High School Life Chapter Four Revised
Trunks typed some codes into one of the many machines that lined the walls of the arcade-like room. His mother called it the Skills Lab. Each machine tested a certain skill at a specified level and gave ideas on how to improve each individual skill. All of the fighters in the house had their own, individual code so they knew what skills were their strengths and what skills were their weaknesses but there was also a guest code that was for any of the Z Warriors that wanted to stop by and train.
He just finished punching in his code and was about to finally start on his favourite machine (he had been training on the skills he actually needed work in) when Bulma walked through the door. He looked over at her and his lip pouted out. "You have awful timing, Mom," he whined.
Bulma smiled at him. "Sorry, Trunks." Then she turned to the class behind her. "Okay everyone! Welcome to the Skills Lab! All the machines along these walls test a different fighting skill and tell you ways to improve. The demonstration in here will be done by my youngest son, Trunks." She glanced at the test he stood in front of before walking to the controls. "He's going to start with the strength test." She upped the sensitivity almost as high as it would go. "Okay, honey. Give it a try."
Trunks pulled his fist back and hit the cushioned sensor in front of him. (The machine looks just like the one used to determine the finalists in the tournament before Buu but is adjustable in height and has computer-like controls) The number screen starts to climb rapidly upwards, beeping along the way. "Right arm, 135." A computer voice announced. Trunks hit the sensor with his other fist and again the machine beeped its way up rapidly. "Left arm, 133." Trunks delivered a roundhouse kick to the sensor and the numbers climbed a third time. "Right leg, 140." Trunks delivered his final blow to the sensor and the numbers shot up a fourth and final time. "Left leg, 139. Suggestions: weight on left arm two pounds heavier than right, weight on left leg
one pound heavier than right."
"I guess I shouldn't have lowered the sensitivity so much," Bulma said calmly as she examined the numbers. "But the suggestions won't change. So, who's next? Any volunteers?"
Before Videl could raise her hand, Sharpner stepped forward. "I'll go next," he announced arrogantly.
"Okay then. Let me fix the sensitivity to someone your age..." A few moments later she had changed from Trunks to Guest, set the sensitivity to something more suited for a normal human teenager, and raised the sensor so he could reach it better. "Okay, all set. Whenever you're ready."
Sharpner smirked. "What's the record on this thing?"
Bulma smiled. "I highly doubt you'll come anywhere near them but I'll let you know."
Just before Sharpner hit the sensor, a sweating Gohan in an orange gi walked into the room. "Oops, didn't know you guys were in here." He said, attracting everyone's attention. Most everyone gawked at him. They had seen him in a fighting gi in PE but he had a shirt on under it, now he didn't. The gi was a different from his gym clothes as well, showing off much more of his chest. (I'd rather not describe it; it's the one identical to Piccolo's) Another surprising thing was the fact Gohan was covered in sweat; he had never sweated in PE.
"What are you doing in here, Gohan?" Trunks asked.
"I, uh, came to mark the tally board," he answered sheepishly.
Bulma glared at him. "Again?"
Gohan continued to smile sheepishly and shifted his weight. "Yeah."
Bulma sighed. "Go ahead then."
He walked over to one of the two whiteboards and picked up a black marker. Across the top it had the names Gohan, Pan, Goten, Mira, Mirai, Trunks, Bra and Vegeta and down the left-hand side it said: SM, GR, Plates, Windows and RT. I wonder what all those letters mean, Videl thought as she examined the board. Gohan erased the number under his name and beside GR.
"I swear I'll fix it, Bulma." Gohan turned to her.
"Yeah, whatever. But you get to tell Vegeta that we have to use the other one."
Gohan's eyes widened slightly. Then he nodded. "Fair enough. Bye everyone!"
"Wait, nerd-boy!"
Gohan sighed. "What is it, Sharpner?"
"Let's see how well you score on this thing."
Gohan pointed to the other whiteboard. "My scores are on there."
"Yep, Gohan and Dad are neck and neck but Gohan goes easy on the machines since he broke so many." Trunks smiled evilly. Gohan glared at the boy.
"You better not tell your dad that. He's mad enough that I can keep up already."
