DRAGON BALL C PART IX - A Happy Reunion/The Horrible Maijin Buu
"Put 'em together and what have you got?
Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo!" - Verna Felton
LAST TIME ON DRAGON BALL C!
The world watched as first Son Goku, and then Son Gohan, stepped forward to battle the terrifying Cell in a gruesome tournament known as the Cell Games. Not even a heroic sacrifice by Goku was enough to defeat the bio-android, but by banding together, the Z-Fighters were able to overcome Cell and restore peace to the world. Now, nearly seven years have passed, and although the world is at peace, little does anybody realize that just on the horizon, is a terror that makes every other threat to the planet Earth pale in comparison.
So, with seven years having passed….we're in for a little bit of some exposition on what everyone's been up to. Please bear with me, since we have a few folks to cover.
The Son-Briefs family has been quite busy, in spite of Goku no longer being alive. Gohan has remained dedicated to his training, and is happy in his role as a big brother to Goten, so named because Maron borrowed the name Trunks for her own son, plus Bulma wanted to honor her late husband. Thanks to the efforts of Gohan and some assistance from Nappa, Goten exceeds both his father and older brother at this age. This Goten looks the same as the canon Goten; no pink or blue hair. He's already able to reach Super Saiyan, though Gohan is unaware of this (he was training with Nappa when this happened, much to the Saiyan's chagrin).
In spite of being widowed, Bulma has kept herself occupied with various projects, as well as making sure that Gohan dedicates an equal amount of time to his own studies as he does his training. As a result, Gohan has, through correspondence courses and private tutors, gotten a college degree (the field isn't really important, but we'll say it's related to science). Unrealistic? I think not; by the start the original Dragon Ball, Bulma had already completed college. However, Bulma also realizes that Gohan needs to socialize as well. Due to his celebrity status (remember, in this universe, Mr. Satan gave all credit for the defeat of Cell to Gohan and Goku - thanks to the fight the two had in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament [see Chapter 2]), Bulma has enlisted Gohan in 'Four Star High School', formerly Orange Star High School, in Goku City (formerly Orange City, we know it best as Satan City). Bulma insisted on this due to Goku's fondness for the Four-Star Dragon Ball.
Vegeta has basically let go of Goku being his rival, and is focusing squarely on Raditz. He's never forgiven Raditz for beating him on Namek, and Vegeta tries to fight him whenever he can. Raditz, meanwhile, puts up with Vegeta as more of a nuisance - Raditz conquered his anger problems, and mainly just wants to look out for his growing family. The rivalry almost got dangerous when Vegeta attacked and seriously hurt Raditz (nothing a trip to Dende wouldn't fix), but the two can tolerate each other when Vegeta isn't trying to fight him.
Speaking of Vegeta, he still resides in West City, even on the Capsule Corps complex, but Bulma was good enough to provide him, Maron and Trunks with their own Capsule home. And yes, following the Cell Games, Vegeta and Maron finally tied the knot, with the Prince accepting that it is okay to love (after seeing examples from Kakarot and Raditz), and realizing his feelings after (Future) Trunks was (briefly) killed by Cell. Things did get off to a rocky start when Vegeta found out Maron couldn't cook at all (classes didn't help), so he took up the mantle, and, with his Saiyan pride playing a large role, actually became a pretty damn fine cook. He's more than happy to cook for occasions that he's invited to, since his skill exceeds everyone else. Not to mention he's been able to use his skill to start his own restaurant. Yep: Vegeta became a chef. I mean...he's not married to Bulma, and he needs to make money somehow. Even Raditz is impressed by his former superior's culinary prowess.
Trunks is a little less spoiled, but thanks to hanging out around Goten and Ranch, is more or less the same kid he was originally.
Moving on to the Raditz family, Raditz continues to train hard, hoping to really impress his brother when he returns to life. He's discovered quite a few things during his training, including being the second Saiyan to reach Super Saiyan 2; he keeps this a secret from Vegeta, since he doesn't want to antagonize him any further. Plus, it's a nifty trump card should things really get out of hand against his rival. He and Launch have had two more children: Identical Twin boys, Daikon and Muuli. Much like Ranch was, the boys are a complete handful for the happy couple, though Daikon is the dominant of the pair. Interestingly, Muuli has a peculiar sneezing habit. The twins haven't yet begun training due to their age, but Raditz is very eager to see just what they can accomplish.
Ranch absolutely adores her cousin Gohan, and wants to be like him as much as possible. She ultimately decided to keep her tail, though only after a very serious discussion about looking at the moon. In addition, thanks to Bulma and Dr. Brief's research into Blutz Waves (at Vegeta's request), they have been able to develop a bit of a vaccine to keep everything in check. She doesn't mind if other kids thinks she's weird; she knows she can kick their butt if they really get to her. Her fighting style is a bit of Raditz and a bit of Turtle School, and at this point (age 9), she's actually stronger than Gohan was (which was roughly a year before the Androids showed up). And, like Goten, Ranch can go Super Saiyan. Together, she, Trunks and Goten form a little gang, with the three having quite a bit of fun just fighting and playing together. There's no ring leader, and both she and Trunks have developed a bit of a crush on each other, though they don't quite realize what the feelings are.
Nappa meanwhile has his own career as the head of Capsule Corps security (which was needed thanks to the extra attention gained from the Cell Games), and while his debt to Goku is technically fulfilled, having been around the Son/Briefs family for so long, he feels that he's finally found his place in the universe. From time to time he gets involved with the antics of the Saiyan children, who see him as the really fun uncle. And no, he can't go Super Saiyan, but he's at peace with that.
Krillin and Android 18 hooked up, got married and moved to Goku City, where 18 raises their daughter, Marron, and Krillin works as a police officer, making great use of his martial arts skills to help keep the city safe. It's a very loving relationship, although Krillin has decided to stop focusing on martial arts.
Yamcha is in the twilight of his baseball career, but has taken over as player-coach of the Taitans, and thanks to his own exposure at the Cell Games, his players take his instructions very seriously, and are beginning a baseball dynasty that has been unmatched in history. But...this isn't their story. Chi-Chi still enjoys the lifestyle it's brought to her, and their daughter Yam-Chi has proven to be a decent martial artist (though Chi-Chi doesn't let her train the way the Z-Fighters do) and all around athlete. They still live in West City, and Yam-Chi has an unrequited crush on Gohan.
And now...on with the story!
APRIL 7 - AGE 774
Nervously, Gohan glances down at his watch. Half an hour until I have to get to school,he thinks, I can't believe Mom won't let me fly. 'But Gohan, those are designer clothes! There's no way I want you flying around in those, you'll ruin them!' At least I still have the Nimbus…
The wind whips through his hair as he sees the skyline of Goku City growing in the distance. He smiles. "Alright Nimbus, let's land here - I'll go the rest of the way by foot!"
The Nimbus lands, and Gohan hops off, running the rest of the into the city limits. He stops and smiles at an huge billboard reading "GOKU CITY", complete with his father's smiling face welcoming everyone. "How you doing, Dad?" he says, looking up to the image of Goku. A moment later, he continues on his way, camly walking through the streets. A few moments later, Gohan hears the sound of sirens and gunfire.
"Another crime?" he says to himself, and double-times it to see what the trouble is, stopping outside the Goku City Municipal bank, where several police cars are parked, and numerous cops are taking cover. It's then that he sees a familiar face calling for additional assistance on the radio.
"Krillin?!" Gohan yells, running over.
"Gohan? What the hell are you doing here?!" Krillin asks as a bullet ricochets off the roof of a nearby car.
"It's my first day at Four Star High! What's going on?" Gohan asks.
"Another bank robbery, it's crazy in this city, hardly doing your dad a service," Krillin says.
"Why don't you just...go stop them?" Gohan asks.
Krillin sighs, "Police procedure. I can end this in five seconds flat if I wanted, but rules are rules…"
"Lucky for you, I'm not a cop!" Gohan says.
"Wait, what are you planning?" Krillin asks.
Gohan only smiles and stands, moving towards the step of the bank.
"Hey, look at this!" A robber calls out.
"Guys, come out peacefully, nobody has to be hurt," Gohan says, still moving.
"Stop right there!" a second robber yells.
"This guy's crazy, let him have it!" the first one yells. Both open fire on Gohan, and smirking, he turns Super Saiyan, and quickly grabs every bullet. The robbers stop in shock as Gohan approaches them.
"I believe these are yours," he says, grabbing the hand of one of the robbers and dropping the bullets into it. Gohan turns and smiles at Krillin, and grabs both, taking them down to him.
"Who are you?" One of the robber asks. Gohan looks at him dead in the eye.
"My name is Son Gohan," he says. The robbers look at each other and gasp. They know who Gohan is.
"Well, thanks, Gohan," Krillin says, "Though I have to issue you a warning for reckless behavior…"
Gohan frowns at this, but knows better than to say anything to Krillin. A few moments later, a female voice cries out: "Officer, what's going on?"
She's a young woman about Gohan's age, wearing a white t-shirt, pigtails and fingerless black athletic gloves. Krillin turns to her.
"Another robbery, miss, uh…" he says.
"Videl. Videl Satan," she answers.
"Videl Satan? Any relation to the former world champion?" Krillin asks.
"He's my father," Videl answers, "Damn, I should have been here to stop it."
"I don't think that would have happened," Krillin says, "Those guys were packing some serious heat."
"Then how did you stop them?" She asks. Krillin points at Gohan.
"You?!" She asks, but does a double take, "Wait...I've seen you before. That pink hair, aren't you...no, you can't be Son Gohan, he lives in West City! But your badge is for Four Star High School…"
"No, it's true, I'm Gohan," Gohan answers, "And I'm going to school here since there's quite a bit of attention on me back home,"
"But that's thousands of miles away! You moved out?" Videl asks, but Gohan only smiles.
"Something like that," he says, "You got to Four Star High School too?"
"Yeah," Videl says.
"Cool, it's my first date-I mean, uh, day!" Gohan says nervously. Videl's eyes narrow.
"Well...if we stay around here much longer, we'll be late," Videl says.
"We should hurry then," Gohan says, turning to Krillin, "Uh...is there any statement or anything like that I need to make? My mom would kill me if I'm late my first day!"
"Yeah, she probably would," Krillin says, "Don't worry, I'll just put down your name, they probably won't ask questions, not with this many witnesses."
"Thanks, Krillin!" Gohan says. Videl looks at him.
"You're really the Gohan? The one that beat Cell?" she asks.
"That's right," Gohan says as they begin walking. Videl shakes her head in disbelief. "You find that hard to believe?"
"You've got to be the same age as I am, that's all," Videl says, "I'm a pretty good fighter as at is, I was when I a kid, but what you did…"
Gohan smiles again, "My childhood was a little different than most."
"How long did it take you to get that strong?" she asks.
"About six years," Gohan says, "But there was a lot of help along the way."
"I bet. With a dad like Goku, you must have learned a lot."
"Did your dad teach you?"
Videl nods, "I won the first junior division at the 24th World Martial Arts Tournament...the same tournament my dad finally won."
"Wow, another world champion!" Gohan says.
"Are you mocking me?" Videl asks.
"Not at all! You did on your first time - it took my dad three times to pull it off. In fact, I think the guy he beat was…"
"My father," Videl says softly.
"Huh, now that you mention it…" Gohan says.
"Let me ask you this question, hero: What was all that fancy stuff you were doing against Cell?"
"Fancy?" Gohan asks, confused.
"Those laser blasts are whatever they were," Videl says.
"Oh, you don't know about ki?" Gohan asks her.
"Of course I know about 'ki', I'm a martial artist!" Videl snaps.
"No, I mean...not the spiritual side, actual ki. Energy," he says, stopping, "Let me show you."
Videl stops as Gohan points his arm up at an angle. He smiles as a small sphere of energy forms, and he launches into the sky. Videl gasps.
"Was that magic?!" she asks, astonished.
"Nope. Just a small basic demonstration. That's the kind of thing that was going on in that fight against Cell, but much more intense."
"My dad always said it was some kind of trick," Videl says, "But...but it's real!"
"Of course it is. Anybody that's strong enough can do it, it just takes a little work, that's all."
"And I guess you two were really flying?"
Gohan nods, "Want to see?"
Videl looks around, "There's a lot of people here! Won't that scare them?"
"Right…" Gohan says, thinking for a moment, "I know!"
Videl watches as Gohan seemingly increases in height by a few inches. "Look down," Gohan says. Videl does so, and she sees that Gohan's feet are about six inches off the ground. She shakes her head, not sure of just who this guy is she's talking too, but she knows deep down that Son Gohan is truly amazing.
***
"Alright, daughter, I finished the latest adjustment. Do me a favor and throw the switch," Dr. Briefs says, examining the device in front of him. He steps away and lights a cigarette.
"Sure thing, Dad," Bulma says, typing a few commands into a keyboard. She turns and watches as a greenish-yellow energy wave shoots out. "Hey, it's working!"
Dr. Briefs smiles, but then a red light begins beeping, "Uh-oh. Uh, Bulma sweetie...turn the machine off, it's overheating!"
Bulma goes over to the device and flips a switch, but it's still emitting. The machine begins to whine as a high-pitch begins to emit from it. "I'm trying, but it won't stop!" she yells, and steps over to an override lever. She pulls it, but the machine keeps going, until a small explosion occurs. Smoke fills the room as Dr. Briefs takes a quick look at it. Bulma opens a panel by the override. "The damn thing fused the circuits!"
