Gohan watched as the marker indicating the plane traveled slowly across the continents on the map. Strangely enough, he couldn't point out Mount Pouzu on it, perhaps his little cottage home was more unknown than he had originally thought.
The whirring of the plane's engines served as a major comforting factor, the pleasant buzz acted as something to fill in the silence of the cramped cabin.
The two slowly settled in for the predicted eleven-hour flight and Goku's voice filled the craft, replacing the engines for a brief moment.
"Jack, the nimbus was way faster than this."
Gohan sighed "Yeah Goku I know." He turned around in his chair to see Goku doodling on the window "I'm sorry."
Goku fabricated a smile "That's okay, you didn't do anything wrong. These Red Ribbon people just don't know when to quit. I hope that's the last we see of them."
Gohan sat back down in his chair facing the many panels and computer screens displaying information.
Me too daddy, I'm sorry about your cloud. I don't remember you telling me you lost it when you were young...Maybe me being here has already changed too much.
For some reason, Goku played the day's events back in his head and remembered just how fast Gohan moved as he swept through countless riflemen. Goku's mind wandered even further back to the tournament when he asked if Gohan was hiding anything from him, he frowned remembering the response, an adamant 'no'.
"Jack, you're not hiding any of your power are you?"
Gohan was surprised at the question and nervous as well, had he made a mistake? Had he slipped too much power into one of his punches during the battle to the point where it was noticeable?
"N-no, what makes you say that?"
Goku recognized that tone, more so than ever before, it sounded racked with guilt but he decided to explain himself rather than accuse Gohan of lying.
"Well you moved way faster yesterday at the town than you ever did at the tournament, I mean even I couldn't see you."
Gohan stressed as he tried his best to sound convincing
"Maybe you were just distracted, all the gunfire and the sand kicking up with the wind is a little disorienting"
Goku smiled as he tried to dismiss his suspicions just as he did at the tournament, after all, 'Jack' had promised him he wasn't hiding anything.
"You're right, I'm sorry I'm acting so strange, I just worry is all." He rubbed his chin as he began again. "You know what's kind of funny? I've never really worried about anybody except you. Maybe it's because of how kind you are to people, or because you remind me a lot of me..." He struggled to figure out what to say next. "I guess it doesn't matter...Just please promise me you aren't holding anything back during these fights; after that Silver guy, I think this adventure for my grampa's ball could get really dangerous."
Gohan first breathed a silent sigh of relief, he knew he needed to be more careful, he knew he could only get away with so much before his father catches onto his lies.
"I appreciate that you care so much, it means a lot to me. And I promise I'm not holding anything back."
His answer had satisfied Goku who was content enough to return to his drawings on the window.
The two didn't talk very much for the next few hours, it was hard to converse when a giant chair stands between you and the person you are trying to talk to. Morning turned to night as the two traveled across plains, oceans, forests, and deserts. They eventually ended up in a snowy region filled with massive mountain ridges and snow-covered hills.
They had both been asleep as it was already late at night when the engines began to freeze. The cabin filled with a deep red light and a beeping siren began. The two woke up in a panic but were met with a calm female voice coming from the speakers.
Warning! Warning! Dual engine failure! Eject! Eject!
Gohan scrambled to look if his father had strapped himself in, which he had. They pulled their red ejection levers and were thrust upwards from the craft into the freezing cold of night. The chutes deployed quickly and they both watched as their plane crashed into the land beneath them.
When their seats finally drifted to the ground the two went to investigate the crash which served as their only source of light. As they approached, Gohan could see Goku shivering in the cold, it wasn't something he was used to because for as long as he'd known his father, he always warm. Even out in the snow. It was upsetting to see him be so brittle.
They stared at the plane that was now unrecognizable; the wings were torn from the body and the cabin burned brightly, illuminating the surrounding area. Gohan sensed a minuscule power level approaching them from behind. He turned around to see a little red-haired girl peeking out from a little pile of snow. Goku spotted her just as Gohan did and eagerly ran over.
"Excuse me, do you have someplace for us to go? It's f-freezing out here."
