It was safe to say that Videl was still burning with questions to ask her mentor. It was almost impossible to comprehend all that had just transpired. Against her better judgement however, she kept her mouth shut as she sat at the dinner table. Both Erasa and Sharpner were already waiting in their seats. The blonde girl sent her best friend an inquisitive glance.
"So, how did the meeting go?" She asked.
Videl just threw a brushing motion her way. "I'll fill you in later" She replied. 'Because it's going to take some time to explain' She added in her head.
Just then, Gohan walked into the dining area, his little brother following close behind. Both boys were carrying a large bowl of food in each hand. The three students could practically see their drooling at the contents of the glassware. As they began placing the food on the table, they took their own seats. Gohan sat next to Videl with Goten beside him. All three teens were astonished by the sheer amount of food in front of them.
"Whoa!" Sharpner exclaimed. "Is this some kind of company dinner?"
"No" Gohan said with a chuckle. "Just us, my mother, Goten, Bulma, Trunks and Vegeta"
"I know you eat a lot Gohan" Erasa chimed in, remembering his eating habits. "But surely there's more than enough to cover you and the rest of us".
"If you think watching one of these boys eat like that is a sight. Then you're in for a treat" Came the voice of Chichi who set the final dishes on the table. There appeared to be enough on the table to feed the entire Capsule Corporation staff, several times over.
"Oh boy!" Goten giggled, taking a plate and made a move to the food. However, he was abruptly halted by a slap to the hand by his mother.
"Goten!" She warned. "First, we wait for Uncle Vegeta, Aunty Bulma and Trunks to arrive. Then we let our guests serve themselves first. And then you may help yourself" Goten just huffed, crossing his arms defiantly. Ignoring her son, Chichi turned to the three high school students.
"It's nice to get time to properly meet you three" She smiled. After her conversation with Gohan regarding Videl Satan, Chichi promised she would not interfere too much. For her son's sake of course. "I trust my son is treating you all well".
"More than well" Erasa chirped with a smile. "It's been a total blast so far".
Chichi warmed at the comment. "That's my boy. Always the gentleman I taught him to be" She winked to the blonde girl who giggled as Gohan groaned.
"Come on mum" The Son boy rolled his eyes.
"What? You should be happy I taught you how to treat others. Especially young women. No lady will give you the time of day if you act like a brute".
"Yes mother" Gohan sighed. Sharpner meanwhile snickered at the other boy's misfortune. Whispering "Mumma's boy" from across the table which garnered another giggle from Erasa.
"So why don't you tell me a bit about yourselves while we wait" Chichi suggested.
"Not much to say really" Erasa replied. "When you compare everything about our lives to Videl here, it makes us look really bland".
Chichi raised an eyebrow, looking to the raven-haired girl with interest. "I suppose being the daughter of Hercule Satan must be difficult for someone such as yourself".
Videl just shrugged. She assumed that the elder Son member was referring to the cons of being in the limelight, not the fact that she viewed her father as a disrespectful clown. "It's more frustrating that I can't go anywhere or do anything without being seen or having parallels drawn between myself and my father. I guess him defeating Cell leaves a lot of expectations on me".
'Poor girl. She really has no idea that all she's striving towards is for nought. Compared to my Gohan, she wouldn't last five seconds against his enemies. No matter how hard she works, she'll never come close to reaching his abilities' Chichi thought. Having heard her statement, she now understood what Gohan was on about. Videl had been led so far astray that if she were to reach her goals, it would be heartbreaking to know she would never reach the level of a super Saiyan. "I suppose it must have some advantages though. You must have plenty of young men wrapped around your finger" She winked.
Videl then grew a deep shade of red. "Ah… What do you mean?"
"Oh, don't be modest now. I may be out of touch with teenage trends. But if there's one thing that doesn't change, it's what boys like. And you clearly have it all going. You're rich, famous and you're a real looker. You probably have every man lining up for you".
"That's exactly what I've been telling her. But she never listens to me" Erasa chimed in. "Isn't that right V?"
"Well…" Videl said slowly, feeling very embarrassed.
"I'm sure Gohan agrees. Right Gohan?"
The eldest Son boy almost choked on his drink of water as his name was called. "Mum... What?"
"You agree that Videl here is a real catch, right?"
