Chapter Forty-One

A Godly Mistake

xxxx

By all accounts, it was a spectacular sight to behold. The planet shook from an indescribable force, and it took all his strength just to clench his calf muscles to prevent himself from falling over. Mister Satan had never seen a fight like it, and he had over twenty years of martial arts experience.

Yet what had happened at The Cell Games was different to any other tournament he had fought in before, what with golden haired crazies and nutters with light beams. After the battle was won and the super strong weirdos had disappeared into the sky, he never would have thought he would have seen anything like that again in his life time - or at least he hoped he wouldn't.

He had been wrong, of course, and he should have known something funny was going on when that strange group had turned up at the tournament. He recognised them from The Cell Games, and how could he not? Despite what his daughter thought of him, he wasn't a complete idiot. Son Goku, Krillin, Yamcha and Tien Shinhan were notable competitors, ex-champions that he had aspired to be like since he became interested in martial arts as a young teenager. They had been his inspiration, though awe quickly became jealousy when he failed to make it past the preliminary rounds of the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament.

He had left that day way back in Age 756 beaten and bloodied, and wondering just how on earth he was going to break it to his pregnant wife that he had failed to bring back any money for them to live off.

It just wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair that these other martial artists won by showing off their fancy beams and light tricks and all Mark Satan had to offer was his fists. He had trained so hard. And yet Goku and friends had come out on top, sometimes not even touching their opponents.

It had to be fixed, rigged! They weren't real martial artists at all! They were fakes, tricksters! And he vowed to beat them at the next tournament.

The 24th tournament didn't happen until nearly ten years later, and Hercule as he now referred to himself as, was surprised to find that the Z-Fighter's hadn't shown up at all. Though, his failed plan to annihilate them all didn't phase him in the slightest when he was dubbed the Strongest Under The Heavens.

A decade worth of rigorous training had certainly paid off, yet the tournament winnings wasn't as large as he had hoped, and with a house to pay for and a struggling marriage to save, he wanted a better life for his little girl.

He had thought that his participation in The Cell Games would have been the perfect public opportunity for him to make some money, that was if the mysterious fighter's hadn't shown up. As it turned out, it worked out in Hercule's favour, though it didn't stop the enormous guilt he was struggling with for the past seven years.

Still, he had to support Videl, especially after her mother had left. Making money was easier than ever due to his fame, all he had to do was show his face at a company event or fund raising gala and he would be paid half a million Zeni. He was blinded by fame and fortune of course, eventually loosing sight of the little girl he was striving to provide a better life for and letting the fame and glory go to his head.

He realised that now.

He had no qualms making snide remarks about the other fighters at The Cell Games, his jealousy from years beforehand reared it's ugly head every time someone mentioned them. Though he would not let on that they had been previous tournament winners and competitors, oh no, if he did that then people would start to get suspicious.

And then there was that Gold Fighter.

He knew instantly that the blonde haired wild child was the little boy from The Cell Games. The boy who had actually defeated Cell. He panicked, when he had started to fight crime alongside Videl in Satan City, afraid that she would figure out the lies and hate him forever. He wanted to tell Videl, he really did, but how could he break it to the small girl who looked up to him with wide blue eyes as she positively gushed about the fact that her big strong daddy had saved the world?

So he was relieved when his daughter exclaimed - rather colourfully - how much The Gold Fighter got on her nerves. However much the media raved about the 'crime fighting couple', it was clear to see how much Videl detested the boy.

But to Hercule's despair, did the girls attitude towards the golden haired superhero slowly change. The slamming of her bedroom door after getting back from fighting crime was only occasional, the exasperated eye rolling and scoffs of disgust whenever the boy appeared on the news stopped altogether. And the worst thing about it was that there were even more stories from paparazzi of the teenager's working together.

Mister Satan was very observant, and being a single father could read his daughter like the back of his hand. After a few months, the girl's appetite started to waver, which was concerning considering how much she trained. He heard her shuffling about the hallways in the middle of the night - pacing, something Videl always did when she couldn't sleep. Not eating, not sleeping, day dreaming so much that even one of the white belts at the dojo managed to land a hit on her during a class. And then there was that small blush, the tinge of redness that spread to her cheeks whenever there was any mention of the mysterious Gold Fighter.

Videl, his baby girl, was in love. She was in love with the boy that had defeated Cell.

Hercule didn't understand how he could have screwed up so badly. And he had only gone and dug himself an even bigger hole when he had reminded the girl that she couldn't have a boyfriend unless he was stronger than him - and they had to prove it by defeating him in a fight. It was silly really, if The Gold Fighter reciprocated Videl's feelings, he wouldn't fight him. Oh no, he would destroy him.

Though luckily for the Champ, the meddling kid had disappeared - or so he thought.

He should have known that the day wasn't going to pan out so well when he saw the ex-champion at the tournament. The spikey mane of Son Goku was too unmistakable to miss. There he had been, with the rest of the Z-Fighter's, aged slightly and with a few more additions to the group, most notably a scruffy looking kid with a tail that was no doubt Goku's son.

He should have put two and two together then, but denial is a strange thing, capable of clouding one's judgement so much so that all he could think about was getting that little punk away from his daughter.

