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Prologue
By : Herpb4uDerp
Category: Missing Data > Missing Data
Views: 194 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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- 23
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Do You Recognize Me?

When they touch down they can feel both their parent’s kis softly resonating from inside the house. Gohan looks down at his little brother before turning the knob. Something didn't feel quite right and he cringes a little thinking about their mother’s reaction when she sees Goten's face.

“...Are you ready?”

"No.” Goten says honestly, “.. I can’t- … I don’t- " He backs away from the door threading his fingers anxiously through his hair. "I need a minute."

Gohan tries to reassure him. Even though he's terrible at it, "I- of course. That’s ok. I know this must be- ...I'll make sure they know you're here."

Goten nods and heads toward the river not far from their house.
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Gohan walks in with a soft painful smile and tears already threatening to break loose.

"Father!"

Goku stands up from the table and embraces him. "Gohan! Gohan, kami you've changed so much."

Goku releases him and holds him by the shoulders so he could see all the things he'd missed. "Chi Chi tells me Pan’s in college now."

Tears are now streaming freely down the eldest son's cheeks, "Yes, she's all grown, she's doing great, we're so pr.. we're so.." He pulls his father back into a hug. "Dad, where were you? Where- what happened?"

"I…” he looks to his wife who was still sitting at the table refusing him eye contact, “lost track of time."

“You… what?” Gohan had never thought his father was particularly smart. He often wondered just how much head trauma he had suffered as a child and then as a martial artist. Regardless, his excuse was still awful. Worse than what he expected him to say, but that was his own fault. He shouldn't have expected anything. This was Goku. So he just keeps hugging him.

"We're... so glad to have you back. We’ve missed you." When Goku sits back down Chi Chi pours Gohan a cup of coffee. “You’re- dad, you’re going to stay, right?”

Goku nods. “I didn’t… mean to leave that long, I’m so-”

"Where's your brother?” Chi Chi cuts him off, “Did he come?" Gohan can't quite tell if it's worry or bitterness in her voice.

"Yeah. He's here. But he..." Gohan looks at his father who was staring sadly into his empty cup, "needed a moment."

"How is he?" Goku asks without looking up. "He's probably all grown up too, isn't he? Chi Chi says he looks just like me.” He smiles.

"Yeah." Gohan laughs uncomfortably. "He… definitely used to." He says quietly.

Chi Chi frowns, "Tell him to come inside."

“Mom, I don’t know if that’s- why don’t we wait until he’s-”

“He’s not going to throw another one of his tantrums instead of be here with us all together- … Go get him.” She says quietly but with a stern urging tone.

Gohan sighs, gets up and heads to the door, but Goku stops him.

"I'll get him." He smiles hopefully to his son and wife. “I’ll- yeah. I’m sure he’s just… a little shy.”

As optimistic as Gohan usually was even he knew that was wishful thinking. Gohan follows his dad out the door and pulls him aside, "I didn't want to say this in front of her." He pauses and looks at his father’s blank care free expression, he can't see the deeper troubled emotions that lie there, “Goten... he's been training... a lot lately... I'm not really sure what happened... but when you see him, don’t- don’t uh, .... I just think it's better if we don't say anything to mom about it."

Goku doesn't understand what that's supposed to mean, He's injured? He's tired? ...Why bother keeping it a secret? I used to come home injured sometimes. He’s going to come inside isn’t he? She’ll see? He decides not to ask and just nods his head and smiles before walking down.

Gohan goes back inside and sits down with his mother who is wiping away tears, "He's exactly the same, isn't he?" She nods with a painful laugh. Gohan sips on the cup of coffee. "Exactly... the..." Suddenly Gohan realizes what felt wrong, "mom, what... did he mean when he said he 'lost track of time'?"
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Goten presses his fingers into his hair again. He could feel several places where it had melted together into clumps. Didn’t even know it could melt. He flops onto the river bank and looks at his reflection in the water. He flashes into super Saiyan to see how bad the damage is. His proud gravity defiant hair was now half the length, the wild spikes replaced by short jagged chunks all slanted slightly to the right, still black in some areas instead of gold.

How do I look even worse than I feel?

