It was a quiet day in Satan City. No criminals were on the move, no speeders or reckless drivers, nothing. It made Gohan nervous, to tell the truth. He had gotten into the routine of helping Videl out and then trying to keep her from figuring out who the Great Saiyaman was behind the mask.
"Gohan, is my class boring you?" Pegaro asks.
Gohan jolts up out of his silent reverie. "Uh, no Mr. Kawada. Just thinking."
"Okay then," Pegaro says, "now read page 114 out of your science book. Read the portion about anti-matter and its components."
"Yes sir," Gohan says, picking up his science book, "anti-matter is matter composed of counter-parts to ordinary matter, antiprotons instead of instead of protons, positrons instead of electrons, and antineutrons instead of neutrons. Positrons are positively charged particles having the same mass and magnitude of charge as an electron. An antiproton is a particle equal in mass but opposite in charge to a proton."
"Wouldn't that make it an electron?" Sharpner interrupts.
"Sharpner, I am glad that you are paying attention, but an electron has a lot less mass than a proton," Pegaro says sternly, "please continue Gohan."
"Yes sir," Gohan says, "an antineutron is an uncharged particle of mass equal to that of a neutron but having a magnetic moment in the opposite direction."
"Thank you Gohan," Pegaro says, "now, can someone tell me what some of the hypothetical uses of anti-matter are? Videl?"
"Well, it has been said that a spaceship powered by anti-matter would have no need of fuel and could travel at nearly light speeds," Videl says.
'Actually, if the circuits are made of a super conductive material and are put in a proper alignment, the ship can travel at faster than light speeds and create a barrier that keeps it from turning into light,' Gohan thinks smugly.
"Very good," Pegaro says, "can someone tell me the dangers of using anti-matter to power something? Or simply the danger's of it existing with regular matter? Erasa? Can you answer that question?"
"No sir," Erasa says, "I can't."
"Okay," Pegaro says.
He turns to face the chalkboard and begins writing on it. "The main danger of having anti-matter in contact with regular matter is that they cannot co-exist. When anti-matter and regular matter come in contact with each other they react violently."
'Kinda like dad and Vegeta,' Gohan smirks to himself, 'mostly on Vegeta's part though.'
Pegaro continues. "It has bee hypothesized that 30 grams of anti-matter can knock a planet the size of Earth out of its orbit due to the resulting explosion. The crater created by such an explosion would be so large that you would need a telescope to see across it."
"That's big," Erasa gasps.
Pegaro agrees. "Yes, Erasa, it is. Now, can anyone tell me how scientists can experiment with anti-matter without it killing them and everyone else with it?"
Gohan spoke up. "They create a barrier that separates the anti-matter from regular matter."
"Precisely," Pegaro says, "now, I have asked a famous scientist to come and speak to you about anti-matter. Class, I am pleased to present to you Mrs. Bulma Briefs."
At that precise moment, Gohan felt the bottom of his stomach drop. He hadn't felt Vegeta's ki signature, or Trunks'. Those two were apparently sparring in Vegeta's Gravity Chamber. But if Bulma called on him, there went his social life. He had seen what being Hercule's daughter did to Videl. Being a close personal friend of Bulma Briefs, President of Capsule Corporation was sure to ruin his life.
Sure enough, Bulma walked in. And she wasn't alone. Her half-senile father was with her, cat on his shoulder and all. Gohan mutters his dread.
"Um, Mrs. Briefs?" Pegaro asks, "who is this?"
"Oh, this is my dad," Bulma replies, "I needed an assistant and he's the best one for the job."
"What about you're, um, husband?" Pegaro asks hesitantly.
"I can't pull him away from his training long enough for something like this," Bulma replies dryly, "now, what am I demonstrating again?"
"Anti-matter," Pegaro replies.
Gohan slowly sinks into his seat, sending up silent prayer's up to any and all higher beings that watched over the universe that neither Bulma or her dad noticed him.
"Oh yeah, that," Bulma says, "now this is definitely a subject I have worked with. At the main Capsule Corps building, which is also my home, our backup generator is a 0.01 gram of isolated anti-matter. It also runs the power to its own field generator so we don't risk death as much as we would."
"You mean to say that you have actually harnessed anti-matter?" Videl demands.
"Oh yes, it is quite a remarkable substance, really," Mr. Briefs says, "it was my daughter who thought up how to harness it. Quite remarkable."
