The audience members that'd remained behind in the stadium to watch the events unfold on the monitors, hoping above all hope that their great savior, Mr. Satan, would step in to take down the alien invaders that'd shanghaied their tournament, were astonished by what they were seeing.
Through the automated cameras roaming around the various battle zones, the people were able to get a full, unobstructed view of the competitor Son Gohan, coming to the aid of his fallen comrades and facing down the band of aliens terrorizing the grounds. After seeing two of the other preliminary contestants get taken out when they attempted to help the young fighter, they then saw the boy go through a remarkable transformation that turned his hair gold, before engaging three of the aliens in a fierce battle across the island.
His duel against them took them from the ancient city site into the central battle zone directly beneath the main stadium, where they proceeded to fight a war comparable to what the entire world witnessed at the Cell Games.
Clamoring and staring up at the screens, unblinking, the audience had to brace themselves as explosions capable of laying waste to whole countries rocked the entire island to its core. For half of the time, the camera was able to capture Son Gohan's struggle against the invaders as he fought through the skies and from rooftop to rooftop at blinding speeds, before vanishing into a dimension of travel that the human eye just couldn't even keep up with. It was mind boggling, and the entire audience was gripping their seats, wondering whether or not this was a trick.
Videl on the other hand was no fool. Body trembling as she watched the events play out, the raven haired girl refused to tear her eyes away. Even when the screen blasted the spectators with dazzling light at the outset of each explosion, the daughter of the Great Hercule Satan didn't even flinch, as she watched the most amazing thing she'd ever seen in her life.
"Don't give up, Gohan," Videl thought, clenching her jaw tightly as she saw the boy dash across the city and out into the open, waiting for his opponents to follow. "You can beat them! I know you can!" She cheered inwardly, giving the demi-Saiyan all the support he needed.
There was no doubt in her mind now; Gohan was the boy that'd fought against that monster Cell all those weeks ago. Martial artists battling in the skies, his remarkable display of strength, their speed, their lightning fast techniques, and the blasts of energy they exuded from their bodies… it all fit.
With this realization now in her grasp and with even more questions rampaging through her head, all Videl could do now was watch and pray the boy made it through alive.
The last thing she wanted to see was her newfound friend dying on live television…
XXX
Crouching down on the outskirts of the city, a very bruised and battered Gohan breathed out a sigh of exhaustion, catching his breath while at the same time surveying the destruction that'd been wrought to the area. "These guys are as every bit as tough as Cell was. I don't think I'll be able to beat them three on one." Damn it if he wasn't going to do his best though, because no matter what it took he was going to defeat these guys.
His eyes snapped upwards when he heard the sound of approaching jets, but were in fact his opponents breaking the sound barrier. "Here goes everything!"
Leaping to his feet, Gohan watched as the plume of smoke that'd been formed from the last attack broke apart and his three alien opponents come swooping in. Strafing low across the city, the aliens bore down on the youngster with all sights locked onto the Super Saiyan and, in a matter of seconds, were right on top of him.
Parrying the opening straight from Zangya, Gohan then ducked the wide hook thrown by Bido before gripping the man's arm and slamming a kick across his face. He then bounced that same foot off of the man's head and slammed it into Zangya's in turn. The demi-Saiyan did this repeatedly; spring backing his kicks between his two aliens until he dropped to the ground and sweep kicked both in the legs so that they lost balance. Once done, he then back-flipped to avoid Bujin dropping a heel kick from above.
The second he landed and his opponents recovered, all hell broke loose. Just like how his father had battled all of Turles's men all those years ago, Gohan began fighting all three of them at once in a running battle across the wide open, deserted prairie. Like a pinball, he shot between his three opponents flying in left and right, exchanging flurries of blows before beginning to backpedal at high speed. His three adversaries pursued him relentlessly, chopping out at him with barrage after barrage of blurred punches and kicks while the boy defended against them with a blur of hand movements. Gohan's eyes darted between all three as he expertly deflected and fended off their attacks.
Managing to catch Zangya's fist, he spun and threw her into Bujin, allowing him to escape and begin fighting them in a scattered fashion across the ruined clearing. His form blurred out into an orange bolt, skipping from hill to hill, before inevitably returning to the city rooftops.
While explosions and blurred figures continued darting across the city in various directions, the imposing figure of the group's leader Bojack appeared atop the tallest tower and watched on with a smug grin in play. Arms folded and coat waving on the wind, the man chuckled when he saw Gohan deflect one of Bido's blasts with an energy ball of his own, before hurling it into his chest and sending the alien into a building.
"Impressive. His level of skill is far more advanced than I'd hoped. This should be fun," the demon remarked in a condescending tone of voice.
Dodging several massive cement blocks being hurled at him by Bujin, Gohan sprang out of the narrow corridor of the alleyway he was in and onto the roof of another apartment building. As soon as he landed, the boy had to block attacks from both sides when Bido and Bujin appeared out of the air, and began pressuring him with another vicious assault.
Parrying dozens of punches and kicks, the wily young fighter then took several staggering hits across the face and body. Brain rattled, Gohan gave a loud snarl and, with a howl of rage, he threw both hands out and unleashed two golden spheres of energy into the pair's chests. "Masenko!" The two attacks drilled into Bujin and Bido, both of them yelling out in shock before they were sent spiraling for over two kilometers through several buildings. Massive explosions occurred seconds later over the horizons, allowing Gohan to drop back down to the building and collapse to his knees.
Panting with one eye shut, he looked up to see Zangya land on the rooftop across the way, smirking at him. Gritting his teeth, the boy threw back his hand and forward. "Bakumadan!" A sharp golden blast of energy launched from his palm and flew at the girl like a lance, prompting her to act.
"It's about time we got up to the fancy moves!" the woman exclaimed, suddenly beginning to spin on the spot like a top, causing her form to blur into an orange tornado. "Beauty Trigger!" As soon as she'd gained enough momentum, a red ball of energy was flung from her spinning form and sent arcing across the gap.
The two attacks collided in midair, the blasts transforming into two battling spheres of gold and red energy, which pressed into one another like rubber balls. As they struggled, grew and started emitting bolts of multicolored lightning which tore apart the surrounding buildings and caused three to collapse, the opposing attacks then shot off in separate directions, forcing Gohan and Zangya to sway and avoid them. They then watched as their rebounded blasts struck the barriers between the battle zones on opposite ends of the map, and two enormous dome shaped explosions nuked the island, forming massive craters.
When the tremors died out, a thoroughly winded Gohan looked to see Zangya round back on him, grin and bring two fingers to her forehead like the tip of a pistol.
"Spark Laser!" A bolt of red lightning then shot from her forehead, which struck the boy full in the chest and sent him rocketing off the rooftop. The young Saiyan gave a cry of agony as he was plowed through the same crater formed by Bido's previous attack and rammed into a wall on the far side.
The impact cracking the brickwork, Gohan crashed to the floor. Coughing up blood and feeling his skin singing from the damage, the Super Saiyan forced himself to his feet and looked up. Through blurred vision, he spotted Bojack landing on the same rooftop he'd previously been on, and was shortly flanked by Zangya, Bido and Bujin, the latter two looking like they'd been run over by a heard of stampeding rhinos on fire, courtesy of his Masenko combo.
Standing up when he saw the demons leering at him from one kilometer away, Gohan took a stance, only to feel a sharp sting of pain strike him in the shoulder, which staggered him. Wincing, the boy glared back at the building, where he saw his three opponents with their fingers raised in his direction, all primed and ready.
