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Chapter 29:
DEFIANCE
Previously on Consumed by the past:
The Kaioshin Council has an emergency meeting, discussing how to proceed in the Endou matter. East Kaioshin convinces them that Gohan will be a valuable asset in this investigation, but others have doubts. Gohan finally admits to Piccolo why he saved Kyuuri, but sadly, that confession is overheard but the East Kaioshin as well. Due to that, he orders the boy to accompany him and Kibito to travel to the "Demon" realm to find Endou and her followers.
As they searched the area, there were still no traces of Endou, Kyuuri or anyone for that matter. They were searching high and they were searching low. After an hour, it seems like a lost cause, but Kibito and East Kaioshin were determined to check every square centimeter of land before calling off this search. It was Kibito who first felt something – a very faint energy which he wasn't familiar with, so it couldn't be any of Endou's followers. After he moved a few steps backwards, it vanished, confusing him even more. Was he just imagining it or was it real? He managed to get close enough to the Kaioshin to whisper.
"Did you feel that, master? It was a very weak energy, but only for a second or two and then vanished."
"No, I didn't. Are you sure?"
"I believe so… I am not completely sure. It didn't feel like any other Ki signatures I know of."
"Hmmm, let's ask Gohan as well," Kaioshin said and waved at Gohan to come closer. Once he did, he asked him: "Kibito felt an energy signature, but just for a second or two. Did you feel anything as well?"
"No, I didn't," the half Saiyan whispered back.
"Well this realm does have a strange energy configuration, which might be playing tricks on our senses," the Kaioshin whispered to both of them.
"Could be possible, but I suggest we continue with utmost caution," the attendant advised.
Just as he had said that, Gohan proceeded on his own and was already quite ahead of them. His advancement suddenly stopped and he kneeled down, hiding behind a large boulder, like he had spotted something.
"It must be the same energy as Kibito said, he whispered to himself. "But now's it is gone completely. What could it be?"
He raised his head above the large boulder, but couldn't see anyone or anything. He started believing that this realm really might be playing tricks on their minds. Both the Kaioshin and Kibito got closer to him, a bit angry for him wandering off, but remained silent. After a few moments, all three felt the same strange energy, but now it lasted for a longer time. Once it vanished, they all looked at each other and nodded, signaling that they have felt it.
The boy crawled to them and started whispering: "I think it is coming from just over there," and pointed downwards to something that resembles a cave.
"We agree, there is definitely something going on in there. But why didn't we feel this before?" the Kaioshin was wondering.
"Perhaps it is not detectable from afar," Kibito replied and continued, "It does seem to be very faint, almost non-detectable, but it seems to come and go. I doubt a person's Ki would fluctuate like this, especially if they are trying to hide from us."
"Because it is not a person!" somebody said from afar.
All 3 were shocked and surprised at the same time, and all of them recognized the voice; it was none other than Kyuuri – Endou's former bodyguard and accomplice.
"Kyuuri, I'd recognize your voice anywhere," said Gohan and stood up, revealing himself.
"Well, well, well, if it isn't the bright torch who gave away your position," Kyuuri smiled.
"What do you mean?" the Kaioshin asked. "We all suppressed our Ki so you couldn't detect us, even if you could."
"Heh, that might be true, but I felt Gohan as soon as you had entered our little hiding spot."
"What are you talking about Kyuuri?" Kibito joined the conversation.
"No use in hiding it anymore, but there is a magical barrier around this place, which prevents you from detecting our energy no matter how hard you try. That is also the reason why you were able to detect the portal's energy once you entered the barrier. But on the other hand, I was able to feel Gohan's "gifted" energy from quite far. Thank you for that, my little Gohan," she smiled.
Kibito immediately looked at the Kaioshin, "I knew the boy couldn't control his dark energy. They knew we were coming long before we even left!"
"Now, now, Kibito, don't be so hard on the boy, he is not to blame for your incompetence to apprehend Endou, me or even Shingo. It if weren't for him, you'd all been wiped out already. You should be thankful he is even helping you."
"Silence you criminal!" Kibito shouted and wanted engage in combat, but the East Kaioshin stopped him.
"No, Kibito, this is definitely a trap. Don't act on impulses and emotions."
Gohan was quiet and didn't say anything. All he could do is focus on Kyuuri and think when to attack her. His emotions were on a roller coaster at the moment; every fiber in his body wanted to go all out and just demolish Kyuuri. But on the other hand, he was enjoying this moment, feeling satisfied and exhilarated. He will finally be able to fight somebody worthy and he doesn't have to hold back like with Vegeta.
