Chapter 18: The tournament begins!

Disclaimer: I only own Midori and Lattice (and other mentioned OCs) everything else is Akira Toriyama's property.

/

The Big Day:

"WAKE UP, WAKE UP, WAKE UUUUP!"

Small hands were pushing eagerly into my back, causing my face to be even more smothered into my pillow.

"Come on, get u—ah—hey!" Trunks began trying to fend off my encircling tail.

Once his arms were completely detained, I turned my face to the left, sighing deeply. "…Alright," I grumbled, eyes closed.

Still without opening my eyes, I proceeded to sit up slowly, scratch my head, and slide my legs over the edge of the bed. Trunks had already wriggled out of my tail's grasp and was standing at my bedside.

Finally squinting at the purple-haired boy, I asked sarcastically, "You going to escort me to my bath?"

He scoffed. "No— UM? Gross?" He suddenly blurted out as I stood up from beneath my blanket and made a right towards the bathroom. "Put some pants on, sheesh!"

Raising my hands slightly, I looked down at my baggy, pink T-shirt and black panties before turning a sleepy glare onto my nephew. "Boy, this is my room. You came in here." I then continued to shuffle towards my destination, grumbling, "Askin' me to put pants on… the hell you think this is…"

…

When I popped open the yellow door, a moderate sea breeze blew my grey windbreaker back, revealing the Capsule Corporation logo on the left side of my green tank top.

I leaned out of Bulma's aircraft with a large grin, infinitely more awake and in an affable mood. "All aboard!"

The aircraft was already loaded; Gohan and his entire family, Trunks, Yamcha, Puar, and of course Bulma at the wheel with Vegeta stoically by her side.

Krillin, with his wife and little girl piled onto the jet, followed closely by Oolong.

Leaning against the doorway, I received each of their greetings (one loud and friendly, one cool, and one casual) with a smirk and nod. As they seated themselves in the second row I arched an eyebrow, poking my head back outside. "Where's the old man?"

"Right behind you, sweetheart! Ehehehe—"

Feeling a hand on my rear I closed my eyes briefly, eyebrows furrowing as I caught the man's wrist with my tail and gave a quick squeeze.

"—YOW!"

The other passengers laughed out loud at the old man's foiled antics, and when I turned after having closed the door, I saw Master Roshi cradling his soon-to-be bruised wrist.

"Can't you cut an old guy some slack?" He asked, sunglasses slightly askew. "I bruise easy, I've also got osteoporosis, I've got—"

"OSTEOPOROSIS?!" Krillin leaned forward, giving a short, hard laugh. "That's impossible!"

"OH YEAH? SAYS WHO?!"

"SAYS THE GUY WHO WATCHED YOU LIFT A COUCH TO LOOK FOR YOUR GLASSES!"

While I squeezed in next to Eighteen on the far right, Vegeta suddenly exclaimed, "QUIET!" silencing the bickering men.

I snickered softly as Krillin began twiddling his thumbs and Master Roshi seated himself next to Gohan, mumbling unintelligible things.

And soon we were traveling over the open ocean again, just above the clouds. All of us, Goku's friends, my friends, lighthearted and social, excited for the day ahead. But, of course—

"I'VE RIDDEN GALATIC SLUGS FASTER THAN THIS VEHICLE!" Vegeta shouted when the conversation had died down.

He was probably still a bit miffed that I couldn't use my instant transmission to take them all to a place I'd never been to before… And that I hadn't taken the time to go there beforehand so I could.

"Oh hush," Bulma replied easily, unmoved by the prince's mood. She then glanced back at Gohan, who was seated on the far left. "So, is Goku really going to show up?"

I leaned forward slightly to look at the teenager, arms crossed over my chest.

"He'll be there. I know it!"

Master Roshi laughed. "When has Goku ever let us down before? Of course he'll be there!"

I leaned back into my seat, sighing. My eyes wandered to the passing clouds and, slowly, a smile took my lips. 'I really will get to see him again… ask him about my son… fight him if I'm lucky…' My smile turned into another smirk as I crossed my left leg over the other. I was calm on the outside, but on the inside…

Sigh, I couldn't wait to get there and see him again—Goku—and compete in the tournament… I was utterly itching with excitement, heart rate elevated, fingers fidgety, position constantly changing, everything.

Soon I found myself scrunching my nose in amusement. 'I really need to relax. We're almost there, anyway.'

My amusement waned, however, when I noticed Chi-Chi conversing softly with Yamcha in the row behind us.

A quiet giggle here and a few murmurs there…

I wondered… how long it would take Yamcha to start showing up at their house again, constantly, after these twenty-four hours were over…

And this was common knowledge, the two of them. Though, they (weakly) denied there was a "them". So, most likely, the whole thing would be going unaddressed today, as not to ruin a lovely event.

I hummed thoughtfully.

Gohan suddenly spoke up. "So listen, Vegeta—and this goes for you kids too— I think we should all agree to not turn into Super Saiyans during the fights…"

In front of me, Vegeta turned at the proposal, an incredulous look on his face. "What for?"

I sat forward again. "Gohan, you know if you do that you'll practically be throwing in the towel… to me—right?"

"Uh…"

Bulma piped up with, "But that's actually a good idea. If people see you guys transform, there's a good chance they'll recognize you from the broadcast of the Cell Games."

I could see the dawning of realization on my brother's face as he watched Bulma with slightly parted lips.

"And after that, well… the journalists would get all your names off the entry form and—ugh—TV cameras would be all over my front yard!"

