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Out of Sight, Out of Mind	By : Asper Category: Dragon Ball Z > Yaoi - Male/Male Views: 1964 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own DragonballZ, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 5
- 6
Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I affiliated with the owners of, Dragonball/Z/GT. The characters and locations depicted are the property of their original creators or governments (save for Android 10); I merely borrowed and abused them. I make no profit from this story, and any attempts to sue me will net you approximately $0.75, some lint, and perhaps a gum wrapper if you�re lucky.

Author�s Note: Sorry this took so long, but I had
to choose between 5 possible endings to the story, and given the complexity of
this fic, I have to start setting up day 7 now. I had
written most of this chapter but had to scrap it and start over because I
wanted to switch endings. Plus my erratic work schedule kept interrupting me. I�m
not really happy with this chapter, but Days 3 and 5 were both a bit bland in
the story skeleton so there isn�t much I can do about it now. To all my
reviewers, thank you so much for your words, it means so much to me, and it
really keeps me motivated to know you like what I�ve written. <3!! Thanks to
all my readers as well, of course!

Out of Sight, Out of Mind

--Day Five--

A sweet morning breeze carried the
smell of blossoming trees and flowers through the mountains, whispering through
the forests as it stirred the world from its slumber. The mountains were still
coated the frozen cloak of winter, though only small patches of snow remained
in the fertile valleys below them. The warm sun shone brightly amongst the
fluffy white clouds, smiling down on the Earth spring willed life to return to
the plants and animals that had been waiting through the bitter winter months.

The village itself was small and
idyllic, dotted with bamboo buildings, many of them with rice-paper walls and
cherry wood supports, with a few western style buildings among them. The sound
of running water permeated the scene, as the river to the North and the large
decorative fountain in the centre of the village kept the sound flowing through
the streets. The crown jewel of the village sat atop a hill across the river, a
stone church whose windows and arches had watched over the valley for
generations.

The heavy, majestic sound of church
bells filled the air, echoing through the forests and the fields before
reaching the ancient mountains. The people living in the village had already
begun their day, allowing the sound of the old bells to soothe them as they
opened their businesses, began their farming chores, or ran their errands in
the warm morning light. An atmosphere of serenity had settled upon this place �
while the economy was poor, and a war was raging somewhere over the horizon,
life continued as it always had deep within the mountains.

Two men sat in a small caf� in the
centre of the village; a western-style building seeming somewhat out of place
near the traditional village square, the place was originally erected for
tourists. The village had seen precious few of those in recent years, though
the scientists were content to sip their morning coffee in solitude and discuss
their recent work; the colleagues were known to the village as Doctors Gero and Frappe, both of whom had lived in this place their
entire lives.

Clean cut and dressed in fine, plain
clothing, the scientists drew little attention from the simple village folk
among which they spent their lives. Their work was unrecognized and unimportant
to the farming community or their families, though the relevant isolation was
often a blessing.

The airy atmosphere and the peaceful
sounds of a spring morning were broken by the low crack of missile fire,
followed by a deafening explosion from the North. People flooded the streets of
the village to see what taken place, horrified as they witnessed the bell tower
of their church smoking and damaged, the bells smashing each other as they
teetered dangerously from damaged ropes. The horrified silence was broken by a
heart-wrenching crack and a thunderous roar of metal smashing against stone as
the Northern sky erupted with smoke and flame. The church was quickly engulfed
in red and orange flames as the bell tower crumbled and the gargantuan copper
bells fell to the stone flooring, cracking in two as they released their final
calls.

Dr. Gero
and Dr. Frappe stared speechless at the destruction before them, barely
noticing the pandemonium taking place around them as they watched the church
burn. The sounds of motorized vehicles and the chants of foreign soldiers
echoed through the mountains as they drowned out the screams of the villagers,
the babbling river, and the songs of the birds. Dr. Frappe muttered to himself, clenching his
fists.

�The fuckers� of all the routes they could
have taken to the capitol� why this one?�

Dr. Gero
ran his hands through his dark hair, ripped from his
shock as a foreign army marched into sight crossing the small bridge that
joined the two sides of the river as their machines of war rolled confidently
behind them. The soldiers smirked savagely, clearly content to sacrifice their
village to shatter the morale of their nation, burning buildings and shooting
haphazardly at villagers as they paraded through the centre of the village.

Overtaken by the mentality of the
mob, Dr. Gero and Dr. Frappe ran � they screamed as
the army neared the village square, and fled in their wake. They ran for the farms,
for cellars, for any shelter they could procure as their village burned. As
they ran, they hoped and they prayed that their families would be spared this
death, that they would survive this waking nightmare.

It was a prayer that would not be answered.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Piccolo
groaned in pain as he slowly willed his eyes to open, tasting the humidity and
freshness of the air. He was cold and wet, drenched in the rain and half
submerged in the muddy terrain of the small crater his landing had created the
night before. The dim mid-morning light failed to penetrate the clouds as the
storm continued, what little light there was making the Namek�s
eyes sting as he slowly surveyed the area. There were no significant energy
sources to speak of nearby; neither Gogeta nor Gotenks.

Piccolo
cringed as thunder sounded in the distance, desperately trying to remove
himself from the slippery silt and the stinging waves of rain. He bit back a
scream � as his body emerged from its unconsciousness, he realized the extent
of the damage. Much of his left leg, left arm, and torso had been completely
obliterated, and the mud around him had adopted the purple hue of his own
blood. Turning painfully to his stomach, Piccolo listened carefully to the
world around him before dragging himself forward.

An
agonizing hour had passed before Piccolo had descended the flooded hilly
landscape to reach the river that ran through the valley, though it seemed like
much longer. He had dragged himself down the forested side of the mountain,
cursing the insufficient light and the volatile ground that had become unstable
and eroded with the rainfall. He was covered in mud and his own blood before
long, his groans echoing off the trees as he approached the roaring, flooded
waters of the river. He sighed as he finally reached the sanded riverbank,
approaching the water with a thirst more intense than he ever thought possible.

