Number Thirty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Six
The Battle of the Beast
It's easy to think of the situation as a rat trap. There's no doubt that the spring-loaded bar will clamp shut when the bait is taken, but that isn't to say that the bait is not worth the daring. Goku's grandpa would use snap traps when Goku was a young boy, citing them a necessary evil as to preserve the grain, and of course, Goku would stumble across the poor, little creatures with their snapped necks and uneaten bait. Grandpa would use porridge to trick them, or sometimes peanut butter on particularly particular pests, wisely telling Goku that the rats were never fools, but only hungry in the desperation of winter.
Now, Goku understands. He too is desperate. His winter has been ten years long already, and he wants the bait, trap or no.
"They're beckoning us," Piccolo reiterates, watching Vegeta's bruised and bloodied face sneer in high definition.
The screen had curled downwards from the ceiling of the ship they stole. It's an intimate vessel with room for four persons maximum, and because of its compact size, its operations hadn't been too difficult to figure out, especially in comparison to the complexity of Bulma's favourite Capsule Corporation ship, which could be likened to an airborne hotel. This ship on the other hand only has a total of three rooms, including a cupboard-sized bathroom, a bedroom with two bunk beds, a single fridge and stove, and then, finally, the control storage room which triples as the engine room.
In the control room, the television likes to demonstrate its own mind, occasionally giving Piccolo and Goku foreign updates as they attempt to administer coordinates.
Before stealing this ship from Blue Bridge, they had actually managed to sneak back onto the Capsule Corporation ship—only to find it completely ransacked of all their personal belongings. The hidden office remained untouched at least, where Goku had momentarily hung there, staring at the picture Trunks had drawn for his parents. He'd remembered Gohan's frustration at coming across it, something which had confused Goku at the time, but now, he understands that Gohan had seen his own circumstances in Trunks, and had found Goku's easy trust of him—a soldier—a slap in the face in gambling another child's life.
Behind that stoicism is the sensitive, thoughtful boy Goku had known. Glimpses of "Thirty-Two's" gentler nature are easier to identify now looking back, recognizing him as Gohan. He wishes he could go back in time, back to when he'd shared the senzu bean, and shake his past self and order him to realize. To notice. To see.
On the topic of senzu beans, thankfully, there'd been four beans hidden in their usual compartment, after having being replenished since Goku's last venture on Earth. He'd pocketed them, along with the picture. He had found some fresh clothes, changed and left to meet Piccolo.
"The engines are gone," Piccolo had revealed.
They'd been worst things to have been stolen. This meant Goku and Piccolo had needed to "borrow" one of Cilo's ships. After he'd managed to take down a list of coordinates from the Capsule Corporation ship's computer, they'd done just that.
Looking back at the situation, lumbers Goku's heart. Sneaking to and from their Capsule Corporation ship had been a tribulation of no easy merit. Goku had felt the sting of guilt as Piccolo blasted three guards clean from existence once out of the broad reach of sheenks.
Mostly, after that, however, they'd managed to avoid confrontation from then onwards, easily boarding a ship and tailing after Hailer at an innocuous distance.
In fact, it'd been a little… too easy.
And now, they have their suspicions as to why.
"It's a ploy," Piccolo says, leaving no room for argument even though Goku has no desire to do as such, not about whether or not it's a trap—because it most certainly is.
"We're going anyway," Goku insists.
"I knew you'd say that."
"Gohan's there."
"And Vegeta," Piccolo stresses. "Don't you remember what he looked like after he took the Boiler the first time?"
"I remember," Goku bites back, recalling his friend's eyes pinpricked with horror all those months ago. "But Vegeta can be wished back. Gohan can't be touched by the dragon balls, and he's my son. I'm not gonna' lie and say that he's not my priority."
"I get that. Don't think you're the only person invested, Son. I'm just saying that we need to think this through. Hailer is anticipating us, and without Cilo's support then we're just two against hundreds, maybe thousands."
"Thousands of weak soldiers." It sounds strange to say but Goku's sure they could take them. "It's Hailer who I wonder about—we don't know how strong he is," Goku counters. "But if he's anything like Frieza then I can take him no sweat."
"Did you hear me say thousands? Tch! You're so arrogant sometimes. Fighting isn't all brawn and you know that. Besides, you can't take Gohan 'no sweat', and Gohan works for Hailer. You didn't see him let loose on Pyrak back at the Youth Program—you didn't see his power."
"I've seen Gohan's power," Goku snaps back, oddly affronted. "I know what he's capable of."
"Outdated information," Piccolo derides. "He's not a little boy anymore. He's explosive. Gohan now has even less control over himself than when I trained him on Earth. There is no inhibition when it comes to murder—"
"I know—"
"And his repertoire of skill seems to be annoyingly endless."
"Like your Makankōsappō?" Goku recalls Piccolo mentioning witnessing his own technique being used against him, admittedly prickling Goku somewhat. Jealousy, he'd realized sometime later.
"I never taught him that."
"Well, it stuck with him."
"It wasn't an exact copy."
"His is faster, you said?" Goku teases, wry.
"Shut up."
Still, Goku would wager that he's stronger than Gohan, or at least, he'd be able to take him down in a fair fight—but easily? Definitely not. He's tricky. Really, Piccolo does have a point; how does Gohan and Hailer compare? Hailer has kept all his cards close to his chest throughout all this. The only thing Goku knows about Hailer is that he is from the evil Frost family, and that he is as vicious and political as warned to be.
And also…
Just now remembering, Goku envisions a wine glass, its red liquid sloshing as Hailer had set his lips around the rim. The wine had felt abnormal.
"If we don't intervene, then Vegeta dies," Goku says slowly, laying it out, hoping for anything of use to spring to mind. "If we do, we fall into Hailer's hands…"
Piccolo takes a breath, displeased.
"Gohan's only hope is us," Goku continues, "If we don't drag him out of this mess then I don't know what'll happen to him."
"Well, he's not managed to summon the dragon yet."
"But Hailer knows about the immortality—and he even said he'll help him get rid of it." Or something along those lines, anyway—enough to make Goku feel dread swill about his stomach.
"I recall." Beneath his antennae, fingers massage the distressed wrinkles accumulated there. "If Gohan is the one to perform the execution, like advertised onscreen, then… yes, we'll know exactly where he'll be, but I can guarantee that Hailer will be expecting us to go. Ideally, I'd like a smarter plan of action before we thrust ourselves into the outstretched palm of our enemy."
"We're kinda' short of plans."
"So, you want to what? Crash-land and start throwing punches?"
"I guess so."
"Oh, Son…"
"I've done it everyone else's way since the start. Now, I'm just gonna' go and—."
"Punch Hailer in the face?"
Goku, despite everything, grins.
At that, Piccolo sighs, though, his eyes are crinkled in amusement as he takes his post opposite the control panel.
It's natural, the quiet that comes over them, a duvet that's comforting because of their shared ambition, of their unusual friendship throughout the years.
The two satiate in this silence, though, Goku does come to sweat despite his earlier boldness.
They're down to two—Piccolo and him, with everyone else either dead, captured or so far away that they can't be of any assistance. Bulma doesn't even know what's happened, that Vegeta has been taken again and is to face the Boiler again. What would she say? Nothing good, Goku supposes. What would she suggest they do? She's always been so smart. Ytvl and Pyrak were good in a crisis, too. And Gohan, well, when he's not the subject of a problem, he's very good at solving it.
