A/N: Hello again and thank you to those who are still reading this. I love dragon ball z but I also think that Dragonball had a ton of good things in it too. For example, grandpa Gohan fighting Goku in disguise to help him grow as a warrior. My thought process went pretty much along those lines as far as motivation for Goku being in disguise. This one picks up right where I left off. It should get more fun at the end, at least In my opinion. Thank you X3runner for your suggestions, they gave me a great idea for the next arc after this one.
Disclaimer: I do not own Dragonball Z
Chapter 32: Reunion
"Dad…" Gohan looked at his father with tears starting to form in his eyes. The man was just grinning goofily up at his son. "Dad! It really is you!" He jumped off the stage and crossed the distance between them in an instant, embracing Goku in a bear hug. The crowd looked on and, while they didn't quite understand the entire situation, they could tell that this was a heartwarming reunion between a son and his father. They began to clap and cheer as their hero embraced his long-lost father.
"Woah, easy son." Goku breathed out as his teenage son was crushing him with his show of love.
"Dad, I've missed you so much! What are you doing here!? Did you come back to life? What's the deal with the dumb mask?" Gohan hit Goku with question after question while Goku was turning blue from his son's bone crushing hug.
"Gohan…" He wheezed out. "Need… Air…" Gohan finally released him, feeling slightly sheepish, but his embarrassment couldn't overshadow his excitement. "Sorry, I just can't believe it's really you!" Goku went back to normal color and he put his hand on his son's shoulder with a smile. "I can't believe how big you've gotten!" The last time Goku saw his son, he was an eleven-year-old boy, who barely came up to his chest. He was even shorter than Chichi. Now, Gohan was 14 and he was already almost as tall as Goku, coming up to just over his chin. "And that's not the only thing that's grown. Your strength is incredible!"
Gohan sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it has been a few years. I had to train so that I could keep the earth safe. Just trying to make you proud, ya know?"
"And I am son. I am so proud of you and all you've done. But hey, let's take this back to the waiting area. I'm sure they want to keep this tournament going." He led Gohan back to where the rest of the Z fighters were waiting. "I'd rather not talk in front of all these people. Besides, they usually have food at these things, and I'm starved!" Gohan couldn't help but laugh at his father's appetite. It was good to see that he was the same old Goku as before.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" The announcer yelled. "Round one has concluded with a victory for the Gold fighter in more ways than one! Not only has he beaten his opponent, earning the right to advance to the next round. He has also reunited with his father after years of separation! What a development!"
"Now that the first round is over, we will be taking a short one hour break to allow the fighters time to prepare for round two. Please use this time to use the facilities and visit our concessions stand to buy some refreshments. In addition to our usual fare, we also have a brand-new special treat for you, courtesy of Dragon Bakery Z!"
"Oh man! I love that place!"
"Yeah, me too! Their red velvet is to die for!"
"Let's hurry before they're sold out!"
A mass exodus of spectators left their seats to get a taste of Zangya's delicious confectionaries. 18 saw this and made a comment to her friend. "Good thing you decided to sell your stuff here Z. Looks like you're gonna make a fortune."
"Who cares about that right now!" Zangya certainly wasn't in the mood to pay mind to her potential revenue. "Didn't you see what just happened! That's Gohan's dad, 18! His dead, not alive father!" Zangya was somewhere between celebrating on behalf of Gohan and freaking out that a dead guy was here. "Why is nobody else surprised at this!? Unless…" She turned around and looked accusingly at the other Z fighters. "Ok, which one of you used the Dragon balls without telling us?"
"Sorry, but no dragon balls were involved this time." Zangya turned around to see Goku standing behind her, with his arm around Gohan. The boy was smiling ear to ear, clearly happy with the developments of the day. Goku took his arm off of his son and extended it to Zangya. "Hi, you must be Zangya."
"Oh, um… Hi Mr. Son. Uh, how do you know my name?" Zangya returned the handshake. For some reason, she felt nervous around Gohan's father.
"Oh, sorry!" Goku said then in a hushed voice said. "I didn't know it was still a secret. Sorry 'Red Z girl." Zangya blinked and then started to laugh. Goku soon joined her then explained. "I've heard you guys talking and that Broly guy yelled it when you were in the ring."
"Oh, that makes sense… so should I call you Mr. Son, or the great saiyaman?"
"Just call me Goku." Goku replied "After all, your practically family." Zangya blushed. Goku then looked slyly at his son. "So, how much longer until she's actually family eh, Gohan?"
This caused Gohan to go completely red and Zangya blushed even harder at the insinuation. This earned a laugh from everyone else at there expense. When the laughter died down, Krillin spoke. "Wow, This, is amazing, I can't believe you're really back Goku! How'd you do it? Was it the namekian dragon?"
Goku shook his head. "I already told you, it wasn't the dragon balls."
"But then how did you come back to life!?" Krillin demanded of his friend.
"Well, that's the thing. I didn't. I'm still dead."
"WHAT!?" Everyone shouted, except for 18, who still looked pretty surprised, for her.
"Yup. Still dead. See the halo?" Goku pointed to the golden ring above his head. Gohan and Krillins expressions fell. "So then… You're not here to stay?" Gohan quickly deduced with a sad face.
"Hey now, no need to mope." Goku put a comforting hand on his son and friend's shoulder. "It's true that I'll only be here for a short while, but that just means we need to make the most of it, right?"