"Thanks dad," Bulma says, "now, I couldn't exactly bring a bit of anti-matter to show you due to the hazards. However, I do have several simulations to show you. Some, I must tell you, are still in the process of experimentation."
Bulma puts a tape in the VCR and Pegaro turns off the lights.
The video goes on to show several different ways that they were experimenting with anti-matter at Capsule Corps.
After the presentation, Bulma turns to the class.
"Any questions?" she asks.
A student raises his hand. "You with the glasses."
"Why is it that Capsule Corps is experimenting with anti-matter? Shouldn't that be the job of a government funded science facility?"
"We are more advanced than the government," Bulma replies, "and they view it as too dangerous for practical use. My dad and I agree, but we also see the potential and risk it. We don't put any employees in danger. We do all the experimentation ourselves. Sometimes my husband helps though."
Erasa raises her hand.
"Um, the blonde with the green tank top."
"Where is your husband?"
Bulma frowns. "I couldn't get him out of his private training facility to come. He figured that if any guys eyed me up too much, I'd tell him and then he could hunt them down at his leisure where I couldn't scold him. Um, is there someone in the seat beside you? It looks like there is, but it appears they're slumped in their seat."
Gohan groans. Now he was in trouble.
"Oh, that's just Gohan," Erasa says, "I don't know why he's sinking down in his seat though."
Bulma's eyes widen in an almost unholy gleam. "SON GOHAN, WAKE UP OR YOU'RE GONNA BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!" Bulma sounded like a perfect imitation of Chichi.
Gohan shoots up. "Mom I'm not gonna be late!" He then looks around and sees where he is and blushes furiously.
"Bulma, I thought I told you to quite that?!" Gohan demands.
Bulma just laughs. "Sorry Gohan, I just couldn't resist. Now, did you pay attention at all during the presentation?"
"Bulma, I've helped you catalogue some of those experiments," Gohan replies, "of course I know them."
The class was starring wide-eyed at Gohan as he exchanged words with Bulma Briefs, the richest woman in the world.
"Gohan, my boy," Mr. Briefs says cheerfully, "why haven't you and Goten dropped by lately?"
"Sorry sir," Gohan replies, "Goten brought home another baby dinosaur, so mom's grounded him. I can imagine that Trunks is getting into mischief on his own for the time being, huh?"
"Actually, he's been staying pretty quiet," Bulma says thoughtfully, "I guess since he doesn't have you're little brother to blame it on, he doesn't want to risk Vegeta's wrath."
"I remember how he was after they replaced his shampoo with that hair dye," Gohan chuckles, "are you sure he destroyed all the negatives to the pictures and the pictures themselves?"
"As much as I would love a keepsake of Vegeta with pink hair, he's unbearable enough to live with as it is so I let him destroy them all," Bulma says, "besides, we do have those photos of when they pulled that same trick on you."
"Bulma!" Gohan whines, blushes beet red at the giggles of all the girls in the class.
"Sorry Gohan, but Vegeta asked me to find some way to embarrass you if I saw you while I was here," Bulma giggles, "he said he'd take me and Trunks out on a picnic if
I did."
"He did, did he?" Gohan growls, "maybe I outta pay him a visit after school today."
"Actually, he thought of that," Bulma says, "so he said he'd take us on the picnic immediately after school. And he'd tell your mom if you did anything to interrupt it."
Gohan winces. "Damn him."
Gohan's swearing catches the entire class off guard.
"Well, I gotta go now," Bulma says, "and Mr. Kawada? I'd recommend Gohan having extra assignments during lunch time for swearing in class."
"He should know better," Pegaro agrees, "Gohan, you have a ten page essay on proper language and etiquette during lunch and you may not go to lunch until it is turned in to me."
"Well, see you guys," Bulma says, "and Pegaro? Call me if you have any other science presentations in mind."
"I do have something in mind," Pegaro says, "I'll just have Gohan relay it to you when he goes over to your home to get revenge on Vegeta."
"Okay," Bulma says cheerily.
"By everyone," Mr. Briefs says, waving to the class as he and Bulma head out the door.
It didn't take long for Gohan to finish his essay, but there wasn't much time for him to get anything to eat.
"So Gohan, why didn't you tell us you knew the Briefs?" Erasa asks.
"You never asked and I never really thought much about it," Gohan replies as he takes a bite out of his sandwich.
