Chapter Text
The change of seasons was evident as a brisk fall breeze blew through the bustling farmer’s market.
Shivering for a moment, Chi-Chi muttered, “The weather turned quickly, didn’t it?”
Beside her, Goku felt her hand shake from the cold and he turned towards his wife, “Are you cold? I can transmit us home for your jacket.” Chi-Chi smiled, flattered by her husband’s chivalry. He had to learn some manners when they first got marries, but after that he had always been like this and even though they had both gotten older and the years had gone by, Goku was still the man she married.
“No, I’m fine. Oh, Goku, isn't this just wonderful! I hope we find something fun for Pan here.”
“Yeah, maybe we can get some of those pumpkin donuts.” Goku answered, immediately picturing the soft pastries and instantly needing to get his hands on some. As the pair walked through the flooded streets, weaving through the lines of people, Chi-Chi glanced around.
“Wow, it’s really crowded today. I haven’t seen it so busy in a while.”
“I hope they still have the donuts.” Goku wished, completely ignoring his wife’s comment as the couple finally made it to the booth they’d been looking for.
“Sold out!? Aw man.” Goku whined in disappointment.
Chi-Chi rubbed his arm in comfort and tried to find a solution, “I’m sorry, honey. How about we find that other booth that you like? Maybe they will have something for you and Pan to share.”
“Fine.” Goku sighed and they turned back to the massive crowds behind them. As they weaved through the people at the market, the pair found another booth with sweet pastries. The grandparents grabbed a box of pumpkin muffins to share with Pan and continued on. Walking hand in hand, Chi-Chi giggled as she watched from her peripheral as Goku wolfed down his own box of muffins. When he finished, he sighed and rubbed his belly, grinning from ear to ear.
“Feel better?” Chi-Chi asked and Goku nodded.
“Yeah, that hit the spot!”
Chi-Chi laughed, “Should we stop at another booth?”
“Nah, I’m fine.”
It happened faster than Goku would like to admit. A blue blast shot through the sky and soared right over them. Goku’s first instinct was to protect his wife.
“Get down!” He yelled. He decked Chi-Chi to the ground and held her, using his own body as a shield. Behind them, a loud explosion rang through the air and the screams of the crowd echoed around them. More blasts blew up other booths and Goku scanned the sky, growling in frustration. He had no idea where the shots were coming from, but he knew he had to act quickly.
“Goku, what’s going on?” Chi-Chi shouted above the crowd, her tone dripped in panic.
“I don’t know, but just stay under me.” As herds of people pushed past them, Goku pulled Chi-Chi up and dashed off towards the side. He crouched down with his wife against a large wooden barrel and briefly scanned her body and ki, making sure Chi-Chi wasn’t injured. Once he was satisfied, Goku focused on the problem at hand.
Assessing his surroundings, Goku internally searched for ki signatures or any source of energy. Unsuccessful, Goku realized that he’d have to draw whoever was doing this out into the open. Pressing against Chi-Chi's hand harder with his own, Goku turned and narrowed his eyes at her.
“Don’t move from this spot. I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Goku-.”
“Chi-Chi, I need you to trust me.” Goku begged and Chi-Chi searched his face, understanding his seriousness.
“I trust you.” She told him and Goku squeezed her hand again to reassure her before he dashed back out to the crowds. Standing in the middle of the market, Goku glanced up at the clear blue skies. His eyes bounced around, looking, searching for someone or something. Why couldn’t he sense anything? He needed to get their attention.
Irritated, Goku roared, “If it’s a fight you want, then it's a fight you’ll get!” Grunting, Goku was immediately surrounded by a blinding glow. In an instant, the dust settled to reveal his Super Saiyan form. From the barrel, Chi-Chi looked on in wonder at her husband. The pure power that radiated off of him always amazed her and his fierce expression shook her to her core.
Shots flew towards Goku but he easily deflected them. “Is that all you got?” He yelled, watching the skies for any movement. Before he could take his next breath, a sharp kick to his back sent Goku barreling through the market, his body colliding with a burning booth.
“GOKU!” Chi-Chi screamed, her heart pounding as she waited for Goku to emerge from the flames. Seconds later, Goku stepped out of the flames. His gi was slightly torn and singed, whilst his body was covered in ash and small pink burns from the fire. Goku exhaled, now standing in the open and clearly furious. Now, he was on his guard more than ever, trying his best to calm down so he could focus on his surroundings. Another bolt of lightning came out of nowhere and his body tumbled across the ground.
