by DoraMouse
Act 5
The blurry stars rotated in one direction then slowed down and tilted, spinning back into place. Gohan closed his eyes. Ow...
"Daddy?" Pans voice. She was nearby. And she probably thought he was just pretending to be stunned. "Oh. I know what to do. Here, look. How many fingers am I holding up?"
"Six." Gohan muttered, arms wrapped around his head. Nothing was broken - except for his glasses - but jeez... He could already feel the bruises taking shape.
Pan huffed, impatient. "No! You have to open your eyes and look! Otherwise it doesn't work!"
Flat on his back and embedded half an inch into the ground, Gohan opened one eye. "Two." He corrected. Then he opened both eyes and frowned up at his daughter. "Don't make that gesture."
"Why not?" Pan glanced from her hands to her father and shrugged. Her tone becoming defensive. She clearly had no idea what the gesture meant. All she knew was that... "The big kids at school - "
"Pan." Gohan didn't even have to raise his voice. The debate ended. For now. It was a debate they'd had before. Many times. A debate they would probably have again. Privately, Gohan couldn't understand it. Couldn't relate. Why was his daughter in such a hurry to grow up? Pan was only five. She had her whole life ahead of her. What was so cool about being an adult? There would be plenty of time for being an adult, later. For now... There was childhood. Toys and coloring books and carefree days.
Gohan didn't remember much of his own childhood. There wasn't much to remember. He'd been involved in battles for the Earth since the age of four, after all. So Pan was entitled to be different. She wasn't a warrior. Wasn't being raised in isolation. Pan had teachers and classmates and friends. But... Peer pressure? At age five? What was the world coming to?
"Okay?" Buu spoke, poking gently at Gohans shoulder. The monster had the decency to sound apologetic. Buu must have realized - belatedly - that he'd used a little too much force.
"Of course he's okay." said Pan.
"Ah." Buu waited until Gohan had managed to sit up. "Good. Then... " The monster smiled. "TAG! YOU'RE IT!"
"I heard you... the first time... " Gohan hissed from where he was now newly embedded into the ground. But no one appeared to be paying attention. The rapid pattering of feet signaled that Pan had run away, content to resume the game. An abrupt breeze indicated that Buu had done the same.
A short flash of orange. Gohan hovered and dusted himself off. It was his own fault, he supposed. He should have known better. Pan loved to play games like this. Especially when Buu was around. Simply coming out here... It was like saying can I play too?
Pan had enough strength to be dangerous to normal people. A game of tag at school had once resulted in serious damage to the facilities. Three of her classmates had been hospitalized and the rest of the school population - students and teachers alike - had suffered from mild trauma. So Pan had changed schools. And she wasn't allowed to play these kinds of games with regular people anymore.
That's why Gohan couldn't be too angry. He didn't mind the games, occasionally. Pan was all right. Gohan understood that the child was energetic and needed an outlet. Even if he had only come out here to keep an eye on his daughter. Why not play for a bit? Pan didn't have the power to really injure him. Buu, on the other hand...
Golden light flowed into Gohans aura, mixing with and then replacing the pale orange. A long time ago, just before the Cell Games, he'd spent an entire year of his life in Super Saiyan mode. Training, eating, even sleeping - and Super Saiyan all the while. Hence the transformation was exceedingly easy for Gohan nowadays. Going Super Saiyan barely required any effort on his part. Maintaining the power level was also simple. He'd had so much practice. And while mere Super Saiyan might not be enough to defend against Buu during a spirited game of tag... If he could just catch up to Pan... And tag her - very carefully, so as not to harm her... Well. Then she'd probably get bored with playing. Because Pan didn't like to lose.
Just like her mother. Gohan thought. Although he had to admit that he'd never been fond of losing either. So perhaps Pan got it from both of her parents. And her grandparents, for that matter. All of them. Gohan thought of his mother and father and father-in-law. None of them liked losing. Not even at simple games like this, tag.
If only everything in life could be so easily resolved...
Gohan sighed, trailing after Pans ki. He wasn't in any hurry. The more energy Pan used in this game, the more likely she was to go to bed on time.
Videl landed outside of Lotus Medical Center. She'd never been in this specific hospital before. But it was part of a chain. There were Lotus Medical Centers in almost every major city on Earth. Satan City included.
People tended to forget that the health care industry was, in fact, a business. True. The government owned and operated several small clinics, most of which provided free services to low income clients. But the government did not own every hospital in the world. Because the government could not even begin to afford the costs. Money for research and medical equipment and doctor salaries... Where did it come from? The government gave out grants and tax breaks to hospitals but that wasn't enough. A small portion of the money came from patients paying their bills. But the rest? Private donations. Corporate sponsors.
