A/N: QUESTION: ARE SOME READERS HAVING TROUBLE ACCESSING CHAPTERS 72 & 73 ON FANFICTION, BECAUSE THEY KEEP BLACKING IN AND OUT, FOR ME?
Recap: In the midst of a close-fought battle, Goku momentarily had Cell at a disadvantage but the fiend was quickly
able to turn the tide in his favor and ended up defeating Earth's legendary hero. Gohan however, rushed to his father's rescue before the villain could finish him off and feeling embittered towards the boy for taking away his chance at ending Goku's life, Cell successfully provoked him into a match and so now, we have arrived at Gohan vs. Cell, an epic battle about to unfold, with the Z Fighters anxiously viewing from the sidelines and the whole world watching closely.
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Chapter 73: Vegeta's request
At Kami's Lookout...
"Oh no, Gohan." Young Dende's heart sunk, as he viewed the great games from atop the lookout, overwhelmed with concern for his dear friend and foster brother. The demi-Saiyan was only meant to play a supporting role here and that was only if the need arose, yet here he was, at the front and center of the action. How could it possibly have come to this?!
"Do not despair young one." Mr. Popo placed a solacing hand on the boy's shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "You know as well as I that Gohan and Trunks managed to surpass both their fathers, during the training in the Hyperbolic Time Chamber."
"I know Mr. Popo, but still." The Namekian child looked up at him for a moment, before turning back towards the splendid overview that was only offered from the high vantage point of the lookout. "I'm afraid for him. It should've been Trunks fighting in there. I fear Gohan's still too young and inexperienced. What if something goes wrong and he doesn't know how to handle it?"
"He will find a way Dende, I'm sure of it." The genie avidly replied, tone laced with firm conviction. "Somewhere in the back of my mind, I've known for quite a while that this was to be Gohan's destiny." He frowned solemnly. "We must have faith in him. I truly believe he can win this."
"I hope you're right sir." Dende sighed helplessly, face downcast. Perhaps his portly assistant was right. What better way for Gohan to unleash the true depths of his latent power than by being pushed into an inescapable corner? His friend was an incredibly gifted warrior and had proven his worth, time after time, yet he now faced a challenge more daunting than any other. The young guardian's thoughts were abruptly brought to a halt, by the genie.
"By the way Dende, have you conferred with Shenron, with regards to what Vegeta asked?" Mr. Popo earnestly looked down at the Namekian boy.
Caught off guard by the unexpected swerve in the conversation, Dende turned towards his loyal assistant, blinking a few times, before gathering himself.
"Yes, I have." The young guardian adamantly replied. "The Dragon said it's very difficult to pull off something like this, even for him." He took a deep breath, then continued. "But he said he can do it." He nodded, whereby the genie breathed an alleviated sigh of relief. "For a limited time only though, very limited." Dende emphatically stressed and clarified further. "If it stretches on for too long, there's great risk involved, for both Vegeta and Shenron."
"I see." Mr. Popo had a contemplative look about him. "In that case, we must proceed with the utmost care and caution."
"Yes, we'll have to keep a close eye on things and make sure they don't spiral out of control."
"We will Dende." The genie firmly nodded, before smiling radiantly, as his mind ventured back to the stunning events that had transpired, during the previous night. "I must say, it was truly extraordinary and very noble for Vegeta of all people to make a request like this. He really is far different than he appears, no matter how much he tries to conceal it."
"I think so too." The Namekian likewise smiled fondly at the memory, moved deeply by the shocking request made by the proud Saiyan, a most benevolent request that belied all his attempts to present himself as a stoic warrior with little room in his heart for so-called silly emotions, like kindness and compassion. "He's changed so much over the years. It's like he's a whole new person."
Mr. Popo's smiled widened. He couldn't agree more.
The Prince had furtively approached the young guardian and his assistant the night before the Cell Games, with a most astonishing ask, thereafter urging them to keep it a secret from everyone else. Other than the three of them and now Shenron, no one knew about it and they certainly wouldn't break his trust. Of course, everything depended on them winning the Cell Games and so that was the most pressing matter, as of now.
At Orange City, the Satan lodge...
