Chapter 84: Stand

Okay, so a couple of people were not entirely happy with SSJ3 Break. Well...I'm just trying to follow the 'rules' I set up. Namely, Super Saiyan 3 can only be achieved through 'special circumstances': Canon Goku and BTtL Raditz both had Otherworld training and a spirit body, Gotenks was a fusion and had HTC training, and both Break's combined SSJ2 and LSSJ (present Break had HTC training as well). So...yeah. That's the logic for Break, rather than, say, Gohan, getting SSJ3.

Also, Gohan's theme from now on, I think, is going to be Archangel by Two Steps From Hell.

Oh, finally, on the scientific accuracy in this chapter (and probable complete lack thereof)...this is Dragon Ball, the series in which the main character extends a pole to climb to the moon and deposit a gang of evil rabbit-themed criminals (and their boss, a giant rabbit who turns people into carrots) there so they can make toys for children. (And, more recently, superhuman fighters tap into a mysterious force that lets them move faster than sound and blow up planets.) SCIENTIFIC ACCURACY IS NOT THE WATCHWORD. (Not that you can't introduce scientific accuracy—some writers have done very well in that direction—but I'm not going to.)

Finding himself confronted with Goten, of all people, Majin Buu had to pause a moment, marvelling at the tenacity of this world's warriors. So many have fallen before me, and they still fight on...even when hopelessly outmatched...

Buu's eye twitched as the three-eyed man stood resolute. "Who do you...think you are?" Tien remained silent, waiting stoically for Buu to make a move. "Fine!" Buu cried, whipping its arm around and lashing out with a horizontally-slicing energy wave.

Tien jumped, feeling the searing heat pass just beneath him, and didn't waste time in returning fire. "Tri-Beam!" His signature technique leapt forth, crashing into Buu. Hah! he thought. Dead-on target!

"You're good..." a blow from behind knocked Tien flat on his face, and he blacked out. Buu flexed its fingers. "I...felt that..." A chill swept down the back of Buu's neck—if even one of their weaker fighters could do this...! The realisation began to dawn on Buu that it didn't know a thing about its enemies, their strengths or weaknesses, their incredible transformations and unusual techniques...

...and right here was the solution to all that.

Buu scratched his head idly. "So...how, exactly, are you planning on stopping me?"

Goten grinned nervously. "Well, uh...I thought I'd start with this!" Sudden force came into his words, and he swung his arms forwards, a pulse of ki rushing down them. A shimmering hoop of energy, several metres across, coalesced around Buu, who hung where he was, perplexed. "And what is this...?"

The ring contracted with a twitch from Goten's fingers, wrapping around Buu and crushing inwards. "Hrrg...!" Buu grunted as the attack pressed in with surprising force, threatening to wrench his arms out of his sockets.

After a few seconds of this struggle, Buu sighed, rolling his eyes. Fine. I suppose I'll have to use some strength even for this little one... With frightening ease, Buu thrust his arms out, ripping through the attack. "Interesting. I'll have to credit you with a little intelligence, after all..."

Goten gulped. So much for that one...

Gohan blasted along at full speed. Hold on, Goten...I'm sorry to have to put you in this situation, but if we carried on as we were, we'd be dead for sure! He was making good progress, when something caught his attention. A ki signal? I thought Buu killed everybody...better check it out. But quickly—can't leave Goten on his own for any longer than I have to... With misgivings, he slowed his flight and began to descend.

Buu sped towards Goten, lacking the patience to put up with any more of the saiyan's attacks. He whipped one arm around, grabbing the front of Goten's shirt and pulling him into close range, throwing a knee strike into Goten's stomach to keep him off-balance.

Goten growled, gripping the wrist at his throat one-handed and staring up into Buu's eyes. It was not empty defiance—twin energy beams lanced out of Goten's eyes, piercing right into Buu's and out the back of his head. The gambit—to get past Buu's superior strength with a combination of surprise, hitting a weak point, and a focused attack—had paid off. With Buu now reeling with pain, Goten concentrated yet more power into a blade-like shape enveloping one hand. Swinging it downwards, he sawed right through Buu's wrist, freeing himself. Before Buu could recover, Goten sped away, getting back to a safe distance and readying himself for his enemy's counterattack.