Forming a cross arm block, Gohan was then bombarded by a barrage of fingers beams, which peppered him like machinegun fire. Tearing into his gi and hitting him all over from head to toe, the young demi-Saiyan withstood the assault for several long seconds before collapsing to his hands and knees. Bleeding from numerous puncture wounds and panting heavily, the Z-fighter then looked up through a half-lidded gaze as the fatigue of his long battle finally took its toll.
"Great," he groaned, his hair turning black as he faded out of his Super Saiyan form.
XXX
"He's in danger!" King Kai shouted, looking over his shoulder to see Goku standing there with his hand pressed against his back and a nervous look on his face.
"Gohan! Focus! Draw strength from your anger! Show them your true power!" With his mind connected to his teacher's, who had his focused on the battle going on down below, both figures could clearly see what was happening.
The demi-Saiyan had started off brilliantly and had been holding his own incredibly well, even coming close to beating them. But unfortunately, his current level of effort was not going to be enough…
XXX
Taking advantage of his target's weakened state, Bojack, charging an enormous ball of green energy between his hands, then held the sphere above his head and hurled it forward. The projectile increased in size and mass as it rocketed across the clearing, expanding to a ridiculous extent as it approached its target.
Gohan had just enough time to get to his feet and throw up a guard before the attack was right on top of him and set to engulf him completely.
But then, just when it seemed like it was over, out of nowhere a golden beam with a purple corkscrew traveling at the speed of light crashed into the side of the enormous sphere, and sent both shooting off in another direction. The attacks made landfall in another distant battle zone well out of harm's reach, where they completely wiped that part of the island off of the face of the map.
The earthquake fading, an annoyed Bojack and crew glanced in the direction the blast had come. There, standing atop a clock tower, they saw the caped form of a Namekian warrior standing there with his arms folded and eyes fixed squarely on them.
Realizing he'd been saved, Gohan looked to see who it was he had to thank and brightened up when he spotted the silhouette of his teacher in the distance. "Piccolo! Man, am I glad to see you!"
Grunting, the former guardian of the earth fixed a glare upon the gangsters standing on top of the roof. "Looks like you've found a good fight. Mind if I cut in?" With that statement, the man removed his cape and turban, and lazily tossed them away. "Party's over, fellas. It's time for you to clear out."
The newcomer's threat prompting Bojack to roll his eyes, the demon then watched on as the Namekian disappeared from his post and shot across the city rooftops at an impressive speed.
Not fast enough apparently, because the moment Piccolo appeared in front of the leader with a jab as his greeting, the alien boss effortlessly ducked the blow and kneed the Namekian in the stomach. The blow caused Piccolo to double over, leaving him wide open for a punch across the face.
Growling, the green fighter then countered with a swift kick to the demon's chest, the blow eliciting an 'oof' from the tyrant as he was thrown off the roof and sent flying into another building across the street where he crashed. The attack did shake the man up a little, but in the long run it didn't affect him at all.
Following up on his assault, Piccolo charged in, bringing his hands up to drop down on top of the leader with a hammer blow. But the moment he got in close, the demon snapped his foot up and caught Gohan's teacher in the chest, sending the Namekian warrior blasting into the sky. Recovering quickly, Piccolo charged a golden sphere of energy in his hand and tossed it, the ball scattering into dozens of smaller spheres which caved in on its target and peppered Bojack with multiple explosions.
The Namekian threw several more of these shots, bringing the entire building down in a fantastic display of destruction.
Gritting his teeth, Piccolo then picked up his opponent's signature and spun around, where he saw Bojack phase into view several stories above him and launch a ball of green energy straight down at him. Taking a defensive stance in midair, the Namekian backhanded the attack away, sending it crashing into another building. But the moment he deflected the attack, the Z-fighter realized the shooter had relocated and quickly began searching for him.
It didn't take long for Bojack to reappear. Hovering upside down behind the cloud of smoke rising from the recently collapsed building, the demon fired another energy ball straight into the Namekian's back, who spun around in time to catch it.
Feeling the attack burn into his hands as it pushed him down the street Piccolo then gave a hearty growl and tossed the sphere of energy into another suburb. This, unfortunately, left him wide open to another blast that slammed into his chest and exploded, causing him to fly through a church and out the other end.
The demon responsible for the combo chuckled, "Game over."
After slamming into a wall, which effectively stopped his momentum, the Namekian then began to plummet towards the ground.
Gohan, reacting in alarm, finished recovering from his damage, dashed across the crater and took flight, picking up speed when he saw Bojack bearing down upon his falling teacher.
"PICCOLO!"
Flying low and pulling up, the young Saiyan managed to catch his master. The moment he turned his gaze towards the clouds though, he saw Bojack bring his hand back and prepare to unleash another colossal blast of energy. The demon stopped a split second early when, all of a sudden, a glowing person teleported directly in front of him.
It only took the surprised Gohan a split second to recognize the now vestless person.
"Trunks! You're alright!," the demi-Saiyan exclaimed, breathing a sigh of relief as the bruised up, time traveling warrior in the black singlet and pants faced the planet's current threat down in his Super Saiyan state.
Hair spiked up with his golden aura fluctuating around him, Trunks set the imposing demon in his crosshairs. "Bojack! You will not take this planet!" Cupping his hands in front, the boy then unleashed a hell storm of blue energy blasts that shot towards Bojack like missiles honing in on his position.
Smirking, the demon threw his hand forward and produced an energy shield, the first dozen beams colliding with it headlong before beginning to explode one after the other. It was an impressive first wave, but the assault didn't stop there.
Trunks opened up the throttle with over a hundred energy beams, which poured out of his hands in a continuous stream, and completely decimated the entire city block in front of him. Soon enough, his target had become completely blocked out behind a screen of fire and smoke, which became the result of all the energy bombardment attempting to rip the man apart.
Soon enough, Trunks ceased his attack and lowered his hands, watching the smoke lift from the area. When it did, he soon spotted his opponent standing atop a spire of another Victorian era church and, not only was he completely unfazed by the attack, but the demon was smirking in the half-Saiyan's direction.
"Shit!" Intent on continuing the battle, Trunks blasted forward. But just as he was about to engage the leader of the group once more, he unexpectedly felt all of his momentum come to a complete stop and what felt like hundreds of tiny steel ropes wrap around his body, holding him in place.
Suspended in midair, the young male looked down in panic, wondering why he'd suddenly stopped moving. Spotting the telltale signs of what appeared to be light reflecting off of invisible wires tangled around his body, Trunks turned to see Bido and Bujin standing on the roof behind him, the latter with his hands extended towards him and the former carrying a broken metal support pillar shaped into a makeshift spear.
Realizing that it was the short one that had cast the strange energy wires that were now ensnaring him, Trunks attempted to break free. He jerked and thrashed about violently, using all his strength in an effort to remove the binds. However, as the net continued to hold and reel him in, the young man quickly found that the more he struggled, the more energy was drained from his body. Apparently, the seals binding him not only held him in place and kept him from moving, but it also fed off of the target's energy to maintain its strength, which had the half-Saiyan cursing inwardly.
Seconds later, Trunks faded out of Super Saiyan form, a cry of agony escaping his lips as he unsuccessfully tried to break free once again.
Giggling mischievously, Bujin then nodded toward his larger companion to finish off their hapless target. It was a signal Bido was more than glad to follow up on, for the moment it was given the alien took the makeshift lance up in one hand and chucked the length of metal straight up at the time-traveler. The lance shot towards Trunks like a bullet, the young man quickly bracing for impact.