Dunking his
head beneath the water, he drank as much as he could of the murky,
storm-polluted water before violently thrusting himself from the riverbank with
a grunt of pain. He began to writhe as he concentrated, regenerating most of
his damaged flesh before submerging himself entirely within the quickly moving
waters of the river, opting to repair his arm and leg as he drank and cleaned
the blood from his skin.

It was all
Piccolo could do to keep himself from drifting away with the current in his
weakened state, though he eventually managed to repair his body to the point
that he was exhausted, but able to escape or defend himself should the need
arise. Using his ki to hoist himself from the water,
he looked towards West
City, frowning as he
realized that most of the human warriors had made their way to Capsule Corporation;
Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan were missing. Growling, Piccolo turned his attention
to the Eastern sky, his suspicions of Gohan�s
whereabouts confirmed as he focused on Dende�s Lookout.

Piccolo
lowered his head and closed his eyes for a moment to will away the throbbing
pain of his new limbs and exhausted body. Going to the Capsule Corporation
would prove fruitless without more information, and visiting Dende would only result in another argument. His eyes
snapped open as he focused on his chosen destination � a ruined church a mere 5
kilometers away.

Growling as
he flew slowly and painfully towards Android 10, Piccolo told himself that the
damned android had better know something useful, for his own sake.

A few
minutes later, Piccolo landed none too gracefully in the centre of the church,
panting and glowering around the room. He was surprised to find that the
android was not in the nave of the church, so he painfully made his way to the
ruined bell tower, drawn there by the otherworldly low hum of rain falling on
the resonant remains of copper bells. As he entered the ruined tower, he
realized that it had probably been the focus of some sort of explosion � rubble
was everywhere, and the lopsided walls seemed to crumble under the weight of
the sky. The ruined bells were dark and dirty, laying in small indents in the
stone where they had fallen years ago.

Android 10
stood with his back against the largest bell, smiling up at the downpour. He
looked soaked, completely oblivious to the fact that his simple clothing was
drenched. His pale energy ribbons that emerged from his back rested near the
ground, seemingly weighed down in the storm.

The android
looked much paler than he should have in the sickly grey light, while the dark
circles under his eyes and expressionless face told Piccolo that the android
was clearly still conflicted from the previous night. His silver drones were lying
on the ground in a perfectly straight line in front of him, making Piccolo
wonder if the boy was even awake.

Growling,
Piccolo cleared his throat. A few moments passed, making the warrior wonder if
the other had heard him over the sound of the storm before Android 10 opened
his mouth to speak.

�Good
morning, Piccolo.�

Piccolo
just blinked and glared, watching as the android drew his attention from the
sky to meet his gaze, quickly glancing over the warrior�s body.

�I am
surprised you are still alive. You are clearly more resilient than I had
assumed.�

Piccolo
folded his arms and snorted. His clothes were bloodied and tattered; he was
clearly beaten and bruised, and probably looked as exhausted as he felt, though
he would die before showing weakness to this creature.

�You
shouldn�t ever underestimate your
enemy.�

Android 10 flashed
his trademark smile at the Namek, slightly lopsided
as he cocked his head in contemplation.

�Are we
enemies, Piccolo?�

Piccolo did
not falter, merely clucking his tongue slightly.

�I don�t
know what you have to do with those cities under attack, but as long as you�re
part of it, you�re no friend of mine.�

Android 10
turned his head away from Piccolo, smiling at the ruined wall.

�Come,
Piccolo, my ultimate goal is peace through unity. It is not unlike what you
once fought for.�

Piccolo
growled, inching closer to the android and dropping his voice.

�I was
wrong. This is wrong.�

Android 10
blinked, dropping his smile as he continued to address the wall.

�This is
wrong� Is it a sin to take a life to preserve another? It is said that to kill
is a sin, but if death in the present provides peace for the future, does such
a thing continue to be sin?�

Piccolo
snorted and brought his hands to his head. He was developing a terrible
migraine, and this android was not helping. Android 10 continued.

�If this is
true, there is no escape � it is a sin to question a doctrine of death, though
it is also a sin to live by it. The lesser of two evils is still evil��

Piccolo
cursed himself as a groan escaped his lips, the pain of his body and mind
worsening. Android 10 slowly turned his head back to Piccolo, the water rolling
over his delicate features as he looked at the warrior curiously, trailing his
molten eyes over the other�s injuries.

�Did Cell
do this?�

Something
in Piccolo snapped, drawing a snarl from the warrior as he stomped over to ruined
bells. He barely noticed as the silver droids awoke and started to buzz
threateningly as he approached the android and grabbed him by his sleeveless
shirt.

�For the
last time, that was not Cell you
stubborn robot fuck!�

Android 10 adopted
a grim smile as Piccolo drew closer, and the Namek
suddenly found himself dodging an extremely irritated silver drone flying
toward him at an alarming speed. Growling as he regained his composure, the
other drones began to orbit the android quickly, spouting small silver spikes
from their mercury membranes as they buzzed threateningly.

Piccolo
fired a small ki beam at one of the damaged droids,
only to have it bounce off harmlessly; he swore under his breath as he realized
just how tired he was, and began to search the rubble for anything he could use
to squash the annoying silver pests. He froze as the silky voice of the android
filled his ears.

�Come now,
Piccolo, they�re only concerned for my safety. Stay your hand, and they shall
stay theirs. Well, so to speak.�

Piccolo
considered his options for a moment before abandoning his battle stance,
snorting and glaring as the machines returned to their slumber. The most
damaged droid began to spark violently as it touched the floor, writhing and
shaking before finally settling down. Piccolo looked surprised as Android 10
seemed to flinch at the droid�s actions before turning back to the Namek with a smile. Piccolo spoke with anger in his voice.