Then he turned and left the room, a decidedly evil grin on his face. I just found my way out of trouble, Trunks thought.
Gohan walked cautiously towards the main GR, Vegeta's GR. Hesitantly, he pushed the open button and waited for the light to turn green, signalling the gravity had returned to normal so the door would open. "WHAT DO YOU WANT KAKA-BRAT?" Vegeta yelled when the door had opened.
"I accidentally broke the other gravity room and Bulma was intending to use it for a demonstration."
Vegeta glared. "And?"
"And she said that since the other one was broken we would have to use this one." Vegeta glared dangerously at him.
"We're going to have a nice, long spar this evening, Kaka-brat. And I think I'll bring my brat and his girl into it as well." Vegeta walked out of the GR and toward his room, probably going to take a shower.
Gohan smiled. "Well," he told the air, "that went better than I'd hoped." He turned around happily and went to go tell Mirai and Mira the news.
The half saiyans stood well Mirai and Mira were making out, leaning against the gravity room. They didn't want to risk blowing this one up too and having Bulma furious and Videl asking questions...well, Gohan was worried about Videl asking questions.
Anyway, they stood against the gravity room, waiting. They could hear and sense the group of teenagers coming toward them. Gohan sighed and Mirai and Mira stopped making out. "Might as well get this over with." Gohan walked over and entered his code into the door but Mirai didn't move from where he stood with his arms wrapped around Mira.
The door slid open without a noise and the lights in side flashed on. Gohan stepped in and Mira followed her brother after giving Mirai one last kiss after untangling herself and walked to stand beside the controls as the door slid closed behind him. He could hear Bulma's voice sounding as she addressed the group. "Okay, here we are. This is my oldest son, Mirai, and he's going to tell you what's about to happen."
Mirai sighed and pushed off the GR. "This big thing behind me is called a gravity room. Though this is a bit redundant to say, it's a room that alters gravity." A hand shot up from the middle of a group of cheerleaders. "Yes?"
"What does redundant mean?" (A/N: sorry about the stereotype)
"Predictable. Now, Gohan and Mira is already inside as I lost and so got the unfortunate job of explaining this. What—"
"Lost what?" a voice shouted from somewhere in the crowd of teenagers.
"Paper, rock, scissors," he answered simply. "I want a show of hands of the people that want to experience advanced gravity." Several hands shot up. "Be warned, this can be dangerous because even 2 times Earth's gravity will put an enormous strain on an untrained body."
A few hands lowered, now only the bigger jocks (among them is Sharpner) and Videl still had their hands in the air. Mirai nodded, they had been warned. He walked to the keypad, typed in his code, and stood aside for the students with their hands raised to enter before walking in behind them.
"Okay!" Mirai addressed the group again. "Everyone lay down on your stomachs!" Everyone stared at him for a moment, not moving. He sighed. "I want you on your stomachs when the gravity is altered because Mom said that I had to make sure we had a low casualty count and when the gravity increases, most of you will hit the ground, hard. So, everyone on your stomach or out the door. Now!" All of them slowly laid down on their stomachs, most of them complaining.
Videl looked up at the three half-humans suspiciously. "Aren't you three going to lie down as well?"
"No." Gohan answered. "We're used to the immediate change in gravity, unlike all of you."
"Right," agreed Mira. "Everyone, heads on the ground." The teenagers complied.
"If you can't take the gravity, give us a shout and we'll get you out." Mira chuckled slightly, an amused grin appearing on her face.
"Don't even, sis," Gohan scolded, shaking his head before increasing the gravity to 2gs.
"What? I was just—" Mira cut off under Gohan's glare. "All right, I won't. Jeez Gohan."
The three teens turned their attention to the slightly panicky jocks that could hardly lift their heads off the floor. Smirking, they walked over to them and carried them from the room. Most of them were dragged out; only four remained (not counting the hybrids): Videl, Sharpner, Ricky, and Josh (Ricky and Josh are Sharpner's friends and in the Boxing Club). Mirai, Mira and Gohan watched in amusement as Ricky and Josh managed to get their torsos up before slamming into the ground and calling it quits.
