Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Blinded ❯ A Little Fun and Conversation In Hell (HFIL) ( Chapter 11 )

A Little Fun and A Conversation in Hell (HFIL)

As the whiteness in his mind began to fade, Vegeta could feel that he was in a different place, and it wasn't Earth. Taking inventory, he found that he had a body and was standing on something solid with Gohan standing next to him. Then Gohan spoke.

"You can open your eyes now Vegeta. You will be able to see where we are."

Vegeta slowly opened his eyes. They were standing on top of a cliff and right below was land that looked remarkably like earth - if you discounted the red lake in the middle. Vegeta looked up and discovered a sky full of golden clouds. Actually, the sky was the golden clouds. Vegeta couldn't see past any of them to catch a glimpse of actual sky. Looking down once again, he saw several caves on the far side of the lake. Turning to look at Gohan he spoke with a hint of impatience.

"Well boy, are we going or not?"

Gohan chuckled as he noticed the impatience.

"Well actually, I need to tell you a few things first. First off, don't fly up too high or you'll hit the barrier that keeps everyone in hell. Second, we'll be going to visit and torment some people before we go visit your father and my Grandfather."

Gohan got an evil grin on his face as he continued.

"I think you will enjoy this. Some of our favorite people are imprisoned in a cave a little ways away, and I'm allowed to visit them anytime I want. Want to know who it is?"

Vegeta was curious - the brat actually had an evil streak! He couldn't believe that good little Gohan was actually going to torment someone.

"Alright brat, tell me."

"I told you the first time I visited here I got to see Cell in a cage, right? Well guess who was in a cage with him. All in all there were fourteen of our favorite villains in there: Cell, Frieza, King Cold, Cooler, Raditz, Nappa, Dr. Gero and that weird android, Turles, and the Ginyu Force. Since then six more have arrived: Brolli, Bojack, and the Spice boys. The first time I was there, Frieza pissed me off by calling me a monkey, so I brought to his attention the fact that a demi Saiyan - or a full Saiyan - has destroyed every major villain in the north quadrant, and that really pissed off everyone in the cell. So every time I come here, I make it my personal goal to make them as angry as possible."

Vegeta began laughing as he heard the part about making it a goal to piss them off.

"I really didn't think you had it in you boy! I would've thought you would be like your father and offer them compassion and try to reform them."

Gohan's face turned stony at the mention of Goku, and his voice was cold as he replied.

"Well, I'm not my father Vegeta, and I wouldn't mistake me with him - you might find yourself sorely disappointed."

Vegeta stopped laughing for a minute and regarded Gohan thoughtfully before turning to look over the cliff once more.

"So will we be leaving any time soon, brat?"

Gohan's smirk returned and he jumped off the cliff, flying towards the farthest shore of the lake where a lone cave sat. Vegeta cursed and took off after him. As they got closer, Gohan called back to Vegeta.

"Lower your ki so that they won't sense you. I want it to be even more of an unpleasant surprise."

Vegeta reluctantly lowered his ki, deciding the prospect of pissing off Frieza was more important than refusing to take orders from a half-breed. Gohan touched down behind a cave and waited for Vegeta to do the same. A couple minutes later an Ogre dressed in a hell t-shirt came up to them.

"Hi Gohan, back again I see. They were mad for three days the last time you came! I see you finally brought someone with you."

Gohan just smiled in the direction of the Ogre's voice as he replied.

"Hi George. I guess the record is three days now, huh? Well, this time should really piss them off even more. Do you have the stuff I asked for?"

George fumbled around in his pocket for a minute before producing a bunch of bananas and placing them in Gohan's outstretched palm.

"Just like you asked for Gohan. You know, I've been hearing that a couple of the Kais and King Yemma have been watching some of the times you come and that they think its absolutely hilarious."

Gohan's grin got even bigger.

"You would be right George. Last time I talked to Grand Kai, he told me he'd watched the last time I was here and was rolling off his seat with laughter. I have his authorization to continue this as long as I want. But we had better get down to business George; we wouldn't want to keep them waiting, would we?"

Saying that, he began walking towards the front of the cave with the bananas, motioning for Vegeta to stay back out of sight. As Gohan got to the front of the cave, a voice penetrated the silence.

