Author's Notes: Once again I emerge from the shadowy depths to deliver unto you a story filled with action and excitement. I thank you for all of the kind reviews, and thank you Enchantress101 for your endorsement. If you haven't read her story yet, you should. It's called 'Secrets,' and involves a chance to win a month of training from Mr. Satan. Gohan didn't enter, but somehow…
Enough jabbering, let's get moooving.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Piccolo didn't have to look very far. He'd found Vegeta standing on a rooftop across from the stadium only a minute or so after he took off. The saiyan prince had been standing with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face when the Namek arrived.
FLASHBACK
"What are you doing here, Namek?" Vegeta demanded as soon as Piccolo was within earshot. He didn't even turn his head toward his visitor.
"I came to make sure you didn't get too upset over your loss to Goku," said Piccolo as he touched down behind the prince. The response he got was given with a tone of distaste.
"So you came to check up on me, is that it?" Vegeta sneered.
"I just want to make sure nobody's around to upset you. That wouldn't end well."
Vegeta spun around quickly and looked his usher in the eye. His features were contorted with frustration, annoyance, and anger.
"I don't need a babysitter, Namek!" He spat. "I've been on this planet long enough to know how far I can go! And as for Kakarot, let him have his fun! The day will come when he will no longer be able to throw me over his shoulder as he would any other common opponent!"
"Very well, Vegeta," Piccolo surrendered. "I'll trust you to be by yourself. I think that's what you need, anyway. I'm going to go talk to Dende about those other fighters in the tournament. They're stronger than they should be, and the Supreme Kai won't tell us anything." He took off, and left Vegeta there on the roof to be alone with his thoughts. Even his keen ears didn't pick up the curse Vegeta mumbled as he left.
END FLASHBACK
'I can only hope Dende's seen something that might relate to these guys,' Piccolo thought as he flew toward the tower he'd called home since his fusion with Kami seven years ago.
* * *
"Hey, nice fight, Gohan!" Yamcha said as he slapped the young demi-saiyan on the back, surprising him.
"Yamcha!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing back here?"
"Shh!" Yamcha put his finger to his lips as he'd done last time. "I've been back here once already, but you weren't around."
"Who's this, Gohan?" asked Videl, who'd been standing next to him. "A friend of yours? People who aren't in the tournament aren't supposed to be back here, you know."
"Yeah, I know. This is Yamcha, and he's never been big on rules. He's been in the tournament himself though, a long time ago. He's a good friend of my dad's."
"It's nice to meet you," Yamcha said, putting out his hand. "You must be Videl. I've heard a lot about you." His smirk resembled Krillin's as he said this. Videl concentrated on his face as she shook his hand, and then something struck her.
"I know where I've seen you before!" she exclaimed. "You used to play baseball for the Titans, didn't you?" Yamcha smiled sheepishly and scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah, that's me. I haven't played in a while, though."
"Gohan, you never told me you were friends with celebrities!" Gohan shrugged.
"I guess I just never thought about it. Yamcha's always been a fighter to me. I never really thought the fact that he played baseball was a big deal." Videl's eyes bugged out a little, and then she shook her head to clear it
"So you say you've been in the tournament?" she asked him. He nodded.
"Yep, three of them, actually. The 21st, 22nd, and 23rd." Videl seemed impressed.
"So is he any good, Gohan?" she asked. Gohan and Yamcha chuckled.
"Well, let's just say it's good for your dad's reputation that I didn't enter this time," he joked. She took it as nothing more than that and laughed along with the other two. Yamcha took this moment to whisper something in Gohan's ear.
"So she doesn't know?" he asked. Gohan shook his head.
"No, she doesn't. I haven't found the right time to tell her yet."
"Well she'll figure it out for herself pretty soon, you know," Yamcha said. The younger man sighed.
"I know. I just don't want her to lose her faith in her father, that's all. I was hoping I'd get the chance to fight him myself and tell her that way. It's what she wanted, anyway."
"She wanted you to beat her father?" Yamcha asked, his eyes wide.
