Son Gohan The Destroyer

by EmeraldSaiyan

Death greets Gohan at the end of the Cell Games, yet instead of passing on to the Otherworld, Whis takes an interest in the young half-saiyan's incredible power and decides to train him as Lord Beerus' successor. With the balance of the universe at stake, Gohan accepts the deity's offer. (AU)

17. Nightmares Realised

A/N: Hi Everyone! Thank you so much for your continued love and support, I am constantly amazed at the support and good feedback I get from this story, it really helps me to write and pushes me to get better! I really really hope you enjoy the next chapter. Lots of developments to come! I also must give a little warning for this chapter, some of it is a little darker and hints of adult themes - just right to give you fair warning. I may have to change the rating to M as the story continues, but let me know what you think. For know I will keep it the same unless others think otherwise! xD I also listened to a lot of how to train your dragon soundtrack whilst writing this chapter - especially battle of the green death. I think you will know which bit it fits into! Give it a listen to get into the vibes if you wish! ES x

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And a narration by RedDragonforce 1: Narrator's voice: Last time, our Young destroyer attempted to spend time with his family, Trunks, and Videl when he gets interrupted by visitors showing up and not just for the local delicacies. (Beerus's voice: How could you forget something like that?! Ice Cream, Pizza, hotdogs, burgers, fries, and ketchup of all things! The surprisingly tangy yet sweet flavour?! It's INGENIOUS!) After a thoroughly punishing training session, and insight on a new form (Whis's voice: This balanced state, moving without thinking, though not with reckless abandon is known as Ultra Instinct.), he returns to an irate Videl who spent all night up waiting for him. The two of them bond as she patches him up and they end up seeing a beautiful sunrise along with their first Dragonball. (Videl's voice: Gohan! T-this is amazing! I can't believe how high up we are! I can see the whole planet!) As romance blooms with the rising sun, will this end up being Gohan's downfall? (Whis's voice: Oh dear. It seems that we may have a slight problem, my Lord.) Find out next on "Son Gohan the Destroyer!"

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Chapter Seventeen

Nightmares Realised

xxxx

Mount Paozu, Eastern Mountains, Planet Earth.

"So, are you going to tell me what's eating you?"

Gohan looked down at the girl who was nestled against him, her head lying comfortably on his strong chest as they basked in the early morning sun atop the mountain. The light summer breeze grabbed pleasantly at his hair, the young saiyan using one of his arms as a pillow behind his head whilst the other encompassed Videl's petite frame. His fingertips lazily brushed the soft skin of her waist, her t-shirt having ridden up slightly and exposing the curvature of her hip. Gohan's clothes were in a similar state of disarray, having become ruffled from exploring each other over the fabric.

He had brought them back down to Earth a while ago, though the Destroyer-in-training felt as though he was still soaring high above the clouds. His lips were slightly swollen from all the feverish kissing, his cheeks still flushed from the aftermath as he was still trying to process the fact that he wasn't dreaming. He had lost count of how many times he had kissed her, probably hundreds by now, though kissing Videl evoked a breathless sensation which had struck him with the most overwhelming thoughts. Ones that he had to shove to the back of his mind before he could dwell on them too much, for want of not becoming wrapped up within the realm of 'what ifs'.

The spine tingling sensation of her breath intermingling with his was enough to drive him wild. The way her fingers touched every part of him, as though caressing his soul, her body melting into his. He loved the way her eyes would shine with longing as he leaned in for another kiss, and the soft noises of appreciation that would escape her as he proved to be a little more daring with his hands.

The mild coolness of the mountain air didn't bother him as she lay her warm body against his side. Their shoes were kicked off somewhere behind them, allowing her bare foot to trace the back of his calf, her arm across his stomach, tracing patterns on his t-shirt with her fingertips. She was practically on top of him, their limbs tangled together. And Gohan couldn't remember ever being this at peace, not even when he had been alive. How long had it been since he had lay in the morning sun like this?

It had been incredibly difficult, but he had managed to pull himself away from her lips before it got too intense. And hell was it intense. It was like the entire Earth had lost its gravity and the only thing grounding him was the pull that he felt towards her. He was grateful that Videl didn't protest when he had stopped before they reached the point of no return, he was already falling too hard for her, and he didn't want to complicate things even more. As much as the thought caused his entire body to heat up almost unbearably.

Though the Satan girl seemed to be enjoying just being next to him as much as he was to her, and they had spent the last half an hour or so just talking and relishing in each others company. They spoke mainly about mundane things that casually passed between them in a bubble of laughter or a teasing gesture that carried over the rocky peaks surrounding them.

He had learned a lot about Videl that morning, and not just ahem physically. She had told him that when she was nine, her mother had died of the same heart virus that had once plagued his father, momentarily chasing away the blissful haze they had found themselves in. Gohan was shocked at that, and felt the guilt creeping in as he realised that his father had been saved yet Videl's mother had passed, unable to be resurrected by the dragonballs due to dying of natural causes. She had waved off his concerns, informing him that she didn't blame the Z-gang for having the means to twist fate and not been able to save her mother. The cure for the virus had been spread world-wide not long after her mother had died, and she reasoned that she had made peace with it a long time ago.

Apparently, Miguel Satan had been a singer - albeit a struggling one, which was why Videl's father had sought to training himself into the ground in order to win money from the WMAT. They had been very poor before that, and Gohan found himself developing a new found respect for the once pompous man. He had been rather pleasant to him when he'd had dinner with them after all. It was nice to know a reason why the man was so eager to challenge Cell - the publicity he would've gotten from 'beating' that monster would have been enough to make him a world famous billionaire.

Videl had laughed when he had asked her if she could sing like her mother, and quickly informed him that even though she may look more like her mother than her father, that she was subsequently tone deaf, and thus threw herself into martial arts instead.

"I like training with your dad, he's a good teacher," she had told him, causing him to frown in thought.

"That reminds me, why did you seek out my dad as a mentor anyway?" he had asked.

Videl had shrugged, "I wanted to get stronger, it's as simple as that. And after what happened with Cell and Majin Buu, I didn't want to just sit uselessly on the sidelines, waiting to be killed. Your dad seemed like the best possible candidate, he said that he saw something in me at the tournament, and that I had a lot of potential. If there was anyone that could help me progress beyond my limits then it was Goku. I just want to protect the ones I love if there comes a time when the Earth's in danger. A bit like you, I suppose."

After that, a comfortable silence had hung between them, and the young halfling found himself staring up at the clear blue skies above. It was set to be another beautiful summers day, and he found it rather perplexing that the Earth could look so at peace when he could sense such darkness growing in the backdrop of the universe's usual hum of natural energy.

It seemed that Videl had caught onto the way that his shoulders suddenly tensed, the sound of her voice breaking him out of his thoughts.

"What do you mean?" he asked her dumbly, not wishing to worry her.

"You don't honestly expect me to believe that your mentors whisked you away so unexpectedly just for a training session do you?" she said pointedly, lifting herself up so that she was facing him, "You were gone for an awfully long time."

Gohan swallowed, his hand coming to rest on her hip as her sapphire eyes bore into his.

"That and you're frowning so much that your face is going to get stuck like that if you're not careful," the girl chuckled, causing him to pout, "Now come on, out with it wonder boy, what's up?"

The young saiyan sighed, damn this girl, she was too perceptive for her own good, "It's nothing for you to worry about."

Videl scoffed and rolled her eyes playfully, "But you're worried about it, so tell me. Honestly, you'll drive yourself crazy if you keep everything bottled up inside."

He stared back at her, she was right in a way. And what with the way she looking at him with concerned yet trusting eyes, he couldn't help but confide in her.

"It's Perses," he said, exhaling somewhat shakily, "You know that evil deity that I told you about? Well, you were right. My mentors didn't just pick me up yesterday for training, they told me that Perses is gaining a huge amount of power, rapidly, and that a God from another universe is most likely helping him to escape."

"Wait, another universe?" Videl gaped, "You mean we're not the only one?"

Gohan shook his head, "There are twelve universes in total, we are the seventh. And every one has its own sets of deities to watch over their respective universe. Each universe has Kais and," he paused, "… other Gods to maintain the universal balance or else it'll end up imploding, basically. There's an Angel for each universe too, who are tasked to serve and train Gods. Whis, who is our Angel, is my mentor."

"Holy hell that's crazy," she gasped, "But Gods aren't supposed to be evil right? Why would one want to help out someone like Perses?"

"That's exactly what we want to know," he sighed in annoyance, "I wish I could help out and look for whoever it is, but I wouldn't know where to start, I haven't even been to any of the other universes or met their Gods. The only thing I can do right now is wait to find out how I can obtain this Super Saiyan God form, but it's not looking good. Perses is getting stronger, and I'm not sure if I'll get this form before he manages to escape, or even if it'll be enough to face him. Not even Lord Beerus, who's the strongest God of our universe was able to destroy him, and he's crazy strong. I can barely land a hit on him."

Videl's eyes searched him, saying nothing as he continued, his gaze still cast up at the sky, "Perses power… I've never felt anything like it before Videl. It's so strong, and dark, and just awful. It's been hanging around in the back of my senses ever since I first felt it, as if reminding me that I can't do anything useful to stop what's about to happen."

"But you're doing all you can right now," she said softly, causing him to snort.

"It's not enough," he told her, "The Supreme Guard are being more useful than I am right now, and they've not come up with any leads on who's behind this. But at least they are doing something. Whereas I'm just sitting around Earth, twiddling my thumbs and hoping that the Eternal Dragon will be able to tell me something about a prophecy that I don't even know will work out."

He paused in his rambling, only to find that Videl was frowning at him.

"What?" he quirked, surprised as her soft hand suddenly cupped his cheek, locking eyes with him.

"Gohan, listen to me," she started, her warm breath tickling his lips, "You need to stop beating yourself up, you're only making this harder on yourself. Secondly, what ever happens, you will win this."

The halfling gave her an incredulous stare, "How could you possibly know that? You haven't seen me fight for eight years for a start."

"Because it's you, Gohan," said Videl, giving him a heart stopping smile, "The way you speak, your nerve, your heart. You're a hero, in every sense of the word. And I know that you'll find a way."

Gods, he wanted to tell her so badly.

His stomach swooped in such a way that he could have sworn that it had flipped over, as she pressed her lips against his in a sizzling, heartfelt kiss. A rush of tenderness filled his chest, as he allowed his hands to trace her curves before pulling her on top of him. Her legs straddled his hips, as she continued to kiss him deeply, her tongue teasing his and causing his head to spin. A searing heat was soon building between them, and after a couple of minutes a very hot and bothered Gohan had to use all of his willpower to release her, pulling back from her lips completely and resting his head on the ground. The pair of them were panting desperately, flustered as they stared at each other through a half-lidded gaze.

The halfling cleared his throat, his cheeks flushed as Videl gave him a wry smile from where she was towering above him, her long raven locks tickling his collarbone before giving him a smaller peck on the lips. Then with a sigh that almost sounded disappointed, she clambered off him and began putting her boots back on. He smiled at her sheepishly, quickly averting his eyes before reaching over to his discarded hoodie and pulling the dragon radar out of the pocket.

"Well, I suppose I'd better do what I came up here to do," he said, clicking the button on top of the radar and watching the flashing signals of the dragonballs come to life across the gridded screen.

Videl smirked back at him, "You mean, you didn't bring us all the way up here just to snog me senseless for the last two hours?"

