Dr. Gero stepped out from behind a pillar. Satisfied that his revenge would be exacted, he began to evacuate along with all the other passersby.
His future creation had been furious at the discovery that Cell had been defeated in this timeline. Shredded molecule by molecule- by a mere child! And so this time-traveling Cell had been more than accommodating in following orders from a mad scientist.
Easily navigating his way through the crowd, the old man found himself alone on the edge of the island. He had contemplated turning himself into an android, but eventually dismissed the idea as ludicrous. His puppets would suffice. Searching his pocket for a capsule boat, he froze upon hearing a throat clear.
Piccolo stood with a smug grin on his face, arms crossed.
"You know, they all told me I shouldn't fight today," the 7-foot-tall man said. "So don't worry. I didn't come down here for a fight."
Dr. Gero's eyes widened with fear, nonetheless.
Fangs flashing, Piccolo sneered, "After all, this is going to be very one-sided."
Shin flew through the air at breakneck speed, alone. Seeing as the boy was a little less than helpful in their first confrontation with Buu, he sent the boy to find his mother. Upon reaching Papaya Island, Shin's breath caught in his throat, and he was very glad Trunks would not bear witness to the gruesome sight.
The stadium had been almost completely obliterated thus far. Nearly a hundred unfortunate souls had not managed to escape in time, and their corpses littered the walkways.
Chancing a brief look behind him, Shin could tell that Buu was still in the direction from whence he came.
"What in the world happened here?" he asked, speaking to no one in particular. "How did this all go so wrong?"
Gohan panted, his fair skin soaked with perspiration. His baggy, yellow shirt hung off one shoulder in shreds. With one hand he swiped the remainder of his top off and tossed it to the ground. The slight breeze stung the burn marks across his ribs, but otherwise felt good on his overheated body.
"Mm," Cell said, casually charging up another blast. "Not bad. But I was still expecting more-"
The android's deep voice tapered off, and he bore into Gohan's dark eyes. "So were you just stalling me, then?" Cell asked, annoyed. "Waiting a friend to come save you, as usual?"
Sensing the unfamiliar energy signal as well, Gohan shook his head. "No," he said with a frown. "I don't know who that is."
"Oh?" Cell asked. "Well this should certainly be interesting, then. While three is a crowd, it would be rude of me to turn a worthy fighter away."
"Damn it, this is like the Cell Games all over again," Krillin thought. Turning away from the fighters, he shoved a senzu bean between Chi-Chi's lips. She swallowed involuntarily and began to sputter and gasp as she healed. "I wish Tien was at least here," Krillin muttered. "We could use all the help we can get. I mean, how hard is it to let your friends know where you live?"
Eyes opening, Chi-Chi took a good look at Krillin. Ignoring his humorous monologue, she twisted around his embrace to see her son disengaged with Cell. Instead of fighting, they stood silently, as though waiting for something.
"What happened?" she asked. "What are they doing?"
"Someone new is coming," Krillin answered. "Can you feel it? Not Shin, but the other one-"
"It feels like Spopovich and Yamu," Chi-Chi realized. "Whoever is chasing Shin them feels dark. Dark and twisted."
He nodded in somber agreement. "I just hope whoever it is, they're on our side," Krillin mumbled.
Meanwhile, Bulma and Yamcha had just landed on the lookout.
"Where's Piccolo?" Yamcha inquired, holding the last dragon ball.
Before Mr. Popo could answer, a figure in a billowing white cape appeared on the edge of the palace platform.
"I had some loose ends to tie up," he said simply. "Gero is dead now."
"Oh," Bulma said, a little put off by the way he delivered the news. "Well, I guess it's good that we won't have to worry about him again."
"You're damn right about that," Yamcha complained, helping Mr. Popo spread out the balls on the white-tiled floor.
"Alright, so what are we wishing for?" Bulma asked, clasping her hands together.
Just then, a green blur nearly knocked her over, and Bulma blinked a few times.
"Trunks! she shouted, returning his desperate hug. "Are you okay? What's going on down there?"
"It's bad, Mom," Trunks said, trying to keep the tremble out of his voice. "Dad is really hurt."
With a quick look from Bulma, Yamcha took off in the direction Trunks had come from, intent on finding Vegeta.
