Gero walked along his narrow empty halls, the sounds of his shoes clacking against the metal white tiled floor being the only noise that accompanied him. He had committed these halls to memory long ago and briskly walked towards his monitoring room. As he passed by, he glanced over the fabrication room with the numerous synthetic limbs being sewn together by advanced robotic hands, he tried to smile at the rate of his facility's efficiency; it was the best laboratory he had ever worked in but, by far, the least enjoyable. He made another passing glance at the storage room with its many vertical cylinders, each housing one of his brand new models. It was nearly time for their release, just a little bit longer, still one more empty case to fill. He made a swift left around that room and bored right to enter the monitoring room. The carpeted floor was a nice change of sound from the clacking of tile, it drives him crazy every day considering it is one of the only noises he consistently hears. He sat down in his leather chair and flicked on the monitors and closed his eyes.
He could hear the sounds of the crowd, their cheers, and general excitedness, he tried to envision him and his androids blasting away the crowd, turning their cheers into cries and screams, but he just couldn't. He could hardly remember the fire that had been driving him for so long, it was replaced by some mixture of self-hatred and loathing that fueled his work. He constantly wondered how he could stop now after he'd thrown away so much for this one goal.
He opened his eyes and saw Gohan in the stands, dressed in his child father's blue gi. He hadn't observed him in quite a while but seeing his happiness now, infuriated him. Perhaps an ember of that fire still remained.
How is it that he could be this happy? Constantly living a lie and hiding under some poor nom de plume, it's sickening. That's exactly why I rid myself of the hassle. By getting rid of my younger self I made production much more efficient. Not to mention less...distracting...
I don't remember crying that much over Gebo's death.
He looked back at the screen to see Gohan and Bulma cheering, he sneered and stood from his chair. Quickly, he ran over to the storage room, and considered, only just for a moment, going on without his final android but he decided against it. Some wild, manic expression overtook his face and he shut the door to storage.
Yes...I'll be patient a little bit longer. One more day of waiting will be well worth it.
Going into the fight, Gohan knew Krillin was at a major disadvantage. He could tell, even with the little amount of power Chiaotzu was displaying, that he had much greater ki control than Krillin. After all, Chiaotzu had the ability to fly which theoretically should have won him the match, but he over-relied on it to keep him out of Krillin's range and it slowly drained his energy reserves.
Gohan supposed that 'major disadvantage' wasn't necessarily correct, considering that Krillin was stronger; he just didn't know how to control and properly use that power as effectively as Chiaoztu. Nevertheless, the match was over and so was his father's match with Pamput.
It went about as well as anyone could have expected it: A normal boy with a better than average physique going up against a Saiyan that can lift over ten thousand of his own body weight. It was good that his father knew the power difference between them because otherwise Pamput may have wheeled out of the world tournament rather than walked.
But Master Roshi's fight with Tien was truly the best out of the tournament that far. After Tien figured out Jackie Chun was actually Master Roshi, Gohan felt his emotions clash like tidal waves the whole way through. Every sympathetic and father-like word that Roshi spoke to Tien seemed to make him more and more conflicted. Gohan knew his father believed in change like that, but he hadn't ever seen it happen so rapidly. The only case close enough that he could compare it to was Vegeta's "redemption" but that hardly compared to the genuine and rapid-fire inner-conflict that Tien endured through the battle. The crowning jewel of the fight was absolutely Roshi walking off the platform. It was both a surprise and a heartwarmer to Gohan because Master Roshi was doing what he always seemed to do when times were tough or serious; he was trying to help. Help Tien like he was trying to help him. He found that honorable about Master Roshi, that despite his poor behavior around women and general goofiness, he was truly a great fighter who cared about the people he both taught and fought against.