That was true…

Gohan held a finger up at Bulma's assumptions. "Yeah! Then you'd all know what I have to deal with in high school. It's a real mess!"

"Your outfit?" I mumbled, glancing to the outside again. "Why yes, it is."

"Hey! I heard that, Midori!"

A few chuckles from the others followed Gohan's words and I waved a hand casually at the teen. "Don't mind me."

Gohan mumbled a few things before I caught "since you're the one they'll probably recognize right off the bat."

He was right, though. I was going to compete without a disguise, which meant if anyone had a good memory, they could identify me from Cell's tournament seven years ago…

Hmm… I hadn't thought about that.

Vegeta then said, "I don't see the problem. When the journalists come, I'll just destroy them!"

At that I laughed gently, thoroughly enjoying the mental image while Bulma sighed, shaking her head.

"Vegeta, would you behave yourself?"

I could see my brother's impish look through his reflection on the right.

Oh how I did enjoy my prince sometimes.

"Fine, it's settled," Vegeta finally agreed. "There will be no Super Saiyan transformations in the battles… Of course, I'll still have the advantage."

The boys agreed to the terms as well, and Gohan thanked the three of them graciously.

It was true that Vegeta might have the advantage, though. He was stronger than me, but it was only noticeable when he was transformed.

'Guess we'll have to wait and see…'

Krillin then commented that our agreement was good news for him. "Heck, maybe this way I'll stand a chance!" He laughed, continuing to say, "You know, fighting a Super Saiyan is like trying to fight a steam roller with your hands tied! Hehehe—"

"PIPE DOWN!"

The laughter immediately ceased. "—Oh, sorry."

I snorted softly. 'Vegeta is such a crotchety old man…'

Within just a minute's time Bulma leaned forward, gasping lightly. "Look, guys, I see it!"

I stood, holding onto the back of Vegeta's seat.

"There's the island where the World Martial Arts Tournament is taking place!"

I nodded my head unconsciously at the site of the nearing island, where many other aircrafts could been seen approaching. "It's time then…" I murmured, smirking.

Krillin cracked his knuckles. "Yeah, it's game time…"

And Gohan decided it was time to apply the new additions to his costume, so he could be in full Saiyaman gear.

Eyebrows risen, I pursed my lips, having to force myself to look away. 'There goes the second-hand embarrassment again.'

Even krillin was dubious. "Hey Gohan… are you really gonna wear that thing to fight?"

"Yeah! This way they won't recognize me!" Gohan replied, tying up his head wrap. "Do I look cool or what?"

Resting my elbow on the back of Vegeta's head rest, I thrummed my fingers against my cheek, sparing an incredulous glimpse back at them.

Krillin stared for a moment, slack-jawed . "Uhhh, yeah… cool…" he replied, Puar's high-pitched giggles punctuating his words.

…

When we made it onto the main grounds, it was like walking through a lively festival; music, games, snack vendors, people running around, and perfect May weather.

I took all these things in from between Trunks and Bulma with keen eyes, a content smile on my face. That being said… I was also keeping my senses sharp for the guest of honor.

But all too abruptly, the dull roar of the crowd turned into a wave of the masses pooling into one area. People began shouting about Hercule Satan. His jet had just arrived. Our group stopped for a moment to take a peek. He was around a corner, in another area, but we could still hear his loud, booming laughter.

Yamcha chuckled at the spectacle. "Old fool still hasn't changed a bit!"

Gohan placed his hands on his hips. "Forget about 'im, Yamcha!" He then looked from side-to-side. "I'd much rather track down my dad."

"I don't sense Goku here," Master Roshi said, "but someone else we know is!"

I looked in the direction the old man was gazing and smiled. Piccolo was standing off to the side, arms folded and head bowed beneath the shade of a large palm tree.

Gohan grinned at the tall, green man, exclaiming, "Wow, he showed up!" before making his way over to him.

But as we stood, eyes searching, my nerves were beginning to get the best of me. I couldn't control the anxious feeling; the inflating balloon in my chest.

Chi-Chi voiced my thoughts a moment later. "Oh where in the world could Goku be?" She continued to scan the crowd. "Gosh, maybe they weren't able to bring him back…"

I forced myself to take a calming breath, eyelids momentarily sliding shut, and just as Krillin and Yamcha volunteered to check other areas, something tickled my senses.

My eyes snapped open, a quiet gasp escaping from my parted lips.

"Hey! I'm back!" He was there, on the opposite end of our group, a huge grin on his face, just the way I remembered him… Goku…

"DAD! It's you!"

Krillin gaped. "Whoa! Pinch me!"

'Pinch me too…' My parted lips slowly curved into a soft smile.

Listening to Goku's laughter was almost ethereal… after so long…

"You guys have changed a lot in seven years!" Goku's eyes drifted over each of us, my stomach tying up in knots when he glanced at me. He then focused on his son. "Gohan! You're giant!"

Everyone was still in shock, it seemed, as there were a few affectionate utterances but no movements made.

One of his eyebrows then lowered as he grinned at us in amusement. "So… guys, are you just gonna stand there and stare at me all day?"

His words were like the gunshot at the starting line, and Gohan, Yamcha, Krillin, Oolong, and Puar raced to Goku, dropping their belongings. Soon the only thing I could see over them was the saiyan's spiky hair and halo.

Chi-Chi, who was standing a bit to my right, gushed, "Oh sweetheart, I've missed you!"

To which Goku replied gently… "I've missed you, Chi-Chi."

