Chapter Twenty-Seven

A Hybrid's Power

xxxx

Making his way hurriedly through the corridors of the temple buildings, Gohan finally located the medical bay, situated next to the spa, gym and sauna rooms that had been built for fighters to relax in before the tournament. The first aid staff and tournament officials almost jumped out of their skins when the enraged halfling burst through the oak doors of the medical wing, ordering them to find Videl a bed.

She had eventually passed out on the way, and now the young saiyan was sat behind a curtain that they had drawn around Videl's bed, waiting impatiently as doctor's cleaned her wounds. His leg bounced in anticipation, as he heard the doctor's talking about hooking her up to IV's in order to give her some much needed blood. The young saiyan gritted his teeth, he had half the mind to go back and hunt down Spopovich when a loud bellow interrupted his thoughts.

"VIDEL?! VIDEL! DON'T WORRY BABY, DADDY'S COMIN'!"

Gohan sighed, this was all he needed.

Hercule Satan burst through the doors, knocking a tournament official flying as he sprinted across the room, and threw back the curtains of Videl's bed. Luckily, the girl was fully covered up, bandages encompassing her chest as well as one covering her wrist and upper arm. Scrapes, grazes and bruises littered her body, her hair fanned out over the pillow and free of it's pigtails.

"Oh, m-my poor little girl," Mister Satan gasped, lowering himself into a chair next to her. To Gohan's surprise, tears welled up in the strong man's eyes and the young saiyan had never seen the usually pompous man look so vulnerable.

"I expect she will make a full recovery Mister Satan sir," one of the doctor's informed him, "About a week's bed rest and a few more after that for her broken ribs to heal. I'm afraid she won't be able to train for a while."

"No training?!" the hairy man roared, causing the doctor to jump in fright. Slowly, Mister Satan lowered his head, picking up Videl's hand and kissing it lightly, "Oh my poor baby, this will break her heart."

He growled, his nostrils suddenly flaring in anger, "I just don't understand it! How could you loose to someone like Spopovich Videl?! He's a weakling! Or at least he was…damn that bastard."

"Yes," the doctor coughed, "I'm afraid it may have been a lot worse, were it not for this young man bringing her to us so swiftly."

Mister Satan blinked, his beady blue eyes finally settling on Gohan.

"Um, hi?"

"YOU!" Satan yelled, getting up from his chair and thundering towards him.

The young saiyan winced, not because he was scared, oh no, but because he didn't really fancy getting Mister Satan's flying saliva all over his favourite shirt.

"You…" he repeated, looking Gohan up and down, "You were the kid that had the nerve to dance with my daughter weren't you?"

The teenager nodded slowly, "Er, yes?"

"I saw you, stupid boy, jumping into the ring like that… you…" Mister Satan sniffed, his eyes full of emotion, "you saved my little girl."

Then, to Gohan's surprise and sheer horror, did he feel the crushing force of the Champ's hairy arms wrap around his middle. Mister Satan pulled him tighter, lifting him off his feet as his face became embedded into his chest hair.

Well, this was awkward.

"Thank you," Hercule whispered, finally letting him go.

"I wish I could have done more sir," Gohan wheezed, his face burning.

Mister Satan cleared his throat, composing himself quickly, "Well, good work kid. I'll get you an autograph or something."

"Wow thanks," the young saiyan drawled, though the Champ didn't seem to catch on to his sarcastic tone as he sat back down in the chair next to Videl's bedside, looking completely forlorn.

"Mister Satan?"

"What is it kid?" the large man asked, unable to tear his eyes away from his daughter.

"Do you think you could do something for me?" the teen asked, causing Hercule to look towards him.

"I don't know how many times I have to say it," he said with an exasperated sigh, "I don't do those types of workout DVD's anymore, not after the complaints I got last time -"

"Um, no sir," Gohan interrupted, he really didn't want to know, "I was thinking that you might be able to pull a few strings and get me back into the competition?"

The Champ let out a low whistle, "That's a big ask kid, I don't know…"

"Think of it this way," mused the young saiyan, leaning casually up against the wall next to Mister Satan and folding his arms across his chest, "If I can get back in and win my fight with Kibito, I'll be up against Spopovich next. That way, I can make him pay for what he did to Videl and you won't have to waste your time on him and focus on your matches."