He slumps back into his normal state and tries to at least wash the blood off. The cool water stings his skin as he rinses it through his mouth until he starts spitting clear again. He is still wearing the blue wrist band and he burns it off his wrist before responding to his buzzing phone.

Trunks. He swipes disconnect but it starts ringing again. Goten swipes again. The messages assured Goten that Trunks didn't know what happened or why, just that something happened and it was bad. That was good enough. Trunks is calling for the sixth time and Goten is about to throw his phone as far as it would go when he feels a barely familiar ki approaching.

He has the sudden urge to blast off. He's not quite ready to face the grim reality yet of what he's done. He’s not yet ready to look the center of his issues, because he'd never admit that it was himself, in the eye.

Goku stands behind him sheepishly waiting for him to react, to say something but his son stays kneeling at the river bank with his back to him. Goku tries to think of something to say to the boy he left behind. "Hey Goten. How- ...how are you?” He waits several long moments for a reply but none come, "... Gohan tells me you've kept up with training... that's-"

"Yeah." Goten cuts him off put off and annoyed by his choice in topic and how casual he pretends to be about this, "I have."

"We should... maybe we could spar sometime. You could show me how strong you've gotten-"

He scoffs and rolls his open open eye, you and Vegeta and your obsession with training-, "I'd rather not."

Goku reaches his hand behind his head and rubs not sure what to make of his sharp remarks. This was a very different reaction than the one he’d received from his eldest son. "Who have you been training with?"

"Who the fuck do you think?"

"Hey! Watch your-"

"No! I'll say whatever the fuck I want! I don't know yo-...” He stands and turns as he speaks and his voices catches in shock. It wasn't like the pictures. It wasn’t like the descriptions. It wasn’t like the constant reminders. It was like a mirror. Everyone had been right. They looked the same. Goten doesn’t know if it’s infuriating or disappointing. And he doesn't know why, he knew Saiyans didn't age like humans, but he still expected his father to look older, bigger. He remembered him being older, bigger than him.

Goku can't hide the instant pain and regret he feels looking at his youngest son's misshapen bloodied face. He wouldn’t have even known it was his own son standing in front of him it was if it hadn’t been for his ki.

“Goten… your fa-”

"Like Gohan said" He grins painfully, "I'm just keepin' up with my training."

Goku is unnerved by his son's response and inhales shakily, still smiling, a plastic artificial smile, in order to force a friendly air that isn't there, "What... kind of training is that from?"

"The beat-the-shit-out-of-each-other kind of training. What does it look like?" He snipes with irritation at Goku pathetic attempt to keep this conversation going and he wonders if his father just has a bad case of denial or was actually as incapable of picking up social cues as Vegeta, but at least he's not the jumping to conclusions type!

"That… doesn't look like it's very good for you..."

"Oh?! You would know, huh!?" he snaps back, "Because you train with me every day, right?"

Goku is silent. He reminds me of-

Goten kicks at the rocks on the edge of the bank, "Did you really think everything would be the fucking same? Did you really think this was gonna be exciting game of catch up and that everything was gonna be ok? Why did you come here? Why did you bother coming back?" Was it for him?

A thousand different ways to try and explain away the mistake he made come into Goku's head. He can hear Vegeta's angry words echoing in his ears, 'so typically Goku.’ "I didn’t- … I didn’t know I was gone for… so long."

Goten narrows his eyes at him and he wonders if his father is being genuine. He wonders if he's just that stupid, like everyone said. He doesn't think so. Goten could recognize pain when he saw it and it was there despite his father's bright smile. He hates that he can see it there clear as day. He wonders if it was so clear on his own face.

“Goten.... I’m sorr-”

"No. No, I'm done." he backs away, "You don't get to say sorry and catch up with me in ten minutes. It's been almost fifteen years. You missed it. You missed out." his nose starts bleeding lightly again, "You don't get to know me. Fuck off.”

“Wh- Goten, wait.” He reaches out but hesitates when Goten whips around with his arm cocked back ready to land a blow. Goten glares at his father’s troubled expression and he feels for the ki behind it.