My smile faded somewhat, the anxious feeling in my chest truly uncomfortable then. 'Touching,' I thought, 'despite the distance between them…'

And that's when it happened. Goku's eyebrows rose as he caught sight of just who was standing behind his wife's skirt.

Goten hid quickly, prompting his mother to look down and reassure him that it was okay.

"Hey—" Goku pointed towards the boy. "I think there's a little me hiding behind your leg, Chi-Chi!"

The seven year-old poked his head out from behind his mother's leg. "I'm Goten," he meekly offered.

Silently, Goku moved past his friends and oldest son to where Chi-Chi was standing, practically next to me…

"And I'm Goku," he replied calmly, his smile warm and even more reassuring. "Hi."

Nobody spoke a word as the two stared at each other for a moment, and then another, until—

"DADDYYY!" Goten rushed towards Goku, who took a knee to grab the boy and hoist him up onto his right shoulder.

The two laughed together, Goten pressing his face against his father's, Goku then holding him up like an airplane.

I couldn't help a pained smile, and when I glanced over to Bulma, she was wearing a similar expression.

It was heartwarming, with an unspoken sad undertone. This sweet reunion would only last twenty four hours… and… my heart felt strained, and my eyes became a bit misty. I wasn't sad for them, no… but, something in me couldn't help thinking it's not fair.

I inhaled and exhaled deeply.

Not fair, for obvious reasons, and not fair that they had this time together, when I couldn't… not with my son…

But I would try not to think about that. 'I'm sure Lattice is doing just fine in the Other World.'

I hadn't seen him since that Halloween, despite all the times I'd seen him beforehand… times I'd thought I was crazy for seeing him...

Tipping my chin up and narrowing my eyes, I watched as Baba (the old witch from before), hovered down next to Goku's face and cleared her throat.

"Listen up, Goku," she started, expression showing appreciation for the warm moment. "Remember that you only have twenty four hours. That's all I can do."

Goku nodded, still holding Goten. "Mhm— yeah, I know."

The elderly woman turned and floated off on her crystal ball. "I'll see you then."

"Alright—thank you, Baba!" He called after her retreating form.

Piccolo then took the initiative to remind us all that we had to make our way to the registration area.

Goku nodded again. "Of course." He then turned back to us, as if he'd remembered something vital. "Oh!"

And I realized he was looking right at me; no one else.

My eyebrows rose somewhat as I bristled under the attention.

"I almost forgot!"

I glanced left and right, but he was still staring straight at me when I looked back at him.

"Dori!"

My eyebrows rose further. "Yes—it's… been a while." I let out a short, forced laugh. All eyes were me…

"I know," Goku responded, placing his free hand on his hip. "And I really wanted to surprise you and the others!" He exclaimed, briefly pointing towards where my brother and nephew were standing.

I turned my head slightly in confusion. "Haven't you already…?" I trailed off, the cogs of my brain slow to turn.

Bulma folded her arms and looked at the saiyan suspiciously. "Goku, spit it out. Is there something else?"

"Yeah!" A huge grin took his face as he raised a hand to rub the back of his head. "Not sure why he's hiding, though," Goku added, laughing.

I blinked.

"HIII MOMMY!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin, Bulma, Chi-Chi, the Ox King, and everyone else reacting to the high-pitched voice next to me in a similar manner.

My eyes widened dramatically as my jaw dropped. "OH MY—" I bent forward slightly in disbelief. "LATTICE?!" My heart could have burst through my skeleton if it wanted to.

My son, as clear as day, was grinning up at me, all of his little teeth showing and his little hands up in the air. His halo shone just as plainly as it had during that Halloween night.

I had barely gasped and reached out when he leaped into my arms, causing me to straighten back up as we squeezed each other for dear life.

"I can't believe it," I breathed into his neck, eyes shut. "I can't believe I get to see you again..!"

Lattice emitted a happy hum in response, his arms and legs wrapped snugly around me.

Bulma stepped closer, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Wow, this is your son?"

Chi-Chi murmured "He's just a little boy…" while Gohan exclaimed "I remember meeting him!" and a few of the others muttered surprised words.

I looked up at Bulma and nodded, eyes getting misty again. The knot in my stomach and balloon in my chest seemed to have simply dissolved, and, well, everything seemed… right.

And, despite the fact that I should've been completely focused on my son… I couldn't help but think that Goku had done it again; given me a reason to… feel the way I did— do.

I sighed, smiling as I faced Goku, both of our children in our arms. "I can't thank you enough for this, even if it's just the day that you were allotted, right?"

Goku nodded. "Yep. And it's no problem—it was my idea! I knew today would be even better if he came and competed."

I let out a soft, amazed laugh. My eyebrows were upturned slightly. "I can't argue with that…" I briefly looked down and saw that Goten and Lattice were sharing a similar, wide-eyed, blank staring contest. Glancing up at everyone else I then murmured to him, "We should start moving… I'll let you catch up with your family…" before looking down and away.

"Good idea. I'm ready!"

His friends and son gave a sudden cheer as we all began moving, and my small family huddled close for interrogation.

…

Whether we were early, or cutting it close, the line was fairly short for registering to fight.

A few random people were in front of us, Piccolo, Vegeta, Goku, and Gohan being just before me.

I watched with folded arms and an easy smirk as Trunks and Goten got to know my son.

"So," Trunks stared down at Lattice with an all-business expression. "You're my cousin, then?"

Lattice nodded. "Mhm."

"And you're a hundred percent saiyan?"

"Yeah!"

"So—you must be strong then!"

Before Lattice could answer, I interrupted with, "If you or Goten end up fighting Lattice, just keep in mind he's a lot younger than you two."