Dr. Briefs sighs as he takes a drag, "This'll take months to repair. Oh well, back to the drawing board. What data did you collect?"
Bulma examines a printout and shakes her head, "All that, and less then a fraction of what the moon puts out for a single second."
Dr. Briefs rubs his chin, "I sure hope Vegeta is patient. It took us several years just to get this far...at least we've made some progress."
"Trust me, if it involves getting stronger, Vegeta will wait," Bulma says, "Besides, he knows all he has to do is say the wrong thing and boom - no more Blutz Waves."
"Say, didn't he turn into some kind of giant monkey when he fought Goku? If I recall, the moon wasn't fixed at that point," Briefs says. Bulma nods.
"I asked Nappa about that. Some kind of trick they call a Power Ball. The problem is it takes over half their strength, and for what Vegeta wants, even with as strong as he is, it probably wouldn't be nearly enough. Since Vegeta doesn't have a tail, it would only be a waste," she explains. Her phone begins emitting a ringtone, "Huh, that's Gohan. I hope everything's okay."
"Hi, Mom!""Hello sweetie, how's school?" she asks, "They're letting you use a cell phone?"
"Yeah, it's lunch time, so it's fine. Hey, listen...do you think you could send Goten over to Uncle Raditz's? I made a friend that wants to train, but she lives here in the city. Raditz's place is much closer than West City.""Sure, honey, I know he'll love too. I think it's been almost a month since he and Ranch last played anyway."
"Thanks, Mom. I should be home later tonight. Love you!"
"I love you too, Gohan."
Bulma hangs up, but then realizes something, "Wait a second…'she'?!"
Dr. Briefs smiles. "Your little boy is growing up! It's only natural. Why, when you were that age, one day you wouldn't stop whining about wanting nothing but strawberries, but the next you just wanted a boyfriend."
Bulma sighs, "I know, Dad, but it's not easy. How'd you and Mom deal with it?"
"We just went with it. We knew you could handle yourself, and look at you now!"
"I guess you're right. Besides, Gohan did say 'training'. He probably just wants to impress her, which...shouldn't be too hard."
Gohan waits patiently outside the school gate, and begins walking quickly as he sees Videl speaking with some of her friends. She notices him, and quickly says goodbye as she comes over to him.
"Did you figure out what sport to play yet?" she asks. Gohan smiles and shakes his head.
"I may ask for an exception," Gohan says, "For the sake of everyone else. The coach put me through baseball, basketball, track, swimming, I forget what else."
"You could try the football team," Videl says.
"Wouldn't that be really dangerous? I don't like to hit people to begin with," Gohan counters.
"Not if you're the punter," Videl says. Gohan considers this for a moment.
"Hey, that's right," Gohan says, "Those guys rarely get physical, and if I kick it too far…"
"Exactly," Videl says. The two begin walking. Gohan nervously looks around.
"So, uh...I was wondering something, Videl," Gohan says. She looks at him. "Do you think...I mean, would it be okay if...well, some time we…"
"Are you asking me on a date?" Videl says bluntly.
"No! I mean...yes...if you want to…"
Videl stops, "Fine, but on two conditions," she says.
"Sure! What are they?" Gohan asks eagerly.
"First, I want you to teach me out to fly," Videl says.
"Easy, I could teach you in less than a week!"
Videl smiles, "Second...you have to win the World Martial Arts Tournament next month."
"What?!" Gohan asks, exasperated. "That wouldn't be far, and a lot of those guys are counting on the prize money!"
"Well, if you don't want to win it, I guess that means no date," Videl says. Gohan looks at her.
"Fine," Gohan says, "You doing anything after school?"
"You have to win first, idiot!" Videl says. Gohan laughs.
"Not a date, Videl. You said before that, I have to teach you how to fly. Well, okay, then the sooner you learn, the sooner that can happen! My uncle Raditz lives south of this city, near Mount Paozu."
"Mount Paozu? Do you know how far away that is?"
"Not as far as West City!" Gohan says, "What do you say?"
Videl stares at him, but then remembers just who Gohan is. "Fine, but how long will it take?"
"Not long if we fly," Gohan says, "Hey, Nimbus!"
Videl watches in fascination as the floating cloud arrives. She can't believe her eyes as Gohan steps on. If he offers her his hand, and she accepts, stepping on.
"Hey, that means you have a pure heart! Only people with pure hearts can get on this thing," Gohan says.
"Of course it's pure!" Videl yells.
"You sound like my mom," Gohan says, "Though, whenever she tries to get on it, she falls right through…"
Videl wraps her arms around Gohan as the Flying Nimbus takes off.
"Dad, can't we just train as Super Saiyans? This is boring!" Ranch complains as Raditz blocks her blows.
"Not yet," he says, "You have to get the fundamentals down, otherwise you'll rely too much on power and get sloppy!"
"But whenever I fight with Trunks or Goten, we all go Super Saiyan!"
"And they don't know how to fight the right way either!" Raditz says, "Now come on, fight like your life depends on it!"
Ranch gives a sigh and lets loose with an onslaught of attacks. Raditz smiles in approval as he blocks each one, "Can you at least teach me the Shining Friday?"
"Later!" Raditz says. This continues for a few moments, "Okay, good, good, let's take a break," he says. He looks up and squints towards the sky and smiles, "Looks like your cousin is visiting!"
"That power is pretty low, and Goten and Gohan feel the same...which one, Dad?"
"I think it's….Goten!" Raditz says. They watch as the young boy lands.
"Hi Ranch, wanna play?" Goten happily asks. Ranch looks to her dad, who nods approvingly.
"Where's Trunks?" Ranch says, running up to him.
"Oh...I forgot to ask him…" Goten says.
Raditz laughs, "It would seem you inherited more than just your father's looks, Goten."
He watches as Ranch and Goten run off to play, as he sits down next to a cooler by a tree. He opens it, pulling out a beer, and lays back. He opens the can, takes a sip, and looks up into the sky, and smiles.
***
"Okay, we're almost there," Gohan says, "Up there by that little shrine. That's actually where my dad grew up, way out here in the sticks."
"Kinda small, isn't it?" Videl asks.
"Well, yeah, but at first it was just him and his Grandpa Gohan, then after he died, just my dad, until he started...well, I'll tell you about his adventures sometime. I do want to warn you, while my uncle's kind of cool, my entire family and all of my friends are a bit...different." Gohan explains.
"Different how?" Videl asks him.
Gohan turns and smiles to her, "Let's just say it's best to keep a somewhat open mind about them. Just accept what you see and take it at face value."
Videl wonders for a moment just what Gohan is getting at as the Nimbus lands. Gohan sees Raditz standing, as he helps Videl off.
"Alright Nimbus, I'll call for you when it's time to leave."
The Nimbus flies off, while Raditz approaches his nephew.
"Gohan!" Raditz says with a smile, patting his shoulder, "I didn't know you'd be stopping be. Your brother is playing somewhere around here with Ranch. How was school, and who was this?"
Gohan smiles at his uncle, "School was fine. Uncle Raditz, this is Videl. She wants to learn how to fly. Goten didn't tell you I was coming over?"
Raditz chuckles, "No, no he didn't, but it's fine. Please, come in. The boys are taking a nap, but they should be up soon."
Videl looks at Raditz, noticing his tail, "You...have a tail?"
Raditz laughs, "Gohan didn't tell you?"
"He told me to keep an open mind, but…"
"You'll see some fun things hanging around him," Raditz says. He stops and sniffs, "Ah, good, you're not wearing perfume."
Videl gives him a puzzled look.
"My wife is a little...sensitive to smells, that's all."
"Ah, I see," Videl says. They enter the house, where they see Launch sleeping quietly with the TV on. Raditz motions to the table and they sit.
"So, you want to fly, eh?" he asks Videl. She nods. "Well, it's not something everyone can do. You have to be pretty strong by human standards," Raditz says.
"That shouldn't be a problem," Videl says. Raditz raises an eyebrow.
"You're pretty confident, but I'm serious."
"So am I. I won the junior division of the World Martial Arts Tournament, and I can beat my father in a match," Videl explains.
"And who is your father?" Raditz asks.
"You'd know him as 'Mr. Satan'," she says. Raditz smiles.
"Kakarot said he was a pretty competent fighter when they fought," Raditz says.
"Kakarot?" Videl asks.
"My dad, Goku," Gohan says, "You see Videl...those tails, well…"
"Kakarot and I are what you would call 'aliens'," Raditz says, his smile growing. Videl only stares at them.
"Saiyans, to be precise," Gohan explains, "Me, my brother, a few others, we're half-Saiyan, but we still have a lot of their power. Saiyans are a warrior race."
Videl slowly nods while Gohan and Raditz smile.
"I see…" she says.
"We're not much different than humans, really. We're just really strong," Raditz says, "But, if you are Mr. Satan's daughter and you can beat him...I may have an idea."
***
A short while later, Ranch and Goten return, and while Ranch is thrilled to see her cousins, she's a little wary of Videl.
"This is actually perfect. Ranch, sweetie, what was I telling you during practice?"
"Fundamentals…" Ranch says plainly.
"Exactly! Videl here wants to learn how to fly, but first we need to see if she has enough energy to handle it. Would you mind sparring with her? Just go very easy on her, she's strong for a human, but she's not one of us. Only dodge and block."
Ranch looks Videl over and smiles, "Okay."
They all step outside. Videl looks at Raditz, "I...I don't want to hurt your daughter."
"Oh, don't worry about it. She's a Saiyan, we can handle anything short of death!" he boasts. Videl then looks at Gohan who nods.
"Let's see what you got!" Ranch says, assuming a fighting pose. Videl does likewise, and begins to attack. Gohan and Raditz watch as Ranch blocks all of her attacks with ease, not even countering, but Videl adapts quickly, changing up her techniques.
"You see that Ranch? She may not be strong, but her moves are crisp, precise! That's why you practice like I tell you!" Raditz exclaims.
"What difference does it make as long as you win?" Ranch asks. Videl smirks and quickly performs a feint followed by a leg sweep, taking Ranch off her feet. Videl then offers her hand, but instead, Ranch grabs her wrist and tosses her back, with Videl hitting the ground hard.
"Ranch, what's wrong with you?!" Raditz yells as Gohan checks on Videl. He helps her hup as she holds her head, wincing in pain.
"You told me to fight her!" Ranch protests.
"I told you to dodge and block! If you had used any more power, you could have seriously hurt her or worse! Go to your room, now! And by the way, young lady, you're grounded! Literally! You're taking the bus to school for the rest of the week!"
"But Dad, that's not fair!"
Raditz isn't having any of it, however. He only points at the house, and with her head hung, defeated, Ranch goes inside.
"How will you know if she's not flying?" Videl asks.
Raditz smiles. "Scouters," he says.
"It's a small device that can be used to check a person's power," Gohan explains, "Everyone of our allies have learned to actually sense energy. We've never really needed them, but they're great for tracking Saiyan babies. They learn to fly fast."
Videl perks up at this. "Could you tell me my power?"
Raditz looks at her. "Stay right there," he says, heading into the house. A moment later he comes out, wearing a green lenses scouter with a Capsule Corporation logo on the side. He pushes a button. "Let's see...this says...173."
"Is that good or bad?"
Gohan and Raditz exchange a look.
"Well…," Gohan says nervously, "It's good for a human."
"It is? What's yours?"
"We don't know," Raditz says, "Years ago, when I first came to this planet, my power level was only 1500. I was considered cannon fodder."
"1500?! Cannon fodder?! Just how strong are you guys?"
Gohan thinks for a moment, "The scouter will blow up if we use it on ourselves, and they don't go higher than a million. But, if I had to guess...Uncle, what do you think Cell was at, when he was fully powered?"
"I'd say at least a billion," Raditz says honestly.
"There's always room to grow, Videl, so don't feel discouraged. My dad was low at one point, too. So were a lot of his friends that went with him to the Cell Games. All it takes is willpower and training. In fact, to get that strong and have no nothing about ki is pretty impressive."
"Dad was as weak as her?" Goten asks.
Gohan smiles, "I wouldn't say 'weak', Goten. Dad was still the world's strongest at that point. Anyway, let's get to the point.
A few hours passed, and under the instruction of Gohan and Raditz, Videl was able to learn how to float.
"Good, good!" Gohan says, "You picked that up sooner than I thought, Videl!"
"I'm really doing it!" Videl says, "I can't wait to show Dad!"
Raditz smiles and glances down at his watch, "Hmmm, looks like it's getting a little late. What do you say we call it a day?"
"Oh, crap," Gohan says, "Mom's gonna kill me!"
"So's my dad!" Videl says in distress,"I'll never make it back home before it's too late!"
Gohan gets an idea, "I know. Hey, Nimbus!"
The Nimbus arrives quickly, and Gohan smiles, "Alright Nimbus, for a little bit, I want you to let Videl ride you. She's learning how to fly, so this is basically a small loan, okay?" He turns to Videl, "The Flying Nimbus has a general idea of what you want to do when you ride it, so it shouldn't be that difficult for you to get home. Just let it know when you need it to hide, but then if you call for it, it'll come."
"I understand," Videl says, hopping up onto the cloud, "I'll come back tomorrow...if that's okay with your uncle."