But just when it seemed like he would be run through by the projectile and killed, a flash of light, a whistle, followed by a resounding clang of metal, knocked the projectile out of the air and, at the same time, sliced through the wires binding the demi-Saiyan.
Freed of the restraints, Trunks spun around in time to catch the sword which boomeranged back toward him, as well as the scabbard that flew in immediately afterwards. The second he did, he saw the building beneath Bujin and Bido go up in a fiery explosion, knocking the two stunned aliens into the air and clogging the entire neighborhood in smoke.
Sheathing his weapon and buckling it around him, the lavender haired warrior grinned when he sensed a familiar presence enter the scene. There was only one man he knew who would ever think of making an entrance as pronounced as that.
"Father!"
Looking up from the pile of rubble where they were lying, Bujin and Bido spotted the silhouette of the individual responsible for the explosion appear within the wall of smoke. The outline of a flame style haircut and the sense of foreboding that came with it was more than enough to tell the pair that this newcomer meant business.
"Leave them to me." The smoke was then violently blown away when Vegeta powered up, his transformation to Super Saiyan producing a fierce gale and filling the entire area with a bright light that had the two fallen aliens wince. Once he was certain he'd gotten their attention, the Prince of Saiyans, with his arms folded proudly across his chest, ascended to the same level Trunks and Bojack were on.
As soon as he reached their altitude, the newcomer fixed his best glare on the would-be conqueror of their world, while at the same time sparing a glance down at the men that had nearly slain his son. The sight of the invaders had Vegeta scowl.
Landing in a nearby yard, Gohan set the wounded and unconscious Piccolo carefully on the floor. After making sure he was comfortable and that his wounds weren't fatal, the boy then looked up towards the skyline where the action was taking place.
"Vegeta?" Honestly, the last person he expected to come to their rescue after all the things that'd happened was his father's main rival and former enemy.
Today was just full of surprises.
After facing down with Bojack for a good long while, getting a scope of exactly what they were up against, Vegeta then sensed an incoming attack from below and, acting quickly, moved in time to dodge a leaping punch from the pintsized Bujin. Gritting his teeth in irritation, the last full-blooded Saiyan left alive kicked the little imp in the head and sent him spiraling into a building, before then turning his attention to Bido, who attempted to get him from behind with a hook, only to have his wrist caught and his arm twisted behind him with a sickening crack.
"GAH! W-What the…? Hey! Let go of me!"
Shouting in pain at the arm lock and caught completely off guard, the large alien attempted to pull his way free until he heard Vegeta speak to him in a low, threatening tone of voice, "I don't have time to deal with small fry… especially ones who try to attack me from behind!" Then, without a second thought, the obviously pissed off Super Saiyan held his free hand up and, with a roar, unleashed a powerful blast at pointblank range right into Bido's back. Not making the same mistake of beating around the bush, the Saiyan Prince promptly finished the prick with an attack that went straight through the man's body and out the other side with a thunderclap.
With absolutely no way to defend himself or resist the attack, Bido had a split second to holler out in agony before his eyes rolled into the back of his head and his entire form went limp when the stream of energy faded.
"That one was from me." Holding the hapless alien up by the wrist, Vegeta momentarily glared down at the corpse. "And from my son, you trash." He then turned to Bojack, who seemed completely unfazed by the killing of one of his henchmen.
In fact, the demon looked thoroughly amused.
"Is this shit yours?" the Saiyan Prince asked, shaking the cadaver of the recently deceased Bido for extra incentive. Receiving no response, the Saiyan warrior then dropped the body and allowed it to freefall to the streets forty stories below.
The second Bido's body hit the pavement with a deafening thud Vegeta cracked his neck, cocked his hands back, and threw them forward with a yell of rage, unleashing a blast of raw blue energy straight towards the gang leader. Bojack responded immediately with a laugh and a beam of his own, the green blast colliding with the Prince's in midair and generating an explosion that shook the entire area.
The instant the blast rang out the two warriors then flew at each other and began the most intense dogfight the world had ever seen, both firing continuous blasts at one another while attempting to shoot the other out of the sky. The first building to fall succumbed to an onslaught of attacks from top to bottom when the two full-blooded aliens attempted to outstrip the other. The rest to follow were just acceptable losses, as Vegeta and Bojack darted from one structure to another engaging in a fierce shootout. Blue and green streaks of energy crisscrossed the skies of the battle zone, forming craters, crumbling buildings, and creating fissures the size of the Grand Canyon that began to split the entire region apart.
The pair actually caused more damage in the first few seconds of their fight than Gohan, Piccolo and Trunks in their entire bouts.
"I don't understand you father. You lost your will to fight ever since Goku died, but as soon as Gohan and I are in danger, here you are defending us," Mirai Trunks thought, unable to comprehend the enigma that was his old man. Perhaps it was one of those Saiyan things he never truly came to immerse himself with.
"Final Flash!" Vegeta's bellow echoed across the city when the man unleashed a colossal beam of energy at his foe down the main road. The golden blast ripped the highway apart and tore a trench all the way towards the demon standing in its path.
Gritting his teeth, Bojack wisely chose to avoid the attack and watched it streak past him, detonating over the horizon like a concentrated hydrogen bomb before responding to the attack with a second blast that slammed into the surprised Saiyan's chest. The explosion knocked the Prince tumbling down the road, where he skidded to a stop a hundred meters later with his chest armor smoldering.
Seeing his father in trouble, Trunks powered up to his Super Saiyan form and rocketed forward, only to be stopped by Zangya and Bujin appearing in his path. The two aliens smiled at him when they blocked his way.
Looking up from his position on the ground, Vegeta saw his son squaring off with the other two aliens and frowned, "Trunks! Stay back!" Unfortunately, the man didn't have time to scold the boy, because the second he did the ground in front of him exploded and a fist came flying out of the cloud to slam across his face. The laughing Bojack sent the Saiyan Prince bouncing down the road at high speed like a rock skipping across the water. After a brief flight, Vegeta's body eventually collided with a distant tower, which collapsed under the force of the impact.
Smoke rising into the air from the toppling structure, Vegeta's glowing form soon shot out of the cloud and into the sky above the city. As soon as he reappeared, he saw Bojack hurl an enormous ball of green energy at him, which curved through the air at an incredible speed. Responding quickly, the Saiyan Prince backhanded the attack, causing the ball to break apart and the rebound to fly in the demon's direction. Rushing in through the barrage of his own deflected sphere, ignoring the fragments as they leveled the buildings around him, Bojack engaged Vegeta in close combat, trading lightning fast punches and kicks with him across the skies.
Sonic booms ringing out with every exchange, the demon eventually dodged a swift one-two and a kick, snickering in amusement before slamming a fist across his adversary's face. The blow sent Vegeta into a distant suburb, where he bounced and spun off of the rooftops like a ragdoll. Flying around and intercepting the Saiyan Prince in an instant, Bojack ended up kneeing the stricken warrior into the sky. Upon setting him up like a soccer ball, the alien leader then teleported directly beside the ascending Vegeta and, with a quick spin, slammed a bone breaking kick into his side.
The blow saw Vegeta hurling through several more buildings in a whole other direction.
"That's ten points," Bojack chuckled.
Flying out of his tenth building, Vegeta's battered form continued on across the street at an alarming rate. But just before his back could hit the next building, he was stopped in his tracks by his son flying in and intercepting the Prince at the last second.
Trunks, appearing winded from his battle with his two alien opponents, looked down at his old man to see if he was alright. Apparently, the blow from Bojack had managed to crack several of his ribs, as indicated by how Vegeta was now painfully holding his side.
This was not good.
