26Gohan woke slowly. It took him longer than it probably should have. He felt as though the blood flowing through his veins had been replaced by sludge. His whole body hurt and was sore, his muscles stiff and borderlining on numb. Opening his eyes, usually an easy task, took nearly all his concentration and strength. He moved his eyes to look at his surroundings and even that hurt. Wondering what was happening and why he wasn't in his comfy and warm bed at home, safe and sound under the covers with his mommy and daddy in the next room, he sat there quietly staring at his cramped, darkened surroundings; that was when reality it hit him. Taking his breath away with the same force as a sledge hammer ramming into his chest; and with that same blow he felt his heart giving away under the force. His dad was the first thing that came into clarity for him- the first thing that he worried about. The first thing he felt for, as the emotions filled his heart up with dread; nearly as painful as the state his body had been in when he had first woken up- only it was a different kind of pain, a more deeply lasting gash on his heart.
But they had been talking about Dragon Balls right? Something like being able to make wishes. Although he had been shy and scared and not really contributing to the gathering's conversations, he had been listening attentively to all of them. If it was true then didn't that mean that they could wish people back to life- including his daddy? Feeling hope flow through him, Gohan did his best to smile, feeling it twitch at the corners of his mouth, making his stiff cheek muscles spasm with the effort; all despite the current situation.
His daddy would be okay.
Thats what really mattered.
It was then and only then that he began to think about himself. What was he going to do? They had to use the wish to bring his daddy back, not on wishing Gohan back to earth, that would accomplish nothing. So no, they would wish his daddy back- they had to! If they did that then maybe his daddy could come and save him. Gohan felt even more happy than he already was, but that was before he remembered the lifeless eyes looking back at him from the ground. His father's lifeless eyes, usually so bright and full of love.
Either way, would they even be capable of wishing Gohan back home to earth in the first place? No, it wasn't even worth considering. Gohan's predicament wasn't near as bad as his fathers- his father had died. Feeling his battered heart cringe away from more thought's about his father, Gohan brushed off the way word memories tickling his conscience- memories about a textbook featuring an old philosopher- to the deepest recesses of his mind. The war philosopher had stated simply in one of his shortest, and yet most profound statements, 'There are some fates worse than death'. Gohan thought about his dad and thought about his situation, his dads predicament was definitely worse than his; after all what could be worse than death? And such a gruesome one at that. The only solace Gohan could find in it was the fact that it had been quick.
His daddy had been so quickly killed; defeated really. But that couldn't be true, could it? His daddy was the strongest man in the world! Gohan felt mostly reassured at that factual thought, but again, there was that little niggle of doubt, just barely trickling into the back of his head. The world… Gohan realized, looking outside at the seemingly endless amount of stars and planets whizzing by at amazing speeds- he realized that his 'world' was earth- and when looking out at the universe passing by so fast… it seemed so small. Gohan never knew that there were men all throughout the universe that were so strong- he had never given any real thought to it.
He had known that there would be life, after all the universe is far too vast and growing for earth to be the only star system containing sentient life! Add in the fact that his daddy -although not anymore- and him both had tails- and from what he had seen so far in his life, no one else did- and Gohan had no doubt about aliens, it was simply common sense, obvious even to children. But that there were bad people that were so strong out there among the stars, he had had no clue that it would be that way, and he was having trouble wrapping his head around the concept. The concept that corruption and just plain bad-ness was so widespread and real.
Twitching when he heard a grunt behind him, Gohan tensed up. His muscles cramping painfully in protest to his sudden clenching, Gohan still didn't dare make a sound. He was in an uncomfortable position in the one person craft; and to put it that way served as a gross understatement. Raditz had taken up the position of the regular single passenger; predictably sitting in the provided cushiony, slightly reclining, seat rather comfortably. On the other hand there was Gohan, and he was forced up against the front of the pod near the small window, entrapped between both Raditz's beefy legs and the wall of the craft.
He was in a fetal position, curled up tightly taking up as little space as possible- unconsciously, uselessly, attempting to make himself less noticeable as well- and leaning against the craft. His elbows pulled in tight against his chest and legs, Gohan shivered slightly. Whether it was from fear, or if it was from the chill seeping into his bones through the wall- the very wall barring him from the merciless vacuum of space- he didn't know.