"You never really thought much about knowing the Briefs?" Sharpner asks, "figures a country boy like you would think like that."
"No, its just that Bulma was an old friend of my dads," Gohan replies, "and I've known her since I was five and a half. She's babysat me on multiple occasions."
"What was that about pink hair?" Sharpner snickers.
"Actually, Trunks and my little brother just pulled the same trick on me," Gohan replies with a blush, "I had blue hair for months. I finally got the coloring out a couple days before I enrolled here at Orange Star High."
"I think you'd look great in blue hair," Erasa giggles.
"My mom sure didn't," Gohan says, "she put Goten and Trunks on bread and water rations until the dye finally came out of my hair."
"Do they eat like you do?" Videl asks.
"If the three of us had an eating contest, I'd put my money on either Trunks or Goten because they're still growing boys and need food to grow up healthy and strong," gohan replies.
"They both eat like you?" Erasa asks, stunned.
"Like I said, they eat more," Gohan replies, "but my mom cooked a feast for Goten when the hair dye dried out and I'm sure Vegeta continuously snuck food to his son so he wouldn't starve. He considers himself a prince and Trunks is his heir."
"Why would he consider himself a prince?" Sharpner demands.
"That's how arrogant he is," Gohan replies, "and if you injure his pride, he'll try to kill you, if he doesn't kill you."
"He's killed people before?" Videl asks, mortified that Gohan would talk so casually about a friend of his killing people.
"Not since he married Bulma," Gohan replies, "and those that I know he killed before he married her deserved to die. At least most of them. He really should get a job as an executioner for a couple of prisons. That way he might get killing out of his blood when it comes to ogling his wife. And Sharpner, I'm fairly sure Bulma saw you ogling her."
"Like her husband would actually try anything," Sharpner snorts.
"He's tried to kill me on no less than five occasions," Gohan replies, "and me he likes."
"Why don't you file a lawsuit with him?" Sharpner asks.
"Because if he seriously tries to kill me my mom will knock him out with a frying pan," Gohan replies flatly, "and after that Bulma will borrow it from my mom and hit him with it herself."
"Lot of good that'll do you if he actually did kill you," Sharpner says.
"You never know," Gohan says, "can we go over to less depressing topics?"
"Sure," Erasa says, "so tell me, how did a country kid like you get to know the Bulma Briefs?"
"She was a friend of my dad for years," Gohan replies, "she was out hunting for a treasure and came across him. He had been living on his own since his grandpa, who had simply found him in the wilderness, was killed fighting a monster. She took him with her, since he was abnormally strong for an eleven year old kid. Eventually he met my mom. From what mom tells me, it was love at first sight for her. For dad, well, lets just say that even eight years later when they finally got married he thought a honeymoon was a kind of food."
Sharpner, Erasa, and Videl all burst out laughing.
"You're not serious, are you Gohan?" Erasa manages between giggles.
"I'm dead serious," Gohan says, "and my little brother is too much like dad in that regard. Mom says he's as clueless as my dad is about everything except martial arts."
"So, your dad is into martial arts?" Videl asks. Gohan rarely mentioned his family at all. This was likely the most open they'll ever get him.
"He's been in martial arts practically his entire life," Gohan replies, "from the time he as old enough to learn how to walk he was taught martial arts. By the time he was twelve he was in the semi-finals of the World Martial Arts Tournament."
"You mean the Junior Division, right?" Videl asks.
"Junior Division?" Gohan asks, "there's a Junior Division now?"
"You mean you didn't know?" Videl asks, "it's for kids sixteen and under. It was supposed to be dominated by the older competitors, but I won the last championship, just like my dad won the adult division title."
"Wow," Gohan says, "we didn't even know they had instated a Junior Division. Dad probably wouldn't have even gotten a challenge from any of the kids you fought."
"I sure didn't get a challenge," Videl grumbles, "I felt ashamed to take the title. None of the others were even serious fighters of any sort."
"Well, dad and his best friend Krillin both competed," Gohan continues, "Krillin got to the semi-finals but lost to the guy who became champion. Dad made it to the finals."
"Krillin?" Erasa asks, "that was the name of one of those people on Earth's Special Forces. And he was a competitor in the Martial Arts Tournament."
"Probably the same guy," Gohan replies, "short guy with no hair?"
"That would be him," Erasa says, "so, you're dad was best friends with a member of Earth's Special Forces, huh?"