Gohan brightened up. "Yeah, I guess you're right!"
"Ohoh man, Goku, I have so much to tell you!" Krillin said excitedly.
"Wait a minute." Piccolo interjected. "If you're not alive, then what are you doing here? Surely they wouldn't have let you come from other world just for a tournament?" Piccolo, thanks to absorbing Kami, had some knowledge of how things on the other side worked. It seemed odd that Goku was here at all. If he was here for the tournament, why hadn't he told any of them before hand? And what was the deal with the other two guys with Goku? It all just seemed too weird.
Goku was about to respond when the most terrifying bellow was heard from the far side entrance. "WHERE IS HE! THAT SON OF A… I'LL KILL HIM! LEAVE HIS WIFE AND TWO SONS! OUTTA MY WAY PUNK!"
"Ma'am, you can't go in there! Only tournament participants are allowed past this point!" A brave and foolish official seemed to be keeping the terror at bay. Not a moment later, a high-pitch girly scream was heard. "KYAAAAAAA!" Shortly after, the doors burst open, revealing a very angry Chichi, dragging an unconscious monk behind her. She looked around the room and saw the Z fighters. She tossed the official aside and marched toward the group. Zangya and Gohan saw this and started frantically trying to hide behind each other to avoid the woman's wrath.
"SELFISH, IRRESPONSIBLE, ONE-TRACK MINDED!" Goku, oblivious as usual and happy to see his wife, stepped forward to greet her with arms open wide.
"Chichi! I…" *SLAP* "Woah, go earth mom." Zangya whispered from behind Gohan, happy that the wrath was not aimed at her. Goku reeled back with tears of pain in his eyes and a big red handprint on his cheek. "OW! Chichi…"
"DON'T YOU CHICHI ME! JUST WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, HUH!? WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE!?"
"Oh no! Chichi, have you forgotten me! It's me, Go…"
"I KNOW EXACTY WHO YOU ARE! YOU'RE THE WORTHLESS BUM WHO LEAVES HIS FAMILY BEHIND TO GO ON ADVENTURES! THE GUY WHO PUTS FIGHTING AHEAD OF HIS OWN FAMILY! WHO DIED FROM SOME STUPID TOURNAMENT AND DOESN'T THINK TO CALL ONCE, EVEN THOUGH HE IS FULLY CAPABLE! WHAT, WAS KING KAI OUT OF ORDER!?" Tears started to form in her eyes as she continued her tirade.
"YOU DIDN'T EVEN CALL! NOT ON HOLIDAYS, NOT ON OUR ANNIVERSARY! NOT EVEN WHEN OUR SON WAS BORN! OVER THREE YEARS GOKU! THREE YEARS YOU'VE BEEN DEAD AND I'VE HAD TO LIVE WITH THAT! I'VE HAD TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT YOU WEREN'T COMING BACK THIS TIME!" Tears were falling freely down Chichi's face now.
"I HAD TO RAISE OUR SONS WITHOUT YOU! HAD TO DEAL WITH GOTEN GROWING UP ASKING WHERE HIS DADDY WAS! AND NOW YOU COME BACK AND IT'S FOR A STUPID TOURNAMENT!? YOU DON'T EVEN BOTHER TO STOP BY AND SAY HELLO! IS THAT WHAT THE DISGUISE WAS FOR!? HUH!? SO, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO SEE YOUR FAMILY!? DO YOU HATE US THAT MUCH!?"
"Chichi it isn't like that!" Goku tried to defend himself, but Chichi wasn't having it.
"THEN WHAT IS IT LIKE GOKU!? TELL ME!? YOU KNOW WHAT!? I DON'T EVEN CARE ANYMORE! YOU AREN'T WORTH IT! WE'VE GONE THREE YEARS WITHOUT YOU AND WE DON'T NEED A STUPID!" She pounded a fist on his chest. "SELFISH! GLUTTUNOUS! UNEMPLOYED!" With each new insult, she pounded another fist on Goku's chest. The other Z fighter's didn't know what to do, so they just stood off to the side, watching as Goku was attacked, verbally and physically, by his wife. "LOUSY! I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!" When she ran out of insults, she started pounding even harder, repeating those words. Goku didn't have the heart to stop her. "I HATE YOU! I…I…" The beatings stopped abruptly as Chichi buried her face in Goku's chest and started sobbing. "I love you, you stupid jerk!" She choked through her tears. "Why did you have to leave us like that!?" Goku put his arms around her and held her close. "Why? Why did you leave me? I missed you so much."
"I missed you too Chichi." He said softly. The couple just stayed like that with Chichi sobbing into his chest. Goku rested his head on his wife's
Zangya used her palm to wipe a tear out of her eye and sniffled. "Gohan?" *Sniff*.
"Yeah?" Gohan replied, dumbfounded, not really knowing how to react to the scene.
"Don't ever die on me, ok?" Gohan quickly turned his head to look at Zangya. Her eyes were fixed on the woman she admired like a mother and her husband. Gohan turned his attention back to his parents and smiled.
"I won't Zangya. I promise."
Break
A few minutes passed when Chichi was finally able to collect herself. She pulled away from him and looked up with a teary, yet stern gaze. "I'm still mad at you." She said as she wiped her tears away.
"I know." Goku replied. "I really am sorry Chichi." Goku might be dense, but he did love his family. It broke his heart to hear Chichi say those things. Not because he thought that she actually meant it. He just hated that he caused her so much pain.
