Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ Retaliation; the Trouble Inside ❯ Brother vs Brother ( Chapter 15 )

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters in Dragon Ball Z or GT. Akira Toriyama created them and Toei Animation Co. licenses them. This is fan fiction!

For the person who wanted more Uub Pan, here we go. Please be patient, because you'll enjoy the chapter after this one. But what's about to happen needs this to happen first…

***

Varying fluctuations in power rippled across the landscape. For those who could sense the changes in ki, it was a momentary absence followed by a bright flare. Almost like seeing one light fizzle out only to recover itself among many in a flashing sign.

Far away, Uub frowned. Something superimposed upon the ki flair, and he recognized the absence. In its place, he swore he could almost smell a hint of spiritual energy. Of all the senses he had received from his predecessor the ability to sense Majin energy was rarely used. Yet he caught a full blast of it and shivered.

“I don't like it,” Uub mumbled when it winked out. He realized he had felt that surge before. Around the time that he had caught a possessed Trunks chasing Pan.

Again, he reached out to register all the kis within the nearby radius. Fifty miles to the west, he sensed the bright twinkle of Gohan and Goten sparring in the remote mountain wasteland. Another narrowed glance in the direction of the ocean flickered moderately, indicating Krillin, next to a smaller one that he recognized as Master Roshi's ki. All the afternoon he had distantly `viewed' the varying pinpoints telling the ki volleys exchanged between Gohan and Goten. He had even sensed the sudden winking out of two kis in Capsule. It disturbed him greatly because they seemed to have drastically changed or swapped places.

Goku and Chichi were most likely engaged in activities, the thoughts of which caused a blush to spread across his tanned cheeks. It had abated not long ago, and he sensed the rise in Chichi's reasonably bright ki. Even Pan's distinctive ki glimmered from her bedroom where she napped after an exhausting afternoon. ON the level below it registered the life force of Videl, equal in magnitude to Chichi. They had all eaten dinner in strained silence, all afraid to breach the subject of what had transpired.

Someone had to investigate, and Uub designated himself silently. Slowly he levitated upwards; until he saw the houses of the Son family compound shrink to the size of overturned soup bowls. Another pulse of ki surged blindingly bright. Wheeling around Uub pinpointed the source; the mountains, at least fifty miles away. Hadn't Gohan and Goten traveled there to train, he wondered.

Ki suddenly flared at his side, and he did not have to turn his head to look at whose it was. Rather the deep feral voice of his teacher broke the silence. Worry creasing his brow, Uub muttered, “You felt it too, didn't you?”

“Yeah,” Son Goku answered. Now Uub tuned his head slightly to peer at his mentor over one shoulder, watching him knot the sash that held up his pants. A healthy blush still covered his features, causing a wave of embarrassment to flood over the young pupil when he guessed where Goku had just come from. It explained the gleam of sweat coating Goku's muscular body.

“It wasn't ki, it was something worse,” Uub said, frowning.

“I felt Vegeta and Trunks ki, and then another all of a sudden. Not as strong as Vegeta's, but it's as if two kis are merging into one source,” Goku squinted, shielding his eyes with his palm.

“What happened?” Uub asked. “It was in the direction of Vegeta and Trunks… could it be…”

“Vegeta and Trunks were participating in an old Saiyan ritual. A sort of father son bonding,” Goku hastily explained.

“But I felt energy… Majin energy!” Uub suddenly declared. Goku's eyes widened.

“What?” Goku asked sharply. “That's impossible!”

“I know, but I felt it. And it didn't come from Mr. Buu's location… at Satan Mansion either. It was the same thing I sensed when Pan was trying to get away form Trunks…”

“This is bad,” Goku frowned.

“What are you not telling me, sir?” Uub asked, catching hold of Goku's shoulder.

“Where did you feel the flair of energy?”

“At Capsule… you don't think that… oh no…” Uub trailed off.

“You feel that too? Another ki just winked on. It feels like it should be Vegeta or Trunks, but it's Vegeta. I can't sense Trunks energy anywhere!” Goku blinked. “And it's rushing away after the other source…”

“Should we go see?”

“Only to watch, and make sure that nobody innocent is hurt,” said Goku.

No sooner had he uttered those words then Uub saw him flinch. Son Goku frowned and glanced back at Uub. “Damn it,” he hissed.

“What?”