"Well, well - the brat is back."

Vegeta recognized the voice as Cell's, and started to get a little pissed as he remembered what had happened at the Cell games. Then another voice broke the silence. This one had a very cold quality to it.

"Well, the little monkey is back to annoy us once again, I see."

Vegeta would have recognized that voice anywhere. It was Frieza, the bane of Vegeta's existence for so many years of his life. Vegeta's ki began to slowly rise as he thought about everything Frieza had done. But his thoughts were suddenly interrupted.

//Dammit Vegeta, you're going to make me lose focus if you keep doing that! I told you to keep your ki down and not to raise it without telling me. //

Gohan's mind voice was just a little pissed as he admonished the Saiyan Prince. Vegeta growled to himself, but didn't really feel like taking chances with his mind, so he lowered his ki. Gohan's mind voice gave a chuckle as he continued.

//Besides Vegeta - do you want to ruin all the fun before it's even started? Have a little patience. It'll be worth it; I promise. //

Cutting off his link with Vegeta's mind, Gohan turned his attention back to the occupants of the cell.

"Aww, come on Frieza! Just because I like to have an occasional conversation with you guys and you take offense at some of my remarks doesn't mean that I come here to deliberately annoy you! That wouldn't be very nice of me."

Gohan put on his best `I'm innocent' face as he spoke, lending effectiveness to his statements. When Gohan wants to look innocent, he can do so very well, and anyone who doesn't really know him will believe it. This made it very hard for the villains in the cage when he used it, because they could never tell if he was being truthful or not. Cell gave a snort as he spoke.

"Don't even try to pull that on us boy. Besides - I finally figured out your little riddle."

Gohan cocked his head to the side as he looked in the direction of Cell's voice. Meanwhile Vegeta was wondering what the hell they were talking about. What riddle? What the hell was Cell talking about?

"Well lets see if you get it right this time Cell. Kami knows after as many guesses as you've had you should get it right sooner or later - or did Frieza figure it out for you?"

Cell sputtered a denial, but it was clear that Gohan's guess was right.

"So what if he did help, brat, we still figured it out. When I threatened revenge on you the first time you came here, you said I'd already gotten my revenge. I couldn't figure it out then, but I have now."

Cell was interrupted by Frieza's voice.

"What he wants to say, monkey boy, is that we've figured out you're blind."

Gohan put his hands on the sides of his cheeks in mock horror.

"Oh no! You figured it out! What am I to do?"

He took his hands down and began laughing.

"To bad you idiots didn't realize it sooner or you might have actually had a little advantage over me. I can't believe it actually took you guys almost a year to figure it out! That is really pathetic. Besides - in a way you did me a favor. By blinding me you made me realize the powers that give me the ability to come here and torment you! By the way, I almost forgot - I brought you a present Frieza. One that I think you'll really like."

He gestured for Vegeta to come forward from behind the cave. Vegeta almost missed the signal because he was too busy laughing his head off mentally over the fact that it'd taken Frieza and Cell so long to figure out that Gohan was blind. Vegeta walked to the front of the cave with his trademark smirk on his face, a wicked sense of anticipation, and iron control over his emotions. As soon as he got to the front of the cave he could see the bars holding the prisoners and Cell and Frieza who were right up against them. In the back of the cave sat all of the other people Gohan had mentioned. Vegeta felt a tremendous surge of satisfaction on seeing them there behind bars.

As he caught sight of Vegeta, Frieza's expression was absolutely priceless. Sheer terror and shock warred with each other for control over Frieza's face. Walking to stand beside Gohan, Vegeta's grin got an evil cast to it as he practically purred his greetings.

"Hello Frieza, long time no see. I've been doing great, hope you've been miserable. You know, I felt absolutely horrible when my son killed you the second time. I really wanted the opportunity myself, but oh well! At least it was someone of my bloodline."

He ended the statement with an infuriating smirk on his face as he watched Frieza go from shocked to outrage in about two seconds flat. Then Frieza threw back a retort.

"Stupid monkey! I killed you once and I'll do it again. Let me out of here and I'll put you where you belong!"