"What was your dads name?" Videl asks.
"Goku," Gohan replies simply, knowing he could not get around this.
"You're dad is the martial arts legend Son Goku?" Videl gasps.
"I guess," Gohan replies, "I know I've always looked up to him. Of course, what son doesn't look up to his dad. Trunks looks up to his dad as if he was the greatest thing since the invention of cooked food, or food not cooked by his mom at least."
"Trunks wouldn't happen to be Mrs. Briefs son, would it?" Erasa asks.
"Yep," Gohan replies.
"So Gohan, did your dad teach you any martial arts?" Videl asks.
"Look at him!" Sharpner snorts, "does he look like someone who would take martial arts of any sort?"
"No, dad never really taught me anything," Gohan replies, mostly truthfully, "mom didn't want me to be a fighter. She was afraid that if I did, I'd try and go and take on something like the Red Ribbon Army on my own like dad did."
"The Red Ribbon Army was the biggest criminal organization in the last century," Videl says, "why did your dad take on the Red Ribbon Army?"
"I really don't know," Gohan replies, "I asked Krillin about it once and he said that he was making them pay for killing the dad of one of his new friends. One thing you could always say about my dad: he didn't like seeing his friends hurt. He was the most easygoing guy in the world, but hurt one of his friends and not even Piccolo Daimou could stop him. And he couldn't."
"You're dad not only took on the Red Ribbon Army, but the evil Piccolo Daimou as well?" Videl gasps.
"Took them both on and won," Gohan replies as he finishes up his sandwich, "the Piccolo he fought in the tournament that he won was actually the son of Piccolo Daimou. He killed Piccolo Daimou in their final battle."
"A boy did that?" Videl asks.
"A twelve year old boy who had trained under some of the greatest martial arts masters to ever live," Gohan corrects, "he once completed a form of training in three days what it took Master Roshi three years to do."
"That's pretty impressive," Videl comments, "what kind of training is it?"
"It was pretty difficult, from what dad told me," Gohan says, "he didn't say much else. Not many have heard of the master who taught him, and dad was only the second person to ever complete the training. I don't know if anyone else ever completed that training afterwards though. Now, lets get to the next class."
Suddenly, Gohan was no longer any more open than he normally was.
~~~
So, how was that? Like it? Hate it? Already hiring a hit squad to take me out before I write any more? Please tell me in a review.
"Gohan, is my class boring you?" Pegaro asks.
Gohan jolts up out of his silent reverie. "Uh, no Mr. Kawada. Just thinking."
"Okay then," Pegaro says, "now read page 114 out of your science book. Read the portion about anti-matter and its components."
"Yes sir," Gohan says, picking up his science book, "anti-matter is matter composed of counter-parts to ordinary matter, antiprotons instead of instead of protons, positrons instead of electrons, and antineutrons instead of neutrons. Positrons are positively charged particles having the same mass and magnitude of charge as an electron. An antiproton is a particle equal in mass but opposite in charge to a proton."
"Wouldn't that make it an electron?" Sharpner interrupts.
"Sharpner, I am glad that you are paying attention, but an electron has a lot less mass than a proton," Pegaro says sternly, "please continue Gohan."
"Yes sir," Gohan says, "an antineutron is an uncharged particle of mass equal to that of a neutron but having a magnetic moment in the opposite direction."
"Thank you Gohan," Pegaro says, "now, can someone tell me what some of the hypothetical uses of anti-matter are? Videl?"
"Well, it has been said that a spaceship powered by anti-matter would have no need of fuel and could travel at nearly light speeds," Videl says.
'Actually, if the circuits are made of a super conductive material and are put in a proper alignment, the ship can travel at faster than light speeds and create a barrier that keeps it from turning into light,' Gohan thinks smugly.
"Very good," Pegaro says, "can someone tell me the dangers of using anti-matter to power something? Or simply the danger's of it existing with regular matter? Erasa? Can you answer that question?"
"No sir," Erasa says, "I can't."
"Okay," Pegaro says.
He turns to face the chalkboard and begins writing on it. "The main danger of having anti-matter in contact with regular matter is that they cannot co-exist. When anti-matter and regular matter come in contact with each other they react violently."
'Kinda like dad and Vegeta,' Gohan smirks to himself, 'mostly on Vegeta's part though.'
