(Over the next few days)
The battle that'd engulfed the industrial area of West City soon faded away with the media. With the officials in charge of the emergency departments wrapping everything up around the district, the authorities quickly wrote off the catastrophic, earth-rocking events as yet another one of those otherworldly calamities that periodically fell upon the communities of the earth every year. Considering how often this'd happened in the past and the amount of times cities and villages have been affected by them, you could understand why they were so laidback about the whole concept. All the same, acting swiftly under the directions of their multibillionaire benefactors at Capsule Corp, the people in charge of the city were quickly able to quarter off the affected areas and proceed with repairing their home town.
The Z-fighters on the other hand, had business of their own to conduct.
True to form, the staff at the corporate super giant was able to commit their best men and women to fixing all the damages done to the estate. The holes and craters were patched up and the main building itself was soon returned to a hundred percent operational capacity. Mr. Briefs was even able to put his robots to work in carrying out any extra duties around the property, while the rest of the human staff continued their jobs as normal.
Bulma meanwhile had gone back to tinkering; upgrading some of the old systems around the building, while also buffing up the security systems. Even though she had a stay-at-home super hero for a husband and a son who could function better than any guard with a gun when he wasn't messing around, she still felt the need to add some extra counter measures to her hallways. What with the enemy they'd recently encountered, you could understand her sudden desire to add some extra additions to her home.
Android 16 was soon back on his feet and more efficient than ever. With his help, the Briefs family was able to complete all of their work on fixing the main building and then some, while at the same time assigning him to a round the clock patrol of the estate. It was a role befitting someone of his remarkable skill set.
With the massive android walking the hallways twenty four seven while every so often turning over to the computer labs to power down for a few hours, everybody else quickly settled into their usual stations. When Yajirobe eventually came around with a bag of Senzu Beans for his friends, those who'd sustained heavy damages in their most recent battle were quickly put back to full strength and health. For those who'd needed it most included Kana, who spent the next few days happily exploring the mazes of Capsule Corp's primary facility, and Goten and Trunks, both of who were back to running around and causing trouble, as per the norm.
Paprika had decided to stick around as well, but had opted to spend most of her time in the building's main garden to meditate and spend time on her own. She would also take the time to babysit the two munchkins whenever they were up and about, sparring with them and playing games in the lavender haired boy's bedroom. Though it continuously frustrated the Makyan at how often she lost at their devices, she still had the good graces to accept defeat and continue playing like the sport she was. That's probably why the kids loved her so much.
Piccolo also went over to the garden to meditate every once in a while, but he spent most of the time standing at attention in the corner of Gohan's room, watching over him. With his ability to stay up for long periods of time and hold a position for days on end without rest, he made for one of the best bodyguards in the business. His presence was also often overlooked, which made him the ideal person to hang around his student's room without attracting too much attention.
Though Vegeta would sometimes drag the Namekian away for the occasional frustration-spar, it was an annual request compared to how often he badgered Zangya for a fight. Ever since her stellar performance against the blonde assassin, the flame-haired man wasted no second fighting with the Hera to get himself up to speed. The orange haired demon accepted his spars gladly, but she spent most of her free hours standing by Gohan's bed, keeping a close eye on him and making sure he was alright.
Erasa and Lime had decided to stay at Capsule Corp as well, doing their schoolwork over the net, while also checking in with Sharpener and the others to see how they were doing. They found a room to share with Videl just a few doors down from where their half-Saiyan boyfriend was sleeping, even though they spent sixty percent of the time holed up in his wing, and would often drop over to his side to keep him company.
While all of this stuff was going on around Capsule Corp, the routine for the comatose half-Saiyan remained completely unchanged. The boy didn't shirk or twitch in the slightest and continued sleeping off the effects of the heart virus that were still coursing through his blood. Though Bulma was positive her solution was successful in flushing the strain out of his system, the teen was still unconscious and unable to respond beyond the occasional snore, yawn, or groan.
Videl often wondered if he was actually able to hear them at times. She also wondered what he was dreaming about, as did the rest of the girls who spent their time chatting around him and looking down at his serene mug.
That knowledge however, only belonged to the half-Saiyan himself and the people who were inside his dreams.
XXX
(A week later)
(In an unknown place)
Gohan had no idea how long he'd been wandering through the darkness. Time and space apparently didn't matter in this empty shell of a dimension as he strolled and sprinted across the endless void, his feet treading upon an invisible, nonexistent surface. As he did, the only sounds he could hear around him were his own breathing and the clapping of his shoes against the cold floor of the blackness beneath him. Though this world looked and felt incredibly familiar to him, something he'd explored many times in the past, the demi-Saiyan didn't stop to ponder over it.
