Gero breathed heavily, his heart racing as it fought to catch up to his overwhelming amount of energy. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Eighty-three had already recovered from firing his massive kamehameha and was floating over toward him.
"Why didn't you stay away?" he asked, his arms crossed."If you had just let me kill him, like you built me for, then this would all be over! You would have your revenge and no one would be left to get in our way."
Gero climbed his way up from his knees and brought his head up to stand straight and tall as he addressed the android. "Save your breath. There's nothing you can say to make me change my mind. I can't blame him, or anyone else, for my mistakes. I realize that now."
"But it's his fault!" Eighty-three insisted. "His father is the reason Gebo is dead! If he never fought the Red Ribbon Army and attacked the base, Gebo would still be here! Don't you see that you're choosing them over your own son? Over me?! You're letting them get away with it!"
"I am not letting anyone get away with anything! I'm accepting responsibility, Eighty-three, do you not understand that?! My son joined the army because he loved me. He wanted me to feel proud of him and because I allowed that, I lost him. I lost everything."
Gero's last word ushered in a moment of silence, and he looked towards Eighty-three with concern and perhaps a little bit of hope that he understood what he was trying to say.
"They took Gebo away from you. They did! Killing them is the only way we can move past it!" The android pleaded, placing his hands against his heart. "You have to trust me, I can do it! I'm strong enough!"
Gero sighed defeatedly as he faced the fact that every word he just spoke was totally ignored. "I know you are Eighty-Three, but revenge won't help us. We have to be better. That's how we move past it. Killing them will only cause more pain."
"There's no changing your mind, is there?" the android asked, his voice slightly cracking under the emotion.
Gero sighed once more, "It's just not possible, Eighty-three."
The android shook his head."I know you think I'm just a machine, Gero. Just a tool, meant to be thrown away if it wasn't useful, but I'll prove to you I'm more! Once I kill the two of them, you'll see that this was the only way!" he proclaimed, his heart filled with determination.
"You're not just a tool, Eighty-three!" Gero replied angrily, hoping to convince his creation of its logical folly. "You're some of my greatest work, and my work has meant everything to me for a very long time, but..." he stuttered, failing to string the correct words together as thoughts cluttered his mind. "But I have to change. And you can too. I can help if you need me."
"I don't want your help." Eighty-three spat out angrily. "If you cared about me, really cared about me, then you wouldn't be siding with Gohan! You wouldn't choose him over Gebo and me! You wouldn't be walking away when I finally have the power to kill him!"
"It's..." Gero trailed off as he saw smoke rising in the distance behind Eighty-three. He had seen the tracks earlier but had assumed they were abandoned. Considering there were countless better ways to get around, they definitely should be, and yet, that was most definitely a train. Bringing his eyes back onto the android, he continued. "It's not about your power."
Without turning his back to Gero, Eighty-three peaked over his shoulder and saw the black smoke rising from the locomotive that crawled between the base of two distant mountains.
"What? You're worried about them now?" he said, laughing briefly afterward. "You throw Gebo and me away like trash, but you're worried about a bunch of weaklings that don't even know you?! Don't even care about you?!"
Gero knew that tone. That hateful, bitter, jealous, angry tone. "They are uninvolved, Eighty-three." he said calmly, but his words fell on deaf ears as the android focused energy into his hand, charging up another ki blast.
The old scientist waited a moment and watched as the android continued to look over his shoulder.
"Don't-" he pleaded.
Suddenly, Eighty-three turned and raised his arm towards the train, lining up the shot. Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Gero lunged forward and threw his fist into the android's face. The hit was so powerful that it immediately disrupted his ki and launched him across the open sky.
Without hesitation, Gero began tapping into his newfound power and rushed after Eighty-Three. It was within only a few seconds that he matched the android's velocity and kicked him towards the ground.
The resulting explosion was massive, sending a large cloud of dust into the air as the android landed in the dry, cracked soil at the foot of the mountain. Even Gohan, who was miles away at the time of the impact, could see the upper edges of the cloud as the dust whisked up and across the air.
"That looks pretty serious." he uttered as he lay upon the forest floor, watching the cloud rise higher and higher over the horizon. "Hopefully that wasn't you, Gero."