"Father, let me help. You're not strong enough," Trunks murmured. His answer soon came in the form of an elbow directly in the solar plexus.
The annoyed Vegeta scoffed while his son doubled over, "Don't make me tell you twice." He then powered up and went charging after Bojack for a third round.
XXX
"P-Piccolo," Gohan murmured, seeing his master look up at him through a half-lidded gaze as he supported him with his hand.
Even though the man was conscious now, in the condition that he was in, burnt, bruised and barely even able to raise his head, there was no way he could continue on fighting. Piccolo was one of the strongest people the boy knew, able to walk through the most brutal of punishments. But the amount of damage Bojack was able to give him with just a few hits and blasts were simply astonishing.
"Th-That man… is powerful," the Namekian choked out, looking up at his student through an agonized expression, "Go help the others. I'm no use to you now… you have to stop them."
Hearing this, the young demi-Saiyan clenched his jaw and nodded, "Right." Setting his master back onto the floor, Gohan stood up, turned to where the battle was taking place, and quickly took flight.
XXX
Spiraling into a massive clock tower, a badly shaken Vegeta ended up embedding himself in the building's wall. Upon which, he was swiftly pursued by his relentless opponent.
Arcing through the air, Bojack held back for a moment to survey the damage before rushing in, aiming a fist at the Saiyan Prince's stomach. The stunned warrior of earth managed to cough out a startled cry of agony when a blow capable of shattering meteorites plowed into him, forcing him to drop out of Super Saiyan form. The attack was also enough to cause the sleeve of Bojack's trench coat to burst into shreds.
After landing his punch, the demon then drove an elbow into Vegeta's chest, shredding his other sleeve while he buried the man deeper into the clock tower. Then, upon pulling away and watching his wounded opponent slump forward, Bojack then underwent a startling transformation. Balling his fists and bringing his arms out, a green aura exploded off of the alien's body and completely disintegrated the remains of his uniform above the waistline.
The sudden power up not only turned Bojack's hair red and his skin green, his entire form also bulked up, causing simultaneous sonic booms to ring out that brought all of the buildings around him crumbling down.
The clock tower was no exception. The second the shockwave hit it, the entire building caved in, with Vegeta letting out a pained cry as he plummeted with the rubble.
His green aura fluctuating around him, the maniacal Bojack brought his hand forward and took aim at the falling warrior. With a grin and a laugh, the alien leader then unleashed a barrage of green energy spheres, which rained down upon the collapsing tower and firebombed the entire neighborhood.
In one fell swoop, the city was engulfed in a series of dome shaped explosions that reduced everything within two kilometers to rubble.
Trunks on the other hand was experiencing problems of his own. After being confronted once again by the deadly temptress Zangya, the young Super Saiyan was forced to duel with her above the city streets.
With graceful acrobatic maneuvers, the orange haired warrior managed to evade all of the demi-Saiyan's blows. Gritting her teeth when she dodged a right cross, she countered with a right spin kick that he blocked and then retaliated against it with a left knee. Parrying the blow with her leg, Zangya growled and, pulling back, slammed a double kick straight into his stomach that sent Trunks plummeting for a couple of stories. After throwing him off, she retreated, forcing the wounded demi-Saiyan to fly after her.
The moment Trunks started gaining altitude though, a flash of pink wires suddenly flickered by his field of vision and, for the second time that day, the time-traveling hero once again found himself ensnared in energy strings. Arms snapping to his sides like bolts, the stunned fighter looked over his shoulder to see Bujin with his hands extended outwards and a smirk on his face.
Unable to free himself, Trunks then received a killer kick to the body from Zangya rushing in to take advantage of the situation.
The moment she started beating on him, more and more explosions engulfed the city streets.
XXX
In the stadium, the people were getting restless. Through the roaming camera moving across the battle zone, the spectators could see enormous explosions rock the neighborhood and Trunks, who'd been battling the two aliens valiantly, suddenly become ensnared by some kind of invisible barrier. From there, under the cries of protest and exclamations of fear, the bystanders watched on helplessly as the blonde haired competitor was slowly beaten into a pulp by his female opponent.
"Oh no!" Chi-Chi gasped, holding her hands over her mouth.
"My Trunks," Bulma also whispered, her eyes wavering in horror.
They were so invested in watching the battle that the pair didn't even notice Mr. Satan appear atop the coliseum's pyramid and forced into one of the waiting rocket pods. As soon as the man was loaded up, X.S Cash's assistant sent him blasting down the track and into the tunnel, the crowd giving a mighty cheer as their 'savior' was sent galloping into battle.
Of course, only a certain few could care less about where he was going.
Videl was one of those people and was now gripping the railing so tightly her fingers were creating impressions in the metal.
"Gohan… where are you?" she asked, cringing when she saw the competitor Trunks take several more punishing blows to the face.
XXX
Loud thuds continued to ring out as Trunks was pummeled by Zangya, the girl continuing to beat on the Saiyan till he was bleeding from the nose and mouth.
But just before she could do anymore damage, Bujin was suddenly caught completely by surprise when Gohan, now back in Super Saiyan form, tackled the man with a glorious full body check, sending the turban wearing alien spinning across the city. After taking him out, the boy then concentrated a ball of ki into his hand and pitched it across at Zangya, who was forced to evade the ball that took out an entire suburb where it landed.
Liberated from the binds, a thoroughly beaten Trunks gasped in relief while Gohan came to float by his side.
"You alright?"
Smiling across at his rescuer, the older demi-Saiyan nodded, "I'll live."
The pair then had their attention drawn across to another building. There, floating down to land on top of the tiled roof, they saw the transformed Bojack smirk across at them arrogantly.
Realizing that Vegeta had been taken down, Trunks gave an enraged growl and, powering up, flew straight at the transformed tyrant. Drawing the sword from his back, the time traveling warrior let out a loud battle cry and swung in at the enormous alien, only to see his target's body become transparent and passed right through an after image. Stunned, the demi-Saiyan was unable to respond in time when a knee from below knocked him into the air, followed immediately by a double-fisted hammer blow that slammed into his back and sent him crashing through every floor of the building beneath him.
A second later, Trunks's body flew out the bottom floor of the apartment and into the street, where he landed on his front and his Super Saiyan form fading with his consciousness. His sword, which had been released in his attempted death blow, spun down from the rooftops and landed several yards away from his position, impaling the ground.
"No!" Gohan shouted, seeing Bojack land on the same roof with his back turned to him. His eyes fixing upon the large alien, the young warrior sweated momentarily at the amount of energy he sensed coming off of the tyrant.
Right now, he was nearly as strong as Cell was when he came back after killing his father.
Not even close to giving up yet, Gohan revved his aura and gunned it, shooting across the suburbs and towards the bulked up Bojack. With a yell of effort, the half-Saiyan threw a swinging right overhand right for the alien's head, only to pass straight through another after image just as Trunks had before. But this time, instead of falling prey to the counter attack, Gohan was able to block the kick and spring off of it, into the sky. Performing several acrobatic flips, the Z-fighter then spun around and hurled an energy ball down at the tyrant, attempting to catch him by surprise.
Despite the swiftness of the blast, Bojack effortlessly slapped the attack away before rocketing up towards the boy and swinging straight at him. Gohan responded in kind by diving towards his foe and uncorking a kick right into the demon's face. The pair collided in midair with a deafening shockwave, which not only cracked the surrounding dome but punched a five hundred foot crater into the city beneath them, pulverizing an entire area of buildings and turning them into dust.
In spite of his kick, Bojack managed to recover faster and buried a fist in the boy's stomach, causing Gohan to double over and cough up blood. Upon stunning him, the large alien then grabbed his leg and with an almighty toss, threw him into the city streets below.