A lot had happened in the hours since he had witnessed the boy transform into The Gold Fighter in the centre of the ring. And although he didn't care much for Gohan - he was a mouthy little bleeder in his opinion - he had to admit he was very impressed. Oh and scared, very very scared.

Gohan seemed to be the only one able to truly stand up to this Majin Buu from what the other's were saying, and Videl did seem to care for him quite a lot. Stupid kid, just what was he getting Videl involved in? He had been more than willing to take Videl and that other girl with him inside that monster. Videl was a stubborn girl yes, but the boy had defeated Cell hadn't he? Couldn't he have stopped her?!

Hercule had tried to protest, he didn't want his little girl to be put in any danger, but he was quickly silenced by Gohan's mother. Chi-Chi was a terrifying woman, her onyx eyes were as hard as steel as she glared at him. Though, she had explained that she wasn't very happy about the situation either, and who could blame her? Her husband and son were fighting that monster, whilst her other son and grandson were in danger of being trapped inside the beast. After a while though, he had agreed with her reasoning, Videl may have been safer inside Majin Buu than out on the battle field.

He just hoped he would get to see her beautiful sapphire eyes light up at the sight of him again.

Though Chi-Chi and Bulma had assured him that he would, and he was rather surprised at their calmness to witnessing such an epic battle. Just how many times had they been on the sidelines of such destruction?

Speaking of destruction, the planet they were on seemed to be falling apart. Red hot lava surrounded them, as tornado's ravaged the once pristine lands. He was glad of whatever kind of force field the little old purple man had conjured up for them so that he could watch the fight without being in too much danger.

He wasn't sure what he was getting himself into when the younger purple man had appeared suddenly upon Earth and grasped Gohan's hand. All Hercule knew was that he wasn't going to let Videl go off with that SKINNY LITTLE - eh hem, Gohan again and get herself hurt. So he grabbed hold of her, trying to pull her back when they had disappeared from Earth altogether.

He had managed to gather snippets from the spouses and friends of the Z-Fighter's about just what the hell was going on, but he didn't need much information to know that it was certainly not good. At first he thought it was a dream, no, a nightmare! These people were utterly crazy, and must have a death wish fighting such a terrifying being such as Majin Buu. But alas, it was all far too real.

Another tremor shook the planet, causing the shield bubble they were in to quiver. Bulma squeaked from beside him, holding onto her blue haired little girl with all her might.

"Mummy?" Bulla, he thinks her name was, said, "Who's that?"

"I think it's your daddy sweetheart," the mother replied, wide eyes staring at the scene below, "Well… at least, it used to be."

Hercule frowned, as the two titan's clashed in midair. Shock waves erupted from each hit they landed, each knuckle that crashed into bone and each boot that embedded into the other's gut.

The old man with the stick, who Hercule was surprised to find out was the legendary Master Roshi was providing a pretty good commentary on the fight at hand, as most of the time they were moving so fast that he couldn't see anything. He couldn't sense power levels or anything like the old master could, but he was willing to bet that this new opponent - Vegito, was giving Majin Buu a run for his money.

It was electrifying experience to watch, thrilling and utterly terrifying at the same time. The Z-Fighters were watching the battle from the ground, their eyes darting all over the sky as they followed it. The purple skinned Kai was next to them, his features contorting as they switched from worry, to hope, to worry again.

Suddenly, there was a ripple of power through the air, and something dropped rapidly out of the sky. A strangled shout came from the newly fused warrior, as Gotenks became involved in the fight once more, but was sent flying through the air from a crippling attack from Majin Buu.

The long haired child screamed, blood pouring from his lip as he came hurtling towards the shield at break neck speed.

"Everyone stand back!" Dende cried, as Gotenks crashed into the shield, the force of which caused their safety barrier to crack down the centre and shatter into nothingness.

Hercule shrieked, along with everyone else as he hit the hard ground. Yet the other's fall was softened by his body, landing right on top of him.

"Ow…" he whimpered, though no one seemed to notice.

"Goten! Trunks!" Dende yelped worriedly, "Oh my goodness, are you alright?"

It wasn't obvious if the time had run out for the fused boy, or whether Buu had hit Gotenks so hard that he broke out of the fusion, as Goten and Trunks were separated again, each with a scowl upon their features and a very sore jaw.

"Stupid Buu!" Trunks growled, "We had him there before our dad's interfered!"

"Yeah Trunks," agreed Goten, dusting himself off, "Maybe we shouldn't have held back our super saiyan three transformation for so long."

"Nah," the purple haired prince waved him off, "It was loads better that way, we had a proper audience and everything. It was way more dramatic."

Hercule's eyes boggled, he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Damn, he should get these kids on his promo team.

"Sweetie!" Chi-Chi cried, embracing her son in a tight hug whilst Trunks got the same treatment from Bulma, "Oh my baby boy, you fought so well, I'm so proud of you."

"Thanks Mummy," Goten smiled happily.

Bulma smiled, ruffling her son's hair affectionately, "Nice moves, but whats say you leave it to your dad's now eh?"

Trunks pouted, "But Mum-!"

"No but's mister!" She frowned, "I want you to stay here where I can keep an eye on-"

"Hey, aren't you that hairy tosser that took my brother's credit for defeating Cell?" Goten interrupted, catching Hercule's stares.

