A/N: Thanks so much Firestorm1991 for the awesome stream of reviews. I really loved everyone of them, so big shoutout to you, the fastest writer I know xD (be sure to check out her amazing stories)! :D
So the new chapter is here at last. Sorry that I'm a week late (I did plan on fortnightly schedules as I said before, but I was a bit hard-pressed last week). Anyway, I hope you enjoy it folks. Some nice, promising scenes herein! ;)
Chapter 61: A hero's return
Two days passed by. Goku's fever had quelled, his skin tepid and no longer coated with clammy layers of sickly perspiration. The signs were promising and it was clear that Earth's hero had just about reached the end of his rocky road to recovery. Chi-Chi grasped his calloused hand firmly, planting a chaste kiss on the base of his palm and gently brushing her soft lips against the steadily beating thrum of his radial artery, eliciting a gratifying note of pleasure from the sturdy, slumbering Saiyan.
Around that time, an unexpected visitor rode in on Kame House, guns blazing, her wavy blonde hair rippling with the whistling wind. Tranquilly sitting in the lawn in a deep state of meditation, it was Vegeta who suffered the misfortune of dealing with the heavily-armed encroacher.
"Hey you, furball!" She called out, sitting across from him and daringly placing a machine-pistol to his forehead. "I like that suit you got on!"
Irked at the disturbance, the Prince's eyes flashed open in wroth.
"Who the hell are you?!" He gruffly seethed.
"Name's Launch, short stuff and I'm here to collect." She smirked. "Now how's about you hand over all your money and I might consider goin' easy on ya."
"Launch?" The heiress opened the front door and did a triple-take, not believing her eyes when she witnessed the incredulous sight of her long-lost friend. "Oh my God, Launch, it's really you!" She dashed over and pounced on the blonde-haired bandit like a tigress, catching her completely off guard, as she straddled her lithe waist. "Where've you been all this time?!"
"Hey got off me, woman!" Launch protested, before recognition hit her smack in the face. "Wait a second, is that you Bulma?"
"Of course it's me, you crazy bitch!" Bulma grinned, pinning her friend down by the shoulders. "God, it's been years! What've you been up to?!"
"Oh you know, just pullin' a few heists here and there." The blonde replied, all the while squirming about, in a bid to free herself. "I was gonna come visit, but I ended up doin' a few months in the can."
"A few months?" Bulma brows shot up, in astonishment. "You serious? With the amount of shit you've pulled, I figured they'd put you behind bars, for at least ten lifetimes."
"Well yeah, but I must've sneezed or something and they let the other me go." Launch shrugged. "Those idiots didn't have a clue."
"Oh." Bulma mouthed in understanding, chortling at the fortuity of it all. "So I'm guessing that you're still on the most wanted list, right?"
"Yeah, but they ain't gonna get me again." Launch confidently averred. "Those chumps got lucky the last time, but from now on, I'm gonna keep my guard up at all times."
Vegeta harrumphed, casting a questioning gaze towards his female, who shook her head and stood up to introduce the two strangers.
"So, this squirt here's your baby-daddy, huh?" The blonde smirked, shifting closer to the Saiyan and once again, aiming a gun to his head. "Well, I was just about ready to empty his pockets till you showed up. That's right. You better pay up furball, before I do some major damage."
"Bulma." Vegeta growled in warning, not knowing if he'd be able to keep himself from murdering this maniacal intruder, especially after that derisive monicker. Were she not a friend of Bulma's, he might've done so already.
"Uh- say Launch, why don't you come inside and meet up with the guys?" The heiress offered between strained laughs, tremulously biting her lower lip. "I'm sure they'd love to see you again."
"Oh yeah sure."
Launch's unforeseen visit was met with confusion in some circles and ecstasy, in others. Roshi, in particular was unduly thrilled to see her.
"Hey girl, this wily old turtle's been so lonely without ya." His prurient palms steadily proceeded towards her bust. "You're in good hands now baby, hehehehe." Unsurprisingly, the lecherous goat's efforts only ended up earning him a volley of machine gun fire and he had to flit the premises, to save his depraved hide.
"Would you keep it down?!" An indignant Chi-Chi hissed, poking her head out of the room, where Goku was abed. "My husband's trying to rest!"
XXXX
Launch wasn't pleased in the slightest, seeing the supine form of her old friend. Even so, she was sure that if anyone could make it out of a jam like this, it was Goku.