Videl knew the history of this hospital. Knew that Capsule Corp had paid for several upgrades to this hospital. Because Dr. Briefs had wanted the employees of Capsule Corporation to have the best health care available. And that had been back when the business was small. Once Capsule Corp had taken off... Then the chain had opened. Because even though Capsule Corporation was still based in West Capital City, now its employees were scattered all over the planet. Accountants and lawyers and creative marketing teams. Distributors and inspectors and all the rest. So the best way to provide good health care to all of these employees... Was to open medical centers practically everywhere.
Lotus Medical Center - the one in Satan City. Videl had been there. Often. And mostly for the sake of other people. Videl was the person who made sure that her father went to his doctor appointments. She took Pan - who had been born in the hospital - in for regular checkups. When the university had required Gohan to pass a physical examination in order to gain employment as a teacher, Videl had made him get over the embarrassment. And when the police officers in Satan City got hurt on the job - Videl knew most of these people. So she'd visited them, when possible.
Which meant that Videl had become fairly well acquainted with the layout of the hospital in Satan City. She knew which floor the pharmacy was on. Knew which wing of the building was occupied by terminally ill patients. Could locate the dentist, the optometrist and half a dozen other things.
Videl approached the Lotus Medical Center of West Capital City. She hoped that the interior layout of this hospital was the same as the one in Satan City. Because there was a room she needed to find.
She did her best to seem normal as she walked into the building. Just a regular person with regular business. Nothing suspicious. Maybe a little confused or lost - Videl was prepared to use those kinds of excuses if anyone questioned her - but nothing dangerous. She stood in the foyer, glanced from side to side. Read the signs. Noticed the cameras.
The cameras were not hidden. They weren't blatantly obvious but they weren't hidden. If a person took a moment to notice... Videl walked across the foyer, trying not to look like someone who was looking at the security cameras. This was the tricky bit. How was she going to sneak up on the guards in the security room? If they were paying attention... Then they could already see her. She'd be on the monitors.
"Excuse me?" The voice was behind Videl. Perky and helpful but with an edge of authority. "Excuse me, Miss? Can I help you find something?"
Videl put on her best naive smile and waited for the nurse to catch up to her. Trying to think of an excuse. Lost and confused would have to work. She didn't have a visitors pass or an appointment. "Hi! I was just..."
The lights went out. For a second the hospital was very quiet. Too quiet. No intercom. No background music. Just a few hundred people, all surprised and holding their breaths. Waiting to see what would happen next.
A deafening siren blared. The nurse went from perky to determined. "Fire alarm." The nurse had to shout to be heard over the noise. Red and white warning lights blinked to life, filling the darkened building with an eerie pulsating glow.
The hallway quickly became crowded. Patients, Videl noticed. The patients were being evacuated. Most of the patients were able to walk. Some were being pushed in wheelchairs or carried on stretchers. The doctors and nurses seemed to flow against the tide. Shouting questions to each other as they tried to herd everyone out. Was this just a drill? Was there really a fire? Had everyone been accounted for? What about the patient in the operating room? What about...
Videl made a decision. She let people push past her. Thus instead of going towards the exit, Videl soon found herself in a deserted hallway. As planned. She flew down the hallway, deeper into the building. There was no longer any need for excuses. No time either. If this was just a drill then it would probably be over soon, the people would come back. But if the building really was on fire... Well. Maybe she could put the fire out. Hopefully before the flames reached anything explosive.
And if she happened to pass by the security room while it was empty... Well. That was fine too.
The low rumble of thunder. A loud clang. Wait. Thunder? Inside the building? Videl hesitated then flew on. Maybe the building was collapsing. Maybe the fire had grown. But there wasn't any heat or smoke. Not in this section of the hospital. The fire must be somewhere else. Maybe it was burning on the floor above. Maybe on the floor below. Maybe the fire wasn't even in this building.
Videl turned a corner. Paused to get her bearings. The layout of this hospital - it was a little different from the one in Satan City. Similar but different. Still. There was enough of a resemblance that... Another turn. A short hallway. A hidden door.
Well. Usually.
The security room door wasn't hidden behind a large painting or anything like that. No. This door just happened to blend in with the wall. It was painted the same color as the wall and lacked a visible handle. This was a door that had been designed so that people could walk past it every day without actually noticing it. Usually. Because usually, this door was closed.
Videl skidded into a defensive stance. The remains of the security room door lay strewn across the hallway. No!
Someone else had beat her here! Someone else must be after the tape! The tape that showed Bulma visiting her father, right before Dr. Briefs died. That had to be it. The hospital would have given a copy of the tape to the police - for evidence - but the original recording... Videl swore. She'd wanted to watch the original tape.
