By Juuhachi-gou and Bulma

Part Two
"A Duel of Personalities"

"Now, youre sure you want to wait here?" Bulma tipped her head. "I might be a while."

Juuhachi-gou shrugged. "It makes no difference to me. Just be sure you come and get me when youre ready to load the car. I dont want you straining that arm. You may feel better than you did yesterday, but youre still healing."

"Okay, I will, I promise." Bulma smiled. "Though really I can manage--"

"Bulma, dont give me that."

"Hai, hai." With a wave Bulma headed into the store. Juuhachi-gou settled herself and watched the passersby idly. Not so long ago the sight of so many humans wouldve set her on edge, but now she almost welcomed the flow of pedestrians. It meant the city was restoring itself. Maybe she and Juunana-gou hadnt quite driven the human race to extinction. She permitted herself the barest trace of hope. It wasnt much to make up for all the lives shed taken, but--

"Excuse me..."

"Hm?" Juuhachi-gou looked up into a pair of serious eyes under a shock of dark hair. Almost instantly she recognized the young girl whod attacked her a few days ago, right before the resurrection of the Z Senshi. "Can I help you?"

The girl nodded slowly, hesitated, then bowed. "Im Videl," she said quietly. "I...I was wondering if youd talk to me. I think weve got a lot to talk about."

"Sure." Seeing the girls unease, Juuhachi-gou got out of the car, trying not to appear intimidating. "Maybe youd like to talk somewhere a little less public?" she suggested, not really expecting the girl to agree. After all, last time theyd spoken Videl hadnt had much better to say than obscenities, and since then, from all theyd heard up at Capsule Corporation, the young lady had been carrying on a one-female hate campaign. This sudden change intrigued Juuhachi-gou, though she wasnt much worried. Very little if anything Videl could muster would stand a chance of harming her, if thats what was in store.

"Hai, please." Videl drew a breath, looked around. "Maybe...maybe over there?" She pointed at a small park down the street, in easy view of the market. "Theyre still cleaning it up, I dont think wed bother anyone."

Juuhachi-gou raised an eyebrow, studied the park a moment, then shrugged. "If youre comfortable with it." She set off in that direction, Videl falling in beside her. Picking her way past toppled benches, she settled on a fragment of a shattered statue and looked at Videl expectantly.

Videl swept her hair behind her ears, fidgeted a bit, then took a breath and said, "Im...sorry I was cruel to you. People around here seem tove accepted you...and they have as much reason or more than I do--did--to hate and fear you. You destroyed their city as well as their lives."

Gets right to the point doesnt she? Juuhachi-gou thought, wincing inside. Aloud she said, "Im sorry too. I know that doesnt count for much. As it is..." she shrugged. "I cant change the way the world was. Only the way its going to be."

"I hear you." Videl spread her hands. "But I dont believe you, not completely. Please, cant you give me a reason to? Tell me how you feel."

"I...I dont talk well about my feelings," Juuhachi-gou said, the words sounding hollow even to her. "Im too new to them."

"Then how do you know youre sorry?"

"How does anyone know?" Juuhachi-gou stopped. "Thats not an answer. Forgive me." She picked her next words as carefully as she could. "If the same choices presented themselves to me...knowing what I know now...I wouldnt do what I did. Id try to stop Juunana-gou, talk sense into him. Make him see that Gero stole our lives to have revenge on a world he despised."

"Dr. Gero, hai. He was a genius, wasnt he, almost as smart as Bulma-san?"

"Probably smarter, about some things. But then, Bulma is an expert in fields Gero didnt know much if anything about, so theyre even. If you consider sheer creativity and versatility, I suppose theyre pretty equal."

"Dont you think he mightve put, I dont know, some kind of backup in you? Something to restore your original programming in case you were damaged? How do you know youll never become what you were again?" Videls fists clenched. "How do you know?"

"I dont know. Believe me, Im as worried about that as you are."

"How can you worry?! Youre just a machine!!"

"I dont think this conversation is getting anywhere." Juuhachi-gou slid off the stone and glanced up towards the market. "Besides, Im sure Bulma will be finishing her shopping soon. I should go and help her."

"I think Bulma will be looking for new help soon," a second voice intruded. Juuhachi-gou turned, a puzzled frown crossing her features. "Gohan?" she said, blinking as the young man stepped out from behind one of the few remaining trees. "I didnt know you were here." She tipped her head, some dim warning beginning to sound in the back of her mind. Why hadnt she felt his presence?