Slightly worried, Gohan, despite his exhausted, shaking arms, managed to get himself up off the ground and began walking through the thick forest towards the fight.
I may not be able to help, but I need to at least keep an eye on you two...
His thoughts dispersed as the forest underbrush distracted him. The shrubs and ferns that stood in his path were up to his chest, with many even outsizing him by a few inches, making traversal difficult, to say the least.
I'll never get to them like this. There's gotta be a better way.
Suddenly, the ground began to shake, then the shrubs, and then, even the leaves on the trees trembled in fear. Another deafening crash and fiery explosion filled the sky with bits of soil and stone as Gero and Eighty-three battled above him.
Shambling through the thorns and leafy vines that infested the forest floor, Gohan picked up the pace, tapping into an energy he didn't even know he had. Still, he was making too little progress to reach them anytime soon.
More flashes lit up the sky and, almost instantly, rogue orbs of energy collided with the mountains surrounding him. Their impacts shattered massive slabs of rock that clung to the larger structure of the mountain, causing landslides that tore dozens of trees up by their roots, throwing them to the ground and rolling over them like earthen tidal waves.
Adrenaline pumping, Gohan felt another unexplainable burst of energy as he watched the near liquid-like avalanche of earth, wood, and roots tear through the forest. He jumped into the air, breaking through the tops of the trees just as the mountains' landslides met.
"NIMBUS!" he cried, hoping the cloud could get to him in time.
Just as he hit the apex of his jump, the cloud swooped in behind him and caught him at an angle, knocking him onto his back. He smiled as he felt the comfortable, spongy relief of the nimbus beneath him.
"Thank you nimbus!" he said, finding his footing on the cloud. "You came just in time!"
As he stood, he could see Gero and the android fighting in the distance. He got closer, but only slightly, keeping far off to the edge of the battlefield and watching as they hammered each other with attack after attack, strike after strike, each one releasing a resonating crack as their fists collided.
Suddenly disappearing for only seconds at a time, the two would dart across the sky, totally invisible, with only the shockwaves of their colliding fists being heard or felt. Then they would reappear and continue the same struggle.
It was only when it looked like Gero was finally getting a foothold that Eighty-three broke from the engagement and put some space between them. Near the horizon, they both could see the train switching tracks, changing its course for East City.
Gero, with his breath calm and steady, wiped the blood from a small cut near his chin and watched the android recover his own breath. Despite having the objective lead in the fight, he was not satisfied with the current situation, not at all. If anything, he felt a little annoyed with how things were playing out. He knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Eighty-three had more power than this so why hadn't he brought it out yet?
Not willing to be strung along some silly charade any longer, Gero shortened the gap between the android and himself. "All right, you've had your fun Eighty-three, but I'm not playing this game of yours any longer. Bring out your Super Saiyan form so we can get this over with."
The android looked towards the horizon for the thick black smoke plume that followed the train. He could just barely see the steam-powered locomotive muscling its way along the tracks, pushing as hard as it could to escape the nearby battle, and he wondered just exactly why Gero had stopped him from destroying it. He had never voiced any concern for people before, in fact, he had only ever voiced disdain for most of humanity. So what was different now?
"Why did you stop me, Gero? They never mattered to you before so why do they matter now?" he asked.
"They are innocent, Eighty-Three. You and I chose to be a part of this battle, they did not. It's as simple as that." the old man responded.
The android laughed at Gero's obviously insincere response. "No, it's not." he said. "You don't really care about them. How could you? They're useless! It's Gohan. He needs you to protect them, doesn't he?!"
Gero hunched over slightly, scowling and readying his fists as Eighty-Three pondered on his own question. The old man glanced briefly at the train before looking back on his creation.
"I understand." the android said, frowning. "You can't let them get hurt because of the tournament today. If these people die, then Gohan will have to wait an entire year to bring them back, and who knows how that could affect the present." he paused. "He doesn't want to help you, Gero. He's using you!"
"No one is using me!" the old man shouted. "I may not care for them, but I will protect them! It's the right thing to do. It's what my son would want me to do." Gero said, safeguarding the train with his vision as it grew more distant.
"You don't know what he'd want..." Eighty-Three uttered disappointedly. "But I do!"
