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Chapter 26:
OUT OF CONTROL
Note: First of all, I need to apologize to you all for not continuing the story for all these months since May. The reason for this was that I had to make some decisions in my life which ultimately lead to me moving to Poland, because I got a job there. The whole experience was intense, to say the least, full of emotions (happy and sad ones) and I just couldn't find the time or inspiration to write the story. Now that I am somehow settled in Poland, I will try to continue the story :). Will have less time than before because the new job, but I still want to continue developing the story :). Again, sorry for just vanishing, but I hope you will at least enjoy this new chapter. Peace ^^.
Previously on Consumed by the past:
Gohan and Vegeta clashed when the latter succumbed to the uncontrollable emotions of Super Saiyan 2. Upon ending their "sparring", both knew they need to work harder on controlling the side effect. Gohan get a call from Kaio-sama, who notifies him that Goku was summoned to the Kaioshin Council. His son, Gohan, is starting questioning the motives of the Council, thinking that they are just afraid of the Saiyans because of their power.
"Gohan... Gohan... I can sense you."
"... E-Endou?!"
"I see you haven't forgotten my voice."
"Where are you?!"
"Here... and there... not of importance, actually. I guess I should congratulate you on defeating my elite bodyguard. Quite an achievement."
"Kyuuri? I knew she was just your toy. You abandoned her as soon as you had the chance."
"Kyuuri was very stubborn but she had her pride, similar to you, but that was also her downfall. If she had obeyed, she wouldn't have perished like that. However, my suspicions were confirmed... you're stronger than her. Join me... with my power and your strength, we could abolish the Kaioshins whom you hate for punishing you and your father."
"I... I don't hate them... why am I even explaining to you... where are you!?"
Endou appeared by his bed, "Right HERE!" and used some sort of telekinetic attack which sent Gohan through the wall and into the open. Upon regaining his balance, Endou was standing in front of him, not worrying at all.
"I apologize for waking you up, but I couldn't stop thinking about you since I left Namek."
The boy was angry, gritting his teeth, "I won't let you escape," he said and burst into Super Saiyan.
"Why not the ascended Super Saiyan? We both know the regular just won't cut it." Endou remarked.
"Fine," Gohan smirked and upgraded to Super Saiyan 2, "have it your way."
Endou's eyes almost sparkled when seeing the power surge, "I'm always amazed by your power, Gohan. So young and have already beaten my elite bodyguard. I can feel my essence still flowing within you. It's what makes you stronger."
"We didn't have the chance to remove your stain from my body."
"Or you didn't want the essence removed? Admit it, you wouldn't be so strong without it. I must be honest, I had not anticipated a part of it would fuse with your body so quickly." she said while slowly closing the distance.
"You just used me and then took all that dark power from me. I'll never forgive you!" he shouted and attacked Endou.
She blocked his punch with her hand with ease, shocking the boy, who then took a swing with his other fist, but missed as Endou had dodged it with no problems at all. With a smirk on her face, she put her left hand on his chest and used her dark energy to slam the boy into the ground. Gohan had no idea what had happened, he just felt a surge of her power flowing through him and sending him to the ground with an extremely powerful force. Of course he was back on his feet almost instantly, waiting to see how Endou will continue her assault; which she didn't.
"It is no use, Gohan, you're no match for my unimaginable power. Not even your Super Saiyan 2 can help you." she smiled.
"You took me by surprise, I'll give you that, but here's a heads up, I'm not using my full power."
"I know, and even if you were, you would still be outmatched. I've unlocked so many aspects of this power, you can't even begin to imagine."
"I know you Endou, you tend to play mind games. Been there, done that."
"Ah, but this is so much more than that. It's the battle you've been waiting for ever since I left you on that planet."
Gohan had enough of Endou's monologue, so he charged at her with full speed. Just before hitting her, he changed direction, shot a few energy blasts and attacked from above. The demon warrior erected an energy barrier that absorbed the blasts and wanted to block Gohan's attack, but he wasn't there. Before she could locate him, his fist slammed into her back, sending her to the ground like a rock. The half-Saiyan didn't stop; he had to continue the onslaught, so he charged again and ferociously attacked Endou with his fists. Once the assault was over, he flew into the air and started firing Ki blasts like crazy; a barrage of energy engulfed Endou, creating small explosions almost every second, until the boy stopped firing. A cloud of smoke and debris stretched far into the air and there was no sign of his opponent.
"It's too quiet..." Gohan said to himself quietly.
