Welcome to another chapter of Dragon Ball: BtG! I just want to say thank you for the support. Whoever is reading this, I hope you appreciate, even if you dislike, but at least appreciate my attempt in trying to write this massive story. We still have a couple more chapters until the inevitable Mirai/Young Shepard meeting. And another chapter or two after that, we truly begin this saga!
Drunken Hamster: I do not have Grammarly. I am American and am really trying hard to be grammar friendly. Hopefully this chapter came out better. And don't you worry, you are going to see that meeting. It will be epic! And funny for those who read between the lines -wink wink
TheHiddenLettuce: Indeed, Shepard before he went Back, trained extremely hard with Vegeta in the HTC to surpass his previously believed limitations. He has no reason to use his full power right now, but he will later ;). And you are also right in that it is in Beerus' best interest that he should just stay in bed, because this Shepard WILL be having a meeting with Whis, and if Beerus wakes, then he's in for a rude awakening! (puns puns!)
Location: Mount Paozu
Age: September 760
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Look at you, reduced to hardly anything more then a standing pile of garbage."
Piccolo was thoroughly enjoying this. When the fight had started, Piccolo was only moderately surprised at the saiyan's strength, having to defend more often then he thought he would. But Goku had not trained as much as he had. He was beginning to prepare his ultimate technique. He had been working hard on it. He would kill Goku, to hell with what that pompous prick Shepard wanted.
"Pi-PICCOLO! That's wa-way too much energy." Goku was beaten, battered and bloodied, one of his legs he was sure was broken, his left eye was swollen shut. He could hardly defend himself against the sheer onslaught of offense Piccolo had put on him. To make it worse, Chi Chi had come outside. Frying pan in hand.
The little boy had stayed in his room like his mother had demanded, but he was starting to get angry.
"PICCOLO THAT'S ENOUGH! I FORBID THIS!" Throwing her frying pan at the Namekian, Piccolo had swatted it aside. Preparing a blast in his hand to rid himself of the woman. He started to laugh.
"Hahahahaha you are all pathetic. And what makes this so much better is that your son gets to watch. Hahahahahahaha! This is perfect! Now Goku, are you ready to die?" As the beam on the Namekians fingers started glowing, everyone was unprepared for the sudden explosion of energy that rocked the side of the house, destroying nearly half of it in the process.
"STOP HURTING MY DADDYYYYYYYYYY!!!" a red aura'd rocket had shot out of the smoke filled explosion, landing on the ground.
"Go-Go-Gohan?"
"WHAT THE FUCK?!?"
"GOHAN, GET BAAAAAAAAAAACK!" Chi Chi was terrified, now more for her son then for her own well being.
"YOU BIG BULLY, I'LL MAKE YOU PAY! The boy had begun to charge a massive amount of energy in front of him, taking on the form of an electrified blue ball.
"HOLY! I HAVE NO CHANCE OF BLOCKING THAT!" Piccolo's beam felt like a pinprick compared to the sheer amount of energy coming off of the 3 year old. 'Go-go-Goku didn't have any kind of power like this! What is this! Shit!' The Namekian was frozen still, locked in panic.
"GOHAN STOP!" Goku had yelled, to no avail.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The ball had now grown bigger then the boy itself, the ground ripping up from underneath him.
WOOSH
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH"
"NOOOOOO! GOHAN!" The mother had seen the man appear between the commotion, but the boy did not see him. The ball had shot out of the boys hands.
"HOLY CRAP!" Goku was shocked, scared for his son that he may have killed himself overusing his energy.
"I'M DEAD! SHIT SHIT SHIIIIIIIIIIT!" Piccolo had never for even a moment envisioned that of all things, a toddler would be the end of him, before he even got started. 'HE'S NOT EVEN OUT OF FUCKING PULL UPS YET!'
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM
A massive cloud of smoke, rock and ash had piled up from the explosion.
Nothing was said for more then a minute, until everyone that was conscious heard the sound of a little boy crying.
"WAHHHHHHHHHH, MOMMY! DADDY!"
Having shielded himself the best he could, Goku was still caught by some of the explosion, his uniform top all but gone, his left knee exposed as well as his foot, body lined with a litany of scratches and burns.
"Go...Gohan!" Limping through the smoke as best as he could, the Saiyan was near blinded by the pillowing smoke. 'I can't find him like this! But I can't use my ki to blow away the smoke without blowing Gohan away too. Darn it.'
As Goku kept walking through the smoke, he thought he heard someone, speaking softly.
"There There now Gohan, everything is gonna be alright."
"I-I-i-i don't remember what happened."
"Sometimes, accidents happen Gohan. You saw your Daddy being hurt by the big green man, and you reacted. The big green man needs time to come around."
Approaching the sounds of the voices, Goku saw what looked like Shepard holding Gohan like he would a little baby, comforting the little boy. The winds all of a sudden picked up, lifting much of the smoke and other material away. What was left was a hole, nearly 10 feet deep, 30 feet across. Shepard had taken the attack, saving the group of 4 in the process.
"Ugh, ugh, ugh. I-I'm alive?" Piccolo had put his arms up, hoping to some miracle if he did survive the blast, that he could at least regenerate from it in someway.
"Th-That boy is an ab-abomination. He needs to be-" before he could say any more, a punch jarred his teeth, sending Piccolo back 50 feet into and through a tree. The Rogue had clearly heard enough, seen enough, and could only feel shame for his actions. But he was also pissed. He had hoped Piccolo would restrain himself, but he shouldn't have been surprised. The Namekian was clearly out cold, so Shepard continued to cradle the boy, walking over to the young Saiyan. Pulling out 3 Senzu beans from the Limitless Pouch, he re-tied the bag to his sash, giving both the father and son a senzu.
"I am so, so sorry for this Goku, I only meant for this to be a spar that your son could enjoy and see reason to want to train. But I fear this may have only turned him away from martial arts." Handing the boy over to Goku, Goku took the bean, feeling the effects. Then he gave one to his son.
"Well I certainly wasn't expecting that kind of fight. It was exciting until...maybe we should have fought somewhere else."
"D-da-daddy, what happened? The big green man hurt you, I started ge-getting mad, and..and..wait where is Mommy?" Looking around and seeing the hole that he had made, Gohan's eyes started tearing. "M-M-Mommy? Wh-where are you?"
"CHI-CHI?" Goku started to panic. Looking to the elder Saiyan, he saw the mans eyes closed. Before he vanished.
Sensing the woman's ki, strong but unconscious, Shepard used Instantaneous Movement to get within only 2 feet of her. She had been blown back into the house, landing in the edge of the debris that was now the boy's room. Bending down to the lithe woman, Shepard put a hand on her shoulder, gently attempting to wake her.
"Chi? Chi Chi?" holding the Senzu in his hand, he held the woman's head up.
