Dragonball Z
Dragonball Z
Gohan: Protector of Earth
Chapter 18:
Hercule was the World Champion of the Martial Arts world, notorious for his boisterous and often times egotistical demeanor. He was known for his wild hand gestures in an effort to excite the crowd in every match. Hercule had started his career based on achievement but maintained it through his personality. From cereal bars to automobile dealerships, Hercule was the most well known face in the world, easily trumping world leaders and famous actors alike. That well known and well liked Hercule was nowhere to be seen however. Instead, standing in the middle of his ring, was a reticent martial artist, strategizing for his next match. Hercule stood poised and ready, with his full attention focused onto 18. Even 18 was surprised by Hercule's attitude. She expected him to act flamboyantly towards the crowd and perhaps even to insult her. Her surprise did not affect her confidence however as she fully intended on defeating Hercule with ease.
As the announcer prepared the crowd for the start of the match, Hercule assumed his fighting stance, readying his fists near his chest and standing one leg slightly in front of the other. The moment the announcer declared the start of the match, 18 charged quickly at Hercule, faster than his eyes could see. He did not waver however, but remained completely still and calm. When 18 was within a foot of reaching Hercule, her body completely froze. Hercule instantly responded with a jab to 18's abdomen, followed by an elbow to her back. These blows did not affect 18 at all but the attacks did move the position of her body. To the crowd and to the world, it seemed that Hercule had delivered a powerful blow to his opponent. His attack was quick enough that nobody even noticed 18 had completely stopped in the air. .Hercule retreated back a couple steps as 18 lay on the ground motionless. She was frozen, not from pain but from some other inexplicable force.
Gohan and the others looked on in bewilderment. Krillen was yelling for his wife to get up, while everyone else watched intently. They knew 18 was not hurt but were confused as to why she could not move.
Free to move once more, 18 hopped to her feet and turned around to see Hercule facing her, silent, and once again prepared in his fighting stance. Not taking any time to rest, 18 charged at Hercule once more. Once again her body was paralyzed within a few inches of Hercule with her left leg extended in the air aimed at Hercule's face. Hercule lowered his head a split second later and performed an uppercut on 18, causing her to fly into the air and fall to the ground. Hercule then jumped high into the air and landed feet first on 18's stomach. He stepped off of her and gave an unenthusiastic wave to the crowd signifying his advantage in the match.
"How is my dad winning, this doesn't make any sense."
"This is strange. Something weird is going on here." said Gohan.
The crowd was going wild at this time, impressed by Hercules moves and anxious to see him make it to the finals. Chichi and the others sat in shock in the stands. They could not understand why 18 was letting Hercule win. This was the most obvious explanation as to how Hercule could possibly be winning the match, since he could not compare to 18 in strength.
Hercule, deciding it was time to end the match, grabbed 18 by the legs and tossed her towards the outside of the ring. 18 tried her hardest to move her body in order to avoid falling out of bounds, but there was nothing she could do. She watched herself fall slowly out of bounds, confused as to what was happening to her. The second her feet touched the ground, she had complete control over her body once more, but it was too late. The announcer claimed victory for Hercule and all 18 could do now was walk towards the others hopeful they had an explanation for what had just happened. She decided otherwise however. As soon as Hercule walked out of the ring, 18 furiously ran towards him, appearing as if she wanted to fight him right there. Before she could reach Hercule however, Shin stepped in front of her, blocking her path to the champion.
"Out of my way tiny man," said 18 as she made a motion to push Shin out of her path. Before her hand could reach Shin, however, her body paralyzed once more. 18 looked at Shin furiously realizing it was he who had frozen her in the match.
"How are you able to freeze me? And why are you doing it!"
"Relax, all will be explained soon. Let's walk calmly back to where your friends are and we can have a nice civil conversation. And if you make another move towards me I will be forced to paralyze your body once again."