Gohan only smirked, then looked at Videl. "Good job. Now move out of the way. This will be quick and violent. I dont want to waste time on killing the jinzouningen."

Juuhachi-gou stared, hearing but not understanding what Gohan was saying. "N..Nani?" she forced out at last. "Gohan?"

The young warrior only leveled a hand at her, light already gathering in a corona around it. As the blast leapt out at her, Juuhachi-gou dove to one side, rolling and coming up to return fire instinctively. Gohan batted it aside with one hand, amber energy wrapping up around him as he transformed to Super Saiyajin. Videl gasped, eyes widening. "G-Golden Warrior--" she stammered.

"Baka na." Gohan threw her an irritated glance. "Will you get out of the way? Ive got plans for you."

Juuhachi-gou took advantage of the momentary shift of Gohans attention to take to the air, shooting up and out of town at her best speed. She didnt want to confront him right now for several reasons, not least of which was the fact he was potentially the most powerful of the Z Senshi. If he was seriously trying to kill her--and the shot hed fired hadnt been lacking in power enough to do that--then she needed to stay out of his way until she figured out what had brought him to this.

A surge of energy behind her caught her attention, and she barrel rolled just in time to dodge another ki burst. "Gohan, yamero!" she shouted over her shoulder. "Whats gotten into you?!"

"Na, dont bother asking. You wont be around long enough for the answer to matter." Putting on a little extra speed, Gohan drew abreast of Juuhachi-gou. "Youre useless to me. I need the Saiyajin, and you dont count. Nothing personal."

Back down on the ground, Videl shaded her eyes and watched as the two tiny figures flitted back and forth in the sky, lines of fire drawn between them. When Gohand come to her and offered to help destroy the jinzouningen, at first shed been delighted. At last someone had listened to her warning, shared her doubts about Juuhachi-gous sincerity. But hadnt there been something missing in Gohans eyes, and something added?

And was she so sure the terrible dark fire in those eyes was such a good thing to see, when it seemed tove crushed out the gentle light that made him someone to trust?

Others were gathering now, pointing upward and murmuring, and Videl suddenly felt nervous about her part in it. She turned and slipped through the tiny crowd, wondering what she should do next. Looking around, she spied Bulma standing outside the market, obviously searching for the Artificial Human. Some impulse of propriety drew her that way. "Bulma-san?"

"Who--" Bulma turned, scowled, then nodded. "Oh, arent you--"

"Never mind." Videl pointed upwards. "Your...friend...Juuhachi-gou is up there."

"What in the world--? Whos that shes fighting with?!"

"Anou...its, um, Gohan...Son Gohan?"

"Nani?!" Bulma darted past Videl and all but dove into her aircar, yanking open the glove compartment and jerking out a pair of binoculars. Cursing under her breath at the cast on her arm, she clumsily focussed on the distant combatants. "Oh Kami..." The field glasses slipped from her hand and thudded to the ground as she gaped in disbelief. Then old reflexes took over and she ran around the other side of the aircar, jumped in. "No way I can stop them..." she muttered. "Dammit, Vegeta, you had better be home."

"Oi, Bulma-san, please can I come with you?" Videl heard herself saying. "I--I think this is partly my fault."

"Whats that supposed to mean? Never mind. You can explain later. Get in, sit down, buckle up, and hang on!" Bulma floored the accelerator, yanking the steering wheel around in a vicious circle as the engine protested, and headed at top speed for Capsule Corporation.

In the air above, Juuhachi-gou turned and twisted, using her own ki powers mostly to deflect Gohans shots. Too many of them were coming uncomfortably close. He was guessing her moves much, much too easily. Time to go on the initiative, she thought grimly. She came to a sudden halt in mid-air, trusting that her cybernetic reflexes were still that fraction quicker than even a Super Saiyajins. As Gohan overshot her, rotating in mid-air to face her, she lifted her hands and fired, hoping to stun him.

With a snarl Gohan batted the ki shot aside. "Thats not nearly enough to stop me now," he said. "I have more power than you can dream of. Enough to finish what I started years ago." He laughed, a cruel sound. "Kind of a pity Freezas not around. Id love to see his face as I blew him apart."