Videl checked the world of ki. There was only one energy signature in the security room. Nervous but not too strong. Well then. Time to teach the intruder some manners. Videl flew forward. As soon as she had entered the room, the outline of the creature became visible. It was human. An adult. With its back to her. Brain on autopilot, Videl aimed a punch. She started to say that this was a citizens arrest.
The person - a woman - spun around and leveled a gun at her. Videl was stunned. She'd had guns pointed at her before. Many times. But it wasn't an experience that Videl had gotten used to. And even though Videl felt pretty certain that all her training had left her bulletproof... It wasn't something she cared to test. Bullets still frightened her.
Without even the slightest hesitation, Videl accelerated. She sped forward, snatched the womans wrist and twisted it. Backwards. Hard. With one hand. Videl reached out with her other hand and ripped the gun away. She kept hold of the womans wrist. Took a moment to recover from the surprise of recognition.
"Bulma Briefs, I presume?" Videl finally announced. Because that's who it was. And that made enough sense, in its own way.
"I don't know who the hell you are." Bulma said. "And I don't care. I have a bomb. If you'd like to keep living then..."
"There isn't really a fire, is there?" Videl cut in.
"It could be arranged."
"Been a rough day, hrm?" Videl had learned that making small talk was a great way to stall people. Because rather a lot of the people who were desperate enough to commit crimes... They just wanted attention. Just wanted to be heard. So when Bulma didn't dignify the 'rough day' remark with an answer, Videl continued. "Look. Would you believe that I'm on your side?"
Bulma scowled. "No."
"All right. So maybe I'm not on your side. Not exactly." Videl considered doing introductions. She had met Bulma once or twice before - years ago. It was clear that Bulma didn't remember her. And actually... Maybe that was for the best. For now. "But I am on the Great Saiyamans side. Close enough?"
"If I say yes then will you let go of my wrist?"
Videl shook her head. "Sorry. That's not how it works. You've pointed a gun at me. You've also claimed to have a bomb. You've even threatened to set this place on fire. That leaves you with zero trust, understand? Why should I let you go? How do I know that you're not still dangerous?"
Instead of replying, Bulma attempted to kick Videl in the stomach. Videl dodged the attack then stepped forward and pushed against Bulmas shoulder. Not even very hard. The kick had left Bulma off balance. It didn't take much to knock Bulma to the ground.
Cursing and full of anger, Bulma started to stand up. Then she noticed the gun. The gun that Videl had taken away earlier. The gun that Videl was now pointing directly at Bulmas head.
"I'd hate to have to use this, you know." said Videl and she meant it. She hated guns. But she could work with them, if she had to. "So why don't you just stand up very slowly and keep your hands where I can see them, hrm?"
Bulma was not following instructions. She simply stared at the weapon in disbelief. Words finally caught up to her. She cast a sideways glance at the security monitors and storage units. "The tape..."
"Which one is it?" Videl asked. "If you know, then get it quickly. If you don't - we'll have to take the whole batch."
Dragons aged at their own pace. Nobody on Earth was certain of what the average dragon lifespan was because nobody on Earth had ever outlived a dragon. Which was strange. Because dragons were just as susceptible as other creatures. In theory, it wouldn't take much. Change of air quality, loss of habitat or a misguided myth - and poof. No more dragons.
That's what had happened to the griffins. According to the history books, once there had been griffins all over the place. But then the ancient lore of mountain villagers had made it into mainstream media. Hence the griffin had been hunted to extinction by people seeking cures for virtually every disease known to man. Powdered griffin claw to heal scars. Broiled griffin tail to cure muscle disorders. A shot of griffin blood to fight cancer. For all of these and more, the griffins had died. In vain. The only piece of lore that had proven accurate was the recipe for griffin fang soup, which could strengthen the immune system.
Gohan studied the dragon that sat by his feet. Keenly aware of the popular legends. Dragon horns... Claws... Bones... Wings... Every single piece of the dragon was supposed to be able to cure at least twenty different things. Without a doubt, the dragon was by far the most prized creature on the planet. Even a single scale could sell for a fortune. And the fact that it was illegal to hunt dragons or sell any part of them only drove the prices up. And the fact that dragons lived in groups...
Had saved them. Griffins had been solitary. Thus it had been fairly simple for greedy hunters to isolate and subdue the creatures. However only the bravest and most ambitious of poachers was willing to challenge a clan of dragons. And so far, the dragons were undefeated.
Gohan smiled. Icarus was the same as ever. Small and purple with a pair of leathery gray wings sprouting from the back of his shoulders and a pair of short ivory horns sprouting from either side of his skull. A double ridge of vertical triangular scales ran down the middle of his back and tail. Yellowing ivory claws. Dark green eyes.