...I'm… stronger than him? The realization is hollow. A lot stronger. He watches his father's response. Goku looks at his fist but he doesn't brace. He doesn't move at all. He tries to smile, tries to keep to believing his son is happy to see him. Like he used to be. When he came back.

But it is impossible to miss the flare of ki. “You... really have gotten strong.”

“Yeah.” Goten looks past his father and sees his brother leaning against the door frame. He lets his arm drops back to his side. You're not even worth it. “I have.” Then he shakes his head and walks off in the forest wondering how much time he has before his father talked to Vegeta. Never... If I can help it...

Gohan walks up to his father after a few moments. "Well, that was... That was a lot better than I thought it'd be."

"It was?"

"Yeah. Goten is... He's... had a lot of... he was angry when you left. He's been doing better... But coming back so suddenly... I think… I don’t know. Did it go ok?"

"I'll… have another chance to make it right. He’ll come back, won’t he? He lives here? Chi Chi said-"

Gohan laughs, "No, he definitely does not.”

"Oh. Where does he-?"

He considers possible variations of the truth, "Capsule Corp, usually. Although as of today, I think he's staying with me and Videl."

“Capsule Corp?” Goku is surprised to hear that and it shows.

“Yeah. He and Trunks have stayed very close.”

"When… was the last time he was here?"

Gohan hesitates and decides against lying, "About three or four years.” He watches his father’s posture drop, “He and mom don't speak to each other. ...She never made it easy. I… was surprised he came at all.”

Goku turns to his son, “He doesn't talk to Chi?” Gohan shakes his head, “At all? Why? She seemed so worried about him, I should-”

Gohan puts his hand on Goku's shoulder, “No, no whatever it is, dad, you shouldn't.”

“What? Why not? What did they fight about?” Goku watches his son struggle to pick his words, “Gohan… what’s wrong?”

He laughs uncomfortably, “Uh, well, nothing's wrong ...Goten’s just… he's- He doesn't- its not- …” He looks at his father who is waiting on the edge of each word and sighs, “I’m- sorry, I’m… not sure... I should tell you if he didn't.”

“Oh.”

“Sorry. ...I’m sure you’ll get another chance. But please don’t bring it up when we go back inside. Mom… she’s- … well, you know...”

Goku nods even though he didn’t know and looks at the river. “... I didn't even recognize him.”

"Yeah. I’m… not sure what happened. He wouldn't tell me." Although you did return rather suddenly, Goten and Vegeta aren't exactly stable people. "My guess is he and Vegeta got into another fight."

"Another fight?” Goku tilts his head curiously, “He and… Vegeta fight a lot?"

"They used to. All the time when 'Ten was younger he'd come back from Capsule Corp. pretty upset most of the time (when he did come back)... but never hurt. Not that I’d ever seen. Definitely not like this... eventually I think their fights turned into formal training or whatever you want to label the excuses they made up to hit each other... and he started staying there all the time. … For better or worse, Vegeta practically raised him." I should have been there...

"He did?" Goku's eyes search the ground sadly for answers it couldn't give, "But... he did that to him?"

"I- yeah, I think so. I'm not sure if Vegeta looks any worse or not but ‘Ten insisted it was just from training.”

Goku wasn't sure if that would really make it any better, if those bruises were mutual. "Hm."

"I'm... I'm going to head home soon. I'll let you know about getting everyone together to welcome you back, alright? My phone's been buzzing off the hook, I'm sure everyone will want to see you! Let's plan on tomorrow?"

"Yeah... Sure."

Chi Chi is still sitting at the table when Goku comes back in.

"Where's Goten?"

"He left."

She gets up and slams the bedroom door. She wasn't really mad at him. Or at Goten. But they were the ones who kept leaving.

After hunting for his own food, Goku slept on the couch that night. He kept thinking about Goten's face and how upset his son was. Kept thinking about what he’d said and done wrong. He kept thinking that he had fought with Vegeta many times, but neither of them had ever walked away like that. Not since their first fight. When he swore he'd kill me. He smiles, but it is fleeting. He kept thinking that as much as he still didn't want to quite yet, he needed to talk to Vegeta.
- 23
- 24
- 25
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Prologue	By : Herpb4uDerp Category: Missing Data > Missing Data Views: 194 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer:

Prologue