"GOTEN!" Chi-Chi gasped, "Don't you use that awful language!"

The boy looked confused, "But that's what Gohan called him."

"Yeah, he's a massive prat," Trunks snorted, before giving the Champ an odd look, "What are you doing here anyway?"

"Yeah!" Goten glared, "You're not very nice!"

Hercule sweated, "Ah, well, you see, I helped your big brother to get the energy from Earth. I sort of ended up here by accident."

"And we are very thankful for your help Mister Satan," said Bulma, shooting her son a glare, "Aren't we Trunks?"

"Whatever."

Mister Satan gulped, he would have to watch out for those kids. He didn't want to get on the wrong side of them.

A sudden roar broke him out of his thoughts. The ground began to shake once more, and violent winds picked up around the group, causing them to duck for cover.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY SONS!" Vegito cried, a golden aura igniting around his frame as he burst immediately into the second level of super saiyan.

Sonic booms erupted around them, as the two titan's clashed in mid air. Buu's golden hair whipped around him as Vegito gained the upper hand, driving his boot into the beast's gut and sending him flying through the sky fasting than a speeding bullet.

Hercule couldn't keep up, the fighter's disappeared and reappeared sporadically. Though it was evident from the cheers coming form the Z-Fighter's than Vegito was winning.

With a loud crash, Majin Buu smashed into the ground with such force that an enormous crater formed around his body. The monster was feral, blood and saliva dripping from his pointed teeth. He breathed heavily, glaring furiously at the fused warrior that tapped down on the ground in front of him.

Vegito was in the same condition as Buu, with cuts and scrapes littering his body, his gi torn from one shoulder and a nasty looking burn marring the flesh. However, the saiyan bore a confident smirk as he looked down at the monster, a wicked glint in is obsidian eyes.

"Fool!" Majin Buu spat, getting to his feet, "Don't look so confident, I will tear you limb from limb!"

But to the monster's surprise, Vegito simply chuckled.

"You're laughing?" Buu grinned, quickly regaining his composure, "I see, you've finally gone mad."

"Well you're right about one thing Majin Buu," the fused warrior smirked, "I must be mad, I must be imagining the fact that I just knocked you into a crater. Really, I'm surprised. Surprised that a supposed superior being could make such a fatal mistake."

"What?!" the monster scoffed, "Do you not feel the crippling power that stands before you?!"

"Oh I do," said Vegito calmly, "I can also sense that you have ascended to a level beyond that of a super saiyan."

"Exactly! My power is far superior than that of a measly super saiyan!" Buu growled.

"Indeed, it was foolish of me that I didn't notice it sooner," he snorted, his eyes fixated on Buu, "Great hulking muscles and elevated Ki, traits of an ascended form of the super saiyan transformation. I realised it during our fight, but I see you have yet to notice Buu, that that form is useless. You may have increased your strength, but as consequence you've lost speed and stamina. Of course, it would take someone who needs to use the mind of a child to make himself stronger to make that mistake."

"No!" Buu spat venomously, "You're lying!"

"Oh but I think you know that I'm not," Vegeta smirked, "It takes a true saiyan a lot of hard work and determination to achieve the legend."

"Wait, didn't Gohan say that Trunks and Goten turned super saiyan just by playing in the woods?" Krillin asked in the background.

"Nobody asked for your opinion Krillin!" the flame haired saiyan snarled, before once again averting his eyes back to Buu, "You cannot just draw on the child's reserves in order to achieve the transformation for yourself. The boy is not yet a super saiyan, it won't work."

The manic Majin growled, his body shaking with rage as the warrior continued.

"All you've managed to achieve is powering up, and it takes more than that to defeat a skilled warrior such as myself," he continued, "I know you've noticed a change Majin Buu, I can see that you're frustrated. I've managed to block almost every attack you've made. Face it Buu - you can't hit me."

"FOOLS! IDIOTS!" The beast cried, his dark aura erupting to life around him as his anger surged, "How dare you mock me?!"

"Me, mock you?" Vegito snorted, undeterred by the raging winds around him, "You have made another mistake Majin Buu, you dare to bare a tail of a saiyan when you are not worthy. It is the strength of a saiyan that has caused your power to increase, yet your powers have grown to heights far beyond your understanding - meaning that your power means nothing."

Buu was furious, his muscles bulged even further as he tried to force more power out, "I will show you mortals what true power is! I AM YOUR GOD! YOU WILL BOW DOWN BEFORE -"

BOOM.

Majin Buu was cut short, with a mighty uppercut to the chin, sending his head spinning. He gasped, as Vegito's fist embedded itself into his stomach, causing blood to pour unforgivingly from his mouth.

CRACK

Buu cried out, as Vegito drew back his palm, clenching his fists together and cracking it across the monster's skull. Majin Buu fell to his knees, heaving as he tried to get his breath.

"H-how?" he whispered, as Vegito's golden hair quivered with power, lightening bolts snapping and cracking around his aura.

"You only serve to prove my point that you know nothing about the saiyan race," Vegito said lowly, "We saiyan's bow to no one."

