A/N: I'm glad that you like the way I'm expanding Celeste's character, although I must say it's pretty hard considering that this woman contains a whole load of secrets. And it amazes me how most of you are like... not THAT apprehensive about her anymore. So anyway, here's another chapter, although I must apologize for not having the spacebattle in detail since I apparently lost my Star Wars touch. ^^; Well I haven't read any SW book ever since Dark Journey (of the New Jedi Order) --- I think --- and so my mind hasn't been working on those kind of scenes recently.

And by the way, Kat, your most-awaited Boxer/Pan encounter (the first "moment", that is) will happen very soon --- most probably in the next chapter --- so you better give me a good review so I'll have enough inspiration to work on it! =P

Crimson Tide
Chapter Eight: The Shattering of the Mask

"What the---"

Seth pushed back a stray lock of hair and said, "Fool. Do you think you can defeat me with a multiple ki-attack? Do not underestimate me, young man. Looks can be deceiving." He then took up a fighting stance as he asked, "Let's take things seriously, shall we?"

"Damnit..." Goten muttered as he also took up a fighting stance, although he was more on the defensive side now. "This doesn't look good. He's too strong, too full of surprises, too full of power! If this continues, I---"

The Hakaijin warlord disappeared.

Goten's eyes flew wide open, and he looked around in desperation to track his nemesis down. However, he could not sense Seth, for the warlord left no trace of his presence, whatsoever. A thousand possibilities filled Goten's mind then and there, but there was one thought that made him freeze in fear.

The thought that Seth was on his way to get Celeste, and take her away.

He powered up to his second Super Saiyajin level, and took off for Capsule Corporation. However, he was only a few meters away from his original spot when a hand flew to his face and clamped on it fiercely.

"I'm a noble man, thank you, and I have no plans to break my word. I told you that I will fight you --- if you win, I'll leave; if you lose, I'll take Celeste with me and leave. If you think that I'm the type who runs away from battle, or who cheats at agreements, I suggest that you think again. "

"DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!" Pan screamed as she slid down from the gunner's post from the second level of their starfighter, Silmeria. "We found them, but we're surrounded! From the looks of it, they were waiting for us! And we can't make a jump through hyperspace to lure them away at their distance! They've taken formation C-7 and we are SO stuck in the middle!"

"Calm down, Pan. Just calm down," Gohan advised as he pressed a couple of buttons and the formation that the Hakaijin ships formed zoomed into view. He observed the formation thoughtfully for a few moments, and then, he smiled. "It looks like we'll have to blast our way through their defense, then."

Afterwards, he pressed another button and said, "This is Silmeria. Hakaijins have taken formation C-7 and are blocking our path for a hyperspace jump. So we will have to pave our own path to get to our destination. Split into four groups and agree on the quadrants you will attack. We will take on the X-Zero over there in upper left quadrant. Is everything clear?"

"Yes, commander."

"Good. Countdown for 60 begins now."

With that, Gohan positioned himself on the pilot's chair and got himself ready for battle. He was about to put on his helmet when he stopped to look at Pan, who still remained in her position, unmoving. "Pan, what's wrong? We don't have much time, you've got to go to your post now."

She looked down on the floor, embarassed. She shuffled her feet in the same manner, and she fidgeted with her fingers nervously. It looked as if she wanted something from her father, although what that was, she couldn't seem to voice it out. It seemed as though she had suddenly lost her guts.

Her father glanced at the timer. 40 seconds. They didn't have much time, the assault they were spearheading was to start after that time span was over. And there was Pan, stalling. She apparently chose the wrong time to play around. "Come on, Pan! Hurry up! We don't have much time! What is it that you want, anyway?"

"Dad, can I..." Pan paused as she looked at her father straight in the eye, at her attempt to convey her emotions and her desire in the right manner and in the right impression. "Can I fly?"

They continued to communicate with their eyes for a couple more moments, and soon after, Gohan unstrapped himself from his seat and gave way for Pan. With a smile, he said, "I suppose it's about time I give you the chance to do so. You're just like your mother. Just make sure you know what you're doing, okay? We don't want to float around here in space like we're stuck in Dead Zone or something."

"Oh, come on, dad!"

"I was just kidding. I certainly do not doubt your capabilities, considering the fact that you beat me for the last five times we had a spacewar simulation back in Sabrea," he blurted out as he tapped her encouragingly on the shoulder, although he said the last part with a bit of sarcasm.