Sometimes Gohan wondered if the little fire dragon still recognized him. Because while Icarus hadn't changed since the day they met... They'd met twenty-four years ago. So Gohan had changed considerably.
Wisps of smoke escaped the dragons nostrils. Icarus did the dragon equivalent of grumbling while kneading the ground into dust with his claws. He growled, showing a glimpse of teeth and flames, then thumped his tail for emphasis.
The reply was a low-pitched snuffle followed by some elaborate wing stretches. The only reason Gohan was aware of these wing movements was because he happened to be sitting in the shade of one of the giant wings. When this wing moved, it took the shade with it and created a breeze.
Twenty-four years ago... Aliens had set fire to a forest. Gohan had been camping out with some friends of his father. They'd managed to put out the fire, defeat the aliens and reverse the damage to the landscape. Eventually. But not before Gohan had crossed paths with and saved a small wild purple dragon. Being four years old, Gohan hadn't realized that dragons were social creatures. So he'd named the dragon Icarus and had taken Icarus home. Gohans mother had protested the idea of keeping a wild dragon as a pet. And, a couple days later - in an incident that had nearly destroyed the Son House - so had Icarus's mother.
It was hard to imagine that one day, in the distant future, Icarus was going to be seven tons of airborne fire-breathing muscle.
Initially, for lack of inspiration, Gohan had labeled the elder dragon as Icarus's Mother. And, over time, he'd given similar titles to other dragons in the same clan. It was Pan who had insisted that all the wild dragons deserved proper names.
Pan was curled up in his lap now, her head against his shoulder. Asleep. Finally. While she wasn't a match for her father in the strength department, Gohan was convinced that Pan had him beat when it came to endurance. Perhaps this was normal for a child. Or... Perhaps it wasn't normal, not even for someone of partial Saiyan heritage. Gohan didn't remember ever being so energetic. And Pan was only five years old. And this didn't seem to be a phase she would grow out of. Her endurance was always improving. Every time they played tag, it took a little longer for Pan to get tired.
Maybe Buu had something to do with that. Indirectly. Because Buu wasn't human. And Buu had spent five million years inactive. So Buu didn't like to be inactive these days. Apparently Buu only required around thirty seconds of sleep per week. Hanging out with Buu so much - it had to be affecting Pan.
"Now you know how I feel." Gohan could almost hear his mothers voice. And much as he hated to admit it, she was right.
ChiChi still held some fairly serious grudges. She didn't hate certain people - or rather, certain Nameks - as much anymore but she couldn't forgive the way they had treated her. At the age of four, Gohan had been taken away for training. ChiChi had always viewed this as personal insult. Nobody had ever said: "Hey ChiChi - we think a hostile green demon could do a better job of parenting than you've done. Just because he's stronger than you. So we gave your kid to him. Oh and by the way, your husband is dead. The green demon killed him." But that's more or less how ChiChi had understood the situation. Which was why she still called Piccolo a demon. And it was also why, in Gohans presence, ChiChi took every possible opportunity to say things like: "Oh let Pan go play with Buu for a while. I'm sure she'll be fine. After all - look at how my eldest son turned out. And he was raised by a demon!"
Except that Piccolo never obliterated the planet. Gohan sighed. The hardest part of being one of the only people on Earth who remembered what had happened ten years ago... Was having to accept the fact that the most evil and dangerous monster in existence had now become his childs best friend. Being replaced by a pink blob was difficult enough. But to be replaced by a pink blob that had murdered everyone and destroyed the Earth...
Buu wasn't evil anymore. That's what Gohan had to keep reminding himself. He shouldn't worry so much about it. There were other things to worry about.
School was currently at the top of that list. He had to go to school tomorrow. Gohan didn't really feel like going to school but this was college. He was paying to take these classes so he thought that he might as well attend them. No point in getting behind on the homework assignments either. And the classes that he taught... If he were to call in sick, on such short notice - his employers wouldn't like that. Someone might even think it was suspicious. Because Gohan had never actually called in sick before. He'd always planned his vacations. He was in the habit of giving the university at least a weeks notice.
And speaking of habits... Crime fighting.
If someone decided to rob a bank tomorrow, should they just be allowed get away with it? If the Great Saiyaman made an appearance to save the day... Would anyone try to arrest him? Or would his continued good deeds help to clear his name and prove his innocence? If he stopped fighting crime - wouldn't that be more suspicious?
This chain of speculation was ended by the dragons. Twilight ruffled her wings and began moving, calling the rest of the clan to her. Icarus chirped and followed in her wake. Twilight was the name that Pan had given to the dragon that was Icarus's Mother. Her scales were a deep purple and flecked with silver. Her wings, horns and claws were pitch black. Against the darkening sky, Twilight was nearly invisible. She padded to the edge of the ravine and tested the air currents. With surprising agility and minimum noise, the dragons departed. Gliding on the winds. Off for another night of hunting.