The demi-Saiyan spiraled in, his world a haze as he quickly righted himself and landed atop a town hall. However, the moment Gohan touched down and looked up, he saw Bojack appear directly in front of him and drive a killer hook right into his body, sending the youngster crashing into the house. The force of the blow resulted in the entire building's roof collapsing in on itself in a great cloud of dust and debris.
Shockwaves began ringing out across the city like fireworks as the one-sided battle between Gohan and Bojack carried on. The massive alien invader effortlessly avoided all of his opponent's attempts to attack him and spent the next couple of minutes leisurely beating the crap out of his foe. Every blow he landed was marked with a thunder clap that cracked the ground and shook the buildings, and every miss was followed by a laugh of amusement as the young demi-Saiyan skillfully leapt out of reach. Eventually, Bojack's chasing of his opponent led to him retreating from the youngster when the boy tried to swing at him, which had the alien climb to a safer altitude and hurl an enormous energy ball down at his persistent adversary.
Caught by surprise, Gohan swung his arm back and with a loud shout, deflected the sphere and splintered it, sending the resulting fragments flying up at the caster. Bojack, watching his attack disperse, chuckled loudly and vanished in a crack of wind. He then reappeared directly in front of his opponent, surprising the half-Saiyan fighter and smashing the boy with a lazy punch.
Landing atop another roof, Gohan took flight again to try and get at his opponent. But just as he was beginning to climb, the teen was then forced to dodge a net of pink wires that converged on him from three different directions. Maneuvering evasively, Gohan soon found himself caught in a second net, which not only held him suspended in the sky but had his arms bound tightly at his sides.
Stunned, the youngster struggled to try and free himself, to no avail.
"A stellar performance, but you're not going anywhere thanks to our barrier," the voice of Bujin cut in from the side, drawing the youngster's gaze over to the turban wearing alien. He then looked to his left, where he saw Zangya hover into view with her own hands extended. Both of them had him trapped and at their mercy. "I wouldn't bother trying to break free. The more you struggle, the more energy it drains from your body until you pass out or die."
Letting out a shout, Gohan continued to thrash, pulling at the strings cutting into him from both sides and wiggling his limbs to try and loosen the strain. Feeling his energy get eaten away bit by bit, the young demi-Saiyan tried again and again to free himself from the same technique that'd befallen Trunks. But try as he might, he couldn't break the steel like binds now threatening to suck the life right out of him.
Tilting her head, Zangya gave the struggling young warrior an intrigued look. When she sensed her master Bojack come to float behind her, she then nodded towards the young Saiyan with interest, "This one is strong, master."
"Hmph. Yes… but nowhere nearly as strong as me," Bojack replied, arms folded over his chest while he watched in amusement as Gohan attempted to shake off the wires. "It's such a shame. And here I was hoping to get a little more fun out of him."
"He has spirit. Perhaps we don't need to kill him right away," the tyrant's lieutenant continued, glancing across at the man with a suggestive smile. It was a remark that did not go unheard by the young Super Saiyan hanging in the center of their snares. "He might serve you well as a gofer… or maybe even a palace servant if you were to let him live. His friends did kill Gokuha and Bido after all. I think we owe them a little something for what they did to our teammates." Though it seemed like a good idea at first, when Zangya saw her master look in her direction, the orange haired fighter quickly recoiled at the menacing glare Bojack suddenly threw her way.
Eyes narrowing on his subordinate, the red haired conqueror looked the woman over before retorting. "What makes you think you have the right to give me orders?" His question causing the female fighter to back down out of fear, the towering alien then turned his attention back to their victim, where he looked just in time to see the boy's Super Saiyan form fade away. "Gokuha and Bido were weak. I don't have room in my ranks for weak garbage. Besides…" A foul smirk then crossed his lips, "I already have an idea as to what we can use this one for."
In the blink of an eye, the man appeared in front of Gohan and cocked his fist.
"Give your father a message for me!"
He then slammed his knuckles across the boy's face, backhanding him immediately afterwards. After knocking the Saiyan's head around, Bojack then grabbed the boy by the hair, pulled him over, and drove a knee deep into his stomach, watching the blood fly out of his mouth the moment he released him.
Just as the alien tyrant began the arduous task of pummeling the boy to death, the group was then suddenly distracted by the sight of a red jet pod shooting out from a nearby tunnel and sent rocketing right past them, bouncing off of the surrounding buildings and hurdling towards the ground. There, it smacked into the nearby roaming camera, obliterating it and cutting off the feed between the battle zone and the stadium.
XXX
Up in the stands, the people observing the battle taking place on the monitors were just in the process of watching the young competitor Gohan get the stuffing kicked out of him, until the rocket pod carrying Mr. Satan unexpectedly blasted into view. The people were able to catch a three second glimpse of the Champ screaming behind the wheel of the shuttle, moments before the connection was suddenly knocked out.
The sight not only had the audience shout in protest, as they could no longer see what was happening, but Bulma, Chi-Chi, Videl, Oolong, Chiaotzu and all of the Z-Fighters' friends in the audience gave mixed looks of fear and concern.
"Dad… Gohan," Videl whispered, eyes shimmering as she had no idea what was going to happen to them.
XXX
After a spectacular nosedive which saw the destruction of the automatic camera, Hercule's rocket car then blasted towards Bojack's group on the rebound. The leader, Bujin and Zangya all had to take evasive action when the pod came screaming past them, nearly taking out the turban wearing alien in the process.
The result was the wires trapping Gohan's battered form dissipating on the wind and the young demi-Saiyan feeling the crushing pressure of the wires vanishing in an instant.
Unfortunately, Hercule's little joy ride wasn't to last, because the moment he blew past the group a second time, Bojack took aim with an energy ball and hurled it at the pod. The shuttle was struck high above the ground, where it exploded with a brilliant flash and a fireball that sent the Champ plummeting to the ground. The afro fighter could only cry out in terror as he attempted to flap his arms and gain some lift, only to hilariously smack into the pavement and create a human-shaped crater right in the middle of the main highway.
What was even more amusing was that the impression he made managed to engrave his afro into the brickwork as well.
"Mr. Satan!" Gohan shouted, looking down at the spot where the man had crashed.
Bojack, hovering nearby, smirked at the clown that'd been ejected from the exploding pod. "For your sake, I hope that wasn't the cavalry."
"That's it!" the demi-Saiyan shouted, powering up to Super Saiyan in an instant and rocketing towards Bojack.
A thunderclap rang out when he tackled the demon with a sharp punch that knocked him backwards. Then, in an instant, all three of the remaining aliens charged in and began beating on the Super Saiyan from all sides. In a flurry of punches and kicks, the young warrior battles against the multitude of powerful opponents for a glorious spurt of several seconds.
Then… it ended.
Managing to slam a kick into Bujin's face and simultaneously punch Zangya in the chest, the boy was then kicked in the stomach. The blow sending him skywards, Gohan was then struck in the back by a hook that sent him diving towards the earth.
Crashing through a building and toppling it, the youngster ended up slamming into the massive crater formed by Bido's first attack, where he skidded to a painful stop right in the center of it. The moment he did, his Super Saiyan form faded away.
XXX
"King Kai! There has to be something we can do to help!" Goku shouted, gripping his trainer's shoulder tightly as he and the stunned administrator of the Northern Quadrant of the universe watched powerlessly as Gohan was beaten into the ground by his attackers.
