EDIT: I updated my Author Notes at the end cause it was empty! DX Sorry guys, I made sure to respond to your Reviews as well. Please check it out when you're done reading ^^;
Chapter 8 - Moving Forward
"Why are we here again?" Vegehan questioned aloud, knowing full well the answer. Still he liked humoring people in thinking that he didn't know better; even if that certain someone was his new love interest.
"We're here to shop, silly," Videl blew a raspberry at her tall boyfriend, her arm firmly looped around his. While she wore a red tee with the black words emblazoned of 'Satan' with horns sprouting from the ends of the letters, her legs were wrapped in form-fitting pants, slid into a pair of red lace black 'combat shoes' as she deferred to. With her hair growing out slightly since the week had gone by as life on Earth had returned to normalcy, she pulled her raven tresses back with a red braid, showing off her light complexioned face with bright blue eyes. Eyes that Vegehan could get lost just staring into them. "Does that Vegeta side of you not like mingling, or is it just the man that just loathes social interactivity?"
The Fused Saiyan snorted with a disbelieving smile as he looked away, eyes closed, "I can think of a thousand different ways to spend our time together that'd be much more enjoyable than passing through the annoyances. However, I am in need of some other garments, given my size doesn't match Gohan or Vegeta's..."
Letting himself trail off, he knew as of this moment he still wore the combined gi apparel that was the result of Vegeta and Gohan's currently wearing attire had at the time. Due to the near head of height difference between both fighters he had nothing from either family that he could wear that'd fit right. Not to mention it felt weird even asking his his former wife and mother, he took the opportunity to get clothes from Videl.
He just didn't understand that he was to be dragged into public with her and partake in the dreadful art of shopping.
"Then there was no use arguing now, is there?"
"I can dream, can't I?" Vegehan asked with a wry grin aimed at her victorious, cheeky expression.
Turning to enter a mart, known in West City as 'West Journey Mall,' for having pretty much everything you'd like in this part of the country. While there was a variety of stores inside, from restaurants to an arcade and even some tech booths they were heading straight for the clothing departments. The first one had the Fused Saiyan guided by his love interest through the halls as if he was entering foreign territory, having little to no clue how to navigate on his own without being utterly clueless and uninterested.
She helped pick out some clothes for him to try on, thankfully possessing over a dozen so that he could have a selection of sorts.
"I'll go find some clothes of my own," She gestured with a wink at the women's side of the myriad of clothes racks. "You can use the dressing room and figure out which one fits the new you. If you need me, holler."
"Alright," Vegehan acknowledged with a forced smile, watching her leave with a gloved wave of his own. When she left he looked at the bag in his other hand with a twitching grimace. The only solace that he had was that Videl had a good enough eye to separate the sets of apparel to be matching and complement each other.
A groan escaped him as he trudged into the hall and found himself a dressing room proper.
"Let's get this over with," He thought with a plop of the bag on a bench located next to him. Taking off his gloves that felt familiar yet a bit uncomfortable, he wondered if he'd put them on often or just keep them in his pockets. Some sentimental part of himself wanted to at least have them on hand so he set them aside to be worn later.
After some grunting and awkward removal of his gi within the small space, he picked a set of clothes at random and put them on. To his surprise they fit quite snug but he wasn't sure about their individual appearances by color or feel. Turning to look at the far mirror he looked quizzically at the new look he selected for himself.
A flashy cape of purple with a black shirt loosely covering a green undershirt, spandex pants of purple stripes on the sides with a dominant black motif. White pointed shoes with golden edges over the toes. With a pair of dark shades covering his eyes, the torch-haired Saiyan stared at his reflection with a long pause.
"It doesn't feel right anymore," Vegehan declared with a sigh, quickly removing his apparel. While the side of him that enjoyed childish antics that emulated Sentai, his other side found it too reminiscent of Zarbon or the Ginyu Force. Too much flamboyance for his own liking as he was now.
Reaching for another set of clothes that seemed to be matched together, he began to dress himself once more.
Upon finishing, this time he gawked at Videl's choice of clothing for him. It was a pink shirt, with painted palm trees on a spattered beach and sea. The shorts were too casual with sandals, making himself look like he was begging for attention. What's worse was that there was a sweatband in his hands, begging to make him look more ridiculous.
"The nerve of that-that...RRRGH!" The Saiyan growled as he roughly took off the shirt and shorts, feeling indignant of the humiliating choices of clothing. He was desperate to find one good style that fit his current attitude; the current him. It'd be awhile before he'd find anything to his specific liking.
From collared shirt with clean pants to simple sweats and a tank top, each piece seemed to appeal only to one side or the other. Some even baffled both aspects of his dual mind, making him wonder if the young woman simply grabbed whatever she found. Either that or she was giving him an unusual brand of torture that she took delight in. He convinced himself that he was delusional for her to be as vindictive as his...former wife, Bulma.
He sighed in thought of the woman he loved now but not as much. Vegeta had indeed grown more mellow and soft to have strong feelings for her, as much as he cared for Trunks. But they were fleeting at best. Intense awkwardness had formed that made it nigh impossible for him to be around her. It was something he discussed with her in private and she agreed that she wouldn't force him to act as if nothing changed.
As painful as it was, the new man in their lives wasn't hers anymore and he deserved to be on his own. Something his own mother should learn to get over with too.
"Fuck," He swore aloud, finding the last set of apparel that Videl left him. "I hope you're at least tolerable, lest I just burn the lot of you..."