Because they were fire-breathing dragons, the clan gave off a lot of body heat. So the absence of the dragons made the ledge a much colder place to be.
Should get home. Gohan lifted his daughter, careful not to wake her, and stood. Home seemed like such a good idea. There was comfort in being surrounded by familiar objects. Comfort in routines. He could get ready for his morning classes and go to bed and wake up tomorrow, as if nothing unusual had happened today. And maybe Videl would be home. Maybe she had found a solution to all the madness. Maybe life could get back to normal. Well. As normal as it had ever been, anyway. Which, in Gohans case, wasn't an entirely optimistic sentiment.
Obvious? Or too obvious? That was the question. Would Trunks expect to be followed? What if Trunks wanted to be followed? What if this was some kind of trap? On the other hand, what if Trunks honestly didn't care if he was followed? He'd always been sort of arrogant.
Goten hated to be in the same city as Trunks. In fact, there were moments when Goten hated to be on the same planet as Trunks. But under current circumstances, Trunks was the best lead they had.
He's probably getting a kick out of this. Goten thought grumpily. Probably thinks it's funny.
If only ki detection were enough. But no, being able to detect someone and being able to see what that someone was actually doing - those were two separate things. So it wasn't enough just to sense the energy and know where Trunks was. No. Goten had to keep the red aircar in sight. Had to watch for any suspicious activity. Maybe Trunks would pick up a passenger or drop off a package or something. Or maybe not. That was probably too cliché.
Bet he expects me to give up. The bitterness stung, as did the truths behind it. But Goten smirked. Hmph. Fine then.
Goten lowered his energy level. Because while Trunks hadn't looked at him or spoken to him... It would actually take some effort, for anyone trained to detect energy signatures, to completely ignore Gotens ki.
As soon as Goten dropped back, there was a reaction. The red aircar slowed down. Which confirmed, in Gotens mind, the fact that Trunks knew he was being followed. Wait for it... Once more, Goten lowered his ki. He wanted Trunks to believe that he had given up and was flying away. Because then maybe Trunks would go somewhere useful instead of just driving around in circles.
The temptation to blast the aircar out of the sky was tremendous. Goten indulged in a daydream. He envisioned the luxury aircar as a shiny metallic fireball, crashing into the asphalt below. No survivors. Gotens smirk widened. What a shame.
He refocused on the aircar, watching as it pulled into a smooth turn on a familiar route. Still circling. Reality was almost as good the daydream. Because...
Goten stopped smirking. He shook his head. Deep down, the idea of fairness had been given a high place in his heart. Goten disliked Trunks. Severely. So severely that Goten no longer felt that Trunks was truly deserving of anything good. Certainly not deserving of fairness. Which might have been okay, on a regular basis. But this was a murder investigation. It wasn't fair - or smart or safe - to automatically assume things. It was going to take facts and evidence, not personal biases, to answer the questions created by Dr. Briefs sudden death.
Painful memories reeled across Gotens mind. Ten years ago... Goten didn't remember much of what had happened ten years ago. He didn't remember Buu being evil or the world being endangered. He didn't remember death. Ten years ago - Goten had been age seven. He could recall how awkward it had been to meet his father for the very first time. Goten knew that he'd been excited about something and then terrified about something else. He knew that he had fought for some reason, although he didn't remember why. And then... Trunks. Really, that was the clearest memory Goten had. Because it wasn't every day that your self-proclaimed best friend tried to kill you.
And the worst part was that Goten had almost believed that he'd deserved it.
Imagine, for a moment, that a persons ego and emotional stability can be represented by a delicate glass vase. Having a superhero for an older brother and a world-saving father had, over time, put several chips and scratches in Gotens confidence. But Trunks... Had shattered the vase. Completely and utterly and without a hint of remorse.
When the damage is so thorough, ten years is not always enough time to fully heal. Goten was still recovering.
Goten shuddered and landed on a rooftop. Knowing that he couldn't trust himself to be neutral on this subject. Regardless of what Trunks may or may not have done recently - as far as Goten was concerned, Trunks would always be guilty.
Perhaps it would be wise, to investigate elsewhere. Yet as the red aircar slipped from his line of sight... Goten felt as if he'd failed. He'd wanted to help investigate. He was trying to earn his brothers trust. Trying to make his family proud. Trying to prove that he was capable of being a hero too. And already... He'd failed. Because what good was he going to be to anyone if his personal grudges kept him from doing the work that needed to be done?