With a roar, the android pushed forward, past Gero's guard. Swiftly, he landed a punch to the lower chest, stunning the old man. Using this new opening, he then rose his hands, clasping them together before swinging them down towards his neck.
In an attempt to protect himself, Gero brought his arms to his head and raised his shoulders. It wasn't the best defense, but it was all he could muster in the brief time he had to react to the attack. Eighty-three's hands then collided with Gero's shoulder sending him hurdling towards the ground.
The android nodded in satisfaction, he knew that the attack was not enough to seriously harm the doctor, but it bought him distance and time. He again looked towards the forested horizon for the train's signature black smoke, and though it was just barely visible, he spotted it almost immediately. Racing towards it, he smiled as he envisioned the suffering Gohan will endure once he irreparably changes the flow of history and denies him any hope of going home.
He soared toward the train quickly, getting close enough to see the passengers line up against the windows, watching in horror of what he might do. But before he could loose a ki blast towards them, Gero rammed a shoulder into his back, aiming for the middle of the spine. Although imprecise, the hit impacted his left side, near the lower back.
Locking his arms around the android, Gero aimed both himself and Eighty-three towards the earth and shot towards it with as much speed as he could. Just before they collided, he released his grip and allowed the momentum to launch the android deep into the rocky soil.
Not noticing a significant drop in Eighty-three's power level, Gero flew upwards and kept his eyes on the forest floor, watching as soil and dust spewed upwards. For a moment he thought about dropping back below the trees and continuing the fight on solid ground, but soon reconsidered. He could already feel the power he absorbed from Gohan beginning to drain, so giving up both the visibility of the sky and the potential to swing downwards, would not only be stupid but downright suicidal. Instead, he decided that patience was the best course of action, and when Eighty-three popped out the side of the dust cloud, he quickly pursued him.
As the two flew rapidly toward the train, Gero rose above the android and looked ahead. To his surprise, the tracks begin to curve towards one of the largest mountains in the region, and just before it, was an old wooden bridge held up by only four corroded steel beams. He knew that once the train crossed that bridge, it would enter a tunnel that went straight through the mountain and be safe for the time being. He just needed to protect it until then.
Diving towards Eighty-Three, Gero attempted to grapple him and force him to the ground but failed to grab hold of his arms; a dangerous mistake. With a quick kick to the side and elbow to the jaw, Eighty-Three freed himself and flew upward, into the clouds.
Concerned with the fact that he had no idea what Eighty-three was planning, Gero instinctively rushed toward the train and landed on the roof of one of the midsection's cars. He could feel his heartbeat quicken as he looked to his left, the tunnel was only a few hundred feet away. They were almost there!
Then, like dozens of mortar shells, energy blasts rained from the sky. Caught completely off-guard, Gero frantically raced around the tracks and blocked the blasts as they came crashing down. Luckily, he was just barely able to see the train into the tunnel before a blast blew the wooden bridge to pieces, igniting the debris as they flew.
Turning his attention toward the source of the problem, Gero rushed through the clouds and dodged dozens more of the blasts as he fought to get to Eighty-Three, even tanking a few of the ones he didn't care to dodge. He was risking significant amounts of energy with this charge and he knew he had to make it count.
Pushing through the final barrage of orbs, he gripped Eighty-three's wrists firmly. Without even a second's worth of delay, he headbutted him and began accelerating towards the mountain. He knew that, by then, the train had definitely gotten through which gave him the space to pull off his next move. Like a sledgehammer, he swung the android out in front of him and punched him downward, intensifying the attack with additional hits.
Once Eighty-Three had slammed into the side of the mountain, Gero continued his flurry of punches, eventually pushing him straight through to the other side of the stony peak. To finish off the ferocious assault, he then brought back his right arm and threw it against Eighty-three's chest, surprisingly, only moving him a few feet away before he recovered.
For a brief moment, Gero thought he saw the long golden tail of the nimbus cloud traveling away from them both, but his attention remained on the android. He felt a boost in confidence as he observed him breathing heavily.
"You're strong." Eighty-Three said, clearing the blood from the three or so cuts shared between his neck and face. "But I haven't even gone Super Saiyan yet, and I can tell you're getting weaker."
