Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ And We Shall Be Victorious ❯ The Medusa ( Chapter 4 )

And We Shall Be Victorious

Author: Ceryce

Chapter 4

~The Medusa~

Entering the room again, Gohan seated himself next to his old friend, looking at him with the slight touch of anguish; behind him, he could hear Piccolo move around the room, but he was too far gone into his mind to care about what he was doing. For a while, neither fighter spoke, neither making any unnecessary noise, contenting themselves with looking at their fallen friend; the very image cutting deep into their minds and souls. For Gohan, the silence in the room was mirroring the emptiness in his own soul.

It was difficult to watch him just lie there like a broken porcelain doll, eyes tightly closed, skin deadly pale, without his powerful presence. Was that the same boy who came and single-handedly destroyed Frieza, King Cold and their henchmen? Gohan remembered what Trunks looked like when he first met him then, when he came with the news of his father arrival, before even the first Androids appeared. He had looked vibrant with life, so strong, so passionate, so desperate, and had come with only one mission: to make sure that they had a future to look to, better than the one he had been born into.

If he had only one wish from Shenlon, or Porunga, or anything else that could grant wishes, it was for Trunks to just wake up. It was unsettling to see his friend just lying there unconscious, vulnerable to any attacks, totally at their---

"Gohan…" The sound of his name startled him, as Gohan been so lost into his dark thoughts. The eyes that stared at Piccolo were just confused and not all that present. Putting his hand on his shoulder, he gave a small squeeze to offer as much comfort as he could, but he knew that it would have no use right now.

"Gohan, come in the main room. Trunks is not going to wake up anytime soon, and we need to talk about what we found and what Vegeta told us." Piccolo stopped talking when he saw the lack of effect his words had on him; the boy was falling apart right in front of his very eyes.

Without answering, Gohan returned to his vigil. Piccolo was sure he was not going to say a thing before he heard Gohan's small voice. He would have missing it if the room was not so silent. "Don't you think we should wait for Vegeta and my father first?" his voice was distant and empty. He wasn't really concerned with the answer; his mind was still trying to grasp what had happened, was still disturbed by Krillin's death and Trunks's condition, but he was trying to stay focused. He had to stay focused, for him. Now that Trunks was down, it was his turn to keep up the torch, but for some reason, it was difficult. What had happened to Trunks and Krillin? Who was strong enough, cruel enough to have done this to them? To have, what appeared to be half eating…

"Gohan!" Seeing the same startled confuse eyes looking at him and with even less presence, he sighed. "Look, frankly, I think Goku is going to be a little busy right now." As if to confirm what he just said, they felt Goku power up. He waited for a few seconds, but Vegeta didn't power up. They were attacked. "And as for Trunks -" he slowly put his hand on the head of the young Saiyan "- he is stronger than you think. It may look bad right now, but don't forget who he is." And don't forget who his parents are.

"I guess you're right." Giving a tired smile to his best friend,he made a small movement with his hand, signalling him to go ahead. "I'm coming right now."

"That's good." Preparing himself to leave the room, he stood for a few seconds at the doorway, taking note of Gohan's overall appearance: head down, eyes glazed over, face haunted, shoulder down, entire body hunched toward the still form in the bed. Krillin's death had affected him more than even he realised. Things were not going to be fine for him for quite a while.

Giving a small, "Don't stay there too long." He waited to see if he was going to have a reaction, but after the lack of answer, he left him alone with his thoughts.

Gohan was so lost in thoughts that he didn't even notice nor hear his last word. His eyes were not even seeing the body, in front of his eyes, Krillin's body and Mirai Trunks's body were slowly merging together. After that, it was the voices some time merging together, muffled as if they were from a great distance; other time separated them and now they were frightly clear, both yelling for help, pleading with him to lend a helping hand. The blue eyes of MiraiTrunks, blurred by unshed tears, were soon replaced with Krillin's black eyes, full of pain. Then different black eyes came forth, softer, wider, more determined, like Videl's eyes. Videl… Taken aback as the visage of his wife came unto Mirai Trunks's face, he shook his head to clear it from his vision.

I really hope he's right; I can't stop worrying for him, and for some strange reason for my family. I hope you are all right, Videl, and you too, Pan.

Passing his hand through his hair for the last time, he went into the room.

When he came in the main room, Piccolo was standing, leaning on the wall facing the door, his very stance a testament to his anxiety even if his face showed nothing. Gohan, for himself, decided to sit down. For a while, nothing was said, the atmosphere heavy and choking. Piccolo kept watching Gohan, trying to see if he was there with him, but he was just starring blankly at his hand. Obviously wherever his mind was at this moment, he hadn't come back yet.