"I don't have a problem with it, it's nice to train someone who readily obeys for a change," Raditz says, looking at the window of Ranch's bedroom. "Just remember, Videl: Anybody can rise beyond what destiny gives them. Remember that, and you'll go far. I should know."
Videl nods.
"Oh, and Videl," Gohan says, "I think it might be a good idea if you were to wear your hair short."
"You...like girls with short hair?" She says with a slight blush,"
"Huh? No! It's just short hair is better in a fight!" Gohan says, "It could get in your eyes, someone could grab it…"
"So?!" Videl snaps, "My hair is my business!" she says, hopping onto the Nimbus. Gohan watches as she flies away. Raditz laughs.
"She didn't even say anything about my hair!" Raditz says happily, "Oh, my, she reminds me of Launch. How did you meet her, Gohan?"
"Well, we met this morning after I stopped a robbery. She's even in my class, and she recognized me," Gohan explains, "I asked her on a date, and she gave me two conditions. The first was to teach her to fly."
"And the second?" Raditz asks.
"She wants me to win the upcoming World Martial Arts Tournament, the one they named after Dad," Gohan replies.
"So? Should be easy enough for you," Raditz says.
"Yeah, but...I've always felt I had a different calling, you know?"
"Hey, can I enter?" Goten asks.
"I don't see why not," Gohan says, "Videl says they have a junior division. It could be fun for you, Trunks and Ranch...if you'll let her enter, Uncle."
"Why wouldn't I? I'd love to see what these rascals can do! Besides, she's my little girl. If she win's I'll be more proud than Vegeta! If she loses, she gets a good lesson in humility!"
"Hey, can I come too?!"
Gohan and Raditz's eyes go wide as they look around.
"Kakarot?!" Raditz says.
"You heard him too? Dad, is that you?!"
"Yep! I've been watching you all day, Gohan. I didn't want to miss your first day of school. You did a great job teaching Videl how to fly. If you're fighting in that tournament, I want to see just how strong you've become, first hand! And Raditz, why don't you enter too? In fact, tell the whole gang about it, Gohan! I want to see how everyone's been doing, and this tournament sounds a great chance to do it!""You've got it, Dad. That tournament is in 28 days. You want me to gather the Dragon Balls and bring you back now?"
"That's okay, Gohan. We should save those for when we need them - and besides, I'm not done up here yet. Just tell Master Roshi, he'll help with the rest. I can't wait to see all of you again!"
"You bet, Dad! ...I can't wait to you see you, too…" Gohan says. He looks at Raditz, "You were saying about this being easy?"
Raditz shrugs, "Don't worry about it, Gohan. That girl likes you, and if she sees you fight against any of us, I have a feeling she won't care about you winning that tournament."
"I hope you're right. Crap, I have to tell Vegeta…" Gohan says.
"Oh….right," Raditz says softly, "Well, I suppose it had to happen sooner or later."
"You don't want to fight him?"
"I'd love to, but he's been so damn aggressive about ever since your dad died. Well, say hi to everyone for me, Gohan. I have some training to do, it seems."
"Take care, Raditz," Gohan says, "Come on, Goten...we have work to do."
***
Inside the main dining room of Capsule Corps sits Gohan, Goten, Bulma, Dr. Briefs, Panchy (Bulma's mother), Trunks, Maron, Nappa and Vegeta. The Saiyans eat hastily as Gohan talks about his day.
"A tournament? And Goku's going to be there?!" Bulma says.
"Yeah, he told me not to use the Dragon Balls, though, but instead to tell Master Roshi about it. He wants everyone to enter."
"Master Roshi? Oh!" Bulma says, realizing what Goku means. Everyone else looks at each other confused.
"You mind filling us in, ma'am?" Nappa asks.
"He must mean for Roshi to tell his sister! Goku told me about that story. Years ago...Goku was searching for the last Dragon Ball, but the Dragon Radar couldn't pick it up. Turns out this old woman named Fortuneteller Baba - Master Roshi's sister, had it in her palace. Goku didn't know much about her, but she had these crazy abilities. Not for fighting, so don't get any ideas, but she could bring people back to life for one day...if the price was right," Bulma explains.
"Ah, that must be what he wants!" Gohan says, "...but 'if the price is right'?"
"I'll give you my checkbook," Bulma says.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I relish the opportunity to finally face Kakarot after all these years!" Vegeta says, "His brother just isn't a worthy opponent for me."
"About this tournament, Vegeta," Gohan says, "You realize it'll be at an arena filled with people, right?"
"So?" Vegeta asks.
"So...if we go all out…" Gohan begins.
"I think what Gohan is saying, Vegeta, is that if all of you go all out, it might be dangerous for the crowd," Dr. Briefs says.
"You want me to hold back, boy?" Vegeta says.
"No, but I think if we just go as far as we can without turning Super Saiyan, it might be more fun. And safer…"
Vegeta looks at Gohan, but then speaks, "Fine, I won't go Super Saiyan. I didn't need it when I fought Kakarot the first time, and I damn sure don't need it to beat Raditz."
Gohan smiles, "Thanks, Vegeta."
"But uh, Gohan," Nappa says, "What about Kami? That guy's just that strong! It's easy for you Super Saiyans to just throw that out, but for regular Joes like me…"
"Maybe you should train harder, Nappa," Vegeta says.
"Anyway, I should probably go study," Gohan says.
"Oh no you don't, mister," Bulma says.
"What?" Gohan says, surprised. A grin grows on Bulma's face.
"Your father's been gone seven years, Gohan, and if he wants to see how strong you are, you're not going to disappoint him. From now on, you're staying home until the day after that tournament"
"Uh...you were the one who told me I needed to go to school, Mom!"
"That's right, but you already have a college degree! School can wait! So what if you get held back, just more time to socialize, right!"
Gohan can't believe what he's hearing. Who is this and what has she done with Mom?
"Hey Trunks, they have a division for kids too! I want to enter it!"
"Really?!" Trunks asks, "Can I, Dad?"
"Of course," Vegeta says, "You'll be here training as well."
"Really! I get to train and miss school?!"
"I don't think so," Maron says.
"I do," Vegeta says, "Tell me Gohan. Is Raditz having his daughter enter as well?"
"Yeah," Gohan says.
"That settles it then," Vegeta says plainly.
"Vegeta, he can't miss school!" Maron protests. Vegeta looks at her.
"And I will not see my son, who carries the bloodline of my family, defeated by the daughter of a low-class warrior! Honor demands it. Trunks can learn later."
"You're the best, Dad!"
"At least someone thinks so," Nappa says quietly. Vegeta gives him a stern look.
"Goten, how'd you find out about this?"
"This girl Gohan's teaching to fly won it! That's why he's entering the tournament!"
"Goten!" Gohan says.
"What?" Goten asks innocently. Bulma's grin grows.
"Go on, Goten. Why is he entering this tournament?"
"She said if he can help her fly, and he wins the tournament, he can go on a date with her!" Goten says.
"Goten…" Gohan says.
"Well," Bulma says, "I guess you have even more reason to miss school and train."
Gohan only shakes his head, "Okay, fine, but I want to do my training at Uncle Raditz's house. It's where I'm teaching her, and she'll be there tomorrow after school."
"That's fine, as long as you win that tournament," Bulma says.
"You're not going to believe this!" Krillin says hanging up the phone. He looks at his wife, Android 18, and smiles, "On May 7th, Goku's coming back for 24 hours so he can fight in that tournament! The one they renamed in his honor!"
"Goku?" Android 18 says, wondering for a moment, "Who else is fighting?"
"Gohan says everyone he can get!" Krillin says, "Oh, it's going to be great!"
"What about Vegeta?" 18 asks with concern in his voice.
"What about...oh yeah…" Krillin says, but then he smiles, "Look, he already has to deal with Raditz and Goku. And if Vegeta has a problem with you...he has a problem with me. And granted, 18, Vegeta could squish me like a bug in an instant, if he has a problem with me, then he has a problem with Goku!"
"I'm not scared of him, Krillin," 18 says, "But don't all the news reports say this tournament has a 10 million zeni first prize? I want that money, Krillin."
"Now that you mention it…" Krillin wonders, but he quickly comes to his senses, "Look, forget about the money, 18! All I need is you and Marron!"
18 smiles at her husband. This is why I love him, she thinks.
Gohan jumps out of the way as a Double Sunday barely misses him. More ki blasts follow as he backflips to safety, and quickly charges Raditz with a flying kick, which his uncle brushes off.
"Wow, you've gotten a lot stronger!" Gohan says, "If you were to fight my dad when he fought Cell...I don't know who would win!"
Excellent, Raditz thinks to himself, Unlike Kakarot, I'm not even fighting at full power! Oh, I can't wait to fight him, who knows what he's accomplished?!"You're not too bad yourself, Gohan!" Raditz says, dodging a blast, "Come on, don't be shy! Show your uncle that ascended Super Saiyan power!"
Gohan smiles, "I think I'll save that for a rainy day."
"Don't tell me you've forgotten how to unleash it!"
"I just want you to feel like you're doing well," Gohan says.
"Seems you've learned a touch of arrogance, as well!" Raditz says, charging. The two exchange a flurry of blows, and the intensity of the battle grows to the point that neither notices the approach of the Flying Nimbus, carrying Videl. The cloud lands and Videl steps off, watching in complete fascination as the two Saiyans battle.
They're so fast! No wonder Gohan was able to defeat Cell. This must be his real power...what kind of fighter is he?!
"Alright, Gohan, playtime's over!" Raditz says as he prepares to fire off a Weekend. Gohan pulls his arms back, knowing what's coming.
"Ka….me….ha...me…"
Raditz grunts as he fires off the Weekend, and Gohan follows through with a Super Kamehameha. The two beams converge, and both try their hardest to break through, but it's a stalemate.
"I think this one is a draw!" Raditz yells out.
"Yeah," Gohan says, "On three, we break it off. One….two….three!"
Both release their attacks, and stop, breathing heavily. They then revert to their normal state. Raditz approaches Gohan.
"So then...everyone is fighting, eh?"
Gohan nods, "Everyone except Yamcha. Something about his contract and 'insurance reasons'."
"Hmph, humans and their silly rules. Hasn't he done enough for that team! This is literally a once in a lifetime event!"
Gohan shrugs, "Truthfully, I think he knows he won't go far even if he fights, and if I were in his position, I wouldn't blame him. He and Chi-Chi are still planning on going, though Yam-Chi is a little upset she can't fight either. I brought it up, but all I heard was Chi-Chi yelling 'Absolutely not!"
It's then that Gohan notices Videl. He waves at her.
"Hey, Videl!" Gohan says, running towards her. He stops. "You...cut your hair?"
Videl looks at him, "You're one to talk. What the hell was that, you were blonde just a moment ago, now your hair is pink!"
"Uh…" Gohan says, "Well...it's a little power Saiyans can tap into if they train hard enough. We call is 'Super Saiyan', but it increases a Saiyans power dramatically. That blonde hair is a side effect.
Videl nods, but then smiles, "Well, I've been at it all night. Take a look!"
Videl shows off her the results of her training, floating several feet above the ground.
"That's pretty good for one day," Gohan says.
"What was that all about? That fight with your uncle?"
"Oh...just some practice," Gohan says honestly.
Practice?! Videl thinks.
"You guys were going all out!"
Gohan laughs, "Actually, I wasn't. I don't know about Raditz though, he's gotten pretty strong, almost as strong as my dad was."
"Saiyans no know limits," Raditz says, "And we still have just under a month!"
"You're entering the tournament too?" Videl asks. Raditz nods.
"Actually, almost all our friends are. We may fight together, but we still have our own little rivalries," Gohan explains.
"Tell her the best part," Raditz says with a slight smile.
"Oh yeah...my dad's entering, too."
"Your dad? Gohan, he died seven years ago! The whole world watched it happen on live TV!" Videl exclaims.
"That's true, but we know someone that can bring one person back for a whole day. My dad heard about me entering, and decided it was time to return."
Videl can't quite wrap her head around that, "So...like a zombie?"
Raditz and Gohan both laugh. "No, not quite," Gohan explains, "He's been training in the Other World - the Afterlife I guess. Thanks to everything he's done, instead of just being a soul, he was allowed to hang onto his body. From what I understand, he's physically the same age as he was when he died, but he's been training up there for seven years. My dad loves a good a fight, and he's eager to see just how far we've come."
"That's right," Raditz says, "Oh, I can't wait to see him. If not for Kakarot, I would've been just another disposable warrior...but now, look at me. Anyway, I'll let you get to it, Gohan, that's enough for today, I think."
They watch as Raditz goes inside.
"Is there anything else you want to tell me? I don't know how many more surprises I can take, Gohan."
"Nothing comes to mind," Gohan replies.
"I do have one last question," Videl says, "Why weren't you in school?"
"Well, you said if I wanted to take you out on a date, I have to win that tournament. After I told my mom, she insisted I take the time off to train."
"But your grades! You started yesterday!" Videl says.
"Eh, it's not important, I already have a college degree," Gohan says, "What do I need a diploma for?"
Vidle only shakes her head.
"Alright, let's get you flying!" Gohan says.
***
Inside a gravity chamber, Vegeta lets loose with a flurry of kicks and punches, while Trunks struggles to move. The Prince stops and looks at his son, shaking his head.
"Forget it, Trunks. This is a man's gravity, it's not meant for little kids like you!"