The smoke started to clear, revealing a numerous amount of impact craters, but Endou wasn't there. The boy raised his eyebrow and suddenly lifted his left arm which caused a light shockwave... he had blocked Endou's attack.
"Impressive, Gohan... you managed to stay focused and feel my energy signature." the demon smirked.
Goku's son didn't say a word; he pulled Endou closer and headbutted her right in the face and then slammed his right foot into her stomach, sending her back to the ground. Just before she hit it again, she stopped inches from the ground and landed safely on both feet.
It was obvious that Gohan wasn't joking around; he increased his power and speed to match or even surpass Endou.
"You could be a perfect warrior, it's a shame you have a conscience. With my help, you could accomplish so much... gain even more power... become unstoppable. You would have the chance to fight the strongest warriors in this Universe and in the other realms."
The half-Saiyan slowly descended from the air and landed softly.
"I'm not interested in your offer. The fact that you used me as a tool for your evil plans is something I will never forgive you!"
Endou started shaking her head, "Still so stubborn," and sighed, "you wouldn't want anything bad to happen to your mother and brother, would you?"
Gohan tried keeping calm but the demon lord noticed his eyes narrowed for a second.
"Are you surprised that I know?"
"... ... ..." the boy remained silent.
"I also know where they are. Would you like me to tell you?"
"This is between you and me, Endou. Do you have the honor to keep it that way?"
"You Saiyans are just like Kyuuri, always talking about pride and honor. That's the reason she is dead, and the same will happen to you."
"Doesn't she know that Kyuuri was revived?" Gohan thought.
"The only enemy you should be watching for is yourself." Endou remarked.
"You're forgetting about Vegeta; he's probably on his way here."
"Nobody is coming to help you, little Gohan; I've made sure."
The half Saiyan had enough of this chit chat, so he dashed towards Endou and wanted to hit her in the face. To his surprise, she blocked his attempt and jumped back, waving the Staff until dark purple smoke started coming out of it. It started to swirl just above the ground, taking shape into what seemed to be a person. First, the legs were formed, then the torso, arms and lastly, the face. Gohan's eyes shot wide open when he recognized the figure - it was himself! The only difference was the overall color, being completely purple, and it's eyes being bright red. Gohan was wearing his pajamas - a white t-shirt and light blue sweatpants and had bare feet, whereas the clone was wearing Gohan's combo gi, just in dark purple.
"I told you; you are your worst enemy," she said and turned to her newly created minion, "Go! Attack him!".
"A poorly designed copy? You're really obsessed with me." smiled Gohan.
The "poorly designed" copy, as Gohan had stated, wasn't all that bad it seemed. While the demi-Saiyan was waiting for it to attack him, instead, it powered up and transformed into Super Saiyan 2. It seemed that Endou had somehow found a way to mimic Gohan's power and abilities and even materialize it in the form of a "body". Its energy pattern was unlike anything Chichi's son had ever felt; it was pure evil. It reminded him of the dark Ki that remained in his body, but this iteration was something completely different.
Where's Vegeta and the others? Surely they must have felt Endou's energy a while back, and If they haven't, they probably couldn't have missed the copycat's. Even if nobody wanted to come, Vegeta and even Piccolo surely wouldn't want to miss Endou.
Gohan had a point; it was very uncommon for Piccolo or Vegeta missing out on an enemy of Endou's caliber. The boy tried sensing his friends, but was unable to locate anyone, not even Vegeta. Was it because of Endou's magic? Had she somehow shielded the area so nobody would sense his and Endou's Ki and come investigating? One thing is for sure, he is here and he needs to stop his doppelganger and Endou no matter what. The fact that she knows who Chichi and Goten are AND where they are, is very concerning. There was no time think, the copycat was already dashing towards him with incredible speed. The duplicate wasn't joking around; it attacked Gohan in the same manner that he normally would. Their fists clashed in exactly the same way and both were fighting with almost identical moves. Whenever there seemed to be an opening in fake Gohan's defense, it would block or parry any attacks from the original Gohan, and vice versa.
Endou was observing their battle carefully, knowing that both can predict each other's moves and techniques. She was impressed with the power of the copycat; she didn't imagine it would be able to respond so quickly to Gohan's speed and reflexes. It's like she was surprised by the fact that she could create such an entity. While the battle was raging on, nobody was coming to help Gohan; he was alone against the evil clone of himself.
"How does it feel, Gohan? How does it feel to fight yourself?" Endou mocked him.
