As I made my way towards West City, an unshakable feeling of anxiety began to settle in my chest. My heart felt heavy, as if something ominous was pulling me back. I couldn't quite put my finger on why, but I felt a kind of nervousness that I hadn't experienced in a long time. At one point, I decided to stop midway, hovering in the sky, trying to calm myself down. Maybe it was the fact that this was the first time I'd moved locations since my year-long stay at Master Roshi's. Whatever it was, my anxiousness seemed irrational, but it refused to let go.
"Come on, Gohan," I whispered to myself, taking deep breaths. "It's just nerves." I clenched my fists, willing myself to stay focused. The thought of turning back crossed my mind, and I almost considered it for a fleeting moment. But then I shook my head firmly. "No. Being scared is normal, but I can't let it stop me." I muttered, pushing myself to overcome the feeling.
Even if I, Gohan, had experienced countless death battles, it wasn't the same for the other part of my soul, the part of me that remembered a different life. That side of me still held onto fear, the knowledge of mortality, the idea that I could die if I made one wrong move. It was as though a cloud of death hung over me, the blade of Damocles poised to fall at any moment. I couldn't help but feel its looming presence.
I took a deep breath and shouted to myself, "Haaa… I can't let fear win. I need to keep moving forward." With renewed determination, I surged forward, picking up speed as I headed towards West City. I kept my ki suppressed and flew close to the ground, doing everything I could to stay unnoticed.
Gradually, as the wind rushed against my face and the ground blurred beneath me, the fear began to ease. The tension that had gripped my heart started to dissipate, and I found myself feeling calmer, my breaths coming easier. "Haaaa, there was nothing to be scared of," I sighed with relief. "The Androids are all the way near East City according to the news. I shouldn't have been so worked up in the first place."
I continued onward, my heart lighter now, until I approached the neighboring city to West Capital. I chose to avoid the city, keeping my distance, and flying around it rather than over it. What I didn't know was that fate had other plans. Sometimes, even when you do everything logically and cautiously, life throws you a curveball.
Logic dictated that the Androids would target populated cities, hunting for entertainment to kill their boredom. Avoiding them made sense, it was the wisest option. But what if, by some stroke of terrible luck, you end up crossing their path while trying to avoid them? What if you run right into them, just as they were making their way toward that very city?
In that case, you're royally fucked !
Just as I was flying towards West Capital, carefully avoiding the nearby city, that feeling from earlier came back, only this time, it was even stronger. It hit me like a wave crashing over me, squeezing the air out of my lungs. Panic gripped my chest, and I found it hard to breathe. My heart pounded so violently that I could hear it in my ears, drowning out everything else.
I couldn't keep going. I needed to stop.
I dropped lower and landed in a small clearing, my knees almost buckling as I tried to steady myself. I took deep breaths, fighting to regain some control. "Come on, Gohan… get it together," I muttered to myself. I closed my eyes, willing my body and mind to calm down. But this time, unlike before, the fear didn't fade. It dug in deeper, gnawing at me. No matter how much I tried to breathe through it, it just wouldn't leave.
Maybe this was a sign, maybe I needed to retreat. If my instincts were screaming at me this much, it had to mean something. I clenched my teeth and turned around, my body ready to take flight and head back.
But then, my heart sank like a stone, dropping deeper than the ocean depths.
"Look, 18, who have we got here!" a voice echoed from behind me.
That voice… smooth and laced with casual menace. My entire body froze as I turned my head slowly.
There, hovering just above the treetops, were two figures I dreaded meeting, the Androids. Number 17, with his black hair and smug grin, looked directly at me, his eyes gleaming with an unsettling kind of excitement. Next to him, Android 18, her expression unreadable, floated silently. The air around them seemed to grow heavier, the weight of their presence bearing down on me.
"Well, well," Android 17 continued, his smirk widening, "I think we just found ourselves a little entertainment."
My heart pounded in my chest, the fear morphing into something colder, something that rooted me in place. This was exactly the kind of scenario I'd been desperately avoiding. They were here, and they had found me.
I was panicking, my thoughts were all over the place, desperately trying to find some way out of this situation, while my instincts screamed at me to RUN.
But it was as if I was paralyzed. I couldn't move, couldn't even utter a word. It was like I was frozen in time, every muscle in my body refusing to cooperate. My heart pounded in my ears, drowning out everything else. The fear was overwhelming, a suffocating grip around my chest.
"Hey, look at what you've done," Android 18 said, her voice dripping with mock scorn as she glanced at her brother. "You've scared him senseless. He can't even move, let alone fight back." She smirked, her tone tinged with amusement. I could see the glint of satisfaction in her eyes, the way she relished in my fear.
