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 51: Out of This World
Gohan: Hell
Aw fuck.
Of course, the fact that Bardock now made him look like an even bigger asshole than he was, wasn't particularly helpful, because right now he was staring directly at the very man this moron had ordered him to hang around with to train. Firstly, what the Hell was he going to learn from Turles? Turles was now weaker than he was, and by a pretty harsh margin. They were certainly in the same league as it were, but they were far from being in the same rating. A battle between the two of them would be most definitely one sided, so what was he going to learn from his first mentor?
Hell, they both used the same primary attack,or at least used to. So what was he going to do? Learn how to get the shit kicked out of him? Because he'd already learned thati one well enough over the last twenty-two fucking-
As soon as Turles landed on the same piece of rock as them, he just opened his palm, pointing it at Bardock.
"You're as annoying as always, father," Turles said with a sneer written across his face.
"..." there was a quietness on the other side as Bardock just stared back at him coolly. "Do what you're going to do, boy."
Before Gohan could respond, or rather before he gathered enough energy to intervene, a wave of purple light washed past him. The heat burned the fainted edges of his right arm, the closest part of his body to the stream of destruction that washed away Bardock in the blink of an eye. Blinking several times, Gohan looked over to his side where Bardock had been only a moment before, seeing the rock itself melted and curved from the power of the blast which had just blasted overhead.
Well, that's one way to end a conversation.
Cracking his back muscles, Gohan turned his head towards Turles next, cautiously holding his fists at a ready, preparing to react. Even if they were already dead, he hardly wanted Turles to get the better of him.
"The old fool never knows when to stop interrupting other's business," Turles commented bluntly. "And on top of that, was trying to manipulate you into using me. The only problem with killing him is the fact he'll just be back in a few minutes."
Spitting where the body once stood, Turles turned his attention back to Gohan himself, and the two of them slowly started to walk opposite one another in a slow moving circle.
"You're much stronger than the last time we fought, aren't you?" Turles enquired, amusement spanning across his face. "I could sense it when you first arrived. I could sense it while you battled that blue-skinned creature across the hellscape. You must be the most powerful being down here."
It was all true, but there was something uncomfortable about the way Turles said it. It was disingenuous. There was also the fact that Broly was probably stronger than he was as well, even if by not nearly as large a gap as before. None of it mattered however, because none of them could die down here. It just meant more pain. Quite frankly, he was getting pretty accustomed to pain anyway.
"And you must be one of the most notorious warriors down here," Gohan said slowly. "I'm noticing the loner trend. The other Saiyans don't seem to be very receptive, and I've not seen you palling around with any other figures of note. So what happened?"
It was a blunt question, because to him it didn't make sense. How often had Turles told him of the proud Saiyan race of which they were apart? While working for Cooler, he never seemed... well, maybe he was. It was really just them working together. They were one another's constant companion, so he never really was alone while Turles was alive. After the fact, he was only really on good terms with who? The Armoured Squadron? Cooler himself? Maybe they were both cut from the same cloth. Even now he didn't feel compelled to stand by his people. They weren't his people anymore anyway. Well, maybe they were, after all, he ended up getting sent down here, didn't he? So he wasn't all that different.
If anything, I was the best of them. I did things they never could. Which is why I deserve to be here even more than they do.
For a moment, he was lost, almost forgetting he was speaking with Turles as he felt his lip push up with a small smile. This was most definitely what he deserved... and he still didn't want to face it. If he could, he would have already escaped this place in an instant. Justice or not... he didn't deserve this.
Suddenly, it felt like there was a clock ticking behind him. A clock which would be ticking forever.
"You're one to talk, aren't you, Gohan?" Turles responded, his voice filled with false amusement and hostility. "You're hardly palling around yourself. In fact, you're the one getting out of here. You're even going to leave me behind because you've... moved past what I am. Is that it Gohan? Am I a bad reminder of what you've done?"
The words pulled him back from his self-pity and self-loathing, and brought Gohan face to face with Turles again, feeling his muscles tighten at the hostility of the question.
"No."
It was short, because a drawn out answer would more easily reveal the lie. Part of the reason for not bringing Turles back was certainly what he described. Every time he saw Turles, all he could remember were the screams of his own victims and the glow of dying worlds. The other part was what he said before. He knew Turles too well. Even if the man was the first thing he thought of, when he thought of his father... he was too dangerous. The odds of him trying to kill people was too high. Even if he thought his own punishment was... too much... it didn't mean that the slaughter of innocent people was acceptable.
"No?" Turles said, keeping his fury quiet, but Gohan could tell he was boiling. "No? That's the only answer you have for me?"
"We went over this before, Turles, you're not changing my mind," Gohan was quick to answer, before crossing his arms. "I don't need Bardock, or his advice. I don't need this place. I don't need anything from here. I'm going to punch my time, and get out while I can. I am sorry that I sent you down here, when you didn't give me a choice. Do you have any idea how hard it was to kill you? And don't be a smartass, I don't mean how tough the fight was."
There was a flinch on Turles's part, before he crossed his own arms, the two of them now standing still, staring back at one another.
This is productive.
"If Bardock was telling you to learn from me, then... we may be able to come to an arrangement," Turles finally spoke up, a knowing smile coming across his face. "The old fool can see the future, as he no doubt told you. He's trying to intervene in events in the realm of the living, and wants me to be his pawn."
"You have nothing to teach me, Turles. I know all your moves," Gohan answered. "And to be quite honest, I don't need new moves, or power. I'm already the strongest being here."
It was hard to imagine a series of beings who could challenge him on a reasonable engagement. There were hardly Legendary Super Saiyans hiding around every corner.
"That is where you are wrong, Gohan," Turles said, unfolding his arms as a sinister look crossed him.
It was a look of confidence, and Gohan knew exactly what that posture meant. He was about to fight someone he thought was weaker than him, by a fair level.
But that doesn't make any sense. Our Ki doesn't increase down here... He's bluffing.
A golden aura wrapped itself around Gohan as he called the bluff, and lighting scattered around his form. A whoosh of air then picked up around him, sending the ash which covered the ground sweeping away from him in waves as his aura pulsed.
"Just like I remembered," Turles almost whispered, before his own smirk came to the fore. "After we scrap... we can reassess your position on when you're going to repay me."
A swirl of golden energy wrapped around Turles, just like it had the last time they met. Lightning streaked across the air around him as well, even as his hair arched up. There was a knowing smile on his face, even as the pulsing waves of energy rolled off of him. Slowly, the two Saiyans began to circle again. On the periphery of his vision, Gohan noticed Saiyans starting to appear in the near distance, all of them watching with fascination.
Voyeurs.
They likely all wanted to imagine themselves as Super Saiyans.
Turles's power seemed unchanged from the last time they met in battle. So he was wondering just what the hell he was thinking, so obviously challenging him. Any idea that he had some kind of ace up his sleeve was evaporating.
