It was about noon, and Goten still felt restless. That nightmare he had was still lingering in his mind. But he would get over it. All he had to do was concentrate. And push all of the negative thoughts out of his mind. He stood perfectly still in his back yard in a side straddle stance with his father beside him and Tina and Bianca a few yards away.

"You ready, Goten?" asked Goku.

Goten nodded.

"Go," said Goku.

Goten tensed the muscles in his biceps and held his elbows out to the sides. They were perfectly symmetrical with each other, and on line with his ribcage. He charged some ki and channeled it into his arms, then he looked into the sky and cupped his hands at his side. Goku stood by and watched.

"Ka...Me...Ha...Me..." chanted Goten.

"Channel your energy well, Goten. Don't make it too powerful," said Goku.

Goten nodded and finished charging his ki into his hands. He rose his hands into the air and fired.

"Haaa!!"

The blast flew high into the air and kept going until it was out of sight. Goten finished firing and fell to his knees. Goku patted him on the back. Then Tina and Bianca patted him on the back. Goten was exhausted. He had been training for hours.

"I think that's enough for today. You haven't trained this hard in a while, Goten. You deserve a good rest," said Goku. He walked back into the house, leaving Goten, Tina, and Bianca.

"You have to teach me how to do that," said Tina.

"Sure. Just give me a couple days of sleep," replied Goten.

"There really are a lot of things I don't know about you."

"Would you believe me if I told you I'm Superman?"

"Yeah, actually I would," Tina said with a smirk. Suddenly she felt a breeze, than a stronger gust of wind. There was a shadow cast on her from above, then a man in an awkward looking costume came down beside her. It was the Great Saiyaman.

Oh crap! I knew I should have looked before I landed! Better run into the house before she finds out who I am! thought Gohan.

The Great Saiyaman ran into the house at a blinding speed. Tina and Bianca looked at him in awe. Goten chuckled and stood up.

"Was that...?" asked Tina.

"Yeah. We're a family of superheroes, I guess," said Goten.

"Lunch time, everybody!" yelled Chi Chi from inside.

"You ready to come in, Goten?" asked Tina.

"Ugh...I don't think I can move..." complained Goten.

"I think I smell chicken."

"Let's move!"

Goten, Tina, and Bianca went into the house and after a few minutes ate lunch along with Goku, Chi Chi, and Gohan (who repeatedly denied being the Great Saiyaman). Everybody basically sat by, ate, and talked. Tina was really enjoying herself particularly. There wasn't any yelling, fighting, cursing, or violence. It really did seem like a dream, though. She didn't know what was weirder: Flying with Goten, watching him shoot some kind of light from his hands, or finding out that his big brother was the Great Saiyaman. Still, it was very pleasant for her. Everybody continued eating, and suddenly they heard the doorbell. Chi Chi rose from the table to answer the door. Everyone could hear her faintly from the doorway speaking with someone else.

"Goku, can you come hear, please?" asked Chi Chi.

"Sure, honey," said Goku as he rose from the table.

Now they could hear Goku and Chi Chi speaking with a voice they didn't recognize. Tina glanced by the door and realized that the person they were speaking with was a policeman. Her heart skipped a beat. She rose from the table and walked over the Goten.

"It's a police officer at the door," said Tina.

"A police officer? You don't think..."

"I don't know. What should we do?"

"I'm gonna see what's going on."

"I'll come with you."

Goten, Tina, and Bianca walked up to the front door behind Goku, Chi Chi, and Gohan, who came to the door shortly before they did. The officer looked over Goku's shoulder and saw Tina.

"Are you Tina Bryant?" asked the officer.

"Yes, I am," answered Tina.

"Are you alright? Your father has been looking for you since last night."

"How did he know where you are?" Goten whispered to Tina.

"I have your address written in my diary. He may have looked in there," Tina whispered back.