Buu used his remaining hand to snatch the detached one out of the air, reattaching it to his bloodless wrist-stump. His eyes regrew with an unpleasant sucking sound, and he frowned. "A clever ploy...had I been a normal opponent, you would have won this battle there and then..." I see...he wasn't able to attain the strength the others could, so he focused on developing unusual techniques...

"I'm just getting started!" Goten swung his head and shoulders back, drawing in an exaggerated breath.

Buu raised an eyebrow. His ki is rising fast...whatever it is, I shouldn't give him the chance to— "Gyaah!" Buu explained as he was suddenly grappled from behind. Eighteen hung grimly on, struggling to keep Buu still. "Couldn't...sense me...coming, huh?"

"You...?!" Buu gasped. "I killed you!"

"Did you?" Eighteen grinned despite herself. "Your knowledge of...me is outdated! A broken...neck's no problem!" There was still a bruise on her neck, but she'd twisted her head back around to face front and let the mechanical vertebrae reattach themselves. "Goten!" she barked. "Hit him with everything you've got!"

"Right!" Buu will take the brunt of it—she should be fine. In theory. Goten swung his head back up, exhaling—and something strange emerged with his breath.

It was the archetypal image of a ghost—a white, floating thing, humanoid from the torso up, lower half trailing off into a hovering 'tail'. Its face and hair was a perfect simulacrum of Goten's, and it grinned maliciously. It stuck its tongue out at Buu. "Nyaa!" it squealed, in a high-pitched imitation of Goten's voice.

As Buu and Eighteen stared blankly, Goten pointed straight at Buu. "The Kamikaze Ghost Attack, I call it. Not bad, huh?" His face grew serious, and the ghost prepared to charge. "This attack will be the end of you, Buu. You shouldn't have killed my mom and dad!"

"...when Buu came crashing in, I thought it was the end!" Dende—the ki Gohan had sensed—was saying. "But Chi-Chi and Chiaotzu were there, and they bought us a couple of seconds. In that time, Mr. Popo was able to throw me off the Lookout."

Gohan's face lit up. "And if you're still alive, the Dragon Balls...! There's still hope for everyone Buu's killed!" He remembered himself and his brother, taking off. "Sorry, Dende, I've gotta hurry! You've got a little ki-use it! Find somewhere to hide! You, of all people, have to survive!" Then he was gone.

Gohan landed outside his mountain home, Shifting through the wall to get in. He raced into his room, rummaged in his cupboard for a minute, and found the item he was looking for—a cryo-stasis container he'd taken from Nemea, all those years ago. Quietly, like a sleeping predator, it had sat half-forgotten in his room for all this time. He cracked it open, feeling a wave of cold air wash over him as steam billowed out from the small case.

He reached in, shivering, and from the blue-lit interior drew out its occupant—a round, red, rough-textured fruit. So innocuous-looking... he held the thing up in his hand, contemplating it. When Turles ate the fruit from the Tree of Might, it gave him great power, but made him mentally unstable. Is it worth the risk...? The enormity of all they had lost pressed down on him suddenly. What am I thinking? Of course it is.

Well, here goes...the last fruit. He took a deep breath, raised it to his mouth, and sank his teeth in.

The ghost flew as if shot from a cannon, hitting Buu head-on and exploding. Eighteen dived out of the way, riding the blast wave to the ground. Goten knew the attack wasn't enough to kill Buu on its own, and charged at Buu, building up his energy as he approached. The smoke cleared to show a giant hole blown in Buu's chest, the creature gasping and coughing as he tried to concentrate enough to regenerate. Goten didn't intend to give him the time. "Ka, me...k-ha, me..."

