A/N: All right, hey everyone…Well this is the first chapter to my first fanfic series. Unfortunately it has an amateur taste to it in the first parts, but it gets much better as it goes along, promise!
This fic is an A/U, but it does take place after the Cell Games. The prologue starts three days after Gohan defeated Cell and the actual story starts three years after Cell is destroyed. So that makes Gohan 14 years old.
If you totally don't get my clothing explanation during the story, just imagine Gohan wearing what he does in "DBZ Movie #9: The Galaxy's In Danger! Super Awesome Guy!", that should make it pretty clear if you've seen the movie.
Anyhow, enjoy the fic and feel free to tell me what you think! I love the feed back!
Disclaimer: The standard…I don't own DB/DBZ/DBGT or Gohan, who I wish I did. The notion would be nice, but unfortunately most of the things mentioned in my fic belong to Akira Toriyama and any other company that is involved with the series. The baddies, however, do belong to me.
Gohan's Journey
Prologue
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Son Gohan opened his eyes slowly, the morning's bright rays shining into them with great intensity that stirred the young saiya-jin. 'How late have I slept in?' He wondered, his ebony eyes squinting as they slowly adjusted to the change in light. Throwing aside the thick and feathery soft covers from his bed, the eleven year old boy slowly moved up into a sitting position. Through blurred eyes Gohan saw figures cast into the shadows of his room, the sun's invisible rays claiming them from their hiding place and bringing light to places that were once dark. The outline of his desk, furniture disseminated in large clumps, they all combined together to form his room; the comforting place that he could call his own. Bringing up a hand to slowly rub his forehead, Gohan slowly warded off the morning dizziness that shock his body, throwing his system hay-wire. The young saiya-jin let out a soft sigh, his breath falling between parted lips as his vision slowly cleared, bringing the fine lines of objects and himself into view. Spiky stands of midnight black hair fell carelessly about Gohan's head as he absently brought up a hand to brush the thick strands away from his face, finding them returning to their original position once his hand left them. A small smile flickered onto the boy's features, moving to claim his face as the strands hanged out in front of his face, the tips just barely bending inward in an unruly fashion. Letting out a soft sigh of contempment, Gohan's glaze moved to shift around the room.
"Gohan! Wake up, it's late! You need to do your studying." Called out a loud voice from outside of Gohan's room, the obviously feminine voice shouting loudly to make sure her words were clearly heard. Recognizing the voice immediately as his mother's Gohan quickly got up from his bed, his legs swinging over the side and landing on the ground with a soft pad. Flexing his toes under the cool surface of his wooden floor Gohan headed into his bathroom to get washed up and changed for the day before his mother had a chance to yell at him anymore about not being awake. His mother had become much more tense toward him ever since his father's death. And this occurance did not seem to do more than damper Gohan's mood in many ways. He loved his father dearly and when the man had given up his life to save everyone and everything he loved, Gohan had been one of the hardest to take it.
Moving with sore muscles from intense training and fighting, Gohan forced his way to the bathroom where he was planning to get cleaned up. His mind slowly drifted to three days earlier when Dende had healed him after the climatic battle against Cell, his body better in many ways though the scars of the experience were still etched clearly in his mind. He had felt better then, but now that he had the time for his vision and head to clear up he figured out how badly he still was hurt. Sometimes even the biggest wounds could be healed the fastest, but it is the little things that scar the most.
Making his way into the bathroom connected to his room, his bare feet padding softly against the ground, Gohan went to the mirror first, his body moving to stand in front of the sink. He ebony eyes stared at the reflection of himself, one hand moving up to run across his face before he slowly shook his head, raven strands flying in front of his face with the motion. Turning on the water, Gohan let the cool liquid run through his fingers, waiting until the temperature was just right before beginning to wash his face as well as doing the normal bathroom toilettes. Small drops of water gently cascaded down Gohan's thinly curved face as the young saiya-jin brought up a dry cloth, running the rough surface against his soft and tender skin to rid it of it's burden.
A small sigh fall between Gohan's lips as he finished washing and cleaning himself, his glaze lingering back to the reflection of himself. His face was scratched in some places, small spots having scabs and others just finishing up healing. He remembered clearly how he had gotten each and every one of them, how he had left open a whole in his defenses while fighting, allowing his attack to gain the upper hand for a brief moment before he would reclaim his position if possible. Gohan shrugged off his thoughts, his shoulders slumping forward slightly as he tried to push away his thoughts.