Chichi sniffed and turned around. "I'm not the only one you need to apologize to." She nodded to point towards the door and Goku looked. For the first time, he saw a little face with spikey hair peaking around the corner.
"Hey? There's a little me over there. Is… Is that who I think it is?" He let go of his wife and started walking toward Goten, who hid his face, leaving only his hair protruding out. Goku peeked around the corner to see Goten hiding and he smiled. Kneeling down, he greeted his younger son. "Hey there little guy."
Goten peeked out, not sure how to react to finally meeting the man that he had been shown so many pictures of. "Goten." Chichi walked up to the pair with folded arms. "Say hello to your father."
"D-daddy?" Goku nodded with a big smile. "DADDY!" He ran into his fathers open arms and hugged his father for the first time. Goku picked him up. "Woah little guy! You're a strong one aren't you?" It was hard to tell who was more excited, Goten or Goku. "H-here you go," he held him up even higher. "You wanna be an airplane?"
"Yeah! Hahaha!" Goten giggled with glee as his father flew him around, making airplane sounds. Chichi saw this and, despite herself, found it incredibly hard to stay mad at her husband. Everyone else smiled, both warmed at the display and relieved that Chichi was finally done screaming. Well, everyone except Vegeta. The Saiyan prince had just finished processing that his biggest rival had returned when he walked up to Goku, holding no qualms about interrupting his father son time.
"Well, Kakarot, I see that you found an opponent who's more of a match for you. How embarrassing it must be to be outstripped by your older son." He sneered, hoping to get a rise out of his old rival.
Goku put Goten on his shoulders and laughed. "Yeah, Gohan has gotten pretty strong. Not that I need to tell you that. I mean, he did beat you when he was a toddler after all." Goku fired back good naturedly.
"WHAT! No, he did not! What on earth are you talking about!? Your brat never beat me!" Vegeta was furious at the claim.
"Well," continued Goku. "I seem to remember a spirit bomb being sent your way by Gohan when you first came to earth."
"THAT…" Vegeta started to argue, but Goku continued. "And wasn't it a giant monkey-fied Gohan who finished you off by sitting you into submission?" The look on Vegetas face was priceless and the only thing that stopped Krillin from bursting out laughing was that he fought Vegeta in the next round.
"THAT IS NOT HOW IT HAPPENED, KAKAROT!" Vegeta yelled with a red face. It was at this point that a certain Hera girl stepped between the two saiyans with her arms behind her back. "So, two things." She looked at Vegeta. "Why do you keep calling him Kakarot? I thought his name was Goku. Second," She turned to Goku. "What's this about a monkey-fied Gohan sitting on Vegeta?"
"Yeah, I'd like to hear that one myself." 18 said walking over.
"I second that." Piccolo joined in.
Vegeta was apoplectic. "LISTEN! THAT IS NOT WHAT HAPPENED!" He turned to Zangya "And I call him Kakarot because that's Kakarots' name! Not 'Goku' but Kakarot!"
"Kakarot?" Zangya questioned.
"Kakarot!" Vegeta confirmed.
"KAKAROOOT!" Came an earth shaking scream from the stands, making everyone freeze.
Out in the stands, Broly was red faced from embarrassment with his hand over his mouth. Bulma took her hands off of her ears and looked at Broly with disbelief. "What was that about?"
"I am so sorry! I don't know what came over me. It just came out…" Broly explained embarrassed at his outburst.
"Well, just don't keep screaming it, ok? That would just be annoying. Like a roid raged Vegeta."
Broly nodded his head in agreement.
Back in the waiting room, Goku and his friends were getting over whatever just happened. Shin and Kibito came walking up to the group and bowed. "Greetings. I am glad that you have reunited with your friends and family Goku." Shin said.
"Oh, thanks Shin. Hey, is it alright if I hang out with them for a little bit? It's been a while ya know?" Goku asked while putting his arm around Chichi.
Shin nodded. "Of course. We will see you again when the second round starts. Enjoy yourself Goku. Just don't forget that we have a job to do." He finished cryptically and left.
"Dad?" Gohan asked, "What did he mean by that? What job? Who are those guys anyway?"
"Oh, them? Nobody, just some kaisGUYS… I meant guys. Who I know in other world."
"Right." Piccolo said with an eyeroll. "Then where are their halos?"
"Oh, that. Um…" Goku was save, yet again, from having to explain himself when a thunderous roar echoed through the chamber.
"Goku… Was that your stomach?" Krillin asked
"Ahahaha! Yeah, Man am I starved! Hey, why don't we finish catching up over some chow?" The carefree saiyan suggested.
"Hmph, for once, you have a good idea, Kakarot." Vegeta said then led the way out of the room to where the food was. Chichi and Krillin followed suit.
"Hey, 18." Zangya said to her friend. "I just realized why Chichi likes carrots so much."
18 chuckled and the two followed the others. Gohan was about to follow them when Piccolo put a hand out to stop him. Gohan looked at his mentor who said "You know he's hiding something right?" Gohan nodded. "Yeah, I noticed that too." He looked at the back of his father who was talking excitedly with his little brother. "Dad always has a good reason for what he does. I'm sure this time is no different."