�Who, or
what, are you?�

Android 10
refused to look Piccolo in the eye, staring instead at the sky through the lack
of ceiling as the rain flowed over his face, caressing his pale skin.

�My name is
Android 10. I am one of Dr. Gero�s android creations,
the prototype of his Hive Mind project.�

Piccolo
rolled his eyes before Android 10 continued.

�You seem
somewhat sure, Piccolo, that the creature we sensed last night was not Cell;
would you mind telling me what it was?�

�Gotenks.�

Android 10
blinked, bringing his attention back to Piccolo.

�What is a Gotenks?�

Piccolo
rolled his eyes again.

�Gotenks is the result of a fusion between Goten and Trunks.�

Android 10
bit his lip in contemplation.

�I am
unfamiliar with these names; my information is limited to what was available
when my father�s lab was destroyed and what memories I have acquired from
Android 17.�

Piccolo
just glared and snorted.

�Well it sucks to be you, I don�t have time to
play storyteller with a psychotic android.�

Android 10
cocked an eyebrow at the sweating, bleeding, injured warrior in front of him as
Piccolo continued.

�Last night
you said something about Gotenks having the Gyraida Virus.�

Android 10
smiled again.

�Yes, the
creature we sensed bore the energy signature of a fused being created by the Gyraida Virus. He was surely infected.�

�I need you
to tell me everything you know about the Gyraida
Virus. That includes how to cure it.�

Android 10
smiled wider, bringing his hand to his chin in mock contemplation.

�Why would
I do that, Piccolo? You didn�t even say please.�

Piccolo
snorted and growled under his breath, eyeing the sleeping droids as he
considered his chances. Android 10 continued.

�I will
make a deal with you, Namek. If you describe to me
the significant events of the past 17 years, particularly as they relate to
Cell, I will tell you everything you wish to know about the Gyraida
Virus.�

�What makes
you think I�ll barter with you?�

Android 10
cocked his head to the right, his voice growing bitter.

�The fact
that you have no choice comes to mind, that is, if you want to understand what
ails your friends. I have very little data concerning Cell, though I have come
to the conclusion that I was to meet my demise at his hands. I would like to
further understand the creature whose life meant more to my father than my
own.�

Piccolo
growled and rolled his eyes. He decided that the easiest way out of this
situation was to provide an abridged version of the past, and spent the next
half hour explaining the coming of the androids, the Cell games, and the Majin Buu incident.

Android 10
listened intently, the expression fading from his face as the Cell games were
described in detail. He seemed to be completely despondent as Piccolo described
the more recent years, clearly contemplating Piccolo�s description of Cell.
When Piccolo finished, Android 10 spoke in barely more than a whisper.

�Cell tried
to destroy the planet? Are you certain?�

Piccolo
rolled his eyes and nodded gruffly.

�Why would
father create a creature with such an insatiable desire for death and chaos?�

Piccolo scoffed
and balled his fists.

�Dr. Gero designed him destroy and conquer, to kill everyone who
stood in his way; he designed all of
his androids for this, which brings us back to you, Android 10. What were you
designed for? I doubt that Dr. Gero would create a
whole android just to rip a few satellites out of space.�

Android 10
closed his eyes, his face scrunched up in conflict as he turned to look at the
ruined walls.

�That was
not part of our deal, Piccolo.�

The android
ignored the Namek�s low growl, allowing a few minutes
to pass in complete silence as he listened to the wind whisper through the
mountains and leaves rustle through the grass as they crumpled under the
rainfall. Piccolo glared, waiting for the other to fulfill his end of the
bargain. After what seemed like ages, Android 10 opened his mouth to speak, an
empty smile crossing his lips as he did.

�When
father was developing his android technology, he found that living tissue
rejected alterations and mechanizations, and hybrids tended to be weaker due to
imperfect fusions between man and machine. To solve this problem, he created
the Gyraida Virus. It is a fusion catalyst that
incapacitates the immune system and alters the genetic makeup of the vital
organs of a creature to make it consciously desire fusions and mutations as
opposed to rejecting them.�

Piccolo
blinked at the android as he tried to follow what the other was saying. The
warrior remained silent as the android gathered his thoughts, thanking the Gods
that Goku had not been the one to receive this
speech, for he would not have understood a word of it.

�The
creature we sensed last night bore the volatile yet distinct energy reading
that the Gyraida Virus creates, though I have never
seen the virus manifest in a living creature. You must understand, Piccolo,
that my siblings and I are not truly alive. I have come to understand from your
description of Cell that he is a fusion of a different sort � where I am a
fusion of metal and flesh, he is a fusion of beings. The virus is far too
unstable to be contained in a living, evolving entity. I imagine that the virus
mutated within Cell to become more contagious and dangerous, driven by the malicious
instincts of Frieza and the Saiyans.
Given that the virus amplifies such things, it comes as little surprise that
Cell was as violent as he was; though father certainly should have foreseen
such a thing.�

Piccolo
grunted.

�I don�t
see how this is relevant.�

Anroid 10
forced a grim smile to his face.

�The virus
affects fusions, Piccolo; this includes fusions of metal and flesh like Android
17, 18 and me. Cell absorbed my brother and my sister. While they were already
infected, this new strain likely entered their systems as well after Cell
absorbed them. Apparently, they caught the mutated virus from him, and have
been carriers since their revival. I imagine the virus has spread through
fusions in Otherworld as well, considering Cell�s body is likely intact. I
understand this �Gotenks� has been in contact with
Android 18?�

Piccolo
snorted.

�Android 18
was there when the boys learned to fuse. But this doesn�t explain why it would
have been in remission this long.�

Android 10
cocked an eyebrow and bit his lip.

�The virus
was engineered not to affect children, because rapid cell growth and body
changes would have caused violent mutations; Cell�s evolutions are a testament
to that. I imagine the virus arose now in response to their maturity, though
why it arose in both of them at once is a mystery.�

Piccolo
sighed inwardly � he decided he was going to pretend he didn�t know anything
about the Saiyan coming of age process.