Turning away from the mirror, Gohan slowly walked from the bathroom, his stride carrying him over to the drawer next to his closet wear he kept his gis. He pulled one of the drawers open slowly, a small creek sounding with the motion, as his fingers flipped through the many different choices. Most of them were dark purple, some orange, some just plain normal clothes. Gohan thumped through them until he located his orange gi, the matching one of his father's. He decided, soon after his father's decision to remain in heaven, that he would don his father's colors out of respect for him and everything he had done throughout his life. Pulling out the rest of his clothes, Gohan closed the drawer and threw the clothes aside on his bed.
Pulling a navy undershirt over his head, his raven strands protesting profoundly, Gohan let out a soft sigh. He moved to put on the orange tunic top next, leaving it open as he pulled on the matching orange pants and then held the two pieces together with a beltwrap. Jerking it tightly so as not to let it fall off later in the day, Gohan tucked the excess part of the wrap within the belt itself before pulling on his navy bands onto his wrists. Moving to the corner of his room once he had completed clothing himself, Gohan reached down and pulled on his navy and orange boots, tying them into place at his ankles with a thick piece of string.
"I'll try my best dad," said Gohan softly as he headed out of his room, his boot-clad feet tapping lightly against the ground as he headed down the hallway of his home. Gohan tried vainly to content himself on the pictures he saw lining the walls of the hallway as he headed toward the living room, the aroma of sweet smelling food drawing him nearer. His stride slowed as he headed into the living room, his glaze moving to look toward the kitchen where he saw his mother, Chi-Chi, working busily. Alerting himself to her presence, Gohan walked toward the wooden table in the middle of the kitchen.
"Hi mom," he said softly as he crept along and took a seat at the round kitchen table.
"Gohan, why were you asleep so long?" Chichi practically shouted at her eleven-year-old son. Before Gohan had the chance to counter with a reason Chi-Chi's face softened as she looked at her son that sat before her with deep sorrow. "I'm sorry Gohan. I'm just a little edgy this morning. Hungry? I can make you something if you are...?" offered Chichi as she placed her hands on her hips in a normal stance of dominance. Thin strands of dark hair lined her face as she looked at her son pleadingly, knowing this was a difficult time for the boy. It was a difficult time for all of them. The Cell Games had ended less than a week ago and with them went the casualty of Goku's death.
Gohan shook his head, raven strands swaying about his face, as he put on a forced smile. He could read the signs clearly marked on his mother's face, her expression a mixture of sadness and self-pity on himself. "No thanks mom, I want go out for a walk if that's okay with you?" he asked with a pleading look crossing his face as hopefully ebony eyes stared up at his mother. He knew his mother would never like the idea, since she always seemed to bring up new reasons why he should be studying instead, but he still wished she would let him have a little time alone. He appreciated and loved his mother, but sometimes he just needed to get away and sort out his feelings. Sometimes that was the only peace the young saiya-jin would find.
A loud sigh rang from Chi-Chi's lips, letting her distaste in the idea be obviously shown. Her dark eyes moved to glaze on Gohan, her hands throwing up in frustration as she let a small smile play on her lips; her heart softening toward the boy's look. Gohan smiled at his mother and got up to give her a hug, knowing she had agreed to let him go without actually saying anything. After a quick embrace Gohan walked out of the kitchen and toward the door of their small home. He was anxious to leave, a heavy feeling settling in his heart and causing him to want to think things over. Sometimes he would regret his thoughtful mind, but thenagain, it wasn't like he could change who he was for that matter.
"Now remember to be home before dark!" called out Chi-Chi as Gohan closed the door behind him and headed toward the grassy lanes that encircled his home. She shook her head slowly at her son, a sigh falling between her lips before she proceeded to go about cleaning the house for the day, losing herself in her work.
The vast array of mountains seemed to spread out before Gohan as he made his way across the rolling lanes of bright green grass, his long ground-devouring stride carrying him far. Warm breezes of wind caressed his face and pulled back his raven strands as he stuck his hands into his pockets, continuing on his way at a leisurely pace. It wasn't long until he had put a mile's length inbetween himself and his home, a small smile flickering onto his chapped lips as he brought out his tongue to run over them. His movements came to a stop as he sudden took notice of where he was heading. It hadn't occurred to him at the time, but he had been carrying himself straight to the spot where he and his father would always go.
