Innocence. To be innocent is to be ignorant.
Our innocence is an incredibly fragile thing. Children are innocent because they are too young to understand how evil and dark the world really is. They grow up believing that good will defeat evil; the wrong shall fall to the right and so on. As they grow up, they begin to realise that good doesn't always win and that it doesn't matter whether you're right or wrong, if you're not strong enough, you will die.
I'm not sure if I can say I was ever innocent. I was thrust into this dark world around the age of four, and have been fighting ever since. So while children are playing with dolls and trucks, I was fighting for my life, trying to survive the day and prepare for the next. What kind of a childhood is that?
It was a nice warm night, as Gohan made his way through the rougher part of Satan City. It was here where the Satan administration had no power and the Black Syndicate reigned supreme. Gohan yawned. He had no patience for politics, just as long as he got paid. As he walked down a relatively busy street, people paid no attention to him, just the way he liked it. It really annoyed him when people just didn't mind their own business.
As Gohan got closer to his apartment, he thought back to when he first started working for the Black Syndicate.
An eleven year old Gohan looked at South City Bank. A week ago he was apart of a crowd that watched on and apprehended three thugs from the Black Syndicate steal money. Now he was here for the same purpose as those men. To take.
Gohan crossed the street, completely ignoring traffic and thus causing problems. The first lane was relatively quiet, so there wasn't a problem there. The second lane however led to the central business district, and was much busier. Gohan just walked in front of a shiny black sports car, causing the driver to serve and crash into a light post and the cars behind him to follow suit. Quickly jumping out, the driver, a young man in a business suit and tie surveyed the damages, and became furious when the thoughts of the repair bill went through his head.
Turning to Gohan, who hadn't stopped walking, the man yelled. "HEY YOU LITTLE BASTARD LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE,"
Ignoring him and the other yells from the other drivers, Gohan walked into the bank, where everyone inside was watching him. Taking a few steps towards the counter, Gohan was stopped when he felt someone grab him by the back of his coat.
"Listen here you little punk," it was the man from the black sports car. "How are you going to pay for my…"
The man never finished his sentence, as Gohan, who had heard enough, brutally elbowed the ma in the stomach and used the back of his fist to break his nose. Smirking in satisfaction as a crunching noise was made, Gohan twisted around and delivered a kick into the mans side, sending him flying into the wall. Everyone in the bank and outside just gasped.
Gohan turned to the cashier and threw a calico bag at her. "Fill this up please," he said.
Still in a state of shock, the young woman nodded and took the bag into a back room. She returned with the bag filled with notes and handed him the bag. Giving a small bow, he said "Thank you very much," and turned to leave.
As he approached the door, the security guard decided now was the appropriate time to draw his gun. "Hold it right there, son," said the guard. "Just drop the bag and put your hands up, and now one gets hurt,"
Gohan stopped at the entrance and turned his head to the guard. He then lifted his right arm and point at the guard. The guard wondered what the boy was doing, when he felt an excoriating burning pain go through his chest. Looking down, he then noticed a singed whole in his shirt. Unable to hold the gun from the pain, he dropped it and fell to his knees, clutching his heart in agony.
Gohan frowned. "Anyone else wanna play hero," he said.
Everyone around moved back until there were against the wall. Smirking once again, Gohan just walked out of the bank before the police could find him.
Gohan looked back on that memory as his first kill. Not like when he killed Cell or the Spice Boys when those death had been in defence of the earth, no that death was murder, and helped him earn a reputation as a fearless and dedicated mercenary. As Gohan reached his apartment, he Saiyan nose caught a power scent. The scent of many. Smirking he opened the door to find his apartment completely covered in shadow.
"Hello, anyone home," called Gohan as he flipped the switch.
There he saw roughly thirty armed thugs cramped all around his apartment. In his living room sat a young man, about twenty or so, with neatly cut blonde hair and sophisticated blue eyes. His business suit displayed that he had money to flaunt around. "Mr. Gohan, a pleasure to see you again," said the man.
Gohan's smirk grew. "Zachary Paladin? In my humble home? You do me a great honour sir," said Gohan, sarcastically.
