Chapter 4 Shared Mistreatment
The sun's rays funneled into a very pleasant looking bedroom that had pictures and toys of inventors, aliens and other miscellaneous objects that could easily have been failed or unfinished experiments. Within this room slept Zach and Goten, the former sleeping on a bed and the latter on an air mattress next to the bed. The spiky haired child began to stir awake and sat up yawning and stretching with a smile on his face. "Yawn, morning Goten" Zach said tiredly having woken up himself. "Morning Zach!" Goten returned the greeting with gracious gusto which served to startle the grogginess out of his newly made friend. "Can I stay here and eat breakfast before I go home?! I hope your mommy has it ready I'm starving!" Goten asked excitedly with exaggerated hunger wailing. "Can you stay for breakfast? Yes. I'm afraid we're gonna have to cook our own though, neither she or my dad are here" Zach answered somewhat solemn sounding. "Oh really? Come to think of it, I didn't see them at all last night, where are they?" Goten asked perplexed. "Heh, my dad is probably laying head first in his own vomit at a bar or a gutter and my mom's most likely in the middle of giving someone a show" Zach explained in a very annoyed so done tone. "Huh?" Goten said bewildered by Zach's descriptions. "My dad's an alcoholic and my mom's a stripper that's what I'm getting at dude" Zach clarified. "Ooooh..eww" Goten muttered in realization and recoiling slightly in disgust. "Yep...that is one of the reasons I don't have any other friends Goten, your the first" Zach said smiling slightly looking at Goten who smiled back grateful. "Why is your daddy an alcoholic? I've heard from uncle Yamcha that people become alcoholics when they are depressed or there ashamed" Goten inquired starting to feel a little bad for Zach's father. "Uhhh...that's a bit of a difficult story to tell you" Zach said nervously. "Why?" Goten asked confused. "Well...do you wanna know what my family's last name is?" Zach asked back deflecting Goten's question away temporarily. "Yeah sure but what's that got to do with-" Goten was cut off when Zach blurted out a very revealing fact. "It's Gero". Goten's mind officially blew up at that moment. "No flipping way! Gero?! As in Dr Gero!? The crazy science guy that made cell?!" Goten screeched totally freaking out. "You guessed it bud" Zach admitted pulling no strings and continued. "My father is the son of Dr Gero's son Gevo who was killed by your father during his attack on the original red ribbon Army. My father's name is Hedo". The little Demi Saiyan was flabbergasted to say the least. This made Zach the great great grandson of one of his family's and really the whole world's greatest foes for his scientific aid in the red ribbon army and even more so with his ultimate abomination Cell. "Please don't be scared Goten, I don't have any of the malice that my great grandfather had and my father doesn't have his evil either or even his brains, however he does feel extremely guilty and ashamed of our family's past so he spends most of his days drinking himself to near death with booze, he's gotten alcohol poisoning more than a handful of times" Zach reassured his friend. Goten breathed a huge sigh of relief when Zach finished his explanation. Goten's expression then morphed into a thoughtful one as a few questions popped up in his head as he let Zach's explanation sink in. "Ummm I'm no expert on sciency stuff or money but I'm pretty sure it's not possible to run a lab like the one you got downstairs if all your mother does is taking her clothes off a lot" Goten pointed out believing that Zach got his material and tools by some other means. "Correct you are Goten, they don't realize it but I've made our family billionaires" Zach stated with pride. "Wow wee! How did you do that!?" Goten exclaimed. "Online investment, mostly into the coin mining industry " Zach answered nonchalantly. "I more or less self taught myself on all things using the internet and what little of my grandfather's work we had since my parents are hardly ever around, honestly it wouldn't surprise me if they've completely forgotten I even exist because it's been close to two years since they said anything to me" Zach lamented trying to sound uncaring but his sadness could be heard through it. Goten was blown away by this. His new friend was in a dysfunctional relationship with his family much like he was only his was more neglect than abuse which was arguably worse. He began to look up to Zach though because he managed to not only survive but thrive in that environment, probably becoming as smart as Dr Gero or Bulma were as evidenced by the healing liquid he used to save his life. "If it means anything Zach, you're a really cool guy" Goten said sincerely with an admiring smile. Zach smiled back somewhat cockily yet appreciatively at the same time and said "I knew that but thank you". With that the pair got up and made themselves breakfast with the help of some robots that Zach created and a fire extinguisher since Goten tried and failed to make cinnamon buns in the oven. Close to noon, they exchanged goodbyes with each other and Goten flew back to his home.
The Next Day at the Son Family Household
It was difficult for Goten to excuse his disappearance to his parents once he returned home but he just about got away with it.