Gohan's fingers clenched into a fist as he removed them from his pockets, an eerie sense overtaking him. He hadn't been to the place in a while, not since he and his father had come there to relax in the warm sun that seemed to shine down on the spot with intense fury. Gohan felt tears swelling in his ebony eyes, his legs collapsing underneath him as he fell to the ground on his knees. He forced his eyes closed tightly, tears streaming down his cheeks, the small droplets cascading down his soft and tender skin. "Why did I come here?" he asked aloud between sobs, his hands moving up to brush away the tears still streaming down his cheeks. His ebony eyes slowly blinked open, the movement almost hesitant as his blurred glaze moved to linger over the area.
It was beautiful. Simply and utterly. The place was a lane of rolling hills clad with small bright green slivers of grass that luciously grew from the surface. A large lake was close by, the cool water a refreshing retreat to any who had to endure the sun's warm presence all day. Close by was a forest, small in size, though beautiful and abundant in many ways. Apples grew from the tops of many tree's tops, hidden deep within the thick brush of leaves where Gohan would have trouble searching for them if he couldn't fly. He remembered clearly when he and his father had gone to the exact forest on his belated birthday to gather apples, which his mother had insisted they needed. A small smile seemed to flicker across Gohan's lips before the look faded, his memories rolling out and bringing him to another painful memory.
In his mind he could almost vividly see the Eternal Dragon as Dende summoned Shenron from the newly recovered Dragonballs. The tall and snaky dragon wound high above them, his green scaled tail flicking impatiently through the dark sky as he waited for the wishes that he was to grant. The words of his father, Goku, seemed to settle into Gohan's mind. He remembered him clearly saying that he wanted to remain in heaven since he thought that he had been the cause of everyone's problems with Frieza, the saiya-jins, and so many others. Gohan remembered being able to except the predicament when it had been placed before, but not now. Not after he had had time to think and to realize that he wasn't going to see or even speak to his father again. The thought brought a great heaviness to Gohan's heart, his head seeming to spin.
Gohan's chest heaved with all the painful and harsh memories that seemed to flood his subconscious. His last nerve seemed to be break as he balled his fingers into tight fists, the saiya-jin raising his head to look toward the sky. It didn't take more than a moment before he was in the air and flying high into the sky, his spiky black strands pulled back against his head with the movement. His flying, however, came to an abrupt stop high within the air. He didn't even flinch with the extremely quick stop, his arms moving out in front of him as he stared down toward the earth; his home. His fingers flexed inward as he cupped them in front of him, his hands moving to his side, his shoulder twisting almost as to protect them. His voice seemed to shake from the bottom of his throat, the words hoarse and pain driven.
"Ka…"
He began yelling as his voice carried across the land for miles, energy forming its way through his body and into the attack.
"Me…"
The energy increasing above any of the normal standards. His hair growing more blonde and shining brighter with each passing second.
"Ha…"
Almost to the top of his powers.
"Me…"
One more step left until oblivion.
"HA!"
The complete wave of energy; utter madness.
Kamehameha.
As Gohan stood erect in his fighting stance as his ebony eyes watched the spectacle, his mouth slightly ajar at his own actions. Small beads of sweat lined the side of his face and slowly dripped down to the corners of his thinly curved cheeks where they fell to the ground below. Hands held in the tight stance of the kamehameha block that his father had taught him, Gohan slowly released his destroying form and allowed himself to land on the ground only inches above where he had been hovering. Mouth a gasp Gohan looked down at the ground before him with legs spaced apart in order to support himself more fully. Closing his eyes tightly Gohan allowed small tears to flow from the corners of his eyes. Although he felt better now that he had let the excess energy and anger out, Gohan could not help but think about his father and about how much he loved him.
Slowly opening his eyes Gohan stopped his tears with forced strength and wiped away what were left using the back of his hand. Forcing a smile to curve on the sides of his lips he let go of the painful past that held itself to his heart. Sighing contently for the first time in a long while Gohan decided that it was time to go home. He figured that his mother would surely be upset at him if he did not get some studying done before nightfall.
Taking a giant leap into the air Gohan flew through the sky and toward his home, unknowing that a terrible fate would befall him in only a few years time.
Gohan's Journey
Chapter 1
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"I can't mom, something came up. I promise I'll watch him tomorrow." Said Gohan, his voice soft, though it tinted toward his maturing age. He was had recently turned fourteen years old and his body was beginning to catch up with him, though he still atoned to his more younger features in various ways. Standing tall Gohan looked pleadingly at his mother, hoping to have her permission.