Maybe he just doesn't care about dying. Shit, why do I care? It's just a short reprieve from this nightmarish shit hole.
"Yea, and you're just as I remember, Turles. Last chance to back off," Gohan warned.
Something felt off as another wave rolled off Turles's form, the two slowly beginning to circle one another again.
"You have no idea how wrong you are about that, Gohan. Come at me."
That was enough, changing his stance, Gohan prepared to move in with a sharp, deadly assault, playing on his former-mentor's sloppier fighting style, just like the last time they clashed. Before it could happen however, something swept past them, both of them. It was another power, and it was big. It may have been close to his own power even.
Twisting his body and pointing his head up, Gohan saw a green figure in the air, looking down at him from the air. For a second he could have sworn it was Piccolo, or a Namekian, but it certainly wasn't. There was a cool gaze coming back at him, before looking towards Turles.
"Well, if it isn't the afterlife's equivalent of a cop. Tell me Pikkon, are you here to lock us away because we weren't getting along?" Turles mocked openly.
"Several Ogres were badly assaulted a few hours ago. I am looking for the parties responsible. I am assuming the two of you aren't."
Someone assaulted the guards? He'd not even thought of that before. Just in general he saw no reason to do it. It was hardly as if they were fiery demons trying to poke them with pitchforks. In fact, for the most part, he'd barely seen them. The most he saw were at Yemma's Palace.
"We can do that?" Gohan asked, looking at Turles. "Beat the Hell out of the Ogres, I mean?"
Rolling his eyes, his father looked back towards him.
"Only if you want to waste your time with this weakling."
That's right, insult the cop to his face, good job Turles. If this place has a jail, that by default must mean it's worse than regular Hell. Brilliant, fucking brilliant.
Annoyance mixed in with the figure's increasingly angry features. Thankfully, or not, it was a cold kind of fury. Great, it was like watching Cooler get mad at someone.
"Turles, maybe you should-" stopping, Gohan felt heat rising all around him, and knew immediately what it was.
This Pikkon creature seemed to know as well. Beyond them, twisting cyclones of fire began to rise up from the barren wasteland around them. The towers of heat and noise seemed to grow increasingly violent in seconds, as the entirety of the landscape as far as they could see, turned to pure, twisting fire. The air itself came alive with flame, and the ground beneath scorched back to blackness as the storm wall rolled towards them.
"Well, enjoy you two," Pikkon remarked idly.
Watching him, Gohan saw the green skinned creature blast off, heading straight up just as the storm of fire began to pick real speed. When he hit the ceiling, Gohan almost smirked, knowing full well that... that... he... couldn't just break through the golden clouds. Until he just did. A small poof of yellow smoke appeared behind him, and he was gone. Gone.
Gone through the clouds.
The heat was only growing as Turles blasted off himself, leaving behind a golden trail as he tried to escape the flames. But Gohan had other plans. Why run for several minutes when the entire realm would be consumed by the fire? Get it over with now... or get out. If this green idiot got through, he should have been able to get through himself. He was stronger even.
Tensing himself, Gohan surged his power forward. The rocks he stood on shattered as electricity danced through the air. Lightning went from blue to red, as the minerals in the atmosphere mixed with the dust and fire. His aura swirled around him before blasting outward. The endless wall of fire just beyond him, swept back violently for a second as the wave of force blasted out from his body. It was like watching a world of fire twist and repulse itself away. The golden clouds above began to swirl slowly as his power demanded they try to part.
I'm not going to stay down here to get burned again, if that Green guy didn't. I'm not going to stay down here in this Hell.
For a brief second, he could almost imagine his daughter staring back at him with her big blue eyes. He'd done everything to protect her, but now she was up there without anyone watching over her but her mother. A woman who couldn't stop most of the low-class grunts he'd commanded for most of his tour in the PTO. But most of all, he wanted to keep his daughter from here. How many years would she have up there without him?
If he'd known his fate, to be here, forever, he would have let them kill him when they first took him.
The tide of his power rose, cresting at its peak as a final wave emerged from him. Rock scattered in all directions as the ground itself caved in beneath him, dipping down for hundreds of metres.
"GOHAN! What are you doing!?" Turles shouted from afar, his own golden aura being blasted back by the force.
Tensing his entire form, Gohan built up all his power into one point, before blasting upward. As soon as his body blasted up, the cratered ground beneath him shattered into a wave of fragmented, messed, and melted rock. The wall of fire swirled back again as one final pulse left him. Staring up at the single point he directed himself in the ceiling of this world, Gohan roared as he collided with the ceiling.
A ripple violently tore through the ceiling of the heavens themselves at his impact, as the fabric of the realm curved upward as a power well beyond what any Kai could marshal was thrown against the fabric of reality itself. The clouds pulled further and further up with Gohan. Unknown to him, to anyone in the entirety of Hell who peered up, would see the clouds themselves being pulled as the whole of the sky was violently ripped towards one point.
Every second he felt himself pushing, Gohan could almost sense the edges of the world beginning to give way. If only he had a little more then he could force his way through. Reaching down, he felt himself grasping at emptiness within himself. This was it, it was all he had and he still couldn't break free. Even holding himself up as he was began to draw away at him. Unable to hold on, Gohan felt himself cry out as he desperately tried to keep pushing.
And then, something else slammed into the roof as well, right next to him. The clouds violently ripped further as the layer seemed to get thinner and thinner. His lungs sucked in the burning air around him as he looked to see what it was. Turles was violently blasting up against the ceiling, pushing just as he was.
"Again!" Turles shouted, feeling everything beginning to buckle just as he was.
It was enough to jump-start his ki. His aura dimmed for a moment before its intensity exploded out again, like the raging inferno which would soon be upon them. It felt like the roof was only molecules thick as the two of them powered ahead. Two raging golden auras pushed further and further as the sky skipped, as if it was being peeled from the ceiling of this reality.
No matter how hard they pushed, there was always more given however. Even as it felt almost like paper ... it didn't matter. It wouldn't break. Miles had passed as the sky stretched. Behind them, the twisting, swirling inferno slowly started to fill in the void behind them, and gently the clouds began to push back, slowly pulling themselves back.
"No!" Gohan shouted, trying to push himself again, trying desperately for his power to return, but it was no use.
His power faded, and he felt himself fall back. The golden aura around him slipped away as his hair turned back to black. When his body fell into the flames, it was like falling into an ocean. His screams were empty as his flesh seared, and his body simply started to become washed away in the fire. The last thing he could remember seeing beyond fire itself, was Turles plunging into the flames behind him.
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Junia: The Multiverse
For as far as the eye could see, all Junia saw was destruction. Another world, another set of trophies. Even now she just passively scanned the distance, looking for any signs of new prey. They were unfortunate enough to stumble across a world with replicas again. A world with little to offer for sport. All they could do was watch the power levels of the worlds they approached, and hope they came across something more interesting than another batch of Kakarot and friends.