Android 17 chuckled, shrugging as if this was nothing more than a casual inconvenience. "Well, that makes it less fun, doesn't it? Where's the thrill if he doesn't even try?" He tilted his head, eyes narrowing as they fixed on me. "Come on, kid. Run. Or fight. Do something."
My breath hitched. I wanted to fight, wanted to run, wanted to do anything other than just stand there. But my body refused to obey. It was like the weight of their presence had crushed my will, leaving me helpless. The sheer difference in power was suffocating, a reminder that despite all my training, I was still nothing compared to them.
"Look at him, 17," 18 said, taking a step forward, her boots crunching against the ground. "He's terrified. You really have a way of ruining things." Her words carried an eerie casualness, like none of this mattered, like my life was just another fleeting moment to them.
I swallowed hard, feeling the dryness in my throat. My hands trembled at my sides. I could hear the faint rustle of leaves, the distant echo of birds, the world around me felt painfully alive, and yet I felt so close to the edge of death. My instincts screamed again, but my feet stayed planted. I was stuck, my fear outweighing every other thought.
"How disappointing," 17 muttered, his expression darkening slightly. "I expected more, given who your father was." He sighed, almost like he was bored. "Maybe we should just end it now and move on."
A shiver ran down my spine. End it now? No, no, no... This couldn't be happening. Not here, not now. I had so much more to do, so many people depending on me, I couldn't let it end like this.
But as Android 17 took a step closer, I realized that it might not be up to me.
"Whaaaat, no way you're gonna finish Son Goku's son like that," 18 said, her voice dripping with amusement.
As her words echoed in my ears, a realization hit me hard. They were playing with my life. To them, life didn't hold value, it was just a game. I was nothing but entertainment, a toy to be discarded once they got bored.
My fear began to morph into something else, something darker and far more powerful. Anger. Not the usual frustration I sometimes felt during training, but a deep, raw anger that was fueled by their complete disregard for life, their arrogant smirks, and, most of all, the fact that they were treating my life like a joke.
I clenched my fists, feeling my fear start to slip away, replaced by a simmering fury. How dare they? The idea of my life being nothing more than a pastime for these two monsters was infuriating. It wasn't just about their disregard for all life—they were treating me, Gohan, as a mere plaything. They believed my existence, my struggles, my dreams, could be reduced to their entertainment. It was infuriating beyond words. I had come too far, fought too hard to simply be reduced to this. Every struggle, every ounce of effort I'd put in, it wasn't going to end like this.
Suddenly, something shifted within me. I could feel my pulse pounding in my ears, the blood rushing to my head. The tension in my muscles eased, but instead of the numbness of fear, there was a focused calmness. I could almost sense the shift in my own aura.
Android 17 was still smirking, tilting his head slightly, his eyes locked on me. "What's this? I think he's finally getting mad," he said, almost as if intrigued.
18 raised an eyebrow, her expression softening into one of curious observation. "Interesting. Maybe he does have some fight in him after all. I wonder if it's enough to make things fun."
The amusement in her voice only fueled the flames inside me. They weren't expecting me to fight back. They thought they'd already won, that I was just another victim of their whims. But I was done.
I knew I had to survive, not just for everyone else depending on me, but for myself, because I refused to let my life be used like this. The helplessness I felt was turning into a determination that took root deep within me. The anger they were cultivating in me, adding fuel with every smirk, every taunt, every word that came out of their mouths, was pushing me to a place beyond fear.
"You think you're hot shit, huh?" I snapped, my voice laced with fury as I glared at them.
Android 17 laughed, his amusement only deepening. "Haha, look at this kid! Not even a minute ago, he was about to cry for help, and now—" he paused to catch his breath, laughter echoing like a taunt, "he's actually trying to provoke me!"
"Want to see if it's just provocation?" I snarled.
In the blink of an eye, he punched me in the gut, I couldn't even see him. He was fast, too fast. The force of it made me spit saliva and blood.
"Tsk, this light punch made you bleed. How are you going to survive my other attacks now, huh?" 17 said, sneering.
He then proceeded to beat the crap out of me, relentless and brutal, but I held on. My body ached, but I wasn't done yet. I had a plan.
"Boring," 17 eventually muttered, sounding disappointed. "He's not even a challenge."
Then, the opportunity finally came, they let their guard down. Both him and 18 were momentarily distracted. 'Haha, you're gonna get it now', I thought, feeling the spark of adrenaline.
"Hey, where are you going?" I called, trying to bait him. 17 turned back to me, his expression twisting into one of anger and disbelief, but it was already too late. With a surge of my own energy, I unleashed the Thunder Shock Surprise technique. It was a powerful move meant to hold an opponent in place while electrocuting them simultaneously. I knew I wasn't strong enough to keep Android 17 and 18 trapped for long, but I didn't need much time, just a few seconds.