Krillin and Goku's match was good as well. Gohan thought his father displayed great technique and great control in his attacks. It almost reminded him of their sparring except for the part where he let Krillin grab onto his tail. His father's poor acting as he reeled around on the ground in fake pain nearly had him laughing in the stands, but he was able to control himself. Just barely. And when Goku knocked Krillin off the stage, Gohan was impressed by just how much more powerful his father had gotten in three years, the progress was clear and Gohan knew he was at least as strong as Tien if not stronger. Sadly, the announcer called the day early again, he claimed it was because of weather concerns but there was no rain that night so whatever it was must have been for some different reason. Perhaps they wanted Tien and Goku at their best for the next day? Gohan thought that seemed plausible.
The morning came quickly and now it was on to the final match, the match that he and everyone else had been waiting for: Goku versus Tien. The two strongest fighters in this time would finally get to test each other in the ring to see who's best. His heart pounded as his father walked to his corner and Tien walked to his. The announcer seemed excited as well.
"Good afternoon folks! As you know..." His words seemed to fade for Gohan, as did the sound of the crowd. He looked at his father standing, somewhat facing towards him. He could see that strong, determined look in his eyes. He could see how much he wanted to win and feel just how much he wanted to protect Yamcha's honor. To get justice for him, Nam, and whoever else Tien had hurt to get where he was in this tournament.
Gohan smiled.
We trained for three years. Three whole years at grandpa Gohan's home...our home. I know I had to lower my power level even lower than yours to train with you, but every day, no matter how sore we both were, or how badly the bruises we were covered in hurt, you always got up to train. You broke every record you set for yourself and went even further. The crowd's rooting for you.
I'm rooting for you.
Try your best and I know you can win this time! I believe in you, Daddy!
Gohan stood and yelled, "Go Goku! You can do this!" Immediately prompting Bulma and the others to do the same. Even Yamcha, who snuck out of the hospital with crutches just to be there, stood from his seat and clapped for him.
Tien grit his teeth as the crowd rooted for Goku, usually, the thoughts of others didn't bother him much but today was an exception. He kept going over Roshi's words in his head. Over and over, like a broken record, Roshi's criticisms of Shen echoed throughout his mind. He had decided they weren't random and meaningless drivel meant to weaken his resolve only because if there was one thing he couldn't stand, it was Shen's cruelty towards Chiaotzu.
As their training went on, Tien had firmly taken the star student status and Chiaotzu became the lesser and objectively slower student, which meant he was subject to Shen's worst tendencies. Whether it was random beatings with a training stick, constant insulting, or a ridiculously impossible training regimen, there was always some unjustified punishment for him. It made Tien sick, which may be why he was questioning why he listened to someone so awful, and already so far beneath him in terms of strength. He wondered why he let Shen do that to Chiaotzu, especially since he's the one and only friend he's ever known.
Tien turned his head and looked to the crowd, many were booing at him while others cheered for his opponent. For a moment, he sympathized with the crowd; he understood and accepted that all their distaste for him came from his own cruelty. It was sobering to see how his actions affected those around him and although he didn't feel any guilt, he understood their anger. He could see the legacy of the Crane Hermit School and how it has shaped him and shaped others' opinions of him. He no longer wished to be a part of it, but of course, that didn't mean he still wouldn't walk away with the trophy. No, he came to win and he will win, not for his school, but for Chiaotzu and for himself.
He looked back at Goku, he hadn't known him very long but from what he could tell he was loyal, protective, competent, and at least gifted in some capacity; his killing of Tao was proof enough of that. Still, he shouldn't be a problem, Tien was roughly double his size and had at least four more years of fighting experience on him.
"YOU MAY BEGIN!" The announcer shouted.
Goku could hardly wait to get started and wasted no time in going after Tien. He ran towards him and jumped over his attempted left kick. Tien, surprised at his aggressive tactics, attempted to swipe Goku off of him but he missed entirely, Goku already had his tail wrapped around his extended leg and used his momentum to swing around and slam Tien's sternum with his left fist.