He eyed Mister Satan carefully, he would have thought that the Champ would want revenge for what Spopovich did to Videl, but Gohan knew that there was no way he would last two seconds against the super powered brute. For Gohan it was a win win situation, he could go up against Kibito and figure out what he was all about, and if he beat him then he could face Spopovich one on one.

"Alright, you've got my attention," said Hercule, eyeing the teen, "But what makes you think you can beat him? He certainly doesn't fight like he used to.""

"No offence sir, but you just saw me drop kick a bloke twice my size into a wall, and you're honestly doubting my abilities?" said Gohan, raising an eyebrow.

"You've got guts kid. I like it," the Champ snorted, thinking for a moment, "Alright, I'll get you back in, but don't come crying to me if you lose."

"There's no need to worry about that," the teenager grinned.

"HA HA HA!" Hercule roared, slapping him hard on the shoulder so that he lurched forwards a little, "But first tell me this, what's your relationship with my Videl? It's not usual for her to let a little punk like you hang around her. Saviour or not, if you've laid a hand on her I'll - "

Luckily, before Gohan could even dream up a retort, there was a knock at the door. Quickly, the teenager spun around, swinging open the door to reveal -

"Dad? What are you doing here?" he whispered, eyeing his father who was giving him a cheery grin.

"Hey son, how's Videl?" Goku enquired, craning his neck to see over him.

"Not too great," he replied sadly.

"Oh," the older saiyan sighed, before breaking out into a beaming smile, "Well it's lucky I went to Korin's and picked up some senzu beans!"

The teenager gaped, "You did?"

"Well of course I did," said Goku, "Couldn't leave Videl here suffering from her injuries now could we? Here."

Gohan stretched out his palm as his father unfastened a string bag from his gi belt and placed one of the beans in his hand.

"Wow, um, thanks Dad," the young saiyan blinked at his father's quick thinking. Why hadn't he thought of that? "I'll give it her now."

"Good, give her my best," he smiled, before turning his head towards the corridor behind him, "You'd better get out of here soon, I just saw a heard of reporters heading this way, didn't think you'd want to stick around for that."

After his father had left, Gohan had stayed with Videl whilst Hercule went to tackle the paparazzi. Apparently, they had dozen's of questions to ask about Son Gohan and why he so valiantly stepped in the fight between Videl and Spopovich. The Champ, luckily, refused to answer any questions regarding his daughter's love life and instead set about getting Gohan back into the tournament.

The young saiyan took the opportunity to give Videl the senzu bean whilst they were alone, pushing it in between her lips and instructing her to chew. The girl visibly winced at the bitter taste, but did as she was told. Swallowing it gratefully, she had opened her eyes for a few seconds before drifting back off to sleep.

Knowing it would take a while for the effects to work due to the extent of her injuries, the young saiyan headed back to the arena, where Alonso was already addressing the crowd.

"Is Videl alright Gohan?" Yamcha asked as he entered the temple.

"She will be," he replied, with a quick look to his father, "She's just had a senzu bean."

"Yeah your dad was saying," said Krillin with a concerned stare, "Lucky Korin had a fresh batch going. I'd usually keep some on me, but I didn't think that we'd need them!"

"That's alright Krillin, don't worry about it," smiled Gohan.

"That was one hell of a kick you delivered to Spopovich," Tien observed, "I'm surprised that he was able to walk away from it."

"Tch," Vegeta scoffed, "He wouldn't have done if you had been training seriously all this time brat, what you did was completely reckless, not to mention sloppy."

"Back off Vegeta," Piccolo growled, as the young saiyan felt his father's eyes burning into him.

"I think they're talking about you Gohan," Eighteen called from beside him, as Alonso's voice boomed over the stadium.

"…change of circumstance owing to the events of the last match. Yes, that's right folks, Son Gohan has been allowed back into the competition for his display of incredible valour. This decision certainly is controversial, but I think you'll all agree that this young man deserves his place in the championships!"

The crowd cheered, waving their arms and clapping their hands in appreciation of the officials decision.

"Thank you Mister Satan," the teenager grinned, causing the group to look at him.

"Mister Satan?" Krillin quirked disbelievingly.

"So without further ado, let's welcome Gohan and Kibito into the ring!"

"I'll explain later," said Gohan, looking towards the arena where the red skinned Kibito was already standing at the entrance, waiting, "I've got a match to win."