"WHAT?! WHAT HAS HE DONE TO US?" 18 and 17 both shouted in anger, their expressions contorting with disbelief.
Using my free hand, I quickly unleashed a technique I had been working on, a combination inspired by the original Kamehameha and my late master, Piccolo. Hundreds of small orbs of ki materialized in an instant, surrounding them like a deadly minefield, a landmine ready to detonate.
"Haha, don't underestimate me, you trash machines!" I shouted. By the time 18 and 17 had broken free from the Thunder Shock Surprise, it was too late. The moment they moved, the ki mines around them began exploding violently.
Amidst the smoke and shockwaves, I knew my only chance was to flee. I turned and flew away as fast as I could. No matter how angry I was, I understood my limits. I couldn't face them head-on, not yet. They were simply too powerful right now, and survival was my only option.
"You fucking BRAAATTT!" 17's voice roared amidst the chaos of explosions, but I didn't waste even a second to look back. I was hurt, bruised, and every muscle screamed in pain, but I could care less. The smoke and the blasts provided cover, making it nearly impossible for them to track where I was going.
Using the distraction, I burst forward, erupting toward West City at full speed, not wasting a single ounce of energy. The wind tore at my face, and my senses stayed on high alert, desperately scanning for any signs of pursuit. I couldn't afford to slow down; survival was the only thought pushing me on.
In no less than two minutes, I arrived at West City, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew from the series that Capsule Corp had already been destroyed, but Bulma was smart—she'd hidden herself away. There was a basement underneath the ruins, a secret bunker that no one could find. The entrance was hidden behind the wreckage, almost unnoticeable.
Come on... I urged myself, wincing as I forced my aching body onward. I need to find it quickly. I had made it this far, and I couldn't let my guard down now. There was no way of knowing how much time I had before the androids would come after me.
As I finally reached the ruins of Capsule Corp, I recognized the desolation. I had been here before, in the past, and the sight of its wreckage still filled me with a mix of determination and sorrow. Landing behind the ruins, I scanned my surroundings quickly, my eyes locking onto a small red shape, an inconspicuous door camouflaged among the debris. I staggered over, my entire body aching, each step feeling heavier than the last.
I raised my hand and knocked, the sound weak compared to the pounding in my ears. My vision started to blur, dark spots dancing in front of my eyes as fatigue finally began to take over. I took a deep breath, fighting the dizziness, but the adrenaline that had kept me running started to fade, leaving only pain and exhaustion in its wake.
The world around me spun, my knees buckling beneath me, and before I could even try to call out, everything went dark.
Inside a hidden basement, a blue-haired woman sat playing with her child, a rare smile lighting up her face in the middle of all the chaos outside. But her moment of peace shattered when a sudden, unexpected knock echoed through the space, reverberating from the door to the outside world.
Her eyes widened in alarm. "What? Nobody should have known about that," she muttered under her breath, her heart racing.
"Mom, who is it?" asked her young boy, his innocent voice tinged with curiosity. The child, no older than three, stared up at her with wide eyes.
She forced a reassuring smile, her eyes softening as she looked at him. "Don't worry, sweetie. Mommy will go see who it is."
She quickly made her way over to a hidden screen, her heart pounding in her chest. She pressed a button, and a live feed appeared. Her eyes went wide with shock as she saw the figure outside. "Is that... Gohan? He looks almost... dead!" she gasped, her expression morphing into one of urgent concern.
Without wasting a second, she grabbed a first-aid kit, her hands trembling slightly. She hurried out of the basement, her heart pounding even faster as she approached the door. There, lying unconscious, was Gohan, his body covered in dirt and bruises, his clothes torn, barely breathing.
"Hang in there, Gohan," she whispered, her voice determined. She knelt down, carefully gathering him up in her arms, straining under his weight. Though it wasn't easy, she managed to lift him, the urgency of the situation giving her strength. She carried him inside, the small boy following at her heels, wide eyed and silent.
She brought Gohan to a small room that functioned as a makeshift medical area, carefully laying him down. Her eyes were filled with worry as she quickly set to work, treating his injuries with all the medical supplies she had on hand.
"Mom, is he gonna be okay?" her son asked, his voice small, the innocence of childhood not fully understanding the severity of the scene before him.
Bulma glanced at her son, swallowing her fear. She had to be strong, not only for Gohan but for her little boy. "He'll be alright, Trunks," she said, trying to sound confident. "He just needs some rest... and a little bit of help."
As she worked, her eyes never left Gohan's battered face, her thoughts racing. She knew that whatever had brought him here was nothing short of dangerous. And the fact that he made it to her, in this state, meant things were worse than she had imagined.
Author's note : another chapter coming later