Disregarding he was talking to clothing, he began to change for what felt like the hundredth time. Something in him seemed to adapt to what he slid over his chiseled features, bringing out a new feeling of belonging. Finishing with a pair of boots he smiled at the familiar yet comfortable feeling. Looking over at the mirror, he knew that the reaction was not out of surprise, anger or just annoyance.
It was pleasant.
A leather jacket was wrapped over his body. It crinkled with a sound he liked and boasted of a deep black hue. A dark blue, sleeveless undershirt brought the look out more in his eyes. Even pre-shredded jeans, on their own he found irrelevant, seemed to give him a rugged appearance. Adding with a pair of leather boots of a dark brown color he felt truly content; dare he say even happy.
"Glad she didn't close her eyes on every choice she made," The Fused man chuckled to himself, feeling so comfortable that he dared not unclothe himself again. Removing the tags from his current attire, he made sure to bag his old gi into an empty bag and pocket the price labels so that she could purchase them. As it stood, he had no real money and it was nice that she was going out of her way to purchase for him.
"To think I'd need to ask people for money," He groaned inwardly, loathing the idea of being indebted to anyone. Before this, Chi-Chi had provided for his school expenses and his own food bills. Vegeta had practically lived carefree with a rich wife, though would often be nagged at for trying to spend time on his own. Now he was neither, living on his own and had no real place to stay other than the Lookout.
Thankfully, he had heard Videl had talked to her dad about allowing him access to one of the guest bedrooms in their mansion.
"I bet that was a lovely chat. 'Hey dad, can you let the guy who almost killed you at point blank protecting a monster sleep in the same house as us?' Yeah, I'm sure she was more subtle than that," Vegehan derisively commented to himself after putting on a mock tone of how she sounded.
Finally exiting the changing room he found Videl in the same attire as before, smiling widely at his return. So infectious was her expression that he couldn't help but return a wry grin as he presented himself before her.
"What do you think? Do I look like a badass or what?" The mixed breed human asked with a bang carrying raise of his jacket's unzipped front.
"You look awesome!" She exclaimed, obviously giddy that he liked one of her choices. "I'm sure we can shop some more in the same size. At least we found a style you like, though I'm sure you'll get some stares at school when you attend."
"Ah yes, and the earrings or torch shaped hair won't make them bat an eye?" He joked with a wave at his obvious jewelry or even more apparent stylized hair.
"Hm," She hummed, suddenly furrowing her brows at the hair.
"W-What?" Vegehan asked nervously.
"Ever thought of styling your hair different?" Videl inquired with a tilt of the head, trying to get a better view for what she was envisioning.
"Given part of me is a Pure Blooded Saiyan, I'm not sure how I'd like doing anything different with my hair," He declared, finding it almost an affront to his racial pride; if he could even consider himself a real Saiyan anymore.
"Yeah well, maybe the new you could try something different?" She asked with a sheepish grin and a lame shrug.
"I'll...think about it," He remarked, finding himself blush slightly at her cute expression. He knew she meant nothing by it but something about the way she insinuated made him feel tingly inside. It was undignified of him but at the same time, he couldn't help it when being around her.
"That's all I ask," The raven-haired teen declared with a smile, looping her arm around his once again. Enjoying his contented expression she marched him along as she raised an arm in the air with declaration. "Now, let us find more clothes for you to wear, my broke boyfriend!"
"No need to broadcast it..." The man mumbled as they continued to peruse the store.
It felt like hours for what would take a single one. But slowly and surely the two of them discovered Vegehan's particular knack for rugged, sleek and outspoken attire. It almost bordered out outlandish but was contemporary enough that it'd be acceptable. Nothing too bland and clean, punk and thuggish, or silly and flamboyant. Just the right balance that'd speak to the new him.
He knew he had weird looks at the Check-Out line. The cashiers couldn't stop staring at his hair, though he was glad they didn't mind his earrings. It was far from the most ridiculous -to them anyways- sight to see. Though that was rich coming from the anthropomorphic bear that was helping them with bagging their purchases. Wondering why no one seemed to talk about the proverbial or literal Elephant In the Room issue, he rolled his eyes as they left the store.
With his body against hers, he was just happy he was spending time with someone that didn't make him feel uncomfortable or irritated.
"Glad we found things you liked," She commented with a smile, almost a bit too brightly for him to look longingly. He'd turn away with a subtle smile while she kept looking at his flushed expression. "It's...almost like an adventure, finding out these new likes and dislikes of yours. You're a new person yet I can see why the old you would have chosen some of these clothes. I like this new side of you too."
"I'm sure he'd have found you tolerable, given how much of a hard-shelled jerk he acted to a lot of people," Vegehan remarked with a half-smile, knowing he was talking about an aspect of himself. "But given it's a bit easier moving forward in life with you, it's just...nice knowing you're helping me out with all of this."
"I know I was...a little harsh on Gohan when we met. But when he taught me things and opened my mind to a whole new world, I couldn't stay the same superstar that followed in her father's showboating shoes. I love him, but I love this new world I was invited to and I can't just abandon that," Videl confessed, turning to look forward, blushing herself as she gripped the bags and Vegehan's hand a bit tighter. "And I'll never leave you either, V-Vegehan."
Vegehan felt like his whole face was engorged with heat, all the way to his ears. His own hand seemed to grip hers with renewed vigor as she urged him on with her clench. Even though neither of them could look each other in the eye, their smiles revealed to themselves they appreciated the other's words.
It was a nice moment, while it lasted.
"Hey, is that...Vegeta?"