The roar of the restless crowd reached his ears as he stepped into the glorious sunshine. He had noticed Yamu and Spopovich had long left the area, and it was a good job too.

The young saiyan's tail waved around him in anticipation. He needed to win this match in order to face Spopovich in the ring, all he had to do was get past the mysterious Kibito. His eyes averting to the man that was stood two feet over him, he noticed a deep scowl on his features.

Yeah, shouldn't be too hard.

"Good luck Gohan," his father called after him as he and Kibito made their way down the path towards the ring, though his tone was far from cheerful.

"Be careful kiddo!" he heard Yamcha shout.

Gohan gritted his teeth, he couldn't sense much power coming from his opponent, although he knew from experience that the man could easily be suppressing it. The odd duo had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and it was obvious they were not of this world. The Z-Fighter's had had their fair dealings with aliens, and shifty characters alike. But it wasn't like Piccolo to back out of a fight.

Gohan glanced back at his mentor, who had stepped forwards to watch the match. The Namekian's beady eyes were fixed to the back of Kibito's head as he stood stoic, though the teenager could tell that his mentor was far from calm.

The roar of the crowd rushed through his ears, as he attempted to blink the sunlight out of his eyes. It was overwhelming, the reality of just how many people were seated in the arena hitting him full force as he stepped into the ring. He had never had so many people watching him before, not even as The Gold Fighter. His heart started to pound in his ears, adrenaline and nerves flooding his veins all at once.

Kibito turned, a small smirk played on his lips as his dark eyes locked with his.

Shaking himself mentally, the young saiyan glared back, and continued to do so as Alonso introduced them to the stadium.

"Son Gohan is the eldest son of the former champion Son Goku, and is the youngest competitor in the adult division at just seventeen years old! But don't let that put you off folks, this young man struck a new world record in the preliminaries, and we can already take a guess on how well he fights as he knocked Spopovich clean out of the ring! Now as for Kibito, we can only assume that he is from the same martial arts background as Shin from their similar clothing. This man here stands at a whopping eight and a half feet tall! But don't be alarmed by the size different folks, as I think we can all agree that in fighting, size truly doesn't matter!"

Gohan snorted, eventually tearing his eyes away from Kibito, his penetrative stare far too unnerving. At one point, he could of sworn he heard Gokuto cheer for him, but his little face was lost amongst the sea of spectators.

Taking a deep breath, the teen glanced towards the temple where his father, Piccolo and the others were watching him intently. Shin stood to the side of them, his gaze ever piercing as Gohan and Kibito took their place opposite one another.

"Fighter's I hope you're ready!" Alonso called, "Because here. we. GOOOOO!"

DONG

The sound of the gong reverberated over the stadium, signalling the beginning of the match.

Immediately, Gohan slipped into his fighting stance, yet Kibito did not move.

The large man stood as still as a statue, his hands clasped firmly behind his back. The teenager stared, his tail flickering behind him, prepared for Kibito's impending attack. Gohan swallowed heavily, pushing the roar of the crowd to the back of his mind so that his only focus was Kibito.

It seemed like an age had gone by, when Kibito finally spoke.

"Gohan, show me your super saiyan power."

The teenager raised an eyebrow, shocked, "What?"

"Show me your true power," he repeated gruffly, causing the boy to frown.

"What for?" asked the halfling, "and how do you know I can transform into a super saiyan?"

"All will be revealed soon young one. Now, I have kindly asked you to reveal your power, and you will show it to me," Kibito stated.

Gohan scoffed, "Well I'm going to kindly have to ask you to fuck off. I don't do requests."

Kibito blinked, clearly affronted by the teenagers words, "You would be wise not to test me boy."

"And why's that?" the teenager shot back.

"GOHAN!"

The halfling turned, surprised as to Piccolo's sudden shout. His mentor was staring at him with an hardened expression, causing Gohan's eyes to widen in realisation.

"You've got to be joking!" The young saiyan called over to him, "You seriously think I'm going to take orders from him? I'm not going to transform in front of all these people!"

Yet Piccolo's stern stare did not waver, causing the halfling to let out a cry of frustration.

"Brilliant," the teenager huffed, "all my hard work trying to keep my identity a secret, and for what? Just for some bloke in a dress to out me."

Kibito's eye twitched.

