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Chapter Five: Sons and Fights
March 12th, 796 AD -- April 1st, 796 AD
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Pan didn't think it was arrogant to not have been surprised when -- a mere two days after her entrance exams -- a call was placed to the Son home to inform her parents she had been accepted into West City High. It wasn't arrogance, because Pan had done rather well on the tests, and because her father was rather well known in the educational world.
She had always assumed that famous relatives were what colleges looked for, not high schools, but apparently that wasn't always the case, especially after the woman giving her the exams had mentioned her father's latest paper -- Pan hadn't actually read it, something she had neglected to mention at the time -- and how the athletic squad was looking forward to having her name -- really, her grandfather's -- on one of their teams. Pan wasn't really a fan of team sports, and rarely played if she could help it, but she had no doubts that all it would take was her grandfather Satan's name to get on any of the teams the school had.
Her parents and grandmother had of course been thrilled, although Goten hadn't quite been -- "Geez, I was hoping I wouldn't be the only idiot!" He had said teasingly, looking distracted. Probably, Pan figured, because he lately not liked to spend much time around the Son home, preferring his apartment in Satan City, away from his family. Pan didn't really like this, Goten had always been one of her favorite people growing up, and still felt rather close to him (his thoughts on the matter had never been asked, and Pan wasn't sure she wanted to know).
But as soon as the news had come, Chi-Chi had run to the kitchen to start cooking a feast of Pan's favorite foods, and her father had gone to call Bulma and family to let them know the news. Goten had been rushed over from his place to join in the family celebrations, and Pan had felt a little overwhelmed. Sure, she wouldn't argue with all her favorite foods in one dinner, and it did feel nice to be complimented so much, but it was a little crazy none-the-less. Maybe, Pan mused, Goten didn't go to fancy private schools (and college; don't forget that) because he hadn't wanted to be the center of attention like this.
She glanced over at her uncle, who was sprawled on the couch watching television and playing with his -- turned off -- cell phone with a frown. He did seem a little different today... Goten glanced over at his niece with a frown.
"Stop staring at me, kiddo. Really now."
Pan glared at the nickname, and crossed her arms while leaning back in the armchair she sat in.
"So what do you want?" Goten asked, turning the phone over and over in his hands. He had bought a new one, Pan noticed; his old one had been black, and this one was silver. But really, the way he kept fiddling with it wasdistracting. Something seemed off for sure, Pan didn't think her uncle was the nervous movement type.
"Huh?"
"What were you staring at me for?" Goten said slowly, enunciating each word and sounding irritated. "Did you have a question?"
"Where's mom?" Pan said, wanting to ask something so as not to annoy Goten further.
"Videl's upstairs. She's in a bad mood for some reason."
'Look who's talking...' Pan thought grumpily, the irritability catching. She stood and went to the kitchen, where her grandmother complimented her again for making it into West City High and told her to chop up some vegetables in the same sentence.
Goten, still in the living room, looked down at his cell phone again. He was in a bad mood, and half of it was because he knew he had no reason to be. When he had been invited to -- more like a "be there or else" from his mother -- Pan's party early this morning, Goten had thought it would be a good chance to casually mention that he was now dating Marron.
Normally he never brought up his new girlfriends unless they would be meeting his family -- which was fairly rare -- but something about it being Marron made him feel like it was his obligation to tell. They knew her as well as him, after all. In fact, Goten had realized with surprise, his mother had used to baby-sit her sometimes.
But for some reason, he was oddly reluctant. He had seemed nothing wrong with asking Marron out at the time, and knew for experience that his mother's or brother's thoughts on his girlfriend of the month would only serve to make Goten feel guilty for dating someone that was usually best described as a "bimbo." He shouldn't feel guilty about who he dated because of what his family thought, that was just dumb. Not everyone could marry the first person they kissed, after all.
And there was really no reason to feel guilty about dating Marron, was there? She was smart, good-looking, kind, polite, and a thousand other things that Goten's mother was always telling him to look for in a woman. To help matters, she was also the daughter of Goten's father's best friend! Surely that would count as good in Chi-Chi's book; to unite the blood-lines or whatever?