The boy didn't have time to reply; the clone kept attacking him without taking a break to recover. The battle intensified when both started firing energy blasts and occasionally a Kamehameha; yes, the clone could also mimic Gohan's signature attack. After a hefty amount of time, Goku's son started feeling his rational mind slipping away; the side effects started kicking in at an exponential rate. Not only that, his stamina kept slowly diminishing as well, while the clone seemed to have a never-ending supply of energy. Tired, bruised and a bit bloody around his mouth and nose, Gohan made some distance between them, trying to catch his breath, but the clone didn't feel the same; it charged towards him and attacked... but Endou stopped it at the last second.
"Stop!" she yelled, "Stand down... for now."
The clone obeyed and discontinued its attack, backing off and giving Gohan some space to breathe.
"Fascinating, isn't it? As strong as you, as fast as you but it never gets tired." Endou smirked.
"... ... ..." Gohan was breathing deeply, "Why... why are you doing this?"
"To show you the extent of my new power."
"If that's the case... why... why need me?"
"As you can see, the clone only obeys orders... it lacks your will to fight, your tenacity and determination. I know you're not using your full power, yet both are evenly matched. If you wanted, you could obliterate it in a matter of moments."
"... ... Heh ... it's your essence in my body, right? It's giving away my power level. I know you can't feel Ki, Endou."
"Both assumptions are true, but don't matter. The question is, why haven't you defeated your clone yet? Do you want me to answer that question myself?"
Gohan remained quiet.
"Very well. The longer you fight, the more you crave for battle. This is a perfect opportunity for you to find your flaws. You are enjoying this, you always have been. I remember your battle with the Guardians... it was pushing you to the limit. The same happened against Kyuuri and your father; you were forced to push yourself beyond your limitations, making you a stronger and more experienced fighter. Your enemies made you stronger... I made you stronger, starting from your battle with Cell."
"You're right... you've been pushing me ever since you helped me ascend. Are you testing me? Is this a part of your plan to recruit me into your army?"
"I do not crave for some simple world or universe domination... I seek justice... to make the Kaioshin Council responsible for their "divine" intervention - for imprisoning and cursing me. They are doing the same to you, Gohan... you are their puppet now."
"No I'm not. I just agreed to help them stop you. If it hadn't been for you and Shingo, I wouldn't have been recruited by them." the boy said with an angry voice.
"So naive of you. They fear your and Vegeta's power, and now even your father's. Once you help them defeat me, do you think they are just going to let you go? Through millennia they have made sure none could oppose them, hiding their true nature of being the most powerful beings in existence."
"I'm not falling for your mind games, Endou, and you know it. You are wasting your time."
"Yes... yes I am, but no more."
She waved her arm, making the fake Gohan attack the original one again. The battle continued while Endou kept watching from afar, smiling and enjoying every second of it. Gohan had no choice but to engage in combat once more but his opponent was something he had never encountered before. Despite the fact that they've been fighting for a while now, Goku's son still hasn't found a weakness in his doppelganger's defense, or in its offense for that matter. Anything he could do, the copy cat could mimic and do equally good. While the fight raged on, Gohan's sane mind started slipping; slowly being replaced by the savage and impulsive behavior of the Super Saiyan 2. There still wasn't any sign of the other Z fighters, nobody came to help Gohan or at least see what is going on. The more time passed, the more the half Saiyan was convinced that something was indeed terribly wrong.
With the last bits of his sane mind, he dashed away from his opponent and flew away to Capsule Corp to see what exactly is going on. The copy cat didn't let him get far and engaged him in combat before he could reach his destination. Endou followed as fast as she could. Gohan was so close to the CC building; he could see it in the distance, but the copycat stopped him. The fight went on and the little half-Saiyan was soon rampaging all over the place, determined to obliterate Endou's creation. His mind went blank; focusing only on his battle and forgetting everything else. His power surged when he finally had enough of his inferior, bad copy, so he attacked with full force. Endou caught up and observed the raging battle with a smirk on her face. The copycat couldn't defend against Gohan's ferocious and now unpredictable attacks. A couple of minutes later, it was lying on the ground, beaten up; almost like discarded, faulty product.
"This ends NOW!" Gohan screamed and unleashed his powerful Kamehameha.
The doppelganger was engulfed by the bright blue energy wave, which, when hit the ground, created a massive explosion that vaporized not only the copycat, but also its entire surrounding.
"Finally you've shown your true self, Gohan," smiled Endou.
"I'm not done yet," the boy replied, appearing right in front of the demon.
"Oh but you are," she said with an evil voice.
