Rising to the Challenge – The Legacy of Son Gohan

Chapter 7 – The Kamehameha

Gohan couldn't help but chuckle as a visibly weary Videl trudged up the stairs to her seat in the classroom, shooting death glares at the poor souls who curiously glanced her way. Once she reached her destination, the raven-haired girl let out a deep sigh, and plopped down into her seat. The feeble chair creaked underneath the extra weight.

"Hanging in there, Videl?" Gohan asked teasingly.

The crime fighter levelled a half-hearted scowl at her spiky-haired friend, too tired to maintain her usual ferocity. "You knew this would happen."

Gohan let out a small laugh. "Hey, don't blame me, you're the one who asked me to train you," he said cheerfully, before stroking his chin ponderingly. "Come to think of it, you seem a bit more tired that I was expecting." A lightbulb went off in his head. "You ran to school, didn't you?"

Videl paused briefly, a flash of annoyance passing through her eyes. "So what if I did?" she challenged.

Gohan chuckled at her plight. "Videl, you were supposed to ease into exercise after your body got used to the weights, not jump headfirst into it," he chided gently. "I wasn't going to have you do any physical exercise until at least tomorrow."

The girl growled in frustration. "You could've told me that," she muttered.

"True, I could have," Gohan said, a small smile on his lips. "I should've known you'd try something like this. Heh, I bet you kept running even after your body was screaming at you to stop."

Videl looked away and engaged in a staring contest with her desk, not willing to give her friend a response. The demi-Saiyan merely laughed at the sight. Her silence was all the answer he needed.

It was then that the door to the classroom opened, and a slightly red-faced Sharpner entered, followed by a grinning Erasa. The pair made their way up the stairs and sat down in their usual seats.

Sharpner, whose features bore clear evidence of tiredness, looked a fair bit spryer than Videl, and he seemed to notice this too if the amused look he was giving her was any indication. "Let me guess, Videl wore herself out before she could get used to her weights?" he mocked good-naturedly.

Said girl fixed the muscular blond with a vicious glare that promised a great deal of pain if he persisted with that train of thought, causing him to pale vividly and gulp audibly before turning away. Videl's lips quirked into a tiny smirk.

Erasa moved over to sit beside the crime fighter and gently rubbed her back. "How you doing, girl?" she asked kindly.

"Every single muscle in my body feels like it's on fire," Videl ground out through gritted teeth, causing the blonde to wince. "Ok, that might have been a bit of an exaggeration. Most of the muscles in my body feel like they're on fire."

"That's not much better," Erasa mumbled worriedly.

Videl waved off her concerns and tried to put on a brave face. "I'll be fine eventually… I think, so long as I don't have to do anything physically strenuous in the next couple of hours."

The door to the classroom swung open and in walked Miss Vicious, a teacher who wasn't very popular among the student body due to her stern demeanour and mocking nature. The bespectacled woman, who had her brown hair tied back into a bun, and was clad in a sleek black skirt suit, made her way to the front of the class and scanned over her students with hawklike eyes.

"Get out your textbooks and turn to page 767," she ordered in a tone that brokered no argument. "You are to read through the chapter and attempt the questions at the end. Anyone not finished will have to do it for homework."

Ignoring the collective groan that sounded throughout the classroom, Gohan did as he was told, withdrawing from his bag a humongous, thick-covered book that he was positive could be used to beat a man to death, if not bore him to death first. With a slight frown, he placed the unpleasant slab of text on the table, the sheer weight of the object making an audible thud upon colliding with the graffitied wood.

A similar sound was heard throughout the rest of the classroom; the combined noise reverberating around the enclosed space making for a mildly humorous but ultimately depressing atmosphere.

Another, somewhat softer thud was heard from beside Gohan. The demi-Saiyan curiously glanced over at the source of the noise, only to see that Videl had slammed her head into the desk in almost tangible annoyance. He smiled sadly in her direction. 'Poor girl. As if this class wasn't hellish enough already,' he couldn't help but think.


The beeping of Videl's wristwatch provided a welcome distraction to all but the most arduous students and Miss Vicious herself, who simply glared in the raven-haired girl's direction.

"I'm here," Videl answered, clearly trying to keep the relief from showing on her face.

"Videl, we need your help!" came a panicked voice from the communicator. "An apartment building is on fire downtown, and there are people inside!"

The crime fighter's eyes widened. "Understood, I'll be right there."

She jumped up from her seat and rushed down the stairs, but not before whispering to Gohan, "Meet me on the roof in about a minute or so." The girl came to a stop at the door of the classroom and bowed apologetically to the teacher. "I'm sorry I couldn't stay until the end of your lesson, but duty calls."

Miss Vicious said nothing but nodded tersely as Videl ran out of the room. She then cast her hawk-like gaze onto the rest of the class and narrowed her eyes. Everyone present understood what that look meant and got back to work.

After about 60 seconds, Gohan hesitatingly raised his hand. "Umm, Miss Vicious," he called out nervously, getting the stern-faced teacher's attention. "Can I please go to the bathroom?"

Miss Vicious glared at him for a few moments before nodding her head. "Very well then, Gohan. The faculty is well aware of your bladder issues," she remarked casually. "Try not to take too long."

A blushing Gohan ignored the snickers from some of his peers and hurried down the stairs, bowing slightly to his teacher before rushing out the door and up to the roof. Once he arrived, he was surprised to see Videl sprawled out on the ground with her limbs splayed like a starfish, panting heavily.

"Ran down the stairs, then up them," she gasped out in between laboured breaths. "Can't move, need a minute to recover..."

Gohan would've ordinarily chuckled at the amusing sight, but there were an emergency happening in the city, and people's lives were at stake. "No time. I got you covered." He looked up at the sky and called out, "Kinto'un!"

Within seconds, the familiar golden cloud zoomed down from the atmosphere and came to a halt beside a gaping Videl. Gohan walked over to the raven-haired girl and gently picked her up amid muffled protests, then placed her on the fluffy vehicle. "There you go," he said with a kind smile.

A tint of scarlet shaded Videl's cheeks. "Thanks," she mumbled.

The demi-Saiyan let out a brief chuckle. "Alright Kinto'un, follow me," he ordered, pressing the button to transform into Saiyaman and lifting into the air, then shooting off towards where she saw the faint trails of smoke in the distance.

"Comfortable?" Gohan asked his friend as they flew above the buildings at blinding speed.

"The wind's a bit strong," Videl replied, her eyelids fluttering in the breeze and a slight wince in her tone. "But the cloud's great. Feels like I'm sitting on a really soft pillow. I can barely feel it, but it's there."

Gohan smiled. "That's Kinto'un for you. I'm sorry about the wind though. Once you get better at using your ki, you can erect a thin barrier around yourself while flying to protect against the wind." For a brief moment, the demi-Saiyan scolded himself for not offering to carry Videl himself so that he could shield her with his ki, but quickly came to his senses. 'She'd probably crush my balls into paste if I offered.' Despite that grisly thought, he couldn't help the slight flush of his face and the subsequent cheesy grin. 'I bet it'd feel nice to hold her, though.'