"You're awfully quiet, Gohan," Kyuuri noticed and took on step forward, "this is not like the half-Saiyan I knew. I am actually very thankful that you teleported me away. Thanks to that, I have broadened my mind and acquired new skills which, I am sure, you will be delighted to see."
"I will be honest, Kyuuri, I am happy to see you all alive and well," the boy responded with a smirk.
"What are you saying?!" Kibito almost lost his mind.
The Kaioshin was shocked as well and asked: "What is this Gohan? I thought you hated Kyuuri for what they've done to you."
"I do. I will never forgive her for making me kill all those Wanasans and using me to free Shingo, but on the other hand, she is a much better adversary than Cell ever was. If it hadn't been for Endou and later Kyuuri, I wouldn't have obtained this power."
"This is blasphemy, boy!" Kibito immediately replied, "You are thankful to these demons for your personal gain. You mortals sicken me!"
"Quiet, Kibito! We are not here to argue among ourselves, but to apprehend Kyuuri, Endou and everyone else involved," the Kaioshin silenced him.
"You won't find Endou here, I can guarantee you that. I don't know where she is and, currently, I don't care," was the demon's reply.
"Where were you teleported to?" Gohan suddenly asked this question.
"You probably mean, where did YOU teleport me to? I cannot say, it is a secret, but I can say that this is the planet where Shingo learned much about portal magic itself. But don't be hard on yourself little Gohan, it wasn't ENTIRELY your fault. Somebody from very far away gave you a little hint where to teleport me to."
"You're lying, demon," Kibito again interrupted the conversation.
"She isn't, Kibito," the Kaioshin offered his answer. "Gohan did want to teleport her away to the "Demon" realm, but the words he spoke weren't his, well not entirely. We didn't know why until now, but now we do. Somebody influenced Gohan's decision to send Kyuuri to another planet for a reason."
"To learn the same spells and techniques as Shingo?" Goku's son continued asking.
"Nah-ah," Kyuuri waved her index finger, "that is for me to know and you to find out."
"Fine!" Goku's son answered back, transforming into a Super Saiyan immediately.
"Stand down, Gohan!" the Kaioshin jumped in front of him with both arms stretched out to block his path.
"I never liked you, Gohan, but your tenacity never ceases to amaze me," Kyuuri smiled back, preparing to defend her.
"I am not letting you fight Kyuuri now," the Kaioshin intervened, "since this seems to be a trap and we have fallen right in to it."
Gohan was hardly controlling his anger and excitement, but for the time being, didn't engage Kyuuri. He partially powered down so his bright yellow aura disappeared, but still remained in the Super Saiyan form just in case if Kyuuri tried something foolish.
"Oh my… taking orders from the gods themselves now, are we?" Kyuuri was amazed.
"Silence Kyuuri, you are outnumbered and outmatched. Just give yourself up so we can end this as quickly as possible. But knowing you, that isn't an option," Kibito once again opened his righteous, divine mouth.
Kyuuri smiled back, "Please tell me you will use force to apprehend me?"
And that was enough for Kibito to power up and engage Kyuuri in combat.
"Kibito, wait! It is a trap!" the Kaioshin yelled after him.
"Doesn't matter anymore. If we stick to the plan, we are sure to be victorious!" shouted back Kibito and started fighting Kyuuri.
"You stay here," the Kaioshin told Gohan, "and don't do anything until I say so. You have already caused enough problems and don't want you to mess up this operation as well."
After saying that, he also attacked Kyuuri with shocking speed. The half-Saiyan completely powered down, obeying the god's command, but with serious distaste, anger and hatred. His tail was tucked nicely in his pants and around his waist, but started twitching sporadically due to his intense emotions at this moment. In the meantime, both divine fighters had engaged the demon in order to stop her and bring her to justice. They vanished and appeared in the air, fighting an intense battle. Kyuuri managed to either block or evade all of their attacks. Kibito took a swing with his right fist, but Kyuuri dodged it and kicked him away in to a nearby rocky pillar which collapsed on top of him. The Kaioshin attacked next, forcing Kyuuri to defend herself more seriously.
"Finally you show your godly strength," she said while fighting.
"Gohan is not the only one who can rival you," he said back and started attacking more vigorously.