The hits were brutal and Goku knew he had to figure out a way to fend off the attacker before his body became too worn from defense. However, despite all his training and ki searching, Goku couldn’t sense anything and it was extremely frustrating. “Dammit, I can’t get a read on this guy.” Goku breathed heavily.
A shriek that he knew immediately drew his attention away from the skies. Quickly, Goku watched as Chi-Chi was lifted in the air, kicking and screaming against the invisible force that was holding her body.
“Chi-Chi!” Goku bellowed and went to move, finding himself immobilized and helpless. Soon, deep chuckles echoed around the market and two beings materialized in front of them. One, who was holding Chi-Chi up in the air, was massive and purple and he wore a sinister expression. The other now had Goku in his grip, with his large hand wrapped around Goku’s neck.
“This was far easier than Frieza made it seem.” The larger one snickered and his grasp on Chi-Chi shifted, encompassing her whole body within his huge palm. Goku struggled, fighting against the other’s hold against his throat.
“Easy there, monkey. I would hate to have you waste all your energy trying to get out when you need it to save your wife.”
“What?” Goku hissed.
“Apologies.” The gruff voice spoke, his fingers digging into the skin on Goku’s neck, “Where are our manners? I suppose we should introduce ourselves first.” He grinned wickedly.
“I don’t care who you are,” Goku strained out, “Let her go, now!” He rasped.
“Now, now, don’t be so hasty. We have come to bargain with you.”
Goku grit his teeth, “This is not a discussion. Let her go, before I make you.” He threatened darkly. The being before him sneered, cold wrinkles creasing under his sunken eyes.
“You make one wrong move, Saiyan, and Polar over there will squeeze her little body until she goes pop!” He cackled.
“Don’t you dare.” Goku threatened with venom.
“Hey, I’m just giving you a warning. My friend, Polar, over there is particularly aggressive. I’m the calm one, which I suppose fits my name perfectly, Chill.”
“What the hell do you want?” Goku growled, anger and frustration evident in his tone.
“We know all about you, Goku. We want you to join us, as we rebuild our empire.”
“Never.” Goku grunted, straining against Chill’s hold.
“Frieza said you would say that.” Chill mused, closing his eyes as if in thought.
“Frieza?! I give him his life back after the tournament, and this is how he repays me?”
“Precisely.”
“What are you? You look similar to him.” Goku questioned, taking Chill's form in front of him.
“We are of the same race, though most of us were wiped out a long time ago. I suppose you could say, only the strongest survived.” Chill smirked.
“Well, I don’t care either way, I told him once that I would never join him, and my answer hasn’t changed!” Goku struggled in the creature’s grasp. He couldn’t understand why, but he was starting to feel slightly drained. Goku wasn’t putting up much of a fight against this monster, so he wasn’t over exerting himself. What the hell was going on?
“Well, I think you might change your mind on that.” Chill explained.
“Oh, yeah, how so?” Goku snarled.
“Submit to the darkness.” Chill leaned forward so his mouth was almost against Goku’s right ear, “I know you can feel it,” he whispered, “You are starting to weaken, and it will only get worse the more you struggle.” A sweat droplet cascaded down the side of Goku’s face.
“What …do you mean by submitting?” Goku cooly asked him, his voice evident that the energy drain was taking its toll.
“I’m glad you asked.” Chill entertained Goku, loosening his grip on Goku’s neck slightly, “I have a vial which contains a super reactive poison. It will feast on that disgusting pure blood of yours. It will consume you and turn you into something dark, something sinful, and you won’t be able to stop it.”
“Then what?” Goku wondered, suddenly feeling very nauseous as his power continued to drain away.
“Then, we will unleash you upon the universe, starting with Earth.” Chill breathed. Goku swallowed hard, his eyes darting back and forth between his wife and Polar. His heart pounded something awful in his chest and his mind soared with questions. His power was depleting. At this rate he was going to be outmatched by these two monsters.
“Do you need a bit of persuasion?” Chill asked him coolly. Peering up to look at his comrade, Chill nodded. No words were needed as they mentally communicated and Polar instantly grew a spike from the top of his free hand and held it to Chi-Chi’s throat. The sharp object sat dangerously close to piercing her skin, a frightened yelp escaping her lips.
“NO!!” Goku screamed, “Not her!” Goku pleaded, his calloused hands gripping Chill’s forearm.