Vegeta just grinned.

"I may be a monkey, Frieza, but at least I'm not stuck in the zoo with the other animals."

He pointed behind Frieza to the other prisoners.

"Besides - you don't have half the strength it takes to beat me now. Didn't you hear from Cell that I'm a Super Saiyan as well? Watch how you speak to me, lizard."

Gohan, hearing the zoo crack, began laughing his head off and ended up falling down because the description totally fit the variety of creatures that were in the cell. He'd been waiting for a comment like that, and now was the perfect time to use the bananas George had given him. Getting to his feet, he held the bananas out to Vegeta.

"Hey Vegeta, I think its feeding time at the zoo."

Vegeta took the bananas from Gohan and, with a very evil grin, pulled the first one off the bunch. Faster than lightning, he chucked it at Frieza who, out of reflex, ki blasted the thing and made banana mush splatter all over his face. Immediately Vegeta sent the image to Gohan's mind. Both collapsed into gales of laughter at the sight of the former intergalactic tyrant with banana mush on his face. Vegeta was dying of laughter, but selected his next target with care.

All of a sudden, a banana came whizzing at the head of Captain Ginyu of the Ginyu Force. Again out of reflex, the banana was ki blasted, and this time it was Captain Ginyu with mush on his face. Gohan and Vegeta were reduced to helpless laughter once again as Vegeta sent Gohan the images in his mind. Dr. Gero, being the smart one, decided to end the game and try to ki blast the bananas before Vegeta could throw any more, only to be thwarted by the anti-ki cell bars which ricochet the beam around the cave - making everyone dance to keep out of its way. This antic made Vegeta and Gohan laugh even harder until soon they were gasping for breath and practically choking. The funniest person to see dancing out of the way of the ki beam was King Cold. He was so dammed big, he kept bumping into everyone else and knocking them down. Even though Gohan couldn't see it, the images Vegeta kept sending him were more than enough to imagine what was going on.

Finally someone had the bright idea of countering the beam to neutralize it, leaving twenty really pissed off beings panting in the cell. Vegeta and Gohan finally got themselves under control enough to talk. Vegeta was still snickering as he spoke.

"That was the funniest dammed thing I've seen in a while brat, but who should be next? It's your turn to pick."

Gohan grinned his evil grin, which was almost as bad as Vegeta's, as he thought over the candidates. One name really popped into his mind: Raditz. After all, Raditz was the one that started everything bad in his life, so why not? Gohan mentally replied to Vegeta, and Vegeta picked up the next to last banana, chucking it straight at Raditz's head. Raditz, being somewhat intelligent after watching the other two banana disasters, held out his hand to catch it, but was foiled when a ki beam from Gohan made the banana explode just before it reached his hand. Poor Raditz ended up with banana mush on his face as well as his hand. After they calmed down from their latest bout of laughter, Gohan turned his head towards Vegeta and spoke.

"Well, this has been fun Vegeta, but we need to get going if we're going to visit those whom we actually came here to see."

Vegeta grunted a yes, stood up off the ground, and began dusting himself off. Gohan stood up as well and did like wise. Finally done, both Saiyans turned back towards the prisoners in the cage. Gohan gave a little wave and called out his farewell.

"It was nice seeing you guys again! I'll be back soon so see you again."

With that, Gohan took to the air. Vegeta just grinned evilly at Frieza once more, then took off after Gohan. As he caught up to Gohan, Vegeta began laughing again.

"Boy, you just made me proud. I never knew you had an evil side! That was one of the funniest things I've ever seen."

Gohan just grinned and continued flying, but secretly he was pleased that Vegeta had enjoyed that part. He could feel Bardock and King Vegeta's kis up ahead, and relayed this information to Vegeta.

"Grandfather and your father are just a little ways ahead - we should be there in about ten minutes. Once we get there, I'm not going to talk to you or listen in on the conversation between you and your dad, so you might not feel me in your mind, ok? I'll be setting up a barrier, but make sure you tell me before you turn Super, and only hold it for one minute."