"So this is the fabled Kinto'un," Videl commented, breaking Gohan from his embarrassingly pleasant thoughts. "If I remember correctly, Erasa said only those with a pure heart can ride it, yet you put me on here without hesitating," she added with a slight questioning tone.

Gohan nervously scratched the back of his helmet. "I knew you'd be able to ride Kinto'un without any issues," he stated confidently, scanning the area in front of him. In doing so, the boy missed the crimson flash of Videl's cheeks.

"It's just up ahead," he informed his friend, his tone now bearing a serious edge. "Let's go."

Gohan sped up slightly and descended to the ground, Kinto'un following suit. The pair of teenagers landed beside a surprised police chief, who was conversing animatedly with a fireman.

"Chief, what's the situation?" Videl questioned, having jumped off her fluffy ride, which rocketed off into the clouds. It was clear to Gohan that she'd recovered enough to be able to stand firmly on the ground, much to his relief.

The police chief's eyes shifted from Saiyaman to Videl a few times, the shock of their joint arrival easily visible on his pudgy, moustached features. "Not that long ago a fire spread from somewhere inside the apartment building, and now it's engulfed the whole building!" he explained worriedly.

Gohan's eyes scanned over the inferno, a frown adorning his face. The apartment building was quite large, reaching at least 20 stories high. The exterior was constructed from red brick, which wasn't very flammable and would keep the fire from spreading outside for a while. Unfortunately, that didn't bode well for the people inside the building. As if to prove his point, he heard several pained shrieks from inside the inflamed structure, causing his frown to deepen.

"Are there any casualties?" the demi-Saiyan asked the police chief, dreading the answer.

"It's hard to say," the chief informed sombrely. "The fire didn't start that long ago, and you guys came here pretty damn quickly." He swallowed thickly. "To make an educated guess, I'd say there are no casualties yet… but with things like this, you never know…"

Gohan nodded, a bit of hope returning to him. "No time to waste then. I'll be back," he assured. Before the chief could question him, the helmeted superhero sped into the blazing building.

Time seemed to slow as Gohan utilised the maximum amount of speed allowed by his base form. His surroundings passed by in a dizzying blur of red, brown and orange, but his extremely well trained perception and depth of field ensured his vision was clear as glass.

Gohan zoomed through the various rooms of the apartment building, completely unaffected by the roaring flames which lapped at the strengthened fabric of his costume, and grabbing any hapless denizen he came across. Once he had four people in his arms, two in each and one person on his back, the superhero flashed outside and deposited the rescued victims gently on the asphalt, inwardly apologising for the dizziness they would feel after travelling at such rapid speeds.

After safely depositing one group outside, Gohan rushed back into the burning building to repeat the process. Systematically making his way up every floor, the demi-Saiyan was treated to all sorts of sorrowful sights.

Some people were huddled inside cupboards, closets and cabinets, faces drenched in tears as they waited for their ends to come. It was not to be.

Other people were banging against windows, some of them contemplating jumping outside just to get away from the noxious fumes, high possibility of death be damned. It was a choice they wouldn't have to make.

One mother sat curled up on a bed, holding a crying child tightly to her chest as she prayed for whatever deity was listening to save her baby. Her prayers were answered, but by a mortal, not a god.

A little girl consoled her weeping younger brother in a bathroom, the only safe refuge in their apartment as the rest of it was set ablaze. Barely being able to keep her composure, she stayed strong for her sibling, constantly reassuring him that help would come. It did.

These images, and many others like them, burned deep into Gohan's conscious, spurring him on to even greater speeds. With gritted teeth and sweat trailing down his face from the heat, stinging his eyes in the process, the boy pushed through the flames and subsequent wreckage, driven by a single goal – to save everyone.

The blur that was Son Gohan was swift and comprehensive as he scoured the flaming structure in its entirety, tasking his ki sensing ability to capacity to search for even the most minuscule ki signatures. Not even someone's ant farm was left to burn.

Once he was 100% positive he had saved every single living being that had to be rescued, Gohan appeared outside the burning apartment building, right beside a slack-jawed police chief, the various fireman in the area mirroring his shocked expression.

"That should be everyone," he notified the stunned onlookers, taking a deep breath and wiping away some of the sweat staining his features with his cape.

"Son… I don't know what to say," the police chief mumbled, struggling to form words. "I've never seen anything like that in my 30 years of service."

"I told you to trust him, didn't I?" Videl remarked from beside the police officer, a relieved smile gracing her pretty features.

"That you did," said the chief, shaking his head in disbelieving amusement. "Boy, you superheroes are really something. First the mayor, and now this…"

Gohan smiled inwardly at the praise, satisfaction coursing through his being at being able to help out. He didn't save people for the gratification that came with it – it was nice, of course, but it wasn't the main reason. He saved people because he could. However, despite his accomplishment, the job wasn't done yet.

"What about the building?" the caped teenager asked. "Are you going to be able to put out the flames?"

This time it was the fireman that answered him. "It's doable, but it won't be easy, and it'll take a while," he grimly informed the superhero.

Gohan's lips pursed into an uncharacteristic frown. "Is anything in there salvageable?"

The fireman shook his head. "I highly doubt it. There's a hell of a lot of wood inside that building that's helped the flames spread quickly. TVs, tables, furniture… family photo albums, precious heirlooms… if they haven't been burned to cinders already, they're beyond use by now."

Gohan cursed inwardly. Had he known about this beforehand, he probably could've tried to salvage at least some of those treasured objects.

The demi-Saiyan then shook his head at his naïve musings. He didn't know enough about the people he saved to know what they considered precious. As long as their lives were no longer in danger, he could rest easy.

"Is everyone accounted for?" he asked the fireman, who nodded in response.

"We just did a headcount with the apartment manager. You saved everyone who was present, Mr Saiyaman," the public stated with a slight smile. "The people who were out at the time of the fire have been alerted, and are on their way back to meet up with their loved ones. You're a hero, Mr Saiyaman, although you don't need me to tell you that."

Said superhero let out a deep breath and gave the firefighter a smile of his own. "I'm glad to hear that." His expression then hardened. "I know a technique that can put out the whole fire, but it'll total the building in the process," he informed the people around him.

The police chief and fireman shared a look, while Videl raised an eyebrow at the revelation, her interest visibly piqued.

"I say go for it," the police chief said. "We have nothing to lose."

"I agree," added the fireman. "Like I said, nothing in there is salvageable anymore, and while we could put out the fire, it'll take at least several hours."

Gohan stared at the inferno and gave a resigned nod. "Very well then. You guys might want to stand back.

The two public servants scurried away from the proximity of the superhero, while Videl paid rapt attention to what he was doing. Gohan had expected this, and as such didn't really mind. If anything, hopefully she'd find some motivation from what he was about to demonstrate.