"Go...Han...Goh-" a coughing attack had stopped her words.
"That's it, Chi Chi. Look at me. This is Shepard." Hearing the words, the woman's vision was extremely distorted. She could barely make out the silhouette of the Rogue.
"S..Shep...Shep..." shushing her, the Rogue started leaking a very small fraction of his ki towards her. Eyes snapping open, the woman looked at the man who had let that demon so close to her home.
"Yo-you...you son of a bitch.. Ho...how dare...how dare you let that monster near MY son." Chi Chi, though still disoriented, was livid at this man. How could he bring danger so close to her home, to her little boy?
"You can curse me after you eat this Senzu bean. I will help fix and upgrade your house so that it will stand better." Giving the Senzu bean to the woman, within seconds she was on her feet, steam coming off of her.
"WHERE'S GOHAN?" Running out through the debris, she saw the father and son, Goku now healed, with a healthy Gohan in his arms. Running up and taking the boy out of his arms, Gohan was smiling as he was being kissed and hugged.
"Oh my little boy! My baby! Don't you ever do that again. We will fix up your room. And start you on a regime of studying...and...and...Gohan," holding up the boy under his arms, she took in the little boy, who she had seen as a young man in Shepard's memory. For just a couple of seconds, the adult version of her son had overlapped her little boy's face. For all that power. She could only see her little boy right now. "I...I think it would be best if you let your Daddy train you a bit, so you can control that power of yours, ok?" Smiling at the toddler, hiding her fear of seeing her son hurt as best as she could, she put on the bravest face a mother could.
"Bu-bu-But... Mommy I wanna be a scholar. I...I'm not strong like Daddy is. Please?" Chi Chi hid her chuckle at the boy's innocence. Smiling at the boy, so many things ran through her mind. She wanted, more then anything, for Gohan to be a scholar, or something successful. But she had also seen, as she had heard the claps of the many punches and kicks being thrown, her little boy mimicking her husband and Piccolo. She had walked to Gohan's room initially to check on him, opening the door and peeking in, she had seen him looking out the window, oohing and awwing at the spar/fight. Then she had seen the toddler start mimicking Goku's stance.
"Hiyah, bam bam, ahh." Her smiles had turn into horror when she seen the boy start mimicking Piccolo's stance, clawing in the air. But as she continued to watch, her fears slowly turned into pride as she seen the boy occasionally slip up and fall. 'Wow... my little boy is strong indeed. I don't know why, but something just tells me that he is.'
That something had also told her that her husband was in trouble, hearing a BOOM, knowing that he had been sent to the ground. Running out with her frying pan and screaming at Piccolo seemed to incite the Namekian. But when Gohan had come exploding out of the house in rage, Chi Chi's fears for her husband immediately went to her son. Upon seeing the energy her son was charging, she just knew it was far too much for the toddler to handle. She had tried running towards him until she had seen Shepard just appear out of nowhere. She had thought the man was killed in the explosion, the very same explosion that had sent her hurdling into the house, blacking out upon landing...
"Gohan, you have your daddy's strength. And someday, when you are a little older, we will tell you all about why you have it. I want you to be the smartest you can possibly be. After today, I think it would be best if you also let your daddy start training you. We will talk about a schedule, ok Gohan." Trembling as he looked up at his mother, the 3 year old nodded his head. Goku, looking on, beamed at the pair.
"O-o-ok Mommy. Is Daddy and that old man mad at me?" Feeling a tremor from near the house, Goku and Chi Chi looked over, seeing that Shepard had fallen, face first into the ground. They both could swear they were hearing muttering and grumbling.
"Uhh, Shep." Walking over to the older Saiyan, all Goku could hear was "old? Old? Damn it damn it damn it all." Tapping on the Rogue's shoulder, Goku was almost unprepared for the near headbutt that came when Shepard pushed himself back up to his feet effortlessly, closing his eyes, not looking at anyone.
"Shep, ya know, it's not a bad thing to be ol-"
"SAY IT AND I THROW YOU OVER NEXT TO THE GREEN MAN!" Shepard yelled at the orange clad turtle student before closing his eyes and turning the other way. Holding both his hands up in defense, Goku slowly stepped back from the Rogue, scratching his head.
"Speakin of Piccolo, you sure showed him. So can I spar with you now? Pleaaaaaaaaaassseee pretty please?" Goku, holding both his hands in a classic begging motion, really wanted to test himself against this guy. 'Man he knocked Piccolo out cold! I still haven't felt him move from over there.'
Opening his eyes, Shepard looked at the young Saiyan. "A little later, perhaps. I must tend to the Namekian child." Pulling out an all blue capsule, he gave it to Goku. "Take this and pop it. Inside it holds empty space, store all of your essentials within it. I will help after I deal with Piccolo." Gaining a serious look, Shepard started walking towards where Piccolo still lay knocked out. Before he got 3 steps, a hand gripped his shoulder. Looking back, he seen an equally serious look in his fellow saiyan.
"I can't let you kill him Shepard. Just let him go." There was silence for several seconds, before one side of Shepard's mouth curled upwards.
"I've done enough killing in this timeline, Goku. Piccolo just needs a bit of fine tuning with his manners. I have no problem helping him see the error of his ways. Tend to your family. I will be back."
Walking out of Goku's hold, the orange clad Saiyan almost being dragged with him before letting go, Shepard continued to walk over to the sprawled out Namekian. 'I guess I did put a bit too much force into that blow. If he were a human with a similar level of strength, he would have died. It is only thanks to Piccolo's regeneration that he is even in the shape he is in now.' Pulling out a senzu for the Namekian, Shepard flipped Piccolo onto his back, putting his hand over the Namekian's heart, giving a small jolt.
"ACHH! ACK! Sputtering from being brought back to consciousness so quickly, the Namekian was not prepared for the hand that went to his mouth, jamming what tasted like a bland Senzu bean inside.
"Chew and swallow, Piccolo." Looking up at the words, Piccolo paled. 'O...o-o shit!' Seeing the pissed off looking man, who had knocked him out before he could even react, Piccolo did as he was told. After the Senzu did it's magic, Piccolo had gotten back to his feet, summoning a cape and turban on his shoulders and head. Watching the older man get back up from kneeling, still looking heated at the now trembling Namekian.
"I warned you, Piccolo. If you have done anything to jeopardize Gohan's future in martial arts, I will see to it that you are forced to merge with your older self. Where you will be nothing, but a FUCKING memory. DO. YOU. HEAR. ME?" Piccolo had winced at every word.
"Bu-But the dragon balls-"
"Can be remade. Simple as that. It is no problem for me to go to your home planet, find a worthy guardian to replace Kami, bring his old ass down here, and make you merge with him. Then you being a problem will be over and done with. Hands wiped clean. On to the next. How does that sound, boy?"