"No," he chuckled, allowing a wicked grin to spread across his lips, "I didn't actually plan on that bit."

"Could have fooled me," she scoffed playfully, "The whole taking me to watch the sunrise coming up over the planet thing was pretty suave. Just how many girls has that old trick worked on?"

"W-what?! None! I just wanted you to see something beautiful, I didn't do it to woo you or anything!" He gaped, offended, before giving her a mischievous look, "Doesn't mean that I didn't thoroughly enjoy it though."

She laughed, rolling her eyes, "Wonder boy, you really are perfect."

Gohan blushed, "Well, I wouldn't say that."

"Just take the compliment Gohan," said Videl, winking at him, "I mean, it worked didn't it?"

A hand flew to his hair as he smiled back at her, this girl was really something.

"So how long do you think it'll take to round these babies up?" she asked him, peering at the glowing dots on the radar.

"A day or so maybe," he shrugged, standing up and stretching, the girl following suit, "They look pretty well spread out. Though it depends on whether or not someone already has one in their possession. Most old folks know what they are because of legends and old stories, so will be less likely to want to give them up. Others think that they're just valuable ornaments or treasure, so it might take me a little longer to collect them all if I have to persuade people to give them to me."

"Persuade?" she asked pointedly, "Don't you mean threaten?"

"Oi, I'll have you know that I only plan on threatening people if things get a little hairy," he retorted, though couldn't help the smirk that graced his lips. She knew him too well already.

"Whatever," Videl snorted in amusement, "Come on, we'd better get back to the house. I still want to get some training in this afternoon before we have to head home. That and I'm starving."

As if roaring in agreement, the young saiyan's stomach decided to make its presence known, as an enormous guttural growl echoed over the mountain range, causing Videl to stare at him in bewilderment.

"Oops sorry," he chuckled, clutching his aching belly, "I haven't eaten anything since yesterday."

The girl rolled her eyes, though she seemed to understand the urgency of the upkeep of a saiyan's stomach, "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Well, I was sort of so wrapped up in kissing you that I didn't really notice," the teenager said rather bashfully, causing her to smile.

"Aw, that's sweet," she said, before reaching up and giving him a long kiss on the lips, taking his breath away once more, "Let's get you some breakfast and a nap before you go off searching for the dragonballs. That wound of yours still needs to heal after all."

He nodded eagerly at her words, the weight of the past day suddenly hitting him all at once, and he realised just how tired he was. His eyes were becoming heavy and his body was indeed still healing from his spar with Lord Beerus.

"Besides we've been up here so long that your mum is going to be getting suspicious," Videl said with a indicative look, "I am still in my pyjamas."

"Worth it," Gohan grinned back wickedly, "Though I totally wouldn't be saying that if she knew who I was. I would've never gotten away with sneaking out with a girl like this if I was still alive."

"Yeah," she almost giggled, "It feels kind of naughty, doesn't it?"

The teen saiyan wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, though before he could seize her lips again in a passionate embrace, did he find himself nearly knocked off the mountain by the girl's playful shove.

He stuck his tongue out at her as she laughed, before kicking off from the ground and leading the way back to the small cottage by the edge of the forest. After a short flight, they landed in a clearing a few trees deep so as to not rouse suspicion on Gohan's part. Though he wasn't entirely certain that this family would have noticed, due to the irate screams that echoed from the open window.

"PREPARE YOURSELF KAKAROT! FOR THIS WILL BE YOUR LAST VICTORY!"

The halfling's eyed widened, was that Vegeta?!

"VEGETA NO! DON'T DO IT!" came his father's horror stricken cry. "HAVE MERCY!"

"NEVER! DIE! "

"AH NOOOOOO! WHY DID YOU HIT ME WITH THAT?!"

"HAHA! YES! I HAVE FINALLY SURPASSED YOU KAKAROT!"

"VEGETA, HOW COULD YOU?!

"MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

What in the world was going on in there? Gohan thought, utterly bewildered as their energy didn't feel as though they were fighting. Though his father's cries of despair were unmistakable.

Wasting no time, the young saiyan raced into the house, Videl hot on his heels as they followed the yelling down the hallway. But when the teens reached the living room, all Gohan could do was stare blankly at the scene before him. Though he was glad that no one was in any immediate danger, or that Vegeta had somehow reverted back to his old ways.

"Yes! Suck it Kakarot!" Vegeta roared, his obsidian eyes wide and feral as he leered at the television screen, a controller grasped tightly in both of his hands.

He was sat on the floor with his father next to him, surrounded by cushions as they leaned up against the sofa that Goten and Trunks were sat upon. Both boys were cheering for their respective fathers, their eyes wide in excitement and anticipation. Goku growled, gritting his teeth as he used his own controller to steer his character in the right direction, attempting to catch up to Vegeta's who was racing ahead of him.

"Watch out for the tiny mushrooms Dad!" Trunks bellowed suddenly, as the tiny race-car driver spun widely on the track.

"ARGH! DAMN IT!" Vegeta cried, watching in horror as Goku's character sped past him.

"Ha! Eat my dust Vegeta!" he teased, sticking out his tongue in concentration as he drew his gaze back to the screen.

"As if I'll let you win, clown!" the older saiyan glowered, resuming the race at hand. "It's not over yet!"

Videl sighed heavily from where she was stood next to him, "Not again."

"This happens often?" Gohan quirked, tearing his gaze away from the video game.

The girl opened her mouth to reply, when his mother's voice suddenly cut across them.

"And just where on earth have you two been?" Chi-Chi asked as she waltzed up behind them, catching the attention of the other occupants of the room. "You missed breakfast."

"Oh Beerus and I were both up really early, so we decided to go for a walk," Videl lied smoothly.

"In your pyjamas dear?" the woman asked, eyeing them both sceptically and causing the young saiyan to cringe, "That's a good way to get a cold."

"Ah it's fine Chi-Chi," she waved her off with an innocent smile, "I thought that there was no point in changing seen as I was going to get into my gi when I got back anyway. Sorry we took so long, we decided to have a little spar and lost track of time."

"I thought you told Goten that Beerus didn't practice martial arts," his mother said pointedly, her stance unwavering.

"Eh, he dabbles. I just didn't want Goten to know incase he wailed on him," Videl said offhandedly, before giving the young man in question a sly wink, "Though I have to say that he's got some pretty good moves."

Gohan gaped at the girl, heat rising to his cheeks. Did she just…? In front of his mother?! That tiny little she-devil!

Though to his relief, his mother didn't seem to cotton on to Videl's suggestive tone, "Well alright, but I was worried Videl, there's lots of dangerous animals around here…"

"Ah Videl's fine Chi-Chi!" Goku called over to them, though his eyes were still glued to the television, his fingers tapping wildly on the controller in his hands, "She can handle herself!"

"Maybe so, but that doesn't stop me from worrying," Chi-Chi frowned at the man, before turning back to the teens, "How did your appointment go Beerus? You certainly took a long time."

"Yes Beerus, how did that amnesia appointment of yours go?" Vegeta snickered from the floor, though luckily the others didn't seem to pick up on his sarcasm.

"Oh it was fine," he replied quickly, shooting a glare at the chortling prince, "Actually I met up with some friends who wanted to know what I've been up to, which is why I took so long."

The teenager smirked in satisfaction, as the man's eyes widened at the revelation. Though his sudden lapse in concentration caused him to lose the game.

Ignoring Vegeta's cry of outrage and Goku's subsequent laughter, Chi-Chi smiled, "Well that's nice. And I'm glad it went well. I'd better rustle the two of you up some breakfast, I bet you're both hungry."

"Thanks Chi-Chi that would be great," said Videl, as Gohan let out a huge yawn next to her.

"Oh dear, tired Beerus?" his mother questioned, the young man certainly did look exhausted.

"Yeah, my er… appointment took a lot out of me," he reasoned, sharing a glance with Videl, "That, and I was up early."

"Well why don't I rustle you up a couple of bacon sandwiches and you can take them to Goten's room and rest for a while. I'm sure he won't mind," she said warmly, and the young saiyan could have hugged her right then and there.

"Yeah Beerus, I don't mind you sleeping in my room," said Goten, a happy glint in his eyes, "We're going to be really loud in here anyway, and that way you won't get disturbed."

"Thanks Goten," he smiled back as his mother bustled back into the kitchen.

"Kakarot! I want a rematch!" Vegeta spouted suddenly, glaring at his saiyan comrade.

"Nah I'm done, let someone else have a go," Goku chuckled, putting down his controller and resting back on the edge of the sofa.

The saiyan prince growled, "You wouldn't be saying that if I had won!"

"Are you going to play Videl?" asked Trunks, his eyes wide.

"Sure, why not?" she grinned, prompting the others to groan, including Goku and Vegeta.

"Aw no not Videl! She always wins!" Goten whined, slapping a hand to his head in frustration.

"Oh don't be such a sore loser Goten," Videl scoffed, though she was clearly amused.

"Well, just so you know, I'm on Uncle Vegeta's side this time!" the boy shot back, sticking his tongue out at her.

She shrugged, squeezing herself in between the two larger saiyans, "That's fine, if you want to support the losing team I suppose."

"Big talk coming from a weakling," Vegeta snorted, before glowering at the girl as she picked up Goku's abandoned controller, "Just so you know, I won't be going easy on you, girl."

"Bring it, Vegeta," she grinned back, readying the start menu.

As much as Gohan would've liked to have seen who would come out on top between Vegeta and Videl - in all honesty his bet was on Videl, he was far too tired to stand and watch. A part of him actually wanted to join in, feeling as though he was missing out on the fun. Though as soon as his mother handed him his bacon sandwiches, did he trudge off down the hallway and towards Goten's bedroom. The sound of laughter and exasperated cries of Vegeta following him up the stairs.

The three sandwiches that Chi-Chi had made for him didn't go very far, much to his disappointment. And thus his half-saiyan stomach was less than satisfied. Though he reasoned that he might get away with sneaking a snack at some point after his nap. After eating, Gohan got himself a relaxing hot shower, applied some fresh bandages to the healing wound in his side and readied himself for bed. Climbing over the mountain of toys that were left scattered around the room in the aftermath of Trunks and Goten's sleepover, the young saiyan stripped himself of his towel and put on a fresh pair of boxers and t-shirt before clambering into Goten's bed.

As soon has his head hit the pillow, a wave of complete exhaustion seemed to barrel into him, his muscles relaxing with a singular deep breath. With his mind drifting to last nights escapades with a certain blue-eyed beauty, Gohan sighed, falling into his dreams with a satisfied smile upon his lips.

"Gohan."

He opened his eyes as the sound of his name reached his ears. He was lying in the middle of a beautiful meadow, feeling incredibly warm and at peace. He thought for a moment that he was on Earth, though the grass around him was yellow in colour, like fields of gold. The skies above him were a deep shade of violet, almost like The Sacred Realm of The Kais, and seemed to stretch for miles, a vast array of planets and stars surrounding the atmosphere.

He looked down at himself, realising that he was back in his divine attire, the light blue garb brushing against his skin.

"Gohan."

The voice sounded again, causing him to look about the planes wildly. It sounded airy, distant, so much so that he couldn't tell to whom it belonged was male or female.

Deciding to explore just where in the HFIL he was, the young saiyan started forwards, only to feel a presence behind him. Whirling around, he smiled, as a familiar pair of sapphire eyes greeted him. Though she looked different - older somehow. Videl was wearing her hair down, and it seemed to have grown, now reaching past her waist in long elegant waves. She was dressed in a simple, silk white gown that didn't leave much to the imagination as it hugged her curves in all the right places, reaching just above her knees and exposing her toned legs. Her feet were bare, bristling through the long grass as she glided closer towards him.

