Chapter 8 Cracks In The Mind
At the son family residence, Goten wakes up in his bed with a deeply depressed and disheveled expression on his face with his hair even messer than usual and having dark lines under his eyes as if he hadn't gotten any real sleep. That probably was indeed the case. It has been about one month since Zach was killed by and Goten fell under the boot of the shredder and his Mortal Empire. To keep the tyrant from invading his home and killing his loved ones, Goten willfully did whatever Shredder and/or his highest officials commanded of him.
Flashback to sometime earlier in the past month
On one of the Mortal Empire ships, Goten along with Xavier took the capsule corp spacecraft to this ship so that the scientists and engineers working there could test their new weapons. And guess who was the test monkey. "Again!" A red skinned alien humanoid wearing a lab coat shouted out from his control panel. Separated only by reinforced glass was a testing chamber where Goten was looking exhausted and injured as evidenced by his torn up Empire armor provided to him, his slumped stature, cuts, bruises postmarking his face, arms and legs as well as him breathing heavily and sweating profusely. "A...alright..." Goten said weakly in between breaths as he shakily barely managed to concentrate his energy in his hands and fire it at the grey metal shield a couple inches away from him. The energy made contact with the shield, but instead of simply breaking or deflecting the blast, it was absorbed into the metal. The shield glowed yellow for a few seconds before it turned white and then in a flash the same beam of energy that Goten fired reappeared, now going in reverse and striking its maker square in the face knocking him to the floor. Goten simply moaned and with one hand one his head groggily got back up, apparently this just being the thirtieth time that the same thing had happened since he first arrived there a couple hours ago. "Well I do believe that's enough tests, the power reflector works perfectly consistently! Cubot! Get him out of there!" The red skinned alien scientist ordered someone that went by the unusual name Cubot. This bizarre naming made sense though when out from a dark corner a small red colored robot wheeled itself over to the locked door of the testing room. "Right away boss!" Cubot exclaimed obeying his given command with enthusiasm pushing in a code and unlocking the door. "You sure can take a lot of punishment you little tike?!" Cubot comments to Goten as the Demi Saiyan glumly walked out of the room holding his head moaning from the pain of the last reflected attack. "Uh huh" Goten confirmed for the robot in a somewhat robotic tone himself as he had long since grown numb to what anybody in the empire was saying and knew it was best to just agree with whatever they said.
Flash forward to some other point in the past
Now Goten could be seen floating in a oval shaped tank with green liquid in it breathing through a tube apparatus attached to his mouth and nose. His modesty was only protected by a metal strap on his lower body. Surrounding the boy and the tank were a whole team of scientists looking aliens of many different types and species observing him and/or their scans of his insides on their computers. Out of a sliding door a figure shrouded in darkness walked in, only thing visible to Goten was the one eye that was white with blue irises. "What is the progress on Goten's genetic enhancement?" The mysterious figure questioned the scientists closest to him. "I'm afraid it doesn't appear to be doing to good sir. Our analyses of his blood show that his dna has mutated to allow for the physical changes master shredder requested for him yet none of these traits are manifesting" a scientist alien with orange skin and one eyes answered the figure visibly baffled and frustrated with their seemingly failed attempts. "Keep trying, our master has a low tolerance for failure and he wants him out on the next conquest" the figure demanded before marching out of the room disappearing behind the sliding door. "Well you heard him people! Let's keep going! You! Give the kid another injection of the growth steroid!" The orange one eyed scientist ordered to another blue alien that had three eyes. "Yes sir" the blue alien affirmed pushing a few buttons on his console. Seconds later a big needle came into the tank and goten's view, making the poor child squirm and yell no through his breathing tube but his muffled cries fell on deaf or uncaring ears. The needle hand eventually came to stop near Goten's lower backs just above his butt and it then stabbed itself into the boy's body making him scream in muffled agony his eyes going bloodshot with sheer pain and rage. He'd never get used to this. But it was a cakewalk compared to the one other thing the empire made him do.