Chi-Chi sighed inwardly knowing all too well that she was going to cave in as she had done hundreds of times with her belated husband; Goku. "Alright," she said making her distaste in the answer noticeable. She didn't at all like her son running off to train or stay away from his studying. He was getting older and with that came plenty of responsibilities that she expected from him, though every once in a while she knew he had to be by himself and just relax. A sigh rang from Chi-Chi parted lips as she caught the happy glint in her son's eyes, a small smile working to claim her face.
Gohan couldn't help but smile at his mother for letting him go, especially when he knew she disliked him leaving by himself. "Thanks, mom." He said to her softly before he raced out the door, closing it lightly behind him, and jumping into the air. He soared up into the air with ease, his ki keeping him aloft as he headed off.
The warm after air caressed Gohan's face as he headed in the general direction of Capsule Corporation where he had planed to meet up with Piccolo for a training session with him and Vegeta. He knew Vegeta didn't care much for training with the son of his rival, but with limited choices as to people strong enough to train with him, Gohan and Piccolo became his only options. A small smile worked onto Gohan's lips at the thought, having always looked up to the saiya-jin, though he wouldn't say anything. He knew he would just get yelled at for some reason or another for even trying to show gratitude.
Glancing around the landscape that seemed to spread out before him, his arms plastered to his sides, Gohan's thoughts traveled back to three years ago. He always did this, whenever he was alone and just thinking. He had been at the Cell Games then, to the time when he had killed Cell. The thought wasn't all bad, being rid of the wicked android being the best point of all. But with those thoughts came one's of his father and his death, the thing that always pained his heart. A deep breath rang from Gohan's lips at the thought, pushing them away. He had been able to come to peace with his father's death and accept it, but it still hurt to think about it. It had almost been too much for Gohan to handle three years ago, but now he was stronger and could face the fact that he alone would be the earth's new protector, whether he wanted the job or not.
Gohan brought his thoughts out of the past as his ebony eyes moved to glaze at the serene area below him. His thick raven strands blew into his face, pushing up against his forehead as they strode to block his vision. His eyes suddenly narrowed as he saw a rather large objet descending from the blue sky. Stopping abruptly in mid-air, Gohan stared at the sight from at least a mile away. A stray thought crossed his mind as he squinted in his eyes in hopes of catching a better view of the hunk of metal that was quickly approaching the surface. Gohan's eyes blinked back a surprised look when he realized it was a kind of ship, huge, like a space ship.
Almost immediately Gohan turned his body toward the direction where the ship was falling, his body twisting as he sped off toward it. For all he knew people could be hurt and he was planning on being there to help if anyone needed it. His glaze moved to settle on where the ship had gone, no longer able to see the thing as it fell behind a tall set of mountains in the far distance. Thinking of a rational thing to do in the situation, Gohan wasn't going to be careless. He threw out his senses, trying to sense out any high ki levels that he may worry about, though he found none that drew his attention. They were a few he could feel but they were faint enough that a normal human's ki level seemed higher. And that wasn't saying much. Shrugging to his thoughts, Gohan continued on his way.
A huge line of smoke caught Gohan's attention as he neared the site where the ship had fallen, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tried to see through the thick smoke that was quickly building around the area. The ship had obviously crashed from the looks of all the smoke.
Gohan's blinked furiously as smoke sung his eyes, causing them to water up slightly against the stinging sensation that was quickly building in them. Flames that seemed to reach high into the sky engulfed the ship as smoke was spat from the top of the ship, drifting into the air where it would eventually evaporate into the sky. The flamed flared with their own deadly red hue, tempting to burn anything that came near them. Gohan's eyes widened slightly as he heard a gentle rapping against metal, his ears caught the noise even through the sounds of cracking metal against fire.
He almost immediately rushed to the doorway that was obviously in front of where he had landed, his eyes squinting against the flames as he protectively brought up his hands to shield them away. Ignoring the heat from the flames Gohan hurriedly threw a quick blast of ki at the place where he had spotted the door and watched as it blew apart in front of him. The fire danced at his feet, only strengthening it even though he had managed to get the door opening.
Taking a deep breath Gohan quickly jumped through the flames, trying his hardest to make it through the area that seemed to be less high than the rest. He ignored the flames that shot out at him, burning his flesh and causing him to wince in pain before he found himself within the chamber that the door led too.
