Gohan took a deep breath as the battle had been won, and he could power down from his super saiyan two level back to base. As the golden aura faded away, he took a deep breath as he felt drained from the power that he somehow just tapped into for a brief moment. It was a moment that gave him the victory, but it was a moment that was far too late to be meaningful to those who depended upon him. Too late, as always, he thought to himself as he turned towards the ruins of Capsule Corps.
Walking up and through the ruins of the shattered building, he felt this overwhelming combination of guilt, sadness, and sense of failure wash over him. He had spent so much time in this building with Bulma and Trunks in the days of training the younger half Saiyan how to fight. It was like a home to him, incredibly important and seeing it in ruins hurt so very much.
Walking into the deeper parts of the ruined large building, he hoped to find something anything that would make his spirits pick up. He didn't think the odds were good, but as he looked, he prayed to Kami, that he would find something. He wanted to find a miracle this day, some sign that things would be okay and that he could continue one.
As he looked, he found something off, as he cleared some wreckage in what looked like a very secure room. He found something odd. He found a locked door, that was not hard to open with his power. Under it was a hidden vertical latter that went down into some larger room, hidden from view. Into the depths of Capsule Corps below the destruction.
Descending cautiously, he found himself in what appeared to be a fully intact laboratory. The air felt different here—calm, untouched by the chaos above. In the center of the room stood a large, odd-looking machine with an egg-shaped cockpit. It was unlike anything Gohan had seen before.
He approached the machine, running his hand along its sleek surface. It looked advanced, far beyond anything he could fully comprehend at a glance. His eyes caught sight of a set of notes on a nearby table, scrawled in Bulma's familiar handwriting.
He picked them up and walked over to the machine as he found a latter on the side that went up to the top where an egg shape canopy for the cockpit was. He climbed it without thought as he came to sit in the pilot's seat. He turned on the machine and in front of him it read. "Time Machine Prototype 001."
Gohan blinked as he looked at the screen for a moment as he had no clue that Bulma had been working on something like this. He paused thinking as he wondered how long she had been working on it. His mind still shocked from the revaluation.
Now existed the possibility of going back—of changing everything—filled him with a renewed purpose. There was a way to fix his many failures, his many mistakes. He could save the present by protecting the past and changing the course of the timeline. He couldn't do this blindly, he had to figure it all out as best as he could be for, he took his shot. If he didn't, he would be shooting blind which was a bad move.
As a result, for the first time in a long while, Gohan felt a glimmer of hope. But with it came an enormous responsibility. Going to the past and changing things would come with risk, but those were risks that he knew he had to take on directly, it was the only way that he could change the world and fix things back into a better state then what they were at that moment.
Gohan read through the notes once more, absorbing every piece of Bulma's meticulous instructions. Though he was nowhere near her genius, his sharp mind and desperation gave him the focus needed to understand the time machine's operating system. His heart raced as he examined the details, seeing that there was only enough fuel for one test flight. That was it—his one chance to set things right.
Bulma had clearly considered the dangers of meddling with history. Her notes reflected her worry about altering the past and creating an alternate timeline. She feared the unknown ramifications, but her determination to save someone, even if it wasn't her own loved ones, was clear. Her concern for Goku's heart virus echoed in the note she left along with the medicine, a last lifeline she believed could turn the tide.
Gohan couldn't help but admire her selflessness. She had prepared everything for this, and now it was up to him to finish it.
He spent days in the lab, losing track of time as he worked feverishly. The deeper he delved into Bulma's research, the more determined he became. His hands shook as he made his own notes in the margins, refining the plan in his head. He barely slept, subsisting on whatever rations he found in the lab, pushing himself until he was confident, he had everything he needed.
After what felt like an eternity of preparation, Gohan sat back inside the time machine. His eyes were weary but determined, his mind set on one goal: to change the past, to give them all a fighting chance. As he started up the machine, the soft hum filled the lab again. He punched in the date, August 7, 764—just before Frieza arrived on Earth, when Goku had returned from Yardrat and all of his friends were still alive. That was the moment. If he could warn Goku, things could be different.
Gohan's heart pounded as the machine roared to life. He held the heart medicine tightly in his hand for a moment, reflecting on what it meant for his father, for his friends—perhaps for the world. Sliding it back into the compartment, he clenched his fist and activated the machine.
The colors around him swirled into a dazzling blur as the machine hurled him through time. His breath caught in his throat, awe and fear mixing as the flashing lights surrounded him. Then, just as suddenly as it began, the chaos stopped.
Gohan blinked, looking up at the bright blue sky overhead. The sound of birds, the fresh air—it was so alive. Alive, that was a new feeling after his past days, and something really liked a lot. He could sense the life energy of countless people, familiar signatures that had long been extinguished in his world. His heart pounded as he picked up on the ki of Piccolo, Krillin, Yamcha, Vegeta, Tenshinhan—and Bulma. The warmth of their presence, even from afar, nearly brought him to his knees. But there was no time to linger.
What caught his attention next was the dark, foreboding energy closing in on Earth. Frieza, and his father, King Cold. Gohan's stomach dropped. He didn't sense Goku anywhere yet. He remembered his father showing up at the last moment to save everyone. But this time... where was he?
Gohan turned toward the distant energy of the gathered Z Fighters. He had to make it there fast. If his father wasn't coming yet, he had to stop Frieza and Cold before it was too late. He tucked the time machine capsule away and took off, rocketing through the sky.
As he flew, the sight of the untouched world beneath him filled him with both awe and sorrow. It was surreal—everything was vibrant, full of life, so unlike the ravaged wasteland he had grown up in. But it didn't matter how beautiful it was. If he failed here, it would all fall apart, just as it had in his timeline.