With the rest of the Z-Fighters down and Bojack outnumbering the boy three to one, his son was now on the ropes. In spite of his best efforts, he was still losing and his father knew that if he didn't act soon, then he was going to watch his son get killed…
He had to do something. Anything!
XXX
Chuckling as he landed beside Gohan's battered body, Bojack then wordlessly reached down and picked him up. As soon as he yanked the youngster out of the ground, he then wrapped his arms around the young Saiyan's body, including his arms. Then, without hesitation, he began to crush the boy one piston at a time. The sound of muscles popping and bones creaking echoed out across the city as in a few short seconds the alien tyrant started squeezing the life out of the defenseless fighter. The sudden degree of pressure being applied upon his weakened frame caused a strangled cry to escape the demi-Saiyan's lips.
With Zangya and Bujin floating down to land beside their master, the two of them then stood in contemplative silence as they proceeded to watch as their boss crushed his opponent into a fine paste between his arms and chest.
The sound of the boy's back beginning to split became more pronounced the tighter the alien made his hold.
"How ironic that your father's death was the key to my escape," Bojack mused, continuing to squeeze the boy to the point he started choking up blood. That pretty much told him that everything inside the demi-Saiyan was starting to give in as his bones gradually lost their structural integrity. "I so wanted to thank him personally, but you'll have to do it for me." He then let out another joyous laugh and tightened his grip even more.
Gohan's cries echoed across the deserted city, with a pitch that would send cold chills through even the most hardened of warriors. Even though his screams and exclamations of agony fell upon the deaf, unconscious ears of the downed Z-Fighters scattered across the battle zone, the only ones there to really hear his howls of pain were Bojack and his henchmen.
While the boss relished in the child's suffering and Bujin found himself a seat to enjoy the show, Zangya remained standing.
At first smiling when she saw her boss increase his stranglehold, the young woman then recoiled when she saw Gohan glance in her direction. In his split second gaze, the alien warrior saw the boy's eyes shimmer with hurt and despair, with a thin sheen of tears forming at the brims. Caught completely off guard by the boy's expression, the woman bit her lip and tried to look away.
Unfortunately, her averted gaze did nothing to stop the boy's screams from reaching her ears and after several moments of standing there and listening to his bones crack, Zangya stepped forward.
"Master… I think that's enough…"
Eyes narrowing, Bojack rounded on her aggressively, "Back off, Zangya! Or I'll kill you too!" When he saw the woman step away, the leader grinned down at the child bending in his arms and increased pressure once again. It was only a matter of time before he broke, because a few seconds later he felt Gohan's body go limp and his head cock back. In only a few moments, his life signs started to drop. "This rat has given me more trouble than I can stomach. After I'm done killing him, I'm going to slaughter what's left of his friends, kill every single person on this island, and then, once I've sent them all into the next world, I'm going to destroy this entire planet!" He then chuckled darkly, "And just like with him, I'm going to savor every last scream!"
These words echoed through Gohan's ears, causing the boy's fingers to twitch.
"M-Mother… Piccolo… Krillin…" Images of his friends and family flashed through his head like ghosts, their smiling faces flying in one after the other as his world spiraled into darkness. "Trunks… Bulma… T-Tien… Yamcha… Videl…" More and more faces appeared one after the other in flashes, and all at once, he saw it.
He saw the broken bodies of his loved ones lying across the battlefield as they were killed; their bodies carved up and turned into ash. Fires raged in cities across the globe as he bore witness to Bojack killing his mother, Videl and all of his friends one by one, slowly, painfully, until he saw the entire planet become engulfed in a hellfire as it was wiped from existence.
The screams of millions of innocent people echoed through his ears and with them, he heard the cries of his family and friends. It was these sounds and the culmination of images shooting through his mind like a strobe that eventually sent an electric shock running right through the demi-Saiyan's body and, unable to hold back the flood, jumpstarted his heart.
He remembered! His promise!
He'd sworn to himself, to his father and to his friends that he would be strong for them! He couldn't give up now. Not when everyone and everything he loved was on the line. If he didn't grow up and push forward, then Piccolo, Krillin, Bulma, Videl, everyone…
HE WASGOING TO LOSE THEM ALL!
Gohan's eyes flew open and, in a startling display of anger, his ki skyrocketed, shocking the three alien invaders standing around him while his once charcoal irises flashed teal.
"NEVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRR!" Gohan roared, his hair flashing gold and his aura exploding around him like wild fire, shaking the entire island with a violent shockwave that caught Bojack completely by surprise.
"What?"
Then, with a deafening cry of rage that pierced the heavens and baffled the invaders, the boy tensed up, thrust forward with his left hand and grabbed Bojack by his side, the demi-Saiyan's fingers impaling the man's flesh as he dug into the area directly over his kidney.
The group's leader let out a yell of agony when he felt his vital point burn from the boy mercilessly crushing his waist and doubled over in pain, before the young warrior fired a blast at pointblank range right into his soft spot. The blast sent Bojack bouncing like a ragdoll across the open clearing, releasing Gohan from his hold who then suspended himself in the air above the ground. Zangya and Bujin could only look on in disbelief when, in a blinding flash of light, the boy let out a mighty howl of rage and his aura exploded off of him like a tornado. The power he emitted shredded the ground in all directions.
His ki climbing higher and higher without any signs of slowing down, the boy's energy sent shockwaves rippling across the terrain, knocking Zangya and Bujin off their feet and causing several buildings to collapse. After the bellowing waves ended and the light faded away, the three staggered aliens looked back to see what'd happened.
When their eyes landed upon the demi-Saiyan, they saw the boy touchdown and do an about-face, turning to lock his glare upon them. This time though, he looked a little different.
Not only was Gohan's aura sharper and fluctuating at a higher frequency, his hair had spiked up even more and was practically standing on end, save for a single strand hanging over his face. His eyes also had a more turquoise coloration to them.
What's more, bolts of electricity shot from his body, sparking and flashing dangerously, as if to show just how enraged he actually was.
Standing up, Bojack, with five newly formed puncture wounds in his side that were bleeding profusely over the burn mark, looked upon the boy with an expression of shock, "W-What is this?" His subordinates, who were also back on their feet and standing outside of the boy's blast radius, wore similar expressions of astonishment.
Attention fixing upon the tyrant, Gohan frowned, "I know your kind. You think you can just waltz in and take our planet." The boy, bathed in the glow of his Ascended Saiyan state, cracked his neck, took a deep breath and continued, "But this planet is not yours to take… nor is it for you to destroy… not while I'm around. Earth is our home!"
Bojack snarled, "We'll see about that." His eyes then cut across to his two subordinates. "Kill him."
Crouching low, a grinning Bujin then prepared to hurl his wires at the boy, only to suddenly see him vanish with a crack of wind. Blinking in shock, the turban wearing fighter then sensed someone behind him and spun around. The short fighter had just enough time to blink before he saw the boy thrust a kick straight up into his ribcage and sliced him in two. The moment Bujin was bifurcated, his two halves exploded into simultaneous clouds of bloody smoke, before the boy turned his attention to Zangya standing frozen on the other side of the crater.
Balking in horror, the orange haired woman took several steps back. After seeing the demi-Saiyan effortlessly kill Bujin with a single stroke, the young woman knew right then and there that she had absolutely no way of contesting with that kind of power. Hell, she didn't even see him move to attack Bujin in the first place.
First he was there in the center and then, the next thing she knew, he was just gone.
Swallowing nervously, she took another step back.
The moment she did, without even blinking, Zangya suddenly saw the boy standing directly in front of her, covering the distance of fifty meters between them in a heartbeat. Yelping in shock, she fell over and hit the ground, where she then found herself staring up at the golden haired warrior with electricity dancing around him in fear.