Gohan's mouth opened ajar as he stared at the sight within the ship, his hands moving down from in front of his face to rest at his sides. His dark eyes darted left and right, trying to take in the amazing sight of technology. Hundreds, no thousands, of machines seemed to be working and moving around the burning ship, hurriedly performing work unknown to the young saiya-jin. The room was huge, desks with computers in front of them lining almost all the walls. Buttons, switches, devices of all kinds seeming to line the walls, Gohan just staring at all of the things speechlessly, his mind wondering what all of the things could possibly do though he knew that must have some sort of purpose. His mind continued to wander over the possibilities until his attention snapped, a strange noise echoing from outside the ship. Immediately turning around, Gohan threw away his thoughts as he dashed out of the ship, not bothering to waste his time getting through the large flames.
His ebony eyes looked around quickly as he stood outside the ship, strands of raven hair swaying back and forth with his motions as he brought his hands in front of him. His fingers balled into tight fists, making sure he was prepared as he kept a critical eye on the surrounding area. His nose wrinkled slightly, as he practically tasted a rising ki level, hoping with all his might that the person was friendly. His eyes seemed to widen when he suddenly took notice of the figure that the ki belonged to, his mouth opening ajar at the sight.
Mouth a gasp Gohan stared straight ahead at the sight of twenty large creatures. Their size varied, but they all carried the same haunting presence about them. Arms wide set, shoulders that burst out with strong, well-defined muscles, tall; they were fearsome to the young saiya-jin to say the least. Small horns grew out of the knuckle part of their hands and arched out in a deadly fighting position, sharp canine teeth grinning madly at Gohan as his defense broke down by the impending sight laid out before him. The metal clad warriors took a step toward him as they caught sight of the half saiya-jin. Gohan's eyes caught the sight of a long powerful tail waving behind the figures walking toward him; thick and an obvious threat.
"Name?" asked one of them directly. The android-like voice echoed in Gohan's mind as the words held a cruel edge to the already fearsome looking group. Gohan didn't need anything else to bring worry about them to his mind.
"Huh?" he managed to mumble as he took the time to regain his composure.
"Name?" repeated the android sounding voice that took another step closer to the impending Gohan, who now stood calm and collected.
"Son Gohan," said Gohan trying not to sound harsh, although the thought remained close to the tone of his voice. He couldn't help but be cautious of the horrid looking beasts that stood before him.
A brief moment of silence slowly passed by as Gohan stared blankly at the others standing in front of him. 'What are they doing?' he thought as he waited as patiently as possible for them to say something.
"Son Gohan...confirmed. Beginning transportion process to planet Mankin...Next target reported as Son Goku, father of Son Gohan. Son Gohan in process of being acquired." Said the demonic voice that sent shivers down Gohan's spine.
"Acquired? In process of transportion? What's going on?" asked Gohan to the creatures as they began walking in his direction, his voice etched with worry. Confusion settled into Gohan's subconscious as he thought of what they could possible want with him and his dead father. The creatures continued to walk forward without slowing their pace at all. A tingle of fear winced up inside of Gohan as he could clearly sense the rising ki levels around himself, not at all liking the thought of a strife. Finding it obvious that the situation was going to lead to a struggle Gohan settled down to business.
Standing erect in a powering up stance Gohan balled his fingers up into a fist and gathered his energy up. His ki level grew intensely as the ground began to break off from its original hold and fly into the surrounding air by Gohan. The creatures stopped their walk for only a brief moment as if to consider continuing or to stop, but after only a moment's time they seemed not concerned and continued on. Anger rouse in Gohan as he powered up to his super saiya-jin mode, staying only in level one so that he could deceive them, plus, it wasn't like he liked using his most powerful form. Actually, if it were up to him he would have preferred not to have it all, though he knew the thought was impossible.
A scream escaped Gohan's tender lips as his hair glowed golden blonde and stood leveled upward. A beam of bright golden ki surrounded Gohan's body as small currents of ki flickered around him, his ki energy still raising. With his now aqua eyes narrowed when the transformation was complete. He stood in attack mode with his eyes squarely on the target at hand. His arms moved in front of him, one foot holding firm into the ground to support him as his eyes narrowed and his chin tilted forward, trying to remain as ready as possible.