Evidence. That would help, Goten decided. If he was ever going to overcome the twists that life had thrown him then he had to get his act together. Evidence would be the first priority. There wasn't any point in following someone around when you didn't even know if they were innocent or guilty. No point in confronting a person when you weren't even sure what to ask. Just wandering up and accusing someone of murder would be useless. Only the most ruthless and bold of criminals would openly admit to such a crime. Evidence would be everything in a case like this. But where to begin searching? Videl was famous. Videl had a private detectives badge. Without Videl, Goten doubted that he would be allowed to enter -
"Must be the air." Someone remarked, abruptly ending Gotens train of thought. The voice that had spoken was soft and gruff at the same time. The owner of the voice was hovering beside the rooftop where Goten had landed. And the energy signature of the owner...
Inwardly, Goten flinched. He's always found it rather disturbing that a human child could have so much ki. Even moreso that a human child with so much ki could sneak up on him. "Er. Hey, Uub."
"Namaste Goten." Uub replied, using a traditional island greeting. "Didn't expect to see you here." Uub said without looking up. While his tone was casual, his expression was concentrated as he studied all the various ledges and windowsills of the buildings in the area. He wore faded jeans, a cloth jacket and wooden sandals. A bamboo fishing pole was strapped diagonally across his back, a dagger hung from his belt and a hawks talon served as the pendant on his beaded necklace.
"Ditto." Goten muttered. He wasn't sure what to make of the spear Uub carried. The long wooden haft was covered in carvings and the sharpened stone point had been dyed red. Such a simple, fragile weapon - yet it seemed to have an aura of its own. "So. What brings you to the city? Is everything all right at the village?"
Uub snorted. "It will be now. They kicked me out."
"WHA-?"
"Last time Goku-sensei was upset with me, he ambushed me. To force me to fight. In the middle of the village." Uub explained, sounding weary. "It took me a whole week to repair the damage. And Elder Rita is still on crutches. So now that I've managed to upset Goku-sensei again - and he must be really mad at me because he just vanished without even... "
"You've been kicked out of your own village!" Goten was outraged.
"Right." Uub sighed, glancing up for the first time since the conversation began. "I haven't detected Goku-sensei for a while now. He wouldn't try to ambush me in a city, would he?"
"I don't think so." Goten frowned. "He'd better not."
Silence.
"Hey... If you can't go home... " Goten began. Despite the fact that Uubs energy signature was fairly intimating, the simple truth of the matter was that Uub was ten years old. And even with the spear and the dagger and the dark spiky mohawk and all the rest - that's how Uub looked. Like a ten year old human boy. "I mean... You're not staying out here, are you?"
Uub shrugged in a way that said what-else-can-I-do?
Bewilderment tainted Gotens voice. "So just because my father is upset, you are going to sleep in the streets of a strange city?"
"Roofs." Uub corrected quietly. "I'd rather sleep on the roofs. Less crowded." He hefted his spear and frowned at the empty ledges and windowsills. "Better hunting as well. Not here though. Must be the air. Too much traffic."
Hunting? Goten looked to the spear with new understanding. "Don't trust the city food, huh?"
"Don't eat what you can't identify." Uub managed a weak smile. "Village proverb."
Silence.
Hunting food for survival struck Goten as a tad insane. In part because he'd never had to do it. But mostly because there were so many alternatives available. The city was full of grocery stores and restaurants. The mere idea of just eating whatever wild creatures could be found crawling around on buildings... Didn't most of the animals in the city - the feral dogs and cats and whatever else - didn't those animals eat trash and roadkill? What if those animals had diseases? And how could Uub be expected to cook, without accidentally setting a building on fire?
In Gotens mind, nobody deserved this kind of punishment.
There were times when Goten began to understand what it might be like to have a younger brother. The sort of younger brother who needed to be protected every now and then. Why and how Goku had apparently become upset with Uub - that didn't matter. What mattered was that Uub needed a place to stay and something safe to eat.
"We are going to a restaurant." Goten announced. "I will personally identify everything for you, okay?"
"Ah. Thanks for the offer but..." Uub stammered. On the one hand, he was hungry and the urban hunting situation wasn't good. On the other hand, he didn't like to ask favors or accept charity.
"No excuses. It's no trouble and you don't have to pay me back." Goten said flatly, taking Uub by the arm and dragging him along. "Anyone who puts up with my father doesn't owe my family anything. Got it?"
"Ahhhh..." Uub remained reluctant as they started to descend to street level. The city made him uncomfortable. Or rather, the people in the city made him uncomfortable. Uub knew what an aircar was but nobody in his tiny farming village - heck, nobody on his island - owned a vehicle, so he didn't understand the appeal. And the way these city people dressed and talked and everything. It was all so different. Uub felt distinctly out of place. He scrambled for an excuse to stay on the roof.
The excuse found him.
"Oh." Uub stiffened and faced south. "There."