Goten blinked, looking back at Lattice who was nearly the same size as him. "Huh? How old are you?"

My son seemed a bit troubled as he wriggled his fingers for a moment, then smiled. "This many!" He held up two fingers with one hand and his index finger with the other.

Bulma was taken aback. "WHAT? Three?!" She snapped her head up to me. "He's huge!"

I laughed softly as Goku shifted our way a bit to comment, "That's what I said!" He then turned completely around, fists planted firmly on the sides of his waist. "But don't let his age fool you, this little guy's got skills!" The deceased hero winked down at my son, who smiled cutely back, eyes momentarily closing.

'That's right,' I thought, bringing a finger to my chin. 'Lattice has been training with Goku…'

As Trunks continued to question Lattice about his abilities, it was finally Gohan's turn to sign up.

The man behind the shaded stand looked up at Gohan in confusion. He probably thought he hadn't heard right. "Sorry, what was that name again..?"

"The Great Saiyaman!" Gohan repeated in his heroic voice.

"Great… Saiyaman…" The man reiterated, gazing blankly up at the teen.

"That's right!"

Goku cocked his head to the side a bit. "Huh? Who is that?"

I pursed my lips again, not wanting to laugh.

"It's my super hero name! Cool, huh?"

Goku blinked before running a hand through his hair and pausing at the back of his head. "Sure," he responded, laughing. "I guess so!"

"Next in line," said the man, as Gohan and Goku moved to the side.

"Yes, hello," I greeted them casually, nodding once. "Meedo-Ree, and make sure it's hyphenated."

As I explained to the gentleman how my name was correctly spelled, Bulma inched over to me, whispering, "So you're going under a fake name after all?"

"No," I replied lowly, amused. "I've just been letting you all get away with misspelling and mispronouncing my name."

Bulma blinked, her mouth falling open, causing me to laugh as I stepped aside for the kids to move forward. And as I strolled over to where the other men were standing, windbreaker pants swishing, I briefly caught Trunks complaining about being put in the junior division.

"Oh that's great. They're sticking us with all the little kids, Goten."

I heard my son say something like "But we are kids!" before more griping ensued.

Stopping next to Gohan and Goku (glancing at my stoic brother in the background), I let out a light breath, pushing back my jacket somewhat so I could rest my hands on my hips.

Gohan smiled, his eyebrows rising somewhat above his sunglasses. "You know, as happy as I am that Goten got to meet our dad, it's really great getting to see you with your son too, Midori!" He then scratched the side of his head, looking a bit sheepish. "Even if he does remind me of you-know-who…"

I shrugged and shook my head. "His similarities to Broly stop at appearance. I always wonder how he turned out the way he did." I gazed briefly upon the clouds with narrowed eyes. "I was a happy child, but definitely not a happy adult… never mind Broly…"

Goku, who'd been watching the children, turned to me. "Yeah, he's a really good kid. Especially with what he did to be able to keep his body in the Other World."

This piqued my interest. "What do you—?"

"Mommy~" Latticed rushed over a second later, maneuvering around my side to grab my hand—and Goku's.

I stiffened as the three of us stood for a moment, linked together by the boy. "Uhm… Lattice…" I happened to glance up and notice Chi-Chi and the others approaching, and, not wanting to seem suspicious I slipped my hand away, going to place it on his head instead.

But, apparently Goku had done the same. He placed his hand on top of mine a half-second later. We both looked at each other; me, wide-eyed, him blinking.

He then laughed in good nature, casually removing his hand. "Sorry," he said, turning to look at his approaching friends and wife.

A man using a mega phone was calling for all contestants to gather to his area.

As Chi-Chi wished her husband and sons good luck, Bulma winked at me, offering a thumbs up. I returned both gestures, smirking.

Lattice snuggled into my leg, looking up at me.

Eighteen and Krillin reminded their daughter to cheer for them.

Vegeta then 'hmphed', and was the first one to continue ahead, slinging his travel bag over his shoulder.

And we were off, down a long path that led towards an oriental-styled archway. Our loved ones' cheers faded into the background.

…

Sometime later I emerged from the locker room, having packed away my jacket and traded the pants for grey track shorts. Tall socks poked out from beneath my standard Capsule Corp. boots, and as I tread quietly through the somewhat darkened tunnel outside of the locker rooms, the site I saw drew a warm, fuzzy feeling out of me.

Goku, squatted, was conversing lively with his younger son and mine.

Goten shook both of his small fists. "Cool! You traveled in space, too?"

Lattice nodded. "Yeah! I got'ta see all kinds'a space people!"

"Wow!"

Goku laughed lightly at the two, then grinned up at me as I stopped next to them.

While I was pushing a bit of hair behind my ears, my son leaned to the side, an index finger finding his bottom lip.

"Mommy, what's that?" He was pointing up at my left arm.

I raised it. He was probably talking about the red tattoo around my bicep.

Goten pointed as well. "That's your memory band, right?"

Eyelids low, I nodded. "That's right," I replied, smiling. "For a girl who always used to have a red bandana folded up and tied around her head… Her arm, if her hairdo didn't agree with it."

Goku's lips formed a small, perfect o-shape. "Ohhh… you mean the girl with the orange hair…"

"Yes, Samantha," I replied, brushing my fingertips over the red band. I glanced up when Goku stood.

"I'm sure she's doing just fine in Other World," he said reassuringly, that wonderful smile on his face.