The only real satisfaction she took from the entire thing was killing her useless bastard of a father. No matter which world she went to, she always found enough hate to kill him. He either betrayed everything it was to be a Saiyan by weakly adopting humanity as his own, or he was every bit as much of a bastard as she remembered.
They'd moved through dozens upon dozens of realities now, maybe even hundreds. There was always one goal in mind with each journey... to gain strength. Every battle, no matter how desperate, was always there to test themselves against a greater and greater threat. The first world they'd launched themselves on to, had an enemy Turles had vanquished almost twenty years earlier... Frieza. It was easy to use him to work their way up to the Kakarot who fought him across most realities. Part of it was also for the fact that they could claim that they hunted the mightiest warriors of their generation. She'd personally killed Frieza, Kakarot, her father, Gohan, the Namekian, Cell, Dabura and dozens of others. Each world she went to, prepared her for her destiny.
One day, she would be stronger than her father, or Turles, and she would return home. The return would mark the beginning of her life. A life where she wasn't under the thumb and desires of others. She knew it was the same for Brass and Taro as well, though they all had their other reasons as well. Primary among everything for her, was proving her father wrong. She wasn't just some bitch to be passed off to Turles's youngest son to form some political alliance to preserve a fragile relationship between the two. She didn't want to be remembered as being the wife of another conqueror. She wasn't a second rate player.
She was the Princess of the Saiyans, and she was going to be the most powerful being in her universe. When she killed her father, it would follow an old adage that Turles had mentioned to his own children more than once.
Son kills Father.
It's meaning was profound, especially given what she'd witnessed from her father. He'd taught her nothing in her life. She was just there. Her mother was a helpless captive to the world around her, building weapons for the Saiyans to use against increasingly helpless aliens. Aliens she would one day rule as well. All of her strength, she obtained by herself. She taught herself to fly, she taught herself to fight, by fighting others and learning with any resource she could find.
Crossing her arms, she watched Brass from the side.
Her 'fiance', as her mother had called him more than once.
They'd known one another since they'd been children. He was the first one to fight her when she was a child, and the first one to beat her in a fair fight much later. He was the first one to kiss her, or make her feel like more than just an object to be used for her father's gain. And he was the first person beyond her father who she'd come to hate. Maybe once she loved him, but it was all spoiled when her father had informed her that he'd chosen Brass to be her husband.
Turning his head, the serious Saiyan stepped away from Piccolo's mangled body, given a small smirk at the headless form.
"Record time, this time, wouldn't you say? Though this version of the Namek seemed a bit slower on his ability to focus ki. It's odd that he had the same power level as the last one," Brass commented, flicking some purple blood off his right arm. "Did you enjoy killing Vegeta?"
Leaning back against a half destroyed wall, her white, gold, and blue Saiyan armour rested against the concrete.
"You know I always enjoy killing Vegeta," she responded, rolling her eyes. "Have you seen Taro?"
That, at this point, was a valid question. Of all of them, Taro was the most... unstable. Of course it hadn't seemed that way at first. After all, he was the one who discovered the time machine they used in her mother's lab. On top of that, he was the strongest one of them, but both of them were obviously concerned. For Brass, she suspected he was more concerned with the rate Taro had started to outpace him. For her, it was the fact that he was losing his mind.
Taro was always the odd one out, older than either of them, Turles's most despised son and his eldest. Taro was the one who was trained by Gohan, and the one who was there when Turles killed Gohan for working against him. Taro was also the one who seemed fixated on Trunks. He always killed them, and he always killed them in the most bizarre way. If she didn't know better, she'd have said that he was gaining all of his power by eating them.
"He's off killing his latest 'copy'," Brass remarked, referring to Trunks. "I think he's just savouring the kill right now. Watching him eat another person's life is not exactly my kind of fetish however."
Turning about, he pressed his back against the wall next to her, staring ahead along side her. He reminded her a lot of Turles, at least in terms of his complexion, and perhaps even a bit of his attitude. It was odd to think of themselves all as the products of conquest itself. Brass was born because Turles arbitrarily decided he wanted Kakarot's wife. She was born because her father had been given her mother as apart of some agreement between himself and Turles.
Then she was ordered to be given to Brass, as if she was some kind of property.
She almost missed the rare smile her former betrothed gave.
"Once I am the strongest being in existence, I'll kill him first," Brass remarked. "He'll be the only worthy challenger, other than you."
Rolling her eyes, Junia looked back at him.
"And what's going to stop you from killing me, exactly? Aren't I going to be enough of a challenge?"
The smile disappeared immediately as he just looked on, as if she'd not said anything. She felt herself unable to hold back the scowl on her face. He wasn't going to fight her because he saw her as his property. After all, Vegeta had all but told him he was giving her to him. Cold fury swelled in her veins as she almost felt her blood turn to ice. This was why she hated him. Before her father had proposed that she was to be given to him, he'd been different. They were partners in crime, working together. Now she was partners with Taro, more than Brass.
Brass used to be someone she could talk to. Now he was morphing into an image of his father. She supposed it was fitting.
But she wasn't going to be some conquest simply offered up to anyone. Even if she was behind right now, she would overtake Brass, and Taro, and she would be the ruler of all time and space. She'd kill them both when they'd overtaken every other challenge this universe could throw at them, and then she alone would rule at the top of existence.
Brushing away her short cut Saiyan hair, she pulled away from the wall, her black cape following in tow.
"You're such a child," she commented coolly to Brass, before preparing to take off to find Taro.
I hope he hasn't mutilated this one. I hate it when he's soaked himself in blood-
"Well, aren't the two of you getting along?" Taro's voice came from a nearby building. Turning her head, she looked up to see him standing atop a building, soaked in blood.
He was holding Trunks' head by his spine. There was even a bit of blood around his mouth. Raising a brow, she just swallowed tightly, feeling anxiety rush through her. There was a time she wasn't afraid of him. Hell, she was afraid for him. It became even more creepy when he started calling her sister after he started killing Trunks in the more... detailed way that he did.
"We're getting along fine, brother," Brass remarked, walking in front of her a moment later.
For a moment she almost forgot that Taro was covered in blood, and holding the severed head of his latest victim. The younger of Turles's terrible offspring was trying to act like some kind of shield around her, and it only further intensified her disdain. Of course, when the slow, almost lizard like smile came across her elder brother's appearance, Junia almost forgot about how angry she was at Brass.
"The two of you keep acting like... I am some kind of threat," he remarked in his smooth, yet... unnerving tone as he jumped down from the building, landing in front of them in his white and black Saiyan armour.
He dropped the head on the ground in front of them, showing an opened mouthed, horrified expression on the head.