At that moment, everyone on Earth capable of detecting ki noticed that Goku was once again on the planet. And everyone on Earth who knew Goku well enough to recognize his energy signature was also able to get a feeling for Gokus current mood. And Goku was not happy.
"I... I should go apologize." Uub whispered, trying to sound brave. "Maybe if I apologize he won't ambush me. Then I could go home."
Goten refused to release his hold on Uubs arm. Anyone other than Uub might have had a broken arm by now. "I don't think he's mad at you, Uub." Goten said eventually, resuming their descent. "We can talk to him later. You need to get something to eat first."
Goku was not happy.
It should have been simple. That was the problem. Granted, not much in Gokus life was simple. But this... He had teleported into the afterlife to ask some questions. How hard could it be, to just ask some questions? And the afterlife - the gods and demons and spirits - it was so logical. So sensible. If you had to locate the soul of a deceased person... Then the afterlife was a reasonable place to seek answers, wasn't it?
But no. The first obstacle had been the afterlife clerks, the office demons. Goku had died twice before. So upon arriving in the afterlife, the office demons had immediately assumed that Goku was dead again. He'd spent at least half an hour trying - in vain, for the most part - to convince the demons that he was not dead but alive and in need of some otherworldly advice. When the office demons had finally taken the hint - they had seemed strangely disappointed that Goku wasn't dead and Goku wasn't quite sure how to feel about that - Goku had been sent to see Lord Enma.
Lord Enma was the giant judge of souls. It was Lord Enma who decided whether a creatures spirit got sent to heaven or hell or had a chance to reincarnate. So Lord Enma - he was great at announcing judgments and giving orders but he wasn't accustomed to having conversations. All this on top of being chronically overworked and grumpy... No, the meeting hadn't gone well. Goku hadn't been in the mood to pacify and reason with Lord Enmas temper. So no questions had been answered. And, since insulting Lord Enma was a punishable offense, both Goku and Vegeta had been sent to...
... oh crud ...
Goku skidded to a stop in midair. Realizing for the first time since his return to Earth that he had accidentally left Vegeta in the afterlife. Which Vegeta would never believe - not the accidentally part, anyway.
But... Eh. Perhaps it was just as well. Vegeta wasn't precisely sociable and Goku wasn't in a good mood. In the past, they could have sparred to settle their differences. But these days... There was too much risk. In most battles... Goku had control, he could concentrate and focus and keep his aura at levels that were safe. But against another Saiyan... The risk of getting carried away... It just wasn't good. These days, a spar against Vegeta could have only one of three possible outcomes. Earth destroyed. Vegeta dead. Or Goku self-destructed - which would probably cause the Earth and everything on it some grief.
The last possibility made Goku shudder. Control was such a fine-tuned skill that no amount of practice would ever seem good enough. And what if...
No. Goku didn't want to think about it. He knew that he was getting older and that as he aged the control would gradually slip. There was nothing he could do about it. Goku knew that it was his own fault for training so much, getting so strong. The power had been so much easier to control back when he'd had so much less of it. Now that his hard-won aura was so immense... It would be a guaranteed disaster, when his control slipped.
Trust North Kaio to have joked about the possibility.
After escaping from Lord Enmas punishment, Goku had not returned straight to Earth. Instead Goku had visited and argued with the blue immortal. North Kaio - who liked to be called the King Kaio, for some private and unexplained reason which would be unlikely to endear him to the various other immortal guardians of the universe - had not been eager to help. At first, North Kaio had pointed out that he was the guardian of a whole quarter of the galaxy. So why should he be bothered with a simple insignificant issue on Earth? Go figure. When the gods had been endangered, they had contacted Goku on Earth in person. Yet when Goku needed help, it was suddenly red tape and divine rank pulling.
But North Kaio had been a friend and teacher once. Thus after the initial - almost ritual - stubbornness was dealt with, Goku was given the answers he sought.
The news had not been good.
Goku refocused on the sprawl of the land below. The shimmer and glint of starlight on water in the midst of a desert. The shape of two dark pyramids on the horizon ahead.
North Kaio had not been able to detect, let alone locate, Dr. Briefs soul in the afterlife. And if Dr. Briefs soul was not in the afterlife... Then perhaps the mans spirit was still on Earth. North Kaio wasn't sure. But there was someone else who would know...
Goku angled his flight downward so that his aura could better light his path. He was following a crease - a trail - that had been worn into the ground by more than five hundred years of heavy use. Ahead, the pyramids loomed in dark silence. Palm trees bent in the wind as if bowing to greet him. Behind, in the distance, the haunting silhouette of Korins Tower - the bottom of the immense structure lost in shadow and the top if it lost in clouds - stood at attention. Goku felt watched, as if a thousand years of existing had made the ancient tower sentient. But perhaps it was just Korin...