The monster screamed in fury, swinging his enormous fists towards the fused warrior but as Vegito had predicted, he was too slow which allowed him to deliver a sharp blow to the brute's ribs and sending him careening into the air.

But he didn't stop there, and soon Buu was met with a white hot blast that hit him square in the chest, knocking him backwards and causing him to spin wildly through the yellow clouds. Vegito phased out, appearing behind the ancient being and reacquainting Buu with his fist.

The Z-Fighter's were stunned, all that power Majin Buu had gained and yet he had made the same mistake Vegeta and the future Trunks did against Cell all those years ago. Vegito was throwing the manic beast round like a rag doll, and they were ecstatic to see that Buu's slip up had effectively brought them more time.

"FINAL KAMEHAMEHAAAAAAAA!" Vegito roared, as an enormous blue and golden spiral of energy erupted from his palms towards the Majin.

The combined attack of the Final Flash and Kamehameha Wave connected with Buu before he could react. It exploded in a vibrant flash of light, sending Majin Buu's smoking body tumbling to the ground below.

He fell into the hot, gloopy lava, causing it to sizzle and pop from the impact. No more than a second later, did the wicked Majin emerge, gasping for air and seething with rage. Parts of his body were melted and one half of his face sunken, giving him an even more terrifying appearance. Hot lava dripped from his form, his gi bottoms burnt off in several places and smoking.

Spit flew from his mouth as he growled maliciously at Vegito, who floated above him, his features stoic and unwavering.

"Impudent wretch," Buu spat viciously as he stood shakily upright, trembling with fury, "Arrogant saiyan…. BUU KILL YOU! BUU KILL YOU ALL!"

An ear shattering scream erupted from his chest, a scream so shrill that it sounded like nails scratching against a chalkboard. The ancient beast was livid, reaching a smouldering palm towards the sky as his Ki began to spike uncontrollably, a purple orb growing rapidly beneath his fingers.

"WITH THIS POWER, BY THIS CHILD'S POWER, YOU WILL DIE!" He screeched, the spherical blast casting violet shadows across the lava filled planes. It sparked with blue lightening, swirling and pulsating as it grew larger and larger, the sheer force of the energy blasting an enormous crater in the earth. Vegito stepped backwards, sweat trickling down his brow.

Majin Buu grinned maliciously, white eyes wide, "VOID BURST-!"

Suddenly, the blast extinguished, earning the monster a confused look from Vegito and the rest of the Z-Fighters. Buu gasped, a mangled hand clutching at his chest as he stumbled forwards, collapsing onto one knee. Slowly, the beast's white eyes began to glow, and emerald iris' appeared in their centre. Buu's features softened ever so slightly, and his hands came to rest on his stomach, grasping at the flesh desperately.

A loud, earth quaking roar echoed around the planes, causing Mister Satan to jump away from Icarus - he was certain that the dragon was going to finally put him out of his misery and eat him. However, the growl did not come from the purple winged beast, it came from none other than Majin Buu himself.

"So hungry," Buu whined childishly, before shaking his head as if to clear his thoughts, "No, NO! First I will deal with these pests! They must DIE!"

Vegito chuckled, folding his arms across his chest in a gloating manner, "You're relying too heavily on Gokuto. By drawing on his power you're only making his presence more prominent in your mind. Your concentration is wavering. Why don't you give up now Majin Buu? Save yourself the embarrassment."

The monster groaned, as his stomach rumbled again, causing him to double over, squirming with hunger. "No, no, no, no! Hungry… they will die… food… death… hot dogs… destruction…ice cream… must.. kill.. saiyan…"

"Pathetic," Vegito snorted, "A God of Destruction reduced to a babbling mess, all because of a toddler's appetite."

He moaned, green eyes rolling backwards in his head, until, something remarkable happened. Buu's body began to emit a strange white glow, his golden hair flickering to black, to gold, to black again. It retreated into his scalp, his muscles grew leaner and his body shortened considerably. His body contorted painfully, the goopy gelatinous flesh twisting and remoulding back into place.

"W-what?!" The beast cried, staring in bewilderment at his fingers that steadily grew shorter and more sausage-like, "What is this?!"

"Looks like Gohan's succeeded in retrieving the boy," Vegito smirked, "I'll have to congratulate him when he gets out."

"What are you talking about?!" Buu roared, the transformation rapidly taking hold. His eyes widened suddenly in realisation, "stupid halfling! What has he done?! What does this mean?!"

"The end of you, Majin Buu," the fused warrior stated darkly, no emotion in his eyes as he stared at the withering God.

Buu screamed, the light surrounding him exploding and causing a harsh glare that matched that of a solar flare. Aghast and startled shouts escaped the occupants of the planet as they quickly shielded their eyes.

The glare subsided, and Majin Buu was left paralysed as three figures seemingly appeared out of thin air.

POP! POP! POP!

"Ooh! Look Trunks!" Goten laughed, as Videl, Lime and an unconscious Gokuto flew through the air, "People popcorn!"

Trunks rolled his eyes, "Idiot."

The younger hybrid didn't hear, and swiftly kicked off from the ground to catch a startled Videl, whilst Trunks swiftly caught Gokuto in his arms. All three were fairly singed, their clothes smoking in places.

