Scars, scars.

‘Unhappy is the land without heroes, no, unhappy is the land that needs heroes.’

And that was it. The ending line to his three year work-in-progress. It was a no holds bar journal, a literature of his grief and betrayal; his horror on paper.

Slowly, Gohan pushed himself from his chair and went to stand by the window. The moon was full tonight, out here, in the forest; you could see all the stars and all the little planets

He closed his eyes and listened.

Only a few animals were running around this time of morning, early morning business men, back in the city, driving their cars and, of course, the birds. Six a.m. and he hadn’t left yesterday behind; he hadn’t slept a wink. Then again, he barely ever slept anymore.

He hadn’t seen many of the Z fighters since he was 14. His mother had tried to drag him a long to reunions and on trips to see Bulma, but he had refused and spent his time either writing or being, in some way, self-destructive.

It was all in the book. From start to finish. The grief and anger he felt at his father’s death, the drugs he had taken, the injuries he had inflicted. He had given up the pot but had started on the heroin, he had stopped the scratching and had begun cutting open veins and slicing dangerously close to arteries. He got into fights on a regular basis and smoked stolen Marlboro lights. He still questioned himself on why he was like this; and why his cigarettes were light.

Maybe it was the way the moonlight sparkled on that November morning, maybe it was his quilt. Gohan pushed open the window and took flight towards the first familiar ki he felt.

*

Vegeta felt him before he heard him land.  He was, to say the least, surprised by the presence of the boy, but, he didn’t smell right. His ki wasn’t right either; but it was definitely him.

“Gohan.” He said as the boy set foot patio steps, “You’re interrupting my meditation.”

“Sorry.” The boy whispered. He shoved his hands into his pockets and waited.

“I haven’t seen, nor heard tail of you in over 4 years.” The saiyan walked up close to the demi. He inspected his clothes, much too big on the boy’s tiny frame, and frowned at the stubble on his chin and messed hair. He didn’t look healthy and the smell was almost medical.

“Where have you been?”

“Home. About. Not really anywhere.” Gohan shrugged.

“And what brings you here?”

“I-I wish I knew.” He sat upon the tiles, “I guess I just needed out. So, I flew here.”

Vegeta was curious about his rivals off spring. Either that or he had gone soft in the passing years. He sat on the brick surrounding the patio and watched as Gohan fiddled with the threads on his sleeves.

“You look horrid, boy.” He whispered, “When did you last sleep? Eat? Shower?”

“I-I can’t remember. I shower three days ago. I slept about four days ago for an hour or two. I- I can’t remember when I last ate.” He hung his head, “I’ve been writing. For the last three years, that’s all I’ve done. I finished it today and suddenly life has no point.”

“Why tell me?”

“Because I need to tell someone.” He looked up at the prince, his eyes framed with dark circles, the irises extremely pale, “And I don’t know why it was you.”

Vegeta felt a pang of sorrow in his stomach. He felt worried about the boy. Why was he telling him all this? Should he just listen or try to say something?

“Do you want me to listen?” the saiyan asked.        

“Please. You’ll think me weak, Vegeta, I know you will. I’m a saiyan for Christ’s sake and here I am, completely breaking down.  I just need to tell someone before it’s over.”

There it was again, that fear in Vegeta’s chest. What’s over?

“Go-“

“Just listen, please.” His voice was shaking, “I can’t sleep anymore. I can’t eat. My bones are tired. I feel so shit all the time. I smoke 20 a day. I take heroin. God-damnit I’m a mess, Vegeta.” He put his head in his hands and ground his teeth together, “I just can’t take this anymore. The guilt, the anger; it’s just too much.”

Vegeta was more than a little bit scared.

“Gohan.” He went and sat next to the boy, “I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to help.”

“I don’t expect you to help. I don’t want help. I just want you to know this is what is going on; this is how I feel.”

The boy stood up and positioned himself in front of Vegeta. He drew his shirt up over his head revealing an extremely taunt stomach and millions, upon millions of scars and fresh wounds. Words were carved into his flesh, full sentences and single letters. Deep and shallow cuts lined his wrists. Self-given tattoos littered his rips and upper arms. Even his back was cut. However, as horrible as it all was, there was only one Vegeta couldn’t seem to stop looking at. The large pink ‘X’ over Gohans heart.

Gohan clenched his teeth and tried to stop the tears. Vegeta just sat looking open mouthed at the body of the young man in front of him.

“Gohan, this – it’s – Jesus. What have you done?”

Gohan began to cry.

“I tried to cut it out. I tried. I can’t.” he fell to his knees, “There’s this force, its pulling me to ward something or someone, I don’t know. But it feels so familiar, so much like home.”

“Gohan. Calm down. Please.”

He was shaking with tears and Vegeta had no idea what to do. He considered calling the boy’s mother, but that was bound to be the last thing that he wanted. He considered waking up his wife, but what good would that do.

“I need to go. I need to get out of here.” Gohan whispered.

“Go where?”

The boy sat up onto his knees and looked at him. He opened and closed his mouth a few times before giving up on words. Instead, he stood up, lifted his shirt and frankly pulled it over his body.

“Go where, Gohan?”

“I’m sorry.”

And he was gone.

Vegeta thought of following him but decided against it. He couldn’t stop him on his own. He rushed into the house and started dialling the numbers of Krillian and Yamcha. He quickly explained the situation and told them to follow Gohan’s ki. So, they did.

He wrote a quick note to the woman and left also. On his way, he sent a S.O.S message to Piccolo viva the only way he knew how. Soon, the green man’s ki was also moving in Gohan’s direction.