"But Dad," Trunks says struggling, "I have to get stronger for that tournament! Goten and Ranch are fighting in it, and I can't let them win!"
"Respectable motives, boy, but you're pushing yourself too much. Stop wasting your time and get yourself some weighted clothes," Vegeta says, going back to his training.
"I have a better idea," Trunks says. Vegeta hears a grunt and yell, and turns around, shocked to see Trunks jumping up and down, his hair the telltale golden-blonde of a Super Saiyan. His mouth drops.
What?! A Super Saiyan is supposed to be a legendary warrior! Vegeta think as Trunks starts doing backflips around the room.
"This is fun! It's like normal gravity!"
Fun?! Since when did a legend turn into a child's plaything?!
"Trunks," Vegeta says. Trunks stops and looks at his father.
"Yeah?" he replies.
"Tell me; can Kakarot's youngest son turn Super Saiyan? What about the girl?"
"They both can!" Trunks exclaims.
"Of course, how stupid of me. It's a Super Saiyan bargain sale," Vegeta says to himself. "I want you to try to hit me."
"What? Come on, Dad, don't joke around. You're way too strong!"
"Just do it! I'll tell you what: If you can land just one blow on my face, I'll take you to that amusement park you won't shut up about," Vegeta says. Trunks' face lights up at this.
"Really? You mean it?!"
Vegeta nods. He smiles as he watches Trunks turn serious, and the boy begins an all-out assault on his father. Vegeta's almost caught off-guard, and does all he can to avoid his son's attacks, but one punch glances his face. Instinctively, Vegeta retorts with a solid kick to the chest, sending Trunks flying back. Vegeta's eyes go wide as he realizes what he's done.
"Oh, shit…" he says, looking at his son.
"Ow…" Trunks says as tears form in his eyes, "You didn't say you would fight back!"
"I never said I wouldn't!" Vegeta yells.
"But...but…" Trunks says. An idea quickly forms in Vegeta's head.
"Stop crying! I'll take you to the damn amusement park! But first...just tell me. Between the three of you, who's the strongest?"
"Uh…" Trunks says, wiping his face, "I know Goten's the weakest, but that's only because he's a year younger than me, and two years younger than Ranch. But the two of us barely win everytime we fight! Goten's only a little weaker, too!"
Only a little?! Vegeta thinks. "I guess it's time for you to begin some real training. You want to fight in that tournament? Fine, but you better not lose!"
And so, over the remaining days, every warrior trained their absolute hardest. All were eager to see their departed friend Son Goku once more, and prove to him just how far their warrior spirit had taken them. Videl proved to be a quick study, and Gohan an excellent teacher, and within three days she had mastered the art of flying. It was decided then that the next time they would meet would be at the 1st Annual Son Goku World Martial Arts Tournament on Papaya Island, in the same arena where such fighters as Jackie Chun, King Chappa, Tien Shinhan, Son Goku and Mr. Satan had claimed the title of 'Strongest Under The Heavens'.
MAY 7 - AGE 774
"Wow, look at this crowd! It's bigger than the last one I was in!" Krillin exclaims. He turns to Yamcha, "Say, how many were here for that one Goku won?"
"It was a pretty big crowd, word got around. And since this one's in his honor…" Yamcha says.
Gohan looks at the assembled Z-Fighters. Those that had decided to enter were himself, Raditz, Vegeta, Nappa, Krillin, Android 18, and Kami.
"Alright guys, remember: This is all friendly fights, so no tricks, no Super Saiyan," he says.
"I'll do what I can to keep the playing field level," Kami says, "Otherwise without your true powers, I'm afraid I would simply run away with it."
"Hey, where's Kakarot anyway? Shouldn't he be here by now?" Nappa asks.
Everyone looks around the cloud. Bulma sighs. "He did this last time, too. Maybe you guys should just go ahead and enter, I'm sure he'll show up."
"Hey Gohan, you did give Fortuneteller Baba the check, right?" Krillin asks.
"Yeah, almost as soon as I found out. I know she cashed it, and I can't imagine any reason why Dad would turn this down!"
"I can," Vegeta says smugly, "If he has been spying on us, maybe Kakarot didn't like what he saw and decided to hide in the one place we can't find him."
Raditz only shakes his head. Kami places his hand his shoulder. The two look at eachother, and Raditz gives just a single nod.
"Maybe he's already here?" Launch asks. Everyone considers this, but then Master Roshi speaks up.
"Eh, I'm afraid punctuality was one lesson I forget to teach him, but you know Goku! He wouldn't miss this for anything, too many strong fighters!"
"You've got that right!" A familiar voice says. Everyone turns around, and sure enough stands Son Goku, as fresh as the day he perished, smiling at them.
"Son!" Bulma yells out, running towards her husband. She leaps up into his arms and gives him a huge hug and kiss. He gently sets her down and smiles.
"I missed you, Bulma," Goku says, embracing his wife for the first time in nearly seven years.
"Brother!" Raditz says, going up to Goku and giving him a hug. Gohan does likewise, while Ranch hangs back, unsure of what to do.
"Go on, it's okay," Launch says, giving her a little push. She nods and joins in on the hug with her uncle.
"Amazing, you've all changed so much!" Goku says. He looks at Gohan. "And look at you, son, almost all grown up. I didn't realize you got this tall!"
Gohan only smiles, while Krillin wipes away tears at seeing his best friend once more. It's then that Goku notices something standing by Trunks.
"Hey...I know I've been gone awhile, but that looks like a miniature me over there…" Goku says, "That must be Goten!"
"Come on, Goten, come meet your daddy!" Bulma says, inviting Goten over. Goten does so, and Goku lifts his son up into the air for the first time.
"You're really my dad?" Goten asks. Goku nods.
"Yep! I wish I could've been there for you, but don't you worry at all, I'm here now," Goku says, setting him dead.
"What's that ring?" Goten asks.
"Huh, it's kind of like a halo," Yamcha says.
"That's right! Until I'm actually...uh….I mean, I keep it until…"
"Goku's still technically dead," Fortuneteller Baba says, "Until he's alive, he keeps the halo. Not my rules, it makes them stick out like a sore thumb."
"Oh," Raditz says, giving it a hard pull, "That's really on there! Still, I can't wait to test our mettle!"
"Not if I have anything to say about it," Vegeta says. Goku smiles at his old rival.
"Vegeta," Goku says, going up to him.
"Kakarot," Vegeta replies, "For seven years I've waited for this day. I'm finally going to have my revenge,"
"Get in line, chief," a voice rings out. Everyone turns, and to their surprise stands a man with blue eyes, black hair hanging to the side, a black t-shirt and jeans.
"Number...17?!" Yamcha says in surprise, "What are you doing here?!"
"I invited him," 18 says.
Goku smiles, "17 and 18….nice to meet you. I'm surprised to see both of you here, though."
"Why not? My husband's fighting, why shouldn't I?"
"Husband?" Goku asks, looking at 17.
"Not him, Goku, me," Krillin says. Goku smiles at his friend.
"You married Android 18?"
"Yep! And this…" Krillin says, motioning to a short little girl with blonde hair, "Is Marron, our daughter."
"Daughter?! But...she's a robot, isn't she?"
"I'm a cyborg," 18 corrects him, "Both of us are."
"Oh…" Goku says, understanding.
"The doc wasn't too creative with the names," 17 explains, "So, we finally meet."
Goku smiles at 17, "They said you were the one leading the charge to come after me. Still feel like killing me? I'm already dead, you know."
17 returns the smile, "Nah, I just want to see what you've got. Besides, I was still part of Cell when he blew up, so I guess in a way I already won that one."
"Let's call it draw," Goku says. 17 smiles and nods respectfully. Goku then looks at Krillin.
"Say...I thought you were bald?" Goku asks. Krillin smiles.
"I told you I only shaved it out of habit and because it was more comfortable fighting," Krillin says.
"Attention: Registration closes in five minutes. All remaining entrants should report to a registration kiosk immediately."
"Looks like we're about out time," Gohan says, "We should probably hurry."
"Yes, let's go," Raditz says, leading the pack. Their friends and families bid them farewell, while 17 and Kami bring up. 17 taps Kami on the shoulder, and the two look at each other. 17 extends his right hand.
"No hard feelings," 17 says. Kami looks at him, but accepts the offer.
"No hard feelings," Kami says. The two continue on.
"Now remember, Goku," Fortuneteller Baba says following him, "You have twenty-four hours. Make 'em count."
"Thanks, Baba!" Goku says.
The first to reach registration is Trunks.
"What do you mean, no kids allowed? What kind of dumb rule is that?" he asks in protest.
"15 and under is for the junior division!"
"But I could beat all these chumps!" Trunks says. Vegeta smirks.
"Oh, did you forget the rules? Typical Trunks," Ranch says teasingly.
"Hurry up, you fighting or not, kid?" The official asks. Trunks sneers.
"Fine. I'm Trunks," he says.
"Good, take the line to the left." The official says as Ranch and Goten approach.
"Attention: Qualifying stages for the main division will begin following a 30 minute lunch break at the conclusion of the junior division."
"A junior division? Wow, things sure have changed a lot," Goku says.
"Yeah, things would've been a lot easier on us, that's for sure," Krillin says.
Kami paces a bit when he notices someone bump into him: A man with ambiguous features, blue skin and pointed ears, followed by a much larger individual with similar features.
"Oh, excuse me," he says, walking by. Kami only looks at the two as they pass. That energy….no, no, it can't be. They would never bother themselves with Earth in a time of peace. Must be alien visitors looking for a thrill.
"What's wrong?" Raditz asks.
"I'm not sure," Kami says, "It's probably nothing."
The adults line up to register, with only one small complication occurring.
"Next. Need your name, sir," an official asks.
"Son Goku!" Goku says happily.
"Right, and I'm Mr. Satan," the official says.
"No really, I'm Goku," he responds.
"You got ID?" the official asks. Goku frowns.
"Get out of here, shoo!" another familiar face says. "So sorry about that, sir. I'd recognize you anywhere! You're that kid that fought in those three tournaments, you made the finals each time, right?"
"Yeah, that's right, Goku says, "Say, aren't you the announcer?"
The announcer smiles, "I knew it was you! I never forget the winners. But uh...didn't you die fighting Cell?"
"That's right!" Goku says with a grin.
"Uh...sure, whatever you say, champ! 'Son Goku' it is…" he says with a small bit of disbelief.
"Hey Kakarot, you notice anything else different about this tournament?" Nappa asks with a smile.
"Uh...well, the arena's a lot bigger. Funny, I thought it'd be smaller…"
"No, look at the banner!" Nappa says, pointing. Goku reads it and smiles.
"They named it after me?!"
"The whole world watched the fight, remember? Everyone knows you're a hero. You're famous, world wide!" Nappa says, "They even named a city after you!"
"Wow…" Goku says, "To be honest, they didn't have to go through all that trouble…"
"Don't worry about it, Dad. I know we're going to give them a show they'll never forget," Gohan says.
17 is the last to register, and the Z-Fighters decide to pass the time by watching Trunks, Ranch and Goten compete.
As they all figured, the bouts with the children are incredibly one-sided in favor of the Saiyan children, and soon the semi-finals are decided, with Ranch facing Trunks, and Goten facing a 15 year old boy. Goten's match is first, and he quickly takes out the teenager, to the astonishment of the crowd.
"And with that victory, Son Goten advances to the finals! Next up, Trunks vs Ranch!"
"Oh, I hope he'll be okay," Maron says. Launch holds up Daikon and Muuli so the boys can get a better view.
"Now, you watch your big sister, okay!" she says.
"Those kids fight and play all the time, it's nothing he can't handle," Bulma says reassuringly.
Vegeta pushes himself past the rest of the Z-Fighters to get a better view, while Raditz does likewise, albeit on the other side. The fight begins, with Ranch immediately going on the offensive, catching Trunks off-guard. He's taken back by this.
"Hey, what's the big idea?!" Trunks says blocking.
"Idiot, it's real, this time!" Ranch yells as Trunks tries to put some ground between them. Ranch charges and throws a rather sloppy punch, allowing Trunks to counter and gain a bit of momentum. Raditz sighs in the stands.
"I warned her about that, but what do I know?" Raditz says.
Ranch jumps backwards, and Trunks smiles, flying into the air. His hair turns golden.
"Hey, that's against the rules!" Ranch yells.
"You said it was for real!" Trunks replies as he holds his hands out. Yellow energy begins to form around it. Vegeta gasps, but then smiles.
"Vegeta….did you really teach him that?!" Gohan asks, but Vegeta is only silent. In the ring, Ranch turns Super Saiyan and assumes a defensive pose.
"FINAL FLASH!" Trunks yells out, and the energy beam descends on Ranch, who counters with a Weekend of her own. The beams collide, but the Weekend slowly begins to overtake the Final Flash.
"Let go, Trunks! You can't maintain it!" Vegeta yells, but Trunks is too focused on the beam struggle to hear.
Just a little more…. Ranch thinks, and with one last energy spike, sends her Weekend into Trunks, who's blown out of the sky. He lands on the ground, his hair turning back to normal. He frowns and jumps onto the ring, but to his surprise, the referee is holding up Ranch's arm in victory.
"What?!" Trunks says in disbelief. In the stands, Raditz smiles while Vegeta sneers.