She stared up at him with that hard, blazing look of hers before grabbing his cheeks in both of her hands and pulling him to her in a long, passionate kiss. Euphoria erupted in his stomach as he clutched the girl to him, his hands running all over her petite frame, enjoying the feeling of silk against his fingertips and becoming more than tempted to free her from the restrictive garment - it was his dream after all.

Then suddenly, to his disappointment, she pulled back, a deep aura of sadness and betrayal in her eyes.

She was crying.

Gohan frowned, his stomach lurching at the sight of hot tears running down her cheeks. He gulped, opening his mouth to ask her what was wrong when she cut him off with a whisper.

"Oh Gohan," she said, her eyes searching him, "what have you become?"

Then suddenly there was fire.

Fire erupted all around him, scorching the earth he was stood upon and incinerating the golden fields at his feet. He gasped, reaching forwards to grab hold of Videl to whisk her to safety when she disintegrated into nothing but ash before his eyes.

"No…" the halfling faltered, as the sound of blood curdling screams echoed in his ears, pulling at his heartstrings and causing his eyes to widen in panic.

The violet sky, that seemed so peaceful moments ago, was now painted an alarming crimson, the stars and planets above him exploding one by one in a dazzling spectacle of blinding light and power. Raging winds spun around him as his brain practically screamed at his legs to move, sprinting amongst the burning embers on the search for an escape.

The ground shook violently from the aftershocks of the exploding planets, breaking apart at his feet. Gohan cried out, slipping on the edge of a crater that suddenly formed underneath him. He gritted his teeth, unable to bring his Ki to the surface and fly away. His limbs felt heavy, like lead as he clambered to his feet with difficultly, then set off running again.

What was going on? Who was causing such devastation?

Laughter.

Cold, cruel laughter assaulted his eardrums relentlessly. He could depict it over the sound of screaming that still grabbed at his senses. He stopped short, as a shadow appeared before him, tall with glowing eyes, though the teenager could not make out the figure completely. The air surrounding it chasing away the dancing flames as an aura of dense, dark matter encompassed the pair of them.

"You did this," it told him, the voice thick with venom, "Some hero you are."

Gohan's breath hitched in his throat, "W-what? I didn't, I'd never -"

"HAKAI!"

He jumped at the sound of another voice, adolescent in nature yet all too familiar to him. Then, without warming, everything disappeared. The field, the fire, the exploding planets, the shadow - all shattering to nothingness in a cataclysm of exploding particles. Leaving him at the centre of a black void of emptiness, the sound of his own laughter - cruel and unyielding, ringing around him.

"Don't you remember, dear child?" the shadow voice asked.

"You're not a boy, you're a monster!" a deep, fearful shout erupted from somewhere in the distance.

His chest tightened considerably, the memory haunting.

"Gohan! End it NOW!" it was his father, calling out to him, "GET HIM GOHAN!"

"He's just toying with him," Piccolo's aghast voice cut through him like a knife.

"Give up Cell," the eleven year old's sadistic snicker echoed in his ears, "Or fall."

"No… no…," the young Destroyer stammered, looking for a way out of the darkness, drowning in horrific memory after horrific memory.

"You wanted to make Cell suffer for what he did, didn't you Gohan?" Whis' polite yet serious tone spouted, "I think that you would be the perfect candidate."

Another voice, "You will never return."

More gut-wrenching laughter surrounded him, sending shivers up and down his spine as a golden glow sprang up in the distance. The teenager hurtled towards it, feeling a sudden, familiar warmth emanating from the light. He hoped that it would take him back to the nice dream and away from this nightmare. He didn't want to relive his failures.

He suddenly felt as though he couldn't breathe, and realised all too late that something had sprung from the light and made to attack him, strong fingers wrapping around his throat and lifting him off his feet before he could even register what was happening.

Gohan's eyes locked with the emerald orbs that glinted with malice before him, his fingers clutching and clawing at the hand that held him in a vice grip, his mouth opening both in pain and horror as he realised just who was holding him.

"You," his father snarled, looking madder than he had ever seen him, a tattooed 'M' etched into his forehead underneath his super saiyan hair, "Just look what you've done!"

His chest tightened painfully, he knew that symbol anywhere. He had seen it in old textbooks and scriptures when he had been studying ancient magic of the universe. It was a sign of dark sorcery. The sign of the Majin.

"D-Dad?!" he choked, tears springing into his eyes as he gasped for breath, "D-Dad I -"

"Dad?" Goku scoffed disbelievingly, "You dare to call me your father after all you've done? You are no son of mine."

With that the elder saiyan tossed him to the ground like a sack of potatoes, leaving Gohan struggling to regain his breathing. He didn't understand why he felt so drained, so weak! And what on earth was his father saying?!

As if reading his thoughts, the Majin Goku rounded on the teenager once more, "You left us. And it was all for nothing. You destroyed everything."

"I did it to protect you!" Gohan cried, his father's words burning painfully into his very soul, "To protect everyone! I-it wasn't supposed to be this way!"

"Oh Gohan," the man chuckled darkly, an uncharacteristic smirk stretching over his lips as he faded back into the darkness, "How can you possibly protect when you have so much of the universe's blood on your hands?"

"Dad! I'm sorry! I'm sorry Dad! Come back! What do you - ?" the halfling stared, when the sound of something dripping reached his ears.

He looked down at his hands, feeling a wetness on them all of a sudden. His eyes widened in sheer horror, as his hands were covered - no drenched with dark crimson blood. It splattered on the ground around him, running down his forearms and staining his ceremonial garb.

There was so much of it. It pooled around his feet, glimmering like a shining light within the dark void he found himself in. He felt sick, as the death defying screams echoed around him once more. He caught sight of his reflection in the pool of blood, though his features looked warped and twisted. Instead of reflecting the aghast expression he was currently wearing, the young man amongst the blood was smirking back at him.

Gohan growled, stamping out the reflection with his boot, sending droplets of blood flying. Though to his chargin, it stayed, a small chuckle emitting from the crooked depiction.

"You can't get rid of me that easily, Destroyer," it sang, an evil smile gracing its features as it suddenly warped into someone entirely different altogether.

Fear and trepidation gripped him all at once, as he suddenly found himself staring back at the statue of Perses, the very same one that he had found in the sacred garden of souls forgotten all those years ago. Although now it was very much alive, grinning madly at the young saiyan from the rapidly growing pool of blood, "For you see Son Gohan, you are not so different you and I."

The Junior Destroyer couldn't help the scream that escaped his lips, as a waterfall of crimson blood fell from above him. It drenched him completely, filling his mouth and nose, rushing past his ears and escaping into his lungs so that it felt as though he was drowning.

More horrifically, it was freezing cold, and the terror-stricken shouts weren't helping in the slightest…

"WAKE UP!"

He knew that, but he couldn't. He was drowning for goodness sake!

"YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP!"

Help me…someone… Dad please…

"BEERUS!"

Huh? Why was somebody shouting Lord Beerus' name?

Oh…

Gohan jolted upright, his eyes snapping open as he attempted to control his breathing. His senses were raised in high alert, as he clutched a hand to his chest in order to steady himself, though soon realised that his t-shirt and the bedsheets surrounding him were soaking wet. As was his face and hair. He gulped, gasping for air as the ice-cold water dripped from his spikey fringe and onto his torso.

His stomach clenched, as he suddenly realised that Goten's bedroom was rather crowded, and the other occupants of the room were staring at the young saiyan with aghast expressions. Videl was closest to him, her beautiful eyes wide with worry, though she held a small smile of relief at the sight of him awake. His mother was standing next to her, her hands clasped together as she gazed solemnly at the young man. Goten and Trunks hovered above him, both with sheepish grins on their faces as they clutched an empty bucket in their hands.

Well, that explained why he was so wet at least.

Vegeta hung by the doorway, his arms folded across his chest and an unreadable look in his eyes, though he was frowning deeply.

"Beerus, are you alright?" his father was the first to speak, crouching down next to the bed.

"Y-yeah, I think so," he mustered, rather heavily, "S-sorry I think I must have had a nightmare or something."

The teen saiyan averted his eyes as the man continued to stare, his features marred with concern, and he suddenly felt like a child again under the man's penetrative stare, as if he was in trouble. Though Gohan was busy desperately trying to get the image of his mentally tortured father out of his head. What the hell was that dream all about anyway? He hadn't had a nightmare in years. Of course, he'd them when he had first started training on Lord Beerus' planet, mainly a reoccurring one of his father teleporting away with Cell before his eyes. It always resulted in a screaming and sweat soaked Gohan, though the night terrors had gone away with time.

He remembered confiding in Makhai the first time he'd had one of those bad dreams, the elder boy had been so worried about him that Gohan had ended up being forced to bunk in his bed for the rest of the night. That had led to an endless series of teasing from the other recruits, mainly because the young saiyan had become the 'little spoon to his big spoon' - Makhai's words, not his. Now that alone was enough to give him nightmares.

Though he had appreciated his friend's concern, and subsequent shoulder to cry on. It was the first time that he had told anyone about how he'd died, the subject far too sore to discuss for the pre-teen at the time. Though Makhai had sat and listened, comforted him and kept it a secret until Gohan was ready to tell the others - which he did in time. And The Supreme Guard knew all about the guilt he harboured around the events of The Cell Games.

"It must have been one hell of a nightmare," said Goku, "None of us could wake you. You were tossing and turning really violently, I thought you were about to deck one of us!"

"Not to mention the fact that you were screaming bloody murder," Vegeta spouted from the door, giving him a look that said We'll talk later.

"Yeah we had to chuck water on you to wake you up," Trunks informed him, gesturing to the empty bucket.

"Sorry about that by the way," said Goten, "But it was the only thing that we thought would work!"

"Well, thanks," Gohan attempted a wry smile, "Thanks for waking me up."

He paused, feeling nervous as he realised that the small crowd were still staring at him with both pained yet sympathetic expressions. "Why are all looking at me like that?"

"Beerus," his mother tried lightly, "You were calling out for your father. Do… do you remember him?"

The young saiyan's eyes widened, had he really…?

"You don't have to answer," Chi-Chi cut across him, saving him from himself, "Whatever happened in your dream must have been horrific for you to react like that, and you don't owe it to any of us."

"Um, alright," he mustered, what could he tell them even? "I-I'd rather not, if it's all the same to you."

The ox-princess nodded, just as Goten and Trunks opened their mouths to protest, they obviously wanted to hear about some gory, horror story.

"That's perfectly fine," she said, "Now why don't you change out of those wet clothes and I'll make you some nice sweet tea? Come on everyone, out. Let's give Beerus some privacy."

To Gohan's relief they obeyed, though he couldn't help but notice the way his father's eyes lingered on him before he exited the bedroom. Looking out of the window, he noticed that the sky was bright blue and clear, the sunlight streaming in through the pane as the sun shone over the forest trees outside of Goten's room. He sighed heavily, his eyes locking with Videl's, who had ignored Chi-Chi's orders and instead moved closer to him, interlacing her fingers with his.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her eyes searching him.

"Yeah," he breathed, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze, "Like I said, just a nightmare."

"What did I tell you about bottling things up?" the girl scolded him lightly, causing him to smile.