�Alright.
Now tell me how to cure it.�

Android 10
shifted against the bell, listening to the song it sang in the violent
downpour.

�The virus
can be destroyed using the commercially available A2150 antiviral compound,
although��

Piccolo
glowered.

�What?�

Android 10
blinked and fidgeted with the gauze on his hands.

�The virus
can only be destroyed in a fused state while the creature is still fighting the
infection; in other words, to cure this �Gotenks� you
will need to inject the antivirus while he is fused and suffering a fever � if
his body drops the fever and stops fighting the infection, he will remain fused
in that way forever.�

Piccolo�s
eyes grew wide as he shouted in fury.

�WHAT?!�

Android 10
gave him a grim smile.

�Cell was
able to regenerate his �perfect� form after self detonating as an �imperfect�
being, you told me this not 15 minutes ago. That would not have been possible
unless the Gyraida virus had made the fusion of his
own flesh and Android 18�s as flawless as the fusion between his Namek, Saiyan, and Icejin blood. It really makes sense when you think about
it.�

Piccolo�s
mind swam as he considered the implications. The being he had seen the previous
night had been suffering the effects of a fever, though there was no telling how
long the fusion would fight the infection. He barely registered Android 10�s
muttering in the background.

�I wonder
what symptoms the virus would create if contracted by a fusion and then forced
to separate. I imagine it would likely produce changes in behavioral patterns,
considering how effectively it seems to change them in fused beings.
Fascinating��

Piccolo
growled and stomped on a large hunk of rubble, converting it to mere pebbles
before snarling at the startled android.

�Fascinating?! Gotenks could destroy the whole galaxy in an
instant like this!�

The
expression melted from Android 10�s face as he turned his head to the West, looking
through the cracks in the wall of the ruined bell tower as he made a point of
ignoring Piccolo�s outburst.

�Yes, well.
You�ll forgive me for not being surprised, as it seems such powerful foes have
been almost ridiculously common these past few decades.�

Piccolo
snarled, pointing threateningly at the android boy.

�When I
finish with this, I�m going to destroy the androids attacking people, and then
I�m going to find out exactly what
you have to do with it.�

Android 10
smiled sadly at the destroyed masonry, watching the rain drench the brightly coloured leaves of the forests in the distance.

�A violent act to end violence, all in the name of peace. I wonder which of us is the lesser
of two evils��

Piccolo
spat on the ground beneath Android 10, muttering under his breath as he forced
his ki to his feet in an attempt to fly. He floated
shakily from the ruined structure as the rain battered his fragile form and
Android 10 stared at the trees, not even paying attention as Piccolo shot
towards West City, groaning in pain as he flew into
the misty solace of the clouds. The android merely leaned in place, contemplating
the images of his army�s crusade and the newfound knowledge that haunted his
mind as thunder called in the distance and rain flowed over the forgotten ruins.

----------------------------------------------------------------

�Mmph� ahhh! Go� Gohan!�

Dende
groaned as Gohan smirked up at the young guardian
from his vantage point, his lips encasing Dende�s
length. The Namek panted as the Saiyan
bobbed back and forth on his cock, lapping at the underside with his tongue
while he gently played with the dark green appendage. Dende
was already moaning to himself and covered in a thin sheen of sweat in the
intensifying morning light above the clouds.

The young
guardian smiled to himself as Gohan busied himself
beneath him. It had taken a good amount of �convincing� and denying the other�s
claims of apathy to get Gohan in the mood this
morning, though it had certainly paid off � once the Saiyan
got started, it seemed he was satisfied with nothing less than perfection,
constantly looking for praise and encouragement. The warrior had the strength
and dexterity of his father�s race, capable of creating sensations so intense, Dende found himself seeing stars more often than not.

Like now, for instance.

�OH, GODS!�

Gohan had
without warning shoved Dende�s entire erection down his
throat while increasing his ki, tightening his warm,
wet mouth against the throbbing need. Dende nearly
fell off the bed as the ethereal curtains fluttered with the wind Gohan�s energy had created,
bringing the Namek to a wet, intense climax that left
him dazed for at least a minute. Unfortunately for Dende,
Gohan was unwilling to wait even that long.

The Saiyan sat up to face the young Namekian,
nibbling on his earlobe before whispering seductively.

�Dende��

The
guardian shivered with apprehension as Gohan tongued
one of his antennae, sucking on the tip of it gently before bringing their
foreheads together and gazing through lidded eyes.

�I want you
inside me.�

Dende
blinked hard, focusing on the Saiyan for the first
time since his climax. Gohan had gone from unwilling
and cold no more than 20 minutes ago to having intense passion pour from his
body, already getting into position to allow the Namek
better access to his entry. He had maneuvered himself onto his back, with his
legs in the air, displaying his creamy skinned muscled rear and legs in the
sunlight. Gohan growled lightly, smirking through
lidded eyes as Dende gripped his slightly softened
erection. Smiling as his need returned and his cock grew rigid once again, Dende slicked two of digits in his mouth before pushing
them into Gohan. The Saiyan
moaned and arched his back, clutching at the sheets with wanton passion as he
began to sweat hard under the sensation.

After Dende decided that Gohan was
accustomed to the extra girth, he positioned himself at the Saiyan�s
entrance before hesitating slightly.

�Gohan, are you sure you want-�

Dende
jumped as Gohan growled and grabbed his rear end, bruising
the guardian�s backside as he savagely pulled the Namek
toward him, sighing in relief as Dende�s length slid
into his entrance. Dende merely gasped and remained
still for a moment, trying to get used to the heat and tightness of his lover.
It was almost painful - Gohan�s ki
was clearly raised to a higher level than Dende could
ever attain � though Dende smirked to himself as he
realized that the pain came second to the intense pleasure that flooded his
entire body.