Buu grimaced. "Rrr..." An idea struck him, with just a moment to spare. "SOLAR FLARE!" Tien's ever-useful technique blinded the unprepared Goten, and Buu's arm shot out, knocking Goten away. Buu quickly regenerated the horrendous damage he'd suffered, then rushed down after Goten. They landed at about the same time, Goten's body sandwiched between the ground and Buu's knee. "Hah!" Buu called out in delight as Goten collapsed, hair fading to black. Buu's senses alerted him just in time to dodge an energy beam from Eighteen. He spun, timing his kick just right to catch her in the head as she approached, firing off Tien's Dodon Ray after her to make sure she stayed down.

"Hmm..." Buu considered the situation. Of Piccolo, Break, Eighteen and Goten, none of them were actually dead. "I must be losing my touch...well, I suppose I can finish them all at my leisure now—huh?"

Slowly, his head turned towards the distant mountains. "What is this...power...?"

...power! Gohan realised. So much... he felt it coursing through him, fire in his veins. He raised his arms, almost involuntarily going Super Saiyan—there was just too much power to contain in his base form. The burst of energy wrecked the house, but he barely noticed. "Hhh...rrrgghhh..." Still...too much! Super Saiyan wasn't enough. He growled, pulling himself up into Super Saiyan 2 and filling the air with dancing lightning bolts. They crossed and flowed through his vision, growing quickly more intense as the power boiled up inside of him.

There's still...too much...to contain! "Hhhh..." Wait...why am I trying to keep it in...? "HAAAAAAAH—!" With a primal yell, he stopped trying, and let it out in a storm of gold and blue.

The sky darkened, and Buu tensed up. "So they were covering for Gohan...but what did he do?!" Jagged yellow forks of lightning split the sky, illuminating Buu's grim visage against the unnatural gloom.

A writhing mass of electricity erupted over the mountains, golden bolts rushing out like a tidal wave, wreaking havoc where they touched the ground, reaching Buu and washing over him. And he could have sworn that he heard...a voice? At this distance?

"AAAAAAAAAHHH...!" A figure, distant but distinct, bathed in glorious light, was rising over the mountains. "—AAAAAAAAAA—" The wave of energy continued to expand, and the mountains crumbled—slowly at first, then far faster, tumbling down, the ancient kings of the earth overthrown by this godlike being rising above them. "—AAAAAAAAAAH—!" The electricity swirled back towards him, focusing into a twisting vortex rising from the ground up towards Gohan's incandescent form.

Then, without warning, Gohan Shifted into view a few metres from Buu. "Gah!" Buu flinched back, gazing in confusion at his enemy's changed appearance. "You've...transformed! Like the others!"

"Yeah," Gohan agreed. "I was surprised myself, but you're right. I've become a Super Saiyan Three..." Normally, when a transformation completed, the associated pyrotechnics fade away. Not so here. Perhaps because of the uncontrollable nature of the Tree of Might's energy—for whatever reason, the storm continued to rage around them.

"F-Fool...!" Buu forced a smile, clenching one fist in front of his face. "I've proven more than once that your third level is no match for me!"

"That so." Gohan settled into a combat-ready stance. "Be that as it may, you've been fighting non-stop for a long time now. Your energy can recover, just like your body, but it takes time. You're nowhere near your peak right now!"

"Let's test that!" Buu snarled. They flew at each other, each readying an opening blow. Buu's hand swung wide as Gohan angled away slightly, but Gohan's punch got through, smashing into Buu's face with the force of a supernova. Buu's head snapped back, coughing up blood. "My mother!" Gohan spat, not giving Buu time to hit back and kicking him in the stomach, his foot making an imprint in the rubbery material. "My father!" He brought both hands down on the back of Buu's head, the thundering blow sending Buu hurtling to the ground below, throwing up a shower of rock. "Not to mention everyone on Earth! This is the turning point, Buu—I won't lose to you!"

Buu blearily raised his head, trying to clear his vision. He heard footsteps behind him. "Get up," Gohan's voice demanded. Buu scrambled to his feet, desperately trying to regenerate the damage he'd taken. "You're gonna pay for all the people you've hurt."

Buu straightened up, assuming one of Tien's stances. "Feh...I didn't think I'd have to use this much effort one you. Well...now, the real fight begins."