The source of the voice was found quickly as the Fused Saiyan turned to look towards Videl's side while she looked with surprise at the owner. It was Eighteen, the blonde haired cyborg whom was strolling her cute daughter with her left hand wrapped firmly around her. She wore a sleeveless blue jacket, not unlike her time as Dr. Gero's Android specimen, wrapped around a striped long shirt of black and white hue. The jeans with cowboy boots made her look stylishly sleek yet she looked natural as a mother. The hair-headed dwarf father and husband was looking around Eighteen's hip opposite of her with his own brand of surprise; he having worn a simple red shirt with a doughnut on it with the words 'I love' above it with some shorts and sandals to finish his casual look.
"It's Vegehan," The Mix-Bred Saiyan clarified with a cough, turning to look at her with his hand still capturing Videl's. "Though I can't blame you, it's still a new thing for even me to get used to."
"Yeah, but you're a lot taller than he was," The blue-eyed housewife admonished, taking care to look at him from head to toe. "Nice look. I bet Seventeen would have loved seeing you take up that kind of get-up."
"Uh, thanks, I think?" Vegehan questionably replied, chuckling nervously as he was unaware how to take it.
Thankfully, Videl was kind enough to observe the family's presence in the mall and inquired, "Are you shopping for clothes as well?"
"Have been," The blonde mother of one smiled, nodding to her husband who held an arm full of bags. "We're about to get a house of our own, finally, so I suggested we get some more clothes to fit in actual closets instead of packing everything into small capsules. Hoi Poi Capsules can only be so useful until you have to rummage through an old man's living space for them, after all."
"Plus, even though you're saving space, it's still space you gotta unpack with a button click every time," Krillin suggested with a nervous chuckle. "And when you accidentally unpack the wrong set of clothes...yeah, I'll make sure to never do that to you honey."
"At least it was an accident. I found that wretched pervert rifling through my underwear like it was a lingerie collection," Eighteen dryly intoned with a twitching expression. "It's a good thing we're moving, I might end up making him handicapped before too long."
"Well, I bet your daughter will be excited to move into a new house," Videl switched the focus to the little girl, smiling at her with attention she knew the tyke liked. "Aren't ya?"
"Mhm! Papa and momma said I get my own room," She declared proudly with a chin-risen smile.
"Oh isn't that just awesome! Maybe I'll come over and play with you sometime so you can show off how cool your house is?" She asked with a wink.
"I like that! Come play an'time!" Marron exclaimed with a happy grin.
"You might actually be able to easier," Eighteen commented, causing the raven-haired girl to look at the woman with curiosity. Smirking the blonde cyborg leaned her head slightly as she explained. "Our new house isn't that far from where you and your father live. It's not next door but you could walk easily to it."
"Neighbors? Huh, I never thought about having neighbors given how far-out we live. And given how proactive I was in the city, I just knew most people by habit," She mentioned with off-handed thought. Looking back at the couple she blinked now with wonderment. "But houses over there aren't exactly cheap. They're not mansions but they're close to 'em. How did you get the money for that?"
"Oh," The single mother smiled deviously. "I have my ways. You should ask your father about it sometime. I'm sure he'd love to tell you the story."
"Huh? My dad?" Videl asked with perplexity.
"Honey," Krillin chuckled sheepishly. "Let's go get something to eat. I'm sure Marron is at least a little hungry."
"Alright," The number-named woman rolled her eyes with a bemusing smile. Waving to Videl and Vegehan, the trio departed. "You two have a nice day."
"Bye-Bye!~" Marron waved back with a smile, humming as she walked hand in hand with her mother.
Once the trio departed, Vegehan noticed a blush form on Videl's face. Raising a brow he inquired, "What?"
"O-Oh? N-Nothing. I was just thinking how cute little Marron was," She explained, fidgeting with her wavy hair. "M-Maybe in the future, I'd like to have a girl as adorable as she is. Y-You know?"
It was something that put a smile of remembrance on Vegehan's face. While Gohan wouldn't know what it was like, only being an older brother to his younger sibling while also acting as a surrogate sibling to Trunks at times it was Vegeta who knew what it was like to have a child of his own. Smug, stubborn and crafty in his own childish way he was annoyed as he was proud of the small boy who became Super Saiyan with such ease and gained an enormous amount of power in a short time, if only through Gohan's firsthand account when he witnessed him and Goten fusing.
He also remembered Vegeta's dying act of giving Trunks an embrace shortly before he'd knock him unconscious. His smile faded and his eyes gained an unfamiliar moistness he hadn't felt before. Raising his hand up to wipe it away he was bewildered at the sight of tears staining his skin.
"You okay?" Videl asked, her voice filled with concern as her eyes looked up in awe at the rare sense of emotion wrought upon him
"I...I'm fine," He replied with a forced smile. "Old memories are sometimes hard to forget. Especially when it was the last time he saw his son."
"Oh..."
"But to answer your question," Vegehan continued, raising his head up to look at the mall ceiling, uncaring of all the people striding past the standing pair. "I don't know how our future will play out, but should we elope...I'm sure I'd do my best to father any child of ours."
If his cheeks didn't feel flush with embarrassment they did when he felt Videl's grip alert him to a starry eyed smile aimed at him. Rising up to plant a kiss on his cheek, he turned away to keep his reddening cheeks hidden. Still, he couldn't help but crack a smile at hearing what she said.
"I'll hold you to that, Vegehan."
It was high time that Goku had finally utilized the Chamber for a better use. Having had Popo and Dende ensure only an hour would pass on the outside, he began to teach both boys what he could. Given in the off-chance Vegehan couldn't defeat an enemy, he wanted to be sure the next generation prodigies had a better capability than they displayed in their fight against Super Buu.