Vegeta just grunted in understanding as they flew on. Meanwhile, pacing in front of their cave, King Vegeta and Bardock were watching for Gohan and Vegeta. The King would never admit it, but he was nervous about seeing his son again. Bardock sighed in exasperation as he watched his King pace. He was sure that Vegeta would be as happy to see his father as King Vegeta was, but his words had fallen on deaf ears all day. Bardock's musings were interrupted by his King's voice.

"Why aren't they here yet, Bardock? I thought Gohan wasn't making any stops in Otherworld this time! What could be keeping them?"

Bardock sighed again - he'd already answered those questions earlier that morning.

"If you remember, sire, Gohan had planned to stop by Frieza's cell first so that Vegeta could

have some fun. They should be here momentarily. I can sense their kis coming this way."

One of the many things Bardock and King Vegeta had learned from talking to Gohan was how to sense ki without a scouter. Both of the older Saiyans had picked it up almost immediately, and they were now proficient in the technique. King Vegeta stopped his pacing for a minute as he searched for Gohan's ki. Finding that Bardock was right and that they were indeed coming - and would be there in a minute - King Vegeta continued his pacing. A few moments later, Bardock pointed at something in the air.

"Sire, I can just make them out in the distance."

King Vegeta looked up and squinted his eyes. Far away he could see two dots flying towards them. The dots got steadily closer until the king could make out Gohan and, next to him, a man dressed in a Saiyan training uniform with flame styled hair not unlike King Vegeta's own hair. The two sped through the air towards the adult Saiyans and touched down a couple feet away. Gohan walked over to Bardock and the two clasped hands and gave a brief hug. Gohan then turned to King Vegeta and spoke.

"Sorry we took so long - we had a little too much fun with Frieza and the others in the cell. Anyways, Bardock and I are going to be talking way over there."

He pointed to a tree far away from the cave, then turned towards Vegeta.

"Just remember what I told you, Vegeta, and I'll warn you a little while before we have to leave."

With that, Bardock and Gohan took off for the tree, leaving King Vegeta and Vegeta staring at each other. Vegeta was in his usual stance; back straight, chin up and arms crossed over his chest. The only thing that was missing was his usual scowl. Instead, his face was adorned with a neutral expression. King Vegeta stood in military rest with his back straight and arms behind his back at his waist. His expression was similar to Vegeta's - when you looked at the two of them together, there was no question about paternity. King Vegeta cleared his throat and made the first move.

"So son, do I even get a handshake or a hug?"

Vegeta's lips quirked up at the corners as he responded.

"Well father, since the brat can't watch, why not? After all, if he can't see it then he can't tell anyone and ruin my reputation."

King Vegeta grinned and the two men moved forward to clasp hands and exchange a brief embrace, much like Bardock and Gohan had done earlier. Pulling away, King Vegeta left one hand on his son's shoulder as he spoke.

"Well boy, why don't you tell me everything that has happened with your life? You certainly have grown up I see. I tried to squeeze some details out of Bardock's grandson, but he said he wasn't sure what you'd want to tell me, so he only skimmed over the broader details, starting from when he first met you."

Vegeta gave a mental sigh of relief. He had wondered what Gohan had told his father about him, and was relieved that the brat had decided to leave it at the bare minimum: he didn't particularly want someone else telling his life story to his father. Vegeta looked at his father as he responded.

"I will tell you, but we better sit down; it may take a while. And you can tell me how in the hell you ended up being friends with my rival's father."

King Vegeta just grinned and motioned over to two rocks just inside the entrance to his and Bardock's cave. The two men walked over, sat down, and began talking. Meanwhile, underneath the tree far away from the two Vegetas, Gohan and Bardock had decided to meditate. Hearing a tiny noise, Bardock opened his eyes and looked at his grandson. Gohan looked as if someone had dumped a bucket of water over him. He had sweat running in beads down his face and soaking into his shirt below where two dark patches on his chest and back were rapidly spreading.

"Gohan, what's wrong? Why are you sweating so much?"

"It's a little more difficult and draining to keep two people in the Otherworld, and have them both think and act independently. Plus I have to concentrate on keeping a barrier between Vegeta's mind and mine so I don't overhear their conversation. It's a lot harder when we're far apart, but I'll be fine for a bit longer, so there isn't any reason to worry. I just want to keep meditating to help with my focus."