I smiled back, but before I could respond, Krillin, Vegeta, and Trunks exited the locker room in their fighting attire, claiming that they were ready to move on.

…

Another tournament employee explained the significance of the contraption in front of us; a punching machine, that would measure the force behind our punches. The top fifteen scores after Mr. Satan would be the qualifying contestants to fight.

'Ah, well, there's seven of us adults, so we'll all get in…' I thought, arms folded.

After an impressive display of his champion belt, Hercule punched the machine with all his might, scoring a one hundred and thirty seven.

The crowd of mostly male fighters was going wild, and I was bumped several times, into both Gohan and Piccolo.

A scowl on my face, I had to tell myself to wait patiently as they began getting everyone in order. The adults were to wait in the same area as the junior fighters were ushered off to another.

Sighing, I squeezed around the back of Goku and over to where Krillin, Eighteen, and the kids were.

Trunks and Goten seemed a bit sour, but Lattice was smiling as if clueless.

I squatted down briefly in front of them. "I can't wait to see you fight!" I exclaimed warmly, offering my son a high five.

Lattice slapped his tiny hand into the palm of mine, grinning.

Trunks' pout increased. "What about me?"

Smirking, I looked at Both Trunks and Goten. "I'll be watching all of your fights—and be cheering for all of you, 'kay?" I then pointed casually at them. "And don't look so gloom, there's three of you, not just two. Things won't be all that boring."

Goten brightened up a bit. "Yeah, you're right!"

But Trunks just looked down at his cousin with a skeptical stare.

"Oh, and—keep an eye on Lattice, will you guys?"

My nephew seemed genuinely bothered then. "Now we have to play babysitter? Come on!"

My gaze darkened. "Do it. Or else…"

A single bead of sweat dripped down the side of Trunks' face as he crossed his arms and Goten sniggered behind his hand.

My threatening façade then changed for a friendlier one as I stood and waved them off. "Good luck, now!"

When I turned back around, Krillin and Eighteen had walked off a bit.

The blonde looked over her shoulder at me. "You better get in line," she advised coolly.

I followed the two. "Right."

Several human men scored around the one hundred mark, until finally it was Eighteen's turn.

Krillin spoke quietly. "Now—Eighteen, remember to take it easy!"

"I know," she responded plainly, hands in her pockets as she approached the punching mechanism. Casually lifting an arm, she whacked the punching pad with the back of her hand.

The numbers were calculating… until the screen read: 774.

"SEVEN HUNDRED AND SEVENTY FOUR?!" The announcer was flabbergasted.

I pursed my lips in a sorry attempt to hide my mirth as Krillin shook his head.

He then leaned to the side, addressing his wife. "That's what you call takin' it easy?!"

Eighteen glared ahead of her. "It's not my fault these guys are weaklings."

And so they made her do it again.

This time the blonde inched up to the machine, a fist held out as she seemed to concentrate more on the task at hand. Quickly jabbing at the pad again, the numbers then calculated two hundred and three.

...Still much higher than all the other scores so far and befuddling everyone outside of our group.

Krillin scored one hundred and ninety two, I racked in two hundred even, Goku—a hundred and eighty six, and Piccolo two hundred and ten. But, just as they were about to have the "broken" machine switched out for a better one, my brother approached, and I could tell that his patience had left him.

"Now stand aside," he warned, eyes narrowing at the machine. After a moment, Vegeta drew his right fist back and…

My eyebrows rose as the contraption was sent flying across the grounds, exploding even.

'Well… it's a good thing I was in front of him…'

Goku sighed, slapping a hand over his face.

Gohan gaped for a moment. "So much for restraining…"

…

With not much else to do, the rest of us made our way into the stadium to watch the junior division fights. Meanwhile, Gohan was left to wait with Videl for the new machine.

Having stopped on a walkway in front of a railing, I sighed contently from between Goku and Vegeta, leaning onto the metal handrail. The announcer, who'd known Goku and was elated at the arrival of our group, was doing an amazing job of hyping up the entire stadium, like no other I'd seen.

But, of course, this boisterousness doubled when the blond, mustachioed announcer-man cued in Hercule Satan.

I rolled my eyes as the "champ" ran out to the large ring after emerging from obscuring steam shooters. He leapt into the air, cape fluttering behind him. But, as his toe touched down on the white-tiled ring, Hercule slipped, his feet coming forward as his upper body went backwards.

Grimacing, I turned my head slightly at the sight of Mr. Satan falling hard onto his back… most likely hitting his head. Yes, he was rolling around, clutching his head in pain.

"Kais… I can't even imagine what being in his shoes is like."

Both Krillin and Goku let out humored noises, but the entire stadium—most likely a few thousand people— had grown deathly quiet.

That is, until Hercule jumped up, exclaiming in his booming voice that he was just joking.

Aaannnd… the crowd went nuts once more.

I leaned into the palm of my hand. "This man is exhausting…"

Vegeta grunted in annoyance.

"Now, before we get the junior competition rolling," The announcer said, "we've got a surprise treat for all you fans—and I knooow you're gonna love it!"

And from out of the blue a blimp floated over us and down into the arena.

"Seven years ago, the world was left hanging in suspense when the live transmission of the Cell Games was violently interrupted!"

I squinted at the slowly lowering aircraft; there was a large screen on it…

"But we now have completed an historic reenactment of that for you all to see!"

My jaw dropped at the idea of what they might show.

Despite the roaring of the stadium, I heard Krillin mutter, "This won't be pretty…"

Suddenly Cell's arena was panning dramatically across the screen, desert winds whipping sand around. And then there was Cell…

'Wait…' I narrowed my eyes at what looked like human hair sticking out from under Cell's neckline— a mask.

