety. Getting close to the kid was a mistake, a big mistake. Worse, there was a part of him that wished he did get to get to know her, that he got involved in her life. But then there was the overwhelming force of the rest of his psyche.

One point was he didn't ask to have some kid, whether they had a tail or not. The next point was very cynical. This kid would get in his way, a lot. Then there was the added fact he'd have to interact with the mother, yet more of a nightmare given her clearly fragile mental state. No, this was a trainwreck, and he didn't want to get involved in another train wreck. Making sure his daughter was okay was as good it was going to get. Saving her from unnecessary trauma was the gift he bestowed on her, and little else.

"Thank you," Pan then murmured, her voice sounding muffled by his shirt. "Thank you so much for saving my mommy. I don't have anyone else."

For all his cynicism and lack of empathy, even Gohan felt his heart sink at the last words. The frown he wore stretched further as he looked down at her, still hearing her quietly sob. It was a mixture of joy, and sorrow that the girl expressed. It was something children on this world were supposed to not be accustomed to. For him, it just reminded him of his first days, the days before he let everything go and began his journey towards what he was. It was impossible not to feel for her. Despite resisting the impulse at first, he reached his hand over, and ruffled her hair.

"Well, you've got me kid, at least sometimes," Gohan said, his tail swishing behind him as he spoke.

When her little face turned up, her eyes red and puffy from the tears she'd left behind on his shirt, she just gazed up at him, looking at him like he was some kind of hero. It was terrifying, to realize in that moment she was looking up to him, and not just in a physical sense. His heart raced for a brief moment at the realization, before a noise came from outside in the Hall.

Looking up, the door opened as three figures moved to enter, looking as though they'd been arguing. One was someone Gohan was able to recognize almost immediately. An annoyed noise left his nostrils.

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One Year Earlier:

It was remarkable, looking down at crowds of people flocked around one weakling. Supposedly, this was the strongest fighter in the entire world, the one who struck down the creature known as Cell. The reality of the matter was, of course, that Kakarot, Vegeta, and Piccolo had been the chief architects and instigators of the creature's demise. Gohan had only seen several pictures of the 'terror' that ran over them. He looked like Cooler almost, which was fascinating.

But right now, he was hardly fixated on Cell, but on this pitiful, strange creature making a fool of himself.

Looking over to Piccolo, his arms crossed.

"Why are we stopping here exactly? I thought you said you wanted to train," Gohan said, his voice grated with irritation at being drawn away to this buffoon.

"Heh, Mister Satan may be irresponsible scum, but he has his uses. I'm just checking in on him to make sure the idiot doesn't drag himself into a fight he'll get killed in," the Namekian responded, only further confusing Gohan. Why the Hell would anyone look out for this moron?

"Let him get killed then," Gohan scoffed. "If he loses he's hardly worth keeping alive."

An annoyed look was cast in his direction, telling him immediately that he'd chosen his words poorly.

"We use Mister Satan as a cover for our actions," Piccolo said. "We did so with Cell, and we did so with Bojack. It keeps the regular people of this planet in a state where they won't constantly seek us out, and allows us to move about more freely. Don't push the issue."

So, they let this man be the front to their organization? It was both fascinating, and revolting. Somehow, it seemed more revolting.

With a disgusted half glance down at this "Mister Satan", Gohan rolled his eyes.

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"Now you see here! You'll let me see my daughter this instant or-"

"Be quiet you oaf! My student is-"

"-Perhaps we should just kill him-"

"Kill me! Hah! Toothpick! I'm the World Champ! You're just some Robot Man!"

"SHUT UP!" Gohan shouted at the three figures in front of him, causing the cyborg and old man to freeze immediately.

It was clear that they'd seen what he did to the big bald headed freak in the ring. It was painfully obvious that both of them were stronger then the "World Champion" as well, but that was something for another time. Right now, he needed to get back to the arena's proper area for his fight with Vegeta's brat. They were not helping things by being in his way, and worse, potentially distressing the situation he was immediately in.