Goku wonders the unknown. How will they reach Gohan and Vegeta with so many people there? What about Hailer? How strong is he? How cruel?
He flops down on one of the cardboard-like beds, stretching weary limbs.
Even in the "bedroom", the screen returns a further five times to remind them of Vegeta's suffering, with Hailer's monotonic intonation informing them that the execution will happen within twenty-four hours. The video would show footage each time of soldiers working, of captains commanding thick clusters of men, and, of course, Gohan in a lingering shot overlooking the hoary hills of Central. If Goku hadn't thought this was personally directed at him before, he does now. After all, Goku is the final big fish for Hailer to fry. All his other enemies have been conquered one way or another.
Piccolo and Goku still haven't agreed on how to tackle the execution, although they expect security to be high. Patrolling ships around Central are for sure going to be eagerly awaiting them, which means there will definitely be some fireworks. Neither of them are especially strong pilots so there won't be any maneuvers or impressive warfare—it's about bypassing the anticipating forces as discreetly as possible.
It's, um, not necessarily what Goku's known for…
"Gohan hasn't summoned the dragon for a reason," Piccolo determines out of nowhere, startling Goku, by the door.
He'd been hoping to get a little shut-eye before the confrontation. The lack of sleep is starting to catch up with Goku, and if he's about to face Hailer and all his goons then he should be at least partially rested.
Sleep thick on his tongue, Goku rolls over in his bunk. "'Cause Hailer'iz watchin' him… like you said."
"He needs a namekian."
"Mm…"
"He'll be desperate by now—wondering how to find someone to summon the dragon on his behalf because he cannot do so without a speaker of Namekian."
"…Yeah."
"But Gohan is in the South, where namekians rarely venture because of the harsh climate."
"Mm…"
"Son, this would make me valuable to him. Don't you see that we cou—?"
Goku falls asleep, remembering diminutive details, waking only when shaken to attention by Piccolo, the screen once again alert with advertisement of the execution. Minutes could have passed, hours perhaps. Piccolo doesn't give him the chance to ask.
"We're approaching Central."
Immediately, Goku lulls upwards, wiping aside the sleep crusted in his eyes.
He stretches, admiring the ensuing horror.
Naturally, the planet is well-guarded, with a visible number of ships patrolling in strict formation. The ship's computer complains about their presence, beeping every other second when ship after ship pings on its map. More and more, the map lights up with enemies, which means that, by now, Goku's ship must have made itself known to these patrollers.
Yet, nobody interferes with their journeying.
In fact, a great number of the ships seem to be moving towards Central as opposed towards Goku's vessel. Odd, he thinks, checking to make sure the computer's data aligns with what he's witnessing.
"Eh? Shouldn't they be more interested in us?"
"Slow your approach," Piccolo says, eying their surrounding situation as all remains stagnant. "Has the ship radar detected the fleet commander?"
"Not yet. I can't see or sense any strong power levels, either. How about you?"
"Nothing."
And then, as though a homing signal, a stretch of light bursts upwards from Central; a beam of saffron-white energy which cuts through space like a laser, miles and miles into the distance. It dissipates as quickly as it appears, but in its place, another. This one is cast at an angle. The one following is at another. The latest only misses Goku's ship by a fraction.
"What kind of attack is that?" Piccolo exclaims, grasping the ceiling when the ship veers right.
"I can't sense anything from it. It must be a weapon—. "
Piccolo stumbles forward when the energy, like lightning, flashes beneath the ship. "It's just disintegrated one of their ships!"
"It's not taking aim. It's random."
"It could be a malfunctioning weapon. Let's approach the planet from the rear—."
"No," Goku decides, watching as ships are either destroyed on impact or are called to the energy like a moth to a flame. "We'll descend alongside them. If we land on the other side of the planet, we'll be more likely confronted by the patrolling ships."
Piccolo nods, grimacing. It's going to be a wrought ride. "Something has obviously gone wrong for the patrollers at least. Maybe we can use that to our advantage."
The beams frame their ship almost perfectly; catching the window as the ship carefully descends to the planet. One course of energy blasts so closely by that the entire window whitens out with a momentary flash. The ship's momentum is tested. They rock like a ship in the midst of a typhoon. The lights above flicker with the intensity of the fall.
"A ship to our right."
Goku's already seen it. He plummets the ship into a dive, its bonnet now dipped in a bow. Reacting, Piccolo presses a palm against the ceiling once more. Goku's grasp tightens on the steering apparatus as the ship shakes with dissatisfaction. The ship on their tail is fast and with its eyes on the prize, it surely would have caught them—if not for the energy beam obliterating it.
Piccolo sucks in an anxious breath, knowing how easily it could have been them.
More ships follow regardless. They weave around the energy beams, which feel larger now with how close their drawing to the planet, tucking in as close as possible to Goku. However, Goku very dramatically dives right when the energy catches the shell casing of their stolen ship, a painful shriek of metal contorting in on itself. One ship panics, curling so far off course that it spins out of control. The flayed metal from Goku's ship chases after it, lost.
He has a feeling that this ship won't be their ride out of here after all this.
The following enemy ships quickly reduce in number, either through causality or retreat, and the ones that are left won't be long after them. Survivors will have to deal with Goku himself once they land, after all.
Quite suddenly, the dark abolishes into a shine of white. At first, Goku thinks that they've been hit, but quickly, he realizes that they've breached Central's atmosphere and are surely approaching their destination.
"Brace yourself," Goku gets out between gritted teeth, urging the ship up out from its nosedive. "Get ready to power up."
"Right."
Without already being powered up himself, the G-Force steals the breath from Goku's lungs. But he doesn't relent, ultimately, dragging the ship into its landing position, its groaning metal feet emerging from behind wrecked shell casing. They'll snap on impact, only succeeding in absorbing a dismal amount of force.
Soon enough, mountain tops draped with snow appear, and towards them, their space ship is plummeting, its hull burning as it struggles to maintain control. Sparks fly from overcompensating engines, and alarms now blare in the tiny cockpit. Below, the towering mountains loom, their pointed peaks piercing the sky.
"Now!"
Piccolo yells as his energy surges out from his body, Goku following suit, both readying themselves for the inevitable crash.
And surely, with a deafening roar, the ship crashes into the snow-covered slopes, metal screeching against rock. Snow erupts into the air, blanketing the wreckage in a thick, frozen shroud. The once acceptable spacecraft is now a twisted ruin, half-buried in the deep snow, its innards scattered across the unforgiving terrain.
The wind howls as silence descends, a cold, deadly stillness over the wreckage.
And then, a groan.
Goku thinks it's himself, his own skull echoing with the hollowness of it—but when it sounds again, he sits up, recognizing something eerie about it. There's a following roar, and then more white beams casting into the whiter sky. The energy from before, he realizes, dizzily standing to attention. Snow is ruffled from his hair and clothes. Whilst cold, at least there is not a blizzard. Yet.
"Piccolo?"
There is a caw of metal being shifting aside. "I'm here."
Although uninjured, Piccolo has already begun to pale, his complexion several shades lighter than his usual forest green. Grimly, Goku understands why namekians so rarely come this far south. They—both Piccolo and Goku—need better clothes if they want to last more than a few hours here; an odd necessity considering such dire circumstances.
Another groan ricochets throughout the hills.