Finally, he had enough. "Vegeta told us that Trunks was SSJ-3 and that the new enemy he felt was stronger than all of us." Piccolo's succinct summary tore Gohan out of his trance. He looked at Piccolo to see what he was going to say next, but seeing that he had stopped talking and gave no indication that he was going to continue, he decided that he really needed to focus. Taking a big breath, he fixed his head on his mentor, his face finally clear. He was ready, or as ready as he was going to be.

"What do you think he wants, Piccolo? Do you think he's like the androids and he just wants to destroy the earth, or does he have another purpose?" That's not what he really wanted to ask, but he couldn't bring himself to really ask what was bothering him.

That was when the wave of energy flooded into the room: Goku turned into SSJ-1. They automatically tensed, all senses in alert, but when they didn't sense Vegeta do the same, they settled. Everything was all right.

Gohan gulped, trying to keep the conversation, even though he just wanted to roll over and die. "Do - do you think he's the one who put the earth in this state and makes all the holes appear?" He must have found the body now. Daddy, I'm so sorry…

"I really don't know, Gohan, but somehow I don't think this enemy is the one responsible for the state the earth is in." Kami, I hope he doesn't take it too hard…

Remembering their earlier discussion about why the earth was like that, Gohan couldn't help but shudder, removing his mind from his father ordeal. "So you really believe that the androids are the ones responsible for it, that for all this time, he was living in that kind of environment?"

"Yes."

"That so sad." He could only shiver. "Trunks looked so broken. He had being living like that all this time, then this, this, monsters came along, and yet again his world is destroyed and yet again he is forced into battle…" then something struck his mind. "Piccolo, why to do you thinks he's still alive? When we saw him, he looked totally beaten up…" He couldn't find a way to finish the sentence. The thought only make him sick.

But Piccolo was only giving on hears to the situation, his mind somewhere else. "I think he wanted to toy with him a little bit." There's something wrong, something that we forgot…

"Toyed with him? You are not serious." Gohan was aghast.

"Hum?" Seeing his expression, he forced himself to think about the question and his answers. "Yes, there is no way he would have lived otherwise. Just look at his wounds. I mean, his legs were broken! And let's not forget his spine; with the power this enemy possesses, the battle wouldn't have lasted long enough to cause this kind of wound. He just would have blasted him away." Something to do with the enemy, something to do with what Vegeta told us…

Goku turned into SSJ-2. Piccolo raised his head, seeing he didn't notice it, he almost make Gohan aware of that, (that was the kind of distraction that got you killed), but didn't. Right now, he didn't need that.

"Piccolo do you…huh...do you really believe that it has eaten Bulma and Krillin?" Gohan's tone was so low that only the Namekian good hearing let him hear the question and the change of subject surprised him.

"That's a response that only Trunks will be able to give you." I really hope not!

They said nothing for a while.

Piccolo felt Goku turn into SSJ-3; with a little smirk, he could see Gohan frown unconsciously, even if he was not aware of it, him to have felt his dad. But he was way too deep in thought to have noticed it.

"I'm going to miss Krillin." Gohan looked Piccolo right in the eye. "Piccolo, tell me the truth, is there…?"

Piccolo shook his head. "No. Krillin cannot be revived, at least not by Shenlon or by Porunga. If we want to revive him, we will have to find another way." Something to do with its ki…

"Father must be crushed right about now." Father just wanted him to get his mind off 18 and Marron, and now he is dead…

"Yes, and to think that Trunks had seen everybody he knows leave him that way, one after the other." That was when it hit him. Since they came here, they didn't sense any strong ki. They didn't sense anything. We should have sensed this new enemy as soon as we landed…

Gohan looked horrified at his mentor. "Piccolo! That just…"

Goku reached SSJ-4 and this time Gohan felt all the power hit him full force.

Perfect! Now Goku just went berserk on us.

"Papa!" Gohan was totally panicked.

His mind still on his new discovery, he waved at Gohan with the back of his hand. "Don't worry; he is with Vegeta." Maybe Trunks hurt him badly…but I doubt it.

"I know that, that's why I'm worried! The last thing we want his for them to start fighting each other! Vegeta has not been himself lately, you know!" Gohan was ready to bolt any second to save his father.

Piccolo sighed. "Gohan, calm down. Even if Vegeta went mad on us, Goku is there to put him in his place." I really hope this monster cannot hide his ki, or else it's going to be hell to fight it.

"Piccolo! If he takes his anger out on him, he really could hurt Vegeta!" He knew perfectly that would never happen, but he just couldn't believe that Piccolo was so calm. So damn indifferent.