18 grunted as she walked back towards the others, followed by Shin and Kibito. Gohan and the others had seen what had transpired and knew it was Shin who had won the last match for Hercule. They waited eagerly to hear his explanation for what had occurred. 18 walked over to the side of Krillen as everyone stared intently at Shin and Kibito.
"I would like to speak to Gohan and Vegeta in private if I may," said Shin.
"Whatever you have to say you can say in front of all of us," said Krillen emphatically.
"Krillen, be quiet!" yelled Piccolo.
Krillen turned to Piccolo in surprise. "What's wrong with you?"
"It is quite alright Piccolo. Sooner or later I had to reveal my identity." Shin then turned to face everyone and nonchalantly announced who he was. "You are all probably wondering who I am and how I have the power to freeze someone. Well it is simple really. I am the Supreme Kai."
Aside from Piccolo, everyone looked at Shin and Kibito confused for a few seconds before breaking into laughter. Even Vegeta was chuckling at the ludicrous claim by Shin.
"Shut up you imbeciles. How dare you laugh at the Supreme Kai! Show some respect," yelled a furious Kibito.
"Wait are you being serious, are you actually the Supreme Kai?" questioned Gohan.
"Yes," replied Shin tersely.
"What do you think Piccolo?" asked Krillen.
"He is who he says he is. I have known for a while now."
"So that is why you forfeited your match," said Gohan.
"Yes, I had suspicions before the match and he verified them after. But what I don't know is why he is here and why he helped Hercule win the last match."
"All will be explained soon enough but right now I would like to speak with Vegeta and Gohan privately," said Shin.
"No. Whatever you can say to Gohan you can say in front of all of us," said Videl.
"We should go," said Piccolo, ignoring Videl while leading the others towards the stands.
"It's okay Videl, I will see you after the match," said Gohan reassuringly.
After a few seconds of deliberation Videl decided to comply with Shin's request. "I'll be waiting for you."
"Thank you," said Gohan before Videl walked off along with the others.
"This is lame," muttered Trunks to Goten. "The king of the gods comes to our planet and we don't even get to hear what is going on."
"It must be important. I wonder if there is an evil monster that he needs help destroying."
"Well if there is some monster I am going to fight it too. We're both saiyan, we should get to fight alongside dad and Gohan."
"That would be so cool. We would totally beat that monster."
After a few moments, only Gohan and Vegeta remained along with Shin and Kibito.
"How funny," said Vegeta. "The Supreme Kai needs our help, am I right. Why else would you come to this out of the way little planet?"
"I will explain why I am here soon but right now there is a more important task at hand. Your match has been delayed for a few minutes so that I could talk with the two of you," said Shin.
"What about?" asked Gohan.
"You two cannot fight your match. One of you must forfeit now."
"Forfeit! A saiyan does not forfeit before a battle. We will fight whether you like it or not."
Kibito stepped forward to respond to Vegeta's brash behavior but Shin put his arm out to stop his servant.
"I know the saiyans are notorious for their love of battle but this is not the time."
"And why exactly is that? You have a lot of orders but you are not giving a lot of answers. I don't care if you are the Supreme Kai, either explain yourself or get out of my way," said Vegeta.
"There is one simple reason why one of you must forfeit. If you two fight, no doubt you will both be severely weakened after the match since you are both very evenly matched. Liev and Tasids are in perfect condition now and if they see the two of you in a weakened state there is no telling what they will do."
"So you must know who they are," said Gohan.
"Yes, we know very well."
"Well who are they then?" demanded an irritated Vegeta.
"Suffice it to say they are not from this planet and they are not here with peaceful intentions."
"Great. Well I have news for you, I am not forfeiting and neither is Gohan. I will beat Gohan and then I will track down those two rejects and beat them both to a bloody pulp. I am the prince of all saiyans and I will not forfeit. I will not be intimidated by anyone!"
"Do you really wish to fight Gohan or is there someone else you would rather fight?"
"What are you getting at?"
"I will make you a deal. If you forfeit the match then I will promise you a battle with the one person you wish to fight above all others."
"Kakkarot!"
"Precisely."