But the look of shock on the bearded man's face also told him exactly what was going through his head. The fact that Satan was looking at Pan, rather then at him, made him uncomfortable. Instinctively, he stepped forward to cover Pan, looking back at the large human figure.

Shit, I don't have time for this, I've got to get to my match.

"Pan?" the 'World Champion' said, sounding almost shocked. "It's sure great to finally meet you, Pan. I'm Mister Satan, and I've wanted to meet you since-"

"Save it," Gohan cut in, his eyes narrowing. "Everyone whose not the girl, or her mother, or that stupid looking doctor over there, is leaving the room right now."

And I've gotta get out of here too.

But that was the moment the champ seemed to muster up his fury, his face twisting into one of pure anger.

"Now you listen here, bud! I'm Mister Satan, and this is my grand daughter. I'm the one who belongs here, oh yea! You're nothin' but a weaselly little monkey! Now you scram before the champ-"

It was almost instant. Gohan's hand shot out, grasping the champ by the throat and pulling him into the air. His legs kicked out desperately, hitting Gohan's chest to no effect as his face twisted with pain and desperation.

Pan backed away, watching the older man struggle, but Gohan didn't turn immediate attention to that.

"I am in a very bad mood, 'champ'," Gohan said, his voice cold and almost lifeless. "If you-"

"Dad?" a weak voice murmured from behind him.

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Videl:

Every few moments caused the world to shift between a world of consciousness and dull pain, and the drifting currents of dreams. In her waking flashes, she had seen the giant felled by the Saiyan she'd met years ago. It seemed completely fantastical, a complete work of fiction. The truth was she knew what this selfish, brutish beast was like, and it didn't fit his behaviour in almost any regard. Her ears had been ringing the entire time, but all Videl could do was watch in a pained daze, before unconsciousness took her.

Brief seconds of consciousness had made her realize, through blurred vision, that she'd been carried by someone to the medical room. Then there had been a bleak blackness, before her mind came back to the real world. It was bright, and for a moment she'd almost been unable to see, but it was real enough because her entire world had morphed into pain. Arms and legs were unresponsive, not because of a spinal injury, thankfully, but because of bruised, torn, and broken bones and muscles. It was excruciating, it was everything not to scream out in agony. A muffled sound of agony did escape her.

In her pain and seeming isolation, the first thing that came to her was shame. Shame at failing to defeat her opponent, but even more shame at the idea that she was saved by the very monster who she'd sworn revenge on. It was pathetic, and worse, she was pathetic. All of that time, all of those years to struggle to be cast aside by a bald headed monster, and then saved by someone she hated. In the depths of her agony, her vision finally came back.

At first it was a blurred outline of three figures, and then two more joined in the distance. Pan was clearly one, her daughter being nearby. That was a relief which couldn't be described. Despite all their... strife, Pan was really all she had in the world. The event that lead to her creation, her conception, was the worst moment of her life. But her daughter was hers.

The figure standing next to her daughter however, was all to familiar. It took only seconds for her entire spirit to fill with disdain, and a terrible bitter taste coming through her mouth. Standing there wasn't just the one who'd wounded her so, but also the one who had wounded her yet again by being sick enough to save her. It had to be something just to further humiliate her, or to show how much better he was then her. But right now she also saw his arm in the air, grasping an all too familiar figure.

It was someone she'd not seen in years, but she couldn't help it when she saw him. Despite him being an arrogant, self centred jerk, her father was in the air being held up by the vicious beast she'd wanted to overtake.

"Dad?" she whispered, unable to do much else.

Immediately everyone's heads turned to her, even her choking father. Her head was still feeling light, and it was almost hard to concentrate. Mercenary Tao, and the Crane Master were there as well, undoubtedly over her defeat. It was a realization she'd not just failed herself, but the school which taught her as well. That itself was more painful yet.