"No, it's a long story. I'll tell you later." With that, he took Videl's arm to lead her off to another area where they could talk in quiet. The two of them said goodbye to Yamcha, and then they walked away. Yamcha watched them go with a smirk on his face. He knew what Chi Chi's reaction would be. He was so caught up in it, that he didn't feel the two powers coming up behind him until they were right there.
"Whaddya think, Yamcha?" Krillin asked as he and Goku joined the former thief in watching the young couple.
"They're just like I've heard, that's for sure," Yamcha replied.
"Did Chi Chi send you down here to spy on them for her?" Goku asked with a chuckle.
"Well, yes and no," Yamcha answered him. "She asked me to, but I wanted to see them anyway. Oh! That reminds me! Is that guy Mighty Mask around here anywhere?" He looked about, but saw nothing. Both of his friends shook their heads.
"He takes off in between rounds," Krillin said. "Nobody knows where he goes." Yamcha pounded his fist into his other hand.
"Damn. I was hoping to get a closer look at that guy," he said.
"So you've definitely noticed something too, huh?" Goku inquired.
"Oh, yeah, there's no doubt about it. That guy is a lot stronger than he should be. How did he get so much power without any of us noticing?"
"I don't know," Goku responded, "But I'm gonna fight him in the next round. Then we'll see what he can really do. You'd better head back now. I just heard the whistle for the start of the third round."
"Right. I'll keep an eye out from the stands, and I'll come back after this round to let you know if I've seen anything, okay?" The other two nodded, and Yamcha turned to leave.
"Oh!" He spun around, remembering something. "Did Piccolo find Vegeta?"
"We don't know," Krillin answered. "But we haven't sensed any trouble, so I'm guessing everything's all right for now."
"That's good," affirmed Yamcha. "I'll see you guys later!" He waved and took off before any officials came by and found him.
* * *
"Well?" Chi Chi asked as Yamcha took his seat back in the bleachers.
"The semifinals are just about to start, and Goku's gonna test this Mighty Mask to see what he's made of," Yamcha told her.
"I mean about Gohan and Videl!" Chi Chi shouted. "That's what you went back there for, remember?"
"Actually, that was only one of the reasons I went back there," he corrected her. "But as for the answer to your question…" He smiled broadly and nodded. Chi Chi squealed with delight and clasped her hands in front of her. As she spoke, tears started welling up in her eyes.
"Oh, I knew it! Gohan's going to marry that girl, and I'll be a grandmother at last! This is one of the happiest days of my life!"
Yamcha sweatdropped.
* * *
"All right, ladies and gentlemen! Are you ready for the semifinal round of the World Martial Arts Tournament?" The crowd erupted in cheers. "I can't hear you! Who wants to see some of the greatest fighters in the world duke it out to see who goes on to the final match?" The crowd cheered even louder, and the announcer had to wait a moment before continuing. "Now that's more like it! So, without further ado, whaddya say we get started?" More cheering. "Okay! Here we go with the first match of the semifinals! It's Krillin versus the Great Saiyaman!"
* * *
"It looks like both of you guys have worked up quite a fan base out there!" exclaimed Goku as he and the others watched the announcer from the waiting area. Whole sections of the crowd were cheering for either Krillin or Gohan as if they'd been favorites all along.
"Well y'know, Goku," Krillin stated matter-of-factly, "Great lookin' guys like us, how can they not cheer? Right, Gohan?" He nudged the demi-saiyan with his elbow. Gohan glanced at Videl and blushed a little.
"Yeah, I…guess," he managed to say. Meanwhile, the announcer was busy talking the two of them up.
* * *
"Both of these competitors are some of the strongest fighters this tournament has ever seen! Krillin is a tournament veteran, and this is his fourth appearance in this arena! He's already shown us today that he's fast and unusually strong for someone his size, and something tells me we haven't seen everything he can do just yet!" Roars came from the hoards of Krillin enthusiasts in the crowd.