Indeed both of them stepped up their game and the battle became more than just a regular beat 'em up situation. The Kaioshin knew he alone couldn't defeat Kyuuri, at least not anymore. He did in the past, as well as Shingo and Endou, with the help of his fellow Kaioshins (including attendants and bodyguards). Surprisingly, only Shingo had been captured by the Kaioshin Council, Endou, Kyuuri and Koshi managed to somehow escape their grasp; a mystery that was never solved. Taking into consideration the recent events with Gohan, and later Shingo on Namek, it wouldn't be surprising if Endou just double-crossed him and escaped. As for Kyuuri, ever since she first met and fought Gohan, her abilities and strength keep increasing, something that rarely happened in the past, since her enemies were mostly inferior. Even after having met the Kaioshins for the first time, she never truly thought about a way to defeat them with her own hands, and left these decisions to Endou and Shingo, the masterminds of their hidden society. And why didn't the Kaioshin improve as well? Sadly, this is also due to the fact that Kaioshins don't spend a lot of time training since they naturally possess a very high battle strength and are usually busy with other important affairs. Physical training is rarely on a Kaioshin's daily schedule, but meditation and spiritual training is represented more often.
As the battle raged on, Kyuuri, of course, started getting the upper hand against both her opponents. Kibito had already re-joined the fight. Both divine representatives were giving their all to get Kyuuri to yield, but she proved to be a tougher nut to crack. In the heat of the battle, the Kaioshin managed to get some good hits on Kyuuri, even Kibito landed a few, but that only seemed to excite the demon fighter even more. Little Gohan was still watching from the ground, getting more nervous by the minute and thinking.
Come on, come on, just do it already. Kyuuri is starting to see through your tactics and the plan will never work.
Just as he finished the last word in his mind, both the Kaioshin and Kibito managed to set their final plan in motion. Throughout the fight, they positioned Kyuuri between them and when the timing was perfect, initiated their prison technique. Their eyes glowed yellow, which partially paralyzed Kyuuri, but as soon as she broke free a few seconds later, they had already put an impenetrable energy field around her, restricting her movements almost completely. Both struggled to keep the energy field strong and very close to Kyuuri, as she started to emanate more and more power from her body, trying to break free.
"Now Gohan!" the Kaioshin yelled from afar.
"Finally," the boy smirked and upgraded to Super Saiyan 2 in a few moments.
"Kaaa…. Meee…. Haaa…" he started chanting.
Kyuuri, surprisingly, wasn't panicking that much, but was worried. If that Kamehameha wave hits her, it could induce quite a few injuries or at least cause her to lose energy, trying to defend against it.
"This is the end of the line, Kyuuri. Once we weaken you, there is no escape and you will be put to trial," the Kaioshin smirked.
"Meeeee…. HAAAAAAAAA!" Gohan finished and unleashed a powerful blue energy wave directly at Kyuuri, engulfing her completely.
The blast was so strong that even Kibito and Kaioshin received some burns, but that was all worth it, since their goal has now been accomplished. After the blue light dissipated, Kyuuri was gone. Both the Kaioshin and Kibito were shocked, immediately thinking that Gohan had vaporized her, but the boy knew more than well that this must be a trick or a diversion.
"This cannot be!" Kibito said with a shocking voice.
"This doesn't feel right. Surely Gohan didn't put THAT much energy into that attack," the Kaioshin answered back.
On the other hand, Gohan was already thinking what had just happened.
Something is wrong here. Kyuuri would never be vaporized by such an attack. This has to be a trick of some kind, but I don't feel her Ki. At the moment when the Kamehameha was about to hit her, I did feel a very faint energy signature, but it wasn't hers. It felt different, like that one from the cave, just before Kyuuri located us.
The half Saiyan started scanning the area, trying to locate Kyuuri's Ki, but was not successful. She had either escaped or was indeed vaporized by his powerful signature attack. One thing is for sure, the Gods weren't amused by this at all. As the dust settled, both flew down to the boy.
"This was not a part of the plan, boy!" Kibito immediately blamed Goku's son.
"I don't think Gohan intended this, Kibito. I know our cooperation has weak foundations, but I am sure Kyuuri tricked us."
"Nonsense, master. The boy clearly overdid it and turned that demon to dust, so we won't be able to obtain any information from her," he continued blaming Gohan.