A certain jittery black-haired girl was eagerly immersed in the footage of the Cell Games, currently being broadcast live on ZTV. Sitting beside her on the tawny leather 3-seat sofa were her blonde-haired childhood friends, the athletic Sharpner on the left and the bubbly Erasa on the right, yet neither were quite as anxious as she was. When Goku lost, Videl's heart sunk and she was unable to hide her glum feelings.
"Oh no." The ten-year old whispered dejectedly, small hands trembling, as Earth's legendary hero completely fell out of his magnificent Super Saiyan glory and collapsed face-first onto the ring, Cell standing over him triumphantly.
"Hey, it's alright Videl." Erasa tried consoling her in vain, placing a comforting hand on that of her best friend and giving it a firm squeeze.
"Yeah Videl, just wait until your father gets in there." Sharpner smirked, supremely confident in the fighting prowess of the mighty champion Hercule. "Cell won't even know what him him then."
"You think I'm happy that my father wants to fight that monster, especially after what he did to the planet's most decorated military unit?!" Videl vexedly growled, gritting her teeth at the blonde jock, whereby he winced and instinctively shifted back a little. "If it were your father in there, I seriously doubt you'd be so blinded by your stupid hero worship!"
"Calm down Videl, Sharpie was just trying to help." The other blonde tried placating her friend.
"Hey, I've told you not to call me that!" A nettled Sharpner protested.
"Look guys, something's happening!" Videl's eyes were on the screen again. She gently took her hand back from Erasa and anxiously placed it on her stammering heart, as she observed a boy her age, rushing to Goku's rescue. Recognition hit her like a light bulb. "It's- It's that Gohan kid, it has to be." She paused a moment, perusing the display more closely, just to be sure. "Yeah, it's definitely him alright, but he looks a whole lot different somehow."
"Uh- who's Gohan?" Sharpner scratched his head in confusion, completely at a loss.
"He's the young boy who fought in the last World Martial Arts Tournament and made it all the way to the quarter finals before losing to Tien Shinhan, the former champion." The black-haired girl elucidated, eyes still glued to the television. Gohan appeared to be at least a year older than he did during the tournament, yet only a few weeks had elapsed since then. It was extremely bizarre, to say the least. Then again, it might've been owed to him being part alien. She still had trouble wrapping her mind around that startling revelation, which Bulma had dropped on her, during her visit to Capsule Corporation (A/N: Refer to Chapter 68).
"Wow, he's really cute!" Erasa gushed excitedly, placing her hands on her cheeks, as she stared longingly at the handsome young boy, finding herself utterly lost in his glimmering teal orbs, raging with blistering fire, a fire that melted her heart. He was truly something out of a dream. "I think I'm in love."
"Come on Erasa, the world might end soon and that's really all you can think about." Sharpner scorned, irritated by the airheaded blonde's typical girlish behavior. It really made his skin crawl sometimes. "How dense can you be?" He shook his head, then smirked at her. "Besides, he doesn't even compare to me." He haughtily pointed a thumb towards his chest. "Everyone knows that I'm the real studmuffin in town."
"Oh please Sharpner, he's literally worlds above you, in every conceivable way." The zesty blonde derisively scoffed, folding her arms askance. "If anything, you don't compare. Heck, you don't even belong in the same sentence as him."
"As if!"
"Enough you two!" Videl berated, irked at their childish behavior. "Focus, alright!" She gestured towards the screen. "It looks like Vegeta's here." The girl breathed a much-needed sigh of relief, feeling alleviated as she saw the flame-haired warrior and another unknown figure standing guard before Gohan, Piccolo and a sprawled out Goku. While she wasn't exactly a big fan of Vegeta, owing to her rather rowdy run-in with him at Capsule Corporation, the black-haired girl was extremely confident in his fighting abilities. During the finals of the last tournament, he'd dominated Goku for most of their fight and pushed him in a way that no one ever had before. Had it not been for that sneaky Kamehameha attack at the end, the flame-haired fighter would've emerged victorious and claimed the championship trophy. Speaking of said attack, it seemed that Cell had somehow anticipated it and successfully formulated some kind of counter maneuver. Videl's heart pounded in trepidation, at the thought. Just how good was Cell? Could Vegeta really defeat him? She certainly hoped so. All their lives hung in the balance and the morose fighter seemed to be the only one who could tip the scales in their favor.