The little girl was ecstatic she hadn't seen another kid around in ages, let alone two. She grabbed his hand nearly pulling his arm off as she showed him the way. "Sure follow me, my village isn't too far from here!"
The two followed her into a small village full of circular homes all connected through shoveled paths. She led them to her home where her mother greeted her at the door
"Suno!" She gasped "Bringing guests home this late, that's so unlike you. Please bring them by the fire, the one in orange looks nearly frostbitten. I'll bring coffee in shortly and we'll sort all this out."
Goku and Gohan both huddled by the fire covered in blankets. They bathed in its warm, comforting glow and answered the eager mother's questions.
"So what brings you two so far north?"
Goku made a sour face as he put his coffee down, he didn't know what it was but he didn't like it. "We're looking for the dragon balls."
The mother trembled in her chair. "Y-You don't work for the Red Ribbon Army do you?"
Goku frowned, upset at hearing the name. "No, are they bothering you guys?"
Suno stood close to her mother whose pigment slowly returned to her skin. "They've been terrorizing our village for so long. They took Suno's father and the other men to search out in the cold for those dragon balls but no one's found anything."Her voice cracked as she continued. "They-they even captured our village chief and locked him inside of a place called Muscle Tower."
Goku was pleased with that, just what he needed to get his mind off of his cloud: an insurmountable challenge.
"We'll beat those Red Ribbon guys and bring your chief back. It's the least we can do after all your help."
Gohan stood up, he knew his father wasn't going to wait until morning so he figured he may as well be ready for a midnight raid on this 'Muscle Tower'.
"But your just two little boys! These are grown men wi-"
They all heard a pounding knock on the front door.
"Open up! It's cold and we're just making our evening rounds." They knocked harder and louder. "Don't make this difficult!"
The mother walked up to the door with Suno hidden behind her and slowly opened it. The soldiers gave their standard greeting and walked in to inspect the home. They were surprised when they saw Goku and Gohan standing in the living room next to the fireplace
One soldier said in a panicked voice. "Holy shit it's those kids!"
His partner could hardly say anything, he was scrambling to pull out his rifle but before he could get a shot off, they were both knocked unconscious simultaneously by the boys.
Suno and her mother were stunned, two strong soldiers a part of the invincible Red Ribbon Army now laid on the floor at their mercy.
Goku laughed "See that's a good start! Now, do you know where this muscle tower is? I really want to help you guys."
The mother realized these were no ordinary boys, but her instincts still told her not to show them the way, at least not yet. She picked the soldiers up one at a time and laid them in the cellar beneath the kitchen. She walked back upstairs and decided she'd figure out how to deal with the soldiers later.
"You'll have to wait until morning, you'll never find it out there in the dark and neither of you is wearing any winter clothing. In the morning you'll get a hot meal and some snow gear. If you haven't changed your mind by then I will show you the way, I won't try to stop you."
She showed them to an extremely cramped guest bedroom with barely enough space for two sleeping mats. Surprisingly, both found the room quite cozy and took to the mats as soon as they were set up with covers and a pillow. Goku fell asleep quickly but after the long nap in the plane, Gohan didn't feel very tired.
After laying there for a while the wind began to pick up outside, eventually developing into a full-blown blizzard. Gohan closed his eyes and laid his head against the pillow, he hated that sound the wind made as it howled outside; it frightened him greatly. Ever since the arrival of the saiyans he always hated the sound of howling wind because to him it always sounded like screaming. Exactly whose screams they were, he could never tell, but they at least sounded reminiscent of Tien's scream for Chaotzu. That sound of a heartbroken scream at the loss of a friend, at someone so dear, was haunting and made him retreat under his covers. Subconsciously he scooched the mat closer to his father, Gohan only stopped when he realized that the edges of the mats began to overlap.
The wind grew louder and more powerful, covering the small window in a thick layer of snow.