"A weakling after all…." Vegeta says quietly.
"What a display by these two amazing kids! We're going to have a small ten minute rest period, and then the finals begin, with Son Goten vs Ranch!"
"Wow, I didn't know both could turn Super Saiyan!" Goku says, amazed. He looks at Gohan, "Can Goten do it, too?"
Gohan smiles and nods and Trunks joins the stands. Vegeta stares at his son in disappointment, while Trunks says nothing as he looks at the ring and sulks.
"Just you wait, Kakarot! That kid might surprise you," Nappa says with a smile.
"Both Nappa and I have been training him ever since he could walk. He saw a clip of the Cell Games, and would cry whenever we would turn it off," Gohan explains, "So, Mom decided that with him, the chip didn't fall much off the block."
"Yep!" Nappa says proudly, "As soon as he could walk, we threw him in the gravity chamber, starting him at ten times Earth's gravity, just like the old planet Vegeta!"
Vegeta's eyes go wide as he hears this. Seems Earth didn't assimilate Nappa as much as I thought it would. Alright, Son Goten - let's see if you really are Kakarot's brat. Maybe I'll take you under my wing if you pull this off.
"I'm not gonna go easy on you!" Goten yells, but Ranch only smiles at her cousin.
"Good, neither am I!" she retorts. They bow to each other, and the fight begins, with both charging each other. The two Saiyan children go all out from the start, wasting no time as they throw every trick they know at one another, with the exception of Super Saiyan. As the battle continues, Gohan spots Videl standing by an exit.
"Hey, I'll be right back," Gohan says to Goku.
"Huh? It's just getting good!" Goku says, confused, but Raditz just looks at his brother.
"He's training that girl," Raditz says, "And...well, he kind of likes her."
Goku smiles and let's it go.
"Hey, Videl!" Gohan says. She smiles at him.
"Your little brother's doing pretty well," she says, "I hope he wins."
Gohan smiles as well, "We'll see, but I'm sure he can pull it off, though I don't know what kind of training my uncle was putting Ranch through."
"Oh, you forgot this. Hey, Nimbus!" she yells, and sure enough, the cloud comes. "I won't be needing it anymore, but thank you."
Gohan smiles again and steps onto the Nimbus, but to his surprise, he falls right through.
"Huh, that's odd," he says, concerned. He tries it again but gets the same result. "It never was a problem before...did you break it or anything?"
"No!" Videl says angrily. Gohan shakes his head in confusion.
"Hey, Nimbus...go on home, okay?"
The Nimbus does so. That's strange...what is wrong with me?
"You said you needed a pure heart to ride it," Videl reminds Gohan.
"I think I'm just a little anxious about the tournament," Gohan says. Fighting always does bring out the worst in me…
Back in the ring, Goten and Ranch have evolved into throwing ki blasts at each other, with each one growing in intensity. Ranch moves quickly though, getting behind Goten and trapping him in a Full Nelson. "Give up!" she says applying more pressure and Goten grunts in pain.
"Give up, Goten! You don't want to pass out in front of your dad, do you?"
Goten however is persistent, and turns Super Saiyan, breaking free of the hold and landing. Ranch looks at her cousin, the rage growing in her eyes.
"Am I the only one that cares about the stupid rules?!" she yells, flying up. "Fine, if that's how you want to play!"
She powers up to Super Saiyan, flying higher and turning around. She begins to dive, holding her hands out as as purple sphere grows in her hand. Raditz laughs.
"A diving Shining Friday! Fantastic improvisation!"
Nappa looks worried, "That kid's gonna be freight trained!"
Everyone watches as Ranch flies down, but then to their surprise, Goten puts his hands to his forehead and yells, "TAIO-KEN!"
The Shining Friday disappears, as Ranch grabs her eyes instinctively, her path changing from a collision course with Goten to one that leads right into the wall of the arena. She crashes hard, with the Z-Fighters all surprised at the turn of events. Trunks laughs.
"All right, Goten!" he cheers.
Raditz shakes his head in shock and surprise, but has a little smile on his face.
"Uh...sorry, Raditz," Goku apologies, but Raditz only smiles.
"It'll build her character," Raditz says simply, hoping the rail to tend to his daughter. The announcer proclaims Goten the winner of the junior division, as the crowd cheers.
"Preliminaries will begin following a 30 minute lunch break. Please report to the qualifying rooms at that time."
The Z-Fighters all gather as Nappa throws out a small capsule, and a huge feast is revealed. Everyone digs in, eating hungrily, but it's Goku who's doing the most damage.
"Jeez, don't you eat in the afterlife?" Krillin asks.
"I don't really need to, but it's been so long since I had a meal," Goku says, "I want to enjoy my time here as much as possible! By the way, this is really good, it's better than any food from Capsule Corporation I've ever had."
"That's because it's not from Capsule Corp," Vegeta says proudly.
"Huh?" Goku says, looking at the food.
"You see, Kakarot, I quickly found out that if I didn't want to die of hunger, then I would have to be the one doing the cooking at home."
"You made this Vegeta?!" Goku asks.
"Not even Senzu Beans can save us from Maron's cooking," Nappa says scarfing down a plate of ribs.
"He's got a resturant and everything," Krillin says, "The staff says he's unbearable though, but he gets results,"
"I demand nothing by the best!" Vegeta says.
***
A half hour later, the Z-Fighters gather to begin the qualifying process, and to their surprise, instead of the old sparring bouts of old, this time qualification is being done through a punching machine. Mr. Satan shows up to some degree of fanfare, and since he has retired, gives a demonstration of how the machine works. The Z-Fighters each line up, with Vegeta insisting he'll be the last to go. When it gets to that point, he quickly destroys the machine, to everyone's dismay.
"Was that necessary?!" Raditz chastizes him.
"Just because all of you are happy to hold back, doesn't mean I am!" Vegeta says. The official is shocked by the display, but decides that the power he's just seen is good enough to get Vegeta into the tournament."
"The other preliminaries should be finishing shortly, we'll announce the entrants shortly," he says, looking at the mess created.
Finally, the sixteen selected warriors are revealed as the tournament bracket is put up:
MATCH 1:
Krillin vs Punta
MATCH 2:
Shin vs Hero (Kami)
MATCH 3:
Videl vs Tien Shinhan
MATCH 4:
Kibito vs Son Gohan
MATCH 5:
Android 18 vs Raditz
MATCH 6:
Son Goku vs Vegeta
MATCH 7:
Nappa vs Android 17
MATCH 8:
Chiaotzu vs Jewel
"Will Krillin and Punta please report to the arena!"
"Well, looks like I'm up first," Krillin says. He sees his opponent, the huge Punta, make his way. The two walk into the ring.
"This is Krillin's first tournament in 21 years, having made the semi-finals in both the 21st and 22nd World Martial Arts Tournaments. He was also present at the Cell Games, seven years ago!"
The crowd gives some cheers, much to Krillin's surprise. He looks at Punta, who's eagerly smiling at him. "I'm going to show you this tournament is no place for little shrimps like you!"
Oh, brother… Krillin thinks to himself and sighs. Punta demonstrates his incredible agility (for a large, fat, vanilla human, at least).
"You can't hope to win! I'll even give you a free one. Hit me with your best shot, chump!" Punta demands. Krillin looks over to the entrance and sees Android 18 looking at him. She only nods. Krillin shrugs at her and without looking at Punta, delivers a solid punch right into Punta's stomach. The large man keels over, gasping and wheezing. Krillin then delivers a kick, sending the fat man flying out the ring. Krillin simply raises his hand and walks out of the ring.
"An out of bounds victory for Krillin! Next up, our second match: Making their first tournament debuts, Shin and Hero! Not much is known about these warriors, but they both had impressive scores during the qualifying stages! However, like Krillin, Hero was present during the Cell Games!"
There's something familiar about this foe, Kami thinks to himself, but I've never seen him before. Just who is he?
"You'll find out," Shin says, smiling. This catches Kami by surprise.
"You win," Kami says, leaving the ring. Goku approaches him.
"What as that about?" he asks.
"He's on a totally different level," Kami says, "The fight would be pointless."
"Is it that bad?" Goku asks, and Kami nods.
"Shin wins by forfeit! A slow start to the tournament, but things will pick up with this next bout, as former junior champion Videl takes on the winner of the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament, Tien Shinhan! In addition to being a former junior champ, Videl is the daughter and prized student of the 24th World Tournament champion, Mr. Satan! This is Tien Shinhan's…"
The announcer continues, but Goku smiles. "Tien? I had no idea he was fighting in it!"
"Tien, huh?" Krillin says. He examines the board again and notices Chiaotzu's name. Shame we won't get our rematch…
"I'm going to go say 'hi'!" Goku says. He watches as Videl gets some last minute encouragement from Gohan, and then he sees Tien from behind.
"Tien, hey!" Goku says. Tien Shinhan stops and turns around and glares at Goku. Goku gasps at his former ally. His muscle mass has increased, with black lines under his eyes, and a curios 'M' on his forehead. His eyes have a crazed look that reek of malice, unsettling Goku. Tien then turns and walks into the arena.
"What the…" Goku says, confused. Raditz comes over to him.
"I have a horrible feeling all of a sudden," Raditz says. Goku nods.
"Yeah...I didn't feel any energy coming off him at all."
"Advanced ki suppression, perhaps?" Raditz asks. Goku shakes his head.
"Goku, look over there," Krillin says, pointing at Chiaotzu. Chiaotzu watches Tien enter, but much like his friend, he has a similar look. "Maybe they joined a new school?"
The referee begins the match, and although Videl takes a fighting stance, Tien only looks at her. She attacks, but he easily blocks. She follows up again and again, with Tien only blocking, until finally, she delivers a roundhouse right to his head that does nothing. He only looks at her and grabs her, throwing her right out the ring into the barrier to everyone's surprise. She hits it head first. He exits, but Videl isn't getting up.
"Uh...victory to Tien Shinhan...it looks like Videl is seriously injured!"
"Oh, no!" Gohan says running up to her.
"She's barely hanging on," Kami says, "Without proper attention, she won't make it…"
Gohan examines her and gasps, "Her neck is broken! Does anybody have a Senzu Bean?!"
"This was friendly, nobody brought any!" Raditz yells back.
The medics do what they can to stabilize Videl and get her onto a stretcher and she's lead into an infirmary, with Gohan and Mr. Satan at her side.
"I'll take care of it," Goku says. He places a finger to his head, and to the surprise of the remaining Z-Fighters, he vanishes.
"What the hell?!" Android 17 asks in surprise. "Where did he go?!"
***
"Hey guys!" Goku says. Yajirobe falls over in shock while Korin laughs.
"Nifty little trick there. How have you been, Goku? They treating you well in the Other World?" Korin asks.
"Yeah, but right now we really need some Senzu Beans, there was a horrible accident at the tournament," Goku explains. Korin nods and tosses him a small bag.
"Times have been peaceful, we've been slacking a little bit," Korin explains, "But Goku...be careful. I have a horrible premonition that this tournament is going to end terribly."
Goku looks at Korin, "I thought you might say something like that. Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu are there...but they're much different...and stronger," he says. "Anyway, thanks for the Senzu, Korrin. We'll catch up once this business is over."
And with that, Goku pops out again.
"What's with that?" Yajirobe asks, but Korin is silent.
Once more into the fray, Korin thinks.
***
In the infirmary, the medics work on Videl, while a doctor explains the seriousness of the situation to Mr. Satan, who's sitting with his hands over his face, crying as he gets the awful news. However, this is all interrupted as Goku teleports in, tossing Gohan the bag.
"Thanks, Dad," Gohan says, feeding one to Videl, "Come in Videl, you have to eat it, it'll fix everything," he says, as he begins to forcibly move her mouth.
"Wha...Goku?" Mr. Satan says, standing up. "What are you doing here, you're dead?! And what's that...is that that stuff you guys had during the Cell Games?"
"Yeah," Goku says, "It heals all wounds, restores energy. If she can swallow, she'll be fine."
Sure enough, the Senzu Bean does it's trick, and Videl sits up, looking at her hands. She looks at Gohan in amazement. "What was that?"
"Just the right dose," Gohan says with a smile. Videl smiles back, and kisses him on the cheek, surprising both Goku and Mr. Satan.
"Thanks, Gohan," she says, hopping out of bed.
"Wait!" The doctor says as she walks out of the infirmary, "You're not clear yet!"
"She's fine," Goku says, following her, "Hey Gohan, I think your match is next!"
As the door opens, they hear the end of the announcement that Gohan has one minute to report to the ring, or face being disqualified.
"Oh, right," Gohan says, hurrying. Mr. Satan walks alongside Goku.
"I don't get it, Goku," Mr. Satan says, "I watched you fly up with Cell...did you really make it?"
"Nope, he took me with him," Goku says, "My friends called in a favor. I get 24 hours back on Earth, then I have to go back."
Mr. Satan is silent as he grasps it, but considering what he just saw and the things he's seen with his own eyes, decides only to roll with it. "It's because of stuff like that that I hung up my boots."
"Sorry for the delay, folks, but it's now time for the fourth match. In the ring right now is Kibito, making his first appearance, and coming down the aisle, a man that should need no introduction. The champion of the Cell Games, and Earth's savior, the one and only Son Gohan!"The crowd erupts into huge cheers as a "GO-HAN!" chant emerges. Everyone is surprised, the Z-Fighters, Bulma, Launch...they had no idea just how popular Gohan had become. Gohan looks at his dad and shrugs. The referee begins the match, and Kibito looks Gohan over.