The impassive look she received from the man who currently held her father in the air was all the worse. When he turned his head and looked down at her daughter, Videl felt her heart freeze, before he dropped her father, who gasped for air.

"Remember who your betters are," Gohan said bluntly, before turning to her masters, who looked... terrified. It was an even more damning judgement on her training.

"I don't want to see you two around this kid ever again. If I see you within fifteen meters, I'll give you a warning by breaking your legs. I see you again? Well, I know for a fact putting Saiyanoids into orbit doesn't usually yield the best results for the subject," the Saiyan then added.

Who was he to say who could be around-

Mercenary Tao and the Crane Master suddenly slammed against the wall, the cement cracking around them helplessly, shoved there by the sheer power of the ki surrounding her attacker. It put things in even greater perspective of just how far down the ladder her power was. The two struggled to move, and seemingly breathe. But the worst was yet to come.

With that action, the Saiyan moved to leave, not even sparring her a remark. She was beneath his notice and she knew it. There was no reason for him to. It was when Pan grabbed his hand and he stopped that things really finally fell into place. He'd not done any of this for her, not to humiliate her intentionally, or even save her. The bastard had done everything for Pan. Fear pumped through her veins at the idea that he could even think of taking her away from her. With this kind of strength, how could she stop him. Desperately she reached her hand out, trembling from the agony of doing so with the fractured bones in her arm.

"W-wait," she gasped through strained lungs, trying to warn her daughter to stay away from the monster.

Neither Pan, nor Gohan noticed her in that moment.

Turning his head to Pan, she noticed him looking at her daughter with a hidden, reluctant care. It did nothing to alleviate her fears until he spoke.

"Please don't leave," Pan begged, her tail flicking behind her sadly. It was the same desperate plea her daughter gave her whenever she went to train, or had to even participate in this tournament. It was painful to watch, not because her daughter was distressed, but because she wanted the company of the brute standing there.

"I've got things to take care of, stay here with your mother," Gohan said, gesturing to Videl without so much as casting a glance to her.

"You'll come back though, right?" Pan asked, looking up to the Saiyan with hopeful eyes.

It was obvious to Videl that he was... squirming under the pressure from Pan, it was something incredibly awkward to see. It seemed counter to even what she'd just deduced. He didn't want to take her daughter either, then why had he done all this? It didn't make sense to her. She just wanted it all to fall together to at least understand why her nemesis did what he did. Right now she couldn't even figure that out.

He wasn't there to save her. He wasn't there to humiliate her. He wasn't there to take her daughter away.

Then why the Hell are you here?

"Kid," Gohan's voice cut through her thoughts. "I'm not welcome around here, trust me."

The features on his face softened after a moment, before he almost seemed to smile sadly.

"Just try not to get in too much trouble," he then added with a half smile.

The answer didn't placate her daughter at all. Tears brimmed in her eyes a second later but without another word, he stepped away from her and walked through the door. Maybe it was because her daughter had found someone with the same features as herself, maybe it was something she missed in her unconsciousness, but Videl saw her little girl fall to her knees and and quietly cry.

"Pan," Videl managed to say again, causing her daughter to turn towards her. Almost immediately she ran over, grasping her damaged arm. The pain was incredible, but Videl pushed past it to smile. Despite everything, her daughter was alright. With a painful strain, she let her head fall back on the pillow.

"Sweet pea?" her father's voice sounded as he found his feet again.

Looking over to him, she saw him move over to the bed, rubbing his neck. Despite their falling out, he was here to see her. Her father wasn't a perfect man, and she'd felt so distant from him after what happened to her those years earlier, that she'd left him to wallow in his 'success'. But right now that didn't seem to matter. Next to her daughter, her father stood there, perhaps because he was just cast aside so easily, looking to be more humble then he'd been in years.

"I'm sorry about everything Videl, we can-"

"Dad," Videl said, trying to sound strong enough to speak normally. "I'm happy to see you, but... not right now."

