Fractured Souls

Chapter 2: A Crime Gone Unpunished

He was sadly lacking in black clothing and made a mental note to ask his father to return his other clothes to the department store. It wasn't as if he would be allowed to wear what he wanted after today anyway. Gohan dressed in a new pair of black jeans and chose a black tank top to wear underneath the black-and-silver dress shirt. He smiled at himself in the mirror and thought that he looked pretty good.

"Ohayo Tousan, Vegeta-tousan." He took a seat at the breakfast table in a very good mood. Goku looked up from the stock report and raised an eyebrow.

"Gohan, are you in mourning?"

He shook his head. "Uh, no. Why would I be?"

"I haven't ever seen you wear that much black before. I thought red was your favorite color."

Gohan was surprised that he had noticed something so small and didn't say anything more as he poured himself a bowl of cereal. Everyone was silent until Trunks and Goten started a small war with Cheerios, using their spoons to launch missles across the table at each other. After equally stern looks from the two father-figures at the table the boys stopped wasting food.

"Gohan's gonna rob a bank," Trunks said as he drank the milk from the bowl. "That's why he's wearing black."

"But it's daytime!" Goten protested.

Vegeta muffled his laughter and Gohan rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to rob anything, munchkin. I've just joined a club."

"Oh?" Goku asked him. "What kind of club? The science club? The chess club?"

"The YRS." He thought that his father probably had no idea what the acronym stood for and he was right.

But Vegeta did.

"They must have groups all over the city," Vegeta said partially to himself. "I know there was a chapter for those over eighteen in the college I went to."

Goku frowned, thinking that the YRS was an evil thing. "What do the letters stand for, Gohan?"

"Young Recusant Society." He sighed as his father dropped the newspaper onto the table. "It's not a bad thing, Tousan! And before you ask, I know what a recusant is already."

"A recusant is just one step away from an anarchist. First it begins with just trying to be unique then it progresses to ignoring all forms of authority just because they restrict your freedom. I don't want you around people who think that way."

"How do you know how they think?" Gohan asked with forced calm. If he became angry then his father won the argument. "I didn't know you could read minds." He pushed away from the table, got his backpack, and headed straight for the front door. "You tell me that I need to be around kids more and then, after I finally join a social group, you want me to stay away from them." He went through the door without looking back. "Make up your mind."

It was a nice day but Gohan didn't notice it. He examined the argument from every angle and came to only one conclusion: his father was overprotective. 'Tousan's so worried that I'll befriend the wrong people that he won't let me even be around them! I won't do that to my kids.'

A few members from the YRS were standing before the main doors, one holding a clipboard and a pen, the others holding up handmade signs. They were obviously against the uniforms and were getting quite a few signatures on the petition.

Just as Gohan finished signing his name one of the doors opened and Aizawa-sensei stepped through looking as stern as usual. The crowd of students all turned their attention to them as a YRS member presented the principal with the petition. He barely glanced at it before ripping it to shreds in front of them all.

"Get to your homerooms," he said coldly. "The uniforms are nonnegotiable."

"We're going to have to give in on the uniforms but he can't control what accessories we wear with them," Gohan smirked and pulled a silver chain from his pocket. It was the only one he owned. Haru and Toichi, two boys he had met after the meeting the day before, gave him two thumbs up.

As the day wore on (and the dreadful hour of physical education approached) he wondered what made him different from the rest of the boys. He knew that he didn't care all that much for playing sports (though his watched them occasionally) and didn't make inappropriate comments about various girls in the school. Did he really have to do those things to be accepted by the other boys? If so then he was proud to be different.

There was one thing, one tiny little thing, he knew of that made him a minority. He liked boys and not just as friends either. A few years ago scientists discovered that it was a gene inside of people that made them attracted to members of the same sex and he knew who he received it from. Gohan loved his father more than anyone else in the world, including his mother, so he would never speak ill of him.

Third hour rolled around and he changed as quickly as he could before any of the older boys showed up. He and Yuji chatted for a while, mostly about the uniform ultimatum, and Gohan found that he felt at ease with his new friend. That's why Yuji's extremely personally question shocked him beyond belief.

"Are you gay?" he blurted out as fast as he could. Gohan had to mentally seperate the three words before forming his reply.