"Freeza..?" Juuhachi-gou shook her head. "What are you talking about, Gohan-san?"

"Dont be so formal, Juuhachi-gou. You can call me Gohan. Its almost the truth anyway."

Juuhachi-gous eyes narrowed. The way he moved, spoke, acted...she peered at Gohan closely, reading his ki, and gasped. "You--youre not--"

"Say goodbye, osanai ningyo." Gohans hands cupped in front of him, then swung to one side. "KAAA-ME-HAAA-ME-HAAAA!"

Below, in the road, Videl squealed as the sky seemed to light up with a second sun. Bulma gripped the wheel grimly and didnt look up--she knew the sound of that attack only too well. "Kuso, kuso, kuso," she muttered. "Whats gotten into Gohan?!" She threw the aircar into a bootleggers turn in front of Capsule Corporation and leapt out before the dust settled, wincing as the motion jostled her injured arm, and ran up the steps. "Vegeta! VEGETA!"

Videl got out more slowly, looking up into the sky and blinking as the great light faded. One of the two distant figures seemed to be getting slowly larger, and she realized someone was falling to the earth, limp and motionless. But which one? She agonized. Oh, Gohan!

"What the hell?!" a deep voice growled nearby. Jumping, Videl whirled, eyes widening again in shock and terror as she took in the newcomer. With infinite care she began to edge along the side of the car, hoping she wouldnt be noticed.

Piccolo noticed anyway and summarily dismissed the human girl as no threat. He even favored her with a glance and a slow half-smile that froze her in her tracks. Yeah, thats right, girl, take a good look, Piccolo the Demon King in person. Better people than you have taken the memory of my face down with em as their last vision in this life. I love it when they cower. Its so damn funny. Youd think I was about to eat them alive. Almost makes me wish I had to eat, just so I could freak them out by walking around munching on a nice raw leg of something. Then he turned his attention to the sky. Now what is going on around here? Whys Gohan powered up--and wheres Juuhachi-gou? I felt her ki up till a few minutes ago, but now theres nothing. Got to be something wrong.

"Damn, hes not--" Bulma barreled out of the building, caught sight of the Namekseijin, and finished, "Piccolo-san! Thank Kami!"

"Dont thank Kami, this version had nothing to do with me." Turning, Piccolo folded his arms, jerked a thumb at Videl. "This ones next to useless. I hope you know whats going on, Bulma."

"Somethings wrong with Gohan. Juuhachi-gou and I were going grocery shopping, and when I came out she was nowhere to be seen. Videl-chan here said something about him attacking Juu!"

Piccolo looked at Videl (who tried to shrink even more) and read the guilt in her eyes. "You can explain later," he growled at her, watching her face go whiter. "Right now Ive gotta go talk some sense into the kid. Dont go anywhere." He shot upwards toward the pale figure hanging in the sky above Capsule Corporation, slowing as he approached. "Gohan."

Gohan turned to face him, and Piccolo half gasped, half snarled silently. Gohan it might seem to be, but an alien expression lay on the youngsters face, fierce and unforgiving and lacking the candleflame of compassion that always touched his eyes. It was a stranger looking back at him, and Piccolo didnt like it. "Who the hell are you?" he snapped, fist clenching.

"Piccolo-san, dont you know me?"

"I know youre for damn sure not the person you look like."

"Youre very observant." Gohan tipped his head to one side as if listening to something. "I shouldve expected that; youre the closest one to Gohan, except for..." the expression softened a bit. "Except for Kakarott."

"Keep digging that grave, bud, youre going to need it. Where is Gohan?"

"In here." Gohan tapped his own chest. "Right where hes always been. Just consider me a new tenant. Were sharing the body."

"Whuh...what?" Piccolo stammered, and at the same moment he heard, or thought he heard, a voice as thin as the wind in his mind: Piccolo-san! Wa.. watashi na otetsudai...

"Shut up," Gohan said aloud casually, and the voice faded. He shook his head. "The boys persistent, Ill say that. Strong will. Just as a Saiyajin should be."

"Youve got three seconds to--"

"To what?" Gohan smirked. "What are you going to do? You know Gohans in here with me. And dont think I dont know how he worships you, and how really close you are to him, despite the way you act when anyone else is around. What you do to me you do to him as well."

For a moment Piccolo hung in the air, head bent; then he looked up and smiled grimly. "Yeah. That might be true. But Im not letting you just walk all over us or him. Gohan wouldnt want me to give in like that."