The words struggled, before she managed a smile to him. The smile she received in response, was warm and broad.

Even if he wasn't perfect, even if he hadn't always been there for her, he was her father. And maybe if she was lucky, she could try to piece something more together for herself and her daughter.

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Gohan:

So, that was it, at least for now. Laying back there was a woman he didn't really know, and was at the very least leery of given what he presumed was her degenerating mental state. There was her daughter, fathered by him, who was lonely and likely suffering from some kind of neglect. Then there was an old fool he barely knew anything about other then the fact he was a thief, who was likely her father. It was another mess, another disaster for him to deal with, or to leave behind and just hope it never rose again.

For now, Gohan admitted silently as he walked through the halls of the Tournament's Arena, heading towards the fighter's area. From there, it would be almost immediately time to go to the ring to face off against Vegeta's alternate timeline punk kid. A kid who presumed to judge him, when he didn't even know him. Not only that, but a kid so stupid he didn't realize just how deep he was getting. Sure, he was his age, if not older, but he was still some punk kid as far as Gohan was concerned. It was time to take him to school.

It would be a repeat of the harsh lessons he'd been taught as a child, but inverted onto his adversary. Vegeta despised him as well, but the truth of it was, the Prince had seen through him before any of the others. Worse, the Prince had been absolutely right him about before, about everything. It was still a bitter realization for Gohan.

"You miserable coward. They should have known better then to have ever trusted you."

The worst part of those words, the ending of the scathing series of remarks which drove him into action against his own father, was how right they were. Part of the pain Trunks was going to feel was a message to Vegeta as well. Gohan didn't want to be what anyone portrayed him as. Gohan wanted to finally be himself, whatever that was, and to hell with the predetermined opinions of Trunks and Vegeta. Even if Vegeta had been almost spot on in their last real encounter.

I'm not the same as I was.

But Vegeta's opinion hadn't changed.

If I'm such a beast Vegeta, I'll show you just how bad I can be to that punk kid. And that kid thinks some weak version of me from the future was bad? He doesn't know what bad is.

Cracking his knuckles, Gohan stepped into the fighter's area, knowing Trunks had already gone ahead.

"It's your turn Gohan," Goku, his biological father, said.

There was clearly an urge on Goku's part to talk more, but Gohan ignored it. The last thing he needed was some of Goku's sentimentality rubbing off on him. That would most definitely be counterproductive to what he wanted. It wasn't time to be soft, or understanding, or anything like that. It wasn't time to think about the daughter he'd just met. It wasn't time to think about his mother, or even that brat kid of a brother. There couldn't be a moment spared for his friend, Piccolo, either. Going into battle, he knew he had to focus on the only thing that mattered.

Proving his superiority.

Walking past his father through the entrance to the arena, Gohan was immediately bombarded by the sound of the crowd for a second time. This time they were all fixed on him. There were chants, funnily enough his name, from the human audience.

Why would they be cheering me?

Standing still and looking out across the sea of people, his head tilting to take them all in, he realized why. He'd come to the ring and saved the girl from Spopovich. So, now he was some kind of hero to them. It was a first for him. At the very least, they were likely to get a show.

Turning his attention ahead, Gohan's eyes locked onto the man he was set to battle. Trunks Briefs stood there, looking ahead with a critical gaze, concealing the real contempt Gohan could feel emanating from him. Everything Gohan could almost sense from his opponent was tension, and perhaps even a sense of confidence. So, was this to be settling old scores for his counterpart? That made this all the better. Crushing him and leaving his broken body to the wayside of his path to victory in this tournament, just became all the sweeter.

Stepping forward finally, walking along the white stone path, Gohan's pace was slow and methodical.

"And now approaching the Ring, standing 5'11, and weighing in at 190 pounds, he is the son of the legendary World Martial Arts Champion Goku. We proudly present to you, Son Gohan!"