When the actor turned around, they showed an enlarged and unmoving, cartoony face of the android with razor sharp teeth, laughing in monotone.

I let out a surprised breath, not believing how incredibly slap-stick everyone looked.

They panned across what was our group; Trunks, Vegeta, and me, with Goku, Gohan, Krillin, and the others on the far side.

I had to admit that the outfits were done well, but… "Why do we all look like bobble-head toys?"

Goku, who'd been gaping, suddenly burst out laughing.

"Is it not true?" I questioned, raising a hand to the embarrassing footage.

The actor dressed as the Super Saiyan Goku pointed and called out plainly, "I will stop you, Cell monster!"

Wiping a tear from his eye, the real Goku said, "What—that's me!"

And the camera showed each of "our" faces up close, which, unknown to the producers, was effectively aggravating some members of our current group.

But it was all I could take when "Cell" and "Goku" took to the skies to fight, which was actually the two swinging clumsily at each other from very obvious wires.

I rolled my eyes, sighing at the mess. "Ugh…" Burying my forehead into my right hand, I shook my head slowly, and, not able to stop it, began giggling.

Piccolo growled from behind me, "It's… sickening…"

To which Goku responded with, "Aw, lighten up! I think it's kind of—funny!" He then looked down at me. "Right, Dori?"

With another, more high-pitched sigh, I straightened up to look back at the program, my fit of giggles having subsided. "It's too much."

The bobble-headed Cell suddenly exclaimed, "You gang of strangers were not hard, but easy!"

My smile abruptly dropped, and I stared at the screen as if I'd been caught red-handed doing something extremely embarrassing.

For at the very forefront of the fallen troupe of warriors were Goku and me… in a fairly intimate pose; my arms wrapped around his neck as he held me close, around my back and under my legs. Our chests were pressed together as he knelt on the ground. Me, whimpering, like some damsel in distress.

Mouth hanging open, my eyes shot down and then quickly over to the saiyan, who was staring blankly at the screen.

He stood a bit more erect, wrists resting on the rail. "That's when we were fighting off those Cell Juniors, right..?" He blinked again, expression then turning scared. "Man, I hope Chi-Chi doesn't get the wrong idea!"

Krillin exclaimed humorously, "Sex sells!"

"They're exaggerating…" I murmured, rubbing my closed eyelids, hoping they would be showing something different when I looked again.

I really, really hoped nobody else got the wrong impression either… It was just TV-dramatization.

There was nothing… sexy about how he'd scooped me up with one arm and then spat out blood as we fell to a heap on the floor! We were getting our asses beaten!

Sigh…

The video eventually showed the arrival of Mr. Satan, exposing Cell and all his tricks and saving the day. It ended with Goku exclaiming, "Mr. Satan is great" and Vegeta adding "I wish I were him!"

'I have no words for this,' I thought as we all stared at the rolling credits, slack-jawed.

Goku suddenly laughed again, rubbing the back of his head. "Well it was ridiculous, true, but it kept me entertained!"

Without any further delay, the kids tournament had begun, trumpets blaring and people cheering. The first few matches consisted of small children with far from refined fighting skills; mostly pushing and shoving. And crying. Lots of crying.

That is, until Trunks was matched with a boy almost twice his age and height; a mouthy, arrogant teenager that was knocked out in two quick kicks.

Then it was Lattice's turn, against a juvenile sumo wrestler. Leading the barreling boy to the edge of the ring, the small saiyan then jumped and flipped clear over him, spinning around and kicking the larger kid out of the ring with little effort.

Vegeta's and Midori's sons seemed like naturals compared to Goten, who walked out nervously, fingers fidgeting, the screaming crowd clearly intimidating him.

His opponent was another mouthy one as well.

But, unbeknownst to Goten, up in the stadium, he had plenty of support.

"ALRIGHT, GOTEN! WOOHOO—YEAH!" The deceased saiyan cheered as his son made his way to the center of the ring.

Watching Goten take his place, Krillin felt a sudden surge of nostalgia and said, "Wow, he looks like a miniature you, Goku!"

'That's for sure,' the saiyan thought, watching Goten take in the grandeur of the stadium. The deceased hero couldn't help himself. "Aww, what a little guy, huh? And handsome, too!"

"I second that," Midori commented smoothly next to him.

Goku's gaze flitted over to the female saiyan, somewhat surprised. She met his look calmly and winked.

The orange-clad saiyan found himself rubbing the back of his head again, knowing he was probably blushing. "Ahehe—gee, thanks!"

Midori nodded and the two of them turned their sights back to the ring, where Goten was blocking and brushing aside punches like nothing. After a few seconds, his opponent was knocked out cold with one jab.

Goten proceeded to bow politely as Mr. Announcer called the match.

"YEAH!" Goku shouted, leaning over the railing. "THAT'A BOY! ALRIGHT, GOTEN!"

And while the rest of the men (and other woman) standing around the proud father didn't seem all that excited at the predictable win, Midori whistled loudly, grinning alongside Goku.

Unconsciously, Goku found himself looking over at his comrade again, smiling appreciatively.

But his gaze lingered…

'Midori sure does look different from when we first met…' He hadn't noticed the previous time because they'd been fighting in the dark, but he could definitely see differences now.

When they'd met on New Vegeta, he remembered her looking paler… tired, and slimmer. When she smirked at him back then, her eyes didn't seem to show anything.