Videl and Sharpner, on the other hand, had made it to their knees, panting. Sharpner bent forward onto all fours and tried to catch his breath but Videl continued trying to stand. She lifted one of her knees and placed the bottom of her foot on the ground before moving her weight to that foot and pushing herself up. Sharpner, having caught his breath, decided to do the same.
Gohan moved closer to Videl, within arm's length, as she started throwing a few punched at an imaginary opponent. Gohan examined her stance, it wasn't the one he'd seen at school the past two days. He wondered idly if one of the Terrors had adjusted it for her. Even so, there were still a few holes in her guard. He moved closer and corrected them gently.
Videl glared as Gohan corrected her stance. She hated the thought that he could be so much better than in her in both technique and strength. Technique was evident by how much more guarded she felt when he adjusted her movements, strength because it looked like he couldn't even feel this insane gravity.
"You're stance is different than it was at school." Not a question, a statement, but Videl felt the need to respond.
"Someone corrected it for me." Videl said.
"Which one?" Asked Gohan.
Videl frowned, he seemed to have a good idea as to who fixed her stance. She found it a little embarrassing but answered. "The little girl...Bulla."
Gohan merely nodded, as if it made perfect sense. Which to him it did as even if she didn't fight as much the other Terrors she still knew how to, Vegeta wouldn't let his little princess get away with not knowing how to fight.
Flashback
The two kids from the first room ran in the room with blue hair girl that look like a mini Bulma and straight to Bulma. "Perfect timing. Trunks doesn't want to demonstrate the speed test, would one of you care to?"
"I will!" the little black haired girl cheered, jumping up and down with her hand in the air.
Bulma laughed at the girl's antics but the little lavender haired boy called Trunks rolled his eyes with a smirk on his face. Before the boy could say anything, Bulma spoke up. "Go ahead sweetie."
The little girl beamed before jumping in front of the machine and landing in a stance that looked too perfect to belong to a four year old. Videl figured she probably couldn't use the stance to its obvious potential but boy was she wrong. She watched as the machine shot out so many balls, she couldn't count them.
Each of the balls beeped to give away its location and probably confuse the tester too. Videl couldn't differentiate where which ball was, it sounded like a bunch of off-time beeps, but the girl obviously could. Her hands shot toward each of the balls, not missing a single one and, when the machine told her to switch to using her feet, she did the same.
When the girl finished the computer told her, "Even speed, 100% on both, no balls missed."
"Okay," announced Bulma, seemingly unsurprised by the little girl's show.
"Anyone else want to give it a shot?"
Videl stepped forward confidently and dropped into her stance. "You're off balance," a young, obnoxious voice informed her.
She turned to see the purple haired Trunks looking at her with contempt. "Am not."
He just rolled his eyes, but the other boy, Goten, smiled sweetly. "Yes you are," he sang.
Videl glared at him but felt a pull on her leg before she could respond. Bulla had repositioned her front foot slightly. "Now move your back foot back an inch and slightly to the left, you're left." Videl did as she was asked, knowing she could just move it back when the girl turned around. She was surprised when she found herself quite a bit more balanced.
"Now lean forward on the balls of your feet, you get more speed that way." Again, Videl complied looking at the girl in suspicion. "Now move your right hand up slightly and bend your elbow in. Move your back hand down and in, ready to strike..." Bulla paused as she watched Videl follow her instructions. "There! Now twist your upper body slightly, like this," the girl put her hand on Videl's side and pushed in. "There!" she repeated, beaming proudly. "All better." For some reason, Videl trusted the three and a half year olds judgment and didn't move back.
End of Flashback
Videl snapped herself out of her thoughts to find Sharpner had given up. Gohan smiled at her before turning off the gravity. As the gravity was lifted off her body, Videl felt as light as a feather. She jumped a little and heard a soft chuckle. She shot a glare at Gohan, Mira and Mirai.
Gohan walked over, a grin plastered on his face, "Like walking on a cloud, aye Videl?" Videl only nodded and followed them out. "Is it time for lunch Bulma?"
Bulma looked at her watch, "It's eleven thirty, I guess having lunch a little early won't hurt anything." All the half saiyans cheered happily and ran off toward the kitchen. Bulma laughed. "Okay everyone! Follow me to where you will be eating." Bulma turned and walked off into the maze that was CC.