Gero chuckled. "Oh, I know you can, but what you're sensing is the energy I choose to use while contending with you in your base form. There's still much more for when you decide to quit this silly game."
Eighty-Three seethed with anger in silence, caressing his chest that ached with minor discomfort as the doctor playfully mocked him. Remembering the train, he quickly searched out for the energies aboard it and soon felt hundreds of thousands more nearby. Nodding to himself, he had suddenly found a way to wipe that smug grin off of the old man's face.
"You won't be smiling for much longer." he said. "Soon, everything you're trying to protect will be gone. Then you'll see I'm right."
Gero folded his arms, confidently watching the android. "Then what are you waiting for? Transform. I'm tired of you delaying it."
The android shook his head, "Not yet. Gohan needs to suffer first."
Eighty-Three darted forward, screaming, "He needs to see that he's wrong about you!"
Prepared for the android's swift charge, Gero blocked the first incoming strike that was aimed at his sternum and caught the second strike aimed at his face. However, before the old man could retaliate, Eighty-three kicked the bridge of his nose and wrestled his arm free.
While stunned, Gero winced and instinctively backed away, giving the android the freedom to take control of the situation.
Reaching deeper into his reserves of energy, Eighty-Three chose not to continue the fight. Instead, he shot off towards the train and those inhabiting East City. As he raced toward them, he brought more energy into his palms. All he would need is a moment, just one single moment to loose an attack so devastating that the entire city would be reduced to nothing but a deep crater.
Despite the pain, Gero gritted his teeth and focused on the android. He could sense the energies of the people on the train and the city nearby and soon realized Eighty-three's plan. With ease, he broke the sound barrier and traveled far faster to catch his creation.
Within moments the two were upon the city, but despite his best efforts, every time Gero pulled out more energy to move faster, so did the android. He was so close, only a dozen feet away, but he just couldn't close the gap.
Soon, the cars, driving in tubed highways, hanging far above the city streets, were visible. Gero's eyes transitioned briefly onto them and then back onto Eighty-three. He grew nervous as he saw yellow, concentrated ki radiate from the android's fingers. He racked his brain, desperately trying to come up with an idea, anything he could do to try and interrupt this attack.
Panicking, his mind went blank as Eighty-three lifted his hand above his head. Terrified that his chance to change, to heal may be taken away, Gero screamed against the wind, "Don't do it, Eighty-three! I beg you!"
But his cry was ignored as Eighty-three flung the ball of energy forward.
Morphing into a thin strip of energy, the attack tore through the air, leaving both Gero and Eighty-three behind as it neared one of the city's tall skyscrapers. In an instant, the sky filled with smoke and both of them paused, staring as the explosion's fumes continued to spread. Frozen stiff, Gero felt out for the citizens' ki's, fully expecting to feel their pain, their suffering, and, ultimately, their deaths, but he could not.
Slowly moving out from the smoke, Gohan, with his bloodied arms crossed, fell to his knees on the flying nimbus. Breathing deeply, he slouched his shoulders as the sharp pain from his gash-covered arms began to set in. He was, by some miracle, able to enter Super Saiyan once more and stop the attack.
Watching the boy, Gero closed his eyes and breathed a sigh of relief before opening them and turning his attention to the android.
Completely enraged, Eighty-three squeezed his palms as he stared at Gohan. He wanted him to suffer, to bleed like he was, and to experience so much more pain, but not yet. For now, he just needed him out of the way.
He began powering up for another blast, but before he could form it, Gero viciously attacked him.
Wildly swinging, Gero sent his fists down and, like meteors, they crashed onto Eighty-three, sending him flying toward the nearby forests and causing another massive impact.
Hastily flying over to Gohan, Gero shouted concernedly at the reckless boy. "Damn you! What were you thinking, blocking that blast? You could have been killed!"
Looking up at the old man, Gohan smiled through the pain. "I'm sorry Gero, I didn't see another way...y-you weren't close enough to block it."
"I know! I know." Gero responded, shaking his head. "But if a situation like that arises again, do not interfere. You've done your part, it is my duty to do mine."
Gohan nodded, but before he could speak again, he felt an odd tug at the cloud beneath him. Looking down he could feel the bubbly hum of the nimbus cloud grow inconsistent like it was anxious. Suddenly, the cloud pushed Gohan off of itself and darted into the distance.