Piccolo eyed his student. "Maybe. But that doesn't mean we can relax. Something big is about to happen. I can feel it." He turned his attention toward Shin and Kibito. Gohan nodded. "Yeah, me too, but all we can do now is keep on the alert. For now, let's just enjoy the fact that my dad's here. Who knows how long it will last?" Gohan ran to catch up with the rest of the group, leaving Piccolo slightly wary. He didn't want to ruin his young friends limited time with his father, but he also was aware of a great danger on the not-too-distant future. However, for now, Gohan was right. All they could do now is stay on their guard. With that thought, he too, followed his friends.
Videl, flanked by her two companions, watched these events from her corner. Seeing the Gold fighter happy, brought her nothing but disgust. She glared at their backs as they left the room. Yamu tapped her shoulder and she quickly turned a menacing stare on him. "What!" She spat.
"We need to get the energy quick. Master Babidi will not like that we're taking so long."
"We need to get as much energy as possible." She explained angrily. "We only have one shot and Master Babidi won't want us to fail."
"We had the chance earlier when the green man fought t and the short one became glowing." Spopovitched put in.
"I told you idiots that he wasn't the one. We're after a much bigger prize."
"Master wont like that you've jeopardized the mission just to satisfy your petty grudge." Yamu argued. Videl looked at him fiercely then reached out and grabbed his throat. "Master Babidi put me in charge of this mission. I make the calls. Question me again, and I will ensure that even master's magic won't save you. do you understand!?" Yamu nodded and Videl tossed him to the ground.
"But what happens if we fail? What if this guy doesn't have enough energy? Master will get mad." Spopovitch asked dumbly. Videl scowled at him and he recoiled. "Tch, let me worry about that. Everything will go perfectly. Trust me."
Break
All around the dining area, People looked on in fascination and disgust as they saw three saiyans devour everything in sight at an alarming rate. Bowl after bowl were emptied. Mountains of dishes piled up as the staff couldn't take them away fast enough.
"Omnomnom. Wow, this food is even better than I remember!" Goku said with a mouth full of meat. Goten was sitting on his lap, trying to imitate his fathers voracious eating habits. Chichi sat beside him and cut her youngest sons food patiently.
"Hey dad" Gohan said between mouthfuls. "We're outta pasta."
"SCUSE ME!? MORE SPAGHETTI PLEASE!" Goku yelled to a waiter.
"AND BRING SOME EGGROLLS WHILE YOU'RE AT IT!" Vegeta added.
Zangya watched in awe as she saw the three demolish the food in front of them. She had seen Gohan eat like this, but to see three saiyans eating at the same time was amazing. It was almost like going to the zoo and seeing an endangered species, only more nauseating than a panda. Zangya wasn't the only one who couldn't look away from this train wreck. 18, Piccolo and Krillin all watched with faces of disgust as the gorging continued.
"I've always wondered this, but don't you get sick eating so much before a match?" Zangya asked the trio. They looked at her as though she was crazy. Vegeta slurped up the last of his noodles and answered. "The Saiyan race has evolved for the sole purpose of battle. There's no way one of us would get a stomachache."
"Vegeta's right Zangya." Gohan added. "It's like putting fuel in a ship. You gotta run on something."
"Hew!" Goku exhaled. "Speak for yourself Vegeta. I'm lucky Gohan knocked me out of the ring, Otherwise I'd be toast if I had to compete right now."
"Hey Goku." Krillin asked his friend. "Why did you fight in disguise? I was just curious."
Goku thought about it. "Well, I guess I just wanted to see how strong Gohan was without him having to hold back because he thought it was me." He started laughing. "Ha, shows what I know, Gohan didn't even have to go all out."
"Well yeah, but neither did you dad." Protested Gohan. Goku was about to respond when he was cut off by an announcement.
"Will the contestants please return to the waiting area. We are about to start the second round." A voice sounded over the intercom.
"Well," Goku got up and stretched. "I guess it's that time."
"You be careful sweety." Chichi told her son. "I'm glad that you won, but don't get hurt out there." Then she turned to Zangya. "And you, just don't hurt anyone too badly." Chichi said in reference to her last fight.
"Don't worry Chichi." 18 said. "It won't be Z who does the hurting." Chichi shook her head with a smile and took Goten back to their seats.
"Oh, yeah?" Zangya asked "Well how about this then?" She said, as they all started making their way to the waiting room. "The loser of our match has to do," Zangya whispered something in 18's ear, causing the cyborg to laugh. "Hah, you're on!"
"By the way," Goku said as an afterthought. "How come Tien and Yamcha didn't participate?"
Krillin shrugged. "Well, they both decided that they needed a training journey like back in the old days. It would have been nice to have them here. At least then I would have someone I could compete with." Krillin added the last part with a bit of depression in his tone.
"Will Shin and Spopovitch Please make their way center ring!?" The announcer called out, prompting both fighters to head outside. The Z-fighters, minus Goku, looked at the mysterious purple man as he passed. "So, dad, he's a friend of yours from other world?" Gohan asked skeptically.
"Well, something like that." Goku shrugged.
"Fighters, are you ready!?" The announcer asked. When he received a nod from both of them, he brought his hand down and yelled "FIGHT!"
Spopovitch charged at the smaller man and brought a massive fist down on his purple opponent. Shin raised his arm and, with seemingly no effort, caught the attack, stopping it dead in its tracks. Spopovitch growled and grunted as he tried to put more force into the punch, but his efforts were useless. A second later, Shin teleported the both of them to where they were floating outside of the ring, just above the ground. Shin let go of his opponent, who was too surprised by the sudden movement to stop himself from falling, and he landed firmly on the ground.