The announcer's voice echoed throughout the arena as Gohan continued to walk towards the ring. When he stopped outside the stone ring, Gohan stood there for a moment, before briefly walking to one side of the arena, his eyes locking with Trunks before taking steps up the side of the ring itself and standing in the opposite corner.

Feeling the crowd around him waiting with anticipation, Gohan smirked devilishly towards Trunks, intending to show off for a brief moment. Flexing his arms to his side and bracing himself, his muscle shirt clinging to him as he spaced his legs, letting his bare feet feel the stone flooring below. Around him, soot and dust picked up in the air around him as he let the power in his body pull back, before crashing around him like a wave. A thundering shockwave followed, sending the dust and small debris in all directions around his body as a purple aura flared around him for a brief moment. The boom which blasted out a second later sent the clapping noise around the arena.

Across the ring, Trunks had raised his hands to block the dust and debris, looking for a moment, shocked, before turning an annoyed glance towards him all the same.

That's it kid. Get a feeling for how strong I really am. It'll be great to show you later how much stronger I am even then that.

Cracking his neck from side to side, Gohan walked forward, moving towards the middle of the ring. The jacket clad enemy walked forward himself, looking cautious as he did. The two stood there for a moment, their eyes locked on one another.

"Tremendous! And with the official's word, we can get this match under way!"

It was less then a second after those words, that the bell rang.

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Author's Notes:

I felt I needed to write this chapter as more of a transition chapter, then a big fight chapter. It only made sense by the time I got to page 2. But don't worry, clearly, the next instalment is going to be a huge fight.

Reviewers:

ShadowLDrago:

Pretty close to spot on. Tien would crush Spopovich without any real effort, same with Krillin.

KaosMoshipit:

Thanks. :)

Anj3lik:

Even if right now Videl seems to have calmed a bit, it's really because she's vulnerable. Videl's arc is going to be fun and tragic XD

Maesde:

I've been really busy lately, so it's been a lot harder to write as much. But I did finish this chapter. The next one may take longer to write, but I intend to try and have it done in March.

Calewelt:

Next time, on Dragon Ball Z! Lol

euroteres:

Well, to be fair, The Long Road is probably the better of the two stories, but I love um both.

Xdevil-childx:

I'll try to keep updates up to date, but it's been tough lately.

Heseltine:

I am going to promise one thing right now. It'll just be Gohan vs. Trunks.

Eveline:

Gohan's feelings towards Pan are conflicted, but he at the very least feels enough guilt to feel responsible for her in some way lol

xxxpossessedforlifexxx:

Really? What gave it away? Lol

Wait:

You'll have to find out by reading what happens!

I:

The Supreme Kai is also kind of ignorant to be fair. I don't think he or his crony Kibito really know who they're dealing with.

Pyromania101:

I hope so too, lol

Kill:

I've been plotting out how the fight goes between Gohan and Trunks for weeks. Hope it doesn't disappoint when it comes :)

Roxashadow:

You'll have to read to see how the fight goes. But don't worry, there are several other huge battles coming up you won't want to miss. :)

Violet Ace:

He's kind of accepted her, lol

asweetlilpixie:

Vegeta gets a pretty important role later on in this saga.

Opinion:

Super Saiyan 3? I think I'd be surprised if anyone saw it for some time to be honest.

Guest:

The whole power level discussion may be turned sour if I give my opinion on it. Personally, as I've said a couple times, power levels don't really matter to me. It's all fluff. It's all like Trek-speak, it's just there to be whatever the story wants that to be. Do I use some power levels internally while writing? Sure, but I actually largely ignore Dragon Ball's Power Levels as a whole.

Jedi Master Albus:

Gohan's past puberty, but not past PTSD lol

Heavydestro:

MOAR!

DBZ number 1:

I think you guys should learn by now to expect the unexpected, sometimes lol

My reimagining of the WMAT and Buu Saga are pretty extensive, and I'd say, pretty unique as far as Fanfiction goes. I think everyone will appreciate what is to come quite a bit.