The demi-Saiyan shifted his left leg forward, his foot pointing straight ahead, while moving his right leg off to the side, with his right foot pointing in that direction. In this stance, both of his legs were positioned at a 90 degree angle. Gohan then lowered his body slightly, while cupping his hands, joined at the wrists, and placing them at his right hip.

"Kaaa meee…" His palms opened ever so slightly to compensate for the small ball of simmering white ki that had had formed.

"Haaa meee…" More ki was summoned from his centre and forced into his cupped hands, where it was moulded into a spherical shape. The miniscule ball of ki already present between his palms grew to the size of a basketball, now pulsating with a dazzling amount of burning energy and shooting out rays as though it were a miniature sun.

Gohan then thrust his cupped hands forward at the inflamed building. "HAAAA!"

From the ball of ki shot a cylindrical blue beam of searing hot energy that hurtled towards the devastating flames at blinding speed, and struck the lowest level of the apartment building with the force of a meteorite. Before it could drill a hole through the burning structure, Gohan expertly manoeuvred his hands upwards, and with it sent the Kamehameha spiralling through the roof of the edifice whereupon it rocketed up into the atmosphere and out into space.

Vibrations emanating from the targeted structure ran along the ground, creating the effect of a miniature earthquake and sending a few stunned onlookers toppling to the gravel. The blazing fires in and around the red-bricked construction were quelled, giving birth to a billowing pillar of smoke that cloaked the entire apartment building in a haze of grey.

The stunned bystanders – ranging from Videl, to the police chief, to the firefighters, to the rescued civilians themselves – could only watch in awe as they waited for the smoke to dissipate to see just what was left of the once towering structure.

When the smoke finally did clear about half a minute later, those in the vicinity were treated to the sight of the flames from before having vanished completely, along with the former apartment building. Where the previously thriving dwelling once stood was a small hill of greying rubble and ash.

"Well, that was certainly a lot more effective than anything we could do," the fireman from before commented after having recovered his composure.

"Yes, it was certainly something," the police chief agreed, scratching his cheek.

"It certainly was, wasn't it, Saiyaman?" Videl chimed in, a strange, almost predatory gleam in her eyes.

Gohan suppressed a slight shiver at her expression, and chuckled nervously at the praise while scratching the back of his head. "Ahh, it was nothing. I just wish the building could've been saved," he said sombrely.

"Don't worry about it," the fireman assured, clapping the superhero comfortingly on the back. "If we'd done our part, the building would've had to be demolished anyway." He then grinned widely." You just saved the city from having to pay a construction company to do the deed."

"Well, at least something good came out of this," Gohan muttered with a shake of the head.

He then left the firefighter to his business and went over to stand next to Videl, who had just finished conversing with the police chief. The raven-haired girl smiled innocently at her friend. "You're going to teach me that move later," she stated cheerfully.

"I figured you'd say that when I saw the look you gave me," Gohan murmured before shrugging. "Well, alright… if you think you can handle it. After all, it took Muten Roshi 50 years to master that technique," he added teasingly.

A brief flash of doubt flickered through Videl's eyes before the petite crime fighter smirked confidently. "Challenge accepted."

Gohan let out a small laugh, before his face turned ashen-white and his eyes bulged open. "Shoot! I gotta get to class or Miss Vicious will kill me! You can fly back on Kinto'un, just call it down from the sky. Later!"

With that the demi-Saiyan rose into the air and shot off towards Orange Star High like a cannonball. Along the way, he transformed into a Super Saiyan to hasten his journey, and reverted back to his base form once he reached the roof of the building.

Gohan then changed into his school clothes, sped down the stairs, and burst into his classroom, causing all eyes to turn to him.

"Gohan, why were you absent for so long?" Miss Vicious sneered in a haughty tone. "And for that matter, why are you so wet?"

The demi-Saiyan cursed inwardly at having forgotten to clean all the sweat off his face, and scratched the back of his head nervously, straining his mind to come up with a reasonable excuse. "Umm, the sink in the bathroom broke and sprayed me with water…" he offered with a meek smile.

A round of laughter was heard throughout the classroom, after which Miss Vicious' sneer morphed into a scowl. "See me at recess so we can have a discussion about tardiness," she ordered sternly. "Now go back to your seat."

"Yes, Miss Vicious," Gohan said reservedly with a slight bow of the head.

He trudged up the stairs to his seat tiredly, again being met with snickers from some of his classmates, which he simply ignored. When he reached his destination, he slumped into the rough wooden chair and exhaled deeply.

A quiet snort was heard from Sharpner. "Sprayed by water in the bathroom? Really?" he questioned mockingly.

"Shut up," Gohan growled half-heartedly.


Later that afternoon the group of four friends had gathered once more in the wide clearing near the Son household. Erasa was leaning against a tree relaxing, while Sharpner and Videl stood before Gohan, waiting for their new martial arts teacher to give them instructions.

Gohan rubbed his chin thoughtfully as his eyes scanned over his two pupils. "Well Sharpner, you'll be doing the same thing as yesterday: meditating and trying to find your ki."

"Yay," Sharpner mumbled unenthusiastically, sitting cross-legged on the ground and closing his eyes.

Gohan nodded amusedly at the sight before his black eyes met Videl's blue ones. He gave her a small smile. "Videl, you just need to get the hang of flying," he told her warmly. "First I'll get you to levitate in the air a few times, taking a short break in between each set. If you manage that, and you're feeling up to it, I'll have you do a few laps in the air."

Videl shuffled her feet uncomfortably, feeling an immense strain from the simple act. She frowned heavily, not liking what she was about to say in the slightest. "Gohan…" she began wearily.

"Yes?" he asked, concern clear across his features.

"I'm not sure if I can train like this. My body is absolutely killing me," she said sadly, the mere admission causing an entirely new pain to surface.

"Oh, is that all?" Gohan remarked casually. "Here you go." He flicked her a tiny green bean.

The raven-haired girl caught the familiar morsel of food and stared at it dumbly for a few seconds, before fixing her spiky-haired friend with a positively savage glare. "You had one of these on you the whole time!?" she ground out through gritted teeth, popping the senzu bean into her mouth and swallowing it.

"Of course I did," Gohan admitted freely. "But if I'd given one to you in the morning, you'd never have learnt your lesson – don't overdo it in your training."

Videl stared at him disbelievingly for a few seconds before slipping off the weighted blue wristband adorning her left wrist and hurling it at her teacher.

Gohan merely chuckled and easily caught the threatening object, which he then handed back to his aggressor. "That wasn't very nice," he chided good-naturedly.

"You weren't in any danger," Videl retorted, shaking some feeling into her newly energised legs. With her stamina having recovered completely, she was eager to start training again. She remembered how wonderful it felt to float in the air using nothing but her own power, and was eager to embrace that feeling once more… and perhaps even take it one step further this time.