"I'm glad you're here," she told her only child. "We were just about to use the dragon balls."
"No, we weren't," Piccolo replied.
"What?" Bulma asked, confused. "But-"
"We need to save the wishes," he answered. "This isn't over yet. I have a feeling things are only going to get worse from here."
"What do you mean?" Trunks asked, hurrying to Piccolo's side. "What's going on down there?"
Closing his eyes, the Earth's Guardian did not reply.
Shin touched down at the tournament entrance, racing through the archway as Majin Buu caught up to him.
Fists clenched, Gohan watched as Shin flew past him. A moment later, a large, pink monster appeared, but stopped suddenly before landing in between him and Cell.
"You strong!" The creature said, looking between Gohan and Cell. "You play with Buu?"
"Buu?" Cell asked, smacking his lips with distaste. "Do you not realize who you're talking to, you imbecile?"
Clutching to the back of Buu's purple cloak, a small, green figure hung on for dear life. Having had Buu heal him on the flight over, the little wizard jumped off his lackey, almost hidden in the folds of Buu's cape drifting in the stale air.
"Buu, what are you waiting for?" Babidi cried out. "Go after the Supreme Kai! Worry about these amateurs later!"
"Amateurs?" Cell snapped, appalled by the mere suggestion. "I'll show you amateur!"
Swinging a leg out in front of him, Gohan watched in amazement as Cell's foot passed harmlessly through Buu's torso. The pink monster giggled and grabbed the outstretched foot. Tossing Cell several feet away, the bioandroid's impact created a small crater in the trampled grass.
Hands clutching his thick hair, Gohan visibly panicked. "What the hell is going on?" he asked himself.
"Gohan!" Krillin and Chi-Chi raced to him, and his mother nearly squeezed him to death in a bone-wrenching hug.
"Are you okay? Are you hurt?" she fired off, running her hands over his bare chest to check for broken ribs. He hissed as she touched a second-degree burn, and gently pushed her hand away.
"I'll be fine," he said.
"Looks like whatever that is, it just bought us some time," Krillin remarked, watching Cell and Buu fight.
As Krillin fished around in his pocket for a senzu bean he could give Gohan, Babidi stared in horror at Buu's match. While confident in his creation's abilities, he baulked at the thought of two ridiculously strong opponents for him to finish off. They didn't have time for this. They had a whole universe to conquer!
"I need to level the playing field," he thought. Closing his bulging eyes, he concentrated on pulling his Majin magic to the surface.
Something tugged at the edge of his consciousness, and Babidi's eyes snapped open in surprise. Then, a mischievous grin grew across his face.
"Why level the playing field," he thought, "when you can tip the scales entirely?"
"Mom, you need to leave," Gohan told his mother. "I can sense a few people still trapped inside the pavillion, and one in the contestant area. You need to go help them."
"I am not leaving you!"
"Go!" he yelled, his face only an inch from her's. She reeled back, caught off guard by his sudden aggression. Realizing he was more easily aggravated when transformed, she nodded stiffly before flying away.
He couldn't lose her. Not again.
Once Chi-Chi was out of sight, Gohan turned to Krillin. "You need to help protect the Supreme Kai," the boy said.
"There's no way I'm leaving you!" The monk protested.
Holding a hand up, Gohan quickly took charge of the situation. "Take him to the lookout, then come back to help me," he finished.
Biting his lip, Krillin looked back to the skirmish between Cell and Buu. Neither seemed to have the upper hand. Cell had taken more damage, but his regenerative abilities healed him quickly enough.
"I'm not leaving," Shin declared. "I am not very powerful, but I may be able to advise you. I have encountered with Majin Buu before."
Before they could reply, Gohan dropped to his knees, his energy skyrocketing.
A hoarse cry escaped the teenager's throat, and Krillin quickly bent down to see what was wrong.
"Gohan?" the man cried. "Gohan!"
Gusts of wind poured of Gohan in waves, pushing Krillin away from him.
Pain.
Sharp, excruciating, unfiltered pain seeped into every crevice of Gohan's mind.
At first, some small part of him concluded that Bardock was trying to contact him, or perhaps he was having a particularly intense vision.
But his most primal instincts soon took over as the logical part of his brain shut down, unable to operate under such strain.