"My boy's tough as nails." She vehemently insisted, voice laced with pride and veneration. "Nothing's gonna keep him down."
"Thanks Launch." Chi-Chi smiled.
Mid-afternoon, Earth's hero slowly stirred to a blissful wake, greeted by the welcoming sight of his beaming wife.
"Hey, Chi- ow!" Goku winced, unable to finish his sentence as the raven-haired woman pulled him into the tightest embrace he'd experienced, thus far. "Whoa easy there, Chi-Chi." He wheezed.
"Oh Goku, you're awake!" She cried, ignoring his pleas for a little breathing room, as she virtually squeezed the life out of him. "You're finally awake."
The other crew members rushed towards the room, the moment they sensed his Ki rouse to consciousness. For Goku, it was a huge relief, as he was finally free of his wife's lung-crushing embrace. His jubilant friends swarmed around him in a frenzy.
"Dad, you made it!" Gohan gushed, glomping his old man. "You really made it!"
"I sure did." Goku replied with a laugh, tousling the boy's unruly hair. "Say- uh- where's Vegeta?"
"Vegeta?!" Chi-Chi all but shrieked, causing everyone nearby to flinch. "You just woke up, you haven't seen your family for days and all you can think of is Vegeta?!"
"Relax babe." Goku tactfully implored. "Of course it's wonderful to see you and all, but we've got a battle ahead of us and we need to actually win, before we can celebrate."
"Oh no, no, no!" The Ox Princess waspishly prodded his chest, with her index finger. "You just recovered from a life-threatening illness. Don't you tell me you're gonna go run off and fight, because I won't have it, mister! You better lay your sorry butt down and rest for at least three more days!"
"Look, Chi-Chi, I know this might seem a little sudden to you, but I'm okay now, believe me." Goku vowed, as he held her at arm's length. He went on, more sombrely. "The entire world's at risk and I have a responsibility to protect it. I know it's unfair and that I haven't been the best husband, but I'm doing this for you and Gohan. Your safety is what matters to me, more than anything else."
"But-"
"I'm coming with you dad." Gohan cut off his feisty mother. "Where you go, I go. I'm close to becoming a Super Saiyan now and I know I can help you guys."
Chi-Chi was rendered speechless and Goku looked at the demi-Saiyan in contemplation for a moment, before nodding.
"Alright, son." He smiled, before turning towards Trunks, who awkwardly stood nearby. "You're coming too. You need to get stronger yourself, if you hope to beat the Androids in your timeline."
"You really think I can do it?" The lavender-haired Saiyan asked, a warm kindle of hope brewing within his azure eyes.
"With the right training, yes, I'm sure of it." Goku nodded. "You are Vegeta's son, after all."
"With my dashingly good looks, I might add." Bulma gloated, nose held high. The group collectively chuckled at that, all except Chi-Chi, who was growing more and more irate by the second. Moments later, her proverbial volcano erupted with an unwholesome slew of blaring objections and accusations.
"Going out there and putting yourself in danger is one thing, but I am not gonna just sit here and let you to involve Gohan!" She snarled in an roaring rush of raw rage, protectively seizing her child and glaring daggers at her husband, all the while.
"Mom." The mortified boy protested, ineffectually trying to wriggle his way out of her steadfast clutch.
"Come on Chi-Chi, he's in good hands." Bulma chimed in.
"Good hands?!" The raven-haired woman furiously shot back. "Really?! Is that what you call it?! He's been kidnapped, brutally beaten and even- killed." She choked on that last word. "He's not even in his teens and he's witnessed so much horror! Yeah, that's right Goku!" Chi-Chi scathingly clenched her jaw. "Don't think I don't know about what happened to him on Namek, under your watch!" (A/N: Refer to Chapter 31).
Goku's face fell, as he was quickly overwhelmed with grief and guilt at the bitter, heart-rending memory. He hadn't even considered how devastated Chi-Chi must've been at the news of her son's gruesome demise. Sure, she'd most likely heard about it after he was wished back, but it would've still wounded her deeply.
"Mom, you can't blame dad for that." Gohan vociferously argued. "He tried his best to-"
"No, your mother's right Gohan." Goku interjected, eyes hazy. "I promised her I'd protect you and I- I couldn't live up to my word." He let out a dejected sigh, resolvedly deciding that he had no right to put his son at risk ever again, not after he'd failed him. "You should stay here, where it's safe. This isn't your fight, son." He offered him a strained smile. "I'm the one who stirred the Red Ribbon's nest, in the first place and I should be the one to bring them down, once and for all."
