Risk
Chapter 38
"You want me to do what?" Gohan thought that he had heard Kakarrot wrong; however, the serious look on his face never wavered. It wasn't the first thing he expected the persona to say when he finally decided to talk to his eldest son.
"You should enroll in school," Kakarrot explained carefully.
"But that's something mom would say…" The words made Kakarrot cringe. "I mean she…"
"If she was here, I'm sure she would have convinced it sooner, but since she's not, I will have to take matters into my own hands…" Kakarrot spread out the various booklets he had collected recently from the high schools. "Perhaps if you enroll in one of them, you will find more clues out on where your mother had disappeared to."
"Alright," Gohan picked up one of the pamphlets carefully and looked it over. Now that the matter was settled, all they needed to do next is prepare for the worst.
Pillars of light surrounded Chi-chi as she silently cried out; raising her power as high as it could go. It was siphoned into a strange device that seemed to absorb it and glow in a pale red light as it pulsated in a foreboding way.
"Keep going," Dominion barked at the female in a rather dark tone. It was not like the kindness he presented when she first arrived as her body trembled with fatigue and exhaustion. The aura began to die and she fell to the ground to her knees.
"Perhaps it's too soon for her to open the gate master," Lamoch suggested.
"Yes, but she seems to be lacking something…" Dominion mused. "I want you to continue her training with Babadi's men and ensure that she continues taking the supplements to increase her energy reserves."
"As you wish," Lamoch replied before pulling Chi-chi from the machine. Her body seemed pale and frail compared to how it seemed weeks ago. 'Dominion plans to kill her at this rate. I must do something to ensure her survival, but the only way to do that is to…'
Chi-chi moaned softly and her eyes opened. "I'm sorry for failing my master…"
"It's alright Chi-chi, but may I make a suggestion?" Lamoch asked.
"What is it?"
"I want to up the supplemental treatments," Lamoch began.
There was a small bit of surprise on her face. "As you desire…"
"…according to these records, you have been homeschooled all your life, is that right?" the secretary questioned.
"Yes ma'am," Gohan replied, dressed in a business suit. Beside him, his father was also sitting nicely dressed despite Goku's complaints. To ensure that he didn't say or do anything foolish, Kakarrot had decided to go through with it despite the boring interviews. He was antsy, but at least calm enough to quell the urge to fight long enough to get through the requirements.
"Alright, then sign here…" She handed a pen to Kakarrot who forged the earthen name to the best of his abilities. He saw the blank spot where his wife was supposed to sign; however, he did not do anything to indicate separation or anything in the least. "Well, I believe everything is in order. After we receive your test scores, we will send you a copy of your schedule. Until then, I would like to welcome you to Orange Star High School."
Now that the hardest part of enrollment was over, all that was needed was the much-needed school supplies. After doing an inventory check, they went out to a nearby outlet store to shop.
"Wow daddy! I never had been in a store this big before!" Goten was looking around in awe at everything.
"Just don't get lost squirt," Goku smiled before looking around the nearby school aisles. Gohan had the list that was needed and Kakarrot helped the innocent naïve counterpart with the hardest part of the shopping: the correct supplies.
"Most of these are pretty expensive…" Gohan eyed the calculators.
"Don't worry, if needed, I'll do some work and…" Goku started to say before he was interrupted.
"Will Son Goku please come to the front of the store?" a voice spoke over the intercom; almost though Goten quickly made quick work to the toy aisle.
"I'll be right back," Goku smiled before heading off to the front of the store. Instead of seeing Goten, he saw a worker holding a familiar book that made his eyes widen.
"Some woman left it here dictating that you received it, but she left in such a hurry to ask for her name…" Goku took the book and opened it. On the inside cover was a message aimed directly at him:
'A day from now, a tragedy will take place. I will ensure that you see me die… see me perish at the hands of my executioner… by then, you will lose much more…'
By the last word of Chi-chi's writing, Kakarrot was shaking hard; wanting to set fire the very journal that held secrets of why their marriage was falling apart; however, he did not because he believed it had clues on why she was acting this way.
'I won't burn it, but I will get to the bottom of this shit that's taking place…' Kakarrot vowed before thanking the store clerk and taking it with him to rejoin the others.