As Dende began to pump and thrust in and out of Gohan, he watched the warrior squirm and moan, panting as
he tightened himself and met the guardian�s movements with his own. Dende smiled as he realized that this seemed to be the
first thing they had done together that the Saiyan
actually seemed to enjoy completely. Gohan had lost
himself entirely in the experience, his eyes closed tight and his body
shuddering with the feeling of completion and bittersweet reminiscence.

The room
became almost unbearably hot as Gohan continued to
raise his ki without knowing it. The lovers gleamed
in the bright daylight, panting and groaning harder as they approached their
climax. The thin curtains of the bed began to smoke and blacken, seared by the
energy that forced its way through their ancient fabric. Dende
screamed in ecstasy as he came for the second time, gazing down at Gohan through lidded eyes. Gohan�s
eyes remained closed as he came, the warmth and force of Dende�s
release sending him barreling through his pleasure threshold and causing him to
shoot his own milky white seed up his own chest.

Dende
pulled out of Gohan, rolling to his side and flopping
onto the mattress in exhaustion. Gohan was still
whimpering, his head turned away from the guardian as Dende nuzzled his head into the Saiyan�s
neck. Dende merely laid there for several minutes,
watching his lover drift off to sleep, feeling the other�s heartbeat and
breathing calm, smirking at finally being able to tire him out.

Dende�s
smirk turned into a frown, however, when he heard Gohan
being to mutter in his sleep. He moved to wake him up, though not before he
heard a single distinct word.

�Piccolo��

Dende�s
frown deepened as he wrenched himself from his stupor to shake Gohan awake, only to be met by a small whine. When Gohan finally did awaken, his expression was blank as he
looked into the suspicious eyes of his Namek lover,
hardly fazed by the other�s change in demeanor. Dende
simply stared at Gohan for several moments, and when
he did speak, he tried to keep the suspicion from his voice.

�What were
you dreaming about?�

Gohan
blinked and shrugged slightly.

�I don�t
remember.�

Dende�s
lips curled into a frown, his voice becoming more hurt than angry.

�Liar, you
were dreaming about him.�

Gohan�s
eyes widened slightly, betraying his lie. Dende
continued.

�After all
this time, you still dream about him.�

Dende
trailed off, ripping his eyes from the Saiyan�s face
as he snorted in contempt. Gohan was wide awake now, a
mask of confusion covering the suspicion and flaring anger he truly felt.

�What are
you talking about?�

Dende
rolled his eyes.

�Oh please,
Gohan, I know exactly what happened. I saw you go
through that weird Saiyan aging thing, and how he was
conveniently �around� to �help� you through it.�

Gohan
growled deeply, his eyes slitting savagely.

�Dende��

�He used you, Gohan!
He�ll never love you like I do! He can�t.
Did he tell you that?�

Gohan
violently threw the bed sheets from his body, crossing the room to gather his
clothing. He hastily began to dress, trying to ignore Dende
as the Namek continued.

�What else
can I do to prove that I love you and you love me? What haven�t I given you, Gohan? Tell me!�

Gohan had
gotten his clothing on and was preparing to leave the room when Dende�s shaking shouts finally caught his interest.

�Do you
even care that Piccolo barely speaks
to you anymore? That he hasn�t come to see you once since you�ve been here? That he�s more interested in spending
his time with some psychotic android than with you?�

Gohan
turned on the spot, squinting at the guardian and clenching his fists. Dende recoiled slightly at the sight of the infuriated Saiyan, realizing what he had said. Gohan
growled, and spoke almost too quietly to hear.

�What?�

Dende
simply glared, trying to stop the tears of hurt and frustration from welling in
his eyes. Gohan took a breath and tried again, his
voice laced with venom.

�Come on, Dende, you seem to know everything
today. What are you keeping from me?�

Dende
rolled his eyes and wiped away the tears that had been forming there.

�If you
really wanted to know, you would have found out days ago. You haven�t checked
on the Earth once since you got here.
You�d rather hide, because you know
none of them love you like I do.�

Gohan
seethed, rushing towards the giant mahogany doors of the bedroom as he tried to
calm himself down. Pushing against the doors so hard that they cracked under
the intense force, Gohan stormed off towards the edge
of the Lookout, trying to convince himself he was ready to let go of the ignorant
bliss he had experienced the past few days. The sky above him was clear and
blue, though the world beneath him was shrouded in storm and shadow. Dende remained on the scorched, tattered bedsheets, sobbing quietly as he tried to convince himself
that he and Gohan were still in love.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Thunder
sounded in the distance as rain poured from the sky, falling freely from the
dark folds in the clouded ceiling before pounding the ground mercilessly. The
gloomy grey light failed to properly illuminate the rubble that was once a
ruined fortress deep within the northern mountains, recently reduced to little
more than fragments of cement, furniture, and steel. Water flowed over the
dusty mess, carrying with it the dust of a forgotten past, a time when the Red
Ribbon Army sought to rule the Earth.

Deep within
the ruined mess of building materials, a lone Saiyan
warrior lay in the remains of a steel room, half submerged in the mingling
waters of the rain and the underground lake upon which the fortress had been
erected. Water danced down his milky skin and muscled figure, the deep ridges
and crevices of his muscle forming rivers and streams in the rain as it flowed
through his drenched spiky hair. Goosebumps coated his naked form, an
unconscious attempt to keep the warrior warm under the bitter assault of the
weeping skies.

A
particularly loud crash of thunder brought Goku from
his slumber, his eyes snapping open as a flash of lightning illuminated the
scene, displaying the true extent of the damage done to the shambled ruins. Goku wasted no time climbing to his feet, looking around
him incredulously. The events of the previous nights played through his head,
the scorched remains of the fortress allowing him no escape from the imagery of
his delirious infidelity.