Tien wasn't fazed but was knocked back by the punch. Not willing to let Goku have the positional advantage, Tien jumped into the air and focused his ki to keep himself suspended. Goku hardly thought about Going after him, it was just instinctual that he'd jump up and pursue his opponent and so he did. As he climbed through the air he noticed his mistake as Tien raised his hand.
"DODON RAY!" Tien roared.
Goku was blasted back towards the stone arena and crashed directly into it, shattering the floor and creating a divot where Goku laid, unobservable from any stand watcher. Tien landed near the opposite end of the ring, looking pleased with himself. His eyes widened when Goku ran from the divot, seemingly unharmed from the impact, straight towards him. He vanished, and Tien had only a second to use his third eye to help scan for him. Luckily, he was just barely able to see Goku move behind him, so he swung his arm around and hit him with a backhand punch.
Goku was sent flying towards the wall that still had the ring ground beneath it, and once his back was against it, Tien attacked with as many punches as he could get in against his much smaller opponent. He concluded his rapid punches by grabbing Goku's arm and throwing him a few feet away.
Tien relaxed again, there was no way he would be able to get up after that.
The crowd again grew silent. The announcer began to sweat, unsure of whether or not this final match was over so soon. He barely raised his microphone before Goku hopped up like nothing had happened.
"What!?" Tien exclaimed. "What's wrong with you kid, just stay down! I've already beaten you!"
"Beaten me? But we just started..." Goku innocently replied. "And I haven't even really been trying yet!"
Tien smiled. "Hah, let me guess you've been holding back because you're concerned for my safety?"
"Yeah, I have to make sure I don't get carried away...but don't worry I'll fight normal now."
"Well, from what I've seen of you so far in this tournament, your 'normal' isn't that great, so I'd still consider surrendering before I accidentally kill you."
"You can try Tien!" Goku said with an eager smile.
Goku got back in his stance and as soon as Tien did, Goku punched his jaw sending a small splatter of blood from his mouth. He then kicked Tien into the air and as he was sent skywards Goku began charging his kamehameha.
"KA-" He paused, whether it was a vague intuition or something else, he decided against using the kamehameha so early, he'd at least let Tien hit the ground first. In the few seconds Tien was rising into the air, Goku noticed Master Roshi appear by Krillin in the tournament participant section, but he quickly turned his attention back to Tien.
As Tien began to fall back to the platform, he regained control of himself and landed in a crouched position, wiping his smile clear of blood. "Thank you, Goku," Tien said. " I haven't bled or been hurt like this in a long time. It feels...exhilarating! Maybe you will be a challenge after all!"
Tien pushed towards Goku and Goku was quick to push back, as soon as the two collided they threw massive combinations towards each other, only for each and every one of each other's hits to be blocked or dodged. But with Goku's smaller stature and faster punches, he was beginning to push Tien towards the edge of the ring.
"Look at Goku folks! He's started pushing Tien, and from the looks of it, he has no intention of slowing down!"
Tien continued backing up, he wasn't willing to begin tapping into his reserves but he was rapidly losing ground, before he knew it his heels were against the edge of the ring. It was lucky that just as he needed it, an opening appeared in Goku's left and he kicked him back starting an offense of his own. Goku continued to give ground as he dove away from Tiens attacks, eventually backing off entirely and splitting himself into ten using the afterimage technique.
Tien circled around, looking at all the split versions of Goku. "Nice try, but no silly illusion will work on me!" He said as he spotted Goku above him. He punched him, only to discover he had just hit another afterimage and opened himself up to Goku's multitude of gut punches that concluded with a kick across the stage.
This was the first time Tien had definitively been downed, even Goku was a little surprised that he didn't get back up immediately. He grunted, holding onto his stomach as he struggled to his feet.
Tien was now livid, he hadn't been bested by an afterimage technique in years. He didn't understand how he didn't hit Goku, but he didn't care. He was so angry he had a difficult time even thinking straight "You think some stupid trick like that will beat me!" Tien said, a vein popping out of his forehead.