"Fair enough," Gohan said, an amused smile crossing his lips. "Now, since my dad isn't here today – he's off sparring with his… friend – I'm going to oversee both your trainings. After seeing what Videl's capable of yesterday, I'm confident she won't fly into Sharpner, or a tree, so we can share the same space," he explained, ignoring his raven-haired pupil's glare.

"Works for me," Sharpner chimed in from his meditative position, his eyes still shut. "Just so long as you guys don't distract me. There's a genius at work here."

"Yeah, and it isn't you," Videl mocked with a smirk.

Gohan chuckled lightly before any bickering broke out. "Don't worry Sharpner, we'll be a couple of metres away from you. I'll be hopping between both you and Videl to check your progress, so you won't be neglected." The muscular blond smirked at the news. "I also give Erasa permission to throw things at you if you're slacking off when I'm not looking." And with that admission the smirk dropped.

Videl walked a short distance away from Sharpner, a victorious grin on her face. 'Seems like Gohan's picking up on one of mine and Erasa's favourite pastimes, making fun of Sharpner,' she mused. 'Good for him. I know we'll make a normal guy out of him someday.'

When she was far enough from Sharpner, girl took a deep breath and was about to summon her ki, but was stopped by Gohan's hand on her shoulder. "Wait up," he said firmly. "Don't be so hasty. There's still a couple of things I want to go over with you."

Videl turned her gaze downwards. "Sorry, Gohan. I'm just really eager to fly again," she admitted, a bit embarrassed by her overt hastiness.

"That's completely understandable," he said kindly. "But it's not good to rush this stuff. Remember what happened yesterday?"

Videl suppressed a shiver at the unpleasant memory. Her overzealousness had almost resulted in her brains getting splattered over the hard earth. "Don't remind me," she muttered morosely before shaking the reminder from her head. "What did you need to tell me."

Gohan smiled gratefully. "How we're going to do this is in sets. Let's start with three minutes hovering in the air, about a metre off the ground, followed by 30 seconds of rest. For the next set, I'll have you do the same, only this time you'll be two metres above the ground. For each set add one metre to your hovering distance. Once you reach five metres, for each subsequent set you'll be going down a metre instead of up," he informed. "Got all that?"

"Seems simple enough," Videl replied, eager to get back in the air. Even though the exercise did sound a bit boring and repetitive, she trusted Gohan's judgement, and knew this was a necessary step. That aside, she just loved the feeling of flying. "Wait, what about my weights?" she asked, referring to her wristbands, white shirt and boots.

"Keep them on," Gohan told her. "It'll make for a better workout, and you'll become more proficient manipulating your ki if your body's under duress while using it."

Videl nodded. That made sense. Still, she couldn't help the slight pang of fear that coursed through her body once her mind envisioned the same situation as yesterday, only this time Gohan wasn't able to catch her due to her body being weighed down.

As though sensing her doubts, the crime fighter's spiky-haired teacher gave her a warm smile and comfortingly patted her arm. "Hey, don't worry. I'll be there to intervene if anything goes wrong," he assured her.

At that Videl couldn't help the brief quirk of her lips. "Thanks Gohan. I know you will." She then took a deep breath. "Ok, I'm ready.'

Gohan stepped away from Videl to give her space, which she was thankful for. Closing her eyes, she located her centre and pushed the ki she'd found there through the soles of her feet, remembering to stay focused the entire time.

Videl opened her eyes once she felt the familiar wind pool around her legs, and suppressed a grin at the sight of her body slowly levitating upwards.

"Ok, stop there," Gohan called from his place on the ground beside her. "Stop the flow of ki to your feet and try to generate a small, but steady stream, just enough to keep you levitating in one spot. It might take a bit of trial and error."

Videl took a deep breath and halted the flow of ki through her legs. As it tapered out she felt her body shudder uncomfortably in the air. If she were to compare the feeling to anything, it'd be an airplane encountering turbulence. A bead of sweat rolled down her temple. 'Steady!' she told herself.

After a few seconds of experimenting with how much ki to generate in a steady, constant stream, Videl's erratic floating motions evened out, until she gently hovered in the air. She grinned triumphantly… only to feel herself being drawn to a ground as maintaining altitude became like engaging in a tug of war with her body. 'The weights!'

"Don't panic," she heard Gohan say soothingly. "This is to be expected with weighted clothing, and will help you get the hang of flying quicker. Just increase the stream ever so slightly to compensate for the weight increase."

Videl took a deep breath and did as she was told. It was much easier to generate a steady stream of ki this time and, much like before, she felt her body stabilise itself and hover evenly in the air.

"Great job!" Gohan cheered. "Now slowly lower yourself down to the ground. The action is a lot like levitating upwards, but instead of flowing an ever-increasing amount of ki through your legs, you'll have to flow an ever-decreasing amount instead."

Videl nodded. That made sense, and it seemed like a simple enough task. With a deep breath, the crime fighter slowly lowered her body down to the ground, following Gohan's instructions to the letter. It was quite simple, she found, due to it pretty much being an exact reversal of what was required to float upwards.

When Videl's boots made contact with the grass, she inhaled and exhaled a few times as the slightest hints of fatigue made themselves known. As the girl wiped the budding sweatdrops off her brow, she grinned at her teacher and flashed him a victory sign.

"That was very well done," Gohan praised with a wide smile. "I should probably stop being so surprised at how quickly you're getting the hang of all this," he added as an afterthought while ponderingly stroking his chin. "After nine more sets of this, you'll be a pro!"

Videl's grin faltered ever so slightly. That's right, this was just the beginning. As much as she loved the freedom of flying, and how liberating it felt being up in the air, even she didn't think she could take 27 more minutes of this activity without getting bored.

"You just enjoy your 30 seconds of rest. I'm going to quickly check up on Sharpner," her teacher informed, leaving the raven-haired girl to her internal musings.


Videl's knees sunk to the ground upon finishing the final set of her exercise, the novice ki user heaving out a few laboured breaths. Her arms ached, her legs throbbed and her stamina was almost completely spent. However, not even her current state of exhaustion was enough to stop the welcoming feeling of elation coursing through her body.

"You did it!" Gohan chirped happily, sharing in her joy as he helpfully offered his hand.

Videl eagerly clasped it and was lifted to her feet as though she weighed nothing. Brushing off the grass and dirt staining her knees and shins, she faced her teacher with an eager look on her features. "What's next?"

"Next is a bit of an extended break," Gohan informed her. "As impressive as your performance was, you did waste quite a bit of energy, so we'll take about 15 minutes to relax before getting back to training."

"I'm game," Videl told him, her body screaming out for some recovery time.

"Come on, let's go get Sharpner and Erasa," Gohan informed his friend.

"How'd Sharpner go by the way?" Videl couldn't help but ask as they walked.

Gohan scratched the back of his head. "Well, he's doing quite a bit better than yesterday since he hasn't fallen asleep yet, but he still has a fair way to go. Truthfully, I'm surprised he's keeping at it," he admitted.

"That's Sharpner for you," Videl responded with a slight chuckle. "Dumb as an ox, and arrogant as hell, but if there's one thing he's dedicated towards, it's his training."