"Come on dad, please." The boy ardently beseeched. "I don't wanna be left behind. I wanna help you."
"Now Gohan, you heard your father." Chi-Chi reproached, in a voice that brooked no further argument. She pressed him firmly to her chest, while mouthing a secretive 'thank you' to her husband and smiling lovingly at him. Goku smiled back, pleased that for once he'd done right by his wolfish wife. She deserved at least this much, for having the patience and forbearance to deal with him, all these years. No matter what happened, he would protect her and Gohan. He would protect everyone. It was his duty.
XXXX
"Look who finally decided to show up." The Prince dryly remarked, not even turning around to face his clownish rival.
"It's good to see you too, Vegeta." Goku laughed in that peculiar, goofy manner of his.
"Either get to the point or get lost." Vegeta rolled his eyes, curt as ever.
"Well, I've been thinking for a while and I don't know why this hadn't occurred to me before, but have you by any chance heard of the Hyperbolic Time Chamber?"
The flame-haired Saiyan frowned in confusion, tacitly prompting Earth's hero to explain further.
"To put it simply, there's a doorway in Kami's lookout, which leads to another dimension of sorts." He elucidated. "You can spend an entire year training in that dimension and only a day will have passed, in the outside world."
"Are you serious?!" The Prince's eyes bugged out, as he swivelled around, gaping incredulously at his rival.
"Yes, but there're conditions." Goku replied. "For example, only two people can go in at a time."
"I see."
"Now, I know what you must be thinking, but I want Piccolo to train there first, before either of us."
"What?!"
"Look, just hear me out." The younger Saiyan insisted. "Right now Piccolo's stronger than the both of us and I venture, he's closer to unlocking his full potential than we are. It's safer to let him go in and get the training he needs, while you and I hold the fort."
Vegeta looked at him, dithering for just a moment.
"Fine." He shrugged. "But after he's done I go in next, are we clear?"
"Sure, but take Trunks here with you." Goku said, encouraging the lavender-haired Saiyan to step forward.
"Hmph, but of course." Vegeta grinned menacingly at his son's future counterpart, whereby the latter gulped and suddenly had seconds thoughts.
"Alright then, I'll go get Piccolo up to speed, so he can get started." Placing his conjoined fingers on his forehead, the other Saiyan vanished from sight.
XXXX
"Hey Kamiccolo."
The Super Namek nearly tumbled down the mountain peak, where he sat in meditation, before glaring daggers at his ex-rival.
"The name's still Piccolo and you'd do well to remember it!"
"Yeesh, okay, okay." Goku waved his hands in surrender. "Anyway, I came up with a plan to defeat our enemies." And so he explained.
"Do you really think it's a wise idea to use the time chamber?" Piccolo quirked an eyebrow, after hearing the rustic hero's proposal. "We might need it later on."
"True, but it's a risk we just have to take." Goku averred. "If Cell manages to absorb one or both of the Androids, we need to be ready. Don't worry, if we wrap this up fast, we'll have plenty of time to spare, should any future entanglement arise."
"Well alright, if you say so."
"Good, then let's get going." He placed a hand on Piccolo's shoulder. "We don't have time to waste."
"Right."
"Hey Mr. Popo, I'm sorry to be a bother, but do you have anything to eat?" Goku asked without preamble, the moment he and his ex-rival materialized on Kami's lookout.
"Of course, my friend." His former mentor smiled. "It's good to see you again, after all these years." He then turned towards the Namekian. "Everything is ready, Piccolo. I figured that some of you may have needed to use the hyperbolic time chamber, so I stocked enough food and water in there, for the next ten years."
"Food's not a problem." Piccolo snorted. "Not for me, anyway. I am a Namekian, after all." He looked down condescendingly at Goku. "But these Saiyans are a whole other story. You and Vegeta better learn how to temper your eating habits or you might end up starving, before you have a chance to get anywhere."
"Well, I can't promise anything, but I'll try." Earth's hero laughed sheepishly.
"Anyway, I'm about ready to get this underway." The Namekian headed towards the large oaken door, pulling down the golden latch and entering inside. And so began his journey towards true greatness.