Piccolo's face contorts in confusion, and then he, like Goku, looks over the spread of snowy mounds where the energy beams rain upwards in succession. The sky is speckled with ships which fall like flies. Beyond them, a moon Goku hadn't noticed until just now. What time is it?
"I can't sense Vegeta," Piccolo says, eyes pressed closed in attempted concentration, teeth chattering.
"He must've been weakened by the sheenks," Goku replies, disliking any other reason. "Let's go—to whatever the hell that is."
"Whatever it is, I sense Gohan's strange, damning energy nearby. Let's go."
Yet, it couldn't be that easy, could it?
Ships—three of them—land in a perfect triangular formation around their wreckage site, quickly vomiting forth armour-clad, gun-wielding soldiers. There can't be less than thirty of them.
"Stand down!" orders one of the soldiers with the bulky, hulking furs that Gohan also wears. He must be a captain. "By the order of our supreme leader of the Frost Empire, Lord Hailer, you are both to be arrested."
The sky groans once more, and noticeably, the soldiers and their captains do not seemed comforted by this. Some outright look terrified. Whatever it is must be bad news for the Frost Empire. Are they being attacked? Ambushed? Just what's happening over there?
"Go," Piccolo says, gesturing to where the sound came from.
"We go toge—."
"Think about Gohan and Vegeta," he barks, and then, with a smirk, he appraises his opponents. "Besides, I could do with a warm up, right?"
Each soldier holds a sleek gun, their eyes cold with determination. The captain now hovers above them, his furs a stark figure against the bland sky, radiating authority, reminding Goku of Gohan all those nights ago at the Green Snow Tavern.
His heart aches at the memory. He doesn't want to leave Piccolo, but Gohan is so close now. "Are you s—?"
Piccolo's breath fogs in the frigid air as he focuses, drawing on the power of his ki. "Go."
The soldiers then open fire, their guns crackling with energy, but, despite the cold, Piccolo moves with impressive speed, weaving between the blasts. His ki flares, and he punches the air, sending waves of energy that rip through the snow-covered ground. The first soldier is thrown back, his gun disintegrating in mid-air. Piccolo spins, his body a blur as he takes down two more, their bodies crashing into the mountainside.
The captain watches, unimpressed. With a sharp gesture, other soldiers group and attack in unison, forming a deadly aerial barrage. But Piccolo's ki pulses around him, creating a barrier that deflects the shots and inadvertently blasts Goku wayside. Finally, Piccolo leaps into the air, disappearing into the fog of white, making that the last Goku sees of any of the fight.
Goku mentally thanks his friend, and then takes to the air, cheeks burning from the icy sting of the wind.
Slowly, civilization comes to dot the ground below with the decrepit slums he'd once passed through with Ytvl and Krillin, and then, finally, the spire of the Frost fortress comes into view—and it's not what he'd expected.
From the shock, he stumbles mid-flight, unsure on how to proceed.
It's…
The thing making all those beams of ki…
It's a giant ape!
The giant ape is wearing the blue spandex and usual Frost armour expected of a soldier, which just complicates the situations as to why it's currently destroying anything and everything it is setting its eyes on. If it's a soldier, why would—?
From widening so quickly, Goku's eyes sting.
The ape has zero energy signature—that's why Goku and Piccolo had thought the energy beams had been coming from a weapon. But no.
It's because it'd been coming from… from…
"Gohan," Goku breathes. This is what Piccolo could sense!
But… But Gohan doesn't even have a tail! How's this possible? Did it grow back? Why is he suddenly transforming now? Why would he…? How—?
Gohan absolutely towers over most if not all buildings, his fur matted with snow, eyes burning with fury. Soldiers swarm around him, launching a barrage of bullets, bomb-like-weapons, and energy blasts, but Gohan doesn't even flinch. Every shot bounces off the thick hide or dissipates into the now blossoming blizzard. Gohan roars, shaking the ground beneath it, and with a deafening growl, he unleashes a torrent of white ki blasts from his massive mouth—the beams. The blasts explode on impact, sending shockwaves that tear through building walls, collapsing structures and sending soldiers flying.
A squadron of fighter ships zooms overhead; launching missile after missile, but Gohan swings his enormous fists, knocking them out of the sky with terrifying precision. One ship explodes into a fiery trail, its wreckage plummeting into the snow below. Gohan's movements are unstoppable, his rage uncontained. He charges forward, smashing through fortifications with each thundering step.
Soldiers cry out as they scramble to escape, but their attacks are useless. The ground shakes with each punch, and the air is thick with concrete dust and other pollutants. The fortress, once a symbol of Empire strength, is crumbling under the overwhelming force of Gohan's might.
It'd be beautiful if it wasn't so horrific, Goku thinks, watching, unsure on what else to do.
Gohan groans, unleashing ever more torrents of yellow-white ki from his mouth. The blasts streak through the sky, vaporizing space ships in an instant. Others explode, falling like shooting stars, their wreckage scattered across the void. As if proud of this monstrosity, Gohan stands tall, unfazed, as the chaos unfolds around him.
He's so powerful. Like a wall.
Goku tries to size him up but it's difficult to come to a conclusion on just how strong he is. The last time Goku had gone against one of these monsters, it'd been impossible to win alone. Gohan himself had been an integral part of the team, and now…
God, Gohan's even bigger than last time. And he's mad with it.
There's another roar, the throat audibly tearing.
Goku laughs nervously.
Yes, it seems Gohan isn't home right now.
Had he meant to transform? Had this been a part of his plan? Goku doubts it, looking at the beast, as he sees very little intelligence in those red eyes. Why did this happen? Hailer? Cace? Did they do something to Gohan? If so, why?
Apprehensive, Goku flies nearer, hoping not to pull too much attention when drawing as close as possible to Gohan's rear end. He has to play this smart. There is no way Gohan would want to be rampaging like some mindless monster—Goku has to do something.
So, he drops to the ground and moves through the wreckage, his footsteps silent in the deep snow. The remains of shattered ships and twisted metal lay scattered around him, smoke rising from their smouldering husks. Gohan is now overhead; his massive form even more intimidating the closer Goku draws to him. Good. He's distracted, roaring at the chaos he's caused, unaware of Goku creeping.
Goku's breath is steady, his focus razor-sharp. He hovers just above the ground, using his ki to mask his presence. Each movement is calculated, careful. Gohan's tail swings lazily behind him, brushing against the ruined landscape. Now is his chance. He accelerates, flying low and fast toward the tail, hands outstretched. As he nears, the wind howls, and snow stings his face, but he doesn't flinch. He's almost there. Just a little closer. Gohan is still oblivious, but one wrong move, one noise, and he will see him.
Gohan can't sense energy, having needed to rely on his scouter, so it's a shock that some strange, knowing sense has him swing around and swat at Goku with remarkable precision. It's like being smacked by a giant fly swatter. Goku's carried with the palm before being slammed into the remnants of a building. There is an explosion on impact, crumbling bricks and stone into mist.
As Goku hauls himself up, left and right, soldiers pour outwards from the desolation. They're screaming at one another in their Southern tongue, producing firearms and other artilleries Goku doesn't recognize.
"Narsh'a!" bellows a different captain from the one Goku had left with Piccolo.
Then, several, what look like, cannons, fire all at once, lighting the white clouds a violent crimson. They detonate against Gohan's chest, barely scratching flesh and doing little more than causing a fireworks demonstration. Still, this enrages Gohan, who produces his own lightshow. His whitened energy beam slices through the unit of men like a knife through butter, leaving charred cuttings.