"I can see that," Gohan muttered with an amused shake of the head.

With the distance between the two groups being quite short, the dark-haired pair reached their two blonde friends rather quickly, and the taller of the two beckoned for everyone to take a seat around him on the grass as he pulled out a plastic container from his bag.

"What's in that?" Erasa asked.

"My mum decided to make some rice balls in case we got hungry training," Gohan answered.

"Neat! I'm famished!" Sharpner exclaimed.

Videl raised an eyebrow at the muscular blond. "From what? You didn't even do anything?" she teased.

Sharpner almost lurched forward from his spot on the ground. "So cold," he murmured, tracing a pattern in the grass with his index finger. "I can't ever catch a break…"

The other three laughed, and Gohan opened the container and placed it in the centre of the group. "Dig in, guys!"

Videl grabbed a rice ball and took a bite, resisting the urge to moan gleefully at the delectable taste. Chi-Chi's cooking was as fantastic as always. Despite the fact that she was strangely full for some reason, one does not simply refuse food made by Son Chi-Chi.

This brief moment of respite allowed her to reflect upon the day so far, as quite a lot had happened. The first thought that came to mind was of Gohan unleashing a tremendously powerful beam of energy and putting out the fire at the apartment building in Satan City.

Her curiosity piqued once more, Videl turned to her spiky-haired friend. "Say, Gohan, can you tell me a bit about that move you used to put out the fire today?" she enquired.

"Oh yeah," Sharpner chimed in, seemingly having recovered from his bout of glumness. "You guys mentioned something about that at school."

Gohan scratched the back of his head and gazed up as the sky contemplatively. "Well aright then, if that's what you guys want to hear. The technique I used is called the Kamehameha," he explained, eliciting a slight widening of the eyes from none other than Sharpner.

Videl quirked an eyebrow at the sight. "You've heard of it?"

"Vaguely… the name is familiar, I remember hearing it somewhere before…" the blond mused, rubbing the bridge of his nose as though deep in thought. "Ah, that's it! My dad was friends with a guy who used to go watch the Tenkaichi Budokai back in the olden days. When I was little, he'd tell me stories of the amazing fights he'd seen. They were so awesome they didn't sound real, almost like they were straight out of a comic book." He chuckled a bit at the memory before his expression turned sombre.

"That guy stopped coming around after Cell was defeated, for some reason, and we fell out of contact. But I do remember him telling me about the time a 12-year-old Son Goku shot a Kamehameha wave at Jackie Chun in the final of the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai. The announcer said it was the signature move of the Turtle School, and had taken Muten Roshi 50 years to master."

A gobsmacked expression adorned Videl's face throughout Sharpner's explanation. She remembered Gohan telling her about the Muten Roshi thing, but to hear that Goku had used it at a mere 12 years of age? That was seriously impressive… and somewhat frightening, if she were to be completely honest.

Gohan chuckled nervously. "Yeah, that sounds about right. My dad learnt the Kamehameha after only seeing it once, when Muten Roshi used it to put out a fire on the Ox King's castle on Mount Frypan." He then scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "That's where I got the idea from."

Videl stared blankly at her friend. She didn't know what was more startling: Goku's freakish talent in ki manipulation, or the fact that the Kamehameha wave had such a deep history around it.

"W-w-wait… Ox King?" Erasa muttered with a trembling finger. "You mean that monstrous tyrant who used to eat children and pillage villages?"

To the group's surprise, a fit of hysterical laughter was heard from Gohan at Erasa's statement. "Grandpa!? Eating children? Who the hell came up with this stuff?" He slammed his hand on the ground in an attempt to quell the tears forming in his eyes. "This is brilliant! I gotta tell Mum, she'd get a kick out of hearing this!"

Videl, Sharpner and Erasa simply stared at their spiky-haired friend in various degrees of shock, allowing his laughing fit to run its course.

It was Videl who found it in her to speak first. "The Ox King is your grandfather?" she breathed out disbelievingly.

"Sure is," Gohan confirmed, wiping his eyes one last time and facing the group with a grin. "And I can tell you that he never ate any children. He might've done some pretty bad stuff back in the day, but that was only to protect his treasure. Muten Roshi set him straight though. Grandpa's the nicest guy ever. He always brought me all sorts of presents when I was a kid, and now he's doing the same for Goten."

"Huh," a stunned Videl said.

"Your family is seriously weird," Sharpner muttered with a shake of the head.

"Well, if he's related to Gohan, he can't be that bad," Erasa chirped, apparently having completely gotten over her earlier fear. "Ooh! If he's a king, that must make you a prince! Prince Gohan! Has a nice ring to it, don't ya think?"

Gohan scratched the back of his head meekly. "Yeah… please don't call me that. That's more Vegeta's thing," he mumbled under his breath.

Videl shook her head in an attempt to clear it of the sudden barrage of revelations. As inquisitive as she was, there was only so much information a girl could take. Putting the concept of Gohan's newly revealed nobility to the side, she focused on the one tidbit of information that interested her the most. "Can you show me the Kamehameha again? I want to try it."

Gohan stared blankly at Videl for a few moments, then nodded. "Alright then. "He stood up and moved a few metres away from the entranced group until he stood by the edge of the clearing.

Gohan shifted his left leg forward and his right leg to the side, assuming the same stance Videl had seen earlier in the day. He then lowered his body a tad and cupped his hands at his right hip. "First you create the initial ki ball, then pour even more ki into it, moulding it and shaping it into a coalescing sphere of energy. Once you have that, you simply direct it forward in a continuous stream," he explained. "Watch closely."

Gohan's gaze then hardened and his eyes narrowed "Kaaameee haaameee…" Videl watched captivatingly as a small ball of ki formed in between her teacher's palms, then bulged to the size of a basketball. Air shimmered around the pulsating energy, as though it were disrupting time and space. Illuminating rays of sparkling white burst from the spaces in between Gohan's fingers… and then he thrust his hands forward. "HAAAA!"

For the second time that day, a stunned Videl watched as a devastating blue beam of pure destruction shot out of her friend's cupped hands. The Kamehameha rocketed around the edge of the clearing before Gohan directed it upwards with a flick of his hands, sending the cylindrical pillar of ki shooting into space.

Sharpner and Erasa, who were seeing the Kamehameha for the first time, had identical slack-jawed expressions on their faces. Neither was able to utter even a single syllable.

Videl stood up from where she was seated and walked over to Gohan. "My turn."

Gohan cast his gaze over her, slight concern visible on his handsome features. "You're still fatigued," he stated.

The raven-haired girl shook her head. "I can handle this. Besides, I just want to try."

Gohan said nothing for a few seconds, then conceded with a shrug. "Ok." He then moved right into Videl's path and planted his feet firmly in the ground. "Use me as a target."

At her disbelieving stare, he chuckled. "Trust me, I can handle it."