It wasn't long before they stepped into the beautiful serenity of the nature dome.
They could see Dr. Briefs riding around on a black scooter with the same black cat as before perched on his shoulder. In the middle of the clearing they had stepped into were several picnic tables that hadn't been there before.
"Eat up everyone! After lunch we're going to go look at a few labs." She turned and walked toward the door. She stopped when she reached it and turned around. "And stay in this room. I can't have you getting lost."
"Where are you going, Mrs. Briefs?" called one teenager.
"It's Bulma, hon, Mrs. Briefs is my mother. I'm going to get my lunch and maybe talk some of my family into coming to eat with all of you." She smiled before turning and walking out.
Chatter immediately erupted as people raced to the picnic tables. "Oh my God!" (Normal people probably wouldn't use Kami as they didn't know he was god and Kami translates to god...well Kami-Sama does but still) Erasa babbled to her friends as they sat down. "Who would have guessed that Gohan was that hot boy the press could never get a good picture of? I knew he was a cutie but!" she squealed something unintelligible.
Both martial artists flinched and covered her ears. "Are you sure you squealed loud enough Erasa? I think some people on the other side of the world didn't hear you."
Erasa smiled apologetically at her friends. "Sorry, I just got so excited. Anyway what—"
"I WILL NOT WOMAN!" the angry yell came from somewhere outside the room.
"YES YOU WILL, VEGETA! OR I WILL DESTROY YOUR GRAVITY ROOM AND YOU WILL SLEEP ON THE COUCH FOR A MONTH!" a feminine voice that sounded an awful lot like Bulma Briefs yelled back.
"YOUR THREATS DON'T SCARE ME WOMAN!"
"WILL YOU TWO STOP YELLING! I THINK I'VE LOST MY HEARING THANKS TO YOUR BICKERING!" another voice yelled, this one sounding like Mira. The yelling stopped and they could hear no more of the conversation.
Videl frowned at the door. "I wonder what that was about."
"OH CRAP! WHERE ARE THE TERRORS?" came another shout, Mirai.
Seconds after he yelled this, the four kids ran into the room looking around frantically. "I told you we shouldn't do that, Trunks! Uncle Vegeta will kill us when he finds out!" Pan yelled a considerable amount quieter than the others.
"There! We can hide with Nii-chan and Nee-Chan's friends!" Goten announced before running straight toward Videl and company pulling Bulla with him.
Trunks and Pan followed behind, hoping to find a better hiding place soon.
"Aren't you four going to eat?" Erasa asked them in a sweet, condescending voice. The kind of voice one uses when talking to a little kid or a complete idiot.
"Don't talk to me in that condescending voice!" Pan snapped angrily.
"We already ate!" answered Trunks in an annoyed voice.
"But we've only been at lunch for, like, ten minutes!" Erasa said.
"So?" Bulla spoke in an obnoxious voice.
Just then, Gohan walked in. He was looking around like he was looking for something, or someone. Pan and Trunks dove under the table. It took them a moment to realize Goten and Bulla hadn't followed. They reached up to yank them under with them but were too late as Gohan had spotted them and raised his power level once sharply to signal just that.
"Goten, Bulla you idiots!" Trunks yelled at his friend and sister. "Why didn't you hide when Gohan walked in?"
"Nii-chan's here?" he asked looking behind him before smiling broadly.
"Nii-chan!" he cheered.
"We're supposed to be hiding from them, Goten!" scolded Bulla.
"Oh yeah. I forgot Princess." All three of the kids that actually had a fully operational brain facepalmed.
Gohan crossed his arms and glared at them. "What did you four do?"
Pan and Bulla formed their best innocent faces, as did the other two. Goten's was nearly as adorable and innocent as the girls but Trunks's was nowhere near as good as theirs. "We didn't do anything, Nii-chan, hone—"
"BRATS! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU I'M GONNA—" he cut himself off with a roar of anger, preferring to let them guess as to what their punishment would be. All four of their faces turned as white as snow.
"What did you four do to get him that mad?" The Terrors didn't answer, they just turned and ran as fast as their legs would carry them. Their destination, as far away from Vegeta as possible.