East Kaioshin was not sure what to think at the moment. Everything happened so quickly, he himself is unsure what or who to believe. Same as Gohan, he couldn't detect Kyuuri's energy and was also pretty sure this might be a trap.
"Calm down Kibito. Knowing Kyuuri, she must have a trick up her sleeve. But how did she escape our binding technique?" the Kaioshin tried calming down his attendant.
"I felt a very faint energy just before the attack hit her. You two also felt it?" the boy asked.
"Hmmm, now that you mention it, I did. But what was it?" the Kaioshin replied to him.
"I don't know, but it kind of felt the same as the one we detected from the cave."
"Then lets head back there and investigate wha…".
The Kaioshin couldn't complete his sentence, since all 3 were engulfed by an explosion and knocked in different directions. Since Gohan was still in Super Saiyan 2, he managed to recover in an instant, but was still blown away quite far. Kibito and Kaioshin were not that fortunate and landed on their feet further away. Everyone was taken by surprise since the blast seemed to have just appeared out of nowhere.
"What was that?!" Gohan yelled.
Kyuuri instantly emerged behind him and slammed her fist into his back, making the demi-Saiyan stagger, and then taking the opportunity to push a Ki blast right in to his body, sending him flying away in to a rocky wall. The boy of course recovered quickly, but Kyuuri was nowhere to be seen. Just before Kyuuri punched him, he felt that strange energy for a split second, but couldn't react quickly enough to turn around.
"Stop playing hiding games, Kyuuri!" he raised his voice.
The demon fighter appeared on top of a rocky cliff, smiling with her arms crossed on her chest, not bearing a single scratch from Gohan's Kamehameha.
"Can't keep up with me, Gohan?" she smiled.
"Tsch, you wish," the boy replied and attacked her.
Kyuuri prepared herself but then Gohan vanished and she lost track of him. In a certain moment, she raised her arm to defend against the incoming attack, but Gohan slammed his fist into her stomach from a complete different direction. Kyuuri's mouth shot wide open as the pain traversed through her body. He vanished again, in the same pattern, and kicked Kyuuri straight in to the rocky ground, causing all sorts of debris and dust to fly up in the air. He didn't wait long, so he charged in to the dust cloud, but this time, his opponent managed to block the incoming attack. Their hands clashed, indicating that Kyuuri managed to somehow see through the dust.
"You can sense Ki, can't you?" smiled the boy.
"I managed to learn a few tricks, so you're gonna have to do better than that."
Both jumped away from one another and wanted to continue fighting when Kibito and Kaioshin rushed in to help, which wasn't needed at all, of course. Endou's former bodyguard jumped away to create quite a distance between her and Gohan.
"Gohan! Stop this personal vendetta at once!" yelled the Kaioshin.
"Our plan didn't work. Clearly we can't capture Kyuuri like that," Gohan yelled back while fighting Kyuuri.
"That doesn't mean we can't formulate another one," Kibito expressed his opinion.
Goku's son didn't respond at all: his eyes were fixed on Kyuuri, who was waiting for them from afar. He powered up and propelled himself towards her with shocking speed. Again their hands clashed and the fighting continued. This time, Gohan was more serious, faster and used more strength, something that Kyuuri had anticipated. After all, they have fought a few times already and she knew most of his tactics and fighting techniques, except when the side effects from the prolonged Super Saiyan 2 transformation kicked in. Last time they fought on Earth, Gohan's attacks became so erratic, she couldn't predict them at all.
Kyuuri knew very well that she couldn't fight all three at the same time. Surely she was most probably on par with the Kaioshin and might be able to beat him, whereas Kibito posed no threat to her. She would struggle a bit, but could defeat him without any major issues. Gohan, on the other hand, seemed to have gained more strength since their last battle. She also expected this, since the boy was most probably training constantly, whereas she didn't. Well, she did, but spent most of the time learning her new technique and practicing it, meaning there was no proper training to get stronger and/or faster. Due to this fact, Kyuuri wasn't living in denial – she cannot win this fight no matter what. Jumping to full power should give her an upper hand early on, but the half-Saiyan would just do the same and overpower her instantly. Just the thought that a small boy is stronger than her made her sick to her stomach. Right at that point, she felt Gohan's Ki rise, meaning he started getting serious, which wasn't good news for her, so she tensed her muscles and did the same. Sadly, the shocking speed from the boy took her by surprise, and because of that received a punch right to the face. As the demon fighter staggered for a split second, she received another one to her stomach. Her arms were grabbed from behind and Goku's son slammed his left knee in to her back. He started pulling her arms closer together, exactly the same as she did back on Earth.