"Please, do not hold back on my account. By all means, go Super Saiyan," Kibito says.
"How do you know about that?" Gohan asks.
"I know many things, Son Gohan," Kibito replies, "I must know if you've really be able to help us when the time comes."
In a small area, Chiaotzu and Tien watch. "That's him," Tien says. Chiaotzu nods.
"You take his energy, I'll subdue him," Chiaotzu says, "The Master will be pleased."
Over by the Z-Fighters, Shin approaches.
"Everyone, please, I must ask of you, no matter what happens, not to interfere with this next part," Shin says to them.
"Listen to him," Kami says.
"Why should we? Who the hell is thing guy?" Vegeta says.
"He's the Lord of Lords, the God of Gods," Kami says, "The Supreme Kai of this universe, and you'd be wise to stay on your best behavior."
"The Supreme Kai?!" Goku says, "King Kai told me about you! You must really be something! Okay, if you don't want us to interfere, we won't."
"Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu will no doubt attack Gohan as soon as his energy has peaked," Shin explains, "But I assure you, as long as you do nothing, his life is not in danger. They're only after his energy."
"His energy?" Goku asks.
Back in the ring, Gohan assumes the stance, "You're sure you want to see this? I can go beyond Super Saiyan," Gohan says with a smile.
"What? Beyond?" Kibito asks, surprised. Gohan looks over to Goku, who gives him a thumbs up. Gohan nods and proceeds to channel all the energy has, quickly achieving Super Saiyan 2.
"Chiaotzu, look," Tien says, holding up an arcane energy meter, "It's far beyond what we hoped. This should do."
Chiaotzu nods, and the two rush towards the ring. Over by Shin, Vegeta smiles.
"Nice to see he hasn't been slacking on his training," Vegeta says.
"Well, can we fight now? I'm warning you, this form packs a bit of a punch," Gohan says, but Kibito is silent. Gohan tries to assume a fighting stance, but to his surprise, he can't move.
"What's...going on?" he says, but Tien reaches him and puts the strange device right against him. Gohan struggles, but Chiaotzu hovers above him, his arms out.
"Paralysis magic," Krillin says. Some things never change.
"We have enough, Chiaotzu, let's go!" Tien yells, taking off as his friend joins him.
"Don't do anything, Kibito will heal Gohan," he explains. "We have to follow those two. Your help would be greatly appreciated."
They watch as Kibito takes off, followed closely by Kami. Raditz and Goku nearly join, but Vegeta stops them.
"Hold on, I don't care about whatever those two weirdos are on about," Vegeta says, "I know you only have one day here, Kakarot, and we have a match coming up!"
"Then we'll fight later, Vegeta! Come with us! Don't you want to see what they're so worried about? It's the Supreme Kai, I'm sure we'll get a good fight out of it!"
Vegeta grits his teeth.
"Think of someone other than yourself for once, Vegeta!" Raditz snaps, taking off.
"Fine, but we better have that fight, Kakarot," Vegeta says, following Raditz. Goku heads over to the ring and checks on Gohan, who's being tended to by both Kibiot and Videl.
"Is he going to be okay?" Goku asks. Kibito nods, "It's taking longer than I thought, his power is incredible. You go ahead, we'll join you once I'm finished here."
Goku nods, but before he can take off, Nappa lands next to him.
"Where do you want me, Kakarot?" he asks.
"Uh...right," Goku says, "Take the kids and everyone else. They should be safe her, but if there's trouble…"
"The Lookout. You got it," Nappa says patting Goku on the back. "Damn, I wish I could go with you."
Goku smiles and flies off.
Meanwhile, Krillin is explaining the situation to Android 18.
"You go," she says, "We need the money."
"Yeah, she's not the only one," 17 says, "You guys have the deck stacked kinda high anyway, and the wife's been riding me about a family vacation. 10 million zeni ought to do it."
"Wife?" Krillin asks, but 17 shrugs. Krillin hugs 18 and smiles, flying after them.
Gohan quickly gets back on his feet, getting a hug from Videl. He shakes his head in surprise.
"Come on, we don't have much time," Kibito says.
"Where are we going?" Gohan asks.
"My boy, we have to save the universe," Kibito says. Gohan's eyes go wide, but he smiles.
"All right," Gohan says. He's about to take off, but Videl stops him.
"Wait, I want to go too!" she says. Gohan looks at her for a moment.
"Okay, but if it gets too dangerous, you have to leave, for your own sake. Things might get out of hand fast."
"I will," Videl says. The three take off after Shin and others.
In flight, Goku quickly catches up to Kami, Raditz and Shin.
"Hey, so uh...Tien and Chiaotzu? Have they really gotten that strong?" Goku asks. Shin smiles at Goku.
"First, thank you for coming. Second, no, they are only pawns. Our true enemy is a warlock."
"A warlock?" Kami asks.
"Yes," Shin explains, "A very long time ago, when humanity was in it's infancy, across the universe there lived an evil warlock named 'Bibbidi'. He created a horrible monster, a djinn known as 'Buu'. Buu was chaos incarnate, possessing no reason or emotion. His only goal was to murder and destroy. Within a few years, he had destroyed hundreds of planets.
So what, Saiyans call that a slow Tuesday, Vegeta thinks.
"No, Vegeta," Shin says. Vegeta gasps. "You see, in those old days, there were five Supreme Kais. Each one could defeat the one you called Freeza with a single blow. Buu killed four of them."
"Uh…" Goku says, realizing the enormity of the situation.
He can read minds, wonderful, Vegeta things again.
Defeating Freeza in a single blow...but being killed by someone even stronger?! Raditz thinks, How strong was Freeza compared to Cell? Would Cell have been able to best Freeza in one strike?!
A little bit back, Kibito, Gohan and Videl try their best to catch up, while Kibiot fills Gohan in.
"And then, Bibbidi brought the sealed Buu to this planet, but we were waiting. The Supreme Kai was waiting, and killed him before Buu could be released. Since that day, Buu has been sealed. We were under the belief that only Bibbidi could release that seal, but we learned something awful…" Kibito explains.
Over with the rest of the Z-Fighters, Shin continues to explain. "Bibbidi had a son: Babidi, who like his father is also a warlock, and just as terrible!"
"So, what you're saying is we have to stop this Babidi from releasing Buu?" Goku asks.
"Exactly," Shin says, "Which means we must defeat Babidi first."
"How strong is this Babidi, anyway?" Raditz asks.
"He's not a fighter," Shin says, "He uses magic. A warlock uses the evil within a person to make them do his bidding, much like Tien Shinhan and Chiaotzu. We can only hope he hasn't found any formidable allies."
Back a bit, Gohan continues to speak with Kibito, "So, why use Tien and Chiaotzu?"
"To release Buu, Babidi needs tremendous energy. That tournament was the best place to gather it quickly. You being a Super Saiyan was too much of an opportunity for them to pass up, just as we anticipated. However, Buu's shell wasn't where we left it, so we had to lay a bit of a trap."
"And I was the bait," Gohan says. Kibito nods.
"At this speed we'll never catch up," Kibito says.
"I'm sorry, I'm going as fast as I can, I can barely see," Videl says.
"That's okay, Videl. This is way more dangerous than I thought. You head back, I'll meet you there, I promise," Gohan says.
"Good idea. Please stay safe, Gohan," she says, stopping. Kibito and Gohan then fly ahead at full speed.
To hell with winning that tournament, I'm going to make him my boyfriend, she thinks.
"They're descending!" Shin yells, motioning to some nearby rocks. Kibito and Gohan quickly catch up, and the group lands, taking cover.
"Hide your energy, now!" Kami says.
They watch as Tien and Chiaotzu approach a field, where a small, strange capsule emerges from the ground.
"Of course, he buried his ship, no wonder we couldn't find it," Kibito says.
"That means they know we're here," Shin says.
"Then we should make our move now," Kami says, "Before they can revive Buu."
"No, they won't risk their ship, they'll do it outside," Shin says. They watch as two figures emerge from the capsule. A small, brown alien and a large, hulking red figure.
"Dabura?!" Kibito says, "Babidi has him under his sway?!"
"That's troubling," Shin says.
"Which one's 'Dabura'? That big guy?"
"Yes," Shin says, "He's the king of the Demon Realm."
"Doesn't seem so tough to me," Raditz says.
"You don't get that title by being nice," Shin says, "You may be the strongest on this planet, but where evil's concerned…"
"So that makes the little on Babidi," Gohan says.
"Don't let his size fool you," Shin says, "After all, his magic is strong enough to turn Dabura into his minion."
"That's what makes him so dangerous," Kibito says, "Only those with a pure heart can face Babidi, otherwise he can just turn you."
"I see," Goku says, "Tien was a little sour after he saw Nappa, and he left us...lingering doubts and feelings of betrayal must have done it…"
"Uh, Goku?" Krillin says, "I'm uh..going back to the tournament," Krillin says, "I don't mind helping, but an actual demon king wasn't quite what I had in mind,"
"Yeah, you'll be safer there," Goku says, "I'm not sure what you can do here anyway."
"Neither am I," Krillin says.
Down below, Babidi accepts the energy meter from Tien.
"Excellent, you have done fine work, this container is full!" Babidi say with glee. "And now for your reward!"
The Z-Fighters watch as Tien and Chiaotzu begin to swell horribly, exploding in a gruesome mess. Goku gasps.
"How could they?!" Gohan asks.
Below, smiles with his hands behind his back, "Dabura, it would seem the Lord of Lords is nearby,"
"Yes," Dabura says, "They think they're hiding their power, but I count, aside from the Supreme Kai and his lackey...six in total."
"They should give us all the energy we need!" Babidi says.
"The Kai will never let them into the ship," Dabura says.
"In that case, kill the weak ones, and the others will want revenge." Babidi says, "With their energy, Buu will be revived before the sun sets!"
"Then go, tend to Buu, I'll deal with our visitors," Dabura says. Babidi nods and returns to the capsule.
"Why is only Babidi going down?" Raditz asks, but Vegeta realizes what's happening.
"That red bastard knows we're here!" Vegeta says, and sure enough, Dabura flies up, blasting Kibito away with a single shot. Dabura then flies above the Z-Fighters and begins spitting out two wads of saliva.
"Look out, if that touches you…" Shin warns
But it's too late as the spit lands on both Krillin and Kami. They watch as the two turn into stone before their eyes. Goku tries to help, but Shin stops him.
"Don't! If you break them, then they're lost forever!" Shin says.
"Forever? How do we get them back?!" Raditz demands.
"The only way to save them, is to kill Dabura!" Shin says.
"Oh," Goku says, "Why didn't you say so, that sounds easy enough."
"Easy?" Shin says in disbelief.
"You better run home, all of you!" Dabura yells out as he heads towards the capsule, "Nobody can defy Master Babidi!"
They watch as Dabura enters.
"Dad, let's go!" Gohan says, taking off in pursuit. Raditz, Goku and Vegeta do likewise, and enter the capsule, looking at a long shaft going down. The land in a strange room, and a moment later, Shin lands as well.
"Oh, you decided to come along?" Goku asks.
"In spite of your stupidity, I can't abandon you," Shin says, "Unfortunately, we can't leave until we destroy Babidi."
"So what? We'll destroy the ship if we have to, can't be that hard," Vegeta says.
"No!" Shin yells, "That might waken Buu! He won't be at full strength, but he'll be more than enough to kill you and destroy this planet!"
Behind them, a door opens and a strange figure emerges, with another 'M' symbol on his forehead.
"Greetings," he says, "I am Pui-Pui. Master Babidi is on the bottom floor. To reach him you have to defeat me first...but that won't happen. This is the end of the line for you!"
The Saiyans only look at each other in disbelief.
***
Below, Babidi inserts the strange device into the massive egg. "Incredible, this is nearly half the energy we need! Perhaps I was too hasty with dealing with Tien and Chiaotzu. If I had known that they could get this much so quickly…"
"It doesn't matter. Those four should give us more than enough," Dabura says confidently.
"Assuming Pui-Pui doesn't kill them. Let's check in, shall we?" Babidi says, examining a crystal ball, but he frowns. "What?"
***
"Rock, papers, scissors, SHOOT!" The four say. Gohan and Raditz groan at their luck, while Goku and Vegeta go again.
"Rock, paper, scissors, SHOOT!" they say.
"Ha! Scissors cuts paper!" Vegeta says, looking at Pui-Pui. "You think I need to stretch, Kakarot?"
"What? You can't fight him alone!" Shin protests, but Vegeta only laughs.
"You think he's a threat? Watch and learn," he says, stepping forward.
"The Master warned me about you, but he didn't say you'd be such a fool."
"A fool?" Vegeta asks.
"Yes," Pui-Pui says, "Any damage you take will be converted to energy, furthering the Master's cause!"
"As if I'd take damage," Vegeta says, assuming a fighting a pose. Pui-Pui attacks, but Vegeta's simply too strong and too fast for him. Below, Babidi watches, surprised to see the strength that Vegeta has.
"A small miscalculation," Babidi says, "Say, wasn't Pui-Pui the champion on some world? What was it, Zoon?"
"I believe so," Dabura replies. Babidi smiles.
"Zoon it is!"