"Yeah, I know," he said, telling her a white lie, "But it was silly. I don't remember most of it anyway. I'm probably just stressed about this whole Perses thing."

"Yeah I gathered that much," she replied with a small chuckle, before her features became a little more serious, "Your Ki went up a little though, you seemed really distressed."

The teenager swore under his breath, "Do you think anyone noticed?"

"I don't think so," said Videl, shaking her head, "I think Vegeta did but only because he knows who you are. Your Ki does feel weak most of the time, but I know now that's because you're suppressing it. It went up slightly, but not massively. But even still, it rose higher than an ordinary human with no training."

Gohan sighed, "Well that's annoying."

"Don't worry, I'm sure that between me and Vegeta we can throw your dad off the scent if he becomes suspicious."

"Thanks," he smiled, unbeknownst of how charming he looked, prompting Videl to lean forwards and kiss him on the lips.

She jerked back suddenly, pulling a face, "Blegh, I forgot you were wet."

Gohan snickered, before rising his energy ever so slightly, warming his skin and drying himself off, "There, problem solved."

"Show off -," Videl started, before she was forcibly cut off by the halfling capturing her lips with his in a deep, passionate kiss.

He grinned as he pulled back, rather proud of himself that he had left her flushing.

"Come on," he smiled, giving her another quick peck, "let's get downstairs before my mum sends the terror twins in here looking for us."

---

Orange Star City Police Station, Orange Star City - 3 Days Later

Videl was having a bad day.

Working in the police force, bad days were abundant. Sometimes there were robberies that had gone wrong, nasty road traffic collisions, stabbings, shootings; investigations that would burn horrific pictures onto her brain and would take weeks, sometimes months to stop the memory from cropping up whenever she closed her eyes.

Though she shouldn't be complaining, today was certainly not one of those bad days. Never the less, the young Satan girl was in a bad mood, as nothing seemed to be going her way. From the moment she had accidentally spilled her coffee that morning and burned her hand because her alarm clock hadn't gone off and she was rushing around the flat, she knew that it was not going to be her day. Her boss was already miffed at her for spilling said coffee all over the reports that she had spent hours pouring over last night. And she was twenty minutes late for briefing because she had tried to dry the damned papers out in a vain attempt to salvage them.

On top of that, she was delegated to traffic patrol that morning. Something which she absolutely despised, and her fiery temper was more than enough to rival the worst cases of road rage - mainly because she was guilty of it herself. After a gruelling morning that had resulted in her giving out no less than ten tickets, one person even accusing her of police brutality because of how much she had screamed at them, she had decided to grab some lunch - which she had dropped on the floor after trying to stop a mugging. She was more than pissed that the mugger had escaped in the commotion that had ensued, as well as the fact that her sandwich had been squished by an cyclist. At least it didn't go to waste, as Bee was more than happy to lick it clean off of the pavement.

Oh, and a pigeon decided to take a dump on her cap whilst patrolling the city. Which was just fantastic.

So Videl didn't think that her day could get any worse as she decided to trudge back to the police station in search of a new hat. That was, until she entered the building and heard the buzz of excitement coming from the main office - mainly from the females of the team.

"He's so dreamy," one of the officers cooed, fanning herself with a report as she peered into the room that housed rows of desks belonging to each individual officer, "Have you seen those muscles?"

"What's he even doing here?" another asked, giggling shamelessly.

"He said he was looking for a friend," a receptionist informed them, pulling down her uniform at the front to make it a little more revealing, "If he doesn't find her than I'll be his 'friend' for the evening."

The women erupted into laughter as Videl reached them, her gaze averting to where they were pointing, her eyes suddenly widening in disbelief.

There, sat lounging in her chair, with his feet casually resting on her desk, was none other than the cause for such a stir. The culprit leaned back on the chair, titling it onto two legs as he twirled the name card that read 'Police Constable Satan' in between his fingertips, his gaze cast towards the ceiling in bored manner.

Did he even realise just how effortlessly drop dead gorgeous he was being? She wasn't entirely sure, as he seemed oblivious to the amount of female attention he was getting - and these vultures were practically circling him just ready to swoop in and make their move for goodness sake!

She almost laughed, as she took in the fact that he was wearing a thick leather motorcycle jacket complete with fringes and patches. He was also sporting chunky studded boots and sunglasses on his nose. He looked a little grubby, a smudge of dirt on his cheek and the jacket dusty with sand. Which wasn't too bad considering that he had told her that he was leaving to look for the last dragonball in the Southern deserts yesterday morning.

Finding out that her odd friend Beerus was in fact the saviour of Earth had been quite the shock, but the conundrum that was Son Gohan was more than enough to test her beyond her limits. The deceased teenager was everything that his friends and family had told her about and more, though with his age and obvious increase in power and divinity, it was clear that he had developed a cheeky and confident personality that seemed a stark contrast to the shy, dorky kid that she had heard so much about. Although at times she could see that side of him shine through just as brightly, and it had attracted her to him beyond what she thought was possible. Of course, as unlucky with love as she was, she just had to develop an interest in someone who couldn't be with her for the sake of the universe.

Gohan was honourable, and it was obvious that he took his role seriously. A little too seriously for her liking. The amount of times she had been left panting and frustrated because he had cut short yet another heated snogging session was too many to count. For a dead guy, the heat from his kisses were like an inferno, setting fire to her very soul, and Videl couldn't get enough of the feeling of his calloused hands roaming her curves underneath her shirt. But sadly, she had failed to get him to go any further. She had relented without complaint however, his wide onyx eyes and flushed cheeks as he stammered his apologies were just too cute to resist.

She knew that she shouldn't push it, it wouldn't do either of them any good seen as he couldn't stay. So, she let him retreat to sleep on the sofa like the sodding gentleman that he was, reasoning that at least she wouldn't be tempted by him sleeping next to her - even though the mere suggestion might give the poor boy an aneurism. Though the feeling of his strong arms around her was just too good to resist for long, and it made her heart flutter and a warm feeling spread through her belly. Videl had never felt so safe before, something that she didn't even know she wanted or even needed until they had shared their first kiss high above the Earth. And it had been mind-blowing, both literally and figuratively.

Though there was definitely something troubling him. The way he would occasionally stare off into space with his jaw clenched and his eyes distant. No matter how much she tried to get him to open up, he wouldn't. He would brush her off with a charming smile and a kiss that would take her breath away and she would suddenly lose her train of thought. Tough that was more than enough to keep her suspicious of him. She knew that he was keeping something from her, but she didn't know just what it could be.

She knew that he was worried about this Perses, and being the hero that he was, he was obviously dwelling on his own incompetence to be able to do anything about the evil being escaping his prison. It was affecting him greater than she had realised, if his nightmare at Goku and Chi-Chi's was anything to go by after all, but she be damned if she could get anything out of him.

Videl wasn't stupid. She had already seen the lengths that the warriors of Earth were willing to go through to protect the universe. And now that she was one herself, the Satan girl was more than prepared for the possibility of a new threat. And as much as Gohan had told her that he didn't want to get the Z-Fighters involved, she couldn't help but think that it was only inevitable if the threat to the universe was that great.

She desperately wanted to tell Goku, and to warn the other Z-Fighters. But she felt loyal to Gohan, she didn't want to expose him. It was his choice alone to make, as much as it pained her to see him interact with his parents and little brother as his alias. She could see that it was hurting him too, which was why she had kept her mouth shut. Though, she had hoped that spending those few days with his family would have broken down a few of the walls he had put around his resolve, but alas, they had only made a crack.

Everyone had always told her just how much Gohan was like his father, and though that may have been true in terms of acts of heroism and bravery, she couldn't help but think that his friends had overlooked the influence his mother had on him. Because by Gods was that stubbornness all Chi-Chi.

She couldn't help but wonder what his friends and family would think of him now. A strong hero of the universe, readying himself for battle once more - becoming a God of all things. It was strange, she had thought that only the Kais existed, but from what the young saiyan had told her there seemed to be others whose sole purpose was to protect the balance of the universe, though he hadn't told her the name for such deities. She would have to ask him, that is, if she could remember to when her mind wasn't clouded by the exhilarating feeling of the boy's lips upon hers.

He was a charmer, that was a given. And it seemed that her female co-workers thought so too, as another outbreak of giggles erupted around her, just because the teenager ran a hand through his hair and flashed them a charming smile. Videl sighed heavily, though she couldn't help but allow an amused a smile to spread over her lips as he caught her eye, taking the sunglasses off his nose and giving her a wave.

Damn it, what was so intense about his gaze that made her go weak at the knees and want to tear his clothes off with her teeth -

Woahhhhhhhh. Down Videl. Down.

"What are you doing here?" she asked on her approach, folding her arms across her chest and giving him a pointed look. Ignoring her colleagues who broke out into excitable mutters.

"I thought I'd surprise you," Gohan grinned, leaning a back a little more so in her chair and gesturing to himself, "Surprise!"

"For someone who is trying to keep a low profile, you certainly aren't helping yourself," Videl scoffed, causing him to smirk as she swiped her name card out of his hands and placed it back neatly in its proper place.

"Oh come on, I'm not doing any harm," he told her, "Besides, the people you work with are really friendly."

"I'm sure they have been," she glowered, feeling jealousy rise unexpectedly in her belly, "It's a wonder though, you look like a delinquent."

He let out a bark of laughter, as the girl continued, "Where on Kami's great Earth did you find those awful clothes anyway?"

"Motorcycle gang," the young saiyan shrugged.

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, "What motorcycle gang?"

"Well, they called themselves 'Heaven's Devils'…"

"WHAT?!" Videl yelled, before dropping her voice to a hiss, "Gohan, that's a rebel motorcycle club! They're wanted for drug trafficking, rioting, looting and who knows what else!"

"Ah they weren't so bad," he stated indifferently, "I mean, I had a little trouble with them at first, but they took a liking to me after I beat their toughest member in an arm wrestling competition."

Videl face-palmed.

"I mean, they were nice enough to give me one of their jackets!" the halfling beamed excitedly, "Oh and this…"

She watched as he pulled the shiny orange orb out of his pocket and placed it proudly on her desk, three stars glinting up at her.

"It's the last one, all I need to do is wait to summon Shenron," he told her with a smile, before his lips contorted into a pout, "and what do you mean 'awful clothes'? I think I look really cool!"

"Yeah, you and the rest of the women in this place," she scorned, causing him to raise an eyebrow suggestively.

"Oh really?" he smirked, "You jealous?"

"Get off my desk," Videl growled, ignoring the question, "You're making a mess."

"But I'm bored!" he whined.

"Well go and bother Piccolo or Vegeta," she shot back, "I'm working."

"Fine, suit yourself," Gohan sighed, getting up from her seat and plucking the dragonball off of the desk, "I'd better go and drop this one off at The Lookout with the rest anyway."

Without warning, he leaned down and kissed her, cupping her jaw and letting his fingers run through her hair, sending a pleasant shiver down her spine. She heard her colleagues gasp in surprise around her, but in that moment she really didn't give a toss, as Gohan's tongue wickedly danced around hers and she nearly melted right into the floorboards.

"Get a room!" someone hollered jokingly, jolting them out of their bubble of bliss.

Breaking apart, he smiled whimsically at her, and she was certain that her cheeks was just as red as his were. She could have sworn that her heart had just skipped several beats at the besotted look on his handsome face. That, or she was having a heart attack. Though thankfully, she still managed to speak, attempting to keep her cool.