There is a rumble of victory.
Goku, who'd only narrowly avoided the attack, skids to a halt along the slush that was once ice. He hadn't wanted to power up just yet—but he may have to if Gohan keeps proving himself to be so deadly, which would potentially draw Hailer's attention if Gohan hasn't done so already. Where is Hailer anyway? Wasn't he supposed to be at Vegeta's execution?
Oh God, where's Vegeta?
An extended palm comes at Goku again, urging him to jump backwards; over and over as Gohan attempts to squash him like a toddler would an insect.
Accepting his fate to use his power, Goku soars through the frigid air, his body crackling with ki. Below, Gohan snarls, his enormous tail lashing behind him. With a burst of speed, Goku dives toward the tail, aiming to tear it from the massive frame. His fingers grip the thick fur, but before he can pull, Gohan pivots with terrifying agility, flinging him across the sky. Goku recovers mid-air as steadily as his freezing, shaking body allows.
Damn it. Goku doesn't want to hurt him.
Gohan's furious eyes narrow as he swings its tail again. Goku dodges just in time, but Gohan is wicked fast even as an ape. He retaliates with a crushing punch, and Goku narrowly avoids it, releasing a ki blast in the process. The blast explodes harmlessly against Gohan's chest. This happens over and over. The only thing which changes is the thickening of falling snow.
Frustration builds in Goku. Every move he makes, Gohan counters.
He needs to ascend.
In a blink, Goku allows the Super Saiyan transformation to cast him gold, the whirring of fizzing electricity absent until he really needs to push himself. Gohan takes immediate notice, dropping his fists mid-swing to gawk. His mouth swings, and those red, inhuman eyes lose focus, clouding with a mystery Goku doesn't have the brainpower to currently solve. He's affected by this; Goku comprehends, for whatever reason. Something only Gohan would understand and never share. Something that has him lost in a stupor.
Goku very slowly glides over to him, hovering opposite his muzzle.
Not daring Gohan's name, but still refusing to use that blasted number, Goku chances a question. "Are you... in there? Can you hear me?"
The dumb look of an animal doesn't wane.
"It's me…" He swallows. "…Goku."
Your dad.
It's on the tip of his tongue even though it'll do him no good. Gohan is broken, like shattered ice that has numbed itself with the cold.
Snowflakes whirl around them, biting Goku's face as he clenches his fists. He tries to ignore the cold that seeps through his thin gi as he just hovers there. Come on, he wants to shout, come to your senses.
"You don't want this," Goku continues, "let me help you. I can help you."
It'd been the wrong thing to say. Gohan growls, his breath steaming in the frigid air, eyes glowing with primal rage. With a deafening cry, he lunges forward, swinging his arms. Goku ducks just in time, the blow narrowly missing him. He counters quickly, throwing a punch to Gohan's thick skull. It's like hitting stone. Gohan grunts but doesn't falter. He swings again, and this time, Goku is forced down to the ground, to roll to the side, his body slamming into snow.
His heart races. He can't keep dodging forever. The skies are swatting territory and the ground is slippery. He needs to find an opening...
Gohan steps forward, fists raised, eager to crush him. He doesn't wait—he charges.
Goku cringes at what he must do next.
He leaps, aiming for the Gohan's knee. His fist connects and straightaway Gohan buckles. Goku's fist aches from the impact, but he digs deep, using every effort to send another punch. Once more, Gohan lowers, finally providing Goku opportunity. He grips Gohan's fur; his fingers digging into its density as he pulls himself up the knee and along to his back. There is a roar in frustration, Gohan's body shaking violently, but Goku holds on tight, moving towards the swinging tail.
He strikes, and for a moment, time freezes.
What Goku hadn't expected was a full-body detonation of ki. Before Goku can come into contact with the tail, crippling waves of energy blister his skin, throwing him against the splintered edges of a mountain. Gold shoots across the white like a shooting star, only to be buried by the snow.
The monster Gohan has found himself to be is luckily not as diligent as his usual self. He doesn't select Goku out of the snow to continue the job, instead basking in the joy of his chaos, celebrating with, of course, more destruction.
Goku eventually stands, spitting out a mixture of phlegm and blood.
Once more, soldiers and ships alike confront Gohan, but Goku knows the attempt will be fruitless. Only real power would be able to bring Gohan down, not that Goku is short of it...
While not a good time for him or Gohan, Goku is sure he'll be able to eventually overpower him.
Well…
Goku second guesses himself only a fraction later when Gohan's eyes burn a dangerous pink, cindering all those that come near him into ash.
He scratches the back of his head, brows scrunched. "Damn, Gohan…"
Then, Goku's gi ripples suddenly, his hair throwing forward with the momentum of fire behind him.
From the broken Frost Empire fortress, cannons have fired, their blasts shaking the air. The sound of metal tearing through the sky is deafening as the heavy artillery flies, the shells racing towards Gohan. Explosions erupt in the distance, but, as expected, Gohan barely flinches, his thick skin shrugging off the attack. The cannons continue firing, but Gohan stands firm, unyielding and unbothered, smashing the nearest construction into dust.
From this, fire has been born, and despite the wet and the snow, it is spreading hungrily, lapping up the stone of the Frost Empire. Multiple buildings are catching, considerably warming up the mountain area. At this, Gohan seems pleased in his madness, whacking at the flames in ambition to catapult them haphazardly. Through the cannon fire and wild orange, it's hard to even look at Gohan with how bright it's become.
BOOM!
Goku's admittedly surprised when the cannon fire turns on him next. There is an eruption of grey slush when a mound in close proximity to him is shot at. Dirt and water rains down as Goku turns to the tower in the distance, where perhaps thirty cannons have been pivoted in aim of Gohan—all except one.
It shoots again, and once more, it doesn't manage to reach Goku, instead exploding yet another mound. The third time this happens feels purposeful.
It's not trying to hit him.
It's trying to communicate.
Goku doesn't linger a moment longer, flying in ambition of the tower. Behind, Gohan groans again, exterminating yet another unit of soldiers.
Through a gorged hole in the tower, Goku taps down onto stone, to immediately find himself witnessing a military dispute. Soldiers are arguing in the Southern language, gesturing between Gohan, the cannons and some unknown place downstairs. There is shouting—so much shouting—that they don't notice Goku right away, giving him chance to look for whoever is firing the stray cannon.
In the corner, on the other side of three vacant cannons, a cloaked figure is slumped next to the vent of their own cannon. Instantly, Goku recognizes the weak ki signature.
"Vegeta," he lets out, relieved.
He kneels by his friend, turning him around by his shoulders. Vegeta's focus is tested upon being spun, the copious amount of sweat gushing down from his forehead and into dark eyes. He's feverish.
"Kakarot," he greets gravelly. "About time…"
Goku laughs weakly, feeling along his obi for his stash of senzu beans. "Don't tell me Gohan did this to you…"
"Sheenks… and…" Vegeta raises the fabric he'd managed to cloak himself with. There is a great wound in his gut, shrapnel buried within. "More sheenks."
"You were shot at?"
Vegeta breathes out wetly, planting a hand on the cool part of his cannon. "These Southern… b-bastards have integrated sheenks into their artillery."