"But let's not forget the Great Saiyaman! This remarkable hero has proven his strength and abilities not only here in the ring today, but time after time when he's saved our fair city from impending disaster! This is his first tournament appearance, and he's certainly gone the distance! Will he be able to overcome his diminutive yet mighty opponent? We'll find out in only a few minutes!" Cheers from the Saiyaman fans. Unlike Krillin, he did have some before the tournament began. Being a superhero tends to make one popular with the populace.
* * *
"They really like you out there, Gohan," Videl said.
"It sure sounds that way," Gohan replied.
"You go out and win this thing, okay?" she said. "You're going to be the champ, I just know it." Gohan blushed.
"Ah, gee…thanks Videl," was all he could choke out.
"Earth to Gohan!" came a yell from behind him that made him jump. He spun around and found a smirking Krillin before him.
"It's time to fight, bro," his shorter friend said. "You think you're up to it?" Gohan resumed his attitude that he kept around his friends when Videl wasn't around.
"Dream on, Krillin," he joked. "There's no way you're gonna beat me."
"Well if I remember correctly," Krillin jeered, "The last time we sparred, I won." Gohan laughed.
"Well if I remember correctly," countered Gohan, "The last time we sparred, I was six." Videl overheard this and was needless to say a little shocked.
"You just see if all that studying you've been doing for the last seven years hasn't slowed you up any," Krillin said. "Let's get out there, eh? The crowd's getting' restless."
"After you," Gohan said and gestured with his hand toward the ring. Krillin walked out, and Gohan followed right behind him.
* * *
"And here they are, folks! Our first two semifinalists!" The crowd kept yelling until the two of them entered the ring and faced each other. Then everything was completely silent.
"It looks like they're ready, so let the first bout of the semifinals begin!"
Krillin and Gohan rushed at each other, and when they met in the middle, fists and feet flew.
* * *
"Not bad, Gohan!" Krillin teased. "But I would've thought a saiyan could put up more of a fight than this!" Their fight became airborne, and the crowd remained relatively quiet as the blows were exchanged up in the sky. Krillin still felt charged form the last fight, and he was exploiting it to the max.
"Don't tempt me, Krillin," Gohan retorted. "I wouldn't want to have to hurt you or anything."
Outward taunting aside, Gohan was having more trouble with Krillin than he'd bargained for. Sure, he was stronger than the human, but apparently those seven years of minimal training did make a difference. He was finding that Krillin's superior fighting experience was somewhat making up for the gap in strength. If he wasn't careful, he just might lose this fight.
'Either he's just messing around, or he's gotten sloppy,' Krillin thought. 'There's no way I should be holding out so well against him right now.'
* * *
"So who's this Krillin guy?" Erasa asked. "And what's with all the flying? Does Gohan have a bunch of friends who are superheroes too?"
"I don't know," moaned Sharpener in a defeated tone. "All of a sudden it's like flying is a normal part of fighting just like punching or kicking."
"Well I wanna know where Gohan got his powers from," Erasa said. "Do you think he was in a nuclear accident or something?"
"Maybe he's an alien or some scientifically enhanced super soldier," Sharpener replied sarcastically.
"He doesn't look like an alien," Erasa said. "Maybe he was struck by lightning when he was little." Sharpener rolled his eyes.
"Erasa, people get struck by lightning all the time without getting superpowers," he said.
"Well how else could it've happened?" She asked.
"I don't know," he answered, "But however it happened, we know he's not the only one it happened to. And besides, now Videl can fly too."
"Do you think her dad can fly?" Erasa asked. Sharpener shrugged.
"We'll have to ask her, I guess."
A scream brought their attention back to the fight, where the shorter guy was throwing weird beams of light at Gohan, who was knocking them into the sky.
* * *
"Is that the best you've got, Krillin?" Gohan mocked as he deflected the small ki blasts. Krillin chuckled and smirked right before launching a huge ball of ki at his young opponent. Gohan swung around it and kicked it up into the sky like a soccer ball, but as he did Krillin appeared before him and threw a punch in his face. The young demi-saiyan barely blocked in time.