He ascended straight into his second form, attempting to ward off whatever internal force trying to grip him.
Distantly, he heard both Krillin and Shin shouting at him, but the words were quickly lost amongst his own screams of torture.
"Resist!" Shin shouted. "You have to fight him, Gohan!"
"What's going on?" Krillin demanded, pulling Shin close by the front of his shirt.
"It's Babidi," Shin gasped. "I thought Trunks had killed him, but-"
Looking around frantically, Shin spotted the small wizard on the ground, on the other side of where Buu and Cell battled. Babidi's mouth moved rapidly and his fingers twitched, clearly chanting something.
"He's taking control of Gohan's mind," Shin revealed, much to Krillin's alarm. "That's what he does. He takes the darkness in someone's heart, no matter how small, and he twists it against them with his evil sorcery."
"You've got to be kidding!" Krillin yelled, incoherent with fear for his friend. "Gohan is a good kid. He's got a heart of gold! He's the purest soul I know. There's no darkness in him!"
Sighing in resignation, Shin looked once more to Gohan, who was now hunched over on all fours. "It only takes one dark thought to fester and grow," Shin said. "I too sensed that Gohan was a kind soul. But it seems that everyone has their demons."
No longer able to ignore the growing power raging near them, Cell and Buu turned to face the half-Saiyan.
"Incredible," Cell muttered. "I don't believe it. That damned boy was holding back that much?"
"Ooh!" Buu echoed. "Boy is strong. Buu fight boy!"
Chi-Chi raced out of the pavillion, covered in dust, her clothes bloodied from victims. Videl limped out behind her, intent on finding out what had happened.
Krillin dropped Shin and instead latched onto Chi-Chi, holding her firmly around the waist as she thrashed and wailed in alarm.
"Don't get near him, Chi-Chi!" he yelled, but his reasoning fell on deaf ears as the woman continued to struggle.
"Let go!" Shin shouted, kneeling next to Gohan. "The past is the past, Gohan! Let it go and be free!"
More waves of energy rolled off the boy, blasting Shin away.
Videl stilled, absolutely speechless at the chaotic scene unfolding before her.
Meanwhile, the struggle of darkness waged on in Gohan's mind. He tried to fight it, but found himself slipping ever so slightly, allowing the evil magic to gain more purchase by the second.
The lowest points of his life surfaced in flashes.
He saw his father and Raditz being impaled with a beam of energy; Piccolo's death at the hands of Nappa; Recoome's leg sweeping toward him; Frieza and King Cold's viscous grins.
He felt his heart being ripped from his chest as Cell killed his mother. Then as if to add insult to injury, his father's death crushed whatever remained of his blood-pumping organ.
He saw the empty bassinet in his mother's room day after day, too wrapped up in his own grief to disassemble it.
Everything coalesced into guilt and shame. It was all on him.
"Why have power, when you can't protect the ones you love?" Gohan thought, and not for the first time.
Somewhere in the back of his mind, he heard Babidi's voice, and blocked it out as best he could.
But then he heard another.
"Gohan," Bardock said, grabbing a small fraction of the teen's attention.
"Help," Gohan growled. "Gramps! Please, help me!"
Memories of the older Saiyan swirled in Gohan's subconscious, his serious features strong and unwavering. Gohan reached out with a hand, begging for relief. But the man did not move.
This had been exactly what Bardock had intended to prevent.
"Or perhaps this is his destiny," Bardock thought, brow furrowing.
Closing his eyes, the older man took a deep breath. He had come to a decision, but he wasn't sure if it was the right one.
Only time would tell.
In a shaky voice, he spoke. "Give into it," he said, slowly. "Please, Gohan. Let go of your control. Trust me."
In an instant, the blue bolts of energy crackling around Gohan flashed red. A dark, red light engulfed the half-Saiyan completely for a few seconds, and he rose several feet into the air.
Just as quickly as it happened, it was over.
The light, the energy, the aura- it all disappeared. Gohan dropped to the ground like a rock, landing on his knees with his forehead bowed low to the ground.
"Gohan!" Krillin said, still tightly holding onto his student.
The silence was deafening as everyone waited for the boy to show any signs of life.
And with veins bulging across his exposed skin, Majin Gohan rose.