Snarling at being called a boy, Piccolo started to seethe. But Shepard added something else.
"You are nothing like your father. Stop. Trying. You talk about honor. You've even saved somebody before who couldn't save themselves. How dare you get any kind of attitude. That little boy over there." Walking up to the Namekian, forcefully grabbing his shoulder and pulling him down to his level. "Is your salvation. You don't think so now, but let me let you in on a little something. Consider this a news flash from the future. He will be stronger then you before he is even a teenager, and it will be thanks to you, and Goku. He will adapt your fighting style, use your techniques well into his adult years, he will see YOU as a parental figure. He will look upon you to teach his own child, and that child will grow to love, and cherish you, very much like he will as he grows up. Do NOT ruin this opportunity Piccolo." Shepard looked at the gawking Namekian, believing he had made his point. After a few seconds, he let Piccolo go, watching as the Namekian once again stood straight.
"Seriously? H-how could he be st-stronger then Goku?" Piccolo was still trying to come to terms with what he was just told. It did not make sense. At all. The boy had no kind of training, yet he was able to pull out an enormous amount of power, far more then Goku had put out their entire fight. In seconds.
Shepard, raising an eyebrow, could see the gears turning in the Namekian's mind. "Part of it is his genetics. I will leave that part alone. The other part is dependent upon if you decide to help train the boy. You have an awful lot to teach someone of martial arts Piccolo, but you also need to keep learning as well. Part of that learning process is taking on the hatred that your father felt for that man over there." Pointing over to the saiyan, Shepard could see Piccolo recoil in disgust, looking down, face a mash of emotions, mostly of the negative kind.
Before leaving the Namekian, Shepard added, "Now, take off your cape and headwear. And walk with me." After having enough examples of being schooled by the older man, Piccolo obliged, snarling as he took the outer wear he just made back off again. Letting it thunk on the ground, he followed the older man.
Shepard had walked back to the family of 3, the parents doting on the little boy in the mother's arms. With Piccolo in tow, Shepard kept a mind's eye for any fluctuations of power. Sensing none, he spoke to the family.
"I apologize for this greatly, Sons. I had hoped to teach my young friend over here some lessons in restraint. He still has quite a lot to learn." Looking down at Gohan, Shepard checked in on the little boy's power. With that in check, everything should go much smoother. "And Gohan, never fear your own strength, embrace who and what you are." When Shepard put his hand out to touch Gohan's head, Chi Chi surprisingly didn't pull away. Touching the boy's head, he sent the little boy one telepathic picture, this of a girl, older then he, with short hair and blue eyes, smiling at him. Pulling back out of the boy's mind, Shepard could see a glassy look coming from the boy.
"Woooooooow, she's pretty. Like Mommy."
"AH! What did you show my little boy Shepard? If it was anything inappropriate-"
"It was not. Gohan will understand perfectly what it means when he is older." Looking at Goku, Shepard decided it was time to entertain the near jumpy Saiyan.
"You've got your wish Goku, both you and Piccolo will spar against myself." Piccolo, already pissed, turned sharply to Shepard, legs starting to tremble.
"Bu-But we don't st-"
"I said a spar, Piccolo, not a fight. It is high time you learn the difference. Consider this a teachable moment in your life, boy." Ignoring the angry grumbling, Shepard turned back to the family.
"After we are done, I will begin to assist in Ki proofing your home, so in the event that Gohan, or even Goku loses control of their strength, it will not effect the landscape. Piccolo over here, WILL be assisting you."
"WHAT? I NEVER SAID-"
"No. I said it for you. You will help, you will LEARN. If you will not, then I will use the Evil Containment Wave on you, and place you in a bottle no bigger then one of my fingers." Piccolo started laughing darkly at that, so Shepard shut him down, quickly.
"Oh? Before you decide to tell me that you can counter the technique, allow me to remind you that you can only counter it on someone who is weaker then you are. I am not one of those beings, Namekian." Piccolo's mouth snapped shut, gulping as he did. Now he had no way of beating the Rogue. He had hoped to catch the man off guard, but it just seemed that Shepard was too good. 'Damn it. If I could have gotten him into it somehow.'
"On top of that my giant green friend, I am not an evil person. I don't destroy because I want to, or because I can. Your technique would be a gentle breeze to me. Now, do you actually want to spar, or do you want to continue to try to weasel your way out of this? Namekian's aren't weasels, so... what are you?"
Grinding his teeth in sheer frustration, Piccolo couldn't think of any way to get out of this. He could try to fly away, but if Shepard was able to instantaneously move anywhere he wanted, he was screwed.
"FINE. I'll...spar with you. Fighting Goku again would be too easy anyway." Crossing his arms and looking down at the orange clad Saiyan, he wanted so bad to wipe that smug grin off of Goku's face.
"Oh boy! I'm so excited. And Piccolo, I think I may be stronger then you now, hehehehe."
"Thats bull-"
"Not in front of the boy Piccolo. And Goku isn't wholly wrong. Remember what I said about a saiyan's genetics? Now, Chi Chi. Take Gohan with you back to the front of the house. You have my word that as long as I am here, both of you will be safe."
"Mommy do I get to watch Daddy and the-the big green man fight again?" Gohan hesitantly asked.
"I think with the Old Man here, we should be ok Baby. RIGHT, Shepard?" Chi Chi asked, a hint of venom still in her voice.
Swallowing a lump in his throat, surprised that comment didn't fall him like before, Shepard nodded. Taking a leap and jumping more then 50 feet away, he didn't turn around.
"Well Chi Chi, Gohan, I better join em. Wish me luck." Following Shepard's jump, Goku landed within 15 feet of Shepard. Phasing in from behind, Piccolo joined Goku.
"You know we don't stand any kind of chance against him right Idiot?" Piccolo was still showing hesitancy, being put down on several occasions already by the Rogue. Meanwhile, Goku started stretching his legs out, much like he did with Piccolo.
"Well, we won't know till we try right?" Taking on the turtle stance, Goku was ready. Following in his demon stance, Piccolo stood next to his enemy, his hated rival. Doing this for several seconds, it strangely felt...Right to the Namekian.
'Wh-What the hell am I thinking?'
Turning and adopting a foreign stance, Shepard waved them on. "Anytime ladies, I have a house to start fixing up."
"AHHHHHHHHHH"
"AGHHHHHHHHH"
Charging forward, the pair looked to catch the Rogue off guard, but Shepard was ready. Piccolo phased away before Goku came in contact with the Rogue, slamming his forearm against his opponents. Trying to push him back, Goku wasn't surprised that he couldn't, instead backing away, he fired a quick Kamehameha, watching it before Shepard blew it away.