The large creatures approached him at a rapid pace their ki rising as well until it came to a sudden stop. Gohan felt the stop and immediately prepared himself for the assault. The first of the twenty jumped into the air, flying madly about the calm Gohan until he suddenly came behind Gohan and attempted a side kick followed by a whip with his tail. Gohan felt the action of his movements immediately and ever so easily ducked from the kick and held out his arm in front of himself. The creature's tail flew madly at Gohan trying to whip him at full force but Gohan was already aware of the move and yanked the tail as it drove toward him causing the creature to stop dead. Gohan used the moment of weakness to land an upper cut and kick to the creature's side until the creature suddenly regained his composure, allowing Gohan to land only one of his two attacks.
Twisting his body in new found ways Gohan jumped and twisted through the air using his ki to help him stay aloft as he caught sight of the creature's clawed hand aimed right in front of him. Flying upward, the compact Gohan was able to stop himself from hitting the clawed fist head on. Using gravity as his aid Gohan allowed himself to fall to the ground, his short well-muscled legs aimed and targeted for a direct assault on the creature in front of him. The creature stood in dumbfound shock then grinned as he saw Gohan's assault come to an amazing stop. Gohan twisted his head around to catch a glance of another one of the attackers as he grabbed hold of the back of his gi and yanked him back sharply, throwing his balance off completely. His attackers used Gohan's time of weakness to exploit the holes he left in defense by being thrown off balance.
Gohan, now seeing that he was close to be captured or killed, threw all him excess energy into a flip which surprised the attacker, allowing Gohan the time to loosen the grip on his gi with a quick hit to the creature's wrist. The creatures cried out in pain as its grip loosed on its hold of Gohan's gi allowing Gohan to jump up onto the outstretched arm of the attacker. Completely thrown off guard the attacker stumbled as Gohan's foot connected with his neck bringing sudden death to his enemy.
All the other fearsome creatures backed off immediately when they saw the dead body of one of their kind. Most of them stared dumbfound as they watched Gohan land on the ground in front of them almost unbruised. Their smirks disappeared slowly, now replaced by looks of remorse and anger boiling in the pit of their stomachs. Gohan looked contently around as he sensed their ki rising, trying to keep calm and confident and not get himself worried or upset. He knew it he did that, that he would lead them onto his weaknesses. Refusing to show any fear whatsoever Gohan looked straight ahead at the biggest and apparently the leader of the group. He smirked slowly and said, "Is that all you got?" Gohan watched as he saw a look of anger flash across the creature's face and felt his ki level move up steadily and double more than the other creatures that had so far tried to attack Gohan. Gohan looked the creature up and down slowly and noticed that his ki level seemed nothing compared to the other's of his kind, a small lump building in the back of Gohan's throat as he felt it continue to soar.
Gohan let out a long breath, his breath escaping between parted lips, as planted his feet firmly apart in order to maintain a more balanced position. Closing his eyes and using his ki sensing abilities to locate the attackers Gohan held his fingers into a tight fist. Powering up wasn't the easiest thing for him, and he didn't do it often. Maybe once or twice when he managed to talk Vegeta into a spar, but that was it. He never liked using all of his power anyway.
Sensing the earth and ki around him Gohan gathered his anger, fear, pain, remorse and let them all flow into one outlet, finding no other way to spur him on. Filling in the spaces Gohan felt as his ki level raised up more and more with each passing moment until his level raised so high that his hair stood straight on it's ends except for a small piece that fell limply in front of his line of vision. Suddenly his aqua eyes snapped open and he saw before him that his attacker seemed to have moved into a fighting position. The remaining nineteen attackers arranged themselves around the powered up Gohan; the biggest of the nineteen stood the closest and grinned at Gohan. Gohan looked him over slowly, trying to wipe away the tingle he felt go down his spine at the sight.
"Tinokoto," muttered the voice of the machine-like being as he stood mere feet from the awaiting Gohan.
"What's that? Your name?" asked Gohan, as he looked the creature straight in the eyes. The creature smiled at Gohan and grinned with a nod. Taking a step toward Gohan he started his attack jumping high into the air and using gravity in the very same fashion Gohan had just used, using it to propel himself straight at Gohan who barely had to time to react. 'He knew my move,' thought Gohan as he prepared to block the attack with his hands held in front of himself in order to catch the attack and hopefully turn the tables on Tinokoto. Tinokoto saw Gohan's movements a second ahead and smirked as he disappeared into thin air only inches away from connecting his large foot with Gohan's awaiting hands.