Eyes shimmering and sweat pouring down her face, the young girl was immediately petrified.
"P-Please…" She whispered, edging away slowly while her body trembled with fright "I… I'm sorry…"
Continuing to glare down at her unflinchingly, the young Super Saiyan then became aware of a bright light shining in his face and glanced to his left, where he saw a massive ball of energy rocketing towards him and Zangya. Spotting the attack, the alien girl gasped in horror, but just when it seemed like it was going to engulf them both, the golden haired warrior jumped into its path and effortlessly backhanded the attack away, sending the sphere of green ki flying into the distance.
"Useless bitch!" Bojack bellowed, a wide grin stretching across his face as he cupped his hands at his side and began pouring energy into his palms. Then, springing high into the sky, the tyrant unleashed his second attack, "DIEEEEEEEEE!" With a thunderclap and an earsplitting howl, the man hurled an enormous blast of energy straight down at the pair, aiming to wipe both Gohan and Zangya off the face of the planet.
While the orange haired girl cried out in terror, Gohan remained standing in place, watching the sky in front of him turn a blinding green before the entire piece of land they were on went up in flames. The instant the attack collided with its target, it nuked the whole region, causing the entire island to shake and scaring the daylights out of every single person up in the stadium. After the fiery mushroom cloud dispersed and became replaced by an enormous plume of smoke, Bojack's grin widened, as if certain of his victory.
But then, the moment he saw the smoke lift, the demon's smugness vanished in a heartbeat when, in the center of the three kilometer wide crater, he saw Gohan standing atop an untouched slab of ground, with Zangya directly behind him. Despite taking the entire blast full in the face, not only was the boy's aura still fluctuating around him, but the demi-Saiyan was completely unfazed by the attack.
Gawking up at the back of the young warrior standing in front of her, the former subordinate of Bojack, still lying stricken on the ground, stared up at Gohan for a few seconds longer. Then, as the shock of all the events that'd happened finally caught up to her, the girl's eyes fluttered shut and she collapsed, fainting right there on the spot.
Landing back down on the ground, Bojack snarled. "I WILL KILL YOU!" With a mighty war cry, the demon charged across the field and shot towards the demi-Saiyan.
Gohan's frown deepened while sparks of electricity coursed around him angrily.
Drawing back his arm, Bojack gave a mighty howl as he prepared to bury the kid with a single punch. But then, just as he was halfway across the crater; his target suddenly vanished in a golden flash. The moment Gohan disappeared from sight, the giant alien stopped dead in his tracks when a sharp pain struck him in the stomach, followed immediately by a small fist exploding out his back, sending blood splattering across the ground.
Doubling over, the would-be conqueror of the universe let out several strangled gasps and choking sounds, as he quickly realized Gohan had impaled him with his arm. Shit. He didn't even see the kid move.
The demi-Saiyan on the other hand, remained completely calm and collected, like his sudden charge and punch didn't require a smidge of effort. With an unchanging expression and a balanced stance, Gohan removed his arm from his opponent's stomach and watched the demon stumble away, clutching the new, gaping hole in his abdominals.
Bojack, gasping and groaning in agony, managed to put a good amount of distance between him and his foe. After which, he snarled in rage, "Y-You little rat! A mere… child cannot defeat me! I am unbeatable!" Spitting up blood, the demon then brought his hands forward and began gathering energy. A green sphere of ki forming between his palms, the alien tyrant then pulled his arms apart and split the globe, forming two balls in either hand which began to grow and pulse. "Any last words before you die?!"
Sensing the man's ki begin to climb, Gohan's frown deepened, "Actually… Bojack." He then turned side on and cupped his hands behind him, "There is one word that comes to mind." His aura expanding widthwise, a blue sphere of ki then formed between the Super Saiyan's palms, filling the entire area with a second blinding light.
Then, just as Bojack hurled his two energy spheres in the form of a single beam at his opponent, Gohan executed his with a bellowing yell.
"KA-ME-HA-ME-HAAAAAAAAAA!" Throwing his hands forward, the demi-Saiyan unleashed a blast that completely overwhelmed his opponent's, enveloping the approaching attack in an instant before ripping on and engulfing Bojack.
When the demon was knocked off his feet by the enormous tidal wave of energy, the last thing the alien conqueror saw before he completely blacked out was Gohan flying towards him through his own attack. Like a samurai, the young Super Saiyan 2 cut straight through his opponent with his fist, stopping directly behind the demon long enough to hear Bojack's scream of agony before, finally, decisively, and not a moment too soon, Bojack vanished in a blazing flash of light.
Sliding along the disintegrating ground, the demi-Saiyan stopped in a runner's pose while his attack continued forwards, the beam shooting through the Battle Island's main wall before rocketing up into space, away from earth like some ethereal ray of light. Seconds later, the ridiculously powerful beam of energy faded, vanishing from both the vicinity and the sky with a series of thunderclaps.
Daylight fell upon the land shortly thereafter.
When the smoke cleared, the plume revealed an arena stricken with the scars of a war.
There were barely any buildings of the tournament's city left standing and while craters did indeed cover a large portion of the region, the biggest impression took the form of an enormous trench leading towards a massive hole in the side of the island that covered one quarter of the entire zone. This was all the sign that was needed for people to know that a massive battle had been fought there and the victor…
Well…
After rising back into a proper standing position in the center of the two mile wide trench that practically split the island in two, Gohan held his ground and stared ahead of him. His Super Saiyan 2 form fading away and his hair turning back to normal, the boy surveyed the area one last time for any signs of his opponent.
His mind picking up the still present ki signatures of Krillin, Tien, Yamcha, Piccolo, Vegeta, Trunks, Mr. Satan, and even Zangya, all of whom were lying scattered across the field, unconscious, and nobody else, the boy knew that it was all over.
Job done, the full effects of his day-long struggle then brought a stupid grin and a half-lidded gaze to the young Saiyan's face. Moments later, the boy keeled over and hit the ground like a sack of potatoes.
"I did it," Gohan groaned, before passing out and falling into a peaceful sleep.
A long desired silence returned to the island shortly thereafter.
OOO
(Otherworld)
After seeing his son collapse through the connection with his teacher, Goku breathed a sigh of relief and allowed a wide grin to cross his lips. "That's my son. I knew he could do it." Initially having readied himself to teleport down to earth to lend his son a hand and give him an extra push, the adult Saiyan was promptly stopped when he saw Gohan take care of it himself.
Watching the boy step up and gather all of the strength and courage he needed to finish the fight, brought a sense of pride to Goku's soul that would make even Vegeta smile.
Removing his hand from King Kai's shoulder, the Saiyan chuckled, "Man. It was a close one… but my boy pulled through."
The blue-skinned overseer of their part of space smiled back at his student, while Bubbles and Gregory pottered around behind them. "It appears you didn't need to go down there after all." Obviously, through the telepathic contact he had with his student, King Kai had been able to sense the man's intentions.
Luckily for him, no emergency action needed to be taken.
Goku chuckled, rubbing the back of his head in his characteristic manner, "Yeah. I guess so."
That meant the earth and its people were in good hands.
OOO
(The very next day)
(Satan City Hospital)
"Mr. Satan saves world twice," Krillin read out loud off of the newspaper in front of him. Scrunching his face at the picture of the man posing for the camera with X.S Cash's son giving the photographer a 'V' sign, the bald man then tossed the article aside, allowing him to see the sagely form of Master Roshi grinning back at him, as well as well the IV tube plugged into his arm. Revealing that he was lying in a hospital room, the short fighter glanced across to see not only Oolong, Chiaotzu and Puar present and visiting, but Gohan and Trunks lying in beds alongside him. "This guy makes front page while we're in the hospital."