"Stay still." Goku's still looking. A rush of fear has him worry that they'd become dislodged in either the crash or the fight. "You—."
There is a click next to Goku's temple.
A brave voice from behind, thick with accent, growls from behind. "By ze' order of Lord Hailer, you, the Z'uper Z'aiyan, are—."
Goku swiftly turns around, knocks the gun to the floor and punches the man across the face. A crowd has formed around them, though none dare approach like the first had. Their guns are nonetheless pointed in aim of Goku's flowing gold energy.
"I'm here to stop him," Goku snaps, nodding his head back Gohan's direction. "I don't think it'll be a smart idea for your precious organization to get in the way of that."
The soldiers look between themselves, unsure. Even the one Goku just punched, hand to bloody chin, has little to say.
"Where is Hailer anyway?" Vegeta sneers, chest heaving as he presses himself against the wall, an evil and wide grin overtaking his face. "Did he leave you all to rot? He h-hadn't even been at my execution. Isn't that interesting?"
A burly man from the back, grizzled and hardened by war, limps his way to the front of the group. "Lord Hailer would never betray his own men—don't you dare, Vegeta, insinuate such a thing! You are a bug!"
Vegeta laughs, blood spilling over a split lip.
"What happened?" Goku asks, determined to change the trajectory into something more productive. "Why did… Thirty-Two transform?"
The burly one's lip twitches. "Ask that one," he growls, referencing Vegeta.
"Vegeta?"
"Don't look at me like that, Kakarot. I did what I had to. The boy's tail had grown back and I used the opportunity by way of escape—."
"Killing hundreds, if not thousands of men!" barks the burly soldier. "He sent up that thing, that energy ball, and it won't die no matter how much we throw at it!"
Goku looks to the sky and to what he thought had been a moon. It starts clicking into place, and he's reminded of when Vegeta had sent up the same energy back when he'd attacked Earth years ago. He'd explained it as mixing the oxygen of the planet with his own ki, having it build to produce the same waves as a full moon would, which was actually the true trigger of the great ape transformation.
"Blutz waves are perfectly b-balanced," Vegeta tells them. "They have self-preservation qualities that require an immensely powerful unbalanced force to p-penetrate them. They can hold for millennia."
"You bastard!" cries one soldier. Others join in the heckling, their hatred obvious even through foreign words.
The burly one is the loudest of them all. "You doomed us, you saiyan cunt! Your species ring damnation! This is why you were sentenced to death!"
"Tch! D-Don't talk as if you deserve to live," Vegeta retorts.
"I can destroy it," Goku intervenes. "I'm much stronger than any of you or your weapons. If anyone has a chance, it's me."
"Or Lord Hailer—."
"But where is he?" Vegeta sneers. "He's left… you to r-rot."
"Don't be cruel, Vegeta."
"They're bootlickers."
"They're people."
"Oh, don't be soft. Not with them." There's a gesture to the beast he created. "Not with him. Haven't you learnt yet how much the Frost Empire doesn't give a shit about your altruism? How your own son has turned his back on you!"
Vegeta's exhausted and wounded (and understandably cranky). He's hurting—and he hates this place and what it represents more than anything else. So, Goku has to forgive him. The sooner this is over, the better.
More than anything else, Vegeta is looking faint. Still, try as he might, Goku can't find the senzu beans, but he does find something else.
Trunks' picture.
It's a bit soggy, although just as sentimental.
"Why do you have that?" Vegeta snipes.
Goku doesn't know why he brought it with him, and so, he passes it over to Vegeta, who, to Goku's well-trained eye, visibly softens. He grumbles to himself, clenching the paper.
"It felt wrong leaving it…" There is another roar beyond their tower, and Goku's gaze drifts over to the beast in the snow. "I know it means something to you. I understand that. That's why I think you'll understand why I have to help him."
Vegeta sighs, teetering on angry. "Nothing is easy with you, is it?"
"Afraid not."
"You're insufferable."
Goku smiles through his grimace. And then, he announces to the group, "I'll help you guys," he says it loudly—as the soldiers had begun arguing once more—interrupting them, "only if you help Vegeta into one of your regeneration tanks."
"Never!" instantly replies the burly one. Outcry follows and once more, infighting takes hold.
"That would be treason," reasons one of the soldiers, a younger-looking one who couldn't be much older than Gohan. He doesn't sound Southern, perhaps coming from central territory. "If we helped Vegeta then Lord Hailer may have our necks."
"If you don't then you'll die anyway," Goku bluntly says. "I'm not here to save you or any of Hailer's men," he adds cruelly, "I'm here to help Vegeta." And Gohan, but he doesn't mention that part. "I want to subdue Thirty-Two, too, but I'm gonna' need your help here with Vegeta, otherwise I'll just have to leave you all to it."
It's a bluff because Goku would never leave Gohan with these people, but the effect is working. The soldiers who can understand Goku share looks of defeat. When one man steps forward, slow and gentle, to assist Vegeta, the burly one snags his arm.
"Don't you dare."
The soldier snatches himself free. "Thissiz' madness. Our captain iz' dead. Nobody here iz' my king."
"You'd be working with saiyans!"
The Southern man collects Vegeta up, shouldering his wrecked body. "My old unit had two quarter 'zaiyans. Last year, they were my allies. Thiz' year, they were killed by the man they z'erved. Next year, they could be our kings. I do not know. You do not know. The world iz' making no 'zense anymore. People are people."
"Saiyans are not people! Look at what Captain Thirty-Two has become! A monster!"
"And 'zis one, 'ze 'Zuper 'Zaiyan, will zave us when Lord Hailer iz' not to be found."
"I agree with Charnethiel," inserts the younger, non-Southern soldier. "I refuse to die because of propagandistic racism."
"It is no racism! This bastard murdered Lord Frieza!"
"I don't care! Good! I'm glad. He was an evil fascist!"
"How DARE you—!"
It's hot. So suddenly, the world burns cleanly as a beam of energy portions through the tower, cooking the room. When the light fades, a roar from outside erupts, and Goku, Vegeta and the soldiers are left to see what is left of the tower. The elements have now been exposed to them, showering down ash and snowfall, which gently falls in heavy clumps.
A third of the men have been cindered, including the nasty, burly one.
There isn't time for mourning. The young soldier, shaken, takes the other side of Vegeta's body. By now, Vegeta is barely coherent, limply trailing as the two men carrying him turn towards the remnants of the stairs.
"Go. We 'zhall deal with Vegeta," says Charnethiel.
Goku forces himself to be unkind, lying through his teeth. "If he dies, I'll kill you all next."
Charnethiel nods, unperturbed. "We understand the deal, 'Zuper 'Zaiyan."
"We'll contact the other units and tell them to focus on keeping Captain Thirty-Two distracted," adds yet another soldier, standing centre of the clump of surviving men.
"Destroy Vegeta's energy ball," instructs the young one. He swallows, scared, not of Goku, but of what lies beyond these broken walls. "Please… help us."
Goku nods. "I'll do everything I can."
Goku can vividly recall the scary instance when Gohan had transformed into a great ape as a small child. How he'd relied on Gohan's ability to transform in the same way Vegeta had, and how, now that he thinks back on it, he'd put so much pressure onto his son's shoulders. Gohan's never had a break. He's always been pushed and forced into things beyond what should have ever been expected of him.