It was late at night and Kakarrot stood quietly at the table with this book that had a dull light cast upon it. His tail flickered angrily at the idea that this book, the one book Gohan innocently gave his mother, was the key of finding his wife before the proposed tragedy took place. He had no idea that this was part of a bigger scheme; a scheme that could save or destroy the very planet he had sworn to protect.
For hours since coming home, he had read her writings, trying to decipher what they meant; however, he was at a loss. Goku's nagging did not help matters any since he wasn't the avid reader, but Kakarrot was able to summarize enough out of this book to get an idea of what's going on.
A new threat was here on Earth and she was aiding it against her wishes. One of the entries seemed to have nothing but apologies written and worries about her sons and husband. It almost made Kakarrot stop reading, but he did so in order to figure out why.
'…I can't bear doing this… if I don't though, he would be angry. My family doesn't deserve to fight another battle. My husband doesn't need to sacrifice himself again. This time, I have to be the one that does it… I must die a SECOND time… so Goten and Gohan do not die a FIRST time…'
Kakarrot was confused when he noticed that it ended there, but there were oddly letters written; almost though it was a code.
'Why would she use a code though?' Kakarrot looked at the letters that seemed to stand there.
NOANVMNAUYSSPEYVMEINLTFHR
FYIGNQDCANMOAPZREQ
'Is this some sort of code?' Kakarrot pondered before pulling out a pencil and paper and started trying to make sense of it. At first, he was perplexed at the letters until he noticed something odd about how she wrote second and first in a stronger font than usual. 'Maybe it's a clue on how to get this code solved… let's see…'
About twenty minutes later, Kakarrot was staring angrily at the message he deciphered on the paper that read: "ON MAY SEVENTH FIND A MAZE OF DEATH AND DECAY". He was so into what was written that he did not notice Gohan had come out of the room.
"Dad? Are you alright?" Gohan asked, jarring Kakarrot out of his thoughts.
"I'm fine, but you should get some rest," Kakarrot muttered.
"I know, I know, but I want to make sure you get to bed too…"
"I will… I was in the middle of deciphering your mom's message…"
"W-what did she say?" Gohan noticed what it read and his eyes widened. "She's in a labyrinth?"
"Apparently, but we'll find out tomorrow… go get some sleep so you're ready for school in the morning."
"Alright dad," Gohan went back to bed, leaving Kakarrot alone with the journal and paper.
'Since when did life become so complicated?' Kakarrot thought before rising from the table.
The next morning, Goku bid farewell to his eldest son as he prepared for his first day of school at Orange Star. Goten, who seemed rather bothered by his oldest brother going to school begged for him to stay; however, Goku explained that it was so he could find more clues on their missing mother. Needless to say, Goten calmed down after that and begged his dad to train him some more; something Goku promised he would do later that day. What was more important at that moment was seeing Piccolo about the message.
It was hours later on top of Kami's Lookout and Piccolo stared at the decoded message and journal that Goku had brought. Before the Earth-raised Saiya-jin could tell him anything, Piccolo set the book on fire.
"Piccolo, why did you do that?" Goku asked.
"A dark spell was on the book," Piccolo explained. "You might not feel it, but it's already affecting you even as I speak."
"How is it…?" Goku couldn't say another word as his eyes glazed over. It was the same, void look that Chi-chi had the night she left Goten. Before Goku could dare teleport or fly away, Piccolo punched the Earth-raised Saiya-jin across the face.
"Kakarrot, snap Goku out of this!" Piccolo grabbed the Saiya-jin's shirt and shook him. The eyes did not change as the hand crept closer to his forehead. If he didn't stop him now, there would be serious consequences to pay later. Shoving the Saiya-jin to the ground, he struggled to get out of Piccolo's grasp as chi rings held him against the lookout tiles. "Dende! Get the sacred water! He's cursed!"
"R-right!" Dende ran hurriedly into the temple's area to fetch the water Piccolo spoke of while Goku continued to struggle.
Time seemed to trickle slower before Dende returned with the water. By then, Goku had pulled apart some of the tiling as he attempted to rise from the ground. Piccolo shoved the possessed warrior back down as hands pried his mouth open. Slowly, the animalistic, void eyes cleared back to the innocent and confused eyes that held much emotion in them.