"Amazing! In a burst of speed, Shin has forced his opponent out of the ring! Shin is the winner!"
Shin landed and started walking back to the waiting area. However, Spopovitch was not as accepting of his defeat as Yamu was. "OY! Tha's not fair!" He spat. "The match can't be over yet!"
"Mr. Spopovitch, please calm down." The announcer tried to reason with the brute. "You landed outside of the ring, fair and square."
"Why you little!?" Spopovitch went to grab the announcer by his suit but was stopped by a commanding voice. "SPOPOVITCH!" Videl yelled in anger causing the man to freeze in place. He looked over at Videl, who shook her head, an angry look in her eye. Like a whipped dog, Spopovitch sulked back to the waiting area. "You idiot!" Videl hissed angrily. "You could have ruined everything!"
While Videl was berating her co-minion, Krillin was cursing his luck. "Oh, man, why did that have to be over so quickly!?"
"Hehe, don't worry bald one." Vegeta laughed mockingly. "I promise the next one will be just as short."
"I wouldn't count on that Vegeta." 18 put her hand on her boyfriends shoulder. "You might be surprised at what this little guy can do."
"Gross."
"ZANGYA!" 18 yelled.
Vegeta laughed. "You really think that the fool can beat me?"
18 shrugged. "Who knows? Just be on your guard, because it's kriller time."
As soon as she said that, she regretted it. Because, while Krillin looked at her as though she had just given him the greatest gift ever, Zangya was trying to contain her laughter."Pft. Kriller time?"
"Be quiet." 18 said through her blush.
"No, no, I think it's sweet. A real kriller line. Pft."
As Zangya was teasing 18, Krillin was walking behind Vegeta with a disbelieving expression.
'She used the line… I can't believe it. Does she really think that I have a chance?'
"Hey Zangya, what do you think of the concession stand?" Gohan asked.
"I don't know Gohan, but I would Krill for a soda right now." The two broke down into fits of laughter.
"Come on guys I was just trying to motivate Krillin." 18 tried to explain herself.
"And you did a 'kriller' job of it."
"Grrr." The blonde growled
'I can do this' thought Krillin. 'My girl believes in me! No way am I gonna let her down!'
On the stage, Vegeta pointed at Krillin. "Listen up, bald one. Normally I would give you a chance to back out of this, but your woman said something I can't overlook. So, now, I have to make you pay to prove a point. It's nothing personal." Vegeta said giving Krillin no comfort. "Blame your sex doll."
That last sentence triggered something in Krillin. "How dare you…" He seethed. "Nobody… I mean NOBODY! Talks about my 18 that way!"
"Oh, did I touch a nerve? Well, I suppose that maybe I shouldn't have used that term so loosely." Vegeta shrugged. "I realize that it can be quite offensive." The Saiyan grinned. "For the sex dolls." Krillins rage built as he listened to his opponent. "After all, at least a doll is designed to be attractive, unlike your hunk of junk! AHAHAHAHAHA!"
"THAT DOES IT!"
"BEGIN!" the announcer called, and not a moment too soon. Krillin built up all his energy and charged at Vegeta like a raging Bull. He had to put this bully in his place! He had to defend his woman's honor! He reached Vegeta with a large amount of Ki charged up on his palm. He thrust his attack at Vegeta's side and then, miraculously, unbelievably! He!
...
...
...
Got kicked by Vegeta in the face and flew into a wall, knocking him out of the ring and the tournament.
"Huh. One shot. One Krill."
"ZANGYA PLEASE!?" 18 yelled in frustration, then ran off to check if Krillin was alright. She reached him and immediately began removing the rubble from off of him. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he looked ok.
"Did I win?" He said dazedly while stars circled his head.
"No." 18 replied bluntly.
"Oh… Well, I'll try again in the morning." Krillin let his head fall back and was out cold. 18 sighed. She really thought that he at least would have put up a good fight. Then again, that would have been if he kept to his usual strategy of caution and tricky techniques. Unfortunately, he went and let himself be riled up by whatever it was Vegeta said. She couldn't really hear what it was over Zangya's teasing. "Tch. I used that stupid line for nothing." She picked him up in her arms and looked at him in disappointment. Still, she couldn't stay mad at him. She placed a kiss on his shiny forehead as the paramedics came and she placed Krillin on a stretcher. "Well, At least he's ok."
"Kriller time didn't last too long did it?" Zangya stood on the stage and looked smiled mischievously at the blonde.
"You just aren't going to let that one go." 18 glared at the blue girl.
"Never." Came the cheery response. She beckoned 18 onto the stage with a jerk of her head. "C'mon. It's our turn."
18 jumped up and landed gracefully on the ring. She looked at Zangya and Cracked her knuckles. "I'm going to enjoy beating you." Both ladies walked to the center of the ring.
"So, just out of curiosity, what does Krillin say to you when he wants to motivate you? 'Let's get Lazulicious'?" She asked with a cheeky grin.
This question brought a blush to the cyborg's cheeks. "None of your business."
"Oh, my Hera, is that really it? I was only joking!" She started laughing but was cut off by the announcer.