XXXX
Gohan felt guilty, he truly did, but this was something that had to be done. Inside him was a well of power ready to burst open at any moment, given the right trigger. He couldn't just ignore it. He was an invaluable asset to Earth's salvation and while his mother did have his best interests at heart, the woman was a little too one-dimensional. His participation in the upcoming battle may very well prove to be the decisive factor that could tip the scales in their favor. Deep in his heart, the preteen knew that he was destined to play a role here, one that he could not ignore.
And so, approximately ten minutes after his father had left, Gohan snuck out of the house and flew towards him at full speed. He could sense his Ki signal, in some far-off location.
"Where's he going?" Trunks confusedly eyed the boy's ebbing figure, mid-spar.
"Looks like the monkey's slipped his cage." Vegeta chuckled mirthfully.
"Gohan." Chi-Chi called out. "Gohan where are you? You've still got homework to finish." No reply, whatsoever. Heart-rate spiking, the raven-haired mother frantically searched every door of the premises, but was unable to locate her son. "Why that nasty, conniving little scoundrel!" She shrieked, knowing full well that he must've absconded while her back was turned. Darn it, she should've been more vigilant! 'Goku, you'd best bring him back here, right away!' She irately thought to herself. 'That boy needs a serious spanking!'
An hour later…
"Hey father, I've gotta use the bathroom." Trunks mumbled awkwardly. "My bladder's not feeling too good."
"Tch, you're as sensitive as you are soft." Vegeta scorned. "Go on then. I don't want you to end up pissing blood."
And so, the half-Saiyan gave a small bow and rushed indoors.
"Vegeta, you shouldn't be too hard on him." Bulma chided, standing up from where she sat on the porch and sauntering towards him.
"Tch, if anything I'm not hard enough." The Prince grumbled. Before Bulma could retort, three unwelcoming figures touched down on the Island and the heiress blanched, instantly knowing who they were.
"Hello there, Vegeta." Seventeen greeted, with a curt nod. "I didn't expect to see you here. What a pleasant surprise." He smirked. "You and I have a little score to settle."
"Bulma." The Prince whispered under his breath, so only she could hear. "Keep Trunks occupied, got it?" If the boy caught wind of the current predicament, he would rush towards a battle he clearly wasn't ready for.
"Alright." She slowly nodded, trepidation and terror writ all over her dismayed visage. "Be careful." The blue-haired mother grasped his hand a moment, before racing inside. Eighteen frowned in curiosity, wondering what connection Vegeta had with the Brief woman, if any. This could very well complicate her voguish plans- unless of course her brother dealt with the powerful Saiyan, where she'd failed.
A palpably tense silence followed, after which the human fighters were outside, standing behind Vegeta.
"Looks like the whole squad's here." Seventeen amusedly remarked. "Is Goku with you, by any chance?"
"No, he isn't." The three-eyed warrior brusquely replied. "And we're not gonna tell you where he is either, so you might as well get this over with."
"Tien." Krillin censured, before turning towards the mechanical trio. "Look guys, is any of this really necessary?"
"Any of what?" Eighteen frowned.
"This- hostility or whatever it is, between us." The bald man clarified. "It's pointless. Doctor Gero was the one who wanted Goku dead and you already took care of him, so I don't see any reason for us to fight."
"Rest assured my bald friend, this doesn't involve you per se." The black-haired Android replied. "My quarrel's with Vegeta over here and as far as Goku's concerned, well-" He turned towards his mountainous comrade, expectantly. "What is it that you always say Sixteen?"
"Goku must die." The giant monotonously replied.
"And there you have it."
"Hey." Overcome with a surge of indecision, the blonde grabbed her brother by the shoulder and gestured elsewhere. Seventeen begrudgingly let her guide him a little ways away, so they could talk in private.
"Maybe he's right." She spoke in a hushed tone. "Let's forget about all of this and get out of here."
"We talked about this Eighteen." The male twin furrowed his dark brows.
"Look, this whole thing is pointless." She insisted. "Either you'll end up killing Vegeta or he'll end up killing you. Why risk it?"
"No mortal alive could possibly kill me." He arrogantly asserted.
"I thought the same and I almost ended up-"
"If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get." The Prince loudly vociferated and the matter was decided then and there. "Let's take this elsewhere."
"That's what I like to hear."