"Ooh they smell toasty!" Goten laughed, before his eyes widened in horror, "Oh no Trunks! Gokuto's mummy is gonna fall!"

Trunks yelped, as Lime flew through the air, screaming her head off as she headed straight for the molten lava below.

"Goten, stupid! How did you miss her?" he yelled at his friend.

"I thought you had her!" Goten shot back, as Lime headed closer and closer to the scolding river of death.

"LIME!" The boys cried desperately, racing towards her as fast as their Ki could carry them.

The red head squeaked, scrunching up her eyes tightly before she felt strong muscular arms wrap around her petite frame and carry her to safety. The girl snapped open her eyes, looking upwards at her golden haired, toga wearing saviour in the form of Olibu.

"Well hellooooooooooooo handsome!" she swooned, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck as they safely landed.

Olibu stammered, a red blush evident on his cheeks as he stared at the young woman in his arms, "W-well, hello to you too young miss."

"Phew, that was close!" exclaimed Goten, as he and Trunks landed on a nearby rock face that had been left untouched by the lava.

"I'm going to kill him!" Videl raged as soon as the young boy released her, her hair was stood on end and smoking just like her singed clothes, "He's dead! That bloody golden haired, spandex wearing twat!"

Goten winced, whilst Trunks clapped his hands over an unconscious Gokuto's ears.

"Where is he?!" She continued, looking about her, "I'm going to give him a piece of my mind!"

"Yeah Goten where is your brother?" asked Trunks, the halfling in question nowhere to be seen.

Goten frowned, turning to Videl, "I don't know, didn't he come out with you?"

Videl's eyes suddenly widened in horror, "He was right behind us! Y-you don't think… you don't think he didn't make it out do you?"

The young boy's looked just as forlorn as the girl, as they realised they couldn't sense him.

xxxx

Gohan coughed violently, maybe he had overestimated just how much power he had put into the blast. He was still getting used to harbouring all this power after all. He recovered quickly, as his lungs filled with the fresh air of the outside world, and even though the spoils of battle raged around him, it was a lot more breathable than the thick humidity of Buu's insides.

The young saiyan looked around him, eager to get to Gokuto and take him far away from Buu. He spotted Videl and Lime who had been caught swiftly and safely, and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Trunks had hold of a sleeping Gokuto in his arms.

It was then that he realised that something was wrong.

Very wrong.

The others had grown back to their original size, whereas he was still microscopic. Everything was huge in comparison to him, the thunderous sounds of battle was almost deafening. The teenager swore under his breath, something must have gone wrong with the spell, but he couldn't see hair nor hide of the wizard Babidi.

He needed to get someones attention, and quick. Majin Buu may have gotten weaker, but he was the one with the power to destroy the monster once and for all. Gathering up his Ki around him, the young saiyan blasted off in the direction of the Z-Fighter's, calling their names desperately as he went.

SMACK

"Bloody fly," muttered Yamcha, dusting off his palms and casting his gaze back towards the sky, where Vegito and Majin Buu had engaged in battle once more.

"Ow mother f-!" Gohan yelped, his head spinning as he caught himself in midair.

He growled, he was going to kill Yamcha when he got back to normal! Shaking his head in annoyance, the teenager buzzed over to Krillin, waving his arms and trying to get his attention.

"Has anyone seen Gohan?" his father's best friend asked worriedly, "Videl and Lime came out a few minutes ago, and no one's seen him!"

"I'm right here stupid!" Gohan yelled, though his small voice failed to be heard.

Snarling in frustration, the halfling glanced around him, but not even the ever perceptive Piccolo noticed he was there. Damn it, he needed to get back to normal! There was no way he could fight Buu like this!

Where was that sodding wizard?

"This is bad," said Tien, "Vegito is strong but the fusion is limited, Gohan better get out soon or we're done for."

The teenager frowned, Vegito? Catching sight of Buu's new opponent up above him. It was strange, he was incredibly powerful, and he could feel a mixture of his father's and Vegeta's Ki within him. His eyes widened in realisation, the two must have fused somehow!

This day was just getting weirder and weirder.

A sudden growl reached his ears, reverberating through his bones and causing him to turn to face the non-fighter's over by the half destroyed temple. Icarus was standing next to a sobbing Mister Satan, tears of joy streaming down his cheeks as he hugged his daughter to his chest. At first, Gohan thought that the large dragon was growling disapprovingly at the display, but soon realised that his large green eyes were fixated on the halfling.

He gasped, of course! Icarus could see him! A dragon's vision was significantly more heightened and advanced for hunting purposes! Jumping with glee, the young saiyan sped over to the winged beast, grinning widely at him as he approached. It was times like this that he was actually glad that his mother made him study so much as a kid.

Icarus grew so excited that Gohan was nearly sucked into one of his nostrils as he tried to sniff him. Though he soon recovered, prising himself out of Icarus' nose and perching himself on top of his snout.

"Thank Kami for you boy," smiled Gohan, "Now come on, let's go and find Babidi."

The dragon purred gently, and the teenager had to steady himself as Icarus took off into the air, careful to avoid the battle and swooping high and low to find the wizard. It didn't take them long to spot Babidi, who was cowering behind a bed of rocks, attempting to make his escape.