Gohan couldn't help it anymore, he tried covering his ears to try and block it out, but even with them covered, he still couldn't escape the awful sounds that hissed outside and so, he tried the only thing he thought might calm himself down, he threw his blanket over his father and snuggled up next to him. He felt Goku move and was relieved he hadn't woken up but was just shifting around unconsciously. Still, despite being as close to him as he could, Gohan was terrified, the wind refused to stop its tormenting. Suddenly, just before the wind was able to cause Gohan to burst into tears Goku shifted once more. He moved one arm underneath Gohan's head to cushion it and rested the other over top of him, all while being entirely asleep.
The wind died down for a moment and then picked up again, but thankfully it no longer mattered, Gohan felt entirely safe as long as he was being held by Goku. In his father's arms he felt true relief, this, this is what he had missed in the months after the Cell Games, he had missed feeling this safe and warm and comfortable, he had missed being able to go into his parent's room and tell his father he was frightened, he had missed feeling this loved.
When they woke in the early morning they ate a modest-sized breakfast of eggs and bacon. There wasn't much in terms of variety so far north because shipments of food that came from the bigger cities were infrequent and the main roads that transported them required plowing often, still, the warm gesture was appreciated by both of the boys. Gohan sat at the table and finished his eggs before asking the mother a question
"So what did you decide to do with those soldiers?"
She could hardly speak as she covered her giggles with her hand "They couldn't remember a thing! When they woke up I told them they came in from the cold very disoriented and allowed them to stay in the cellar. I lead them upstairs and while gripping their heads gave the living room and kitchen a quick inspection before going on their way."
After breakfast, Suno's mother gave them both poofy but resilient snow gear and reluctantly pointed them towards what she assumed to be their final resting place. Goku and Gohan took a few steps from the house before waving goodbye to Suno and her mother. The little girl seemed particularly upset at Goku's departure, she cupped her hands to sound louder as she had a naturally soft voice.
"Goku, promise you'll save our chief and come back safe."
Goku turned and gave her a thumbs up "Don't worry! I promise we'll both come back safe with your chief. We already beat one of those mean Red Ribbon guys anyway. His name was Colonel Silver. Whatever 'colonel' means it sounds important and I think that's why these guys hate us so much."
Goku turned around and began walking with Gohan in the direction of the infamous Muscle Tower. While they walked, Goku looked at the ground and focused on the crunch he heard as he placed one foot in front of the other.
"Jack, what is this stuff on the ground?"
Gohan was in disbelief, did his father really not know about snow?"
"Uh, it's snow Goku. Man, your grandpa really didn't teach you much about the world did he?"
Goku picked up some snow as they walked "He taught me lots of stuff but I guess he never really told about different places. I think he never talked about the world because I never asked him, that's kind of how grampa was. You ask him a question he would always tell you the truth, but, if you never asked about something he probably wouldn't tell you."
The two continued their walk until they saw a massive red brick tower in the distance. It was partially shrouded by the snow that blew up into the wind but they could tell its base was circular and had battlements all the way around, they could also see that after those battlements the tower slimmed into a long cylinder-like shape. Gohan didn't want to call any plan of attack, it had always been his father's job to do that.
Goku focused his vision on the tower "Okay Jack, I'm not great with plans but here's the idea: These guys don't seem very observant and probably won't be ready for a head-on attack. You and I are just about the same speed so we run at the tower, I grab you and use my power pole to get us up on one of the sides of the tower. From there on out we'll just make something up. Sound good?"
Gohan was again surprised by his father's tactical competence. Sure the plan by normal people's standards was moronic but for two bulletproof little boys, it was effective, speedy, and well thought out up until they actually get in the tower.
"Yeah, Goku let's do it!"
They both ran towards the tower coming into the sentries field of vision. The alarms wailed and a couple dozen soldiers shot in their direction. Goku blocked most of the bullets that were near them with his power pole and as they got closer knocked out a few of the more tenacious guards that left the safety of their posts to face them.
As they neared the external battlements Goku grabbed Gohan's hand and stuck his pole into the snow in front of them propelling the two upwards. He yelled "power pole extend!" and the two were lifted onto the top of the external wall.
They walked around the top of the battlements that were eerily empty until they looped around the tower. They completed their lap and came upon a single wooden door with a speaker to the left of it
"Man, Jack, this place is huge. It's gonna take us forever to find the chief in there.