For awhile, he simply settled in making his objectives as simple as he could. Getting their investment when he made them into contests or games, they made sure they could get used to the fluctuating temperatures and gravity in simply their Base Form. Once the Turtle Schooler felt content about their Base States, he prompted them to activate Super Saiyan like he did.
"Good! You guys pretty much are naturals at regulating your energy consumption," He remarked as his hair whipped up and his body became alight with an aura synonymous to the legendary form all three of them possessed. "Gohan and I took awhile before we got that padded down. You two have a knack for this."
"Aw, well, it was nothing really," Trunks bragged with slight surprise. He never got to train with Goten's dad and while he didn't think he was as impressive as his father, his showdown with Majin Buu and his ultimate transformation won him over to seeing him as worthy as a rival. With his dad gone, replaced by a man that took on a dual role that served neither as brother or father to either of the demi-Saiyans, he looked at Goku with a higher regard.
Not just because he wanted to, but that he lacked any dignified role models of significant yield of power and skill.
"Uh-huh! We're cool, aren't we, Trunks?" Goten asked giddily, finding himself enjoying the praise his father gave him but was still impressed by how he saw his best friend keep his cool. At least, that's what he thought he was doing.
"Hell yeah!" Trunks boasted, feeling motivated thanks to Goten's infectious enthusiasm. He pushed aside his feelings regarding Vegehan. Now he just wanted to showcase what he could do, along with Goten against the rival of his father.
Both of them adopted stances that mirrored their parents, making Goku chuckle at the sight.
"Seeing them with that kind of intensity...it really does bring back memories," The father of two thought with a smile. Settling a forward ready stance with a raised claw posture of his left hand and his right fist pulled back to his waist. "Alright boys. Let's have our first Super Saiyan spar. I wanna know just how far to push you both. So come at me, both of ya!"
"Alright!" Goten remarked with a gleaming smile, loving the challenge of fighting his dad for real.
"You asked for it," Trunks commented, his aura erupting just as Goten's did.
As one, they spiraled forward in a looping formation towards Goku. Both pairs of fists struck open palms, the ground beneath them buckling and electricity snapping out between their contacting hands. But just as they landed their attacks the nimble warrior pulled them away and leaped upward to snap kick both of them in their chests. Quick to follow up, he rammed his elbows into their leaning faces then sweep kicked them in the air to crash them both bodily away into a skidding heap.
"Owwww," Goten moaned, pushing himself off of Trunks.
"That smarts," The golden haired son of Vegeta groaned out, rubbing his chest and face. Refusing to tear up he accepted an outstretched hand by Goten as he stumbled back to his feet. Looking over at Goku smiling innocently, he furrowed his brows angrily. "You-You played dirty!"
"No, I was smart. You two work well together but you're way too easy to read," He corrected, his smile never waning as he waved his hands in explanation. "I've noticed this while we were playing games before we transformed. Goten seems to follow your moves, almost like he's copying them. Probably because you two are good friends that your Fusion works so well.
"But," He raised a finger, his face gaining a stern expression as he told the both of them. "You need to think less about trying to show off and more on thinking on how to win. Both of you are great out of the box thinkers, I've seen your techniques and they're amazing. However, I can't help but find some of your tactics kind of...needlessly flashy."
"What's wrong with showing your stuff? We're super cool and we don't need to be lectured-"
"Trunks," Goku cut him off, his tone growing a bit softer as his smile returned. Earning the boy's attention as his own demeanor quieted in return. "Look, I know you and Goten are great. I wouldn't have trusted you with the Fusion technique if I didn't think you were capable of greatness. But you are still children. An adult, like me, should try and show you how to do things the right way instead of things you want to do. It may not be fair but I don't want a repeat of what happened with your fight with Majin Buu. If you take a fight so casually, you'll end up jeopardizing the people you love and they end up getting hurt or worse in the process."
"I...I guess," Trunks mumbled, looking down while holding his arm. He did feel ashamed for his own antics, knowing full well he was acting indignant for his own selfish reasons. Goku expected a spar as if they were above the acts of children. Even if he was more mature than his age, Goten being a prime example of that, he was raised to be better than that. Both by his mom and his father.
"Now, again," The Turtle Schooler commanded, his stance renewed as his smile was kept intact. "This time, don't follow each other's lead. Actually work together, as partners."
"Yeah, Trunks!" Goten excitedly yelled out, his aura reignited once again as he looked over at him. "Let's show'em we're better apart as much as we are fused!"
"Heh, that's embarrassing. You saying something like that to me," Trunks smiled, his own aura exploding as he returned to a readied stance. "Alright, this time, we'll try anything we can. He's older, stronger and more experienced than us. But we got numbers and tricks of our own. Use anything you can, Goten."
"Gotcha," The youngest Son nodded with a smile. "It's great having a brother like you, Trunks."
For a few moments, Trunks felt himself pause at that. Never feeling like Vegehan was real family, especially since he didn't sleep or hang around their home, he didn't take Goten's statement they were brothers that seriously. But hearing him say that in the moment, actually made him smile. He never had a sibling and was envious Goten had a brother like Gohan. With him gone, he was likely happy that Trunks could be considered a member of his family.
"Same back at you, Goten," He softly replied, finding himself motivated enough to surge forward of his own volition rather than having the other fly with him.
Appearing in an instant, Trunks stopped short of throwing a punch, a feint that Goku had swiveled a hand to catch. But when it just barely pushed the air into his palm the adult's eyes widened when the kid swung his free hand forward. A flash of yellow escaped his palm and unleashed a sphere of Ki point blank.