But Goten couldn't help but quietly think that his family would be thinking more in terms of borderline incest then making two families closer. But that shouldn't matter either -- it wasn't like Goten meant for his relationship with Marron to be a serious or particularly long lasting one. In fact, with all the negative thoughts he was now having, Goten thought perhaps it would be simpler to just end the new relationship quickly and be done with it.
So why wasn't he? His cell-phone was out, and he had Marron's phone number in his pocket. It was just that Goten felt like he was missing some absolutely crucial bit of information, something that he should know but couldn't remember. There was something that made Goten stop and think that he needed to figure out what it was before doing anything about his new girlfriend, good or bad.
For now, there was no use thinking about it. Goten closed the cell-phone and stood, slipping in into his pocket. He had no reason to worry about what his family thought about his new girlfriend that he had been dating for three days and had only kissed once on the cheek. It barely counted as a relationship in the first place, so there was no use spending all his time thinking about it.
With a sigh, he realized he was still thinking about it. As Pan had done minutes earlier, Goten headed into the kitchen to be ordered into cooking by his mother.
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After dinner, which was mostly silent thanks to the presence three Saiyan and large amounts of food, Goten had decided to inform his family about Marron, only to have his sister-in-law speak up first.
"#17's back." Videl said suddenly, taking a sip of her water. The conversation around the table had been in a lull, and now it stopped entirely.
"Pardon?" Gohan asked, in the air of having misunderstood.
"Cyborg #17. He's back." Videl put the glass on the table with a loud clunk. "I got a call from #18 just a short time before dinner."
The feelings the Son family had towards this news was obvious. Pan, who had only known of #17 through his attacks on her friends and family two years ago, looked wide-eyed at her mother's news -- both scared and determined to do what was needed to stop #17's threat.
If you didn't know better, you'd think Gohan didn't care about the news -- his expression was between curious and blank. Only a slight narrowing of his eyes and tensing of his shoulders proved otherwise; of the family he was the only one who remembered #17 clearly, and even if the cyborg hadn't really turned out as evil as the other, "Future" Trunks had said -- at the time -- Gohan could still remember the three years he had spent training, afraid of what the kid from the future had told of.
Chi-Chi seemed just as upset as Videl. Her face was angry and lips pursed. She had been pouring herself a glass of water from a pitcher, and continued to do so with her fists clenched white.
Goten, like Pan, looked a little surprised and a little wary. He knew of the stories a little better then she, being older and having spent a good deal of his childhood around #18, but didn't know what to think. Sure, #17 had gone crazy two years ago, but he had been killed fairly quickly... and #18 wasn't evil, so why should her brother be?
Videl was, of course, angry. She still smarted from #18's insults towards humanity as a whole from earlier, and the knowledge that her advice -- get rid of #17 -- had been completely ignored. She knew from her husband what #17 had done -- and was programed to do -- and in her mind he had, unlike #18, never proven himself otherwise.
"Are you sure?" Chi-Chi asked finally. Videl recounted to her family what had happened in the earlier conversation, and was greeted by a second silence.
"So what's going to happen?" Pan asked, looking nervously at both her parents She looked ready to jump up and fly over to the Kame house to attack if need be, and it would have looked funny if the whole thing didn't seem to serious.
Goten thought back to that time, two years ago. He hadn't really been involved at all, only giving a futile shot at stopping #17 once he had fused with his other self. He had been much busier with his girlfriend... Paris? Goten didn't remember exactly, but he did think back at his show-off behavior around her with a certain embarrassment. He realized that his train of thought was highly off track, and attempted to re-align it -- #17 is bad! After another moment, however, he found himself thinking back to Paris.
She had been a first for Goten... before then he had dated whoever he thought might be fun, but Paris was an aspiring model and with her Goten had branched out specifically into beautiful air-heads. Why had they broken up? Oh, that was right -- she kept bragging that her boyfriend was a super-hero and Goten had gotten annoy--
Someone nudged Goten in the ribs. Hard. Goten glared at Pan.
"I said," Pan repeated, sounding annoyed, "Why did he come back to life?"
"How should I know?" Goten muttered.
"You weren't listening!" Pan said, "This is really important!"
"Stop bickering, you two." Gohan said wearily, "But I was wondering the same thing. Videl, did #18 mention why #17 was back?"