All he knew was that he was wondering through the dream world created by his coma, which was caused by the heart virus in his system. So far, the ordeal had been pretty rough for the hybrid. He'd been in and out of horrendous nightmares and excruciating chest pains, but all of those brief experiences were replaced shortly afterwards by instances of peace and euphoria. He assumed it had something to do with the presence of his friends on the outside, whom he could sense and feel in the form of their faces appearing in his dreams. However, though their efforts and compassion were more than welcome, the state he was primarily experiencing in this dimension was periods of empty blackness and weird acid trips of swirling lights.
These were the episodic effects brought on by the heart virus attacking his mind.
Ever since he'd gotten here, the warrior had only one purpose in mind, and that was to escape this spirit hazing hell. That's why he pushed forward, intent on seeking an end… any end that would allow him to break free from this confine. But as hard as he tried and as far as he looked, all he found was darkness waiting for him around every bend and curve. It not only brought to him great deal of disappointment, but misery and dread. For all he knew, there was absolutely no way out of this dark labyrinth, as everywhere he went all he could see was an empty black canvas, which sucked him in the further and further he traveled.
After what felt like an eternity of endless walking, the teen decided to stop and turned his gaze skywards. Head craned and arms dangling at his sides, the boy stood against the coldness of space, soaking in the vacuum of damnation that gripped at every inch of his flesh. His orange and blue gi remained wrapped protectively around him, providing him whatever warmth there was to be had in this place. However, despite it and his various attempts to lift his spirits, all Gohan felt was the overwhelming sensation of emptiness and defeat as he gazed further into the cosmos above, his very soul becoming swallowed up in the blank horizon.
Rocked to the core by the nothingness of it all, Gohan suddenly heard voices behind him and spun around. Caught completely by surprise, the demi-Saiyan quickly found himself staring down a scene that appeared all too familiar to him; an event that he'd experienced nightmares of many times before.
What he saw staring right back at him, was the same mountainous valley where he, Piccolo, Krillin, Tien, Chiaotzu and Yamcha had fought against Nappa and Vegeta over a decade ago. It was as if he'd been brought right back to where all of his battles had started and, lying scattered across the open and rugged terrain, he saw all of his friends with their faces in the dirt, broken and beaten, just as they had been at that fateful encounter.
Tien and Yamcha were dead, Chiaotzu was gone, Krillin was unconscious and, as Gohan's gaze passed over the battlefield, kneeling at the foot of a long trench and a large crater, he spotted his adolescent self positioned beside the burnt body of his best friend, Piccolo. The sight of his teacher's beaten down frame struggling to draw breath as he looked up at the child had the demi-Saiyan's heart stop as he proceeded to watch and listen to the scene replay right before his very eyes.
His own form wrecked and battered, a frightened and weakened Kid Gohan pushed against Piccolo's form in a desperate attempt to get the man to his feet. "No… please. Mr. Piccolo… don't go… please," the child begged, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as the Namekian breathed his last.
A smile forming across his lips, the green warrior whispered back to the child in a low voice, tired voice, "Good bye… my… friend." And with that last gasp of effort, the warrior's eyes closed and his head lolled to the side.
The instant Piccolo's life vanished the young Gohan threw his head back and cried out in despair, his voice echoing across the sky. It was a yell that drew the winded Krillin's gaze up from where he was lying and had the present teenage demi-Saiyan's heart pinch.
Gritting his teeth, the disembodied warrior from many years in the future swallowed to keep his own emotions from brimming and shook his head. The moment he did so, the adult Gohan's gaze then snapped down the length of the trench, where he saw the unmistakable form of Nappa marching towards the fallen duo and Vegeta watching haughtily from the sidelines.
As expected, the half-Saiyan watched his younger self cry out in rage and, clapping his hands over his forehead, unleashed a powerful Masenko towards his hulking opponent. He then watched as the bald Saiyan punched his attack away, sending it arcing towards a distant mountain where it impacted and incinerated the entire edifice in a flash of golden light. Though the attack was spectacular and impressive in its execution, it was ultimately a useless gesture of anger that only served to numb the elite warrior's arm. Nappa ended up laughing the technique off and continuing his march towards the defenseless child.
Watching the memory slowly unfold before him, the adult Gohan considered intervening. After all, with his current level of strength, he was more than capable of destroying the two Saiyans and putting an end to this nightmare. However, before such a thought could even be realized or fully processed by the half-Saiyan, he suddenly felt a presence materialize behind him. Torn away from seeing the vision through to the end by the sound of a tiny bell ringing, the spiky haired warrior's gazed snapped over his shoulder. The moment it did, he spotted the familiar, haunting figure of the curvaceous blonde witch with the eye patch, revealing one piece suit, and oversized pointy hat, glaring right back at him.
The chime had come from the tiny golden bell dangling off of the tip of the phantom girl's hat.
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