"Yikes!" The older Super Saiyan cried out, his free hand batting aside the blast away as his body backed up. It was a jolt of pain that surprised him how much the child's energy hurt him. What's more, that he heard and felt Goten grabbed his foot, the same one he used to move back away from Trunks.
"Hehe, got ya!" Goten laughed, pulling his father by the ankle with a strong bodily twist.
"WHOOOOOOOOAAAAAAA!" His father cried out, finding himself on the receiving end of a Dragon's Throw. The spin accelerated quickly, turning into a golden colored twister of incredible momentum. When he was let go, he cried out, feeling himself carrying off into the empty horizon.
"Ka...me...ha...me..."
"Galick...Gun..."
Both small Super Saiyans chanted aloud, cupping their hands to their sides with their respective poses. Purple light swathed over Trunks while a shimmering blue enamored Goten. Electrical shocks spat out between the spheres of energy forming at their hands, joining their mantle of Ki to become fused around them. Violet and azure soon became a unified indigo wave that spread outward with pulsing shockwaves that shook the ground and rumbled the sky.
"FIRE!"
"HA!"
As they shouted aloud, their energy was let loose as a maelstrom of blue-violet light crackling across the horizon towards its intended target. The target that had long since stopped himself with a bodily vented Kiai, watching the boys form their attacks. Despite what he said, they inherently drew together to form a unified attack.
It was a sight to behold as the pyre of Ki roared towards him, overcasting everything in its hue.
"Oh wow," Goku remarked, his eyes wide at the scale of the attack as it was heading towards him. It only took a few moments of delibration to decide the best course of action. As he moved, the blast seemed to overlap his entire body.
The explosion produced was one of a monumental dome that swelled with continuous feriocity. Even from there, the two boys took time to marvel at the blast, feeling as if they accomplished something. A pair of smiles were exchanged between each other, with Trunks raising a victory sign that Goten duplicated himself.
That feeling was brought to a halt as a feeling of familiar energy formed behind them and a long winded sigh was sounded.
"Wha-!"
"-Dad?!"
"Phew," Goku remarked as both boys twisted around and backpedaled away with alarm. Lowering his fingers from his forehead, he smiled at them both with a sense of pride. It wasn't anything special, but to feel his words were heeded as they were was something big in his book. "I'm impressed how strong that blast was. If I tried to take that on, I might have had a bit of trouble on my hands."
"Y-Yeah?" Trunks asked with a slight smile, nervous to boast too soon.
"But, we can always do better," He intoned with a nodding smile. "Yeah, a lot better. Still, nice job catching me off guard. Tactics like that will be useful in fighting trickier opponents than me."
"Next time, I'll deck ya in the schnoz!" Goten declared with a fist pump, causing his friend and father to laugh.
"Well, you'll have to catch me first," Goku declared to his son, looking back at Trunks with an equally as large smile. Returning back to his fighting stance he asked the two of them again. "Ready for another round?"
"You bet!" Trunks replied.
"I'm ready!" Goten answered for himself, forming his own stance just as his best friend did.
"Alrighty then," The first Super Saiyan declared, his voice becoming a beckoning bellow. "Come at me!"
The pair launched off simultaneously. In the following concerto of movements, flashes, and shockwaves that came their images seemed to disappear entirely. Only for briefest of instances they reappeared, their attacks independent yet timed in a way that complemented the other. It wasn't refined but it was enough to put Son Goku on the defense, his body reacting to the two talented youngsters with a spry grace that belied his muscular frame.
The echoes of their fierce battle would continue as the clock kept ticking at their sanctuary away from the complete white oblivion. Shaking and rattling from the distant impacts made between a trio of powerful beings. Lights of yellow, orange, blue and purple continued to streak about peppering the indestructible flooring of the vast dimension of emptiness.
When all three clashed once again, they all shared the same expression of fierce enjoyment. Their Saiyan blood boiled and were enthralled in their sparring match. Unlike the ones of the past few days spent here, it was a whole different manner when within their golden forms. Even while Goku held back for helping the kids push themselves he couldn't help feel excited at having sparring partners that rival even Gohan in his youth.
"Just you wait, boys," Goku thought as he fired a sporadic barrage of golden spheres at the now hastily dodging duo, avoiding the explosions that ensued in the chaos. "When I'm through with you, you won't just be kids playing a game. You'll be real fighters. And someday, I know you'll surpass me, and maybe even him."
As his thoughts turned to Vegehan, he found himself sucker punched by Trunks followed by Goten slamming his head into his stomach. Skidding back he returned a grin at the sudden spasm of pain from both impacts. He saw them both breathing slightly hard at fighting him but knew from the look in their eyes they wanted to continue. Returning to his stance, he silently urged them again to renew the fight.
"I'm sorry that you had to sacrifice everything, Vegeta. Gohan," He apologized inwardly, amidst the chaos of his attacks and deflections made to the two spitting images of himself and his rival. "But I'll try my best to help show them the way. Where I failed my son, I'll do better in making sure they're going to grow up to be fine replacements for us. I won't always be here, and neither will he. I have a feeling great change is in the horizon and no matter what happens, I want them to get stronger, smarter, and learn from their past mistakes.
"When this is over," Goku finished his inner monologue as he gathered energy into a Kamehameha, just as the boys formed their own attacks. "I'll make men out of you!"
A final roar and their beams clashed, creating a tidal wave of light flickering of lightning, shaking the entirety of their domain. This wouldn't end their fight but simply continue the training they've started. After all, it was only the beginning. None of them had yet pushed each other to their limits.