Gohan was unsure as to whether or not he should make a move, especially after considering the situation he was in. As it was he was basically numb and sore from the top of his head to the tips of his toes, he could hardly move a muscle unconsciously- let alone on purpose; but the position he was in left much to be desired and he feared it was making his body's aches and pains worse the longer he sat in the position. He wanted to move so bad; but he feared the consequences if he did. So he sat and thought about it, considering the possible repercussions of his actions; how much he wanted to move, where he would move, if he would even be able to move at all if he decided to.
Thinking.
It seemed to be all that he was doing. Ever since he woke up, all he had been doing is thinking. He had always been a thoughtful child, but usually it was about much more light hearted things. Things like the sky and why it was blue, about the dinosaurs and why they were big, where did the food he and his father so dearly loved come from, and things like why when he fell down, it hurt. The simple questions he assumed every child at his advanced age would think about and question.
Now he was pondering more serious, grown up things. Things like life and death. He was only a little kid. Why was he thinking such sad things? Gohan didn't want to be thinking about such horrible things; and it was only made more terrible in that it was such a stark, harsh reality. His own reality. Gohan just wanted to be thinking about things that didn't affect him so horribly. He didn't want to think about whether or not just moving would get him more hurt. He didn't want any of that.
He wanted his mommy and his daddy; he wanted- and even still despite the situation half expected- his mommy and daddy to come and save him. For his mom to come and crush him in one of her trademark angry hugs, screaming about how worried she was and about how much she loved him. To sit him down on the counter after scolding him and kiss all of his boo-boo's and make the pain fly away, and how it always, without fail made him feel better somehow-even though he knew that the pain didn't really fly away. But still, even after reading the book on the neurological process, how the pain was actually just electrical signals traveling between the synapses and to the brain to inform the body that something was wrong and needed to be fixed, Gohan never questioned his mommy. His mommy was the most amazing, the most smart, and the most pretty mommy in the world.
Feeling his eyes well up with tears, Gohan didn't move from his position. He at least tried to imperceptibly open and close a hand or wiggle his foot around at the ankle, but it was a slow, scary, and painful process. It was scary to Gohan among other things because he was having so much trouble doing such a seemingly simple task; never before had he had so much trouble with moving his own. He had never been so… weak he?
As if Gohan's inner turmoil wasn't enough already, Raditz decided at that moment to twitch violently. Hitting Gohan and ramming him up even more against the wall of the ship; whether or not it was intentional on Raditz's part, he didn't know, but it hurt and it was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. Gohan felt more tears leak out of his red and swollen eyes, undoubtedly leaving more tracks on his blotchy dirty face. He had previously had the notion that there were no more tears to cry, but today turned out to be a day full of surprises and shock. Or was it still 'today'? How long had Gohan been unconscious in the pod? What day was it exactly?
Raditz groaned loudly- interrupting Gohan's puzzled thoughts- and Gohan felt his ribs creaking with a unexpected continual pressure being forcefully applied to his small and weakened form; it was coming from the thick tree trunk legs that were seeming unaware, or uncaring, of his presence. Raditz seemed to be having a mini stretching session upon waking up, and the fat crocodile tears streaking down Gohan's face seemed to have a mind of their own. Gohan was hardly even aware that they were still flowing at this point; all he knew was that if Raditz didn't stop anytime soon, Gohan would end up looking disturbingly similar to a bug on a capsule cars windshield. Thankfully, on that thought, Raditz chose that moment to release his stretch and Gohan sighed lightly in relief. Only to suck in the released air again too suddenly and choke on it when the spaceship jolted with no warning. Panicking at the unexpected fluctuation in the pods activity, Gohan looked out the window with wide, disbelieving eyes.
What had been free beautiful space, was now taken over by the metallic gaping hulk of a monstrously sized mother ship. A three pronged claw extending from the inside of a wall within the mouth of the monstrosity had attached itself to the miniscule- in comparison- ship Gohan and Raditz were occupying, and it was now reeling the little pod in like a fish on the line. Gohan could only hope that that was the only similarity between a fisherman's catch and the pod. He really hoped that Raditz didn't go thorough the trouble of bringing him here just to eat him. He didn't think his mommy ever actually meant it when she told him that strangers wanted to take him home and eat him, he had always thought it was something she said just to make sure he didn't wander off.
Gohan could see the small side opening that the pod was approaching, and going by the size and angle, the little ship would fit in perfectly. Gohan could feel a heavy coating of foreboding settle over top of him, gaining more and more momentum the closer they got. It was like a stone resting atop his chest, gradually getting heavier and heavier.