"If you couldn't see that coming," Krillin said as they held their positions, "Then you've really gotten rusty. That's okay with me, though. It'd be nice to make it to the finals for once."
Gohan grunted and pushed the shorter man away from him. A second later, they were sparring intensely again. They were merely a blur of punches, kicks and blocks. After a few moments, they flew in small arcs away from each other, and then simultaneously spun around and fired kame-hame-ha waves at each other. A bright flash ensued, and when it waned, the onlookers found them fighting again.
* * *
"Go, daddy!" little Marron cheered. Yamcha chuckled.
"He's doing really well, isn't he?" He asked the little girl as he placed his hand on her head affectionately.
"He's certainly doing better against Gohan than I would've expected," observed Bulma. "That wife of his must've really put him through his paces."
* * *
'I'm gonna have to power up to almost full if I wanna beat him,' Gohan thought. 'He's just too good.'
So Gohan powered up to just about his maximum without transforming. Krillin tried valiantly, but he knew he stood no chance. It was only a matter of ten or fifteen seconds before Gohan pounded him down to the ground and he landed in a big crater outside the ring. The demi-saiyan powered down and floated back down and landed in the ring.
* * *
"Oh, my goodness! It looks like Krillin has landed out of the ring, but…I don't know if he could even have survived a fall like that! When he landed, he made a crater ten feet wide!"
The entire stadium was silent, thinking that Krillin was either dead or severely injured. The announcer looked remorseful. After all, he'd gotten to know Krillin fairly well over the years. After Krillin didn't move for a few seconds, he too assumed the worst.
"Well folks, it looks like the Great Saiyaman will have to be disqualified for…wait! Krillin is getting up!"
A collective gasp sounded throughout the stadium as the short human warrior stood up, brushed himself off and climbed out of the crater seemingly unharmed. After he stretched his head to both sides and arched his back to pop everything back into place, the whole crowd cheered. It was something they could barely believe, and indeed many didn't, but they were relived nonetheless.
"Unbelievable! Krillin has just climbed out of the crater, and appears to be perfectly fine! That means that the Great Saiyaman will get to advance after all! More importantly, it means that our other contestant is okay! Let's see if we can get a word with him."
The announcer walked over to Krillin.
"Excuse me, Krillin? Would you mind telling us what happened there at the end?" He put the mike up to the former monk, who spoke into it.
"Nothing much to tell, really," he said. "Saiyaman's just stronger than me, that's all."
"It looked as though you were hurt very badly, but you seem to be fine. How is that?"
"Well, I'm not completely fine," he admitted. "I'm gonna be a little sore in the morning, that's for sure." With that, he and Gohan walked off to join the others, leaving the announcer and everyone else speechless.
* * *
Videl was waiting for Gohan when he came back. She had a somewhat stern look on her face.
"What were you thinking?" she scolded him. "You could've killed him!" Gohan merely chuckled.
"Nah, he's fine. It would take more than that to kill him, or even hurt him badly." Videl's eyes widened, and Gohan continued. "Besides, you don't think I'd actually kill anybody, do you? I mean, except for Spopovich that is." Her face softened and she giggled a little bit.
"No, I guess no," she said. She smiled at him. "But this puts you in the finals, huh? Who do you think you'll be fighting, your dad or that Mighty Mask guy?"
"Oh, my dad, definitely," he replied. He had no doubt that his father would be easily able to defeat this strange new warrior.
* * *
When the announcer recovered, he decided it was time to move along with things.
"Okay! Well that means it's time for the last fight before the final round! It's Son Goku versus Mighty Mask!
"Son Goku has been to the tournament many times, and has never failed to make it to the final round. Two tournaments ago, he succeeded in becoming the world champion, and in the process managed to completely obliterate the stadium. Why he didn't appear at the last tournament is unknown, but he's back today to reclaim his title. He's always been impressive, and this tournament is no different. Both of his matches thus far have been of colossal proportion, and he even managed to oust the unofficial champ, Number 18, making him the current titleholder.