Gohan watched them run off with a sympathetic expression. "Aren't you going to help them?" Videl asked.
Gohan turned his head to look at her. "And get in the way of Vegeta?" He shook his head. "Besides, Vegeta won't hurt them too bad. They'll probably just get a few hours in the gravity room by themselves since Pan and Bulla's with them."
Before Videl could ask what Pan and Bulla being with them had to do with anything, Vegeta came running into the room looking absolutely furious.
"WHERE ARE THEY?" Gohan pointed in the direction they had gone and Vegeta took off. Not long after Vegeta was gone, Mirai walked in with Mira on his back walked in, both were shaking with barely contained laughter.
He walked up to Gohan. "What did they do?"
Mirai his mouths to answer but all that came out was loud laughter that was quickly joined by Mira's. They laughed so hard tears came to their eyes. "They..." he attempted speech but couldn't get more than one word out."They..." He took a deep breath and steadied himself. "You should have seen Dad's face! It was priceless. I wish I could have gotten a picture, it would have made whatever he does to them worthwhile." Said Mirai.
"What did they do?" said Gohan.
"Mom sent Dad's training clothes to the wash and the Terrors put..." Mira couldn't finish as she started laughing again so hard that she fell of Mirai's back.
"They put...?" Gohan asked.
"Pink dye in with them!" they choked out between laughs. A mental picture of Vegeta in a pink spandex training suit formed in Gohan's mind and he was overcome with the same uncontrollable laughter as Mirai and his sister.
Half an hour later, when Bulma entered the room, the three teenaged half saiyans were on the ground rolling in uncontrolled laughter. "Will you three stop laughing! That's getting annoying!"
They took deep breaths and looked at her, laughter still present in their eyes,
Gohan was about to say something to Videl but Bulma walked up. "What were you two laughing about?"
Mirai looked up at Bulma, "The Terrors' prank."
Bulma looked slightly interested. "I was wondering what they did to make him so mad. What was it?"
"You know how you sent Dad's training clothes to get washed?" he asked. When Bulma nodded, he continued. "They put pink dye in the wash with them. Now all his training clothes are pink." Bulma covered her mouth, trying to hide her laughter. "What did he do to them?"
"He locked them in the gravity room and left. He said he didn't want to ruin his one good fighting suit. I guess now I know why." She giggled.
"You're going to force him to wear them, aren't you?" Gohan asked, watching his godmother with amused eyes.
"You bet I am. I'll get pictures to. Send them out as invitation to the next reunion." At the thought of what Krillin and Yamcha would say when they saw him in pink spandex, the four erupted into more laughter.
Gohan grinned. "Remember the last one? When the Terrors and Marron were convinced Roshi's mustache was fake?"
Bulma nodded. "Or the first one after I married Vegeta, when he hit on me and Vegeta nearly killed him?"
Gohan shook his head. "I still can't believe Roshi did that."
Bulma smiled. "We'll have to do more reminiscing later. Right now we're going to go to Lab 212."
"WHAT? AUNT BULMA/MOM YOU PROMISED!" the three shouted together.
Bulma ignored them, instead addressing the group. "Everybody finish up! We're about to go down to the labs!" Excited chatter started up as everyone started throwing away their garbage and leftovers. They formed a large group in front of Bulma and she smiled before turning and leaving the room.
Bulma opened one of the doors in the front lobby with a code and stepped inside.
When the room was full, the door closed and a mechanical sound could be heard. Gohan typed in a code and followed the same procedure as the scientist. Videl and company went with him. Then Mirai copied the two. Mirai's group consisted of the last few people that hadn't fit in the first two trips and Mira.
When Mirai's group stepped out of the elevator (that is what the room was by the way), Bulma spoke again, "Is this everyone?" Mirai nodded and she continued. "Okay, there are a few rules of these labs. You will follow all of them or you will be escorted off the premises and not allowed to return. Rule one, touch nothing. Rule two, listen to and obey the scientists as they know what they're doing. Rule three, do whatever Gohan, Mira, Mirai, or I tell you to. Rule four, pay attention and stay with your group. You will not see any secret inventions but rule five is still whatever you see you speak nothing of to no one. Everyone understand?" The class murmured their yeses. "Good, now our first stop is Lab 212. It's one of the personal labs, or labs for specific people to work on ideas and blueprints for future projects so they're more like offices."