Goku raised his brow "I don't know, you seem a little hurt by it..."
"You dare mock me?!" Tien said as he raised his hands to his head.
Gohan knew what was coming next: a solar flare. If there was one technique as frustrating as it was effective, that was it, and it was one his father had no defense for. And despite their differences in power, even Gohan knew better than to not close his eyes for this. Gohan shielded his eyes from the blinding light, just as the audience did, and to his surprise, his father wasn't even on the ground when the light dissipated. In fact, he was holding Tien's punch and wearing Master Roshi's sunglasses.
Goku once again punched Tien in the stomach, and this one really hurt. It felt like an ox kicking him square in the body, and he grabbed at his abs immediately. As he backed away and recovered, he watched Goku walk calmly over to Master Roshi and hand him his sunglasses back. As soon as Tien realized what had transpired he regained his strength and leaped toward Goku, kneeing him in the jaw.
Goku recovered and landed on a further portion of the platform, away from Roshi and Krillin.
"The novelty's worn off Goku! Give up if you know what's good for you!" Tien commanded.
Goku clenched his fists and held them readily in front of him. "No way! I'm not giving up for you or anybody."
"Fine, then everything that happens after this point is of your own doing!" Tien said, readying himself for another round.
The two moved towards each other once more, ready for another exchange of hits but when Tien threw his next punch it was like Goku had froze, and he knocked him onto the floor. Tien continued his assault and it looked like every couple of counters Goku just froze, or slipped up and allowed another hit to land.
"S-stop that!" Goku said as he stumbled to his feet.
"Stop what? You're the one who keeps pausing every couple of seconds. It's not my fault you can't block my attacks."
"I'm not pausing!" Goku said. "And you better stop whatever you're doing because that's not fair! You should play by the rules like everyone else!"
Tien grit his teeth. "Play by the rules? I am playing by the rules, you moron! Whatever's going on with you is your problem, I have nothing to do with it!"
Gohan watched worriedly from the audience, he knew full well these cheap hits were all due to Chiaotzu freezing Goku mid-fight, but he couldn't do a thing about it. He cringed each time Shen directed Chiaotzu to stop Goku and winced at each hit that followed. He hoped his father had some sort of card up his sleeve right then, because, under those conditions, the odds weren't looking too good.
Tien charged forward again, uppercutting Goku who seemed to pause just before his hands came down to block the punch. This was beginning to seem suspicious even to Tien. Judging from this kid's ability to throw a punch and his speed and agility shown earlier in the match, there's no way he should be reacting that slow.
Tien kicked Goku back onto the floor and allowed him to get back up, it was clear that his hits were beginning to have an effect on the boy as he rubbed his cheek as he stood back up. Tien decided he was going to try a little experiment, he closed the short distance between him and Goku and threw another punch.
Just as he suspected, Goku froze just before he could block the punch, and so Tien stopped it himself, pausing mere centimeters from Goku's face. Now he could tell what was going on, Goku's freezing wasn't the ineptitude of an inexperienced fighter, he was being attacked telekinetically, and the only one with that kind of control other than Tien himself was Chiaotzu.
Goku unfroze and dashed away from Tien, trying to get as much distance as he possibly could.
He looked around the audience and spotted his master in the front row. He could see his master's sly, wrinkled grin as he sat hunched over the concrete banister, directing Chiaotzu's every move. Tien was furious, not only was this a breaking of the tournament's rules, which could get him disqualified, this was a personal insult to him as a warrior. How dare Shen think he'd need any kind of help in any fight, let alone in the world tournament!
"Shen! Get away from Chiaotzu right now!" Tien cried.
The sudden voicing towards the audience surprised the spectators and drew much attention to Shen.
Trying to play it off, Shen gripped onto Chiaotzu's wrists, bringing his hands down to his sides. He responded quickly, attempting to sound as clueless as possible. "What are you talking about Tien? Focus on your match! You're so close to winning!"