Looking towards a stubborn Piccolo once more, who was sweating profusely, his eyes flickering from him to Shin and back again. Gohan couldn't believe it, what was it about these berks that had his mentor's back up so much that he was willing to let him throw away his secret identity?! The teenager sighed, he knew Piccolo wouldn't do it unless he had a very very good reason.

Well, if he was going to be outed, he would rather do it in style.

"So big guy," the teenager glowered, "Do you just want to see a super saiyan? Or should I step it up to the next level?"

Gohan smirked at Kibito's sudden surprise.

"What?" he frowned, "There's a level beyond that of a super saiyan? That is what we sensed?"

The atmosphere grew tense as a gust of cold air blew between the two fighters. The young saiyan's tail flickered behind him, of course he knew it was risky, transforming into his ascended super saiyan state with all these people around. He still hadn't quite mastered it, though he had managed to bring his power forwards several times when training with Goten over the last couple of months, but the power was so difficult to control that he couldn't hold it for very long. Still, the transformation could just scare Kibito off, and then he could get on with his fight with Spopovich.

Gohan could feel the power brewing inside him already as the arena grew silent, the tiles gently wavering beneath their feet. The teenager clenched his fists as Kibito watched him intently, grasping onto the monstrous energy that he had tried to suppress so many times. He let out a deep, shuddering breath and closed his eyes.

Fighting through his memories, Gohan latched onto the image of Cell, taunting him, goading his friends to their deaths. A spark of electricity ran down the length of his scarred arm, snapping at the air like a cobra. Then, other images circled around in his mind; Lime, soot covered and lifeless, lying on the silk covered bed in The Lookout, her turquoise eyes empty - seeing nothing. Gokuto, fragile and helpless in the incubator, tubes and bandages littering his tiny body. Then, a new image flew into his head of Videl being crushed by Spopovich, her blood curdling screams echoing around the stadium.

Finally, the young saiyan found his rage and pulled.

With a roar that shook the arena, a fierce gust of wind picked up around his feet. Kibito stumbled back, as Gohan growled, his Ki spiking. Onyx iris' faded, and in their place sparkled a sharp green. His black hair stood on end as a golden aura erupted around his form. Muscles bulging as his stance stood strong, his hair flashed gold and spiked further upwards, the weight of the long locks pulling it downwards, whilst leaving a stubborn bang wavering across his face. His tail twitched and jerked, as bolts of electricity ran down its brown length, snapping and crackling into his aura.

Then, it was like a volcano had erupted, as the teenager struggled to keep the scream from escaping his chest. A bright, golden light illuminated the stands, bathing the spectators in a brilliant glow.

It took a few seconds for the light to fade, and when it did, the crowd gasped in utter amazement, as the golden haired teenager stood across from Kibito, silver bolts resembling lightening licking at his aura.

"Blimey! It's The Gold Fighter!"

Gohan ignored the sudden chatter of excitement that rippled across the stadium, and looked towards Kibito with a steely resolve.

"So, are you going to fight me or what big guy?"

A bead of sweat escaped Kibito's brow, trickling down his cheek and dropping onto his garb. Gohan frowned, confused as the red-skinned man didn't utter a word. The teenager couldn't help but feel a little disappointed, he was half expecting him to squeal in fright.

Huh, maybe Piccolo was right about keeping his guard up around them, Kibito may be more difficult to beat that he had originally thought.

"Woah! I don't believe it ladies and gentleman! I-it's The Gold Fighter!" Alonso cried, lowering his sunglasses to blink in awe at the teenager, "That's right folks you saw it here today, the world's best loved superhero, the young boy that fought Cell, has revealed himself as Son Gohan!"

"Oh for Kami's sake!" Gohan roared, sparks snapping at his aura as Alonso cowered in fear, "I'm not a superhero, I'm a-!"

But the halfling was cut short, as all at once did he feel a strange energy spike from behind him. Kibito seemed to have noticed it too, as his head suddenly perked up, staring at something over Gohan's shoulder. The teenager whirled around, sharp green eyes spotting the two hulking brute's as they came hurtling towards him from the sidelines.

He smirked, oh it's on now.

Gohan spun to his right, just as Spopovich's large hands made a grab towards him. The young saiyan avoided the psychotic man easily, bringing up his leg to embed his boot into the slime balls stomach, when suddenly, he stopped short.