"You'll have to do better then that if you expect to catch me of-" an elongated arm shot out from underground, nearly trapping the jumping elder Saiyan's ankle. Looking off a couple hundred feet away, he saw Piccolo, hand in the ground. Firing a blue blast at the Namekian, Piccolo had just enough time to get away before the explosion occurred. 'Shit that was too close.' Not seeing the saiyan had gotten behind him, he was unprepared for the push to the back.
"AGHHHH" flipping over to land on his feet, he landed near Goku, who was still in stance watching the 2 go. Charging forward with a kick, Goku wasn't prepared for it to be caught. Piccolo came in, punch at the ready, before Shepard put out his hand and force pushed Piccolo away, this time the Namekian was driven back a couple of hundred feet, landing and sliding on the hard ground.
"Now, Goku, where were we?" Shepard taunted, still holding Goku's leg, however it was what the saiyan was counting on. "KAAAAAAAAAA!"
"Hmmm?" Shepard was confused for a second. "MEEEEEEEEEEE!"
'Shit his feet!'
"HAAAAAAAAAA!"
Pushing the Saiyan away before he could try it, Shepard phased in behind the Saiyan, looking to chop him at the neck and knock him out. "MEEEEEEEEEE!" Jumping back in confusion, Shepard looked on.
'Why is he still chanting?' He knows he can't hit me from where he is, and he doesn't have Instant Transmission yet. What the hell?' Jumping from one foot to the next, Goku turned around, throwing out his leg.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" an incredibly fast blue beam of energy shot out of Goku's foot, speed doubling from Goku putting everything into the kick. Ducking quickly, Shepard's hair was nearly caught as the beam flew above him. However he had forgotten about the BanHammer, the beam hitting it full force. Deflected, the beam was shot away, causing an explosion not far from the forest they were fighting near. Taking off the Hammer and dropping it onto the ground, leaving a small crater that spider webbed out for dozens of feet, Shepard felt incredibly light now.
"EXPLOSIVE DEMON WAVE!" hearing the roar from his left, Shepard looked, only to see yellow flying towards him. Smirking, he held out his hand, dissipating the blast. Through the leftover smoke, 2 fists came out. Catching them both, he pulled the fighters in.
"Not bad you two. Not bad at all. Quite the technique there Goku. Suffice to say, your adaptability has always been one of your driving points. And Piccolo. Quite the sneak attack. But you're still both working separately. You are working to push me back, not make it so I can easily separate you two."
Pushing the pair back a few feet, Shepard cracked his neck, letting out a bit more power. Wind started billowing around the Rogue, with hints of a blue aura coming through. 'That should be a good challenge for them.' He was now stronger then both of them put together but only just a bit.
"Now, STOP TRYING AND ACTUALLY HIT ME!"
"I got an idea Piccolo, just follow my lead." Goku powered up to as much as he could, charging towards the Rogue, Piccolo right behind him, grumbling.
"HIT ME!" Shepard yelled, awaiting the charge. When the 3 clashed, a crater formed. Jumping out, Shepard fell back, the pair of fighters on him quickly. A furious array of punches and kicks were exchanged. Blocking each and every which way, Shepard was not at all bothered, a smile on his face, gritting his teeth as he held off the makings of a legendary tag team. Piccolo attempted a punch to Shepard's jaw. Shepard moved his head just enough to let it go by, the wind behind the punch coming with intent to kill. Which was fine with the Rogue. Feeling a kick to his gut, Shepard was driven back by Goku. The young saiyan was trying furiously to land another hit, but the older, more experienced saiyan was having no more of it, blocking every attempt. The kick didn't hurt, but it let Shepard know that even now, Goku was incredibly skilled to land something that clean on someone of Shepard's caliber of strength. Of course the Rogue was holding back massively, but Goku didn't need to know how much so.
Piccolo came charging in alongside Goku, both attempting to hit the elder Saiyan. Throwing his head back and dodging another series of punches from his 2 opponents, Shepard was having the time of his life. It was great to just spar, no thought of killing someone. Deciding to go on the offensive, Shepard unleashed a knee to the Namekian's stomach.
"AUCCK!" spitting up saliva and blood, he barely dodged the stomp that Shepard nearly put him in the ground with. Watching as Goku came towards him, Shepard adopted a stance he had watched Whis use on many occasions. Right palm facing left bicep, left hand pointing to the sky, palm facing himself. Smirking, he watched the confusion on Goku's face.
"STOP GAWKING AT HIM AND HIT HIM MORON!" Piccolo roared, rushing past Goku. Piccolo wouldn't let this guy make a fool of him again. Attempting a high kick, Piccolo's leg was grabbed by the foot, the saiyan next to it looking at him.
"Surely you are stronger then this, boy!" Shepard chuckled as he watched Piccolo start to get angry.
"AHHHHHH, LET GO!!" Piccolo yelled. Meanwhile, Goku had recovered from his confusion, not expecting the older man to change stances so efficiently.
"I can't let em' get to me, not now." Phasing in behind Shepard, Goku tried an elbow, only to have it blocked, the Rogue not even looking behind him. He pushed both back several feet, giving him space to dash to the side.
Both Piccolo and Goku were throwing everything they could at the Rogue. He had dodged most and blocked the rest. Grabbing Goku's right leg as he kicked high, Shepard kicked his left leg right at the knee joint, leaving Goku to scream in pain, falling down. Piccolo stretched his arm out, hoping to wrap the saiyan up. Before the 1st wrap could complete, Shepard grabbed the arm at the wrist, shaking his head at the namekian. But Piccolo had a surprise, charging a yellow beam in his elongated hand.
"EAT THIS!" Letting it explode in the Rogue's face, Piccolo realized that Shepard had let go of his hand. Bringing it back, he wasn't prepared for Shepard to come in through the smoke, punching him in the jaw. It didn't hurt nearly as bad as the 1st time Shepard had done it, but he still felt blood in his mouth. Being driven back several dozen feet from Shepard, Piccolo seen Goku, up but a bit slow, going back at Shepard.
"Yah, yah hah yah," Goku was attempting to keep a furious pace, but he could only go for so long. His knee didn't feel broken, but it was definitely tender. Blocking another of Goku's punches, Shepard had gone under Goku's elbow, getting around behind him and putting him in a hold.
"You're both doing better, but you still won't win. Maybe you should give up Goku." However, Shepard knew Goku way too well. Not only would he not give up, he would keep going past his limits because he didn't know how to stop yet.
"NOOOOOOO!" Pushing both of them back, Goku had gotten lucky that there was a rock big enough to try to plow the older saiyan through, but as he attempted it, Shepard had turned them both around, letting go of Goku and kicking him in the back, sending him instead through the boulder.
"Owww ow ow ow, darn Shep you sure are tricky."
"Surely you can do better young man." Smiling as he said this, he was unaware of the Namekian, sending his arm out again, but somehow, Shepard had ducked underneath at the last second, passing through air.