"He had a lot to say this time. This one let me know a great deal of what I've missed," Taro commented, before continuing to walk towards the two of them. "Did you two enjoying killing Vegeta, Kakarot, and their friends? I certainly hope you did, as the next group will only get stronger, I'm afraid."
Of course, he was the one now deciding on where they were going, and after that world where one of the Trunks got away, he was becoming increasingly erratic seemingly in the time lines they entered. This world had only just finished their version of the Cell Games... they were hardly a challenge to them at all.
"I need to find the one which got away," Taro then whispered, looking back up at them. "It's like missing a piece of yourself who you know got away."
Brushing his black hair back from his own view, the smile returned a second later.
"Unless the two of you disagree with the course I'm taking us on?"
Brass was the first to respond, and Junia refrained from cutting in. Everything about Taro screamed danger to her, even now.
"Not at all, brother."
"Good."
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Babidi: Hell
Stupid fire storms of destruction.
Suffering such awful deaths so routinely was an annoyance. Especially when you were planning a terrible revenge against the one who sent you to this horrible, kai forsaken nightmare. The burning was always the worst. Even freezing in a day or two, would be preferable. Shakily, the little wizard managed to pull himself forward, but not up.
"Dabura!" he shrieked. "DABURA! You idiot! Get me up!"
The hulking demon's body lifted up a second later, sand pouring down his blue clad frame. The demon turned his slit eyes towards him tiredly.
"Of course, master Babidi," he responded gruffly, pulling himself up first before taking several steps towards him, reaching down and grabbing his arm.
"Ow! Ow! Careful you idiot! I'm very fragile! Have you forgotten?"
"No master, I apologize," the demon responded as he set him down on his feet. "The demon, Garlic-"
A small mound of sand spilled away as the cloaked figure pulled himself free. Angry, red eyes looked up at them as he breathed in and out angrily.
"You have no idea how much worse it is to survive your way through that whole thing," the demon spat. "When I get out of here, the first thing I'm going to do is hunt down King Yemma himself and crush his skull for this nightmarish-"
Ignoring him, Babidi just breathed out as he looked across the wasteland around them. The main thing that they needed right now was to begin collecting their other very valuable, and necessary allies. Garlic junior was easily the strongest ally he could acquire in Hell. Even if he wasn't as strong as Gohan, he was certainly stronger than Dabura, and therefore he was also stronger than any of their other would-be allies.
Before the storm hit, we were coming up on where that stupid pirate exists.
Bojack and his gang.
The space pirate had enough muscle mass, and few enough brains, which meant he could be exceptionally useful in the engagement that was to come. It was very unlikely that Gohan knew about the fate of Broly, but they were going to help the Saiyan on his way to sharing that fate. Casting him into the lower levels of Hell was a more than appropriate sentence for all of the grief they'd caused them. It would just mean having the stamina to bring down his energy level, without actually killing him. When they managed to tire him, they'd drag his corpse kicking and screaming to the void itself, before casting his treacherous, miserable hide into it.
For some, like himself, it would be an all too fitting revenge against him.
For others, such as Bojack, he was hoping that the victory would be more helpful in acquiring their revenge against his father. Even if this was a short term alliance of sorts, it would be one which he, Babidi would have to achieve even the most modest fraction of revenge against the Saiyan who ruined his entire plans. It was that Saiyan, who first stopped him from unleashing the monster he'd always dreamed of, Majin Buu. And it was that boy's infuriating battle with his slave, Broly, that broke the other Saiyan from his control. Even the fact it was the backdrop of his battle against Broly that lead to his death at the hands of the traitor Piccolo, left business further unfinished.
No, just suffering in Hell along side them wouldn't do. He could share his monster's fate in the void.
And one day, I will find a way out of this place. Or at the very least I will make contact beyond it. I will unleash Majin Buu upon the universe without any kind of control, and I will know that it burns. If I cannot rule the universe... than no one can.
The landscape around them had shifted considerably in the storm. New cliffs and mountains of spikes were seemingly made by the inferno as it annihilated the landscape. The only ones seemingly unaffected were the Ogres who presided over this place. But that was to be expected.
Walking towards the edge of the cliff that had formed only ten metres away, the triumvirate of Hellish figures found the view across the vast plain of existence expand. Others were recovering from their deaths in the storm as well.
"I don't see why we need Bojack at all. I was able to kill Son Gohan in both real life, and in Hell," Garlic announced. "I'm sure with the help of the rather infamous demon king, we can overwhelm Gohan without much of a problem."
"We aren't trying to kill him. And need I remind you how many times he killed you in your fights, both on Earth, and here? I watched the situation with a keen eye for what was happening," Babidi sneered. "Besides, we want to forge alliances with other partners down here for any potential... issues, with that wretch Pikkon."
That Green Skinned fool thinks he can dominate us here, as well as those other miserable Heavenly Warriors. Well they'll have another thing coming once I establish my plans. Perhaps we'll throw the green skinned idiot into the void next, right after Son Gohan.
"I don't see why anyone is afraid of this Pikkon. He's still weaker than Broly, and I assume weaker than Gohan."
"Because unlike those two, the warriors sent here from outside this realm, have the authority to make our stays in Hell significantly worse, Garlic," Dabura cut in, and thankfully so. Babidi was growing tired of the immortal's prattle.
"Well perhaps we should-... Well, I think I see a pirate in the distance," Garlic commented, a smile creeping across his lips. "Five blue skinned and orange haired monsters? Are those the ones we're looking for?"
"What?! Where?" Babidi hissed, his large eyes scanning the wastes feverishly.
"Just lock in on their power levels," Garlic yawned, sliding down the side of the cliff a moment later.
As the tiny demon slowly began to move, Babidi looked towards Dabura.
"How well can you do that?"
"Well, a ki force in combat I can pick up on. But Earthlings are apparently much more capable and detecting-"
"Whatever! Follow him!" Babidi shrieked, before crossing his arms just as Dabura was about to take flight.
Clearing his throat, Babidi stood there, looking annoyed.
"Aren't you forgetting something, Dabura?" he asked, raising both his eyebrows and learning forward.
I swear, if he wasn't as strong as he is, I'd think him profoundly stupid. Who am I kidding? He is profoundly stupid. I wish I could have replaced him with Majin Buu a long time ago. Oh Majin Buu... My precious Majin Buu... they took you.
Blinking, the demon just stared back at him blankly, before recalling.
"Oh, yes. Of course master," the demon nodded, before walking back over to him, picking him up gently and placing him on his massive shoulder.
"Excellent, now follow that pale skinned fool," Babidi ordered.
Immediately the demon king took the air, his skilled eyes scanning the wastes where Garlic was walking. Walking! The little imp felt no worry or the need to get to their potential allies, it seemed. It was infuriating to the wizard, but that was something to be dealt with later.