This time Gohan began to blush. It was a rare sight to see the Son boy flustered. He was as cool and calm as they came, even in the most intense situations. However, there were some things you didn't learn by fighting intergalactic beings or working for a major corporation. That included the subject of women. Gohan looked over the table. His mother held an intense gaze on her son, whilst Videl appeared to be averting her eyes away from him after she sneaked a quick glance in his direction. "I don't think this is really appropriate mum".
Chichi waved him off. "Come on Gohan. You talk as if you're twice as old as you are. You two are the same age, you are allowed to speak your mind about these things".
As Gohan opened his mouth to retort, he was swiftly cut off.
"Sorry for the delay" Bulma called out, entering the dining area with both Trunks and Vegeta in tow. "Smells good, you never cease to amaze Chichi" She gestured to the large food portions.
"Tch, at least we can have some good food around here for a change" Vegeta grumbled, taking a seat next to Gohan.
"What was that?" Bulma asked furiously.
"You heard me. Kakarots wife's cooking is far superior to yours"
"Well excuse me for not perfecting my culinary skills. All I do is earn the money for this family, while all you do is train and complain".
"I survived perfectly fine without money or a constant source of food well before I met you".
"Smartass"
The trio of high school students watched the conversation awkwardly. There was clearly no intention of keeping guests away from internal arguments with these two. Videl leaned over to Gohan. "Are they always like this?" She whispered.
"No, there's usually more swearing involved. But I think they toned it back because you guys are around. You should feel honoured" Gohan chuckled. Erasa covered her mouth the stifle a laugh after overhearing his response.
After the final preparations were made, the table commenced their dinner. Out of the respect for their guests and much to Vegeta, Trunks and Gotens disapproval, the Saiyans were last to be served. Though this did little to comfort the trio of teens as they were quick to realise that it was not just Gohan who possessed an insatiable appetite. It had been bad enough watching the young man eat on his own. This was just ridiculous. But in a way, impressive to Sharpner how despite the pace they kept, there was minimal scraps of food that were wasted. It was almost as if they were catching stray rice grains out of mid-air before they hit the ground. Though the idea of anyone moving that fast was preposterous. After half an hour, the four Saiyans began to slow their pace enough for some casual conversation to be had without interruption.
Gohan excused himself for a brief moment to take a work call, in his absence, they continued their conversations.
"I hear you are quite the martial artist, Videl" Chichi said, reaching for another portion from her bowl.
There was a slight scoff from Vegeta at the statement. However, it was hard to tell if he was directing it to her or if he was merely choking at the speed he was eating. Nonetheless, Bulma lightly scolded the man with a quirked eyebrow. He merely shook his head in response.
"Gohan told you about that, did he?"
"No, he didn't. But I have read some articles about your tournament fights" Chichi replied. Before adding. "And it's not hard to tell you've got a knack for it. I can tell a fighter if I see one" Videl and Sharpner quirked a surprised eyebrow at the statement. The mother didn't appear to be adept in martial arts from the outside. Sure, she was clearly in good shape, fitter than most women her age. But there was nothing about her that pointed her as a fighter. The only vibe she gave off was a strict housemother.
Erasa was quick to chime in, clearly feeling out of the loop. "How can you tell?"
"I've spent a lot of time around fighters through my life. And I've competed in my share of competitions. It's not hard to pick them out of a crowd once you understand it".
"You fought competitively?" Videl asked, quite intrigued.
Chichi nodded. "I fought in the World Tournament like you did. Made it to the quarter finals as well".
Videl was stunned. She knew firsthand that there were plenty of applicants every year for the tournament. Last tournament, there wasn't even a woman who managed to qualify, let alone make it deep into the tournament. She was honestly surprised that she hadn't heard about this before, considering her love of martial arts. "That's amazing. Gohan never mentioned you fought in the world tournament".
Chichi shrugged. "I'm not surprised. It was a long time ago after all. Before him or any of you were even born. I gave up professional fighting after we had Gohan".
"He did mention that he was training his brother and that he had learned to fight from an early age. I guess it's not as surprising given your history. I hear the past tournaments were different to the one my dad fought in".
Chichi nodded. "Much different. There wasn't even a junior division in those days".
Videl nodded along. Well aware that the tournament she fought in was the very first time they allowed minors to fight in their own division. "I can't believe they let kids fight adults back then. I mean, what kind of kid could actually compete on that level?"
"Well, my husband was only twelve when he first competed. And he made it all the way to the finals."
