Title: Bittersweet Moonshine
Author: dem bones
Genres: Western/Romance
Pairings: Main Gohan/Piccolo, Main Yamcha/Tien, brief and mentioned Goku/Chi-Chi
Summary: RDR AU. 10 years since Cell killed his father, Gohan plots his revenge and won't let anyone get in his way. Will he get his revenge or will he die before he gets the chance?
Warnings: Slash, mentioned past character death, character death, human characters, every alien species other than saiyans and frost demons exist, namekians too, a very canon hermaphrodite, steampunk, Chi-Chi/Goku is brief, other than that it gets mentioned, Piccolo is demiromantic asexual, Gohan is demisexual, Yes, I made Piccolo asexual that don't mean this ain't gonna be slash, if anyone thinks an asexual can't have sex well I can't help you if you choose not to look it up.
A/N: This originally had Vegeta/Bulma in there but when I plotted out my fanfic Vegeta wasn't behaving. Also contrary to the summary, this doesn't follow DBZ at all. I took liberties with the plot. The characters are mostly the same, though some of the OOC choices are deliberate. I've only read Dragon Ball, watched bits of that anime, bits of Z, watched Battle of the gods and all of Abridged. This fic is going off of my memory of the characters in Z (yes the english dub) and the tiny refresher snippets on youtube because I don't want to read or watch DBZ or anything after that unless I have to.
A/N 2: Side note: I only have 2 chapters written and may not return to this for a long time but I do not want to risk this story being wiped from my flashdrive. Don't worry though I got a longer fanfic that I am posting with Gohan/Piccolo. Yes, that's Gohan/Piccolo not Piccolo/Gohan.
Chapter 1
The west was known for many things: bars, guns, horses but the last thing it had been prepared for was aliens. In particular one alien had wrecked havoc.
Rumors had gone around it had come from space, others thought it might have come from some space pod underground.
The moment it first appeared was at Ginger's bar absorbing some of the town's best shooters with some hose-like apparatus coming from it's backside. It was a green creature with yellow eyes, an orange bug-like mouth, a tail and with a set of long bug-like wings hanging down from it's shoulders and reaching it's knees. The creature had a set of two humanoid arms, hands, legs and feet.
Goku and his friends: Yamcha and Tien had been passing town on their horses and offered to help the small perilous town.
At that point, he'd managed to trap the creature in a corner until it blinded them with a bright light.
Goku had fired his gun multiple times. Even if he couldn't see, Goku's aim was practiced enough he could hit the target with his eyes closed.
After the battle he had thought it was the end.
Three days later, he'd received a letter delivered to his address. The creature who had dubbed himself as Cell wanted a one on one gun battle with Goku. If he didn't listen to his demands, Cell would eat more people until he got the battle he desired.
Goku lifted a curtain covering one of the living room windows peering outside from a small corner in such a way no one could tell he was looking outside.
Their house stood on a hill which overlooked Ox town. It had once belonged to his father in law who was the mayor in the past.
Goku had raised a family with the mayor's daughter, Chi-Chi and had a son named Gohan.
Even with his famed abilities, there was no predicting what would happen if he'd died at the hands of Cell.
Who would protect his family? Gohan was too young, too innocent never holding a gun in his life.
Cell had evaded his gunpower once he could easily do it again.
"Goku, that creature has been at it for days. It's been eating people left and right. It's not leaving anytime soon," Chi-Chi said.
Goku loaded his rifle with bullets.
A chilling voice radiated through the boards of their house.
"My my, do you think you could hide in there forever?"
Goku snuck a peak outside seeing Cell in front of his house holding up an unconscious man by the back of his shirt. The apparatus on his backside was in the middle of sucking the life force out of a woman based on the dress which besides her legs were the only things dangling out.
Goku opened the window holding his rifle outside as Cell stood there waiting.
He fired the gun.
Cell caught the bullet in his right hand.
It chuckled.
"Is that the best the Monkey Shooter has to offer?"
It crushed the bullet sending it to the ground.
"Come out now wouldn't want your family to think you're a spineless chicken would you?"
Goku stepped back from the window and headed towards his bedroom.
Chi-Chi grabbed his upper arm in an attempt to stop him.
"Goku don't be foolish. He'll kill you."
Goku merely smiled.
"It's not a matter of life and death. If I don't stop him you and Gohan will die."
"He won't stop once you're dead."
"I know."
It hit her for the first time, Goku's smile wasn't intended to ease her worry. It was a parting gesture, a way to say goodbye.
He dug into his bedside table to retrieve some bullets. The bullets were specifically made for his gun created by one of his friends, Bulma. Unlike other bullets, his were specifically made to pack more of a punch.
He only ever used them when he fought enemies who required more gunpower opponents like Marshall Piccolo, one of many aliens Goku had fought. Goku typically preferred not to use it on opponents where it was certain to issue a bloody and messy death preferring a battle with even stakes.
It was clear however this had proved to be a mistake and his family was paying the price for him.
"Listen you and Gohan need to get away from here. If I can rig the area to set on fire you two can escape to the basement. Your dad created a secret passage behind the bookshelf that leads to a safehouse. You two will be safe from Cell. I'll distract him it's the only way you two will be able to escape alive."
Chi-Chi sniffed.
"Don't."
"I wouldn't do it if I had any other choice," Goku said. "Go."
He shoved her away.
Chi-Chi called out to Gohan.
He joined up with her.
"Dad wants us to head to the basement."
"Are we in danger?"
Chi-Chi nodded.
Gohan ran back to his room and brought back his pistol, it was a custom model which Bulma had made for his birthday.
He rejoined Chi-Chi before she lead them to the basement. Chi-Chi locked the door behind them and placed her hands on the bookshelf. She turned towards Gohan who looked towards the locked basement door with a pensive look.
"Help me," she said in desperation.
Gohan was startled from his daze and joined her setting his pistol on the ground and helping her move the bookshelf aside. There was a small door behind it about 3 feet high.
She gestured to Gohan who had retaken his pistol off the ground.
"Let's go Gohan."
"We can't just leave him, mom."
"If we stay here your father's sacrifice will be in vain."
Gohan gritted his teeth glaring at her.
"I didn't ask him to rescue me. "
"Gohan."
Gohan loaded his gun with bullets from a bag slung around his waist.
"What if he needs our help? We got to stay here."
Chi-Chi saw the hope sparkle in his eyes and couldn't work up the nerve to tell him the truth.
"Fine, we'll stay. Fifteen minutes, it'll be less if I think it's too dangerous."
The sound akin to a firework burst through the house causing the foundation to tremble.
Minutes later they heard the sound of someone busting the door down.
"Why don't you come out and face me like a man? Oh I forgot you like to play dirty."
Gohan heard screams and then the sound of a firework burst through the house once more. He heard the sound of something break like a piece of wood cut in two.
The screams were no more instead they were replaced with questing footsteps.
"Gohan, we're going," Chi-Chi whispered dragging the paralyzed Gohan towards the passage way. "Help me move the bookshelf."
Gohan moved the bookshelf over the passageway obscuring themselves then he rejoined with Chi-Chi.
He didn't need to ask her to know who those screams belonged to. Gohan didn't think Cell was the type to scream even if he were dead.
The thought was sobering as the two headed for the safehouse.