Pegaro continues. "It has bee hypothesized that 30 grams of anti-matter can knock a planet the size of Earth out of its orbit due to the resulting explosion. The crater created by such an explosion would be so large that you would need a telescope to see across it."
"That's big," Erasa gasps.
Pegaro agrees. "Yes, Erasa, it is. Now, can anyone tell me how scientists can experiment with anti-matter without it killing them and everyone else with it?"
Gohan spoke up. "They create a barrier that separates the anti-matter from regular matter."
"Precisely," Pegaro says, "now, I have asked a famous scientist to come and speak to you about anti-matter. Class, I am pleased to present to you Mrs. Bulma Briefs."
At that precise moment, Gohan felt the bottom of his stomach drop. He hadn't felt Vegeta's ki signature, or Trunks'. Those two were apparently sparring in Vegeta's Gravity Chamber. But if Bulma called on him, there went his social life. He had seen what being Hercule's daughter did to Videl. Being a close personal friend of Bulma Briefs, President of Capsule Corporation was sure to ruin his life.
Sure enough, Bulma walked in. And she wasn't alone. Her half-senile father was with her, cat on his shoulder and all. Gohan mutters his dread.
"Um, Mrs. Briefs?" Pegaro asks, "who is this?"
"Oh, this is my dad," Bulma replies, "I needed an assistant and he's the best one for the job."
"What about you're, um, husband?" Pegaro asks hesitantly.
"I can't pull him away from his training long enough for something like this," Bulma replies dryly, "now, what am I demonstrating again?"
"Anti-matter," Pegaro replies.
Gohan slowly sinks into his seat, sending up silent prayer's up to any and all higher beings that watched over the universe that neither Bulma or her dad noticed him.
"Oh yeah, that," Bulma says, "now this is definitely a subject I have worked with. At the main Capsule Corps building, which is also my home, our backup generator is a 0.01 gram of isolated anti-matter. It also runs the power to its own field generator so we don't risk death as much as we would."
"You mean to say that you have actually harnessed anti-matter?" Videl demands.
"Oh yes, it is quite a remarkable substance, really," Mr. Briefs says, "it was my daughter who thought up how to harness it. Quite remarkable."
"Thanks dad," Bulma says, "now, I couldn't exactly bring a bit of anti-matter to show you due to the hazards. However, I do have several simulations to show you. Some, I must tell you, are still in the process of experimentation."
Bulma puts a tape in the VCR and Pegaro turns off the lights.
The video goes on to show several different ways that they were experimenting with anti-matter at Capsule Corps.
After the presentation, Bulma turns to the class.
"Any questions?" she asks.
A student raises his hand. "You with the glasses."
"Why is it that Capsule Corps is experimenting with anti-matter? Shouldn't that be the job of a government funded science facility?"
"We are more advanced than the government," Bulma replies, "and they view it as too dangerous for practical use. My dad and I agree, but we also see the potential and risk it. We don't put any employees in danger. We do all the experimentation ourselves. Sometimes my husband helps though."
Erasa raises her hand.
"Um, the blonde with the green tank top."
"Where is your husband?"
Bulma frowns. "I couldn't get him out of his private training facility to come. He figured that if any guys eyed me up too much, I'd tell him and then he could hunt them down at his leisure where I couldn't scold him. Um, is there someone in the seat beside you? It looks like there is, but it appears they're slumped in their seat."
Gohan groans. Now he was in trouble.
"Oh, that's just Gohan," Erasa says, "I don't know why he's sinking down in his seat though."
Bulma's eyes widen in an almost unholy gleam. "SON GOHAN, WAKE UP OR YOU'RE GONNA BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!" Bulma sounded like a perfect imitation of Chichi.
Gohan shoots up. "Mom I'm not gonna be late!" He then looks around and sees where he is and blushes furiously.
"Bulma, I thought I told you to quite that?!" Gohan demands.
Bulma just laughs. "Sorry Gohan, I just couldn't resist. Now, did you pay attention at all during the presentation?"
"Bulma, I've helped you catalogue some of those experiments," Gohan replies, "of course I know them."
The class was starring wide-eyed at Gohan as he exchanged words with Bulma Briefs, the richest woman in the world.
"Gohan, my boy," Mr. Briefs says cheerfully, "why haven't you and Goten dropped by lately?"
"Sorry sir," Gohan replies, "Goten brought home another baby dinosaur, so mom's grounded him. I can imagine that Trunks is getting into mischief on his own for the time being, huh?"