"No..." Videl said, neglecting to mention how she had yelled at #18, probably cutting off any explanation that would have been given. "Just that he was reincarnated... and as a human."
"Oh," Pan said, sounding a little let down, "Human?"
Struck by the unintentional similarity between Pan's comment and #18's Videl snapped a bit as she answered. "Yes, a human."
"Well..." Pan said, sounding hurt, "Then there's no reason to worry..."
Thankfully, Chi-Chi spoke up before Videl said something to her daughter that she'd later regret. "Don't be silly, Pan. He might not be able to hurt us, but the world contains more people then just Saiyan and ki using humans."
Pan looked thoughtful, before nodding frantically. "So let's go get him!"
Gohan looked like he might laugh. "Pan, violence doesn't solve everything."
"Who said it--" Pan started, only to be interrupted by Goten.
"Didn't you say that #18 said that he wasn't going to hurt anybody?" he asked Videl. Reluctantly -- Videl thought Pan's plan was a good one -- she nodded. "Then, maybe we should give #17 a chance." Goten said, "I mean, you guys let Vegeta live a normal life..."
To his surprise, Chi-Chi leant over the table to hug her youngest. "You're so much like your father!" she cried lovingly. Goten pushed her away.
"Mother..." He whined, "Stop that!"
Pan giggled. Gohan smiled, too, but said, "Goten has a point. #18 is responsible, we should give #17 at least one chance at proving himself a good guy. If she says he'll behave, I see no reason not to believe her."
"Gohan!" Videl said with a frown. "I don't see how you can think that #17 should be so easily forgiven!"
"I have good luck with these things, I guess." Gohan explained thoughtfully. "From what I know, almost everyone could be counted as a 'bad guy' at some point -- Mr. Piccolo, Vegeta, #18... Mr. Buu -- and I think Goten is right in suggesting that we let #17 have his chance. Besides, if he really is a human it's not too big of a problem if he turns out bad after all."
Videl wondered why everyone today seemed so set on absently insulting mankind with a frown, but was out of arguments. "I strongly disprove of all this." she said, "But I hope there isn't an occasion where I have to say 'I told you so.'"
"That's the spirit." Gohan said with a smile. Pan looked relieved that her parents weren't too worried, and Goten was relieved that Chi-Chi had let go of him. Figuring that after the announcement of #17's return nothing Goten said could be as surprising, he choose that moment to open his mouth.
"I have a new girlfriend." Goten said. Chi-Chi looked at him as if to ask what brought about this change of subject, and Goten swallowed before speaking again. "I think you guys know her... that is, I'm dating Marron now." He tried to look confident.
Pan's eyes widened an impossible amount. "You're dating Marron? That's... so cool!" she exclaimed. "She'd be such a cool aunt! Much better then your bimbo girlfriends!"
"I'm not going to marry her." Goten said hastily. No one else said anything, but their looks were too carefully bland. Goten sighed and took a big bite of his steak. It looked like "borderline incest" was the thought, after all.
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"When is Bra getting out of the hospital?" Chi-Chi asked presently, after a rather long and -- to Goten -- uncomfortable silence.
"'Mor'w." Pan said, mouth half full of food. She swallowed, and repeated herself. Tomorrow."
"Have you visited her since she got ill?" Chi-Chi pressed.
Pan shrugged. "I called."
Gohan frowned. "Pan, she's your friend. You should visit her."
"Well, it's too late for that now," Pan said, "Since she gets out tomorrow."
"Nonsense," Chi-Chi said briskly. "You'll visit after dinner."
"...Grandma, its three hours away. And besides, visiting hours must have ended by now."
"Bra is staying at that private hospital. There are no visiting hours, unless surgery or something like that is taking place." Chi-Chi said with a smug smile, "I remember because that's where Goten and you were born; Bulma got us in."
Pan picked at the leftovers on her plate. "I don't want to visit Bra."
"Pan, that's awfully selfish of you!" Videl said. "Bra's ill in the hospital, and the least you can do is stop by for a visit. I'll call Mrs. Bulma, and you can spend the night at Capsule Corp."
"You guys just want me out of the house!" Pan said angrily. "You guys know I hate Bra!"
"No you don't." Gohan said, "Stop being so melodramatic, Pan-chan. The two of you may not get along very well, but you are still friends."