"Does this bring back memories?" he smiled, while putting more force on her arms.
"You… you little brat! This won't stop me!"
"I don't know what happened to you, but you seem weaker."
"I… I am NOT weaker!"
She tried breaking free, but couldn't. Purple aura surrounded her body, indicating that Kyuuri started powering up in order to break from Gohan's grip. The ground started shaking and small debris, like pebbles and small rocks floated around both of them. But Goku's son didn't just remain idle – his body was also engulfed by the yellow aura, imbued with lightning. He was matching Kyuuri's power to not loosen his grip on her arms. While this was going on, both divine beings were flabbergasted.
"This energy is unreal. Is… is Gohan stronger than Kyuuri now?!" Kibito was shocked.
"Not just that, he most probably surpassed even me," the Kaioshin replied with a trembling voice.
Kyuuri was still locked down by Gohan and couldn't break free at all. It was exactly as she thought – the power gap between her and the boy had increased. Luckily, she still had an ace up her sleeve. The fact that they were in the "Demon" realm, she remembered there is a "lake" not far from here. It is not filled with typical blue water, like on Earth, but with a light purple like substance which is basically liquid water in this realm.
"We need to knock Kyuuri out cold somehow, so we can apprehend and interrogate her," the Kaioshin was thinking.
"I suggest we do the same as Gohan did, but hitting them both," Kibito proposed.
"Both? Isn't that a bit dangerous? I mean, I know they are both extremely strong, but a combined attack from us might bring them close to death."
"It is the risk we need to take, otherwise a chance like this might not present itself anymore. The boy has her locked down, so a hit would be guaranteed."
The Kaioshin wasn't sure of this plan, but it was better than nothing, despite the fact that Gohan would most probably be severely injured by the combined energy blast. After a few seconds of thinking, which felt like an eternity, the Kaioshin nodded, signaling Kibito to proceed with this plan. They both flew in to the air as well and started charging their most powerful energy attacks, which is something Gohan noticed immediately.
"What are you doing?" he asked.
"Hold her steady, this will be quick," the Kaioshin offered a quick answer.
Even though Goku's son was currently a bit stronger than both of them, a combined direct energy attack of that magnitude could knock them both out and causing severe injuries, or even death.
"You were waiting for this, weren't you?!" the boy raised his voice.
The only response he received was two energy attacks being fired at him and his opponent. With no other options available, the boy prepared to be hit hard, but Kyuuri wasn't ready to go down. At that moment, Gohan and the others again felt than strange faint energy signature, but this time, it was right behind the demi-Saiyan. As the boy turned around his head, he could see some sort of a vortex or portal, which was swirling like a black hole in black and blue color. Kyuuri mustered all her strength and pushed both her and the boy into the portal, which then closed almost immediately, causing the energy attack to miss and blow up a huge chunk of nearby mountains.
"They vanished!" Kibito reacted.
"We were so close. Somebody must have teleported them away. It was the same energy as before."
"I feel their energy not far from here. We need to hurry, master."
"Let's go," the Kaioshin ended the conversation and they both flew to the location were Gohan and Kyuuri had been teleported to.
In the meantime, Kyuuri and Gohan fell in to the mentioned lake, causing a big splash. The liquid was a lot less dense than water on Earth, so they both pretty much sank very quickly. Oxygen deprivation started kicking in, forcing both to swim to the surface. Gohan was out first and Kyuuri followed, both being just a few meters away from each other.
They looked at each other, but the boy didn't engage, he was just looking at her while swimming on the surface: "The next time we meet, we will finish this once and for all, without distractions."
He didn't have to say anything else – Kyuuri knew exactly what he meant. He is giving her a chance to escape, before those two arrive and apprehend her. If the energy attack had hit them, they would have most probably be lying unconscious and fully injured, but thanks to Kyuuri, that was not the case. She could feel the Kaioshin approaching, so she submerged and suppressed her Ki, to not be detected since she was clearly outmatched since the beginning. Gohan had just made too much progress compared to her and that was eating her from the inside. This is the last time she had been humiliated like this and shown mercy, never again will this happen. Kyuuri was about to open up a new portal to escape this situation, when the Kaioshin and his apprentice already arrived and landed on the shore quite near her. Gohan flew out of the lake and landed close to them.