“Submit yourself … and she won’t be harmed.” Chill whispered before he continued, “Think about it, Goku. Why be good when you could be powerful? You could rule them all if you wanted to.” Backed into a corner, Goku snarled. All this power and it was useless now. He had to try to get Chi-Chi out of harm’s way and there was no chance that he’d ever allow these monsters to use his body for their evil plans.
Screaming, Goku tried to focus his energy, hoping that he could gather enough to transform. As he continued to yell, Goku did not feel any energy rise and it was then that he felt his body fail him. Goku slumped against Chill’s hold and breathed hard. Across from him, Chi-Chi met his heavy lid eyes with her own panicked expression. Goku felt truly helpless as he stared at his wife, not sure how to get out of this situation. He failed her so many times in their marriage and he was failing her again right now. The one thing that he was supposed to do, protect her, and he couldn’t even do that. Now, she was in the grips of one of Frieza’s men and all of Goku’s worst fears were realized.
Suddenly, two figures landed to the side of Chi-Chi and Polar and Chill stiffened, their holds on Goku and Chi-Chi tightening.
“Goku!” Piccolo shouted as Vegeta geared up to fight but Goku screamed in a desperate voice.
“Don’t! Do not move or they will kill Chi-Chi.” Goku demanded, His fellow Saiyan went to engage and Goku yelled again, pleading with Vegeta, “Vegeta, please.”
“It looks like you’re finally coming to your senses.” Chill whispered and Piccolo frowned at his friend.
“Goku, what’s going on?” Goku scanned Chi-Chi’s face wildly as his mind moved in a million different directions. There was no time to think as Polar edged the blade closer to Chi-Chi’s neck, grazing her pale skin. Blood trickled down his wife’s throat, staining her burnt orange dress collar. Seething, Goku shook his head, locking eyes with Chi-Chi as he made his decision.
“Don’t do this.” Chi-Chi begged, “Not for me.”
“Chi-Chi, I’m sorry. I can’t…I can’t lose you. I’m not strong enough. Please, forgive me.” Stifling a sob, Chi-Chi watched in horror as Goku, the strongest man in the universe, conceded.
“How do I know that you won’t harm her if I agree to this?” Goku demanded.
“You have my word, Saiyan. We will have no further need to hold her hostage if you agree. We will let her go.”
“I don’t trust you.” Goku’s voice shook as he spoke, a growing concern for his wife taking over him.
“Well, you can either take my word for it or we can kill her now instead. Your choice.” Goku swallowed, his mouth was dry, his eyelids were heavy, and his mind soared. He lolled his head to the side to look over at Vegeta.
“If you need to, do not hesitate to put me down.” Goku said to him. Vegeta’s mouth gaped open, but no words came out.
“NO!! Vegeta, don’t!” Chichi cried out, fighting against Polar’s grasp.
“Goku, you can’t be serious.” Piccolo muttered.
“Promise me, Vegeta.” Goku glared at his old rival, needing him to mutter his promise whilst Goku was still in control of himself. Vegeta continued to stare at him, an unsettled feeling hitting the pit of his stomach.
“Vegeta!”
“Fine. You have my word, Kakarot.” Vegeta promised. Chi-Chi’s sobs wrecked through the cold air, overshadowed by Chill’s cackle.
“Excellent. Now, let’s begin.” Chill pulled out a large needle and instinctively Goku stiffened but he tried to maintain his composure against the sight of a needle. He focused on Chi-Chi’s face across from him and his heart felt heavy as she had tears streaming down her face.
“No.” Chi-Chi shook her head, “Goku, please don’t do this.”
“It’s gonna be okay, Chi-Chi.” Goku whispered. Chill prepared the serum and Goku took his attention back to Vegeta.
“Do not let her get hurt.” He warned and Vegeta nodded. Goku groaned as the needle was stuck into his side, the serum shooting straight into his bloodstream.
“I hope you’re ready for this, Vegeta.” Goku croaked out. Goku collapsed to the ground, groaning in pain whilst his body shook. On his knees, he curled inwards, holding his stomach in agony. His breathing was ragged, and the sweat poured from his brow. Chi-Chi watched helplessly along with Piccolo and Vegeta, as the serum consumed him. A black substance spread up the veins on Goku’s neck, his jaw clenching, his hands gipping at the earth below him.