"Actually, he's been staying pretty quiet," Bulma says thoughtfully, "I guess since he doesn't have you're little brother to blame it on, he doesn't want to risk Vegeta's wrath."
"I remember how he was after they replaced his shampoo with that hair dye," Gohan chuckles, "are you sure he destroyed all the negatives to the pictures and the pictures themselves?"
"As much as I would love a keepsake of Vegeta with pink hair, he's unbearable enough to live with as it is so I let him destroy them all," Bulma says, "besides, we do have those photos of when they pulled that same trick on you."
"Bulma!" Gohan whines, blushes beet red at the giggles of all the girls in the class.
"Sorry Gohan, but Vegeta asked me to find some way to embarrass you if I saw you while I was here," Bulma giggles, "he said he'd take me and Trunks out on a picnic if
I did."
"He did, did he?" Gohan growls, "maybe I outta pay him a visit after school today."
"Actually, he thought of that," Bulma says, "so he said he'd take us on the picnic immediately after school. And he'd tell your mom if you did anything to interrupt it."
Gohan winces. "Damn him."
Gohan's swearing catches the entire class off guard.
"Well, I gotta go now," Bulma says, "and Mr. Kawada? I'd recommend Gohan having extra assignments during lunch time for swearing in class."
"He should know better," Pegaro agrees, "Gohan, you have a ten page essay on proper language and etiquette during lunch and you may not go to lunch until it is turned in to me."
"Well, see you guys," Bulma says, "and Pegaro? Call me if you have any other science presentations in mind."
"I do have something in mind," Pegaro says, "I'll just have Gohan relay it to you when he goes over to your home to get revenge on Vegeta."
"Okay," Bulma says cheerily.
"By everyone," Mr. Briefs says, waving to the class as he and Bulma head out the door.
It didn't take long for Gohan to finish his essay, but there wasn't much time for him to get anything to eat.
"So Gohan, why didn't you tell us you knew the Briefs?" Erasa asks.
"You never asked and I never really thought much about it," Gohan replies as he takes a bite out of his sandwich.
"You never really thought much about knowing the Briefs?" Sharpner asks, "figures a country boy like you would think like that."
"No, its just that Bulma was an old friend of my dads," Gohan replies, "and I've known her since I was five and a half. She's babysat me on multiple occasions."
"What was that about pink hair?" Sharpner snickers.
"Actually, Trunks and my little brother just pulled the same trick on me," Gohan replies with a blush, "I had blue hair for months. I finally got the coloring out a couple days before I enrolled here at Orange Star High."
"I think you'd look great in blue hair," Erasa giggles.
"My mom sure didn't," Gohan says, "she put Goten and Trunks on bread and water rations until the dye finally came out of my hair."
"Do they eat like you do?" Videl asks.
"If the three of us had an eating contest, I'd put my money on either Trunks or Goten because they're still growing boys and need food to grow up healthy and strong," gohan replies.
"They both eat like you?" Erasa asks, stunned.
"Like I said, they eat more," Gohan replies, "but my mom cooked a feast for Goten when the hair dye dried out and I'm sure Vegeta continuously snuck food to his son so he wouldn't starve. He considers himself a prince and Trunks is his heir."
"Why would he consider himself a prince?" Sharpner demands.
"That's how arrogant he is," Gohan replies, "and if you injure his pride, he'll try to kill you, if he doesn't kill you."
"He's killed people before?" Videl asks, mortified that Gohan would talk so casually about a friend of his killing people.
"Not since he married Bulma," Gohan replies, "and those that I know he killed before he married her deserved to die. At least most of them. He really should get a job as an executioner for a couple of prisons. That way he might get killing out of his blood when it comes to ogling his wife. And Sharpner, I'm fairly sure Bulma saw you ogling her."
"Like her husband would actually try anything," Sharpner snorts.
"He's tried to kill me on no less than five occasions," Gohan replies, "and me he likes."
"Why don't you file a lawsuit with him?" Sharpner asks.
"Because if he seriously tries to kill me my mom will knock him out with a frying pan," Gohan replies flatly, "and after that Bulma will borrow it from my mom and hit him with it herself."
"Lot of good that'll do you if he actually did kill you," Sharpner says.
"You never know," Gohan says, "can we go over to less depressing topics?"