"I get off at three," she mustered breathlessly.

He grinned almost wickedly, a mischievous boyish glint in his eyes as he stepped back and patted Bee on the head. Her beloved labrador panted happily, his tail wagging furiously at the young man's touch.

"You know," he sighed longingly, "if I could summon the Eternal dragon right now, I'd stuff the prophecy and wish for time to go faster so that I can see you sooner."

Gods above, was he actually trying to kill her?

He winked, kissing her forehead and leaving swiftly, calling back over his shoulder, "Oh and enjoy the doughnuts!"

Staring after the deceased teen with flushed cheeks, she frowned, doughnuts?

Looking down at her desk, she saw that the draw was slightly open, and pulling it back found a dozen of her favourite sugary snacks lying right there for the taking. Her eyes widened, did he really…? She couldn't believe that he had remembered.

She had only mentioned that her guilty food pleasure was vendor doughnuts a couple of days ago after Gohan had cut short another heated snogging session, briskly changing the subject and asking her what her favourite food was. In all honesty, her mind wasn't exactly on food what with her shirt halfway over her head and the young man's belt hanging loosely open.

Though as she practically salivated at the still warm delicacy in front of her, the mouthwatering smell wafting towards her, she couldn't help but let the whole ordeal slide - momentarily of course.

"Woof!" Bee barked suddenly, eyeing up the sugary doughnut she held in her hand.

She smiled, offering the dog his fill before picking one for herself and biting into the fluffy confectionary. Videl closed her eyes in satisfaction, her taste buds practically signing, Wonder boy, you are too much.

Alright, she thought, maybe it wasn't such a bad day after all.

---

"Ladies," Gohan grinned, tipping his head to the gaggle of girls in the corridor, who had been eyeing him up ever since he had entered the police station and causing them to giggle and blush.

He knew that visiting Videl was probably a little daring of him given the fact that he was trying to remain hidden whilst on Earth, but he had been out hunting for the dragonballs since yesterday morning, and the fact of the matter was that he had missed her. He hadn't had too much trouble rounding up the rest of the dragonballs, and truth be told he had actually enjoyed it. Though it wasn't quite the same without company, and with Videl working and no one knowing who he was, he'd had to go it alone. He could have asked Vegeta or Piccolo to go with him, but the saiyan prince probably would have laughed in his face and Piccolo wouldn't have appreciated the adventure as much as the likes of Krillin or his father.

Though in a way he was glad of the solitude. He'd had a testing few days after all, especially what with staying with his parents at his former home in the mountains. Videl had been right in a way, he had been pleased that he had been able to see them, though the emotions he had experienced during his stay had been suffocating, and he was relieved when they had returned to Videl's apartment in Orange Star City. Granted, being around Videl had been more than enough to help him decide to spend a couple of days away to track down the dragonballs alone. He simply couldn't resist himself around the girl, and thus had struggled to control many teenaged fuelled urges that would be enough to make even Master Roshi blush.

It was his own stupid fault after all, he probably shouldn't have kissed the girl in the first place. But as he tried to find a reasoning for his actions, did he come up short. He wasn't a young teen experimenting with random girls and having a bit of fun on missions any more - no, he had fallen head over heels, which was even worse. There were rules imposed on divine beings for a reason, he knew that. Girlfriends were off limits according to Whis, but there were no rules to say that he couldn't have a little fun - he had already read up on that for um… research, a few years ago. Making his way through the city streets, the young saiyan sighed and shook his head. It wouldn't do well for him to think on it too much.

Despite his feelings for Videl, being back on Earth was a rather odd feeling. It was clear that so much had changed, especially with his family and friends. He was glad to see that they had moved on, happy for them even. Yet he couldn't seem to get rid of the small feeling of sadness in the back of his mind. It became even more prominent when he saw his family spending time together, playing video games, sharing meals, going on walks and sparring. The realisation that he didn't belong here anymore hitting him like a ton of bricks, on repeat.

Though at least he hadn't had any more nightmares. It was more than embarrassing, waking up like that with his entire family, Vegeta, Trunks and Videl gawking at him. He had almost given the game away, what with his Ki spiking momentarily. Though luckily nothing had come of it, and his father certainly hadn't figured out who he was, else he was certain that he would have already come to confront him by now.

Gohan wasn't sure what the dream was about, or even if it meant anything, though the look on the Perses statue had chilled him to the bone. When he was alive, he would have gone to Piccolo about such a vivid and cryptic nightmare. Though he didn't want to worry him, and had even given Vegeta a sordid excuse when he had tried to confront the teen later that evening about why he was screaming in his sleep. He reasoned that he should ask the Oracle Fish about it the next time Whis came to pick him up for a training session. He doubted it would be long anyway, the deity didn't want him to become rusty after all in his time on Earth.

Finding a secluded alleyway, the halfling made sure that no one was watching before he teleported away, appearing on The Lookout in an instant and causing the occupants of the sanctuary to jump in fright.

"Gohan!" Dende yelped, his wooden staff clattering to the floor, "You scared me! You're worse than Goku with that instant transmission of his!"

The teenager laughed, as Piccolo and Mister Popo breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of him, "Sorry Dende, I didn't mean to startle you. I just came up to deliver the dragonball."

"Excellent Gohan," said Mister Popo, smiling as the teen handed him the orange orb, "That's the last one. We can put it with the rest you've delivered for safe keeping before you can summon Shenron."

"Yeah," Gohan smiled back at the genie, who had recently been informed by the Namekians of his whole reasoning for being back on Earth, "Thanks Mister Popo. But I don't know what I'm going to do until then, there's still like three whole weeks to go."

"Well you seem to be integrating yourself back into Earth culture rather well," Piccolo snorted, now having relaxed out of his defensive stance and eyeing him up and down, "What the hell are you wearing now?"

"Aw not you too!" the teen scowled, "I think the jacket is cool."

"You know, for the first time I'm glad that you haven't been growing up on Earth, I dread to think what other monstrosities you'd assault everyones eyes with," his old mentor scoffed.

"Harsh, Mister Piccolo," Gohan pouted teasingly, causing the warrior to roll his eyes, "Anyway, you can talk. You're not exactly the pinnacle of style Mr-I've-Worn-The-Same-Clothes-Since-The-Dawn-Of-Time."

Piccolo gave him a pointed look, "You used to think my gi was cool, you even had one yourself."

"Yeah, when I was eleven and didn't know any better," he shot back, causing Dende to let out a snort of laughter, which was cut short by the glare his elder gave him.

"Funny," the Namekian observed, though he was smirking, "You seem to have gotten taller but you have yet to grow out of your cheek."

"Yeah but you loooooooove it," the young saiyan sang, before a obnoxiously loud beeping noise suddenly rang around them.

"What is that?!" Piccolo growled, his ears twitching at the onslaught of sound.

"Sorry it's my communicator," Gohan explained, before said device materialised out of thin air, the intense bleeping cutting off abruptly as he tapped the glowing button that was now glowing red instead of its usual green. "Though I don't know why the emergency alarm is going off."

His face had grown a little pale, as the image of his current mentor appeared on the rounded screen, "Oh Gohan, glad to see you answered so swiftly!"

"What's going on? Has Perses escaped?" he asked hurriedly, causing the other occupants of The Lookout to gulp.

"Well, not exactly," Whis mustered, "But you must come home immediately. I'll be sending The Warp along in due haste."

"What's happening?" asked Piccolo as the transmission cut off, "And what's The Warp?"

"I don't know, but it doesn't sound good," the halfling admitted, anxiety bubbling in his stomach, though he tried not to let it show, "and as for The Warp, well, you'll see."

Though before the Namekian could reply, did the bright tunnel of light burst through the atmosphere, illuminating the marble tiles in a brilliant glow, engulfing the young Destroyer before he was hurtled back through space towards Lord Beerus' planet. Leaving a very dazzled Piccolo, Dende and Mister Popo behind.

---

Lord Beerus' Planet, A Far Away Dimension, The Living World

"This sounds like trouble," Gohan stated, as he landed back on the grassy planes of the Destroyer's planet, directly in front of Whis and Lord Beerus, who had been waiting for him, "Care to fill me in?"

Lord Beerus huffed, as the teenager was slowly changed back into his Destroyer attire by Whis in a soft silver glow, "That depends on whether or not you have those treats you promised."

He rolled his eyes in distain, summoning two boxes of fluffy doughnuts he had kept for them, the Destroyer God harping on at him over his communicator yesterday that he'd better bring back some of Earth's delicacies for them to try the next time he saw them. It was lucky that he had remembered to get them some when he had brought doughnuts for Videl that morning - and even luckier that the girl had given him some money should he need it on his quest to find the dragonballs.

"Here, these are called doughnuts," he told them begrudgingly, offering them a box each.

"Doughnuts you say," the cat-like deity observed, sniffing one cautiously before picking it up, "Hmm they do smell rather sweet."

"Yes, they have a lot of sugar on them," said Whis, placing one to his lips, "You'd better make sure that you brush your teeth afterwards my Lord, we wouldn't want you getting a cavity."

Though it seemed that the God ignored him, popping a whole one in his mouth, the Angel following suit. There was a long pause as they chewed, swallowing the fluffy treat slowly, and then -

"OH MY GOODNESS ITS DIVINE!"

"SO SWEET AND SO MOREISH!"

"MY PALATE IS IN HEAVEN!"

Gohan sighed heavily, as they continued to fawn over the confectionary before them. "I thought you wanted me here for something other than food, I'm not some damned delivery boy."

"On the contrary," Whis chuckled, swallowing another mouthful, "Isn't that what the Earthlings called you when you went to fight Cell?"

"I'm not sure what's worse," Beerus snorted, licking his sugary fingers clean, "The names they call you or the fact that they've made your persona into a doll!"

"It's not a doll, it's an action figure," the teenager snarled, "For manly fighting games!"

"Whatever you say," the Destroyer cackled, "It's still a doll."

Gohan scowled, "Did you call me here just to tease me?"

"Not at all," said his mentor, finishing off his last doughnut and focussing his eyes on the halfling with a serious expression, ignoring Lord Beerus' exclamation of 'No, you just brought that on yourself, brat!', "In fact, I summoned you back here for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I'd like to point out your relationship with the Earthling Videl Satan."

Oh crap! What did they see?! Have they been SPYING on me?! The teenager blanched, as his superiors eyes narrowed at him, "Er… w-what do you know?"

"Enough to warn you, boy," Lord Beerus frowned, his tail flicking around behind him in agitation, the blush marring the halfling's cheeks only confirming his suspicions, "You are playing a dangerous game."

"I-It's nothing," he stated, trying to keep his voice steady as he started to explain himself, "I was just -"

"Does she know what you are?" asked Whis, his stare penetrating, causing the halfling to gulp.

"No, well, not exactly," he replied, averting his gaze and finding his boots very interesting all of a sudden, "She doesn't know that I'm a Destroyer, and I don't plan on telling her either."

The Angel paused, prompting the teen to look up as he spoke, "You know the rules Gohan, you have a duty to uphold."

"I-I know," the young saiyan breathed, staring right back, "I gave you my word Whis. I'm well aware of what I've sacrificed to hold it. Just… just let me have this little piece of happiness whilst I still can, okay?"

His mentor observed him for a moment, though nodded curtly, "Very well, I trust your judgement. But do be careful my boy."

Beerus snorted, "The universe needs you now more than ever, it won't do it or you well to be pining over some mortal."