A moment later, Goku stopped moving and his head hung low, his expression hidden as Chi-Chi and the others waited to see what Goku had become. Slowly, Goku stood from his knees and lifted his head, revealing his face. Chi-Chi gasped, and stifled a sob as she stared at her husband.
Across from her, Goku wore a malicious grin whilst the veins under his eyes were black. His pupils expanded, darkness enveloping them, a terrifying aura of energy engulfed him. Piccolo swallowed and balled his hands up into fists. This was not good.
“How does it feel?” Chill hissed. Goku simply smirked in response, triggering Chill to snicker.
“Must feel good to finally realize the true potential of your power.”
“Yes, it’s exhilarating.” Goku agreed, scanning his hands in fascination.
“Now what?” Piccolo questioned Vegeta as they gazed at the newly transformed Goku.
“Get Chi-Chi.” Vegeta dictated calmly.
“And what about you?” Piccolo questioned him, knowing what the answer would be. Vegeta narrowed his eyes on Goku.
“I made a promise to put him down, and I intend to keep it. Get Chi-Chi and get out of here.” he spat.
Polar roughly threw Chi-Chi to the ground and moved from her position. Chichi turned her gaze to her husband and watched as the man she loved flexed his muscles and turned towards Vegeta.
“Chi-Chi, we need to get out of here, now!” Piccolo called as he came up behind the troubled woman and Chi-Chi shook her head.
“No, I’m not leaving.”
“Goku wouldn’t want this. Come on.”
“Piccolo, I’m not leaving!” Chi-Chi whirled on the Namekian and he conceded, motioning her to follow up off to the side as the two Saiyans prepared for battle.
Vegeta smirked, staring at his old rival as he spoke in a mocking tone, “You know, Kakarot, giving me permission to kill you might be your best idea yet.”
“Well, what are you waiting for?” Goku asked darkly. Vegeta flew towards him and soon the two began an intense folly as Piccolo and Chi-Chi watched from the sidelines. The two Saiyans quickly took to the air and it was the most brutal fight Chi-Chi had ever seen. Goku was completely unleashed, and each blow he sent towards Vegeta was malicious and calculating. Vegeta for his part felt his battle instincts were alive as he fought Goku to the death.
“I have to say, Kakarot. When you’re out for blood, you really are a Saiyan. This is exciting.” Vegeta grunted through a block as Goku swung his leg around and collided with Vegeta’s head, sending the warrior soaring towards the ground. The prince stopped himself midair and charged at Goku again, sending an uppercut to his jaw. Goku groaned from the blow and smirked, wiping blood off his mouth with the back of his hand.
On the ground, Chill and Polar watched the Saiyans with interest and Chi-Chi glared at them, wanting to do something. The only thing that was holding her back was the fact that Goku sacrificed himself for her and if she did something reckless in spite of that, it would all be in vain. She huffed and turned back to the fight and both men charged up to Super Saiyan, racing towards each other at speeds Chi-Chi couldn’t comprehend.
“Mom!” A voice shouted at her and she turned to see Gohan landing behind her. Chi-Chi rushed to her eldest and captured him in a tight hug, trying her best not to cry into his chest.
“Gohan, it’s awful.” Chi-Chi muttered whilst Gohan surveyed the destroyed farmers market, Chill and Polar, and then of course his father and Vegeta’s battle.
“Mom, I felt Dad’s ki and it was all over the place. What happened?” Chi-Chi lifted her face from her son’s chest and glared at Chill and Polar.
“Those two came and destroyed the market. Then they held me captive and forced your father to make an impossible decision. They injected him with this serum that made him lose all reason and who he is. Now, he’s fighting Vegeta and he told Vegeta to kill him if necessary!”
“What? No, we can’t let that happen.” Gohan ordered and pushed away from his mother, staring up at the sky. The booming collisions of the Saiyans above rocked the ground below and Gohan then turned to Piccolo.
“There’s got to be another way, right?”
“I’m not sure, Gohan. Your father knew how deadly he could be if he was left unchecked. His promise for Vegeta was to make sure Goku didn’t kill your mother. Unless you have another way of bringing your father back, I don’t see another option” Piccolo muttered as a shout drew all of their attention to the sky. Vegeta whirled and shot hundreds of blasts at Goku which he easily blocked and sent back to the prince. Putting two fingers to his forehead, Goku disappeared for a second and then reappeared behind Vegeta. When Vegeta turned to meet Goku, he vanished again. This folly happened a few times, and Vegeta snarled.
