Humiliation - Gohan vs Vegeta

As the dust settled and the ghastly screeches of those spectating came to a halt, Vegeta and Gohan stood like statues at the center of the ring. Try as he may, Gohan couldn't keep still. Body trembling, face twitching, and gloves barely holding onto their stitching as his fists stretched them to their limit, Gohan held himself back from exploding.

"Vegeta. Tell me one thing. Who is in control right now? Badidi or you?" 

Vegeta grew a distorted grin, turning his nose up at the boy. "What do you think?" 

"I think there's no way that you of all people would be pathetic enough to allow yourself to be controlled. But at the same time, I thought you'd changed. You just killed hundreds of people in a single blow as if they were ants!" Gohan's voice reverberated through the collapsing stadium.

"It's simple. The distinction between an ant and a human is infinitesimal. Their lives were meaningless."

"Those people had families. Just like you and me."

"And their families will just have to grieve—enough talk. You and I will settle this here and now. Unless you'd like more of your precious ants to die." Vegeta pointed his palm toward the audience. They began to scramble before he fired another blast into the stands. Screams echoed through the thick smoke, concealing what was left of those unlucky enough to be caught in the blast.

Gohan's eyes widened, quaking as they watched Vegeta's grin grow. "Then so be it," Gohan mumbled, transforming into a Super Saiyan two. Electricity crackled with the fury of a lightning god around his body.

"Wait!" said the Supreme Kai, jumping between the two Saiyans with his arms outstretched. "You mustn't. Badidi is clearly going to awaken Majin Buu as a result of you two fighting!"

"I don't care," Gohan told him, raising his palm at the Kai. His hand began to glow; he didn't say a word, yet he was sending the Kai a threat: move out of the way or be killed. 

"You wouldn't," Shin said.

"Try me," Gohan growled. 

Shin could see in the boy's eyes that he was seconds away from turning him into shrapnel, so he stepped aside with his head hanging low, allowing the two to settle their business. 

"Fine. Enjoy your meaningless squabble." As those words left Shin's mouth, Vegeta shouted toward the heavens.

"Meaningless!" he roared, the veins in his neck and face bulging. "You know nothing of what's meaningless! I am the Prince of all Saiyans! Prince Vegeta! I am supposed to be the strongest and the protector of my people, but I failed. My home was destroyed and I was a slave to the monster who did it. I was too weak to face him, yet…" Vegeta's body quaked until his voice exploded once more and he aimed his finger at Gohan."

"His father, as low of a class of a Saiyan as one could possibly be, killed that monster as if it were nothing. Some trash raised on this trash heap planet was somehow able to surpass me, the genetically superior Prince of our race! Even before then, when I faced him myself, he overpowered me as if I were a novice. I swore that one day I would grow strong enough to defeat him but then he went and died!"

Gohan frowned as his father's death was mentioned, though he did not say a word. 

"When he died, I was afraid. Can you believe that? I, the Prince of all Saiyans was afraid that this planet was going to be destroyed. I was afraid that my wife and child would be no more. I'd given up all hope, yet the man who stands before me now did not. You were just a boy then; eleven years old. You, the half-breed son of the lower-class Saiyan, had surpassed me as well. I was furious at first, but then I once again found my purpose. Yes, Kakarot was gone, but he left his son. He left another goal for me to try and achieve. If I couldn't surpass Kakarot then his son would suffice. Now look at you…"

Vegeta's brows were quivering as he looked Gohan up and down. 

"All of that strength. All of that potential. Wasted! You sat on your ass for seven years while I worked my ass off to get stronger. Even after all that time, you and I are still close! It's not fair! How is it that you have this natural talent and natural strength and I don't? Do you know what I would do to be put in your situation!? I would kill for that!"

Vegeta cracked a smirk; he glanced over at the bodies pilled up in the bleachers before looking back at Gohan.

"I did kill for that. With Babidi's power, I can finally surpass you. Once I beat you, that means I have also surpassed Kakarot, considering you were able to do what he couldn't in killing Cell. You miss your father, I see it in your eyes every time he is mentioned. In just a few moments, the two of you will be reunited."