"Mighty Mask, on the other hand, has only appeared in one previous tournament. At the 24th Budokai, he was defeated rather quickly in the first round. Now, despite an unimpressive score on the punch machine compared to our other competitors, he seems to be a great deal stronger. Both of his opponents so far have been knocked out of the ring with minimal effort, and under ten seconds. That is by far a tournament record. This promises to be a very interesting match indeed."
* * *
"Okay, Goten, let's go!" Trunks called down to his counterpart.
"Wait!" Goten called back. "I thought you said I got to be on top this time!" Trunks rolled his eyes.
"Fine, you can be on top. Just hurry up already, will ya?" The two of them switched places quickly enough so that nobody noticed.
"Do you think we can beat my dad, Trunks?" Goten asked.
"Probably," the other boy answered. "After all, he's been dead for seven years. How strong could he be?"
"Well, he did beat your dad, Trunks," Goten pointed out. The lavender-haired boy grunted but did not respond.
"Hey Trunks, don't you think we should go out there now?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Let's make a big entrance again, okay?"
Goten nodded. "Right."
* * *
"Will our two fighters please report to the ring?"
Goku walked out to the ring, followed by his strange looking opponent who jumped when he was halfway there and made a shaky landing opposite him. The saiyan hero regarded the bizarre man with an arched eyebrow, and then waited for the announcer to start the fight.
"Are you two ready" Both fighters nodded. "Then let the last semifinal bout begin!"
* * *
Trunks kicked off and flew toward Goku, hoping that Goten would be able to put up a good fight. Through his eyeholes, he could see his friend's father fighting back. It was obvious he was holding back, as he didn't know just whom it was he was fighting and therefore didn't know how hard he could go without hurting them. He felt Goten's heels kick his shoulders slightly, the signal to take off. Trunks grinned. In the air, they could function better, and he could also assist by throwing some kicks.
* * *
'This is weird,' thought Goku as he fought his mysterious foe. He's been continually releasing more and more of his power during the fight, but Mighty Mask kept up with him the whole way. 'And there's something about his technique. It seems familiar somehow.'
He pumped it up a little more, and was successful in ramming the unnamed fighter downward, where he landed with a crash, damaging the ring somewhat. Goku figured that was enough.
'I hope I didn't hurt the guy,' he thought.
* * *
"And now Mighty Mask has been pummeled into the ground! I don't think he's going to be able to get back up after this one, folks."
Trunks could hear the announcer yelling, but ignored him.
"Great job, Goten!" he yelled at his cohort. "Why don't you let me be on top again?"
So the two of them switched places once again, and prepared to reenter the fray.
"Ah, Mighty Mask? Are you okay? Are you going to give up?" Together they burst from the hole and landed in front of the announcer. Trunks spoke in his deep voice, trying to imitate Mr. Satan.
"No way! Ha ha ha! I never give up!" He spurred Goten with his heels, and they shot off into the sky at a surprised Goku.
"Well there you have it, folks! Mighty Mask refuses to give up! I've never seen him like this before!"
* * *
'Incredible!' Thought Goku as he continued the fight, having a bit of difficulty now. 'He's changed his technique! I can't predict his movements!' He powered up some more, a bit nervy now at the unnatural strength of his rival.
* * *
"This isn't working, Goten!" Trunks yelled.
"What if we go super saiyan, Trunks?" Goten shouted back.
"Great idea! With this suit on, nobody even knows who we are!" The pulled away from the fight and entered a standoff with Goku.
"Are you ready, Goten?" Trunks whispered discreetly to his partner.
"Yeah!"
They transformed, and the costume of Mighty Mask inflated as if it were over a large air vent. The distinctive gold aura shone through the fabric.
* * *
"Hey, what's wrong with that man!?" yelled Marron. "He's glowing!" Behind her Master Roshi sat with his usual expressionless face, but he understood everything.
'I knew it was those two all along,' he thought to himself. 'Do they really think they can fool Goku?'