Even as Thirty-Two, Goku recognized a person who dislikes confrontation; a person, at heart, less violent than the role expected of him. Goku would watch Thirty-Two stare out the window, book rested on his knees, eyes half-lidded with the lazy fatigue of a person enjoying peace. Sure, he'd always been on some level of 'on alert'. On edge in case Pyrak or Ytvl would happen upon him. But still, in those quiet afternoons, Goku had appreciated that this individual, who'd been forced into the wilderness of the Frost Empire, had been allowed indoors—allowed comfort—and a short reprieve of peace.
It's a sharp contrast to the Gohan of today, who is currently tearing trees from the dirt and using them as projectiles at incoming space ships. Behind him, Vegeta's energy-moon-thing.
Goku hovers in the air, eyes locked on the white energy ball floating high above. Its pure, radiant glow beckons, promising an end to all this. All too tempted, he speeds forward, his body slicing through the air, determined to not draw Gohan's attention. But as he nears the ball, a deafening roar echoes from below. The beast emerges from the mist, massive and menacing, his eyes blazing with rage.
Goku swerves to avoid a blast of white energy shot from the ape's mouth. The blast rips through the air, narrowly missing him, and leaves a trail of crackling energy. Goku grits his teeth, enduring the singed stench of the furs he'd stolen back in the tower, but he doesn't stop. He flies higher, darting past serrated mountain peaks, only to feel the undercurrent of energy tremble beneath him.
Gohan leaps into the sky, his enormous fists swinging with his usual terrifying speed. Goku dodges, his heart racing, but Gohan is as relentless as he is stubborn. With each near-miss, Gohan unleashes another blast, forcing Goku to spiral into an uncomfortable trajectory. Each time Goku approaches the energy ball, Gohan is there, blocking his path with an overwhelming surge of power.
He knows, doesn't he?
Gohan knows to protect the energy.
When Goku powers up to Super Saiyan, his attempt at being stealthy goes out the window. A royal flash dyes him gold once more, strengthening him to deliver a kick to Gohan's pectoral area. The impact has Goku's bones shake within his leg.
From this, Gohan skids backwards, his heels cutting snow. Debris spits outwards.
Gohan's defensive capability is now insane! Really, his originally offensive ability was already difficult enough to deal with. Goku will have to ascend to the next level if something doesn't give…
Gohan then swings wildly, each punch sending shockwaves through the building blizzard. Goku dodges, using the snow to his advantage. He lands on the nearest hill, drawing Gohan closer, and then he serves up a gust of air, pushing a blinding cloud of powder at speed, momentarily blinding his attacker. As Gohan swings instinctively, Goku leaps behind a snowdrift, throwing rocks to distract him into another direction. Soon enough, Gohan is pawing at his eyes with childish discomfort, grumbling, yearning to find the source of the tumbling rocks—it's then that Goku, with much might, charges a knee into the base of his neck.
This is the most effective move yet. Gohan falls with explosive result, with snow bouncing up as he slumps to the ground. In reaction, the earth shakes and mountains begin to crumble. One nearby building somehow erupts into flames.
Goku withdraws, panting, not sure if he wants Gohan to get up from that or not.
Unsurprisingly, Gohan does rise, and when he's at full height, his head whips back and he roars, his chest contracting as the energy ball above him flickers like a star to be wished upon.
Goku begins to build energy in his hand and—.
That's when Goku's stabbed—or rather, shot. It'd felt like a hot blade cutting through his stomach, and then again and again, he feels this shock through each arm. The pain isn't the worst of it,—really, they'd been like bee stings—instead, Goku finds the aftereffects the most pressing.
Like a ragdoll, his arms flop to his side and he buckles. His hands are numb with empty sensation; it spreading through pinprick tingling that overcomes Goku's entire body. When he's shot in the legs, he knows it's no use. The floor is cold and unforgiving, draining him of his Super Saiyan transformation.
Goku twists his neck, watching as those same bullets do nothing to penetrate Gohan's thick hide. In fact, Gohan doesn't even notice, his rampaging undisturbed. Goku notices however—and he sees where they came from, too.
A pair of boots cut into the icy filth by Goku. The snout of a long gun sits just beside, the barrel smoking.
There are about twenty men, though Goku finds himself unable to sense them. He can't sense anything. He can't even feel his own ki.
"Unacceptable monkey filth."
That voice.
Goku can't see him through the thick of soldiers but he recognizes the Southern intonation.
Cace.
Crunching of snow grows louder until a long shadow stretches over Goku's uncooperative body.
"What is this?" Goku seethes, his eyeballs rolling with all their might to meet the bastard looming above. "Why am I…? Why can't I…?"
Cace slowly ambles forward, as if on a leisurely stroll. "Kachin-lined sheenks bullets," he says, his crow's feet crinkling with pleasure. "It took thirteen months of production but I personally believe they were worth the wait. They're fast-acting, aren't they?"
Panicked, Goku urges his fingers into hot flesh, scouring for the bullet.
"The bullet's grounded sheenks powder has already burnt up within you, Super Saiyan. Inhibiting micro-metals are doing their work within your bloodstream, interrupting internal ki communication within. The livers of many test subjects shot hadn't coped with the stress, the pollutants too much for their weak, impure bodies." He sighs. "My, my… With Thirty-Two having caused such a disturbance, I doubt you have much time for a detox…"
This isn't like the sheenks he's been exposed to before. This is worse. This is plain wrong. Not being able to sense someone's living energy… their life… Goku feels so alone. He wrangles out two of the bullets anyway, panting into dirt, swallowing the cold. He's shaking.
How did this go south so fast?
"Very determined," Cace comments, close to a sneer as Goku, like a new-born calf, stumbles to his feet.
"'Can't kill Hailer if I'm takin' a nap on the floor, can I? Heh…"
The soldier who'd shot him down is at Goku's left, the butt of his gun rising in a vicious strike. As it comes down against Goku's head, he's surprised to only feel a waft of air.
There's another shot. This time, Cace's gun fumes. The soldier drops dead. "By Lord Hailer's orders, the Super Saiyan must remain alive. If any of you pitiful excuse for soldiers cannot fathom impulse control then be it on your heads. Do not make a move without my command."
And for Goku's insolence, Cace shoots him in the shoulder, sending him back down.
"You arrogant worm," he murmurs towards Goku, "I wouldn't sully my boots with your blood, though I'd enjoy the sensation of pressing the life out of you—stepping on your lungs until they'd stop inflating—but… I, unlike them, am of the Youth Program. We live to serve, and we serve without question."
"So, you're a slave?" Goku spits out.
"No. I am a disciple of our rightful Lord. I have always had a name."
Goku realizes the insinuation right away.
"Your expression is so honest, Super Saiyan," Cace further goads in a whisper. "So was his in the beginning." He leans down, the frosty kiss of his gun against Goku's head. "It took a few years, but Thirty-Two accepted his fate, and like a broken horse, he was tamed and pulled into the collective. And not only did he join the collective, but he thrived within; he championed his disconnect from that contemptible once-identity of his and rose to the top. Thirty-Two represented the best of the Program, of what it can produce…
"And look at him now; a disgrace. Damned by his saiyanhood."
From the beast, there is a well-timed roar which echoes through the hills.
"No matter, I am here now." Cace looks into the distance through his red scouter, a steely glint to his otherwise dull features. "As my lord requested, I will once more have Thirty-Two submit."
So, Hailer knows about this. Where is he? Why isn't he here?
"Hailer sent you?"
