The endless expanse of the Chamber of Spirit and Time, the numbing void and droning silence that surrounded Gohan, did nothing to help quell the raging storm of emotions that waged war with his thoughts. Hours of meditation did little to help the young man grasp the gravity of the situation he was now thrust into.
'As if I didn't have enough to worry about, firstly Dad comes down with the heart virus, then Android's show up with the sheer Intent of wanting to Kill Dad simply because Gero did nothing but rant about that being sole-purpose of existence. Then everything with Cell, leading to Kami fusing with Piccolo nullifying the Dragon Balls. Huh, wonder If the others have figured that out as well. Lastly Dad tells me I'm basically engaged and have been since birth. Sigh, keep focused Gohan, deal with Cell first then everything else can follow' Gohan stands back up and performs a couple of menial stretches to work out the kinks of his body after his time in the lotus position, hearing a few satisfying cracks from a few joints.
Turning his head to look around to see if he could locate his father, which didn't take long considering the large glowing golden aura flaring ways away from both himself and the hub of the chamber. Gently taking to the air, he flies over to his Dad. Mid-flight he notices something odd with his Dad's Aura 'What is Dad up to? Is that red aura flickering through the gold?' Gohan settles down a few feet away from Goku and walks the rest of the distance until he's standing in Goku's eyeline.
"Hey Dad, what are you up to?" Gohan questioned the older Saiyan.
"Hey Gohan, I'm trying to perform the Kaio-ken whilst in Super Saiyan. Since the Kaio-ken is an energy multiplier and stacking it on top of the multiplier of the Super Saiyan transformation could have disastrous results if not done correctly, however the payoff if it succeeds will be worth the risk. Although in my base form I've pushed the Kaio-Ken to times 20 in my battle against Frieza, whilst in Super Saiyan even the basic technique could have a huge power increase." Goku explained whilst continuing his experiment. Gohan looks up to his Dad in awe and wonder.
"Wow, Dad. If you succeed, Cell won't stand a chance!" Gohan exclaimed.
Shaking his head "Not necessarily Gohan" hearing his sons "Huh?" He continues "Although the power increase would be incredible, I would reckon that the toll it would put my body through would be a lot harsher than what it would be in my normal state. Meaning that it could only be used for either a short period of time or a couple of brief flashes to compensate for power loss. Besides, Cell is a being designed for battle. So, I would guess he has incredible stamina, the fight won't be over quickly using this new technique. Unless we had access to that power for a longer period, the fight would be long and gruelling." Goku finished his explanation, deciding to give it a push he motioned for Gohan to move back a little.
Dropping his aura and his efforts, he takes a couple of deep breathes to compose himself. Slipping into a simple Horse stance he begins to power up to maximum Super Sayian 'This is it!' "Super Kaio-Ken" Goku grunted out before allowing the rush of the technique take over his body, in that split second his Golden Aura flashes to the roaring red of the technique of Kai's. His power level rocketing higher and higher. Gohan, being pushed backwards feet scraping against the floor as the power physically pushed him aside couldn't grasp the power his father had suddenly displayed.
"It worked! Dad, you did it!" Gohan cheered covering his face from the gale force wind his father was generating, when suddenly it all stopped. The wind, the power and the glow stopped. Gohan looked over to his father, who had dropped to his base state, on his knees and hands panting for breath with sweat dripping off from his head and down his exposed patches of skin showing from the battered Saiyan armour.
"Yeah, hehe. Yeah, I did, but that took a lot outta me." Goku panted out, before rolling over to sit of his backside legs stretched out in front of him and arms bracing his weight behind him. Suddenly grinning "It needs some work, so I don't lose so much energy at once." Patting the ground next to him "Come Gohan, sit with your old man a minute" As Gohan took a seat next to his Dad, He continued "Listen Gohan, I just wanted to tell you. How proud I am of you. Since a young age, you've been thrown into some pretty wild adventures. Raditz, Piccolo's training for Vegeta and Nappa, Garlic Jr, Namek and Frieza, then everything that's happened recently with the Androids, Cell and…. uhm your engagement. You've handled so much stress and you've held it together very well, but please do tell me if you're struggling. I know I haven't always been around, but I'm here for you, Son. You make me so proud." Goku explained with such emotion on his face Gohan knew, he truly felt this way. Warmth spread itself through Gohan's body. Acting on impulse, he surged forward and wrapped his arm around his father's chest.
"Thanks Dad. Means a lot to hear that coming from you." Gohan grinning looking up at his father. "Dad, there's something I wanted to talk to you about. Since Kami has fused with Piccolo, does that mean the Dragon Balls are gone? And, when I went to blow off some steam earlier I noticed something odd about my Aura. There was this blue electricity, sparking around me and I felt this power trying to come forth, but something was stopping me from accessing it. Like with the Super Sayian transformation, do you think theres another level?" Gohan rambled, tightening his arms as he spilled what was on his mind.