Flash Forward to yet another point in the past
On an unknown planet, hundreds of thousands of aliens ran for their lives against an army of soldiers from the Mortal Empire having come to take them over. Said aliens looked strikingly similar to earthlings except they all had green wavy hair and red eyes. Some of them were simply gunned down with blasters by the Mortal Empire soldiers. Others were able to escape and hide from the blasters's sight under wreaked buildings or huge rocks. Unfortunately even these smart individuals were not safe as they were then ambushed and trapped by another sneakier faction of the mortal empire army, ones that were dressed and attacking like ninjas catching them by surprise forcing them to either surrender or be executed. Goten found himself in with the army of soldiers, sporting a set of black armor. For awhile he stood in place frozen unable to bring himself to harm innocents. That was until another shadowy figure, this one looking more feminine spoke to him in the back of the ship the Demi saiyan was standing. "Are the fires of war are extinguished by tears?" the lady figure asked condescendingly speaking in a somewhat sexy elegant tone of voice. "N..no miss" Goten replied nervously knowingly shaking his head no. "Hm Hm Hm well then I suggest you make your tears evaporate and start fighting fire with fire like how war actually works" the female commander said more firmly. "I...can't do this... I don't wanna..." Goten whimpered begging for her to not make him kill. "Well then I guess I should give our lord a call and make up for your failure here with your world, is that what you want?" The female threatened connivingly. Goten gasped before looking back at the increasingly fiery and bloody battlefield. He continued staring as he reminded himself the reality of his situation and that his home and loved ones would face the empire's wrath which he knew they didn't stand a chance. "These people are not my family, they come first" Goten told himself as he charged up ki in his hands gaining a determined yet pained and angered face. "Ahhhhh!" Goten let out a multi emotional battle cry as he leaped into the fray and either killed or captured the previous inhabitants of the planet.
Flashback end, back to the present
Goten was staring at himself in the bathroom mirror contemplating about his rotten lot in life and if he was really doing the best he could. "Am I doing the right thing? My family is safe from the shredder, but I'm killing other innocent people to do it!" Goten yelled internally at himself his face scrunching into a troubled expression sweating slightly eyes closed. As he thought of this though he had a slight revelation that seemed to calm him down. "There not people though, there not my race, not my family or friends. Uncle Vegeta and my mom did say that family and friends are the most important things above all else and I need to have loyalty to my own kind. It's not ideal but...sigh I guess I don't have a choice" Goten resolved coldly in his head, still pained by his killings of alien beings but decided he'd stomach it over his family and earth being lost, they came first and foremost as far as he was concerned. Still he mulled over what to do to get himself and his family out of this horrible predicament as he leaned towards the mirror. Sadly upon recalling the sheer power of the shredder he sensed back when he destroyed the Namekian solar system he realized he stood no real chance and neither did his father, brother or Vegeta even if they did fusion. For now he was trapped. "Sigh, I guess I just keep doing what I have been doing and hope for a miracle..." Goten resigned despondently as he pulled himself up straight taking one last glance at his reflection, wondering just what he was now. Then to Goten's surprise and confusion his reflection's morphed into an angered glare which he swore he himself wasn't making. "What the?" Goten wondered bewildered as to his reflection not mimicking him. "Coward!" The reflection suddenly screeched to Goten with a voice that was not his own. "Ahh!" Goten exclaimed startled and frightened. Thinking that the stress had just gotten to him, Goten frantically turned on the cold water in the sink and splash some into his face. After a few seconds of ice like cold numbing and cooling his face down, Goten looked back up breathing slightly heavily to check and see if he was still seeing things. Once he relooked into the mirror his reflection was reflecting him once more and Goten breathed a sigh of relief. "Must have been my imagination" Goten concluded with a faint smile. "Boys! Breakfast is ready!" Goten's mom Chi Chi called from downstairs. Just like his father Goku, all of Goten's thoughts were pushed down as soon as word of food reached his eardrums and he eagerly raced out of the bedroom and downstairs to the living room dining table. His father and Xavier were already sitting at the table gobbling away at the smorgasbord of various breakfast foods with his mother putting out the last of it. "Morning Goten!" Both Goten's parents greeted joyfully though Goku's was muffled because mouth was as it often was at meal time, full and Xavier just nodded his head smirking slightly. "Good morning mommy and daddy!" Goten returned his parent's greeting gratefully as he sat down on the empty chair and began chowing down himself. For a few blessed moments Goten was able to forget all his problems, all the terrible people in his life and all the dark secrets he was keeping from his loving family he was currently surrounded by. This would not last though. "Mmm this is so yummy!" Goten said thanking his mother for the delicious food he was swallowing in huge chunks. "Yeah bacons savory, say bro, whatever happened to that nerdy friend of yours? Zach I believe his name is?" Xavier inquired Goten in a curious tone. Xavier's