Finally, Piccolo decided to pay a little bit more attention to the rapidly panicking half-Saiyan. "Who's going to complain?"

"Picco~lo!"

"Look, Goku has just powered down. With any luck, they have knocked themselves out."

"Piccolo!!!"

"Look kid, right now I think the best person here to help your father is right next to him."

"You're sure?"

"Positive. I mean, we are talking about Vegeta here; he has seen much worse, I'm sure, and probably done most of those things himself, and besides, he was raised by Frieza…"

At that, he had to pause to think about it for a while. What Piccolo said explained a lot and yet left a lot to guesses and supposition. 'Raised by Frieza', what did that mean for a proud Saiyan prince to be raised by a man…..huh, a … changeling…huh, by Frieza, who believed that he was just another kind of monkey? And, he couldn't stop thinking about Frieza calling the prince pet. However, now they had a problem much more important: what was bothering Vegeta lately?

"Piccolo, what happened to Vegeta? Trunks told me that he practically lived in the gravity room now. Last time, he told me that his father stayed two full days in there." Vegeta had been so friendly…Well, maybe not friendly, but for a while he looked more like a Z fighter than someone who's stuck in a asylum and desperately wants to escape.

"He's losing control."

"Losing control…" Vegeta? Losing control? I don't think those words belong in the same phrase!

His eyes fixed on an invisible point behind Gohan, he took a few minutes to think before he give his answers. "Yes. Losing control. I always believed that Vegeta changed from his evil ways a little too fast and his adaptation to the human way has been much too easy." No way could he have passed from destroying solar systems for money to going to parties with Bulma that quickly.

" ? "

Piccolo nodded firmly his head to an astonished Gohan, as if he was agreeing to his own words, pressing his point. "He was probably pushing all his emotions down all this time. Now that something happened, Vegeta is a man with a lot of anger in him. He must have had complete control over himself before, but it has probably eroded after all those years on earth, and now he can no longer hold it inside. We have not seen the last of Vegeta."

"And not the last of this new enemy, either." The voice startled Gohan to death, but Piccolo was unfazed; he new he was there. What he said was as much a warning as an explication. Too bad the warning went unnoticed by the one he wanted to hear it. Gohan was a sweet kid, but really!

"Vegeta, you're back." Then, looking around him, Gohan asked, "Where is my father?" He was trying to change the subject; he didn't want to irritate Vegeta more.

"I'm right here, son, don't worry about me. I'm alright." Goku smiled at his oldest son. Vegeta is right in his own way; people are counting on me to be strong.

"Well, the family reunion is finished. We have important things to discuss." A warrior must always stay focused and think strategically. Killing the Namek will not be productive; we may need bait later.

Taking his place next to Gohan, Goku left the other place for Vegeta, who decided to stay standing instead.

"We have to know who did this." The sooner we deal with this thing, the sooner we can go back.

"For that, I think you will need me." Everybody turned around to face the voice. Trunks was walking toward them. He was wearing his bloodstained pants and wristband, and nothing else. His face was ashy and gaunt, his entire body scared by thousand battles he barely won, but his eye…it was the blue of a electricity going afire; it was the blue of the ice frozen for age unknown; it was the blue of the artic sky. Gohan had to purposely remove is eye from his when he saw that Trunks was saying something else. "The one responsible for all those things is the Medusa." His voice held no emotion whatsoever.

"Trunks, are you alright?" Gohan was worried. If before he had some doubt, now he had the proof that this was not the same man he knew before.

"Yeah, I'm alright."

I really doubt that. Piccolo wasn't fooled, and neither was Gohan

Gohan decided to approach the matter another way. He remembered the young man when he came in the past. He just had to keep him talking and put his focus on something else. The young half-Saiyan had the ability to focus on something with such intensity that it was frightening, something he inherited from his father. But by what he had heard, for the last few weeks, he only had death and suffering to rely on. He just has to put his mind on something else. This is not a solution to Trunks's problem, but at least it's going to make him talk normally again.

"Trunks, what's the thing with the new enemy? Tell us about it." His solicitous tone received a warm smile from Goku, but suspicious frown from Vegeta and Piccolo. They were few things you hide from them.

For a moment, nobody said anything. Then Trunks began speaking. They all thought that the tale would have been gruesome and sad, but strangely, he kept the story short and just kept the details that were useful to them. Concise and precise: that was Trunks's story.

"Medusa, that is its name. His level of intelligence is very basic; I never heard him speak in entire sentences. Well, not when he is himself. That makes me believe that he his controlled by someone. Where he came from, I have no idea, but his only goals are to eat, destroy, and everything in between. When he came, he began to kill everything in sight." For a moment, he paused, and Gohan was hanging on his every word; there was no feeling in his words, nothing. He could have been talking about the weather or reciting a grocery list for the amount of emotion he put in his tales.