“Enough of this!” He yelled and shot dozens of blasts around him, hoping to hit Goku. When the dust cleared, Vegeta scanned the sky, only to see nothing.
“You’re not even a challenge.” A dark voice whispered behind Vegeta and he spun, greeted by nothing. Suddenly, a sharp kick to the middle of his back sent Vegeta flying into the ground.
“Vegeta!” Gohan shouted and glared at his father in the sky.
“Dad, stop this!” For a moment, Goku faltered as he glanced down at his son. The dark, teal eyes that this form gave him changed slightly and Chi-Chi noticed it was the very shade of brown that her husband had. The teal suddenly turned to red, then blue, then a light grey as Goku groaned and gripped his head, hissing in what looked like pain. The serum was resisting against the real Goku, Chi-Chi knew it.
“Goku! Finish them all. They are only holding back your true power!” Chill shouted and Chi-Chi waited with baited breath to see Goku’s next move. A moment later, the dark eyes returned as Goku stood up, no longer in torment. He glared with fury at Chill and pointed a single finger at him.
“Shut up.” He muttered coldly, sending a single energy blast through Chill’s chest. Chill gasped and felt his chest before he collapsed, blood trickling from his body as they all stood in absolute shock. Above, Goku smirked and turned in time to catch Vegeta’s punch.
“He’s still in there.” Chi-Chi stated as she watched with interest at Goku’s movements against Vegeta.
“What? How can you say that? He just murdered someone in cold blood!” Piccolo countered and Chi-Chi answered.
“The form weakened when Goku saw Gohan. Didn’t you notice his eyes change back? He was fighting it for a moment”
“You’re right, mom. Maybe if we keep reminding him of his connections and attachments, Dad might be able to fight against it!” A moment later, Vegeta finally took the gloves off and renewed his old habits. The same brutally he used whilst in Frieza’s service was tapped into. Even with a serum, Vegeta rationalized that Kakarot had never actually been bad. He’d never used his powers to maim or kill unless he had absolutely no other choice. Vegeta had many times over and he knew the depths of deadly force. Using what he knew, Vegeta landed a brutal gut punch and lifted his hands over his head, batting Kakarot down to the ground.
“Goku!” Chi-Chi yelled as he crashed into the ground and was slow to get up. Dust covered the crater he created as Vegeta glared at his opponent.
“You wanted this, Kakarot. I’ll only charge up enough energy to kill you and not destroy the Earth.” Vegeta called as he pulled back his hands, collecting ki.
“Vegeta, no!” Gohan pleaded.
“I’ll see you in hell, Kakarot.” Chichi ran in pure desperation towards her husband, her son calling for her as she did.
“Stop!” Chi-Chi ordered as she threw herself onto the ground, shielding a knelt Goku with her body.
“Mom, get out of there.” Gohan screamed and Vegeta groaned with frustration.
“Woman, move out of the way.”
“No! You can’t kill him. I won’t let you.”
“Chi-Chi, this is more than just losing Goku. If we can’t stop him here then he’ll go across the World and destroy others. Goku didn’t want that. This needs to be done for the greater good.” Piccolo reasoned and Chi-Chi shook her head.
“I won’t let you kill him. My Goku is still in there.”
“Chi?” A whisper called behind her and she spun her body, cradling Goku’s cheek as she waited for him to lift his eyes. Seconds later, Chi-Chi felt her throat tighten as she was lifted off the ground, her feet flailing in the air. In front of her, the man she loved glared at her with a sinister gaze.
“MOM!! NO!!” Gohan bellowed, about to run to his mother but Piccolo grasped him by the back of his shirt, halting his movements.
Gohan fumed at Piccolo, narrowing his eyes at the Namekian, “Let me go or I will use force” Gohan threatened his friend.
“Just wait” Piccolo spoke calmly.
“Wait for what?? For my dad to kill my mom??!” Gohan shrieked.
“Trust me. I think your mother is onto something” Piccolo explained, releasing Gohan’s shirt. Gohan blinked a few times as he stared at Piccolo, but then turned his attention to his parents.
Chi-Chi’s head began to spin as she tried gasping for air, his large calloused hands gripping tightly at her throat. She clawed her fingers at his hands, digging her nails into his skin, but to no avail. Small ragged gasps escaped her throat, her glassy eyes staring into the corrupted eyes of her husband.