"You're husband?" Videl interjected. "Wait. Gohan's dad competed in the finals of the world tournament when he was only twelve?"
Sharpener let out a low whistle. "That's amazing if true".
"He sure did." Chichi beamed with pride. In her later years, she may have detested the violence that fighting brought her family. But she couldn't deny that there was an overwhelming sense of satisfaction in knowing that her Goku was recognised as the strongest martial artist in the world. "That man lived to fight".
Vegeta scoffed. "Kakarot could barely pass for a third-class warrior before I met him. Were it not for the greatest stroke of luck, he wouldn't have survived his encounter with me".
The son mother glared at the man. "That didn't stop him and even Gohan from leaving you in his dust a long time ago buster".
Vegeta rolled his eyes. "Please. Kakarot hardly held a candle to me. The only reason he managed to make any progress is because I brought him to the brink of death".
Sharpner and Erasa let out noises of surprise at such a cold statement. Videl however, cocked her head to one side. She had learnt from her few interactions with Vegeta, that he spoke with a level of intensity that was unmatched. He had a boastful side to him that called into question most of his claims. People who spoke highly of themselves tended to be the most prolific liars. "You really sound like a psychopath whenever you open your mouth. You know that right?" She interjected.
Bulma let out a giggle, noticing how Vegeta turned to her in stunned fury. "And this is him on a good day" The blue haired woman added.
"You'd best watch your tongue, girl. You've no idea what true terror looks like". After sending the crime fighter a heated glare. Vegeta stood from his seat. "You're lucky that your little boyfriend and my woman promised me more frequent sparring sessions and training equipment in exchange for your safety. Otherwise, I'd happily show you what I'm capable of. I'm going to train. Do not interrupt". Turning on his heels, he trudged out of the room.
"He really scares me" Erasa said, her voice quivering.
"Are we sure he's not actually a psychopath like Videl said?" Sharpner asked. "No offence" He added to Bulma.
The woman chuckled. "Oh, I can assure you that he definitely is. Thankfully though, there is a side to him that's quite the softy if you know where to look for it".
"Hey Trunks. Did your dad really fight my dad like he said?" Goten inquired.
Trunks nodded his head in affirmation. Though he really had no idea, he never passed up the opportunity to boast in front of his younger, best friend. "Well of course he did. My dad's the strongest there is".
"Nuh-Uh. Gohan's the strongest. And he says our dad was even stronger than him. So wouldn't that make your dad the third strongest?"
"Tch" Trunks clicked his tongue. "You shouldn't always believe what grown-ups tell you Goten. They lie all the time".
A look of horror overcame the younger boys face. "But Gohan would never lie to me. He's the best brother in the world".
Trunks shrugged. "Well, if he didn't lie, then he's just wrong. There is no one stronger than my dad. Not Gohan and definitely not your dad".
"Well, I think Gohan's still stronger. He's been teaching me. And even you said I've gotten stronger when we last fought. Right?"
"You did okay. But I was taking it easy on you. It wouldn't be fair if I went all out and beat you with one punch".
Goten frowned. "Well, Gohan says I'm close to your power. He thinks I'll beat you after a few more training sessions".
"There he goes again. Always believing what the grown-ups tell him. When will you learn to think for yourself, Goten?"
"Boys" Bulma interrupted rubbing her temple. "Why don't you go and play outside or something?"
After sharing a look with one another, the boys pondered for a moment. "Want to race to Kame House, Goten?" Trunks suggested. "Maybe we'll see if the bald man can teach us that move, he always talks about".
"You mean uncle Krillin? Sounds like fun. Mum can we go?" Goten pleaded, hands cupped together.
"Only if you go straight there and no place else. I'll call Krillin in half an hour. If you two aren't there and don't come straight home when I say so, then I'll send Gohan to find you. Then both of you will be in real trouble. Understand"? Both boys nodded apprehensively. It wasn't just Gohan and Goten that feared the wrath of the Son mother. Even Trunks was weary of getting on her bad side. She had proven herself to be the master of punishments.
Videl carefully filed away all the details of the conversation in her brain. Since the situation with her father and Gohan, she had been more aware of what was being said around her. There was clearly something going on that she was not fully privy to. "Who's Kakarot?" She asked the two mothers.
Bulma cleared her throat at the sudden question. "It's just Vegeta's nickname for Gohan's dad. Well, technically it's his birth name."