"Master Babidi," Dabura's deep voice slowly cut in. "I see them."
Sweeping in without informing him, Babidi shrieked as he grabbed hold of Dabura's tunic before they landed on the ground.
"I warned you about doing that! You big stupid ape of a demon!" Babidi shouted angrily at his subject again, before hopping off. There was a brief moment where he finally heard a growl from his assistant.
Swallowing for a moment, Babidi looked up to see Dabura staring back down at him coolly.
"..." clearing his throat, Babidi turned towards the five figures in front of him.
"Babidi," Bojack remarked coldly. "What are you doing here?"
"Bojack, my old friend... we've come to discuss business with you. How would you like to get revenge on Son Goku?"
First the hook. This overgrown fool looks dumber than Dabura.
There was a sneer in response.
"If you think I'm going to go attack Turles after what he did to Broly, you're out of your mind. I'm no fool, sorcerer," Bojack responded gruffly.
The Broly incident had been bizarre. For months that giant brute had terrorized all of them, destroying Hell as never seen before. Even when the temperature changed, he and his wretched father seemed to persist with that strange green ki that rolled off of him. Flames, cold, and the destructive power of most of the denizens of Hell, had been little match for him. They only know that Turles confronted Broly and Paragus near the void, and that Broly had met his fate there. The only question any of them had, was how Turles did it.
Certainly, Turles was stronger than anyone in Hell, save Broly, Gohan, and perhaps Garlic, but there was still no realistic chance. The only issue was, no one wanted to find out how Turles eliminated Broly for themselves. The Saiyan had quite the reputation.
Even I don't want to put his kind of fury to the test, especially if it leads to me being thrown into that cursed void.
"Of course we're not going to have you attack Turles, you idiot! How would that be getting revenge on Son Goku-UK!"
A hand grabbed him by the neck, before Dabura's arm grabbed the aggressor's. One of Bojack's goons had stepped in, and slowly his hand began to loosen, as Dabura's grip obviously strengthened.
"Do not speak to the boss that was," Kogu sneered, before ripping his hand back away.
Noted.
Clearly his throat as he rubbed it again.
"Son Gohan, Goku's son, is now a resident of Hell," Garlic's voice cut in as the imp arrived. "I suspect Babidi is going to plead to either your sense of honour, or your lust to get revenge against Goku, to use Gohan as a proxy."
Bojack turned his attention immediately towards Garlic, and Babidi's eyes widened hatefully.
Idiot! Don't give away that we're going to use him!
"Interesting," Bojack remarked, smirking as he did. "Destroying Goku's son? I am sure brutalizing him will be fun, but that doesn't bring me the revenge I want."
"It will if you help us throw him into the same void which Turles disposed of Broly," Babidi quickly added, looking towards the pirate. "To think, Goku's son forever trapped in a Hell beyond Hell. And you responsible for it. Son Goku would have no reprieve for you, no means of extracting revenge. You would truly have struck him without reprisal, oh mighty Bojack."
There was a small huff of amusement at the last words.
"Speak more like that, worm, and I may actually start to listen to you," Bojack remarked, looking down at Babidi.
It was impossible to hold back his annoyance or anger at such open disrespect towards him, Babidi.
"Very well, sorcerer. You have caught my attention. I and my men will assist you in dealing with this Son Gohan," Bojack offered simply, before smiling and crossing his arms. "So when do we start?"
Despite his angry sneer towards the giant pirate, Babidi internally felt the victory. This was going all his way. The next step was to procure the next batch of willing slaves to join them. He knew of only one more group that would be functionally helpful in their conquest.
Cell and his offspring, as well as Frieza and his father. That is the last group of any note worth having.
"We start after we get a hold of our good friends Frieza and Cell," Babidi remarked, looking into the distance. "Because once we have them, then we have every noteworthy power here. Even Son Gohan won't be able to resist our power."
"What about Turles?" Bojack enquired.
"Better left out," Dabura commented. "We don't know what to expect from him. He's far too solitary to be reliable."
Turning to Garlic, a grin slowly coming across his face, Babidi leaned towards him with an eager expression.
"Can you detect Cell or Frieza?"
The demon looked around, his red eyes scanning out in all directions, before pointing into the distance.
"That way. Perhaps a week's journey at reasonable speed," he commented.
Already hovering into the air, Dabura flared his ki.
"Well, what are we waiting for? We have one last group to collect."
And then once this is all said and done... I will find a way to unleash my Majin Buu on the world I left. My final revenge will be achieved.
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Gohan: Hell
Not again.
Coming to was always a bastard. His body felt used, but new. Moving his fingers as he sat up, groaning as he did, Gohan tried to adjust to where he was again. Waking up in this world was always a distinct pleasure, except for the fact he was here.
Brushing the ash and sand off his fallen form, he just breathed in an out slowly, not that it mattered of course, given that he didn't need to breath. Shaking his head, a wave of the ash-sand mixture fell from his hair and just sighed. It felt so close... he could almost feel it buckle, but he could already guess why. This place was designed to torment everyone here. No matter how hard they pushed, that sky wouldn't have broken for them. Pikkon, the green creature from before, the cop that Turles described, had some kind of permission to go between the realms. His trying to follow was childish.
But then again, trying to run from the all consuming wave of fire that randomly rolled through the world, was equally childish. There was no escaping it, you may as well just give up and let it scorch you. Take it first, and just deal with it.
To his left another form slowly pulled itself from the burnt ash and sand. It rolled down in a great avalanche as soot and dust kicked up into the air. Turles coughed several times as he began brushing himself off.
"I've tried that before too," Turles remarked. "I've never seen it stretch that far, but it's just apart of how this place torments you. For most, its just as hard as reinforced steel."
Now you tell me after I throw everything at it.
"Thanks for warning me," Gohan coughed.
"Well, it was worth a shot," Turles remarked bluntly. "But I've seen a lot more power then that thrown at it Consider me helping out a self-esteem boost."
There was a small scoff from Gohan before he flopped back onto the ground, just breathing in and out, wanting to lay there forever.
"I just wanted to avoid dying my whole life, you know?" Gohan asked. "I just did what I always knew I had to, to make it see another day. If somebody else didn't make it? Well, sucks to be him, but I was going to do it. I don't even know what was so great about living, but I wanted it. Even when I couldn't sleep because of what I had to do, I did it. I did my job, and I did my job well."
There was only silence on the other side, and Gohan didn't care.
"Then I get to Earth and boom, everything changes. I meet my mom. I meet my dad. I meet tons of other people and no one seems to care what I did. From the average person I run into in a bank, to my family. Everyone with a few exceptions just want me to... I don't know? Change, they want to encourage me to do all these great things. Then I fucked it all up."
"Oh?" Turles responded. "And how did you do that?"
The voice was almost sarcastic, but he didn't care.