And by 'we', he was also referring to Yamcha and Tien in the two beds on the other side of the room.
Nevertheless, in spite of being wrapped up like mummies, with both Trunks and Gohan having their arms in cast, and the former with his jaw bound and his leg strapped and elevated, all of them were in rather chipper moods. Yamcha especially, since the doctors had given him a heavy dosage of morphine that put a stupid smile on his face and kept him quiet.
Chuckling at Krillin's misery, Gohan beamed at his friend, ignoring the pain in his still aching jaw. "Heh. Say what you like, but if he hadn't crashed into Bojack and his goons, we might not even be here right now."
"I'll say," Tien chuckled, remembering how swiftly he'd been handed his defeat, resulting in a cracked shoulder, five broken ribs and a broken leg, plus some serious rug burn.
Oolong, hanging off of the end of Gohan's bed, chuckled in amusement, "Yeah, when it comes to freak accidents, Mr. Satan's a pro." This drew a hearty laugh from Chiaotzu, Trunks and Tien, a spurt that left one of them coughing from the grievous beating he'd received at the hands of the alien leader.
Shaking his head, Krillin smiled across at his friend, "How you feeling there, bud? Still got all your bits intact?"
Gohan grinned, "All of the important ones. How about you? Those guys didn't exactly play nice with us."
"Meh… the only thing that's really damaged is my pride," the former monk sighed while staring up towards the ceiling. "Didn't I say at the beginning of this ordeal that I'd see you guys in the infirmary? Ah, who am I to complain. There's no way I can ever keep up with you super-powered aliens from outer space."
"Don't sell yourself short. I think you held up pretty well," Trunks encouraged from his bed, at the same time giving the man a thumbs-up. Not that he could help it due to the way his cast had been set, he was giving a constant thumbs-up.
"You didn't even see me fight," Krillin snapped back, pouting a little bit in his misery and earning snickers from the people around him.
Yamcha, having managed to tap into the conversation earlier, then remembered something important and glanced across at their half-Saiyan hero. "By the way Gohan, whatever happened to that orange haired chick? You said you let her go, didn't you?"
Responding to the sudden question from his flank, the youngster nodded, "Yeah. When I went after her in Super Saiyan 2 she completely fell apart. I actually noticed her having second thoughts about being on Bojack's crew while I was fighting him, so I decided to give her a chance. Hopefully she won't cause us anymore problems."
Catching onto this, Master Roshi grinned, "You're Goku's son alright. Kind and gentle to a fault."
Exhaling, the young demi-Saiyan fixed his gaze on the ceiling and beamed, "I've still got a long way to go though. I may have learned from my mistakes against Cell… but I've still got a few more miles to cover before I can even consider being in dad's league."
His remark bringing a round of smiles and nods of approval from those around him, the group then heard a knock on the door and looked to see a nurse enter their midst. When she stepped in, she was quickly followed by Bulma carrying her baby son, Puar, Chi-Chi, and some girl the group had never met before.
They still weren't able to meet her, because for reasons unknown, she was hiding from view behind Chi-Chi. It was only until the group stopped beside Trunks and Gohan's bedsides did the Z-fighters see the newcomer step into the light. Wearing the same clothes as yesterday with her hair in pigtails, Videl peered around at the boy wrapped in bandages and smiled when she saw it was the right person.
Immediately spotting her, Gohan grinned, "Videl? What are you doing here?"
"Gohan!" Her exclamation drawing surprised glances from everyone, the girl quickly rushed to his side and looked him over. "A-Are you alright?"
"Y-Yeah… just a little bit sore, that's all," the spiky haired demi-Saiyan chirped.
After taking in the sight of the bandages and patches covering him, Videl beamed in awe. "Wow. You must have gotten the stuffing kicked out of you. Who the heck were those guys? Were they as strong as Cell?"
The youngster, at first a little baffled by the sudden influx of questions, which raised a couple of questions of his own as to how Videl had managed to piece this stuff together, sprouted an amused yet pained expression and shrugged in response, "It's a bit of a long story."
Grinning, the raven haired girl quickly pulled up a chair, rested her arms on the bed and proceeded to lean against it right next to the bedridden Saiyan. "Well… I don't have to go home for a while, so I've got plenty of time to kill."
Appearing noticeably cheered up, Gohan was about to start a long conversation with the newcomer when he suddenly noticed all of his friends staring at him. Looking around the room, not only did he see the cheeky grins on Oolong and Krillin's faces, he also saw Tien and Yamcha share a glance, Trunks smile rather mischievously, Bulma snickering, and his mother standing there with a wide smile and a dreamy look on her face.
Even Videl noticed the playful looks they were receiving from the others in the room.
Eyes shifting from one face to the next, Gohan gulped, "Uhh… why are you guys staring at me like that?"
Then, in chorus, Krillin, Oolong, Master Roshi and Bulma began singing, "Gohan's got a girlfriend" over and over again teasingly, while Trunks quickly added a humming bass to the repertoire.
Hair standing on end like a startled cat, Gohan flushed a bright red before trying to hide his face underneath his bed covers. At the same time, Videl tried to cover her own shade of red by turning away and shifting on the spot in embarrassment.
"This isn't going to stop anytime soon, is it?" Gohan thought in dismay.
And guess what… it didn't…
XXX
Meanwhile, outside the hospital, across the street and perched on top of the roof of a nearby building, the familiar, orange haired form of Zangya could be seen sitting there with her legs crossed and a forlorn look of curiosity etched into her face. Wearing a blue singlet top showing off her midriff, black pull-on sleeves, black figure-hugging biker pants, yellow boots and a purple scarf wrapped around her neck with a different set of jewels decorating her features, the woman had apparently done her very best to remove the old garb previously draping her lithe form.
Now that she was no longer a part of Bojack's group, as she'd been dismissed from his ranks the moment he tried to kill her, the girl had adopted a completely different look to her old one. And now that she'd taken on a new appearance, had no more bosses to answer to and no more outstanding goals in her life, the girl was free to do whatever she wanted.
Considering her circumstances, Zangya figured she would start her new life by staying in close sight of the very boy who'd decided to spare her in the first place.
"Why?" It was the one question currently lingering on in her mind and one that she really wanted to have answered. However, she figured she would get her answers soon enough and, with her chin resting against her arm, opted to remain where she was for the time being.
While she was sitting there, watching and admiring the very person who'd defeated her former master blushing and bumbling childishly around his friends through the window, a complete turnaround from the fierce warrior she'd faced in combat, she then became aware of a new presence on the scene. Disrupted from her meditation, the Hera-seijin girl glanced to her right to see a blonde haired woman with beautiful blue eyes, wearing tight jeans, a white shirt, black vest and gloves sitting there and looking in the same direction as her.
Sensing a set of eyes on her, Android 18# turned to see Zangya looking in her direction. After a moment of staring at each other, the former quickly returned to gazing through the window, allowing Zangya to do so as well.
While the two women shared that part of the balcony in comfortable silence, a little bit further behind them on the exact same roof around a large water tower, Piccolo and Vegeta were also present. One standing and the other one sitting, both men had their arms folded and their eyes fixed on the distant horizon, not really looking at anything yet still looking all the same.
As a gentle wind brushed by them, ruffling Piccolo's cape and blowing through Zangya and Eighteen's hair, the four personalities remained in the peaceful stillness of the moment, wondering what the not too distant future had in store for them next.