inquiry struck Goten like a ton of bricks out of shock and hidden anger. It was obvious to Goten that Xavier was mocking him by asking such a question. That along with his freshly reawakened sadness of Zach's death as well as revulsion at the gruesome way he was murdered caused the troubled boy to shake, his skin turn a little paler and sweat slightly. "Goten? Honey what's wrong you look sick!" Chi chi asked Goten taking notice of Goten's ill looking change in demeanor. Goku also gained a worried look. "Z-Zach...? Ummm...he died" Goten answered with grief riddled in his voice. "How did he die?" Goku asked his despondent son putting his hand on Goten's shaking shoulder. "H-he and his family were riding a plane to go on vacation...and the plane crashed...there weren't any survivors" Goten explained lying through his teeth careful to not reveal the real story. "Oh I'm so sorry Goten" Chi Chi cooed as she got up, walked over and hugged Goten's head attempting to sooth him by rubbing his hair. "Hey! Don't worry son! We can collect the dragon balls and bring him back!" Goku proposed filling the glum scene with optimism. "Uhhh dad, Zach was killed back when Vegeta went Majin five years ago and destroyed a section of the tournament's spectator seats...so he was brought back once already along with those other people...he can't be wished back again dad" Goten said to his father bringing him back to reality. "Oh right, sorry I forgot about that Goten, wait! I know! We can use the Namekian dragon balls! They can wish a person back no matter how many times they've died!" Goku realized half shouting as he arose from his chair. "Hold my hand Goten, I'll have us over at Planet Namek in a flash and then we'll ask the Namekians to let us use their dragon balls!" Goku said enthusiastically placing his two middle fingers onto his forehead with his free hand as he started searching for the ki signatures of the Namekians. Two minutes go by however and Goku and Goten are still there. "What's wrong Goku? Can't you find them?" Chi Chi asked confused as Goku's instant transmission and ki sensing usually took only a few seconds for even the furthest signatures. "I don't know Chi Chi I can't sense Namek anywhere, I'm looking out to where it should be but it's not there for some reason" Goku lamented bewildered by Namek's disappearance from its known location. Goten heard a faint giggle and saw that it was Xavier, giving him a nasty glare, neither actions were noticed by their parents. The legendary hero kept attempting to detect Namek for a good ten minutes before he sighed and put his fingers and head down in defeat. "I'm really sorry Goten but I just can't find Planet Namek, it's like it just vanished" Goku apologized to his son feeling bad that his skills and knowledge failed. "It's ok dad, I understand" Goten assured his father, knowing that Namek was destroyed and that Goku's act of kindness would fall through regardless of how hard he tried. "Don't worry bro, I'm sure he's in a better place" Xavier fake comforted his twin brother in a reassuring tone clearly to further mock and psychologically torment him. This comment sent Goten reeling in his mind. To his eyes the world went black with shock, shock that his brother would make fun of his best friend's death. The shock quickly transitioned into rage and with it the blackness changed to red. All Goten could see was red and flashes of his abuse, torture and enslavement throughout his entire life. "Why...why do I suffer like this! Why do you insist on making my life hell?!" Goten growled enraged in his head. His head also began to fill with the sound of a mad laughter from an unknown source and Xavier appearing within the red void looking uncharacteristically scared and terrified looking back at Goten. "How would you like it if I hurt you?!" Goten screamed furiously as he ran towards the image of Xavier. Once he reached him Goten grabbed him by his neck with both hands and started choking the life out of the mirage of his devilish twin brother. As he did the image Xavier struggled hopelessly to get himself free as Goten gripped him tighter and tighter only able to get out occasionally gags and wheezes. Throughout this the mad laugh grew louder and more crazy sounding yet Goten found himself smiling in sadistic pleasure of his dream of killing his bastard brother. "Goten! Stop! What are you doing?!" Goku's voice rang out in Goten's ears and in that moment Goten could see the real world again, his daydream over...and yet he could feel his arms gripping tightly on something...fleshy. He looked down slightly and to his horror he found that he had indeed grabbed his brother's throat and was choking him. Immediately letting go of Xavier Goten horrified by himself and his actions backed away from his family as his parents looked at him with disbelief and shock of their own and Xavier gasped for breath. "Oh-oh god... I... I didn't" Goten stuttered shaking in terror of himself eyes watering. "G-g...Goten? Wh- what was that?! What's wrong with you?!" Chi chi hollered at her previously sweet child. From her and Goku's perspective Goten became very angry suddenly and then just lunged Xavier choking him and the most horrific part was...he laughed like a lunatic while doing it. Goten's eyes teared up more and more as he shook more intensely darting his eyes back and forth between his parents and brother who that this point caught his breath and was giving Goten a hurt and fearful look. Rattled with shock, confusion, regret and fear Goten screamed "I'm sorry!!!!" Before he ran out the door crying profusely and rocketing off into the air his father's cries for him to come back ringing deaf. Goku and chi chi ran outside just in time to see Goten fly out of sight mouths agape. "Goku...what's wrong with Goten? What's wrong with my baby?!" Chi chi wailed hysterically tightly grabbing onto her husband who did his best to comfort her. "I... I wish I knew chi chi...let's just let him go for now...he'll come back home and then we'll figure this all out" Goku assured his wife to the best of his ability resolute to get to the bottom of his son's violent outburst. Little did he or chi chi realize that one of the primary reasons for said outburst was right behind them and under the shade of their shadows he was smirking curiously eyes narrowing sinisterly