And she was right; Gohan's Kamehameha obliterated most of the city, including a big chunk of Capsule Corporation. It seems he put too much power into that last finishing attack, not realizing its damaging potential. At first he didn't pay attention to what Endou was saying; he just stood in front of her, powered up and ready to finish her once and for all. He grabbed Endou by her neck, tightening his grip as much as he could. The demon lord didn't even flinch; she just started laughing loudly.
"I see you are not afraid to die," Gohan smirked.
"On the contrary," she smiled and vanished from Gohan's grip, reappearing nearby, "I do not wish to perish, but some of your friends didn't have that luck."
The boy was surprised how could she just teleport from his tight grip; is this a new technique that she obtained? Is this like Shunkanidou; the instant transmission technique that his dad knows?
"My friends will never get hurt while I'm here. I won't let you lay a finger on them." the boy responded with an angry voice.
"Too late for that... you have beaten me to it," she said and ironically pointed her finger at something behind Gohan.
The boy didn't move a muscle, but eventually turned around, and seeing what Endou was telling him. Just an enormous crater, created by his overpowered Kamehameha. Almost nothing was left of the city; everything was in ruins and burning. The Capsule Corp. building was also almost completely destroyed. Gohan's eyes show wide open as he gazed upon the destruction that HE caused. Not Endou, not the copycat, but he, the very person who swore to protect this planet. His Super Saiyan 2 immediately vanished; the golden hair was replaced by charcoal black in an instant. He could barely stand, but managed to quickly fly to Capsule Corp. There were no people there, not even a soul. He rushed to the room where Chichi and Goten were, but it was obliterated by him. Gohan panicked and cried; but he didn't give up the search; he continued searching all over the CC premises, desperately trying to find a survivor. He tried focusing on Vegeta's Ki, or anyone else's for that matter, but couldn't locate anyone.
"No... it can't be... No..." the half-Saiyan spoke to himself.
Meanwhile Endou was floating in the new not far from the boy, observing the situation.
Tear were pouring from Gohan's eyes like waterfalls. His whole body started shaking from the shock; he couldn't stand on his feet anymore, so he fell on his knees. The amount of guilt and sadness in his heart was off the scale. The whole reality collapsed in front of his eyes like glass shattering when hitting the ground. He had gone too far, he lost control and innocent people paid the price. For a moment, Endou actually felt just a bit sorry for him, but that was over in less than a millisecond.
"I told you... you are your worst enemy. I didn't have to do anything."
These exact words reverberated in Gohan's mind, echoing through every fiber of his body. His mind went blank, he couldn't think. He snapped; he lost it. Even though he had lost some stamina fighting his doppelganger, the remaining power within him burst out in a form of explosion. His body was engulfed in golden aura imbued with lightning; his hair was again golden and spiky. He stood up, looking in the direction of Capsule Corp, what was left of it. The size of his aura doubled when he let out a loud scream. The ground was violently shaking; the result of Gohan's power build up. He kept screaming while tears continued pouring from his eyes. The boy clenched his fists so hard, that he injured his palms, making blood drip down his hands.
"All this power and you couldn't save your friends," smiled Endou and created a portal.
"ENDOOOOOOOUUUUUUUU!" screamed the boy and charged towards her.
Unfortunately, the demon lord had already vanished with the portal, leaving Gohan alone with his destruction.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA," the boy screamed as loud as he could.
. . . . .
Gohan opened his eyes and let out a short shout. He was breathing heavily; his forehead was wet and he was almost in a state of shock. It took him a while to figure out where he was - he was in his room. It was all just a dream, an extremely vivid nightmare. The half-Saiyan wiped his forehead and just sat in his bed. He's had his fair share of nightmares, but this was one takes the cake. His body was shivering uncontrollably, something he was not used to, not even when facing a stronger opponent.
"... What a nightmare," he said to himself while holding his head, "I wish they would stop."
When finally calming down a bit, he got out of bed and looked out the window. The sky was clear and the moon bright. It was an enchanting view, but his mind was preoccupied with all sorts of things.
"What if Endou is right and the Kaioshins are really just using us as puppets? I hate Endou, but even she knows that the Kaioshin Council is most definitely hiding something. Wish you were here dad... I don't think I'll be able to handle more burden on my shoulders... I feel like I'm losing my mind sometimes," he whispered to himself.
Note: I hope you enjoyed this looooong overdue chapter. It is a bit shorter, but I felt like I need to end it hear, with Gohan being alone with his thoughts.
As always, let me know what you think in the review section ^^. Thanks for following and reading, it means a lot!