With little to no warning, Buu was upon him, madly attacking. Gohan retreated, blocking as fast as he could, but every blow was barely deflected enough. A grabbing hand pulled Gohan's leg out from under him and he fell backwards. Buu took advantage of his disorientation. "D'you know, I think I'm getting hungry!" he decided, firing the transmogrification beam from his antenna. Gohan flipped away into the air, dodging it, but as he righted himself Buu shoulder-barged into him, then punched him away through the air again. Buu fired off a ki blast after Gohan, but before it struck him Gohan Shifted away to just behind Buu. He flung his ki out, staggering Buu, then landed a heavy kick to the side of Buu's head. Buu reeled, furious, and Gohan closed in to press his advantage. He swung through an afterimage, however, the real Buu being slightly to the left. Buu struck at Gohan's undefended flank, driving an elbow home, then a kick, then a dozen more blows in rapid succession. Gohan was flung left and right as Buu's fists and feet battered his body, until finally Buu's overconfidence gave him an opening.

Buu felt a sudden grip on his right wrist, then his left, and then a rush of air as Gohan swung him around in a full circle. "Wh-whaa—!" Buu gasped, then Gohan let go, flinging Buu up high into the atmosphere. Snarling, Buu wrenched his flight to a halt. "Damn...you...!" The storm created by Gohan's transformation still roared around him, as if the planet itself was screaming its defiance at its would-be conqueror. "I. Have. Had. ENOUGH!" Buu yelled. "You all fight so hard to defend this planet...you won't have to worry about that for long! Ahahahahaaa!" He realised he was raving—laughing maniacally, even. So stereotypically villainous...but then, why shouldn't I be? I'm about to destroy this entire world for no other reason than the fact that it's getting on my nerves, after all. "I wonder, can you survive in the vacuum of space?" Tien's memories tell me...not for long enough. He began to gather his energy, pouring his titanic reserves of ki into his arms, letting it flow up into his hands and coalesce into physical form. He raised his hands, turning down to face the planet and putting his fingers into a triangular position. So many useful techniques—I definitely made the right choice when I absorbed this one.

Far below, Gohan grimaced. So much ki...! I can't deflect that! Can't Shift it away either; the Tri-Beam creates an instantaneous explosion, not something I can hold back like his attack before...

Wait. I don't have to. An idea had struck him. A completely mad idea, one that would cause a terrible amount of damage. But...Dende and the Dragon Balls might survive. And that's the most important thing.

He flared up his aura and took off, calling on all of his speed to carry him a full quarter of the way around the world in minutes—seconds—he was there. No time to waste! He lowered his hands to his right side. "KA...ME..."

Buu frowned. "What does he think he's playing at...? The Tri-Beam far outclasses the Kamehameha in destructive power, he knows that! And what's he going to do, so far away?"

Gohan kept on building his power, but didn't ignite it into light form, keeping it all as pure force. "HA..." Suddenly, he swung around in the air, turning to face Earth. "ME...!"

Raditz, far away, managed to stand. "Buu...he's going to destroy everything! I can't let him...!"

Launch nodded. "Right, but what can we—"

Guys! It was Gohan's voice, speaking directly into their minds.

Gohan? Raditz was puzzled. When did you learn telepathy?

Piccolo taught me in the Chamber. He was a lot more co-operative when Break surpassed him...uh...not important right now! You can feel Buu's power?

Yeah! Launch replied. You want us to help you deflect it?

Gohan's voice was grim. Not sure if we can! Look, I've got a plan, but I need Raditz back at Super Saiyan 3!

Sorry, I'm in seriously bad shape...

I got it. Launch reached both hands up and placed them on her lover's shoulders. "Here." Raditz felt a curious rushing sensation as Launch swiftly transferred as much of her ki as possible to him.

"Thanks!" Raditz made a defiant fist with his good arm. "I'm not at 100%, but that'll definitely let me transform!" Okay, Gohan; what's the plan?

We've only got a couple seconds until he fires! So do exactly as I say, no questions!

A few seconds later, Gohan had outlined his plan, and though he looked worried, Raditz agreed. "All right..." He raised two fingers to his forehead, and was gone.