When that'd happen, this little spar of theirs would seem trivial by comparison.
Something stirred in the air.
And it wasn't just the wind blowing past the canyons that Piccolo had designated to be his training ground. An eerie omen delivered by the chill he got running down his spine. Long since he abandoned his role as God of this world, an unseen guardian that watched from up on high upon a palace of immaculate design and blissful tranquility. But that feeling, since he became whole again, always returned since over seven years ago.
It felt like Cell, or worse, was stirring the natural world.
"What's the matter? You look spaced out," Commented his sparring partner, Tien Shinhan.
His reverie broken, he looked over at the man's burly build, unclothed from the waist up from tossing aside his weighted robes. Green slacks overlapped his legs into a pair of cloth red and black boots. Like Piccolo he sported a few bruises and scrapes, a result of their smattering they called a spar. The sandy belly of the earth and towers of rock that was once undisturbed now was laying in tatters, ruined by their clash together.
"Nothing, for now," Piccolo finally responded, looking around to get a better sense of what the feeling was. It was ever present, like a beating heart that echoed across the planet but seemed to have no real energy of its own. If it was tangible he'd have followed his instincts but he knew it was just his old self reaching out and feeling an intangible menace looming. Kami he may not be called now, but his power remained with him to at least be aware of things going on in his world.
"Good," The triclops replied with a smile, settling back into his Crane fighting stance. "You had me worried you were about to back out."
"Please," The Namekian retorted with a snort, renewing his own Demon style posture with clawed fingers curled and arms cocked at an angle. "If anyone is going to leave crying, it's you."
"Then bring it!" The Crane Schooler cried out as he powered up and leaped forward. Virtually meeting at the same time, their epic collision once again caused a ballooning force wave that impacted the environment like a bomb. A fierce series of jabs, thrusts, hooks and kicks were issued between the two. All the while that feeling held true inside of the green-skinned fighter, something his three eyed friend had no clue about.
A shadow, seemingly interlaced within the base of a distant pyre of sediment seemed to rivulet with motion and contort oddly. It lurked away, like it had been present for awhile. Slinking away the musical sound of laughter would be sounded but not heard as the entity evacuated the premises.
And just like that, feeling vanished within Piccolo.
"Strange," He thought as he broke away from his three-eyed opponent, eyes darting around as the feeling seemed to subside. "Was it just my imagination...or was someone watching us until now?"
"You're doing it again!" Tien cried out impatiently from a patch of rubble.
"Sorry," Earth's defender replied with a candid grin. "Won't happen again."
And like that, they clashed once more, soon forgetting exactly what the other had been worrying about.
"Hey, you," A voice called from the dark cell. In response a grim silhouette rose her face, revealing a cold stare that sent chills down the woman's spine. She was flanked by a number of other guards in the all-female prison, though she was given the 'honor' of escorting her from her heavily chained placement. The sheer danger she represented after she recovered was mind boggling and she had already maimed several guards and prisoners alike who got close to her. Mustering up her courage she opened the gate and declared to her. "Someone just issued you bail. We're here to escort you out, Miss Violet-"
"Colonel Violet," She retorted icily, her demeanor having not changed in the slightest.
"You're not part of the Red Ribbon Army anymore. That band of lunatics were destroyed decades ago," One of the more robust guards reprimanded with a glare. "I remember it was the hero of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai was the one who took him down. Son Goku, a real hero unlike that showboating Mr. Satan. Can't believe he's the one who hospitalized you-"
"As much fun as it is reliving history with you, just do what you came here and leave me alone," Violet sneered, not one for chit-chats with the rest of the inmates and Warden's lapdogs alike. When they entered she just gave them stares that almost looked potent enough to kill. As she rose up and they unlocked the floor restraints, they gestured her to come with, knowing the price of touching the volatile woman. The only thing more undignified of wearing orange and having her feet or hands bound to chains would be a strait jacket.
Not to mention the moment they tried she broke out of it hours later.
Leading her down slowly past rows of bars, many of the inmates either jeered or cowered in their respective barred rooms. She established a reputation within a short amount of time; an ice queen of vicious rebuttal, making her a threat to the security and prisoners alike. It wasn't simply a particular convict's lucky day that she was being led the opposite way down the hall of bars and women. Thuggish to the point of looking intimidating by any other's description, she grinned toothily and whistled in Violet's direction.
She replied with a paper clip engrossed spit, striking her in the neck; inserting itself into the trachea. She went down gargling and the guards looked down at her with confusion until Violet passed them by with her entourage of prison personnel. One of the guards tried to turn on her but was restrained by the other.
"Don't mess with her."
"S-She just-"
"Just take her to the med room, stat. We can still save this scumbag's life. I'd rather keep my neck than antagonize her."
"But she's unarmed and bound next to a dozen guards-!"
"Do you think that's stopped her before?"
As their voices dimmed, Violet wore a pleased smile. Despite the incident everyone knew their place. She was an Alpha of this hellhole and they were happy to be rid of her. If anyone could replace Launch as the most dangerous woman alive in the known world, it'd be Colonel Violet of the former Red Ribbon Army. Injuries healed in a matter of a couple of days, her strength capable of toppling the strongest of her same gender's inmates. Not to mention anyone who got close to touching her suffered the consequences.
It was a miracle everyone managed to live long enough for her release.
Led out into the courtyard, the now shoulder length haired military woman was greeted with the sigh of a long black limo with a pair of individuals standing next to it. A bulky coated man and a shorter one with a suit with a oversize driver's hat was standing next to the passenger door, beyond the barbed wired fence and durable gate. As soon as she finished checkpoint, they let her go with no belongings to her name; only the prisoner uniform on her back.