"Seventeen!" Eighteen's warning fell on deaf ears, as her stubborn sibling took to the skies, Vegeta in tow. "Dammit!" She grudgingly trailed along, cursing her brother's bullishness all the while. Sixteen soon followed after his cybernetic comrades.
"Oh no." Krillin gulped, deluged with mind-wracking dread and disconcertment. "What do we do now?"
"I don't particularly care about Vegeta." Tien spat. "In fact I despise him, but he shouldn't be fighting these guys all by himself. It's not right." He frustratedly clamped his teeth together. "Darn it, if only I were stronger."
Meanwhile, Bulma introduced Trunks to the "Virtual Reality Simulator", making sure that he remained oblivious to the commotion outside, as per his father's request.
'You'd better take care of yourself, Vegeta.' She placed a hand on her chest, feeling her heart-beat quicken with apprehension. "Wait a minute! The remote controller! I'd completely forgotten about it!" The frenzied heiress hurried towards the drawer, where she'd stored her belongings but to her utmost dismay, she couldn't find it. "Dammit, where are you?!" She'd worked on this cursed contraption for countless hours and now when it truly mattered, the sassy scientist couldn't find the darn thing. It had to be here, somewhere!
XXXX
It had taken the unruly demi-Saiyan a good half-hour to arrive at Kami's lookout and as expected, his father was not pleased.
"Gohan, your mother and I strictly forbade you from coming here!" He sternly berated. "I told you, this isn't your fight!"
"But dad-"
"No buts!" Goku testily interrupted, scowling. "You're gonna fly back to your mother this instant or I'll teleport you there myself."
Gohan's mouth pressed into a hard line, as he looked up to his father, dark eyes gleaming with dogged resolve.
"And what am I gonna do there?!" He fired back. "Bury my nose in some biology textbook, reading about how life came to be, while Cell's out there destroying it?!"
"I told you already, we'll deal with him." Goku vowed. "But I can't put you at risk. You're my son. It's not right."
"And what if you can't deal with him?" Gohan asked. "If things go Cell's way, do you think he's just gonna stop with you? How am I gonna defend myself or mom, if I don't have the proper training?"
A pregnant pause ensued.
"I- I don't know." Earth's hero mumbled.
"Well, I do." The demi-Saiyan heatedly replied. "Think about all the times we've fought together in the past against guys like Nappa, the Ginyu Force and Frieza. If mom had it her way and I never learned how to fight, we'd all be dead."
"You shouldn't talk about her like that." Goku creased his eyes, in disapprobation. "She loves you more than anything else in the world."
"And I love her too, just as much as you do." The boy fervidly argued. "I know her heart's in the right place, but there's a bigger picture here. In the future timeline, you were gone. After that, everyone got killed and I was left to pick up the pieces. But I couldn't do it- not by myself. It's different now. We're all alive and we have to make the most of it, before it's too late. Train me dad, please."
"Gohan, I-" Goku sighed in dismay. Everything his son said was spot-on and he had no answer to it- no answer, but one. "I- I gave your mother my word."
"I know." The preteen grabbed his hand and smiled up at him. "I'm not asking you to break your word, dad. All I'm asking is that you train me, so that if worse comes to worst, at least I'll be better prepared than I was in the Trunks' world. I promise you that once it's over, I'll keep studying, just like mom wants."
For long moments, the Saiyan hero peered upon his son's small figure, before smiling and firmly placing a palm on his shoulder, pride swelling through him. The boy was far wiser than anyone his age could boast.
"Alright Gohan." He finally assented, whereby the half-Saiyan looked at him in jubilance. "I'll train you." He nodded solemnly. "I'm warning you though, I won't go easy on you just because you're my son."
"Thanks dad, you're the greatest." He gushed, throwing his arms around his father's strapping frame.
"No, thank you Gohan." Earth's hero reverently replied, running a hand through the child's bushy, unkempt hair. "I couldn't be more proud to call you my son."
A/N: Aw, such a touching final scene wasn't it? That's right Gohan. You just keep on preaching xD! Anyway, as you can see I did quite a major spin here, kinda swapping Vegeta and Piccolo's roles in the canon version. There's a good reason for all of it, as you'll find out soon. Things are going to play out quite differently here and the next two or three chapters will be packed with an awesome amalgam of action, explosion and emotion. I promise you'll love it.
As always, please be sure to tell me your thoughts on what'll happen and hit the review button. Till next time, my friends! :D