With an impatient sound Gohan--or whoever was wearing his body--charged in, fists swinging. "Idiot Namekseijin," he said under his breath. "You mightve been useful. Now youre just a dead man."

Piccolo twisted and flew backwards, dodging the punches ramming in at him. Hes not kidding around, he thought, this nutcase is trying to kill me. And with Gohans power, he can do it too. Piccolo concentrated, feeling the stranger out and finding no trace of Gohans ki around him. Hes got Gohan pushed so far down the poor kids practically locked in a box. I cant count on any help from there. Gritting his fangs, he jabbed a fist forward into the young Saiyajins ribs hard enough to knock the breath out of him. One thing, his fighting styles different. A little simpler, maybe. Not that itll help much, but if I can take advantage of this guys unfamiliarity with Gohans body...An open palm strike rattled him, and he winced. "Thats gonna leave a mark," he grumbled.

As the two forms jockeyed for position, blows and blocks falling faster than she could follow, Bulma clenched her fists, feeling helpless. Where the HELL are Trunks and Vegeta?! I swear to Kami, Im going to make them start wearing beepers. Something is seriously wrong with Gohan, hed never attack Piccolo-- she stopped, a cold little fear creeping around her heart. Did...did I get something wrong in the incubation process? Could something have gone wrong in Gohans brain? Please no! If thats the case, then it could be happening to them all... a nightmare filled her minds eye of Vegeta, returned to the conscienceless killing machine of his earlier life, and Gokou beside him, no longer Son Gokou at all but Kakarott, the Saiyajin, sent to Earth to wipe it clean of life. She shivered, then grabbed at Videl and ran for the steps of the building as Piccolo rocketed down out of the air and slammed full-force into the car, reducing it to scrap.

"Screw this," Piccolo said, pulling himself out of the metal and glaring up at the stranger in Gohans shape. [ Dende. ]

A mental gasp. | So thats where it went! |

"The hell he will," Piccolo snarled, rage flooding him. "Over my dead body." [ Get off your butt, "God", we need a little divine intervention down here if you dont want this planet going down the Cosmic Sewer. ]

[ Stuff the rules where the moon shines! Youve already broken out of one rut, Dende. Dont give me that crap. This is your planet to watch over, so WATCH OVER IT! ] Piccolo broke the mental communication angrily and flew back up, where Gohan waited. I shouldve asked what this bastards name is. Id kinda like to know who my killers going to be. "Okay, party boy, lets get started. Hell misses you, and I mean to send you right back there on a one-way ticket."

He had the brief satisfaction of seeing the derisive grin drop off Gohans face, replaced by a momentary look of consternation, before the interloper dove in at him and the battle began in earnest.

Up at his palace, Dende opened his eyes, beads of sweat trickling down his face. "But I cant interfere directly," he half moaned. "Its forbidden, he knows that! The only reason Im allowed to commune with him in this way is that once he was part of the old God."

"Piccolo-san has always been one to consider the forbidden no different than the ordinary, God," Mr. Popo said quietly. "Remember his origins."

"H-Hai." Stricken, the young Kami looked up at his servant and advisor. "And if I dont help, the one using Gohans form is very likely to kill Piccolo--and anyone else who gets in his way. That includes the Z Senshi most particularly."

"It isnt an easy choice, God." Mr. Popo lowered his head. "The greater the power, the more the responsibility that even the least action bears."

Dende nodded, then shut his eyes again and thought, hands clasped so tight in front of him they trembled. Very softly, he said, "I cant warn the Senshi directly. Not unless the world itself is threatened, and this intruder wants the Earth for himself."

"Thats so, God."

"But if...if in their hearts...they felt a need to return at once to Capsule Corporation...Im not in control of their feelings...and besides, battle calls to the Saiyajin. No doubt they already know somethings happening."

"Thats also true, God."

Dende nodded and flattened his palms together as if in prayer, sending the subtlest tendrils of thought out, the tiniest nudge, the softest of whispers. Go home, it said, and go to Bulma, and find Gohan.

And across the face of the world, three men, one off by himself thinking and two locked in a spar, stopped, like hounds catching a scent on the breeze, attention turning to the distant horizon. Without a word all three took to the sky from where they each were, and the feel of power raised in battle pulled them on.

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