"Whose lab is it?" Videl couldn't help herself, she had to ask.
Bulma smiled deviously. "Mirai, Mira and Gohan." Her smile turned to a smirk as all eyes moved to the teens she named. They were glaring at her as if to say, 'you'll pay for this'. "Now come on." She turned and walked down the hallway until she arrived at the door that had a sign above it reading Lab 212 and the door read Mirai, Mira and Gohan.
Bulma twisted the doorknob and a computer voice spoke. "Identity?"
"Bulma Briefs." Bulma responded calmly.
"Scanning voice...Voice confirmed as authentic. Retina scan..." A bright red beam flashed into Bulma's eye. "Identity confirmed. Welcome Bulma."
"Computer I have some guests with me."
"No guests allowed without the owner's codes. My apologies."
Gohan stepped forward with a smirk as Bulma glared at the screen that had appeared on the door. "Hating you added that little feature aren't you Bulma? Computer allow these guests. You have owner's authorization."
"Scanning voice...Voice confirmed as authentic. Retina scan..." The same red beam examined Gohan's eye before the computer spoke again. "Identity confirmed. Welcome Gohan. Welcome Guests." With that the door opened and
Gohan walked casually through.
"I am so uninstalling the no guests feature! I can't believe that stupid machine!"
Gohan laughed. "It's only on our lab and you can't blame the computer. That's what it was programmed to do." Bulma muttered something under her breath
and Gohan laughed again.
Videl stepped in the room and looked around, slightly amazed. The room was a large, three-person office Large, wooden desks sat facing each other but with most of the room in between. There was dark-wood flooring. The walls were painted half and half, the top was burgundy and the bottom was a nice cream colour. A long, horizontal, wooden pole divide the two colours, it was made of the same dark, nearly black, wood of the desks. The room felt extremely professional despite the scatterings of papers that covered either desk. A large picture hung from the wall opposite the door.
"There isn't much to show off in the personal labs but you can look around. Just remember not to touch anything."
Videl walked closer to the large picture. "Bulma, who are these people? And why do they look familiar?" She asked.
Bulma looked up at the picture and smiled. "Gather round everyone and I'll tell you about this picture."
"Hey! That's The Bandit! The best baseball player ever!"
"Yep. Did you know that almost everyone in this picture is famous in one way or another? Anybody else recognize someone in the picture?"
"That's Mr. Chestnut!" came another shout.
"Mr. who?" Bulma asked.
"Chestnut, Bulma. They're talking about Krillin. He's our gym teacher, remember?" Mira said.
"Oh, yeah, I forgot about that." Bulma said.
"That's Tien Shinhan!" came another voice. "Former World Champion!"
"Yep, good ol' Tien." Bulma said with a smile.
"There's your husband, Bulma! And you! But I don't see Mirai or Trunks anywhere."
"Mirai and Mira's not in this picture and Trunks isn't born yet. But Gohan is there and so are his parents. Anyone recognize them?" She asked as she pointed to a kid that could be no older than eight with black hair and eyes that stood in front of two people, a man and a woman.
"They look like older versions of Goten and Pan." Erasa answered.
"Yes, they do. But both of those people are slightly famous, or were a long time ago. Can anyone guess who they are?"
Videl leaned forward and examined the two people more closely. "The late Goku and Chichi Son." came the quiet, pained answer. Videl looked over and noticed it was Gohan who answered, pain evident in his features.
Goku is his father?...Wait, did he say the late Goku and Chichi Son? Does that mean... Videl felt a twinge of shame and guilt, her father had been speaking against Goku publicly for the past few days. Wait, Bulma said that they were both slightly famous. "So, we all know who Goku is, he's a former world
champion. But what did Chichi do?"
"Princess Chichi of the Ox Kingdom is the only woman to ever make it past the preliminaries in the World Martial Arts Tournament," answered Mirai from beside Gohan. "She was known as the strongest woman in the world, but I think her daughters would give her a run for her money."