"When I first got to the planet, after Kakarot beat the hell out of me, I had a bit of time to burn. I spent it doing whatever I wanted, without killing anyone. I harassed people, I beat up people. When I found out about the alcohol on the planet I indulged for a few hours, but I found out all the women on the planet looked like us. They were like Saiyans without tails. I was stupid enough to think of them as a bunch of cattle, base animals I could do whatever the Hell I wanted to. I fucked one of them after toying with her for hours, and that's how I ended up here."
And it was true. If he'd never forced himself on Videl, he'd have not been here, right now, and he sincerely regretted the act now more than ever. It wasn't because he hated Pan by any means, he loved that girl to death, but if he never knew she existed, or he never met her, or she was never born, he would have never ended up down here. He wouldn't have run into Videl again, and he certainly wouldn't have died defending his daughter.
"The daughter you mentioned before," Turles commented, his voice finally ceasing in its normal tone, it was flat but engaged. "Your daughter got you killed?"
It took him a moment to answer, though just thinking of Pan made him want to go home again.
"She's the greatest," he finally said. "I didn't know what the point of a lot of my life was on Earth until I met her. She was so inquisitive and happy. Even if her life wasn't the best, or her and her mom didn't get along, she was just always switched on.I got to know her, and the more I did, the more I wanted to help her. I wanted to give her the opportunities I... missed. Hell, I just wanted her to be safe and happy."
Sitting up again, Gohan looked over to Turles, seeing his father staring back at him without a word to say.
Turning away, Gohan just closed his eyes, remembering everything as vividly as he could. He remembered fighting Garlic in a desperate battle, and he could still feel the Cataclysmic Kamehameha shooting from his hands and annihilating the Dead Zone. But most importantly, still faintly in the darkness, he could see her staring back at him as he lay there bleeding in an underground shaft, staring into her eyes pleading for her to leave and save herself.
"The last battle I fought, was to protect her. A demon named Garlic wanted revenge on me for something I don't even remember. He stole her and used her to threaten me. I saved her, and it sent me here. I always pulled out the victory, or at least the survival before. But I had to keep her going. I couldn't hang back or hold on. She nearly died herself. I thew everything away for her to be safe, because I thought... I think... it was the right thing to do. And now I'm here. Even if they get me out, I'm here for an eternity, only with a small window outside of this fucking place."
With an almost painful laugh, Gohan found the irony in it.
"As soon as I find out how much more there is to life other than just making it, as soon as I do start living for more than just surviving... I die. I die and because I spent so much of everything trying to avoid dying, because it made me hurt so many people... I'm... I'm here."
"Are you proud of her?" Turles asked a second later, staring back at her. "Was it worth it to come here?"
"You have a tail, just like mine!"
"My name's Pan! What's yours?"
He could still see her the first day they met. She couldn't have been older than four or five. She was standing there in the midst of the World Martial Arts Tournament, holding his tail in a crowd of people. For a second, he'd thought she was Vegeta's. But even now he couldn't look back at it with the same anger he'd felt when he found out she was his. All she'd wanted was a friend like her. Just like he had.
"Thank you for saving my mommy, I don't have anyone else."
"She's going to be okay?"
Even when he saw the tension with Videl, he could always see how desperately Pan wanted her to be okay. It was like she was rooting for her mom to get better, without even realizing that he was the one that broke her in the first place. He always wondered just how much she would care about him if she knew his crimes. He wondered just how much she'd care if she knew that she was only alive because he'd abused her mother, and because he ruthlessly survived for over a decade in Space by killing almost everyone he came across. He was drenched in blood... but she wasn't.
"Don't go, please. Gohan mom didn't mean it. Please stay. I'm sorry."
"I love you dad."
They were little more than strangers for months, and she still warmed to him like he was her father. The day she found out he was her father, her mother was killed in front of her, and a monster held her in his clutches. She nearly died a half dozen times and she watched him... die as well. But even as she was leaving, the last thing she said to him was that she loved him.
"Yea," Gohan answered after a minute. "Even if I never get out of here. Yea, it was worth it. She's going to live a life without fighting, or violence. Even if me being dead means from now on she'll know peace, it'll be worth it. Even if she forgets about me, and doesn't know me... it'd... it'd be worth it. So yes. I am proud of her. I'd do anything to make sure she was safe."
Turning his head back, Gohan just lookeda t Turles looking back at him, looking uncomfortable and quiet.
Reaching over, he patted Gohan's shoulder twice before he stood up.
"Get up," Turles ordered. "I want to see how much you've learned since I've been dead."
Looking up at him, he noticed Turles hadn't transformed.
"What's the point? You aren't going to teach me anything," Gohan responded, before seeing Turles gesture again.
"Because I know what Bardock wanted me to teach you," Turles said. "And I don't know if you can learn. So we're going to have to see."
Rising to his feet after him, Gohan felt like he'd travelled back in time to a time long before any of this was happening.
"I can."
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Gohan: Age 8, Planet Cooler 404
Blood splattered from the side of his face, spraying against the rocks nearby before his small frame hit the ground in a single vicious motion.
"Useless," Turles almost growled, walking around the boy as he flicked his arm, scattering the blood away from his hand. "I told you several times to dodge, and still you take the blow. How man y blows did Paragus deliver to that head of yours?"
The last time he'd answered, Gohan gave the wrong answer. Turles was certainly a better teacher than Paragus, even if they didn't train often. When they did, Turles made sure he was given proper instruction as to what to do. The only problem was he could never replicate it seemingly to Turles's approval.
"Prove to me you're more than some ki battery, now, dodge," Turles ordered.
Slowly bringing himself to his knees, Gohan looked around the planetscape outside of the base facility. This was an ugly, cratered, moss covered wasteland. Turning his head back to his master, he rose to his feet, preparing his stance, painfully as he did. The look Turles gave him was a calm, amused one. It was as if he was impressed that he stood up.
This time, when the blow came, Gohan swung under Turles's arm, feeling the air moving above his head. Immediately he grinned, feeling the sense of accomplishment before he rolled away. Stopping, he perked up.
"I did it- HGHN!" Gohan coughed as Turles's knee ploughed into his stomach.
Gasping and gagging for air, he stumbled for a moment before collapsing in a heap next to Turles's feet, sputtering as he did. A few coughs later brought up spit that half smeared across his face, mixing with blood. Why? Why'd he done that? He'd dodged the strike like he was ordered. He'd failed to dodge anything that fast before.
"The universe is never going to have time outs," Turles remarked bluntly. "If you want to survive, you need to always be ready to survive. Don't get comfortable. Don't get complacent. Now get up."
Struggling with one hand, Gohan pushed against the soil beneath him, while the other hand moved to start brushing the saliva and mud away from his face. Almost with a wheeze, still trying to catch his breath, Gohan managed to finally get back to his feet, looking towards the man who'd kept him alive for almost two years.