"I understand," he said, letting out a sigh of relief before looking back at him, "So what else did you need me here for?"

"Ah yes," said Whis, "You see, the universe is in a current state of emergency."

"W-what?! Why didn't you say anything earlier?!" he gaped, adrenaline rushing to the surface, though his mentor caught on immediately.

"Don't worry yourself just yet Gohan, The Supreme Guard currently have the situation under control," he informed him, "Though I'm afraid this is only a pretence for what is about to come."

"I don't understand," the halfling started, "you said it's not Perses, but the entire universe is in a state of emergency?! What else could - "

"Dark creatures have started to appear all over the cosmos," the Angel said gravely, "Though thankfully due to The Guard, they have been stopped from causing too much destruction that would impede on the balance of the universe."

"But where did they even come from?" Gohan asked, though he dreaded the answer, it was all too convenient in his opinion.

He watched carefully, as Whis and Lord Beerus shared a look, before his mentor spoke, "We believe they are coming from The Void."

"What?!" he gasped, his jaw dropping to the floor, "But how is that even possible? I thought you said that it was virtually impossible for anything to live in that realm? Now you're telling me that there's a load of monsters that we've got to worry about too?"

"Don't be ridiculous, nothing can truly live in The Void," Lord Beerus snorted, though he looked anything but calm about the situation, "Perses is half Kai, remember?"

"You're saying he's created them?!"

"He created that monstrosity that was Majin Buu all those years ago didn't he?" he snarled, "What's stopping him from making more dark entities?"

The young Destroyer swallowed thickly, "But if he's managing to actually release them form The Void then that means - "

"That it is only a matter of time before the seal is broken and Perses is free," Whis finished for him, a solemn expression upon his delicate features.

"But can't anyone stop it?" Gohan protested, "You sealed him away before, can't it be done again?!"

"With the amount of dark creatures he has at his disposal, it would be suicidal to go anywhere near that realm without a clear plan," said Lord Beerus, eyeing him pointedly, "As much as you want to, there is no point in charging in there unprepared."

He gritted his teeth in anger, his fists clenching tightly, "We need to figure out where he is drawing his power from. If we cut off the source then there's no way he could keep creating and releasing these monsters, much less escape."

"Precisely Gohan," said Whis, "Though during your absence, we think we may have a hunch as to the source. If we are correct in our assumptions, I'm afraid that we are in a tighter spot than I had realised."

"What, really?" the teenager quirked, "What do you think it is?"

The Angel sighed, "Gohan, do you remember your sparring session with Lord Beerus a few days ago? And how you managed to land quite a substantial hit on him?"

"Well yeah," he replied, though a little confused, "But what does that have to do with - ?"

His onyx eyes suddenly widened in realisation, staring at the deities in disbelief. Oh…

"You're saying that Perses is draining Lord Beerus' energy to make himself stronger?!" he practically yelped. "But how?! And here was me thinking that I was getting better and Lord Beerus was just getting old!"

The God in question snarled at his words, though Whis interjected before he could blast the teenager into oblivion, "We believe so. Though we are unsure as to how. Lord Beerus has been taking naps more often recently, even before you died Gohan, which made me think that his life cycle was ending sooner. This may not be the case, and in fact the cause for Lord Beerus becoming weaker and sleepier was actually due to Perses draining his power for the last century or so."

Gohan swore loudly, though this time his mentor didn't scold him for it. He looked at his predecessor, this was so much worse than he thought.

"Don't give me that sympathetic look boy," Beerus glowered, folding his arms across his chest haughtily, "I'm not going anywhere just yet, and don't plan to either. Perses will pay for ever crossing me, but like I said we need to formulate a plan, and figure out how he has managed to drain my power in the first place."

He nodded obediently, averting his eyes. He prayed that it wasn't true. If Perses drained all of Lord Beerus power to a dangerous point, he could die, and due to their life-link, The Supreme Kai would too. Leaving him the only 'God' in universe seven as well as Kibito who was only an assistant, and him a junior. They wouldn't last against Perses from what Whis had told him, and it would cause utter chaos, the universe would collapse in on itself for certain.

What in the HFIL were they going to do?

"Whis, can you get me to The Supreme Guard?" he asked suddenly, prompting his mentor to give him a small smile, "The best thing I can do right now is help them fight and destroy these monsters. It's not like things can get any worse."

"Very well," said Whis with a chuckle, gazing into the gem on his sceptre, "I should have known that you would want to help. Now where - ?"

He was cut off suddenly, by the gem flashing rapidly in alarm, "Oh my!"

"What is it?" Lord Beerus growled, as both Destroyers looked towards the Angel, their senses on high alert should something suddenly attack them.

"Well, it seems as though one of the dark creatures has appeared far away from where The Supreme Guard are fighting, and begun a rather destructive attack," he informed them, his eyebrows knitting together in thought, "That's odd, I wonder why it has chosen Earth."

"EARTH?!" Gohan yelped, the horror crawling up his throat and lodging there, "Are you freaking serious?!"

"Why yes, and it seems that it is a rather beastly creature at that, stronger than the rest that have escaped The Void thus far," said the Angel, "It has already destroyed half of the main city of the Western province, and is giving your father and his friends quite a run for their money."

The young saiyan didn't hesitate, fear and panic gripping him all at once, "Get me back to Earth Whis, NOW!"

"But your clothes," he said, observing the Junior Destroyer's ceremonial garb, "Your family are bound to notice, though I suppose it will take me about a minute to - "

"I don't care!" he cried, all sense of logic flying out of the window. He no longer cared if they recognised him, he needed to save them, now, "There won't be any reason to hide who I am if they're all dead! Now hurry up and fire up The Warp!"

"Well there's no need to be rude," Whis puffed, "Are you quite sure you know what you're doing?"

"WHIS!"

"Very well," his mentor shrugged, before the bright white light engulfed him and he disappeared from Beerus' world.

---

West City, Planet Earth.

Chaos. Pandemonium. Disorder. Terror.

It was a sight that had greeted Son Goku on so many occasions. Too many in fact. The familiar sound of terrified screams echoed in his ears as the petrified citizens of West City fled the epicentre of the battle. He had realised not long into the fight that there was no use in attempting to divert the battle somewhere safer and away from the city. Their enemy was seemingly non-negotiable, and was hell bent on destroying everything in its wake with mindless enthusiasm.

The full-bloodied saiyan had never seen anything like it. It was like something dreamt up in a nightmare, but unfortunately was all too real. It was a gigantic beast, even bigger than an adult Oozaru by his estimation, with large razor sharp talons and teeth. It sort of looked like a mutated, overpowered dragon in his opinion, judging by the enormous wings on its back and sharp, twisted horns on its head. The monster towered high over West City, its hard scaled skin shining in the setting sun, the blood red sky intermingled with dust clouds from the fires that waged throughout the city - mostly caused by the inferno that it had released from his colossal jaws.

The rampaging beast roared again, shaking the ground below them as it thrashed its long tail, causing even more devastation to the buildings surrounding it. Numerous skyscrapers had crumbled into nothing but rubble, lower buildings were completely decimated. Glass and debris littered the cracked pavement, abandoned cars and other larger vehicles had been crushed and some sunken into the deep crevices that had appeared when the roads had split and shook apart.

The Z-Fighters had been quick onto the scene, feeling the warped, evil Ki of the monster suddenly appear in the West. It was odd, they hadn't even felt its approach. Goku had no idea where on earth it had sprung from so unexpectedly, though there was no time to dwell on the matter, as he quickly realised that the fight wasn't going to be an easy one. They were hot on its tail, still trying their best to lure the beast out of the city centre. Flashes of multi-colour lit up the dark sky, as their powerful attacks surged towards the gigantic fiend once more. Yet the monster was wild, vexed, and batted them away as if they were nothing.

Goku growled, the long golden hair of his super saiyan three form blowing back in the heavy gust of wind that swept the streets from the aftermath of their attack. Vegeta landed next to him, his own wild hair of the third state whipping around him as he spit out a wad of blood and saliva onto the cracked pavement in distaste.

"Damn it," he snarled bitterly, "What's it going to take to beat this thing?"

He didn't reply, glaring up at the monster with equal animosity. The earth-raised saiyan had never been one to back down from a fight, even if engaging in battle with an enemy seemed hopeless. He reasoned that it was his saiyan heritage that attributed to that particular trait, Vegeta had it too - even their boys. They hadn't fought an enemy since Majin Buu, and this particular fiend was actually proving to be just as troublesome. Even though its stature was large and bulky, it seemed to have no effect on its speed and theprecision of its attacks.

He had to admit that at first, the thought of fighting a powerful enemy got his blood pumping with excitement. Especially with the rest of the Z-Fighters fighting by his side once more. Though the thrill of comradery had soon wore thin, as the terrifying power of this dark creature seemed to increase with each passing moment, subsequently making them work a lot harder in order to defeat it.

He had flown into battle with no time to waste, leaving Goten at Capsule Corp. with Bulma, Trunks and Marron. The three kids were more than willing to join in the fray, even little Marron - she had been training a lot with her mother and father recently. Even so, despite the girl's increase in strength and Goten and Trunks' super saiyan status, he wouldn't allow it. The boys had done amazingly well against Majin Buu a year ago, but that was in exceptional circumstances. He would only get the little super saiyans involved if absolutely necessary - Goku would not have the blood of another child on his hands. Luckily Vegeta had agreed with him, and the boys had soon stopped protesting when the prince had successfully glared them out.

Another bone-quaking roar escaped the beasts throat, and the Z-Fighters had no choice but to shield their eyes with their arms, as a vibrant crimson blast erupted from its jaws, colliding with a nearby tower block and sending bricks and debris flying into the air, continuing its onslaught of the city. As the light cleared, an abrupt shout echoed from above, and Goku's eyes widened at the sight of his student delivering a Kiao-ken fuelled spinning kick to the beast's side, indenting its sales in a sickening blow. She was dressed in her police uniform, having ditched work to join the battle, her cap discarded and her raven hair whipping wildly around her in the raging winds she had created with her aura.

"Take that, ugly!" Videl cried, unleashing rapid fire from her palms, the golden blasts illuminating the city as the monster fell to one knee.

Krillin chuckled from beside him, his orange gi in tatters, "She's really something that student of yours!"

Goku couldn't help but silently agree, a sense of pride filling his chest as he kicked off from the ground to help her, "Let's go!"

Though before he could get close, the monsters tail thrashed madly, causing him to dodge swiftly out of its destructive path.

"VIDEL! LOOK OUT!" He roared, watching in horror as the end of its tail wrapped tightly around the girl, squeezing her so much so that she screamed out in agony.

"Oh no you don't! DESTRUCTO DISK!" Krillin yelled, the electric buzz of the golden disk whirring through the air before it sliced through the tail, releasing its deadly grip on Videl.

"Nice shot!" Yamcha called out, hovering above them before hurtling to the beast once more, joining Tien and Eighteen in their onslaught, ignoring the beasts guttural roar of anguish, the end of its tail hitting the ground with an enormous thud.

Goku let out a sigh of relief as Piccolo swiftly caught Videl before she hit the ground.

"You alright, kid?" the Namekian asked, concern flashing within his dark eyes.

"Y-yeah," she wheezed, lowering her voice to a whisper, "Where the hell is he?"