Gohan closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Babidi. Teleport us somewhere without people. If it's a fight you want then it's a fight you'll get. But I won't fight if there are innocent lives at stake."

As he requested, Gohan and Vegeta were transported into the middle of a desert. Shin was teleported as well, though he walked toward the ship's entrance, which was still beneath their feet. 

"You two do what you want. I'm going to stop Buu,"

As Shin stepped toward the trap door, Vegeta could hardly stand, pulling at his hair in the same way that he was when his body was first taken over.

"No!" his voice resounded through the desert. Babidi was trying to command him to kill the Supreme Kai, but Vegeta wouldn't allow himself to be controlled. "I refuse! I don't care what the Supreme Kai does! All that matters is the business I have with Kakarot's son! You may have invaded my mind and my body, but I am no slave to you! There is one thing that a Saiyan always keeps…"

Vegeta's body began expelling immense pressure as Ki began to emit blinding light from his body. "HIS PRIDE!" he bellowed, his voice causing the Earth to tremble. The energy he emitted was so potent, that it wasn't too dissimilar to that of a Super Saiyan 2. Gohan could sense that he had his work cut out for him, but his unconcerned expression remained unchanged.

"Go ahead, Shin. Stop Buu. I'll handle him," Gohan said. The Supreme Kai nodded before jumping into the trap door, leaving the two Saiyans to battle on the surface.

"I'm ready, Vegeta." Gohan's body was emitting the same heat that it was against Cell, bringing a chill down Vegeta's spine. Right then, Vegeta felt as if he'd opened up a time capsule, seeing the image of the boy and the man in front of him melded into one.

The Prince scoffed. "To think that all it took was a couple of battles for your body to return to what it was when you fought Cell all those years ago. Yes… perfect. Let's finish this without any regrets."

As if mentally linked, the Saiyans burst forward and their forearms clashed like two colliding stars. Vegeta laughed as he compared his strength to Gohan's; they were nearly equal in strength now, though Vegeta could feel that he had the edge. 

Their fists blurred as they exchanged punches, dodging each other's attacks simultaneously. They were practically equal in speed; however, Vegeta once again had the slightest edge. The Prince landed a blow on Gohan, causing the boy's neck to nearly rotate in a half circle. There wasn't any martial arts on display or form. Vegeta was fighting like a man possessed, like a wild animal controlling a man's body. 

Taking a hit in the midsection, Gohan folded over Vegeta's fist, coughing up a concoction of saliva and blood. Vegeta's grin was still etched across his face as he scoffed at the boy before kicking him in the same spot. Gohan spiraled into the distance until he slammed into a rock formation, disappearing behind the debris and dust.

Vegeta walked toward the boy, each step causing the planet to tremble beneath him. This new power swelling within him was intoxication, any regrets he had were nonexistent by now. 

"Come on, boy! Show me that power you used against your father's killer!"

Gohan burst through the dust, the cloud dispersing in a circle around him. The lightning crackling around him had multiplied, its intensity rising with his anger. Gohan's fist sliced through the air beside Vegeta's swaying head, missing its mark. Cockily, Vegeta placed his hands behind his back and dodged the onslaught of punches and kicks. 

"This is what happens when you allow yourself to grow weak!" Vegeta kneed Gohan in the chin, sending him soaring toward the clouds. Once Gohan reached the apex of his climb to the heavens, Vegeta reappeared above him with his hands interlocked. 

"This is what happens when you let your potential go to waste!" Vegeta used both hands to hammer the boy back down to Earth. Head first, Gohan twirled downward until his face was an inch from the ground. Vegeta gripped the boy's ankle before throwing him over his shoulder and slamming him onto the sand.

"No, this won't do. This isn't good enough. If Kakarot was still alive, he'd have at least put up a fight. You're useless!" Vegeta watched as Gohan got back on his feet. He was hunched over, face bloodied, but he was still in his ascended Super Saiyan form. Weakly, Gohan stepped and punched Vegeta, and the Prince allowed himself to be hit. Gohan's weak fist barely left a mark on Vegeta's face, failing to knock the smirk off his prideful face.