'But she looks so happy and healthy now. Good for her…' His lower eyelids rose somewhat as he smiled serenely, studying her face.

The way her lashes hooded her almond-shaped eyes as she watched the action below, to the slight curve of lips, indicating amusement.

Being up in the stands caused a draft to blow her bangs around. Her eyes squinted somewhat before relaxing. And suddenly Midori's eyebrows lifted, lips parting slightly. Her chest rose as she inhaled through said parted lips. And then her brow furrowed, mouth curling into a sly—

"Can I… help you?"

Goku's pupils noticeably shrunk when he realized just what she'd caught him doing. A bead of sweat appeared on his temple as he smiled nervously. "Uhh… huh?"

Vegeta's voice caught their attention though, saving the taller saiyan from an explanation. "Finally, a fight worth watching!"

Goku pouted slightly as he waited for the children to appear, not having caught the names of the participants.

Midori sighed wistfully. "As much as I want my son to win, I know Trunks has the advantage… I mean, he's been training intensely with both Vegeta and I…" She then turned around to face her brother, grabbing onto the rail behind her with both hands. "That won't stop me from cheering my son on though, heh."

Her words caused Vegeta to emit a dark chuckle. "Cheer until your throat bleeds, I already know the outcome… though I'm curious to see your boy in action," he replied.

Krillin leaned further forward, bending a knee and tapping his boot-toe idly. "But hasn't Lattice been training with Goku all this time?"

It was the mentioned saiyan's turn to chuckle as he looked down below to the ring again.

…

From behind the standalone wall that obscured the fighters' waiting area emerged Trunks and Lattice on opposite sides.

The purple-haired eight year-old looked over at his younger opponent, smirking. "What up, cuz?" He asked impishly. "Ready to throw down?"

Lattice grinned and pumped a fist into the air. "Yeah!" The three year-old then took off, leaving Trunks standing by the door.

"Uh—HEY!" Trunks held out a hand, quickly chasing after his cousin. "Don't run!"

The two made it all the way to the center of the ring, the announcer humorously commenting on their eagerness.

"Jeez," Trunks mumbled, "such a little kid…"

Lattice spun around, his black tresses moving fluidly, and faced Trunks with a determined smirk. Slowly, the boy fell into an impressive turtle stance, recognized by the adults in his group.

The sudden change in demeanor caused Trunks to ease into his own confident fighting pose.

Sensing a good show, the charismatic announcer gave his microphone a quick toss and caught it skillfully behind his back. "LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET THE FIGHT BEEEE-GIN!"

The volume rose around them as the two stared each other down for a few long seconds.

Trunks grinned mischievously. "Lucky for you, I agreed not to turn into a Super Saiyan. But just because I'm holding back doesn't mean I'm making it easy for you."

Lattice held his stance perfectly, with the exception of his slightly tilted head. The part that had caught his attention was that Trunks was… a Super Saiyan?

Kids could be Super Saiyans?

Without warning, Trunks pushed himself forward, appearing in front of Lattice like a flash. "Watch out!" The eight-year old's feet left the ground as he swung a leg at Lattice—

"Missed me!"

—who ducked easily, rolling underneath the older boy's leg and jumping up to return his own kick.

In the blink of an eye Trunks' expression went from smug to horrified as he missed his target and was kicked in return—heading face-first into the rink. But, milliseconds before face-planting, Trunks pushed against the tile with his hands, successfully forward-flipping and landing into a squat.

In the stands, Midori clapped. "Yes," she laughed heartily. "I love it! My baby's quick on his toes!"

Krillin let out a low whistle while Vegeta scoffed, reminding his sister that it was merely the first strike.

And Goku… simply smirked down at his pupil.

Back down in the arena Trunks rounded on his cousin, donning a more concentrated appearance.

Lattice stood loosely that time, staring back with a sharp gaze and eerie smile.

The two were suddenly in front of each other, exchanging jabs. The announcer attempted to narrate each move, but soon admitted that his own eyes just weren't efficient enough to keep track.

Trunks was still holding back though; he wanted to see just how hard and fast his little cousin could hit.

The older boy then got his answer as he received a punch to the gut and left cheek in succession—blows as strong as Goten would dish out—momentarily surprising him—before he retaliated by delivering a swift right hook.

Lattice cried out in pain, flying across the ring before he caught himself in midair, small shoes just a foot above the tile.

"IS IT ME, OR IS LITTLE LATTICE FLOATING?" Came the blaring voice of the Announcer through a quieting crowd.

The two young boys were glaring at each other. Without a word, Lattice jetted across the surface of the ring, the space between them disappearing in a second. Each lightning fast punch and kick the three year-old threw was blocked or brushed aside until Trunks went on the offensive, batting one of Lattice's fists away and sweep-kicking him.

A small gasp escaped the younger boy's mouth as his feet were swept out from underneath him. But his instincts kicked in—reaching back and bracing against the floor with a hand, Midori's son twisted his body around and swung his leg at Vegeta's son.

Trunks barely dodged the tricky move, his nose being grazed by Lattice's black shoe, the air swooshing with movement.

The younger boy landed back on his feet by performing a cartwheel, then used the momentum to plow forward, fist cocked. His small knuckles were aimed for his cousin's face, but Trunks had vanished at the last second.

Lattice's narrowed eyes widened.

Trunks appeared behind the shorter boy with both hands interlocked and hit him—hard—between the shoulder blades. The blow echoed across the stadium—

"Aagh!"

—as Lattice was sent flying again.

The adults watched with keen eyes, Midori emitting a deep, thoughtful hum whilst her son tumbled to a stop near the edge of the ring.