Goku frowned, who was she talking about? Though he didn't hear Piccolo's reply, as he was suddenly too concerned by the enormous swell of energy that erupted from their malicious foe. The explosive wave knocked Yamcha and the others backwards a few feet, though they were shocked by the monsters sudden increase in power also. The energy was crippling, utterly jaw-dropping, he would even argue that it was enough to rival Majin Buu's at full power - it seemed as though the others noticed this too.

"Fuck!" Vegeta snarled, his fellow super saiyan three joining him in the air, "Where the hell is all that power coming from?!"

"I don't know," Piccolo called over, a deep frown marring his features, "But we have to stop it before it gains anymore, otherwise the whole Earth's in danger."

"Then we'll just have to give it everything we've got!" Videl said boldly, her crimson aura bursting around her frame once more.

"For once I agree with the harpy," Vegeta said gruffly, causing the girl to smirk back at him, "Let's show this overgrown insect just what happens when you mess with Earth."

"Full power!" Goku bellowed, bolts of electricity darting around his frame as he charged up even further, the height of the super saiyan three form coursing through his veins as he propelled himself towards the awaiting beast, "CHARGE!"

The saiyan prince sighed heavily, "I refuse to fight to that order."

"Tch, stop whining," Piccolo griped, before launching into battle with the rest of Earth's protectors.

"Right behind you!" Tien roared, launching a well aimed blast towards the mutated dragon. It exploded on impact, but appeared not to have done any damage.

Eighteen followed suit, her palms outstretched as she unleashed her own rapid fire, dust and smoke circling about the monster's frame, the resounding clash causing even more cracks to form in the earth below their feet.

Goku took his chance, locking onto the evil energy through the smoke. In an instant, he was behind the brute, delivering a sharp elbow strike to the back of its neck whilst Vegeta sucker punched it in the gut. Sonic booms echoed around them as the beast curled inwards from the gut-wrenching blows. Though, to their surprise and horror, it quickly recovered, blowing both super saiyan three's away with a sharp gust of explosive energy, before it rounded on him - eyes glinting with murderous intent.

"MASENKO-HAAAA!" Piccolo's cry bellowed in the distance, the bright yellow blast careening towards the beast and hitting it square in the eyes.

It roared and howled in agony, one eye completely blinded by the Namekian's attack, bleeding profusely. Though their little victory was short lived, as a fast fist knocked both warriors out of the air - they didn't even see it coming! Goku growled, his back painfully hitting a slab of concrete as he was forcibly backhanded into a large piece of fallen brickwork, which crumbled to an even bigger heap as he landed.

This was not going well.

The battle - if one could call it such - had now turned into a free for all brawl. As soon as one Z-Fighter was backhanded across the city, then another would be upon the monster in an instant, but all they seemed to be doing was angering the creature even further. It was like the beast was a fly swatter and they were the annoying pesky flies, buzzing and swooping around it and firing hits where they could.

He and Vegeta had been having better luck as super saiyan three's. However, as much as it was a powerful transformation, it was the quickest when it came to draining energy and stamina. He wasn't entirely sure just how long they could keep it up for. It was utterly exhausting. The only warrior not suffering as much as the others was Eighteen, due to her enhanced stamina and unlimited energy as an android. But it wasn't much solace, she was severely bruised and blooded, though continued her onslaught regardless, firing another white hot blast towards the monster's face.

Distracted by the others, the ball of energy hit its enormous jaw. Although unharmed, the monster screamed with fury, once again blasting the Z-Fighters away with another explosive wave of Ki. Goku looked around worriedly, his emerald eyes finding both Piccolo and Vegeta wincing in pain on the ground, their bodies smouldering and burnt from effects of the hot Ki. Damn it, they couldn't go down so soon! They needed the power!

Yet this beast wasn't even phased by two super saiyan three's…

He quickly got to his feet, powering his golden aura around him once more before kicking off from the ground and rushing towards the enemy. Though Goku didn't have time to contemplate just how or when it had happened, when the beasts irate shrieks filled the air and he was met with a ginormous fist to the face. He cried out in agony, as he felt his cheek bone shatter, a sonic boom ricocheting over the city from the impact as he was knocked to the ground once more, debris and rocks flying high into the air. He coughed, spitting out the blood and saliva that had rapidly built up in his mouth as he looked above him.

The monster was on an absolute rampage, reaching Piccolo and Videl almost instantly and causing another ear-shattering boom to shake the entire area. The saiyan made out the rapidly falling form of his friend and student before they hit the ground in the same manner as he. Vegeta and the others shot up to meet the beast almost instantly, encircling it in order to slow it down and stop it from desolating the rest of the city. But their attempts were in vain, as it unleashed yet another wave of monstrous Ki and whacked them out of the sky with its flailing limbs.

One by one, the Z-Fighters tumbled to the ground, the impact of the creatures hits rendering them useless and practically unconscious.

"NO!" Goku cried, intercepting an gigantic crimson blast that burst from the monsters jaw, batting it away from his fallen comrades and sending it hurtling into the air instead, where it exploded in a brilliant spectacle of blinding light.

He gripped his arm in agony, hissing at the sight of the bubbling flesh of his forearm. Shit, that was way too close.

"Kakarot, y-you idiot," Vegeta spat breathlessly, clambering to his feet and slipping into stance beside him, "You nearly lost yourself an arm, how the hell would that help us in this situation?"

"W-well," he smiled grimly through the pain, "A-at least you lot aren't toast!"

"Literally speaking," the prince said, glaring up at the skies that were steadily growing darker, sharp bolts of lighting now emitting from the clouds that rolled with thunder, "Any ideas?"

Goku shook his head, "I-I don't know h-how long I can keep this u-up, my energy is draining q-quickly."

"Hn, the great Kakarot so easily beaten," he retorted, though he couldn't help but notice how the man's eyes looked haunted as he spoke. He too knew the reality of what was about to come.

"Goku," came a gruff voice from behind them, it was Piccolo, just as bloodied and battered as the rest of them, "We have to hold this thing off, no matter what."

He nodded, but couldn't help but frown at his choice of words. Hold it off? For what? What was Piccolo waiting for?

Though he didn't get a chance to ask, as the Namekian kicked off from the ground, charging his attack as he went. Goku and Vegeta followed suit, appearing before the dreaded beast, ready to give it all that they had.

"Ka…. meh…. ha…meh….HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" He roared, the brilliant blue energy of the super Kamehameha Wave erupting from his cupped palms and careening towards the rampaging beast. He poured everything he had into the blast, his senses tingling as he felt the rest of the haggard Z-Fighters joining him in his attack.

"SPECIAL BEAM CANNON!"

"FINAL FLASH!"

"TRI-BEAM HAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"SPIRIT BALL!"

"KAMEHAMEHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Videl, Krillin and Eighteen bellowed, bringing up the rear .

The entire planet shook from the sheer force of the Z-Fighters combined attack, torrents of wind picked up around them like a hurricane, as the monsters raging roars began to dwindle. Hope rose in Goku's heart as the blinding sphere of deadly energy grew larger and larger, totally disabling the humongous beast. A world-eclipsing explosion sounded, knocking the warriors back a few feet. Thick black smoke clouds encircled them, encompassing the entire city, as the light from their attack dwindled. The monsters power undetectable.

Goku panted, as he heard Yamcha muster a weak, "I-Is it over?"

But no sooner did the ex-bandit utter the words, did a spark of evil energy illuminate their senses.

"I-it can't be!" Videl gasped.

Then all at once, there was mass hysteria. The silhouette of the enormous creature suddenly burst through the dust filled clouds, its body significantly damaged but still very much intact. Its unhindered energy assaulted their senses, followed by the terrifying roar of fury that they had grown all too accustomed to.

Shouts of desperation and horror echoed around him, as one by one the Z-Fighters were picked apart, their crumpled forms hitting the ground in rapid succession. Goku growled in frustration, unable to keep ahold of his energy draining transformation any longer and dropping back to his base form, the monster making quick work of him too. He was struck in the skull so hard that his ear drums perforated, and he met the dirt in the same manner as his friends.

"BASTARD!" Vegeta cried out, his fist careening towards the beast with impressive speed, though his transformation wavered too, dropping out of it completely as his body was knocked flying by their foes attack.

Goku's heart pounded rapidly in his ears, he felt as though the organ was about to burst out of his chest. It was no use, they were all too injured, out of energy. It was only a matter of time before this monster destroyed them all. He cringed, as the saiyan prince landed harshly next to him, coughing up a wad of blood and shoving his hand away as he attempted to help him to sit up before he choked.

"What the fuck was that Kakarot?!" he snarled, blood dripping down his chin, his obsidian eyes hardened as he glared at the dragon creature making its way over to the fallen Z-Fighters.

The ground shook violently with each step it took, and Goku could only watch with horror as it began to build a deadly crimson blast within the depths of its throat, the harsh light invading through its teeth. If it unleashed that, they wouldn't survive.

Goku swore under his breath, "I haven't got enough energy to transform again!"

"Shit, me neither," the prince spat, clenching his fists as he tried to pick himself up from the small crater that he had landed in.

The younger saiyan was about to reply, when a furious growl escaped the monsters chest. He looked up bitterly, attempting to get to his feet once more but failed just like Vegeta. His ribs were broken, and they burned in pain as he looked towards his fallen friends once more. The hope he had held moments earlier diminished in an instant. He had never felt so useless, not since - Goku closed his eyes, it wouldn't do well for him to dwell on The Cell Games right now. It wouldn't help the situation either. He was unable to gather enough Ki to stop the impending blast - if any, forcing his body to sustain the super saiyan three form for longer than usual had drained the very last of his energy, especially given the fact that he had unleashed a Super Kamehameha too. He was completely spent.

"No, not like this," Vegeta growled, scrunching up his eyes in frustration and despair, the crimson light casting shadows over their crumpled and defeated forms.

Damn it! This couldn't be it! Not after everything they had gone through together over the years! Every challenge, every evil doer… they had always found a way! He couldn't let some monster destroy them! Destroy everything!

The desolate streets glowed with fire around him, and Goku could feel his skin begin to burn from the sheer heat of the blast that was about to be released, his heart pounding relentlessly against his ribcage.

He swallowed, it was futile.

Chi-Chi, Goten, everyone… I'm so sorry.

But no sooner did the thought enter his mind, did a flaming torrent of white light burst through the atmosphere, speeding towards them before surging to a halt right in between the fallen Z-Fighters and the vile beast. The light was blinding, all consuming, causing the warriors of Earth to wince at the sheer brightness, when it suddenly began to dwindle.

At first, Goku wondered if his eyes were deceiving him in light of his impending doom, as the tunnel of light disappeared and in its place stood a young man. He was dressed in a long, light blue ceremonial garb with golden piping around the edges. It flapped in the breeze that he had just created, the front of the cloak completely open at the front, exposing his strong muscular torso that had several deep scars running over his heart - almost like he had been scratched by a very large feline. He wore white gi pants, the pristine fabric adorned by a black sash that had blue and gold diamonds embroiled into the fabric that hung between his legs.

His feet were grounded by sturdy white fighting boots, and solid gold wristbands adorned his forearms, glinting as they reflected the raging embers around him. His long, unruly black hair bristled in the wind, framing his stern yet handsome face. His was tall, at least six foot by his reckoning, and his muscular arms were further exposed by his sleeveless garb. He had to be in his late teens or early twenties, though his dark eyes looked older, full of experience and hatred as he positively glared at the gigantic beast with an unyielding fire within their depths.

It was a fire that he had seen on countless occasions. One that was all too familiar to him.