Goku, staring off into space thought over his sons worries. Then he looks down at Gohan "That's a good point Gohan, we'll have to check it out when we get back. If they are I'm sure someone on New Namek could help us out. I think Son, that there are hidden depths to your power. Power that has yet to be fully brought to the surface, which would explain how you've become a Super Sayian at such a young age. You have the potential to be as strong as me, probably stronger with how you've been progressing in your training." Goku answered.
Thinking over the next actions He and his son were to take, Goku gently removed Gohan from his embrace and stood up bringing Gohan with him and quickly throwing him up to catch him on one shoulder with his legs dangling just in front of Goku's chest. He started walking back to the main hub of the Chamber.
"So, why don't we get some food, bathe and clean these outfits and get some sleep. I'm bushed!" Goku suggested, receiving a simple "Ah-huh" from his shoulder.
Just over twelve hours later we see the two Son's, clad back in their Sayian armour sparring intensely in the white void their Golden auras dancing against each other in a battle of dominance, with the occasional overwhelming flash of the blood red aura from the Son patriarch. Punches, kicks and energy blasts been thrown back and forth.
Goku suddenly gaining the upper hand by performing wild sense, phasing out of the high kick Gohan had launched to reappear behind his son with an overheard hammer fist into the ground. Goku floats back to the ground, a few feet from Gohan who was just starting to stand up
"Dammit Dad, I can't get the hang on the Kaio-ken! I can do it just fight outside of a fight, but I haven't once managed to do it against you yet! What am I doing wrong?!" Gohan whined frantically waving his arm to emphasize his words.
"It's alright Gohan, you'll get the hang of it soon" Goku reassured his son. "We have time before we have to leave, you can do it. I believe in you"
"Thanks Dad. Do you think we can focus our training on the power I've been feeling?" Gohan asked his father. Goku looking down impassively deep in thought, before breaking into a large smile.
"Well sure Son, I've been thinking about that anyways. You said that you noticed the power more after you was angry? Maybe that's a potential trigger for the barrier. The first transformation came in response to your need for the power not the desire." Goku rambled 'How do we approach this? He says the power was more noticeable when he was angry, which was after finding out about his situation. Could we possibly use the anger of the situation and that of the past threats to create a connection and then possibly present a situation that his anger and the need for the power is his only option'
"Okay Gohan, I have an idea on how we can do this, but I need you to trust me okay?" Goku asked, Gohan nodding in approval Goku continued "Remember when I first helped you transform, you were in a situation where the need for power was absolute. Then also thinking about it when I tried to ascend myself, I tried to do it through sheer exertion. If you feel the barrier is closer when angry we apply all these aspects into one scenario. What d'ya say Son? Want to give it a try?"
Gohan seemingly deep in thought, processing his Dad's plan to attempt to ascend. Noticing one issue with it, he finally speaks up "But Dad, how am I supposed to angry?"
"What got you so angry earlier? What about all the times the Earth and everyone you know and love have been threatened and potentially destroyed? What about the atrocities that Cell has been committing? What about Tien's daughter and her safety?" Goku listed off the possibilities. "When you start focusing on these thoughts, I want you to power up. The moment I see the sparks in your aura I'll be launching a full powered attack. You can do it son." Goku suddenly flared his aura and flew off to a suitable distance and started powering up, focusing on amplifying his power through the Kaio-Ken.
'Dad's right. This isn't about me, this is about our home, our friends and our family. For everyone Cell has wronged, for everyone caught in his destructive path. This is to avenge the lives taken by the androids, by Gero!' Gohan raising his power as high as he can, suddenly became aware of that niggling barrier once more. The barrier stopping him from accessing his full potential, the power that had saved his life on a few occasions. 'NO MORE! THIS POWER WILL BE USED FOR MORE THAN JUST MYSELF! THIS IS FOR THE EARTH! FOR THE INNOCENT! FOR! JUSTICE!' Gohan's internal monologue was interrupted by the ever-closing energy wave. Raising both his hands, firing back the signature technique of the Demon school, taught to him by Piccolo.
The Masenko, colliding with the Super Kai-ken infused Kamehameha instantly started losing ground. Gale force winds generated from the two energy waves assaulted Gohan's figure, making his spiky hair flair in the wind. 'I WILL NOT WATCH FROM THE SIDELINES ANYMORE!' Gohan's power skyrocketed, his hair becoming spikier and his already muscular form bulking up ever so slightly. The brief flashes of the bio-electricity in his Aura became more consistent and his eyes hardened. Pushing back the Energy wave ever so slightly, Gohan flashes out from under the energy wave, reappearing above his father using pure speed, mid bicycle kick connecting on Goku's head sending him plummeting into the indestructible flooring of the chamber.