Grabbing Gohan's arm, Gero stopped his free-fall and turned toward the cloud. "What is- what is it doing? Why did it drop you?"
Gohan's eyes went wide. "My dad! He must have called it, h-he's the only other person who can!"
He looked up at the doctor and spoke nervously, "Gero, please, you have to finish this fast! We can't let him get hurt!"
Looking into Gohan's eyes as he pleaded, Gero could feel his potent, paralyzing fear. He could see the overwhelming amount of love he had for his father, and the instinctive need he had to keep him safe. At that moment, the old man had found a strange but concerning familiarity: The look Gohan was giving him was almost exactly the same look he had as he watched his son's first march in the Red Ribbon Army. It was a look of quiet terror, buried deep beneath the skin, prying its way out only for a second, before being buried once again.
Gero swallowed painfully, as he provided no response. Seeing that look on Gohan's face felt like looking into a mirror, at a much younger version of himself not so jaded by hate and regret. He couldn't let that become his fate, he just couldn't. If there was anything he'd learned by watching the boy, that was it.
"O-of course." he eventually said, nodding. "You have my word, Gohan."
Quickly lowering him to the ground, Gero rose back into the sky and flew towards the area where Eighty-three had landed. Hovering above the thick forests, he could see a long trail of broken trees where the android had initially crashed.
Stroking his beard, he slowly descended into the forest below. He could sense Eighty-three was lowering his power level, trying to hide in the thicket, but there was no time for caution, he no longer had that luxury.
Landing gently on the ground, he called out: "I shouldn't be offering you this, but I'm going to anyway. This is your last chance Eighty-Three, this is our last chance! We can walk away from this together."
His calls garnered no response from the forest, so he began making his way through the ferns and bushes.
"I'm sorry for what I did earlier. To issue your self-destruct...it was a horrible thing." he paused. "It was monstrous."
Stepping carefully through the brush, he continued. "I don't want to be that man anymore. I don't want us to fight!" he stated, projecting his voice. "But you are leaving me with little choice."
Without even an indication that Eighty-Three was listening, Gero accepted that there would be no more talk.
"Very well then," he said. "No more delays. No more holding back."
Entering a clearing, Gero focused inward and began harnessing every ounce of energy he had available to him, raising his ki immensely. He shielded his body in a thin glow of white, hot, vibrant energy that flared slightly off of him.
Out from the forest, Eighty-Three stepped into view. He looked completely calm and relaxed. Gero eyed him and felt out for his ki. Surprisingly, it was small, minuscule, without even an indication that he was preparing for a fight.
"I was scared to do this to you, Gero." Eighty-three said reluctantly. "I was afraid it would hurt you too badly, but I'm not afraid anymore. I know it's necessary."
Gero merely looked on and continued to focus his energy as Eighty-Three began walking toward him.
"You may think you can win, but by the end of this you'll be at my feet." He continued to slowly step toward the old man. "You will watch as we take our revenge on Gohan. You will watch as we make him suffer. You will watch as we kill him. Then, you will understand. Then we can rebuild the army and make Gebo proud."
He continued walking until he was within arms reach of Gero.
"Then-"
With incredible energy, Gero prepared his first attack. Aiming towards the center of Eighty-Three's face, he hoped to stun him so he could reposition himself and lock one of his arms in a hold. From there all he would need to do is use his leverage to snap it, rendering it useless.
Gero launched the strike, but before his fist had even landed, it was gripped tightly by Eighty-Three's palm. The resulting shockwave from the colliding forces rumbled past the trees, shaking their leaves vigorously.
In awe, the doctor's eyes went wide as the thick, ghostly outline of golden energy radiated from Eighty-three. He looked at the android's expression, his brow was furrowed and he was focused, but that didn't disguise his turquoise eyes which housed some small notion of regret. He could feel his fist burning in the android's firey palm, causing him to pull it away and shrink back into his boxer stance.
Undeterred by the failure of his first move, Gero began exploring for weaknesses in his opponent's defenses. He launched a few straight shots, gauging Eighty-three's response time. He was fast, unbelievably so, but the old man didn't believe himself outmatched. He could finish this fight, he just needed to be smart.