Grinning madly to himself, Buu fired, releasing the colossal build-up of energy straight down at the Earth. "Whatever you're doing, it won't work! TRI-BEAM—HAAAA!"

Gohan swung his hands forwards. Now! "HHHHAAAA!" What was released was not an energy beam, as such; Gohan had no wish to destroy the Earth. It was a pure, expansive wave of un-ignited force.

Not an energy beam, but the most massive kiai ever unleashed in the history of the universe.

Not to destroy the Earth at all. Gohan was moving the Earth.

Buu watched, first with surprise, then curiosity, then as he saw what was happening, with utter dumbfounded incredulity. As his Tri-Beam neared it, the Earth simply leapt sideways! The Tri-Beam passed it by harmlessly, and Buu's eyes tracked the retreating planet with disbelief as it continued to move away from him. "What...I...he...what?!" he spluttered.

"This had better work!" Super Saiyan 3 Raditz, standing on the opposite side of the world to where Gohan had been, pushed off into the air, readying (one-handed) his own fully-charged kiai-Kamehameha; its energy carefully matched with Gohan's. "RrrrrrrrrrRRRAAAAHHHH!" He thrust the attack at the Earth, sending it hurtling back into its proper orbit.

Gohan breathed out as the Earth flew back towards him and he re-entered its atmosphere. He flew down and landed, pausing to take a breather. I can't believe...that worked! He stood up, taking off again and soaring back towards Buu. Can't stop now, or he'll recover his energy and I'll be no match for him.

Raditz appeared in front of Launch with Instant Transmission, collapsing and losing his transformation. "Hey..." he said weakly.

Launch had only just about recovered from the earthshaking events of the last few seconds, but managed to speak. "What did you just do?!"

"Gohan moved the planet," he mumbled. "I moved it back. Gonna just lie down for a week, 'kay?"

Buu faced Gohan again, confidence returned. "An unexpected ploy."

"You're not going to try that again soon," Gohan said, grinning. "Not with the amount of energy it used up."

"I don't need it!" Buu shouted. "Killing you will be easy!"

Gohan said nothing, waiting for Buu to attack. He didn't have to wait long—Buu launched himself at Gohan once more, and they collided in an explosion of energy, flinging them both away. Gohan wheeled around to attack again, but had to hastily dodge as Buu fired a volley of energy beams his way. He dodged through the rapid-fire attack, now feeling seriously drained from the gruelling battle. In truth, I'm surprised I've even lasted this long...Super Saiyan 3 drains a lot of power, and I've got no experience with it, yet I'm still in the fight. The Tree of Might really is something! He Shifted closer to Buu, punching straight for the demon's face. Buu raised an arm to block, but unexpectedly found himself punched from behind, Gohan's arm Shifting around to take him by surprise. Buu hissed, throwing a close-range energy ball, and Gohan opened another portal, Shifting it into his own hand and shoving it back into Buu's face, where it detonated. Buu screeched in pain, but at the same time kicked out, an unbelievably strong blow crashing into Gohan's stomach.

The half-saiyan grimaced, trying to stay upright. His strength's returning! Time to break out my two new techniques, I guess. Now or never, anyway. He closed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. Buu paused in pursuing Gohan, confused. "What are you trying now...?"

Gohan intoned flatly, "Dimension Step."

Buu raised an eyebrow. Eh?

Gohan Shifted out of sight. "That's all?" Buu laughed. "You've used this technique already—ah!" He saw Gohan appear, slightly further away, and struck out, but the Super Saiyan was gone. "Where—" Again, Gohan appeared; Buu struck, again too late.

It began happening faster, Gohan appearing and disappearing, sometimes seeming to be in two or three places at once, but never quite there; almost two-dimensional. He didn't assemble out of tiny fragments like Shifting usually enabled him to, nor did he simply appear as with Instant Transmission—instead, he seemed to be refracted, as if he was an image shined out of a prism. He faded and blinked constantly in and out of existence, moving randomly through the air around Buu.

"Where are you?!" Buu howled.