"How can you do that? He is dead."
"I am the Supreme Kai. I will allow the two of you to battle in the otherworld. After you die, I will transport you to where Goku is currently training. I will allow you that one fight, in order to regain your battered saiyan pride. I will allow you revenge for all of your humiliating defeats."
Vegeta looked at the floor ardently mulling over his options. He was angered by the Supreme Kai's words but more so intrigued by his offer.
"You guarantee that I will be able to fight Kakkarot in the otherworld."
"On the word of the Supreme Kai you have my promise."
"Fine, I will forfeit then. But if you don't deliver your promise, there will be hell to pay. I will tear the otherworld apart if you back out on your promise."
"I would expect nothing less."
Vegeta then walked up to the announcer and announced his forfeit. He then walked to the stands while ignoring the booing from the crowd, who were angered over yet another forfeit. Gohan was left alone now in the waiting area with Shin and Kibito.
"Now that you are in the finals there is something you must know," said Shin.
"Let me guess, you want me to lose to Hercule."
"Yes, how did you know?" asked a surprised Shin.
"Why else would you have allowed him to win against 18? I still don't know why you want him to win or how this relates to Liev and Tasids."
"It is not important who they are but rather why they are here."
"Well why are they here?"
"They are here on strict orders. Their orders are to publically execute the winner of this tournament here today."
"What! Don't tell me you want Hercule to win so that he will be the one executed!"
"That is precisely right."
Gohan stared vexingly at Shin. "But why, why do you want Hercule to be executed?"
"I have nothing against the man. His role in this plan is bigger than himself."
"I am stronger than Tasids and Vegeta proved that he was stronger than Liev, there is no reason we cannot fight them outside of this tournament. We can fight them right now and forego this stupid tournament. No innocent people have to die!"
"It is not that simple. It is imperative that Liev and Tasids succeed in their mission."
"There has to be another way. You are the Supreme Kai, can't you think of a better plan than this?"
"Gohan, you have no idea what is going on in the universe now. The fate of the universe will be dictated by this day. I know this sounds farfetched but you have to believe me."
Gohan could not believe what he was hearing. All his life he fought to protect the weak and now he was being asked to watch another human being die, without exerting any effort in defense. Gohan was upset when he first learned of what Hercule had done; how he had taken credit for Gohan's heroics and how he had slandered the name of his family and friends. That animosity had passed though. Despite what he had done, Gohan knew the man did not deserve to die. No man deserved to die the way The Supreme Kai intended.
"Gohan, if you do not allow Hercule to be executed than millions of people may die, and not just on this planet."
"Does he know?" asked a now deflated Gohan.
"Yes, he knows everything that is happening and he is resigned to his fate. We gave him the choice to back out but he wanted to be the one. He said it was the only way to make up for all he had done these past few years."
"Videl, how will she react to this?" thought Gohan.
Kibito now stepped forward to address Gohan. "You will fight Hercule at his level of fighting ability and you will make it appear as if the two of you are evenly matched. After sufficient time, you will allow him to defeat you. We will make sure nobody interferes and that Liev and Tasids have a clear path to the ring. Once you begin your match, we will tell the others exactly what we have told you so they will not be surprised."
"Before I agree to do this," said Gohan emotionally with his fists clenched at his side and sweat dripping down his forehead, "Look me in the eyes and tell me there is no other way. Tell me the only way I can save the planet is by watching this one man die."
"I am sorry, but there is no other way," said Shin. "I wish we could explain the entire situation now but there simply is not time. After the tournament you will understand completely."
Gohan walked towards the ring, content to end their conversation there. Hercule was waiting solemnly in the ring, staring at Gohan as he entered. The fans were going crazy with applause as both fighters stood on opposite ends. Even Chichi and the others were standing on their seats waving to Gohan and cheering for him. Gohan ignored all the applause and turned to look at Hercule. Gohan had looked death in the face many times but those experiences did not prepare him for this moment. He was looking a dead man in the eyes, only moments from now he would have to stand in the ring and watch this man die. Gohan reflected on his father who championed for the weak. Gohan was far more intelligent than his father yet he lacked his wisdom. Gohan knew his father would not accept this, even if it came from the Supreme Kai.