“Gohan and Goten, but something's wrong. They're fighting each other to the death,” Goku coughed. “Wait here…”

“But Goku…”

“Stay here, please!” Goku shouted back. Touching two fingers to his forehead, he suddenly vanished. Leaving a very concerned Uub hovering in shock.

 

**

Goten's head flashed back with a loud crack. A thin line of blood dribbled from his lips. Groaning he tried to suppress the overwhelming feeling suddenly rioting in his brain.

“Gohan… what did you do… to him,” he coughed.

“Gohan's not here anymore, brat,” laughed the figure that arched over him. A malevolent gaze filled Gohan's face, followed by a swift boot planted into his brother's gut. Pain erupted all over him, and Gohan spluttered. Sailing through the air he crashed into the far tree.

“You… you're possessed!” Goten gasped, hugging his stomach in pain. “You're not Gohan!”

“Guess who, little man. Too bad your goody two shoes brother stopped training. His body has much hidden power. To think that I once kidnapped him,” laughed Gohan harshly. A malevolent smirk curled up his cheek and he advanced.

“Damn it, Gohan, don't let it take you over! You…”

“You have no idea who I am, do you?” cackled Gohan, throwing back his head.

“Why… don't you tell me? Or are you unable to use Gohan's body?” Goten asked. Suddenly he charged forwards, slamming his shoulder into Gohan's gut. Caught off guard, Gohan's body wrapped around his shoulder. Suddenly his brother corrected and then flipped Goten over his shoulder. Then a fist slammed into his solar plexus, followed by a crack to the base of his spine.

Goten crumpled, his face plastered in the dirt. HE tasted the soil, and spluttered. His ki senses screamed danger as he heard Gohan's loud cry of energizing. Mystical energies flared, and he barely managed to push himself up out of the dirt and flip over on his back to see Gohan raise the palm of his hand.

“Here's a little present for you, boy. I died long before you were born, but I saw you in hell. You have a lot of promise. Why don't you just stop fighting me, eh?” asked Gohan. Purple energy collected into a sphere on his palm.

“That… Gohan… WHO are you?” Goten coughed. Whoever it was fought with techniques unfamiliar to him.

“Someone who your dear father took to hell with him, boy. And naturally I decided to pay him a visit. It wasn't hard to overcome Gohan. Considering he's been slacking off on his training. No matter, I will make better use of his body then he ever did. The fool has the body of a warrior and the mind and heart of a weakling human,” sneered the stranger peering at him through Gohan's eyes.

“Damn it…” Goten gritted. He raised his hands and crossed them in front of his face as the energy sphere surged towards him.

No sooner had he blocked it then Gohan had vanished. Goten barely managed to stand when he sensed the appearance of Gohan's ki above him, and saw his brother spanning his arms wide. Two spheres appeared, and he heard a distant voice bellowing, “Double Sunday!”

“Holy shit,” Goten gasped. Two beams of coruscating force relentlessly surged towards him. He could barely block them with his crossed arms. Recognition swam in his brain, and he struggled to remember just who would use such an attack.

“I'm hurt you don't recognize me. Surely you've heard of me,” shouted the voice that was Gohan's but tingled with evil.

“Stop… Gohan… you have to fight it!” Goten shouted, summoning a feeble beam to try to push the attack back. However, he felt the increased pressure from more power gleaming around his brother. Even as he flared his own Super Saiyan energies, he sensed it was not enough. Whoever inhabited Gohan's body was ruthless, and with Gohan's powers, he was toast.

“Weakling,” snorted Gohan in disgust as he felt the push of his beam overtaking the other. For miles around the landscape lit up, generating a huge column of smoke billowing up from its surface. AS it cleared, the prone figure in the middle lay lifeless and still. Gohan descended rapidly, until his feet touched the ground near the boy's shoulder.

However, the fist that shot out and grabbed his ankle surprised him only mildly. “You're still alive. Good, because I'd hate to think you were such a weakling.”

“Try THIS!” Goten snarled, jerking hard. The sky rolled ninety degrees as Gohan toppled and then felt blinding pain in his chest, then his jaw. Punches cracked and slammed against his body, each with the force of a pile driver. However, Gohan's head snapped up, and Goten felt his hand stopped in a fierce grip. Hissing he sent his opposite hand forward only to have it grasped the same way. For a split second, he was nose to nose with his brother, who had tugged him close with a titanium grip crushing both his fists.

“Good. You aren't as weak as I thought. But are you Saiyan enough to fight your own brother, as I did long ago, brat?” taunted Gohan.