Tien could see Chiaotzu was frightened, his eyes pleaded with Tien to stop and continue the match, but that was the last thing that was going to happen. "Shen, I know what you've been making him do! Now let go of Chiaotzu's wrists before I step off this platform and do it myself!"
Shen growled before saying, "I have no idea what you're talking about! Now, I command you to finish this match. Because if I hear one more word come from your petulant mouth, I swear I'll ban both you and Chiaotzu from this school!"
The announcer walked beside the stage, in between Tien and Shen. "Gentlemen, gentlemen...a little civility, please? We're trying to run a tou-"
The announcer was cut short by Tien. "Do you think I care about your school? You think I care about the ramblings of a man so deluded by the passing of time, he can't even see that his own brother was a killer for money?! Your school is worth nothing! Chiaotzu and I are better off leaving it right now than enduring one more day with you!"
Gohan sensed Shen's anger rising, as well as his ki. Either he was flexing to try and scare off Tien or he was planning on doing something, either way, Gohan wouldn't take any chances.
"You dare desecrate the memory of my brother?! Hng, well I suppose it will be pretty hard for you to both leave my school when there's only one of you left!" Shen said, as he began focusing energy into his hands and subsequently into Chiaotzu's wrists. Gohan wasted no time and in the blink of an eye, ran from his seat down to Shen and ripped his hands from Chiaotzu. Before Shen could have a chance to respond Gohan slammed the old man's solar plexus, disabling him, and then knocking him out with a quick jab to the cheek.
"Escort that man out of the tournament!" The announcer commanded. "We will have no threats like that being made by an audience member! And please gentlemen, make sure Chiaotzu and his rescuer are all right."
The staff came out quickly and hauled Shen away from the stands, although no one knew exactly where they were taking him. Chiaotzu, after stating that he wasn't harmed by Shen, was allowed to stay in the audience. Tien followed Gohan with his eyes as he returned to his seat, he remembered that blue gi, and he also remembered pushing Gohan down as he arrived at the tournament. He had no idea that a random friend of Goku, an opponent Tien viewed as so far beneath him, would be willing to risk their life for someone they didn't even know.
Tien looked at Goku and back towards Chiaotzu. He regretted his cruelty towards everyone; Gohan, Nam, Yamcha, the countless contestants he's hurt in his pursuit to become the best, all of his cruelty resonated with him now and he needed a way to atone for their mistreatment.
"Gentlemen, you may continue your match. And I would like to say: We apologize for not handling that man sooner."
Tien nodded a thank you toward the announcer and got back in his fighting stance, although, at least for the time being, he had no intent on fighting. He watched Goku get into his stance as well, and once he was ready, Tien charged forward. The first hit was towards his ribs which were softened already by Goku's blows earlier in the match; that was for Nam. The second hit was where his humerus connected with his clavicle; that was for Yamcha. The third hit which came as a kick to his jaw; that was for Goku's friend and all the others he had mistreated. He was planning on taking a few more hits, just as payment for the strikes he got in while Goku was frozen, but Goku used his kick to fall away from Tien and he refused to attack again.
"Hey, why'd you stop fighting?" Goku asked, lowering his guard.
"It was my way of saying sorry Goku. I'm sorry for pushing your friend over when we first met. I'm sorry for sending Nam to the hospital. I'm sorry for breaking Yamcha's leg. And, most of all, I'm sorry Chiaotzu interfered in our match, and now that all debts are paid, we can finally continue."
"You didn't have to do that." Goku said.
"Hm, what do you mean?" Tien asked.
"You kind of pulled your punches when I froze up, so I wasn't hurt that much, and you standing up to that bully was a good enough way of saying sorry for me."
Tien's smiled for the first time in years. "You are very strange Goku. Definitely the strangest opponent I've ever faced. Perhaps I can teach you some things after I win this tournament."