"His birth name?".
"My husband was adopted from at a very young age" Chichi explained. "His adoptive grandfather gave him a new name, not knowing his real name".
"How could he not know his name if he adopted him".
"It's a bit of a story. The short of it is that his biological parents passed away when he was just a baby. His grandfather found him all alone and decided to take care of him".
"Wow. Didn't they have any other family who could have helped them?"
Chichi gave an awkward smile. The backstory to the demise of the Saiyans was certainly a tricky one to navigate. "I never really got the full story. Since they passed away when he was so young, it kind of makes it difficult to have all the details".
"So, what was the name he gave him?"
Chichi warily eyed the girl. She was able to admit that it was wrong of her to think ill of the girl simply based off her father. There was a certain strength of character about her that differed greatly from the narcissistic man she knew as Hercule. "You seem quite intrigued by my husband" She observed.
Videl stiffened in her seat. "Well, it's just that. I'm a bit of a martial arts nut if I'm honest. And Gohan mentioned that it runs in your family. And now I find out that he competed in past world tournaments as a kid. It's all just a bit exciting I suppose".
The Son mother smiled. "I suppose I understand. He was a great man after all, and he led a colourful life for the time he was on this world". She sighed. "His name was Son Goku."
Videl cocked her head to the side. The name rung a bell, but she couldn't quite place the name. It obviously had something to do with the martial arts world tournament. But there was something more to it than that. Her thoughts were snapped by the woman giving her a sombre look. "Gohan never told you about him?"
Videl shook her head. "Nothing specific"
The two blondes also shook their heads.
"That boy. He's never been quite the same since his father left us. It was a very hard time for us all. But Gohan took it harder than anyone else. He's always felt guilty for certain things that happened around that time. Even after all these years he still doesn't talk about it, even to me or Goten".
Videl nodded slowly. "Sorry for your loss. I know somewhat what he's going through. My mother passed away when I was young. Though I don't think it affected me as badly considering I wasn't old enough to remember a lot about her".
Chichi accepted the honest response. "Well, it looks to me like she would have been proud of the person you have become. Any mother would be".
The girl was caught by surprise by the comment. She hadn't expected such a heartfelt statement. "I sure hope so" She stated quietly.
Erasa smiled sweetly at the exchange. "It must also be hard considering he doesn't have friends around his age. From what I've gathered, he doesn't get out very much".
She lightly smiled at the trio of students. "He never got to have a typical childhood. I'm hoping that having you three around will help him loosen up. He's never spent a lot of time with people his own age. This month will be good for him I think".
Erasa smiled. "He definitely seems like he needs to loosen up. All this work he does. I can hardly believe it".
Bulma laughed. "That's what I keep telling him. But he's got a stubborn streak to him. And when he feels like he's on a roll, there is no stopping him. Good for the company, sure. But family is what's most important and I'd rather see him enjoy life outside this dome than tinker away all day".
Just then the door opened and Gohan re-entered, a small paper file in his hand. Bulma rolled her eyes, gesturing to the teen. "And as you can see, he clearly isn't about to stop" She then snatched the file from the boy as he set it on the table. "For goodness' sake Gohan, it's your day off. Leave the paperwork for tomorrow".
Gohan rolled his eyes. "Fine" he conceded. "I'll work it out tomorrow. So, where did Goten and Trunks run off to".
"Just Kame house" Chichi said, pouring her son a drink.
The boy nodded slowly. There was a brief pause as he gave a quick Ki check. He could sense them making a descent in the vicinity of two other energy signals. One belonged to Krillin and the less powerful one was definitely the old hermit.
"Isn't it dangerous for them to go alone?" Erasa asked. "I mean, they are very young after all"
Bulma shook her head "No need to worry. Kame House belongs to an old friend of ours. It's only a few minutes of a trip for them to get there" 'at flying speed that is' "Besides, being Vegeta's son and all, Trunks is naturally just as head strong. If I told him no, he'd just turn around and do it anyway"
Gohan laughed. "I'm just glad that Goten is too innocent for Trunks to corrupt his mind"
Bulma clicked her tongue. "You Son's and your cluelessness. And here I get lumped in with that royal pain in my ass".