"How did he?" Phasing in behind Piccolo, Shepard dodged under the warrior's desperate back kick. Before Piccolo knew it, he was sent careening through the air wildly, kicked right in the chin. Landing 100 feet away or so, Piccolo was slow to get up.
"I-I ha-had you. D-damn it." Holding and trying to get his jaw working right, Piccolo attempted an energy blast, but Shepard had sent it away, exploding harmlessly across the field.
As Shepard walked towards the namekian, crossing the distance, Goku phased in between them, hands cupped, energy already charged in his hand.
"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Goku poured as much power as he could into the Super Kamehameha, but even still, he could feel Shepard was walking through it. 'D-darn! He feels like he has gotten stronger now!" Before Goku could attempt to put more energy into the blast, Piccolo had phased in behind Goku, pulling him away before a hand swiped through the remnants of the now deceased Kamehameha.
"Man. Thanks Piccolo I sure owe ya one."
"Save it Moron, I only saved you because you were too thick headed to MOVE when he was coming through your blast."
"Gee Ya don't have to be so rude about it Piccolo."
"I'll be however I damn well wanna be jack-" hearing aWHOOSH in between them, both were not ready for the kick/punch to each of their faces at the same time, both going in separate directions.
"If you could get over your petty squabbling, you'd actually make a pretty decent team." Shepard had enjoyed the battle thus far. It was very refreshing. 'Goku and Piccolo both have a lot to learn when it comes to working with others. I know it is in a Saiyan's nature to fight alone. However, enemies time and time again would use that against us.'
Recovering quickly from the attack, both Goku and Piccolo swarmed Shepard from both sides. Dodging with deft, Shepard backflipped away, followed by the pair. As Shepard went to block another of Piccolo's punches, Piccolo grabbed the offered limb, allowing Goku to attempt a kick from above. "YAHHHHHH!" Coming in quickly, Shepard had just enoughtime to duck his head below the kick, blocking an uppercut from Piccolo's free hand. Goku, once again behind Shepard, tried a karate chop to the back of the Rogue's head. Shepard had seen this coming, pulling back and letting Goku's hand hit his shoulder instead of his head. It didn't hurt, but it got Goku right where Shepard wanted him, delivering an elbow to Goku's face. Blood spurted out of the saiyan's nose as he fell back. Still being handled by the Namekian, he turned, grabbing Piccolo's hand in turn with his other, throwing Piccolo over his shoulder...
Meanwhile, looking on from the house were 2 spectators that were stunned at the beautiful fight that was occurring.
"Wow Mommy, that old man is kicking Daddy's butt." Chi Chi meanwhile, had been watching with a fighter's mind. Shepard's attacks were flawless. Whenever he threw a punch, or a kick, it was with such precision that it was a testament to his control that he could spar at this level. He made Goku and Piccolo look like amateurs. Chi Chi could see the strain it was putting on the older man to fight at a low level, clearly being used to contending with beings of much greater power.
"Yes Gohan. Yes he is." Only half paying attention to the boy, Chi Chi didn't see the 3 year old in a mock fighting stance, Shepard's fighting stance, and had been practicing throwing punches and kicks again.
Before she knew it, her dress was pulled on, looking down, she saw her son, looking up in eagerness.
"Mommy, what are those lights that Daddy and..and Mr. Piccolo keep using?" Gohan asked, really curious about why they were using them.
"Well, son that is called Ki. K-I. You see Gohan, everyone has Ki, but there are very few in the world who can properly channel Ki through their bodies." Gohan had gained a thoughtful expression before asking,
"Can you use Ki Mommy?" Chi Chi looked down again at Gohan, smiling before looking back at the spar/fight that had been occurring.
"I can son, but I have to channel it through an object. I'm not quite strong enough like your father is to be able to shoot beams of energy, another name for Ki, at anything and everything. I usually use my old helmet if I ever spar with your father."
Gohan had started looking at the fight again. For some reason, his anger wasn't spiking, He wouldn't know it then, only looking back on it at a much later point in his life, that his anger wasn't spiking because he recognized the intent behind the older man's strikes. He didn't feel like the Old Man was there to harm them. Even though his Daddy was steadily losing ground as well as the fight, Gohan's anger stayed in check.
'I sure hope I can be as strong as them someday.'
As the fight had progressed, Goku and Piccolo were steadily wearing down. Shepard was just too strong, too precise. It almost felt like he was moving without thinking at times. Charging forward, both warriors were looking to drive the powerful Rogue back, but Shepard stayed firm, not moving. Ducking below a kick from Goku, sidestepping a punch from Piccolo, blocking Goku's forearm and pushing him away, Shepard turned, throwing a kick, Piccolo attempted to block it, but it hurt. Being driven back and cradling his nearly broken forearm.
"D-Damn. He's just too...strong." In pain, Piccolo didn't notice that Goku had joined in the fight again. Catching Goku's right hand when he threw another punch, Shepard turned his hand around, pulling Goku towards him with both hands, he started spinning, hurling Goku a good distance away. Adopting Whis' stance once again, he faced the Namekian.
"Your father makes you look weak, boy." Yelling in anger, Piccolo, arm be damned, charged in. Shepard seen the slow strikes coming, dodging easily. 'It's like his heart is slowly losing the will to keep fighting.'
"As long as you are fighting like that Piccolo, you will never make a difference in anything you do. Your heart must never. Never. Lose the will to keep fighting. You are a warrior through and through!" Dodging an attempted punch from Piccolo, Shepard got within Piccolo's reach, sending out his right palm, connecting with The Namekian's chest, sending him back towards a tree. Piccolo, flying wildly initially, was able to recover before going through the tree, his foot touched off of the tree, nearly breaking it at the root. Shooting back towards the saiyan, Piccolo was caught off guard when he heard the WOOSH.
"WHAT?!" Looking around, Piccolo thought he heard energy being released, turning around, all he saw was green light. "SHIT!" Desperately jumping into the air and dodging the green blast, Piccolo was extremely lucky he had such good hearing.
WOOSH
Turning and throwing a punch as quick as he could, only to find it caught, Piccolo was staring at the smirking Saiyan. Throwing out his hand, as if to chop the Namekian's head off, Shepard held it right at Piccolo's throat.
"Got you." Was all Shepard said, before allowing Piccolo to phase away.
"YAHHHHHHHHH!" Hearing the charge, Shepard had seen Goku coming in like a rocket. Jumping over him, Shepard turned before Goku could, catching him with a spinning back kick to the side of the head, sending the palm tree haired Saiyan crashing to the ground. Hearing the sound of Piccolo phasing above, ready to bring both hands down on Shepard, the Rogue sidestepped, letting the Namekian land beside him. Side kicking, Piccolo's foot was caught, before he and his foot were pushed back with force, sending him back 30 feet.