Or perhaps the stare was not from behind, but from ahead. Perhaps...
Goku saw that the path remained clear. Usually there would be a long line of people here. He saw that torches were lit around the base of each pyramid. Bright lanterns outlined the small palace and fighting arena that sat, in defiance of physics, on the surface of the lake between the pyramids. He saw, framed in the unnatural soft blue light that seemed to be coming from within the pyramids themselves, the figure.
Ah. So he was expected.
"Baba!" Goku had never been terribly formal. So as soon as he was within earshot of the oasis, he addressed the most feared witch on Earth as if she were a mere causal acquaintance. "Do you know if - "
The figure was small and hovering at least six feet off the ground. Pitch black robes over fading yellow skin, short red hair hidden beneath the wide brim of a pointy black hat. A crystal orb rotated under her feet. "Boy." Uranai Baba scolded, the disrespect in her voice reminding him that she could, on a whim, turn him into small furry animal of some sort. Or worse. Because she didn't like it when people disrupted her business or forgot to respect their elders or even - and this was the worst - questioned her psychic abilities. All of which Goku had, inadvertently, just done. "What I know and what I choose to tell you are two different things."
Typically Goku would have had enough sense to just back down. But... Well. It had been long day and not a good one. The arguments with first the office demons, then Lord Enma and then North Kaio... Goku was not about to let anyone mortal - even though the term mortal could only loosely be applied to Uranai Baba - get the better of him after what he'd survived in the afterlife.
Before he could issue any kind of verbal threat or challenge, however, Uranai Baba glared at him. Her hands were folded but the magic on her fingertips glowed with a rainbow of colors. Making it clear that not only had she expected Goku, she had expected his bad mood. "Don't tempt me." The witch uttered, the brim of her hat obscuring the expression on her face.
Goku had seen plenty of magic in his time but he was a martial artist, not a magician. He had no idea what sort of spell was aimed at him and he didn't particularly care to find out. It had been his experience that magic was much harder to dodge than any fighting attack. "Fine." Once Goku realized how ridiculous the situation was, it was easier for him to calm down. "But listen, I need to know if - "
"No." The witch interrupted, lifting her head to show that her usual - if somewhat frightening - grin had returned to her features. Uranai Baba met his stare. "You listen and listen carefully. You can not afford my services."
Uranai Baba was both famous and infamous. Her talents for spellcasting, predicting the future and wandering off to the afterlife and other dimensions were unrivaled. And so were her nine-digit fees. Which - she was right - Goku could not afford. But that didn't discourage him. In truth, Goku was almost relieved. Because the last time that he'd needed the witchs help... Ten years ago... Well. Anytime that the world was endangered, Uranai Baba tended to forget about her fee. She had never even tried to charge Goku for the help that she had provided against Buu. So if the witch was talking about fees now then perhaps the world was not threatened.
And besides, there was another way to earn Uranai Babas help. If he fought and defeated her guards then...
"You can not afford my services." Uranai Baba repeated slowly, as if waiting for Goku to catch on to everything she implied. "And neither can Vegeta."
Wait a sec... Goku began to see the double meaning in what the witch had said. But... A warning?
What could she be warning him about? And why not just flat out warn him, why the riddles? And... HEY! She was wrong! Vegeta could, probably, afford to pay... Well. Maybe not Vegeta. But Bulma could afford to pay Uranai Babas fee. Because the Briefs were rich and...
A sudden snag in Gokus thoughts. The witch smirked. A whole slew of new 'what-ifs' assaulted his mind. The money! Goku hadn't given it a moments consideration - money had never been all that important to him. But now... Goku wondered. How much had Dr. Briefs been worth? Had it been enough to kill for? And if Bulma was arrested, would she still inherit her families wealth? And what if -
On the verge of wanting to scream, Goku settled for a scowl and kicked the new concerns away. He wanted to know where Dr. Briefs soul was. He wanted to know where Vegetas daughter was. He wanted to know what had happened to the gravity chamber and if anything else had been taken from Capsule Corp. Goku began to voice these concerns but the witch waved her hands dismissively before he'd even made a sound.
"I suppose," Uranai Baba murmured as she turned her back on him. "That if you must have my advice... You could ask that short friend of yours, the one who resides with my brother on Kame Island. You could ask him to pay the fee. He can afford it. Although - " She paused and made a show of inspecting her fingernails, which were no longer glowing. " - he may soon need my skills far more than you do."
A flourish of magic and the witch was gone, the conversion ended.
High above the oasis, a frustrated scream rocked the night sky. A golden streak wheeled in the air with such force that even the pyramids shook. The sand was still settling, long after the streak had departed in the direction of Kame Island.