"I'm going to enjoy this, Brat." Raditz's amused voice rasped from just behind him, making him jump. Gohan was startled; he had hardly noticed the man was awake- after all he had hardly made a sound after stretching other than to breath- let alone fully coherent. Especially after considering the fact that Gohan had been so sorely focused on the approaching compartment at that particular moment, it shouldn't come as such a surprise that he hadn't noticed Raditz's behaviors behind him. Focusing now, and more conscious of his surroundings, Gohan could more clearly hear Raditz behind him as the man chuckled dryly to himself. It was a brutish, cruel laugh; and it wasn't helped by the fact that the man sounded as though he hadn't spoken in years. Again, just how long had they been in the pod?
Gohan swallowed and though he tried, he couldn't stop the hair on his tail from flaring up in alarm. The furry appendage was currently curled around his waist protectively, and it was as stiff and sore as the rest of him; resembling concrete more than a limb with actual flesh and blood. Gohan gulped loudly, his dry mouth and throat clicking and sticking together apprehensively. Raditz, seemingly hearing the sound, became noticeably more spirited in his coarse laughter.
The mechanical whirring as a result of the reeling in of their pod stopped with a sharp jerk, slamming Gohan's face into the window he was looking out of previously; both immediately busting open his lip and giving Gohan a nose bleed simultaneously. Yelping hoarsely in pain and surprise, Gohan was overshadowed by his 'uncles' now robust laughter. The man must have found Gohan's mishap hilarious if his reaction was anything to go by.
"Oh, it will be fun breaking you. Perhaps even easier than I imagined." Raditz choked out, the words were almost not heard by Gohan in his pain filled stupor. Clutching at his nose, trying to stem the flow of blood coming out if it, Gohan couldn't contain the whimper. It felt as though it had come from deep inside of him, a reactant not just to the pain in his face, but to the pain in his heart as well. So light was the sound that it would be barely audible to human ears- and yet it was so deep and resounding within the soul of the listener who did happen upon it.
Well, it would be to those with a conscience, or mercy. To the one blinded by blood thirst and revenge as well as greed- one such as Gohan's uncle for example- as an equivalent Gohan may as well have told a witty joke. Panting like a wounded animal, Gohan tenderly felt at his split lip with his tongue. The taste of blood had blossomed in his mouth the second he had made contact with the glass. The iron like tangy flavor coating his tongue and throat densely sickened him, and made him nauseous.
When the pod started shaking and bumping immediately following the initial jolt- resembling a capsule car going over a particularly rocky road- Gohan made sure to keep his face a safe distance away from the now dirty and blood splattered glass. Well he tried to. There was very little room in the pod to begin with, and Gohan had found it hard to move even before Raditz had woken up and limited Gohans space further. Using the hands clutching at his face as a buffer should he hit the glass again, Gohan did his best to remain silent and still. The sniffling and shaking though, as well as the tears now mixing with the blood flowing off of his chin onto his filthy clothes were both things he found that were out of his control.
Gohan guessed it was Raditz's good mood that prevented him from simply killing the young boy then and there. Truthfully, Gohan had no clue what it was other than revenge that was keeping Raditz from just making the one final decision and ending Gohan's life. Raditz had spoken of another man, one who would supposedly… break… Gohan, as his 'uncle' was so very fond of putting it.
Then the pod, with a final head busting tug into the mother ship- that Gohan was proud to say didn't affect him as bad as the first one- was in place in its designated niche. The dirty window before Gohan showed nothing but a dull gray metal slab.
There were some more whirring mechanical sounds coming from behind them before the pod seemed to shut down with a well oiled 'click' and the two occupants were thrust into an absolute darkness. Slowly, with the hissing of escaping and depressurizing air, the front of the pod opened into a brightly lit desolate hallway with gray easily cleaned standard walls and floors.
Gohan yelled out in surprise and pain as he was punted unceremoniously out of the pod.
They had arrived.
Disclaimer: I own nothing, and there is no profit, sadly
If it seems short I apologize, it was a good stopping point- I think.
Sorry if his emotions seem a little weird, I tried to keep him as a kid, but if he came across as a little from emotion to emotion to adult thoughts to kid thoughts, I'd like to think that an overly mature and smart kid like Gohan would be switching like that if he did go through that you know?
If there is an typo then tell me in a review, I have no beta, so, yeah.
(゜∇ ^d)!