"Whoa, isn't that the no-good phoney who cheated his way to victory against your father?" Sharpner asked, lip curled in disdain. Like many residents of Hercule's home turf of Orange City, the blonde jock bought the wrestling champion's propaganda hook, line and sinker. While the majority of the world openly despised the man after his fall from grace in the last tournament and adamant refusal to accept defeat thereafter, most people here were a different story altogether, with Mr. Satan being the pride and emblem of their city. Hercule openly proclaimed that after he seized the World Martial-Arts Championship from that trickster Goku, he would have the city renamed after himself. Too bad for him that never materialized, much to the shock and dismay of the local populace.
"His name's Vegeta, he's not a phoney and he didn't cheat against anyone!" Videl bitterly answered all at once, folding her arms askance, as she glared icy daggers at her friend. True, she wasn't particularly fond of Vegeta and while she initially believed her father's nonsensical claims of being bamboozled, her own deep and through investigation into the matter had ultimately led her towards an inconvenient conclusion, one that her old man was evidently too blind to see: these guys were the real deal. Krillin, Yamcha, Tien and every other member of that motley crew were all significantly stronger than the notorious wrestling champion. And she would brook no contempt or ridicule directed towards any of them, especially in light of the present situation. She pointed an accusatory finger, right at the brash, blonde boy's face. "You don't get to judge someone who's willing to put himself out there and fight for the sake of the planet, especially not from the comfort of my living room! He's risking his life for us and therefore, deserves nothing but the utmost respect, you got that?!"
"Alright, alright, calm down Videl sheesh." The jock pacified, waving his hands in surrender. He was rather surprised that Videl of all people was defending the gruff-looking man. Shouldn't she have been more resentful than any of them, in light of the embarrassment suffered by her legendary father, during the last tournament? He couldn't quite understand it, but given that Videl was in one of her infamous moods, he didn't dare question it. "No need to get all worked up about it."
"Hmph." The black-haired girl threw her nose up in the air.
"Whoa check out the smoking hot guy standing next to that Vegeta character." Erasa let out a dreamy sigh, blissfully lost in her own little world. The besotted blonde was well and truly enamored, as she held her hands together, gleaming eyes and pounding heart intently fixated upon the spellbinding, soul-stirring sight of the strong, sturdy, strapping, studly, stalwart super-hero, swathed in the same dazzling golden aura as his surly counterpart. "Boy, is he drop-dead gorgeous or what? He looks like a Prince, straight out of a fairy tale." Erasa had no clue just how right she was, though Trunks' timeline could hardly be called a fairy tale. The blonde turned towards her best friend, suddenly feeling intrigued. "Hey Videl, you're practically an encyclopedia on martial-arts, so who is that hottie?"
"I honestly don't know Erasa." The black-hair girl answered, as she frowned at the television, perusing the formidable young stranger, shrouded in mystery. "I haven't seen him before, in any of the tournaments. But from the way he's standing beside Vegeta, he must be some kind of associate of his." The young man had a frighteningly confident, determined and imposing presence, almost an exact replica of Vegeta, minus the hairstyle. Was he a relative, a younger brother, perhaps? The pair had an uncanny resemblance, that much was certain. She had to admit, he was incredibly attractive just as Erasa had pointed out, breathtaking even, yet that wasn't the only thing that stood out. "There's something about him though, something special, but I can't quite place it."
The bubbly blonde stared quizzically at the other girl for a moment, then smiled mischievously, deciding to be cheeky.
"Gosh Videl, don't tell me you're in love with the guy."
"Huh?" Videl looked blankly at the blonde, before blushing furiously and scowling at her. "Oh shut up Erasa, you're so stupid!" She growled in irritation at her supremely annoying best friend, whereby the latter laughed gleefully at her expense. "You're obviously projecting!" She pointed an accusatory finger at her. "You're the one who's boy-crazy, not me!"
"Well at least I have a life, unlike you." Erasa shot back, arms akimbo.
"I do have a life, just not one that revolves around silly girlish fantasies!"
The blonde-haired girl petulantly stuck her tongue out at Videl, whereby she responded in kind.
"Alright settle down ladies, let's just agree that both of you, have no lives." Sharpner taunted.