Not giving him any quarter, Gohan flashes again a few paces in front of Goku. Springing forward as Goku was finding his feet to suddenly find a fist planted into his gut, doubling over on himself, gasping for air.
"Go…..han. Tha…t's….enough" Goku wheezed out before, dropping his Super Sayian form whilst simultaneously dropping to his knees. Gohan staring blanketly at his downed father before blinking a few times, realising what he'd done, dropped to his base form.
"DAD!" Rushing forward ensuring the elder Sayian was okay "I'm so sorry, I lost control. All I could think was to make you suffer, I felt such anger, such hatred" Gohan poured out, tears pricking at the edge of his eyes.
Goku just looking up from the floor to his son, flashing a large smile muttering "I'm proud of you Son" before succumbing to unconsciousness. Gohan panicking, took flight back to the sleeping quarters for one of the few Senzu-beans they had in their possession, grabbing the bean he rocketed back to his prone father with new found speed. Feeding the Sayian patriarch the life healing bean, Goku regained conciseness almost immediately. Groaning as he moved into a seating position he addressed his only Son "Wow, that new form of yours packs one hell of punch. Hehehe, Cell won't know what hit him! Well done, Son. You've made me so proud, you've grown so strong, you're stronger than me now!" Grinning the entire time.
Gohan just stared at his father in disbelief, he had just KO'ed his father and here he is praising him. Shaking his head gently, smiling back at him 'Only Dad would be praising someone like this'. Frowning, he voiced his thoughts to the downed Sayian "But Dad, I couldn't control it. How would that be any use against Cell!"
"Remember Son, the first time is always tough to control it. We just need to get you used to it. Let's get some rest, then when we're fully rested and fed. We'll start conditioning you to be used to the new form? Sound good?" Goku explained as he stood up and started walking towards the sleeping quarters, looking forward to a nice long nap 'My Son, an Ascended Super Sayian! Hah! Wait till Vegeta gets a load of this!'
"Dad, whilst you get started on some food. I'm going to start meditating in the new form, I don't like not having control of a part of my own self." Gohan explained looking down in shame, then a sudden thought crossed his mind "Dad? What are we going to call the new form?"
"Huh, that's a good point Son. Technically you're a Super Sayian that has ascended past a Super Sayian. An Ascended Super Sayian? Or Super Sayian 2?" Goku rattled off his thoughts.
"I think Super Sayian 2 would work better, who knows if theres any forms beyond this new form?" Gohan answered, powering back into his SSJ state. Grunting, he ascended into SSJ2. Slipping back into the lotus position, he started to control his breathing and thoughts. Goku watching his son's actions smiled 'He's handling this like a pro, Chi-chi would be so proud of how mature he's acting' Continuing his trek back to the hub, 'I wonder how she's gonna react to a Super Sayian Gohan' Shuddering with that last thought figuring it would be better off approaching that when it comes to it. Reaching the steps, he looked up at the clock that depicts how long they had left. 8 Days. Looking back out at Gohan's form, he decided on their next actions.
Having taught Gohan everything he could on the inside of the Chamber, not to mention getting Gohan to ascend not once, BUT twice Goku thought to use the last eight days winding down. 'Meditation, katas and some light sparing would be the order of the week. Then once we leave, it'll be all business. No telling what's happened in the day we've been gone. I hope everyone's okay.'
Snapping from his thoughts he walked into pantry, noticing that there was only enough food for the both of them for one more meal. 'Damn, guess we'll still be leaving early then.' The meal gathered about an hour later, Goku summons his Son back to the hub. Seeing him settle down at the other end of the table, wasting no time they devoured the monstrous amount of food that could feed 20 people. Content sighs, slipping for the Son boys whilst Goku stood up walking to the other end of the table and crouching next to Gohan's seat.
"Gohan, listen. That was the end of the food that we had available in here, so what we're gonna do is get ourselves cleaned up. Get to bed, then when we both are awake we'll re-join everyone outside. What d'ya say? Ready?" Goku explained looking his son in the eyes. Getting a big smile, accompanied with an enthusiastic nod and an "Uh-huh".
"Once we leave here, Son. We'll catch up with the others then go from there? Okay?" Goku spoke softly
"Okay, Dad. Do you think everyone is alright?" Gohan worried
"Have faith, Kiddo. Now let's go have a nice long bath, then get to bed." Goku responded
As the two Saiyan's walked toward the bathroom, both minds echoed with the same thoughts
'It's time to show Cell the fruits of our labour, his reign of terror will soon come to an end'