He struggled, as a strong, unknown force held him back. Gohan gasped, feeling invisible rope wrap around his entire body, clamping his arms to his sides, his aura dissipating in an instant. He could hear some kind of commotion coming from the temple entrance, but found he could not move his head to investigate. Kibito stood a ways off, stepping back as Spopovich and Yamu successfully grabbed hold of the young saiyan.

"Oi! What the-?!" was all Gohan could muster as Spopovich wrapped his forearm tightly around his neck. The teenager struggled against his invisible restraints, his golden aura bursting to life before disappearing once more.

The young saiyan gasped, as Yamu raised a long oval shaped container into the air with a spike at the helm, a look of malice in his eyes. He growled, as the sharp, pointed end of the strange device lunged towards him, piercing the flesh in his side. Pain erupted in between Gohan's ribs as the blade pushed through muscle, sinew and bone. Muscle fibres ripped in two, his nervous pathways tensing, sending signals of alarm rushing to his brain.

"Oh no!" Mister Alonso yelled in terror, "The Gold Fighter has been stabbed! Stop the match! Stop the match!"

Something was wrong.

No one was helping him. Why?

He panicked, his only thought was that his father and friends were in trouble too.

Fighting it was hopeless, as Gohan felt warm blood pour from the wound. The one side of his shirt was drenched, the smell of blood reaching his nostrils and bile rising in his throat as droplets splattered upon the marble tiles.

The contraption that had stabbed him he could just about bear, but what came next made the teenager unleash a blood curdling scream that echoed around the temple grounds.

He couldn't stop himself, the agony was just too great. It felt like his life was leaving him, black spots appeared before his vision as he fought to keep himself conscious. White flashes of light emitted from the strange device Yamu was holding, illuminating the stadium in an eerie glow.

Gohan felt his super saiyan transformation leave him all together, his hair and eyes returning to their usual colour, his tail hanging limp behind him. He could hear the desperate and horrified screams of the crowd around him. Blood was rushing in his ears, sounds were mingling together; laughter, shouting, screaming. His mind started to cloud, he could just about still feel Spopovich's grip around his throat.

Suddenly, a spark of Ki illuminated his senses. He couldn't depict where it was coming from, but it stood out like a shining beacon, far above the rest of the life energy in the nearest vicinity. It warmed his being, the energy bright, familiar and powerful.

At first, he thought it was his father, finally coming to rescue him. A sense of relief washed over him, well, it took him bloody long enough.

"DADDDDDYYYY!"

The cry was unmistakable through the crowd. The teenager's eyes widened in shock, his stomach plummeted, his heart clenched.

Gokuto.

He couldn't even begin to comprehend the enormous Ki emanating from the child, as Spopovich was knocked clean off his feet by a shining golden blur and sent crashing into the side of temple. Dust and debris rained upon the gigantic brute as Yamu was blasted away from the force.

Gohan dropped to the floor with a dull thud. Blood pooling around him as he panted, struggling to lift his head as he gaped at the child in front of him.

"Stupid brat!" He heard Yamu curse from some ways behind him.

Gokuto was lying a few feet away, clearly dazed by the impact. There was a golden aura surrounding his otherwise non-super saiyan body, though it disappeared in an instant. Relief filled Gohan's chest as slowly, the toddler stood up, shaking his messy black hair out of his bright green eyes.

"Daddy!" the boy cried, tears streaming down his cheeks as he ran to kneel beside the bloodied teen.

"G-Gokuto," Gohan gulped, not quite able to catch his breath. His skin was pale and eyes dull, as he shakily reached up a hand to wipe a tear away from Gokuto's cheek. "H-how did you-?"

"Daddy, you're hurt!" the child sniffed, his gaze searching his father's eyes.

"I'm fine kiddo," said Gohan, straining himself to focus on the boy, "'Kuto, you need to run."

"But Daddy-!"

"Run Gokuto," the teenager spoke firmly, before suddenly, Gokuto's body stiffened and he slumped to the floor.

"No!" Gohan yelled, as the sneering face of Yamu roughly picked the child up by the tail, "Leave him alone you bastards!"

Yamu responded by kicking the teenager in the skull, before calling over his shoulder, "Oi Spopovich, you alright?"