The mans face didn't change. "My grandfather is less than pleased with your performance as of late, Mr. Gohan,"
Gohan made his way to the fridge to find it was almost empty. Glaring at the thugs he said "Did you eat my food,"
One of the thugs snickered as Gohan sighed and grabbed an apple. Turning to Zachary he said "Mind telling me what is so unsatisfactory about my work,"
"You flirt too much with female personnel, not too mention enemy personnel. We know you kissed that Satan brat today," said Zachary.
"You're paying me to rob banks and protect people you deem important. You want me too keep my hands to myself, you should have specified that in my contract," said Gohan.
Zachary shook his head. "My grandfather has ordered for your termination, both from the Syndicate and from life,"
Gohan leaned against the wall as he finished off his apple. "You know I've always admired Adrian, has a good mind for strategy."
"What do you mean?" Zachary said with a curious look.
Gohan gestured to the thugs surrounding him. "He sends thirty heavily armed thugs to kill one guy. A bit of an overkill but it works, after all I'm only guy. But he also send you, because you're one of his grandchildren, and to kill you would have a bounty the size Texas on my head." Gohan paused for a minute. "But then there is also the off chance that I do manage to kill you and the other gentlemen. If that does happen he would have send the people that would cost him less. I'm betting that these men are little more then fresh recruits. So rather risk skilled veterans who would be much more useful doing other stuff, he throws a bunch of untrained hoods into the den, hopefully they won't be eaten," Gohan paused again and then pointed at Zachary. "And then there's you. If I do kill you I'm practically inviting every bounty hunter to come after me, but at least it's not a huge set back for your grandfather,"
"I'm not sure I follow," said Zachary, as a man behind him polished his brass knuckles.
"Then let me spell it out for you. You're expendable," smirked Gohan, as his words sunk in.
Zachary growled. "I am a member of the Paladin family; I am in no way expendable."
"You are one of twenty-six members of the Paladin family and the least experienced," said Gohan. He walked over to the nearest thug who just scowled at him. Gohan, not appreciating the gesture, imbedded the side of his hand into the thugs throat, crushing his wind pipe. "You are expendable, all of you. If you can kill me great, one else guy for the Syndicate to take care of. But if you don't well no biggy, at least he doesn't have to pay for unskilled thugs any more,"
Zachary growled some more. He turned to the thugs and said "What are you waiting for, kill the little punk,"
Gohan smirked as he dropped down into a fighting stance, and thought back to the time when the Syndicate sent him to protect their interests in China.
Gohan surveyed the burning village as rebels fled, trying to escape the raging inferno. This village had been housing rebels who were not only causing problems for the Chinese government but had found several weapon caches belonging to the Black Syndicate and were looking for others. So to rid themselves of this problem, the Syndicate and the Chinese government entered an alliance with each other and sent forces to find and exterminate the rebels.
Gohan and a small group of Chinese soldiers from the main army had been sent to this village to find any rebels. As soon as they entered the village the rebels opened fire, killing most of the soldiers. Gohan however sensed for the rebel's energy signatures and sent blasts towards them. The village was almost instantly a blaze.
As the rebels retreated Gohan felt someone approach him from behind. He turned around to see a young boy maybe a year younger than himself, holding a rifle. Gohan simply stared at the boy. "You might wanna run, kid. When the army sees he smoke their gonna investigate, and probably convict anyone here of treason," he said.
The boy just glared at Gohan. "You have no business here," said the boy.
Gohan sighed. "I'm being paid to be here, trust me it's my business," said Gohan.
The boy lifted his rifle and aimed at Gohan. "For my parents," said the boy, as made to pull the trigger.
All of a sudden Gohan heard another shot south of the village and saw the boy fall down, blood pouring out from the gun shot wound in his head. Looking in the distance, Gohan could see a sniper standing up and walking off to join his battalion. Looking back at the boy, Gohan sighed again. "Lucky kid, he had hope till the end, thinking he could avenge his parents. He never has to find out how cold the world is," he said as he walked off to find the Chinese general.
As Gohan came back to reality, he saw the various corpses and body pieces of what had been his assassins. Zachary Paladin's confidence had gone and he had been reduced to nothing more than a quivering wreck, curled up in Gohan's chair and weeping like a child. 'I wasn't even paying attention and I slaughtered them all like animals' thought Gohan as he walked over to Zachary. Placing two fingers on the young crime lords head, Gohan let out another sigh.
"We are all expendable,"