"Where is Kyuuri?" the Kaioshin asked the boy.
"Somewhere in this lake or whatever it is. I can't sense her energy. Thanks to you, she must have teleported us here," the boy responded.
"So in other words, you lost her," Kibito joined the conversation.
"Tsch, you wanted to blast me just to get to her," Gohan responded to that, being very angry.
"I am going to ask you again, young Gohan – where is Kyuuri?" the Kaioshin demanded.
"I already told you!" he raised his voice, clearly showing his frustration.
Right at that exact moment, all of them felt the faint energy somewhere in the lake, which also disappeared in a matter of seconds – Kyuuri had escaped through a portal.
"Either you knew she was there or didn't go looking for her, and now she has escaped… AGAIN!" the East Kaioshin was furious.
"I agree, master. The boy let Kyuuri go… again, just like on Namek. It is like they are working together," Kibito continued the accusations.
"If you hadn't fired that energy attacks, we wouldn't have been teleported here! And no, I am not her ally!" the boy screamed and powered up, making his yellow aura flair around his body.
"Are you going to attack us?" Kibito smiled.
Gohan clenched his fist and the thought did occur to him, but then powered down to his base form.
"I thought so," added the Kaioshin, "because you are already in very serious trouble."
The boy didn't say anything, but his expression was full of anger and distrust.
"I have had it with your arrogance and selfishness, Gohan," the Kaioshin stepped up to him and continued: "You are no longer assisting the Kaioshin Council in this matter. Not only that, but you will receive severe punishment as well, just like I warned you the very first time we met. This time, I am serious."
Goku's son remained quiet, angrily looking at the Kaioshin, who put his arm on his shoulder and teleported them back to the Sacred World of the Kaioshins. The first order of business was to dedicate an escort for Gohan, in case he would try to escape. They also put his arms in shackles, which were designed especially for the most dangerous enemies. The boy didn't resist at all, since he had no reason to. Defying the Gods even further would most probably mean imprisonment for a very long time and banning Goku from ever being wished back to life. 2 other attendants were walking behind him, while Kibito and the Kaioshin walked up front. They lead him to the Council's chambers, but he wasn't allowed to enter, since only divine beings are worthy of setting foot in it. The 2 attendants and the boy remained outside and waited, while the Kaioshin and his attendant entered the majestic building. The boy just sat down on the ground and looked up into the air, like he was searching for some one – and that someone was his dad.
I don't know what to do anymore, dad. I have changed so much, I don't even recognize myself sometimes. These feelings and emotions, they are so raw and wild… I can't seem to control them. I am trying to follow your footsteps and protect the Earth, but I feel that everyone is against me. How did you manage to embrace your Saiyan heritage and at the same time, earn everyone's trust and even turned enemies into friends? I can't seem to find this fine balance between my urge to fight and improve myself, and the peaceful nature of my human side. The Kaioshins constantly enforce their own will, but they were NEVER there to help us during the worst times. Raditz, Vegeta and Nappa, then Namek, Frieza, the androids and in the end, Cell. They never laid a helping hand, yet now they want to control everything… they want to control ME. Wish you were here to help me… I really need you.
He continued staring at the beautiful sky, not saying anything at all. Both attendants kept a close eye on him, and were even surprised when a small tear dropped from Gohan's left eye. They didn't know the half-Saiyan at all, but at his current state, they would think this is some kind of misunderstanding. This, however, was just the beginning of Gohan's long and painful path to redemption. Kibito exited from the Council's chamber, while the East Kaioshin was communicating with his other fellow Kaioshins.
"Your fate is now being decided," he said with determination.
The demi-Saiyan wiped the tear from his face and looked at him: "Why did you want to blast me, along with Kyuuri?"
"I don't have to explain myself to you, mortal. You are a part of a higher plan."
"I could have beaten Kyuuri and practically deliver her to you."
Kibito's patience was running thin and was fed up with his arrogance and disrespect.
"You sicken me. The Kaioshin can finally see through your "innocent" child face as well. I remember your fight with Kyuuri on Earth; it was all you cared about. I had to intervene back then, since your primitive mind couldn't comprehend the grand scale of your actions. You Saiyans are a selfish, arrogant and egocentric beings."
"Don't say that… that is not true. My dad is…"
"Your father is dead, and died because of your arrogance. He will most probably remain in the Other World forever, banned from being resurrected and returning to Earth… thanks to you.