Vegeta threw his fist into Gohan's belly, then dug his elbow into his back, slamming him into the seething sand. Gohan placed his hands on the ground to push himself back up, but Vegeta stomped his face into the earth.

"Pathetic." Vegeta repeatedly stomped the back of Gohan's head; though he smiled, he was disappointed that this was all he had to offer. He ran his hands through Gohan's hair and threw him into a boulder. Using restraints made of Ki, he bound the boy to it. Unable to move, Gohan watched as Vegeta leaned in closer, showing a cross between disgust and pride on his face.

Vegeta backhanded him, laughing as he did so. However, that smile faded and Vegeta punched Gohan's gut without holding back. The boulder shattered, leaving a fist-sized hole that was seen from the other side of it. Gohan screamed and spewed blood; all the while, Vegeta started a monologue. Each sentence uttered was accompanied by a full-force punch to the abdomen.

"How does it feel to be humiliated!?" 

Crack!

"How does it feel to know just a fraction of the pain that I have suffered for the last thirteen years!?"

Crack!

"When I first came to this planet, the battle I had with your father was my first instance of humiliation!"

Crack!

"I was a world destroyer! People would tremble upon hearing the name 'Prince Vegeta'!"

Crack!

"But your father... your father did not quaver an inch!"

Crack!

"Without even a fraction of my training!"

Crack!

"My genetics!"

Crack!

"My experience!"

Crack!

"He defeated me with ease!"

Crack!

"And then he had the nerve to spare my life as if he was doing me a favor by letting me live!"

Crack!

"Just when I thought my pride couldn't be ravaged any further, he was the one who defeated Frieza!"

Crack!

"The man who killed our people!"

Crack!

"Enslaved the handful of us that was left!"

Crack!

"And destroyed our home!"

Crack!

"I was the one who was meant to avenge them!"

Crack!

"He took it!"

Crack!

"Kakarot stole it!"

Crack!

"And to top it all off, he burglarized me of my birthright!"

Crack!

"He became the Super Saiyan in a millennia!"

Crack!

"I am the Prince of all Saiyans; it should have been me!"

Crack!

Vegeta grabbed Gohan by the hair and forced their gazes to align. His smile was gone, and his eyebrows were crunched together, nearly touching. As he held Gohan's head, his hand was shuddering.

"And you…"

"I hate you far more than I hate Kakarot!"

The aura around Vegeta doubled in size and the energy emitting from it was so blinding, that Gohan couldn't keep his eyes open.

CRACK!

This punch was more powerful than the last, reverting the Super Saiyan 2 into his natural, black-haired state.

"You became a Super Saiyan as if it were nothing!"

CRACK!

"And then you somehow achieved a state beyond that!"

CRACK!

"You became the first Saiyan to unlock the second level of a Super Saiyan!"

CRACK!

"You!"

CRACK!

"Some ignorant child!"

CRACK!

"A mental weakling!"

CRACK!

"A coward!"

CRACK!

"Then you took all of that strength and allowed it to wither away inside of you!"

CRACK!

"You can't even put up a fight!"

CRACK!

"Now that you've taken everything from me, it's about time I take everything from you. Starting with your life. Then that annoying little brother of yours. That fool's daughter. And then your dear mother!"

Gohan's eyes shot open, compelling Vegeta to grin. He chose those last words wisely, hoping it would awaken that dormant beast inside of the boy.

Vegeta raised a fist, prepared to deal the finishing blow to Gohan. "Goodbye, half-breed!" Vegeta threw the punch with such ferociousness, that when it hit its mark, it blew the boulder to smithereens and parted the clouds above them.

However, his attack did not hit Gohans body, it was caught by the half-Saiyan. Gohan's body started to quiver and his hair began to rise. It looked like he was about to enter the second Super Saiyan state; however, something changed. The lightning that zapped around his body was different. Rather than being blue, it was a violent violet. His hair started to turn silver for a moment before settling into that signature golden hue. His eyes flickered between black, red, and green before those too settled into their signature color. 