Resisting
the urge to vomit, Goku checked his own temperature
and flared his ki to warm his body. He soon realized
that he was sick, fevered; even Goku could figure out
that Gotenks had infected Gogeta
when the younger fusion had bit him. Goku tried to
find Vegeta, only to remember that he could no longer
sense ki. Cursing to himself, Goku
willed himself to rise into the air, wincing slightly at the resistance he met
from the rain and the bitter autumn winds. His eyes grew wide as he surveyed
the remains of the Red Ribbon Army fortress, hoping that no living creatures
had been present when the ruins had been obliterated from the inside out.

�Vegeta!�

Goku
screamed as loud as he could, pouting slightly when the dull roar of thunder
outdid his petty call with a rumbling laugh. The Saiyan
frantically flew over the rubble, desperately searching for any sign of the
prince. Finding nothing, Goku cursed once more,
hoping that Vegeta was alright, and was simply
avoiding him out of disgust. Running his hands through his drenched spikes, he faltered
in his flight as he realized that Piccolo was somewhere amongst these mountains
as well. The severity of the situation dawning on his compassionate spirit, Goku narrowed his eyes and powered up, flying as fast as he
could manage to West
City and Capsule
Corporation.

�G- GOKU!�

Bulma
dropped her coffee and opened her eyes wide as the solemn looking Saiyan appeared at her balcony, opening the door and
dragging his drenched, pale, fevered form into the second floor of her home. Goku�s solemn look changed to confusion, however, when he
found that Bulma was looking at him slightly
differently than normal. Regaining part of her composure, Bulma
cleared her throat and pointed suggestively.

�Goku� you�re naked.�

Goku
looked down and rolled his eyes.

�Oh, yeah.
Can I borrow some clothes?�

Bulma
blinked, staring at her friend much longer than necessary before nodding and leading
him to a plain white bedroom. After closing the door, she opened a small closet
and selected one of Vegeta�s dark blue training
outfits, complete with white boots. As Goku dressed, Bulma nattered nervously.

�Goku, we�ve all been worried sick. You and Vegeta just took off without saying ANYTHING, and a few
hours later Tien, Android 18, Krillin,
and Yamcha showed up looking like death! They said
that it felt like Piccolo had DIED, and that you and Vegeta
had fought with Gotenks and LOST! What
is going on?!�

Goku
finished pulling his boots on as Bulma fell silent,
adopting a look of concern. Goku spoke.

�You mean� Vegeta isn�t here?�

Bulma�s
eyes widened, and she began to tremble slightly.

�N-no, he
isn�t. Is he alright? Where is he?�

Goku
sighed.

�It�s a
long story, Bulma. Where are the others? They all
need to know.�

Bulma
swallowed and sighed to herself before opening the door and walking to a
staircase down the hall. A few moments later, they had arrived in the living
area on the first floor; Goku was surprised to see
all of his old friends in the same room, though was quickly wrenched from his
feeling of surprise by a thousand questions launched at him at once. Swallowing
hard, Goku looked from Bulma
to Krillin, to Android 18, to Tien,
to Yamcha, realizing how many warriors were lost in
action somewhere.

Slowly, he
began to explain what had happened. He described the search, the burning
cities, the use of the fusion dance, and had begun to describe Piccolo�s defeat
when he was startled out of his story by an extremely pale, battered looking
Piccolo rounding the corner, wobbling into the room with a smirk on his mouth.

�It wasn�t
as bad as it sounds, trust me.�

Goku shot
the Namek a knowing look as he limped over to a white
wall, leaning against it slowly and painfully. Piccolo stood in silence behind
the red square couches as Goku continued his account
of what had taken place.

�So, we
didn�t really power up very much, because we didn�t wanna
hurt Goten and Trunks, but he fought so strangely! He
didn�t really bother using skill or conserving his energy, he just kinda wailed on us for a bit then bit us really hard and kicked us in the face! We
weren�t really expecting any of that, so it knocked us out, and Vegeta and I woke up in the old Red Ribbon Army
headquarters. Then we� um� well we passed out again, and when I woke up this
afternoon, I was alone.�

Goku
blushed as he lied; he saw Piccolo and Bulma both
raise an eyebrow at him in suspicion as the rest of the gang nodded. He blushed
even harder when Bulma spoke.

�So� how
did you lose your clothes?�

Luckily for
Goku, Piccolo�s tattered clothing and Krillin�s obnoxiousness saved his secret, as the shorter
warrior pointed out that much of Piccolo�s clothes had been blasted away, prompting
the Namek to use his abilities to materialize a new gi for himself. Wasting no time, Piccolo took this
opportunity to begin to relay the information he had received from Android 10,
stating only that he had done a bit of �research�, never once describing the
android himself. Android 18 narrowed her eyes at him, saying nothing as he
described the Gyraida Virus in great detail. When he
finished, Bulma slouched against a wall, pinching the
bridge of her nose in fatigue and stress.

�Great. So
we�ve got some random psycho android running around the mountains, a bunch of
cities are under attack by more psycho androids, and of course no one knows
about this because the global communications systems are down� on top of that,
the clock is ticking to inject Gotenks with an antivirus
or he�s going to stay like that forever, which is looking damn likely if he can
beat Piccolo and Gogeta into a bloody pulp, and
Chichi��

Bulma
brought her hand away from her face, snapping her mouth shut as Goku turned to look at her from where he was standing in
the centre of the room. The sky outside seemed to become darker, sapping the
light and the energy from the dim living area as the rain intensified, bouncing
off the walls and the ceiling of the domed building. Goku
suddenly realized that he had not seen Chichi since his return, and had not
been able to feel her since last night. Yamcha broke
the silence.

�Bulma, you have to tell him.�

Bulma
brought her hands up in a defensive gesture as everyone in the room looked at
her expectantly.