He yelped, as a snarling Icarus landed directly in front of him, his nostrils smoking dangerously as his large eyes glowered at the wizard.

Babidi blinked, his eyes widening as he spotted Gohan's tiny speck glaring up at him from the dragon's snout.

"Oi! Where the bloody hell do you think you're going?!" The young saiyan squeaked, causing the wicked wizard to roar with laughter.

"Oh my! Such a big temper coming from someone so small!" He cackled, causing Gohan to growl.

"Change me back right now!"

Babidi smirked, "Oh? And why should I? Why should I help a no good brat of the Kai's who disrespects the great wizard Babidi? I said I'd help your little friends, but I never said I'd help you! Too bad, Majin Buu may be victorious after all."

"You're a fool!" Gohan spat viciously, "If I don't stop him then Buu will destroy everything! He could destroy HFIL too and you won't exist either!"

"Oh ho," The wizard laughed with mirth, "That's a chance I'm willing to take, if it means it'll get rid of you meddling saiyans! And there's nothing you can do about it!"

"I'll blast you!" The teenager roared, charging up a powerful Ki blast and firing it at close range.

Yet the attack merely appeared as a tiny beam of light, hitting Babidi between the eyes in a small wisp of smoke.

"HA!" He barked, "One of those does nothing-!"

But his laughter was cut short, as a torrent of fire suddenly engulfed his frame, singeing his sickly green skin so that he now resembled a piece of blackened charcoal. He let out a wheezing cough, a puff of smoke escaping his lips.

Gohan smirked, patting Icarus' nose affectionately before turning to the smouldering wizard, "So, you were saying?"

xxxx

Majin Buu had quickly recovered from the physical strain of reverting back to his original form, though he was as furious as ever. Even though his power had dwindled, his attacks were manic, more frenzied as he engaged with Vegito's onslaught, and the fused warrior was struggling to keep the monster from blowing a gasket and blasting the whole of Otherworld into smithereens.

"This isn't good!" Krillin cried, as Vegito parried a well aimed blast by the Majin away from the planet's core, "Buu's really got it in for us now!"

"DESTROY! DESTROY! BUU DESTROY!" The wicked beast cried manically from above, powering his fuchsia aura around him before Vegito struck him across the jaw, sending him hurtling across the skies.

The planet was now apocalyptic, and resembled nothing of its previous grandeur. The vibrant training grounds were now nothing but barren wastelands, the sparkling rivers now filled with hot bubbling lava and the extravagant temple reduced to rubble. Warriors of the dead were either gone forever or severely wounded, not a far cry from what the Z-Fighter's were now. Their family and friends were caked in mud and battle filth, just as frightened and perplexed as ever.

The skies were now as dark as night back on Earth, though no twinkling stars shone from above. Lightening cracked from the sky, hitting the dusty ground and creating fires that roared around them, intermingling with the destructive sounds of battle.

Vegito, it seemed, was now their only hope as Gohan was still nowhere to be seen. Worry around the teenager's whereabouts seemed to only fuel their solemn outlook. Although Vegito was currently holding his own, his time limit was short, and Majin Buu wasn't making it any easier defeat him.

All the ancient brute seemed to be concentrating on was destroying them all, as he dodged and sped away from his opponent, firing fatal blasts towards the planet in an attempt to blow it to smithereens. If he succeeded, there would be nothing left, and the universe would fall.

"Stay still!" Vegito roared, white hot beams of energy erupting out of his palms as Buu phased in and out of the sky, cackling manically as they missed him completely.

Buu stuck his tongue out childishly, causing Vegito's anger to swell.

He growled, immediately jumping into the second level of super saiyan, bolts of lightening crackling around his frame as his aura exploded to life. A sonic boom rippled across the decimated planet, the two fighter's exchanging blows so fast and viciously, that it was almost impossible to see.

"Damn it! I can barely keep up!" Exclaimed Yamcha, squinting his eyes as he looked towards the dark sky.

"It's no use," Piccolo spat, "Vegito can't keep this up forever, we need to take Buu down before he looses control."

"But what about Gohan?!" Yamcha cried, though the Namekian did not answer, a dark look in his eyes.

"Right behind you," Eighteen said boldly, before kicking off from the ground and following the Namekian into the air.

The Z-Fighter's and warriors of the dead followed suit, each firing their most deadly attack towards the fray. Vegito phased out of the way as soon as the swelling Ki of his comrades illuminated his senses, smirking as Majin Buu was hit with the sheer might of the Z-Fighter's.

"SPIRIT BALL!"

"DESTRUCTO DISK!"

"TRI-BEAM HAAAAAAAAA!"

"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"

"KAMEHAMEHAAAAAAAA!

"GALIC GUN!" A super saiyan Trunks cried, joining in the fray.

"MASENKO-HAAAAAAAAA!" Goten roared, powering up into super saiyan and bringing up the rear.

Vegito gritted his teeth, "IT'S OVER MAJIN BUU! FINAL KAMEHAMEHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

The planet shook from the incredible force of the combined power, the four Kai's of the galaxies having to create another shield around the group near the destroyed temple so that the beams of energy that escaped the nucleus of the blast didn't harm them.

"Keep going!" Piccolo roared to his friends, causing them to push more of their energy into the blast.