Letting out a snarl she left with a huff and approached the pair. To her perspective the taller one had skin looked stony grey, almost like it was a genetic dysfunction. A dark ponytail slung over one shoulder he simply grunted and opened the door for her, gesturing her wordlessly to get in. Looking to the shorter one she swore his skin was the same complexion of a grape, his eyes covered by a pair of thick jet black shades.
"Just get in the car, bitch," The shorter man grated out with an annoyed tone. "The boss will explain everything."
Rolling her eyes, she acquiesced, curious to who her benefactor was.
Upon entering she was greeted with dim lights and a silhouette of a man in his latter years in life. Something was off about the eerie blue eyes that almost glowed in the darkness but she couldn't put her finger on it. Crossing one leg over the other her arms overlapped her chest as she glared at her 'savior'.
"To whom do I owe the pleasure of being whisked out of that spot of Hell?" Violet drawled out in as sarcastic tone as she could.
"Good evenin', Miss Violet. Or do ya fancyin' your old title of Colonel?" The southern accented man inquired with a thin lipped grin.
"Colonel will suffice," Violet replied crisply. "You'll only call me by my name if I accept whatever offer you're about to pitch. So shoot, cowboy."
"Right to business. I like that," He chuckled, crossing one leg over while his arms unfurled. Holding out a manila folder to her, the woman accepted it with a casual grasp and began opening its contents. Flipping through it, he began to speak. "You see here, I know you don't give a lick to the happenin's of this outback but I'm sure ya know just how hard it is to find good help these days. The good doctor has went to extreme lengths to find and...modify them, if ya catch my drift?"
"So, Tao Pai Pai got those upgrades?" She inquired as she looked through some old photos, documented from the past history of people involved.
"Minor ones. He was in pretty bad shape so he was pretty cosher to anything the doctor had lyin' round," The silver haired man replied with a shrug. "But that's ancient history. His tech, as I'm sure yer aware of, has been leagues ahead of dem governin' types."
"Yeah, this Cell character was bad news. I guess it was dumb luck that I wasn't in a city he decided to target cause the number he did was in the dozens," Violet remarked idly, seeing pictures of Cell in more of a stationary pose than the TV shots she saw of him. "They even talked about a pair of attackers responsible for the destruction of an island city."
"That was the dear doctor, going after a particular target. He tested out dem fancy toys in order to lure 'em out of hidin' ya see. A man by the name of Son Goku," The boss replied with a heavy tone on the last two words. Seeing Violet's eyes sharply narrow on him, he could only chuckle lightly. "I take it you've seen him before?"
"In passing. He was the one who allowed my getaway from the Red Ribbon Army while I took the fortune they had with me," She responded coolly, looking up and holding a hand up with emphasis. Cracking a single knuckle after the other she finally slammed her fist into the back of the moving car, creating a whistling hole from where her hand was. "I used part of it to undergo a special treatment to enhance my body. I heal faster, move faster and hit harder. I also can take a beating, if you haven't heard already."
"Yes, the 'World's Hero' Mr. Satan," The benefactor responded with a raise of hands to quote with gloves over them. "The doctor knows it was the son of Goku who bested his pet product, Cell, whom had appeared seemingly out of the ether as his project had been destroyed by one Krillin and the man from the future, Trunks. You could say his Sub-Lab was destroyed; too bad it wasn't the only lab he had."
"So what are you suggesting? You make me into a freak of nature?" Violet arched a brow as she gave a look of disgust at the man.
"On the contrary, cherry pie," He countered, much to the twitching chagrin of his guest, but kept talking with a clasping merge of his hands. "You see, not that long ago did the Earth suffer a terrible tragedy. All of folks who could call themselves humans were, whoosh, gone! By the hands of one entity named Majin Buu. I'm sure your enhancements did little good, right, Colonel?"
A look of cold yet understanding swept across Violet's face. The compulsion ignited by the thought of murdering him for even bringing it up was only subdued because this was still the pitch. What was he trying to sell, was what she wanted to know.
"So what? Were you going to make me immortal instead?" She laughed derisively, cocking her head to the side while flipping through a few more files. Some were documented pictures of Majin Buu from a distance in various stages of his transformation. One of which occurred while seeming to glow red with rage, battling a familiar yet unknown figure that glowed golden.
"No, it's quite more simple. You'll gain the body of an Artificial Human Being," The benefactor declared with a sweeping gesture of his arms. "The strength of a legion, the lifespan of infinity with stamina and energy to match it. You won't need to sleep, eat, drink or even breathe. All your senses may be left intact, of course, should you wish to mimic the life of an organic yet you will be undoubtedly stronger than you've ever been. What do you think, Colonel Violet, of that proposal?"
For awhile, she simply pondered the offer. The way she got the unnerving feeling about the three of them, from the drivers to this man they deferred to as 'boss' were certainly not organic in their own right. Intuitive deduction led her to believe they are what he wanted to make her into, an Android.
"Or what you really want to tell me is that I'll be turned into a cyborg. Is that right?" Violet inquired with an arching brow, her expression remaining neutral.
"To be blunt, Doctor Gero wants you to work for him as his Artificial Human Being and help him achieve his goals. But, yes, you'll be a cyborg. But you'll have endless power and strength that you've never felt before!" The man declared with a toothy grin. "I mean, you don't want to feel humiliated by being beaten by a phony like Mr. Satan, do ya?"