He took a deep breath. "I've never really thought about that before yesterday," he admitted. "I was just Son Gohan, a fourteen-year-old boy originally born in Western Capital. If you place a label on me then you're going againt what the YRS stands for. I don't have to conform with being straight, gay, or bi. I'm just me."

Yuji nodded but Gohan could see in his eyes that he knew his answer. 'So what if I'm... gay? At least I'm not evil.'

The gym locker room was easily becoming the number one place that Gohan feared the most. Even thought he did everything short of covering his eyes he still saw glimpses of naked bodies. Some of them made his heart beat faster and he grew a little bit lightheaded as his blood rushed downward on a direct course to embarrassment. 'Damn it!' he cursed to himself. 'Stupid teenage hormones.'

He felt that he broke a record for speed as he changed his clothes, praying that no one noticed how his pants poked out in the front. Just as he was on his way out of the door he accidentally bumped into a naked junior. The older and larger boy looked at him for a second as Gohan struggled to keep his eyes at chest-level and then looked down at noticed his problem. The boy grinned viciously and shoved him backward towards the other boys.

"Hey guys!" he shouted so that everyone could hear him. "I think I've caught a fairy!"

A lot of them looked confused but the few who had attended the school last year knew exactly what he was talking about.

"What do we do to fairies?" Gohan grew pale because he knew it wasn't anything good. He tried to prepare himself for the worst but still the first blow caught him by surprise. All of the air rushed out of him from the hard punch to his stomach and he automatically doubled over in pain. The little self-defense that he had learned from his father and Vegeta flew out of his mind as he collapsed onto the floor and curled into the smallest ball possible. The kicks and punches he was taking all became secondary in his mind as he wondered what it would feel like to die. Was everything paradise like the stories said?

A bright, shining light appeared before his eyes and grew larger and larger. Just as his hand was about to touch it everything went dark and he realized that there was no more noise. The stinging insults and cruel laughter of his assailants were gone as were the shouts of his would-be defenders. He felt a hand on his, quietly holding it, and he knew before looking that it was his father. Someone was crying on his other side, hot tears falling onto his arm, and his heart sang with joy as he recognized the person that the sound belonged to. The time that they spent together in that small, cramped cell in the well-guarded fortress of a murderer seemed like eons ago but he would never forget the sound or the owner of that voice.

"You don't have to cry anymore, Colby," he said hoarsely. "I'll be alright."

He turned his head to face him and cracked open his eyes just in time for ice blue to meet dark brown. Colby's face broke out into a wide smile and he hugged Gohan as hard as he could without causing him unnecessary pain.

"I thought you were- I mean, I felt- I'm so glad you're alive!"

"Did Tousan call you?" Gohan asked, wondering how he knew what had happened.

He shook his head. "I felt it when it happened, I don't know how or why. I even had a flash of them carrying you away in the ambulance. I freaked out a little and called your house as soon as I could. Son-san told me where you were."

"Do you remember what happened, Gohan?" Goku asked him, a worried expression on his face. He was concerned about his son now, he would have time to be pissed about what had happened later.

"Hai," he said softly and really wished that he didn't. It would have been better if he had forgotten because of a blow to the head, his mind would have protected him from the harsh truth. As it were he remembered every blow dealt, every word said, and every look of satisfaction on their faces. It would be something that he carried to his grave. Goku clearly saw the dark look that entered his son's eyes and wondered what had happened other than the beating.

"The boy said that he was 'taking care of the fairy'," Gohan mumbled, not looking at his father. "I know that it's genetic but am I supposed to be punished for something I can't control for the rest of my life?"

His father couldn't say a word. Not having first-hand knowledge of what he was going through, he didn't know anything that he could say or do that would ease some of the pain. Colby's grip tighened on Gohan's hand until the younger boy's gaze met his.

"There is absolutely no excuse for what they've done to you. None at all. Who, or what, you are doesn't justify their actions. Who gives them the right to pass judgement on you anyway? They can't get away with playing judge, jury, and executioner. I love you Gohan and not because you're gay." Gohan winced slightly at the word. "I love you because you're a compassionate person who wouldn't ever think of hurting someone else. If the rest of the world had even five percent of your kindness then there would be no more suffering for anyone ever again."