The Z-Fighters blinked in utter disbelief, as the monster's blast suddenly extinguished at the sight of the strange young man standing before it. Though Goku's eyes were no longer fixated on the enemy - but on the boy. It was as though he had been hit with another punch to the gut, the realisation expelling all the air from his lungs, as he noticed how the boy held a striking resemblance to Videl's new friend Beerus. And through the confusion and awe, the earth-raised saiyan berated himself for not making the connection sooner.

It couldn't be. But it was.

But why? Why did he want to hide his true identity from them? From him? So many questions barrelled through his mind, too many emotions to consider. But as his gaze traveled to the shining golden halo above the young man's head, confirming his suspicions, he could have sworn that his heart had stopped.

"G-Gohan?" he managed to muster in amazement and shock from where he was splayed out on the ground.

He could feel the eyes of his fallen comrades burning into him - he must have sounded completely crazy. Like the majority of them, he had given up the hope that he would ever see his son again. The little boy who had grown eons stronger than him, but had died all the same. Goku had never meant for Gohan to die - quite the opposite actually. He was supposed to take up the mantle of hero, eventually replacing him as the unofficial 'leader' of the Z-Fighters when he became old enough to bare the responsibility.

But it had all gone so wrong.

He had found himself asking the same question over and over again in his mind. What was the point of his son gaining such great power if he had died anyway? He had eventually come to accept the words of the Eternal Dragon, and prepare himself for an eternity without Gohan. The young boy could not be found, not even by Porunga or The Supreme Kai, so what hope did he have? It shattered his heart to pieces when he realised that he could never be reunited with the bright, inquisitive, powerful bundle of love that was his son again. Nightmares of Gohan falling and falling, alone in an endless abyss had plagued his dreams for years. He had been haunted by thoughts of the boy swamped by darkness, freezing cold and starving, and wondering why his mother and father hadn't wished him back from death's cruel clutches. Thinking that perhaps, they didn't want him anymore.

As he stared at the cloaked figure in front of him, it was a far cry from the picture he'd had of the child. For this person was not a frightened boy, no, this was a man - a warrior. It would make sense after all, the familiar energy that he had felt days ago emitting from Beerus in the midst of his nightmare certainly matched. It was only a spark, a fleeting moment, but he had felt it all the same. He'd brushed it off at the time of course, thinking that it had been his mind playing painful tricks on him.

He could feel it now though. An immense presence practically oozing from the boy in front of them. It was familiar, but still incredibly different to how he had remembered. It struck him with a strange sense of foreboding, though he couldn't reason as to why. That and he felt it intermingled with a kind of pressure, as if his very Ki had just slammed onto his senses all at once. Though it was strangely calm, quiet, not the usual torrent of fury bubbling underneath the surface, just waiting to be unleashed.

But was this teenager, this man really him?

And just like that, their saviour turned at the sound of his voice, and onyx eyes - that were so much like his Chi-Chi's, locked with his own as he gave him a sad yet knowing smile.

"Hi Dad."

---

14th January, 2019.

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A/N: I know I am SOOOOO cruel for ending it there! But what a cliffhanger! Gohan is revealed! Yay! So much drama! I really hope you all enjoyed this chapter and the dramatic fashion in which Gohan appeared in fully fledged uniform and everthing. And kudos to who got Piccolo's Saiyaman reference ;) Just had to drop it in there! I am working a lot this week so the next chapter may be a week or two away but I will try to get it out to you all asap. I am so excited for the next part and to showcase our boy kicking some ass! woop woop :) thank you for your continued support! ES x

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Reviews:

Zeromaru Chaos Mode: glad you like the gohan and videl dynamic. and I totally agree Goku does always still the win. He will get time to shine in this fic, but it will mainly be focussed on Gohan still!

MadmanJrs: I am so glad youre enjoying the story and the relationships that Gohan has with the other characters! Im so happy that I am getting him across just right!

Readallday1243: i imagine Gohan's hair a mixture between the mass of spikes he has at the cell games with his pony tail he has as a kid.

TheRangerBoy: thank you!

sitrukpc: Videl is a mortal and nowhere near as powerful as Gohan. therefore I dont see them just making her a divine being just as a reward for Gohan IF he does manage to stop perses that is ;) and that is also considering Videl's feelings on this. would she want to leave her friends and family? Gohan is struggling hard enough as it is.

Rei-El Dreemurr: ooooh interesting ;) all will be revealed!

Aaron Leach: thank you!

FireEmblemMaster101 : thanks for the big review! The supreme guard will make for some good dynamics and also a bit of Gohan torture which is always great in fanfiction. haha. I'm looking forward to them coming back! As a point of Babidi going after both Goku and Vegeta to make them Majin, thats a good observation and could have happened, perhaps if Babidi was a bit smarter but also I will be exploring Vegetas character a bit more and the effect that Gohans death had on him. I like to think that Goku completely reverted inwards and attacked himself, and Vegeta kind of stepped up both out of duty and of need for the z fighters. He has changed a lot, and even broke up a fight between Piccolo and Goku some years ago in this story, stating that Gohan wouldnt want them fighting - showing a little more care than perhaps he would have in the original. This could have affected his motives also, as Goku would have been around for him to fight all the time, and have a more friendly rivalry that we see in super rather than im going to kill you vibes. Youve also made really good points about the upcoming plot, but I dont want to spoil anything!

Guest: breaking the rules for Gohan may not be an option, the rules are very strict over divine beings and their relationships with mortals.

x2leoj : thank you! he certainly does need more power against Perses!

RedDragonforce 1: thanks for the review, and narration once again! I love your theory about the Son family finding the dragonballs when they need to, its really lovely and I'll just leave it out there for people to decide! I agree Gohan is too book smart in the original to master ultra instinct, though my Gohan needs balance because he uses both aspects of overthinking and under thinking when it actually matters - although we did see this as a kid! I will check out your fanfiction most certainly!

Crodog12: thanks for your review! I wish I could reveal more but I cant im sorry! :P also I hope you enjoyed this dramatic reveal. I was going to go with adding up clues etc but I thought that this was a bit more shocking and funner to read! and there is also a possiblity for multiple SSG... if the story flows that way ;)

HeartlessAlpha: thanks for your review! I appreciate it! I was planning on moving everything swiftly forwards after the big kiss, as like you say I didnt want it to drag, but I needed the build up there for readers to fall in love with the pairing. Hope this chapter didnt disappoint!

Dan2019: **spills beans dramatically**

X3runner: thank you! I do enjoy slow burn romance but for this plot I need Gohan and Videls relationship fast and furious for it to work. Glad you like it though! As for Toppo, I get that it doesnt technically fit within my rules as he is still alive as a junior destroyer and owns a house etc. This may be different for universe 11 as he is in the pride troopers. However, as this story moves forwards more will be revealed about the rules for universe 7 and others, as well as more insight on what it means to be a junior destroyer. hopefully, eventually itll make sense!

Marbbles123 : Ooh thank you so much! ah yes I have heard of that fanfic actually, read it years ago but totally forgot there was a Majin Goku in it!

PhoenixFire100: thanks for your review! glad you are enjoying it! Ive hinted at SSG so much that it would be severly evil of me NOT to do it, but I cant reveal just how itll be achieved. as you can see, I just knocked over the can of beans... :O

VaultBxy : this made me laugh so hard! Exactly the reaction I was going for!

Leafeon12" Hes not in toooooo much trouble. YET.

REQUIEMCROSS: aha yes oh dear!

Knightwing20042: I have the whole story pretty much planned out, adding in bits here and there and swapping and changing. I have been on holiday the last week from work so things have come out a bit swifter. But back to the grind this week so may be a little slower! I literally just shit with my headphones on and loads of coffee and just write and write and write. If im in the flow the words just keep going!

Reacted : Whis is too sweet for that. at the moment. He trusts Gohan. at the moment.

FeathersofMemory: thank you so much for your reviews, glad you enjoyed the chapters. Im so happy that you got all the emotional moments just how I wanted to portray them. and also the relationships and hilarity! It really means a lot when I get reviews like this!

UpwardsDust: Id like to think of the void as even worse than the dead zone, and not connected. also, didnt reeeeally like Garlic Jr as a character. But glad Gohan beasted him twice haha

victor0606 : thank you!

Dr. Blue22 : ahaha you shall have more!

Lord0 : yay! glad you are loving the Gohan and Videl romance! Im so excited to explore it further! Wonder boy may be perfect in Videl's eyes but he has a lot of shizz coming his way!

Reaper180: thank you! glad you are enjoying it!

DragonCrusader: exactly! embrace the moment!

HKGlenstid : thank you for your review and feedback! glad you enjoyed the scene and natural GxV progression! Youre correct, I do want to keep the light heartedness of this story going. However with a villian like Perses and the relationship with Gohan and Videl it will begin to get darker. Though I fully intend to keep the humor and adventure flowing, and will aim to stray away from total darkness, its not mega my style!

TheHiddenLettuce: haha yes, now we get to the good stuff

Super Shadow 2018: i get how demigra might work, but not really a fan of him as a villian. he just isnt as complex enough for me, gotta have a bit of backstory!

Iwik: haha yes, I saw it in a meme that Vegeta's fear had steamed from the worms he had met in the Buu Saga in Buu's belly. But I thought that a life long fear would be hilarious. It also showcases that Gohan is more badass, what with the big strong full bloodied saiyan warriors being scared of worms and tiny needles and Gohan flinching at antiseptic more from the fact that he had to deal with it loads as a kid and that stuff FREAKING STINGS! glad I made you laugh!

A-N-I-M-U-T-A-T-O : wow thank you thank you thank you! your review gives me LIFE! I love that you get it so much and are loving it. I only do this for funzies and to get such great feedback blows me away! " You're capable of keeping the story's atmosphere light hearted for the most part without letting us forget all the reasons that it shouldn't be." - this right here is EXACTLY my concept. I could squeal! Just thank you!

Declan Campbell: he hasnt technically broken any rules just yet xD

jbird2352: thanks so much! glad you laughed at the Gohan and Buu interaction in earlier chapters!

zayten: Im not thinking of turning Gohan evil, he is much too like his original character in that respect. also whis and beerus arent evil either, they are bound to duty. but dont worry Gohan will be showcasing his destructiveness!

HungryHungryHippie: wow thank you so much for this! it means a lot! so glad youre enjoying the story!

Naite-Laef : aw thank you! hopefully the next chapter wont be longer than a couple of weeks!

dspendragon125: oh dear, naughty Gohan!

: thank you!

Scarlet WebSlinger: wow thank you for your review! saying my story is like art warms my womanly heart! haha and I will forcibly keep kicking this can of beans so that they are all spilled!

Mmhit24: aw thank you so much!

LilRocboogie : wow thank you so much for your reviews and your offer, I will have to PM you when i have time xD im so glad that you liked all the emotions and the fact that Videl and Chi-Chi have time to shine, I just hate it when people bash on these characters! so i really wanted to give them more depth especially and also showcase Gohan's relationship with them in a better light.

Guest : haha glad you enjoyed it!

Guest: vegeta no! vegeta yes! is best line!

FoggyJarl166 : hi there! I dont really have so much as an updating schedule unfortunately. I work shifts you see and that can include weekends and nights, it changes all the time and i do long hours so some weeks i have more time and others I dont. I aim to do the best where I can though, and i have managed to write a lot of the plans for upcoming chapters so hopefully that'll be a bit quicker! I am so excited for the next few chapters so hopefully it'll continue to drive me to write even more !