Gohan clenched his teeth, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the limp body of the familiar figure lying unconscious in his arms. He was a seasoned warrior, a survivor of countless battles. But underneath the hardened veneer, he was just a son longing for his father, Goku.
This man's resemblance to Goku was uncanny. The distinct messy hair, the toughened muscles, even the familiar Saiyan armor – it was almost a mirror image. "Dad?" Gohan whispered, a pang of hope fluttering in his heart. But the reply made his head spin.
"Who are you? And why did you call me dad?" The puzzled figure in his arms was not Goku, but Bardock. Bardock, like a distant, forgotten echo from the past. The man who should not have existed in this timeline, or any timeline that Gohan knew of, was lying injured in his arms.
"But, you look exactly like him. I thought you were Goku," Gohan stuttered, his expression floundering in disbelief.
The confusion on Bardock's face deepened even more. "What's a Goku?" he asked.
It was then that Gohan noticed it – the swinging tail. His eyes widened. Of course! He should have known. Memories of his childhood flooded back. Those turbulent times when the Saiyans had invaded Earth. When the pivotal tides of history were reshaped forever. Bardock was a Saiyan. And with that realization, he caught his breath. "Do you know anyone named Kakarrot?" Gohan ventured, hoping his hunch was correct.
The name hit Bardock like a sudden gust of wind. "Yes, that's my son!" he exclaimed, finally understanding the pieces of the puzzle falling into place.
What followed was a confusing flurry of thoughts in Gohan's mind. Kakarrot was Goku's Saiyan name, and Bardock was his father. That meant Bardock was Gohan's grandfather. But how could this be? Bardock should have been long dead. And yet, here he was. All these questions spun in Gohan's mind, but now was not the time for contemplation. Fate had yet again dealt them a strange hand.
Turning his attention towards the task at hand, Gohan hefted Bardock onto his shoulder with the utmost care, his father's look-alike arching in pain. With a quick flicker of ki, Gohan took to the skies, making his way towards Capsule Corporation. Bulma and Trunks would be able to help, he thought. They needed to figure out what was going on. They needed to understand whether this Saiyan from the past was a friend or foe.
Embracing the uncertainty of future and the bewildering echoes from the past, Future Gohan would unravel the mystery of his oddly familiar yet strange grandfather. He wondered at the mystical elements of time at play, the wheels of destiny that had spun to create this paradox. In times of the greatest confusion emerged the most unforgettable adventures and for Future Gohan, this was just the beginning.