He was crying but they were tears of happiness. Goku had left the two of them alone in the beginning of their conversation and neither boy had noticed. "When did you get so wise?" Gohan asked while using his free hand to wipe his face. "I just talked to you last week."

"I've been doing a lot of thinking about my life lately. My aunt's a religious zealot and every Sunday when we go to church the reverend seems to always talk about homosexuality and its corruption upon the world." He shook his head. "It's pretty fitting that her church is filled with a huge group of people just like her. I have to listen to her criticize others every single day and I asked myself the same exact question. There's no one answer to it but then again is there a single answer to anything?"

There was a gentle knock on the door before Vegeta opened in a crack. "Are you up to more visitors?"

"Sure, Vegeta-tousan. Go ahead and let the little rugrats inside."

"I'm *not* a rugrat," Trunks said with an insulted look on his face. He approached the bed slowly and took a moment just to look him over. "Gohan, are you gonna live?"

Goten burst into tears and just about threw himself at his brother. "Don't die niichan!"

"He's not going to die," Vegeta said as he patted his back. "I believe he'll be perfectly fine by tomorrow."

Colby gave him a look. "How? Those assholes did a thorough job of rendering him unable to move, you know."

The man pulled back the sheet and blanket and began to examine carefully much to Gohan's embarrassment. He poked him in the ribs where the doctors had previously found the more serious injuries and the boy giggled a little.

"That tickles!"

"But it doesn't hurt, does it?"

His eyes widened as he quickly felt over the entire front side of his body looking for pain. There wasn't any at all. "How in the world-?"

"You know that your father is completely saiya-jin, right?" Gohan nodded. "There are certain things that come with sharing our blood. Rapid healing is one of them. The doctor was pretty surprised after seeing the x-ray. Your bone structure's different than a ningen's Gohan. The man just about had a heart attack before your father and I explained things to him."

Gohan felt a surge of happy emotion swell inside of him and let it out by laughing joyously. "I'm fine!" He shouted as he jumped from the bed and hugged everyone in the room. "I'm not going to die!"

Colby placed a hand on his shoulder. "You thought that you were going to die?"

"Hai. It hurt so bad and I was afraid. Then I saw this bright light the next thing I knew I was here." He sobered as he realized just how close his life had come to ended permanently. "I didn't want to leave you or anyone that I cared about. I knew you all would be unhappy if I did. But at that moment, for one brief second, I really considered going just to escape the pain."

"You won't have to worry about that ever again," Colby said as he took his arm. "No one's getting past me. I promise."

Gohan smiled as he thought of all the people who were always ready to stand up and defend him and knew that he would have the strength to do anything as long as he had their continued support.

***

He hated the uniform he had to wear for the remainder of his high school career but he knew that the girls' version was a lot worse. At least he didn't have to wear a plaid skirt.

The pants and vest were navy, the shirt was a bright white, and the tie that took him ten minutes to figure out was navy plaid. Overall he looked absolutely ridiculous.

Gohan had to admit that Trunks and Goten looked even worse. Their pants were plaid and they even had a plaid beret with a little white pompom. He guessed that someone thought they would look adorable but instead they looked like golf caddie rejects. It was all he could do to keep from laughing as he took his usual seat at the breakfast table.

"Here's the game plan for today, Gohan. Vegeta and I are going up to that school to speak with your principal. You're coming into his office with us. If he can't provide a safe envioronment for you and the rest of the students then I'll ask the school board to find someone who will. You have a right to an education as much as anyone else."

They had the misfortune to arrive just as the other kids were just getting out of homeroom. He knew that they were staring and whispering at him but Gohan held his head up high and refused to make them happy by looking afraid. Inwardly he was terrified of what the boys might do to him and what the prinicipal was going to say. He sweated beneath the uncomfortable clothing, making the fabric stick to his body. The main office loomed ahead, it's white sign with black lettering looking awfully big.

It was cool inside, the air conditioner in the window providing a comfort that the classrooms sorely lacked. He took a seat on one of the ugly brown chairs next to Vegeta and began to fidget as his father spoke to the receptionist.

"I didn't do anything wrong," he mumbled to himself. "Why am I so afraid?"

"You don't know how the principal is going to react," Vegeta whispered to him almost inaudibly. "It's just a fear of the unknown."