"FOLKS ARE YOU READY FOR THIS!? TWO BEAUTIES BRAWLING IT OUT! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHO THE TOP ONE IS!" This earned the announcer some enthusiastic cheers from the men in the audience and death glares from the two women. Actually, from all the women. "Er, of course, I meant to say who comes out on top!" He corrected nervously.
"That still sounds dirty!" A guy in the audience yelled and the glares intensified.
"Who… who will win?" The announcer tried again, though it was too late for him. The damage had already bee done. He backed away slowly. "O-ok… just start when you're ready."
18 and Zangya stared each other down. "So, Remember the bet?" Zangya said.
"I remember. The question is, are you sure you want to go through with it? after all, what will Gohan think?" 18 shot back with a smirk.
"Heh, Thanks for your concern, but I think I'll be ok. You're tough 18, But I'm tougher. I'll be sure to watch out for your 'kriller' instinct though."
The blue girl grinned and the blonde grimaced. 18's expression only served to amuse Zangya further. She started laughing. "Hahahaha, oh come on. Lighten up. It's not like you don't tease me all the ti-Woah!" Zangya leaned back, bending nearly 90 degrees, as 18's fist flew over her face. 18 skid to a halt and rounded on the Hera girl, lunging toward her opponent once more. Zangya quickly and gracefully straightened herself while spinning around to meet her friend's assault. She blocked the first punch, then dodged the second. The third one grazed her cheek as she leaned to the side to avoid it. She put an arm up to block an oncoming kick aimed at her temple, only for the leg to pass harmlessly through her and fade away with another kick coming from below, catching her off guard and sweeping her legs out from under her. Zangya fell, and caught herself, landing on her hand and doing a quick flip to gain some distance. 18 didn't let up though. She came after the Hera warrior with everything she had, refusing to let her get a move in edgewise. Zangya was starting to get frustrated, She knew 18 was good, but according to Gohan, she shouldn't be anywhere near this good. Zangya decided that enough was enough and she fell down backwards, surprising 18 by the suddenness, and Zangya kicked her in the abdomen, sending the blonde skyward. The Hera had fallen so quickly that 18 had lost sight of her temporarily. Unfortunately for the cyborg, she wasn't able to stop her momentum fast enough and Zangya used that to her advantage. As 18 tried to stop herself from Tripping over her opponent, Zangya launched her attack on a surprised 18.
But Zangya wasn't finished with just a single kick. She flew at incredible speeds, meeting 18 in the sky and began her counter assault. Now it was 18 having a hard time avoiding Zangya. The alien was used to fighting an opponent much faster than herself and was always forced to compensate, making her hone her already impressive skills to a dangerous edge. As the innumerable blows rain down on her, 18 did her best to dodge the storm. She was doing well. It was clear that her movements were more refined, sharper than they had been before, due to her training. The cyborg grit her teeth as a fist whizzed past her head. She threw a punch in retaliation, only for Zangya to spin forward to avoid it, whipping her hair in her opponents face, temporarily blinding her as she maneuvered around to the back and landed a kick on 18's butt pushing her forward. 18 spun around and growled at Zangya who smiled a friendly smile but refused to let up. The two females dove back in, but instead of Zangya only attacking from the front, she used her superior agility, acrobatic skills and 'super cool spinny moves' to attack from all sides. Blows came at the blonde from the front, left, right, back, left, back, front, right. She was almost starting to get dizzy from all the turning around her opponent was forcing her to do just to keep up. Every time she blocked a fist, a foot would come at her from the opposite side. Not only that, but Zangya was also using her giant mass of hair to disguise her blows until the last minute.
Zangya was rather pleased with herself. She knew this kind of maneuvering would never work against someone like Gohan, but against a more evenly matched opponent, she was glad that it was working as well as she'd hoped. It was disorienting for the blonde to say the least, and Zangya was quickly gaining the upper hand with her multi directional assault as 18 was dodging fewer and fewer hits.
Gohan looked up at the two women in awe. To be honest, the fight looked less like a battle and more like a ballet. Both fighters moved so gracefully that it seemed as though the two were dancing in the sky. "Oh, wow! Look at them go!" Goku said, clearly impressed by the caliber of the fight. "Zangya's up there like a blue tornado! Good for you Gohan!" Goku clapped his son on the back.
"Wait, why me? Zangya's the one up there." Gohan questioned.
"Yeah, but getting a girl that can fight like that's pretty impressive. Way to go son!" Gohan blushed at his father's words. "Dad, it's not like that." He protested. "Me and Zangya are just friends."
"Uhuh, sure, I see you blushing Gohan." Goku teased while nudging his son.
"It's true that Zangya's impressive, but so is 18. I don't remember her being this fast." Piccolo commented.
"Well, that's training for you. She's doing really well keeping up." Gohan praised. "Though I don't know how long she can keep it up. It looks like she's getting frustrated."
18 was indeed getting frustrated. Not only was she not able to hit Zangya due to her eradic movements, but she was also barely able to avoid her attacks. What was really infuriating was that Zangya wasn't putting much power behind her blows. It was like she was just poking her to annoy her, which sounded exactly like the kind of thing that Zangya would do. In fact, that was more or less, Zangya's plan. She knew that 18 had infinite energy, but that didn't mean she couldn't wear her down in other ways. Despite her cool exterior, Zangya knew exactly how to get under the cyborgs skin. Poking the lioness was not only fun, but it allowed her to move on to the next attack more quickly. Her plan was working perfectly but getting 18 mad was only the first step.