"I'm here, and not here," came Gohan's voice, a distant, echoing sound. "Shifting is using the fifth dimension to move, then coming back here. With this technique, I'm constantly phasing through—I'm never fully here or there." A fist struck Buu, but there was nothing to hit back at. Another. A third.

Buu fled, or tried to, but Gohan was faster, hammering more strikes into Buu's body, not allowing a moment's respite. He kept the barrage coming hard and fast, hoping to make sure Buu ran out of energy before he did.

Then—Gohan wasn't quite sure what happened. Buu's third eye, the main physical sign of his absorption of Tien, snapped open wide, glowing slightly. Buu's arm whipped out, and Gohan was wrenched back into reality. Before he could readjust, Buu's elbow cracked against his skull, smacking him down into the dirt.

Gohan spat earth and blood, hearing Buu's harsh, grating laugh.

"Hah!" Buu gloated. "Your friend Tien has more talent than he realises. This eye of his isn't just for show—and it let me see exactly when you were mostly in this world. Child's play, once I'd thought of it. Hahahah!"

Gohan struggled to his feet. I can't have long left in this form... "I...won't...lose...!"

"Saying it doesn't make it so," Buu taunted.

"I don't want...this world of emptiness!" Gohan spat through bloodied lips, trying to boost his own confidence. "You might have the upper hand now...but people like you...can never win."

"Oh? Is that a fact? HAH!" Buu flung his arms up to the heavens. "You haven't realised it yet? I'm invincible, you fool! I can't be killed!" And his harsh laughter rolled on.

Only enough energy left for this one attack...better make it count! "Rrrg...that laugh of yours..." Gohan prepared his final technique, one Goten had already employed—he formed a sword-like sheath of energy around his wrist and hand, holding it out to the side. "I'LL PUT AN END TO IT!"

"Heh." Buu drew back his fist as Gohan charged. They attacked in unison, Gohan's energy sword slicing at Buu as Buu's ki-loaded fist shot at Gohan's ribs. They collided, attacks tearing into each other with a great rush of wind and a final explosion of power.

In the quiet that followed, the two fighters stood facing each other, suspended half an inch off the ground. The familiar low crackle of energy permeated the air. A slow exhalation of breath. Blood dripped to the ground, staining the cracked rock and sizzling in the heat.

Bonus points if anybody knows where a couple of Gohan's lines in this chapter are from.

Anyway. Typed most of this on Saturday. I should probably do those essays I kind of need to do now.

Q: And while you did it unknowingly, thank you for ironing out whatever it was that made me dislike the characters here. I find their personalities less archetypal now, and actually pleasant.

And holy cr p, I just realized that this is my favourite DBZ fanfiction. How you snuck such a thing past my mental safeguards I don't know, but its happened. Expect the stalking to come later.

A: YESSSSSSS

Q: Super Buu absorbing people for their technique rather than just raw power. That is just... awesome. I personally predict that he'll absorb Piccolo and it will just be god awful (for the heroes I mean). Or Break, but that almost seems too predictable.

A: Uh-huh. We'll see.

Q: *Reads through your responses* I fell for the English Dub Trap? Bob Saget...I hate it when they do that. Still if he was afraid to fight Super Buu...wouldn't he be more frightened of Kid Buu since he was even more unpredictable?

A: Kid Buu was unpredictable and insane, yeah, but he was a lot weaker than Super Buu, as shown when Goku is able to fight him evenly. Speaking of English Dub Traps, there's one where Goku says Kid Buu got twice as strong as Super Buu. He didn't. That's stupid. (Unless he meant Fat Buu? That would be plausible? But if he did the writers really could've phrased it better...)

...I really want to be friends, Funimation dub, but we need to talk about these plot holes...

Q: I'm intrigued about Goten teaming up with Piccolo (we usually see him grow softer as he teams up with children), the idea that Baby will power someone (Gohan?) up, and looking forward to the idea of SS4 and SSG going to Raditz and Goku, respectively (SSG's time limit seeming more fiting for Goku and his other 'limited use' powers like Super Kaioken). Also, careful readers will note Tarble had a child...

A: You are perceptive. Interesting reasoning.