“Go … ku” she winced, “Stop … don’t … do this” If possible, he squeezed her neck harder. She felt completely suffocated.
“Piccolo, I can’t do this!” Gohan spoke anxiously, sweat dripping down his brow.
“Just, wait” Piccolo told him.
“Go … ku … you have to … fight it” Chi-Chi wheezed, her lungs starting to ache and her body sagging beneath his grip, “Please … Goku … I know … you're still ... in there”. Goku’s expression remained unchanged, his grip remained fixed around her throat.
“DAD!! PLEASE STOP!!” Gohan begged his father from the sidelines.
“I know … you. You’re not … this person. You’re ... my Goku. You can … fight this. You … got this … honey” it was as if a switch was flipped in Goku’s head and his eyes flashed back to brown. Chi-Chi held his gaze as her energy completely drained away, her heavy eyelids fighting to stay open as her husband simply stared at her. He took a shuddering breath, his eyes widening at the realisation of his actions. He instantly let his wife go, his mouth gaped open, his hand shaking.
“Chi-Chi?” he breathed. Chi-Chi hit the ground and tried to catch her breath, her chest was so tight as she coughed repeatedly. Goku fell to his knees, his hands reaching out for her, but freezing when he got close to her, in fear of hurting her again.
“Chi-Chi, I’m so sorry…I ... I didn’t,” he choked out, guilt completely paralysing his body.
“It’s … okay” Chichi breathed, “I know it … wasn’t you.” She assured him, reaching for his hand and squeezing it tightly. His heart almost collapsed in his chest at the sight of her, her pale face, watering eyes and the rough sound of her haggard breath.
“I never wanted to hurt you,” he quietly whimpered. Chi-Chi cupped his cheeks with her cold shaking hands and brought his face to hers, her breath gently fanning his lips as she spoke.
“You didn’t hurt me, I'm right here in one piece, aren’t I? What is it you always tell the boys? I’m the strongest, you can’t beat me, right?” she half-heartedly laughed, gaining a small smile from Goku as well.
Gohan heaved out a raspy breath, relief washing over him, “That was too close,” he sighed.
“I guess she was right after all,” Piccolo mused. Goku’s eyes bore deeply into his wife’s, his pupils darting back and forth her shining eyes as she softly caressed his cheeks with her fingertips.
“Goku-” he cut her off when a sharp, piercing pain shot up his chest and into his head. He howled, clutching his head hard with his palms, his fingers digging into his scalp. His eyes turned again, a growl spilling from his mouth as his body felt the darkness consuming him once again.
“Goku?” Chi-Chi tried again, concern taking over her, her trembling hand reaching for him.
“NO!!” Goku snarled, putting his one palm up to her, signaling for Chi-Chi to stop, “Get … back” he grit his teeth, “It’s not … safe”.
“Mom!” Gohan yelled, sprinting off towards his mother. Piccolo grit his teeth, maybe Chi-Chi was wrong?
Goku thrashed about, the pain stabbing at his head was unbearable. His fists collided with the dirt beneath him, denting the ground from the sheer force, the earth shaking in its aftershocks. Gohan skidded across the dirt and grabbed his mother’s arm, pulling her firmly to him.
“Come on, Mom,” he told her, about to run with her but Chi-Chi pulled against him.
“No, Gohan! I’m not leaving your father.”
“He’s not him right now!”
“He’s still in there. I won’t give up on him.”
Goku hissed, his pupils completely disappearing from his eyes, his focus on Polar some distance away, a wide smirk on his hideous face.
“Get out ... of my HEAD!!” Goku screamed, his body engulfed in black flames, an aura like lightning sparking out and striking the ground around him. Gohan grabbed his mother and lifted her off the ground, running in the opposite direction of his father. Goku continued to scream, the earth shaking, the ground splitting and collapsing beneath him. He grit his teeth, his gums bared for all to see, his eyes the colour of teal but they were swallowed up by fury.
It was at that moment that he felt an overwhelming pressure building up in his stomach. Goku clutched his stomach and retched, a black gooey-like substance spewing from his mouth.
“What’s happening to him?” Vegeta now questioned, landing on the ground not too far from the others.
In the distance, the only remaining nemesis balked, “This can’t be good.”