Flashback to right after Goten got home
"Goten! Where have you been?!" Chi chi wailed with a mixture of rage and happiness, half relieved he came home, half angry that he didn't tell her where he was earlier. "Sorry mommy... I uhhh got lost in the city..." Goten nervously explained hoping his mother would buy his cover up. Chi chi looked at Goten eyes narrowed with skepticism when Xavier walked into the room. The little devil's eyes widened a little with surprise before he put on a happy face. "There you are bro! I was wondering where you ran off to, where'd did you go?" Xavier asked with a giddy goofy tone. Goten glared at Xavier with a whole new kind of strange silent rage. His fists tightened and shook slightly as Goten tried to keep himself under control though he found this to be a lot harder than usual and he began having flashes of daydreams about him torturing Xavier and everyone else that ever hurt or ignored him. He then felt most of his aggression suddenly cease and he became fearful of Xavier again though couldn't help but wonder in the back of his head why he felt so weird a few seconds ago. "Xavier, did Goten run off into the city when you guys went out to meet your friend?" Chi chi asked her third child. Xavier looked at his mother and then back at Goten who was sweating at what Xavier would say, but also about the disturbing thoughts he was having a few moments ago. At last, he looked back at his mother gaining a smile and said, "oh yeah he saw an ice cream truck and just ran off, I couldn't track him down, sorry about that mother" Xavier answered seeming to go along with Goten's story. "Hmph Goten your eight years old young man, did you really forget how to find our house?!" Chi Chi lightly scolded Goten. "Yes mommy, I'll try and remember next time" Goten promised with all his soul and breathed a sigh of relief though Xavier shot him a dark look that made him slightly gasp in fright. As usual it went unnoticed by Chi Chi. Later on that day Goten went to his room. Almost as soon as he shut his door, the phone rang and he picked it up. "Hello?" Goten said. "Hey dweep I heard you got lost on your way back home, how did you manage that?" Trunks asked through the phone.
End of Flashback
Goku and Chi Chi had gone out again on a date leaving the two son twins alone once more. Goten was in his room alone watching his favorite episode of SpongeBob to help himself relax. "Ha ha ha! Patrick! Your not supposed to focus like that! Ha ha! His eyes are stuck in the door!" Goten laughed hysterically at the scene he was currently witnessing in the episode. His entertainment was interrupted when Xavier barged into the room. "So...you lived..." Xavier remarked in a deadpan tone with a dark look on his face. Goten stiffened up with fear knowing what Xavier was here for. "Y-yeah I did" Goten stutteringly confirmed stiffening up with anxiety knowing what Xavier was going to ask and having a good guess of what he'd do to get the answers. "My only is how? I hit you pretty good, you should be dead" Xavier asked his voice sounding angrier. "Uhhh uh Um I don't know" Goten shakily lied not wanting Xavier to learn about Zach. "You know better than to lie to me bro, or at least you should, but then again you were stupid enough yesterday to threaten to tattletale on me so maybe you don't" Xavier surmised his voice sounding very knowing and creepy. "I'm telling you the truth! I really don't remember what happened!" Goten yelled out frantically starting to panic that Xavier would torture the information about Zach out of him and then hunt him down and murder him. "Not buying it, who helped you! Was it the same guy that shot me?!" Xavier barked back angrily. "Please Xavier...don't" Goten pleaded desperately putting his hands up protesting his innocence. "Alright then, I'll make you talk..." Xavier quietly growled and started marching aggressively towards Goten. Goten cowered in fright preparing himself for the beating. Suddenly there was a bright flash of blue light that appeared in between the two son twins and when it faded, Zach was there. "Back off!" Zach yelled firmly pulling out a gun of some kind. "Zach?!" Goten exclaimed in surprise. "What the?! Where did you come from?!" Xavier demanded furiously. "I had a feeling you'd pester my friend the second you got the chance, so I put one of my grandfather's old bug robots and used it to track and keep an eye on Goten so I could use my teleporter to get here as soon as it happened" Zach explained very proudly. "Now like I said before bastard! Back off and leave Goten alone!" Zach restated his demand pressing a button on his gun and it began charging up what looked like a mini sun ready to fire with the pull of the trigger. Xavier's eyes widened and he began sweating, fearful that the weapon might actually kill him. Finally his expression turned serious yet still sweaty. "Farewell I'll let this one slide" Xavier begrudgingly submitted. "But know this Goten... you've just made me upset and I get rather...nasty thoughts when I'm upset" Xavier warned Goten pointing his finger at Goten. Goten cowered initially before his expression abruptly became enraged with bloodshot eyes and he viciously punched Xavier's pointer finger, breaking it. "Ahhhh owwww!" Xavier screamed in agony. After a moment of confusion and heavy breathing, Xavier looked at his broken finger and then back at Goten who was growling like an animal his predatory toothy frown turned into a sadistic grin which disturbingly Xavier found intriguing. "Goten! Stop!" Zach cried out, not wanting to see his friend like this. Zach's cry got through to Goten and instantly he snapped out of his crazed state and and gasped in shock. "Woah... I think I misjudged you bro...looks like you do have some spine in you after all..." Xavier said impressed in a creepy way. Xavier held his devilish smile as he walked out of the room presumably to treat his hand. "Are you alright Goten? You kinda scared me there a little" Zach questioned concerned over his new friend's mental health. "I-I don't know what came over me... I didn't just feel mad, I felt...strange and not in control of my body or even my emotions..." Goten answered as best he could not fully understanding what was going on with him, looking at his hands which were still shaking. "It's ok man, you probably just had a weak moment, we all have weak moments where we do weird things that normally we wouldn't do, and honestly given everything Xavier has done to you, it's more surprising you haven't had a moment like that beforehand" Zach said reassuringly, hoping to help Goten calm down. This seemed to work as Goten took a deep breath and his shaking ceased. "Thank you... I needed that, you really put a bug on me?" Goten asked somewhat laughing. "Well yes but hey it was clearly a good idea no? Now I can come to you anytime you need me!" Zach justifying his decision. Goten's eyes watered up with happiness knowing that someone that cares about him will always be watching him. "Yeah...it does" Goten admitted accepting the mechanism.
Zach and Goten continued to grow closer as friends. So much so that Goten increasingly kept blowing Trunks off whenever he wanted to play. Little did Goten know that this would lead to a new problem.