Q: One of the wonderful things about this story is the way the author sets up the dominoes: you think he's going to just knock them over, and then he blows them up with firecrackers instead. The climax of this story will not disappoint.

A: I love this analogy so much.

Q: I have a feeling 18 isn't dead. She is pretty much 100% machine now so snapping her neck shouldn't kill her.

A: Several people guessed this-well done, all of you!

Q: I felt like this chapter may be one of your best so far. I'm not quite so sure what it is, but it does seem a lot more fun and upbeat somehow. Also, yay for Goten!

Although I am kind of not agreeing with this whole thing of Break getting SSJ3 at such a young age. Makes her seem incredibly overpowered in my opinion.

A: Mentioned SSJ3 controversy at the beginning of the chapter, so...yeah...that.

Fun and upbeat? That's what I'm going for. Except when I'm going for unbelievable horror with a terrifying monster killing billions.

BUT OTHER THAN THAT fun and upbeat is the idea. Which I think is especially important considering the generally dark tone of most of the popular DBZ fics, and in fact DBZ stories in general.

Q: Guess Gohan went to get the fruit from the tree of might that he took 7 years prior, that will give quite a power boost but probably not enough to do anything but stall Buu with the gap between them till Goku finishes his mystic power up. he can't really give it to a drained weakened break, unconscious piccolo or a soon to be beaten up goten. I wonder if just one fruit could mess with Gohan's mentality though and make him more sayian like hmm. Great chapter as always btw!

A: A couple of people guessed this one too, good thinking! The mental effects will definitely come into play later.

Q: wow they did actually really great even thou they got beaten in the end and how long is goten hair now ? and his arrow attack was wicked idea and I know where gohan going to I just hope goten don't die I want to read more on him

A: I always just thought Goten's hair didn't start to grow past its Goku-like shape until he was a teenager.

Q: I just realised that you killed Hercule.

Is that... I mean... is that ALLOWED? It's like killing off Hagrid: most stories just don't have the guts.
Oh well. Hopefully, it'll turn out okay.
Man, Buu really is a monster. In the series, it's mostly one on one for most of his fights so he intimidating sure, but here, where there are several people near his level... him just decimating them really shows how terrifying he is.

A: Gonna be honest, I would not have the heart to kill off Hagrid. Then again, there was Bulma in this...(shivers)...

Yeah, Cell as a villain was always going to be difficult to top. Toriyama managed it, though...

Guess

Gohan went to get the fruit from the tree of might that he took 7 years prior, that will give quite a power boost but probably not enough to do anything but stall Buu with the gap between them till Goku finishes his mystic power up. he can't really give it to a drained weakened break, unconscious piccolo or a soon to be beaten up goten. I wonder if just one fruit could mess with Gohan's mentality though and make him more sayian like hmm. Great chapter as always btw!

Q: Okay, I'm going to guess that Mystic Goku would probably be around a 4 on your scale, but it could be lower, depending on how much potential he has. He'd definitely be at least on par with a Super Saiyan 3, probably stronger, since Gohan was considerably stronger then the first form of Super Buu, who was considerably stronger than a Super Saiyan 3; even if Goku has much less potential, his power boost couldn't be that much smaller.

A: Okay. Noted.

Q: I think I know how Super 18 isn't going to be entirely pointless; we never actually see what happened to Dende, Mr. Popo, Chi-Chi and Ox King, because Buu appears to be heading towards them, but immediately appears in front of Launch instead. I'm guessing that Super 18 didn't die when Buu broke her neck, as she's mechanical now and wouldn't be nearly that easy to kill; she might have survived, and then saved Dende and the others with him when Buu blew up the Lookout. Unless Buu killed them already, of course, in which case she might grab Buu and self-destruct in a desperate attempt to kill him at some point.

A: Close! Very close!