"ARGGGHH!" Piccolo's teeth clenched, preparing to fire multiple blasts at the Rogue. Shepard, seeing this, smirked. 'Ahhh, if he concentrated on their locations, he would almost be creating his Hellzone Grenades much earlier.'
"Your attack is sound Piccolo, but you need to prepare them and keep them still, focus on where your opponent is and concentrate filling that area with your Ki Bombs." Shepard suggested, hoping to give the Rechristened Namekian a hint in the right direction.
Initially, Piccolo didn't want to hear it, but as he charged the energy, he naturally began to think about the placement of where his Ki blasts should be, rather then where he wanted them to go. If he could successfully surround the Saiyan with enough Ki Balls...
"EXPLOSIVE DEMON GRENADES!" Sending a multitude of energy bombs towards the Rogue.
'Welllll I guess he isn't up to Hellzone status just yet!' Chuckling internally as he begun dodging the many slow Ki blasts, Shepard was just about out of the danger zone when Goku phased in front of him, missing a blast nearly hitting him in the process.
"SOLAR FLARE!" Holding his hands up to his eyes, Shepard was legitimately caught.
"ARGHHH!" Though his eyes were blurred, Shepard had long since learned to fight without the need of them, focusing in on his opponents Ki. Blocking both of Goku and Piccolo's attacks, Shepard kept his eyes closed, feeling the surrounding area. Phasing up and above them into the air, Shepard shot out a rope of green Ki, catching Piccolo by the ankle.
"Damn it. Go-!" Before Piccolo could call out, he was unceremoniously dragged by the rope that was in Shepard's hand, before being tossed into a stand alone boulder, cracking and nearly collapsing it as he fell.
Landing on his feet and adopting Whis' stance once again, Shepard awaited his younger fellow saiyan's charge. His eyes were still a little spotty, opening them and still seeing dots in a few places. As Goku charged in, throwing a kick, Shepard prepared to catch it, only for a punch to nearly hit him in the face. Throwing up a block, Shepard was surprised when Goku threw another punch and nearly got around his guard. Dodging and retreating backwards, Goku followed the Rogue. Blocking another of Goku's kicks, Shepard was slowly starting to put a little more power into his strikes, realizing that the Saiyan Power within Goku was starting to take hold. 'His attacks have a little more bite to them now, they are also sharper.' This is what Shepard was looking for. He wanted to draw even more out of Goku.
"Don't stop Goku, keep it up." As Shepard continued to block Goku's attacks, Piccolo had recovered, phasing back in to join the fight. As they both had the Rogue retreating, Piccolo used an afterimage, making Shepard miss and overextend his punch. Goku, timing Shepard's miss, threw a punch aimed for Shepard's face. Shepard, still recovering from missing, was tagged on the jaw, moving his head back. Turning to Goku, Shepard shot a pair of blue beams out of his eyes, nearly catching Goku. Backing up, Goku was now on the defensive, blocking Shepard's charge with varied difficulty. Turning and throwing a kick in desperation, Goku's leg was trapped in between Shepard's arm and hip. Being lifted off of the ground and spun around a few times, he was thrown back. Goku was able to get up before Shepard could capitalize. Meanwhile, Piccolo was up in the sky, preparing a technique he had been working on since just after his first fight with Goku in the World Martial Arts tournament.
WOOSH
"SHI-" a kick landed on Piccolo's back, dissipating the built up energy and sending him rocketing to the ground. It was not a pleasant landing, ground cracking up as he did. Getting up slowly, Piccolo was not prepared for the WOOSH. Before Shepard could push Piccolo deeper into the ground, Goku phased in behind, pushing Shepard away from the recovering Namekian. Catching one of Goku's punches, Shepard got inside Goku's reach, adopting a hold he had learned from his old home, putting his right leg behind Goku's, he tripped him. Crouching in quick recovery, Goku went to sweep Shepard's legs, but Shepard took a step back, pulling up the lone exposed leg. Getting back on his feet, Goku charged towards Shepard again, trying to hit the elusive saiyan. As he reached the Rogue, Piccolo phased in next to him, also throwing a punch.
"YAHHHHHHH!" As it was blocked, Goku threw a left hand. Ducking it, Shepard backed away, resetting himself. The 2 combatants meanwhile had phased in on either side of the Rogue, throwing many punches and kicks as they did. Shepard was steadily blocking the attacks, throwing his head back when Piccolo aimed a kick at his face. Continuing to go backward, Shepard flipped back on his hands, catching Goku in the face with one of his feet. Completing the backflip, Shepard pushed Goku back, sending him sliding along the ground, breaking it up as he went. Preparing a blue ball of energy, Shepard's hand was kicked by Piccolo, knocking the blast askew before it could hit the younger saiyan, barely missing and sending Goku along with the rocks and dirt that came up.
"AHHHHHHHHH!" Putting all his power into a haymaker, Piccolo swung at Shepard, only for the Rogue to catch it with his hand, squeezing and nearly breaking it. As Piccolo recoiled in pain and moved back, Shepard grabbed his near broken hand, squeezing a bit more. Piccolo did all he could to keep from screaming out in pain, until he was hit with a straight front kick right in the stomach, Shepard releasing his arm as he did. Falling and sliding back, Piccolo hit the ground and could barely get to his hands and knees.
Piccolo was exhausted. He had never been in this much of a one sided fight before. Everything him and Goku did, it seemed like Shepard could predict it, or at the very least his reflexes were so fast. 'Wait! He's from the future. It is likely that he has already seen what we can do. Damn it all anyway!'
As Goku recovered, Shepard decided that it was time to end the spar, using Instantaneous Movement to appear next to the recovering saiyan.
"Any last tricks young man?" Shepard asked. The Rogue had thoroughly enjoyed the spar, even though it was fought at an incredibly low level for him. He had pushed both Goku and Piccolo to raise their power to try to match what he brought forth. 'They will likely do better against Raditz next year. They still won't beat him outright, but the long haired bastard will certainly be pushed.'
Breathing heavily and on his hands and knees, Goku was just as exhausted as Piccolo. Still bleeding from his nose, knee extremely tender, he looked up at the Rogue. He was surprised to see that Shepard was not breathing hard, and didn't look like he had a scratch on him.
"Darn! You're so s-strong. I didn't think I would ever find anyone to push me like Piccolo did all those years ago." Smiling as he said this, Goku had one final trick up his sleeve. It wasn't exactly a finished technique. It was something he had been working on since he first seen Shenron. He had used the technique when he was a child against King Piccolo, utilizing his whole body to push through the then demon king. It was a last ditch effort move, it would end the fight one way, or another.
"So Goku, are you going to concede or are you going to make this harder for yourself? Both you and Piccolo have nothing to be ashamed of, considering I am strong enough to fight Gods."
Shepard heard a gasp from behind him. Looking back, he saw the worn out namekian back on his feet, looking like he could barely stand.