"I'm partially afraid of the man himself. He even *looks* evil."

Aizawa-sensei appeared in his doorway and motioned them inside with a stern look and a quick jerk of his hand. The two adults didn't appreciate his lack of courtesy but Gohan was just glad he didn't glare at him. Just when his heart was beginning to beat normally for the first time that day, the door was closed and Aizawa took a seat behind his large desk with a blatantly enraged look on his face.

"You should have told me about his problem before," he said in a fierce tone. "I could have alerted the staff before an incident such as this happened."

Gohan, frankly, was speechless but his two fathers were not.

"Excuse me?!" they both exclaimed in unison.

"There are others of his kind in this school, larger and older ones. They could have provided protection."

Gohan began to shake his head slowly. "Why are you treating me as if I'm one step below a person?"

"That's exactly what your kind are." He pulled a pad from his top desk drawer and began to write in quick, angry marks. "It's your own fault for acting anything other than normal. I wouldn't have you here but the laws say I have to." He snorted. "As if you deserve an education. Anyone who makes a decision to screw people of the same sex are obviously mentally unstable and should be locked away in an asylum to receive treatment for their perversion."

Goku's face was turning red in his rage and both Gohan and Vegeta laid a hand on each arm to try and restrain him.

Aizawa turned his attention to the two men. "I see where he got the idea from. Grown men like you should know that a relationship should produce a kid out of it. This boy isn't too late to save, I should recommend to social services that custody be taken away from you and placed with his mother."

He found himself standing before he had even thought about it. The man could say whatever he wanted about himself but he had no right to say anything about his fathers. "I won't allow you to say anything else about them, bastard. You aren't even worthy enough for our time."

Gohan looked at Vegeta, who had a half-smile on his face, and at Goku, whose color was returning to normal. They filed through the doorway one-by-one, with Gohan pausing to say one last thing.

"You're going to get yours someday, Aizawa. The three-fold rule is especially harsh on bakas like you." He slammed the door closed so hard that the frosted glass window nearly shattered.

The hallways were empty as they walked back to the parking lot, all three lost in their thoughts. On the ride home, Goku's anger calmed and he turned tear-filled eyes toward his son. Gohan felt a large lump grow in his throat as he stuggled not to join him. Somehow seeing his father, a man who always seemed to have it all together, weep was enough to make him break down in hysterical sobbing.

They held each other out there in the driveway where any nosey person who just happened to glance out of their livingroom windows could see them. Vegeta was the silent support they each needed, offering comfort without saying a word. Long minutes passed as the two Son males got themselves under control and Vegeta slipped off to get them each something to drink, leaving them alone for the conversation he knew they needed to have.

"I should have warned you," Goku said sadly. "I know how people can react to things they don't understand."

"All of the warning in the world wouldn't have prepared me for that, Tousan. Please don't feel bad about it."

"I can't stop, Gohan. I should have said something to you after ChiChi told me that she suspected." He clamped a hand over his mouth but it was too late, the damage had already been done.

Gohan was horrified. "Kaasan *knows*?"

He patted him on the back. "Don't worry about it, she's completely supportive. It was after I told her about Vegeta and I."

"I wish I could have heard *that* conversation."

What would he do about school tomorrow? Could he go back with the knowledge that he might be assaulted again and nothing would be done about it? He had to, he decided. If only to show those boys that nothing they could ever do would break him.

People have come a long way in curing illnesses, lowering unemployment, illiteracy, and poverty but they still had light-years to go in respect and civility. Gohan wondered how could anyone bring a child into a world so filled with hate when absolutely nothing was being done to cure it?

Underneath the layers of anger, hatred, and malice there were layers of uncertainty, confusion, misery, and fear. Those emotions were almost always the source of a violent act. If someone were to completely obliterate them then there would be no more crime.

He knew that it sounded like a very simple solution to an timeless problem but no one could find a way to approach it. Scientists could isolate every negative gene in the human body and still crime would remain.

It would always remain.

"I have a lot to do for tomorrow, Tousan," he mumbled absentmindedly. His mind was already think up possible ways to change the world. "School will never be the same again."

Gohan went into the house, eyes seeing only the finished product of many hours of work, while his father stood outside asking himself many of the same questions that had gone through his son's mind only moments before.