"Lord Hailer appreciates my personal handling of Thirty-Two. He knows Thirty-Two will answer to me—as trained. Bear witness, Super Saiyan, as your undeserving spawn responds so helplessly to—."
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire. Originally, Goku thinks they're shooting at him—but no.
Around, about twenty soldiers fire their weapons relentlessly. Those horrible sheenks bullets tear through the air, creating a storm of sparks and resounding gunshots. That's when Goku notices one soldier on the floor, dead, a burnt hole through his head.
Despite the chaos, Goku tries to remain calm, severely disliking not being able to sense those around him. He manages to roll away, hiding beneath a fallen girder amongst a pile of scrap metal. Using the madness as a distraction, Goku aims to remove whatever bullet fragments remaining in his injuries. He doesn't know what difference it'll make but he needs to try.
Nearby, there is a spell of snow, its cold dust blinding, and yet, within, Goku finally spots something green.
Piccolo!
Charging, Piccolo stretches his arms wide, expanding his limbs to an impossible length, dodging the hail of bullets with ease. His arms coil through the air like serpents, knocking soldiers aside with crushing force. The fallen soldiers below look up in desperation, but Piccolo is already descending. With a powerful thrust of his hands, he unleashes a wave of energy that blasts through the ground, cindering several soldiers into ash.
The scene is chaos. Snow piles up against destroyed ships and scattered debris. Fragments of concrete and twisted metal litter the battlefield. Explosions rock the area as more gunfire fills the air. But Piccolo is undeterred, his movements as precise as usual, his mouth a grim line.
"Don't get shot!" Goku unhelpfully calls out. There's the impression that Piccolo already knows the deadliness of the bullets because he keeps a good distance from those still able to shoot.
His limbs stretch again, wrapping around the soldiers with inhuman speed, disarming them one by one until there is—.
Bang!
"Piccolo!"
Like Goku, he's been shot in the arm. Cace stands opposite with the firearm still pointed, still smoking. There is a twist to his lips, but as quick as it appears, it disappears.
Piccolo doesn't wait longer than a couple of seconds. He eyes the wound bleeding purple, clenches his teeth and sinks his claws into his own arm, tearing it free. The arm bounces along the snow, leaving a bloody trail in its wake.
With a flick of Piccolo's wrist, a gust of ki forces the gun out of Cace's hands.
Piccolo sneers. "Just as I thought. You're weak."
"Weak?" mulls Cace, as though nothing had changed in their dynamic. "We have very different perceptions on the subject."
"You waited until Goku's back was turned and then took your chance. Pathetic."
"And you bided your time to apprehend my men."
"Don't worry," Piccolo says through a sharp, wicked grin. "I won't waste any more time with y—."
"Really." Cace saunters forward, kicking aside the dead. "I'm the only person here Thirty-Two will respond to, beast or not, and you wish to so quickly disregard me? Your Super Saiyan was brought down by mere bullets—how much use could you be? Either of you? Relics from an eon, before that of the Tree of Might. Before sheenks could be used to bring down titans. No longer will the brawn lead the masses. Lord Hailer has brought us into a world of revolution."
"Hailer harbours all the sheenks," Piccolo retorts, "so, that seems pretty convenient."
"He foresaw a—."
But Goku wants to go back a little. "W-What is the Tree of M-Might?"
He remembers, from weeks ago, back when he and Gohan had talked on Namek, something or other about trees. Gohan'd said the Frost Empire has a whole bunch of them. What was it he'd referred to the trees as? Their power?
"How uninformed you are." Cace says. "Yet, you both walk around with your chins high. Is that to prevent what little is in your skulls from leaking out? That includes you, too, Namekian. How long do you think you will be able to survive in the South without protective clothing? You're made up of mostly water. I've seen a few namekians experience the misfortune of cell bursting. You must be feeling the bite of Central by now—how are your joints? Stiff? Unresponsive?"
Now that Goku thinks about it, Piccolo hasn't regenerated his arm.
"I have enough power to deal with you."
"And him?"
Piccolo dares a glance to Gohan, who is currently taking fire from multiple directions, completely unbothered.
"We'll figure it out."
But Cace is right. Piccolo is starting to look unlike himself. He's pale, of course. But… Goku sees the creeping of brown splodges across his cheeks. He'd thought it dirt earlier. Now, he's not so sure.
Cace grows restless. "He'll never listen to you. Either of you. It doesn't matter what you were to him before."
That's right, Goku wants to agree. It's about what they're going to be to him now.
"And he won't get the chance to hear your delusions." Piccolo's remaining arm raises, powering ki. "It must be disappointing that your term as Chairman of Cilo wasn't longer," he then says cruelly. "That you're going—."
It's hot, so suddenly, the snow burns with an intensity only associated with ki. Goku can't sense it but he recognizes being in the jaws of someone else's energy, of the discomfort when life force is being sent out to maim. He thinks it's Piccolo's at first, only to find Piccolo unmoving, his disturbed face brightened by the energy that voyaged by them. The energy hadn't even hit them, and yet it'd felt blistering hot.
Gohan lets out a roar, sending out another one of these monstrosities as he barrels towards them. The energy beam cuts through the snowfall and into the way beyond, burning all misfortunate enough to be struck by it.
Cace has the nerve to look unbothered, seeming almost pleased about the outcome. A torrent of wind carries his hair and long, flowing cape backwards, his half-smile knowing. The bastard.
Gohan halts barely fifty feet away, striking a fist into the nearest hill of rubble. Upon seeing Piccolo and Goku, an animalistic fury takes him and he—.
"Thirty-Two."
The beast stops.
Goku and Piccolo are too stunned to move, too horrified. Gohan, too, is evidently experiencing some kind of episode, if only given away by those large, pulsating eyes.
Cace continues speaking but it's now in the Southern tongue, and Gohan hangs onto every syllable. Deathly still. His hands, however, they're twitching, his fingers twirling in a soothing, comforting habit.
He's still there.
"D-Don't listen to him!" Goku caws, just as loudly. He hasn't got a clue what Cace is saying, although he doubts it to be anything good. "I know you're still in there! You've gotta' fight it, Gohan!"
The beast groans, clutching his head.
"Thirty-Two, this is what happens when the system is not respected. You know this. This is why this has happened to you. Take responsibility and kill the namekian, as a way to make up for your many sins against our name."
Piccolo tenses and then attempts to make a step towards Goku, only for Gohan's enormous tail to cut between them.
"Thirty-Two! Head down, eyes front."
The reaction is frighteningly robotic. Gohan's gaze dies.
"Kill him," Cace then repeats, steelier this time. "Then, Lord Hailer can deal with the Super Saiyan."
Gohan groans, and this time, it sounds human. The fact that Cace can draw it out of him more than Goku can has him furious. His chest spills and his words follow.
"GOHAN IS YOUR NAME! NOT THIRTY-TWO! GOHAN! GOHAN!"
The groaning stops and the head rises from cradling hands. Stunned, perhaps.
Goku pants, wounded yet unfinished. "You may or may not remember, but that namekien, was once your mentor. A friend! Somebody who has dedicated years into bringing you home after I stupidly, stupidly let you do something you wasn't ready for. I'm so sorry, Gohan, I should have been better. I should have protected you more. I never meant for this to happen. You've seen first-hand how much I want to make it right,—how I have searched to find you—even by joining awful, crazy organizations just to have slim chance. Gohan—."