A surprised look flashed across Gohan's face as he saw the giant Tinokoto disappear in front of him using his father's own method! "I'll have time to worry about that later." Mumbled Gohan as he cleared his mind and watched for the attackers return. The battlegrounds remained quiet for several seconds as time dripped by ever so slowly. The rest of the creatures stood firm and away from the battle as if they were afraid of being killed by the overwhelming power, or ki in the area. 'Why?' wondered Gohan but he knew he would not find the answer right now; he had to focus.
Then he sensed it. A second to late Gohan spun around and found a clawed fist connected with his jaw. The powerful attack knocked Gohan straight off his feet and made him fly through the air several feet until he was finally stopped by the side of a mountain. Pain shot through Gohan's limbs as he tried desperately to raise himself from the debree of the mountain's side that crushed down upon him from the impact. His now sore muscles screamed at him as he tried to quickly to stand on his own feet. The process of getting up seemed to take forever as Gohan found a huge rock to use as leverage and gripped a blood covered hand on it's edges. Using all the energy he had Gohan pushed himself painfully into an upright position as his body screamed at him to stop and rest. Gohan ignored these pains and knew he would pay for not heeding their warnings later. Feeling surprising weak by the one attack Gohan placed the back of his hand on his jaw and wiped his throbbing cheek. As he pulled away he saw his hand soaked in his own blood. 'Those claws must have ripped up my skin,' thought Gohan as he wiped away the rest of the blood and looked around to find the creature that had hit him.
His eyes searched the area in a matter of seconds as he caught the sight of the huge creatures standing exactly where he had hit him. "That was dirty," said Gohan loud enough for him to hear. Gohan stood up as straight as possible and began walking toward Tinokoto with a slight limb. He must have banged up his knee, figured Gohan as he shoved the pain away for the moment. Any sign of weakness played against him in this case.
"A mere observation through facts which have been uploaded into my data banks." Responded Tinokoto as he taunted Gohan with words.
Gohan nearly fell over as Tinokoto spoke the words that he had always dreaded. "Upload...observation...you-you're...an android!" muttered Gohan with wide eyes as he glared at the sight of the huge hunk of metal that had just thrown him into a mountain's side. Memories popped into Gohan's mind but he quickly forced them away. He didn't need this. He couldn't handle it right now. He was not even sure if he could ever handle it. The sight of the android sickened Gohan beyond belief, even though Gohan's best friend was in love with an android he couldn't help but hate them for everything they were worth. They had been the cause for everything wrong in his life. Everything.
"You're quick, but not quick enough." Said the taunting voice. He glazed onto the hurt Gohan without remorse or regret for hurting the young saiya-jin when he suddenly attempted another assault on the helpless boy. Performing a backward side jump Tinokoto snapped his tail right for Gohan's head as he left his backside vulnerable.
Gohan, who was barely ready for the assault, quickly transported himself away from the flying tail and to the side of Tinokoto. The surprised android tried quickly to regain the momentum of his tail so that he could defend his side but he was too slow. Gohan pushed himself to the maximum using all the strength he could mange to use and delivered a strong kick to Tinokoto's side followed by a quick jab in the stomach that sent the machine doubling over in pain.
Gohan's eyes snapped open in surprise as he watched his attacks hurt the android so much. Hope rouse in the back of his mind as he quickly dodged another attack from the android. "I...I thought you were an android." Said Gohan between heavy breaths as he continued to attack and defend punches and kicks.
"You are correct." Replied the android as he sped up his assault in hopes of landing a good punch that would disable Gohan even further. He looked straight into the eyes of the clearly weakening Gohan that would soon have to give up the fight or die exhaustion. That was when he would strike. That would be when he would acquire the necessary Son Gohan.
"But-but...I hurt you. You're not like the others I've fought." Said Gohan as he tried to keep pace with the android but was slowly falling behind with each attack and block.
"I am like Cell." Said Tinokoto as he grinned.
"Cell...." Said Gohan as the words echoed in his mind. The thought devoured Gohan as he unknowingly held his breath. Everything seemed to go blank with fear and hate as Gohan stopped his attacks and moved away from Tinokoto who continued to grin at him. Taking huge deep breaths, Gohan's chest heaved, his knees feeling weak with grief as he tried vainly to stay standing. Pains rushed over him as thoughts of his father's death and of the Cell games flooded his conscious and sent him reeling over his own desperate emotions. Pain was shown clearly on his young and delicate face as he felt his knees buckle and fall to the ground. Gohan's head felt dizzy and his vision was blurred as he grabbed his head and tried to rid his mind of those painful and deadly thoughts. Cell, the word taunted him to no end. Even after killing Cell, the demon still came back to hurt Gohan in ways unbearable to any normal person.