All this was said with gritted teeth as Gohan replied to his grandfather's questions. Meanwhile King Vegeta and Vegeta were talking about something totally different. Vegeta had managed to tell his father most of his life story up to this point, but was now going over some of the finer details. As he described to his father the feeling of going Super Saiyan for the first time, King Vegeta asked a question.

"Can you show me, Vegeta?"

"Yes father, but we need to be outside so I don't blow up your cave, and I need to warn the brat."

As they walked outside, Vegeta sent a mental message to Gohan.

//Hey brat, can you hear me? I'm going to go Super, so get ready. //

//Sure Vegeta, I'm ready whenever you are. //

Gohan's mind voice sounded a little tired, but Vegeta just dismissed it as the telepathy distorting it and finished walking outside. Once outside, Vegeta moved a little ways away from the cave and began to power up, the shockwaves from his power pushing his father back a little. Finally, with a fierce yell, Vegeta transformed into all of his golden glory while his father and Bardock looked on in amazement. In all the times Gohan had been visiting them, King Vegeta and Bardock had never seen him transform, so they had no idea what a Super Saiyan really looked like. As King Vegeta stared at his son with pride and awe, Bardock turned his attention back to Gohan who was now panting slightly and sweating even more. Vegeta powered down with his hair and eyes returning to normal, and Gohan stopped panting, and returned to gritting his teeth while meditating.

Vegeta and King Vegeta returned to the cave to continue their conversation. Bardock, after one more look at his grandson's sweating figure, returned to his meditation. Already Gohan and Vegeta had been in Hell for an hour. Another hour and a half passed with Vegeta and King Vegeta talking in the cave, while Bardock and Gohan meditated outside. Gohan was steadily getting worse. You could see the strain on his face, and the sweat was literally pouring off of him. Realizing that he wouldn't be able to keep them there much longer, he sent a warning to Vegeta.

//Vegeta, we only have a half an hour left before we absolutely have to leave. //

//All right brat. //

Vegeta turned to his father.

"The brat just told me that we have to leave in half an hour at the latest."

King Vegeta looked over at Gohan sitting under the tree, then back at Vegeta before speaking.

"You know Vegeta, you should be extremely proud of that boy. He doesn't really talk in detail about himself or his life - he tends to just gloss over stuff and give a general view - but from what I've picked up, he hasn't exactly had the greatest life. Did you know that he wasn't even supposed to be a warrior? That his mother wanted him to be a scholar, but Raditz went to earth and everything changed for him? He didn't go into any detail, but I could tell that he'd been a real baby back then. For him to make as much progress as he has is truly astounding. He is a true Saiyan, Vegeta, only a Saiyan could do what he has and still be sane. He has no one except that green person he talks about and you to look to for guidance. Don't tell Bardock this, but from what I can tell, Kakarrot may have been a great fighter, but he wasn't exactly the greatest parent. The boy doesn't say so but it's in his voice and expressions."

Vegeta didn't know what to say. He had never bothered to figure out what happened with Gohan's life before his own fight with him. He'd figured that the boy had been training all his life, just like Kakarrot had. Sure he had heard about Raditz kidnapping the kid, but he had put that up to Raditz just being stronger. Looking deep inside himself, he found under all the jealousy and anger, that he actually was proud of the bratling. After all, the boy was Saiyan, and had managed to surpass everyone before he'd even reached adulthood. He had also managed to face down villains ten times as worse than Frieza and still keep his compassion and feelings, let alone his sanity. Finished with his musings, Vegeta looked over at his father, who was watching him with a knowing look.

"I am proud of the boy, even though it is buried under other things. I may not express it, father, but it is there."

King Vegeta reached out and clapped a hand on his son's shoulder.

"As long as you acknowledge it to yourself, my son. Maybe in time you'll be able to say it to him. Just like maybe, in time, you'll be able to actually tell your mate you love her. All it will take is time, Vegeta. No one can change their personality, but you can change some of your mannerisms. Think about it son. By the way - cut the third class crap, Vegeta. Bardock was long ago instated as an elite, as was Gohan the third time he came here. If his younger brother shows the same potential, then he should be ranked accordingly as well."