"Are not." Pan muttered, sounding defeated. She sighed mournfully. "Why are you guys so set on me visiting, anyway?"
"Because it's the nice thing to do." Chi-Chi stated, and that was the end of that.
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Pan left, complaining all the while. By some unspoken agreement, Videl and Chi-Chi went to go do the dishes. Goten tried then to excuse himself, wanting to head back to his place, but Gohan had cleared his throat and asked Goten to help him, quickly, to organize some books in the study.
Goten wondered how everyone else had communicated and arranged for this brother to brother chat without him noticing. Was that why Pan had been sent away?
Gohan's study was really just a section of the living room. There were large bookcases that went up to the ceiling against the wall, with a ladder leaning on them, and a desk placed at a diagonal from them, covered in papers and articles that made no sense to Goten: history had never been his strong suit.
Gohan moved a couple books around on his desk, put a particularly large one back in the shelf. Goten leaned on the desk and waited.
"I know I have no real right to command you like this, but I really feel that your dating Marron is a bad idea." Gohan said at last, giving up the pretense of cleaning.
"Well," Goten said, feeling rightfully defensive, "That's what you feel."
"Come off it, little brother." Gohan said, sounding a little annoyed. "I know you better then you think, and I know -- as do Mother and Videl -- that you're just going to sleep with her a few times before dumping her."
Goten didn't like to lie when he could help it, so he refrained from saying something silly like 'not true.' "You've never minded with anyone else." Goten said instead, "And stop implying that I'm some sort of playboy."
Gohan raised an eyebrow. "But Goten -- you are."
During the pause, Goten listened to the dim sound of the radio playing in the kitchen, as with the occasional click of glass or plate. Finally, he replied.
"You've never said anything with my other girlfriends... and this is really none of your business besides."
"I know this isn't my business; however this is Marron we are talking about. She's a family friend -- do you even realize what you're getting into?" Gohan asked levelly.
"Yes." Goten said defiantly. Gohan's look asked him to continue, so Goten did -- angrily and sarcastic. "I'm going to date Marron. I might even sleep with her. Then I'll probably break up with her, and find a new floozy to date. Stop prying into my life, Gohan!"
"It's not your life I'm particularly worried about!" Gohan said angrily, still managing to keep his voice quiet and mostly level. "Have you thought about what will happen after you are through with Marron? Krillen was one of Father's closest friends, and we'll still be seeing him and his family for years to come! If you -- harm -- Marron in any way, then you'll still have to see her for years to come!"
"I've never hurt any of my girlfriends," Goten said, "No matter how much I hated them."
Gohan was quiet, however, and he turned to the bookcase and examined a book. Goten noted dully that it was the same book he had minutes earlier put in the shelves. If the truth was to be told, however, Goten had suddenly been struck with the sense that the missing piece had fallen into place.
But now he felt reluctance to follow his brother's advice and his own feelings. Goten often felt that he was held up against Gohan and compared in-favorably to him, and now that his elder brother thought Goten had to do something... well... The Son family had its own brand of pride and determination that was both like and unlike Vegeta's families, and Goten only felt determined to prove his family wrong --
He would have a lasting, functional relationship with Marron, and that was that.
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Pan still thought that going to a hospital to visit someone at nine o'clock at night was off, somehow, but after flying all the way from East District she thought she may as well.
She wished she had checked the weather before leaving, though -- the problem of flying across the continent was that there were often different weather conditions in West City and East. It was pouring over in West City, Pan was completely soaked.
The receptionist gave Pan a haughty look when she entered, dripping wet and pulling her tee-shirt apart from her body. "Um, I'm here to see Bra."
The woman gave Pan once more scathing look, and adjusted her cat-eye glasses. "And who may you be?"
"Pan. I'm a friend." Pan wanted to wring out her hair, which was sticking to the back of her neck and dripping down her back, but that would be rude.
The receptionist checked something on her computer. "Well, I suppose that you could visit Ms. Bra, but are you sure she'd want to associate herself with someone like you?" she laughed falsely. "I'm sorry, I meant that this is a place for very important people, and I'm not sure you fit the criteria. But, I'll just send a message along to Ms. Bra, and we'll see if she'll have you. What did you say your surname was, again?"