Q: Hmm... seems there is a little fall out for Halo-Radditz returning from other world without permission however, the precedent was already made in the Bojack movie were if not for halo-Goku then Gohan would have been bear hugged too death. Since this fic is incorporating the movies into it's rich AU it only makes since for one of Bardock's sons to break the rules of other world and since BTtL Goku doesn't know "I.T." the role falls on Raditz.

random fusion naming time [for Radditz and Goku]

1. Raku- The term Raku (literally, "enjoyment" or "ease") for this kind of pottery derives from Jurakudai, the name of a palace in Kyoto built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi (1537–1598), the leading warrior statesman of the time. [an etymology quote for "raku ware"]

Seems a fitting name for the combination of two leading warrior sayians who find enjoyment or ease in this battle technique's use. [assuming fusion dance]

2. Goditz- The name has "god" and "Z" in it... if the Potarra rings were used I'ld recommend this to reflect the Kaioshins and the Z-sword that were plot points in achieving this state for both sons of Bardock.

3. Kakaditz- Similar to 'fat' Veku, the name for a fusion gone horribly wrong.

4. Radrott- Similar to 'skinny' Gojeta or Gotenks, a name for a fusion gone horribly wrong.

Q: Break SSJ3 but not Gohan? That seems a little off, no? Dare I say, Mary Sue-ish?

A: I'M SORREEEE Does my logic at least make sense?

And how about this chapter? (Unfortunately I did not come up with it just this week because of the several people that said this kind of thing. I had most of this chapter's events planned out for a while. Well...Eighteen coming back and the moving-the-planet bit I thought of within the last few days, and I'm glad I did.)

Q: I think it is a little ridiculous that people give you so much flack about your fan fiction. By altering the storyline you made Raditz a main character, and the impacts he has on the storyline should be the focus of this alternate universe storyline, otherwise you would just be rewriting Dragon Ball Z. Raditz being a main character, upstaging the humans (who already were not major), and upstaging the original heroes (who already have their time in the limelight per Akira Toriyama) is to be expected in a fan fiction centering around Raditz causing a change. In my opinion this is some of the greatest fan work I have ever read, and alas in the last four days I have fully caught up from chapter one to this one. How sad. And now I must wait to learn what Gohan's big secret method of defeating Buu (and no doubt failing) is.

A: Ah, another convert (rubs hands, laughing evilly) Excellent, excellent! The plan is going according to plan!

...

Okay, that sounded better in my head.

Q: Quite the chapter! I will admit I saw SSJ 3 Break and Tien being absorbed coming, but SSJ 2 Goten I didn't (in case i didn't say last time). I'm confused as to why Gohan didn't shift back to his house or if he has a range restriction? Mostly I think it's to set up Goten's stand against Buu now Piccolo's dead. Gohan has something in the works, but what? I'm not sure. Goku is a couple hours from useful in this fight, and Raditz and Launch are nowhere to be found. Makes me wonder if they can find a way to bounce back. I've already made a fusion prediction, so I won't touch that. However I do think Goku will still be too weak to help.

A: Yup, range restriction.

Q: I don't know how to ask questions on this thing and it won't let me login to pm you so I have to use this to ask any ways I was wondering if you could tell me how to post a story on this site because I don't know how and aside from that this is a review so I should say something about the story I enjoy the story so far I'm not sure about having raditz get all the decent moves and really don't agree with killing vegeta but keeping myuu however the storyline is great I'd say its the best I've seen except may by the original but I don't like waiting a week for the next chapter I read everything you written in 2-3 hours and can't wait to see what you do with it next and about the posting something myself I'd appreciate it if you could tell me somehow in the q and a or reviews or something but regardless good job keep going oh yeah sorry if this is a bit long but personally the fights you do are far better than most I've seen here as in I end up skipping parts of others due to the long dull repetitive nature yours make sense and are enjoyable to read but some people seem to think a long dull fight is better than a shorter if better one one last thing one of the questions erlier asked about broly/breaks ages and he would be roughly 27-28 years old when she was born so they dont relly work together so yeah I've said my bit so I'm done

A: Generally people ask questions by leaving reviews, yeah.

Um...how to post something...well, if it won't let you log in, that's your main problem right there...

Anyway, thanks for the feedback, glad you like it, criticisms noted.

And Broly was frozen in ice for a long time, so he was still not yet thirty when he arrived on Earth in the future, and Break was in her early twenties.