Goku confidently smiled back. "Stop holding back and we can find out if you really do have anything you can teach me."d
Goku waited until Tien was ready and then began their brawl. It was constant, lightning-quick strikes with both blocking dozens of the other's attacks in seconds. Tien's height advantage allowed him to get in more hits on Goku's jaw but at the cost of his own ribs, which with each coming blow, felt like they broke multiple times over.
Goku observed one of his hits on Tien have an exceptionally large impact, which distracted Tien enough so that Goku could sweep his legs and kick him towards the wall of the platform. This was the opportunity he had been waiting for, no possible civilian injuries, and Tien would either be knocked out of the ring or knocked unconscious, now was time for his kamehameha.
"KAMEHAMEHA!" Goku screamed as he rapidly condensed his energy into a ball and released it towards Tien.
Just as Tien stood up off the stone floor, he blocked the last with his arms and eventually slithered out from behind causing the wall behind him to be smashed to pieces. He once again got back in his stance and slowly marched towards Goku.
Breathing heavily he said, "That was a good move Goku. If I were you that's exactly what I would have done as well."
Goku, sounding just as winded as Tien replied, "Thanks Tien. Think you can still fight a little bit longer?"
"Don't count me out just yet! I haven't lost a fight in over five years. If anything, I should be asking you if you can still fight after how much energy you used with that kamehameha."
"I feel great!" Goku replied.
The midday sun shined overhead of the two and as they continued wearing each other out, the heat of the day increased. Goku continued to whittle down Tien's chest as Tien did the same to Goku's shoulders and jaw.
Eventually, the two were at the edge of the stage, both so exhausted they hardly had the speed to break the other's defenses anymore. Luckily, Goku had Tien against the edge of the stage, all he needed was one more good hit, and down he'd go. The whole crowd was standing at this point, Gohan tapped his foot anxiously as Tien blocked each attack his father threw at him.
Tien was deep in thought, he had his heels against the edge of the stage and he was trying to come up with a strategy to finish this seemingly endless battle. He blocked Goku's attempts to hit him off the stage and suddenly an idea came to him. He decided to push Goku forward and instead of pursuing he dropped to the floor himself and swept him off his feet. Using his legs he grabbed Goku to propel him off the stage. What he did not expect was for his leg to be grabbed by Goku's tail, sending him off the stage as well.
Both landed in the grass, seemingly at the same time.
"What an incredible fight!" The announcer proclaimed. "It looks like both of them landed off the stage at the same time! Now, we do have high-speed cameras recording from our studio, but it will take a minute for them to recover the footage, so please be patient as we announce the winner!"
Tien rolled over and looked at Goku, "Sorry to pull that on you Goku, but I think we may have been up on that stage a lot longer. You're much tougher than I thought."
"So are you, Tien, I could have sworn I beat you with that kamehameha."
Tien sat up and extended a hand to help Goku. "Good match."
Goku accepted the assistance. "Good match, Tien."
The announcer held onto his earpiece as the boys in the recording center instructed him. He dropped his hand to his side and raised the microphone to his mouth. "Okay folks, it wasn't an easy decision but we had a definite confirmation on the winner. By only a .122 millisecond lead...Tien is the winner!"
"What?!" Tien said confusedly, although no one heard him as the crowd flooded the tournament floor and roared with cheers and admiration for their new champion. It seems in the short time he had to prove himself to them, he had succeeded in gaining their approval and although the cheers were a refreshing change, he couldn't help but feel they were all for the wrong person.
Gohan hopped over the concrete banister and walked over to his father, he seemed surprisingly happy for someone who had just lost the world tournament as the runner-up for the second time in a row.
"Jack! I saw what you did out there and it was amazing! Great job helping Tien's friend, that awful Crane guy deserved every bit of it."
Gohan was surprised that out of everything that happened today, that was what he chose to ask him about. "It was nothing Goku. But I have to ask are you really not upset about losing after we trained so hard for the past three years?"