Pan wanted to punch someone, preferably Ms. Cat-glasses. Out of her anger, she lied a bit. "It would be 'Satan.' Pan Satan."
"Really...?" The woman squeaked. Even in West City, everyone knew of Mr. Satan. Why wouldn't they? He was savior of the world. "...B-but I thought he only had a daughter, and you're much too young..."
"Grand-daughter." Pan said simply. Growing impatient, she tried to unstick her hair from her neck and shoulders. She needed a hair-cut; it was getting too long to be practical in martial arts. "Can I go see Bra now?"
"Do you have ID?" the receptionist said suspiciously, which made Pan wonder if many people entered the hospital pretending to be related to her grandfather. Instead she removed her wallet from her pocket (noting with faint relief that her money wasn't completely soaked through) and took out her old school ID from when she was fourteen.
"It says your surname is "Son" here."
Pan shrugged. "You said it yourself, grandpa had a daughter."
"Hm," The woman said, typing into her computer. A moment later, she -- over an intercom -- asked Bra if Pan could visit. Pan wasn't listening anymore; she was trying to put her wallet back into her jeans.
"I'm sorry, but Ms. Bra doesn't want any visitors right now."
"What?" Pan said, not quite believing it.
"Ms. Bra is not in the mood to see you." The receptionist repeated, sounding smug again. "I'm sorry."
"No way!" Pan said, too loudly. "Tell Bra that I did not fly three hours in the rain just to be told that she doesn't want any visitors!"
"I'm sorry, but I'm not going to allow you to see her without her permission. Please leave now, before I have someone extract you."
Pan was beyond words.
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Pan was pissed. She arrived at Capsule Corp., still soaked, and seething. She had made up her mind to scream at the first of Bra's family she saw (unless it was Vegeta, Pan was mad but not stupid) until she felt better. Then, she'd take one of Bra's favorite outfits from her room and dress in it, just to piss Bra off.
She was so busy planning her revenge against Bra's selfishness that Pan walked right into Trunks, who seemed as surprised about it as she. "Hey!" he exclaimed, dropping the papers he had been reading while walking and swearing loudly. "Watch where you're going... Pan-chan?" Trunks finished weakly; finally looking from the floor to the person he had knocked over.
"Ow." Pan muttered.
Trunks scrambled to his feet and helped Pan up. "Sorry, geez. What are you doing here? You're completely soaked."
"It's raining." Pan pointed out. "My mom called -- I'm staying over here tonight."
"I wouldn't know; I just got home from work." Trunks pointed out, gathering the sheath of papers he had been holding from the floor.
"I was going to visit Bra," Pan said suddenly, remembering her vow to complain, "But Bra was being a complete bitch and wouldn't see me, even though I flew all the way from home. Which is three hours."
"I know that part." Trunks said with a slight smile. He began to walk towards the kitchen, and Pan was quick to follow. "But I wouldn't be so quick to blame Bra-chan. She's been really ill, you know, even if she is being released tomorrow."
Pan was a little annoyed that Trunks wasn't on her side. In the past two years, ever since their trip through space, Pan had considered herself very close to Trunks -- no matter what his feelings on the matter were. She had realized by now that her desire to be close with Trunks was more based on a crush then friendship, but Pan also wasn't stupid enough to believe there was a chance that Trunks liked her back -- after all, she was only sixteen.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Pan demanded. The pair reached the kitchen, devoid of people but filled with utility sized refrigerators and kitchen supplies.
"Bra's been complaining of being unable to sleep, and she needs rest to heal, so she's been given sleeping medicine each night. She must just have been too tired to visit."
"Huh." Pan said, feeling a little bad but not entirely believing Trunks' words -- he was her brother, after all, and wouldn't he wish to defend Bra? Trunks put his papers on a counter and opened one of the refrigerators to rummage for dinner.
"But it is a shame that you flew all this way for nothing." Trunks said sympathetically.
"Well, I'm not going home." Pan replied. "That's just crazy, and it's pouring."
"You want to go change?"
Pan nodded in agreement, and hurried away to Bra's room. When she returned to the kitchen a few minutes later, she held her soggy jeans and tee-shirt in one hand and was wearing on of Bra's less revealing outfits -- a pair of tight black pants and a tiny red tank-top.