There's a scoff. "Thirty-Two—."
"Be quiet!" Goku shouts, spitting out flecks of red. "I will never give up until you're away from them. I know you hate them, too. You're good!"
The beast returns, brimming with dislike. He swipes at the ground.
"YOU ARE!" Goku solidifies. "And… And… I am your father! I refuse to let you self-destruct! I won't let a jerk like him do anything else to you! If you want to punish me and hate me then fine, but that won't stop me from loving you!"
There's silence. It's the longest stretch of quiet Goku's heard since being here.
"Sentimental drivel." Cace rubs the space above his brows, as though exasperated with the entire display. "Thirty-Two, just how has this love benefited you? Should this be true then your hatred for the Frost Empire is in due to his negligence. The Program has only led you to the top. A crowning position. A comfortable life. Power. And as for your latest goal, have I not always delivered on my word?"
Gohan's mouth opens and closes. Nothing comes out. Not a sound. Not energy.
"He will never allow you to rest," Cace goes on to say, in a warm tone Goku hasn't yet heard before. It sends a shiver down his spine. "Finally, it'll all be over, Thirty-Two."
Goku's teeth grind. "D-Don't do this!"
"Gohan, don't be a fool," Piccolo next intervenes, somewhere from the other side of the tail. "If you trust Cace then you are further submerging yourself in the Frost Empire's clutches. They will hold this over you for years more. A carrot and stick. If Hailer knows of your infliction then you are an idiot for believing he won't try and take it for himself."
An intellectual approach. Gohan's smart. Okay. Okay.
"And he has no way to even help you, I bet," Goku adds with haste. "He's probably keeping you so close by just 'cause he's scared of your power."
"And he's keeping Cace around to keep an eye on you should you get any ideas," Piccolo follows up with. "Can't you see? It's a symbiotic relationship between them. It could be even why Cace got his position as Chairman of Cilo."
To hell with dancing around words.
"Immortality is always what these sort of people want—and you have it, Gohan! Whether you like it or not, you have a role to play in this! If you allow them to control you then think of what it means for everyone else. For the millions who'll suffer under Hailer!"
"Make a choice. Don't let them make it for you," Piccolo finishes with.
This is where Goku expects Cace to chime in, but he doesn't. His hands are behind his back and his lips are pressed together, as though waiting for petulant children to stop talking. After a beat of silence, Cace finally breathes out a long held sigh.
"Thirty-Two, it is time to finish this," Cace says simply. "Kill the namekian."
"Wait!" Goku shouts as Gohan's body twitches at the order. "Wait! Gohan, the dragon balls. You haven't forgotten about the dragon balls, right? You've still got them, stored away, waiting for that right time…"
"Dragon balls?" Cace parrots, "Thirty-Two hasn't any such things in his possession."
Piccolo is quick on Goku's game. It'd been his idea anyway, back on the ship. "If you kill me, who will help you summon the dragon?"
Cace's composure cracks under this new, uncontrollable idea. "Kill him! Do it now or you'll face repercussion! This is your final warning, Thirty-Two!"
"M-More than anything," Goku says, low, "I know you want to escape the Frost Empire."
Long seconds pass.
Then, the tail slowly slides from between Goku and Piccolo as Gohan takes his stand. He moves away, towards the earlier destruction he'd been imprinting on the fortress. Cace is shouting his name but Gohan doesn't return.
"Goku," Piccolo says, rushing over and handing him something Goku thought had been lost to bedlam. Senzu beans. "Take out the fake moon while I distract them."
But Piccolo is a mess. The brown patches have bred across so much of his body, giving him a wilted look.
"You've gotta' take a bean first."
"I already tried," he says grimly. "It just about helped my arm grow back but… I think this is a natural condition."
Which means the dragon balls won't work.
"You can't die," Goku orders, fierce, snatching Piccolo by his ratted gi.
"That should be my line." He stands. "Don't worry about me when we're so close to saving Gohan."
"Go to the tower ahead. The soldiers there are helping. They can—."
"I'm dealing with him before I do anything."
In the distance, Cace is still trying to communicate with Gohan.
Goku nods. "…Right. I'll leave this up to you."
There's a snort as Piccolo turns his back, his cape carrying in the wind like a proud flag. Goku knows that Piccolo is going to exact some sort of vengeance, and he knows there's no point in stopping him. A dark part of him also relishes in the idea.
Pyrak had insinuated that Cace would only take the strongest candidates, and then he would drive so many of them to death. What sort of mental anguish did he inflict upon Gohan? What did he do to him? Or make him do?
Tempted to turn around, Goku wills himself to help Gohan in the most productive, least vindictive manner. He flies high and fast, now rejuvenated from the senzu bean. As he ascends, he does worry for Piccolo, and also somewhat for Vegeta, who, at least is slowly recuperating his power. He senses his weak beat of energy down below.
Oh, how it is good to sense people again. To feel the world. And now, to feel this energy of Vegeta's in his faux moon, is revitalizing. The energy ball is not large, hovering like a bobbing buoy atop a gentle wave.
Below, there is an anguished roar. He wonders just how Piccolo is keeping Gohan busy. Okay, he needs to make this fast.
"Ka… me… ha… me… ha!"
The beam stretches on for so long that Goku is sure that it would dissolve before reaching its' goal. Blue races towards white, crawling to the finish line until… finally, it hits, and a great wave of ki thrusts Goku back in the way of Central. The explosion is silent. The aftershocks, however, are entirely felt in the rumbling of the ground beneath them.
Strange.
Goku lands not quite as gracefully as he would have liked, awkward as his boots touch upon grey, sludge-like snow.
There's another rumble.
Then, it's... darker.
Huh?
Whilst a fair number of explosions have occurred following Gohan's wrath as the Great Ape, Goku's always noticed the bright flashing which accompanied the sirens, the many a ship that has launched and then subsequently been brought down.
But now… they're in the dark. Only the licks of flames keep the light in the dying day, made dampened by the coming blizzard. Where are all the lights? The ships?
"What…?" Goku spins. "Why… did…?"
Another rumble.
Now, Goku doesn't think it has anything to do with his and Vegeta's energy clashing.
Finally, the earth vomits forward spindling, twisted, brown things which spiral at an impossible speed. They curl around and around, and Goku vacates to the sky to get a better idea of what he's looking at. In the dark, these brown things snap and crackle, crunching their way miles into the distance as they, and from their collective centre, births forth a…
Tree?
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Merry Christmas!
I hope you can see why this chapter took as long as it did. Action heavy chapters are some of the most difficult to write, especially when we're drawing closer and closer to the end. I started this three different times. Once with a Gohan POV (I would have fucked that up pretty hard and fast) then with a relay sort of POV between all the main characters (I don't think that would have best served the story though because this is a Gohan and Goku story and I've been loyal to their POVs), and then finally, the edition you see now.
Fun fact: I wrote a large chuck of this chapter at Huangshan, a beautiful range of mountains that make it so easy to envision any mountain terrain fight!
Anyway, I'm planning out the next chapter already. Expect it sometime in January 2025, where we will get that Gohan POV. We will also come to understand why it's so dark and what exactly this "oh so mysterious" tree is!
Thanks so much for following and for all the lovely feedback. I read all of them and they encourage me to get my ass in gear. With work ending for the winter break soon, I'm excited to write some more :').
Have a wonderful holiday.