"Yeah," the hulk of a man growled, rubbing his head as he picked himself out of the rubble, "That's no ordinary kid, I'm telling ya. Look, at the dial."

Gohan, dazed but not yet unconscious, stared at the strange device Spopovich held in his palms. It was circular in shape, and looked like some sort of measuring tool. The large man pointed it towards Gokuto, who was softly crying in Yamu's grip, the hand of the dial reaching it's highest point, before it started to shudder and steam - exploding in a shower of smoke.

"No way," Yamu spat, "Theres no way this little kid can have that much energy."

"I say we take him," Spopovich glowered, "Master Babidi might reward us for this, the little brat could be useful."

"N-NO!" The young saiyan gasped in desperation, his heart pounding rapidly in his ears, "YOU CANT TAKE HIM! I WON'T LET YOU!"

The two men roared with laughter at the halfling's display, as he lay broken and bloodied in the centre of the ring. And all Gohan could do watch, helpless as Spopovich and Yamu kicked off from the ground, a white aura surrounding them as they blasted off into the distance at break neck speed, taking Gokuto with them.

The teenager slammed his fist to the ground in frustration, the tiles cracking underneath him from the force of his knuckles upon the marble. How dare they. How dare they take Gokuto away from him! The poor boy looked terrified, his eyes pleaded with Gohan to save him. But he couldn't. Gohan gritted his teeth in anger, quivering as Kibito approached him.

"You must stay still Gohan, you've lost a lot of blood," the red skinned man spoke solemnly.

The young saiyan thought about telling him where he could stick his orders, when he realised that the strange man was right, it would be unwise for him to move right now for want of not causing any permanent damage, and that wouldn't do Gokuto any good either.

Suddenly, he felt the somewhat familiar warm sensation of healing rush through his aching body. He looked up, and was surprised to find that it was Kibito that was healing him, though his palms did not emit a soft glow like Dende's did. Instead, there was nothing but a light gust of power emanating from his outstretched finger tips. Gohan felt an odd tingling sensation in his chest, before he felt his life energy return to him.

"Now, you must rest," said Kibito, kneeling before him, "Please come Gohan, all will be explained."

"I don't care what you have to say," the teenager grunted, getting steadily to his feet, "I'm going to get my son back."

"Don't be ridiculous, you have no idea who you're dealing with!" Kibito protested, standing up tall above the young saiyan.

"And it seems you don't either," Gohan growled, his onyx eyes narrowing at the man, "You would be wise to let me past, seen as you did nothing to stop them from taking my son!"

"Foolish boy!" Kibito spat, as suddenly, a gust of wind erupted around them and Gohan burst into his super saiyan form, "Do not think that you can just go after them so readily! You'll only put the rest of us in danger!"

"Why should I trust you?!" The super saiyan teen roared, "I don't even know who the bloody hell you are!"

"As I said, all we be explained in good time…"

"Well I'm afraid I don't have time!" Gohan seethed, "I'm going to get my son, you even try to stop me again and I'll do whatever it takes. That includes going through YOU."

And with that, the furious teenager shot into the sky. Ignoring the desperate shouts coming from the temple, along with the shocked and aghast cries coming from the stands, Gohan ignited his golden aura, creating a sonic boom over the stadium as he sped off in Spopovich and Yamu's direction.

But to Gohan's dismay, he didn't get far, as all too soon he felt a spark of Ki in the distance, before his father appeared in front of him.

The young super saiyan yelped, skidding to a halt mid air, almost crashing into the man who bore a deep frown on his features.

Kami he was starting to loath instant transmission.

"Out of my way Dad!" The teenager spat, confused as to the sudden interruption.

"No Gohan," his father said sternly, "You have to calm down."

"Calm down?!" Gohan gaped angrily, "You're telling me to calm down when you literally just saw my son getting kidnapped by those lunatics?!"

"You need to wait Gohan," Goku pressed, "There's something bigger going on here."

"Wait for what?" he snarled, "For Gokuto to get killed?! You can stay here if you want and continue to be just as useless as you were back there, but I'm going!"

The teenager sped past him, put was forcibly grabbed back by the scruff of his collar.

"Get off me!" the teenager yelled, but Goku held on tighter.

"Watch how you take your tone with me Son Gohan," his father glowered, surprising him, he had never spoken to him like that before.