"Who are the other—" Videl started but Erasa cut her off.
"Did you say Princess Chichi? Wouldn't that make Gohan a prince and Mira a princess?"
"In a way but Grandpa has sold most of his kingdom to the villagers. They still call him their king though and everyone knows him as the Ox King, in fact I think that's actually his name..." Mira got a far off, thoughtful look as she pondered his grandfather's name.
"Huh. You know, I've never heard anyone call him anything except Ox King or Ox,..." Bulma seemed to get a similar look as Mira but snapped out of it quickly.
"Anyway, the rest of the people in the picture. In the front row, sitting from left to right, we have Puar, Yamcha, me, Chichi, Goku, Gohan, Oolong and Krillin. Then behind them, from right to left, we have Piccolo, Master Roshi, Chiaotzu, Tien, and Launch, then over on the edge of the picture, leaning against a tree you can't see, is my husband Vegeta. Puar is the floating cat, Oolong is the pig, Chiaotzu is really floating, Tien does have three eyes, and Piccolo is really green." (Is that the whole Z gang? I think I got everyone but I'm not sure. Let me know in a review if you think I missed someone.)
Videl re-examined the picture now that she had everyone's name. (Picture takes place about a week after Mirai and Mira appears to warn them about the androids. All were dressed as they normally did then) Puar was floating above Yamcha's right shoulder on the far left of the picture. Yamcha sat with his arm around Bulma and looked like he was laughing. Bulma's head was turned, glaring at Master Roshi. Chichi was snuggled close to Goku and and glaring at Master Roshi. Goku had an arm around Chichi while his other arm behind his head an oblivious smile on his face. Gohan was sitting, leaned on both his arms and laughing out right. The pig, Oolong, leaned over to talk to Gohan, a mischievous glint in his eye.
Mr. Chestnut, Krillin, was holding his stomach and laughing hard. Piccolo stood behind Gohan, arms crossed and glaring hatefully at the camera. Videl refused to believe he was really green. Master Roshi was holding his face in pain. Chiaotzu floated between Tien and Roshi, and unreadable expression on his child-like face. Tien had an arm loosely around a blonde Launch, both blushing ever so slightly, having no idea what just happened. Vegeta leaned against something unseen in the picture, a tree according to Bulma, his side faced the camera and his arms were crossed. He wore a glare on his face that, even in picture form, scared the living daylights out of Videl and directed it at the camera.
Videl looked at the building they stood in front of. It was a fairly small, light pink building that had the word KAME HOUSE was written near the red roof in a darker pink. Double windows were on the facing wall beside a small porch with an awning over it that led to the green door. It looked like the place was located on a beach what with all the sound.
"Bulma?" Videl asked.
"Yes, Videl?" Bulma asked.
"What does came house mean? And why is it spelled with a k?" Videl wondered.
Bulma laughed softly. "Not came house, hon. Kame House." Bulma pronounced 'kame' with the e accented. "Kame means turtle."
"So it says turtle house? Why?"
"Because it's the home of the Turtle Hermit, Master Roshi. The legendary martial arts teacher. He liked kame better than turtle so he named his home, and the technique he created, with kame rather than turtle. So it's Kame House and Kamehameha instead of Turtle House and Turtle Destruction Wave."
"Kamehameha? Turtle Destruction Wave? What are you talking about?" Asked Videl.
"That's a question for Gohan or Mira. They could explain it better than I could anyway." Bulma walked away and Videl turned to glare at the picture.
"How do all these people know each other anyway?" Videl asked the air.
"That's a story that involves several true fairy tales." Said Gohan.
Videl jumped at Gohan's voice. "What fairy tales? And what do you mean true fairy tales? Fairy tales aren't true!"
Gohan shook his head. "Until you open your mind, you won't understand or believe any of the truths I can tell you. Until you understand and believe, I can only give you an unusual and cryptic answer. Those people are the Z Warriors and their families and close friends. The story behind the Z Warriors is one I cannot tell you, at least not yet."