Vegeta's face fell. It was his favorite insult to use against any of Kakarrot's blood - and Kakarrot himself - and now he was deprived of it by his own father, no less! King Vegeta just laughed at Vegeta's crestfallen face. He knew from Gohan's stories that it had been his son's favorite insult. Catching sight of clock on his wall King Vegeta saw that twenty minutes had passed since Gohan had warned Vegeta. The King was frustrated; he wanted more time with his son, but knew it wasn't possible. Feeling desperate, he started asking all the questions he had left. Vegeta looked startled for a minute, then responded readily.

Under the tree where Gohan and Bardock were sitting, Gohan was in the worst shape that Bardock had ever seen him. His shirt was absolutely drenched in sweat, while still more rolled off any part of skin visible. Gohan's face was scrunched up with pain, and his teeth were gritted. Every few seconds his body would shake with small tremors. Bardock wanted to help him somehow, but was afraid to touch him for fear of making him lose his focus. So he just sat there, helplessly watching his grandson and hoping that he would be ok. Just then Gohan spoke, startling the warrior.

"Grandfather, would you please go get Vegeta and King Vegeta and bring them over here? I'm not able to move from this spot and still keep my focus. I also need Vegeta near me so I can bring us both back to our bodies, and I don't want to use what's left of my energy to mentally tell him."

The words sounded as if they were forced out painfully, and Bardock just stared in concern at Gohan for a moment before getting to his feet and replying.

"Ok Gohan, I'll be back soon."

With that, he blasted off to the cave and disappeared inside. A few moments later he emerged with King Vegeta and Vegeta. All three warriors lifted into the air and flew over to Gohan. Touching down, Vegeta and King Vegeta caught sight of Gohan and were a little surprised that the boy looked so bad. Sensing them nearby, Gohan began to speak.

"Vegeta. You and King Vegeta had better say goodbyes now. We have less than five minutes before I won't be able to get us back anymore. When you are done, come sit next to me and have your knee touch mine."

The words were slow, measured, and filled with strain. King Vegeta and Vegeta briefly embraced and said their goodbyes.

"Bye my son, maybe I will be able to see you some other time - Preferably before you are eligible for my current surroundings."

"Train hard, father, and we'll spar some day."

Finished, Vegeta sat down next to Gohan with his knee touching the young demi Saiyan. As soon as Vegeta's knee touched his, Gohan began speaking mind to mind with Vegeta.

//Vegeta, the trip back is going to be a little fast, so you might have a little headache when we get back. My apologies if you do. //

With that, Gohan once again tightened his grip around Vegeta's mind and searched for his and Vegeta's bodies. Finding them, he gathered what energy he had left and sent their minds hurtling back. Vegeta's mind was suddenly filled with that blank whiteness once again, and then, just as suddenly, his mind landed none to gently back in his body. In front of him he could tell Gohan's had done the same. Opening his eyes, he found he had a slight headache, but the sight that greeted him was far worse. Gohan's body was swaying unsteadily, and his skin color was pale, tinged with gray. Gohan opened his useless eyes and looked in Vegeta's direction.

"Did you like your birthday present Vegeta?"

He managed to get out that one sentence before falling forward onto Vegeta and passing out. Vegeta picked Gohan up out of his lap to examine the boy. Gohan's ki energy was extremely low, almost to the point of death, and physically he did look like death. Making a quick decision, Vegeta put the unconscious boy on the bed and took one of his gloves off. Shaking the glove a Sensu bean fell out and, after putting the glove back on, he put the bean in Gohan's mouth and forced the boy to chew it.

After Gohan had swallowed the bean, his ki level returned to more acceptable levels and the gray left the boy's skin. However, Gohan still looked like shit. His skin was still very pale, his hair all matted with sweat, and his shirt actually dripping. Vegeta looked on in disgust for a minute before moving forward and stripping the boy down to his boxers and throwing the sweaty clothes in a corner of the room. Tossing a blanket over Gohan, he found a chair and sat down in it, determined to be there when the boy woke up. Vegeta definitely had a few questions to ask.

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