"Shut up!" The girls simultaneously snapped at him, whereby he chuckled mirthfully. His laughter didn't last long however, as the full gravity of the dreadful situation sunk in.
"You know, now that I really think about it, we might not get a chance to laugh like this again." The boy glumly remarked, sighing in dismay, as he looked gravely at the female duo, tone brimming with heartfelt affection. "Just in case we don't make it through this, I want you to know, you guys are the best friends I've ever had." He smiled endearingly, holding a fist out towards them. "Friends no matter what?"
Several seconds passed by, as the profound weight of his poignant words registered.
"Friends no matter what." Erasa ardently affirmed, smiling through her tears, as she fist-bumped Sharpner, finding herself overwhelmed with a myriad of deep and powerful emotions. It was moments like these that truly counted, moments spent with the dearest of friends. She would always treasure them and cling to them forever.
"No matter what." Videl smiled benignly, deep blue eyes glistening with profound warmth, as she did likewise. Erasa and Sharpner had been my her side since time immemorial, so much so that she could barely imagine her life without them in it, the blonde pair leaving a permanent imprint on her heart. She prayed that it would stay that way and that they wouldn't meet their ends today or worse yet, desperately run and hide for survival, in a post-apocalyptic world, riddled with nothing but the ashes of precious memories like these.
Moments later, the attention of the three children was captured by something else altogether. They watched in absolute shock and horror, as Cell wound up face-to-face with Gohan of all people, the other fighters having fallen back, carrying an unconscious Goku with them. How could it have come to this? They wanted to find out more, but unfortunately the cameras turned towards Mr. Satan, the very next moment.
"Seriously, dad." Videl facepalmed in embarrassment, as her old man began delivering yet another of his inane tirades, while Jimmy Firecracker ate it all up, like the brown-nosing sycophant he was. It was an absolute cringefest, to say the least. Seriously, who decided that it was a good idea to hire this guy?! He was a clear yes-man and a very stupid one at that, not an ounce of intelligence or journalistic integrity on him. Then again, at least he was the only one with the balls to go and broadcast the Cell Games live, she'd give him that much. All that aside however, Videl was terrified for Gohan. He was young, far too young. How could he possibly have ended up in this position, risking his life and carrying the burden of the entire world on his small shoulders, while the others just stood back and watched? It wasn't fair at all. Why weren't Vegeta or that other young man fighting? It should've been them facing Cell, not Gohan and even though she didn't know the preteen boy on a personal level, her heart pounded apprehensively, as she found herself overwhelmed with fear for his well-being.
'Come on, I'm sure these guys know what they're doing.' She tried mentally reassuring herself, though it did little to alleviate her concerns. 'They wouldn't just throw a boy in the lion's den, unless they were certain he'd come out on top.' After all, this wasn't the same Gohan she'd seen fighting in the tournament. There was a much more determined, refined and confident air about him and from what she could ascertain from the footage, he'd voluntarily sought out this battle for whatever reason. Besides, she was sure that Vegeta and the others would intervene, if things took a turn for the worse. These guys seemed to be a very tight-knit crew, as evidenced by them standing together against Cell, in the aftermath of Goku's defeat. Yes, things would surely work out and they would all live to see another day.
At Kame House...
Baba had brought forth her crystal ball, arriving at her younger brother Roshi's house right after Goku's astonishing defeat at Cell's hands, a devastating loss that had dispirited most of those gathered, though they still held hope in the mighty Saiyan Prince Vegeta. The elderly witch definitely offered a much better viewing experience through her magical orb than the obsequious Jimmy Firecracker did through his selective coverage of the games and one-sided conversations with the self-obsessed, delusional buffoon, known as Hercule Satan.
Chi-Chi practically screamed at the ball, carelessly seizing it and nearly hurling it away, when her poor Gohan threw himself into the jagged jaws of death. It took the combined efforts of the Turtle Hermit, the Ox King and Chiaotzu, to keep her at bay and even then, it proved to be quite an arduous chore.
"You promised Goku, you promised you wouldn't let him fight alone!" She yelled in alarm, frantically squirming about within the grasp of her hapless handlers, as she was struck with a devastating wave of panic, recalling her dear son's tragic demise on Planet Namek, one that she'd only learned about after the fact and yet one that had still caused her immense heartbreak.