Trunks was still in the kitchen, eating a giant sandwich, and Bulma had entered while Pan had been gone. "Look at you!" Bulma squealed, standing up and putting her hands on Pan's shoulders. "You look so nice, Pan-chan! I mean, not that you don't normally, but you should really dress up more often! Do Bra's clothes fit okay?"
"Yeah." Pan replied, embarrassed. "She's a little taller, but otherwise... Uh, where do I put these?" She asked, holding up her wet clothes.
"Oh, I'll get one of the cleaning robots to take care of it." Bulma said, shrugging it off. "Trunks made you a sandwich, it's on the counter."
"Thanks!" Pan said brightly, putting her clothes in a basket in the hall and then taking the sandwich. Bulma sat back down at the kitchen table, and within moments she and Trunks were discussing something Capsule Corp. related. Pan tried to pay attention, but it didn't really interest her -- all she got out of it was that there was a lot of hype for some sort of new Capsule car, but the production of it was going slowly and there was something wrong with the advertising of it.
Pan finished her sandwich, and wished idly she had more food. Even if she had just eaten dinner a short while before, it was tough to fill up a Saiyan. She sat at the table, bored and trying to understand Trunks and Bulma's business talk, and it must have showed, for Bulma turned to her with a apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry; this must all be terribly boring to you. Your mother called -- I should have mentioned earlier -- and told me about the situation. Did you have a nice visit with Bra?"
"Actually, I didn't see her." Pan said primly, reminded of her anger. "Bra refused to see me."
"Oh?" Bulma asked, sounding surprised.
"That's right. Trunks says it's because she's still ill, but I think it was very rude, not to mention unlikely."
"Well, you can ask Bra yourself tomorrow, if you're still around. She gets released at three." Bulma said, a little coolly. Pan understood that insulting her daughter was a little rude, so wisely chose to not answer that.
There was something of an awkward silence. Trunks finally spoke, pushing the sheath of papers across the table to his mother. "Well, I'm done for the day. Pan-chan, want to help me set up the guest room?"
"Sure!" Pan said cheerfully, standing from the kitchen table and clearing her plate.
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The next day dawned bright and early and -- thankfully -- clear. Pan had slept in until around ten, found her clothes from the day before clean and dried on the foot of her bed, and spent the next several hours alternatively watching television and watching Vegeta spar alone -- Bulma and Trunks had gone to work. She was tempted, a little, to ask to spar with him, but Pan knew better -- not only was Vegeta not exactly a (shall we say) fan of the Son family, but even if he did agree to a spar it would result in Pan in the hospital.
Well, Pan mused, we'll see then if Bra gets a chance to visit me if she wants!
But that thought was silly; she wasn't going to spar with Vegeta at all. Pan watched from a safe distance instead as he trained in the gravity chamber. Although he appeared normal, if not a bit slow, Pan knew that Vegeta must be training at hundreds of times Earth's gravity. She had never actually been in the chamber while turned on; the closest to advanced gravity was on one or two of the planets she had visited during her time in space.
Pan watched Vegeta train for a few minutes more before wandering back over to the TV room to watch some. When she turned on the television, Pan was slightly surprised to see her grandfather, Mr. Satan, being interviewed by a popular day time talk-show host.
"So, Mr. Satan, I hear that there are big things planned for the upcoming Tenkaichi Bodoukai?" the woman said. She was pretty and somewhat vapid looking, really, and she leant over closer to Mr. Satan.
Pan regarded this with some interest. She had completely forgotten about the Bodoukai being held this year, actually. It was a year earlier then usual, actually, which struck Pan as strange.
"Why, yes!" Mr. Satan said loudly. "Not only will my own daughter, Videl, be on the committee, but we hope to liven things up with music and entertainment before and after the fighting. Of course, there's more, but I wouldn't want to spoil anything!"
Pan coughed. He mom was on the committee? When did this happen, and why hadn't she been informed? On the other hand, Pan liked the music and games that filled Papaya Island on Tournament day, but it also meant that the crowd -- and competitors -- were less likely to be serious about martial arts. Pan knew that over the past years interest in the tournaments had been dropping, and so these things were needed to keep up attendance, but she still found it annoying.