"Yes Piccolo, I am far superior to any of the Kai's of this, or any Universe." As he was speaking to Piccolo, Shepard failed to see Goku or his hand, building up in heavy amounts of Ki.
"I can't tell you how strong I-" sharply turning his head towards the kneeling saiyan, eyes widening at the golden energy, Shepard had just enough time to guard himself.
"DRAGON FIST!"
A roaring, shining, golden inferno shot out of Goku's arm, taking on the form of a golden dragon.
RAAAAAAAAAAAWWWWWRRRRR
'Of all techniques he fires THIS!' Before Shepard could react, he was wrapped up and sent skyward.
"FUCKING HELL!"
As the dragon attempted to pierce open Shepard's chest, the Rogue grabbed the dragon's head, sending a large burst of power through it, destabilizing the head and watching it explode in harmless particles. Seeing that the dragon had taken him up near the clouds, Shepard, only marginally tired from having to channel his Ki so intensely, let himself fall back to the ground without Ki assistance. As he continued to fall, he saw something he did not think he would see.
On ground level, he observed Piccolo on the ground, kneeling over Goku. Shepard couldn't hear what was said, but he didn't sense malevolence. If anything, he sensed resignation. Even respect. As Shepard descended the last hundred feet or so, he used his Ki to slow himself, landing on the ground without hardly a sound. As he began walking towards the pair, he started to see why Piccolo was kneeling over Goku. Watching Chi Chi and Gohan start to head towards the scene, Shepard, as light as he could, used his Ki to force push them back towards the house, shaking his head towards the mother to hold off.
"M-Mommy, why is it so windy?" Gohan, being held by his mother, was confused. The trees weren't moving, but why were they?
"Because Shepard is a JERK!" Chi Chi was livid, she could feel that something wasn't right with her husband. She had seen the massive golden dragon erupt from out of the small hole Goku had skidded into and created. But something was wrong.
When Shepard looked in the small crater, Shepard winced. Goku's right arm looked like it had been fed through a grinder.
"H...how...bad.. is it?" Goku, in quite a lot of pain and trying not to scream. He didn't want to scare his wife and son anymore then they already had been.
"You dumbass! All this time you had THAT technique. Why didn't you use it on me during our fight?" Piccolo said. Shepard meanwhile, dove into the crater, being as careful as he could not to land too close to Goku's near mutilated arm. It was clear that the technique was far from mastered at this point. In the future, Goku had used the technique only 4 times that Shepard could remember. One of those times, it was against him. The only reason he survived that attack in the future, was because of the BanHammer. Goku insisted on Shepard trying it out against him. But Shepard with the BanHammer had overpowered the saiyan, causing Goku to desperately use the overpowered Dragon Fist. The magical hammer had taken the lion share of the attack, but it still left Shepard with minor injuries. Nonetheless, the fight had continued after that...
"I...ahhh, the attack...is only supposed to be used against someone who is...much stronger then you.. Using it...on you...would have been...overkill." Goku, gritting his teeth through the pain, tried looking over to his right arm, but a hand grabbed his face, making him look straight up.
"Goku, listen to me, this is Shepard. You should not have fired that attack right now. Your body was no where near ready to channel something like that. Listen to me very carefully. This is going to HURT, but I have to set your arm straight before I can give you a senzu of any kind."
Breathing in and out, Goku tried looking to where Shepard was, but the Rogue grabbed his face again, holding it straight up to the sky.
"His arm has many perforations, likely channeling all that energy into only a single limb. Piccolo when I say, hold Goku right just below his neck, near the clavicle. I am going to check his arm up and down, see how many breaks he may have. If I give him a senzu now, his arm will be useless." Shepard demanded, wanting to save Goku's fighting life. He was definitely not expecting the saiyan to use that technique again so early on in his young adult life.
As much as Piccolo wanted to just let Goku suffer for being stupid enough to use a technique he had no clear control over, he also wanted to rematch Goku again, and soon. It was clear this Zenkai, or whatever Shepard had called it, could not only benefit Goku, but himself if he could get his hands on the saiyan again. When Shepard had ordered, Piccolo placed his hand on Goku's left pectoral, just below his shoulder bone.
"Put a hand over his mouth as well, unless you can summon a 4 inch piece of thick rope right quick." Shepard added. Piccolo had snarled in disgust, instead summoning a piece of thick brown rope. Throwing it on Goku's chest, Shepard nodded his thanks, grabbing it up.
"Goku, bite down on this, you separated your shoulder and I'm going to have to set it as well as your humerus bone." Goku had done as he was asked, in too much pain to argue.
Continuing to feel Goku's arm, Goku nearly shouted in pure pain through the rope when Shepard touched his forearm. Feeling what he did not want to feel, Shepard turned to Piccolo.
"Damn it! He broke the ulna and radius bones too. The only good thing is that they're all clean breaks, which means they will set much easier when I give him a senzu. Hang tight my green friend, we are gonna be here a little while."
"What a big surprise." Piccolo's sarcasm rang clear as day, causing the Rogue to chuckle, despite the gritty situation.
Nearly a painstaking half hour later, the bones in Goku's arms were reset. Shepard was not a doctor by any means, but after Tights had seen him when Vegeta was done with him after the Prince's first visit, she made him read books on the bones he had broken and then some. By the time the Bean Daddy had came with the bland yummies, Shepard knew arm and leg bones, their names and identifying breaks and how to properly reset them.
"You can spit out the rope Goku, I'm done." Shepard said. Goku, spitting out the rope, let his head fall back, sweating. Piccolo had done his part, keeping Goku as still as possible so he didn't jostle his nearly destroyed arm any further.
"Uhh...uhhh...uhh..uhh.. is it... is it over yet?" Goku was delighted when Shepard told him he wouldn't be needing a needle for any of this, but each and every single time Shepard moved one of his broken bones, Goku was nearly overcome with incredible pain.
"Yes, when I put your shoulder back in the socket, I made sure to align the breaks as best as I could. You must understand Goku. You are young, but you are also clearly not ready for this type of Ki manipulation. If you had been any weaker, you likely would have broken more then your entire right arm. Now open your mouth champ, got a nice bland Senzu for ya."
Pulling out the Limitless Pouch, Shepard pulled a pair of Senzu beans out. Offering one to the Namekian, who surprisingly got through the fight with only a cracked jaw bone, a nearly broken forearm and hand. Aside from that, Piccolo looked as fresh as a green pissed off daisy.
As Piccolo took the Senzu, Shepard said, "I suggest you go to the Lookout to see Kami. He may have something for you that he would be willing to share. Believe me, you'll definitely be rewarded with quite a fascinating experience." Referencing the pure ice cold glacier water, Shepard seen Piccolo tense up, taking the bean and chewing it down. Feeling himself recover, Piccolo gained a thoughtful expression.