"No," She replied, coldly yet honest.
Expressing delight with an even wider smile he cocked his head to the side and unfurled his leg from the other, "Then we have a deal?"
Closing her eyes, she shut the folder, having read enough to get a gauge of the people who reached out to her. It was true, she was an undervalued soldier in an army that sought out mystic artifacts instead of aiming for greater things. She disappeared from the known world, only being relevant in the underworld as a ruthless mercenary, hitman, assassin and an extensive list of vocations. Despite retaining her prime she knew she couldn't live forever just like how she and billions of people died to a monster.
Opening them, she didn't change her posture if only to answer him, "If I join you, become a cyborg with human senses still retained, as you say then I only got one thing to ask. Will I retain my identity or will I become an eternally loyal robot to this dear doctor of yours?"
"I'm sure Doctor Gero would be generous to yer request. You've never shirked yer assignments and have been undoubtedly efficient in any job. While he's not one to keep a loose cannon around, I'm sure he can make an exception," He replied hopefully, chuckling darkly in addition. "Not my decision to make, but those were my honest thoughts."
"My life as of now won't mean much if I die and don't come back from the afterlife," She replied with a wry smile. "So fine, you got yourself a deal. Just make sure I get a check for this little job of his as well and I'm sure I'll keep my word to never betray him."
"Oh, I'm sure you'll love it," He laughed, extending a hand for her to shake. Nodding to her as she grasped his, he looked on with a pleased look in his eyes. "My name as the doctor provided is Android 13. My associates up front are 15, the shorter one with the mouth, and the big guy is 14."
"Violet," The military woman replied with a genuine smile. "I'm sure I'll enjoy working with you people, however odd you all are."
"HAHAHA! The pleasure's all mine," Thirteen let out a roaring laugh as the limo drove away from the prison and into the horizon.
Wherever that led Violet, only time would tell.
A/N: Been awhile since I've updated this. Well, this and BOY, but one stalled series at a time, shall we? XD
It was fun and relaxing to write this Chapter. Nothing of huge calamity happens other than that pink shirt (cursed forever to see the bane of his existence, even as a Fused being; poor Vegeta) so it was fun just writing Vegehan and Videl being a couple. While I won't spend any real time devoted to their school life in the following chapter (brace yourselves for that timeskip) I will have them make mentions of it. Trust me, the hilarity ensues. Speaking of funny, having Krillin and Eighteen be neighbors to Mr. Satan is just ADDING to the headaches he has to deal with. I'll make sure the man is never safe, haha!
Goku training Goten and Trunks is picking up a plot point that was pretty much abandoned by both continuations of DBZ, Canon or not: Him preparing the next generation. While Goku and Vegehan aren't going to keel over from an unexplained heart disease, you never know what kind of fight they'll have next where they can't come back from. Given the main problem of Gotenks was Trunks' haughty attitude and Goten following his lead, I wanted their flaws taken into account by this older Goku and tell them they can't think of fun when a serious fight breaks out. If they always default to that 'Game' mindset, they'll get into another incident where Majin Buu takes advantage of them. So yeah, I thought it was nice development on their part, showcasing the beginning of them getting stronger.
The little bit with Piccolo and Tien was just my way of showing that they're being diligent in being relevent. Given Tien actually HELPED rather than just show up to get one-shotted in this series, I want him and Piccolo to become sparring partners. Who knows? Maybe they can stand shoulder to shoulder with Goku in the near future -w-
Finally, we have our next Arc's antagonists...or at least, some of them that I'm willing to show. Obviously some fan favorites, 13, 14 and 15 (mostly just Thirteen) are here to recruit Violet, a well known super soldier in the criminal underbelly of Earth's society. Combining Dr. Gero's cybernetics she might end up being a force to be reckoned with. How will this effect our heroes? What sinister plans does the returning maniacal doctor have?
Find out on the next Chapter of The Power of Two!
A little shout out to Lastation for helping preview and critique this Chapter. It wouldn't be as good looking as it is without his help, so please take the time to thank him :)
Before I leave, let's respond to some Reviews ^^ thanks for everyone who keeps commenting, you guys rock!
Perfect Carnage: It was kind of a sad themed chapter. Vegehan can't be broken apart, and that put an uncomfortable wedge between him with his loved ones. Chi-Chi will have to come to terms with it, just as Videl helped Vegehan do so with his own identity crisis. Also I did try to make it exciting and funny too, giving Mr. Satan some rare spotlight he deserves.
See ya in the next Review ^^
The Anguished One: Only someone with Vegeta's independent personality with a loud mouth could ever force the Gohan in him to shout at his mother like he did. I mean, he let her hit him to not break her hand cause he DOES care for her. It was an emotionally trying thing for him to learn to cope, but thankfully Videl is there to help him keep grounded. They will develop into a cute couple, if I can help it. And regards to Mark, yeah, I went all out trying to give him a justifiably good scene worthy of the title he usually gloats around. Violet was just a bonus, but now that she's joined Dr. Gero, she may not just be an extra character to forget ;)
Jack905: Glad you liked it :)
LastationLover5000: Thank you so much for dedicating so much time to help preview and then Review this Chapter. May you keep being awesome and forever be a reliable friend to depend on~ ^^
Son of Whitebeard: Then you'll love seeing her in this Chapter, prelude for the next Arc ;)
TrentBttl: Updated!
Reichenfaust: Perhaps he'll contribute something in the near future, who knows? And yeah, I agree that Violet was cool and Eighteen is a badass. Given the upcoming Arc you will guarantee that there'll be more for them to contribute in the chapters to come ^^