“You've lost your mind Gohan. Aren't you always saying you're smarter then I? Why won't you fight this asshole! THINK!” Goten hollered. Jerking his neck, he cracked his forehead into Gohan's. The grasp on his wrists laxed and a ki blast exploded at point blank range, allowing Goten to break away.

“Perhaps you are Saiyan enough, half breed,” snickered Gohan, wiping a trail of blood from his mouth and nose. He licked it with an eager grin worth of Vegeta.

“Takes one to know one, whoever the hell you are,” Goten taunted back, his fists raised up. His teal eyes narrowed to slits, focusing on Gohan's next move.

“Didn't your brother ever tell you about how he first met me, and your father, Kakkarot? I'm hurt. He never mentioned his big brother Raditz did he?” Gohan continued, cocking back his hand.

“Raditz… but… my dad… our dad killed him… wait… holy shit…” Goten trailed off, blinking.

“And your brother's the smart one. You're actually much quicker on the uptake then he is. Perhaps I should have taken your body, brat, but this one is FAR more to my liking,” Gohan jeered.

“You… you're Raditz?” Goten stammered. “No fucking way!”

“There's always a way out of hell for those who have certain loyalties. Now brat, let's see what you're made of,” Raditz within Gohan eagerly said.

Goten cursed his shock, trying to will his body to move. Yet the split second delay was all his possessed brother needed to phase out and suddenly appear behind him. Arms enclosed around his throat, tightening to the point that Goten could not shake him loose. Consciousness surged and faded into inky blackness until the last thing he heard was the harsh laughter of his brother that was not his brother.

**

A small smile present on his attackers face faded for a frown as he watched Goten's limp body slump to the ground. Dust still hung in the air thick from the combat. Power surged through every nerve of his being as the attacker sensed its full extent. Never in a million years did he consider it possible for a Saiyan to have such potential.

“You fought like a true Saiyan, nephew. Although it would have been fun to take over your body, it seems far more fitting for the elder brother to beat the younger. How ironic,” Raditz within Gohan observed. With a booted toe, he nudged Goten's unconscious body over.

“Your likeness to Kakkarot is uncanny,” he murmured. Crouching down he reached out for Goten's face, yet something within this body's senses diverted his attention.

“Gohan! What did you do?” asked the voice he hated for thirty years. Flinching, he hesitated before answering. Slowly he slid his hand under Goten's neck and tried to gently pick him up.

“Trying to help my brother… father,” Gohan's voice answered hesitantly. “He… attacked me without provocation. I tried to stop him… but…”

He felt a hand resting on his shoulder, clamping down. Turning his head, he glanced up into the solemn face of Son Goku looming overhead. “Look I don't blame you, Gohan. You did what you had to. But your mother won't be happy. Why didn't you call me?”

“I… didn't want to trouble you. How was I to know that… monster would try attacking me through my own… brother,” Gohan answered with a look of outrage and sorrow mingled together on his face.

“You'd better see to his… wounds. IT wouldn't do for mother… to be angry. And besides, aren't you worried that something has happened to Prince Vegeta?” Gohan asked.

Goku blinked momentarily as Gohan rose, and passed Goten's prone body over to him. “Yeah. I am worried, Gohan. Are you sure you're all right…”

“I'm just… concerned about my brother of course… Father,” Gohan answered quickly. “Besides you should protect the others at home, just in case, shouldn't you?”

“Right, Gohan. I'll join you if you need help. You'd better go do what you have to do,” Goku nodded, his face grim and serious. Gohan's fist clenched, and then unclenched at his side.

“Later Father,” Gohan answered. Balancing Goten across one arm, Son Goku rasied his fingertips to his forehead, then vanished.

A slow smile crossed Gohan's face. “Idiotic fool. Our score will be settled sooner then you think.”

His eyes beheld a distant speck suddenly racing towards him. As he shielded his eyes he sensed it take the shape of a female. Specifically a young female. Her plaintive voice called out to him on the wind,” Father!”

Dark hair swirled across her face, and Gohan recognized her features. Rather the spirit within him recognized her as she hovered overhead at a full stop. “Yes Daughter… why are you here! You should be home where it's safe!” he barked at her. Energy sizzled around him as he levitated up to float only feet from where she hovered.

The dark haired girl flinched visibly, causing Gohan's expression to soften. “I'm sorry Dad, but when I sensed you and uncle Goten… where is he?”