"I," he breathed. "understand."
More than anything, he just wanted to live, and Turles showed him how to do that.
"All you've got is that stupid Breaker Shell attack, don't you? You've seen my attacks in action?" he asked. "You're going to need firepower. So far all you've managed to do is bring down a few buildings and kill a weak thousand weaklings. I can't keep taking bad contracts just to keep you around. Sink or swim time kid. If you want to make it and survive this, you're going to need to up-gun yourself."
Shakily, Gohan nodded his head, staring back at his saviour with a tremble still.
With a twist, Turles turned towards the sky, forming a orb of purple energy in both his hands as his aura flared up.
"If you still want to be useful, show me this."
Pointing his hands up as the energy spiked around them, Turles roared for a moment as the power gathered ahead for him.
"Cataclysm Cannon!"
Suddenly a torrent of dark purple energy streaked across the sky. The light was overwhelming, sucking away the light from around the base itself, beyond shedding the huge wave of purple around him. It was enough to make his heart race and all Gohan could do was smile at the spectacle. It was more than just watching a flashy display of light, he could sense everything Turles had done, as he'd made it obvious in his setup, he'd not hidden anything. He pulled ki from his core and brought it into his arms, before throttling it all back and building up 'pressure'. The moment his palms struck together, the canon was unleashed.
As the light faded, all Gohan could do was look up and breath in and out, almost eagerly.
I know I can do this.
More missions meant more money. More missions meant more value, which meant promotions. More promotions meant more safety. Even at eight he could understand it all.
"I don't know if you can do this," Turles remarked, before turning towards him. "But you're going to show me right now. Let's see if you've learned."
"I will," Gohan answered immediately, rushing himself forward and concentrating.
He could feel the aura burst around him eagerly. It was hardly as well controlled, his energy field almost swirling out of control as he brought it to the surface. But from his core, he centred himself, drawing his ki through himself, pulling energy into his shoulders, and then into his hands, preparing to detonate the attack as he'd always envisioned it.
I'm not just some kid. I'm not going to fail at this. I'm going to live.
Energy massed in his hands now as he almost felt his concentration slip. It was hard to do anything beyond focus on what he was doing. Every instinct told him to throw the energy now, but it wasn't right. Moss ripped up from the ground all around him and mud swirled near his feet from the energy. Pushing his hands together finally, just as the moment felt right, Gohan felt his hands about to touch, and shouted almost instinctively the same words he'd heard his mentor shout more than once.
"Cataclysm Cannon!"
His voice echoed out, and for a second nothing happened. Before he could panic, beyond his eyes widening, he was suddenly blinded by purple light. A stream of destruction moved through him, shooting into the sky in a display of brilliance. Without even realizing it, he cheered with a long, excited laugh as the violent force was unleashed.
As the light slowly faded, Gohan was left standing there, his chest heaving with exhilaration. He'd not only done it, he'd done it perfectly. Even now he watched as the bolt of purple energy trailed into the night sky, slowly fading among the stars.
Twisting around, he stared, looking for approval from Turles. The other Saiyan stood there, staring at him, and for a brief second he could almost imagine a familiar look from a figure he'd already forgotten. It was a look someone had given him before, but one he seldom saw. He saw pride, if only a flash of it. It disappeared almost a second later, as Turles shifted his features to a more neutral look.
"Well, you're coming with me to Signa II then," he remarked. "It's a Elite Class planet. Five elites are supposed to take it. The pay is immense, and the danger is high. Are you an elite, Gohan? Or are you are a corpse?"
"I'm an elite," Gohan said immediately, his own jaw stiffening at the remark.
"Good, because I'm not there to bail you out, kid."
The two slowly walked towards the doors of the base, which opened for them without so much as a radio signal.
Of course, the irony of all of it was, Gohan suffered several mortal wounds during the mission's final stages, suffering a dozen energy wounds and two punctures through his chest. It was Turles who dragged him to his pod.
()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()()
Author's Notes: Sorry, They're Long
Originally, I was going to have Babidi's piece at the end, but I really felt that Turles and Gohan's flashback really deserved the final say.
So, big notes this time. I made this chapter in a lot of ways as a throwback to the first 20 chapters of the story, and how they were written. I tightened my focus really on the events outside of Earth. Originally I was going to split things up much more, but I really decided against it, and for a lot of reasons. Namely, to keep things as coherent as possible. This chapter was designed to really follow those outside of Earth's cast. Chapter 52 is going to do the opposite, focusing instead exclusively on those on the Earth. I'm also going to limit the perspectives, much like I did in this chapter. Namely, because I really want to get some depth of the exploration with each character, and I really don't want it getting lost among too many perspectives.
This chapter, was principally about Gohan. I really felt the character needed it, and because its a big part of how this saga is going to unfold.
There will be a chapter almost wholly dedicated to Junia, Brass, and Taro coming up, before any kind of climax is approached, that will be dealing in their own pasts almost exclusively. In the mean time, every non-Earth chapter will have a feature following them and their backgrounds. I need to build them up. They won't be mysteries by the time any conflicts come down.
I got a lot of people who were concerned that I was making things too complicated. I got PM's and reviews saying as much, so I just want to make it clear, that most of this Saga is going to be written like this chapter. Things are going to get tackled one at a time. Chapter 50 needed to be what it was, firstly because it was the 50th chapter in the story, but also because I needed to do a big setup for how I was going to form this Saga. When broken up correctly, everything will make perfect sense.
This chapter is going to be an example of how things are going to be explained throughout the saga. If you can follow this chapter, you can follow the saga. I take everyone's criticism regarding a worry over complexity seriously, and I hope that this format addresses it.
On another, awesome note. I really pulled out a lot of stops for this chapter, and really went for a fairly... traditional way to presenting Gohan and Turles, because this chapter is actually being finished in time for the 2 year anniversary for the original launch of The Long Road. That's right, it's been two years since I first posted a chapter for this. Its crazy to think where all the time has gone.
We're not done yet. We've got a lot of adventures to still go through, but I just want to let everyone know I'm still committing to seeing this thing through. There are a lot of stories I want to tell within this epic, they're not over yet. Gohan's story has a lot to still cover.
I just wanna add a personal note, given this is the two year anniversary of the story's launch.-
I remember when I first posted chapter 1. I was super nervous, and honestly felt discouraged at first. I had approached The Long Road from a different writing philosophy than The Catalyst, and I was really nervous at the time. The first few chapters got dismal numbers of reviews. I almost abandoned this story after Chapter 5. I'd already finished chapter 6 and 7 when I posted chapter 6 up. If it wasn't for a (at the time) massive outpouring of feedback at that point, the story would have ended, and been long forgotten. I know my story isn't the most popular on the site, and for a lot of good reasons, but I can say that the enthusiasm people fed me to see more of this story I'd cobbled together, reinvigorated me.