"Well, I guess I'm a little upset I lost, but what I'm really grateful for is all the experience I got today! I think I'll remember that fight for a long time."
Gohan smiled, he couldn't believe that despite losing the most prestigious tournament in the world for the second time, his resolve and good nature shined once again.
It took hours for the crowd to dissipate tournament grounds. It seemed that even after sitting for hours watching one of the most exciting matches any of them had ever witnessed, many were still full of energy, and saw fit to celebrate their new champion right there on the spot. But eventually, around six o'clock, every spectator had made their way out of the stadium and back into the city.
Tien, along with Chiaotzu, waited in the main hall as all of Goku's friends came to see him. He saw Yamcha with his crutches, walk right up to Goku and congratulate him, and surprisingly, Yamcha then began walking toward him. Tien was silent even up to when Yamcha got right in front of him, he couldn't imagine what he was going to say.
Yamcha smiled, "You fought well Tien."
Tien was astounded, he stuttered out a reply. "T-thank you Yamcha..."
Yamcha tapped Tien's shoulder. "And don't feel bad about the leg. It'll heal like everything else does."
"I-"
"But...you better be ready for a rematch at the next world tournament."
Tien smiled, after witnessing Gohan's good deeds, Goku's kindness in the ring, and now Yamcha's forgiveness, he had no choice but to condemn every bit of his past. "You got it, Yamcha."
"Hey Tien," Master Roshi said. "What you did out there today, standing up to Shen, it was very brave of you. I know how deep he can sink his claws into people and once they're in, it's nearly impossible to dig them out, but you did it. Now you and your friend Chiaotzu, you're free"
"M-master Roshi...I-I can't explain to you how sorry I am. About everything. I never deserved to win this tournament." Tien said, extending his arm out with the five hundred thousand Zeni prize. "Please give this to Goku, he's the real winner."
"Tien, you fought hard today, for Chiaotzu, and for yourself, you deserve that money just as much as Goku."
"No, you don't understand; I didn't win the tournament. When Goku grabbed my leg with his tail he just barely flung me in front of him. I don't know what kind of cameras they've got but I know for a fact I landed first." Tien said. "So please if you won't take all of it, just take half."
Roshi stroked his beard. "Well, it's not up to me to decide Tien, you'll just have to ask Goku."
Tien frowned but accepted that that's the way this must be. He walked over to Goku and felt Bulma and Puar's angry eyes track him. "Goku, I've already talked to Master Roshi about this, and I want you to take the tournament money. I want you to have it because I know you won this tournament, I landed first and I don't care if anyone else says differently; you're stronger."
Goku pushed Tien's hand away. "I know Tien, but it doesn't really matter. Even if I did win, I wouldn't know what to spend the money on anyway so you can have it!"
"Then please allow me to cover tonight's dinner." Tien proposed. "It's the least I can do."
"Only if you and Chiaotzu eat with us." Goku said.
"O-okay," Tien said, once again stunned by Goku's kindness towards him. "If you insist."
As they walked towards the city, Tien looked behind him at Goku and the quiet boy in the blue gi, he just noticed how similar to Goku he looked, although he didn't say anything. He slowed his pace, inadvertently causing Goku to fall behind him and Gohan. "Hey, I'm sorry I pushed you down a couple days ago. What's your name?"
"Jack." Gohan replied.
"Jack...I wanted to thank you for saving Chiaotzu. I don't know what Shen was planning, but, I have a feeling that if you weren't close by, I wouldn't have been able to stop it."
There was the familiar humble nature Gohan was accustomed to. "It's fine Tien."
"Hm, that reminds me...how did you know my name?"
Gohan blushed, he hadn't thought of a cover story for that yet but decided to stick to what he told his father, if only for consistency's sake. "You were at the last world tournament, weren't you? I participated the last time and I thought I remembered reading your name on the contestant list."
Tien squinted suspiciously at Gohan. "So, not willing to tell me the truth, then?"