"Perhaps I will speak to him, perhaps I will not. In his eyes I am everything that he wishes to be rid of. Why would one such as a God, wish to be in the presence of one such as a Dem-" Stopping himself short, Piccolo realized he was not a demon. He was about to so casually say it like his father would have. But he knew now. He knew better.
"I will speak to him, maybe he could tell me more of why he split with my father. I guess in a weird twisted sense, I was born with a connection I only knew through powerful memories, not of experience. And I should reserve my opinion of the old bastard when we're actually not fighting. But I will NOT bow down to him in any way just because he is the so called guardian."
Nodding and satisfied at the answer, Shepard looked down upon the trembling saiyan, still in quite a lot of pain.
"Alright Goku, open up." Dropping the bland green gem into the injured Saiyan's mouth, Goku chewed it up.
"WHOOOOOO BOY!" His nose instantly setting back, arm stitching up, his knee pain soothed, bones popping in the correct places. Backing away from Goku as he jumped up, both Shepard and Piccolo had equally different expressions. One smiling, one snarling.
Stretching his muscles out, Goku felt only marginally stronger then he did before the fight. And he had learned quite a lot from this one fight alone.
"Man Shep that was incredible. Thank you so much." Bowing his head and putting his hands together, Goku conceded to his elder. He was severely outclassed the entire time. Though he managed to land a blow or two, they didn't look like they had any real effect on the Rogue.
"It was nothing my friend. You caught me off guard a couple times. Your willingness to throw your body into such techniques however can potentially be a detriment. There is always risk involved in using a technique such as the Dragon Fist, but it was not called for to use today. Remember Goku, trust your instincts." Holding out his hand, Shepard awaited Goku, also adding, "I would recommend waiting until Gohan is probably a teenager or so before you try it again. By then I believe you will have much better control."
Gaining a thoughtful look, Goku took Shepard's hand, shaking it firmly. "I understand. I will do better. You can bet on that." Giving a thumbs up and releasing the Rogue's hand, Goku watched as Shepard turned to Piccolo.
"Don't even say it. I don't require your critiques." Piccolo was adamant.
Raising an eyebrow, Shepard smirked. "So you say, Piccolo. It still doesn't explain your willpower. You were gonna give up. This was a spar. In a fight to the death, you don't have a choice in the matter to give up or not. It's taken from you. In this situation, your goal was to improve, nothing more. There's no need to lose the will to fight when it is not a serious thing. If you'll give up now, what's to say in a year, or 5, or even 10, that you won't come upon a life or death situation. Will you give up when it actually matters my green friend?" Letting the question linger, Shepard jumped out of the crater, followed by Goku. Piccolo stayed behind for a few moments more, before jumping out as well.
As the trio walked towards the mother and son, Chi Chi ran towards Goku, enveloping him in a hug.
"Goku are you alright? I was worried."
"Daddy that was soooooo cool! When you shot that blue thing out of your foot and it nearly hit the Old Man and the-"
"AHEM." The Namekian interrupted.
"Mr. Piccolo?" Looking down at the little boy, Piccolo grimaced.
"What brat?"
"How did your arm stretch out sooooo far? Can you teach me how to do that?" Nearly losing his balance at the innocent question the boy posed, the Namekian scoffed.
"It's something I can only do boy. It is because of who I am. But...Perhaps." Piccolo was hesitant. Looking at Shepard, who was watching Chi Chi and Goku, he saw Shepard turn around, offering a thumbs up and nod. Looking back down to the boy, Piccolo was surprised he was even thinking it.
"Perhaps.. I can...Tr.. Perhaps... I can train... Perhaps I can train you, if your mother and father approve. But under NO OTHER CIRCUMSTANCES, now get lost brat." Piccolo was internally stomping a mudhole in his gut right now. 'Why the fuck did I just agree to this? The boy is n-nothing!' Meanwhile, Gohan jumped for joy.
"WHOOO HOO! MOMMY, DADDY!" Running towards his parents, he stopped short of them, seeing them holding each other.
"Mr. Piccolo said he would train me! Can he please? I pwomise I will study really really hard Mommy."
Looking down at her son in shock, then over to Piccolo, who had his back turned to the rest of them, Chi Chi let go of Goku, who in turn was smiling down at his son, so proud of him.
"WHAAAAT? Bu-but Gohan you're only 3 years old." Chi Chi argued.
Shepard was surprised at this statement. 'Because she didn't outright refuse.' Thinking it could help with his plan for the Son Family in the future, Shepard thought of a quick suggestion on the fly.
"When I Ki Proof your home, perhaps I can share a piece of equipment. And also." Looking at Chi Chi exclusively, he continued, "I believe all 3 of you should have a place in his training, specifically you, Chi Chi." Chi Chi, not expecting the suggestion, looked at Shepard in absolute shock.
"Bu...but I don't fight anymore. I'm sorry but I don't think I would be much help." Looking down to the ground, Chi Chi was nervous, and scared. She did not want to hurt her little boy. Watching Shepard walk up to her, he towered over her, more so then Goku, she couldn't help but feel a bit intimidated.
Placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, Shepard smiled. Seeing her look up through glossy, trembling eyes, Shepard needed to instill confidence in the young woman.
"Nonsense Chi Chi. There are things that you are capable of, things that you can pass on to Gohan that will GREATLY aid him as he gets older. He will not be a literal giant like his grandfather the Ox King. He will grow to be a fine, tall and strong young man, lean much like his father. You are a wiry woman. The strikes you throw are incredibly accurate, and your footwork is exemplary. You just need to knock the rust off. And what better way, then to teach your son with more then books." Smiling as he saw the woman become thoughtful, Shepard walked towards the half destroyed home.
"Hmmm, where to begin?" Everything on the left side was completely obliterated. He was fortunate he had Goku go through the house, storing everything he could in the all blue capsule he had given the saiyan earlier.
"This is going to take a while..."
And another chapter done! I know people will probably run me over with the power level scoping but just here me out. We are barely a year away from the beginning of Dragon BallZ. I believe Piccolo trained more over the course of the last few years then Goku, as Goku was taking care of Gohan and being a father. As for Gohan, the idea is to have him tap into his power earlier then normal, and driving the point home to Chi-Chi that Gohan can be MORE then a scholar. We will see how Shepard's influence over this timeline takes hold in the future! And now, power levels.
Shepard: Punching Piccolo-2,000
Fighting Goku and Piccolo- 600
1,200 as the fight progresses (insanely suppressed!)
Goku: Injured,Hurt-200 and dropping
Fighting Shepard: 443, climbs to 600 as fight progresses.
Dragon Fist: Indeterminate
Injured after fight: 12
Piccolo- Beating Goku- 418
Unconscious- 10
Fighting Shepard- 423
Gohan- 50
Angry Energy Ball- 1,100