"What in the world?" Raditz says, looking around, finding himself no longer in the room he was once in.
"It's Babidi," Shin says, "He used his magic to take us somewhere where this warrior has an advantage."
"That's right!" Pui-Pui shouts, "I grew up here! This world has a gravity over ten times higher than that of your planet! You don't have a chance here!"
Vegeta stops and looks over at Raditz with a smirk, in a sign of genuine mutual humor between the two. "I guess I'm in real trouble now," Vegeta says blandly. He begins another assault, easily overcoming Pui-Pui, grabbing onto him.
"Before you die," Vegeta begins, "I just want you to know that I happen to train in three hundred times Earth's gravity."
"What?!" Pui-Pui says, but he's quickly blasted away by Vegeta. Vegeta dusts off his hands and turns to Shin. A gate below them opens up.
"Reminds me of a video game," Gohan says, jumping down. Raditz and Vegeta follow.
"Hey, you coming?" Goku yells over to Shin, who sighs as he follows. They find themselves in a similar room.
Back in the command center, Babidi looks at the crystal ball in confusion, "Strange, Earthlings shouldn't have this kind of power…"
"We still have three stages," Dabura says, "And should worse come to worse, I'm here. Who shall we send?"
"Yakon, I think" Babidi says.
"Already?"
"Yes, I think it's wise not to underestimate these particular Earthlings," Babidi says, "No sense rocking the boat."
Dabura nods and turns to a nearby minion, "You, have Yakon report to Stage 2 at once."
"I think we had more action at that stupid tournament," Vegeta says in disappointment. He turns to Shin, "You tell a good story, but this is hardly worth our time."
"Saving Earth is hardly worth your time?" Shin asks.
"Of course it is, but we could have easily handled Dabura as long as we avoided his spit," Vegeta says, "Your bodyguard or whatever he was was incompetent, that's all."
"What? Goku, is that true?" Shin asks, astonished.
"I'm afraid so," Goku says, "At this level, I'm not that worried. See, seven years ago we had to deal with this nasty guy named Cell. He's...kind of the reason I have this halo. But that's okay, because Gohan here was able to deal with him."
"I...I knew you Super Saiyans were strong, but this…" Shin says.
Goku looks at Raditz and Gohan, "I'm getting kinda bored myself. Do you two mind if I go next?"
"Knock yourself out, Kakarot," Raditz says. Let's just save the best for me, I can't wait to show you what I can do!
Gohan nods as well, and Goku yells out. "Hey, come on out already! I literally don't have all day!"
They watch as a nasty looking monster emerges. "Who shall I eat first?!" it demands.
"Me!" Goku says, sizing the beast up. Yakon attacks, with Goku barely dodging his attacks.
"Huh, wouldn't have guessed he would have been that fast," Gohan says.
"We must fight together to beat him!" Shin says.
"No," Raditz says, "Kakarot has this."
"Good work, Yakon!" Babidi's voice cries out over a speaker, "I knew I could count on you. Finish them up quickly, but save the Lord of Lords! I have something special planned for him! To speed things up, I'll even take you to your favorite place: The Dark Planet!"
Below, Dabura looks at Babidi, "Does he really need the darkness?"
"I doubt it, but if our ship is damaged, Buu might not be able to fight at his full strength."
"Ah, I see, excellent plan," Dabura replies.
"I can't see a damn thing!" Raditz says.
"No!" Yakon yells, "But I can see you!"
The monster attacks, but to his surprise, Goku easily dodges his attacks.
"What?!" Yakon yells.
"It's not that hard, we can feel the air currents from your movement. You'll never hit me," Goku says, "Besides, I have other ways I can see you."
Goku turns Super Saiyan, lighting up the area. Below, looking into his crystal ball, Babidi gasps.
"He's glowing! Dabura, have someone bring me the energy meter! The biggest we have!"
"See? Making it dark doesn't help you at all," Goku explains. Yakon smiles.
"Yes...yes, I do see," he says happily.
"Huh?" Goku asks.
"What?!" Babidi says examining the meter, "This has been properly calibrated, yes?"
Dabura nods, "I checked it myself."
"Oh, dear," Babidi says, "With power like this...Yakon's only at 800 kili! He doesn't have a hope!"
Above, Yakon opens his mouth and sucks in Goku's energy, making it dark again.
"What? Why's it dark again?!" Goku yells out.
"He eats energy, Goku!" Shin warns, "Your power from being a Super Saiyan is the perfect food for him!"
"You eat energy?" Goku asks, but only gets a huge belch from Yakon in response. Goku smiles. "Well, I can't blame you, the only thing better than a good fight is a good meal!"
He turns Super Saiyan again, and once more, Yakon begins sucking up his energy.
"What is he doing? Why don't you join in and help?!" Shin protests.
"Kakarot must have some kind of plan," Vegeta says, "If that's the case, you should stop bitching and trust him."
"No!" Babidi says, "If he takes all his energy, then what's the point?! We need it for Buu, not Yakon!"
Goku's energy continues to increase as electricity begins to crackle around him. Vegeta's eyes go wide.
You too, Kakarot? You have been training in the afterlife all.
The energy from Goku going Super Saiyan 2 causes Yakon to grotesquely swell, and eventually the monster explodes.
"Whew," Goku says as the room returns. He turns to Shin, returning to his normal state, "Thanks for the tip, I'm not sure how I could've gotten past him without it."
The gate opens on the floor, and they all continue.
"Enough," Dabura says, "We can no longer afford to underestimate them. I'll end this myself," Dabura says, "If this continued, them fighting me was inevitable."
"You're right," Babidi says, "However, you're my last and best weapon, Dabura. Do not fail!"
***
At the tournament, there's a commotion going as the officials try to make sense of everything.
"They all left, we should disqualify them! Even the winners!"
Impatiently, Nappa approaches the officials, "Hey, what's with the hold up?"
"Well...we ran out of fighters! Nothing like this happened before, we may just end the tournament with no winner!"
"What, you can't do that!" Nappa says. He thinks for a second, "I got an idea. Just put the four of against each other, like in wrestling. Same rules, but we'll settle this and give everyone a good show,"
"Well…" an official begins.
"Look pal," Nappa says, "This tournament is supposed to be in Son Goku's honor, right? Well, I happen to owe him a little debt, and I will be damned if it's sullied by some bullcrap technicality!"
"It is a good idea," the announcer says. The head official nods in approval.
17 and 18 stand watching, as Nappa makes his way back with a big grin on his face. The other remaining fighter, Jewel, approaches.
"This could be quite dangerous for a lady," he says, "Perhaps you should withdraw, you saw what that brute did to poor Videl. Perhaps after my victory we could have a drink?"
"She's married, you dick," 17 says sharply. Jewel gasps as 18 cracks a smile.
"Ladies and gentlemen," the announcer begins, "We have decided that all the competitors that have left the arena have forfeited their match. Therefore, to make sure we have a champion, the remaining four contestants will fight each other in a battle royal, with the order of elimination determining their purse. The rules will remain the same, however!"
"A battle royal? Nice thinking, Nappa," 18 says.
"Well, I try…" Nappa says.
In the stands, Ranch, Goten and Trunks all look surprised, "They get to fight each other? What a joke," Trunks says.
"Yeah, Nappa's strong, but I heard stories about those androids, there's no way he can win." Ranch says in agreement. She smiles, "I know, what do you say we go find our dads? I bet they're the ones having the real one fun."
"Yeah...we're Super Saiyans, what could hurt us?" Goten says eagerly. The three children sneak away without being noticed. Bulma, meanwhile, desperately keeps pushing buttons on her phone.
"Damnit, pick up, Gohan!" She says in frustration. Launch is doing likewise.
"I can't get through at all…" Maron says sadly, "What happened?"
"I don't know," Bulma begins, "But you can bet whatever it was, it's not good…"
***
In flight, the three Saiyan children come across Videl, doubling back.
"Hey, have you seen our dads?" Goten asks.
"What are you guys doing here? Gohan sent me back!" she says. Trunks and Goten look at each other.
"What? Why?" Trunks asks.
"He said it was too dangerous, something about a warlock and a djinn."
"What's a djinn?" Trunks asks.
"What's a warlock?" Goten asks.
"You blockheads," Ranch says, "A djinn is a genie, and warlock is like an evil wizard. Don't you guys read?"
Trunks and Goten look at each other in surprise, but then realize what Ranch said. "A genie?!" Trunks exclaims.
"I want to see that!" Goten says eagerly, turning Super Saiyan. "Come on, we can go really fast like this!"
Ranch and Trunks do likewise, and take off in the direction Videl was returning from. She only sighs and shakes her head. Well, if they're anything like Gohan...and they are, they should be fine…
***
On the third stage, a door opens. Shin and the Saiyans watch as Dabura emerges.
"You've done well...but this is truly the end for you," he says to them. "Now, come at me...all of you!"
"All of us?" Raditz asks, "I think not. No, Dabura, you shall be facing me."
"Gohan, are you okay with that?" Goku asks.
"It's fine, Dad, I'm sure Uncle Raditz can handle him."
"Handle me?" Dabura says, "How quaint."
"Give me one moment, Dabura," Raditz says, tossing out a small capsule. He walks over to it, revealing his battle vest. He puts it on. "It's not quite a fight without this."
"I can respect that," Dabura says.
"Tell me, are you going to use that nasty little trick with your spit?" Raditz says, cracking his fingers, but Dabura says nothing. Raditz adjusts his footing, taking on the familiar stance.
"Now, watch this, Kakarot!" he says, and gives out a massive yell as he begins powering up. The room begins to shake violently as Raditz's energy grows.
No… Vegeta thinks, realizing what's happening. Lightning begins to crackle around Raditz as he yells even more, until finally it peaks. Raditz stands, smiling wickedly at Dabura, having ascended beyond Super Saiyan.
"What do you think, Kakarot? Impressed?" he asks.
"Oh yeah, well done, Raditz!" Goku says.
"Just wait!" Raditz says, attacking Dabura. The room quickly changes to that of the Demon Realm, but for Raditz and Dabura, it makes no difference as Raditz is able to easily hold his own against the King of the Demons. Shin watches in awe as Raditz slowly gains the upper hand, while Vegeta watches with disdain.
This can't be happening, only Buu should be stronger than Dabura! Babidi thinks.
Dabura's frustration grows as the fight continues, having to resort to his saliva, but Raditz quickly dodges, and then rushes and begins pounding on Dabura with a Dynamite Monday. The Demon King is thrown to the ground, and Raditz stands over him, as energy begins to glow in both his hands.
"Now...BE GONE!" Raditz yells, letting loose with a double Shining Friday. Goku smiles as Dabura is destroyed.
No! Babidi thinks, Damnit damnit damnit! We were so close! I WAS THIS CLOSE!
Frantically, the warlock looks at his crystal.
***
In the four corners of the ring stand Nappa, Jewel, 17 and 18. The referee watches them, and then yells out: "Begin!"
The crowd cheers as 18 immediately goes after Jewel, hitting him with a solid kick to the face, knocking the pretty boy out of the arena in record time. The two androids then look at each other, while Nappa chuckles nervously.
"We can deal with Nappa later," 18 says.
"You're right, you're the biggest obstacle between me and that prize money," 17 responds. The two then ascend to the sky and begin going all out against each other, while Nappa only watches.
Alright, Nappa, he thinks, Just let these two take care of each other, then you only have to eliminate one. If I play my cards right...it shouldn't be too hard. I don't have to hurt them, just get them out of the damn ring…
The crowd cheers at the display of contact the two androids give, with neither gaining the upper hand, being nearly evenly matched. Eventually, their both land back on the ring, still continuing their battle while the announcer goes nuts with the action, with both getting dangerously close to the edge of the ring,
Now's my chance! Nappa thinks, and begins powering up. Neither one notice, until they only hear two words being yelled by Nappa.
"MURDER GRENADE!" he shouts, sending a massive purple ball of energy right towards them. The two androids turn, but it's too late as it erupts, knocking them both out of the arena. They stand up unharmed, but have angry looks on their faces.
"...Amazing!" the announcer yells, "17 and 18 have both been eliminated, which means the winner, and champion of the 1st Son Goku Memorial World Martial Arts Tournament is none other than Nappa!"
"Yeah!" Nappa says, posing and ripping off his shirt. He flexes and cups his ear to the delight of the crowd.
"Well...at least he won the crowd," 17 says.
"Five million zeni is still a lot," 18 says, looking at her brother. 17 realizes something.
"Hey, which one of us do you think got knocked out first?" he asks. 18 shrugs. "Tell you what, sis: How about we just split the third and second place prizes?"
"That's fine by me," she says.
In the stands, Yamcha laughs and cheers for his friend, "Wow, you know, when I heard who was entering, I never thought Nappa would be the one standing at the end."
"He's come quite a long way, hasn't he?" Master Roshi asks. They watch as Mr. Satan enters the ring, handing Nappa a title belt, a large trophy (complete with Goku in a fighting pose), and a large oversized check, which he proudly hoists above his head.
***
The third stage reverts back to the familiar room on Babidi's spaceship, while Raditz reverts to his normal state. Shin can't believe what he just saw, while Vegeta is fuming. Raditz laughs.
"I took on a Demon King and won!" he exclaims.
"Big deal," Vegeta says, "I could have had him down in half the time."