It was hard to notice but he'd achieved something beyond a Super Saiyan 2. It wasn't a Super Saiyan 3, far from it, but something else entirely. Something unique to him. If it were to have a name, he'd call it, Tempered Super Saiyan 2. Where the beast inside a Super Saiyan starts to free itself from its cage.

"What the!?" Vegeta mumbled. He wailed as Gohan began to crush his fist. "Where did all of this strength…"

He intentionally poked Gohan's inner beast but this was far beyond what he predicted.

"I won't allow you to hurt anyone else…" Gohan's voice had changed. That softspoken nature of his had vanished and was replaced by a bestial growl. "Not Goten. Not Videl. Not my mother. I'll kill you before that happens if I had to, but I'd rather not. You say you hate me, but I viewed you as family. I still do, even after all you've done."

Gohan's Super Saiyan aura flickered between gold and blue and the electricity that enveloped him began to consume the Prince. Vegeta's screams were interrupted by Gohan's fist, sending him rolling backward onto the sand until his body came to a stop. 

Vegeta laughed as he lay on his back, watching the beast approach him. 

"So, you're finally taking this fight seriously?"

Vegeta stood up, preparing himself for Gohan's next attack. However, in an instant, Gohan teleported behind him, grabbed his arms, and kneed him in the back. Vegeta's back folded backward and his agonizing screams resounded.

"How could someone as prideful as yourself allow yourself to become a slave!"

Gohan once again drove his knee into Vegeta's spine, forcing out an earsplitting, agonizing cry.

"I am no slave, I am in full control!"

"Then why!? Why are you acting like this!?" 

Gohan punched Vegeta to the ground, towering over the Prince with his clenched hands jittering, itching to wrap themselves around his neck.

Vegeta wiped blood from his mouth and chuckled to himself. However, that facade he wore of being proud of his actions would begin to vanish. He looked up at Gohan and with eyes that implored for help, he explained himself.

"I wanted to become how I was before. I became domesticated. I started a family. I became a father and settled down. I found myself genuinely fond of them. I began to believe that Earth was my new home. I wanted him to set me free from these attachments. So when I saw what Babidi's power did to his minions who were supposedly nobodies, I knew I had to get a taste of it for myself. Now that I have this power, I can return to my old self. The great conqueror I once was, Prince Vegeta."

"So you're saying that you're willing to give up Trunks and Bulma for a little bit of power, I find that hard to believe."

"You would never understand the humiliation of being weak."

Vegeta's words stirred the pot within Gohan. He picked the Prince up by his throat; Vegeta's shorter legs dangled as he was held to Gohan's head height. 

"Do you really believe that I've never felt humiliation before!" Gohan yelled, punching Vegeta in the gut, reversing their previous roles. Just like what Vegeta had done to him, he shared his point of view, each point being accompanied by a gut punch.

"How do you think I felt when I was four years old being held hostage by my own uncle!"

CRACK!

"I was afraid when it happened, but as the years went on, I was disgusted with myself for being so weak! My father died because of me!"

CRACK!

"Then you came along and I was too weak to help my father fight!"

CRACK!

"And when Frieza threatened Namek, there was nothing I could do then either."

CRACK!

"Then my father looked me in the eyes and said that I was in his way… Do you understand how much it hurts for your own father to tell you that you're too weak to be useful?"

CRACK!

"So I trained. I trained over and over and over again until I was strong enough. I wanted my father to look at me and say he was proud of me. That I was strong enough!"

CRACK!

"In the end, I wasn't strong enough to save him. Regardless of my strength he still died. That's why I stopped training. I thought that it didn't matter how strong I was, I couldn't save anyone."

CRACK!

"But now, with everything happening, I regret it. What if I'm not strong enough to fight Buu? What if everyone dies because of me?"

Gohan pulled his fist back, readying himself to throw another punch. However, his eyes widened upon feeling an unfamiliar energy awaken somewhere in the distance. There was only one possible explanation for where that power was coming from.

"Do you feel that Vegeta?" Gohan asked, looking off into the distance. "It's him. It has to be."

"Majin Buu is awake."