Tien relaxed his eyes. "Well, I won't push the topic any further. I have no interest in making any more enemies, especially of friends."
Gohan breathed a sigh of relief as Tien and Chiaotzu followed Master Roshi ahead of the group.
Goku caught up to Gohan again. "That was weird, I wonder why he thinks you were lying."
Gohan cleared his throat. "Beats me."
The crowd wandered about the city for an hour or so looking for a restaurant. Tien denied multiple suggestions throughout their search because none of them felt worthy enough to treat his opponent. Eventually, they stumbled upon a nice upscale restaurant that Tien really felt everyone would like, especially Goku.
Just as they walked through the door, Goku patted his stomach. "Huh?" He exclaimed, feeling the left side of his chest. "Oh no, I left my stuff back at the tournament!"
Krillin, ready to make himself useful, said, "Don't worry Goku, I'll get it. I've still got some energy left from our fight and could use a good run anyway."
Before Goku could object to it, Krillin had already begun running back in the direction of the tournament grounds. Some part of Goku objected to that. He couldn't describe why, but inside, something was screaming at him to stop Krillin. It didn't take long for Gohan to take notice.
"Something the matter Goku?" He asked while also looking at Krillin.
"I-I don't know..." He said, his voice trailing off. "Krillin-" He heard his stomach rumble.
"C'mon Goku, Krillin will be fine, but if we don't go in now they might order without us."
"R-right." Goku said, still following Krillin with his eyes until he turned the corner and disappeared.
Once they were seated, Goku stayed silent, glancing towards the door of the restaurant multiple times throughout the next couple of minutes. Gohan was sitting next to him and was also taking quick glances at the door as well, confused as to what his father was so anxious about.
After they ordered, Gohan was startled when both Master Roshi and Goku stood out of their seats.
Tien, now concerned by their behavior asked, "Master what's the problem."
"Nothing!" Roshi replied. "Goku, Jack, you're with me!"
Tien began to rise out of his chair when Roshi snapped at him. "Stay right there Tien, and don't move a muscle! I'm not sure what's going on but your the most capable fighter other than Goku right now and I need you here!"
Gohan was now worried, what was it Master Roshi was sensing that he wasn't? He searched for any malignant ki nearby but didn't sense anything. What was it they were in such a hurry for?
Roshi slammed through the restaurant's front door in his three-piece suit and opened the way for Goku and Gohan. He lost the lead as they were running back towards the tournament grounds. It wasn't that he was tired or losing speed, but that Goku was gaining it, and Gohan decided he would let his father lead while he checked in with Master Roshi.
"Master Roshi, what's the matter? I haven't sensed anything at all this whole time!"
Roshi continued to push himself as they now ran from the edge of the city. "That's not the problem Gohan! Krillin's ki just disappeared."
Now that he focused on Krillin, he couldn't sense him either and it terrified him. He ran ahead of Master Roshi in an attempt to catch up to his father, who had been running so fast he was already back at the tournament grounds.
The sun was now setting, and Gohan had just cleared the hill leading up to the tournament grounds, his heart pounding at the sheer terror of not knowing what was going on. He ran through the broken open contestant gate and continued towards the main hall. He climbed up the stairs leading to the elevated hall and froze when he reached the top.
Krillin laid on his back, with a stream of blood leaking from his mouth, forming a small puddle around his broken neck. His father was holding Krillin's head in his lap, allowing the blood around his friend's neck to soak his knees. He was crying, no, sobbing over him, so violently that he was shaking. When Goku noticed Gohan standing atop the steps, blocking the dying golden light, he looked at him.
Gohan could see the hurt and pain in his father's wet eyes. But it wasn't just pain he seemed to feel, something about his face looked like he'd just had his heart broken four times over. He looked like he just suffered the worst betrayal of his life, and he was blaming Gohan for it. Gohan, breathless and confused, took a step forward and read the small slip of bloodied paper that laid near Krillin's feet.
"Demon King Piccolo has returned."