"Oh?" Raditz says, "I don't see you turning into an ascended Super Saiyan! I think I will have that match now, Vegeta!"
Goku, Gohan and Shin can only watch as the two begin to shout at each other.
"I was the one to step up to face him, you stood there and said nothing!" Raditz yells, "All you did was fight that little twerp, and you really tired after all!"
The argument continues, but down below, Babidi smiles.
That one that defeated Dabura is pure, in spite of his temper….but the one that fought Pui-Pui. And what's this...one small hint in the heart of the one that didn't fight. Excellent...the warlock thinks.
Suddenly, Vegeta falls to his knees, grabbing his head, yelling in pain.
"What? What's happening?" Goku asks, approaching Vegeta. Shin's eyes go wide.
"It's Babidi! He's trying to control you, Vegeta! Fight it! Empty your mind!"
"Shut up!" Vegeta screams, as he turns Super Saiyan. He continues to yell in pain.
Now...to unleash your latent powers, Babidi thinks as he grins. Vegeta yells out one last time, and stands, with the same mark that Tien and the other had now on his forehead. Goku gasps. And now...the perfect place for your battle…
The Z-Fighters finds themselves transported back into the ring, looking around in surprise.
"What the hell?" Yamcha says. In the ring, Nappa's jaw drops in surprise, grabbing the check and high-tailing it out of the ring. 17 and 18 look at each other, realizing things are about to go down.
And now...the other one, Babidi thinks to himself. Suddenly, Gohan grabs his head, much like Vegeta did.
"No, Gohan, not you too!" Goku says, grabbing his son, "Fight it! I know you can!"
"I'm trying, Dad!" Gohan yells out in pain, "Help me!"
It's no use resisting. You are both mine now!
Gohan screams in agony while his father and uncle can only watch in horror, but finally, Gohan stands, with a Maijin mark on his forehead. He looks at his father with utter malice.
"Oh no," Shin says, "...no, no no…"
Both of you...take their energy, and then kill them! Babidi orders.
"Shut up, you old fool!" Vegeta snaps, "It's Raditz I want, I don't care about the rest!"
Raditz looks at Vegeta, and clenches his fist.
"No, Vegeta, that's just what he wants!" Goku pleads.
"Stay out of it, Goku," Gohan says, stepping in front of his father, "You're dealing with me."
"Gohan...please! I don't want to fight you!"
"You left us alone!" Gohan yells, "Always a bigger fish! Seven years you left me and mom alone, even with another kid, just so you could get stronger! You're pathetic!"
Goku can't believe what he's hearing from his son. "Gohan, you know that's not true!"
"You threw me to Cell like a piece of meat being thrown to the wolves!" Gohan snaps.
"Babidi, leave Gohan out of this, take me instead!" Goku says.
"Forget it. You always knew I would be stronger than you, well, here I am Goku. Let's see how good you are, old man,"
"Gohan, stop it!" Raditz says, "Your father loves you, he only wants the best for all of us! He had to die to save this planet! He died saving all of us!"
"Come on!" Vegeta yells, holding out his hand, "Fight me, you coward!"
He fires a Big Bang attack into the stands, causing a massive explosion. Maron, on the other side of the arena, gasps in complete shock, while the spectators begin to flee in a mass panic.
"Vegeta...why?!" she says as tears form in her eyes.
"That's not like Vegeta at all! Sure, he's a jerk, but he's not a murderer!" Yamcha says in disbelief. Master Roshi adjusts his sunglasses.
"Wait...look at him! That mark on his forehead! I can't quite tell, but it's the same one Tien and Chiaotzu had!" Roshi exclaims.
"Some kind of mind control?" Bulma asks, but Roshi is silent as he observes. Nappa lands next to them.
"Alright folks, I think it's time we got the hell out of Dodge," he says, grabbing Bulma. "Yamcha, give me a hand here!"
"Right," Yamcha says, grabbing Launch (who's holding Daikon and Muuli, both crying) and Maron.
"Get them out of here, I'll catch up later!" Master Roshi says.
"Hey, what about us?" Oolong asks, with Puar next to them. Master Roshi holds up a capsule.
"All we gotta do is get outside, now let's move!"
"Do I have to do it again, Raditz? Maybe this time I'll hit your family," Vegeta says, pointing at one of the remaining sides of the arena.
"Don't do it!" Raditz yells, "You win, okay? I'll fight you, Vegeta!"
"If you do that, you have to fight me first!" Shin says, stepping forward, but he relents when he sees the look in Raditz's eyes.
"Gohan...don't make me do this," Goku says, but Gohan only stares at his father. Goku realizes he has no choice: He's going to have to fight is own child. "Alright, Babidi, fine. Just...take us somewhere where there's no people around!"
Suddenly, they find themselves in a familiar place, with a large crater in the ground: 28 KS Point 5.
"Boy, you mind your business," Vegeta says to Gohan.
"As long as you mind yours," Gohan says.
Goku and Raditz look at one another, and give each other a nod. Raditz yells out, reaching Super Saiyan 2, as does Goku.
"This ends now, Vegeta!" Raditz yells out.
"And so will you," Vegeta says calmly.
***
In the sky, the three Saiyan children stop.
"Hey, do you feel that?" Trunks says. Ranch nods.
"That's our dads...but it's coming from that direction!" she says, pointing.
"We better hurry!" Goten says, taking off. The three children go all out, flying at top speed towards the fabled battleground that they only knew from old videos and stories from their families.
"Isn't it wonderful, Goku?" Gohan cries out, "It's where I killed Cell...it's where you died...and where you'll die again."
"Gohan...the only fight you have is the one with whatever Babidi's doing! Please, I love you, just stop this madness!"
Goku's pleas as are answered as Gohan rushes his father. Meanwhile, the battle between Vegeta and Raditz picks up, with Vegeta turning Super Saiyan 2 right in the middle of the fight, no yelling or screaming. Raditz does what he can, but Vegeta quickly overwhelms him.
"THIS IS HOW IT SHOULD HAVE ALWAYS BEEN!" Vegeta yells, sending off a barrage of ki blasts, "I AM A PRINCE, YOU ARE THE UNDERLING! LOOK WHAT BOTH OF YOU TURNED ME INTO!"
The fight between the four Saiyans continues. Raditz fights back with everything he has, but he soon realizes that he's being outclassed by Vegeta, in spite of both having the power of Super Saiyan 2 at their disposal.
"And what did 'we' turn you into?!" Raditz yells backs, "A proud father, a warrior stronger than you ever dreamed possible!"
"YOU MADE ME SOFT!" Vegeta yells, letting out another Big Bang Attack. Goku, on the other hand, is having an easier time with Gohan, with his superior years of experience being the one advantage he has over his son in an otherwise even match.
"You're right, Gohan, I did have to leave, but it was the only way to save all of you! If I hadn't, you, your mother, Goten...none of them would be here! Fight it!" Goku yells as he dodges Gohan's blows.
"Enough of this!" Gohan yells, pulling his hands back, "Goodbye, Goku! KA….ME…."
Goku realizes what his son his doing, and pulls his hands back as well, beginning his own Kamehameha. The two waves meet, and Goku is surprised at the force of Gohan's Kamehameha.
"Soft?! Be serious, Vegeta! The only one holding yourself back was you! I trained to become stronger, not to show you up, but because I wanted it for me!" Raditz yells, "You, what did you do? You made yourself, a prince, a slave for more power, dooming everyone, including your wife and child, to die to that very power! Where's your stupid pride now?!"
Vegeta stops for a moment, realizing what Raditz is saying.
Gohan's stronger than ever, Goku thinks, That power from Babidi...it's just too much!
Suddenly, Shin realizes the situation he's in. "Oh no...Babidi!" he says. He looks and Goku and yells, "I'm sorry, Goku...I have to stop Babidi before it's too late!"
Goku turns and gives a slight nod, and Shin disappears.
Vegeta yells in rage, "All I wanted was to be the Prince I was before! I wanted to be a proud, cold-blooded Saiyan warrior who didn't care about anything but besting you and Kakarot! But I woke up...I had a wife, a son...and I grew comfortable with this peace and serenity. It didn't feel terrible at all! Surrendering to Babidi is but a small price I was willing to pay if it meant I could be the old Vegeta again! And now, I've never felt better!"
"That's a lie, and you know it, Vegeta!" Raditz yells.
"Dad…" Gohan yells out in pain, "Dad...please help me!"
Goku smiles as he struggles to continue his Kamehameha. "Yes….come on Gohan, do it!"
"Dad….kill me, it's the only way!"
"What? No, Gohan! Just let go!"
"He's….he's slipping away!" Gohan says, letting go of his Kamehameha. He falls to the ground, unconscious, as Goku watches, breathing deeply. He lands by his son.
At the check-in station, a group of ogres struggle as Dabura tries to break free. King Yemma only watches at his desk and smiles.
"Well, I never thought I'd see this day," he says with glee.
"Send me to Hell and be done with it!" Dabura yells.
"Nope," King Yemma says, "You see, it's my job to determine the right punishment for folks like you. Sending a demon to Hell...I hardly think that's a punishment. Tell me, Dabura, what's the one place a guy like you would never want to go?"
Dabura stops struggling and looks at King Yemma. He realizes what the ogre king is thinking. "No," he says.
"Yep! Heaven's a nice place this time of year!" Yemma says, banging his gavel.
Outside his spaceship, Babidi laughs as he watches the huge egg begin to pulse terrible as Shin arrives. Babidi turns to the Supreme Kai.
"Well, if isn't the little murderer! At last we meet!" Babidi says, "You're too late! Soon that idiot Vegeta will have given me enough power and Buu will be released!"
"Not if I stop you first!" Shin yells, but just as he says that, steam begins to erupt from the egg.
"Oh, oh, it's starting!" Babidi says.
"What? No!" Shin says in horror as the egg splits evenly in two.
"Ha ha ha, it's time for Maijin Buu!" Babidi exclaims, but to his surprise, and much to Shin's relief, the egg is empty.
"...what? No...I don't get it…" Babidi says.
Shin laughs as smoke clears from the egg. "Wow...and here I was worried about nothing all this time! Looks like you pumped Maijin Buu with too much energy. Your plan is over, Babidi!"
Babidi hangs his head as tears swell out of his eye. Shin laughs even harder.
"And now the mighty Babidi is crying like a child! Now, to finish what I started all those years ago!"
But in the sky above, the smoke from the egg begins to concentrate in a pinkish mass. Shin and Babidi watch. Shin's formerly happy expression changes to one of terror as it forms into a humanoid creature, one that's fat with a happy expression on his face.
"BUU!" it yells out in a high pitched voice.
We're finished, Shin thinks.
The Supreme Kai's plan to stop Babidi has failed, and now the creature that once terrified the entire universe, Majin Buu, has been unleashed. Meanwhile, Vegeta and Raditz continue their battle, which they both know only one of them will walk away from, only to meet an even more horrible fate at the hands of Majin Buu. With time running out for Son Goku, and Gohan near death, is this truly the end for the Z-Fighters and the planet Earth? Find out in the next exciting chapter of Dragon Ball C: The Ultimate Warriors / The Final Decisive Battle!
AFTERTHOUGHT
Well then. This one was pretty fun to write, just like the last chapter with the Cell Games. I loved it. We go from the happy, budding romance of Gohan and Videl, to shit just completely hitting the fan by the end.
I originally had the idea of Gohan turning into a complete delinquent, with him being a bit of a biker and whatnot, but I figured after the death of Goku, Gohan would get back on the path of good. Ever since the part where the Androids showed up, I had the idea for Maijin Gohan and Maijin Vegeta coming forth, and with Maijin Tien and Maijin Chiaotzu showing up from the beginning. I really wanted to show that there was some part of Gohan that wasn't as pure as it seems, with the hint of the Nimbus not allowing him on being the big hint that something was not right with Gohan. Since Babidi only needs a small amount of evil to work with...there we go. Of course, I'm not fine with Goku killing his son, so...yeah, we'll just say Babidi's control slipped; I imagine trying to control both him and Vegeta, while at the time creaming his pants over Buu being released provided just enough of a window to let Gohan break free.
Once nice thing (if you can say that about a broken neck, that is) with the Videl/Tien fight was that Tien is much more honorable, and wasn't needlessly cruel, unlike the original where Spopovich just wrecked her in a brutal fashion. We get it, his strength has been amplified, no need to turn Videl into his personal punching bag.
There were some tricky parts, such as Raditz actually killing Dabura, unlike the original where Dabura retreated, but I don't think it'll affect the story too much. Instead of Dabura sensing Vegeta's evil, the argument that followed (and Babidi's observation) is what pushed Vegeta over the edge.
I also wanted to include 17 more in the swing of things, but not totally committed to the cause of the Z-Fighters. I mean, yeah, he's off being a park ranger, and in spite of how cool it was, I just didn't like in Super how here, you had someone that strong that was just...absent. So, I threw him in, deciding to let him and 18 duke it out when the battle royal came. Nappa winning was a bone to throw to the big guy, since he finally gets to do something cool and meaningful, especially at a time in the story where anybody that's not a Super Saiyan really can't do much in terms of fighting.
Anyway, we still have one chapter to go and then we're wrapping up Z. And in case you are wondering, yes, I fully plan on covering Dragon Ball Super as well, at least as far as as it's gone right now; might be a while between update. Any questions, just let me know, I'm always happy to answer them. Until next time.