“Grandfather had to take him back home. He was... possessed by that evil spirit,” Gohan answered. No sooner had he uttered those words then he saw the young girl's own countenance morph into a look of horror.

“No… it can't be… Daddy, you didn't hurt him…”

“He wouldn't stop,” Gohan said quietly. “I held back from hurting him. Fortunately your Grandfather came when he did…”

“Not uncle Goten…” Pan stammered.

Squeezing her eyes shut she suddenly threw herself into Gohan's arms. Unaccustomed to the feel of such untoward affection, Raditz within Gohan stiffened. However, he raised awkward arms to wrap around the quivering female clinging tightly to him. He felt the tremble of her muscles and the hot wet tears soaking his shirt. Her grip on his arms was fierce, he noted, indicating great strength. Though she wept, he was not unaccustomed to females showing such emotion. Moreover, she was a mixed blood.

“Don't cry…” he said hesitatingly. Memories flipped like the cards in a file trying to access some response that was alien to him. Saiyans didn't seek such pitiful comfort for such weak pitiful emotions. Yet she was a woman, and he could excuse such behavior because of that.

“Daddy,” sniffled Pan, squeezing him tightly. His arms felt strong and safe, tightening around her and pulling her to his broad chest.

“There there… Pan,” he answered his voice rough with what seemed like emotion. “Father will protect you.”

Two figures hovered above the earth, wrestling with strange emotions. For a full ten minutes all the occupant of Gohan's body could do was play along. Nevertheless, why did he feel such sudden weak emotions flooding his body from the embrace of a weak female? Saiyan females were weaker then males, only a few of them ever became warriors. Instead, they were cloistered away in caves and harems to protect them from being killed by their enemies. Alternatively, they tended to the King and the elite in the royal capital.

Memories blurred and meshed with Raditz own ones. A huge rush of warmth that caused him to cringe in terror seemed to wash over him like a tidal wave. What was the horrible sensation that made him want to let go? It was far more intense then hatred and he felt himself drowning in it.

Raditz felt the darkness wrap around him like a blanket, and memories alien to his that he had accessed for the mere utility of Gohan's body now bowled him over. Voices, sounds and images of family, home and bright happy things he found disgustingly weak. Yet his soul ached, found itself wanting, and void in the midst of the lifetime of Son Gohan.

“You won't stop me, fool. I will use your body to exact revenge!” Raditz sneered inside.

“Go on, I'm not stopping you,” Gohan's voice echoed. “You wanted to see my memories. Well here they are!”

Inside Gohan's mind, Raditz screamed, flailing helplessly to weather the tide that washed over him. There were no familiar references to process or comprehend the sense of Gohan's actions. Only the senses of duty propelled him to fight back and try to regain control of the body he thought was so easily taken over. An instant later, he snapped back to alertness to hear the sobbing of the girl in his arms. His daughter, no the daughter of his nephew.

“What will we do, Daddy?” she asked, lifting her tear stained face to glance up at him.

“I… don't know,” Raditz through Gohan stammered, feeling terrified and helpless. Awash with alien memories, he felt himself loosing control. Somewhere inside Gohan gave a sad smile, and then a hard shove locked him back into the prison once again.

Drawing in great breaths, Gohan squeezed Pan tightly to him. He felt the return of her embrace and his body leaning heavily on his daughter. “Daddy, are you okay?”

“I… I don't feel so good, Pan,” he stammered, his head swimming. Then the memories blended seamlessly, and it all suddenly became clear. He had a mission to do, and Pan would learn her place in it.

“Daddy, please, what's wrong…”

“It's Trunks and Vegeta. They need help,” Gohan stammered, his mind reeling.

“We'd better get Grandpa…”

“No…” Gohan snapped. He backed off when Pan glanced at him with a hurt expression. Releasing her he then added, “No… I mean you and I are strong enough to handle it. Why endanger your grandfather or others…”

“Are you sure about that, Dad?” Pan cocked a brow, seeing her father rubbing his forehead and blinking.

“You… became a Super Saiyan, didn't you? I thought… maybe you could help me. It's been far too long since I went… wild,” Gohan answered.

“Right,” Pan nodded with a smile. Her eyes hardened, and Gohan suddenly saw the gaze of a warrior reflected in them. True Saiyan blood flowed in her veins after all, and he felt a surge of pride. Perhaps she could fit nicely into the scheme of things. She need never know the truth. Nodding to her, he flared his ki and led the way towards the surging pulse of two other warring factions.