'Dad...' thought Gohan but he made the thoughts go away. He had too, he had to fight, he had to live, and he had to protect everything he and his father loved and still love so much. "Father," breathed Gohan barely audible. He let his hands leave his head and shook his head at Tinokoto as he looked over the menacing android. Gohan looked up with hard and pained eyes as tears breezed down his tender cheeks only to land in the dry earth below him. Gohan quickly used the back of his hand to wipe away the tears that blurred his vision further. Standing up slowly Gohan prepared himself for the fight he now needed. He needed to destroy Tinokoto and let everything out. All the pain, anger, and grief. He had to let it out now or he knew it would consume him. With a loud scream Gohan lunched himself at the waiting Tinokoto who seemed amused at the spectacle. "This ends now!" yelled out Gohan as he ran up to Tinokoto and threw a hard punch at him. Mere seconds before the punch would collide with Tinokoto he disappeared leaving Gohan cursing for his irrational movements.
Tinokoto reappeared right behind Gohan and whipped him hard in the back with his strong metal plated tail. Pain ran down Gohan's back as the strong thick tail lashed over his fragile body and sent him to his knees in pain. He had made the wrong move. He had let Tinokoto get the better of him again. Closing his eyes tightly Gohan made himself bare the pain. Why was he so weak? The thought tossed over in Gohan's mind as he vainly tried to stand up but saw the process as more difficult than normal. Crawling up on his knees Gohan slowly righted himself and hunched his back as he stood favoring one leg. His head screamed at him to leave, to give up the fight and help himself. But Gohan refused too give up without a fight; he would die if he had to in order to save the world from the Cell-like demons. What would his father think if he had given up and run away like he had so much in the past? No, he refused too, not now and not ever would he give up to save himself when others could die at his actions. Forcing himself to keep calm Gohan looked straight at the large giant called Tinokoto. Feeling his energy being drained from all the fighting and keeping in super saiya-jin form, Gohan felt himself almost too weak to fight but nevertheless he forced himself to take a step closer to Tinokoto. Another painful step, then another.
"Give up, you are too weak to fight me anymore." Called out Tinokoto as he rested his arms across his chest, unconcerned by Gohan as he slowly made his way toward him.
"Never..." he paused to catch his breath as he breathed through clenched teeth. "I won't give up as long as I have fight left in me." Continued Gohan slowly, knowing all too well that if he continued on like this that he would truly die.
"Commander, Dr. Kinson wished to have the specimens alive." Called out one of the other giants standing off to the side. Fear could be heard in the voice clearly as the creature spoke to Tinokoto.
Tinokoto glared at the other android for reminding him but quickly looked back to Gohan who was still painfully making his way toward him with an ever-growing limb. He smirked at Gohan and spoke to him directly, "Prepare the acquiring process of Son Gohan. Prepare the chambers for his arrival. Once we have him we will go after Son Goku."
Gohan looked up directly at Tinokoto and stopped walking- rather limping toward the beast. Pain and anger flashed across his teal eyes as he glared at Tinokoto from a distance away. "You will never 'acquire' my father. Or me for that matter." Spoke Gohan slowly as he breathed in and out slowly from his mouth. His voice sounded weak and hoarse compared to the androids that gathered around him who stopped as he spoke.
"And why is that?" asked Tinokoto as if he didn't care at all.
"He's dead!" yelled out Gohan as he lunched himself into the air using as much energy as possible. Flying at an incredible pace Gohan headed straight for the Capsule Corp. where he could find Piccolo and the others. Gohan could only hoped that the androids wouldn't follow him.
Tinokoto watched unconcerned as the young saiya-jin flew off into the air and away from the battlegrounds. "Weakling," he muttered as he looked at the rest of his crew. He glared at them all and pointed toward the ship with one finger outstretched. "Prepare the ship for flying, we need to leave these grounds immediately. We shall take care of Son Gohan later, he is weak and we will recover him before he has the chance to regain all his strength. Now go!" yelled out Tinokoto as the other androids quickly tended to the task that he had assigned.
Looking at the direction that Gohan had fled Tinokoto gave off a small laugh. "Soon Dr. Kinson will control you Son Gohan. We will have you and your father even if he is dead! We have ways of dealing with those sort of problems. Do not underestimate us again." Said Tinokoto as he walked off to deal with the problems of the ship.