"Well, everyone remember to mark their calendars -- May 7th on Papaya Island is the Tenkaichi Bodoukai! Do you have any closing words for us, Mr. Satan?"
Pan changed the channel, finding a rather old movie entitled "The Journey of Sun Wu Kong." she had seen it once before when she was younger, so Pan settled back into the sofa to watch the movie again, still waiting for Bra to come home and already planning on entering the Tenkaichi Bodoukai.
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Bra did arrive at Capsule Corp. at last, escorted by her brother. One couldn't tell that she had been ill, actually -- she might have been a little paler then usual, but her hair was perfect and clothes not even mussed. She was surprised to see Pan sitting on the couch. Trunks quietly excused himself, seeing a fight about to start.
"Oh... hello, Pan-chan." Bra said slowly. "I didn't think you'd be here."
"Well, I am." Pan said strongly. "Just because you're too much of a bitch to be visited," she said, knowing and not caring that she wasn't making too much sense, "Doesn't mean I'll just go away. It's a three hour flight, and there was no way I was going back home in the rain, anyway."
Bra sighed, made her way to the couch and sat on the opposite end. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Pan. Just because I didn't want any visitors last night doesn't give you a right to get all huffy."
"I flew all the way from home!" Pan said, louder then she ought to. On the Television, Wu Kong was rescuing Sanzang, his human companion, from demons.
"Well, I'm sorry, but I was really too tired. It wouldn't have mattered if it was you or my dad or the King of Earth himself visiting me!" Bra said angrily. While Pan was getting louder in her rage, Bra was growing quieter.
"That's fine, but you didn't have to be so rude about it." Pan said. "I would have understood if you had just said so instead of being so bitchy about it."
"What the hell are you going on about?" Bra yelled. "And turn that stupid movie off!"
"I like it!" Pan yelled back.
"Well, it's my house!"
Pan stood up from the couch suddenly, clenching her fists. "I don't give a damn!"
Bra didn't stand, but she did cross her arms over her chest. "You have no right to act like this towards me."
"I can act how I want!" Pan said. She did feel a little bad for getting so angry, but mostly because her ki was slowly getting higher. She tried to force it back down, and wondered why Trunks or someone hadn't felt it and come running over. She wished someone would come in and separate them, actually. Pan hated to fight in the speaking sense.
"What the hell is with you?" Bra said lowly, "Just because you didn't get to visit me? Pan, I had no idea you were that dependent on me." Bra's sarcasm and implications did not go unnoticed. Pan wondered if Bra's half Saiyan blood would allow her to survive a punch, but doubted it.
"I wouldn't be mad if you hadn't been so bitchy yesterday."
Bra sighed angrily. "What the hell are you going on about?"
"Whatever!" Pan yelled, "I guess I should have guessed you'd act like this, after all you are a fifteen-year-old slut! I suppose being a bitch is nothing for you!"
Bra tensed, and then stood up. Even though she was a year younger, Bra was a good two inches taller then Pan, and she walked over so that this was evident. "Don't say things like that." Bra said lowly.
Pan smirked. "Why? Are you going to beat me up? Oh, please!"
Bra backed away a few feet. "Just shut the hell up. You have no right to say anything about my personal life, Son Pan, so stay the fuck out of it."
"Well, it's true, isn't it? I live all the way in East District and hear the rumors! But then, I guess when one dresses like a hooker it's to be expected --"
Pan was cut off as Bra slapped her across the face. It wasn't so much because it hurt as it was surprising; she hadn't actually expected Bra to do anything like that. After a minute of surprise, Pan stepped backwards and smiled. "Oh, okay then. Is it my turn?"
"You wouldn't dare." Bra spat. "Not with my brother and father in the house."
"Oh, you're so brave and strong, Bra-chan! Using your father's name because you're too weak to do anything yourself!" Pan laughed. "You're right, I don't want to fight you, but that's only because I don't want a death on my conscience."
"Brave, aren't you." Bra remarked angrily. "Such a good member of the Son family. Oh, don't glare like that -- I'm not being sarcastic. It's true; you are just like your family -- a weak, foolish, coward. Your parents must be so proud."
"You don't dare insult my family!" Pan yelled.
"I'll insult who I like, especially when it's true to begin with!"