I may have stopped writing on FF all together once the Catalyst slowed down. I love writing this story, and I have since I started it. I just always felt that what makes the writing worth while, is knowing people are reading it, even if they hate it. I know I can seem like a dickhead sometimes (Because let's face it, when you mix a New Zealander, and a Pole together on the Canadian west coast, you're not going to get the most cordial person around), but I wanna let everyone know, that outside of a few cases of someone repeating the same thing, over and over again, I appreciate what you guys have done for this story.
An important note as well, a lot of major decisions I made in this story, I consulted a great author named Ness Frost over. They have a criminally under read story named Always and its one of my personal favourites. If you like Gohan stories, that follow a more canon Gohan, then I firmly recommend the read. You can thank a lot of the best decisions in this story (without going into specifics) to Frost talking with me and helping me fine the right answer. (some may even say, talking me off a cliff's edge when it came to some dumb decisions that nearly made it into this story). I can't give Ness Frost enough praise for all the help I've received. You can even say that Abaddon as a villain in a lot of ways is a homage to the main antagonist of Always.
I also know I've lost a fair number of reviewers along the way as well, and in some instances has been because of my responses to some reviews. That would be me being a dickhead 90% of the time. Even if I seem defensive at times in my responses, its because I am actually responding to the review. In many cases, if it was a criticism that I disagreed with, under other circumstances, I'd just not respond. But I make it a rule for myself, that everyone who leaves me a review, is acknowledged, and gets a response.
I know it annoys some of you when they're are huge author's notes, and I kinda didn't expect them to go on this long either... But shit, this is the two year anniversary! But still, all good things need to come to an end. So this is where this part ends, but again, thank you guys for all your support. I can only hope that I pull off this Saga and everyone enjoys it. If this chapter is any measure, in my personal opinion, this is going to keep going strong. But whether it is or not is really up to you guys.
Thank you everyone.
I'm also excited to announce, that if we hit 1455 reviews by the week's end (June 20th), we will have Chapter 52 posted up for that weekend.
Reviews:
Lourdes-Sunrise-Princess: As to Goku, we'll start to see what happens with him and the others in Chapter 52! Expect a pretty heavy focus on Goku, Vegeta, and Pan. (Also, Videl will be back, just probably not next chapter, but who knows?)
The Darkest Wizard: I didn't come up with the Supreme Kai of time. She's from Xenoverse. However, I can say that this saga was planned prior to the launch of Xenoverse. I just added her into this because I felt she could add to the story, and because it made sense.
The Ghost Who Walk1: Wait no longer! And wait even less time if we hit 1450.
tomorrow4eva: Not necessarily a crossover, but a common universe. Though The Catalyst may get some input from TLR Gohan if it gets far enough.
Anonymous: He didn't gain any base strength.
Pyromania101: I hope Junia's first perspective piece didn't disappoint.
Guest1: Thanks a bunch, that's really humbling. I've got 90% of my stories fully plotted before I even start them. I do make changes sometimes, but I'm definitely an architect writer.
DaOneInDaCorner: Honestly, I have no idea. I never put much thought into it. I suppose its possible, but who knows?
RandomReader: I definitely try. I only want to write the story if people are interested, and hearing that its a big draw for people to come to the site is humbling (something which let's face it, my ego could use). One reason why Xenoverse works with this part of the story, is bluntly put, I added it to a preexisting plot. Xenoverse was adapted to this part of the story, it wasn't built in mind to support it, it just happened to.
Guest2: Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter just as much.
Aqua Roxas: You're concerns are duly noted. Though I would say that I only made three OCs, and they're all really in one stable. Please see above Author's notes for how this saga is going to be handled. Nothing is going to be overwhelming going forward. Well, I assume it won't be. Just trust in me dude. You've trusted me for 49 chapters, trust me for the next batch, you'll note regret it.
MaxRiderLover: Thanks. :)
Dr. Blu22: Doctor! Good to see ya'all again. I don't think I've made one with that many perspectives before either, but I agree with my critics for that chapter, it was too much, and things will operate more like this chapter going forward, at least for a while. Four perspectives at most, preferably three.
Artemis'thorns: Gohan, at one point, may get to meet the Gohan of the series. I hope I can make that work, but I'll only be adding that in if the story can accommodate it. But I have thought out scenes for such an encounter.
Guest3: I don't think I have many haters. And honestly people have every right to criticize my work for any reason they want, even if- especially if I don't agree with it. Perspective matters. Just so long as its not the same thing being droned on about for five reviews in a row, or its spammed.
Sekhelmet: It's super easy to keep track. Hell Villains and Not Hell Villains. See? :D
Superscarface83: Comparing TLR to Abridged? That's kind of a bit too far don't you think? And the conclusion of the story is set in stone. When we get there, it'll be fantastic, and really fall in line with the themes in the story we've seen so far. We're just a long way from there -.-
Masenko56: You get a reply anyway!
Guest4: I don't think I said he didn't work for her O.o
Brelic: Pan is going to be an amazing character. In my opinion, she's probably the second most important character in the story, and by the end of it, may be even the most important.
Dead Survivor: Cell Junior was a bonus piece I threw in. He's not gonna be around for a long time. But you can expect a Cell Junior Saga, all its own, at some point in the future.
Daughter of Vegeta: I hope you enjoyed reading the perspective of... The Daughter of Vegeta, this chapter XD
LightningBlade49: Thanks!
PetrusMagnus: Originality only works out if its execution works. We'll see if I can pull it off.
MaxPain32: I am looking forward to that as well :D
RaijuBlue: An immense review! I wish I had an immense response. All I can say is, expect lots from Pan. :)
Morisako83: Cell Junior is still a ways off, as is Cooler. But I will say that we'll see what happens in Hell. A lot could go down.
Guest105: Don't worry about the hundreds of different realities. Those are functionally the backdrop for the plot. Things will get fleshed out before the climax of this saga. I promise, you'll not have a problem. And check out the notes above. If you followed this chapter alright, you'll be able to follow the story moving forward.
Guest5: You won't see Demigra, or at least not in any kind of major role. Since he exists outside of time, I suspect that the events of Xenoverse have already transpired, and he got spanked by Goku and The Warrior from the game.
VuvuZelaHero: Yes, that is core universe Trunks. Canon Future Trunks.
Darknessrising1: It is very likely that Super Saiyan III will make its debut this Saga. How and who however, I'm not mentioning.
Anonymi: I'm excited to hear from you. :)
RustKnight: I'm pretty sure you won't see those two villains unfortunately. :\
Peter1398: The Three Saiyans may be the same people Bardock observed in The Catalyst. You won't see the Time Patrol Warrior. Raditz and Gohan have a lot of differences, but the main thing they held in common is their cowardice to be honest. And cowardice is something Raditz shook from his character much more easily. Gohan's a bit of a different breed.