After dinner, the group moved to a large lounge space reserved for friends of the Brief family. Bulma was more than happy to accommodate for the group as it was more comfortable here than in the corporate area. More minutes passed with casual conversation. Erasa and Bulma started up about latest fashion whilst Sharpner decided he needed rest in preparation for an early start, so he turned in for the evening. Chichi was only happy to regale the group with stories of Gohan as a child, much to said boys' embarrassment.
"You wouldn't believe how shy and timid he was. I swear, he was terrified of his own shadow". The mother giggled, visions of a tiny, defenceless four-year-old in her mind. "He and Goten were polar opposites. When Goten was young, I could barely keep him from exploring and getting into trouble. But Gohan couldn't bear to be more than a few feet from me without breaking into tears".
Videl smirked. "I could always tell you were a momma's boy" Gohan rolled his eyes, though there was a hint of a red hue on his face from mortification at his mother's recount.
Chichi went to a nearby shelf, taking a small picture frame from it. "This is a photo of him on his fourth birthday". She said, showing it to the teens. The photo depicted a small child with long black hair. He awkwardly looked to the camera, a shy smile on his face. His hands were firmly grasped around his yellow robe that draped over his shoulders. He was also wearing a red hat with some sort of orange ball on top. Thankfully, due to the angle of the shot, the furry, brown tail the boy had was hidden from view.
"Oh, my goodness!" Erasa squealed, studying the photo closer. "You were such a little cutie"
Gohan rubbed the back of his head.
Chichi and Bulma laughed. "It honestly feels like just yesterday that he was still so small. Where do the years go?"
"Careful. Before you know it, Trunks will be all grown up too" Chichi warned.
"Yeah. And hopefully by then he'll be nothing like his father" Bulma muttered, getting to her feet. "Care to give me a hand Chi? I've got some preparations to make for the corporate dinner coming up. And I'd like your opinion"
"Sure thing" the mother turned to Erasa and Videl. "It was lovely meeting you two. I'll be heading home tomorrow morning. But I will probably see you again sometime soon" She fare welled.
After they had left, Videl studied the photo of the young Gohan further. There were two things on her mind as she looked at it. First, surprisingly, was that she was silently agreeing with Erasa that the young boy certainly was adorable. Videl wasn't a big fan of small children. However, there was a look of innocence and wonder that sparkled in the eyes of Gohan that stood out to her. The second thing. "What's with the orange ball on your hat?" Videl inquired.
"Oh, that? It was a family heirloom. Said to possess great power, like all good items passed down, naturally" Gohan chuckled.
"What kind of powers?" Erasa asked, loving a legend story.
"Well, the story goes that there are seven magical orbs called Dragon Balls, scattered around the world. Whoever collects them all has the ability summon a dragon who can grant that person any one wish they choose. Even granting immortality or bringing back people from the dead" Even as Gohan recalled the tale, he couldn't help but admit to himself how farfetched the story really seemed. "The stars on the ball represent which numbered ball it is. My father gave me the four-star ball when I was really young. I still have it to this day" He admitted. Though, he made sure to leave out how he had to find it again after wishing all of Cells victims back from the dead.
"So, there are other dragon balls like yours?"
Gohan nodded. "I guess you could say they are a rare collector's piece. The other six actually belong to a good friend of mine. He was nice enough to let me keep mine and not have the full collection". After the fallout the Cell games, the dragon team quickly sought out all seven of the dragon balls. Handing them over to the capable hands of Dende and Mr. Popo on the lookout for safe keeping. There, under the watchful eyes of the earth's guardian and Piccolo, they were ready to be used if needed. Though the four-star ball was still in the Son family's possession. Both Chichi and Gohan couldn't help but feel Goku would have wanted them to keep it.
"That's really cool. I love fantasy tales. They made us read about this god who was the guardian of earth at school. Apparently, his job is to watch over the earth and prevent disasters from happening. I wish that some of this stuff was actually real".
"I think Cell was more than enough magical beings for this world. Even if he was a trickster. Because he certainly wasn't human" Videl interjected.
"I still get shivers thinking about that creep. I mean, what even was he anyway? I know his power was all fake after what your father said, Vi. But last I checked, people weren't green and looked like giant bugs".
"Who knows. Dad always said he was some kind of mutated cockroach from a lab experiment. I don't know for certain though. What do you think Gohan?"