Pan made up her mind: Bra was dead, but before she could make any further moves (perhaps luckily), Trunks ran into the room.
"Hey, you two!" he said, a little too loudly, "Calm down! I can hear you from upstairs!" Trunks quieted down when he saw both girls staring at him, both looking a little relieved. He was, too, for having stopped the fight before it got too involved. He had been upstairs in his room on lunch break, eating and reading a novel, when he had heard the gradually increasing voices.
Truth be told, Trunks had been expecting an argument between his sister and Pan, and so at first he ignored it -- growing up, Trunks had learned that fighting was a good way of letting feelings be shown... but then, he had never been a teenaged girl, either. When he had started to dimly hear very personal insults, Trunks had thought there was something wrong... when he had heard threats of violence; Trunks had practically flown over to the living room.
Luckily, Pan and Bra were quick to separate. Pan looked a little shamed while still managing to look pissed; Bra looked cool and had her arms crossed over her chest. She looked uncaring, but having grown up with Vegeta as a father Trunks knew better -- she was just as upset as Pan, and pretty scared, too.
"What got into you two?" Trunks asked rhetorically. "Bra, you should get some rest. Why don't you head upstairs for a bit? As for you, Pan, I think you should head home -- your parents must be wondering why you aren't back yet. I think you both ought to cool down a little, right?"
Pan nodded slightly, Bra turned and stomped off.
Trunks sighed. "Honestly, Pan-chan, what the hell was that all about?"
Pan shrugged. "Bra was being a bi...brat."
Trunks closed his eyes briefly. "Well, I think you should head home for now, okay? You and Bra can make up later."
"I don't want to make up with her at all." Pan muttered. "I told my parents that I hated her."
Trunks put his hands in his pockets. "Look, Pan-chan, I don't know exactly what happened here, but I know Bra doesn't go out of line like that unless provoked. I'm not trying to accuse you of anything, but it's pretty clear that she's not the only one at fault. I'm not angry, so stop glaring at me -- I just think both of you need to cool down, and you should head home."
Pan felt bad, not only from the fight but that Trunks wasn't on 'her side.' "Fine." she snapped, and -- like Bra had a moment before -- stomped away.
On the television, Wu Kong said good-bye to his friends and flew away into the sunset on a small yellow cloud.
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The weeks passed by quickly without serious event. Pan and Bra refused to talk to or even mention each-other, still smarting from their fight. They both hastened to tell their families their side of the events, wanting to selfishly turn them against the other. Thankfully, this didn't work.
Marron started her job at a small clinic for children, dealing mostly with abused and neglected kids. It was a tough job that took its toll on the normally sweet and kind woman, but Marron was determined to help those children. Goten, for his part, remained impressed with his girlfriend. They grew a good deal closer over the next month, even if the Son family on a whole wasn't too pleased with the match.
Marron's family was far too concerned with #17 to worry about their daughter. #17 had settled right in to the Kame house, being a general pest but not causing any trouble worse then burned breakfast. Although he did annoy his new "family," they all grudgingly began to realize he was pretty much harmless.
Up in space, the Saiyan continued their slow journey to Earth, passing time slowly and stopping occasionally for supplies. After a week, it was decided that they should spend the rest of the voyage frozen in sleep, and so the four of them did so, resting frozen until they arrived on Earth.
In his village, Uub prepared for the upcoming Tenkaichi Bodoukai; Goten checked his savings and realized he must, too. Pan had already planned on entering, but the three didn't realize they would be competing against each-other -- it wasn't held until May, anyway.
And finally, April 1st arrived. To most it was known as the day of tricks and foolery, but to certain teenagers in West Capital (and one in East District), it was known for something else: The start of the school year.
One that, thanks to Pan and Bra and #18's plot, as well as an upcoming Bodoukai, would turn out very interesting indeed...
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No Name puns in this chapter.
Thanks to Brandon B. for beta-reading!!
NOTE: I am looking for a second beta reader. While Brandon does beta-reading in terms of characterization, I'm looking for someone else to help me with the more technical details -- grammar, spelling, that sort of thing. If anyone is interested, please tell me in either a review (points down) or e-mail:
p (underscore) arron (at) hotmail (dot) com.
Thanks for reading!!!