Videl scowled inwardly, taking his statement as a jab to her pride. Outwardly though, she smirked viciously. "I'm going to wipe that smug grin off your face, Gohan."

Said boy's grin merely widened further. "Try it."

Videl shifted her lower limbs, left leg forward and right leg to the side, just like she'd seen Gohan do. Her feet pointed outwards in the direction her knees were facing. She inhaled, then exhaled audibly, and lowered her waist downwards ever so slightly, similarly to a horse riding stance. Cupped hands moved to her right hip and opened up. Her heartbeat quickened.

"Kameee hameee…" Videl poured whatever ki she could muster into a ball in between her palms and attempted to shape it into a sphere, immediately feeling the familiar strain of fatigue. All the strength evaporated from her arms, but she still thrust her hands forward in an attempt to salvage something. "HA!"

From Videl's cupped hands burst a cylindrical sphere of energy that was the exact size and circumference of a lead pencil. It travelled through the air for about 30 centimetres before dissipating into nothingness with a poof.

A sweat-drenched Videl dropped to her knees and planted her hands firmly on the ground. The crime fighter's raven tresses clung to her sticky forehead and she panted erratically, her entire body shuddering from a sudden bout of exhaustion.

A concerned Gohan knelt down beside her and wiped the sweat staining her brow with a handkerchief, gently running his hand down her back.

Videl was too ashamed to meet his worried gaze. "That was pathetic," she whispered meekly.

"No, it wasn't," Gohan stated. "It was great for a first try. You even managed to shape the ki into a proper form… you just need to build up your reserves and work on your control a bit. You'll get this eventually, but for a second day novice, it was an excellent effort."

"But… your dad…" Videl murmured, only for Gohan to wave off her comparisons.

"My dad's a freakish prodigy whose grandpa gave him specialised training since he first learned to walk," he remarked simply. "Heck, it took Muten Roshi 50 years to master the Kamehameha, and he's a world famous martial arts master. With how much promise you've shown, you could learn it in a fraction of that time."

A small smile stretched across Videl's lips. "I'll get this…"

"I know you will," Gohan agreed, returning her smile with one of his own. "Now come on, let's go back to the others."

One the duo reached their blonde friends, Erasa immediately wrapped Videl in a soothing hug, and though she wouldn't admit it, the raven-haired girl was thankful for the embrace.

"If it makes you feel any better, you're still like 10 steps ahead of me," Sharpner commented self-deprecatingly. "And at the rate you're going, soon you might be 20 steps ahead."

Videl broke free from Erasa's arms and chuckled lightly at the muscular blond's comments, which did actually cheer up a bit. She walked over to Sharpner and lightly punched him in the arm. "Well you better hurry and catch up, unless you actually want me to leave your ass in the dust."

"I'll get there," he remarked with a cocky smirk. "I'm awesome like that."

Videl chose not to respond, and glanced over at Gohan who was watching over the proceedings with a cheerful smile. "I'm ready to start training again," she firmly told her teacher, who raised an eyebrow at the statement.

"But you're exhausted, and your ki reserves are almost depleted," he observed.

Videl shrugged off his concern. "Just give me one of those magic beans and I'll be good to go."

Gohan frowned. "You know, there's a limited supply of senzu beans, and they're usually saved for emergencies," he explained. "I don't think Korin would be happy if he knew I was handing them out like candy. Plus, aside from having healing properties, just one is supposed to leave you feeling full for 10 whole days."

"So that's where that feeling came from," Videl muttered before shaking her head. "So what? It's not like this Korin guy will ever find out."

Gohan shook his head with an amused grin. "You don't know Korin like I do," he chuckled. "Then again, we haven't seriously needed to use senzu beans in seven years. I'm sure Korin has amassed quite a stockpile by now. Then there's that pot full of senzus he had when my dad was a kid… where the hell did that disappear to?" he muttered to himself.

Videl watched Gohan's musings with a humoured grin. Her friend had so many fascinating stories and knew so many weird and interesting sounding people, who she hoped she'd get the chance to meet someday. Before that, though, the crime fighter still had to get her question answered. "Well, are you going to give me a bean or not?" she asked once more.

After a moment of deliberation, Gohan shook his head. "I'm sorry, Videl, your body needs time to recover naturally. You'll be good to train again tomorrow," he assured.

The girl frowned at the answer. She understood where her teacher was coming from, but she still didn't like it. While she did improve her flying a fair bit, other than that she didn't really accomplish anything. And she failed utterly at trying to shoot a ki blast… even if it was one well beyond her current capabilities. If she could muster the energy to shoot just one proper ki blast, she'd be satisfied. "Gohan…" she began warily.

"Yes, Videl?" the boy enquired with a concerned furrowing of his brows.

"I want to try shooting just one normal ki blast. I feel like I can do it- no, I know I can do it. Is there a way to get enough ki to attempt just that much?" she pleaded, hope reflected in her cerulean orbs.

Gohan frowned deeply at her request. A mixture of emotions flashed across his handsome features – the boy was clearly conflicted, from what Videl could see. He sighed audibly. "It… it's hard to say no to you when you look at me like that," he mumbled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Alright, fine. I can transfer just a tiny bit of my ki to you. It should be enough for one ki blast."

At her wide grin Gohan raised a hand in warning. "However, know that I've never done something like this before. Theoretically, it should work in practice, but only if the transferred ki doesn't exceed the reserves your body is capable of storing. I don't even want to know what'll happen if that's the case. My… my ki reserves are a lot larger than yours," he admitted before exhaling deeply. "I'll need to be extremely careful and concise with the amount I'm transferring. I'm sure I can do it, but I don't want to put you in any unnecessary danger. I'd rather you not do this, Videl, but I'm prepared to go through with it if you want. The choice is yours."

Videl pondered this for a few moments. She didn't know even a fraction as much about ki as Gohan, and while the idea sounded fine to her, if he was concerned… she shook her head at those thoughts. One didn't get anywhere in life without taking risks. Besides, Gohan had not yet failed her with his training. She trusted him. "I want to do it."

Gohan sighed audibly. "I knew you'd say that," he muttered with a wry chuckle. "Ok, I'll help you out." He walked up to her and stared deeply into her bright blue eyes. An odd feeling coursed through Videl's chest at the intensity of the look her spiky-haired friend was giving her. "Hold out your left hand."

She did as he asked without hesitation. Gohan met her offered left hand with his right, and intertwined his fingers with hers. The boy's digits were a lot larger than her own, but they meshed with hers like matching pieces of a puzzle. His hands were rough and calloused, but warm, and pleasant to the touch. Videl's mind briefly flashed to the moment Gohan comfortingly held her hand back in the pterodactyl cave. Her heartbeat quickened, and the raven-haired girl felt the strong urge to blush. It took all of her willpower to suppress the crimson tinting of her cheeks.