Before the young saiyan could retort, did he feel a flurry of Ki's approach them, and soon enough did Piccolo, Vegeta, Krillin, Eighteen, Yamcha and Tien, along with Shin and Kibito reach them, stopping in mid-air in front of the two scuffling saiyan's.

"Ah, Goku, I see you've caught up to him," Shin smiled knowingly, "I must say that the instant transmission technique is rather impressive."

Gohan snorted, wriggling free of his father who all but gave him a stern look.

"Are you alright mate?" asked Krillin worriedly, the atmosphere tense.

"Oh me?" the teenager quirked, "Yeah I'm just grand, I just got stabbed and a pair of maniacs just nicked off with my kid, I'm having a whale of a time."

"Gohan, I assure you that I did not intend for your son to become endangered," Shin spoke in a soothing tone, "It is an unfortunate series of events that I could not have predicted."

"Oh well thanks," the halfling spat, "That makes me feel loads better."

"Gohan, that is no way to speak to the Supreme Kai," Piccolo said sternly.

Gohan blinked, "The say what now?"

"That's correct young halfling," said Shin, "I am the Supreme Kai, overseer of the creations of the universe, and I believe you are acquainted with my assistant deity Kibito."

Kibito snarled, apparently, he didn't seem all too pleased with Gohan's display.

"So, you're like the big boss?" asked the teen.

He had heard of the Kai's, King Kai of the Northern Galaxy in particular through his father's stories of Otherworld, though he had never heard of a Supreme being ruling over them and the entire universe.

The Supreme Kai chuckled, "If that's what you want to call it, then yes I suppose I am."

"Then what are you doing here on Earth?" the teenager pressed, still a little sceptical.

The deity's expression darkened, "As I was explaining to your friends before your departure, Kibito and I are on a mission to stop an evil wizard named Babidi from unleashing a powerful ancient monster known as Majin Buu."

"Majin who?"

"Not who, Buu," Shin corrected, "A great destroyer that was unleashed by Babidi's father, Bibidi thousands of years ago. Buu was eventually defeated after many years of battle, and was sealed in a spherical prison that was buried within this very planet's core when it was still in it's infancy. Buu can only be released by a very powerful kind of dark magic, known as Majin magic, though I was naive to think that Bibidi's son was not as accomplished in the dark arts as his father. Kibito and I knew that Babidi would eventually find his way to Earth, and enter his minions in the World Martial Arts Tournament to gather more energy to free Buu."

"Energy?" the teenager gaped, "They're going to use my energy to release that monster?!"

"They will try," Shin said solemnly, "Though they will need a lot more pure energy like yours to release Buu Gohan, Majin magic alone isn't enough. Buu is a very powerful being, which is why Babidi has drafted many corruptible souls to work for him and drain other's energy in order to revive him."

Gohan shuddered, this Babidi character sounded just as bad as Cell. He didn't even want to think about the amount of lives that had been lost due to the wizard's selfish desires.

"It seems your fight with Cell was what drew Babidi to this planet," the Kai continued, causing the Z-Fighter's to stare at Gohan, "It took him many years to reach the Northern Galaxy, and was a happy coincidence for the wizard when he found that Buu was hidden away on this planet also. It is my belief that Babidi has been searching for you all this time, and when you made your appearance as your alter ego during the match, he instructed Spopovich and Yamu to attack. I apologise for keeping this from you Gohan, but the loss of your energy was a sacrifice that had to be made in order for us to follow Babidi's minion's to his hiding place."

"So if they have my energy already, what do they want with Gokuto?" he spat angrily, not quite believing what a day this was turning into.

"That, I am not quite sure of at this time," said Shin, "though I am certain the wizard will find a use for him. Like I said, Buu is incredibly strong and will need more energy to unleash him from his prison. The child has an incredible power, something I haven't seen in a very long time."

"So, all we need to do is destroy the wizard and get the runt back before he unleashes this demon," Vegeta drawled. "What are you so worried about Kai?"

The Supreme Kai drew a sharp intake of breath, staring deeply into the prince's obsidian eyes, "My worry is that Babidi has underestimated the power of Majin Buu. We will have to act carefully, as if Babidi realises the child's potential and Gokuto's power is drained, combined with Gohan's power and countless others, Buu will awaken. I'm afraid that if that happens then there is no hope, Babidi will be unable to control him. The mere existence of the universe will be doomed."