�Ok! I just
thought Goku had enough to worry about. Um, Goku, last night Chichi and I were trying to get the phones
working and she said she was feeling really dizzy and kind of sick, so I tried
to bring her down to the infirmary. On the way, she just collapsed! She was
unconscious until a few hours ago, but she wouldn�t tell me what was going on.
You know Chichi��

Bulma
winced as she saw the colour drain from Goku�s face. The room was deathly silent for almost a
minute, the only sound being the thunderous murmuring of distant clouds and the
rhythmic sound of rain striking the walls and the windows. Goku
felt as though his mind would overheat with guilt and regret. Not only had he
cheated on his wife � with Vegeta of all people � she
might be seriously ill, and he knew nothing about it. The dilemmas the world
faced seemed to distance themselves from the Saiyan
as he rose from his seat, walking silently towards the stairs leading to the
infirmary.

The
uncomfortable silence continued to permeate the air until Bulma
broke the silence, her soft voice cutting through the tense air like daggers.

�I have
some of that antigen compound in the lab, Piccolo, but how are we going to
inject Gotenks with it? I don�t think he�ll be open
to the idea.�

Piccolo
grunted, glaring at the rain.

�We�ll
worry about that after we find him.
He�s suppressing his energy surprisingly well; I have no idea where he is, and
if I can�t sense him...�

Bulma
rolled her eyes.

�Fantastic.
Well I�ll leave you guys to figure that one out. I�m going to see if I can
juice up the antigen to work more effectively against the virus samples I got
from Goten and Trunks.�

Bulma
slowly separated herself from the wall she had been leaning on, trudging with
fatigue towards her lab. Yamcha called after her.

�Bulma, don�t worry, we�ll get Trunks back.�

Bulma
smiled sadly, turning back to the hallway as she rounded the corner. Tien, Yamcha, and Krillin left shortly afterwards, all realizing that they
could do little against an enraged, delirious Saiyan
fusion. Android 18 remained sitting on one of the red couches, continuing to
glare at Piccolo from across the room. Piccolo grunted.

�What?�

Android 18
narrowed her eyes.

�I know you
got that information from Android 10, Piccolo. You should have killed him.�

�We can�t
kill him until we know he�s a threat or what he�s capable of. Besides, he knows
more than we do about what�s going on.�

Android 18
shot to her feet, balling her fists.

�He killed my brother! He�s just an empty
shell now, he just wanders around the house aimlessly like some kind of-�

�Robot?�

Android 18 glowered, crossing the room and bringing her face mere
inches from the Namek�s, seething with rage.

�He�s up to
something, I know he is.�

Piccolo
grunted again.

�You and me
both, but he might still have some information we need, and it is possible the
only thing he�s done is blow up a few satellites.�

Android 18
snorted, turning away from the man and crossing her arms.

�We�re
about to have much bigger problems than Android 10 and some zit-faced fusion
flying around, you know. Goku and Vegeta
are both infected too.�

Piccolo�s
eyes widened. Goku had not mentioned that when he
told his story, though it explained why Vegeta had
not returned to the Capsule Corporation, and made sense considering the bite. His
gaze fell onto Android 18, who was glaring at him. He spoke quietly.

�How did
you-�

Android 18
closed her eyes and began walking to the door as he spoke. As she left the
Capsule Corporation, she cut him off, speaking with a thin layer of fear seeping
into her normally confident voice.

�When Goku arrived upstairs, I thought� just for a second� that
he was Cell.�

Without
another word, Android 18 walked into the harsh downpour of rain, her eyes
remaining closed as the cool water struck her exposed skin. The weeping skies
washed away the small amount of makeup she wore, cleaning her skin and running
down her face, flowing over the soft contours of her cheeks and shin. Keeping
her ki as high as she could to keep her designer
clothing from getting too wet, she floated slowly into the sky, focusing on the
shining dot in the distance that defined her husband�s form.

Kicking off
the manicured ground of the Capsule Corporation, she shot into the sky, leaving
Piccolo to his thoughts, Bulma to her science, and Goku to his wife, shaking the cold realization that they
were all each of her friends had left.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Goku
closed his eyes and ran his hands through his hair, steadying his breathing as
he tried to relax. He sat on a chair near the bed in which his wife now slept,
attached to a large number of flashing, beeping machines that the Saiyan could not hope to comprehend. The sterile white and
steel room was adorned with scorch marks and deep cracks in the wall from Goten and Trunks� loss of control a few days earlier. The florescent
lights flickered through their damage and the storm, making Goku
even more uncomfortable.

He sighed
as he leaned backwards in the uncomfortable chair. He hated hospitals,
infirmaries, anything to do with human medicine; however, it was not simply due
to his fear of needles. His memories of hospitals had always depicted them as
the aftermath of someone he loved approaching death, while a bunch of humans in
white coats tried to figure out why or what to do about it. It was of little
comfort that this small room provided more privacy and homeliness than a real
hospital, particularly since it was his wife in the bed beside him.

His wife,
his Chichi� She had taken care of him, she had fed him, she had nursed him when
he was injured and forgiven him for sacrificing her happiness for the good of
the Earth, or simply his own. As mean spirited and cruel as she could be, she
was a remarkable woman � strong, compassionate, persistent, and intelligent �
how would she feel if she knew what had happened? That he had� with Vegeta�

Goku
shook his head, trying to tell himself that the Gyraida
Virus was to blame for his moment of weakness, running the words of Vegeta and King Kai over in his head as he tried to drown
the memory of his infidelity from his mind. It was rare that the Saiyan warrior experienced what the humans called �guilt�,
a feeling Vegeta had described as �weak and
power-sapping�. He hated the sensation; it almost made him wish he had never
been born.

�Goku?�

The warrior
emerged from his thoughts as a soft voice whispered to him from the bed to his
right. His eyes widening, he clasped Chichi�s left hand in both of his, trying
to remain calm.

�Chichi,
you�re awake! How are you feeling?�

The frail
raven-haired woman smiled sadly, her eyes lidded as she tried to pull herself
from the grasp of slumber.

�About as
good as I look.�

Goku
looked her over, realizing how pale and sick she looked. Adopting a look of
concern and resolve, Goku spoke.