"NO! Please… don't do that!"
"You mortals need to be taught a lesson that actions have consequences. In your case, grave consequences."
"NO! I need my dad… I NEED him! He died because of me… I won't let him down!" the boy started shouting, building up his energy.
"Too late for that, boy. He died because of you, those Wanasans died because of you. Everyone around you seem to die, while the real enemies get away."
"STOP! STOP IT!" he screamed and burst into Super Saiyan state.
His aura flared around him, forcing Kibito and both attendants to take a few steps back, covering their faces with their hands. The ground beneath Gohan started cracking and powerful gusts of wind emanated from his bright yellow aura.
"Take… those… words… BACK!" the half-Saiyan barely contained his bulging anger.
"Facts are facts, young Gohan. Your father made a judgment error, putting the world's fate in your hands. You failed him."
The last sentence was too much, even from Kibito. This ignited Gohan like a fuse, making his anger explode uncontrollably. His hair changed, his aura changed and his power skyrocketed. The imbued lightning actually arced to one of the attendants, burning her arm and knocking her a few meters away. The Kaioshin rushed out from the chambers, since he felt Gohan's power from the inside.
"STOP IT GOHAN! STOP!" he screamed.
. . . . .
Meanwhile in the Other World, Goku was just in the middle of his early lunch. Kaio was standing not far from him, watching in a specific direction – where the Sacred World of the Kaioshins was. He was following the development there and was deeply worried. Goku suddenly jumped from the table: "Is that Gohan's energy? Wow, he's become so strong. I bet he is fighting a strong opponent."
Kaio didn't say anything and remained quiet.
"What's wrong Kaio-sama? You haven't touched your food yet. If you're not hungry, can I have it?" the pure-blooded Saiyan smiled.
"… It doesn't look good Goku," if I am honest.
"What do you mean? Is Gohan losing?"
"Well… not exactly. It seems he was angered by the Kaioshin and is in some sort of rage mode."
"You know he was always like that. If pushed too far, he can snap, just like against Cell."
"You don't understand Goku, I think he is going to fight the Kaioshins. If a mortal attacks a Kaioshin, he or she can face dire consequences, or even worse."
"I don't think Gohan would do that. Sure he has this uncontrollable anger sometimes, but he would never hurt the good guys," Goku replied while standing next to Kaio.
. . . . .
"Don't… ever… say… that… about… HIIIM!" he screamed even more, trying to break free from the specially designed shackles, which started showing wear and tear.
The chambers were in danger of collapsing, since the boy was standing practically next to them. Cracks started appearing on the pillars and walls, signaling it doesn't have much time if Gohan keeps this up. The shackles finally gave up and the enraged half-Saiyan was free. Kibito was now afraid, as well as the Kaioshin. His eyes shot wide open and his divine body started shaking. When Goku's son had made on step towards him, he stopped. His pupils shrunk like something was terribly wrong. His head fell backwards and the whole body followed. The flaring aura vanished in an instant and so did the bright golden hair, which was replaced by charcoal black. While he was falling to the ground, he lost consciousness.
. . . . .
Both Kaio and Goku felt Gohan's energy vanish.
"NO! Gohan! What happened Kaio-sama? Is he… dead!?" Goku started panicking.
"Oh, this is bad. This is very bad."
"What? What happened? I am going over there."
"NO! You are not allowed to leave the Other World, as was decreed by the East Kaioshin."
"But Gohan needs me. I can't just sit here and do nothing!"
"I am sorry Goku. No matter what happens, you are not allowed to use your Shunkanidou (Instant Transmission) to leave the Other World. The Kaioshins have the ability to take away your physical form, making you become a bodiless soul, just like they exist in hell. Do you want that?"
"Crap… this is madness. What could have happened for his energy to just drop to zero? I am focusing really hard, but can't detect his Ki at all."
. . . . .
The last thing Gohan saw was a bright red light, which was followed by an extremely sharp pain in his right peck. The boy finally hit the ground, motionless and bleeding from the wound, which wasn't bigger than a few centimeters in diameter.
"You shouldn't bring such visitors here," said a voice from afar.
"What did you do?! You know we are not allowed to kill or take innocent lives!"
"He is not dead, East. I intentionally pierced his right peck to avoid the heart."
"Kibito, quickly, help the boy."