Thinking through his options, he knew they were still close to the city, so gaining more distance was of utmost importance. As for the final battleground itself, that was not as crucial so long as it was empty. But how would he encourage another change of location?
He again focused on the android's expression. He could tell that he had Eighty-three's complete and total attention and that any thoughts of the civilians nearby had emptied from his mind. He wondered if he could use that fixation and exploit it to get the result he needed.
Lowering just inches below the android, Gero aimed his attacks upward, gradually encouraging Eighty-three to move higher and higher until the two of them were far above the ground. With increasing ferocity, he attacked, pushing the both of them to fight at faster and even more deadly speeds.
Within minutes, the fruits of Gero's labor became apparent as he felt the energies from East City grow distant. A brief smile came to his face as he now had the openness of the sky and the freedom of an empty battleground to really let loose. Now was the time to begin his final offensive.
Pulling out all the stops, the old scientist focused all of his readied energy and brought it into play, surprising Eighty-three. His white outline of solid energy grew stronger, and so did his resolve to win. With a fearless and stoic look, Gero roared as he brought his hands down on top of Eighty-three's crossed arms. He felt the android's block begin to soften, and, suddenly, the cracks in his defenses became clear.
Like surgery, and with pinpoint accuracy, Gero began hitting the most vulnerable points on Eighty-three's body: the upper ribs, to ensure a lack of breath; the cheeks, to make them bruise and ache; the brow, to swell the eyes; the ears, to disrupt concentration and induce ringing. He launched anything and everything he could think of to improve his position in the fight.
Initially overwhelmed by Gero's incredible array of attacks, Eighty-three failed to respond to any of them, and it did cost him. Each of those unguarded strikes stung like angry hornets, and more seemed to be coming in with every passing second. But he wasn't so overwhelmed that he could not bring out some energy of his own.
As Gero continued landing more punches he began to notice that after every new attack, it became more and more painful to hit Eighty-three, like he was bolstering his guard. Deciding to change up the pace, the doctor angled himself higher and, as a result, angled his attacks as well. Quickly, the two began to plummet towards the ground, and as they neared it, Eighty-three abruptly swung his leg across Gero's fists, redirecting them away from himself.
Eager to dish out just as much punishment as he'd just received, the android leaped above Gero and forced him to collide with the empty field below. Without waiting, he lunged after the doctor into the newly formed crater, pounding him over and over again with thunderous strikes.
He had no desire at all to kill the old man, but his time of interference had come to an end. He would make sure of that. He kept up his assault until it became clear that Gero was either incapable of fighting back or was temporarily recovering. When he finally stopped his volley of attacks, Eighty-three stood up to get a better look at him
Gero's breath was still strong, but the damage to his body was obvious. Despite the fact that he had gotten more hits in, they just couldn't match the strength of Eighty-three's. Grabbing him by the arm, the android lifted Gero from the crater and flew to a thin collection of trees nearby.
Still defiantly struggling, Gero attempted to summon the strength to break free, but he had drained most of the energy he'd obtained from Gohan and even some of his own essential strength.
"You were brave, Gero." Eighty-three said, coldly. "But now I'm going to make sure you can't get in our way again."
Landing close to one of the large ancient oak trees that inhabited this unnamed landscape, Eighty-three laid Gero down on his back. With one foot over his chest, the android ensured the old man could no longer move.
Sneering, Gero lifted his head and looked angrily toward his creation. "You have no idea what you're doing. The damage you will cause. The senselessness of it all. And you're too stupid to see it!"
"See! That is you, the real you!" the android said, revealing a strange, sick smile. "This is who you are without Gohan's nonsense clogging your head! You're angry, hateful like you should be. Like Gebo would want you to be!"
Out of breath, Gero rested his head upon the grass. His mind was a rush of different thoughts, each fighting to take center stage. Some were of his failures, some were of his son, and some were of Gohan.
Eighty-three noticed the lack of an angry or witty response. "You're thinking of something, father. Something horrible... so c'mon, say it."
Gero's mind cleared and he rose his head once again. He shook it slightly back and forth while he spoke. "I won't do it. I won't give you the satisfaction of thinking you are right. I won't threaten you or call you disposable. That time is over."