�Chichi,
what happened? What is going on? I know you don�t want me to worry, but I�m
your husband. I want to help.�

Tears
welled in Chichi�s eyes, and a small sob escaped her lips. She looked down at Goku�s hands holding hers, saying nothing for a few moments
as she simply enjoyed the warm, soft touch that her strong Saiyan
husband was giving her. Taking a deep breath, she tried to explain her sickness
to her husband.

�Goku� do you remember how often you had to take me to the
hospital, and how Gohan sometimes had to bring me
too?�

Goku
nodded, and Chichi continued.

�I�ve been
going so often because the doctors needed� they had to use a machine to send
some special energy waves through my body, because some of my cells aren�t
doing what they�re supposed to be doing. It�s called chemotherapy. I haven�t
told anyone I was getting it because I was trying to be strong, like all of
you��

Chichi
started to cough, causing Goku to wince. Tears began
to well in her eyes as she continued.

�Goku, I have bone cancer. I need a bone marrow transplant
or� or I could die.�

Goku
furrowed his brow, bringing himself closer to his wife. He had not understood
most of what she said, but he knew that cancer was a pretty awful thing for a
human to have.

�I�ll give
you a transplant, Chichi. What do I have to do?�

Chichi
smiled sadly, the tears beginning to flow down her face.

�You can�t,
Goku, you�re not a human, and there are a lot of
needles involved. Anyway, the best hope is for a match from one of my children.
The doctors checked the boys� files; Goten isn�t a
match, he�s got your blood.�

Goku
smiled weakly, mildly surprised when Chichi began to sob into her speech.

�Go-Gohan is a match, his marrow might even c-cure me since he�s half Saiyan� but h-he hasn�t been home a-all week. The last time
I w-was there, Videl told me they were taking a b-b-break.�

Goku felt
his heart sink into his chest as his wife started crying harder, more
distraught than she�d been for years.

�Goku, his marriage is failing
a-and he didn�t even t-tell his own m-mother!
No one even knows where h-he is! Am I so h-horrible that my own s-son won�t
come home for help when he n-needs it?�

Goku
wrapped his arms around his aging wife, drawing her into a deep hug as he
looked into space above her head. She buried her face in his chest, sobbing
into his borrowed clothing, drenching it in tears. A few minutes passed as sobs
filled the bitter infirmary air, slowly dying into nothing as the warmth and
the spicy scent of her husband coaxed Chichi into an uneasy sleep. Laying her
gently back onto the pillowed bed, Goku stared at his
wife with a sullen face. She looked so� broken.

Pulling his
chair up against the bed, Goku took her hand in his,
remembering the day the two were wed. He soothed her hair with his right hand and
held her hand in his left, trying to will away the anguish, the loneliness, and
the regret as the florescent lights flickered and a stormed raged in the world
above them.

----------------------------------------------------------------

The
downpour of rain had reached the southern reaches of Asia,
drenching the islands and straights in a thick sheet of tears from the heavens.
The dark sky thundered ominously and lightning struck the volatile waters as
the wind howled and savagely thrust itself through the tropical trees. Under
the clouds, a teeming metropolis had burst into flame, the screams of its
citizens and the roar of motors and sirens drowning out the sound of the rain
striking the Earth.

Two glistening
androids with blotchy grey skin and tattered army uniforms smirked as they
patrolled the city streets, calling unenthusiastically for surrender as they
mercilessly brought society crashing to its knees. The Red Ribbon enthusiasts
hardly noticed as they approached a large bay, defined by two spiky domes and
the sea crashing against the waterfront.

Their
smirks widened as a strange creature began to emerge from between the domes. It
was injured � bleeding from the shoulder and cradling its arm as if in pain. It
seemed to be a human, naked, though covered in a thick sheen of sweat and grime
as well as what appeared to be tribal style tattoos snaking up his limbs and
chest. The androids� advanced sight and energy analysis told them that the
creature was sick, in addition to virtually without ki.
They raised their arms to destroy it, never once realizing that it would be the
last thing they would ever do.

Gotenks
smirked savagely, watching the androids form ki
attacks through his fevered eyes. His temperature began to rise as he reveled
in the thrill of the hunt he had been bestowed, watching the confidence fade
from the robots� faces as he deflected their attacks effortlessly. For a
moment, the three simply stood there amongst the ruins of the city as Gotenks reveled in the heat, the humidity, and the downpour
soothing his fevered flesh as the androids felt the creature�s ki rise higher than both of their potential combined.

Without
warning, he lunged at the androids, removing the head of the one to his right
before using ferocious force to beat the one to his left with his companion�s
severed head. He laughed as sparks flew and mechanical parts fell to the ground
around him, useless as he beat the androids into scrap metal. The city�s
militia cheered him on, approaching him as he finished his assault, laughing
and clapping as they ran to their savior.

Gotenks
smirked as he turned to the humans, a green ki ball
forming in his hands as he brought the right side of his face upwards, sweating
profusely as he prepared to attack. The humans had no chance to scream or run,
decimated at once by the sheer power of the Gyraida
fusion. Those that witnessed the event jumped into the sea surrounding the
island city, choosing to face the storm over this vile creature.

The worst
was yet to come.

--End of Day Five--

Author�s Note: Where in the world is Gotenks? I�ve given you enough clues to actually find his
real world location if you want ^.^. I�m going to try
to release day 6 next week sometime, and day 7 will be uploaded with the
epilogue later. I�m toying with the idea of releasing day 7 in two parts, since
the sensationalist in me picked the most ridiculously dramatic ending of the 5
I had. I�m also going to release the Fevered
Dreams Extended Edition of this story a few weeks after I upload the
epilogue, to fix up some imagery, some of the review concerns, and make it less
choppy; basically just for archive sites and to have it improved on my profile
here. Any improvement suggestions?
- 5
- 6
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Out of Sight, Out of Mind