Goku could barely breathe as more of the sickly venom poured out of his mouth. It burnt his throat and it tasted like nothing he had ever tasted before, the smell like rotting flesh. His body was hunched over, shaking uncontrollably and his eyes were almost streaming as he suffered. He retched again, but this time a thick tar overwhelmed his throat, and cut off his airway. Goku gasped for air, the burning tar ripping through his throat like raging flames. Panic struck him as he couldn’t breathe and only one idea came to mind. Goku grabbed hold of the black tar and started to pull it out of his mouth, groaning as it cut through his throat.
Vegeta sensed Goku’s struggle and ran to him, sliding across the disheveled ground and grabbing the venom that Goku had already pulled from inside him. Vegeta grit his teeth and planted his feet as he helped pull the poison from his friend’s mouth. Gohan, Chi-Chi, and Piccolo watched in absolute horror as Vegeta and Goku hauled the dark matter from Goku’s throat. Moments later the thick goo was dislodged and Vegeta threw it away from them. Goku took in a sharp breath, black saliva pouring from his mouth. He hauled over again, his body shaking from the ordeal.
Vegeta raised his palm and growled. He fired a ki blast at the disgusting gunk that lay on the ground and it caught on fire, bursting into flames and exploding before them. Vegeta and Goku shielded themselves from the large blast, a sooty wind swirling around them as the dust began to settle. Goku let out a relieved sigh, before shuddering in disgust.
“Ugh, that was nasty,” he whined.
“Don’t ever ask me to do that again,” Vegeta spat.
“I didn’t ask you,” Goku reminded him, "but thank you"
“Shut up,” Vegeta grumbled back.
“Thank goodness!” Chichi murmured, a smile spreading across her face. Polar gawped at the scene before him, his eyes bulging in shock. He took one last look and seconds later took off for the skies.
“Shall we go after him?” Vegeta asked Goku as he rose to his feet slowly, a devious smile playing on the prince’s face. Goku exhaled deeply before standing with him.
“Let him go, he ain’t worth it,” Goku muttered. Goku and Vegeta stood in a comfortable silence as they watched the villain disappear over the horizon, both glad that was over with.
“DAD!!”
“GOKU!!” Goku turned his head to see his son and wife running towards him, Piccolo walking not too far behind. Goku smiled and braced himself for impact. Gohan hit him first with a thud, making Goku wheeze slightly from the force of his son’s hug.
“Hey, Gohan,” he gently soothed his son.
“Man, Dad, you had us worried,” his son murmured into his shoulder. Goku pulled back from his son and tilted up his chin.
“Hey, takes more than that to beat your old man,” he told him with a wink, Gohan smiling from ear to ear. Goku was then tackled by his wife, with a force that challenged his son’s, which nearly had him toppling over. He chuckled as his wife embraced him tightly around his torso, her face buried in his chest.
“Oh, Goku, I'm so glad you’re okay,” Chi-Chi cooed, her voice slightly muffled by his chest. Goku rubbed her back soothingly.
“I’m fine, Chi-Chi. I’m sorry for worrying ya.” She pulled back to look up at Goku, a frown suddenly forming on her face. He was not expecting her next move. He gasped and coughed as his little irate wife punched him in his gut.
“What the hell were you thinking?!” she scolded him, “You could have killed us, or even yourself! You had no idea what that stuff was gonna do to you, Goku!” Goku gave her a cheesy grin.
“Aw, c’mon, honey, I had to do it. I was in no position to save you at that point,” he tried to reason with her, “Besides, it worked out okay in the end, right?” Goku asked her nervously.
“You’re unbelievable.” She shook her head and Goku grinned before turning to Vegeta and Piccolo. “Thank you both for helping to keep my family safe.”
“Thankfully it didn’t get too out of hand.” Piccolo muttered and Vegeta scoffed.
“I would have killed him if it wasn’t for that woman.”
“You were having trouble with me huh, Vegeta?” Goku chuckled and the prince glared at his rival.
“Fine, next time I’ll kill both you and your wife. How about that, Kakarot?.”
Goku’s expression went dark as he turned to Vegeta, “That’ll never happen.”
Chi-Chi knew where this was going and stepped in as the Saiyans buffed their chests, “It’s over you two. Can’t we just go home now?”
“No, we have unfinished business.” Vegeta smirked and Goku glared at his friend.
“Let’s go.” Goku challenged him and the two slowly rose to the air.
The others watched and Chi-Chi groaned and massaged her temple with her hand, “How did one simple trip to the market cause all of this? Can’t I have one nice day?”