"Remember how it felt to channel ki into the Kamehameha," Gohan breathed out softly, his gaze having never left hers. "The same principle applies to a regular ki blast, but on a much smaller scale. Channel only a miniscule amount of ki into your right hand; as much as you need to mould the coalescing energy into a sphere the size of a tennis ball, and force it out towards your envisioned target. This time, aim for one of the trees at the edge of the clearing."

Videl nodded, having paid rapt attention to her teacher's instructions. She took a deep breath. "I'm ready."

Gohan closed his eyes. Moments later, Videl felt a rush of energy enter her body. She felt the foreign ki race through her arm, causing the hairs along the travelled path to stand on end. The coursing energy was not unpleasant, however. It was warm, much like Gohan's touch, and invigorating, too.

The foreign ki quickly reached her centre, and instantly melded with her own.

For a fraction of a second, a fierce chill assaulted Videl's body, and the raven-haired girl felt as though she had been submerged in icy cold water. Her heart stopped.

The chill disappeared as quickly as it came, and was replaced with a sudden searing warmth the likes of which Videl had never encountered before, as her stamina was completely restored. Her heart beat once more.

Ki shot out from her centre towards every pore in her body – an unfamiliar ki, that felt much like hers, but was noticeably different. It was strange, and magnitudes beyond what Videl had ever felt from her own. But it was not painful, or unpleasant, and not entirely untameable.

A pulsating white aura sprang to life around the crime fighter's petite body, bathing her in a cloak of invisible flames. Her clothes fluttered vividly in the powerful breeze blowing around her form, and her hairbands had come undone, freeing her raven locks from their confines and leaving them to flap wildly in the wind.

It was a power greater than anything Videl had ever felt, and it was hers to control.

With that thought in mind, she held her right hand out towards one of the trees in the distance, and channelled the stimulating ki illuminating her body into her palm. Before it could escape she willed it to a halt, and envisioned herself holding a tennis ball.

The ki emanating in her palm was shaped into a small sphere of pulsating white energy, and then fired into the distance, shooting towards its target like a cannonball. It impacted against the bark with a bang reminiscent of an exploding grenade, forming a grey cloud of smoke.

The four teenagers in the clearing stared intently at the destruction, eagerly waiting for the smoke to dissipate so that they could see the aftermath. Before too long the smoke did clear, and the group was treated to the sight of an almost perfectly round indentation in the trunk of the tree, that went straight through to the other side. The bark around the tennis ball-sized hole was visibly charred from the post-impact explosion.

Sharpner whistled appreciatively at the sight. "Nice!"

Videl merely gaped at the destruction, the white aura surrounding her having evaporated the moment she launched her attack. "I… I did that?" she asked no one in particular, not managing to fully come to terms with her feat.

Gohan scratched the back of his head and chuckled amusedly. "Well Videl, you've now gained an affinity for shooting ki blasts. Next time you try firing one on your own, you should have a much easier time," he informed. "You just need to watch your power output so as to not exceed your current reserves, especially if you plan on shooting a few blasts in a short space of time. The blast you just created was small, but quite condensed, and had a fair bit of power."

Videl nodded at her teacher's explanation. She would certainly keep it in mind. "What can I do to improve my ki blasts in general?" she enquired.

Gohan stroked his chin contemplatively. "Quite a few things, actually. The most enjoyable activity would be target practice using rocks to improve your accuracy." Videl perked up at that, certainly liking the idea of blowing more stuff up. "Aside from that, you can practice shape manipulation by altering the size and density of your ki blasts. Heh, in addition to continuing your flying lessons, you've got a fair bit of training to get through."

Try as she might, Videl couldn't suppress the enormous grin that spread across her lips. She'd already felt a supreme amount of accomplishment at how much she'd already achieved, but to find out there was still so much more she was yet to learn… she was almost salivating at the thought.

"Ahh, man, I actually feel kinda inadequate hearing you say all that," Sharpner muttered meekly. "Here you are doing all this awesome stuff, and I'm still stuck trying to find my ki…" he trailed off.

"Oh Sharp, I thought you'd be used to feeling inadequate by now, especially given your current company," Erasa chirped from beside him, gently patting the muscular blond's shoulder.

"So cold…" a downcast Sharpner mumbled. "What did someone as awesome as me ever do to deserve all this?"

"And there's your answer," his fellow blonde replied.

Videl barked out a laugh at her friends' interactions. 'This is the good life,' she mused merrily. 'Four friends just chilling out in nature, enjoying each other's company, and engaging in some kickass training. I hope things never change.'


Omake – The Twin Terrors Hit the Town

High up above the sprawling metropolis that was Satan City, two pintsized figures clad in unusual garb soared joyfully through the cloudless blue skies, their keen eyes scanning the bustling city below for any trouble.

These two children, who carried within them the blood of the extinct warrior race, the Saiyans, were tasked as the temporary protectors of the ever lively Satan City, due to the metropolis' usual protectors being preoccupied with specialised training.

"Aren't these costumes great, Trunks?" a giddy Goten exclaimed, admiring his green, black and red outfit, an exact replica of his older brother's Saiyaman costume, only tailored to fit his smaller frame.

The little demi-Saiyan's lavender-haired friend snorted disinterestedly in response, but couldn't help but cast an admiring look over his own outfit. Trunks' suit consisted of a dark blue bodysuit, and a white tunic with a golden trim, modelled after Vegeta's Saiyan armour. Atop his head was a similar helmet to Goten's, only it was gold as opposed to orange, and the visor was red instead of black. Completing the costume was a red cape, much like the one he'd heard his father wore as a child.

The two demi-Saiyans glided casually through the sky before a commotion on the roads below caught their attention.

"Let's go check it out," Trunks suggested.

The troublesome pair descended in altitude until they were hovering above the hubbub.

"Ooh! A car chase! Like in the movies!" Goten chirped cheerfully.

"No, Goten, I'm pretty sure this is far more serious," Trunks deadpanned, acutely observing the situation.

A heavily armoured black truck was ploughing through traffic on a highway, knocking away cars left and right like a battering ram. Some hapless drivers swerved to avoid the onrushing instrument of carnage, but in doing so ended up colliding with lampposts, buildings and other cars. It was absolute chaos.

"Where are the cops?" Trunks couldn't help but mutter, taking note of the fact that no police cars were giving chase.

"Maybe they went to buy donuts?" Goten offered. "I saw it happen on TV once."

"You know what? That wouldn't surprise me," Trunks replied in an amused manner.

The pair watched the armoured vehicle knock away a few more cars before the younger of the two children spoke up, "Are we gonna go beat up the bad guys? I don't like seeing innocent people get hurt," he pouted.

"Might as well," his older friend responded, cracking his knuckles eagerly. "These guys are annoying me, too."

The pair of superpowered children flared their auras and flashed from their spots in the sky, reappearing further down the highway, right in the path of the rampaging truck. A cry of, "It's Saiyaman! Hit the brakes!" was heard from inside, before the black vehicle skidded to a stop, its tires screeching against the gravel.