Somewhere else in the Mount Paozu Region
Goten had been flying erratically for about an hour. The poor boy just wanted to get away from his family after what he'd done. Eventually once he felt he was far enough away Goten touched down on the top of a plateau. "Aaaahhhhh!!!" Goten screamed into the heavens in a fit of frustration, despair and anger. "What is wrong with me?! Why does everything and everyone want to hurt me?! Trunks hates me! My parents don't trust me anymore and Zach is dead! I have no one left to talk to! What did I do to deserve this?! Ahhhhh!!" Goten ranted his patience and self control fully breaking down screeching his inner turmoil and pent up rage out into the mountains surrounding him. His emotional tantrum caused him to release a intense burst of unstable energy that frightened any birds in the vicinity. When the dust settles, Goten had calmed down but was clearly still distressed breathing horsely. The young Demi Saiyan looked up into the sky and asked a heartfelt question. "Is there anything I can do? What can I do to make my life easier, make me...happy?" Goten asked to no one in mind, he just prayed that someone or something was listening to his call for help and would answer. And an answer he got. "Ha ha ha! There is something you can do!" A raspy deep creepy voice spoke suddenly. "Huh?! Who said that?!" Goten questioned frantically surprised by the abrupt noise turning to head to identify the person who made it only to find no one around. "I'm inside you and all around you" the voice spoke again. "I...I don't understand" Goten whimpered his fear and anxiety increasing. "Follow the cold shiver running down your spine..." the voice ordered. Goten stumbled around looking for any possible source of the voice. Eventually he came across a small pond in the ground near where he landed looking at his reflection. "Are you a fish or something?" Goten natively asked after seeing a small clownfish swim in the water. "No! I'm right here!" His reflection yelled suddenly becoming independent of his actions like earlier that day in the bathroom mirror with the same voice he just heard. "What?! How?! What are you?!" Goten screeched becoming hysterical. "No need to fear me Goten... I am your friend, and I want to help you. I'll help you attain what is rightfully yours!" The reflection explained with an evil grin on its face. "R-really you do?" Goten questioned hearing his reflection's words alluring him. "Oh yes Goten, I know what you desire, power, respect, revenge and the happiness all of that would bring you could all be yours... and all you have to do is KILL OTHER ABUSERS!" The reflection finished shouting animalistic. "What?! Why would I do that?!" Goten asked flabbergasted and horrified at what his reflection was suggesting, "Shredder's the only one I want to kill and he's way too strong for me to kill!". "Precisely, your weak and you'll always be weak so long as you keep letting them walk all over you and wallowing around in self pity in your free time! There are so many abusers lurking out there Goten and they all deserve death!" The reflection barked back. "Maybe I could get stronger but I am not killing other people to do it! Not all abusers need to die! A lot of them are decent people that just need help!" Goten argued back. "Oh really? You think so Goten, tell me, do Xavier, Trunks, Shredder or any of his generals seem at all hesitant to beat you? Seems to me they would show that if they were good inside as you claim" the reflection counter argued. Goten thought about what his reflection just said and he realized, he was right, none of whom he spoke had any hesitation or regret about hurting him. "No...they don't, they revel in it!" Goten conceded becoming enraged again. "All abusers revel in their prey's misery...so why shouldn't we kill them...and enjoy there misery, look at those squirrels right over there" the reflection commanded pointing its finger. Goten turned in the direction his reflection was pointing at and saw two squirrels fighting. The bigger of the two took the acorn the smaller one already had and then shoved it away. "See? Now deliver that abusive rodent his punishment" the reflection demanded of Goten. Like he was in a trance, Goten floated upward slightly and then flew lightly until he was right on top of the squirrel. Goten gaining an evil crazed smile then plummeted down crushing the squirrel into a bloody mess. Goten's devilish grin suddenly disappeared as he came back to his senses gasping in shock and horror. Tears filled his eyes as he lifted his foot up to see the squirrel's remains on his shoe. "Ha ha ha! Wasn't that fun?!" The reflection asked Goten sadistically giddy. " No! That was horrible and disgusting! I don't ever wanna do it again!" Goten screamed defiantly. "You say that but we both know deep down that pest deserved it, you enjoyed putting it down, you loved choking Xavier and deep down... you wanna do it again, and again, again! Ah ha ha ha!" The reflection foretold laughing in hysterics. "No no no noahhhh ha ha ha ha ha!" Goten's cries of terror and resistance morphed into the same insane cackle as the other personality fully took over.
Now what will happen to Goten now that his mind has fractured into two personalities, perhaps the only thing that can mend the crack in his mind is love, but where would he get it from now?