Like leaves in a fire, Eighty-three's smile burned to ash in an instant. "Maybe you just need a little more time. You'll see soon, Gero."
"HEY!" a voice called from above, distracting Eighty-three from his defenseless captive. He took his foot off of the old man and looked towards the sky. The light of the sun obscured the image of the person floating above him, but he knew that energy. Gohan had finally managed to get to them.
Feeling a burst of excitement, the android lifted himself into the air and easily traversed his way up to Gohan. With confidence, Eighty-three smiled as he got a complete look at him. His clothes were ripped, his arms were covered in cuts, his hair was lined with dust and leaves, and to top it all off, he was just barely even capable of flight.
With a light jab, he broke Gohan's concentration and shattered any ability he had to stay aloft. Snatching him by his hair, Eighty-three thought he might bring him down to see Gero, but before he could turn to face where he'd left the old man, he could see a figure approaching, floating on a cloud. It was another person he recognized: Son Goku.
Another burst of excitement made its way through Eighty-three as he came up with more ideas of how he could torture Gohan even further. He waited until Goku was just feet away from him before tightening his grip on his hair. The android forced a smile. "Hey, open your eyes, look who's here! Look who came to save you!"
Struggling to lift his eyelids, Gohan, for the first time in over three long years, finally saw his father. He was surprised to see that the young boy he'd traveled with, trained with, and lived with for years was now gone. Instead, here was the tall, strong image of his father that he had almost forgotten. Still, something wasn't right. Despite his clean clothes and angry expression, he looked tired, even hurt from his fight with Piccolo.
Forcing his damaged body up, Gero saw Goku floating above him, staring intensely at Eighty-three, while Eighty-three returned just as powerful of a look. Again, he sensed that unique fixation coming from the android. If there was any hope of winning, he had to act now.
Goku's eyes darted back and forth between Eighty-three and Gohan. Although it was confusing to look at the two, the difference between their energies couldn't be more obvious. Not to mention he recognized the torn blue gi Gohan was wearing. The same one he gave to him almost six years ago.
"Let him go." Goku commanded. "You've won. It's over."
Tightening his grip on Gohan's hair even more, Eighty-three scoffed. "That's it? That's all you have to say to me?"
Moving his arm around, he shook Gohan haphazardly. "Don't you know who this is? Can't you-"
Eighty-three's sentence was cut short as Gero grappled onto him, placing a hand over his mouth and gripping as tightly as he could. He began the absorption process, and energy began seeping back into his injured body. Quickly, Eighty-three let go of Gohan and began clawing at Gero's fingers.
Swooping in, Goku directed the nimbus under Gohan, catching him promptly. Knowing that neither of them could compete with the android, he ordered the cloud to get as far away from the fight as quickly as possible.
"Get him safe!" Gero yelled as he struggled to keep the android contained within his grip.
Edging over to the side of the cloud, Goku cleared as much space as he could so he could lay Gohan out flat. After not seeing him for so long, for this to be their reunion, and to see him so bruised and beaten, it was heartbreaking.
"Hey... J-" He paused, remembering that Jack wasn't his real name. "We're going to Korin's okay? He's got a few small batches of senzu beans just waiting. He'll fix you up, all right?"
"Gero..." Gohan weakly said, reaching out beyond his father. "I- I can't... leave him. He n-needs me."
Shifting his head to the side, Gohan watched Gero and the android grow smaller as they fled. Sometime, in between when his father grabbed him and Gero called out to them, Eighty-three had broken free from his hold; but, Gero, using what little energy he had obtained, was still fighting.
Desperately swinging, the gap between the old man and the android grew. He attempted a punch to the side but instead received a hit to his temple. Then he tried a swift kick to the shoulder, leaving him vulnerable to a disorienting and devastating punch in the face. Still, he remained absolute and continued throwing everything he had left, regardless of what punishment he received.
It wasn't long before Eighty-three realized this was a pathetic attempt at stalling. Tired of Gero's continued interference, he decided to do what he wanted to before being distracted by Gohan. Grabbing hold of Gero's left arm as he attempted another punch, he placed his knee against the tired scientist's chest and pulled as hard as he could.