Pan stuck her tongue out at him. "Spoilsport."

"Good luck, then, Princess Pan. I shall be at the gunner's post waiting for your command."

"Whatever," she muttered jokingly as she winked at him. As Gohan left her alone in the cockpit, however, uneasiness and uncertainty filled her. She knew that she was one of the best fighter-pilots in Sabrea --- and the best in her age group --- but she didn't know if her skills were enough to take down an enemy fleet in real combat, and to lead an entire group of fighter-pilots older than her into victory.

"I hope I do this right," Pan told herself as she tightly gripped the controls, waiting for the countdown timer to flash to 0:00. And at the moment it did so, she kicked the ship's engines to life and fired.

Goten squeezed his eyes shut as he crossed his arms in front of him to shield himself from the blast Seth was preparing --- the blast that had the potential to end his life --- when he heard a loud, "BIG BANG ATTACK!" and a deafening explosion that followed it soon after. He tried to look up and find out what had happened, and he saw Vegeta with his right hand held out as he blasted Seth with one of his signature moves.

The next moment, he felt someone lift him up from the ground, and he turned his head to the side slightly to catch a glimpse of Keeney, who was trying to support him as much as she could.

"Blast it..." Goten cursed with gritted teeth.

"Don't talk," Keeney whispered as she ran her hand softly through his pale and battered face. "Save your strength, home's quite far from here."

"He's not going to make it home," a low voice hissed and their eyes flew wide in shock as they saw Seth emerge from the huge crater on the ground made by Vegeta's Big Bang Attack, hurt but alive. He resumed a fighting stance as Vegeta did so, the latter determined to protect his son and make the enemy pay the price, when Seth felt two strong power levels closing in, and he shook his head in an irritated fashion.

He stood up straight and turned to Goten as he said, "You're lucky, Goten. Very lucky indeed. But it's not over yet. I'm coming back for you. And I'm going to make sure that you won't survive on our next encounter --- even if you have the will of the devil."

And with that, Seth flew off towards the depths of space.

"Oh my baby!" Chichi exclaimed worriedly as she rushed towards her heavily injured son, eager to comfort him, heal him and keep him safe. "What did that monster do to you?! He's going to pay the ultimate price for---"

"That nonsense is enough, woman," Vegeta muttered coldly as he turned around to leave. "You should stop all that talk and get on with what you have to do before we lose him."

Chichi nodded in understanding as the other's words got to her, and then she knelt down to check up on him. A short while later, she took a small pouch from her pocket --- which contained a handful of senzu beans --- and gave one to Goten. Soon after, her son fluttered his eyes open, and that was enough to fill Chichi with gratitude and joy.

"I'm all right, mother. Really, you don't have to worry about it," Goten said as he sat up, supported by Keeney. "I just... lost my fighting touch, that's all."

He paused to look at Vegeta who stood at a distance, and he mouthed, Thank you, father.

Vegeta nodded in understanding, and in reply, he mouthed, No problem, brat.

"I don't understand it, though. Why did he retreat all of a sudden? He didn't seem shocked at father's power... it was something else," Keeney voiced out her thoughts, but Bulma just patted her on the shoulder and advised her not to worry about it.

"What's important is that we're safe," Bulma finished.

"For now."

Everyone, except Goten and Keeney turned to Vegeta in surprise, yet it was only Bulma who had the courage to speak up. "What do you mean... for now?"

"He's coming back. He's coming back to finish off that brat," Vegeta explained as he nodded his head towards Goten's direction. "And he said that even if the brat has the will of the devil, he won't survive when he returns."

Everyone fell silent.

"I'll be ready by then," Goten blurted out weakly. "I just... got caught off-guard."

Chichi refused to accept that assurance, however. "Nonsense, Goten, nonsense! I will not let that monster near you again, so as much touch you!"

"And how are you going to do that, woman?" Vegeta taunted as he looked at Chichi square in the eye. "How are you going to protect him, when he --- who is a thousand times stronger than you --- was unable to protect himself?"

"Goku will put an end to that intruder!"

The young man was about to intervene at the mention of his father's name, but it was Vegeta who was able to speak up first. "But where is Kakkarot? Where is this warrior you are counting on? Out in the depths of space having a jolly time, hopping from one planet to another, not even thinking of the consequences of his actions!"

"You're wrong, Vegeta," Chichi growled in anger at the insults the man spat about her husband. "Goku isn't selfish. He never was. He is away not to satisfy his own wants, but to become a stronger warrior and thus be able to protect our world and all of its inhabitants."