The boy paused, unbeknownst to the two girls, his hands gripped tightly around the arm of his chair. The topic of Cell was still fresh in the young man's mind. Images of his destruction and pain he wrought upon him, his friends and the earth kept him up at night every so often. "Whatever he was, it wasn't natural. And it should never be replicated. As long as it never happens again, that's all that matters".
Erasa nodded. "I know right. I hate bugs. But a ten-foot tall one? That's a million times worse. Good riddance".
Videl eyed Gohan carefully. She noted how deliberate his response was. The way he spoke, almost seemed as if he knew Cell had been created and wasn't born from nature. Though a part of her understood that most people chose to distance Cell from humanity greatly, it gave a sense of comfort knowing that something so unnatural couldn't be walking around the world today. Still though.
After ending the conversation, the trio made way to their rooms, turning in for the night and preparing for the day ahead. During the night however, Videl took the opportunity of isolation to browse through her laptop she had brought for her.
Typing "Son Goku" into the search bar, she was surprised to find many articles and websites that referenced his name and his victory in 23rd martial arts world tournament. There were also a few headlines that read 'Jackie Chun triumphs in 21st World Martial Arts Tournament over young prodigy, Son Goku' and 'Second year and another second place for Son Goku at the 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament'
'I guess Gohan's mother wasn't lying' Videl thought. Clicking on the news articles, the girl was surprised to at how engrossing these reports were. They all appeared to detail how Son Goku was considered to be the future of martial arts. The idea of a twelve-year-old, holding his own on the world stage was incredible, especially if these reports were accurate.
'Son Goku has finally triumphed in his third World Tournament appearance. In what was widely considered to have been the greatest display of martial arts ability, Son Goku defeated Demon King Piccolo in a gruelling fight which saw both combatants unleash terrifying power upon the arena. By the conclusion of their battle, there appeared to be nothing remaining of the ring or the arena'
'There's no way that's accurate. How can a fight destroy an entire arena?' Videl wondered. 'I mean, sure Cell did the same thing. But that was just all light tricks. Ugh, why couldn't there have been footage at these older events?' What was even more frustrating to Videl, however was the fact that all places were photos of these events were supposed to have been placed. There was only a blank box that read; 'This content has been seized by a third-party and is no longer available'
'Why would someone take hold of all photos of the world tournaments? This is so weird'
Sighing to herself, Videl continued reading several more articles before calling it quits. Flopping back onto her bed, she thought about what she intended to do with this information. His mother had explained why Gohan was reluctant about the topic of his father. But there was just so much to unpack here. Her mind then wandered to the incident with her father and Gohan. Everything was just a mess in her mind. Why was her father bringing up Goku such a big deal? From what Videl read and heard, Goku was well liked and respected. Yet her father had called him a trickster. It seemed there were two sides to this story and Videl was not privy to either one, yet she was caught in the middle of it. She needed to get some answers to these questions she had.
The following day, Videl was set the task of continuing her work with Jet-Copter updates while Gohan scanned over several blueprints of capsule designs he was working on. Videl kept glancing at the man. It seemed that after a long nights rest he had returned back to his usual self.
"Is there anything you don't do around here?" She gestured to his work.
"I don't make the coffees around here… Though I did build the new coffee machine in the office" He chuckled.
"The amount of stuff you do around here makes my head spin"
"You know" Gohan said, writing something on the sheet of paper. "I'm surprised you wanted to have this role in the first place. Most people would take this easiest position and reap the benefits of a stay at Capsule Corp".
Videl huffed. "Well, most people won't achieve great things by sitting around, looking for the easy way out. I always liked to have a challenge".
Gohan smiled. "I get the sense that you have the desire to prove something to others".
"I guess it just comes from martial arts. I was constantly looked on as another girl. They always counted me out growing up, saying that I would eventually get to a level that would be dominated by boys. That no matter how much I trained, they would be at a level I could never attain. And when I won the junior tournament, it was the best feeling of my life".
"So, what's next on the list then?"
"I plan on winning the entire adult tournament. I've fought tooth and nail to eventually be the best fighter in the world. And now, all I have to do is beat my father in the ring to achieve that". She glanced his way before adding. "I know you said you don't compete. But did you ever think about it?"
"Can't say I ever did. I wasn't ever competitive growing up" he shrugged.
"You know. Your mum told us a bit about your family last night"
Gohan nodded, as if knowing what she was getting at. "She told you about my father?"
"He won the world tournament. The same one your mother competed in?"