Kibito actually hesitated for a moment, but did what his master asked of him. He started healing Gohan, but didn't wake him up, just like the first time when they found him on planet KB-0807. As a matter of fact, he didn't want to heal him fully, so the boy would still feel some pain after he will have woken up. On top of that, Kibito made sure that Gohan will be knocked out cold for a very long time, since he just received an idea.
"What are you doing here?!" the East Kaioshin was baffled.
"If I hadn't taken him out, he would have severely damaged this planet. Not sure if you could have done it."
"I don't approve of this method at all. This is not how we do things here and you know it."
"I stopped him, didn't I? Just make sure he doesn't wake up here. I don't want to do that again," the figure suggested and then vanished.
"If I may, master," Kibito stepped up to him, "I believe I know what kind of punishment would be perfect for the boy."
"If you ask me, the beam through his chest if sufficient enough. I wanted his punishment to be severe, yes, but not like this, Kibito."
"With all due respect, master, this is his own doing. As soon as I mentioned that his punishment is being decided now, he lost his mind and started powering up."
"Why would he snap like that? He didn't resist or anything when I said he will be severely punished and he didn't resist when being shackled and escorted here."
"His anger outbreaks can cause devastating shockwaves across the planet, especially when coupled by his Super Saiyan transformations. He is dangerous when angered. You witnessed that his power was most probably higher than yours. He was about to attack me as well which cannot go unnoticed."
"I don't know what to say, Kibito."
"All I know is that we can't contain his power here, but we do know who can."
"I reckon you mean… the Wanasans?"
"Precisely. I would be the perfect punishment because of the incident on Wanasa."
"Hmmm, we have shipped quite a few of captured enemies to their complex and they do have extremely advanced technology to keep them in check. Perhaps advanced enough to keep Gohan there as well, without him escaping or blowing up the complex. I will start the preparations for his transfer."
"A very good decision master. I will find him a chamber on the outskirts of the Forest of tranquility and assign an attendant to guard him until the transfer preparations are complete."
. . . . .
A quick jump back to the Other World, where Kaio had witnessed everything.
"Thank Kami," he said while wiping his forehead, "he is alive and well."
"But what happened Kaio-sama? I still can't feel his energy."
"That is because he is unconscious now. He was stopped by another Kaioshin it seems. As far as I can see, Gohan seems to have been healed, so he is in stable condition."
"These Kaioshins must be really powerful if they took Gohan out so quickly. Can't image how long I would last."
"Either way, they must have had a very good reason to stop Gohan. The Kaioshins are Gods of creation and prosperity; they rarely engage in such combat unless they were forced to do it."
"I don't know Kaio-sama, but like I said, Gohan would never hurt innocent people no matter how angry he gets. Something smells fishy if you ask me."
"Shut up! You don't know what you're saying, Goku. We need to trust the Gods and their wisdom. We are lucky the God of destruction didn't arrive and finish Gohan off for good."
"God of what? Destruction? Are you making this up?"
Kaio waved his arm and looked away, "Never mind. I hate to say it, but the boy is in very big trouble. No matter what happens Goku, no matter what kind of punishment Gohan will receive, you are not to leave the Other World, otherwise you are risking of losing your privileged body."
Goku sighed: "Yeah, I know, I know."
"Because if you lose your body here, you won't be able to train and use your abilities like you do now. You would only be able to float around as a soul and wait to be wished back. Do you want that?"
"No, of course not. Sheesh, you've become so strict and serious all of a sudden," replied the Saiyan, while scratching his head.
"I am only trying to keep you out of trouble. The Kaioshins are not to be angered or double-crossed in any way. Anyway, I am off to my mid-day nap, so please no explosions and energy blasts," Kaio informed Goku and left.
The pure Saiyan remained sitting on the ground, thinking of what just happened to his son.
What is happening, son? Who managed to stop you like that and why? I know you're not on the best terms with the Kaioshins, but I am also not sure if I believe them completely. I know you miss me, but you are more than strong enough to deal with your enemies and fears. I believe in you, Gohan.
Notes:
Another chapter finished =). I hope it was a nice twist in the plot. The next chapter will reveal where Gohan will be transported to. It seems that Kibito is not a very noble divine being at all, provoking Gohan and lying to the East Kaioshin at the same time. Will Gohan wake up before being transported or will Goku disobey and come to his aid? All will be revealed in the next chapter =). Let me know what you think about this chapter by leaving a review. Thanks! =)