Taking no pleasure in what he was about to do, Eighty-three opened his palm and began forming a ball of energy in his hand. As he tore away Gero's left arm, violently separating the synthetic flesh and bone, he also launched an orb of energy directly against his leg, destroying it instantly.
Acting quickly to stop the leaking fluids and coolant, Eighty-three held the screaming, defenseless old man up by what remained of his shirt and placed his hand over the stub where his arm used to be. Using some minute amount of energy, he cauterized the wound before releasing Gero.
Without even watching him fall to the ground, Eighty-three turned his attention back to Gohan. The two hadn't gotten far on the cloud, still easily within sight. Effortlessly, he sped up and caught them within seconds. Their combined fearful expressions as they saw him brought him so much joy, especially because Goku was now holding Gohan protectively in his arms.
Raising his hand above his head, Eighty-three brought out just enough energy to throw the pair back to Gero's vicinity. He needed them all together so Gero could witness absolutely everything. Launching his arm like a spring, he flung Goku off the cloud and watched the two collide near where he left Gero.
Finally, he had them all where he wanted, exactly as he wanted them.
Approaching quietly, he landed a few feet ahead of Gero and stared toward the skidded, ripped ground where Goku and Gohan had landed.
Pulling himself out from his father's protective hold, Gohan laid next to him. He knew that he was badly injured, but he hoped, to everything that was good, that he was still conscious.
"Goku..." he struggled to say. "C-call the nimbus. You... need to l-leave."
Opening his eyes, Goku winced in pain as he pushed his torso up with his arms.
"Goku...please." he pleaded, weakly grabbing his forearm. "I can't... I can't watch you-"
Working through the throbbing, radiating pain Goku got up into a kneeling position.
"No!" he grumbled. "I won't leave you. I will never leave you!"
Triumphantly, Goku stood in front of Gohan and lowered into his fighting position, despite the agony it put him in.
Barely conscious, Gero lifted his head and listened to Eighty-three quietly laugh. He attempted to see what the android was looking at but couldn't make heads or tails of anything, as his eyes blurred his surroundings.
"Are you watching, Gero?" Eighty-three asked, still looking at Goku and Gohan. "I hope you are because everything that's stopping us is about to disappear."
Barely able to contain his excitement, Eighty-three decided he'd start with Goku, and leave Gohan to endure just a little bit more pain before his turn. Raising his arm, he pointed his index finger and formed a small purple ball just centimeters away from its tip. Carefully, he aimed it right in the center of Goku's chest. It was weak but it was more than enough to fatally wound him.
With everything at stake, Gero grit his teeth, rejecting what was about to happen. Tearing the grass from the soil, he forced his eyes to focus on the android and lifted his broken body. With his leg still leaking vital fluids, he crawled.
Just as Eighty-three released the orb, Gero tackled him, throwing off the shot. Using his right arm and leg, the old scientist snarled like an animal as he sapped all the energy he could, but he was quickly and dismissively torn away.
As he landed on the ground, Gero quickly heaved his body over his right arm to try and look toward Gohan and Goku. He hoped his efforts were enough to momentarily save them, but couldn't be sure. They were so far from him, he couldn't even see the outline of their figures.
Suddenly losing his balance, Goku fell to his knees and grabbed the right side of his chest. His breath was quiet but pained as he felt the hole going straight through his lung. Acting as a supportive pillar, he planted his hand on the ground and stayed there for a moment.
Staring at the droplets of blood drip onto the soft earth beneath him, his mind thought of only one person. He turned toward his brother. His only family.
Forcing as much love as he could into his expression, he crawled over to him. Goku looked into Gohan's eyes and knew, instantly, that he was frozen stiff, completely in shock at what just happened, but there needed to be something he could do. Anything to help him, to reassure him.
With blood spilling from his wound and soaking his gi, he used his arms to lay his body gently by the boy's side. His lips shook and his throat tensed as he tried to say something meaningful to him. A final goodbye before he inevitably bled out, but his mind was drawing a blank. He felt out for Gohan's energy, which he thought felt drained earlier, and noticed something new. Something Gohan wasn't even aware of yet.
"You c-can... do it." he stated, placing his bloody hand on Gohan's. "You... can... win."