"W-what happened?" Goku asked Piccolo and Dende.
"You were under the curse of whoever left that coded message…" Piccolo explained. "I won't lie, but Son, you must not fall for any traps that were left by Chi-chi. Right now, she doesn't know herself."
"Why? Why would she plant something like this?" Goku trembled angrily.
'Because she isn't the Chi-chi we know and love… this one was possessed by a madman… one that wants her to die…' Kakarrot suggested.
Tears fell upon the pavement at those painful words. Even if it were the truth, he could not, no; he would not let her die like this. He had to find her before it was too late. Rising from the tiled ground with ease now since the bonds were gone, he focused.
"Son, you do know you are being lead into a trap, why are you going alone?" Piccolo growled, not liking the idea.
"Because I made her a promise… that I wouldn't abandon her again," Goku sadly looked at Piccolo. For a fleeting moment, Kakarrot seemed to be standing there as well before both of them vanished in an instant; heading towards the place that would be considered Chi-chi's grave if he were too late.
A huge wall stood between Goku and his wife. Yet, there was something foreboding about this place; something that screamed in volumes that he should not venture in alone. Yet, he went inside anyway and right away, he felt lost and completely vulnerable. The minute he started in, the walls closed behind him; leaving him feeling isolated from the outside world.
"Greetings, I was expecting you to arrive Son Goku, or should I say Kakarrot," A voice echoed over the intercom. A ghostly image of Lamoch appeared as the Earth-raised Saiya-jin felt the hair stand on end.
"Where is Chi-chi?" Goku hissed, not wanting to be swayed by this strange man.
"Oh, she's alive at this moment, but currently preparing to open the gate…" Lamoch explained. "This will probably be her last attempt however, so you really shouldn't bother to…" A blast went through the holographic illusion thanks to Kakarrot's persistence and lack of cooperation with this bastard that did not care shit about his mate's safety. "As I was saying, you should just leave… unless you're hell-bent on trying to save such a lost cause…"
"Just lead me there or shut the fuck up," Kakarrot cursed angrily at the projection.
"In that case, feel free to follow, but pay heed: you might not want her back…" Lamoch began to walk away before fading into a small orb of light that seemed to illuminate the dark corridors of the odd labyrinth. Kakarrot followed the orb; not giving a flying fuck what was going on anymore. All he wanted was to ensure Chi-chi was safe; nothing more, nothing less.
Elsewhere, Chi-chi walked down the hallway towards the large crystal-like room that Dominion made the female go into daily. Her eyes had dark circles under them and her skin seemed very pale due to the lack of sunlight. Despite those things, she seemed fairly healthy.
Lamoch was standing there with Babadi with the modified cuffs that they had made for Chi-chi's latest donation. Sliding them on, they closed with a foreboding clank that would send chills down anyone else's spines. The smaller creature assumed this was their plan to resurrect Majin Buu and was gleeful that he would get a chance to awaken his monster from its long asleep slumber.
"My dear Chi-chi, today, you will become the sacrifice needed to awaken the darkest evil…" Dominion spoke in such a kind voice. "Now, call forth your power…"
For a moment, there was little change in the atmosphere, but then, Chi-chi cried out as she raised her power. The chains that bound her wrist suddenly rose as electricity ran up the lengths of it into the orb that hovered overhead. Babadi grinned evilly before noticing that the energy was being siphoned even higher into a large pit of despair. An explosion distracted the ones watching the ceremony as Kakarrot blew a hole in the wall.
"Seems our guest has arrived far too late to stop the resurrection," Dominion spoke in a cryptic voice.
"But Majin Buu's not getting the energy!" Babadi cried before Lamoch speared the evil wizard through the chest.
"Of course, it's going towards our goal… our lord's true resurrection…" Lamoch smirked before the evil wizard fell to the ground, seemingly dead.
"Let Chi-chi go!" Kakarrot roared as he went Super Saiya-jin 2. The floor creaked under his power.
"You're too late… she's dying and there's nothing you can do to save her… the martyr of the gates of hell will swallow your world…" Dominion laughed cruelly before Kakarrot lunged at the tyrant; punching him across the face.
"You will die before she opens that gate…" Goku's voice echoed; his long golden hair flowing behind him. At this moment, it was do or die.
To Be Continued…