She turned slightly to Goku without taking her eyes off of the fight. "Is my son holding back?"

"Weeell…" The halo-bearing saiyan was still smiling as Lattice dodged several of Trunks' attempts to knock him out of the ring. "Not really!" He laughed lightly.

Midori's eyelids lowered somewhat. "I see…" She eventually smirked. "I guess we've done a good job then, haven't we, brother?"

The prince grunted in response from behind them, though it sounded suspiciously like a short laugh.

Lattice was levitating in front of Trunks, kicking repeatedly at his cousin, who was blocking each assaulting foot and leg with his forearms. And when there was finally an opening for Trunks to attack, Lattice surprised him (and everyone else) by chucking a green ball of energy in the other boy's face.

With no time to move from the extremely short range, it was Trunks' turn to cry out in pain as he was shrouded in smoke, Lattice jumping and flipping back.

"WHOA!" exclaimed the announcer. "TALK ABOUT FIRE WORKS!" While he was familiar with such a phenomenon in his ring, the crowd didn't seem to be, and the vibe changed from excitement to suspicion and shock.

An angry yell and a yellow blast shot out from the obscuring dust a second later.

Lattice jumped into the air, the previous tile he'd been on up in smoke. Landing a few feet back, the small boy only had enough time to blink before a volley of blasts were sent his way from his now visible cousin.

Side-to-side Lattice went, avoiding each whizzing blast, until he swung one green hardball, which turned into a flurry of neon shots on its own.

"Whoa!" It was Trunk's turn to dodge what was two-fold the amount of energy he'd fired at Lattice—and in one throw!

Some areas of the lowest part of stands alit with frightful screams as a few of the blasts hit the grass.

Concerned, motherly eyes narrowed at the display below. "That's… one of Broly's moves…"

Goku nodded. "Mhm…"

With pretty much the whole rink concealed by smoke, all they could hear was a sudden blunt, resounding boom that echoed across the area.

After a moment the smoke blew away with a welcomed summer breeze, and not far from the edge of the ring were the two children; Trunks in a forward lunge position, one fist out before him at waist level, and Lattice, doubled over and staggering backwards.

A few more steps and the younger boy would fall out…

A sudden screech from the stands—"DON'T TAKE ANOTHER STEP, LATTICE!"—caused the boy to jerk to attention, gasping, the edge of the arena just inches from his heels.

But Trunks was there too, and just as the weary eyes of the younger cousin met the older cousin's cocky, blue eyes—

"Hah!"

—Trunks had charged, ramming the raven-haired three year-old with his shoulder. And, not able to sturdy himself or dodge in time, Lattice was sent out of the ring and tumbling across the grass.

An immediate "OHHH!" erupted from the stadium followed by the quick declaration of the announcer: "AND THAT'S IT, LATTICE HAS BEEN KNOCKED OUT OF THE RING! THAT MEANS TRUNKS ADVANCES!"

As cheering ensued, Lattice rolled onto his back, hands slipping away from his stomach. Pained expression turning blank, he stared silently up at the passing clouds, and after another moment passed he let out a huff of breath, mumbling, "You beat me…"

A shadow then slid over the boy, causing him to turn his gaze.

"Not bad… for a toddler." Trunks rubbed his nose while smirking down at Midori's son.

I groaned childishly, lowering my hands from around my mouth. Lattice had lost.

But, much to my surprise, Trunks held out a hand to my son and helped him up. The two then made their way back inside, together.

I gave another wistful sigh. "I'm impressed, but…" I pouted, somewhat smiling. "A part of me wishes Lattice would've won…"

Goku chuckled softly next to me. "You guys really have done an amazing job with Trunks; some of those moves Lattice used against him have caught me off guard before!"

I hummed softly in response whilst glancing back at my brother.

The prince was smirking.

His son had beaten Broly's son after all, and despite their age gap, Lattice had been training for as long as Trunks had been alive. So, rightfully, Trunks was the better fighter.

I then remembered something.

"Goku—"

He turned to me with raised brows.

"You mentioned something earlier… something about how Lattice was able to keep his body?"

The taller saiyan blinked, as if surprised. "You mean you don't know..?"

My expression deadpanned. "Obviously not."

He offered me a tiny smile, tilting his head to the side ever so slightly. "Dori… he saved you."

My eyes slowly widened as my grip on the handrail unconsciously loosened. "W… what?"

Brief images of that horrific night flashed through my mind; the explosions, the screams, being beaten, waking up and seeing Broly's hands clasped around my son's neck, and Lattice's limp body…

"He shielded you with his energy," Goku elaborated. "It wasn't enough to save the both of you, but enough to keep you from dying."

I turned away, my eyes unknowingly boring into the head of the person one row below me. My breathing became more deepened.

With my wrists resting weakly on the metal guardrail I turned my arms to face upward, gaze traveling from my goosebump-covered flesh to my palms. "Oh my god," I whispered; a more human saying that implied the greatest level of shock.

I couldn't believe it…

/

A/N:

The thing about Midori's name; I have another story that's supposed to be about her backstory, but it's only 1 chapter so far. It explains her name (She's named after 2 aliens Meedo, and Ree, but ever since Broly and Paragus, people have been mispronouncing her name.)

AND

IMPORTANT FUTURE RATING QUESTION: I'mma be blunt; Do y'all want me to write the porn in here (and change the rating to M) or make another story dedicated to their naughty adventures, or just no thanks? xD Talkin bout Goku/Dori here. Romance plot in full swing after Buu.