Torrents of wind picked up around them, as Buu's screams started to disappear. Hope rose in their hearts as the sphere of deadly energy grew larger and larger, totally disabling Buu. This was it, this was the end, they were going to win. A huge explosion sounded, knocking the warriors back a few feet. Dust encircled them as the light from their combined attack dwindled, and Buu's energy disappeared.

Piccolo panted, his energy spent as he looked over to Vegito who was in a similar position as he.

"It's done," the fused saiyan spoke, his voice strained with exhaustion.

Silence seemed to echo over the desolate planes, King Kai coughed from somewhere in the distance and Piccolo's discarded cape rippled from it's place on the ground as a small wind blew between them.

Then, something tingled in the base of Piccolo's skull. A spark of dark energy, only for his sensitive hearing to pick up the small sound of childish laughter.

No, it couldn't be.

All at once, there was mass hysteria. The silhouette of Majin Buu suddenly burst through the dust filled clouds, his body significantly damaged but still intact. His energy assaulted their senses, followed by his terrifying scream of fury that they had all grown too accustomed too.

Shouts of desperation were heard from the temple, as one by one the Z-Fighter's and warriors of the dead were picked apart, their crumpled forms hitting the ground in rapid succession. Piccolo growled in frustration, though the manic monster made quick work of him too, striking him in the skull so hard that his ear drums perforated, and he met the dirt in the same manner of his friends.

It was no use, they were all too injured, out of energy. And it was only a matter of time before Majin Buu destroyed them all.

"BASTARD!" Vegito bellowed, his fist careening towards the ancient beast with surprising speed.

Buu smirked, blocking the attack easily and parring the punch with his own, knocking the fused warrior away from him so that he was sent flying through the air.

Vegito was livid, gritting his teeth as he caught himself midair. His ascended super saiyan state wavered, the sparks of electricity disappearing momentarily as his spikey hair began to flicker from gold to black.

"Damn it!" He spat viciously, "What's happening?"

POP!

"NO!" Piccolo yelled from the bloodied crater that had formed around him when he had landed.

The occupants of the planet gasped, as a white light blinded them, and sure enough Vegito had split apart, and in his place floated a very horror stricken Goku and Vegeta.

"W-what's going on?!" Krillin cried, clutching his bloodied side, "It hasn't been an hour yet!"

"Vegito used too much energy, causing him to split apart prematurely," The Supreme Kai informed them solemnly, "I'm afraid it's over."

BOOM!

Goku and Vegeta yelled in unison, as Buu moulded an enormous fist and struck them out of the sky. They landed harshly, picking up dirt around them and causing the monster to roar with laughter.

Vegeta spat out a wad of blood, shoving Goku off from where he had landed on top of him, "Fuck! What the hell was that Kakarot?!"

The younger saiyan was sporting a rather deep gash above his eyebrow, "Damn it, we must have used too much energy!"

"Shit!" The prince spat, tightening his fist, his eyes widening in horror, "I haven't enough energy to transform!"

"Me neither," Goku admitted darkly, his obsidian eyes darting around him as he stared at the broken bodies of his friends, "What are we going to do Vegeta?"

"Me?!" He scoffed, "It was your idea to use the blasted fusion in the first place, why don't you come up with a plan seen as you think your so clever."

"B-but I can't think of anything!" Goku panicked.

"Tch, not surprising."

"BUUUUUUUUUUU!"

"Shit!" the saiyan's chorused, before Majin Buu was upon them once more, his fists slamming into their weakened bodies.

The sound of shattering bones, along with the men's screams echoed over the planet, causing the evil Majin to laugh even harder. Goku gasped for air, as Buu finally pulled back, manic fuchsia eyes glinting at him, holding nothing but sheer insanity and malice. Vegeta's chin was dripping with blood, his leg twisted at an odd angle as he glared back at the beast.

"Buu bored of you now," Majin Buu stated, cocking his head to one side.

Goku winced, as the monster held out his palm, the heat from the growing attack already beginning to prickle his skin. Buu cackled at the look on their faces, finding the whole situation thoroughly entertaining. His laughter reached a new pitch, causing Goku's ears to ring unforgivingly.

"No," Vegeta whispered, scrunching his eyelids tight as the blast grew, "Not like this."

"BUU SAY BYE BYE-!"

"ROAAAAARRRRRRRRRRR!"

Majin Buu cut off the blast, looking curiously up at the sky as an almighty roar shook the wastelands. His brow furrowed in confusion, as a pair of large wings protruded from the dark clouds, followed by the enormous body of a purple dragon.

Fire erupted from it's jaw, scorching the earth around Buu and causing him to jump away from Goku and Vegeta out of shock. Goku heard the Z-Fighter's gasp around them, some warriors even cheered. And it was then did the saiyan catch sight of the figure standing atop the dragon's back.

He couldn't help but allow a smile to play on his lips as the dragon spiralled towards the ground, descending rapidly and making his landing right in front of the saiyan's. The rider jumped from Icarus' back, his boots touching the ground with an audible tap as he descended slowly.

His tail whipped behind him in warning, the torn cape of The Gold Fighter whipping in the breeze he had created. Onyx eyes stared down at the wicked Majin - his visor having broken off completely, blocking the path between Majin Buu and the two saiyan's on the ground.

