Dragon Ball/Z/GT Fan Fiction ❯ The Chosen One ❯ Chapter Thirty-Seven ( Chapter 37 )

The Chosen One

Chapter 37

I don't know how much longer I can do this, Android 17 thought. My power won't decrease, but it looks like it'll take a while before Ugly loses enough strength for me to fight him and win. Besides, like Piccolo said during our fight a few years ago, I'm not perfect and could mess up before long. Wait, did I just admit that? Ah, forget it. Back to business.

"Are you ready yet, punk?" Trikhos shouted. "If you've made your last requests, then let's go!"

Android 17 looked down at the Roxian. "Actually, I figured out a way to beat you. So you'd better be the one saying your prayers!"

"What?" Trikhos exclaimed. "I am perfect! No one can best me!"

"You see, that's where you're wrong," Android 17 responded. "Nobody's perfect. That includes you. In fact, you're so imperfect it's painful to watch!"

-37-

"What is Seventeen doing?" Android 18 asked.

"He's trying to buy time by psyching out his opponent," Piccolo answered. "If you haven't noticed already, Roxians aren't the sharpest tools in the shed. The chances of your brother outfighting him are slim, but the chances of outwitting him are pretty good."

Android 18 let a laugh escape. "So, Seventeen's cockiness does have its uses, after all."

-37-

"I mean, how smart can you be when you keep flying right into my ice attacks?" Android 17 questioned. "Are you going to keep trying to reach me until your hands and feet fall off from frostbite? I guess you're just too stupid to learn a lesson."

"WHY YOU DISRESPECTFUL LITTLE PEST!" Trikhos yelled. "PREPARE TO DIE!" Trikhos then threw himself at Android 17. The android merely drifted out of the way and let the enraged Roxian fly by. He then grabbed Trikhos by the tail and begun swinging him in circles. He swung him faster and faster until he let go, launching the Roxian into the large rock. Seventeen then held his hand out and prepared to charge an energy blast.

"Let's see how you like my new attack!" Android 17 shouted. "Pulsar Grenade!"

A sphere of energy launched forth from Android 17's hand and toward the rock formation that Trikhos had been thrown into. When it hit, an enormous explosion went off. But it didn't stop there. As soon as the explosion began to die down, another explosion went off. When this explosion began to fizzle out, another one went off. This went for a total of five times. Finally, the last explosion died down, and the dust cleared. A crater deep enough to hide the Empire State Building was left behind, and the android could see Trikhos lying face-down at the bottom of it as sand began to pour over the edges.

"How do you like that," Android 17 remarked. "A death and a burial all in one. I just saved the pallbearers some trouble."

Piccolo gritted his teeth as he watched. He knew that Android 17's attack, while extremely powerful, was not enough to kill Trikhos. Then, he felt a power surge.

"SEVENTEEN!" Piccolo shouted. "LOOK OUT!!"

Suddenly, the sand in the pit that the Pulsar Grenade created erupted and Trikhos flew out. Trikhos, fueled by a blinding fury, launched himself at Android 17. Suddenly, someone yelled, "RAY DISASTER!"

A blast from the ground caught Trikhos, and right when it started to die down, it intensified again. When the blast was gone, there were no remains of the Roxian.

Gohan put Testament back in its scabbard. "Are you all right, Seventeen?" he shouted.

"Yeah, everything's fine," Android 17 responded. He then descended and landed in a sitting position. "This shirt isn't, though. When did you come to, by the way?"

"I woke up when your blast went off," Gohan answered. "That's how I knew when to attack that Roxian." He then looked over at Ayn, who was curled up in a ball. "Hey, what's up with Ayn?"

Piccolo looked down. "Ayn was responsible for killing that first Roxian. However, he has never killed another sentient being before, and his grief is overpowering him."

"I'll see what I can do," Gohan said. He then walked over to the young mage. "Hey, Ayn."

Ayn did not respond. He showed no sign of hearing him.

"Ayn, I heard about what you did. Listen. You did what you had to."

Ayn looked up. "What are you talking about?" he demanded. "I just killed someone! There had to be another way!"

Gohan squatted down in front of Ayn. "Ayn, you need to learn that it is not a sin to fight for the right cause. Several years ago, I was in a similar situation. The Earth was being terrorized by an evil monster known as Cell. He held a tournament so he could test his newly-acquired power. I myself fought in that tournament. After a brief skirmish, I tried to reason with Cell, telling him about the enormous powers that lied dormant within me yet surfaced in my rage. This only encouraged Cell to anger me. He tried to beat my strength out of me, and while he was doing so, Android 16 grabbed Cell and attempted to self-destruct with him. He didn't realize that Bulma and her father removed his bomb, and Cell blew him to pieces. Then, Cell created seven miniature versions of himself and sent them after my friends. Then, an onlooker who was himself defeated by Cell threw Sixteen's still-functioning head to me, and he told me something that helped save the world that day. Now, I'll relate his words to you."