A few yards away, the policeman's car was parked. Another officer came out and opened the back door. Harry rose from the back and put on a five star performance, pretending as though he was actually concerned for Tina's wellbeing. He walked up to the front door and tried to get through to Tina, but he found it impossible to get past Goku. Goku stood firmly in the doorway and crossed his arms.

"I think we all may need a little talk. That means you, us, and the officers here," said Goku.

"What's to talk about? You kidnaped my children, and I want them back!" said Harry.

"Kidnaped? That's a load of bull!" said Goten.

"Listen, I just want my kids. Now let me take them home, and I won't press any charges," said Harry.

"You must be crazy! Why don't you tell the officers how..." started Goten.

"Goten, wait," whispered Tina.

"Wait for what? We finally have a chance to get this scumbag," whispered Goten.

"It wouldn't do any good. He has a lot of friends in high places, including cops and lawyers. This isn't the first time the police have been involved. They would just ignore me like they did every other time I asked them for help."

"But Tina..."

"Goten, I have to handle this on my own. I just have to face this head on."

"I can't just let this happen! I have to do something."

"I'm sorry, Goten, but you can't. Just let me handle it, okay?"

Goten couldn't say anything back. He had no idea what to say.

"Alright, let's go," said Tina to the officer.

"Tina, don't hesitate to contact us if you need anything," said Chi Chi.

"Anything at all," said Goku.

"I don't think that's such a good idea. I won't press any charges, but if any of you come by my house or call, then believe me, I will press charges," said Harry.

Harry put his arms around Tina and Bianca's shoulders and started to walk toward the car with the police. Harry paused, turned back, and smirked at Goten.

"See you around, kid," said Harry.

Goten tried to run forward and attack Harry, but Goku and Gohan grabbed him and held him back. Harry continued walking to the car. Goten calmed down for a second and watched them all enter the car. Tina nodded to him assuringly before getting in. Goten could only watch in silence as the car drove away. Everything he had tried to do until now had just been ruined. Tina was going back home, back to her father, who the police backed up. But Goten didn't care. He broke away from Goku and Gohan and ran upstairs. Gohan ran up after him and followed him to his bedroom. Goten was just about to fly out of the window when Gohan stopped him.

"What do you think you're doing?" asked Gohan.

"I'm going to stop them," said Goten.

"Goten, you can't. You just have to stay here."

"And do what? Let the cops do their job? I got news for you Gohan. The cops aren't doing their damn jobs!"

"Come on, we can depend on the police. Tina will set them straight."

"They don't care! She's tried going to the cops before and it didn't work! And it won't work now! Those cops are crooked!"

"Not all cops are crooked, Goten."

"But they are! Don't you get it? It'll be her word against his, and you know who the cops will believe! I have to do something while I can!"

"Listen, Goten, sometimes you just have to trust the system."

"Screw the system! The system doesn't work!"

"I don't think you believe that."

"You're living proof! If the system worked, the world wouldn't need a Great Saiyaman, would it? Tina's just going to end up in the same situation that she was in before. Are you saying I'm supposed to sit by and let that happen?"

"Goten, there is no easy answer. Look, I'm going to call Bulma, alright? If anyone would know what to do, she would."

"You're going to call a scientist? What we need to do is get Piccolo and Tien and Yamcha and Krillin and Trunks. What we need to do is kill that scumbag."

"Just promise me that you won't do anything drastic, okay? Just let me try to figure this out."

"...Fine. But the moment I find out Tina is in any kind of danger, I'm stepping in, you understand?"

"That's fair enough."

Gohan walked out of the room. Goten was left all alone. He sat by his window for hours, staring, waiting. Now he felt totally powerless. He should have seen it coming, but he didn't. He always felt that his strength could help him overcome any challenge, but it wasn't helping this time. This time, he had no idea what to do. It was just like his dream. He could face the most powerful beings that ever existed, but he couldn't beat one normal man. Now he was frustrated. And angry. And powerless. And sad. And, above all, he was helpless.



END OF CHAPTER 9