They heard the speaker activate and a thick Russian voice spill out of it.
"AHAHA! I see you, little intruders! Welcome to muscle tower!" He cackled wildly until they heard the crash of a bottle onto the floor. His voice was filled with rage as he screamed in a language they couldn't understand "Sukin syn!" He cleared his throat and sighed, he said in an irritated voice "You are welcome to try and collect your little chief, all you must do is enter the door in front of you. Don't expect to get far, I'm not as soft as Colonel Silver, now you face the mightiest general of the Red Ribbon Army: General White!"
The two opened the door just as the transmission cut, they entered a brightly lit room with a couple of soldiers sitting around a table playing cards. The men stood up and quickly drew their pistols firing at the two. They dodged the bullets with ease and dispatched the guards just as easily. They heard the speakers activate once more
"Ah, now I see what Silver was up against. You two are no ordinary children, you have received martial arts training. Sadly no matter how hard I pushed these troopers they never took to the Spetznaz hand-to-hand combat procedures I implemented. Fools got what they deserved. Go ahead and ascend to the next floor, malen'kiye lyudi!" They heard his wheeze of a laugh before he cut the transmission.
Goku led the way as they walked up the stairs. They reached the third floor and a few lights flickered on, they saw a massive swivel chair with a big and burly man sitting in it. Gohan sensed no energy coming from him and determined he was an android rather quickly, however, it couldn't have been from Gero because of the craftsmanship, or lack thereof. This android seemed of lower quality than all the previous ones he'd faced, its skin was noticeably silicon like and its hair seemed to sheen unnaturally in the dim light, what's more, he could hear its robotic joints as it stood from its chair.
"Good morning. I am Major Metallitron and this is the third floor. To reach the fourth floor you must get past me and the statistical probability of that is zero percent. None have ever bested me in battle and you children are the least likely to defeat me." He raised his fist slowly into the air and locked it behind him. He waited a second before attempting to slam it down on Goku who disappeared before his hit could connect. Goku then kicked the major backward, crashing him into the wall.
The android stood slowly from the rubble and opened his mouth which erupted in flames as he shot a rocket out of it. Gohan threw Goku above the rocket and dodged beneath it, when the explosive collided with the wall it blew a massive hole into the side of the tower opening the room up to the cold winter wind. As Goku flew towards the major he aimed a kick that knocked the robot's head right off its neck.
Goku was horrified as he saw its head on the floor, he backed up to the wall and slid down it grabbing onto his knees.
"Oh no, I killed him!"
Gohan saw his father tremble, apparently he didn't notice it was a machine. He walked to the opposite end of the room where Goku sat looking at the head, neither had noticed the body still stood straight up.
"Goku relax it's a robot like the one that helped us with the plane. It's not a real person."
Goku picked himself up off the floor and walked over to the robot's head "Really?"
Gohan picked up the head and showed him the wires beneath the base of its neck "See?"
He could see his father wipe his forehead and his shoulders relax, he forgot his father wasn't always used to being around death, in fact, he wondered if this was the first time his father thought he killed someone.
They both heard the body of the machine turn around and raise its gloved hand. They saw flames spew as a fist propelled itself in their direction. Goku just barely dodged the fist, nearly falling to the floor in the process. He quickly steadied himself and ran towards Metallitron's massive frame, jumping and shooting himself straight through the machine's chest.
Gohan could see fluid leaking from the hole, it seemed to be fuel as it gave off the smell of gasoline. Next thing he knew, the machine stiffened and collapsed onto the floor. Gohan walked over to his father and patted him on the back, he seemed as invincible as ever. The pair walked over to the stairs and began to climb. The speaker activated again as the two spiraled up along the staircase.
"You little brats! No one has ever beaten Major Metallitron!" He stuttered as he gathered his thoughts "No matter, now you will meet your end at the hands of Ninja Murasaki. This is an honor no one has ever had the displeasure of experiencing, I wish you poor luck!"
Neither were intimidated by his message, as a matter of fact, Goku smiled as they neared the top of the stairs "It's kind of hard to take him seriously with that funny voice huh Jack?"