'Now to begin phase two' Zangya thought and her movements changed accordingly. 18 was still frustrated and didn't notice the subtle shift in her opponent's movements. "Will you stop messing aroundOOF!" She had expected a punch to the face to be just another light attack, but instead, it was a full powered right hook. This caught the blonde off guard and gave Zangya a huge opening. She no longer spun around attacking with minor taps to annoy. Now, she punished the blonde android with a merciless barrage. 18 felt the full force of every one of the numerous kicks and punches that her opponent hit her with. "What's the matter 18? I thought you wanted me to stop messing around?" The blue girl taunted, getting in more and more hits.
18 was being beaten soundly. She knew that Zangya would be a tough opponent, but she couldn't help but feel frustrated. Then she thought of losing the bet and she was not going to let that happen. "HYAAH!" She yelled as a blue forcefield blocked Zangya's attack and sent her flying to the other side of the ring. 18 raised her hands to her face and yelled "SOLAR FLARE!" A blinding light shone out and she rushed at Zangya, expecting to take her by surprise and maybe knock her out of the ring. She was surprised when not only did Zangya dodge her attack, she also countered with a knee to the stomach and a kick to the face, sending her flipping over backwards. She steadied herself and looked over to see Zangya, sporting dark sunglasses and giving a peace sign.
"Oh, man Gohan! You've gotta marry her now!" Goku said excitedly when he saw the girl pull off the same move he had used in a similar situation years ago. "She's got such style!"
"But how!" 18 questioned, confused at how Zangya saw that coming.
"Easy, Piccolo's been training us to combat moves like the solar flare." Zangya explained.
"And his way is to put on a pair of sunglasses is it?"
"Well, no…" Zangya admitted. "But I like my way better. It's way cooler. Of course, these won't always be close by." She tossed the sunglasses back to the announcer who was hiding his face till he got them back.
18 was definitely annoyed. She blew a stray hair out of her face. "Great, so you were saved by a pair of cheap sunglasses."
"What are you talking about!? These sunglasses are-"
DON'T SAY IT!"
-Kriller." Zangya finished with a grin.
18 was breathing hard. Whether out of exhaustion or anger, Zangya couldn't tell. 18 finally steadied her breathing and glared at her opponent. The glare quickly transformed into a smirk. Zangya returned the smile. This was genuine fun for her. "By the way, Lazulicious, I can tell that you and Kriller time have been busy. You're a lot stronger than I expected."
18 smiled at that. "Hehe. You know something Z? Nobody can rile me up quite like you. I'm usually pretty calm, but you know just what buttons to push. Still," She held her arm up high with her palm facing upward. "You're right about one thing. Me and Krillin have been busy. He may not be the strongest, but he is a good teacher, and he has a lot of clever techniques. Let me show you just what he's taught me." A yellow energy disk formed over her hand. Zangya looked at it with interest. "Huh, nice yellow pizza. But as you know…" She put a hand forward and charged up a pink blast of her own. "I prefer cake."
"DESTRUCTO DISK!"
"FUNFETTI BLASTER!"
Zangya and 18 launched their attacks simultaneously. Zangya grinned as she was sure hers would win. She was therefore shocked when 18's disk cut right through her attack. Of course, it was named after cake, so it really wasn't surprising that it was sliced. Even so, Zangya was caught off guard and barely dodged the attack when it zoomed past her. Thinking she was out of danger, she looked back at 18 and grinned. "Ok, I'll give that one to you. pretty neat attack 18."
"ZANGYA WATCH OUT BEHIND YOU!" Zangya turned around at Gohan's warning just in time for the disk to come right back at her. The disk came around a third time and this time, instead of dodging, Zangya tried to outrun it. She flew away as fast as she could, but the disk stuck to her like glue.
"Huh, that's weird." Goku said with a hand to his chin. "She says that she learned that from Krillin, but I didn't know he was able to control it. that's more like Frieza."
Piccolo shrugged. "Looks like she's improved on it."
The control wasn't the only improvement she made. She formed another disk in her hand and sent it after her friend. "Here comes another one Z!" She warned. Now Zangya had 2 disks to avoid. Soon a third was added into the mix, then a fourth and a fifth. Soon, she had to dodge 7 disks that seemed to be homed in on her. Zangya was fast, but in the limited space she had, she was having difficulty dodging everything. "HA! HOW'S THIS FOR KRILLER INSTINCT!" It was 18's turn to taunt now.
Zangya narrowly dodged in between two disks. Unfortunately, she saw several orange hairs fall to the ground. "HEY!" She yelled at the blonde in a rage. "WE SAID THE HAIR WAS OFF LIMITS!"
"Sorry!" 18 yelled as she brought more disks around to bare on her opponent.