"Sure," Erasa says, "so tell me, how did a country kid like you get to know the Bulma Briefs?"
"She was a friend of my dad for years," Gohan replies, "she was out hunting for a treasure and came across him. He had been living on his own since his grandpa, who had simply found him in the wilderness, was killed fighting a monster. She took him with her, since he was abnormally strong for an eleven year old kid. Eventually he met my mom. From what mom tells me, it was love at first sight for her. For dad, well, lets just say that even eight years later when they finally got married he thought a honeymoon was a kind of food."
Sharpner, Erasa, and Videl all burst out laughing.
"You're not serious, are you Gohan?" Erasa manages between giggles.
"I'm dead serious," Gohan says, "and my little brother is too much like dad in that regard. Mom says he's as clueless as my dad is about everything except martial arts."
"So, your dad is into martial arts?" Videl asks. Gohan rarely mentioned his family at all. This was likely the most open they'll ever get him.
"He's been in martial arts practically his entire life," Gohan replies, "from the time he as old enough to learn how to walk he was taught martial arts. By the time he was twelve he was in the semi-finals of the World Martial Arts Tournament."
"You mean the Junior Division, right?" Videl asks.
"Junior Division?" Gohan asks, "there's a Junior Division now?"
"You mean you didn't know?" Videl asks, "it's for kids sixteen and under. It was supposed to be dominated by the older competitors, but I won the last championship, just like my dad won the adult division title."
"Wow," Gohan says, "we didn't even know they had instated a Junior Division. Dad probably wouldn't have even gotten a challenge from any of the kids you fought."
"I sure didn't get a challenge," Videl grumbles, "I felt ashamed to take the title. None of the others were even serious fighters of any sort."
"Well, dad and his best friend Krillin both competed," Gohan continues, "Krillin got to the semi-finals but lost to the guy who became champion. Dad made it to the finals."
"Krillin?" Erasa asks, "that was the name of one of those people on Earth's Special Forces. And he was a competitor in the Martial Arts Tournament."
"Probably the same guy," Gohan replies, "short guy with no hair?"
"That would be him," Erasa says, "so, you're dad was best friends with a member of Earth's Special Forces, huh?"
"What was your dads name?" Videl asks.
"Goku," Gohan replies simply, knowing he could not get around this.
"You're dad is the martial arts legend Son Goku?" Videl gasps.
"I guess," Gohan replies, "I know I've always looked up to him. Of course, what son doesn't look up to his dad. Trunks looks up to his dad as if he was the greatest thing since the invention of cooked food, or food not cooked by his mom at least."
"Trunks wouldn't happen to be Mrs. Briefs son, would it?" Erasa asks.
"Yep," Gohan replies.
"So Gohan, did your dad teach you any martial arts?" Videl asks.
"Look at him!" Sharpner snorts, "does he look like someone who would take martial arts of any sort?"
"No, dad never really taught me anything," Gohan replies, mostly truthfully, "mom didn't want me to be a fighter. She was afraid that if I did, I'd try and go and take on something like the Red Ribbon Army on my own like dad did."
"The Red Ribbon Army was the biggest criminal organization in the last century," Videl says, "why did your dad take on the Red Ribbon Army?"
"I really don't know," Gohan replies, "I asked Krillin about it once and he said that he was making them pay for killing the dad of one of his new friends. One thing you could always say about my dad: he didn't like seeing his friends hurt. He was the most easygoing guy in the world, but hurt one of his friends and not even Piccolo Daimou could stop him. And he couldn't."
"You're dad not only took on the Red Ribbon Army, but the evil Piccolo Daimou as well?" Videl gasps.
"Took them both on and won," Gohan replies as he finishes up his sandwich, "the Piccolo he fought in the tournament that he won was actually the son of Piccolo Daimou. He killed Piccolo Daimou in their final battle."
"A boy did that?" Videl asks.
"A twelve year old boy who had trained under some of the greatest martial arts masters to ever live," Gohan corrects, "he once completed a form of training in three days what it took Master Roshi three years to do."
"That's pretty impressive," Videl comments, "what kind of training is it?"
"It was pretty difficult, from what dad told me," Gohan says, "he didn't say much else. Not many have heard of the master who taught him, and dad was only the second person to ever complete the training. I don't know if anyone else ever completed that training afterwards though. Now, lets get to the next class."
Suddenly, Gohan was no longer any more open than he normally was.
~~~
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