The fans stood on the edge of the seats, eager to watch the man who beat Cell versus the boy who fought Cell. The two least excited people in the whole city were the two standing in the middle of the ring. They were the two who would participate in a match that would live in infamy. A match that would lead to what Gohan could only assume to be another period of fighting and tragedy. This is what happened when the life of a saiyan mixed with the emotions of a human, a continual struggle of right versus wrong.
The announcer, after a minute of hyping the match, rang the bell and began the finals. Hercule looked at Gohan and gave him a slight nod of the head, signifying his understanding. Gohan could not move to fight but continued to look on in anger. To most it appeared that Gohan was inimical to the champ. His anger lied elsewhere though.
Hercule could sense the internal struggle inside of Gohan and decided to make it easier on the boy, by making the first move. Hercule charged at Gohan and jumped high into the air, over and behind him. Hercule then aimed a kick at the back of Gohan's knee causing it to buckle and Gohan to fall to one knee. The kick did not affect Gohan in the slightest but Gohan acted as if it did. Hercule followed this up with a kick to the back that caused Gohan to tumble across the ring.
Gohan crouched on one knee, staring into the crowd and towards his family. They all looked back in surprise, unaware of the situation and surprised by Gohan's unwillingness to fight. Hercule charged once more at Gohan and kicked him in the back of the head trying to force him out of bounds. Gohan flew a few inches towards the edge of the ring but stopped right before falling out. He continued to crouch on one knee, trying to reconcile the situation.
"He does not seem to want to lose," said Kibito.
"I have faith that he will do what is right."
"And if he doesn't?
"Then I will do what is right for him."
Gohan slowly got to his feet and turned around to face Hercule. The noise from the crowd was deafening to all that did not stand in the ring. Hercule crouched once more and charged full speed at Gohan aiming a kick at his head. Gohan ducked the kick by inches and tried to counter with a punch that was easily blocked to the side. An exchange of punches and kicks continued between the two fighters with neither gaining any obvious advantage.
"What are you doing?" asked Hercule.
"I can't let you win," said Gohan as he ducked a punch from Hercule.
"This can't last forever. Eventually you will have to let me win."
"No!" screamed Gohan as he jumped twenty feet in the air and landed on the far side of the arena. He then charged at Hercule faster than the human eye could see. Shin noticed this change in tactics and was quick to freeze Gohan before he could reach Hercule. Hercule turned around and kicked the frozen Gohan in the stomach and then elbowed him in the neck.
"It looks like it ends here kid," said Hercule as he picked up Gohan and threw him to the edge of the ring.
It was like slow motion as Gohan inched towards the edge of the ring, feeling helpless as 18 had felt not long ago.
It will not end this way. I cannot lose this match and let him die!"
Gohan's hair flickered to Gold as he powered up as much as he could. He could feel himself regain control of his body from under Shin's control. His head was one inch from the ground at the time he was able to regain complete control. He floated above the ground, horizontally, in his super saiyan form before levitating back to the ring. The crowd cheered in applause anxious to see how this new development would affect the outcome of the match.
Shocked by this development, Kibito turned to see his master's reaction. Shin seemed pleased to see Gohan break out of his hold, despite this contradicting his plan. Piccolo and Vegeta were standing next to Shin, intently watching the match. They had been informed moments earlier about the developments and were now waiting to see if Gohan would comply with the supreme Kai's orders. Everyone had been informed about the plans except for Videl. Shin decided it was better that she did not know, she would only get in the way of his plans.
Gohan walked towards Hercule, his super saiyan aura forcing the world champion to retreat towards the edge of the ring.
"What are you doing? Why won't you just lose?" asked Hercule.
"I cannot let you die. I refuse to allow anyone innocent to die."