Gohan put his hand on Ayn's shoulder. "Ayn, it is not a sin to fight for the right cause. There are people whom words cannot reach. The Roxians are a prime example. They want nothing short of universal domination, and no amount of persuasion will divert them from achieving that goal. You told me that you studied the ancient war. You know that I, unfortunately, am the only one capable of stopping the Roxian emperor. If I am killed, our efforts so far will have been moot and the Roxians will succeed in their dark ambition. Sometimes, killing is the only way. I myself despise killing, as do a majority of our friends here, yet we do it because I have no choice. By killing that Roxian, you saved me, and in doing so, saved any chance of stopping the Roxians. On behalf of every person in the universe . . . I thank you."

Ayn seemed to be in thought for a moment. Then, he stood up. "Gohan . . . you're right. These Roxians . . . words cannot reach them. The only way to stop them is to kill those that attack us. Nothing will change my stance on killing, but right now it is a necessary evil. Thank you for showing me this."

"Hey!" someone shouted from above. Gohan and Ayn looked up and saw Bulma by herself in the other escape pod.

"Hey, you guys!" Bulma said over the microphone. "Come on, I'll take you back up to the ship!"

-37-

Gohan stepped from the escape pod back onto the ship. He opened the next door and walked onto the bridge.

"GOHAN!" Sephra ran up to the young man and grabbed him in an embrace. "Thank heavens you're all right! I was so worried!"

"You were right to worry," Piccolo said. "The Roxians shot out the engine to our escape pod, and we made a crash-landing. Gohan was knocked unconscious in the process. Then, the Roxians followed us to the surface. Ayn and Seventeen had to hold them off until Gohan regained consciousness."

Gohan looked over his shoulder at Ayn and Android 17. "Yeah. Sorry for putting you through that."

"Don't be," Android 17 responded. "It wasn't your fault. I guess I'll go change shirts now."

"That won't be necessary, Seventeen," Piccolo said as he walked up to the battered android. With a wave of his hand, Android 17's clothing was back to normal.

"So, what happened to you guys?" Trunks asked.

"Actually, our trip was pretty event-free," Krillin responded. "We made it to the surface safely, and when the Roxians left, we came back up and Bulma went after you guys."

"All right, it's official," Android 17 remarked. "You guys suck, you know that?" Krillin just started laughing.

-37-

Gohan was lying on his bed, his hands behind his head. Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. "Come in," he said.

The door opened and Sephra walked in. "Hi, Gohan. I just wanted to see how you were doing."

Gohan sat up on the edge of the bed and motioned for Sephra to sit next to him. "I'm fine. A little dizzy, but I guess that's to be expected after one has been knocked unconscious twice in the time span of a couple of hours."

"Oh, that's good," Sephra said. She looked at the stack of books next to Gohan's night stand. "What are all of those books for?"

"Actually, my mother wants me to read all of them by the time we return home," Gohan said. "She wants me to be miles ahead of the other sixteen-year-olds in English and mathematics. Most of those books are classics, actually. The Catcher in the Rye, To Kill a Mockingbird, Moby Dick . . . the list goes on."

"Do you like studying?" Sephra asked.

Gohan shook his head. "I hate it with a passion. I just want to be the kind of person my father was. My mother says that fighting doesn't solve anything. Then again, she's always been real stubborn and it seems she's losing her grasp on reality. She once said that my studies came before saving the world when my father was trying to convince her to let me train for the arrival of the androids. I mean, I love my mother and all, but . . . I don't know."

Suddenly, the ship shook and Gohan was thrown to the floor. "What was that?" he cried out.

"Guys, this is Bulma!!" Bulma exclaimed over the intercom. "We have a major emergency!!"

-37-

Gohan and Sephra were the first people to the bridge. "Bulma, what's going on?" he asked.

Bulma pointed out to the right side of the ship. "Look!" she exclaimed.

Gohan looked at where she was pointing. All around, the view was littered with stars, but in one small area, there was nothing.

"I don't get it," Gohan said, confused.

"Look at the infrared scan," Bulma said.

Gohan looked at one of the monitors. Everywhere around them was lit up, but there was one area where the screen was completely black. "Wait . . . is that . . . a black hole?"

"Yeah," Bulma responded nervously. "My calculations were off and we flew right into the gravitational pull of the black hole in the center of the galaxy."

Gohan's face turned white. "This is it . . ." he muttered. "We're doomed . . ."

"What are you talking about?" Sephra demanded angrily. "Bulma, punch up the hyperspeed and get us out of here!"

"It won't work, Sephra," Bulma said resignedly. "A black hole's gravitational pull is impossible to break free of. Nothing - not even light - can break free, and light is energy. It's completely impossible for matter, which has mass, to break free, no matter how fast we go."

Sephra turned white. She then turned toward Gohan, tears brimming in her eyes.

"Gohan, before we die, there's something I need to tell you," Sephra said. "Ever since the day we first met, I have had a huge crush on you. I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier."

"You do like me?" Gohan asked. "Well, at least I'm comforted by the fact that the girl to whom I'm attracted is attracted to me, as well." He took Sephra into an embrace as the ship drew nearer to the black hole.

"You guys, I'm cutting the engines," Bulma said mournfully. "Let's just get this over with." With the flick of a switch, the engines died and the ship's speed at which it was traveling toward the black hole increased. Gohan and Sephra closed their eyes as they waited for the black hole to devour them.