After a few seconds the doors of the armoured vehicle opened, and out poured a dozen of the most hideous men the two demi-Saiyans had ever laid eyes upon. Crooked and rotting teeth, broken noses, ghastly scars, ridiculous tattoos, and piercings where one should never be pierced were all on display. Each brutish crook was clad almost entirely in body armour, and adorned with all manner of automatic weapons.

Trunks smirked cockily. "Who let the travelling freak show out of the circus?" he taunted.

One of the criminals, a balding man with a hooked nose who was missing most of his teeth, scowled at the insult and glared at one of his partners. "I stopped the truck coz you said Saiyaman was in front of us, but it's just two runts. What the shit?"

"Don't blame me. I saw the costume and thought it was him," said partner grunted grumpily.

Goten jogged on the spot, waved his arms in a circular motion, then flipped onto his head and spun around like a top before jumping back to his feet and pointing at the flabbergasted crooks. "I'm the Great Saiyaboy, and you bad guys are under arrest!" he exclaimed, trying to deepen his voice as much as possible.

A few quick seconds passed in which the stunned felons gaped at the boy, before they all doubled over and burst out into fits of hysterical laughter.

"His poses are even crappier than Saiyaman's!" one of the brutish men cried out, repeatedly slamming his hand against the road.

"I know, right?" another agreed, wiping tears of glee from his eyes. "I didn't think it was possible to look stupider than that caped jackass, but this kid takes the cake!"

Goten's lower lip quivered as he took stock of all the frenetic men laughing at him. He glanced over at his best friend, who had merely slapped a palm against his helmeted forehead and was shaking his head. "Seriously bro, that was super lame."

One of the crooks heard him, as he immediately called out, "Being lame must come with the costume!"

Goten's lip stopped quivering, and his frown morphed into a scowl, eyes narrowing dangerously behind his visor. With a snarl, the costumed demi-Saiyan sprinted up to the laughing criminal and angrily pointed a finger at the armoured man. "Don't make fun of my big brother!" he shouted, swinging his right leg back and landing a vicious kick right into the hideous crook's shin.

With an anguished cry, the wounded man's legs swung backwards from the force of the blow, flipping his body forward and causing him to plant face-first into the cement, evidently knocked unconscious.

"Shit! These kids are dangerous. Cap 'em, boys!" a startled felon ordered.

A brutal cacophony of gunfire was heard from atop the highway as the group of criminals unloaded their entire arsenal on the two costumed demi-Saiyans. Assault rifles, submachine guns and even a shotgun were emptied as the crooks tried to riddle the pair of children full of holes. After over a minute of repeated firing, the sound of empty clicking was heard, as the armed individuals had run out of ammunition.

"Hey Trunks, what was that?" a curious and completely unharmed Goten enquired, his eyes scanning over the ground around him, which was littered with dented bullets.

"I believe they just tried to shoot us, Goten," Trunks answered casually.

The younger demi-Saiyan's face scrunched up in deep thought and he scratched the back of his helmet. "But aren't guns supposed to hurt?"

Trunks shrugged. "I dunno. All I know is you're supposed to catch their bullets. It looks cooler that way." With that statement, the lavender-haired child held out a clenched fist and opened it, letting a handful of bullets clatter onto the road.

"Oh," was all Goten said. He looked back over at the criminals and was stunned to see each of them had thrown away their weapons and dropped to the floor, heads bowed to the ground. "Uhh, what are you bad guys doing?"

"We surrender," one of the submissive men announced. "We don't want none of what you guys are gonna do."

"Damn it!" Trunks cursed as he kicked the ground. "I didn't even get to punch anyone."

It was then that the two children heard the ringing of sirens, and within seconds four police cars skidded onto the scene, after which several officers exited the vehicles.

"Well I'll be damned," one of the policemen exclaimed. "Looks like these two little tykes did our job for us."

"And just where were you?" an irate Trunks demanded, pointing at the police officer who had spoken to emphasise his frustration.

A bead of sweat trailed down the policeman's temple. "Our… uhh… tires popped on the way here, and we had to change them," he answered meekly.

Trunks' eyes narrowed. "All of you? At the exact same time?" he growled.

The now visibly sweat-drenched police officer nodded vigorously, an action mirrored by his peers who stood behind him.

Trunks sighed and shook his head. "You guys are seriously pathetic, needing a pair of kids to do your job for you. Get your heads out of your asses and shape up," he scolded before adding, "and stop eating so many donuts!"

The costumed child then took off into the sky and beckoned for his best friend to follow him. Goten slowly levitated into the air and waved cheerfully at both the gobsmacked police officers and the subdued criminals. "See ya later!" he chirped before speeding off after Trunks.

"You know what, boys?" the police officer who had spoken to the children said once they were out of earshot. "I think it's time we whip ourselves back into shape. Being shown up by kids is actually kinda embarrassing."

A collective groan rang out from behind him. "Do we have to cut back on the donuts, too?" one of the policeman's panicked partners asked worriedly, only for the first police officer to shake his head.

"Not a chance," he reassured firmly, the statement being met with a chorus of cheers.

Up in the sky, a still grumbling Trunks glared over at a grinning Goten. "If it wasn't for your stupid dancing provoking them, I might've had a chance to actually beat some of those guys up," he ground out.

Goten turned to his friend and gasped. "My dancing isn't stupid!" he protested. "It's super cool, like my big brother's!"

Trunks snorted. "More like super crappy."

This statement caused the younger of the two children to gasp yet again and point at his older friend with a wide open mouth.

"What?" Trunks demanded.

"You said a bad word," Goten exclaimed with wide eyes.

Trunks paused briefly, then levelled a smirk at the spiky-haired demi-Saiyan. "So what if I did?"

"I'm… I'm…" Goten stammered before a lightbulb went off in his head. "I'm going to tell Miss Bulma!" he taunted in a singsong voice.

Now it was Trunks' turn to gasp. "You wouldn't!" he gaped.

Goten merely gave him a cheeky grin in response, after which white aura sprang to life around his small form, which then rocketed off towards Capsule Corporation.

"Goten, wait!" Trunks cried out. "Don't tell my mum, she'll make me train in the Gravity Room with Dad!" Panicked sweatdrops streamed down his face as a matching white aura burst into existence around him, and he hurtled after his friend. "Your dance poses aren't crappy! They're super cool! Come back!"


AN: And here's chapter 7! I had a blast writing the post-chapter omake, which turned out to be a fair bit longer than I initially expected, but I liked it too much to cut it down, so it is what it is. Hope you all find it as enjoyable to read as it was to write. Expect more whacky escapades featuring Satan City's two newest superheroes.

This will be the last in-depth training chapter for a while. There's only so much I can write about the intricate details of ki manipulation before it gets boring, and I don't want to make my chapters too repetitive either. The next chapter will return to the more… traditional elements of Dragon Ball, so make of that what you will.

As always, thanks so much to everyone who favourited, followed and reviewed this fic, with a special thanks to the latter category. You guys are seriously awesome. Any further feedback will be much appreciated.

Until next time!