"NO YOU'RE NOT!" Zangya yelled back, then, she noticed for the first time that 18 was controlling the disks with her hands. Under her breath she muttered "But you will be." She jumped over another disk as it came at her and flew up at 18. 18 tried to get a few disks to intercept her oncoming attacker, but Zangya evaded those as well with a barrel role and kept on coming. She reached 18 and grabbed her wrist, whipping her around and around. Without 18 concentrating on controlling the disks, they all continued on their trajectories. Some collided with each other while others flew harmlessly into the sky. One sawed into the ring, cutting it in half and one cut right through the stands vertically, making a huge gash in the stadium. Spectators had been quick to get out of the way when they saw the destructo disk about to destructo them. Each one looked at the gap in the stadium and thanked whoever they prayed to that they didn't share the same fate. Once all the energy disks were gone, Zangya finally released 18 and she spun out across the sky to the other end of the stadium. Her head was spinning as she tried to focus in on Zangya. For some reason, the Hera warrior wasn't attacking. She was just standing there with her arms outstretch. 18 was familiar with the stance she used. Her suspicions were confirmed when she tried to move but was unable to. "Heh, nice try Zangya." She said when she finally saw the thin wires. "But In case you've forgotten, I have infinite energy, you're never going to drain it all."
Zangya smirked. "I'm not trying to drain your energy."
"Then what? Are you hoping for a stalemate or something?"
Zangya spun her hands and wrapped the thin psycho thread around her fingers. "Nope. I'm winning this." Then she grabbed a hand full of the thread and started to fly to the right. 18 panicked.
"W-wait! I thought you couldn't move when you used that move!?"
"You thought wrong!" Zangya yelled as she flew in a wide circle around 18, wrapping her in a cocoon of her energy wires. The cyborg tried to move but was unable to. "Struggle all you want but if you're not Broly or Gohan, you're not getting out of this!" Zangya had finally finished wrapping her prey and started flying up. 18 was unable to fight back as she was dragged upwards, then as Zangya suddenly did a swan dive, she was jerked downward at a frightening speed. Zangya landed on the stadium and brought both hands down hard, bringing with them the string and slamming 18 into the hard tile. "GAH!" The cyborg cried out. The hera lifted her arms up, sending a wave down the wires and then, just as 18 had been tossed up, she brought her down again hard. She repeated this several more times, until she felt her hair had been properly avenged.
"Now stay down Lazulicious." Zangya taunted with a wicked grin, still holding 18 in her threads. She didn't want to hurt her friend, but then again, she never should have messed with the hair. "Hey announcer guy! You should start the count now."
"Oh, right. ONE! TWO!" 18 closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable. Why did she make that stupid bet!? "THREE! FOUR! FIVE! SIX! SEVEN! EIGHT! NINE! TEN! RED Z GIRL IS THE WINNER!"
The crowd went wild. Sure, it wasn't what the men were expecting, but it was still pretty awesome. Chichi, Goten and Broly all stood up and yelled "WOOHOO! RED Z FOR THE WIN!" Zangya smiled and waved after releasing her technique and freeing 18. It was nice to have fans.
18 stood up and dusted herself off. She adopted her normal aloof look as Zangya approached. The hera girl held out her hand. "Thanks 18, that really was a lot of fun." 18 looked at the hand and smiled, returning the hand shake which Zangya quickly turned into a hug. "Sorry I had to get so rough." The blue girl said.
"Sorry I got your hair. It really was an accident."
"it was only a few strands. We cool?" Zangya asked hopefully.
The cyborg smiled. "Yeah, we're cool." She started walking a way with a sense of relief. That is until Zangya called out to her again. "So, I guess it's time to settle the bet, huh?" 18 froze. She turned rigidly to face her friend who she did not care for at the moment. She honestly was hoping that she would forget, but sure enough, Zangya was holding up a clothing bag and was sporting a huge grin. "Time to pay up!"
One costume change later
18 stood in the changing stall, looking in the mirror with a sour expression. "Z, do I really have to go through with this?"
"A deal's a deal lazulicious." Came the gloating voice of the match victor.
"How long are you going to keep calling me that?" 18 asked, wondering how much torment she had to go through.
"Dunno, probably till the end of the chapter."
"What?"
"Nothing. Look, just come out. I'm sure you look great!" Zangya encouraged.
"I look ridiculous." She sighed as she finally stepped out. Her jaw dropped when she saw Zangya.
"My, don't we look perky!" The blue girl said.
"You bought two!?" 18 said in disbelief.
"Like I was gonna miss out on this opportunity to do something like this. I just made the bet to make sure you'd join me. Now come on, Give me a Z!"
"I hate you."
Back at the Z fighters
I wonder what's taking so long?" Gohan asked nobody in particular. The tournament staff were going to get another capsule with a ring in it, turns out they only had one extra on hand, but he was wondering where 18 and Zangya were.
"Um… I think I know what took so long." Piccolo pointed toward the back entrance and Gohan looked. His jaw dropped as he saw Zangya and 18. Both of them were dressed in a full cheerleader costume. Shoes, skirt, crop top, even a ponytail and pompoms.
"Oh man," Goku started laughing. "Krillin is gonna be so upset when he wakes up."
"I will get you back for this." 18 growled as they walked towards their friends.
"Not unless you krill me baby." Zangya shot back. She walked right up to Gohan who was still trying to figure out whether or not this was one of those dreams that so frequently featured Zangya.
"Er… Uh… Um… Z-Zangya? W-what is this?"
The bubbly Hera saluted. "Z fighters cheer squad assembled and ready for action!"
End chapter.
A/N: Hope you enjoyed it. I had a lot of fun with Zangya and 18's fight. Also, with Chichi yelling but in a different way. I kept the scene where Goku meets Goten the same as in the anime because I though it was really well done. Same with the eating scene for the most part. sorry that Vegeta didn't get his comeuppance, but it's Krillin. The joke was there. Once again, I appreciate your support. Follow or favorite if you like it.