Chapter Six: Murderer
As the early morning sun stretched it rays into the sky, the rooster was knocked off his perch from a different crowing. Coming from a very angry mother.
"I can't believe you didn't tell me sooner, Goku!" Chichi screeched. "What are we going to tell Gohan! Do you realize how much this means to him?!"
Gohan heard the voices, or mainly his mother's voice, carry up the stairs to his bedroom as he pulled his green vest over his black spandex. Chichi still continued to wail as he tied the bandana over his stubborn jet black hair. Gohan rushed down the wooden stairs of his small house and into the kitchen. Chichi was no where to be seen but Gohan could tell she was outside by now whimpering of his father's voice coming from the back porch door.
Gohan slipped on his dark glasses over his amber eyes as he rushed out to his quarreling parents. There was no time for breakfast since the whole family slept in. Goku had to reassure a hungry Gohan that they would serve some breakfast at the tournament if they got there in time.
"What's wrong?" Gohan asked quietly trying not to have his mother turn on him as well.
"Your numskull father forgot to mention he had his license suspended last time he went out to the groceries. He won't be off the hook until tomorrow," Chichi spat.
"I thought I would be fine. I counted the days off but I must have missed one," Goku smiled sheepishly.
"You should have had one of us count for you!" Chichi bellowed. "Now we don't have a ride to the tournament!"
"What about nimbus?" Gohan suggested.
Goku flinched indicating he had probably already brought that up once before. Chichi's face burned a bright red as she glared at her son.
"I hate that cloud! I hate heights, period, so you can rule out the idea of you carrying me too," Chichi snapped with a sharp glance at Goku.
"Chichi, why don't you drive?" Goku asked kindly.
"You know when I'm stressed I can't drive straight!" Chichi screamed.
"Whew… And you know she's stressed," Gohan muttered.
"What was that, Gohan?!"
"Nothing, ma'am."
"So how are we getting to the tournament?" Goku asked.
"We can't! If we had called Bulma in advance we could have got her to take us. But by now she is gone. If someone had told me…"
Gohan backed away as Chichi let lose her anger again. Gohan couldn't help but think that his mother was were he inherited his hidden power. It was rather amusing, Gohan thought as he ducked Chichi's broom that had been aimed at his father.
The more Gohan kept to his thoughts the more he began to form a plan. A smile swept across his face as it hit him quite clearly. Gohan opened in unlocked car door and sat down comfortably in the front seat. With one small turn of the key the engine started to growl. Both Chichi and Goku stared over in bewilderment at their son.
"What are you doing?"
"You can drive?"
"No. I haven't felt like getting my licenses yet," Gohan smiled. "But I look the right age and I bet I could drive better than Dad."
"Wow. Thanks, Gohan," Goku muttered angrily under his breath.
"No way! You can't drive!" Chichi snapped. "What would I do with my only child in jail?!"
"I won't get in trouble, mom," Gohan said rolling his eyes. "I've seen you do it zillion times. I could have done this when I was five if my legs had been long enough."
Chichi bit her lip trying to prevent from arguing any further. With pursed lips, she yanked open the car door and scooted over to the right side of the vehicle. There she sat with her hand folded in her lap her eyes focused on the road ahead. Her head suddenly snapped in Goku's direction as she shouted,
"Come on! We are already late you know."
"Oh," Goku laughed sheepishly, jumping in. "I didn't think you were serious."
They arrived without any difficulties except when it came to parking where the now calm Chichi took control. Once everything was locked up tight the trio headed off the check in stand.
"Name, Age, Species?" The bored teenager stated as she stared absentmindedly at her newly polished nails.
"Son Goku, uh…" Goku bit his lip. "45, and Sa-"
Chichi jabbed in gut as she interrupted, "Human."
"Okay and you, miss?" The girl yawned pointing her pencil at Chichi after she had finished writing down Goku's info.
Chichi blushed slightly and shook her head, "I'm not in the tournament this year."
"Oh," The girl said in a drawn out tone. "Then you?"
"Oh. The Great Say-"
This time Goku interrupted, "Son Gohan."
"Okay Son Gohan," The girl said smiling at Gohan. "So do I get to know more about you or is you Dad going to have to tell me everything?"
Gohan blushed a even brighter crimson than his mother had.
"Dad," He said in an undertone to his father. "I was signing up as the Great Sayaman."
"Not anymore," Goku smirked.
"18 and human," Gohan finished quickly scowling secretly at his father's answer.
The girl leaned over the table and smirked.
"I hope to see you at the tournament, Gohan. Without the mask…" She said blowing him a kiss. "Best of luck."