"As for his appearance, his first form is a black mist. He travels like this, which is why you cannot sense a specific ki. Then he can change form at will, but he seems to have a liking for humanoid forms. He can take any shape he wants, but one thing remains, and it's the snake. When he is himself, he has a bed of snakes in his hair that seems to pass for his hair." There Trunks just looked at the ceiling, seeming to think about something

"As for his power, he is extremely powerful, more powerful than me. Much more powerful. I wasn't even in his league."

No one said a word, but at least Gohan noted that Trunks now seemed like his old self.

"I tried to fight him, but he's just too strong; it seemed as if my blast didn't do anything to him. I have used all the tricks I know and nothing worked." Trunks looked so frustrated that Goku just wanted to help him, to try to find a way so that things could be all right for him again.

"What did you do?" Goku was wondering. In the years they have fought the dozens of enemies they have come across, they have developed thousands of new attacks; maybe they would be able to find one that he was vulnerable to.

"Well, in my last battle, I powered up to SSJ-3 and even further. I have power up to the fullest if I have sacrificed my speed. I put both hands just between his eyes and blasted a spirit bomb right at him and ..."

"What?!" Everyone was shocked. Goku was the most shocked of them all, although Vegeta seemed more annoyed than anything.

"It's impossible, you can't do that." Goku didn't believe it.

"I can't do what?" Trunks was confused now; did he use the spirit bomb the wrong way? He made sure to listen to Gohan when he was describing the spirit bomb, and he did exactly the same thing.

"You cannot use the spirit bomb while you are in SSJ mode; you have to be focused and calm." Goku remembered the hard time he had to calm himself before using it, even if at that time he couldn't even reach SSJ! And Kami knows, Trunks was not the calmest Saiyan around when he was powered up; he was even worse than Vegeta.

"Really? So that's why Gohan never used it when he was in SSJ." But Trunks's voice held no inflection. He had used the technique right, and it did not work; that was the only thing that mattered. So what if he had to use all his willpower not to destroy the earth while he was using it? He was utterly unconcerned by what Goku was telling him. And to tell the truth, so were Piccolo and Vegeta, but for different reasons.

Black mist, that's why we didn't sense him.Black mist… that doesn't sound good. And I have a feeling it doesn't look good either.

"What was the result of the attack?" Vegeta was really curious to see the result of this attack; he had seen it many times in his lifetime, and once it was actually directed at him. What could this kind of attack at such close range do to Medusa?

"He didn't flinch."

"….."

"That's impossible!Maybe the spirit bomb was not strong enough. The earth doesn't seem to hold a lot of life energy, and it does seem that the attack takes a lot from the earth." Gohan was trying to find some excuse; what Trunks was telling them was just not possible.

"I didn't take any energy from the earth. It was too fragile for that. I used the energy from the entire cosmos." But then I suppose with all the damage done by the other monsters, the surrounding planet didn't have a huge amount of energy left. But he didn't say it aloud. The result would have been the same. He couldn't have afforded to use more energy unless he wanted to created a total break down.

"So what you are telling me is that this Medusa is not the one responsible for the state the earth is in?"

"Oh that? No, the earth was already like that," responded Trunks casually.

After this declaration, all the Z fighters had questions; however, before they could continue this conversation, they heard a noise.

"He's attacking." Trunks didn't have to say who.

"We are going to attack all at once," said Piccolo, trying to muster a plan, but he was cut off by Trunks getting off his chair and going toward Goku's room.

"I'm going to the bathroom. You don't have to wait for me." Everybody looked surprised at the young Saiyan.

"You are going to miss all the fun, Trunks." Goku was trying to be cheerful, but it was difficult when a powerful enemy came and your friend decided to wait a little longer to go to the bathroom.

"Frankly, Goku I will be back beside you and none of you would even find him." Then he disappeared.

The four of them looked at each other. "We better keep an eye on him."

However, when they went outside, they understood what Trunks meant by it.

They couldn't see the Medusa, and the truth was, they couldn't see anything else either. It was pitch black. The Z fighters couldn't even see their own bodies.

Then the light came back, all the Z fighters wished they were still in the dark. As for Goku, for the first time in his life, he wished he did not have to fight. Because when Trunks described the monster, he obviously forgot to mention one little bit of information. The information concerning the Medusa's choice for humanoid form, and this form was one that Goku and Gohan knew very well. For this battle, the Medusa chose a familiar form.

And this form was Chichi.

"I was wrong; you found him before me. Or her, in this case."