* * *
Up in the air, Goku was smirking. Like his master, he'd caught on.
'I get it now,' thought. 'I've got a couple of super saiyans here.' He called out to them.
"Trunks! Goten! Do Chi Chi and Bulma know you're playing around up here?" The smirk never left his face.
"Yikes! We're busted!" Trunks yelled.
"What are we gonna do, Trunks?"
"I don't know! You're dad's gonna kill us! And if he doesn't, our moms will!"
Just then, Goten saw a small ki blast headed for them.
"Look out!" he yelled. In their panic, they didn't take the time to coordinate their escape, and each tried to fly in a different direction. The ki blast hit their costume, and ripped it in half, separating them. Needless to say, the crowd was a little shocked.
* * *
"Is that Goten?" Chi Chi inquired angrily.
"Then that means…" Bulma reasoned, "The other one must be Trunks!" Both women were furious, and although he felt like doing so, Yamcha wisely decided that now was not the time to make a comment.
* * *
"What's your brother doing up there?" Videl asked.
"I don't know," Gohan replied. Just then, Trunks pulled the mask off from over his head, revealing him as well.
"I guess they just really wanted to be part of the adult competition," he said.
"How could they do that though?" She demanded. "They're just kids!"
"Yeah, but they're really strong. They're a lot stronger than you or I were at that age. Or anybody else for that matter." Videl just shook her head. That still wasn't explanation enough for her.
* * *
"What do we do now?" Goten asked his partner.
"I guess we finish the fight," Trunks answered. "Come on, Goten. I bet together, we could take him." They dropped into fighting stances and prepared to attack.
"Hey, wait a minute! The two of you can't fight together! You're disqualified!"
The two young demi-saiyans glanced at each other, and opted to make a run for it. They took off and flew away from the stadium. Trunks made one last call over his shoulder.
"Your tournament was stupid!"
* * *
"Rggh! Those boys are in so much trouble when we get home!" Chi Chi raged.
"I can't believe they did that!" Bulma shouted. This time, Yamcha tried to calm them down.
"Ladies, please," he said, putting his hands up. "It's not like they hurt themselves or anybody else, right?"
"You stay out of this!" Bulma screamed at him. The former bandit prudently sat down and did not open his mouth again.
* * *
"Well, I guess that clinches it. Mighty Mask was disqualified because he was two people! That makes Goku the winner!"
The aforementioned had just floated back down to the ring, and still wore an expression of amusement mixed with surprise.
"That means that the final fight for the championship will be Son Goku against the indomitable Great Saiyaman! So stick around, because I guarantee you this is one fight you don't want to miss!"
The announcer then walked over to Goku to have a chat with him.
"That one boy, Goten," he said. "He looks a lot like you. Is he your son?"
"You bet he is," replied Goku proudly. The announcer grinned.
"He put on quite an impressive show in the junior division. It reminded me of when you first competed all those years ago."
Goku laughed. "Well, he's a lot stronger than I was back then," he said. "And younger, too. I was twelve when I first fought in the tournament, remember?" The announcer nodded.
"Don't spread this around," Goku continued in a near-whisper, "But the one I'm fighting in the next round is also my son." The announcer's eyes went wide for a second.
"The Great Saiyaman is your son?" Goku nodded again. "Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. What with all those superpowers of his, who else could be his father?" The two shared a laugh before Goku bade his old friend farewell and headed back to the others.
Off to the side, hidden in the shadows where no one noticed them, two figures stood waiting. The larger one had only regained consciousness recently, and the shorter one still had a bit of a bloody lip.
They held strange objects in their hands, and wore maniacal grins on their faces. The next match would be the one they'd been waiting for.
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Ta-daa! What do you think? I just had to keep that bit with Goten and Trunks in there, it's just funny. And Trunks' line there has always been one of my favorites. Any guesses for who's going to win the tournament?
P.S. Any of you who happen to be Sailor Moon fans, read "Rifts" by Cav. (And tell him to finish it!)