As the group walked away, Chichi started to mutter about what a 'slut' that girl was. Gohan turned to Goku with a anger expression drawn across his face.
"Dad! I was supposed to sign up anonymously."
"Sorry," Goku shrugged. "But here. I'll make a deal with you. If you can beat me in finishing breakfast before me, as in 50 big bowls of rice, I'll let you enter as Great Sayaman. I'll even stick up for your identity."
"But if I lose?" Gohan asked curiously.
"First, I get your sunglasses," Goku smirked. "And you lose the costume and enter with a fighting gi I have with me. You enter as Gohan and only Gohan."
"That's a deal, dad!" Gohan agreed. "Prepare to lose."
"Ha," Goku laughed. "You wish I would."
Chichi sat at the breakfast table in one of the tournament restaurant watching her two boys eat almost lazily. The manager stood behind her with a dumbstruck expression on his face as Gohan and Goku quickly moved onto their 36th bowl of rice.
"That is so disgusting," The manager managed to stutter.
"You get used to it," Chichi said yawning slightly.
"Chichi!" A voice rang out behind them. Gohan and Goku were too busy eating to look up.
Krillen rushed over but was almost blown back at the sight of Gohan and Goku at it. He shook his head and took a seat beside Chichi and smirked, "I'll never know how your appetite survived all these years, Chichi."
"Mine sure won't," The manager gulped running to the restrooms as he covered his mouth.
"Hey, if they eat it like that. At least I know they like it," Chichi shrugged not noticing the man run off.
"They'd probably eat it even if they didn't like it," Krillen said slowly. "Good thing 18 is still signing in with Marron."
"Marron?" Chichi asked curiously.
"My daughter."
"Marmon mut hows con un mnmoid mave mildren?" Goku coughed while he struggled to swallow a mouthful.
"She was human before Doctor Gero made her an android, you know," Krillen said defensively.
"Oh. I was wondering," Chichi smiled folding her hands in her lap. "So where is everyone else?"
"At the starting ceremonies," Krillen said suddenly bounding from his seat. "Which reminds me! I better get going. You two better finish up. You don't want to miss meeting your competitors before we fight."
Goku swallowed the last bowl and stacked it on top of the other bowls as Gohan struggled to swallow.
"I win!" Goku laughed hitting Gohan on his back almost making him choke. Gohan swallowed hard and let out a depressed sigh as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.
"No fair."
"It was perfectly fair, Gohan," Goku smirked, "Now… Let's go get you ready for the opening ceremonies…"
"Yes. That boy has immense pure energy," Yamu smirked staring at their meter as the arrow spun in an endless circle pointed at the troubled Gohan through the window of the restaurant. "He is the one we are looking for."
"But- with all that power. How can we get his pure energy?" Spobovitch asked in confusion. "He would be able to defeat us for sure."
"No one gets Gohan except for me," A dark voice hissed.
The two Majins spun about to face the pale faced warrior that stood glaring at them with his canny brown eyes. They laughed at him.
"You? You must be joking," Spobovitch snorted. "A wimp like you."
"You can't stand a chance against us," Yamu snapped.
"Oh really?" The figure said in a mocking voice.
"Let's steal his energy first," Spobovitch snickered.
"There is a flaw in your plan," The boy smiled as his eyes flashed a dark blue. "I don't have pure energy…"
Gohan shifted nervously in his father's bright orange and blue colors. He felt so exposed but at least his friends would stop poking fun at him. Gohan stared over the huge crowd of fighters hoping to see Videl somewhere amongst them. He could just see his father talking to Krillen as he showed off his newly won sunglasses. Gohan rolled his eyes. Well, he didn't really like them that much anyway.
"Gohan?" Videl's familiar voice called from behind him.
Gohan spun around quickly coming face to face with the beautiful girl. She smirked and brushed he fingers through her dark hair as she inspected him, "I thought you were going as Sayaman."
"Oh well, I kinda lost a bet," Gohan blushed. "So I have to wear this instead."
Videl raised an eyebrow in surprise, "Wow, Gohan. If I had know it was that easy to get you to do things then I would have exposed you sooner."
"Hey," Gohan scowled.
"The Tournament has been postponed," A voice ran over the megaphone of the arena. "Code 248. Code 248."
Videl's face went pale as the rest of the group looked stunned and angry. Gohan glanced over to Videl uncertainly, "What? Do you know what that means?"
"Yes." Videl whispered, "That's the code that called out when my mother was killed. It means murder."
To Be Continued…
Please R + R!
There is no such thing as a code 248. And I don't have the faintest clue to how Videl's mother died. So just work with me.