Picking up speed, Gohan narrowed his eyes as he sensed Frieza's energy nearing Earth. He had no choice now. If Goku didn't show up in time, he would have to handle Frieza and his father. He remembered their power, their cruelty, and though he was confident he could take them on now with his newfound strength, the pressure weighed on him.
Gohan steeled his resolve. This time, he wouldn't fail. This time, he would change the course of history. As he neared the battlefield, his jaw clenched.
If Frieza wanted another fight on Earth, he would be facing the wrath of a son who had seen his world burn.
Gohan saw the massive spaceship in front of him—impressive and fitting for the so-called emperor of the universe and his father. As he surveyed the area, he noticed his friends hiding behind rocks, along with his younger self. The sight brought back a wave of memories, but he pushed them aside. He had a job to do.
Landing in the clearing with the spaceship looming ahead, Gohan took in the sight of Mecha Frieza, King Cold, and their minions emerging from the ship. His heart raced, but he remained composed.
"Well now, seems like a lousy, no-good space pirate has come to my planet to cause problems. I suggest you get lost and go back where you came from—if you know what's good for you," Gohan declared, his voice filled with defiance.
He watched as Frieza and King Cold turned their focused onto him, the one person who seemed to be standing up to them. He knew that neither could sense power and thus couldn't sense the others who were also gathered nearby. He knew they were equally confused by his presence as none of them knew him. He could see in the eyes of both King Cold and Frieza, that they had no clue who he was. That to them, he was some no one, that had just wandered into the battleground, where Frieza was going to get his revenge for what happened on Namek.
Frieza smirked, his eyes narrowing as he observed Gohan. "Oh, look, a local has come to play with us," he sneered, turning to King Cold. "What do you think, Father? I think we should show him just how out of his league he is right now."
King Cold chuckled softly, his eyes glinting with amusement. "Indeed, my son. He seems quite eager to meet his end."
Frieza's gaze flickered back to Gohan, annoyance creeping into his voice. "Something about his eyes bothers me. They remind me of someone else..." He paused, a faint growl escaping him as the memory surfaced. "Men, I think I'll handle this one. This Earthling will be easy sport. I'm bored waiting for Son Goku, and this... this could be a momentary distraction at least."
Gohan stood tall, a cold smirk forming on his lips. "Oh, right, you lost to Son Goku," he said, his voice calm but dripping with confidence. "Let me show you something."
Without another word, Gohan began to power up. His aura exploded around him as his hair turned a bright, golden hue. The ground trembled beneath his feet as he ascended into his Super Saiyan form, his gaze locked on Frieza.
"I am stronger than Son Goku was when you fought him," Gohan declared, his voice echoing with fierce determination. "You have no chance against me, Frieza."
Gohan didn't give Frieza a chance to react. In an instant, he blitzed forward, moving so fast that Frieza barely had time to register what was happening. Gohan slammed his knee into the Frieza's chest hard. The power of his move catching Frieza off guard as he was pushed backwards, his feet sliding across the ground.
As Frieza pressed his feet to the ground to recover, he was beset by Gohan again who slammed punch after punch in quick succession into Frieza before he could recover. The attacks were harsh and relentless hit home, before Gohan finished the combination with a sweeping kick and an elbow that slammed Frieza into the ground. The sheer force of the strike creating a small crater that now Frieza was at the bottom of.
Gohan looking down at the crater was ready for his final move and would do this right away. The more time he gave Frieza the more problems could arise.
"Masenko!" Gohan shouted, his voice ringing with fury as a blinding beam of energy shot down from his hands, engulfing Frieza.
The explosion shook the ground, and when the dust cleared, the once-feared tyrant was nothing more than ash, vaporized by the overwhelming power of Gohan's attack. The first threat had been eliminated.
Gohan turned toward King Cold, who stood frozen in shock, still processing the brutal defeat of his son. A dark smirk crept across Gohan's face as he coldly addressed the towering figure.
"Now, join him," Gohan said, his voice calm but filled with lethal intent. Without hesitation, he cupped his hands at his side, the familiar blue energy gathering between them.
"Kame…hame…" Gohan's voice echoed as the energy swelled, creating a powerful aura around him. King cold was still processing what was happening, everything moving so quickly as the ball of energy build in the hands of Son Gohan, ready to end him just like he had his father.
"Haaaa!" Gohan unleashed the devastating beam, the radiant blue wave tearing through the air with unstoppable force. It slammed into King Cold, who didn't even have a chance to move or speak. The energy engulfed him, and within moments, the once-mighty ruler of the universe was reduced to nothing—vaporized alongside his son, leaving only a faint trace of their presence behind.
Gohan stood still, the battlefield now eerily quiet, the threat of Frieza and his father completely erased.
Gohan watched as the spaceship carrying the remaining grunts of Frieza's army fled into the sky. For a moment, he considered pursuing them, but he quickly decided against it. Letting them live would serve a greater purpose. News would spread quickly across the universe that Earth was the planet where both Frieza and King Cold met their demise. It would create a ripple of fear, making any would-be conquerors think twice before threatening the planet again.
"Let them go," Gohan muttered to himself, his gaze still locked on the fleeing ship. "They'll spread the word."
With Frieza and Cold gone, Earth might finally have some peace. For now, that was enough. Gohan powered down, his golden hair returning to black, and he turned away from the battlefield, knowing his job here was done—for the moment. However, he knew very well, this was the prologue to the real fight and the real challenges that were three years away.