Gohan smiled. "That's how they met, yes. Mum likes to tell that anyone who will listen about how dad was once the world champion".
"I'm surprised you never brought it up. I mean, you knew my dad was the current world champ"
The boy nodded. "I guess it's not something I ever really think about. I never knew my dad as the world champion, that was the life he left behind when I was born".
"What was he like?" Videl finally asked. She knew that this was the make-or-break moment.
Gohan internally knew there was no reason to beat around the bush any further. His mother meant well in filling in the blanks, and he had always resisted her on the subject. "A great man. He taught me a lot growing up. Everyone around us is together because of him. He had this way of helping people change for the better. It was a sad day for us all when he passed away".
"I'm sorry. I lost my mother when I was young. I know what kind of effect that can have on you"
Gohan was surprised by the statement. "I'm sorry. I didn't realise".
Videl waved her hand in dismission. "It's fine. It was a long time ago; I grew up never really ever knowing her. But dad used to always talk about how great she was. And how she would gush to everyone about how I would grow up to be something great". She sighed. "But ever since Cell, my dad has been off with different women all the time. He never talks about mum anymore. All this fame. It's just gone to his head".
Gohan silently listened. After finishing her statement, Videl locked eyes with the man. "Sorry. That's probably too much information. And after yesterday, I'm sure my father is the last thing you want to hear about".
"It's fine, honestly. It's better to let it all out than keep it bottled up. I've learnt that the hard way. A lot of things happened around my father's death. I never really dealt with it all the correct way. Even today, I dance around the topic a lot and ignore it".
"And here I thought you did everything perfectly. At least I know you're still human. I guess it does prove that nobody's perfect".
The irony of that statement was not lost on Gohan. But he laughed just the same. "You've just seen me do what I'm good at. Which is working. I'm surprised my mother didn't tell you about how much of a headache I was for her growing up. I used to run off from her home-schooling lessons. That earnt me a good frying pan to the head".
"Simple yet effective" Videl quipped.
"You've got no idea. Forget world tournaments. Mum wielding her frying pan was the one opponent my dad feared most".
Thanks to their high volume of work, the next two days passed by with little excitement. Everyone now and then Gohan would repair broken equipment or oversee production on new projects. But the bulk of his time was spent working on new designs in his office, where Videl would either listen to his ideas, occasionally adding her own thoughts, or working on the Jet-Copter project she was assigned. By the end of the week, Videl felt more comfortable in her position and was more thankful that she had chosen it. Meanwhile, Sharpner continued to get his body tested and occasionally battered by the newest line of products. And Erasa flourished in her customer service role.
As Friday evening rolled around, signalling the end of week one. The four students packed their belongings to return home for the weekend. Gohan too was planning to leave for the mountain area for some quality time with his family.
"Safe travels to you all. I hope you have a relaxing weekend". He called out, as the students loaded their belongings into Videls Jet-Copter for transport back to Satan City. "I'll see you all bright and early on Monday"
"Bye Gohan!" Erasa called out.
Videl and Sharpner both waved as the trio lifted into the sky and took off.
Doing a quick scan around, Gohan cupped his hands to his mouth and called out. "Nimbus!"
Several seconds went by before the golden cloud came into view, zipping through the air and coming to a stop by Gohan's waist. Jumping on the cloud, the Capsule Corp employee took a seat and gestured to the sky. "Take us home buddy"
Arriving at her family home. Videl was startled to see her father pacing back and forth in the lounge room, phone in hand.
"I don't care if it's short notice or not. Just make sure that everything is set up for midday tomorrow" Hercule demanded. "Everything has to be done correctly". Videl quirked an eyebrow. Her father was clearly frazzled. Was this still because of yesterday? "Just make sure that the podium and stage are set up"
Hanging up the phone, the man flopped back into his recliner, rubbing his head.
"Dad?" Videl approached.
"Oh, Videl!" Hercule jumped. "I didn't hear you come in".
"I'm spending the weekend at home". She clarified.
"Of course. I knew that. Just caught up with some business that's all"
"Everything okay?"
"It would be if there were anyone competent enough to properly organise a press conference for tomorrow"
"A press conference? What for?"
Hercule turned on his daughter. He regarded her for a moment. Just how in the world did everything have to become so mixed up for him. He sighed.
"Nothing serious. I just need to keep a promise to someone"