"Innocent, you think I am innocent? I took credit for your defeat of Cell. All I have done is embarrass you and your friends, and embarrass myself. My daughter can't even stand to be around me!" Hercule threw down his fist violently and charged at Gohan. Gohan dodged Hercule's punches with ease.
"I need to do this. If my dying is enough to make up for all my mistakes, then I gladly accept it."
"How can you say that? Do you think it is best for Videl for her to watch you die, her father?"
Hercule continued to punch wildly at Gohan as the saiyan continued to dodge with ease. "The best thing I can do for Videl is to make sure she is safe and happy. I have to die to help this planet and I have to die to help my daughter. I have already made up my mind. Who are you to say what I should do with my own life."
Gohan froze after Hercule's last statement. He was right. Gohan had no right to control Hercule's life. He was no better than Shin who devised this plot or Liev and Tasids who intended to execute it.
"What about Videl? She will be crushed."
"I am not immortal, I was not meant to live forever. At least I can die for a greater cause. I am sure one day she will come to understand that." Hercule's tone lightened up as he continued to address Gohan. "I can see how deeply Videl cares for you. Promise me you will take care of her after I am gone. Promise me you will keep her safe."
"I promise you. I will never let anything bad happen to Videl," Gohan said resolutely.
"Thank you."
Hercule smiled as he prepared to end the match. Gohan charged at him from ten feet off and aimed a slow punch at Hercule's face. Hercule countered by doing a back flip and in the process kicking Gohan in the chin. Once he landed on his feet Hercule focused all his might into his Dynamite punch and landed it perfectly into Gohan's abdomen. Gohan flew all the way to the edge of the ring and hit the stone wall before falling to the ground.
The match was over. Gohan was lying on the grass. Hercule was standing in the center of the ring. The crowd was celebrating wildly; people were standing on their seats and screaming at the top of their lungs, rejoicing in their hero's victory. A similar scene was taking place across the world, as doubts were finally erased over who truly defeated Cell. The boy who fought Cell was real, but the person who defeated Cell was the World Champion, or so now everyone took to be a fact. As the crowd cheered and the announcer gave a resounding speech in celebration, Hercule just stood solemnly in the center of the ring. Despite the intensity of the screaming, it was as if Hercule was standing in the middle of a forest, completely quiet and serene. Hercule kept his hands at his sides and stared out towards the crowd, scanning for his daughter. He did not win the tournament because he was the strongest. He did not win because he was the most intelligent. He won because of his resolve. He won the tournament for his daughter. He would accept his prize on behalf of the entire planet.
Tasids and Liev landed behind Hercule in the ring. He could not sense power levels, but Hercule knew they were there. He continued to stand still as the two monsters walked slowly towards him. Liev drew out a small silver blade from his pocket and held it high above his head, showing it for the whole world to see. The cheering from the crowd now turned to screams of horror as everyone desperately tried to alert Hercule of the situation, but to no avail. Gohan stood at the corner of the ring and painfully watched the events to come. Liev grabbed the left side of Hercule's neck and using his right hand jammed his blade straight down, severing the veins. Blood started to spurt in all directions as Hercule lost his balance and fell to the ground. A puddle of blood started to form around his head as he lay there unconscious. Tournament officials and security were kept out of the ring by the Supreme Kai's body control power. Videl fervently flew to the ring but was cut off by Gohan.
"Out of my way! I need to help him!" screamed Videl at the top of her lungs.
Gohan grabbed on to her shoulders and kept her from entering the ring. He did not say a word. He kept his gaze away from her face. He knew he could not hold her back if he saw the look of pain on her face. Videl was crying profusely as she struggled to get to the ring. She kicked and punched Gohan with all her might but it did nothing. He continued to stand there, holding her back, in essence preventing her father any chance to salvage his life. It was too late though. The world looked on as their champion, their savior, their inspiration, lay in the center of the ring, lifeless.
/
NOTE: I combined the last two chapters into one. This is the end of the World Martial Arts Arc, I hope you have enjoyed it. Now the real story will begin.