Gohan.

The teenager's features softened for a moment, as he scratched Icarus affectionately on the snout, "Thanks for the lift boy, now get out of here and get the other's to safety."

The dragon purred, before taking off into the sky, the sharp wind created from his wings blowing Gohan's long blonde hair around him.

"Y-you!" Majin Buu growled suddenly, "Boy should be dead!"

Gohan snorted, his eyes hardening like steel, "Sorry to disappoint you, but you have my son to thank for that. Your decision to absorb him only served to seal your fate for two simple reasons. One: He is just an innocent little boy and has a pure heart, so by his influence, you couldn't go through with killing me. And two: well, let's just say you picked the wrong saiyan to piss off."

"G-Gohan-," Goku started, but the teen ignored him, as Majin Buu began to scream with fury.

"NO! STUPID BOY! BUU DESTROY YOU!"

"Well, I have to say, you're doing a pretty rubbish job of it so far."

Buu seethed, his mouth salivating as he glared daggers at the halfling.

"What's wrong Buu?" Gohan teased, "Struggling to perform? Don't worry, it happens to the best of us. Well, you know, except for me. I always manage to deliver."

"Brat!" Vegeta spat, "What the hell are you playing at?!"

The young saiyan glared back at them, "I should be asking you that! What the bloody hell are you two doing?! I'm trying to create a distraction so that you can escape!"

Goku and Vegeta shared a look, causing Gohan to sigh in distain.

"What are you waiting for?!" He snarled, "Get everyone out of here, take them to Earth, the Kai's planet - whatever! Just make sure you get to safety, even if I manage to take Buu down, the planet will explode anyway!"

"But Gohan, you cant-!" Goku tried, but the teen abruptly cut him off.

"Enough with the noble act Dad," he growled, "Just do as I say. I can't fight Buu seriously whilst I'm worrying about you lot!"

"Let's go Kakarot," said Vegeta.

"W-what?!" Goku spluttered, as the prince gingerly got to his feet, "I can't leave him here!"

"And what good will it do if we stay?!" he spat back, "Gohan's right, he can't concentrate on fighting that beast if we don't get out of here. I don't like it either, but the best thing you can do for your son right now is to get everyone to safety."

Goku hesitated, causing Vegeta to sigh in distain.

"We will get Dende to heal us," he reasoned, "Once we are back to full strength, we can offer the brat some support."

Goku smiled, allowing the prince to help him up, "Thank you Vegeta."

"Hn."

"Are you done yet?" Gohan asked haughtily, as Majin Buu's power began to spike, "Because old ugly is starting to have another bitch fit."

"BUU NOT UGLY!" The pink monstrosity cried, "YOU WILL PAY! YOU WILL DIE!"

"Hey," the teenager shrugged, "Don't take it out on me, it's not my fault you look like a giant pink condom."

"AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGHHHHHHH!" Buu howled, causing rapid winds to pick up around them, and Goku and Vegeta to finally take the hint and take to the air.

"Good luck my son," Goku said sincerely, stopping mid-flight.

"DAD JUST FUCK OFF WILL YOU?!" Gohan roared over the high wind, now was certainly not the time to get emotional.

He knew antagonising the beast would surely make his situation a lot worse, and Buu's thirst for his blood to grow tremendously, but it was the only way he could think of to buy the other's some time. He sighed heavily, as the energies of his friends and family slowly disappeared into the realms of safety, though they were too far away for him to detect as to where they had gotten to.

It was suddenly incredibly lonely out here on the desolate planet.

Majin Buu ceased in his power up, his evil eyes boring into his, seemingly not undeterred that the rest of his targets had vanished into thin air. No, his focus was all on the young saiyan in front of him.

Just Majin Buu the God of Destruction and Son Gohan the 'Brat' of The Kai's.

A battle of legends forgotten and legends to be born, a fight of good against evil, and one whose outcome would forever shape the fate of the universe.

"So, what are you waiting for?" The young saiyan asked menacingly, "The end's been a long time coming."

Buu growled, his childish voice lowered to a whisper, "The end for you, boy."

Gohan smirked, "Let's see, shall we?"

This chapter was 15 pages long and took me ages to write. I really liked writing a little history of Hercule, as to me it seemed a bit silly that a good martial artist (lets face it, he did win the 24th WMAT against everyone else that werent the z-fighters!) like him wouldnt recognise Goku and the others from the Cell Games, they are previous finalists, champs, semi finalists after all! So I explored the possibility of him being in the 23rd WMAT that Goku won, and that he actually lost against them. Hence, his jealousy steaming from that and why he was quick to put them down. The gang still think he is an idiot, but for Gohan's sake they have momentarily accepted him, they like Videl after all. Plus, there are bigger things going on for them to have an argument with him, so I thought it would be better for Goten and Trunks to poke fun and be hostile towards him instead. So now we've had the smackdown with Vegito and we are faced with the final battle! 'does happy dance' Thank you for all the love everyone. I have really fallen back in love with writing, and you have all given me so much more confidence! Now, enough with the mushy stuff, and onwards to the final showdown... (coming soon, I promise!) xx