Gohan walked away and not long after, the class left the room to visit another. For the rest of her time at CC, Videl was trying to figure who the Z Warriors were. She had never heard of them, but they all looked familiar in one way or another. Other than the way they were introduced on the picture. She wondered what part those people played in the world and how they knew each other.
It was driving her crazy. As the buses pulled away from CC she resolved to search the internet for the Z Warriors and then each one individually.
Gohan, Mira and Mirai sighed as the bus pulled away. "That could have gone a lot worse," Mirai announced.
"Yes, it could have. Hey, want to call everyone up for a free for all outside the city?" said Mira.
"Let's ask Dad and the Terrors first, and give Krillin enough time to get home." Said Mirai.
An hour later, all the Z Warriors gathered a ways away from any city. The perfect place for a free for all. "Hey, anyone have any ideas for concealing our identities? I mean, I kind of like living in seclusion and not getting followed around by paparazzi." Tien announced to everyone.
"What if we go as Cell Games fighters?" asked Pan. "And wear something over our faces so nobody recognizes us?"
"That would restrict vision," Yamcha inserted. "And I'll need all the help I can get with you guys competing."
"I bet Aunt Bulma could make masks that wouldn't restrict our vision!" Pan countered.
"You know, I can't find another fault with her reasoning, at least not for us super saiyans. But you four can't go super." Gohan said.
"Yes we can!" Four voices announced proudly.
Everyone looked at the Terrors in disbelief. "Prove it brats!" Vegeta ordered. The Terrors compiled, all glaring for a moment before their hair turned yellow and their eyes teal. "When was the super elite of the saiyan race reduced to a child's toy!" Vegeta shouted angrily.
"A few weeks ago when we were stuck in the gravity room after a prank," was Goten's reply.
"Let's get this damn spar started then!" Vegeta then went super, Mirai, Mira and Gohan following his lead as to not get the snot beaten out of them.
"Wait a second guys!" came a voice from the sky. Everyone stopped and looked up, except the Terrors who were frantically searching for the source of the voice.
"King Kai, is that you?" Gohan asked.
"Yes, it most certainly is, Gohan. I'm just calling to let you know that your parents will be joining all of you at the Tournament."
"Really? That's awesome!"
"Yes, it is. Both Goku and Chichi will be allowed to visit Earth for twenty-four hours. But, they have been given an extremely rare opportunity. This opportunity is one only given to two people at a time, no more, no less. Both of them must train on Grand Kai's planet as well as be married with no chance of separation, they must also have pure hearts and both has to have been dead for less than five years but more than three. Needless to say that such an occasion hasn't happened in several millennia. But the opportunity is not the trip to the living as I'm sure you've guessed. Many people get that chance. This opportunity is a test with an unbelievable reward."
"What reward, King Kai?" Yamcha asked.
"I was getting to that, Yamcha." the kai snapped. "As I was saying before I was interrupted, an opportunity with an unbelievable reward, should the pair pass. Yes, the opportunity is a test. And should it be passed, the testers are returned to land of the living until the day come that they die again. Goku and Chichi are taking the test now so they could not tell you. They will know whether they have passed or failed when their day with the living has ended."
Gohan smiled happily and looked at the twins. "Hear that, you two? You're going to meet Mom and Dad at the Tournament!" They smiled happily. "Hey, King Kai! Can you tell Dad we're going to enter as the Cell Games fighters?" He looked at everyone. "We're agreed on that, right?" They nodded their consent.
"Sure Gohan, I'll tell them. But how's your mom going to fit in with the group? She's competing too."
"Mom's gonna compete?" Gohan asked in utter astonishment. "Well, I guess she can wear a mask like the others. Oh, and come up with an alias."
"Okay, bye." King Kai's voice disappeared.
"First one knocked out buys dinner!" Mirai yelled before punching Gohan. The full blooded humans paled (yes, 18 is with them but she's not technically in the group that paled) but jumped into the fray. Just a little info, in case you were wondering, Yamcha was the first one out, but, luckily for him, they decided to go to CC to eat as it had robots and a large amount quickly fixed, edible food (the robots are programmed with Chichi's recipes and have the advanced technology of CC). Soon after dinner, everyone that didn't live there had left and Gohan told Bulma about Goku and Chichi returning for a day and maybe longer.