"Fact. But---"

"But how often will he have to leave?! How long will he have to be away?! For another decade or so?! For another seven years?!"

Goten's sudden outburst surprised everyone, but before anyone else could voice out his or her thoughts, he bolted up and faced them with a face full of anguish, for the mask that Goten had been wearing for so long was gone at that instant.

With a voice filled with ire that was getting out of control, he exclaimed, "I'm sick and tired of your reasons in his defense! True, he's a hero, but was he ever a father?! To Gohan, perhaps, but never to me! Where had he been for seven years?! He could have agreed to be wished back at his death in Cell's hands, but no, he chose to remain in Afterlife, to train, to train, to train! Afterwards, after his return, after we vanquished Buu, what happened?! He lived as if he never had a second son! He spent all of his time with Gohan, and then with Pan, and I was left behind as if I never existed! Then when Gohan left for Sabrea, where did he go?! He LEFT for a planet-hopping trip!"

"Young man, you will not speak of your father---"

"He isn't my father," Goten countered in a voice that made everyone shiver. "Because he never was!"

As Goten made a dash towards the doorway of Capsule Corporation in tears, Chichi bolted up to run after him, but Vegeta grabbed her firmly by the arm to stop her. "Let him be. The brat needs some time alone."

"Let me go, Vegeta! Let me go! You don't understand, I have to---"

"And what are you going to do? You're just going to make him feel worse, woman! Just give him some time alone, so that his anger will be pacified! Feed him a little speck of your anger and he will explode like a volcano --- he might even destroy the whole world if that happens! You don't want to drive a saiyajin out of control, and most especially not someone like Goten, who had been wearing a mask to make you believe that everything was alright!"

Chichi's muscles relaxed, and a few moments later, when Vegeta was sure that she was already calm, he let go of her. They regarded each other with just their eyes for a short while before Chichi turned around and walked back to where her companions were. However, Vegeta's keen eyesight enabled him to notice that Chichi was actually staggering as she walked, and just an instant after she lost her consciousness, Vegeta caught her.

Bulma started screaming. As soon as she saw her friend's pale features, she yelled at Vegeta continuously, putting all of the blame on the warrior's shoulders. The other, however, only raised an eyebrow, and insisted that Kakkarot's mate should be attended to that very instant. Because of the urgency and the stern tone of his voice, Bulma cringed in fear, and she obeyed her husband's instructions without question from that point on.

This isn't my job, Vegeta thought to himself as he laid the unconscious woman at the back of their hovercar. This is supposed to be your job, Kakkarot, not mine! Damnit! You should be here, attending to your family, not me! You should be here, keeping them safe, not me! But it looks like you're someone that could not be relied on in times of need, unless battle is involved!

With an audible voice, he muttered, "You are such an insensitive man, Kakkarot. You are such an insensitive man."

A girl with raven hair in pigtails stepped out of a Class-A starfighter and looked around curiously. Then, she started jumping around. "I'm home! And I did it!" Pan exclaimed happily as she felt the sun's warm rays and saw the bright blue sky that stretched above her.

Gohan took a deep breath as he emerged from the ship and commented, "Ah, fresh air. How I missed the days..." his voice trailed off as he noticed that Pan was standing still in the middle of the clearing with her eyes shut tight. Intrigued by the girl's sudden action, he walked over to her and asked her what was wrong.

"I feel a strong presence at a distance, dad," Pan began with her eyes still clamped shut. "I don't think its Seth's... But it's heading straight for us."

Gohan flinched shortly thenafter.

"Its speed is a quarter off fourth count. And it's..." she paused, and then her eyes opened up suddenly as she exclaimed, "HERE!"

The moment she uttered that word, she jumped up, did a somersault to land a short distance behind where she once was, and with blinding speed, she sent her leg flying towards empty space.

However, the space wasn't exactly empty, for her leg stopped in mid-air as if it just hit something hard, and a short while after, a figure materialized in front of her. He was an extremely muscular man with dark eyes, and hair with the same shade as his soft-looking orbs. He was wearing an orange and blue fighting suit, and he was actually holding Pan's slim leg without trouble.

"You amaze me, little girl. So strong at such a young age," he commented as he let go of the girl's leg and then dusted off the dirt that stained his suit. Afterwards, he turned to Gohan and smiled.

"Welcome home, son."