The others desperately tried to placate her, urging her that it wasn't Goku's fault, since the latter was unconscious through it all, yet the fretful Ox Princess would hear none of it. She wanted to lash out at someone, anyone, for this drastic turn of events. She wanted to blame Vegeta, Trunks and Piccolo for letting it happen, yet she knew she couldn't. After all, the three of them had done their damnest to steer her rash boy away from this reckless course of action, but to no avail.
In the end, she broke down in tears and ended up blaming herself.
"It's my fault for keeping him locked away, for all those days." She fell to the floor, kneeling in anguish and crying, as she held her hands to her face. "All I wanted was to keep him safe, I swear. I never wanted this to happen." She sniffled. "My boy, my poor little Gohan."
"That's not true Chi-Chi, it's not your fault." Bulma went on her knees and pulled the other woman into a heartfelt embrace, as she too felt terrified for the half-Saiyan boy, who was just as much of a son to her as Trunks. "You're a mother before anything else and that always comes first." The heiress soothingly stroked her friend's raven locks. "Don't go blaming yourself for being one."
"That's right Chi-Chi." The Ox King knelt down, tenderly enveloping her tiny hand within the vast confines of his humongous one, as he attempted to assuage his beloved daughter. "We all love Gohan and so does Goku." He vehemently insisted. "He won't let any harm come to him, I know it."
"Nor will Vegeta or Trunks." Bulma fervidly added, voice firm with ardent conviction. "Or Piccolo, for that matter." She continued, pulling back as she held the raven-haired mother by the shoulders, looking her squarely in the eyes. "They all care deeply about Gohan. You know it as well as I do."
The Ox Princess stared back at the blue-haired woman, trying her utmost to contemplate her solacing words, whilst navigating through the chaotic sea of negative thoughts and scenarios that had overwhelmed her panic-stricken mind. In her fiery fit of hysteria, she hadn't considered everything that had taken place, for instance, the way Trunks and Vegeta instantly leapt forward in Gohan's defense, before Cell could do a thing, the courageous father-son duo resolvedly refusing to back down before the hellish fiend. Had things gone their way, it would've been Trunks fighting in there, a boy who was by all accounts more experienced, battle-hardened and better suited for this situation than her foolhardy son. Yet, it appeared that fate had an entirely different plan.
It was also truly astonishing how Vegeta had interacted so warmly with Gohan, now that she thought about it more rationally. She'd never witnessed such a tender, dare she say affectionate side to the proud Saiyan Prince, yet that was completely overshadowed by his utterly delusional and downright insulting views concerning her son. He'd proclaimed Gohan to be a "warrior" and a "Saiyan, through and through", when he was in fact just a boy with his whole life ahead of him, hopes and dreams lying patiently in wait, if he just put his mind to the task, instead of thinking with his gut like a muscle-bound delinquent. Or perhaps Vegeta was right after all and there was in fact a raging beast within her half-Saiyan offspring, a beast that she'd been suppressing for far too long, only for it to be unleashed at the worst possible occasion. She shook those thoughts out of her head however, deciding that as of right now her son's safety was paramount. Bulma was right. They all held Gohan close to heart and would swiftly step in without hesitation, if the situation became dire. She let that thought comfort her, as she prayed for the safety and well-being of all those fighting bravely in this apocalyptic battle, most of all her beloved son and husband.
A/N: Really enjoyed writing this one. You guys must be very curious about Vegeta's request to Dende and Mr. Popo, so I'd like you to guess what it is and let me know in the reviews. There're strong hints throughout the story, so if you've read it closely enough, you might be able to figure it out. In fact, let me sweeten the deal. Whoever's the first to guess in the review section, I'll write you a 1000-1500 word DBZ fic of your choosing (with conditions of course, but those can be ironed out later).
Also had lots of fun with the childish banter involving Videl, Erasa and Sharpner, not to mention their strong bonds of friendship. That was sort of inspired by Rocky IV, where Rocky's son and his friends are watching the Rocky vs. Drago fight on television. Ander Arias from Fanfiction, I hope you noticed the alliteration this time as well xD. That one was entirely for you, though maybe it was a bit of an overkill, but I'll let you be the judge, on that one!
As always would love to hear your feedback, thoughts, questions and suggestions, so again, please drop in a review for quicker updates!